In China, lower-tier cities are challenging the dominance of first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai for attracting foreign investment.

In recent years, the increasing cost of labor, housing, and land in first-tier cities has led many Fortune 500 companies  especially those in the computer, software, information technology, and e-commerce sectors  to settle in second- and third-tier cities.

Lower-tier cities are continuously announcing business incentives to attract investment and promote pillar industries, while also offering a variety of entrepreneurship and housing subsidies to attract talent.

Chinas next generation of workers are aware of these trends. According to the 2018 Research Report on the Employment Market for Graduates, 40 percent of the 90,000 graduates surveyed hope to work in so-called emerging first-tier cities such as Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Chongqing, while only 27 percent hope to work in first-tier cities.

To understand how these lower-tier cities are performing compared to established first-tier cities and to identify those with the greatest economic potential, China Briefing examined all cities in mainland China with a gross domestic product (GDP) of more than RMB 500 billion (US$74.1 billion) in 2017 and calculated their GDP growth rates between 2012 and 2017.

1. Hefei, Anhui

Hefei is the fastest growing city in China, with its GDP rising from RMB 416.4 billion (US$65.9 billion) in 2012 to RMB 721.3 billion (US$106.8 billion) in 2017  an increase of 73.2 percent.

A survey by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs titled 2017 Charming China, revealed that Hefei was the third most attractive Chinese city in the eyes of foreign talent, placing just behind Shanghai and Beijing.

The city currently has eight core industries: automotive, equipment manufacturing, home appliances, chemicals, new materials, software and electronic information, biomedicine, and food processing.

Last year, Hefei was selected as a pilot city under the Made in China 2025 initiative, and as a result increased its investment in the manufacturing sector. To this end, in June 2018, Hefei announced subsidies of up to RMB 20 million (US$3 million) to eligible newly settled businesses in the circuit and software industries to promote investment in both these sectors.

Further, Hefei has ramped up efforts in targeting Fortune Global 500 companies in the equipment manufacturing, new energy vehicles, and logistics sectors in order to attract more foreign businesses and high-end human resources. The city has also committed to improve incentives targeting overseas professionals.

Earlier, in 2014, Hefei launched a system to promote industry development, introducing five specific measures to advance industrialization, innovation, agriculture, services, and culture.

By 2020, Hefei aims to realize a GDP of more than RMB 1 trillion (US$150.9 billion).

2. Yangzhou, Jiangsu

Ranked as the second fastest growing city, Yangzhous GDP rose from RMB 293.3 billion (US$46.4 billion) in 2012 to RMB 506.4 billion (US$75 billion) in 2017, an increase of 72.65 percent.

Traditionally, the dominant industries in Yangzhou have been automobile, machinery, tourism, software, and food processing.

In 2017, the city released plans to strengthen strategic emerging industries such as new energy, new medicine, novel materials, energy conservation, high-end manufacturing, information technology, and biotechnology. The objective is to generate an output value of RMB 700 billion (US$105.6 billion) from these industries by 2020.

Furthermore, Yangzhou is the bedrock of the software and information service industry in Jiangsu. Accordingly, analysts acknowledge that the city is well-positioned to influence regional industry development and industrial transformation.

In April 2018, the government announced generous incentives to attract high-end professionals, including a monthly rental allowance of up to RMB 3,000 (US$452.10) and a one-time housing subsidy worth up to RMB 2 million (US$ 301,390).

Yangzhou is also the only city in Jiangsu province to be awarded pioneer status as a result of its support for small and micro-enterprises.

Yangzhou, acknowledged as a highly livable city, is likely to continue its progression of economic growth and talent retention, as it continues to stimulate its economy through innovation and industry expert input.

3. Shenzhen, Guangdong

Shenzhen is the only first tier city that continues to expand at a country-leading pace. The city has seen GDP growth of 72.1 percent from 2012 to 2017, rising from RMB 1,295 billion (US$205.1 billion) to RMB 2,228.6 billion (US$330.1 billion).

For the first time, Shenzhen has overtaken Guangzhou to become the city with the third-highest GDP in mainland China in 2017, behind only Shanghai and Beijing.

As the fastest growing first-tier city and the most successful special economic zone, Shenzhen owes its success in part to its proximity to Hong Kong.

Shenzhens pillar industries are the cultural and creative industries, high and new technology industries, modern logistics, and finance.

In the future, the government will focus on developing emerging industries, including new energy and materials, life and health, robotics, intelligence equipment, and aerospace and aviation.

In recent years, the secondary (manufacturing) sector has received increased attention so as to avoid industrial hollowing-out due to the relocation of manufacturing caused by rising production costs.

Shenzhen is also known for its dynamic and booming startup scene. Unlike Beijing and Shanghai, which have more state-owned enterprises, Shenzhen is home to younger, private companies.

In 2016, Shenzhen had the highest density of startups of all the mainland cities. The government plays an important role in promoting these companies by providing abundant resources and funds for entrepreneurs to invest in the various sectors.

For example, qualified leading e-commerce enterprises setting up headquarters in Shenzhen may be awarded RMB 5 million (US$748,875.0), while qualified individuals or teams who establish startups may be awarded up to RMB 1 million (US$150,690.0). In addition, in June, the city announced housing policies that provide qualified Chinese citizens with substantial subsidies for renting or buying a home.

The drawbacks of doing business in Shenzhen is that the monthly cost of living is relatively high  an average of RMB 7,000 (US$1,056.2)  meaning that land and labor is expensive.

4. Chengdu, Sichuan

Chengdus GDP grew from RMB 813.8 billion (US$137.1 billion) in 2012 to RMB 1,388.9 billion (US$205.7 billion) in 2017, amounting to a 70.66 percent increase.

In late 2017, Chengdu announced that by focusing on six aspects of the new economy (digital, intelligence, green, creative, mobile, and shared), it aims to reach a new-economy output value of RMB 500 million (US$75.4 million) by 2022.

Analysts believe that Chengdu is a strong candidate for developing the new economy because of its many comparative advantages, including being a logistics hub for the Belt and Road Initiative, boasting a huge consumer market, having abundant scientific and technological talents, and being a highly livable city. However, some observers argue that Chengdus new economy is currently still capital intensive and lacks innovative capabilities.

The government has also rolled out key measures to support new economy-related companies, including the establishment of an RMB 10 billion (US$1.5 billion) new-economy development fund and subsidies of up to RMB 40 million (US$6.0 million) for financial institutions and their headquarters that are newly-established in Chengdu.

In addition, this year, the city introduced a series of measures to further attract foreign investment. If the regional headquarters of newly registered multinational corporations (MNCs) are located in Chengdu for at least a year, they can receive establishment funds of up to RMB 500 million (US$75.4 million).

Chengdus continuous efforts to attract investment have proven fruitful. According to Yicais 2018 Business Attractiveness of Chinese Cities Ranking, Chengdu is the most attractive emerging first-tier city for businesses in China, ranking at the top in its concentration of commercial resources, the vitality of its people, its urban pivot ability, and urban plasticity.

5. Nantong, Jiangsu

Nantongs GDP grew from RMB 455.8 billion (US$ 72.2 billion) in 2012 to RMB 773.4 billion (US$ 114.5 billion) in 2017, representing a growth rate of 69.67 percent.

Nantong continues to develop its mainstay industries  such as high-end textiles, electronic information, and marine engineering  while nurturing the development of emerging industries, including intelligent equipment, new materials, new energy, and new-energy vehicles.

Located on the Yangtze River Delta, Nantong has fostered greater cooperation with other cities in the region, especially Shanghai. In 2017, the government published details of a strategic policy aimed at escalating the construction and development of Nantong, which will improve its integration with surrounding areas.

By integrating and collaborating with Shanghais capital, technology, and human resources, Nantong aims to become the economic and transportation hub of the north wing of the Yangtze River Delta. The two cities complement each other: Nantong utilizes Shanghais resources to accelerate industry innovation and transformation; while Shanghai expands its market share and advances industry development through Nantong.

Nantong offers generous subsidies to attract top-end talent. Nevertheless, the measures taken to attract graduates and youth are proving ineffective. This was reflected in the 2017 China Urban Research Report, released by Baidu Map, which revealed that Nantongs ranking in terms of attractiveness to the urban population has steadily dropped.

In recognition of this, a city official announced in June that developing Nantong as an innovative city that appeals to young professionals is a priority. Analysts pointed out that it is vital to deliver what matters most to potential residents, particularly a housing and cost-of-living subsidy, a reduction of hukou restrictions, and opportunities for career development.

Capitalize on regional dynamics

Aside from government support, the driving forces behind the five cities are strongly related to their location and their efforts to join Chinas macroeconomic trends to innovate pillar industries.

In our ranking, three of the five cities are located in the Yangtze River Delta, and one is in the Pearl River Delta. The government has been creating city clusters and super-regions to facilitate urbanization, which may be positively correlated with GDP growth.

Notably absent from the list are cities from northern China, where much of the economy is struggling compared to Chinas dynamic eastern and southern regions and booming west.

The rise of lower-tier cities has also brought huge investment opportunities in the daily consumption, education, and elder care markets. Consumption growth in second-, third-, and fourth-tier cities is nearly 1.5 times larger than that of first-tier cities, according to the 2017 Consumption Upgrade Big Data Report.

However, some analysts claim that, for the short term, second- and third-tier cities will continue to suffer from talent and capital disadvantages over emerging and first-tier cities, which have more abundant cash flows.

Nevertheless, as the government continues to restrict population growth in first-tier cites, many businesses and talented individuals may still choose to settle in lower-tier cities as they continue to offer lower living costs and a variety of investment incentives.A large-scale public art project is attracting more visitors to one of the oldest streets in Manhattan's Chinatown in New York City.

The Song of Dragon and Flowers, opened to public over the weekend, is a large-scale public art project created by Chinese artist Chen Dongfan on the 200-foot-long (61 meters) Doyers street in the heart of Chinatown in Lower Manhattan from July 13 to 20.

The asphalt mural directly painted on the 4800 square foot (about 450 square meters) Doyers Street was done with the assistance from the New York City Department of Transportation's Art Program and Public Space Unit, Chinatown Partnership, Fou Gallery, and ArtBridge.

The artist chooses to capture the soul and spirit of the dragon, as a visual embodiment of the area and the lasting Chinese cultural heritage. The flowers are a symbol of peace in response to the rich history of Chinatown. Together they compose a song with exuberant and dynamic rhythm.

The project is part of New York City Department of Transportation's Seasonal Streets program. Seasonal Streets temporarily transform streets into vibrant public space during warm weather when people use them the most.

Doyers Street was infamously known as the "Bloody Angle" in the early 20th century.







The Palace Museum is encouraging young people to come up with musical ideas to convey the connotations of ancient paintings in an event called "Singing Paintings".







The event, jointly initiated by the Palace Museum, Tencent Next Idea and QQ Music, "is a new approach to cultural innovation which integrates art, music, and technology, aiming to teach youth about the beauty of traditional art," said Shan Jixiang, curator of the museum.





The museum authorized 10 paintings from its collections to serve as sources of inspiration, including "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" and "Along the River During Qingming Festival," all of which are masterpieces of their dynasties.





The theme song for the event, which was inspired by "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" from Song Dynasty and sung by Jackson Yee, member of Chinese boy band TFBOYS, was released Wednesday.





The music inspired by the paintings will be included in a digital album and promoted across all platforms through QQ music.



For a shrewd businessman, China's plan for coordinated development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region means huge business opportunities. Yu Guiting, board chairman of Dongsu Group in Cangzhou city, Hebei province, is such a businessman.

The 69-year-old man has always wanted to branch into the garment industry since the 1980s when he went to the United States on a business trip and was amazed by what he saw at a garment industry cluster there. In 2014, when China put forward the plan for regional development, Yu believed it was exactly the right time.

According to the plan, Beijing needs to relieve itself of functions non-essential to its role as the Chinese capital, which includes the relocation of its garment industry.

Yu compared Beijing's garment industry to a tree that has grown very big after three decades of development --about 600,000 people were in Beijing's garment business before the relocation. For the tree to survive and thrive in Cangzhou, Yu said, he needed to provide fertile soil and a large enough planting hole for it to grow.

His idea was to create an industrial cluster which adopts a modern business operating model and incorporates every single link of the garment industry from R&D, design, production, storage, logistics all the way down to wholesale and retail.



His Cangzhou Dongsu Mingzhu Commodity Market opened in 2014 and was designated as a demonstrative project on how to respond to Beijing and Tianjin's industrial transfer.

So far, approximately 15,000 garment vendors from Beijing have entered or signed letters of intent to enter the market, which has a planned business area of 2.2 million square meters.

Upon full completion, the project will be able to host 30,000 vendors from Beijing and post a turnover of 240 billion yuan.

To woo Beijing's garment businesses, Dongsu has a slew of preferential policies in place, including rent free and property management fee waivers.

The company has also launched free shuttle buses to transport clients from Beijing to Cangzhou. It also operates buses to other Chinese cities in an attempt to lure in more clients.

For garment production, the main location is the Mingzhu Garment Town in east Cangzhou. Upon full completion, the 333-hectare, 53.6-billion-yuan town will be able to accommodate over 10,000 garment manufacturers from Beijing that can realize an industrial value of over 200 billion yuan and generate 300,000 jobs.

Relocated manufactures can either rent factories or buy land to build their own factories. So far, more than 4,300 manufacturers from Beijing have relocated to the town.

For garment vendors and manufacturers, the move from Beijing to third-tier city Cangzhou is at first an apprehensive one.

To allay their worries, Dongsu approached them and offered them free rides to Cangzhou to inspect the local business environment. They were mostly received by Dongsus board chairman Yu, who addressed their concerns and briefed them on his business plan. Such inspection trips helped them decide to relocate.

Three years into the relocation, there is now general optimism about business growth in Cangzhou among vendors and manufactures.

Wang Ligong, who had been in the garment business in Beijing for 24 years, moved to Mingzhu Garment Town in 2016.

Compared with Beijing, the cost of running a business in Cangzhou is significantly low, said Wang.

He had a 13,000-square-meter factory in Beijing before moving to Cangzhou. Though the factory could no longer meet his needs, he could not expand his production space due to land restraints. After relocating to Cangzhou, he is now building a 37,000-square-meter factory at a much lower cost.

Besides, electricity and water bills are almost half the price of Beijing, according to Wang.

In addition to business concerns, vendors and manufacturers also have living concerns related to their families and employees. They need places to live and their children need schools to attend.

To reassure them, Dongsu has built apartment buildings for them to buy at cost prices. The group has also promised access to education for their children.

Hu Xitian, a 36-year-old vendor from Beijing's famous Dahongmen Morning Market, moved to Cangzhou with his wife and child early this year. His child is going to attend primary school in Cangzhou next year.

"Dongsu Group has made arrangements with local educational authorities to ensure my child's access to a primary school.

Dongsu's board chairman Yu admitted, the capital input in the project is huge," but he was confident that as more and more vendors and manufactures gravitate toward Cangzhou, the city would be set to have a thriving garment industry and become a capital of fashion in China and even in the world.

For the dynamic old man, it is a dream coming true.



China plans to lower the threshold for foreign investors to make strategic investment in listed companies in the nation, which is the latest in a series of measures to further open the market.

That's according to a draft of revised rules released by the Ministry of Commerce, which has been sent for public comments. The ministry said the revisions were drafted to expand the channels of using foreign investment and promote the healthy development of China's securities market.

"The move is an important incentive for foreign investors to invest in China, a part of the nation's substantial measures to further open up the economy," said Li Shuguang, an economist and a professor at China University of Political Science and Law.

In the draft, the ministry suggested that A shares acquired by foreign investors through strategic investment are not tradable for 12 months. Under current rules, such shares are not tradable for three years.

"This shortened lockup period would create more liquidity for foreign investors, so they can control their capital flow in a much more flexible manner," Li said.

The ministry also proposed loosening controls over the requirements for foreign investors in the draft as follows: To participate in strategic investments in listed firms in China, a foreign company must own actual overseas assets of no less than $50 million or manage actual overseas assets of no less than $300 million.

Current regulations require that a foreign firm own assets of no less than $100 million or manage assets of no less than $500 million.

Li said: "The capital threshold, according to the revised rule, would be lowered by around 50 percent, which will generate fresh opportunities for more foreign investors to enter the Chinese market."

The ministry suggested reviewing strategic foreign investment applications in national security related areas, in line with national security rules.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy. The government has rolled out a set of measures to facilitate foreign investment and improve business environment.

In early July, the country released a shorter negative list for free trade zones and a list applicable nationwide. The list shows areas where investment is limited or prohibited for foreign investors, with all other areas presumed to be open.

The new list reduces the number of sectors restricted for foreign investors to 45 in all free trade zones, from 95 last year.

Wei Jianguo, a former vice-minister of commerce, said China's stance on opening-up has offered and will continue to, offer opportunities for other countries to share the benefits of its growth.Chinese internet search giant Baidu Inc reported its total revenues reached 26.0 billion yuan ($3.93 billion), an increase of 32 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of this year, while mobile revenue represented 77 percent of total net revenues, compared to 72 percent for the same period last year.

"We had another strong quarter in Q2 with search exhibiting robust revenue growth driven by artificial intelligence-powered monetization capabilities and Baidu feed continuing strong traffic and monetization momentum," said Robin Li, chairman and CEO of Baidu.

Li said on Baidu's open autonomous driving platform Apollo, they worked with King Long Motor and Neolix Technology to launch two fully autonomous L4 vehicles, emphasizing "these strong results are a testament of our ability to focus and execute on our strategy to solidify Baidu's mobile foundation and lead in AI."

Net income attributable to Baidu was 6.4 billion yuan, up 45 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, and its online marketing revenues were 21.1 billion yuan, representing a 25 percent increase year-on-year.

Herman Yu, chief financial officer of Baidu, said: "We continue to increase our investments in AI-powered businesses with strong synergies and divest from non-core businesses. This has resulted in an acceleration of our revenue growth and allowed us to redeploy capital raised from non-core business divestures to create long-term shareholder value and increase return on capital."

Last month, the company announced it has begun volume production of Apolong, China's first fully autonomous mini bus, in partnership with Chinese bus manufacturer King Long, and intends to ship such buses to Japan early next year.

Baidu and China Mobile have formed a strategic partnership to cooperate in AI, big data and 5G, and agreed to jointly explore opportunities in autonomous driving and internet of things at home.

For the third quarter of 2018, Baidu expects revenues to be between 27.37 billion yuan and 28.77 billion yuan, representing a 23 percent to 30 percent increase year-on-year.Shenzhen announced its latest round of restrictions on Tuesday to curb housing market speculation, following the recent moves by other major cities in China.

The new curbs are expected to stop enterprises and institutions from purchasing commodity housing, restrain speculation on business apartment market and deter individuals from making speculative choices, such as a "fake divorce".

In a statement, it said enterprises, institutions and social organizations cannot purchase commodity housing in the city from Tuesday.

Commercial apartments built on all kinds of new supply lands can only be rented but not sold, according to the statement. And an enterprise's overall holding period of a business apartment should be consistent with the time limit of the land use right, with the single lease term no longer than 10 years.

In addition, from Tuesday, business apartments newly purchased by individuals, enterprises, institutions or social organizations are prohibited from transferring within five years from the date of obtaining the property right certificate.

Wang Feng, director of Shenzhen Real Estate Research Center, said recently more than 20 percent of the total houses of some hot real estate projects in Shenzhen were purchased by companies, according to a report by 21st Century Business Herald.

In addition, some buyers who have a large amount of money entered the house purchasing lottery system by registering companies, which squeezes people's real demand, Wang said.

For individuals, the new policy restricts both sale and loan limits.

It forbids the transfer of commodity housing newly purchased by households (excluding housing for talents and residential housing for of urban low-income families) within three years from the date of obtaining the property right certificate.

The policy requires individual buyers who apply for business loans or provident fund loans within two years from filing for a divorce need to make an initial payment no less than 70 percent. Among them, for the ones who have no housing loan records before, if they can provide a certificate of no housing before the divorce or just one house held by the family before the divorce, the down-payment requirement can be lowered to no less than 30 percent and no less than 50 percent respectively.

"Shenzhen upgraded its regulation comprehensively this time. The four major policies, aimed at speculative demands, mean to curb the rise of housing prices and hit investors' expectations on the market," an industry insider said, according to a report by Securities Daily.

Zhang Dawei, chief analyst with real estate agency Centaline Property, told Securities Daily that except for a small number of apartment investment enterprises, most enterprises that purchase residential housings are speculators.

"The regulation on banning enterprises and institutions from purchasing commodity housing may be adopted by more cities, as it is an effective way for easing the tension between market supply and demand," Zhang said.

"The launch of this policy is timely and necessary," Wang told 21st Century Business Herald.

He said banning enterprises from purchasing commodity housing can block the loopholes, stop individuals from bypassing the purchase limit, help maintain the fairness of the lottery system and prevent enterprises from "contending with people for profits".Chinese internet companies' continuous research and development improvements are driving their emergence as first-tier international players with core technologies, analysts said.

Xie Shaofeng, director of the Informatization and Software Service Division at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said domestic internet companies are making steady progress in R&D, with a string of internationally competitive players emerging in the fields of cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence and other technologies.

Last year, China's top 100 internet companies' combined R&D spending exceeded 100 billion yuan ($14.6 billion) for the first time, hitting 106 billion yuan as spending rose 41.4 percent year-on-year, according to a report released by the MIIT's information center and the Internet Society of China.

These leading online companies have 197,000 R&D staff in total, accounting for 19.4 percent of their headcount, said the report, titled China's Top 100 Internet Companies.

As of 2017, the enterprises boasted 22,000 patents, 13,000 of which are invention-related, including globally influential tech.

"More efforts will be made to pursue breakthroughs in general processors, fundamental software and other crucial technologies. We will also accelerate steps to draft common standards to further the development of the internet," Xie said.

Thanks in part to heightened R&D capabilities, last year, China's top 100 companies, led by e-commerce heavyweight Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, raked in 1.72 trillion yuan in revenue, up by 50.6 percent year-on-year, according to the report.

The companies' combined profits in 2017 exceeded 270.7 billion yuan, marking a surge of 82.6 percent year-on-year. Although Alibaba and second-placed social networking behemoth Tencent Holdings Ltd accounted for 60 percent of all the profits, 11 of the businesses saw profit margins exceeding 40 percent.

Li Dewen, deputy director of the MIIT's information center, said cyber technologies are where investments are most intensive, innovation most active, and application most widespread.

"As the core engine of innovation, Chinese internet companies have already made breakthroughs in many areas. But more efforts are needed to tackle common bottlenecks that are limiting the development of whole industries," Li said.

Companies are scrambling to get ahead in that direction. Alibaba, for instance, has appointed a group of seasoned scientists to spearhead its efforts in AI, a move that will further galvanize the company's technological capabilities.

President Xi Jinping has called for greater resolve and synergy in efforts to put an end to commercial activities of the military across the board.

Xi, also chairman of the Central Military Commission and general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remark at a collective study session of the CPC Central Committee's Political Bureau on Tuesday, one day ahead of Army Day.

Xi said that innovation and breakthroughs should be made in a manner that is both proactive and secure, and commercial activities of the military must be halted without any compromise.

The military is expected to stop all its commercial activities by the end of the year, and related work is being conducted with good momentum, he said.

Over the past two years, the military has seen major progress in halting its commercial activities thanks to efforts to implement the decision by the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission and focus on tackling difficulties, he said.

The target of separating the military from commercial operations has been basically reached, which helped promote stricter governance of the Party and the military and helped the military to focus on its main mission of battle readiness, he said.

However, the tasks at hand are still arduous and heavy, and it is important to continue the momentum, face difficulties head-on and ensure the targets already set can be fully reached, he said.

They should also face contradictions and problems head-on and work unswervingly toward solving problems.

Xi stressed that it is important to free the mind, step up exploration in practices and enhance innovation in mechanisms and systems.

Innovation and breakthroughs should be achieved in areas such as the unified management of military assets, following a path of replacement of assets between military and local governments, and pushing forward integration between military and civil sectors.

More work will also be done to push forward the optimized combination of resources for military and local governments to enable better utilization, he said.

Xi noted that there are many complicated factors that are related to work in halting the commercial activities of the military.

It is important to ensure the stability of both the military and society, he said.

Related policies and regulations should be further refined, and legal awareness should be further strengthened to better use legal tools so that there are rules to follow and the legitimate interests of the military and the people can be protected, he said.

He also stressed that the work must be comprehensive and has no forbidden areas and zero tolerance for wrongdoing.

Clues to solving problems must be followed thoroughly, and individuals and cases of legal or disciplinary violations must be dealt with stringently, he said.Research vessel Dayang Yihao, or Ocean No 1, departed its home port in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Tuesday and embarked on a 100-day scientific ocean expedition.

The research vessel will head for areas of seamountsunderwater mountainsin the western Pacific Ocean to investigate resources and the environment. Eighty-seven scientists and technicians from domestic universities and research institutions and 30 crew members are aboard.

"The area is full of mineral resources, such as cobalt-rich crusts and manganese nodules. It's a hot spot for international seabed expeditions," said Li Bo, an official with the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Natural Resources.

"Around the area are a lot of seamounts of different shapes, where research related to biodiversity and the environment will be mainly focused," he said.

According to the association, the expedition will carry out deep-sea investigations of marine microplastics and radioactive isotopes. Researchers will also observe ocean birds and mammals.

Sun Lijia, director of the expedition, said the vessel is carrying innovative deep-sea research equipment, such as the submersible vehicle Hailong 11000, and will test its function during the expedition.

Officials from the ministry, which approved the expedition, said scientific ocean expeditions are part of an effort to build China into a strong maritime power and has major significance for the enhancement of deep-water technology, increasing understanding of the ocean and taking advantage of the ocean in a peaceful way.

The Dayang Yihao is a 5,600-metric-ton vessel with equipment for research in geophysics, marine chemistry, biology and acoustics. It has successfully carried out 18 missions.

It is expected to cover 6,700 nautical miles and return to its home port in November.China is considering drafting a law on veterans welfare and a guideline on the work related to veterans in the new era, minister of veterans affairs Sun Shaocheng said Tuesday.

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs is reviewing all policies and regulations regarding veterans affairs since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Sun told a news briefing by the State Council Information Office.

China has decided to issue plaques of honor before May 1, 2019 to tens of millions of families who had or have loved ones in military service, Sun said. The plaques had been reserved only for families of martyrs and volunteer military personnel.

The ministry will help more than 80,000 ex-servicemen and women and nearly 40,000 veterans find jobs this year, the minister said.

The ministry, which was inaugurated in April, is a new establishment in the wide-ranging Party and state institutional reform.

According to a circular issued last week by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, pension allowances for disabled soldiers, police officers, state officials, and militia members as well as for family members of martyrs and deceased soldiers will increase by 10 percent from Aug. 1, China's Army Day.



The Middle East is the region for irregular and zero-sum games where differences between countries or in relationships between people and their governments often and rapidly result in long wars of attrition. In such a region, the agreement on Iran's nuclear program to solve one of the most important crises in the Middle East is considered a great achievement for diplomacy, peace, and stability.

However, the withdrawal of the United States from Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) could lead to its collapse. The fragility of the agreement, and the deprivation of Iran from its promised economic benefits, have created some frustration in Iran regarding the efficiency of diplomatic solutions for resolving differences between this country and the international community.





This frustration, amid attempts by the Trump administration to foment an economic crisis and public dissatisfaction in Iran, open the door for some kind of paradigm shift in Iranian foreign policy.





In recent weeks, Iranian leaders have threatened that, if the United States decides to completely cut off Iranian oil exports, they will not allow shipments of the precious commodity by other countries through the Strait of Hormuz at the head of the Gulf that Iran controls.





Moreover, the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has warned the United States: "Do not play with the lion's tail," and that a "war with Iran will be the mother of all wars." In response, Trump's tweet threatens the Iranian president with an American military attack.





With the withdrawal of America from the JCPOA and intensification of its pressures on Iran, a growing number of officials in the latter are arguing that Washington has regime change in Iran on its agenda through intensifying economic pressure and expanding social dissatisfaction in the country.





In response to these pressures, the Iranian government has opted for a counter-containment strategy, trying to use all its power to confront the intensifying American threats.





For instance, its economic policies for coping with any sanctions that could be imposed in the coming months are changing. In foreign policy, Iranian officials emphasize the interconnectedness of the security of Iran and that of the entire Middle East and warn that insecurity in Iran will certainly spread through the region.





Although there has invariably been tension in U.S.-Iran relations during the past four decades, the depth and extent of that being witnessed at present is unprecedented in the past decade.





Iran and the U.S. are two key players in the evolving regional order of the Middle East. The future of the wars in Syria and Yemen, and also prospects for political stability in Iraq, depend on the role these two countries play, and on how they behave toward each other.





With the agreement on Iran's nuclear program, hopes had risen of a diplomatic resolution of the other crises in this region, but these hopes have been dashed by the American withdrawal from the JCPOA.

Intensification of tension between these two countries can establish irregular and zero-sum games as the dominant trend in the evolving order in the Middle East and expand instability.





If Iran withdraws from the JCOPA in the coming months, a new chain of security dilemmas will take shape in the Middle East, and the probability of another war will substantially increase. With the possible Iranian pull-out from the JCPOA, this country will restart its nuclear activities, increasing the probability of a U.S. military attack.





Even if the U.S. could somehow succeed in its policy of regime change and destabilization of Iran, the effects on the Middle East and on international security will be catastrophic.





The Arab Spring, and the fact that some governments in the region have become increasingly fragile in recent years, have led to the worst migration crisis in the post-World War II era, confronting the European Union (EU) with one of the most complex crises since its formation.





In addition, they resulted in the emergence of ISIS as one of the most complicated and dangerous terrorist groups.

Iranian instability can connect the chain of unstable states from Afghanistan on the borders with China to Syria on the Mediterranean Sea, and to the borders of the EU. Moreover, instability of Iran, as one of the most important oil producers, and as a country located in a crucially strategic position in the Gulf, can potentially put energy production and transit security at serious risk.





With the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, the future of this agreement and the future of the fragile stability and security in the Middle East have become dependent on the role of both China and the EU.





Iran has raised continued oil exportation and access to the global banking system as its two key demands for remaining in the JCPOA and for continuing compliance with its commitments. Iran carries out about 50 percent of its foreign trade with China and the EU and exports half of its oil to them.





Furthermore, as a financial superpower, the EU can prepare the ground for continuation of banking interactions with Iran. Iran's agreement or disagreement with the other members of the JCPOA on the proposed package of the (EU3+ China and Russia), and especially its operational solutions, will have a key role in the future of the JCPOA, continuation of minimal stability in the fragile Middle East, and in preservation of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and security of energy production and transit.





Mohsen Shariatinia is an assistant professor of regional studies at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran.





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Flash

China is willing to maintain friendly policies towards Malaysia to deepen cooperation and benefit people of both countries, said visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday when meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Saifuddin Abdullah.







As two nations with traditional friendship, both China and Malaysia are developing countries, whose shared interests far outweigh differences, said Wang, adding Sino-Malaysian relations are of "strategic significance."





With the establishment of a new Malaysian government, Sino-Malaysian relations now stand at a new starting point. China is ready to enhance high-level exchanges between the two governments and lay out a blueprint for the development of future relations, Wang said.





Wang also expressed his appreciation for Malaysia's support of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying the joint efforts of China and Malaysia, as natural partners in undertaking the initiative, will open up even greater prospects for cooperation between the two countries and contribute to common development.





He noted that the two sides should encourage and support the businesses of both countries in more active cooperation.





Wang also highlighted Malaysia's role in regional and global affairs, saying China is ready to work with Malaysia to make sure that the upcoming Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Singapore will yield concrete results and send a clear message of supporting multilateralism and free trade.





For his part, Saifuddin said the two countries have traditional friendship and the bilateral relations have achieved significant developments in recent years, delivering benefits to the people of two countries.





Malaysia sees China as a good neighbor and an important partner and the new Malaysian government has attached great significance to the bilateral relations, said Saifuddin.





Regarding Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's upcoming visit to China, Saifuddin said Malaysia looks forward to working closely with the Chinese side to make the visit successful, to enhance friendship and to deepen friendly cooperation in areas including trade, tourism, culture and education so as to bring the bilateral ties to a new high, which is not only beneficial to the two peoples but is also positive for ASEAN, regional cooperation and the world.





Saifuddin also reiterated that Malaysia will actively support and participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.





China is the closest partner of cooperation for ASEAN, and Malaysia welcomes and hopes that China will continue to play an important role for regional peace and stability as well as common development, he said. Flash

China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday pledged to enhance bilateral academic exchanges and cooperation in a bid to elevate the bilateral ties to a higher level.





The pledge came at a meeting between Chinese Ambassador to UAE Ni Jian and Jamal Sanad Al Suwaidi, director-general of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi.





The meeting, held at the ECSSR, discussed means of boosting cooperation between the ECSSR and Chinese academic centres as part of the think tank's efforts to promote communication with research centres across the world.





Ni said the China-UAE ties are at the best period of development following the recent state visit to the UAE by Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which the two sides agreed to upgrade the bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.





The Chinese envoy reaffirmed China's wiliness to increase high-level and civilian exchanges with the UAE, and deepen bilateral communication and cooperation, in a bid to enrich the content of the comprehensive strategic partnership.





Al Suwaidi praised the growing relations between the two countries, while highlighting the importance of boosting academic exchanges as part of building a comprehensive strategic partnership.





He said the ECSSR is willing to make joint efforts with China to boost bilateral academic exchanges and cooperation so to elevate the bilateral ties to a higher level. Flash

Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, the director-general of the ISSI discusses with a visiting Chinese media delegation in Islamabad on July 31, 2018. [Photo by Li Huiru/China.org.cn]

"I think the political goodwill always existed. But to transform political goodwill into tangible economic cooperation, that has happened in the last five years with China. The Pakistan economic corridor now becomes more relevant," Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, the director-general of the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI), explained to a visiting Chinese media delegation in Islamabad on July 31, 2018.

The five-member delegation of Chinese media representatives is organized by the ISSI, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, and the Embassy of Pakistan to the People's Republic of China.

The trip offers an opportunity for the Chinese media delegates to learn more about Pakistan's history, culture and tourism, to better provide firsthand information on developmental projects and to promote interaction with Pakistani media institutions, think tanks, political government and social entities.

Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Pakistan's former deputy permanent representative to the UN in New York, hosted the discussion.

Regarding China-Pakistan relations, he said that Pakistan enjoys excellent relations since the day the nation was established because "China follows a principled approach. China does not believe in interfering in other countries' affairs. China does not intervene in other countries' affairs. China wants to promote cooperative relationships between the two countries. Therefore, China has always been seen by the people of Pakistan as a country which is good."

He said the Belt and Road Initiative will benefit the whole region.

"We are heartened by President Xi's announcement that he is looking for a community of shared destiny [a community with a shared future for humanity]. I think that is a very good objective. The Belt and Road Initiative, which touches more than 60 countries, shows that China wants to contribute to infrastructure development, to connectivity, to economic growth and development."

He further elaborated that the world should move in that direction. He believed that the UN Charter principles are relevant and countries should all show respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the other principles of the UN Charter. He urged countries to work for a globalized world, and for the common good of the people of the world.

"And I think in that way Pakistan-China cooperation will hopefully be good for the whole region. And it's not only for Pakistan and China. We think it will benefit Afghanistan, it will benefit the whole region in Central Asia." He added.

The ISSI was established in 1973 under a directive from the President of Pakistan as a non-partisan, non-profit organization that promotes policy-oriented research on critical national, regional and international issues affecting Pakistan's security environment.Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.

0108263 License for publishing multimedia online



Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349By Zhu Wenqian in Beijing and Yuan Hui in Hohhot | China Daily | Updated: 2018-08-01 07:26

Inner Mongolia-based group looks to expand overseas via proposed deal

North China's Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd said it plans to acquire a stake of no more than 51 percent in Pakistani dairy maker Fauji Foods Ltd, according to a statement released on Tuesday.

The Inner Mongolia autonomous region-based dairy group has handed in a letter of investment intention to acquire Fauji Foods, a sub-affiliate of Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim Ltd, as it looks to acquire new assets to consolidate its global position.Premier Li Keqiang has called on China and the United Kingdom to cultivate new growth drivers of cooperation through the Shanghai-London Stock Connect - allowing investment from corresponding markets much freer access - which is set to be launched this year.

Li's remark came as he met with UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing on Monday.

The two sides should give play to complementary strengths and explore cooperation in various fields, he said.United Breakthrough Ministries (UBM), a relatively young church that will be celebrating its fourth anniversary next March, recently sent a young mission team to the Middle East through a mission organization called InterCP this past summer, amid the widely known Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The mission team of 12, which visited Palestine, Jordan, and Israel, consisted entirely of youth members from the ages of 10 to 17, and was led by one 24-year-old staff, Andrew Yang, who also serves as their youth pastor at UBM. They arrived in Jordan exactly one day after the Israel-Hamas conflict started, and when they visited Israel, they found that the hearts of the people there were very hardened. The mission team could not find anything even remotely similar to the shape of the cross wherever they looked.

Even their plus signs when they do addition are not crosses, Yang said. All the roads are rounded as well so there are no cross intersections.

But in the midst of conflict and war, the hearts of the people were inevitably very troubled.

We would hear gunshots, he said. And when sirens rang, people had to be in shelters for 24 hours.

They would ask us, Why would you come here at a time like this? And we would tell them, We came because we want to pray for you and bless you and show that we care about you, Yang said. And little by little, you could see their hearts being touched and opened.

In Israel, the team did not do any direct ministry, but they prayed over the land as they walked in it and met people. Yang explained that the gospel must be preached to Jewish people because there are certain things that must happen in order for Jesus to return.

One of them is that Israel must welcome Him. So Gentiles must evangelize to Israel and to Jewish people, he explained.

In Palestine, the team participated in a ministry called Fuel Operations (FO), during which the team was dropped off at a randomly chosen village in the countryside, given a few denarii, and left to find their own food and shelter. But the team discovered hospitality beyond what they imagined.

We would just wave to the villagers and say hi, and a lot of times they would invite us into their homes, Yang explained. They would offer us tea, talk with us, and as our conversations went on, they would prepare dinner for us. We would have a blast, and they would even ask us to stay for the night. And eventually, our goal would be to share the gospel during our stay at their home.

We saw the poverty, the broken lives, and the wounded hearts, said David Park, one of the mission team members. But we witnessed God healing people there.

Other parts of their mission trip included ministry with orphans and children, and going to the Kings Highway, an area described in Isaiah 19, and worshipping with songs in each desert area along the way to prepare the way for Jesus.

The mission trip allowed these youth to gain a greater heart for the nations and for God Himself. Nathan Wee, another mission team member, said that he actually did not want to go on the trip, but that he went because his mother had forced him to. When asked whether his parents were not concerned for his safety, Wee said that his mother said, God is on your side.

But Im glad that I went, he said. Now Im actually starting to read the Bible.

As a team, they still keep in contact and have conference calls together to pray for Jordan.

This, however, is not just an isolated incident that only happened with UBM. Yang said that hundreds of youth gathered in Palestine this past July for a mission conference hosted by InterCP, the mission organization through which this UBM mission team was able to go to the Middle East. 600 people total went to missions to the Middle East through InterCP  200 of those were from the U.S., and the rest were from Korea.

Im excited, Yang said. Theres a mighty army of youth rising up in this generation for His kingdom and preparing for Jesus coming.Billy Graham Rapid Response Team Chaplains Offer Hope and Comfort as Carr Wildfire Rages in Redding, California

Fire being called one of the most destructive in state history, has claimed hundreds of homes

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 1, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are in Redding, Calif., ministering to the emotional and spiritual needs of homeowners and those displaced by the Carr wildfire. According to current news reports , the fire has destroyed nearly 1,000 homes and has claimed the lives of six people, including two firefighters. It's already being ranked as one of the worst fire disasters in the history of the state.

"Every time we witness a wildfire we are amazed and grieved by the power of the blaze and the devastating impact that it has on those caught in its path," said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. "Many are staying in shelters right now, unsure of what is happening to their homes. Others have been confronted with the sad reality that all they've worked for is now ash and rubble. Our teams will offer the hope and comfort of Jesus as people begin to search for answers and a 'new normal' in their lives."

The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team is deploying in coordination with Samaritan's Purse , the Christian disaster relief organization also headed by Franklin Graham . Together the two ministries will address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those who have been affected.

"Please pray for those in the path of this deadly wildfire that is tearing through communities in California," said Graham. "Especially pray for the protection of all those battling this and many blazes in several states in the west."

The deployment to California is the latest in a series of outreaches following natural disasters. Crisis-trained chaplains are also currently meeting emotional and spiritual needs in Mati, Greece (wildfire); Hidalgo County, Texas (flooding); and Marshalltown, Iowa (tornado).

For more information on the ministry, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit www.billygraham.org/rrt . Updates can also be found at www.facebook.com/RRTChaplains

About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team:We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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.Fundatia Est-Europeana anunta lansarea Programului de granturi pentru sustinerea fondurilor de antreprenoriat pentru tineri, inclusiv unul in GagauziaBEAUTY REIMAGINED. BEAUTY MADE WITH SOUL. TOKYO, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --A Ahead of its official global launch on August 15th, SHISEIDO a a brand synonymous with beauty, arts and culture a unveiled an entirely reimagined makeup collection in the brand's birthplace and global epicenter of the J-Beauty movement: Tokyo. Friends, fans and faces of the brand, including newly announced SHISEIDO Global Color Artist Patrick Ta; SHISEIDO APAC Ambassador, Pony; actress, dancer and SHISEIDO Makeup Campaign Artist Sonoya Mizuno; actress Rowan Blanchard;A celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin; photographer, Petra Collins; model and designer Emi Suzuki; model, Yuka Mannami; and Thai beauty blogger PearyPie, gathered at TOLOT, a contemporary art gallery in Shinonome, to toast the groundbreaking colle! ction dev eloped around four key textures. Equal parts modern, minimalistic, visionary, expressive, luxurious, and creative, the new SHISEIDO Makeup range is classified into four texture categoriesaGels, Inks, Powders and Dewsaand includes 21 products in 125 shades that seamlessly combine state-of-the-art technology, craftsmanship and locally sourced ingredients. "We are taking an innovative approach to makeup that no other brand has ever done before," says Jill Scalamandre, President, bareMinerals, BUXOM and Global Development Shiseido Makeup. Within TOLOT the four distinctive textures that comprise the new collection were expressed through the use of advanced sensing technology and LEDs. The overall creative direction and design of the space was led by SHISEIDO Art Director Keisuke Hori in collaboration with artist and technical director Takahiro Matsuo, and founder of Lucent (a group of specialists who create interactive experiences that express concepts through technology).A Yoshiaki Okabe, Corporate Officer of SHISEIDO Brand and Global Prestige brands, lead Sonoya Mizuno and Patrick Ta through the space explaining the importance of the new makeup collection and its imperative link to skincare.A "The entire product line is exceptional in its formulations and the textures are especially remarkable. They reallyA offerA a sensorial makeup experience from a Japanese perspective," said Okabe. Guests enjoyed small bites by Mokomeshi, a Tokyo based catering company. Each dish served was inspired by one of the four texture categories.A Other activities included touchups by SHISEIDO makeup artists and a VIP portrait studio by director and photographer, Mike Rosenthal. "WhenA people think of Japanese beauty, they think of SHISEIDO. It makes sense that this makeup launch should beA celebrated in Tokyo first. Personally, seeing how this all cameA together makes me very proud," said Okabe. For further information on the event or the new SHISEIDO Makeup please contact: Alice Hampton, Vice President Global Communications SHISEIDO Makeup and bareMinerals,A atA AHampton@sac.shiseido.comA or +1 (646) 919-0566 Desiree Lestingi,A Director Global Communications SHISEIDO Makeup, atA DLestingi@sac.shiseido.comA or +1 (732) 757-2552. A A A Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/725614/SHISEIDO_Ta_Pony_Mizuno.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/725615/SHISEIDO_Okabe_Odagiri.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/725616/SHISEIDO_Collins_Blanchard.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/725734/SHISEIDO_Atkin_Cao_Ta_PearyPie.jpg A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.Big brother overtakes your health record

To an aware observer the My Health Record (MHR) initiative has now become more about the further privatisation of Medicare and who will have access to the massive amount of personal data. Our health care  including our personal medical information and privacy  is becoming collateral damage in the process.

The original system was opt in (your choice) and for purposes of gathering essential medical information  particularly on the sickest and most vulnerable Australians, in order to share it across the health system efficiently and to save lives.

But the My Health Record initiative now seems to have changed into an entirely different animal. And all Australians are about to be swept up into the system  unless they go through a complicated and difficult online process to opt out before October 15.

The fact that this new draconian form of my health record has bipartisan political support from Labour and Liberal, and little opposition from the Greens, and that most Australians will now be swept up into the process without need for their direct approval, smacks of a new agenda by government, police and/ or security forces (and private health also waiting in the wings to access the data).

The efficient sharing of medical information in the health system for the sickest and most vulnerable seems to have become secondary to some other more perverted agenda of government  an ID card of sorts, and the health benefits have become secondary or are simply being offered as a bonus for signing up.

It goes without saying that the doctor should never provide patient details to a third party not directly involved in the patients care OR where that confidential information would be put at increased risk.

The first law of medicine is that the doctor should do no harm. And this applies equally to protection of the patients medical record, it is confidential information that the doctor is privileged to collect and to hold and the doctors responsibility not to share this data with anyone not directly involved in the patients care and even then, only with the patients approval.

Yet the organised medical profession including the Australian Medical Association and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners are still sticking with the government, albeit starting to join the chorus of concern now coming from many areas.

The claim that My Health Record will save lives because information becomes freely available in an emergency situation, especially when there is difficulty to contact the GP  or that MHR allows for increased efficiency by improving communication between doctors inside and outside of the hospital i.e. making communication quicker and more easy sharing of medical information  has now been exposed as overblown. They have already been dismissed by other commentators.

The fact that the great majority of Australians and their doctors did not sign up to MHR since its inception more than five years ago  the uptake was only about six million to date  should have sent a strong message to government that most Australians were suspicious of MHR and the supposed safeguards and confidentiality of their medical information. The governments response with support of Labor and the AMA/RACGP was to change it to an opt out system, thus ensuring most Australians would be swept in  like it or not!

And legislation as it now stands effectively puts government law-enforcement and security agencies and perhaps eventually others including private health insurance, inside the doctors consulting room.

The immediate problem in our health system is not a lack of communication between GPs, specialists and hospitals. Due to severe cutbacks to Medicare bulk billing most patients now just dont get enough time with their GP which means communication is poor at the basic level, and the patient often leaves the doctor quicker and sicker.

What may have been a well-meaning move by the medical profession to provide a better sharing of medical data between doctors and hospitals, seems now to have become a government-led big brother push of massive proportions.

In fact, the more you examine the changes in MHR, the more the alarm bells begin to ring.

The Communist Party of Australia is calling for an immediate suspension and rethink of the My Health Record process.

The MHR initiative is undemocratic and waives the patients right to informed consent and the doctors right to protect the privacy and confidentiality of the patient record. Extraordinarily, the legislation allows access to the data by non-medical services and, despite the endless assertions of the Health Minister Greg Hunt, the security remains porous.

The CPA recommends doctors and their patients should beware of the consequences of providing data.

We should not have to opt out for our privacy to be maintained as we never gave our consent in the first place!

The My Health Record initiative must immediately return to an opt in system with individual guarantees to users from government that the data will not to be accessed by any third party not directly involved in their health care and without their approval.

All access to the data by government or security services or private industry should be prohibited in law.

And this needs to be permanently enacted in the legislation so that no change to it down the road will increase accessibility to the data.Destruction

When Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke of Australian jobs, Australian ingenuity and Australian technology, he announced that Australia wants to be among the 10 big arms manufacturers and traders in the world. It seemed like another version of the old mantra of jobs and growth. Jobs and growth  great! But we must ask at what cost? At what price? We must ask why resort to this form of trade, especially when recently our car industry was shut down.

The cost of trading in arms manufacture is to facilitate suffering, bloodshed and destruction in so many ways. Does this feed our addiction to all things military? Does it display an incongruent set of values that would lead to exacerbating extreme heat, drought and famine by not addressing climate change and promoting renewable energy?

Very few of the so-called pro-life religious leaders  congregational leaders or bishops  seem to have made a comment or condemned this move. It seems that ordinary decent people are more outraged at this move by our government. Other than Pope Francis, no world leader seems to have consistently called for the elimination of the arms trade.

In June 2017 Pope Francis said, It is an absurd contradiction to speak of peace, to negotiate peace, and at the same time, promote or permit the arms trade. Is this war or that war really a war to solve problems or is it a commercial war for selling weapons in illegal trade and so that the merchants of death get rich? Let us put an end to this situation. Let us pray all together that national leaders may firmly commit themselves to ending the arms trade which victimises so many innocent people.

In 2015 Pope Francis took aim at the power of the arms industry when he lambasted it as the industry of death, saying that many powerful people do not want peace because they live off wars  people making money by producing and selling weapons.

The governments values seem to be clearly twisted. It has failed to fully support the renewables industry that could export clean energy to the world. Indeed, it has done everything it can to oppose it.

What values is the government espousing? It does not seem to be promoting wellbeing, life and peace, but death and misery, violence and destruction. To underscore this, the government has cut humanitarian aid that enhances peoples lives to the lowest level in our history and is prepared to become a major weapons manufacturer and exporter.

It is clear now that one reason the government did not acknowledge the home-grown ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) Nobel Peace Prize, or congratulate the organisation, was that it would have been seen as inconsistent in the light of recent statements to boost the arms trade in this country. At the heart of this is the old question: is it about people or about profits?

The arms trade does not work to bring about peace but destruction of people, destruction of sentient life, infrastructure and the environment. It does not contribute to the wellbeing of people. It does not build schools and hospitals. It does not build roads and railways that serve ordinary people. It is not just another form of trade like the car industry or other manufacturing industry.

It is inconceivable that we could seriously talk of peace whilst relying on this trade for our security, whether physical or economic. As one writer to a newspaper said, the Prime Minister is prostituting this country to join these merchants of death in countries filled with conflicts of interest and unable to participate as solid global citizens.

Let us remember that the one purpose of arms is to kill and destroy  to kill people who are created in the image and likeness of God. Australia must, if it wants to be a solid world citizen, take the lead and say no to weapon manufacture. The Department of Immigration used to have a poster in their waiting rooms, People are our business, whilst people sitting there waited anxiously for a positive review of their cases. They did not always feel that sentiment.

Australia has treated asylum seekers abominably for many years yet we have participated, and will continue to, in causing people to escape from places of war and conflict, such as Afghanistan, Iran and Syria, and then punish them for seeking security.

Australia has compromised human rights standards in its treatment of asylum seekers who arrive by boat. It has compromised those standards in its silence on the treatment of the Rohingya people. It has compromised those standards in its military support of the Philippine regime knowing full well that over 12,000 murders, including human rights defenders, have been carried out by death squads.

How can Australia, with its seat on the UN Human Rights Council, speak up on human rights abuses perpetrated by governments it is trading with?

It is time for religious leaders of all kinds, individually and in unison, to condemn this proposal. It may also be an opportunity to ask the question: what real problems are we trying to solve by embarking more and more in this form of trade?

Source: Adelaide Voices March/May 2018

BeaconThe Right to Work

Today in Australia more than 40 percent of workers are on insecure work arrangements meaning they are on short-term, casual or fixed term contracts of employment. However, like education and health care the right to work is also a human right, which all should enjoy, as it is the door through which other benefits of society are available to people. On July 19, the Communist party of Australia (WA Branch) held a Politics in the Pub attended by over 40 people to present the case for the right to work and invite discussion following the listed speakers.

Owen Bennett, National President of Australian Unemployed Workers Union, speaks at the gathering.

The first speaker, Lisa Thornton, a full employment advocate, spoke about the concept of a Job Guarantee which would replace the dole. Allied with the concept of the Job Guarantee she put forward the notion that the government can never become insolvent as it is both a currency issuer and a currency user. Governments are supposed to serve the interests of the people but end up serving special interests of those who provide financial support for their election or re-election.

Governments serve the interests of capital. One of the aims capital pursues is to keep down the cost of labour by ensuring that a large reserve army of the unemployed exists, thus reducing the power of the organised working class. Thornton said the high levels of unemployment and insecure work arrangements are government policy, and it mattered little if it was a Liberal or Labor government as both principally serve the interests of capital.

We used to have a policy of full employment in Australia until to 1975 and the ALP government of Gough Whitlam saw unemployment at 1-2 percent. Earning a living or social wage allowed workers access to enough income to live a decent life and have access to social services. When the dole first started it was a significant portion of what people had enjoyed as a living wage. People generally were not on the dole very long and did not have to suffer the overbearing mutual obligations which workers endure today to be able to receive unemployment benefits.

Thornton envisaged that a Job Guarantee would ensure everyone would have a job and the floor price for the cost of labour would be set at the minimum wage. The Job Guarantee would replace unemployment benefits. Government funded jobs would be a buffer stock of meaningful work. She saw a Job Guarantee as a better than a Universal Basic Income and better than the unemployment benefit which is less than the minimum wage. Job start programs and similar do not provide meaningful work and end up punishing the unemployed worker for the fault of a capitalist system in crisis.

Thornton said that those concerned about how to fund the Job Guarantee should note that the government gives large amounts of corporate welfare to its mates and misses out on a lot of revenue by enabling corporations to avoid paying their fair share of tax and, in many cases, no tax at all.

Workers want to enjoy a reasonable material existence. Currently personal debt and bankruptcies have reached the highest levels since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008.

Having a job contributes to wellness concluded Thornton, while not having a job contributes to mental health problems, suicides and domestic violence  the levels of the latter being highest where there are high levels of unemployment and inequality.

The second speaker was Alastair Leith, a volunteer work for Sustainable Energy Now (SEN), who has always been in casualised work and seen long periods of unemployment.

Leith believed a large number of quality jobs could be created in Australia through a movement from non-renewable energy to renewables. Leith said that government and society needed to address concerns about a lack of job security and its consequences.

The jobs tied up in fossil fuels were often of a low level in an unsustainable industry on its way out. Leith said there was a lot of capacity to employ people in the renewable energy sector as a sustainable industry and one with a significant growth potential. The jobs are in the construction, maintenance, installation and operating renewable energy projects.

The state needs to demonstrate a commitment and invest in retraining mining workers in locations such as Collie and the establishment of new industries could be set up to employ these workers. Leith added, It was an abrogation of a governments responsibility not to present an alternative to outdated technologies.

The final speaker was Owen Bennett, National President of Australian Unemployed Workers Union (AUWU) who was in Perth to present a workshop for the unemployed about how to deal with the governments attack on unemployed workers.

Bennett described how government punishes unemployed workers in an effort to push the problem of high levels of structural unemployment onto the working class itself  in effect punishing the unemployed for being unable to find a job.

The task is made difficult in todays globalised capitalist world where capital chases the cheapest source of labour which is often offshore. While capital is to blame for creating 2.8 million super-exploited workers on casual, fixed term and temporary contracts it was also, said Bennett, the failure of the working class to continue to push the government to pursue a policy of full employment.

However, the decline in secure employment together with the bureaucracy created for the unemployed to look for work, has created a dynamic where workers will do anything to get good paid work  including at times losing their class consciousness. Bennett was critical of the ACTUs, Change the Rules campaign which he said, Misses the mark.

Bureaucracy once administered by Centrelink has been outsourced to private providers. A levy demerit points system has been applied to those looking for work. The contracting out of the job search program, said Bennett, amounted to a privatised system of parole officers, hounding unemployed workers for private profit.

Bennett said the privatised system of job search was the second biggest government procurement contract, second only to defence. The system of punishing workers with demerit points which are then used by the government to deduct payments from the benefits of the unemployed has escalated from 12,000 penalty points in 1989 to over 2 million points last year!

The AUWU was encouraging workers to resist the cruel taking away of points and the taking away of appeal rights through a Dump your Demerits campaign. See www.unemployedworkersunion.com/dumpyourdemerits for full details of your rights and step by step instructions.

The Communist Party of Australia thanks the speakers for providing their perspectives on unemployed workers and the government attacks on these vulnerable workers. It supports AUWUs campaign to empower the unemployed to resist these brutal attacks. As noted by CPA Central Committee member Elizabeth Hulm who chaired the meeting, Workers in work and workers unable to secure work belong to the same class and must support each other in the struggle against the exploitative and destructive forces of capital.Australias shame over offshore detention

In late 2014, paediatric clinical nurse consultant Alanna Maycock spent five days on Nauru providing healthcare to asylum seekers in detention. She encountered dreadful incidents including the rape of a mother, a guard assaulting a father of a child she was caring for, and a six-year-old girl attempting to hang herself with fence ties.

Back home, Alanna felt compelled to speak out about the horrors she witnessed by exposing the Australian governments offshore detention policy and how it was damaging the health of refugees, especially children.

I looked into the eyes of those children and I made them a promise. I said that I would do everything I can do to try sort out their situation and help. That lives with you. I dont want those memories to fade. I dont want them to go because we need to keep reminding the public how serious this is.

Health professionals who brought to light the problems on Manus Island and Nauru faced the prospect of up to two years jail time when the Australian Border Force Act, widely condemned by groups including the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Association, came into force in July 2015 to silence the reality experienced at detention centres.

Unperturbed, Alanna was the sole nurse among a collective of 40 health workers and humanitarian staff, both former and current workers at Australias offshore detention centres, who released an open letter defying the governments new law and instead emphasising the absence of adequate child protection and legal obligation to report abuse.

Several years on Alanna, who works at a Refugee Clinic at Sydneys The Childrens Hospital at Westmead, said it is appalling Australias offshore detention of refugees continues.

According to Alanna, 150 children remain in detention on Nauru and open to harm.

She labels the governments inaction on the contentious issue as shameful.

I cannot believe that I went to Nauru in 2014 and Im here four years later in 2018 and the children are still there, she says. Some of the children have been born there and some of the children have been in offshore detention camps for over five years of their life.

Theres some very unwell children and families on Nauru that we know about and we are living in a society where its okay for bureaucrats to override the decisions of doctors and nurses and thats very scary.

Alanna lifted the lid on Australias offshore detention policy when speaking at the annual Women in the World Summit in New York last year, an event that included Hillary Clinton and Scarlett Johansson as speakers.

Despite inroads, Alanna believes the issue often fails to generate the mainstream attention and concern it deserves. More than anything else we want to create awareness of how damaging this [offshore detention] is to individuals, she said.

Theres a certain degree of apathy but I think it [the lack of attention] is purely because our public are really uninformed. The message is just not out there. Its out of sight out of mind.

One of the latest public demonstrations against offshore detention involved a march in Sydney titled Detention Harms Health initiated by medical students and geared at health professionals.

The medical students were inspired to take action after hearing Alanna deliver a lecture on the issue at the University of Sydney last year.

Held at Hyde Park, the march included speeches from health and legal professionals discussing the implications of the governments policy, as well as a venture to Cockatoo Island to visit to the affecting Ai-Wei-Wei installation featuring a boat full of refugees representing the global crisis.

Alanna said the event reflected the need to continue to raise awareness about the issue.

They [the medical students] are young people. Theyre the people that we need to inspire and theyre voices that we need to listen to. If we galvanise the support of our young then we really can inspire change.PayPals Israel lobby

An operative of Israels global censorship campaign has admitted to exaggerating claims of anti-Semitism in order to engineer crackdowns on supporters of Palestinian rights. In the latest instance, Benjamin Weinthal has apparently succeeded in persuading PayPal to close down the account of the French online publication Agence Media Palestine.

This constitutes censorship as it denies journalists the means to raise money for their work and retaliates against them for ideas they express. Agence Media Palestine says it is considering legal action.

Weinthal presents his efforts as reportage for The Jerusalem Post on the actions of companies like PayPal, but what he really does is instigate crackdowns by feeding information  by his own admission distorted  about those he is targeting.

Weinthal is a research fellow at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies, an American neo-conservative group that works closely with the Israeli government, and which has attempted to smear the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement for Palestinian rights as linked to Hamas and Iran.

In a 2016 conversation about Israel lobby activities taking place in Europe, revealed here for the first time, Weinthal described how he persuades politicians to crack down on those he claims are anti-Semitic because of their criticisms of Israel.

You have to exaggerate to get these ideas across, because they dont understand what contemporary anti-Semitism is, many of them, Weinthal explained. While admitting that such smear tactics are a necessary part of his work, Weinthal took credit for getting journalists Max Blumenthal and David Sheen banned from the Bundestag, the German parliament, in 2014.

Weinthal described how he sent material to German Green Party politician Volker Beck smearing Blumenthal  who is Jewish  as being like Horst Mahler, a former left-wing activist who became a Nazi.

Weinthal also described how he has contacted PayPal and banks that provide services to civil society and human rights groups in order to pressure them to close accounts.

He said that his work targets civic groups across France, Germany and Austria.

PayPal censorship

Agence Media Palestine is a website that publishes articles on Palestine in French, many translated from sources in other languages, including The Electronic Intifada.

The supporters it lists include prominent figures in France, such as the late author and concentration camp survivor Stephane Hessel, Israeli filmmaker Eyal Sivan and human rights activist Mireille Fanon-Mendes France.

On July 12, Agence Media Palestine received an email from PayPals Brand Risk Management department stating: We have recently reviewed your usage of PayPals services, as reflected in our records and on your website www.agencemediapalestine.fr. Due to the nature of your activities, we have chosen to discontinue service to you in accordance with PayPals User Agreement.

The email gives no details of any alleged violations of PayPals terms of use for its service that allows people around the world to conveniently and inexpensively send money to one another.

Due to its market dominance, there are few alternatives to PayPal. That makes life especially difficult for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, who, unlike Israeli settlers, are given no access to the companys services.

It also makes life difficult for journalists or activists in other countries who find themselves targets of the companys arbitrary actions. On July 16, Agence Media Palestine replied to PayPal asserting that We are a French NGO [nongovernmental organisation], duly registered in France, based in Paris, acting within French society in strict accordance with French laws and regulations.

The publication asked PayPal to explain clearly which activity you object to, and on which legal basis. PayPal has not replied.

In a further response to PayPal seen by The Electronic Intifada, Agence Media Palestine accuses the company of an arbitrary act, adding it could not ignore the links between PayPal and the extreme right-wing propagandist Benjamin Weinthal.

Agence Media Palestine said that unless PayPal justifies its action, the publication reserves the right to take legal action.

The publication added that it may mount an information campaign about this discriminatory act for the benefit of a state that has just passed an apartheid law, referring to Israels recent constitutional law elevating the rights of Jews above those of other citizens (see last weeks Guardian).

In response to an inquiry from The Electronic Intifada, a PayPal spokesperson stated in an email: We do not provide information on account status per company policy.

PayPal regularly assesses activity against our Acceptable Use Policy and carefully review accounts, closing those that violate our policies, the spokesperson added.

The company provided no details of the alleged violations leading to the shutdown of Agence Media Palestines account.

PayPals action is reminiscent of crackdowns on political speech and independent journalism, especially left-wing and Palestine-focused publications, by other Silicon Valley giants such as Facebook and Google.

Weinthal plays ignorant

About an hour after it received the July 12 email from PayPal saying that its account had been shut down, Agence Media Palestine was emailed by Benjamin Weinthal, using his Jerusalem Post reporter persona. Your organisation lists PayPal as a donation method, but the payment is blocked, Weinthal stated.

Did PayPal close your account? If so, what was the reason for the closure? Weinthal asked, feigning ignorance about a matter he had evidently played a key role in instigating. Is your account in violation of Frances anti-discrimination law?

Weinthal did not respond to a request for comment from The Electronic Intifada.

In an article published the following day, Weinthal cites unnamed legal experts to claim that organisations that support the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement are in violation of the Lellouche Law, which makes it illegal to target Israelis based on their national origin.

He made the same claim in January after PayPal shut down the account of the campaign group Association France Palestine Solidarite.

Yet efforts by Israel and anonymous legal experts to interpret French law to ban speech or activism supporting Palestinian rights and BDS have no basis. These efforts amount to bullying and censorship, as even European Union leaders recognise.

BDS advocacy is legal

In 2016, the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, affirmed that BDS actions in its member states are protected as freedom of expression and freedom of association in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

Federica Mogherini, the EUs foreign policy chief, recently reaffirmed that position in what the newspaper Haaretz described as a personal, sharply worded letter to Israels strategic affairs minister Gilad Erdan. Erdans ministry leads Israels global effort to thwart activism in support of Palestinian rights.

Mogherinis letter pushed back at Israels vague and unsubstantiated allegations in a report published by Erdans ministry accusing the EU of financing terrorism and boycott activities against Israel through non-profit organisations.

Allegations of the EU supporting incitement or terror are unfounded and unacceptable, Mogherini stated. The title of the report itself is also inopportune and misleading; it mixes terrorism with the boycott issue and it creates unacceptable confusion in the public eye regarding these two distinct phenomena.

Attempting to smear BDS activists as associated with terrorism has been a key tactic of the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, the group that works with the Israeli government and with which Weinthal is affiliated.

While the EU itself opposes boycotts against Israel, Mogherini affirmed that simply because an organisation or individual is related to the BDS movement does not mean that this entity is involved in incitement to commit illegal acts, nor that it renders itself ineligible for EU funding.

The EU official confirmed once again that such advocacy is protected speech.

Why then is PayPal helping Israel and its surrogates to silence supporters of Palestinian rights?

The Electronic IntifadaArgentinas new US base

Obsessive media focus on President Trumps personal indecencies undoubtedly contributes to important news stories not seeing the light of day. In that regard, its no wonder the US public is generally unaware of US military interventions in parts of the world, particularly in Latin America. That way, US imperial excess gets a pass.

Anti-war sentiment in the US during the Vietnam war.

Political ramifications would be more likely if stories like two recent good examples from Argentina were known about. One of them is a warm-up to the other, which is the main show here.

On July 12, a Hercules C-130 US military transport plane landed at a military base near Buenos Aires with at least eight US Special Forces troops on board, along with arms, explosives, and head gear. They will be preparing 40 police officers from Argentinas Special Group for Federal Operations to take charge of security for a two-day meeting of the G-20 group of wealthy nations set for Buenos Aires beginning on November 30. Argentina and Brazil are the only Latin American members of the G-20 group.

The US government will pay most of the US$1.5 million cost of the training project. The US soldiers belong to the Special Operations Command of the US Southern Command. Theyll be in the country until August 3.

Argentinas Law 25.880 requires that the government seek congressional approval for the entry of foreign troops. That did not happen with these US soldiers. A government spokesperson emphasised that they will be strengthening relations and ties of friendship between both countries.

As acolytes of the market economy and expropriators of natural resources, the two nations enjoy an affinity, which is oxygen for a US project underway now in Neuquen. That southwestern city of 340,000 people is the largest in Argentinas Patagonia region.

A coalition known variously as the Multi-Sectorial [Group] for Territorial Sovereignty, or the Multi-Sectorial for No to Yankee Bases held a meeting in Neuquen on June 27. The organisation is made up of 60 labour, political, and social organisations. Spokesperson Marcela Escobar informed the local press the meeting was about the imminent installation of a US base in Neuquen [which was being] presented deceitfully as something humanitarian.

The new base, said Escobar, is at the side of the Northern Highway, next to the international airport and the Petroleum Route, the road to Vaca Muerta (Dead Cow).

Vaca Muerta, it must be explained, is an expanse of 11,583 square miles extending across several provinces in the Pampas. Underground deposits there of shale oil and shale gas are huge. The US Energy Information Administration explains: Argentina has world-class shale gas and shale oil potential  possibly the most prospective outside of North America  primarily within the Neuquen Basin. Significant exploration programs and early-stage commercial production are underway in the Neuquen Basin by Apache, EOG, ExxonMobil, TOTAL, YPF, and smaller companies.

According to Buenos Airess Clarin newspaper, Global investment in the unique [Vaca Muerta] deposits will exceed US$100 billion in equipment and structures over the next 10 years. US companies will be providing most of that money. Its by no means accidental, therefore, that a US base is being constructed in such a place, and in an area too, one adds, with large aquifers of fresh water.

The base will cost US$2 million. US embassy spokespersons say American troops will be helping out with natural disasters. Provincial officials, however, identify the installation as a military base. The Southern Command was to have established a base in Neuquen in 2012, but held off in the face of protests against a base proposed for Chaco province.

Argentinas government is transferring troops to the Neuquen area where, according to a military spokesperson, they will ... be able to move immediately in case of eventual conflict in the region, especially in the petroleum zone.

Marcela Escobars June 27 meeting and her groups subsequent press conference concerned their demonstration opposing the Neuquen base that took place on July 9, which is Argentinas Independence Day. According to a report, labour union representatives, opposition political parties, and social organisations gathered at a monument to liberation hero San Martin and then travelled on the Northern Highway to the location of the new civil defence centre that the US Southern Command has donated.

A document was circulated saying that, Today theres nothing to celebrate. ... We are met in the place where the national and provincial governments are about to install a US military base. Speakers rejected the supposed humanitarian objectives of the base, because these can change and the base is ready to be fully activated in the event of uprisings by workers and people who may want to reclaim for themselves the production of [natural] gas and petroleum.

Maria Ortega of the House of Friendship with Cuba reminded fellow demonstrators that the United States invades countries to overthrow their governments, and destabilises governments that are for the people. Indigenous leader Jorge Nahuel declared, We know the United States has interests through its corporations and petroleum multinationals they need to protect. ...[But] they know too that people are mobilised and they need to contain that reaction ... and killings dont matter to them.

Other US bases are on the way in Argentina. One in Misiones, in the North near the Triple Border with Brazil and Paraguay, is programmed to combat narco-trafficking and terrorism. Another will be in Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. Scientific purposes are spoken of. Theres a proposal for yet another in Jujuy province, in the countrys extreme northwest where massive deposits of lithium are located.

Very likely the role of US bases, at least in Latin America, is to make real the US concept of mobilising national alliances to serve US purposes. That strategy was evident at a gathering of regional military forces in November 2017 at Tabatinga, Brazil, near the convergence of three nations borders. Speculation at the time had it that the training exercises were directed toward possible military action against Venezuela.

Possible scenarios for Neuquen include these: a political movement cropping up in neighbouring Chile led by a latter-day Salvador Allende, Indigenous rebellions nearby or across borders, and oil-worker unionists taking on old ideas of national independence and regional solidarity.

The potential exists for violent confrontations. Eventually, perhaps, the reasons why local activists, bystanders, and minders of corporate interests might die in such circumstances will be unacceptable in the United States. The US citizenry, hardly anti-imperialist, might lose heart at the deaths of loved ones in the Argentine Pampas. Someday they may even reject their civilisations addiction, no matter the toll, to fossil fuels as drivers of production.

Peoples WorldContinue Reading Below Advertisement

Outside of his work supermanning kitchens in disaster zones, let's talk about the thing that made him famous: Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives. It wasn't some low-budget garbage reality show that only existed because Guy wanted to eat entire cows on the regular. It was a smash hit that was watched by millions of people and helped promote a shitload of small eateries, many of which saw (and still see, thanks to reruns) massive jumps in visitors following their appearances on the show. This is all, by the by, thanks to someone who (unlike his contemporaries) never graduated from culinary school and still went on to build a restaurant empire off of his own back.

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You see, Guy Fieri just doesn't care. He's just out there, living his best life, and doesn't give a solitary fart about what randos think of his tattoos or car or ostentatious manner, because he's too busy running a charitable foundation that funds kids' cooking programs, or officiating weddings in honor of his deceased sister.

On the same weekend that Gordon Ramsay announced that his new show would feature him parachuting into foreign cultures and showing the "locals he can cook their cuisines better than they can," Guy Fieri was parachuting into a wildfire to help people in need. We don't need to tell you which type of chef we'd like more of in the future -- frosted tips and all.

Adam Wears is on Twitter and Facebook, and has a newsletter about depressing history that you should definitely subscribe to.

Support your favorite Cracked writers with a visit to our Contribution Page. Please and thank you.

For more, check out The 'Frasier' Reboot Is Already Depressing and Beware: There's A Disgusting (Hilarious) Uber Scam Out There.

Follow us to Facebooktown.Continue Reading Below Advertisement

But now, Hawaii has finally had enough. When a small Native Hawaiian mom and pop poke shop in Anchorage revealed they had been told in May that they weren't allowed to be called "Aloha Poke Stop" anymore, it created a wave of outrage. Social media called for the boycott of Aloha Poke Co., with people dumping bad reviews of the restaurant on Yelp and Facebook. Meanwhile, a petition with over 40,000 signatures and counting is demanding that the restaurant change its name and stop pretending it has anything in common with the spiritual ideals inherent in the word aloha, unless we find out that it can also mean "douche."

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The company apologized on Monday for hurting the people of Hawaii, but also added that it wasn't really a big deal, as all the family-owned business they threatened "have complied with our request to rebrand without any resulting legal action. Not a single business has closed as a result of this." Which is like a mob enforcer boasting about how few stores he's had to burn down since he started crowbarring off kneecaps as a warning first. Sadly, there's only so much Hawaiians could do about this unfairness. Sure, one of the much older "Aloha Poke" restaurants in Hawaii could sue them back, but as Hawaii state representative Kaniela Ing put it, "They probably won't, because that's not aloha."

For more weird tangents and his personal recipes for toilet wine, do follow Cedric on Twitter.

Support your favorite Cracked writers with a visit to our Contribution Page. Please and thank you.

For more, check out The 'Frasier' Reboot Is Already Depressing and News Flash: GOP Candidate Outed For Enjoying Bigfoot Erotica.

Follow us on Facebook, Friend.ALEX BRUMMER: My father, a refugee from the Holocaust who died just two short months ago at the grand age of 103, would have been horrified

My father, a refugee from the Holocaust who died just two short months ago at the grand age of 103, would have been horrified.

The British value he held most dear was that of tolerance. It had been ingrained in him from the day he first set foot in this country as a victim of the Nazi conquest after suffering a brutal anti-Semitic attack in his home town on the Hungary-Czechoslovakia border.

The very idea that the future leader of Britains major opposition party might host an event on Holocaust Memorial Day where a speaker equated the Israeli government with Nazis responsible for the most terrible atrocities known to humankind would have been as shocking as it was unbelievable.

Anxiety

Yet Jeremy Corbyn presided over such a gathering in 2010 at the House of Commons. That Corbyn failed to distance himself from the meeting as soon as the remarks were made is shocking. That he failed to do so after reports of the event in The Jewish Chronicle is unconscionable.

That it has taken the Labour leader eight years to issue a mealy-mouthed apology for the concerns and anxiety this has caused, makes him appear not only virulently anti-Jewish, but utterly insensitive to the ghastly events which all but wiped the Jewish people from the face of the earth, along with other victims of Nazism such as the Roma and the disabled.

In 2010 Mr Corbyn was filmed outside the Israeli embassy in London comparing its blockade of Gaza to Nazi atrocities

Corbyns defenders, if there can be any shameful enough to continue supporting him, will claim it was appropriate for him to host the gathering because the star speaker who made the comparison with the Nazis was Hajo Meyer, himself a Jewish survivor of Auschwitz.

But why should this confer any legitimacy on Corbyns presence at a meeting which sought to brush over the industrial killings of six million Jews, along with the atrocities so many suffered?

My own family was all but destroyed by the Nazis and their Hungarian allies, the Arrow Cross Party. My father Michaels two older brothers, Joseph and Ferenc, living peacefully in the community of Berehove (now in Ukraine), ran a popular milk bar in the centre of town. It was from this bar that they were forcibly dragged to join work gangs in the forest.

At first there was an exchange of letters and food parcels with the family  then, after 1942, only silence. More than seven decades on, none of us knows what befell them. What I do know from first-hand accounts is the abomination which affected the rest of the family.

In 1944, Hitlers arch bureaucrat and assassin Adolf Eichmann was charged with exterminating Hungarys Jews.

My grandfather Sandor (after whom I am named), my grandmother, my fathers two younger sisters, younger brother and niece were shipped off to Auschwitz death camp. As they left their home town by train they begged Jew-hating locals for water and were showered with salt.

When they disembarked at Auschwitz my grandparents were separated from the young and dispatched straight to the gas chambers. My teenage aunts and young cousin miraculously survived, but the ghastly smell of human ashes from the crematoria and the filth of the huts to which they were dispatched would deprive them of their sense of smell for the rest of their lives.

My two aunts also suffered terrible indignities and physical harm in the camps at the hands of the Nazis. That is still a forbidden subject in the family because of the enduring stain it left on their lives.

The barbarism of the Holocaust affected survivors in many different ways. Many found comfort in an intense religiosity and this resulted in the growth and spread of the Haredi community, the Jews in black hats and beards to be seen in Stamford Hill in North London, Jerusalem and parts of Brooklyn in New York.

Others were so alienated by the experience that their families turned away from Judaism and embraced Christianity.

A few, such as Hajo Meyer who spoke at that Corbyn meeting, were so embittered by their experiences that they became human rights extremists, turned to the hard-Left and embraced the anti-Zionist creed, and drew comparisons between Israel and the Nazis.

Jeremy Corbyn's refusal to sign up to the full internationally recognised definition of anti-Semitism might be explained by fears that he knows he has fallen foul of it himself

But the idea that anyone particularly someone as politically active as Corbyn  should ever think these Nazi comparisons acceptable or mainstream is beyond belief.

By treating them as if they are, Corbyn and his supporters cheapen the horrors suffered by those in the Holocaust.

I do not tell of my own familys experiences with anything but reverence. Indeed, some of my cousins think it unseemly to remind still-living survivors of terrible events. I believe I have a duty to ensure younger generations less well-versed in anti-Semitism than my own realise where it might lead if embraced by a party with a chance of achieving power.

The reason my father Michael would have found the levels of anti-Semitism in todays Labour Party so shocking is because of his own life story. In the late Thirties he left the family farm in Hungary and sailed to British-mandated Palestine in the hope of joining a future Israeli navy.

Onslaught

Turned back by British armed forces, who were understandably refusing entry to the huge numbers of Jewish refugees trying to get into Palestine, he made his way to Italy, then back towards the farm through war-torn Europe to try to rescue his family from the impending Nazi onslaught.

Instead, he was set upon by Nazi-sympathising thugs and almost beaten to a pulp before managing to make an escape and eventually reaching Britain where an older brother had made a career as the Cantor-Minister to a Jewish community in the Liverpool area.

At Victoria station, not speaking English, he wandered in error into the ladies waiting room. There he was approached by an elegant woman, who spoke a little German, pointed out he was in the wrong place and inquired where he was heading. He said Liverpool. She walked him across London to Euston station and helped him buy a ticket. The contrast between the decency and dignity of the welcome he received in London and the hostility and brutality of his native Hungary could not have been more profound.

As first a farmer, then owner of a kosher butcher and delicatessen and believer in enterprise, my father was a natural Tory. Yet for most of my life the mainstream Labour Party was the natural home for Jewish voters and attracted a generation of Jewish politicians who were at their most powerful in the Harold Wilson, James Callaghan era of the Seventies.

Extreme

Most were enthusiastic supporters of Israel and admirers of the countrys democratic values and kibbutz system of a shared society and culture. The Tories were regarded with more suspicion because of the Right-wing, racist views of some extremist members.

The truth is that the extreme Left, of which Corbyn is part and which has captured Labours inner councils, always had a virulent anti-Semitic and anti-Israel bent.

It stems partly from history. Before the enlightenment in the 18th century, Jews were forced into ancillary trades such as money lending because land ownership was blocked to them. Once they were allowed to become fuller members of society, they were seen as having acquired special privileges, using them for economic gain.

This made them targets of anti-capitalist Leftists. Layered on to this is the belief that Israel, as a Jewish state, still exploits its exclusivity. It is seen by Corbyn and the Left as a colonialist enterprise which since 1967 has occupied disputed Palestinian territory.

Yet Britain, with its history of accepting refugees, its brave Parliamentary democracy and its wars against fascism, has ensured that anti-Semitism was never allowed to flourish.

That we should now find ourselves at the centre of a row about its dramatic rise is shocking the rest of the Anglo-Saxon world.

It is a stain on Corbyns Labour and an insult to the six million murdered in concentration camps and the brave survivors and refugees who keep the flame of their loved ones memory burning bright.A 37-year-old woman has shared her disastrous experience with cosmetic eyebrow tattooing after she was left with permanent scars.

Joanne Taylor, from the Gold Coast, now has to 'cake on' her make-up every day just to cover up the botched eyebrow fillers before leaving the house, Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

The woman decided to have her eyebrows touched up with ink added to her existing tattoo in December last year - but instead she was left with uneven blocks.

Scroll down for video

Joanne Taylor, from the Gold Coast, has shared her disastrous experience with cosmetic eyebrow tattooing after she was left with permanent scars

The 37-year-old now has to 'cake on' her make-up every day just to cover up the botched eyebrow fillers

When she returned to the clinic three weeks later, the apologetic beautician offered to laser-remove the ink she'd done at no cost.

But Ms Taylor said she was left with excruciating pain after the beautician reportedly failed to do a patch test on her skin.

'Immediately afterwards, I had severe burning pain, headaches, it just burnt to pieces, there was oozing, weeping and bleeding,' she told 9News.

She was taken to the emergency department of Gold Coast University Hospital before she was advised to meet with a burns specialist in Brisbane.

'My face was so badly burned by the laser, all the fluid was rushing to the area. It was horrendous,' she told Gold Coast Bulletin.

'The hair isn't growing back, so I can't go anywhere without caking make-up on my eyebrows.'

The woman decided to have her eyebrows touched up with ink added to her existing tattoo in December last year - but instead she was left with uneven blocks

Ms Taylor said she was left with excruciating pain after the beautician reportedly failed to do a patch test on her skin

She explained how her hair no longer grows in the brow area - and she has to apply make up before leaving the house

Cosmetic surgeon Dr Naomi McCullum - whose Sydney clinic specialises in laser tattoo removal - warned people about the dangers of not doing research.

'Do your research and choose a reputable brand,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'With cosmetic tattooing, I always recommend starting slowly and gradually building the result. It's more expensive to do it this way, but it's your face, so it's worth the extra time, money and effort.'

She explained how common botched cosmetic tattoos occur in the industry.

'It's quite a jungle out there, anyone with an Instagram account can start a cosmetic tattooing business,' Dr Naomi said.

'Bad experiences are due to it being an unregulated market, with a very low barrier to entry for providers and a lack of educational requirements.

'I have seen cases since the early 2000s. Fortunately the serious risks with scarring, infection and hair loss are less common than the more common issues with symmetry and placement of the tattoo.

'For laser tattoo removal, patients should choose an experienced medical clinic.'Parents have hailed a natural children's toiletries costing as little as 2.99 as 'amazing' after it started to clear their youngsters' eczema in days.

Good Bubble was set up by Amy Wordsworth from Manchester who secured 60K investment from Dragons' Den's Deborah Meaden in 2015, and the range has just launched in 400 Boots stores nationwide.

Among their number is Larissa Conboy from Tunbridge Wells, Kent says that within give days of using Good Bubble's 3.99 Gruffalo Moisturiser with Prickly Pear Extract on her nine-month-old son Freddie's skin, she noticed a huge difference.

Freddie's eczema was so severe he would scratch himself all day long, but the creams Larissa tried over the course of six months and steroid treatment made no difference.

'I was amazed by the difference in Freddie's skin since we began using the Good Bubble Prickly Pear moisturiser. I wouldn't be without it and won't use anything else.'

Freddie, now three, doesn't need prescriptions any longer and Larissa added: 'It's completely saved his skin from steroids.'

Amy Monks from Liverpool also said she was 'amazed' when the 3.29 Good Bubble bath product started to clear up her daughter Olivia's eczema in days.

Larissa Conboy from Kent says that within give days of using Good Bubble's 3.99 Gruffalo Moisturiser with Prickly Pear Extract on her nine-month-old son Freddie (pictured) his severe eczema began to clear up

Freddie would scratch all day because his eczema was so severe (left) but now the three-year-old's skin is clear and he doesn't need prescription medication (right)

Olivia's eczema was so bad she wasn't able to have bubble baths because of the risk of further irritating her skin.

She was constantly on and off antibiotics to treat her skin which was so badly affected it became infected.

'From birth, Olivia had severe eczema, so she'd never had a bubble bath before,' Amy explained.

'We had tried every cream and bath treatment under the sun and she went through an awful patch on and off antibiotics due to infected skin.

Olivia Monks from Liverpool had severe eczema from birth and it was so bad she couldn't have bubble baths (left). Within a few days of using the 3.29 Good Bubble bath product her skin started to clear up (right)

'We found Good Bubble when she was nine-months-old and decided to use it instead of her usual prescription bath oil.

'The eczema started to clear in a few days. By two weeks it was significantly improved and in one month it was cleared up. We didn't need any creams from the doctors anymore. It's amazing.

WHAT IS ECZEMA? Eczema is an inflammatory condition of the skin that leads to redness, blistering, oozing, scaling and thickening. It usually appears in the first few months of life and affects around 10 per cent of babies. Eczema's cause is not fully understood but it is thought to be brought on by the skin's barrier to the outside world not working properly, which allows irritants and allergy-inducing substances to enter. It may be genetic due to the condition often running in families. As well as their skin being affected, sufferers may experience insomnia and irritability. Many factors can make eczema worse. These may include: Heat, dust, soap and detergents

Being unwell, such as having a cold

Infections

Dry skin

Stress There is no cure for eczema, however, 70 per cent of childhood sufferers no longer have the condition in their teens. Patients should avoid known triggers for flare ups and use emollients. Source: British Skin Foundation Advertisement

'Finally, she can enjoy a bubble bath without a painful reaction. We only ever use Good Bubble now.'

The products have also received a sea of approval from The Mummy Diaries star Sam Faiers who revealed she uses them for her son Paul, two, and daughter Rosie, eight months.

The range of sulfate-free bath time and hair care products, backed by Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden, has also just secured a deal with Boots.

Products cost from 2.99 for Hair & Body Wash to 6.99 for organic coconut oil.

Produced at a family-run factory in Manchester, Good Bubble was founded by toiletries entrepreneur Amy Wordsworth.

Products are free-from sulfates (including SLS), parabens, PEG, phthalates and artificial colour and contain natural ingredients such as plant extracts and coconut and avocado oil.

'We spent a long time developing our products specially for young skin and have been overwhelmed by the response to the range and the results parents are seeing with the products,' Amy said.

'We have now started the process of clinical testing to support claims for sensitive and eczema prone skin. We are also delighted to be launching in Boots, which is such a trusted name in the toiletries world.'

Amy Wordsworth from Manchester secured a 60K investment from Deborah Meaden when she appeared on Dragons' Den in 2015The number of overweight children in Australia has doubled in recent years, with recent data from the Institute of Health and Welfare revealing one in four children are now overweight or obese.

According to statistics, eighteen per cent are classified as overweight while eight per cent fall into the obese category.

The deepening crisis has prompted experts and commentators to debate whether or not parents should intervene by telling children they are 'overweight', and, if so, how best to broach the subject.

The deepening crisis has prompted experts and commentators to debate whether or not parents should intervene by telling children they are overweight, and, if so, how best to broach the subject

Speaking on the Today show, nutrition scientist Dr Joanna McMillan said we are living in an 'obesogenic' environment where it is increasingly difficult for both kids and adults to control weight gain.

'We are surrounded by what is now considered normal: highly processed foods, packaged snacks, sitting on the sofa watching television and playing electronic games instead of playing sports... it's extremely easy to over consume,' she said.

With almost two in three Australian adults now overweight, parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson said mothers and fathers are part of the problem.

'When you walk into the average family room on a weeknight, parents are also on their screens  they're not as active as they once were,' he said.

Nutritionist Dr Joanna McMillan (left) and parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson (right) shared their advice to parents worried about their children's weight on the Today Show

But in terms of combatting the growing problem, Dr Coulson believes you can't make people better by making them feel worse.

Studies show that one of the worst things we can do is to tell a child they are overweight.

'Studies show that one of the worst things we can do is to tell a child they are overweight - kids who are told this are much likely to have weight issues ten or fifteen years later because they start to believe it and live it out,' he said.

According to Dr Coulson, it is particularly difficult to speak to girls about weight because scientifically, women think about how their body looks aesthetically while boys focus more on what their bodies can physically do.

'A much more effective way to control weight gain is to get children organically involved in an active lifestyle  there doesn't need to be dessert or a lunch time treat everyday, enrol them in a sport and go for walks after dinner,' he said.

Dr Coulson said it is particularly difficult to speak to girls about weight because scientifically, women think about how their body looks aesthetically while boys focus more on what their bodies can physically do

Facebook users weighed in on the subject as well, with many placing responsibility with mums and dads.

One posed the question 'if not parents, then who?', while another agreed by writing that open, honest and carefully worded conversations are essential.

'You don't have to say you're fat... being supportive is key. Grow up and be parents, kids are SO protected from harsh realities!'

Some had a different view and said there should be no need to speak to children about weight gain if you create a trend of healthy household habits from the start.

Both experts agreed the best approach is to take emphasis away from aesthetic, highlighting how general good health enables great academic and extracurricular performance instead

Asked about addressing nutrition, Dr McMillan said it's best to start early and focus on health holistically rather than weight alone.

'Teach children about nutrition and how it is important for their brain function at school and to have energy for everything they want to do throughout the day. - it's about emphasising health.

'As parents, you should never talk about your body in a negative way around your children,' she said, explaining that this can impart negative associations with food.

Both experts agreed the best approach is to take emphasis away from appearance, highlighting how general good health enables great academic and extracurricular performance instead.Science says you have seven seconds to make a good impression, whether you're interviewing for a job, meeting the parents or trying to woo someone.

But with so little time to do this, how can you make the memory of your face and personality last?

The CEO of Total Image Group, Pamela Jabbour - who dresses some of Australia's leading brands including the Australian Olympic Team and the staff of Dan Murphy's - shared with FEMAIL her tips for dressing to impress at interview.

'As a company whose core purpose is dressing people for work, fashionably and practically, it amazes me the amount of new interview candidates that show up inappropriately dressed,' Pamela told Daily Mail Australia.

So what should you be doing?

Science says you have seven seconds to make a good impression and CEO of Total Image Group Pamela Jabbour (pictured) shared her top tips for dressing for success

'As a company whose core purpose is dressing people for work, fashionably and practically, it amazes me the amount of new interview candidates that show up inappropriately dressed,' Pamela (pictured) said

What should I never wear to an interview? * Jeans or T-shirts are never a good choice, said Pamela Jabbour. * Stick to a chino or business trouser/skirt in a dark colour with a classic blouse or shirt. * Avoid bright, shiny or bold patterns. * If you are interviewing for a corporate company, do not dress casually. Advertisement

1. Think about it

According to Pamela, while it might seem obvious, you should have a think about who you are meeting, what the job entails and how you might look the part.

'According to Albert Mehrabian's 7-38-55 rule of personal communication, seven per cent of a first impression is driven by what you say, 38 per cent by how you sound and a resounding 55 per cent by how you look,' she explained.

Have a think about how you might best 'project professionalism' in a meeting, and tailor your outfit from there.

If you are interviewing for a corporate job, you need to dress for that brand - ditto if there is more of a casual approach (stock image)

2. Understand the company and the brand

'If you are interviewing for a role, you are also interviewing to represent that brand,' Pamela said.

The best way to find out what their personal 'brand' is is to go onto their website, and determine whether the marketing message is 'corporate or casual'.

Limit jewellery if you are a woman, dress for your shape and in neat, clean fabrics that will project what you expect, Pamela (pictured) said

3. Get the basics right

Simplicity is always king when it comes to nailing interview attire.

'Keep it simple and keep jewellery to a minimum - a watch and wedding ring, that's about it,' Pamela explained.

'Men should be clean shaven. If you have a beard or a goatee, have it professionally trimmed before the interview.

'If you're a woman, make sure your fingernails are trimmed and clean and get a manicure if necessary. But make sure it's clear or nude nail varnish - to look professional.'

'Men should be clean shaven. If you have a beard or a goatee, have it professionally trimmed before the interview,' Pamela said (stock image)

4. Dress for your shape

Dressing for your shape is the first rule of a sharp and tailored look.

'Understanding your body shape and age and dressing appropriately shows you are in total control of who you are and what you do,' Pamela said.

Make sure your work wardrobe is filled with 'clean, ironed and non over-worn' outfits.

5. Project what you expect

The 'fake it till you make it' mentality is easily applied to dressing for an interview.

'If you are dressed the way you would like to be perceived, then you start to feel and then act that way,' Pamela said.

'You will be surprised at your level of confidence when you dress and feel the part.'When you have a growing family to feed, the task of the weekly grocery shop can be challenging when you're trying to stick to a budget.

But savvy shoppers have revealed how you can save up to 99 per cent off food by looking out for the markdown products at leading Australian supermarket stores.

Bargain hunters are getting their hands on perishable products such as meat, fruits, vegetables and snacks for a fraction of the retail price.

From a boneless chicken roast for a measly 15c to $46.50kg for lamb fillets marked down to 12c per pack, it's some of the 'best before date' products that go on sale.

Saving a fortunate off grocery bills, families are waiting for the right time to do their shop - as stores slash prices off perishables in a bid to sell whatever they can before binning it or donating to charities.

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Savvy shoppers have revealed how you can save up to 99 per cent off your food by looking out for the markdown products at leading Australian supermarket stores

Bargain hunters are getting their hands on perishable products such as meat, fruits, vegetables and snacks before its best before date for a fraction of the price

Mother-of-three Kimberley Bertram (pictured) said she has been able to feed her family for under $5 per night simply by snapping up markdown items at supermarkets

Supermarket markdowns Coles Carrot sticks $2 down to 4c

Lamb fillet $12.88 down to 12c

Chobani yoghurt $2.25 down to 6c

Boneless chicken roast $15 down to 15c

John West prawns $12 down to 24c

Dairy Farmers full cream milk $2.99 down to 48c Woolworths White chocolate sponge cake $9 down to 9c

Whole roast chicken reduced down to $3.60 from $18

Veal mince $7 down to $1.40

Chicken kebab $7 down to $2 Advertisement

Mother-of-three Kimberley Bertram, from Sydney, told 9News she has been able to feed her family for under $5 per night simply by snapping up markdown items.

The thrifty woman decided to launch Markdown Addicts Australia on Facebook to help tip off shoppers on where to find all the best savings and reduced clearance products across the country.

'It happens in every store, you've just got to be there at the right time,' she said.

And products are flying off the shelves, with customers sharing photographs of the bargain buys, including 48 cents on 2L of full cream milk - and a whole roast chicken for $3.60 down from $18.

Other discount items include 30 cents on fresh prepared salads, 85 per cent off cherries, a block of halloumi cheese for 49 cents, $12 prawns down to 24 cents and tubs of yoghurt for 6 cents.

Saving a fortunate off grocery bills, families are waiting for the right time to do their shop

Customers have shared the bargain buys - after shopping at the right time to bag a discount

Popular brands such as Latina Fresh pasta was marked down to just 80 cents - after an 80 percent markdown - while a whole roast chicken was reduced down to $3.60 from $18

And products are flying off the shelves, with customers sharing photographs of the bargain buys, including 48 cents on 2L of full cream milk

The best times to snap up a bargain varies at every store, but usually the markdowns take place in the early afternoons or within one hour before closing time

The best times to snap up a bargain varies at every store, but usually the markdowns take place in the early afternoons or within one hour before closing time.

After stumbling across the Facebook group, one mother decided to test the bargain buy theory herself before the store shuts.

'Went and tested the theory of one hour before shutting time. I have seen mark downs before but not this cheap! Can't wait to test the hour after opening,' she said, along with a photograph of her grocery haul.

Another shopper said they recently spent just $38.13 for $84.87 worth of grocery.

One customer revealed how they regularly do 'late night bargain' shops.

'This is not the first store or first time I have gotten things basically free, it's before the store shuts, it has six other reduced stickers from being marked down again and again, it's the day of expiry and the store is about to close; good on them for trying to get rid of them before it goes in the bin,' they wrote.

The thrifty woman decided to launch Markdown Addicts Australia on Facebook to help tip off shoppers on where to find all the best savings and reduced clearance products

A soup starter pack was discounted to just 80 cents while mushrooms were going for 90 cents

Perishable products such as cherries have been marked down to just a measly 75 cents

Coles spokeswoman Martine Alpins told 9News: 'Markdowns do vary from store to store, and it is up to the store manager to work out what needs to be marked down.'

For years, leading supermarkets have been donating perishables to food rescue organisations such as Foodbank and OzHarvest.

Woolworths head of sustainability Adrian Cullen said: 'For us, it's about running good stock and making sure that we've got the right product at the right price.'

Tubs of yogurts have been marked down by 85 per cent - selling for just $1.05

One customer shared a photograph of pork shoulder 'reduced for a quick sale' from $2Blogger and mother-of-five Constance Hall owns an online clothing brand called Like A Queen and released an autobiography of the same name.

So when she was alerted to the fact underwear label Bonds had launched a new campaign asking women to 'join the Queendom' she was offended - and has called them out for plagiarising her 'vibe'.

'Dear Bonds, you completely forgot to ask me to model in your new Queendom campaign. So f***ing weird man, I even checked my junk emails,' her public post began.

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Blogger and mother-of-five Constance Hall owns an online clothing brand called Like A Queen and released an autobiography of the same name

'I'm getting slammed with messages from Queens wanting to know why the hell my vibe is all over Bonds but I'm not.

'I've forgiven you. I don't hold grudges and I'm too old to waste time with feelings of rejection. I suppose I'm never actually going to be an underwear model,' she said with a hint of sarcasm.

'However my brand Queen The Label supports the real Queens of this world; sexually abused young kids in Kenya through the worlds most kick a*** charity called Rafiki Mwema.

The 34-year-old called for her 1.2 million people strong legion of fans to band together and promote the hashtag in an effort to encourage Bonds to 'come on board'

'How about your Queendom campaign does the same??? #bondsforrafiki'.

The 34-year-old called for her 1.2 million-strong legion of fans to band together and promote the hashtag in an effort to encourage Bonds to 'come on board'.

But the majority of her followers harboured a lot of anger towards the chain of lingerie stores.

'Yep, time for a lawsuit Constance Hall. Bonds stole your whole get up! Go get em!' One person wrote.

The majority of her followers harboured a lot of anger towards the chain of lingerie stores

Bonds did notice the uproar swirling online and responded on their own Facebook page

'I'd be bloody fuming but I love that you are being clever about this and putting a great 'spin' on the situation. Chin up!' Another added.

But less than a day later and Constance has backflipped on her previous tone, suggesting it was merely a 'joke'.

'I think the campaign is gorgeous and the models look hot,' she told FEMAIL.

'I was just having a joke about the idea of myself as an underwear model and using the fact that so many people had messaged me as an opportunity to raise some awareness for Rafiki Mwema.

''Good on Bonds for a cool campaign but I do think everyone needs to relax a bit and stop taking everything so seriously... there was definitely no accusations in my post, just all love and laughter mixed with an opportunistic approach to try and get some help for the sexually abused children in Africa.'

Bonds did notice the uproar swirling online and responded on their own Facebook page.

'Hi all, thanks for your feedback. We've loved seeing women all across the world championing the "queen" movement, including Queen herself,' the reply began.

'To this we say - the more the merrier! We're massively proud of our Bonds Originals campaign set within the iconic Aussie landscape, which is all about inclusivity, empowering women, and - perhaps most importantly - women supporting women.

Bonds' new Originals range promotes the idea of women being Queens - and shows off a number of different sized models

Constance Hall (pictured wearing her clothing range Like A Queen) claims there are extreme similarities between the businesses

'We're also privileged to be able to use our position to help young Aussies via our partnership with REACH.

'In fact, on August 11th 100 per cent of profits sold from our Originals undies will go towards funding more life-changing Birdcage workshops for young women, tackling self-esteem, body image and confidence.'

Interestingly August 11 is also Constance Hall's 35th birthday.

'We'd like to take a moment to celebrate the many Australian women involved in this campaign, who dedicated their time, flexed their creative muscles, and contributed their artistry - from directing to acting to illustrating our queens.

'These women all share the same love and passion for the Queendom as we do. Love, Bonds x'Champagne on tap, gourmet dining, world renowned service and copious amounts of leg room - flying first class is a bucket list dream for many travel enthusiasts.

But sadly the hefty price tag means this dream is out of reach for the average traveller.

A regular on the frequent flyer circuit, CEO of MyBankTracker Alex Matjanec believes that with some sneaky manoeuvres could see you land that coveted plane seat - but you're going to need to know how.

Champagne on tap, gourmet dining, world renowned service and copious amounts of leg room  flying first class is a bucket list dream for many travel enthusiasts

1. Arrive early... or late

While the thought of spending a second of unnecessary time in an airport might be nightmarish to many, turning up well ahead of time gives you the chance to have a friendly chat with the desk or gate agent without the pressure of a mounting queue behind you.

Speaking to Pop Sugar, Mr Matjanec said this is the perfect opportunity to 'build rapport' with ground staff in the hopes of clinching your desired ticket.

Airlines are notorious for overbooking flights, which is where arriving late can work to your advantage - showing up at the last minute means you may be bumped to a later flight, an inconvenience for which you might just be upgraded.



Arriving early is the perfect opportunity to 'build rapport' with ground staff in the hopes of clinching your desired ticket, according to Mr Matjanec

2. Complain (about everything)

Customer service is the bread and butter of the airline industry, which means cabin crew and senior staff will usually go out of their way to keep you happy.

Complaining about something or simply asking to be moved to another seat could be the gateway to first class, particularly if the flight is fully booked.

3. Birthday bonus

Dropping hints about special occasions is one of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to hotel bonuses, and added airline perks are no different.

Managing Director at the Heaton Group John Heaton said letting cabin crew know about your birthday, honeymoon or anniversary can be the key first class.

Dropping hints about a special occasion like birthdays, anniversaries or honeymoons can prove valuable in the quest to securing a first class upgrade

4. Go straight to the horses mouth

To avoid public controversies, airlines are increasingly vigilant about alerting passengers when a flight is overbooked.

Mr Matjanec said carriers can offer competitive discounts for anyone willing to upgrade to first class - but you'll need to go directly to the source, as this potential perk is only available from the airline itself.

Customers who pay through third-party booking sites are automatically excluded.

5. Phone a friend

It's common knowledge that airline employees receive some extremely lucrative perks, including free standby flights and access to the passenger systems.

Mr Matjanec said networking is key, and if you don't have a friend working for a carrier, it's time to make one.

6. Fly solo

Much like hotel upgrades or general travel perks, being a single ticket holder instead of flying with a group makes it more likely that you'll nab a premium pass.

Carriers sometimes offer competitive discounts for anyone willing to upgrade to first class when the flight is overbooked  but you'll need to go directly to the source, as this potential perk is only available from the airline itself, never through third party agents

7. Travel off peak

Flights scheduled for the middle of the week are less popular than their weekend counterparts, so be strategic when you're booking.

Airline tracking website FareCompare reported the least popular times to fly are dawn and dusk on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Flights with empty seats means almost guaranteed availability in first class.

8. Loyalty pays

While many people sign up to frequent flier programmes, the reality is that the vast majority of travellers only fly a handful of times each year.

Instead of flitting between carriers, Mr Matjanec recommended focusing your efforts on being loyal to one airline to maximise your point collecting potential.

Although the tickets may be more expensive, the CEO assured the long term benefits of loyalty can lead to a change of in-air surroundings.Over the past few months, thousands of savvy Australian homeowners have been showing off their incredible 'hacks' and room transformations using items from Kmart.

And now one home decorator has shown off her clever DIY ottoman using two $9.50 dog beds from Kmart, a needle and some thread.

Josie Stroffolino, a 31-year-old teacher from Adelaide, was in the middle of a routine trip to Kmart when she spotted two navy velvet dog beds.

Josie Stroffolino, a 31-year-old teacher from Adelaide, was in the middle of a routine trip to Kmart when she spotted two navy velvet dog beds (pictured)

She showed off her clever DIY ottoman (left) which she made using using two $9.50 dog beds from Kmart, a needle and some thread

Ms Stroffolino is pictured

'I absolutely loved the colour and the shape, as they match my home decor, but had no use for them. After some thought, I realised for the price, only $9.50 a piece, it wouldnt hurt to buy a couple and have a play with them,' Ms Stroffolino told FEMAIL.

'When I got home, I found a little nook that could easily accommodate an ottoman and then removed the black liner bottoms of each of two beds, removed the stuffing and hand sewed the two velvet ends together.'

Ms Stroffolino then left a small hole where she re-stuffed the ottoman with its original stuffing and closed the hole.

'I absolutely loved the colour and the shape, as they match my home decor, but had no use for them. After some thought, I realised for the price, only $9.50 a piece, it wouldnt hurt to buy a couple and have a play with them,' Ms Stroffolino told FEMAIL

How did Josie make the ottoman? 1. I un-stitched the bases off two beds which was super easy - I just snipped a couple threads and basically pulled the black liner off 2. I then removed the stuffing and stitched the two pieces together 3. Leaving a small hole I re-stuffed using the original stuffing and finished the hole off Advertisement

'Matt Blatt are selling a similar concept (pictured) for $995 so winning,' she wrote

'The beds also come with a zip, which could easily be sewn in to make it easier for the stuffing stage. Only took a few hours and the piece ended up better than I could have imagined,' she said.

'Matt Blatt are selling a similar concept for $995 so winning!'

But this ins't the first time Ms Stroffolino has gotten creative with a Kmart item.

In the past Ms Stroffolino has also used a Kmart shelf to store her cosmetics (left), spent $25 creating a DIY photo board (right) and used a Kmart cushion to create a Sleeping Beauty themed cushion

In the past Ms Stroffolino has also used a Kmart shelf to store her cosmetics, spent $25 creating a DIY photo board and used a Kmart cushion to create a Sleeping Beauty themed cushion.

She also revamped a $7 'baby funds' money box to suit her decor using the store's marble vinyl and chic gold paint from Bunnings.

'I do love playing around with Kmart items because even though they're quite beautiful as are, I like to have things that are a little more unique.'New mothers are facing a worrying pressure in recent times, according to fresh statistics.

A new survey revealed a staggering 47 per cent of new Australian mothers believe their stress stems from the seemingly idyllic family lives posted on social media.

With Wednesday marking the start of Breastfeeding Week 2018, midwife Liz Wilkes is urging mums to take the picture-perfect scenarios on Instagram with a large grain of salt.

A survey conducted by the UK based baby bottle producer revealed a staggering 47 per cent of new mothers feel their stress stems from the seemingly idyllic family lives posted on social media (stock image)

'It comes down to perception, but what is portrayed on social media does not always reflect real life,' the Philips Avent Ambassador told Be, while emphasising the importance of meaningful support networks involving friends and family.

The medical professional went on to remind mothers that 'nine times out of ten' they are not the only ones experiencing challenges.

Ms Wilkes said the process of breastfeeding is very complex, with pain, difficulties in establishing milk supply and getting babies to 'latch on' some of the most frequently reported problems encountered.

Although social media is notorious for only showing a highlight reel of life's big moments, a growing number of influential celebrities including Liv Tyler and Chrissy Teigen are sharing their struggles with motherhood in a bid to normalise issues such as breastfeeding.

A growing number of influential celebrities including Liv Tyler and Chrissy Teigen (pictured with her daughter Luna and newborn son Miles) are sharing their struggles with motherhood in a bid to normalise issues such as breastfeeding

Ms Wilkes, who is the ambassador for Philips Avent, went on to urge loved ones of breastfeeding women to show support in any way they feel appropriate.

'Simple gestures like cleaning the kitchen or cooking a meal for them will be a huge help.'

Ms Wilkes also recommended offering to babysit for a short period to give mothers a quick break for sleeping, taking a bath or another relaxing activity.

Ms Wilkes recommended offering to babysit for a short period to give mothers a quick break for sleeping, taking a bath or another relaxing activity (stock image)

Data from the product manufacturer Philips Avent survey showed 65 per cent of mums experiences loneliness and frustration when it comes to breastfeeding.

Ms Wilkes called on mothers to reach out to one another to eliminate feelings of isolation.

'If you're finding things aren't getting easier, I'd definitely encourage mums to discuss their feelings with friends, family and professionals.'

If you or someone you know is experiencing feelings of anxiety or depression contact Beyond Blue, Black Dog or PANDA for support.Conde Nast has quashed months of rumors about the impending departure of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour,

The glossy magazine publisher announced that the fashion bible's London-born editor of 30 years would be staying with the company 'indefinitely.'

'Anna Wintour is an incredibly talented and creative leader whose influence is beyond measure,' said CEO Bob Sauerberg in a statement tweeted by the publishing powerhouse.

'She is integral to the future of our company's transformation and has agreed to work with me indefinitely in her role as @voguemagazine editor-in-chief and artistic director of Conde Nast.'

Famous for her glacial demeanor, and for making or breaking designers' careers at the flick of a manicured talon, 68-year-old Wintour has been at the helm of American Vogue since 1988 and artistic director of Conde Nast since 2013.

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Staying put: Legendary US Vogue editor Anna Wintour (pictured in New York City in November 2015) will be staying at Conde Nast 'indefinitely' according to CEO Bob Sauerberg

Conde Nast's CEO Bob Sauerberg revealed in a series of tweets on Tuesday that Vogue's 'incredibly talented' editor-in-chief Anna Wintour would be remaining with the company

The announcement comes one day after The New York Times reported that Vogue's fashion director and executive fashion editor were leaving staff jobs to become contributing editors.

The magazine's Los Angeles director was also moving to Conde Nast's in-house creative agency, the newspaper reported.

The changes come amid reports of the magazine empire, which also owns The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, tightening staff overheads.

Its revenue expected to fall by $100 million (76,240,500) in 2017 compared to 2016, according to the Times.

Rumors had been rife since April that Wintour would leave the American edition of the magazine after the July wedding of her daughter Bee Shaffer at her Long Island estate.

Vogue editor Anna Wintour hit headlines around the globe in February when she was seated next to the Queen during her first ever London Fashion Week show (pictured at Richard Quinn)

Veteran: The 68-year-old editor Anna Wintour (pictured in New York City in 2004) has been at the helm of American Vogue since 1988 and artistic director of Conde Nast since 2013

Fashion insiders had speculated that the all-important September issue, reportedly starring Beyonce on the cover, would be her last.

Wintour's influence spreads far beyond the world of magazine publishing, seared into popular culture with nicknames such as 'Nuclear Wintour'.

She is also credited with for turning the annual New York Met Gala into the hottest A-list celebrity party on the planet.

Instantly recognisable by her perfectly coiffed bob and trademark Chanel sunglasses, clamped to her face even in pitch-black fashion shows, she inspired 2006 movie 'The Devil Wears Prada' in which Meryl Streep plays a magazine editor.

Wintour hit headlines around the globe in February when she was seated next to the Queen as the monarch attended her first ever London Fashion Week show.A surgery fanatic who modelled herself on Kim Kardashian has told how her 34JJ breasts are so uncomfortable they stop her from travelling on the tube and make it hard to sleep.

Nadia Sofia Nahir, 24, from London has long been fascinated with the 'fake' look despite the fact her 1100cc bust now prevents her from being able to use the Underground.

The project assistant was so inspired by reality star Kim's famous curves she has even had her bum augmented and shaped, and says she is only 'halfway' through her quest for voluptuous curves.

Nadia, who has Argentinian heritage, says that her natural physique used to make her feel less feminine and like a 'tomboy'.

Surgery fanatic Nadia Sofia Nahir shows off her bust. She has long been fascinated with the 'fake' look despite the fact her 1100cc bust now prevents her from being able to use the tube

Nadia Sofia Nahir (left, in London) strikes a pose inspired by 'goddess' Kim Kardashian (right). She was inspired to get breast implants after becoming 'fascinated' by male attention

Londoner Nadia Sofia Nahir shows off her bust as she strikes a pose. Defending her unusual look, the project assistant said: 'Standing out is a good thing, I want to look like a modern goddess, like Kim Kardashian for example'

'Back in Argentina there are competitions like 'Miss BumBum' and 'Miss Reef', which celebrate curvy, fit models,' said Nadia.

'The attention they seemed to get fascinated me. They're looked at as goddesses who grab the eyes of everyone in the room.

'They've all had procedures done, breast implants and bum enlargements. It's part of the culture.

'Beauty is something that can be enhanced, bought and built. The more you stand out, the better.

'It was only when I got into my late teens that I really started filling out and getting a taste of that attention for myself. My boobs stopped growing at an E cup, which is large for a teenager.'

Argentine born Nadia Sofia Nahir before her surgery. Two breast implants later, she says she is 'only about halfway through what I want done. I would love my boobs to be even bigger again, and to enlarge my bum some more. My next plan is another breast augmentation'

Surgery fanatic Nadia Sofia Nahir says she loves 'the enhanced fake, feminine shape' of her breasts after undergoing two enhancements

Kim Kardashian fan Nadia Sofia Nahir says of her breasts: 'My friends are more used to it and laugh about it with me. Since my last implant surgery, I even convinced one of my friends to take the plunge too and she now has 600cc implants'

At the age of 20, Nadia decided to have her first breast enlargement to increase her 34 EE breasts to 700cc.

Three years later in 2017, Nadia had her second breast enlargement to 1100cc. For this procedure, Nadia travelled to Belgium for what would be her most expensive treatment, costing her 4,000.

As well as her two breast enlargements, Nadia has also had a Brazilian 'butt lift', gets lip fillers every three to four months, and undergoes hair removal treatments.

In total, Nadia has spent approximately 15,000 on procedures and counting.

'I know that I stand out from a lot of people, especially in London, which can be difficult, but I love the enhanced fake, feminine shape,' Nadia added.

Nadia Sofia Nahir strikes a pose in bed. Although she enjoys the attention her look receives, Nadia admits it can sometimes hold her back because of the size of her breasts

Nadia Sofia Nahir can no longer travel on the tube, lie on her front or go running as she says it hurts too much

'Standing out is a good thing, I want to look like a modern goddess, like Kim Kardashian for example.

'I'm only about halfway through what I want done. I would love my boobs to be even bigger again, and to enlarge my bum some more. My next plan is another breast augmentation.

'My family is supportive, even if they don't really understand and think I'm a little weird. They aren't as used to the looks I get when we go to a restaurant together and my cousins sometimes get angry at guys who stare at me.

'My friends are more used to it and laugh about it with me. Since my last implant surgery, I even convinced one of my friends to take the plunge too and she now has 600cc implants.

Nadia Sofia Nahir is a project assistant from London. Explaining her predicament, she said: 'Sleeping or lying on my front I can't do anymore or running over a short distance. I also try not to use the Underground much now and especially not at rush hour time'

Nadia Sofia Nahir poses for a mirror selfie, inspired by Kim Kardashian's famous Instagram photo. Explaining the reason behind her love for surgery, the Londoner said: 'Enhancements are there to make you happy in who you are, build on who you are naturally. They bring out your best you'

Nadia Sofia Nahir now has 34JJ breasts and wants them even bigger. She says she gets 'a lot of positive feedback from my Instagram for the work I've had done, and I even get encouragement to improve and enhance my look further'

Nadia Sofia Nahir loves her curvy new look and says she was inspired by her Argentinian heritage and beauty pageants like Miss BumBum

Nadia Sofia Nahir has had two breast implants but says she wants more. The Londoner is no longer able to use the London Underground during rush hour for fear of getting knocked into

'I get a lot of positive feedback from my Instagram for the work I've had done, and I even get encouragement to improve and enhance my look further.'

Although she enjoys the attention her look receives, Nadia admits it can sometimes hold her back because of the size of her breasts.

'There are some things I can't do anymore, or are uncomfortable,' explained Nadia.

'Sleeping or lying on my front I can't do anymore or running over a short distance. I also try not to use the Underground much now and especially not at rush hour times.

'Enhancements are there to make you happy in who you are, build on who you are naturally. They bring out your best you.'A Russian woman has astounded the internet with her photos of cats with human-like features.

Tatiana Rastorgueva, from Moscow, breeds Maine Coon kittens, and says she has spent 16 years working with the distinctive breed - one of the largest breeds of domestic cats - to create felines with what she describes as more 'definite' features.

Tatiana, who shares snaps of the animals on Instagram, has attracted a 50,000-strong following, many of whom comment on her snaps to point out that the cats 'look like people'.

The Maine Coon sibling kittens, a girl called Valkyrie and a boy called Confucius, were bred at her cat sanctuary, called Catsvill County on social media.

What a cat-ch! Tatiana Rastorgueva, from Moscow, breeds Maine Coon kittens and has astounded the internet with pictures of her adorable cats, which boast incredibly human-like faces (Pictured: male Maine Coon cat Confucius )

Maine Coon cats are known for their above-average intelligence, and it's said to be possible to train the animals similar to how an owner might train a dog.

Speaking about her bond with the cats, Tatiana said: 'The kittens have much in common with their parents.

'I would say they took their best parts from their parents.'

She added: 'I am very choosy and fussy when I am looking for the new owners for all my kittens. I am waiting for the best owners - loving and caring.'

The purr-fect mix! With a following of almost 50,000 fans on Instagram, Tatiana's latest additions have been a hit online, captivating the internet with their bizarre expressions, although it's not quite clear what makes their faces so human-like (girl Valkyrie seen)

Fur-get me not! The Maine Coon sibling kittens, a girl called Valkyrie and a boy called Confucius, were bred at her sanctuary named 'CatsvillCounty' (Pictured:Confucius the human-looking Maine coon)

Talking about the reaction people have to the distinctive pets, she said: 'I am fairly used to seeing the stunned reactions of the people when they see my kittens.

'Sometimes they say they look human and sometimes they say they look like werewolves.'

She went on: 'Every breeder has [their] own ideal of the cat - the cat he or she finally wants to get.

A fur-riend in need! Maine Coon cats are known for their above-average intelligence and are often said to be more like dogs because they're relatively easy to train

He has cat-itude! . Their wise eyes, often human-like mouth and unique fur markings around the edge of their faces often lead to accusations their photos have been 'face-swapped' with a person

'I have been working on my dream for a long time. For 16 years I have been working with this breed to get some definite characters and now I am very close to my target.

'However it is still not exactly what I want. I hope soon to show the world an even cooler type of Maine Coon.'

Tatiana's pictures rack up thousands of likes online, with followers commenting on the creatures' remarkable appearance.

Commenting on a recent post, one wrote: 'They are like people, all the faces are so different! Everyone's expressions are so different and their look says buckets about their character! They are lovely'.

Paw-done me! Talking about the reaction people have to the distinctive pets, Tatiana said they are often stunned (Pictured: Confucius)Feminists including BBC Woman's Hour host Jane Garvey have declared that 'guys' shouldn't be used as a gender neutral term to address groups of men and women.

Radio 4 presenter Garvey, 53, sparked the debate after posting on Twitter: 'New rule- 'Hi guys!!' NEVER say this.'

She advised using the word 'people' to address groups instead of 'guys', explaining further 'I am not a guy'.

Other social media users were quick to react to her post, with many agreeing that it is one of their bugbears.

BBC Woman's Hour presenter Jane Garvey has sparked a debate after declaring that people should not use 'guys' as a gender neutral term

The radio host took to Twitter to comment on the issue, saying that people should never address a group by saying 'Hi guys!!'

One posted: 'Common parlance among the young isn't it? Infuriatingly so, especially when used by waiters'.

Another added: 'I took issue with an Edinburgh hotel bartender who repeatedly called me and my female friend 'guys'.

'He was clearly annoyed to be told that a) neither of us was male and we didn't want to be addressed like men, and b) he was being overfamiliar.'

Meanwhile, one Twitter user added: 'Absolutely. Used to have a manager who greeted his mixed gender team every morning with 'morning chaps'. Pointed out to him this wasn't very inclusive'.

Other social media users were quick to agree that 'guys' being used as a gender neutral term was one of their bugbears

The Twitter users were reacting to Garvey's tongue-in-cheek tweet , which read: 'New rule- 'Hi guys!!' NEVER say this .

'Unless you are the daringly informal guest speaker at the annual meeting of The Society Of People Named Guy.'

Later responding to a comment from another Twitter user about using the term, Garvey suggested 'try 'People!!!''

After one person commented that waiting staff seemed to favour the term, the radio presenter added: 'I'm not a complainer to bar or waiting staff generally- no one wants to be that boring git- but I am not a guy.'

Garvey, 53, advised using the word 'people' to address groups instead, explaining in a further tweet: 'I am not a guy'

However, a number of Twitter users admitted that they have used 'guys' as a gender neutral term.

One posted: 'Mmmmm... I think lots of us use this term in a totally generic non harmful way!'

The debate sparked by Garvey on Twitter comes after the Australian Diversity Council warned against using the terms 'guys' or 'girls' at work in 2016.

The council recommended that people say 'Hi everyone' or 'Hi team' instead.

However, Oxford academic Deborah Cameron has previously suggested it wasn't 'betraying the feminist cause' to use the term.

A number of Twitter users admitted they use 'guys' as a gender neutral term, with some arguing it isn't harmful

Writing in a blog post in 2016, she said: 'I don't dispute that words like 'chairman' are sexist, but I think address terms like 'guys' and 'dude' are a more complicated case.'

'For one thing, they are slang, whereas words like 'chairman' belong to a formal, official register.

She added: 'If women want to be addressed as 'guys', I'm not going to tell them they're betraying the feminist cause. (Particularly if the alternative is being addressed as 'babes' and 'dolls'.)

'In language, as in life, you do your best with whatever you've got.'

Dame Joan Bakewell defended the expression as a 'happy greeting' that is the result of an evolving language.

The broadcaster, 85, said: 'I think it is gender-neutral... There are other things in the world to be offended about.'Advertisement

Glorious Goodwood is a more relaxed affair compared to the formality of Royal Ascot, and on day two racegoers could be seen making the most of the informal atmosphere at the Chichester course

One woman in a polka dot dress was seen daringly clambering over a fence to make her way through the West Sussex course, as a male companion helpfully held on to wide-brimmed hat.

Elsewhere the combination of sun and sporting action seemed to prompt affectionate displays, as two racegoers were seen sharing a warm hug while enjoying a drink during a break in the action.

Ladies Day doesn't take place until tomorrow at the Qatar Goodwood festival, but some attendees were eager to show off their finest fashions and elaborate millinery at the racing festival.

While some played it safe in the customary parade of demure floral frocks and hats adorned with blooms and feathers, others took a more daring approach.

While a hat is de rigueur for the likes of Royal Ascot, it's not compulsory for Goodwood, which has a much more relaxed dress code.

A woman bravely hopped over the fence in her spotty dress while a male companion held on to her hat as they enjoyed the atmosphere at Goodwood (left). Friends looked in great spirits as they strolled through the Sussex course in casual summer dresses and sandals (right)

Feeling affectionate! A couple shared a hug as they enjoyed the summer sunshine at the Chichester course (left). Another racegoer kept her cool by treating herself to an ice cream as temperatures started climbing again in Sussex (right)

Two friends looked picture perfect for their day at Goodwood, West Sussex with one opting for a pretty floral dress and another donning a pink and white jumpsuit

While pretty floral dresses are a race day fashion staple, one racegoer decided to mix it up in leopard print trousers teamed with a statement ruffle top on day two of the Qatar Goodwood festival (left). Monochrome magic! A raceoger at Goodwood in West Sussex looked chic in a black dress with white embellishments and a matching hat

A woman in an ethereal pink floaty dress posed up a storm as she arrived at Goodwood in West Sussex. Like many she decided to forgo a hat, which is not essential to the dress code (left). A woman put on a daring display in a cold shoulder red and white dress with a plunging neckline, while her companion opted for the classic LBD (right)

A woman added pops of colour to her grey dress with bright pink accessories as she arrived at the Chichester course. Another put on an eye catching display in a head-to-toe red ensemble

Taking a load off! Racegoers took advantage of the afternoon sunshine in Sussex and sat down on the grass to enjoy a drink during a break from the sporting action

Stylist Charlie Elmy-Britton looked chic in a grey dress by Roland Mouret while her friend was pretty in pink (left). Another lady was the picture of elegance in a white lace dress teamed with a statement hat at the Chichester course

Soaking up the sun! One racing enthusiast took the opportunity to catch 40 winks during the afternoon of racing action at the Chichester course

Turning heads! A Goodwood attendee put on an eye-catching display in a yellow and pink ensemble teamed with a wide-brimmed hat (left). Another reveller looked ready for a night on the tiles in a figure-hugging red dress and studded heels as she arrived for day two of the action in West Sussex

Pink ladies! One woman kept her cool with a handy fan on a sunny afternoon in Sussex while her friend checked on her dress

You don't say! These two race-goers looked locked in a deep conversation as they relaxed on the grass in the sunshine during a break in the day's action

He said what? And these four friends looked delighted to be at the festival - although two of them seemed to have their attention drawn by a phone

The girls looked ready for a big night out as they pranced around the grass in summery, figure-hugging dresses with smiles wide on their faces

This man looked to be having the time of his life as he was snapped leaning back and enjoying a drink - although he also looked to be in the middle of making a very important point

Several revellers enjoyed the sunshine but it was clearly just a bit too much for this race-goer as he used his newspaper to cover his head from the sun's rays

One woman put a fresh spin on raceday dressing in cropped leopard print trousers teamed with a cream off-the-shoulder top with a statement ruffle feature.

The Qatar Goodwood Festival is touted as the sporting and social highlight of the calendar, with five thrilling days of world-class horse racing and elegant fashion for racing fans to enjoy.

Among their numbers today was former chancellor George Osborne who put on an animated display as he cheered on the riders.

Racegoers today faced increased measures to crack down on disorder, after bosses introduced sniffer dogs at every meeting to detect drugs, and limited alcohol.

Making the most of a day off! Ticket holders lucky enough to escape the office on a Wednesday afternoon were seen making the most of the sunshine as they lounged on the grass

Former chancellor turned newspaper editor George Osborne looked in cheerful spirits as he enjoyed an afternoon away from the office. The former Conservative MP was seen applauding as he kept a close eye on the action on track in West Sussex

Racegoers enjoyed drinks alongside the tracks and placed their bets as the second day of the Goodwood festival in Sussex got into full swing

Time for a flutter! A racing fan clutches her betting slip while hoping for a win at the Sussex course. Sabine Chatard shows off her elegant grey hat as she prepares to enjoy the Goodwood races

Say cheese! A family couldn't resist larking about in front of the camera as they posed for a photo to commemorate their day out at Goodwood in West Sussex

This couple seemed very relaxed in the sun, lounging comfortably with stylish sunglasses on as they visited the Goodwood races

It was a very lively afternoon at today's races and these two women looked as if they were having the time of their lives as they dance and chanted in the grass with beer close by

Big win! These two women looked to be in high spirits as they compared their betting slips, suggesting that they might have won big during today's action

Picture of joy: These men seemed to be having a lot of fun as they enjoyed the sun and some drinks during a break in today's action

After a major fight broke out at the first fixture of 2018, officials decided to implement a four pint rule, meaning revellers will not be able to buy more than four drinks in any one trip to the bar.

'We have conducted a thorough and extensive review of everything that happened at our first fixture, of our existing policies and held a detailed consultation with our Safety Advisory Group and Sussex Police, Goodwood Racecourse general manager Alex Eade told Racing UK.

Sniffer dogs were previously used at some race meetings, but they will no be on patrol at every fixture and racegoers will be encouraged to use 'amnesty bins' if they are carrying any drugs.

Fancy in florals! A woman looked ultra summer in a ruffled dress while her male companion looked colourful in yellow trousers and a bright tie. A racegoer at the Sussex Course looked impeccable in a simple white dress teamed with a pale pink hat (right)

Three friends beamed for the cameras as they posed in their race day finery on day two of the Goodwood festival in Sussex

A woman in pink carried a white rose to match her floral embellished dress (left). Another Sussex racegoer also opted for a rose print dress and elaborate pink hat

A woman in a pretty paterned shirt tress and turquoise hat led the way through the Sussex course (left). Friends both opted for different shades of pink for their afternoon of racing action (right)

When it comes to fashion Goodwood is a lot more relaxed than the likes of Royal Ascot when it comes to the dress code, and hats are not compulsory in an of the enclosures.

The style guide suggests that those who don't feel comfortable in millinery accessorise with a headband or beaded clip instead, to add a touch of finesse to their look.

In the Richmond Enclosure, men must wear a jacket and tie or cravat, while the same is encouraged but not essential for the Gordon Enclosure.

There's no formal dress code for the Lennox Enclosure, but fancy dress and sleeveless tops for men are not permitted anywhere on the racecourse.

Pretty in pink! A Goodwood racegoer put on a glamorous display in a fuchsia hat trimmed with white flowers and feathers as she stepped out at the Sussex course

Ladies day out! Two friends put on a stylish display in their race day finery as they made their way through the Sussex course. A woman kept it simple as she enjoyed her day out at Goodwood in a floral dress and flat sandals

Vintage-inspired band Ella and The Pocket Belles stunned in matching striped dresses and bright white shades at the Goodwood festival in West Sussex

One woman put on a glamorous display in a short leopard print dress nipped in at the waist with a black and gold belt (left). Another looked sleek in a red patterned dress with an asymmetric hemline at the Goodwood festival in West Sussex

Temperatures are heating up again but this Goodwood racegoer kept her cool in a crisp white dress and bolero jacket. A pregnant woman in lace paused to snap some photos as she enjoyed her day out in West Sussex

A woman put on a colourful display in a floral dress with red sandals and a green handbag as she enjoyed a day out in the Sussex countryside (left). Another kept it simple in an elegant lemon dress teamed with nude strappy sandals (right)A Married at First Sight star whose new wife was arrested for stalking her ex not only forgave her for lying about her relationship with her accuser, he also revealed that he has fallen in love with her.

On Tuesday night's episode of the Lifetime reality series, Mia Bally and Tristan Thompson, both 29, were only married for six days when they had to decide if they wanted to stay together following her shocking arrest at the airport.

When Tristan first confronted Mia about the charges, which included three counts of stalking and one count of credit card fraud, his new wife claimed it was a case of 'mistaken identity' and didn't come clean until almost a week later.

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Test: Mia Bally and Tristan Thompson, both 29, were only married for six days when they had to decide if they wanted to stay together following her shocking arrest

Hard times: Tristan was upset that Mia had lied about being in a relationship with the man who accused her stalking and credit card fraud, and she was afraid he would leave her

According to police reports, Mia's ex boyfriend, Jared Evans, filed two complaints with the police in Monroe, Louisiana, in 2017 and two more in 2018. In the reports, he claimed that she kept showing up at his house and was repeatedly calling and texting him.

In the complaint he filed on January 4, 2018, he alleged that Mia texted him via Facebook the day after Christmas to tell him that she got him a gift.

She reportedly got herself an iPhone and two protection plans on Amazon and left him with the $1,455.18 bill, but he was able to recover the money.

Mia, whose real name is Ameea Janice Bally, was taken to Tarrant County Jail in Texas after she was detained at the airport while on her way to her honeymoon with Tristan in March.

She had her mugshot taken there, but she was released after Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office in Louisiana declined to extradite her.

Getting back on track: After Mia's sudden arrest caused them to miss their trip to Cancun, Mexico, the newlyweds decided to enjoy the rest of their honeymoon in Dallas

Pros and cons: Although Mia lied to him, he told her that he was already in love with her

After Mia's sudden arrest caused them to miss their trip to Cancun, Mexico, the newlyweds decided to enjoy the rest of their honeymoon in Dallas.

She maintained that she barely knew her accuser until the end of their staycation, and Tristan was understandably shocked when he found out that she had lied.

He told the cameras that they were talking in bed when she finally admitted that she hadn't been honest about the details of her arrest.

'She does know her accuser, and they did have a brief relationship, and this is why she felt embarrassed to tell me,' he explained. 'Even though I appreciate her honesty, it still really hurt that it took her all week just to come clean and tell me.'

While the other two couples were enjoying the final days of their honeymoons, Tristan and Mia had to sit down with the show's relationship experts and decide whether or not they wanted to stay married.

Look of love: 'He is my rock. I am being more physical than I ever would in any other relationship ever,' Mia said of having sex with Tristan

Forgiven: Tristan agreed to continue to work on his marriage with Mia, saying he wants to move forward

Mia was nervous that Tristan was going to decide to divorce her, and she had reasons to be concerned.

'To me, marriage should be built on trust and honesty,' Tristan told Pastor Calvin Roberson. 'If you have that, I believe there is no problem that you can't handle, but Mia has been lying to me, and it's hardly been a week.

'With that trust broke, I'm just not sure I am able to stay in this marriage.'

Tristan then recounted how Mia gave him the 'entire story' and how she had been on a 'heightened state of paranoia' since the arrest.

'She had told me that she was falling in love with me,' he added. 'I told her, "I do love you. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. I mean, I had an out, but I didn't take it. I didn't want it because I do love you."'

Yikes: Dave Flaherty and Amber Martorana's relationship hit a rough patch when she signed them up for a salsa lesson

Miserable: Dave, 37, was sweating through his shirt and complaining the entire time

Tristan warned her that he couldn't deal with anymore lies, but that didn't mean he hadn't forgiven her.

'I want to put this behind us. I want to move forward,' he said. 'I am committed to being married to her. I want to be married to her.'

Mia, meanwhile, opened up about her arrest while speaking with Dr. Jessica Griffin.

'So I was with my ex, and when we broke up, I rebounded with someone else,' she said vaguely. 'Then I didn't want to talk about it, and so I think that's why I just went into that protective and denial mode, which was wrong of me. I shouldn't have done that.'

'I don't have contact with that person,' she said during her testimonial. 'I don't care to associate myself with that person at all, but I'm really hoping it hasn't ruined the chance for happiness with Tristan in the future.'

Red flag? 'Right now salsa dancing just p****s me off, honestly. 'I'm f*****g done with this,' Dave griped, while Amber, 36, was concerned about his meltdown

Walking away: Dave gave up at the end and had Amber dance with the instructor instead

Mia also revealed that she and Tristan had sex, despite her initially being unwilling to even kiss him on on the lips on their wedding day.

'He is my rock. I am being more physical than I ever would in any other relationship ever,' she told Dr. Jessica, noting that the experience has made them '1,000 per cent' closer.

After Mia apologized to her husband in front of the show's experts, they both agreed that they wanted to continue to work on their marriage.

Meanwhile, Dave Flaherty and Amber Martorana's relationship continued to run hot and cold. In previous episodes, they both admitted to seeing some warning signs in each other, and those concerns grew even more this week.

It started when Amber, 36, booked a private salsa lesson thinking it would be a great way for her and Dave, 37, to bond, but her new husband griped that dancing made him want to 'kill himself.'

Working it out: Amber was admittedly uncomfortable, and while he snapped at her when she tried to dry his sweat with a towel, she was eventually able to calm him down

Trouble in paradise: The two also had a disagreement about their opposing religious views over dinner. While Dave is religious, Amber is not

Not only was he uncomfortable with learning how to salsa, he was also embarrassed to be sweating through his shirt.

'My arms are going to start throwing punches,' he said to his wife, who laughed awkwardly in response.

'Right now salsa dancing just p****s me off, honestly. 'I'm f*****g done with this,' he said in his testimonial.

Amber was admittedly uncomfortable, and while he snapped at her when she tried to dry his sweat with a towel, she was eventually able to calm him down.

Dave was 'grateful' that Amber had his back and was more concerned with how he was feeling rather than focusing how he had ruined their day.

Holding back: Bobby Dodd, 27, and Danielle Bergman, 30, wore their swimsuits while taking a bubble bath together on their honeymoon

Next step: Danielle was so attracted to her husband, she ended up going out of her comfort zone and making the first move

Later, when they went to dinner, the couple started talking about their views on religion, which did not line up.

While Dave is religious, Amber is not, and she admitted that it was something that worried her because it was a 'bigger issue' for him than it was for her.

She made it clear that she didn't have a problem with his views  as long as he didn't expect her to change. When Dave pointed out that she comes off as being 'pretty opposed' to religion, she noted that she finds many religious people to be 'hypocritical.'

Dave responded by telling her that she was being a bit 'judgmental.' He then asked her if she wanted to walk away from the marriage because of their different views, but she insisted that she wanted to be with him.

And while the other couples were struggling, Bobby Dodd, 27, and Danielle Bergman, 30, were growing closer by the day.

'Were just going to do what feels right,' Bobby said of their physical intimacy. 'Sex should just happen.'

They did it: Danielle revealed that she and Bobby had consummated their marriage on their honeymoon

Relationship: Danielle went on to say that she had very strong feelings for Bobby, which was surprising because they had only known each other for about a week

However, Danielle was so attracted to her husband, she ended up going out of her comfort zone and making the first move.

She revealed at the end of their trip that they had sex, making them the third couple to consummate their marriage.

'The honeymoon was incredible,' she gushed. 'So, yes, we freaking did it on the honeymoon. We had sex.'

Before she even met Bobby, Danielle learned that he had the smallest ring size out of all the male participants, and she made sure to clear up any misconceptions about men with petite fingers after they had sex.

'Just to clear everything up for everybody, ring size has no correlation to anything else,' she noted.

Danielle went on to say that she had very strong feelings for Bobby, which was surprising because they had only been married for about a week.

'I think it's pretty safe to say that this is the strongest I've ever felt about anybody especially this early on in a relationship. Am I turning red yet?' she asked in her testimonial.

'I really lucked out with the partner I got and I for sure feel like we built a good foundation,' she said. 'I feel like a wife. I feel like I'm married, and I'm excited to just start making plans for the future with my husband.'Mothers around the globe have posed for a touching series of photos while breastfeeding their children, in a bid to normalize the practice by showing what it looks like in different corners of the world.

Photographer Tina Boyadjieva, who is based in New York City, traveled to 19 different countries, including Sri Lanka, Israel, Argentina, and Germany, to take snaps of mothers and their little ones.

The moms featured in Tina's images opened up about their experiences with breastfeeding, with some saying it has become a normal part of their daily life while others acknowledged the difficulties that can arise when trying to nurse an infant.

Normalizing: Photographer Tina Boyadjieva traveled to 19 different countries to take pictures of mothers nursing. Maryluz, from Peru, said breastfeeding is now 'a part of [her] everyday life'

Provider: Sylvia, from Uganda, told the photographer she sells corn so her family can eat. She posed while nursing her baby as part of the photo series

Honest: Sophia, from the U.K., said: 'We had some difficulties during the first couple of weeks. He's now 5 months old and we both really enjoy it'

Company: Leonarda, from Peru, said her baby comes with her during the day and accompanies her 'wherever [she goes]'

Opening up: The mothers discussed the experiences they've had while breastfeeding. Loolei and Naanyu, from Kenya, said: 'We share a husband. Our children will grow up together'

The project, commissioned by Lansinoh, a manufacturer of breastfeeding products, marks World Breastfeeding Week, an annual celebration taking place from August 1 to August 7.

Tina's photos reflect the mothers' different cultures and living conditions. The series aims to showcase the 'universal' nature of breastfeeding despite those differences.

'Breastfeeding is one of the most important markers of an individual's future health and well-being so its something that should be promoted and celebrated,' Michelle Lyne, a professional education adviser at the Royal College of Midwives, said.

'Each individual photograph of a mother breastfeeding her baby from a different part of the world tells its own unique story which is wonderful.'

Generations: Silvina, from Argentina, opened up about nursing her several children. 'I breastfed my eldest 15 years ago and now am breastfeeding my one-year-old,' she said

Grateful: Patricia, of South Africa, posed while nursing indoors. 'We are so lucky,' she said

Joy: 'I only breastfeed on one side! He's never been sick and I believe that breastfeeding has a lot to do with that,' Orhahen, of Israel, said. 'We both love it, so I have no idea when I'll stop'

Bond: 'I love the connection. I also think it is the way a baby really gets to know her mom both emotionally and even physically  through her senses,' Hilda, of Mexico, said

Mother-daughter: Jessica, of Uganda, has two children and manages a small shop. She said her daughter will stay with her 'until she can walk'

One of the mothers, Maryluz from Peru, posed for her photo while breastfeeding her baby outside, on the street.

The mother, who flashes a bright smile in her snap, said nursing has become 'a part of [her] everyday life'.

Another parent, Sophia, from the U.K., opened up about facing some hurdles when she first tried to breastfeed her son.

She worked through those issues and now enjoys the experience.

'We had some difficulties during the first couple of weeks,' she said. 'He's now five months old and we both really enjoy it.'

Plans: 'I love breastfeeding  I feel such a strong bond with both of my children. I am so thrilled to do it now, for them. But I am looking forward to going back to work,' Janine, of Germany, said

Enjoying it: 'I waited until I was 36 to get married and my kids are the best part of life,' Irene, of Mexico, said. 'Breastfeeding is my way to ensure the baby is happy and healthy'

Together: Alejandra, of Guatemala, said of her daughter: 'She gets everything she needs from me. She loves her dad, but right now, our connection is so strong because of breastfeeding'

Families: Alane, from Brazil, is among the mothers who posed for the photo series, which aims to show how 'universal' breastfeeding is

Some mothers shared their experiences breastfeeding their multiple children, such as Silvina, from Argentina, who said: 'I breastfed my eldest 15 years ago and now am breastfeeding my one-year-old.'

Daria, from New York, described how nursing her daughter has enabled her to connect with her firstborn.

'She is my first child,' the mom said. 'As a medical professional and a mother I believe breastfeeding is important for health and bonding.

'I think society, in general, should be more supportive and accepting to mothers.'

Alejandra, from Guatemala, also said she and her daughter have developed a close bond through nursing.

'She gets everything she needs from me,' Alejandra said. 'She loves her dad, but right now, our connection is so strong because of breastfeeding.'

Mothers: Faith and Nkais, of Kenya, are both breastfeeding mothers. One of them is 18 and is nursing her first child. The other is 53 and currently breastfeeding her eighth daughter

Future: 'I have four kids. I breastfed my others until they were two years old and I plan to do the same,' Dominika, of Poland, said

Support: 'She is my first child. As a medical professional and a mother I believe breastfeeding is important for health and bonding,' Daria, of New York, said. 'I think society, in general, should be more supportive and accepting to mothers'

Experiences: Tina's photos reflect the mothers' different cultures and living conditions. Glenda, from Brazil, posed while nursing her child on the streetThese touching photos capture the moment an 11-year-old girl with cancer was able to realise her dream of acting as a bridesmaid at her parents' wedding.

Kayleigh Walsh, who has a tumour in her liver, donned a beautiful white dress and flower crown as she watched her mother Lyndsey and father Paul tie the knot in Doncaster today.

The couple, who have three other children, were granted permission to take their daughter out of Sheffield Children's Hospital for two hours so she could walk her mother down the aisle at a registry office nearby.

When the family returned the hospital, they were overwhelmed to discover staff had transformed the ward into a reception venue, complete with food, flowers and live music from a string duo.

There Kayleigh sat in her wheelchair by her parents' side as the hospital chaplain performed a second blessing ceremony for the couple.

Touching: Kayleigh Walsh, who has a tumour in her liver, donned a beautiful white dress and flower crown as she watched her mother Lyndsey and father Paul tie the knot in Doncaster. After a registry office service, the family returned to Sheffield Children's Hospital where the hospital chaplain performed a second blessing ceremony (pictured) on the ward

Moved: Mr and Mrs Walsh, who are expecting their fifth child together, were overwhelmed to discover staff had transformed the ward into a reception venue, complete with food, flowers and live music from a string duo. Pictured, the newlyweds with daughter Kayleigh in hospital

Family affair: Mr and Mrs Walsh with the hospital chaplain and their children (left to right): Caitlin, 14, Kayleigh, 11, 18-month-old Jackson and Aimee-Leigh, three, on their wedding day

Mrs Walsh, 35, who is expecting her fifth child in February next year, said the family was touched by the effort made by the staff on the haematology and oncology ward.

'It was better than I ever could imagine,' Mrs Walsh said. 'We were going for the wedding and then a close family meal and that was it. We never anticipated all of this.

'This has made it so much more special. It's been amazing. From the bottom of my heart and from the bottom of Paul's, we're both overwhelmed.'

Kayleigh was first diagnosed with a neuroblastoma - a type of cancer that forms in certain types of nerve tissue - when she was 22 months old.

She underwent 18 months of treatment and was in remission for nearly eight years before doctors diagnosed her with a tumour in her liver in June this year.

Mrs Walsh, of Mexborough, South Yorkshire said: 'It was heartbreaking, absolutely heart breaking.'

Proud: Kayleigh was first diagnosed with a neuroblastoma - a type of cancer that forms in certain types of nerve tissue - when she was 22 months old. She is now undergoing treatment for a second tumour in her liver. Pictured, the 11-year-old with parents Mr and Mrs Walsh

Special memories: Kayleigh was able to walk her mother down the aisle at the registry office

The mother-of-four said the treatment was going 'OK so far' but that it was difficult to know how this specific kind of tumour will respond.

She said: 'It's touch-and-go whether it's going to work or not because neuroblastoma is hard to treat the first time around, let alone a second time around. But the doctors seems hopeful that everything's going to plan.'

WHAT IS NEUROBLASTOMA? Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that affects children and usually starts in the abdomen. Around 100 children, who are typically under five, are diagnosed every year in the UK. The disease affects approximately 800 new children annually in the US. In around half of cases, neuroblastoma spreads to other parts of the body, particularly the liver and skin. Neuroblastoma's cause is unclear. There may be a family-history link. The main symptom is usually a lump in the abdomen, which may cause swelling, discomfort or pain. If the disease affects the spinal cord, it can lead to numbness, weakness and loss of movement in the lower part of the body. Treatment depends on how advanced the cancer is and the risk it will return after therapy. Surgery, and chemo and radiotherapy, are commonly used. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement

Kayleigh was admitted to hospital six weeks ago and has been kept constant company by her father while her mother shuttles between the ward and looking after her other children Caitlin, 14, Aimee-Leigh, three, and Jackson, 18 months, at the family home.

Mr and Mrs Walsh, who met as teenagers, had initially thought to cancel their wedding but decided against it after hospital staff told of the benefits it could give their daughter.

Mrs Walsh said: 'Kayleigh asked us to keep it going and the nurses actually suggested keeping it going because it gives Kayleigh something to look forward to, something to focus on, something to enjoy.'

The couple found out only last week that Kayleigh would be allowed to leave the hospital and join them at the registry office.

'That was a big surprise,' Mrs Walsh said. They told us it would be a couple of hours at the most.'

Mr Walsh, 32, added: 'Neither one of us actually thought today would happen with Kayleigh coming to the register office.'

Sheffield Children's Hospital and the Children's Hospital Charity worked together to contact local businesses who donated the wedding flowers and car used to drive the family to the ceremony.

Staff were on hand to welcome the family back to ward six from the registry office, cheering as the newlyweds walked into the room.

Mrs Walsh said Kayleigh enjoyed the day more than anyone.

Thoughtful touches: When the family returned the hospital, they were overwhelmed to discover staff had transformed the ward into a reception venue, complete with food, decorations flowers and live music from a string duo. Pictured, Kayleigh with her parents

'She's loved it,' she said. 'She's smiled every second of it. She walked me down the little aisle. That melted my heart, that did.'

Hilary Quinton, the lead nurse for haematology and oncology at the hospital said: 'It's been a beautiful, beautiful day. Goosebumpy, I think, is the best way of describing it.

'Kayleigh was crucial in the planning and everything has been with her say-so and approval. We've involved everyone in the ward team, even the children.'A former model who became a sex worker after the fashion industry destroyed her self-esteem says her new career has enabled her to regain self-confidence and start mending her body image.

Phoenix Divina, 27, worked was a model for seven years after being discovered at a coffee shop aged 16.

While she was thrilled to find a place in the fashion industry, Phoenix soon developed crippling insecurities about her body shape as a result of her job.

First career: Phoenix Divina, 27, worked was a model for seven years after being scouted in a coffee shop aged 16. She is pictured in a modeling shot

New job: She now works at Sheri's Ranch, a legal brothel in Pahrump, Nevada, in one of the state's counties that permit prostitution

'When I was 16 years old, a man came up to me in a coffee shop and asked if he could touch my back to feel how thin I was,' Phoenix said, recounting the moment she was first scouted.

'He pinched my skin in between his fingers and said something about my body fat percentage. He told me I could be a runway model and asked me to come to his agency to talk about it more.'

Phoenix said her career quickly enabled her to fly around the world while making a good living.

'I was the envy of my high school girlfriends and I was actually able to support myself and buy myself nice things at a very young age,' she said.

Struggles: As she tried to make it as a model, Phoenix (pictured in a modeling shot) started obsessing about her appearance and body shape

Change: 'It was terrible for my self-esteem and when I finally quit after seven years, it felt like an invisible weight had been lifted off of me,' she said of modeling

However, Phoenix started obsessing about her physical appearance and noticed she sometimes failed to book jobs after gaining some weight.

'Modeling provided me with unique experiences that I wasn't able to enjoy because I was feeling too insecure about my body as a model,' she said.

'I was under constant pressure to remain thin so that I can continue to book as many clients as possible.'

The model started binge-eating in an attempt to cope with her stress, further damaging her health.

She eventually decided to quit modeling due to the psychological and physical impact of her job.

'The more inches I gained the more clients I would lose. It was terrible for my self-esteem and when I finally quit after seven years, it felt like an invisible weight had been lifted off of me,' she said.

Not coping: Phoenix (pictured in an ad she modeled for) said she wasn't able to enjoy the unique experiences she had as a model due to her insecurities

Process: The former model said being a sex worker has enabled her to start making peace with her body

Phoenix now works at Sheri's Ranch, a legal brothel in Pahrump, Nevada, in one of the state's counties that permit prostitution.

She says her new career has enabled her to start making peace with her body.

'I still struggle with my body image and self-esteem on a daily basis, but it's been steadily improving since I became a sex worker,' Phoenix said.

'It's such a relief to me now that I have clients who appreciate and celebrate my body just the way it is.

'As a sex worker, my clients value me for more than just my measurements, and even for more than the sexual services I offer. They value me for who I am as a person, internally, more than my clients in the fashion industry ever would have.'

Phoenix said she has been able to be 'the most authentic version' of herself in her new line of work.

'I appreciate my body for the pleasure it brings to both me and my client,' she said. 'I feel confident and empowered as a sex worker.'

She doesn't want to return to the fashion industry in the near future and says becoming a sex worker is the 'best decision [she] ever made'.

'People think that the sex industry is shallow, but to me it has far more depth than the fashion industry,' she said. 'I believe sex is sacred and transformational at a level far beyond fashion. I know some people say fashion is life, but for me, sex is life.'We are so accustomed to seeing the Royals trussed up in cascading frills, prim shapes or fussy florals that the Duchess of Sussexs understated style has taken us all rather by surprise.

Ditching the frayed jeans, tiny shorts and mini-skirts of her single years, she has held on to her unfussy, preppy American style, cleverly adjusting her love of monochrome to fit royal rules  albeit with the occasional mistake.

This summer, shes stepped out in the sort of quiet chic last seen on Fifties movie stars  even favouring Givenchy, once worn by Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Onassis, whose style seems to have inspired the duchess.

The good news is that, while few of us could ever splurge on a Carolina Herrera suit or a Givenchy shirt-dress, Meghans pared-down look is easily achievable on the High Street. The key is choosing simple shapes and adding a skinny belt, heels and a tiny clutch bag.

Finally, we have a royal fashion icon whose style we can  and want to  steal . . .

Fashion expert Fiona McIntosh, revealed how a selection of Meghan Markle's (pictured left) most iconic looks can be recreated using items from the High Street

Off the shoulder sophistication

Dress, 125, theprettydresscompany.com; Hat, 34.99, martharoseboutique.co.uk

Designer: 5,420

High st: 159.99

Newlywed Meghan looked slim and clean-cut in this off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera dress.

It was a lesson to us all in formal occasionwear. Invest in a strapless bra, and this look can be a winner at any age.

Super-chic in denim

Dress, 55, oasis-stores.com; Belt, 59, hobbs.co.uk; Bag (exact match), 35, jcrew.com; Shoes, 25.99, newlook.com; Shades, 15, accessorize.com

Designer: 3,265

High st: 189.99

Meghan Markle (pictured left) wore a belted denim dress to the Polo. Her look can be recreated with a similar flattering dress available at Oasis

Denim has come a long way  from farmhands to front row at the polo. Mixed with elastane, the fabric has stretch to flatter your figure, but is still firm enough to keep its shape.

Recreate Meghans look with this bargain Oasis dress and her exact clutch from American brand J. Crew.

Ace stripes this summer

Shirt, 15, and hat, 49.50, marksandspencer.com; Trousers, 49, topshop.com; Bag, 295, aspinaloflondon.com

Designer: 3,508

High st: 408.50

Meghan (pictured left) paired a Ralph Lauren shirt with palazzo pants for Wimbledon. M&S sells a similar style relaxed shirt for just 15

Bucking the trend for florals at Wimbledon, Meghan wore a crisp Ralph Lauren shirt and palazzo pants.

Style this copycat M&S shirt  a snip at just 15  like Meghan with relaxed, rolled up sleeves and a casual, unbuttoned neck.

Fresh take on floaty florals

Dress, 45, Miss Selfridge at johnlewis.com; Shoes, 35, and fascinator (exact match), 29.50, marksandspencer.com;Bag, 30, houseoffraser.co.uk

Designer: 6,182

High st: 139.50

The Duchess of Sussex (pictured left) wore an elegant Oscar de la Renta gown as she attended the wedding of Princess Diana's niece. Miss Selfridge is currently selling a similar floral style that can be paired with an M&S fascinator

Busy florals have popped up like weeds this summer. The trick is finding a design that wont swamp you, like Meghans Oscar de la Renta frock (above).

This pretty fitted dress is ideal. Finish the look with Megs perky M&S hat.

Go bold in yellow

Dress, 39, warehouse.co.uk; Shoes, 175, lkbennett.com; Earrings, 5, accessorize.com

Designer: 1,975

High st: 219

Meghan Markle (pictured left) wore a yellow crepe dress designed by Brandon Maxwell as she attended a Commonwealth event in London. High Street store Warehouse has a similar style which can be paired with heels from LK Bennett for a fraction of the cost

Hurrah, some colour! The crepe sheath dress by New York designer Brandon Maxwell made the duchess look young, radiant and wildly fashionable.

Luckily, the High Street is following suit with some very pretty summer yellows, like this sleeveless dress from Warehouse.

Bet on stylish monochrome

Dress, 75, and belt, 35, houseoffraser.co.uk; Shoes, 35, marksandspencer.com; Fascinator, 49, debenhams.com; Bag, 22, asos.com; Earrings, 25, buckleylondon.com

Designer: 8,490

High st: 241

Meghan (pictured left) stepped out in Givenchy for this year's Ascot. The signature monochrome look can be recreated with a similar dress and belt available at House of Fraser

This Givenchy crepe shirt dress in Meghans signature monochrome can be easily recreated on the High Street.

Style with a skinny black belt and stilettos for an effortlessly stylish look.

Try a timeless two-piece

Jacket, 39.50, and trousers, 45, marksandspencer.com; T-shirt (exact match), 34, lavenderhillclothing.com; Shoes, 195, lkbennett.com; Belt, 24.90, uniqlo.com

Designer: 2,595

High st: 338.40

The key to this classic outfit, as Meghan shows, is to add length to your legs with a short jacket. Pair with heels and a skinny belt  and you have a look thatll never date.At board meetings, I can never muster the indignation to be outraged when someone says: Shouldnt we wait for the boss before we start? when I am the boss.

And although Ive never actually been asked to pour the tea, I certainly wouldnt object.

I think women can be too precious about these things, and I am concerned that if we waste our energy on being offended by such minor issues we will be deflected from the important ones.

But it seems to me a particular group of hard-line feminists are taking us in this direction.

Campaigns like the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault have brought equality and empowerment to the forefront of the male-dominated motor industry, for which I work. But I believe that although it set out with laudable aims it is in danger of being overwhelmed by a minority who see slights, injustice and predatory behaviour where none exists.

Linda Jackson (pictured), 59, is the global chief executive of French carmaker Citroen. She shared how she became the third woman to ever run a big car company

Extremists have hijacked feminism, a cause that set out with the worthy objectives of ensuring that women have the same rights as men, and parity of pay for doing the same job.

The result is that a lot of sensible and intelligent young women are turning away from feminism because they equate it with militancy. They do not want to be associated with a cause that has lost sight of its original aims.

As a woman who considers herself a feminist in the true sense of the word, I am appalled by this development.

I was born and raised in Coventry, home of the British motor industry, and have worked in the predominantly male, macho business since I left school.

Im now 59, and four years ago I became global chief executive of French carmaker Citroen  making me the first British woman, and only the third woman ever, to run a big car company. So, yes, Id say I know a thing or two about standing up for yourself when youre in a tiny minority.

I know, too, that I probably had to work twice as hard as a man to prove myself. Id also agree, although it might not be politically correct to say so, that Im noticed more as Im one of a handful of women in senior positions in the industry.

Im also living proof that women can reach the very top of their profession on merit. And in my view it is vital women are not given special treatment or given unfair advantages in the jobs market because we are in a minority.

This is why I am absolutely opposed to quotas. If I felt Id got my job because a company I worked for needed to appoint a certain number of females, Id be appalled. I would feel demeaned because Id been chosen for the post, not on my ability, but because a box had to be ticked.

Yes, of course, we must encourage women to be ambitious and to apply for the top jobs. But to be appointed they have be the best candidate.

Linda who is a stepmother to two grown-up children, believes she wouldn't have achieved her career aspirations if she had children of her own

The equal pay campaign has also added to the current confusion. Businesses have been vilified for gender pay gaps when no consideration is given to the fact that they employ more men in senior posts than women, so the pay figures are skewed. Proper comparisons have to be made if the campaign is to have any credence.

Although it would be gratifying to see more women on the boards of our top companies, I think we have to recognise that such jobs demand huge personal sacrifices that some both men and women  do not wish to make.

I admit that I couldnt have got to the position I hold now if Id had children of my own because I would have wanted to commit myself to the early years of their education.

Of course, every woman is different  this is a personal view  but I do not think I would have reached the position I hold today if Id been a mother. I dont regret my decision not to have children: I am lucky enough to have two grown-up stepchildren who have blessed me with three step-grandchildren I adore.

Linda claims having a supportive husband has also been crucial in order for her to become CEO. She met her late husband David, whilst working at Rover

And, of course, the world has moved on. Many mothers are now re-entering the workplace and climbing the corporate ladder. But, at the risk of offending those who believe women can have it all, I dont think I could have fulfilled my role as a mum properly and reached the top in my job.

I doubt, too, whether I would have risen to become CEO without a supportive husband who was prepared to subjugate his career to mine. When I look back over my career I confess I didnt have any kind of strategy when I started out. In fact, I fell into the car industry completely by accident.

It began when I took a holiday job stapling invoices at Jaguar. But quickly I discovered a passion for cars and found I quite liked the world of work, too. So I turned down a place to study teaching at Sussex University to stay on as an accounting clerk at the company.

I met my late husband David, nine years older and divorced with two young children, at Rover. We married when I was 22.

Rover sponsored me to take an executive Master of Business Administration qualification at Warwick University, and it took me four years to complete it, studying after work and at weekends.

Linda says she's keen to get more saleswomen into car showrooms as female customers make up 50 percent of sales

Rising through the ranks, I was appointed finance director for Rover in France, by which time David and I had decided that my career should take precedence over his. I became the main breadwinner; he my research assistant.

We were a formidable team: I remember times when I went out with him as a mystery shopper to all sorts of dealerships. These days, of course, Id be spotted, but I wasnt recognised then.

David and I would pretend we wanted to buy a car for me and the salesman  because it was invariably a man  would ask me about the colour and interior then turn to my husband to talk about the cost, and David would say: Its my wifes car. Shes going to pay for it.

This sort of attitude demeans women and Im trying to change it. This is why Im keen to get more saleswomen into car showrooms who dont patronise female customers. Considering that 50 percent of sales are to women and the decision behind buying a car is often also a womans, we need more diversity in the industry.

Linda says it's very lonely at the top and you sometimes have to make unpopular decisions

And we also need to recognise that buying a car is often based on emotion. It isnt a macho thing because women want to express who they are through their choice of vehicle, and personalise it.

Soon after I took up my post as head of the iconic French brand in 2014, David died of cancer. I remember thinking: You can either fall apart or really make him proud by doing the best you can. I did the latter.

The job is all enveloping which is great, because Im constantly challenged, but its also very lonely at the top. You have to make decisions, some of them unpopular, and there is no one to confer with. The buck stops with you. And I spend an enormous amount of time travelling. I feel as if the whole world is my base. Ill go to China five or six times a year as its our first market, then fly to Japan, South America and all round Europe.

Im always flitting through Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and sometimes I think I get most of my exercise running up and down escalators there. You might also see me doing ballet moves plies and ronde de jambes  until I was 33 I taught dance in my spare time  because they help to keep me supple.

I certainly dont think we need to forfeit our femininity to be successful. I adore clothes and one of my unashamed extravagances is the money I spend on my wardrobe.

Linda revealed feminism to her has become about creating a work-life balance and professional environment where women can prosper

Although hard-line feminists may condemn me for frivolity, I believe the importance of our appearance cannot be underestimated.

Although I dont have a cleaner or housekeeper  I do my own household chores  I do employ a personal stylist who regularly buys me suitcases full of clothes. I believe it is important that I look my best.

Even though I love my job Im hardly ever at my Paris flat, or at my home in Normandy.

All that travel and hours in the boardroom consumes your life and I know that not every woman wants to be a CEO.

But I think its important that women  and men, of course  are encouraged to progress as far as they wish in their careers, which is why Ive implemented family friendly policies at Citroen to help people strike the right work-life balance.

We have a rule that every meeting must have an objective. They must not take place before 8am or after 6.30pm, and none lasts longer than 45 minutes.

Neither are emails sent after 8pm or at weekends, and we also encourage our employees to factor a two- or three-hour break into each week so they can just sit and reflect over a coffee; because I dont think were either productive or happy if we rush from one interminable meeting to the next without a pause for thought.

Our people can work flexible hours and weve also implemented a scheme where they can work from home if they choose. And since these changes weve found that everyones focus and concentration has improved. People actually accomplish more.

So this, for me, is what feminism is really about: helping to create a work-life balance and a professional environment in which women (and, of course men, too) can prosper.

As for #MeToo, I fear if were side-tracked by petty or inconsequential campaigns; if we get too strident or self-righteous, it will be counterproductive.It is more common for a woman to have a miscarriage than a baby, according to a study.

On average women can expect to have more miscarriages than children over their lives but many will be so early they go unnoticed.

This, says the scientist who wrote the study, is because of deadly genetic abnormalities in eggs which stop them ever developing into babies.

Experts say it is wrong to think of a miscarriage as a rare mistake, because it's actually more common than a successful pregnancy.

The experience can be very upsetting for hopeful parents but even women in their 20s have about a 50/50 chance of a fertilised egg becoming a baby, they claim.

And the rate rises as women get older, with those in their late 40s having an average of more than 30 miscarriages per live baby.

Campaigners say it would be helpful for people to have more education about how common miscarriage is, so people understand it is 'the norm'.

Having a miscarriage is 'the norm', not successfully carrying a baby, Professor Rice says, and one expert says people should be educated about how common it is

A researcher from the University of California looked at past studies and databases to compare miscarriage frequency to the numbers of babies born.

William Rice, an evolutionary biologist, says miscarriage is 'unambiguously' the 'most common outcome of conception across a woman's lifetime'.

He says a majority of eggs which are fertilised by sperm will in fact never grow into children.

'It is not an abnormality, it is the norm,' Professor Rice told the New Scientist.

And even women in their 20s are just as likely to have a miscarriage as they are a baby, he said.

He explains the reason for most of the miscarriages  also known as spontaneous abortion  is genetic abnormality.

This suggests some eggs are fertilised even though their DNA is corrupted and not healthy enough to develop into a child.

And the ratio of miscarriages to live births varies depending on when and where a woman lives. Professor Rice gives examples of Danish women, and Mormons in the US during the 19th century.

How at least one in six pregnancies ends in a miscarriage One in six pregnancies in women who know they are pregnant become miscarriages. But even more happen among women who don't know they have conceived. Miscarriage occurs when a pregnancy is lost within the first 23 weeks after conception. The main symptoms are bleeding from the vagina, which may be accompanied by lower abdominal pain. There are various reasons women may have a miscarriage  it is common and is not usually caused by something they have done. If a miscarriage happens in the second trimester  between weeks 14 and 26  it may be a sign of an underlying problem. Often, miscarriages are isolated events and women will go on to have successful pregnancies. The majority of miscarriages can't be prevented, although being generally healthy will help reduce the risk. Losing three or more pregnancies in a row - known as recurrent miscarriages - is uncommon but still affects around one in 100 women. Advertisement

Women in Denmark, who have free birth control and can have an abortion within 12 weeks, have an average of 1.7 children, 2.1 miscarriages, and 0.4 abortions.

'Human reproduction is a very inefficient process'

Whereas Mormon women in the United States in the 1800s had no birth control, and would have an average of eight children each and 16.8 miscarriages in their lifetime, he said.

'Human reproduction is a very inefficient process,' said the University of Aberdeen's Sohinee Bhattacharya.

'From a clinical point of view, how important is it if the woman does not even know she is pregnant?'

The NHS defines miscarriage as the loss of a pregnancy within the first 23 weeks  ranging from just an egg to a baby which could be up to 30cm (12in) long.

'It would be helpful if there were more awareness'

But the majority of the miscarriages, the study says, happen in the very early stages of the pregnancy.

Ruth Atik, director of the Miscarriage Association told the New Scientist: 'I do think it would be enormously helpful if there were more education and thus general awareness that it can take time to conceive and that many pregnancies do end in miscarriage.

'That often comes as a shock to women and their partners.'

Professor Rice's research was published on biology website bioRxiv.A Michigan father-of-one says he's lucky to be alive after he lost both of his hands and feet to a flesh-eating bacteria after getting a steroid shot.

In January, James Newsome, 40, of Southgate, went to a hospital and received a shot for back pain but, over the next three days, he started experiencing another kind of severe pain in his hip.

Doctors diagnosed him with a strep A infection that had entered his bloodstream and had begun to eat away at his muscles and tissue.

The infection had spread to all four of Newsome's limbs and, because of the extensive damage, he was facing partial amputation of his right arm, left arm and left leg, and complete amputation of his right leg.

Newsome is now taking legal action against the hospital because he fears the infection was contracted due the site where he received the injection not being properly cleaned.

James Newsome, 40, from Southgate, Michigan, says he's lucky to be alive after he lost both of his hands and feet to a flesh-eating bacteria. Pictured: Newsome with his wife Jessica and daughter Anna

Newsome went to the hospital on January 9 to receive a steroid shot for back pain. After three days of agonizing pain with no medication helping, he was admitted to the hospital. Pictured: Newsome with his daughter Anna

Doctors told Newsome (pictured, following his amputations) he had contracted strep A, the same bacteria that causes strep throat, and he went into septic shock, causing his organs to begin to shut down

According to a GoFundMe page, Newsome went the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit on January 9, where he received a steroid shot due to severe back pain.

Two days later he went to the ER in agonizing pain, where he was told he had an arthritic hip and was sent home with pain medication.

The next morning, the discomfort had not subsided and he was admitted into the Surgical ICU.

As it turned out, Newsome had contracted strep A, the same bacteria that causes strep throat, although it is unclear how.

Doctors told him an injection site that has not been properly sanitized can lead to an infection, he told The News Herald.

NECROTIZING FASCIITIS: THE VICIOUS FLESH-EATING BACTERIA The above stock photo shows a leg infected with necrotizing fasciitis Necrotizing fasciitis, more commonly known as 'flesh-eating disease', is a rare but extremely vicious bacterial infection. 'Necrotizing' refers to something that causes body tissue to die, and the infection can destroy skin, muscles and fat. The disease develops when the bacteria enters the body, often through a minor cut or scrape. As the bacteria multiply, they release toxins that kill tissue and cut off blood flow to the area. Because it is so virulent, the bacteria spreads rapidly throughout the body. Symptoms include small, red lumps or bumps on the skin, rapidly-spreading bruising, sweating, chills, fever and nausea. Organ failure and shock are also common complications. Sufferers must be treated immediately to prevent death, and are usually given powerful antibiotics and surgery to remove dead tissue. Amputation can become necessary if the disease spreads through an arm or leg. Patients may undergo skin grafts after the infection has cleared up, to help the healing process or for aesthetic reasons. There are 500 to 1,500 cases reported a year, but 20 to 25 percent of victims die. Necrosis is the irreversible process by which body tissue dies as a result of too little blood flow Advertisement

Newsome went into septic shock and his organs began to shut down. He was rushed into emergency surgery, which left him on kidney dialysis given intermittently.

But his problems were far from over, because the infection developed into necrotizing fasciitis.

This is an infection that affects the tissue and muscles under the skin, causing them to become damaged and die. Blood supply is cut off and the extremities begin to turn black.

Dr Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease specialist at Duke University Hospital in North Carolina, explained to Daily Mail Online that if an infection gets into the blood stream, blood pressure drops and it's hard to get circulation to vital organs.

'Sometimes we use medication to take blood away from the extremities, away from the limbs, because other organs need the blood like the heart, lung, kidneys, and brain,' he said.

'What can happen is that proper blood flow is not being given to the limbs.'

That is exactly what occurred with Newsome - he had been treated with a vasopressor, which constricts blood vessels and directs blood flow away from the limbs.

The infection had spread to all four limbs and - just three weeks after the initial steroid shot - doctors told him that he was facing complete or partial amputation of both arms and legs.

First his right leg was amputated, up to eight inches below his hip, and then his left foot.

Then his left hand and wrist were amputated followed by his right hand and arm up to the elbow.

'The tradeoff is almost certain death,' Newsome told Fox 2 Detroit.

The bacteria developed into necrotizing fasciitis, an infection that causes the tissue under the skin to become damaged and die. Blood supply is cut off and the extremities begin to turn black

Newsome was told that he'd have to have complete or partial amputation of all his limbs. First his right leg was amputated, up to eight inches below his hip, and then his left foot. Then his left hand and wrist were amputated (left and right) followed by his right hand and arm up to the elbow

Newsome told the station that while he was in the hospital he experienced severe depression, but his four-year-old daughter, Anna, is what kept him going.

'There is nothing more important to me than being her father,' he said.

'I had a picture of her at the foot of my bed. Anytime I was feeling down and out, I looked at the picture to remind myself why that I'm here and why I need to push so hard.'

Finally, after five months in the hospital, Newsome was allowed to go home, where he faced further challenges.

Newsome experienced phantom pains - pain in a body part that is no longer due to signals from the brain and spinal cord.

He told The News Herald he had to be put on Ketamine, an anesthetic that induces a trance-like state while providing pain relief.

He is currently in occupational therapy to learn how to eat and walk again using his new, artificial limbs.

After he went home, Newsome experienced phantom pains - pain in a body part that is no longer due to signals from the brain and spinal cord. Pictured: Newsome in the hospital with his wife Jessica

He is currently in occupational therapy to learn how to eat and walk again using his new artificial limbs. Pictured: Newsome and his daughter Anna

Most of all, Newsome (pictured, on the bed) wants to return to his job as a third-grade teacher at Clarence Randall Elementary School and says the district has a job waiting for him when he is ready to go back

A wheelchair ramp in front of his house has been built, and the Newsomes need their bathroom and kitchen remodeled so that he can navigate them with greater ease.

Newsome also said the couple needs a specialized van equipped with a wheelchair lift so he can be transported from the vehicle to his new, electronic wheelchair.

Most of all, Newsome wants to return to his job as a third-grade teacher at Clarence Randall Elementary School.

He told Fox 2 that the Taylor School District, where the school is located, says a job will be waiting for him as soon as he's able to begin working again.

'I want to go back to having a meaningful life, where I mean things to people,' he told The News Herald.

'I think that when school goes back, and I am not able to go back, it will be a tough time for me.'

To help cover the growing cost of medical bills as well as prostheses and an adaptive vehicle that insurance won't cover, the family has set up a GoFundMe page as well as a PlumFund account.

Between the two, more than $110,000 has been raised out of an initial $175,000 goal.A mother whose baby's skin is like 'petting a snake' bathes the infant in bleach every other day.

Raven Ford, 23, whose daughter Amelia Moe, one, suffers from lamellar ichthyosis and cannot tolerate soap, was told by doctors to wash her in bleach to prevent her scaly skin becoming infected.

The youngsters' hard, shedding skin requires near constant moisturisation to keep it supple and prevent it snagging her clothes, with Amelia's hair, skin and nails also being affected.

Amelia's condition also forces Ms Ford to endure cruel comments from strangers, with people assuming Amelia is severely sunburnt and one even calling the retail worker selfish for wanting more children who could also develop lamellar ichthyosis.

She said: 'You don't know what someone is dealing with, or why they are making the choices they are. Everyone has their own reasons, don't assume it's all down to bad parenting.'

Ms Ford, from Superior, Wisconsin, is speaking out to raise money towards Amelia's care, as well as to encourage people to be less judgmental of others' appearances.

Baby Amelia Moe's mother bathes her in bleach every other day due to a rare condition, known as lamellar ichthyosis, that makes her skin scaly and prone to infections

Despite near constant moisturisation, Amelia's mother Raven Ford says the baby's torso remains scaly, like 'petting a snake'. The condition also makes her hair brittle and nails hard

Ms Ford (pictured) knew something was wrong when she was born looking like 'a plastic doll'

WHAT IS LAMELLAR ICHTHYOSIS? Lamellar Ichthyosis causes abnormal scaling and shedding of the skin, which affects around one in 600,000 babies. It causes skin to form large plate-like scales that are often dark red or brown. Lamellar Ichthyosis can be caused by genetic or inherited abnormalities that affect normal skin shedding. Complications can include overheating due to severe scaling affecting normal sweating. Eyelids can be pulled outwards due to the tightness of the skin, as well as sufferers enduring hair loss and an inability to straighten their fingers. There is no cure. Treatment focuses on lifelong use of moisturisers to make skin more comfortable, less dry and to prevent cracking. Medication can help to reduce scaling, while eye drops can prevent dryness. Source: Ichthyosis Support Group Advertisement

'I put bleach in her bath water'

Speaking of how she bathes Amelia, Ms Ford said: 'I put two tablespoons of bleach in her bath water every other day.

'It's controversial, and not everybody is comfortable with it, but it's been recommended by dermatologists and it's the only way to kill the bacteria under her scales.

'If we don't do this, she can get infections or pockets of oil, which show up like yellow bumps on her scalp.'

Aside from bathing, Amelia also requires an intensive daily healthcare regimen.

Ms Ford, who is also mother to Benjamin Faice, six, and Cole Ford, two, said: 'She takes fluoride supplements for her teeth, as we were warned the condition can cause some dental abnormalities.

'We also have to put petroleum jelly round her mouth when she eats otherwise the food will stain her skin.

'Her hair is quite brittle and can fall out easily, and her nails have begun to build up and harden too.'

Ms Ford manages her daughter's condition by bathing her twice a day, as well as frequently applying moisturisers and steroid creams to her skin.

Over time, Amelia's skin has settled into a cycle of building up and shedding.

Ms Ford said: 'She starts out smooth, then her skin gets darker and shinier as it builds up. Eventually, she'll be unable to close her eyes, at which point we have to start using a type of topical medication called Tazorac cream.

'Then, her skin will start to shed and peel. Thankfully it doesn't bleed anymore like it did when she was first born.

'Her hands and feet are largely unaffected, but the peeling on her face takes around a week and the peeling on her scalp takes two.

'Her torso is more or less always scaly, with a texture like you're petting a snake.'

Amelia's condition means she does not have sweat pores, which makes summer particularly difficult, forcing her parents to keep her indoors and use ice packs to keep her cool.

Despite Amelia's condition, Ms Ford insists she is an easy-going, happy child

Bleach prevents infections or 'pockets of oil' showing up as yellow patches on Amelia's skin

Ever since she was a baby she has required near constant moisturisation and steroid creams

'It hurts to be called selfish'

Amelia's condition forces her mother to endure cruel comments from strangers, with one calling her selfish.

Ms Ford said: 'That was the most upsetting comment. I didn't even know this person. She just butted in with a conversation I was having with a friend.

'Amelia is such an easy-going child. Yes, we have to do things a little differently, but she is still very happy so it hurts to be called selfish.

'When people do make these comments, I either ignore them or try to educate by explaining what ichthyosis is.'

Ms Ford says being called selfish for wanting more children was the hardest comment to hear

When people make comments, Ms Ford tries to educate them on Amelia's condition

'She looked like a little plastic doll'

Ms Ford and her partner Gary Moe, 43, Amelia's father, knew something was wrong the moment their daughter was born.

She said: 'She looked like a little plastic doll. She had this build-up of really thick skin, which looked very tight and shiny.

'She couldn't close her mouth or eyes, so doctors weren't sure at first if she had eyelids, and it covered her hands and feet so much that there were no visible prints.'

Due to lamellar ichthyosis being rare, doctors were initially baffled as to what was wrong, until a specialist from the University of Minnesota confirmed the diagnosis the following day but was unable to say how severe it was.

Ms Ford said: 'The not knowing was the worst feeling in the world.

'We were told not to Google ichthyosis, but I couldn't help myself. I just wanted to know what was happening.

'Some forms are really severe, and carry quite bleak life expectancies, so it was terrifying thinking Amelia might have to go through that.

'I had so many questions, and just needed to know what type she had.'

The family are waiting for the results of genetic testing to determine what stage Amelia's lamellar ichthyosis is.

The youngster stayed in hospital for the first 10 days of her life, which saw her hardened skin crack and bleed at the joints, forcing her parents and nurses to apply ointments every couple of hours, including Vaseline around her eyes.

Ms Ford is speaking out to educate people on lamellar ichthyosis, saying: 'I'd really like people to stop judging things they think are out of the ordinary, especially parenting choices.'

Donate towards Amelia's fund here.

Ever since she was a baby, the skin on Amelia's face sheds and peels around once a week

As a newborn, Amelia's build-up of thick skin made her look 'very tight and shiny'

Due to lamellar ichthyosis being rare, doctors were baffled until a specialist confirmed it

Amelia's skin was so thick and tight it left her unable to close her eyes or mouthA mother and son developed life-threatening meningitis after eating raw centipedes.

A 78-year-old woman and her 46-year-old son, from Guangzhou, China, both suffered crippling headaches and stiff necks after munching on the worm-like creature.

The centipedes, which are often used dried or crushed in traditional Chinese medicine, contained a parasite called rat lungworm, which can enter the brain and cause inflammation.

The son served his mother raw centipedes, bought from a local vegetable market, in the belief they ease winter colds only for them both to suffer fatigue and cognitive impairment.

After 15 days of treatment with anti-parasitic drugs and steroids, both patients recovered.

This is thought to be the first recorded time people have developed rat lungworm from centipedes, with the parasite more commonly being associated with uncooked slugs, snails and frogs, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

A mother and son developed life-threatening meningitis after eating raw centipedes (stock)

'Patients believed raw centipedes would be good for their health'

Lingli Lu, who treated the pair at Zhujiang Hospital, said: 'We don't typically hear of people eating raw centipedes, but apparently these two patients believed that raw centipedes would be good for their health. Instead it made them sick.'

Scans revealed the larvae was in the woman's brain and the man's right lung, according to the findings published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Scientists from the hospital bought 20 centipedes from the same market as the patients.

Rat lungworm larvae was found in seven of those purchased, with an average of 56 larvae per centipede.

Parasite goes to the brain and 'stays there'

Heather Stockdale Walden, from the University of Florida, previously told CNN: 'When [the larvae] gets in a human it can get lost, and it will go to the brain, and it'll stay there'.

The larvae can mature in the brain before migrating to the lungs via the arteries. Adult worms are found in the lungs, with females laying up to 15,000 eggs a day.

The parasite is unable to survive for long in humans, with most cases resolving on their own.

Yet some patients suffer fever, nausea, vomiting, blood clots and a lack of blood supply to major organs, with some cases even being fatal.

People can reduce their risk of infection by washing vegetables thoroughly and cooking any snails, slugs or frogs before eating them.

Centipedes are often used dried or crushed in traditional Chinese medicine (stock)

Two women lose their hair after eating pumpkin soup and a side of squash

This comes after research released last March suggested two women lost their hair after eating pumpkin soup and a side-dish of squash.

Just weeks after consuming the vegetables, the unnamed women, believed to be from France, experienced spontaneous alopecia, which affected their scalps and genitals, a case report reveals.

Such symptoms are thought to be due to cucurbit poisoning, which occurs when people consume excessive amounts of the bitter-tasting compound cucurbitacin.

Shop-bought pumpkins and squashes contain trace amounts of cucurbitacin, however, it can be present in homegrown produce, particularly if the vegetables are grown with little water.

It is believed to be the first time cucurbit poisoning has been associated with hair loss.

Both of the women experienced short-term nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea after eating the vegetables before going on to develop trichorrhexis nodosa, which causes hair strands all over the body to snap off.

It is unclear if their hair has completely regrown.Police say 31 of 39 police forces reported higher levels of stabbings last year

England is in the midst of a national knife crime epidemic which is putting extra pressure on the NHS, a top surgeon has warned.

The rise in violent stabbings seen in London in recent years has spread to the country's other major cities, according to Adam Brooks, a major trauma surgeon at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

He said he had seen a dramatic increase in stabbings and his team now deals with around three serious cases a day.

Some victims spend months in hospital recovering, blood transplant supplies are low and paramedics have to wear stab proof vests at crime scenes, experts say.

Mr Brooks's warning comes after London's Met Police saw an average of 45 knife crime incidents a day during July.

And 31 out of 39 police forces across the country  79.4 per cent  reported a rise in stabbings last year.

Mr Brooks said: 'This is an epidemic. It's across our urban centres, not just London. It's a disease we need to work closely together to try to control as best we can.'

A senior surgeon has warned a rise in knife crime is putting extra pressure on the NHS as victims sometimes need months to recover and blood supplies are running low

Speaking at the Royal Society of Medicine's Spotlight on Knife Crime event in London yesterday, he said the number of young victims was 'increasing massively'.

He said his trauma centre had treated as many 15 to 25-year-old stab victims in the last five months as it had in the whole of the previous year.

Doctors at the unit expect to treat 170 to 180 stab victims this year  the highest number to date.

Mr Brooks said: 'These are trauma calls  these are not minor emergency department presentations.

'Unfortunately penetrating violence is not a London phenomenon This is something we're all seeing, in all the urban trauma centres.

'This isn't just London - this is everywhere'

'It really has changed, across the country. The key message is this isn't just London  this is everywhere.'

He said the increase in serious injuries was putting a strain on the NHS, pointing to a case of one youth who suffered a single stomach stab wound but ended up spending four and a half months in hospital because of the extent of his internal injuries.

WHICH REGIONS HAVE THE MOST KNIFE CRIME? Statistics published by the Government in June revealed London has the highest rate of knife crime, with 137 incidents per 100,000 people in 2016/17, and Wales the lowest, with 29. Regions ranked in order of the number of knife crime incidents per 100,000 people in 2016/17 are: London  137 (12,077 total incidents)

West Midlands  65 (3,754)

Yorkshire & Humber  64 (3,460)

North West  51 (3,660)

East of England  49 (3,005)

East Midlands  48 (2,249)

North East  38 (1,002)

South West  31 (1,705)

South East  30 (2,751)

Wales  29 (910) Source: Parliament Advertisement

Stabbings require immediate medical attention to stop bleeding and repair the body but problems like organ damage or infection can mean recovery takes much longer.

Mr Brooks also revealed supplies of blood for transplants was dropping, in part because sunny weather has reduced people's attendance at donations.

NHS Blood and Transplant told The Times: 'If we dont collect enough O negative blood donations in the coming weeks, stocks may fall below two days.'

Commander David Musker, of New Scotland Yard, told the event that there had been 45 knife crime incidents a day in London in July, and five-and-a-half knife injuries a day.

He said the numbers were 'stabilising' but police were 'not calling it a success' yet.

Paramedics wearing stab vests

Also speaking, advanced paramedic Ken Crossley of London Ambulance Service, said paramedics treating stab victims are often going into environments so dangerous they need stab vests.

He told how, on Monday night, he had put on a stab vest before he left the ambulance station to attend a stabbing at a tube station where a 'chaotic' crowd of 200 to 300 people, many filming on mobile phones, gathered around the paramedics and the victim.

He added: 'We are seeing an increase in severity of injuries.'

Stabbings linked to groups outside schools

Trauma surgeon Duncan Bew, of King's College Hospital, London, one of the trauma units in the hospital's network said victims are getting 'younger and younger'.

And now nearly as many girls as boys are being seen, with incidents linked to groups of youths gathering outside schools.

He added: '[We see] spikes in violent activity when people come out of the school gates, which is really sad.'

Vast majority of police forces report rise in stabbings

Official statistics show 31 out of the 39 police forces in England experienced rises in knife crime rates of between 2 and 53 per cent last year.

More than a third (37 per cent) of all knife crime in England and Wales last year was committed in London.

Another quarter (23 per cent) of knife crimes took place in the areas covered by police forces in West Midlands, West Yorkshire Police, Greater Manchester, Thames Valley and South Yorkshire.

There were 40,147 knife crimes recorded in 2017/18  an increase of 16 per cent on the 35,547 recorded in 2016/17 and the highest level since comparable records began in 2011.Women with polycystic ovary syndrome are more likely to have a child with autism, research suggests.

Scientists have discovered women with the common condition face a 35 per cent higher chance of their youngster being on the spectrum.

Experts today described the new study as an 'important piece of new evidence' as the medical community remains flummoxed by the cause of ASD.

An array of evidence has pointed the blame at elevated levels of testosterone - and the new Cambridge University research adds to the link.

PCOS strikes one in ten women and is caused by high levels of the hormone, which is passed onto youngsters in the womb, researchers believe.

Scientists have discovered women with the common condition face a 35 per cent higher chance of their youngster being on the spectrum

Charities estimate there is around 700,000 people who are on the autism spectrum in the UK. In the US, it is as high as 3.5 million.

Data from 8,500 women with PCOS and their first-born children were taken from a large NHS database of GP records for the study.

Cambridge University scientists then compared them to a group of 41,000 women without the common condition and their kids.

Women with PCOS had a 2.3 per cent chance of having an autistic child, compared to the 1.7 per cent chance for those without PCOS.

Led by Master's student Adriana Cherskov, experts stressed the likelihood of having an autistic child is still very low, even among women with PCOS.

Ms Cherskov said: 'This is an important piece of new evidence for the theory that autism is not only caused by genes but also by prenatal sex steroid hormones such as testosterone.'

The study, published in Translational Psychiatry, builds on work in 2015 which found autistic children have higher levels of testosterone.

Experts believe this may explain why boys are estimated to be four times more likely to be on the spectrum than girls.

THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF AUTISM According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with autism have trouble with social, emotional and communication skills that usually develop before the age of three and last throughout a persons life. Specific signs of autism include: Reactions to smell, taste, look, feel or sound are unusual

Difficulty adapting to changes in routine

Unable to repeat or echo what is said to them

Difficulty expressing desires using words or motions

Unable to discuss their own feelings or other peoples

Difficulty with acts of affection like hugging

Prefer to be alone and avoid eye contact

Difficulty relating to other people

Unable to point at objects or look at objects when others point to them Advertisement

However, the medical community have since wondered where the elevated levels of sex steroid hormones were coming from in autistic youngsters.

Suggestions were pointed towards the mother, as some of the hormone may cross the placenta during pregnancy.

This would expose her unborn baby to more of the hormone, changing their brain development and leaving them prone to autism.

The study was presented at the 2016 International Meeting for Autism Research in Baltimore, before being published in a journal.

The same team also conducted two other studies using the same data and found autistic women were more likely to have PCOS, and the other way around.

This strongly suggests the two conditions are linked, probably because they both share elevated sex steroid hormone levels.

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, director of Cambridge's Autism Research Centre, said: 'This new research is helping us understand the effects of testosterone on the developing fetal brain, and on the childs later behaviour and mind.

'These hormonal effects are not necessarily independent of genetic factors, as a mother or her baby may have higher levels of the hormone for genetic reasons, and testosterone can affect how genes function.'

Dr Carrie Allison, who co-supervised the research, said: 'We need to think about the practical steps we can put in place to support women with PCOS as they go through their pregnancies.

'The likelihood is statistically significant but nevertheless still small, in that most women with PCOS wont have a child with autism, but we want to be transparent with this new information.'Baby talk speeds up an infant's learning, new research suggests.

Babbling terms of endearment such as 'coochie coo' helps youngsters pick up language more quickly and could give them a head start at school, a Scottish study found.

In particular, words that end in 'y', such as tummy, mummy and doggy, or those that repeat sounds like 'night-night', help children aged between nine and 21 months pick up new phrases, the research adds.

This is thought to be due to baby talk stimulating the development of memories. For instance, an infant's memory of hearing words such as 'woof-woof' is stored differently to 'dog'.

Baby talk may also expand a youngster's vocabulary due to them having to remember different sounds for the same object, such as 'choo choo' and 'train'.

Baby talk speeds up an infant's learning, new research from Edinburgh University suggests (stock image)

SHOULD BABIES EAT EGGS? Feeding babies eggs boosts their brain development and function, research suggested in December 2017. Just one egg a day for six months significantly increases youngsters' levels of the nutrients choline and DHA, both of which are involved in brain health, a study found. Previous research implies feeding babies eggs improves their growth and prevents stunting. Lead author Lora Iannotti from the Brown School at Washington University, said: 'Like milk or seeds, eggs are designed to support the early growth and development of an organism and are, therefore, dense in nutrient content. 'Eggs provide essential fatty acids, proteins, choline, vitamins A and B12, selenium, and other critical nutrients at levels above or comparable to those found in other animal food products, but they are relatively more affordable.' The researchers analyzed 163 babies aged between six and nine months from Ecuador in 2015. Of the infants, 80 were fed one egg a day for six months, while the remainder were given none. Advertisement

How the research was carried out

The researchers, from Edinburgh University, recorded a sample of words said to 24 baby boys and 23 female infants, all aged nine months, who were learning English.

The recorded speech was each at least 15 minutes long, with a total of 90 minutes per family.

As well as analysing words ending in 'y' and those with repeated syllables, the researchers also checked for onomatopoeic words that sound like their meaning, such as 'woof' and 'splash.'

The babies' language development was determined by analysing the extent of their vocabularies at nine, 15 and 21 months.

Results further suggest words ending in 'y' or those that are repeated boost children's vocabularies, however, onomatopoeias do not.

'There are developmental advantages associated with baby talk'

The issue of whether baby talk plays a role in language development has been debated for years.

The more recent study contradicts one released three years ago by Japanese scientists that suggested baby talk hinders an infant's development.

These researchers encouraged parents to address their children normally rather than speaking slowly in a sing-song voice.

Yet, Dr Mitsuhiko Ota, from Edinburgh University, argued any harm is likely only short term and is outweighed in the long run.

He said: 'Taken together, these findings lend further support to the general idea that there are developmental advantages associated with the characteristics frequently found in the unique vocabulary of baby talk.

'The current study suggests language further accommodates the infant learner by introducing items that are not part and parcel of the adult system.

'Even though words such as 'choo-choo' and 'bunny' appear superfluous, they may play an important role in bootstrapping the development of the vocabulary as a whole.'A Syrian baby born with two heads is lucky to be alive after a successful operation to amputate his second head.

Abdullatif Shekrak was born with part of his brain protruding from his head but managed to escape death after a risky operation to close the opening.

He was diagnosed with encephalocele, which is estimated to strike around one in 12,000 babies, in the womb.

The condition arises when a baby's skull doesn't close properly, causing a sac-like protrusion of the brain and its covering membranes through an opening in the skull.

Abdullatif was left with a mammoth 2.2lbs (1kg) mass, which appeared to look like he had a second head.

Abdullatif Shekrak was diagnosed with encephalocele, which is estimated to strike around one in 12,000 babies, in the womb (pictured before)

The condition arises when a baby's skull doesn't close, causing a sac-like protrusion of the brain and its covering membranes through an opening in the skull (pictured after)

Surgeons were forced to operate on him when he was just three days old, but the complex procedure to push his brain back in proved successful.

Abdullatif's mother Sana Hilel, of Aleppo, decided to cross the Turkish border to have her seventh child by C-section.

The 37-year-old made the 60-mile (97km) journey across war-torn Syria to Mustafa Kemal University Hospital in Antakya.

Facing almost certain death, Abdullatif was rushed to Iskenderun Developmental Hospital on the Mediterranean coast.

Surgeons were forced to operate on him when he was just three days old, but the complex procedure to push his brain back in proved successful (pictured during the operation)

Abdullatif's mother Sana Hilel (pictured with Dr Mehmet Koparan, who performed the surgery), of Aleppo, decided to cross the Turkish border to have her seventh child by C-section

WHAT IS ENCEPHALOCELE? Encephalocele is a rare birth defect where the structure that forms the brain and spinal cord folds and closes. This causes a sac-like protrustion of the brain and its covering membranes through an opening in the skull. It affects around one in 12,200 babies born in the US every year. Its UK prevalence is unknown. Encephalocele's exact cause is unclear but may be a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as insufficient vitamin D and folic acid during pregnancy. Treatment involves surgery to place the protruding brain back into the skull and close the opening. The patient may experience ongoing complications. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advertisement

There, brain, nerve and spinal specialists placed the protruding brain back into his skull and closed the opening.

Dr Mehmet Koparan, who performed the surgery, claims a case of encephalocele this severe would often have been fatal.

He said: 'Encephalocele is seen in one in 5,000 live births. Grades three and four are less common, and often deadly.'

Doctors diagnosed Abdullatif with grade three encephalocele, which is sometimes known medically as cranium bifidum.

The operation lasted three hours but was fraught with difficulty. Dr Koparan said: 'Of course, it was complicated because of the brain tissue.

'A wrong surgical intervention could cause the patient to die of respiratory failure and hydrocephalus, which is a collection of fluid in his brain.'

Following surgery, Abdullatif was placed in intensive care and, after eight hours of monitoring, was allowed to breathe on his own.

Dr Koparan said Abdullatif has finally been discharged and he expects him to enjoy a normal life.Scientists are feeding farmed salmon genetically modified (GM) crops in an attempt to make the oily fish more nutritious.

The crops are rich in healthy fish oils, which the researchers hope the salmon will absorb.

GM, which allows genes to be moved between species, is controversial due to scientists being unaware of its potential long-term health and environmental effects.

Some worry GM allows antibiotic-resistant genes to be transferred between species. Critics also argue it could increase the risk of allergies if people are intolerant to a food whose genes are transferred to another.

Tests reveal healthy omega-3 oils, which protect against heart disease and cancer, have halfed in farmed salmon over the past 10 years.

The fish get their omega-3 from eating other oily seafood, such as anchovies, however, a decline in anchovies along with a growing demand for salmon is thought to have caused fatty oil levels to decrease.

Scientists are feeding farmed salmon GM crops to try and make them more nutritious (stock)

'GM fills the gap between supply and demand'

Researchers from the University of Stirling have transferred a gene from a type of marine algae to a camelina plant, which is ground up and added to fish food.

Results suggest fish that eat such pellets have higher omega-3 levels.

Dr Monica Betancor told the BBC: 'We are feeding a starving world and we need to find an alternative.

'The population is growing very fast and omega-3 should be available to everyone, not just to those who can afford it.

'There is going to be a gap between supply and demand, and that gap can be filled by GM technology.'

If the study is successful, GM salmon may be available in North and South America, as well as Asia, but will unlikely reach most of Europe due to EU regulations on GM products.

Professor Johnathan Napier, who developed the GM plants at Rothamsted Research in Harpenden, believes Brexit may give the UK an opportunity to rethink its approach to GM.

Yet Liz O'Neill, director of the campaign group GM Freeze, argues GM may intensify unsustainable fish farming that is damaging to the environment.You might take every precaution when barbecuing burgers and grilling chicken wings, but food poisoning could be lurking where you least expect it: in the cold desserts we turn to after a long day in the sun.

During the summer, more people cook outside at picnics and barbecues, removing the safety a kitchen provides  the sink to wash your hands in, the sterilized counter tops to prepare food on, the thermostat-controlled cooking and refrigeration to kill bacteria

An estimated one million people are affected by food-borne disease in the UK every year, costing the economy in excess of $1 billion.

The usual bacterial suspects include Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, all of which thrive in the summers warmer temperatures, causing spikes in the number of food poisoning cases reported.

Food nourishes us and it offers the same appeal for bacteria  providing a rich supply of nutrients needed for growth and multiplying.

When we eat contaminated food, our body responds with symptoms including stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and loss of appetite. Weve got much better at preventing contamination in barbecued meat, but what else are we missing?

Amreen Bashir, a lecturer in Biomedical Science at Aston University in the UK, explains how to lower your risk of sickness from ice cream and fruit

Ice cream, you scream

Aside from the well known risks of diabetes and obesity, ice cream really does have the potential to make you very sick. In 2015, five people were hospitalized and three died after eating ice cream that had been contaminated by Listeria in Topeka, Kansas.

Such cases are rare and were through no fault of the consumers.

Food manufacturers have checks and strategies to ensure the safety of ingredients, but even the best have recalled products that were contaminated at their outset.

In the case of Topeka, Listeria bacteria were present in the ice cream from Blue Bell Creamery at levels of one and ten colony forming units (cfu) per gram.

This is actually significantly lower than the maximum permitted value for frozen desserts in the UK, which is 100 cfu per gram.

As if to illustrate the point, several companies have had to recall ice cream for suspected contamination with E. coli in the past.

However, ice cream can also pose a danger after purchase if it has melted and then been refrozen.

This often happens when it is taken from the freezer, left out to thaw and then returned to the freezer before being taken out again to eat later.

Ice cream melts fairly rapidly at room temperature and the milky, sugary, liquid concoction is a perfect petri dish for bacteria like Listeria, essentially the second time you dig into the tub.

Your best defence from a brain freeze-stomach ache combo is to avoid leaving the tub out and to put it back in the freezer once youve scooped out the amount you want.

Double dipping with a dirty spoon is also not only inconsiderate, its an invitation to every nasty bug nearby.

For the intrepid, there are many options for DIY ice cream treats. However, you may end up traversing more than an online recipe if you opt for raw eggs in the base, as hundreds of people find out each year after succumbing to Salmonella poisoning.

Commercially manufactured ice cream is typically made with pasteurised eggs, and so its recommended to only use pasteurised milk and cream when making homemade ice cream. Even then, there are still dangers with using pasteurised products and so starting with a cooked base is advised to be on the safe side.

The healthy option

Summer sees an explosion of options for iced coffees, fruit smoothies and shakes in cafe chains. Unfortunately, a recent BBC watchdog investigation found high levels of faecal bacteria in ice at three major high street retailers in the UK.

And it isnt only processed food and drink that can ruin your weekend. Cantaloupes and watermelons have been linked to Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria outbreaks, as pathogens from the soil can reside in the fruits skin.

Washing your fruit under running water is usually sufficient, but bacteria can be introduced to the inside of the melon if the outside is not washed properly, giving them all the nutrients they need and the proper temperature and time to grow.

Many bacteria produce a smell which indicates that the fruit is past its best, but Listeria can grow in the fridge with no smell or taste.

If youre worried about any nasty surprises from food you thought was safe, take comfort in the fact that the typical advice is usually the best. Wash your hands thoroughly, monitor the temperature of your food and ensure you dont leave food in the warmth for too long.Mobile phones do not cause brain cancer, new research suggests.

A Spanish study of more than 9,000 people found no evidence radiation given off by mobiles and microwaves makes people more at risk of brain tumours.

Mobiles give off electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation, which has been linked to genetic damage and cancer.

In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified EMF as possibly cancer causing in humans.

However scientists of the recent study, the largest so far, argue the health body was likely erring on the side of caution due to EMF being so widespread, with everyone being exposed to some extent.

Mobile phones do not cause brain cancer, new research suggests (stock)

DOES WI-FI INCREASE PREGNANT WOMEN'S RISK OF HAVING A MISCARRIAGE? Wi-fi increases pregnant women's risk of suffering a miscarriage by nearly 50 percent, research suggested in December 2017. Magnetic field (MF) non-ionizing radiation, which is also given off by mobile phones, power lines and cell towers, has previously been found to put a stress on the body, leading to genetic damage that can cause pregnant women to miscarry. Those exposed to the highest levels of MF radiation are 48 percent more likely to lose their baby than women exposed to the lowest amounts, the study found. MF radiation, which everyone is exposed to at some extent, has previously been linked to cancer and has been recommended by the World Health Organization to be studied for its effect on pregnancies. Researchers, from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, analysed 913 pregnant women at varying stages of their gestation periods. Some of the study's participants had previously suffered at least one miscarriage. All of the participants carried an EMDEX Lite meter, which measures MF-radiation exposure, for 24 hours on a typical day. Their pregnancy outcomes were followed for the duration of their gestation periods. results further suggest among pregnant women exposed to the highest levels of MF radiation, 24.2 percent go on to have a miscarriage compared to 10.4 per cent of those exposed to the lowest amounts. Advertisement

How the research was carried out

The researchers, from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, analysed around 9,000 people from seven countries, of which more than 5,000 had a brain tumour.

EMF exposure was collected via interviews to determine if the participants worked with or nearby radiation sources.

The participants' careers varied, with some having high EMF exposure jobs such as medical diagnostics, telecommunications and radar engineering.

Of the participants, 10 per cent were considered to have high EMF exposure and one per cent intermediate amounts.

Further studies required

Results suggest there is no evidence that EMF exposure causes brain cancer.

The researchers add, however, only relatively few of the participants were exposed to high amounts of EMF.

Therefore the study should be repeated with more people who have come into contact with high amounts of EMF.

Findings, published in the journal Environment International, also suggest brain tumours that do occur are more common in those who have been exposed to EMF in the past decade.

Study author Javier Vila said: 'Although we did not find a positive association, the fact that we observed indication of an increased risk in the group with most recent radiofrequency exposure deserves further investigation.'

The results also imply EMF exposure worsens brain cancer in already ill people.

Mobiles increase the risk of a woman suffering a miscarriage

This comes after research released last December suggests Wi-fi and mobile phones increase pregnant women's risk of suffering a miscarriage by nearly 50 per cent.

Those exposed to the highest levels of EMF radiation are 48 per cent more likely to lose their baby than women exposed to the lowest amounts, a study by Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, found.

Among pregnant women exposed to the highest levels of EMF radiation, 24.2 per cent have a miscarriage compared to 10.4 per cent of those exposed to the lowest amounts.

This risk occurs regardless of whether women have suffered miscarriages in the past and are therefore more likely to lose another baby before its birth.A killer virus may be brought back to the UK by Muslims making the pilgrimage to Mecca, health officials fear.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS), carried by camels, is rife in Saudi Arabia - home of the holy Islamic city.

The virus, which kills a third of those it strikes, is named as one of 10 urgent threats to humanity by the World Health Organization.

And now Public Health England has revealed it is remaining vigilant in the face of the outbreak, with fears cases could be imported.

MERS often leaves patients battling symptoms of a common cold - but it can lead to pneumonia and kidney failure, which can both prove deadly.

It can be spread by touching infected camels or other humans struck down by the bug, although it is poorly understood by virologists.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS) is rife in Saudi Arabia, home of the holiest Islamic city (pictured: Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba and pray at the Grand mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca)

PHE said no reported increase in travel-related cases of MERS has been noted across the world after last years Hajj.

Nearly four million Muslims from around the world take part in the Hajj each year, including an estimated 25,000 from the UK.

However, PHE said the virus has been imported to countries outside of Saudi Arabia following return from Umrah.

The Umrah is a lesser pilgrimage to Mecca that can be performed at any time, not just during Dhu al Hijja, the last month of the Islamic calendar.

This years Hajj, which every Muslim has to do at least once in their life, will take place this year between August 19 and August 24.

Nearly 2,230 cases of MERS and 791 deaths have been reported to the WHO since it was first identified in 2012.

Nearly four million Muslims from around the world take part in the Hajj each year, including an estimated 25,000 from the UK (pictured: Muslim pilgrims arrive to cast stones at a pillar, symbolizing the stoning of Satan, in a ritual called 'Jamarat', a rite of the annual Hajj)

The Umrah is a lesser pilgrimage to Mecca that can be performed at any time, not just during Dhu al Hijja, the last month of the Islamic calendar (pictured: Muslim pilgrims arriving to cast stones at a pillar symbolising the stoning of Satan)

WHAT IS MERS? The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus is viral respiratory illness that was recently recognized in humans. The virus kills around four in 10 patients. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Since, cases have cropped up in other countries, including the US, UK and several countries in Europe. Patients tend to show symptoms, such as a fever, cough or diarrhoea, about five days after being infected. People are more susceptible to MERS if they have pre-existing medical conditions, such as diabetes. Individuals with weakened immune systems - such as those on HIV drugs - are also at higher risk of getting MERS. The most at-risk are: recent travelers from the Arabian Peninsula

people who have had close contact, such as caring for or living with, an ill traveler from the Arabian Peninsula

people who have had close contact, such as caring for or living with, a confirmed case of MERS

healthcare personnel who do not use recommended infection-control precautions

people who have had contact with camels Advertisement

The Arabian Peninsula is the main area to have been rocked by cases, with more than 90 per cent of them recorded in Saudi Arabia.

However, MERS has also been confirmed in Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Cases have been exported to countries outside of the Middle East, including the UK, Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The most recent was identified in January 2018, a Malaysian Umrah pilgrim, who had visited a camel farm while in Saudi Arabia.

Arabian camels are known to be a host of the virus, and are considered to be the most likely source of infection in sporadic human cases.

PHE has now urged all travellers to the Middle East to avoid contact with camels as much as possible.

But it argued the risk of infection with the killer virus for UK residents travelling to the Middle East remains very low.

In a statement, PHE said: 'The most recent annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, known as the Hajj, took place between 30 August and 4 September 2017. This took place with no reported increase in travel related cases.

'However, cases of MERS-CoV have been imported to countries outside of Saudi Arabia following return from Umrah, a minor pilgrimage, as illustrated by the most recent Malaysian case.

'PHE remains vigilant and closely monitors developments in the Middle East.'

The WHO named MERS in its annual list of 10 killer viruses that pose the most urgent threat to humanity back in February.

Ebola and Zika, which both have caused brutal pandemics in the past four years, were also named amid fears they could strike again.

And for the first time ever, 'Disease X' - representing a pathogen currently unknown to scientists - was mentioned by the WHO.Handwash sanitisers commonly used in hospitals are becoming increasingly ineffective against a notorious superbug, research has shown.

Scientists in Australia made the discovery after testing bacterial samples collected over a period of 19 years.

They found strong evidence that the superbug vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) is growing increasingly immune to alcohol-based disinfectants.

VRE infections are some of the most difficult to treat because the bacteria are resistant to many classes of antibiotic, including the 'last resort' drug vancomycin.

Scientists in Australia made the discovery after testing bacterial samples collected over a period of 19 years

To combat dangerous microbes, hospitals in the UK and around the world have adopted strict hand-hygiene procedures.

These generally involve hand rubs or washes containing ethyl or isopropyl alcohol disinfectants.

The Australian team screened 139 Enterococcus samples collected from two hospitals between 1997 and 2015 to see how well the bugs survived when exposed to diluted isopropyl alcohol.

Those obtained after 2009 were found to be more tolerant to the disinfectant than those sampled before 2004.

In another part of the study, bacteria were seeded on the floors of laboratory mouse cages.

Alcohol-tolerant microbes were better able to colonise the guts of mice after the cages were cleaned with disinfectant wipes.

WHAT IS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE? Antibiotics have been doled out unnecessarily by GPs and hospital staff for decades, fueling once harmless bacteria to become superbugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously warned if nothing is done the world is heading for a 'post-antibiotic' era. It claimed common infections, such as chlamydia, will become killers without immediate solutions to the growing crisis. Bacteria can become drug resistant when people take incorrect doses of antibiotics or if they are given out unnecessarily. Former chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies claimed in 2016 that the threat of antibiotic resistance is as severe as terrorism. Figures estimate that superbugs will kill 10 million people each year by 2050, with patients succumbing to once harmless bugs. Around 700,000 people already die yearly due to drug-resistant infections including tuberculosis (TB), HIV and malaria across the world. Concerns have repeatedly been raised that medicine will be taken back to the 'dark ages' if antibiotics are rendered ineffective in the coming years. In addition to existing drugs becoming less effective, there have only been one or two new antibiotics developed in the last 30 years. In September, the WHO warned antibiotics are 'running out' as a report found a 'serious lack' of new drugs in the development pipeline. Without antibiotics, C-sections, cancer treatments and hip replacements will become incredibly 'risky', it was said at the time. Advertisement

Professor Paul Johnson, a member of the team from Australian health service provider Austin Health, said: 'Alcohol-based hand rubs are international pillars of hospital infection control and remain highly effective in reducing transmission of other hospital superbugs, particularly methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).'

The researchers traced the increased resistance to alcohol-based disinfectants to several Enterococcus mutations in genes that play a role in metabolism.

Lead scientist Professor Tim Stinear, from the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, described the sanitiser-resistant VRE strains as 'a new wave of emerging superbugs'.

He added: 'Alcohol-based hand hygiene use has increased tenfold over the past 20 years in Australian hospitals, so we are using a lot and the environment is changing.'

Antibiotics have been doled out unnecessarily by GPs and hospital staff for decades, fueling once harmless bacteria to become superbugs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously warned if nothing is done the world is heading for a 'post-antibiotic' era.

It claimed common infections, such as chlamydia, will become killers without immediate solutions to the growing crisis.

Bacteria can become drug resistant when people take incorrect doses of antibiotics or if they are given out unnecessarily.

Chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies claimed in 2016 that the threat of antibiotic resistance is as severe as terrorism.

Figures estimate that superbugs will kill 10 million people each year by 2050, with patients succumbing to once harmless bugs.

Around 700,000 people already die yearly due to drug-resistant infections including tuberculosis (TB), HIV and malaria across the world.

Concerns have repeatedly been raised that medicine will be taken back to the 'dark ages' if antibiotics are rendered ineffective in the coming years.

In addition to existing drugs becoming less effective, there have only been one or two new antibiotics developed in the last 30 years.

In September, the WHO warned antibiotics are 'running out' as a report found a 'serious lack' of new drugs in the development pipeline.

Without antibiotics, C-sections, cancer treatments and hip replacements will become incredibly 'risky', it was said at the time.Shoppers will be asked for a special code when they use a debit or credit card to buy online under a major shake-up to be brought in next year to protect against fraudsters.

The extra level of security means you'll be asked by your bank to verify your identity before you can complete a purchase.

Typically, this will involve typing a unique security code into the retailer's web page after you have entered your card details and clicked 'complete purchase'.

This will be required in addition to the last three digits of the so-called CVV number on the back of your card.

Security move: From next year shoppers will be asked for a special code when they use a debit or credit card to buy online

Money Mail understands that each bank will offer a variety of ways of getting hold of this vital new code, which will be different for each purchase.

Most are expected to offer to send it as a text message to your mobile phone. But if you use a mobile banking smartphone app, you may also be able to generate a code there.

Other banks may enable you to obtain a code on a handheld device similar to the card readers customers of some banks use to log into their online banking.

Alternatively, banks could offer an automated call to your landline, where the code is read out by a machine.

Another possibility is a new type of credit and debit card where the CCV security code on the back changes every 90 seconds.

These devices are still being developed, but if they are rolled out widely, customers will simply enter the three-digit CCV on the card  as they do now  to complete a purchase.

The type of verification you require may vary depending on whether you are shopping on your PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Under the new EU rules, banks have until September 14, 2019 to introduce these changes and are still finalising plans. However, many are expected to launch their new security protection for online shopping much sooner than that.

First Direct, the online and telephone division of HSBC, has already written to customers to explain they will soon have to enter a one-time passcode sent by text to complete certain online transactions using their Visa debit and credit cards.

Threat: Last year fraudsters stole a total of 310.2 million from victims by using illegally-obtained credit and debit card details to make online purchases

Fewer than 2 per cent of online purchases currently require shoppers to enter a password before the sale is completed, according to Mastercard.

When this happens, a window pops up asking you to enter a password that you set up with Visa (through its Verified by Visa service) or Mastercard (whose scheme is called Secure Code), depending on which firm processes your bank's card payments.

Last year fraudsters stole a total of 310.2 million from victims by using illegally-obtained credit and debit card details to make online purchases, according to UK Finance, the industry trade body.

Money Mail revealed last week that the full financial details of a British person  including their bank account number, sort code and card information  could be bought for as little as 27 on the internet.

Under the new secure scheme, the number of online payments requiring verification is expected to increase to one in four.

However, some transactions will not require a verification code thanks to a few exceptions to the new rules. For example, you won't need a code for purchases of up to 30 (around 27).

You will then be able to make five payments of up to this amount  or spend 100 (89) in total  before being asked for extra verification.

Many banks will also allow you to set up a 'white list' of trusted shops and payees. You will need to prove your identity with a code when setting up or amending this list, but then you can make purchases without restriction.

Regular payments such as subscriptions, memberships or direct debits and standing orders will not require a verification code.

Banks that keep fraud levels low will be able to allow larger payments through without customers needing to go through an extra identity check.

Most banks are expected to offer to send your code as a text message to your mobile phone. But if you use a mobile banking smartphone app, you may also be able to generate one there

For example, banks that keep fraud levels below 0.1 per cent of all their online payments will be permitted to allow their customers to make payments of up to 500 (444) without a second check.

Firms must report fraud levels to the FCA at least annually.

Even if a bank has low levels of fraud, it could still ask for a verification code for unusual purchases that do not fit your normal spending behaviour, or if you are shopping from an unusual place, such as via an internet cafe or hotel wifi on holiday.

The new fraud protections are being called Strong Cus- tomer Authentication by the banking industry.

Almost all electronic payments will go through this system, including card and contactless payments made face-to-face and online shopping on computers or smartphones.

The rules specify that customers can only use their cards when they provide two of three different forms of verification.

The first is using something you know, such as a Pin or passcode.

The second is using something you have, such as a mobile phone or card reader. The third is using something unique to you, such as a fingerprint or voice recognition.

That means no changes when you make Chip and Pin transactions, as these already use two types of verification  the card, which you have, and the Pin, which you know.

The 30 contactless payment limit will stay the same but you'll be asked for a Pin after five contactless payments or once you've spent 150 (133).

Industry sources assured Money Mail that banks will ensure all customers who shop online can find a way of getting hold of the codes they will need to complete purchases. Typically that will mean selecting one of a variety of different verification methods, from text messages to automated calls.

A spokesman for UK Finance, the industry body, says: 'These changes are aimed at further enhancing payment security and reducing fraud.'

a.murray@dailymail.co.ukThomas Cook issued a profits warning as holidaymakers put off overseas getaways to enjoy the heatwave at home.

The holiday operator said record temperatures during June and July had affected bookings made by customers hunting for last-minute deals.

It has been forced to slash prices on package holidays as rivals such as Tui offer cheaper deals.

Summer slump: Thomas Cook said record temperatures during June and July had affected bookings made by customers hunting for last-minute deals

Peter Fankhauser, chief executive, said customers had 'delayed decisions about their summer holidays as they enjoy the record temperatures at home'.

Full-year profits are likely to be toward the lower end of expectations at around 323million, the group said.

Pressure to sell holidays on the cheap squeezed profits during the three months to June 30, dropping 3 per cent to 443million.

Revenues were up 10 per cent to 2.5bilion, boosted by soaring demand for holidays to Turkey and Egypt.

Holidays booked by British tourists to Turkey leapt by 63 per cent compared with a year earlier, with Antalya overtaking Mallorca as the most popular airport to fly to this year.

But the increasing popularity of Turkey and Egypt failed to offset demand for low-cost getaways to Spain, where Thomas Cook is facing 'aggressive' competition.

Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at trading platform Markets, said: 'The popularity of Spain is a problem as it's far more competitive and margins are tighter.

'Thomas Cook would prefer it if we were heading back to Turkey and Egypt in greater numbers than we are.'

The firm denied reports earlier this week it was selling its airline, and said the division was growing strongly.

Weekend reports of a sale raised investor hopes as shares jumped 7 per cent on Monday. However, the price fell last night by 1 per cent, or 0.95p, to 95.9p.

Analysts continued to back Thomas Cook with both Shore Capital and Jefferies maintaining their 'buy' rating.

The operator said it remained positive about for the year ahead, with its brand for younger travellers, Cook's Club, proving a hit since launching earlier this year.

Cook's Club will replace the Club 18-30 package holiday business which was popular with young party animals in the 1980s and 90s.

Demand for the boozy and raucous holidays to destinations such as Magaluf, Kavos and Ayia Napa has waned in recent years as millennials look for more photogenic holiday opportunities.

Instead, Cook's Club offers younger travellers boutique-style hotels serving local street food and offering yoga lessons.

The firm said it has received interest from a number of potential buyers for Club 18-30 but will stop taking bookings from next summer.A slowdown in orders for Typhoon jets has hit sales at BAE Systems  though bosses have boasted of growing interest for its next-generation fighter.

Saudi Arabia has yet to firm up plans to buy 48 of the jets while a contract with Qatar for 28 is not due to start bringing in cash until later this year.

The drop in orders has already forced BAE to chop around 2,000 jobs and cut production, hitting its plants in Warton and Samlesbury, Lancashire.

Next generation: BAE has been spurred by interest in its new Tempest fighter jet designed to eventually replace the Typhoon

But boss Charles Woodburn said discussions with Saudi, which has signed a memorandum of intent, were progressing and there could be more orders from Europe.

He said: We have had constructive and positive conversations with the Saudi customer and those continue. I am not going to put a time-frame around the discussions.

They are a very important customer for us. We do an awful lot in the kingdom already and we see strong potential for years to come.

There are now increasing opportunities into Europe. For Germany to take additional Typhoons to replace their Tornadoes  and additional sales into Europe  would drive growth back into that platform well over the next decade.

BAE the numbers 130m - Sale price of BAE Systems Typhoon jet 100,000 - BAE jobs supported by production of Typhoon 623 - Typhoon jets made so far, for seven countries

Overall, BAEs sales slid from 9.4billion to 8.8billion during the first half of the year while profits slid from 976million to 874million.

However, the firm has been spurred by interest in its new Tempest fighter jet (pictured) designed to eventually replace the Typhoon, with the Government pledging 2billion to develop the aircraft.

BAE and its partners are committing substantial funding but are not saying how much. They are looking for further partners and Sweden has been suggested as possibly interested.

Woodburn said there had been strong interest from potential collaborators since Farnborough, with a decision expected in the middle of next year.

He said: We remain open-minded. We will just see over the next few months who is keen and what they bring to the table with respect to capabilities and partnerships.

BAE employs 83,900 people in 40 countries making weapons, tanks, submarines, fighter jets and technology to beat cyber-attacks.

Programmes include the F-35 US-UK fighter jet and the UKs Dreadnought submarine.

BAE is taking a 15million charge on problems with a new patrol vehicle it is delivering for the Royal Navy.

The first of the five offshore vessels completed sea trials in December 2017, with mistakes now being fixed.

Reported defects included bolt fastenings and the electrical system on HMS Forth.

BAE this year also faced problems at its Radford ammunition plant in the US. A worker died there following a flash fire in June and BAE is now in dispute with a contractor.

It has restructured its anti-cyber attack cyber intelligence unit  and says it is on track to break even this year after losses in the first half of last year.

Woodburn said: What we offer is a strong capability to government customers and that continues to grow.

In the commercial space we offer a defence-grade capability and the challenge has been in the commercial space  are customers prepared to pay a premium for a premium product?

To date we have not necessarily seen that although one hopes going into the future people are prepared to pay for a differentiated service.Savers have ploughed a record 6.3bn into hedge fund Man Group

RECORD INVESTMENT Savers ploughed a record 6.3billion into hedge fund Man Group in the first six months of 2018. Profits rose 18.4 per cent to 68.6million thanks to higher fees.

FORMICA OFF Investment firm Janus Henderson Group joint boss Andrew Formica is leaving with a 9.1million pay-off, leaving Dick Weil in sole control.

CURRENCY CRACKDOWN The City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, has pledged to crack down on currency transfer firms which advertise much better exchange rates than they actually offer customers.

CREDIT MOAN Four in ten firms say getting new credit is unaffordable, according to a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses.

REVENUE RISE Revenues at Irn-Bru maker AG Barr climbed 5 per cent to around 136million in the 26 weeks to July 28.

FASHION BOSS Womenswear chain Jigsaw has appointed Chris Stephenson as chief executive.

SCHOOL RANGE Discount chain Poundland has launched a back-to -school collection, in an attempt to rival Marks & Spencer which is to shut 100 stores.

SANCTIONS DEADLINE The US treasury has given Russian aluminium firm EN+ until October to try to avert sanctions before they come into force.

NEW DEAL Support services and construction group Interserve has won a 67million, five-year contract to provide engineering, cleaning landscaping, helpdesk and other services at more than 450 Foreign and Commonwealth Office buildings.

COAL SALE Miner Anglo-American has sold its New Largo thermal coal project and Old New Largo colliery in South Africa for 59million.

APPLE BEATEN Chinese telecoms giant Huawei sold more smartphones than US rival Apple in the second quarter of 2018, it says. It shipped 54.2m units.

GOOGLE LAUNCH Tech giant Google is to launch a censored version of its search engine in China, after ditching the country in 2010.

WONKY CASH A tiny grocery delivery start-up, Oddbox, which sells wonky fruit and vegetables from British farms has raised half a million pounds to fund expansion.Authorities in New Zealand have stripped the ivory keys from an antique piano after a British professor brought it with him when he emigrated with his wife and children.

Julian Paton, 50, moved from Bristol to Auckland with his wife Julia, 50, and their children  Sebastian, 13, and Eva, 11  in November last year.

They took with them a 120-year-old piano that Professor Paton bought as a gift for his wife 30 years ago, which their children had been learning to play.

But Professor Paton wasn't aware that he needed an export permit to take the piano out of the country under international trade rules that are designed to protect elephants.

The piano was confiscated when the family arrived in Auckland and they have since fought to have it returned.

The antique piano was built in 1895 but still breaches ivory importation laws. It was seized by New Zealand's Department of Conservation last year and had its keys stripped on Tuesday

It was supposed to be returned on Wednesday with the keys removed.

Professor Paton, who teaches at the University of Auckland, said the Department of Conservation had offered him a number of options  including paying to have the instrument destroyed, donating it to charity with the ivory keys or having the keys removed before the piano was returned to him, The Times reports.

Professor Paton agreed to the final option after the department rejecting his proposal of having the piano (complete with ivory keys) in his home but accessible to the community under the charity option, according to the newspaper.

He paid 100 to have the keys removed and is planning to dispute the department's expected bill for administration costs.

He expects to pay about 200 to install synthetic keys on the piano.

It is believed the ivory keys will now be buried  which Professor Paton says is 'rubbing salt in the wound.'

Professor Paton has blasted this as 'unfair and highly disrespectful' to the elephant slain for its ivory.

Julian Paton (pictured) has been ordered to cover the full cost of the removal of the keys

Professor Paton says that although he is supportive of laws to protect elephants, the ivory from the antique piano was built before 1914 when there were no laws to prevent the slaughter of elephants.

'Ivory on a piano in a sense is a monument which reminds us of the atrocities that have occurred. It's a bit like removing the names off a war memorial  you have lost the reason for it,' he told The Times.

He also accused authorities of vandalising his family heirloom, adding his family had 'followed all the rules we were told to follow.'

Professor Paton says his shipping company didn't inform him of a need for a special permit  which she claims would have been easy to obtain under an exemption for antiques.

'We are disappointed and horrified as a family at the bureaucracy,' Professor Paton told stuff.co.nz.

He claimed that New Zealand should 'actually be very appreciative of pieces of furniture or instruments that have come into the country like this,' as it is a relatively new country with few antiques.

The Department of Conservation refused to use its allowed discretion to make an exemption in his case, he said, despite a plea from Professor Paton's local MP.

'I'm embarrassed as a New Zealander and as a local MP that this is how we welcome people, by confiscating their family heirlooms so their kids can't play piano,' MP David Seymour said.

THE LAW PREVENTING THE IMPORTATION OF IVORY New Zealand is part of an international agreement called the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The agreement aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild. Under the Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989, it is the responsibility of the person importing the goods to ensure they have the correct documentation for import and export of items that include endangered species. If documentation can't be produced, the items being imported will be seized by authorities, in this case, the New Zealand Department of Conservation. 'In this case, the item, a piano, was imported without the required CITES documentation. The item was therefore imported illegally,' DoC director-general Lou Sanson said. Advertisement

Mr Seymour added the removal of the keys was vandalism.

The piano was claimed by authorities under the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), an international treaty designed to protect endangered plants and animals.

The treaty says that owners of antique ivory can apply for an exemption under certain conditions.

But the Department of Conservation said it had asked authorities in the UK to allow the piano back in order to Professor Paton to obtain the necessary permit, but they said it would be illegal to do so.

A spokesman for the department said she sympathised with the Paton family, but using its discretion in this case would have risked the department's ability to 'make fair and consistent decisions in similar situations in the future,' according to The Times.A former Dover Air Force Base reservist has pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree rape after impregnating a 14-year-old girl.

Staff. Sgt. Byron White, 34, entered the plea Thursday, just days before he was scheduled to go to trial. His sentencing is set for September 13.

An investigation began in December 2017 after someone complained about White on a Division of Family Services hotline.

Staff. Sgt. Byron White (left and right), 34, has pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree rape. He was accused of having sex with and impregnating a young girl

White was a reserve loadmaster assigned to an Air Force Reserve Command unit at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware

The airman was arrested at the military base in February on nine counts of third-degree rape and continuous sexual abuse of a child.

Authorities said White had been in a sexual relationship with his victim since May 2017.

Court documents cited by Delaware News Journal show that the teen told police she was 13 years old when the abuse started.

In the documents, the teen said she met White on Facebook and the relationship gradually became sexual.

White is the fourth airman from the Air Force base to be charged with such a crime. Airman First Class Zepplin Taylor-McGinness, 21, was sentenced in June for having sex with a runaway 14-year-old girl

She told police that she would sneak White into her house while her great aunt was asleep, according to the The News Journal.

The teen told authorities that she became pregnant last May and White, a reserve loadmaster assigned to an Air Force Reserve Command unit at Dover Air Force Base, knew.

Authorities said the teen had initially told them that a man broke into her home and got her pregnant, but the case was closed after a negative pregnancy test.

She told investigators she had lied because she did not want White to get in trouble.

But later that month, she did end up pregnant.

Investigators said she told them White was the only person with whom she had sex, and Facebook messages confirmed they had sex at least nine times from May to December, according to the Journal.

White was previously listed on the Delaware Aerospace Education Foundation as a staff member.

In April 2017, Airman First Class Dalian Washington (left), 26, and Airman First Class Akeem Beazer (right), 22, were charged with sex abuse of a 15-year-old girl

According to its website, the nonprofit focuses on educating kindergarten through 12th-grade students the value of STEM.

White was the fourth Dover airman to face child sex abuse charges in the past year.

In late June, Airman First Class Zepplin Taylor-McGinness, 21, was sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to child endangerment and two counts of fourth-degree rape involving a runaway 14-year-old girl.

In April 2017, Airman First Class Dalian Washington, 25, and Airman First Class Akeem Beazer, 21, were charged with sex abuse of the same 15-year-old girl.

Washington later pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child and Beazer pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor.Advertisement

Stunning satellite photos show the smoke from Californias wildfires stretching as far east as Utah - an indication of just how devastating the blazes have been.

NASAs Aqua satellite, which is used to collect information about the Earth, shows smoke covering most of California.

The smoke is seen spreading as far north as Oregon and as far east as Salt Lake City.

The image was captured by Aqua on Sunday, according to Space.com.

Firefighters struggling to contain destructive Northern California wildfires found themselves facing a new blaze that erupted Tuesday and drove through a rural area near a national forest.

Stunning satellite photos show the smoke from Californias wildfires stretching as far east as Utah - an indication of just how devastating the blazes have been

An outbuilding burns on Dessie Drive as the River Fire tears through Lakeport, California on Tuesday

Cal Fire Division Chief Mark Higgins directs helicopters dropping water as the River Fire tears in Lakeport on Tuesday

A helicopter carries water while battling the River Fire in Lakeport, where residents have been forced to evacuate their homes

So far, California wildfires have killed at least eight people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses

About 60 homes in an old ranching and farming area near Covelo, which is about 180 miles north of San Francisco, were ordered evacuated as the blaze erupted late in the afternoon.

Gusty winds quickly drove it through about a square mile of brush and grasslands, oak, pine and timber near Mendocino National Forest, Mendocino County Undersheriff Matthew Kendall said.

'We're advised that the fire was threatening structures,' he said.

However, there were no immediate reports of homes being burned.

Firefighting aircraft were called in but it was unclear when they might arrive because many already were engaged in other fires, Kendall said.

A firefighter runs while trying to save a home on Dessie Drive as a wildfire tears through Lakeport

A fire crew from San Luis Obispo County keeps an eye on an advancing wildfire from the perimeter of a residence Tuesday in Lakeport

Thousands of firefighters are currently battling the flames of 16 active wildfires as of late Tuesday night

A firefighter rushes to save a home in Lakeport on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the residence eventually burned

A woman, who declined to give her name, evacuates from Lakeport as the River Fire approaches

The woman then asked a sheriff's deputy for help as the fire continued to approach Lakeport

A home in Lakeport is destroyed by the wildfire. The fires have affected towns and cities from Redding in Northern California to Riverside County in Southern California

An animal scrambles while flames consume structures as the River Fire burns in Lakeport

Chickens stand near a burning home as the River Fire moves through the area in Lakeport on Tuesday. The River Fire has burned over 27,000 acres, destroyed seven homes and stands at only eight percent contained

With fire burning on multiple sides, a deer stands behind a fence in Lakeport

Some 40 miles to the south, twin fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties have destroyed at least seven homes and threatened an estimated 12,000 more, fire officials said.

Jessyca Lytle fled a fast-moving Northern California wildfire in 2015 that spared her property but destroyed her mother's memorabilia-filled home in rural and rugged Lake County.

Less than three years later, Lytle found herself listening to scanner traffic Tuesday and fire-proofing her mother's new home as another wildfire advanced.

'Honestly, what I'm thinking right now is I just want this to end,' Lytle said, adding that she was 'exhausted in every way possible - physically, emotionally, all of that.'

Derek Hawthorne, a firefighter and spokesman for the fire crews, said the hot weather was not ideal but the wind was on their side where he was in the city of Upper Lake.

'It's blowing into the fire, and it's kind of blowing it back on itself,' he said.

To the east in Sutter County, a fire that erupted Tuesday night had torched about 1.5 square miles of grassland but no homes were evacuated, state fire spokesman Scott McLean said.

Elsewhere, the Carr Fire had burned more than 880 homes and killed six people in and around Redding.

A firetruck rushes past flames that overran a road at the River Fire (Mendocino Complex) in Lakeport

A luxury home taken over in flames in Lakeport. Some of Californias wildfires are burning in mountainous areas, making it even more difficult for firefighters to contain them

A firefighter knocks down hotspots to slow the spread of the River Fire in Lakeport

The fires are difficult to contain because they are burning in areas experiencing record-breaking heat. Above a home burns in Lakeport

A horse barn is destroyed by the wildfire in Lakeport. This is only the beginning for Californias fire season

Another 348 outbuildings were also destroyed, and the blaze is now the seventh most destructive wildfire in California history, fire officials said.

National Park officials said Tuesday the scenic Yosemite Valley and other areas will be closed 'at least through Sunday' due to heavy smoke from the so-called Ferguson Fire.

The closure began July 25 and had been tentatively scheduled to end Friday.

Park spokesman Scott Gediman said 'continuing poor air quality' and ongoing firefighting operations warranted the extension.

It was the longest closure at Yosemite since 1997 when floods closed the park for over two months.

In Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, an arson fire that destroyed seven homes last week was 82 percent contained Monday.

People in Lake County, an impoverished community of 65,000, are familiar with evacuations.

The 2015 Valley Fire, which came on the heels of two other fires, killed four and destroyed 1,300 homes when it blew up unexpectedly during a September heat wave.

It wiped out entire neighborhoods prized for their privacy and sense of community and turned scenic areas into charred forest.

A fighter jet takes off from Nellis Air Force Base as a haze blankets the Las Vegas valley on Tuesday. The smoke is from a number of wildfires in California

A Cal Fire firefighter walks by burning brush as the River Fire burns through the area in Lakeport

A plane drops fire retardant ahead the River Fire as it burns through a canyon in Lakeport

Since then, parts of the county have been evacuated regularly due to fire, most recently in June.

Evacuation orders remained in effect Tuesday for the town of Lakeport, the county seat, although orders for some smaller communities were lifted.

Lakeport is a popular destination for bass anglers and boaters on the shores of Clear Lake.

By Monday night, it was a ghost town.

Paul Lew and his two boys, ages 13 and 16, evacuated Saturday from their Lakeport home.

'I told them to throw everything they care about in the back of the car,' said Lew, 45.

'I grabbed computers, cellphones, papers. I just started bagging all my paperwork up, clothes, my guitars.'

Lew, who is divorced from Lytle, is camped out at the house in the nearby community of Cobb that she fled in 2015.

He is watching over her chickens, sheep and other animals. He laughs that repeated fire alerts have made him an emergency preparation expert.

'It's like three a year,' he said. 'It's kind of crazy.'The entire four-member police department of a small western Massachusetts town has resigned, citing poor equipment and unsafe working conditions.

Interim Police Chief Roberta Sarnacki and three officers submitted their resignations in a letter to Blandford officials on Monday, effective immediately.

The officers said the town's police cruisers were in such bad shape they often had to answer calls in their personal vehicles.

The entire four-member police department of a small western Massachusetts town has resigned, citing poor equipment and unsafe working conditions

The officers said the town's police cruisers were in such bad shape they often had to answer calls in their personal vehicles

They said their police radios didn't work in some parts of the town and their poorly fitting bulletproof vests were beyond expiration dates.

State police said on Tuesday all 911 calls from Blandford for police assistance were being routed to troopers in Russell.

The officers on the force said they regretted leaving the town without coverage, but had no other choice because their own safety was put at risk.

According to MassLive, locals in Blandford are not too concerned about the lack of a police force.

'They had zero presence here. And we basically have zero crime,' Resident Todd Patterson said.

The officers on the force said they regretted leaving the town without coverage, but had no other choice because their own safety was put at risk

'You may have some breaking and entering calls or domestic violence calls but those are all answered by the Russell state police, which is right down the road.'

During 2016, the police were called 158 times by residents.

The town's police service had asked residents to make better use of the force's website, but according to MassLive, someone forgot to renew the domain name, so it was snapped up by a pornographic website.

Until the 1980s, the police force was voluntary with officers receiving a budget to buy their own cars and blue lights.An Afghan child forced to marry a man at least twice her age in a traditional bridal exchange was tortured to death by her husband in a revenge killing, officials said.

The body of the girl called Hameya, whom authorities estimate was aged between seven and 10, was found on Sunday night, Naqibullah Amini, police spokesman for the northwestern province of Badghis, said.

Hameya's husband was on the run from police and her father had been detained for questioning, Amini added.

An Afghan child forced to marry a man at least twice her age in a traditional bridal exchange was tortured to death by her husband in a revenge killing. File photo

Provincial governor's spokesman Jamshid Shahabi said Hameya was married under a tradition known as 'badal', when girls are exchanged between two families as brides.

Badal enables both families to reduce the cost of marriage by avoiding paying a dowry.

After the other girl in the arrangement was killed by her own husband, Hameya's husband began to torture her in revenge and eventually killed her, Shahabi said.

Hameya's husband, whom officials said was aged between 20 and 30, already had at least one wife, according to Lailuma Noorzad, head of the provincial women's affairs department.

Hameya had been married for six months, officials said.

The legal marriage age in Afghanistan is 16 for girls and 18 for boys, according to the United Nations.

But the traditional practice of marrying children still persists in the conservative and patriarchal country, largely due to poverty and insecurity.

At least one in three Afghan girls is married before they turn 18, the United Nations Children's Fund said in a recent report.A Canadian pilot reported losing power before his twin-engine airplane crashed in Maine, killing him, his wife and his daughter, officials said Tuesday.

The Piper Aerostar was carrying Joseph and Anita Robertson, both 58, and their daughter, Laura Robertson, 24, when it crashed about an hour and 45 minutes after taking off around 9am Monday morning from Pembroke, Ontario.

Officials said they were traveling to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, after leaving their lake house in Pembroke.

Canadian pilot and businessman, Joseph Robertson, his wife, Anita (both pictured left), both 58, and their daughter, Laura (right), 24, were killed after their twin-engine airplane crashed in Maine on Monday

The Piper Aerostar (pictured) was carrying the family when it crashed about an hour and 45 minutes after taking off Monday from Pembroke, Ontario. The pilot reported losing power before trying to land at the municipal airport in Greenville, officials said

The pilot reported losing power before trying to land at the municipal airport in Greenville, the National Transportation Safety Board reported.

According to FlightAware, the Robertsons plane was cruising east at a steady altitude of 23,000 feet until 10.31am, when they quickly lost altitude.

There has been no conclusion about the cause of the crash.

Investigators said the plane was being hauled Tuesday to a secure location for further examination.

The Aerostar piloted by Joseph Robertson is a sleek aircraft powered by a pair of Lycoming piston engines that was produced from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s.

It has a reputation as a difficult plane to handle if there's a stall, and there have been a number of landing approach crashes over the years, said Mike Slack, an aviation attorney in Austin, Texas, who is not involved in the investigation.

'It's safe to call this a challenging airplane, especially in a low speed, stall situation,' he said.

Joseph Robertson was a conscientious pilot who had owned the plane for about a year and had traveled to the United States to learn from an instructor familiar with the plane, making 168 takeoffs and landings, said Carman Adair, a business partner with Robertson and a family friend.

Robertson kept his cool in the airplane and once dealt with a landing gear problem by pulling out a manual and going through the checklist, Adair said.

There has been no conclusion about the cause of the crash. The Aerostar piloted by Joseph Robertson is a sleek aircraft powered by a pair of Lycoming piston engines that was produced from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s.

'He's the smartest of the smart and the most cautious and meticulous guy. If you were going to get a plane with anyone, you'd want it to be Joe,' he said.

Robertson was a businessman who twice partnered with Adair on dental supply businesses in Canada.

He sold one of the firms for millions and then became a philanthropist.

The Robertsons were prominent in their community, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

They were active in the United Way and made contributions to universities and the arts, Adair said.

Joseph Robertson also was a former member of the board of Brock University. The couple had two other adult sons living in Toronto, Adair said.

It could take up to a year for the NTSB to release its formal conclusions on the crash.

The NTSB plans to be on scene for three to four days as it investigates with federal aviation officials and engine manufacturer Lycoming Engines.A black bear rampaging through a suburban neighborhood wasn't going to let a wooden fence get in his way.

The large animal found itself stuck in a yard in Juneau, Alaska, as the residents shouted at it to leave from the safety of their elevated porch.

Not looking to tangle with a whole family of humans, the bear took the most direct escape route - breaking through the wooden fence.

The large animal found itself stuck in a yard in Juneau, Alaska, as the residents shouted at it to leave from the safety of their elevated porch - so it broke through the fence

The animal was filmed battering its way through the sturdy-looking barrier before squeezing through the narrow gap between two planks.

'This large black bear came through our neighbor's backyard and proceeded to climb other fences,' a witness who filmed the escape said.

'So I hopped in my truck to both warn kids that were playing outside of the bear and to get a video of it.'

The bear then vanished into some bushes before reappearing around the corner in the front yard of another house.

It then took off across the street and headed into a wooded area out of view.This is the incredible moment a mini tornado blew a parked van straight into a wall in the midst of the UK's ever-changing weather.

'Freaky' footage shows a van parked in an industrial car park slam into the wall in Norfolk.

The eerie black and white clip was taken on CCTV last Saturday and demonstrates the sheer force of the gust.

The 'freaky' moment a white van was pushed in to a brick wall by a mini tornado was capture on CCTV vision

Eerie black and white clip captures the moment a white van is pushed in to a brickwall by a mini tornado in the UK

It shows the two vans completely still in a relatively empty car park.

Suddenly, in a scene that could be taken from a horror film, a huge gust of wind hits one of the vans.

The birds perched atop of the white van flee as it is pushed away.

One seagull can't escape the sheer force of the gust and is whisked into the air and then pinned to the ground.

The CCTV footage captured the parked van rolling back and in to the brick building in the car park

The tornado pushed the car in to the wall with sheer force it smashed the rear lights. The brick wall was also damaged from the impact

The vehicle then hits the brick in one swift movement and remained resting on the at wall until the owner came back.

Damage to the van was excess of 1,200.

The Managing Director of the workplace where the van was parked told MailOnline: 'We came across our car park at work, moved a long wheel base transit style van and crashed it into a wall. Freaky.

'Seagulls also got caught up in the wind and one was pulled under the van,' they said.

Seagulls resting atop the van are whisked in to the air and pushed on to the ground as the white van is pushed backwards

The vehicle then hits a brick wall in one swift movement and remains completely resting on the brick wall

The UK have an average of 30 tornadoes reported each year. Despite the fact they are weaker than tornadoes in the states - they occur more frequently.

Most tornadoes last for less than ten minutes but larger, more powerful tornadoes can last up to 30 minutes.

They usually form when different temperatures and humidity meet.Advertisement

A plastic bag twisted around its legs, a seagull struggles to take flight in yet another heart-breaking reminder of the impact of waste on our planet.

With the Co-Op shopping bag acting like a parachute behind it, this poor bird could only fly for very short distances, and hardly at all downwind.

Worse, the bag meant it could not use its claws to hunt for food - meaning it faced starving to death.

These distressing photographs were taken two weeks ago in Fort William, Scotland, by Andy Corbe, an Australian holidaying in the UK with his wife and two daughters.

With the shopping bag acting like a parachute behind it, this poor bird could only fly for very short distances in Fort William

Mr Corbe, 43, said yesterday: 'We spotted this gull as we were walking back to the car. It was trying to fly with this big bag stuck to its feet.

'It was quite a windy day and the poor thing could barely make any forward motion into the wind. It was totally out of control, it really could not fly at all.

'We knew the bird was going to die if we didn't do anything, so we spent two hours trying to lure it to use with some food.

'Sadly it wouldn't come close - it was super nervous, you could tell he was very distressed and vulnerable. We did all we could, but in the end it flew away from us over the water.'

Mr Corbe, a retired businessman from Perth, Australia, has spent four years sailing the Caribbean, and says he regularly encounters examples of the plastic menace blighting our seas.

'Plastic pollution in the ocean is massive,' he said. 'People think it's a Third World problem, but it's really not. It's on such a big scale now.

'I still get really annoyed that supermarkets are selling plastic bags because they are so destructive.'

Every two hours, the RSPCA answers a call about an animal that has been harmed by rubbish. There were 5,081 calls about animals affected by litter in 2017.

The Daily Mail has campaigned on the issue since 2008. Our Banish The Bags campaign led supermarkets and large stores to introduce a 5p charge for carrier bags.

Llewelyn Lowen, RSPCA wildlife scientific information officer, said last month: 'It's shocking how many litter-related incidents we see, particularly as these kinds of animal injuries and deaths are entirely avoidable.

'It is good that there's a global spotlight on how we use and dispose of plastic and other litter so that people understand how their rubbish is affecting animals and the environment.'

People who find an animal in distress are advised to call the RSPCA's 24-hour helpline on 0300 1234 999.A union representing agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement is accusing Portland, Oregons mayor of ordering his police force to deny help while they were faced with violent demonstrators occupying their offices.

Portland police have been accused of refusing to respond to at least two 911 calls from employees in the ICE offices in the city.

The accusation was reported by The Daily Caller.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Portland Police Bureau seeking comment.

In this June 28, 2018, file photo, Department of Homeland Security officers take action to reopen Portland's Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Portland, Oregon

A union representing ICE agents is accusing Portland, Oregons mayor of ordering his police force to deny help while they were faced with violent demonstrators occupying their offices. A protest barricade is set up above outside ICE offices in Portland on June 25

Authorities are seen above clearing the protest encampment at the Southwest Portland offices of ICE last week

Sean Riddell, a lawyer for the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council, wrote a letter to Mayor Ted Wheeler demanding to meet over what he perceives to be the city polices lax policies.

On June 17, a large group of people identifying itself as Occupy ICE PDX began a protest in front of the Southwest Portland ICE holding facility.

The demonstrations were a response to the Trump administrations policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the southern border.

The protesters set up camp in mid-June and stayed around the clock for nearly 40 days.

The protests grew in intensity to the point where the ICE office was shut down for two weeks due to concerns over the safety of employees, according to KGW-TV.

Sean Riddell, a lawyer for the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council, wrote a letter to Mayor Ted Wheeler (above) demanding to meet over what he perceives to be the city polices lax policies

On the day that the facility was shut down, Wheeler, who in addition to his duties as mayor is also the police commissioner, said he would not involve his bureau.

I want to be very clear that I do not want the Portland police to be engaged or sucked into a conflict, particularly from a federal agency that I believe is on the wrong track, he wrote.

If they are looking for a bailout from this mayor, they are looking in the wrong place.

Riddell accused Wheeler of creating a zone of terror and lawlessness that is putting ICE employees at risk.

The lawyer threatened to take Wheeler to court.

The Council and I assert that your current policy forbidding Portland law enforcement agencies from assisting employees of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency ("ICE") who request law enforcement assistance while at or away from work is a violation of the United States Constitution's Equal Protection Clause, Riddell wrote.

he protests grew in intensity to the point where the ICE office was shut down for two weeks due to concerns over the safety of employees. On the day that the facility was shut down, Wheeler said he would not involve his police department in the dispute

Riddell accused the mayor of violating the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees citizens equal protection of the law.

Your policy of not providing police services to employees of ICE creates a class of people based upon their source of income, the letter read.

Riddell acknowledged that Wheeler was opposed to the Trump administrations immigration crackdown.

We fail to see why targeting the employees of ICE and leaving them vulnerable to violence, harassment and even death furthers a legitimate government interest, he wrote.

Wheeler, a Trump critic in a state that instituted the first statewide sanctuary protections for immigrants in the country illegally, said in a series of tweets at the start of the protest that ICE would not get help from city officers if the agency wants to evict protesters.

The mayor's office told The Oregonian/OregonLive that Wheeler's legal counsel was reviewing the letter and had no further comment.

Wheeler's chief of staff, Michael Cox, did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press.

The mayor backtracked to a degree as the occupation stretched from days to weeks to more than a month. On July 23, he warned protesters to disband before they were removed by police.

The occupation ended peacefully the following day.

Portland is no stranger to protests, especially following Trump's election, and police often move quickly to disperse clashes between rowdy and violent groups.

Videos of skirmishes between right-wing activists and self-described anti-fascists drew national attention last month.

Police made four arrests June 3 in and around downtown parks, which have become gathering places for dissent in this liberal city already known for near-weekly protests.

Another gathering of right-wing activists and a counterprotest are scheduled for Saturday.Identical twin brothers in Michigan are going to marry identical twin sisters in a joint ceremony before moving in together in the same two-bedroom apartment.

Zack and Nick Lewan, 24, have been inseparable since birth. So have their future wives Krissie and Kassie Bevier, also 24.

The couples said they do everything 'in twos' and that includes getting married.

According to the Jackson Citizen Patriot, Krissie and Zack and Kassie and Nick plan on tying the knot in back-to-back weddings this weekend. The couples will then share their reception on Saturday night before moving into their two-bedroom apartment to start their new lives.

Krissie Bevier and fiance, Zack Lewan (left) and Nicholas Lewan and fiance, Kassie Bevier (right) will get married in back-to-back weddings before celebrating their receptions together and moving into the same apartment

Kassie and Nick (left) met four years ago in college and introduced their siblings to each other. They all had their first date together

Krissie and Zack's wedding will take place on August 3, the outlet reports. Kassie and Nick's on August 4.

'I'm in disbelief sometimes of just how everything happened,' Nick told WILX-TV .

Krissie said it was important that she and her sister get their own wedding days as 'being a twin, you never get anything on your own'. However, since their guest lists are pretty much identical they decided to have their ceremonies a day apart.

The couples also plan to spend a few days of their honeymoons separate. They will each travel to Florida - four days apart - to celebrate their weddings and only spend a few days at Disney World together.

Kassie and Nick first met as students at Grand Valley state University four years ago. They brought their siblings along on their first date to a church service. Krissie and Zack hit off immediately and started dating shortly after.

The twins are so close that they even planned their engagements on the same day. Nick and Zack both popped the question to their significant others last year during a family trip to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.

The couples even got engaged on the same day. Both men proposed to their significant others last year at a museum

Krissie Bevier and fiance, Zack Lewan (left) and Nicholas Lewan and fiance, Kassie Bevier (right) will then move into a two-bedroom apartment together

'It basically happened at the same time ... which is par for the course for us,' Kassie said. 'We do things in twos.'

The couples plan to move in together into a two-bedroom apartment in Fenton, but said that even though they do things together they are still 'individuals'.

'We work differently and we have different interests, and just respect each other for those differences,' Zack said.

The couples said they click so well because they were brought up with the same family values.

'We just flow together and it makes sense,' Krissie said. 'There is a special twin bond, and having someone who understands that is huge.'When North Korea handed over 55 boxes of bones it said were remains of American war dead, it provided a just one military dog tag.

The regime provided no other information that could help U.S. forensics experts determine their individual identities.

A U.S. defense official said it would probably take months if not years to fully identify the servicemen inside the boxes and lay them to rest.

When North Korea handed over 55 boxes of bones it said were remains of American war dead, it provided a just one military dog tag

The regime provided no other information that could help U.S. forensics experts determine their individual identities

The bones have not yet even been confirmed by U.S. specialists to be those of American servicemen.

The official did not know details about the single dog tag, including the name on it, or whether it was even that of an American military member.

During the Korean War, combat troops of 16 other United Nations member countries fought alongside U.S. service members on behalf of South Korea.

Some of them, including Australia, Belgium, France, and the Philippines, have yet to recover some of their war dead from North Korea.

A U.S. defense official said it would probably take months if not years to fully identify the servicemen inside the boxes and lay them to rest

Forensic anthropologists from the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency perform a preliminary field review of remains thought to be of U.S. soldiers

The 55 boxes were handed over at Wonsan, North Korea, last Friday and flown to Osan air base in South Korea, where U.S. officials catalogued the contents.

After a repatriation ceremony at Osan on Wednesday, the remains will be flown to Hawaii where they will begin undergoing in-depth forensic analysis.

A Defense Department laboratory will in some cases using mitochondrial DNA profiles to attempt to establish individual identifications.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week that the return of the 55 boxes was a positive step but not a guarantee that the bones are American.

'We don't know who's in those boxes,' he said. He noted that some could turn out to be those of missing from other nations that fought in the Korean War.

'They could go to Australia,' he said. 'They have missing, France has missing, Americans have. There's a whole lot of us. So, this is an international effort to bring closure for those families.'

Crew and officials from the United Nations Command and U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency secure UNC flags over transit cases of remains

UN honor guards carry the boxes containing remains believed to be from American servicemen killed during the 1950-53 Korean War on the arrival from North Korea, at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea

Vice President Mike Pence, the son of a Korean War combat veteran, is scheduled to fly to Hawaii to welcome the remains back home.

The military calls it an 'honorable carry ceremony' marking the arrival of the remains on American soil at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Wednesday.

Returning the remains will mark a breakthrough in a long-stalled U.S. effort to obtain war remains from North Korea.

But officials said it was unlikely to produce quick satisfaction for any of the families of the nearly 7,700 U.S. servicemen who are still listed as missing and unaccounted for from the 1950-53 Korean War.

North Korea provided the 55 boxes in a delayed fulfillment of a promise its leader Kim Jong Un made to President Donald Trump at their Singapore summit on June 12.

American and South Korean soldiers welcomed the remained clothed in United Nations flags at the Osan Air Base

As the remains were transported U.S. soldiers saluted the remains of 55 American servicemembers who were killed in the Korean War

Although the point of the summit was for Trump to press Kim on giving up his nuclear weapons, their joint statement after the meeting included a single line on an agreement to recover 'POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.'

North Korea told U.S. officials more than once in recent years that it had about 200 sets of U.S. war remains, although none was 'already identified.'

It remained unclear whether the boxes provided on July 27 include all of the bones North Korea has accumulated over the years.

In the past, the North has provided bones that in some cases were not human or that were additional bones of U.S. servicemen already identified from previously recovered remains.

The Pentagon estimates that of the about 7,700 U.S. MIAs from the Korean War, about 5,300 are unaccounted for on North Korean soil.

A soldier carries a casket containing a remain of a U.S. soldier who was killed in the Korean War during a ceremony at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea

North Korea provided the 55 boxes in a delayed fulfillment of a promise its leader Kim Jong Un made to President Donald Trump at their Singapore summit on June 12

Many were buried in shallow graves near where they fell on the battlefield; some others died in North Korean or Chinese-run prisoner of war camps.

Efforts to recover remains in North Korea have been fraught with political and other obstacles since the war ended on July 27, 1953.

Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea unilaterally handed over 208 caskets to the U.S., which turned out to contain remains of far more than 208 soldiers, although forensics specialists so far have established 181 identities.

In addition, a series of U.S.-North Korean recovery efforts, termed 'joint field activities,' between 1996 and 2005 yielded 229 caskets of remains, of which 153 have been identified, according to the Pentagon.

The Trump administration, as part of the Singapore agreement, is pursuing discussions with North Korea on resuming those 'field activities'.

The U.S. has in the past paid millions of dollars in donated vehicles, equipment, food and cash for the expeditions at the request of the North Koreans.

A long column of American soldiers winds along the edge of a mountain road in North Korea as they move forward on the central front on July 15, 1953

The official said the U.S. was considering the possibility of including South Korea in future searches for remains in North Korea. It wasn't not clear whether negotiations for such an arrangement are under way.

Richard Downes, whose father Air Force Lieutenant Hal Downes is among the Korean War missing, said this turnover of remains, having drawn worldwide attention, coule put the U.S. back on track to finding and eventually identifying many more.

Downes was three when his father's B-26 Invader went down on Jan. 13, 1952, northeast of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. His family was left to wonder about his fate.

The 70-year-old is now executive director of the Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs, which advocates for remains recovery.

He said he hopes the boxes arriving in Hawaii on Wednesday prove to be a vanguard that leads to a fuller accounting for families.

'These 55 can set the stage for more to come,' he said.Redwolf Pope (pictured) is accused of raping unconscious women and recording the assaults

A Native American activist accused of filming himself sexually assaulting women who appear to be drugged says he is not guilty, and he's got text messages to prove it.

Redwolf Pope, 41, said in a New Mexico court filing text messages, witness statements and other evidence will support his case against rape and other charges.

Pope says the videos are not of himself assaulting drugged women rather they are recordings of consensual sex he had with former girlfriends in the past.

He submitted to the court he kept the clips in an encrypted file on his computer, according to the court filing submitted Friday.

One of his roommates reported she had found a small video camera in his Seattle apartment's bathroom. She turned the camera's memory card over to police after travelling to Santa Fe.

Pope said he set up the recording devices in his apartments because roommates had stolen from him.

Santa Fe police have reviewed about two dozen photographs and four videos in their investigation, authorities said.

Meanwhile, Seattle police interviewed a woman in July who has been identified as one of the victims in the videos. She said she knew Pope, though not as a friend, and had trusted him in the past because of his standing in her tribe.

The woman told police she encountered Pope at a party in Santa Fe in 2017 and woke up confused the next morning in a hotel room after he had given her an alcoholic iced tea beverage the night before.

Pope said the woman was a former girlfriend.

Pope's female roommate found a small camera in their bathroom and handed it into police. Officers have since reviewed four videos and about two dozen photos taken by the activist's cameras

A warrant in Santa Fe charged Pope, who was arrested last week in Phoenix, with criminal sexual penetration in the third degree, criminal sexual contact (misdemeanor), aggravated battery with no great bodily harm and false imprisonment.

Pope had allegedly been recording people at apartments in Santa Fe and Seattle - he had residences in both cities, police said.

The 41-year-old says text messages and witness statements will prove his innocence when he faces trial

Jail records show Pope remains held in Phoenix. His attorney is seeking his release from jail, saying Pope has no prior criminal history and was on his way to Santa Fe to turn himself into authorities when he was arrested.

A fugitive hearing for Pope is scheduled for August 8 in Phoenix.

Pope appeared on 'The O'Reilly Factor' on Fox News a decade ago to discuss Native American perspectives on Thanksgiving. The show identified his tribal affiliation as Western Shoshone.

He also delivered a TEDx Talk in Seattle last year about oil pipeline protests at the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota.

Organizers of the Seattle event described him as having served as a liaison to Native American elders, veterans and others during the 2016 demonstrations. They have removed the video of his talk in the past week from their website.

'TEDxSeattle was shocked to learn of the criminal charges filed against RedWolf Pope in July 2018,' said a statement replacing the video. 'We find the kind of acts alleged in the charges to be abhorrent.'A Michigan mother sued the city of Flint on Tuesday after a school police officer handcuffed her disabled seven-year-old son for around an hour during an after-school program.

Chrystal McCadden says her son Cameron, who has attention hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), was handcuffed after kicking a supply cart during an after-school program on October 12, 2015.

McCadden says she received a phone call from Brownell K-2 STEM Academy saying Cameron was running around on a set of bleachers after kicking the cart. While still on the phone, she was told he had been cuffed.

Chrystal McCadden says her son Cameron, who has attention hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), was handcuffed after kicking a supply cart during an after-school program on October 12, 2015. She caught the incident on video (pictured)

When McCadden arrived at the school she was told by officer Terrance Walker that he was waiting for a co-worker to bring the keys to release him.

The suit - filed on McCadden's behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union, names Walker, police chief Tim Johnson and the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, which was running the program.

None of the named parties have commented on the suit, seen by Michigan Live, although the police department apologized at the time of the incident.

Video shot by McCadden shows Cameron, who was then four-feet tall and in the second-grade, sitting on a bench with his arms behind his back.

'I don't care what he was doing. He don't deserve to be in no handcuffs,' McCadden says. She then asks why he son cannot be released, to which she is told the officer was waiting for a key.

'So, you don't even have the key,' she replies. 'You locked my son in handcuffs and you don't even have the key to get him out.'

The lawsuit states that Cameron's behavior was 'consistent' with his disability. Children with ADHD often struggle to concentrate, fidget constantly and act impulsively with little regard to the outcome of their actions.

McCadden (right) said Cameron (left, in the video) was diagnosed with ADHD in 2012, and his behavior in the after-school class corresponded to the condition

Cameron was diagnosed with the condition in 2012, which McCadden claims she told start upon his enrollment into the YouthQuest after-school program.

During a press conference in Flint, McCadden said staff needed more training in dealing with children with disabilities, and questioned why there was armed security in elementary school buildings.

'I was horrified when I walked in and seen him in handcuffs,' she said.

The suit alleges disability-based discrimination and excessive force because Cameron posed 'no physical threat to anyone'.

The case also states Cameron still suffers 'trauma' from the incident including 'anxiety' when around police officers.

It calls for unspecified damages and a court order preventing disabled children from being restrained as the result of behaviors related to their condition.Journalists covering the three-month long Nicaraguan crisis have found themselves in an unfamiliar spot  right in the middle of the story  as victims of beatings, random arrests and being killed at the hands of paramilitary groups supporting President Daniel Ortegas government.

The most recent case took place on Sunday involving Roberto Collado, 22, while covering a student march in Granada.

The correspondent for Canal 10 was investigating an accident involving two speeding trucks. Once he approached the scene, men covering their faces jumped out of their vehicle. Collado said one of the men let off a single shot, dispersing the crowd and setting a wild foot chase seeking the journalist's capture.

The paramilitary members caught up to a frightened Collado. The Nicaraguan was pistol-whipped and managed to get away from the group before he fell. He said he got kicked and punched all over his body before being held for an hour by the group.

Roberto Collado, pictured, told how he was attacked as he was covering a student march in Granada

I told them, I am a journalist, I am a journalist, Collado recalled during an interview that aired on Canal 10 while showing off a gash on his head as a result of being hit with a gun. His injuries are seen above

I told them, I am a journalist, I am a journalist, Collado recalled during an interview that aired on Canal 10 while showing off a gash on his head as a result of being hit with a gun.

They told me, Youre going to die you son of a b***h.

Once he was released he sought medical attention at hospital.

Another colleague of his at Canal 10, Paco Espinoza, evaded the capture of Nicaraguas police while covering many of the demonstrations that have suffocated the streets of the Central American nation since protesters took to the streets on April 18 demanding that Ortegas government

Clashes between pro-government factions and demonstrators seeking to force Orterga to recall the plan to trim pension benefits has left close to 300 dead, according to Nicaraguan human rights group CENIDH. Other rights groups claim close to 500 have perished during the ongoing struggle.

After repeatedly saying that the armed men running the streets and terrorizing its citizens had nothing to do with his government, Ortega recanted his words on Monday, coining them volunteer policemen.

Espinoza, who was working out of Jinotega, was out on assignment on July 19 and denounced an arrest warrant placed by the national police forces. Espinoza sent a message through his social media accounts in which he claimed he had received numerous death threats. He was finally arrested last Friday, and is still under being held in a jail cell.

I told them, I am a journalist, I am a journalist, Collado recalled during an interview that aired on Canal 10 while showing off a gash on his head as a result of being hit with a gun. He shows off his injuries here

Another industry colleague of Espinozas and Collado, Angel Gahona, 42, with Canal 6, wasnt as lucky on April 21, losing his life during the early days of the crisis while narrating a live recording of a manifestation. One shot is heard in the background of the unfortunate event.

His suspected killers, Brandon Cristofer Lovo Taylor, 18, and Glen Abraham Slate, 20, are expected to face trial in August, but the public and other journalists have maintained that they aren't the ones responsible for the horrific murder.

Local journalist, Luis Galerno, pleaded with authorities during a rally held Monday, demanding more protection and transparency from those in charge high up in government.

The constitution is clearly being violated here when the military and the police openly turn the eye and allow the paramilitary groups that have nothing to do with the law to what they want to do, Galerno said.

They stop you at a corner. They pull you out of your car. They go through your phone. They confiscate your phone. Thats cant be done. Thats the strategy that Mr. Ortegas government is looking for to scare us he added.A policeman is pleading with a judge to avoid jail time after he was caught on film punching a teenage boy in the face and forcing his friend to delete the footage.

Senior Constable Simon Mareangareu was found guilty of punching the boy in the face and attempting to pervert the course of justice after the Christmas Day attack.

The officer stopped Stuart Laird, 16, and his friend Kyan Foster, 17, in Ringwood, east Melbourne, during the early hours of Christmas morning in 2014.

Sen Con. Mareangareu's defence lawyer asked he be spared jail and given a community corrections order.

Scroll down for video

Senior Constable Simon Mareangareu (pictured) was found guilty of punching the boy in the face and attempting to pervert the court of justice after the Christmas Day attack

Sen Con. Mareangareu could be heard saying, 'Hey, sonny, don't get smart' before assaulting the teen and shoving him to the ground.

The video was released by County Court Judge Jeanette Morrish who stipulated that it must be reported the footage was not complete, had been enhanced and was not properly synchronised.

The victim's friend, who filmed the incident, attempted to capture further footage of the struggle, but appeared to have his phone struck out of his hand by a second policeman, officer Dennis Gundrill.

Mr Gundrill could be heard pressuring the teen to deleting the footage, moments before the teen vocally accused the police officer of twisting his arm.

The footage was allegedly deleted after the boys were taken to the Ringwood police station, Yahoo reported.

The officer stopped Stuart Laird, 16, and his friend Kyan Foster, 17, (pictured) in Ringwood, east Melbourne , during the early hours of Christmas morning in 2014

Sen Con. Mareangareu could be heard saying, 'Hey, sonny, don't get smart' before assaulting the teen and shoving him to the ground (pictured)

Prosecutor Bruce Walmsley QC said it was recovered after the teen's father paid a 'significant sum' to experts, prompting Victoria Police to investigate.

When Sen Con. Marengareu appeared in court this week, Judge Morrish noted he saved three people's lives during his time in the service.

'Does that not entitle him to the exercise of considerable mercy? Does he not deserve a chance?' she said.

'He has saved three lives, does he get a chance to have his life of freedom saved?'

Sen Con. Mareangareu has been suspended from the police force on unpaid leave until the case is over.

The hearing will continue on Wednesday.Kyle Sandilands claims his friend John Ibrahim was 'set up' by police, who told him 'someone wanted him dead' two weeks before his home was raided for guns.

The nightclub owner's $8million Dover Heights mansion in Sydney's eastern suburbs was searched on Tuesday after police served him with a firearms prohibition order.

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest any detectives who raided his home had knowledge of, or were part of, the 'set up'.

'I've found out something that I think is horrible with the whole situation - like a set up,' Sandilands said on KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O Show on Wednesday.

'I'm surprised police would do such a thing... Two weeks ago [Mr Ibrahim] told me ''the police told me someone wants me dead, [that] I'm in imminent danger''.

Kyle Sandilands says police told John Ibrahim 'someone wanted him dead' before detectives raided his home for guns. The pair are pictured outside Mr Ibrahim's property on Tuesday

Police used sniffer dogs to search the King Cross identity's property at Dover Heights in the city's exclusive eastern suburbs

'I thought, ''really? What do you mean?''. He said this happens from time to time. Two weeks later they show up for firearms.'

The radio host said Mr Ibrahim questioned whether the warning and subsequent raid was a 'big coincidence'.

'The cops tell you someone wants you dead - a guy like him might tool up - get some guns,' Sandilands said.

'And then amazingly enough two weeks later they show up for a raid - and there's no guns there.

'I've found out something that I think is horrible with the whole situation,' Sandilands said of the police raid. He is pictured with his girlfriend Imogen Anthony and Mr Ibrahim

John Ibrahim and Kyle Sandilands are spotted leaving a Sydney Cafe on Wednesday

Mr Ibrahim's lawyer Abbas Soukie issued a statement saying his client 'vigorously challenged' the FBO. A police sniffer dog is pictured outside Mr Ibrahim's home

'He's not the gun type. He uses his fists if there's trouble... anyway, they found no guns.'

Sandilands arrived at the Dover Heights property on Tuesday as the police raid unfolded.

'There's no guns here... but maybe an unused sex toy,' he told the waiting media pack.

When asked about his friend's reaction to the raid, Sandilands said: 'He just laughed. All he does now is read his own book and watch TV.

Mr Ibrahim is pictured in Sydney on Wednesday, 24 hours after his Dover Heights home was raided

Sandilands (pictured) arrived at the home on Tuesday, telling media: 'There's no guns here, but maybe an unused sex toy!'

Mr Ibrahim's home in the Sydney suburb of Dover Heights is estimated to be worth $8 million

'I don't know what they're after. It's a waste of time.'

Dozens of police used sniffer dogs to search Mr Ibrahim's property during an all-day operation.

A NSW Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia detectives discovered a white substance during the raid, which will be forensically examined.

Officers also seized $65,000 in cash after breaking into Mr Ibrahim's safe.

'All he does now is read his own book and watch TV,' Sandilands jokingly said about Mr Ibrahim

'It is our view that the Firearm Prohibition Order constitutes an abuse of process and power,' a spokesperson for Mr Ibrahim said in a statement. Police are seen outside his home

Mr Ibrahim's lawyer Abbas Soukie issued a statement saying his client 'vigorously challenged' the order banning him from possessing guns.

'It is our view that the firearm prohibition order constitutes an abuse of process and is entirely without merit,' he said.

'Mr Ibrahim intends to vigorously challenge that provision of that order.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Police for further comment.

A neighbour covers his face as he speaks with a police officer outside Mr Ibrahim's mansionArguably the most controversial man in Prince Charless life, Fawcett is surely also the most commercially sophisticated  and ambitious

As the Prince of Waless former senior valet, Michael Fawcett reputedly squeezed the royal toothpaste on to HRHs brush. And now, hes the 95,000-a-year chief executive of a key part of the Princes charitable endeavours, The Princes Foundation.

Arguably the most controversial man in Prince Charless life, Fawcett is surely also the most commercially sophisticated  and ambitious.

That is the inescapable conclusion from developments at the catering company, Premier Mode Ltd, which Fawcett  who twice resigned from service in the Royal Household  co-founded with his wife, Debbie, 56, a former Palace housemaid, in 2006.

I can disclose that 55-year-old Fawcett has appointed his son, Oliver, 22, and daughter, Emily, 24, as directors of the company.

Simultaneously, Fawcett and Debbie  Premiers only other directors  have altered the companys share structure into 100 A, B, C and D ordinary shares, suggesting that the four members of the family are now also its sole shareholders.

If so, it may offer evidence that Fawcett is intent on sparing his offspring the indignity he suffered as a Buckingham Palace footman, when he supplemented his income with a Saturday job in a menswear shop.

Additionally, Fawcett and Debbie have instituted an intriguing and entirely legitimate change to the company accounts submitted to Companies House.

After ten consecutive years of Premier filing what are known as total exemption small company accounts, generally comprising seven or eight pages, this year, theyve opted for micro-company accounts, which records only the company balance sheet on October 31, 2017, when Premiers assets totalled 12,495.

Coincidentally, this was the same financial year in which, as I disclosed six months ago, the firm received 276,158 from its most valuable client, the Dumfries House Trust, the charity established to run Charless Palladian pile in Ayrshire. Earlier this year, the Trust was subsumed into The Princes Foundation.

The figure included Fawcetts then 85,000-per-year salary as executive director of Dumfries House, 72,000 for Premiers consultancy services and 119,158 for event delivery.

That money seems to have been dispersed among the directors.

Charity does begin at home  a dictum surely drummed into Fawcett by his father, a company cashier from Bexley, South-East London.

Want a ticket to Sir Derek's new play? That'll be 1,524! Sir Derek, who takes the role of Deputy Governor Danforth, is starring opposite Sir Kenneth Branagh Forever revered for his portrayal of Emperor Claudius in the BBCs Seventies adaptation of Robert Gravess I, Claudius, Sir Derek Jacobi betrays no sign of faltering as he approaches his 80th birthday. Indeed, I can disclose that Sir Derek is about to break new ground. On Saturday, September 1, he will tread the boards in Tangier, on the north coast of Morocco, for one night only in a special performance of The Crucible, Arthur Millers play about the Salem witchcraft trials. Sir Derek, who takes the role of Deputy Governor Danforth, is starring opposite Sir Kenneth Branagh, for whom the evening is destined to end badly: he plays landowner John Proctor  hanged after being falsely convicted. Nevertheless, its more familiar territory for Branagh. He stays here for a week each year, a local tells me, adding that most tickets have been snapped up. There are, however, a number of premium seats still available  at 1,524 apiece. Advertisement

Royal sisters put on a sizzling show in Ibiza

Lady Amelia Windsor appears to be turning her summer holiday into a fashion show.

Having only recently shared a selfie from the beach in Ibiza sporting a colourful bikini, the Duke of Kents 22-year-old granddaughter is now showing off another in her collection.

Lady Amelia Windsor appears to be turning her summer holiday into a fashion show. Going for a dip in the sea with her 25-year-old sister, Lady Marina, the Edinburgh University student wore an 82 All Saints navy tie-dye-print bikini

Going for a dip in the sea with her 25-year-old sister, Lady Marina, the Edinburgh University student wore an 82 All Saints navy tie-dye-print bikini.

Spurning royal treatment, they are staying at a relatively modest four-star hotel on the island.A teenager has been shot 'three times' at a London train station - just weeks after a man was fired at in the exact same place.

The 18-year-old was rushed to hospital and St James Street Station cordoned off this evening, after emergency services rushed to the scene.

The teenager's condition is yet to be confirmed.

Residents of Walthamstow said they heard 'three loud bangs' while one man claimed to have heard 'six bans' before sirens.

Police confirmed a man was shot at the Overground station.

A police spokesman said: 'Police were called at 10pm on Tuesday 31st July to St James St Station/High Street E17 to reports of a shooting.

'Officers attended the location along with the London Ambulance Service to a 18-year-old male found at the scene suffering from gunshot wounds.

'He has been taken to a London hospital for treatment, the extent of his injuries are currently unknown.

'His next of kin have been informed.

'A police investigation has been launched led by Waltham Forest CID.

'No arrests have been made at this stage.'

St James Street Station where a second man was shot in two weeks in Walthamstow

London Overground announced there would be no service at the station because of the shooting

The shooting comes just weeks after a man was shot in the leg at the same station.

A 23-year-old man was rushed to hospital on July 13 after he was fired at.

MP for the area Stella Creasy also confirmed the shooting to residents. The Labour MP is holding an emergency meeting on gang crime in the area tomorrow evening.

Dozens have been signed up to attend after the session was announced more than two weeks ago.

Residents said they were fed up with the rising crime in the area being swept under the carpet - with some comparing the area to Compton in Los Angeles, an area famed for drugs and gang land shootings.

One person said: 'Ive lived in Walthamstow for 4.5 years, 1.5 yrs down this end and regretting it! I lived in NYC for 3 years and never experienced anything like this. B/w the fights, stabbings and shootings in this area in the time Ive been here, its ridiculous!'

Another mentioned the gentrification in the area, saying the spending and expensive flats are doing nothing to end crime.

They said: 'The fact is Walthamstow has long had issues of this nature. The difference now is that its swept under the carpet in favour of stories about being the borough of culture etc. Only so many artisan bread and coffee shops can cover it up for much longer. Sad times.'

According to Met Office figures, crime across the capital has surged by 6.4 percent in the year leading up to May 2018.

If you have any information about this incident, call Waltham Forest police on 101 or Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.A mother worried about a bump on her son's nose was told she was being a hypochondriac until a doctor confirmed her worst fears.

Dana McGrath, 22, was concerned about the growing bump on her one-year-old son, Elijah's, face and went to get it checked out but the doctor brushed her away saying it was a sinus infection.

The Sydney mother took Elijah to two other doctors, who all said the same thing, and was told she was being a 'hypochondriac' and the bump was growing because of a possible infection, news.com.au reported.

Dana McGrath, 22, was concerned about the growing bump on her one-year-old son, Elijah's (pictured) face

Elijah (pictured) was taken to three different doctors who said he had a sinus infection

A few days after seeing the third doctor Ms McGrath was in a serious car accident and ended up in hospital, not being able to do anything about her son's bump.

Once she left the hospital, Ms McGrath went to another doctor who ordered an X-ray and ultrasound.

When the results were available the doctor was unsure of what it was so Elijah was referred to Westmead Children's Hospital, in Sydney.

By that time, Elijah's bump had doubled in size and he was taken in for an emergency MRI. Doctors were still unsure of what the bump was until a week later when they diagnosed Elijah with Maxillary Cranial fasciitis.

According to ScienceDirect, Maxillary Cranial fasciitis is a benign disorder established by a 'fibroblast-like cell proliferation...manifesting as a rapidly growing, solitary nodule in the head or neck area.'

Dana went to another doctor who ordered an X-ray and ultrasound (pictured is the tumour)

Elijah required major facial reconstructive surgery and skin was taken from his thigh and piece of his rib to reconstruct the bones which were crushed by the tumour

Dana with her son Elijah after his reconstructive surgery which was a success

Ms McGrath was told the tumour was destroying all the surrounding bone in her son's face and had almost gone through the bone under his eye and would need major facial reconstructive surgery.

Skin was taken from Elijah's thigh and a piece of his rib to reconstruct the bones which were crushed by the mass.

The surgery was a success and over the next few weeks Elijah suffered from an eye infection, swelling and another lump on his second rib but was eventually cleared to go home.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist Ms McGrath and her son with extra expenses.A pop musician who is alleged to be the ringleader of a drug importation syndicate has had fresh charges laid against him as he undergoes trial for importing cocaine.

Newcastle musician Kent Anthony Jackson, 63, faced the Newcastle Magistrates Court last week where his solicitor told the court he intended on pleading guilty to the charge of 'importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug'.

Mr Jackson is a well known bass player for new wave pop band The Eighty Eights that was most known in the 1980s.

The day before his hearing Mr Jackson was issued with another charge of dealing in the proceeds of crime by the Australian Federal Police.

A pop musician who is the alleged ringleader of a drug importation syndicate has had fresh charges laid against him as he undergoes trial for importing cocaine in his catamaran

Newcastle musician Kent Anthony Jackson, 63, faced the Newcastle Magistrates Court last week where his solicitor told the court he intended on pleading guilty to the charge of 'importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug'

The charge is in relation to dealing with more than $50,000 in cash or property which is believed was the proceeds of crime, the Newcastle Herald reported.

It relates to the day that 700 kilograms of cocaine was allegedly found on Mr Jackson's catamaran while it was moored in Toronto, NSW.

As a result of the fresh charges Mr Jackson's matter was adjourned to August 8.

Two other men were arrested along with Mr Jackson, Dennis Malcolm Bath and Craig William Lembke, who police allege are also members of the drug syndicate.

The charge relates to the day that 700 kilograms of cocaine was allegedly found on Mr Jackson's catamaran while it was moored in Toronto, NSW

Mr Bath has already pleaded guilty to playing a part in the cocaine importation ring and is set to face court in November.

The charges of importation faced by all three men has a maximum sentence of life in jail.

The AFP also allege that all three men had crucial roles and were 'vital elements' of a syndicate that imports cocaine into the country.Theyre the status symbol and best friend every little girl dreams of. But despite their glamorous image, horses and ponies are suffering like never before.

They are being abandoned in record numbers  the RSPCA saw the number it took in last year rise to 980, the highest in four years. Sanctuaries are at crisis point, with the majority only taking in the most neglected.

Many owners dont have the 4,000 a horse is estimated to cost each year, while indiscriminate breeding has led to a glut of the animals, reducing their sale value to as little as 5.

Callous owners simply dump them. So could you give a horse a loving home? Here, Lorraine Fisher finds just some of the wonderful horses in Britain waiting to find a new family

Jenga and Domino, the best of friends

After being rescued from a field they were abandoned in months before, Jenga and Domino were so thin and sick their lives hung in the balance for nearly a year.

They couldnt even stand, says Jeanette Allen, chief executive of The Horse Trust in Princes Risborough, Bucks. They were riddled with parasites. They were two of three five-month-olds found in November 2012. Their friend died within days, but they battled on.

It was a bad winter, and they kept falling over, recalls Jeanette. For six months we discussed if theyd make it. After a year, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Due to their bond, the trust would ideally like to rehome them together. Domino is like a big dog who likes to lie by the fire, says Jeanette. Jenga is more alert and has a pointy chin which people love to wobble!

Jenga (above right) is 14 hands high (142cm) and could be ridden once or twice a week. Domino (left) is a hand smaller (132cm) and hasnt taken to training well, but would make a great companion horse. To rehome Jenga and/or Domino, go to horsetrust.org.uk or call 01494 488 464.

April, the pony with plenty of potential

Bold and inquisitive April, four-and-a-half, should one day be a great childrens pony.

But it was a different story when she arrived at Blue Cross Rolleston, in Staffordshire, after her owner was persuaded to give her up. She had the worst case of lice Ive seen, says training supervisor Charlotte Ward.

She was one and had hardly grown. She was scared of people. But years of love have paid off.

Charlotte says April, who is being trained, has real character. Shes 12 hands (120cm) high and will only be suitable to be ridden by children.

Wed like her to be with younger horses  she gets bored with older ones and can cause a riot!

To rehome April, go to bluecross.org.uk or call 0300 790 9903.

Marley, the cheeky baby

Get too close to this pony and you may regret it  theres nothing she loves more than to munch on peoples hair.

Shes cheeky and playful, says Carys Samuel, of World Horse Welfare, Norfolk, which rescued Marley, now one, last autumn.

Marley, who is 12 hands high (120cm), was only a few weeks old when she and 25 other ponies were rescued from fields near Highclere Castle (the setting for Downton Abbey) after being abandoned. She wasnt in an awful condition thanks to her mother Magics milk. If a mare isnt well-fed, they give everything to their foal, says Carys.

Good with other horses, Marleys perfect home would be with someone used to young ponies, or with another pony of the same age.

Once she is old enough, she will be ideal for a child. To rehome Marley, go to worldhorsewelfare.org or call 01953 498 682.

Dixie and Chance, sweet ponies looking for a second shot at life

These two beautiful Welsh mountain ponies have made the most remarkable recovery (Dixie, right, and Chance, left).

They were rescued in 2010 from a farmer who had bought them to use for childrens rides. But says trainer Caitlin Macaulay-Sinden: He didnt know what he was doing and just chucked them in with his cows, who had big feeders and wouldnt let the ponies get to the food. So they were very emaciated and covered in lice.

Since then, Chance (below), now nine years old and 12 hands high (120cm), and ten-year-old Dixie (left), who is 11 hands high (111cm), have blossomed. Chance is quiet and very sweet, but slightly more wary of people says Caitlin. Dixie is more opinionated, she is a pretty pony. Theyre both easy to handle.

Because of his poor start, Chance, a chestnut-coloured gelding, struggles with back pain and can no longer be ridden.

Dixie, too, has been retired from riding. HorseWorld, in Bristol, is looking to rehome them individually, as companions to other horses. To rehome Dixie or Chance, visit horseworld.org.uk or call 01275 832 425.

Helland, the little darling

Its easy to worm your way into gentle 11-year-old Hellands heart  this is a lady who loves to be groomed, cuddled and fussed over.

Yet just two years ago, she was scared of humans and was one of seven native ponies rescued by Redwings horse sanctuary from Bodmin Moor, where theyd been left to fend for themselves.

She was emaciated, had an abscess in her foot and was covered in parasites, says Lucinda Sloane.

As shes just eight hands high (80cm), Helland would need to be a non-ridden companion pony.

To rehome her, go to redwings.org.uk or call 01508 481 000.

Bert, the shy lad

Found in a field wearing a head collar so tight it had painfully dug into his skin, Bert is now looking for a forever home.

He was just a foal last August when it is thought he was put out to graze by an owner who then couldnt catch him, so just abandoned him.

Over the months, he grew and the head collar began biting deeper into his nose and cheeks. He was rescued by the RSPCA.

He was sedated while we removed the head collar. All you can see now is a slight scar says Claudia Corner, equine welfare operations manager.

Now around two, Bert is already a big horse at 14 hands but its thought hell grow to at least 15.2 (154 cm).

To adopt Bert visit rspca.org.uk or call 0300 123 8877.

Prince, the anxious Arabian beauty

Prince s problems began when hi s owner fell off him last year and their reattempts to mount the half-Arab gelding unsettled him.

He was eventually given up to the Seven Acre Horse Sanctuary in East Sussex.

Whoever takes him must have patience, says centre owner Pauline Histed. Prince is 15 hands high (152 cm) and suitable for off-road riding. To adopt Prince visit sevenacrehorsesanctuary.co.uk or call 07843 196 880.It is the secretive fraternity that has championed their male-only membership for centuries.

But the Freemasons have decided to break from tradition by allowing women to join the brotherhood, but only if they were born male.

In new guidance the United Grand Lodge of England, which was founded in 1717, has said transgender women - or men who have undergone gender reassignment surgery - may still join the Masonic Lodges.

In new guidance the United Grand Lodge of England, which was founded in 1717, has said transgender women - or men who have undergone gender reassignment surgery - may still join the Masonic Lodges

The dress code has also been slightly redefined allowing women who were born men to wear a smart dark skirt and top.

The Freemasons have told their 200,000 members that a Freemason who after initiation ceases to be a man does not cease to be a Freemason.

The organisations gender reassignment guidance - which was issued to the brotherhood on July 17 - also said that a woman who had become a man may become a member.

Women who have not undergone reassignment surgery will still be exempt from Freemason membership, however.

In its new policy document, the policy also asks brethren to treat anyone going through gender reassignment with the utmost compassion and support.

It reads: It is important that any situation involving gender reassignment of a Freemason is treated with the utmost compassion and sensitivity and that the individual is supported throughout the process.

No candidate should be subjected to questions about their gender which could make them feel uncomfortable.

The dress code has also been slightly redefined allowing women who were born men to wear a smart dark skirt and top

Some traditions remain, however. When formally greeting fellow brethren, they must be called Brother.

If someone has changed gender to become a woman, they may be called by their female name such as Brother Lucy.

Earlier this week Edward Lord, who chairs the City of Londons establishment committee and who identifies as non-binary, was condemned as a hypocrite on social media for playing an official role in Freemasonry.

One user wrote: So does this mean you will be campaigning to allow women into the male lodges of the Freemasons as well. You know what with all spaces becoming mixed and all?

In its new policy document, the policy also asks brethren to treat anyone going through gender reassignment with the utmost compassion and support

Responding to allegations of hypocrisy, Edward Lord said: It is something I continue to struggle with and continue to think about.

If it was entirely up to me I would change things, but you have to take 250,000 members with you.

Currently, the Freemasonss single-sex admissions policy is exempt from sex discrimination legislation but there is one loophole.

Under English law transgender people have a protected characteristic and can go into any single sex space.

The Gender Recognition Act of 2004 and the Equality Act of 2010 stops Freemasons from excluding transgender men and women.Labour deputy leader Tom Watson exposed the splits at the very top of Labour by tweeting that Peter Willsman 'disgusts' him.

He made his distaste with Mr Willsman's comments against Jews clear just hours after the recording of what he said was made public.

Mr Watson tweeted: 'For the avoidance of doubt: Peter Willsman is and always has been a loud-mouthed bully. He disgusts me.'

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson made his distaste with Peter Willsman's comments clear

By contrast, Jeremy Corbyn's office stayed silent last night.

Mr Watson was elected as deputy leader on the same day as Mr Corbyn - but he is from the moderate wing of the Labour Party.

He has been silent on the anti-Semitism issue in recent days, saying nothing on Twitter about Labour's threat to suspend MPs Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin over their criticism of the leadership.

But he has been vocal in his disgust at Labour anti-Semitism in the past.

In April Mr Watson symbolically gave up his seat on the frontbench to sit next to Jewish Labour MPs on the backbenches during a debate on anti-Semitism.

And last year he said the party would investigate how it gave a platform at a conference fringe event to a speaker who said people should be allowed to question whether the Holocaust happened.

'It is disgusting to deny the Holocaust. These people are cranks, they have no role in the mainstream of politics and we certainly don't want them in the Labour Party,' he said.Boris Johnson has re-emerged as the favourite to succeed Theresa May as Tory party leader.

The former foreign secretary is now supported by nearly a third of party members, according to a monthly poll of 1,000 Tories by the website ConservativeHome.

Just a month ago, before his July 9 resignation over the Chequers Brexit proposals, Mr Johnson was backed by only 8 per cent of members.

Boris Johnson has re-emerged as the favourite to succeed Theresa May as Tory party leader

He is nearly ten points ahead of his nearest rival, Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove's support slumped to 7 per cent following his failure to quit in the aftermath of the Chequers deal.

Under Tory leadership rules, MPs get to choose the final two candidates whose names will go into a head-to-head contest, with votes cast by grassroots Tory members.

When the Uxbridge MP resigned, he wrote that Mrs May's blueprint would leave the UK in 'vassalage, satrapy, colony status' to the EU.

'It can't and won't work. Chuck Chequers,' he added.

In his resignation speech in the Commons, the former foreign secretary said the Prime Minister had 'dithered' over Brexit and there had been '18 months of stealthy retreat'.

He said her Chequers plan would lead to 'Brexit in name only' and leave Britain in a 'miserable, permanent limbo'.

Mr Johnson is nearly ten points ahead of his nearest rival, Home Secretary Sajid Javid (above)

Although Mr Johnson stopped short of making a direct challenge to Mrs May in his 12-minute personal statement, he did warn her to change direction.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove's support has slumped to 7 per cent

He declared it was 'not too late to save Brexit' - and made it clear he stood ready to lead the charge to ensure a clean break with the EU this autumn.

Mr Johnson flouted 'revolving door' rules that ban ex-Cabinet ministers from taking up new appointments in the three months after leaving office.

The former foreign secretary returned to his role as a columnist for the Daily Telegraph despite failing to get permission from the appointments watchdog, Acoba.

Under the ministerial code, former ministers must apply to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) before accepting a new role.

The rules also stop ministers who have been members of the Cabinet from starting new appointments in the first three months after stepping down.

Mr Johnson, who gave up his 275,000-a-year newspaper column when he was appointed foreign secretary in July 2016, made his comeback last month with an article arguing that Britain must believe in itself after Brexit.An Army veteran is being investigated for the attempted murder of two protesters injured by falling debris during Bloody Sunday in 1972.

The 76-year-old former paratrooper, who can be identified only as Sergeant O, was awarded a medal for bravery on the same tour of Northern Ireland five decades ago.

But he now faces becoming the first soldier to be charged over the incident in Londonderry in which British troops killed 14 civilians.

A file photo taken on January 30, 1972, shows a British soldier dragging a protester during a march, later known as 'Bloody Sunday', in Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Sergeant O is one of hundreds of military veterans who face prosecution over their actions during the Troubles.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has sparked anger by re-examining every British Army killing between 1968 and 1998. Some MPs say the situation amounts to a witch-hunt.

The Commons defence committee is to launch a formal inquiry into whether veterans could be granted amnesty from prosecution.

The investigation, which is expected to last around six months, could put further pressure on the Government to include such a provision in any proposals addressing the legacy of the Troubles.

The committee will summon high-ranking officials, including Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, to give evidence.

Sergeant O decided to break his silence in anger at remaining under criminal investigation. He was reportedly interviewed by police under caution for attempted murder in April 2016 and has been in limbo ever since.

He told the Daily Telegraph: Its completely ludicrous. Why am I still being investigated after all these years? I am sickened.

The Government has mishandled this so badly. I feel very badly betrayed. It is absolutely scandalous.

File photo of a man receiving attention during the shooting in Londonderry, Northern Ireland on Bloody Sunday

The grandfather claimed the stress of facing a prosecution, which carries a life sentence, could have contributed to the death of his wife a few months ago.

Sergeant O, who has suffered a major stroke, is among 18 soldiers facing possible charges over Bloody Sunday

Police began a criminal inquiry in 2012 and completed interviews with soldiers in 2016. A 12-year inquiry led by Lord Saville and costing 200million concluded in 2010 that paratroopers had lost control, causing the deaths.

Sergeant O is accused of injuring two men who were wounded by flying debris.

One of the men he is accused of attempting to murder was Pius McCarron, then aged 30, who suffered a gash to the head caused by a piece of cladding that had fallen from a block of flats.

Mr McCarron, who developed a brain haemorrhage 18 months later, died in 2004.

His family insist he was a victim of the Bloody Sunday shootings. Sergeant Os second alleged victim, Patrick McDaid, then aged 24, suffered a glancing wound to his back, also caused by a piece of flying debris.

Sergeant O said: A bullet chipped off some concrete and got one of them in the back. They said he was seriously injured. He was bruised and there was a scrape.

Tory MP Johnny Mercer, a former Army captain who led an inquiry into allegations against troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, said: I cannot fathom why ministers do not directly interfere in this process.

I am genuinely ashamed to be in the party of government while this continues.

Det Supt Ian Harrison, of the PSNI legacy investigation branch, said: A number of files have been submitted to prosecutors for consideration and are currently under active consideration as part of the wider Bloody Sunday case.

As indicated to the families at the outset of our consideration of this case, the volume of material and complexity of legal issues involved continue to make it difficult to provide a definitive time frame for decision.Andy Spade, the widower of Kate Spade, has returned to Instagram with a heartfelt dedication to the late fashion designer nearly two months after her death.

He posted a photo late Monday of a desert tree he and their 13-year-old daughter Bea decorated with Christmas lights and a tin foil star made out of cardboard.

Spade said of his wife: 'She was born Christmas Eve, 1962. She loved the Midwest, the desert, and the city.'

He found the tree alongside the home of friends where they were staying 'through a difficult time,' rigging it up with the multicolored lights and a long extension cord.

Andy Spade shared this Instagram post Monday in honor of his late wife. He wrote in part: 'She was born Christmas Eve, 1962. She loved the Midwest, the desert, and the city'

Spade said: 'Bea and I cut a star out of the cardboard box the lights came on and wrapped it in Reynolds wrap like we do every Christmas.'

Kate Spade, 55, killed herself in New York in early June.

Her husband, the co-founder of Kate Spade New York, issued a statement soon after saying she had suffered from depression and anxiety for years.

His statement said in part: 'Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years... she was actively seeking help and working closely with her doctors to treat her disease, one that takes far too many lives.

Kate Spade and Andy Spade are seen attending the Off-Broadway Opening Night Performance of 'The Woodsman' at The New World Stages on February 8, 2016 in New York City

(L-R) Kate Spade, daughter Frances Spade and Jack Spade attend Jack Spade Fall 2007 Collection at Jack Spade Showroom on February 8, 2007 in New York City

'We were in touch with her the night before and she sounded happy. There was no indication and no warning that she would do this.'

He added: It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn't her. There were personal demons she was battling.'

The couple had been living apart and planning to file for divorce at the time the designer was found hanged inside her Park Avenue home the morning of June 5.

The handbag designer was found hanged inside her her Park Avenue home June 5. In this Nov. 17, 2008 file photo, she is seen attending the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists event in New York

In this Thursday, June 21, 2018 file photo, Andy Spade, right, leaves his wife's funeral service at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Kansas City, Mo

Andy Spade is spotted wearing a mask as he dodges paparazzi while leaving his apartment in NYC on June 7, 2018Plans for a 10billion nuclear power plant to provide up to 7 per cent of the UKs electricity could be abandoned after talks with foreign backers collapsed.

The project  led by nuclear development firm NuGen in South Moorside in Cumbria  may be shelved after Japanese owner Toshiba and South Korean state-owned potential buyer Kepco failed to reach a deal.

The plans were thrown into doubt last year due to financial issues at Toshiba and its subsidiary Westinghouse that prompted French backers Engie to pull out.

The project  led by nuclear development firm NuGen in South Moorside in Cumbria  may be shelved after Japanese owner Toshiba and South Korean state-owned potential buyer Kepco failed to reach a deal

It looked set to be rescued by Kepco with the deal due to close in April.

But Toshiba has now pulled preferred bidder status from Kepco, meaning it will consider other buyers.

Justin Bowden, national secretary for energy at the GMB union, said: We are back to that age-old problem of relying on foreign governments or companies for our vital infrastructure  a solution has to be found  we need our power.

NuGen had been due to provide power to about six million homes by 2025.

The plans were thrown into doubt last year due to financial issues at Toshiba and its subsidiary Westinghouse that prompted French backers Engie to pull out

Exact reasons for the breakdown in discussions are not clear. It is thought leadership changes at Kepco and the UKs nuclear policy have both played a part.

NuGens 60 employees and 40 contractors have been told a consultation will take place on the firms future.

NuGen said it was examining alternatives as to how to best proceed with its continuing mission to deliver affordable and reliable low-carbon electricity for the UK. Toshiba has said it continues to consider additional options including the sale of its shares in NuGen to Kepco.Former friends of the ex-husband of a murdered mother-of-three said he became increasingly erratic after his marriage breakdown.

Adrian Basham, 41, has been described as a 'control freak' who tracked his ex-wife Samantha Fraser, 38, by her mobile phone.

Ms Fraser was found dead in her garage on Phillip Island, south of Melbourne, last Monday, and Mr Basham has since been questioned by homicide detectives.

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Adrian Basham (pictured), 41, has been described as a 'control freak' who tracked his ex-wife by her mobile phone

'He was just losing it [after the couple's 2017 marriage breakdown] ... He was always on edge and then he'd turn,' a former friend of Mr Basham told The Herald Sun.

The friends, who have since distanced themselves from Mr Basham, said he would 'ark up' while on the phone to Ms Fraser, and used her mobile to track her.

His disturbing and 'full-on' behaviour led to the former friends severing ties with Mr Basham, they said.

Police initially believed Ms Fraser had committed suicide, but her death is now being investigated as a suspected murder.

Police initially believed Ms Fraser had committed suicide, but her death is now being investigated as a suspected murder

Police were alerted when Ms Fraser (pictured) didn't arrive to pick up her children from school in the afternoon

A month prior to the discovery of her body in the garage of her home (pictured), she had changed the locks to the property

The 38-year-old psychologist feared for her life in the months before her death, and changed the locks to her home just a month before the discovery of her body.

Police were alerted when Ms Fraser didn't arrive to pick up her children from school in the afternoon.

A welfare check was conducted at her home on Seagrove Way, Cowes, where police found her dead.

Her death came as a shock to the local community, who were notified of the murder investigation four days after her death.

It is not suggested that Adrian Basham is responsible for the death of Samantha Fraser.Australians are missing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in superannuation - with more than five million people being ripped off, according to a finance expert.

Money magazine editor Effie Zahos said choosing a profitable superannuation fund is like 'picking the winning lottery ticket'.

'There's so much choice and people do get confused and they go with whoever their employer has got - we've got choice,' she told the Today show.

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Money magazine editor Effie Zahos said chosing a profitable superannuation fund is like 'picking the winning lottery ticket'

'Your employer may pick a fund simply because they've got a big bank in their ear or a life company talking to them.'

She said it was important to take into account your stage in life when choosing a superannuation fund.

'There are three factors that affect your super: the performance of the fund, the fees and the cost of your insurance - so when you're 20, it's very different insurance needs to when you are 60.

'When you're 20, you probably don't have a lot of debt, and you're probably more concerned about disability insurance than death cover.'

Ms Zahos said dud funds were likely to have large exit fees for leaving their plans, as per analysis featured in the August issue of Money magazine.

Tips for switching superannuation funds Ditch your fund if it doesn't perform Take care on the insurance Check exit fees before signing up Think before leaving a defined benefit fund Get advice from someone you trust Source: Money magazine Advertisement

'Don't be complacent with your super, as you move through life,' she said.

'Watch your insurance, because if you've got a pre-condition and you leave that fund you may find you're not getting as lucrative an insurance cover.

'You should talk to your super fund, or talk to someone you trust to get some advice.'

The analysis comes as the Productivity Commission proposed a list of the top ten standout super funds to be made available to Australian workers.

Choosing the right super fund could net employees an extra $375,000 by the time they retire.

The Productivity Commission is looking at a 'best in show' model to guide workers when selecting their preferred super provider.

The analysis comes as the Productivity Commission proposed a list of the top ten standout super funds to be made available to Australian workers

'At the heart of our preferred model is a single shortlist of 'best in show' products for all members,' the Commission's draft report said.

'Members should be empowered to choose their own product, and the shortlist should be designed to make this safe and easy to do.'

The list of the top 10 super funds as chosen by industry experts include Australian Super, First State Super, Hesta, Rest and CareSuper.A Belgian tourist has died of apparent heat-related causes while hiking at a popular rock formation called 'The Wave' near the Utah-Arizona border.

Christophe Pochic, 49, was found dead on Monday night after his 16-year-old son called his mom at a hotel to tell her that his dad had become disoriented and needed help, according to Kane County sheriff's Sgt. Alan Alldredge.

It is the first death at The Wave in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument since a trio of deaths in 2013.

Christophe Pochic, 49, was found dead on Monday night of apparent heat-related causes

The geological gem attracts worldwide visitors with its swirls of searing red, orange and yellow that fold into a bowl.

The six-mile, roundtrip hike there is unmarked and cellphone reception is spotty at best.

Only 20 people are allowed to visit each day, chosen in a lottery system.

Temperatures around Vermilion Cliffs National Monument averaged around 95F.

'If you are going to hike in Kane County, you are encouraged to go early and finish early or find ways to protect yourself from the heat,' the sheriff's office said in the press release. 'Take a break during the middle of the day if possible.'Advertisement

President Donald Trump is reviving his call for a national voter ID system as the country heads into the midterm election and the president eyes his own reelection campaign.

'The time has come for voter ID,' Trump said Tuesday night at a rally in Tampa, Fla., which earned him a roar of approval and sustained applause from the crowd.

'If you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need I.D. You go out and you want to buy anything, you need I.D. And you need your picture. In this country the only time you don't need it in many cases is when you want to vote,' he said.

Most grocery stores don't require identification unless the customer is buying something age restricted, like alcohol.

Election season was clearly on the president's mind at his rally, which featured a friendly crowd clad in Make America Great Again hats and t-shirt. They waved signs that featured Trump's new campaign slogan 'Keep America Great,' 'Trump, Pence,' 'Women for Trump,' and 'Blacks for Trump.'

He failed to address Robert Mueller's 'witch hunt' or Paul Manafort's trial, which begun today, during his speech.

In his remarks, Trump endorsed Republican candidates in Florida's crucial and competitive Senate and gubernatorial races this fall. The Sunshine State will also be critical to the president's reelection efforts in 2020.

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President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall, Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Tampa, Florida

Trump was greeted by a supportive crowd at the Florida rally. In his remarks, Trump endorsed Republican candidates in Florida's crucial and competitive Senate and gubernatorial races this fall

Supporters cheer as Trump arrives for the rally at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall, Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Tampa

Trump won Florida in the 2016 presidential election, a victory that he was happy to remind the crowd of.

But he also talked about his own time in office, reassuring the crowd he would occupy the Oval for seven years. He reminisced about inauguration and mentioned his family - Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump were with him - as was Eric's wife Lara - but he also talked about the first lady and how 'everybody loves Melania.'

He also gave shout outs to two former campaign officials who were with him: ex campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and his former deputy campaign manager David Bossie.

He even got in a dig at 'Crooked Hillary,' prompting the crowd to shout 'lock her up'.

And he touted other victories such as ending the war on Christmas - making that claim on a muggy day in July in Florida.

Trump acknowledged it was early in the year to be talking about the holidays. 'it's awfully early to be thinking this, but I always think it,' he said.

'Remember the attack on Merry Christmas? They are not attacking it anymore. Everybody is happy to say Merry Christmas,' he said. 'You have these big department stores that say happy holidays. They say where's the Merry Christmas. Now they are all putting up Merry Christmas again.'

He also teased the crowd, which had filled the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall, and been hyped up since before his arrival. Supporters swarmed CNN reporter Jim Acosta and the media area to scream 'fake news' before the president began his remarks and they were on their feet for all of Trump's speech, often cheering and shouting.

'I said we might be a little bit wild, they say he's not acting presidential and I would say it's a lot easier to act presidential than to do what I do. Anybody can act presidential,' he said as the crowd cheered him on.

'Ladies and gentlemen of the state of Florida, thank you very much for being here. You are tremendous people and I will leave now because I am boring you to death, thank you,' he joked as the crowd gave him sustained applause.

Trump's call for a national voter ID system came he railed on Democrats for their stance on illegal immigration, an issue the president has lasered in on in the last few weeks, claiming it was a policy stance that got him elected in the first place.

His first called for voter ID in January after he disbanded his controversial commission investigating allegations of voter fraud.

Trump created the commission after claiming that at least 3 million people voted illegally in the 2016 presidential election  enough to make up for Hillary Clinton's lead in the popular vote.

Election season was clearly on the president's mind at his Monday rally, which featured a friendly crowd clad in Make America Great Again hats and t-shirt

Supporters waved signs that featured Trump's new campaign slogan 'Keep America Great,' 'Trump, Pence,' 'Women for Trump,' and 'Blacks for Trump'

A supporter of President Donald Trump heckles CNN Jim Acosta, left, during a Trump rally at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa

Supporters cheer as US President Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall in Tampa

A man holds a sign that reads: 'CNN sucks' during the rally at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall in Tampa

However, states wouldn't hand over their voter data over privacy concerns and there have been no reports or proof of voter fraud on a massive scale.

Voting rights groups have been challenging voter ID laws for years, arguing they disproportionately impact voters of color.

Thirty six states request or require voters to show ID at the polls, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In 2000, 14 states had such laws.

Trump claimed the system was needed to keep illegals from voting.

'In some states, Democrats are trying to give illegal immigrants the right to vote,' he charged.

'The Democrats are not doing what we want them to do. They're not voting our values and what we want to do in the country,' he said.

'If you want safety. If you want a country, vote Republican,' he told the packed auditorium.

'We need more votes,' he said.

In his little more than an hour-long remarks at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall, the president offered a long defense of his record in the White House.

'I ran for president with no experience and I won,' he said.

'I didn't know anybody Washington but now I know everyone in Washington. I know the good ones. I know the bad ones,' he added.

Support: Ivanka, brother Eric and his wife Lara were at the rally to support their father. Lara shared this photo of the trio to her Instagram

Trump, accompanied by Ivanka Trump, third from right, and Eric Trump, right, the children of President Donald Trump, and Eric's wife, Lara Trump, second from right, steps off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington after the Tampa rally

Ladies in red! (L-R) Ivanka Trump, Lara Trump and Eric Trump exit Marine One as they return from Tampa

Ivanka Trump arrives to the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, Tuesday after the Tampa rally

In a winding defense of his work, Trump proclaimed 'we have the best economy in the history of our country now,' attacked the press, praised U.S. steel, trashed the Democrats, and touted Republican gubernatorial and Senate candidates.

Trump is seen arriving back at the White House after the rally

His pro-America lines got the largest and loudest applause from the crowd while his attacks on the 'fake news' drew plenty of boos.

His speech was also peppered with red meat lines intended to rally his core supporters, such as when he said: 'We will never give up, we will never give in, we will never, ever back down and we will never, ever surrender.'

He added: 'Because we are Americans and our hearts bleed red, white and blue blue. We are one people. We are one family. And we are one glorious nation under god. And together we will make America wealthy again. We will make America strong again. We will make America safe again. We will make America great again.'

The president spent considerable time talking about his trade policies, including tit-for-tat tariffs with China that he said would eventually pay dividends for the United States.

The tariffs are causing unease among Republican lawmakers facing tough re-election battles in November, and Trump's focus on them suggested he was concerned about their potential political impact.

China and other top U.S. trade partners zeroed in on American farmers with retaliatory tariffs after the administration imposed duties on Chinese goods as well as steel and aluminum from the European Union, Canada and Mexico.

'China and others have targeted our farmers. Not good. Not nice. And you know what our farmers are saying? 'It's OK. We can take it,' Trump said.

The Trump administration announced a $12 billion farm aid package last week, prompting some farmers and farm-state lawmakers, including Trump's fellow Republicans, to criticize the move, saying they would rather trade with no tariffs than receive government help.

'I want to thank our farmers,' Trump said. 'Our farmers are true patriots.'

Trump won Florida in the 2016 presidential election, a victory that he reminded the crowd of during the rally

Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd during a campaign rally at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall

Trump shakes hands with US Representative Ron DeSantis, Republican of Florida, and candidate for Florida Governor, during the rally

Trump also defended the denuclearization deal he signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June in Singapore after reports surfaced that North Korea was proceeding with its missile program.

The Singapore summit was long on positive imagery but short on specific benchmarks for North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons.

Trump said the fact that North Korea was starting to return the remains of American dead from the 1950s Korean War and that there had been no nuclear or missile tests were offshoots of the summit.'I think it's going to work out very well,' he said. 'No tests, no rockets flying. But we'll see what happens.'

Trump also repeatedly encouraged the crowd to vote for Republican Ron DeSantis for governor. Trump had previously endorsed the candidate via Twitter, a move that boosted DeSantis' standing in the polls and pushed him past his GOP primary rival Adam Putnam, who has been twice elected statewide and has held various Florida offices for 21 years.

He brought DeSantis on stage to speak.

Trump also touted Republican Rick Scott, who's challenging Democratic Senator Bill Nelson in the fall.

'We have to make sure Rick Scott wins and wins big,' he said.

Scott was not at the rally but was at the president's workplace development event at the Tampa Bay Technical High School earlier in the evening and was spotted getting off Air Force One with the president when he landed in Florida.

Corey Lewandowski, former campaign manager for Trump, poses for photographs outside a signing ceremony for the 'Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act,' at Tampa Bay Technical High School, Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Tampa

Trump supporters watch through glass doors as the president speaks during the rally

At the beginning of his remarks, protesters were pulled from the crowd, which the president used to get in a dig at the media: 'One person and tomorrow it will be massive protests.'

At least three protestors were pulled from the crowd.

The Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall was filled to the rafters with the arena standing room only.

The president pointed out: 'Outside we set up for the first time a big movie screen because we have thousands and thousands who couldn't get in.'

He added: 'It's a great place to be. If you have to be outside, be outside in the great state of Florida.'

It was actually raining outside when he made those remarks.

He also touted a poll - without naming which poll - that he says calls him the most popular Republican president.

'The most popular person in the history of the Republican Party is Trump - can you believe it?' he exclaimed, as the crowd roared and waved signs at him.

'Seven more years. Yeah seven more,' he concluded to the delight of the crowd.

Abraham Lincoln, a Republican president, is consistently ranked by historians as the best leader in the country's history. And polling wasn't invented until the 1930s, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was president.

Trump address that too.

'I would say I can be more presidential than any president in history except for possibly Abe Lincoln with the big hat,' he said.The daughter of world famous sculptor Lynn Chadwick has lost her 13-year battle to secure what she says is a 'fair' slice of the priceless art collection he left behind.

The artist died 15 years ago, aged 88, leaving a 'prodigious artistic legacy' - but even now the division of his estate has not been finally settled.

The obstacle in the way has been the 'long-running dispute concerning the bulk of Mr Chadwick's works', Judge Richard Spearman QC said.

His daughter, Sophie Chadwick, 58, claimed the bulk of her father's works and copyrights formed part of his estate.

They should be split equally between his four children, giving her a quarter interest in a collection worth millions, she claimed.

But on the other side of the row stood Mr Chadwick's widow and Sophie's step-mother, Eva Chadwick.

She controls Lypiatt Studios Ltd - named after the artist's Gloucestershire home - which was set up in 1973 to market his works.

Sophie Chadwick lost her battle to have her father's art and copyright to the works to be divided between his children

Eva Chadwick (right) outside court with her son Daniel Chadwick. The widow of Lynn Chadwick was left the majority of his estate

Lynn Chadwick's High Wind IV - a woman caught by a breeze in the street. Mr Chadwick's family have been fighting over his artwork

Eva owns 52 per cent of the company and is a director, as are Sophie's sister, Sarah Marchant, 60, and her half-brother, Daniel, 49.

The artist's first son, Simon, died aged 75 earlier this year.

Under the artist's will, Eva Chadwick was left half of Lypiatt Park outright, the other half being placed in trust to produce a life-long income for her.

He also handed her two crucial shares in the company, giving her a controlling stake.

The four children were left with minority shareholdings of 12 per cent each, and all his personal possessions were left in trust for them.

But the will made 'no mention' of Mr Chadwick's copyrights and tangible artworks, said the judge.

Sophie claimed they were nevertheless owned by him when he died, forming part of his personal legacy,

And, insisting that they were not tied up with the company, she argued that they should be held on trust for her and the other children.

The judge said 'intelligent and eloquent' Sophie had argued her case in court 'calmly and with dignity'.

He added: 'It seems that the prime driver behind Sophie's stance is to be found in much more personal considerations.

'Her statement details some of the unhappy history of the break-up of the marriage between the artist and Sophie's mother.'

She also spoke of 'her mother's tragic death at an early age, her dissatisfaction with Eva and Daniel, and her strong feeling that the artist wanted to be fair to all of his children'.

And she was adamant that 'the stance advanced by the company does not accord with what the artist wanted'.

But Judge Spearman today ruled squarely in favour of the company, effectively giving her step-mother a controlling say over what happens to Mr Chadwick's collection.

There was 'ample evidence' that Mr Chadwick wished to assign copyright in his works to the company, he ruled.

And he also backed the company's claim to ownership of the tangible artworks.

Thrice-married Mr Chadwick was in effect an 'employee' of the company, said the judge, and was 'properly regarded as part of the company'.

'Beasts' was a series of sculpture by Lynn Chadwick on display in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea at the start of Art London 2008

Lynn Chadwick's Stranger II, at the Frieze Sculpture Park in Regents Park, London

The Beast VII 1956, an iron and composition model by Lynn Chadwick, in 2003, the same year he died

A victory for Sophie 'might have had some advantageous financial consequences' for her - but 'that would not be without its price'.

It would inevitably have led to a punishing inheritance tax bill and that could have had the 'the effect of dispersing the artist's works', he added.

'It seems clear...that this would have been contrary to Mr Chadwick's wishes in his life time.'

Lynn Chadwick launched a glittering artistic career when when he beat Alberto Giacometti to scoop first prize at Venice's Biennale Festival in 1956.

Over the next four decades the former World War Two pilot turned out thousands of exquisite mobiles and sculptures, many of them on display at Lypiatt Park.

His works attracted top prices in global salesrooms, with his sculpture, Couple on Seat, selling for 1.4m in 2006. His artistic output continued until he was 82.

Eva met Mr Chadwick in 1964, giving birth to Daniel in 1965. She played a key role in organising the collection and marketing his works during nearly 40 years of marriage.

A spokesperson for Lypiatt Studio Ltd said:

'We are grateful that the High Court has resolved the question of the copyright and the physical ownership of Lynn Chadwicks working models, allowing his estate to be wound up. The judgment marks the culmination of a difficult period for all parties which led to the executors request for the court process to rule on the case, something that we sincerely wish could have been avoided but recognise that there was an opposite point of view. We would like to thank the Court for its time'.Tory activists are losing faith in Theresa May over her Chequers plan, a survey revealed

Tory activists are losing faith in Theresa May over her Chequers plan, a survey revealed yesterday.

The monthly poll of grassroots activists for the Conservative Home website found the proportion who want the Prime Minister to resign immediately has more than doubled since the Brexit compromise was adopted.

In June, just 21 per cent of Tory activists responding to the survey said Mrs May should quit immediately.

But the figure hit 45 per cent at the end of last month, with a further 36 per cent urging her to go before the next election.

Just 17.3 per cent back Mrs May in her ambition to stay on and lead the party at the poll in 2022.

In a separate finding, the survey revealed that the proportion of activists who believe the party is on course to win a majority at the next election has fallen by almost half since the Chequers plan was unveiled.

In June, some 45 per cent of activists suggested the Tories were on course to secure a majority. But the latest poll showed the figure had slumped to just 26.5 per cent.

Paul Goodman, a former Tory MP who edits Conservative Home, described the findings as abysmal and said they suggested Mrs May had no room to make further compromises on Brexit.

'Some will blame the new Chequers policy and White Paper,' he said. 'Others will point a finger at divisions and resignations. Others still will blame both. In a sense, it scarcely matters.

'These results are so abysmal that the Prime Minister's only hope of turning them round is either to somehow get a Brexit deal through the Commons, and see it received well by voters, or to fail to agree a deal with the EU and make a success of no deal.

'There don't seem to be any other options  certainly not in time for party conference. She surely could not survive a switch to backing European Economic Area, which involves belonging to the single market.'

It emerged yesterday that Tory high command is to tone down Mrs May's pledge to tackle 'burning injustices' in society.

Nearly half of Conservative activists want Theresa May (pictured on holiday in Italy with husband Phillip) to resign

Speaking on the steps of No 10 after taking office in July 2016, the new Prime Minister vowed to make Britain 'a country that works for everyone' by tackling issues such as racial disadvantage, mental health and the housing crisis.

But one senior Tory source said the rhetoric had backfired by focusing on issues where Labour is perceived as strong.

'People don't trust the Tory Party to deliver on this. Polls showed that when they mention 'burning injustices' and which party is best to sort it out, Labour wins hands down,' they said.

Another source played down the switch yesterday, saying the change in rhetoric would make no difference to the Government's commitment to tackle the issues.

'We may refer to the housing market as broken rather than an example of a burning injustice, but we are still determined to tackle it,' the source said.A heroic rescue mission has gone horribly wrong at an Australian beach infamous for swallowing cars whole due to unpredictable sinking sand.

A team of Good Samaritans joined forces at Rainbow Beach, in Queensland's Wide BayBurnett region, after a four-wheel drive became stranded in rising waters.

Footage of the event showed the car being attached to another and having its wheels pulled from soft sand in knee-deep water, before disaster struck.

A heroic rescue mission has gone horribly wrong at an Australian beach infamous for swallowing cars whole due to unpredictable sinking sand

The white 4WD made a brief break for freedom to the cheers of excited bystanders, who watched on as it was navigated out of a highly complicated predicament.

Onlookers celebrated the victory a little too soon, however, with the vehicle zooming forward and ploughing head-on into a set of rocks.

A shirtless male in the passenger seat was flung out the open door as the car's fluid motion was abruptly brought to a sudden halt on the jagged obstruction.

The operation was brought to a crushing end due to the crucial oversight of not having anyone navigate the vehicle's final manoeuvre from the driver's seat.

With no-one steering the car, it was unable to make the required wide berth around the large rocks.

The white 4WD made a brief break for freedom to the cheers of excited bystanders, who watched on as it was navigated out of a highly complicated predicament

Footage was uploaded to a local community group Facebook page on Monday, with the people being rescued promptly becoming subjects of harsh criticism.

'These guys thought they were rescued but forgot to put someone in the drivers seat. They did have a passenger though who is lucky to be alive,' the post read.

Many criticised the men for being ill-prepared and neglecting to consider the outcome of the rescue without anyone in the driver's seat.

'Perhaps old mate needs recovery lessons,' someone wrote.

'Jesus, who would've thought you need someone driving the car when getting pulled out,' another sarcastically added.A new painting has been unveiled showing President Trump navigating a flooded Washington DC swamp in George Washington-style as members of his administration brandish rifles.

Utah-based conservative artist Jon McNaughton posted an image of his new artwork 'Crossing the Swamp' on Twitter on Tuesday.

It is a replica of the historic 'Washington Crossing the Delaware' painting but includes a number of high profile members of Trump's administration.

Artist Jon McNaughton released his new 'Crossing the Swamp' painting on Tuesday. Pictured are (left to right): Nikki Haley, James Mattis, Ben Carson, President Trump, Jeff Sessions, Mike Pence, Melania Trump, Mike Pompeo, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Ivanka Trump, John Bolton, Kellyanne Conway and John Kelly

John Bolton, Kellyanne Conway, Mike Pompeo and Jeff Sessions are wielding rifles in the painting while Nikki Haley, James Mattis, Ben Carson, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and John Kelly steer the boat with paddles.

Meanwhile Trump is at the helm with first lady Melania Trump, Mike Pence and Ivanka Trump closely behind him.

Those on Twitter were quick to mock the painting as some pointed out how Donald Trump Jr. didn't make the crew and that Carson appeared to be rowing backwards.

It is a replica of the historic 'Washington Crossing the Delaware' painting (pictured above) showing George Washington

Those on Twitter were quick to mock the painting soon after the Utah-based artist posted an image of it on Tuesday

McNaughton, who is a Trump supporter, wrote on his website that the painting showed the President crossing the swamp as he 'carries the light of truth, hope, and prosperity'.

'The murky water of the deep state is laced with dangerous vermin, perfectly willing to destroy American prosperity for their personal ideologies and financial gain,' he wrote.

'The establishment Democrats, Never-Trumper-Republicans, Deep State, and Fake News Media will do all they can to stop the majority of the American people from succeeding.

'As an artist, I paint what I feel needs to be said about the current state of our country. My hope is that Trump will be remembered as the President that restored Americas greatness. I want to be on that boat for freedom!'An Australian tourist holidaying in Rome has warned other travellers to be wary of a convincing ATM scam after she was robbed twice in just eight days.

Mary Wallace, from Western Australia, said she was approached by a friendly local wearing a suit after struggling to see the ATM screen in the sun.

The thief used distraction tactics to steal her credit card, pretending it had been swallowed by the machine while watching her enter her four-digit code.

By the time she realised her card hadn't been taken by the machine, the thief had already made a number of purchases in a matter of minutes, news.com.au reported.

Mary Wallace (pictured) was on holiday in Rome when she was robbed twice in two days

The unlucky tourist also had her wallet stolen from her bag while travelling on a packed bus, two days later.

Wallace, who arrived in the Italian city last month for a quick eight-day holiday, said she knew something was not right when she was approached at the ATM.

Despite telling the man she had things under control, he insisted on helping her avoid the glare from the sun as she tried to withdraw some cash.

'I didn't actually see him take the card and he told me that the ATM had swallowed the card, that it often happened in Rome  Initially I believed him and this time gave him the chance to go off with the card and empty my account,' she said.

The Western Australian mother was robbed by an unsuspecting thief at an ATM after she struggled to see the screen due to glare (stock image)

Ms Wallace said she was grateful to only have about $300 in her account, as well as a back-up account and debit card with her.

But the woman's bad luck continued when she took a crowded bus with a friend into the popular Trastevere district.

Despite holding onto her large bag tightly, she was pressed up against other commuters on every side.

'After two stops I felt uncomfortable enough to get off the bus and immediately on exiting I put my hand down into my bag, my wallet was gone and so was the bus,' Ms Wallace told news.com.au.

'I was furious. I also felt very vulnerable, was I an easy mark, did I look frail, stupid? Why had it happened to me twice in two days? I felt unwilling to leave the apartment, unsafe and suspicious. I was on edge and angry.'

The mother was forced to cancel her cards and transfer her savings into her daughter's account.Advertisement

Tommy Robinson was freed from prison today and thanked his supporters after winning an appeal over his 13-month contempt sentence for filming a Facebook Live video outside a trial.

The ex-EDL leader, 35, has been behind bars for two months after confronting defendants outside Leeds Crown Court on May 25.

He was hugged by friends waiting for him at Onley Prison near Rugby this afternoon and said: 'I want to thank the British public for all their support' before being swept away by car.

Earlier judges freed him after ruling it was 'unfair' to give him 13 months in prison during a 'muddled' and 'rushed' court case held just five hours after his arrest.

He had confronted suspects being prosecuted in trials involving dozens of Asian men accused of grooming children as young as 11, it can be reported for the first time today.

Robinson broadcast these exchanges to 250,000 people watching him on Facebook Live and even captured the moment police arrested him.

The far-right activist is expected to give a statement via his 'Free Tommy Robinson' page, which has described the moment he found out he would be leaving prison.

The Facebook post said: 'Tommy just called his family from prison to ask what the outcome was - he said prisoners were shouting that he was going home but he did not want to believe them. He is over the moon. They had a family holiday booked and paid for this Friday which he can now go on and spend some much-needed time with his wife and children'.

Tommy Robinson has been freed from Onley prison near Rugby today after appealing against his contempt conviction

The former EDL-leader was walked out of the Warwickshire home with three men and five bags of belongings

Robinson refused to give a statement to the waiting journalists apart from a few words of thanks for his supporters

Several supporters were on hand to keep Robinson away from reporters and one put his arm around him before he was driven away

The far-right activist is expected to give a statement via his 'Free Tommy Robinson' page after being released from prison

The former English Defence League leader is seen leaving Onley Prison, near Rugby, this afternoon after winning his appeal

Tommy Robinson was freed on bail by the Court of Appeal where judges quashed a finding of contempt made against him

Today appeal judges ordered Robinson be released on bail and he will face a fresh contempt of court hearing at the Old Bailey in London 'as soon as possible'

Today appeal judges ordered Robinson be released on bail and he will face a fresh contempt of court hearing at the Old Bailey in London 'as soon as possible'.

Tommy Robinson streamed an hour-long Facebook Live an Asian sex gang trial outside Leeds Crown Court in May and was later arrested (pictured) and jailed for 13 months after admitting being in contempt of court - but was freed on bail today

His case has sparked protests across the UK and a groundswell of support among the right in America, who claimed his incarceration violated freedom of speech.

President Trump's former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon led the calls for his release and called him a 'solid guy' and the 'backbone of this country' while in the UK last month.

Two weeks ago Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, appealed against his 13-month jail term for contempt of court claiming the punishment was 'excessive' and the hearing was 'rushed'.

The Court of Appeal quashed his conviction saying the decision to jail him within five hours of his arrest 'gave rise to unfairness' and ignored court rules.

A panel of three senior judges also criticised Judge Geoffrey Marson QC, the judge who sent him to prison, saying he gave 'no clarity' about what parts of Robinson's Facebook Live video were in contempt of court.

He ignored the fact the film was deleted shortly after his arrest and also denied Robinson the chance to defend himself properly by not adjourning the case to another day, the ruling said.

Robinson's successful appeal caused supporters to cry with joy and cheer wildly before chanting 'Tommy's coming home' to the tune of England football anthem Three Lions.

Anti-racism supporters had also gathered on the Royal Courts of Justice and were shouting chants such as 'Nazi scum, off our streets' and 'refugees are welcome here' as the judgment came in.

This woman in a mobility scooter sobbed with joy when she heard Robinson's appeal had been successful and he will be a free man later today

A man kisses his poster of Tommy Robinson outside the Court of Appeal today after hearing the news that the far right activist will soon be a free man

A panel of three senior judges also criticised Judge Geoffrey Marson QC (left), the judge who sent Robinson to prison, saying the defendant (right) should have had more time to defend himself. Tommy's case garnered support in the UK and abroad including from Trump's former aide Steve Bannon

In an extraordinary Court of Appeal ruling judges decided:

A judge was too quick to jail Robinson five hours after he was arrested outside Leeds Crown Court

Former EDL-leader was denied the chance to defend himself properly by judge who should have adjourned the case

Robinson will be released from Onley jail on bail and face a new contempt hearing at the Old Bailey

Announcing the decision to back Robinson's case on Wednesday, Lord Burnett said the court was allowing his appeal 'in respect of the committal for contempt at Leeds Crown Court'.

What does today's ruling mean and what happens next? Tommy Robinson was jailed in May after admitting he was in contempt of court at Leeds Crown Court. Judge Geoffrey Marson QC sentenced him to 13 months in a hearing now branded unfair by Court of Appeal judges. Today's ruling said that it was rushed and the defendant was denied the chance to defend himself properly. Robinson will now be freed on bail from prison to face a fresh hearing to consider if he was guilty or not. A new hearing will be held at the Old Bailey because Robinson is banned from being within 400 metres of Leeds Crown Court. Advertisement

He added: 'The appellant is granted bail and the matter of contempt at Leeds Crown Court is remitted to be heard again.'

An appeal about being found in contempt at a previous case in Canterbury was dismissed.

The appeal judges said they were satisfied that the decision at Leeds to proceed to committal to prison 'so promptly', and without 'due regard' to rules governing the procedure to be followed when a Crown Court deals with the conduct of a person alleged to have acted in contempt of court, 'gave rise to unfairness'.

Lord Burnett said in a written ruling: 'We allow the appeal and remit the matter to be heard by a different judge. There is no requirement that it be heard in Leeds...

'We invite the Attorney General to nominate an advocate to appear at the fresh hearing.

'It is important that the case is presented by someone other than a judge, having taken proper steps to set out the offending conduct, by reference to the video in question.'

He said: 'The appellant will be granted bail pending the rehearing. That bail will be conditional.

Timeline: The story of Robinson's imprisonment and release May 25: Robinson was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after Facebook Live protest outside Leeds Crown Court trial. May 27: His sentence sparks protests in central London including outside the gates of Downing Street June 9: A Free Tommy Robinson march in Whitehall turns violent after 21 police officers are hurt when bottles are hurled July 18: Ex-EDL leader launches appeal against his sentence August 1: Judges order his release and say he must face new hearing at the Old Bailey Advertisement

'We order that he is not to approach within 400 metres of Leeds Crown Court. The rehearing will be conducted by the Recorder of London at the Central Criminal Court as soon as reasonably possible.'

Robinson's QC had argued at a hearing in July that the findings of contempt should be quashed as procedural errors had led to prejudice.

Lord Burnett, giving reasons for the Court of Appeal's decision relating to the Leeds Crown Court allegation, said that once Robinson 'had removed the video from Facebook there was no longer sufficient urgency to justify immediate proceedings'.

The court agreed that the judge at Leeds should not have commenced contempt proceedings that day.

Lord Burnett said that 'no particulars of the contempt were formulated or put to the appellant', and there was 'a muddle over the nature of the contempt being considered'.

He added: 'Where a custodial term of considerable length is being imposed, it should not usually occur so quickly after the conduct which is complained of; a sentence of committal to immediate custody had been pronounced within five hours of the conduct taking place.'

The decision send him to prison has sparked several protests all over the country and the campaign to get him freed has garnered support abroad, especially in the United States.

Ex-English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson is expected to leave Onley Prison, near Rugby today

An anti-racism group held a counter-demonstration on the steps of the court and called Robinson a fascist

About 25 Robinson supporters had gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice by the time the ruling was made.

Why was Tommy Robinson jailed for 13 months for contempt of court over Facebook Live video? Robinson was live outside Leeds Crown Court while jurors were in the process of considering verdicts in a trial The judge who jailed Tommy Robinson told him his Facebook Live could have collapsed a six-week trial if the jurors saw it. Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said that Robinson had failed in his 'responsibility to exercise freedom of speech within the law'. Within five hours of his arrest Robinson was jailed for 13 months after pleading guilty to contempt in relation to an ongoing trial. He also admitted breaching the terms of a suspended sentence he was handed in Canterbury last May for a similar offence. 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. '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.' Advertisement

They cheered when news of the decision filtered through.

A similar number of people staged a 'Stand Up To Racism' protest. The two groups were separated by a line of police and exchanged chants.

Supporter David Scott said outside court: 'Brilliant result. I think it's the best we can hope for at the moment.

'Hopefully it will start a backlash against what's gone wrong with this country.'

Supporter Vince Cawthron said outside court after the ruling: 'I am quietly pleased. He could be back with his family in hours.'

Supporters in the packed courtroom broke into a round of applause as Lord Burnett announced the decision.

The judge ordered that there should be 'silence' as he continued to read a summary of the reasons for Wednesday's ruling.

A statement from Carson Kaye solicitors, which represented Robinson, said: 'The rule of law and the right to a fair hearing are fundamental to every individual and this ruling is an example of the procedural safeguards of our system, and its potential for protecting every citizen equally.

'What makes the British system so unique is the ability to set aside personal feelings and deal with the law and each case on its merits.'

About 40 supporters of Tommy Robinson gathered behind a metal railing at the opposite side of the building's entrance to anti-fascist protesters, with police officers between the two groups.

As a group of Stand Up To Racism demonstrators left the area, Robinson's supporters shouted 'cheerio'.

Chief executive Nick Lowles said later Robinson remained 'a fraud' who had 'shown utter contempt for justice and the rule of law'.

In response to today's decision, chief executive Nick Lowles said: 'Far from being a martyr for 'free speech', his are the actions of a dangerous, narcissistic extremist attempting to unite the far right around his virulent Islamophobic agenda'.

Robinson's footage, lasting around an hour, was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted on Facebook.

The far-right activist was given 10 months for contempt of court, which he admitted, and a further three months for breaching a previous suspended sentence.

Robinson, 35, sent a legal team to the Court of Appeal in London to argue his sentence should be cut.

But leading judges reserved their decision until today before giving him a partial victory that secured his release.

Tommy's supporters have gathered outside the High Court today ahead of the decision

What a judge told Robinson after he was found in contempt of court last year Tommy Robinson was warned he was on a 'knife edge' when he was found in contempt of court at a previous court case last year He tried to film four men accused of gang-raping a girl who were standing trial at Canterbury Crown Court that May. At the time, Judge Heather Norton told him: 'This contempt hearing is not about free speech. This is not about the freedom of the press. 'This is not about legitimate journalism, this is not about political correctness, this is not about whether one political viewpoint is right or another. It is about justice and it is about ensuring that a trial can be carried out justly and fairly. 'It is about ensuring that a jury are not in any way inhibited from carrying out their important function. 'It is about being innocent until proven guilty. It is not about people prejudging a situation and going round to that court and publishing material, whether in print or online, referring to defendants as 'Muslim paedophile rapists'. 'A legitimate journalist would not be able to do that and under the strict liability rule there would be no defence to publication in those terms. 'It is pejorative language which prejudges the case, and it is language and reporting  if reporting indeed is what it is  that could have had the effect of substantially derailing the trial.' Advertisement

During the last hearing, his QC Jeremy Dein urged Lord Burnett and two other judges to overturn contempt of court findings, submitting that procedural 'deficiencies' had given rise to 'prejudice'.

Mr Dein, when asking the judges to reduce the jail sentence, argued that it was 'manifestly excessive', and said that 'insufficient weight' had been given to personal mitigation.

The QC said the proceedings in Leeds had been 'unnecessarily and unjustifiably rushed'.

He told the judges: 'We maintain it is of particular importance that right from the outset the appellant, albeit in a very stressful and difficult situation, offered to have the live stream taken down and contact people who could do so.'

There had been no intention to disrupt the trial or to breach any order, Mr Dein said.

Robinson was arrested outside Leeds Crown Court in May after using social media to broadcast details of a trial which is subject to blanket reporting restrictions.

Jailing him, Judge Geoffrey Marson told Robinson his actions could cause the trial to be re-run, costing 'hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds'.

The judge said it was a 'serious aggravating feature' that he was encouraging others to share it and it had been shared widely.

He added: 'Everyone understands the right to freedom of speech but there are responsibilities and obligations.

'I am not sure you appreciate the potential consequence of what you have done.

'People have to understand that if they breach court orders there will be very real consequences.'

It was the second time Robinson had breached court orders, having narrowly avoided jail in May 2017 over footage he filmed during the trial of four men who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl.

The judge on that occasion gave him a three-month suspended sentence and told him his punishment was not about 'freedom of speech or freedom of the press' but about 'justice and ensuring that a trial can be carried out justly and fairly'.

During Robinson's sentencing hearing, his barrister Matthew Harding said the activist had 'deep regret' for what he had done and 'did not try to cause difficulties for the court process'.

Why Tommy Robinson was found in contempt of court - and what his release now means Tommy Robinson is facing a new hearing over an allegation he committed contempt of court. Three leading judges in London quashed a finding made against the former English Defence League leader at Leeds Crown Court in May, and granted Robinson conditional bail from a 13-month jail sentence pending new proceedings at the Old Bailey. Here are some key questions over the case: Why was Tommy Robinson jailed? Robinson was jailed after a judge at Leeds Crown Court found him in contempt of court in May. The judge determined that Robinson's broadcasting of a video online breached a court order which postponed any reporting of a trial until the conclusion of another, linked, trial. He was jailed within five hours of the video being filmed and posted online. He was previously given a suspended sentence for contempt at Canterbury Crown Court, when a judge told him it was likely he would go to prison if he engaged in similar conduct in future. Why has he been released? Robinson has been freed on bail pending a rehearing of the allegation relating to Leeds Crown Court after the finding of contempt was quashed by Court of Appeal judges. The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett, said the judge at Leeds Crown Court was wrong to deal with Robinson as quickly as he did. He said it was 'inappropriate' for the judge to rule on the issue after Robinson took immediate steps to remove the video from the internet and said the case should have been adjourned. He also said it was 'unclear' exactly which aspects of Robinson's conduct had breached the court order and that the 'haste' with which the case was dealt with meant his lawyers weren't given enough time to prepare his mitigation. What is contempt of court? Contempt of court law exists to ensure the fairness and integrity of criminal trials. Where a judge believes there is a 'substantial risk of serious prejudice' to a defendant, an order may be made under the Contempt of Court Act which postpones the reporting of a trial until its conclusion. When making such an order, a judge has to balance the interests of justice in a fair trial taking place with other interests - including free speech and open justice. In most cases where someone is alleged to be in contempt of court, the matter will be referred to the Attorney General. What will happen next? Robinson will face a fresh hearing on the alleged contempt of court. Lord Burnett directed that the case is to be heard by a different judge, at the Old Bailey in London. He also invited the Attorney General Geoffrey Cox to appoint a lawyer to appear at the hearing and present the case to the judge. No date was given for the hearing, which will take place before the Recorder of London, Nicholas Hilliard QC. If found in contempt Robinson may be sent back to prison. Advertisement

Who is Tommy Robinson? How former EDL leader has sparked controversy for years with his far-right activism

With the decline of the English Defence League (EDL) and his other political ventures, far-right activist Tommy Robinson appeared to be fading put of public life.

But his latest jailing won him international attention with backing from the American 'alt-right' and support from those close to Donald Trump.

Under the slogan of Free Tommy Robinson, referencing the alias he is widely known by, his supporters campaigned against his jailing for 13 months after being accused of contempt of court.

Today the 35-year-old was freed on bail after winning a High Court challenge against the finding.

It is by no means his first legal run-in. Years before he founded EDL in 2009, Robinson was convicted of an assault, reportedly on an off-duty police officer.

Robinson (pictured outside Westminster magistrates' in 2013, was jailed in 2014 for 18 months for mortgage fraud

The father was also imprisoned in 2013 for using someone else's passport to travel to the US.

Other convictions include drugs and public order offences and he was jailed in 2014 for 18 months for mortgage fraud.

Having declared in an interview with the Daily Telegraph that 'going to prison was the best thing that ever happened to me' after the passport conviction, he strenuously fought the contempt finding.

A son of the US president, Donald Trump Jr, criticised the case in a tweet, while former Trump adviser Steve Bannon and right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders publicly backed Robinson.

Mr Bannon, a highly-controversial figure of the American right, hailed him as 'the backbone of this country' during a bust-up with an LBC radio reporter.

And, according to reports, a US diplomat lobbied British ambassador to the US Sir Kim Darroch over Robinson's imprisonment after he filmed people involved in a criminal trial subject to reporting restrictions and broadcast the footage online.

Nearly three months before his jailing in May, Robinson's online presence received a hefty boost when he shared a video of him punching the face of a man he described as a migrant.

Born in Luton, he found mainstream limelight when he was charged with assaulting a police officer as EDL clashed with Islamist protesters burning poppies. The case was later dropped.

And after the July 7 bombings in London, he blamed 'every single Muslim' for 'getting away' with the terrorist atrocity, remarks he would later apologise for.

He would also blame EDL for being 'part of the problem' and said he did not 'hate Muslims' as he exited the group and joined counter-extremism think tank Quilliam.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also had convictions include drugs and public order offences

Robinson then went on to form Pegida UK, an anti-Islam group, but it gained little traction.

Supporters claimed his recent jailing was an affront to freedom of speech, but anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate maintained he is an 'extremist and a violent thug' who 'nearly derailed' a trial.

Judges quashed the contempt finding from Leeds Crown Court and ordered a fresh hearing at the Old Bailey.Residents have been left confused by a bureaucratic decision to ban right-hand turns into their own residential street in favour of an express bus line.

Residents in Collaroy, a suburb in Sydney's north, have spoken out about their 18-month battle with Transport for NSW over the 'crazy' decision.

Transport officials have banned any cars from making a right-hand turn into Eastbank Avenue from Pittwater Road in Collaroy which means residents have to drive a 1km loop just to get to their homes.

Residents have been left confused by a bureaucratic decision to ban right-hand turns into their own residential street in favour of an express bus line

Kelly LEstrange (pictured) is the official spokeswoman for the group of disgruntled residents and said the decision seemed 'crazy'

The no right turn would apply between the hours of 6am and 10am and 3pm to 7pm on weekdays while the express B-Line bus is in route.

Kelly LEstrange is the official spokeswoman for the group of disgruntled residents and told The Daily Telegraph that the decision seemed 'crazy'.

'More people will need to use the street and it will make it worse, it just seems crazy they havent thought this through,' she said.

Miss L'Estrange said a new apartment block had been recently finished and with 50 parking spots it would mean even more people were going to be using the street to get home.

She suggested a 'turn right bay' be installed on the Pittwater Road end of the street.

Transport for NSW said the decision was made to improve traffic flow and allow for the B-Line express bus to pass through the street unhindered

However Transport for NSW (TfNSW) said they only received 16 complaints about the decision to impose a no right turn on the street and the decision was made to 'improve traffic flow'.

TfNSW also said that after conducting civil studies of the area they concluded that seven vehicles made that turn throughout the day.

'As a result, a turning bay would present a safety risk, increasing the likelihood of rear end accidents,' a TfNSW document stated.

'A right-hand turn can be made at all other times, the right-hand turn restriction sign will be installed by the end of this month,' a spokesman for TfNSW said.There are fears for the safety of an Australian climber, 29, who was stranded on a mountain overnight in -9C temperatures after a trekking expedition went wrong.

Rescue crews were deployed on Mount Aspiring on New Zealand's South Island after the 29-year-old activated a distress beacon about 12.15pm on Tuesday.

Poor weather conditions hampered search conditions overnight with temperatures falling to -9C and gusts reaching 70km/h.

There are fears for the safety of an Australian climber, 29, who was stranded on Mount Aspiring (pictured) overnight in -9C temperatures after a trekking expedition went wrong

A Maritime New Zealand Coordination Centre spokesman said the climber's family held grave concerns for his safety, especially after discovering he left behind potentially life-saving equipment.

'He left his equipment at the French Ridge Hutt which means he has no sleeping bag, wet weather gear or a cooker,' the spokesman said in a statement.

Rescue crews continue to search for the Australian, who left for the 3033-metre peak trek on Friday.

A helicopter is on stand by ready to take to the skies when the weather clears, and paramedics are stationed at French Ridge and Mount Aspiring in case he finds his way back.

Vince Cholewa, a spokesman from the rescue coordination centre said the distress beacon was spotted moving north-east on Wednesday afternoon, The Age reported.

'The beacon can't move by itself so that's a good sign,' he said.

Cholewa said that the Australian man seemed well-equipped despite his climbing experience being unknown.

'It's not a walk, it's a climb,' he said. 'You need to be an experienced climber to do it.'

The Australian man is yet to be formally identified.

Maritime New Zealand released a statement on Wednesday saying the climber's family held grave concernsA home in regional NSW is being called the cheapest house in the country as it hits the market for just $30,000 and the empty block of land next door is being thrown into the deal.

The 'fixer-upper' is located at 2-4 Empire Place in Wee Waa in regional NSW, about six hours west of Coffs Harbour, a town known as the 'Cotton Capital of Australia'.

'I'd say it would definitely be the cheapest house in NSW, if not the country,' listing agent David Connell from Tower & General told realestate.com.au.

A home in regional NSW is being called the cheapest house in the country as it hits the market for just $30,000 - and the empty block of land next door is being thrown into the deal

The 'fixer-upper' is located at 2-4 Empire Place in Wee Waa in regional NSW, about six hours west of Coffs Harbour

'I'd say it would definitely be the cheapest house in NSW, if not the country,' said listing agent David Connell from Tower & General

Mr Connell estimates the price tag to fix up the house would run at about $10,000 although he admitted his wife said it would come to $20,000

The agent recently dropped the price from between $70,000 to $80,000 after two previous sales fell through and the house was broken into and vandalised.

Mr Connell estimates the price tag to fix up the house would run at about $10,000 although he admitted his wife said it would come to $20,000.

'And so when you add in that the price includes the empty block next door  and that'd normally set you back $10,000 in a slow market itself; it's as good a deal as you're going to get,' he said.

Wee Waa has a population of just over 1600 and is the origin point for Australia's commercial cotton industry, with the fields around the town covered in white from early April.

A state-of-the-art $90million cotton seed processing facility was opened in the region in June this year.

Wee Waa has a population of just over 1600 and is the origin point for Australia's commercial cotton industry, with the fields around the town covered in white from early April

The agent recently dropped the price from between $70,000 to $80,000 after two previous sales fell through and the house was broken into and vandalised

The listing agent admits the house definitely needs work to bring it up to standard



A former child actor-turned-Fox News host is enraged that her posh New York country club is reportedly refusing to seat her and her family for dinner, claiming the establishment won't give them a table because they think she is a Trump supporter.

In a tweet on Sunday night Fox Business Network host Melissa Francis lashed out at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville while also promoting her upcoming interview with Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Treasury Tony Sayegh.

'So excited to have @tony4ny tomorrow on @AftertheBell - happy you're in NYC even if Siwanoy shuns my family yet again,' she tweeted.

'They must prefer @CNN v @FoxNews. Oh well see you on the air!'

Francis made the comment about Siwanoy while promoting her interview with Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Treasury Tony Sayegh

She said the country club has repeatedly said they couldn't sit her family for dinner at their restaurant and she thinks it's because she supports Trump

In her book Lessons from the Prairie, Francis said former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes told her that in order to be a star female anchor she had to be 'someone you'd like to get into bed'. Francis is pictured above with Ailes at a 2012 event in New York

Francis said in a series of now-deleted tweets that Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville repeatedly denied her family a table for dinner. She is pictured above with her husband

'We are member (sic) of Siwanoy Bronxville but somehow, they can't fit us in for dinner,' an outraged Francis said on Twitter

In a second tweet, the 45-year-old host who according to her Twitter is 'not a member of any party' added: 'We are member (sic) of Siwanoy Bronxville but somehow, they can't fit us in for dinner. Repeatedly. I'm sure it's a coincidence and not something more. Right? #NeverTrumpers #cnn #HillaryForever?'

Francis deleted the tweets after Twitter users criticized her for fuming about dinner reservations instead of focusing on more important matters.

'Forget about those millions in Puerto Rico still without power. Melissa Francis can't get a dinner reservation at the posh Siwanoy Bronxville Country Club. Thoughts and prayers,' user Merill Lynch posted.

'Heard in my best Lovey Howell the III voice, "Thurston, we haven't been booked in the Siwanoy in days. What could it be? Are we to be treated like poor people now?" Man, but I love rich white lady "I'm being discriminated against" stories!' a Twitter user named NekoAshi posted.

Sayegh, who was on After the Bell to discuss trade, replied to Francis' tweet inviting her and her family over for dinner.

'Always great to see you and your family. The grille at our house is open to you guys anytime when you're looking to grub in the neighborhood,' he posted.

Francis deleted the tweets after Twitter users criticized her for fuming about dinner reservations instead of focusing on more important matters

The Daily Mail reached out to Siwanoy for comment.

Francis played played Cassandra Cooper Ingalls (pictured) on Little House on the Prairie

Francis, who is married to Chief Investment Officer at Sightway Capital Wray Thorn, has not commented on the backlash.

Before joining Fox News as a commentator, Francis appeared in several TV shows and commercials. When she was six months old she starred in a Johnson & Johnson shampoo commercial. She went on to play Cassandra Cooper Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie for two seasons.

Francis was also in the TV series Morningstar/Eveningstar and Mork & Mindy with Robin Williams.

The mom-of-three joined Fox Business Network in 2012 after leaving CNBC. She currently hosts Fox's After the Bell with David Asman.

In 2012, Francis released her first book Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter about growing up with an overbearing mother. Last year, she wrote Lessons from the Prairie about childhood experiences she had on the show and how she applied them to her adult life.

In the book, she recounts the time a broadcast news boss made unwanted sexual advances towards her while she was an anchor at a small news outlet. She said the then-married executive showed up at her apartment drunk when she was 23 years old.

Pictured: (back, l-r) Dean Butler, Melissa Gilbert, Karen Grassle, Michael Landon as Charles Philip Ingalls, Linwood Boomer and Melissa Sue Anderson (front, l-r) Sidney Greenbush, Jason Bateman, Wendi Turnbaugh, Melissa Francis and Matthew Laborteaux

Francis said he told her she was 'smokin'' and then proceeded to tell her what he wanted to do to her. She said she had to face an illness to get him to leave. Francis said she called her manager the next day and asked for a new job.

'I asked myself what I could have possibly done to make this man think I would let him in that door?' she wrote.

Francis also said she initially thought the allegations against former Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes 'didn't ring true'. Ailes, who died last year, was accused of sexual harassment by more than 20 women.

She said she later recalled a conversation with Ailes who told her that in order for a female anchor to become a star she had to be 'someone you'd like to get into bed'. Francis said Ailes told her she 'fit that bill'.

In June, Sarah Sanders said she was kicked out of the Red Hen restaurant in Virginia because she works for Trump. The president lashed out calling the restaurant 'dirty'

'Yet again Im reminded not to let my desire to see the sunny side of life blind me to the darker underbelly that certainly exists, and the damage it can do,' she wrote. 'Villains are lurking everywhere.'

Francis isn't the only public figure who called out a restaurant for reportedly denying her service because of her political beliefs.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders called out the Red Hen, an American eatery in Lexington, Virginia, for kicking her and family out of the establishment because she worked for Trump.

'Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for @POTUS and I politely left. Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so,' Sanders tweeted in June.

Trump lashed out at the farm-to-table restaurant calling it 'dirty' in a tweet.

'The Red Hen Restaurant should focus more on cleaning its filthy canopies, doors and windows (badly needs a paint job) rather than refusing to serve a fine person like Sarah Huckabee Sanders,' the president wrote. 'I always had a rule, if a restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside.'

Owner Stephanie Wilkinson said at the time that she asked Sanders to leave because her staff did not want her there.

'I explained that the restaurant has certain standards that I feel it has to uphold, such as honesty, and compassion, and cooperation,' she said.

The Red Hen briefly closed after the incident, but reopened in early July and was immediately fully booked.

A US congressional candidate from Oregon has been slammed for his offensive remarks about First Lady Melania Trump after he called her a 'h**bag' and implied she is a prostitute.

Mark Roberts, who is an independent running for Congress in Oregon's 2nd Congressional district, made the comments about Mrs Trump on Twitter on Monday.

'Did you know the First Lady works by the hour? #thinkdirty #h**bag,' Roberts tweeted.

Mark Roberts, who is an independent running for Congress in Oregon's 2nd Congressional district, made the comments about Melania Trump on Twitter on Monday

He was responding to a tweet posted by Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk that said Melania has much fewer members of staff than former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Roberts immediately faced backlash with many calling for him to be banned from the social media platform.

He went back and forth with several critics before doubling down on his previous comments about the First Lady saying: 'You start whipping out $100s and see how #classy she gets #makeitrain!'

Roberts then even challenged Mrs Trump to sue him over the word 'h**bag'.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was among those who called on Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to ban Roberts over his FLOTUS comments.

Roberts is due to go up against Democrat candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner and incumbent Republican Greg Walden in the November election

Roberts immediately faced backlash for his comments about Melania. She is pictured above leaving the White House last Friday with her husband

'@jack this attack on @FLOTUS is disgraceful. Comments like these have no business on any platform. This account should be banned ASAP,' the Republican wrote.

Roberts is due to go up against Democrat candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner and incumbent Republican Greg Walden who has held the seat since 1998 in the November election.

He is a former truck driver and works as an investor in Oregon.

On his campaign website, Roberts lists some of his claims to fame as being one of three bachelors on The Dating Show back in the 1980s.

He also boasts of having sent in an audition tape for the 1987 film 'Full Metal Jacket' and describes himself as being an 'expert Windsurfer'.

Neither President Trump or his wife have commented publicly on Roberts' comments.An overweight bear said to be pushing more than 1,000 pounds was seen struggling to make his way around an Alaska park due to his extreme mass.

Mike Fitz recorded the adult male, dubbed 747, during his trip to Brooks Camp in the Katmai National Park and Preserve.

Fitz said in a statement this week that he was not mocking the bear's obesity by taking the video - citing that 747's fatness is 'a mark of success.'

This heavy-set bear nicknamed 747 has seemingly overprepared for hibernation

747, said to weigh more than 1,000 pounds, bear was seen on video struggling to walk due to his weight

He wrote in the YouTube description: 'Fat bears are successful bears. They must eat a years worth of food in six months or less to survive.

'Brown bears need fat to survive and the most successful bears, those who have eaten the most food, are seasonally obese.'

The man went on to say: 'This bear uses his fat reserves to survive winter hibernation when he does not eat, drink, urinate, defecate.

After emerging from the river, 747 is seen taking a nice break and giving himself a back rub on a tree

The video was recorded at Brooks Camp in the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska

'In late spring, before salmon have arrived, he still relies on his fat reserves to fuel his pursuit of female bears during the mating season.'

The nearly two-minute video clip shows 747 emerge from Brooks River as he slowly walks to dry ground and into the woods.

747 is seen taking a nice break and even giving himself a back rub on a tree.

After some time, 747 is seen happily wobbling back into the river before the video ends.

A man named Mike Fitz, who recorded the bear, said his obesity is a sign of 'success'Australians are being ripped off by a visa scam that is charging them more than six times what they should be paying - but there's an easy way to avoid it.

An Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) is a visa waiver required for entry to the United States of America.

Hundreds of Australians are being conned into paying up to US$89 (AU$120) for an ESTA when it should be costing far less.

Unofficial sites are charging unsuspecting travellers up to $100 more than they should be paying.

An Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) is a visa waiver required for entry to the United States of America (Pictured: Statue of Liberty)

An ESTA should only cost US$14 (AU$19) for travellers, but Australians are being duped into forking out six times that amount.

The safest way to pay is to use the official US Customs and Border Protection website.

Sites that charge far more often seem official but contain fine print which states they are not affiliated with the US government, Escape reported.

Even those that catch on after making the bloated payment are not always safe, as trying to stop payment can lead to an ESTA being declined if the scammer has already applied for it.

A warning on the official site recommends contacting the US government to confirm your ESTA is legitimate.

'We recommend you do this because we have no way of knowing if the information passed through the third party website to us is accurate,' it states.

An ESTA should only cost US$14 (AU$19) for travellers, but Australians are being duped into paying more

'If it is not, you may have a problem when you arrive in the US.'

An Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said people should check with the government's Smartraveller website if they have concerns about their ESTA.

'We advise all Australians travelling overseas to find out early which visas they need by contacting the relevant foreign embassy or consulate of the countries they intend to visit,' he said.A Florida teacher has doubled his salary by quitting the classroom to become a professional grocery shopper earning $100k a year.

Ed Hennessey, 45, spent 20 years of his life teaching students at Oviedo High School, but always had to work extra jobs at Blockbuster, Old Navy, Target and later Uber to support his two children.

He joined Shipt part-time in 2015, had some success building up a customer base, and then took a year-long sabbatical to shop full-time two years. Last month, he gave up teaching for good.

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Ed Hennessey, 45, spent 20 years of his life teaching students at Oviedo High School, but always had to work extra jobs at Blockbuster, Old Navy, Target and later Uber to support his two children

'It's so relaxing, I get to go out. I see people, I'm my own boss - I am what I want to be,' he told Wesh 2.

'My approach and making sure that I know my customers and know exactly what they want.'

Hennessey puts in 50 to 60 hours a week, without the advantage of the school summer holidays.

Hennessey said he never wanted to leave teaching, which he described as the 'best time of his life', but did not have a sufficient income when his salary never topped $50,000.

Hennessey (pictured) started working with Shipt part-time in 2015, had some success building up a customer base, and then took a year-long sabbatical to shop full-time two years. Last month, he gave up teaching for good

'Leaving education is one of the scariest things and very sad,' he said. 'I don't think there is a way to turn it around unless you're going to offer more money.'

Working for Shipt involves fulfilling orders which customers send through an app, which sends a shopping list to his phone.

The app pays him a flat rate for the trip, plus an extra percentage based on the local area rate. Customers are also able to tip.Chris Hardwick is returning to NBC next week after an investigation into sexual assault allegations made by a former girlfriend.

The network said that Hardwick will serve as a guest host next Tuesday on 'America's Got Talent' and will return as host for season three of 'The Wall' game show. Production on 'The Wall' is set to begin in the fall.

The announcement came a week after AMC said he would be back with 'Talking Dead' and 'Talking with Chris Hardwick' following the review.

Chris Hardwick (pictured hosting season two of The Wall) is returning to our screens next week after an NBC investigation into sexual assault allegations made by a former girlfriend

His ex, Chloe Dykstra, 29, (pictured with him in 2014) accused him of pressuring her into sex and ultimately derailing her career

His ex, Chloe Dykstra, 29, took to blogging site Medium on June 14 to describe how a former boyfriend pressurized her into sex and ultimately derailed her career. Although she did not specifically name Hardwick, several details clearly referred to him.

Hardwick, 46, denied the claims and AMC began an investigation, which concluded last week with the channel saying that the presenter returning to work was the 'appropriate step'.

'Following a comprehensive assessment by AMC, working with Ivy Kagan Bierman of the firm Loeb & Loeb, who has considerable experience in this area, Chris Hardwick will return to AMC as the host of Talking Dead and Talking with Chris Hardwick,"' AMC told The Wrap.

'We take these matters very seriously and given the information available to us after a very careful review, including interviews with numerous individuals, we believe returning Chris to work is the appropriate step.'

Hardwick will return to Talking Dead for its premiere on August 12. The show dissects episodes of The Walking Dead zombie apocalypse franchise. No date has been set for the return of Talking with Chris Hardwick.

Dykstra said she lost 15 pounds in a week because of the stress of the relationship and battled anorexia. The picture on the left is a 'progress shot' she shared in her essay detailing the abuse while the picture on the right is from June 14, 2018

Dykstra also accused her ex of sexually assaulting her on a regular basis before their breakup in 2014

Yvette Nicole Brown, who took over during his absence, will still serve as host for AMC's Walking Dead season 9 preview special, which airs on August 5.

In the essay titled Rose-Colored Glasses: A Confession, Dykstra said she experienced 'long-term abuse' by her ex-boyfriend, who she said is 20 years older her. The actress wrote that she met him at a convention when she was in her early 20s.

Dykstra, an actor and cosplayer, wrote that the relationship 'started out poorly' and within in the first two weeks of them dating he had given her a set of rules she had to follow.

Some of them included her reserving her nights for her ex. Dykstra said because he had a busy schedule, she rarely saw her friends.

'I was to not have close male friends unless we worked together. All photos of male friends were to be removed from my apartment. This was heartbreaking for me, as my best friend happened to be male,' she wrote about rule No. 2.

Dykstra also said she was also not allowed to have alcohol, because he was sober. Hardwick has often discussed his struggles with alcohol addiction.

'Before we began dating he said, 'I noticed you have a glass of wine with dinner. That's going to stop,' she wrote.

According to the actress, other rules included not speaking in public places because he thought 'people recognized him and were listening to our conversations.'

'Our dinners out were usually silent, him on his phone,' she added.

Hardwick will return to Talking Dead, on which he is pictured in this undated file photo, for its premiere on August 12

She also said she wasn't allowed to take photos of them together but eventually loosened up on that rule, but always made her ask permission first.

'These were just a few of them. And I made the choice to accept his controlling behavior, as he'd just left his long-term girlfriend and I assumed that he was going through some serious emotional discomfort. This was a huge mistake,' she wrote.

The essay continued stating that the man would leave Dykstra in hotel rooms while he attended events and he forced her to take an on-camera job at his company. Dykstra wrote that she was against working for a significant other but she 'scared to upset him' so she took the position.

'I accepted the job, but I refused payment for my work, feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing (though the lovely folks at his company eventually forced me to take a check). By this time, like I said, I was terrified to piss him off- so I did what he said,' she posted.

Dykstra also accused her ex of sexually assaulting her on a regular basis before their breakup in 2014.

'I was expected to be ready for him when he came home from work. ... Every night, I laid there for him, occasionally in tears. He thought the whole idea was funny,' she wrote. 'To be fair, I did go along with it out of fear of losing him.'

Dykstra said after three of 'being snapped/yelled at constantly, very rarely being shown any affection' she ended the relationship. Her ex, according to Dykstra, retaliated by blacklisting her.

In a statement Hardwick said: 'I was heartbroken to read Chloe's post. Our three year relationship was not perfect - we were ultimately not a good match and argued - even shouted at each other - but I loved her, and did my best to uplift and support her as a partner and companion in any way and at no time did I sexually assault her.

'When we were living together, I found out that Chloe cheated on me, and I ended the relationship.

'For several week after we broke up, she asked me to get back together with me and even told me she wanted to have kids with me, 'build a life' with me and told me that I was 'the one,' but I did not want to be with someone who was unfaithful.

Hardwick is now married to model Lydia Hearst. They are pictured together at a premiere in LA in April, 2018. He denied the allegations

'I'm devastated to read that she is now accusing me of conduct that did not occur. I was blindsided by her post and always wanted the best for her. As a husband, a son, and future father, I do not condone any kind of mistreatment of women.'

He was backed by his wife Lydia Hearst and several ex-girlfriends including Jacinda Barrett, who said: the accusers story bears no resemblance to the one I shared with him all those years ago.

Chris Hardwick's net worth is estimated to be $15 million (11.3m), according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Hardwick's wealth comes from his work as a host on a variety of AMC and NBC shows including Talking With Chris Hardwick, Talking Dead and The Wall.

Hardwick started his Nerdist blog in 2008 and used it as a platform to talk about pop culture and his other interests. In 2010, the blog evolved into the Nerdist podcast, which has been voted in the top ten podcasts by the likes of the AV Club and Rolling Stone.

The presenter remembers realising he was a 'nerd' very early on. He told Rolling Stone: 'I knew that I was into stuff that the other kids weren't into. There were probably five other kids in my entire school who I identified with. We were in the chess club. We played D&D and Atari 2600 games. When the movie Revenge Of The Nerds came out, I was like, 'Oh, I'm a nerd!'Labor's deputy leader Tanya Plibersek has backed an investigation into one of her embattled colleague's taxpayer-funded trip to a Bruno Mars concert with a girlfriend.

Emma Husar, the first-term Labor backbencher for Lindsay in Sydney's far west, is embroiled in a new expenses controversy after it was revealed she took her friend Chief Inspector Tracy Stone to a Brisbane show in March.

Ms Plibersek claimed that while the report in The Daily Telegraph was inaccurate and 'preposterous', she welcomed a probe into how taxpayers' money was spent.

Labor's deputy leader Tanya Plibersek (pictured) has backed an investigation into one of her embattled colleague's taxpayer-funded trip to a Bruno Mars concert with a girlfriend

Labor backbencher Emma Husar is embroiled in a new expenses controversy after it was revealed she took her amigo Chief Inspector Tracy Stone to a Brisbane show in March

Ms Husar reportedly attended a National Disability Insurance Scheme hearing in Cairns on March 14, but skipped a second hearing in Townsville the next day after travelling to Brisbane for the Bruno Mars concert

'It is absolutely vital that every single dollar of taxpayer funding is used appropriately, there is no question of that,' she told Sky News today.

'If there are any issues like this to investigate they should be looked at properly. Every single dollar of taxpayer funding should be used appropriately.'

Ms Husar, who is already under fire over the way she is alleged to have treated her electorate staff in Penrith, reportedly attended a National Disability Insurance Scheme hearing in Cairns on March 14, but skipped a second hearing in Townsville the next day after travelling to Brisbane for the Bruno Mars concert.

The Labor backbencher, who won her marginal seat in 2016, flew into Brisbane from Cairns, claiming $114 for a government-funded Comcar from the airport to her hotel.

Taxpayers were also charged for her hotel room, which she shared with a friend.

'To be abundantly clear, no work expenses were used to attend a concert,' Ms Husar tweeted today.

She said she was in Cairns on March 14 to attend a day-long committee hearing on the NDIS, and then had two meetings in Brisbane with organisations to discuss domestic violence policy issues on March 15.

'The concert tickets were a birthday present from a friend,' Ms Husar said.

On Twitter, Ms Husar denied allegations of using taxpayer dollars to purchase the concert tickets

The member for Lindsay had no meetings in Brisbane on the day of the concert

'Confident I've always acted within the rules but have asked IPEA to double-check and review as I take the use of taxpayers' money extremely seriously.'

The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority monitors and investigates politicians' use of their taxpayer-funded entitlements.

The member for Lindsay, who is on a $207,000 salary, had no meetings in Brisbane on the day of the concert.

The Labor MP and her friend also stayed the night in a hotel room together, which was also claimed by Ms Husar.

She also claimed $492 for the flight back from Brisbane to Sydney.

Ms Husar defended the use of taxpayer-funds to travel to Brisbane.

'Of course no work expenses were used to attend a concert. Any assertion otherwise is preposterous,' her spokesman said.

'These meetings were relevant to Emma's role as Secretary of the Opposition Status of Women Caucus Committee and noting her involvement in domestic violence policy development.

The embattled MP for the western Sydney seat of Lindsay has defended the trip

Her spokesman did not respond when the paper asked if the two work meetings had been organised before or after Ms Husar decided to go to the concert.

In a statement NSW Police said that Chief Inspector Stone had known Ms Husar because they had gone to the same school together and confirmed that they had travelled to Queensland together.

'There have been no allegations of misconduct in relation to Chief Inspector Stone concerning her policing responsibilities and her friendship with Ms Husar.

'As part of her responsibilities, Chief Inspector Stone is required to engage with leaders throughout the Command as part of our wider and varied partnerships for crime prevention.'

Ms Husar announced last week she will take personal leave effective immediately amidst allegations that she had bullied former staff members.

She is facing an internal investigation into allegations of workplace bullying and harassment of staff with claims she asked staff members to clean up her dog's faeces and babysit her children.

Claims were made against her, saying she mistreated staff, including asking them to clean-up after her dog (pictured)

She tweeted that she is a domestic violence survivor and fears for her family's safety

In a statement she said the last few days had been very difficult for her and her family.

'I have written to the chief opposition whip to advise him that I will be taking personal leave, effective immediately,' her statement said.

'I'm a single mum and my first priority is the safety and well being of my children.

'The best thing for me and my family right now is for us to be out of the spotlight so I can access support.'

The trip to Brisbane came just several months after Penrith Police investigated a domestic dispute involving Ms Husar and her teenage daughter.

Officers attended the incident but no further action was taken. Ms Husar's daughter now lives with her father Peter Fenton, the MP's former husband.A businessman has been extradited to Sydney over his alleged role in a $500 million cocaine ring after he was arrested at a five-star Belgrade hotel and spent months detained in a Serbian prison.

David Campbell, now 49, was arrested at gunpoint in the foyer of the Metropol Palace Hotel in January, along with Canberra steel importer and stockyards' director Rohan Arnold, 43, and former Canberra nightclub owner Tristan Waters, 34.

Campbell was flown into Sydney under police escort on Tuesday after facing domestic firearm charges in Serbia, according to the Australian Federal Police.

It's alleged he was involved in importing 1.28 tonnes of cocaine into Australia.

David Campbell, 49, was extradited to Sydney from Serbia after his alleged involvement in $500million drug bust (pictured)

Campbell (pictured) was arrested at a Belgrade hotel in January and spent months in a Serbian prison before his extradition

The haul, seized in April 2017, was the second largest in Australian history and was hidden inside pre-fabricated steel in a Chinese container ship docked in Sydney.

Detectives allegedly found 2576 individual blocks of cocaine with an estimated street value up to $500 million.

Campbell is expected to appear Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday on charges which include importing a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs and conspiring to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs.

Arnold, his co-accused, was extradited in March and is expected to face a NSW Supreme Court bail hearing on Thursday.

Waters, who ran the now-closed Canberra nightclub Minque, remains locked up in a Serbian jail.

Waters moved to Dubai in recent years and reportedly owns hotels and assets worth more than $1 billion.

The drug bust was the second largest in Australian history as detectives allege that 2576 individual blocks of cocaine were found with an estimated street value up to $500 million

Campbell is expected to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday for charges which include importing a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs and conspiring to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs

Arnold is one of nine shareholders in the South Eastern Livestock Exchange (SELX) in NSW, which also runs the Western Victorian Livestock Exchange (WVLX).

Following his arrest in January, SELX director Brendan Abbey said he thought his business partner had travelled to China.

'He has an interest in some steel factories in China and we thought he was going there,' Mr Abbey told AAP.

Australian Federal Police acting Manager Organised Crime Commander Peter Bodel thanked Serbian authorities for their ongoing assistance in a statement.

'More and more, the AFP's investigations will span across borders as we continue in our work dismantling organised crime at the source, making these partnerships and the cooperation with international authorities vital,' acting Commander Bodel said.

ABF Regional Commander for NSW, Danielle Yannopoulos, said it was a result of cooperation and intelligence between Australian law enforcement agencies and international counterparts.President Donald Trump is distancing himself from his former campaign manager Paul Manafort as day two begins in the explosive trial brought about through special counsel Robert Mueller's Russian investigation.

He compared his Manafort to Al Capone, saying the notorious gangster - who was involved in bootlegging and Chicago's legendary St. Valentine's Day massacre that saw seven rival gang leaders killed - was treated better than his former campaign manager.

Capone was ultimately busted by the feds for tax evasion, a charge Manafort is facing. He served time in Alcatraz, where he was stabbed by a fellow inmate.

'Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and 'Public Enemy Number One,' or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement - although convicted of nothing? Where is the Russian Collusion?,' Trump wrote on Twitter Wednesday.

Manafort was being held in solitary confinement while he awaited his trial to begin and spent parts of his incarceration in the VIP section of the Northern Neck Regional Jail.

Trump also is arguing the tax evasion and bank fraud charges Manafort is facing - which have to do with his business dealings from his lobbying firm and not his work with the Trump campaign - are 'old' and 'have nothing to do with collusion.'

'Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!,' the president tweeted Wednesday morning.

Al Capone, left, spent time in Alcatraz while Paul Manafort, right, spent part of the time in the VIP section of his prison

Trump says Al Capone was treated better than his campaign manager

Trump distanced himself from his former campaign manager as Day Two of Manafort's trial began

Trump pointed out Manafort only worked for him for a short time

Manafort, seen here with Trump at the Republican National Convention in July 2016, worked for the campaign for about three months

Trump has repeatedly distanced himself from his former campaign aide, saying Manafort was only with his team for a short time and has asked why he wasn't told there was an investigation into him when he worked for him.

Manafort was with the Trump campaign for about three months and left when his work with the Ukraines, which he began in 2006, was revealed.

Manafort's also scheduled for trial in Washington D.C. on September 17 on charges of money laundering and failing to register as a lobbyist in his work before 2014 on behalf of Ukraine's pro-Russian president at the time, Viktor Yanukovych.

He formally registered as a lobbyist for the Ukraine in June 2017, after his work for that country was revealed.

Manafort has plead not guilty in both cases.

The FBI reportedly began looking into him in 2014 after Yanukovych was disposed.

But there are ties between Manafort and the Russia probe.

Manafort, who was Trump's campaign chairman at the time, was at the infamous June Trump Tower meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer who claimed to have information on Hillary Clinton.

That meeting is now part of Mueller's look into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

On the first day of his trial, prosecutors claimed Manafort orchestrated a multimillion-dollar conspiracy to evade U.S. tax and banking laws, leaving behind a trail of lies as he lived a lavish lifestyle.

Prosecutor Uzo Asonye told the jury during his opening statement Tuesday that Manafort considered himself above the law as he funneled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts. That 'secret income' was used to pay for personal expenses such as a $21,000 watch, a $15,000 jacket made of ostrich and more than $6 million worth of real estate paid for in cash, Asonye said.

'A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him - not tax law, not banking law,' Asonye said as he sketched out the evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Mueller's team in Manafort's bank fraud and tax evasion trial.

Kathleen Manafort, wife of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, arrives at the Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse on Wednesday

This courtroom sketch depicts Paul Manafort, fourth from right, standing with his lawyers in front of U.S. district Judge T.S. Ellis III, center rear, and the selected jury, seated left, during the jury selection of his trial at the Alexandria Federal Courthouse.

Manafort's trial is the first arising from Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia. It opened with extraordinary anticipation amid unresolved questions about whether Trump associates coordinated with the Kremlin to tip the election in the president's favor.

But it was clear from the outset that the case would not address that question: Prosecutors did not once reference Manafort's work for the Trump campaign nor mention Mueller's broader and ongoing investigation into Russian election interference. Mueller was not present in the courtroom.

Manafort, the lone American charged by Mueller who has opted to stand trial instead of cooperate with prosecutors, was described by his defense lawyer as a hugely successful international political consultant who left the details of his finances to others.

He relied on a team of financial experts to keep track of the millions of dollars he earned from his Ukrainian political work and to ensure that that money was being properly reported, said attorney Thomas Zehnle. He especially trusted business associate Rick Gates, who pleaded guilty in Mueller's investigation and is now the government's star witness. But that trust was misplaced, Zehnle said in an opening statement that made clear that undermining the credibility of Gates - a former Trump campaign aide who spent years working for Manafort in Ukraine - is central to the defense strategy.

Zehnle warned jurors that Gates could not be trusted and was the type of witness who would say anything he could to save himself from a lengthy prison sentence and a crippling financial penalty.

'Money's coming in fast. It's a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it,' Zehnle said. 'That's what Rick Gates was being paid to do.'

The trial, decided by a jury of six men and six women who were seated after a brief selection process Tuesday, is expected to last several weeks.

After opening statements, the jury heard from the government's first witness, Democratic strategist Tad Devine, who testified about his collaborations with Manafort on behalf of Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych and his Party of Regions. Devine testified that Manafort ran a tightly disciplined, professional campaign that contributed to his candidate's victory.

Central to the government's case are allegations that Manafort funneled more than $60 million in proceeds from his Ukrainian political consulting through offshore accounts, including in Cyprus, and hid a 'significant' portion of it from the IRS. He created 'bogus' loans, falsified documents and lied to his tax preparer and bookkeeper to conceal the money, which he obtained from Ukrainian oligarchs through a series of shell company transfers and later from fraudulently obtained bank loans in the U.S., prosecutors said.

Kevin Downing (L) and Richard Westling, attorneys of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, arrive at the Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse on Tuesday

Paul Manafort's also scheduled for trial in Washington D.C. on September 17 on charges of money laundering and failing to register as a lobbyist

But Zehnle said there was no evidence that Manafort ever intended to deceive the IRS. He denied allegations that Manafort had tried to conceal his earnings by storing money in bank accounts in Cyprus, saying that arrangement was not of Manafort's doing but was instead the preferred method of payment of the supporters of the pro-Russia Ukrainian political party who were paying his consulting fees.

Defense lawyers also sought to address head-on Manafort's wealth and the images of a gaudy lifestyle that jurors are expected to see.

'Paul Manafort travels in circles that most people will never know and he's gotten handsomely rewarded for it,' Zehnle said. 'We do not dispute that.'

Manafort has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the U.S. government.

The other 31 people charged by Mueller so far have either pleaded guilty or are Russians seen as unlikely to enter an American courtroom. Three Russian companies have also been charged.The phallic flight pattern showed up on the NYPD's tracking system back in March when the pilots opted to protest against Aviation Unit head Inspector James Coan (above)

Five New York Police pilots who were feuding with their boss flew a $4 million counter-surveillance plane in a giant penis-shaped route in a bid to troll him.

The phallic flight pattern showed up on the NYPD's tracking system back in March when the pilots opted to protest against Aviation Unit head Inspector James Coan, the New York Post reports.

Supervisors monitoring the flight-tracking software immediately alerted Coan when they noticed the penis shape.

Two of the pilots were removed from the unit as a result and the others disciplined after a departmental hearing.

The pilots staged the protest after they questioned whether the federally-funded plane was safe to fly over water at low altitude.

They were concerned about crashing into the ocean if a propeller happened to blow.

The pilots staged the protest after they questioned whether the federally-funded plane was safe to fly over water at low altitude. A similar model to the NYPD plane is pictured above

The pilots said they were ordered to start carrying out the flights in July last year.

Coan reportedly increased the number of runs in March.

'Any of the people who complained about the mission  they got the st end of the stick,' a source told the Post.

'They had to do all these menial tasks outside their job description, including washing (Coan's) car.'

The NYPD agreed in May to stop the missions until meeting with union representatives.

The plane in question was the same one the NYPD used to shuttle Mayor Bill de Blasio to and from vacation in Canada last month.A 35-year-old man who was sentenced for sending obscene sexual texts to his 12-year-old son before molesting him has appealed for his six-month prison sentence to be cut.

Unnamed for legal reasons, the man from Ballarat, a regional town about two hours west of Melbourne, was sentenced in June and will be registered as a sex offender for the next eight years.

He appeared before Ballarat Magistrates Court via video link on Wednesday to apply for appeal bail.

A father who sent sexually explicit texts to his own son before molesting him has appealed for his six-month prison sentence to be cut (stock image)

Magistrate Bob Kumar granted the father appeal bail under conditions he not contact witnesses, lives at a consistent address and not leave Victoria, the Courier reported.

The man's appeal hearing will be held at a later date in the County Court.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent acts with a child under 16-years-old in June.

He was sentenced to six-months in jail and an 18-month-long Community Corrections Order as soon as he's released.

The court heard of texts he sent his own son, asking him whether he was masturbating.

The Ballarat Magistrates Court court granted the appeal bail, meaning he will face an appeal court at a later date

As many as five times over three months, the man would touch him inappropriately over his clothes or pyjamas.

The boy's mother was distraught when she heard of the misconduct, saying her heart stopped when she saw the text messages on her sons mobile phone.

7,171 Australian children under 16 were the victims of sexual abuse in 2015-2016 according to the most recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.'Legacy issues' have forced Sumo Salad into voluntary administration but the company insists it is 'business as usual' for its 85 stores.

The Australian fresh food chain is desperately searching for a buyer after appointing insolvency specialists Ferrier Hodgson last month.

On July 18, the company put the entire business, bar its Western Australian branches, into administration.

The firm had been closing stores in recent months, shutting around 20 stores to bring the total number down to 85.

Only five years ago, they were placed on Australian business magazine BRW's Fast Franchise list.

Promoted by famous personal trainer, Steve 'Commando' Willis (pictured), Sumo Salad hoped they would be competing for customers with McDonald's by 2020

Instead, they've been closing stores and have gone into voluntary administration

Last year, founder Luke Baylis was forced to place some stores into administration because of landlord disputes.

But Ferrier Hodgson Partner Morgan Kelly told 2GB those issues have been dealt with.

This time around, the reason for voluntary administration isn't a leasing issue, but rather an identity issue.

'Whats now occurred is that the group has been attempting to deal with its legacy issues and balance sheet problems,' Mr Kelly said.

He also said that he isn't expecting to have to negotiate leases with landlords.

A spokesperson for Sumo Salad told Daily Mail Australia: 'The decision by management to go into [voluntary administration] is part of a long-term strategy to restructure and extend the brand into grocery and convenience.'

He says that the process is expected to take between 35 and 60 days.

When they first opened, food courts were the only places people wanted fast food, the spokesperson said.

But partnerships with airlines and fast-food groups are being explored by the chain with the hope of expanding the variety of locations to airports, hospitals and office buildings.

Home delivery and supermarket offerings are also being explored.

The move into voluntary administration a year after it was reported they almost sold the business for $50million

A report from the Australian said that the business was almost sold for $50million last year, but a deal fell through.

Speculation at the time from investors was that the renting costs of Westfield Shopping Centres was too high for the business, and they considered pulling out of food courts altogether.

Sumo Salad capitalised on insolvency laws to force the shopping centres to charge lower rates for franchisees, resulting in business-wide $57.5million turnover for the financial year.

The company has denied that there are similar renting issues this time around, saying that voluntary administrations are a 'legacy' issue, and nothing more.Customers at a New Zealand supermarket risk being fined a minimum of $5 if they consume products before paying for them.

The bizarre sign popped up at New World Supermarket in Auckland, and was tweeted by a shopper on Tuesday warning customers of the fine.

The sign, which is all in caps, read: 'Minimum $5 fine for eating unpaid items. Thanks.'

The bizarre sign popped up at New World Supermarket in Auckland, and was tweeted by a shopper on Tuesday warning customers of the fine

Chris Quin (pictured), the company's head, was unsure as to why a sign was necessary saying theft is more of an issue

Chris Quin, the company's head, replied to the tweet: 'Think paying for the product is sort of universal?'

When asked for clarification, Mr Quin was unsure as to why a sign was necessary.

'...the real issue is the theft occurring right? Would love that no signs were needed,' he tweeted.

Social media users slammed the warning while some made fun of it.

'Yeah need an answer to this. Often give daughter a yoghurt pouch or similar for the trip round the aisles,' one person tweeted.

'If it's a $5 minimum, what's the maximum? And will I still get @FlyBuysNZ points on the fine?' one asked.

'Someone needs to explain what a fine is to @NewWorld I think,' another tweeted.

'A fine is a bizarre way to deal with theft. Prosecute people, trespass them, or offer opportunity to pay - all make more sense. If I consumed a drink while doing my shop and scanned empty bottle would I be "fined"? Because sign implies that,' another asked.

Early Wednesday morning, Mr Quin reported that the sign was removed.

'Sign is gone, store will work on other ways to address theft, of course some people do the right thing and pay, sadly a solid number consume and dump, when asked everyone says they intended to pay....it was clumsy but please consider why the store felt they had to try this,' he tweeted.

Early Wednesday morning, Mr Quin reported that the sign was removed from New World



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This story is no longer available on our site.Australia's population is growing at a rate of one person per minute, and is set to hit the 25million mark next week - almost 25 years earlier than predicted.

The rapid growth rate has taken demographers and government planners by surprise, with the benchmark approaching an incredible three decades faster than predicted in 1994 and 2002.

The unanticipated population boom has put pressure on transport infrastructure and the environment, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne where congestion is a way of life.

As recently as 2002, the federal government's first inter-generational report predicted the 25million milestone would not be surpassed until 2042.

With Australia adding one person every one minute and 23 seconds, the population will instead reach this level early next week, with the nation now home to 24,993,468 people as of Wednesday afternoon.

Australia's population is growing at a rate of one person per minute, and is set to hit the 25million mark next week - almost 25 years earlier than predicted (Sydney's Bondi Beach pictured)

Social researcher Mark McCrindle said the 25 million milestone would be reached on August 8, just two-and-a-half years after Australia overtook the 24 million level.

Paul Jones, Associate Professor of Urban Planning at Sydney University, told Daily Mail Australia better planning was needed to deal with population pressures.

'We need better management to make sure we can maintain our lifestyles, and reduce the impact on the social and urban environment,' he said.

'We're seeing "death by distance" in cities like Sydney where commutes are getting longer and planning has not kept up with increases in density.

'We need to be at the driving wheel better than we have in the past if we are going to cope with these changes.'

Mr Jones said the increasing diversity of Australia's large cities was another component of rapid population growth that needed to be properly managed.

'If you look at western Sydney for example it's now incredibly diverse, that's fantastic, but it's another challenge for government,' he said.

Paul Jones, Associate Professor of Urban Planning at Sydney University, told Daily Mail Australia better planning was needed to deal with population pressures (Pictured: Strathfield train station)

Australia's population growth 1881: 2.3 million 1918: 5 million 1959: 10 million 1981: 15 million 1991: 17.4 million 2004: 20 million 2013: 23 million 2016: 24 million 2018: 25 million Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics; House of Representatives Standing Committee for Long-Term Strategies, December 1994 Advertisement

Mr Jones pointed to new statistics showing 26 per cent of Australia's population was overseas-born, compared to 18 per cent in 1966, saying the increase had surprised planners in many areas.

The 2016 Census revealed a total of 6.9million Australians were born overseas, with 14 per cent of those from the U.K. and nine percent from New Zealand.

Projections from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show increases of one birth every one minute and 42 seconds, and one arrival every 61 seconds.

With one Australian leaving every minute and 51 seconds and one death every three minutes and 16 seconds, the net increase is one person every minute and 23 seconds.

Australia reached the 24 million level in February 2016, overtook the 23 million mark in April 2013 and hit 20 million in October 2004.

In 1994, a federal parliamentary inquiry, titled 'One Nation, Two Ecologies' predicted Australia's population would reach 23 million by 2040, a population benchmark that was surpassed in 2013, or 27 years ahead of schedule.

Australia's net annual immigration rate climbed above 100,000 in 2002, before soaring above 200,000 in 2012, levels which were both above the 20th century average of 70,000 a year.

In the 2016-17 financial year, Australia's net immigration rate stood at 262,489.

Before the number of people moving overseas was factored in, a record 539,000 immigrants came to Australia.Advertisement

A blistering heatwave nicknamed the Iberian Plume has swept into Britain, driving temperatures from 77F today towards a scorching 90F on Friday, as Europe faces its hottest day ever with conditions in Spain expected to hit 188F.

Britain has seen its driest first half of summer since 1961, as August has kicked off on a blistering note, stretching out July's heatwave that marked the longest in five years.

Last month was the third warmest July on record, provisional figures show. The mean average temperature across the UK was 17.2C (62.9F), behind the 2006 record of 17.8C (64.04F) and also 17.3C (63.14F) in 1983.

The scorching weather is brought on by a withering heatwave from the Iberian Peninsula that's melting Europe, as temperatures in Spain and Portugal are forecast to range between 104F (40C) and 118F (48C) in the coming days.

The plume has stretched into the UK, causing the south to brace for another heatwave this weekend as temperatures will peak at nearly 90F (31C) on Friday.

The crippling heat has withered the country's fields, and despite raining for the first time in weeks over the weekend, the 'tinderbox' conditions have reduced grass growth and 'depleted' some yields.

Farmers are now warning of an 'unprecedented' impact on food production by the hot, dry weather ahead of a 'drought summit' with government officials today.

A blistering heatwave nicknamed the Iberian Plume has swept into Britain, driving temperatures from 77F today towards a scorching 90F on Friday. Pictured: Student, Anuschka Pinto, 21, takes a stroll along Bournemouth beach today

Britain has seen its driest first half of summer since 1961, as August has kicked off on a blistering note, stretching out July's heatwave that marked the longest in five years. Pictured: Bournemouth beach on Wednesday

The heatwave is back in full force in the southern regions of England, despite heavy downpours on Tuesday morning that wreaked havoc for hundreds of Ryanair flights. Pictured: A man tanning in St James Park this afternoon

The crippling heat has withered the country's fields, and despite raining for the first time in weeks over the weekend, the 'tinderbox' conditions have reduced grass growth and 'depleted' some yields. Pictured: The dried up Dovestone Reservoir in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester

Pictured: Parched section of the Wayoh Reservoir spanned by the Armsgrove Viaduct at Edgworth near Bolton on Wednesday

The Met forecast has warned parts of Spain and Portugal are set to sizzle with temperatures ranging between 104F (40C) and 118F (48C) in the coming days from the Iberian plume that's heating up the UK as well

What is an Iberian plume? An Iberian plume is a weather pattern where warm air moves from the Iberian plateau or the Sahara into Europe and the UK. It is caused by high pressure air formed in the Iberian Peninsula, which then pushes and the heat up. Unlike a Spanish plume, this type of plume is much more stable and often doesn't cause thunderstorms. Advertisement

The heatwave is back in full force in the southern regions of England, despite heavy downpours on Tuesday morning that wreaked havoc for hundreds of Ryanair flights.

Even Love Island winners Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham and their fellow finalists Kazimir Crossley, Josh Denzel, Wes Nelson and Megan Barton Hanson were caught up in delays as they tried to leave the Palma Majorca airport.

As airline passengers were faced with massive delays due to thundery conditions from Tuesday morning, Britons who stayed home flocked to the beaches just six hours after the rain stopped as temperatures rose to 75F.

A Met forecaster said Tuesday's showers were the last of the rain in the south and that temperatures this week will peak on Friday and remain sunny and warm on Saturday and Sunday.

High pressure will bring mostly clear skies and sunny conditions for the rest of the week for the southern regions.

As Britons enjoy another heatwave, international forecasters said this week could see parts of mainland Europe record its hottest temperatures of all-time.

The Met forecast has warned parts of Spain and Portugal are set to sizzle temperatures ranging between 104F (40C) and 118F (48C) in the coming days.

Parts of southwest France will also be affected by the Iberian plume that's heating up the UK as well.

The heatwave is back in full force in the southern regions of England, despite heavy downpours on Tuesday morning that wreaked havoc for hundreds of Ryanair flights. Pictured: Boys playing in the water in Bournemouth

Londoners and tourists relax in St James Park on a warm and sunny day in the capital on Wednesday

Although the country is facing a north/south weather split, County Durham enjoyed a fair day on Wednesday

Farmers are now warning of an 'unprecedented' impact on food production by the hot, dry weather ahead of a 'drought summit' with government officials today

Scientists have said the heatwave gripping northern Europe was made twice as likely by climate change, and the UK faces a future of increasingly common episodes of extremely hot spells. Pictured: A man fishes in a section of the Wayoh Reservoir at Edgworth near Bolton on Wednesday

British farmers warn dry 'tinder box' conditions will have 'unprecedented' impact on food production Farmers have warned of an 'unprecedented' impact on food production by the hot, dry weather ahead of a 'drought summit' with the Government. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) will meet officials in London on Wednesday to discuss 'tinderbox' conditions that have reduced grass growth and 'depleted' some yields. NFU president Minette Batters said she will try to impress on Environment Secretary Michael Gove at the 'hugely important' talks the challenges farmers are facing following the severe lack of rain. 'It's unprecedented. I've been farming for 25 years myself and we've never been feeding cattle at this time of the year, and we are at the moment, and that is the case right across the country,' she told the BBC. 'We haven't had any appreciable rainfall since May, but if you have your office outside you are obviously at the mercy of the weather. This is unusual - we haven't seen anything like this since 1976. 'It's added a lot of costs because it comes on the back of a long, hard winter. I think that's what has made this year so very unusual.' Ms Batters said it is 'too early' to say whether consumers will be hit by price hikes but warned that crop yields will be affected. The UK has seen its driest first half of summer since 1961, with Thursday and Friday experiencing the first rainfall in weeks. The Environment Agency said last month that it has responded to 44 'significant' environmental incidents, including moorland fires, algal blooms and fish rescues, since the end of June. Advertisement

The scorching weather has caused farmers to warn of an 'unprecedented' impact on food production.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) are meeting with officials today in London to discuss 'tinderbox' conditions in the UK.

The UK has seen its driest first half of summer since 1961, with Thursday and Friday experiencing the first rainfall in weeks.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has promised to support farmers in the future, as they warned of an 'unprecedented' impact on food production due to drought.

Scientists have said the heatwave gripping northern Europe was made twice as likely by climate change, and the UK faces a future of increasingly common episodes of extremely hot spells.

Farmers also face uncertainty over the future of the sector after Brexit, with changes to their subsidies and potential impacts of trade deals with the EU and countries such as the US.

Speaking outside the meeting, Mr Gove emphasised the importance of supporting future food production and taking steps 'in order to ensure we can improve and enhance our resilience against the challenge of climate change'.

He also said: 'We will make sure farmers have what they need in order to provide us with high-quality food and ensure their businesses survive.

'We want to be flexible and we don't want to allow bureaucracy to get in the way of providing farmers with the support they deserve and the country needs.'

Before the 'drought summit', NFU president Minette Batters told the BBC recent weather conditions were 'unprecedented'.

She said: 'I've been farming for 25 years myself and we've never been feeding cattle at this time of the year, and we are at the moment, and that is the case right across the country.

'We haven't had any appreciable rainfall since May, but if you have your office outside you are obviously at the mercy of the weather. This is unusual - we haven't seen anything like this since 1976.

'It's added a lot of costs because it comes on the back of a long, hard winter. I think that's what has made this year so very unusual.'

Londoners and tourists relax in St James Park on a warm and sunny day in the capital this afternoon

The scorching weather is brought on by an Iberian plume that's melting Europe. Pictured: Sunrise at Rockford Common in The New Forest, near Ringwood on Wednesday

Another heatwave has swept into Britain, driving temperatures in the south to highs of 77F on Wednesday. Pictured: Lenticular clouds form over Whitley Bay in North Tyneside on Wednesday morning

The Iberian Plume has stretched into the UK, causing the south to brace for another heatwave this weekend as temperatures will peak at nearly 90F (31C) on Friday

Britain's third warmest July on record Last month was the third warmest July on record, provisional figures show. The mean average temperature across the UK was 17.2C (62.9F), behind the 2006 record of 17.8C (64.04F) and also 17.3C (63.14F) in 1983. Much of the country endured a prolonged heatwave in July, with sizzling temperatures and weeks without rain. But cooler temperatures and widespread thunderstorms at the end of the month meant no nationwide records were broken, according to the Met Office. Northern Ireland ended up with 99% of its average total rainfall for July, thanks to torrential downpours over the weekend of July 28/29. The UK as a whole had 71% of its average rainfall, making it only the 16th driest July since records began in 1910. The summer heatwave still took its toll on many parts of the country, however. The dry spell was most prolonged in East Anglia and south-east England, where some places such as Heathrow and High Wycombe experienced 58 'dry days' in a row. Advertisement

Ms Batters said it is 'too early' to say whether consumers will be hit by price hikes, but she warned that crop yields will be affected.

NFU leaders met officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, an array of rural agencies and figures from farming charities for the summit.

The Environment Agency said last month that it has responded to 44 'significant' environmental incidents, including moorland fires, algal blooms and fish rescues, since the end of June.

Despite the summer being in full swing, Britons are thinking of snow, as bookings for LaplandUK have increased by 100 per cent on the hottest days of the year.

Owners have been stunned by the massive demand during summer, despite record-breaking temperatures and sunny weather.

After a scorching July, the weather finally broke last Friday, treating the parched landscape to a deluge of rain.

It meant that July was wetter than the blistering heatwave of July 1976.

An average 49.9mm of rain fell across the UK from July 1 to July 29, according to provisional figures from the Met Office, and with further rain expected this week, the final total could be higher.

The total for the whole of July 1976 was 43.3mm.

The UK suffered a long heatwave during the summer of 1976, which helped make July 1976 the joint ninth driest on record.

Currently, July this year is the 13th driest on record, the Met Office said.

The driest ever July was in 1955, when an average of 30.6mm rainfall was measured across the UK.Advertisement

Three people have been killed in Zimbabwe today after soldiers fired at crowds amid violent clashes over alleged fraud in the country's election.

Security forces opened fire with guns, water cannons and tear gas, and protesters burned cars and threw rocks as helicopters hovered above Harare.

It comes after President Emmerson Mnangagwa's ruling party cruised to a large majority in the first elections since Robert Mugabe was ousted from power.

Anger has mounted today over delays in announcing results from the presidential election, which pits Mnangagwa against opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

Zimbabwe's Justice Minister said this afternoon that the military has been sent in to 'ensure peace and tranquility'.

But a lifeless body was seen near the demonstration this afternoon, and soldiers were seen beating protesters in the streets.

'The Zimbabwe Republic Police would like to confirm the unfortunate deaths of three people during the riots and melee which occurred in Harare Central business district,' police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told state television.

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A man has been shot dead in Zimbabwe after soldiers fired at crowds amid protests over alleged fraud in the country's election. Pictures show a man lying motionless on the ground amid the protests today

Clash: Heavily-armed soldiers were seen beating a man in the streets in Zimbabwe as protests took place over the election results today

A protestor is seen injured after Zimbabwian army intervened protestors during a protest against the results of Zimbabwe's presidential election

A supporter of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa wears a cone as they block a street in Harare

Anger: Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa burn an election banner with the face of Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare today

Violence: Shocking pictures show an opposition supporter being beaten in the streets of Harare by Zimbabwean soldiers

A man is rushed for medical treatment after being shot by the Zimbabwean army during violent clashes in the city centre today

A soldier opens fire to disperse supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change outside the party's headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe today

Escape: Zimbabweans flee from riot police firing tear gas during protests in the centre of Harare, Zimbabwe today

The MDC opposition party condemned the army for opening fire on protesters who were demonstrating against alleged fraud in the country's election, after three people were killed.

'We saw the deployment of military tanks and the firing of live ammunition for no apparent reason. We condemn in the strongest sense the action taken today,' MDC spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda told reporters.

But the government vowed a crackdown.

'We will not tolerate any of the actions that were witnessed today,' Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu told a late-night press conference.

'The opposition... have perhaps interpreted our understanding to be weak, and I think they are testing our resolve and I think they are making a big mistake.'

Opposition supporters burnt tyres in the centre of the capital Harare, blocking some streets and engaging in running battles with police who fired water cannon to disperse the protesters.

Soldiers then arrived at the scene, jumping out of several armoured personnel carriers. Gunfire was heard and an army helicopter flew in the skies above Harare, witnesses said.

This is the first time Zimbabwe's military has been on the streets of Harare since the removal of longtime leader Robert Mugabe in November. At the time, the military was met with jubilation and selfies.

'Those same tanks 'we' celebrated last year in November are being used against us,' said one shocked Zimbabwean

People scattered as armoured vehicles sped by with sirens wailing. 'They are killing us,' one man shouted.

Some protesters threw bricks into a main road with a military truck parked nearby, then ran when police trucks with water cannon raced toward them.

Military tanks were see rolling through the streets as soldiers moved in to disperse protesters in the streets of Harare today

Protestershold spent rounds and show injuries after soldiers opened fire outside the Movement for Democratic Change's party headquarters in Harare

Water canons were also used by Zimbabwean authorities as elections turned violent this afternoon

Soldiers were seen whipping and beating people in the streets while there were widespread reports that live rounds had been fired

Riot police used tear gas canisters as they attempted to disperse protesters. In other parts of the city, soldiers reportedly fired live rounds

A man was seen lying motionless in the street amid reports soldiers had shot someone dead in the city amid violent clashes

Protesters run past a man lying motionless on the ground. There are reports that soldiers fired live rounds to disperse demonstrators

At least one person was shot dead by the soldiers near a bus rank, witnesses at the scene told a Reuters photographer. Protesters are seen fleeing down a street

Demonstration: Dramatic pictures show fire burning amid unrest in the capital Harare today

Automatic gunfire was heard in the capital Harare today while smoke has been seen rising from burning vehicles and pictures show trucks carrying security forces through the streets amid unrest

Earlier, ZANU-PF won the majority of seats in parliament after sweeping rural constituencies by huge margins, official results showed today.

It sets the stage for victory for Mnangagwa, a military-backed veteran hardliner nicknamed 'The Crocodile'.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission results showed Mnangagwa's ZANU-PF cruising to a big majority after picking up 109 seats against 41 for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Another 58 seats are yet to be declared.

The House of Assembly of Parliament has 210 seats and ZANU-PF would need to win 30 more to have a two-thirds majority that would allow it to change the constitution at will.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's ruling ZANU-PF party has cruised to a large majority in Zimbabwe - in the first elections since Robert Mugabe was ousted from power. Mnangagwa, nicknamed 'The Crocodile' is pictured casting his vote

Witnesses say a man was killed after being shot in the stomach when the Zimbabwean army opened fire on protesters who had clashed with police

Protests in Zimbabwe's historic elections turned bloody on Wednesday as a man was shot dead during demonstrations over alleged vote fraud and President Emmerson Mnangagwa appealed for calm

The polls - the first since autocratic president Robert Mugabe was forced out by a brief military takeover in November - had offered Zimbabwe the chance of turning the page on a brutal chapter of its past.

The mood quickly descended into anger and chaos as supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition declared they had been cheated

Opposition supporters burnt tyres in the centre of Harare, blocking some streets and engaging in running battles with police who fired water cannon to disperse the protestors

Police gathered in the city centre as the demonstrations gathered pace. One protester, Colbert Mugwenhi said: 'We had no weapons. Why are the army here beating us? shooting us? This is not an election it is a disgrace on our country'

European Union observers also questioned the conduct of Zimbabwe's first election since Robert Mugabe was forced to resign following a de facto coup in November after nearly 40 years in power

Official results showed that the ruling ZANU-PF party had easily won the most seats in the parliamentary ballot - strengthening Mnangagwa's prospects of holding onto power in the key presidential vote

Voters in Zimbabwe pick a presidential candidate based on their party affiliation and the trend in the parliamentary election was expected to continue when results for the president are announced this week.

The opposition MDC, led by Nelson Chamisa, won in most urban centres, where it enjoys majority support.

The MDC accused the election commission on Tuesday of deliberately delaying results of this week's vote to favour the ruling party, reporting irregularities in the first poll since the removal of Robert Mugabe in a bloodless November coup.

Even though the election passed off peacefully, several water cannon trucks patrolled outside the central Harare headquarters of the MDC as its red-shirted supporters danced in the streets.Matthew Bailey, 24, was jailed for six months for 'psychological abuse' of his former girlfriend at Manchester Magistrates' Court

A possessive boyfriend has been jailed for 'psychological abuse' over a controlling relationship in which he bullied and belittled his selfie-loving girlfriend over how she used social media.

Matthew Bailey, 24, banned care assistant Molly Cunliffe, 19, from using Snapchat, ordered her not to message heterosexual men on Facebook and Instagram, and even told her she was not allowed to put kisses at the end of social media posts.

He dictated the only male friends she could contact over social media had to be gay.

Bailey was so jealous, he would regularly check Miss Cunliffe's mobile phone, tell her what to wear and demanded she send him pictures or go on FaceTime to prove she was at home or asleep in bed.

During a four week romance, Bailey also bombard Miss Cunliffe with multiple phone calls demanding she ring him every day - and then falsely accused her of cheating on him whenever she did not answer.

Miss Cunliffe, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, tried to end the relationship but Bailey threatened to kill her family.

She went to police after a burst of 30 calls in just one morning from her obsessed partner.

At Manchester Magistrates' Court, Bailey, from Horwich, near Bolton, was jailed for six months after he was found guilty of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship.

Bailey ordered care assistant Molly Cunliffe, 19, (pictured) from using Snapchat, ordered her not to message with men on Facebook and Instagram and even told her she was not allowed to put kisses at the end of social media posts

During a four week romance, Bailey also bombard Miss Cunliffe with multiple phone calls demanding she ring him every day - and then falsely accused her of cheating on him whenever she did not answer

He was also barred from contacting Miss Cunliffe for five years under the terms of a restraining order.

During one phone call recorded by a friend of Miss Cunliffe following an argument, Bailey warned her: 'You'll get a car through your front window and I'll stab you in the neck. You know what I'm capable of.'

He added: 'Do not block my number then go home and shag. Tell your mum and dad to sit upstairs, I'll drive a car through your gaff - take a picture to prove you're outside having a cig.'

The court heard the couple met in April over Instagram where Miss Cunliffe has 5,000 followers and had a date at a Five Guys restaurant in Manchester.

Miss Cunliffe told the hearing: 'We saw each other for four days in a row and at first he was good but he started getting controlling. On day two we became official - then the name calling started on day four. I felt quite devastated and upset.

'We had to meet at certain times, and I have to be up and dressed at certain times.

'He would ring me several times in the morning and would accuse me of sleeping with someone else if I didn't answer.

'He would call me names such as a s**g or a s**t and he would continuously ring me, every minute - I felt like I was trapped.'

At Manchester magistrates court, Bailey, from Horwich, near Bolton, was jailed for six months after he was found guilty of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship

Miss Cunliffe, from Bolton, Greater Manchester tried to end the relationship but Bailey then threatened to kill her family. She went to police after a burst of 30 calls in just one morning from her obsessed partner

She continued: 'He started texting my mum because she gave him her number, saying ''would you tell Molly to answer the phone''.

'He asked me for my phone and would ask me who I was texting. I told him to look at it to prove I wasn't texting other people and other boys.

'They had to be gay for me to message them, but he would not explain why. I have a lot of male friends, and he would tell me not to put any kisses on messages to them.

'He would look at my phone every day, and all the time I would spend with him he would constantly check my phone. I kept getting upset and he said he wouldn't do it again but I did not see any friends and family during that time.

'He would keep ringing to make sure I was at home and we had to FaceTime or I would have to send him pictures to prove I was at home. If I was asleep he would accuse me and then I had to send a picture.

'I wasn't allowed to have Snapchat because I was speaking to a boy, so I deleted it. I was not allowed to follow any more boys on Instagram.

'I tried to end the relationship three times but he kept saying he would change only to then threatened to kill me and my family on the phone.

'I blocked his number because I didn't want to be with him anymore but then unblocked him because he threatened me.

'He said ''I swear to god if you don't unblock my number''. I was at home when he phoned and said he was going to kill me and one of his friends called me and said to stop with my attitude.

'I was scared and told my mum and dad but he rang back and said the same things. He later messaged my mum and said ''Molly's got the wrong end of the story please don't think any different of me''. But he rang the next morning around 30 times - I felt very scared.'

The court heard during one incident Bailey threatened Miss Cunliffe with a pool cue in a pub after a row about him flirting with another girl

Bailey denied wrongdoing and said: 'It was a fast moving relationship and I thought her dad liked me. She got quite jealous about my girl friends and I would look at her phone to gain stability in the relationship'

The court heard during one incident Bailey threatened Miss Cunliffe with a pool cue in a pub after a row about him flirting with another girl.

Miss Cunlffe's father John said. 'I thought Matt was very forward and very over friendly and I wasn't too happy about the relationship. He was always on her and following her about and was too possessive.

'He would wait for her after a 12 hours shift outside her work and Molly went into her shell more and wasn't herself. She went quiet and didn't speak to us as much as she used to.

'On one occasion she came downstairs in an outfit and her mum said how nice she looked but then she changed because Matt said she had to change. I thought it was wrong and controlling.

'We went to a BBQ and he was taking photos of Molly texting on her phone. I felt angry. She showed me some of the calls and there were 32 in just half an hour on one morning.

'Matt rang my phone on someone else's number so I answered, and he asked me why had Molly blocked him. He sounded angry. I did not approach him but I told her she needed to end it and I let her deal with it.'

The court heard the couple met in April over Instagram where Miss Cunliffe has 5,000 followers and the had a date at a Five Guys restaurant in Manchester

Bailey was also ordered to pay compensation to Miss Cunliffe plus costs and surcharges totalling 735

Bailey denied wrongdoing and said: 'It was a fast moving relationship and I thought her dad liked me. She got quite jealous about my girl friends and I would look at her phone to gain stability in the relationship.

'When she said I would ring her every day, I would ring to wake her up for work - we had a joke that she had a personal alarm clock. She had never said that I shouldn't call. She was always on her phone.'

'It didn't bother me at first that she was on her phone a lot, but I didn't want to be in a relationship with someone who was always on their phone. '

But District Judge James Hatton told Bailey: 'This was a short relationship which quickly became unpleasant.

'The complainant was credible and tried to end the relationship. She told the truth. Her father was concerned and described the change in her.

'The victim has experienced an extremely unpleasant time in her life. You were involved in domestic abuse almost through the whole relationship - you belittled her.'

Bailey was also ordered to pay compensation to Miss Cunliffe plus costs and surcharges totalling 735.Mysterious new footage has captured what appears to be a rapidly moving UFO between the earth and the moon.

The extreme close-up on the moon focuses on the crater-marked surface of earth's natural satellite.

As the camera moves in closer and slowly examines each crevasse - what appears to be a metallic craft darts across the frame panning frame.

The extreme close-up on the moon focuses on the crater-marked surface of earth's natural satellite

In mere moments, the face of the moon is no longer the focus - but a circular object flying through the sky.

The aircraft whizzes across the face of the moon for five seconds and abruptly vanishes.

The videographer, who asked to remain anonymous said: 'It's pure luck that the UFO came into the picture while I was zooming in on the edges.

'I was doing a closeup of the Moon. I typically like to zoom in on the craters and the edges of it.'

The video was shot in the U.S. city of Trenton in New Jersey and posted online.

The video was shot in the U.S. city of Trenton in New Jersey and posted on Youtube but skeptics were quick to justify the bizarre sighting caught on camera

Some posted the metallic object was merely falling ice from a plane, and others suggested a meteor or space debris

But skeptics were quick to justify the bizarre sighting capture on camera.

Some posted the metallic object was merely falling ice from a plane, and others suggested a meteor or space debris.

But the videographer said: 'I think it's the International Space Station (ISS),

The object whizzes across the face of the moon for five seconds and abruptly vanishes

'Based on what I see on Google search, it's the explanation that makes the most sense.'

Travelling at 17,227mph, and at an altitude of between 205 miles and 255 miles, the space station orbits earth 15.5 times a day.

The ISS experiences 16 sunrises and sunsets per day and appears as a slow-moving bright dot from the ground.Monty Python fans will be given the chance to read previously unpublished sketches written by the comedy group.

Last year, Michael Palin handed over a number of boxes containing unused scripts to the British Library - including two sketches written for the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. More than 50 notebooks filed with first drafts and sketch ideas are set to go on show at the library on August 7.

Among some of the ideas include a different ending for Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a sketch about a Wild West bookshop and another on an amorous Pink Knight. Many of the ideas were cut as they were deemed controversial for the time.

Last year, Michael Palin handed over a number of boxes containing unused scripts to the British Library - including two sketches written for their hit film Monty Python and the Holy Grail which never made the final cut

Included in the collection given to the British Library includes more than 50 notebooks

The scripts and ideas which Palin gave to the British Library are dated from 1965 to 1987

Palin has given permission for the sketches he wrote with fellow co-star Terry Jones to be reproduced to go on show. He admitted the comedy group always wrote far more material than what would make the final cut.

When writing sketches, Palin would generally work with Jones, while John Cleeseman often worked with Graham Chapman. Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam worked independently.

Palin, 75, said: 'For me there's lots of material in those boxes that I've not yet seen myself [since it was written]. It's rather wonderful to hear them.'

He added: 'Sometimes you have things like that. I can't think why it wasn't used. The Holy Grail took shape gradually and at the beginning it had far more ideas in it than ended up on screen because you had to have a narrative. In the end the story of the knights was strong enough.'

Wild West sketch A newsreader (from a previous sketch) staggers out of the desert into a lonely shack-style saloon. Newsreader: Very hot today. Barman: Yup. 192. N: 192 degrees? B: Yup. 192 degrees. N: Good God. Thats nearly boiling point. B: Not around here it aint. Its what we call lukewarm. N: Well, Id like a long cool beer, please, and put a couple more on the ice for me. B: Aint got no drink here sir  this is a bookshop. The last bookshop before you get to Mexico. Newsreader expresses disbelief. B: Weve got a book on home-brewing. N: I want a drink now. Scott [a customer]: How about the Indian Trading Post? They usually have a few bottles. B: Not since they started specialising in modern European authors. N: Havent you got some water even? B: Well you see this here towns right in the middle of a goddam dried-up creek. Aint no good for nothin but readin. They are interrupted as a gang of bandits enter and demand Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. They become menacing when they see the poor condition of the book cover and demand a novel about horses in hardback. The fearful barman offers a list of titles like Champion The Wonder Horse but each time the bandits respond that theyve already read it. At last they are offered Chestnut And Sue  about a girl whose family moves to the city and she has to leave behind her horse Chestnut. As they hear the synopsis they become tearful. They are later shown riding through the prairie singing: B: Were riding along to the publishers. Gonna publish a novel. Were travelling nights So we get the rights To the film, the book and the paperback. Now Ballantine books Aint no kind of crooks And Faber are swell at the game Doubleday are great But for books that elate Holt, Rinehart and Winstons the name. Advertisement

(From left to right) Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle and Terry Jones made up the comedy troupe

Also included in the boxes given to the British Library included a sketch which would have angered those seeking to ban the release of their film Monty Python's Life of Brian. Pictured: a photograph from the 1979 film

The documents handed over by Palin are documents which detail his life's work between 1965 to 1987.

One of the scripts given to the British Library includes a sketch mostly written by Jones, which missed the final cut of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, featuring a Wild West saloon.

A man walks into a bar desperate for a beer but is told they do not serve drinks because they are the 'last bookshop before you get to Mexico', says the server behind the counter.

The parched man is then told to try the local Native American trading outpost, but is told they no longer serve drinks as they decided to specialise in modern European literature.

The exhibition is due to go on show on August 7. Pictured: Michael Palin, John Cleese, Eric Idle and Terry Jones perform on the opening night of 'Monty Python Live (Mostly)' on July 1, 2014

The Times was told by Palin that the two corrections on the sketch were in Jones's handwriting, which indicated the majority of the scene would have been written by him. Jones has dementia and was unable to comment, but his family have approved the publication of the sketch.

Also included in the unused archives is a handwritten sequence for Sir Tristram, a knight who hopelessly tries to track down the grail using scientific methods.

Unused scripts from their 1979 film Life of Brian are also featured in the collection, with handwritten sketch that would have angered those looking to ban the film.

On Monday, Cleese suggested the reason Monty Python's Flying Circus is no longer regularly shown on TV is because it's 'too funny' compared to modern comedies.A new video has been released showing a man knocking an 18-year-old woman unconscious outside a nightclub with two savage punches.

The CCTV clip - provided by venue Faces in Ilford, East London - shows the man and woman arguing on the pavement next to a bus stop as several people surround them.

She then gets up close to the man and apparently begins pointing in his face before he leans back and strikes her with a powerful right hook, knocking her back slightly.

The man then hits her again, seemingly even harder, and sends her tumbling to the floor where she sprawls out unconscious. The man then walks away as a group of people follow him, while the woman is helped by a separate group.

Liam Holmes, 20, was marched to Ilford police station by his own mother yesterday to speak to officers about Saturday's 3am attack.

It came after Mr Holmes was today pictured on a bicycle as he purchased cigarettes after footage of his victim lying unconscious emerged.

Footage shows Mr Holmes locked in confrontation with an 18-year-old woman outside the nightclub, left, and today images surfaced of the thug buying cigarettes, right

Faces provided this footage, which shows even more of the argument outside the nightclub

Two women hold their faces in shock after Mr Holmes punches the 18-year-old twice and knocks her unconscious

The 20-year-old can be seen taking a swipe at the 18-year-old victim following the confrontation outside Faces

Faces provided the most recent footage, with a spokesperson telling MailOnline: 'Faces was closed when the incident happened and all security had gone home for the night.

'Faces has been working alongside the police in providing CCTV footage from the night and has released the CCTV exclusively to MailOnline in order to help the authorities conclude the case.'

His victim was out cold for five minutes after she confronted him about calling other girls 'fat c****'.

This afternoon's sighting follows a member of Mr Holmes' family claiming he became involved in the confrontation after he tried to stop girls who were allegedly vandalising a vehicle.

It came as family revealed today that Mr Holmes has never had a girlfriend, with a close relative telling The Sun his family think he is 'a decent lad'.

The source claims to have spoken to Mr Holmes' mother and said: A group of women were smashing up a car but that wasnt caught on film. He saw them and intervened. That doesnt make what he did right.

Liam did the right thing and handed himself in to police but this has caused his mum and gran untold stress.

There is no suggestion the woman who was punched was involved in the alleged damage to a car. Footage shows her knocked out and lying motionless on the pavement.

The horrifying confrontation is being treated as ABH by Scotland Yard - and Mr Holmes has been bailed as detectives investigate.

She said today: 'All I remember is being on the floor with blood everywhere', adding her mouth was left bleeding and her face is badly bruised.

Liam Holmes, 20, (left on the night in question) carried out the attack outside Faces nightclubs in Gants Hill, east London , MailOnline can reveal

This punches left the victim unconscious on the floor outside the east London nightclub at 3am on Saturday

She told The Sun: 'This guy was going round calling the women outside the club 'fat c****'. Him and another guy were backing a group of girls into a corner, saying they were going to hit them.

Holmes' mother said she wanted to see the CCTV in full to ascertain what prompted her son (pictured on the night) to hit the woman

'I told him he was in the wrong and he needed to walk away and be a gentleman and he lashed out'.

Another clubber there that night claims Holmes pestered her for a phone number - and became angry when she refused.

She said: 'He confrontational and verbally abusive when I refused to give him my number. Luckily I was with a large group of friends so it didnt escalate the way it potentially could have.

'His mother is saying he was provoked but I certainly didnt provoke him and I think I speak for all young woman out there when I say its outrageous that we can face such a threat by simply telling someone no'.

Holmes has been marched to the police station by his own mother who told MailOnline yesterday: 'He's no terror'.

Cathy Holmes, 53, who lives with her Arsenal fan son in east London and used to run a florists called 'Cathy's Flowers', said: 'People will judge him on the back of that video clip but he's no terror.

'I had a brain haemorrhage a while back and he's been my carer. He hardly goes out anymore and when he does this happens.'

During the nine-second clip the woman approaches Holmes and gets very close to his face as he stands with his arms folded.

The pair then exchange inaudible words before he smashes her in the face with his right fist.

Dazed by the punch the woman, wearing a black top and blue jeans, stumbles forward only to be hit again by the man, also in a black top and jeans. This shot leaves her unconscious on the floor near the nightclub.

Holmes' mother has defended her son (pictured) and she says the video looks bad but he was provoked

The attack is being treated as actual bodily harm, Metropolitan Police have confirmed to MailOnline.

Holmes was photographed outside Ilford Police Station yesterday after being interviewed by police.

A Met spokesman said: 'A 20-year-old man has been interviewed under caution in connection with an alleged assault after attending an east London police station voluntarily yesterday. He was subsequently released under investigation.

The alleged incident, which is being treated as actual bodily harm, took place outside Faces nightclub at 3am on Saturday. The female victim was taken to hospital for treatment, and subsequently discharged. Enquiries continue'.

Mr Holmes attended George Green's School and is from the Isle of Dogs.

His mother Cathy Holmes told MailOnline: 'The clip online showing him hitting the girl makes him look bad but that's only a fraction of the real story.

'There was a lot that went on before that clip that people don't know about. There was a lot that preceded it.

'He wouldn't do that for no reason. That's all I'll say for now because we're about to meet with our solicitor to go to the police station and give a statement.

'The police have assured me that they have the full CCTV footage so will know what went on beforehand.'

The pair then exchange inaudible words before he smashes her in the face with his right fist

The attack is being treated as gross bodily harm, Metropolitan Police have confirmed to MailOnline

Onlookers are heard to be saying 'oh my god' and gasping in shock as the camera cuts to a disturbing image of the woman lying face-up and motionless with her arms spread eagle

Onlookers are heard to be saying 'oh my god' and gasping in shock as the camera cuts to a disturbing image of the woman lying face-up and motionless with her arms spread eagle.

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment following the attack.

The video has since been widely shared online, including by Paul Henson on Facebook.

He wrote: 'Another little coward s*** bag outside Faces this weekend! Share this round hope he gets what's due to him!'

The video, posted today quickly gained more than 10,000 views and over 500 shares.

Lucy Gallop wrote: 'That is awful.'

Janet Jolley said: 'What a hard man!! I don't think. I hope he gets what's deserves, hope the young lady is OK.'

Roice Gummer added: 'He's a f****** scum bag who needs his head caving in and I really feel for her.

'But girls, if a bloke starts swinging - get the fu*k out of there!'

A Metropolitan police spokesman told MailOnline: 'Police in Redbridge are investigating after a woman was assaulted outside Faces nightclub on Cranbrook Road, IG2.

'The incident took place at approximately 03:00hrs on Saturday, 28 July. 'The victim was taken to hospital for treatment. The incident is being treated as GBH. No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.'

Anyone with information or witnesses to the incident are asked to contact police on 0208 345 2669 quoting reference CAD1052/28.The National Trust has made a controversial move in applying to have Melbourne's Federation Square heritage listed.

The move could have detrimental implications for the proposed $11 billion Metro Tunnel train project as well as a new Apple flagship store, the ABC reported.

If the application is approved, Federation Square would become the youngest heritage listed site in Victoria.

The National Trust has made a controversial move in applying to have Melbourne's Federation Square (pictured) heritage listed

While the Heritage Act does not have strict guidelines defining how old a place must be to be considered, the 16-year-old monument is considered fairly new to be considered.

Tourism Minister John Eren made assurances the application would not halt construction of the Metro Tunnel, which is proposed to include a station entrance on the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets at Federation Square.

However, an interim protection order has been placed over the area whilst Heritage Victoria assesses the nomination.

'It would be unprecedented to heritage list a site that is only 16 years old, and to do so could lead to significant implications for future projects,' Mr Eren said.

Simon Ambrose, the National Trust Victoria chief executive stood by the decision to nominate what some have called an 'eyesore' for the honour

'This will not stop us delivering the Metro Tunnel and other vital projects that are good for Melbourne and good for jobs.'

In addition to halting rail plans, construction of Apple's new store may also be impacted during the process.

The company's new designs for the Melbourne store were released in July.

Simon Ambrose, the National Trust Victoria chief executive stood by the decision to nominate what some have called an 'eyesore' for the honour.

'We think that [Federation Square] has architectural, aesthetic and social significance to the state of Victoria, and it's a very, very important place for all Victorians,' he said.

Receiving heritage listing wouldn't rule out any future development of the area, however Heritage Victoria would have to grant explicit permission and find reasonable cause to do so.

They are yet to make a final decision on the fate of Federation Square.A paedophile who rang parents and asked to have sex with their young children has been sentenced to four months behind bars.



Dean Meyer, 36, was also found with DVDs and digital files of adults having intercourse with children aged under 10 after police raided his Narre Warren South home.

On Tuesday he was sentenced to four months behind bars at Dandenong Magistrates' Court, The Herald Sun reported.

Dean Meyer, 36, rang the mothers and asked to have sex with their young girls (stock)

Meyer repeatedly rang dance studios, colleges and costume shops to speak to mothers about having sex with their young daughters, the court heard.

One of his targets was aged just nine when he called her mother.

To make one of the phone calls Meyer used his own mobile phone and was then tracked by the police.

They raided his home where they found an array of vile images and videos on both his computer and on DVDs.

One of the videos was a 29-minute compilation of adults having full penetrative sex with children who appeared to be under 10 years of age.

Meyer's defence lawyer said that a psychology report revealed he had been bullied at school but there was no explanation for his behaviour.

On Tuesday he was sentenced to four months behind bars at Dandenong Magistrates' Court (pictured)

Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said that Meyer's lack of remorse was worrying..

'This is such terrible child abuse  these images are of children under the age of 10,' Mr Vandersteen said.

'We need to protect children, they are vulnerable  and don't deserve to be violated.

'Your viewing encourages others to produce this; it leads to these children being exploited.'

On top of his four months in jail Meyer will be a registered sex offender for eight years and undergo a 12-month community corrections order.The bonk ban that shook up parliament is now sweeping across universities with staff and students warned to keep their hands off each other.

Universities Australia, the peak body for the nation's 39 universities, has today released a code of conduct barring academics from getting romantic or sexual with thesis or research students they are supervising.

The guidelines come six months after a similar edict was issued to politicians in federal parliament.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull banned ministers from getting intimate with their staff after his former deputy Barnaby Joyce was caught in an affair with his media adviser Vikki Campion which eventually ended his 24-year marriage.

One of Australia's major employers is introducing a Barnaby Joyce-style sex ban in the workplace to prevent sexual harassment (the former deputy PM pictured with Vikki Campion)

They are following the lead of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull who banned his ministers from having sex with their staff following the Barnaby Joyce affair with Vikki Campion

The principles on 'respectful supervisory relationships' were designed before the Joyce affair but they have not been released until today.

Universities Australia's chief executive Catriona Jackson said relationships between academic supervisors and their research students were clearly inappropriate.

'These principles make it clear  if a university academic is supervising a student, then they should not be in a romantic or sexual relationship with that student,' she told Daily Mail Australia today.

'It's a clear conflict of interest.'

Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson said relationships between academic supervisors and their research students were clearly inappropriate

Commandments at work 1. Sex between an academic supervisor and their student is never appropriate 2. Supervisors are in a position of power 3. Supervisors and students have a relationship built on trust 4. Expectations, roles and responsibilities are clear 5. Students should be protected from unwanted advances from supervisors 6. Sexual harassment and assault are unacceptable 7. Universities should protect anyone who reports sexual assault or sexual harassment 8. Reports about sexual assault or sexual harassment should be met with compassion Advertisement

As part of the code of conduct - agreed to by the Australian Council of Graduate Research, the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations and the National Tertiary Education Union - academics and their supervising students would be required to disclose their romance so a new supervisor could be assigned.

'These principles relate to relationships between academics and the research students directly under their supervision,' Ms Jackson said.

'They have been designed to protect the safety and well being of both students and staff.'

In February 2016, Universities Australia launched the 'Respect. Now. Always' program.

Its 39 members worked together on how to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment on university campuses and developed a 10-point plan to prevent sex crime.

They also developed eight key guidelines about appropriate workplace behaviour, including the notion that supervisors are in a position of power when they are guiding students completing a thesis, research work or a doctorate.

'Supervisors have a significant influence on the student's successful completion of their research and, in turn, future career directions,' it said.

'This unequal power dynamic means that the relationship can potentially be vulnerable to exploitation and can affect the capacity of a student to consent freely to sex or relationships initiated by their supervisor.'More than 40 years after they became the world's most famous journalism duo, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are still making news.

Bernstein was among three CNN reporters who last week broke the story of former Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's allegation that Trump knew in advance of the June 2016 meeting between representatives of his presidential campaign and Russian officials.

On Tuesday, Woodward's upcoming 'Fear: Inside the Trump White House' was No. 1 on Amazon.com, within a day of its announcement.

The former Washington Post colleagues known for their Watergate coverage speak regularly, they say, comparing notes on the Trump era.

Scroll down for video

Bernstein (left) and Woodward (right) are still breaking global news stories on the Trump administration

Woodward (left) and Bernstein (right), pictured at the Washington Post in the 1970s, were instrumental in exposing the Nixon administration during the Watergate scandal

'He's a news junkie, and I'm a news junkie,' Woodward, 75, explained Tuesday during a telephone interview, adding that he includes a tribute to Bernstein in his new book's acknowledgements.

'We keep each other posted pretty well,' Bernstein, 74, said during a separate phone interview. 'Obviously, we do different things. But we also have a lifetime of understanding each other and looking at news together.'

Woodward, an associate editor at the Post, is among the most successful nonfiction authors of his time, with a long series of best-selling accounts of sitting presidents from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. A new Woodward book even became a political tradition  coming out in the fall of an election year.

But after the 2012 release 'The Price of Politics,' Woodward stepped away from the present, publishing no works on Obama's second term, and instead focused on Watergate-era news. 'The Last of the President's Men,' his work on White House aide Alexander Butterfield, the man who revealed Nixon's taping system, came out in 2015.

A Trump book was an easy choice for Woodward, who calls his rise a 'pivot point' in American history. According to his publisher, Simon & Schuster, Woodward will show the 'harrowing life' of the Trump White House and the president's decision-making process as he draws upon 'hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand sources, contemporaneous meeting notes, files, documents and personal diaries.'

The pair of journalists, widely regarded as the world's best, say they still meet up and compare notes on the current political climate

Woodward (left) and Bernstein (right) during their time as reporters on the Washington Post

The book's title draws upon an interview Woodward and Washington Post reporter Robert Costa had with Trump that was published in April 2016. Costa had noted that Obama defined power as 'you can get what you want without having to exert violence.' Trump had a different interpretation.

His answer was, Woodward says, checking his notes, 'Real power is, I don't even want to use the word: 'Fear.'

Bernstein is a political commentator for CNN whose books include 'A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton' and the two Nixon-era classics he wrote with Woodward, 'All the President's Men' and 'The Final Days.' He is currently working on a memoir about his early years of journalism, when he was starting out at the now-defunct Washington Star.

'My time at the Star was a great learning experience, and then there was the Post and Watergate. Those two experiences inform pretty much everything I do,' Bernstein said.

'Imagine,' he added, referring to himself and Woodward, 'here we are, 74 and 75 years old, and we still get to do this.'Protesters wearing niqab and body-length burqas have marched in Denmark after the country's ban on wearing face veils in public was put into action.

Hundreds of demonstrators, most with children, marched in solidarity with Muslim women despite risking fines of 1,000 kroner (120) or jail time.

Non-niqab-wearing Muslim women and non-Muslim Danes with faces masked or covered also took part.

Hundreds of demonstrators, most with children, marched in solidarity with Muslim women despite risking fines of 1,000 kroner (120) or jail time

Ayah, 37, a wearer of the niqab weeps as she is embraced by a police officer during a demonstration against the Danish face veil ban in Copenhagen

Police officers stand guard as masked demonstrators surround the Bellahoj Police Station in Copenhagen as part of the protest against Denmark's face veil ban

Danish women wore niqabs, hijabs and burqas, risking a fine of 1,000 kroner (120) or jail time for those caught wearing the face veil in public

A line of protesters link arms in Copenhagen, including non-Muslim men and women who covered their face in solidarity with women no longer allowed to wear the niqab

'We need to send a signal to the government that we will not bow to discrimination,' student Sabina, 21, told Reuters.

She said the law that could see repeat offenders jailed for up to six months 'specifically targets a religious minority'.

A 30-year-old Muslim woman interviewed in daily Berlingske, identified only as Sarah, said she had 'lost faith in the system'.

Born and raised in Denmark by parents who emigrated from Turkey, she has worn the niqab since she was 18.

'I've realised that democracy doesn't work. Politicians boast of freedoms and rights when they are making fun of Muslims and when they are drawing caricatures of the prophet.

'But when it comes to me, they take away my right to choose how I want to dress,' she said.

Denmark's face veil ban will affect Muslim women who argue the controversial law 'specifically targets a religious minority'

A student (not pictured) told reporters: 'We need to send a signal to the government that we will not bow to discrimination'

The centre poster reads 'Keep your hands of my niqab', as Muslim women in Denmark protest

'I have come to the realisation that Muslims don't have the same rights as others. So much of politics is hypocritical.'

A smaller demonstration arranged by 'For Frihed' (For Freedom), which is pro face veil ban, also took place.

Restrictions on Islamic face veils were approved by MPs in May after being brought forward by the country's centre-right coalition, known for tightening asylum and immigration rules in recent years.

But as the law took effect today, making Denmark the fifth European nation to outlaw full-face veils, supporters and opponents of the ban clashed verbally.

'My clothes my choice': The march started at the Danish capital's central district of Norrebro to Bellahoj police station on the outskirts of the city

First-time offenders risk a fine of 1,000 kroner (120). Repeat offenses could trigger fines of up to 10,000 kroner (1,200) or a jail sentence of up to six months.

Anyone forcing a person to wear garments covering the face by using force or threats can be fined or face up to two years in prison. Austria, France and Belgium have similar laws.

Marcus Knuth of the ruling liberal party Venstre, says the dress worn by some conservative Muslim women is 'strongly oppressive.'

Sasha Andersen of the 'Party Rebels' activist group, is planning a protest against what they called a 'discriminatory' measure against a minority group. Activists that back the ban also plan to rally.

A smaller demonstration arranged by 'For Frihed' (For Freedom), which is pro face veil ban, also took place in Denmark

This morning, Amnesty International's Deputy Europe Director Fotis Filippou said all women 'should be free to dress as they please and to wear clothing that expresses their identity or beliefs'.

'This ban will have a particularly negative impact on Muslim women who choose to wear the niqab or burqa,' Filippou said.

'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 women's 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 - making a mockery of the freedoms Denmark purports to uphold.'

Other European countries have similar bans, claiming they are not aimed at any religion in particular, and don't ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap.

Denmark's new face veil ban is likely to apply to the niqab and burqa - not the hijab and chador

Danish lawmakers voted 75-30 in favour of the legislation in a bid to uphold 'secular and democratic values'.

Popularly known as the 'Burqa Ban,' it is mostly seen as being directed at the niqab and burqa. Few Muslim women in Denmark wear such full-face veils.

The law allows people to cover their face when there is a 'recognisable purpose' like cold weather or complying with other legal requirements, such as using motorcycle helmets required under Danish traffic rules.

Under the law, police will be able to instruct women to remove their veils or order them to leave public areas.

Restrictions on Islamic face veils were approved by MPs in May after being brought forward by the country's centre-right coalition, known for tightening asylum and immigration rules in recent years

Justice Minister Soren Pape Poulsen said officers would fine them and tell them to go home.

As of 2017, non-Western immigrants account for 8.7 percent of Denmark's 5.7 million population.

Around half a million are from Muslim backgrounds, a group that swelled with Afghan, Iraqi and Syrian refugees crossing Europe.

In 2016, Denmark also adopted a law requiring newly arrived asylum-seekers to hand over valuables such jewelry and gold to help pay for their stays in the country.Women in the workplace should be helped to bigger salaries by negotiating in 'pay ranges'.

The What Works guidance released by the Government Equalities Office today is to help ensure that women are paid the same as men for comparable jobs.

The guidance also suggests that more than one woman should be included on the shortlist for a position.

In the interview process women should be asked to perform tasks that they would do while on the job.

Minister for Women and Equalities Penny Mordaunt (pictured) said that businesses need to make the best use of the talent available to them

This is intended to 'avoid unfair bias creeping in'.

It says: 'Women are less likely to negotiate for their pay. Employers should clearly communicate the salary range on offer for a role to encourage women to negotiate their salary. This helps the applicant know what they can reasonably expect.'

Meanwhile, other recommendations include that employers should create structured interviews, offer transparency on promotion opportunities and hire diversity managers.

On diversity managers the guidance says: 'Diversity managers and task forces monitor talent management processes (such as recruitment or promotions) and diversity within the organisation.

'They can reduce biased decisions in recruitment and promotion because people who make decisions know that their decision may be reviewed. This accountability can improve the representation of women in your organisation.'

In total the guidance makes six recommendations that have been tested in real life work situations. Experts have initially praised the document.

Ben Willmott from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development told The Telegraph: 'Using pay ranges instead of specific numbers is a useful way in which all staff can understand how their pay is likely to grow in coming years.'

Women are less likely to negotiate for their salary and so the Government Equalities Office suggests that business should communicate the pay range available (Pictured: stock image of woman in an office)

Minister for Women and Equalities Penny Mordaunt, also told The Telegraph: 'We need to ensure businesses know how they can make best use of their talent and make their gender gaps a thing of the past.'

Larger businesses with more than 250 people are required to publish their gender pay gap data.

Claire McCartney, Diversity and Inclusion research adviser at Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said while the fact that 10,000 businesses had reported their gender pay gap data is 'encouraging' the data does show that workplaces need to 'progress, and fast'.

Ms McCartney said that while reporting gender pay gap is good businesses need to create an action plan be held accountable.

She said that this guidance is helpful in creating that.Advertisement

Tourists are ditching selfie-sticks to capture their holiday photos and are using drones to take their snaps instead.

An increasing amount of holidaymakers have been using flying cameras to capture envy-inducing aerial photos while travelling.

The gadgets can be stowed away in a small bag and operated through a smart device, creating stunning eye-in-the-sky images from above.

The drones don't come cheap, costing anywhere from 40 for a basic version and up to 620 for devices that fly at speeds of 31mph and transmit video from miles away.

An increasing amount of holidaymakers have been using drones to capture envy-inducing aerial photos while travelling

Nearly 80 per cent of drone customers use the devices for amateur photography and video, according to research by Drones Direct

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Nearly 80 per cent of drone customers use the devices for amateur photography and video, according to research by Drones Direct.

Although the exact number of drones in the UK is unknown, there has been a significant increase in the number of near-misses with aircraft in just two years.

The use of the technology has drawn the scorn of others, who complain of the constant hovering and the buzzing noise that 'ruins their day'.

Speaking to the Times, Isobel Archibald, of Margate, Kent, said the town is ''swarming'' with drones, adding: 'A couple were getting married on the beach and someone was flying a drone that was so loud the father of the bride had to shout at the pilot to shut it up.

'The photographs they can take are extraordinary but I don't really think it's worth it.'

Photographer Tommy Clarke said: 'I was with my mum a few weeks ago near Bournemouth and it almost ruined her day. There was one hovering next to us on the beach throughout, it was very invasive.

The drones don't come cheap, costing anywhere from 40 for a basic version and up to 620 for devices that fly at speeds of 31mph and transmit video from miles away

Although the exact number of drones in the UK is unknown, there has been a significant increase in the number of near-misses with aircraft in just two years

A man who recently vacationed in Cyprus said another family brought three drones with them, saying: 'Every morning I would be on the private beach early for some peace and quiet and one of the children would come out and start flying his drone.

'I don't mind people using them to take photographs in public  it's just the noise. You can't block it out.'

By 2020, drones are expected to be a 763billion ($100billion) industry.

They range in size from something that could slip into your pocket right up to the behemoth weaponry used by armed forces around the world.

And they are not only in the skies - they can also be found driving on the ground, inspecting sub-sea pipelines, crawling into tight gaps too dangerous for humans or even rocketing off to outer space.

They are used by emergency services, including search and rescue and tackling fires, through to innovations in agriculture, construction, humanitarian aid, wildlife preservation and personal security.

But the use of the technology has drawn the scorn of others, who complain of the constant hovering and the buzzing noise that 'ruins their day'

By 2020, drones are expected to be a 763billion ($100billion) industry

This wouldn't be the first time people have used drones for personal benefit.

In June it was reported Japanese company Asahi Power Services was developing an autonomous umbrella that follows a user's head.

The Free Parasol uses a camera and artificial intelligence to track and follow a user as they walk down the street.

The technology is already in use with some autonomous drones, but Asahi Power Services hopes to adapt it for self-flying umbrellas.Two British students trapped on an Indonesian volcano during an earthquake have said they thought the mountain was erupting as boulders began flying past them.

Anna Stevens and Kathryn Coulson, both 21 from Darlington, County Durham, were on a trekking tour on Mount Rinjani when the 6.4-magnitude quake struck Sunday.

They were among more than 500 tourists who ended up trapped on the mountain after the quake caused a series of landslides, leaving hikers with no easy way down to safety.

The earthquake devastated large parts of Lombok island, which is located next to Bali, killing at least 16 and injuring more than 160.

Trapped: Anna Stevens, left, and Kathryn Coulson, right, 21, from Darlington, were hiking on Mount Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia, when a major earthquake struck the island and caused landslides on the volcano

We're safe! The two students, fourth and fifth from left, pose with other hiking tourists who made it down from the mountain with them

Miss Stevens, a medical student, and Miss Coulson, a biochemistry graduate reportedly feared for their lives, as they ran to shelter when rocks came flying during a landslide.

The two women ended up stuck on the mountain overnight, unable to get down the mountain until yesterday, as many of the trails and bridges had been destroyed.

Their families faced an anxious wait while the British Embassy tried to trace the pair, but they eventually managed to get into an area of mobile signal to call their loved ones.

Miss Coulson's aunt Victoria Toas said: 'They actually believed the volcano was erupting until they spoke to us and we told them it was an earthquake.

'They were absolutely terrified. There were boulders flying past them and then there were aftershocks.'

Terrified: Miss Coulson, left, and Miss Stevens, right, said they feared for their lives as they ran to shelter behind a rock while boulders flew past them on Mount Rinjani

On a mission: Indonesian soldiers and rescue team gather to prepare for evacuating tourists from Mount Rinjani, seen in the background, at Sembalun in East Lombok, Indonesia

Lucky ones: Tourists rest at the foot of Mount Rinjani after making it down the slopes in the wake of Sunday's quake

Made it down: Locals and foreign tourists are seen at the foot of the mountain after making it down Rinjani Mountain at Sembalun village in Lombok Timur, Indonesia

Some 800 trekkers were on the mountain when the quake struck including citizens from Britain, United States, France, the Netherlands, Thailand, Germany and many other countries, according to search and rescue officials.

Hundreds managed to find a way down on Sunday and over 500 more reached safety Monday night.

Officials initially claimed no hikers were among those dead or injured, however Miss Coulson and Miss Stevens said they saw army truck heading up the mountain to collect bodies as they descended.

Rising some 3,726 metres (12,224 feet) above sea level, the peak is the second-tallest volcano in Indonesia and a favourite among sightseers keen to take in its expansive views.

Hiking trails on the mountain were closed following the quake due to fear of further landslides.

The epicentre of the earthquake was 50 km (30 miles) northeast of Lombok's main city Mataram, the United States Geological Survey said, far from the main tourist spots on the south and west of the island.

The initial tremor was followed by two strong secondary quakes and more than 100 aftershocks.

Villagers clear debris caused by an earthquake at Sajang village, Sembalun, East Lombok, Indonesia which killed 16 people

Casualties: More than a dozen people dies and some 160 people were injured by the quake, according to West Nusa Tenggara disaster agency

Devastation: This photo shows a collapsed house after Sunday's 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

At least 16 people were killed in the earthquake across affected areas of Lombok, while hundreds of buildings were destroyed.

Some 160 people were injured as a result, said Mohammad Rum, head of West Nusa Tenggara disaster agency.

Among the dead are one Malaysian, with six injured, the Malaysian foreign ministry said.

President Joko Widodo visited the affected site on Monday and promised financial support for people who had lost their homes.

'We must be aware that our country is in the Ring of Fire, so people need to be prepared to face any disaster,' Widodo said.

Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire', where tectonic plates collide and a large portion of the worlds volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

In 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.A 30-year-old man filmed a prostitute during sex because he could 'not afford to keep having sex with her'.

He avoided conviction and was ordered to make an 'emotional harm payment' of $300 to the victim, Stuff reported.





The Napier District Court heard he met the woman at 9pm in a New Zealand hotel at 9pm on June 20 to trade money for sexual relations.

A 30-year-old man filmed a prostitute during sex because he could not 'afford' to keep paying her (stock photo)

The victim then found the mobile phone with a camera, partly hidden by his jacket, and got off the bed.

She then confronted the man about the filming, but he denied it so she handed the phone to police, the court heard.

Asked why he recorded the act, the man said: 'I recorded the session because I wanted to watch it later and cannot afford to do this and keep paying all the time.'

He pleaded guilty to the charge of 'making an intimate visual recording' but was not convicted and was granted a name suppression.

Judge Tony Adeane said the consequences of a conviction would be 'disproportionate to the culpability of his offending', Fairfax reported.

The phone will be destroyed.A woman dialled 999 to tell police she had been 'mugged off' by a takeaway company that delivered her a mushroom pizza instead of a meat feast.

A recording of the exchange was released by Essex Police as part of a campaign against hoax and inappropriate calls.

The call handler asks the woman if everything is OK, and she replies: 'Yeah, no, I've been mugged off by a f****** takeaway would you believe it.

'I rung up for an 18, a number 18 meat feast and she's trying to tell me nah, nah you ordered a number eight.

During the recording the call handler asks the woman if everything is OK, and she replies: 'Yeah, no, I've been mugged off by a f****** takeaway would you believe it'

'I'm allergic to mushrooms so I know for a fact I didn't order a number eight right, and I've got a pizza sat here with f****** mushrooms on it that I can't eat, 11.99 later she doesn't want to help me out or nothing.'

When she was told to call the takeaway to ask for a refund, the woman said: 'Well I tried to do that but she reckons she's the manager.'

After the call was made public by the force on social media, users said the woman should be prosecuted for wasting police time.

One said: 'More of these people should be named and shamed... that operator could have been talking to someone that really was in a real emergency and muppets like this waste time... should be fined for it.'

After the call was made public by the force on social media, users said the woman should be prosecuted for wasting police time

The force said it receives around 400 hoax or inappropriate 999 calls each month, including one lady who complained that her Nando's chicken was under-cooked, and that the figure increases in summer.

In further released recordings, a man asks why the police helicopter is 'hovering over my house and disturbing the peace' and a separate caller inquires about a 'bull in the field' sign.

The man says he wants to know 'who I can contact to find out if there really is a bull in the field or it's just a farmer messing around'.

Superintendent Kevin Baldwin, who heads the force's control room, said: 'There's nothing that frustrates my team more than picking up the phone on a 999 call only for it to be a call which plainly isn't an emergency and is sometimes a deliberate hoax.

'This is a very busy time of the year where we are working flat out, so answering a 999 call made by someone who should have a bit more common sense isn't just infuriating, it could risk the life of someone who really needs us but can't get through.'

In England and Wales 'wasting police time' is an offence under section 5 (2) of the Criminal Law Act.

Offenders can be charged for 'causing any wasteful employment of the police or knowingly making to any person a false report'.This is the horrific moment a pedestrian is pushed into the road by a stranger and run over by an SUV.

The brazen act filmed on a dashboard camera captures the lead-up to the near-fatal accident on the busy stretch in Canada.

A man was left with life-threatening injuries after being pushed on to the road in Vancouver by an unknown male.

Dash cam footage has captured the moment a man in a white shirt was pushed in front of a SUV by an unknown male

The footage shows the men walking towards each other before the heinous act.

The seemingly unprovoked attack happened in mere moments as the man wearing a white shirt fell in front of the SUV and was hit by the truck.

The male walking a head of him in a dark-coloured shirt managed to maintain his footing and turn towards his attacker who had dashed off in the opposite direction.

The two men were walking past the man when he attacked them both. The man walking ahead in a black shirt regained his footing but the man in white fell to the ground

Whereas the man in white shirt lost his balance and fell in front of the large vehicle.

Police are calling for anyone with information to come forward to identify the man who pushed the pedestrian in front of the car.

A sketch of the attacker has been released to the public.

The man who was pushed to the ground in front of the SUV is still recovering from the life-threatening injuries.A Bangladeshi student accused of stabbing her Melbourne home-stay host in an attack inspired by the Islamic State has refused to enter a plea or stand for the Magistrate.

Momena Shoma, 25, faced Melbourne Magistrates Court today charged with engaging in a terrorist act and attempted murder.

The international student is accused of stabbing 56-year-old Roger Singaravelu in the neck in February just two days after arriving at his Mill Park home, 9News reported.

Momena Shoma, 25, (pictured) refused to enter a plea or stand for the Magistrate

It's alleged Shoma entered his bedroom while he was sleeping and used a kitchen knife to stab him in the neck.

Mr Singaravelu five-year-old daughter was witness to the attack.

'(Shoma) was on her knees with both of her hands on a knife that was in my neck... her eyes were so intense, she was saying 'Allahu Akbar', she kept on saying this over and over,' Mr Singaravelu told the court.

The 56-year-old suffered a crushed vertebra and a number of cuts in the alleged attack.

Although he suffered significant injuries he managed to overpower his victim and call police.

Shoma had only been in Melbourne for a week and told police after her arrest that when she arrived in the country she had no intention of studying, but 'planned to attack someone on behalf of IS.'

The international student allegedly stabbed Roger Singaravelu, 56, (pictured) in February

She told police she had been watching online videos posted by the Islamic State and it is believed she self-radicalised.

'I just felt obligated and it was like a burden on me, yeah I just had to do it,' she told detectives while being questioned after the attack.

Shoma refused to enter a plea or stand for Magistrate Sarah Dawes.

Her lawyers have indicated that their client will likely plead guilty once a deal has been finalised with the prosecution.

She is facing life in prison.Young children were among thousands of terrified tourists and commuters who evacuated themselves from sweltering Paris Metro trains after a power cut left them trapped underground for hours.

A technical problem paralysed the network for hours, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people through dark tunnels in stifling heat.

The breakdown began shortly after 8pm local time on Tuesday when a train on Line 1, which serves the Louvre, the Champs Elysees and other tourist landmarks in the French capital, suddenly halted between stops in the popular Marais district.

Network operator RATP was unable to determine the cause of the incident, forcing the shutdown of the entire line.

Source: Twitter/AnonymousAG

Young children were among hundreds of terrified tourists and commuters who evacuated themselves from sweltering Paris Metro trains after a power cut

A police source said that 3,200 to 3,800 people on at least eight trains needed to be evacuated in an operation which lasted more than two hours.

The RATP said it could not confirm the number of passengers affected by what it called 'an extremely rare event'.

After long waits in the cars as temperatures - and tempers - rose, about 40 rescue workers and 150 RATP agents began helping people climb down from the cars and walk out along the tracks.

Referring to the train operator, a Twitter user posted a video of part of the evacuation, writing: 'Children in tears, so that parents are forced to evacuate via the lines, without any help from RATP agents.'

Some were trapped for more than three hours, as lines did not resume working until almost 11.30pm.

A pregnant woman reportedly fainted and videos showed a mother and her one-month old baby being evacuated, according to thelocal.fr.

A technical problem paralysed the network for hours, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people through dark tunnels in stifling heat

The breakdown began shortly after 8pm local time on Tuesday when a train on Line 1 suddenly halted between stops in the popular Marais district

But parents with young children were forced to lower them down on to the tracks themselves.

Numerous passengers vented their frustrations on social media, posting videos of a chaotic evacuation and complaining about a lack of information about what has happening.

'No air-conditions, a real oven,' tweeted Assma Maad, a journalist at Buzzfeed France.

'I plan to add the French subway on Tripadvisor as Best Mixed Hammam and worst Escape Game in Paris,' a Twitter user identified as Celine Tran posted.

The RATP said that after 30 minutes of waiting, several alarms were pulled inside cars, resulting in power outages which cut off the air conditioning.

It also said hundreds of calls to the line's control post had overloaded the passenger information systems, preventing it from updating travellers.

Five people required treatment for heat exhaustion during the evacuations, which came as France is being hit with a weeks-long heat wave.

Source: Twitter/nicopollux

Numerous passengers vented their frustrations on social media, posting videos of a chaotic evacuation

Five people required treatment for heat exhaustion during the evacuations, which came as France is being hit with a weeks-long heat wave

Around 40 rescue workers and 150 RATP agents arrived to help people climb down from the cars and walk out along the tracks

'People were desperate,' said eyewitness Chris Stewart, a tourist visiting from the United States.

'Everyone was being told to stay put, but there was no air conditioning, and it felt like 150 degrees down there.

'When the doors opened, people started to jump out spontaneously. Kids were crying, and initially nobody knew which direction to walk in.

'Eventually emergency services guys turned up, but a lot of them were suffering in the heat too.'

Source: Twitter/MariePenche

A spokesman for RATP confirmed that a 'technical problem' between the Bastille and Saint-Paul stations on Line 1 had caused the problems

Metro trains resumed operating on one of Paris's busiest lines early on Wednesday

A spokesman for RATP confirmed that a 'technical problem' between the Bastille and Saint-Paul stations on Line 1 had caused the problems.

Metro trains resumed operating on one of Paris's busiest lines early on Wednesday.

Line 1 is one of the few modernised lines on an increasingly outdated Metro system.

Despite this there are regular delays on Line 1, with overcrowding caused by massive tourist crowds and commuters.A graduate has slammed the disgusting punishment dished out by her university after her attacker was ordered to write an apology letter for breaking her nose.

Sheffield University graduate Meg McGrath, was headbutted by a male student in an unprovoked attack on a night out in March.

Despite breaking her nose and needing surgery on it, no charges were brought against her attacker who allegedly bragged on social media about being Sheffields most wanted.

The graduate's clothing and upper body were spattered with blood as she documented the attack by taking this photo after the incident on a night out on March 11 this year

The student was given a police caution, told to write an apology letter and attend an alcohol awareness course.

The 22-year-old victim has now set up a petition urging universities to take violence more seriously, claiming she wouldnt recommend people seeking justice through a university.

A University of Sheffield spokesperson said the distressing incident was considered a serious matter by the university and they are committed to learning lessons from this experience.

Meg, originally from Banstead, Surrey, said: 'Its disgusting. Dealing with an assault this leniently gives off the message that its not important.

Meg McGrath (pictured) has warned others that she wouldn't recommend seeking justice through the university after her attacker was told to write a letter apologising for the attack

Meg McGrath, 22, with boyfriend Alex Hinchcliffe at her graduation. Miss McGrath was furious at her university's decision to allow her unnamed attacker to return to classes after three weeks

'I want to share just how incredibly disappointing, frustrating and inadequate the universitys disciplinary process has been while dealing with the student that assaulted me.

'As a result, I wouldnt currently recommend people seeking justice through the university.

'Many female students from different universities have said they have experienced the same thing since Ive spoken publicly.

'Ive now set up a petition which has received more than 5,000 signatures. Universities need to take responsibility for what happens on their campus and the type of graduates leaving their institution.'

This picture of the attacker circulated online with captions that praised him as 'Sheffield's hardest' as he allegedly bragged about being the 'most wanted' in the South Yorkshire city after the attack in March

On March 11 Meg attended a club night with friends when she spotted a group of shirtless men covering in paint.

Intrigued, she asked one of them why they were painted and the man reportedly snatched her drink out of her hand and threw it over her.

As Meg chased him with security in tow, the student reportedly turned and head-butted the bridge of her nose, breaking it.

Meg has been left with a deviated septum which has required surgery and says she will need another operation in December.

Due to the force of the impact Meg also has a scar and is unable to breathe through one nostril.

Meg said: 'I had just arrived at the Students Union and we noticed there was a group of topless men with different colours painted on them.

'I asked one of them why he had paint on him. He immediately took my drink out of my hand and threw it over me.

'He ran into the club and I followed him, at the same time getting the attention of security.

The graduate (pictured, left, after she had cleaned off the blood from the March 11 attack) was left disgusted by the university's response (right, her nose after surgery)

'I grabbed hold of the mans hand. He immediately pulled his hand away from me, turned around and head-butted me.

'He smashed his forehead into the bridge of my nose, I had blood pouring out.

'I went to Northern General Hospital in Sheffield for an x-ray on my wrist which was severely bruised.

'A week later when the swelling had gone down, it was confirmed at Royal Hallamshire Hospital that my nose was broken.

'It is permanently scarred from where the force of his skull struck the bridge of my nose, breaking the skin.

'It remains crooked and hooked despite it being painfully re-broken.. My septum is deviated so I need further surgery. I also cant breathe through my left nostril at all.'

After posting about the incident on social media, Sheffield University immediately suspended the student for three weeks, before allowing him to return to his lectures.

Three months after the incident he was ordered to attend an alcohol awareness course and write an apology letter.

Meg said: 'I posted what had happened on Facebook and the university got wind of it.

The 22-year-old's petition has garnered almost 4,000 signatures after she was horrified when punishment for the attack came in the form of a written apology and an alcohol awareness course

'He was suspended for three weeks then when it came to reviewing his punishment it was decided that he wasnt a threat to anyone and he was allowed to return to university. I find that really insulting.

'I was mortified, I expected that I would be safe around campus and walking around the city but was constantly scared Id cross the road and see him.

'The Students Union has always been really helpful and banned him - the problem is with the university.'

The man was found by security staff at the Students Union and was arrested, spending the night in a police cell.

Meg said he was then released on caution after she claims police told her he would receive that punishment in court, despite her wanting to take it as far as possible.

'The man was found really quickly and arrested that night, it was all on CCTV. He spent the night in a police cell,' she said.

'The police gave him a caution. I wanted to take it as far as I could, but they said even if I did take it to court, he would just be given a caution anyway.

'It took the university three and a half months to complete the disciplinary process and throughout each stage theyve failed to contact me at all.

'He has now been forced to write an apology letter to me. He also has to attend an alcohol awareness session.

'Hes still been allowed to attend lectures and sit exams as normal, hes had no proper punishment. This has tarnished my memories of Sheffield.'

Since the mans punishment was dished out, Meg has appealled to deputy vice chancellor Gill Valentine who has reportedly vowed to review the case.

Despite this she still feels disillusioned by the universitys stance on violence, claiming that their response to plagiarism is stricter.

'I have since met up with the deputy vice chancellor and she is doing a review of the case,' she said.

'We have seen people get expelled for forging sick notes or for copying and pasting a few sentences.

'If word gets out that someone plagiarised, they will be disqualified from exams. The university are now apparently looking at improving regulations around student assaults.

'It seems that as long as the university get the tuition fees, that is all they care about. They only care about that piece of paper stating you have your degree.

'They need to be taking action and making sure the university is a safe environment for people. At the moment, they will take a statement and thats it.'

A University of Sheffield spokesperson said: 'This distressing incident has been considered as a serious matter by the university.

Meg McGrath was injured and her attacker bragged about it on social media - but their university said the correct punishment was for him to write her a letter of apology

'Following a police investigation, student disciplinary procedures were undertaken in line with Universities UK guidance.

'Whilst the university is not at liberty to disclose the outcome of confidential disciplinary proceedings, it does not in any way condone behaviour which imperils the safety and respect of members of our student community.

'Understanding the serious nature of this case, senior university staff have now met with Megan and the university is committed to learning lessons from this experience relating to communication with individuals affected by any serious acts of harassment or aggression, as well as in relation to our disciplinary process.

'The University will be reviewing our processes and sanctions to ensure that these are appropriate for all circumstances, including those where there is no criminal prosecution.

'The safety of students and staff is of primary concern. Students and staff are encouraged to report any incidents concerning their safety to University Security.

'Any incidents involving criminal activity are reported to the police, with the victims consent.

'University disciplinary proceedings are placed on hold while police investigations are underway to avoid compromising criminal investigations.'

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: 'There was no charge in relation to the case.'Accused: British citizen Zaid Thanoon, 26, has been arrested in Bali for trying to bring cannabis into Indonesia

This is the British man arrested for marijuana possession in Bali who was then paraded in front of cameras wearing a balaclava by Indonesian police.

Zaid Thanoon was allegedly found with more than three-and-a-half grams of cannabis hidden in a cigarette pack when he arrived at Bali airport on July 13.

The 26-year-old from Sheffield has since been charged with possession and drugs trafficking, Bali police said.

Mr Thanoon was arrested at Ngurah Rai international airport in Denpasar, Bali, after disembarking a flight from Bangkok, Thailand.

According to police, the photographer, whose social media accounts document his recent travels through China and South East Asia, was carrying 3.55 grams of marijuana on his person.

Police found 'a plastic clip containing pieces of green plants' inside a tobacco pouch in his bag, Times of Indonesia reports.

Mr Thanoon was brought before a press conference along with a Chilean national, arrested for a similar crime on a separate occasion.

Detained: Mr Thanoon, right, and Victor Ortegarocha of Chile, left, both arrested at Bali airport for cannabis possession, appear during a police press conference

Arrested: Mr Thanoon, from Sheffield, was found with 3.55grams of marijuana on his person after arriving from on a flight from Thailand on July 13th

Perp walk: Mr Thanoon and Mr Ortegarocha of Chile walk together following a press conference at the customs office near Ngurah Rai international airport in Denpasar, Bali

Victor Ortegarocha was detained July 12 for allegedly carrying three grams of marijuana into Bali.

If convicted of drugs trafficking, the pair face up to 15 years in prison and heavy fines.

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office said: 'We are assisting a British man and his family following his arrest in Indonesia.'

Indonesia has some of the world's toughest anti-drugs laws, including capital punishment for traffickers.

Mr Thanoon was arrested at Ngurah Rai international airport in Denpasar, Bali, after disembarking a flight from Bangkok, Thailand

It has executed several foreign and Indonesian narcotics convicts by firing squad in the past few years.

More than 150 people are on death row in the island nation, mostly for drug crimes. About a third of them are foreigners.

British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford from Redcar on Teesside, has been on death row since December 2012 after attempting to smuggle cocaine into Bali after arriving on a flight from Bangkok.

The 60-year-old admitted smuggling 4.8kg (10.6lb) of the Class A drug, but said she was pressured by a smuggling gang.Police in eastern India have sealed a shelter for destitute women amid reports that 11 of the women are missing, police said Wednesday.

Another shelter run by the same charity was closed in June after dozens of girls said they had been raped there.

The charity's director and nine of his employees have been arrested on rape charges.

The second shelter was sealed Tuesday, police officer Anil Kumar Singh said.

Police in eastern India have sealed a shelter for destitute women amid reports that 11 of the women are missing. Pictured, Indian students protest the rape of a little girl in April

Both shelters - one for women, the other for girls aged between seven and 17 - are in the town of Muzzafarpur, some 40 miles outside of Patna, the capital of Bihar state.

Workers from the state Social Welfare Department reported the women missing on Monday, Singh said.

The state handed over investigation of the case to the federal government on Sunday after a wave of protests and demands by the political opposition and human rights groups.

Media reports say the charity, Seva Sanklap Ewam Vikas Samiti, received about $150,000 per year from the state and federal governments to run shelters for women and girls.

People holding placards for justice during a demonstration in Srinagar against the rape and murder of a girl

Brajesh Thakur, who has run the group since 1987, has been held since early June, when authorities raided the girls' shelter.

The Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences found evidence of trouble during an audit of the charity earlier this year.

State investigators then interviewed girls at the shelter, many of whom said they had been raped.

India has been shaken by a series of high-profile sexual assaults since 2012, when a young woman was fatally gang-raped on a moving New Delhi bus.

That attack sparked protests calling for more protection for women, and harsher punishments for their attackers.

Since then, India's Parliament has doubled prison terms for rapists to 20 years and criminalised voyeurism, stalking and the trafficking of women.

In April, India's Cabinet passed an executive order making the rape of girl under 12 years old punishable by the death penalty.

But despite the increasingly stringent laws, women often remain relegated to second-class citizenship in Indian courts and police stations.Northamptonshire County Council leader Matthew Golby (file) will warn councillors today they must establish what they can 'realistically afford' after effectively going bust

A bankrupt council is meeting today to axe services down to a 'core offer' amid fears it could run out of cash to look after vulnerable children and adults.

Northamptonshire County Council leader Matthew Golby will warn councillors today they must establish what they can 'realistically afford' after effectively going bust.

The council needs to find 70million this year and the axe 'will have to go beyond cuts to staff pay and staff numbers to include all services including those to and in respect of vulnerable children, young people and adults', a report warns.

But experts warned it may be impossible for the ailing authority to meet the legal requirements to both run a balanced budget and meet statutory duties to vulnerable children, the elderly and disabled adults.

The Tory-run authority ignored warnings of a budget crisis three years ago when it had overspent by 43million by the half way point of its financial year.

Councillors have been slammed for building a lavish new headquarters shortly before their council effectively went bankrupt.

In a report ahead of today's crunch meeting, Councollor Golby said: 'With so much already taken out of our budget and more still to save, the County Council now needs to articulate, in the form of a core offer, the realistic level of service we are likely to provide, not merely to meet our statutory duties but to meet real local need.'

Mr Golby's paper said the offer would 'safeguard all children and young people' while ensuring a 'robust safeguarding system to protect vulnerable adults'.

The offer would also provide services like waste collection, carry out 'sufficient maintenance' of public highways and plan for school places.

However, Professor Tony Travers, a local government expert at the London School of Economics, said the council's virtually unprecedented position could force it to breach legal duties.

Councillors have been slammed for building a lavish new headquarters (pictured) shortly before their council effectively went bankrupt

He told the Guardian that, in order to make cuts to balance its budget as required by law, it would also breach its statutory duty to provide core services, such as those for vulnerable children or the elderly, and disabled adults.

In July, the council issued a second order to confine spending to 'only the most essential services' amid fears that its budget shortfall could reach 70 million this year.

It came after Government-appointed commissioners were sent in to run the authority earlier this year after it issued a 'Section 114' notice restricting its own spending in a bid to balance the books.

A Government report this year found serious failings at the council and said it should be scrapped.

Meanwhile, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has warned that other authorities are facing similar pressures.

Its chief executive, Rob Whiteman, said in July: 'The National Audit Office's most recent financial sustainability report points out that 10% of upper-tier authorities are similarly vulnerable to financial failure.

'That could be more than 20 councils at risk along with the essential services for several million citizens.'A hoon who was caught allegedly drunk and driving without a licence spat on an officer as he was resisting arrest, police claim.

Terry Carr was allegedly drunk when police busted him drifting down a suburban street south of Brisbane.

In a series of videos taken by a witness, who was sitting in a parked car on the street, the 28-year-old can be seen doing burnouts up and down the street.

Terry Carr, 28, (pictured) was busted hooning around a suburban street south of Brisbane

He was seen by an undercover police car who happened to drive past at that moment.

The video then shows Terry getting out of his car, allegedly to confront witnesses who were trying to get him to stop.

Just as he gets to them the police car drives up and two officers get out to arrest him.

Carr allegedly threatened to kill the officers and resisted the arrest.

He is also accused of spitting the face of a senior constable who is now being tested for diseases.

The video shows them telling Carr: 'Don't fight. You'll break your neck driving like that,' as they arrest him.

By chance, an undercover cop car drove past and saw him doing burnouts (pictured)

After a few seconds the police can be seen pulling out their tasers as a female calls out in distress for Carr to stop fighting the police.

Speaking to 7News, Carr said he was just being an idiot and apologised.

'I just want to apologise to the public and everyone that witnessed it. It was just me being an idiot,' he said.

He also denied he didn't spit on the police officer, saying: 'I didn't spit at no copper, I was just trying to get a breath because he was burying my head.'

Carr is now out on Bail. His vehicle has been impounded and he is banned form driving.The relatives of two people killed in last week's wildfires near Athens are suing Greek authorities and the emergency services over their deaths.

Mathematics teacher Vassilis Katsargyris, 70, and his neighbour Maria Pagomenou, 73, died while trying to escape the deadly flames in Mati, east of the Greek capital.

The families' lawsuit state that Greek authorities could be liable for criminal charges such as involuntary manslaughter, bodily harm, exposure that led to death and arson in the 'biblical catastrophe' blaze.

Victims: Teacher Vassilis Katsargyris, 70, and his neighbour Maria Pagomenou, 73, died trying to escape last week's wildfires in Mati, east of Athens, pictured

Separately, a Greek prosecutor is investigating the cause of the wildfire and the role of authorities in responding to the blaze that killed at least 91 people in the seaside town of Mati and nearby areas.

'I believe that those who are responsible for protecting people, for putting out the fire and taking any precaution measures to prevent it, will be convicted,' the relatives' lawyer, Antonis Foussas, told Reuters.

Heartbreaking: Teacher Vassilis Katsargyris, 70, died just a few days after the wedding of his daughter Yola Katsargyri, pictured

Mr Katsargyris had ended up trapped in the garage, as his wife and friends of the family visiting from the United States struggled to reach the nearest beach.

His wife returned to try to rescue him and Ms Pagomenou, but failed, and they were later found dead about 400 yards from their homes, the lawsuit said.

Mr Katsargyris has today been remembered as a 'prominent member of the mathematical family'.

The teacher had authored several school books in his field and was an 'active member of the Hellenic Mathematical Society', local news reports.

Two days before the disaster Mr Katsargyris and the family had been celebrating the wedding of his daughter, who lives in California, U.S.

Yola Katsargyri has a PhD from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, while her Greek now-husband is an assistant professor at University of Southern California.

Authorities and experts have blamed the loss of life and extensive damage to property on strong winds and the chaotic urban planning in the pine forest area.

They say that many of the victims were trapped by the flames as they tried to reach the beaches because of a lack of evacuation routes and no access to the sea.

Aftermath: A woman walks past the burnt cars after wildfires hit the village of Mati near Athens, Greece

Memorial: People gathered outside the Hellenic Parliament, in Athens in memory of the 91 victims of the deadly wildfires

However, many people have criticised the government for an allegedly slow and poor response to the catastrophe, as well as lack of emergency plans.

The relatives of Ms Pagomenou and Mr Katsargyris said that neither before nor during the blaze did authorities tell them how to act or how to escape to a secure place.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said he assumed 'political responsibility' for the tragedy but rejected accusations of a botched response.

The government has also announced a package of support measures for victims, including compensation and help with tax and banking amounting to 40 million euros.

What is left behind: An aerial view of Mati, east of Athens shows the devastation left in the wake of the wildfires that killed more than 90 people

Greek ministers have said there are indications that the cause of the fire was arson, and one person has so far been detained and questioned over the case, police officials said.

On Wednesday, ten days after the wildfires ravaged Athens, the government announced it would speed up the destruction of 3,000 illegal constructions around the Greek capital as well as 'reorganising' civil defence and 'improving protection'.

Environment minister Georges Stathakis said a string of legal and financial measures would 'accelerate' the destruction of around 2,500 illegal constructions in forests and around 700 on the coast as the government tries to manage opposition criticism and the anger of victims.

Meanwhile, authorities will 'develop the prevention of forest fires', and 'strengthen the controls' against walls and barriers that illegally block access to the seaside, said Socratis Famellos, Stathakis's deputy.

And interior minister Panis Skourletis announced a 'reorganisation of the civil defence service', which has faced criticism from experts and the media.This is the beautiful moment a baby red panda takes its first trip into the great outdoors while being cradled in its mother's mouth.

The cute cub is one of the two born just two weeks ago to mother Rufina and father Ajendra at the Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire.

The arrivals of this panda and its sibling, the fifth and sixth cubs born at Longleat in three years as part of a breeding programme, are a huge boost to securing the future existence of red pandas.

The adorable red panda was carried into the great outdoors by its mother at Longleat Safari Park in Wilshire

The cub is one of two born a few weeks ago at Longleat Safari Park. Pictured: Mother Rufina carrying her baby

Sam Allworthy, their keeper at Longleat, said: 'Rufina and Ajendra are both such fantastic parents that we pretty much leave them to it and try to interfere as little as possible.

'Cubs don't tend to start venturing out on their own for the first three months but Rufina, like all red panda mums, regularly moves the cubs to different nesting areas.

'This is perfectly natural behaviour but makes keeping track of the babies, or even confirming what sex they are, somewhat problematic for us.'

The red panda is recognised as an endangered animal in the wild - meaning the species is at a high risk of extinction in the near future.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) officially listed the animal as 'endangered' in 2008, when the global population was estimated to be just 10,000.

Red pandas are typically found in Nepal, Bhutan and China and live among bamboo forests, spending much of their time in trees.

In the wild, red pandas are typically solitary animals and only really come together to breed.A rare baby monkey has been saved from the hands of an illegal vendor in China.

And this video clip released by Xinhua News Agency shows just how scared the tiny primate was afterwards.

The Assam macaque, a first-class protected animal in China, firmly grabbed onto a caretaker's arm and wouldn't let go after it was taken to the forest police in southern China's Yunnan Province.

The rescued macaque firmly holds onto a caretaker at a forest police station in Yunnan, China

The tiny animal was saved by a kind resident who saw it being sold on a street in Jinghong

The baby monkey was rescued on July 21 in the city of Jinghong by a resident known by the surname of Yu.

Ms Yu told China News that she saw the animal being sold by a street vendor and worried that it might fall into the wrong hands. The animal-loving woman bought it from the vendor before handing it over to the local forest police.

Ms Yu said when she bought the Assam macaque, it was so frightened it jumped into her arms and wouldn't leave her. After taking care of the monkey for two days, Ms Yu took it to the Jinghong Forest Police.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Jinghong Forest Police took the monkey to the Xishuangbanna Wildlife Shelter to be looked after on July 26. The baby animal would be released back to nature once it grows up, the report said.

The trading of wild animals is illegal in China. Nevertheless, people have been caught buying and selling them for their meat, skin and organs.

The baby monkey is an Assam macaque (file photo), a first-class protected animal in China

Monkeys can become a target partially because monkey brain is considered a delicacy by a minority of people in some parts of southern China.

Normally, diners crack open the monkey's head when the animal is still alive before eating its brain. The dish is thought to be able to make the diners smarter, and has been billed as one of the world's cruellest dining experiences.

In addition, keeping a baby monkey has become popular among young people in China, a trend prompted by the videos on live-streaming platforms. In those clips, the hosts often dress up their monkey pets and interact with them to attract followers.

Just last month, one live-stream host, known as Pan, was reportedly investigated by police in eastern China's Yangzhou city after showing off her 'cute' baby macaque in her videos.

Through Pan, police bust a 35-member gang who traded state protected Barbary macaques for 8,000 yuan (900) each across China and rescued 16 macaques, reported China Central Television Station.A South Korean cult leader has been arrested after leaving 400 followers stranded in Fiji and forcing them to perform horrific ritual beatings on each other.

Shin Ok-ju was arrested along with three other leaders from the Grace Road Church when they landed at Incheon airport outside Seoul, The Guardian reports.

The pastor's followers started travelling to Fiji from 2014 after she predicted a famine across the Korean peninsula.

When they arrived on the tiny island in the South Pacific, a group of 'guardians' hand-picked by Shin allegedly took their passports away to prevent them from leaving.

Shin Ok-ju (pictured) was arrested along with three other leaders from the Grace Road Church when they landed at Incheon airport outside Seoul

There, they were forced to carry out ritual beatings on each other, which Shin claimed the beatings would avoid them being punished by God.

One father was made to hit his son more than 100 times, according to the newspaper.

Another follower was beaten so badly that he was left with permanent brain damage.

But at least five followers eventually managed to escape and alerted authorities in South Korea.

It comes after Shin was sued by a young mentally-ill man for $6million after she attempted to cure his schizophrenia with prayer.

The pastor's followers started travelling to Fiji (pictured, file photo) from 2014 after she predicted a famine across the Korean peninsula

The 27-year-old man was bound with duct tape during a ritual that Shin supervised at the Grace Road Church in Queens, New York, the New York Daily News reported.

But the 'ritual cleansing' made the man's mental condition worse as he was deprived of his anti-psychotic medication.

He ultimately had to have his leg amputated after developing gangrene because he had had his wrist and knees duct-taped to a chair or a bed over the course of 10 days, apparently cutting off the blood circulation in his leg.

The man now has to live in a nursing facility.

Shin was not charged with a crime, but the man's sister and her fiance, who are both followers of the church, were convicted of reckless endangerment and less to 364 days in jail.The City of London has slashed its forecast for how many jobs may be lost over Brexit to just 5,000 despite earlier predicting 40 times as many.

Lord Mayor of the City of London Charles Bowman revealed the figure as fears cool of a major hit to the financial services sector.

Forecasts had varied widely but some estimates suggested 200,000 jobs could have been moved to the continent by major banks.

Lord Mayor of the City of London Charles Bowman revealed the figure as fears cool of a major hit to the financial services sector

The City of London has slashed its forecast for how many jobs may be lost over Brexit to just 5,000 despite earlier predicting 40 times as many

Britain's economy is fuelled by financial services based out of London and there is continued uncertainty over what rules and regulations will be in place after Brexit.

Paris and Frankfurt hope to become larger banking centres at London's expense.

Mr Bowman told Politico the much lower estimate of job losses was because confidence was now high there would be a transition deal.

Earlier estimates had been working on the assumption of no deal at all - something Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned is becoming more likely.

But Mr Bowman said two years on from the referendum he was now confident.

He said: 'Probably the City, as the financier of European business, is the central point to make here.

'If it became harder for European businesses to access finance, that is far from trivial.

'The City itself would find a way to thrive, whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.'

'If it became a low-tax, low-regulation, offshoot fully outside the EU, it would find a way to thrive in those circumstances. But for European businesses the impact would be profound.'

Deutsche Bank has moved half of its euro clearing business to Frankfurt in a signal City business could shift from London into the EU over Brexit

The intervention comes days after it emerged Deutsche Bank has moved half of its euro clearing business to Frankfurt.

The move, which is largely symbolic as clearing is an electronic process, comes amid growing concern about a no deal Brexit.

In January almost all of Deutsche Bank's clearing was done in London. Clearing is the process by which banks act as a middleman for a buyer and seller of financial contracts.

Deutsche Bank's global co-head of institutional and treasury coverage told the FT the move had not led to a wholesale relocation of jobs.

He said: 'It's the same London-based person who clears a transaction. We're just using a different clearing house.'

Hubertas Vath, chief execuitve of the marketing group Frankfurt Main Finance, said shifting euro clearing from London to Frankfurt had been 'top of our priority list from the very first day after the Brexit referendum'.

While only a handful of jobs are linked to the process, the knock on effects of centralisation in London has seen most trading floors move from Germany to Britain over the past 30 years.

Mr Vath said: 'This was the best chance to bring them back.'This is the moment an unsuspecting tractor driver collides with a van and is rammed into a flooring shop favoured by celebrities such as Simon Cowell and Shane Lynch.

CCTV footage shows how the red tractor blew both its tyres as it was shoved off the road and into the showroom of Period Flooring in Nutfield, Surrey, on Monday evening.

The driver manages to avoid driving headfirst into the shop or hitting any other cars on the busy A25.

Describing the moment of impact, Martin Murray, who owns the shop, said: It sounded like a bomb had gone off, an explosion.

The tractor driver was pretty shaken up. He managed to swerve even though he had burst both tyres.

'The boarding of my shop was ripped off and it has suffered extensive structural damage. It is a late 1800s building and the tractor pushed the brick work inwards.

An unsuspecting tractor driver was caught on CCTV colliding with a van before being rammed into a flooring shop favoured by celebrities such as Simon Cowell and Shane Lynch

CCTV footage showed how the red tractor blew both its tyres as it was shoved off the road and into the showroom of Period Flooring in Nutfield, Surrey, on Monday evening

The driver managed to avoid driving headfirst into the shop or hitting any other cars on the busy A25

The footage, taken at 5pm, shows the tractor trundling along the road towards the M23 when a silver car pulls out in front of him. The silver car is followed immediately by a silver van which is seen colliding with the tractor

The footage, taken just before 6pm, shows the tractor trundling along the road at speed towards the junction where the shop, which also boasts clients such as actor Richard E Grant and hotelier Olga Polizzi, when a silver car pulls out in front of him.

The car is followed immediately by a small silver van which then collides with the tractor.

Shunted by the force of the impact, the tractor slams into the side of the shop before ricoheting off the wall and coming to an abrupt stop with a large cloud of black smoke puffing out of its exhaust.

Dazed passengers are then seen stepping out of the van as the rest of the traffic comes to a halt.

Mr Murray, who was about to go on holiday, said the A25 - which is parallel to the M25 - acts as a rat run for those trying to avoid rush hour traffic.

Period Flooring has worked with celebrities such as Shane Lynch (above with Ronan Keating)

Mr Murray, who who was about to go on holiday, said structural engineers were examining the shop showroom (which has provided flooring to stars such as Cowell above) to shore it up as there is a flat in the basement and above

'The tractor driver was a really nice guy - he was in shock. He just didn't know what was going on.

'He didn't even have a chance to attempt to brake, he could only steer it. If he had carried on the course he was going on he would hit the front of the shop straight on.'

Mr Murray said structural engineers were examining the building to shore it up as there is a flat in the basement and above.

In the meantime, the company continues to operate put of the office in the back of the building.

Shunted by the force of the impact, the tractor slams into the side of the shop before coming to an abrupt stop with a large cloud of black smoke puffing out of its chimney

Dazed passengers were then seen stepping out of the van as the rest of the traffic comes to a halt

It is not the first time Period Flooring, which is located on the corner of a busy junction, has been hit. Fifteen years ago a driver hit the accelerator instead of the brake and smashed through the other side of the property

It is not the first time Period Flooring, which is located on the corner of a busy junction, has been hit.

Fifteen years ago a driver hit the accelerator instead of the brake and smashed through the other side of the property.

A Surrey Police spokesman said: 'Officers received a report of a minor collision involving a van and a tractor, causing damage to a shop front on Bletchingley Road on Thursday 30 July at around 5.44pm.

'Officers attended and the road was cleared shortly after. Thankfully no one was injured.'

No one was arrested.A South Korean firm that said it had found a long-lost Russian 'treasure ship', causing a stock market flurry, is being investigated by police, it has emerged.

Shinil Group announced in July it had discovered the imperial vessel Dmitri Donskoi off South Korea's east coast, saying the ship was believed to contain gold bullion and coins worth $8.9billion.

But police in the country are now probing the firm for possible fraudulent claims and have banned its senior staff from leaving the country.

The company had initially said the Donskoi, which sank in a 1905 naval battle against Japan, was believed to contain gold bullion and coins worth $130 billion - but it later lowered this figure.

A South Korean firm that said it had found a long-lost Russian 'treasure ship', causing a stock market flurry, is being investigated by police, it has emerged. An underwater camera reveals a glimpse of the Dimitrii Donskoi, 113 years after it was sunk to stop the Japanese taking it

Start-up business Shinil Group announced in July it had discovered imperial vessel the Dmitri Donskoi off South Korea's east coast

The Donskoi was launched in 1883 and spent most of its life operating in the Mediterranean before being deployed to Russia's Second Pacific Squadron in 1904 after much of Russia's Far Eastern forces were destroyed by Japan

Shinil Group announced in July it had discovered the imperial vessel Dmitri Donskoi off South Korea 's east coast, saying the ship was believed to contain gold bullion and coins worth $8.9billion

Financial regulators last week launched an investigation into the firm after news of the discovery caused the stock price of Jeil Steel - a company in which Shinil's founder had acquired a large stake - to jump fivefold.

Police are now involved, according to CNN.

Critics noted that in 2003 another firm had already sparked a stock bubble by announcing the discovery of the Donskoi.

Last week, Shinil said it may have gone overboard on the claims and apologised for the 'misunderstanding', saying speculation on the value of treasure contained within the ship was based on news reports and unverified documents.

'We sincerely apologise to the people for this irresponsible citation,' said Choi Yong-seok, the firm's CEO, bowing before TV cameras and photographers at a press conference.

Jeil Steel stock had hit 5,400 won (3.67) but nosedived to around 1,785 won (1.21) on Thursday, while Shinil replaced its board members and changed its name to Shinil Maritime Technology Co.

At the press conference, the company played a brief clip of underwater footage that appeared to show the ship, with the word 'Donskoi' visible on the hull - but it stopped short of entering the wreck.

The warship was guarding transport vessels at the rear of the convoy when it was intercepted by a much larger Japanese fleet in May 1905

The Donskoi was believed to have been carrying the gold supplies of the entire Second Pacific Squadron when it sank

A Russian campaign group had previously demanded that the entire fortune be returned to Moscow as a 'goodwill gesture'. Pictured: The ship underwater

At a press conference, the company played a brief clip of underwater footage that appeared to show the ship

Observers have also questioned whether the claims were aimed at funnelling investment into a virtual currency which Shinil Group in Singapore had recently started to issue.

Choi insisted Shinil Group in Singapore had nothing to do with Shinil Group in Korea, although the two companies' founders are siblings and Shinil Group in Singapore has been selling virtual coins, reportedly with a promise of handsome returns in case treasure is salvaged from the ship.

He also said Jeil Steel is not associated with Shinil although Shinil's founder had acquired the stake in Jeil Steel before the discovery of the sunken ship.

Experts have said imperial Russia would have no reason to load vast treasure on a ship that was going into battle and have also noted that there was a safer land route to Vladivostok, the treasure's supposed final destination.

A Russian campaign group had previously demanded that the entire fortune be returned to Moscow as a 'goodwill gesture'.

Yaroslav Livanskiy, an official of the Russian Public Movement to Commemorate Those Who Died Defending the Motherland, led the calls.

Officers on board the Donskoi, including a man believed to be Captain Ivan Lebedev (far right), who was wounded before the warship was scuttled and later died from his injuries

The ship was escorting transport vessels at the rear of the Second Pacific Squadron when the flotilla was attacked by a much larger Japanese force at the Battle of Tsushima (pictured after being refitted)

At least 60 of the crew were killed and 120 more wounded, including Captain Ivan Lebedev, who ordered the ship to anchor off Ulleungdo and took his men ashore

Livanskiy, who is also head of a salvage group in eastern Russia, said: 'The cruiser is a priceless find for Russia, an invaluable relic, a symbol of our heroic and tragic past, a part of military history of Russia.

'Therefore whatever was discovered on board of the cruiser is inseparable from the overall value of the find.'

The armour on the side of the hull is well-preserved while the cannons, machine guns, anchor and steering wheel are all still in place.

A large number of iron boxes were also discovered in the ship's hold, which were assumed to contain gold.

The firm originally pledged to donate 10 per cent of their find to help develop Ulleungdo, which is a largely uninhabited island but an important tourist destination for South Korea.

Development plans would have included a museum dedicated to the ship, according to The Telegraph.

'World War Zero': How Russia's humiliating defeat in Russo-Japanese war set stage for decades of warfare Fighting took place in modern-day northeast China in 1904-1905 after Russia and Japan clashed over trading ports and the Korean peninsula. Japan declared war and attacked Port Arthur on the same day. The attack was planned to neutralise the Russian Far East Fleet while it was still in the port. In the Battle of Port Arthur, three of Russia's largest navy ships - Tsesarevich, Retvizan, and Pallada - were significantly damaged One Russian ship, the Petropavlovsk, escaped Port Arthur and was sunk by mines. A second, the Pobeda, had to return to port. While Japanese attacks were successful at sea, land attacks against Russian forces initially failed. But at the Battle of Liaoyang, Russia forces sent to support Port Arthur pushed back by Japanese. It also left them with land from where they could fire on Russian ships in Port Arthur bay. Every ship in Russia's Pacific fleet was sunk by the end of 1904. In January 1905, Russian Major General Anatoly Stessel, commander of the Port Arthur garrison, surrendered. Demoralised Russians had to watch as Japan took control of the Korean peninsula in just a couple of months. Russia surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese and had to recognise Japanese control of Korean peninsula. The costly, humiliating series of Russian defeats in the Russo-Japanese War left the Russian Empire demoralized. The losses added to anger in Russia at Czar Nicholas II and ultimately the dissent would lead to the Russian Revolution in 1917. SOURCE: History.com Advertisement

Divers from salvage firm Shinil Group had been searching for the wreck for years and finally located it on July 14 at a depth of 1,400ft around a mile off the coast of Ulleungdo.

The Donskoi was launched in 1883 and spent most of its life operating in the Mediterranean before being deployed to Russia's Second Pacific Squadron in 1904 after much of Russia's Far Eastern forces were destroyed by Japan.

The warship was guarding transport vessels at the rear of the convoy when it was intercepted by a much larger Japanese fleet in May 1905.

What followed became known as the Battle of Tsushima and was disastrous for Russia, with 21 of its 38 ships sunk and 4,500 killed - compared to just three Japanese ships lost and 117 dead.

The Donskoi escaped the battle itself, though was badly damaged and began steaming for the Russian port of Vladivostok.

Before it could get there it was intercepted by the Japanese, who opened fire.

At least 60 of the crew were killed and 120 more wounded, including Captain Ivan Lebedev, who ordered the ship to anchor off Ulleungdo and took his men ashore.

The following day the ship was scuttled to stop it falling into Japanese hands and the crew surrendered. Captain Lebedev later died of his wounds.

The Donskoi was believed to have been carrying gold supplies for the entire flotilla, which would have been used to pay port fees and the salaries of crew and captains while at sea.

It is was thought possible that smaller gold stores kept on board other vessels in the flotilla were transferred to the Donskoi as they went down.

Given a history of false claims about discovering the Donskoi in the past, Shinil Group promised to bring some of Lebedev's personal effects to the surface as further proof of their discovery.Cocaine use among people from wealthier homes in England and Wales is at its highest in nearly a decade, official figures reveal.

In the last year 3.4 per cent of 16 to 59-year-olds who lived in a household with an income of at least 50,000 reported taking the Class A drug.

This is up from 3.2 per cent on the year before, and is the highest since the 3.8 per cent which was recorded in 2008/09.

Figures for 16 to 59-year-olds in the lowest household income bracket - under 10,000 - who reported taking the substance went down from 3.4 per cent to 2 per cent over the same period.

In the last year 3.4% of 16 to 59-year-olds who lived in a household with an income of at least 50,000 reported taking the Class A drug (pictured)

Drug use has come under the spotlight in recent weeks amid warnings the demand for illegal substances is helping fuel spiralling levels of knife crime and violence.

Earlier this week Britain's most senior police officer hit out at middle class cocaine users who worry about issues like the environment and fair trade but believe there is 'no harm' in taking the class A drug.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said: 'There is this challenge that there are groups of middle class people who will sit round happily thinking about global warming and fair trade and environmental protection and all sorts of things, organic food, but think there's no harm in taking a bit of cocaine.

'Well there is. There is misery throughout the supply chain.'

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick has hit out at middle class cocaine users

The senior officer joins a number of public in pointing the finger at middle class users feulling the cocaine trade, including London mayor Sadiq Khan.

Mr Khan said last week that cocaine use at 'middle-class parties' is helping to fuel drug-related gang violence and said it is not the 'victimless crime' many users believe.

And Justice Secretary David Gauke said people who buy cocaine for dinner parties must accept responsibility for the bloody violence sweeping the streets of London.

Earlier this year it emerged drug dealers are handing out loyalty cards offering free cocaine to keep their lucrative middle class buyers hooked.

The 'loyal-t' scheme mirrors deals offered by high street coffee chains and gives wealthy customers their sixth and 12th purchases free.

The wraps, which cost up to 100 each, are then delivered to homes or offices by couriers who stamp their loyalty cards when the cash is handed over.

This 'culture of excess' is being blamed for escalating violence on city streets across the UK.

Violent crime has risen nationally in the past few years, and so far in London this year Met figures show there have been 87 homicides, with the rise partly fuelled by street violence.

The detection rate is around 80 per cent compared with 68.5 per cent last year, the commissioner said, with suspects charged in 74 cases, and 123 arrests made.

Although levels of violent crime appear to be stabilising, as they have done over the summer in previous years, the number of murders so far this year is still heading to be higher than last year, when there were 131 deaths including 13 in terrorist attacks.

Officers have seized 1,200 knives and 140 guns since April, and the use of stop-and-search powers has risen.A teacher was reduced to tears after visiting one of her favourite beaches - only to find it littered with rubbish and plastic.

Nicky James, 48, had been returning from a relaxing swim with a friend when dozens of holidaymakers descended on the Pedn Vounder beach in Cornwall.

Bodyboards, saucepans, flip flops, beer cans, plastic bottles and even dog poo bags were left scattered on the beach, which was recently voted one of the best in Britain.

Nicky James, 48, had been enjoying a relaxing swim with a friend when dozens of holidaymakers descended on the Pedn Vounder beach in Cornwall

The state of the beach left Ms James, a regular to the beach and teacher in Penzance, completely disheartened.

Speaking after crowns invaded the usually quiet beach to make the most of the summer sunshine, she said: 'They were like ants on the headland.

'There were lots of people you wouldn't normally see there - people on blow up inflatables, people having a barbecue, children.

'And there was a lady with a plastic lilo and a bucket and spade perched on the side of the cliff with a young child.'

In her post on Facebook, she wrote: 'So, the other evening (after resting all day , blooming ME!), a friend and I decided to go to Treen/Pedne vounder beach after 6pm hoping the maddening crowd had left!!

'Quite a few were still there with BBQs etc. We kept our beedyeyes on them fer sure!! So when they left they seemingly took all their stuff... no, they left it at the bottom of the cliff!! Eventually there were only a few of us left!!

'Whilst walking along I notice some rubbish and decided to get a bag and collect it as this is a tidal, non lifeguarded, non cleaned beach.

'To mine and others sheer horror there was SOO much detritus left!!! Im not kidding, it all made me cry!! It was actually too much for us to carry so others helped! We had to leave some to go back for.'

Ms James, a teacher in Penzance, shared pictures of the rubbish which she and other collected on the beach

Among the rubbish which Ms James collected from the beach includes flip flops, cans, plastic bottles and bags

Pedn Vounder beach in Cornwall (pictured) was recently voted one of the best beaches in Britain

Ms James decided to clean up the rubbish left on the beach to ensure it was not washed into the sea (stock imageo of Pedn Vounder beach)

She added: 'It was just a shocking sight. Bottles of beers, a lilo, a child's bodyboard, clothes, tent pegs, crisp packets, cans of Strongbow and lager, foil, buckets and spades...

'They took everything down with them, had a good time and left it there. It made me cry. My heart sank.'

That was when Ms James and her friend, along with some other who were still at the beach, decided to clean up after others to ensure the rubbish did not get washed into the sea when the tide came in.

She said: 'On the way up around the headland, there were cans of Coke, crisp packets and dog poo bags.

'Further up I saw a carrier bag stuffed into a rock. It was full of wet towels, shorts and t-shirts, plastic bottles and sweet wrappers. It was stinking but we carried it up.

'We are in such a throwaway society for some people.

'We have to clean up our ways. There is a massive plastic campaign down here yet the majority of what we pick up is plastic bottles.

'You can tell people politely when you see them that they have forgotten their bottle of water but at the end of the day you just want a loud hailer to tell them to take their stuff home.

'I just want people to take more responsibility. We are custodians. We have to protect our coastline and keep it safe for everyone, for our future generations.'Police have launched a probe to discover if a group of Brits on a stag do paid a drunk homeless man in Benidorm to have the groom's name and address tattooed on his face.

Officers in the holiday resort are trying to clarify the circumstances surrounding the controversial inking after a government delegate for the region promised to bring those response to justice if police established criminal wrongdoing.

A Polish-born rough sleeper, known only as Tomek, was allegedly paid 90 to have 'Jamie Blake, North Shields N28' written permanently on his forehead.

Karen Maling Cowles, president of the Benidorm British Business Association, has criticised the group and is raising funds to get the tattoo removed as part of help she has offered Tomek.

Police are investigating if a British stag party paid a Polish-born rough sleeper, known only as Tomek, to get the name and address of the groom tattooed on his forehead

Juan Carlos Fulgencio, a central government delegate for the Autonomous Community of Valencia which includes the Benidorm area, said a formal complaint had been made to police in Benidorm and an investigation was underway.

He said: 'It appears that this citizen was in a bad way and that because he was incapable of making a coherent decision about tattooing the name of another person on his forehead, he agreed to do it.

'Afterwards there was some other incident.

'It appears the money that in principle they paid him for this strange act subsequently disappeared.

'In any case the police are investigating and I am certain those responsible will be brought to justice.'

Sources close to the ongoing probe confirmed they were looking into the possibility a 'hate crime' had taken place.

Mrs Maling Cowles, who is married to a tattoo artist, has launched a GoFundMe appeal to raise money to help Tomek have the tattoo removed and receive medical help.

The men allegedly got the rough sleeper to have 'Jamie Blake, North Shields N28' written permanently on his forehead

It had raised 1,640 of its 3,000 target by Wednesday.

The expat, who says the rough sleeper told her he was paid by the stag do group, said: 'The community here is disgusted about it and many tourists too. It's awful, taking a vulnerable person's situation and thinking throwing a bit of money gives you a quick bit of fun.'

She also revealed Tomek was jaundiced when she met him to talk about what had happened, had the shakes and told her he was an alcoholic who had walked 1,700 miles to Benidorm after the collapse of his relationship with his girlfriend.

The 34-year-old, whose current whereabouts are not known, is said to have been attacked and robbed after he was allegedly paid by the British men.

But James Blake, the man whose name and address Tomek had inked on his forehead, has denied having anything to do with the incident.

Mr Blake, 36, who was working in Benidorm, says he had split up with his partner Kerry before the incident, but still decided to hold a stag do with 30 of his best friends.

But he said he had already been thrown out of a bar for being too drunk and didnt go to the tattoo parlour.

James Blake (pictured with is fiance), the man whose name and address Tomek had inked on his forehead, has denied having anything to do with the incident.

In an interview with the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, he also claimed Tomek is friends with his friends, is not homeless.

Mr Blake, who said he moved from North Tyneside to Benidorm three months ago and works on the strip, also believes Tomek was not paid any cash to have the tattoo done.

'I was not there at the time. There was a big group of around 30 of us drinking in the bar, Mr Blake said.

'Tomek isn't homeless, he lives with my friend and works on the strip. I got drunk and was asked to leave the bar I was in.

'I was never in the tattoo parlour and as far as I know he was not paid any money.'

Mr Blake has two children with Kerry Clay, a dinner lady at a local school on Tyneside - but he said they had split recently.

Now he fears he could lose his job in Spain because of the furore back home over the picture.

He added: 'I might have to fly home and could lose my job here.

His family were also less than impressed with the antics.

Mr Blake fears he could lose his job in Benidorm (above, file photo) because of the furore back home over the picture

His father Brian Blake, 77, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, told MailOnline: 'He won't be going on anymore stag dos in the near future and we'll leave it at that.'

Karen Malin Cowles, who knows Tomek, told the Daily Star: 'What they have done to this man is utterly inhuman and akin to abuse.

'I'm appalled that a group of grown men would take advantage of someone in such a vulnerable position. They have left a human being scarred for the rest of his life.'

A spokesman for Spain's National Police confirmed an investigation was underway.

He said: 'Officers are looking into this to see who was responsible and investigating issues like whether the tattoo was done voluntarily or if the person who had the tattoo was in an unfit state to make a rational decision.

'The investigation will also focus on whether any payment has been made.'

A source said: 'The probe will seek to establish whether what has happened could constitute a hate crime.'A woman's Twitter campaign has led to a bouncer who allegedly sexually harassed her to be suspended.

Emily White, 19, was out with friends in Newquay Cornwall when she claims the incident took place.

Ms White claims that the bouncer leered at her before making a comment about her breasts.

The college student (pictured) said that when she informed the bouncer she was going to report him he allegedly moved his arm so she could include the ID

She claims that: 'He wolf whistled towards me which annoyed me a little bit so I went over and told him to stop.

'He started making sexual comments towards me, things I did not find appropriate.

'It was comments towards me, my appearance, my chest - things like that.'

She said that the bouncer had a group of guys around him and was trying to turn her into a joke.

Emily White, 19, was out with friends in Newquay Cornwall when she claims a bouncer harassed her, leading to her tweeting about what had allegedly happened

She then claims that after she complained and threaten to report him he said 'I'm a bouncer, I can do what I want' and 'they won't do anything love'.

However Ms White, a college student from St Austell, Cornwall, refused to let what allegedly transpired go unreported.

She snapped a photo of the bouncer, including his identification, and sent it to the Sailors Arms.

Ms White wrote on Twitter: 'Was sexually harassed by a bouncer in a nightclub this weekend.

'So I snapped a photo of his ID, emailed the club, who have emailed his agency, who have begun an official disciplinary investigation.

'He told me, "I'm a bouncer I can do what I want".

'No mate, no you can't.'

The tweet was shared more than 8,000 times and received more than 93,000 likes.

The Sailors Arms said it has suspended the bouncer's employment as an investigation is completed (Pictured Ms White, left, with friend)

She said that when she informed the bouncer she was going to report him he allegedly moved his arm so she could include the ID.

She said: 'He thought no-one would challenge him on it.

'He was wrong.'

The college student said that while it wasn't the worse instance of harassment she had experienced, she was able to report it and so she did.

She encouraged others to do the same.

A spokesperson for the Sailors Arms said: 'Upon hearing of these allegations, an immediate investigation was launched in collaboration with the agency which employs our door staff.

'Until it is complete, the individual in question will not be employed at our door.'

Regency Security, the firm that supplies door staff to the venue, declined to comment.A six year neighbourhood dispute has reached a crescendo, with a volunteer firefighter charged with assault and her neighbour attempting to take out an AVO against her rooster.

Two couples in rural New South Wales demonstrated just how far they're willing to take their feud in an interview with A Current Affair.

After years of taunts and verbal abuse from both ends of the block, Gary and his wife, Maryanne, established a massive fence between their property and the residence belonging to volunteer firefighters Neville and Sandy.

The plastic and iron contraption creates a barrier between the two couples, who hurl abuse at one another throughout the day.

Sandy said the verbal abuse got so bad that Gary 'calls my husband who has Parkinson's disease a sp***ic'.

Scroll down for video

A six year neighbourhood dispute has reached a crescendo, with volunteer firefighter Sandy charged with assault and her neighbour attempting to take out an AVO on her rooster

While Gary admitted to having a big mouth that fires off in tense situations, he believes Sandy antagonises him to the point of having no other option.

Video footage obtained shows Gary tending to his makeshift barrier, when Sandy uses a stick to poke around, causing damage.

Sandy allegedly hit Gary with the stick, causing him to fall and require his wife's help.

Sandy's memory of the encounter was initially a little shaky.

'My father died two days before that happened. I don't remember picking a stick up,' she said.

After her denial, Sandy began to recount the story again, in which she began by talking about waving the stick around.

When the inconsistency was addressed, Sandy recanted her earlier statement, admitting that she did have a stick but she never remembered picking it up.

Sandy has since been charged with assault over the incident, but claims she is looking forward to court to clear her name.

While Gary admitted to having a big mouth that fires off in tense situations, he believes she antagonises him to the point of having no other option

In addition to their current war of words, Sandy took it upon herself to message an established client of Gary and Maryanne's, who own a limousine hire company.

She informed the client of an apparent drug dependancy, and accused Gary of throwing a Molotov cocktail into her property, which cost him upwards of $50,000 in revenue.

Gary has since vehemently denied both claims.

In return, Gary claimed the couple were using government fire equipment for personal use.

Again, the couple have denied the allegations.

In a more unique approach, Gary supposedly intended to take an AVO out against Sandy's rooster.

When asked what could finally draw this fiery feud to a close, Gary conceded.

'We are moving. We have to. They've won.'Emily Wynell Paul ran away when she was 14 in 2013 (she is pictured in the image used in her missing persons appeal)

A Florida mother has shared her joy after receiving a letter from her teenage daughter five years after she ran away aged 14.

Pam Myers Massimiani's daughter Emily Wynell Paul left their home in Southport, Florida, in 2013 when she was just 14.

She left a note telling her parents that she had planned to leave but they have not heard from her since and have grown increasingly worried about her welfare.

On July 26, Pam took to Facebook to announce to family and friends that she had heard from her daughter

She has since told The Panama City News Herald that the communication came in the form of a letter which she believed was written by her daughter.

She has not revealed where Emily is or if she intends to come home but she said she was happy in the knowledge that she was safe.

'To all our friends and extended family, we want to let you know that we have heard from Emily.

'We do not have any further information to share at the moment.

'Thank you all for your support and love you have shown to our family,' the girl's mother wrote.

Before she left home in 2014, Emily had researched running away and followed the advice of websites which told young people how not to be found.

She has never been back on her Facebook account since she fled and is believed to have used her Xbox to communicate with people outside of her family.

On the day of her disappearance, Emily walked out of her family home at 6.30am.

She had with her a suitcase which contained several outfits and her Xbox. She then got into a car that was being driven by an unidentified motorist.

Emily' s mother Pam Myers Massimiani (left) revealed on July 26 that she had 'heard' from the teen, seen right not long before she vanished

In the missing persons appeal, the girl's family told how she often cut her hair and changed its color. Emily left a note to say that she planned to runaway but her family campaigned for her to be found

It is unclear what drove her to runaway. In missing persons appeals, she was described as an 'endangered runaway'.

'She left a three-page note behind at home which didn't say where she was going, but stated she was going to a safe place and might return after she turned eighteen,' according to The Charley Project, a charity which investigates the cases of people who have been missing for more than a year.

There have been no confirmed sightings of her over the last five years.

At the time of her disappearance, her mother told how she had been completely blindsided by her decision to leave.

The night beforehand, she said they 'hugged' and 'rocked back and forth'.

'We were just our usual selves, we hugged in the kitchen Saturday night, rocked back and forth. There were no clues,' she told WGHG.

Despite the fact that she ran away willingly, police were concerned by the fact that Emily had never once got in touch with anyone in the family.

'Our main concern in this case is the complete lack of contact,' Bay County Sheriff's Investigator Albert Willis said.

'It's typically with a teen, certainly her age, a girl, you're going to see some form of communication,' he added.

As part of their investigation, they pursued leads in Canada and Spain. Police have not yet revealed whether they know where Emily is now.Robert Mueller has referred three top Washington lobbyists to federal prosecutors over work they did for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians.

They include Tony Podesta, whose brother John was campaign manager for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential run, and former Obama White House counsel Greg Craig.

Former Minnesota Republican Congressman Vin Weber was the third under investigation, with all referred in the past five months.

Tony Podesta, whose brother John was campaign manager for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential run, is among three lobbyists referred to prosecutors over work they did for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians

The trio potentially didn't register their work for foreign agents, as required by law, and there were questions about how they were paid, according to CNN.

Failing to register such lobbying work carries a jail term of up to five years, but enforcing this has not previously been a priority.

Registering would have forced them to reveal the nature of their work in public reports to the Justice Department.

Mr Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, handed off the cases to the Southern District of New York.

They were all uncovered during his investigation in connection to former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Former Obama White House counsel Greg Craig (left) was investigated for his work at law firm Skadden

Former Minnesota Republican Congressman Vin Weber was the third under investigation, with all referred in the past five months

The same lawyers prosecuting Manafort for financial fraud, in a trial that began on Tuesday, will investigate the cases.

Podesta's case concerns his work for his former company the Podesta Group, Craig for law firm Skadden, and Weber at Mercury Public Affairs.

No charges have been laid against any of them, or even may be later, but the cases were far enough along that Mr Mueller's team sent all three firms subpoenas for documents and interviewed Craig.

All three were recruited by Manafort to work for then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a close Moscow ally.

Podesta and Mercury were hired through the European Center for a Modern Ukraine, a nonprofit directed by Manafort, which prosecutors called a mouthpiece for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians.

The firms were paid $1.1 million for the work and did not register with the Justice Department as required, according to the New York Times.

Robert Mueller (pictured), the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, handed off the cases to the Southern District of New York

They were all uncovered during his investigation in connection to former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who is on trial for financial fraud

They instead making much less detail declarations to Congress and finally retroactively registered with Justice in 2017.

Skadden was hired directly by the Yanukovych Government to analyze its prosecution of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

The firm made a report in 2012, led by Craig, that attempted to improve the government's image to U.S. politicians.

This work was not registered despite Craig personally promoting the report to journalists and congressmen.

Podesta claimed it was misled by ECFMU into believing it was not connected to the Ukrainian Government and therefore its legal advice said it didn't have to register.

All three lobbyists were recruited by Manafort to work for then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych (pictured), a close Moscow ally

Mercury partner Michael McKeon said the firm welcomed any inquiry.

'We acted appropriately at every step of the process, including hiring the best lawyer in Washington we could and following his advice,' he said.

Both firms got Skadden to advise them on whether to register as working for foreign agents. The law firm claimed it too was misled by ECFMU.

Mr Mueller likely handed off the investigations to protect his investigation from being accused of going too far outside its remit.

It was not clear why the cases were referred to New York when the subjects were based in Washington, but it could claim jurisdiction as the payments were likely routed through there.A British tourist has been filmed slapping an immigration officer after being hit with a $4,000 fine for overstaying her visa.

Auj-e Taqaddas arrived at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia, last Saturday after overstaying her visa by 160 days.

The 42-year-old was en route to Singapore when she was pulled aside during her immigration checks.

Officers noticed her month-long visa had expired on February 18. She was told she had to pay a 25 fine for everyday she overstayed her visa

After receiving her boarding pass officers noticed her month-long visa had expired on February 18. She was told she had to pay a $25 fine for everyday she overstayed her visa.

She was illegally in the country for more than 150 days which amassed to a $4,000 fine.

In a fit of rage the foul-mouthed traveller was caught on camera abusing the guard.

Immigration Chief Ngurah Rai Aris Amran said: 'She slapped the officer, who is a respected guard.

After receiving her Jetstar boarding pass the British traveller was pulled aside during her immigration checks

The video shows Taqaddas pinning the blame on immigration for making her miss the flight

'She touched immigration, which means touching representatives of the nation. So we reported it to the police.'

The video shows Taqaddas pinning the blame on immigration for making her miss the flight.

She said: 'You aren't paying for this f***ing flight. You b*****ds told me to bring the money, why didn't you b*****ds tell me anything else.'

Auj-e Taqaddas (pictured left) was stung with the $4,000 fine after she overstayed her visa

Taqaddas was taken to an immigration holding cell where she has been kept since Saturday after she slapped the immigration official

Taqaddas was taken to an immigration holding cell where she has been kept since Saturday.

Immigration Chief Ngurah Rai Aris Amran said: 'Based on the results of immigration checks, Taqaddas arrived in Indonesia with a visit visa free facility on January 19, 2018.

'That is, the owner of the passport has exceeded overstay in Indonesia for more than 60 days.

'She pretended not know that she had overstayed. But people who visit a country to travel know they have a period of stay. She had overstayed since February.'An 18-year-old is behind bars after he ripped out his 74-year-old relative's eyes with his bare hands, police said.

Mahad Aziz, of Rochester, Minnesota, faces a felony charge of first-degree assault in the horrific crime.

Authorities arrived at Rochester Square Apartments on Friday to check on a noise complaint around 2pm.

It was there that they found Aziz straddling his relative in a pool of blood. The elderly man's eyes were missing and most of his teeth were knocked out.

Mahad Aziz faces a felony charge of first-degree assault after he allegedly ripped out his 74-year-old relatives eyes with his hands at Rochester Square Apartments (pictured) in Minnesota

Aziz later told investigators that he had not used any weapons against his relative, only his hands, according to KTTC.

The 74-year-old man's eyes have not been found.

Authorities said Aziz was combative with police and had to be put in handcuffs at the scene.

Because he was initially non-verbal, officers took Aziz to the hospital for a mental health evaluation before he was booked into the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center.

The victim was semi-conscious when police arrived and did not sustain life-threatening injuries, but will likely be blind for the rest of his life.

'You lose your eyes, it's not...there's no replacement,' Rochester Police Capt John Sherwin said.

'Obviously this is an injury that is going to change this man's life.'

It was for this reason that the department handed down the rare first-degree assault charge.

'It's a permanent injury that's disabling,' Sherwin said. 'A permanent loss of bodily function. And obviously that applies in this case.'

It remains unknown what motivated the fight. Authorities have not disclosed how Aziz and the 74-year-old man are related or the victim's name.

'There's a lot of things that we don't know,' Sherwin said. 'Mainly due to the circumstances of the assault.'

'The injuries sustained by the victim makes it difficult to, at least during our initial investigation, find out exactly what happened.'Three Russian journalists killed in an ambush in the Central African Republic were working on an investigation into mercenaries linked to an ally of President Vladimir Putin, it has been claimed.

Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal were found dead earlier this week outside the town of Sibut after being kidnapped by men wearing turbans and speaking only Arabic, officials said.

Exiled Russian opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky said on Facebook today that the reporters were 'on an investigation into Russian private mercenaries' in the area, about 100 miles from the capital Bangui.

Andrei Konyakhin, the chief editor of Khodorkovsky's Investigations Management Center, said the reporters were trying to shed light on a private Russian security company operating in CAR as well as on Russia's interests in the ocal diamond, gold and uranium mining industries.

Russian and foreign media have mentioned the security firm's name in reports as Wagner, a military contractor group that is linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a St. Petersburg entrepreneur dubbed 'Putin's chef' for his close ties to the Kremlin.

Kirill Radchenko (right), Alexander Rastorguyev (left) and Orkhan Dzhemal (centre) were found dead earlier this week outside Sibut after being kidnapped by men wearing turbans and speaking only Arabic, officials said. Pictures of the Russian reporters have been left along with flowers outside Moscow's Central House of Journalists today

Russian and foreign media have mentioned the security firm's name in reports as Wagner, a military contractor group that is linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin (left, with Vladimir Putin in 2010), a St. Petersburg entrepreneur dubbed 'Putin's chef' for his close ties to the Kremlin

Konyakhin said the men were traveling to the north of the country to talk to a United Nations representative there.

They had arrived in CAR on a tourist visa to work undercover and were planning to stay there for two weeks, he added.

The journalists were carrying several thousand US dollars in cash to fund their stay in CAR, as well as valuable cameras and gear.

Konyakhin said he did not know for sure what happened to the money and gear, but they were likely stolen.

Konyakhin told the Associated Press in a phone interview that the main working scenario at the moment was that the killings were the result of a robbery, but he is skeptical and thinks the attack could be linked to their investigation.

'This was done in a very demonstrative fashion,' he said, wondering why the attackers didn't bother to cover up their tracks, hide the car and why they left the driver alive. 'If they could have just taken everything from them, why kill them?'

Khodorkovsky, a former oil tycoon and once Russia's richest man, lives in London after spending 10 years in a Russian prison in a case widely seen as politicly motivated.

Exiled Russian opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky said on Facebook today that the reporters were 'on an investigation into Russian private mercenaries' in the area, about 100 miles from the capital Bangui

Andrei Konyakhin, the chief editor of Khodorkovsky's Investigations Management Center, said the men were traveling to the north of the country to talk to a United Nations representative there. The three men are shown in photos left outside Moscow's Central House of Journalists today

From exile, Khodorkovsky supports a number of civil society groups and media projects in Russia, where authorities continue to investigate him on a variety of charges.

On Wednesday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said neither the journalists themselves nor those who were backing their trip had told Russian authorities they would be in the country.

'They declared tourism as the purpose of their trip,' she told the state channel Russia 24.

'The process of identification has been complicated by the fact that the dead Russians were not carrying their passports on them,' she added.

Historically the major international player in the CAR has been France, but Russia has taken on an official role since December last year, when it was authorised by the UN to provide the armed forces with weapons and training.

The Wagner Group has been described as Russia's shadow army which has operated in many of the world's hotspots, including Syria.

Analysts say Moscow uses the private company so it can play down military activity in countries such as Syria and Ukraine and discount casualties.

A journalist who was investigating Wagner's activities in Syria in April died after falling from the balcony of his fifth-floor flat in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.Police in the Spanish city of Valencia have arrested a Moroccan man over a sickening sex attack on a British OAP.

The 25-year-old is accused of targeting the holidaymaker during a violent burglary at an apartment in a Tenerife holiday resort.

The 74-year-old was attacked in May and spent a week being treated in hospital.

A Moroccan man has been arrested on suspicion of breaking into a 74-year-old British woman's apartment in Arona, Tenerife, before raping her and stealing her belongings

A spokesman for Spain's National Police confirmed: 'National Police officers have arrested a 25-year-old Moroccan man in Valencia as the suspect author of a sex attack and violent robbery in Tenerife.

'He allegedly got into an apartment in Arona via the balcony in May and sexually attacked a 74-year-old British woman and took her belongings.

'He was arrested in Valencia and has been handed over to the courts.

'The incident in question took place on May 13 at apartments in a tourist part of Arona.

'The woman victim was staying at the apartments.'Australians with eating disorders have shared brutally honest answers to some of the most personal questions they've been asked by strangers.

Eight people recovering from eating disorders appeared on the ABC's You Can't Ask That on Wednesday night, a show which aims to break down stereotypes held against minorities.

Liam manning from Dubbo, Liz Chapman from the Central Coast, Zahn Anthony from Adelaide, Tegan Simmonds form Perth and Rosie, Kylie and Kate from Melbourne were joined by Samara from Canberra.

Samara McCann (left) and Tegan Simmonds (right) both appeared on the ABC's You Can't Ask That

Liam Manning, from Dubbo, (left), appeared alongside Liz Chapman from the Central Coast (right)

The guests were asked questions sent in by the public, ranging from 'Isn't it a spoiled rich girls problem?' to intimate details about the lies they told to hide their disorders.

Liam Manning, from Dubbo, who had anorexia nervosa said there are still huge misconceptions about eating disorders.

'There's a really strongly held belief that it is like a socio-cultural illness but I don't think that alone is enough for a person to develop an eating disorder.'

Another misconception that was touched on was people don't notice so eating disorders can go under the radar.

'People think you're fine because you don't look sick,' said Rosie from Melbourne.

'I think there is a perpetuating stereotype of eating disorder where it's all just one - that it's all anorexia and there is nothing else,' she said.

Kate from Melbourne (left) and Zahn Anthony from Adelaide were both on the show

Liam Manning (pictured) who had anorexia nervosa said there are still huge misconceptions about eating disorders

Kate, from Melbourne said that some language could even encourage it.

'When I had anorexia and I was severely underweight and someone said 'oh you look really good' the eating disorder would be like 'yes, you're doing really well youve lost so much weight.'

Almost a million Australians are currently living with an eating disorder but they are still so misunderstood.

And while the major ones are related to binge eating, eating disorders can present in a variety of ways.

Afterwards both the guests and members of the public took to social media to celebrate how the show had opened up the issues surrounding eating disorders

Samara McCann had restrictive food intake disorder, which meant she only ate five things - carrots, beans, pasta, rice, and apples with the skin cut off - for twenty years.

She said what people with eating disorders feel on the inside is not what people see.

'The first time I met my partner we went for drinks and she later told me how I looked.'

Samar's partner, who has recently become her fiance, told her on their first date she could see every bone in her body and noticed Samar's hair falling out.

Samara McCann (left) is pictured here with her fiance whose support was integral to her journey of recovery

'I thought I looked really hot that day,' she said.

Teagan Simmons, from Perth had a binge eating disorder and she said she would go on specific shops for food.

'I'd do my regular grocery shopping and then Id go shopping for a specific binge and Id always pick up a shopping basket and a magazine, so the magazine could go on top of the food just in case I bumped into someone I knew.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia after the show aired she said it's import to highlight the difference between normality and a disorder.

'Most people will think about food a lot. Many people will have the occasional binge. But an eating disorder is when that completely takes over your entire being.'

Teagan Simmons (pictured) says with the right treatment eating disorders can and do get better

'You dont have an occasional binge, you do it daily, sometimes several times a day. Eating and food is on your mind constantly, all day, every day. I suffered for years and whilst I am recovered now, my eating disorder will always be sitting in the back of my mind.

'I dont think an ED can ever go away completely, but with the right treatment you can take back that control and live a really normal, fulfilling and happy life.'

Recovering from an eating disorder can be a slow process but for the eight people who shared their stories they are well on the way.

Looking back, Kate says the illness almost took everything away.

'The eating disorder will take away anything that's good in your life, not just food but anything that's good until you are stuck at home with nothing except your calorie counting app.'

Butterfly Foundation

1800 33 4673

www.thebutterflyfoundation.org.au

For immediate 24hr crisis support contact:

Lifeline 13 11 14

www.lifeline.org.au

Kids Helpline

1800 55 1800

kidshelpline.com.auA Good Samaritan who thought he was saving two dogs' lives by smashing the window of a car they had been left in on a 79F day has told of his outrage after being cited by police for his actions.

Richard Hill was in the parking lot of a Walmart in Parma, Ohio, on July 28 when he saw the two animals in the vehicle. One was a puppy, only a few months old, and the other was around two, he said.

He was drawn to the car because the animals were jumping around inside and had triggered its alarm.

He listened to it go off three times over the space of 30 minutes, he said, before he approached the vehicle and saw the animals inside.

The puppy was lying motionless inside, he claimed. Hill called 911 and other bystanders went to look for the dogs' owners but, worried the dogs might succumb to the heat before help arrived, he decided to smash the windows to free them.

Richard Hill was given this citation for criminal damage on July 28 after smashing the window of a stranger's car outside a Walmart to free two trapped dogs inside

'I felt they needed out right then,' he fumed in a Facebook post last week.

When police arrived, they gave him a citation for criminal damage.

They claim that he should have waited until the officers arrived and that he had been told someone would be there within six minutes.

Richard Hill was outraged to have received the citation for criminal damage

The dog's owner, who has not been identified, was not disciplined.

Incredulous, Hill took to Facebook this week to share his version of events.

'This right here is why so many people are afraid to do anything and just continue to walk to afraid they will get in trouble trying to do the right thing,' he said.

He said the owner did not appear for another 15 minutes after police arrived at the scene.

Parma Police Department stood by the officers' actions and said Hill ought to have waited for them to arrive.

'He broke the window knowing the police were coming and its only been six minutes. He was not physically arrested. Hes only cited and given a court case.

'He can explain to the judge as why he took the action he did,' Parma police Sergeant Daniel Ciryak told ABC news.

Now Hill is worried about having to pay for a lawyer. He said that if he was given the chance again, however, he would have done the same thing.

The incident happened outside a Walmart in Parma, Ohio, on Saturday afternoon

'The only difference thing I know I would end up doing is, I would actually take picture or video to fully cover all my basis, if something like this was to arrive I have all the evidence myself because now they are stating that the sun roof was wide open.'

'I just wanted to help that dogs. Thats it,' he said.

PETA warns that on a hot day, it can take only a few minutes for a dog to succumb to severe heat if it is trapped inside a car where the temperature soars far above what it may be outside.

On a 79F degree day, temperatures inside cars soar quickly to 100F, it says on its website.A smiling boy with what appears to be an assault rifle poses for a photograph as more than 150 ISIS militants surrender to Afghan forces in Jowzjan

With a deadly weapon tucked under his arm, a young boy smiles for the camera as he surrenders to authorities in Afghanistan.

He is one of 30 women and children ISIS fighters to surrender in a move signalling the end of the extremist group's presence in the north of the country.

In total, more than 150 Islamic State militants handed themselves in after weeks of intense fighting with the Taliban in Jowzjan.

Officials described the surrender as a turning point.

'Their fighters have surrendered in the past, but this time it is more important because the Daesh leader and deputy surrendered with more than 150 fighters all at once,' an army spokesperson said.

'With this, the Daesh chapter is going to be closed in the north.'

The apparent IS capitulation comes after continuing pressure from Afghan and US forces.

It also came as the Afghan army took over security in the eastern city of IS stronghold Jalalabad in Nangarhar.

IS has a relatively small but potent presence in Afghanistan, mainly in the eastern province but more recently in Jowzjan.

The Afghan National Army has set-up checkpoints in the city of Jalalabad after security forces took control of the city recently hit by a string of ISIS attacks

A pair of Islamic State fighters (right) speak to journalists after giving themselves up to government security forces, seen as a 'turning point' in the fight on extremism

The group has fought turf wars with the much larger Taliban since emerging in Afghanistan in 2014.

Estimates of their numbers in the country run as high as around 2,000.

Until a few weeks ago there had been around 500 IS fighters in the Darzab and Qush Tepa districts of Jowzjan, provincial governor Lutfullah Azizi has said.

But the Taliban stepped up fighting with the group there after an IS attack on their fighters last month killed at least 15 people.

The Taliban took credit for the surrender announced by Afghan officials on Wednesday, claiming it had captured 130, wounded more than 100 and killed 153.

Among those killed was a local employee of the International Organization for Migration and a local staff member of the International Rescue Committee, both foreign agencies said in statements.

More than 500 ISIS fighters have been flushed out of Jowzjan after heavy attacks by the Taliban, leading to Afghan military seizing control in the war-torn province

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but IS is widely suspected of carrying it out.

'To provide better security for the people, the national army is leading the security in the city,' a governor spokesperson said.

The army will spearhead efforts 'to contain the emergency situation' for a week, Khogyani said.

Eventually, police and soldiers 'will join hands to secure the city', he added, but declined to give further details.

Mohammad Ali, a soldier deployed from neighbouring Kunar province, told AFP at a checkpoint that he and his colleagues would 'defend this city until the death'.

The Taliban has not claimed a major attack in a city for weeks as it comes under increased pressure to agree to peace talks with the Afghan government.

But IS has carried out multiple attacks in Jalalabad and the capital Kabul in recent months, targeting everything from government ministries to a midwife training centre.

Last month an IS suicide bomber blew himself up near Kabul international airport, killing 23 people.

The increased attacks come as US and Afghan forces intensify ground and air offensives against IS, and the Taliban step up their turf war with the group.

'IS has come under intense pressure. They have lost a lot of men,' said former general Hadi Khalid.

'The only strategy that can keep them going is to attack soft targets and that is what they have been doing recently.'

However Borhan Osman, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, cautioned that IS attacks on soft targets were not necessarily the result of recent losses on the battlefield.

'Attacking lightly defended targets has been part of IS-KP's modus operandi from the outset,' he said.Former Vice President Joe Biden would crush President Donald Trump by seven percentage points if the 2020 elections were held today, new public opinion numbers indicate.

Trump's re-election test is still 27 months away, but pollsters are already busily padding their regular surveys with hypothetical matchups.

Forty-four per cent of registered voters said they would choose Biden if he were the Democratic nominee, compared with 37 per cent who would send Trump back to Washington for four more years.

About 80 per cent of Democrats sided with Biden, and 78 per cent of Republicans with Trump. But Democratic voters outnumber GOPers in the U.S. population by a 30-26 margin, according to Gallup.

Biden would be 77 years old if he were elected president. Trump will be 74 if he wins a second term.

Former VP Joe Biden holds a 7-point lead over President Trump in hypothetical 2020 matchup, but he also trails 'generic' Democrats in an imagined primary

Both Biden and a 'generic' unnamed Democrat have had strong leads over Trump in hypothetical matchups since last November

Trump has blasted Biden in the past as a feckless leader who shouldn't succeed him in the Oval Office

Wednesday's poll came from Morning Consult, in cooperation with Politico.

A numerical advantage doesn't always translate to an Electoral College victory. Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 despite earning fewer votes: The former secretary of state's 2-point edge was largely in safe Democratic states where it didn't help her.

But it's nearly impossible to construct a realistic scenario where a larger 7-point popular vote victory wouldn't win.

Biden is by no means a White House shoe-in, or even a serious contender, at this point.

In a future Democratic primary matchup against unnamed opponents, he would lose by 9 points.

But in Morning Consult's previous poll, Trump lost to a 'generic' Democrat by a 48-35 split.

Trump and Biden went toe-to-toe in the news four months ago after the former veep said he anted to take Trump 'behind the barn'

For months Biden has appeared to be laying the groundwork for a future Trump clash, blasting the president during a March anti-sexual-assault rally in Florida.

'A guy who ended up becoming our national leader said, "I can grab a woman anywhere and she likes it", he told a crowd, referring to the infamous 'Access Hollywood' audio of Trump declaring that famous men can grab women 'by the p***y' with impunity.

'They asked me would I like to debate this gentleman, and I said "no",' the former VP continued. 'I said, "if we were in high school, Id take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him".'

Trump reacted on Twitter.

'Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy,' the president said. Actually, he is weak, both mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with physical assault. He doesnt know me, but he would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Dont threaten people, Joe!'

'Uncle Joe' Biden hsa a reputation for getting handsy with women and girls at photo-op events

Barack Obama and Joe Biden were spotted together this week at a bakery in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C.

More recently, Biden saw a hint of his own political liability during a June book-tour speech in Delaware.

Referring to the former vice president's habit of getting sometimes uncomfortably handsy with women and young girls during White House photo-ops, a heckler shouted: 'What about the girls you molested on C-SPAN at the Senate swearing in?'

Trump got in a dig at Biden following his 2016 Democratic National Convention speech.

'Our not very bright Vice President, Joe Biden, just stated that I wanted to "carpet bomb" the enemy,' the future president tweeted.

'Sorry Joe, that was Ted Cruz!'Abigail Martinez, 23, was arrested after she allegedly stabbed a police dog with an eyebrow brush while police tried to arrest her

A Texas woman is behind bars after she allegedly stabbed a police dog with an eyebrow bush while officers tried to arrest her.

Abigail Martinez, 23, has been charged with a felony drug warrant and interference with a police service dog.

Authorities arrived at a trailer home in Baytown around 4pm on Monday to arrest Martinez, who was wanted for outstanding drug charges.

They ordered Martinez to come outside when they heard movement in the house, but she repeatedly refused, according to Dallas Morning News.

When officers opened the door they found Felipe Martinez, her uncle, on the couch and ordered him to leave.

Officers sent the K-9, named X (pictured), into a trailer home when Martinez refused to come outside. When he located her, she allegedly stabbed him with a 5-inch plastic eyebrow brush

Authorities arrived at the trailer home in Baytown, Texas around 4pm on Monday to arrest Martinez, who was wanted for outstanding drug charges

Felipe, 40, tried to convince Martinez to come outside but she once again refused.

Officers then sent in a K-9 named X and his handler into the trailer home.

Martinez' uncle Felipe Martinez, 40, was also arrested for outstanding traffic warrants when police found him inside the trailer

X quickly located Martinez in the back bedroom, where she was hiding under several blankets and pillows.

When he approached her, Martinez stabbed the dog in the face with the handle of a 5-inch plastic eyebrow brush, authorities said.

Martinez stabbed the dog once under each of his eyes, according to KPRC.

Officers then rushed into the trailer home and arrested Martinez, who has been booked into Baytown jail.

Her uncle Felipe was also taken into custody on outstanding traffic warrants.

X was taken to a local veterinarian's office for treatment.

The brave pup then reported back for duty on the same day.A former Chase employee and her husband stole $50,000 from a dementia-ridden man, then killed his daughter and grandson after they started asking questions, police say.

Cynthia Stack, 52, and 22-year-old Sean Stack were found shot to death in their Center Hill, Florida, apartment on July 18.

Joshua Ramsawmy, 28, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm while his wife, Amelia Bissoon, 25, was charged with two counts of principal to first-degree murder.

Cynthia Stack, 52, and 22-year-old Sean Stack were found shot to death in their Center Hill, Florida, apartment on July 18

Joshua Ramsawmy, 28, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm while his wife, Amelia Bissoon, 25, was charged with two counts of principal to first-degree murder

Ramsawmy and Bissoon were said to have killed the mother and son in efforts to cover up that they were stealing money from Cynthia's father, who suffered a traumatic brain injury and is said to possibly have dementia.

Court documents state that Bissoon worked with the man while employed at a Chase Bank in downtown Orlando.

Cynthia's father even went as far to follow Bissoon when she moved to a different location.

Bissoon is said to have made two $25,000 checks out to her young son, taking the money from the man's account

Ramsawmy was said to have then opened two Bank of America accounts and deposited the money in them, Click Orlando reports.

A neighbor found Cynthia dead on July 19 and Orlando Police found her son in a different section of their apartment

The family's puppy - less than a year old - was found also at the scene and taken by the Orlando Police Department

Bissoon (seen left during a court appearance) worked with the Cynthia's father while employed at a Chase Bank in downtown Orlando and would eventually write two $25,000 checks from him to her minor son

According to police, Cynthia began inquiring about the money which would eventually lead to Ramsawmy buying a gun and shooting them both.

The couple wouldn't come forth with the truth, initially, but Bissoon eventually admitted to her husband killing the two.

Neither of the suspects had had previous records.

A neighbor found Cynthia dead on a futon on July 19 when she was walking her dog and noticed their door was still open.

Sean was discovered by Orlando Police in a different part of the apartment when they arrived on the scene at approximately 7am, according to WFTV.

The family's puppy - less than a year old - was found also at the scene and taken by the Orlando Police Department.

According to police, Cynthia began inquiring about the money which would eventually lead to Ramsawmy buying a gun and shooting them both

'It's a sad and sick situation for people to take advantage of someone like that,' said Emily Rivera, Cynthia's daughter and Sean's younger sister

She added: 'They did nothing to deserve this. They were an innocent family minding their own business, trying to live their life like everyone else'

Earlier in the year, the 19-year-old had lost her father. Following the death of her mother and brother, Rivera is now alone

'It's a sad and sick situation for people to take advantage of someone like that,' said Emily Rivera, Cynthia's daughter and Sean's younger sister. 'They did nothing to deserve this. They were an innocent family minding their own business, trying to live their life like everyone else.'

Earlier in the year, the 19-year-old had lost her father. Following the death of her mother and brother, Rivera is now alone.

'(Sean) was just always so grateful for what he had, even though he didn't have that much,' she added. '(My mother was) always trying to spread her love to other people, always trying to help other people. She was just the sweetest woman.'

A friend of Rivera - who is a student Barry University - has launched a GoFundMe for the teen in hopes that she can get assistance for her college education and trauma.

It has raised just over $150 of its $15,000 goal.This is the moment a father chased a flasher and held him at gunpoint for cops, after he said the naked man approached his children repeatedly in a park.

Father-of-six Tae Lovelace confronted the naked man with his licensed firearm on July 22 at Trailblazer Park in Covington, Georgia, where Lovelace was distributing food to the homeless with his church.

Arrested was 21-year-old Josten Meeler, who is charged with felony child molestation and misdemeanor counts of public intoxication and public indecency.

The shocking incident first began when a man wearing only his underpants approached Lovelace's family and exposed his genitals to a family member, Lovelace said.

Father-of-six Tae Lovelance (left) confronted Josten Meeler (right) after Meeler allegedly approached his children while nude in a public park

Lovelace chased the flasher and ordered him out of the creek at gunpoint as police arrived

'He proceeds to not act normal and it seemed like he was under the influence of something,' Lovelace told Fox5.

The outraged father chased the flasher off - but he soon returned, this time wearing nothing at all.

Lovelace, licensed to carry in Georgia, retrieved his handgun from his truck and confronted the nude man as his grandmother called 911.

'He was already touching people before he was naked so when he came up running directly toward the kids, that's a problem,' Lovelace said.

'It could've went sour if I didn't have anything to defend myself. I didn't know what he was capable of doing,' said Lovelace.

Lovelace chased the naked man through the park, until the flasher jumped off a bridge into a creek.

The flasher is seen being held at gunpoint by Lovelace until police can arrive at the scene

Lovelace (seen packing above) says he is glad he had his firearm and a carry license

Meeler (above) is held on charges of child molestation, public intoxication and indecency

That's when Lovelace began filming on his cell phone as he ordered the nude man out of the creek and held him at gunpoint as police arrived.

'The guy just needs help,' Lovelace told WSAV. 'I mean everybody makes mistakes, but the guy needs help.'

The father added that he was glad he had his gun accessible in his truck that day.

'Had I not been licensed to carry at that moment, who knows what this guy could have done to my family or any of the other families that were here,' he said.

Meeler is being held in the Newton County Jail. It is unclear whether he has an attorney.Netflix says it will not screen a documentary about Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, after his anti-Semitic comments.

My Life's Journey Through Music was listed as an addition to its service starting on Wednesday, with the controversial preacher promoting it on Twitter.

However, Netflix claimed the documentary was never going to be released on its platform and its promotion was a mistake.

Netflix says it will not screen a documentary about Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, after his anti-Semitic comments

Farrakhan excitedly urged his followers to watch the film about his life in a video posted to his Twitter on Tuesday

'Due to an internal miscommunication, it appeared to be scheduled for release on Netflix, but it is not. We apologize for any confusion this has caused,' it said.

Farrakhan excitedly urged his followers to watch the film about his life in a video posted to his Twitter on Tuesday.

'My dear viewers and listeners, on August 1 you will be able to view the premiere on Netflix of the minister's life journey through music,' he said.

'And, if you would like to leave a comment of what you think about that documentary, and its music, you can go to LCTWMusic.com and leave your comment. May God bless you - As-Salaam Alaikum.'

What the streaming giant claimed was an embarrassing error came just weeks after Farrakhan posted a video in which he warned about 'the Satanic Jew'.

'Will you recognize Satan? I wonder, will you see the Satanic Jew and the Synagogue of Satan, which has many races in it because Satan has deceived the whole world?' he said in the taped sermon.

He earlier tweeted a link to video of the May 28th sermon with the headline: 'Thoroughly and completely unmasking the Satanic Jew and the Synagogue of Satan.'

Farrakhan said the Harvey Weinstein scandal happened because his victims defied 'Jewish power' which allows him to treat 'gentile women' as if they're 'partly animals.' Weinstein is seen left walking into court in June in Manhattan

He also claimed the Harvey Weinstein scandal happened because his victims defied 'Jewish power' which allows him to treat 'gentile women' as if they're 'partly animals'.

'The couch where you have to sit is called the casting couch,' Farrakhan said in a three-hour a sermon from the Mosque Maryam in Chicago.

'See? That's Jewish power.'

Farrakhan was talking about Weinstein's arrest and indictment on charges of rape by prosecutors in New York City.

'[Did] you see Mr. Weinstein? On his way to jail?' he said.

'It's hard to tell a Jew that he's wrong when the Talmud in which he believes has taught him that gentile women - and black women in particular - you can do anything to them you want because they're partly animals.'

Weinstein has been accused of a litany of sex crimes against scores of women in Hollywood and pleaded not guilty to raping two women.

Farrakhan's history of anti-Semitic remarks appears to have cost him the 'blue check' on Twitter, which revoked his verification status.

In the lengthy sermon from last month he addressed President Trump, Weinstein, antisemitism and the #MeToo movement.

He tweeted a link to video of the May 28th sermon with the headline: 'Thoroughly and completely unmasking the Satanic Jew and the Synagogue of Satan.'

Farrakhan's history of anti-Semitic remarks appears to have cost him the 'blue check' on Twitter, which revoked his verification status

Farrakhan has lead the Nation of Islam since 1981. He has been called anti-semetic, anti-white and homophobic.

He once said that 'the Jews don't like Farrakhan, so they call me Hitler. Well, that's a good name. Hitler was a very great man.''

When speaking about Hezbollah, he said, 'They call them terrorists, I call them freedom fighters.'

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he spread his theory that the levees the broke, wiping out predominantly black neighborhoods in New Orleans were destroyed on purpose.The hero tradie who was filmed helping out an elderly man at McDonalds says he was only doing what all Australians should do when he paid for the pensioners meal after noticing him fumbling with a handful of change.

Dave Love, 42, generously offered to pay for the meal on Tuesday - and he quickly became an online sensation when a video of the kind deed went viral.

Bert, the elderly man who was featured in the video captured at McDonald's in Bendigo, Victoria, is a widower who recently lost his daughter.

'When I looked at that man I saw my dad, who has passed away. I just had to help him,' Dave told Daily Mail Australia.

Hero tradie Dave Love (pictured) has revealed to Daily Mail Australia the reason why he paid for Bert's meal at McDonald's in Bendigo, Victoria

Dave, 42, generously offered to pay for Bert's meal on Tuesday - and he quickly became an online sensation when a video of the kind deed went viral

'When I looked at that man I saw my dad, who has passed away. I just had to help him,' Dave told Daily Mail Australia

Dave's daughter Eliza (father and daughter are pictured together) said 'he does this stuff all the time'

'Pensioners need our help. I just hope people who see the video remember to do a similar thing in the future.'

The video was secretly filmed by Melanie Langley, Dave's partner of seven months, who says he does kind things all the time.

'He has the best heart - he always puts himself last and would do anything for anyone,' Melanie, 39, said.

The couple met on Bumble and knew they were soulmates. Just months later they combined their two families and now share five kids.

Dave's eldest daughter Eliza said she was proud of her father.

'He does this stuff all the time, one day he was really broke but saw an old lady needed some money for food at the supermarket and gave her the rest of the money he had til payday,' the young girl said.

Dave (pictured left and right with his daughter Eliza) said he was passionate about helping the elderly



Dave, wearing his hi-vis work clothing, had offered to pay for Bert's meal alongside his own morning coffee.

As the pensioner put his change back in his pocket, the McDonald's server had jokingly said: 'That's gonna weigh you down now.'

In the video, Bert thanked Dave profusely before moving away from the counter with his order number.

But Dave then slipped a $20 note into his hand saying: 'That's for your next coffee.'

Dave says he doesn't want to be hailed a hero.

'It's not about me - it is about helping people out. I didn't do this for attention but I'm glad it has made people realise how far a little kindness can go,' he said.

Dave (pictured left) noticed Bert sifting through a handful of coins and is shown paying for both orders with his card

And he is passionate about helping the elderly.

'These people built our country so we can live the lives we have today - for my generation and the generation after us,' he said.

'If I was prime minister tomorrow I would fix the pension.'

The tradie also made a comment about the other viral workman video from this week, where a man allegedly assaulted a stranger outside a pub.

'Not all tradies are bad people like the grub from Frankston who hit that bloke the other day,' he said.

Bert had initially resisted Dave's offer but eventually gratefully accepted the money saying 'thank you very much you're a gentleman, thank you'.

Bert thanked Dave for his kindness, saying 'there's still some nice people here'

Many on social media have praised the kind actions of Dave, who said 'I'm helping the old fella out, he's down on his last 20 bucks'

'There's still some nice people here,' Bert had said to Dave.

Bert has been given a year's supply of McDonald's.

The heart-warming video has been shared more than 20,000 times on social media and has received many comments from people praising Dave's kind actions.

'I'm helping the old fella out, he's down on his last 20 bucks,' Dave said to Melanie in the video.

'He's standing there with a whole heap of change he's a pensioner and he's old, so I paid for his meal and I gave him 20 dollars. It is what it is, honey, it's life.'

Speaking to The Today Show, Dave said that he had been inundated with lovely messages from people all over the world.

'Every single one of them is special and I've read them all,' he said. 'It's just made me realise how many beautiful people there are in the world.'A former Playboy model who agreed to a $1.6 million settlement with a top Trump donor after becoming pregnant is now suing both him and her lawyer.

Shera Bechard is asking that Elliott Broidy hand over $200,000 on top of the remaining $1.2 million she is owed as part of their settlement agreement in a complaint filed on July 6 in California.

The complaint alleges that Broidy made a $200,000 payment one day before a 12-weeks-pregnant Bechard aborted his child, and a second payment in the same amount in April, but then stopped paying out the settlement.

It is also revealed in the heavily redacted copy of the court filing, which was previously under seal and has now been obtained by DailyMail.com, that Bechard wants $140,000 from her former attorney Keith Davidson and undisclosed damages from both him and Michael Avenatti for leaking her story to the press.

Davidson, who previously represented porn star Stormy Daniels in her settlement agreement with President Donald Trump, is also accused of colluding with Broidy's attorney Michael Cohen in the suit.

Scroll down for video

Settle for more: Shera Bechard (above in undated photo) is suing Elliott Broidy for the remaining $1.2 million of their settlement plus an extra $200,000 for breach of contract

Sued: She signed the agreement on December 1 after hiring Keith Davidson a month prior and received a $200,000 payment on December 5 from Broidy (above with his wife Robin in 2010)

'On October 31, 2017, Ms. Bechard met with Mr. Davidson and asked for his help dealing with a problem,' states the complaint.

'She was seven weeks pregnant with the child of Mr. Broidy (the then-Finance Chairman of the Republican National Committee), conceived in an extramarital affair.'

Bechard is a former Playmate who briefly date Hugh Hefner.

She was born in Canada, and like Melania Trump received an elusive 'Einstein visa' back in 2012.

Broidy, 62, has three children with wife Robin and was deputy finance chairman of the Republican national Committee until April, when news of the alleged affair broke.

He has not made any payments since stepping down from that post.

Bechard states that she was 'confused' and 'scared' at the time but things quickly began to move along, and on November 8 Davidson came back and said he had made contact with Broidy's lawyer.

'Ms. Bechard was surprised to hear that Mr. Davidson had so quickly 15 figured out who Mr. Broidy's lawyer was, so she asked how that had happened,' reads the complaint.

'Mr. Davidson responded that he had a "relationship" with the lawyer, a guy named Michael Cohen. Ms. Bechard 17 asked, "wait, he's your friend?" But Mr. Davidson said no.'

Just a week after that the deal for $1.6 million was offered to Bechard by her lawyer, with the sum represeneting 'the net present value of child-support payments Mr. Broidy would be expected to make 23 over the 18-year support term of their child.'

Davidson told Bechard that 'she would give up all rights to sue Mr. Broidy for past conduct and would be required to 25 never again speak of the affair' if she signed the agreement, terms she agreed to at the time.

The agreement was signed on December 1, with Bechar set to receive eight quarterly installments of $200,000, minust Davidson's 35 percent fee for negotiating the deal.

'Mr. Davidson told her that she was not getting paid to have an abortion, but 21 rather to give up her rights to sue Mr. Broidy and to not to talk about the relationship,' states the complaint.

On December 5, Bechard received a $200,000 payment and on December 6 she ended her pregnancy after 12 weeks states the complaint.

Familiar faces: Behar is also suing Michael Avenatti for leaking details of the affair, a claim he called 'frivolous' in a statement to DailyMail.com

Keith Davidson (left), who previously represented porn star Stormy Daniels in her settlement agreement with President Donald Trump, is also accused of colluding with Broidy's attorney Michael Cohen in the suit

The next payment came on April 1, with Davidson withholding $70,000 from each payment, money which Bechard is now demanding also be returned to her in the lawsuit

She wants that money back because of Davidson's past relationship with Cohen, which she learned of in April when The New York Times released a story detailing how the two men worked together while drawing up a settlement for Karen McDougal.

She fired Davidson at that time, and soon after Avenatti began to leak details of the settlement.

One day after Avenatti teased the story, the Wall Street Journal broke the news of the affair and named both Becar and Broidy.

In that same article it was also revealed that it was Cohen who reached out to Broidy.

That was further detailed in a subsequent story, with Broidy claiming that Cohen told him: 'It's your lucky day, because you have a big problem and I can help you solve it.'

This was also confirmed with the release of Avenatti's March report, which showed three payments of $62,500 being wired to

Bechard also reveals that Davidson never allowed her to keep a copy of the settlement, and that he responded to requests made by the Journal without her consent.

When Bechard tried to obtain the agreement she was told that she owed Davidson $420,000 states the complaint.

Furthermore, she claims Davidson changed the contract without her consent, adding a $4.8 million penalty should she breach the agreement.

Behar is suing Broidy for breach of contract and Davidson for torturous interference an d conspiracy to commit breach of fiduciary duty.

She is asking that Davidson return the payments he has received and that he and Avenatti pay damages to be determined at trial for leaking information of the affair and settlement.

'I did nothing wrong. I owed her no duty and the information was already in the hands of the Wall Street Journal. The allegations against me are frivolous,' said Avenatti when asked for comment.The family of a British teenager left fighting for his life during a family holiday believe he may have been poisoned by a pesticide.

Callum Forster and his stepdad Jamie Hadland, 24, both got sick after a family night out in Spain.

Doctors told the pair that they had pesticides in their blood but are unable to explain the reaction to the chemicals.

Callum Forster, 17, was on holiday in Spain with his family when he collapsed and began to have a seizure after a night out

Mr Hadland has been released from hospital.

However his 17-year-old stepson was sedated after suffering from seizures and being put on life support.

He's since been taken off life support but remains heavily sedated in the critical ward.

Callum's mum Helen Forster, 36, and brother Brandon, 12, have stayed in Spain to support their sick relative.

Miss Forster said on the night that Callum and Mr Hadland fell ill, they had gone to a bar after meeting friends in Villamartin.

She said: 'But within ten minutes of getting back Jamie started feeling really strange.

'We got him to bed and he started flinging himself all over.'

Callum needed to be sedated after suffering from the seizures and remains in the critical ward

That is when Callum became sick, Miss Forster said.

She said that at first it seemed like he had collapsed but then he started having a fit.

The 36-year-old said: 'It's just been an absolute nightmare.

'It's one step forwards and two steps back.

Brandon Forster (left), 12, and his mother Helen (centre), 36, have remained in Spain to stay with Callum (top) while he recovers in hospital

'Callum doesn't know what's going on and he's in a foreign hospital.

'The doctors and nurses have been brilliant and he couldn't be in a better hospital.

'However, he is very confused and is struggling to answer questions, we don't know what impact the seizures have had on him yet.'

Recovery for Callum, who hoped to begin an apprenticeship as an electrician in September, could take weeks or months.

Callum Forster 17 (bottom right) and his stepdad Jamie Hadland 24 (top) were 'poisoned by pesticide' and took ill after a family night out

Friends and family have launched a crowdfunding page to help support Callum during this time.

It has currently raised more than 2,400 for the Leeds family.

Jayne Rapier, who set up the page, wrote: 'We have put this page together to ask all their friends and family to help raise funds to make this ordeal a little easier and support them and enable them to stay with Callum until he is well enough to come home.

'Everyone that knows the family know how great they all are and they have had a lot of positive vibes and kind words from all these people in the last few days, I hope we can continue to support them by showing our love with a little fundraising.'

A crowdfunding page has been started by family and friends to help the family stay with Callum at Helen's mother's home while he recovers (Pictured: Callum, Brandon, Barbara Burk, Helen Forster and Jamie)

Miss Forster said she was 'overwhelmed' by the generosity of friends, family and strangers.

The mother-of-two said: 'We've run out of all the money we brought out here.

'We need to be with Callum all the time now at the hospital.'

The British Consulate are investigating what may have happened.

The pair were taken to a hospital in Torrevieja on July 20.The Trump administration must get consent from parents or through a court order before it may administer psychotropic drugs to immigrant children in its custody at a Texas psychiatric facility, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee ruled that the government's actions at Shiloh Residential Treatment Center in Manvel, Texas violated the Flores settlement  a court agreement that dates back to the 1980s and establishes parameters for how immigrant children must be treated and the limitations for their detainment.

She ordered that the government can only administer such drugs without consent in emergency situations.

Federal Judge Dolly M. Gee (L) has ordered the U.S. government to make immediate changes to how it treats undocumented immigrant children it has placed in secure facilities. Donald Trump (R) displays an executive order he signed to end the practice of separating family members who are apprehended while illegally entering the United States on June 20, 2018

A spokesman with the Justice Department declined to comment to DailyMail.com.

Attorneys for the children argued that the youths were medicated without explanation and against their will.

In some cases the children have reported that they were told they had to take the drugs  including antidepressants and antipsychotics  if they ever wanted to be released to their families. Research shows that those medications can cause suicidal thoughts in young people whose brains are still developing.

Many of the children have been detained for months or more than a year and were rapidly switched between medications for depression, psychosis and mood disorders.

Gee also ordered that the government must give the children a written explanation as to why they are being detained  and that the government can't hold a minor simply for 'reported' gang involvement.

In each of the stories documented by attorneys, children are healthy and resilient upon entering government custody, but eventually grow depressed and despondent as months drag on with no end in sight.

In the case of one 16-year-old girl identified only as Daniela Marisol, the government chose not to provide her treatment for deafness in one ear, but gave her six different psychotropic medications for six different diagnoses over the course of 11 months. She was medicated with antidepressants, mood stabilizers and anti-psychotics.

A federal court judge in California ordered the US government to make immediate changes to how it treats undocumented immigrant children it has placed in secure facilities, such as Shiloh Treatment Center in Texas

In another case, a 12-year-old boy named Lucas was prescribed multiple antidepressants after he was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, with his major stressor being identified as being 'kept from his family and in ORR (Office of Refugee Resettlement) custody,' according to court documents. Lucas has been required to continue the medication despite experiencing stomach pain as a result, attorneys claim.

Under Gee's decision, the Department of Justice must move all immigrant children out of the Shiloh Center into a less restrictive setting unless a licensed medical professional determines that a minor poses a risk to themselves or others.

The latest court action follows a decision Gee issued Friday to appoint a special monitor to investigate the reports by more than 200 immigrant children and parents that detention facilities along the U.S.-Mexico border are abusing and neglecting the youths.

The government and attorneys for the children have until August 10 to agree on an independent monitor. If they don't select one together, each side will offer suggested monitors to the judge and Gee will make a selection.Police have expressed anger over a 'dead body' prank that sparked a full scale investigation involving 20 officers in Brisbane's west.

The incident happened on Tuesday night, where an Uber driver was called to a unit block on Oxley Road at Sherwood.

Police said a man met the driver and tried to put what the driver thought was a body into the boot of the vehicle.

Police (pictured) remained at the scene in Brisbane's west for much of Wednesday before realising the incident was a hoax

The shocked driver fled the scene and later called police.

After finding what looked liked blood in several locations at the scene, police spent the night and most of Wednesday at the scene, before they identified the incident as a hoax.

A man, 27, was arrested at the scene and is assisting police with their inquiries.

A second man, believed to be a friend, was also questioned by police on Wednesday night, 7 News reported.

No charges have yet been laid as of early Thursday.

Two men were questioned by police on Wednesday but charges are yet to be laid

Queensland Police Service Crime and Intelligence coordinator Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming isn't laughing about the prank and described the incident as a waste of police resources.

'We deployed very significant resources immediately to the scene, that included detectives from South Brisbane, scenes of crime scientific intelligence and homicide detectives,' he told a press conference.

Superintendent Fleming expressed concern about the pranking trend that has recently emerged on YouTube and social media platforms.

He had this warning for anyone else thinking about joining in.

Police launched a full scale investigation after finding splatters of what appeared to be blood at the scene (pictured)

'I get that some people might see this as funny; self evidently, we don't,' Supt Fleming said.

'It's not that we don't have a sense of humour, but as a result of the events of last night we have had significant resources tied up in investigating whether someone had been abducted or murdered.'

He is concerned recent incidents have created a 'boy who cries wolf' environment.

'Pranks like this not only tie up resources, but actually create an environment where it creates some doubt in our mind and that's a situation that we want to avoid,' Supt Fleming said.Top genetic testing companies have announced they've agreed to a mutual set of guidelines to better protect the privacy of users who submit their DNA for testing.

Ancestry, 23andMe, Habit, Helix, and MyHeritage have all signed on to the policy drafted with the help of The Future of Privacy Forum, a non-profit in support of 'advancing responsible data practices in support of emerging technologies,' according to Gizmodo.

The guidelines, titled Privacy Best Practices for Consumer Genetic Testing Services and released on Tuesday, deal with scenarios where users' personally identifiable and anonymous genetic information might be shared with law enforcement (without a warrant) and other third parties.

The new voluntary policies call for requiring separate consent from users before sharing 'individual-level information' with other businesses and more transparency about the number of requests for data received by, and fulfilled for, law enforcement.

This particular issue came to the nation's attention with the arrest in April of Joseph DeAngelo, 72, who is suspected of being the so-called 'Golden State Killer.'

DeAngelo was taken into custody after decades-old DNA from a crime scene matched DNA that had been submitted by a relative of his to a site used by geneologists called GEDmatch.

Ancestry, 23andMe, Habit, Helix, and MyHeritage have all signed on to voluntary new guidelines aimed at better protecting the privacy of people who submit their DNA to these companies for testing; A DNA testing kit from Ancestry is shown here

The new guidelines were in the process of being drafted months before DeAngelo was arrested, The Future of Privacy Forum CEO Jules Polonetsky told the Washington Post.

'I dont think the average consumer has wrapped their head around the range of issues they should think about when they make a decision to share [DNA] data,' she said.

Among other things, the policy focuses on make it known how often police request data from DNA testing companies, and how often the companies comply.

'Companies should provide a public report describing requests from law enforcement for Genetic Data,' the policy reads.

'Such reports should be made on at least an annual basis.'

Ancestry and 23andMe shared some of this information with Gizmodo, revealing police sent Ancestry '34 valid law enforcement requests' in 2017, and that Ancestry provided information in 31 of those cases.

23andMe reported that it has received five requests from law enforcement so far this year, and has not shared information with law enforcement pursuant to any of those requests.

Privacy concerns related to DNA testing came to the nation's attention with the arrest in April of suspected 'Golden State Killer,' Joseph DeAngelo, who is seen here at his arraignment in a Sacramento courtroom on April 27; His arrest was made possible by a public DNA database

The guidelines, titled Privacy Best Practices for Consumer Genetic Testing Services and released on Tuesday, deal with scenarios where users' personally identifiable and anonymous genetic information might be shared with law enforcement and other third parties

The new voluntary policies call for requiring separate consent from users before sharing 'individual-level information' with other businesses and more transparency about the number of requests for data received by, and fulfilled for, law enforcement

The policy also calls for separate consent to be granted before a person's 'individual-level information (i.e., Genetic Data and/or personal information about a single individual)' can be given to parties other than vendors and services providers which are necessary to perform the DNA testing.

This additional consent, though, may not be required in instances where law enforcement have obtained a warrant requiring the production of such data.

The policy reads: 'Genetic Data may be disclosed to law enforcement entities without Consumer consent when required by valid legal process.'

However, the guidelines do call for notice, when possible, in such an event.

'When possible, companies will attempt to notify Consumers on the occurrence of personal information releases to law enforcement requests.'

The top services that have signed on to the new, more protective policies are different than GEDmatch, however, which was used to track down DeAngelo.

GEDmatch is a free, crowd-sourced database of approximately one million distinct, raw DNA sets shared by volunteers. The site doesn't accept DNA, do its own analysis, and then send users a detailed report, including matches to relatives.

Investigators uploaded DNA from a suspected 'Golden State Killer' crime scene to the site, and could then look through the database themselves for other DNA sets that matched, to varying degrees.

A relative of DeAngelo's apparently uploaded DNA to that site and was able to be identified by that data, investigators matched the crime scene DNA to that relative, and investigated that person's known relatives, eventually arriving at DeAngelo.

From there, authorities collected DNA samples from both DeAngelo's driver-side car handle as well as an item that was discarded outside DeAngelo's home, which they said matched the DNA from the crime scene.

While Ancestry, 23andMe, Habit, Helix, and MyHeritage have all said they agree to these standards of practice for now, it's important to note that the guidelines aren't legally required; A DNA testing kit from 23andMe is shown here

Curtis Rogers, who operates the GEDmatch site, shared the following message to its users when the news broke in April, according to NPR:

'We understand that the GEDmatch database was used to help identify the Golden State Killer. Although we were not approached by law enforcement or anyone else about this case or about the DNA, it has always been GEDmatch's policy to inform users that the database could be used for other uses, as set forth in the Site Policy,' he wrote.

'While the database was created for genealogical research, it is important that GEDmatch participants understand the possible uses of their DNA, including identification of relatives that have committed crimes or were victims of crimes. If you are concerned about non-genealogical uses of your DNA, you should not upload your DNA to the database and/or you should remove DNA that has already been uploaded.'

Rogers said at the time that GEDmatch does not 'hand out data,' at all.

'This was done without our knowledge, and it's been overwhelming,' Rogers said in April.

While Ancestry, 23andMe, Habit, Helix, and MyHeritage have all said they agree to these standards of practice for now, it's important to note that the guidelines aren't legally required.

'In general, I think there should be stronger transparency requirements and legally binding rules for everyone around the transfer and use of super sensitive data like this,' Justin Brookman, the director of consumer privacy and technology policy at Consumers Union, told the Post.

For those concerned with how their DNA and personally identifiable data might be used, the guidelines also call for procedures to be in place to delete data already submitted.

'Unless otherwise required by law, Companies should provide Consumers clear and prominent methods to delete their account and Genetic Data and destroy their Biological Sample, and describe any relevant limitations,' the policy reads.

While this may not be possible in all scenarios, for example, when a user has already provided informed consent to share data for research purposes, many of the top genetic testing companies already have such procedures in place for other scenarios.

Users who have already submitted their DNA to 23andMe and opted in to sharing their data for research purchases may have already had their data shared with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a British pharmaceutical company headquartered in Brentford, London.

23andMe entered into a partnership with GSK which was announced on July 25, and aims to develop new prescription drugs and identify and recruit patients for clinical studies.

There are currently over five million users in the 23andMe database, the company says.

'Our top priority is our customer, and empowering each individual with the options to participate in research,' CEO Anne Wojcicki said in a separate statement, also released on July 25.

'As always, customers choose whether or not to participate in research. Customers can choose to opt-in or opt-out at any time.'The missing Iowa college student who vanished two weeks ago was supposed to attend her boyfriend's brothers wedding, now the celebrations have been cancelled as the search for her continues.

Blake Jack says his brother Dalton and Dalton's longtime girlfriend, missing 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, were supposed to fly out Wednesday to be there when he married his fiancee, Aimee Houghton, on the beach in the Dominican Republic.

Blake says they cancelled the wedding and that his family has been under unwarranted scrutiny by strangers over her disappearance. But, he says, cancelling his wedding is nothing compared to what their small town of 1,400 people is going though.

Blake told the Des Moines Register that despite the hurtful speculation by strangers who wonder if they had something to do with Tibbetts going missing, he says 'the people in this community know the truth.'

Missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts (pictured) was supposed to attend her boyfriend's brothers wedding. They were supposed to fly out to the Dominican Republic Wednesday- but the wedding is cancelled as the search for the young woman continues

Blake Dalton was supposed to marry Aimee Houghton (together) this weekend. He says they have cancelled the wedding- but that is nothing compared to what his community is going through- he also slammed the speculation abotu his family's involvmenet in her disappearance

Tibbetts sent Dalton (pictured) a Snapchat the night she went missing. He opened it around 10pm

He also says investigators have confirmed their whereabouts on the night Tibbetts vanished.

Blake said that on July 18, he was visiting his fiancee in Ames, where she is working this summer. He said his brother was working a job for their family construction company about 100 miles away in Dubuque.

He said Tibbetts was taking care of his dogs while they were out of town, and that he had joked to his brother that he should propose to Tibbetts at his wedding.

Meanwhile the missing woman's mother revealed she sent a heart-wrenching text to her daughter.

'The first night she went missing, I was distraught,' Laura Calderwood said. 'I knew her phone was dead, but I sent her a text saying, ''I love you. We're looking for you. We will find you no matter what.''

Calderwood added to WCCI8 that the last two weeks have been an 'emotional roller coaster.'

'It's a reality check every time I see one of those posters,' she said. 'It's like, 'she's gone.''

Tibbetts was last seen jogging on the evening of July 18 in Brooklyn, a small Iowa town where the University of Iowa student had been living this summer with the brothers.

Investigators in Iowa are still on the hunt for the young woman revealing in a press conference Tuesday that more than 200 interviews have been conducted.

They said they have a timeline of what Tibbetts did the night she vanished, but still don't know her whereabouts.

The University of Iowa student vanished on July 18 after going for a run in the town of Brooklyn, Iowa

Tibbetts went for a jog around 7.30pm before reportedly returning home and sending her boyfriend, Dalton Jack, a Snapchat

'As leads continue to come in, they are constantly evaluated, prioritized and followed up on. Missing person cases can be some of the most difficult and demanding investigations,' Kevin Winker, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said.

'We are not giving up on any possible leads and hope that we can find Mollie soon.'

He added: 'We have not identified the reason for Mollie's disappearance and have not ruled out any possibilities at this point'.

Winker told reporters during the press conference that he could not confirm or deny whether Tibbetts had been abducted, but said her disappearance 'is not consistent with her past'.

'All I'm going to say is that we don't know where Mollie's at right now and I'm not going to draw any conclusion about the circumstances of her disappearance,' he said.

Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student, was reported missing on July 19 after she failed to show up for work. Her boyfriend, Dalton, said it was unlike her to skip work and not call in.'

'One of her work friends called me and said she didn't come in and she didn't call in,' he told Good Morning America. 'I was like, 'Well, that's not like her''.

Tibbetts, who was living in Brooklyn, Iowa with her boyfriend, his brother Blake and Blake's fiancee Houghton, was last seen jogging in the small neighborhood on the night of July 18.

Investigators are tracking the data on the young woman's Fitbit, which her boyfriend said she never took off. Reports claim that her Fitbit shows she returned home safely after her jog and sent her boyfriend a Snapchat that night.

Unfortunately, that's where the trail of clues end. Authorities have yet to figure out what happened between the time she sent her boyfriend the Snapchat and her missing work the following morning.

Investigators are tracking the data on the young woman's Fitbit and said they have conducted more than 200 interviews since she disappeared

The young woman's family and friends are begging the public to contact police with any information. Pictured above is Tibbetts' father

Tibbetts was staying at a home in Brooklyn, Iowa with her boyfriend Dalton (pictured), his brother Blake and Blake's fiancee

Authorities said they have conducted more than 200 interviews related to Tibbetts' disappearance

Neighbor Dave Collum, a retired maintenance director for the school district, said he was interviewed by investigators who told him that data from Tibbetts' Fitbit showed she jogged past his home that evening.

He said that investigators told him that Tibbetts was home doing homework on her computer before she vanished.

Collum said he often saw Tibbetts running in the neighborhood but didn't on the night she vanished.

He has known her family for years and often sat near them during Mass at the local Catholic church. He said she's not the type of person who would run away, and that he's worried she was the victim of a stalker or a random abduction.

'Everybody in town is still trying,' he said. 'It's sad.'

Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the tip line at (800) 452-1111 or (515) 223-1400. Or send an email at tips@poweshiekcosheriff.com. Investigators are offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest or the location of Tibbetts.Migrant rescue charities operating in the Mediterranean said an Italian boat may have violated international law by taking more than 100 migrants it had saved back to Libya.

The Asso Ventotto, an Italian offshore supply ship, picked up 108 migrants in international waters late on Monday.

They were found on a dinghy around 60 nautical miles northwest of Libya's capital Tripoli, according to a maritime traffic site.

Local media reported that Italy's coastguard instructed the Asso Ventotto to coordinate the rescue operation with the Libyan authorities.

Migrant rescue charities said an Italian boat may have violated international law by taking more than 100 migrants it had saved back to Libya. Pictured, migrants arrive at a naval base in Tripoli

The boat then transported those aboard to a port in Tripoli.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Italy tweeted: 'Libya is not a safe port and this could lead to a violation of international law,' adding that they were collecting 'all the necessary information on the case'.

German NGO Sea-Watch also condemned 'the first pushback by an Italian vessel for years,' on Twitter.

In 2012, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Italy violated human rights by sending migrants intercepted at sea back to Libya in 2009.

The court said the practice violated international obligations to not return individuals to countries where they could be at risk of human rights abuses.

Many migrants trying to reach Europe are desperate not to go back to Libya, where they have been reported to face abuse and rape in detention centres.

Up until recently, the Italian coastguard led rescue missions and the migrants were taken to Italy.

However Italy's new populist government, in power since June, has taken a hardline stance on immigration and ordered the coastguard to let Libyan authorities take charge of such operations.

Hundreds of migrants rescued by Libyan Coast Guard Libya's coast guard has intercepted three groups totalling more than 570 Europe-bound migrants, including at least 66 women and 19 children, in the Mediterranean Sea. One group of 292 migrants, including 42 women and 10 children, embarked on the perilous trip for Europe on three rubber boats but the coast guard stopped them off the coast of the western town of Zawiya, coast guard spokesman Ayoub Gassim said in a statement. Another group of 101 migrants on a rubber boat were also rescued off the capital Tripoli, the coast guard said in a separate statement. Migrants arrive at a naval base in Tripoli after they were rescued by Libyan coast guard The coast guard said it had also rescued 181 others, including 24 women and nine children, in a separate incident off Tripoli. The migrants were on two rubber boats, Mr Gassim said, and hailed from both African and Middle Eastern countries. The three groups were intercepted on Monday. All of them were given humanitarian and medical aid and were handed over to anti-migration authorities in the town of Tajoura and Tripoli, Mr Gassim said. The interceptions came a day after the UN refugee agency said it is looking into possible violations of international law involving the transport to Libya of 108 migrants rescued at sea by an Italian-flagged mercantile ship. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Italy said on Twitter that Libya is not a secure port, making such a transfer a violation of international law. Migrants arrive at a naval base in Tripoli, after being rescued off the coast of Zawia An Italian politician aboard a rescue ship operated by a non-governmental organisation, Nicola Frantoianni, said on Facebook that they had proof that the ship, Asso Ventotto, was taking the migrants to Libya, calling it 'a very serious precedent' if ordered by the Italian coast guard. Responding to the suspicions, interior minister Matteo Salvini said on Facebook on Tuesday that the Italian coast guard was not involved in the rescue, which was co-ordinated by the Libyan coast guard. Libya has emerged as a major transit point to Europe for those fleeing poverty and civil war elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East. Traffickers have exploited Libya's chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Libyan authorities have stepped up efforts to stem the flow of migrants, with assistance from European countries, who are eager to slow a phenomenon that far-right parties have seized upon to gain electoral support. Advertisement

As NGOs expressed their dismay over the latest boat controversy, Italy's far-right interior minister Matteo Salvini, who has closed the country's ports to migrant rescue ships, praised the Libyan authorities.

'Over the last hours the Libyan coastguard has saved and brought back 611 immigrants to Libya,' he tweeted.

'NGOs protest and traffickers lose their business? Well, we are going on like this!' he said with his signature hashtags '#Closedports, #Openhearts'.

However the speaker of Italy's lower house, Roberto Fico, who belongs to the Five Star Movement that governs in a coalition with Salvini's League, appeared to disagree with sending migrants to Libya.

'Libya is not a safe place... it is clear that you cannot leave migrants there,' Fico said as he met with protesters denouncing the sale of Italian boats to Libya's coastguard on Monday.

Several commercial ships that have tried to take rescued migrants to Italy - as was standard procedure under the former centre-left government - have found themselves blocked by Salvini's policy and stranded for days at sea searching for a port where they can disembark.Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols poured her heart out over how her son has tried to stop her from working and attending Trekkie conventions, years before she fell ill.

In a shocking video obtained by DailyMail.com, Nichols, 85, is heard expressing her frustration over her son Kyle Johnson, 66, who did not believe she should continue working.

Five years on, the dementia-stricken star still attends conventions around the world, including last month's Comic-Con in San Diego and the Star Trek Las Vegas convention this week.

The clip has emerged ahead of an August court hearing in which a judge will decide whether Nichols should be assigned a permanent guardian.

The actress, who played Lieutenant Uhura in the classic TV series, was placed under four temporary conservators in May after her son told a court she was suffering severe memory loss.

Her friend, producer Angelique Fawcette, 48, says Nichols asked her to record the clip in February 2013, before her health began to deteriorate.

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Nichelle Nichols as Uhura and William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk exchanged the first interracial kiss in the classic TV series in 1968

The Star Trek actress said her son has tried to stop her from attending conventions in a newly surfaced 2013 video

The 85-year-old star who has been diagnosed with dementia, recently attended San Diego Comic Con where she was honored with a lifetime achievement award

Fawcette said she is releasing it now because she fears that if Nichols is stopped from attending conventions she will have no source of income.

That could result in the actress losing her house in Woodland Hills, California, and being admitted to a nursing home, which Fawcette says she does not want.

The filmmaker, who met Nichols in 2012 on the set of her Star Trek spoof, Unbelievable!!!!!, said: 'Nichelle said to me she wanted to film the video. She wanted to protect herself.'

In the clip, Nichols, who owns two properties collectively worth $2million, says: 'Many times my relatives think I'm working too hard, or shouldn't be doing this after all these years.

'My beautiful son, Kyle, says, "Mom, you have to," - of course he never stops working. He says, "Mom, you've got to get some rest." And I appreciate that.

'But I was on my way out of town again, and he doesn't live in the same town. He doesn't live in Hollywood or Beverly Hills.

'He sees me on travel as overwork.

'I think he thinks Star Trek, the movie for which I'm most known, is not a blessing to me.

'Which ever Star Trek [unclear] disagrees, they all know who I am, what I am and why I love all of them as much as they love all of me.'

Nichols, who attended Comic-Con in San Diego earlier this month, where she was honored with a lifetime achievement award, adds: 'It's funny that my son, who works his little tail off with his work, thinks that I should be letting up.

Nichols played Lieutenant Uhura in the sci-fi hit (left) and said in the video that she still wants to act, go to conventions and sign photos

Nichols's son, Kyle Johnson (pictured with his mom in 1979) 66, filed to have her finances managed by others as she suffers from dementia and short term memory loss

'And I say to him, "Kyle, when you pay my bills, you will be able to tell me what to do. You don't pay my bills."

'And he says, "Well, if you didn't travel so much," or something like that. "You shouldn't be."

'I said, "You cannot tell me what I can and cannot be as a human being, any more than you can tell a woman what she can and cannot be or do, a man which mountain he can climb."

'All my ventures in my life have been mountains that I enjoy climbing.

'I think he still, still really doesn't understand.

'There are a few other people who think I should be, I don't know - do housework or something that fits my age.

'Well, I said, "When you pay all my bills and all my luxuries that I have enjoyed in life, maybe I'll let you say one thing in my life. But you don't pay for my life. You don't own me and I don't try to own you."

'I had that problem, even with my son.

'I said, "If you ever need anything, come to me."

'In the meantime, let me know. Let me know. Sit down and talk. "Mom, I don't want to talk, I've got a business. I'm doing this over here."

'Kids are kids. Just because he is what, 35, 40, doesn't mean he can tell me how I can live my life.

'He thinks it's really awful that I'm still traveling as if I have to do that in order to live.

'I don't have to do anything.'

Asked by Angelique whether she still wants to act, go to conventions and sign photos, Nichelle says yes.

The actress's friend, producer Angelique Fawcette (left) 48, said Nichols asked her to shoot the video before her health deteriorated to 'protect herself'

The footage was released ahead of an August court hearing in which a judge will decide whether Nichols should be assigned a permanent guardian. Fawcette claims she attempted to file a petition to present the footage to the court but her request was denied

'Absolutely. It's very exciting because for every era that comes along with Star Trek, it's a new era and yet Star Trek is a hit.

'So it makes it for me, a strong and powerful presence in my life.

'I go out to speak at Star Trek conventions and the people, the fans, are so appreciative and they all have questions.

'Some of them have the same questions but most of them, even if it's the same kind of questions, there's a newness in it.

'I was trying to tell my son today, who wants me to stop'

Angelique asks: 'Stop doing what?'

'Star Trek. Stop going out of town,' she responds.

'Stop - I go to Europe, I go to New York, I go to San Francisco, I go wherever the - to Texas.

'Wherever the Trek, that's mine now, for me to enjoy.'

In another clip, Nichelle reveals she earns more now from conventions that she ever has in her life.

When she's asked how she would feel if she lost her property, Nichols, whose son will inherit her home if she dies, says: 'No one can touch it. I demand to keep it that way.'

Fawcette, who was given away by Nichols when she tied the knot to her husband Steven in April 2013, added: 'If she doesn't make money, she can't afford to keep her home.'

'I want people to be aware of what she is going through,' she added.

In May, an LA Superior Court judge granted a petition from Nichols's son to sign over control of her assets to four temporary conservators due to her memory loss.

Johnson's attorney, Jeffrey Marvan, told the judge he was concerned Nichols's manager, Gilbert Bell, had deeded one of her two properties to himself.

He also said $259,000 in funds from Star Trek conventions in 2015 had disappeared from Nichols's account.

The next hearing, which will determine whether permanent conservators are assigned, is scheduled for August 16.

Fawcette claims she attempted to file a petition to present the footage to the court but her request was denied.

She is releasing the 40-minute video to the media to ensure it is seen by the judge and plans to show it to Star Trek fans to rally support this week.Followers of QAnon were spotted at President Donald Trump's rally in Tampa on Tuesday night, wearing t-shirts and waving signs that read 'we are Q' and indicating the online conspiracy theorists are moving from the internet to the campaign trail.

The QAnon conspiracy theory - said to have been started by someone in the Trump administration although that has not been proven - has perpetuated talk of a 'deep state' and emerged from the 'Pizzagate' plot that claimed without evidence top Democrats were running a pedophilia ring.

Scattered throughout the audience in the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall were Trump supporters showing their support for QAnon.

Followers of the online conspiracy were seen in the audience at President Trump's Tampa rally

Followers held up signs during the rally as Trump listens to gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis speak

Trump did not acknowledge the group in his remarks

One man and woman wore matching white T-shirts with the YouTube logo inside a giant 'Q.' The video website came under criticism this week for becoming a platform for the conspiracy theories, who used the site's facilities to spread baseless claims that some Hollywood celebrities are pedophiles.

The rally also had a thread on 8chan, an anonymous image board also known as Infinitechan or Infinitychan, The Washington Post reported.

'Pray Trump mentions Q!' one supporter wrote.

The president did not acknowledge the group or its followers in his remarks but he has touted conspiracy theories in the past, such as his claim that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States and how he tried to tie Sen. Ted Cruz's father to the man who assassinated President John Kennedy.

Other prominent names have bought into QAnon or acted upon a post from it.

Porn star Stormy Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti sought police assistance after the promoter of the conspiracy theory posted a photo of a man outside of his office to the message-board 8chan.

Avenatti posted a version of the photo on Twitter in an appeal to the public for information.

'We are trying to identify the man in this picture, which was taken outside my office yesterday (Sun) afternoon,' Avenatti wrote. 'We will NOT be intimidated into stopping or changing our course.'

Actress Roseanne Barr has posted on twitter ideas and theories that have roots in QAnon.

QAnon posted this photo of a man outside of the office of porn star Stormy Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti

QAnon also claimed a pedophile ring at Comet Ping Pong, a Washington D.C. pizza place

Also known as 'The Storm', the QAnon theory is based on a series of anonymous and highly cryptic posts on the message board 4Chan, which purport to be written by a high-level insider at the Trump White House.

Q is a reference to 'Q-clearance', the Department of Energy security classification that offers the broadest level of access to Top Secret and Secret Restricted Data granted by the US government.

Though Q's posts are sometimes cryptic to the point of nonsense, in broad strokes the theory maintains that Trump is locked in a secret battle with 'evil' elements at the highest level of government.

Trump himself has reference battles against the 'deep state' - employees in the government he claims are working against his administration.

One conspiracy theory that inspired 'Q' was Pizzagate, purporting that top-level Democrats are engaged in satanic child sex abuse and child sex trafficking that included the involvement of Washington D.C. pizza restaurant Comet Ping Pong.

One of Q's only specific predictions, that Hillary Clinton's campaign manager John Podesta would be arrested on November 3, did not come to pass.

Nevertheless, the theory fired the imaginations of many who envision The Storm as an imminent domestic military crackdown and purge targeting the Trump Administration's foes.

Trump has spoken on a 'deep state' in the past

Followers of QAnon believe there is a 'deep state' in the government

The group is moving from the internet to the campaign trail

QAnon is said to be started by someone in the Trump administration although that has not been proven

Additionally, some interpreters of the conspiracy theory maintain that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is secretly working for Trump, preparing tens of thousands of sealed indictments targeting agents of the 'deep state' and allies of Clinton.

Fans of the QAnon theory, who call themselves anons, have spent countless hours piecing together the 'crumbs' dropped in the anonymous posts, which began in October.

As one fan explained in a post shared by Q on Monday: 'REAL ANON'S are here as we follow the EVIDENCE (documented verifiable evidence), we are building the TRUTH of our HISTORY so we can expose and dismantle the corruption that has PLAGUED our world for millennia.'

'WE are NOT about violence, subversion or control. WE are simply providing FACT based information FREE of charge to the WORLD,' the anon added.A US soldier uploaded a 12 year-old British girls nude photos onto a fake Instagram page after she stopped talking to him online.

Christopher Ernest Fox, 21, a military police officer, began talking to the youngster on the photo sharing app in August 2016.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told Fox that she was 13. She subsequently exchanged naked pictures with the serviceman on Snapchat after he pestered her, according to the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

But after she blocked him, he threatened to share the photos with her friends if she did not continue to send him explicit snaps.

Christopher Ernest Fox, who was stationed at Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii (pictured), started messaging the girl in August 2016

Fox followed up on his threat, creating a fake Instagram page that used the girl's name, before uploading the naked photos to it.

The girl and her parents went to police in their native Wiltshire, England, when the photos began circulating around her school, with bullies forcing her to stay home from classes.

That saw Fox, who worked at Schofield Barracks in Honolulu, arrested in August 2017, and discharged from the Army last December. He admitted sexually exploting a child in April.

Foxs victim, who is now 14, traveled to Honolulu in Hawaii to watch Fox get sentenced to 15 years in prison for producing child pornography.

Assistant US Attorney Morgan Early told the sentencing judge that the teenager and her mother were too upset to make victim impact statements.

Fox could have been jailed for up to 30 years for the offense, but was handed the lighter sentence because of his age, and the opportunity for rehabilitation.

Disturbingly, the former cop described his victims ordeal as a mere blip in the road of her life.Authorities say a driver was killed when his car was struck by a tire that flew off a private sanitation vehicle on the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn.

The victim was a building maintenance worker for the New York Police Department.

When emergency responders arrived on the scene, they found the 64-year-old man unconscious and unresponsive, New York Police Department spokesperson Officer Andrew Lava told DailyMail.com.

No other injuries were reported as a result of the accident.

The name of the deceased man is not being released at this time.

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A 64-year-old civilian employee of the NYPD died in a collision on the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn after his car was hit with a flying tire off of a private sanitation vehicle on Wednesday

The man was heading east on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway toward Manhattan at around 6.30 am Eastern on Wednesday when the accident occurred.

Police responded to a 911 call that came in at 6.36am reporting a motor vehicle collision, Lava said.

A tire came loose from a private sanitation vehicle traveling westbound, flew across the highway's divider and smashed into the man's windshield.

The tire was a spare tire, according to News 12 in the Bronx.

The collision occurred near exit 3 on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, near 7th Avenue and 65th Street in the jurisdiction of the 68th NYPD precinct

A tire came loose from the private sanitation vehicle shown here, as it was traveling westbound, and flew across the highway's divider, smashing into the man's windshield

The impact of the tire against the black Toyota Rav-4 caused the man's vehicle to collide with the barrier between the east and westbound lanes.

The man was traveling in the HOV lane at the time. No passengers were believed to have been in the vehicle.

The collision occurred near exit 3 on the highway, near 7th Avenue and 65th Street in the jurisdiction of the 68th NYPD precinct.

The tire which flew off the private sanitation vehicle was a spare tire, News 12 reported

The impact of the tire against the black Toyota Rav-4 caused the man's vehicle to collide with the barrier between the east and westbound lanes

The victim suffered severe head injuries, and was taken to Lutheran Hospital by EMS, where he was pronounced dead

The victim suffered severe head injuries. He was taken to Lutheran Hospital by EMS, where he was pronounced dead.

The operator of the private sanitation truck remained at the scene as police arrived.

The deceased civilian employee of the NYPD was not working at the time of the accident.A Texas mother pulled out a BB gun during a fight between her teenage daughter and another girl because she claimed that the girl's family brought knives with them.

Video circulating shows Chade Lockett with what appears to be a handgun pointing at the McIntyre family as the girls duked it out, last Sunday in Houston, Texas.

'What was she thinking with a gun?' said Tracy McIntyre, who filmed the video and is the 15-year-old girl's grandmother.

Video circulating shows Chade Lockett with what appears to be a handgun pointing at the McIntyre family as the girls duked it out, last Sunday in Houston, Texas

Lockett looks to point the gun at McIntyre's daughter, who was also at the scene and claims to have been trying to break up the fight.

McIntyre's daughter runs from close proximity of the fight as Lockett repeatedly looks as if she is hitting her daughter's opponent in an effort to break up the fight as well.

But Lockett was quick to assert that not only was she using a BB gun - and not a real one as was insinuated - but she also claims that the video don't provide the entire picture as to what happened.

Lockett was quick to assert that not only was she using a BB gun - and not a real one as was insinuated - but she also claims that the video don't provide the entire picture as to what happened

'I went back to the car to get the BB gun when I saw they had knives. It was either the crowbar or the BB gun. I chose the BB gun. It looked realistic. It was 15 of them and two of us,' Lockett explained to KPRC.

The fight was said to have started over Snapchat beef and actually took place at another location before arriving at the scene seen on video.

Video does show a woman holding what appears to be a knife.

'I went back to the car to get the BB gun when I saw they had knives. It was either the crowbar or the BB gun. I chose the BB gun. It looked realistic. It was 15 of them and two of us,' Lockett said

McIntyre claimed that Lockett hit her granddaughter with the gun in the face while the fight was happening.

'Kids I understand they are going to fight, but I want justice for the mother for what she did to my granddaughter,' McIntyre added.

Aunt Veneisha Jones also shared with ABC 13: 'She pulled a gun out on us. We were frightened for our lives. My niece was basically out there getting harmed by an adult. She's 15. The girl is 13. They're both teens, they fight and get into it. That's what teens do, but the mom, she had no reason to put her hands on her or anything like that.

Video does show a woman holding what appears to be a knife

Lockett - who on video, does not appear to hit the girl with her gun - shared that she was trying to break up the fight and was not attacking the teen.

'When I see knives ... what are you going to do? I'm going to defend myself and my daughter,' Lockett said.

She added: 'I'm doing what a mother should do - which is protect your child, and y'all trying to make it seem like y'all didn't do anything.'

The grandmother has filed a police report with the Houston Police and the case has been handed to an investigator.A Virginia mother is searching for answers after she was told by police that her 19-year-old daughter shot herself while handcuffed, during what initially has been described as a routine traffic stop.

Sarah Wilson was riding as a passenger in a car operated by 27-year-old Holden Medlin at 4.30pm last Wednesday when police officers pulled him over at the intersection of Berkley Avenue and Wilson Road in Chesapeake.

According to investigators, Medlin became 'disorderly' during the stop and resisted arrest, leading officers to use a Taser on him.

Police in Virginia said 19-year-old Sarah Wilson (left) shot and killed herself after officers pulled over her boyfriend's car. Holden Medlin (right), 27, allegedly resisted arrest and was charged with drug and weapons possession

Medlin and Wilson were stopped by police in Chesapeake, Virginia, on July 25 (pictured)

During the altercation, police said Medlin's passenger, Wilson, grabbed a gun and shot herself in the head, reportedWAVY.

Medlin was later booked into the Chesapeake City Jail on drug charges and counts of obstruction with force, possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm with narcotics.

A week later, Wilsons mother, Dawn, told 13 News Now she has a lot of questions about the circumstances surrounding her daughter's death.

In all of her life I have never known of her to shoot a gun, own a gun, or even hold a gun, said Dawn, who also has two younger daughters.

According to the mother, police offered her a different version of events than the one given to the media, namely, that Sarah was handcuffed but was still able to get hold of the revolver and put it in her mouth.

Dawn stressed that she is not pointing fingers at anyone, but as Sarah's mother, she deserves to know what actually happened.

A friend of Sarah's has shared a disturbing cellphone video purportedly recorded by a bystander at the scene of the traffic stop showing her body on the ground. At one point, one bystander crudely remarks to another: 'police shot the b****'

Sarah's mother, Dawn Wilson (right), says she was told by police her daughter was handcuffed but managed to grab a revolver and put it in her mouth

Meanwhile, a friend of Sarah's has shared a disturbing cellphone video on her Facebook page, purportedly recorded by a bystander at the scene of the traffic stop.

In it, a woman's body is seen laying on the ground next to a white sedan, with police officers swarming the area.

At one point, one bystander crudely remarks to another: 'police shot the b****.'

The authenticity of the video has not been independently verified.

Chesapeake police spokesman Leo Kosinski spoke to Dailymail.com by phone on Wednesday afternoon about Sarah Wilson's death, stating: 'the police did not shoot her... she died from suicide.'

When asked to comment on the cellphone video, Kosinski said the person who recorded it arrived at the scene well after the incident.

'He made that up,' the spokesperson said in reference to the claim that an officer shot Wilson. 'He did not see anything.'

Dawn Wilson said one of the officers at the scene was wearing a body camera, but she was allegedly told that the device malfunctioned.

Police previously said they wont be releasing the body camera footage during the investigation.

On Wednesday, Lt Kosinski explained that the body camera did not malfunction, but rather Medlin knocked it off the officer's uniform during the struggle.

He confirmed that Wilson had her hands restrained behind her back and said she was somehow able to reach into the car while an officer was not looking, grab the gun and take her own life.

'If you have anything motivating you and youre limber enough, you can wiggle,' he noted.

Kosinski also stated that it was not, in fact, a routine traffic stop, but rather Medlin's vehicle was pulled over 'with legitimate probable cause.' He declined to go into further detail, citing the ongoing investigation.

Sarah's mother said her 19-year-old daughter, who went by the nickname Sunshine, was a moody teenager but did not have a history of depression.

Sarahs social media accounts indicate that she was in a relationship with Holden Medlin since 2017 (pictured together)

However, in early March she shared on her Facebook page a troubling post about depression, which read in part: 'why do people never talk about the part of depression when you just don't want anything anymore?...you just spend your day kinda waiting for it to end.'

Sarahs social media accounts indicate that she was in a relationship with Holden Medlin, the driver arrested during the traffic stop, since 2017.

Her friend has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with her funeral expenses. As of Wednesday morning, just $375 has been raised.A Russian Nationalist biker gang with close ties to President Vladimir Putin has set up a base in Slovakia, a move which has alarmed the local government.

Slovak President Andrej Kiska warned that the Night Wolves, who supported Russian troops during the annexation of Crimea in the Ukraine in 2014, are a security risk to NATO and the EU.

The bikers, led by a former doctor known as Alexander 'The Surgeon' Zaldostanov, have taken over an oldpig farm, 44 miles northeast of the Slovak capital Bratislava.

New neighbours: The Night Wolves Russian biker gang, led by Alexander 'The Surgeon' Zaldostanov, have taken over a former pig farm 44 miles from the Slovak capital Bratislava

Friends of the leader: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and Alexander 'The Surgeon' Zaldostanov ride motorcycles together in 2011

Putin fans: A member of the Night Wolves is seen inside the gang's base in Luhansk, Ukraine

After officially opening their Slovak branch in June the Night Wolves have held military-style exercises with the Slovak Recruits, a 200-strong nationalist paramilitary group, on the compound.

'They are no harmless motorcycle lovers,' President Kiska said in a statement according to Radio Free Europe.

'The Night Wolves are a tool of a regime that took part in the usurpation of a territory of a neighbouring country [of Slovakia], in the annexation of parts of Ukraine in violation of international law.

'The establishment of a so-called European headquarters of the Night Wolves in Slovakia is a mockery of the Slovak Republic's official position on the annexation of Crimea and Russian policies.'

The Night Wolves' new Slovakian base has been painted in camouflage and is surrounded by a barbed-wire fence.

New home: The Russian bikers opened a Slovak branch in June and held military-style exercises in the same month with the Slovak Recruits, a 200-strong paramilitary group

The Night Wolves have been under U.S. sanctions since 2014 for their role in the pro-Russian insurgency in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea

Coming soon: A sign on the side of the building appears to announce that the museum will open in September

The Russian bikers sat they intend to turn it into a museum honouring Soviet WWII units, and signs on the building claims it will open in September.

While generally regarded as a satellite state of the USSR, Slovakia - then part of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was never officially part of the Soviet Union.

'In Slovakia they pay homage to the heroes who liberated the world from fascism, so the creation of the museum complex, dedicated to the events of World War Two, is logical, legitimate and desirable,' Zaldostanov said in a statement seen by the BBC.

Jozef Hambalek, founder of the Slovak branch of the Night Wolves, said denied any political motivation behind his creation of the Slovak chapter of Russia's Night Wolves.

'I am only interested in motorcycles and military history,' he said.

Local support: Motorcycle riders attend a rally in support of the Night Wolves in front of Russia's embassy in Bratislava last Friday

The pro-Kremlin riders run their new base together with Slovak Defenders, paramilitary and nationalist group

Putin's pulpit pals: Zaldostanov is seen speaking to Putin in Sevastopol, during the President's trip to Crimea in August last year

The Night Wolves are closely linked to President Putin, who has joined the bikers several times at rallies, riding a Harley-Davidson trike, and called them his 'friends.'

In 2013, he awarded Zaldostanov the Russian Medal of Honour and has praised him for his loyalty.

The Night Wolves have been under U.S. sanctions since 2014 for its role in the pro-Russian separatist insurgency in Ukraine and the subsequent annexation of Crimea.

In March, Zaldostanov and Sasa Savic, the leader of the club's branch in Serbia, were banned from entering Bosnia because of security concerns, and in 2015 the Night Wolves were refused entry to Poland.

Zaldostanov, born in Soviet Ukraine, studied medicine in his youth and practiced as an assistant surgeon but is not thought to have graduated medical school.

He became involved in biker culture in the 80s and founded the Night Wolves in 1989, just before the fall of the USSR. The gang has around 5,000 members across the former Soviet Union.A student who was forced to leave his home after his parents found out he was gay is going to college after a crowdfunding campaign raised $20,000 to pay for his fees.

Seth Owen, 18, had a 4.16 GPA and an acceptance letter from Georgetown University but his financial aid package was dependent on the support of his family - who had cast him out over his sexuality.

He told NBC that when he received the letter he was devastated: 'I started to cry, because I realized there was no way that I could go to college. Georgetown was my only option, because I had already denied my other acceptances.'

Owen was left with a $20,000 deficit which he knew he couldn't pay off.

Seth Owen, 18, was thrown out of his parents' home after they found out he was gay last year

But a GoFundMe page set up by Owen's biology teacher Jane Martin has now raised more than $50,000 to go towards his first year's fees.

Owen's money problems started when he was thrown out of his family home by his Southern Baptist parents after they discovered he was gay when they found a photograph on his phone.

He was sent away to a Christian councilor, a move which Owen believes was intended to turn him straight.

With the councilor Owen said he felt it was 'definitely gay conversion therapy' as he was forced to perform stereotypical masculine tasks.

After returning from the therapy unchanged and finding himself more and more at odds with his parent's beliefs, Owen decided to move out in the middle of his senior year.

'They talked very negatively about the LGBTQ+ community. They said that gay people would not serve in the church. Then they were talking about transgender people as though they weren't human, and that really, really bothered me.

Owen was sent away to a gay conversion councilor who he said tried to turn him back to being straight

Owen will now go to Georgetown University as part of their class of 22 after the successful crowdfunding campaign

'The worst part was I was packing my bags, and I was walking out the door, and I was hoping that my mom would stand in my way. I was hoping that she would say 'I love my child more than I love my religion.'

Just a few weeks after moving out from home and while sleeping on friends' sofas - he received his aid packaged and realised his college dream was in jeopardy.

With the help of Martin, who is also gay, Owen has now managed to raise enough money to go to Georgetown.

The pair are hoping that if the university does end up readjusting Owens financial aid package they plan on using the donations to create a scholarship fund for other teens facing a situation similar to Owens.

A spokesperson from Georgetown said the university: 'admits and enrolls students without regard to their financial circumstances and is committed to meeting the demonstrated financial need of eligible students.'

'While we cannot comment on any individual case, we work closely with students whose financial circumstances change after admission to modify financial aid assistance and ensure they can still enroll regardless of their ability to pay,' the spokesperson added.A father grieving the death of his newborn baby discovered the child hadn't even existed after digging up the coffin and finding a plastic doll inside.

Rosa Castellanos Diaz, from El Coyolar in Honduras, allegedly spent nine months pretending to be pregnant with twins, according to local media reports.

She then fooled her family into believing she had given birth before feigning the death of one in a bizarre attempt to keep her wayward partner by her side.

She went so far as to stage the baby's funeral at her local graveyard in El Coyolar, where distraught family and friends took turns to carry the coffin and say an emotional farewell.

Friends doubted Rosa Castellanos Diaz's story that she gave birth to twins in secret and that one died, which was followed by a funeral

They were shocked to discover a dressed-up toy doll inside the coffin that they exhumed

But the next day, friends of the child's father, Melvin Mendoza, reportedly began to doubt Ms Diaz's story and decided to dig up the coffin - and found a plastic doll dressed up as a baby inside.

Ms Diaz reportedly convinced friends and relatives that she was pregnant and kept up the charade for the whole nine months, even announcing she was expecting twins after an ultrasound scan.

On Friday morning, she left her village home and took a bus to the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa, claiming she was heading for the city's Escuela Hospital to give birth to her babies.

That night, she reportedly called Mr Mendoza, a member of the Honduran Armed Forces, to tell him the bad news that one of the twins had died while being delivered.

Ms Diaz reportedly convinced friends and relatives that she was pregnant and kept up the charade for the whole nine months

As is custom, the father and his relatives held a wake and awaited the arrival of Ms Diaz and the dead child.

She arrived on Saturday, carrying the child's small white coffin, but told them that they could not see the baby as the hospital had sealed the coffin and prohibited her from opening it.

Ms Diaz also claimed that she had left the other twin being cared for in hospital.

The wake continued through the afternoon, with coffee, bread and other snacks served for friends and family who had come to pay their respects.

Later that afternoon, the baby's funeral procession left from the house towards the cemetery, with friends and family taking turns to carry the coffin, before burying it after a short ceremony.

A distressed Mr Mendoza reportedly had to be supported by friends as he lowered the coffin into the ground.

But following the funeral, a number of Mr Mendoza's friends decided to exhume the coffin to find out the truth after fearing Ms Diaz had invented the story to convince him not to leave her.

One, Ismael Mejia, told Honduras' El Heraldo newspaper: 'The whole thing didn't seem right. So in the night we went to the cemetery to dig it up.

'When we pulled out the box, to our surprise what we found inside was a doll, dressed up as if it were a child.

'We took the coffin to the police so they could see that we didn't take the child out of the box and replace it with a doll.'

After discovering the cruel trick, Mr Mendoza decided not to press charges against Ms Diaz, according to reports.An NYPD captain has been filmed kicking over candles at a makeshift memorial in the Bronx.

Cellphone video captured Captain Emilio Melendez, known as 'Captain America' by his colleagues, confronting a group who set up the sidewalk memorial on the Grand Concourse during Sunday's Dominican Day Parade, New York Daily News reports.

'I will not have a fire on my block,' Melendez told the person filming him, moments after he destroyed a tribute allegedly left by Trinitarios gang members, to a man who died in a motorcycle crash in the Dominican Republic four years ago, a source said.

Cellphone video captured Captain Emilio Melendez, known as 'Captain America' by his colleagues, kicking over candles at a makeshift memorial in the Bronx

'I will not have a fire on my block,' Melendez told the person filming him, moments after he destroyed the tribute to a man who died in a motorcycle crash in the Dominican Republic four years ago

The men who set up the memorial confronted the captain, telling him 'Look, bro, that's a violation.'

Another asked his name and threatened to report him, to which the captain replied 'It's Captain Melendez.'

'Have a nice day. Captain Melendez. If I catch you guys out here drinking and smoking weed again, I will issue you summonses,' he says.

The captain, who's assigned to the 46th Precinct in University Heights, then took out his camera and captured footage of the broken candles and the men recording him.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the NYPD for comment.

When a man at the scene asked his name and threatened to report him, to which the captain replied 'It's Captain Melendez'

The captain, who's assigned to the 46th Precinct in University Heights, then took out his camera and captured footage of the broken candles and the men recording him

A police source told the NY Daily News that the group who set up the memorial were Trinitarios gang members.

They added that Melendez had been ordered by the Chief of Department's office 'to clean up that mess.'

The one-minute long clip, which has been seen thousands of times, sparked a furious backlash on social media.

'Disgusting behavior by Capt Melendez - why are cops so disrespectful but yet want empathy! This is not how you build relationships with your community,' one Twitter user wrote.

The tribute was left a mess of spilled wax, broken glass after Melendez's attack

Another added that Melendez 'should receive a verbal reprimand for bringing local & nation shame upon the @NYPD. He should've explained that unattended open flames were a fire hazard and extinguish the candles. Kicking over the memorial was very disrespectful.'

One Twitter user wrote: 'When will cops learn how to build community relations & not add "fuel to the raging fire" #NYPD @NYPDONeill This could have been handled better by Capt. MELENDEZ. SMH Officer Friendly is no more. So unnecessary. True power is handled w/care.'

Melendez was last in trouble in 2006 when he was accused of ordering two cops to write up a fake vandalism report to explain why a double-parked patrol car was missing a side-view mirror.

The case went to a departmental trial in 2009 but the outcome was not publicly available.

Melendez, who has been with the NYPD for almost 30 years, recently returned from a military deployment in the Middle East.

The source said he was popular with officers who jokingly call him Captain America.

'He's a great captain,' said the source. '(The people that made the memorial) must have been up to something You can't be kumbaya-ing with perps all the time.'A Texas sheriff's deputy who was filmed driving a patrol car while an inmate sat on the roof has been fired.

The deputy, who has not been named, was fired by Taylor County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday after video footage of the July 18 incident emerged.

The video showed inmate Martin Gregory Estrada sitting on top of the car after slipping out of his handcuffs and breaking the back window of the car while he was being transported between a health facility in Wichita Falls and Taylor County where he was being held on charges including aggravated robbery, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and possession of methamphetamine.

Rather than pull the car over to stop and gain control of him when he escaped on to the roof, the deputy carried on driving and waited until backup had arrived to stop.

His actions breached the sheriff's office's rules on inmate safety and security, the office said on Tuesday.

Martin Gregory Estrada, 31, threatened to kill himself if the policeman did not pull over the car. When he refused, Estrada climbed on to the roof

Inmate Martin Gregory Estrada had just been collected from a mental hospital where he allegedly assaulted another patient when he got in the car, threatened to kill himself and then slipped out of his handcuffs

The incident came to light after footage taken by other motorists spread on social media.

It showed Estrada sitting on the roof the patrol car as it traveled along the highway for around three minutes.

Initially, the sheriff's office said he threatened to kill himself unless the deputy pulled over. He climbed on to the roof when the deputy refused to do so.

Jason Mustain, one of the motorists who filmed the incident, said it was like a scene from a Hollywood film.

''At first, he was laying across the top of the roof like you see in the movies,' Jason told KTXS.

'Then he tried to stand up and eventually sat there chilling.' Jason said it had taken the inmate about 10 minutes to get onto the roof.

The deputy had gone to collect him from Red River Hospital, a mental health and drug rehab facility in Wichita Falls.

Estrada had been staying there but was discharged for assaulting another patient.

Before being put in the patrol car, he was placed in handcuffs and leg irons but still, he managed to maneuver his way on to the roof.

The officer called for backup, and when it arrived, he finally pulled over. Estrada made a bid for escape, but was tasered and re-arrested. For three minutes, he rode on the roof of the car undisturbed

Police allege when the officer arrived at the facility: 'He was told the prisoner had assaulted and hospitalized another person, and was being discharged for safety reasons'.

'The deputy and three other staff members were needed to secure handcuffs and leg irons on the prisoner,' the statement read.

Taylor County jail records show Estrada was being held Thursday on escape, evading arrest, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and drug possession charges. Bond was $680,000.Danueal Drayton, 27, claims that voices led him to murder a Queens nurse he met online

A suspected serial killer has blamed the voices in his head for the murder of a nurse he met on Tinder.

Danueal Drayton, 27, spoke out on Tuesday from behind bars in Los Angeles, where he is being held on kidnapping charges pending extradition to New York in the murder of Queens nurse Samantha Stewart, 29.

'I really liked her. I didn't want to kill her,' Drayton said of Stewart in a jailhouse interview with the New York Daily News. 'They told me she had to die.'

Shackled and dressed in a quilted blue anti-suicide garment, Drayton repeated over and over: 'I'm a passenger in my own body.'

Drayton has confessed to as many as seven murders in Connecticut and New York while in custody, but police are investigating the claims and suspect at least some may be bogus.

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Queens nurse Samantha Stewart, 29, (left and right) was found on July 17, wrapped in blankets on the floor of her bedroom. Police say Drayton met her on Tinder

Police believe Drayton met Stewart on Tinder just days after a judge freed him without bail on charges of assaulting and choking ex-girlfriend Zynea Barney, 26, in a Long Island park.

Stewarts body was found on July 17, wrapped in blankets on the floor of her bedroom in Queens, and it appeared she had been strangled and some of her teeth had been knocked out, police said.

Her brother found her body and called their father, who then called police, authorities said.

Police said Drayton used Stewart's credit card to buy a plane ticket to California. Detectives tracked him to LA, where they found him holding a woman against her will in North Hollywood and arrested him.

In the jailhouse interview, Drayton claimed he suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar II disorder.

Detectives hold a press conference in New York asking any other potential victims of Drayton to come forward. So far, no other victims have been identified

'It's mind control,' Drayton explained. 'They use direct-energy weapons on me to control my mind.'

He said he could recall choking his ex-girlfriend Barney, but he couldn't remember meeting a 23-year-old woman who police say he raped in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The rape victim says she also met Drayton through Tinder.

'That's the Black Island,' he said, describing his alleged fugue states. 'They make it so I can't remember.'

With tears in his eyes, he claimed that although he cleaned up the scene of Stewart's murder with bleach, he intentionally left clues for cops at the scene, including a bottle of his 'Egyptian cologne'.

'I wanted to get caught. I took some of her things with me and used them. I kept my same phone. I knew they could track it. I didn't know how long it would take,' he said, adding, 'I didn't want anyone else to get hurt,'

Ex-girlfriend Barney isn't buying it, though, telling the News: 'He wants the judge to eat right from his hands and let him claim insanity so he won't be with the regular (prison) population.'

Police say that between 2011 and February 2018, Drayton was arrested five times in his home state of Connecticut - including on a second-degree strangulation charge.

He is currently on probation in that state for second-degree harassment.

Drayton is being held in Los Angeles on charges of attempted murder, forcible rape, false imprisonment by violence and sexual penetration by foreign object.

He pleaded not guilty on Monday and faces 23 years to life in state prison if convicted. New York may also seek to extradite him for Stewart's murder.

'I'm a good person,' Drayton said. 'I have my foibles.'A group campaigning for Californian independence now wants to give away half the state to make an 'autonomous Native American nation'.

The long-running 'Calexit' effort was given the green light to collect the 365,880 signatures needed to get secession on the state's ballot in November.

Handing over all the federal land in California - the entire eastern half of the state from the Mexico border to Oregon - will likely make that a tougher sell.

A group campaigning for Californian independence now wants to give away half the state to make an 'autonomous Native American nation'

Yes California co-founder Louis J Marinelli said the plan went further than any attempt in history to make up for the historical treatment of Native Americans.

'Why not do something to right some of the wrongs of the past to the Native American people, and give them back their land?' he told Fox News.

However, the group's president Marcus Ruiz Evans admitted they had not even discussed the idea with Native American leaders.

'What we want to do is have this start a dialogue with Native people. Then we are going to be quiet and listen,' he told the Los Angeles Times.

Yes California co-founder Louis J Marinelli said the plan went further than any attempt in history to make up for the historical treatment of Native Americans.

'This is just part one. A whole lot has to be done. We need to do our homework.'

Mr Marinelli said another benefit to the plan would be to create a 'buffer zone' between what was left of California and 'Donald Trump's America'.

'It will have a minimal impact on the California population, two-thirds of which lives in a county on California's shore,' he said.

However, he said the campaign was not motivated by the shifting balance of political power in Washington and would continue even if Democrat fortunes improved.

The long-running 'Calexit' effort was given the green light to collect the 365,880 needed to get secession on the state's ballot in November.

'We are motivated by the fact that California is a distinct society with the capability to govern itself independent of a country whose values are in direct conflict with ours, and a country whose government system [and its institutions] is broken and obsolete,' he said.

Yes California is so anti-Trump that supporters called on his voters to 'get out' of the state at a July 4 rally, declaring the U.S. was 'occupying' California.

A 2017 Reuters poll found 32 per cent of Californians favored seceding from the U.S., up from 20 per cent three years earlier.

However, the group has not yet notified the Secretary of State's office that it has reached 25 per cent of the needed signatures, which it is legally required to do.A young woman who was bitten by a snake has impressed the public in China after catching the reptile with her bare hands before taking it with her to the hospital.

She held the slithering animal around her wrist and calmly went to the ER so the medics could identify it, according to a hospital in eastern China's Zhejiang Province.

Huang Shengqiang, the ER doctor who treated the woman, said the snake was a non-venomous red-banded snake. Dr Huang said there was no swelling around the patient's wound, so he gave her simple treatment.

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Pictures released by China's Pujiang Hospital show the woman calmly filling out a registration form while grabbing the snake with her thumb and fingers. She had been bit by the reptile

Viral pictures taken by the medics show the patient filling out a registration form while grabbing the snake with her thumb and fingers.

'(She) is a femme fatale,' gushed ER nurse Ma Nina at Jinhua's Pujiang Hospital as she recalled the incident which occurred during the wee hours on Sunday.

The hospital said in a statement that the patient is around 20 years old. She told the doctor that she was searching for her dropped phone in the shrubs while being bitten by the snake, which then crawled onto her palm. The woman then caught the snake.

A nurse is pictured touching the snake's tail after the patient arrived at the ER on Sunday

Other patients are stunned after seeing the brave woman grabbing the reptile with her hand

Pujiang Hospital said its doctors had treated many patients suffering from snake bites this summer, but this was the first time that they had seen someone coming into the ER with a live snake.

Speaking to Pear video, the woman, identified by her surname Chen, said she was not afraid of snakes; on the contrary, she found snakes 'cute'.

Ms Chen said her father and grandfather taught her how to catch snakes when she was little, and she often followed them into the mountains to hunt for them.

The hospital has advised the public not to go to the wild or near shrubs at early morning or evening in summer to avoid being bitten by snakes.

Last month, a woman in north-west China died after being bitten by a venomous snake. It was believed that she had bought the reptile online in hope of making a traditional medicinal wine.This amazing kitten has an extra spring in her step as she has been born with six legs.

The ultra-rare condition is called polymelia - which means that Henrietta the tabby has an extra pair of legs - and can occur in humans and animals.

The most probable cause is that the kitten had a conjoined twin in her mother's womb.

Now in the care of cat rescue charity, Feline Friends, Henrietta is having to wait for an operation to remove the surplus limbs so she can live a full and happy life.

Volunteer Pat Dryden, pictured holding Henrietta the cat, who was born with six legs

Rescue charity Feline Friends is currently raising money for Henrietta to have surgery

The kitten wsa bron eight weeks ago and suddenly started developing two extra hind legs

Volunteer Pat Dryden, 60, told how they at first thought Henrietta had skin tags - but knew something was desperately wrong when they grew longer, developed muscle and bone, and feet.

Eight-week-old Henrietta's extra pair of legs have grown below the knees of her hind legs.

The condition is so rare that a case of it has not been recorded in the UK.

Mrs Dryden, from Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, said: 'It was Henrietta's mum that first came to us in May as a pregnant cat, who we named Bridget.

'Pretty soon after we had her she had four kittens. One of those died at birth while ginger Ed died later of a brain tumour. Tortoiseshell Lucy appeared to thrive.

'Henrietta was originally Henri - named after a French artist with short legs Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - because we thought she was male, with her being tabby, and she was born with a twisted back left leg.

Henrietta will have surgery to remove the extra legs at six months when she will be neutered

'Her back leg looked short and like that of a ballerina with flat pointed-out feet. It's called twisted leg syndrome and can happen when the kittens are squashed in the womb.

'We were able to manipulate her leg back to its normal position over time with daily massage. Now you wouldn't even know she had been born with it.

'She was also born with a couple of skin tags on the back of her legs, which we thought nothing of.

'But then we were astounded as these started to grow, over the last seven weeks they have developed bone and muscle and then feet with pads and claws. They really are the strangest thing.

'We looked on the internet and found that it could be due to having a conjoined twin. We thought this also might explain why she's a female tabby, which is quite rare in itself.

'She is doing very well for the moment but we worry that over time, as these strange legs grow, they will impinge on her movement and quality of life.

'We are now raising money for an operation to have them removed.'

Vets will x-ray Henrietta to determine whether it will be safe to perform the operation

The local vets, Blythman and Partners, have had a look at Henrietta and decided that they ought to perform the operation when she is six months old when she will also be neutered.

Part of her treatment will involve an X-ray to make sure it is safe to perform the operation as they see how the legs are attacked to her skeleton.

Extra legs aside, Henrietta looks a picture of health. She is full of energy and loves a cuddle and a play.

Mrs Dryden said: 'She has a gorgeous personality, she is just lovely. She is a ginger queen.

'She is different and wonderful.'

Now Mrs Dryden, who works for HMRC and has volunteered for Feline Friends since 2015, said the charity are going to keep the mum and her two kittens for a while to make sure they are in full health.

Mrs Dryden, who is a widow, lives in a terrace bungalow with five cats of her own, said: 'We have had problems with this litter so it's only fair that we make sure all cats are in good health before going out to a forever home.

'Of course this all costs money.

It is believed it will cost at least 2,000 to perform the surgery

'We are now in the process of raising money for Henrietta's operation, we are expecting it to be at least 2,000, and that is a knock-down price.

'We are a great charity and all the money we raise goes directly to the cats we look after.

'We work without any premises so all our cats live in foster homes, with foster carer working on a voluntary basis.'

To donate please go to Henrietta's Go Fund Me page: www.gofundme.com/Six-Legged-Kitten

Feline veterinary surgeon, Jo Lewis MRCV, aka The Cat Vet, based in Berkshire, said: 'What a special little kitty Henrietta is. Hope she finds an equally special home.

'As a vet for over 20 years and having spent most of that time working just with cats, I can't say I have ever come across a kitten born with extra limbs, or what is called polymelia.

'Although it is known to happen, it is a very rare condition.

'It has been documented in cats before though and other (mainly food producing) animals as well as in humans.

'It is likely that something went slightly wrong during Henrietta's early few weeks as an embryo developing in her mum's womb.

'It could have been from a random genetic defect in her chromosomes, remnants of a conjoined twin or perhaps a drug, toxin or infection that her mum was exposed to around the time when she became pregnant.'A 19-year-old Florida man has been sentenced to 75 years behind bars for sodomizing, beating and murdering a man his mother claimed had raped her.

Nathan Johnson, his two older brothers and an older friend were allegedly all in on the murder of Robert Banks, who was killed on January 14, 2016, The Ledger reported.

Johnson was two days away from turning 17 when he helped to lure the man to his home under the guise of a drug deal, before the group began to beat him, believing he had raped the Johnson boys' mom.

Despite his repeated denials, Banks, 31, was continuously hit with fists, feet and a pipe, until he was barely breathing.

'They were lying in wait inside the house,' said Assistant State Attorney Mark Levine. 'When confronted about the baseless accusation of the sexual battery of their mother, Banks said he absolutely did not touch her.'

Nathan Johnson (left) has been sentenced to 75 years behind bars for helping his brothers and an older friend kill Robert Banks (right). Banks was beaten to death, and as he clung to life, Johnson sodomized him with a flashlight

A statement from the State Attorney, Brian Haas, says at this point, Johnson stuck a flashlight up the man's rear.

'Close to the last minutes of his life, Nathan Johnson grabbed a flashlight and sexually battered Banks with it. He then helped Brian Johnson tighten an electrical cord around his neck and strangle him,' the statement read.

'Nathan Johnson memorialized the murder by taking multiple cell phone photos of Banks' beaten and battered body. He sent those photos to his mother.'

Prosecutors showed the court the pictures found on Johnson's cell phone, where Banks was seen lying on a blood-stained mattress following his horrific ordeal.

Johnson's mother had not reported being raped to police until March that year, around the time detectives began questioning her sons about Banks's murder, an earlier report from the Ledger claimed.

After the horrific murder, the court was told Johnson called his father, Brian Johnson Sr, who came to the home and helped dispose of the body.

Brian Johnson Jr. (left) and Anthony Johnson (right) were also charged over the brutal murder. Anthony has been sentenced to life in prison and Brian will be sentenced on September 6

Banks was covered in trash bags and a blanket and driven to Sumter County. His body was dumped in the woods and set alight.

Prosecutors told the court after Banks had been disposed of, the group stopped at a convenience store to buy drinks.

There, surveillance footage captured the family and their friend 'laughing and smiling'.

In closing arguments, the prosecution told the jury Johnson had taken 'joy and twisted excitement in sexually battering [Banks]'.

'These are conscious choices this man made to brutally beat, sexually batter, burn and discard another human being. He deserves to be held accountable for his actions,' Levine said.

During a sentencing hearing held Friday, Circuit Judge Jalal Harb said he had taken Johnson's age and maturity into consideration while he determined the man's sentence.

Harb said while Johnson may have been influenced by his older co-defendants, at no point did the teenager try to do the right thing.

Assistant State Attorney Mark Levine (pictured) said Nathan Johnson got took 'twisted excitement' in sodomizing Banks

'The defendant, his brothers and their friend decided to take action against the victim instead of reporting the accusation of rape to law enforcement. The life of Mr. Banks did not matter to them,' he said in a 10-page written sentencing document.

Johnson was sentenced to 75 years jail for the murder of Banks, as well as 40 years for sexual battery, 15 years for the abuse of a dead human body and five years jail for tampering with physical evidence.

The sentences will run concurrently.

The State Attorney's office says Michael Gunn was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, abuse of a dead human body, and tampering with physical evidence and was sentenced to life in prison.

Anthony Johnson was convicted of first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and battery and was sentenced to life in prison.

Brian Johnson Jr. was convicted of second-degree murder, abuse of a dead human body, tampering with physical evidence, and battery. He is facing life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced September 6.

Brian Johnson Sr. plead to accessory after the fact to a capital felony and abuse of a dead human body and was sentenced to eight years in prison. His sentence was part of a plea deal that meant the prosecution could call him to testify against his sons, though he was never called.Hardline advisers are urging President Donald Trump to crank up the pressure yet again in his escalating trade war with China by slapping big tariffs on up to $200 billion worth of imports.

China vowed Wednesday not to give in to 'blackmail,' saying it would respond in kind of Trump pushes ahead.

The moves come after Trump inveighed against 'not nice' China for its retaliation and for its trade policies, which he described as exploitive and even punitive.

'China and others have targeted our farmers,' told a rally with supporters in Tampa.

'Not good. Not nice. And you know what our farmers are saying? 'It's OK. We can take it,' Trump said.

President Trump fired the first round in the trade war with China when he slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum, but China responded with its own retaliatory tariffs

China is already saying it won't bend to 'blackmail' and vowing 'countermeasures'

'The days of plundering American jobs and American wealth, those days are over,' Trump said.

The pressure from China hawks within the administration comes after the two sides have traded fire on tariffs with escalating rhetoric and retaliatory taxes, with talks yet to reach a breakthrough.

The administration has already taken steps to impose tariffs of 25 per cent on $50 billion of Chinese products.

China unleashed retaliatory tariffs targeting U.S. agricultural products, poking Trump in the heart of his political base in conservative farm states.

The $45 billion in tariffs have already had the effect of lowing soybean prices  potentially endangering Republicans in the midterm elections if those feeling the brunt reject Trump's trade policies.

Now, advisers are pushing Trump to impose 25 per cent tariffs on an additional $200 million of Chinese goods ranging from consumer products to machinery, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Trump kicked off the trade war by imposing a 25 per cent tariff on Chinese steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminum.

Trump kicked off the trade war by imposing a 25 per cent tariff on Chinese steel

There was also a 10 per cent tariff on aluminum imports like what goes into these beer bottles

Bloomberg initially reported that Trump wants told U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer to boost the tariff.

Trump saluted the steel industry at a rally in Tampa Tuesday night and touted a steel plant slated to get built in the state.

Tariffs the Trump administration imposed in July already hit U.S. consumer products from aluminum and steel to car tires, beauty products, and dog food, CNBC reported. Tilapia and light bulbs are among products that would get hit under expanded tariffs.

U.S. consumers would bear much of the burden in the form of higher prices unless companies decide to eat the difference.

China is already telegraphing a new round of countermeasures if the U.S. acts.

Everything from China, from light bulbs to tilapia, could be hit if Trump raises tariff levels

'U.S. pressure and blackmail won't have an effect. If the United States takes further escalatory steps, China will inevitably take countermeasures and we will resolutely protect our legitimate rights,' said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

He added: 'Unilateral threats and pressure will only produce the opposite of the desired result.'

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has been in talks with a high-level Chinese official to try to resolve the issue, but so far without success.

The trade war began when the Trump administration slapped tariffs on an initial $34 billion in Chinese products. Trump has complained repeatedly about China's currency policy, theft of U.S. intellectual property, and the U.S. trade deficit with China.

Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on all $500 billion of annual U.S. imports from China.Asian students have accused a bus driver of being 'racist' after he told them to 'speak English' after refusing to stop the bus.

The frantic passengers, travelling on the 343 bus at Zetland in Sydney, were seen pushing the stop button repeatedly on a video posted to YouTube.

The students initially pressed the button too early, and the bus driver was heard yelling 'get off', but when they didn't leave the bus, the trouble began.

The bus operator claimed he did not hear the buzzer during the horror commute on Saturday night.

Asian students have accused a bus driver of being 'racist' after he told them to 'speak English' after refusing to to stop the bus

'Why can't we get off?' the students were heard saying before the bus driver responded, 'Because you didn't press the button.'

In response, a woman was heard saying, 'I pressed it, it doesn't work,' to which the driver responded, 'It's not my problem.'

'It's so long', a man was heard saying, before a woman said 'this stop, you can't do this'.

The bus driver then told the students to 'speak English' and a woman was heard saying: 'Are you talking racist?'.

The bus employee accused the students of not pushing the button and was heard saying 'the door is that way go' before directing the students to 'try the cab'.

The frantic passengers were seen pushing the stop button repeatedly as they travelled on the 343 bus at Zetland in Sydney on Saturday night

State Transit chief executive Steffen Faurby said Sydney Buses had suspended the driver following an investigation which found he had 'acted inappropriately'.

'The bus operator failed to perform his duties to the expectations and standards and State Transit takes this seriously,' he said in a statement on Thursday.

'The employee has been stood down without pay pending further investigation and explanation.'

Mr Faurby said the driver faced disciplinary action.

'State Transit apologises to the customers involved,' he said.

'State Transit is a proud, culturally diverse organisation and this behaviour will not be tolerated.'The judge in Paul Manafort's tax fraud trial repeatedly admonished prosecutors for bringing up Manafort's wealth and lavish spending habits and accused them of assking irrelevant and meandering questions, on the second day of the former Trump campaign chairman's trial.

Prosectors seemed to struggle to adjust their examination of witnesses in light of the judge's criticism - while outside the court, Donald Trump compared Mueller's treatment of Manafort unfavorably to that of Al Capone.

Judge T.S. Ellis has repeatedly objected to the government's focus on Manafort's luxury spending saying it is not relevant to the 18 charges of tax fraud and bank fraud he is facing.

The judge has also urged the prosecution to move the case along and banned them from calling Manafort's Ukrainian paymasters 'oligarchs' saying it is 'pejorative'.

'It isn't a crime to have a lot of money and be profligate in your spending,' said Judge Ellis after the prosecution's opening statement on Tuesday, which referenced Manafort's $6 million in real estate holdings and $15,000 custom ostrich suit.

The judge continued to admonish the prosecutors on Wednesday, after they brought in two witnesses who worked at luxury menswear companies and testified that Manafort spent over $1.5 million on custom suits and other clothes.

'The government doesn't want to prosecute somebody because they wear nice clothes, right?' asked the judge.

Key player: Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye (right) stunned judge T.S. Ellis III when he said Rick Gates 'may or may not' give evidence against his former boss

Star witness: Rick Gates, Manafort's former deputy, seen in February, had been expected to give extensive evidence at the trial of the former Trump campaign chief on fraud charges but now prosecutors say they may not call him

Property: This is the Bridgehampton, New York, property which Manafort spent $750,000 renovating in his spending spree which prosecutors say was financed by money he did not pay tax on

Defense: Paul Manafort (right) will defend himself by saying that Gates prepared the tax documents and took advantage of him, and also pilfered millions, Manafort's attorney Tom Zehnle told the court Tuesday

When prosecutors continued by asking one of the menswear employees to add up the list of prices for Manafort's suits, Judge Ellis snapped 'that's enough. [The jury] can add.'

'You have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he signed tax documents to show he knowingly didn't represent his true income,' he said brusquely at an another point.

He refused to let prosecutors show pictures of Manafort's suits on the television screens in the court.

The judge also interjected at several points and questioned witnesses himself when he believed the prosecution was meandering and taking too long to get to the point.

On Wednesday afternoon, Judge Ellis said he expects the trial to wrap up 'much sooner' than the three weeks many estimated  and seemed to lay the blame for any delays on the prosecution.

Earlier in the afternoon the judge rebuked the government attorneys for asking a contractor who worked on Manafort's daughter's house to detail the work he did on the home.

Doug Luca, an interior and exterior designer in Virginia, said he built an outdoor kitchen and pergola for Manafort's daughter that cost over $100,000. He said he was paid by a wire transfer from one of Manafort's offshore shell companies.

But the detailed explanation of the lavish design work drew the ire of Judge Ellis.

'To have a witness come describe in exquisite detail what was done is hardly a good use of time,' said Ellis.

The interventions prompted Asonye to dramatically announce that Mueller's prosecution 'may or may not' call Rick Gates, Manafort's deputy who had become a cooperating witness and was expected to be the star of the prosecution's case.

Gates had been expected to provide first-hand testimony for the prosecution that Manafort willfully and intentionally defrauded the IRS and lenders to dodge taxes and obtain fraudulent loans.

Asonye was responding to comments from Judge T.S. Ellis III, who said Asonye's questioning of an FBI agent witness, Matthew Mikuska, was unnecessary if Gates is called to testify.

Paymaster: Viktor Yanukovych, the former president of Ukraine, was a 'cash spigot' for Manafort, prosecutors say but they are banned from calling him an oligarch

Asonye was in the course of asking Mikuska about a document which showed an agenda from a meeting involving Manafort and Gates in 2013 when the judge interrupted to say it was not relevant if Gates himself was called.

Asonye told the court that the prosecution 'may or may not' call Gates to the stand during the trial.

'That was news to me,' responded the surprised judge. 'And about 25 other people who scurried our of here like rats out of a sinking ship.'

The news sent numerous journalists scrambling out of the courtroom.

When Asonye said the government team is still deciding on whether Gates's testimony is necessary, the judge seemed unconvinced.

'You know who you're going to call,' said Judge Ellis. 'If you're going to call Gates this [line of witness questioning] is a waste of time.'

Although prosecutors offered no reason for not calling Gates, Manafort's defense attorney had told the court on Tuesday that his case was that Gates was responsible for the tax fraud and had also been pilfering from Manafort himself to the tune of millions.

And he also said he was told that attorneys on both sides had been seen rolling their eyes after leaving the bench or in response to his rulings. The lawyers' facial expressions, Ellis said, appeared to show them thinking 'why do we have to put up with this idiot judge?'

The FBI agent whose evidence prompted the dramatic announcement that Gates may not testify himself told the court that he participated in the federal raid on Manafort's Virginia condo in 2017.

Agent Mikuska denied claims that it was a 'no-knock' raid, describing how he and a team of FBI agents knocked on Manafort's door three times and announced themselves before opening the door with a key they had obtained.

Mikuska said he saw Manafort standing to his left as soon as he stepped inside the condo during the 6 a.m. raid.

He described the condo as a 'large luxury unit' with large closets and three bedrooms and an open floor plan.

Mikuska also confirmed that several documents showing loans taken out by Manafort were seized during the raid.

Earlier on Wednesday the court heard testimony from political consultant Dan Rabin who discussed his work for Manafort in Ukraine.

According to the testimony, Rabin worked with Manafort on TV ads to support the candidacy of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

The testimony from Rabin, and political consultant Tad Devine late Tuesday, helped the prosecution establish the extent of Manafort's involvement with Yanukovych and his political party, the Ukrainian Party of Regions.

The development came after Trump distanced himself from his former campaign manager.

Trump is arguing the tax evasion and bank fraud charges Manafort is facing - which have to do with his business dealings from his lobbying firm and not his work with the Trump campaign - are 'old' and 'have nothing to do with collusion.'

'Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!,' the president tweeted Wednesday morning.

Trump says Al Capone was treated better than his campaign manager

Al Capone, left, spent time in Alcatraz while Paul Manafort, right, spent part of the time in the VIP section of his prison

Trump distanced himself from his former campaign manager as Day Two of Manafort's trial began

Trump pointed out Manafort only worked for him for a short time

Manafort, seen here with Trump at the Republican National Convention in July 2016, worked for the campaign for about three months

Trump has repeatedly distanced himself from his former campaign aide, saying Manafort was only with his team for a short time and has asked why he wasn't told there was an investigation into him when he worked for him.

Manafort was with the Trump campaign for about three months and left when his work with the Ukraines, which he began in 2006, was revealed.

Manafort's also scheduled for trial in Washington D.C. on September 17 on charges of money laundering and failing to register as a lobbyist in his work before 2014 on behalf of Ukraine's pro-Russian president at the time, Viktor Yanukovych.

He formally registered as a lobbyist for the Ukraine in June 2017, after his work for that country was revealed.

Manafort has plead not guilty in both cases.

The FBI reportedly began looking into him in 2014 after Yanukovych was disposed.

But there are ties between Manafort and the Russia probe.

Manafort, who was Trump's campaign chairman at the time, was at the infamous June Trump Tower meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer who claimed to have information on Hillary Clinton.

That meeting is now part of Mueller's look into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

On the first day of his trial, prosecutors claimed Manafort orchestrated a multimillion-dollar conspiracy to evade U.S. tax and banking laws, leaving behind a trail of lies as he lived a lavish lifestyle.

Prosecutor Uzo Asonye told the jury during his opening statement Tuesday that Manafort considered himself above the law as he funneled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts. That 'secret income' was used to pay for personal expenses such as a $21,000 watch, a $15,000 jacket made of ostrich and more than $6 million worth of real estate paid for in cash, Asonye said.

'A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him - not tax law, not banking law,' Asonye said as he sketched out the evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Mueller's team in Manafort's bank fraud and tax evasion trial.

Kathleen Manafort, wife of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, arrives at the Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse on Wednesday

Manafort's trial is the first arising from Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia. It opened with extraordinary anticipation amid unresolved questions about whether Trump associates coordinated with the Kremlin to tip the election in the president's favor.

But it was clear from the outset that the case would not address that question: Prosecutors did not once reference Manafort's work for the Trump campaign nor mention Mueller's broader and ongoing investigation into Russian election interference. Mueller was not present in the courtroom.

Manafort, the lone American charged by Mueller who has opted to stand trial instead of cooperate with prosecutors, was described by his defense lawyer as a hugely successful international political consultant who left the details of his finances to others.

He relied on a team of financial experts to keep track of the millions of dollars he earned from his Ukrainian political work and to ensure that that money was being properly reported, said attorney Thomas Zehnle. He especially trusted business associate Rick Gates, who pleaded guilty in Mueller's investigation and is now the government's star witness. But that trust was misplaced, Zehnle said in an opening statement that made clear that undermining the credibility of Gates - a former Trump campaign aide who spent years working for Manafort in Ukraine - is central to the defense strategy.

Zehnle warned jurors that Gates could not be trusted and was the type of witness who would say anything he could to save himself from a lengthy prison sentence and a crippling financial penalty.

'Money's coming in fast. It's a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it,' Zehnle said. 'That's what Rick Gates was being paid to do.'

The trial, decided by a jury of six men and six women who were seated after a brief selection process Tuesday, is expected to last several weeks.

After opening statements, the jury heard from the government's first witness, Democratic strategist Tad Devine, who testified about his collaborations with Manafort on behalf of Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych and his Party of Regions. Devine testified that Manafort ran a tightly disciplined, professional campaign that contributed to his candidate's victory.

Central to the government's case are allegations that Manafort funneled more than $60 million in proceeds from his Ukrainian political consulting through offshore accounts, including in Cyprus, and hid a 'significant' portion of it from the IRS. He created 'bogus' loans, falsified documents and lied to his tax preparer and bookkeeper to conceal the money, which he obtained from Ukrainian oligarchs through a series of shell company transfers and later from fraudulently obtained bank loans in the U.S., prosecutors said.

Kevin Downing (L) and Richard Westling, attorneys of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, arrive at the Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse on Tuesday

Paul Manafort's also scheduled for trial in Washington D.C. on September 17 on charges of money laundering and failing to register as a lobbyist

But Zehnle said there was no evidence that Manafort ever intended to deceive the IRS. He denied allegations that Manafort had tried to conceal his earnings by storing money in bank accounts in Cyprus, saying that arrangement was not of Manafort's doing but was instead the preferred method of payment of the supporters of the pro-Russia Ukrainian political party who were paying his consulting fees.

Defense lawyers also sought to address head-on Manafort's wealth and the images of a gaudy lifestyle that jurors are expected to see.

'Paul Manafort travels in circles that most people will never know and he's gotten handsomely rewarded for it,' Zehnle said. 'We do not dispute that.'

Manafort has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the U.S. government.

The other 31 people charged by Mueller so far have either pleaded guilty or are Russians seen as unlikely to enter an American courtroom. Three Russian companies have also been charged.

Manafort shopped at the 'world's most expensive men's store', spent $440,000 on suits in a year and paid by wire transfer from a foreign bank

Paul Manafort spent over $1.5 million on custom suits and bespoke clothing between 2010 and 2014, often paying by foreign bank wire transfers, two luxury menswear retailers told a federal court in Virginia on Wednesday.

Maximillian Katzman, the manager of New York-based retailer Alan Couture  which specializes in vicuna and silk custom-made suits  and Ron Wald, the CFO of the Beverly Hill-based House of Bijan, described Manafort's pricey spending habits and use of foreign wire transfers on the second day of Manafort's tax fraud trial.

The 69-year-old former Trump campaign chairman is facing 18 counts of tax evasion and bank fraud, which could add up to over 100 years in prison if he is convicted.

Prosecutors said their testimony provided evidence on Manafort's income and his use of foreign bank accounts and shell companies, which they allege he used to dodge taxes and hide millions in income from his Ukrainian political clients.

Katzman, whose father is the owner of Alan Couture, said Manafort's spent over $927,000 at his store between 2010 and 2014.

Most expensive men's wear store in the world: House of Bijan is on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA, and boasts of the level of luxury it offers to by appointment only customers - including, his trial heard, Paul Manafort

Only the wealthiest: Clients at House of Bijan have included Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man, and Bill Clinton

Where did you get that suit? Paul Manafort was one of the 'top five' clients of New York's Alan Couture, where he spent $444,000 in 2013 alone as well as the House of Bijan

He said Manafort was one of the store's top five clients  Alan Couture has around 40 regular clients  and he primarily bought suits, neckwear and jackets.

He spent $104,000 there in 2010, and more than $444,000 in 2013, the court heard.

Katzman said Manafort was often late making payments, forcing Katzman to reach out to Manafort's former business partner Rick Gates for the money.

Manafort was the only Alan Couture client to regularly pay by foreign wire transfer, according to Katzman.

Wald, who was in charge of the financial records at House of Bijan  known as the 'most expensive men's store in the world'  said Manafort spent over $657,000 at the retailer between 2010 and 2013, according to his records.

His purchases included $21,000 on a limited edition, black titanium and crystal watch.

Wald said Manafort made payments through wire transfers from an account based in Cyprus.

Manafort's defense countered during cross examination that Katzman was often unable to reach Manafort directly and instead went to his former business partner Gates for payments. They suggested that some of the foreign transfers could have been authorized by Gates. They also highlighted the fact that Wald has never had direct contact with Manafort.

What to wear: Ultra-discreet Alan Couture is on the sixth floor of a midtown New York building, but inside offers handmade clothes including a suede vest with detachable cashmere sleeves and a jacket from Ermenegilo Zegna's I Preziosi cashmere, described as 'the best of the best'

Also on offer: This three-piece suit with double-breasted vest in Loro Piana's Wish Super 170s Wool Flannel fabric, and paired with Thomas Mason shirt - which start at $150 a shirt - is one of Alan Couture's range. It is unclear where Manafort's suit he is wearing in court is from

Mocking: Demonstrators outside the court on Tuesday had already made Manafort's lifestyle a focus of their mockery

Manafort's attorneys have argued that Gates  who has been cooperating with prosecutors after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice  embezzled money from Manafort and then turned against him to save himself from jail time.

Prosecutors also sought to publish photos of Manafort's suits on television screens in the courtroom.

This drew a rebuke from Judge T.S. Ellis who has repeatedly objected to the prosecution's focus on Manafort's wealth and spending habits.

'The government doesn't want to prosecute somebody because they wear nice clothes, right?' asked the judge.

When the prosecution attempted to continue the line of questioning, asking Katzman to add up the total amount Manafort spent at his store, the judge cut it off.

'I said that's enough,' Judge Ellis said sharply. '[The jury] can add.'

Judge Ellis later told prosecutors that he can 'understand this effort to show [Manafort] lived lavishly,' but did not believe this was relevant to the government's tax evasion and bank fraud charges against the former Trump campaign chairman.A Missouri sheriff's deputy underwent extensive surgery to his face after he was brutally attacked by a dog while serving a civil summons.

The 27-year-old Jefferson County deputy was approaching a home on the 6100 block of Cedar Hill Road at approximately 1.30pm on Tuesday.

Knocking on the homeowner's address, the department veteran made his way to an ajar side storm door when he was attacked.

The 27-year-old Jefferson County deputy was approaching a home on the 6100 block of Cedar Hill Road at approximately 1.30pm on Tuesday

The dog - identified as a pit bull by the homeowner - latched onto the deputy's face and knocked him to the ground. Eventually, the dog would move to the deputy's arm

The dog - identified as a pit bull by the homeowner - latched onto the deputy's face and knocked him to the ground, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

According to Captian Gary Higginbotham, the deputy was eventually able to free his face from the dog but then the pit bull bit onto his arm.

Hoping to get the dog off of him, the deputy fired three shots and one was able to graze the animal.

The deputy was rushed to the hospital, suffering a badly damaged lip and puncture wounds that were close to his eyes

The deputy was rushed to the hospital, suffering a badly damaged lip and puncture wounds that were close to his eyes.

Higginbotham said that the dog was taken to a vet in the area and is expected to survive.

Animal control will determine what happens to the pitbull, he added.President Donald Trump has accused his government of not informing him that his former campaign manager Paul Manafort was being investigated in a tweet, posted on the second day of his federal criminal trial.

The Trump tweet also suggested that the charges that Manafort now faces are not connected to claims that members of the 2016 US election campaign colluded with Russians and the US President said that he should have been warned against hiring Manafort.

This followed comments from Trump on the social media site that slammed Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the prosecutor who brought charges against Paul Manafort and also expressed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt.

However, the charges that were brought against Paul Manafort are related to the work he did for pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine between 2005 and 2014 and the Republican consultant has been charged with bank fraud and tax crimes.

Prosecutors have accused Manafort of hiding at least $60 million of income in offshore accounts and duping lenders with fake documentation to maintain a period of time where he spent lavishly, during which he bought a $15,000 ostrich jacket. Heres everything you need to know about the Manafort trial.

Prosecutors have accused Manafort of hiding $60 million of income in offshore accounts

Who is Paul Manafort?

Born Paul John Manafort Jr on April 1, 1949 in New Britain, Connecticut, he studied business administration before obtaining his JD in 1974. Manafort practiced law with Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease in Washington DC between 1977 and 1980.

As reported in Vox, Paul Manafort is somewhat of a legend within Republican circles and his career can be split into three phases. He first garnered recognition within the party after working for Fords 1976 and Reagans 1980 presidential campaigns and, after the latter Presidents success, he cashed in and started a consultancy business with the infamous Roger Stone.

The firm became renowned for representing controversial types such as President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines and Angolas guerrilla leader Jonas Savimbi, but occasionally dipped his toes into politics now and again, for example, to manage the 1996 Republican convention.

In 2004, Manafort began to advise oligarchs in the former Soviet Union and soon focused on Ukraine, landing a contract to advise the countrys pro-Russian party. He worked to ensure that the Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych returned to power; he was elected President in 2010.

However, demonstrators forced Yanukovych out and Manafort was involved in a lawsuit with President of Rusal Oleg Deripaska after the latter accused him of cheating him out of millions. At this point, Manafort had lost his income of millions and the FBI were investigating money he had earned from Ukraine.

After being recommended by Roger Stone and the real estate investor Tom Barrack, Trump hired Manafort in March 2016 to lead his presidential campaign and in two months, was named campaign chair and chief strategist.

However, polls were not looking good in August of the same year and amid reports that his Ukrainian payments were not legitimate, Manafort was out and Kellyanne Conway and Steve Bannon were in. Following this, he came under fire in Robert Muellers investigation which led to his indictment.

Paul Manafort stands with Donald and Ivanka Trump at the Republican National Convention

Manafort's wife

Paul Manafort has been married to Kathleen Bond Manafort since August 12, 1978 and she is a lawyer who has stayed out of the media, although it was widely reported that when FBI agents conducted a raid of their Alexandria, Virginia house in July 2017, they were in bed together.

Since then, she has been a major part of the investigation, as Business Insider reported, because Kathleen has had a hand in a number of the couples major purchases. The Manaforts have bought numerous properties in Florida, Virginia and New York, in addition to a Trump Tower apartment in 2006 and a horse farm, which was sold in 2004.

Properties that were initially purchased in Kathleens name have cropped up in the indictment, but beyond records about homes that they bought together, not much is known about the relationship between Kathleen and Paul Manafort.

However, The National Enquirer, owned by American Media CEO David Pecker, a friend of Trumps, has reported that Manafort had an affair with a much younger woman. Text messages between their daughters Andrea and Jessica also suggested that the marriage was breaking down.

Manafort net worth

The former Trump campaign manager claimed that he was worth $28 million in November 2017, but many have had their doubts about this figure, especially because of his Trump Tower apartment, as reported in Bloomberg.

A federal court filing read: Although Manafort has provided the government with a spreadsheet listing his total assets at approximately $28 million, the government has yet to substantiate Manaforts net worth.

To ensure that any bail package is based on an accurate picture of his finances, we submit that Manafort should be required to represent the full extent of his assets, in the United States and abroad, to the court.

Paul Manafort arrives with his wife Kathleen Manafort at the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse

Paul Manafort charges

Paul Manafort has been charged for what Mueller refers to as the tax scheme and the Ukrainian money that allowed the former consultant to maintain his glamorous lifestyle. Mueller also claimed that Manafort had set up offshore shell companies and then spent $30 million of offshore cash in the US from 2008 to 2014.

$12 million was spent on personal items for the Manaforts which was spread over 200 transactions and included $5.4 million to a home improvement company in the Hamptons, $1.3 million to an antique rug store in Virginia, $849,000 to a mens clothing store in New York, $819,000 on landscaping, and for several Range Rovers and a Mercedes-Benz.

Another $6.4 million was wired from offshore for a $1.5 million New York City condo, a $3 million Brooklyn brownstone and a $1.9 million Virginia house. It is also alleged that Manafort sent another $13 million to companies that the controlled, which the government claimed was to reduce his taxable income.

For this, Manafort was charged with five counts of false income tax return and four counts for failure to report foreign bank or financial assets. The second set of charges are what Mueller has referred to as the financial institution scheme.

These accusations are related to incidents when Manafort allegedly made a series of fraudulent declarations to banks to obtain mortgage loans after Yanukovych was deposed and his income stopped coming in.

Manafort trial start date

Paul Manaforts trial started on Tuesday, July 31 2018 and is expected to last about two to three weeks. Mueller will likely call up to 35 people to testify, with the top witness being Rick Gates, Manaforts right-hand man who worked with him in Ukraine and in the Trump campaign.

Tad Devine is also another big name on the list and he is known for advising Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential campaign, but also worked with Manafort in Ukraine. It is not known how Manafort and his lawyers will argue the case.

Judge T.S. Ellis, however, has said that because of the apparent weight of the evidence against him, Manafort faces the very real possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.

Paul Manafort talks to reporters at the Republican National Convention with Rick Gates behind

Why are there two Paul Manafort trials?

Manafort is currently facing two federal trials: one which will be in the Eastern District of Virginia and has already begun, and the other in the District of Columbia, expected to begin on September 17.

Mueller originally indicted Manafort in October 2017, but for reasons which are still unknown, he was not prepared to bring the tax and bank fraud charges against Manafort at the time.

By February 2018, Mueller was ready to file the charges, but because law required some of the counts to be charged where Manafort lived  in Alexandria, Virginia  unless Manafort gave Mueller permission to charge him in DC, Manafort was given a choice.

While it is cheaper for the defendant to prepare one trial rather than two, going through with the two separate trials would give the prosecution two separate opportunities to convict him.

In addition to this, because DC is more liberal than Virginia, Manafort would have more of a chance of acquittal in the Eastern District. Although Manafort did not give Mueller permission to file the newer charges in DC, he miscalculated and the charges that were filed later, in the district known as the 'rocket docket', were brought to trial first.

Barbara McQuade, Professor from Practice at the University of Michigan Law School, also explained to Slate why he will face two different trials.

Prosecutors sought to bring all of the charges in one venue, but Manafort declined to waive venue, which is his legal right, she explained.

Slate explained that while Manafort declined to consent to the Special Counsels Offices proposed transfer, some think this shows his preference for a Virginia jury pool, rather than one in DC. This could be because Virginia counties favoured Hillary Clinton in 2016, but had more Trump voters in comparison to DC.

Data also revealed that Muellers investigation has a higher disapproval rating among those who are white than those who are black and other nonwhite people who responded. However, on the first day of his trial, Manafort claimed that Rick Gates was to blame and it was in fact Gates who had stolen money from his company.

However, Gates has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to the FBI. Manaforts attorney Thomas Zehnle said: Were primarily here because of one man, and that man is Rick Gates.

He went on to state that Gates embezzled millions from Manafort by paying himself bonuses and falsifying company documents.

Donald Trump's reaction

President Donald Trump took to Twitter to complain that the government had not informed him that Manafort 'was under investigation', which was posted on the second day of the federal criminal trial.

He said: 'Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!'

Trump followed this tweet up with another: 'Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to begin the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!'Pioneering artist Grayson Perry is searching for the pots he made years ago after selling them for next to nothing before he was famous.

The cross-dressing potter, 58, has made his name as one of Britain's best-known and most well-loved artists since scooping the Turner Prize in 2003.

But he has lost trace of many of the works he made during evening classes more than 20 years ago and is hunting them down for a new exhibition.

Artist Grayson Perry is searching for the pots he made years ago after selling them for next to nothing before he was famous. The cross-dressing potter, 58, has made his name as one of Britain's best-known and most well-loved artists since scooping the Turner Prize in 2003

The Holburne Museum in Bath is asking anyone with a pot or plate created between 1983 and 1994 to get in touch.

The show will 'shine a light on Perry's experimentation in ceramics and exploration of the medium's potential'.

Perry said: 'When I started out making ceramics at evening classes, part of the reason I enjoyed it was that I could make artworks relatively quickly.

'In my first decade of exhibiting I would often show over 60 or 70 works, made over the course of a few months. I sold these works for modest sums and often gave away what was left.

'I was terrible at admin and photography so kept very little record of these early pieces.

'Most of these works were exhibited in London, though I also had shows in this period in Paris, New York and San Antonio, Texas.

The Holburne Museum in Bath is asking anyone with a pot or plate created between 1983 and 1994 to get in touch. He has lost trace of many of the works he made during evening classes more than 20 years ago and is hunting them down for a new exhibition

'I was very excited when the Holburne Museum in Bath proposed a show of my ceramics from the 80s and early 90s as it would also be an opportunity to find and record the beginnings of my career.

'My record-keeping hasn't improved much - I recently moved house and found five pots in the loft which had been unseen since the 80s and a dozen plates from the early 90s in a cupboard under a sink.'

A number of Perry's works may have changed hands or been passed down to the next generation.

Chris Stephens, director of the Holburne Museum, which has a collection of historic ceramics from English and French porcelain to Chinese and Japanese ware, said: 'We are thrilled to be working with such an innovative and influential artist as Grayson Perry in this unique way, calling on the public to effectively help us 'crowdsource' an exhibition.'

Perry's ceramics have a potter's mark which the gallery will use to check that they are genuine.

The museum can be contacted at curator@holburne.org with the email subject Grayson Perry Lost WorksVladimir Putin's domestic spy agency is preventing millions of people from leaving Russia as a 'new Iron Curtain' is brought down over the country's borders.

The Federal Security Service - or FSB, the successor to the USSR's feared KGB - has barred over two million citizens from foreign travel due to the 'changed geopolitical situation'.

Another three million state employees are banned from travelling to the USA or other NATO countries, which Putin sees as ideological enemies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured attending attends the Navy Day parade in Saint Petersburg on Sunday, has created a Russian Army department to promote patriotism

Former KGB officer Gennady Gudkov said the Russian state is motivated by security concerns and fears about the brain drain afflicting the nation. He told The Daily Beast it is 'a sign of increasingly extreme paranoia' within the regime.

He said it is particularly galling since Putin and his magnates have many connections with the West.

'Most of the modern Russian elite keep only a few clothes and passports here,' he said. 'They are ready to take off. They fear that the West will keep them locked out  the West's Iron Curtain would be the most effective tool against Putin's kleptocracy.'

But the number of people being added to the no-travel list is reportedly increasing.

Many state employees - some with zero access to confidential information - are forced to sign secrecy agreements preventing them from leaving Russia.

That includes soldiers and even police officers.

Valery Nechay, a professor at St Petersburg university, said: 'It seems the authorities realized that too many of the Kremlin's critics leave the country, and that the brain drain is shameful, so they deliberately make travel more complicated.'

Even FSB officers are prevented from travel to most foreign countries - though they are still free to visit 13.

They are mostly old Soviet republics in Central Asia as well as authoritarian regimes such as China, Cuba, Vietnam and Belarus.

Meanwhile, over 70 per cent of all Russians do not even have passports.



It comes amid news Putin has created a new directorate inside the Russian army to promote patriotism, evoking memories of a Soviet practice that saw soldiers taught the principles of communism.

The move, announced in a presidential decree yesterday, will see the new political wing become responsible for 'military-patriotic' work within the army.

The move, published on Monday, will see the new political wing become responsible for 'military-patriotic' work within the Russian Army

It will affect Russia's around one million active military service people and appears designed to ensure soldiers' loyalty at a time when Moscow is locked in a geopolitical standoff with the West.

'In conditions of a global information and psychological confrontation (with the West) the role of political and moral unity within the army and society drastically grows,' Alexander Kanshin, who sits on a civilian body that shapes military policy, said earlier this year.

In the Soviet Union, a similar directorate worked to ensure that the army stayed loyal to the then ruling Communist party.

Putin, commander-in-chief of Russia's armed forces, ran as an independent candidate when re-elected to a new term in March, but is supported by the ruling United Russia Party.

His decree said the new directorate would be responsible for 'military-patriotic' work and, in a separate decree, Putin made Colonel-General Andrei Kartapolov, a veteran of Russia's conflict in Syria, its new head.

The defence ministry did not release details of the new directorate, but an unnamed military source told the Kommersant daily that Kartapolov would also be responsible for the activities of the Yunarmiya, a patriotic military youth organisation sponsored by the ministry.

After Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea, seen by the Kremlin as a big success, the military has grown increasingly influential in domestic and foreign policy, especially in Syria.

Army work: Putin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, listen to St.Petersburg Nakhimov Naval School head Anatoly Minakov, left, during a visit to the school for Sunday's Russian Navy Day celebrations in St. Petersburg

The Bolsheviks, wary of the army's loyalty, introduced political commissars in 1918.

In the late Soviet period, political officers, known as 'zampolity', tried to ensure soldiers knew their communist doctrine and where their loyalties lay.

Vladimir Scherbakov, a military specialist at the Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily, said Putin's decision to resurrect a version of the Soviet-era directorate raised questions.

'The main question is this. In the Soviet era, the directorate in practice worked in the interests of the Communist Party's central committee.

'It's not completely clear what military-political work the resurrected directorate will do and more importantly in the interests of which political party.'

Others wondered whether the creation of the new directorate was the start of a wider renaissance in ideological education that would draw in schools and colleges, and whether the new instrument would be used to root out young soldiers deemed as too pro-Western.

'All of this is reminiscent of a gradual return to the USSR,' wrote Dmitry Drize, Kommersant's deputy editor.A passenger on Aeromexico Flight AM2431 recorded a harrowing video of the plane crashing after the pilot tried to abort take-off in the middle of a bad storm.

American teenager Ashley Garcia was recording airline jetting down the runway when the it abruptly dropped and crashed in Durango, Mexico, on Tuesday.

The 17-year-old was filming out the window as the plane raced down the runway, then suddenly there was a huge jolt.

An orange flash, potentially the plane bursting into flames as it crashed in the aborted take-off, was visible as Ashley and her phone were thrown around.

Her video then switched to the aftermath of the crash as terrified passengers fled the burning wreck after escaping.

The hysterical highschooler repeatedly shouted her disbelief at what happened as passengers ran across scrubland clutching what they managed to take with them.

The harrowing scene appeared even more desperate as the survivors were drenched by driving rain until ambulances arrived to help.

Another video by passenger Ramin Parsa, 32, also showed the moment of the crash and the piercing screams of passengers in the seconds after.

Parsa lost control of his cellphone at about the 40 second mark of the two-minute long video before recovering it at the end.

Aeromexico flight attendant Samantha Hernandez (left) and captain Carlos Galvan Mayran (right) have been showered with praise for the heroism they and other crew members demonstrated after Tuesday's place crash in Mexico. Galvan Mayran was critically injured and underwent surgery after the accident.

Screams and cries of fellow passengers, including children, could be heard throughout the smoke-filled cabin.

Two people screamed 'open the door' in Spanish while everyone tried to pry open the exit as the plane caught fire.

The four cabin crew members assigned to Flight AM2431 were commended for their heroism and lauded in a series of tweets for the swift and quick action they took in assisting 99 passengers to safety.

The incident, dubbed the 'Miracle in Durango', departed Durango International Airport for Mexico City before it crashed in flames near the airport's strip in northeast Mexico.

The crash injured 18 people, including two critically - flight captain Carlos Galvan Meyran, 38, and a young girl, who suffered first and second degree burns.

A spokesperson with Aeromexico wasn't able to confirm the status of its flight crew, but commended the way they handled the situation under extreme conditions.

Pilot Daniel Dardon (left) and Brenda Zavala (right) formed part of the four cabin crew members credited for their quick actions that led 99 passengers to safety after Aeromexico Flight AM2431 crashed on Tuesday afternoon.

Durango Governor Jose Rosas Aispuro offered a preliminary report in a Wednesday morning press conference that tough wind conditions suddenly caused the airplane, which departed at 3.30pm local time, to descend and crash on the side of its left wing before bursting in flames near the landing strip.

The pilot was trying to abort take-off from Durango airport due to bad weather but did so too late and crashed in an area of scrubland at the end of the runway, officials said.

Governor Aispuro said Galvan Meyran was in critical but stable condition after doctors operated on his neck injuries.

Aeromexico released a statement Wednesday afternoon in which the company said it would be taking on all expenses incurred by its plane crash.

The airline also added that its made available all of its available resources to deal with the aftermath of the company's first disaster since August 31, 2006, when all 82 passengers on board, including cabin members, died in a mid-air collision with a jet in Los Angeles.

Images showed the E190 aircraft billowing smoke but firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control and survivors were taken to local hospitals. No one has been killed.

One passenger, identified as Jackeline Flores, told reporters she and her daughter escaped from a hole in the fuselage as the aircraft filled up with smoke and flames.

Durango Governor Jose Rosas Aispuro (right) meets with one of the passengers that survived the Aeromexico airplane crash on Tuesday in Mexico

Flight crew members (left) from the Aeromexico walk alongside the emergency responders team (right) that were carrying a passenger in a stretcher after the plane went down in an area of scrubland at the end of the runway

Durango Governor Jose Rosas Aispuro (center) said Wednesday morning that a preliminary report suggested that strong wind gusts caused the Aeromexico airliner to suddenly descend and crash after taking off from Durango International Airport on Tuesday

'A little girl who left the plane was crying because her legs were burned,' said Flores, who said she was Mexican but lived in Bogota, Colombia. The plane had barely left the ground in heavy rain when it came down, she said.

Flores said her passport and documents burned in the fire.

'I feel blessed and grateful to God,' she said.

'It was really, really ugly,' said Lorenzo Nunez, a passenger from Chicago who fled the plane with his two sons and wife. 'It burned in a question of seconds,' he told reporters, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

Romulo Campuzano, head of a political party in Durango state who was on the plane, told Foro TV that both wings were on fire as he bolted from the aircraft.

The plane was left a smoking wreck at the end of the runway as emergency services personnel made sure no one was trapped

Emergency personnel wrap thermal foil around someone injured in the crash on Tuesday afternoon

Governor Aispuro later said a gust of wind hit the plane just as it was lifting off the tarmac, forcing the pilot to abort takeoff.

Passengers said they heard a loud noise as the plane's left wing banged to the ground, and both engines tore loose. The plane stayed upright, though, and the escape slides activated.

Strong wind and heavy rain with marble-sized hail lashed Durango city, even damaging hangars at the airport.

'The most important thing in the seriousness that is an accident of this nature is that there were no deaths  that's what is most encouraging for us,' Aispuro said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Images showed the E190 aircraft billowing smoke but firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control and survivors were taken to local hospitals. No one has been killed

The crashed plane had 97 passengers and 4 crew members on board, according to Mexico's transport minister. Pictured: Emergency services near the smoking aircraft

Red Cross volunteers guide passengers away from the scene of the crash close to the airport runway

A reporter for network Milenio said some passengers walked to a highway to seek help. Despite the fire none appeared to have burns, an official said.

The crashed plane had 97 passengers and 4 crew members on board.

Officials and witnesses differed on whether the plane either fell shortly after takeoff or ran off the runway without really gaining altitude. But they agreed the plane was trying to take off during a storm, with some describing marble-sized hail.

The operator of Durango airport, Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte (OMAB.MX), attributed the crash to bad weather conditions, citing preliminary reports.

The plane had barely taken off when it felt like it was hit by a strong air current, another passenger told network Televisa.

Israel Solano Mejia, director of the Durango city civil defense agency, told Foro TV that the plane 'made it off the ground, but fell nose-first' just a few hundred yards from the end of the runway.

'The nose took the hit. The most seriously injured is the pilot,' Solano Mejia said. However, he said, 'the majority of passengers left (the plane) under their own power.'

A man is carried by helpers into a vehicle in Durango near to where the plane went down. The cause of the crash is being investigated

Red Cross workers bring a man injured in the crash into Durango medical center, which was busy taking care of the casualties on Tuesday

Some of the injured were cared for by Red Cross workers in the baggage return area of Durango International Airport

Gerardo Ruiz Eparza, head of Mexico's Transport Department, said there were 97 passengers and four crew members aboard the Embraer 190. The plane has a capacity of 100 passengers.

The federal Transport Department office said in a press statement that the airplane 'suffered an accident moments after takeoff,' but gave no information on the possible cause.

Ruiz Esparza told the Milenio television news channel that 'it was a big accident, the plane caught fire... there was a very strong storm at the time of takeoff.'

The web site Planespotters.net said the Brazilian-made medium-range Embraer 190 was about 10 years old and had seen service with two other airlines before joining the Aeromexico fleet.

Aeromexico chief executive Andres Conesa described the day as 'very difficult' and credited the timely reaction of crew and passengers for the lack of fatalities.

'Our heart is with those affected and their families,' he said at an evening news conference.

Conesa said the passengers included 88 adults, nine children and two babies and the crew consisted of two flight attendants and two pilots.

He said the jetliner was sent for maintenance in February and the crew was well-rested, having started their work day in Durango.

The Brazilian-made medium-range jet was about 10 years old and saw service with two other airlines before joining the Aeromexico fleet.

The E190 is regularly used for regional commercial flights. A weather service said there were scattered storms around Durango on Tuesday.

A U.S. Embassy spokesman said he did not currently have confirmation of whether any American citizens were involved in the accident.A reconciliation between Meghan Markle and her father Thomas Markle Sr, 74, has 'no chance' of happening at present, DailyMail.com has learned.

The Duchess of Sussex, who celebrates her 37th birthday on Saturday, is said to have been left 'amazed' by his most recent antics  which include telling the Mail on Sunday that she would be better off 'if I was dead'.

He went on to say that Princess Diana would have 'loathed' the way he is being treated and admitted to taking drugs 20 years ago but said: 'I don't care if Harry never speaks to me again, I'll survive.'

Despite his harsh words for the prince, 33, Markle Sr. said he would be left 'heartbroken' if youngest daughter Meghan never spoke to him again.

Now a source close to the former Suits actress has told DailyMail.com that a reconciliation is unlikely to happen any time soon and said the pair have had problems for years.

Meghan Markle has been left 'amazed' by her father's recent antics, a source close to the duchess has revealed

Irreconcilable differences: Meghan has been estranged from her father Thomas Markle Sr since her wedding, but a close friend says the two have had problems since before she met Prince Harry

'A reconciliation is completely off the table at the moment,' the close friend said. 'There's no chance right now - he's been a complete embarrassment.

'They've had problems for some time  from before she met Prince Harry.'

The source added: 'She's amazed by what's happened but is taking what he says with a grain of salt.

'The Royal Family isn't as upset as you'd think either. Nothing any of them [the Markle family] say has any real consequence and they [Meghan and Harry] have more important things to focus on.'

DailyMail.com has approached Kensington Palace for comment.

In his most recent interview, Markle Sr also complained of being 'cut off' by his daughter and admitted that they haven't spoken for 10 weeks.

He said he wanted to send Meghan a card for her birthday on Saturday but claimed that 'it'll just be on among thousands' and she may 'never see it'.

The former lighting director added: 'I thought about sending it by Priority Mail Express, but the Palace would probably just soak it in water for three days to make sure it doesn't explode.'

Meghan is set to spend her first birthday as a member of the Royal Family at the wedding of one of Harry's closest friends, Charlie Van Straubenzee.

Van Straubenzee, 37, who will wed film maker Daisy Jenks in Surrey, England, on Saturday, has been pals with the prince since they attended prep school in Berkshire together and took on the role of usher at Harry and Meghan's wedding in May.

One man who didn't make it was Markle Sr who pulled out days before the wedding claiming to have suffered a heart attack.

Thomas Markle Sr (pictured in May) infamously pulled out of his daughter's wedding days before the event claiming to have suffered a heart attack

The father-of-three had complained in a recent interview about being 'cut off' by his daughter and said that Meghan would be better off 'if I was dead'

The bout of ill-health was announced the day after he was revealed to be colluding with LA-based paparazzo Jeff Rayner to stage fake candid pictures  including ones that showed him running near his home, being measured for a suit and looking up pictures of Meghan and Harry in an internet cafe near his home in Rosarito, Mexico.

He was also pictured inside a nearby Starbucks leafing through a book of British landmarks.

Embarrassingly, the revelation came after Kensington Palace had spent weeks pleading for privacy on his behalf  including a message demanding he be left alone sent hours before the story was published.

Instead of being at St. George's Chapel in Windsor on the big day, the 74-year-old watched the nuptials from a $31-a-night AirBNB in Baja Malibu  a scruffy residential compound close to his home in San Antonio del Mar.

He returned home on the Monday after the wedding and was pictured purchasing a creamy drink from Starbucks en route.

Since then, the retired Emmy winner has repeatedly spoken out about his daughter and has insisted that he will continue to do so until she contacts him.

Markle Sr also said in his most recent interview that he is the one who made Meghan 'the woman she is today'  a view enthusiastically supported by the Duchess of Sussex' estranged half-sister Samantha, 53, via Twitter.

In a move likely to cause further embarrassment for the Royal Family, Samantha, who is writing a book about her sister, is slated to appear on Celebrity Big Brother in the UK.

The news that she had been 'confirmed' for the show came shortly after Meghan's future sister-in-law Darlene Blount was arrested for allegedly blacking her half-brother Thomas Markle Jr's eye during a drunken row a week ago.

The source said Meghan is aware of her father's public comments but is focused on more important things

Blount later told DailyMail.com that the fight started after she decided to meet a friend at a bar without him, which led to an argument as they made their way home.

Markle Jr, 51, said the 37-year-old accidentally struck him with her elbow as she leaned over to get her purse as she attempted to get out of the car.

He went on to call the cops who later arrived at their Grants Pass, Oregon, home and arrested Blount who then spent two nights in the Josephine County Jail.

Despite the altercation, the couple say they plan to stay together and have couples and alcohol counseling, although their wedding has now been postponed until next year.Illinois lawmaker Rep Nick Sauer (pictured) resigned on Wednesday after his ex-girlfriend publicly accused him of posting nude photos of her on social media

An Illinois lawmaker has resigned after his ex-girlfriend accused him of posting nude photos of her on social media.

Rep Nick Sauer, of Lake Barrington, resigned from his position on Wednesday.

Sauer said in a letter filed to the House clerk's office that his 'ability to fulfill my obligations as a state representative... will be affected by the distraction of addressing these allegations'.

His resignation comes after a published report alleging he set up an Instagram account under the Chicago woman's name and posted explicit photos.

According to Politico, Sauer's ex-girlfriend, Kate Kelly, filed complaints with Chicago police and the legislative inspector general against the first-term lawmaker.

In the complaint, Kelly accused Sauer of using the Instagram account 'to catfish other men by using my privately shared naked photos'.

'Nick would use this account to direct message men with my photos to engage in graphic conversations of a sexual nature. The men believed they were communicating with me and Nick shared private details of my life,' the complaint read.

Kelly told Politico that the two began a long-distance relationship in 2016 after meeting on the dating app Tinder.

In June 2017, Kelly reportedly moved to Chicago to be closer to Sauer but they broke up in March 2018.

She blames the breakup on him dating other women.

After their breakup, Kelly claimed Sauer reached out to her and apologized.

'I quickly realized things wouldn't change and we stopped talking again. Then at the end of June, I told him he needed to reimburse me for flights and hotels, etc,' she told Politico.

Kelly told the news site that Sauer transferred $2,000 into her bank account to pay for her travel expenses, but it was just a short time later that she discovered the Instagram account.

She then claimed that Sauer admitted 'catfishing men with my photos for 2 years to at least 8 men'.

In the complaint, Sauer's ex-girlfriend Kate Kelly accused him of using the Instagram account 'to catfish other men by using my privately shared naked photos'

'He was unable to provide the names and begged that I let it go,' she alleges.

The account was taken down by Instagram after Kelly reported the page.

Sauer, 35, was a member of the House Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Task Force and was seeking re-election in November.

He did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

In a statement, Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin labeled the allegations 'troubling' and added, 'we should allow the proper authorities to conduct their investigation'.

No charges have been filed against Sauer.

Jeanne Ives, a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 42nd district, released a statement saying Sauer did the right thing by resigning.

'Sexual misconduct and abuse has no place in the work place or any place for that matter. Mr. Sauer's resignation is not, however, the ending of this difficult chapter in the Illinois legislature,' she said.David Davis today presses the Prime Minister to order a judge-led inquiry into Britain's involvement in the mistreatment of terror suspects  or face the prospect of a legal challenge.

In a major intervention, the former Brexit Secretary calls on Theresa May to set up an independent probe to investigate UK complicity in 'wicked' torture and rendition during the so-called 'war on terror'.

Failing to fulfil the Tory party's pledge to hold an inquiry, chaired by a senior judge, into the abuse of captives will mean never discovering the truth about some of Britain's 'darkest days', he says.

Former Brexit Secretary David Davis (left) has called on Prime Minister Theresa May (right) to set up an independent probe to investigate UK complicity in 'wicked' torture and rendition

Mr Davis has backed a hard-hitting letter to Downing Street on torture signed by senior MPs.

It comes just weeks after he quit the Cabinet in disgust at Mrs May's Chequers blueprint for leaving the EU.

He claims today that Government inaction following confirmation that Tony Blair's New Labour and the security services colluded with the US's torture programme after 9/11 also contributed to his decision to walk out.

Below, he condemns Mrs May for hindering the search for the truth by preventing British agents from giving crucial evidence to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC).

US officers escort a detainee to his cell in Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba in 2002

He says: 'If the Government rejects the cross-party calls then they will open themselves up to being challenged in the courts. That is an outcome none of us wants to see. We have to hope common sense prevails.'

He says it was 'amazing' that Mr Blair and his ministers appeared not to have questioned spy chiefs about their actions, which raised the prospect that they were 'deliberately avoiding asking them to maintain deniability'.

The new letter, written by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Rendition, argues that a judge-led inquiry is the 'only way to get to the bottom of this shameful episode in our recent history and draw a line under it'.

A damning ISC report in June said British spy chiefs tolerated 'inexcusable' mistreatment of terror suspects in the years after 9/11.

Mr Davis claims that Government inaction following confirmation that Tony Blair's New Labour and the security services colluded with the US in torture was part of the reason he walked out

The 152-page dossier, which took three years to compile, laid bare in unprecedented detail the UK's complicity in torture and 'extraordinary rendition', where suspects are flown to another country for imprisonment and interrogation.

Mrs May said the security and intelligence agencies 'regretted' not recognising sooner the 'unacceptable practices'.

But the Government said only that it would give 'careful consideration' to holding a judge-led inquiry and make a decision within 60 days  around August 27.

David Cameron supported such an inquiry and appointed judge Sir Peter Gibson in 2010 but the probe was scrapped in 2012 before completing its work.

Maya Foa of human rights charity Reprieve said: 'The Prime Minister should listen to her colleagues and call an independent judge-led inquiry, to ensure that Britain learns from its mistakes.'

DAVID DAVIS: A torture inquiry is the only way to finally tell the truth about our darkest days

DAVID DAVIS: Any Government that permits UK involvement in torture should be held firmly to account

As a Cabinet minister, there are many times you have to keep quiet about decisions you arent happy with. Ultimately, I resigned from Government because I could no longer fall in line and support the Brexit plan the Prime Minister wanted to pursue.

In the weeks leading up to my departure, there was another issue that I found it hard to simply let go of. When Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) released its report into the UKs involvement in torture and rendition, I knew immediately this could not be the end.

Any government that permits UK involvement in torture should be held firmly to account. Unfortunately, this has not happened in cases where UK ministers and officials got mixed up in war on terror-era torture.

That is why Theresa May should deliver on the Governments long-standing commitment to launch an independent judge-led inquiry into these matters. That is the only way we can ensure we dont become complicit in wicked acts ever again.

The reports revealed Tony Blairs ministers planned and bankrolled scores of illegal kidnap operations, and allowed the UK to become involved in hundreds of cases where officials knew of or suspected abuse.

In one incident an MI6 officer took part in the questioning of a detainee alongside US personnel before witnessing the man being driven in a 6ft sealed box to be illegally rendered on an American plane.

Taliban prisoners in orange jumpsuits sit in a holding area at Guantanamo Bay in 2002

We read that the head of MI5 said that, while this was unsatisfactory, it was their business.

The report also details the account of one British agent describing an American Torture Centre in Iraq, to which the UK military were no longer allowed to send detainees as a result of what went on there.

In what the ISC report condemns as an unacceptable workaround, MI6 simply took detainees held there to an adjacent cabin, where they could be interviewed, before being sent back to their abuse.

In another incident, an MI6 officer was assisting with a US interrogation  until being asked to leave the room, so that the US official could rough up the detainee without any witnesses present. When the UK officer returned, the ISC report describes the detainee as visibly hurt.

These revelations represent only the tip of the iceberg, as the Parliamentary committee investigating UK involvement in torture was barred by Downing Street from following critical leads.

Roadblocks thrown up by No 10 meant the ISC was able to question 13 times fewer witnesses than it sought. This led its chairman, in his words, to draw a line under the committees efforts.

This interference by government means that despite the reports damning findings there are too many gaps and unanswered questions. The need for a full, independent, judge-led inquiry is clear.

We will never be able to understand what those on the ground understood their orders to be unless we can ask them

When the Conservatives entered government in 2010, we rightly promised that we would get to the bottom of Britains involvement in these practices, and make whatever changes were needed to stop them happening again. The job has been started, but it remains incomplete. This is not about trying to blame individuals who were undoubtedly operating under extreme and highly pressured conditions. But we will never be able to understand what those on the ground understood their orders to be unless we can ask them.

What were they being told? What information were they feeding back? And what questions were they raising with their superiors?

We also need to get to the bottom of what ministers at the time knew about the operations they were signing off on. Amazingly, it seems that they were not asking questions of the agencies about what was being sanctioned.

Did they fail to do this because they wrongly assumed everything was in order? Or were they deliberately avoiding asking them to maintain deniability? Many of my Conservative colleagues, and others from all sides in Parliament, have concluded that the only way to learn those lessons is through an independent, judge-led inquiry.

Who leads it is not up to us, but it is clear that it must be someone untainted by a connection to the intelligence services. It is also clear that the chair must have full legal powers to compel the production of evidence.

Measures will, of course, need to be put in place to protect genuinely sensitive material, but it is perfectly possible for this to be done while ensuring that relevant testimony is publicly heard.

If the Government rejects the cross-party calls then they will open themselves up to being challenged in the courts. That is an outcome none of us wants to see. We have to hope common sense prevails.

But I, and many others, simply cannot accept that we will never get to the truth of what happened during some of the darkest days in the UKs recent past.

Anthony Bourdain's beloved food travel show Parts Unknown will return to CNN for a final series and include one episode which was narrated by the star before he committed suicide in June.

The 12th series will begin in late fall but a premiere date is yet to be set. It will comprise of seven episodes; five in which Bourdain appears and two in which he does not.

The final two will show first how the producers made the series in the wake of his death and the final episode will reflect on how he impacted the world.

Before he died, he narrated an episode that had been filmed in Kenya with TV host W. Kamau Bell in March.

He also filmed in Manhattan, Mexico, Bali, Texas and Spain but did not have a chance to add his signature voice over to those scenes before he died.

The final series of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown will be shown on CNN, despite the star's suicide on June 8. Bourdain filmed enough scenes for five episodes but he only narrated one before he took his own life. He is shown above on June 4, filming scenes in Colmar, France. It is unclear if the scenes from France will make it into the series

It is unclear if any of the films scenes in Alsace, France, in the days before he died will be used.

A CNN spokesman told DailyMail.com on Wednesday that they could not provide intricate details of the series, but said: 'We can confirm that there will be a new, seven-episode season of Parts Unknown premiering in fall 2018 (date TBA), which includes one episode with Bourdains narration  Kenya with W. Kamau Bell (title TBA).

'It will be similar in format to previous Parts Unknown episodes. '

Most of the episodes will be narrated by the other people in them.

'Each one will feel slightly different depending on whats gathered in the field.

'They will have the full presence of Tony because youll see him, youll hear him, youll watch him.

Bourdain is pictured filming in Bali in March. It is one of the destinations that will be featured

In this May 27 picture, Bourdain appears with his girlfriend Asia Argento in Italy. They spent several days together in her home country before he resumed filming in France.

'That layer of his narration will be missing, but it will be replaced by other voices of people who are in the episode,' CNN's executive vice president of talent and content Amy Entelis told The Los Angeles Times.

CNN is yet to find a replacement for the show but network bosses are eager to find something which embodies his spirit take the slot.

'What Tony did was inimitable. What we want to do is find a show that captures what Tony is all about,' she added.

Bourdain hanged himself in the bathroom of his hotel room in Kaysersberg, France, on June 8.

Parts Unknown began in 2013 and was among the first shows picked up by CNN Original Series.

Bourdain is pictured in Texas, another of the places where he filmed scenes for the 12th series before his death

At the time, Bourdain had overcome drug addiction and had found success with his book about the realities of working as a chef.

He had been working on the Travel Channel when CNN decided to hire him.

In June, he had just spent several days with his girlfriend, the actress Asia Argento, in Italy when he traveled to France to continue filming.

Days before Bourdain's death, photographs emerged of her with another man in Italy.

He was found in his hotel bathroom on June 8 by a longtime friend Eric Ripert.

For confidential support, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or visit their website hereA heartwarming moment between a local Louisiana grocer and an autistic customer is proving that it's truly the little things that count.

Jordan Taylor, an employee at Rouses Markets in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was filmed assisting Jack Ryan - who is autistic - stock the shelves for 30minutes on Sunday.

'We all know autism makes going out difficult, and sometimes grocery stores can be a challenge,' said Delaney Edwards Alwosaibi, Ryan's sister, in the post's caption.

Jordan Taylor, a grocer at Rouses Markets in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was filmed assisting Jack Ryan stock the shelves for 30minutes on Sunday

'This young man took the time to slow down and allow Jack Ryan to help for over 30 minutes, guiding him as he finished his task.'

The pair diligently put dairy products and fruit juices away, with Taylor handing items for Ryan to then put away.

She added: 'He could have ignored him. He could have made an excuse and said he couldnt allow him to help. Instead, he let him have his moment and in turn gave my family a moment we will never forget.'

The pair diligently put dairy products and fruit juices away, with Taylor handing items for Ryan to then put away

Ryan's father - who actually filmed the moment - can be heard saying 'I'm watching a miracle right now.'

Alwosaibi, so touched by what had happened, went to the store herself and eventually took a picture with Taylor.

She launched a GoFundMe for him, raising just over $2,300 of a $10,000 goal.

'Jordan told me he loves math and would like to possibly be an educator someday,' she said. 'All I know is, whatever he decides to do he will excel! Thank you to Jordan for what you did for our Ziggy, we will never forget!'DAVID DAVIS: Any Government that permits UK involvement in torture should be held firmly to account

As a Cabinet minister, there are many times you have to keep quiet about decisions you arent happy with. Ultimately, I resigned from Government because I could no longer fall in line and support the Brexit plan the Prime Minister wanted to pursue.

In the weeks leading up to my departure, there was another issue that I found it hard to simply let go of. When Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) released its report into the UKs involvement in torture and rendition, I knew immediately this could not be the end.

Any government that permits UK involvement in torture should be held firmly to account. Unfortunately, this has not happened in cases where UK ministers and officials got mixed up in war on terror-era torture.

That is why Theresa May should deliver on the Governments long-standing commitment to launch an independent judge-led inquiry into these matters. That is the only way we can ensure we dont become complicit in wicked acts ever again.

The reports revealed Tony Blairs ministers planned and bankrolled scores of illegal kidnap operations, and allowed the UK to become involved in hundreds of cases where officials knew of or suspected abuse.

In one incident an MI6 officer took part in the questioning of a detainee alongside US personnel before witnessing the man being driven in a 6ft sealed box to be illegally rendered on an American plane.

Taliban prisoners in orange jumpsuits sit in a holding area at Guantanamo Bay in 2002

We read that the head of MI5 said that, while this was unsatisfactory, it was their business.

The report also details the account of one British agent describing an American Torture Centre in Iraq, to which the UK military were no longer allowed to send detainees as a result of what went on there.

In what the ISC report condemns as an unacceptable workaround, MI6 simply took detainees held there to an adjacent cabin, where they could be interviewed, before being sent back to their abuse.

In another incident, an MI6 officer was assisting with a US interrogation  until being asked to leave the room, so that the US official could rough up the detainee without any witnesses present. When the UK officer returned, the ISC report describes the detainee as visibly hurt.

These revelations represent only the tip of the iceberg, as the Parliamentary committee investigating UK involvement in torture was barred by Downing Street from following critical leads.

Roadblocks thrown up by No 10 meant the ISC was able to question 13 times fewer witnesses than it sought. This led its chairman, in his words, to draw a line under the committees efforts.

We will never be able to understand what those on the ground understood their orders to be unless we can ask them

This interference by government means that despite the reports damning findings there are too many gaps and unanswered questions. The need for a full, independent, judge-led inquiry is clear.

When the Conservatives entered government in 2010, we rightly promised that we would get to the bottom of Britains involvement in these practices, and make whatever changes were needed to stop them happening again. The job has been started, but it remains incomplete. This is not about trying to blame individuals who were undoubtedly operating under extreme and highly pressured conditions. But we will never be able to understand what those on the ground understood their orders to be unless we can ask them.

What were they being told? What information were they feeding back? And what questions were they raising with their superiors?

We also need to get to the bottom of what ministers at the time knew about the operations they were signing off on. Amazingly, it seems that they were not asking questions of the agencies about what was being sanctioned.

Did they fail to do this because they wrongly assumed everything was in order? Or were they deliberately avoiding asking them to maintain deniability? Many of my Conservative colleagues, and others from all sides in Parliament, have concluded that the only way to learn those lessons is through an independent, judge-led inquiry.

Who leads it is not up to us, but it is clear that it must be someone untainted by a connection to the intelligence services. It is also clear that the chair must have full legal powers to compel the production of evidence.

Measures will, of course, need to be put in place to protect genuinely sensitive material, but it is perfectly possible for this to be done while ensuring that relevant testimony is publicly heard.

If the Government rejects the cross-party calls then they will open themselves up to being challenged in the courts. That is an outcome none of us wants to see. We have to hope common sense prevails.

But I, and many others, simply cannot accept that we will never get to the truth of what happened during some of the darkest days in the UKs recent past.Aldi chiefs have brought in a dress code for their stores over concerns about customer hygiene.

Shirtless and scantily clad shoppers sweating near the produce has caused so much concern the bosses at Aldi in Wellington Road, Rhyl are enforcing a new policy.

As the heatwave causes temperatures to soar, supermarkets have seen a rise in the number of semi-naked customers.

Now, the discount retailer has displayed a notice at the doorway to the branch, requesting that patrons cover up when shopping in store.

It reads: 'For hygiene reasons, we respectfully request that all customers keep their shirts on whilst in the store during the hot weather.

Aldi Rhyl has banned topless customers: A sign said the ban is for 'hygiene reasons'

Aldi has banned shirtless shoppers from the store in Rhyl, Wales, after the heatwave has seen scantily-clad men and women pile into the store

'Thank you for your co-operation and enjoy the sun!'

One Aldi shopper agreed with the decision saying: 'I can see why they have done it. At the end of the day I don't want people sweating all over the food I am picking up.'

Another said: 'It's off-putting. It could put you off your tea!'

One male shopper said: 'I wouldn't do it, not in a food place anyway.'

Enforced dress codes are not a new phenomena in UK supermarkets.

Two years ago Tesco made a similar decision to ban customers from wearing pyjamas or coming in bare feet in a branch in Cardiff.

At the time a spokesman said: 'This is to avoid causing offence or embarrassment to others.'President Donald Trump's executive order threatening to withhold funding from 'sanctuary cities' that limit cooperation with immigration authorities is unconstitutional, but a judge went too far when he blocked its enforcement nationwide, a U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday.

In a 2-1 ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that the order exceeded the president's authority.

'Absent congressional authorization, the administration may not redistribute or withhold properly appropriated funds in order to effectuate its own policy goals,' Chief Judge Sidney Thomas wrote for the majority.

President Donald Trump's plan to withhold federal grants from 'sanctuary cities' that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities hit a wall on Wednesday when an appeals court ruled that he doesn't have the authority to do it

In this 2017 file photo, protesters hold up pro-sanctuary and anti-ICE signs outside a courthouse in San Francisco

But he also said there wasn't enough evidence to support a nationwide ban on the order and sent the case back to the lower court for more hearings on that question.

An email to a spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department was not immediately returned.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick said in November that the order threatened all federal funding and that the president did not have the authority to attach new conditions to spending that was approved by Congress.

The ruling came in lawsuits filed by two California counties - San Francisco and Santa Clara. The executive order potentially jeopardized hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to the two counties, Orrick said, citing comments by Trump and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions as evidence of the order's scope.

The Trump administration said the order applied to a relatively small pot of money that already required compliance with immigration law.

Protesters in Texas took part in a rally to oppose a 'sanctuary cities' bill that aligned with the president's tougher stance on illegal immigration

Government attorney Chad Readler had told Orrick that the order applied to only three Justice Department and Homeland Security grants that would affect less than $1 million for Santa Clara and possibly no money for San Francisco.

During arguments before the 9th Circuit in April, Thomas asked what the court was supposed to make of statements by Trump and his administration about wanting to withhold money from sanctuary cities.

Thomas also questioned whether the order would be constitutional if it applied to all types of funding, as the lower-court judge found.

Lydia Balderas, left, and Merced Leyua, right, joined others as they protested in San Antonio against a bill aligned against sanctuary cities

Readler said the order was much narrower, and the judges should not focus on comments by the president or other administration officials.

The executive order is part of a push by the Trump administration to crack down on cities and states that generally don't comply with U.S. immigration authorities.

The administration has sued California over three laws aimed at protecting immigrants in the country illegally. It also has moved to block a key public safety grant from going to sanctuary cities and states.

The Trump administration says sanctuary jurisdictions allow dangerous criminals back on the street. San Francisco and other sanctuary cities say turning local police into immigration officers erodes the trust needed to get people to report crime.Dramatic drone photos captured the moment a great white shark swimming just a few feet away from a paddle boarder in Cape Cod.

Massachusetts lifeguard Cody DeGroff was on Nauset Beach testing out his new drone camera on Monday when he spotted the giant shark near paddle boarder Roger Freeman.

'I panned up and that's when I saw the paddleboarder and the shark swimming closer to each other,' DeGroff told ABC News. 'It was a crazy, crazy scenario.'

Thankfully, the shark continued swimming and did not interact with Freeman, 54, who didn't notice anything was amiss.

Lifeguard Cody DeGroff was testing out his new drone camera on Monday when he spotted the giant shark near paddle boarder Roger Freeman

'I panned up and that's when I saw the paddleboarder and the shark swimming closer to each other' DeGroff said

The shark continued swimming and did not interact with Freeman, 54, who didn't notice anything was amiss

Freeman said he was stunned when he returned to the beach to see how close he'd come to the underwater predator

'Close encounter of a peaceful kind' the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy tweeted, along with DeGroff's photos.

'These amazing photos of a white shark near a SUP just north of Nauset public beach. The paddle boarder did not see the shark.'

Freeman said he was stunned when he returned to the beach to see how close he'd come to the underwater predator.

'Don't look down is what they say, right?' Freeman joked. 'I'm glad I got to go home for breakfast and not be breakfast.'

On Sunday, swimmers and surfers in Cape Cod were forced to flee the ocean after a great white shark attacked a seal.

Video showed lifeguards frantically motioning people to get out of the water and a bloody seal carcass floating in the waves after the attack.

'15' Great White swam thru 30 surfers had a snack...' Ken Martin tweeted with the video.

On Sunday, swimmers and surfers in Cape Cod were forced to flee the ocean after a great white shark attacked a seal

Video showed lifeguards frantically motioning people to get out of the water and a bloody seal carcass floating in the waves after the attack

Freeman admits he was a little nervous when he set out, after being informed of the incident.

'I remember thinking to myself, a little melodramatically, someone might think it's crazy to be out here with sharks in the water,' he told the Cape Cod Times. 'But on this glorious Cape Cod morning I say it's crazy not to be.'

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said that two great whites, one of which was 12ft, were seen close to shore at Head of Meadow Beach earlier that day which led to the beach being closed for an hour.

Meanwhile Freeman was glad to have had escaped his close encounter unharmed but urged Cape Cod authorities to introduce a better warning system for surfers and swimmers.Almost a third of workers believe investing in property is the best way to save for retirement.

Being a landlord is favoured over private pensions, cash Isas, savings accounts, shares and Premium Bonds. Only company pensions were more popular.

Experts said the figures, from the Office for National Statistics, show our love affair with property has not waned.

Experts said the figures on investments show our love affair with property has not waned

And they warned that ignoring the other savings options could put workers in financial trouble later in life.

The British obsession with property could leave millions of people exposed to risk and uncertainty when planning their retirement, said Sir Steve Webb, a former pensions minister and director at investment firm Royal London.

There is nothing wrong with investing in property as part of a mix of investments inside a pension.

'But staking your whole retirement on investing in a single property whose value could go up or down substantially is to put all your eggs in one basket.

Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb said Britain's 'obsession with property could leave millions of people exposed to risk'

For employees in particular, saving in a pension is a no-brainer. Choosing to invest in a property instead of a workplace pension means the loss of vital contributions from your employer.

The ONS report found that property was the favoured savings option for 29 per cent of all workers and preferred most by those aged between 25 and 44.

Company pensions were favoured by 40 per cent of those surveyed between July 2016 and December 2017.

More employees have started saving into a workplace pension since an auto-enrolment scheme was introduced in 2012.

Tom Selby, senior analyst at investment firm AJ Bell, said: While property remains an important source of equity in retirement for many people, investors shouldnt rely solely on this as a drop in values would be a serious kick in the teeth.

Money Mail research has revealed that stock market-linked pensions typically deliver better returns than property.Police on the Algarve are probing the alleged rape of a British holidaymaker by an Irish tourist.

Officers were called to a hotel in Portimao in the early hours of the morning after the 30-year-old woman started banging on doors next to the room she claims to have been targeted in and screaming she had been forced to have sex.

The drama is said to have unfolded as the Irishman's uncle returned to the hotel after a night out and went to let himself into the room he was sharing with his younger relative.

The unnamed Irish tourist, who is also 30, reportedly told detectives they had consensual sex after she agreed to go back to his hotel with him from a bar in Praia da Rocha near Portimao (pictured)

Portuguese daily Correio de Manha said she was in tears when officers arrived but could not remember how she got to the hotel, in Portimao's Tres Castelos beach area, because she had been drinking heavily.

The unnamed Irish tourist, who is also 30, reportedly told detectives they had consensual sex after she agreed to go back to his hotel with him from a bar in Praia da Rocha near Portimao.

Police were called around 3.30am last Friday, but details of the ongoing investigation only emerged today.

The incident is being probed by Portugal's Policia Judiciaria force.

It was not immediately clear if any arrests have taken place.

In June a 23-year-old British holidaymaker was arrested after allegedly raping a 17-year-old tourist in the street after they left a bar in the famous Strip area of Albufeira, which is near Oura Beach and is known for its vibrant nightlife.

Two police officers were injured as they tried to stop him after a chase.

In April police in Albufeira arrested a barman on suspicion of raping a British holidaymaker.

Officers were called to a hotel in Portimao (pictured) in the early hours of the morning after the 30-year-old woman started banging on doors next to the room she claims to have been targeted in and screaming she had been forced to have sex

The 19-year-old tourist told detectives she was forced to have sex at a nightspot in the Algarve resort after having her drink spiked.

The unnamed 28-year-old Portuguese barman was released on bail pending an ongoing criminal investigation after appearing before a judge in a closed court hearing.

He was told he must sign on regularly at court as part of his bail conditions.

It was not clear today if the court investigation has been concluded.The White House on Wednesday defended a mob of Donald Trump's supporters who swarmed behind a CNN reporter before a rally in Tampa the night before, saying their shouts of 'Liar!' and 'CNN sucks!'  loud enough to drown out parts of his live broadcast  are examples of free speech worth protecting.

'While we certainly support freedom of the press, we also support freedom of speech. And we think that those things go hand in hand,' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said during a briefing.

DailyMail.com had asked her whether the crowd's behavior was 'right or wrong,' and whether the White House was willing to condemn it.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution equally protects freedom of expression in news reporting and ordinary speech. It's unusual but not impossible for those values to conflict in a public collision.

The CNN reporter, Jim Acosta, was at the White House on Wednesday but not present in the briefing room.

Scroll down for video

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday defended a mob of President Trump's vocal supporters who swarmed a CNN reporter the night before and tried to interfere with a live broadcast

A crowd of Trump supporters swarmed behind CNN reporter Jim Acosta during his live shot

Wednesday's press conference was a feeding frenzy, and DailyMail.com pressed Sanders on the president's views about press freedom and his more unruly devotees

Trump supporters yelled 'CNN sucks! CNN sucks! CNN sucks!'

Acosta delivered his live-shot reporting Tuesday night while some in Trump's rally crowd chanted 'Liar! Liar! Liar!' along with 'Tell the truth! Tell the truth! Tell the truth!' and 'CNN sucks! CNN sucks! CNN sucks!'  as a larger segment of the audience egged them on.

Many also chimed in with 'Trump! Trump! Trump!'

Some had written 'CNN sucks' with markers on 'Make America Great Again' signs that they waved to the cameras. Others screamed 'fake news' repeatedly.

CNN is among a handful of news outlets that consistently draw scorn from President Trump, who calls its broadcasts 'fake news.'

The network's coverage of the president has been 93 per cent negative, according to a 2017 Harvard study.

After Tuesday evening's rally, Eric Trump, who attended but was not present when the crowd descended on Acosta, retweeted a video of the crowd yelling 'fake news' at Acosta with the hashtag '#truth,' and tagging his Twitter handle.

President Trump retweeted his son's tweet.

So did Acosta, writing 'No Eric. Not the truth. And you know better.'

President Trump greets supporters at the Tampa International Airport

Acosta took to Twitter to address the situation

Just a sample of the sad scene we faced at the Trump rally in Tampa. Im very worried that the hostility whipped up by Trump and some in conservative media will result in somebody getting hurt. We should not treat our fellow Americans this way. The press is not the enemy. pic.twitter.com/IhSRw5Ui3R  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 1, 2018

Rows of metal barriers separate the press from the crowd so they could not reach the reporter.

Acosta calmly completed his shot and then turned to talk to the crowd when he was done.

Later in the evening, when he was doing another shot, the entire auditorium screamed 'CNN sucks, CNN sucks, CNN sucks'  interrupting the Florida state officials who were speaking ahead of Trump's arrival.

But not all were screaming at him, several attendees asked Acosta to take a photo with them, which he did.

President Trump retweeted his son's tweet (above). So did Acosta, writing 'No Eric. Not the truth. And you know better'

Eric Trump retweeted a video of Trump supporters yelling 'fake news' at Acosta

Acosta responded to Eric Trump via twitter

The longtime CNN correspondent took to twitter to address the situation, posting a video of the crowd yelling behind him.

'Just a sample of the sad scene we faced at the Trump rally in Tampa. I'm very worried that the hostility whipped up by Trump and some in conservative media will result in somebody getting hurt. We should not treat our fellow Americans this way. The press is not the enemy,' Acosta wrote.

Trump has frequently sparred and called out Acosta, making the White House correspondent a familiar face to the president's supporters.

The president has also made the media a bete noir, calling them the 'fake news media' and the 'enemy of the people.'

On Air Force One in route to Florida, White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley was asked about Trump's attacks on press.

'It seems as though no matter how good the news is, the press refuses to cover it that way, and it's quite frustrating for him,' Gidley said. 'The successes continue for this president but the coverage continues to be negative. That's frustrating for him and it would be frustrating for anybody.'

But Acosta and Trump seem to have a particularly antagonistic relationship.

During the president's press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May in June, Acosta loudly demanded a chance to participate as compensation for the president's attack on CNN - who Trump called 'the worst' earlier in the event.

'Mr. President, since you attacked CNN, can I ask you a question?' he boomed, loud enough for microphones 10 yards away to pick up.

'No, no. John Roberts, go ahead. ... CNN is fake news! I don't take questions from CNN,' Trump lectured.

Acosta continued the argument: 'Well, sir, if you're going to call us fake news you should take a question.'

Trump dismissed him and called on Roberts, who was just one seat away.

Trump hadn't arrived at his rally yet

Acosta addressed the crowd after his live shot

Trump supporters yelled 'liar' and 'tell the truth'

CNN correspondent Jim Acosta and Trump have a rocky relationship

Trump is in Tampa for a campaign rally and for a workplace development event

'John Roberts of Fox [News Channel]! Let's go to a real network,' he said. 'John, let's go.'

As Roberts sat up in his chair, Acosta got the last word.

'Well, we're a real network too, Mr. President,' he complained.

And it's not the first time Trump's supporters have slammed the correspondent.

In June, at a rally in South Carolina, Acosta was met with chants of 'Go home!' and branded 'Fake news Jim' by the crowd.

'We are here to do our jobs and report the news and report on this rally, and we're not going anywhere,' Acosta told CNN's Wolf Blitzer at the time.White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the president was talking about being carded for alcohol when he defended his call for a voter ID law by saying people had to show a picture to buy groceries.

She also couldn't name the last time the billionaire president had been grocery shopping.

President Donald Trump, at a rally in Tampa Tuesday night, presented his call for voters to show identification before they vote as reasonable because when 'you want to buy groceries, you need a picture.'

Sanders was asked at her press briefing Wednesday when was the last time he had been to a grocery store.

'I'm not sure. I'm not sure why that matters either,' she responded.

When pressed on the issue, the White House press secretary clarified the president meant the purchase of alcohol.

Sarah Sanders said the president was talking about being carded for alcohol when said people had to show ID to buy groceries

President Trump made the remark at a rally in Tampa where he called for a voter ID law

The president doesn't drink, citing the cautionary tale of his late brother Fred, who was an alcoholic.

But Sanders said he was referring to being carded, which is an age issue. Voting rights groups argue voter ID laws disproportionately target and disenfranchise minorities.

'If you go to the grocery to buy beer and wine you're going to have to show your ID,' Sanders said. 'He's not saying every time he went in. He said when 'you' go to the grocery store. I'm pretty sure that everybody in here who's been to a grocery store and purchased beer or wine probably had to show their ID. If they didn't, that's probably a problem with the grocery store.'

Sanders, who last month was asked to leave a restaurant because the staff disagreed with the president's policies and has received Secret Service protection, mentioned she hadn't been to the grocery store lately either.

'I haven't been a lot lately actually,' she said.

Trump revived his call for a national voter ID system as the country heads into the midterm election and the president eyes his own reelection campaign.

'The time has come for voter ID,' Trump said Tuesday night at a rally in Tampa, Fla., which earned him a roar of approval and sustained applause from the crowd.

'If you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need I.D. You go out and you want to buy anything, you need I.D. And you need your picture. In this country the only time you don't need it in many cases is when you want to vote,' he said.

Trump's call for a national voter ID system came he railed on Democrats for their stance on illegal immigration, an issue the president has lasered in on in the last few weeks, claiming it was a policy stance that got him elected in the first place.

His first called for voter ID in January after he disbanded his controversial commission investigating allegations of voter fraud.

Trump created the commission after claiming that at least 3 million people voted illegally in the 2016 presidential election  enough to make up for Hillary Clinton's lead in the popular vote.

However, states wouldn't hand over their voter data over privacy concerns and there have been no reports or proof of voter fraud on a massive scale.

Voting rights groups have been challenging voter ID laws for years, arguing they mainly impact voters of color.

Trump is pushing for a voter ID law as election season heats up in the U.S.

Thirty six states request or require voters to show ID at the polls, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In 2000, 14 states had such laws.

When asked if the president was still concerned about millions of illegal votes, Sanders said the number didn't matter.

'Even if there are 10 people that are voting illegally it shouldn't happen,' she said. 'The president wants to see the integrity of our election system upheld and that is the purpose of his comment: he wants to make sure that anybody that's voting should be voting. I think that's something, frankly, that should celebrated  not discriminated.'

Trump claimed the system was needed to keep illegals from voting.

'In some states, Democrats are trying to give illegal immigrants the right to vote,' he charged.

It's illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections. But some cities allow illegal immigrants to vote in municipal elections. San Francisco, for example, recently passed a proposal to allow undocumented immigrants who are old enough to vote in school board elections.

'The Democrats are not doing what we want them to do. They're not voting our values and what we want to do in the country,' Trump said.

'If you want safety. If you want a country, vote Republican,' he told the packed auditorium.

'We need more votes,' he said.National newspapers will now have to agree to an arbitrator hearing cases brought by those who believe they have been libelled but do not want to go to court.

The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) yesterday rolled out the new scheme to which most national newspapers, including The Daily Mail, have signed up.

Previously, IPSOs arbitration scheme was voluntary  meaning newspapers could decide not to send cases to arbitration.

The Independent Press Standards Organisation's arbitration scheme was previously voluntary

But from now on, it will be compulsory in any case where a person has a genuine claim against a national newspaper which is signed up to IPSO.

Any press abuse victim who has a valid claim and wants to go down the arbitration route will see their fees capped at 100  and could be paid out up to 60,000 in aggravated damages.

The rules will mean that anyone could take action against a national newspaper without running up a hefty legal bill in the process.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock previously said of the plans: 'I welcome IPSO's announcement of binding low cost arbitration'

Of the schemes launch yesterday, IPSOs chief executive, Matt Tee, said: The compulsory arbitration scheme covers the biggest national newspaper titles in the UK and is a low-cost means of people who have been wronged by a newspaper getting compensation without the expense of court and legal fees.

The scheme encompasses the seven best-selling national daily newspapers and eight best-selling Sunday newspapers, and will cover claims including libel, invasion of privacy, data protection and harassment.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock previously said of the plans: I welcome IPSOs announcement of binding low cost arbitration  an important step forward for a Press thats both free and fair.

IPSO regulates the vast majority of British newspapers with its members including most of the national papers.

Those taking part in the new scheme include The Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, Metro, The Times, The Sun, The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mirror and Daily Express.

The Guardian and The Financial Times will not be taking part because they are not members of IPSO.

The new rules mark a closer move to some of the recommendations made in the 2011-2012 Leveson Inquiry into the Press.

It will mean that those wanting to take action against a publication will no longer face unaffordable legal costs associated with court actions.

A devoted couple who got engaged within two weeks of meeting are celebrating 70 years of wedded bliss - and say they have never had an argument.

Megan, 92, and Denis Bollington, 93, say it was love at first sight when they met in post-war London in 1948.

Megan who was visiting from Wales was so smitten with Denis after one meeting, she began writing to him.

Two weeks later, Denis wrote from where he was working in Southampton - and asked Megan to be his bride.

Megan Bollington age 92 and Denis Bollington age 93 at their home in Colchester after seventy years of marriage

Megan, 92, and Denis Bollington, 93, tied the knot within just three months of knowing each other and exchanged 129 love letters

Love letters: For seven decades Megan and Denis Bollington have kept the notes they sent one another in their twenties

The pair then started writing to each other until they met again on Whitsun weekend at the end of May in 1948.

This is when Denis was able propose in person.

The pair swapped 129 love letters before they were able to marry.

Denis said: 'We were mutually attracted to each other, it just came naturally.

'We just loved each other, it's difficult to explain but we wrote about 50 letters to each other, and we still have them.'

Megan who was in the Women's Land Army during the Second World War, added: 'There was just something there, I don't know what it was but I wouldn't want my life to be any different.

Letters of love: The letters have been kept in a box since the couple moved in together - 65 from Megan and 64 from Denis

Denis was working away in Southampton for some time when they first met - but the pair continued to talk

Denis and Meganis lettes to each other that they keep in a biscuit tin since they began exchanging them in 1948

Megan and Denis on their wedding day in 1948. They have never had a single argument since getting hitched, they say

The first proposal: 'I am usually very level headed in most matters - bearing this in mind Megan I am now asking you to consider marrying me'

True love: Denis says the secret to their marriage is their devotion to one another since day one. Pictured together in September 1949 in Highbury London

Denis asked Megan to marry him two weeks after meeting her in a letter which he sent from Southampton

'When I first met Denis it was at Easter. On the Easter Monday he had to go back to Southampton where he was based, but I didn't have to go back to Wales until the Wednesday.

'When I got home there was a letter from Denis and he proposed in that.

'It took a while for me to say yes as I didn't see him again until the end of June.'

After the engagement Denis spent two weeks meeting Megan's family in Wales - they then wedded on 31 July 1948.

Megan and Denis then lived in London until 1968.

Megan said: 'When we were first married I didn't have a job.

'My first job was in London for a company that cleaned phones, it taught me how to get around London.'

On leaving the RAF, Denis worked for Ordnance Survey, having trained as a land surveyor.

Ordnance Survey - is a national mapping agency in the United Kingdom which covers the island of Great Britain and is one of the world's largest producers of maps.

Whenever Denis would travel for work, he would take his letters with him and Megan kept the notes at home with her.

Since they have been married they have kept their letters together in date order in a tin wrapped in a bow.

Megan and Denis left London in 1968 and moved to Braintree, Essex for a while, before moving to Colchester, Essex in 1987.

The couple have four children - Brian, 68, Denise, 66, Paul, 60 and Lynn, 57.

They said there was a six-year gap between Denise and Paul as Denis had been ill with tuberculosis, and was recovering for two years.

Denis said the key to their happiness was real love.

Denis and Megan with baby Paul in 1958. They had three other children while living together in London before moving to Essex

A family album: Denis and Megan with two of their children Denise and Brian, in 1956

Denis and Megan on their 40th wedding Anniversary on 31st July 1988. They are now celebrating seventy years of love

Denis and Megan centre with (l-r) their son Brian, daughter Denise, son Paul and Daughter Lynn

Megan and Denis on their wedding day in 1948. This image was taken just three months after they met in London

He said: 'A lot of people get confused between real love and sex.

'In our case it was real love. Life has revolved around family and we have been very happy.'

They claim to have never had any arguments throughout their seven decade marriage.

The couple collectively give their top tips for keeping a strong relationship, they add: 'Have real love, stick together when things are difficult.

'Help each other through the difficult times - being tolerant with each other.'

Their daughter, Denise adds: 'They have always supported all of us children.. We could talk to both of them about really private things, it has always been very family orientated.

'It's very enduring and lasted all the way through.

'They both came from loving families and took that forward in their own lives with their own children.

'Dad's favourite letter was when my mum said 'yes' to his proposal of marriage which wasn't the first letter in response to his proposal.

'Mum's favourite was the first letter when my dad asked her to marry him.'Police have identified a suspect in the shooting death of a cardiologist who once treated George HW Bush as the vengeful son of a woman who died on the doctor's operating table 21 years ago.

Joseph James Pappas, 62, is accused of following Dr. Mark Hausknecht on his bicycle on July 20 and fatally shooting him three times as he cycled to work in Houston, Texas.

Police believe Pappas was acting in revenge for the death of his mother Julia who died on Hausknecht's operating in April 1997 at the age of 69.

He had been plotting the attack for a 'long time', according to authorities whose attention was directed to him by an anonymous tip earlier this week.

Pappas remains at large and is believed to be suicidal, dangerous and armed with multiple weapons.

On Tuesday night, before police obtained an arrest warrant for him and before his name became public, he sent a text message to a friend suggesting that he may kill himself.

The friend called police out of concern and when officers arrived at Pappas' home to conduct a welfare check, he was nowhere to be found.

An arrest warrant for a single count of murder was issued at 4am on Wednesday. His whereabouts remains unknown but he is thought to be traveling on his 10-speed bicycle.

Joseph James Pappas (left) has been named as the suspect in the murder of cardiologist Dr Mark Hausknecht (right) who was shot dead on his bicycle on July 20. Police consider Pappas to be armed and dangerous. He is accused of killing the doctor in revenge for his own mother's death on the operating table 20 years ago

Dr. Mark Hausknecht, 65, was shot dead as he rode his bike in Texas on July 20. He is pictured with President HW Bush in 2000 after treating him for an irregular heartbeat. President Bush paid tribute to him as a 'good man' after his death last month

Julia Alice Walker is pictured with her husband Joseph James Pappas (Pappadakis). Julia died on Hausknecht's operating in April 1997

'I dont know when he decided to do this, but Im very familiar with how this murder was committed and there was a lot of planning that went into this,' Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said at a press conference on Wednesday.

He said Pappas, who is understood to have run a family real estate business, is suicidal, armed and dangerous.

Police went to his home three-bedroom home in Houston on Tuesday night but he was not there.

It appears that this may be a 20-year-old grudge Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo

They are now desperate to find him.

'We need to find this guy. This man is dangerous, this man is capable, this man has some skills.

'We know that he had a lot... had firearms, more than one,' Acevedo said, adding that they were 'absolutely' certain he is to blame for the doctor's death.

He explained that they received a tip about him after appealing to the public for information in the wake of the doctor's death.

'One of the tips included he fact that the suspect's mother was a patient of the doctor and died during surgery over 20 years ago.

'It appears that this may be a 20-year-old grudge,' he added.

Throwback: Joseph James Pappas (left) is seen with his father, mother and sister above

Family photo: Joseph James Pappas, center, is pictured with his father and his sister

Dr. Mark Hausknecht, 65, was cycling from his home to the Houston Methodist Hospital in his blue medical scrubs when the gunman approached from behind and shot him in the torso and head

The gunman stalked the doctor on his own bicycle for several blocks before shooting him three times and fleeing the scene. He was wearing a white hat, navy blue polo shirt, white shorts and a backpack. Police released the above surveillance footage of the attack afterwards to try to track him down

The doctor was shot three times - twice in the torso and once in the head. He died in hospital. The scene of the killing is shown above afterwards

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo named Pappas as the suspect on Wednesday

After the shooting on July 20, authorities released surveillance footage of the suspect riding away from the scene on his own bicycle.

He was wearing a white hat, white shorts, a dark polo shirt and was carrying a black backpack.

Hausknecht was on his way to work at the Houston Methodist hospital when he was targeted and stalked by the killer for several blocks.

This is the sketch released by police after the doctor's murder last month

Finally, after passing him by, the murderer turned on his bicycle and fired several shots in Hausknecht's direction.

He was shot twice in the torso and once in the head and was pronounced dead in hospital.

Police were perplexed by the killing and described it as a 'real whodunnit'.

The murder prompted praise for Dr. Hausknecht from the Bush family who described him as a 'fantastic cardiologist' and 'good man'.

'Mark was a fantastic cardiologist and a good man. I will always be grateful for his exceptional, compassionate care.

'His family is in our prayers,;' the former president said in a statement.

The doctor's widow has since spoken out to call for stricter gun laws.

Little is known of Pappas' background. He is understood to have been living alone in a three-bedroom house in Houston since the death of his father, Joseph James Pappas I, in 2010.

He does not appear to be married and he has one sister.

Records suggest that he was a real estate broker and owner of the company, Pappas Realty Company. The company's address is in Houston.

Joseph James Pappas and his wife Julia Alice Walker are pictured together in this old photo

Suspect Joseph James Pappas is seen as a child with his father and sisterA man who lost his home in the California wildfires has miraculously found his late grandmother's wedding ring still in perfect condition amid the ash and rubble.

Jerry Ogle returned to his family's home in Redding to find that it had been completely destroyed by the Carr wildfire, which has killed six people.

Ogle's only real hope was that he would find his grandmother's diamond wedding ring, passed down to him by his late grandfather, buried in the wreckage.

Jerry Ogle returned to his family's home in Redding to find it had been completely destroyed by the Carr wildfire. But, miraculously, he found his late grandmother's wedding ring

Ogle spent half an hour looking for the ring in the area where he knew he had last left its box

He rummaged for the family heirloom in the area where he knew he had last left it in the home.

'After about a half-hour of searching the area, I looked to the sky and asked my grandfather for help,' Ogle wrote in a Facebook post about the ring.

Ogle said he looked to the sky and asked his late grandfather, who had passed the ring down to him, for help in his search

'Not 30 seconds later I found the box, the same box that it was given to me in.'

Inside the box, dusted with ash, was his grandmother's glittering diamond ring.

'Thank you for your help granddad!' Ogle wrote in the Facebook post, which included a photo of the gorgeous ring.

Ogle has since set up a GoFundMe and has already raised more than $7,000 for his family and neighbors, who all lost their homes in the Carr fire.

'It has come to my attention that some of the residents in the neighborhood didn't have any kind of fire coverage,' Ogle wrote on the campaign's page.

'So with every dollar that is donated, the proceeds will go to the renovations of as many people as we can help in the neighborhood.'

The massive wildfire - now the sixth most destructive in the state's history - has torched more than 1,000 homes in Redding and forced 38,000 people to evacuate.

It has also scorched 180 square miles of land, destroyed another 440 buildings, and is only 35 percent contained.

'Whatever resources are needed, we're putting them there,' Gov Jerry Brown said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Ogle has since set up a GoFundMe and has already raised more than $7,000 for his family and neighbors, who all lost their homes in the Carr fire. Pictured is Ogle's family's home

It is just one among more than 1,000 homes that have been destroyed by the Carr fire in the last week

'We're being surprised. Every year is teaching the fire authorities new lessons. We're in uncharted territory.'

North of San Francisco, a fire threatened homes in an old ranching and farming area near Covelo. About 60 homes were ordered evacuated as the blaze erupted late Tuesday and winds whipped flames near the Mendocino National Forest.

To the east, another blaze Tuesday night raged through grassy cattle lands near Yuba City, covering more than 1.5 square miles in a few hours.

The new fires erupted without warning and spread with shocking speed through forest and brush that have literally become tinder, said Scott McLean of CalFire.

The wildfire, which started on July 23, is now the sixth most destructive in California's history

It has scorched 180 square miles of land, destroyed another 440 buildings, and is only 35 percent contained

'We had this rain at the beginning of the year and all that did was promote the growing of grass and brush,' McLean said. 'It's a Catch-22. It's growing more product to catch on fire.'

The new fire near Covelo was only about 40 miles north of where twin fires in Mendocino and Lake counties have burned an area nearly three times the size of San Francisco, destroyed 10 homes, and threatened 12,000 more.

Yosemite Valley, which has been closed since July 25, will remain shut from the public at least through Sunday due to heavy smoke from the Ferguson Fire.

It has been the longest closure at Yosemite since 1997, when floods closed the park for over two months.Kevin Mazur; Danny Clinch; Eric Ryan AndersonBilly Joel hasn't released an album of original pop songs in 25 years, but that doesn't mean he doesn't work on music. In fact, he tells the The New York Times that he wouldn't be adverse to the idea of joining a band.

Before he became a solo superstar, Joel was in several less-than-successful bands, including The Hassles and Attila. But these days, he tells The Times, "Sting and Don Henley and I always joke around: 'Just for the [hell] of it, let's put together one of those supergroups that explode after, like, a year.'"

He adds, "I think it could be fun to join a band. I enjoyed it when I was a teenager. And I'd consider writing songs in that kind of milieu."

As for why he stopped writing songs on his own, the Piano Man explains, "I set a very high bar for myself, and I couldn't get there. I couldn't be as good as I wanted to be, and it was frustrating. So I'd get drunk, just to make myself forget about my frustration, and my personal life went to hell."

Joel feels that the closest he ever got to that "high bar" are his songs "Vienna," "And So It Goes," "Great Wall of China" and "She's Right on Time." But he's not a fan of his signature tune, "Piano Man."

"I dont think it's that good a song. It's a story song, like 'Taxi' [by] Harry Chapin, more of a folk song than a pop tune," Billy maintains. "It's in 6/8 time, which is a waltz, about these losers in a bar. But people love it."

August 10 marks the 25th anniversary of the release of Joel's last pop album, 1993's River of Dreams.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.A former UN consultant, who was flown out of the Congo after being accused of inappropriate personal conduct, was hired to co-ordinate a Department for International Development-backed project against sexual violence.

Damien Callamand, who was alleged to have consorted with prostitutes in the African country, was employed by British accountancy firm Price Waterhouse Coopers to work for the Government agency.

The misconduct allegations are revealed in the documentary UN Sex Abuse Scandal, which is screened this evening on Channel 4. It investigated the United Nations, in the wake of the Oxfam scandal, and discovered a sex abuse and exploitation scandal on a much-wider scale. Callamand denies the allegations.

More than 1,700 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse have been reported against UN peacekeepers - military and civilian - over the past 15 years, yet only 53 uniformed peacekeepers - and one civilian - have been imprisoned.

Damien Callamand, who was alleged to have consorted with prostitutes in the African country, was employed by British accountancy firm Price Waterhouse Coopers to work for the Government agency

There is no suggestion that Callamand was involved in criminal behaviour.

But Jane Holl Lute, the Secretary-Generals special advisor on sexual exploitation and abuse, told the programme: If an individual is dismissed from the UN from any part they should not be hired elsewhere.

Callamand, who is still working in the Congo as a consultant counsellor for the National Congolese Police, was working as a senior UN advisor in the African country when he was alleged to have broken UN rules.

Colleague Jason Stearns, who shared a house in Goma with the Frenchman and two other civilians, reported him to the UN and he lost his job. The one training that we did receive - and there was a lot of fuss made about this - was on the policy of sexual abuse within the United Nations, he said.

We were consultants but we were still employees of the United Nations, having been briefed on what was permissible and not permissible. So that included things like not consorting with sex workers.

Thats where it became obvious that he was doing the exact opposite of what wed been told to do, which was consorting with sex workers - and there was no doubt in anyones minds that these were prostitutes. 

It was difficult for us because we were, quote unquote, ratting out one of our own colleagues. But it was such a hazard, both professionally and ethically, for us that we felt compelled to do so.

And so, we reported it and the UN then took very swift action. Pretty much on a moments notice [they] escorted him, from our house to the aeroplane in a UN security vehicle, put him on the aeroplane out of the country.

The UN confirmed to Channel 4 that Callamand was recalled in 2008 following complaints from his co-workers concerning inappropriate personal conduct and was relieved of his functions as co-ordinator of the panel of experts.

Yet, according to his Linked In page, Callamand was re-hired three months later by the UNs Economic Commission for Africa to work for the African Land Policy Centre, a joint initiative with the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank.

Three years later, he left the UN to work for Price Waterhouse Coopers back in the Congo. He was funded by the British taxpayer through DFID to co-ordinate five police support projects, including gender-based sexual violence.

The United Nations, which has its headquarter in New York (pictured), has been accused of failing victims of sexual abuse carried out by its peacekeepers

I believe hes had his entire career since then in the Congo, added Stearns. So thats the past decade moving from one high-ranking position to the next within various UN agencies as well as working for other international organisations.

Callamand declined to be interviewed on the programme, but responded through his lawyers, saying: The allegations  are entirely false.

'The allegations were never put to our client by the UN, his lawyer said, and he was never investigated for any behaviour related to sexual abuse or exploitation.

[He] has never to his knowledge "consorted with sex workers", he has never sought sex from sex workers, never paid for sex and no allegation of this nature has previously been raised with him.

When Channel 4 followed up with the UN, they were told that Callamands case exemplifies why the UN is introducing new screening measures to stop UN workers who have breached the rules being rehired.

Lute said: It is an ongoing problem everywhere and do we have to face the reality that there is nothing we can do about it? No. We have to ask ourselves, are we doing everything we can? Theres no wand waving here, theres no magic swish and flick and it goes away.

The UN Sex Abuse Scandal is screened at 10.30pm tonight on Channel 4.Trial: Paul Manafort, seen in prison uniform in a mugshot, is denying tax and bank fraud charges

Paul Manafort spent over $1.5 million on custom suits and bespoke clothing between 2010 and 2014, often paying by foreign bank wire transfers, two luxury menswear retailers told a federal court in Virginia on Wednesday.

Maximillian Katzman, the manager of New York-based retailer Alan Couture  which specializes in vicuna and silk custom-made suits  and Ron Wald, the CFO of the Beverly Hill-based House of Bijan, described Manafort's pricey spending habits and use of foreign wire transfers on the second day of Manafort's tax fraud trial.

The 69-year-old former Trump campaign chairman is facing 18 counts of tax evasion and bank fraud, which could add up to over 100 years in prison if he is convicted.

Prosecutors said their testimony provided evidence on Manafort's income and his use of foreign bank accounts and shell companies, which they allege he used to dodge taxes and hide millions in income from his Ukrainian political clients.

Katzman, whose father is the owner of Alan Couture, said Manafort's spent over $927,000 at his store between 2010 and 2014.

Most expensive men's wear store in the world: House of Bijan is on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA, and boasts of the level of luxury it offers to by appointment only customers - including, his trial heard, Paul Manafort

Only the wealthiest: Clients at House of Bijan have included Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man, and Bill Clinton

Where did you get that suit? Paul Manafort was one of the 'top five' clients of New York's Alan Couture, where he spent $444,000 in 2013 alone as well as the House of Bijan

He said Manafort was one of the store's top five clients  Alan Couture has around 40 regular clients  and he primarily bought suits, neckwear and jackets.

He spent $104,000 there in 2010, and more than $444,000 in 2013, the court heard.

Katzman said Manafort was often late making payments, forcing Katzman to reach out to Manafort's former business partner Rick Gates for the money.

Manafort was the only Alan Couture client to regularly pay by foreign wire transfer, according to Katzman.

Wald, who was in charge of the financial records at House of Bijan  known as the 'most expensive men's store in the world'  said Manafort spent over $657,000 at the retailer between 2010 and 2013, according to his records.

His purchases included $21,000 on a limited edition, black titanium and crystal watch.

Wald said Manafort made payments through wire transfers from an account based in Cyprus.

Manafort's defense countered during cross examination that Katzman was often unable to reach Manafort directly and instead went to his former business partner Gates for payments. They suggested that some of the foreign transfers could have been authorized by Gates. They also highlighted the fact that Wald has never had direct contact with Manafort.

What to wear: Ultra-discreet Alan Couture is on the sixth floor of a midtown New York building, but inside offers handmade clothes including a suede vest with detachable cashmere sleeves and a jacket from Ermenegilo Zegna's I Preziosi cashmere, described as 'the best of the best'

Also on offer: This three-piece suit with double-breasted vest in Loro Piana's Wish Super 170s Wool Flannel fabric, and paired with Thomas Mason shirt - which start at $150 a shirt - is one of Alan Couture's range. It is unclear where Manafort's suit he is wearing in court is from

Mocking: Demonstrators outside the court on Tuesday had already made Manafort's lifestyle a focus of their mockery

Manafort's attorneys have argued that Gates  who has been cooperating with prosecutors after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice  embezzled money from Manafort and then turned against him to save himself from jail time.

Prosecutors also sought to publish photos of Manafort's suits on television screens in the courtroom.

This drew a rebuke from Judge T.S. Ellis who has repeatedly objected to the prosecution's focus on Manafort's wealth and spending habits.

'The government doesn't want to prosecute somebody because they wear nice clothes, right?' asked the judge.

When the prosecution attempted to continue the line of questioning, asking Katzman to add up the total amount Manafort spent at his store, the judge cut it off.

'I said that's enough,' Judge Ellis said sharply. '[The jury] can add.'

Judge Ellis later told prosecutors that he can 'understand this effort to show [Manafort] lived lavishly,' but did not believe this was relevant to the government's tax evasion and bank fraud charges against the former Trump campaign chairman.Keith Vaz relentlessly bullied a clerk after she blew the whistle on his alleged 'opulent' dining with mystery men on a trip to Ukraine, it was claimed last night.

On another taxpayer-funded trip, the Labour MP invited a group of curry restaurateur lobbyists, an investigation by the BBC's Newsnight alleged.

When House of Commons clerk Jenny McCullough complained, she claimed Mr Vaz responded by 'haranguing' her about her fertility status, the BBC said.

Keith Vaz has been accused of bullying staff in Parliament and on overseas trips. One woman says he accused her of incompetence because she was 'not a mother'

She later quit her job  blaming the stress caused by the confrontations and the failure of Commons authorities to take her complaints seriously. Last night Leicester East MP Mr Vaz, 61, strenuously denied the accusations.

They relate to 2007 and 2008 when he was chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee. He stood down in 2016 when a newspaper sting exposed his liaison with male prostitutes, during which he discussed buying cocaine.

How the Mail exposed concerns about trip Concerns about a trip led by Keith Vaz to Russia in 2008 were first raised by the Daily Mail ten years ago. A number of MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee, which Mr Vaz then chaired, felt uncomfortable when one of his close friends  later exposed by the Mail as a bogus solicitor with criminal convictions  made a surprise appearance. Shahrokh Mireskandari, who was later struck off, turned up at an official dinner in Moscow. The dinner occurred during the trip when Commons clerk Jenny McCullough's relationship with Mr Vaz is said to have deteriorated rapidly. When British officials did not recognise Mireskandari, they asked Mr Vaz who he was. According to sources, he wrinkled his brow as if struggling to recall and said: 'I think it's Shahrokh Mireskandari.' In fact, he enjoyed a close relationship with Mireskandari and had twice intervened on his behalf during examination of his dubious activities. Mr Vaz has previously denied any wrongdoing and an inquiry cleared him of wrongdoing over his intervention in a court case on Mireskandari's behalf. Advertisement

A parliamentary investigation is still ongoing, although it was suspended last December 'for medical reasons'.

Miss McCullough was one of the committee's clerks, and accompanied the MPs on a trip to Russia and Ukraine in 2008.

Part of her role was to enforce rules intended to stop MPs turning official visits into holidays or business trips.

Miss McCullough, who quit in 2011, told Newsnight a dinner in Kiev arranged by Mr Vaz was 'large' and 'opulent' and attended by mystery guests.

She later emailed her manager saying: 'The chairman [Mr Vaz] refused to tell me who we would be meeting ... beyond Ivan, a friend of his who was ... a 'senator'.

'I have absolutely no idea who the other people there were  when I asked during the dinner the chairman told me that HE didn't know ... We didn't pay  I didn't know who did.'

Miss McCullough claimed that when she complained, Mr Vaz launched into a 'tirade' against her in a hotel lobby.

She wrote: 'He then demanded to know what age I was. He told me that I didn't know how the House worked and ... that I wasn't capable of serving the committee because I wasn't a mother.'

Newsnight claimed Miss McCullough's colleagues recalled Mr Vaz's criticism as 'unrelenting and personal', and other staff had complained of bullying by the MP.

Jenny McCullough claims she was accused of being unable to do her job properly because of her not being a mother. Mr Vaz MP denies the claims

Mr Vaz denied 'all the allegations made against me', saying he had 'only now ... been properly appraised of some of the particulars'.

He said he had a 'good working relationship' with Miss McCullough, adding: 'I did not berate Ms McCullough at any stage, nor did I ... insult her maternal status.'

His representative said the other people were Ukrainian parliamentarians present for 'an informal discussion on organised crime and immigration'. They insisted no rules were broken and 'clerks were fully aware of the ... programme and how it was financed.'

Newsnight claimed there were several other trips 'where there were major deviations from the normal processes', including the presence of restaurateur lobbyists on a committee visit to India and Bangladesh in 2008.

Keith Vaz Member of Parliament for Leicester East since the 1987 is also accused of breaking rules on foreign trips

Mr Vaz said he 'cannot recall' if any British Asian restaurateurs joined the flight but 'would not be surprised' as the committee's remit included considering 'facilitating entry into the UK for individuals in the catering industry'. He said no protocols were broken.

The House of Commons said that while it had not had a 'robust process' to deal with bullying in the past, its new 'Independent Complaints and Grievance Policy will mean allegations can be dealt with effectively and sensitively'.

A House of Commons spokesman said: 'The House of Commons strives to be a responsive and supportive employer and we do not tolerate bullying or harassment of any kind.

'We are aware that in the past the House has not had a robust process in place to deal with instances of bullying and harassment.

'However, we are confident that our new Independent Complaints and Grievance Policy will mean that allegations can be dealt with effectively and sensitively.

Mr Vaz MP denies he has bullied staff despite multiple allegations being given to BBC Newsnight

'The ICGP was adopted by the House on July 19, and includes a new behaviour code and policies and procedures designed to tackle bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct at Westminster.

'In March the House of Commons commission agreed that an independent Inquiry into the bullying and harassment of House staff should also be initiated.

'The Non-Executive members of the Commission appointed Dame Laura Cox QC to lead the Inquiry, which is now underway.

'Dame Laura expects to publish a report following the summer recess.

'In addition the House has agreed to set up a new independent inquiry looking into historical allegations of bullying and harassment, which we expect to report in six months' time.'A drill rapper who was knifed to death as two of his band mates were slashed in a triple-stabbing was cleared of murder earlier this year.

Sidique 'Incognito' Kamara died last night shortly after 7.21pm in Camberwell, south London, shortly after dropping his mother off at the bus stop and kissing her goodbye.

Witnesses said he was stabbed in the chest before collapsing while trying to flee on his bike and police have confirmed they are investigating whether it was a gang-related killing.

A cousin of the Mr Kamara, who was a father to one, said he was a 'good boy' who had 'no problem' with anyone.

'He has just walked his mum over to the bus stop and was on his way back - it was like they set him up.'

The 23-year-old was cleared of murdering Abdirahman Mohamed - who was stabbed to death in Peckham, south-east London - after a trial at the Old Bailey in January, BBC reports.

Mr Kamara was killed only yards from where his friend Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton, 17, was shot to death in broad daylight in May.

Scroll down for video

Incognito (pictured) was killed just yards from the spot where his friend was shot to death in broad daylight in May

Mourners comfort each other at the scene of the stabbing after Incognito was killed in what police they may have been a gang-related incident

People have been laying flowers at the spot where Incognito was killed in what may have been a gang-related murder

Incognito, circled left, appeared with his fellow band mates Moscow17 - which included his friend Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton, circled right, who was shot dead in May, on ex-Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood's YouTube channel, Mr Westwood is pictured rear

Loved ones have been laying tributes at the scene in Camberwell, south London, on the spot where Incognito was stabbed

Police have launched a murder investigation and arrested two men for the murder on this south London street where a forensics tent has been put up where he died

A witness claimed police stopped Kamara's 55-year-old mother, Janaba, from climbing over a metal railing to speak to her dying son.

The neighbour said she simply wanted to hear his 'last words' but officers would not let her.

'They stopped her going through at the police cordon so she ran and tried to climb over the metal railings,' she said. 'The officers physically stopped her going over.'

A spokeswoman for the Met said: 'Specialist family liaison officers have been assigned to the victim's next of kin and are in contact with them.'

Last night's murder is the 91st in the capital so far this year and the third in the Camberwell area in the past three weeks.

Both young men were both members of the Moscow17 drill rap outfit who have appeared on ex-Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood's YouTube channel.

Their gang from Kennington is involved in a violent feud with rivals Zone2 from nearby Peckham, which has escalated through various YouTube rap videos.

Incognito died yards from where his friend and fellow rapper GB was gunned down in early May

GB and Incognito both died in the same street close to the the Kennington estate where they lived

Incognito's murder is the 91st in London this year as 2018 enters its eight month

THE 'DRILL' RAP MUSIC FUELLING GANG VIOLENCE IN LONDON 'Drill' music, a hip-hop subgenre, is driving the feuding gang war in London, community leaders have warned. Hundreds of videos on YouTube feature UK rappers threatening and provoking people from rival areas. To 'drill' means to fight or scrap and the violent lyrics focus on gang life, drugs, guns and killing. In one video viewed nearly three million times, rapper Digga D boasts about having to bleach his knife after using it to attack someone. In another, entitled 'Mummy's Kitchen', rappers Loski and Mayski, who are thought to be Londoners, boast about taking a blade from the family home. In the videos, which are filmed across the city, performers take care to ensure their faces are covered. The link with fatal attacks committed against young Londoners is made clear under the videos on YouTube, where commentators speculate about which groups were responsible. Advertisement

Shocked close friend Jason, 23, visited the scene and said said: 'He was a young father and he was a very good father. He was a young man learning to be a dad.

'He was a good guy and I'm just grieving for my friend.

'He loves his daughter, she's six.'

A neighbour said her younger sisters performed CPR on Sidique until police arrived.

She said: 'They were the first on the scene.

'They are 20 and 21 - they grew up with him and are very traumatised. They were among his friends in the block.

'I know that my sister was upset that when police turned up and they didn't make an effort to run.

'She had been doing CPR for a while and just said by the time they pulled up they don't make the effort.

'She wanted to save him.

'I only know him as Sidique. His family is from Sierra Leone.

'To me he was polite, what he was to other people I don't know, he was a normal youth.

'This is like a flashback to when my other friend passed away here, Raheem.

'It's a horrible moment. I'm a parent and I don't know what to think. It upsets me obviously that these youths are taking their lives.

'It's saddening, it's heartbreaking.

'Youths who haven't explored life.

'I last saw him on Tuesday afternoon. He was just on his bike, happy. He didn't look worried.'

The victim of last night's murder has been named locally as drill rap artist known as 'Incognito'

One man died and two others were injured in a stabbing incident on Warham Street, Camberwell in south east London last night

Fans of the young victim have paid tribute to him on social media

Speaking at the murder scene Pastor Julian Khan, who runs the local branch of children's charity Mercy Mission, said: 'We are in a war zone and it's horrible that this situation is continuing.

'It is allowed to continue and the way it is going, it's very alarming. We do our best as a local charity to try to steer these children away from a life of guns and crime but we don't get any support from the local council.

'The council would rather spend money on pavements, which don't have feelings, than in human emotions to help these young kids.

'We consider ourselves an early intervention group that is designed to stop the crime being committed before it is, but we are on our own and it's a very vicious circle.

'The solution is engaging with groups like ourselves and many others to look at what works because life has evolved where social media plays a pivotal role whether for the best or the worst.

'Sometimes I accompany my children to school because you don't want to be told something has happened to one of them. This is getting out of hand.'

Officers were called to Warham Street in Camberwell at around 7.20pm on Wednesday along with London's Air Ambulance Service where all three men were found.

One of the victims was declared dead at the scene, the Metropolitan Police said, while the two others were taken to hospital.

A spokesman for the Met said they were awaiting an update on their conditions, and officers were informing the deceased man's next-of-kin.

Two men were arrested close to the scene on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.

A police cordon is in place around the crime scene.

The attack happened on the same street where 17-year-old Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton was found with a fatal gunshot wound in May this year.

Rivals from Peckham were blamed for the attack and Incognito and members of their gang wore T-shirts dedicated to a tribute march for Rhyhiem, known as GB.

Both GB and Incognito appeared alongside Tim Westwood in a YouTube rap video where most members were wearing balaclavas and hoodies and smoking drugs.

They rapped about 'splashing' rivals - slang for stabbing someone repeatedly until they pour with blood - and bragged their south London crew is 'known for capping' its enemies which means shooting someone.

In June Incognito was interviewed about the influence of drill music on violence on London's streets.

On his friend GB's death he said: 'I'm still in shock. I just don't believe it. It feels like he's on a holiday. I don't believe he's dead. That's the honest truth'.

He also admitted that drill music is leading to violence - but said that young people in deprived areas of London have nothing else to turn to.

He said: 'The crime that's happening right now - music does influence it. Drill music does influence it but knife crime and gun crime has been happening before drill music. Obviously it has gone up by a certain percentage and it could be because of the music, the weed, girls, it could be many reasons.

'But people want to use an excuse now. The government can't solve the problem. They could bring out youth clubs, you could invest into many other things to help the community, but no you just don't want to do that - you want to use an excuse and blame drill.

'Invest in youth centres, invest in a new 4G [football] pitch in the area. If you can't take that step then how can you just blame drill music. What can we turn to?'

Two men have been arrested following the incident this evening

Police have cordoned-off much of the street while they search for forensic evidence

This evening's victim was found on the same street where Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton suffered a fatal gunshot wound on May 7, 2018. The 17-year-old was shot in broad daylight

Police have been able to go to court to ban some groups performing on YouTube if they think it's inflaming tensions between gangs.

Incognito said: 'There's success at the end of this for us so we're just going to continue making it, regardless. They can't stop us rapping. I'm a good artist. I don't want to be vain but I am quite good and people want to hear what we have to say'.

Incognito's has led to an outpouring of grief online.

According the group's music label: 'Today we have taken a very sad loss in our member @SK017_/Incognito, we ask for all prayers to be directed towards him and his family.'

At the time of her son's death Rhyhiem's mother Pretana Morgan called for a halt in the wave of violence in the capital.

She said: 'Let my son be the last and be an example to everyone. Just let it stop. What must be, must be.

'It's not about race, it's not about nation, it's not about culture. Nothing. It's just a human race.

'Just one human race. So children, please let my son be the last.'Former President Barack Obama announced a list of 81 candidates he's supporting in the 2018 election but the large list of names is missing a few prominent Democrats in high-profile or key races, including left-wing super star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The candidates range from state contests to federal ones and include contenders across the country.

They also include Obama loyalists and a diverse range of politicians.

'I'm proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidates,' he said in a statement Wednesday. 'They need our votes  and I'm eager to make the case for why Democratic candidates deserve our votes this fall.'

President Obama endorsed 81 Democratic candidates on Monday

But not on his list was left-wing super star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Obama is backing Gavin Newsom's bid for governor of California. Newsom's ex-wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, is now dating Donald Trump Jr.

Among those to receive the former president's blessing are Richard Cordray, who was Obama's director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and is running for governor of Ohio; J.B. Pritzker, the Hyatt Hotels heir whose family are longtime Obama loyalists and is for governor in Illinois; and Stacey Abrams, who is trying to become the first African-American woman elected governor of Georgia.

The majority of candidates he backed were women, who are running in record numbers this year.

Jacky Rosen, who's running against Republican Sen. Dean Heller in Nevada, got Obama's nod of approval. Heller is seen as the most vulnerable GOP senator running this year.

He also backed California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom's bid for governor. Newsom's ex-wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, is now dating Donald Trump Jr.

Other officials from his administration got the nod from Obama: Colin Allred, a former Justice Department official running for a House seat in Texas; Ammar Campa-Najjar, a former Labor Department official running against California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter; and Buffy Wicks, a former Obama campaign aide running for a California assembly seat.

But a number of prominent candidates, including some running in critical races, were missing.

Not on his list were Ocasio-Cortez, who stunned party officials when she defeated Rep. Joe Crowley of New York in their June Democratic rally; Beto O'Rourke, who's running to beat Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas, and Rep. Conor Lamb, whose win in a March special election drew him national attention while redistricting in Pennsylvania left him in a tough bid against a sitting Republican member of Congress.

Also missing were New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his primary challenger Cynthia Nixon - neither got the president's seal of approval.

It's unclear how his help goes beyond his verbal endorsement. Obama hasn't announced any specific campaign plans for the fall although he's said he'd be out on the trail.

Obama did back Stacey Abrams, who is trying to become the first African-American woman elected governor of Georgia

He didn't back Sen. Claire McCaskill, who's running in a tough race in a state President Trump won, but he hosted a Hollywood fundraiser for her in May

Obama did not endorse Beto O'Rourke, who's running against Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas

His endorsements were also strategic in who he didn't mention. He didn't formally endorse Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, for example, who's in a tight reelection campaign in a state President Donald Trump won. Obama did, however, host a fundraiser for her in Hollywood in May.

His name ID may not hold the same sway in conservative states as it does in Democratic strongholds or purple states.

He is expected to make another round of endorsements before the election.

Obama has kept a relatively low profile since he left office. He's made a few speeches and is working on his memoir. He was spotted out in Washington D.C. on Monday having lunch with his former Vice President Joe Biden. And he attended a Beyonce concert with former first lady Michelle Obama at FedEx Field outside Washington over the weekend.

California firefighter Jason Campbell was battling a wildfire near Yosemite Valley last week, not knowing that his family's home was destroyed by the deadly Carr Fire six hours away.

Jason's wife of six years, 32-year-old Shyla Campbell, said it was nearly 2am on Thursday when the inferno closed in on their hamlet near Redding and she got an official alert to evacuate.

'It's huge flames, it's coming up the hill, and everyone's out and we're watching it, then it goes down, and everyone's like, "Oh it's going out,"' she said. 'And I'm like, "No, it's going down the mountain and it's going to come back up the next ridge."'

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Displaced: Firefighter Jason Campbell, pictured on his wedding day with his bride Shyla, was six hours away from home battling the Yosemite Valley wildfire when Carr Fire closed in on his hamlet near Redding

Piles of ashes: Campbell returned home on Friday, only to find a pile of smoking debris where his house had once stood (pictured)

Campbell is pictured at the head of a 20-person crew with the emergency response company GFP Enterprises tackling the Ferguson Fire last week

Shyla and her two children - a six-year-old son and a daughter who turned 13 that same day - spent the night at a hotel.

When Jason returned from the Ferguson Fire he was fighting at the head of a 20-person crew on Friday afternoon, he found a pile of debris where his house had once stood. The fire also incinerated his RV and his boat.

The Campbells' home of five years was among more than 1,000 structures that officials say were destroyed by the fire, which also also killed at least six people, among them two firefighters.

According to the description of a GoFundMe campaign launched by Paul Asher, vice president of fire operation at the emergency response company GFP Enterprises where Campbell has worked for over a decade, the firefighter is a proud and hard-working man.

The deadly blaze that has displaced tens of thousands of people also destroyed the Campbells' RV and boat (family pictured)

Jason's wife and their two children (son pictured) safely evacuated and went to a hotel

'I know it is tearing Jason up inside that he was so far away performing the job he loves, unable to protect his own family and save his own property,' Asher wrote.

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than $19,000 has been raised in donations.

Shyla Campbell has been looking for a rental property for her family on Craigslist, but she lamented on Facebook that so far she has been unable to find anything because so many people in her area have been displaced.

Carr Fire, which was ignited by a vehicle on July 23, has scorched more than 180 square miles and displaced tens of thousands of people. It is 35 per cent contained.

The colossal blaze - the most formidable of 94 wildfires burning across 13 western states - is now ranked as the sixth most destructive wildfire in California history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.Dogs are considered people's best friends, but at least one dog in Texas had a best friend of his own that had four legs and fur.

A man in Waco, Texas shared photos of that dog mourning the loss of his best friend, the family's guinea pig, on Thursday.

Joseph Scaramucci shared the images of his dog, Mattis, who was so heartbroken when Otis the guinea pig died that he wouldn't get out of his cage, the family said.

Joseph Scaramucci of Waco, Texas shared photos on Thursday of his dog, Mattis, and the now-deceased family guinea pig (shown while still alive), as Mattis mourned the loss of his best friend by refusing to leave the tiny creature's cage

'When I went to pick up the cage and clean it up, he stayed right with me and then sat next to it and in it on the sidewalk,' Brittany Scaramucci told News Channel 10.

'When I lifted the lid off, he made it pretty obvious that he knew something was wrong and just looked at me like "What is going on?" It broke my heart.'

Brittany commented to Joseph on Monday about how Mattis was refusing to eat, now that his partner was no longer around, he said.

'When I went to pick up the cage and clean it up, he stayed right with me and then sat next to it and in it on the sidewalk,' Brittany Scaramucci said

Mattis and Otis were best buddies for the last four years, until Otis passed away on Thursday

'Mattis just seems to tolerate everything, so I was surprised,' Joseph said.

Mattis and Otis were the best of buds for the last four years, until Otis passed away on Thursday.

The guinea pig passed away after the family returned home from vacation.The controversial My Health Record system has already been hacked nine times.

Health Minister Greg Hunt claimed the system boasted military-grade security, saying this week, 'the advice that I have, no data breaches'.

But contrary to Mr Hunt's claims, the Australian Digital Health Agency, which runs the system, admitted to nine breaches since the network was established.

The system has been hacked nine times despite Health minister Greg Hunt (pictured) claiming My Health Record boasted military grade security

'In the 2016-17 financial year, there were six data breach notifications within My Health Record, and three notifications in the previous financial year,' the agency said.

'Of the six data breaches reported by the Agency, four were the result of alleged fraudulent Medicare claims.

'The remaining two breaches were the result of a consumer accessing a My Health Record that was not their own due to a processing error by the Department of Human Services.'

While the Agency said fines of up to $126,000 and jail penalties of up to two years applied to anyone who breached the system, no penalties were applied as a result of the nine breaches so far, the Herald Sun reported.

Contrary to Mr Hunt's claims, the Australian Digital Health Agency, who runs the system, admitted there were nine breaches since established (stock image)

The revelation comes after mental health bodies cited serious concerns surrounding the federal government initiative

The revelation comes after mental health bodies cited serious concerns surrounding the federal government initiative.

Consumers of Mental Health WA (CoMHWA), the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council and the NSW peak organisation Being said the risk of privacy breaches was too high.

'If you're in doubt, opt out,' CoMHWA CEO Shauna Gaebler said.

The government initially opened a three-month opt-out window ending on October 15, meaning anyone who did not want a record needed to manually opt-out before that date.

After October 15, an e-health record would have been created for every Australian by default.

However, Mr Hunt bowed to mounting pressure and extended the opt-out period until November 12.

About 20,000 opted out of the system on the first day of a three-month opt-out window despite website glitches.

The move has been welcomed by the Australian Medical Association and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

Mr Hunt also strengthened privacy provisions so that a court order was required for information to be released without consent.

RACGP president Dr Bastian Seidel welcomed the move, calling it 'a very positive step towards the meaningful use of My Health Record'.

'A patient's medical record contains highly sensitive, confidential and privileged information. It needs to be protected, not just shared - and I'm pleased that Minister Greg Hunt has agreed to do so,' Dr Seidel posted on Twitter.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Mr Hunt said: 'The amendment will ensure no record can be released to police or government agencies, for any purpose, without a court order'.Lourdes Espindola, 25, a policewoman in Argentina, had spoken at length with her cop husband, about the dangers that working in law enforcement presented in Argentina.

She just never knew her life would be cut short on Sunday.

Espindola frantically begged for help over a voice note she sent via Whataspp to her husband Fernando Altamirano, 34, crying, I have been shot, I have been shot. I am dying. I am dying, I am dying.

Policewoman Lourdes Espindola (right), 25, sent a heartbreaking audio to her cop husband, Fernando Altamirano (left), 34, telling the officer that she had been shot and that she was dying after two armed robbers stole her service weapon on Saturday. She was declared brain dead on Sunday.

Pablo Manuel Frascarelli (left), 38, and Jorge Di Blasi, 37, (right) were accused of killing policewoman Lourdes Espindola. Frascarelli and Di Blasi approached last Saturday Espindola and robbed her of a service weapon. She tried to fend off Frascarelli but Di Blasi shot her in the neck. She was declared brain dead last Sunday.

The mother of a boy, six, had just completed her patrol tour in the town of Ituziango and was standing at a dirt-covered bus station awaiting her ride home with three unknown women when two men jumped out of a vehicle with guns drawn on Saturday.

At approximately 7.05 PM local time, Jorge Di Blasi, 37, directly approached Espindola carrying a firearm in each hand. The three women abruptly ran from the scene when Di Blasis cohort, Pablo Manuel Frascarelli, 38, violently threatened them.

Frascarelli then forcefully attempted to disarm the policewoman, who put on a brave fight. De Blasi came from behind and killed her with a single shot to the neck before the culprits managed to make away for Espindolas service weapon.

Di Blasi was arrested on Monday and Frascarelli was nabbed on Tuesday. Both had long rap sheets.

Barely conscious and fighting for her life, an emotional Espindola had the wherewithal to record a message of desperation to her husband, who reached out to a fellow police officer that was quickly able to arrive at the scene and transported her to the hospital.

Espindola was operated on at a local hospital, but was declared brain dead and died on Sunday.

Policewoman Lourdes Espindola (right), 25, left an audio to her husband cop, Fernando Altamirano (left), 34, telling him that she had just been shot and that she was dying on Saturday. She died the following day after she was declared brain dead.

When we leave we dont know if were returning. We had our worries that wed get shot like it happened to Lourdes, said Altamirano, who entertained the idea of turning in his badge before reconsidering his actions.

It was a recent topic of conversation. Security has been an ongoing theme. We arent doing anything about it. If you murdered a cop or a citizen, you should not have any more right because the assassin come back out.

A rally has been already scheduled for August 18 where Altamirano, friends and the rest of the police force will be seeking justice reform.He made headlines as the fugitive gangster who taunted police on social media, saying: Catch me if you can.

Then it appeared as if convicted drug dealer Sam Walkers luck had run out when he was arrested at last.

But, unbelievably, he was released on bail. And yesterday the 35-year-old was sticking two fingers up at the law again after failing to turn up at court and promptly going on the run again.

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Reports suggest he is viewed as a 'hero' in Sierra Leone because he has helped with access to clean water. This picture was posted to Instagram in May

In a video posted on Facebook, Walker  who appears to have a black eye  claimed he was beaten by police following his arrest.

The saga began in May when Walker, who has more than 100 convictions, some for firearms offences, failed to appear in court in Cheshire to answer the relatively minor charge of driving while disqualified.

He used social media to taunt the authorities from West Africa, chronicling his escape from justice in a video he titled How to get out of the UK when youre wanted by police.

In a video posted on Facebook, Walker  who appears to have a black eye  claimed he was beaten by police following his arrest

It purported to show Walker, who feared he would be sent back to jail for breaching the driving ban, using private jets and hitching a lift on a cargo ship in a crime caper-style 5,000-mile trip to Sierra Leone, where he claimed to be doing charity work.

As Cheshire Police said they were investigating his non-appearance at court, Walker raised the stakes by sneaking back into Britain.

The publicity-seeking gangster, who has been in and out of prison since his teenage years, filmed himself criss-crossing Europe, the Middle East and North Africa in private planes, helicopters and speedboats. He claimed he took the unorthodox route to avoid border checks.

He was seen landing by helicopter in a field in northern England, before being driven away in a waiting car and spending the night in a 250-a-night Hilton hotel room overlooking the headquarters of Merseyside Police.

He filmed himself bragging: What would they do if they knew I was here? He also videoed himself in a car parked opposite Cheshire Police headquarters in Winsford, laughing on camera and saying: Catch me if you can.

On Sunday of last week, police finally thought they had got their man when they arrested Walker in Cronton, Merseyside.

Walker is no stranger to the high life, posting this picture outside Atlantis The Palm in Dubai in July 2017

But when he appeared before magistrates in Chester two days later, they granted bail. Walker was due before the court again yesterday but instead sent his solicitor with a doctors note, saying he was unfit for work/court.

Tammy Mitchell, prosecuting, suggested the note had been altered. She told magistrates: Look at the ink. The ink of /court is different to the ink of the doctors signature.

The court ruled that the note was unacceptable  and another warrant was issued for Walkers arrest. David Woods, representing Walker, claimed his client had contacted him on Tuesday to say he was unwell.

Walker, left in a helicopter on his return to the UK and right in Sierra Leone, came back to the UK via Italy, Spain and Portugal

He said Walker, who had been due to enter pleas to charges of driving while disqualified, driving with no insurance, obstructing a police officer and failing to attend bail, claimed he had been beaten in custody before his last appearance and suffered facial injuries.

Walker later insisted: The sick note is genuine. I went to the doctors for injuries sustained by the police when they arrested me.

I took the note from my GP and got someone to take it to my solicitor. He boasted that he would be returning to Sierra Leone to continue his charity work soon.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said: We are aware a warrant has been issued for his arrest and our inquiries are ongoing.

The Crown Prosecution Service failed to respond to requests for comment on why Walker had been granted bail last week.The Transportation Safety Administration has revealed it's seized four 3D-printed guns or gun parts since 2016.

The revelation comes as debate rages over the homemade firearms, with a district court on Tuesday blocking company Defense Distributed from posting blueprints for 3D-printed guns online.

'TSA Officers are trained and on the lookout for 3D guns,' TSA Assistant Administrator Michael Bilello said in a statement to CBS News, confirming the seizure statistic.

'We have proven detection capabilities and screening protocols in place. In the world of airport and aviation security, 'a gun is a gun.''

TSA officers seized this '3D printed realistic replica revolver' and five .22-caliber rounds at Nevada's Reno-Tahoe International Airport in August of 2016

The first of the four incidents occurred at Nevada's Reno-Tahoe International Airport in August of 2016.

TSA officers recovered a '3D printed realistic replica revolver' and five .22-caliber rounds. The passenger voluntarily surrendered the device.

In the second incident, TSA officers at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire found a 3D-printed gun in a carry-on bag, which was also surrendered by the passenger.

The other two incidents occurred at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport, in December 2016 and January 2018.

In both cases, officers discovered 3D-printed lower receivers for the AR-15 platform.

A file photo of a 3D-printed AR lower receiver is seen above. Two such lower receivers were seized at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport, in December 2016 and January 2018

Lower receivers are the regulated part of the semi-automatic rifles, and the rest of the firearm can be assembled with unregistered parts.

The seizures of 3D-printed firearms represent a tiny fraction of the guns seized by TSA over a two year period.

Last year, the agency found 3,957 guns in carry-on bags, an average of more than 10 per day.

Cody Wilson, founder of the company Defense Distributed, has vowed to take his fight to publish online blueprints for 3D-printed firearms to the Supreme Court if necessary.

Pictured: Some of the 84 firearms that TSA found in carry-on bags between July 16 and 24

Late Tuesday, dozens of Democratic senators introduced legislation designed to block the publication of 3D-printable firearm blueprints, a move gun control groups also applauded.

But the National Rifle Association, the nation's most politically influential gun rights group, said undetectable plastic weapons were already illegal under a 1988 law and therefore the issue was moot.

'Regardless of what a person may be able to publish on the Internet, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years,' the NRA said in a statement.Donald Trump Jr and Kimberly Guilfoyle's whirlwind romance continues to intensify as the pair were spotted on yet another date night.

The couple were seen walking out of the former Fox News host's Central Park apartment for a night out at Rosa Mexicano in Manhattan on Monday.

Kimberly, 49, donned an all-black ensemble that featured tight leather leggings, a flowing long-sleeved top, and matching Christian Louboutin heels.

Don Jr opted for brighter colors with a hot pink Polo shirt and a pair of jeans, appearing to show off a fuller figure as they headed off for dinner.

Donald Trump Jr and Kimberly Guilfoyle's whirlwind romance is only getting stronger as the pair were spotted on yet another date night on Monday

Don Jr appeared to show off a fuller figure in his pink Polo shirt as he headed off for dinner with his new girlfriend, who rocked tight leather legging and Louboutins for the date

It appears Don Jr has given up time at his beloved CrossFit for more dates with the former Fox News host.

Before and right after announcing his divorce to Vanessa Trump, Don Jr's Instagram began to fill with pictures and snaps of his daily sweat sessions.

Don Jr often posted pictures of both himself and his children at his gym, along with plenty of photographs of various hunting and hiking trip with his friends.

But those workout photos have become less and less frequent as Don Jr's profile fills with pictures of him and Kimberly smiling at various events and date nights together.

The pair were later seen walking out of Rosa Mexicano together with Don Jr clutching a doggy bag of leftovers. The arm sleeve of his shirt said POLO in all caps - a change from his normal Trump branded gear

DailyMail.com confirmed Kimberly and Don Jr's relationship in June after weeks of speculation - and the two have been flaunting their romance ever since.

The pair spent a romantic weekend together fishing in Montana after attending the Republican Party's annual convention.

Kimberly was on hand to support her new beau as he delivered a speech in Billings, Montana, where he announced he was going to take her fishing and shooting.

And Don Jr has also been spotted writing sappy comments on her pictures and fending off other men vying for his girlfriend's attention.

It appears Don Jr (seen here in 2017 after a workout) has given up time at his beloved CrossFit for more dates with Kimberly

Shortly after announcing his divorce to Vanessa Trump, Don Jr's Instagram began to fill with pictures and snaps of his daily sweat sessions - seen here the first week of June

Don Jr often posted pictures of both himself and his children at his gym, along with plenty of photographs of various hunting and hiking trip with his friends. Kai, left, and Spencer in April at right

A source close to the president's son told DailyMail.com the two are 'crazy about each other'.

'They're really into each other, it's obvious from the way they are together, and they haven't tried to hide it.'

The pair made their first public appearance in Washington DC last week at the Turning Point High School Leadership Summit, where they put on a very public display of love.

Don Jr and Kimberly took to the stage at one point during the event, holding hands as they addressed the crowd.

But those workout photos have become less and less frequent as Don Jr's profile fills with pictures of him and Kimberly smiling on various trips and dates together - like this fishing trip to the Hamptons last weekend

The pair made their first public appearance in Washington DC last week at the Turning Point High School Leadership Summit (pictured)

The appearance came just days after Kimberly parted ways with Fox News.

The former journalist revealed she would be dedicating herself to work full-time as Vice Chairwoman for America First, where she would be 'campaigning across the country and firmly standing with President Trump.'

'I will miss my Fox family,' she said in a statement.

'I thank Fox for the opportunities it has provided me. I thank all the talented producers, staff, and above all I thank the best fans out there.'An archdiocese in Pennsylvania has published a list of all 71 of its clergymen who have been accused of sexually abusing children.

The Roman Catholic diocese of Harrisburg published the list this week after the conclusion of a Department of Justice investigation into the alleged crimes.

All of its clergymen who were accused are now dead.

Some are alive but do not belong to the archdiocese and were included because their names have cropped up in investigations.

This is the list that was published by the Roman Catholic diocese of Harrisburg on Wednesday

The current bishop Ronald W. Gainer said he felt it was important to publish their names out of respect to their accusers.

In a further step to make amends with the alleged victims, the archdiocese has scrubbed the name of every bishop it has had since 1947.

Not all of them are included in the allegations of sexually abuse but the bishop said he felt it was an important step to take to indicate that any further mistreatment would not be tolerated.

The current bishop Ronald W. Gainer (pictured) published the list on Wednesday

'The decision to remove names of Bishops and clerics may prove to be controversial, but as a Bishop, I strongly believe that leaders of the Diocese must hold themselves to a higher standard, and must yield honorary symbols in the interest of healing,' Bishop Gainer said.

The list includes dozens of priests who are alleged to have touched children inappropriately and kissed some of them on the lips.

Bishop Gainer said he wanted to send a message to survivors that they would no longer be ignored.

The archdiocese has redesigned its website and it is now entirely geared towards helping the survivors of sexual abuse cope.

'I am saddened because I know that behind every story is the face of a child precious in Gods sight; a child who has been wounded by the sins of those who should have known better.

'I acknowledge the sinfulness of those who have harmed these survivors, as well as the action and inaction of those in church leadership who failed to respond to you appropriately and justly.

''In my own name, and in the name of the Diocesan Church of Harrisburg, I express our profound sorrow and apologize to the survivors of child sex abuse, the Catholic faithful and the general public for the abuses that took place and for those Church officials who failed to protect children,' he said.An Alabama mother-of-two has been charged with murder after she allegedly shot and killed her estranged husband in the driveway of her home.

Jacqueline Dixon, 38, was arrested at around 8.30am on Tuesday at her home after she gunned down Carl Omar Dixon, 44, with a handgun according to Selma Police Chief Spencer Collier.

Dixon claimed that Carl charged at her in an aggressive manner, resulting in the shooting.

Her attorneys have also said that her former partner has a history of abuse and she took out an order of protection against him.

Jacqueline Dixon, 38, was arrested around 8.30am at her home at 2113 Church Street, according to Selma Police Chief Spencer Collier

According to Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson, Dixon had a protection from abuse order against her ex.

She had not appeared to have enforced the order while they were married.

The request was made in 2016, according to court records, where she claimed that he punched her in the face and shouted expletives at her.

She was given temporary custody over the couple's two young children once the judge ruled in her favor.

Jackson added that domestic issues had existed in the couple's relationship.

The argument may have spawned after Carl found a condom at his wife's house, believing that she was cheating.

Her husband, 44-year-old Carl Omar Dixon, was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene

According to Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson, Jacqueline had a protection from abuse order against Carl that she had made in 2016

Jacqueline was charged with murder-domestic violence and booked in the Dallas County Jail on a $100.000 bond.

Carl's death marks the seventh homicide in Selma - a town with a population of less than 19,000 - according to Collier.

'Domestic violence is a crime that knows no racial, geographic or socioeconomic boundary,'' the chief said. 'It affects all segments of our society and every situation is needless and preventable.'

Collier commended the judicial system and how it handled the case.

'It is pretty clear that the judicial system worked in this situation because the protection from abuse order was in place. I am not sure which judge handled the matter, but I applaud him for doing his job,'' Collier added.

'However, the order is simply a piece of paper if the complainant does not seek its enforcement. Regardless, it is a sad case and Selma PD joins the community in praying for both families.'The newest member of the Teen Mom cast answered some fan questions on Wednesday via her Instagram story, and made one bombshell announcement.

Bristol Palin, 27, revealed that she and Dakota Meyer are divorced, five months after DailyMail.com first broke the new that Meyer had filed papers to terminate their marriage in Travis County District Court.

'Are you dating,' asked a fan, to which Palin replied: 'freshly divorced & single forever lezzbereal (I am not ready to date).'

The oldest of Sarah Palin's three daughters later said that she does not see herself walking down the aisle again at this time, while noting that the number one question people ask her is whether or not she is married.

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Family: Bristol Palin answered fan questions on her Instagram story, and said that she is not dating because she recently got divorced (Bristol and Dakota with Levi and Sailor in 2017)

Nope: Palin, who is currently filming the new season of Teen Mom, said she does not see herself walking down the aisle any time in the future

Name game: She revealed that she and Meyer had a boy name selected but not a girl, and eventually agreed to name their newborn Atlee after an 'airplane parts store' (above)

This frank and candid question-and-answer session comes as Palin is busy filming the new season of Teen Mom.

Producers announced last month that Palin had joined the case of the popular reality series, and that she will earn a reported $250,000 for her first season on the program.

Palin will be appearing on the show with her three children, and opened up about their lives on Wednesday.

When asked about Atlee, her daughter with Meyer who just turned one, Palin said that she thought she was having a boy for most of the pregnancy, and was shocked to learn it was a girl.

She and Meyer had a boy name selected but not a girl, and eventually agreed to name their newborn after an 'airplane parts store.'

Palin acknowledged the humor in that while noting that both her father Todd and Dakota fly small planes, which is how they came about finding the name.

Tripp meanwhile was almost called Blaise said Palin, who told her fans that she is also a fan of the names Jet and Crew.

Family: DailyMail.com broke the story back in February that Dakota Meyer had filed papers to terminate the couple's marriage in Travis County District Court (Palin filming Teen Mom last month)

Aspirations: 'Not unless I thought I could make a difference, I don't know enough about politics to truly get involved,' said Palin when asked about a political future

And when asked about her son's relationship with his father Levi Johnston and if he ever sees him, Palin said: 'No ... never ... yes, duh ... he loves his dad.'

Palin, who lives in Texas, said she misses Alaska and is 'NERVOUS! but excited' for Teen Mom.

There was also a question as to whether or not Palin might get into politics herself like her mother.

'Not unless I thought I could make a difference, I don't know enough about politics to truly get involved,' said Palin.Ruddy Nora! When a Yorkshireman senses the way to make his fortune, there is quite probably no more determined creature on Earth.

Thomas Bell, the son of a Leeds doctor, was a perfect example of this headstrong breed. He hatched a plan to strike gold and become the king of his own country.

However, his madcap scheme ended in catastrophe when he was marooned, with his wife and six children, on a Pacific island  where they stayed for 35 years.

The fact they all survived was due not so much to Thomass stubbornness as to the resilience of his wife, Frederica.

Thomas Bell, the son of a Leeds doctor, was a perfect example of this headstrong breed. He hatched a plan to strike gold and become the king of his own country

This story of a real-life Robinson Crusoe, dating from Victorian times, is a castaway tale so extreme that it seems like fiction.

The reason it has come to light now is because it was unearthed by author Lydia Syson, who was entranced by the stories told by her husbands great-aunt, who was descended from the Bells, and she has used it as the basis for a novel.

The remarkable story begins in 1865 when Frederica, 21, the daughter of a wealthy London silk merchant, left Britain with the rest of her family to begin a new life in New Zealand.

Within a year, she had met and married the charismatic Thomas Bell, six years her senior and full of impractical schemes for fortune-hunting.

Educated at a private school in Yorkshire, he had run away aged 16 to see the world. Plans to join the Australian gold rush came to nothing. As did his dreams of sheep farming.

Ever loyal, Frederica stuck by him, as their family grew: Hettie, then Bessie, Mary, Tom, Harry and Jack.

It was after their sixth child was born that Thomas heard sailors tales about Sunday Island  a volcanic rock halfway between New Zealand and Tonga, where the soil was said to be so rich that any plant would grow overnight.

And because no humans had ever lived there, the wild animals were also as tame as kittens.

Thomas Bell dreamed that this paradise offered him the chance to be monarch of all he could see and where be could begin his own dynasty. Nothing Frederica said could dissuade him. Dutifully, she prepared their children for a voyage.

Thomas found a schooner captain named McKenzie and somehow found the money  200 (about 25,000 today)  to drop them on the Pacific island, one of the Kermadec chain, in 1878.

However, the unscrupulous captain dumped the family ashore, leaving them with boxes of rotting supplies. Without food or shelter, they faced immediate starvation.

Thus maltreated, it was inevitable that McKenzie would renege on his promise to return and collect them after a couple of months, if they decided not to stay.

And as for Sunday Island there was no sign of the promised cornucopia of fruit trees, edible plants and wildlife of which Thomas Bell had heard.

The fact is the Bells had landed on a stretch of beach hemmed by high cliffs. The little harbour was a deathtrap.

To survive the first few nights, the family built a shelter in the lee of the cliffs. It was cold and damp, but at least it was somewhere to tend a fire and huddle at night.

Without lines or bait, fishing was impossible. But the children successfully foraged limpets, as big as dinner plates, which they found on the rocks at low tide. Among the trees, they found edible roots and a few citrus fruits. They had just enough to subsist.

Already they had given up hope of ever seeing McKenzie again. And as the days passed with no sign of any ship on the horizon, they realised it might be years before they were rescued . . . if ever.

Thomas found a schooner captain named McKenzie and somehow found the money  200 (about 25,000 today)  to drop them on the Pacific island (pictured), one of the Kermadec chain, in 1878

Bell, always reckless, decided that if they couldnt escape the cove by sea, they would have to scale the cliffs. And so, with his two oldest daughters, aged about nine and 11, he began to climb.

The girls nimble feet and agile hands meant they could cling to the rock face, 100ft above the stony beach, and reach eggs in nests that they wrapped in their dresses before climbing down.

Scrambling over the top of the cliffs, Thomas discovered something even better: wild goats  descended from animals brought earlier in the century by whalers.

With milk from the goats, fresh water from a spring and a sturdy hut that the family had built from sticks and thatched with palm leaves, the Bells were able to weather their first stormy season.

But they had little defence against another of the invaders brought by man: rats. The rodents ate their stores, tore through the walls of their shelter, and even ran over their faces as they slept. In desperation, the family abandoned their hut and climbed the cliffs in search of somewhere the rats could not reach. And then, on the other side of Sunday Island, they began again.

Thanks to Fredericas ceaseless vigilance, and her selfless determination to see her children fed and clothed, the family all survived.

After 16 months on Sunday Island, the Bells saw a ship on the horizon, an American whaler, and signalled for help. The captain sent provisions ashore but refused to rescue them  saying that he had neither room nor time.

It would be almost another year before a passing schooner, called the Sissy, spotted their campfire and sent a boat to investigate. The Sissy had room for just one passenger. Bell duly left his family to seek help in New Zealand, leaving Frederica and the children to fend for themselves.

But instead of returning with a rescue ship, he brought back supplies for them to continue their solitary Crusoe-style life on Sunday  including a sewing machine for Frederica.

He had decided unilaterally that the family were staying put on the island.

Over the next decade, the couple had five more children. One died in infancy but the others thrived: Roy, Freda, Ada and William.

Over the years, they had regular visits from passing ships, and a tutor stayed for a time to help the children with their reading.

The tales I heard of that Robinson Crusoe existence enchanted me, says novelist Lydia Syson. However much I found out, I wanted to learn more.

She managed to visit the island, now known as Raoul Island, thanks to a scientific expedition organised by The Pew Trusts.

My book is inspired by their story, but it isnt factual history, she explains. The Bells kept no journals or diaries  they were too busy surviving.

As for Thomas and Frederica Bell and their desert island brood, after 35 years, they abandoned it in 1913. Perhaps not surprisingly, the family that had weathered so much together could not withstand this final blow: Thomas left Frederica to wander New Zealand, dying aged 90 in 1928.

For her part, Frederica lived to be 85 . . . hoping till the end of her days to return to Sunday Island.

Lydia Sysons novel, Mr Peacocks Possessions, based on the story of the Bell family, is published by Bonnier Zaffre at 12.99.Fewer Americans are going to religious services  but that doesnt necessarily mean they dont have faith, according to a new survey.

The share of U.S. adults who attend religious services on a regular basis has been on the decline in recent years, and it has become increasingly common for Americans to attend just a few times a year, according to the survey of 4,729 respondents by Pew Research Center.

Among those rare attendees, 37 percent say they still practice their faith in other ways. Another 28 percent say they are nonbelievers and 23 percent say they havent found a place of worship that they like.

Among Americans who regularly attend church, 81 percent said it was because they want to become closer to God. Meanwhile, among those who only attend services a few times a year, 37 percent say they find other ways to practice their faith

Other Americans say they are missing out on services because of poor health or have been too busy (9 percent).

When breaking out just those who said they practice their faith in their own way, roughly 70 percent said they identify with a specific religion  60 percent of whom consider themselves Christian. Most of the people in that group report that religion is very or somewhat important in their lives.

More than half of these believers are women, and they are typically older and less highly educated and less likely to lean politically to the left compared to those who say they simply dont believe.

According to a 2014 Pew study, 35 percent of Americans say they go to a religious service at least once a week  down from 39 percent in 2007.

Americans who attend religious services regularly identify the reasons they keep coming back. A majority (81 percent) said it was to become closer to God

More Americans are willing to say they believe in God  89 percent in 2014, that is down from 98 percent who shared that sentiment in a 1966 Gallup Poll.

Among Americans who do attend religious services regularly, 81 percent said they did so to become closer to God, 69 percent were motivated to provide a moral foundation for their children and 68 percent did so to become a better person.

Much smaller proportions said they kept coming back because it was part of their familys religious tradition (37 percent), or feeling obligated (31 percent), and juts 19 percent attributed it to the need to socialize and meet new people.

Of those regular attendees, some 91 percent were Christian and 71 percent pray daily.A bankrupt council faced growing anger last night at an emergency meeting called amid fears it may no longer be able to afford services for vulnerable children and adults.

Tory-run Northamptonshire County Council is facing a 70million black hole in its finances.

In March, a scathing Government report criticised years of poor financial management where living within budget constraints is not part of the culture and recommended the authority should be scrapped.

One Angel Square set the council back 53million - but now they are being forced to pay back huge loans

Council leader Matthew Golby, who is facing calls to resign, has proposed it provide only skeleton services  those it is obliged to deliver by law  as it looks to save the 70million from its annual budget of 441million.

Council leader Matthew Golby (right) has suggested the authority only pay for the services it is required to by law

He said the offer was all the council is likely to be able to afford and included sufficient maintenance of highways and footpaths and a limited number of household waste disposal centres.

However Bill Parker, a former cabinet member for finance, said provision of adequate social services for adults and children was at risk. This is a very, very serious situation, he told Radio 4s Today programme.

The council has already reduced bus services and the gritting of roads in winter. It faces a legal challenge over plans to sell 21 of its 36 libraries.

Last week the council issued its second 114 notice  a statement of insolvency  after warning it could not balance its books. The notice bans any new spending and followed one issued in February relating to the last financial year 2017/18.

Councillors from Northamptonshire County Council hold an extraordinary meeting in Northampton amid concerns that it will no longer be able to pay for services for vulnerable children and adults

Brian Roberts, one of two Government-appointed commissioners sent in to oversee the councils spending, said its finances were in a truly perilous state.

The authority blames Government cuts but the report found serious failings and said the situation was so bad it should be scrapped and replaced with a unitary authority.

Councillors, who have dug into its reserves rather than raise council tax, have been accused of wasting money on vanity projects and frittering cash on foreign trips and courses.

Max Caller, who led the March investigation, said NCC had lost control of its budget in 2013 after a critical Ofsted report forced it to overhaul childrens services.

He said it did not respond well. Senior management and councillors had ignored warnings.

A general view of the new One Angel Square office block near the town centre in Northamptonshire

Finance director Mark McLaughlin, who has announced his resignation after only seven months, has been scathing of years of ill-informed and inappropriate decision making as the authority tried to balance the books and criticised the use of reserves for day-to-day expenditure.

Last night, campaigners called for a Government bailout, saying cutting services any further would put jobs and lives at risk.

Penny Smith, from Unison, said: The county council is once again letting the most vulnerable people in the county down, and putting their health and well-being at risk.

Opposition councillors refused to back the proposed cuts, which they called an absolute disaster and possibly illegal. No vote was taken and a cabinet meeting will be held on August 14.

A 53m HQ, scarf wearing classes, Jamaican jaunts... no wonder they're broke

In February this year Northamptonshire County Council issued a section 114 notice. This was a technocrats way of saying the authority had gone bust.

Since then the crisis in one of Englands most rural and quietly prosperous counties has only deepened.

Cuts in central Government funding of local authorities have been blamed for Northants woes and the financial crises afflicting other county councils. But accusations of mismanagement, opacity and recklessness have been made against the heads of the Tory-run administration by members of their own party in the chamber.

In the 1980s Labours Militant-dominated local authority in Liverpool attracted scorn for its financial profligacy which saw redundancy notices being hand-delivered to council employees by hired black taxis.

At the other end of the political spectrum a shire county whose seven MPs are all Conservative has gone about self-ruin a different way. The result and consequences to the voters are the same. It is, as one local MP said, a national scandal.

The 53 million Great Copper Finned Elephant

One Angel Square Northampton is an award winning state of the art office building.

Commissioned by Northamptonshire County Council as the authoritys new administrative headquarters, it was supposed to reflect both the countys cobbling heritage and its cutting-edge future. No expense was spared.

The predominantly glazed facades are clad with vertical copper fins, inspired by the traditional leather cutting lines for hand-made shoes, which control solar gain and create a colour and texture, particularly when viewed from acute angles down the streets, cooed the publicity blurb.

Designed by the same firm of international architects which recently won the contract for the multi-billion pound restoration of the Palace of Westminster, One Angel Square eventually cost 53million. The then Communities Secretary Sajid Javid officially opened the council HQ in October last year, giving a rousing speech in the four storey atrium. And then?

Within months Mr Javid was ordering an investigation into the council while One Angel Square was put up for sale and sold to a Canadian investment firm. The Canadians are now leasing it back to the council, which is desperately looking for tenants to sublet more of the floor space.

Instead of representing all that is good about Northamptonshire the Angel Square building is the biggest physical manifestation of a series of disastrous financial decisions by the secretive and dysfunctional leadership.

The 50 million Next Generation fiasco

Northants set course for financial Armageddon in late 2014 when it announced a radical new approach in response to government funding cuts. The council leadership had seen the future and would hive off services from County Hall by setting up staff-run mutual companies, social enterprises or private firms. By 2020 the 4,000 council staff would be reduced to only 150.

The then chief executive Paul Blantern said: We are going to have a damn good go at it. Id rather we go down trying than [do nothing] and go bankrupt.

In fact Mr Blantern and the other main architects of the next generation project managed to do both. The disastrous new approach cost more than 50million to set up, according to Tory backbencher Jonathan Ekins, and has brought the authority to its knees.

Is it incompetency, bad management, naivety or could it even be criminality? asks Councillor Ekins, who in February proposed the vote of no confidence in the then Conservative council leader Heather Smith which led to her resignation. Were they not skilled enough or downright stupid? It is impossible to understand why they did what they did. He added: There was no proof that the next generation project would work.

The culture was spend, spend, spend without caring about the consequences.

Northamptonshire County Council leader Matthew Golby at the council's extraordinary meeting in Northampton. There are calls for him to resign

Chief executives 95,000 Pay Off

Mr Blantern stepped down as chief executive in October last year. A Freedom of Information Act question revealed that the man who had called for tens of millions of pounds of extra cuts had been given an almost 100,000 golden handshake on top of statutory severance arrangements. The council said this was in order to secure a quick transition in the interests of the council.

Staff told to take UNpaid leave

Mr Blantern was replaced by an interim CEO. Damon Lawrenson was to be paid 1,150 a day. One of his first suggestions to his beleaguered workforce was they should all take a days unpaid leave, which would save the council 300,000. Understandably the issue of his predecessors pay off was raised.

Worse was to come. Mr Lawrenson stepped down by mutual consent in March this year after a report by a government inspector called for the council to be scrapped and replaced. It was then revealed his consultancy had been paid a total of 931,000 by the council for work over five financial years.

Troubleshooter on 1,200 a day

Sarah Homer arrived in February to run the shared services organisation which Northants runs with Cambridgeshire County Council. She replaced an official who had received a 152,000 salary and retired with a 66,000 payment for loss of office and payment in lieu of notice. Labour county councillor Danielle Stone said her pay was completely disproportionate.

7 million Heritage farm

Last month it was revealed that the bankrupt authority had this year ploughed 2.2million into a Roman heritage project at Chester Farm. This money was on top of the 4.9million the council has already invested on the scheme, which is also funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. A cabinet meeting was told the payment was being done through gritted teeth.

The council spent 9,000 on jaunts to Jamaica - but are now being forced to pay off loans. Pictured: Half Moon Bay

9,000 Trips to Montego Bay

The cash-strapped council has spent 50,000 on flights in the last three years including six return trips to Montego Bay, Jamaica worth 9,000. The Mail understands these were for officials to pay welfare visits to a young individual who was in prison on the Caribbean island but to whom the council still owed a statutory duty of care. Its ludicrous given our debt but its the law and the British consulate has refused to carry out the visits for us, says a council insider.

The cash was spent on 51 return European trips and 13 return trips outside Europe between January 2015 and February 2018.

350,000 of payouts to staff

One council worker was awarded 5,500 after she claimed her poorly fitting uniform caused a spinal injury. Other payouts between 2006 and 2011 included 200 to a man who had a large splinter in his hand causing injury and 12,000 to a woman hit by pots and pans when she opened a cupboard.

23 employees on over 100,000

They took home a total of 3.32million in the 2016/17 year, a report by the Taxpayers Alliance found. Labours shadow cabinet member for finance Mick Scrimshaw called the figures ridiculous.

And a course on how to wear a scarf!

In 2016 it emerged the authority was blowing cash on a course teaching people how to wear a scarf. In the ad on the councils website, the authority said the event has been designed to teach participants how to wear scarves more effectively for their personal style.A pet dog will be killed after it fatally mauled a 14-month-old girl in the family kitchen.

Emergency services were called to Neerim North Road at Neerim Junction, 122km east of Melbourne, about 6.20am on Thursday after the horrific attack.

Victoria Police Sgt Dean Waddell said the mother tried desperately to pull her baby from the six-year-old German Wirehaired Pointer's grip but was unable to stop the attack.

'Mum's tried to step in and she's pulled the dog away. Mum's received injuries as well, hand and leg injuries. She tried everything to save her child,' he said.

'It's devastating, it's a tragedy. We're gutted.'

Paramedics worked for almost two hours to save the girl's life before she was pronounced dead at the scene.

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A young girl has died after being mauled on the face by her family's pet dog at a Neerim Junction property (pictured)

Handlers are seen leading the dog away from the home after the vicious mauling

Victoria Police spokesman Alex Day confirmed the girl sustained life threatening injuries and died at the property.

'As you can imagine it's quite an emotionally charged scene,' he said.

'Everyone is in shock,' a neighbour told The Age.

'They're a nice family.'

Another neighbour said the horrific mauling left her 'devastated'.

The family-of-five reportedly only moved to the regional Victorian property just three months ago for a tree-change.

Baw Baw Shire Mayor Joe Gauci said the tight-knit community was reeling from the news on Thursday.

'It's tragic. It's a new family that's moved into our local area, and I don't know how you put words to it. It's just a tragic event that's happened. And we'll just work through it,' he said.

The police said the German Wirehaired Pointer (stock) was seized by the local council and will be put down

Emergency services were called to the property about 6.30am on Thursday, where paramedics worked to save the life of the little girl for two hours before she died

Victoria Police Sgt Dean Waddell said the mother tried desperately to pull her baby from the German Wirehaired Pointer's grip

Mayor Gauci said the German hunting dog had been secured at the Municipal Animal Pound.

He said the family had consented for it to be destroyed.

The dog reportedly showed no signs of aggression before Thursday morning's fatal mauling.

The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal attack and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

The attack happened in the regional town of Neerim Junction, 122km east of Melbourne (map pictured)

Baw Baw Shire Council CEO Alison Leighton expressed her condolences to the family.

'Our thoughts are with the family and the tight-knit Neerim Junction community during this difficult time,' she said.

Ms Leighton said the council was work with relevant support agencies to assist the family.

Yarra Valley German Wirehaired Pointer breeder, Alex Krstic, said he worked with the breed for more than 30 years and would never sell them as a family pet.

'That's not to say they aren't all right for families but they are bred to hunt and they need to be managed properly,' he told the Herald Sun.

'They can make good pets but I don't sell them to the pet market because they have an amazing hunt drive.'President Donald Trump argued that the real 'smoking gun' of collusion was being held by rival Hillary Clinton  although he said it with a typo and quoted a writer who also called his own campaign's conduct 'disturbing.'

Trump tweeted Wednesday morning by quoting conservative Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen, who in televised comments went after the Hillary Clinton camp for digging up dirt on Trump in a project that relied on sources in Russia.

'We already have a smoking gun about a campaign getting dirt on their opponent, it was Hillary Clinton. How is it OK for Hillary Clinton to proactively seek dirt from the Russians but the Trump campaign met at the Russians request and that is bad? Trump wrote, using a quote from Thiessen, a Washington Post columnist.

'We already have a smoking gun about a campaign getting dirt on their opponent,' President Trump wrote in a tweet, quoting (and misspelling) remarks by a conservative columnist

Trump regularly rails against the Post, a paper he accuses of being a lobbyist for parent company Amazon. But his bigger initial problems was that he misspelled smoking as 'smocking' in the initial tweet. It was later corrected.

The quote was referencing the dossier developed by British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.

The Clinton camp paid a law firm for opposition research, and the firm in turn hired Fusion GPS, who paid Steele, who relied on sources in Russia as he tracked leads relating to Trump camp connections in Russia. The dossier argued that Moscow could hold compromising information on Trump through financial or other connections, and eventually got into the hands of FBI investigators launching the Russia probe.

SMOCKS OF UNPROFESSIONALISM: President Trump initially tweeted about a 'smocking gun' Wednesday

Trump tweeted a quote from a conservative columnist who pointed to the Clinton camp's commissioning of the dossier that relied on Russian sources

The product would eventually become known as the golden showers dossier.

But Trump left out Thiessen's full quote from a Fox News interview, where he took a dim view of the 2016 Trump Tower meeting where Trump's son and campaign operatives met with Russians under the promise of getting dirt on Clinton.

'Quite frankly the fact that anybody would meet with Russians to try to get dirt on their opponent is disturbing. You know, now everybody is waiting to see, will Michael [sic] Steele produce that smoking gun, that Trump knew about the Trump Tower meeting that Donald Trump Jr. and [Paul] Manafort and others had with Russian officials,' Thiessen said.

Trump used the comment to point the finger at rival Hillary Clinton on a day his former campaign chair was on trial for alleged money laundering and other charges

'You know, the funny thing is, we already have a smoking gun about a campaign getting dirt from the Russians on their opponent. It was Hillary Clinton! Hillary Clinton's campaign, the DNC, through a cutout, a lawyer, hired Fusion GPS, who hired Michael [sic] Steele, who went and met with Russian intelligence to collect dirt,' he said.

'And Hillary Clinton's campaign spokesman actually said that if he had known about it, he would have gone and met with the Russians too, and there was nothing wrong with it. So how is it okay for Hillary Clinton to have proactively sought dirt from the Russians, but the Trump campaign met at the Russians' request, and that's bad? It's all bad,' he said.

As Steele obtained information about Trump campaign Russia ties, he found it so troubling that he contacted the FBI, he testified. Among the issues he wrote about was the Trump-owned Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in 2013, where he quoted sources making unverified salacious claims about Trump's conduct in a Moscow hotel room involving prostitutes.An accused cocaine smuggler enjoyed a seven-hour tour of Paris with his police escort during his extradition, according to court documents.

Rohan Arnold, 43, was one of three Australians arrested at gunpoint in a dramatic raid at a five-star Belgrade hotel in January.

The Canberra steel importer was extradited from Serbia in March, and his trip to Sydney included a stopover in the French capital.

Accused cocaine smuggler Rohan Arnold (pictured) enjoyed a seven-hour tour of Paris with his police escort during his extradition

Mr Arnold and his co-accused were allegedly part of a syndicate that tried to bring more than a tonne of cocaine worth $500million into Sydney via China last year (pictured)

In court documents supporting his application for bail Mr Arnold claimed he was dropped off at the Eiffel Tower with five Australian Federal Police officers (stock image)

Mr Arnold and his co-accused were allegedly part of a syndicate that tried to bring more than a tonne of cocaine worth $500million into Sydney via China last year.

In court documents supporting his application for bail Mr Arnold claimed he was dropped off at the Eiffel Tower with five Australian Federal Police officers.

According to the court documents, the group then ate a $300 breakfast at a nearby cafe courtesy of the taxpayer before Mr Arnold led them on a tour of the landmark.

The accused international drug trafficker then led the AFP officers to the Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Rohan Arnold (pictured), 43, was one of three Australians arrested at gunpoint in a dramatic raid at a five-star Belgrade hotel in January

During the trip they took tourist photographs and looked for a bathroom in the Paris Metro before they returned to the airport by taxi, court documents allege.

French officials were furious to hear Mr Arnold had been allowed to leave the airport for a tour of the city.

The bail hearing comes two days after one of Mr Arnold's co-accused David Campbell (pictured), 49, was also extradited

The claims were made by Mr Arnold's lawyer Ben Aulich in preparation for his Thursday bail hearing in the New South Wales Supreme Court.

According to the documents Mr Arnold could have used the tour as an opportunity to escape from custody, as he was unrestrained and in crowded tourist areas.

Defence counsel Jack Pappas said the incident made it difficult to argue Mr Arnold is a flight risk - the court's only bail concern.

'The applicant was brought back to Australia from Serbia under what could only be described as lax security, consistent with no real fear of him absconding,' Mr Pappas wrote in his submissions.

The AFP said in a statement that during the March 21 extradition Mr Arnold was escorted 'all times by four sworn Australian Federal Police officers'.

The Canberra steel importer (pictured, centre) was extradited from Serbia in March, and his trip to Sydney included a stopover in the French capital

'The AFP is currently assessing the veracity of these claims,' an AFP spokesperson said.

'It is not appropriate for the AFP to comment on security procedures during extradition processes.'

The bail hearing comes two days after one of Mr Arnold's co-accused David Campbell, 49, was also extradited after spending months in a Serbian jail.

A third man, Tristan Waters, 34, a former Canberra nightclub owner, has yet to be returned to Australia.

The trio were allegedly caught with a bag (pictured) containing $1million in cash and a gun during the raid at the Metropol Palace Hotel

The trio were allegedly caught with a bag containing $1million in cash and a gun during the raid at the Metropol Palace Hotel.

They have been accused of being behind the second largest cocaine seizure in Australian history.

The haul, seized in April 2017, was hidden inside pre-fabricated steel in a Chinese container ship docked in Sydney.

Detectives allegedly found 2,576 individual blocks of cocaine with an estimated street value of up to $500million.Labour NEC member Peter Willsman is pictured leaving his Oxford home yesterday

Labour was on the brink of civil war last night over anti-Semitism.

The party endured a fevered day of briefing and counter-briefing following the revelation that Jeremy Corbyn hosted an event comparing the Israeli government to the Nazis.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell went on TV yesterday to claim that Labour's crisis had 'shaken him to the core'.

But last night it emerged that Mr McDonnell had himself praised the same controversial group which organised the meeting chaired by Mr Corbyn.

The shadow chancellor tabled a Commons motion ten years ago to support the launch of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, or IJAN, which demands the end of Israel and accuses Zionists of collusion with Nazi Germany.

The motion praised the group for speaking out to 'discredit Israel's attempts to suppress criticism with false accusations of anti-Semitism', and accused Israel of ethnic cleansing and having 'apartheid laws'.

Mr Corbyn was yesterday forced to issue an unprecedented apology about his decision to host the IJAN event on Holocaust Memorial Day in 2010.

Last night new footage surfaced of the Labour leader on Iranian state TV praising the release of Hamas terrorists in 2012.

Under-fire Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn leaves his home in North London yesterday

And in a further sign of chaos, the pro-Corbyn group Momentum told its supporters not to vote for an activist who was recorded last month accusing Jewish 'Trump fanatics' of making of anti-Semitism claims.

The movement said Peter Willsman was no longer on its slate for elections to the Labour's ruling National Executive Committee.

The situation got so bad that Labour MP Stephen Kinnock tweeted yesterday: 'This is now a full blown crisis for our party.' On a dark day for Labour:

Jeremy Corbyn's new Hamas storm Jeremy Corbyn could face a Labour probe after it emerged he praised the release of Hamas terrorists on Iranian state TV. Row: Mr Corbyn on Iranian state TV in 2012 On 'Remember Palestine' in 2012, he described more than 1,000 convicted terrorists who had been released by Israel in a prisoner swap as 'brothers'. He also questioned if there was a 'serious case' against any of those released, even though the group had been convicted of the murder of almost 600 Israelis. MP Joan Ryan, chairman of Labour Friends of Israel, demanded an investigation into his 'beyond abhorrent' comments. A Labour spokesman said: 'Jeremy was commenting on the prison conditions ... He was in no way supporting or endorsing the actions of the prisoners, but defending their rights under international law, including those held without trial.' Advertisement

MPs and Jewish groups rejected Mr Corbyn's apology for chairing the IJAN meeting, saying the decision lacked 'normal decency';

A Holocaust survivor who attended the event accused Mr Corbyn of walking around pointing out those he wanted removed;

It was revealed that both Mr Corbyn and Mr McDonnell signed a motion to propose that Holocaust Memorial Day be renamed Genocide Memorial Day;

A councillor resigned from the Labour Party after he said Hitler 'would have had a solution to the Israel problem'.

Yesterday Mr McDonnell attempted to put an end to the scandal by making a public statement.

He said he wanted the row sorted by next month's Labour conference, adding: 'None of us fail to appreciate the way this has upset people, including ourselves. It has really shaken us to the core but we will resolve it.'

But last night it emerged that Mr McDonnell was the primary sponsor of an Early Day Motion tabled in October 2008 that praised IJAN for giving voice 'to the great and growing number of Jewish people worldwide who  condemn Israel's ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people'.

IJAN's founding charter states: 'Zionism dishonours the persecution and genocide of European Jews by using their memory to justify and perpetuate European racism and colonialism.'

And it adds: 'Zionism  endorses the sexist European anti-Semitic imagery of the effeminate and weak 'diaspora Jew' and counters it with a violent and militarist 'new Jew'.'

It also states that there is a 'long history of Zionist collusion' with repressive and violent regimes such as Nazi Germany. It describes Israel as 'an atomic bomb that should be urgently dismantled'.

Last night a Labour critic of Mr McDonnell said: 'This shows [his] true colours. The fact he can lie so completely and convincingly is deeply troubling.'

A Labour spokesman said: 'John was welcoming the creation of an organisation that represented an important strand of radical Jewish political campaigning. He didn't and doesn't endorse all of the views expressed in their charter.'

The IJAN meeting Mr Corbyn chaired in 2010 was part of a UK tour called Never Again for Anyone  Auschwitz to Gaza. The talk was called The Misuse of the Holocaust for Political Purposes, and was delivered by Hajo Meyer, a Jewish survivor of Auschwitz and a passionate anti-Zionist. He repeatedly compared the Nazi regime and Israeli politicians.

Labour MP John Mann yesterday attacked Mr Corbyn's decision to chair the 2010 IJAN meeting, saying it went against 'normal decency'.

Campaign Against Antisemitism chairman Gideon Falter was scathing about Mr Corbyn's 'mealy mouthed' apology for chairing the IJAN event , saying it 'rings utterly hollow'.

Labour leader's shameful past of Israel slurs

Jeremy Corbyn's refusal to sign up to the full internationally recognised definition of anti-Semitism might be explained by fears that he knows he has fallen foul of it himself.

Several examples of the Labour leader likening the actions of Israel to the Nazis came to light yesterday.

Doing so is a specific example of anti-Semitism as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Most organisations, including the police and Crown Prosecution Service, have adopted the IHRA's definition.

How he is damned by his own words '[British support for Israel] is an act of crass indifference to the violence of the Israeli military on a par with the 1930s Tory government's arms blockade to the Spanish republic which was desperately trying to fight off the Nazi-supported Franco forces.' Writing in the Morning Star newspaper, Jan, 2009 'I was in Gaza three months ago. I saw the...psychological damage to a whole generation who've been imprisoned for as long as the [Nazi] siege of Leningrad and Stalingrad took place.' On video at the Israeli embassy, London, 2010 'He has spoken... very forcefully' On a Commons talk he hosted by Hajo Meyer repeatedly comparing the Nazi regime and Israeli policy, in 2010 Advertisement

But Labour refuses to adopt the same guidelines in full, leading some critics to ask what Mr Corbyn is afraid of.

Yesterday examples were circulated of the Labour leader falling foul of the rule against 'comparing contemporary Israeli policies to those of the Nazis'.

In 2010 Mr Corbyn was filmed outside the Israeli embassy in London comparing its blockade of Gaza to Nazi atrocities.

Exhorting a crowd to rise up in anger, he said: 'I was in Gaza three months ago. I saw the mortar shells that had gone through the school buildings, the destroyed UN establishments, burnt-out schools, the ruined homes, the destroyed lives, the imprisoned people, the psychological damage to a whole generation who've been imprisoned for as long as the siege of Leningrad and Stalingrad took place. This is a war crime that is being undertaken, but this time on live television.'

During the 900-day Siege of Leningrad in the Second World War, the Nazis killed more than a million people and wounded a further two million.

And the 1942-43 Battle of Stalingrad  in which Nazi forces directly targeted civilians in air-raid shelters  is also one of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare, with some 2million people killed or wounded.

Many Holocaust survivors regard it as insulting to compare the horrific atrocities inflicted by Adolf Hitler to the controversial policies of the Israeli government towards the Palestinians.

In January 2010 Mr Corbyn hosted an event at the Commons comparing the Israeli government to the Nazis on Holocaust Memorial Day, The Times revealed yesterday.

Anti-racist code party won't accept The definition of anti-Semitism drawn up by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance states: Anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities. The IHRAs working definition includes a list of behaviours likely to be regarded as anti-Semitic. Labour has copied word-for-word from the IHRA document  but omits four examples listed by the Ammiance. They are: Comparing contemporary Israeli policies to those of the Nazis.

Accusing Jewish people of being more loyal to Israel than their home country.

Claiming that Israels existence as a state is a racist endeavour.

Requiring higher standards of behaviour from Israel than other nations. Advertisement

He spoke at and opened a talk entitled 'Never Again  For Anyone'. The event was part of a UK tour called 'Never Again For Anyone  Auschwitz To Gaza'. A year earlier, in 2009, Mr Corbyn had indirectly compared the Israeli military to the Nazis. In an article for the hard-Left Morning Star newspaper, he likened the Palestinian cause to the republicans in the Spanish civil war who were under siege from Nazis supporting General Franco.

He wrote that British support for Israel was 'an act of crass indifference to the violence of the Israeli military on a par with the 1930s Tory government's arms blockade to the Spanish republic, which was desperately trying to fight off the Nazi-supported Franco forces'.

In 2016 a British charity supported by Mr Corbyn partly funded a 'festival of hate' in which children as young as seven staged a play about 'stabbing' Jews.

In a video of the performance, a little girl dressed in a hijab is seen pretending to stab two boys dressed as Israeli soldiers, who respond by 'shooting' her. Then, amid cheers from the crowd, a boy dressed as a masked terrorist massacres the soldiers with a replica semi-automatic weapon.

The festival was funded by Palestine support charity Interpal, which is supported by Labour MPs including Mr Corbyn.

Last night the Labour Party said Mr Corbyn's speech mentioning Leningrad and Stalingrad 'was not comparing the actions of Nazis and Israelis but the conditions of civilian populations in besieged cities in wartime'.

And it said that his 2009 article regarding Franco was 'not comparing the actions of Nazis and Israelis but the actions of two Conservative governments, which supported blockades during conflict'.

A spokesman added that Mr Corbyn had already apologised over the Holocaust Memorial Day meeting but pointed out the main speaker at that event was a Jewish Auschwitz survivor.

ANDREW PIERCE: Holocaust survivors anger on the day Jeremy Corbyn shut down dissent in the Commons

Within minutes of the start of the stormy Holocaust Memorial Day meeting in the Commons back in 2010, Jeremy Corbyn called on the services of a uniformed police officer posted outside the room where it was being held.

Corbyn, at the time a backbench Labour MP with a long history of antagonism towards the state of Israel, was hosting the meeting and, with the officer, he walked up and down the Boothroyd Room, named after Britains first woman speaker, pointing to hecklers.

The officer duly asked them to leave.

Offensive: Jeremy Corbyn with Auschwitz survivor and anti-Zionist activist Hajo Meyer, third from left, at the 2010 meeting in the Commons

One of the first of the half-dozen or so people to be ejected was Jonathan Hoffman, a member of the Jewish Board of Deputies at the time. His crime? He had noisily protested at the poisonous bile spewed out by some of the speakers.

Hoffman had emailed Corbyn days before the meeting asking him not to proceed: Why are you hosting a meeting  which will be a farrago of lies about Israel, will demonise Israel and may well contain elements of anti-Semitism?

Corbyn replied: How on earth do you know what will be said at a meeting yet to be held?

Mr Hoffman emailed back. You wouldnt host a meeting that was offensive to the vast majority of Muslims  so how come you think its OK to host a meeting thats offensive to the vast majority of Jews?

In the audience one smartly dressed silver-haired pensioner gasped out loud at the ejections. Rubin Katz, now 86, had made a special trip to the Commons to hear Corbyn.

In his suit pocket was the gilt-edged invitation to the official Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration in January 2010 at Londons Guildhall attended by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Archbishop of Canterbury with some survivors of the concentration camps.

I decided not to go to the Guildhall but to listen to Corbyn who I knew was highly critical of Israel, he said last night from his home in Israel, where Mr Katz now lives with his wife Michele.

I wanted to make a stand against him and other anti-Zionists on such a symbolic day for Jewish people.

l was astonished the police were ejecting people from a public meeting in Parliament.

Mr Katz, a retired London businessman, estimates at least 100 people crowded into the Boothroyd Room for the event titled: Never Again  For Anyone.

Mr Corbyn was at the time a backbench Labour MP with a long history of antagonism towards the state of Israel

He remembers that leaflets bearing that solemn pledge Never Again had been placed on every seat in the room. They displayed the harrowing image of Jewish women with their hands up and heads held high being led out of burning buildings. Mr Katz recognised the photo. The women were being led out of the Warsaw Ghetto. But it had been juxtaposed with another photograph of Arab women ululating and appearing to be giving a two-fingered victory sign  as if in response to the trauma of the Jewish women from the ghetto. It was sickening... a photographic perversion which would have been worthy of Goebbels (the Nazi Minister of Propaganda), said Mr Katz.

Mr Katz was even more sickened when the speakers compared Israels treatment of Gaza to the Holocaust in which six million people were exterminated.

It was chilling. They were propagating hateful, distorted views of Israel, comparing Gaza to the horrors of the death camps, and on Holocaust Memorial Day for Gods sake. Corbyn never once challenged them.

The room was brimming with raging hatred. It was directed at Israel and at Jews who did not share the disgusting views of the speakers.

On the panel alongside Corbyn was Auschwitz survivor Hajo Meyer, who was on a speaking tour organised by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. The founding of the network in 2008 was welcomed in a Commons motion signed by Corbyn and John McDonnell, now the Shadow Chancellor. Meyer, a physicist, spoke at the meeting against the Nazi genocide of Jews to justify the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by the state of Israel.

He had been born in Germany in 1924, but was not allowed to attend his school after November 1938 and fled to Holland without his family. In 1944 he was caught by the Gestapo and spent ten months in Auschwitz.

His parents died in the same camp. After the war, Meyer returned to Holland and worked as a scientist. When he retired he made musical instruments but from 2001 he started propagating the claim that Israeli leaders were acting in a way similar to the Nazis. He died in 2014.

During the meeting an increasingly upset Mr Katz repeatedly raised his hand to speak, flashing his Guildhall invitation to establish his credentials. Corbyn said: You can ask questions when the meeting is over. He never intended it to be balanced.

I wanted to ask Mr Meyer, a survivor of the camps, who was Jewish, why he would say such things. I felt the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network and Corbyn were shamelessly exploiting a feeble, 84-year-old death camp survivor by wheeling him out in Parliament, the cradle of democracy, but refused to let anyone challenge him.

Decent people would be appalled if they heard what went on in that room that night.

How could an MP countenance staging such a hate-filled event on that day of all days? They equated Gaza with Auschwitz, repeated fabricated Palestinian atrocity stories, and compared Jews to Nazis. My blood still runs cold at the thought of it all these years later.

Mr Katz has his own remarkable story to tell of the Holocaust. One of six children, he and his family lived in a large home in the Polish countryside, near his fathers successful chocolate factory which was confiscated by the Nazis.

In his book Gone to Pitchipoi: A Boys Desperate Fight for Survival in Wartime, he writes about being brought up in the country near Ostrowiec almost 100 miles from Warsaw.

An idyllic childhood ended on September 1, 1939, as the drone of German Luftwaffe bombers was heard in the skies above Ostrowiecalong with the sound of explosions in the distance. Three weeks later soldiers covered in dust and grime with goggles on their helmets, machine guns mounted on their side-cars, rolled into town on BMW motorcycles.

As Jews were being rounded up to be deported to the death camps his father created a makeshift cellar under a chicken pen. They had only one narrow pipe in the floor of the pen for ventilation. They lived there for a week until they were discovered and moved into one room in the Warsaw ghetto.

Then the family was split-up. His father and one brother perished in the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. Another brother died in the Warsaw Ghetto. His mother managed to escape from Auschwitz.

As for him, in four years from the age of nine he evaded capture by the Nazis in an extraordinary odyssey across his native Poland through towns, forests and fields, constantly on guard, and fearful of discovery and capture.

Eventually he was rescued by Russians in January 1945 and made it to England.

Mr Katz said: I was a lone 14-year-old, but London was glorious and I made England my home. We retired to Israel four years ago. Im so sad now there are people who perpetuate hate, riven by extreme politics, which were once alien to England.

Told Jeremy Corbyn had finally apologised, Mr Katz paused before saying: Because hes been found out? He can apologise. But he will never have my blessing.The Transportation Security Administration may eliminate passenger screening at more than 150 small and medium-sized airports across the country.

The existence of the proposal, which is being studied by senior agency officials, was first reported by CNN.

If implemented, it would save the agency $115million annually. That money would then be used to boost security at larger airports.

It would also be a dramatic departure from longstanding airport security policies that have been in place since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Internal documents circulating among senior TSA officials state that removing screening procedures from small- and medium-sized airports that offer service to aircraft with 60 seats or fewer would bring small (non-zero) undesirable increase in risk related to additional adversary opportunity.

A Transportation Security Administration worker screens luggage at LaGuardia Airport on September 26, 2017 in New York City

TSA officials who support the change say that terrorists would not view smaller aircraft as attractive targets because using those to carry out attacks would yield a smaller payoff - meaning that the potential for loss of life would be lower than with larger aircraft.

The proposal would have passengers and luggage who fly from smaller airports to undergo screening once they reach larger airports for connecting flights.

Current procedure has these passengers screened at all airports. When travelers from smaller airports arrive at larger airports for connecting flights, they simply join the other screened passengers for the remainder of their journey.

TSA officials who support the proposal say that larger airports are simply more equipped to screen greater numbers of passengers.

The federal agency, which was created as a response to the 9/11 attacks, currently does screening in 440 airports.

This is not the first time that officials at the agency have considered eliminating screenings at smaller airports.

But while the matter has been discussed in years prior, the agency appears to be giving it greater thought than normal.

TSA officials who support the proposal say that larger airports are simply more equipped to screen greater numbers of passengers. An air traffic manager is seen above at the Portland International Jetport in Portland, Maine last October

A working group has been formed to weigh the costs, benefits, and risks - an indication that it is being seriously considered.

The documents do not list which specific airports would be affected if the new policy was adopted.

As mentioned, TSA came into existence because of 9/11. It operates under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security.

Two of the hijackers first boarded flights from Portland, Maine to Boston. They then hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 and flew it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

It is believed that the hijackers chose Portland because it was perceived as having more lax security compared to larger airports.

Security experts quoted by CNN say the new proposal is a bad idea.

This is so dangerous, a TSA field leader at a large airport said.

People, weapons, dangerous goods and what's boarding the plane are all potential risks, said Juliette Kayyem, a former Homeland Security official under the Obama administration.

'TSA is falling into the trap that this is just about terror. A gun could be brought on board too.'The 20-year-old college student who mysteriously vanished from a rural Iowa town two weeks ago was probably staying in a house with unlocked doors, her boyfriend revealed in an interview on Wednesday.

'It's Brooklyn. You don't lock your doors,' Dalton Jack, 20, told Fox News, referring to the town of about 1,400 people 60 miles from Des Moines, the state capital. 'We lock our doors now every night,' he added.

Mollie Tibbetts, a University of Iowa psychology major, disappeared from Jack's house while she was babysitting his dog on the night of July 18. There were no signs of a struggle or a break-in at the property, officials said.

Scroll down for video

Dalton Jack, the boyfriend of missing student Mollie Tibbetts (who he is pictured with on the left) believes the house she was staying at on the night she went missing had unlocked doors. Tibbetts is also pictured right

This is the house in Brooklyn, Iowa, where Tibbetts disappeared from on the night of July 18

Tibbetts went out for a jog on the night of her disappearance, but is thought to have returned home and studied late into the evening. Jack shares the house with his brother and his fiancee.

Jack, who was working on a construction job 121 miles away at the time and has been cleared as a suspect, received a Snapchat from Tibbetts that night which appeared to have been taken indoors. He opened it at 10pm but it is unclear when it was taken.

Concerns were raised after Tibbetts failed to turn up to work at a daycare center in a nearby town the following day. Jack returned to the house and found she was not there.

His brother, Blake Jack, said he was visiting his fiancee Aimee Houghton in Ames on the night.

'Everybody has their own theories, but I'm just leaving it up to law enforcement trying to find that out,' said Jack, who last saw Tibbetts on July 17.

'I don't want to go racking through my brain what happened, what happened, what happened, just driving myself insane.'

Investigators revealed on Friday that they had searched a pig farm about 15 minutes from Jack's home after receiving a tip - but found no sign of Tibbetts.

Mollie (pictured left and right) went out for a jog on July 18 and hasn't been seen since, sparking an extensive search in the town of Brooklyn, Iowa

Authorities say that her boyfriend Dalton Jack, right, received a Snapchat from her around 10pm and it appeared to be indoors, leading her family to believe she returned to his home

After combing every field, barn and shed in the rural area for almost a week, local police called in for backup from the FBI on Tuesday.

Federal officials, who have interviewed more than 200 people, announced they were zeroing in on Tibbetts' internet footprint, keeping tabs on her social media accounts, and analyzing activity recorded by her Fitbit tracker.

'She never takes it off,' Jack said of his girlfriend's Fitbit. 'She uses it for the sleep tracker and all her runs.'

Jack had planned to attend his brother Blake's wedding in the Dominican Republic with Tibbetts later this week, but the ceremony has been put on hold, he said on Sunday.

Blake also slammed claims that Tibbetts' family were involved in her disappearance, saying, 'The people in this community know the truth'.

Everybody has their own theories, but I'm just leaving it up to law enforcement trying to find that out,' said Jack, who kissed goodbye to Tibbetts of July 17. She is pictured, left, with her grandmother Judy Calderwood and her three brothers

Mollie's mother Laura Calderwood (pictured) revealed that giving up hope is 'not an option' in an interview with ABC News nine days after the 20-year-old's disappearance

Tibbetts went for a jog around 7.30pm before reportedly returning home and sending Jack a Snapchat

Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said officials are getting 'a lot of information' from her digital footprint.

'We are very hopeful with the electronic data we are getting back,' he added.

Mortvedt said officials have little to go on, but they're 'leaning more and more toward something happening to her against her will'.

Despite the latest unsuccessful search, Tibbett's mother Laura Calderwood said on Sunday she was doing her best to stay positive.

'If it were me that were missing, Mollie wouldn't give up hope - that's not even a thought,' she told ABC News. 'You won't see me giving up hope. That's not an option.'

Rob Tibbetts believes the answer to his daughter's whereabouts lies with the public.

'It doesn't matter what we're going through, we just need people to think,' he told Good Morning America on Monday.

'Somebody knows something and they don't even know it's important. We can get Mollie back, we just have to have somebody to call [the tip line].'

Tibbetts, a college sophomore, is described as a 5-foot-3 woman, weighing 120 pounds

Tibbetts said investigators have told him 'again and again' that missing person cases similar to his daughter's have always been solved by a tip from the community.

'What we need is for people to tell their friends and neighbors that if they saw anything that seemed even remotely out of the ordinary to call authorities and they will run that down,' he said.

A $2,000 reward is being offered for information that would lead to an arrest or conviction related to Tibbetts' disappearance.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the police tip lines at (800) 452-1111 or (515) 223-1400. The sheriff said the public can also send tips via email to tips@poweshiekcosheriff.comWithin minutes of the start of the stormy Holocaust Memorial Day meeting in the Commons back in 2010, Jeremy Corbyn called on the services of a uniformed police officer posted outside the room where it was being held.

Corbyn, at the time a backbench Labour MP with a long history of antagonism towards the state of Israel, was hosting the meeting and, with the officer, he walked up and down the Boothroyd Room, named after Britains first woman speaker, pointing to hecklers.

The officer duly asked them to leave.

Offensive: Jeremy Corbyn with Auschwitz survivor and anti-Zionist activist Hajo Meyer, third from left, at the 2010 meeting in the Commons

One of the first of the half-dozen or so people to be ejected was Jonathan Hoffman, a member of the Jewish Board of Deputies at the time. His crime? He had noisily protested at the poisonous bile spewed out by some of the speakers.

Hoffman had emailed Corbyn days before the meeting asking him not to proceed: Why are you hosting a meeting  which will be a farrago of lies about Israel, will demonise Israel and may well contain elements of anti-Semitism?

Corbyn replied: How on earth do you know what will be said at a meeting yet to be held?

Mr Hoffman emailed back. You wouldnt host a meeting that was offensive to the vast majority of Muslims  so how come you think its OK to host a meeting thats offensive to the vast majority of Jews?

In the audience one smartly dressed silver-haired pensioner gasped out loud at the ejections. Rubin Katz, now 86, had made a special trip to the Commons to hear Corbyn.

In his suit pocket was the gilt-edged invitation to the official Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration in January 2010 at Londons Guildhall attended by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Archbishop of Canterbury with some survivors of the concentration camps.

I decided not to go to the Guildhall but to listen to Corbyn who I knew was highly critical of Israel, he said last night from his home in Israel, where Mr Katz now lives with his wife Michele.

I wanted to make a stand against him and other anti-Zionists on such a symbolic day for Jewish people.

l was astonished the police were ejecting people from a public meeting in Parliament.

Mr Katz, a retired London businessman, estimates at least 100 people crowded into the Boothroyd Room for the event titled: Never Again  For Anyone.

Mr Corbyn was at the time a backbench Labour MP with a long history of antagonism towards the state of Israel

He remembers that leaflets bearing that solemn pledge Never Again had been placed on every seat in the room. They displayed the harrowing image of Jewish women with their hands up and heads held high being led out of burning buildings. Mr Katz recognised the photo. The women were being led out of the Warsaw Ghetto. But it had been juxtaposed with another photograph of Arab women ululating and appearing to be giving a two-fingered victory sign  as if in response to the trauma of the Jewish women from the ghetto. It was sickening... a photographic perversion which would have been worthy of Goebbels (the Nazi Minister of Propaganda), said Mr Katz.

Rubin Katz, now 86, had made a special trip to the Commons to hear Corbyn

Mr Katz was even more sickened when the speakers compared Israels treatment of Gaza to the Holocaust in which six million people were exterminated.

It was chilling. They were propagating hateful, distorted views of Israel, comparing Gaza to the horrors of the death camps, and on Holocaust Memorial Day for Gods sake. Corbyn never once challenged them.

The room was brimming with raging hatred. It was directed at Israel and at Jews who did not share the disgusting views of the speakers.

On the panel alongside Corbyn was Auschwitz survivor Hajo Meyer, who was on a speaking tour organised by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. The founding of the network in 2008 was welcomed in a Commons motion signed by Corbyn and John McDonnell, now the Shadow Chancellor. Meyer, a physicist, spoke at the meeting against the Nazi genocide of Jews to justify the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by the state of Israel.

He had been born in Germany in 1924, but was not allowed to attend his school after November 1938 and fled to Holland without his family. In 1944 he was caught by the Gestapo and spent ten months in Auschwitz.

His parents died in the same camp. After the war, Meyer returned to Holland and worked as a scientist. When he retired he made musical instruments but from 2001 he started propagating the claim that Israeli leaders were acting in a way similar to the Nazis. He died in 2014.

During the meeting an increasingly upset Mr Katz repeatedly raised his hand to speak, flashing his Guildhall invitation to establish his credentials. Corbyn said: You can ask questions when the meeting is over. He never intended it to be balanced.

I wanted to ask Mr Meyer, a survivor of the camps, who was Jewish, why he would say such things. I felt the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network and Corbyn were shamelessly exploiting a feeble, 84-year-old death camp survivor by wheeling him out in Parliament, the cradle of democracy, but refused to let anyone challenge him.

Decent people would be appalled if they heard what went on in that room that night.

How could an MP countenance staging such a hate-filled event on that day of all days? They equated Gaza with Auschwitz, repeated fabricated Palestinian atrocity stories, and compared Jews to Nazis. My blood still runs cold at the thought of it all these years later.

Mr Katz has his own remarkable story to tell of the Holocaust. One of six children, he and his family lived in a large home in the Polish countryside, near his fathers successful chocolate factory which was confiscated by the Nazis.

In his book Gone to Pitchipoi: A Boys Desperate Fight for Survival in Wartime, he writes about being brought up in the country near Ostrowiec almost 100 miles from Warsaw.

An idyllic childhood ended on September 1, 1939, as the drone of German Luftwaffe bombers was heard in the skies above Ostrowiecalong with the sound of explosions in the distance. Three weeks later soldiers covered in dust and grime with goggles on their helmets, machine guns mounted on their side-cars, rolled into town on BMW motorcycles.

As Jews were being rounded up to be deported to the death camps his father created a makeshift cellar under a chicken pen. They had only one narrow pipe in the floor of the pen for ventilation. They lived there for a week until they were discovered and moved into one room in the Warsaw ghetto.

Then the family was split-up. His father and one brother perished in the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. Another brother died in the Warsaw Ghetto. His mother managed to escape from Auschwitz.

As for him, in four years from the age of nine he evaded capture by the Nazis in an extraordinary odyssey across his native Poland through towns, forests and fields, constantly on guard, and fearful of discovery and capture.

Eventually he was rescued by Russians in January 1945 and made it to England.

Mr Katz said: I was a lone 14-year-old, but London was glorious and I made England my home. We retired to Israel four years ago. Im so sad now there are people who perpetuate hate, riven by extreme politics, which were once alien to England.

Told Jeremy Corbyn had finally apologised, Mr Katz paused before saying: Because hes been found out? He can apologise. But he will never have my blessing.In February this year Northamptonshire County Council issued a section 114 notice. This was a technocrats way of saying the authority had gone bust.

Since then the crisis in one of Englands most rural and quietly prosperous counties has only deepened.

Cuts in central Government funding of local authorities have been blamed for Northants woes and the financial crises afflicting other county councils. But accusations of mismanagement, opacity and recklessness have been made against the heads of the Tory-run administration by members of their own party in the chamber.

In the 1980s Labours Militant-dominated local authority in Liverpool attracted scorn for its financial profligacy which saw redundancy notices being hand-delivered to council employees by hired black taxis.

At the other end of the political spectrum a shire county whose seven MPs are all Conservative has gone about self-ruin a different way. The result and consequences to the voters are the same. It is, as one local MP said, a national scandal.

Councillor Matt Golby (right) who represents Duston on Northampton Borough Council and Northampton. There are now calls for him to resign after huge spending cuts were announced

Councillors from Northamptonshire County Council hold an extraordinary meeting in Northampton amid concerns that it will no longer be able to pay for services for vulnerable children and adults

The 53 million Great Copper-Finned Elephant

Northamptonshire County Council has banned all new spending after announcing an overspend of 21m for the 2017-18 period. One Angel Square cost the council 53million

One Angel Square Northampton is an award-winning state of the art office building.

Commissioned by Northamptonshire County Council as the authoritys new administrative headquarters, it was supposed to reflect both the countys cobbling heritage and its cutting-edge future. No expense was spared.

The predominantly glazed facades are clad with vertical copper fins, inspired by the traditional leather cutting lines for hand-made shoes, which control solar gain and create a colour and texture, particularly when viewed from acute angles down the streets, cooed the publicity blurb.

Designed by the same firm of international architects which recently won the contract for the multi-billion-pound restoration of the Palace of Westminster, One Angel Square eventually cost 53million. The then Communities Secretary Sajid Javid officially opened the council HQ in October last year, giving a rousing speech in the four-storey atrium. And then?

Within months Mr Javid was ordering an investigation into the council while One Angel Square was put up for sale and sold to a Canadian investment firm. The Canadians are now leasing it back to the council, which is desperately looking for tenants to sublet more of the floor space.

Instead of representing all that is good about Northamptonshire the Angel Square building is the biggest physical manifestation of a series of disastrous financial decisions by the secretive and dysfunctional leadership.

One Angel Square set the council back millions - now, they are running on skeleton services

The 50 million Next Generation fiasco

Northants set course for financial Armageddon in late 2014 when it announced a radical new approach in response to government funding cuts. The council leadership had seen the future and would hive off services from County Hall by setting up staff-run mutual companies, social enterprises or private firms. By 2020 the 4,000 council staff would be reduced to only 150.

The then chief executive Paul Blantern said: We are going to have a damn good go at it. Id rather we go down trying than [do nothing] and go bankrupt.

In fact Mr Blantern and the other main architects of the next generation project managed to do both. The disastrous new approach cost more than 50million to set up, according to Tory backbencher Jonathan Ekins, and has brought the authority to its knees.

Is it incompetency, bad management, naivety or could it even be criminality? asks Councillor Ekins, who in February proposed the vote of no confidence in the then Conservative council leader Heather Smith which led to her resignation. Were they not skilled enough or downright stupid? It is impossible to understand why they did what they did. He added: There was no proof that the next generation project would work.

The culture was spend, spend, spend without caring about the consequences.

Chief executives 95,000 Pay-Off

Mr Blantern stepped down as chief executive in October last year. A Freedom of Information Act question revealed that the man who had called for tens of millions of pounds of extra cuts had been given an almost 100,000 golden handshake on top of statutory severance arrangements. The council said this was in order to secure a quick transition in the interests of the council.

Staff told to take UNpaid leave

Mr Blantern was replaced by an interim CEO, Damon Lawrenson, who was to be paid 1,150 a day. One of his first suggestions to his beleaguered workforce was they should all take a days unpaid leave, which would save the council 300,000. Understandably the issue of his predecessors pay off was raised.

Worse was to come. Mr Lawrenson stepped down by mutual consent in March after a report by a government inspector called for the council to be scrapped and replaced. It was then revealed his consultancy had been paid a total of 931,000 by the council for work over five financial years.

Troubleshooter on 1,200 a day

Sarah Homer arrived in February to run the shared services organisation which Northants runs with Cambridgeshire County Council. She replaced an official who had received a 152,000 salary and retired with a 66,000 payment for loss of office and payment in lieu of notice. Labour county councillor Danielle Stone said her pay was completely disproportionate.

7 million Heritage farm

Last month it was revealed that the bankrupt authority had this year ploughed 2.2million into a Roman heritage project at Chester Farm. This money was on top of the 4.9million the council has already invested on the scheme, which is also funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. A cabinet meeting was told the payment was being done through gritted teeth.

9,000 Trips to Montego Bay

The council spent 9,000 on jaunts to Jamaica - but are now being forced to pay off loans. Pictured: Half Moon Bay

The cash-strapped council has spent 50,000 on flights in the past three years including six return trips to Montego Bay, Jamaica, worth 9,000. The Mail understands these were for officials to pay welfare visits to a young individual who was in prison on the Caribbean island but to whom the council still owed a statutory duty of care. Its ludicrous given our debt but its the law and the British consulate has refused to carry out the visits for us, says a council insider.

The cash was spent on 51 return European trips and 13 return trips outside Europe between January 2015 and February 2018.

350,000 of payouts to staff

One council worker was awarded 5,500 after she claimed her poorly fitting uniform caused a spinal injury. Other payouts between 2006 and 2011 included 200 to a man who had a large splinter in his hand causing injury and 12,000 to a woman hit by pots and pans when she opened a cupboard.

23 employees on MORE THAN 100,000

They took home a total of 3.32million in the 2016/17 year, a report by the TaxPayers Alliance found. Labours shadow cabinet member for finance Mick Scrimshaw called the figures ridiculous.

And a course on how to wear a scarF!

In 2016 it emerged the authority was blowing cash on a course teaching people how to wear a scarf. In the advertisement on the councils website, the authority said the event has been designed to teach participants how to wear scarves more effectively for their personal style.A female student has been charged after allegedly stabbing another student at a prestigious school in Adelaide on Wednesday.

The 17-year-old girl was stabbed in the shoulder in a bathroom at St Dominic's Priory College, in the city's north, about 3pm.

A girl, 14, was arrested by police and taken into custody where she was charged.

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A girl (in the car), 14, was arrested by police and taken into custody where she was charged

The 17-year-old female (pictured) was allegedly stabbed in the shoulder by the other student

The alleged attacker, who is also a student at the school, was charged with aggravated intentionally cause harm and five counts of unlawful threats.

She has been refused police bail and is expected to appear in the Adelaide Youth Court on Thursday.

A lockdown alarm had been activated at the all-girl's Catholic school, with students told to hide under their desks.

One student said the injured girl was heard screaming 'I've been stabbed' as she rushed out of the bathroom, Seven News reported.

'She was just in complete panic and anxiety and we were all just freaking out,' a student said.

Police say the two girls are known to each other and have described the incident as 'not a random attack, it was a student against a student'.

The alleged female attacker, who is in Year 9, was taken to hospital for a mental health assessment, police said.

The injured girl, who is in Year 12, was rushed to the Women's and Children's Hospital for treatment to her shoulder.

Her injuries are considered to be minor.

The school's principal, Jillian Havey, issued a statement 'to the community' following the incident.

A statement issued by St Dominic's Priory College's principal Jillian Havey

'Both girls are receiving appropriate care and support. The Year 12 girl's injuries are not serious, although she has gone to hospital as a precaution,' the statement said.

'Appropriate support and counselling will be provided for students and staff. Please be assured that this is an isolated incident.

'At St Dominic's Priory College, the care and wellbeing of our students is our paramount concern.'

The school accepts students from Reception to Year 12.

Parents are furious a knife was on school grounds.

'I don't know how anybody can get into the school with a knife,' one parent told reporters.

It is the second knife attack at a South Australian school in a week.A paralysed woman has inspired millions of people in China after creating hundreds of stunning artworks with her withered arms.

Stroke by stroke, 40-year-old Zhang Junli filled in canvas after canvas with the colours of the skies, forests, beaches and oceans despite being confined to her bed.

More than 300 oil paintings later, Zhang is now recognised as a 'true artist'. Her work is now highly sought after among art lovers and her story is hailed as one of hope and courage.

For 32 years, Zhang has been battling rheumatoid arthritis in bed - but never once did she feel sorry for herself. She indulged herself in oil painting and let her imagination run wild

The painting 'Skies and Clouds' was sold for 666 yuan (74) on Zhang's WeChat online shop

When she was just six years old, Zhang from Shanxi, north China was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. By the time she turned eight, she had lost 90 per cent of her body's joint function.

For 32 years, Zhang has been battling the long-term condition in bed - but never once did she feel sorry for herself.

With a paintbrush wedged between her paralysed fingers, she drew with passion and conviction, letting her imagination run wild and refusing to let her illness rule her fate.

'The world is too beautiful. Even if I am in poor health, I don't want to give up the opportunity to live,' Zhang, a Taiyuan native, told MailOnline.

Zhang carefully mixes and places her oil colours on a painting that she's working on

Zhang has produced more than 300 paintings and now owns an online shop on WeChat

And live she did. Ever since she picked up a paintbrush in bed three years ago, Zhang has created more than 300 paintings and now owns an online shop, 'Lily's Easel', on WeChat, where her work would be available for sale.

The extraordinary artist's inspiring story has touched the hearts of many across China, with many net users congratulating her and showing their support by buying her work.

All 150 pieces of Zhang's artwork are now sold out. Half of them were purchased this past week.

'I sold my last painting this morning,' an elated Zhang said. 'I can't believe this. I am so touched by everyone's support. It truly feels like a dream!'

She said she first realised something was wrong when she was six years old, when her thumb and wrist would always swell up and hurt.

The painting 'Land of Dreams' (pictured) was kept by Zhang as part of her personal collection

The extraordinary artist's inspiring story has touched the hearts of many across China

Zhang's mother shows off one of her daughter's masterpiece in Taiyuan city, Shanxi province

She told her parents, who took her to hospital for a checkup. Doctors diagnosed her with rheumatoid arthritis and warned her father that there was a risk of paralysis if her condition was not treated properly.

Her nightmare came during the winter of 1986, when her symptoms suddenly worsened, leaving her body completely stiff and in great pain.

'I can move my hip, shoulders and neck a little. Other than that, I can't move at all,' she said.

Neighbours would come visit her then and say: 'What's going to happen to this poor child?' To which her mother would respond by crying.

'It was sad to see my mother like that,' Zhang said. 'I'm just paralysed - I'm not dead.'

Bedridden and unable to return to school, she started the habit of drawing as a pastime.

'Heart of the sea' was sold for 2333 yuan (260) on Zhang's online shop, 'Lily's Easel'

The devoted artist only stops from time to time to take a sip of water placed on her bedside

The artist's wrists were completely stiff and she could only grasp a brush between her thumb and index finger in a fist, while carefully adjusting her shoulder and pressure on the canvas

In 2015, she began learning oil painting from a professional artist and instantly fell in love with it.

'Painting transformed me,' Zhang recalled. 'The first time I picked up a brush, it's as if I have found my calling. I felt that I lived to draw.'

It was by all means not an easy journey. Her wrists were completely stiff and she could only grasp a brush between her thumb and index finger in a fist, all the while carefully angling her shoulder and adjusting the pressure applied on the canvas.

Bit by bit, she gained control. Her devotion and passion were fiercely realised in her work, which gracefully reflects the vivid colours of the sunset, the ripples of the waves, the feathery clouds above snow-topped mountains and the minute facial expressions of her human subjects.

Much of it was talent, but far more of it was persistence. A 30-inch-by-40-inch (75cm by 100cm) canvas would take Zhang between a week and 12 days to complete.

Video footage of the artist at work released by China News shows a focused Zhang carefully mixing and placing different colours on a canvas that was slowly transforming into the night sky, only stopping from time to time to take a sip of water placed on her bedside.

By the time she turned eight, Zhang had lost 90 per cent of her body's joint function

'The world is too beautiful. Even if I am in poor health, I don't want to give up the opportunity to live,' Zhang told MailOnline. She has created more than 300 paintings since 2015

One of Zhang's favourite work, called 'Front Door of my Home' (pictured) was completed by the artist in April. It depicts the house that her father had lived in when he was younger

A 30-inch-by-40-inch canvas would take Zhang between a week to 12 days to complete

The artist lives vicariously through her friends' travel photos, which together with books, music and online scenic photographs, serve as her inspiration.

'This way, even if I couldn't get out of the house, I get to see beautiful landscapes, skies and seas - I can still explore the world with my paint and my canvas.'

Apart from painting, Zhang has also authored four books - three fictions and one autobiography.

'I want to encourage people who are in the same situation as I am to not give up on themselves,' she said.

'Instead of crying and worrying all day, explore your identity and find your meaning in life,' she said. 'Live in the present.'A father and his daughter escaped unscathed after an e-scooter suddenly exploded in their flat in Beijing.

The electric scooter was being charged in their home near the balcony on Wednesday when it suddenly burst into a ball of fire in their living room.

The scooter had been charging for seven hours when the accident happened, according to reports citing the owner.

The electric scooter was being charged in the family's Beijing home near the balcony on Wednesday when smoke suddenly started to emerge from the device

Three seconds later, a blinding light was seen as the scooter exploded into a ball of flames

Horrifying video footage released by China Fire Department shows the father and the daughter sitting in the living room at about 5:30pm when smoke started to emerge from the device.

Noticing that something was wrong, the father rushed to unplug the device from the power source.

However, thick black smoke intensified and the man immediately grabbed his daughter with their small pooch in tow and made a run for the door.

Less than three seconds later, a blinding light was seen as the scooter exploded into a ball of flames.

The father and property management staff were able to put out the fire shortly after.

The owner of the flat, identified only by her surname Zhao, said the family purchased the e-scooter online for 1,780 yuan (200) just two weeks ago, according to Beijing Morning Post.

Noticing that something was wrong, the father rushed to unplug the device

The man immediately grabbed his daughter and made a run for the door

The mobility device was being charged only the second time when the incident occurred. Ms Zhao said the seller had advised them to charge the scooter between six to 12 hours each time.

However, the device was still not fully charged after seven hours when Ms Zhao left her husband and daughter at home at about 4pm.

Ms Zhao said she had reached out to the manufacturer of the device, Wuyi Shengte Company, which said they were investigating the incident. She has also filed a complaint with the China Consumers Association.

The family suffered an estimated loss of 20,000 yuan (2,200).

The original video has gone viral in China since it was first posted on Monday, with more than 4.3 million views.

The China Fire Department has urged e-scooter owners to not charge their devices at home unattended.A little boy was left dazed and confused in the middle of a busy junction in south-east China after he flew out of the back of his father's tuk tuk.

However, the oblivious father drove off without realising that his three-year-old child had gone missing.

A passer-by saw the child and ran over to pick him up just as he was about to wander into the busy traffic.

A boy flew out the back of a tuk tuk in the middle of a busy junction in Jinjiang city on Monday

The three-year-old boy fell flat on this face on the ground and suffered minor abrasions

The bizarre incident occurred on Monday at about 10am, along Xiyuan Road in Jinjiang city, Fujian province.

Video footage of the incident shows the child standing up in the trunk after the three-wheeled motorcycle came to a stop at the lights.

The child lost his footing when the vehicle started to move. He fell flat on his face, then stood up appearing confused.

He started to wander dangerously into oncoming traffic when a passer-by noticed the boy and rushed over to stop him.

The man, later identified by his surname Zhang, told Fujian News Channel that he quickly brought the boy to safety, adding that he was in a very dangerous situation.

Cars whizzed past as the father drove off without realising that the boy had fallen out

The child is seen standing up in the trunk (left) after the motorcycle came to a stop at the lights. He then lost his footing and fell out of the car (right) when it started moving

A passer-by noticed the boy wandering into the traffic and rushed over to stop him

He quickly alerted police and the father finally realised that his son was missing, according to the report. The pair were reunited shortly after.

Xu Hong, a police officer at the Jinjiang Traffic Police, said the child suffered minor abrasions.

He added that it was extremely dangerous and irresponsible for the parent to place the child in the back of the uncovered vehicle.

'There were no safety harnesses in the trunk compartment at all. Therefore, it should be predictable that the child would not sit still, which is very dangerous. This accident could have been avoided,' Mr Hong said.It was an unfortunate day for this woman in east China when she first got hit by a car and then tumbled into an open manhole.

The woman had been travelling on her electric motorbike across a busy junction in Hangzhou city when she was hit by a white saloon near the side of the road.

The female rider fell into the hole and was rescued by nearby construction workers and police officers. She was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The woman had been travelling on her electric motorbike across a busy junction in Hangzhou city when she was hit by a white saloon near the side of the road on July 26

The woman was thrown off her bike and then tumbled into an open manhole at the junction

Video footage of the incident on July 26 shows the woman riding across the intersection in Jianggan district, Hangzhou city at about 9:46am.

When she was about to approach the opposite side, a car making a right turn struck her.

She was thrown from her scooter and started rolling straight towards the manhole, where two workers were performing sanitation tasks.

She tumbled into the hole, disappearing from view.

The horrified construction workers immediately rushed to help her while they alerted emergency services.

Li Pijie and Yan Chaocheng, both officers from the Xincheng public security bureau, told Hangzhou News that they were patrolling the area when they heard a pedestrian calling for help.

The horrified construction workers immediately tried to help the fallen woman

When the police arrived at the scene, one of the construction workers had already climbed into the drain, trying to rescue the woman. She was later taken to hospital for treatment

In the end, the rescue party successfully pulled the woman out of the drain

When they arrived at the scene, one of the construction workers had already climbed into the drain, trying to rescue the woman.

'I saw that in addition to a lot of construction materials, there was a shallow layer of water in the drain,' Mr Li told reporters.

'The worker in the manhole said the woman was badly hurt - her hands and her head were bleeding.'

In the end, the rescue party successfully pulled the woman out of the drain.

The woman was conscious when she was taken to hospital and sustained multiple contusions and soft tissue injuries to her head, hands, waist and legs.

Local authorities are investigating the accident.John McDonnell today warned Labour must 'sort out' its anti-Semitism problem despite Jeremy Corbyn's continued silence over his ally's rant about 'Jewish Trump fanatics'.

The shadow chancellor's humble tone today struck a stark contrast with the Labour leader refusing to comment on the scandal when confronted by journalists today.

Mr Corbyn - who last night apologised for his own attendance at an event where Israeli policy was compared to the Nazis - has made no comment on a leaked recording of Peter Willsman's vile tirade at a meeting of Labour's ruling committee.

As he left home and leapt into a black cab, Mr Corbyn said only 'Good morning. Nice to see you. Goodbye'.

In a new tape that emerged today Mr Willsman claimed in 2016 to have been a 'mate' of Mr Corbyn for 40 years and said the Labour leader was texting him from World War 1 commemorations on the Somme for advice on Shami Chakrabarti's report into Labour anti-Semitism.

Evidence of the close relationship between Mr Corbyn and Mr Willsman will fuel anger about the Labour leader's refusal to speak out against his friend.

John McDonnell today warned Labour must 'sort out' its anti-Semitism problem despite Jeremy Corbyn's (right) continued silence over his ally Peter Willsman's (left) rant about 'Jewish Trump fanatics'.

John McDonnell (pictured today on Sky New) warned Labour must 'sort out' its anti-Semitism problem despite Jeremy Corbyn's continued silence over his ally's rant about 'Jewish Trump fanatics'

The shadow chancellor's humble tone today struck a stark contrast with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who refused to comment on the scandal when confronted by journalists today, instead leaping into a taxi (pictured)

Baroness Chakrabarti's report, which has been widely dismissed by Jewish Labour politicians, contained a series of recommendations for how Mr Corbyn should overhaul party rules to stamp out racism.

Mr Corbyn is said to have asked Mr Willsman for guidance on which of the recommendations 'we need to be a bit careful about'.

Mr Willsman, a veteran left-winger who has served on Labour's ruling committees since 1981, said he cautioned Mr Corbyn about two recommendations.

The first said members should not be protected by Labour for views outside of party values if they are 'prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the party'.

The second was about handing power to suspend members to Labour's National Constitution Committee.

What did Willsman warn Corbyn about? The two recommendations in the Chakrabarti report which Willsman claims he told Corbyn they needed to be 'careful' about were: 6. Beliefs out-with the Labour Party's values are not to be protected when considering whether a member has acted in a way which is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the party. and 10. I recommend that the power of interim suspension be vested in the NCC and give guidance as to how it might be exercised more proportionately. Advertisement

On the tape leaked to Sky News, Mr Willsman told the NEC: 'The phone went and it was Jeremy.

'He was texting me. He said: ''I'm sitting on the Somme waiting to make a speech, I've got a few minutes, could you please text me the recommendations in Shami's report we need to be a bit careful about?''.

'By that point I'd read it and I texted him back, recommendations 10 and six which I'll come to in a moment.

'And I thought 'this is a chap who's cracking up, he's sending me texts from the Somme about Shami's report'.

'So I had a very good laugh.'

In other developments today, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the anti-Semitism storm was a 'low moment' for Labour.

He told the Independent: 'The issue for me is that it's upsetting but partly because you think how have we got ourselves in this situation?

'We've got to get this sorted it out but also in the life experiences of members of the Jewish community, while we have these disputes going on in the media and elsewhere, there isn't sufficient campaigning on the ground to tackle those.'

He added: 'I thought we had got to a position where we are able to move on  we're not  we've got to resolve that by September.

'The discussion is taking place I think that will enable that to happen.'

Labour's Peter Willsman called some members of the Jewish community 'Trump fanatics'

Mr Willsman issued a new apology for his tirade at July's meeting of the NEC last night and said he was referring himself for diversity training.

In the extraordinary rant he claimed 'some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump  they are Trump fanatics and all the rest of it' before shouting: 'So I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up duff information without any evidence at all.'

First the outburst, then the abject 'apology' What Willsman told the Labour National Executive on July 17: 'Some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump, they are Trump fanatics and all the rest of it. So I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up information without any evidence at all. 'So I think we should ask the 70 rabbis, 'Where is your evidence of severe and widespread anti-Semitism in this party?' Extracts from 'apology' he issued yesterday: 'I am sorry for my behaviour in the last meeting of Labour's NEC... I am of course aware of appalling instances of anti- Semitism within our party, and am wholly determined to rooting it out... 'I do not believe anti- Semitism is 'widespread' in the party, and that was what my comments were trying to refer to, but we do have a problem which needs stamping out. 'In diminishing the experiences of those who face anti-Semitism, I showed a lack of sensitivity... I will be referring myself [for] equalities training so I can better understand how to approach discussions of such issues in a respectful way.' Advertisement

During the vile tirade he also questioned whether dozens of rabbis were telling the truth when they complained about allegations of anti-Semitism in Labour.

In a statement on Tuesday Willsman said he will have 'equalities training'.

He added: 'Having sat on the NEC for many years, I am of course aware of appalling instances of anti-Semitism within our party, and am wholly determined to rooting it out of our movement.

'I do not believe anti-Semitism is 'widespread' in the Labour Party, and that was what my comments were trying to refer to, but we do have a problem which needs stamping out.

'One anti-Semite is one too many.

'I recognise the offensive nature of my comments and that, in diminishing the experiences of those who face anti-Semitism in our party and society, I showed a lack of the sensitivity required for discussions around racism.'

Mr Corbyn was at the meeting and heard Mr Willsman first hand. The Labour leader has made no comment since the tape leaked almost 24 hours ag.

Labour headquarters has repeatedly insisted it does not comment on individual cases.

Despite the rant being caught on tape, Mr Willsman insisted today that not all of his remarks had been accurately reported.

Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson warned Mr Willsman has 'always been a loud mouth bully' while Jewish Labour MPs demanded he be suspended.

Board of Deputies Preisdent Marie van der Zyl today demanded Mr Corbyn and Labour General Secretary Jennie Formby explain what response they gave at the meeting.

Who is Peter Willsman? Peter Willsman, the voice behind a shocking rant about anti-Semitism leaked from Labour's ruling committee, is a veteran left wing official inside the party. He has served on Labour's national committees since 1981 - and reports today suggested his rant about 'Jewish Trump fanatics' was far from the first time he had shouted down colleagues. A member kicked off the NEC in the last round of elections told the New Statesman the silver lining of defeat was 'at least I'll never have to hear Peter Willsman go off on one again'. He has so far kept his position on the far left Momentum-backed slate for the current NEC elections because he is chairman of Campaign for Labour Party Democracy. Created by Tony Benn, the CLPD was the left-wing outpost which survived inside Labour during the Blair years. Last year he was among left-wing activists demanding all Labour candidates sign a pledge of personal loyalty to Jeremy Corbyn before being allowed to stand in the General Election. Advertisement

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said it was 'unacceptable and terrifying' for Corbyn to remain silent over Mr Willsman.

'This tirade did not happen in some stuffy room of a fringe gathering in the back of beyond,' she said.

'This happened at a meeting of the ruling body of a mainstream political party with its leader present.

'It is horrifying  not only for its content but by the fact that the Labour leader and general secretary sat by, witnessed these disgusting, indefensible comments and said nothing.'

Ms Formby wrote to Mr Willsman after a complaint was made to remind him of Labour rules but his apology meant no other action was taken.

The comments were recorded at a meeting of the National Executive Committee and leaked to the Jewish Chronicle.

Mr Willsman's membership of the NEC is backed by the hard-Left Momentum group within Labour.

He is part of a slate of left-wing candidates seeking re-election to the committee dubbed the 'JC9'. Voting closes on August 30.

He is secretary of the Campaign For Labour Democracy group, which supported Ken Livingstone over his controversial remarks about Hitler and Zionism.Microsoft is believed to be working on a new subscription model for Windows 10 customers that will allow the company to automatically take care of any glitches.

The Redmond-based technology company currently pushes-out updates with new features to its Windows 10 users twice a year.

However, users have bemoaned the updates, which have been plagued with errors.

Earlier this year, Microsoft was forced to delay its April 2018 update after beta testers unearthed a serious glitch that caused computers with Intel-branded solid state drives to crash. When the patched update rolled-out, it contained a glitch that triggered the machine to freeze when users opened up the Google Chrome browser.

To solve the problem, Microsoft is purportedly looking to launch a new feature known as Microsoft Managed Desktop although no release date has been confirmed.

The system will sell the Windows 10 operating system as a service, whereby users pay a monthly subscription fee to use the latest version of the software, with any glitches and bugs ironed out immediately by Microsoft.

This approach would be similar to the launch of Office 365, which replaced the one-time purchase of Microsoft Word with a rolling monthly subscription.

Microsoft has so far refused to comment on the widespread rumours, however job listings posted by the company suggest it is preparing for the launch of the monthly subscription service, which does not currently have a price.

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Microsoft is working on a paid subscription service for customers that will allow the firm to take care of any updates and glitches on Windows 10. It is believed the feature will be called Microsoft Managed Desktop and will act as a 'desktop as a service'

According to unnamed sources speaking to ZDnet, the monthly subscription will also allow customers to lease a Windows 10 device that is set-up for them and kept up to date. This will all come at the expense of single monthly fee.

With Microsoft handling both the hardware and the software, it should be able to smooth-out some of the considerable kinks it has experienced in its updates.

Continuous updates and tweaks from Microsoft should result in smoother transitions between the feature-laden biannual updates, according to sources.

The glitches often trigger compatibility issues with other products, like webcams, printers, mice and keyboards.

By paying Microsoft to handle the entire package of software and hardware, the company believes it will be able to solve this problem for consumers.

It appears the Redmond-based firm will first roll-out Microsoft Managed Desktop to its enterprise customers, before testing it on regular consumers.

It is believed the feature will be called Microsoft Managed Desktop and will act as a 'desktop as a service.' This means customers will rent it by the month instead of owning it after a one-time purchase

HOW DO YOU UPDATE WINDOWS 10? Windows 10 every so often checks for updates so you dont have to. When an update is available, its automatically downloaded and installed, keeping your device up to date with the latest features. To check for updates manually, select the Start button, and then go to Settings > Update & security > Windows Update, and select Check for updates. If Windows Update says your device is up to date, you have all the updates that are currently available. Advertisement

Microsoft has so far refused to comment on the reports, however job listings posted by the company lend credence to the rumoured monthly subscription.

The company posted several new open positions that state 'Microsoft 365 Managed Desktop (MMD) is a new, per-user subscription service that enables customers with devices that can take advantage of the latest productivity tools and technologies (Device as a Service) in a secure, monitored, and supported IT environment (IT as a Service).'

The posting goes on to state that those who are hired for this role will use their learnings to 'influence the Go to market strategy of this new and exciting service'.The US Air Force intentionally destroyed an unarmed missile mid-flight during a botched test launch from California this week.

The Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile was sailing above the Pacific Ocean when its flight was aborted after it developed an 'anomaly,' officials said.

An Air Force statement says the flight was safely terminated after officials sent a self-destruct message to the missile at 7:42am ET (12:42pm BST) Tuesday.

The debris from the $7 million (5.3 million) rocket fell safely into an unpopulated region of the Pacific, it said.

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The US Air Force intentionally destroyed an unarmed missile mid-flight during a botched test launch from California this week. Pictured is a file photo showing a Minuteman III missile launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, like the one in Tuesday's aborted test

The Minuteman system's accuracy and reliability is routinely tested with launches from the Vandenberg Air Force Base, located 10 miles (16km) northwest of Lompoc.

Each firing sends a missile's re-entry vehicle on a 4,200-mile (6,759-kilometer) flight to a target in the Kwajalein Atoll of the Marshall Islands.

Launches are often planned years in advance.

The Air Force defines an 'anomaly' as any unexpected event during a test. As a result, the error could arise from a number of different factors.

Officials are currently forming a 'launch analysis group' to determine the cause of the latest anomaly.

'Since anomalies may arise from many factors relating to the operational platform itself, or the test equipment, careful analysis is needed to identify the cause,' Air Force Global Strike Command said in a statement.

Decades after the Cold War, the United States still fields hundreds of Minuteman 3 ICBMs, dotted in silos across rural America. The missile, which weighs 36,000 kilos (80,000lb) and has a range of 6,000 miles (9,600km), has been in service since 1970 (file photo)

ICBM test flights are normally aborted when a missile flies slightly off track.

An official tracking the weapon's GPS signal via a digital map hits a self-destruct button, causing explosives along the rocket's seam to detonate.

This releases the missile's fuel, causing it to ignite and safely destroy the ICBM, which then spins harmlessly into the Pacific Ocean.



HOW DOES THE US MILITARY ABORT MISSILE TEST FLIGHTS? Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) - long-range rockets that can carry nuclear warheads - are regularly tested by nations with nuclear programmes. At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where unarmed ICBMs are launched for tests several times a year, a Mission Flight Control Officer (MFCO) has the job of making sure the missile stays on track. A GPS transmitter tracks the missile's location on its 4,200-mile (6,759-kilometer) flight to a target in the Kwajalein Atoll of the Marshall Islands. During each ICBM's flight over the Pacific Ocean, the MFCO looks over a screen displaying a digital map with lines that the missile cannot cross. If the missile strays across these lines, it is deemed off-course, and the MFCO must hit the self-destruct button to terminate the test. This button detonates explosives along the seam of the missile, which releases the weapon's fuel, causing it to ignite. The missile then spins harmlessly into the Pacific Ocean. Advertisement

Decades after the Cold War, the United States still fields hundreds of Minuteman 3 ICBMs, dotted in silos across rural America.

The missile, which weighs 36,000 kilos (80,000lb) and has a range of 6,000 miles (9,600km), has been in service since 1970.

Manufactured by Boeing, each ICBM has a range of approximately 8,100 miles (13,000km).

The Minuteman 3 missile system's accuracy and reliability is routinely tested with launches from the Vandenberg Air Force Base. Each firing sends a missile's reentry vehicle on a 4,200-mile (6,759-kilometer) flight to a target in the Kwajalein Atoll of the Marshall Islands

WHAT IS AN ICBM? An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a long-range weapon used to deliver warheads to distant targets. It is a type of ballistic missile, which are powered and guided toward a target but fall onto to it under gravity. This means the trajectory of the missiles is a high, arching path. To be classed as an ICBM, a missile must carry a warhead more than 3,400 miles (5,400km) either through the air, or through space. Those that travel through space - which includes almost all nuclear missiles - are painstakingly designed to survive the heat and pressure of re-entry. ICBMs typically deliver nuclear weapons but can also carry conventional warheads. Advertisement

Regular tests help to ensure the system remains accurate and reliable.

'These test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent,' according to a previous Air Force statement.

Over the next 20 years, the Air Force will switch-out the entirety of its Minuteman 3 fleet with a new missile known currently known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD).While most toddlers would be happy with a toy frog to play with, one three year old has gone one better - and got her own species.

Andrew Gray, an amphibian conservationist, had spent 20 years researching the brightly coloured frog before finding it was a new species.

He them named it after his three-year-old granddaughter Sylvia Beatrice Gray.

Three year old Sylvia Beatrice 'loves frogs and she's quite intelligent for her age' according top her grandfather.

Andrew Gray, 54, claims Sylvia was 'taken aback' and excited by the Cruziohyla sylviae [Sylvia's Tree Frog], which has a bright orange belly and black bars down its front.

He claimed the frog is 'so beautiful just like her' and claims the pressure's now on to find two more species to name after his other grandkids.

Andrew discovered the difference between the new species and the Cruziohyla calcarifer, the Splendid Tree Frog, after comparing them at Manchester University.

Andrew from Chorley, Lancashire, said: 'It was amazing to introduce Sylvia to the Sylvia's Tree Frog. She realises that it's something very special.

'It's fantastic - it's so beautiful just like her.

'It's a really big species with bright colours which I think she likes. She was a bit taken aback.

'Sylvia Beatrice is only three so it's a bit hard for her to understand, but she loves frogs and she's quite intelligent for her age.

'She does understand a lot about animals and that species, she's just excited about animals like I used to be.

WHAT IS SYLVIA'S TREE FROG? The Cruziohyla sylviae was initially mistaken for the same species as the Cruziohyla calcarifer, which was first discovered more than 100 years ago in Ecuador. Sylvia's Tree Frog was found in 1925 in Panama and taken to America, under the misunderstanding it was the same species. However, Andrew Gray, an amphibian conservationist, spent 20 years researching the brightly coloured frog before finding it was a new species. Advertisement

'For me, it's something that's very special and I like to know that one day when she gets older she'll have an animal named after her.

'My son has a little boy, George, and my daughter just had a little girl called Aszouri too, so the pressure's on to find two other entire species now.

'This has taken me all my life though so I'm not holding my breath.'

Sylvia (left) with the new frog (Sylviais Tree Frog) along wiht her uncle, Andrew Gray, an amphibian conservationist

The Cruziohyla sylviae was initially mistaken for the same species as the Cruziohyla calcarifer, which was first discovered more than 100 years ago in Ecuador.

Sylvia's Tree Frog was found in 1925 in Panama and taken to America, under the misunderstanding it was the same species.

After a trip to Ecuador two decades ago Andrew discovered the Cruziohyla sylviae and realised it was different, before dedicating the rest of his career to proving his theory.

Andrew said: 'The frog itself was first found in 1902 in Ecuador and taken back to the British Museum.

'In 1925 somebody found one in Panama and took that back to America.

Andrew Gray, 54, claims Sylvia was 'taken aback' and excited by the Cruziohyla sylviae [Sylvia's Tree Frog, which has a bright orange belly and black bars down its front

'They presumed it was the same frog but never compared the two. Both frogs were considered the same species side by side.

'There was a confusion. I went to Ecuador and found the Sylvia's Tree Frog 20 years ago and realised it was a different species.

'I did a lot more work focusing on this species of frog.

'We now have around eight in the museum. We're the only institution in the world that has both species now.

'There are various different things that indicate they are different - their DNA, the look of them, the peptide on their skin.

'One has a calker on the end of its elbow, whereas the other doesn't.

'Another different is the size of the ear in comparison to the eye.

'On the calcarifer, the black bars only go half way down the body, whereas with the sylviae, they go all the way down.

'It's hard to guess how many there are in the world but you're looking at hundreds, rather than thousands.'

The incredible discovery has been applauded by Manchester Museum's director, Esme Ward.

After a trip to Ecuador two decades ago Andrew discovered the Cruziohyla sylviae and realised it was different, before dedicating the rest of his career to proving his theory.

Friends in high places: David Attenborough with the Cruziohyla Sylviae

Esme said: 'It's a real privilege to be maintaining such rare frogs in our collection and supporting amphibian conservation around the planet.

'This multi-disciplined research highlights the importance of museum collections, where both live and historical specimens are aiding current taxonomy to make a real difference in shaping the future of wildlife conservation.'

'Its no wonder its called destroyer of insects.

Scientists have identified a fungus that infects fruit flies and kills them from the inside out  but, not before causing them to ascend to a high point and spread their wings like a marionette on a string, to spew spores from their abdomen.

The behaviour-manipulating fungus invades the fruit flys nervous system and forces it to embark on the fatal climb, known as summit disease, before devouring the brain and muscles.

Scientists have identified a fungus that infects fruit flies and eats them from the inside out  but, not before causing them to ascend to a high point and spread their wings like a marionette on a string, to spew spores from their abdomen

According to researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, the fungus responsible for the horrifying infection is called Entomophthora muscae  with the genus translating to destroyer of insects.

Then-doctoral student Carolyn Elya began examining the fungus effect after noticing dead fruit flies around a rotting watermelon on her apartments balcony.

After she stopped feeding them the antifungal food used in the labs, fruit flies she brought to her home to observe became infected as well.

Additional studies back at the universitys lab revealed further insight on how it works.

I thought this was a big, bad, evil thing crazed with infecting lots of flies, but the fungus is actually pretty wimpy, Elya said.

I think of this as like the invasion of the body snatchers.

Many fungi are known to infect insects and use their bodies to spread spores.

By forcing them to climb to a high point, the researchers say the fungus can spread its spores more widely.

There are several well-known examples of microorganisms  bacteria, fungi, and protozoa  that manipulate animal behaviour in the natural world, but we dont yet understand how these organisms hijack an animals nervous system, Elya said.

The behaviour-manipulating fungus invades the fruit flys nervous system and forces it to embark on the fatal climb, known as summit disease, before devouring the brain and muscles

This particular fungus can be in the body long before its effects become apparent, feeding off the flys fat. Its only once its devoured all the fat that it moves on to complete its mission.

During these earlier stages, the researcher says the flies seem clueless as to whats happening to them.

But, it then progresses and destroys the insects organs. All the while, the fly keeps ascending to higher surfaces.

HOW DOES FUNGUS TURN ANTS INTO 'ZOMBIES'? Researchers at Penn State University suggest that the zombie ant fungus surrounds and invades muscle fibres throughout the ant's body, allowing it to control the host's behaviour. In a recent study, the researchers infected ants with the parasite or a general fungal pathogen. The team then created 3D visualisations to understand how the fungi moved inside the ants. Using AI and machine-learning algorithms, the researcher analysed the images, and found that the parasite cells had spread through virtually all regions of the ants, including the head, thorax, abdomen and legs. Many of the fungal cells were connected, suggesting they formed a network to control the ant's behaviour collectively. Dr David Hughes, senior author of the study, said: 'We found that a high percentage of the cells in a host were fungal cells. 'In essence, these manipulated animals were a fungus in ants' clothing.' Despite being found in most regions in the ant, the researchers found no fungal cells inside the brain. Advertisement

The fungus then grows out of the flys proboscis, eventually causing it to stick face-first to a high point.

Once its stuck, the infected fly raises its wings to a 90-degree angle, and dies frozen in this position.

And, the fungus saves the brain for last.

As far as I can tell, it holds off on eating the brain until after it kills the fly, Elya said. Thats also when it eats the muscles.Slapping sunscreen on at the beach before cooling off with a swim in the ocean could be damaging sea-life, a new study has warned.

According to new research, the same chemicals used in products to protect us from harmful UV rays can trigger deformities in future generations of fish.

The find could be a 'canary in the coal mine' for the wider effects these chemicals have on the environment and larger animals further up the food chain, including humans, scientists have cautioned.

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Slapping sunscreen on at the beach before cooling off in the ocean could be damaging sealife, a new study has warned. The same chemicals that protect us from harmful UV rays can cause deformities in future generations of fish (stock image)

Scientists at Hong Kong Baptist University looked at the effect of ultraviolet (UV) filters on marine wildlife.

The chemicals are found in consumer products including cosmetics, sun lotions and moisturisers and protect the wearers from the damage caused by sunlight.

However, these chemicals can easily wash off from the skin, and their presence has been detected in the environment by a number of previous studies.

UV filters are also known to disrupt key hormones  an attribute that scientists now believe could have a devastating impact on wildlife.

Researchers said the finding should set alarm bells ringing about the damage that man-made chemicals can do.

Study co-author Dr Kelvin Sze-Yin Leung said: 'Various types of personal care products containing organic UV filters, such as sunscreens, skin lotions, and makeup products, are widely and consistently consumed.

Ultraviolet filters are found in consumer products including cosmetics and sun lotions and moisturisers and protect the wearers from UV rays. But they easily wash off from the skin, and have been detected in the environment by a number of previous studies (stock image)

'The massive production and use of UV filters has resulted in the appearance of significant amounts of these chemicals in the environment with potential bioaccumulation in both animals and humans.'

While the adverse effects of UV filters are widely known, previous research concluded that individual chemicals are not present at high-enough levels in the environment to cause harm to people or animals.

However, Dr Sze-Yin Leung investigated whether combinations of UV filters may be more harmful than individual compounds, and whether these chemicals could have long-term effects that previous studies had not considered.

WHAT ARE UV FILTERS AND HOW DO THEY IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT? Ultraviolet (UV) filters are chemicals in consumer products like sunscreen that help to protect us from some of the sun's most harmful radiation. They are found in products including cosmetics, sun lotions and moisturisers. UV filters are designed to easily wash off the skin and have been detected in the environment by a number of previous studies. Ingesting the chemicals has been shown to disrupt key hormones. Scientists suggest that beach-goers using UV-filtered sunscreen may inadvertently harm wildlife when they go for a swim. Advertisement

His team assessed the levels of nine common UV filters in waters on the coast of Shenzhen, China, which is home to 20 popular beaches.

The researchers found seven of the nine chemicals in Shenzhen waters, including public beaches, a harbour and, surprisingly, a reservoir for tap water.

The researchers then fed zebrafish brine shrimp that had been exposed to three of the most prevalent chemicals, both alone and in mixtures.

Although the adult fish had no visible problems, their offspring showed deformities.

The team noted these abnormalities were mostly observed when the fish were exposed to concentrations of the chemicals higher than is likely to occur in the environment.

Dr Sze-Yin Leung concluded: 'Our study demonstrates that multiple UV filters occur in natural waters, that these substances are being transmitted through the food chain via food.

'The results clearly show that UV filters are adversely affecting early life-stage zebrafish.

'Like the canary in the coal mine, could these relatively small, simple organisms be warning of increasing, cumulative risks and dangers to larger organisms and indeed the ecosystem itself?'

He added that further research is needed to evaluate the full effects UV filters, and their mixtures, have on marine environments.

The study was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.Meena Kumari, otherwise known as Bollywoods tragedy queen, has been honoured with a Google Doodle on what would have been her 85th birthday.

Also known as the poet Naaz, the Pakeezah actress was renowned for the way she portrayed the struggle of Indian women in the 1950s and 1960s.

She appeared in over 90 films during her 38-year career and because of her exceptional beauty, male actors admitted to forgetting their lines while working with her. But who was Meena Kumari?

Meena Kumaris most famous film is arguably Pakeezah, which took 14 years to complete

Who was Meena Kumari?

Born Mahjabeen Bano on August 1, 1932 in Mumbai, as an actress, she portrayed sorrowful and tragic roles but her life was marred by troubled relationships, heavy drinking and as a result, she died of liver cirrhosis, according to Rolling Frames Film Society.

When she was born, her parents, who were actors, were unable to pay the doctor his fees for the delivery so were then forced to leave her at an orphanage, but her father came back for her soon after.

Despite wanting to go to school, she was made to act by her parents at the age of 7 because of money struggles and she became known as Baby Meena.

Baby Meena transformed into Meena Kumari as she grew older and after appearing in the 1952 film Baiju Bawra, she became the first actress to win a Filmfare Award. In 1963, she became the first to be nominated for Best Actress in three different films in a single year.

Around the same time, she met, fell in love with and married Kamaal Amrohi, who was a film director and 15 years older than her.

After playing an alcoholic wife in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, fans started to draw parallels with her life outside of cinema and she began to drink excessively.

She divorced Amrohi in 1964 and went on to have affairs with young famous actors like Dharmendra. Her career dwindled and the drinking had damaged her liver, so much so that Meena had to seek treatment in London and Switzerland.

Meena Kumaris most famous film is arguably Pakeezah, which was directed by her ex-husband and took 14 years to complete. When the shooting was halted abruptly in 1964 after their divorce, it was only completed halfway.

Pakeezah did not receive the rave reviews Meena had expected upon its release in 1972, but after her death, many flocked to see it and it became a cult classic.

Meena Kumari, known as the tragedy queen, has been honoured with a Google Doodle

As well as being an accomplished actress, she was also known as the poet Naaz. Her most famous work was an album of her compositions in Urdu titled I Write, I Recite, which was accompanied with music composed by Khayyam.

Meena Kumari died on March 31, 1972 at age 40 and was in the same circumstances as her parents were at the time of her birth: unable to pay hospital bills, but her legacy lives on.

Meena Kumari has been celebrated in a Google Doodle on what would have been her 85th birthday.

What is a Google Doodle?

A Google Doodle is how the tech giant changes up the logo on the homepage for a to honour an individual, event, achievement, anniversary or holiday.

The first Google Doodle created was for the 1998 Burning Man festival when cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page wanted to attend and let people know that they would be out of the office.

Google Doodles were at first designed by outside contractors until 2000 when Dennis Hwang, the companys public relations officer, designed one in recognition of Bastille Day. Since then, they have been created on a more regular basis by a special in-house team called Doodlers.

Recent Google Doodles have celebrated Maria Rebecca Latigo de Hernandez, Ludwig Sutterlin and Gino Bartali.US adults now spend almost half of their waking hours interacting with social media, watching television, or playing video games, according to a new report.

This amounts to a shocking 11 hours spent looking at a screen every day.

According to the report by New York City-based data analytics firm Nielson, the overall time spent using media has increased significantly in the past year.

The prevalence of TV-connected devices, including set-top boxes like Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, are blamed for the latest increase.

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US adults now spend a shocking 11 hours each day interacting with social media, watching TV, or playing games consoles, according to a new report. Overall time spent using media has increased significantly in the past year alone

In total, US adults watched almost six hours a day during the first quarter of 2018.

This includes any video footage viewed on a television, TV-connected device, laptop or computer, as well as video-focused app or website on a smartphone or tablet.

Compared with the previous report by Nielson, this viewing time was an increase of 11 minutes, with six of those minutes stemming from TV-connected devices.

TV-connected devices are third-party set-top boxes that allow access to video streaming services, like Google Chromecast, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.

In total, two-thirds of all US households now own a separate streaming devices capable of beaming video content to the TV set, the report found.

According to the 2018 Nielsen Total Audience Report, young adults aged 18 to 34 spent the largest percentage of time using TV-connected and digital devices.

'The way people consume content is vastly different from what it was five years ago, let alone 10 or 20,' said Peter Katsingris, Senior Vice President of Audience Insights.

'Consumers have the luxury of more options now than ever before.

'They can watch videos or listen to music on their smartphone and then just as easily engage with completely different content on their television or radio,' he added.

From the last quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2018, daily time spent on TV-connected devices increased by five minutes to around 40 minutes each day.

Almost a third of this generation's time spent with media (29 per cent) comes from browsing on their smartphone  the most of any measured generation.

From the last quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2018, daily time spent on TV-connected devices increased by five minutes to around 40 minutes every day

According to the 2018 Nielsen Total Audience Report, young adults between the age of 18-34 spend the largest percentage of time using TV-connected devices and digital devices

In March, another report revealed a similar trend in the UK.

More than one in eight teenagers now spend at least three hours on social media each day, researchers found.

The figure, reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), has more than doubled in four years.

The report also revealed that younger girls use websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram far more than their male counterparts.

As well as using social media more frequently, girls are more affected by social media than boys.

A separate study by the ONS found that girls who use social media for at least an hour a day at the age of ten are unhappier throughout their teenage years.

People spend almost six hours a day spent watching videos alone, researchers found. Almost 20 per cent of consumers now have a smart speaker in the household, the report also found

Two surveys from the Office for National Statistics, conducted five years apart between 2011/2012 and 2015/2016, assessed the online habits of 10-15 year old children in the UK.

It found that over this time period the amount of young girls spending more than three hours a day on social media increased from 8.7 per cent to 17.4 per cent.

Whilst the amount of young boys spending several hours a day on social media has also increased, it is dwarfed next to the amount of cyber-savvy females.

The amount of boys spending more than three hours a day on social networking sites rose from 4.9 per cent to 8.3 per cent over the same time period.

The figures were based on a survey of 4,410 children in 2011/12 and 3,616 in 2015/16 and was collected from Understanding Society, the UK household longitudinal study.One in three US teenagers who break the law identify as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or queer (LGBTQ), according to a new study into first-time offenders.

Researchers say the figure is disproportionately high, given that only one in ten youths in the United States identify as non-heterosexual.

Drug and alcohol abuse, depression and self-harm were all found to be higher among LGBTQ youth.

Scientists believe higher rates of stress among LGBT adolescents, often caused by family problems or rejection by their peers, could be responsible for the results.

However, they stressed a teenager's sexuality alone does not put them at increased risk of breaking the law, as a range of factors contribute to offense rates.

One in three US teenagers who break the law identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or queer, according to a new study into the stresses of life as a 'sexual minority' (stock image)

Experts at the University of California, San Francisco, examined sexuality, gender identity and mental health among 'court involved' teenagers  offenders who are tracked by the justice system, but not incarcerated.

More than 70 per cent of young criminals in the US are in the community and monitored by the courts, rather than in detention.

These court-involved youths committed offenses ranging from underage drinking to breaking and entering.

Study lead author Dr Matthew Hirschtritt said: 'Factors like peer rejection and family discord may contribute to impaired support networks and engagement in risky behavior.

'It would be incorrect to conclude that sexual-minority status puts a youth at increased risk of offending.

'But if we compare court-involved sexual minority youth with court-involved straight youth, we see more severe psychological distress and a greater likelihood of child-welfare system involvement.'

Scientists said depression, self-harm, and drug and alcohol use were also found to be higher among LGBTQ youth (stock image)

In the new study, researchers recruited 423 first-time, non-detained offenders aged 12 to 18 from a juvenile court in an unnamed Northeastern state.

Of these, 133 adolescents  31 per cent, or just under one third  identified as one or more of the categories covered by the LGBTQ moniker.

This is a significant proportion of the 11 per cent of US teenagers aged 14 to 18 who identified as non-heterosexual in a 2015 government-led survey.

Among the LGBTQ group studied, one-in-two had used alcohol, compared to one-in-four of the heterosexual group.

They were also approximately twice as likely to use drugs, including cannabis, cocaine and injection drugs as the heterosexual group.

WHAT IS THE LINK BETWEEN LGBTQ INDIVIDUALS AND THE LIKELIHOOD TO COMMIT A CRIME? Adolescents who identify as non-heterosexual are significantly over-represented among first-time offenders, a new study found. Scientists say a number of factors may contribute to this trend. When looking at non-incarcerated offenders, scientists found those who identified as homosexual or bisexual reported greater emotional and mental distress than their straight peers. This may be the result of higher rates of family issues or feelings of rejection. Experts also uncovered that there is a greater likelihood of child-welfare system involvement for those that are part of the LGBTQ demographic. LGBTQ adolescents are more likely to have witnessed violence against a parent or guardian - 26.3 per cent compared with 11.9 per cent for the heterosexual group. They were also at a higher risk of self-harm: 46.5 per cent versus 12.6 per cent. Those in the sexual-minority group also reported poorer mental health. This was demonstrated by increased difficulties dealing with daily life, inattention and hyperactivity, and internalising behaviour, such as fearfulness and social withdrawal. Advertisement

Additionally, the sexual-minority group reported poorer mental health, which scientists said was the result of fearfulness and social withdrawal.

This meant they were at a higher risk of self-harm than heterosexual respondents, at 46.5 per cent versus 12.6 per cent.

Researchers called for better support of young LGBTQ first-offenders to help them.

'These results suggest that sexual minority status must be specifically queried and in multiple ways, so that their needs are met,' said co-author Dr Marina Tolou-Shams.

'We need cost-effective, tailored interventions so that adolescents' first court appearances become an opportunity to prevent worsening of pre-existing health risks and further entrenchment in the justice system.'

Dr Hirschtritt added: One-on-one support, group counselling and peer support may meet the needs of these adolescents without further stigmatising them.'

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.Just when it looked like 2018 couldnt get any weirder, a US congressional candidate accusing her opponent of being a Bigfoot erotica devotee proves us wrong, with the strange fetish surprising even Pornhub.

It all started at the end of July, when the Democrat congressional nominee for the Virginia 5th district Leslie Cockburn claimed on Twitter that her Republican opponent, Denver Riggleman, was into Bigfoot erotica, adding that this is not what we need on Capitol Hill.

She posted a screenshot of what appears to be Rigglemans Instagram post showing a sketch of a naked Bigfoot with his genitalia censored, along with the caption: 'Cover art for #matinghabitsofbigfoot almost complete. I hide nothing in this magnificent tome. Don't erase the censor box.

Pornhub Insights says that searches for the 'Bigfoot' term on its site spiked on Monday July 30

Cockburn also posted another screenshot of Rigglemans Instagram showing a picture in which the candidates face is superimposed onto the Bigfoot body, with the genitalia censored again.

The two images appeared to be released to promote Rigglemans upcoming book Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him.

Denver Riggleman denied Cockburns accusations, saying the images were a joke made by his friends and that the book was not erotica but rather a parody, adding that Cockburns tweets were absurd.

Riggleman told CNN that while he does not believe in Bigfoot, he did not want to alienate the Bigfoot vote.

However, the Twitter spat has most certainly spilled over to Pornhub, with the adult sites Insights division registering a massive spike in searches on July 30, when Cockburn levelled her accusation.

The interest comes after a Twitter spat in the Virginia 5th congressional race, in which a Democrat accused her Republican opponent of being a 'devotee of Bigfoot erotica'

The site admitted that it was surprised at the fact that Bigfoot pornography was somehow at the centre of a heated congressional race.

Were pretty open minded here at Pornhub, but none of us were expecting that Bigfoot pornography would be at the center of a contentious race for a U.S. House of Representatives seat in Virginia, Pornhub said.

Pornhub Insights data shows that on July 30, searches for Bigfoot increased by a staggering 8037 per cent, as tens of thousands of people went to find out whether Bigfoot porn really exists.

Cockburn posted on Twitter a screenshot of what appears to be Rigglemans Instagram post

However, what is more interesting, as Pornhub points out, is the fact that before the controversy, people were already searching for Bigfoot on Pornhub.

Perhaps more unexpected, was that hundreds of devotees were searching for bigfoot porn every day, even before it was thrust into the political spotlight, the site added.

Pornhub Insights also had another fun stat: that Virginia residents are 38 per cent more likely to search for Bigfoot compared to the US average.After reporting $11.5 billion (8.8bn) in profits for its most recent quarter, Apple could become the first public company to be worth more than $1 trillion (761m) as customers keep buying iPhones and other products and continue to pay more for them.

As reported in The New York Times, the Silicon Valley company made a third more than the same period in 2017 and after beating Wall Street estimates, resulted in shares going up four percent in after-hours trading for a market value over $950 billion (723bn).

Despite being on the verge of bankruptcy 20 years ago, Apple has undergone staggering growth, selling 41.3 million iPhones in the last quarter, a one percent increase from 2017 and revenues also rose by 20 percent because of increasing prices, driven by its $1,000 (761) iPhone X.

Apple revenues rose by 20 percent because of increasing prices, driven by $1,000 iPhone X

History of Apple

As reported by TIME, Apple was born when Steve Jobs, a 21-year-old college dropout, was living with his friends Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in Los Altos, California. Whilst Jobs and Wayne worked at the gaming company Atari and Wozniak worked at Hewlett-Packard, they incorporated Apple Computer in 1976.

After Ronald Wayne sold his share of the newly created company for just $800 (609), the two Steves went on to achieve success with their Apple I computer, the first all-in-one microcomputer that once hooked up to a keyboard and monitor, did not require extra circuitry to display text.

It was retailed at $666 (507), because Wozniak liked repeating digits and more than 200 were sold by the computer store Byte Shop. In 1999, Apple I was the most collectible PC of all time and one owner earned $50,000 (38,000) for his original.

Steve Jobs first introduced the Macintosh at a company shareholders meeting in 1984 and at $2,495 (1900), at the time, it was the first affordable computer to offer a graphical user interface with folders and icons. However, a year later, the board voted to fire Jobs.

An early Apple board member said: Back then he was uncontrollable. He got ideas in his head, and the hell with what anybody else wanted to do.

However, in 1997, Apple suffered a loss with Microsofts Windows 95 being sold at lightning speed. With the need for a zealot like Steve, he was invited back and became CEO.

Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Steve Jobs, attends a press conference in London in 2007

Fortune editor Peter Elkind wrote: He had become a far better leader, less of a go-to-hell aesthete who cared only about making beautiful objects. Now he was a go-to-hell aesthete who cared about making beautiful objects that made money.

In 2009, when news broke about his failing health, Jobs was forced to take medical leave and Apple stock fell by almost 10 percent. Nevertheless, when Steve rejoined and the iMac was introduced in 1998, he was quick to launch a second version, but this time in five different colours - something Apple still does to this day.

Then came the iPod which quickly became one of Apples top-selling products; Jobs liked to say: You can fit your whole music library in your pocket. After the launch of Mac OS X and Napster was shut down by violating copyright law, the iTunes Store was made available in 2003.

After the success of the iPod, the iPhone was released in 2007 which resulted in enormous lines outside of the Apple stores with customers spending $599 (456) for the 8GB phone and $499 (380) for the 4GB version, but unfortunately for them, the company slashed prices to $200 (152) months later.

The iPhone 3G followed and soon enough in 2010, the iPad was unveiled and despite the slow start, became Apples fastest-selling new product ever and in the same year, the companys stock market value overtook Microsoft.

Following the iPad 2, Steve Jobs resigned from his position as CEO and Tim Cook took his place with Apple acquiring Beats Electronics a couple of years later. In 2014, the Apple Watch was announced and a range of iPhones followed.

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during the 2018 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC)

How much is Apple worth?

As of Tuesday evening, Apple's market cap stood at about $935.3 billion (712bn) - a few billion shy of the $1 trillion (762bn) mark predicted by analysts and investors.

Apple stock

Reports in July 2018 revealed that Apple had made more money from higher-priced iPhones in the latest quarter despite the number of phones sold not changing. However, IDC research found that Apple is no longer the second-biggest smartphone maker behind Samsung after Huawei took the spot.

Apples earnings were announced amid discussions about tariffs between the US and China and Tim Cook said that the company was still looking into the impact of the tariffs on $200 billion (152bn) worth of Chinese goods, but remains optimistic.

Apple shares rose by 4 percent after hours on Tuesday, July 31 despite IDC claiming that the smartphone market had shrank by 2 percent and 342 million units in the last quarter. Cook said: Whether it grows 1 percent or 2 percent  or shrinks 1 or 2 percent, its a great market because its just huge.

While unit sales grew up 1 percent, as was expected, the average selling price rose by 20 percent to $724 (551) per iPhone, an increase from $606 (461) a year ago. The $999 (761) iPhone X remains the most popular iPhone.

Crowds of people queue for the Apple iPhone X on Regent Street as it is launched in 2017

Apple earnings

In addition to iPhone X sales, Apple is attempting to offset growth of hardware sales by charging customers for apps, data storage and other services. Revenue from those earnings grew 31 percent to $9.6 billion (7.3 bn) in the quarter, with Apple Music also surpassing Spotify as the most popular streaming service.

Total Apple revenue increased by 17 percent in the quarter compared to the year before, the final figure being $52.3 billion (40bn). Earlier this year, Apple also announced that it planned to buy back $100 billion (76bn) in stock and will also return cash to investors and shareholders.Murder victims buried in unmarked graves in remote areas could soon be found using pulses of laser light, new research has shown.

Laser light known as Lidar  a portmanteau of 'light and 'radar'  could be beamed from a helicopter to create 3D maps of remote areas to help police search teams.

Scientists believe Lidar could quickly reveal places where ground has sunk by a few centimetres, caused by decomposing bodies buried beneath the ground.

This sinking movement is too subtle for the naked eye to detect, especially when the grave has been scattered with leaves or debris, scientists say.

The latest findings could help police search teams quickly narrow down their efforts when looking for bodies in remote areas.

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Murder victims buried in remote areas in unmarked graves could be found using pulses of laser light beamed from a helicopter, new research shows (stock image)

Lidar is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by shooting a laser at a target and analysing the amount of light that is reflected back.

The technology was first used in meteorology to measure clouds by the National Centre for Atmospheric Research.

A number of autonomous vehicle companies, including Uber, also use Lidar to navigate roads without human assistance.

Aircrafts fitted with a Lidar scanner can produce three-dimensional maps of the surface by linking the laser to a GPS system.

Katie Corcoran of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in Tennessee, used this method to measure how the surface of shallow, unmarked graves change over time, according to the New Scientist.

'Unmarked graves are difficult to locate once the ground surface no longer shows visible evidence of disturbance, posing significant challenges to missing person investigations', researchers wrote in the paper, which is published in Forensic Science International.

In the experiment, researchers dug four shallow pits and buried corpses donated for research into three of them.

Researchers say investigators could narrow down grave sites by carrying out lidar scans. This could make it easier to find graves that have been intentionally camouflaged (stock image)

LiDAR remote sensing technology allows archaeologists to hunt for sites of interest from a distance LiDAR (light detection and ranging) is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by shooting a laser at a target and analysing the light that is reflected back. The technology was developed in the early 1960s and uses laser imaging with radar technology that can calculate distances. It was first used in meteorology to measure clouds by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The term lidar is a portmanteau of 'light and 'radar.' Lidar uses ultraviolet, visible, or near infrared light to image objects and can be used with a wide range of targets, including non-metallic objects, rocks, rain, chemical compounds, aerosols, clouds and even single molecules. A narrow laser beam can be used to map physical features with very high resolution. This new technique allowed researchers to map outlines of what they describe as dozens of newly discovered Maya cities hidden under thick jungle foliage centuries after they were abandoned by their original inhabitants. Aircraft with a Lidar scanner produced three-dimensional maps of the surface by using light in the form of pulsed laser linked to a GPS system. The technology helped researchers discover sites much faster than using traditional archaeological methods. Advertisement

They left the last pit empty  as a control.

One grave had one body, another had three and the third had six buried inside.

'Three differently sized human graves, one control-pit, and surrounding undisturbed ground, were scanned four times between February 2013 and November 2014 using a tripod-mounted terrestrial laser scanner,' researchers wrote in the paper.

'All the disturbed surfaces exhibited measurable and localised elevation change, allowing for separation of disturbed and undisturbed ground.'

The first scan revealed the surface of the graves with the bodies elevated by a few centimetres, before shrinking down between the subsequent two scans.

The ground was likely to have sunk as the bodies decomposed, scientists say.

This minuscule movement of the ground is too subtle for the human eye  especialy when if graves have been disguised or hidden under piles of leaves.

However, Lidar is able to quickly locate the subtle change, even when beamed from a helicopter above a search site.

'This study is the first to quantify elevation changes to human graves over time and demonstrates that terrestrial LIDAR may contribute to multi-modal data collection approach to improve unmarked grave detection,' researchers wrote.

'Piling leaves, or employing some other type of camouflage, will not trick Lidar the same way it might trick the human eye', Dr Corcoran said.A group of rocky planets outside of the solar system have been picked out as the 'best places' to search for alien life.

The planets, strewn across the Milky Way, have ample UV light at their surface and lie in their host star's habitable zone, meaning they could have water at their surface.

They were identified based on the intensity of light given off by their host star, which scientists have proposed as a new way to find worlds that may harbour life.

They said the newly categorised planets 'bring us closer' to answering the question of whether we are alone in the universe.

A group of rocky planets outside of the solar system have been picked out as the 'best places' to search for alien. Among these worlds is Kepler 452b, a planet that has been nicknamed Earth's 'cousin' (artist's impression)

Researchers at the University of Cambridge found that the chances for life to develop on rocky a planet are connected to the light given off by its host star.

They claim stars which give off sufficient ultraviolet (UV) light could kick-start life on their orbiting planets in the same way it likely developed on Earth.

At the surface of our planet, UV powers a series of chemical reactions that produce the building blocks of life.

The researchers have identified a range of planets where the UV light from their host star is sufficient to allow these chemical reactions to take place.

A group of these rocky bodies pinpointed by the team also lie within the habitable range where liquid water can exist on the planet's surface.

'This work allows us to narrow down the best places to search for life,' said study co-author Dr Paul Rimmer.

The planets, strewn across the Milky Way, have ample UV light at their surface and lie in their host star's habitable zone, meaning they could have water at their surface. They were identified based on the intensity of light given off by their host star (stock image)

'It brings us just a little bit closer to addressing the question of whether we are alone in the universe.'

The researchers measured how quickly the building blocks of life can form - both under UV light and in the dark - in the same chemical soup it bloomed from on ancient Earth: Hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulphite ions in water.

Chemistry in the dark happens slower than under UV light, and the team aimed to find out how much UV it would take before light reactions took over the dark ones.

In the dark, an inert compound developed, and the building blocks of life did not form.

But in the scenario under lights they did.

The team suggest stars around the same temperature as our's emit enough light for the building blocks of life to form on the surface.

WHAT IS THE GOLDILOCKS ZONE? The habitable zone is the range of orbits around a star in which a planet can support liquid water. This habitable zone is also known as the Goldilocks zone, taken from the childrens fairy tale. The temperature from the star needs to be 'just right' so that liquid water can exist on the surface. The boundaries of the habitable zone are critical. If a planet is too close to its star, it will experience a runaway greenhouse gas effect, like Venus. But if it's too far, any water will freeze, as is seen on Mars. Since the concept was first presented in 1953, many stars have been shown to have a Goldilocks area, and some of them have one or several planets in this zone, like 'Kepler-186f', discovered in 2014. Advertisement

Cool stars, on the other hand, do not produce enough light for these lipids, amino acids and nucleotides to turn into living cells.

Of course, it is also possible that if there is life on other planets, that it has or will develop in a totally different way than it did on Earth.

Dr Rimmer said: 'I'm not sure how contingent life is, but given that we only have one example so far, it makes sense to look for places that are most like us.

'There's an important distinction between what is necessary and what is sufficient. The building blocks are necessary, but they may not be sufficient.

'It's possible you could mix them for billions of years and nothing happens. But you want to at least look at the places where the necessary things exist.'

According to recent estimates there are as many as 700 million trillion terrestrial planets in the observable universe.

WHAT WERE KEPLER'S TOP FIVE DISCOVERIES? Launched in 2009, the Kepler telescope has helped in the search for planets outside of the solar system. The satellite typically looks for 'Earth-like' planets, meaning they are rocky and orbit within the that orbit within the habitable or 'Goldilocks' zone of a star. If a planet sits within a habitable zone it means it is not too hot or too cold for water to have formed at the planet's surface, one of the key conditions for life. While the planet has found thousands of exoplanets during its eight-year mission, five in particular have stuck out. Kepler-452b, dubbed 'Earth 2.0', shares many characteristics with our planet despite sitting 1,400 light years away. It was found by Nasa's Kepler telescope in 2014 1) 'Earth 2.0' In 2014 the telescope made one of its biggest discoveries when it spotted exoplanet Kepler-452b, dubbed 'Earth 2.0'. The object shares many characteristics with our planet despite sitting 1,400 light years away. It has a similar size orbit to Earth, receives roughly the same amount of sun light and has same length of year. Experts still aren't sure whether the planet hosts life, but say if plants were transferred there, they would likely survive. 2) The first planet found to orbit two stars Kepler found a planet that orbits two stars, known as a binary star system, in 2011. The system, known as Kepler-16b, is roughly 200 light years from Earth. Experts compared the system to the famous 'double-sunset' pictured on Luke Skywalker's home planet Tatooine in 'Star Wars: A New Hope'. The Trappist-1 star system (artist's impression), which hosts a record seven Earth-like planets, was one of the biggest discoveries of 2017. Kepler spotted the system in 2016, but scientists revealed the find in a series of papers released in February this year 3) Finding the first habitable planet outside of the solar system Scientists found Kepler-22b in 2011, the first habitable planet found by astronomers outside of the solar system. The habitable super-Earth appears to be a large, rocky planet with a surface temperature of about 72F (22C), similar to a spring day on Earth. 4) Discovering a 'super-Earth' The telescope found its first 'super-Earth' in April 2017, a huge planet called LHS 1140b. It orbits a red dwarf star around 40 million light years away, and scientists think it holds giant oceans of magma. 5) Finding the 'Trappist-1' star system The Trappist-1 star system, which hosts a record seven Earth-like planets, was one of the biggest discoveries of 2017. Each of the planets, which orbit a dwarf star just 39 million light years, likely holds water at its surface. Three of the planets have such good conditions that scientists say life may have already evolved on them. Kepler spotted the system in 2016, but scientists revealed the discovery in a series of papers released in February this year. Advertisement

Prof Sutherland, of the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB), said: 'Getting some idea of what fraction have been, or might be, primed for life fascinates me.

'Of course, being primed for life is not everything and we still don't know how likely the origin of life is, even given favourable circumstances - if it's really unlikely then we might be alone, but if not, we may have company.'

Among the known exoplanets which reside in the abiogenesis zone are several planets detected by the Kepler telescope, including Kepler 452b, a planet that has been nicknamed Earth's 'cousin', although it is too far away to probe with current technology.

Nasa has said Kepler-452b - also dubbed 'Earth 2.0' - has a 'substantial opportunity' to host life. If plants were transferred there they would likely survive.

The planet is 60 per cent larger in diameter than Earth and is 1,400 light years away in the constellation Cygnus.

It is about 1.5 billion years older than Earth - and could be just as rocky.

Google is reportedly going to launch a censored version of its search engine in China.

The tech giant has been secretly planning to launch the product since last year, as part of a project referred to inside the company as 'Dragonfly,' according to The Intercept, which was given internal documents from a whistleblower.

It comes as Google has tried and failed to make inroads in the Chinese market over the past several years.

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Google has been planning to launch the product since last year, as part of a project referred to inside the company as 'Dragonfly.' The firm has been trying to make inroads in the country

CHINESE INTERNET CRACKDOWN While China is home to the world's largest number of internet users, a 2015 report by US think tank Freedom House found that the country had the most restrictive online use policies of 65 nations it studied, ranking below Iran and Syria. But China has maintained that its various forms of web censorship are necessary for protecting its national security. It has cracked down on VPNs after the passing of a controversial cybersecurity bill last November that tightened restrictions on online freedom of speech and imposed new rules on service providers. Since the regulation took effect this June, authorities have closed dozens of celebrity gossip blogs and issued new rules around online video content to eliminate programmes deemed offensive. Advertisement

Google's search engine, Gmail and YouTube have all been blocked from access in the region since 2010, when federal regulators, often referred to as China's 'Great Firewall,' shut down more than 1.3 million websites.

Development of the search engine sped up after Google CEO Sundar Pichai met with a top Chinese government official in December 2017, the Intercept noted.

Programmers and engineers at the company have created several versions of an Android app, called 'Maotai' and 'Longfei,' one of which has been presented to the Chinese government.

Should it be approved by government officials, a final version could be launched as soon as the next six to nine months.

The app would have to comply with China's rigid censorship laws, which would mean restricting access to content that government officials consider unfavorable, the Information said.

Search terms about human rights, democracy, religion and peaceful protests will be blocked from the app.

When someone uses the search engine, banned websites won't be included in the first page of search results, with websites like BBC and Wikipedia part of a list of banned sites.

Google's search engine, Gmail and YouTube have all been blocked from the region since 2010, when federal regulators, referred to as China's 'Great Firewall,' shut down 1.3 million websites

It will censor results in Google's image search, spell check and suggested search tools.

Few people inside the company are aware of the existence of project 'Dragonfly,' but it has received pushback from a few employees.

'I'm against large companies and governments collaborating in the oppression of their people, and feel like transparency around what's being done is in the public interest,' a source with knowledge of the project told the Intercept.

The reported plans have already drawn the ire of free speech advocates, who say the app goes against what many believe to be Google's value systems.

On Wednesday, human rights group Amnesty International issued a statement on Google's reported plans.

'It will be a dark day for internet freedom if Google has acquiesced to China's extreme censorship rules to gain market access,' Patrick Poon, China researcher at Amnesty International, wrote in a blog post.

'It is impossible to see how such a move is compatible with Google's "Do the right thing" motto, and we are calling on the company to change course.

'In putting profits before human rights, Google would be setting a chilling precedent and handing the Chinese government a victory,' he added.

Google declined to comment on the Intercept report, but said it has launched mobile apps in China and works with local developers to maintain a presence in the region, according to Reuters.

The firm had launched a restricted search engine in China in 2006, but ultimately shuttered the platform in 2010 after it received widespread backlash.

It was reported in 2015 that Google was looking at launching a version of its Google Play mobile store in China, but that has yet to materialize.

Development of the search engine sped up after Google CEO Sundar Pichai (pictured) met with a top Chinese government official in December 2017, the Intercept noted

Google, Apple, Facebook and other tech giants have struggled to break into China's massive mobile market, which boasts some 750 million web users.

Apple and China, in particular, have clashed over the continued presence of VPN apps, which allow users to get around the country's firewall, on Apple's App Store.

The firm ultimately bent to China's demands and has removed most VPN apps from its App Store in the country, which resulted in widespread backlash from human rights groups.Government workers in an Alaska have been forced to return to using typewriters after a cyber-attack crippled their computer networks.

Workers in Matanuska-Susitna found themselves cut off from technology after ransomware known as BitPaymer encrypted the borough's email server, internal systems and disaster recovery servers.

They were forced to use typewriters and handwrite receipts and notes to ensure the borough kept working.

Workers in Matanuska-Susitna found themselves cut off from technology after malware known as BitPaymer encrypted the borough's email server, internal systems and disaster recovery servers

WHAT IS BITPAYMER? The Alaskan attack was from a type of ransomware known as BitPaymer. Also known as FriedEx its code contained evidence linking it to the same criminal group running the infamous Necurs spam botnet and the Dridex banking trojan. This ransomware strain was first spotted in July 2017, and it first made news headlines in August 2017 when it hit a string of Scottish hospitals, where it asked for a $230,000 payment. Alaskan officials have not revealed how much they were asked for. Advertisement

'Last Tues., July 24, the Borough first disconnected servers from each other, then disconnected the Borough itself from the Internet, phones, and email, as it recognized it was under cyber attack,' said Mat-Su Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan, according to technology news site Bleeping Computer.

'Without computers and files, Borough employees acted resourcefully,' Sullivan said last week.

'They re-enlisted typewriters from closets, and wrote by hand receipts and lists of library book patrons and landfill fees at some of the 73 different buildings.'

The borough of Matanuska-Susitna, which is part of the Anchorage metropolitan area, said almost all of its 500 desktop computers and 120 of its servers were affected.

Telephone systems, a door entry card systems and the network's back-up data were also hit, according to Eric Wyatt, the borough's IT director.

The issue was quickly declared a disaster by local officials

The 'most probable method of initial delivery is email with a hyperlink to an infected website and prompt to install an add-on or with an attachment with a macro, an initial report found.

He has been working with the FBI to find the culprit.

He also described it as 'not a single virus but multiple aspects of viruses together including trojan horse, Cryptolocker, time bomb, and dead man's switch.'

Wyatt also said the 'virus' also searched and tried to corrupt the borough's backups, which he says, it failed.

'This is a very insidious, very well-organized attack,' Wyatt said.

'It's not a kid in his mom's basement.'

Although the ransomware attack spread on July 24,Officials believe the malware may have entered its systems some time in May.

The Alaskan attack was from a type of ransomware known as BitPaymer.

A typical ransom page that would have been seen by anyone trying to use their computer

This ransomware strain was first spotted in July 2017, and it first made news headlines in August 2017 when it hit a string of Scottish hospitals, where it asked for a $230,000 payment.

Alaskan officials have not revealed how much they were asked for.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF VIRUS FROM PORN? There are ten digital STIs that can harm your device when you're looking at adult content, according to computer security firm Kaspersky Lab. These are: 1. Trojans  They might masquerade as innocent programs, but they carry a harmful payload. 2. Drive-by downloads - Cybercriminals look for insecure web sites and plant a malicious script into the code on the pages. These take advantage of any unpatched applications on your computer and infect them automatically 3. Click-jacking  Click-jacking involves tricking someone into clicking on one object on a web page while they think they are clicking on another. Clickjacking can be used to install malware, gain access to a victim's online accounts or to enable their webcam. 4. Tinder bots  These are automatic programs designed to masquerade as real people on a dating site to lure users into clicking on them, with the aim of tricking the victim into disclosing confidential data. 5. Cat-Phishing - This is when cybercriminals pose on dating sites or chat rooms, encouraging people to click on links for live sex chat or adult images. 6. Ransomware - Cybercriminals use 'blockers' to stop the victim accessing their device, often telling them this is due to 'illegal pornographic content' being identified on their device. Anyone who has accessed porn online is probably less likely to take the matter up with law enforcement. 7. Worm - This is a program that replicates, but does not write its code to other files: instead, it installs itself once on a victim's device and then looks for a way to spread to other devices. 8. Pornware  This could be a legitimate program, but might be adware installed by another malicious program, designed to deliver inappropriate content to the victim's device. 9. Spyware - Software that enables an attacker to secretly obtain information about the victim's online activities and transmit it covertly from their device. 10. Fake Anti-virus - Fake anti-virus programs prey on people's fear of malicious software which they believe may have been installed whilst looking at porn. Advertisement

Also known as FriedEx its code contained evidence linking it to the same criminal group running the infamous Necurs spam botnet and the Dridex banking trojan.

'Though it initially appeared that our data was a complete loss, we have recently recovered data from the shared drives,' Wyatt said.

'Email does appear to be completely unrecoverable.'

Some restored systems have reverted to data from a year ago and the borough is in the process of rebuilding every computer hit by the virus.

Mr Wyatt said the encrypted data will be stored in the hope that the FBI can find a way to recover it.Astronomers have captured the moments two bright flashes lit up the dark side of the moon, as walnut-sized meteoroids slammed into the surface earlier this month.

While impacts on the moon arent all that uncommon, these events are fleeting, making them difficult to detect.

Researchers with the Moon Impacts Detection and Analysis System (MIDAS) managed to catch the phenomena in action by coordinating telescopes across three observatories in Spain.

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Astronomers have captured the moments two bright flashes lit up the dark side of the moon, as walnut-sized meteoroids slammed into the surface earlier this month. The collisions happened within 24 hours of each other

The first of the two meteoroids crashed into the moon on July 17, according to the European Space Agency.

And 24 hours later, the second space rock made its impact.

While the collisions each created a brilliant flash, the experts say these objects were relatively small, each one likely only amounting to the size of a walnut.

The fragments were probably a by-product of the Alpha Capricornids meteor shower, according to ESA.

This meteor shower happens as Earth and the moon pass through the tail of comet 169P/NEAT.

MIDAS monitors impacts on the lunar surface using a series of telescopes in Spain. Each of these are equipped with high-sensitivity CCD video cameras, ESA explains.

The first of the two meteoroids crashed into the moon on July 17, according to the European Space Agency. And 24 hours later, the second space rock made its impact. Experts say these objects were relatively small, likely only amounting to the size of a walnut

The footage captured by the observatories gives us unprecedented access to these short-lived phenomena.

By studying meteoroids on the moon we can determine how many rocks impact it and how often, and from this we can infer the chance of impacts on Earth, says Jose Maria Madiedo, from the Moon Impacts Detection and Analysis System (MIDAS).

Lunar eclipses, such as the event last week, also make it easier to spot potential impacts, Madiedo said, as they further darken the surface.

At Midas, we observe impacts on the dark side of the moon, meaning impact flashes stand out against the dark lunar ground, Madiedo says.

The dark side of the moon is any region not illuminated by the sun at any given time

HOW IS NASA STEPPING UP ITS EFFORTS TO STOP DEADLY ASTEROIDS HITTING EARTH? The US government is stepping up efforts to protect the planet from incoming asteroids that could wipe out entire regions or even continents. The National Science and Technology Council released a 20-page report on June 21 calling for improved asteroid detection, tracking and deflection. The initiative backed by Nasa, federal emergency officials, and the White House aims to coordinate efforts over the next 10 years to detect and respond to possible threats in Earth's vicinity, should they arise. Near-Earth objects (NEOs) include all asteroids and comets that orbit within 30 million miles of Earth, Nasa said. The U.S. government is stepping up efforts to protect the planet from incoming asteroids that could wipe out entire regions or even continents (stock image) While the probability of an asteroid impact may be low, the effects could be cataclysmic. For now, scientists know of no asteroids or comets heading our way. But one could sneak up on us - and that's why the government wants a better plan. Nasa's planetary defense officer, Lindley Johnson, says scientists have found 95 percent of all near-Earth objects measuring one kilometer (two-thirds of a mile) or bigger. But the hunt is still on for the remaining five per cent and smaller rocks that could still inflict big damage. The new document, titled 'The National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan,' established five strategic goals to reduce the risk of an asteroid strike. These included better methods for detecting and tracking the objects, improved modelling, the development of technologies to deflect NEOs, increased international cooperation on the subject, and the establishment of emergency procedures. Advertisement

The dark side of the moon is any region not illuminated by the sun at any given time.

Last year, ESA launched a 22-month project to study lunar impact flashes such as these, in effort to better understand the activity of near-Earth objects.

This system aims to allow researchers to measure the temperature of impact flashes on the dark side of the moon for the first time, in efforts to better predict potential threats to Earth.

The NELIOTA project uses the refurbished 1.2 meter Kryoneri telescope, operated by the National Observatory of Athens.Apple could take a page from its rivals in the next-generation iPhone.

The tech giant may introduce support for dual SIM cards with the new iPhone, according to 9to5Mac.

The site spotted references to a 'second SIM status' in Apple's iOS 12 beta developer beta five, which suggests that the company may be developing phones and software that are compatible with the use of two SIM cards.

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Lines of code spotted Apple's iOS 12 beta software indicates that the company may be considering adding support for two SIM cards in its next-generation iPhone models

The code references 'second SIM status' and 'second SIM tray status,' as well as 'dual SIM device,' 9to5Mac noted.

Including dual SIM support would allow users to switch between mobile carrier plans more easily.

It would also appeal to international users who often travel to multiple countries.

However, Apple would be playing catch up to its competitors, including Samsung, Huawei and OnePlus, which all offer smartphones with dual SIM support.

The firm has never launched a dual SIM device in its iPhone lineup before.

Apple has been vying to gain market share in Europe and Asia, so adding dual SIM support could be an effort to appeal to smartphone users there.

The code references 'second SIM status' and 'second SIM tray status,' as well as 'dual SIM device.' Dual SIM support would allow users to switch between carrier plans more easily

Up until recently, Apple has struggled to capture a significant share of the smartphone market in many developing countries, but it has started to accelerate.

'Based on the latest data from IDC, iPhone grew faster than the global smartphone market, gaining share in many markets including the US, Greater China, Canada, Germany, Australia, Russia, Mexico and the Middle East and Africa,' CEO Tim Cook told investors on a call Tuesday evening.

Some have suggested that the 'second SIM status' code could instead be an indicator that Apple will include an e-SIM card in the iPhone, like it has in the Apple Watch.

An e-SIM card is integrated directly into the phone's processor or modem and enables the device to connect to a mobile network faster.

It's possible that Apple might include dual SIM support on only one of the devices planned for its upcoming iPhone lineup, such as the rumored 'iPhone X Plus.'

Longtime Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple will release three models at its annual event in September: a 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus, a 6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD screen and a 5.8-inch model that closely mirrors the iPhone X, but with more advanced components.From sub-sea pyramids to hexagonal clouds and alien bases, scientists and conspiracy theorist alike have drummed up every imaginable scenario over the years to explain the mysterious disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle.

The region, which covers a patch of sea between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda, is thought to have claimed dozens of ships and planes in the last century alone, and hundreds of lives.

Now, researchers say rogue waves upto 100ft high could be to blame.

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The region, which covers a patch of sea between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda (illustrated), is thought to have claimed dozens of ships and planes in the last century alone, and hundreds of lives

Experts at the University of Southampton believe the mystery can be explained by a natural phenomenon known as 'rogue waves.'

Researchers re-created the monster water surges for Channel 5 documentary 'The Bermuda Triangle Enigma.'

Rogue waves are exceptionally powerful and dangerous, and can reach heights of up to 100 feet (30 metres).

The rogue waves are often referred to by scientists as 'extreme storm waves'.

The USS Cyclops disappeared in 1918

The Southampton research team built a model of the USS Cyclops, a huge vessel which went missing in the triangle in 1918 claiming 300 lives.

And because of its sheer size and flat base, it does not take long before the model is overcome with water during the simulation.

The Cyclops was a coal-carrying ship used to ferry fuel to American warships during World War One, and was on its way from Bahia, in Salvador, to Baltimore when it vanished in 1918.

Rogue waves are exceptionally powerful and dangerous. The waves are spontaneous and can reach heights of up to 100 feet (30 metres).

No wreckage from the 542ft vessel has ever been found, nor has any trace of the 306 crew and passengers it was carrying at the time.

While in theory it could have disappeared anywhere between Bahia and Baltimore, not necessarily in the Triangle, supporters of the theory argue that the lack of a distress call from the vessel means it met with a supernatural end.

The 309 killed on board the Cyclops remains the single biggest loss of life in U.S. Naval history not involving combat.

WHAT ARE ROGUE WAVES? Rogue waves are exceptionally powerful and dangerous. The waves are spontaneous and can reach heights of up to 100 feet (30 metres). The rogue waves are often referred to by scientists as 'extreme storm waves'. According to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the waves are more than twice the size of surrounding waves, are very unpredictable, and often come unexpectedly from directions. The oceanic phenomena are often steep-sided with unusually deep troughs. Advertisement

Dr. Simon Boxall, an ocean and earth scientist, says that infamous area in the Atlantic can see three massive storms coming together from different directions  the perfect conditions for a rogue wave.

Boxall believes such a surge in water could snap a boat, such as the Cyclops, in two.

There are storms to the south and north, which come together,' he told the show.

And if there are additional ones from Florida, it can be a potentially deadly formation of rogue waves.

They are steep, they are high  weve measured waves in excess of 30 metres.

Scientist in Australia previously said a 'simple' explanation behind the phenomena  human error.

Rather than being a region where supernatural or even unusual environmental forces may be at play, posing a threat to travellers, the Bermuda Triangle is unremarkable in the number of disappearances it's seen. A reward for a yacht that went missing there in 1974 is pictured

WHAT IS THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE? The Bermuda Triangle is a mythical section of the Atlantic Ocean roughly bounded by Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico where dozens of ships and airplanes have disappeared. Unexplained circumstances surround some of these accidents. Although a range of strange theories have been proposed regarding the Bermuda Triangle, none of them prove that mysterious disappearances occur more frequently there than in other well-traveled sections of the ocean. Many people navigate the area every day without incident. Advertisement

Speaking to News.com.au, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki reiterated what many experts, including the US Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), have insisted over the years.

Rather than being a region where supernatural or even unusual environmental forces may be at play, posing a threat to travelers, he says the Bermuda Triangle is unremarkable in the number of disappearances it's seen.

'According to Lloyds of London and the US coast guard, the number of planes that go missing in the Bermuda Triangle is the same as anywhere in the world on a percentage basis,' Kruszelnicki told News.com.au.

'It is close to the equator, near a wealthy part of the world, America, therefore you have a lot of traffic.'

Kruszelnicki points to a historic example  the disappearance of the five US TBM Avenger Torpedo Bombers from Flight 19 in 1945, followed by the subsequent disappearance of the seaplane that was sent out to find them.

NOAA: THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE IS A MYTH US Government agency The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said that foul weather and poor navigation are likely to blame for any mishaps in the area between Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico. Dozens of ships and planes have mysteriously vanished in the area. But Noaa said the number of vehicles missing there is no different to elsewhere in the world - and the theory that some mysterious supernatural force is sinking boats and planes is a myth. 'There is no evidence that mysterious disappearances occur with any greater frequency in the Bermuda Triangle than in any other large, well-traveled area of the ocean,' the agency stated on its website in February. Advertisement

No evidence of the wreckage or crew have ever been found.

But, despite claims that mysterious circumstances may have been behind this, and other disappearances, Kruszelnicki notes that the radio transcripts from that night show that multiple junior pilots recommended flying toward the west.

The pilot, Lieutenant Charles Taylor, instead flew east.

He also notes that the search plane did not go missing, it was actually 'seen to blow up.'

'There was one experienced guy, the rest were inexperienced,' Kruszelnicki told News.com.au, suggesting the pilot was to blame.

'It wasn't fine weather, there were 15 meter waves.'

Taylor 'arrived with a hangover, flew off without a watch, and had a history of getting lost and ditching his plane twice before,' he said.

Over the years, scientists around the world have offered similar insight on the disappearances observed in the region, also known as the Devil's Triangle.

The US Coast Guard even refers to it as a 'mythical geographic area.'

'The Coast Guard does not recognize the existence of the so-called Bermuda Triangle as a geographic area of specific hazard to ships or planes,' according to the USCG website.

'In a review of many aircraft and vessel losses in the area over the years, there has been nothing discovered that would indicate that casualties were the result of anything other than physical causes.

'No extraordinary factors have ever been identified.'

Similarly, the NOAA says the phenomena in the Bermuda Triangle mirrors that in other parts of the world with the same degree of air and sea traffic.

'The ocean has always been a mysterious place to humans, and when foul weather or poor navigation is involved, it can be a very deadly place,' according to the NOAA.

'This is true all over the world. There is no evidence that mysterious disappearances occur with any greater frequency in the Bermuda Triangle than in any other large, well-traveled area of the ocean.'Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) - long-range rockets that can carry nuclear warheads - are regularly tested by nations with nuclear programmes.

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where unarmed ICBMs are launched for tests several times a year, a Mission Flight Control Officer (MFCO) has the job of making sure the missile stays on track.

A GPS transmitter tracks the missile's location on its 4,200-mile (6,759-kilometer) flight to a target in the Kwajalein Atoll of the Marshall Islands.

During each ICBM's flight over the Pacific Ocean, the MFCO looks over a screen displaying a digital map with lines that the missile cannot cross.

If the missile strays across these lines, it is deemed off-course, and the MFCO must hit the self-destruct button to terminate the test.

This button detonates explosives along the seam of the missile, which releases the weapon's fuel, causing it to ignite.

The missile then spins harmlessly into the Pacific Ocean.Google has just recognized Gerda Taro with a new Google Doodle on what wouldve been her 108th birthday.

Known as the little red fox for her ginger-colored hair and short stature, Taros contributions to photography and journalism were anything but little, as she became the first female photojournalist to cover the frontlines of a war  something that sadly ended her life at a young age.

But just who exactly was Gerda Taro? Heres everything you need to know about who she was and what a Google Doodle is.

Photojournalist Gerda Taro was known for her fearless reporting during the Spanish Civil War

Who was Gerda Taro?

Gerda Taro was a war photographer known for capturing the brutality of the Spanish Civil War during her short yet influential career.

She was born as Gerta Pohorylle on August 1, 1910 in Stuttgart, Germany into a middle-class Jewish family.

Growing up in Stuttgart and Leipzig, she vocally opposed the Nazi Party and was arrested and detained in 1933 shortly after Adolf Hitlers rise to power for distributing propaganda material against the party.

Shortly afterwards, her family fled Germany to other countries to escape the antiemetic policies instituted by the ruling Nazi regime, with Taro ultimately settling in Paris in 1934.

In 1935, she met and started a romantic relationship with Endre Friedmann, known professionally as Robert Capa. Capa, a fellow Jewish refugee from Hungary, taught her photography and eventually hired her as his personal assistant.

After working as a picture editor for Alliance Photo, Taro adopted her current name, an amalgamation of Swedish actress Greta Garbo and Japanese artist Taro Okamoto, and cofounded the Magnum Photo agency with Capa.

After the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, Taro and Capa traveled to Barcelona to cover the frontlines of the bloody conflict. During the war, she soon became known for her intrepid reporting, with her pictures from the frontlines being published in the French newspaper Ce Soir and later heavily sought after by the international media.

Her photos of the bombing of Valencia during the conflict soon became her most celebrated. Notably, her July 1937 pictures of the situation on the ground in Spains Brunete region counteracted Nationalist propaganda that they controlled the area and revealed that the Republican faction still held it.

On this day in 1910, Gerda Taro was born in Stuttgart, Germany. One half of the photography duo known as Robert Capa, she forever changed the world of photojournalism through her powerful documentation of the Spanish Civil War. pic.twitter.com/Arx8Lt02gF  ALBA (@LincolnBrigade) August 1, 2018

Sadly, Taros life was cut tragically short by the war she was covering. On July 26, 1937, while covering the Republican armys eventual retreat after the Battle of Brunete, she was killed after the car she was riding in collided with a tank, mortally wounding her.

Although her career was short and her life ended at a young age, Taro was undoubtedly a trailblazer who not only brought critical information about the Spanish Civil War to millions of people across the world but also shattered gender stereotypes regarding the role of women in both wartime and journalism.

What is a Google Doodle?

Google Doodles are temporary changes to Googles homepage logo to reflect an individual, anniversary, event, accomplishment, holiday and the like.

Introduced back in 1998 to recognize the Burning Man festival, they were initially created by Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin before later being produced by outside contractors and the companys chief PR officer Dennis Hwang. Since then, a special in-house team known as Doodlers has produced them on a more regular basis.

Most Google Doodles nowadays recognize holidays such as Halloween, St Patricks Day, Bastille Day and the like. Theyre also frequently used to mark major events such as the Olympics and to honor notable individuals such as Maria Rebecca Latigo de Hernandez, Ludwig Sutterlin and Lyudmila Rudenko.Flight delays are usually caused by bad weather, staff strikes or technical problems with aircraft.

But sometimes the animal kingdom throws a spanner in the works, often birds.

Other creatures have been known to cause havoc, too - from turtles to moose - by getting themselves onto the runway.

An alligator at Orlando International Airport held up a Spirit Airlines flight

Cloven traffic is common in Alaska - some 800 moose live in greater Anchorage alone. Here's one on a road near the city's airport

At Orlando International it's alligators that officials have to watch out for, because around 230 of them live in the airport's 13,000 acres of water.

Workers at the hub are always on the lookout to keep the reptiles away from the airfield, but can't always control the predators.

Earlier this year, a gator's appearance alarmed passengers as it was seen lumbering across the tarmac toward a pond.

A Spirit Airlines flight had to wait about five minutes before it could taxi to the gate.

One of the passengers onboard says an airport truck arrived at the pond to make sure the alligator didn't return to the taxiway.

At JFK Airport in New York, staff have to be extra cautious during diamondback terrapins' nesting season. Last year almost 40 of the critters were rounded up after wandering too close to the runway

A box full of terrapins that were scooped up after venturing dangerously close to the runway at JFK Airport

Elsewhere in the US, the waters around two New York airports have brought unwanted vistors that the Port Authority have had to remove.

At JFK airport, staff have to be extra cautious during nesting season for diamondback terrapins.

Last July almost 40 of the critters were rounded up after wandering too close to the runway and released to safer areas.

The Port Authority had installed plastic tubing to act as a barrier, leading to a nearly 50 per cent drop in turtles on the airfield.

Flippin' heck: Traffic had to be delayed at Utqiagvik airport in Alaska's northernmost city after a seal lolled on the runway

But it was later discovered that the barriers are underwater during high tide - rendering them useless.

Meanwhile at La Guardia Airport in New York, the Army Corps of Engineers had to be called in January 2017 when a 15ft dead whale washed up near the end of a runway.

And in Utqiagvik, Alaska's northernmost city, airport authorities were faced with a huge seal, blocking any attempt at takeoffs.

Traffic had to be delayed while animal control came in to remove it in October last year.

While elsewhere in Alaska biologists and wildlife technicians are often brought in to airports to wrangle musk ox, caribou and moose that wander on to the airfield.

And for Jackson Hole Airport, located inside Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, moose and elk hanging around the hub are a frequent site.

Two wild hares bounce along Linate airport runway in Milan as they try to evade capture from handlers

At Milan's Linate Airport, volunteers are employed to visit the airport grounds to blow whistles and wave to deter hares from affecting operations.

The animals first played havoc with the radar systems at the Italian airport in June 2007 and have been known to wander on to the airfield on occasion ever since.

At Manchester Airport, wildlife officers have to be on hand to keep sneaky foxes away from the aircraft.

In 2012, one had a very near miss with a Boeing 757 cargo plane after it ran into the path of the jet as it hurtled down the runway.

A fox had a very near miss with a Boeing 757 cargo plane at Manchester Airport in 2012 after it ran into the path of the jet as it hurtled down the runway

Wildlife officers at Manchester Airport say they have to be on hand to keep sneaky foxes away from the aircraft

While earlier this year, another one of the creatures was seen darting across a runway before being chased by security - which caused operations to momentarily stop.

And in remote airports in Australia, keeping kangaroos away from the runway can prove a hard task.

Recently a flight carrying nearly three dozen passengers had to be cancelled after hitting a stray kangaroo while preparing for take off at Mildura airport in south-eastern Australia.

The Rex Airlines plane was in the initial stages of take-off, in the state of Victoria, when the bizarre collision occurred in darkness.

A spokeswoman for the regional carrier, based in New Mascot, New South Wales, said the kangaroo was struck by the planes right propeller.Advertisement

Not much is known about Thomas Bell until he turned 16 in 1854.

Then his life became the stuff of page-turning adventure novels and Hollywood movies.

Because in that year he left his native Yorkshire for New Zealand and ended up living on an uninhabited volcanic island 680 miles off its coast in near total isolation with his family for 36 years, amid cyclones and earthquakes.

They survived by living off the meat of goats they killed on steep cliffs and cultivating a variety of food from bananas to regular vegetables. Its a castaway tale so extreme that its almost difficult to believe.

Scroll down for video

Mrs Frederica Bell and her children Freda, Roy and William 'King' Bell pictured on Sunday Island in 1908. Mr Thomas Bell had landed there with Frederica in 1878

The Bells were dropped off on the island by a captain who left them with rotten supplies. Their tale of survival over several decades is remarkable. Pictured is Frederica Bell in her DIY house

This image shows supplies for the Bells being brought ashore in Denham Bay in 1908. Picture credit: Alexander Turnbull Library

Thomas Bell pictured in 1908 on Sunday Island

MailOnline Travel heard the jaw-dropping yarn via London-based author Lydia Syson.

She is related by marriage to one of the Bell children through her Auckland-born husband, Martin Finn, and has used the incredible story of the family as the basis for her new novel  Mr Peacocks Possessions.

See, its the stuff of page-turning novels.

The 11-square-mile island the Bells existed Robinson Crusoe-style on is called Raoul Island (it was named after Joseph Raoul, the quartermaster of the Recherche, when it was sighted on March 16, 1793), though when they arrived on December 9, 1878, it was more commonly known as Sunday Island (so named in 1796 by a passing British captain, who saw it on a Sunday).

Thomas Bell, the son of a Leeds doctor, hadnt made a beeline for it straight-away from Yorkshire, though.

While in New Zealand he met Frederica, the daughter of a Lancashire farmer, and married her in Hawkes Bay, in around 1866, and then had six children with her  Hettie, the oldest, followed by Bessie, Mary, Tom, Harry and Jack.

Lydia said: Thomas seems to have combined adventurousness, ambition and restlessness in equal measure. He moved his family around the North Island of New Zealand trying one not-quite-successful pursuit after another. He tried his hand at starting a flax mill, running hotels and a county store, and also farming.

He ended up in Samoa in 1877, where he bought a hotel.

While there, he heard about Sunday Island, part of the Kermadec archipelago, from a neighbour who had lived there for seven years and became hooked on the idea of moving there himself.

Lydia said: He must have been extraordinarily tempted by Johnsons tales of an incredibly fertile subtropical island, where absolutely anything would grow, which was now empty of people and unclaimed by anyone. A schooner called the Norval was heading for Auckland, and its master, a Captain McKenzie, agreed to stop by Sunday Island so that the Bells could have a look, and stay if they decided it would suit them.

This stunning image of Raoul Island (known as Sunday Island up until the early 20th century) was taken during a trip Lydia made there in April this year on HMNZS Canterbury. It was shot from the ship's helicopter

This image was taken by an unknown photographer in 1908 that shows two buildings used as a camp by members of a scientific expedition to Raoul Island

William 'King' Hill is pictured left with a turtle in 1908. Pictured right are goats clustered on steep terrain on Raoul Island, a picture that was also taken in 1908

The island is remarkable, and in a remarkable marine environment.

It sits not a million miles away from the second-deepest ocean trench in the world  the Tonga Trench, which reaches a depth of 35,702 feet  and above the worlds longest chain of underwater volcanoes.

The Kermadec area is home to over 150 species of fish, 35 species of whales and dolphins and three species of sea turtles.

The Bells wouldnt have known any of this, though.

All they knew when they came ashore on the islands Denham Bay was that theyd entered hell on earth.

Thats because they were stitched up by Captain McKenzie, who had sold them rotten provisions.

Before the ship dropped anchor they had paid him 200 to return with more and pick them up if they didnt take to life on the island.

But they never saw him again.

For the next few months they survived by eating oranges, fish, giant limpets and the roots of fern and cabbage trees. And they built houses from scratch.

One of the Bell's thatched huts. Pictured in 1908. The Bells had to build these from scratch

They hunted, too. Thomas would take his two eldest daughters (the eldest being only 11) on goat-killing expeditions (the goats were introduced by early whalers) 200ft up on the Denham Bay cliffs.

For eight months, camped in Denham Bay, they endured plagues of rats (also introduced by whalers) and storms that made hunting and fishing almost impossible. The fear of starvation constantly lurked.

Then an American whaler, the Canton, dropped anchor having seen smoke from one of their fires and gave them some desperately needed provisions, but it couldnt rescue them, because it was sailing to remote whaling grounds and had no spare room.

Eventually, Lydia said, after nearly two years on the island, during which time they moved from Denham Bay to the other side, and escaped the rats and the high cliffs, they smoked in another passing schooner, called the Sissy.

Fortunately this ship was Auckland-bound, and Thomas Bell went off in it leaving his wife and children alone on the island. He returned shortly with supplies  iron tanks, timber, grass seed, clothing for the family - in another ship, called the Orwell. And then the Orwell went on to Niue - then called Savage Island thanks to Captain Cook - and came back with five labourers, and all that islands edible plant species  most significantly, bananas  which they showed him how to cultivate. Their arrival made all the difference to the family.

A life on the island was now a much more attractive proposition - and the Bells stayed.

This aerial image of Raoul Island was taken by Lydia from Canterbury's helicopter. The island lies 680 miles from New Zealand

Raoul island is remarkable, and in a remarkable marine environment. It sits not a million miles away from the second-deepest ocean trench in the world  the Tonga Trench, which reaches a depth of 35,702 feet  and above the worlds longest chain of underwater volcanoes

In the following years Thomas and his wife had four more children - Raoul (known as Roy) in 1882, Freda in 1884, Ada in 1886 and William (known as King) in 1889  and cultivated an impressive range of plants, including pawpaw, guava, custard apple, pomegranate, sugar cane and 14 varieties of banana. Even tea and coffee.

Word about the family got around the whaling community and ships would stop by to give the Bells provisions - and buy produce the family had grown.

They pretty much had the island to themselves  a few settlers arrived in 1889 but gave up after five months, fed up with earthquakes and cyclones  until they left in 1914, when war arrived.

Lydia said: By then the Kermadecs had long been annexed by New Zealand. In fact there were a few other families settled on Raoul in 1913, and the older Bell children had already left.

But in 1914 the Great War was not just on the horizon  it was potentially on the doorstep of the Kermadecs because of German activities in the Pacific. It didnt seem safe to remain, and there was no guarantee Bell would be able to get his produce off the island anyway. They arrived back in Auckland on July 4, 1914, and on August 4, the Dominions declared war on Germany.

Not long after arriving back on the mainland, the family went their separate ways.

Lydia said: At first the family lived in Auckland, and Frederica stayed there for the rest of her life, but as ever, her husband failed to settle, and they parted. Thomas Bell kept wandering, a little Lear-like perhaps, ending his days living in Pahiatua on New Zealands North Island with his eldest daughter, Hettie, and dying in 1929.

One of Raoul's volcanic crater lakes, taken from the air during Lydia's trip. It took the author and her group two days to reach the island from New Zealand

Denham Bay on Raoul Island. This image was taken by Gareth Rapley who was formerly employed by New Zealand's Department of Conservation

The island has the appearance of an enchanted paradise, but it's also treacherous. It's often hit by vicious storms and lacks a safe harbour

King Bell met and married his wife in Waikaretu, on the west coast of the North Island, where she was working as a post mistress. He and his brother Roy both had reputations as wonderful nurserymen who could grow all sorts of then exotic species. And despite the fact that Kings mothers ashes were kept in a wardrobe in the spare room, as shed hoped to be scattered on Sunday Island, none of her children ever went back, and in the end they were buried with her son Roy when he died.

This gripping tale came to life for Lydia earlier this year when she got the chance to actually visit Raoul Island, which is devoid of any permanent settlement.

She was invited by an environmental group called the Sir Peter Blake Trust to be the expedition writer on a trip in April to the Kermadecs with young environmentalists and marine biologists.

Her job was to help the youngsters with their blog posts and to provide something about the human history of Raoul Island (she'd done an awful lot of research about it for her novel), which they reached after two days sailing on the New Zealand Navys biggest ship, the HMNZS Canterbury.

This image of Lydia swimming close to Raoul Island was taken by a crew member

Student environmentalists on Lydia's trip take a dip in the ocean, using the cavernous HMNZS Canterbury as their platform

HMNZS Canterbury pictured off the coast of Raoul during Lydia's April expedition

The trip was organised by the environmental group the Sir Peter Blake Trust and Lydia was the expedition writer. This image shows the sheer size of their home, HMNZS Canterbury

Lydia said: '[Raoul Island is] one of the most isolated places in the Pacific. From snorkelling there and swimming there and looking out, it seems incredibly pristine, but the researchers found micro-plastics in collections of plankton taken there. Theyre everywhere'. The author took this image of the island from the air, with HMNZS Canterbury anchored off-shore

RAOUL ISLAND AND THE KERMADECS - THE FACTS Raoul Island is in the Kermadec area, north-east of New Zealand. It is one of the most pristine and unique places on earth. The Kermadec Islands are a group of subtropical islands in the heart of the region. It includes the worlds longest chain of underwater volcanoes. It is home to the second-deepest ocean trench in the world - the Tonga Trench, which is 35,702 feet (10,882 m) deep at its deepest point. The islands in the Kermadec area are uninhabited except for a New Zealand Department of Conservation field station on Raoul Island (pictured) Its waters are home to over six million seabirds of 39 different species, over 150 species of fish, 35 species of whales and dolphins, three species of sea turtles (all endangered) and many other marine species unique to the area such as corals, shellfish and crabs. Raoul Island was settled by Polynesians between 600 and 1,000 years ago. When the New Zealand government established a weather and radio station on the island in 1939 it made Raoul the official name, probably, says teara.govt.nz, to avoid confusion with a number of Sunday islands in Australia. Europeans discovered the islands in the area in the 1700s. Today the islands are uninhabited except for a New Zealand Department of Conservation field station on Raoul Island. Sources: Ministry for the Environment and teara.govt.nz/en/kermadec-islands/page-4. Advertisement

Her verdict? Stunning. Though environmental problems are beginning to affect it.

She said: Its one of the most isolated places in the Pacific. From snorkelling there and swimming there and looking out, it seems incredibly pristine, but the researchers found micro-plastics in collections of plankton taken there. Theyre everywhere.

So few people have ever been to a place where theres a complete eco system thats as untouched as its possible to be. There are so few places like this left in the world. And that was impressive.

The book is all about what it would have been like to live on the island. The extreme isolation.

Its a novel for now  but it wouldnt be a surprise if Hollywood came calling to put the Bells extraordinary tale on the big screen.

Mr Peacock's Possessions by Lydia Syson (Bonnier Zaffre, 12.99) is set on Raoul Island and loosely based on the story of the Bell family. It's available from all good bookshops and online here

For information about how to visit the island go to www.heritage-expeditions.com/destination/kermadec-islands.Industrial unrest shows no sign of abating at Ryanair, with its pilots in Sweden now voting to strike.

The Swedish Airline Pilots Association today confirmed staff would walk out on August 10 claiming the management had failed to meet with union representatives for more than eight months.

The announcement came as it was also revealed Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary has waived his yearly bonus following a raft of flight cancellations.

Ryanair pilots in Sweden have become the latest set of flight crew to vote for strike action in continuing industrial unrest at the airline

The Dublin-based carrier has experienced strikes in its bigger markets of Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy and Ireland.

It also faces planned action in Germany and the Netherlands as the budget carrier struggles to reach collective labour agreements across Europe.

In a statement, the Swedish pilots union said: 'No collective agreements have been agreed anywhere in Europe and Ryanair's hostile relations with its employees once again showed on several occasions, lately through intimidation and threats to Irish pilots after they used their legal right to strike.'

Meanwhile a report released earlier in the week showed that despite Europe's largest low-cost carrier making record profits in the financial year 2017-2018, Mr O'Leary decided not to take the bonus he was entitled to.

The bonus can be worth as much as a year's salary - about a million euros for Mr O'Leary. In the previous financial year, his bonus was 950,000 euros.

However, O'Leary was paid 1.06 million euros (944,000) and was given 1.25 million euros (1.1million) worth of shares in the airline.

The company said O'Leary waived his bonus due to the pilot scheduling mix-up in September 2017 that resulted in a serious labour dispute and some 20,000 flight cancellations.

Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary has waived his bonus following a raft of flight cancellations

The crisis led to a U-turn at Ryanair, which started negotiations with trade unions in several countries.

The carrier has since struck agreements with several unions, though talks remain tricky in some territories.

Ryanair said it had written to each of pilot unions in recent days and invited them to discuss their grievances.

The company said in a statement: 'In the interim, we have requested these pilot unions to give us seven days' notice of any planned strike action so that we can minimise the disruption to our customers by cancelling flights in advance and offering them alternative flights or refunds.'

However, the group has continued to denounce such actions and has warned that they could force it to suppress flights and jobs.

Ryanair also announced last week that it was reducing flights from Dublin later this year, warning that up to 300 jobs - 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew - were on the line.

Irish Ryanair pilots in the Forsa union form a picket line outside the airline's headquarters in Swords, County Dublin, last week

And speaking yesterday at a press conference in Austria, Mr O'Leary said he was prepared to cut jobs 'in any market' if strike action harmed bookings.

'We are the ultimate opportunistic airline,' he told a news conference at its Austrian unit Laudamotion's offices.

'We have today - in Ryanair - 20 markets that need more aircraft. We're short of aircraft in almost every market in which we operate because of the demand for our prices, our services,' he explained, adding those included Poland, which is home to its Ryanair Sun unit.

'If some market is being damaged as the Irish market has been damaged in recent months by these activities, the Polish market is growing hugely strongly for us, the Ryanair Sun is very full, profitable, we need more aircraft in the Polish market - move aircraft to Poland.

'If we have people who just want to have strikes for the sake of having strikes then they can have strikes and they'll find themselves (with) jobs getting moved and aircraft getting moved.'The best pasta in New York is not in Little Italy.

This is just one of the tips that's been aired on an internet thread that invited New Yorkers to share advice for tourists about what to see and do - and what to skip.

Other subjects discussed include the best skyscrapers to scale and the top ferries to board.

The view from the top of Rockefeller Center is not to be missed, say locals

The lively discussion was started on forum Reddit where one member posed the question: 'New Yorkers of Reddit, what are the most overrated attractions in NYC and what are the hidden gems (skip this do that)?'

And for 'PhreedomPhighter', the best place to get an all important shot of the city skyline was not at the top of the Empire State Building.

They wrote: 'Top of the Rock is better than Empire State. Almost no wait time. Cheaper. And you see the skyline of New York with the Empire State included from up high.'

Agreeing was 'astroK120', who added: 'Definitely. Empire is arguably too high. Top of the Rock is high enough that you have a great view, but not so high that it ruins the perspective.'

The Staten Island Ferry (pictured) was recommended by many as a way of seeing Lady Liberty

While 'nedheadinthebed' wrote that there are often cheaper ways of soaking in a rooftop view.

They wrote: 'Meh, forget 'em both. There are roof top bars everywhere, no entrance fees, plus drinks.

'Went to one that was basically right next to the Empire State, super cool at sunset.'

When it came to seeing the Statue of Liberty, taking an alternative route was recommended by many.

One, 'sweethumbleboi' said: Take the Staten Island ferry! You get a great view of Liberty and the lower Manhattan skyline.'

One person commenting on the thread says visitors should swap Manhattan's Chinatown, pictured, for Asian food restaurants in Flushing, Queens

And eviljordan pointed out another perk saying: 'Not to mention its free. Also theres a Dairy Queen on the SI side.'

While for an alternative view, 'lotsofbutts' said the East River Ferry is often overlooked.

They said: 'It goes to some nice parks along the waterfront and you get great views of the city. Also its only $2.75 a ticket!'

When it came to food, many commenting on the thread suggested venturing out of Manhattan for tasty treats.

They included 'kollaps3', who wrote: 'Forget about Manhattan Chinatown, take the 7 train out to Flushing for the biggest array of East Asian food you can get on the east coast.'

Another poster, 'jholland513', agreed, adding: 'Ditto on the food in Flushing. Stayed at the Sheraton there last time I was in NYC and the amount and variety of Asian food joints within walking distance was awesome.'

Another New York native begged visitors not to miss out on a ride on the New York subway

And 'Troaway1779' said: 'Youll find better Italian food outside of Little Italy. Infinitely better.'

When it came to less well-known places to visit, 'woodrob12' suggested the Tenement Museum while 'Face-palmJedi' recommended the Irish Hunger Memorial.

They said: 'It's near the water in Manhattan close to the WTC area. Sort of stunning to find something that beautiful in the midst of a huge city.'

And Corotoro suggested: 'The Cloisters in Fort Tyron Park up in Washington Heights is amazing.

'Central Park is always worth a nice walk especially if you get there in the early morning - just don't do the carriage ride.'

While user 'Yeah_i_grew_wings', begged visitors not to miss out on a ride on the New York subway.

He said: 'One thing that surprises me when talking to folks who visit NYC, is that a lot of people dont end up taking the subway to get around... Make it a point to take the subway!

'Some of the most best street performers, and authentic New York experiences, can be found underground.'Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been travelling on Royal duties since their wedding  now the two are planning a leisurely vacation.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex plan to pop in on the Queen while she vacations at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, People magazine reported. Prince Harry, 33, and Meghan will stay for a few days of Queen Elizabeth IIs three-month long vacation.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are finalizing their summer travel plans to visit the Queen in Scotland

During their trip the newlyweds will enjoy outdoor picnics, barbecues, hunting, deer stalking and walks through the heather. The castle will likely host parties and dances as well.

Lavish loch-side cookouts will be put together by footmen who, according to People, have to flee the scene to allow members of the Royal family to take over and take credit at any given time.

Brian Hoey wrote in his book, At Home with the Queen, footmen set tables, arrange food, cutlery and china and then move to a discreet distance where they can keep an eye on things and be within calling range if needed.

The trip to Balmoral Castle will be the first Prince Harry and Meghan, 36, have made to the castle as a married couple.

This isnt the only travel plans the couple are finalizing. Us Weekly reported theyre planning a trip to the United States for 2019.

A source said: Meghan is looking forward to introducing Harry to everything she loves about the US.

No official itinerary for the trip has been set, but Prince Harry and Meghan are reportedly visiting New York, Washington, DC, and California.

Theyre working to finalize locations and venues, the source added.

Meghan and Harry want to solidify ties between the UK and the US. They want to highlight and foster these relationships.

Theyll also reportedly visit a few tech companies while in California.

Us Weeklys source said: They will meet with CEOs and female tech entrepreneurs to encourage their involvement in the industry.

Also on their list of things to do in the US? Pop in on good friend Barack Obamas Obama Foundation, of course.

President and Mrs Obama have been stalwart supporters, the source said. The Canadian Foreign Office has heard about the tour and would love to have them stop there. This may very well become a North American tour.

Us Weekly reported that Meghan will fly over to the US ahead of Prince Harry for a solo vacation. Shell spend time with family and friends in New York and Los Angeles, California.

The outlets sources claim this trip will be one of the last before Prince Harry and Meghan start trying to have children.

Expect to hear the pitter-patter of a little prince or princess in 2019, a source claiming to be close to the couple claimed.

The Queen and Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle hasnt been a member of the Royal family for long, but shes already getting close with the Queen.

Theyll have the opportunity to spend a little time together during Meghan and Prince Harrys visit to Balmoral Castle. Perhaps theyll have a belated celebration of Meghans 37th birthday, which also happens to be the late Queen Mothers birthday, during the trip as well.

Meghan spent her 36th birthday in Africa with Prince Harry last year. This year the couple will celebrate her special day at the wedding of Prince Harrys childhood friend Charlie Van Straubenzee.

He and Daisy Jenks will tie the knot in Churt, Surrey.

Where does Prince Harry live?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly live in Nottingham Cottage, a quaint two-bedroom home on the grounds of Kensington Palace. Prince Harry has lived in the house since 2012.

Prince William and Kate Middleton live not far away in Apartment 1A, a 20-room home on the same grounds. Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank live a few doors down from Prince Harry and Meghan.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge lived in Nottingham Cottage after their wedding, too. They were then upgraded to Apartment 1A. Prince Harry and Meghan are rumored to be moving to Apartment 1, a 21-room suite across from Prince William and Kates home.Minnow Designs founders Lorraine Cherry-Nguyen and Stacey Fisher have devised an ingenious shoe that promises to help water babies escape blistering hot sand, sharp shells and slippery surfaces at the beach.

The sharp businesswomen pitched their bright-hued beach booties during Tuesday night's episode of Shark Tank.

The entrepreneurs, who worked on the idea between 'feeding their kids', explained that the concept was hatched during a family outing at the beach four years ago.

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Heel the sole! The ingenious beach bootie loved by the US and Shark Tank that promises to help water babies escape blistering hot sand, sharp shells and slippery surfaces. Pictured Minnow Designs founders Lorraine Cherry-Nguyen (left) and Stacey Fisher (right)

Lorraine, who has a background in fashion design and manufacturing, explained: 'Like most Australians we love spending time at the beach.'

'And on one of these days, four years ago, we came across a bit of a problem.' she said.

'Our young toddlers just wanted to go exploring but the sand was really, really hot and there were lots of broken shells,' she continued.

'We believe that every Australian family should have it in their beach bag': The sharp businesswomen pitched their bright-hued beach booties during Tuesday night's episode of Shark Tank

Concept: 'Our first product was the Minnow neoprene beach shoe. Inspired by wet-suits, very soft and pliable on a baby's foot, but it protects them from all the elements': Lorraine described the neoprene beach bootie

'We thought we would be able to find reef shoes, in toddler sizes, but we couldnt,' Stacey added.

With Stacey's experience in consumer marketing and Lorraine's background in design and production, the pair joined forces to create a range of neoprene beach booties.

'Our first product was the Minnow neoprene beach shoe. Inspired by wet-suits, very soft and pliable on a baby's foot, but it protects them from all the elements,' Lorraine said.

She also informed the panel the pair have developed a hard sole shoe for 'older kids.'

Minnow Designs: The brand which launched in mid-2016 is stocked in 120 retailers worldwide and also has an online presence. Pictured Shark Tank panelist, Steve Baxter

'And now we've got our Move On, which has got a hard sole. So it's for the older kids. It's got a more robust design so it can withstand more terrain,' she said.

The brand was launched in mid-2016 is stocked in 120 retailers worldwide as well as being available to purchase online.

According to the Minnow Designs website the shoes protect youngsters feet from 'hot sand, pesky sharp shells and slippery rocks while they explore the sand and sea.'

Pitch: During the episode, the shoe entreprenuers asked the sharks to invest $70,000 for a 20 per cent stake in their business to 'help fund their expansion into the US.' Pictured Shark Tank panelist, Janine Allis

During the episode, the shoe entrepeneuers asked the sharks to invest $70,000 for a 20 per cent stake in their business to 'help fund their expansion into the US.'

Stacey explained the product sold-out in the United States, sharing: 'we dropped in 1000 pairs (shoes) during a trial run on Amazon.com. We sold out in three weeks.'

While the sharks praised the pair's pitch, ultimately none of the panelists made an offer.

However the founding director of RedBalloon, Naomi Simson said she'd like to kick-start a mentorship with the mumpreneurs.Hollywood has a new couple.

Outlander actor Sam Heughan and Twin Peaks talent Amy Shiels are in a relationship, according to Us Weekly.

Sheils was spotted supporting Heughan at the premiere of his new film The Spy Who Dumped Me last Wednesday, but the duo was not pictured together.

Couple alert! Outlander actor Sam Heughan and Twin Peaks talent Amy Shiels are in a relationship, according to Us Weekly

Days later the actors looked cozy at the celeb spot Chateau Marmont.

There the pair were seen at one of the establishment's 'small, low-lit bar with drinks in hand' but they refrained from any PDA.

The new couple have been friends for over a decade and have long been fielding dating rumors.

Close companions: Days later the duo looked cozy at the celeb spot Chateau Marmont where they spent time at a 'small, low-lit bar with drinks in hand' but refrained from PDA. Sam is seen July 26 above

They go way back: The new couple have been friends for over a decade and have long been fielding dating rumors. Amy is seen July 21 above

The duo were said to have dated in 2014 and 2016, but neither party confirmed or denied their union at the time.

Sam and Amy flirty internet presence further fueled gossip.

Savvy fans noticed when the star 'liked' a tweet about the potential relationship which compared the could-be couple to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Just fiction: Sam has kept his love life private since but was previously rumored to date Outlander co-star Caitriona Balfe, together above last September

Playing favorites? Amy also got attention for suggesting Sam as an 'obvious choice' for the role of James Bond online last month

She also got attention for suggesting Sam as an 'obvious choice' for the role of James Bond online last month.

Sam has kept his love life private since but was previously rumored to date Outlander co-star Caitriona Balfe, who was the first to thoroughly rebuff said gossip with Metro UK last year.

He is also said to have dated soap star MacKenzie Mauzy, who was spotted with the star at premieres and events from around 2016 to March of this year when they were said to have split.Australian Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia has confirmed he did not attend his older brother Anthony's wedding to Alexandra Henkel in Hawaii earlier this year.

Anthony, 59, exchanged vows with Alexandra, 29, at the picturesque Haiku Mill on Maui's north shore in April, a year after getting engaged.

Jonathan, 48, told hit105's Stav, Abby and Matt on Wednesday that he was invited to the ceremony but was unable to attend due to work commitments.

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Schedule conflict: Australian Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia (left) has confirmed he did not attend his older brother Anthony's (right) wedding to Alexandra Henkel in Hawaii earlier this year. Pictured in Los Angeles on January 11, 2014

Referencing Jonathan's previous appearance on the Brisbane radio show in July 2017, host Abby Coleman asked: 'Last time we caught up with you, you were hoping you got an invite to your brother's wedding. Confirm that you did?'

'I did but, you know, [Australian] Survivor was a conflict,' he replied. 'I was in Fiji at the time when he was getting married in Hawaii.'

Later in the interview, he admitted the brothers' conversation about him being unable to attend the wedding did not go particularly well.

Jonathan even joked that Anthony was so upset 'he's cut me out of the will'.

Newlyweds: Anthony exchanged vows with Alexandra Henkel (right) at the Haiku Mill on Maui's north shore in April, a year after getting engaged. Pictured in Hollywood on May 7, 2015

Speaking to hit105 over a year ago, Jonathan claimed he was not aware Anthony was even engaged to Alexandra, adding that he had not seen his brother 'in a while'.

'S**t is he getting married? Really?' he said at the time. 'I should pay a little more attention to social media.'

When told of the 30-year age gap between Anthony and Alexandra, Jonathan appeared rather shocked.

'Shut the front door? She's 30 years younger? Bloody hell. I haven't seen him a while, he must be doing something right,' he remarked.

'Am I going to be a groomsman at his wedding? I didn't even know he was getting married.'

Blushing bride: Alexandra (pictured) looked simply stunning on her wedding day in a Con Ilio gown featuring a long train, elegant veil and sweetheart neckline

Former flames: Anthony was previously married to Australian actress Gia Carides (right) for 17 years before they separated in early 2015. He debuted his relationship with Alexandra three months later. Pictured in Los Angeles on January 11, 2014

Anthony and Alexandra confirmed their engagement at a YSL event in Melbourne in April 2017.

The Without a Trace star was previously married to Australian actress Gia Carides for 17 years before they separated in early 2015.

Meanwhile, Jonathan is returning this week as the host of Australian Survivor, which premieres on Wednesday at 7:30pm on Network Ten.He's the reality TV 'villain' who was recently suspended from his job as a surf instructor for swearing at a child.

And on Tuesday, Bachelor in Paradise's Blake Colman appeared to show little respect for authority as he mocked the police on his Instagram Story.

The 29-year-old shared a video he'd filmed of several police officers, in which he could be heard singing the Bad Boys theme song.

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'Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?' Troubled Bachelor in Paradise star Blake Colman (pictured) mocked the police on Instagram on Tuesday... after being suspended from his job as a surf instructor for swearing at a 10-year-old child

'Bad boys, bad boys. Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?' Blake sang in the clip.

The footage was posted to his Instagram account the same day Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed that Blake had been involved in a work incident that resulted in his suspension.

On Sunday 29 July, the former Bachelorette star allegedly swore at the child during an indoor lesson at the Aloha Surfhouse in Joondalup, Perth, leaving the boy and his family distraught.

Adam Blackman, the manager of Aloha Surfhouse, confirmed the incident to Daily Mail Australia, saying: 'Blake has been reprimanded and he will be punished going forward and have a suspension.'

Making light of the law? Blake could be heard singing the Bad Boys theme tune while zooming in on several police officers in a video (above) shared to Instagram on on Tuesday

Prior to getting into the water, Adam stated that all guests were instructed not to grab hold of their instructor as it puts them both in danger.

After the boy allegedly grabbed hold of Blake for a fourth time, he responded: 'Don't f**ing touch me.'

Speaking of the incident, the boy's mother told Daily Mail Australia: 'My son was very upset and Blake said it loud enough that my daughter also heard.'

Reprimanded: Blake was suspended from his job as a surf instructor after an incident on Sunday July 29 when the former Bachelorette star allegedly swore at a child during an indoor lesson at the Aloha Surfhouse in Joondalup, Perth

'[Blake] was out of control,' she continued.

'My son was very withdrawn from the party afterwards and did not want any of the food. He was completely in shock and didn't want to attend school either.'

Once the session had finished, Blake apologised to the child and his mother, but further angered her by placing a hand on the boy's shoulder after crouching down to address him directly.

'My son was very upset': The boy's mother told Daily Mail Australia her son was very distraught

The incident is not the first time Blake, who vied for Sophie Monk's heart in season three of The Bachelorette, has hit headlines for the wrong reasons.

Last year, Blake was convicted of a sickening assault that took place in Perth in August 2015 and left his victim, Tristan Cooper, 'unconscious, paralysed and bleeding from the head'.

Speaking to PerthNow in October 2017, Tristan explained he thought he'd never walk again after Blake attacked him after a night out.

Troubled past: Last year, Blake - who vied for the heart of Sophie Monk (left) on The Bachelorette - was convicted of a sickening assault which took place in Perth in August 2015 and left his victim, Tristan Cooper, 'unconscious, paralysed and bleeding from the head'

'He just came running up and with all his body weight sort of grabbed me in the back of the head,' Tristan, 31, told the publication.

After the attack, an ambulance rushed Tristan to the hospital where he received four staples in his head.

Tristan said of the assault: 'I was lying there looking up at this group of people staring down at me and I was thinking, "Well, this is it".'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Blake Colman for comment.She recently enjoyed a wild girls' weekend on the Gold Coast with her fellow Love Island Australia stars.

But Erin Barnett was back in her boyfriend Eden Dally's arms on Tuesday.

The prison officer, 25, shared a glimpse of their reunion on Instagram, posting a clip of himself kissing the busty nurse, 23.

Couple goals! Love Island Australia's Eden Dally and Erin Barnett shared a sweet kiss after reuniting on Tuesday following her wild girls' weekend on the Gold Coast

Erin leaped into Eden's arms before they shared a passionate smooch.

'Always a fun time when I see my girl,' Eden captioned the video. 'Any couples out there want to recreate? Let's see.'

Their romantic rendezvous comes after Erin enjoyed a boozy trip to the Gold Coast over the weekend.

Impressive! Erin leaped into Eden's arms before they shared a passionate smooch in a video shared to Instagram on Tuesday

The blonde enjoyed a lively catch-up with her fellow Islanders, Francoise Draschler, Edyn 'Mac' Mackney and Cassidy McGill.

The foursome posed provocatively on an apartment balcony in a photo shared to Instagram by Cassidy on Monday morning.

In another snap from the night, Mac and Erin appeared to simulate doggy style sex.

Naughty! Their romantic rendezvous comes after Erin enjoyed a boozy trip to the Gold Coast with her fellow Love Island stars over the weekend. Pictured (left to right): Francoise Draschler, Edyn 'Mac' Mackney, Cassidy McGill and Erin

Meanwhile, Eden and Erin's relationship appears to still be going strong after they placed second to Tayla Damir and Grant Crapp in the Love Island finale last month.

Only weeks ago, they went 'Facebook official' after promising to do so while in Spain.

Despite winning the show, Tayla, 21, and Grant, 23, have since split after it emerged he had a girlfriend before flying overseas.Mel Greig, 36, recently announced her resignation from Wave FM to return to the bright lights of Sydney.

And the Wollongong radio station announced on Wednesday that Mel's replacement on the breakfast program will be Jade Tonta.

The Illawarra local, who was first replaced by Mel back in 2014, returns to the hosting chair after taking time away to care for daughter Lulu, who has Down syndrome.

Out with the old, in with the new! Mel Greig (left) has been swiftly replaced on Wave FM by former host Jade Tonta (right) as she returns to Sydney 'to film Married At First Sight'

Jade told Radio Today: 'I've missed breakfast radio, and we've got a good team so I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be a lot of fun.'

Mel's departure from the regional radio station comes amid speculation she will join the new season of Married At First Sight.

The Illawarra Mercury previously reported that Mel had resigned from her radio gig at Wave FM for an 'exciting' new opportunity.

'New challenge': Mel's departure from the regional radio station comes amid speculation she will join the new season of Married At First Sight. Pictured at a film premiere in Sydney in July

However, Mel refused to confirm if her role was on reality TV or another media position, simply referring to it as a 'new challenge'.

Mel has hinted several times that she could be joining MAFS in her weekly column for Yahoo Be.

'I'm moving back to Sydney because Im single, childless and thats where the opportunities are for me,' Mel wrote last month.

'My first project kicks off in the coming weeks and it's going to take me straight out of my comfort zone': Mel has hinted several times that she could be joining MAFS

She continued: 'As well as continuing to write for Yahoo Be, my first project kicks off in the coming weeks and it's going to take me straight out of my comfort zone and into the "FML zone' but the result will be worth it #newchapter.'

Filming for Married At First Sight is set to begin in Sydney sometime in August and producers have already asked several celebrities to appear on the show.

Former Bachelorette star Michael Turnbull, 'world's hottest grandmother' Gina Stewart, and TV psychic Harry T have all been approached by casting agents.He recently became 'officially' famous after his profile was verified by Instagram.

And following this career milestone, Love Island Australia winner Grant Crapp celebrated his 23rd birthday by enjoying a 'blue tick' cake decorated by his mother.

The Canberra electrician, who split with 21-year-old model Tayla Damir last month, shared a rather depressing shirtless photo from his party-for-one on Wednesday.

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What a Crapp birthday: Love Island Australia's Grant celebrated turning 23 shirtless and alone on Wednesday. Pictured: Grant holding the 'blue tick' birthday cake made by his mother after becoming verified on Instagram

'It's my Birthdaaaaay. Thanks mum for the cake,' he captioned the bittersweet Instagram snap.

The young tradesman also added the hashtag 'getting old', despite still being in his early twenties.

Grant posed shirtless in a sparsely-decorated, dimly-lit room for the photo, holding a sparkler in one hand and his birthday cake in the other.

Bizarrely, he was also wearing a pair of sunglasses.

Birthday blues? The low-key birthday celebration comes after Grant (pictured on Love Island) revealed he was desperate to get back together with ex Tayla Damir following their shock split

The low-key birthday celebration comes after Grant revealed he was desperate to get back together with Tayla following their shock split.

Tayla, a Lebanese-Australian beauty queen, had dumped him after discovering he had a secret girlfriend back home while filming Love Island in Spain.

In a series of desperate Instagram videos posted last month, Grant declared that he wanted to 'fight' for their relationship and begged Tayla for forgiveness.

Awkward: In a series of desperate Instagram videos posted last month, Grant declared that he wanted to fight for their relationship and begged Tayla for forgiveness. Pictured on Love Island

He also insisted that he had finished things with his 'secret girlfriend' before going on the show and 'totally regretted' lying to Tayla about the situation.

'That girl totally knew I was going in there so I did break up with her before Love Island, so it was finished,' he said.

'I lied about that to Tayla and I totally regret that, it's something I'm not proud of. Tayla doesn't deserve that at all and I 100 per cent regret it.'While her run on Love Island ended with a resounding victory during Monday night's finale, Dani Dyer was often seen on the show sharing her fears of being cheated on.

And now the reality star's ex-boyfriend, Lui Sorenti has denied accusations that he was the one who cheated on her and broke her heart - insisting their romance came to an end because of his stance against her shooting a rape scene in a movie.

In an interview with The Mirror, the recruitment consultant, 24, said: 'Im telling you now  no one was cheating on her. We were really loving. I thought we loved each other. Ive never laid eyes on another woman in my life when I was with her. I think shes used that to get through to the final. I think shes just played on that.'

Denied: Dani Dyer's ex Lui Sorenti has denied accusations that he cheated on the reality star during their relationship. Pictured together in February 2013

Lui, who claims his girlfriend even dumped him after learning of Dani's accusations, went on to explain that his relationship with the 22-year-old former barmaid turned sour when she filmed a rape scene for the 2014 film We Still Kill The Old Way.

He continued: 'I just didnt agree with her choosing a career in acting over me. She was filming for one of her films and I didnt like it. I dont want my girlfriend doing that, really. Its a matter of respect. Its not nice to see your girlfriend on DVD getting raped  its not very nice and she didnt understand why I didnt approve it.'

'Ive no regrets that we finished,' added Lui of Dani, daughter of popular EastEnders star Danny Dyer. 'She always wanted to follow in her dads footsteps to be famous. That was just how she wanted it to be. So it was never going to last.'

Fears: Dani spoke often of her fears of being cheated on, revealing that it happened to her previously at the hands of an unnamed ex-boyfriend

Dani, who won Love Island after embarking on a romance with Jack Fincham, is said to have dated Lui when she was 17 and he was 19. Now 24, he works as a Recruitment Consultant at specialising in audiology recruitment in Enfield.

Essex beauty Dani has been vocal about her past heartache, saying on the show: 'Ive been cheated on, lied to  Ive had it all. Loyalty and honesty means so much to me.'

Her past betrayal had seen Dani struggle with Love Island co-star Jack, when their relationship has faced tests of trust and loyalty.

She was left paranoid when she and Jack were separated last month, with Jack being transferred to another villa - Casa Amor - where he had to spend four days with his ex-girlfriend Ellie Jones.

They came here for love: Former barmaid Dani and her new boyfriend Jack Fincham sealed their victory during Love Island's life finale on Monday night

Dani was left sobbing when she was shown a clip of Ellie and Jack's - albeit awkward - reunion, and she spent the four days they were apart fretting over what was going on between them.

But Jack was far from interested, spending the time on his own, pining for Dani and barely talking to Ellie.

There was further drama last week, when Jack underwent a lie detector test, during which he was asked if he may be tempted to stray when they are outside the villa.

Jack, 26, answered 'no', but this was identified as a lie - leaving Dani distraught once again, with an argument ensuing.

Dani was left hysterical and the pair had an epic series of rows about Jack's fidelity - which the former barmaid had been worried about ever since discovering in a previous task that he had cheated on all of his ex-girlfriends.

Past betrayal: Her ex's betrayal has seen Dani struggle with Love Island co-star Jack, when their relationship has faced tests of trust and loyalty

Truth or dare? There was further drama this week when Jack underwent a lie detector test, during which he was asked if he may be tempted to stray when they are outside the villa

Previously, a source close to Dani had told The Sun: 'Dani really fell for one of her first boyfriends who she dated between the ages of 17 and 18 and he did really love her too.

'Sadly that boyfriend cheated on her and their romance turned toxic  she had her heart broken and it always hurts twice as much when youre the age she was.

'He really hurt her and even now she finds it difficult to fully put her trust in someone.'

But on Good Morning Britain last week, Jack's friend and colleague Dane Goodson, who happens to also be Celebrity Big Brother star Casey Batchelor's boyfriend, said Dani needn't be concerned.

Tears: Dani was left sobbing when she was shown a clip of Ellie and Jack's reunion, and she spent the four days they were apart fretting over what was going on between them

Trouble in paradise: Jack was far from interested, spending the time on his own, pining for Dani and barely talking to Ellie

He explained: 'I think Danis just so worried already about whats going to happen if Jack does anything outside. I dont think she should worry about that. She should enjoy it and chill out a bit more.'

Dane believes Jack's feelings for Dani are '100 per cent genuine, saying, 'Jack wears his heart on his sleeve. He's definitely fallen for Dani.'

Dane insisted Jack - who has also upset Dani by lying about how many women he'd slept with - truly wants to find love and settle down.

He's loyal, babe: On Good Morning Britain last week, Jack's friend and colleague Dane Goodson, who is Casey Batchelor's boyfriend, said Dani needn't be concerned

Real deal: Dane believes Jack's feelings for Dani are '100 per cent genuine, saying, 'Jack wears his heart on his sleeve. He's definitely fallen for Dani'

'When he came and spoke to me about going on [Love Island] he said, "Obviously I want to have the time of my life. But I want to meet someone. I want to find someone",' the businessman added.

Dane and Casey also denied claims Jack is only interested in pint-sized beauty Dani because of her famous father, EastEnders actor Danny Dyer.

Dane had previously spilled the beans on Jack's cheeky antics before he met Dani. He candidly revealed to OK! magazine that his pal Jack had to be told off for bedding too many of the new girls at work.

The stationery company boss joked: 'When he was single we had a bit of a problem as he was so popular with his co-workers.I had to say to him: "Can you please stop sleeping with the new women?"'

Win: The pair soared to victory on Monday night, with an overwhelmingly large majority vote

Bubbles: They kissed and sipped bubbly from plastic cups during their flight back to the UK from the Spanish island of Mallorca, where the show is filmedShe has followed a grand celebrity tradition and launched her own swimwear line.

And Emily Ratajkowski was hard at work plugging a burgundy edition of her company Inamorata's $160 Leucadia swimsuit of a Tuesday.

The 27-year-old modeling sensation fired up her Instagram page and posed up a storm in the backless one-piece for her 18.8 million followers.

Publicity rounds: Emily Ratajkowski was hard at work plugging a burgundy edition of her company Inamorata's $160 Leucadia swimsuit of a Tuesday

Letting her wavy dark hair tumble freely to nearly obscure her hoop earrings, she turned about in a video to offer a view of the swimsuit from multiple sides.

The Leucadia's neckline fell far enough to offer not only a generous glimpse of her cleavage, but also of her enviably flat midriff.

Lower down, the swimsuit played up her derriere, as Emily indicated when she turned away from the camera to face the white backdrop.

Hello, gorgeous: The 27-year-old modeling sensation fired up her Instagram page and posed up a storm in the backless one-piece for her 18.8 million followers

Making it happen: Letting her wavy dark hair tumble freely to nearly obscure her hoop earrings, she turned about in a video to offer a view of the swimsuit from multiple sides

Shooting her best supermodel smoldering stare over her shoulder, the Westminster-born I Feel Pretty actress at one point arced one of her shapely legs.

Emily, who has a penchant for showing off her figure on red carpets and social media, told the June issue of Marie Claire her breasts are 'a key to my sexuality.'

The Gone Girl supporting player told the magazine: 'Boobs are funny. They hurt sometimes, and sometimes theyre the thing that makes me feel the most powerful.'

When you got it: The Leucadia's neckline fell far enough to offer not only a generous glimpse of her cleavage, but also of her enviably flat midriff

Picking at the hem: Lower down, the swimsuit played up her derriere, as Emily indicated when she turned away from the camera to face the white backdrop

'I remember there was some article like: "Emily Ratajkowski Is the Mozart of Breasts." What was so bad is someone sent it to my dad, who sent it to me,' she recalled.

'My dad still sees me as a little kid. I love my boobs. I love other peoples boobs. Boobs are kind of great,' rhapsodized the I Feel Pretty actress.

The actress, who while showing Vogue around her vast apartment in 2015 said she was for a platform to 'redistribute wealth in this country,' is newly married.

Emily made a splash with her surprise courthouse marriage to producer Sebastian Bear-McClard in New York in February, wearing a $200 Zara trouser suit.

Swank: Shooting her best supermodel smoldering stare over her shoulder, the Westminster-born I Feel Pretty actress at one point arced one of her shapely legs

'Boobs are funny': Emily, who has a penchant for showing off her figure on red carpets and social media, told the June issue of Marie Claire her breasts are 'a key to my sexuality'

Though they only became a couple weeks before the wedding, a source told Us Weekly that 'Emily has known Sebastian for years.'

The London-born model and actress recalled to Marie Claire: "People came after my marriage, like: "Wow. I give it three weeks." Im like: "What?"'

Emily groused: 'No one can take women seriously on any choices that they make, especially if theyre unique to them and they dont play into the way we think women should get married. It's a constant writing-off.'Chris Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky are well-known for making the most of family time.

And on Monday, the genetically blessed couple were spending some quality time with their six-year-old daughter India Rose in an adventurous setting.

The family were spotted in San Sebastian, Spain as they made their way across a zip-lining course.

Swinging from the tree tops! Chris Hemsworth (right) and Elsa Pataky (left) took daughter India Rose, 6, for a zip-lining adventure in Spain's San Sebastian on Monday

Dressed in a tight black T-shirt and matching shorts, Chris put his bulging biceps to good use on the course with featured a picturesque leafy background.

Though his eyes were shielded by Persol sunglasses, the Thor star appeared to be concentrating hard on the ropes and kept his eye on his precious daughter to ensure her safety.

He completed the all-black ensemble with a casual cap and a pair of Nike trainers.

Eyes on the prize! Both Chris and Elsa appeared to be concentrating hard on the course

Taking care of the essentials! Effortlessly chic Elsa was snapped helping India with her safety gear

For her part, Spanish model Elsa looked effortlessly chic in a cargo jumpsuit over a white top.

She pulled her blonde tresses back into a casual bun and could be seen doting over India and helping her adjust her safety gear.

Adorable youngster India appeared to be enjoying the day out as she made her way across the ropes course.

Chris and Elsa's four-year-old twin boys Sasha and Tristan did not appear to have joined the family for the outing.

Doting dad! The Thor star kept his eye on his precious daughter to ensure her safety

Too cute! The six-year-old seemed to be enjoying the adventurous family time

Out and about! Picturesque greenery acted as the backdrop for the day out

Chris shot to fame starring in Australian soap Home And Away before nabbing roles in bigger US films such as Star Trek and The Avengers.

The actor married Elsa in December, 2010 and welcomed their first child India Rose in May 2012.

Almost two years later, the couple welcomed twin boys Sasha and Tristan to complete their brood.

Family fun! The Hemsworth/Pataky clan appeared to be making the most of their time in SpainThey are two of the biggest A-list actresses in Hollywood.

And on Tuesday, Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep were spotted in action as they filmed scenes for the HBO series Big Little Lies in the streets of Los Angeles.

Production for season two of the hit drama has been in full swing since March.

Action! Reese Witherspoon was spotted filming a scene for Big Little Lies in Los Angeles on Tuesday

Rolling! At one point three-time Oscar-winner Meryl Streep came strolling down the street in the scene and went into a shop; she plays the mother of the late Perry Wright

In one scene Witherspoon and co-star Kathryn Newton, who plays her eldest daughter, walk out of a shop eating ice cream cones.

The 42-year old actress looked to be in full-on Madeline Mackenzie mode dressed in a floral top with black pants.

Stylists had her trademark blonde tresses flowing past her shoulders and with a part in the middle.

Newton looked every bit of her role as the young Abigail in a classic denim jean jacket and stylish black hat over her curly blond locks.

At one point, Streep's character could be seen strolling down the sidewalk looking inconspicuous in sunglasses while wearing a brown London Fog-style coat with dark blue jeans and sneakers, and her peachy blonde hair styled into a shoulder-length bob cut.

Blending in: The 69-year old looked inconspicuous in sunglasses while wearing a brown London Fog-style coat

Tasty scene: Kathryn Newton, who plays Abigail Carlson, walked out of the shop eating ice cream

Keeping close: Witherspoon's character Madeline followed right behind with her own ice cream cone

The three-time Oscar winner joins the star-studded cast as Mary Louise Wright, the mother of the late Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgard)  Celeste's husband.

Streep's character reportedly arrives in Monterey, California, looking for answers about her son's death.

HBO's official log line for season two of Big Little Lies is this: 'The subversive, darkly comedic drama Big Little Lies will explore the malignancy of lies, the durability of friendships, the fragility of marriage and, of course, the vicious ferocity of sound parenting.'

Out of Monterey for the day: Production for season two of Big Little lies began back in March

She's a pro: The 42-year old star looked to be in full-on Madeline Mackenzie mode

A few other nuggets about the upcoming season have also been revealed: the show will delve deeper into Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz) as a character, as well as some of the others, and Bonnie will struggle to cope with what she's done, according to Deadline.

Viewers should also expect to see Renata's (Laura Dern) marriage change, though it's unclear.

The star-studded cast also stars Shailene Woodley and Adam Scott.

The show is based on a book by Liane Moriarty, and while she never published a sequel, she did end up writing a new story for season two.

Big Little Lies will return sometime in 2019.Johnny Depp accused his ex-wife Amber Heard in court papers of 'punching him twice in the face' for being late to her birthday party in April 2016.

The 55-year-old Hollywood legend made the allegations as part of a libel lawsuit against the Sun newspaper in the High Court, according to an article on Tuesday by the Mirror.

Depp sued after an April 2018 report branded him as a wife beater and criticized his casting in the Harry Potter spin-off Fantasitc Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald.

Domestic violence: Johnny Depp, shown earlier this month at Comic-Con in San Diego, claimed in court documents that his ex-wife Amber Heard punched him in the face in 2016

Court papers filed by Depp's lawyers in the Queen's Bench Division claimed he arrived two hours late for his wife's birthday dinner in April 2016.

Heard, 32, allegedly 'began criticising the claimant for being late,' according to court papers.

The documents added that Depp was 'not drunk or high on drugs' and was in bed when 'Ms Heard, who had been drinking, became aggressive and violent... punching him twice in the face'.

The Edward Scissorhands star 'defended himself by grabbing Ms Heard's arms to stop her punching again and told her to stop,' according to the court filing.

Former couple: Amber and Johnny, shown in January 2016 in Los Angeles, got married in 2015 after meeting on the set of The Rum Diary in 2011

'He pushed her away on to the bed and told her he was leaving and that she should not follow him,' the papers added.

Depp's team also referenced a May 2016 argument that Heard cited in her request for a restraining order against her estranged husband after filing for divorce.

Heard in her restraining order request alleged that Depp 'violently attacked' her in their Los Angeles penthouse apartment and threw a cellphone that struck her in the face with 'extreme force'.

Stormy relationship: Johnny and Amber, shown in January 2016 in Palm Springs, California, finalized their divorce in 2017

Photos later emerged of Heard with bruises on her face.

Depp in his recent court filing submitted depositions from two police officers who said they saw no marks on Heard when they arrived on the scene.

'When one of the officers asked Ms Heard what had happened she responded ''nothing'',' the documents added.

Facial bruises: Amber had bruises on her face allegedly from being struck by a cellphone while leaving court in May 2016

The court filing also alleged that Depp's security team rushed to the penthouse upon hearing Heard yelling.

'The security observed [Depp] standing in the kitchen, far away from Ms Heard. At that moment, Ms Heard yelled, ''Stop hitting me, Johnny'' into the phone. The claimant was not hitting Ms Heard. Ms Heard was about 25 feet away,' the court documents claimed.

An attorney for Heard strongly challenged the claims made in Depp's court filing.

Far away: Johnny, shown earlier this month in London, submitted court documents claiming that his security guards witnessed him being 'far away' from Amber when she claimed to be hit

'These allegations are totally false. One needs only read the recent Rolling Stone article about Mr Depp and the lawsuit filed against him by a location manager, among many other recent news stories and lawsuits, to understand his state of mind,' the attorney told the Mirror.

Depp and Heard met in 2011 while filming The Rum Diary together.

They were married at their Los Angeles home in 2015 and she filed for divorce in May 2016.

Their divorce was finalized in January 2017 after they reached an out-of-court divorce settlement.He's one of the world's busiest actors, with four movies slated for release next year alone.

And on Tuesday, Walt Disney Studios teased one of those upcoming Dwayne Johnson films, Jungle Cruise, based on the studio's iconic theme park ride.

In the hilarious teaser video, the 46-year-old was joined by co-star Emily Blunt, who amusingly pretended to grab the semi-retired professional wrestler's butt.

A cheeky display: In the Jungle Cruise teaser, Dwayne Johnson was joined by co-star Emily Blunt, who amusingly pretended to grab the semi-retired professional wrestler's butt

The one minute long video begins with Sicario star Blunt presenting the set of her new film - before growing irritated when she's interrupted by co-star Johnson.

'Hey let's be like Humphrey Bogart and Kathleen Hepburn,' says the Skyscraper star.

'Kathleen? Or is it Kathryn Hepburn?' asks a visibly annoyed Blunt.

'Like, do your research.'

Long suffering: The one minute long video begins with Sicario star Blunt presenting the set of her new film - before growing irritated when she's interrupted by co-star Johnson

Painful: The 6ft4in strongman then compares their onscreen pairing to 'Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers'

The 6ft4in strongman then compares their onscreen pairing to 'Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.'

'They were never in the jungle!' replies Emily.

Shortly after this, The Girl On The Train actress walks off camera, seemingly flustered.

Flustered: Shortly after this, The Girl On The Train actress walks off camera, seemingly flustered

All for show: But she returns and the pair reveal they were 'just kidding' as they hug warmly

Adaptation: Walt Disney Studios teased one of those upcoming Dwayne Johnson films, Jungle Cruise, based on the studio's iconic theme park ride. Pictured here

But she returns and the pair reveal they were 'just kidding' as they hug warmly.

Then The Rock reacts, as though he's just been pinched on the behind.

'I didn't!' protests Blunt.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, 'Johnson will play a boat captain who takes his sister (Blunt) and her brother (Whitehall) on a mission to find a tree believed to possess healing powers.'

'Wild animals and a competing German expedition figure into the proceedings.'He's best known for playing one of the toughest superheros in the world.

But it looks like Chris Hemsworth, 34, may not have the same threshold for pain as his almighty Marvel Comics character Thor.

The Aussie actor grimaced in pain while enduring a small commemorative Avengers tattoo on his right rib cage earlier this year.

Not so tough after all? Shirtless Chris Hemsworth, 34, grimaced in pain while getting an Avengers tattoo on his torso earlier this year

New York tattooist, Joshua Lord, shared footage of him inking the movie maker to his Instagram this week.

In the clip, Chris can be seen scrunching his face in pain while muttering an almost profanity, saying: 'I love this shh....'

As fans quizzed Joshua if the the Aussie actor may have suffered a slight slip of the tongue, he joked: 'Superheros don't swear.'

Superstar sitting: Joshua Lord, owner of New York studio East Side Ink, tattooed the Australian hunk to commemorate the release of Avengers: Infinity War

It hurts! It looks like Chris may not have the same threshold for pain as his almighty Marvel Comics character Thor from the franchise

Oops! In the footage, Chris can be seen scrunching his face in pain while muttering an almost profanity in the fresh footage, saying: 'I love this shh....'

Joshua, owner of New York studio East Side Ink, also tattooed several of Chris's co-stars following following the release of Avengers: Infinity War, earlier this year.

Robert Downey Jr. revealed on social media in May that he, along with Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson, all now sport matching tattoos - with only Mark Ruffalo opting out of the group inking.

Not a bad day at the office: Celeb artist Joshua also inked several of Chris's Infinity War co-stars and appeared to get the design on himself too

Inked: Robert Downey Jr. shared this pic of himself with Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson as he revealed they have matching tattoos courtesy of Josh, center

The Iron Man star shared video and photos to Instagram showing him getting his tattoo and sharing a group short of the gang.

He posted clips of Joshua tattooing a symbol onto his forearm.

It appears to be a stylised Avengers logo and the number six, for the original six comic book characters.Their fairytale romance fell apart five weeks ago, and now the messy details of Tara Pavlovic and Sam Cochrane's split can finally be revealed.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, Tara claimed that the couple's relationship became 'toxic' after they filmed Bachelor in Paradise.

The Queensland nanny, 27, also alleged that Sam initiated the break-up after an argument, only to desperately beg her to take him back.

EXCLUSIVE: 'He begged me to take him back for weeks': Bachelor in Paradise's Tara Pavlovic has revealed her relationship with Sam Cochrane was 'TOXIC' and that she was 'relieved when it when it was finally over'. Pictured: Tara with one of the children she nannies this week

'Sam left me after a fight thinking I would beg for him back - he always threatened to leave and played games,' Tara said of their bitter split.

'But this time I told him to never speak to me again and then he begged for me back for weeks.'

'The relationship was just the most toxic thing,' she added. 'I feel the biggest sense of relief now that it's all over. I finally feel like I'm myself again.

'I really did lose my identity when I was with him, and now feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I can finally start focusing on who I really am.'

End of an era: 'The relationship was just the most toxic thing, it's the biggest sense of relief that it's all over. I finally feel like I'm myself again' Tara exclusively told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday. Pictured: Tara and Sam earlier this year, before their split

Tara, who rose to fame on Matty Johnson's season of The Bachelor in 2017 before joining the cast of Bachelor in Paradise, also claimed that Sam would often tell her they were incompatible.

'He would always say to me I needed someone who was "dumb with no feelings", that he was too smart and deep for me,' she said.

Despite the emotional strain of the break-up, Tara is staying positive and looking forward to travelling to Europe next Monday for both 'work and pleasure'.

'I have a friend's wedding in Germany, and I am also being flown to Sweden for a music festival with a girlfriend from Sydney, thanks to Foreo Skincare,' she said.

Trouble in paradise? 'I was the worst version of myself when I was with him,' Tara claimed, adding that Sam was the one to initiate the breakup before begging her to take him back

The skincare ambassador added that she was 'excited to hang out with 'real, normal friends' and not just other people from reality television shows.

'I am killing two birds with one stone with this trip, it really hasn't come at a better time, I'm just going to be focusing on me and get back to myself,' she said.

'I was the worst version of myself when I was with [Sam], so it'll be good to just find myself again during this trip.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Sam for comment.

In happier times: Tara and Sam got engaged during the Bachelor in Paradise finale, which was filmed in Fiji last year and aired in late April. Pictured: The couple's on-air engagement

Sam was the first to announce the couple had broken off their engagement, taking to Instagram in late June to reveal the relationship had 'come to an end'.

The voiceover artist explained that he loved Tara with his 'whole heart' and was struggling to come to terms with their public split.

'Your [the fans'] joy in our story and the engagement meant so much and I can assure you it is the saddest thing for me to come to terms with,' he wrote at the time.

Shortly afterwards, Tara shared her own post to Instagram, telling her fans that 'unfortunately for different reasons it didn't work out'.

It's over! Sam was the first to announce the couple had broken off their engagement, taking to Instagram in late June to reveal the relationship had 'come to an end'

Tara and Sam got engaged during the Bachelor in Paradise finale, which was filmed in Fiji last year and aired in late April.

Sam proposed with a GS Diamonds ring believed to be worth $11,000. (He later auctioned it off following their split).

'I want to spend the rest of my life with you,' he said before presenting the magnificent sparkler and asking: 'Will you marry me?'Corey Feldman has filed requests for restraining orders against five people for allegedly harassing him online.

The 47-year-old actor was seeking court-ordered protection for alleged threats to his life, according to an article on Tuesday by TMZ.

The Goonies star previously complained to the Los Angeles Police Department about the attacks waged against him on social media.

Restraining orders: Corey Feldman, shown in January in Utah, has filed for restraining orders against five people who allegedly have been harassing him online

TMZ previously reported that Feldman has been targeted from four different Twitter accounts.

One of the more chilling tweets was disclosed via a search warrant: 'If longing to see @Corey_Feldman get gangraped in prison is wrong, I don't want to be right.'

Detective have been trying to trace the IP addressess to link the Twitter accounts.

Feldman in his petition for a restraining order included an alleged harasser whose name was matched in the search warrants.

Disturbing allegations: The Goonies star, shown in October 2017, claimed he is being targeted in a vicious online attack

The actor in his restraining order request also named a woman who played in his backing band The Angels.

A judge has yet to rule on the request for the restraining orders.

The former child star blocked the person who posted the first vicious tweet, but police believe that suspect may have created multiple accounts to continue the online attacks.

Cyber bullying: Feldman, shown in January in Los Angeles, has been targeted from four different Twitter accounts

In another message, an Instagram user commented 17 times that 'Corey is a rapist.'

It's gotten so bad in the eyes of Feldman that he went on to say he and his family fear for their lives.

Detectives have been trying to trace the IP addresses, but so far there haven't been any arrests.

The 47-year old actor has had his fair share of controversies, and has also leveled several disturbing accusations.

The actor previously has received backlash online for his claims that he was molested by a powerful Hollywood executive.

Feldman first came forward with his account in his 2013 memoir, Coreyography, claiming that both he and Corey Haim were repeatedly abused as up-and-coming actors.

Since the recent Harvey Weinstein sex scandals sparked a surge of Hollywood heavyweights getting toppled from their positions of power, Feldman's previous accounts of abuse at the hands of showbiz executives have gained new traction.

In February, Feldman was cleared of any wrongdoing in an LAPD sexual battery investigation, where he was accused of grabbing a woman's buttocks in early 2017.

Then in March Feldman claimed someone jabbed him with a sharp object- either with the tip of a knife or a syringe- during a road rage incident.

Feldman initially said the attack may have been retaliation for his pedophile accusations, but his lawyer later blamed road rage.In a heartfelt Logies acceptance speech in July, Ray Meagher paid tribute to his late Home And Away co-star Cornelia Frances.

And just one month on from the touching speech  and two months since Cornelia died from cancer  the actor has again spoken candidly about his long-time friend.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, the 74-year-old said his on-screen sister was 'incredibly brave' during her final moments.

EXCLUSIVE 'You could see her deteriorating': In an interview with Daily Mail Australia, Home And Away's Ray Meagher (left) described late co-star Cornelia Frances (right) as 'incredibly brave' in her final months before she tragically lost her cancer battle

'She was incredibly brave right through to the end, she didn't talk about the pain or anything,' Ray explained.

Cornelia was battling bladder cancer before she lost the fight in May aged 77.

Ray added: 'You could see her deteriorating and her condition deteriorating as things got closer to the end.'

Ray has portrayed Alf Stewart on Home And Away since the show premiered in 1988, while Cornelia played his feisty sister Morag on and off over the past three decades.

The actor said that even when the pair weren't working together on the show, they kept in touch and saw each other at least once a month - and there were even more catch-ups towards the end of her life.

Ray added of Cornelia's last days: 'As a friend just visiting, all you can do is observe and support.'

Tragic loss: Cornelia Frances lost her battle with bladder cancer in May 2018 aged 77

At the 2018 TV Week Logie Awards, Ray vowed not 'mourn' his friend but instead 'celebrate her life.'

And Ray continued this approach when speaking to Daily Mail Australia as he recalled his favourite memories of Cornelia.

'I'd like to go back a year or two before [she was sick] and see Cornie, shouting, ranting and raving as Morag in Home And Away and her and I having stand-up blues,' Ray fondly reminisced.

'Cornie and I used to go toe-to-toe on a fairly regular basis on Home And Away when she was there. When we were waiting for the director to call 'cut', we'd be doing everything we could to stop laughing after having a raging row.'

Paying tribute: At the 2018 TV Week Logie Awards, Ray vowed not 'mourn' his friend but instead 'celebrate her life'

The Channel Seven star recently launched his own brand of hot sauce via GoDaddy.

It was aptly named Ray's Flamin' Hot Sauce, referencing one of his character's iconic catchphrases.

In the wake of Cornelia's death, Ray announced that money from sales of the hugely successful product  estimated to be in excess of $50,000  was donated to Cure Cancer.

'Originally we were only going to produce one run of it. And that sold in a nanosecond,' Ray said.

'Cornie and I used to go toe-to-toe on a fairly regular basis': Ray said his favourite memories of Cornelia was when they were having 'stand-up blues' on Home And Away as on-screen siblings Alf and Morag

He added: 'So GoDaddy agreed to do another run and what happened was every cent from every bottle sold  not the profit, every cent  went to a charity called Cure Cancer Australia which is trying to find various ways to cure cancer.'

Ray hopes that one day the disease that took Cornelia's life will one day be eradicated.

Summing up his friend, he said: 'She was just a great bird, she was a beautiful actress and a very warm, generous person.'Taron Egerton was transformed into the masked vigilante Robin Hood as he tore through an army of criminals in the latest trailer for the 2018 reboot subtitled Origins.

The 90 second preview - released on Wednesday - shows Taron getting suited and booted as the legendary hero who stole from his rich superiors.

Set for release in November, the medieval epic tells the tale of Robin Hood's quest to become the famous hero, mentored by his friend Little John (played by Jamie Foxx) and brother Will Scarlet (Jamie Dornan).

Scroll down for video

Heroic: Taron Egerton was transformed into the masked vigilante Robin Hood as he tore through an army of criminals in the latest trailer for the 2018 reboot subtitled Origins

The trailer begins with an epic slow-motion sequence which sees a masked Robin attempt to shield himself from an army of shots going on around him, before grabbing a bow and arrow and preparing for battle.

In a montage of scenes the charming and well-mannered hero dresses in his distinctive leather ensemble, making sure his hair was perfectly coiffed and his signet ring was in place.

A fleeting sequence then sees him jump from a window in a spectacular stunt, before showing a brief glimpse of Jamie Foxx as his mentor Little John.

Iconic: Kingsman star Taron takes on the role of the hooded hero in this latest reboot, and is every inch the charming crusader in the 90 second preview

Spectacular: Nothing short of stunts, the trailer shows Hood in his full leather ensemble shooting arrows from mid-air

Non-stop: Taron takes centre stage in the film - which is set to retell the origin story of how Hood began stealing from the rich and giving to the poor

United: Jamie Foxx is also briefly seen in the trailer as Hood's mentor Little John, as he joins his gang of Merry Men in fighting against the establishment

Evil: Ben Mendelsohn is also glimpsed as the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham, who becomes Hood's main rival

And as an army goes into battle Ben Mendelsohn is seen as the villain of this tale The Sheriff Of Nottingham, with his knights tearing through a village and wiping out civilians.

In an intimate moment placed among the sea of action and drama, fans get a glimpse of the film's key romance between Hood and Maid Marian (played by Bono's daughter Eve Hewson), despite her already being married to his brother Will.

The film appears to be setting up a love triangle of sorts, that could perhaps tear apart the two brothers and rip the Merry Men to its core.

The trailer closes with the Merry Men heading into battle as Hood fires a trailer mid-air towards the screen.

Supportive: The duo form a team to bring down the authorities due to their lowly treatment of their subjects

Brutal: In one fleeting shot the trailer shows civilians being attacked by the authorities, led by the Sheriff of Nottingham

Amazing: The big-budget film is bursting at the seams with lavish medieval sets and imagery

At odds: An army marching into battle under the veil of a burning village hints at the conflict that could arise as Hood becomes a vigilante

Following the trailer's release, new stills also gave a closer look at the film's key players, with Hood shown trying out his bow and arrow skills.

Passing on his expertise, Hood is also seen getting cosy with Maid Marian by showing her how to hit the target, while The Sheriff of Nottingham is every inch the menacing authority figure in his own still.

An official synopsis for the film reads: 'A war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown in a thrilling action-adventure packed with gritty battlefield exploits, mind-blowing fight choreography, and a timeless romance.'

Helping out: Stills from the film also show Hood being taught his bow and arrow skills by Little John

United: The famous partnership of the mythical hero is to be a fixture throughout the film

Sparks fly: Hood is also expected to grow close to Maid Marian (played by Bono's Eve Hewson) but due to her marriage to his brother Will a love triangle looks set to form

Heartthrob: Fifty Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan plays Hood's brother and one his Merry Men Will Scarlet

Menacing: Sporting his military attire Ben is every inch the villainous Sheriff who sends his armies to bring the Merry Men down

This is the latest in a long line of incarnations of the legendary character, with some of the most famous being the Walt Disney animated version (1973), the big-budget Kevin Costner version (1991) and a much darker adaptation starring Russell Crowe (2010).

The film is directed by BAFTA winner Otto Bathurst, who rose to fame following his work on the BBC period series Peaky Blinders.

Following the release date being pushed back several times, Robin Hood will finally open on November 21 ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend, but will face stiff competition from the Disney animated sequel Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck It Ralph 2.

Classic: One of the most famous reincarnations of Robin Hood came in 1991, with Kevin Costner playing the titular heroShe has delightedly revealed that she now weighs 119 pounds.

However, Kim Kardashian's slimmed down physique has come with its concern, as Emmy Rossum and Stephanie Beatriz highlighted their own negative consequences at being at that weight.

Stephanie, 37, first took to Instagram as she admitted that the only time she was at the reality star's current weight was when she was 'in the middle of a terrible eating disorder' - leading Emmy to repost it and relay a similar, unhealthy experience.

Backlash: Despite Kim Kardashian, 37, delightedly revealing she has slimmed down 119 pound physique - other celebrities have expressed their concern

'Terrible': Emmy Rossum and Stephanie Beatriz highlighted their own negative consequences at being at 119 pounds

In reference to Kim's big weight loss reveal, Argentine-born Stephanie revealed on her social media platform: 'Theres only one time in my life when I ever weighed 119 pounds.

'It was right in the middle of a terrible relationship, and intense eating disorder, and I thought that I could be thinner and look even better. Everyone kept complimenting me on how I looked, and I felt desperate to stay at that weight. It sucked,' Stephanie heartbreakingly confessed.

The Instagram Story caught the attention of Emmy, who re-posted it with the message: 'Stephanie, I love you and I support you and youre beautiful and strong and powerful and a creative bada** woman.

'The only time I was 119 pounds is when I had MONO. On a magazine shoot everyone was freaking out over how good I looked. I had lost ten pounds and was gaunt and sick and felt faint It totally messed with my head. I love you and Im with you.'

Confession: Stephanie, 37, first took to Instagram as she admitted that the only time she was at the reality star's current weight was when she was 'in the middle of a terrible eating disorder'

'I thought that I could be thinner': In reference to Kim's big weight loss reveal, Argentine-born Stephanie continue to reveal her experience on her social media platform

'I love and support you': The Instagram Story caught the attention of Emmy, who re-posted it

The Phantom Of The Opera star added a further insight: 'You never know what someone is going through. If youre having a tough time with body image, I promise youre beautiful and this feeling will pass.

'Today is just a moment. Practice some self-care and reboot. Take a bath. Take a walk. Take a yoga class. Make a healthy nutritious meal and watch your favorite funny movie. Tomorrow is another day,' Emmy concluded.

Meanwhile, Kim has been proudly showing off her weight loss recently after dropping to 119lbs.

'I was gaunt and sick': Emmy also revealed the moment she had whittled down to that weight

'I promise you're beautiful': The brunette added a further message of support for her followers who were going through a difficult time

Having her say: Emmy also uploaded Kate Moss' famous quote, which read 'Nothing taste as good as being skinny feels' and added 'Wrong, Pasta!'

Her supermodel sister Kendall Jenner was previously heard telling Kim she was starving herself because she's 'so skinny.'

Taking to her Instagram Story earlier that night, Kim was heard asking her sister: 'Wait, what was that Kendall?'

To which Kendall replied: 'I'm really concerned, I don't think you're eating. You're so skinny.'

Khloe chimed in: 'I've never seen a human being look as good as you. You are a walking FaceTune doll. I've never seen a skinnier person in my life than Mrs West.

Loving life: Kim has been proudly showing off her weight loss recently after dropping to 119lbs

Jealous? Her supermodel sister Kendall Jenner was previously heard telling Kim she was starving herself because she's 'so skinny'

Khloe chimed in: 'I've never seen a human being look as good as you. You are a walking FaceTune doll. I've never seen a skinnier person in my life than Mrs West'

'Well, Kendall but that's natural, you, that takes work to look like that and that's amazing.'

Although the reality TV star - who has three children; North, five, Saint, two, and Chicago, seven months, with her husband Kanye West - appeared to be lapping up the compliments, she is adamant she's not lost that much weight as she's still 119lbs.

She screeched: 'You guys, I'm not that skinny! I'm down to 119lbs but I will say that I am less when I take out my hair extensions so I don't have them in now.'

'I'm not that skinny!': Although the reality TV star - who has three children appeared to be lapping up the compliments, she is adamant she's not lost that much weight as she's still 119lbs



She's been trolled by fans after she was delighted when her sisters called her 'anorexic'.

And Kim Kardashian also endured a spat with actor Tyson Beckford, 47, after he branded her body 'botched', writing that she's 'not real' and that the 'doctor f***ed up'.

But Kim Kardashian, 37, shrugged off the negativity as she enjoyed a girls' day out with her daughter North in Calabasas, on Tuesday, wearing a tight leotard.

Brushing it off: Kim Kardashian shrugged off the negativity from her recent social media backlash as she enjoyed a girl's day out with daughter North in Calabasas on Tuesday

Social media sensation Kim teamed the leotard with baggy combat trousers and trainers as she held hands with her five-year-old little girl.

Kim's new bobbed tresses were styled sleek and straight while her pretty features were enhanced with a radiant dusting of make-up.

The mother-of-three completed the look with a pair of futuristic shades.

Wow factor: Social media sensation Kim showed off her new bobbed look as she stepped out wearing futuristic shades

North, who Kim shares with husband Kanye West, looked sweet in a slate grey shirt and denim shorts.

She wore her hair in bunches and showed she had inherited her mother's penchant for an edgy handbag by carrying a fluffy pink tote.

The outing comes after Kim fell out of favour with some of her fans by reacting with delight when she was called 'skinny' by her sisters Khloe and Kendall.

Over the weekend Kim took to Instagram Stories to share a series of clips featuring Khloe, 34, and Kendall, 22, commenting at length on her weight.

Remarks:The outing comes after social media darling Kim fell out of favour with some of her fans by reacting with delight when she was called 'skinny' by her sisters Khloe and Kendall

All three were in Inglewood, California for a poker tournament, which Kim attended in form-fitting PVC pants.

Backstage, Kendall opened the conversation about Kim's looks, telling her: 'I'm really concerned. I don't think you're eating.' Kim immediately replied with a thrilled: 'Whaaaaat?'

'You look so skinny,' Kendall added, prompting Kim to reply: 'What? Oh my God, thank you!'

Khloe waxed lyrical about Kim's figure as well, telling her she looks like 'a walking FaceTune doll'  in reference to the FaceTune app, which enables people to edit and enhance their appearance in pictures.

Kendall then held up her bite-sized black purse, telling Kim: 'My purse is as tiny as you.'

Kim prompted her sisters to keep commenting so she could record their comments on camera.

Oh dear: Backstage, Kendall opened the conversation about Kim's looks, telling her: 'I'm really concerned. I don't think you're eating.' Kim immediately replied with a thrilled: 'Whaaaaat?' (above with mother Kris Jenner on July 29)

'I've never seen a skinnier person in my life,' Khloe said. Kim responded: 'Well, you have, because I'm looking at one,' in reference to Kendall.

Khloe replied that the model's lean figure is 'natural', telling Kim: 'You, it takes work to look like that and that's amazing.'

She and her friend Malika Haqq, 35, joked that Kim survives on 'celery' and 'different flavours of oxygen'.

'You guys, I'm not that skinny!' Kim exclaimed. 'I'm down to 119 pounds. I will say when I take out my hair extension I am less.'

Khloe then said of her sister's silhouette: 'But she's anorexic here [points to waist] and her arms are like pin thin, they're like my pinkie  it's bizarre.'

Response: Social media users were left outraged by the comments, and many worried they could be damaging to Kim's followers

The exchange left social media users outraged and worried that Kim, Khloe, Kendall and Malika's comments could perpetuate eating disorders and have a negative impact on Kim's youngest followers.

Some pointed out that Kim has a whopping 114 million subscribers on Instagram, and as such holds considerable influence.

'Listening to @KimKardashian, @KendallJenner and @khloekardashian use words like "anorexic" and "skinny" as a compliment makes me SO sad and disappointed,' one person wrote. 'You have young children around you and millions of followers. Please don't influence and encourage eating disorders!'

Kim's famous figure also took a bashing from male supermodel Tyson Beckford, 47, who labelled her frame 'f**ked-up in scathing social media comments.

After a paparazzi picture of the reality star was posted online Tyson criticized Kim's figure, writing that she's 'not real' and that the 'doctor f***ed up'.

Cruel: Kim's famous figure also took a bashing from male supermodel Tyson Beckford, 47, who labelled her frame 'f**ked-up' in scathing social media comments

Spat: Kim responded with 'Sis we all know why you don't care for it,' she wrote.

Not his thing: When Kim's response went viral Tyson was unapologetic as he took to his Instagram Stories later in the day.

'Sorry I don't care for it personally' Tyson commented on the snap of Kim dressed up for Jimmy Kimmel in Los Angeles this week wearing black velour leggings and a tiny crop top.

Taking it a step further, the Into The Blue actor added another scathing comment about the appearance of her curves, 'She is not real, doctor f***ed up on her right hip.' Adding insult to injury the star added a green vomit emoji.

The Shade Room shared the comments on its Instagram page allowing for the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star to see Tyson's unfiltered thoughts.

Kim responded by insinuating that Tyson doesn't find her attractive because he is gay.

'Sis we all know why you don't care for it,' she wrote.

When Kim's response went viral Tyson was unapologetic as he took to his Instagram Stories later in the day.

Having the last say: Tyson said he prefers Beyonce to Kim in another scathing post

He wrote 'Despite what @Theshaderoom might be tryna say, my opinion on women who do plastic surgery stays the same, not for me! I personally don't care for it! Done end of story!'

In another post he wrote, 'Always gonna pick a Beyonce over anyone else' along with a cheeky tongue-out emoji.

Kim has been plagued by plastic surgery rumors for most of her career but has always denied getting butt implants or a Brazilian butt lift.

The E! star has been proudly showing off her weight loss recently after she dropped to 119lbs.

Outing: Kim's sister Kylie Jenner, 20, was seen heading out for dinner with best pal Jordyn Woods at The Nice Guy in West Hollywood on TuesdayHe was unlucky in finding love on this year's Love Island but made friends for life in the villa.

Despite failing to find a romantic spark, Dr Alex George, 27, revealed he was 'buzzing' after being reunited with his pals Jack Fincham, 26, and Dani Dyer, 22, following their ITV2 series win on Tuesday.

The A&E doctor, who was dumped from the Island a day before Monday's final alongside Alexandra Cane, took to Instagram to post a beaming selfie with his BFFs as they caught up for the first time since leaving the Mallorcan abode.

Reunited: Dr Alex George, 27, revealed he was 'buzzing' after being reunited with his pals Jack Fincham, 26, and Dani Dyer, 22, following their ITV2 series win on Tuesday

The Welsh medic couldn't contain his happiness as he met up with the pair at ITV's studios and marked the meeting two days after last seeing them with a gushing social media post.

Sharing a picture of the trio, Alex captioned the shot: 'Absolutely buzzing to be reunited with @jack_charlesf and @danidyerxx so proud of these two. #lendusayard #couplegoals #loveisland #teamjani.'

Continuing his tribute to the loved-up couple, the doctor took to his Instagram Story to showcase behind-the-scenes footage of them reuniting in the UK.

Filming Jack showing off his muscles, he said: 'I'm absolutely buzzing to be with this boy.' To which, he replied: 'Jack is back. Jack the flash Fincham is back.'

Flex: Continuing his tribute to the loved-up couple, the doctor took to his Instagram Story to showcase behind-the-scenes footage of them reuniting in the UK

'Third wheel': Despite gushing over the couple, the pair couldn't help but poke fun at the unlucky-in-love star and referred to him as their 'third wheel'. Sharing a short clip on her Instagram Story, Dani initially discussed her delight at being reunited with Alex, before her beau joined them and hilariously called him out

Quip: Climbing into their car, Jack quipped: 'Oh look, the third wheel is back', which left Dani in a fit of laughter and repeating him, 'Third wheel!'

Despite gushing over the couple, the pair couldn't help but poke fun at the unlucky-in-love star and referred to him as their 'third wheel'.

Sharing a short clip on her Instagram Story, Dani initially discussed her delight at being reunited with Alex, before her beau joined them and hilariously called him out.

Dani began: 'Reunited with my Alex. ' To which, Alex said: 'So excited to be back with Dani Dyer.'

Climbing into their car, Jack quipped: 'Oh look, the third wheel is back', which left Dani in a fit of laughter and repeating him, 'Third wheel!'

Delight: Earlier in the evening, Jack gushed over his pal and shared a short clip of his pal in ITV Studios with the caption: 'So happy to be back with my boy x'

Earlier in the evening, Jack gushed over his pal and shared a short clip of his pal in ITV Studios with the caption: 'So happy to be back with my boy x'.

The commentary comes after Dr Alex admitted he has now cast his sights on becoming a TV doctor during an appearance on Tuesday's This Morning.

The Love Island star, who currently works in the A&E department of University Hospital Lewisham, revealed that he would love to follow in the footsteps of fellow ITV medics Dr Hilary Jones and Dr Chris Steele.

Discussing how he would love go back to his day job, he said: 'I absolutely love my job and whilst I was away I started missing it in a lot of ways, and every now and again wed talk about medicine in the villa and Id love all that.

All smiles: Alex also shared shots with his former squeeze Alexandra Cane

Work it: Alexandra flashed her toned stomach in a purple two-piece

Walk this way: She showcased her incredible figure in the daring coord

'I definitely want to go back to A&E once the time is right'.

Upon hearing that each contestant could earn in the region of 5,000 per Instagram post which could equate to 750,000 a year, the Welsh medic admitted he would be passionate about bringing his expertise to the small screen and isn't interested in the reality star life.

The reality star, who reached 1 million Instagram, continued: 'All this kind of blows my mind, but for me, my interest is going back to A&E and what Id really love to do is be involved in medical education

Setting his sights: Dr Alex admitted he has now cast his sights on becoming a TV doctor during an appearance on Tuesday's This Morning

Work: Discussing how he would love go back to his day job, he said: 'I absolutely love my job and whilst I was away I started missing it in a lot of ways, and every now and again wed talk about medicine in the villa and Id love all that. I definitely want to go back to A&E once the time is right'

Following in their footsteps: The Love Island star, who currently works in the A&E department of University Hospital Lewisham, revealed that he would love to follow in the footsteps of fellow ITV medics Dr Hilary Jones (L) and Dr Chris Steele (R)

'I think people of my age want to know more about the medical world but I don't know if its always as accessible, so I would love to do TV doctor work because I am passionate about my job and would love to make it accessible to all audiences.'

His admission impressed show host Eamonn Holmes, who explained that they asked their viewers at home if he should give up his medical career.

Eamonn said: 'Well people admire you thinking like that because we asked viewers asking if you should give up your job as a doctor and a become a full time reality star, and a massive 97% said no!'

Not interested: Upon hearing that each contestant could earn in the region of 5,000 per Instagram post which could equate to 750,000 a year, the Welsh medic admitted he would be passionate about bringing his expertise to the small screen and isn't interested in the reality star life

Professional: The reality star, who reached 1 million Instagram, continued: 'All this kind of blows my mind, but for me, my interest is going back to A&E and what Id really love to do is be involved in medical education

Education: He added: 'I think people of my age want to know more about the medical world but I don't know if its always as accessible, so I would love to do TV doctor work because I am passionate about my job and would love to make it accessible to all audiences'

While a new television career may be on the horizon, Alex failed to make a spark with Samira Mighty, Megan Hanson Barton, Ellie Brown, Charlie Williams, Grace Wardle, Laura Crane and Alexandra Cane during his time on the ITV2 series.

Before narrowly missing the grande finale, Dr Alex admitted on Monday's Loose Women that being told off by former squeeze Alexandra's mum was a true 'Oh, hell' moment.

Speaking about the intense grilling by her fiesty mum, Alex, who called things off with the model in the Villa, told the panel: 'She's brilliant, isn't she? She's fantastic. It was an "Oh, hell" moment!

Admiration: His admission impressed show host Eamonn Holmes, who explained that they asked their viewers at home if he should give up his medical career. Pictured alongside fellow host Ruth Langsford and celebrity agent Matt Nicholls

Turbulent journey: Before narrowly missing the grande finale, Dr Alex admitted on Monday's Loose Women that being told off by former squeeze Alexandra's mum was a true 'Oh, hell' moment

'But I think it's very much fair enough and I kind of expected it. I almost wanted my opportunity as well to explain what happened.

'Obviously, I felt awful I'd upset you [Alexandra], that was never my intention, it was a sad period of time I think, for both of us.'

During a meeting on the sun loungers, Alexandra's mother ripped into Alex - questioning what show he thought he was on, and claiming she could 'kill him' for how he approached romance with her daughter.

Meeting the parents: Speaking about the intense grilling by her fiesty mum, Alex, who called things off with the model in the Villa, told the panel: 'She's brilliant, isn't she? She's fantastic. It was an "Oh, hell" moment!

Feeling guilty: He added: 'But I think it's very much fair enough and I kind of expected it. I almost wanted my opportunity as well to explain what happened'

Giving her take on the situation, Alexandra said: 'Up until that point, she hadn't seen the most current episode, so she walked in thinking; "I don't know what on earth this situation is going to be".

'Emotions were running high for her, typical mum, she had to get her five pence in.

'I thought, "Good woman sticking up for her daughter". I've stuck up for myself anyway, but mum's always got to say what she's got to say.'

Awkward: During the Sunday's show, Alexandra's mother laid into Alex, claiming she could 'kill him' for how he approached romance with her daughter

Alex ended their romance after they drove through the Majorcan countryside in a red Ferrari on their final date.

In his break-up speech, he told the make-up artist he was worried about how fast their relationship was moving, before she accused him of leading her on and branded him 'pathetic'.

Storming off, she declared: 'Youve wasted my time and youve wasted your own, shame on you!'Adam Hills was held at gunpoint by Adelaide police after a radio stunt went 'horribly wrong'.

On Wednesday, the 48-year-old comedian shared an excerpt from his newly released memoir, 'Best Foot Forward,' in which the story appears.

It took place during Adam's SAFM breakfast radio days in the '90s and, to the benefit of his burgeoning career, wasn't widely circulated outside of South Australia at the time.

'There's someone in the boot about to be killed': Adam Hills (pictured) was held at gunpoint by Adelaide police after a radio stunt went 'horribly wrong'

Adam, an up-and-coming breakfast radio talent was in the boot of an SAFM-owned car, when it rolled up to BP Petrol in Hindmarsh Square, with radio co-star Steve Bedwell behind the wheel.

The pair were both holding mobile phones that linked back to SAFM's on-air feed, where they were broadcasting the elaborate prank.

This was back before self-serve gas pumps, so Steve stayed at the wheel while a BP employee approached the vehicle and starting unscrewing the petrol cap.

At this point, Adam began screaming for help and insisting he'd been kidnapped from the locked boot, while banging on it with his fist.

On Wednesday, the 48-year-old comedian shared an excerpt from his newly released memoir, ' Best Foot Forward, ' in which he tells a story beginning with him in the boot of a car that rolled into BP Petrol in Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide

The BP attendant asked Steve what was going on. At this point, both Steve and Adam realised the attendant was genuinely concerned.

So, every time the petrified staffer would ask Steve what was happening, the SAFM star would try not to smile while insisting everything was fine.

Bravely, Steve said the same thing to the petrol station manager, who approached the vehicle after the employee alerted him to a potential kidnapping.

The plan: While Adelaide SAFM co-host Steve Bedwell stayed at the wheel, Adam yelled and screamed from the boot for help. Both men had mobile phones with a direct line to the SAFM studio

Next, Adam recalled: 'The manager then informed him [Steve] that the police would be called as soon as the car left the service station. Steve said he understood, paid his money, and drove off.'

The future Spick and Specks host wrote that in the moment, he was too obsessed with the quest for radio ratings dominance to pull the plug on the prank.

So Steve drove around the corner to let Adam - who suffers from carsickness - out of the boot.

Alert! The petrol station manager was alerted, and told them police would be called as soon as they drove off, but both men kept up with the stunt, in the pursuit of radio ratings dominance

They decided to drive slowly back towards the station, at which point a police car with sirens blazing approached from up the street and swerved to block the road ahead.

The officer screamed at the pair to raise their hands, palms out, and stand up against the wall, before demanding Steve hand over the keys.

Confrontation: They drove around the corner, let Adam out of the boot, and then drove back toward the station, where they were intercepted by '10 of Adelaide's finest, and at this moment in time grumpiest, police officers'

'I turned and offered the only explanation I could, 'It's a radio stunt that's gone horribly wrong!' the comedian remembered saying.

In hindsight, Adam confessed the truthful answer was that the stunt had gone horribly right, but wisely chose not to say that while under arrest.

Adam also learned the employee had feared 'there's someone in the boot about to be killed'

Adam's memoir, Best Foot Forward, is available now, through Hachette Publishing

Regrets: The story took place during Adam's SAFM breakfast radio days in the '90s, and to the benefit of his ensuing career, wasn't widely circulated outside of South Australia at the timeSuhana Khan, Shah Rukh Khans daughter, has well and truly established herself as a model after being on the cover of Vogue for August's edition.

Her first photoshoot was also celebrated by Gauri Khan, the film producer and her mother and the 18-year-old revealed that she is shy in nature, something she shares with her father.

Shah Rukh Khan tweeted: Holding her in my arms again thanks to Vogue. What imperfect carriers of love we are... except when it comes to our children. So sending u all my love & a big hug. Hello Suhana Khan! But who is Suhana Khan?

Suhana Khan, Shah Rukh Khans daughter, has well and truly established herself as a model

Who is Suhana Khan?

Born on May 22, 2000 in Mumbai, India, Suhana Khan is the daughter of Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan and was raised with one older brother, Aryan and one younger, Abram.

Suhana studied at a private boarding school in the suburbs of London from the age of 16 and said that the move from India was the best decision of my life. Living in a different environment and meeting so many people helped me gain a lot of confidence.

Its about being able to do the little things, like walk on the street or take the train - stuff that was so hard to do in Mumbai. But living away also made me appreciate home so much more, she said in her interview with Vogue.

She will soon sit the international baccalaureate exam this year and graduate before heading to university.

Suhana is also currently building up a portfolio in order to gain admission at the same Los Angeles university for a short course in acting where her brother Aryan is currently studying filmmaking.

Suhana Khan's Vogue cover

Shah Rukh Khan unveiled Suhanas cover at the Vogue Beauty Awards and later tweeted a picture of him holding it at the event.

At the event, he said: 'I have been gifted to be in the company of so many fantastic women and I hope my daughter can join in and be one of them someday.

'She is 18, she is lovely, sensitive, sweet and extremely shy but also extremely strong. I will be proud of her when she is proud of herself and the job that she does and Insha'Allah she will do that, as reported by NDTV.

Holding her in my arms again thanks to Vogue. What imperfect carriers of love we are... except when it comes to our children. So sending u all my love & a big hug. Hello Suhana Khan! pic.twitter.com/RrkhJ8kfz5  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) July 31, 2018

For the shoot, she was styled by Vogues fashion director and friend of her father, Anaita Shroff Adajania. She said: Suhana has the same quiet confidence that her mother had all those years ago. What I loved about her was that she walked in without an entourage, and held her ground.

For me, it wasnt about shooting Shah Rukh Khans daughter. It was exciting to work with a young raw amazing girl. Suhana has quite a sparkand everyone on the set picked up on that energy.

When her parents approached her about the cover shoot, she wanted to say yes straight away but they wanted me to think about it - this is a very public thing. They wanted me to gain confidence from the experience, not lose it.

Suhana also revealed to Vogue that she would like to become an actor and Gauri and Shahrukh had realised that she was serious about acting after watching her on stage. I don't think there was any one moment when I decided. Since I was young, I'd do all these accents and impressions.

But my parents only realised I was serious about acting when they saw a performance of mine for the first time. I was playing Miranda in a school performance of The Tempest, she said.

SRK, who was at the interview, said that Suhanas not working towards a promise of being cast, shes working towards being an actor, and she knows that.

I keep insisting that I don't want them designed as stars, I want them to be launched when they are good-enough actors.Diane Kruger has been accused of 'fat-shaming' on Instagram.

The German actress, 42, took to her social media platform last month to celebrate her birthday with a meme of a shirtless man relaxing on the grass, which she captioned: 'This is how I feel today after A LOT of cake.'

However, the former model faced the wrath of her followers as they blasted her for the 'unacceptable' post before relaying the message that 'fat-shaming and body shaming is never OK.'

Under fire: Diane Kruger, 42, has been accused of 'fat-shaming' on Instagram

' This is how I feel today after cake': The German actress took to her social media platform last month to celebrate her birthday with a meme of a shirtless man relaxing on the grass

Diane was clearly in a celebratory mood as she took to her Instagram with the snap of the man where she thanked her followers for their birthday wishes.

But many of her followers immediately took offence to the picture, as they expressed their views in the comments:

'Bodyshaming/Fatshaming is so cruel. You talk so much about love, gratitude and how awesome life is, maybe you could rethink the "funny jokes" you make. This is not funny and it's not acceptable.'

'Who yu r think. don't use another person's piccha in joke. maybe his fat loser f***ing stupid but human too.'

'NOT funny!' The former model faced the wrath of her followers as they blasted her for the 'unacceptable' post' before relaying the message that 'fat-shaming and body shaming is never OK'

'Feels like body shaming/fat shaming. Not everyone is skinny and it doesnt feel funny or good to see this pic and read what you wrote about cake.'

'Happy birthday. Perhaps reconsider this post? Body shaming isnt cool.'

'Unless this guy is a relative, this is very offensive. I used to have respect for your account. #toofar #itsahumanbeingyouremocking.'

'Wow, so funny making fun of fat people when you are a super skinny celebrity!'

'Unexpectedly unpleasant photo. It's not funny. And it's sad that you are also subscribed to this terrible profile and give it a advertising. I unsubscribe from you, I'm sorry...'

'Reconsider this post': Many of her fans immediately took offence to the picture, as they continued to express their views in the comments

Staying mum: Diane has yet to respond to the criticism of 'fat-shaming' on her Instagram

'Bodyshaming/fatshaming is never okay. Because of people like you posting pictures like this, and bodyshaming people like the one in the picture, other people feel it's okay to bodyshame/fatshame other people.'

Diane has yet to respond to the criticism and MailOnline has contacted representatives for her for further comment.

Meanwhile, some of Diane's followers saw the lighter side of the post and made sure to defend her.

'It's good humour': Some of Diane's followers saw the lighter side of the post and made sure to defend her

Stardom: Diane was born in Germany and pursued a career as a model before making the smooth transition to acting

'If you don't want people to see & use a picture of your fat self, then don't upload it. The minute he allowed that picture to be taken, it could go anywhere. I'm fat & I think it's good snarky humor.'

'Funny, these sensitive people saying you are being cruel and insensitive spend their days being very cruel about you. Oh, the irony. I thought this was funny. You gave credit to where you got it. Keep being yourself and don't let them bother you.'

'I love your sense of humor! Happy birthday!!! Sorry for all the sensitive sally's on here that have to take your post so personally.'

The backlash over Diane's post comes after US Playboy model Dani Mathers shamed an unknown gym-goer while she changed in a clip, which led to her conviction for invasion of privacy.

On Tuesday, reality star Zach Tull, from UK show Ex On The Beach, also filmed a half-dressed gym-goer accompanied by a cruel caption - prompting a gushing apology after he was slammed for his actions.

Consequences: The backlash over Diane's post comes after US Playboy model Dani Mathers shamed an unknown gym-goer while she changed in a clip, which led to her conviction for invasion of privacyMichael Turnbull is considering running for the Senate.

The Bachelor in Paradise star made the sensational announcement on Instagram on Wednesday evening, before asking followers for their thoughts on his political plans.

Looking presidential in a check blue suit, the 37-year-old - who shares the same surname as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull - revealed his intention to be the 'voice of the younger generation'.

Following in Malcolm's footsteps? Bachelor in Paradise star Michael Turnbull has revealed he's considering running for the Senate, sharing an impassioned Instagram post on Wednesday evening

'What things would you want to see happen or change to benefit Australians of all ages?' The hunky reality star revealed his intention to be the 'voice' of the younger generation

'I have a question below,' he asked, 'I am considering running for the senate in the federal election.

'Yes, that's right,' he added, 'I firmly believe Australia's younger generation deserve to have a louder voice and play a stronger role in how our country is run. I would be dedicated to being that voice.

And while failing to reveal his political allegiance, Michael asked his followers: 'What things would you want to see happen or change to benefit Australians of all ages?'

Abs for all! Unveiling his plans to implement affordable housing, equal pay and strengthen coward punch laws, the Bachelor in Paradise star asked his 177k Instagram followers their verdict on his political plans.

His 177,000 followers bombarded the wannabe politico with his views on issues ranging from affordable housing to equal pay and coward punch sentencing.

And like a true statesman, Michael fielded the questions with expert diplomacy.

Responding to one follower who demanded stricter laws for violent offenders and anti-social behaviour, the hunk agreed and added: 'Especially coward punch laws.'

Campaign trail: Michael's followers bombarded the wannabe politico with his views on issues ranging from affordable housing to live animal exports and coward punch sentencing

'It's out of control!' Like a true statesman, the star fielded the questions with expert diplomacy

Tough question: One follower demanded stricter laws for violent offenders and anti-social behaviour

Tough on crime! Michael agreed, adding, 'Especially coward punch laws

Another brought up spiraling housing prices keeping first time buyers out of the property market, before the reality star said: 'Yes, it's out of control!'

However, not all followers were excited by the prospect of Michael as a politician.

One fan ranted: 'Seriously, be real. Don't use people's votes as a stunt strategy'.

They then claimed Michael had the power to 'create change without running for senate.'

Not the first! In 2016, former Australian Idol co-host James Mathison contested Tony Abbott's Liberal seat of Warringah in an attempt to rally young voters to unseat the former prime minister

The Network Ten personality isn't the first reality show star to consider running for political office.

In 2016, former Australian Idol co-host James Mathison contested Tony Abbott's Liberal seat of Warringah in an attempt to rally young voters to unseat the former prime minister.

Despite a valiant campaign, Abbott ultimately bested the presenter with 51 per cent of the vote while James earned just 11 per cent of the tally.It looks like Love Island is becoming big enough to crack America.

After a record-breaking 3.6 million people tuned in to watch Dani and Jack win 50,000 in the Love Island 2018 final, Deadline reports that the ITV2 programme is on the verge of breaking into the US market.

At its peak, just over four million people tuned in to watch Danny Dyers daughter Dani Dyer and stationery salesman Jack Fincham, be crowned champions. The viewership figures were 1.5 million more than the 2.6 million people who watched Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies win Love Island 2017.

With the show being such a runaway success in the UK, its no surprise that its producers, ITV Studios and Motion Content Group, have started taking the show to international markets.

Nearly four million people tuned in to watch Dani and Jack win the Love Island 2018 final

Love Island Australia premiered in May 2018, while Germanys version started back in September 2017.

ITV Studios also sold the format to Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

The British version, which ITV CEO Carolyn McCall said added 10m incremental nonspot revenue last year has already penetrated the American publics consciousness after Hulu struck a deal to stream the first three seasons of the ITV2 show, but now it looks like the US wants to have its own version.

Deadline reports that ITV America, which oversaw the reboot of Queer Eye on Netflix, is now eyeing up a US remake of Love Island.

For us, its about finding the right place, Mike Beale, Managing Director of Global Creative Network and Nordics, ITV Studios told the outlet.

Its very different offering to anything else America has done before, even in this dating environment. We talk about the key elements being the event, the stripped nature and multiple platforms so getting that right is important and thats tricky. Were definitely working on it.

The development comes after MTV reportedly had a 20-episode order deal in place, although it was ultimately scrapped after a management change.

Beale added: Theres going to be more territories, were looking into 2019 now.

With Love Island 2019 already confirmed in the UK, only time will tell whether US audiences will get to watch beautiful contestants couple up or get pied off.She now looks a far cry from her early days on The Only Way Is Essex.

And on Tuesday, Lydia Bright was treated to a hilarious flashback of her younger years on the hit ITVBe show, that she then couldn't resist sharing with her social media followers while mocking her own appearance.

The reality beauty, 28, is seen sporting an overzealous tan along with very heavy make-up in the old snap and joked: 'When people tweet your old TOWIE pics,' while sharing a GIF of a man sporting a shocked expression.

Far cry from her usual self: Former TOWIE star Lydia Bright, 28, was left cringing at a hilarious throwback snap of herself from the ITVBe show's first series

The screenshot had originally come from a fan tweeting the star with the grab they had taken from an episode of the first series of TOWIE - which aired back in 2010.

Just as surprised by the difference in Lydia's appearance, they posted alongside the photo: '@LydiaRoseBright in the first series of #towie is something else.'

Their post was then picked up by Lydia, with the beauty not afraid to poke fun at herself with her followers.

She had been an original on the reality show, joining the cast, alongside the likes of Mark and Jessica Wright, Lauren Goodger and her ex-beau James 'Arg' Argent', when it premiered eight years ago.

Big change: Lydia's appearance was a stark contrast to her usually sleek look, with the beauty now favouring more natural tones and having acquired a taste for vintage fashion

Is that really you? Back in 2010 when she was an original castmember on TOWIE, Lydia was often seen sporting heavy fake tan with a dramatic make-up look

Sporting a voluminous peroxide blonde 'do, Lydia was almost unrecognisable thanks to her dramatic make-up look that included a very bronzed complexion, lashings of lip gloss and thick mascara.

The beauty has now become known for her 'less is more' approach to beauty and love for vintage fashion, with Lydia often stepping out with a much more natural look.

She had initially starred on The Only Way Is Essex for seven series, quitting the show in 2012, before making a number of guest appearances and rejoining TOWIE as full-time cast member two years later.

Fans became hooked by Lydia's on-off relationship with ex-boyfriend Arg, who she had dated for seven years, before finally calling time on their relationship during a tense showdown in Marbella.

Show favourites: Lydia was best known on TOWIE for her on-off relationship with ex-beau and teenage sweetheart James 'Arg' Argent

The duo had been teenage sweethearts, but their relationship was tested after Arg broke the starlet's heart by cheating with a mystery woman during one of the cast's many trips to Marbs.

Blonde beauty Lydia chose to forgive him and the duo confirmed their reunion when Arg bought Lydia a pig named Mr Darcy, although his infidelities and hard-partying eventually tore them apart.

Following a number of on-off dalliances, Lydia eventually quit TOWIE last year in a bid to distance herself from her ex-beau, leaving fans shocked at her exit. She later found out Arg had slept with his former flame and their co-star Gemma Collins on the same day she had in summer 2016.

Arg has since left TOWIE, quitting the UK for Spain. While he reignited his on-off romance with ex Gemma, Lydia has moved on with new beau Lee Cronin - who she has been dating for a year.

Moving on: She has since quit The Only Way Is Essex and is happily loved-up with new boyfriend Lee Cronin

Rekindled love: Arg, meanwhile, went on to reignite his on-off romance with former flame and co-star Gemma Collins (pictured above)

The couple celebrated their first anniversary in June with a romantic trip to Paris and Lydia is often seen gushing about her new love on social media.

In an interview with MailOnline, Lydia declared boyfriend Lee is the 'love of her life', while revealing how the, usually private, pair had met.

She said: 'Me and Lee are very loved up. We were in Amnesia in Ibiza. He came up to me and said: "Oh youre that Lydia from TOWIE, just to say youre much better looking in real life.

'I thought: "Thats really annoying that he recognised me cos I thought you were really fit until he recognised me. Then I thought, a boy watching TOWIE, thats not very cool is it. We all had a big party, and I saw him the next day and we just hit it off.'

Smitten: Lydia celebrated her first anniversary with new beau Lee during a romantic trip to Paris in June

Loved-up: In an interview with MailOnline, Lydia declared boyfriend Lee is the 'love of her life', while revealing the, usually private, pair had met during a night out in Ibiza

Choosing to keep their relationship quiet at first, Lydia revealed: 'Lee is not from this world. We didnt expect it to happen. When we made it official, I said I didnt expect for him to come to events with me. Me and him live very normal lives, hes shy.

'We kept it quiet then he was like Im so desperate to put something out and hed put something on his Instagram. Now weve put more pictures up.'

She added: 'I made that decision when I was 18 to put everything out there but hes a different personality to me thats why we kept it a little hush hush.'She paid tribute to her long-term beau on social media as he prepared to wrap the latest series of ITV2's Love Island on Monday night.

And now Laura Whitmore proved it's been one long hot summer for boyfriend Iain Sterling as he returned from the Majorca-based series absolutely exhausted on Tuesday.

The Irish presenter, 33, took to her Instagram story to hilariously share a number of snaps and clips of the comedic, 30, fast asleep across her chest while in bed with her and her dog Mick.

Cosy: Laura Whitmore proved it's been one long hot summer for boyfriend Iain Sterling as he returned from the Majorca-based series absolutely exhausted

Trapped in her bed clad in her floral sun dress, the Wicklow native captured her love snuggling into her bosom with his arm wrapped across her and her dog lying on top of him.

Wide awake, Laura jokingly captioned the shots: 'Two exhausted boys... I'm not going anywhere I guess'.

The blonde beauty then shared a similar photo of Iain in the land of nod with Cornershop's 1997 hit Brimful of Asha playing in the background.

The nineties classic featured the rib-tickling lyric 'Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow' which aptly described Laura and Iain's situation.

What a difference: Iain had fans going wild after he shared a throwback promo shot of himself during his stint as a CBBC presenter in 2011

Hilarious: The Irish presenter, 33, took to her Instagram story to hilariously share a number of snaps and clips of her comedic other half fast asleep across her chest while in bed with her and her dog Mick

Staring at the camera, she captioned the shot: 'Still here...'

The cosy snaps come after Laura gushed over the comedian in an Instagram post on Monday, ahead of Monday night's final.

The Survival of the Fittest presenter shared a snap of her beau which sees him wearing a sailor's cap and relaxing aboard a boat, with her legs on show.

Laura captioned the post: '1 more sleep! Im super proud of this guy, he works so hard and so many days being away from home can be tough.

Stuck: Trapped in her bed clad in her floral sun dress, the Wicklow native captured her love snuggling into her bosom with his arm wrapped across her and her dog lying on top of him

Praise: Laura paid tribute to her 'lovely, smart and funny' to Iain following his success as Love Island's witty voiceover guy ahead of the final on Monday

'Enjoy the finale you lovely, smart, funny and handsome man. Hurry up and come home! Thanks x.'

The comedian has busy captivating the nation with his quick wit for the last two months, during this series of Love Island.

But Iain did take a break from his voice-over duties to celebrate his and Laura's anniversary at Wimbledon earlier this month.

Laura previously revealed the couple met in 2017, before he travelled to Majorca for his voice-over commitments with Love Island.

Lovely words: Laura has been dating Iain since last year and wrote: 'Enjoy the finale you lovely, smart, funny and handsome man. Hurry up and come home! Thanks x' (pictured in March)

Loved-up: The couple appear very much into one another and shared this sweet shot on social media

Meanwhile, Iain had fans going wild last month after he shared a throwback promo shot of him as a CBBC presenter.

The Scottish star looked unrecognisable in the shot, as he forwent his signature stubble for his time on the children's channel alongside his canine sidekick Hacker T. Dog Hack the dog.

Sporting a Bieber-inspired hairstyle, Iain posed with an orange hoodie pulled up over his head and a sported a striped T-shirt with a cheeky smirked across his face.

Captioning the side-splitting shot, he wrote: 'Just had a shave, feeling so FRESH!'

Leaving his social media fans momentarily speechless, many commented in their droves about how they never clocked his previous role.

Speechless: Leaving his social media fans momentarily speechless, many commented in their droves about how they never clocked his previous role

One fan wrote: 'I used to watch CBBC and I literally had no idea that was you'.

'I knew I recognised you from somewhere!!!' another shared. 'Omg I grew up watching you on CBBC!!!! You were honestly the best!!!!'

A follower shared: 'I didn't know you were a child star'.

While others gushed how the photo reminded of them of their childhood and also how he was their first crush.

The funnyman presented Help! My Supply Teacher's Magic, 12 Again and All Over the Place on the children's channel from 2011 to 2013. He also briefly returned in 2015 for CBBC's 30th anniversary.She wed the love of her life Darren Kuppan in a beautiful secret ceremony in front of her Corrie co-stars.

And Bhavna Limbachia has shared stunning snaps from her romantic Bali honeymoon, showing the newlyweds soaking up the sun by the pool, taking part in some craft-making and visiting a temple.

The Rana Nazir actress, 34, looked stunning in a scarlet bikini and floral wrap as she posed for a sweet selfie with new husband Darren.

Soulmates: Bhavna Limbachia has shared stunning snaps from her romantic Bali honeymoon, showing the newlyweds soaking up the sun by the pool, taking part in some craft-making and visiting a temple

Zen: The couple also visited a temple on their honeymoon, with Bhavna sharing a snap of the pair praying in their secluded surroundings

Her brunette locks were pulled back from her face with a scarlet headband while her make-up featured fuschia lipstick.

Looking happier than ever as she posed with her hunky shirtless husband, Bhavna captioned the shot with a simple heart emoji.

A further sunkissed snap showed the brunette beauty indulging in some crafts as she held up a basket, while clad in a black and floral print dress.

She wrote: 'coconut leaf rice basket... which I attempted making but the teacher finished off as he was having so much making it himself.'

Kicking back: A further sunkissed snap showed the brunette beauty indulging in some crafts as she held up a basket, while clad in a black and floral print dress

Idyllic: Bhavna was revelling in her first holiday as a married woman

A gorgeous snap showed the star relaxing in a pool, with her tresses pulled into a bun and a flower adorning her hair.

Showcasing her radiant complexion as she smiled for the camera, the newlywed captioned the idyllic snap 'Bali days.'

The couple also visited a temple on their honeymoon, with Bhavna sharing a snap of the pair praying in their secluded surroundings.

She wrote: 'Had the privilege of praying in a beautiful and peaceful temple.'

The star also took a photo of a selection of colourful flowers, captioned 'Canang Sari #BalineseHindu offering.'

Beauty: A gorgeous snap showed the star relaxing in a pool, with her tresses pulled into a bun and a flower adorning her hair

Vibrant: The star also took a photo of a selection of colourful flowers, captioned 'Canang Sari #BalineseHindu offering'

Colourful: She shared a photo of colourful flowers during her Bali honeymoon

Canang sari is one of the daily offerings made by Balinese Hindus to thank the Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa in praise and prayer.

The beautiful photos come days after Bhavna looked ethereal in two very different bridal dresses as she shared her first snaps from her wedding on Instagram on Saturday.

The actress gave fans a glimmer into her secret ceremony where she married fellow actor Darren last week.

In snaps, taken by ARIF, Bhavna looked divine as she wore her veil  which had embellishments picking out the lace in her dress  tumbling down her frame.

Beautiful:The beautiful photos come days after Bhavna looked ethereal in two very different bridal dresses as she shared her first snaps from her wedding on Instagram on Saturday

It has been revealed that her new husband Darren played a paramedic in Coronation Street from 2010 to 2013.

The suave groom - who has also appeared in drama series Britannia High and ITV soap Emmerdale - put on a dapper display as he was clad in a sleek grey suit with a crisp white shirt.

The television personality carried a snow-white bouquet simply made up of roses, pinned together at the bottom with an ivory ribbon.

Golden girl! The actress, 34, gave fans a glimmer into her secret ceremony where she married fellow actor in front of her Corrie co-stars, including Lucy Fallon, last week

Picturesque photographs captured the majestic woodland and lake backdrop where the newly weds tied the knot but the soap star coyly kept the location under wraps.

Bhavna, who is from an Indian-Hindu background, with her mum from India and dad from Kenya, looked a vision in her duo of gowns in cream and red hues. MailOnline has approached Bhavna Limbachia's representatives for further comment.

Bhavna revealed the first initial of her new husband's surname is K. She wrote: '22 July 2018 | Mr & Mrs K'.

Beautiful: The television personality carried a snow-white bouquet simply made up of roses, pinned together at the bottom with an ivory ribbon

In another snap, the actress showcased her second extravagant dress in a traditional Indian style in shades of gold and scarlet.

Darren also had two outfit changes for the big day; first a dashing suit to complement his new wife's ivory ballgown and second a gold and red ensemble.

Lucy brought summer to the lavish ceremony in her sunshine yellow dress when she posed on the arm of her love Tom Leech.

All in the details: In another snap, the actress showcased her second extravagant dress in a traditional Indian style in shades of gold and scarlet

The award-winning star, known for playing schoolgirl Bethany Platt in Corrie, shared a snap from her friend's big day but she didn't share any further details.

Bhavna now is on her honeymoon with her new husband and she has teased the tropical location of their getaway with snaps of palm trees against a blue sky.

The stunner has been at the forefront of one of Corrie's most controversial story lines of late as her married Muslim character embarked on a lesbian whirlwind romance.

Hello yellow! Lucy brought summer to the lavish ceremony in her sunshine yellow dress when she posed on the arm of her love Tom Leech

Bhavna's Rana Nazir gets swept up in her secret love affair with Faye Brooke's Kate Connor on the cobbles.

The actress stressed the storyline was such a 'huge responsibility' as she insisted it was imperative she did it 'justice'.

She told BBC Breakfast: 'I felt such a huge responsibility to get the story right so I went away and did a lot of research, even though it was a big weight on my shoulders I just wanted to make sure I did the storyline justice.'Waleed Aly took a jab at conservative commentator Steve Price for defending Coles' decision to indefinitely backflip on their plastic bag ban.

On Wednesday, Waleed, 39, interrupted Steve, 63, during his debate with advertising guru Dee Maddigan over the retailer's decision to hand out free, thicker bag to customers, after previously following Woolworths in charging for them.

Steve staunchly defended Coles, saying the decision 'reestablishes competition and it says that the customer is always right,' before being intercepted by Waleed.

'As IF you do your own shopping!' Waleed Aly (L) takes a jab at conservative commentator Steve Price (R) for defending Coles' plastic bag backflip (on The Project, pictured)

The Projectco-host scoffed at Steve for celebrating Coles 'bringing back the bags,' suggesting the well-off TV star would hardly notice a difference.

'As IF you do your own shopping!' Waleed joked, to the joy of the rest of the panel.

The journalist was suggesting Steve pays other people to shop for him, and wouldn't need to worry about having a reusable bag lying around.

Steve had invited the comment with a cheeky jab of his own seconds earlier.

The debate: On Wednesday, Waleed, 39, interrupted Steve, 63, during his debate with advertising guru Dee Maddigan over the retailer's decision to hand out free, thicker bag to customers, after previously following Woolworths in charging for them

In celebrating Coles return to free plastic bags, he teased Waleed's liberal background, suggesting the backflip provides options to customers.

He began, 'Coles decided to ban the bags, and the customers didn't like it, so they brought them back.'

'So now you've got a choice. Waleed can go to Woollies, he can go to IGA and he can go to Aldi, and I can go to Coles!'

Does Steve do his own shopping? The Project co-host scoffed at Steve for celebrating Coles 'bringing back the bags,' suggesting the well-off TV star likely pays people to shop for him anyway

Steve did the whole interview with a plastic bag in his hands, outside his local Coles store.

Waleed was in charge of impartially moderating the debate, but couldn't resist jumping in to remind Steve the ban would likely never effect him.

He landed another joke later on, while Steve was questioning the accuracy of Dee's quoted statistics.

Waleed joked: 'This is like listening to Mum and Dad argue!' he joked.She is following in her famous mother Madonna's footsteps by pursuing a career as a dancer in the Big Apple.

And Lourdes Leon put on an edgy display as she stepped out in New York City on Monday,

The 21-year-old looked casually cool in a teal Dr Seuss t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan 'Here Comes Trouble' for her stroll in the city.

Radiant: Lourdes Leon put on an edgy display as she stepped out in New York City on Monday

Toned: The 21-year-old looked casually cool in a teal Dr Seuss t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan 'Here Comes Trouble' for her stroll in the city

Showing off her endless toned legs, she paired the tee with a pair of denim hotpants, completing the ensemble with white trainers and socks.

Her caramel flecked brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight while her pretty features were enhanced with a light dusting of make-up.

She carried a quirky purple perspex handbag which matched her smartphone.

Madonna is mum to Lourdes after a three-year relationship with Carlos Leon, 52, whom she split with in 1997.

Leggy: Showing off her endless toned legs, she paired the tee with a pair of denim hotpants, completing the ensemble with white trainers and socks

Brunette beauty: Her caramel flecked brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight while her pretty features were enhanced with a light dusting of make-up

The Like A Prayer hitmaker went on to have son Rocco, 17, with husband Guy Ritchie, with the couple later going on to adopt their Malawian son David in 2006.

After their split in 2008, the Queen of Pop went on to adopt Mercy James in 2009, and twins Esther and Stella Mwale in 2017.

Her day out in the Big Apple comes after Madonna has reportedly ruled out plans for a tour as she prepares to mark her 60th birthday next month with a lavish bash in Portugal with her family.

Style star: She carried a quirky purple perspex handbag which matched her smartphone

Looking good: The aspiring dancer looked relaxed as she enjoyed her day in the city

Chic: The star accessorised with a Dolce and Gabbana belt

According to The Mirror, the Queen of Pop, 59, is 'enjoying having time off and winding down' as she focuses on her children.

Insisting the musician - who wrapped up her Rebel Heart Tour in 2016 - is not retiring, a source told the publication: 'She is revelling in a slower pace of life and focusing on her children. Thats more important to her right now.'

The source also suggested the star is set to throw a glitzy bash on her Quinta do Relogio estate, with reports claiming she might invite her son David Bande's father Guy Ritchie.

MailOnline has contacted Madonna's representatives for comment.

Lookalike: Lourdes was the spitting image of her Queen of Pop mother as she walked alongAlessandra Ambrosio was reportedly spotted partying in Atlantic City with a mystery Italian hunk over the weekend.

Sources tell Page Six, the supermodel was at the Ocean Resort Casinos HQ2 club where she was spotted getting close to the mystery man, following her recent split from fiance Jamie Mazur after a decade-long engagement.

Insiders said: 'The two were very affectionate with each other, kissing and, when she wasnt dancing, they had their arms around each other'.

Peace out: Alessandra Ambrosio was reportedly spotted partying in Atlantic City with a mystery Italian hunk over the weekend

Alessandra was reportedly partying at the casino later in the evening, before she and her group of pals were invited onto a VIP table at Royal Jelly Burlesque.

She was said to be 'dancing to tunes by Nirvana and Foo Fighters, and her friends even put two tables together to groove on as a stage'.

It is plain to see what a potential suitor may see in the stunner as she has been littering her social media accounts with sexy shots during her trip.

MailOnline has contacted Alessandra's representatives for comment.

Happy days: The Brazilian bombshell and the Re/Done denim founder - both 36 - are parents of daughter Anja Louise, 9; and son Noah Phoenix, 5

Special: Back when Extra host Mario Lopez confronted Ambrosio in 2015 about the engagement, she replied: 'When I do the wedding it's going to be very special, so I want to take time for that'

In March, it was first reported that she has split from her fiance Jamie following a decade-long engagement.

An insider told Us Weekly: 'They [have] been trying to keep their split on the down low.. But Alessandra has been out and about ready to mingle and hasn't been taking Jamie to anything.'

The Brazilian bombshell and the Re/Done denim founder - both 36 - are parents of daughter Anja Louise, 9; and son Noah Phoenix, 5.

Happy days: Back when Extra host Mario Lopez confronted Ambrosio in 2015 about the engagement, she replied: 'When I do the wedding it's going to be very special, so I want to take time for that'

'If I have been engaged to him for eight years, then it's not my priority,' Alessandra admitted to Cosmopolitan UK in 2016.

'I have a lot of things going on, and I haven't got married because I'm so busy. I'll think about that when I have time off.'

Back when Extra host Mario Lopez confronted Ambrosio in 2015 about the engagement, she replied: 'When I do the wedding it's going to be very special, so I want to take time for that.'He's the toddler son of PR queen Roxy Jacenko and her husband Oliver Curtis.

And Hunter Curtis looked adorable in a sporty two-piece, in a snap shared to Instagram on Wednesday.

The four-year-old was all smiles as he headed to a buffet breakfast with his famous family, at the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel in Paris.

They grow up fast! Roxy Jacenko's son Hunter Curtis, four, looked adorable in a sporty two-piece, as he headed to breakfast with his family in Paris, in an Instagram snap on Wednesday

Hunter wore a navy Moncler jacket with red and white trimming, teamed with coordinating sweatpants.

The youngster also sported red Nike trainers, and beamed broadly in the snap.

Proud mother Roxy, 38, wrote in the picture's caption: 'Snappy dresser ready for his buffet breakfast.'

Heartfelt: The adorable post comes just hours after Roxy, 38, shared a heartfelt tribute to Instagram, to mark husband Oliver's 33rd birthday

The adorable post comes just hours after Roxy shared a heartfelt tribute to Instagram, to mark husband Oliver's 33rd birthday.

Posting a throwback picture from the family's recent voyage around Italy, the publicist wrote in the caption: 'Happy 33rd Birthday to the best boyfriend, dad and extravagant travel agent I know!!! We love you.'

The proud parents have been travelling through Europe with their two young children, Pixie, six, and Hunter, four, for the past four weeks.

Lavish getaway: The proud parents have been travelling through Europe with their two young children, Pixie, six, and Hunter, four, for the past four weeks

Oliver was released from prison in June last year after spending 12 months behind bars for conspiracy to commit insider trading.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia earlier this month, Roxy remarked how the lavish break is 'so nice for Oli. A far cry from his last holiday!'

Roxy and Oliver have been married since 2012.He is enjoying an extended summer break from his gruelling presenting duties on This Morning.

And Phillip Schofield was certainly making the most of his time off as he jetted to Portugal with his family for a lavish countryside holiday this week.

The silver fox, 56, has been taking in the five star villa's scenic views and enjoying a dip in the pool, before enjoying alfresco steak and seafood dinners in the evening, washed down with glasses of champagne.

Kicking back: Phillip Schofield was certainly making the most of his time off as he jetted to Portugal with his family for a lavish and boozy countryside holiday

Thank god I'm off work This Morning: The silver fox, 56, enjoyed a few glasses of bubbly during his holiday

Together with his daughter Ruby, 26, the television icon has been sharing envy inducing Instagram snaps and video showing the Schofield clan living the high life on their much-needed getaway,

The luxurious villa features stunning views of the countryside and ocean as well as its own swimming pool, where the presenter was filmed taking his morning exercise.

The Schofield's tucked into gourmet fayre for Ruby's boyfriend's birthday, with baked Camembert, fillet steak, and fresh seafood on the menu, washed down with copious glasses of bubbly.

The jovial star revealed he'd had a somewhat boozy evening as he shared a video of some candles with the caption: 'Late night (p****d) vibes.'

Envy inducing: The luxurious villa features stunning views of the countryside and ocean as well as its own swimming pool, where the presenter was filmed taking his morning exercise

Give it to me: The Schofield's tucked into gourmet fayre for Ruby's boyfriend's birthday including a whole lobster

Heaven: A sumptuous baked Camembert was also on the menu

One too many: The jovial star revealed he'd had a somewhat boozy evening as he shared a video of some candles with the caption: 'Late night (p****d) vibes'

Happy: He then shared a bemused selfie, which read: 'What time is it?'

He then shared a bemused selfie, which read: 'What time is it?'

Showing his softer side, Phillip was snapped stroking a black cat which visited their villa, writing 'she's so timid but I got her.'

He also whiled away the afternoon by listening to REM on the villa's patio set in the prestigious Quinta Do Lago resort in the Algarve.

He was recently joined by presenting partner Holly Willoughby in Portugal, where the blonde beauty is holidaying with her husband and three children.

In previous years, Holly and Phil have holidayed together with their respective partners as their friendship is so strong.Megan McKenna has revealed she was left terrified when a bogus record producer lured her to a hotel room where he 'touched himself inappropriately'.

Writing in her new autobiography Mouthy, the former TOWIE star revealed she first connected with the fraud, who she simply names as 'James', online before they met in person in a hotel leading to her daunting experience.

Detailing the horrific moment, she revealed was stunned when he asked her 'loads of dark questions' - including 'have you been sexually abused?' and 'if a guy was ugly but had loads of money, would you f*** him?' - before she managed to flee.

Tough times: Megan McKenna has revealed she was left terrified when a bogus record producer lured her to a hotel room where he 'touched himself inappropriately'

Megan, whose debut single High Heeled Shoes hit number one in the country charts, has been climbing the slippery showbiz ladder since her first attempts at stardom when she tried her luck on BGT in 2009 before Open Mic UK a year later.

She went on to enjoy two turns on Ex On The Beach, one in 2015 and one last year - in the same year as she starred on Celebrity Big Brother shortly before becoming a full-time TOWIE cast member in March last year.

After becoming impressed by his online credentials and brags of working with hitmaker Labrinth, Megan and her mum gave the go ahead when James demanded she star at a Bristol hotel to fly out to America the next day.

Prior to achieving her dream of stardom she first suffered horror, as she shockingly revealed: 'The warning lights should have gone on at this point but he said he'd booked me a separate hotel room so I could get an early night and rest my voice.'

Shocking: Writing in her new autobiography Mouthy, the former TOWIE star revealed she first connected with the fraud, who she simply names as 'James', online before they met in person in a hotel leading to her daunting experience

Teehee: Megan, whose debut single High Heeled Shoes hit number one in the country charts, has been climbing the slippery showbiz ladder since her first attempts at stardom when she tried her luck on BGT in 2009 before Open Mic UK a year later

Under the guise of finding a way in to writing a song, he began grilling her with extremely disturbing questions: 'It was weird stuff, like 'What would you do if a guy who was a millionaire came up to you with your career in his hands and said f**k me?'

'I sat there and froze. I'm already a paranoid person, I overthink about everything, and it suddenly hit me: "This isn't right'. How could someone go from normal to weird in seconds?...

'From then on, it got more and more awkward between the two of us as he asked me loads more dark questions  'have you been sexually abused?' and 'if a guy was ugly but had loads of money, would you f*** him?'...

Shocker: Under the guise of finding a way in to writing a song, he began grilling her with extremely disturbing questions: 'It was weird stuff, like 'What would you do if a guy who was a millionaire came up to you with your career in his hands and said f**k me?'

'Not only that, but he started making all these trips to the bathroom, in between running his hands through his hair, walking around the room and occasionally touching himself in a suggestive way.'

Megan revealed that her mum arrived the next day to be met by her tearful daughter, shortly before they headed to the police station to report the menace.

The reality stunner has now enjoyed huge chart success yet appears to be using her autobiography as a precautionary tale to young hopefuls.She's part of one of Hollywood's most famous families as the daughter of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

And Carys Zeta Douglas, 15, spoke to Town And Country about how she hasn't had the easiest ride as she's grown up in the spotlight.

She admitted that children in school bullied her over her father's age. Michael is 73 and her mother Catherine is 48.

Tough: Carys Zeta Douglas, 15, told Town And Country magazine she was bullied at school over her actor dad Michael's age of 73... as she admits she wanted to 'shake off the Douglas dynasty'

Bond: She poses with her mother Catherine Zeta-Jones on the cover of the September 2018 Town And Country magazine

'People would be like 'Your grandpa's here to pick you up,'' she admits to the publication.

The third generation of showbiz royalty, she added: 'When I was younger I didn't like the idea of having this name attached to me, this kind of 'Douglas dynasty' stuff.

'I think what bothers me the most is that people think I don't work hard for it, that I don't need to work hard for it. That anything I do gets handed to me.

Honest: Carys said of her father Michael, 73, (centre), 'People would be like 'Your grandpa's here to pick you up,''

'When, honestly, I feel like it's the opposite. I feel I need to constantly prove myself to peoplethat I am not just my parents' daughter.'

The interviewer states that Carys is not like your average 15-year-old in that she 'authoritatively discusses Italian cinematography and read biographies of the maharaja of Jaipur.'

Carys credits her mother, Darling Buds Of May star Catherine with giving her a love of fashion.

Carys said: 'I think what bothers me is that people think I don't work hard for it,that anything I do gets handed to me' (pictured with dad Michael (centre) and brother Dylan, 18, (left)

She said: 'Fashion has been so important in my life, because my mom is like a fashion icon to me.

'I'm always looking through her closet. She has this one thing, and it's absolutely crazy. It's this pink kimono-ey coat, but it has this fur and these fringes. It's just so cool.'

Catherine herself spoke about her daughter to the iconic magazine.

She gushed: 'She has her own individual style. She's modern but age-appropriate. I've never had to turn to Carys and say, 'I think that's a little inappropriate.'

Sweet: Carys credits her mother, Darling Buds Of May star Catherine, 43, (left) with giving her a love of fashion, calling her sense of style 'iconic'

'Once she said, 'Mom, I really like this romper.' I went, 'Mmm, but don't you think it's cut a little too long? Shouldn't it be shorter?'

'She went, 'Mom, you're the only mother in the world that would tell a 15-year-old girl that the romper should be shorter'.'

She added: 'She has a mysteriousness about her. But she's still a teenager.'

Carys spent her early years in sunny Bermuda, a paradise far removed from the madness of Hollywood, believing her father was a pancake maker, not a movie star.

The teen credits her parents with keeping both her and her brother Dylan, 18, grounded.

She said: 'My parents do a really good job of reality-checking me and being like, 'Look around you. The life you have is extraordinary,''

'What I instilled in my kids, and I'm very, very proud of it, is manners,' Zeta-Jones also said.

'There's nothing worse than a privileged kid without manners. I drilled it into them like boot camp. The teenage years...

'She knows she cannot roll her eyes at me, or huff and puff around me. I never did it to my mother, and she's not doing it to me.'

Town And Country's September issue is out on newsstands from August 7She's on the quest to find love after an ill-fated romance with Bachelor In Paradise co-star Grant Kemp.

And The Bachelorette's Ali Oetjen enjoyed a solo date in Sydney's Mosman last Wednesday.

The 32-year-old, clad in a flirty frock and thigh-high boots, drove a hunky contestant around the exclusive suburb in a flashy Aston Martin Vanquish.

Love in the fast lane! The Bachelorette's Ali Oetjen, 32, put on a flirty display as she drove around Sydney's Mosman last Wednesday, with a hunky contestant in a flashy Aston Martin

Ali covered her slender frame in a high-neck pastel-hue floral frock that featured ruffle detailing.

Drawing attention to her trim pins, the blonde accessorised with nude suede thigh-high boots.

Styling her long locks sleek and straight, Ali added a touch of bling in the form of delicate stud earrings.

Dressed to impress: Ali sported a pastel-hue floral frock, teamed with nude suede thigh-high boots

The fitness enthusiast finished off her date look with a matte foundation, a touch of highlighter and a glossy colour on her plump pout.

Ali was seen driving her date, who bore a resemblance to Roxy Jacenko's husband Oliver Curtis, in a flashy grey Aston Martin Vanquish.

The yet-to-be named contestant cut a suave figure in a black button-up shirt, white slim-fit jeans and black leather biker boots.

Suave: The yet-to-be named contestant cut a suave figure in a black button-up shirt, white slim-fit jeans and black leather biker boots

Doppelganger: Ali's date bore a resemblance to Roxy Jacenko's husband Oliver Curtis

Looking to have enjoyed quality one-on-one time, the pair sipped on bubbly while on the balcony of a Mosman mansion.

At one stage, Ali's date wrapped one arm around her slender waist.

Ali's quest for love on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, comes after her ill-fated romance with Grant Kemp, 30.

The pair struck up a romance on Bachelor In Paradise earlier this year, however their union was short-lived when the US-based star alleged Ali of 'cheating' in Los Angeles in March.

Affectionate: The pair enjoyed quality one-on-one time on the balcony of a Mosman mansion

Thirsty work? While Ali's date wrapped one arm around her waist, the blonde held onto a bottle of bubbly

Grant claimed that Ali 'hooked up' with a male house guest while she was staying at his home in West Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Explaining the 'incident' on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, he alleged that he and Ali had returned to his home with several other friends after visiting a nightclub.

That night, at around 2:15am, he briefly left the house to greet other guests, as he lives in a gated community, and was gone for just 'five minutes'.

He returned to the house with a friend, Sabrina Jaragosky-Hicks, and claimed they both walked in on Ali hooking up with a male house guest.

The look of love? Ali's date gazed into her eyes

Giving romance another shot: Ali's search for love on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette comes after an ill-fated romance on Bachelor In Paradise

Grant explained he was in love with Ali before her alleged infidelity and demanded that she pack her suitcases and leave.

'She went to a hotel and I guess she left the next night,' he added.

Ali is currently filming The Bachelorette in Sydney's semi-rural suburb of Glenorie.

The fitness enthusiast made her reality TV debut in 2013 on Tim Robard's season of The Bachelor.He's the genetically-blessed son of Olympians Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny.

And Jett Kenny has just been announced as the latest model to walk the runway, at David Jones' spring/summer collection launch in Sydney next Wednesday.

The 23-year-old admitted to The Daily Telegraph on Thursday: 'I was surprised to hear I was picked,' adding that he has 'no idea' what he's doing.

'I'm surprised I was picked': Jett Kenny, 23, has been announced as the latest model to walk the David Jones runway in Sydney next Wednesday

'I've never considered myself a model, let alone a catwalk model. I'm super excited to be in the show, but I have no idea what I'm doing,' Jett told the publication.

'Honestly, I was surprised to hear I was picked,' the Sunshine Coast-based lifeguard added.

Jett will walk the runway at David Jones' spring/summer collection launch in Sydney next Wednesday, alongside Victoria's Secret Angel Karolina Kurkova and Anwar Hadid, the younger brother of models Gigi and Bella.

New gig: 'I'm super excited to be in the show, but I have no idea what I'm doing,' Jett, a Sunshine Coast lifeguard told The Daily Telegraph on Thursday

David Jones ambassadors Jessica Gomes and Victoria Lee will also take to the catwalk.

Jett's runway appearance follows on from his stint on Channel Seven's The Full Monty.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph last Wednesday, Czech born Karolina, 34, expressed her enthusiasm at heading Down Under.

Angel: Jett will walk the runway at David Jones' spring/summer collection launch alongside Victoria's Secret Angel Karolina Kurkova [pictured], 34,

'This will be my very first working sort of experience in Australia  it'll be my premiere,' Karolina said.

As an Angel, the model received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame prior to the 2007 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Karolina was also listed by Forbes as one of the top-earning supermodels in the world in 2012.

The international guest star will only be in town for four days before she jets back to sons Tobin, eight, and Noah, two.Fashion powerhouse Karl Lagerfeld is renowned for his uniform of dark shades, a slick white ponytail and a jaunty fedora.

Despite this, the Chanel mastermind was barely-recognisable as he headed out for dinner at St Tropez's Le Senequier restaurant alongside his assistant Sebastien Jondeau, during which he went without his usual glasses and groomed look.

The 84-year-old fashion icon maintained his steely expression yet appeared wholly different to usual in the absence of his dark shades.

Shocker: Karl Lagerfeld was barely-recognisable as he headed out for dinner at St Tropez's Le Senequier restaurant alongside his assistant Sebastien Jondeau, during which he went without his usual glasses and groomed look

Karl is well-known for his sleek appearance, as he is typically known for sporting sharp jackets and tailored trousers paired with a sharp tie and brooches.

During his trip to St Tropez, he kept things sleek in his usual ensemble yet fans are not used to seeing him without his dark shades.

Additionally, his new bushy beard changed his appearance massively and meant he was not instantly recognisable as the Chanel legend.

In an interview in April, Karl confessed he was growing his facial hair after revisiting a portrait by Helmut Newton from 40 years ago - before he went grey.

Who's that guy? The 84-year-old fashion icon maintained his steely expression yet appeared wholly different to usual in the absence of his dark shades (pictured right in 2011)

Heading off: During his trip to St Tropez, he kept things sleek in his usual ensemble yet fans are not used to seeing him without his dark shades

Home time: Additionally, his new bushy beard changed his appearance massively and meant he was not instantly recognisable as the Chanel legend

On the town: The octogenarian was as chic as ever and wrapped up despite the hot climes

His outing comes after he sent shockwaves earlier this year when he slammed the #MeToo movement while revealing that he is 'fed up' with models and actresses speaking up about the sexual harassment they have faced over the years.

In an interview with French magazine Numero, the 84-year-old German designer suggested that models should know what they are getting into, while defending former Interview magazine creative director Karl Templer, who has been accused of 'aggressively' pulling down models' underwear without asking them.

'If you don't want someone pulling down your panties, don't become a model,' he said. 'Join a nunnery, there'll always be a place for you in the convent. They're recruiting even!' he said.

Karl is the head creative director of Chanel and Fendi, as well as his own eponymous fashion line, and he believes the accusations being made by models are making it nearly impossible for designers to do their jobs.

Changing looks: The designer said he didn't believe a 'single word' of the accusations against Templer, noting that 'a girl is complaining that he pulled on her panties and he gets excommunicated from an industry that, until then, worshiped him'

Shockwaves: Fashion photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber have also been accused of sexual misconduct this year, while Kate Upton called out Guess founder Paul Marciano for 'sexually and emotionally harassing women' (pictured in 2015)

'I read somewhere that now, you have to ask models whether they feel comfortable when they are posing,' he said. 'That's opening the door to anything. From then on, as a creator, you don't do anything anymore.'

The designer said he didn't believe a 'single word' of the accusations against Templer, noting that 'a girl is complaining that he pulled on her panties and he gets excommunicated from an industry that, until then, worshiped him.'

Fashion photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber have also been accused of sexual misconduct this year, while Kate Upton called out Guess founder Paul Marciano for 'sexually and emotionally harassing women.'

But Karl has taken issue with the fact that that many of the women are sharing their stories of sexual harassment decades after it happened.

Shocker: But Karl has taken issue with the fact that that many of the women are sharing their stories of sexual harassment decades after it happenedMarried At First Sight's Tracey Jewel has been left 'stranded' in Berlin following a shock split from boyfriend Patrick Kedemos .

And with the beauty 'unable to pay for her own flight home', there were reports her cashed-up co-star Justin Fischer would lend a hand.

However, the millionaire businessman doesn't appear to be in a hurry to help the damsel in distress, instead relaxing at a lavish resort in Dubai on Wednesday.

What happened to rescuing Tracey Jewel? MAFS' millionaire businessman Justin Fischer partied in Dubai on Wednesday... after reports he 'planned to help his broke co-star who is stranded in Europe'

Taking to Instagram, Justin shared a short video that showed him sipping on a drink as he luxuriated in an infinity pool at the Zero Gravity Beach Club.

'Cooling off,' the former reality star captioned, making no mention of Tracey.

Justin - who has reportedly amassed a fortune thanks to his ice-cream machine business - is in the United Arab Emirates for business, but is certainly managing to squeeze in some pleasure.

Not such a cryptic t-shirt! Tracey is reportedly 'stranded' in Berlin after a break-up with boyfriend Patrick Kedemos

It's thought he may soon continue on to Germany, where broke brunette Tracey is currently holed up without a return flight to Australia.

On Tuesday, a source told Daily Mail Australia that Justin 'is planning to jet to Berlin in coming days for more meetings, so he'll be in Germany.'

'He might reach out to Tracey when he's there. He's friends with her,' they added.

'He might try and help her': On Tuesday, a source told Daily Mail Australia that Justin 'is planning to jet to Berlin in coming days', the city in which Tracey is stranded

A source close to Tracey meanwhile confirmed on Tuesday that the star split with boyfriend Patrick Kedemos while the pair were cruising around Europe together.

German police were called by the beauty following a falling out with Patrick on July 28 after the pair arrived in Berlin.

The MAFS bride was forced to turn to the Australian embassy after she was 'unable to pay for her own return flight home' following the split.

A source close to Tracey, who confirmed her relationship with Patrick seven weeks ago, told Daily Mail Australia that the overseas holiday 'was too much too soon for both of them.'She portrayed the damsel in distress turned wanted fugitive in the classic science-fiction franchise.

And Linda Hamilton is set to reprise her role as Sarah Connor as the first images of the Terminator reboot were released on Tuesday.

The 61-year-old actress looked ready for battle in the photograph alongside the female-driven cast which includes Mackenzie Davis and Natalia Reyes.

Back: Linda Hamilton is set to reprise her role as Sarah Connor as the first images of the Terminator reboot were released on Tuesday

Hamilton donned a thick bulletproof vest and carried a host of weapons in the image which is set across a destructive background.

Mackenzie Davis walks in the middle of the group wearing a tight white T-shirt and distressed jeans while carrying what appears to be a pipe.

The Canadian actress is making a name for herself in the sci-fi realm having starred in Blade Runner 2049 last year.

Girl power: Hamilton donned a thick bulletproof vest and carried a host of weapons in the image which is set across a destructive background

Natalia Reyes, who will portray lead character Dani Ramos, sported a buttoned-down shirt and slacks.

The movie redo is set to be released in November 2019 after an initial July 26 release date was scrapped.

Hamilton was in the very first Terminator movie in 1984, which was released as a small action film but turned into a cult classic thanks to the star power of bodybuilder turned actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the impressive time traveling story line.

Classic: Hamilton was in the very first Terminator movie in 1984, which was released as a small action film but turned into a cult classic

Star power: And in 1991 Linda appeared in the sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day which was followed by voice work only in the 2009 film Terminator Salvation

And in 1991 Linda appeared in the sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day which was followed by voice work only in the 2009 film Terminator Salvation.

Schwarzenegger is also set to star in the remake, which is directed by Deadpool's Tim Miller.

The first film was directed by James Cameron who Linda was married to from 1997 until 1999. James is now wed to his Titanic star Suzy Amis and they have three children together.

Cameron is now a producer on the reboot.Mr. Robot star Christian Slater confessed he's a 'huge' Bachelorette fan and it's a way he bonds with his 16-year-old daughter Eliana (with ex-wife Ryan Haddon).

The 48-year-old Golden Globe winner - who's Team Blake Horstmann - said the ABC dating competition has become 'a family event' even though some of his friends make fun of him for it.

'We slowly but surely started recruiting them,' the nineties heartthrob said on Tuesday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Reality TV fan: Mr. Robot star Christian Slater confessed he's a 'huge' Bachelorette fan and it's a way he bonds with his 16-year-old daughter Eliana (pictured March 24)

Team Blake Horstmann: The 48-year-old Golden Globe winner said the ABC dating competition has become 'a family event' even though some of his friends make fun of him for it

'And then I just heard that Sean Penn is into it. Hey! I mean, if that doesn't validate it beyond all belief. Now I feel totally confident in saying I'm a huge Bachelorette fan.

'I love Bachelor in Paradise [fan], Bachelor, I love them all. Forget all his humanitarian stuff! The fact that he loves The Bachelorette has made me really embrace him.'

The 57-year-old Oscar winner did in fact declare himself Team Kaitlyn in 2015 when he appeared on the same talk show, and he said he watches because 'I want to see somebody cry.'

The nineties heartthrob said on Tuesday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live: 'We slowly but surely started recruiting them. And then I just heard that Sean Penn is into it. Hey! I mean, if that doesn't validate it beyond all belief. Now I feel totally confident in saying I'm a huge Bachelorette fan'

'I want to see somebody cry': The 57-year-old Oscar winner (L) did in fact declare himself Team Kaitlyn in 2015 when he appeared on the same talk show

Christian gushed: 'I love Bachelor in Paradise [fan], Bachelor, I love them all. Forget all his humanitarian stuff! The fact that [Sean Penn] loves The Bachelorette has made me really embrace him'

While on Kimmel, Slater also lamented: 'Oh Becca [Kufrin], she's been through so much'

While on Kimmel, Christian also lamented: 'Oh Becca [Kufrin], she's been through so much.'

For his appearance, Slater looked dapper in a striped shirt and polka-dot necktie beneath a black suit and brown Oxfords selected by stylist Adam H. Ballheim.

The Glengarry Glen Ross thespian also relies on groomer and make-up artist Jessica Ortiz to polish him up for the promotional stop.

Outside the studio: For his appearance, the Manhattan-born father-of-two looked dapper in a striped shirt beneath a black suit and brown Oxfords selected by stylist Adam H. Ballheim

Sharp-dressed man: The Glengarry Glen Ross thespian also relies on groomer and make-up artist Jessica Ortiz to polish him up for the promotional stop

The thrice-arrested ex-con next stars as 'relentless' journalist Nathaniel Bone in Bjorn Runge's Stockholm-set drama The Wife, which hits US theaters August 17 and UK theaters September 28.

'He's like a dog with a bone,' Christian said of the role. 'It gave me something to really sink my teeth into.'

Slater also produces and stars as the titular insurrectionary anarchist hacker in the fourth season of Mr. Robot, which premieres later this year on the USA Network.She recently enjoyed a family getaway on southern Italy's Amalfi Coast.

And Nadia Bartel appeared to be feeling the post-holiday blues on Wednesday, as she shared a pair of throwback snaps from her sun-soaked trip to Positano.

The wife of former AFL star Jimmy Bartel showed off her growing baby bump while posing in a bikini in photos taken at the Bagni d'Arienzo Beach Club.

Scroll down for video

Bumping along nicely! Pregnant WAG Nadia Bartel appeared to be feeling the post-holiday blues on Wednesday, as she shared a pair of throwback snaps from her sun-soaked trip to Positano on southern Italy 's Amalfi Coast

The 32-year-old fashion blogger was pictured enjoying a refreshing drink as she relaxed on a sun lounger and enjoyed the blazing European sun.

Looking sensational in a two-piece swimsuit and chic sunglasses, she captioned the snaps: 'Arienzo, it was one of fav beaches in Positano... take me back!

'Let me know if you want me to do a big list on my blog of everywhere I went [and] stayed on my trip.'

'Take me back': The 32-year-old wife of former AFL star Jimmy Bartel showed off her growing baby bump while posing in a bikini in photos taken at the Bagni d'Arienzo Beach Club

Nadia and her husband-of-three-years Jimmy are eagerly awaiting the birth of their second child.

The couple are already the proud parents of two-year-old son Aston, who was born in November 2015.

Nadia, who will welcome her second son late this year, reflected last month on hitting the 20-week pregnancy milestone.

Excited! Nadia and her husband-of-three-years Jimmy (left, pictured in Italy last month) are eagerly awaiting the birth of their second child

In an Instagram post about her journey into motherhood, Nadia admitted she was 'feeling every kilo' she's gained this time around.

'20 weeks growing my baby boy, it's gone so fast the second time,' she wrote.

Geelong Cats legend and Brownlow medallist Jimmy Bartel announced his retirement from AFL in October 2016.HoustonPolice/Twitter(HOUSTON) -- Houston police believe that the suspect who allegedly killed the one-time doctor of former President George H.W. Bush held a 20-year grudge against the cardiologist because his mother died while being operated on by the doctor.



Authorities have filed an arrest warrant for Joseph James Pappas, 65, who is believed to be armed and dangerous as well as suicidal, said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo during a press conference Wednesday.



Officers searched Pappas' home early Wednesday morning and received a tip from an individual who had information about the killing, Acevedo said.



Mark Hausknecht, 65, was shot on July 20 as he rode his bicycle in broad daylight in a residential neighborhood in Houston.



The doctor was likely "targeted," when he was shot by the gunman, who was also on a bicycle when he rode past Hausknecht before turning and firing two shots at him, according to Houston police.



Hausknecht was heading to work when he was shot, the president and CEO of Houston Methodist Hospital, Marc L. Boom, wrote on the hospital's website.



"He was a brilliant physician, and he's touched a lot of lives," Acevedo said on Wednesday.



A sketch of the suspect was released a day after Hausknecht was killed. The man, who police estimate to be about 30 years old, was wearing a dark jacket when he fled the scene.



Police have also released surveillance video and images from the scene, which show the gunman behind him just before the shooting.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.He was labelled a 'spoilt brat' after accusing Love Island bosses of 'favouritism' for omitting a clip of him and girlfriend Ellie Brown from their highlight compilation.

And Charlie Brake put the backlash behind him as he whisked new love Ellie off on a glamorous break to Monaco to meet his parents on Wednesday.

The self-proclaimed socialite, 23, and his Business Development Manager girlfriend, 20, packed on the PDA as they frolicked aboard a yacht in several envy-inducing snaps shared to Instagram.

On their own Love Island: Charlie Brake put the 'spoilt brat' backlash behind him as he whisked new love Ellie (above) off on a glamorous break to Monaco to meet his parents on Wednesday

Kiss: The self-proclaimed socialite, 23, and his Business Development Manager girlfriend, 20, packed on the PDA as they frolicked aboard a yacht in several envy-inducing snaps shared to Instagram

Blonde beauty Ellie looked sensational in a plunging canary yellow dress which showcased her cleavage and toned legs.

Sharing a sweet photo of the pair locking lips, she wrote: 'Obsessed with you' as testament to their enduring romance since leaving the villa.

In another blissful snap, Ellie sultrily posed on the boat deck, with the cityscape and crystalline waters providing an idyllic backdrop.

Charlie also shared a steamy snap showing just the pair's bodies in swimwear as they embraced while Ellie clutched a glass of bubbly.

Racy: Charlie also shared a steamy snap showing just the pair's bodies in swimwear as they embraced while Ellie clutched a glass of bubbly

Dance dance: Proving she had nailed the potentially awkward first meeting with the parents, a loved-up Charlie filmed Ellie dancing up a storm with his father in a bar

Memento: Making for an unconventional gift for his dad, Ellie also proudly posted a photo of him holding a Love Island branded condom with the caption 'brought @charliebrake dad a present' following by crying with laughter emojis

Proving she had nailed the potentially awkward first meeting with the parents, a loved-up Charlie filmed Ellie dancing up a storm with his father in a bar.

Making for an unconventional gift for his dad, Ellie also proudly posted a photo of him holding a Love Island branded condom with the caption 'brought @charliebrake dad a present' following by crying with laughter emojis.

This comes after Charlie - who was dumped from Love Island mid-way through the series - hit back at the show that gained him fame.

The reality hunk took to Twitter on Wednesday to slam the ITV2 series for not including the moment he asked Ellie if she would like to be exclusive.

His embittered tweet read: 'Just catching up on the final and love how Love Island managed to miss out the part of me asking Ellie to be my girlfriend in the series recap... laughable #favourtism.'



Bitter: This comes after Charlie - who was dumped from Love Island mid-way through the series - hit back at the show that gained him fame

The recap happened on Monday's finale, when a compilation went through all the 'best bits' from the series.

Charlie and Ellie's moment was indeed left out, clearly aggravating Charlie immensely. Yet there were contestants from the show who weren't featured at all, putting Charlie's Twitter tantrum into perspective.

The millionaire was met with little sympathy for the situation, slammed by followers for acting like a 'spoiled brat'.

'At the end of the day they had 57 episodes to put into the recap. You've had such an experience, met your gorgeous girlfriend so don't let one recap create any negativity towards the show/time in the villa!' one person tried to reason.

Fuming: The self-proclaimed socialite, 23, took to Twitter on Wednesday to slam the ITV2 series for not including the moment he asked now-girlfriend Ellie Brown if she would like to be exclusive

'U ok hun?: The millionaire was met with little sympathy for the situation, slammed by followers for acting like a 'spoiled brat'

Another was harsher in their response: 'Well yeah it is #favouritism because you werent a favourite loooool [sic].'

'Why should they focus on that - everyone had their recap irrespective of what was in it. Sorry but youre sounding like the spoilt child!' slammed a third.

Another simply asked: 'You ok hun?'

An equally unimpressed follower replied: 'Was it not the most cringe and non - romantic thing ever tho?! Chill out hun, you enjoyed your 4 days in there now go back to living off grandads money [sic].'

'Calm down only in there a week!' someone else typed, as another agreed 'Because it was irrelevant as you were only on for a few days!'

'Chill out': There were contestants from the show who weren't featured at all, putting Charlie's Twitter tantrum about his and Ellie's 'moment' into perspective

Another posted: 'Probs cause Ellie acts like a bratty 5yr old hun!'

Someone else typed: 'Theres so much they couldnt fit into the series recap so I dont get why youre complaining. You werent even one of the best couples!'

Followed by: 'Little bit self centred to be honest Charlie.'

'There was basically a whole episode dedicated to your will you be my girlfriend shenanigans. You guys are cute, but sit down hun,' scolded someone else.

Others did support is fury, however, with one pandering to it and writing: 'Why was that? I did think it was odd last night!'

Another agreed: 'Not very fair of them to miss it out!'

Gushing: Elsewhere, winners of the show Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer were full of praise for the show and their behind-the-scenes team

Elsewhere, winners of the show Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer were full of praise for the show and their behind-the-scenes team.

Dani, 22, took to Instagram on Monday to thank the show's crew for helping her to find love.

She posted a romantic picture of herself and Jack, 26, and wrote: 'My heart is so full of happiness right now!

'If it wasnt for all the amazing casting team and crew on this amazing show called Love Island it would never be made!

'Im so grateful and appreciative for this opportunity and for finding my [love]. Cant thank them enough for the support and never giving up on us!'Paul Walker's mother Cheryl has revealed new details about the day her actor son was tragically killed in a freak car accident in 2013.

In the new documentary about his life I Am Paul Walker, his mom reveals he had forgotten all about the event for his charity Reach Out Worldwide, which would turn out to be his final ever engagement.

He would not have gone if he did not receive a text reminding him.

Fateful: Paul Walker's mom has revealed he had forgotten about fundraiser the day he died ... until he got a text' seen in May 2013

She said that on the morning of his death, while on a break from filming Furious 7, he was in high spirits as he sat in her kitchen with his 15-year-old daughter Meadow, making plans to pick out and decorate a Christmas tree that evening.

'We were having this good conversation, and hed forgotten about an event he had,' she revealed, according to People.

'He got a text and said, "Oh my gosh, Im supposed to be somewhere!"'

He rushed out the door to the fundraiser, held at a race shop, to benefit victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Mourning: His mother Cheryl has revealed new details about the day her actor son was tragically killed in a freak car accident in 2013 (pictured December 2013, shortly after her son's death)

Walker left the event in a Porsche Carrera GT driven by his friend and financial adviser, former race-car driver Roger Rodas.

The car lost control crashed into a lamppost and exploded, killing both men instantly.

'I think so many people think, "Oh, he was just a movie star who was killed in a car accident. But there was so much more to him,' his Paul's mom continued. 'That was just a piece of who he was. He was an amazing man.'

Tragedy: Walker left the event in a Porsche Carrera GT driven by his friend and financial adviser, former race-car driver Roger Rodas. The car lost control crashed into a lamppost and exploded, killing both men instantly

Loved: 'Ive gotten letters from people all over the world who said he made a difference in their lives,' his mom said. 'That is such a blessing. Hes never forgotten.'

She revealed that for the past five years, the family goes to one of the last star's favorite surf spots in Huntington Beach to throw sunflowers in the ocean on September 12, his birthday.

'Ive gotten letters from people all over the world who said he made a difference in their lives,' she said. 'That is such a blessing. Hes never forgotten.'

I Am Paul Walker premieres August 11 on the Paramount Network

Movie star: The heartbreaking trailer for I Am Paul Walker shows that late actor was even more absurdly handsome as a teenagerOn Thursday, Foo Fighter's front-man Dave Grohl, 49, revealed 'PLAY,' an entirely instrumental, 23-minute musical composition to be released on August 10.

Speaking to News Corp, the industry icon said the piece was inspired by watching his daughters Violet, 12, and Harper, nine, learn music at Join The Band music school, Los Angeles.

'Watching my kids start to play music and learn to sing or play drums, it brings me back to the time when I was their age listening to albums, learning from listening,' he explained.

Press PLAY: On Thursday, Foo Fighter's front-man Dave Grohl, 49, revealed 'PLAY,' an entirely instrumental, 23-minute musical composition to be released on August 10

'When I take my kids to the place where they take their lessons, I see these rooms full of children that are really pushing themselves to figure this out.

'And even now, as a 49-year-old man, Im still trying to figure it out  its not something that you ever truly master.'

Despite Dave's modest comments, PLAY promises to be the most ambitious piece of music he's ever released.

Speaking to News Corp , the industry icon said the piece was inspired by watching his daughters Violet, 12, and Harper, 9, learn music at Join The Band music school, Los Angeles

According to the publication, he plays seven different instruments live during the 23-minute composition, including guitar, drums, percussion and keyboards.

Drawing from his music lesson epiphany, Dave ditched the Foo Fighter's anything goes recording ideology in favour or perfection.

If he made a single mistake during recording, everything was reset to the begin and he would try again, regardless of how far through the piece he was at the time.

Inspiration:'Watching my kids start to play music and learn to sing or play drums, it brings me back to the time when I was their age listening to albums, learning from listening,' he explained of his new composition

Understandably, some parts took several hours of studio time to record.

PLAY will be released alongside a mini-documentary, which includes footage of Dave interviewing young students in Violet and Harper's LA music school.As a former infantryman in the Australian Army, Steve 'Commando' Willis is used to battling it out in harsh conditions.

But the 42-year-old still struggled whilst filming the new season of Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders.

Speaking with The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, the one-time Biggest Loser trainer revealed the unlikely reason he became 'quite miserable' during his time shooting the show in Fiji.

'You become quite miserable': Speaking with The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, Steve 'Commando' Willis revealed the unlikely reason he struggled while filming Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders

Steve explained it was the unexpected cold temperatures that shocked him during his time on the Pacific island.

'I was underprepared. You think, tropical island, 25 degrees during the day and at night it gets down to 18 degrees - well, when you're sleeping on the ground without a raging fire, that's actually quite cold', the star stated

'The slightest breeze can have an effect on how you sleep... you become... quite miserable'.

'I was underprepared': Steve admitted he was unprepared for the cool temperatures while filming in Fiji

While other competitors wisely brought along jumpers and tracksuit pants, Steve went for far skimpier attire.

Speaking on The Project on Wednesday, the father-of-four revealed he opted to wear Budgie Smugglers on the show.

He cheekily revealed that he even tried to sneak in an extra pair of underwear by wearing them beneath the skimpy swimwear.

Skimpy! On Wednesday, revealed he opted to wear Budgie Smugglers on the show

Appearing embarrassed, Steve put his head down before admitting: 'I did try some covert ops'.

According to Survivor rules, contestants are only able to bring a single outfit with them for the entire duration of filming.

'The security man was like, 'Buddy, you've gotta choose. It's the Speedos or the jocks'', Steve told The Project panelists, before revealing he kept the skimpy swimwear and discarded the undies.Hell's Kitchen contestant Jessica Vogel has passed away at the age of 34.

The New Jersey native starred on season 12 of the Gordon Ramsay series back in 2014.

Her fiance John Michael Keyser revealed to NorthJersey.com that she was being treated for a chronic inflammatory bowel disease called colitis when her 'heart gave out.'

Hell's Kitchen contestant Jessica Vogel has passed away at the age of 34

Keyser revealed that he talked to the reality star about a week ago as he said: 'We were planning to open a restaurant together.

'My heart is breaking.'

No other details surrounding the death have come out.

However according to NorthJersey.com, Vogel seemed to allude to having a drinking problem in a blog post on Medium.com from October which has since been deleted.

The New Jersey native starred on season 12 of the Gordon Ramsay series back in 2014

The publication said she had written: '...when my sister says start a blog, the narcissistic alcoholic in me thinks me and I. Perfect. Im f****d up. Truly. Sure.'

She goes on to talk about how she starred on Hell's Kitchen and was also a contestant on Food Network's Cuttthroat Kitchen.

Vogel reportedly added: 'I went to culinary school in Denver, grew up at the Jersey shore was raised by Mormon nannies in a mansion, dated a coastie and had a stint of living near strippers in St. Pete, Fl.'

Her fiance John Michael Keyser revealed to NorthJersey.com she was being treated for chronic inflammatory bowel disease called colitis when her 'heart gave out' (pictured July 2016)

Vogel was the ninth contestant of 20 eliminated on the reality cooking competition show

As she was just a few weeks away from a milestone birthday, she reflected on her life.

She allegedly wrote: 'Im weeks away from 34 years old and got told I drink too much and have cirrhosis. Did it stop me from pouring shots of alcohol? Nope. Did my lifestyle of sex, drugs and foie gras come to a born again Christian revelation? F*** that noise...

'I dont know if you want an adventure tale, but Im here and ready to tell. My name is Jess and Ive lived to tell about it. To be continued'

Vogel was the ninth contestant of 20 eliminated on the reality cooking competition show.

She was not very active on social media but her last Instagram post was an un-captioned photo of a rainbow on May 26.Kylie Jenner usually loves to show off her photographic face as she pushes Kylie Cosmetics.

But on Tuesday evening the 20-year-old siren was shy as she used a white shopping bag to hide her famous mug.

The star was seen leaving The Nice Guy in West Hollywood as she climbed into her $225,000 Mercedes Benz.

Bashful beauty: Kylie Jenner usually loves to show off her photographic face as she pushes Kylie Cosmetics. But on Tuesday evening the 20-year-old siren was shy as she used a white shopping bag to hide her famous mug

Dressed way down: The Calabasas, California native had on a black outfit that consisted of workout pants and a tank top. She added white sneakers

The Calabasas, California native had on a black outfit that consisted of workout pants and a tank top. She added white sneakers.

Her long black hair was worn down and she appeared to have some makeup on.

The TV darling was with her close friend Jordyn Woods, who she is working on a product line with.

The orange Mercedes G-Wagon was recently given new orange wrap - a process which generally costs over $10,000 to detail - just for summer.

Pricey wheels: The orange Mercedes G-Wagon was recently given new orange wrap - a process which generally costs over $10,000 to detail - just for summer

These photos have surfaced after her mother Kris Jenner - who has a new season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians to promote as the series comes back to screens on August 5 - gushed about her.

On Wednesday the 62-year-old momager had a chat with UsWeekly about life in Calabasas.

The girlfriend of Corey Gamble said that she is happy there are so many new children in the clan - Kim, Khloe and Kylie all welcomed babies this year - and also noted that her youngest child is an especially 'calm' parent.

She has done well: Kris Jenner told UsWeekly that Kylie doesn't go anywhere without her baby girl Stormi

Good mommy: 'Kylie is more calm than I was,' she told Us. 'I look at the way she she loves Stormi and takes care of her. She doesn't go anywhere without her'

Kris Jenner with Corey Gamble on Monday

'Kylie is more calm than I was,' she told Us.

'I look at the way she she loves Stormi and takes care of her. She doesn't go anywhere without her.'

She also talked about Khloe being a new mother to baby True Thompson who she had with Tristan Thompson.

'I knew she would be amazing. She is always the one who has her house stocked with goodies and takes care of everyone else's kids,' Kris said.

'They all want to have the sleepovers at Auntie KoKo's. True is the light of her life.'

There was no discussion of how Tristan cheated with several women before Khloe welcomed her little girl in April.

But it's likely the scandal will be a part of season 15 of KUWTK because the family usually only shares their biggest reveals on the show to drive ratings.

With her mini me: The nearly 21-year-old star took Stormi to the newsstand

'We're focusing on baby and her life,' Kris said as a way to explain the lack of talk about Tristan. 'I'm really proud of her for being an amazing mommy.'

Keeping Up With the Kardashians premieres on E! on Sunday, August 5, at 9 p.m.

On Tuesday a new teaser was shared.

In the clip the Kardashian sisters gather to plan Kim's upcoming baby shower and their annual family Christmas card.

But Pretty Little Thing collaborator Kourtney, 38, had no patience for family banter, harshly snapping at her sisters as things continued to get heated.

Get along ladies! Khloe Kardashian was butting heads with sister Kourtney in a brand new clip from the show's upcoming 15th season which is set to premiere this Sunday

Before Kourtney's arrival the tension was clear.

Khloe and Kim spoke in hushed tones to each other, with Kim saying: 'I'm so afraid of her.'



'I don't understand the f***ing attitude,' the Good American Jeans co-founder said.

As she sat down with the group it was clear Kourtney's mind was elsewhere.

Not in the mood: Pretty Little Thing collaborator Kourtney, 38, had no patience for family banter, harshly snapping at her sisters as things continued to get heated

Distraction: Her sisters tried to get her attention as they both waved 'Hi' and Kim fake flashed her tube-topped chest

She kept her head down looking at her phone.

Her sisters tried to get her attention as they both waved 'Hi' and Kim fake flashed her tube-topped chest.

Asked for her input, Kourtney snapped: 'What do you want me to do? Sit here and stare?'

Fed up, Kim responded with her own bit of sass.

Asked for her input, Kourtney snapped: 'What do you want me to do? Sit here and stare?'

Not having it: Fed up, Kim responded with her own bit of sass, sarcastically telling her sister 'Alright, thank you for the help. Thanks for being so present.'

Right back at you: 'When I come into your house, I'll make sure to say just a critical comment,' explained the new mom

'All right, thank you for the help,' Kim said sarcastically, 'Thanks for being so present.'

Kourtney decided to get petty, then knocking her sister Khloe's interior design choices.

'Who let you choose black covers for your furniture? Disgusting,' she said, inciting Khloe's anger.

'When I come into your house, I'll make sure to say just a critical comment,' explained the new mom.

'Oh, you do. Every time,' the oldest Kardashian said in response.

Khloe was incredulous, giving several examples of how she compliments Kourt.

Then she reached her breaking point, barking back: 'What is up your ass? Seriously, what the f*** is wrong with you? But why are you so b****y these days?'

'Just a born b****,' she said without blinking.

'You should be proud of that,' Khloe said, later adding in the confessional: 'Trust me, if I wasn't pregnant I would have probably drowned her in the pool.'

'You're just mean,' Khloe concluded as the clip came to a close.

Stream on hayu in the UK & Ire from 6th August. It airs in the UK on 12th August at 9pm on E!She recently celebrated her five year anniversary with her secret boyfriend Jamie Foxx, 50.

But Katie Holmes was spotted hanging out with another man on Tuesday as she was seen with designer Zac Possen. Also with her was daughter Suri Cruise, 12.

The 39-year-old Batman Begins actress was all smiles for the meet-up and donned a casual ensemble in New York City.

Friendly catch up: Katie Holmes stepped out with her daughter Suri Cruise on Tuesday to meet up with designer Zac Posen in NYC

Katie stunned in a burgundy colored patterned blouse and long denim skirt for the catch-up.

She paired her look with red Gucci mules and kept a ow profile in a pair of designer shades.

The actress appeared to be wearing little to no makeup and styled her brunette locks back effortlessly off of her face.

Stunner: Katie stunned in a burgundy colored patterned blouse and long denim skirt for the catch-up

Just like Katie! Always dressed elegantly just like her mom, Suri was seen pretty in pink

That big sunglasses look: Jackie O - aka Jacqueline Kennedy - with Aristotle Onassis in the early 1970s

Always dressed elegantly just like her mom, Suri was seen pretty in pink.

The twelve-year-old kept cool for the summer in a pink top and floral skirt. She completed her look with pink striped Adidas sneakers.

Katie's good friend Zac was also seen smiling during their chat and he sported a blue button-up shirt, dark denim jeans and completed his look with a cap.

Going strong: The Dawson's Creek alum's greeting comes after Us Weekly revealed on Wednesday that Katie and her beau Jamie Foxx had enjoyed a happy PDA-filled sunset beach date in Malibu last month to celebrate their five year anniversary

The Dawson's Creek alum's greeting comes after Us Weekly revealed on Wednesday that Katie and her beau Foxx had enjoyed a happy PDA-filled sunset beach date in Malibu last month to celebrate their five year anniversary.

'They were totally engaged with each other,' revealed a beach-goer to the publication.

'They were never on their phones. She had this incredible smile on her face. She looked smitten.'

Another onlooker added that the evening ended with a toast and in between make-out sessions they watched the sunset on their blanket and finished off the bottle of champagne.

Pictures from the magazine taken on July 21 in Malibu showcased a happy loved up couple having fun and even dancing on the beach.

'She has fun with him when they are together,' a source to told Us Weekly on July 11.

Strict rules: Reports have previously revealed that the Ohio-born beauty was banned from publicly dating anyone for five years due to a clause in her 2012 divorce settlement with Tom Cruise (pictured: 2006)

'It's a relationship that works for her...When Katie and Jamie are together, it works. It's weird, but it's what works for them.'

Reports have previously revealed that the Ohio-born beauty was banned from publicly dating anyone for five years due to a clause in her 2012 divorce settlement with Tom Cruise.

Her new somewhat public relationship comes after it was reported by Radar Online last week that Suri had reached out to Tom for the first time since last seeing the Scientologist in 2012.

Back together: Last week it was reported by Radar Online that Suri had reached out to Tom for the first time since last seeing the Scientologist in 2012 (pictured)

'He wants her to know that he's thought of her all this time and that he got all of her messages. In fact, he read and listened to each and every word,' a source told the site - although Katie's rep denied the reports.

'Tom's paving the way to come back into Suri's life permanently - and many expect it to happen soon.'

According to People, Tom, 56, has just moved to a Clearwater condo located a block from the Church of Scientology's International headquarters in Florida.Vanessa Hudgens and Nina Dobrev have posed together to promote their new movie Dog Days.

The brunette actresses almost looked like sisters as they shared the September cover of Cosmopolitan magazine, which was released on Wednesday.

And they dished on a number of issues - including the Me Too movement - as they modeled a series of sizzling summer looks.

Doubling up: Vanessa Hudgens and Nina Dobrev hit the cover of Cosmopolitan 's September issue together on Wednesday

The actresses, both 29, are co-starring in dramedy Dog Days, due out next Wednesday, about folks in Los Angeles brought together by their furry friends.

Nina revealed that she had been subjected to unwanted advances in the workplace 'like any woman in every industry.

'Comments have been made. People have said things that are inappropriate. Ive been able to handle myself and speak up for the most part. But I have seen a lot.'

Their own front pages: The magazine also gave the two celebs, who co-star in dramedy Dog Days, due out next Wednesday, their own chance to shine in separate covers

On the other hand, Vanessa said: 'I have been very fortunate not to have had any direct run-ins, but Ive seen it happen. Im grateful that were living in an age when women are finally heard.'

The two beautiful brunettes flashed their enviable slender figures on the front page with Vanessa showing off her legs and her cleavage in a short, white lace wrap - perfect for the beach.

Bulgarian born Nina flashed her toned tummy in a sheer white cropped top that incorporated a sexy bustier and jeans.

Sexy style: The beautiful brunettes, both 29, flashed their enviably slender figures in a series of scintillating shots

Back to back: A snapper captured Nina in a mini-skirt and matching jacket that she left open to show her black bra while Vanessa donned an orange dress

Sealed with a kiss: Vanessa, left, and Nina puckered up for the camera

In their separate covers, Vanessa donned a vivid green dress with spaghetti-string straps and a deep boat neckline while Nina looked just as hot in a jacket and matching mini-skirt in rainbow hues.

She ramped up the sizzle factor by leaving the jacket open to reveal she was wearing a black lace bra - and nothing else.

Nina is presently enjoying a vacation on the Greek island of Mykonos with pals. The Vampire Diaries star wore a revealing polka dot swimsuit on the beach with a group of friends.

How a-pout that: Vanessa, who donned a green dress with a deep boat neckline, talked about the Me Too movement saying, 'I have been very fortunate not to have had any direct run-ins, but Ive seen it happen. Im grateful that were living in an age when women are finally heard'

Hot in pink and red: Nina revealed that she had been subjected to unwanted advances in the workplace 'like any woman in every industry. Ive been able to handle myself and speak up for the most part. But I have seen a lot'

Spot the star: Vanessa flashed her legs and her decolletage in a sizzling, black dress with gold polka dots for the shoot

From 2006 until 2009, Nina played Mia Jones on the hit series Degrassi: The Next Generation, leaving the teen drama to star as Elena Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries. Nina also had a guest role on spin off series, The Originals.

Meanwhile Spring Breakers star Vanessa has recently returned from an enviable vacation on Turks and Caicos with her actor beau, Austin Butler, 26.

The couple was first romantically linked in 2011 and have been inseparable ever since. In 2010, she split from her on and off-screen High School Musical beau Zac Efron after dating for five years.

Having a laugh: Vanessa flashed her flesh in a sheer lace mini-dress while Nina showed off her toned tummy in a pink and blue top that she tied under her bust and a matching skirt

Change of style: Nina forgot to wear anything except a black bra underneath her rainbow-hued jacket while Vanessa showed off her decolletage in her low-cut orange silk gownHe is set to return as DCI Luther in series five of the hit BBC series, and has also signed onto the latest Fast And Furious film, Hobbs And Shaw.

But Idris Elba was spotted filming an entirely different show on Wednesday, as he shot scenes in Ibiza airport for his new Netflix comedy Turn Up Charlie.

Playing a struggling DJ named Charlie, the 45-year-old actor appeared to easily throw himself into the role on set.

Getting into character: Idris Elba immersed himself in a new role on Wednesday as he filmed in Ibiza airport for Netflix comedy Turn Up Charlie

Idris, who is a successful DJ in his own right, was sure to stand out in a bright orange tank top which he paired with white shorts which had an exotic print.

Shielding his eyes from the Spanish summer sun with a pair of stylish shades, he looked ruggedly handsome as he sported a trim beard.

The Thor hunk accessorised with a pair of gold bracelets, but otherwise appeared to have a minimalist look for the character.

Striking: Idris, who is a successful DJ in his own right, was sure to stand out in a bright orange tank top which he paired with white shorts which had an exotic print

Professional: Playing a struggling DJ named Charlie, the 45-year-old actor appeared to easily throw himself into the role on set

New role: Turn Up Charlie follows its eponymous character as he struggles to make his mark on the music world as a DJ, and who refers to himself as an eternal bachelor

Helping hand: His character is given his last chance at success when he is asked to take care of his famous best friends problem-child daughter

Turn Up Charlie follows its eponymous character as he struggles to make his mark on the music world as a DJ, and who also refers to himself as an eternal bachelor.

He is then given his last chance at success when he is asked to take care of his famous best friends problem-child daughter.

The new Netflix show is co-created by Idris and TV producer Gary Reich, and is the second series the actor has made himself following his Sky One comedy In The Long Run.

The video-on-demand company has already ordered eight half-hour episodes for the show's first season, which Idris also acts as an executive producer for.

Big involvement: The new Netflix show is co-created by Idris and TV producer Gary Reich, and is the second series the actor has made himself following his Sky One comedy In The Long Run

Protected: Shielding his eyes from the Spanish Summer sun with a pair of stylish shades, he looked ruggedly handsome as he sported a trim beard

In the works: The video-on-demand company has already ordered eight half-hour episodes for the show's first season, which Idris also acts as executive producer for

Busy: In July it was confirmed that Idris will join franchise stars Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham for the high-octane Fast And Furious drama Hobbs and Shaw

In July it was confirmed that Idris will join franchise stars Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham for the high-octane Fast And Furious drama Hobbs and Shaw, set for release in July 2019.

According to Variety, Idris will play the main antagonist fighting against special agent Luke Hobbs, played by Dwayne, 46, while action hunk Jason, 50, will return as mercenary Deckard Shaw.

Idris has a past history of playing the big baddie in some box-office hits, including 2016's Star Trek Beyond and The Jungle Book.

Darker role: According to Variety, Idris will play the main antagonist fighting against special agent Luke Hobbs, played by Dwayne, 46

Good at playing villains: Idris has a past history of playing the big baddie in some box-office hits, including 2016's Star Trek Beyond and The Jungle Book

Stylish: The Thor hunk accessorised with a pair of gold bracelets, but otherwise appeared to have a minimalist look for the characterKim Kardashian has been slammed on social media for insinuating that Tyson Beckford was gay and the model has also fired back.

Twitter has been flooded with messages blasting the 37-year-old reality star with some even calling her 'homophobic.'

As the 47-year-old model criticized her for her 'botched' body,' he took another shot at Kardashian on Instagram by posting a gym selfie video with the caption 'no surgery just gym it ladies.'

It didn't stop there as Tyson also shared a meme of a photoshopped snap of Kim looking very muscular

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Feud: Kim Kardashian has been slammed on social media for her response at Tyson Beckford in which she insinuated that he was gay

Ouch: Twitter has been flooded with messages blasting the 37-year-old reality star with some even calling her 'homophobic'

Burn: As the 47-year-old model criticized her for her 'botched' body,' he took another shot at Kardashian on Instagram by posting a gym selfie video with the caption 'no surgery just gym it ladies'

Still swinging: Tyson also shared this meme of a photoshopped snap of Kim looking very muscular

It read: '"Hit the gym. Not the surgery," Becky said. @tysonbeckford but some hit the Photoshop.'

This comes after Kim was lambasted on social media as one user wrote: 'I hope y'all get kim kardashian together for that homophobic response to Tyson Beckford.'

Another microblogger got really personal with the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star by bringing up the mental health of her husband Kanye West.

They wrote: 'Kim Kardashian, you're questioning Tyson Beckford's sexuality, like being "gay" is something evil. How about you worry about your husband mental health because you should be more concerned about his well being than if someone is gay. The nerve of this woman. Not today Kimberly.'

Not pleased: Several microbloggers took aim at the reality star

'No surgery just gym it ladies': Tyson recorded the video from a gym as he sported a headband and a curly wig

Someone else commented that they were a fan of the reality star until recently as they wrote: '@KimKardashian is trash!! I liked her until she used being gay as a drag on the shade room ig pg.

'honey you do not get to imply that someone is in the closet just because he didn't like your outfit/body you don't do that girl since you employ an array of gay makeup artist/stylist'

This all began after the male model wrote insulting comments about her body on Instagram.

After a paparazzi picture of the reality star was posted online Beckford criticized Kim's figure, writing that she's 'not real' and that the 'doctor f***ed up'.

'Sorry I don't care for it personally' Tyson commented on the snap of Kim dressed up for Jimmy Kimmel in Los Angeles this week wearing black velour leggings and a tiny crop top.

Hitting back: Kim clapped back at Beckford after he wrote critical comments about her body on Tuesday. She insinuating that he doesn't find her attractive because he is gay.

Taking it a step further, the Into The Blue actor added another scathing comment about the appearance of her curves, 'She is not real, doctor f***ed up on her right hip.'

Adding insult to injury the star added a green vomit emoji.

The Shade Room shared the comments on its Instagram page allowing for the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star to see Tyson's unfiltered thoughts.

Kim, 37, responded by insinuating that Tyson doesn't find her attractive because he is gay.

'Sis we all know why you don't care for it,' she wrote.

The 47-year-old model criticized Kim's figure, saying the 'doctor f***ed up' and slammed her for being 'not real' after a paparazzi picture of the reality was posted online

'Don't care for it': Tyson made his thoughts clear on Kim's body, alluding to her being plastic and having gone under the knife

Alongside Kim's comeback were the emojis for a cup of tea and a frog, in reference to the viral 'But that's none of my business' meme which is often used as a postscript online and features Kermit the Frog sipping a cup of tea.

Kim's third emoji was a hand being painted with pink nail polish, a symbol usually used to express nonchalance.

When Kim's response went viral Tyson was unapologetic as he took to his Instagram Stories later in the day.

Not his thing: When Kim's response went viral Tyson was unapologetic as he took to his Instagram Stories later in the day.

Having the last say: Tyson said he prefers Beyonce to Kim

In the driver's seat: Kim was pictured leaving a studio in LA on Tuesday

He wrote 'Despite what @Theshaderoom might be tryna say, my opinion on women who do plastic surgery stays the same, not for me! I personally don't care for it! Done end of story!'

In another post he wrote, 'Always gonna pick a Beyonce over anyone else' along with a cheeky tongue-out emoji.

Kim has been plagued by plastic surgery rumors for most of her career but has always denied getting butt implants or a Brazilian butt lift.

The E! star has been proudly showing off her weight loss recently after she dropped to 119lbs.

Show off: Kim has been plagued by plastic surgery rumors for most of her career but has denied getting butt implants or a Brazilian butt lift

Tan lines: Much like Kim, Tyson likes to flaunt his body on Instagram with shirtless selfies

Much like Kim, Tyson loves to show off his body on Instagram.

His latest racy mirror selfie came last week when he posed in Calvin Klein underwear and pulled them down low to reveal his tan line.

The hunk previously dated Victoria's Secret beauty Shanina Shaik, 27.

Earlier this year he was rumored to have married girlfriend Berniece Julien but has kept the relationship largely under wraps.

He has a 20-year-old son, Jordan Beckford, from his previous relationship with celebrity stylist April Roomet.Naomi Campbell, 47, shut down swirling rumours that she was pregnant with Skepta's child on Wednesday, by sharing a sizzling bikini snap to Instagram.

The rapper, 35, gushed over his exciting baby news on Monday, but remained coy on who the expectant mother is, sparking speculation it could be the supermodel.

However, Naomi has now showed off her flat stomach in a microscopic black two-piece - amid claims she is 'not impressed' with the musician for bringing their former romance back into the spotlight, and linking her to the pregnancy.

Sensational looks: Naomi Campbell, 47, shut down swirling rumours that she was pregnant with Skepta's child on Wednesday, by sharing a sizzling bikini snap to Instagram

Sexy cut-outs in her bikini bra drew attention to her ample bust as well as displaying her model-honed physique.

Bringing the glamour of the catwalk to her bikini look, the runway stunner donned a golden pendant and delicate ankle bracelets.

The statuesque beauty hung up her catwalk stilettos as she posed barefoot on the deck of the stunning vessel.

The Ex Files: Naomi is reportedly 'not impressed' with the musician (above) for bringing their former romance back into the spotlight, and linking her to his baby news

Naomi penned in the caption, 'HAPPY 1st Of AUGUST MY LOVES.' (sic)

The supermodel's post comes just two days after her beau confirmed his baby news with a snap of a baby scan.

Skepta posted an image of a 4D ultrascan labelled 'Baby Adenuga' taken earlier that day, just captioning the post with a flower emoji.

The rapper, full name Joseph Junior Adenuga, shared no further details about the baby and he remained mum on the identity of the mother.

Exciting: The rapper, 35, gushed over his exciting baby news on Monday, but remained coy on who the expectant mother is, sparking speculation it could be the supermodel

However, Naomi is reportedly furious at Skepta for his cryptic baby announcement, as it has brought their former romance back into the limelight.

According to The Sun, the pair broke up in April, and the model just wants to move on from her beau, rather than be associated with pregnancy rumours.

Having deleted all trace of him from her Instagram, a source told the paper: 'She is not impressed at all with Skepta after he posted the scan on Instagram.

'She wants to put everything behind her': However, Naomi is reportedly furious at Skepta for his cryptic baby announcement, as it has brought their former romance back into the limelight

'He is staying cryptic over the whole thing, which has led fans to link them again, when the reality is that they ended things months ago.

'Naomi isn't sure what's happening with him and whether there really is a baby, but she is not happy that the whole thing has led to speculation about her private life. Now she just wants to put their relationship behind her and is keen to distance herself from the whole thing.'

MailOnline has reached out to Skepta and Naomi's representatives for further comment.

Best kept secret: The rapper, full name Joseph Junior Adenuga, (pictured in 2017, London) remained mum on the identity of the mother

The pair first confirmed their romance in March with a memorable GQ magazine shoot, which saw them both pose topless.

Teasing the news, the cover line simply read: 'Race, Sex, Love & Power. When Naomi met Skepta.'

Speculation Skepta and Naomi were a couple had been mounting for some time before they made their romance public with the magazine cover.

They were first romantically linked during two boozy parties at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year.

Naomi then shared an image of herself posing beside the musician while wearing a pair of boxer shorts from his own range Mains - but she deleted it minutes later.

A source close to the model told The Sun at the time: 'Naomi and Skepta have been meeting up for a string of secret dates. They are both very creative which is why they have hit it off with each other.'Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon committed an ice-cream assault on her Big Little Lies castmate Meryl Streep while filming the second season (streaming in 2019) in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The HBO cameras rolled as the 42-year-old mother-of-three - armed with a fully-loaded vanilla cone - wound her pitch aimed directly at the 69-year-old acting legend.

The A Wrinkle in Time actress then violently threw the delectable dessert while in character as outspoken housewife Madeline Martha Mackenzie

Streaming in 2019! Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon (R) committed an ice-cream assault on her Big Little Lies castmate Meryl Streep (L) while filming the second season in LA on Tuesday

Angry: The HBO cameras rolled as the 42-year-old mother-of-three - armed with a fully-loaded vanilla cone - wound her pitch aimed directly at the 69-year-old acting legend

Witherspoon's Draper James-like black floral blouse, conservative midi-length skirt, and pumps selected by costume designer Alix Friedberg were in stark contrast to her vengeful toss.

And make-up artist Tracey Levy made sure Reese (born Laura Jeanne) was camera-ready for the creamy stunt.

'Before tough scenes,' the Louisiana-born blonde dished to Harper's Bazaar in May, 'we have really fun dance parties in our trailers!'

Joining Witherspoon was a very amused Kathryn Newton, 21; who plays her onscreen eldest daughter Abigail in the Sausalito soap.

Take that! The A Wrinkle in Time actress then violently threw the delectable dessert while in character as outspoken housewife Madeline Martha Mackenzie

Conservative attire: Witherspoon's Draper James-like black floral blouse, midi-length skirt, and pumps selected by costume designer Alix Friedberg were in stark contrast to her vengeful toss

Look out, Meryl! And make-up artist Tracey Levy made sure Reese (born Laura Jeanne) was camera-ready for the creamy stunt

Meanwhile, 11-year-old Darby Camp, who plays Madeline's younger daughter Chloe Insta-storied herself on Tuesday indulging in a different treat - Krispy Kreme donuts.

The sprinkled ice-cream cone did not appear to hit the three-time Oscar winner - who looked undisturbed in her tan Barbour jacket, dark-denim jeans, and matching lace-up shoes.

Meryl (born Mary Louise) wigged out with a light brown fringed and bob hairpiece and kept her emotions shielded with dark sunglasses.

The Louisiana-born blonde dished to Harper's Bazaar in May: 'Before tough scenes, we have really fun dance parties in our trailers!'

Hilarious: Joining Witherspoon was a very amused Kathryn Newton, 21; who plays her onscreen eldest daughter Abigail in the Sausalito soap

Mmmm! Meanwhile, 11-year-old Darby Camp, who plays Madeline's younger daughter Chloe Insta-storied herself on Tuesday indulging in a different treat - Krispy Kreme donuts

Streep joins Big Little Lies as Celeste Wright's (Nicole Kidman) mother-in-law Mary Louise, who comes to town with questions about the death of her son Perry (Alexander Skarsgard).

'It's fantastic. I love having [Kidman and Witherspoon] as my bosses because they understand,' The Post actress told ET last month of the $1M/episode earning executive producers.

'We have lots of big, fabulous, drunken meals together.'

Unscathed: The sprinkled ice-cream cone did not appear to hit the three-time Oscar winner - who looked undisturbed in her tan Barbour jacket, dark-denim jeans, and lace-up shoes

Grieving: Meryl (born Mary Louise) wigged out with a light brown fringed and bob hairpiece and kept her emotions shielded with dark sunglasses

'First day on the set with Meryl and "my" darling boys!' Streep joins Big Little Lies as Celeste Wright's (Nicole Kidman) mother-in-law Mary Louise, who comes to town with questions about the death of her son Perry (Alexander Skarsgard)

The Post actress told ET last month: 'It's fantastic. I love having [producers Kidman and Witherspoon] as my bosses because they understand. We have lots of big, fabulous, drunken meals together' (pictured June 4)

On July 7, James Tupper - who plays Madeline's ex Nathan Carlson - shared an on-set snap of himself with onscreen wife #2 Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz) and onscreen daughter Skye (Chloe Coleman).

On Wednesday, the Home Again actress shared a 'dreamy' fashion shoot photo of her 18-year-old daughter Ava with ex-husband, Shooter star Ryan Phillippe.

Reese will next drop her 304-page Southern lifestyle book Whiskey in a Teacup on September 18 through Simon & Schuster.

'The family, love these two! #BLL2': On July 7, James Tupper - who plays Madeline's ex Nathan Carlson - shared an on-set snap of himself with onscreen wife #2 Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz) and onscreen daughter Skye (Chloe Coleman)

'My girl!' On Wednesday, the Home Again actress shared a 'dreamy' fashion shoot photo of her 18-year-old daughter Ava with ex-husband, Shooter star Ryan Phillippe

Hollywood royalty arrives: Meryl steps out of her car and onto set

Pretty in pink: Laura Dern turns back the clock

Stern: The Academy Award winner looked daunting with her severe haircut and demeanor

Happy: Streep cracks a smile

Legs for days: Former model Laura shows she's still got it

Taking direction: Laura prepares for the next shotJennifer Aniston is a great person to work with according to her Murder Mystery co-star Luke Evans.

The 39-year-old actor shared his thoughts on Wednesday with an Instagram photo where he is standing with the 49-year-old beauty as well as co-star Adam Sandler on a dock.

Luke's full quote read: 'These two people are a total dream to work with. Im also OK to work with....'

Happy guy: Jennifer Aniston is a great person to work with according to her Murder Mystery co-star Luke Evans. The actor shared his thoughts on Wednesday with an Instagram photo where he is standing with the 49-year-old beauty as well as co-star Adam Sandler

Happy star: Here Luke is seen last week. His caption read, 'Arrivederci Portofino. You are so beautiful.....'

The stars have been shooting the Netflix project in Canada and Italy for months.

Jennifer has been seen on the set for weeks. On Monday she appeared to have a fresh Mediterranean tan as she modeled the little charming frock.

The Horrible Bosses actress wore her highlighted hair down and had on minimal makeup.

Happy to be with old friends: Here Jennifer is seen with Sandler, his wife, Evans and Gemma Arterton as well as several crew members in an older shot from David Walliams

Aniston and Sandler, who play husband and wife in the movie, are seen talking to a local and it's clear there is a language barrier as they use their hands to communicate.

The two are in a marketplace where purses are sold.

Aniston can also be seen running through the street with Adam in front of her.

Happy by the shore: Walliams, also shared this behind-the-scenes image of the movie icon with Chris behind her. The woman in front of her appeared to be the makeup artist

A very behind the scenes look: In this image Jennifer can be seen from the back with Adam behind her as they enjoy the view of the Italian coastline from a yacht

They seem to walk to talk to a person who is signing autographs.

The beauty was also seen the day before as she walked on the set of the movie with her longtime hair stylist Chris McMillan.

The ex-wife of Brad Pitt wore Daisy Duke shirts and a black T-shirt as she strolled through the city's cobbled streets.

The famed actress - who is in the process of divorcing Justin Theroux - teamed her look with flip flops.

Jennifer's hair looked freshly coiffed and her makeup palette was a pretty bronze tone.

Happy in Europe: The beauty was also seen the day before as she walked on the set of the movie with her longtime hair stylist Chris McMillan

Making the most of the Italian sunshine, she looked in jovial spirits as she rested her hand on McMillan's shoulder.

Murder Mystery, which also stars Gemma Arterton, is a new comedy for Jennifer.

The plot centers on Jennifer and Adam who decide to go on a European vacation to reinvigorate their marriage.

A good day for Jenny: The beauty also appeared on the cover of InStyle

Then, after a chance meeting on a flight, a mysterious man invites them to an intimate family gathering on a super-yacht, with an elderly billionaire.

However, the wealthy man is later murdered on the vessel, making the couple prime suspects.

Principal filming for the movie began in Canada in June , and continues now in Europe. The movie is expected to premiere in 2019.

Jennifer and Adam are something of a dream team on-screen, having already starred together in 2011's Just Go With It, which raked in a huge $215 million worldwide.

The Friends star is no doubt delighted to be spending some time in the European sunshine, after a difficult few months.

Back in February, Jennifer and Theroux ended their relationship after seven years, and just two of marriage.

However, according to US Weekly, the actress has been in great spirits while filming the comedy, despite her romantic woes.

'She was very upbeat when they started shooting. In fact, Jen seems happy every time shes on the set. The vibe here is great,' a source said.JJ Abrams has started shooting Star Wars IX with Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega.

And on Wednesday the director shared his first tweet from the set in London.

'Bittersweet starting this next chapter without Carrie, but thanks to an extraordinary cast and crew, we are ready to go,' the 52-year-old began his post.

Ready to go: JJ Abrams has started shooting Star Wars IX with Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. And on Wednesday the director shared his first tweet from the set. Seen in April

Sad loss: 'Bittersweet starting this next chapter without Carrie, but thanks to an extraordinary cast and crew, we are ready to go,' the 52-year-old began his post

The director - who was behind Force Awakens - added, 'Grateful for @rianjohnson and special thanks to George Lucas for creating this incredible world and beginning a story of which we are lucky to be a part. #IX.'

Last week it was announced he will use unreleased footage of Carrie Fisher in the next Star Wars film to give the latest trilogy a 'satisfying conclusion.'

Lucasfilm and Abrams shared the news on Friday that footage of Fisher shot for 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be used in the ninth film in the space opera's core trilogies about the Skywalker family.

Filming began Wednesday in London.

She will be back: Abrams says he will use unreleased footage of Carrie Fisher in the next Star Wars film to give the latest trilogy a 'satisfying conclusion.' Seen in The Last Jedi

Fisher died in 2016 at the age of 60 after she finished work on The Last Jedi. She has played Leia Organa since the first Star Wars film, which debuted in 1977.

'Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character,' Abrams said in a statement.

'With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carries legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.'

From this one: There was extra footage of Fisher from Force Awakens, which will be used in Star Wars IX. Here she is seen with Harrison Ford's Han Solo

Early days: Carrie with Mark Hamill and Ford in the 1977 hit Star Wars: A New Hope

She said yes: 'With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carries legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII,' said Abrams; here Lourd is with Carrie and Debbie Reynolds in 2015

It's not much of a surprise that Billie will also appear in IX, reprising her role as Lieutenant Connix.

The 26-year-old blonde star was in the last two films as well.

Friday's announcement also confirmed that Billy Dee Williams will be returning to the franchise as Lando Calrissian, a hero of the rebellion who hasn't been seen in the latest trilogy.

A younger version of Lando was played by Donald Glover in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, will also appear in the film.

More of this sly fox: Friday's announcement also confirmed that Billy Dee Williams will be returning to the franchise as Lando Calrissian, a hero of the rebellion who hasn't been seen in the latest trilogy. On the right Billy is seen in June in LA

Back from the past: Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, will also appear in the film

This guy never goes out of style: Anthony Daniels will reprise his role at C-3PO. Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant have also joined the cast

Anthony Daniels will reprise his role at C-3PO. Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant have also joined the cast.

It is also likely that droid BB-8 will be back.

Other returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyongo, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran and Joonas Suotamo.

Abrams co-wrote Episode IX with Chris Terrio. John Williams will return to score the film.

Star Wars: Episode IX is set to be released December 2019.

This comes on the heels of the spinoff movie Solo: A Star Wars Story which was released in May to mixed reviews.Jamie Dornan has spoken openly of the pain of losing his mother Lorna, who died from pancreatic cancer when he was just 16.

The 36-year-old actor showed his support for the charity NIPanC, which is set up to help those suffering from the disease, on Wednesday.

Appearing at the charity launch in the Mater Hospital in Belfast, the Fall star spoke candidly with the Press Association, and said: 'It has an ever evolving effect on me, that loss, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.'

Difficult: Jamie Dornan admitted on Wednesday that losing his mother from pancreatic cancer at the age of 16 has had an 'ever evolving effect' on him

'I feel like every single day it has an effect on me in ways which I am aware of and some ways I think I am not aware of.

'But, I am not alone in that, lots of people have lost people that are very dear to them at a young age.'

Jamie's mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when he was 14, and the actor revealed that he had 'just turned' 16 when she passed away.

Painful: Speaking candidly with the Press Association, he said: 'I feel like every single day it has an effect on me in ways which I am aware of and some ways I think I am not aware of'

Backing charity: The 36-year-old actor showed his support for the charity NIPanC at the Mater Hospital in Belfast, which is set up to help those suffering from pancreatic cancer

Speaking honestly about his struggles, and how he took the loss at such a young age, he admitted: 'Every kid at that age is naive, I felt like I was particularly young and naive at that time.

'I was a wee bit behind compared to my mates growing up, but I had to grow up pretty fast after that.'

Attending the event alongside his dad James and sister Jess, the 50 Shades Of Grey star became a patron for the charity which aims to promote better outcomes for pancreatic cancer sufferers in Northern Ireland.

Speaking about the charity, which is being set up in partnership with the Pancreatic Cancer Action (PCA) and Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund (PCRF), Jamie was keen to throw his weight behind the cause.

At a young age: Jamie's mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when he was 14, and the actor revealed that he had 'just turned' 16 when she passed away

Difficult time: He added, 'I was a wee bit behind compared to my mates growing up, but I had to grow up pretty fast after that' (pictured with his dad James and sister Jess)

He said: 'I just don't think anything like this existed, on such a level (when my mum was ill).

'It would have been fantastic to speak to other people going through the same sort of awful situation that we found ourselves in.

'I feel privileged to play some part in drawing attention to this illness and I feel quite determined to try and help in whatever way I can to change the statistics on this illness which are still pretty bleak, and I don't think there has been a great improvement on them in 40 years.

'The more we can do to try and raise awareness and catch it earlier, and be more aware of the symptoms in that little window of time, to achieve that too.'

Good cause: The 50 Shades Of Grey star became a patron for the charity which aims to promote better outcomes for pancreatic cancer sufferers in Northern IrelandDespite being one of Britains top presenters, she has managed to keep her children out of the limelight.

But is seems to be a more public affair when it comes to Claudia Winklemans home life.

For the Strictly Come Dancing host, 46, has revealed she does not have any locks on the doors in her house and often speaks to her children from the shower.

Strictly unlocked doors: Claudia Winkleman has revealed that she doesn't have a single lock on any of the doors in her family home

Speaking to beauty journalist Sali Hughes from inside her bath, the star said: I dont think weve got one lock in this house. Why would you lock?

Asked if she would use the loo without locking the door, Ms Winkleman added: Of course, yes! And the window open... I might go, Im in here, but you could sit there, no problem.

Speaking about whether she would leave a bathroom door open to chat to friends while on a night out, Ms Winkleman said: Yeah of course. Im ready for an adult nappy. Id never close a door. Id never lock a cubicle. Im chatting, theres stuff to say.

Happy home: The Strictly Come Dancing presenter has been married to film producer Kris Thykier for 18 years and they have three children together. Pictured in May 2018

Ms Winkleman, who has three children - Jake, 15, Matilda, 12, and Arthur, seven - with her film producer husband Kris Thykier, also said she would allow one of her children into the bathroom to speak to her while she is in the shower.

She said: Sometimes I will have a shower and my small person will be sitting where youre sitting [on the lavatory], well have quite a long chat.'

But despite being embedded in the showbusiness lifestyle, the Britains Best Home cook presenter also revealed she rarely goes out anymore.

Proud parents: Her husband Kris is seen with their daughter Matilda at the Mariage A l'Anglaise' (I Give It A Year) premiere in Paris in April 2013

She said: In my fantasy Im wild. I drink tequila shots, Ive got knee-high boots, Im walking through Balham at midnight on my way to a house party, Im holding a baguette and I dont understand why. And in reality, Ive been out like twice this year.

Speaking about her signature make-up look of heavy black eyeliner, orange fake tan and pale lips, the Radio 2 presenter said she has lost her makeup artist work because of how she has chosen to look on TV.

She said: The girl who does my face is called Debbie, shes divine. Ive lost her so much work because of the way I want to look. I swear to God, I feel so bad. Shes like, The only person I dont have on my CV is you.She's a former Olympic decathlon gold medalist.

And Caitlyn Jenner showed that even four decades later, she still has a need for speed.

The 68-year-old parent to Kendall and Kylie Jenner put on a leggy display while shopping for a new luxury car in the ritzy neighborhood of Beverly Hills on Tuesday.

Making moves: Caitlyn Jenner put on a leggy display while shopping for a new luxury car in the ritzy neighborhood of Beverly Hills on Tuesday

She sported a pair of tiny denim shorts with a grey off-the-shoulder top and strappy sandals at the Rolls Royce dealership.

Caitlyn accessorized with a black leather designer bag and gold watch as she chatted away on her cell phone.

Her brunette tresses were worn down flowing over her shoulders as she wore complimentary make-up.

On-the-go: The 68-year-old parent to Kendall and Kylie Jenner sported a pair of tiny denim shorts with a grey off-the-shoulder top and strappy sandals at the Rolls Royce dealership

Chic: Caitlyn accessorized with a black leather designer bag and gold watch as she chatted away on her cell phone

Classic: Cailtyn traveled in style to the car shopping trip as she drove her daughter Kendall's seafoam green 1957 Corvette Stingray

Cailtyn traveled in style to the car shopping trip as she drove her daughter Kendall's seafoam green 1957 Corvette Stingray.

The now 22-year-old model was first seen driving the classic car back in 2015 as it is estimated to be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000.

This comes just hours after Caitlyn once again showcased her trim and toned legs while out in Malibu on Tuesday.

Vroom vroom: Caitlyn looked happy to be behind-the-wheel of a classic car

Need for speed: Caitlyn's now now 22-year-old model daughter was first seen driving the classic car back in 2015

Pretty penny: it is estimated to be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000

The former athlete was seen doing some grocery shopping solo without her rumored girlfriend Sophia Hutchins.

Caitlyn stunned in a patterned mini dress with cap sleeves for the errands run.

She ensured her fit pins drew all the attention by pairing her look with nude colored flip flops to maintain a streamlined look.

The star appeared to be wearing little to no makeup for the shopping trip and kept a low profile with a par of large sunglasses.

Sports star! Earlier in the day Caitlyn flashed her toned during solo shopping trip in Malibu on Tuesday

Stunner: Caitlyn stunned in a patterned mini dress with cap sleeves for the errands run

Caitlyn had her brunette locks styled out straight, effortlessly over her shoulders.

The beauty was spotted with various brown paper bags in her cart along with her handbag.

Not seen with the ex of Kris Jenner was her rumoured girlfriend 21-year-old student Sophie Hutchins.

Solo: Not seen with the ex of Kris Jenner was her rumoured girlfriend 21-year-old student Sophie Hutchins (pictured: June 2018 at the Life Ball 2018 in Vienna, Austria)

The I Am Cait star has grown closer to Sophie amid the distance that's widened between her amid rifts with some of her children and Kardashian stepchildren.

A source previously told Heat Magazine of their relationship: 'Cait really sees herself spending the rest of her life with Sophia.

'She lost her support system when she fell out with her family and these days, it feels like Sophia's the only person she can count on.'Love Island winner Jack Fincham has taken his new girlfriend Dani Dyer to his hometown in Kent to meet his family and friends amid a whirlwind week.

The couple, who scooped the top prize during Monday night's finale of the wildly popular ITV2 reality show, took to their respective Instagram accounts to document the heartwarming day, as they finally enjoyed some downtime on Wednesday.

Jack, 26, uploaded a snapshot of himself hugging his 22-year-old belle as they posed alongside a group of his friends for a group selfie, while elsewhere runners-up Laura Anderson and Paul Knopps headed to her native Scotland to meet her family.

Dani meets the gang! Jack Fincham, right, took his girlfriend Dani Dyer home to Kent to meet his friends and family on Wednesday

Delighted Jack captioned the snap: 'Back with my mates and my beautiful girlfriend and was so proud to introduce her to them...'

'So happy and overwhelmed, the support has been unreal these last couple of days in England and I can not explain how happy I am.

'I met a beautiful girlfriend in love island and fell in love, now to come back with so much positive support is a beautiful thing.

'I cant put it into words Im such a normal person and things like this dont happen to people like me. I did not expect this and I am forever grateful thank you so much! Thank you!!! Xx THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.'

New friends: The Love Island winner appeared to be taken with Jack's adorable little sister Ruby, with whom she posed for a selfie

Loved-up: Another family reunion came further south of the UK as Laura Anderson, 29, and Paul Knops, 31, looked as loved-up as ever as they toasted to meeting her family in Scotland with a glass of bubbles on Thursday, after a whirlwind few days

Already pals: Dani was seen giving little Ruby a big hug in a video posted by Jack

Dani, daughter of EastEnders star Danny Dyer appeared to be particularly taken with Jack's adorable little sister Ruby, and was seen hugging her in a video posted to her beau's account, and posed for a selfie of her own with the youngster.

The Essex native and her new young pal posed for camera under a deer-themed filter, which saw their faces adorned with pink noses and antlers, under Dani's caption, which read: 'My new little one,' alongside two heart emojis.

Jack is expected to be visiting Dani's family next, after speaking to her parents - actor Danny Dyer and his wife Joanne Mas - via a video call during the series' penultimate episode as they vacationed in Florida.

Good to be back! Jack looked delighted to be back home with his best pals, before the couple head to Essex so he can finally meet Dani's famous family

Fitting right in: Dani was seen standing in Jack's kitchen in Kent as they welcomed her to the family fold

Exhausted: However, after an overwhelming few days, the fatigue caught up with the pair later on as they headed up to Laura's native Scotland for the weekend

Another family reunion came further south of the UK as Laura Anderson, 29, and Paul Knops, 31, looked as loved-up as ever as they toasted to meeting her family in Scotland with a glass of bubbles on Thursday, after a whirlwind few days.

The male model captured the moment and shared the selfie on his Instagram which saw them both beaming, despite the wet weather in Stirling.

Holding a glass toward her face, Laura grinned from ear-to-ear as her blonde locks framed her face in the midst of the rain.

ITV2 star Paul, who famously kissed Britney Spears, looked equally rainswept as he donned a black rain coat for the cosy occasion.

Captioning the loved-up shot, he wrote: 'Beautiful place, beautiful people....Thank you'. However, after an overwhelming few days, the fatigue caught up with the pair later on as they headed up to Laura's native Scotland for the weekend.

Homeward bound: Holding a glass toward her face, Laura grinned from ear-to-ear as her blonde locks framed her face in the midst of the rain

For Jack and Dani, since leaving the Mallorca villa that they'd called home for two months and arriving back to an overwhelmingly positive reception in their native UK, the lovebirds are now focused on enjoying some home comforts.

Jack told the Press Association: 'I feel so good, this is so surreal, I dont know what to do with myself. Its weird being back in England.'

He added that the main thing he is looking forward to is some peri-peri chicken, saying: I just want to go for a Nandos, that is all I want to do. Ive missed it, Ive actually realised how much I genuinely like it since being away from it.'

Dani added: 'We are going to go together, we are going to do everything together.'

The aspiring actress added that she had enjoyed finally spending a night alone together after two months sharing a bedroom with all their fellow contestants.

She said: 'It was nice, we were tired but it was nice to be back out.'

Bargain lunch: Earlier in the day, Jack and Dani picked up a bargain 3.25 meal deal lunch from a branch of the Co-op in London

Impressed: The stationery salesman and the former barmaid eagerly browsed this week's magazines, many of which featured them on the front cover

Tasty treats: Jack grabbed a wrap, a bottle of Lucozade and a chocolate bar as they went for a no-frills lunch - despite nabbing a 50,000 prize fund to share when they won Love Island

Take a break: Dani checked her phone as she waded through her messages, social media content and no doubt was intrigued to see what was being written about the couple

No diva behaviour: Dani looked summery in her lemon-coloured denim jacket as she and Jack stocked up on snacks and soft drinks to keep their energy levels up

Disbelief: Dani had a look of pure shock on her face as she and Jack saw just how famous they have become, with Jack reaching out for a closer look

As they made their way to Kent to visit Jack's family, the couple showed just how down to earth they are, as they picked up a bargain 3.25 meal deal lunch from a branch of the Co-op in London.

The stationery salesman grabbed a wrap, a bottle of Lucozade and a chocolate bar as he and the former barmaid eagerly browsed this week's magazines, many of which featured them on the front cover.

Dani looked incredible as she showed off her tan in a tight-fitting white mini dress and gold wedges as she picked up a wrap, crisps and a soft drink.

She appeared to be glued to her phone as she waded through her messages, social media content and no doubt was intrigued to see what was being written.

Big news: Dani and Jack were seen winning the show on Monday night's live finale, presented by Caroline Flack from the show's luxury villa in Mallorca

Record: After first hitting screens on 4 June, this year's show has been a widespread hit with record-breaking viewing figures, bringing in a huge 2.9 million viewers for the first episode

Come fly with me: Despite being hit by an hour and 20 minute delay on their flight home, the couple looked delighted as they quaffed bubbly out of plastic cups

Earlier in the day, the pair were both seen smoking as they left their London hotel.

Seeming as loved up as they were on the show, bubbly Dani later leaned in to passionately kiss her trusty boyfriend of two months.

The couple said they have been in frequent communication with their families since they won the show, including Dani's soap star dad Danny.

Dani told the Press Association: 'We havent stopped ringing them. We are driving them mad, they dont want to know now; they are not ringing us, we are ringing them.'

Homecoming king and queen! Love Island winners Dani and Jack and their co-stars arrived back in the UK onboard a delayed budget Ryanair flight

Home sweet home: The former barmaid, 22, and the stationery salesman, 26, were joined by their co-finalists as they landed back at London Stansted Airport on Tuesday afternoon

Mobbed: They struggled to make their way through the terminal as they were mobbed by fans

Of her EastEnders star father, she said: 'He honestly is so happy for us, it is so overwhelming, I never thought he would be so happy.'

Jack added: 'Isnt it good he actually approves? We are mates now.'

The next step for the couple will be moving in together and Fincham said they will start house-hunting soon.

He said: 'We are talking about the end of September. We want to have moved out by October.'

On Tuesday, he revealed to The Sun that he plans to tie the knot with Dani next year.

Making memories: One lucky fan stood on tiptoes as he posed for a snap with the show's winners, before Dani picked up a girl for more pictures while waiting for their flight home

Good to see you! Dani looked bemused as her and Jack were surrounded by crowds of wellwishers that included family and friends

Confident: Predicting that daughter Dani would be victorious, Danny Dyer had uploaded another video insisting that his little girl had 'won already' on the show ahead of the live results

Packed: Hundreds of fans clamoured to take snaps of Dani and Jack as they landed in the UKShe's far from camera shy.

On Wednesday, Emily Ratajkowski was spotted posing on the streets of NYC during a photoshoot with Australian model Jordan Barrett.

The 27-year-old actress donned a clinging grey dress that she paired with sky-high heels.

Model behavior: On Wednesday, Emily Ratajkowski was spotted posing on the streets of NYC during a photoshoot

Picture perfect: Her glam for the day was done by makeup artist Hung Vanngo

Emily, whose natural locks fall well past her shoulders, wore a chin-length wig for the shoot.

She later teamed her skintight dress with an over-sized pink coat.

Her glam for the day was done by makeup artist Hung Vanngo.

Jack of all trades: Behind the camera was Australian model Jordan Barrett

New do: Emily, whose natural locks fall well past her shoulders, wore a chin-length wig for the photoshoot with Jordan

Model off duty: Emily ditched her heels for sneakers when not shooting

As for Barrett, he was casually clad in blue slacks, a thermal long-sleeve shirt, and Converse.

The 22-year-old cover boy, who has been labeled 'model it boy of the new era' by Vogue, is best known for his close friendship with fellow model Bella Hadid.

Pretty in pink: Emily later covered her skintight dress with an over-sized pink coat

All smiles: Ratajkowski shared a laugh with Barrett on set

Strike a pose: Emily and Jordan shot outside of NYC hotel

Emily stripped down to a white towel for her final shots of the day.

The UK native could be seen posing in a mirror while Barrett stood behind her with a camera.

'They aren't ready @iblamejordan,' she said on Instagram.Earlier this week, Married At First Sight's Justin Fischer offered to lend Tracey Jewel a helping hand after she was left stranded in Germany following her split with businessman Patrick Kedemos.

But on Thursday, radio personality Kyle Sandilands questioned Justin's intentions after the ice cream entrepreneur suggested he rendezvous with Tracey, 35, in Berlin.

'Why wouldn't he just fly her home?' Kyle asked on his KIIS FM breakfast show, referencing the fact a wealthy entrepreneur like Justin could easily pay for Tracey's ticket without having to meet her in person.

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'Why wouldn't he just fly her home?' On Thursday, Kyle Sandilands questioned Married At First Sight star Justin Fischer's (right) intentions by offering to meet Tracey Jewel (left) in Germany after she was left 'stranded' following her split with Patrick Kedemos

Kyle then suggested that Justin, who is the millionaire CEO of soft serve company Brullen, was perhaps hoping his valiant efforts would be rewarded in kind.

'I know what he's after!' he said. '[Justin is] flying to get her and and he'll be like, "While we're here, we might as well spend a couple of days on the Riviera!"

'Ice cream man, that bloke's been busy!'

It's over! On Tuesday, a source close to Tracey, 35, confirmed that she split with her boyfriend Patrick Kedemos (left) while the pair were cruising around Europe together. The newly-single star subsequently found herself stranded and 'unable to pay for her own return flight home'

On Tuesday, a source close to Tracey, 35, confirmed that she split with her boyfriend Patrick Kedemos while the pair were cruising around Europe together.

German police were called after an argument between Tracey and Patrick, 45, that took place on July 28, following the pair's arrival in Berlin.

The newly-single mother-of-one was then forced to turn to the Australian embassy after she was left stranded and 'unable to pay for her own return flight home'.

Break-up blues: A source told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday, 'Patrick officially ended things and Tracey was then left to arrange her own return travel back home to Australia alone after they split. But she hadn't taken any money with her on the trip and was left stranded'

'Things reached breaking point on Saturday night when they had an almighty row -with Tracey moving into a separate hotel room to calm down,' said an insider.

'Patrick officially ended things and Tracey was then left to arrange her own return travel back home to Australia alone after they split.

'But she hadn't taken any money with her on the trip and was left stranded. The last friends heard she'd filed a complaint with the police was waiting for the Australian embassy to open on Monday so she could figure out what to do.'

How kind! After Tracey's plight was exposed, Justin reportedly offered his services. A source said on Wednesday: 'He might go there and try and help her. He's in Dubai for a business trip and is planning to jet to Berlin in coming days for more meetings, so he'll be in Germany'

After Tracey's plight was exposed, Justin reportedly offered his services.

A source told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday: 'He might go there and try and help her. He's in Dubai for a business trip and is planning to jet to Berlin in coming days for more meetings, so he'll be in Germany.

'He might reach out to her when he's there. He's friends with Tracey. It's a shame what's happened [with Patrick].'to the op, Why are we speAking as if it's victory for a country to enter negotiations after we begged them to?



I see this in thread after thread. Nothing accomplished and we think it a win.



Trump broke all my kinds of agreements that cumulatively brought us the greatest way of life in the world's history.



Now he's trying to put everything back together again?



Try to move China out of all the inroads they have made due to these mindless moves.Candid comedian Tiffany Haddish got the Vogue '73 Questions' interrogation on Wednesday where she dished on her favorite fashion and celebrity encounters.

The in-demand 38-year-old was very impressed when Taylor Swift invited her to a dinner party at her $47.7M Manhattan compound.

'She made some brisket!' the Last O.G. actress told Conde Nast's Joe Sabia.

On the mic! Candid comedian Tiffany Haddish got the Vogue '73 Questions' interrogation on Wednesday where she dished on her favorite fashion and celebrity encounters

'It was beef, chicken (which was delicious), some potato salad (delicious), and some cornbread (it was so good). And I brought the joyful greens.'

Tiffany met the 28-year-old pop diva when they performed on the November 11 episode of Saturday Night Live, for which she received her first-ever Emmy nomination.

The only emotional moment was when Haddish discussed the traditional zuria and kaba she donned at the Oscars in honor of her late father Tsihaye, a refugee from Eritrea.

'My father said one day I would be able to go to a really amazing event like that and when I do, I need to represent his people,' the She Ready funnywoman explained.

'She made some brisket!' The in-demand 38-year-old was very impressed when Taylor Swift invited her to a dinner party at her $47.7M Manhattan compound (pictured November 11)

The Last O.G. actress told the fashion mag: 'It was beef, chicken (which was delicious), some potato salad (delicious), and some cornbread (it was so good). And I brought the joyful greens'

Congrats! Tiffany met the 28-year-old pop diva when they performed on the November 11 episode of Saturday Night Live, for which she received her first-ever Emmy nomination

'He's from Eritrea, so I wore a princess dress from Eritrea.'

Surprisingly, the Groupon brand ambassador's most treasured fashion item is the unicorn onesie she wore on the cover of her memoir, The Last Black Unicorn, which hit shelves December 5.

'I'm going to put it on [as] soon as I get home!' Tiffany said.

'I wore a princess dress from Eritrea': The only emotional moment was when Haddish discussed the traditional zuria and kaba she donned at the Oscars in honor of her late father Tsihaye, a refugee from Eritrea (pictured March 4)

The She Ready funnywoman explained: 'My father said one day I would be able to go to a really amazing event like that and when I do, I need to represent his people'

'I'm going to put it on [as] soon as I get home!' Surprisingly, the Groupon brand ambassador's most treasured fashion item is the unicorn onesie she wore on the cover of her memoir, The Last Black Unicorn, which hit shelves December 5

The eight-minute video was shot at Manhattan comedy club Carolines on Broadway and Haddish detailed her hilarious warm-up routine before stand-up shows.

'I get in the mirror and I go, "Babydaddy, babydaddy, babydaddy, babydaddy, babydaddy, babydaddy, child support, child support, child support, child support, child support,"' the self-described 'hot mess' joked.

'Basically I say all the things that I don't want really fast to trick the universe into giving me what I do want.'

In the spotlight: The eight-minute video was shot at Manhattan comedy club Carolines on Broadway and Tiffany detailed her hilarious warm-up routine before stand-up shows

Haddish said: 'I get in the mirror and I go, "Babydaddy, babydaddy, child support, child support." Basically I say all the things that I don't want really fast to trick the universe into giving me what I do want'

Leading man: And though the MTV Movie & TV Awards host admitted her dream love scene partner was Michael B. Jordan (R), she joked that she'll date 'whoever likes me and can make more money'

And though the MTV Movie & TV Awards host admitted her dream love scene partner was Michael B. Jordan, she joked that she'll date 'whoever likes me and can make more money.'

Tiffany divorced estranged ex-husband William Stewart twice in 2011 and 2013.

Haddish will next play a teacher called Carrie in Malcolm D. Lee's comedy Night School - hitting US/UK theaters September 27 - alongside Kevin Hart and Taran Killam.They took their romance public in June after her reported failed romances with Made In Chelsea's Alik Alfus and Love Island's Eyal Booker.

And two months later, Tina Stinnes, 23, and Matthew Mawhinney were still going strong when they were seen leaving Sexy Fish, in London on Wednesday.

The Love Island star linked her arm through the son of politician Baroness Scotland as they cosied up to each other on the way home from their Chelsea night out.

Cosy: Love Island's Tina Stinnes cuddled up to Matthew Mawhinney as she linked arms with the son of politician Baroness Scotland after night out in Chelsea on Wednesday

Tina showed off her legs in her check mini skirt but she kept her look effortlessly casual by opting for trainers instead of heels.

The Made In Chelsea cast member touched up her features with natural make-up and she wore her platinum locks in a straight style.

Meanwhile, her man looked suave in his crisp collarless shirt worn unbuttoned at the top and his navy cut-offs.

In June, insiders revealed the couple were 'all over each other' as they debuted their romance at the PrettyLittleThing x Maya Jama launch party.

By her side: They took their romance public in June after her reported failed romances with Made In Chelsea's Alik Alfus and Love Island's Eyal Booker

Tina told The Sun of her romance: 'We've been going out for a while. It's going really well. So far, so good.'

The reality television star confessed she was the first to break the ice when they met as she said 'hello' to him at the bar while he was chatting to one of her friends.

Sources also dished to the newspaper at the time: 'They were all over each other.'

Matthew is the son of Patricia Scotland, who was the Attorney General under the then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown between 2007 and 2010.

The hunk's father is Richard Mawhinney, a barrister who is the brother of the former Tory chairman Brian.

Matthew has met former US President Bill Clinton as well as making the most of his lifestyle by attending parties at Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace.

Tina's budding romance shortly follows her pal Olivia Buckland revealing in her New! magazine column that she had a fling with this year's Love Island star Eyal.

She said: 'I actually don't know any of them except Eyal Booker, Tina Stinnes dated him not long after we came out of the villa.'

'Eyal's the brother of someone I work with at W7 make-up. I've never met him, but from what I know, he got on well with Tina.'Denise Richards was spotted on a pizza run in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The 47-year-old actress donned a pair of tiny white shorts and a black tank top on the outing.

It was recently confirmed that Richards would appear on season nine of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills.

Dinner time! Denise Richards was spotted on a pizza run in Los Angeles on Wednesday

Denise, who was formerly married to actor Charlie Sheen, teamed her outfit with Nike sneakers and cat-eye sunglasses.

She wore her blonde locks in soft waves, but appeared to be makeup free for the fast food run.

The Wild Things star carried her belongings in a small, crossbody purse.

Casually clad: The 47-year-old actress donned a pair of tiny white shorts and a black tank top on the outing

It's been a week since Jerry O'Connell spilled the beans about Richards' housewives gig.

'Denise is starting a new endeavor that we're very excited for her to be starting,' O'Connell teased to E! News last Thursday.

'Look, this is just a plot for me to try to get my wife [Rebecca Romijn, who assured she's "not one for drama"] to become one of the housewives of Beverly Hills.'

Bravo has yet to confirm the news.

Return to TV: It was recently confirmed that Richards would appear on season nine of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

Richards, who's a fan of the franchise, previously starred in her own E! reality series Denise Richards: It's Complicatedfor two seasons nearly a decade ago.

It's unclear whether her daughters Sam, 14, Lola Rose, 13, and Eloise, age seven, will be apart of the show.

Denise shares her two oldest with Sheen.A NSW man will face a Sydney court after being extradited from Serbia over his alleged role in an international cocaine-smuggling syndicate, which nabbed a Canberra businessman earlier this year.

The 49-year-old from Murrumbateman was arrested at gunpoint in the foyer of a five-star hotel in Belgrade in January, along with stockyards director and steel importer Rohan Arnold and a third Australian man.

He was flown into Sydney this week and is expected to face Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday on multiple charges including importing a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs, according to the Australian Federal Police.Wayne Bennett has confirmed Test forward Matt Gillett will not play for Brisbane again this season due to a neck injury that has sidelined him since the NRL opening round.

In a blow ahead of Brisbane's Thursday NRL clash with Canterbury, Bennett said Gillett was told the bad news after the latest scans on his neck fracture suffered in their round one loss to St George Illawarra.

"The doctors are erring on the side of caution. The opinion was it is probably best to wait until next year to play again and we are happy with that," Bennett said.Getting oil from the Great Australian Bight is a long term prospect, but Resources Minister Matt Canavan says it could make Australia self-sufficient again.

He says new areas for oil and gas exploration should be opened up for consideration to keep energy costs lower.

"The Great Australian Bight is an opportunity for us. It's a long term one, it's not going to be something that can happen tomorrow," Senator Canavan told Adelaide radio 5AA on Wednesday.

"But there's a lot of people interested around the world. It really is seen as perhaps the richest off-shore opportunity in this space.

"I think it would be a great thing to get back to self-sufficiency in oil one day - we used to have that with Bass Strait."

Senator Canavan said keeping energy costs low meant manufacturing in South Australia and Victoria could remain strong.

"That's why I'm passionate about looking at (new) areas, we've still got a long way to go in the Great Australian Bight, there's a lot of environmental approvals and assessments to be made, the geology is not completely known yet," he said.

"But why would we close that off for your state? The economic opportunity that could come from that is amazing."Wests Tigers veteran Robbie Farah has hinted at the possibility of the club offering him another contract to play in the NRL next season, however, he has yet to decide whether to continue.

Farah is off-contract at the end of the year after gaining a mid-year release from South Sydney to make an emotional return to the Tigers in their push to the finals.

"There haven't been formal discussions but informally I think there's a possibility. It's not set in stone either way. I've got to decide whether I want to," Farah said on Tuesday.Councillors will be forced to declare gifts worth $300 or more within 10 days of receipt, under local government reforms proposed by the West Australian government.

Councillors and council chief executives will also be banned from receiving gifts that present a perceived conflict of interest or are intended to influence their decision-making.

Drafting of an amendment bill for the Local Government Act has begun following four months of consultation and is phase one of a two-part reform process.

OTHER CHANGES PROPOSED UNDER PHASE ONE:

- Online induction for candidates to better understand the role of a councillor and laws covering election campaigning

- Formal training for councillors within one year of election

- A mandatory code of conduct for councillors and candidates

- Tabling adverse findings by the Standards Panel against a councillor at the next council meeting

- Publishing CEO total benefits package, and councillor fees and allowances in annual reports

- Minimum standards for CEO recruitment, performance review and termination

- More information on local government websites.2015

April 11 - Victorian businessman and One Nation backer Bill McNee reportedly tells Pauline Hanson "We'll have to get you a plane," after James Ashby reveals he is a pilot and the party should be flying Hanson to events.

April 13 - McNee's Vicland company gives $30,000 to One Nation.

May 13 - McNee sends an email to Hanson and Ashby: "James, we will sort out the plane tomorrow..." Funds are transferred to Ashby, according to former party treasurer Ian Nelson.

June 5 - Jabiru 230-D aircraft acquired and registered by Ashby from Jabiru Aircraft in Bundaberg.

June 29 - McNee gives One Nation $27,720, which pays for a year's rent on the party's Brisbane office.

July 16 - The Jabiru has its maiden flight from Caloundra airport.

July 17 - Hanson and Ashby fly to Rockhampton for a Reclaim Australia rally.

July-Dec - Electoral Commission of Queensland returns show $10,000 donation from Vicland. Plus four payments totalling $9533 from One Nation to Ashby's company Coastal Signs and Printing.

2016

January - Hanson tells Sky News: "I've still got my plane, well the party's plane, but all the trips I've done in that since the election I've filled it up myself."

July - Hanson and three other One Nation candidates elected to the Senate, with Ashby as her chief of staff.

September - One Nation tells ECQ that in Jan-June 2016 the party paid $1187 to Jabiru Aircraft in Bundaberg for servicing aircraft. No mention of other spending on aircraft.

2017

March-April - Media reports around Jabiru plane and questions about disclosure.

May - Australian Electoral Commission launches a "compliance review" of One Nation's financial disclosures. Australian Federal Police say they are evaluating allegations against party.

August - AFP finds no breaches of commonwealth law.

2018

March - Ashby investigated for allegedly flying the aircraft without the proper licence; says it's a political witch-hunt.

March 15 - One Nation updates AEC register for 2015/16 to declare, under the heading "James Ashby", 243 flight hours in the Jabiru at a price of $125 an hour, not including fuel costs.

May - AEC tells a Senate hearing that notices to compel information had been issued as part of its investigation.

August 1 - Commonwealth prosecutor's office confirms it has received a brief of evidence, referred to it by the AEC.

(Source: Media reports, AEC/ECQ returns)Today's birthday, August 2: Australian National Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack (1964 - )

Michael McCormack became the new Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister earlier this year after Barnaby Joyce was forced to resign amid the fallout from his affair with a former staffer.

But McCormack is not without his own past controversies, including a homophobic editorial piece and his role in the bungled 2016 census.

He was born in Wagga Wagga in NSW Riverina region in 1964 and grew up on the family farms in Marrar and Brucedale.

McCormack attended St Michael's Regional High School and Trinity Senior High School, and following graduation took up a cadetship at The Daily Advertiser.

He was later appointed editor of the paper in 1991, aged 27.

In 1993, McCormack penned a controversial editorial blaming gay people for the spread of Aids. In it, he said "a week never goes by anymore that homosexuals and their sordid behaviour don't become further entrenched in society", and if the "disease their unnatural acts helped spread doesn't wipe out humanity, they're here to stay".

The article sparked several complaints to the Australian Press Council, and McCormack soon apologised.

In February 2002, he was sacked from the paper and he subsequently sued the Riverina Media Group for unfair dismissal. In 2003 the two parties settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

McCormack then turned his sights to politics and became the campaign director for Kay Hull, The Nationals MP for Riverina, at the 2004 and 2007 federal elections.

When she announced her retirement, McCormack won her seat at the 2010 election.

Following the Coalition's victory at the 2013 election, he was made Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and was later appointed various assistant minister positions.

In 2016, McCormack was appointed Minister for Small Business. He oversaw the attempts to move the census online, which failed and led to significant outages.

His most recent appointments have included Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister for Veterans Affairs.

McCormack succeeded Joyce as Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and National Leader on February 26, 2018. He is also the current Minister for Infrastructure and Transport.

He has three children with his wife Catherine.Getting out of the cozy cocoon of isolationism, the United States suddenly discovered the effect of political diffusion. It's natural if you actively influence others, you cannot avoid the oncoming influence. In the late 30's of the last century, this influence became so obvious that US legislation banned direct lobbying by foreign governments. However, the water will always find a crack. During the 20th century, effective ways were developed to allow foreign states to promote their interests on the American political Olympus. Therefore, when the anti-Trump bacchanalia started around the hypothetical intervention of Russia into the elections (the total failure of the democrats must be explained somehow), I just LOLed. They said, Russian hackers had got some classified papers, stalked the Democrat candidate on several websites, and praised Trump. It was literally this malevolence that affected in the most dramatic way on the sacred choice of the American nation. Oh yeah, they're totally serious when saying this. Both Ms. Clinton, using her personal e-mail address to send classified diplomatic papers to the four winds, and the FBI "big bosses", covering her climacteric insanity, of course "do not know" that the Russians aren't even in the top five of the most effective ethnic lobbies in America, and they don't have a real influence on the US policy.Well, you might be interested who has a real influence. Let me bring you an example. Look at the Armenians. There are not many Armenians in the United States who are not members of some Armenian party, association or society. All of these organizations have overtly set a goal of influencing on the domestic and foreign policies of the USA. The actively functioning Armenian National Committee of America (see ANCA) has more than 45 offices in 25 states. Also, founded in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America (see AAA), besides the HQ in Washington, has a regional office in Beverly Hills. The project of "Armenian tree" is managed from Cambridge; there's also an office in New York, dealing with the relations between the Armenian diaspora and the UN. Besides that, we should keep in mind that the United States is not the only country where they work; the network spreads to the European Union as well, functioning as a genuine mafia.If you are confused with the comparison with the mafia, you should know it's an understatement. Both the ANCA and the AAA back the so-called Federation of Armenian Youth. The FAY trains Armenian boys in the summer camp of "Taliban", I mean, "Hayastan", preparing them for serving in some Armenian national terrorist organizations. A terrorist den in the USA! It sounds weird, right? Ok, I gonna remind you the Murad Topalyan's case, who's also known under the pseudonym "Moose." The respectable Mr. Topalyan is the former chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America, an inside man in the Congress and a frequent guest of the White House. Briefly, he's a worthy representative of the Armenian lobby. To be honest, there is a small spot in his impeccable career. In 1999, Topalyan was arrested on charges of organizing terrorist attacks, selling weapons and explosives. A perfect rot, Topalyan recruited demolition men and killers among young Armenians and trained them to carry out terrorist attacks in the summer camp mentioned previously. And the real-life experience Armenian gunmen got in Beirut, where they were improving their skills in the action. The practical result of these exercises was the explosion of a car next to the building of the Turkish mission to the United Nations in New York in October 1980.Let us think for a while about what would happen to some other citizen of Great America, for example, to John Smith from Oklahoma, if he had committed such a crime in the US? He either would be sentenced to death or to 50 years of rotting in a jail. All right. But do not forget that we are not talking about WASP, black or Hispanic, but about a representative of the Armenian diaspora. Do you know how much was his punishment? Three years of imprisonment and three years of supervision! As if he robbed a store being drunk. This, my dear, we call THE INFLUENCE. Of course, if this influence is real, and not fictitious, as in the case of Russians, who get 20 years for a small fraud with credit cards.Having read the text above, you might think that it is the Armenians who bend over America. Am I right? Well, that means you do not know anything about the real abusers. Meet the Saudis and some other Arab kings from the Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, the consequences of the oil embargo in 1973 are still alive in the memory of the Washington officials. They know what will happen if the kings and sheiks suddenly take out their gargantuan money from the banks. And certainly they understand the consequences of the possible withdrawal of troops, which hold Iran at bay, from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Therefore, the guys in white sheets can easily bend over America in perverted forms. And that's what they do. They do not even need the presence of ethnic communities in the US. Why do they need any social group if the money allows them to get all key players by the balls? Our incorruptible and patriotic politicians, lawmakers, top businessmen, diplomats, spies, both generals and admirals, fight each other trying to get closer to the Arab money. Besides that, there's a number of official lobby groups. Can you imagine the size of their gross budget, if only one PR-company Qorvis Communications, working on improvement of the image of the Kingdom, has received more than $60 million from the government of Saudi Arabia during the recent years? I bet, you can't imagine. For instance, what do you know about Saudi Arabia, except that they roll in money? Do you know that several medieval punishments are practiced there? For instance, local priests may sentence you to public decapitation, quarterization, and even stoning. I think you haven't heard about that. You know nothing because a great number of policy experts, ex-ambassadors, professors of elite universities and other expert busters are paid by Saudis to write articles, make publications and read lectures in which they shed the right light on this wild, barbarous kingdom.But these are mere shrimps. When Armenians buy up congressmen in some states, it would be surprising if the richer Arabs would not spread their network of "innocent corruption" to the whole country, starting almost with schoolchildren and students. They brainwash well the young people, but the work with the people who have already reached a high position in business and politics is still much more important. Exxon Mobil Corp., Koch Industries, Inc., Chevron Corporation, Fleishman-Hillard, Boland & Madigan, Inc. and other tough companies carry out overt and not very overt lobbying activities in the interests of Riyadh. Not very far back in the past such activities were immediately equated with the high treason, with all that it implies. But the times change, and the money does change them. According to the statistical center of The Lobby Watch, only for November-December 2013, Saudi Arabia transferred to the account of Exxon Mobil Corp more than $113 million. And according to the Government Accountability Groups, Saudi lobbying organizations spent more than $115 million on the presidential campaign of Barack Obama! Was it interference, or was it not?Against this background, one can keep silent about the fact that annually in Riyadh and Doha there are more than a hundred of political and business forums where, at the expense of the hosts, both representatives of American businesses, and influential politicians gormandize, have a high on the hog vacations and get luxurious gifts. Such a trifle for serious people. But one thing we should not keep silent about is that Saudi Arabia is the main source of cash influx for Al-Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists, and it also charges up radical Wahhabism in the mosques of America. So, while our political and military elite eat from the swarthy hands of Bedouin kinglets, the terrorists, being financed by the same kinglets, keep killing American people. So what did you say about interference?Health professionals have been given updated guidelines for treating the near half a million Australians aged over 18 with heart failure.

The new guidelines released on Thursday by the Heart Foundation and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) provide the latest evidence in the prevention, diagnosis and management of adults with heart failure.

It's the first time in seven years the guidelines have been updated.

Heart Foundation chief medical adviser and cardiologist Garry Jennings says the new guidelines include new advice on targets for type two diabetes medications and improvements in the criteria to diagnose heart failure.

Patients dealing with one or more life-threatening conditions as well as their heart problems are increasing as people live longer with heart failure, Professor Jennings says, and the guidelines take this into account.

"By improving outcomes for heart failure patients with co-morbidities, we aim to reduce hospital readmissions," Prof Jennings said.

"Avoiding these crises will help patient survival and quality of life."

Only 50 per cent of patients diagnosed with chronic heart failure survive five years later.

The Heart Foundation and CSANZ have also released their first guidelines for the diagnosis and management of adult patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) - a condition that causes a third of all strokes in Australia.

Deaths from AF have increased by 82 per cent over the past 10 years and Prof Jennings is hopeful the guidelines will help prevent AF before it causes a stroke.

"The guidelines also advise on the need to prevent, detect and manage several risk factors that can cause AF and increase its complications, including hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, valvular heart disease, and alcohol excess," he said.The prison officers union will front a parliamentary inquiry to share "horror stories" from inside a privatised NSW jail which they claim is "dangerously understaffed".

The NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Parklea Correctional Centre is looking at staff resourcing, safety, contraband, security and governance within the privately run facility as well as the appropriateness of privatised prisons in NSW.

The inquiry will hear from Public Service Association's Tony Wright and Prison Officers Vocational Branch's Nicole Jess when it meets in Sydney on Thursday.

The PSA has indicated it will share "horror stories from members" which include staff feeling too unsafe to work in sections of the prison, unreported assaults against officers and inmates escaping due to understaffing.

"The stories Parklea guards have told paint a picture of a privatised prison that is dangerously understaffed, with management solely focused on grabbing as much cash from the government as possible," Mr Wright said in a statement on Thursday.

"Members have told us about night shifts were there are only six staff rostered on to manage 900 inmates."

"Prisoners have had to help guards break up fights in the yard because the guard was on his own."

Mr Wright says the privatisation of Parklea means there is less transparency and staff say incidents are being under-reported.

A third day of hearings is scheduled on September 28.A new research hub is being funded to help researchers develop technologies to protect crops and livestock against potentially crippling diseases.

Griffith University is being given $5 million from the commonwealth government to develop disease fighting technologies and reduce the time and cost of protecting crops and livestock from disease.

The new research is one of three agriculture research projects being funded in the latest $180 million round of Australian Research Council grant and fellowship funding.

"In recent years we've seen firsthand the crippling impact disease can have on local farming industries," Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said in a statement.

"The new technologies that will be developed from this hub will not only benefit Australian farmer but also help the start-up technology companies behind these innovations to grow and tap into markets around the world."

La Trobe University will also receive $5 million for a hub to develop a local medicinal agriculture industry while the University of Queensland will get $3.6 million to train researchers on Australia's native food and agribusiness sector.

Researchers in the energy sector will also receive funding to develop energy storage beyond batteries, including hydrogen storage technology.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the hubs were incubators for the next generation of researchers.

The research funding also includes more than 100 fellowships to attract and retain researchers to work in Australia.Police are hunting a fourth young man accused of burning a historic school in Sydney's west while three others have been charged over the $10 million blaze.

The trio - two 19-year-olds and a 20-year-old - were charged on Tuesday over the fire in the two-storey heritage building at the old Parramatta Public School that broke out in the early hours of May 19.

Police are looking for another man, 20, believed to be involved, but say he has fled NSW.

The four men had no known connection to the school, which was undergoing major renovations.

The captured trio has been granted strict conditional bail on charges of destroying property in company with fire and unlawfully entering a premises.

They will appear in Parramatta Local Court on September 12.New Zealand's law change to give domestic violence survivors additional paid leave makes Australia look like it's living in the past, unions believe.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions wants Australia to follow suit and bring in a 10-days paid domestic violence leave scheme.

New Zealand introduced the leave last week, becoming the second country in the world to do so.

"No one should be forced to choose between their income and their safety," ACTU president Michele O'Neil said.

She says it should be a right for all workers.

"If you're escaping family and domestic violence you need financial stability and independence while you go to the police, seek support from doctors and lawyers, move house and find new schools for your kids," she said.

"New Zealand has made it clear that the Turnbull government is living in the past."

From this month 2.3 million Australians will be able to access five days of unpaid leave, while the government has committed to extending the scheme to a further six million workers.

Workplace minister Craig Laundy said many employers already provided support including paid leave to employers experiencing family and domestic violence.

"We encourage other employers to follow their lead," he said.

The Fair Work Commission is set to revisit the idea of paid leave in modern awards in 2021.

The Philippines introduced 10-day special leave provisions for family violence survivors in 2004.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

Lifeline 13 11 14Trawlers, crabbers and worm diggers have accused the federal government of abandoning them after last year's White Spot outbreak in Moreton Bay.

The disease has cost Queensland's prawn industry hundreds of millions of dollars and continues to impact fishers.

More than 100 commercial fishers from the region are now preparing a class action against to cover their financial losses.

Solicitor Chris Thompson said he expects more to join the lawsuit.

"They're all hurting very badly as a result, still, and will well into the future," he told AAP.

Michael Wood, a career trawler and vice president of the Moreton Bay Seafood Industry Association, condemned the government's slow response to White Spot.

"The federal government has taken no notice of it," Mr Wood said.

"If it becomes endemic we don't know what we're going to do."

Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA) chief executive Eric Perez says the legal action is the last resort after lobbying efforts for compensation failed.

"We have tried every avenue that we physically can to get justice for the fishermen in Moreton Bay as well as the post-harbour sector," Mr Perez said.

In May, the state government lifted restocking restrictions placed on farmers hit by the 2016 White Spot outbreak in the Logan River.

The federal government compensated farmers who incurred the costs of killing their stock and decontaminating facilities when White Spot was first detected in the Logan River near Brisbane and at three land-based prawn farms.High winds and raised dust across central South Australia could pose a problem for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions, health authorities say.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for an area extending from the mid-north to Kangaroo Island for Thursday, with wind gusts of up to 100km/h possible.

Centres which may be affected include Adelaide, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Ceduna and Port Augusta.

SA Health's Chief Medical Officer Paddy Phillips said people with respiratory or cardiac conditions are advised to stay indoors and follow their personal management plans.

"If there is an associated dust storm with these winds, people with pre-existing illnesses such as asthma and respiratory problems may have their symptoms aggravated," he said.

"We advise those people to avoid exposure to dust, stay indoors, take medication as usual and avoid exercise in areas of high dust."

BOM supervising meteorologist Matt Collopy, said a combination of dry conditions and a vigorous front had the potential to produce raised dust over parts of the state.

"This July is the driest for South Australia since 1999 and that's resulted in low soil-moisture levels across the state," Mr Collopy said.A teenage girl has been charged over an alleged stabbing of an older student at a north Adelaide school.

The injured girl, who is in year 12 at St Dominic's Priory College, suffered a laceration to her shoulder in the attack on Wednesday afternoon and was taken to the Women's and Children's Hospital for treatment.

A 14-year-old girl has now been charged with aggravated assault intentionally causing harm and five counts of unlawful threats. She was refused bail to appear in the Adelaide Youth Court on Thursday.Victoria's chief health officer says it's not too late to get the flu shot as nearly 200,000 extra jabs are made available in the state.

About 120,000 vaccinations have been made available for adults and more than 70,000 for children aged under five, chief health officer Charles Guest says.

"It's never too late to get a flu shot, and with influenza activity just now on the rise, getting a shot now will provide full season protection right through winter and beyond the expected peak in late September," he said in a statement on Thursday.NSW police officers are swooping on several properties in Sydney's south in relation to the daylight execution of former bikie boss Mahmoud "Mick" Hawi earlier this year.

Strikeforce investigators are raiding six properties, including a Padstow business and Beverley Hills property, looking for evidence relating to Hawi, who was gunned down outside a Rockdale gym on February 15.

The raids kicked off at 7am Thursday with several search warrants underway as police continue to investigate who was behind the murder of the former Comancheros president.Why We Shouldnt Treat Supremacists and Fascists as Our Equals

What Equality Really Means



(And Why it Matters) 

This writer articulates and express so well what I feel about the absurd notion that in order to be 'tolerant,' you must tolerate intolerance. I have cried 'bullshit' on this for at least the past five years, since it's become a right wing bigot kneejerk defense attack. If you place yourself in a positon of superiority, you automatically concede your equality.

When I was in high school, there was a kid, big enough to be called a giant, named Joe Jasper. The strange thing about Joe was this. Even though he towered over us, even though he could have been the biggest bully of all, he was impossibly fragile. Already broken inside. A kind of fear always flashed in his hooded, downcast eyes, which never met anyone elses. His dull, almost inaudible monotone seemed to be haunted by a spectre. Today, Id see that a kid like that was probably being profoundly abused, by a male elder, a father, a priest, maybe even a teacher  but back then, I just saw the strange contradiction of a wounded giant.Now, this was in America, and American kids are raised from day one to scent weakness, indoctrinated early into the only law operant in America, the rule of the strong over the weak. So they lit upon this strange, haunted giant, like a ravenous pack of wolves. Every day, kids of a certain kind  the jocks, all budding patriarchs, a little preening tribe of testosterone, cologne, muscles and logos  would surround Joe, and scream at him. Fag! Pussy! Freak! Dumbfuck! Loser! I had only a little understanding then, an unconscious one, that they were doing it because he was their physical ideal  a giant  but didnt live up to their cultural one, of cruelty, greed, superiority, and dominance. And so he had to be, like all false idols, destroyed. So they tormented him to destruction, day after day.Now, something in me  skinny, frail, green hair, leather jacket  was enraged by all this. The daily public humiliation  and sometimes beating  that Joe suffered, over and over again. It made me frown, and then go volcanic inside. Id see him when no one else was looking  a giant curled into a ball, there, under the bleachers, crying. How terrible. How odd. How sad. So I welcomed him into our motley crew of misfits  punks, artists, poets, musicians. Outcasts on an island of the damned. I thought  or maybe I just hoped  being part of a tribe might shield him. And the truth was that the guys picking on him were scared of us. Our spikes and studs and combat boots.But it created something like an instantaneous civil war instead. There was Joe being picked on again. Now the punks were involved, too. Wed try and pull him out of the clutches of the jocks. Every so often, thered be an epic brawl, fists flying, shirts tearing, faces bleeding, boots kicking. And the jocks would shot: Fags! Freaks! Fucking weirdos! Well kill you, you fucking pussies!! Wed laugh, sneer, and give them hell.I didnt know it then  but Joe had become something like a fault line, in our little world, cleaving sharply between the fundamental ideas of civilization  equality, freedom, gentleness towards human fragility  and those which most truly define its opposite: patriarchy, supremacy, domination, violence, the power to destroy, not the power to lift up. We were re-enacting an old war. Maybe as old as time itself. Maybe we still are  but Ill get to that part.Break it up!! Wed be called into the principals office. All of us they could find. Sneering punks, scowling jocks, a bewildered Joe. And the teachers would look at us sternly, and say something that dumbfounded me. You need to respect each other. Its OK if you dont like each other. Everyone has a right to their opinions. Just dont take it out with your fists.Something in me would erupt at that point. Respect each other? Its OK when they call Joe a fag and a freak? Theyre the ones picking on Joe!, Id cry. Theyd look at me, frowning with a kind of dumb pity, and reply, Everyone has a right to their opinion. They dont like Joe. Joes different. Thats OK. But you all need to get along.How can we get along with people who want to hurt us? Id ask. Thats your job. Youre equals. With equal rights to your opinions. Figure it out, theyd reply.Id walk out, sneering. Nothing would change. The bullying, the fights, the brawls. It would go on and on. And Id keep thinking that something was badly wrong with this idea of equality. It just didnt work in practice  it only seemed to protect the strong, and turn them into predators, who preyed on the weak, a little more viciously each day. It had to be a profoundly flawed notion, this version of equality  one which had torn our little world apart, two halves which no one could put back together again  but I couldnt say how yet.Fast forward a few decades. Here we are, all of us  in my high school. The supremacists and fascists of the world are picking on the Joes. Gays, Jews, immigrants, minorities, refugees, anyone whos weak in any way. And the liberal response is: everyone has a right to their opinion! Be civil to them. You must treat them as equals.Its exactly what my teachers said to me all those years ago  and now, as then, its as laughably disappointing. It only emboldens the fascists. In just a few short years, using this principle of equality, weve gone from grievance to predation  kids in camps, while were still told to respect supremacists as equals.Only now I understand what went wrong with this idea of equality. How fatally flawed and illogical it is. Let me put it to you like this. Marcuse once said that the one thing we must never tolerate is intolerance. I think theres another way to see that. When someone asserts supremacy, theyve in that precise instant given up a claim to equality  and so theres no need to treat them as equals.What, then, should we do? Our first obligation isnt to treat them with respect and hear them out. That essentially legitimizes and licenses their predation, just as Fag! Weirdo! and Freak! all those years ago legitimized and licensed the jocks making Joes every day a living hell. Instead, our first obligation is to shun, ostracize, deny, and reject supremacists, wherever we find them.If they come to our restaurants, we should jeer them. If they come to our bars, we should mock them. If they come to our theatres, we should expel them. If they want to do business with us, we should refuse them. Any kind of contact whatsoever must be minimized, to the point that supremacists are as small a part of society as is possible. Does that sound harsh to you? Maybe unfair? Does it make perfect sense?Lets think about it. When a person or group asserts supremacy, what are they really doing? They are putting themselves above everyone else  inherently, in an iinescapable and irreversible way. I am pure in blood, genetically better  whatever, the message is that I am strong, and my destiny is to prevail over the weak. Now, at that very moment, they themselves have decided to opt out of, as wed say these days, being equals. They cannot be true equals anymore. They do not wish to be treated as such  and therefore they dont treat anyone else as such, either?So why would we treat people who dont treat anyone else as equalsas equals? Do you see how foolish it is? What happens if we do that? Then, as Ive said, we license and legitimize supremacy. We make it possible for supremacists to mistreat anyone and everyone  just like my foolish teachers notion that Fag!, Freak!, and Pussy! versus Dont call this poor kid those names are opinions with equal moral weight. They arent. Thats exactly how we end up with white supremacists on CNN and in the New York Times, isnt it  and that licenses and legitimizes them, too, doesnt it?One is predation, and one is an expression of equality. If we are to value equality, then we cannot say that supremacy is just another valid opinion, position, or perspective. It is the very absence and negation of equality, and in that way, those who assert it have rejected equality a priori, and therefore, there is no obligation to treat them as equals  but the very opposite. To treat those as equals who have already rejected the idea of equality is to debase and devalue the very idea of equality itself.This is the war, in many ways, the world is fighting today. Are we equals? Or am I better than you? Me, the American, me the Brit, me the Hungarian, me the Pole. Over the immigrant, the refugee, the unwashed immigrant, the dirty Muslim, the filthy Jew. Make Us Great Again! Better! The best! When worlds fall apart, people revert back to tribal hierarchies. But the problem with tribal hierarchies is that then each tribe must in turn compete for the highest position of all, so that its members are above all the others. That is why the world made no progress at all until the creation of the idea of equality  only war, in an endless cycle, forever, peasants fighting for their kings. Just like scared little boys, fighting each other, in high school hallways.Its an old war, isnt it? It goes on and on. Weve been fighting it since the beginning of time. Athens and Sparta. Caesar and Brutus. Kings and free men. Free men and unfree women. The slavers and the abolitionists. The Axis and the Allies. And on the wheel turns. Its as old as time, this great cleavage among human beings. Between those who are for equality, and those who are supremacy.I wont say to you that the arc of history bends towards justice. Justice is something we get only if were fortunate. Joe taught me that much. But if there is to be something like greater and truer justice in the lives of men and women, then there must first be equality. Equality is dignity, respect, and gentleness for the fragility in every human soul. But it is not equating all that with supremacy, because the supremacist has already ceded any claim to be (treated as) an equal. Thats what I was trying to tell my high school teachers. Equality, therefore is, created only this way: through the obligation to reject supremacy, as much as we can, in whatever ways we can, wherever we find it, in all its forms. Not with violence, unless it is done to us, perhaps  but at least with scorn, refusal, defiance,rebellion, laughter, and grace.UmairJuly 2018Police in the US state of Texas have recovered a small shark smuggled out of an aquarium in a baby carriage by three thieves, and arrested one of the alleged culprits.

Police found the shark early Monday, two days after it was taken from the San Antonio Aquarium in a daring mid-day heist.

Three thieves were caught on surveillance video removing the shark from its display, placing it in a bucket and smuggling it out in a stroller. They drove away in a red truck as aquarium staff were catching up with them.

Police found the truck and tips helped them trace the vehicle Monday to the home of Antone Shannon, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

The 38-year-old confessed to the crime and has been charged with theft, the Express-News said.

"He had a lot of different marine animals in the home, very much knew what he was doing," Leon Valley Police Chief Joseph Salvaggio told reporters late Monday.

The shark was said to be in good condition and held in quarantine.

It posed no danger to humans during its time away. Horn sharks are a coastal species that typical grow to only about three feet (a meter) in length and eat other marine animals such as crustaceans.North Korea will be under scrutiny at this week's security talks in Singapore, where US President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un held a summit two months ago

The US will urge the international community to keep up sanctions pressure against North Korea at a security forum in Singapore this week, as concerns mount that Pyongyang has made little progress towards denuclearisation.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart will attend the gathering in the city-state where US President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un held their historic summit two months ago.

Pompeo and top diplomats from other countries involved in trying to curtail Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions will scrutinise whether the North has taken concrete steps towards abandoning its nuclear weapons.

At his landmark talks with Trump in June, Kim signed up to a vague commitment to "denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" -- a far cry from long-standing US demands for complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament.

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While there have been small signs of progress, news reports indicate Pyongyang is continuing to build rockets, and there are mounting concerns that the enforcement of United Nations sanctions on the North is being relaxed by some member states.

A US official said Washington was "concerned" by North Korean violations of UN-approved sanctions, including illegal shipments of oil by sea.

Gatherings like Saturday's ASEAN Regional Forum are "an opportunity to remind all countries of their obligations in adherence" of UN Security Council resolutions, the official said.

- 'Lasting peace, stability' -

The annual forum, hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), brings together top diplomats from 26 countries and the European Union for talks on political and security issues in Asia-Pacific.

The foreign ministers from all nations involved in stalled "six-party" negotiations with North Korea aimed at reining in Pyongyang's nuclear programme will be at the gathering: the US, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea.

Cutting off oil and fuel to the North would require enforcement primarily by China, which supplies most of North Korea's energy needs, but also by Russia, which delivers some oil to Pyongyang.

Despite the concerns about the North's progress toward abandoning its nuclear weapons, ministers at the forum are expected to strike an upbeat note about the agreement between Trump and Kim.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed up to a vague 'denuclearisation' commitment at the summit with President Donald Trump

They will encourage the US and Pyongyang "to continue working towards the realisation of lasting peace and stability on a denuclearised Korean Peninsula", according to a draft copy of the chairman's statement obtained by AFP.

US officials have not said if Pompeo will meet his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, on the sidelines of the forum.

But even if he does, Sung-Yoon Lee, a Korea expert at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, was sceptical that there would be any fresh signs of progress when it came to denuclearisation.

"Pompeo shall gain nothing substantive other than North Korea's amenability to further talks about talks," he said.

- 'Free and open' -

The US secretary of state will also focus on another major regional flashpoint at the forum -- rival claims in the South China Sea and China's growing presence there.

China claims nearly all the strategically vital sea, including waters approaching the coasts of ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

Beijing has in recent years expanded its presence in the sea by building artificial islands capable of holding military bases.

Ahead of his trip to Southeast Asia, which will also take him to Malaysia and Indonesia, Pompeo called for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region and will expand on the theme at the Singapore meeting, according to the State Department.

North Korea showed off its Hwasong-15 ballistic missiles during a military parade in Pyongyang in February

The disputed waters will be in focus when the 10 ASEAN foreign ministers hold talks among themselves during a working dinner on Wednesday, with the regional bloc and China expected to announce some progress in long-running talks aimed at coming up with a code of conduct for the sea.

They are expected to announce that they have agreed on a single draft text that reflects the starting negotiating positions of countries towards a code.

Analysts however stressed it would be another small step coming over 15 years after negotiations began.

Hoang Thi Ha, an analyst at the ASEAN Studies Centre in Singapore, said the development represented "some initial progress" but noted that drawing up the code "will continue to be a painstaking and painfully slow process".Cambodia's strongman leader Hun Sen (C) has hailed the election as 'free, fair and just'

The co-founder of Cambodia's disbanded opposition has decried the landslide victory of Hun Sen's ruling party in an uncontested poll as a "terrible setback", urging a campaign of non-cooperation with the next government.

A provisional count from Sunday's poll has handed the Cambodia People's Party of strongman Hun Sen, who has ruled for more than three decades, all 125 parliamentary seats -- cementing the country's status as a one-party state.

The election was held without the only credible opposition, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was barred from running after it was dissolved by the Supreme Court late last year.

"It's a fake victory... a fake election, with a foregone conclusion," said CNRP co-founder Sam Rainsy, who lives in self-exile in Paris to avoid a slew of convictions he contends are politically motivated.

"It is a return to the old system, the one-party system, like during the Cold War, during the Communist times... it is a terrible setback for Cambodia," he told AFP in an interview given in France's southern Provence region.

Hun Sen has hailed Sunday's vote as "free, fair and just", with his party saying the estimated 82 percent turnout made a mockery of CNRP calls for a boycott.

On Wednesday, his first public appearance since the electoral endorsement, Cambodia's ruler since 1985 said he is eyeing "big success" this year in "building the economy... and democracy".

But critics say the poll was held against a backdrop of local-level intimidation while dissenting voices in the media and civil society had been quieted in the run-up to the vote.

In the last elections in 2013 the CNRP took around 44 percent of the popular vote -- threatening Hun Sen's hold on power.

The CNRP's leadership has since either been jailed, pressed into leaving the country or silenced by court cases and intimidation.

Rainsy urged his party's supporters to "mobilise to protest against this fake election" in a campaign of non-cooperation against any government that emerges from the landslide win.

He also said the international community should "reject" the result.

Cambodia and Hun Sen lent heavily on the Western world for aid and investment to rebuild the country from the ruins of decades of civil war, rule by the brutal Khmer Rouge and occupation by Vietnam.

But under fire from his old allies for his increasingly authoritarian bent, Hun Sen has in recent years turned to China for no-strings soft loans, investment and diplomatic ballast.

Washington and the European Union have condemned Sunday's uncontested poll, while Beijing offered its congratulations to the Cambodian people.Mozambican fugitive Momade Assif Abdul Satar, who may have entered Thailand on a fake passport, was arrested in Bangkok last week

Thailand has extradited a Mozambican fugitive wanted for a string of kidnaps for ransom and murders, police said Wednesday, as a crackdown deepens on foreign gangsters using the Southeast Asian country as a bolt-hole.

Momade Assif Abdul Satar entered Thailand three years ago shortly after being freed on parole from a Mozambique jail for the 2000 gangland-style murder of an investigative journalist in the capital Maputo.

Interpol issued a "red notice", or a non-binding arrest warrant, after allegations Satar continued to run a ransom-kidnap business across Mozambique and South Africa from overseas.

The gang snatched wealthy executives and charged up to $3 million for their release.

Media reports in Mozambique and South Africa say a number of those kidnapped were later murdered.

Satar, who was arrested in Bangkok last week, may have entered Thailand on a fake passport and then set up a front company to obtain a visa, the Deputy Commissioner of Thailand's tourist police told AFP.

"He was extradited at midnight (Tuesday) on a flight to Kenya," for onward travel to Mozambique, Police Major-General Surachate Hakparn said.

"We will not allow foreign criminals to use Thailand as base for their operations," Surachate added.

Satar is the latest in a mounting tally of foreign criminals found hiding out in Thailand, a country trying to banish its reputation as a bolt-hole for bad guys.

Surachate, popularly known by his nickname "Big Joke", has launched a high-profile clean-up campaign called Operation X-Ray Outlaw.

In near-nightly round-ups around 2,000 foreigners have been arrested -- including drug dealers and prostitutes as well as visa overstayers in Thailand's tourist hotspots.

Tourism is a cornerstone of the Thai economy and the kingdom expects to welcome over 36 million people this year.

But with borders to several neighbouring countries it struggles to keep tabs on the volume of people coming in and out, including people posing as tourists who then overstay.

Police concede there are gaps in the system, exploited by organised crime networks including human traffickers and drug gangs who have long used the kingdom as a base.

But Thai authorities are tightening up border security and plan to introduce new face and iris scanning technology at its borders in the coming months.

"Once we do that suspects will not come here," Surachate added.On Monday, the governor of Kinshasa said he would ensure Bemba's personal security

Former warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba of the Democratic Republic of Congo said he was headed Wednesday for Kinshasa to throw his hat into the ring for a December presidential election after spending 11 years abroad -- most of them behind bars.

"En route to the land of my ancestors, my homeland," Bemba said on Twitter during the night. A photo of the 55-year-old Bemba boarding a private jet in Belgium accompanied the tweet.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in June overturned a 2016 conviction against Bemba for five counts of war crimes committed by his militia in the Central African Republic in 2002-03.

Bemba had vowed to return to Kinshasa to file his election bid as candidates must physically be in the country to lodge their applications.

On Monday, the governor of Kinshasa said he would ensure security and ordered 10 policemen to guard Bemba after his arrival, an official in his MLC party said.

A hefty police contingent was deployed Wednesday -- a holiday in the DR Congo -- on Kinshasa's main arteries and around the headquarters of Bemba's party, Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC), an AFP journalist reported.

The ICC overturned on appeal an initial 18-year term for war crimes and crimes against humanity for Bemba, who has spent a decade behind bars.

Bemba, now a senator, had been in Belgium -- the DRC's former colonial power -- since the ICC acquittal.

The DRC is in the grip of a crisis over the future of President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the country since 2001 and has remained in office, despite a two-term constitutional limit that expired in December 2016.

He has remained in power under a constitutional clause that enables a president to stay in office until his or her successor is elected.

Kabila, who has ruled since 2001 and defeated Bemba in the 2006 election, has refused to spell out whether he will seek a new term in office in the crucial December 23 election.

The DRC, a mineral-rich country but one of Africa's most volatile countries, has never known a peaceful transition of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960 -- and some experts fear that the December election may trigger a bloody conflict.The cases of remains, each draped with a white and blue UN flag, were lined up in rows as the ceremony got under way

The remains of foreign soldiers returned by North Korea last week are likely to be American, an official at the US agency that deals with troops missing in action said Wednesday, as a US military aircraft prepared to repatriate the cases to Hawaii.

Last week Pyongyang returned 55 cases of remains from the 1950-53 Korean War, in line with an agreement between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at their summit in Singapore in June.

The process of identification could take years, according to experts. But John Byrd, director of scientific analysis at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), said preliminary findings suggested that "they are likely to be American remains".

"The remains are consistent with remains we have recovered in North Korea... in the past," Byrd told reporters at the Osan US Air Base in South Korea. The cases have been kept there since Friday, awaiting their repatriation to Hawaii for further forensic analysis.

"There's no reason at this point to doubt that they do relate to Korean War losses," he added.

Around 500 officials from the United Nations Command (UNC), the United States and South Korea attended a formal repatriation ceremony at the airbase Wednesday.

The cases, each draped with a white and blue UN flag, were lined up in rows as the ceremony got under way.

US soldiers salute during a repatriation ceremony for the remains of US soldiers who were killed in the Korean War, at Osan Air Base in South Korea

"The Korean War fallen have never been forgotten by the United States of America," the UNC said in a statement.

"UNC never leaves troops behind, living or deceased, and will continue the mission of repatriation until every service member returns home," it added.

After the ceremony uniformed soldiers carefully deposited each case into a C-17 cargo plane.

Byrd told reporters that "there was a single dog tag (US soldier's identity tag) provided with the remains."

"The family of that individual has been notified," he said.

"But I would caution... that it's not necessarily the case that the dog tag goes with the remains... in the box," he added, underscoring the challenges of identifying the recovered remains.

The returned material also included military hardware and uniforms, including helmets, water bottles and boots, he said.

- DNA, bones, dental records -

Former DPAA official Jeong Yang-seung, who previously worked on identifying US remains from the North, said it was unusual to locate dog tags during the search and recovery process.

"It's once in a blue moon that dog tags are recovered," Jeong, now professor of forensic anthropology at the Middle Tennessee State University, told AFP.

"I don't think North Korea is refusing to give dog tags when it has more but it probably doesn't have dog tags lying around," he said.

John Byrd, right, director of scientific analysis at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), said preliminary findings suggested that "they are likely to be American remains"

"So when... only one dog tag was provided, it's probably not to tease the US but rather that it was sent because it could offer clues to the remains."

DNA analysis, skeletal studies of bones, dental records as well as details of where the remains were found play a key role in such investigations, he said.

"It's a very thorough process with many, many procedures so it takes a long time," he said.

"If it's identified quickly, it would be around five to six months, but if not, it could take decades."

More than 35,000 Americans were killed on the Korean Peninsula during the war and around 7,700 of them are still considered missing, including 5,300 in North Korea alone.

Between 1990 and 2005 229 sets of remains from the North were repatriated, but those operations were suspended when ties worsened over Pyongyang's banned nuclear weapons programme.Saraki, who has long been seen as having his sights on the top job, has been linked to a string of recent political manoeuvrings that appear to be aimed at weakening President Muhammadu Buhari , a former governor of Kwara State, reacts in Abuja.Nigerian Senate president Bukola Saraki on July 31, 2018, quit the ruling party and joined the oppposition, dealing yet another blow to the country's leader Muhammadu Buhari's re-election bid.

As the leader of Nigeria's Senate, Bukola Saraki is third in the political hierarchy behind President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

But he has long been seen as having his sights on the top job and has been linked to a string of recent political manoeuvrings that appear to be aimed at weakening Buhari.

On Tuesday, Saraki announced his defection to the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing irreconciliable differences with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

What remains to be seen is whether allegations of corruption that have dogged Saraki's rapid rise to prominence will undermine his presidential ambitions.

"There is no doubt Saraki's profile has been on the rise since he began his political career," said Debo Adeniran of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership lobby group.

"He has been presidential aide, two-term governor, senator and now Senate president, all within 17 years," he told AFP.

"The perception that he is corrupt is like an albatross that will continue to haunt him. Nigerians will ask questions when the time comes."

- Rapid rise -

Abubakar Bukola Saraki was born on December 19, 1962, into one of Nigeria's wealthiest and most politically prominent families.

His father was Abubakar Olusola Saraki, a leading figure in post-independence politics who served as Senate majority leader and was considered a "kingmaker" in his home state of Kwara.

He was also chairman of the Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria, which collapsed in 2006 amid allegations of financial mismanagement that the family denies.

The younger Saraki began his political career in 2000 after studying medicine in London and acting as a director of his father's bank.

He was appointed to special assistant on budget affairs by president Olusegun Obasanjo before winning election as governor of Kwara state, where he served from 2003 to 2011.

During that time, he rose to become chairman of the powerful Nigeria Governors' Forum, whose views can heavily influence public opinion and the power elite.

- Allegations -

Saraki followed a well-worn path from state governor to senator but he defected from the PDP before the 2015 election along with hundreds of parliamentary colleagues.

The APC won a historic victory, making Buhari the first opposition candidate to unseat an incumbent president in Nigeria's history.

But Saraki's push for the Senate presidency, backed by his former PDP colleagues, put him at loggerheads with the new government and his legal troubles soon began.

First he was accused of flouting parliamentary rules to secure the position, then he was charged with failing to disclose all his assets during his time as governor.

Prosecutors at the Code of Conduct Tribunal alleged he had acquired wealth beyond his legitimate earnings.

Documents submitted to the hearing showed properties in the wealthiest areas of Lagos and London, luxury cars, shares and bank accounts in his wife and children's names.

As the case rumbled on, leaked documents in the "Panama Papers" saw him accused of failing to declare offshore assets in his wife Toyin's name.

In both cases, Saraki, who was supported in court by dozens of senators and politicians, maintained he had done nothing illegal.

- Behind the scenes? -

Further accusations have followed, including that he was linked to a gang that carried out a brutal armed robbery in Kwara state in April that saw 33 people shot dead.

Saraki called the claim "baseless".

But there soon followed an extraordinary joint statement from lawmakers denouncing Buhari for failing to tackle rising violence and using the security services to target opponents.

Saraki's name did not appear on the statement, which was widely interpreted as a threat of impeachment, but many saw his hand in it.

That view was reinforced when he used the same language after the Supreme Court threw out the false declaration of assets charges against him.

Saraki was also suspected of giving tacit support to a new grouping within the APC, which criticised Buhari's three years in power as a "monumental disaster".Janet Lim Napoles (C) is a key suspect in the 'pork barrel' scandal where politicians allegedly embezzled roughly $200 million that was supposed to help poor Filipinos

A businesswoman at the centre of a massive Manila corruption scandal has been charged in the US with laundering about $20 million allegedly pilfered from the Philippine state, prosecutors said, adding they would seek her extradition.

A federal grand jury in California indicted Tuesday Philippine national Janet Lim Napoles, a key suspect in the so-called "pork barrel" scandal where politicians allegedly embezzled roughly $200 million that was supposed to help poor Filipinos.

Napoles, along with five family members, is accused of wiring $20 million of the stolen money from the Philippines to California bank accounts, the US attorney's office said in a statement.

Lim, 54, is already behind bars in the Philippines, where she is on trial over graft charges stemming from the alleged embezzlement.

The Manila law firm representing her declined to comment.

The US indictment alleges the defendants used the money to buy real estate, shares in businesses, two Porsche Boxsters and finance the living expenses of three US-based Napoles family members.

"We will work with our Philippine counterparts to secure the extradition of the defendants to the United States," said US Attorney Nick Hanna.

The US government won a court order in 2015 to freeze $12.5 million worth of assets bought by Napoles and others using the allegedly stolen funds.

"If the court orders the assets forfeited, the United States will work... to return the stolen funds back to the Philippine government," the statement said.

The money was intended for use in development projects chosen by lawmakers, but instead it was diverted to phoney non-profit organisations and stolen.

The scandal rocked the Philippines, where one in five people live on the equivalent of just over a dollar a day.

Three Filipino senators were among those arrested in Manila in 2014 over the scam.

After her arrest in Manila, the US government said, Napoles and her family attempted to quietly liquidate the American assets and move the cash back to the Philippines or accounts in the US and Britain.

The defendants also allegedly attempted to give some of the money to Napoles's US-based daughter, one of those indicted, who used the cash to open a fashion business.

Last year Napoles won a legal victory when a Philippine appellate court acquitted her of charges of abducting and detaining a former aide who turned state witness against her in the plunder and graft charges.

However, President Rodrigo Duterte's government recently dropped an earlier proposal to turn her into a state witness, which could have lessened her exposure to a long prison sentence if convicted.Syrian President Bashar al-Assad greets troops in the Eastern Ghouta district outside Damascus on March 18, 2018, in his first visit after its recapture from rebels in a Russian-backed offensive

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told his troops on Wednesday they were close to winning the country's seven-year civil war after inflicting a succession of defeats on rebels.

Early last year, government forces held just 17 percent of national territory but a series of blistering offensives has since forced the rebels out of many of their strongholds, putting Assad's government in control of nearly two-thirds of the country.

"Our date with victory is near," Assad wrote in an open letter to the rank and file.

"They (the rebels) were ultimately forced to leave -- humiliated, rolled back, their tails between their legs -- after you gave them a taste of bitter defeat."

Much of the territory was recaptured without any ground fighting as the rebels reluctantly agreed to leave their bombed-out enclaves in Russian-protected convoys.

The army has been bolstered in its offensives by Russian air strikes, Iranian military advisers and militiamen from Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Government troops are now mopping up the remaining pockets of rebel and jihadist territory in the south, where the uprising against Assad first broke out in 2011.

Last week, Assad promised a similar offensive against the rebels' sole remaining major stronghold -- Idlib province in the northwest.

But his ally Moscow has ruled out any large-scale assault on the province in the near future.

Syrian government soldiers flash victory signs next to a tank bearing a picture of President Bashar al-Assad after recapturing the Nassib border crossing with Jordan on July 7, 2018 during a major offensive in the south

Idlib is the last of four "de-escalation" zones agreed by world powers in 2017 where the rebels still have a major presence.

Rebels and civilians bussed out of the other three zones when they fell to the government were all taken to Idlib, increasing its population to around 2.5 million people.

A military operation in the province would cause mass displacement towards the border with Turkey, and even Russia has warned against an assault.

"There's currently no question and can be no question of an operation -- of a major assault -- on Idlib," Russia's Syria envoy Alexander Lavrentiev said on Tuesday.Supporters of The Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) welcomed former DR Congo warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba after he arrived in Kinshasa

After more than 11 years abroad -- a decade of it behind bars -- former DR Congo warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba made a triumphant return home on Wednesday in front of tens of thousands supporters and police firing teargas, reflecting the country's high-voltage political mood.

Bemba, throwing down the gauntlet to his rival President Joseph Kabila, has vowed to contest twice-delayed elections due to take place on December 23.

He landed at Kinshasa from Belgium aboard a private plane after the International Criminal Court (ICC) acquitted him of war-crimes charges in June.

"Bemba is the leader of the Congo, he knows exactly what to do for his Congolese brothers," said Jean-Bertrand Ngondo, among cheering supporters at the capital's Ndjili airport.

Crowds of people, many of them chanting anti-Kabila slogans, also gathered along the city's main highway, prompting police to fire teargas to try to make a path for his open-topped Mercedes, an AFP reporter saw.

The huge numbers greeting Bemba, 55, is the largest politically-related gathering in Democratic Republic of Congo in two years, after a crackdown on protests by Kabila since 2016.

"With the return of Bemba, it is time for Kabila to go. He has made us suffer a lot," said Mado, a vegetable seller.

Bemba's party, the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC), has been preparing for weeks for his return

Police had to cordon off a major avenue that leads directly to Kabila's presidential palace, where two of Bemba's properties are also situated nearby, which led to a temporary standoff.

"I have received clear and precise instructions: Senator Bemba cannot cross this barrier," said Kinshasa police chief Sylvano Kasongo.

But after negotiations, Bemba was allowed to pass the police cordon and travel to a different family property further from the presidential palace.

Analysts say Bemba's return introduces even more uncertainty into an already volatile election. Candidates must submit their applications by August 8 and physically be in the country to do so.

The DRC has never known a peaceful transition of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960 -- and some experts fear the current crisis may spiral into bloodshed.

Former DR Congo warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba (R) arrived at Kinshasa airport

Two wars unfolded from 1996-97 and from 1998-2003 that sucked in other countries in central and southern Africa. Smaller, but still bloody, conflicts dog the centre and east of the vast country today.

- Kabila tension -

Jean-Pierre Bemba was acquitted of war crimes by the International Criminal Court in June

Kabila, 47, took over from his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila, after he was assassinated by a bodyguard in 2001.

His regime has long had a reputation for corruption, inequality and unrest.

Kabila was scheduled to stand down at the end of 2016 after his second elected term, technically the last permitted under the constitution.

But he has stayed in office, invoking a constitutional clause enabling him to stay in power until a successor is elected.

He has refused to spell out whether he will seek a new term.

Dozens have died in anti-Kabila protests amid the mounting political uncertainty.

Hostility to the incumbent was clear in Wednesday's chants, such as "Kabila, take care, your term is over," "Goodbye Kabila," and "Bemba, shave off his white beard."

"The last episode in the Kabila series is unfolding today. The film's over," said a nurse who gave her name as Angelique.

Map of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Another rival to Kabila -- tycoon Moise Katumbi, 53, a former governor of the mineral-rich province of Katanga -- plans to return home on Friday from self-imposed exile abroad.

The third big opposition figure is Felix Tshisekedi of Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UPDS), which was headed by former prime minister Etienne Tshisekedi until his death last year.

- Warlord past -

Bemba was once an assistant to former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

In the late 1980s, he founded the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC) -- then a rebel group but now a political party -- with help from neighbouring Uganda.

In 2003, he became vice-president under a peace deal to end the fighting. Bemba's MLC had managed to overrun the country's north.

Three years later, he stood against the incumbent Kabila in presidential elections and lost the run-off. He claimed the vote was rigged.

Protests against DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila have been violently repressed by the security forces, and dozens have died

Bemba, in turn, was accused of treason when his bodyguards clashed with the army in Kinshasa and then fled in 2007, heading to Belgium, where he spent part of his youth.

He was then arrested in Europe on a warrant by the ICC for war crimes committed by his private army in the neighbouring Central African Republic between 2002-3, when its then president, Ange-Felix Patasse, sought his help to repel a coup attempt.

Jean-Pierre Bemba

He was sentenced in The Hague in 2016 to 18 years before the conviction was overturned on appeal in June. The ICC declared Bemba could not be held responsible for crimes committed by his troops.

The court is due to issue a ruling in a separate case, in which Bemba was sentenced to jail and fined 300,000 euros ($350,000) in 2017 for bribing witnesses during his main trial.

But legal experts expect him to be released definitively if time spent behind bars is taken into account.guy39 said: No I am not talking about them being anonymous or even bringing up the fact they divulged classified information to the press. I am absolutely stating that none of the "officials" said that North Korea was building a new missile. The "officials" stated that there is evidence of activity. Yellow journalism immediately took that as building new missiles. Click to expand...

U.S. intelligence agencies indicate North Korea is building new missiles, officials told The Washington Post on Monday, weeks after President Trump declared the nation is "no longer a Nuclear Threat."

guy39 said: Furthermore, Trump talking to North Korean leaders or Iranian or Russian is not a bad thing. Its neocon 101 to say that it is. Click to expand...

am

I repeat:You are waffling somewhere inbetween complaining about them being anonymous and not having a direct quote.Regardless of how you want to frame your argument... :wacko:I never said it was. I made no comment on that and am refraining from commenting on that at this time.saying it is foolish to believe a liar and a corrupt dictator.Perhaps that has a double meaning... :grin:A member of Yemeni pro-government forces raises his weapon in the Red Sea port town of Mokha on February 08, 2017

Yemen's Huthi rebels announced a two-week pause in Red Sea operations Wednesday, after attacks against Saudi tankers last week prompted Riyadh to suspend oil shipments through a key waterway.

"The unilateral suspension of our naval operations is for a limited period," the rebels said in a statement released by their defence ministry.

The Huthis' Twitter and Facebook accounts said the suspension will last two weeks.

But "it can be renewed and expanded to other fronts if this initiative is well-received and reciprocated", the statement said.

The Huthis are fighting a Saudi-led military coalition that backs Yemen's government.

A spokesman for the coalition did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on the Huthis' unilateral truce.

On July 26, Saudi Arabia said it was temporarily suspending oil shipments through the Bab al-Mandab Strait -- one of the world's busiest shipping lanes -- after two oil tankers operated by Saudi shipping group Bahri were attacked, slightly damaging one vessel.

The pro-Huthi Al-Masirah television said at the time that the rebels had targeted a Saudi warship named Al-Dammam, without providing further details.

The Huthis, allied with Saudi Arabia's regional arch-rival Iran, control Yemen's capital Sanaa and Hodeida port, the entry point for around three quarters of the impoverished country's imports.

The coalition on July 1 paused a ground offensive against Hodeida, in what coalition partner the UAE has described as a bid to give United Nations-led peace efforts a chance.

The head of the rebels' revolutionary council, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said Wednesday's offer of a temporary maritime truce came as "support for UN mediation and peace efforts".

UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths has been pushing for a deal which envisions the rebels ceding control of Hodeida port to a UN-supervised committee.

Saudi Arabia and its allies joined Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's fight against the Huthis in 2015.

Yemen's war has killed nearly 10,000 people and triggered what the UN calls the world's largest single humanitarian crisis, with more than eight million Yemenis at risk of starvation.The Islamic State group's faction in Afghanistan has been behind a string of deadly attacks in recent years

More than 150 Islamic State fighters surrendered in Afghanistan on Wednesday, Afghan officials said, a move which they and the Taliban hailed as the end of the extremist group in the northern part of the country.

The apparent IS capitulation comes after weeks of intense fighting with the Taliban in Jowzjan province in the north, and ongoing pressure from Afghan and US forces.

"Their fighters have surrendered in the past, but this time it is more important because the Daesh leader and deputy surrendered with more than 150 fighters all at once," Mohammad Hanif Rezaee, spokesman for the 209 army corps in the north, told AFP.

Rezaee said 30 women and children had also handed themselves in to Afghan authorities.

"With this the Daesh chapter is going to be closed in the north," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

IS has a relatively small but potent presence in Afghanistan, mainly in the eastern province of Nangarhar, but more recently in Jowzjan.

The group has fought turf wars with the much larger Taliban since emerging in in Afghanistan in 2014. Estimates on their numbers in the country run as high as around 2,000.

Until a few weeks ago there had been around 500 IS fighters in Darzab and Qush Tepa districts of Jowzjan, provincial governor Lutfullah Azizi has said.

But the Taliban stepped up fighting with the group there after an IS attack on their fighters last month killed at least 15 people, Azizi said.

The Taliban took credit for the surrender announced by Afghan officials on Wednesday, saying it had "cleared" the north of IS fighters.

It claimed it had captured 130, wounded more than 100, and killed 153.

The development comes as the Afghan army took over security in the eastern city of Jalalabad in IS's main stronghold of Nangarhar province after a spate of attacks, mostly claimed by the group.

More checkpoints have also been set up and special forces are conducting operations after militants stormed a government office in the city on Tuesday, killing 15 people.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but IS is widely suspected of carrying it out.

"To provide better security for the people, the national army is leading the security in the city," Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, told AFP.

"Police and other security forces are supporting them."

Under the new security plan, the army would lead efforts "to contain the emergency situation" for a week, Khogyani said, declining to provide details.

Eventually, police and soldiers "will join hands to secure the city", he added.

"IS has come under intense pressure from the government and the Taliban. They have lost a lot of men," former general Hadi Khalid, now a military analyst, told AFP.

"The only strategy that can keep them going is to attack soft targets and that is what they have been doing recently."

strs-emh-us-amj/st/jtaJournalists Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal were killed on Monday in the CAR, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said

Three Russian journalists who were killed in the Central African Republic were investigating the activities of a private Russian army there, a media organisation they were working with said Wednesday.

Journalists Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal were killed on Monday in the strife-torn country, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed earlier.

"On Friday, July 27 (they) flew to the Central African Republic to shoot material on the activities of PMC Wagner in the country as part of a joint project with the Investigations Management Centre," the centre wrote on its Facebook page late Tuesday.

The Wagner Group has been described as Russia's shadow army which has operated in many of the world's hotspots, including Syria.

Analysts say Moscow uses the private company so it can play down military activity in countries such as Syria and Ukraine and discount casualties.

A journalist who was investigating Wagner's activities in Syria in April died after falling from the balcony of his fifth-floor flat in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.

The Investigations Management Centre is a media project launched by exiled former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who spent a decade in Russian jail after falling foul of the Kremlin and now lives in Britain.

The circumstances of the deaths of the three journalists in the Central African Republic are unclear.

On Wednesday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said neither the journalists themselves nor those who were backing their trip had told Russian authorities they would be in the country.

"They declared tourism as the purpose of their trip," she told the state channel Russia 24.

"The process of identification has been complicated by the fact that the dead Russians were not carrying their passports on them," she added.

Historically the major international player in the CAR has been France, but Russia has taken on an official role since December last year, when it was authorised by the UN to provide the armed forces with weapons and training.The UAE, a major oil producer, is home to a huge migrant workforce from Asia and Africa

The United Arab Emirates, a major hub for migrant labourers, on Wednesday began an amnesty for workers who entered the country without a visa or overstayed their work permit.

The government said those who entered the UAE illegally or overstayed their visas and who come forward by October 31 would not be fined or charged if they choose to leave the country voluntarily.

The amnesty also grants those looking for employment a six-month visa to find a job.

It excludes, however, those who are "blacklisted" or with legal cases pending.

The UAE, the fourth largest oil producer in the OPEC oil cartel, is home to a huge workforce from Asia and Africa.

Like other wealthy Gulf states, the UAE is often criticised by human rights groups for its treatment of expatriate labourers, but it has taken steps to address alleged abuses.

Official statistics for 2016 show the UAE's labour force to be 6.3 million, out of a population of 9.1 million.

While the government does not release figures on the nationalities of the workforce, most are believed to be foreigners.

The UAE press published testimonies of blue collar labourers who had come forward for the amnesty Wednesday.

"Girraj Prasad, 54, from the state of Rajasthan, is the first Indian who cleared all the procedures to get exemptions from fines to leave the country without a ban," the Gulf News daily reported.

Prasad, who had worked as a tile cutter, told the daily his visa expired because his employers had failed to file papers to renew his residency.Benin President Patrice Talon said he was putting promised constitutional reforms on hold

Benin President Patrice Talon has decided to put his constitutional reform project on hold, arguing that the organisation of a vote would cost too much and was not a priority.

"A referendum is expensive and we are a few months away from the legislative elections," said the head of state in a televised speech late Tuesday on the eve of Benin's 58th independence annicersary.

"The reform initiated by the National Assembly is important, but it is not, for now, a priority issue," Talon said in the address.

The reform, included in Talon's campaign pledges, did not get the required majority when it was considered by the National Assembly at the beginning of July, so was automatically referred to a referendum vote.

The reforms included the improvement of women's representation in parliament, the abolition of the death penalty, the establishment of a court of auditors and, most importantly and controversially, the consolidation of all elections.

The opposition fears the reforms could give an advantage to the ruling party and potentially extend its time in office.

Talon vowed to return to the subject in the future, saying: "I am convinced that one day the sense of national interest and reason will eventually override political (considerations)."

Analysts noted that the referendum could have less to do with issues of reform than serve as a mid-term vote on Talon's performance.

In that case, the referendum was a risky gamble for the head of state, who is facing more and more criticism from trade unions on his liberal policies in the tiny west African country.A South Korean dommsday cult leader chose Fiji as the place to move her flock

The leader of a South Korean doomsday cult has been arrested for allegedly holding some 400 followers captive in Fiji by subjecting them to violence and barbaric rituals, a police official said Wednesday.

Shin Ok-ju, founder of the Grace Road Church, and three other cult leaders were arrested when they arrived at Seoul's Incheon International Airport last week.

"Pastor Shin and the three others face charges of using violence in forcing followers to stay in Fiji", a police official told AFP.

A doomsday prophet, Shin convinced her followers to move to Fiji in 2014, claiming they would be safe there from imminent natural disasters.

Once they arrived, their passports were confiscated and many were allegedly subjected to beatings and brutal rituals purportedly aimed at driving out evil spirits.

Some followers who escaped the farm told journalists that those who attempted to leave the church were subjected to severe public beatings known as "ground thrashings".

"A son beat his father 100 to 200 times at a ground thrashing session", a former follower told a South Korean TV programme.

"Another congregant was hit more than 600 times and he died after returning home," a witness said.

Christian-inspired cults have been mushrooming in South Korea where around half the population are Protestants or Catholics.

A cult leader who claimed to be the messiah was arrested in May in Seoul for raping at least seven female congregants, prosecutors said.The Islamic State group's faction in Afghanistan has been behind a string of deadly attacks in recent years

More than 150 Islamic State fighters surrendered in Afghanistan on Wednesday, Afghan officials said, a move which they and the Taliban hailed as the end of the extremist group in the north of the country.

NATO urged caution, saying it was premature to write the group off in the region.

The surrender came after weeks of intense fighting between IS and the Taliban in Jowzjan province in the north, and continuing pressure from Afghan and US forces.

It also came as the Afghan army took over security in the eastern city of Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province which is an IS stronghold, after a wave of attacks mostly claimed by the group.

In Jowzjan, Afghan officials described the surrender as a turning point.

"Their fighters have surrendered in the past, but this time it is more important because the Daesh leader and deputy surrendered with more than 150 fighters all at once," Mohammad Hanif Rezaee, spokesman for the army's 209 Corps in the north, told AFP, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Rezaee said 30 women and children had also handed themselves in to Afghan authorities.

"With this, the Daesh chapter is going to be closed in the north," he added.

However NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan warned it was "premature" to conclude that this degradation of IS "equates to its collapse in the north of the country".

IS has a relatively small but potent presence in Afghanistan, mainly in the eastern province of Nangarhar but more recently in Jowzjan.

The group has fought turf wars with the much larger Taliban since emerging in Afghanistan in 2014. Estimates of their numbers in the country run as high as around 2,000.

Until a few weeks ago there had been around 500 IS fighters in the Darzab and Qush Tepa districts of Jowzjan, provincial governor Lutfullah Azizi has said.

But the Taliban stepped up fighting with the group there after an IS attack on their fighters last month killed at least 15 people, Azizi said.

The Taliban took credit for the surrender announced by Afghan officials on Wednesday, saying it had "cleared" the north of IS fighters.

It claimed it had captured 130, wounded more than 100 and killed 153.

- Defending Jalalabad -

The development comes as the Afghan army took over security in Jalalabad, with more checkpoints set up and special forces conducting operations a day after militants stormed a government department in the city and killed 15 people in an attack claimed by IS.

Among those killed was a local employee of the International Organization for Migration and a local staff member of the International Rescue Committee, both foreign agencies said in statements.

"To provide better security for the people, the national army is leading the security in the city," Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, told AFP.

The army will spearhead efforts "to contain the emergency situation" for a week, Khogyani said. Eventually, police and soldiers "will join hands to secure the city", he added, but declined to give further details.

Mohammad Ali, a soldier deployed from neighbouring Kunar province, told AFP at a checkpoint that he and his colleagues would "defend this city until the death".

The Taliban has not claimed a major attack in a city for weeks as it comes under increased pressure to agree to peace talks with the Afghan government.

But IS has carried out multiple attacks in Jalalabad and the capital Kabul in recent months, targeting everything from government ministries to a midwife training centre.

Last month an IS suicide bomber blew himself up near Kabul international airport, killing 23 people including AFP driver Mohammad Akhtar.

The increased attacks come as US and Afghan forces intensify ground and air offensives against IS, and the Taliban step up their turf war with the group.

"IS has come under intense pressure... they have lost a lot of men," said former general Hadi Khalid, now a military analyst.

"The only strategy that can keep them going is to attack soft targets and that is what they have been doing recently."

However Borhan Osman, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, cautioned that IS attacks on soft targets were not necessarily the result of recent losses on the battlefield.

"Attacking lightly defended targets has been part of IS-KP's modus operandi from the outset," he told AFP.

strs-emh-us-amj/st/jtaBangladeshi students vandalise a bus during a student protest in Dhaka on Tuesday

Thousands of school students brought parts of the Bangladesh capital to a near-standstill Wednesday, blockading roads to demand action after two teenagers were killed by a speeding bus.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan appealed to the students to end their protests to avoid a repeat of police baton charges against the blockades late Tuesday.

Dhaka suffers from daily gridlock but this has been heightened by more than 10 blockades set up across the city since Sunday.

Students mostly aged 13 to 15 have taken to the streets demanding the resignation of a government minister for his comments as well as action to make roads safer.

Authorities say more than 300 vehicles have been vandalised since the protests started. Anger erupted after one of two buses racing for passengers killed a boy and a girl waiting at the roadside on Sunday.

Asaduzzaman Khan on Wednesday promised that the government would launch a public transport safety campaign.

"We request you to withdraw the blockades and return to the classrooms. People are suffering and we don't want this," he said.

More than 3,000 schoolchildren in uniform assembled at the Shahbagh intersection near Dhaka University chanting: "We want justice!"

They held placards reading: "Why my brother is buried in a grave while the criminals are roaming free?"

Bangladesh roads are notorious for a lack of safety rules or proper policing. Public transport vehicles are often driven by unskilled or under-age drivers.

According to the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways, a private research group, more than 4,200 pedestrians were killed in road accidents last year, a 25 percent increase from 2016.

A remark by Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan stoked the anger when he questioned why there was such an uproar over the two Dhaka children but no reaction when 33 people were killed in an Indian bus crash the day before.

There have been widespread social media demands for his resignation even though the minister later apologised.

Many Dhaka residents had to walk to work in the monsoon rain because of the protests. But many still supported the action.

"The students have done what should have been done by the adults... to raise voices against such anarchy," said banker Rashidur Rahman as he walked to work.Saudi activists Samar Badawi (C) with Hillary Clinton (R), then US Secretary of State, and Michelle Obama in Washington, DC on March 8, 2012

Saudi Arabian authorities have arrested two high-profile women's rights activists, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday, amid what the organisation called an "unprecedented" crackdown on dissent.

Award-winning gender rights activist Samar Badawi was arrested along with fellow campaigner Nassima al-Sadah this week, "the latest victims of an unprecedented government crackdown on the women's rights movement," HRW said in a statement.

Their arrests "signal that the Saudi authorities see any peaceful dissent, whether past or present, as a threat to their autocratic rule," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

Amal al-Harbi, the wife of jailed civic rights activist Fowzan al-Harbi, was also taken into custody this week, HRW said while adding that it was unclear why she was targeted.

Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The arrests come weeks after more than a dozen women's right campaigners were detained and accused of undermining national security and collaborating with enemies of the state. Some have since been released.

Samar Badawi is the recipient of the 2012 International Women of Courage Award, handed out by the US Secretary of State.

She is also a vocal campaigner for rights activist Raif Badawi, her brother and Saudi Arabia's top blogger, and Waleed Abu al-Khair, her former husband. Both men are serving lengthy jail terms for charges linked to their activism.

Like Badawi, Sadah is a longtime opponent of Saudi Arabia's guardianship system, under which women require male permission to study, marry or travel.

Saudi Arabia, a major US ally, has introduced a string of reforms over the past year aimed at improving the kingdom's image and oil-dependent economy.

Under the helm of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, heir to the region's most powerful throne, Saudi Arabia in June ended a longstanding ban on women driving and launched a number of projects aimed at attracting tourists.Eight US states and the District of Columbia have argued in court that the blueprints available online to make untraceable, undetectable plastic weapons like this single-shot "Liberator" handgun could fall into the wrong hands

A US gun rights advocate is vowing to take his fight to publish online blueprints for 3D-printed firearms to the Supreme Court if necessary, after a federal judge temporarily blocked the controversial venture.

Cody Wilson, founder of the company Defense Distributed, had briefly made the blueprints available online Tuesday after a much-questioned settlement with the federal government.

But a judge in Seattle granted an injunction after eight US states and the District of Columbia argued that the blueprints could allow anyone -- from a teen to a 'lone wolf' gunman -- to make untraceable, undetectable plastic weapons.

Wilson told CBS News he believes "access to firearms is a fundamental human dignity. It's a fundamental human right."

"What I'm doing is legally protected," he said in an interview hours before the injunction was handed down by US District Judge Robert Lasnik.

"I will go to the appellate level. I will go to the Supreme Court. I will waste all my time," Wilson said.

- 'The debate is over' -

The states had acted to block publication of the blueprints after the Trump administration settled a five-year legal fight by permitting the company to publish the plans on its website Defcad.

The website was shut down by Wednesday, but blueprints that had been posted online before the court order took effect had already been downloaded thousands of times.

"The debate is over. The guns are downloadable. The files are in the public domain -- you cannot take them back," Wilson told CBS.

But gun control groups applauded the judge's decision, with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence calling 3D-printed firearms "nothing short of a menace to society."

"There is simply no way of telling how much damage has already been done by Cody Wilson's dangerous and reckless actions," Brady Campaign co-president Kris Brown said in a statement.

"This is a strong step and a clear victory for the entire gun safety movement, but we simply can't let up."

- Action on the Hill -

Late Tuesday, dozens of Democratic senators introduced legislation designed to block the publication of 3D-printable firearm blueprints, a move gun control groups also applauded.

But the National Rifle Association, the nation's most politically influential gun rights group, claimed undetectable plastic weapons were already illegal under a 1988 law and therefore the issue was moot.

"Regardless of what a person may be able to publish on the Internet, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years," the NRA said in a statement.

A White House spokesman made a similar case Tuesday, even as the president tweeted earlier in the day that the idea of "3D plastic guns" being available to the public "doesn't seem to make much sense."

But Wilson has gotten around the legal prohibition against plastic guns by providing instructions with the digital files for 3D printing his "Liberator" plastic gun that call for an approximately six-ounce block of steel to be affixed to the weapon.

Should those who print the gun follow those instructions, metal detectors would pick up the weapons, thus complying with the law.

But while users can build the gun, there is no way to ensure they affix metal to it.

Prior to the Trump administration granting Defcad permission to publish, Wilson had actually been losing his drawn-out legal battle, after both a federal district court and an appellate court ruled against him.

The US Supreme Court had declined to take up his case.

But in a sign of his determination to continue the legal fight, a message on the Defense Distributed website made a public appeal for financial support "to uncensor the site."We are Q: A deranged conspiracy cult leaps from the Internet to the crowd at Trumps MAGA tour



On Tuesday evening, the dark recesses of the Internet lit up with talk of politics.



Tampa rally, live coverage, wrote Dan, posting a link to President Trumps Tampa speech in a thread on 8chan, an anonymous image board also known as Infinitechan or Infinitychan, which might be best described as the unglued twin of better-known 4chan, a message board already untethered from reality.



The thread invited requests to Q, an anonymous user claiming to be a government agent with top security clearance, waging war against the so-called deep state in service to the 45th president. Q feeds disciples, or bakers, scraps of intelligence, or bread crumbs, that they scramble to bake into an understanding of the storm the communitys term, drawn from Trumps cryptic reference last year to the calm before the storm  for the presidents final conquest over elites, globalists and deep-state saboteurs.



...Pray Trump mentions Q! one user wrote on 8chan. He didnt need to. As hazy corners of the Internet buzzed about the presidents speech, his appearance became a real-life show of force for the community that has mostly operated behind the veil of anonymity on subreddits.



...QAnon crosses a new frontier. In the black hole of conspiracy in which Q has plunged its followers, Trump only feigned collusion to create a pretense for the hiring of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is actually working as a white hat, or hero, to expose the Democrats. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and George Soros are planning a coup  and traffic children in their spare time. J.P. Morgan, the American financier, sunk the Titanic.



In the world in which QAnon believers live, Trumps detractors, such as Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, wear ankle monitors that track their whereabouts. Press reports are dismissed as Operation Mockingbird, the name given to the alleged midcentury infiltration of the American media by the CIA. The Illuminati looms large in QAnon, as do the Rothschilds, a wealthy Jewish family vilified by the conspiracy theorists as the leaders of a satanic cult. Among the world leaders wise to satanic influences, the theory holds, is Russian President Vladimir Putin.



QAnon flirts with eschatology, fascist philosophy and the filmmaking of Francis Ford Coppola. Adherents believe a Great Awakening will precede the final storm foretold by Trump. Once they make sense of the information drip fed to them by Q, they will usher in a Christian revival presaging total victory....Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has been hit by a series of defections by senior officials to the opposition

A prominent governor in northern Nigeria on Wednesday dumped President Muhammadu Buhari's All Progressives Congress for the opposition, in the latest defection to hit the ruling party.

Sokoto governor Aminu Tambuwal helped Buhari secure victory in 2015 but decided to rejoin the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) amid rising dissatisfaction with the president's leadership.

"I have consulted widely especially with the people of Sokoto and they have confidently assured me of my next political move," Tambuwal said on Twitter.

"I hereby defect officially to the @OfficialPDPNig. Power to the People," the governor announced to celebrating supporters in the state capital.

Tambuwal, a former speaker of the House of Representatives was a prominent PDP member before he left the party along with four PDP governors in 2014.

He was instrumental in Buhari's victory over president Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 election.

Tambuwal is rumoured to be eyeing the presidency, but he has not made it public.

His defection comes a day after Bukola Saraki, the senate president, and current Kwara state governor Abdulfatai Ahmed quit the ruling party for PDP following irreconciliable differences with Buhari's administration.

Saraki loyalist and APC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi also quit the party on Wednesday.

"Politics is local, and my personal stake in the issue of Kwara makes it incongruous for me to continue to sit as part of the working committee of the party," he said in a statement.

"Clearly, I cannot continue to function as the spokesman of a party whose expectation of that role is incompatible with my personal principles," he added.

Last week, Governor Samuel Ortom of the central state of Benue ditched the APC over the government's poor handling of farmer-herder violence which has claimed at least 1,300 lives since January.

Ortom's defection came after dozens of federal lawmakers dumped the APC for the PDP in a sign of growing discontent at Buhari's leadership as elections approach.

Buhari, 75, is seeking a second, four-year term in elections set for February, despite claims he is too old and questions about his health following a lengthy, undisclosed illness.

The former military ruler has also been criticised for his handling of rising violence as well as the alleged used of security services to target his perceived political opponents.Israel-based NSO Group says its products are intended only for the investigation and prevention of crime and terrorism

Rights group Amnesty International on Wednesday said it had been targeted by surveillance spyware in a suspected infiltration attempt by a government "hostile" to its work.

The group said one of its staff received a suspicious WhatsApp message by smartphone, containing a link that -- if downloaded -- would have installed Pegasus, a sophisticated surveillance tool developed by Israel-based company NSO Group.

The message, in Arabic, requested Amnesty cover a protest outside the Saudi embassy in Washington, in a week when the organisation was campaigning for the release of six women's rights activists detained in Saudi Arabia.

"An Amnesty International staff member has been targeted by a sophisticated surveillance campaign, in what the organisation suspects was a deliberate attempt to spy on its staff by a government hostile to its work," the group said in a statement.

Amnesty did not name the government it suspected of being behind the alleged attack.

Saudi Arabia has come under regular criticism by Amnesty and other groups for its rights record.

The kingdom, which has the third highest execution rate in the world, regularly arrests activists accused of criticising the government.

The message included a domain link, part of an infrastructure linked to more than 600 suspicious websites which previously connected to NSO Group, Amnesty said.

"Amnesty International is concerned that these could be used to bait and spy on activists in countries including Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Hungary, in addition to the Gulf," the statement said.

NSO Group said in a statement to Amnesty it would investigate the report.

"Our product is intended to be used exclusively for the investigation and prevention of crime and terrorism," the company said.

"If an allegation arises concerning a violation of our contract or inappropriate use of our technology... we investigate the issue and take appropriate action based on those findings.

"We welcome any specific information that can assist us in identifying the responsible parties", the company said.Cases of remains of American soldiers from the Korean War, each draped with a white and blue UN flag, were lined up in rows

Sixty-five years after the Korean War ended, the remains of dozens of American soldiers killed during the brutal conflict are finally coming home.

Wednesday's repatriation marks an important step after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a summit, during which Kim agreed to send home the war dead.

Trump, who has faced criticism over the pace of progress since the June meeting, praised Kim for "keeping his word," and Vice President Mike Pence met families when the remains arrived back in the US at a ceremony in Hawaii.

Caskets carrying the 55 sets of remains were draped in the blue-and-white flag of the United Nations. Many nations fought in the Korean War, but most of the cases are thought to contain US troops.

More than 35,000 Americans were killed on the Korean peninsula during the 1950-1953 war, with 7,700 of these US troops still listed as missing in action -- most of them in North Korea.

"Some have called the Korean War the forgotten war. But today, we prove these heroes were never forgotten. Today our boys are coming home," an emotional Pence said.

"My dad, lieutenant Ed Pence fought in combat in the Korean War. He came back with a medal on his chest. But my dad, gone now 30 years, always told us the real heroes ...were the ones that didn't get to come home," the US vice president said.

It could take scientists and historians years to make final identifications.

John Byrd, director of scientific analysis at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which has a large laboratory in Pearl Harbor, said preliminary findings suggest the remains are likely American.

They "are consistent with remains we have recovered in North Korea... in the past," Byrd told reporters at Osan US Air Base in South Korea.

The cases had been kept there since Friday, awaiting their repatriation to Hawaii for further forensic analysis.

"There's no reason at this point to doubt that they do relate to Korean War losses," Byrd added.

- 'Solemn reminder' -

Around 500 officials from the United Nations Command (UNC), the United States and South Korea attended a formal repatriation ceremony at Osan earlier Wednesday.

US soldiers salute during the repatriation ceremony at Osan Air Base in South Korea

"This is a solemn reminder that our work is not complete until all have been accounted for, no matter how long it takes to do so," said General Vincent Brooks, commander of the UNC and United States Forces Korea.

After the ceremony, uniformed soldiers carefully loaded each case into two C-17 cargo planes, which later took off for Hawaii.

Byrd told reporters that "there was a single dog tag (US soldier's identity tag) provided with the remains."

"The family of that individual has been notified," he said, though he cautioned that the tag is not necessarily associated with the remains in the box.

The returned material also included military hardware and uniforms, including helmets, water bottles and boots.

- DNA, bones, dental records -

Former DPAA official Jeong Yang-seung, who previously worked on identifying US remains from the North, said it was unusual to locate dog tags during the search and recovery process.

"It's once in a blue moon that dog tags are recovered," Jeong, now professor of forensic anthropology at the Middle Tennessee State University, told AFP.

"I don't think North Korea is refusing to give dog tags when it has more but it probably doesn't have dog tags lying around," he said.

John Byrd, right, director of scientific analysis at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), said preliminary findings suggested that "they are likely to be American remains"

"So when... only one dog tag was provided, it's probably not to tease the US but rather that it was sent because it could offer clues to the remains."

DNA analysis, skeletal studies of bones, dental records and details of where the remains were found play a key role in such investigations.

"If it's identified quickly, it would be around five to six months, but if not, it could take decades," he said.

Between 1990 and 2005, North Korea allowed 229 sets of remains to be repatriated, but those operations were suspended when ties worsened over Pyongyang's banned nuclear weapons program.

Following the June summit, Trump had declared that Pyongyang was "no longer a Nuclear Threat," but Kim did not publicly promise to end work at the country's nuclear and missile facilities.

Instead, he spoke of committing to "work toward" eventual denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. He did not make any commitment to unilaterally disarm.

Still, experts see North Korea's return of the remains as an important gesture.

"It's a sign that they want to improve relations with us... and certainly for the families it's significant," Joel Wit, founder of the respected 38 North organization that monitors North Korea, told AFP.

Additionally, new satellite imagery from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station on North Korea's west coast suggests workers are dismantling an engine test stand, in line with a promise made to Trump.

Abraham Denmark, director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center, cautioned not to read too much into the repatriation.

"It is not a signal about Pyongyang's willingness to denuclearize or even reform its ways, and policymakers should not be fooled or distracted from the primary source of tension -- North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles," he said.US President Donald Trump (L) calls on Attorney General Jeff Sessions (R) to stop the probe into Russia's election interference

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the wide-ranging probe into Russian election meddling and possible ties between his campaign and Moscow, slamming it as "a disgrace" to the country.

The president's latest tweet on the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller came on the second day of the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on unrelated bank and tax fraud charges that nevertheless stemmed from the probe.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump said.

He claimed Mueller was "totally conflicted" and denounced his probe as "a disgrace to USA."

It was Trump's most direct demand yet that Sessions, who infuriated the president by recusing himself from the investigation, intervene to end the probe.

It comes amid mounting pressure as Mueller delves into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia's attempt to sway the election in the Republican's favor -- and if the president sought to obstruct justice during the investigation by firing former FBI director James Comey.

"Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX," Trump said Wednesday on Twitter.

The first trial arising from the investigation opened Tuesday with prosecutors accusing Manafort of hiding from US tax authorities millions of dollars from past lobbying work for the pro-Russia president of Ukraine, and failing to report his foreign bank accounts.

In a tweet, Trump portrayed his former campaign chief as a respected adviser to prominent US political leaders like Ronald Reagan and Bob Dole.

"He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!" Trump fumed.Palestinians wave national flags during a protest on August 1, 2018, along a highway leading to the village Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank

Lawyers for a Palestinian Bedouin village slated by Israel for demolition suggested Wednesday that the residents could move peacefully to a nearby location of their own choosing.

Villagers from Khan al-Ahmar, in the occupied West Bank, have been fighting a long legal battle against the Jewish state's plan to demolish their homes on the grounds they were set up without planning permission.

In May, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal against demolition, but it has since agreed to hear fresh petitions against the eviction plan.

In a five-hour hearing on Wednesday, judges showed no sign of relenting but told government lawyers to be flexible on how and to where the 173 villagers should be relocated.

Israeli authorities want to send them to a site near Abu Dis in the West Bank, but the villagers refuse, saying that the site is near a refuse dump and is in an urban location where their animals cannot graze.

Tawfik Jabareen, a lawyer for the villagers, told reporters outside the courtroom on Wednesday that Palestinian landowners from Anata village, about five miles (eight kilometres) from Khan al-Ahmar, have agreed to let the Bedouin use their land.

"The residents of Anata have agreed that the Khan al-Ahmar residents will stay and settle on their lands, and have signed the plan," he said.

The lawyer said that an Israeli planning official on Tuesday rejected the Anata option, but argued she did not have the authority to do so.

The panel of three judges Wednesday gave both sides 10 days to resolve their differences.

"The judges said they want to hear more from the two sides," Jabareen said.

"They asked the state to submit its comments within five days, after that we have another five days to respond, and after that they will decide."

Khan al-Ahmar, built largely of corrugated iron sheets, cardboard and wood, sprawls in the dust at the edge of a main Israeli highway from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, in a strategic spot near Israeli settlements.

Activists say the villagers had little alternative but to build without Israeli construction permits, which are almost never issued to Palestinians in the parts of the West Bank where Israel has full control over civilian affairs.

At a demonstration in the village on Wednesday there was anger at the court delay, as protesters had hoped the demolition order would be revoked altogether.

"This delay is in keeping with the wishes of the settlers," said Waled Assaf, a Palestinian official at the protest.

Diplomats and NGOs are concerned that continued Israeli settlement construction in the area could effectively divide the West Bank in two and there has been strong international pressure on Israel to reverse its plans.US President Donald Trump (L) calls on Attorney General Jeff Sessions (R) to stop the probe into Russia's election interference

Donald Trump on Wednesday told his attorney general to end the high-profile investigation into Russian election meddling that has ensnared key members of his presidential campaign and cast a long shadow over his White House.

In a series of tweets that quickly sparked accusations that Trump was publicly trying to pervert justice, the president decried the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller as "a disgrace."

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump said.

Aides rushed to limit the damage, insisting he was not issuing an order as Session's boss.

"It's not an order, it's the president's opinion," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters, adding that Trump wants the probe to "come to an end."

His lawyer Rudy Giuliani added: "He used a medium he uses for opinions, Twitter. One of the good things about using that, he's established a clear sort of practice now that he expresses his opinions on Twitter.

"He used the word 'should,' he didn't use the word 'must.'"

The president -- along with allies in conservative media -- has launched a long PR campaign against the Mueller probe, which he claims is biased and pursuing erroneous claims of collusion between his campaign team and Moscow.

"Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX," the president said Wednesday.

Mueller -- a respected former FBI director -- is investigating whether the Trump campaign aided or abetted an attempt by Russia to sway the 2016 presidential election, or tried to cover up the conspiracy.

He has so far lodged dozens of indictments, including those of suspected Russian hackers, and secured guilty pleas from at least three Trump aides charged with conspiracy and lying to investigators.

This was Trump's most direct demand yet that Sessions, who infuriated the president by recusing himself from the investigation, intervene to end the probe.

"The President of the United States just called on his Attorney General to put an end to an investigation in which the President, his family and campaign may be implicated," said Democratic congressman Adam Schiff.

"This is an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight. America must never accept it."

Even Trump's allies questioned the demand.

"I've said all along I see no evidence of collusion. But if anyone helped Russia to hack/steal they deserve justice," said Republican operative Ari Fleischer.

"Let Mueller finish his job. Neither POTUS nor Sessions should interfere. After all, nothing will help Trump more than Mueller concluding there is no crime."

Amid the criticism from both sides of the political aisle, Trump's personal attorneys also sought to walk back the comment, insisting the president was not ordering Sessions to do anything.

"The president has issued no order or direction to the Department of Justice on this," lawyer Jay Sekulow told The Washington Post.

Giuliani added the president may be within his legal rights to obstruct justice if he wishes.

"Under our conclusion if the president is acting within his capacity as president and he fires someone, that can't be questioned," he said.

Giuliani also told reporters the president's legal team was in the middle of ongoing negotiations with Mueller, as a report in The Washington Post said the special counsel had offered to reduce the number of questions in exchange for a sit-down interview.

- In the courtroom -

Trump's latest Twitter tirade came on the second day of the trial of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on bank and tax fraud charges, which stemmed from the probe but were not directly related to his time on the campaign.

Manafort is the first defendant to go to court to fight charges stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election

Trump tweeted on Wednesday that Manafort "worked for me for a very short period of time" but sought to defend his former aide's bona fides.

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders," he said.

Manafort served as Trump's campaign chief from May to August 2016 and the president asked Wednesday: "why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation."

"These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!" he said.

Manafort's trial opened Tuesday with prosecutors accusing him of hiding from US tax authorities millions of dollars from past lobbying work for the pro-Russia president of Ukraine, and failing to report his foreign bank accounts.

In a further tweet, Trump suggested Manafort has been harshly mistreated.

"Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and 'Public Enemy Number One,' or Paul Manafort," he wrote.

Manafort is scheduled to go on trial in September on separate charges brought by Mueller of conspiracy, money laundering and failing to register as an agent of a foreign government.Israel is increasingly denying exit permits for Gazans, including people seeking medical care for cancer, saying they have close relatives with alleged ties Hamas

The number of Gazans denied exit permits by Israel due to a close family member's alleged connection to Hamas has soared this year, a rights group said Wednesday.

Those declined for having a close relative with alleged ties to Hamas have included people seeking medical care for cancer, according to Gisha, an Israeli NGO that monitors Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Gisha along with three other NGOs based their findings on data obtained through a freedom of information request from the Israeli defence ministry.

The three others are Adalah, Al Mezan and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel.

"In the first quarter of 2018 alone, 833 exit permit applications by residents of Gaza were denied by Israel on the grounds that the applicants 'first-degree relative is a Hamas operative,'" Gisha said in a statement.

"For comparison, the Israeli authorities refused 21 applications on these grounds throughout 2017."

The Israeli defence ministry unit that oversees the permits, known as COGAT, told AFP that the 833 declined applications represented 529 people since some had applied more than once.

It declined to say how many were seeking permits for medical reasons.

"Denying patients access to medical treatment on the grounds that they have family relations to Hamas members is a breach of international law, and completely immoral," the NGOs said in a statement.

Israel controls all access to and from the Gaza Strip apart from the Palestinian enclave's crossing with Egypt. Islamist movement Hamas, in power in the strip, has fought three wars with Israel since 2008.

Under an Israeli blockade for more than 10 years, Gaza lacks infrastructure and key medical equipment. Many patients seek to travel elsewhere for treatment.

The NGO said the change appeared to be the result of a decision taken by Israel's security cabinet authorising action to pressure Hamas to return the remains of two Israeli soldiers it is believed to be holding.

Two Israeli civilians, both said to be mentally unstable, are also believed to have entered Gaza and to be held by Hamas.

Gisha said that "importantly, some of the cancer patients who have been denied exit permits are not aware of any family relation to a Hamas member".

COGAT said "the entry of Palestinians who are residents of the Gaza Strip into Israel is not a vested right, and is made possible according to existing policy and subject to security checks".

"In accordance with the decision of the government, residents of the Gaza Strip who are first-degree relatives of operatives of the Hamas terror organisation are not entitled to entry permits into Israel."

Gisha spokeswoman Shai Grunberg said 2017 marked the "worst year" for Israel's granting of entry and exit permits for Gaza since a 2014 war.Morocco's King Mohammed VI (C) delivers a speech in Al Hoceima on July 29, 2018

Morocco's King Mohammed VI has sacked the country's economy minister, his office said Wednesday, after the monarch demanded "urgent action" on social issues in the North African nation hit by unrest over unemployment and graft.

The king decided to dismiss Mohamed Boussaid after "consulting with the head of the government", read a royal statement carried by official agency MAP.

The decision comes amid a drive to enforce the "principle of accountability that the king is anxious to apply to all officials, regardless of their rank", the statement said.

In a major speech on Sunday the king called for "urgent action" to address key issues, in particular health and education.

The speech was delivered in the northern city of Al-Hoceima which was the epicentre of the "Hirak" protest movement that rocked the country in 2016 and 2017.

The social unrest began in October 2016 after the death of a fishmonger and spiralled into a wave of demonstrations demanding more development in the neglected Rif region.

Morocco is marked by glaring social and territorial inequalities, against a backdrop of high unemployment among young people.

In 2017, it was ranked 123 out of 188 countries on the UN's Human Development Index.The US Justice Department announced the arrest of three Ukrainians alleged to have hacked more than 100 US businesses

Three Ukrainians have been arrested for hacking more than 100 US companies and stealing millions of credit and debit card numbers, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Dmytro Fedorov, 44, Fedir Hladyr, 33, and Andrii Kolpakov, 30, are high-ranking members of an "international cybercrime group" called "FIN7" which had dozens of members around the world, the department said in a statement.

"Since at least 2015, FIN7 members engaged in a highly sophisticated malware campaign targeting more than 100 US companies, predominantly in the restaurant, gaming, and hospitality industries," it said.

"FIN7 hacked into thousands of computer systems and stole millions of customer credit and debit card numbers, which the group used or sold for profit," it said.

The Justice Department said members of the "prolific hacking group" also targeted computer networks in Britain, Australia, and France.

FBI special agent Jay Tabb told a press conference in Seattle, Washington, where the arrests were announced, that the hacking was not state-sponsored.

"No linkage at all to any state-sponsored activity," Tabb said. "This is just old-fashioned organized crime."

Fedorov, a "high-level hacker and manager," was arrested in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, in January and is being detained pending extradition to the United States, the Department of Justice said.

Hladyr, FIN7's systems administrator, was arrested in Dresden, Germany, in January, it said, and is being held in Seattle, Washington, pending a trial scheduled to open on October 22.

Kolpakov, described as a "supervisor of a group of hackers," was arrested in Lepe, Spain, in late June and is being detained there pending a US extradition request, the department said.

- Chipotle, Arby's targeted -

"Cyber criminals who believe that they can hide in faraway countries and operate from behind keyboards without getting caught are just plain wrong," said Annette Hayes, US Attorney for the Western District of Washington.

The charges against the three were contained in federal indictments unsealed on Wednesday.

They were charged with 26 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, computer hacking, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

The Justice Department said that FIN7 also known as the "Carbanak Group" and the "Navigator Group," breached computer networks of companies in 47 US states and Washington DC.

They allegedly stole "more than 15 million customer card records from over 6,500 individual point-of-sale terminals at more than 3,600 separate business locations."

Among the companies which have publicly disclosed hacks by FIN7 are Chipotle Mexican Grill, Chili's, Arby's, Red Robin and Jason's Deli, the Justice Department said.

Many of the businesses were targeted through phishing schemes involving email.

"FIN7 carefully crafted email messages that would appear legitimate to a business' employee, and accompanied emails with telephone calls intended to further legitimize the email," it said.

Once an attached file was opened, it would trigger malware to steal payment card data which was sold on online underground marketplaces.Lemurs could soon be wiped from the face of the Earth, experts have warned.

The animals, which are only found in the wild on the island of Madagascar, are now the most at-risk primates on Earth.

According to new statistics from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 95 per cent of the animals are now 'on the brink of extinction.'

Lemur populations have been decimated by rainforest destruction, unregulated agriculture and logging and mining, say experts.

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Out of a total of 111 lemur species and subspecies, 105 are under threat, IUCN said in its first update on the animals since 2012. The unique animals are only found on the African island of Madagascar and are now the most endangered primates on Earth (stock)

Out of a total of 111 lemur species and subspecies, 105 are under threat, the IUCN revealed in its first update on lemur populations since 2012.

'This is, without a doubt, the highest percentage of threat for any large group of mammals and for any large group of vertebrates,' Russ Mittermeier of IUCN's species survival commission said in a statement.

The IUCN creates the 'red list' of endangered animals and categorises animals based on their stability.

Among the most concerning trends is an 'increase in the level of hunting of lemurs taking place, including larger-scale commercial hunting,' Christoph Schwitzer, director of conservation at the Bristol Zoological Society, said in the statement.

He described the hunting as 'unlike anything we have seen before in Madagascar.'

Ninety-five percent of the world's lemur population is 'on the brink of extinction,' a leading conservation group has revealed. IUCN has said it is launching 'a major action plan for lemur conservation,' to help preserve the endangered primates (stock)

One of the species identified as 'critically endangered' is the northern sportive lemur, of which there are thought to be only 50 individuals left.

'Lemurs are to Madagascar what giant pandas are to China - they are the goose that laid the golden egg, attracting tourists and nature lovers,' said Jonah Ratsimbazafy of the domestic primate research group known as GERP.

Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse nations in the world.

IUCN said it was launching 'a major action plan for lemur conservation,' to help preserve the endangered primates.When it comes to the Russia affair, no one headline captures the whole story but this one from our friends at the Daily Caller comes close:Susan Rice told NSC Officials to Stand Down in Response to Russian Meddling Attempts.From what we know from official documented sources the following are proven facts:Donald Trump was right that his private offices were being surveilled before the election. Though the mainstream media ridiculed Trump as being paranoid, he knew what he was talking about.Russians operatives did hack the Democratic National Party and Hillary Clintons private email servers.Russia did make significant advances in how future attacks might come. Last June, Bloomberg reported that election systems in up to 39 states may have been attacked.The Obama Whitehouse and Obama himself did not believe that the Russians had the ability to manipulate the vote count.Susan Rice did commit an illegal and probably treasonous act when she when she ordered thesurveillance of Donald Trumps 2016 election campaign aides as part of a political intelligence operation.In 2016 the Daily Caller reported:What was produced by the intelligence community at the request of Ms. Rice were detailed spreadsheets of intercepted phone calls with unmasked Trump associates in perfectly legal conversations with individuals,  The overheard conversations involved no illegal activity by anybody of the Trump associates, or anyone they were speaking with  In short, the only apparent illegal activity was the unmasking of the people in the calls.Most of those in the intelligence community and the White House rather were concerned that hackers could alter registration files, voter rolls.As weve reported previously, Russias endgame probably was to undermine confidence in our election system and sow discord among our population.The mainstream media crafted the narrative to be Russians back Trump.An excerpt from the new book Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putins War on America and the Election of Donald Trump explains that the most likely explanation for Russias meddling is that the hacking failed to give Russian operatives the access they needed to change the vote tally because the U.S. has a very decentralized national voting system spread over 7,000 local jurisdictions.The new book also provides us with an inside look at how President Obama, his National Security Advisor Susan Rice, and the rest of the U.S. intelligence was dealing with the Russia threat before and after the general election. The authors tell a story about Michael Daniel, then White House director of cybersecurity. Reportedly Daniel was adamant that the only way to put an end to the cyberattacks was to give Russia a taste of its own medicine.According to Daniel multiple plans were in the works to make Putin back off. Some of those included: bombarding Russian news sites with bot traffic to force them to be shut them, to meddle in Russia s upcoming national election, and reveal corruption in Putins political party.But while Daniel labored into to the night to come up with an appropriate response, Rice and other chief Obama aides were not on board. According to Daniel, when Rice heard of his ideas she called him for in for a tongue lashing. According to news outlet Mother Jones:One day in late August, national security adviser Susan Rice called Daniel  demanded he cease and desist from working on the cyber options he was developing. Dont get ahead of us, she warned him.  Stand down.That was one pissed-off national security adviser, he told one of his aides.At his morning staff meeting, Daniel told his team that it had to stop working on options to counter the Russian attack. Daniel Prieto, one of his deputies declared, Why the hell are we standing down? Michael, can you help us understand?To which Daniel said that Rice was concerned that if their plans leaked it would force Obama to act.Obama later took it upon himself to warn Putin in person during a face-to-face meeting telling him towhen it came to our election then warning of unspecified consequences if it continued.President Trump tweeted at the end of February of this year:Obama was President up to, and beyond, the 2016 Election. So why didnt he do something about Russian meddling?For a President who actually does something about North Korea, it must have been more than frustrating to learn his predecessor was a president whose something was nothing.~ American Liberty ReportA lawsuit claims that AstraZeneca and other medical giants gave pharmaceuticals and supplies 2005-2009 to the Iraq's health ministry when it was controlled by followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr -- supplies that went on to fund terror attacks

US investigators are probing claims AstraZeneca and other medical giants that worked with the Iraqi government between 2005 and 2009 provided drugs and supplies that would go on to be used to fund terror attacks.

In a filing with US regulators last week, AstraZeneca said it had received a Department of Justice inquiry "in connection with an anti-corruption investigation relating to activities in Iraq."

The filing states the probe is at least partly related to a federal lawsuit filed in October on behalf of troops who were killed or wounded in Iraq in the 2005-2009 period, the height of the Iraq War insurgency.

Plaintiffs allege the firms, hoping to win business in Iraq, violated the US Anti-Terrorism Act and other laws by giving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to the ministry of health when it was controlled by followers of Moqtada Sadr.

The powerful Shiite cleric, whose populist coalition triumphed at May elections, at the time ran death squads against Sunnis and is blamed for many attacks on US forces.

Sadr's Mahdi Army -- estimated to have had up to 60,000 members -- was once the most active and feared armed Shiite group in Iraq, and was blamed by Washington for thousands of killings.

According to The New York Times, the lawsuit claims Sadr's followers sold the medical supplies on Iraq's black market to fund such attacks.

Ryan Sparacino, a lawyer for plaintiffs in the case, told AFP on Wednesday that since 2004, "Iranian-backed terrorists have relied on corruption at the Iraqi health ministry to help fund terrorism in Iraq."

The lawsuit states the health ministry itself was used to launch attacks, smuggle weapons and gather intelligence, and that ministry employees played key leadership roles in the Mahdi Army.

In a statement, AstraZeneca said it "has a robust and dynamic compliance program, and we refuse to tolerate bribery or any other form of corruption."

The other firms listed in the lawsuit are General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, as well as Roche Holding A.G.

The Department of Justice did not immediately return a request for comment.Des habitants de Bamako lisent les journaux dans l'attente des resultats de la presidentielle au Mali, 1er aout 2018

A majority of the contenders to become Mali's next president said on Wednesday they will not accept election results "marred by irregularities" ahead of an official verdict expected on Friday.

Major opposition figures, such as former finance minister Soumaila Cisse -- seen as the president's biggest threat in the poll, which was held Sunday -- and businessman Aliou Diallo, signed the joint declaration.

"We will not accept results marred by irregularities," the group's statement, read out by candidate Modibo Kone, said.

"We do not want to delegitimise the entirety of the process but there needs to be a minimum of credibility," Soumaila Cisse's campaign director, Tiebile Drame, told AFP.

Both Diallo and Cisse have said they were sure to make it to a second round of voting, scheduled for August 12, against incumbent Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Keita's camp on Monday said he appeared to be "largely ahead".

The disgruntled candidates lashed out at alleged corruption, vote buying and ballot stuffing during voting.

There was a "village of 150 inhabitants where 3,000 people voted" for president Keita -- widely known as IBK -- Drame said.

Cisse's team had warned of possible election fraud ahead of the poll, claiming that there were two electoral lists and hundreds of fake polling stations.

The ministry of local authorities is expected to announce official results on Friday at the latest.

Not a single ballot was cast at 716 polling stations in Sunday's first round vote in the volatile central region of Mopti and some parts of the north following threats and attacks by armed groups.

There are mounting calls for the government to publish a list of polling stations where the election could not be held due to violence -- a request voiced by European observers on Tuesday and echoed by opposition candidates.

There were a total of 23,000 polling stations nationwide.

The polls were observed by teams from the European Union, the African Union, the regional ECOWAS grouping and the Francophonie organisation.

In case of a second round, Drame said, talks of an anti-Keita alliance had begun, showing the president was "isolated."US President Donald Trump (L) calls on Attorney General Jeff Sessions (R) to stop the probe into Russia's election interference

The White House on Wednesday sought to walk back a tweet from President Donald Trump calling for an end to the Russia election meddling probe, saying he was expressing an opinion, and not giving an order to the Justice Department.

In a series of tweets that quickly sparked accusations that Trump is publicly attempting to pervert justice, the Republican leader decried the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller as "a disgrace" to the country.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump said on Twitter.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders later told reporters: "It's not an order, it's the president's opinion."

She noted that Trump wants the probe to "come to an end."

But she dismissed accusations of any legal wrongdoing, saying: "The president is not obstructing. He's fighting back. The president is stating his opinion. He's stating it clearly."

Just ahead of the White House press briefing, Trump's personal attorneys also sought to walk back the comment, insisting the president was not ordering Sessions to do anything.

"The president has issued no order or direction to the Department of Justice on this," lawyer Jay Sekulow told The Washington Post.

Rudy Giuliani added: "He very carefully used the word 'should.'"

Sessions has recused himself from the investigation, meaning that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is overseeing Mueller's probe.Opposition party MDC supporters protest election results, resulting in violence and at least one death after troops opened fire on the demonstrators

The United Nations on Wednesday urged Zimbabwe's political leaders and Zimbabweans to reject any form of violence after troops opened fire on opposition demonstrators protesting election results.

At least one protester was killed in the violence that erupted two days after Zimbabwe's first parliamentary and presidential elections since Robert Mugabe was forced out of the presidency last year.

"We are concerned about reports of incidents of violence in some parts of Zimbabwe," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.

"We call on the political leaders and the population as a whole to exercise restraint and reject any form of violence while awaiting resolution of the disputes and announcement of the election results."

The United Nations reminds all sides of their pledge to hold a peaceful election, he added.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa blamed the MDC opposition party for the violence, accusing rivals of staging a "disturbance of national peace" to disrupt the electoral process.

Official results show the ruling ZANU-PF party won the most seats in the parliamentary ballot but the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) rejected the outcome and charged that there had been fraud.

The results of the presidential vote have yet to be released.Equatorial Guinea president Teodoro Obiang Nguema, pictured in 2015, issued a decree granting total amnesty to activists on July 4, 2018, but dozens of "political prisoners" are still incarcerated

The leading opposition party in Equatorial Guinea has denounced the "illegal detention" of its activists, with dozens in prison despite a pledge last month by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema that they would be released.

Obiang, who has ruled the West African state since 1979, issued a decree granting what he described as a total amnesty on July 4, in a bid to smooth the way for a "national dialogue" between political leaders in the country.

But the Citizens for Innovation (CI) party said dozens of "political prisoners" remain incarcerated, including about thirty of its own members.

"It has been 27 days since President Teodoro Obiang Nguema declared a total amnesty... the government must know that keeping all political detainees in prison is legally interpreted as illegal detention," said CI in a statement, AFP learned Wednesday.

Obiang, 76, has been widely criticised for corruption and human rights abuses during his decades in power.

Since the amnesty decree, only one person -- Julian Abaga, a college professor jailed for criticising Obiang -- has been released.

The CI was banned in February and 21 of its members, including the party's sole member of parliament, were subsequently sentenced to 30 years for "sedition, public disorder, attacks on authority and serious bodily harm."

The move followed an attempted coup, in December, involving a group of men from Chad, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan, according to the authorities.

CI says it has had no "sign of life" from activists in Evinayong prison, in the centre of the country, since July 19.Former US president Barack Obama has announced his support for 81 Democratic candidates in November's midterm elections, and his office said he will hit the campaign trail for several of them in the coming months

Former president Barack Obama announced his support Wednesday for several dozen Democratic candidates for Congress and state office, signalling he is "eager" to remain a political force through November's midterm elections.

Amid obvious signs that President Donald Trump will hit the campaign trail for Republicans over the coming months, the nation's first African-American commander in chief is making it clear he too will campaign for several candidates ahead of the most anticipated midterm vote in years.

"I'm eager to make the case for why Democratic candidates deserve our votes this fall," Obama said in a statement announcing his support for 81 Democrats from 14 states -- people he sees as the next generation of leaders.

They include candidates in several high-profile battlegrounds, such as Harley Rouda, who is challenging vulnerable Republican incumbent congressman Dana Rohrabacher in a California race that is key to Democratic efforts to win back control of the House of Representatives.

He also backed US Senate candidate Jacky Rosen of Nevada, running neck and neck against Senator Dean Heller; and Georgia gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams, who would be the first black woman ever elected as governor of a US state.

"I'm confident that, together, they'll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity that's broadly shared, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law," Obama said.

About half of the favored candidates are challengers for state assemblies, including nine Democrats running for seats in the State House in notorious political battleground Ohio, and nine candidates for swing-state Colorado's House and Senate.

Georgia's Abrams said it was "a profound honor" to receive Obama's endorsement. Rouda and Rosen also thanked the former president.

Obama's office said he expects to campaign "in several states this fall" and he will issue a second round of endorsements ahead of election day.

Trump also is likely to be criss-crossing the country. The president is in his element on the campaign trail, where his fiery rallies allow him to pose as the outsider thumbing his nose at establishment politics.

He did as much Tuesday night in Florida, where he campaigned for congressman Ron DeSantis, a Trump loyalist locked in a primary battle for governor against a long-established Florida Republican.

"I don't do these endorsements easily," Trump said. "Although it seems to have an impact."

Trump has indeed swayed recent races. In Georgia the candidate he endorsed in a nasty battle for governor won the Republican primary in a landslide. The same thing happened when he endorsed Alabama congresswoman Martha Roby.Syrian rebels in the Idlib province have formed the National Liberation Front, a new coalition that merges the alliance of Islamist heavyweights Ahrar al-Sham and Nureddine al-Zinki with four other rebel factions

Rebel groups in Syria's Idlib province on Wednesday announced the formation of a new coalition, as President Bashar al-Assad looks to turn his sights on the northwestern region.

The National Liberation Front merges the alliance of Islamist heavyweights Ahrar al-Sham and Nureddine al-Zinki with four other rebel factions.

The coalition, however, will not include Idlib's dominant force -- the jihadist alliance of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate.

The alliance was announced Wednesday by Ahrar al-Sham and Nureddine al-Zinki, who are already merged under the name of the Syrian Liberation Front.

One of the new coalition's objectives will be to "block all attempts by the regime to advance" towards opposition areas, its spokesman Naji Abu Hazifa told AFP.

Strategically important Idlib province shares a border with rebel-backer Turkey and is adjacent to Latakia, a regime stronghold on the Mediterranean.

"Turkey cements its influence in Idlib yet further - as non-HTS armed opposition groups seek to deter regime," tweeted Syria expert Charles Lister.

Idlib is the last of four "de-escalation" zones agreed by world powers in 2017 where the rebels still have a major presence.

Rebels and civilians bussed out of the other three zones when they fell to the government were taken to Idlib, increasing its population to around 2.5 million people.

In an interview last week with Russian media, Assad said Idlib was the government's next priority.

But on Tuesday Moscow, the regime's strongest ally, ruled out the possibility of a major assault on the province.

"There's currently no question and can be no question of an operation, of a major assault on Idlib," Russia's Syria envoy Alexander Lavrentiev said in remarks reported by Russian agencies.

In an interview last week with AFP, the Syrian opposition's chief negotiator, Nasr al-Hariri, said Turkish "guarantees" over Idlib would likely bar a regime assault on the area.

The war in Syria has killed more than 350,000 people since it began in 2011 with a brutal government crackdown on protesters.

It has grown in complexity over the past seven years, drawing in world powers and jihadists.President Donald Trump has asked the US Trade Representative to consider increasing the proposed tariffs on Chinese imports as part of a plan to pressure Beijing into reforming its trade practices

The United States may jack up the tariff rate on the next $200 billion in Chinese imports it plans to target as it pressures Beijing to reform its trade practices, US officials said Wednesday.

President Donald Trump asked the US Trade Representative to consider increasing the proposed tariffs to 25 percent from the announced 10 percent, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said.

"We have been very clear about the specific changes China should undertake. Regrettably, instead of changing its harmful behavior, China has illegally retaliated against US workers, farmers, ranchers and businesses," Lighthizer said in a statement.

Officials however downplayed suggestions the move was intended to compensate for the recent decline in the value of the Chinese currency, which have threatened to take much of the sting out of Trump's tariffs by making the imports cheaper.

Washington and Beijing are locked in battle over American accusations that China's export economy benefits from unfair policies and subsidies while stealing American technological know-how.

Trump has threated to slap tariffs on virtually all of China's exports to the United States.

On July 10, Washington unveiled a list of another $200 billion in Chinese goods, from areas as varied as electrical machinery, leather goods and seafood, that would be hit with 10 percent import duties.

Increasing the rates to 25 percent could make them significantly more painful.

"We will give people a chance obviously to comment on the substantial effects of a 25 percent duty as oppose to a 10 percent duty," a senior administration official told reporters.

The comment period on the proposal, which includes public hearings on the tariffs due to take place later this month, would be extended into September, the officials said.

The US already imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese goods, with another $16 billion to be targeted in coming weeks.BANGKOK (AP) - Determined to extend his 33 years as Cambodia's strongman ruler, Prime Minister Hun Sen was not about to let an election derail what he believes is his destiny.

The 65-year-old leader had declared he intends to stay in office for 10 more years, and Sunday's general election victory by his Cambodian People's Party should get him halfway to that goal.

The walkover win was a foregone conclusion, with the government-influenced courts having dissolved the only credible opposition party last year.

FILE - In this Sunday, July 29, 2018, file photo, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen holds his ballot at a polling station in Takhmua, Kandal province, southeast of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Determined to extend his 33 years as Cambodia's strongman ruler, Prime Minister Hun Sen was not about to let an election derail what he believes is his destiny. The 65-year-old Hun Sen had declared he intends to stay in office for 10 more years, and Sunday's general election victory by his Cambodian People's Party should get him halfway to that goal. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)

In his first public appearance since the election, Hun Sen shook hands and posed for pictures Wednesday while inaugurating a new ferry service between Phnom Penh and a nearby town. Speaking to reporters, he hailed what he called his government's achievement of establishing "democracy and the process of peace."

Chalk up another success for Asia's most durable leader and the politics of guile and ruthlessness.

"Hun Sen is a born survivor," said Sebastian Strangio, author of a 2014 biography. "He has been in power now for more than half his life. He is somebody who apparently has very few hobbies. He spends most of his time in the weighing and accumulation of power."

He came from humble roots in the provinces. In the 1970s he joined Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge as it battled to seize power. He lost his left eye in the final battle for Phnom Penh in 1975. But when a series of purges put his own life at risk he fled to Vietnam, returning to help oust his former comrades in 1979.

He rose quickly. By his late twenties he was installed as foreign minister by occupying Vietnamese forces, and in 1985, prime minister in a single-party communist regime.

When he lost a 1993 U.N.-supervised election to bring in multiparty democracy, he threatened war unless he was given a share of power. He got his way.

The arrangement of having two prime ministers proved unworkable. The partnership was broken up in 1997 by what some termed a coup by Hun Sen, whose forces co-opted, chased into exile or murdered his opponents after a few days of bloody fighting in and around the capital.

With the levers of state power again solely in his hands, Hun Sen began to master electoral democracy with Machiavellian skill. His party employed violence on occasion, but tactics such as divide and conquer ultimately proved more rewarding.

As strong economic growth buoyed his control, Hun Sen began to assume the mantle of statesman and prepared his sons - appointed to important military positions - to be his political successors. A daughter controls the country's most important private television station.

Widespread land grabbing by Cambodian cronies and foreign investors triggered a tide of popular resentment and occasional violent resistance as the 2013 election approached. Heightened expectations among educated city dwellers included a desire for a freer society.

That election's results put the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party within striking distance of power, winning 55 seats in the National Assembly against the CPP's 68, and 44 percent of the popular vote to the CPP's 48 percent.

It was a wake-up call for Hun Sen, particularly as opposition supporters took to the streets to back their demand for a fairer share of power.

After buying time with largely symbolic concessions, a methodical campaign was launched to break the back of the opposition.

It included the beating of two CNRP lawmakers by an organized mob outside parliament, but relied mostly on the country's tamed courts, mounting legal cases against the government's foes to sideline them.

The CNRP's two leaders were forced to stay abroad because of an old defamation conviction, and jailed pending trial for treason. The far-fetched allegation of plotting regime change with the backing of the United States was the basis for dissolving their party, banning more than 100 of its leaders from political activity for five years, and forcing out party members from national and local political offices. A crackdown on the media silenced other critical voices.

It was no more Mr. Nice Guy for Hun Sen, who had taken to projecting an avuncular image, especially on his Facebook page where he likes to post selfies of himself with other nation's leaders. The opposition showed its strength again in local elections last year, and Hun Sen lashed out at his critics.

"Your tongue is the reason for war. If you still make insults and threats to kill, you have to prepare your coffin," he said, according to the Cambodia Daily newspaper, since forced to close. "To protect the peace for millions of people, if necessary, 100 or 200 must be eliminated. Please listen carefully. ... Whoever intends to undermine peace will receive what you deserve." Although the sharp criticisms he referred to were mostly from random social media postings, he pinned the blame on leaders of the CNRP.

Hun Sen in the run-up to the election hammered at the theme that his opponents were plotting a "color revolution," referring to the popular uprisings in the former Soviet Union and Balkan states where intentions of installing Western-style democracy had instead a destabilizing effect.

Using violent language to drive home his point, he talked of eradicating his peaceful political opponents, occasionally employing a Cambodian word that translates as "smash," but had been used by the Khmer Rouge as a euphemism for "kill," or "exterminate."

"He helped to overthrow the genocidal Khmer Rouge government in 1979, a fact that he believes gives his government the right to rule Cambodia in perpetuity," said biographer Strangio. "And so Hun Sen sees himself - as befitting any leader who has been in power so long - he sees himself as indispensable to his country's progress."

FILE - In this Saturday, July 7, 2018, file photo, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen waves to supporters during his Cambodian People's Party's campaign in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Determined to extend his 33 years as Cambodia's strongman ruler, Prime Minister Hun Sen was not about to let an election derail what he believes is his destiny. The 65-year-old Hun Sen had declared he intends to stay in office for 10 more years, and Sunday's general election victory by his Cambodian People's Party should get him halfway to that goal. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)SEATTLE (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump and downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun (all times local):

3:15 p.m.

A federal judge in Seattle has issued a temporary restraining order to stop the release of blueprints to make untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns.

FILE - In this May 10, 2013, file photo, Cody Wilson holds what he calls a Liberator pistol that was completely made on a 3-D-printer at his home in Austin, Texas. Eight states filed suit Monday, July 30, 2018, against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File)

Eight Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the federal government's settlement with the company that makes the plans available online. They also sought a restraining order, arguing the 3D guns would be a safety risk.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik issued the order Tuesday afternoon.

The company behind the plans, Austin, Texas-based Defense Distributed, had reached a settlement with the federal government in June that allows it to make the plans for the guns available for download on Wednesday.

The restraining order puts that plan on hold for now.

In the meantime, Congressional Democrats have urged President Trump to reverse the decision to let Defense Distributed publish the plans. Trump said Tuesday that he's "looking into" the idea, saying making 3D plastic guns available to the public "doesn't seem to make much sense!"

___

5:30 p.m.

The White House is declining to say whether the president thinks blueprints for printing plastic guns should be available to the public.

Spokesman Hogan Gidley tells reporters aboard Air Force One that President Donald Trump "is committed to the safety and security of all Americans and considers this his highest responsibility."

Gidley notes that it's currently illegal to own or make a wholly plastic gun, including any made with a 3D printer, and says the administration supports that law and "will continue to look at all options available to us to do what is necessary to protect Americans while also supporting the First and Second amendments."

Trump had tweeted earlier that he was looking into the issue, adding, "Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!"

____

noon

Democrats are calling on President Donald Trump to reverse an administration decision to allow a Texas company to make blueprints for a 3D-printed gun available online.

Democratic senators said at a news conference that Trump has the power to stop the company from making downloadable plans available online. A settlement reached this summer takes effect Wednesday.

Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey said: "Donald Trump will be totally responsible for every downloadable, plastic AR-15 (gun) that will be roaming the streets of our country if he does not act today" to stop it.

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said if Trump fails to act, "blood is going to be on his hands."

Eights states have sued to block the settlement, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons that fire real bullets threaten public safety.

___

8:50 a.m.

President Donald Trump says he is consulting with the National Rifle Association over whether it makes sense for a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun.

Trump tweeted Tuesday he is "looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public," adding that he "already spoke to NRA."

The president expressed doubt, saying "doesn't seem to make much sense!" He did not offer further details.

Trump spoke after eight states filed suit against the administration, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety.

The suit, filed Monday in Seattle, asks a judge to block the federal government's late-June settlement with Defense Distributed, which allowed the company to make the plans available online.leekohler2 said: I was told by one of our resident right wingers that I was crazy for suggesting anything like this would happen here. Literally two days later this shit happens. The right wing is using Russia as a model for the US. This is just more evidence of that. Click to expand...

It'a the same with the prayer in school crowd. I've NEVER understood why any self respecting reasonably devout person of faith would WANT to turn over and give up their right to teach their children their religion.One of the few places government and the courts have feared to tread is on a parent's right to teach their children their religion. The few times they have, they've been almost immediately shut down by the higher courts. Blatant first amendment violations.About the only time they've ever been successful is against the Mormons on plural marriage and the Christian Scientists for NOT seeking medical treatment for their children. The IRONY of the name Christian Scientist I find hilarious since they disavow medical science.But where I was going was, WHY would any truly religious person WANT the government, in any form or fashion, TELLING their children when, where or how to pray ?? Once they give the school board the AUTHORITY to insist their children pray in school, they will have given up the right to dictate otherwise !!! They will have, with both hands, given away one of the few absolute rights parents still have. Once the government takes it over, those who run and influence the government will be who decides when and where and to whom the children will pray.I've have truly never understood why people want to give away their rights. Never understood how people could be SOOOO stupid.Do they truly not realize that giving that control to the government means THEY WILL NO LONGER HAVE IT ??The only people that WANT prayer in school are those that think they will gain and benefit from it. They can then use the schools as recruiting grounds for their particular brand of Christianity. That the parents might disagree will be of no concern.ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp's campaign says that he will remove links to social media accounts promoting his campaign for governor from an official state app.

Kemp, the GOP nominee, had faced criticism from some Democrats who raised questions about whether it constituted an improper use of state resources.

Kemp spokesman Ryan Mahoney said Tuesday that links to Kemp's campaign's social media accounts would be removed from the official "GA SOS" app. But Mahoney said the practice was legal and "common for elected officials who value accessibility."

FILE - In this Monday, July 23, 2018, file photo, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp talks to voters during a rally in Augusta, Ga. Kemp's campaign says that he will remove links to social media accounts promoting his campaign for governor from an official state app. (Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle via AP, File)

Democratic State Rep. Scott Holcomb of Atlanta said on Twitter that it was "illegal and unethical" to use state resources for campaigning.SINGAPORE (AP) - Southeast Asian nations are expected to welcome an initial negotiating draft of a nonaggression pact with China on the South China Sea, but critics warn that the protracted talks provide a diplomatic cover for Beijing's tenacious aggression in the disputed waters.

Top diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will also praise the rapprochement between the Koreas, along with that of President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, when they gather for four days of annual summitry in Singapore starting Wednesday.

Currently led by Singapore, the 10-nation bloc will host on Saturday Asia's largest security forum, including the key players involved in the Korean Peninsula's disarmament efforts, which will provide a chance for them to talk on the summit's sidelines.

In this photo released by the ASEAN Organizing Committee, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, second from right, speaks during a meeting by the ASEAN foreign ministers with members of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, in Singapore. Southeast Asian nations are expected to welcome an initial negotiating draft of a nonaggression pact with China on the South China Sea, but critics warn that the protracted talks provide a diplomatic cover for Beijing. (ASEAN Organizing Committee via AP)

Concern over rising extremism in the region and the plight of minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state will also be under the spotlight. Myanmar is to brief the ASEAN foreign ministers on the situation in Rakhine during a lunch "retreat," an informal gathering where ministers raise contentious issues that normally are a taboo in their staid plenary meetings.

Founded in 1967 in the Cold War era as a bulwark against communism, ASEAN has a bedrock principle of non-interference in each other's domestic affairs and decides by consensus, meaning even one member state can doom any proposal it deems offensive.

Those cardinal principles have drastically slowed decision-making and have been used by authoritarian leaders to dodge outside criticism, causing the diplomatic collective to be labeled by skeptics as a "club of dictators" and human rights violators. But its principles have allowed ASEAN to maintain diverse national identities, from rambunctious democracies to martial law regimes, for half a century.

The bloc has also been an acceptable broker for talks for all sorts of conflicts.

In the South China Sea disputes, which have pitted China, Taiwan and four ASEAN member states - Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam - the group is expected to announce an agreement with Beijing on an initial negotiating draft of a so-called "code of conduct," a proposed set of regional norms and rules aimed at preventing the long-seething disputes from degenerating into a shooting war.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Tuesday before flying to Singapore that talks on the code could be concluded this year or next. Other Asian diplomats have not been as optimistic.

The ministers will welcome "the improving cooperation between ASEAN and China and were encouraged by the progress of the substantive negotiations towards the early conclusion of an effective code of conduct in the South China Sea on a mutually agreed timeline," according to a draft of a joint post-summit communique by the ministers which was obtained by The Associated Press.

Some of the ministers would repeat their concerns over China's transformation of seven disputed reefs into islands, including three with runways, which now resemble small cities armed with weapons, including surface-to-air missiles. China has come under intense criticisms for the aggressive action but it has said it has the right to build on its territory and defend them at all costs.

The ministers "took note of the concerns expressed by some countries on the land reclamations in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region," the draft communique said without naming China and reflecting the internal divisions over the touchy issue.

ASEAN member states Cambodia and Laos, which are known China allies, have opposed the use of strong language against Beijing over the disputes.

Greg Poling, director of the U.S.-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, which monitors developments in the South China Sea, said highlighting the draft code of conduct in the summit will be "more political theater than substance at this point" given the lack of agreement on areas it will cover and whether the pact should be legally binding after more than 15 years of talks.

Without any major concessions, especially from China, Poling said the talks would drag further while China presses actions to reinforce its vast territorial claims "without paying much price because the code of conduct process offers diplomatic cover to claim it is seeking a peaceful and fair settlement."

___

Gomez reported from Manila, Philippines.

FILE - In this April 21, 2017, file photo, an airstrip, structures and buildings on China's man-made Subi Reef in the Spratly chain of islands in the South China Sea are seen from a Philippine Air Force C-130 transport plane of the Philippine Air Force. Southeast Asian nations are expected to welcome an initial negotiating draft of a nonaggression pact with China on the South China Sea, but critics warn that the protracted talks provide a diplomatic cover for Beijing's tenacious aggression in the disputed waters. Four days of annual summitry in Singapore starts Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)

FILE - In this April 21, 2017, file photo, Chinese structures and buildings on the man-made Subi Reef at the Spratlys group of islands are seen from the Thitu Island off the South China Sea. Southeast Asian nations are expected to welcome an initial negotiating draft of a nonaggression pact with China on the South China Sea, but critics warn that the protracted talks provide a diplomatic cover for Beijing's tenacious aggression in the disputed waters. Four days of annual summitry in Singapore starts Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - A campaign to expand legal abortions in the homeland of Pope Francis is bitterly dividing Argentines - and increasingly even the profession that would be asked to carry them out.

Hundreds of physicians have staged anti-abortion protests as an abortion rights bill moves toward a vote in the Senate next week. Some have demonstrated while carrying fetus-shaped dolls and waving signs saying: "I'm a doctor, not a murderer." At one recent protest, they laid white medical coats on the ground outside the presidential palace.

While the Doctors for Life activist group claims about 1,000 members - only a small fraction of the country's physicians - its protests are feeding a debate in the profession as a whole about the move to legalize elective abortions in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

In this July 15, 2018 photo, a medical doctor holds a small plastic doll shaped like a fetus while chanting: "I'm a doctor, not a murderer," during a protest against efforts to legalize abortion, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A campaign to expand legal abortions is bitterly dividing Argentines and increasingly even the profession that would be asked to carry them out. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Leaders of the prestigious Argentina Medical Society have endorsed the bill, which has already passed the lower house of Congress. They said it would help reduce deaths among the estimated 400,000 to 500,000 women who now receive clandestine abortions each year.

But the equally august Academy of Medicine vehemently rejects the legislation. The academy issued a statement that human life begins at conception and "to destroy a human embryo means impeding the birth of a human being."

"Nothing good can come when society chooses death as a solution," it said.

An association of medical birth control specialists issued a strong statement in favor of the proposed law. Officials at about 300 private hospitals and medical facilities have denounced it.

"The defense of life is at the very foundation of our institution," said Ernesto Beruti, chief of obstetrics at the Austral University Hospital, which is linked to the conservative Catholic Opus Dei movement. "We see ever more doctors joining" the protests.

Argentina now allows abortion only in cases of rape or risks to a woman's health. But advocates say doctors and judges often continue to block legal abortions. Illegal abortions can lead to four years in prison for the woman and doctor alike.

The measure only narrowly passed in the Chamber of Deputies on June 14 after a long campaign by hundreds of feminist and human rights groups. Its advance appears to have galvanized opponents, religious and otherwise, to mobilize public protests ahead of a Senate vote tentatively set for Aug. 8. President Mauricio Macri has said he will sign the measure if it passes, despite opposing abortion.

Pope Francis this year denounced abortion as the "white glove" equivalent of the Nazi-era eugenics program and urged families "to accept the children that God gives them."

But polls indicate most Argentines are in favor of broader legalization, which also has the support of local and international human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

"Decriminalization reduces maternal mortality, serious complications, and the total number of abortions," Health Minister Adolfo Rubinstein said recently. "Beyond all the moral dilemmas, abortion exists and it's a problem that we must face."

Medical critics of the measure, however, complain about the mechanics of the proposed law as well as the life-and-death issues.

Many private hospitals, such as Austral, are upset that the law would allow only individual doctors to opt out of abortions, not institutions as a whole.

Argentina's Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Societies issued a statement complaining that it hadn't been consulted about the measure and expressed concern that doctors who refuse to perform abortions on moral grounds might suffer professional discrimination. Critics note that objectors would have to register and say that might function as a sort of "black list" for hospitals to avoid hiring them.

Some worry about the law's demand that women receive an abortion within five days of requesting it. They say that could lead to prosecution of physicians who balk at a particular abortion on medical safety rather than moral grounds, or when it's not possible to find a doctor willing to perform the procedure in the tight time frame.

"Doctors can't work under the threat of prison time," said Maria de los Angeles Carmona, head of gynecology the state-run Eva Peron Hospital.

Opponents also warn it could open the way to widespread late term abortions because it waives the 14-week limit in cases of rape or when a woman's health is at stake. They say women could argue they face psychological or social damage due to a pregnancy.

Some vow to challenge the law in court if it's approved.

"How far are we willing to go to? Jail," Beruti said. "Even if the law is passed, I'm not going to eliminate the life of a human being. The most important right is the right to live."

___

Associated Press videojournalist Paul Byrne contributed to this report.

In this July 15, 2018 photo, medical doctors protest against efforts to legalize abortion, in front of Government House in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Hundreds of physicians have staged anti-abortion protests as an abortion rights bill moves toward a vote in the Senate. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

In this July 18, 2018 photo, Ernesto Beruti, chief of obstetrics at the Austral University Hospital, talks with a patient during an appointment in Pilar, Argentina. "Even if the law is passed, I'm not going to eliminate the life of a human being. The most important right is the right to live." said Beruti regarding the measure to expand legal abortion. (AP Photo/Lucia Prieto)

This July 15, 2018 photo shows white medical coats hanging from the iron gate that surrounds the national monument May Pyramid, as a symbolic act against efforts to legalize abortion, in Buenos Aires downtown, Argentina. While the Doctors for Life activist group claims about 1,000 members, only a small fraction of the country's physicians, its protests are feeding a debate in the profession as a whole about the move to legalize elective abortions in the first 14 months of pregnancy. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

In this July 3, 2018 photo, women stage an anti-abortion protest as an abortion rights bill is discussed in the Senate, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The measure only narrowly passed in the lower house of Congress after a long campaign by hundreds of feminist and human rights groups. Its advance appears to have galvanized opponents to mobilize public protests ahead of a Senate vote tentatively set for Aug. 8. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

In this July 3, 2018 photo, a woman walks past an anti-abortion banner with a message that reads in Spanish: "Mr. President: You promised to defend life. Keep your word!", attached to the front gates of Congress. Macri has said he'd sign a measure that expands legal abortions if it passes, despite opposing abortion. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

In this June 13, 2018 photo, women in favor of a campaign to expand legal abortions stage a demonstration outside Congress as lawmakers debate the measure, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Leaders of the prestigious Argentina Medical Society said the measure would help reduce deaths among the estimated 400,000 to 500,000 women who now receive clandestine abortions each year.(AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

In this June 26, 2018 photo, women stage a demonstration in favor of a measure to expand legal abortions, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. More than 60 percent of Argentinians - especially young people - are in favor of legalizing abortion, according to a poll by the social sciences faculty of the University of Buenos Aires. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

In this July 25, 2018 photo, women in favor of a measure to expand legal abortions, wearing red cloaks and white bonnets like the characters from the novel-turned-TV series "The Handmaid's Tale", march in silence to Congress, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Once they reached Congress, one of them read a letter by "Handmaid's Tale" author Margaret Atwood, who supports the effort led by Argentine feminist groups. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

In this July 10, 2018 photo, Dr. Martha Rosenberg, a pioneer for the decriminalization of abortion, testifies before a Senate commission, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The lower house recently approved a bill that would legalize elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. The measure is to be voted on by the Senate on Aug. 8. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)NEW YORK (AP) - Jurors will hear opening statements Thursday in the bribery retrial of New York City's ex-jail guard union boss, a case built largely on the claims of a cooperating witness who says he used money to win favors from city officials including Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The second trial for Norman Seabrook revives claims by Jona Rechnitz, a real estate developer who has moved to Los Angeles, that he used money to buy himself power.

At a trial last year, Rechnitz testified that he helped arrange $60,000 in payments to Seabrook so the longtime head of the New York City Correction Officers' Benevolent Association would steer $20 million of union funds to a hedge fund.

FILE- In this June 8, 2016, file photo, Norman Seabrook, center, president of the New York City Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, leaves court, in New York. Seabrook's bribery retrial is set to begin Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, with jury selection. A jury deadlocked in 2017 in his first trial. Seabrook was arrested in 2016 on conspiracy and fraud charges, and prosecutors say he accepted $60,000 in bribes to steer $20 million in union funds to a hedge fund. His lawyer says he never took a bribe. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Rechnitz said that Seabrook was promised from $100,000 to $150,000 annually to invest union funds.

He also said that he contributed $100,000 to the 2013 New York City mayoral campaign of de Blasio, a Democrat, who won the election.

Richnitz testified in a cooperation deal after pleading guilty to conspiracy, saying he arranged a bribe for Seabrook and gave gifts to public officials, including de Blasio, in a bid to gain favors.

A spokesman for de Blasio has said Rechnitz's contributions had no effect on government decisions.

The mayor's aides and lawyers for Seabrook, 58, have labeled Rechnitz a liar.

A jury deadlocked last year in Seabrook's first trial.

Seabrook was arrested in 2016 on conspiracy and fraud charges.

Prosecutors say Seabrook accepted his bribes in a $1,000 Ferragamo handbag.

His lawyers say he never took bribes and most of his cash resulted from gambling winnings.

The retrial will have a new wrinkle after U.S. District judge Alvin K. Hellerstein ruled that the government can show jurors evidence that the correction officers' union lost $19 million of its $20 million investment when the hedge fund went bankrupt.

Earning up to $300,000 annually, Seabrook led the nation's largest municipal jail guard union for over two decades. In his powerful post, he was beloved by guards, feared by jail administrators and was approached delicately by city politicians.

Seabrook was believed to be so influential that some thought he had more influence over the city's Rikers Island jail complex than any other person, even the head of the city's Department of Corrections. Rikers is part of the city's 10,000-inmate jail system.

At the first trial, defense attorney Paul Shechtman praised his client's union work, saying he'd vastly improved the standing of city guards from the mid-1990s until his arrest, increasing their salaries and benefits package substantially.Trump urges end to probe 'right now,' setting off new storm

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump bluntly declared on Wednesday his attorney general should terminate "right now" the federal probe into the campaign that took him to the White House, a newly fervent attack on the special counsel investigation that could imperil his presidency. Trump also assailed the trial, just underway, of his former campaign chairman by the special counsel's team.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders scrambled to explain that Trump's tweet was "not an order" and the president was not directing his attorney general to do anything.

"It's the president's opinion," she said.

But Trump's early morning tweetstorm again raised the specter that he could try to more directly bring special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia-Trump election-collusion probe to a premature end. And it revived the idea that the president's tweets themselves might be used as evidence that he is attempting to obstruct justice.

Meanwhile, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said negotiations are continuing to have Trump sit down for questions from Mueller, though the lawyer said, "I'm not going to give you a lot of hope that it's going to happen." He said both sides had exchanged proposals for conditions for such an interview, "and yesterday we got a letter back from them and now we're in the process of responding."

___

'Our boys are coming home;' Pence welcomes Korean War dead

HONOLULU (AP) - In an emotional and solemn ceremony, the remains of dozens of presumed casualties from the Korean War were escorted by military honor guards onto U.S. soil on Wednesday, 65 years after an armistice ended the conflict and weeks after President Donald Trump received a commitment from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for their return.

The U.S. military believes the bones are those of U.S. servicemen and potentially servicemen from other United Nations member countries who fought alongside the U.S. on behalf of South Korea during the war. What is expected to be an exhaustive analysis and identification process will soon begin.

"Some have called the Korean War the 'forgotten war.' But today, we prove these heroes were never forgotten," Vice President Mike Pence said at a ceremony welcoming the remains, which were flown from South Korea earlier in the day. "Today, our boys are coming home."

Each container was accompanied by one Marine, one sailor, one soldier and one airman. They set them gently on risers lined up inside the hangar as Pence stood watching with his hand over his heart. Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, saluted. Some of the invited guests wiped tears from their eyes during the procession of the containers off the planes.

Sixteen other United Nations member countries fought alongside U.S. service members on behalf of South Korea. Some of them, including Australia, Belgium, France and the Philippines, have yet to recover some of their war dead from North Korea.

___

Social media plays whack-a-mole with Russia interference

Facebook is spending heavily to avoid a repeat of the Russian interference that played out on its service in 2016, bringing on thousands of human moderators and advanced artificial intelligence systems to weed out fake accounts and foreign propaganda campaigns.

But it may never get the upper hand. Its adversaries are wily, more adept at camouflaging themselves and apparently aren't always detectable by Facebook's much-vaunted AI. They employ better operational security, constantly test Facebook's countermeasures and then exploit whatever holes they find.

"They've got lots of very good, smart technical people, who are assessing the situation all the time and gaming the system," said Mike Posner, a former U.S. diplomat who directs New York University's Stern Center for Business and Human Rights.

With the U.S. midterm elections approaching and renewed scrutiny on Capitol Hill, Facebook revealed this week that it has uncovered and removed 32 apparently fake accounts and pages. The accounts appear designed to manipulate Americans' political opinions using tactics similar to those adopted ahead of the 2016 presidential election on social-media services, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr and Reddit.

This time, however, whoever is responsible is doing a better job hiding their tracks. They are buying ads with U.S. or Canadian dollars, not rubles, and using virtual private networks and other methods to look more like people logging in from U.S locations.

___

Court strikes down Trump push to cut 'sanctuary city' funds

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A divided U.S. appeals court on Wednesday struck down a key part of President Donald Trump's contentious effort to crack down on cities and states that limit cooperation with immigration officials, saying an executive order threatening to cut funding for "sanctuary cities" was unconstitutional.

In a 2-1 decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that the order exceeded the president's authority. Congress alone controls spending under the U.S. Constitution, and presidents do not have the power to withhold funding it approves to pursue their policy goals, the court majority said.

"By its plain terms, the executive order directs the agencies of the executive branch to withhold funds appropriated by Congress in order to further the administration's policy objective of punishing cities and counties that adopt so-called 'sanctuary' policies," wrote Chief Judge Sidney Thomas, joined by Judge Ronald Gould, who both were nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton.

The court, however, also said the lower-court judge went too far when he blocked enforcement of Trump's order nationwide after a lawsuit by two California counties - San Francisco and Santa Clara.

Thomas said there wasn't enough evidence to support a nationwide ban, limited the injunction to California and sent the case back to the lower court for more arguments on whether a wider ban was warranted.

___

Mexico plane hit sudden, violent storm before crash

DURANGO, Mexico (AP) - It began with a strong burst of wind and pounding hail that pummeled the Aeromexico jetliner minutes after takeoff in northern Mexico then sent it smashing belly-down onto a field near the runway.

Frightened passengers scrambled to flee as flames and blinding black smoke erupted around them. Miraculously, all 103 on board survived the crash Tuesday.

On Wednesday, passengers described the terrifying sequence of events.

"It's not every day you kind of fall from the sky and live to tell about it," said Alberto Herrera, a 35-year-old webpage engineer from Chicago.

Jose Luis Corral, a 52-year-old business owner from Portland, Oregon, agreed.

___

Only on AP: Army using drug waivers, bonuses to fill ranks

WASHINGTON (AP) - Under the gun to increase the size of the force, the Army is issuing more waivers for past drug use or bad conduct by recruits, and pouring an extra $200 million into bonuses this year to attract and retain soldiers.

According to data obtained by The Associated Press, nearly one-third of all the waivers granted by the Army in the first six months of this fiscal year were for conduct and drug problems, mainly involving marijuana use. That number is significantly higher than the other three military services, and represents a steady increase over the past three years.

At the same time, the Army increased bonuses by more than 30 percent this year, with enlistment money going to recruits for high-tech jobs such as satellite communications and cryptologists. Recruits in those jobs can get up to an additional $30,000 for a five-year enlistment.

The enlistment bonuses grew by $115 million this year over last year, while money to entice soldiers already in the service to stay grew by almost $100 million, according to the Army.

Army leaders said there has been no move to reduce enlistment standards in order to meet recruitment goals. They said there are more waivers in part because of the increased competition for recruits as they try to add another 8,000 soldiers to the force this year.

___

Tesla burns $739.5 million in cash on way to record 2Q loss

Electric car maker Tesla Inc. burned through $739.5 million in cash last quarter, paving the way to a company record $717.5 million net loss as it cranked out more electric cars.

But CEO Elon Musk pledged to post net profits in future quarters, and on a conference call, he apologized to two analysts he cut off on the company's first-quarter call. Telsa's shares jumped 9.3 percent to $328.85 in after-hours trading.

The net loss more than doubled from the same quarter a year ago, and was slightly larger than the first quarter. But Tesla's cash burn in the second quarter slowed from about $1.1 billion.

On the call, Musk also said he expects the company to avoid returning to the markets for capital and to be "essentially self-funding on a go-forward basis." Tesla would use money generated from sales to fund big projects such as an estimated $2 billion new factory in China and another plant in Europe, he said.

The company also said that Model 3 gross profit margins turned slightly positive during the quarter as it worked out expensive kinks in its manufacturing system.

___

Who is Q? Behind conspiracy theory erupting at Trump rallies

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Amid the "Trump 2020" placards, the "Women for Trump" signs and the "CNN SUCKS" T-shirts, the most inscrutable message that came out of Donald Trump's Tampa rally on Tuesday evening was a letter.

Q.

People wore T-shirts with the letter emblazoned on the front. Others carried signs containing the letter: "Q WWG1WGA Trump 2020 Keep America Great! MSM is the enemy." Another held a dog-eared and slightly crumpled piece of paper in the air. It said, simply, "We are Q."

Q who?

The entire, loose movement has been called everything from "a deranged conspiracy cult" (The Washington Post) to a grassroots movement "about the covert battles being waged between the deep state and President Trump" (according to Tyler, a guy at the Tampa rally who held a metal coin emblazoned with the letter and showed it to WPLG, a TV station from Miami).

___

Ohio State's Meyer put on leave, investigation opened

Urban Meyer's job appears to be in jeopardy.

Ohio State placed Meyer, one of the most successful coaches in college football history, on paid administrative leave Wednesday while it investigates claims that his wife knew about allegations of domestic violence against an assistant coach years before the staff member was fired last week.

Courtney Smith, the ex-wife of fired Buckeyes assitant Zach Smith, gave an interview to Stadium and provided text messages to former ESPN reporter Brett McMurphy between her and Shelley Meyer in 2015 about Zach Smith' behavior. Courtney Smith also provided threatening texts she said came from her ex-husband, and text messages between her and other wives of Buckeyes assistant coaches, discussing Zach Smith.

"Shelley said she was going to have to tell Urban," Courtney Smith told Stadium. "I said: 'That's fine, you should tell Urban.'"

Zach Smith, who has never been convicted of any crimes, was fired last week after an Ohio court granted a domestic violence protective order to Courtney Smith. A message left by the AP for Zach Smith's attorney, Brad Koffel, requesting comment was not immediately returned.

___

Sheriff: Radio host Art Bell died of prescription overdose

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Art Bell, a former syndicated AM radio host best known for nightly shows in the 1990s featuring paranormal themes and conspiracy theories, died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, authorities in Nevada said Wednesday.

An autopsy found the 72-year-old Bell's death April 13 at home in rural Pahrump was from "multiple drug intoxication from his own lawfully prescribed prescriptions," Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly's office said in a brief Facebook announcement . It called the death an accidental overdose.

Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg, whose office in Las Vegas handled the medical examination, said Bell had the painkillers oxycodone and hydrocodone, the sedative diazepam and the muscle-relaxant carisoprodol in his system.

High blood pressure and the lung disease chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder were additional "significant conditions" in Bell's death, Fudenberg said.

The coroner said there was no indication of foul play.DURANGO, Mexico (AP) - It began with a strong burst of wind and pounding hail that pummeled the Aeromexico jetliner minutes after takeoff in northern Mexico then sent it smashing belly-down onto a field near the runway.

Frightened passengers scrambled to flee as flames and blinding black smoke erupted around them. Miraculously, all 103 on board survived the crash Tuesday.

On Wednesday, passengers described the terrifying sequence of events.

In this photo released by Red Cross Durango communications office, Red Cross workers and rescue workers carry an injured person on a stretcher, right, as airline workers, left, walk away from the site where an Aeromexico airliner crashed in a field near the airport in Durango, Mexico, Tuesday, July 31, 2018. The jetliner crashed while taking off during a severe storm, smacking down in a field nearly intact then catching fire, and officials said it appeared everyone on board escaped the flames. (Red Cross Durango via AP)

"It's not every day you kind of fall from the sky and live to tell about it," said Alberto Herrera, a 35-year-old webpage engineer from Chicago.

Jose Luis Corral, a 52-year-old business owner from Portland, Oregon, agreed.

"It's a good thing we're all alive," said Corral, who still wore a neck brace from injuries he suffered in the crash.

"It's so fast, terrifying to see all the people screaming," added Corral, who was one of four people who helped the plane's badly injured pilot escape the blaze. The pilot suffered a serious neck injury and remains hospitalized. Forty-eight others were also injured, and 22 remained hospitalized Wednesday.

Herrera said the skies were sunny as passengers boarded the flight from Durango to Mexico City Tuesday afternoon and the violent storm seemed to come from nowhere.

"When we were sitting on the plane there was a little drizzle, but nothing to worry about. It was just a little light rain, super light, like barely hitting the windows," Herrera said.

But another passenger Ramin Parsa, 32, of Los Angeles, said the weather was ominous even before takeoff.

"The airplane actually was shaking before we even moved so I knew it was dangerous weather," he said. "I thought that we were going to have a delay until the weather clears up, but the pilot began to move so I thought that he knows what he is doing."

"I think it was a mistake by the pilot. He should not have taken off," Parsa said.

Durango state Gov. Jose Aispuro said it was too soon to speculate on the cause of the crash. Mechanical failure and human error could be factors, but certainly the weather wasn't favorable.

Herrera said the takeoff went bad, seemingly in an instant.

"You start gaining speed and as soon as you start taking off all of the sudden the plane starts struggling and it's getting hit with hail. The higher up we went into the storm, the heavier the hail got and more wind got to us," Herrera said.

"Then all of a sudden the plane starts rocking and it starts seriously, seriously moving around and then hitting the ground," he said. "We skidded and hit a second time and you saw the flames. ...You're like 'This might be bad.'"

Herrera braced for impact and yelled for others to do the same. The woman seated next to him was able to hold onto her toddler, though the little girl suffered some scratches and may have hit her head on a seat.

Officials said the impact ripped both engines off the Embraer 190 jetliner, and fire immediately broke out in the wings.

"My window turned red because of the flames," Parsa said. He said he tried to kick out a window but couldn't. He searched for an exit and at first couldn't find one because of all the smoke. Then suddenly he felt fresh air on his face. He was in front of the exit.

"Imagine you put 100 people in a room, in a dark room, pitch dark, filled with smoke and there's a small door, everybody's trying to find it. That's what the situation was," Parsa said.

At the back exit, Herrera said the emergency slide had deployed but the fuselage was at an odd angle, so it was unusable and people had to jump to the ground.

The passengers walked back across the muddy field to the end of runway and waited there for emergency vehicles.

Herrera said he was thankful to be alive.

"Me, I just came out of it with scratches. Other people are seriously injured," he said.

He credits both the pilot and the fact that the plane had not gained much altitude when the storm broke out for the good outcome.

"The pilot had to execute a maneuver correctly and then we hit the storm at its peak while we were going up, and not while we were up in the air," he said.

An Illinois priest was on the plane. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago said the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez suffered some injuries but was alert and resting.

Mexico's Transport Department said the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board was sending two investigators to assist in the investigation, and the plane's manufacturer will also participate.

The department did not immediately answer questions about whether the airport was equipped with a Low Level Wind Shear Alert System that can detect weather conditions like severe down drafts or microbursts.

Jose Luis Corral of Portland, Oregon, describes his experience of the crash of Aeromexico flight 2431 during an interview at an office where U.S. citizens who lost their passports in the crash and subsequent fire were receiving help from a consular official, in Durango, capital of Durango state, Mexico Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Authorities said there were no fatalities among the 97 passengers and four crew members aboard the Embraer 190 jet that crashed Tuesday.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Ramin Parsa, 32, from Los Angeles, hugs a fellow passenger of the Aeromexico flight 2431, as they meet again at an office where U.S. citizens who lost their passports in the crash were receiving help from a consular official, in Durango, capital of Durango state, Mexico Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Authorities said there were no fatalities among the 97 passengers and four crew members aboard the Embraer 190 jet that crashed Tuesday.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Ramin Parsa, 32, from Los Angeles describes his experience of the crash of Aeromexico flight 2431 during an interview at an office where U.S. citizens who lost their passports in the crash and subsequent fire were receiving help from a consular official, in Durango, capital of Durango state, Mexico Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Authorities said there were no fatalities among the 97 passengers and four crew members aboard the Embraer 190 jet that crashed Tuesday.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this photo released by Red Cross Durango communications office, Red Cross workers attend airline passengers who survived a plane crash, at the airport baggage area in Durango, Mexico, Tuesday, July 31, 2018. An Aeromexico jetliner crashed while taking off during a severe storm, smacking down in a field nearly intact then catching fire, and officials said it appeared everyone on board escaped the flames. (Red Cross Durango via AP)

Rescue workers and firefighters are seen at the site where an Aeromexico airliner has suffered an "accident" in a field near the airport of Durango, Mexico, Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (Civil Defense Office of Durango Photo via AP)

Alberto Herrera shows his boarding pass and water-damaged passport a day after surviving the crash of Aeromexico flight 2431 just after takeoff, in Durango, Mexico Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Herrera, a 35-year-old webpage engineer from Chicago, described the terrifying moments when the plane briefly became airborne before smacking belly-down onto a field beyond the edge of the runway. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Rescue workers and firefighters are seen at the site where an Aeromexico airliner has suffered an "accident" in a field near the airport of Durango, Mexico, Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (Civil Defense Office of Durango Photo via AP)

In this photo released by Red Cross Durango communications office, Red Cross workers attend airline passengers who survived a plane crash, at a medical center in Durango, Mexico, Tuesday, July 31, 2018. An Aeromexico jetliner crashed while taking off during a severe storm, smacking down in a field nearly intact then catching fire, and officials said it appeared everyone on board escaped the flames. (Red Cross Durango via AP)

In this photo released by Red Cross Durango communications office, Red Cross workers attend airline passengers who survived a plane crash, as they walk away from the crash site in a field near the airport in Durango, Mexico, Tuesday, July 31, 2018. An Aeromexico jetliner crashed while taking off during a severe storm, smacking down in a field nearly intact then catching fire, and officials said it appeared everyone on board escaped the flames. (Red Cross Durango via AP)

Jose Luis Corral of Portland, Oregon, talks on the phone with a representative from Aeromexico as he gets information on how the airline will help stranded survivors of the crash of flight 2431 in Durango, capital of Durango state, Mexico Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Authorities said there were no fatalities among the 97 passengers and four crew members aboard the Embraer 190 jet that crashed Tuesday.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this Tuesday, July 31, 2018 photo provided by Alberto Herrera, a survivor stands in a rain shower in a field watching smoke billow from the downed Aeromexico jetliner he was traveling in, near the airport in Durango, Mexico. Authorities in Mexico said there were no fatalities among the 97 passengers and four crew members aboard the Embraer 190 jet that crashed moments after takeoff in Durango, sending plumes of black and gray smoke into the sky. Rescuers took 49 people to hospitals; most of them had minor injuries. (Alberto Herrera via AP)TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - President Donald Trump has wrongly claimed that shoppers need to show photo identification to buy groceries, and he is accusing Democrats of obstructing his agenda and stalling confirmation of his Supreme Court nominee.

Trump also is defending his trade agenda and snapping at China and other U.S. competitors for having "targeted our farmers."

The president addressed thousands of supporters Tuesday night at an event intended to boost two Republican candidates before the Aug. 28 primary in the battleground state.

Supporters listen as President Donald Trump smiles during a campaign rally at Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall, Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump was railing against the idea of noncitizens voting and advocating stricter voting laws when he asserted that IDs are required at the supermarket checkout.

"If you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need ID," he said. "You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture."

A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about when the billionaire president last bought groceries or anything else himself. Photo IDs are required for certain purchases, such as alcohol, cigarettes or cold medicine.

People who write checks for their grocery bills frequently need to show ID, but that's an increasingly less common form of payment. According to the National Grocers Association's most recent data, the use of checks as a percentage of total transactions dropped from 33 percent in 2000 to 6 percent in 2015.

At the rally, Trump picked his sides among Republicans as he embraced U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis in the primary for governor and backed the U.S. Senate campaign of Gov. Rick Scott.

"We have to make sure Rick Scott wins and wins big" against the incumbent, Democrat Bill Nelson, the president said.

He also appealed for voters to elect more Republicans to Congress, saying Democrats are opposing his to-do list and slowing consideration of his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.

Democrats "don't want to give Trump any victory," he said. "They will do anything they can to not help the Trump agenda."

Trump has threatened to shut down the federal government over his push to overhaul the nation's immigration system and pau for his promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. But officials say Trump has reassured staff in private that he will not provoke a fiscal crisis before the November election, when the GOP hopes to retain its majority.

The president avoided making an outright reference to a government shutdown during the rally, saying, "We may have to do some pretty drastic things" unless Democrats support his agenda.

He spent much of the rally highlight strong economic numbers and praising DeSantis as "a tough, brilliant cookie." He predicted DeSantis will defeat Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in this month's primary.

Trump, who makes frequent trips to Florida and his private Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago club, criticized Nelson's policies and claimed the only time he sees the senator is "five months before every election."

"After a while, you forget who's the senator," Trump said.

Scott didn't join Trump at the rally but appeared with him at an earlier event.

DeSantis has tied his campaign for governor to Trump, appearing on Fox News more than 100 times to talk about federal issues and defend the president. DeSantis has campaigned with Fox's Sean Hannity and Donald Trump Jr. and uses humor in a new ad to show his alliance with the president, teaching one of his two children to "build the wall" with blocks.

Putnam, a state agriculture commissioner and former congressman, has run a more traditional campaign for governor, aiming to build upon his family's deep ties to the state.

Trump railed against the idea of allowing noncitizens to vote in some elections and said only citizens should vote. He also advocated requiring voters to present photo identification; Florida already has such a law.

"The time has come for voter ID like everything else," Trump said, before making his claim about groceries.

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at https://twitter.com/KThomasDCUPPER LAKE, Calif. (AP) - Firefighters struggling to contain destructive Northern California wildfires found themselves facing a new blaze that erupted Tuesday and drove through a rural area near a national forest.

About 60 homes in an old ranching and farming area near Covelo, which is about 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of San Francisco, were ordered evacuated as the blaze erupted late in the afternoon. Gusty winds quickly drove it through about a square mile of brush and grasslands, oak, pine and timber near Mendocino National Forest, Mendocino County Undersheriff Matthew Kendall said.

"We're advised that the fire was threatening structures," he said.

Flames consume a home as the River Fire tears though Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

However, there were no immediate reports of homes being burned.

Firefighting aircraft were called in but it was unclear when they might arrive because many already were engaged in other fires, Kendall said.

Some 40 miles (64 kilometers) to the south, twin fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties have destroyed at least seven homes and threatened an estimated 12,000 more, fire officials said.

Jessyca Lytle fled a fast-moving Northern California wildfire in 2015 that spared her property but destroyed her mother's memorabilia-filled home in rural and rugged Lake County.

Less than three years later, Lytle found herself listening to scanner traffic Tuesday and fire-proofing her mother's new home as another wildfire advanced.

"Honestly, what I'm thinking right now is I just want this to end," Lytle said, adding that she was "exhausted in every way possible - physically, emotionally, all of that."

Derek Hawthorne, a firefighter and spokesman for the fire crews, said the hot weather was not ideal but the wind was on their side where he was in the city of Upper Lake.

"It's blowing into the fire, and it's kind of blowing it back on itself," he said.

To the east in Sutter County, a fire that erupted Tuesday night had torched about 1.5 square miles (4 square kilometers) of grassland but no homes were evacuated, state fire spokesman Scott McLean said.

Elsewhere, the Carr Fire had burned 965 homes and killed six people in and around Redding. Another 413 outbuildings were also destroyed, and the blaze is now the seventh most destructive wildfire in California history, fire officials said.

The fire has burned more than 176 square miles (457 square kilometers) and is 30 percent contained.

A relative identified one of the victims as Daniel Bush, 62.

Bush had returned to his mobile home in the community of Keswick last Tuesday after undergoing quadruple heart bypass surgery but he was unable to drive and would have needed help to evacuate when the fire came through the neighborhood on Thursday, his sister, Kathi Gaston, told the Redding Record Searchlight.

Gaston said her brother had wanted to stay in his own home but he had spotty cell service and with the power out, he might not have gotten word of the fire.

Gaston said she couldn't get to her brother's house because, with the fire approaching, sheriff's deputies had blocked the roads and then she herself had to evacuate.

"If we'd been able to go in when we wanted to, he'd be alive right now," she said. "I'm very upset about it."

National Park officials said Tuesday the scenic Yosemite Valley and other areas will be closed "at least through Sunday" due to heavy smoke from the so-called Ferguson Fire. The closure began July 25 and had been tentatively scheduled to end Friday.

Park spokesman Scott Gediman said "continuing poor air quality" and ongoing firefighting operations warranted the extension.

It was the longest closure at Yosemite since 1997 when floods closed the park for over two months.

In Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, an arson fire that destroyed seven homes last week was 82 percent contained Monday.

People in Lake County, an impoverished community of 65,000, are familiar with evacuations.

The 2015 Valley Fire, which came on the heels of two other fires, killed four and destroyed 1,300 homes when it blew up unexpectedly during a September heat wave. It wiped out entire neighborhoods prized for their privacy and sense of community and turned scenic areas into charred forest.

Since then, parts of the county have been evacuated regularly due to fire, most recently in June.

Evacuation orders remained in effect Tuesday for the town of Lakeport, the county seat, although orders for some smaller communities were lifted.

Lakeport is a popular destination for bass anglers and boaters on the shores of Clear Lake. By Monday night, it was a ghost town.

Paul Lew and his two boys, ages 13 and 16, evacuated Saturday from their Lakeport home.

"I told them to throw everything they care about in the back of the car," said Lew, 45. "I grabbed computers, cellphones, papers. I just started bagging all my paperwork up, clothes, my guitars."

Lew, who is divorced from Lytle, is camped out at the house in the nearby community of Cobb that she fled in 2015. He is watching over her chickens, sheep and other animals. He laughs that repeated fire alerts have made him an emergency preparation expert.

"It's like three a year," he said. "It's kind of crazy."

___

Har reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco also contributed to this report.

REMOVES NAME OF STREET AS STREET NAME IS UNKNOWN - A firefighter runs while trying to save a home as a wildfire tears through Lakeport, Calif., Tuesday, July 31, 2018. The residence eventually burned. Firefighters pressed their battle against a pair of fires across Mendocino and Lake counties. In all, roughly 19,000 people have been warned to flee and 10,000 homes remain under threat. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A woman, who declined to give her name, evacuates from Lakeport, Calif., as the River Fire approaches, Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A helicopter carries water in the direction of an advancing wildfire Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Lakeport, Calif. Evacuation orders remained in effect Tuesday for the town of Lakeport, the county seat, along with some smaller communities and a section of the Mendocino National Forest. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

A fire crew from San Luis Obispo County keeps an eye on an advancing wildfire from the perimeter of a residence Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Lakeport, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

A fire crew from San Luis Obispo County keeps an eye on an advancing wildfire from the perimeter of a residence Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Lakeport, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

A fire crew from San Luis Obispo County keeps an eye on an advancing wildfire from the perimeter of a residence Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Lakeport, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

A fire vehicle is parked ahead of an advancing wildfire Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Lakeport, Calif. Evacuation orders remained in effect Tuesday for the town of Lakeport, the county seat, along with some smaller communities and a section of the Mendocino National Forest. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

A woman, who declined to give her name, asks a sheriff's deputy for help while evacuating from Lakeport, Calif., as the River Fire approaches, Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)BASSETERRE, Saint Kitts (AP) - Andre Russell made an unbeaten 35 from 21 balls to guide the world champion West Indies to a seven-wicket win Tuesday in the rain-affected first Twenty20 international against Bangladesh.

Russell hit three fours and three sixes as the West Indies took only 9.1 overs to reach a target of 91, adjusted under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system, after Bangladesh made 143-9 in 20 overs on being sent in to bat.

Light rain began to fall just as the Bangladesh innings ended, keeping the players from the field for some time and causing the West Indies' target to be revised to 91 from 11 overs. They reached the target with 11 balls to spare.

Andre Nurse backed the West Indies' decision to field first with an opening over in which he dismissed Bangladesh opners Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar for ducks. He didn't bowl again and finished with 2-6.

The Bangladesh batsmen, who had shown improved form to win the one-day international series after losing the tests, struggled to settle and build partnerships, often falling to rash shots.

After a small revival between Liton Das (24) and captain Shakib al Hasan, Keemo Paul dismissed both batsmen with the total 43. Russell tied down the batsmen with changes of pace and length and Kesrick Williams prevented a late recovery, taking 4-48 and bowling top-scorer Mahmudullah for 35.

The West Indies were in trouble early at 10-2 but Russell steadied the innings in a 42-run partnership with Marvin Samuels. Rovman Powell (15 not out), joined him to clinch the win and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.1. Dan Kopf is a reporter for Quartz based in San Francisco. He covers economics and markets. Dan has a Masters in Economics from the London School of Economics.The following are excerpts from Dan Kopf's April 12, 2018 article headlined "If the US wants to reduce its trade deficit, it should attract more Chinese tourists" at https://qz.com/1250198/if-the-us-wants-to-reduce-its-trade-deficit-it-should-attract-more-chinese-tourists/ (Begin excerpts)Chinese tourists love to spend money in the United States. If Donald Trump really wants to reduce Americas trade deficit with China, he should be wary of scaring them away.In 2016, the latest data available, the US imported nearly $480 billion in goods and services from China. By contrast, China only imported $170 billion from the US. Trump hates this. He believes the imbalance means the US is losing to China, and has made it a central goal of his presidency to reduce the gap. Economic observers generally disagree that the deficit is such a bad thing.One of the few areas where the US runs a trade surplus to China is in tourism. You may not think of goods and services sold to tourists as exports, but they are. Every time a Chinese person visits Disneyland and spends $100 on a day pass, in trade terms, that is the same as if they bought a $100 pair of shoes made in New York and shipped to Beijing.No countrys travelers spend more in the US than Chinas. In 2016, 3 million people arrived in the US from China, and they spent a total of $33.2 billion. About $12.5 billion of that came education-related travel. Mexico was a distant second, spending $20.3 billion....Meanwhile, people traveling from the US to China only spent $5.4 billion in 2016. This means the US ran a roughly $28 billion surplus in the travel trade with China that year. (According to Trumps mercantilist trade logic, perhaps the Chinese government should impose an extra tax on local residents who travel to the US.)As recently as 2007, the Chinese hardly spent any more in the US than Americans did in China. It is only in the past decade that the ranks of well-heeled Chinese travelers swelled. In 2005, Chinese people spent less than $30 billion (in 2016 dollars) on international travel, but today they spend over $260 billion, making them the worlds most enthusiastic travel spenders. This is, in part, thanks to rising incomes and an increasingly powerful passport...The US tourism sector makes up almost 3% of GDP (pdf) and close to 5% of domestic employment. Since 2015, although the number of arriving international travelers to the US has fallenand spending has slowed along with itthe numbers and spending of Chinese visitors continues to rise...Without Chinese visitors, the American tourism industry would be in big trouble. As Trump rails against Chinese trade practices and slaps tariffs on their goods, he may want to be careful not to alienate those who are considering visiting his country. If they choose not to come, the presidents policies may end up making the trade deficit even bigger. (End excerpts)TOKYO (AP) - Japan's government said Wednesday it's doing its utmost for the rescue of a Japanese journalist believed to be held in Syria after a video of a man appearing to be him was posted on the internet.

Freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda was last heard from in Syria in June 2015.

Chief Cabinet Spokesman Yoshihide Suga told a regular news conference that he believed the man in the video was Yasuda. Suga refused to give further details about the rescue efforts.

FILE - In this April 18, 2004, file photo, Jumpei Yasuda, right, arrives with Nobutaka Watanabe at Marka airport in Amman, Jordan, following their release after being held hostage in Iraq. Japan said Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, it's doing utmost for the rescue of Japanese freelance journalist Yasuda believed to be held in Syria, after acknowledging a man in a video is considered himself. Yasuda has lost contact since he was last heard from war-torn Syria in 2015. (AP Photo/Nader Daoud, File)

"The biggest responsibility for the government is to protect the safety of Japanese nationals," he said. "We are pursuing our utmost effort (for his rescue) through various information networks."

The man in the video released Tuesday said he was in harsh environment and needed an immediate rescue. The bearded man spoke in Japanese but said he's Korean named "Umaru." He cited the date as July 25, 2018, in the 20-second footage apparently filmed outdoors.

Several videos showing a man believed to be Yasuda have been also released in the past year.

Yasuda started reporting on the Middle East in early 2000s. He was taken hostage in Iraq in 2004 with three other Japanese, but was freed after Islamic clerics negotiated his release.

His most recent trip to Syria was in 2015 to report on his journalist friend Kenji Goto, who was taken hostage and killed by the Islamic State group.

Contact was lost with Yasuda after a message to another Japanese freelancer on June 23, 2015. In his last tweet two days earlier, Yasuda said his reporting was often obstructed and that he would stop tweeting his whereabouts and activities.

___

Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi

Find her work at https://www.apnews.com/search/mari%20yamaguchiUPPER LAKE, Calif. (AP) - A massive wildfire in Northern California has torched more than 1,000 homes in and around the city of Redding, authorities said Wednesday as some evacuees were allowed to return home and new blazes exploded in what has become an endless summer of flame in the Golden State.

"Whatever resources are needed, we're putting them there," Gov. Jerry Brown said at a news conference. "We're being surprised. Every year is teaching the fire authorities new lessons. We're in uncharted territory."

Just a month into the budget year, the state has already spent more than one-quarter of its annual fire budget, at least $125 million, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Mike Mohler said.

Flames consume a home as the River Fire tears though Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Cal Fire said another 488 buildings, including barns and warehouses, have also been destroyed by the fire, which is now the sixth most destructive in California history.

The 121,000-acre Redding-area blaze, which started July 23, forced 38,000 people from their homes and killed six. It has scorched 189 square miles (490 square kilometers) and is 35 percent contained.

At least three new fires erupted Wednesday in the Sierra Nevada region, including a blaze in Placer County that had consumed 1 1/2 square miles (1,000 acres or 4 square kilometers) of land.

North of San Francisco, a fire threatened homes in an old ranching and farming area near Covelo. About 60 homes were ordered evacuated as the blaze erupted late Tuesday and winds whipped flames through brush, grass, oak, pine and fir near the Mendocino National Forest, officials said.

To the east, another blaze Tuesday night raged through grassy cattle lands near Yuba City, covering more than 1 1/2 square miles (4 square kilometers) in a few hours. The new fires erupted without warning and spread with shocking speed through forest and brush that have literally become tinder, said Scott McLean of CalFire.

"It just goes on and on," McLean said.

"We had this rain at the beginning of the year and all that did was promote the growing of grass and brush," McLean said. "It's a Catch-22. It's growing more product to catch on fire."

He said the state really never left its drought status and several years of significant rainfall are needed to bring the state back. McLean also had a warning for people visiting rural and wilderness areas.

"Pay attention," he said. "Don't park the car on dry grass ... no campfires, no flame. It doesn't take anything to start a fire right now."

The new fire near Covelo was only about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of where twin fires in Mendocino and Lake counties have burned an area three times the size of San Francisco, destroyed 14 homes and threatened 12,000 more.

The Lake County seat of Lakeport remained under evacuation orders and was a virtual ghost town, although people were allowed back home in several smaller communities as firefighters shored up containment lines. Containment grew overnight to 24 percent.

Jessyca Lytle fled a fast-moving wildfire in 2015 that spared her property but destroyed her mother's memorabilia-filled Lake County home.

Lytle found herself listening to scanner traffic Tuesday and fire-proofing her mother's new home as another wildfire advanced.

"Honestly, what I'm thinking right now is I just want this to end," Lytle said, adding that she was "exhausted in every way possible - physically, emotionally, all of that."

Paul Lew and his two boys, ages 13 and 16, evacuated Saturday from their Lakeport home.

"I told them to throw everything they care about in the back of the car," said Lew, 45. "I grabbed computers, cellphones, papers. I just started bagging all my paperwork up, clothes, my guitars."

Lew, who is divorced from Lytle, is camped out at the house in the nearby community of Cobb that she fled in 2015. He is watching over her chickens, sheep and other animals. With a laugh, he said repeated fire alerts have made him an emergency preparation expert.

"It's like three a year," he said. "It's kind of crazy."

In Shasta County's Carr Fire, authorities said Wednesday all those reported missing had been located. A relative identified the latest known fatal victim as Daniel Bush, 62.

Bush had returned to his mobile home in the community of Keswick last Tuesday after undergoing quadruple heart bypass surgery, but he was unable to drive and would have needed help to evacuate when the fire came through the neighborhood on Thursday, his sister, Kathi Gaston, told the Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding.

Gaston said her brother had wanted to stay in his own home, but he had spotty cell service and, with the power out, he might not have gotten word of the fire.

Gaston said she could not get to her brother's house because, with the fire approaching, sheriff's deputies had blocked the roads and then she herself had to evacuate.

"If we'd been able to go in when we wanted to, he'd be alive right now," she said. "I'm very upset about it."

National Park Service officials said Tuesday that the scenic Yosemite Valley and other areas will be closed at least through Sunday due to heavy smoke from the so-called Ferguson Fire. The closure began July 25.

It was the longest closure at Yosemite since 1997, when floods closed the park for over two months.

Authorities on Wednesday also ordered the evacuation of the tiny community of Wawona, south of the park, which has fewer than 200 residents.

___

Har reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco also contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP's wildfire coverage here: https://apnews.com/tag/Wildfires

Cal Fire Division Chief Mark Higgins directs helicopters dropping water as the River Fire burns in Lakeport, Calif., Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

With fire burning on multiple sides, a deer stands behind a fence as the River Fire tears though Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames consume a home as the River Fire tears through Lakeport, Calif., Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

An animal scrambles while flames consume structures as the River Fire burns in Lakeport, Calif., Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A helicopter carries water while battling the River Fire in Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A helicopter carries water while battling the River Fire in Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

An outbuilding burns on Dessie Drive as the River Fire tears through Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - More than 150 Islamic State fighters surrendered to Afghan government forces on Wednesday in the face of an onslaught by the Taliban in the northern Jawzjan province, officials said.

Gen. Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani, the provincial police chief, said 152 fighters surrendered, including Habib-ul Rahman, a senior IS leader in northern Afghanistan. Abdul Hai Hayat, the head of the provincial council, said they surrendered after the Taliban flooded reinforcements into two districts in recent weeks.

The Taliban and IS are both battling to overthrow the Western-backed government and impose a harsh form of Islamic rule, but are fiercely divided over leadership, ideology and tactics. The Taliban said in a statement that they had killed dozens of IS fighters and captured more than 130 in Jawzjan, adding that 17 Taliban militants were killed and 13 wounded.

In a separate development, the U.N. mission to Afghanistan said an employee of the International Organization of Migration was among those killed and another was wounded in a coordinated attack on a refugee and repatriation center in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Tuesday. The U.N. condemned the attack, which killed a total of 15 people and wounded another 15.

The U.N. said in a statement that the employee who was killed was a 22-year-old woman whose husband had died in a bombing in Kabul three years earlier. It said she leaves behind a six-year-old daughter who is "now an orphan."

No one immediately claimed Tuesday's attack, but both the Taliban and the Islamic State group carry out near-daily attacks in the Nangarhar province, of which Jalalabad is the capital.HONOLULU (AP) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is flying to Hawaii on Wednesday to receive 55 boxes of bones recently handed over by North Korea. The remains are believed to belong to servicemen from the U.S. and other United Nations member countries who fought alongside the U.S. during the Korean War.

Here's a look at what will happen next:

WHERE WILL THE REMAINS BE TAKEN?

Forensic anthropologist and laboratory manager Denise To talks to The Associated Press at the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. Human remains handed over to the U.S. government from North Korea are expected to arrive at the lab Wednesday where scientists will begin the process of trying to match the bones to American soldiers who didn't return from the Korean War. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)

The remains will go to a lab in Hawaii run by the military agency that identifies missing servicemen and women from past conflicts. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identifies remains from battlefields around the world. The agency also has a lab at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska, though the remains arriving this week will be analyzed at Hawaii's Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

The agency also sends DNA samples for analysis to the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Many families who are awaiting the return of their loved ones from the Korean War have already submitted DNA samples to the agency to help in the identification process.

HOW WILL THE REMAINS BE IDENTIFIED?

Typically, the agency's forensic anthropologists study any evidence found with the remains for clues, such as military uniforms, identification tags and personal items like wedding rings. But North Korea provided only a single military dog tag with the 55 boxes.

The anthropologists also study remains to determine their sex, race, size and age. Scientists search bones for evidence of trauma caused at the time of death and for previous injuries or conditions like arthritis.

Dental experts will compare dental records, including any X-rays, with the remains.

Three-quarters of the remains the agency identifies are determined with the help of mitochondrial DNA, which is a type of DNA that's passed from mother to child.

The lab does this by taking DNA samples from bones and teeth. The DNA lab in Delaware extracts the mitochondrial DNA from the sample to determine its genetic sequence and compares this with samples provided by relatives.

The agency uses mitochondrial DNA so often because it's durable and each sample has a large number of copies, making it an effective way to identify bones. Though recent advances in DNA technology have made other types of DNA analysis possible as well.

HOW MANY U.S. SERVICEMEN ARE MISSING FROM THE KOREAN WAR?

There are 7,699 U.S. service members listed as unaccounted for from the 1950-53 Korean War, of which about 5,300 are believed to have died on North Korean soil. There remainder are those who died in South Korea but have not been recovered; those who died in air crashes at sea or on ships at sea, as well as a number who are believed to have been taken to China.

The war killed millions, including 36,000 American soldiers.

Sixteen other United Nations member countries fought alongside U.S. service members on behalf of South Korea. Some of them, including Australia, Belgium, France and the Philippines, have yet to recover some of their war dead from North Korea.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said some remains could turn out to be those of missing from other nations. He said this was an international effort to bring closure for families.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO IDENTIFY THE REMAINS?

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency spokesman Chuck Pritchard says each case will be different. Some could take several months while others could take years.

___

Associated Press National Security Writer Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.

Artifacts from the Korean War are displayed at the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. Human remains handed over to the U.S. government from North Korea are expected to arrive at the lab Wednesday where scientists will begin the process of trying to match the bones to American soldiers who didn't return from the Korean War. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)

Artifacts from the Korean War are displayed at the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. Human remains handed over to the U.S. government from North Korea are expected to arrive at the lab Wednesday where scientists will begin the process of trying to match the bones to American soldiers who didn't return from the Korean War. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)

A grave marker for an unknown soldier from the Korean War is shown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu on Monday, July 30, 2018. Human remains handed over to the U.S. government from North Korea are expected to arrive Wednesday in Honolulu, where scientists will begin the painstaking process of trying to match DNA from the bones to those of American soldiers who didn't return from the Korean War more than a half century ago. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)

The Honolulu Memorial Korean War Courts of the Missing memorial wall is shown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu on Monday, July 30, 2018. The names of all U.S. soldiers who did not return from the Korean War are listed on the memorial. Human remains handed over to the U.S. government from North Korea are expected to arrive Wednesday in Honolulu, where scientists will begin the painstaking process of trying to match DNA from the bones to those of American soldiers who didn't return from the Korean War more than a half century ago. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)

A grave marker for an unknown soldier from the Korean War is shown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu on Monday, July 30, 2018. Human remains handed over to the U.S. government from North Korea are expected to arrive Wednesday in Honolulu, where scientists will begin the painstaking process of trying to match DNA from the bones to those of American soldiers who didn't return from the Korean War more than a half century ago. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Thieves carrying out a daring daytime robbery smashed a security case at a cathedral in Sweden and stole gold and jewel-encrusted crowns from the early 1600s before hopping on bicycles and escaping via a nearby lake, police said.

The two men pulled off the heist at Strangnas Cathedral at noon Tuesday and vanished aboard a speedboat or jet skis into the vast patchwork of lakes around the city, located 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of the Swedish capital of Stockholm, police said.

The stolen artifacts included a gold crown and an orb dating to 1611 that were made for King Karl IX's funeral, as well as a jewel-encrusted crown dating to 1625 that was used in Queen Kristina's funeral. The items were on display at an exhibition, and visitors were inside the cathedral when they were taken.

This image made available on Wednesday Aug. 1, 2018 by the Swedish Police, shows a collection of Swedish Crown jewels. Thieves in Sweden walked into a small town's medieval cathedral in broad daylight and stole priceless crown jewels dating back to the early 1600s before escaping by speedboat, police said Wednesday. (Swedish Police via AP)

"The alarm went off when the burglars smashed the security glass and stole the artifacts," Catharina Frojd, a spokeswoman for the 14th century cathedral, told The Associated Press.

Strangnas Cathedral said on its website that the stolen pieces were kept "in accordance with the prevailing safety regulations in locked and alarmed displays." It gave no further details.

Police sent out a helicopter and boat to hunt for the thieves but found nothing. Authorities said no one was hurt in the robbery but didn't provide further details.

Tom Rowell, a visitor who was eating lunch outside the Lutheran church, said he saw two men running from the cathedral toward a small nearby jetty where a motorboat was moored.

"The two men hurriedly jumped on board and it sped off," Rowell said, adding that they "appeared non-Nordic." He didn't elaborate.

However, police spokesman Stefan Dangardt said "witnesses' testimonies varied quite a bit" and it was also possible the thieves escaped on jet skis.

The men used two stolen black bicycles equipped with baskets and a child's seat to race to the lake, Dangardt added.

On Wednesday, divers were looking for clues in and along the shores of Lake Malaren, Sweden's third-largest freshwater lake. Police said the thieves could have fled further on jet skis.

While the stolen artifacts are of great historic and cultural value, police expressed skepticism about whether the burglary would bring the perpetrators financial gain.

The stolen pieces are "impossible to sell" because of their uniqueness and high visibility, Maria Ellior of the Swedish police's National Operations Department told the Swedish news agency TT.

The theft would be logged at Interpol, enabling an international search, the agency.

Strangnas, a small, quiet town with a population of about 13,000, is popular with Stockholm commuters and tourists, who come to see the cathedral and a street that has been called the prettiest in Sweden.

The Gothic-style cathedral, built between 1291 and 1340, is in the heart of the town. The cathedral's red-brick tower with a black top can be seen for miles (kilometers) around.

The cathedral was closed Wednesday, and a grassy area by the jetty was cordoned off as police inspected the ground for clues. Police also questioned witnesses who were inside the church at the time of the theft and people outside who saw the suspects get away.

The stolen artifacts are funeral regalia, which are placed inside or on top of a coffin to symbolize a deceased royal's identity and social ranking.

While some funeral regalia are kept in the cathedrals of Strangnas, Uppsala and Vasteras, Sweden's crown jewels are in vaults of the treasury under the Royal Castle in Stockholm.

In 2013, 16th-century copies of King Johan III's crown, orb and scepter were stolen from the cathedral in the central Swedish city of Vasteras, 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of the capital Stockholm, during a nighttime burglary. They were eventually found and returned to the cathedral. No one was arrested.

Rowell, the witness, is getting married at the cathedral next weekend.

"It's despicable that people would steal from a holy building," he said.

____

Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

In this Tuesday, July 31, 2018 photo, a police cordon near the scene of a robbery at the Strangnas Cathedral, in Strangnas, Sweden. Police say thieves have stolen priceless treasures from the Swedish royal regalia, including a jeweled crown, from a cathedral where they were on display, before speeding off by motorboat. (Pontus Stenberg/TT News Agency via AP)

In this Tuesday, July 31, 2018 photo, a discarded bicycle near the scene of a robbery at the Strangnas Cathedral, in Strangnas, Sweden. Police say thieves have stolen priceless treasures from the Swedish royal regalia, including a jeweled crown, from a cathedral where they were on display, before speeding off by motorboat. (Pontus Stenberg/TT News Agency via AP)VIENNA (AP) - Britain's foreign secretary warned anew against a "messy divorce" with the European Union that could poison future relations as he visited Austria on Wednesday, bringing his message to the country that holds the EU's rotating presidency.

Britain is due to leave the EU in March, but the two sides have not agreed on their future relationship and concerns are mounting that no deal will be reached in time. Differences persist over the terms of a new trade setup and how to regulate the border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.

"We are very concerned that, as things stand at the moment, we are heading for 'no deal' by accident - a 'no deal' situation which would have a profound impact on the relations between Britain and the EU countries for a generation," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said after meeting Austrian counterpart Karin Kneissl.

Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, right, welcomes Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, left, for talks at the foreign ministry in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

Hunt said Prime Minister Theresa May has made a "big choice" in seeking a close future relationship with the EU, with the U.K.'s economy remaining closely integrated.

"There is a real risk of a messy divorce, which would be a huge geostrategic mistake," he said.

Hunt, who took a similar message of appeal to Germany and France in recent days, dismissed suggestions that London is going over chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier's head to individual governments. Brexit negotiations are being led by the EU's executive Commission.

"We don't want to negotiate with anyone other than the EU Commission; we recognize that that is the correct and legal thing to do," he said. "But in the end, the outcome of those negotiations are a choice for European countries from whom the Commission gets its mandate."

Hunt said that "time is very, very short" but a delay in Britain's departure is "highly unlikely."

Kneissl said there is "a high degree of cohesion" within the EU on Brexit talks, even though the bloc is divided on other issues such as migration. She said that "we have a pragmatic attitude" toward the negotiations.

Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, right, welcomes Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, left, for talks at the foreign ministry in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)HONOLULU (AP) - In an emotional and solemn ceremony, the remains of dozens of presumed casualties from the Korean War were escorted by military honor guards onto U.S. soil on Wednesday, 65 years after an armistice ended the conflict and weeks after President Donald Trump received a commitment from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for their return.

The U.S. military believes the bones are those of U.S. servicemen and potentially servicemen from other United Nations member countries who fought alongside the U.S. on behalf of South Korea during the war. What is expected to be an exhaustive analysis and identification process will soon begin.

"Some have called the Korean War the 'forgotten war.' But today, we prove these heroes were never forgotten," Vice President Mike Pence said at a ceremony welcoming the remains, which were flown from South Korea earlier in the day. "Today, our boys are coming home."

Military members carry transfer cases from a C-17 at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. North Korea handed over the remains last week. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Each container was accompanied by one Marine, one sailor, one soldier and one airman. They set them gently on risers lined up inside the hangar as Pence stood watching with his hand over his heart. Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, saluted. Some of the invited guests wiped tears from their eyes during the procession of the containers off the planes.

Sixteen other United Nations member countries fought alongside U.S. service members on behalf of South Korea. Some of them, including Australia, Belgium, France and the Philippines, have yet to recover some of their war dead from North Korea.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said some remains could turn out to be those of missing from other nations. He said last week that the return was a positive step but not a guarantee that the bones are American.

"Whosoever emerges from these aircraft today begins a new season of hope for the families of our missing fallen," Pence said. "Hope that those who are lost will yet be found. Hope that after so many years of questions, they will have closure."

North Korea handed over the remains last week. A U.S. military plane made a rare trip into North Korea to retrieve the 55 cases.

Hanwell Kaakimaka's uncle, John Kaakimaka, is among those who never came home.

"We've been watching the news, and we've been hopeful that my uncle is among the remains," he said, adding that it could bring his family some closure.

His uncle, who was from Honolulu, was a corporal in the 31st Infantry Regiment of the Army's 7th Infantry Division. He went missing on or about Dec. 2, 1950.

Hanwell Kaakimaka said the story he heard from his dad was that his uncle was injured and was being brought back from the front when Chinese troops overran the area and attacked the convoy.

The Kaakimaka family provided DNA samples to the U.S. military's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency over a decade ago, hoping officials would be able to make a match.

The agency identifies remains of servicemen killed in past conflicts. It typically uses bones, teeth and DNA to identify remains along with any items that may have been found with remains like uniforms, dog tags and wedding rings. But North Korea only provided one dog tag with the 55 boxes it handed over last week.

Before the remains were put on military planes bound for Hawaii, hundreds of U.S. and South Korean troops gathered at a hanger at the Osan base in South Korean for the repatriation ceremony.

The repatriation is a breakthrough in a long-stalled U.S. effort to obtain war remains from North Korea.

There are 7,699 U.S. service members listed as unaccounted for from the 1950-53 Korean War, of which about 5,300 are believed to have died on North Korean soil. The remainder are those who died in South Korea but have not been recovered; those who died in air crashes at sea or on ships at sea, as well as a number who are believed to have been taken to China.

The bones' return was part of an agreement reached during a June summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump thanked Kim for the return.

During the summit, Kim also agreed to "work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in return for Trump's promise of security guarantees. Trump later suspended annual military drills with South Korea which North Korea had long called an invasion rehearsal.

But Trump now faces criticism at home and elsewhere that North Korea hasn't taken any serious steps toward disarmament and may be trying to buy time to weaken international sanctions against it.

North Korea halted nuclear and missile tests, shut down its nuclear testing site and began dismantling facilities at its rocket launch site. But many experts say those are neither irrevocable nor serious steps that could show the country is sincere about denuclearization.

North Korea may want to use the remains' return to keep diplomacy with the United States alive and win a reciprocal U.S. concession. Experts say the North likely wants a declaration of the end of the Korean War as part of U.S. security assurances.

An armistice that ended the Korean War has yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula in a technical state of war. North Korea has steadfastly argued its nuclear weapons are meant to neutralize alleged U.S. plans to attack it.

___

Kim Yong-Ho reported from Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.

Vice President Mike Pence and Navy Rear Adm. Jon Kreitz, deputy director of the POW/MIA Accounting Agency, right, watch as military members carry transfer cases from a C-17 at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. North Korea handed over the remains last week. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Vice President Mike Pence attends a ceremony with Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Adm. Phil Davidson marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Military members carry transfer cases from a C-17 at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. North Korea handed over the remains last week. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Military members carry transfer cases from a C-17 at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. North Korea handed over the remains last week. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Military members carry transfer cases from a C-17 at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. North Korea handed over the remains last week. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Vice President Mike Pence walks from the podium after speaking at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. North Korea handed over the remains last week. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Robert Sanfilkippo, second right, sits next to his wife, Diana Brown Sanfilippo who has spent a lifetime searching for her father, 1st Lt. Frank Salazar who died 66 years ago in North Korea, who wipes her eyes as she sits in the audience with Karen Pence, wife of Vice President Mike Pence, at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. North Korea handed over the remains last week. Second from left is Rick Downes, who was three when his father Hal went off to the Korean War, and he has been missing ever since. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

People listen at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. North Korea handed over the remains last week. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Vice President Mike Pence attends a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a meeting with Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Phil Davidson during a visit to Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Pence is in Hawaii to speak at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains believed to be of American service members who fell in the Korean War. North Korea handed over the remains last week.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis has returned from a month's vacation, blasting the "idols" of money, drugs and vanity that he said distract people from God and render them blind to love.

Francis resumed his weekly catechism lessons Wednesday, telling his weekly general audience that the "supermarket of idols" available today promises happiness but never delivers.

Returning to a common theme, Francis listed lust for money, success, or smartphones, and even spending too much time in front of the mirror or going to tarot card readers as evidence of a veneration of idols. He included drugs in the list, saying: "How many young people have ruined their health by adoring the idol of drugs?"

Pope Francis poses with nuns for a family photo at the end of his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Pope Francis has returned from a month's vacation, blasting the "idols" of money, drugs and vanity that he said distract people from God and render them blind to love. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

He urged the faithful to recognize their idol "and throw it out the window."

Pope Francis hugs a child in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican during the weekly general audience Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis' butler Sandro Mariotti, removes the hand of a bride who embraced the pontiff in the Paul VI hall during the weekly general audience at the Vatican, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis is cheered by faithful as he arrives in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican for his the weekly general audience, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina's public College of Charleston is resuming affirmative action practices in its admission process after stopping roughly two years ago.

The Charleston Post and Courier reported Tuesday that the college will conduct additional application reviews for students of color not initially recommended for admission.

The school remains more than 80 percent white, and interim President Stephen C. Osborne says they have "not moved the needle enough regarding our African-American student enrollment."

Race had been taken into account in admissions before 2016, but that quietly stopped after recruitment efforts had positive results. Osborne says he's told the admissions team "to make it abundantly clear that, as an institution, we do and will consider race as a factor in our holistic review process."

___

Information from: The Post and Courier, http://www.postandcourier.comPRATTVILLE, Ala. (AP) - An Alabama woman who really wanted a deputy to unlock her car is being locked up herself.

Citing court records, the Montgomery Advertiser reports that 30-year-old Kimberly DeShun Gardner pleaded guilty on Tuesday to filing a false report.

Records show Gardner had called the sheriff's office asking for a deputy to unlock her vehicle on May 27. The dispatcher told her that wasn't part of their job.

Around 15 minutes later, she called back, reporting a vehicle break-in. This time a deputy did respond, and arrested her after she asked to unlock the car.

Gardner received a 365-day sentence, suspended to serve 10 days, and two years' unsupervised probation. She also must pay a $100 fine and court costs. Her attorney, Kim Kervin, declined comment.

___

Information from: Montgomery Advertiser, http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.comiStock/Thinkstock(LOS ANGELES) -- Police released graphic body-cam footage on Tuesday in connection with a shooting in Los Angeles that left an armed suspect and a hostage dead last month.



The video, recorded on June 16, showed Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers as they responded to a call about a suspect -- later identified as Guillermo Perez -- who had reportedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend moments earlier, according to police.



Responding officers arrived on the scene in Los Angeles Van Nuys area at around 1 p.m. to find Perez standing outside a church with a metal folding chair and a large kitchen knife in his hands, according to the footage.



Perez approached the officers as soon as they exited their vehicles and ignored repeated commands to drop the knife, the footage showed. The officers said they fired less lethal beanbag rounds at him to de-escalate the situation, but he blocked the shots with the metal chair, according to police.



The graphic video shows that, as the suspect runs away from the officers, he grabs an innocent woman -- 49-year-old Elizabeth Tollison -- taking her as a hostage before putting the knife to her neck.



Perez then pushed the woman in between himself and the officers, raised the serrated knife and pressed it against the woman's neck, the police department said in a statement Tuesday. At this point, three officers fired their handguns at Perez, who was hit by the gunfire and fell to the ground."



Tragically, Perez's hostage was also struck by gunfire, collapsed and later died from this gunfire, the statement adds.



LAPD Chief Michel Moore said it had been 13 years since an officer's gunfire had killed an innocent bystander or hostage.



He said the department plans to implement a new training program and hopes to equip officers with other nonlethal weapons.



"This was a tense situation that unfolded very quickly. It's every officer's worst nightmare, Moore added.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Disclaimer

The views expressed on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Economics or the University of Oregon.JERUSALEM (AP) - The father of an Israeli Arab poet who was sentenced to five months in prison for incitement to violence online said Wednesday that the ruling was unjust.

An Israeli court sentenced Dareen Tatour, 36, a resident of a village near Nazareth in northern Israel, to five months in prison on Tuesday for social media posts she made in 2015 during a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

"This is not justice," Tawfiq Tatour told The Associated Press. "We brought the court strong examples of Jews inciting against Arabs on social media, Jews who call for killing and burning Arabs, but the court didn't accept that. This is blatant discrimination against Arabs."

In this Tuesday, July 31, 2018 photo, Arab poet Dareen Tatour sits in a courtroom in Nazareth, Israel. The Israeli court sentenced Tatour to five months in prison for incitement to violence in social media posts she made during a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Tatour's case drew international attention after Israel put her under extended house arrest for her poems. More than 150 literary figures, including authors Alice Walker and Naomi Klein, called for Tatour's release. (AP Photo/Rami Shllush)

He said her poem "was about the settlers who kill and burn Palestinians."

Dareen Tatour's case drew international attention after Israeli authorities arrested her in 2015 and put her under extended house arrest for her poems. More than 150 literary figures, including authors Alice Walker and Naomi Klein, called for Tatour's release. Critics called her arrest a violation of freedom of expression.

In delivering its sentence, the court said Tatour's poem incited violence and that free expression has limits. Tatour was also convicted of supporting a terror group.

Tatour insisted that her posts were not a call to violence. After Tuesday's sentencing, Tatour told reporters at the Nazareth courthouse that her case was political.

"I didn't expect there would be justice in this hearing. From the outset it was a political case only because I am a Palestinian and in favor of freedom of speech," Tatour said. "I am being jailed only because I am Palestinian."

Tatour published a series of posts on Facebook and YouTube in 2015 calling upon Palestinians to "resist" during a wave of Palestinian lone wolf attacks on Israelis that left dozens dead.

Israel says the two-year outburst of Palestinian attacks was fueled by incitement to violence spread on social media.

Critics of Tatour's trial proceedings, such as the Hebrew-language Haaretz newspaper, have pointed out that Jewish authors of social media posts and publications calling for violence against Arabs have not met similar treatment in Israel's legal system. The paper published an editorial on Wednesday saying Tatour's sentence was "another drop in the sea of political persecution of opponents of the occupation."PARIS (AP) - The fancy car, the luxury address, the gun.

How and why a security aide to French President Emmanuel Macron obtained them are at the heart of a political scandal dragging in the leader who promised voters an exemplary government before his election less than 15 months ago.

France has been consumed by a political firestorm in the two weeks since Le Monde newspaper revealed that a man often at the president's side beat up a protester while observing May Day demonstrations with police.

FILE - In this March 1, 2017 file picture centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, center, flanked by his bodyguard, Alexandre Benalla, left, visits the Agriculture Fair in Paris. Benalla an aide to President Emmanuel Macron, charged with security, has been seen in a video wearing a police helmet and beating up a student protester on May Day, reigning criticism on Macron notably due to the light punishment _ a two-week suspension. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

The violence, captured on video, led to questions about Alexandre Benalla's role at the presidential Elysee Palace. It also fed Macron's critics, who contend that the former investment banker runs the country like a private business with a small band of underlings.

Shock turned to anger once the public learned that government officials knew about the beating the day after it happened and only suspended Benalla for two weeks instead of firing him and reporting him to judicial authorities.

The punishment was widely perceived as so inadequate that it raised troubling questions: Was there a cover-up? Does France have a parallel police system or a deep state running the country from the shadows?

Macron has dismissed the growing scandal as a "tempest in a teapot." Yet the public outrage is having an impact. A staff reorganization at the Elysee presidential palace is expected in the fall. Public opinion polls suggest the crisis already has cost the French leader popularity points.

The government survived two no-confidence votes Tuesday in the lower house of parliament, where Macron's centrist party has control. But the virulent debate that accompanied the votes made it clear France's political opposition isn't about to let the drama die.

Authorities have moved swiftly to catch up with the firestorm. Benalla lost his job two days after Le Monde identified him. Days later, an investigating judge handed him preliminary charges, along with three ranking police officers and an employee of Macron's party who accompanied Benalla to the May 1 protest.

Usually invisible officials who run France have squirmed under TV lights.

The leaders of the national police, a general, the administrators who run the Elysee Palace and the interior minister were among those called before two parliamentary commissions to explain Benalla's initial light punishment, and why the 26-year-old had a gun permit and perks like an Elysee car, which is typically reserved for top police brass.

Macron, 40, did not say a word about the beating until six days after the video of it went viral, when he pushed back.

"Alexandre Benalla never held the nuclear codes. Alexandre Benalla never lived in a 300-square-meter apartment....Alexandre Benalla was never my lover," the president said, addressing news reports and rumors about the allegedly favorable treatment given his aide.

Macron said he viewed Benalla's violence as a betrayal, but voiced appreciation for the work and loyalty of a young man from a disadvantaged neighborhood in Normandy who the president said he wouldn't forget "whatever happens."

Despite the disclosures, an enigma hangs over the aide who signed onto Macron's security detail during his presidential campaign and rose quickly to his inner circle.

Benalla was given the vague title of "charge de mission" that kept him off the official books. He often was seen at Macron's side on official outings. However, the unclear nature of his duties has helped fuel speculation about secret police. The presidential palace has a complex security unit of military gendarmes and police.

Benalla has said his job was to organize presidential visits.

"There is no parallel police," the secretary-general of Elysee Palace, Alexis Kohler, insisted before the Senate inquiry commission.

Long before the scandal broke, Macron, who created a political party from scratch, was accused by detractors of mounting an imperial presidency and living atop a citadel, cut off from French citizens with whom he had vowed to connect.

Two recent polls suggest the Benalla affair hasn't helped. An Ipsos firm poll, taken shortly after the scandal broke, showed the president with a 32 percent popularity rating - four points lower than the previous month. A poll by the Ifop firm also measured a four-point drop in Macron's popularity a week into the crisis.

Some feel the affair has had too much impact.

"We shouldn't paralyze the country," said art gallery owner Franck Le Feuvre, who is among those who think the scandal is a waste of time. Benalla "is just a guy who was too zealous, and no one dared intervene so as not to offend the big boss."

Benalla has said that he regretted his actions became "the source of multiple fantasies."

Government officials testified before parliamentary inquiry commissions that Benalla was accorded an Elysee-owned apartment along the Seine while serving his suspension and also continued to receive his salary, which was to be deducted from his vacation time.

They also revealed that while working at the presidential palace, Benalla received a permit for a Glock pistol on his fourth try. The permit was approved after a new request, on new grounds, was transmitted to police by Macron's office director, Patrick Strzoda.

The sleek car with a police light used by the security aide was needed for presidential motorcades, Strzoda explained.

The commander on the ground at the May protest where Benalla was seen acting violently testified that he thought Benalla, who as an observer was illegally equipped with a police arm band and radio, was an officer in civilian clothes.

Christian Jacob, head of the parliament group of the conservative Les Republicains party, delivers his speech during a no confidence session at the National Assembly, Tuesday, July 31, 2018 in Paris. The French government faces two votes of no confidence brought by opposition parties in response to the scandal over a security aide close to French President Emmanuel Macron who is alleged to have beaten up a protester during a May Day protest. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

French far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, attends a no confidence session at the National Assembly, Tuesday, July 31, 2018 in Paris. The French government faces two votes of no confidence brought by opposition parties in response to the scandal over a security aide close to French President Emmanuel Macron who is alleged to have beaten up a protester during a May Day protest. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, left, Christophe Castaner, Executive Officer of presidential party La Republique En Marche! (Republic on the Move) and Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, right, listen to speeches during a no confidence session at the National Assembly, Tuesday, July 31, 2018 in Paris. The French government faces two votes of no confidence brought by opposition parties in response to the scandal over a security aide close to French President Emmanuel Macron who is alleged to have beaten up a protester during a May Day protest. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Marine le Pen, French Member of Parliament and president of the far-right 'Rassemblement National' party attends a no confidence session at the National Assembly, Tuesday, July 31, 2018 in Paris. The French government faces two votes of no confidence brought by opposition parties in response to the scandal over a security aide close to French President Emmanuel Macron who is alleged to have beaten up a protester during a May Day protest. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, left, Christophe Castaner, Executive Officer of presidential party La Republique En Marche! (Republic on the Move) listen to speeches during a no confidence session at the National Assembly, Tuesday, July 31, 2018 in Paris. The French government faces two votes of no confidence brought by opposition parties in response to the scandal over a security aide close to French President Emmanuel Macron who is alleged to have beaten up a protester during a May Day protest. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Marine le Pen, French Member of Parliament and president of the far-right 'Rassemblement National' party attends a no confidence session with her companion Louis Aliot, center right, at the National Assembly, Tuesday, July 31, 2018 in Paris. The French government faces two votes of no confidence brought by opposition parties in response to the scandal over a security aide close to French President Emmanuel Macron who is alleged to have beaten up a protester during a May Day protest. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, left, Christophe Castaner, Executive Officer of presidential party La Republique En Marche! (Republic on the Move) listen to speeches during a no confidence session at the National Assembly, Tuesday, July 31, 2018 in Paris. The French government faces two votes of no confidence brought by opposition parties in response to the scandal over a security aide close to French President Emmanuel Macron who is alleged to have beaten up a protester during a May Day protest. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe delivers his speech during a no confidence session at the National Assembly, Tuesday, July 31, 2018 in Paris. The French government faces two votes of no confidence brought by opposition parties in response to the scandal over a security aide close to French President Emmanuel Macron who is alleged to have beaten up a protester during a May Day protest. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe delivers his speech during a no confidence session at the National Assembly, Tuesday, July 31, 2018 in Paris. The French government faces two votes of no confidence brought by opposition parties in response to the scandal over a security aide close to French President Emmanuel Macron who is alleged to have beaten up a protester during a May Day protest. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Parliament members listen to French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe during a no confidence session at the National Assembly, Tuesday, July 31, 2018 in Paris. The French government faces two votes of no confidence brought by opposition parties in response to the scandal over a security aide close to French President Emmanuel Macron who is alleged to have beaten up a protester during a May Day protest. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

FILE - In this picture dated Feb. 24, 2017 French president Emmanuel Macron, center, visits the 55th International Agriculture Fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, as Elysee senior security officer Alexandre Benalla, right, looks on. France has been consumed by a political firestorm in the two weeks since Le Monde newspaper revealed that a man often at the president's side brutalized a protester while observing May Day demonstrations with police. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP, File)MEXICO CITY (AP) - The Latest on the crash of an Aeromexico jetliner (all times local):

7:40 a.m.

An Illinois priest is among those who survived the crash of an Aeromexico jetliner.

Rescue workers and firefighters are seen at the site where an Aeromexico airliner has suffered an "accident" in a field near the airport of Durango, Mexico, Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (Civil Defense Office of Durango Photo via AP)

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago says the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez suffered some injuries in the Tuesday afternoon crash, but is alert and resting. He is director of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Illinois.

The jetliner took off from the airport in Durango, Mexico, and smashed down into a nearby field. All 103 people aboard were able to escape before fire engulfed the aircraft.ROME (AP) - Italian police say they have arrested three men accused of recruiting mercenary fighters to take part in the Russian-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Three more people are being sought.

In a statement Wednesday, carabinieri police said they searched the homes of another seven people as part of the investigation into the Italian-Ukrainian recruitment network. Some of the suspects had ties with a commander of a neo-Nazi paramilitary unit called "Rusich," which operates in the Ukrainian Donbass region.

The four-year Russian-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 10,000 people.

Police noted that recruiting and paying mercenary fighters is illegal in Italy and violates an international convention adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1989.ATHENS, Greece (AP) - The Latest on immigration into Europe (all times local):

6:25 p.m.

Spain's foreign minister says the European Union's executive branch has allocated 55 million euros ($64.2 million) to manage an upsurge of migrant arrivals, mostly from Morocco.

Migrants arrive at a the southern port of Zarzis, Tunisia, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said he is allowing 40 migrants who have been kept at sea for two weeks to enter Tunisia "for humanitarian reasons." The migrants reportedly were stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for five days before a Maltese ship picked them up and then transferred them to the Tunisian-flagged commercial boat on July 16. Italy, Malta and France all refused to let the vessel into their ports. (AP Photo/Mounir Beji)

Josep Borrell says that at least half of the funds will be used to "alleviate the current circumstances in Morocco," where an increase of smuggling boat departures has put a strain on Spanish authorities across the Strait of Gibraltar.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says the EU has given the North African kingdom more than 100 million euros ($117 million) to tackle migration over the past decade.

In a letter published Wednesday on Twitter, Juncker told Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that the EU was "ready to increase its contribution," but member countries need to feed a common fiduciary fund for Africa.

With nearly 23,000 migrants arriving so far this year, Spain has become the main entry point into Europe for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea by boat.

___

4:45 p.m.

Serbian police say two migrants have been found shot dead in a village northwest of Belgrade.

A statement says police officers on Wednesday discovered two lifeless bodies with gunshot wounds in the village of Dobrinci, some 40 kilometers from the capital city.

No other details were immediately known. Police say they are investigating the incident.

Several thousand migrants remain stuck in Serbia as they aim to reach the wealthy nations in Western Europe. From Serbia, migrants try to cross to neighboring European Union member nations Croatia and Hungary, or to war-ravaged Bosnia.

Many migrants turn to smugglers to take them over the borders.

___

4:15 p.m.

Forty migrants have disembarked at the southern Tunisian port of Zarzis after they were stranded for more than two weeks at sea waiting for permission to dock from Tunisian authorities.

Ali Hajji, captain of the Sarost 5 boat, told The Associated Press Wednesday "this is a great relief for everyone."

He said two pregnant women have been taken to the hospital, and the Tunisian Red Crescent will take care of other migrants at a shelter in the town of Medenine. The migrants reportedly were at sea in the Mediterranean for five days before a Maltese ship picked them up and transferred them to the Tunisian-flagged commercial boat on July 16.

Italy, Malta and France all refused to let the vessel into their ports.

Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said Saturday the migrants were allowed to enter Tunisia "for humanitarian reasons."

___

1:10 p.m.

Greece's coast guard says a search and rescue operation is underway for a boat believed to be carrying about 50 migrants which issued a distress call off the coast of the eastern Aegean island of Samos.

The coast guard said Wednesday one helicopter and six vessels, including coast guard patrol boats and ships from the European border agency Frontex, were searching for the boat north of the island of Samos. The search was mounted after authorities received a phone call by one of the boat's passengers saying the vessel had run into unspecified trouble.

Hundreds of migrants and refugees continue to arrive on Greek islands each week from the nearby Turkish coast, while others cross the river that runs along the land border between the two countries.

Migrants arrive at a the southern port of Zarzis, Tunisia, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said he is allowing 40 migrants who have been kept at sea for two weeks to enter Tunisia "for humanitarian reasons." The migrants reportedly were stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for five days before a Maltese ship picked them up and then transferred them to the Tunisian-flagged commercial boat on July 16. Italy, Malta and France all refused to let the vessel into their ports. (AP Photo/Mounir Beji)

Tunisian Red Crescent volunteers, center, speak with a migrant, left, aboard the ship "Sarost 5" docked in the southern Tunisian port of Zarzis, Tunisia, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said he is allowing 40 migrants who have been kept at sea for two weeks to enter Tunisia "for humanitarian reasons." The migrants reportedly were stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for five days before a Maltese ship picked them up and then transferred them to the Tunisian-flagged commercial boat on July 16. Italy, Malta and France all refused to let the vessel into their ports. (AP Photo/Mounir Beji)

Migrants arrive at a the southern port of Zarzis, Tunisia, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said he is allowing 40 migrants who have been kept at sea for two weeks to enter Tunisia "for humanitarian reasons." The migrants reportedly were stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for five days before a Maltese ship picked them up and then transferred them to the Tunisian-flagged commercial boat on July 16. Italy, Malta and France all refused to let the vessel into their ports. (AP Photo/Mounir Beji)

Migrants arrive at a the southern port of Zarzis, Tunisia, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said he is allowing 40 migrants who have been kept at sea for two weeks to enter Tunisia "for humanitarian reasons." The migrants reportedly were stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for five days before a Maltese ship picked them up and then transferred them to the Tunisian-flagged commercial boat on July 16. Italy, Malta and France all refused to let the vessel into their ports. (AP Photo/Mounir Beji)

In this Monday, July 30 , 2018 photo, a migrant rests at the port of Algeciras, southern Spain, after being rescued by Spain's Maritime Rescue Service in the Strait of Gibraltar. Spain's foreign minister says the European Union's executive branch has allocated 55 million euros ($64.2 million) to manage an upsurge of migrant arrivals mostly from Morocco. With nearly 23,000 arrivals recorded so far, Spain has become this year the main entry point into Europe for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea by boat. (AP Photo/Marcos Moreno)

In this Monday, July 30 , 2018 photo, a migrant rests at the port of Algeciras, southern Spain, after being rescued by Spain's Maritime Rescue Service in the Strait of Gibraltar. Spain's foreign minister says the European Union's executive branch has allocated 55 million euros ($64.2 million) to manage an upsurge of migrant arrivals mostly from Morocco. With nearly 23,000 arrivals recorded so far, Spain has become this year the main entry point into Europe for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea by boat. (AP Photo/Marcos Moreno)

In this Tuesday, July 31, 2018 photo, a group of migrants sit in front of Spanish Police officers at the port of Algeciras, southern Spain, after being rescued by Spain's Maritime Rescue Service in the Strait of Gibraltar. Spain's foreign minister says the European Union's executive branch has allocated 55 million euros ($64.2 million) to manage an upsurge of migrant arrivals mostly from Morocco. With nearly 23,000 arrivals recorded so far, Spain has become this year the main entry point into Europe for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea by boat. (AP Photo/Marcos Moreno)

In this Tuesday, July 31, 2018 photo, a group of migrants react in front of Spanish Police officers at the port of Algeciras, southern Spain, after being rescued by Spain's Maritime Rescue Service in the Strait of Gibraltar. Spain's foreign minister says the European Union's executive branch has allocated 55 million euros ($64.2 million) to manage an upsurge of migrant arrivals mostly from Morocco. With nearly 23,000 arrivals recorded so far, Spain has become this year the main entry point into Europe for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea by boat. (AP Photo/Marcos Moreno)

Migrants arrive at a the southern port of Zarzis, Tunisia, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said he is allowing 40 migrants who have been kept at sea for two weeks to enter Tunisia "for humanitarian reasons." The migrants reportedly were stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for five days before a Maltese ship picked them up and then transferred them to the Tunisian-flagged commercial boat on July 16. Italy, Malta and France all refused to let the vessel into their ports. (AP Photo/Mounir Beji)ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A Minnesota prosecutor said Wednesday she is dropping charges against 17 people who were arrested while protesting the 2016 fatal shooting of a black motorist whose girlfriend livestreamed the shooting's bloody aftermath online.

Several of the 17 had been scheduled to go to trial in mid-August, more than two years after protests erupted following the death of Philando Castile.

But after six of seven other protesters who went to trial were acquitted, St. Paul City Attorney Lyndsey Olson said, she determined that pursuing the remaining cases wasn't in the city's best interest and the city was unlikely to prevail.

FILE - In this July 24, 2016, file photo, a photo of Philando Castile hangs on the gate of the governor's residence in St. Paul, Minn., as protesters demonstrate against the July 2016, shooting death of Castile by a St. Anthony police officer making a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Mich. A Minnesota prosecutor is dropping charges against more than 15 people who protested the fatal shooting of black motorist Castile. Several had been scheduled for trial in mid-August. But St. Paul City Attorney Lyndsey Olson said she determined moving forward wasn't in the city's best interest. (Scott Takushi/Pioneer Press via AP, File)

Castile, a 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker, was shot during a traffic stop on July 6, 2016, after he informed a St. Anthony police officer that he had a gun. Authorities later discovered Castile had a permit for the firearm. The officer was charged with manslaughter but later acquitted.

The case got widespread attention after Castile's girlfriend, who was in the car with her young daughter, began livestreaming the shooting's aftermath on Facebook. Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the governor's official residence in the days that followed.

After nearly three weeks, authorities broke up the demonstration, arresting 73 people on unlawful assembly and public nuisance charges.

The City Attorney's Office said Wednesday that it still stands by its original position that the evidence supported criminal charges. Most of the people arrested had agreed to guilty pleas.

Olson's announcement on Wednesday came just days after Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said he wouldn't charge two Minneapolis officers in the June fatal shooting of a black man who was armed and running from police. Olson's office said her decision was not related to the incidents in Minneapolis.

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This story has been corrected to show the number of defendants who had charges dropped was 17, not 18, after the city attorney corrected the number.BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romanian secret police agents eavesdropped on her, persuaded friends to snoop on her and filmed her when she was in her underwear.

Some 70 informants and spies kept tabs on Katherine Verdery, now an anthropology professor at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, when she visited communist Romania in the '70s and '80s as a postgraduate doing research on an anthropology thesis on Romanian village life.

No other U.S. citizen was so closely scrutinized by the Securitate secret police of communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu.

This undated photo provided by Juan Carlos Arevalo shows Katherine Verdery, an American anthropologist and professor. Verdery's memoir "My Life as a Spy: Investigations in a Secret Police File" recounts her experiences doing research in Romania during the Cold War. Years later, she discovered the Romanian government believed she was a spy. The government's file on her was nearly 3,000 pages long, and included images shot by secret cameras and information provided by ordinary people she'd thought of as friends. (Juan Carlos Arevalo via AP)

After the collapse of communism in 1989, Verdery obtained her 2,781-page dossier and transformed the material into a 344-page book, "My Life as a Spy."

The book was recently translated into Romanian, opening old wounds, but also challenging Romanians to confront a dark chapter in their history.

AN AMERICAN SPY?

A young and naive American academic by her own admission, Verdery didn't comprehend what her questions and attempts to fit in looked like in Eastern Europe.

In the Cold War, Romania considered U.S. students sent to Romania on grants to be Western agents, and Verdery did nothing to dispel this assumption when she inadvertently drove her motorcycle onto a military base in the 1970s, although the officer in charge of spying on her at that period finally concluded she wasn't involved in espionage activities.

Discovering later that she was erroneously considered a U.S. spy, potentially with Hungarian sympathies, Verdery was initially "appalled, I was absolutely stunned. ... I couldn't believe my eyes, the level of surveillance was so much greater than anything I had anticipated or imagined."

Romanian Securitate agents reported on her movements, sometimes 16 hours a day. Hotel receptionists reported her whereabouts, others broke into her suitcase to access her notes, surreptitiously filmed and bugged the places where she went and asked - or twisted the arm - of friends and acquaintances to report on her.

They feared she would paint Romania in an unfavorable light or could negatively impact Romania's most favored nation status with her reports.

Officers gave Verdery a variety of code names: "Vera," ''Vanesa" and "Folklorista."

TRYING TO RECONCILE AND UNDERSTAND

Furious and depressed, Verdery set about trying to understand and record on paper why she had been a target, unwittingly inhabiting a cloak-and-dagger world of betrayals and invisible surveillance.

"The default assumption was that I was a spy," she told The Associated Press by telephone from Massachusetts. "Finding out my friends were involved working with the secret police ... was an unwelcome surprise."

In her mission to make sense of what had happened to her and gain an anthropological perspective, Verdery embarked on the laborious and fraught task of returning to Romania where she sought out, met, discussed and eventually forgave former close friends and colleagues.

Some flatly denied keeping tabs on her. Others had died. One woman turned the tables, chiding Verdery for making her become an informer. Only one person apologized.

"The concept of spying is a cultural concept," Verdery believes, saying she began to realize why people could have thought of her as a spy: she kept duplicate sets of notes that she locked in a suitcase and then sent back to the United States in a diplomatic pouch.

Verdery doesn't name her informers, but pages from her file that have appeared in Romanian media reveal two former ministers among her informants.

THE GHOST OF THE SECURITATE

Unlike other former communist countries, Romania hasn't reconciled the shadowy and corrosive effect the Securitate had on society when informers kept tabs on citizens and stifled dissent with informers infiltrated into every walk of life.

Observers say the old Securitate network continues to function. "The Securitate is in business, active in politics and in the press; it's as alive as it was before, and we haven't healed yet," said Armand Gosu, a political science teacher at the University of Bucharest.

But the publication of "My Life as a Spy" in Romanian last month appears to be having a cathartic affect, although some have criticized her for not being "sufficiently judgmental." The book, which has already sold out, opened old wounds and challenged Romanians to confront a difficult chapter in their past: the pervasive presence of the Securitate secret police.

Publishing house Vremea is run by Silvia Colfescu, one of a few friends who didn't inform on her.

"She was a foreign researcher from America, of course they had their eyes on her," Colfescu told The Associated Press. "All foreigners were naive, all of them," she said. "We had foreign friends and I told them."

They used cunning psychological tactics to recruit informers. "There were subtle threats; your children won't get into university, your wife won't get cancer treatment," Colfescu said.

"When we spoke (at home) we put a pillow on the phone, we whispered and had the radio on full volume."

Gosu calls the book "sensational."

"It is fascinating how a foreigner understands better what happened here under Nicolae Ceausescu than many Romanians," Gosu says.

OLD WOUNDS

For others, the book picks at raw wounds. Andreea Chiru, who is in her late 30s and works at Vremea, tears up several times when describing the book's impact on her.

"I was told not to say things at school and kindergarten; our parents were afraid and didn't speak in front of us," she said. "It's almost 30 years after communism ended, and people still think they can get into trouble. Romanians lived with a trauma that you can't trust anyone and people still haven't got over this yet."

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Corrects Verdery's Graduate Center affiliation.

This undated image provided by Duke University Press shows the cover of the memoir "My Life as a Spy: Investigations in a Secret Police File," by Katherine Verdery. The book recounts Verdery's experiences as an American anthropologist in Romania during the Cold War and how, years later, she discovered the Romanian government believed she was a spy. The government's file on Verdery was nearly 3,000 pages long and included surveillance images like the one on the cover of the book, taken with a secret camera. (Duke University Press via AP)

FILE - In this March 10, 2005, file photo, Romanian military staff prepare to unload files of Romania's former communist regime's Securitate secret police from a truck at the headquarters of the National Council for Studying the Securitate Archives (CNSAS) in Leordeni, Romania. Some 70 informants and spies secretly recorded the life of Katherine Verdery, now an Anthropology Professor at the University of New York, when she worked periodically as an anthropology graduate in Communist Romania. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File)YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Flooding in Myanmar has killed 12 people and forced more than 132,000 others to take shelter at nearly 300 temporary camps, a report said Wednesday.

The state newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar cited the National Natural Disaster Management Committee as saying the highest death toll was in Bago region north of Yangon, where four people died and more than 94,000 others took refuge in 186 camps.

It said torrential rains and strong winds destroyed some bridges and forced people to flee their homes in low-lying areas. Roads were cut by flooding in some areas, although a major highway that had been blocked for several days was reopened Tuesday as the floodwaters receded, it said.

In an interview with the newspaper, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Win Myat Aye said there were not enough relief camps, resulting in overcrowding and problems with sanitation. He said people would have to stay in the camps for a week to 10 days.

His ministry has spent more than 554 million kyat ($380,000) on aid for the flood victims and compensation for the families of those that died, the newspaper said.

Seasonal heavy rains have caused serious flooding in other Southeast Asian nations as well. A dam at a hydroelectric project in Laos was breached last week, forcing thousands of people from their homes. Official figures on the number of dead ranged from 11 to 27, with more than 100 still missing.DENVER (AP) - Molson Coors will attempt to sell pot-infused drinks in Canada, where consumable marijuana will become legal next year.

Molson Coors Brewing Co. is based in Colorado, which along with Washington, were the first states to legalize recreational use of marijuana. Recreational marijuana becomes legal in Canada in October, but consumable forms of the drug will be legal there in 2019.

The brewer said Wednesday that its Canadian division will partner with the Canadian cannabis producer The Hydropothecary Corp. to develop a non-alcoholic drink containing marijuana.

FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2018, file photo, Molson Coors products Molson beer, left, and Coors Light beer in Walpole, Mass. Molson Coors will attempt to sell pot-infused drinks in Canada, where consumable marijuana will become legal next year. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Molson Coors Canada will hold a 57.5 percent controlling stake in the stand-alone joint venture. Hydropothecary will own the remaining ownership interest.

The deal is expected to close before the end of September.WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Trump administration's short-term health insurance plans (all times local):

11:30 a.m.

The Trump administration's new regulation expanding short-term health insurance plans contains what amounts to a legal life preserver in case a key feature is struck down by a court.

Up to now, short-term health insurance has been a niche product, covering people for several months or less than a year.

The Trump administration now says that short-term plans can last up to 12 months and be renewed for up to 36 months. Making the plans renewable is a novel twist. And it could draw a court challenge.

A "severability clause" in the rule spells out that if the 36-month provision is invalidated, the rest of the regulation would still stand. That would allow insurers to keep marketing the plans, instead of throwing the entire regulation into doubt.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York is vowing to do everything in his power to block the administration.

Short-plans cost about one-third as much as comprehensive coverage but don't have to cover pre-existing medical conditions.

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10:30 a.m.

A major insurer group is warning that the Trump administration's short-term health insurance plans could be harmful for consumers.

The group is the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, whose member plans are a mainstay of Affordable Care Act coverage.

A senior vice president, Justine Handelman said health insurance should be available and affordable for everyone, "regardless of their health status."

She said consumers could be harmed by slimmed-down policies that don't provide comprehensive coverage. That could make comprehensive coverage more expensive and leave some consumers "unaware of the risks of these policies," she added.

Earlier Wednesday, the Trump administration said it's clearing the way for health insurers to sell short-term plans as a low-cost alternative to pricey Obama-law policies for people struggling with high premiums. But the policies for individuals have no guarantees of coverage for existing medical conditions and come with limited benefits.

Federal health officials say the plans can last for up to 12 months and may be renewed for up to 36 months

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9:05 a.m.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York says Democrats will "do everything in our power" to stop the Trump administration's expansion of short-term health insurance plans.

It's unclear how that might happen, since versions of such plans have long been available - including during the Obama administration.

"These new short-term plans are nothing short of junk insurance and are so dangerous for Americans that it's no wonder not a single group representing patients, physicians, nurses or hospitals has voiced support," Schumer said in a statement.

Proponents of short-term plans say they provide a fallback option for healthy people who make too much money to get subsidized coverage under Obama's health law.

___

7 a.m.

The Trump administration says it's clearing the way for health insurers to sell short-term plans as a low-cost alternative to pricey Obama-law policies for people struggling with high premiums.

But the policies for individuals have no guarantees of coverage for existing medical conditions and come with limited benefits.

Federal health officials say the plans can last for up to 12 months and may be renewed for up to 36 months. Details are expected Wednesday.

Short-term plans have been a niche product for people in life transitions, people switching jobs, people retiring before Medicare eligibility or people aging out of parental coverage.

Officials hope the plans will appeal to people ineligible for income-based subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Critics say the plans undermine the health law.UPPER LAKE, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on destructive wildfires in California and the U.S. West (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

Forecasters say the threat of major fires will remain high across much of California and the northwestern corner of the U.S. throughout August and September.

Flames consume a home as the River Fire tears through Lakeport, Calif., Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

The National Interagency Fire Center's monthly outlook released Wednesday says lightning, drought and an abundance of dry trees and vegetation combined to produce above-normal chances for major wildfires in the region.

In October, conditions are expected to return to normal in much of the Northwest, but the danger will remain high in most of California and in central Montana.

Forecasters say much of central and eastern Texas also faces high fire danger in August.

___

2:45 p.m.

Authorities in Northern California say all people reported missing in a massive wildfire have been located.

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said officials received 60 reports of missing people and that all had been located by Wednesday.

The blaze near the city of Redding, California has destroyed more than 1,000 homes and killed two firefighters and four civilians.

California fire officials say the wildfire burning near Redding for 10 days has scorched 180 square miles (470 square kilometers).

Fire crew have gained some ground and increased containment to 35 percent.

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12:35 p.m.

Australia and New Zealand are sending 146 firefighters and fire managers to help their counterparts in the Western United States.

The U.S. National Interagency Fire Center said Wednesday it requested the help because its resources are stretched thin.

The two countries are sending supervisors, safety officers, heavy equipment and helicopter managers, helicopter crew members and structure protection specialists.

They're expected to arrive at the interagency fire center in Boise, Idaho, late this week and then be deployed after a one-day orientation.

This is the seventh season since 2000 that Australia and New Zealand have sent firefighters to the United States. The U.S. sent firefighters to Australia in 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2010.

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11:45 a.m.

A disaster relief organization says it's preparing to send respiratory masks, hygiene kits and other first aid supplies to help thousands of people displaced by a massive wildfire in Northern California.

Americares said Wednesday it is working with a local health center in Redding, California, where 38,000 residents were displaced by the blaze. Thousands have been allowed to return home, but the hardest-hit areas in impoverished Lake County remain out of reach.

Americares says the shipment will help families to protect their health.

Red Cross spokesman Stephen Walsh says the organization has five shelters opened, though he says some people are starting to return home.

The wildfire burning and polluting the air since July 23 has destroyed more than 1,000 homes. It was 34 percent contained Wednesday.

___

11:20 a.m.

California Gov. Jerry Brown says the state will spend whatever it takes to fight wildfires ravaging California that have wiped out more than 1,000 homes and killed eight people so far. Just a month into the budget year, the state has already spent more than one quarter of its annual fire budget, at least $125 million.

Brown said Wednesday that the state's funding is in good economic shape thanks to a robust rainy day fund.

But the Democratic governor warned that about 16 large fires now burning mostly in Northern California represent a new threat for firefighters and emergency officials.

He says they are being surprised and every year is teaching authorities new lessons. A wildfire near Redding that destroyed more than 1,000 homes is now the sixth-most destructive in state history. Officials said tornado-like winds whipped up the fire in unpredictable ways.

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This item has been corrected to say that CalFire has already spent $125 million on firefighter this fiscal year.

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9:50 a.m.

Children attending summer camps and others have been told to leave immediately as a wildfire burns in a wilderness area in south-central Washington.

The fire is burning about 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Yakima within the Goat Rocks Wilderness. It was started by lightning and was reported Monday.

The Herald-Republic says about 400 children and employees at camps in the Clear Lake area were evacuated Tuesday.

The U.S. Forest Service has closed the White Pass and Clear Lake recreational areas because the fire is burning close to popular trails, campgrounds and homes. It has scorched about 30 acres (12 hectares).

District Ranger Kelly Lawrence says the closure is needed because fires burning across the U.S. West have exhausted resources and it's been difficult to staff the Miriam Fire.

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7:30 a.m.

Fire officials say a massive blaze in Northern California has torched 1,018 homes in and around the city of Redding.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Wednesday that another 440 buildings including barns and warehouses have also been destroyed by the fire.

The huge Redding area blaze that has been burning for more than a week has displaced 38,000 from their homes and killed six people. Redding Police on Tuesday asked for help from the public locating four people who are still missing.

Thousands of people were allowed to return to their homes this week but the blaze continues to burn and has scorched 180 square miles (470 square kilometers). It is 35 percent contained.

The wildfire is now the seventh most destructive wildfire in California history.

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12:00 a.m.

New fires continue to erupt in Northern California where firefighters already are struggling to ring massive and deadly blazes that have torched about a thousand homes.

North of San Francisco, a fire that flared Tuesday near rural Covelo raced through brush, grass and timber. About 60 homes were ordered evacuated.

Another fire north of Sacramento destroyed more than 1 1/2 square miles of grassy ranchland in a few hours.

Already burning are twin fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties that have burned seven homes and threaten 12,000 more.

And the seventh most destructive wildfire in California history is only 30 percent contained in the Redding area.

The Carr Fire has killed six people and destroyed 965 homes.

An animal scrambles while flames consume structures as the River Fire burns in Lakeport, Calif., Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

In this Monday, July 30, 2018, photo provided by Redding Reptiles, reptile manager and co-owner Ryan Allinger moves Eres, a 14-foot female python, from her temporary transport tub into her accustomed enclosure at the reptile store in Redding, Calif. Sandra Dodge-Streich, owner of Redding Reptiles, says the snake was placed in a plastic bin and brought to a home after flames from the Carr Fire moved closer last week. She says the lavender albino reticulated python slithered out of the bin sometime Saturday. It was found Monday coiled up in a milk crate. (Sandra Dodge-Streich/Redding Reptiles via AP)

REMOVES NAME OF STREET AS STREET NAME IS UNKNOWN - A firefighter rushes to save a home as the River Fire tears through Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. The residence eventually burned. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

REMOVES NAME OF STREET AS STREET NAME IS UNKNOWN - A firefighter runs while trying to save a home as a wildfire tears through Lakeport, Calif., Tuesday, July 31, 2018. The residence eventually burned. Firefighters pressed their battle against a pair of fires across Mendocino and Lake counties. In all, roughly 19,000 people have been warned to flee and 10,000 homes remain under threat. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

With fire burning on multiple sides, a deer stands behind a fence as the River Fire tears though Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames consume a home as the River Fire tears though Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

With fire burning on multiple sides, a deer stands in a pasture as the River Fire tears though Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A helicopter carries water while battling the River Fire in Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)WASHINGTON (AP) - A bipartisan group of senators used a private meeting Wednesday to reassure diplomats from NATO and other European nations of the Senate's support for the alliance.

The meeting came as President Donald Trump has repeatedly challenged the value of the trans-Atlantic coalition and shown a warming toward its chief adversary, Russia. It was also the latest instance of the Republican-controlled chamber parting company from Trump and explicitly demonstrating its backing for Europe and a wariness of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., who helped initiate the meeting, said lawmakers wanted to "reassure these countries of our commitment to NATO and our commitment to their security."

Durbin said Trump's name "never came up" in the hourlong session but was an unspoken factor.

"Everyone knows he's the big actor in the room. And the purpose of this meeting was to overcome some of things he has said and done that raised questions about the future of NATO," Durbin said.

Trump has repeatedly questioned the usefulness of NATO, criticized its members for not contributing enough to the organization and complained that the U.S. is paying too much to defend Europe.

"We want them to know that we're committed to NATO, and want them to be," said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Participants said the meeting involved around 20 senators plus ambassadors and other representatives from around nine nations. That included diplomats from Ukraine, Latvia, Poland, Norway, Finland and NATO's newest member, Montenegro.

"We really appreciate the support of senators, bipartisan support, for our security," Piotr Wilczek, the Polish ambassador to the U.S., said afterward. He added later, "The Congress and the administration are two different bodies. So we are looking for reassurance in both the Congress and the administration."

Last month, the Senate voted 97-2 to approve a resolution in support of NATO. Senators have also begun crafting measures aimed at Russia, including a bipartisan bill that would establish new penalties if Moscow continues trying to disrupt U.S. elections.WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump bluntly declared on Wednesday his attorney general should terminate "right now" the federal probe into the campaign that took him to the White House, a newly fervent attack on the special counsel investigation that could imperil his presidency. Trump also assailed the trial, just underway, of his former campaign chairman by the special counsel's team.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders scrambled to explain that Trump's tweet was "not an order" and the president was not directing his attorney general to do anything.

"It's the president's opinion," she said.

President Donald Trump points up to heaven as he speaks during a meeting with inner city pastors in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

But Trump's early morning tweetstorm again raised the specter that he could try to more directly bring special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia-Trump election-collusion probe to a premature end. And it revived the idea that the president's tweets themselves might be used as evidence that he is attempting to obstruct justice.

Meanwhile, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said negotiations are continuing to have Trump sit down for questions from Mueller, though the lawyer said, "I'm not going to give you a lot of hope that it's going to happen." He said both sides had exchanged proposals for conditions for such an interview, "and yesterday we got a letter back from them and now we're in the process of responding."

Trump has raged privately in recent days that both the forces of government and the media are trying to undermine him. That includes trumped-up charges against his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and distorting the outcome of the Helsinki summit to make it appear he was beholden to Russia, according to two Republicans close to the White House who were not authorized to discuss private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump was closely monitoring news coverage of the Manafort proceedings, which provoked the spate of incendiary tweets, according to the two Republicans and two White House officials.

"The president's not obstructing, he's fighting back," said Sanders, dismissing the idea that Trump's tweets could be tantamount to obstruction of justice.

The most inflammatory of Trump's tweets said, "This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

The president's anger came the day after the start of the trial of Manafort, who is facing federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. And while Mueller did not bring any election-related charges against Manafort, the specter of the Russian investigation is hanging over the Alexandria, Virginia, courthouse. And Trump's White House.

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders," Trump tweeted. "He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!"

Later the president invoked one of the nation's most notorious criminals, 1920s gangster Al Capone, and posed the question "who was treated worse" while airing his grievance about Manafort being held in solitary confinement ahead of a conviction. Manafort is in detention after having his bail revoked because of allegations that he was attempting to tamper with witnesses in his case. Federal prosecutors revealed last month that he was afforded unusual privileges while in detention.

Trump has spent more than a year trying to distance himself from his one-time top political aide and to minimize the role Manafort played in his campaign. Trump's protestations aside, Manafort worked on the campaign during a critical six-month period in 2016, during which he led the effort to ensure Trump won the Republican nomination. He oversaw the early days of the general election effort.

Sanders said Trump wants Mueller's investigation concluded swiftly without intervention, though Trump has publicly mused as recently as May about interfering in the Department of Justice's oversight of the probe. "At some point I will have no choice but to use the powers granted to the Presidency and get involved!" he tweeted then.

Trump has repeatedly belittled the probe as "a hoax," as those close to him suggest he feels that any talk of Russian interference tarnishes his electoral victory and delegitimizes his presidency.

One of the president's confidants deemed Trump in "a dark place," seething about the long-lasting probe and the media's depiction of his White House under siege. Though long antagonistic toward the press, Trump's anger toward the media has only grown over the past month, as he has berated coverage of his Singapore and Helsinki summits, the possible prosecutorial cooperation of his former legal "fixer" Michael Cohen and the Mueller probe.

After complaining about the tough questions he received from American reporters in Finland, Trump has largely steered clear of the mainstream media, instead opting for safer spaces like an interview with ally Rush Limbaugh this week. From the White House briefing room podium on Wednesday, Sanders declined to denounce the harassment of a CNN reporter during a Trump rally in Florida on Tuesday.

The president's social media outburst renewed discussion of the significance of his tweets.

Giuliani stressed that Trump was just issuing an opinion, though he also said the White House believes "the investigation should be brought to a close."

"I guess, if we were playing poker - we're not - put up or shut up, what do you got?" Giuliani said. "We have every reason to believe they don't have anything."

When pressed by reporters on how she tells the difference between a presidential order or an opinion, Sanders said Trump makes his intentions "pretty clear."

But the line between registering an opinion or governing by tweet has bedeviled the White House from the start, even when former press secretary Sean Spicer declared tweets could be official White House statements. Earlier this year, Trump blindsided the Defense Department when he tweeted out a transgender ban for the military, prompting the Pentagon to slow walk the program.

Mueller already is interested in some of Trump's tweets to the extent they raise obstruction of justice concerns. Though experts believe obstruction by tweet is possible, prosecutors have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a particular act got in the way of an investigation and that the person who did it intended to obstruct.

The president's tweets on Wednesday were greeted warily on Capitol Hill, with most lawmakers, regardless of party, urging Trump to let the probe run its course.

No. 3 Senate GOP leader John Thune of South Dakota said, "The idea that they should truncate it doesn't make sense to me." Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut went much further, declaring: "There is now highly credible evidence that the president of the United States is committing obstruction of justice in real time, right before our eyes."

___

Associated Press writer Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Miller at http://twitter.com/@zekejmiller

Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for President Donald Trump, addresses a gathering during a campaign event for Eddie Edwards, who is running for the U.S. Congress, in Portsmouth, N.H., Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

This image from the Twitter account of President Donald Trump shows a tweet on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018 calling for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the Russia investigation that raises difficult questions about whether Trump's frequent use of Twitter might be used to build a case of obstruction of justice against him. (Twitter via AP)JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) - Investigators believe an improperly rigged belay device likely caused the 300-foot (91-meter) fall that killed a New York professor on a popular Grand Teton National Park climbing route in northwest Wyoming.

Park rangers have not finished their investigative report into the July 22 death of 33-year-old Marco Dees, of New Paltz, New York and the Netherlands. And the Jackson Hole News & Guide reports they'll never know with 100 percent certainty what happened.

But ranger Ryan Schuster says signs point toward Dees having made a rappelling mistake in rigging that resulted in a loose strand of rope pulling out of the belay device and through the anchor, causing Dees to fall.

Schuster says this type of rigging mistake is elementary but can happen to anyone.

___

Information from: Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.comHONOLULU (AP) - A former U.S. soldier who was stationed in Hawaii has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for soliciting sexually explicit photographs from a British girl and using them to blackmail her, federal prosecutors said.

Christopher Ernest Fox was sentenced Monday in federal court in Honolulu after pleading guilty in April to producing child pornography.

The 21-year-old former military police officer began corresponding online with the girl in August 2016, knowing she was a minor, prosecutors said.

He persuaded the girl, who was 12 at the time, to send him explicit photographs of herself. He requested more photos and threatened to distribute the pictures he had if she did not comply.

When the girl refused to send more pictures, he posted the nude photos of her under a fake social media account. The girl and her parents reported him to police in England after the photos began circulating at her school.

Fox was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and to submit to 10 years of restrictive court supervision after his prison term. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

Fox was assigned to the 728th Military Police Battalion and stationed at the Schofield Barracks on Oahu. He was discharged from the Army in December.ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort personally directed millions of dollars in international wire transfers to pay for high-end suits and more than $3 million in improvements at his various houses, witnesses testified Wednesday on the second day of his financial fraud trial.

The testimony was aimed at bolstering the prosecution's argument that Manafort hid millions of dollars in income from the IRS and used the funds for a lavish lifestyle. The witness accounts were also intended to contradict Manafort's lawyers, who have signaled they will pin blame for any illegal conduct on his longtime deputy, Rick Gates.

The prosecution's focus on Manafort's personal finances - at times laid out in painstaking detail - underscored the vast amount of documents accumulated by special counsel Robert Mueller's team in their case against the longtime political consultant. But it also tried the patience of U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who repeatedly scolded the government's attorneys for what he said was excessive and unnecessary information.

This courtroom sketch depicts Paul Manafort, seated right row second from right, together with his lawyers, the jury, seated left, and the U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III, back center, listening to Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye, standing, during opening arguments in the trial of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Manafort's on tax evasion and bank fraud charges. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

Ellis, who warned prosecutors against using the word "oligarchs" to describe wealthy Ukrainians, several times admonished them for spending so much time documenting Manafort's extravagant lifestyle.

It's not a crime to be wealthy, he noted. And the pejorative term "oligarchs" and evidence of home renovations aren't necessarily relevant to the charges in question, he added.

"The government doesn't want to prosecute somebody because they wear nice clothes, do they?" Ellis said amid testimony that Manafort had spent more than $900,000 on clothing from a boutique retailer where he was one of only about 40 clients. "Let's move on."

Ellis even called out lawyers from both sides for rolling their eyes.

The trial is the first courtroom test for the special counsel, who was tasked last year with investigating Russia's efforts to sway the 2016 election and to determine whether the Trump campaign was involved. So far, Manafort is the lone person to stand trial as a result of the ongoing probe, even though the charges of bank fraud and tax evasion are unrelated to possible collusion.

Still, the trial has pulled back the curtain on the former lobbyist who steered Trump's election efforts for a time, including descriptions of Manafort's $15,000 jacket made of ostrich and the more than $6 million in cash he put toward real estate. One witness, Maximillian Katzman, testified that Manafort spent more than $900,000 at his boutique retailer in New York. He said Manafort was the only business client of his who paid via international wire transfer.

An FBI agent described the July 2017 raid on Manafort's Virginia condominium, saying he knocked multiple times before entering with a key and finding Manafort inside. The searches described by agent Matthew Mikuska found expensively tailored suits and documents related to other luxury items allegedly bought by Manafort, including two silk rugs bought for $160,000 paid from offshore accounts.

But when prosecutors introduced photos of Manafort's high-end condo and expensive suits, Ellis interrupted so as to limit the growing list of evidence jurors would have to consider.

"All this document shows is that Mr. Manafort had a lavish lifestyle," Ellis said. "It isn't relevant."

On the term "oligarchs," Ellis said use of the word implied that Manafort was associating with "despicable people and therefore he's despicable."

"That's not the American way," the judge said.

Prosecutor Greg Andres argued that documenting Manafort's spending for the jury was important to the case.

"Judge, this is not an effort to prove Mr. Manafort lived lavishly," Andres said. "It's evidence of his income."

Ellis seemed to grow impatient after being told that attorneys on both sides were seen rolling their eyes after leaving the bench or in response to his rulings. The lawyers' facial expressions, Ellis said, appeared to show them thinking: "Why do we have to put up with this idiot judge?"

The proceedings clearly caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who defended his 2016 hiring of Manafort and suggested Manafort was being treated worse than mobster Al Capone. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president indeed felt Manafort had been treated unfairly.

"Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation," Trump tweeted Wednesday. "These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!"

Manafort's attorneys are putting the blame on Gates, Manafort's business associate.

Gates was expected to be the government's star witness at trial, but prosecutor Uzo Asonye said he could not say with certainty whether Gates would or would not testify. He later clarified to say that that uncertainty applies to any witness, not just Gates, as the prosecution team assesses the pace of the trial and the evidence it needs.

Asonye also told Ellis that prosecutors expect to rest their case next week, noting that they are "ahead of schedule."

Testimony was to resume Thursday morning with witnesses including bookkeepers and accountants.

Manafort has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the U.S. government.

___

Follow Chad Day at https://twitter.com/ChadSDay and Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP

This courtroom sketch depicts Paul Manafort, fourth from right, standing with his lawyers in front of U.S. district Judge T.S. Ellis III, center rear, and the selected jury, seated left, during the jury selection of his trial at the Alexandria Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, Va., Tuesday, July 31, 2018. A jury set to decide the fate of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Manafort was selected Tuesday, and opening statements in his tax evasion and bank fraud trial were expected in the afternoon. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

This photo provided by the Department of Justice was introduced into evidence by the government on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, during the second day of the fraud trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort in federal court in Alexandria, Va., shows Manafort's $15,000 jacket made of ostrich. Manafort is accused of conspiracy to evade U.S. taxes and banking laws. It's the first trial arising from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.(Department of Justice via AP)

Kevin Downing, attorney for Paul Manafort, leaves the Alexandria Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, Va., Tuesday, July 31, 2018, at the conclusion of day one of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Manafort's tax evasion and bank fraud trial. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)LOS ANGELES (AP) - Actor Irrfan Khan is a Bollywood star and Hollywood chameleon, who has bounced between the two with ease for decades, working with everyone from Mira Nair to Wes Anderson and Ang Lee and stealing scenes in both Oscar-winners ("Slumdog Millionaire") and blockbusters ("Jurassic World") alike. But all that's been put on hold as he undergoes treatment in London for a neuroendocrine tumor, a rare form of cancer.

Although Khan's life now is very different from only a few months ago, he still has films that he worked on as recently last year coming out, including "Puzzle," a poignant character drama expanding to 11 cities this weekend.

The indie film from Oscar-nominated producer Marc Turtletaub ("Little Miss Sunshine") is about a stifled suburban housewife, played by Kelly Macdonald, who forms a bond with a more cosmopolitan man, (Khan), over a shared fondness for puzzles. It's one that the 51-year-old actor is immensely proud of, and eager to talk about, but, he also knows very keenly how unpredictable his life has become.

FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2018 file photo, actor Irrfan Khan poses for a portrait to promote the film "Puzzle" during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Khan has appeared in films such as "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Jurassic World," but now the actor is facing the biggest challenge of his life as he undergoes treatment for cancer in London. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)

When I call him for our interview, he answers politely and informs me that he's been hospitalized the night prior and asks if might be possible to call him back in 10 minutes. Of course, I say. This happens again, when Khan's doctors come in to talk to him and he politely asks if we might pick it up tomorrow.

Below are excerpts from our conversations. They have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: 'Puzzle' is quite lovely, but also a small character drama - a bit of a departure from the bigger Hollywood films you've become known for

KHAN: I was looking for something for a long time in American cinema, Hollywood cinema. I have been reaching for this, for a personal experience where I could invest myself and I could have more meat that I could get apart from myself completely and get into something which is unknown. This character had complexity and a strange unpredictability where he himself doesn't know where things are moving and is in a limbo state. There are so many interesting angles to this person. I was looking for something more personal and to redefine my involvement in a story, where my soul could entangle with this story. You want residue, you want it to last. So it had all that. And the simplicity of writing was fantastic. It was a complex situation, but I love that the way it comes out of the characters' mouths is very simple. So I fell in love it with it and I shifted my schedule in India and said, "I'm going to do it." It worked out and I really loved it.

AP: How are you doing in general?

KHAN: I've seen life from a completely different angle. You sit down and you see the other side and that's fascinating. I'm engaged on a journey.

AP: There's been a lot of speculation in the media about your condition and you've made pleas on social media not to trust the reports. But what do you want people to know about what you're going through?

KHAN: There are challenges which life throws at you. But I have started believing in the way this condition has tested me, really, really tested me in all aspects - physical, emotional and spiritual. It has put me in a rapture state. Initially I was shaken. I didn't know. I was very, very vulnerable. But slowly, there is another way to look at things that is much more powerful and much more productive and much more healthy and I just want people to believe that nature is much more trustworthy and one must trust that. The problem with me initially was everyone was speculating whether I would be out of this disease or not. Because it's not in my hand. That's nature that will do whatever it has to do. What is in my hand, I could take care of that. And it offers so much that you feel thankful. The way it is opening your windows to look at life. I would have never reached that state even if I had done meditation for 30 years, I wouldn't have reached it. But this sudden jolt has put me into a platform where I could look at things in a completely different manner. And for that I am really thankful. It sounds strange, but they should trust nature rather than feel sad, and trust that whatever the outcome, it will be for good and it will be for the best.

AP: What is your day to day like now? Are you reading scripts or planning to work at all?

KHAN: No, I'm completely out of reading scripts. This has become a surreal experience. My days are unpredictable. I used to think my life would be like that, but I could never practice unpredictability and spontaneity. That has happened now. I don't plan. I go for breakfast and then I don't have a plan. I take things as they come. That has been really helping me a lot. I don't make plans. I'm just spontaneous. And I'm loving this experience. There was something missing in my life. I was feeling a little manipulated by myself, by my own mind. There was a kind of disharmony in myself. It was bothering me. And I think this is what I was missing, this spontaneity. I know because we live in a world that is packed with plans, it sounds unrealistic. How could you live your life like that? But life is so mysterious and has so much to offer, we don't really try things. And I'm trying and I'm loving it. I'm in a really fortunate state.

AP: You're in London going through treatments. Is there anything you can share about that?

KHAN: I have had the fourth cycle of chemo. And I have to have six cycles and then we need to have a scan. After the third cycle, the scan was positive. But we need to see after the sixth scan. And then we'll see where it takes me. There's no guarantee of life with anybody. My mind could always tell me to hang a kind of chip on your neck and say, "I have this disease and I could die in a few months or a year or two." Or I could just avoid this conversation completely and live my life the way it offers me. And it offers so much. I admit I was walking around with blinders. I couldn't see what it offered me.

AP: So there is some sort of clarity with this experience?

KHAN: Exactly, and clarity came like lightning. You stop your contemplation, you stop your planning, you stop the noise. You see the other aspect of it. It gives you so much. Life offers you so much. That's why I feel like I have no other words but thanks. There are no other words, there's no other demand, there's no other prayer.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr

FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2018 file photo, actor Irrfan Khan poses for a portrait to promote the film "Puzzle" during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Khan has appeared in films such as "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Jurassic World," but now the actor is facing the biggest challenge of his life as he undergoes treatment for cancer in London. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2018 file photo, actor Irrfan Khan poses for a portrait to promote the film "Puzzle" during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Khan has appeared in films such as "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Jurassic World," but now the actor is facing the biggest challenge of his life as he undergoes treatment for cancer in London. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2009 file photo, members of the cast of "Slumdog Millionaire," from left, Irrfan Khan, Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Anil Kapoor, pose backstage with the award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture during the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles. Khan has appeared in films such as "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Jurassic World," but now the actor is facing the biggest challenge of his life as he undergoes treatment for cancer in London. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - In this May 21, 2007 file photo, Indian actor Irrfan Khan, from left, American actress Angelina Jolie, American actor Dan Futterman and British actress Archie Panjabi pose during a photo call for the film "A Mighty Heart," at the 60th International film festival in Cannes, southern France. Khan has appeared in films such as "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Jurassic World," but now the actor is facing the biggest challenge of his life as he undergoes treatment for cancer in London. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP) - Students have started a new school year at a suburban Indianapolis middle school more than two months after a classroom shooting wounded a student and a teacher.

Students and staff were greeted Wednesday by newly drafted Indiana Pacers player Alize Johnson and other athletes as they entered Noblesville West Middle School. Thirteen-year-old Ella Whistler and science teacher Jason Seaman were among those returning for classes.

A 13-year-old boy allegedly shot Whistler and Seaman after officials say he entered Seaman's classroom May 25 with two handguns.

Students arrive for the first day of school, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, at Noblesville West Middle School in Noblesville, Ind. (Kelly Wilkinson/The Indianapolis Star via AP)

New security measures, including more surveillance and police officers, are in place at the school about 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of Indianapolis.

A referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot would provide Noblesville Schools with more funding for school safety staff, equipment and other purposes.The Eiffel Tower was turning away tourists for a second day on Thursday as workers pressed a strike over a new access policy which they say is causing unacceptably long wait times for visitors.

The monument has been closed since Wednesday afternoon as unions locked horns with management over a decision to assign separate elevators to visitors with pre-booked tickets and those who buy them on site.

They say the policy is responsible for 'monstrous' queues.

The Eiffel Tower was turning away tourists for a second day on Thursday as workers pressed a strike over a new access policy which they say is causing unacceptably long wait times for visitors

Workers say the changes have resulted in lopsided queues that can extend to three hours for those waiting to pay for tickets, and up to an hour for internet customers who are supposed to have reserved time slots.

Since last month, the Eiffel Tower has been allowing half of its tickets to be booked in advance for scheduled entry times.

Previously, pre-booked tickets accounted for around one-fifth of the entries.

But the tower's management has also decided to reserve specific elevators for each type of ticket holder, a move which 'creates lines that are at times monstrous and often lopsided', the CGT union said in a statement.

During off-peak times for pre-booked tickets, such as early afternoon or evening, the reserved elevator might be half empty - despite lines of up to three hours at the elevator for walk-ins.

And high demand at the pre-booked elevator can cause backups that force people to wait long beyond their scheduled visit.

One tourist, who spoke to AFP yesterday, was disappointed that her visit to the monument with her husband and two children could not go ahead.

She said: 'We may or may not come again, because we spent so much money.

'It's not nice, for whatever reason they have the strike for, it's an injustice to visitors.'

However, CGT union's Denis Vavassori explained: 'Beyond the waste in terms of efficiency, and the unhappy visitors... employees' patience has run out.'

The monument has been closed since Wednesday afternoon as unions locked horns with management over a decision to assign separate elevators to visitors with pre-booked tickets and those who buy them on site. They say the policy is responsible for 'monstrous' queues

Staff want all the elevators to be available to all visitors, no matter what kind of ticket they have bought.

Negotiations to end the deadlock dragged on well into Wednesday night and resumed early on Thursday, when workers were supposed to vote on a proposal offered by the site's operator SETE, which is majority owned by the city of Paris.

'The SETE is well aware of the disappointment for visitors because of the monument's closure, and its negative impact on the image of both the city and country,' the company said in a statement Wednesday.

The tower, which welcomed more than six million visitors last year, has been hit by repeated strikes by its 300-strong staff in recent years over issues ranging from pick-pocketing to maintenance work.

It has also been beset with multiple security issues and just last month, a newly built perimeter defences were placed around the monument to protect against terror threats.SMEDEREVO, Serbia (AP) - It took Mirjana Milosevic less than an hour to transform into a zombie. The Serbian makeup artist also can turn into a skeleton or a genie and make body parts disappear.

Milosevic, 36, has attracted fans around the world for the illusions she creates on and with her own body. She records the whole process and posts videos on YouTube and social networks under the professional name Kika.

Milosevic creates her videos, which have gotten millions of views, in a studio in her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo. There, in front of a dressing table and surrounded by mirrors, she picks the tools that will immerse her in a new role.

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' paints her face in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

With makeup pencils, brushes and face paints, Milosevic slowly creates an image that completely changes her appearance. Flawless black lines appear as contours, then symbols resembling neck tattoos. An outline colored in with white becomes a mask that reveals hollowed-out and sharp teeth.

A zombie is born.

Her signature skin illusions take longer, Milosevic says. She puts in days of contemplation and planning, followed by hours and hours of work, to put a hollow in her stomach or to appear without a head.

The artist says she always liked to draw, but never on paper. As a young girl, Milosevic drew on walls, tables and her legs and arms.

"My parents say I learned to draw before I could walk," Milosevic said.

Milosevic says her favorite self-imposed illusion is the 'Wooden Puppet Doll' - a blue-haired doll with a string for a stomach and wood body parts - that in 2016 won her an award sponsored by makeup brand NYX and opened doors.

"The wooden puppet changed my life," she said.

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' speaks in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, SSerbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' prepares to transform, in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika', begins her transformation in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' draws lines on her face with a make-up pencil, in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' paints her face in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' paints her face in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' looks at her face in a mirror, in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, SSerbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' paints her neck, in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' applies make up on her teeth, in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' inserts a lense, in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Kika Milosevic looks at her transformation in a mirror, in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' looks at her transformation in a mirror in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' looks at her transformation in a mirror, in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' looks at her reflection in a mirror, in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this Friday, July 27, 2018 photo, Serbian make-up artist Mirjana Milosevic known professionally as 'Kika' looks at her transformation in a mirror, in her studio at her home in the central Serbian town of Smederevo, Serbia. Milosevic has won international recognition for the skin illusions that she applies on her own body, later posting the whole process on her You Tube channel and social networks. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)UPPER LAKE, Calif. (AP) - Firefighters are battling a massive blaze in Northern California that has torched more than 1,000 homes in and around the city of Redding.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says that hundreds of barns, warehouses and other buildings have also been destroyed by the fire.

The huge Redding-area blaze displaced 38,000 from their homes and killed six people, and police say two people are missing. It's already the sixth most destructive wildfire in California history and is only 34 percent contained.

A firefighter runs while trying to save a home as a wildfire tears through Lakeport, Calif., Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

New fires continue to erupt in Northern California.

___

Follow AP photographers and photo editors on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP/lists/ap-photographers .

Follow AP's complete wildfire coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/Wildfires

Flames consume a home as the River Fire tears though Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

Firefighter Jay Wilkens monitors a flaming shed and boat as the Holiday fire burns in Goleta, Calif., on Saturday, July 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

An air tanker passes behind a smoke plume while battling the River Fire in Lakeport, Calif., on Monday, July 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

Homes leveled by the Carr Fire line the Lake Keswick Estates area of Redding, Calif., on Friday, July 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

Flames from the Carr Fire lick above a Cal Fire truck in Whiskeytown, Calif., on Friday, July 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

A plane drops retardant over a property threatened by a wildfire, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Lakeport, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Firefighters with Cal Fire Mendocino Unit cover themselves from smoke and ash created by an advancing wildfire Monday, July 30, 2018, in Lakeport, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Firefighter Scott Brown sprays water on a backfire while battling the Carr Fire in Redding, Calif., on Saturday, July 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

The Carr Fire burns along Highway 299 in Redding, Calif., on Thursday, July 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

A Volkswagen Beetle scorched by a wildfire called the Carr Fire rests at a residence in Redding, Calif., Friday, July 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

Carla Bledsoe, facing camera, hugs her sister Sherry outside of the sheriff's office after hearing news that Sherry's children, James and Emily, and grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, were killed in a wildfire Saturday, July 28, 2018, in Redding, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

A helicopter carries water while battling the River Fire in Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

A firefighter rushes to save a home as the River Fire tears through Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. The residence eventually burned. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci has donated to a fundraiser for Capital Gazette shooting victims.

The Baltimore Sun reports Scaramucci told WNAV-AM in Annapolis that it's important "we do everything we can to maintain the institution of the free press and the commitment to the First Amendment."

The hedge fund financier wouldn't say how much he gave Sunday at a benefit that raised more than $10,000 for the Capital Gazette Families Fund.

The Michael and Jacky Ferro Family Foundation is matching up to $1 million in donations to the fund. A banker with offices in the same building as the Capital Gazette gave $100,000, as did the Merrill Family Foundation. A Bloomberg Government reporter raised more than $200,000 on GoFundMe.

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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.comSEATTLE (AP) - Whale researchers are keeping close watch on an endangered orca that has spent the past week keeping her dead calf afloat in Pacific Northwest waters, a display that has struck an emotional chord around the world and highlighted the plight of the declining population that has not seen a successful birth since 2015.

Researchers have observed the 20-year-old whale known as J35 pushing her dead young along and propping it up while swimming for miles in the waters of Washington state and British Columbia. The calf died July 24 shortly after it was born. Its mother was seen Tuesday night still clinging to the dead calf off British Columbia's Gulf Islands, said Jenny Atkinson, executive director of the Whale Museum on San Juan Island.

Experts say the orca and other family members traveling with her are grieving or mourning. And while it isn't uncommon for whales and dolphins mourn their young, they say, it's unusual that it has been going on for so long.

FILE - In this file photo taken Tuesday, July 24, 2018, provided by the Center for Whale Research, a baby orca whale is being pushed by her mother after being born off the Canada coast near Victoria, British Columbia. Whale researchers are keeping close watch on an endangered orca that has spent the past week carrying and keeping her dead calf afloat in Pacific Northwest waters. The display has struck an emotional chord around the world and highlighted the plight of the declining population of southern resident killer whales that has not seen a successful birth since 2015.(Michael Weiss/Center for Whale Research via AP)

"There's evidence that cetaceans such as dolphin and whales are often attending to dead bodies. Sometimes, it's because of curiosity or exploration and not necessarily emotion. Other mother dolphins and whales have kept their calves buoyant," said Barbara King, professor emerita of anthropology at the College of William and Mary and author of "How Animals Grieve."

"What's different about J35 is her persistence," she said, but then asked: "How resilient can she be? How long can she keep this up? Is she eating? Is she taking care of herself?"

The orca and her closely knit pod of whales have been observed taking turns carrying the dead calf, Atkinson said. A crew with the museum's Soundwatch boater education program has been spending about 11 hours each day tracking J-35, also called Tahlequah, and making sure boaters give the whales distance.

Researchers have collected poop samples from the group of whales that includes the grieving mother. They are preparing to try and recover the dead calf to understand more about why it died.

Meanwhile, the images of the whale balancing the dead orca have captivated the public and garnered global attention.

"There's an optic that's more powerful than any other statistic. It's a picture of what we can assume is a heartbroken mother who herself is necessary and precious to this population," said Jason Colby, professor of environmental history at the University of Victoria and author of "Orca: How We Came to Know and Love the Ocean's Greatest Predator."

Not long ago, killer whales were shot at and later captured live for marine parks, but "now we're seeing the extraordinary spectacle that is exactly the opposite - the emotional public outpouring and sharing in this mother's grief," he said.

The distinctive black-and-white orcas have struggled since they were listed as an endangered species in the U.S. and Canada over a decade ago. They're not getting enough of the large, fatty Chinook salmon that make up their main diet. They also face overlapping threats from toxic contamination and noise and disturbances from boats that can interfere with their ability to forage or communicate.

Female orcas have been having pregnancy problems because of nutritional stress linked to lack of salmon. A multiyear study last year by University of Washington and other researchers found that two-thirds of the orcas' pregnancies failed between 2007 and 2014.

The dead calf was the first in three years among the fish-eating southern resident killer whales that typically spend spring to fall in the inland waters of Washington state and British Columbia.

There are now only 75 whales, the lowest number in three decades, and researchers are worried about the fate of another 4-year-old female orca known as J-50 that looks thin and emaciated.

The orcas are distinct from other killer whales because they eat salmon, mostly Chinook salmon, which are also declining, rather than marine mammals. Individual whales are identified by unique markings or variations in their fin shapes, and each whale is given a number and name.

Traveling together in matrilineal groups, the orcas at times can be seen breaching around Puget Sound, even against the backdrop of the downtown Seattle skyline.

Deborah Giles, a scientist with the University of Washington's Center for Conservation Biology, has observed the grieving mother whale in recent days. At times the whale dives into the water to retrieve her calf when it sinks, retrieves it and pushes the calf back to the surface.

"Sometimes she's on her own with that calf, but a lot of time, she's with her mom and her son and another relative. Her family has been right by her," Giles said.

Giles said she worries for the mother, who must expend a lot of energy to keep the dead calf afloat.

King, the author, said one reason the story is touching such an emotional chord for people around the world is because it's a poignant example of a mother's behavior with her dead calf that's unusual and it's tied to the decline of her population.

"She's a thinking, feeling animal," King said, "but also in my mind becoming a symbol of what we're doing wrong."

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This story has been corrected to say the calf died July 24.BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Powerful former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is withdrawing his resignation letter a week after saying he would step down from the Senate.

Uribe said in a tweet Wednesday he was revoking the resignation letter he submitted after being called to testify before the Supreme Court on accusations of bribery and witness tampering.

At the time, Uribe said he was "morally impeded" from serving as senator in light of the probe.

Former Colombian President and Sen. Alvaro Uribe speaks during a press conference at his home in Rionegro, Colombia, Monday, July 30, 2018, a week after Colombia's Supreme Court ordered him to testify on allegations of witness tampering. Uribe gave a detailed explanation in refuting the accusations against him. (AP Photo/Luis Benavides)

Senate leader Ernesto Macias has agreed to halt the resignation proceeding.

Both critics and supporters of Uribe urged him not to resign.

Supporters claim the charges are a setup to discredit him. Opponents argued he was only stepping down to ensure the Supreme Court would no longer be in charge of the case.OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a two-term Democratic governor and former congressman, is best known outside the state for his focus on climate issues and renewable energy, but lately he's getting notice for a different role: adversary to President Donald Trump.

In a televised moment during a meeting in Washington, D.C., earlier this year, Inslee told Trump: "We need a little less tweeting here and a little more listening" on guns. The state also launched a court fight against the president's travel ban, one of dozens of lawsuits against actions by the Trump administration that Washington state has either led or joined.

Inslee's vocal opposition to Trump has increased as a trade war with China - Washington's top trade market - heats up and the process of reuniting immigrant families separated at the border - including some detained in the state - continues.

In this June 6, 2018 photo, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee applauds as he waits to speak at South Seattle College in Seattle during a news conference. Inslee, a two-term Democratic governor and former congressman, is likely best known outside the state for his focus on climate issues and renewable energy, but lately he's getting notice for a different role: an adversary to President Donald Trump. And while he's aware of the 2020 presidential chatter that includes his name, Inslee steers conversations on that topic to other elections. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

"These attacks on our state continue on multiple fronts, both economic and personal," Inslee said.

And while he's aware of the 2020 presidential chatter that includes his name, Inslee steers conversations on that topic to other elections, namely three dozen gubernatorial races. As head of the Democratic Governors Association, Inslee would like to see the number of governors from his party - now 16 - increase in November.

"If I can help elect Democratic governors, I have more partners to assist Washington state in this battle against the chaos coming out of the White House," Inslee said.

Even though he won't talk about his 2020 ambitions - other than not ruling out a potential run for a third term as governor - many others are, fueled by TV appearances, speeches in Iowa and Florida and an upcoming trip in August to New Orleans that features Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, two others mentioned in Democratic presidential rumblings.

"He's certainly trying to build a national profile, what that translates into would be anyone's guess," said Caleb Heimlich, state GOP chairman.

On social media, state Republicans have criticized Inslee for the state's troubled mental health system - Washington's largest psychiatric hospital recently lost its federal certification - and have commented on his travels. In May, the party tweeted that Inslee was "spotted promoting himself 1,762 miles away in Iowa ... still missing from Washington State."

Inslee visited Maine in July to join the Democratic gubernatorial candidate there at a news conference in support of Medicaid expansion. The trip sparked a state GOP tweet referring to the Inslee "road show."

Inslee disputes criticism of his national travel, noting a recent tour throughout the state focusing on improving broadband services. A look at his schedule over the past several months shows a steady mix of state business and Democratic Governors Association-related travel.

Inslee's political career started with a seat in the state House before heading to what he calls "the other Washington" as a congressman in the 4th Congressional District, representing east-central Washington. He served one two-year term in Congress before being knocked out in the GOP sweep of 1994. Inslee said he sees similarities between then and the current political cycle.

"There was a huge energy against a sitting president," Inslee said of President Bill Clinton and how support swung to Republicans. Now, "I think that there's a similar level of energy or more intense in exactly the opposite direction."

After moving his family west to Bainbridge Island, Inslee ran for governor in 1996 but didn't make it past eventual Gov. Gary Locke in the primary. He later won the 1st Congressional District seat, ousting GOP Rep. Rick White. Inslee held the seat for more than a decade before his 2012 gubernatorial election.

Inslee was a champion for the clean energy industry in Congress and wrote a book on the topic. Washington state has been on the forefront of policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. But carbon-pricing and low-carbon fuel standard efforts backed by Inslee and other lawmakers haven't gained much traction.

Democratic state Sen. Reuven Carlyle of Seattle, a supporter of those measures, notes that while Democrats have long controlled the state House, the party has just recently regained a one-seat advantage in the Senate after five years of Republican control.

"So I think it's a natural frustration and it's an issue that people should analyze, but his credibility on this after decades of work is rock solid," he said.

Carlyle said he believes climate issues will be a priority for Democrats heading into 2020, and Inslee's resume would help him if he decides to run.

"His strength in the environmental arena is a hook that is incredibly powerful," Carlyle said. "It resonates deeply with younger voters."

Voter Dick Scafati, a 38-year-old account manager in Renton, said he doesn't see Inslee as a presidential contender.

"To me, he seems like a one-issue politician and that's global warming," he said.

Scafati, who said he has voted for Republican, Democratic and third-party candidates, didn't vote for Inslee and doesn't think he should run for a third term. But he's not surprised that the governor hasn't yet indicated his political aspirations.

"It doesn't really cost him anything to keep that chatter out there," he said.

Cornell Clayton, director of the Thomas S. Foley Institute of Public Policy and Public Service at Washington State University, said a governor from a small Western state would have an uphill battle in what could be a crowded Democratic field.

But he said Inslee's public challenges of Trump have elevated his profile. Inslee's embrace of issues like gay rights, defense of states' legal marijuana markets and addressing climate change "put him on the map as a possible serious candidate," he said.

Clayton said he ran into Inslee at a dinner in Spokane and asked him if he was running.

"He said no, but then he got up and gave a campaign-style speech," he said.

Doyle Fanning, a 72-year-old artist from Olympia, said she's a Democrat who has voted for Inslee twice and wants him to run for another term. Fanning said Inslee, 67, has done a good job leading Washington, and she loves that he paints in his spare time.

Several of Inslee's art pieces decorate his office and the governor's mansion, and at a meeting of the National Governor's Association in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in July, he debuted a painting of a bear walking in the woods, which will be auctioned off to benefit a nonprofit children's arts education group.

"It means he has a creative side, which I think is sometimes missing in government and politics," Fanning said.

In this photo taken June 21, 2018 and provided by the National Governors Association, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, right, and South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard, left, sit in front of a painting made by Inslee as they take part in a panel titled "The Intersection Between the Arts and Commerce in the States" at a meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Inslee's painting, titled "Bear With Me," will be auctioned by the NGA to benefit a children's arts education nonprofit organization. Several of Inslee's art pieces also decorate his office and the governor's mansion. While Inslee is aware of the 2020 presidential chatter that includes his name, the Governor steers conversations on that topic to other elections. (Rebecca Drobis/National Governors Association via AP)

FILE - In this May 11, 2018 file photo, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, center, greets employees as he leaves Western State Hospital in Lakewood, Wash. following a news conference. Inslee, a two-term Democratic governor and former congressman, is likely best known outside the state for his focus on climate issues and renewable energy, but lately he's getting noticed for a different role: an adversary to President Donald Trump. And while he's aware of the 2020 presidential chatter that includes his name, Inslee steers conversations on that topic to other elections. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, file)

FILE - In this March 6, 2018 file photo, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee arrives to sign a measure that bans gun bump stocks into law at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Inslee, a two-term Democratic governor and former congressman, is likely best known outside the state for his focus on climate issues and renewable energy, but lately he's getting notice for a different role: an adversary to President Donald Trump. And while he's aware of the 2020 presidential chatter that includes his name, Inslee steers conversations on that topic to other elections. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, file)

In this June 6, 2018 photo, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee waits to speak at South Seattle College in Seattle during a news conference. Inslee, a two-term Democratic governor and former congressman, is likely best known outside the state for his focus on climate issues and renewable energy, but lately he's getting notice for a different role: an adversary to President Donald Trump. And while he's aware of the 2020 presidential chatter that includes his name, Inslee steers conversations on that topic to other elections. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

CORRECTS FIRST HAME FROM TRUDY INSLEE TO TRUDI INSLEE - In this July 23, 2018 photo, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, poses for a photo with his wife Trudi Inslee, at their home on Bainbridge Island, Wash. Inslee, a two-term Democratic governor and former congressman, is likely best known outside the state for his focus on climate issues and renewable energy, but lately he's getting noticed for a different role: an adversary to President Donald Trump. And while he's aware of the 2020 presidential chatter that includes his name, Inslee steers conversations on that topic to other elections. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

FILE - In this Feb. 26 ,2018 file photo, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, right, stands and speaks about school safety during an event with President Donald Trump and members of the National Governors Association at the White House in Washington. Inslee, a two-term Democratic governor and former congressman, is likely best known outside the state for his focus on climate issues and renewable energy, but lately he's getting notice for a different role: an adversary to Trump. And while he's aware of the 2020 presidential chatter that includes his name, Inslee steers conversations on that topic to other elections. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, file)WASHINGTON (AP) - Former President Barack Obama is making good on his promise to use his political cache in the 2018 midterm elections. He's endorsing 81 Democrats up and down the ballot in 13 states around the country, with an emphasis on younger, diverse candidates.

In a statement, Obama says he's publicly supporting candidates for governor and the U.S. Senate but also for state legislature. They include better-known names as well as rising figures.

He's endorsing Democratic nominee for California governor Gavin Newsom and for Georgia governor Stacey Abrams. He's also endorsing Deirdre DeJear, Iowa's Democratic candidate for secretary of state and its first African-American nominee for statewide office.

Obama's moves follow former first lady Michelle Obama's commitment to help lead When We All Vote, a non-partisan, not-for-profit group working to help register new voters.ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - The former Ethiopian dictator Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam has met with Ethiopia's former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in Zimbabwe's capital Harare on Wednesday.

The surprise meeting between Hailemariam, who was Ethiopia's Prime Minister until he resigned in April 2018, and Mengistu has stunned many in Ethiopia who had a rare glimpse of Mengistu since he fled the country in 1991 as rebels, who now make up the ruling coalition, approached the capital, Addis Ababa.

A photo of the meeting between Mengistu and Hailemariam, who was in Zimbabwe as head of the African Union's election observers' mission, was widely shared on social media and many Ethiopians expressed amusement at the former strongman's appearance.

"Mengistu has gained weight and looks very old. I'm very surprised to see that photo," Seyoum Teshome, a prominent blogger in Ethiopia, wrote on Facebook.

Others said Mengistu should still face justice in Ethiopia. "Looks like he's living comfortably in Zimbabwe when he really should be in an Ethiopian maximum security prison or at The Hague. I certainly wouldn't have met him, let alone taken a photo," another Facebook user, Samuel Gebru, wrote.

Mengistu was head of the military junta that overthrew the last Ethiopian emperor, Haileselassie, in 1974. He ruled the country in an iron grip for 17 years during which he implemented a crackdown named "Red Terror" in which tens of thousands of Ethiopians were allegedly killed. Some estimates put the number of killed in hundreds of thousands.

"Mengistu is a man with much blood on his hands," tweeted Martin Plaut, a specialist on East African politics.

The ex-dictator fled to Zimbabwe after losing power and escaped an assassin's bullet in 1995 while jogging near his Harare home. Former President Robert Mugabe refused Ethiopian government requests to extradite Mengistu, who supported Mugabe's guerrilla fighters in the war against white-minority rule in Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was then called.

Mengistu was put on trial in absentia in Ethiopia where he was sentenced in 2007 to life in prison for genocide.

Calls have been made for the current Ethiopian reformist leader, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, to allow Mengistu to return home without having to go to jail following the release of several political prisoners.WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States slapped sanctions on two Turkish officials on Wednesday over a detained American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges. Turkey vowed retaliation "without delay," warning it would harm relations between the two allies.

President Donald Trump followed through on his warning last week to impose sanctions against Turkey, a key NATO ally, for its treatment of Andrew Craig Brunson in a case that has strained U.S.-Turkish relations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said his government wouldn't back down and was willing to "go its own way" if the U.S. did act.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the sanctions by the Treasury Department would target Turkey's justice and interior ministers, whose agencies she said were responsible for the pastor's arrest and detention.

In this July 25, 2018 photo, Andrew Craig Brunson, an evangelical pastor from Black Mountain, North Carolina, arrives at his house in Izmir, Turkey. Brunson, who had been jailed in Turkey for more than one and a half years on terror and espionage charges was released and will be put under house arrest as his trial continues. The White House is announcing that the Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on two Turkish officials over a detained American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges. (AP Photo/Emre Tazegul)

"We've seen no evidence that Pastor Brunson has done anything wrong, and we believe he is a victim of unfair and unjust attention by the government of Turkey," Sanders said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Turkish government refused to release Brunson "after numerous conversations between President Trump and President Erdogan," along with his conversations with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavosuglo.

"President Trump concluded that these sanctions are the appropriate action," Pompeo said.

In Ankara, Turkey called on the U.S. to reverse its decision and promised to "respond in kind without delay" against what it described as an aggressive stance by the Trump administration. It did not elaborate on possible measures.

A Foreign Ministry statement called the sanctions a "disrespectful intervention in our legal system" that would harm "the constructive efforts toward resolving problems between the two countries."

The Turkish currency dropped to an all-time low against the dollar following the announcement of the sanctions, trading at just over 5 lira against the dollar.

Brunson, 50, was arrested in December 2016 following a failed coup on charges of "committing crimes on behalf of terror groups without being a member" and espionage. He was recently released to home detention. He faces a prison sentence of up to 35 years if he is convicted on both counts at the end of his ongoing trial.

The evangelical pastor, who is originally from Black Mountain, North Carolina, has lived in Turkey for 23 years and led Izmir Resurrection Church.

Under the sanctions to be imposed by the Treasury Department, any property, or interest in property, belonging to Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul or Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu within U.S. jurisdiction would be blocked. Americans would generally be prohibited from doing business with them.

Gul shrugged off the decision, writing on Twitter that he had no assets outside Turkey and that he dreamt of owning "a small olive grove" in his Turkish hometown.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted: "The U.S. attempt to impose sanctions will not remain without an answer."

Erdogan has denied speculation that there had been an agreement to swap Brunson for Turkish citizens being held abroad, particularly 27-year-old Ebru Ozkan. Ozkan had been detained by Israel on terror-related charges, but was deported this month.

The Turkish leader previously connected Brunson's return to the U.S. to the extradition of Fethullah Gulen. Ankara blames Gulen for the coup attempt, while the cleric denies involvement.

Erdogan has also warned that Turkey would seek international arbitration if the United States refused to deliver F-35 fighter jets in retaliation.

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Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington and Suzan Fraser in Istanbul contributed to this report.

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On Twitter follow Ken Thomas: https://twitter.com/KThomasDC

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE-In this Monday, July 9, 2018 file photo, Suleyman Soylu, Turkey's Interior Minister, listens to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, presenting his new cabinet during a news conference at the Presidential Palace, in Ankara, Turkey. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, the Trump administration will sanction Soylu and Turkey's Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul, over the holding of 50-year-old evangelical pastor Andrew Craig Brunson. The US administration says both played leading roles in the organizations responsible for Brunson's arrest and detention. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)NEW YORK (AP) - Wells Fargo agreed Wednesday to pay a $2.1 billion fine to settle allegations it misrepresented the types of mortgages it sold to investors during the housing bubble and subsequent financial crisis.

The amount is relatively smaller than the fines paid by Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and other big banks in the years following the financial crisis to settle similar allegations. Wells Fargo is one of the last remaining big banks to settle charges related to its role in the subprime mortgage crisis.

The fine is unrelated to the more recent scandals that have plagued Wells, such as the opening of millions of fake accounts for customers without their authorization in order to meet unrealistic sales quotas.

The government accused Wells and many other big banks of understating the risk and quality of the mortgages they sold to investors at the height of the housing bubble, between 2005 and 2007. These investors bought up tens of billions of dollars in mortgages from Wells and other banks, and experienced massive losses when borrowers failed to repay and housing prices collapsed nationwide.

Bank of America paid a $5 billion fine to authorities in 2014 for similar allegations, and Citigroup paid a $4 billion fine.

Wells Fargo said in a statement it was "pleased to put behind us these legacy issues" and said it had previously set aside the money to cover the settlement with the Justice Department.REDDING, Calif. (AP) - Not all firefighters carry a hose or shovel.

The adrenaline junkies who steer heavy bulldozers across steep ridges face serious hazards, from smoke and flames but also from unsteady dirt and steep terrain that can flip them over. The deaths of two bulldozer operators battling California wildfires in July highlighted the dangers confronting these less visible firefighters.

Braden Varney, 36, was clearing a fire line near Yosemite National Park on July 14 when his vehicle overturned and rolled down a ridge. Don Ray Smith, 81, was overtaken by wildfire near Redding last week.

In this Tuesday, July 31, 2018 photo, bulldozers operators and their machines build containment lines while battling the River fire in Lakeport, Calif. The adrenaline junkies who steer heavy bulldozers across steep ridges face many dangers, from the flames themselves but also from unsteady dirt and rocky terrain. The deaths of two bulldozer operators battling California wildfires in July highlighted the dangers confronting these less visible firefighters. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Drivers of so-called dozers say they are acutely aware of the dangers and regularly find themselves in sticky situations. They do it for the thrill, the challenge, the good money and the opportunity to make a difference saving people's lives and homes.

"To me, it's the closest thing to war without getting shot at," said Dustin Westfall, a dozer operator working for a private contractor on the fire near Redding that's killed six people. "It's pandemonium ... it's wild out there. You're getting to see 200- to 300-foot flame lengths. It's a whole different world. It's a rush."

Dozers are an integral part of the battle against large blazes but are rarely seen in dramatic images of flaming trees and raining ash.

They use roughly 10-foot (3-meter) blades to push aside shrubs, brush, grass and even trees so the advancing flames meet bare dirt and have nothing to consume. Ideally, the lack of fuel will stop the fire's progress. At the very least, it generally will slow down the flames.

Dozers usually work in small groups, but sometimes alone, in extremely steep terrain. Soft soils or hard granite can cause them to slide. It's hard to see because of smoke and the dirt they kick up. Fire moves faster than heavy machines, so shifting winds can send flames toward bulldozers.

Because dozers can get into places no other equipment can reach, the drivers sometimes find themselves far away from backup, relying on radio traffic and aircraft to tell them what the fire is doing.

Some work close to flames. Others build "contingency lines" farther back to act as a backstop if the first line is breached.

"They're a special breed of guys," said Cliff Allen, president of the union representing California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection personnel, including dozer operators. "The job that they do, it takes a special person, because they're going up and down really steep terrain."

Dozer operators looking to work directly for Cal Fire, the state's firefighting agency, must have 500 hours of experience just to be considered. Privately hired operators have various experience levels, but all must complete an annual course in fire line safety.

Authorities have released little information about how Varney and Smith died.

Their deaths come two years after a dozer trying to maneuver around a fire engine overturned near Big Sur and the operator was ejected. Another dozer operator was killed in the same region in 2007 when his rig rolled, causing him to hit his head on the wall of the cab, according to Cal Fire investigative reports.

The deaths have weighed heavily on dozer drivers busy with an active fire season across the Western United States - a reminder of the perils that await them on the fire line.

Dean Mullis, a childhood friend of Varney's and a fellow heavy equipment operator for Cal Fire, said Varney was devoted to his family and unfailingly generous.

"Braden would go to a fire, get covered in dirt, come home and play crocodile with his kids on his living room carpet," Mullis said. "He was a man's man, and he was a father first and foremost."

He came from a bulldozing family - his father was a dozer driver for Cal Fire, and the two started a grading and excavating business.

Smith, a bulldozer operator working for a private company on contract for the state, "always had some good laughs and good stories" and liked to sit outside his trailer drinking beer with friends, said Vaughn Hohing, who used to fight fires as a bulldozer operator and said he worked often with Smith.

When he wasn't fighting fires, Smith lived and worked on a horse ranch in Pollock Pines, east of Sacramento, repairing things, plowing snow and performing other maintenance. Smith had lots of experience working outdoors with heavy equipment.

At 81, Smith was one of the older guys working on fires, but dozer operators said it's common for people to work into their 60s and 70s. Fighting fire is a specialized skill, and while the pay is good, it's an expensive business to get into.

"If you're in a bad mood, go see Don," Hohing said. "You always felt better when you left."

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Associated Press reporter Sophia Bollag contributed from Sacramento.

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Follow AP's wildfire coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/Wildfires

In this Tuesday, July 31, 2018 photo, a bulldozer operator and his machine build containment lines while battling the River fire in Lakeport, Calif. Not all firefighters carry a hose or a shovel. The adrenaline junkies who steer heavy bulldozers across steep ridges face many dangers, from the flames themselves but also from unsteady dirt and rocky terrain. The deaths of two bulldozer operators battling California wildfires in July highlighted the dangers confronting these less visible firefighters. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

In this photo taken Sunday, July 29, 2018, Dustin Westfall, a 29-year-old bulldozer operator working on the Carr Fire, rests with his dozer as fire crews scout a route for him to clear in Igo, Calif. The dangers confronting these less visible firefighters were highlighted by the deaths of two dozer operators battling California wildfires this summer. (AP Photo/Jonathan J. Cooper)

FILE - In this May 2, 2013 file photo, a bulldozer helps clear a hill near a fire in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Not all firefighters carry a hose or a shovel. The adrenaline junkies who steer heavy bulldozers across steep ridges face many dangers, from the flames themselves but also from unsteady dirt and rocky terrain. The dangers of the job were highlighted this year by the deaths of two dozer operators battling California wildfires this month. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2017 file photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a member of a Santa Barbara County Fire Crew keeps an eye on a bulldozer building a fire break in the hills above Bella Vista Drive in Montecito, Calif. Not all firefighters carry a hose or a shovel. The adrenaline junkies who steer heavy bulldozers across steep ridges face many dangers, from the flames themselves but also from unsteady dirt and rocky terrain. The dangers of the job were highlighted this year by the deaths of two dozer operators battling California wildfires this month. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 17, 2017 file photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, firefighters and a bulldozer from Santa Barbara County Fire watch from El Camino Cielo as a helicopter readies to make a water drop on a hot spot above Montecito, Calif. Not all firefighters carry a hose or a shovel. The adrenaline junkies who steer heavy bulldozers across steep ridges face many dangers, from the flames themselves but also from unsteady dirt and rocky terrain. The dangers of the job were highlighted this year by the deaths of two dozer operators battling California wildfires this month. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP, File)MILLBURY, Ohio (AP) - Troopers say they've seized more than $6 million worth of cocaine during a traffic stop along the Ohio Turnpike.

The State Highway Patrol says troopers found 165 pounds of cocaine inside a car being driven by a Canadian man on Tuesday.

The patrol says the car was stopped after the driver made several lane violations near Toledo.

Troopers say they arrested 46-year-old Larbi Benkaddour of Granby, a city in Quebec that's east of Montreal. He has been charged with possession and trafficking in cocaine and is being held in jail.

There were no court records available to indicate whether he has an attorney.LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Massachusetts college student who was named his high school's valedictorian for his savvy tech skills hacked into unsuspecting investors' personal cellphones, email and social media accounts to steal at least $2 million in digital currency like Bitcoin, according to documents provided by California prosecutors Wednesday.

Joel Ortiz was taken into custody July 12 at Los Angeles International Airport ahead of a flight to Boston, according to prosecutors. The 20-year-old faces more than two dozen charges including grand theft, identity theft and computer hacking, court documents show. He's held on $1 million bail.

The Santa Clara County, California, public defender's office, which is representing Ortiz, declined comment. A number listed for his home in Boston was disconnected.

In this May 31, 2016 photo, Joel Ortiz, center, poses for a photo with Mayor Marty Walsh, left, and public schools Superintendent Tommy Chang, right, during a luncheon for public schools valedictorians in Boston. Ortiz, who studies information technology at University of Massachusetts, Boston, was arrested on July 12, 2018, at Los Angeles International Airport, on suspicion of using his tech skills to hack victims' personal cell phones and steal millions of dollars in digital currency. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via AP)

The elaborate scheme involved taking over victims' phones, allowing him to reset passwords and access online accounts containing electronic assets in the form of Bitcoin, Coinbase, Bittrex and Binance, the criminal complaint said.

In one case Ortiz allegedly walked into an AT&T store and impersonated a victim in order to get a new SIM card, which gave him control of the victim's phone. He obtained access to the victim's "financial and personal identifying information, tax returns, private passwords" and siphoned $10,000 from a cryptocurrency account, according to police report.

In several instances Ortiz allegedly impersonated victims over text messages and convinced friends and family members to "loan" him digital funds, court documents said.

At one point Ortiz allegedly stole $10,000 from a California resident, and then tried to get more, calling the victim's wife and sending a text to the victim's daughter that said "TELL YOUR DAD TO GIVE US BITCOIN," the documents said.

Court documents identify more than 20 victims who live in California, and prosecutors say they know of additional victims outside of the state.

Ortiz enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Boston and studies information technology, said school spokesman DeWayne Lehman.

Ortiz was the 2016 valedictorian of Another Course to College, a small public college preparatory school in Boston, and was honored alongside other top students across the city at a luncheon that year with Democratic Mayor Marty Walsh and other officials at a downtown hotel.

At his school, Ortiz was the lead robot software programmer on its robotics team, taught other students the basics of software coding and "led efforts to teach computer science," according to a Boston Public Schools' press release touting the students' accomplishments.

The school system said Ortiz "loves science and technology," is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational Chinese.

Boston Public Schools spokesman Daniel O'Brien declined to comment.

___

Richer reported from Boston.

___

Follow Christopher Weber at https://twitter.com/WeberCM and Alanna Durkin Richer at http://twitter.com/aedurkinricherWASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's tweet on Wednesday calling for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the Russia investigation raises difficult questions about whether Trump's frequent use of Twitter might be used to build a case of obstruction of justice against him.

The latest round of presidential tweets bashing special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation fueled criticism that Trump is illegally interfering with the investigation. Just as quickly, the White House defended the tweets as expressing Trump's opinion.

Amid a series of morning tweets, Trump wrote , "This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

President Donald Trump points to members of the media as he speaks during a meeting with inner city pastors in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Mueller already is interested in some of Trump's tweets to the extent they raise obstruction of justice concerns.

In obstruction cases, prosecutors have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a particular act got in the way of an investigation and that the person who did it intended to obstruct.

The difficulty in trying to use Trump's tweet to prove obstruction is that he may have posted it for several reasons, including to rally support among his political base, said Jennifer Rodgers, a former federal prosecutor in New York who now lectures at Columbia Law School. In addition, Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation, and Trump certainly knows that, having previously complained about it publicly, Rodgers said.

"If there are other credible reasons for doing something, you've kind of lost the beyond a reasonable doubt," Rodgers said.

But statements like the one Trump made Wednesday could help round out an obstruction case that might be focused on an earlier act, like the firing of FBI Director James Comey, she said.

Rodgers was among several lawyers who said there is no reason a tweet could not be considered evidence - taking issue with comments from Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani that scoffed at the idea of "obstruction by tweet."

"I don't know why Rudy seemed to think that obstruction by tweet is a crazy notion," Rodgers said. Postings from Facebook and other social media are used in criminal cases, Rodgers said. "There are no separate rules of evidence for obstruction cases," she said.

Former Justice Department official Neal Katyal said the medium is unimportant. "A tweet is like anything else. It's a statement. Of course it can be considered evidence of obstruction, depending on what is said. The form (spoken, written, tweeted) is irrelevant, it's the substance that matters," Katyal wrote.

Trump critics said they read the tweet as pointed interference in the Mueller investigation.

Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, a former prosecutor, took to Twitter to weigh in. "When I was a prosecutor, obstruction of justice was often hard to prove, requiring difficult-to-obtain evidence that the individual's actions were truly intended to interfere with an ongoing criminal investigation. Oh how times have changed," Leahy said.

Richard Painter, who served as an ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, said in a telephone interview Wednesday that he would read the tweet as instructing Sessions to put himself back in charge of the Russia probe. "He's instructing his attorney general, via Twitter perhaps, to stop the Russia investigation," said Painter, a Democratic candidate for Senate in Minnesota.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump's tweets are simply the president "fighting back."

She disputed the notion that Trump was directing Sessions to take action.

"It's not an order," Sanders said. "It's the president's opinion."

Giuliani, speaking in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, called the obstruction of justice issue "nonsense."

Trump could bring the investigation to a halt if he wants to, Giuliani said. "If he wanted to obstruct it, he'd obstruct it, just end it. Then you'd all battle whether he has the legal right to do that, which I think he does. But he's not going to do that. He's made it clear he wants it to run its course," he said.

On the other hand, Trump has a right to express his opinion, and he uses Twitter to do so, Giuliani said.

"If he believes he's innocent, and he is innocent, he should speak out," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Holly Ramer contributed to this report from Portsmouth, N.H.WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on an American pastor detained in Turkey (all times local):

5:05 p.m.

Turkey's justice minister has shrugged off a U.S. decision to impose sanctions against him and another Turkish government minister, saying he doesn't have a penny to his name anywhere outside Turkey.

In this July 25, 2018 photo, Andrew Craig Brunson, an evangelical pastor from Black Mountain, North Carolina, arrives at his house in Izmir, Turkey. Brunson, who had been jailed in Turkey for more than one and a half years on terror and espionage charges was released and will be put under house arrest as his trial continues. The White House is announcing that the Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on two Turkish officials over a detained American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges. (AP Photo/Emre Tazegul)

The U.S. announced sanctions against Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu over the detention of American pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the ministers' agencies were responsible for the pastor's arrest and detention.

Gul took to Twitter on Wednesday to say that he had no assets outside Turkey and that he dreamt of owning "a small olive grove" in his Turkish hometown.

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted: "The U.S. attempt to impose sanctions will not remain without an answer."

___

4:40 p.m.

Turkey is calling on the United States to reverse its decision to sanction two Turkish government ministers over a detained American pastor and is threatening to retaliate "without delay."

A Foreign Ministry statement issued Wednesday said Turkey "strongly protests" the U.S. Treasury's decision to impose sanctions against Turkey's justice and interior ministers. It said Turkey would "respond in kind without delay" against what it described as an aggressive stance by the United States.

President Donald Trump had warned last week that he might impose sanctions against Turkey for its treatment of Andrew Craig Brunson, who is under arrest in Turkey and accused of espionage and aiding terror groups.

The ministry called the sanctions a "disrespectful intervention in our legal system" that would harm "the constructive efforts toward resolving problems between the two countries."

___

1:50 p.m.

The White House is announcing that the Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on two Turkish officials over a detained American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the Trump administration will sanction Turkey's minister of justice and minister of interior over the holding of 50-year-old Andrew Craig Brunson.

The administration says Turkey's Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu both played leading roles in the organizations responsible for Brunson's arrest and detention.

Brunson, an evangelical pastor, was arrested in December 2016 and jailed. He was recently released to home detention.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (REH'-jehp TY'-ihp UR'-doh-wahn) has said his government won't back down and may "go its own way" if the U.S. imposes sanctions.

FILE-In this Monday, July 9, 2018 file photo, Suleyman Soylu, Turkey's Interior Minister, listens to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, presenting his new cabinet during a news conference at the Presidential Palace, in Ankara, Turkey. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, the Trump administration will sanction Soylu and Turkey's Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul, over the holding of 50-year-old evangelical pastor Andrew Craig Brunson. The US administration says both played leading roles in the organizations responsible for Brunson's arrest and detention. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)CHESHIRE, Conn. (AP) - Roberto Alvarado has lived with the label of convicted killer for almost two decades. On Wednesday he added another label - college graduate.

Alvardao, who is serving a 50-year felony murder sentence for a 1999 shooting in Danbury, received an associate of science degree.

He is part of the first graduating class from a prison education program started nine years ago by Wesleyan University.

Clyde Meikle, who is serving a 50 year sentence for murder, wipes a tear from his eye during graduation ceremonies on Wednesday Aug. 1, 2018 inside the Cheshire Correctional Institution in Cheshire, Conn. Meikle was among 18 inmates who received an associate degrees from Middlesex Community college as part of a program with Wesleyan University's Center for Prison Education. (AP Photo/Pat Eaton-Robb)

The 18 men and six women officially graduated from Middlesex Community College, which partnered with the Wesleyan Center for Prison Education two years ago.

"The people in here are not going away," said Alvarado, who has been taking classes for almost a decade. "Most of us will someday return to our community. We're just so grateful someone is giving us an opportunity to make another life for ourselves."

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy served as commencement speaker at the unusual ceremony held behind prison walls at Cheshire Correctional Institution. A similar ceremony for the women took place last week at the York Correctional Institution.

He stressed to the graduates that for the sake of others in the program, they must not fail.

"You need to be the living proof that a different approach will make a difference," Malloy said.

School officials noted that classes the prisoners took are the same ones - and with the same standards - as those offered on campus. Inmates, they said, often have a higher grade-point average than traditional college students.

Fewer than 20 prisoners a year are chosen for the program from a large pool who submit academic applications, complete with an essay. No consideration is given to their crimes or the length of their sentences.

The program is paid for mostly through private sources, but 14 percent of the money comes from federal grants.

Program manager Noah Barth said critics often wonder why those serving time for murder and other violent offenses are being offered classes that many outside of prison walls cannot afford to take. Tuition for traditional Wesleyan students is more than $54,000 a year.

Barth points to statistics which show those who receive higher education behind bars are 43 percent less likely to commit other crimes once they are released. He also notes they often pass the education along, serving as mentors by starting reading groups and distributing copies of class materials to other prisoners.

"Education helps people prepare for life after prison, but it also helps them develop the skills to lead a more full, productive life both inside and outside," he said. "We've had several students talk to us about how, after being in the program for some time, it is now the first time that they can help their son or daughter with their homework when they came for a visit. That bond can have a huge impact on that child's life."

Wesleyan is part of a consortium of liberal arts colleges running education programs in the nation's prisons, where college programs almost disappeared after a 1994 federal crime bill barred prisoners from applying for federal Pell education grants.

Wesleyan, in Middletown, has offered accreted courses to the men at Cheshire since 2009 and expanded those offerings in 2013 to include the women at York. They were not able to offer degrees until partnering with Middlesex for an accredited associates program in 2016.

Some federal money returned under the Obama administration's three-year pilot Second Chance Pell program, making it easier for Wesleyan to start its partnership with the community college, Barth said.

The pairing gives the program access to a system that has expertise in dealing with non-traditional students. It also makes it easier for students to transfer to state schools when they are released, he said.

James Jeter, 38, was paroled a year ago after earning 20 academic credits inside Cheshire. He now works for a similar prison education program at Yale University and plans to attend Trinity College this fall. He was back at Cheshire on Wednesday to watch his former classmates graduate.

"This program launched me in a lot of ways," he said. "I know for some this is hard to swallow, but doing this for these guys, it's just the right thing to do."

Roberto Alvarado, who is serving a 50-year sentence for murder, applauds during graduation ceremonies on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, inside the Cheshire Correctional Institution in Cheshire, Conn. Alvardo was among 18 inmates who received associate degrees from Middlesex Community college as part of a program with Wesleyan University's Center for Prison Education. (AP Photo/Pat Eaton-Robb)CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Legislative committee Democrats are demanding an immediate vote whether to recommend impeachment proceedings for West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry.

House Judiciary Committee Democrats said in a news release Wednesday that after several weeks of testimony, there is more than enough evidence to move forward.

The nine-member Democratic Judiciary Caucus urged the full committee to immediately consider a resolution to enact articles of impeachment against Loughry. A majority of the committee must concur to send the matter to the House of Delegates. A House majority vote is required to send it to the state Senate for trial.

Loughry pleaded not guilty in federal court in June to multiple counts involving alleged fraud. He was suspended over similar allegations that he repeatedly lied about using his office for personal gain.POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) - Immigration officials are preparing to deport a Zimbabwe man who has been living in Pocatello for 15 years and has a child with a U.S. citizen, his attorney said.

Chakanetsa Christopher Matimba, who goes by Chris, will be deported in two weeks, lawyer Chris Christensen said.

Matimba was arrested June 5 at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Application Support Center in Idaho Falls during a routine meeting to request an extension on an order to stay in the country, the Idaho State Journal reported Tuesday.

He was denied a stay of deportation or removal application that has been previously approved for 12 years, said his wife Deon Matimba.

"Normally (the officials) there just come out and check his paperwork, but this time they asked to have us meet them around the other side of the building," she said. "The next thing they said was your husband wants to talk to you and he was behind glass."

Chris Matimba immigrated to Pocatello in 2003 on a student visa to attend Idaho State University. He graduated in 2011.

He previously faced deportation in about 2007 for a misdemeanor criminal conviction of domestic violence. The charge was dismissed in court, but it still triggered an order of deportation, Christensen said.

The Pocatello newspaper contacted U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, officials, on Monday, who would not immediately comment on the case.

Chris and Deon Matimba have been married since 2012 and have an 11-year-old boy together.

Matimba's wife said she is considering moving to Zimbabwe with her husband so their family can stay together.

___

Information from: Idaho State Journal, http://www.journalnet.comSAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A divided U.S. appeals court on Wednesday struck down a key part of President Donald Trump's contentious effort to crack down on cities and states that limit cooperation with immigration officials, saying an executive order threatening to cut funding for "sanctuary cities" was unconstitutional.

In a 2-1 decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that the order exceeded the president's authority. Congress alone controls spending under the U.S. Constitution, and presidents do not have the power to withhold funding it approves to pursue their policy goals, the court majority said.

"By its plain terms, the executive order directs the agencies of the executive branch to withhold funds appropriated by Congress in order to further the administration's policy objective of punishing cities and counties that adopt so-called 'sanctuary' policies," wrote Chief Judge Sidney Thomas, joined by Judge Ronald Gould, who both were nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton.

FILE - In this June 26, 2017, file photo, Lydia Balderas, left, and Merced Leyua, right, join others as they protest against a new sanctuary cities bill outside the federal courthouse in San Antonio. President Donald Trump's executive order threatening to withhold funding from "sanctuary cities" that limit cooperation with immigration authorities is unconstitutional, but a judge went too far when he blocked its enforcement nationwide, a U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday, Aug. 1. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

The court, however, also said the lower-court judge went too far when he blocked enforcement of Trump's order nationwide after a lawsuit by two California counties - San Francisco and Santa Clara.

Thomas said there wasn't enough evidence to support a nationwide ban, limited the injunction to California and sent the case back to the lower court for more arguments on whether a wider ban was warranted.

Devin O'Malley, a spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department, called the ruling a victory for "criminal aliens in California, who can continue to commit crimes knowing that the state's leadership will protect them from federal immigration officers whose job it is to hold them accountable and remove them from the country."

"The Justice Department remains committed to the rule of law, to protecting public safety, and to keeping criminal aliens off the streets," he said.

The decision overall is a big win for opponents of the executive order, but Trump could try to enforce it against jurisdictions outside the nine Western states covered by the 9th Circuit, said David Levine, an expert on federal court procedure at the University of California, Hastings College of Law.

"If they wanted to go after Chicago, if they wanted to go after Denver or Philadelphia, they would not be bound by an injunction," he said. "Those places would have to bring their own lawsuits and whatever happens, happens in those cases."

Trump signed the executive order in January 2017 - part of a push by his administration to go after cities and states that don't work with U.S. immigration authorities.

The government also has moved to withhold a particular law enforcement grant from sanctuary jurisdictions and sued California over three laws that extend protections to people in the country illegally.

The Trump administration says sanctuary cities and states allow dangerous criminals back on the street. San Francisco and other sanctuary cities say turning local police into immigration officers erodes the trust needed to get people to report crime.

The executive order directed the attorney general and secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that jurisdictions refusing to comply with a particular immigration law generally are not eligible to receive U.S. grants.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco ruled in November that the order threatened all federal funding and that the president lacked the authority to attach new conditions to spending approved by Congress.

The executive order potentially jeopardized hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to San Francisco and Santa Clara counties, Orrick said, citing comments by Trump and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions as evidence of the order's scope.

The Trump administration said the order applied to a relatively small pot of money that already required compliance with the immigration law.

"When a president overreaches and tries to assert authority he doesn't have under the Constitution, there needs to be a check on that power grab," San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said in a statement Wednesday. "The courts did that today, which is exactly what the framers of the Constitution had in mind."

Santa Clara County Counsel James R. Williams said the decision was a victory for a key provision of the U.S. Constitution.

In a colorful dissenting opinion, 9th Circuit Judge Ferdinand Fernandez said the executive order clearly says any action by the attorney general or Homeland Security secretary was to be taken in accordance with the law.

Fernandez, who was nominated to the 9th Circuit by Republican President George H.W. Bush, said Orrick had pushed that language aside. Fernandez called the counties' fears about the order an "imagined beast."

___

This story has been corrected to reflect that the 9th Circuit covers nine Western states.

FILE - In this April 14, 2017, file photo, protesters hold up signs outside a courthouse in San Francisco. President Donald Trump's executive order threatening to withhold funding from "sanctuary cities" that limit cooperation with immigration authorities is unconstitutional, but a judge went too far when he blocked its enforcement nationwide, a U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday, Aug. 1. (AP Photo/Haven Daley, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2018, file photo, a banner to welcome immigrants hangs over the main entrance to the Denver City and County Building. President Donald Trump's executive order threatening to withhold funding from "sanctuary cities" that limit cooperation with immigration authorities is unconstitutional, but a judge went too far when he blocked its enforcement nationwide, a U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday, Aug. 1. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)BOSTON (AP) - A Massachusetts man was convicted by a federal jury for attacking the computer network of a world-renowned hospital.

Prosecutors said 32-year-old Martin Gottesfeld was convicted Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Boston on two counts related to attempting to damage and damaging protected computers.

Gottesfeld acknowledged that he launched a computer network attack against Boston Children's Hospital and Wayside Youth & Family Support Network in 2014.

The attack on the Children's Hospital flooded 65,000 IP addresses with junk data, and disrupted the facility's network for at least two weeks. Prosecutors said it cost the hospital about $600,000.

Gottesfeld is a self-proclaimed member of Anonymous, an international decentralizing hacktivist group, and said he launched the attacks on behalf of the group. After being charged for conspiracy, he fled Massachusetts and was later arrested by the FBI.

He previously said he did this to protest the treatment of Connecticut teenager Justina Pelletier, who was at the center of a custody fight between Massachusetts and her parents. The dispute was based on conflicting medical diagnoses.

Gottesfeld went on a hunger strike that ended in January 2017. He said his reasoning was to bring attention to the treatment of troubled youths by medical institutions and by prosecutors he said are overzealous.

Gottesfeld will be sentenced in November. The conspiracy charge carries a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and restitution. The charge of damaging protected computers calls for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.AURORA, Colo. (AP) - A decorated Vietnam War veteran woke up to the sound of his front door crashing in and saw a naked intruder attack his grandson, so he acted to protect his loved ones, according to his family's lawyer.

As the man tried to choke and drown the boy in the bathroom, Richard Black and his son desperately tried to pull him off early Monday, even poking him in the eyes, before the 73-year-old grabbed his 9mm handgun and shot the intruder twice in the chest, lawyer Siddhartha H. Rathod said.

Soon after, police responding to 911 calls shot and killed Black in his house outside Denver.

In this Tuesday, July 31, 2018 photo workers clean up a home where a homeowner shot and killed an intruder and was then killed by police responding to calls of a disturbance in Aurora, Colo. just outside Denver. Police have released few details about the shooting so far, saying they need to balance transparency with ensuring a credible investigation. (AP Photo/Colleen Slevin)

It's the fourth police shooting in the city of Aurora in about a month. Police say the officer who killed Black also was involved in another fatal shooting on June 27 that is still being investigated.

Black's wife, Jeanette, had called authorities from outside the house, describing her husband and son, who are white, and the intruder, who was black, Rathod said.

"Mr. Black did everything right. His actions saved his grandson's life. He should be in the mayor's office getting a commendation for his heroism. Instead he's in the morgue," the attorney said Tuesday.

Police in Aurora - Colorado's third-largest city on the eastern edge of Denver - have released only some other details as they investigate the shooting in the racially mixed neighborhood of mostly 1950s ranch homes, saying they need to balance transparency with ensuring a credible investigation.

Police said officers responded to a "very chaotic and violent scene" and one 911 call said an intruder was breaking in to the home. Officers heard gunshots inside and "encountered an armed male," authorities said. An officer opened fire, striking the man later determined to be the homeowner.

They said a juvenile was found with serious injuries in the home's bathroom along with the dead intruder, identified by the Adams County coroner's office as 26-year-old Dajon Harper. The boy, whose age wasn't released, was expected to recover.

Police Chief Nick Metz said in a video posted online Wednesday that he is frustrated he has not been able to release more information about what happened - including details gathered from 911 calls, police body-camera footage and interviews.

"This has been a very tragic situation and a very heartbreaking situation for everyone involved, and our hearts go out to the Black family," he said.

He and officials from the district attorney's office, who will decide whether to charge the officer, were expected to answer questions about the case Thursday.

Rathod said officials have reached out to him and he is hopeful the investigation will be thorough.

Black's neighborhood is not far from the new, desirable Stapleton community built at Denver's former airport. The houses are smaller in the older area and some are not kept up as well as Black's home, where he was known for watering flowers and vegetables in raised beds and building a zip line for his grandchildren.

Neighbors say crime - mainly robberies, shootings and drugs - is a problem and back Black's actions to defend his family, which is allowed under Colorado law. The state was one of the first to adopt a "Make My Day" law allowing people to shoot and kill intruders in self-defense in their homes.

But neighbors' feelings about the police vary.

Last month, a woman was stabbed during an attempted robbery at her home nine blocks away. Neighbor Troy Jones said the ice cream man was robbed at gunpoint across the street from his home a few weeks ago.

Jones said crime became more of a problem after many longtime residents died and their homes were turned into rentals.

Jones, who owns his home, said he has a good relationship with the police officer assigned to the neighborhood and sometimes talks to officers who stop in the parking lot of the church next door. But he is concerned about police shootings in the city.

"If they're scared in their jobs, they need to be in different jobs," he said.

Mike Montgomery, a neighbor and retired Marine, said he tries to give police the benefit of the doubt during investigations and wonders what the officer who killed Black must be going through.

He said anyone who is not armed in the neighborhood is crazy and that he would have done the same thing as Black to protect his family.

"He was put in a bad situation, a situation he shouldn't have been put into. Nobody should," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Michelle Monroe and researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report.A little-known dispute over 3D-printed guns has morphed into a national legal debate in the last week, drawing attention to a technology that seems a bit of sci-fi fantasy and - to gun-control advocates - a dangerous way for criminals to get their hands on firearms that are easy to conceal and tough to detect.

The gun industry calls the outcry an overreaction that preys on unwarranted fears about a firearm that can barely shoot a round or two without disintegrating.

It also raises a host of constitutional questions involving First Amendment protections for free speech and Second Amendment rights to own guns.

FILE - In this May 10, 2013, file photo, Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, shows a plastic handgun made on a 3D-printer at his home in Austin, Texas. Eight states filed suit Monday, July 30, 2018, against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File)

Here are some questions and answers about the debate:

Q. What is behind the dispute?

A. Cody Wilson, the founder of Texas-based Defense Distributed, first posted downloadable blueprints for a handgun called the Liberator that could be made using a 3D printer in 2013. Within days it had been downloaded about 100,000 times until the State Department ordered him to cease, contending it violated federal export laws since some of the blueprints were saved by people outside the United States.

The dispute between Wilson and the federal government went on for years until this past June when they reached a settlement that paved the way for Wilson to resume posting the designs.

The State Department decision came amid an obscure administrative change - begun under the Obama administration - in how the weapons are regulated and administered. Military grade weapons remain under the purview of the State Department, while commercially available firearms fall under the Commerce Department. The settlement with Wilson determined that 3D-printed firearms are akin to more traditional firearms that aren't subject to State Department regulations.

Wilson resumed sharing his blueprints for the gun the day the settlement went into effect last week.

Q. Why does Wilson want the authority to post the designs on his website?

A. Wilson calls it a First Amendment issue. He believes the First Amendment gives him a constitutional right to disseminate the code to make a gun with a 3D printer.

"This is a very, very, very easy First Amendment question that I think people might be hesitant to accept because it involves guns and people don't like guns," said his lawyer, Josh Blackman.

And Wilson has a strong legal claim that distribution of the information is different than actually making an all-plastic firearm.

While it is a violation of the federal Undetectable Firearms Act to make, sell or possess a firearm that can't be detected by magnetometers or metal detectors, what Wilson is doing is simply providing the information on how to make such a firearm.

"What Defense Distributed was doing was not making and then shipping the weapons overseas," said Chuck James, a former federal prosecutor who is now a private lawyer with the Washington, D.C.-area firm of Williams Mullen. "They were making the data available on the Web where it would be available to someone overseas."

Q. What kind of gun designs are available on the website?

A. Defense Distributed shows a variety of designs. The code for a 3D printed gun is for what he calls the Liberator, which gets its name from a pistol American forces used during World War II.

His design includes a metal firing pin and a metal block. His site also includes blueprints to make various AR-platform long guns and some other handguns using more traditional means and materials.

Q. Are 3D printed guns legal?

A. In 1988, the U.S. enacted the Undetectable Firearms Act, making it illegal to manufacture, sell, or possess a firearm that couldn't be detected by a metal detector. That law has been renewed several times by Congress and remains in effect.

If 3D printed guns contain enough metal to be flagged by a metal detector, they are considered legal under U.S. law.

Gun-control advocates argue that the risks are too great to allow 3D printed guns because even if they're designed to include metal, it's too easy for someone to not include those pieces or to remove them to skirt detection.

"It's an absurdity. You can take the piece of metal out and put it back in at your own whims and you can take it out and walk through a metal detector undetected," said Jonas Oransky, legal director for Everytown for Gun Safety.

Q. How well do 3D printed guns work?

A. Gun experts and enthusiasts recoil at the suggestion that a 3D printed gun is a true threat, calling the firearms mere novelties.

Unlike traditional firearms that can fire thousands of rounds in their lifetime, 3D-printed guns are notorious for usually lasting only a few rounds before they fall apart. They don't have magazines that allow the usual nine or 15 rounds to be carried; instead, they usually hold a bullet or two and then must be manually loaded afterward. And they're not usually very accurate either.

A video posted of a test by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 2013 showed one of the guns produced from Wilson's design - the Liberator - disintegrating into pieces after a single round was fired.

"People have got this Star Trek view" of the guns being futuristic marvels, said Chris Knox, communications director for The Firearms Coalition, a gun-rights group. "We're not talking about exotic technology."

Others are quick to point out that normal guns are readily available in the U.S. with little regulation, making 3D-printed guns a major hassle compared with regular weapons.

Q. What's the status of the debate?

A. A federal judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order blocking Wilson from continuing to post the designs on his site. A hearing is to be held in that case next week.

In the meantime, President Donald Trump criticized the Department of Justice advising the State Department to reach a settlement with Wilson without first consulting with him.

Wilson's website currently displays a banner asking people to help "to uncensor the site." Clicking a link directs the person to a page to pay membership dues ranging from $5 a month to $1,000 for a lifetime.

Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., left, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Ct., display a photo of a plastic gun on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Democrats are calling on President Donald Trump to reverse an administration decision to allow a Texas company to make blueprints for a 3D-printed gun available online. (AP Photo/Matthew Daly)Kids under the age of 18 are being persecuted by adults for their special powers in "The Darkest Minds ," an adaptation of book one of Alexandra Bracken's young adult trilogy that's about five years and 15 movie dystopias too late to feel the least bit fresh or interesting.

And it's not for lack of trying. Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson ("Kung Fu Panda 2") brings a heart-pounding intensity to the deeply disturbing story in her live-action debut. Children die, are beaten, burned alive, hunted and interned for their powers, which are helpfully color-coded by their glowing eyes and can essentially range from super smart to Jedi to fire-breather. But the story is not only derivative of so many other dystopias and kids with power sagas, but, and perhaps worst of all, it never even really gets going - a clear and infuriating set up for some future installment.

The film speeds through a jumble of exposition setting up a world in which most of the children die suddenly and the 2 percent who remain develop said special powers. The U.S. President (Bradley Whitford), afraid of tots and teens capable of mind control and telekinesis even though he's also father to one, dispatches his military to round them up, execute the most dangerous, and force the rest into servitude in labor camps.

This image released by Twentieth Century Fox shows, from left, Skylan Brooks, Miya Cech, Amandla Stenberg and Harris Dickinson in a scene from "The Darkest Minds." (Daniel McFadden/Twentieth Century Fox via AP)

Ruby (Amandla Stenberg) is our entry into this world. She's an "orange," the second most dangerous color, but survives by mind-controlling the screeners into thinking she's "green," or the smart ones. But the stereotypically sinister military guys (like Wade Williams' "The Captain") running the camp she's in are suspicious and decide to stage a test to figure out what she really is, but a kindly nurse at the camp, Cate (Mandy Moore), helps her escape before that.

This first 30 or so minutes is actually fairly riveting with interesting action and tension as we all get acclimated to this strange world, but soon it becomes clear that this story has no intention of actually going anywhere in this movie at least.

Ruby hooks up with a little squad of runaways, the silent, electricity-wielding Zu (Miya Cech), the smarts Chubs (Skylan Brooks) and the oh-so-obvious love interest Liam (Harris Dickinson) as they search for a paradise camp they've heard of that's run by another escaped kid. There are obstacles along the way - Ruby is afraid to let her new friends know her true color, there's a psycho bounty hunter on their tail in Lady Jane (Gwendoline Christie) and a lot of cagey little cliques of kids unwilling to help.

There's also quite a lot of filler and half-baked story lines and underdeveloped ideas that leave this whole exercise feeling stilted and not quite finished. We don't know very much about Ruby, but what we do know is the night she turned 10 and her parents gave her a Gudetama keychain, her eyes glowed orange and the next morning her mother didn't remember who she was. And yet at 16, when she escapes the camp, all she wants to do is to go home. It's a bizarre little diversion with no satisfying reveal - did she forget that her mom forgot her? Did she think it changed?

The film is full of little annoyances like that, which - and this is assuming the very best - may ultimately have more satisfying conclusions somewhere down the line that fans of the books get to know and the rest of us just get to guess at. And there are appealing things about this movie, like Stenberg, who does wonders with what she's given to work with, and her chemistry with Dickinson.

But as the whole dystopian YA genre looks for a way to evolve, this concept of set-up movies really needs to die. Derivative is excusable, a half story is not.

"The Darkest Minds," a 20th Century Fox release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for "violence including disturbing images, and thematic elements." Running time: 105 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

___

MPAA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr

This image released by Twentieth Century Fox shows Mandy Moore, left and Amandla Stenberg in a scene from "The Darkest Minds." (Daniel McFadden/Twentieth Century Fox via AP)ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A judge has dismissed a lawsuit which claimed police officers didn't do enough to stop the gunman responsible for a massacre at a Florida nightclub, but he gave survivors and family members two weeks to file another complaint.

U.S. District Judge Paul Byron said Wednesday that the claims weren't specific enough to allow the city of Orlando and the police officers to make an adequate defense.

The lawsuit named just one police officer who was working security off-duty at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Thirty other officers are merely referred to as "John Doe."

Gunman Omar Mateen opened fire inside the gay nightclub in June 2016 in a massacre that left 49 people dead. At the time, it was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council is planning to meet later this month to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Myanmar's crackdown that led about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh.

British Ambassador Karen Pierce is council president for August and she told reporters Wednesday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to brief the council at the meeting. Guterres has called the Rohingya crisis "ethnic cleansing."

Pierce says Britain wants the Aug. 28 session to focus on gaining "unconditional access" to Myanmar for the U.N. refugee and development agencies so they can work with Myanmar and Bangladesh "to make a credible plan to get the refugees back home in safety, dignity and security."

She says it's "a huge issue" that will also depend on having livelihoods and places for Rohingya to live.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Latest on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones asking a Texas judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by the family of child killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting (all times local):

6:10 p.m.

A lawyer for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has told a Texas judge that the "Infowars" host may have views considered fringe or dangerous but that his comments don't rise to the level of defamation.

Kelly Jones, ex-wife of "Infowars" host Alex Jones, carries a sign as she arrives at the Travis County Courthouse, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, in Austin, Texas. Alex Jones wants a Texas judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against him by families of some of the children killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Jones wasn't in a Travis County courtroom Wednesday as his attorneys asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the parents of one of the children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Jones has claimed that the Connecticut shooting that killed 20 children and six adults was a hoax.

An attorney for Jones, Mark Enoch, told the court the host uses "rhetorical hyperbole" after playing more than a half-hour of footage from one Infowars episode.

State District Judge Scott Jenkins has a month to decide whether to let the lawsuit proceed.

____

12 p.m.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones wants a Texas judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against him by families of some of the children killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

A hearing Wednesday in Austin is the first of two this week involving the "Infowars" host. He was sued after repeatedly claiming on his Austin-based show that the Connecticut shooting was a hoax. The shooting killed 20 children and six adults.

Jones now admits the shooting occurred but says his claims were free speech.

A similar lawsuit was filed in Connecticut. He's also being sued by a man falsely identified on the Infowars website as the gunman who killed 17 people at a Florida high school in February.

Jones' profile has spread from the far-right fringe in recent years. While running for president in 2015, Donald Trump told Jones his reputation was "amazing."Brexit developments, the first acid killing in the UK and a council in crisis over protecting vulnerable young people are among the front pages stories on Wednesday.

Theresa May is to appeal to French president Emmanuel Macron to soften his stance over Britains withdrawal from the EU, the Financial Times says.

Just published: front page of the Financial Times UK edition for August 1https://t.co/1cKf5Cw0BX pic.twitter.com/3kuosEy7hk  Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) July 31, 2018

The Prime Minister will also seek assurances that he will help to secure a comprehensive trade deal for the City of London, according to The Times.

What the papers say

It comes as the UK has asked France and Germany to make the European Commission strike a deal, the Daily Express reports.

Meanwhile the head of the Food and Drink Federation has told the i that Brexit is shaping up to be the stuff of nightmares.

Wednesday's front page: Food firms demand Brexit summit as the Food and Drink Federation says the situation is 'shaping up to be the stuff of nightmares' #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/fBu6tD4bHH  i newspaper (@theipaper) July 31, 2018

The Metro leads with the jailing of Xeneral Webster, 19, over the acid attack death of mother-of-three Joanne Rand.

METRO: 17 Years for acid attack killer #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/Jwr1prjdnD  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) July 31, 2018

Northamptonshire County Council has warned it cannot protect vulnerable children and young people as it deals with a funding crisis, The Guardian reports.

Guardian front page, Wednesday 1 August 2018: Council near collapse no longer able to protect children at risk pic.twitter.com/qlcvPxH8lI  The Guardian (@guardian) July 31, 2018

In other news, Labour will include a plan for a universal basic income in its next manifesto, The Independent reports.

The Daily Telegraph leads with accusations that the Government betrayed a Northern Ireland veteran investigated for the attempted murder of two protesters injured on Bloody Sunday.

The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: 'Betrayal' of Bloody Sunday veteran #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/oshqNows02  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 31, 2018

Daily Mirror reports on a row over the Duchess of Sussexs father, Thomas Markle Sr, and interviews he has given to the media.

The Sun carries a report on an alleged incident between a man and a woman outside an East London nightclub.

Tomorrow's front page: A cowardly thug is caught on film as he knocks out teenage girl outside a club. https://t.co/fb5nbu9yX5 pic.twitter.com/CoP5Ee0flX  The Sun (@TheSun) July 31, 2018

And the Daily Mail leads with questions by Manchester bomb attack victims on why the Royal Navys rescue of killer Salman Abedi was kept secret.Paul Manafort orchestrated a multi-million-dollar conspiracy to evade US tax and banking laws, leaving behind a trail of lies as he lived a lavish lifestyle, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

During his opening statement in the case against the former Trump campaign chairman, assistant US attorney Uzo Asonye told a jury that Manafort considered himself above the law as he funnelled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts.

That secret income was used to pay for personal expenses such as a 21,000 dollar (16,000) watch, a 15,000 dollar (11,400) jacket made of ostrich and more than 6 million dollars (4.5 million) worth of real estate paid for in cash, Mr Asonye said.

A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him  not tax law, not banking law, Mr Asonye said as he sketched out the evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Muellers team in Manaforts bank fraud and tax evasion trial.

It is the first trial arising from Mr Muellers investigation into potential ties between Donald Trumps presidential campaign and Russia. Mr Mueller was not present in the courtroom.

Defence lawyer Thomas Zehnle said in his opening statement that Manafort trusted others to keep track of the millions of dollars he was earning from his Ukrainian political work.

He made clear that undermining the credibility of Rick Gates, his former business associate and the governments star witness, was central to the defence strategy.

Mr Zehnle said Manafort, earning millions as a political consultant helping officials in other parts of the world, relied on Gates and others  including a professional accounting firm  to keep watch over the money.

Moneys coming in fast. Its a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it, Mr Zehnle said. Thats what Rick Gates was being paid to do.

He warned jurors that Gates could not be trusted and was the type of witness who would say anything he could to save himself from a lengthy prison sentence and a crippling financial penalty.

Gates, who spent years working for Manafort in Ukraine and is also accused of helping him falsify paperwork used to obtain the bank loans, cut a plea deal with Mr Mueller earlier this year. Gates also worked as an aide on Mr Trumps campaign.

Manafort, who has been jailed for nearly two months, wore a black suit and appeared fully engaged in his defence, whispering with his lawyers during jury selection and scribbling notes as the prosecution began its opening statement.

Before the start of jury selection on Tuesday, prosecutors filed an expanded list of its evidence exhibits, including several email chains between Manafort and Stephen Calk, a Chicago bank chairman. The added evidence also appeared to include documents related to bank accounts in Cyprus.

Paul Manafort, left, president Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, with this wife Kathleen Manafort

The government intends to show that Manafort funnelled more than 60 million dollars (45 million) in proceeds from his Ukrainian political consulting through offshore accounts and hid a significant portion of it from the IRS.

Mr Asonye said Manafort created bogus loans, falsified documents and lied to his tax preparer and bookkeeper to conceal the money, which he obtained from Ukrainian oligarchs through a series of shell company transfers and later from fraudulently obtained bank loans in the US.

But Mr Zehnle disputed prosecutors account that Manafort was trying to conceal his earnings by storing money in bank accounts in Cyprus. He said that arrangement was not Manaforts doing but was instead the preferred method of payment of the supporters of the pro-Russia Ukrainian political party who were paying his consulting fees.

Defence lawyers also sought to address head-on Manaforts wealth and the images of a gaudy lifestyle that jurors are expected to see during the trial.

Paul Manafort travelled in circles that most people will never know and hes gotten handsomely rewarded for it, Mr Zehnle said. We do not dispute that.

The judge even interrupted the prosecutor during his opening statements to caution him against suggesting there was something criminal about being a multi-millionaire.

Trump Russia Probe Manafort

Prosecutors made no reference to Mr Trump in their opening statement nor discussed in any way Manaforts leadership of the Trump campaign, or the ongoing investigation into potential collusion between Russia and the presidents associates. Despite that, Manaforts case is widely viewed as a test to the legitimacy of Mr Muellers ongoing probe, which Mr Trump has dismissed as a witch hunt.

The trial is expected to last several weeks.

Manafort has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the US government.A seven year-old girl has convinced New Zealands transport agency to replace its unfair road signs to include women.

Zoe Carew knew it was not right when she saw people working on power lines near the road and a warning sign that read LINEMEN.

Her father was driving Zoe and her brother to their grandparents house in a suburb near Wellington at the time, Zoe explained in a June email to the head of the New Zealand Transport Agency.

The sign for staff working on power lines in Auckland, New Zealand, that seven-year-old Zoe Carew complained about

She wrote that she talked about the sign with her father and wondered why it said men when women can also work on the power lines.

I think that this sign is wrong and unfair. Do you agree? Zoe wrote. Can you please change the sign to say LINE-WORKERS instead, or something else correct and fair like that.

It turns out that agency chief executive Fergus Gammie did agree with Zoes concerns.

We were happy to take Zoes suggestion on board, because great ideas can come from anyone, including seven-year-olds! Good on you, Zoe! https://t.co/CanSuHBNXN  Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency news (@WakaKotahi_news) July 30, 2018

I commend you for your suggestion and for taking action where you think something unfair should be fixed, Mr Gammie wrote back. Well done.

He said Zoes suggested wording would require larger signs but that LINE CREW would fit on signs of the same size.

He said the change would be included in the agencys specification approvals soon. New signs will be phased in as old ones are retired due to wear and tear.

Zoes mum Caitlin Carew published the email exchange on Twitter this week: So proud of my 7yo, she wrote, adding: High 5s all round! On Wednesday, she declined further comment ahead of a planned photo shoot with Zoe and Mr Gammie when the new signs are made.

The agency also congratulated Zoe on social media.

We were happy to take Zoes suggestion on board, because great ideas can come from anyone, including seven-year-olds! the agency tweeted. Good on you, Zoe!A survivor of the Manchester Arena terror attack has accused security services of hiding the fact bomber Salman Abedi was rescued from Libya by the Navy three years before the atrocity.

Robby Potter said Abedis evacuation from the war-torn country in 2014 should have been disclosed by the Government or the official review, rather than survivors and victims families finding out via the media.

Mr Potter was a millimetre from death when his heart was pierced by a bolt in the bombing that killed 22 people and injured hundreds more in March 2017.

He told the Daily Mail: The authorities have definitely hidden this information from us. They havent been honest.

The Government should have told us straight away or it should have been in the reports. We have been left to find out through the press.

Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedi

Abedi was 19 when he boarded the HMS Enterprise in Tripoli in August 2014 with his younger brother Hashem and more than 100 other British citizens.

It is understood Abedis name was on a list of stranded citizens handed to the crew in charge of the evacuation.

The vessel took them to Malta where they caught a flight back to the UK.

Abedi was being monitored by security services when he travelled to Libya, but his case was closed a month before his rescue.

The Anderson review into the Manchester attack found that the decision to close Abedis case as a subject of interest was sound, based on the information available to security services at the time.

Solicitor Elkan Abrahamson, who is representing victims relatives at forthcoming inquests, said the Anderson review was problematic as it did not give families access to information held by security services.

I am sure that the security services have not told us the full story. We may need an inquiry to get at the truth, he told the paper.

Both Abedi and his brother ought to have been tracked better, there are certainly concerns around that.

When Abedis rescue was first revealed by the Mail on Tuesday, a Government spokesman explained: During the deteriorating security situation in Libya in 2014, Border Force officials were deployed to assist with the evacuation of British nationals and their dependants.

Hashem Abedi is held in jail in Libya by a militia group, but the British Government has requested his extradition to face trial for his involvement in the attack.

The request has so far been refused.The UKs human rights watchdog has been urged to investigate the Labour Party as pressure continues to mount over Jeremy Corbyns handling of the anti-Semitism row.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has referred the party to the Equality and Human Rights Commission and made a complaint to Labour about comments by Mr Corbyn and his hosting of a Holocaust Memorial Day event in 2010 at which speakers reportedly compared the actions of Israel in Gaza to the Nazis.

The Labour leader acknowledged that he had appeared alongside people whose views I completely reject and apologised for the concerns and anxiety that caused.

Pressure is mounting on Labour leader Jeremy Corby over anti-Semitism in his party (Jane Barlow/PA)

He said: The main speaker at this Holocaust Memorial Day meeting, part of a tour entitled never again  for anyone, was a Jewish Auschwitz survivor. Views were expressed at the meeting which I do not accept or condone.

In the past, in pursuit of justice for the Palestinian people and peace in Israel/Palestine, I have on occasion appeared on platforms with people whose views I completely reject. I apologise for the concerns and anxiety that this has caused.

CAA refers @UKLabour Party to Equality and Human Rights Commission (@EHRC) and issues new complaint against @JeremyCorbyn over Holocaust religion event and hand of Israel commentshttps://t.co/IsX9OW3FAd  Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) July 31, 2018

The CAAs letter to the equality watchdog said: We charge that the party has, through years of deliberate or reckless dereliction of its duty to enforce its own rules, created an atmosphere in which Jewish members and/or associates are discriminated against.

The organisation also issued a fresh complaint  its third  about Mr Corbyn to Labour.

As well as the 2010 Holocaust Memorial Day event it seized on comments made by Mr Corbyn in 2012 when appearing on Press TV, the Iranian state-owned broadcaster, in which he linked a massacre of 16 Egyptian policeman to Israel.

Gideon Falter, chairman of the CAA, said: The evidence shows beyond all doubt that Jeremy Corbyn is an anti-Semite and the Labour Party has become institutionally anti-Semitic.

The problem is not one man but an entire movement which has hijacked the anti-racist Labour Party of old and corrupted it with a racist rot.

.@JeremyCorbyn chaired antisemitic event comparing Israel to Nazi Germany in Parliament on Holocaust Memorial Dayhttps://t.co/trkkNjB5yR  Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) July 31, 2018

A Labour Party spokesman said: Labour is committed to rooting out anti-Semitism from our party and society. False and partisan attacks like this undermine the fight against anti-Semitism.

One aspect of the CAAs complaint was the partys refusal to fully adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, including its examples.

The party spokesman said: Labour has adopted the IHRA definition, which is reproduced word for word in our code of conduct, and the examples are expanded on and contextualised to produce legally robust guidelines that a political party can apply to disciplinary cases.

IHRA says its text is not legally binding and therefore there is no basis to legally challenge the code of conduct.

An Equality and Human Rights Commission spokesman said: We have received the complaint and will consider it to see what, if any, action is needed.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he wanted the partys approach on anti-Semitism to be resolved soon.

I thought we had got to a position where we are able to move on  were not  weve got to resolve that by September, he told the Independent.

The discussion is taking place, I think, that will enable that to happen.

The CAAs actions came as a member of Labour Partys ruling body apologised for offensive comments about Jews.

Peter Willsman called some members of the Jewish community Trump fanatics and suggested they were making up problems about anti-Semitism in the party.

He subsequently apologised, acknowledging the offensive nature of my comments, and has referred himself for equalities training.

Mr Willsman, who is standing for re-election to the National Executive Committee, said: I recognise the offensive nature of my comments and that, in diminishing the experiences of those who face anti-Semitism in our party and society, I showed a lack of the sensitivity required for discussions around racism.A food industry boss has called for a meeting with the Government as he warned that Brexit is becoming the stuff of nightmares.

Food and Drink Federation (FDF) chief executive Ian Wright urged ministers to explain the implications of a no-deal Brexit to businesses in the industry.

He told the i newspaper: Brexit is shaping up to be the stuff of nightmares and its essential the Government begins to explain a) to businesses and b) the public exactly what the implications of a no-deal Brexit are.

Mr Wright added that, despite Government plans to issue notices to advise shoppers and businesses about the arrangements and difficulties of Brexit, ministers would be better informed if they sought the expertise of industry workers.

Speculation around stockpiling has been mounting in recent days following suggestions from ministers that it would be a sensible thing for the Government to do.

Lorries parked on the M20 in Ashford, Kent, as part of Operation Stack in 2015 (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Mr Wright last week called for a meeting with Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab at the earliest opportunity in response to comments he made to the Brexit Select Committee, where he suggested it would be up to suppliers to stockpile food in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Raab said it would be wrong to suggest that the Government would be responsible for amassing large amounts of supplies.

But he said it would take steps to ensure adequate food supply.

An FDF spokesman said Mr Raab had not yet responded to Mr Wright.

It emerged on Tuesday that plans for a permanent solution to Operation Stack, which is activated at the port of Dover to ease cross-channel traffic, is unlikely to be in place for many years.

A report from Dover District Council said an interim temporary traffic management system, named Operation Brock, will be in place for some time.

The plan will see a 13-mile stretch of the M20 turned into a temporary lorry park to ease congestion in parts of Kent.

The report also suggested that the port town could be surrounded by a gridlock as a result of potential regulatory and tariff barriers between the UK and the EU.

This would have a domino effect on the supply chain and the shelf-life of perishable foods in the event of increased waiting times, the report added.

Another industry boss this week warned that a no-deal Brexit would limit supplies to shoppers.

Jim Winship, director of the British Sandwich & Food to Go Association, told BBC Newsnight on Monday: We live in a just-in-time world. We dont stockpile ingredients.

There are probably going to be shortages of ingredients, particularly like tomatoes, which we buy in quite a lot from Spain and Europe generally, lettuce.

Prime Minister Theresa May and Government ministers last week suggested that stockpiling food supplies could be a sensible part of contingency plans.

Mrs May told 5 News: That concept, what it is, is about making sure that we will be able to continue to do the things that are necessary once we have left the European Union, if we leave without a deal.

A Government spokeswoman denied stockpiling plans and said: We will consider any meeting requests received and respond in the usual way.

The UK has an excellent level of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from third countries. This will continue to be the case as we leave the EU.

While we are making sensible preparations for all eventualities as we leave the EU, there are no plans to stockpile food. Whether we negotiate a deal or not, this will not be necessary.

The Government has well established ways of working with the food industry to prevent disruption  and we will be using these to support preparations for leaving the EU. Consumers will continue to have access to a range of different products.Arlene Foster has accused the Irish premier of interfering in Northern Ireland affairs, questioning his claim that new talks to break the Stormont deadlock are set for the autumn.

The Democratic Unionist leader responded in robust terms to Leo Varadkars assertion that the UK and Irish governments would try to reconvene negotiations between local parties, potentially in October.

The former first minister said she was not aware of any such proposal and had not been informed of any by the London Government.

Arlene Foster claims Dublin tried to interfere in the last round of talks (Niall Carson/PA)

We havent heard from our own Government in relation to this, all weve had is comments from the Irish Republics Government, she said.

That does cause me concern because in the last round of talks the Irish Government tried to interfere in Strand One issues (issues related to Northern Irelands internal government).

We had to push back a number times and say to them that, in relation to the internal matters of Northern Ireland, those are matters for the United Kingdom Government and the parties in Northern Ireland.

In an interview with BBC Radio Ulster, she added: As I understand it there isnt a proposal at the moment, there are just comments made by the Irish Government.

The ministerial executive at Stormont collapsed 19 months ago and repeated rounds of negotiations have failed to restore it.

Leo Varadkar has indicated the UK and Irish governments will try to reconvene Stormont powersharing talks in the autumn (Brian Lawless/PA)

On Tuesday, Taoiseach Mr Varadkar told a media briefing in Dublin: We would intend, in the autumn some time, trying again to get the parties in Northern Ireland together.

I think the absence of any clarity around Brexit makes that very difficult but if we can have that in October, I think there is an opportunity, certainly before the end of the year, to get the assembly and executive up and running.

Stormont crashed in January 2017 amid a row about a botched green energy scheme. It later widened to take in issues such as the Irish language, LGBT rights and the legacy of the Troubles.

The last bid to resurrect the troubled institutions failed in February when the DUP pulled the plug on talks with Sinn Fein.

Sinn Fein insisted a draft deal had been signed off with the DUP at that point, and accused the party of getting cold feet in the face of an internal revolt from grassroots members angry about potential concessions in the dispute over the Irish language.

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald during an interview with the Press Association (Liam McBurney/PA)

The DUP denied the claim, insisting it exchanged numerous papers with Sinn Fein during the negotiation process but none amounted to a draft agreement.

The main logjam relates to Sinn Feins insistence on a free-standing piece of legislation to protect Irish language speakers. The DUP will legislate to protect Irish, but only as part of wider legislation that takes in other cultures, such as the Ulster Scots tradition.

On Wednesday, Mrs Foster made clear that her opposition to a standalone Irish language act was non-negotiable.

On Monday, in an interview with the Press Association, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said the partys stance in February remained its bottom line going into any fresh negotiations.

On Wednesday, she told Radio Ulster: We can talk from here to eternity, what we need is delivery, we need delivery on agreement, we need delivery on peoples rights.

I think constructive politics, grown-up politics, responsible politics, recognises that the days of prevarication and allowing the DUP to hold back change are over and any set of talks needs to be premised on that very, very clear understanding.

In response to Mr Varadkars comments on Tuesday, the UK Government said: The Secretary of State (Karen Bradley) and UK Governments top priority remains the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland.

She will continue to work with all the Northern Ireland parties  and with the Irish Government within the three-stranded approach  to remove the barriers to restoring the executive and a fully functioning assembly.The UK and EU face a messy divorce if Brexit talks break down, Jeremy Hunt warned as Britain stepped up efforts to find a breakthrough in the process.

The Foreign Secretary said failure to reach an agreement would be a terrible mistake and called for the EU to help find a pragmatic solution to the current impasse.

But his Austrian counterpart Karin Kneissl played down Mr Hunts warnings that both sides could be heading for an accidental no-deal Brexit although she acknowledged that they were prepared for the different possible scenarios.

Jeremy Hunt held talks with Austrias leader (Ronald Zak/AP)

Meanwhile, Theresa May was planning to cut short her holiday in the Italian Lakes to hold a face-to-face meeting with Emmanuel Macron, one of Europes key powerbrokers.

She will travel to the south of France to meet the French president at his Fort de Bregancon country retreat on the Mediterranean coast on Friday.

Mr Hunts visit to Austria coincides with the country holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, giving Vienna a key role in deciding the agenda for the blocs leaders.

As I said in Vienna this morning, we want the EU to prosper but there is a real risk of a messy divorce which would be a geostrategic mistake. Lets have a pragmatic solution to allow the deep and special friendship between UK and EU to continue. pic.twitter.com/jwpjKek5Kw  Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) August 1, 2018

Speaking alongside his Austrian counterpart the Foreign Secretary said: Austria has a special role because of its EU presidency and so all we say is, looking at your huge experience of foreign policy and historical knowledge, lets not make this one of those moments where a terrible mistake is made which we are still talking about in 20 or 30 years.

Lets have a pragmatic solution that allows that deep and special partnership, friendship, between the UK and Europe to continue.

In a Twitter message he added: We want the EU to prosper but there is a real risk of a messy divorce which would be a geostrategic mistake.

The Foreign Secretary has previously warned that the UK and EU could end up in a no-deal situation by accident even though neither side wants it.

But ahead of their talks Ms Kneissl poured cold water on that suggestion, telling BBC Radio 4s Today: From the (European) Commissions side, there is a clear-cut schedule, so an accident is not really something people are working for.

It was an excellent and inspiring meeting with Foreign Secretary @Jeremy_Hunt. Key issues were the #Brexit negotiations and the future UK-EU relationship. We pursue a pragmatic approach and are prepared for the different possible scenarios of #Brexit. @foreignoffice pic.twitter.com/RYlJrlklig  Karin Kneissl (@Karin_Kneissl) August 1, 2018

She later said that the talks with Mr Hunt had been excellent and inspiring and insisted that we pursue a pragmatic approach and are prepared for the different possible scenarios of Brexit.International support for Tommy Robinson has rocketed since he was jailed in May.

Fans of Robinsons official Facebook page have increased by almost 10%, to just over 830,000 followers. The rise is nearly 20% on YouTube, to 230,000, where he encourages viewers to support his work with Bitcoin contributions.

Followers from as far afield as Istanbul and Washington have sent Robinson almost 20,000 worth of Bitcoin, including a payment of more than 5,500 which passed through his Bitcoin wallet on the day he was jailed.

The majority of those payments came in the week after he was imprisoned on May 25, as figures from around the world painted his cause as an issue of free speech rather than contempt of court.

Right-wing media outlets including Fox News, Breitbart and Robinsons former employer, Rebel Media, also flocked to his cause over the last two months, alongside high-profile figures including Donald Trump Jr and actress Roseanne Barr, and internet personalities associated with the so-called alt-right.

Following his successful challenge against the contempt of court finding, far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders was among those showing their support to Robinson, tweeting that it was fantastic news!

FANTASTIC NEWS!



TOMMY WON AND WILL BE RELEASED TODAY!



A FREE MAN AGAIN!#TommyRobinson #FreeTommy pic.twitter.com/srUpxDq2CI  Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) August 1, 2018

At an event last month, funded in part by US think-tank Middle East Forum and organised by former Breitbart UK editor Raheem Kassam, leading far-right politicians from Europe voiced their support for Robinson and slammed the perceived evils of Islam.

Gregg Roman, director of Middle East Forum (MEF), which has also lobbied American politicians about Robinsons case, said: The Middle East Forums efforts to rally international support for Tommy Robinsons release were vindicated today.

Ukip leader Gerard Batten compared Robinson to Nelson Mandela in a speech at the event in which he also called the prophet Muhammad a paedophile and said rape gang members are predominantly followers of the cult of Muhammad.

Campaigners raised concerns about the impact of such rhetoric, a dominant theme among Mr Robinsons supporters, on the British Muslim community.

Commenting on Wednesdays High Court decision to release Robinson, Nick Lowles, chief executive of Hope Not Hate, said: Far from being a martyr for free speech, his are the actions of a dangerous, narcissistic extremist attempting to unite the far right around his virulent Islamophobic agenda.

Demonstrators against Tommy Robinson outside the Royal Courts of Justice, where the former EDL leader was freed on bail by the Court of Appeal (John Stillwell/PA)

Heidi Beirich, deputy director of the Southern Poverty Law Centre, which monitors hate groups across the US, said the level of support for Robinson is extraordinary.

She said: Ive never seen anything like this. Its not typical to have those kind of political officials advocating on behalf of people who take part in street fights and anti-Muslim rallies. Its a shock.

Franziska Schroeter, a researcher at Berlins Friedrich Ebert Foundation, claimed that, for the majority of political groups supporting Robinson, the aim is to get into power to build a society that is more like the things they want.

Steve Bannon right now is kind of successful in the US and is trying to take over Europe with the same idea, she said.

Former special adviser to Donald Trump Mr Bannon met European politicians in London on the same weekend as many came to the UK for the event in support of Robinson.

He has since told reporters he discussed setting up an organisation in Brussels to fight for seats in the 2019 European Parliament elections.

Supporters of Tommy Robinson celebrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice after he was freed on bail after winning a challenge against a finding of contempt of court (John Stillwell/PA)

Since founding the English Defence League in 2009, Robinson has devoted his life to preaching his opposition to Islam, immigration, human rights and political correctness, threatening journalists and involving himself in fist fights in the process.

After failing to establish a UK chapter of German far-right street movement Pegida in 2016, Robinson has spent the last two years touring the world and building connections with far-right figures in the US and Europe, connections which are now starting to bear fruit.

This has provided him the opportunity to build bridges across the Atlantic, said Julia Ebner, a research fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) and author of a book on the vicious circle of islamist and far-right extremism.

Data collected by ISD showed 32% of tweets posted to the #FreeTommy hashtag in July came from the US, compared with 40% from the UK, mirroring research from Hope Not Hate in the first weeks of the campaign in late May and early June.

Its a whole spectrum approach that theyre taking and co-operating across geographic areas with this new media ecosystem. They have so-called journalists covering areas and Twitter personalities and YouTubers and think-tanks who produce research and provide funding and the activists organising protests, continued Ms Ebner.

Raheem Kassam, former chief adviser to Ukip leader Nigel Farage, and former editor-in-chief of Breitbart News London, on stage during a Free Tommy Robinson and Pro-Trump joint rally in London in July (Yui Mok/PA)

One such think-tank is MEF, which has provided diplomatic, political, organisational and five-figure financial support to Robinson.

Mr Roman said his organisations ultimate aim is to be able to have a free and fair discussion about Islamism in the West, citing so-called immigrant-dominated no-go zones in European cities and sharia law courts as evidence.

Such statements, regularly dismissed by mainstream politicians as extremist exaggerations, are often echoed by Robinson and other anti-Muslim activists. But Mr Roman sought to distance his organisation from street movements.

We are not supporting his cause. We are supporting his right to articulate his opinions which are a part of that cause, Mr Roman said, adding that he condemned fascists, neo-Nazis, the generation identity movement and other nasty figures who are trying to take Mr Robinsons issues as their own.

Weve long said that radical Islam is the problem and moderate Islam is the solution, he added.

(Left to right) White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, then chief strategist Steve Bannon and former chief of staff Reince Priebus during Theresa Mays visit in January 2017 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Mr Roman dismissed suggestions that Mr Bannon was orchestrating MEFs support for Robinson but Ms Beirich said Mr Bannon is connecting the dots around a problem that is uniting the Western world.

She said: Im very concerned for minority populations of all kinds if Bannon gets his way. His vision of society is white nationalist and he would push out or punish people who come from immigrant groups.

It seems like were hurtling back to the 1930s. These are very troubling times.Calls for Labour to take a harder line against anti-Semitism have intensified after Jeremy Corbyn apologised for sharing a platform with people who reportedly compared Israel to the Nazis.

Mr Corbyn issued the apology after it emerged he had hosted a Holocaust Memorial Day event in 2010 at which speakers are said to have likened the actions of Israel in Gaza to Hitlers regime.

The Labour leader acknowledged that he had appeared alongside people whose views I completely reject and apologised for the concerns and anxiety that caused.

He said: The main speaker at this Holocaust Memorial Day meeting, part of a tour entitled never again  for anyone, was a Jewish Auschwitz survivor. Views were expressed at the meeting which I do not accept or condone.

In the past, in pursuit of justice for the Palestinian people and peace in Israel/Palestine, I have on occasion appeared on platforms with people whose views I completely reject. I apologise for the concerns and anxiety that this has caused.

Labour MP John Mann insisted Mr Corbyn went against normal decency with the 2010 meeting.

Mr Mann said it was extraordinary that the Labour leader had held a protest event on Holocaust Memorial Day.

The Labour leader apologised for any anxiety caused (Victoria Jones/PA)

And a member of Labours ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), Ann Black, called on the party leader to fully adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, including its examples.

She told the BBC: If its necessary to add to it to make clear that it does not stop party members defending the rights of the Palestinians, or criticising certain sections of the Israeli government, then that is fine.

But that is the starting point and I believe Jeremy Corbyn has the ability and the authority to do it, and I hope he does so.

Labour MP Stephen Kinnock tweeted: This is now a full blown crisis for our party.

As the political row continued to rage, claims that Mr Corbyn walked around the 2010 event pointing out people he wanted removed from the meeting were disputed by Labour sources.

The allegation was made in a letter to the Jewish Chronicle from Rubin Katz in February 2010 who said he had attended the meeting.

He wrote: The event was slated as anti-racist but the room was brimming with raging hatred, directed at Israel and at Jews not sharing the organisers views.

No opposing voice was tolerated; Jeremy Corbyn walked down the aisle with a policeman pointing to those he wanted removed.

A Labour source told the Press Association: Correspondence with the police after the event does not suggest that Jeremy Corbyn was walking down the aisle pointing people out.

Three people were removed at different times. They were shouting at the holocaust survivor speaking at the event.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has referred Labour to the Equality and Human Rights Commission and made a complaint to the party about comments by Mr Corbyn and his hosting of the 2010 event.

CAA chairman Gideon Falter was scathing about Mr Corbyns apology.

He said: Jeremy Corbyn has spent his political career sharing stages with anti-Semites and honouring them.

This apology rings utterly hollow. Mr Corbyn did not merely attend the event, he chaired it, and in response to the criticism of the Jewish community in 2010 he did not apologise.

Only now, eight years late and under enormous pressure, has Mr Corbyn issued his mealy-mouthed apology. We do not believe him.

The CAAs letter to the equality watchdog regarding Labour said: We charge that the party has, through years of deliberate or reckless dereliction of its duty to enforce its own rules, created an atmosphere in which Jewish members and/or associates are discriminated against.

The organisation also issued a fresh complaint  its third  about Mr Corbyn to Labour.

As well as the 2010 Holocaust Memorial Day event it seized on comments made by Mr Corbyn in 2012 when appearing on Press TV, the Iranian state-owned broadcaster, in which he linked a massacre of 16 Egyptian policeman to Israel.

.@JeremyCorbyn chaired antisemitic event comparing Israel to Nazi Germany in Parliament on Holocaust Memorial Dayhttps://t.co/trkkNjB5yR  Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) July 31, 2018

A Labour Party spokesman said: Labour is committed to rooting out anti-Semitism from our party and society. False and partisan attacks like this undermine the fight against anti-Semitism.

Labour has adopted the IHRA definition, which is reproduced word for word in our code of conduct, and the examples are expanded on and contextualised to produce legally robust guidelines that a political party can apply to disciplinary cases.

IHRA says its text is not legally binding and therefore there is no basis to legally challenge the code of conduct.

An Equality and Human Rights Commission spokesman said: We have received the complaint and will consider it to see what, if any, action is needed.Former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson is facing a fresh hearing over an allegation that he committed contempt of court by filming people in a criminal trial and broadcasting footage on social media.

Three leading judges in London quashed a contempt finding made at Leeds Crown Court in May, and granted Robinson conditional bail from a 13-month jail sentence pending new proceedings at the Old Bailey.

Robinson was not present on Wednesday when the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, Mr Justice Turner and Mrs Justice McGowan announced their decision  which was greeted with a round of applause by supporters in the packed courtroom.

The judges said that a fresh hearing should be held as soon as reasonably possible.

They said they were satisfied that the decision at Leeds to proceed to committal to prison so promptly, and without due regard to rules governing the procedure to be followed when a Crown Court deals with the conduct of a person alleged to have acted in contempt of court, gave rise to unfairness.

Police get in between demonstrators outside court (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

Lord Burnett announced: We allow the appeal and remit the matter to be heard by a different judge. There is no requirement that it be heard in Leeds

We invite the Attorney General to nominate an advocate to appear at the fresh hearing.

It is important that the case is presented by someone other than a judge, having taken proper steps to set out the offending conduct, by reference to the video in question.

He said: The appellant will be granted bail pending the rehearing. That bail will be conditional.

We order that he is not to approach within 400 metres of Leeds Crown Court.

Lord Burnett added that the rehearing will be conducted by the Recorder of London at the Old Bailey as soon as reasonably possible.

Supporters of Tommy Robinson outside the Royal Courts of Justice (John Stillwell/PA)

The judges had been urged to overturn two contempt of court findings against Robinson, 35, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon  the one made at Leeds Crown Court and an earlier finding at Canterbury Crown Court.

At a hearing in July, his QC Jeremy Dein argued that procedural deficiencies had given rise to prejudice.

Mr Dein also submitted that the sentence was manifestly excessive and that insufficient regard had been given to personal mitigation.

Robinson was jailed in May after he filmed people involved in a criminal trial and broadcast the footage on social media.

The footage, lasting around an hour, was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted on Facebook.

Demonstrations against Tommy Robinson outside the Royal Courts of Justice (John Stillwell/PA)

The far-right activist was given 10 months for contempt of court, which he admitted, and a further three months for breaching a previous suspended sentence.

Robinson was detained outside Leeds Crown Court after using social media to broadcast details of a trial which is subject to blanket reporting restrictions.

In May last year he had faced contempt proceedings over footage he filmed during the trial of four men who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl.

A judge at Canterbury Crown Court gave him a three-month suspended sentence and told him his punishment was not about freedom of speech or freedom of the press but about justice and ensuring that a trial can be carried out justly and fairly.

Police get between demonstrators outside the Royal Courts of Justice (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

Mr Dein argued during the recent appeal proceedings that the findings of contempt of court on each occasion should be quashed as a conglomeration of procedural deficiencies had given rise to prejudice.

The QC said the proceedings in Leeds had been unnecessarily and unjustifiably rushed.

He told the judges: We maintain it is of particular importance that right from the outset the appellant, albeit in a very stressful and difficult situation, offered to have the live stream taken down and contact people who could do so.

There had been no intention to disrupt the trial or to breach any order, Mr Dein said.

Lord Burnett, giving reasons for the courts decision relating to the Leeds Crown Court allegation, said that once Robinson had removed the video from Facebook there was no longer sufficient urgency to justify immediate proceedings.

The judge at Leeds should not have commenced contempt proceedings that day.

Lord Burnett said no particulars of the contempt were formulated or put to the appellant, and there was a muddle over the nature of the contempt being considered.

He added: Where a custodial term of considerable length is being imposed, it should not usually occur so quickly after the conduct which is complained of; a sentence of committal to immediate custody had been pronounced within five hours of the conduct taking place.

The judges announced they had dismissed Robinsons appeal in respect of the contempt finding at Canterbury Crown Court.

A group of about 30 anti-fascist protesters gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice after the ruling, shouting chants including Nazi scum, off our streets and refugees are welcome here.A senior staff member of Facebook has apologised to a government committee after disturbing content was allowed to remain on the social media giant.

Niamh Sweeney, head of public policy of Facebook Ireland, has told Irelands Communications Committee that Facebook has removed the content including a video of a toddler being assaulted by an adult.

Two senior Facebook staff members are appearing before the committee to answer questions about the content moderation policy of violent and harmful content.

A documentary on Channel 4s Dispatches programme, Inside Facebook, used hidden camera footage to show how content moderation practices are taught and applied within the companys operations in Dublin.

Siobhan Cummiskey, head of content policy for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, right, also appeared before the committee (Oireachtas TV/PA)

It emerged in the undercover investigation that Facebook moderators were instructed not to remove extreme, abusive or graphic content from the platform even when it violated the companys guidelines.

This included violent videos involving assaults on children, racially charged hate speech and images of self-harm among under-age users.

Ms Sweeney said she and her colleagues were upset by what came to light in the programme.

She said: Dispatches identified some areas where we have failed, and Siobhan (Cummiskey, head of content policy of Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and I are here to reiterate our apology for those failings.

We should not be in this position and we want to reassure you that whenever failings are brought to our attention, we are committed to taking them seriously, addressing them in as swift and comprehensive a manner as possible.

Committee chair Hildegard Naughton said it was essential for lawmakers to question Facebook following the July 17 broadcast of a documentary.

While nudity is almost always removed, violent videos involving assaults on children, racially charged hate speech and images of self-harm among under-age users remained on Facebook despite being reported by users and reviewed by the moderators.

An undercover reporter worked at CPL Resources in Dublin, Facebooks largest centre for Ireland and UK content.

For six weeks the reporter attended training sessions and filmed conversations in the offices.

One video showed a man punching or stamping on a screaming toddler.

The moderators marked it as disturbing and allowed it to remain online and used it as an example of acceptable content.

The committee heard it was `categorically untrue that Facebook was turning a blind eye to disturbing content (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

If you start censoring too much then people stop using the platform. Its all about money at the end of the day, one moderator was filmed saying.

Ms Sweeney also admitted that disturbing content of violent assaults and racially-charged hate speech that was allowed to remain on its platform was a betrayal of Facebooks own standards.

She said that the social media giant was not aware that a video of a young toddler being assaulted by an adult was being used to show the type of content that was allowed to remain on its site.

Ms Sweeney went on to tell the committee that a claim made in Channel 4 programme which suggested that the social media giant turns a blind eye to disturbing content was categorically untrue.

We are in the process of an internal investigation to understand why some actions taken by CPL were not reflective of our policies and the underlying values on which they are based, she said.

Creating a safe environment where people from all over the world can share content is core to our business model.Armed troops are on the streets of Zimbabwes capital to try to disperse hundreds of opposition protesters angry about alleged manipulation in the countrys election.

Smoke is rising in Harare from burning vehicles and trucks carrying security forces are circulating in the streets.

The opposition supporters had gathered outside the compound of the electoral commission and were met by riot police who fired tear gas.

Police block dozens of opposition party supporters from entering the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission offices (Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP)

Election observers from the European Union and United States warrned that presidential results should be released as soon as possible to avoid volatility.Former Democratic Republic of Congo vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba has returned to the country to register as a presidential candidate in Decembers long-delayed election.

His return comes more than a decade after his arrest in Belgium led to a trial at the International Criminal Court over war crimes.

Bemba arrived in a private jet in the capital Kinshasa to throngs of supporters that included members of his opposition Movement for the Liberation of Congo party, amid a strong police presence.

His arrival shakes up the political landscape in one of Africas most turbulent nations as the opposition worries that President Joseph Kabila, whose mandate ended in late 2016, will find a way to hold on to power.

Mr Kabila has been in power since 2001, and his government has blamed delays on the difficulties of organising a vote in the vast country.

While the international communitys patience frays  the United States last week warned Mr Kabila that the time for posturing is over  DR Congos president has remained quiet on his role in the upcoming election and declared that his country is rejecting foreign meddling and funding the vote itself.

Jean-Pierre Bemba disembarks a private jet in Kinshasa (John Bompengo/AP)

Bemba, like other candidates, must submit his candidacy by August 8 to run in the elections now set for December 23, more than two years late.

He was granted a diplomatic passport to return to DR Congo because he is still a senator.

In an interview with the Associated Press over the weekend, Bemba said he wants DR Congos opposition to rally around a single challenger to Mr Kabila and will give all my support if that challenger is not him.

Just weeks ago, few had suspected Mr Bemba would be in a position to compete.

In a surprising ruling in June, appeals judges with the ICC overturned Bembas convictions for murder, rape and pillaging committed by his Movement for the Liberation of Congo forces in neighbouring Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003.

He had been sentenced in 2016 to 18 years in prison but maintained his innocence.

He still awaits a final sentencing at the ICC in another case in which he was convicted of interfering with witnesses.

Another popular opposition leader, Moise Katumbi, has promised to return to DR Congo this week to stand in elections.

Demonstrations over DR Congos election delay have turned deadly in the past, and Pope Francis and others appealed for calm after police in January used tear gas to disperse ambassadors and others at a mass at Kinshasas Catholic cathedral to honour protesters killed.Police searching for a woman missing after a night-out have recovered a body from a river.

Lynn Tyeson, 48, was last seen at about 3am on Sunday in the Whitesands area of Dumfries.

At 1.15pm today, officers searching for the missing woman Lynn Tyeson were alerted by a member of the public to the discovery of a body in the water in the River Nith, south of Kingholm Quay. The body is still to be identified however Lynn Tyeson's family have been informed. pic.twitter.com/Ukx24We7IK  DumfriesGPolice (@DumfriesGPolice) August 1, 2018

A major search was launched and on Wednesday afternoon officers were alerted by a member of the public to a body in the River Nith, south of Kingholm Quay.

A Police Scotland statement said: Officers assisted by the Coastguard and Nith Inshore Rescue staff have recovered the body, which has still to be identified.

Police searching for missing Lynne Tyeson have recovered a body from a river (Police Scotland/PA)

The family of Lynn Tyeson are aware of this development.

Police divers had been assisting the search for Ms Tyeson, who had been out with friends on Saturday night.Sinn Fein has described a claim from Arlene Foster that a bid to fly a Pride flag at a council building was a republican rouse to remove the Union flag as bizarre.

DUP leader Mrs Foster made the claim as she defended her party colleagues in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council (ABC) for effectively blocking the erection of the rainbow-coloured flag at a council building on Saturday.

Councillors had already voted to fly the flag at the weekend, to coincide with the annual Pride Day in the region, but DUP members triggered a procedural mechanism on Tuesday, claiming proper process had not been followed.

The call-in mechanism, which needs the backing of 15% of councillors, requires officials to seek legal advice on a course of action before proceeding.

As such legal processes are not set to be completed by Saturday, it is unlikely the Pride flag will now fly as voted for.

Mrs Foster said the DUP move was not about Pride, but about concerns that the Union flag would be taken down from outside the building.

Sinn Fein dismissed the argument, highlighting there was more than one flag pole at the council.

DUP leader Arlene Foster speaking at a PinkNews LGBT event at Parliament Buildings, Stormont (Brian Lawless/PA)

Mrs Foster told BBC Radio Ulster: As I understand it the issue is not about Pride, the issue is about that the policy in the ABC Council is only to fly the Union flag and the Armed Forces Day flag, which of course contains the Union flag, and colleagues in ABC Council area felt this was a rouse by republicans to remove our national flag, and its not about respect or Pride at all.

And therefore in that context I do support my colleagues in ABC Council.

We should have respect for each other but not if its going to be used as a rouse to take down the national flag.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill said Mrs Fosters comments were disappointing.

Their attitude towards the LGBT community is epitomised by their disgraceful attempts to prevent the erection of a Rainbow flag from a civic building and Arlene Fosters defence of that was quite frankly bizarre, she said.

Sinn Feins vice president Michelle ONeill said Mrs Fosters claims were bizarre (Brian Lawless/PA)

The row comes weeks after Mrs Foster attended her first LGBT event.

The DUP continues to be heavily criticised by gay rights activists for its refusal to legislate for same sex marriage in Northern Ireland. The party insists it is defending the traditional definition of marriage.

Green Party Assembly Member Clare Bailey MLA said: I cant see any problem with the Pride flag being flown during Pride Week in a respectful way.

Unfortunately, however, Arlene Foster has described the Pride flag as a threat to the Union flag.

This is a red herring  the council uses two flag poles and the Pride flag can be flown alongside the Union flag.

Its also an ironic position given that Northern Ireland sits outside the UK as a regressive place apart for queer people.

The Pride flag will be visible during Pride week across Northern Ireland as people from all walks of life celebrate diversity and call for equality.Former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson has been released from prison but could still face jail over an allegation that he committed contempt of court by filming people in a criminal trial and broadcasting footage on social media.

Three leading judges in London quashed a contempt finding made at Leeds Crown Court in May, and granted Robinson conditional bail from a 13-month jail sentence pending new proceedings at the Old Bailey.

Robinson left HMP Onley in Rugby on Wednesday afternoon after being freed by Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, Mr Justice Turner and Mrs Justice McGowan in London earlier in the day.

The judges  whose decision was greeted with a round of applause by supporters in the packed courtroom  said that a fresh hearing should be held as soon as reasonably possible.

Robinson may be sent back to jail after the judges rejected his lawyers argument that there should not be a fresh hearing because he has already served the equivalent of a four-month sentence.

Lord Burnett said that, if found in contempt of court at the fresh hearing, Robinson may even be given a longer jail term.

Former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson (left) leaves Onley Prison

He said: First, the alleged contempt was serious and the sentence might be longer if a finding is again made against the appellant and added: Secondly, and in any event, a determination of the underlying contempt allegations in the circumstances of this case is in the public interest.

The judge said the maximum sentence available for breaching a contempt of court order is two years imprisonment.

As he was collected and driven away by two of his supporters, Robinson told reporters: All the British media do is lie. I have a lot to say but nothing to you.

I want to thank the British public for all their support.

Support for Robinson has also come from outside the UK, with followers from as far afield as Istanbul and Washington sending him almost 20,000 worth of Bitcoin, including a payment of more than 5,500 which passed through his Bitcoin wallet on the day he was jailed.

Right-wing media outlets including Fox News, Breitbart and Robinsons former employer, Rebel Media, also flocked to his cause over the last two months, alongside high-profile figures including Donald Trump Jr and actress Roseanne Barr, and internet personalities associated with the so-called alt-right.

In London, the judges said they were satisfied that the decision at Leeds to proceed to committal to prison so promptly, and without due regard to rules governing the procedure to be followed when a Crown Court deals with the conduct of a person alleged to have acted in contempt of court, gave rise to unfairness.

Police get in between demonstrators outside court (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

Lord Burnett announced: We allow the appeal and remit the matter to be heard by a different judge. There is no requirement that it be heard in Leeds

We invite the Attorney General to nominate an advocate to appear at the fresh hearing.

He ordered that Robinsons bail have the condition that he does not approach within 400 metres of Leeds Crown Court.

Supporters of Tommy Robinson outside the Royal Courts of Justice (John Stillwell/PA)

The judges had been urged to overturn two contempt of court findings against Robinson, 35, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon  the one made at Leeds Crown Court and an earlier finding at Canterbury Crown Court.

Robinson was jailed in May after he filmed people involved in a criminal trial and broadcast the footage on social media.

The footage, lasting around an hour, was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted on Facebook.

Demonstrations against Tommy Robinson outside the Royal Courts of Justice (John Stillwell/PA)

The far-right activist was given 10 months for contempt of court, which he admitted, and a further three months for breaching a previous suspended sentence.

The judgment said Robinson was detained outside Leeds Crown Court after using social media to broadcast details of trials involving 28 Asian men which is subject to blanket reporting restrictions.

In May last year he had faced contempt proceedings over footage he filmed during the trial of four men who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl.

A judge at Canterbury Crown Court gave him a three-month suspended sentence and told him his punishment was not about freedom of speech or freedom of the press but about justice and ensuring that a trial can be carried out justly and fairly.

Police get between demonstrators outside the Royal Courts of Justice (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

Lord Burnett, giving reasons for the courts decision relating to the Leeds Crown Court allegation, said that once Robinson had removed the video from Facebook there was no longer sufficient urgency to justify immediate proceedings.

The judge at Leeds should not have commenced contempt proceedings that day.

Lord Burnett said no particulars of the contempt were formulated or put to the appellant, and there was a muddle over the nature of the contempt being considered.

He added: Where a custodial term of considerable length is being imposed, it should not usually occur so quickly after the conduct which is complained of; a sentence of committal to immediate custody had been pronounced within five hours of the conduct taking place.

The judges announced they had dismissed Robinsons appeal in respect of the contempt finding at Canterbury Crown Court.Talks aimed at averting more strikes by rail workers in the bitter dispute over the role of guards have ended without agreement.

Managers from South Western Railway met officials of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union in a bid to resolve the row.

The company said the talks failed to reach a resolution.

RMT members outside St Pancras station in London (RMT/PA)

RMT members have staged three 24-hour strikes in the past few days, causing disruption to services.

 We have been notified by the RMT union that it intends to hold six 24-hour strikes and one 48-hour strike between 26 July and 01 September 2018. An amended timetable will be in operation- please see: https://t.co/rzPhj2zzof for more information and check before you travel. pic.twitter.com/Xo0WFbW2fq  SWR Help (@SW_Help) July 25, 2018

Further 24-hour strikes are set to be held on the next three Saturdays, followed by a 48-hour stoppage from August 31.

SWR said in a statement: We are disappointed that despite our best efforts todays talks with the RMT have failed to reach a resolution.

We had hoped that by mirroring the wording of the agreement reached recently with Greater Anglia we could end this damaging dispute for the sake of our passengers and employees.

However the RMT has refused to accept on SWR what they have accepted on Greater Anglia.

Despite again giving assurances that we will roster a guard on all our services, including the new suburban fleet to be introduced in 2019, the union refused to agree to some flexibility during disruption, as they have with Greater Anglia.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: The statement from SWR does not represent what we were told when talks broke up this afternoon.

As far as RMT is concerned the talks process remains live and the company were going back to their bosses in Aberdeen and Hong Kong to consider the main outstanding issues on the guard guarantee and the union proposals for a resolution to the dispute.

RMT remains available for further talks over the coming days and into the weekend and we expect the company to be available as well and to adhere to the next stages of the process as agreed with them this afternoon.Faith-based objections have no place in the secular same-sex marriage debate in Northern Ireland, the son of former Irish president Mary McAleese said.

It is the only part of the UK in which what campaigners term marriage equality has not been legalised due to religious-inspired opposition from its largest party, DUP.

Justin McAleese was a prominent campaigner in the Irish Republics watershed referendum campaign in 2015, when he discussed his experience growing up as a gay man.

Mr McAleese said he had a huge problem with the level of leadership in the Catholic Church but urged advocates of change to engage in difficult conversations with those who think differently.

Campaigner Justin McAleese (third from left) will address a Pride event in Belfast tonight. @PA pic.twitter.com/msQYqz5wI0  michael mchugh (@mmchugh02) August 1, 2018

He said: Faith has no place in secular, registry office marriage.

The campaigner attended an event in Belfast as part of the annual Pride festival.

The Democratic Unionists, Prime Minister Theresa Mays close allies, hold that Christian marriage is between a man and a woman and have used a parliamentary mechanism at Stormont to veto efforts to legislate in Northern Ireland.

Mr McAleese said the Church of Ireland and Catholic Church was entitled to its definition of marriage but should not be able to force that view on everyone else in the secular world.

He said: Coming at this debate through the prism of one definition of marriage from the tradition of religion is simply not good enough when you are talking about civil registry office marriage in secular Northern Ireland.

He added: We need to talk about marriage one kind of marriage, everyone equal, that would be progress.

Justin McAleese, second left, with his mother Mary, second right (PA)

When the now-suspended Stormont Assembly was operating its members voted in favour of change, while public opinion polls show a majority of above 70% back social liberalisation.

Former president Mary McAleese was an outspoken advocate for same-sex marriage during Irelands referendum campaign which saw such unions legalised.

Her son Justin has said he wanted to win a seat in the next Irish general election.

He called for a proper debate around sexual health and education in the Republic, claiming the authorities were away behind on addressing some of these issues.

You should leave school knowing how you can ensure your own sexual health.

There is a lot of work to be done but nothing has happened since the referendum.

Today we have announced our support for civil marriage equality in NI: https://t.co/QiWj44IcXe We believe everyone is different but equal & marriage equality should be a right regardless of sexual orientation @barnardos #BelfastPride #bproud2018 @belfastpride #LGBT+ pic.twitter.com/qGgTWlcrqn  Barnardo's NI (@BarnardosNI) August 1, 2018

Earlier, Barnardos became the first childrens charity in Northern Ireland to publicly voice support for the recognition of same-sex marriage.

With devolved government at Stormont remaining in suspension since January 2017, earlier this year Labour MP Conor McGinn tried unsuccessfully to force the policy through Westminster via a private members bill.

Koulla Yiasouma, Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, said: It is clear the current situation in terms of same sex marriage in Northern Ireland is untenable and legislation needs to be enacted as soon as possible to address this discrimination and its direct and indirect effect on children and young people.Opponents of same-sex marriage reform risk alienating a generation in Northern Ireland, a leading campaigner will say later.

Ged Killen, a gay Catholic and Labour MP from Glasgow, is married to a man from Northern Ireland.

He will address the annual Amnesty International Pride lecture in Belfast later and will say it is anti-democratic for Westminster to refuse to legislate on the matter in the absence of devolved government at Stormont.

Scottish Labour MP Ged Killen addresses an Amnesty International Pride event in Belfast on Thursday evening. Nick Ansell/PA.

Make no mistake. Same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland will happen.

Those who stand opposed risk alienating a generation.

The children of future married same-sex couples, their friends and their families will not forgive nor forget those who stood in the way of equality.

When I take off from Glasgow Airport I am a married man, but when I step off the plane in Belfast my marriage will no longer be recognised under Northern Irish law. - Ged Killen MP



Amnesty @belfastpride Lecture - Thur 2 Aug 7:30pm, QUB

Tickets: https://t.co/5e8ZvTZDJk pic.twitter.com/hnknY62XqX  Amnesty Int'l NI (@AmnestyNI) July 31, 2018

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK in which same-sex marriage has not been legalised due to opposition from its largest party, the DUP.

The Republic of Ireland voted to allow the ceremony in 2015.

Theresa Mays Democratic Unionist allies hold that Christian marriage is between a man and a woman and have used a parliamentary mechanism at Stormont to veto efforts to legislate.

When the now-suspended Assembly was operating its members voted in favour of change while public opinion polls show a majority of above 70% back social liberalisation.

Amnesty Belfast Pride Lecture 2018



Tickets going fast but available here: https://t.co/N5XxFAo7wk @belfastpride pic.twitter.com/nXaFp1JEhG  Amnesty Int'l NI (@AmnestyNI) July 26, 2018

Mr Killen will say there is also a clear majority at Westminster who would vote to extend the right of marriage in Northern Ireland in the absence of a devolved Assembly in Belfast.

The opponents of same-sex marriage seek to impose a minority view on the LGBT community in Northern Ireland through a technicality.

Under these circumstances, it is anti-democratic not to legislate for same-sex marriage and Westminster has a moral and a democratic obligation to do so.

Instead of facing a vote, they now run away, using cheap parlour tricks and the machinations of parliamentary processes and the petition of concern to deny the will of the people of Northern Ireland.

It can only be described as one thing, a stitch-up to prevent people from claiming their rights.

He urged the Prime Minister to decide whether her deal with the DUP to prop up the minority Government, which preserved her fragile grip on power, was worth perpetuating ongoing discrimination against the LGBT+ community in Northern Ireland.

Mr Killen has previously acknowledged that his relationship with religion had not always been an easy one.

In 2012 he wrote to the then head of the Catholic Church in Scotland, Cardinal Keith OBrien, challenging him on anti-LGBT comments he had allegedly been making in the media.The Queen, the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex  along with the likes of pop star Dua Lipa and actor Daniel Kaluuya  have been named among Britains best dressed for 2018.

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, fashion designer Stella McCartney, pop star Harry Styles and actors Lily James and Matt Smith, who are in a relationship, have also been named on the list compiled by Tatler magazine.

The society magazine praises the Queen as the ultimate power dresser, citing her fondness for bright block colours as well as her love of floral prints.

The Queen was praised for her colourful choices (Jane Barlow/PA)

The Duchess of Cambridge has been lauded for re-wearing her looks on several occasions, as well as for celebrating both the high street and high-end labels.

Following her wedding to Prince Harry in May, the Duchess of Sussex also made the cut.

Prince Harrys Californian bride blew us away with her Givenchy wedding dress and has redefined modern royal style with every subsequent appearance, the publication says.

Prince George may only be five, but has already won praise for his style (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Other members of the Royal Family on the best-dressed list include the Duchess of Cornwall  for giving millinery a good name  and Prince George.

The five-year-old son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, according to Tatler, flies the flag for Christopher Robin chic with his wardrobe of shorts, long socks and sleeveless jumpers.

Double Brit winner Dua Lipa is hailed for her off duty looks as well as her on-stage choices, including her bra tops and tracksuits combined with her incredible abs.

Get Out actor Kaluuya is described as sharp and suave, while Clooney is commended for being polished but with a playfulness.

The full feature appears in the September issue of Tatler, available from Thursday.A project which pays farmers for delivering results for nature on their land will be the first agri-environment scheme directly funded by the UK, it has been announced.

The payment by results project, which helps farmers create their own land management plans to meet specific environmental needs in their local area, will receive a 540,000 boost, the Environment Department (Defra) said.

The scheme was a European Commission pilot that had been due to conclude at the end of this year, but the funding from Defra will allow work to carry on for the next two years.

It is taking place in Norfolk and Suffolk and in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, with farmers paid for delivering benefits for nature from producing nectar-rich flower plots for bees to creating habitat for breeding wading birds.

The focus is on providing training and guidance to farmers to design management plans to meet environmental objectives, with the flexibility allowing them to become more engaged with wildlife and think creatively about achieving the aims, officials said.

Farmers have been paid to create nectar plots which support pollinators (Natural England/PA)

When the UK leaves the European Union, it will also quit the EUs Common Agricultural Policy which governs policy and pays subsidies to farmers worth 3 billion a year in the UK, mostly based on the amount of land they have.

The Government has proposed new measures which will focus payments on providing public goods such as creating wildlife habitat, protecting cherished landscapes, reducing flooding and improving air quality.

Defra said there would be more trials of schemes as the country left the EU to find a model where profitable farm businesses and environmental land management could co-exist and complement each other.

Ahead of an appearance with farmers and major landowner and conservation organisation the National Trust at the BBC Countryfile Live event at Blenheim Palace, Michael Gove said he was delighted to extend the scheme.

Under the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy), agri-environment schemes have been overly bureaucratic and inflexible, he said.

This has impeded innovation for farmers who are passionate about the environment and want to see real change.

The payment by results pilot marks a shift in how we think about rewarding farmers for their work.

This approach signals how we see the future of farm payments, where farmers deliver public goods for the environment which we all enjoy. 

Arable farmers in Norfolk and Suffolk have been paid for managing plots that provide winter food for farmland birds during the hungry gap when natural seed sources are low, and for planting flower-rich habitat for pollinators.

In Wensleydale, farmers are being paid for managing species-rich hay meadows (Natural England/PA)

In Wensleydale, the pilot has been delivered by Natural England in partnership with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and has rewarded sheep and cattle farmers managing grassland for wading birds or wildflower rich hay meadows.

Carl Lis, chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said: The pilot scheme has been a hit with farmers because it has been designed and delivered locally and because it puts the farmer back in control of how the land is managed, rather than having to follow very detailed and rigid prescriptions.

He said the 19 farmers had produced some excellent environmental results in a short time.

The better the environmental results, the more they get paid.By Lesley Wroughton

WASHINGTON, July 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will press southeast Asian nations in Singapore this week to maintain sanctions against North Korea, a U.S. official said on Tuesday, amid concerns that fuel is being sold illegally to Pyongyang despite U.N. sanctions.

The senior State Department official, speaking to reporters to preview a trip by Pompeo to Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia this week, declined to comment when asked whether Pompeo would meet North Korean officials while in Singapore for a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this weekend.

The official, however, said that North Korea will participate in a 27-nation regional ASEAN forum on Saturday that Pompeo will also attend.

"They will be in the room and there will certainly be discussions about denuclearization of North Korea as there traditionally are at these gatherings," the official told reporters on a conference call to preview Pompeo's trip.

"I don't have any announcement today but it's natural to get a lot of business done ... but we are not there for any announcements," the official said.

The official added: "We remain concerned about the scale of North Korea's illicit procurement, in particular of refined petroleum products via U.N.-prohibited ship-to-ship transfers. We plan to use these meetings to remind all countries of their obligations and adherence of U.N. Security Council Resolutions."

Under the restrictions, Pyongyang is limited to importing 4 million barrels of crude and 500,000 barrels of products a year.

Pompeo has led talks with Pyongyang to denuclearize following a June summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The official declined to comment on U.S. spy satellite material that has detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the country's first intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the United States.

"I don't have any comment on matters of intelligence," the official told reporters.

A senior U.S. official told Reuters on Monday one photo showed a truck and covered trailer similar to those the North has used to move its ICBMs. Since the trailer was covered, it was not possible to know what, if anything, it was carrying.

Photos and infrared imaging, however, indicate vehicles moving in and out of the facility at Sanumdong, but do not show how advanced any missile construction might be.

The evidence obtained this month is the latest to suggest ongoing activity in North Korea's nuclear and missile facilities. Trump declared soon after the summit that North Korea no longer posed a nuclear threat. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton Editing by James Dalgleish)CAIRO, July 31 (Reuters) - An Egyptian military court sentenced a poet to three years in prison on Tuesday for publishing false news and insulting the military after he gained publicity for writing a satirical song that criticised the government, his lawyer said.

U.N. human rights experts had urged the government last week to acquit Galal El Behairy, expressing alarm at his arrest.

Behairy wrote the lyrics to the song "Balaha", which has had more than 4 million views on YouTube. The title means "Date" in Arabic; it is also the name of a delusional character in a comedy film that has become a nickname for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi used by his critics.

The charges against Behairy are related to the title of an anthology of poems that plays on a phrase used to describe the military, which former general Sisi headed before he was first elected president in 2014.

Sisi has presided over what critics say is an unprecedented crackdown on free speech and dissent, with thousands of political opponents including Islamists and secular liberals alike jailed, citing a need to protect national security.

Hundreds of news sites and blogs in Egypt have been blocked in recent months and at least a dozen people arrested this year and charged with publishing false news, many of them journalists or prominent government critics.

Sisi's governnment says that curbing fictitious news is necessary for national security.

"We are alarmed at the arrest and alleged ill-treatment of Mr El Behairy which appears to be related solely to the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of artistic expression and creativity," a panel of six rights rapporteurs said in a statement to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"We are very worried at the reported criminalisation of the legitimate exercise of artistic expression through the imposition of a range of dubious charges."

Behairy, who was arrested at Cairo airport in March, was also fined 10,000 Egyptian pounds on Tuesday, according to his lawyer Mokhtar Mounir. (Reporting by Tom Miles; Writing by Cairo Bureau Editing by Mark Heinrich)The Janabala Senaa, the anti-government protest organized by the Joint Opposition would be held on August 2 at 2.00 pm from the Lipton roundabout.

A news conference was held today at the Dr. N.M. Perera Centre in Borella with the participation of JO party leaders to announce the protest march. Pix by Nisal BadugeFour Prison superintendents, five assistant superintendents and three jailers in prisons across the country, have been transferred with immediate effect by the Ministry of Justice and Prison Reforms.

The transfers made on the instructions of Minister Thalatha Athukorala were based on the performance of prison officials.

Prison Superintendents; T.I Uduwara was transferred to the Welikada Prison from Mahara Prison, K.A.S. Kodithuwakku was transferred to the Mahara Prison from the Colombo Remand Prison (CRP), M.F. Lafir of the Welikada Prison was transferred to the Vavuniya Prison and U.B. Valisundara was transferred to the Wataraka Prison from Prison Headquarters.

Assistant Superintended of Prisons L.G. Sudath Rohana was transferred to the Anuradhapura Prison from the Badulla Prison, W.G.F Fernando was transferred to the Badulla Prison from Vavuniya Prison, L.J.M.K. Bandara was transferred from Anuradhapura Prison to CRP, S.V.H. Priyankara was transferred to the Weerawila Prison from Wataraka Prison and W.A.D.C. Karunasekara was transferred to the Matara Priosn from the Weerawil Prison.

G. Vajira Abeydheera was transferred as the chief jailer of the Welikada Prison from Magazine prison, M.S. Mohan Karunaratne was transferred to the Prison Headquarters from Welikada Prison and K.P. W.D. Vijekanthi was transferred to the Badulla Prison from the Welikada Prison.

The Ministry said it was hoping to strengthen the prison department through appropriate regulations and reforms in the coming years.

The letters of transfer were submitted to the Commissioner General of Prisons Nishan Dhanasinghe by the Secretary to the Ministry W.M.M.R. Adhikari. (Darshana Sanjeewa)Deputy Minister Buddhika Pathirana said yesterday that the Ambassador to Qatar A.S.P. Liyanage is running the Sri Lankan school in Qatar for money instead of executing the diplomatic duties.

He said the President, Prime Minister and the Foreign Ministry should take action against the ambassador who is attempting to snatch about Rs. 450 million (QR 9mn) worth of funds of the Sri Lankan school.

Addressing a press briefing which was arranged to reveal and addressed the matter of alleged acquisition of Stafford Sri Lankan School in Qatar to the Qatar Embassy by Mr. Liyanage, the minister said the ambassador is acting for his own agenda and accused him of not doing any diplomatic service to the Sri Lankans

A group of academic and non-academic staff of the Sri Lankan school including its former Chairman Kumudu Fonseka and Principal Upali Jayasinghe who met the minister yesterday at his office, also joined with the press briefing to reveal their side of the story.

The Qatar ambassador is a disgrace to the diplomatic mission and to the country. He is trying to dissolve the school management board and change the constitution to privatize the school. Mr. Liyanage is tarnishing the countrys image. He is doing everything on his own with regard to the school funds and the rest of the world thinks this is the opinion of the Sri Lankan government. I could not understand who is behind the Ambassador. The Qatar embassy had become a kingdom of thugs and madmen, the deputy minister said.

He said the President should appoint qualified professionals as Sri Lankan envoys abroad without appointing retired personnel in an attempt to please them.

Former Chairman of the Stafford school Kumudu Fonseka said that he requested the government to prevent the embassy from intervening into the affairs of the school and to direct the embassy to focus on diplomatic affairs.

The school was functioning for over 17 years without any issue or any intervention of the embassy. Today, the ambassador is using his immunity to take control of the school which has a fund of Rs.450 million. The government should prevent this crisis, he said.(Darshana Sanjeewa)Consultant Family Physicians (CFPs) are up in arms against the Health Ministrys deliberate failure to place them in charge of primary care units in main hospitals in the country, but confining them to rural hospitals. In the event their services are undermined and if they are not allowed to discharge their duties in main hospitals, there is a looming danger of their being a brain drain of professional in primary care.

For these CFPs, serving a few patients who visit rural hospitals is a waste of their expertise. When considering the knowledge theyve acquired after going through six years of rigorous training to become consultants, these professionals would wish to serve patients who throng primary care units, better known as Out Patients Department (OPD), at main hospitals. Patients visit these hospitals, which function in an organised manner, seeking quality treatment.

According to them the autocratic attitude of some administrators at the Ministry of Health has deprived patients the opportunity to receive quality treatment at an organised institute. This situation exists at these institutes because these specialists have not been appointed as Heads of Primary Care Units in specialist hospitals (base hospitals and above).





According to these sources, this issue had been brought to the notice of Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne who had patiently listened to their woes given instructions to place the CFPs in their due positions. But the ministers instructions have been to no avail

Sri Lanka Association of Specialist Family Physicians (SLASFP) raised concern as to how a few Consultant Community Physicians, who hold senior administrative positions at the Ministry of Health, have taken a firm decision not to instate CFPs at main hospitals in the country. These CFPs are confined to peripheral and rural hospitals. For them, working in a rural hospital is a mere waste of knowledge when considering the training theyve received abroad. These CFPs are not seeking facility or perks, but are making a plea to allow them serve the sick that come in numbers to OPDs in main hospitals.

A patient receives treatment

All CFPs have been posted to rural and peripheral hospitals while Secondary Care Internal Medicine Physicians, widely known as Visiting Physicians (VP), have been assigned to oversee all OPDs in main hospitals. When these VPs have to manage the medical wards in these hospitals they have been assigned with an extra duty to work as VP-OPD, a member of the SLASEF told the Daily Mirror on conditions of anonymity.

According to sources, when a VP is entrusted with the task to manage the OPD in addition to his medical wards, the quality of treatment cannot be guaranteed. Unlike in other disciplines, to become a CFP we have to obtain a five-year post intern experience to qualify and sit for the selection exam for the Diploma in Family Medicine. Those who qualify through this exam have to undergo a years training where there are sessions seven days a week. Those who qualify are trained during the Diploma in Family Medicine as trainees. After the completion of one year, they are eligible to sit for the Post Graduate Diploma exam in Family Medicine. Those who pass this exam are eligible to sit for the selection exam for MD in Family Medicine. Those who qualify will become Registrar in Family Medicine. After this stage they have to undergo a three-year training period.

Those who complete this three-year training period successfully can sit for the MD in Family Medicine exam. Successful candidates will become Senior Registrars. The next step for them would be to undergo a one year training both in Sri Lanka and abroad. After these two years are completed they are eligible to function as Board Certified Consultants in Family Medicine. We have sacrificed eleven years since post internship to become a CFP. If these administrators undermine our discipline despite such a rigorous training and if our due posts are not given, brain drain will be inevitable as the United Kingdom has relaxed certain immigration rules to attract more foreign Family Medicine Specialists. There is a dearth of 10, 000 CFPs in UK, sources said.

According to these sources, this issue had been brought to the notice of Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne who had patiently listened to their woes given instructions to place the CFPs in their due positions. But the ministers instructions have been to no avail.

Services not obtained

We had a few rounds of discussions with the Health Minister and these administrators. The Minister and Deputy Director General (Health Services) II, Dr. Amal Harsha de Silva agreed to our proposals and instructed these officials to instate us as Head of Critical Care Units in main hospitals. But all these directives have fallen on deaf ears. Unlike in rural hospitals, where the OPD turnover is less than 50 patients a day, more than 250 to 500 patients visit main hospitals to receive primary care treatment daily. The Government spent more than Rs.5 million to educate a CFP which was done by providing them with quality foreign training. These sessions helped them obtain the necessary knowledge to manage OPDs. But the money spent on us has gone in vain as our services are not obtained properly, sources further alleged.



There is a necessity to have Specialist Medical Officers in primary care. Thats why our discipline was included in appendix 1 in the service minute. In addition, the World Federation in Medical Education, which is a funded organisation of the WHO that maintains the standard of medical collages in the world, had stated that general practice of family medicine should be included in the six major subjects that should be taught at all medical colleges. The six subjects are surgery, psychiatry, gynecology & obstetrics, internal medicine and pediatrics. If these six subjects are not taught at medical colleges, the MBBS Degree they offer is not recognised. When family medicine is well recognised internationally, due to unknown reasons, the few administrators here do not want to give us our due positions, sources complained.

According to these sources the Ministry should employ the CFPs to strengthen the primary care units in rural hospitals in order to prevent the specialist hospitals being over-crowded.





If anyone says that the Health Ministry has sidelined these Consultant doctors by not appointing them to main hospitals it is a baseless allegation. - Dr. Sussie Perera

Meanwhile allegations have also been levelled against the Health Ministry for sidelining CFPs when formulating the Policy on Healthcare Delivery for Universal Health Coverage. This is a US $ 200 million World Bank project which is focused on strengthening the primary health care system in the country.

This project is on primary curative care, but none of the Consultant Family Physicians was asked to for their opinion when formulating the policies. The Minister is unaware that our representation was not there when forming the frame work to which the Cabinet approval had been granted. On page 50 of the draft Essential (Health) Service Package it says that the CFPs have to train Medical Officers (MO) in primary care units for three months. It is only after the training period that they will be on par with the CFPs and these trained MOs should not refer any patient to a CFP for specialised opinion. However they can refer patients to a secondary or tertiary care specialist. We became specialists not to train MOs and once these MOs are trained for three months they are on par with a CFP. If the Ministry of Health can determine that the primary care medical officers, who received a three-month training, are equal to CFPs, why did they spent millions of rupees to train us to become Board Certified Specialists? There again, these administrators want to undermine our professional qualifications, sources complained.

Baseless allegations

However Ministry of Health Organization Development Director Dr. Sussie Perera said that the reason why the CFPs have been deployed at rural hospitals is to strengthen the primary care units in those hospitals.

If anyone says that the Health Ministry has sidelined these Consultant doctors by not appointing them to main hospitals it is a baseless allegation. We really need the help of these doctors to strengthen these family care units at small hospitals. Their services are essential to us, Dr. Perera said.

Patients awaiting treatment

According to Dr. Perera, CFPs are needed to address the overcrowded situation at OPDs in specialist hospitals. These CFPs have the responsibility of managing the divisional hospitals effectively and send the message across to the community that the nearest hospital for the patients possesses the best primary care units. Once the quality of the treatments given at these primary care units in divisional hospitals are proven, then the people in the area would not want to bypass these hospitals and visit specialist hospitals and spend their time and money. This will help to reduce the number of patients that visits main hospitals and aid in sorting overcrowding. We do not want the health system to be centralised, but what we want is the place to be regionalized, Dr. Perera said.

If these MOs refer the patients that need secondary or tertiary care to the CFPs then the patient has to spend more time to go from one doctor to another

When asked as to why they have proposed to make these CFPs train the primary care MOs, which in turn will put the latter on par with the Consultants, Dr. Perera said that they have not yet taken any decision regarding who the trainers will be. However Dr. Perera added that once the MOs are trained there will not be a necessity to refer the patients to CFPs, and that trained MOs can direct patients straight to secondary or tertiary care doctors, if needed.

There are 960 divisional hospitals and primary medical care units (PMCU) in the country. At this moment we have only 13 CFPs and this number is not enough to manage all OPDs in divisional hospitals. So that is why we want to train the primary care MOs to manage the hospitals where CFPs are not deployed. We want these doctors to set up model primary care units and ensure that the patients in their respective areas do not visit main hospitals. According to our concept, we do not want to harass the patient, but need to refer them to the right place without any hassle. If these MOs refer the patients that need secondary or tertiary care to the CFPs then the patient has to spend more time to go from one doctor to another. This procedure will not help our concept and this can once again lead the patients to seek treatment from specialist hospitals, Dr. Perera added.

When asked as to who will be in charge of the OPDs at specialist hospitals, Dr. Perera said that as there will be a huge a scope for managing work, those who are engaged in the health administrative work will be appointed as Primary Care Clinical Managers.

SLASFP raised concern as to how a few Consultant Community Physicians, who hold senior administrative positions at the Ministry of Health, have taken a firm decision not to instate CFPs at main hospitals in the country

Responding to allegations levelled against the ministry officials for not getting CFPs involved when drafting the policies on the Essential (Health) Service Package, Dr. Perera said that although they were not involved in the first round, their officials were present at discussions from the second meeting on wards.

Senior Professors in family medicine took part in formulating the policy. We have not sidelined them, but have obtained their proficient knowledge, Dr. Perera emphasised.It is reported in the press that the Delimitation Commission has proposed to introduce a 50:50 ratio and increase the number of bonus seats to tide over the issues of stability and minority representation in the Provincial Councils. At the outset, it is pertinent to mention that applying such ad hoc ratios and bonus seats changing with every election, amply proves that they are not scientifically founded on empirical evidence and research. Let me briefly deal with the said issues which unfortunately seem to be still entrenched in the minds of some of our leading politicians, political pundits, academics and civil activists in a parochial sense.

Stability in Provincial Councils



This outmoded concept founded on maintaining an absolute majority in the Council for all purposes is not in keeping with the principles of a modern democracy where all parties should contribute to arrive at the best solution favouring the Council/country after a healthy debate.

It is the expectation of the sovereign voter. Maintaining an absolute majority by one party, will in fact lead to misguided, dictatorial decisions. Hung or unstable Councils/Parliament should become misnomers when professionals with country at heart deliberate and decide on the best fine-tuned options for the Council/Parliament/Country.

To ensure advent of political professionals, the Election Commission should stipulate stringent eligibility criteria for prospective candidates by Rule of Law as the present day voters wish to have political professionals as their representatives. The writers proposed criteria and procedure has already appeared in the press.





Minority Representation

The question here is, why should a section of the population imbued with a minority feeling downgrade themselves and beg preferential treatment on the one hand and why should the majority feel good by giving preferential treatment to their fellow citizens on the other?

It is very unfortunate and sad that we are still not ready to think as Sri Lankans having equal rights and duties. If we adopt the short sighted Bonus seat and Ratio method and continue to be afflicted with this parochial Majority Vs Minority syndrome, our country will perpetuate the ethnic conflict like the beggars wound and will never ever come out of it.

Therefore, it is high time that, at any level of elections, all votes be considered as cast by Sri-Lankans attaching equal value to every valid vote. Only this concept can iron out the elusive issue of voting based on ethnicity, religion, cast etc. The application of proportionate arithmetic in a cut and dry scientific manner, to determine the no. of seats won in a District by each party, will ensure an equal value for each Sri Lankan vote in a District.

Promotion of Sri Lankan concept

As stated above, the electoral process will surely trail blaze this elusive paradigm shift towards a cultural and attitudinal change of treating all citizens as SRI LANKANS.

No doubt, the mass media shall play a crucial role in this effort through suitable programmes and Tele Dramas facilitated by the Ministry of National Integration as well as Education.

Bernard Fernando MoratuwaTreading the path of their founder, Eugene De Mazenod, Oblates now support a scholarship foundation to help the less fortunate to complete their education

Eugene De Mazenod, the young Frenchman of noble birth, who later became the Bishop of Marseilles and Founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, paved a path of love for the Oblates to follow and accomplish their missionary work.

The French Revolution and its aftermath had left the Church in France in a state of sad disarray and devastation. France was a shattered society. It was at this hour of terrible tragedy that Eugene De Mazenod with great courage and confidence founded the Missionaries of Provence in 1816. His ardent desire was to revitalize the Church and bring hope to people living in despair. It was ten years later in 1826 that Pope Leo XII approved the Institute with its constitution and rules conferring on it the name  Congregation of the Missionary of Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI).

Eugene, though never a missionary himself, was a true missionary in mind and heart, full of zeal and ardour, who could inspire and invigorate others to engage in missionary work. Thus from the beginning, the outlook of the Congregation was missionary and this legacy is carried on by the Oblates, with the same zeal and enthusiasm shown by their founder. Eugene accepted to send his Oblates at the request of Mgr. Bettacchini, who was residing in Jaffna as Pro-vicar and Coadjutor of the Vicar Apostolic of Colombo. The first batch of Oblates with Fr. Etienne Semeria as their Superior, arrived in Ceylon, as Sri Lanka was then known, from France. Eugene De Mazenod loved to refer to this tear drop island in the Indian Ocean, as the most beautiful island in the world and to him and the Oblate missionaries, the most promising mission. The missionaries were involved not only in parochial ministry, but also in administrative and educational activities in the island.





Long history

A closer look at the history of the Oblates in Sri Lanka reveals how God has been part of the long history and how the mission of Jesus has been at work among the people through the Oblates. The history of the Oblates in Sri Lanka is the story of a group of persons, who have dedicated their lives to the mission of Jesus Christ, by emulating the example and zeal of their founder, St. Eugene. The Oblate missionaries went a long way in sustaining and continuing the great work of Saint Joseph Vaz, the apostle of Ceylon. It is undoubtedly the Oblate congregation that has contributed much to the building up of the Sri Lankan Church.

Eugene De Mazenod from the day of his ordination had a special concern and love for children and youth. He realized that youth would be the future of the church and the society. This same love and concern of St. Eugene for children and youth has inspired a group of Oblates, Rev. Fr. Dennis Iddamalgoda, the founder and the Foundation Committee members Rev. Fathers Clement Waidyasekara, Justin Silva, Angelo Wijewickrama, and Ajith Wellington to start the De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation with the noble aim of continuing St. Eugenes love and care for children and youth. The Foundation was inaugurated on 21st May 2016 when the Oblates in Sri Lanka celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Foundation of the Congregation, on the feast day of their beloved founder St. Eugene De Mazenod. This is one way of sharing the joy of the Oblates for the numerous blessings they continue to receive from God. The De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation will be a new sign of missionary activity in Sri Lanka, re-reading and re-energizing the Founders initial inspiration evangelizare pauperibus visit me, paupers evangelizantur.





De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation

The vision of the De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation is to empower the underprivileged children and youth through education. In view of realising this vision the Foundation decided to partially fund the students who are eligible, but have no financial means to complete their university education; to inculcate in children and youth the values that enable them to transcend religious, social, ethnic and cultural barriers; to enhance the life situation of children and youth to enjoy their self-worth and to be open and available to serve the Sri Lankan society at large; to help children and youth gain necessary skills in leadership and thus being equipped with skills to remain sensitive to people in general and to the poor and the needy in particular.

It was with great joy and anticipation that the Annual Get-together and presentation of Scholarships to new students was held on 7th July 2018 at the Centre for Society and Religion, Fatima Church, Maradana. Rev. Fr. Angelo Wijewickrama welcomed the invitees, students and parents. Very Rev. Fr. Irwin Moraes, Provincial Supervisor of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Sri Lanka was the Chief Guest. In his address to the gathering, he thanked Fr. Dennis Iddamalgoda and his team for the initiative taken to establish the Foundation. He encouraged the recipients to make use of this opportunity given to them and find fulfillment in their lives, and to remember those in need and assist them when they are able to do so.

In his address Rev. Fr. Justin Silva expressed his joy and thanked the Oblates for this opportunity of awarding scholarships to undergraduates as it is a permanent commitment to the education and future of our youth. The students should make it their priority to devote themselves to their studies and finish on time. He gave examples of persons worthy of emulation so they would be motivated to pursue their studies well. Rev. Fr. Dennis Iddamalgoda was not able to be present and he was represented by his Sister, Rev. Sr. Martin de Porres. Thirteen new students were awarded with scholarships bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 38 undergraduates. The vote of thanks was proposed by Rev. Fr. Ajith Wellington.

All preparatory and related work was handled by Rev. Frs. Ajith Wellington and Justin Silva who together with Rev. Fr. Dennis Iddamalgoda and other Oblates should be lauded for their committed service towards this worthy cause, as they strive to shoulder the enormous responsibility of continuing the mission of Jesus.

Further information can be obtained by contacting the team members of the De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation:

Rev. Fr. Ajith Wellington  0775490140 and Rev. Fr. Justin Silva  0714138788. To sustain this worthy project and life-giving educational out-reach programme, you are welcome to make your donations to M/S DE MAZENOD SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION; Account Number: 097020158693.Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) in collaboration with SecurMatic.com organised a GDPR awareness summit to all its members & the hotel community (THASL) on the 11th of July 2018 at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute in Colombo.

This summit is part of the ongoing exercise undertaken by SLAITO to educate the local industry on the new European General Data Protection Regulation that came into effect on the 25th of May 2018.

With over 35% of inbound travelers originating from the EU, Sri Lankan Tour Operators and Hotel Operators should follow this data protection regulation said Haritha Perera  Chairman of SLAITO.

He emphasized that since this is something new to the industry, it will be a long and tedious journey for Operators to be compliant due to the existing business practices. But said, it is essential we follow the guidelines for the future of the industry and that we immediately start the process to be compliant.

The guest speakers included Ranjika Manamperi  CEO of SecurMatic.com, a Cyber Security company specializing in cyber risk management and GDPR compliance solutions to the travel industry, presented GDPR implementation guidelines covering the local tour and hotel operators.

Ranjika spoke to the applicability of GDPR to the Sri Lanka Travel Industry. If your organisation directly or indirectly markets travel services to EU based travellers and or if your organisation is part of EU based company and or if you carry out DMC services on behalf of a travel company that targets EU based travellers, your company will come under GDPR scope, she said.Ranjika also stressed that implementing GDPR includes changes and improvements to operational processes, supplier relationships, technology and staff awareness. GDPR is an ongoing process in your organisation. It requires a cultural shift in handling personal data and data security she said. Ranjika also emphasised to local companies to pay attention to the data protection and liability clauses incorporated in vendor and B2B agreements.

Samantha Simms, an information law attorney from UK, who is the founder of The Information Collective, spoke about the need to protect customers personal information and the impact to Organisations when a data breach does occur. Due to the myriad number of partners involved in providing travel solutions it can be challenging to control what happens to customers information when its transferred onwards. She stressed that under GDPR your accountability to protect that information doesnt end after the information is transferred but you have an accountability to ensure that your partners handle the same information securely and notify you in the event of a data breach. She also raised the need to simplify privacy and data protection to enable global organizations to turn legal compliance such as GDPR into commercial opportunities.

Following the presentations, there was a panel discussion moderated by Dayan Gunasekera comprising industry experts namely Sanjeewa Anthony (THASL), Upali Rathnayake (Sri Lanka Tourist Board) Harith Perera (SLAITO), Hasitha Gamage (Sudath Perera law firm), Ranjika Manamperi (Secur Matic) and Samantha Simms (Information Collective). SLAITO and THASL members posed many questions and clarifications pertaining to GDPR on a macro and micro level.The first batch of the SAITM students, who were absorbed to the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KUD) for the MBBS Degree, had been instructed to pay around six million rupees as course fee for a period of five years, the Daily Mirror learns.

A parent of a SAITM student informed the Daily Mirror that they were informed this when they attended at the interviews today at the KDU premises in Ratmalana.

The interview board had instructed the parents to pay the 1st instalment of Rs 680,000 and a library deposit of Rs 6,000 which includes a non-refundable deposit of Rs. 2,000 before Monday (6) when they would be registered.

The students were told that the lectures would begin from Tuesday, August 7.

In a letter issued to the students, it had instructed to pay an annual course fee of Rs 1.36 mn where they have to make the first instalment by November 30 and in the same date each year.

In addition, the students were instructed to pay Rs. 35,000 for their uniform and Rs 2,000 for the KDU Diary.

In the letter issued to the parents, it had asked to deposit the money to BOC Account 9405831, Idama, Moratuwa Branch.

A parent of SAITM student said that they were told to forget what they have paid to SAITM institute and the students who failed to pay the KDU course fee would not be absorbed into KDU.

We were not informed about such thing. This is very wrong. We have pawned our properties to enrol our children at the SAITM. There is no way that we can pay such a big amount so soon. We were misled by the Government again, the parent told the Daily Mirror.

When contacted, KDU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Defence and Administration) Major General Indunil Ranasinghe said that he could not disclose any detail of the enrolment officially.

I cannot comment on this matter officially. Im not aware of the letter given to SAITM students stating the course fees. I was not on the Interview Board, he added.

The John Kotelawala Defence University (Special Provisions) Bill, to absorb SAITM medical students into the KDU, was passed in Parliament with amendment on June 20. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)The country is virtually in an election mood. The representatives of the main political forces talk about the presidential elections and their candidates. Against this backdrop, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake in an interview with Daily Mirror, shares his views on the candidate to be fielded by the United National Party (UNP). He is also critical of the foreign policy of the government.

The excerpts:-

Q Recently, at a political event in Polonnaruwa, you made a point that the UNP should field a new candidate at the next presidential election to be conducted at the end of next year. What did you really mean?

My idea is that the most popular UNP candidate should be fielded. Only the UNP organizations can ascertain the most suitable candidate. These organizations could determine who the most popular candidate is for the presidential election and he should be the one to contest the polls.

Q What is the reason for you to come out with such remarks at this stage in particular?

I did it because I was asked by my constituents during the meetings I had with them in villages, who the candidate would be. I gave my views on the candidate. I did not mention any particular candidate. I said it should be the most popular candidate at that time. That candidate could even be the Prime Minister if he becomes the most popular candidate by that time. Yet, this should be ascertained by discussing with the general party membership.





My Cabinet Minister never consults or invites me for any meeting

Q What is your assessment on the political situation in the country and the strength of your party?

I think the party has suffered a serious setback after the defeat at the local government elections. It is not a setback that we cannot recover from. We can certainly overcome the setback if we act intelligently.

Q You talked about the new candidate. What do you think about the UNPs policies?

I think there is a shift towards rural development. That is to take the development process to village level compared to the previous years. I think that is an improvement.

Q How do you see the liberal economic policies which the UNP advocates?

Liberal economic policies are a very good move. There has to be a structure of socialism to protect people as well in that liberal structure.

Q Is it missing in the present setup?

I think there has to be a mixture of capitalism with socialist principles to protect the people.

The State should have always been secular

Q What is your position on the present policies of the UNP on the ethnic issue?

I think the government -- not the party -- has to be a little more proactive with regard to protecting minority rights and solving their issues. Particularly after the war was over, in the areas affected by the war, there is feeling that the government has forgotten them to some extent. I think the statement by MP Wijayakala Maheswaran reflects that a bit, although I do not agree with the remarks. The government should do a little more to protect the rights of those people. Then, they feel that they are secured.

Q What is your position on the character of the Constitution, especially in reference to the foremost place accorded to Buddhism?

In my view, the country should always be secular. However, it has been giving the foremost place to Buddhism and protecting it. Now, it has been incorporated into the Constitution. There is no way that we should try to reverse it. If we do so, we would be seen as anti-Buddhist and unpatriotic. So, we cannot reverse the position of Buddhism in the Constitution now. But in a secular state, Buddhism should be protected, nurtured and given foremost place by the government.

Q You are among the very first MPs to defect from the previous rule to support President Maithripala Sirisena as the common candidate. Today, the political forces that you were instrumental in defeating have raised their heads again. They won the local government elections. How do you assess that phenomenon?

They won not because of any farsightedness or due to anything significant they did. They won because of our own mistakes. We did not perform well as we should have, during the past few years.



Co-sponsoring UNHRC Resolution is not a good thing





Q In what areas?

In every area!

Q Can you elaborate?

In the economic areas, international relations, agriculture and every other sector, we did not do well. Still, we are sending mixed messages via the President and the Prime Minister.

Q Your great grandfather pioneered the agriculture development in the country through the colonization schemes. What is your policy on the agriculture sector development?

First of all, we must have a policy on water. We have to adopt more effective ways to conserve water. Water is one of the most wasted resources in our country. Also, we have to have a policy in place on pesticides and chemicals. There should be a consistent policy which does not change after every little protest. We have to adopt a policy to determine whether we are using organic fertilizer or going to ban certain chemical substances.

Then, we can go back to the older models of irrigation built by the ancient kings of Sri Lanka. We have abandoned that. We are using the tanks built by them, but we have forgotten the cascade system of water filtering that existed in ancient Sri Lanka. That system kept out the silt. One of the biggest problems is the silting of tanks.

Q You are the State Minister of Foreign Affairs and you have mentioned the government did not do well in international relations. How did it happen?

I think we have inconsistent policies. They change very frequently. For foreign policy, you must adopt long term policies, preferably national policies. In this regard, we can take a leaf from Indias book. Whichever the government that keep changing in India, they carry out one foreign policy. Here, it is not, when the governments keep changing. Even inside this government, it tends to fluctuate when the ministers change. We have to have a central policy. We should not be inclined too much towards any power bloc. But, we must get the support of everyone.

Q There is perception in the country that the present government is bent on the West when it comes to the foreign policy. Do you agree?

Yes, it does look that way.

Q How do you specify your answer?

Of course, the West must be our friend. We must have friendly relationship with the West. Likewise, links with traditional allies such as China, Russia and India are also important. It is also important to have links with up and coming associations such as ASEAN and the countries like Australia. Also, we have to look at new markets such as Africa and Latin America. We have to be more global in our approach without antagonizing anyone.

Q Actually, the previous government did some work in this regard. What are your views on it?

The previous government was pro-China. May be, they were a bit pro-Russia as well. Yet, they antagonized the West. That was also not a good policy. It should have been more balanced and neutral.

There was no compulsion

Q What is your position on the governments decision to co-sponsor the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka in 2015?

I personally think it was not a good thing to do.

Q Why do you say so?

If you read some of the matters stipulated like the provision for foreign Judges, these are not the things that should be included in the resolution at all. There was no compulsion for us to co-sponsor. But, we voluntarily went and did it. If we were going to co-sponsor, we should have read the document better and negotiated for reasonable terms. Some of the things we have signed up are politically suicidal. We need constitutional changes to do some of the things. How can you change the constitution without holding a majority in Parliament?

Q Have you raised your voice in the government in this regard?

Sometimes I only hear my voice and should shut up. There is a limit to what extent one person could raise the voice.

Q How is your relationship with your Cabinet Minister of Foreign Affairs?

He does not consult me on anything. He does not invite me for any meeting. He has refused to gazette my functions as the State Minister. It has been given to all the other State Ministers except for me. I bear no grudge. I hope he, as a learned man, would be more sensible.

Q There is a perception that this government has antagonized China at the beginning by suspending the port city project. How do you view the governments relations with China?

It has got better now. Relationship with China is getting better. We should be good friends with China just as much as we should be with the United States. We should not lean more towards one side. Also, we should have very good relationship with our neighbour, India. It is paramount.

Q Ahead of the No-confidence motion, you took a certain stand. During the voting, you took another stand. What is the reason for that change of mind?

That is the stand I had always taken. That was the need for reforms.

Q You supported the Prime Minister eventually...

That was because he promised to bring in changes.

Q What do you think of the progress made so far?

The other MPs are not talking. I think they are happy with the changes. I am not all that happy with the changes. I think more changes should have been made. Since my voice is not recognised, I have to respect the view of the majority.

Q What are the changes that you had expected?

I think all the office bearers in the party should be chosen through a poll.

Q Including the leader...

Everyone. That is what democracy is.

Q Since this is the party which was founded by your great grandfather, do you think you have a right to stake a claim for it?

I do not say that I have any right just because my great grandfather founded it. Of course, I have a sentimental attachment towards the party.

Q Has the UNP made a departure from the founding principles of it?

Yes, it has departed radically, and it continues to do so.

Q In what areas?

To start off, I think it is democratic principles. The agriculture policy has changed. The view on foreign relations is not the same. There were significant changes.

Q You were with the previous government and defected later. Would you do the same to the incumbent government in case your voice is not recognized?

I will try my best to stay in the party, demand and shout for changes. Defecting can only happen if the situation becomes absolutely hopeless. I do not think the situation has degenerated to that as yet.

It is true that Govt. is leaning towards the West in foreign policy



Q You represent Polonnaruwa. That is the electorate that is being represented by President Sirisena. How do you cooperate with him in development activities?

It is difficult. He is the President and not in Polonnaruwa most of the time. I have to deal with his officials and representatives. On many occasions, they are not very cooperative.

Q The UNP came third in Polonnaruwa at the local government elections. What was the reason?

President Sirisena was the reason. UNPers too voted for him. He couldnt get votes from SLFP.

Q How could he get votes from the UNPers being the SLFP leader?

All the development works are implemented by him in Polonnaruwa. The UNP doesnt have a Cabinet Minister in Polonnaruwa to counter even half of what he has done.Did Ven. Athureliye Rathana Thera take a wise decision to vacate the post of presidential adviser?

Those country leaders who apposed the views of Buddhist monks or ignored their presence soon learned from their mistakes



But what must be taken note of is that these monks functioned in their roles in worldly affairs in an unofficial capacity



From the times of the British occupying Sri Lanka, monks clad in saffron robes have had a presence in almost all the struggles

Monks have played pivotal roles in shaping the political face of Sri Lanka. From the times of the great kings to the many prime ministers and presidents who ruled this island, the opinion, more than the advice, of the Buddhist clergy has carried weight.

Those country leaders who apposed the views of Buddhist monks or ignored their presence soon learned from their mistakes. One such leader was the late Ranasinghe Premadasa who initially ignored Ven Galboda Gnanissara Thera (fondly known as Podi Hamuduruwo) when he landed himself in the presidents seat.

When Premadasa observed that things werent going too well regarding his political work in Colombo the president forged important ties with the priest and temple.

One monk who has gone public with the displeasure he harbours because his views werent sought by the head of state is Ven. Athureliye Rathana Thera. The monk has conveyed that he no longer wishes to hold this post because he was never made use of in his capacity as presidential adviser. The monk is reported to have made this statement at the recent 30th Anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lanka Womens Development Cooperative Society in Colombo.

The Late Ven Sobitha Thera

This islands history reveals that a monks role was never restricted to the temple. From the times of the British occupying Sri Lanka, monks clad in saffron robes have had a presence in almost all the struggles which were carried out to build a better and safer nation. But what must be taken note of is that these monks functioned in their roles in worldly affairs in an unofficial capacity.





The monk must now start thinking whether his worldly views go well with the Yahapalana Government, which only wishes to work on its own ideas. This is despite seasoned politicians warning about where this Government is heading





Ven. Athureliye Rathana Thera was appointed officially to be the presidents adviser. Does all this indicate that the unofficial system works better for monks in Sri Lanka because the priests who functioned this way were powerful and got many tasks accomplished? One such priest who wielded much power was Ven. Seelankara Thera of Dimbulagala whose work was patronised by President Ranasinghe.

We also had firebrand monk Ven. Sobitha Thera who played a key role in the National Movement for a Just Society which toppled the dictatorial Government headed by Mahinda Rajapaksa, in 2015. The late monk, who possessed a degree in history from the Vidyodaya University, was renowned for his oratory skills and most importantly for the change he made in society through his non-violent movement.

But before the National Movement for a Just Society kicked off the ground, the Rajapaksa Government allowed a monk in the name of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara to cause racial tension in the island through his activities. It was alleged that former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was backing this monk to the hilt. Gotabaya has denied this claim repeatedly. This monk claimed that he was on a mission to keep a check on the work of Muslim extremists, Christian fundamentalists and many unauthorised constructions that existed close to Buddhist temples. What worried people was how the monk wielded so much power, in an unofficial capacity, when there is a law and a police force operating in the country.

This monk then was functioning as the Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena, but thats besides the point because according to the rules on discipline stipulated in the Buddhist order for monks, there is no provision for monks to engage in politics; a fact which questions Ve, Gnanasaras journey in robes because he was a candidate for the Jathika Hela Urumaya at the 2014 Parliamentary Elections.

Monks have always preferred their unofficial roles in politics. Even at present politicians in the Government and the opposition make quick visits to the temples of of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters when they get fresh appointments in ministries.

Monks have always preferred their unofficial roles in politics. Even at present politicians in the Government and the opposition make quick visits to the temples of Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddartha Sumangala Thera of the Malwatte Chapter and Ven. Warakagoda Gnarathna Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter when they get fresh appointments in ministries. This is because they need the blessings and approval of the clergy for their work.

Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera

Ven. Athureliye Rathana Thera has impressed many with his views on economic matters. He very recently aired his views on the use of Glyphosate in Sri Lanka. The monk has called for an internationally accepted legal document to be formulated for the regulation of Glyphosate. This is a monk who could have been one of those rare members of the Buddhist clergy whose views were sought by the law makers while functioning in an official capacity. This didnt happen. The monk must now start thinking whether his worldly views go well with the Yahapalana Government, which only wishes to work on its own ideas. This is despite seasoned politicians warning about where this Government is heading.

He very recently aired his views on the use of Glyphosate in Sri Lanka. The monk has called for an internationally accepted legal document to be formulated for the regulation of Glyphosate. This is a monk who could have been one of those rare members of the Buddhist clergy whose views were sought by the law makers

Ven. Rathana Thera must understand that monks have taken to entering parliament as the best option to air their views. He has also made an impact on the political platforms which feature representatives of Jathika Hela Urumaya. But it seems that the hierarchy in the Yahapalana Government dont fancy what the priest can bring to the table at political discussions. It seems a wise move by this monk disembark from this Yahapalana Ship which is right now looking into the Abyss.Agriculture has been a part if not the heart of Sri Lankas civilization for thousands of years. But in recent decades, the excessive use of imported chemical fertilisers, pesticides and weedicide has created a crisis where most people most of the time take a little poison with their meals. Experts say this is largely because the soil has been polluted by the excessive use of imported chemicals and even the ground water is known to have been poisoned. The experts also say this may be one of the causes for the kidney disease epidemic in the North Central Province and other areas.

In recent years the government and organic farming movements have been trying to persuade farmers to use organic substances like cowdung fertiliser. The government intensified its effort to promote organic farming specially after virtually all countries signed the 2015 Paris climate change agreement but hundreds of farmers appear to be reluctant to switch to organic farming apparently because the imported chemicals often provide higher yields of rice and other grains, vegetables and fruits, though they come with a little poison. We hope that in the major development projects launched recentlyincluding Gamperaliya, Grama Shakthi and the Enterprise Sri Lankathe government while introducing new technology will also push for organic farming instead of giving into vested interest linked to multinational chemical fertiliser companies.

If we need an example, the Indian state of Sikkim provides it. Sikkim became Indias first fully organic state in 2016. It took the state 13 years to fully implement organic farming since the idea was mooted in 2003, the Press Trust of India (PTI) says.

2016 turned out to be a great year for Sikkim as it became Indias first fully organic state besides being adjudged the cleanest state, overall best in education and tourist destination while the famed Kanchenjunga National Park was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, PTI adds. Around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land was gradually converted to certified organic land by implementing practices and principles in terms of guidelines laid down in the National Programme for Organic Production.

Sikkim was adjudged as the cleanest state in India by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in September 2016. The result was announced by Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar based on a survey for 2015, according to PTI.

However Britains Guardian newspaper reported last year that Sikkims organic revolution was at risk as local consumers were failing to buy the products. With 66,000 farmers livelihoods at stake, concern was growing over the Indian states organic farming experiment, with locals reluctant to pay higher prices.

The Guardian in its report cites the dilemma of one farmer, It is mid-morning, and Amrit Pradhan is repositioning the tomatoes on his market stall in Gangtok of the Himalayan state of Sikkim. He says people often want the biggest, reddest fruit. He tries to tell them, the flavour was in the smaller ones, but they dont want to know. The Guardian says, Pradhan is one of Sikkims 66,000 farmers who are part of a far-reaching experiment. Since 2016, the states farmers had become 100% organic  their produce was free of chemical pesticides or genetic modification. It also means their fruit and vegetables are smaller, less colourful, and more expensive than the imported, non-organic produce from the city of Siliguri in the neighbouring state of West Bengal.

According to the Guardian, in 2016 Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Sikkim for its organic farming, a programme that had gradually been rolled out across the state since 2003 by its chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling. Winning a fifth term in 2014 allowed him to oversee the organic project from start to finish.

In 2016, Sikkims state government made the use of chemical pesticides a criminal offence, carrying a heavy penalty of 100,000 Indian rupees and up to three months in jail. According to Dr. S Anbalangan, executive director of the government-led Sikkim Organic Mission, it is part of Mr. Chamlings wider vision for sustainable commerce in Sikkim.

In Sri Lanka the consumer also needs to play a major role for the success of organic farming. People would like to buy a big red tomato without a spot or wrinkle unaware that so many chemicals have been sprayed on it to the extent that even an insect fears to touch it. Consumers need to be responsible eco-friendly citizens and ensure that the rice or grains, vegetables or fruits we buy have not been sprayed with imported chemicals, some of which are toxic.

In the West, Leonard Woolf is celebrated as a political theorist, publisher, anti-imperialist, socialist, and of course, the husband to the far more popular Virginia Woolf. In Sri Lanka, he is celebrated for The Village in the Jungle, which has become something of a sacrosanct text in the eyes of our literati, so much so that any attempt made at reinterpreting it, in whatever form or media, is eventually criticised.

Lester James Peries discovered this for himself when his adaptation, warmly received in Europe, was castigated and virtually torn to pieces by representatives of the English Department here. It seems impossible therefore to assess a work like Village without assessing the time in which it was set, but two schools of thought have analysed the novel from two completely different standpoints. Before delving into that, however, let me offer my own thoughts on the novel, the author, and the politics behind both.

The Village in the Jungle was published in 1913, right before the First World War would break out. It predicted and preceded the period for which Woolf would best be known in the West, as the co-founder of the Hogarth Press, which introduced the works of the Bloomsbury Group as well as translations of Freud and Dostoyevsky to British society. When it first appeared, however, the novel did not make much of an impact on that society. Indeed, it was sidelined in favour of Woolfs other works to such an extent that upon his death, his obituary did not even mention that he had written such a novel. All this merely adds to the belief, held by several Sri Lankan scholars, that Village was a milestone in English literature, because no other Englishman abroad, in the colonies, had authored such a work before. To assess this aspect of The Village in the Jungle in detail, it is necessary to compare it with E. M. Forsters Passage to India.

When it first appeared, however, the novel did not make much of an impact on that society. Indeed, it was sidelined in favour of Woolfs other works to such an extent that upon his death, his obituary did not even mention that he had written such a novel. All this merely adds to the belief

A Passage to India became over the decades a prescribed text for students of English literature, and it is prescribed in our schools and universities alongside Woolfs novel. What distinguishes Woolf from Forster, however, is that the former was convinced that while British society was corrupting Indian society, the only salvation for Indians was the liberalism of Forsters prototype in the novel, Mr Fielding. The rift between Fielding and the protagonist, Azeez, accelerates towards the end to such an extent that, in the final paragraph, the belittled Indian declares openly that only when the British leaves Indias shores will the two be able to become friends again. It is clear that while Forster accepted Azeezs cynicism, he was also more accommodative of Fieldings liberalism. And that was it: there was no attempt at bridging the rift, only at pointing out its inevitability in the face of hardening attitudes in both coloniser and enslaved.

Woolf was not a liberal in the conventional sense of that term. His experience as an outsider in his home country (being a Jew, married to a woman who had entertained anti-Semitic thoughts) would have convinced him that liberalism alone would not have done. The Village in the Jungle, in that sense, is an almost unconditional indictment on British society, on what it had done to Sri Lankan society. Forster does suggest that colonialism must be eradicated (after all Azeez is his protagonist), but he tempers it by implying that the route to be taken by those agitating for independence must be from imperialism to quasi-dependency, corresponding to a shift from Crown Colony to Dominion. When Fielding taunts Azeez by contending that Indians cannot govern themselves (India a nation! What an apotheosis! Last corner to the drab nineteenth-century sisterhood! Waddling in at this hour of the world to take her seat! She, whose only peer was the Holy Roman Empire, she shall rank with Guatemala and Belgium perhaps!), he is qualifying his sympathies with the Indian independence movement, which at the time of the publication of Passage was gaining strength.

It is an irony of fate that this route, from Dependency to Dominion, would come about, not in India, but in Sri Lanka, mainly on account of the fact that we did not have the kind of nationalist bourgeoisie which India had. India a nation! - hidden beneath the veneer of mockery there was the assumption that British civilization, despite its destructive character, was nevertheless the only civilization that could keep colonial societies from deteriorating into self-destruction. Forsters great achievement in A Passage to India was his portrait of the English in their Crown Colony: drab, dreary, conventional, and at the end of the day, bigoted. In Mrs Moore he finds the ideal symbol for oneness and unity, and in Adela Quested he finds the ideal symbol for the transformation from love to condescension to hate with respect to the natives. But Forsters biggest weakness was his inability to overcome the oneness of Mrs Moores vision, the unity and the holism which finds its antithesis in the Marabar Caves. The echo that Adela hears in the Caves is an echo that, as Regi Siriwardena once noted, was nothing more than a contrivance which inflates the novel with a portentous hint of profundities. As with Fieldings liberal sympathies, so too then with Mrs Moores belief in oneness and Adelas despair at not recognising that echo.

A Passage to India is a definitive novel of the 1920s (it was published in 1924). This was the decade of Sons and Lovers, Women in Love, Mrs Dalloway, and To the Lighthouse, which resorted to expressing despair as an act of liberation. It is despair and meaninglessness, therefore, that colours much of the plot in Passage, and where it coincides with Forsters liberalism, the novel is at its weakest. There is nothing really concrete in the book. On the contrary, it stops short of a complete condemnation of the British system and instead ponders on the possibility of reconciliation between the two cultures - coloniser and enslaved - as a means of liberation for India. This sort of romanticism and moderation was better vented out, as I suggested before, in Sri Lankan society, and it needed for its success the absence of a nationalist bourgeoisie, the bourgeoisie which in India had prevented Azeez from embracing Fielding.

Just as there is nothing really concrete in Passage, there is nothing really abstract in Village. The only attempt at depicting abstractions in Woolfs novel is the sequence of the pilgrimage to Beragama, and even there the sense of mysticism, so pervasive in Forsters India, is tempered by the possibility that it is nothing more than a convenient deception. That Woolf understood this aspect of Sinhalese society, during his tenure in Hambantota, thus did not prevent him from indicting not just the colonial system, but also the myths and legends that had prevented the Sinhalese from transcending their own exploitative structures.

The British made use of those structures, particularly those relating to power relations between village elders and common folk, to tighten their grip. Consequently, there is no effort by Woolf to romanticise feudal society or the structures of power which had made up that society before the advent of the British

The British made use of those structures, particularly those relating to power relations between village elders and common folk, to tighten their grip. Consequently, there is no effort by Woolf to romanticise feudal society or the structures of power which had made up that society before the advent of the British.

However, at the same time, he did not turn his critique of feudal insularity into an excuse to celebrate British openness and liberalism. On the contrary, he seems to have inferred a link, rather than an opposition, between those two. As such he avoided the pitfall that Forster led himself to in Passage: critiquing the Empire without really delving into the processes that had facilitated the continuation of that Empire in the first place. Forster was a liberal cosmopolitan entranced by the myth of oneness and wholeness in Oriental society; Woolf was a realist who preferred neither of them.

What Woolf did not miss out was the fact that the rural savagery that horrified the liberal was the result of that same British presence. Consequently, he finds in both the grip of the colonial judicial system and the hegemony of Babehami and Fernando the two faces of British imperialism: exploitative, and rife with opportunity for the poor to be robbed and the rich to escape scot-free. This does not mean that Woolf was flawless, and in a later piece, I will explore what is missing in Village. For now, however, I am done.Sexual abuse is endemic in the aid sector because of a boys club attitude in male dominated charities, MPs warn.



In a damning report, they said a macho environment contributed to the sort of atmosphere where sexual exploitation was tolerated.



The Commons international development committee accused the aid sector of complacency verging on complicity over the abuse scandal.



It highlights failings relating to both the recipients of aid and attacks on charity workers.



It found the delivery of help to people in crisis had been subverted by sexual predators, with only superficial action taken to tackle it.



Deluded charity bosses were engaged in a culture of denial  exhibiting more concern for good PR than for victims.



MPs highlight that a lack of barriers makes aid an attractive sector for people wishing to exploit others.



The report, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in the Aid Sector, follows the exposure of abuse by Oxfam aid workers in Haiti in 2011. Among devastating conclusions, it found:Oxfam was more concerned about risk to its reputation than the danger recipients of aid would be abused;



Charities and the Department for International Development ignored reports of sexual abuse going back almost two decades;



The United Nations is still in denial about abuse by its staff, some of whom have immunity from prosecution;



Abuse against aid workers themselves  including rape  may be more prevalent than previously thought;



Whistleblowers are afraid to speak out for fear of losing their jobs.



The MPs demanded a boost to the powers of the Charity Commission, with the appointment of a new independent aid ombudsman.

UK, (Daily Mail), 31 July 2018 -

Oxfam boss paid teenage girls for sex in Haiti

UK, (Daily Mail),- In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Oxfam sent a team of 230 to help the homeless and starving.



Within months, allegations surfaced of senior staff using prostitutes  some of whom may have been under 18.



Roland van Hauwermeiren, head of the charitys Haiti mission, was accused of paying teenage girls between 70 and 140 a time for sex at his hilltop villa known as the Eagles Nest.



Former staff told the Mail earlier this year that Mr van Hauwermeiren, a 68-year-old Belgian, loved young girls. Instead of being dismissed, he was offered a deal to resign if he co-operated with the investigation.From left: SLIC CEO Chandana Aluthgama and SLIC Chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya unveiling the new corporate logo of SLIC

Pic by Kithsiri de Mel

By Nishel Fernando

Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) launches a fresh attempt to regain the market leadership in Sri Lankas insurance industry by implementing a three-year strategic plan partnering with a consultancy firm, aligned with fast-tracked branch expansions and modernisation of SLIC operations.

Launching the new corporate logo of SLIC yesterday, SLIC CEO Chandana Aluthgama announced that SLIC would partner with a local consultancy firm this Friday to develop and implement a comprehensive three-year strategic plan to drive SLIC to the next era, while regaining the market leadership.



I believe we will become the market leader in life and general insurance segments in a short period, he stressed.



Addressing the gathering, SLIC Chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya asserted that SLIC needs to expand its branch network at least to 225 branches, from the current 149 branches and service centres.

In my opinion, being a leading insurance company, we need to have at least 225 branches. For an example, in the banking sector, all leading national banks have a branch network ranging from 220 to 300s.



We will begin the fast-tracked branch expansion plan from August 4, with the launch of the new branch in Katugastota, he said.



Amarasuriya noted that SLIC plans to expand its network by 50 percent, which has received the approval of the subject ministry.



We are fast-tracking a series of branch openings this year. We are trying to open three other branches in August and a few more in the following month, Aluthgama added.



He noted that 10-15 SLIC branches are expected to be opened in the next a couple of months.

According Aluthgama, SLIC achieved 19 percent growth in the life insurance segment last month, while the general insurance segment saw a growth of 28 percent last month.



He also noted that SLIC would begin the procurement process to install a new computer system under the modernisation programme.



We have received the Cabinet nod to procure a new computer system; we will commence the procurement process this year, he said.



Amarasuriya pointed out that certain branches of SLIC dont even have the basic equipment such as photocopy machines, scanners, etc. to carry out the day-to-day operations and he drew attention to the fact that though the SLIC board allocated funds to equip the branches with facilities, the SLIC branches have only utilised about 12 percent of the funds allocated for this year. Hence, he urged the management to fast-track the utilisation of funds to equip all the branches with these necessary facilities within this year.



We need to adapt to new developments in the market. I am aware we have made certain progress but its not sufficient. We need to respect the customers needs, otherwise we will lose out,

he emphasised.



Aluthgama noted that SLIC is in the process of modernising the core departments of SLIC, including the Human Resources and Finance, introducing new policies and processes.



He insisted that the new logo is a turning point for SLIC, which would direct SLIC to a new direction to face with the growing competition in Sri Lankas insurance industry.



We are not only changing the corporate logo but we are also changing our perceptions, he stressed.

Amarasuriya also shared similar views stating that the launch of the new corporate logo marks a new journey for SLIC. He said that the new corporate logo would enable SLIC to gain the spotlight in the Sri Lankan market, which the former logo failed to deliver.



However, he underlined that all the projects need to be implemented simultaneously to become more competitive and to become a market leader.



Aluthgama highlighted that SLIC has a distinct advantage over its private sector competitors as SLIC has become a well-recognised brand throughout the island, being a state entity.



According to Aluthgama, SLIC is the market leader in the motor insurance segment, which falls under the general insurance category and he was hopeful that SLIC would soon become the market leader in general insurance, boosting its current market share of 23 percent in the category.



Established in 1962, Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation is the largest state-owned insurance company in Sri Lanka, with a managed asset base of over Rs.193 billion and a Life Fund of over Rs.100 billion, the largest in the local insurance industry.



The company is also the first and only local insurer to secure Fitch Ratings AA+ (lka) rating for its long-term financial stability and strong capital position.Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne handing over the recognition plaque of Super Platinum Sponsor for BEAP to Group Chairman, Mr. P.G. Kumarasinghe Sirisena whiles Director of the Teaching Hospital - Batticaloa, Dr. M. S. Ibralebbe looks on.

Sri Lanka Telecom, Super Platinum Sponsor for the Batticaloa Emergency and Accident Project

The newly built Emergency and Trauma Unit at the Teaching Hospital Batticaloa was declared open recently by the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne. Sri Lanka Telecom PLC is the Super Platinum Sponsor of this project, having invested an amount of USD 300,000 for the project.

The Project Batticaloa Emergency and Accident Project (BEAP ) was initiated with the vision of building a fully equipped emergency and trauma unit at the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital that is capable of handling the large number of patients that seek treatment at the hospital each day. The Teaching Hospital treats approximately 700 patients per day. The existing facilities of the hospital were grossly inadequate to provide care to the 2 million plus population that live and seek medical attention not only in Batticaloa itself but also around the region including Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa as well as Ampara.

Mr. P.G. Kumarasinghe Sirisena, Chairman of the SLT Group gave his comments about the opening of the newly built unit, saying, We are honoured to have been a part of this noteworthy cause, the BEAP Project. As the Super Platinum Sponsor of the project, we have invested a large sum in this, but I believe its money well spent. We are truly glad to see the fruits of our investment - the envisioned Emergency and Trauma Unit being successfully completed and opened to the public, and the people in the region now being able to receive high quality medical care and treatment at the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital.

We thank and appreciate the Foundation Supporting a National Trauma Service in Sri Lanka for their commitment and hard work to see this project through to its completion and we also thank them for giving us this opportunity to be a part of this noble cause, added Mr. Sirisena.The latest by the Railway trade unions is a classic case of blackmail



The problem with this Government is that it neither has determination nor decisiveness to play the role of a catalyst in development

The role of the Government as a catalyst for social and economic modernisation of the state is as old as any notion of the Government. Though the academic interest in it was reawakened in the mid 80s with the publication of  Bring the State back in, the real go-getter states existed much before. And interestingly, the majority of them were authoritarian or quasi authoritarian. The founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, rebuilt the disintegrated Ottoman empire into a modernist secular state, even while the overwhelming majority of its rural folks remained religious and backward. Their degenerating influence on the state that he feared more than any external enemy, so the modern Turkey was built on the back of a shadow state of a secular military, judiciary and press.

Elsewhere, developmental dictators of Taiwan and South Korea transformed their states from near nothing to future technological powerhouses. Others, such as Mahathir Mohammed and Lee Kuan Yew, though held choreographic elections, were hardly democrats.

In contrast, the track records of democracies in economic and social modernization have been abysmal. India remained a bad advertisement for democracy and colossally squandered opportunities that existed for its people during the first five decades of independence. The vast majority of developing world democracies are worse off today than their relative position vis-a-vis developed world at the time of their independence in the 1940, 50s and 60s. That they were victims of predatory elites and military juntas during some time in their independence worsened their miseries. However, subsequent elected government didnt perform any better.

Irrespective of white vans and 18th Amendment, Mahinda Rajapaksa would be remembered as the one who won the war and built highways

Democracies incapacity to deliver rapid development is inbuilt in its structure. Democracy is a slow consultative process involving too many stakeholders with competing interests. Existential conditions of polarisation often make a compromise is painstakingly slow, if ever. The advocates of democracy have often overlooked the fact that for a society to develop cooperative behaviour it also has to reach a certain threshold of shared interests, which are often undermined by a plethora of competing interests and political affiliations, aggravated by low economic and social conditions of their respective societies. Developing states nonetheless have immediate economic and social priorities which can not be overlooked and in order to address them, a state needs a strong government.

After all, that is why executive the presidency was introduced in this country.





Developing world democracies

That may also explain why whenever a developing world democracy records an impressive growth that had happened under a renegotiated social contract between the government and the society, under which, a pro-growth government has staked claims for a greater control of the trajectory of the state and society. Take for instance, the two Governments that had made a significant contribution to the economy in Sri Lanka; the first few years of J. R Jayewardene Administration and the two term presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Both were quasi authoritarian and confronted the social dissent and competing vested interests through the recourse of their own constitutional and unconstitutional means, be it sacking July strikers in en messes, banning the political left or operating white vans.

Similarity could be seen in India, where the pro-business prime minister Narendra Modi is more in the mould of Mahathir Mohammed, than of type of his slow- moving procrastinating predecessors of Nehru-Gandhian variety. Parallels could also be seen in Bangladesh, where Prime Minister Sheik Hasina has overseen an economic revival. They are also power maximisers in their own ways. However, their countries are not Sweden or Denmark. The developing world is poor and disorganised not just because of resource scarcity, but also because their societies are less enlightened in a modernist sense. Rather than being guided by these societies, a forward looking government should guide them. That is however untenable without the government having sufficient autonomy over the society.

The developing world is poor and disorganised not just because of resource scarcity, but also because their societies are less enlightened in a modernist sense. Rather than being guided by these societies, a forward looking government should guide them





Meagre growth

The problem with this Government is that it neither has determination nor decisiveness to play the role of a catalyst in development. Its contribution to the revival of democracy is not a supplement to its inability to forge ahead in economy. On any account, such democratic gains achieved in a low social and economic development have proved to be short lived. Four years since its election to power, and after much hype about an export led growth, export has grown only by meagre US $ 0.2 billion ( from US$ 11.1 billion in 2014 to 11.3 in 2017). FDI inflow has either stagnated or declined. Economic growth has hovered below 4 per cent for three consecutive years.

And the Governments vacillation in the economic front is aggravated by its spinelessness, which has led to wild cat strikes. The latest by the Railway trade unions is a classic case of blackmail. And the myopic demands by the Railway unions for a relocation of a technological hub , Trace Expert City, is not just a case of competing interests, but a manifestation of backwardness of certain entities. It may be to drive a point that J.R. Jayewardene sacked strikers in drove or Thatcher responded with an iron fist.

The founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, rebuilt the disintegrated Ottoman empire into a modernist secular state, even while the overwhelming majority of its rural folks remained religious and backward





A government that shies away from difficult economic and social decisions in favour of its political calculations does more harm to the nation than one that used white vans to silence its enemies. Such countries - Pinochets Chile, Chiang kai Sheks Taiwan, South Korea, etc, emerged as viable economic and democratic entities partly thanks to difficult decisions made in the past. Where as, those who pussyfooted and let the gutter impulses run the country, perpetuated the miserable status quo.

Irrespective of white vans and 18th Amendment, Mahinda Rajapaksa would be remembered as the one who won the war and built highways. If this Government keeps vacillating on the economy, history would place Messrs. Ranil Wickremesinghe and Maithripala Sirisena on a long list of passengers who rode the gravy train down the precipice .

@RangaJayasuriya on TwitterThe incumbent Government would carry Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksas concept of Trace City and would move towards implementing its second and third phase, Deputy Minister Dr Harsha De Silva said today.

Dr De Silva said that the concept should and would be taken forward so that knowledge-based, highly competitive employment opportunities would be created.

This 10-acre land where the Trace City is located was taken over by the Army during the wartime.

Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa renovated some warehouses and opened a knowledge park.

There were some IT Sector investments in this park initially and this Government developed it further. London Stock Exchange opened an office there recently.

More than 1,200 youth work in the offices which are located in this 10-acre land. Youth in software companies located in this land earn Rs 175,000 a month. We have to carry on with the project.

It does not matter which Government launched this project. We will not allow anyone to destroy the Trace City Knowledge Park.

Phase two and phase three will be done in Trace City. No one will approve the construction of a building for the Railways Department.

Minister Champika Ranawaka had not approved the construction of a Railways Department building. Both buildings will be constructed in the two adjoining lands, Dr De Silva said.

Focusing on the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Zone Dr De Silva said Sri Lanka should get into trade agreements to avoid isolation.

If Sri Lanka failed to agree into FTAs with other countries it will be isolated and will have to face worse economic issues than the ones it is already facing, he said.

Regional Comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP) Agreement will be signed by November this year. Sixteen countries will sign it. These include the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and ASEAN, plus six countries including India, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and China.

All countries in the Indian Ocean region will get into one group as Pakistan and Bangladesh will also join that group. Only Sri Lanka will be left out when that happens.

All countries in the Asian region had clearly stated that they will join RCEP, he said

He said no third party country citizens could come and work here.

No Singaporean or Indian doctor could come and open a dispensary in Sri Lanka under the Singapore-Sri Lanka FTA. However, he said inter-corporate transfers are possible under Mode 3 of the FTA.

This means a company which invests here could bring in managers and other officials needed for the company.

There is a clause which says if a Singaporean Company is bringing in managers such persons should hold one-year work experience in the same company.

However visa will be given only for two years. Singaporean experts such as architects could only provide pre-advisory services online under the FTA.

Imports will be subjected 35 per cent value addition. There is a list of negative goods for which there will be no free movement towards Sri Lanka. Mode Four is open in the FTA which Singapore had signed with India, he said in this regard. (Yohan Perera)

Video by BuddhiSingapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Maithripala Sirisena witness the signing of the FTA between Singapore Trade and Industry Minister S. Iswaran and Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama

Sri Lanka and Singapore have recently signed a bilateral free trade agreement  the Sri Lanka-Singapore FTA (SLSFTA). Apart from being a comprehensive and modern free trade agreement (FTA) in scope and coverage, the SLSFTA paves the way for Sri Lankas greater integration with ASEAN and possible future entry in RCEP. Reflecting on the challenges for optimising the benefits of the SLSFTA, this article argues a successful SLSFTA would vindicate the regions confidence in virtues of free trade.



While the global trade war threatens to disrupt the momentum of global trade and the prospects of global economic growth, encouraging signs of commitment to trade are visible elsewhere. Countries across the world continue to remain committed to free trade notwithstanding anxieties over the course of the trade war and its greater impact on global commerce. The EU and Japan have just signed a bilateral FTA paving the way for unrestricted trade within their combined economies of more than US $ 20 trillion.



The growth of a preferential trading bloc between Europe and Asia, as represented by the EU-Japan FTA, would produce considerable energy for trade prospects in the Asia-Pacific. The prospects also stand to augment from another bilateral FTA that came into effect in May 2018  the SLSFTA.



Structure and character

While the economic size of the SLSFTA is not comparable to that of the EU-Japan FTA or any of the ASEAN +1 FTAs, it is notable for various reasons. It is Sri Lankas first FTA since 2005 and the most comprehensive among the handful it has signed so far. The FTA not only include traditional trade issues like trade in goods, trade remedies, trade facilitation and dispute settlement but also covers trade in services, investments, intellectual property rights, government procurement, competition and e-commerce.



In this respect, the FTA represents a modern 21st century FTA that includes not just traditional trade issues but also those identified as WTO plus or extra issues  subjects like competition, investment, intellectual property and procurement  that have been found difficult to be taken forward at the WTO and are discussed by some ambitious FTAs including the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).



Like all FTAs, expansion of market access by eliminating tariffs is an important feature of the SLSFTA. Singapore being one of the worlds most open economies with bulk of imports being allowed entry duty-free save a few, the onus of liberalisation was on Sri Lanka.



Sri Lanka will be progressively eliminating tariffs on 80 percent of goods over 15 years under the agreement, which is a relatively long adjustment period. However, the long phasing is understandable given the concerns that domestic industries might have had on opening up and the economic uncertainties that higher supply of imports might create in some segments of

the economy.



Beyond tariffs, the SLSFTA has paid heed to the issue of non-tariff measures, particularly through separate and detailed mention of quality standards for food products in both countries that mutual imports need to adhere to. These illustrations can act as benchmarks for future FTAs in so far as transparent outlining of quality standards are concerned that would prevent exporters from encountering unexpected regulatory barriers. The agreement has also laid down detailed provisions on commitment in services trade, including separate chapters on telecommunications and ecommerce. These provisions should help in facilitation of digital trade between both economies in the coming years and the development of Sri Lankas ambitious Port City Financial Centre.



Regional connections

After India, the SLSFTA is Singapores second comprehensive FTA with a South Asian economy. The agreement underlines Singapores search for trade and investment partners beyond East and Southeast Asia and its recognition of Sri Lankas potential as a trading hub in the fast-growing Indian Ocean region. On the other hand, from a Sri Lankan perspective, the agreement is an outcome of the countrys post-conflict trade policy to boost flagging growth and strengthen ties with Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific.



As Sri Lanka gets closely embedded in the Southeast Asian trade and business network through the SLSFTA, it gets closer to the possibility of becoming a formal part of the ASEAN trade architecture. Indeed, the agreement marks the beginning of the possibility of Sri Lanka joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) upon the conclusion of RCEP at a future date and become a core element of Asias big FTA game.



Sri Lankas aspirations are expected to be endorsed by Singapore. Joining the RCEP, which would be the worlds largest FTA between the 10-member ASEAN and its six FTA partners accounting for more than a third of global GDP and almost half of the global population, would provide Sri Lanka access to an enormous regional market and dynamic Asian FDI.



Participating in the RCEP is also arguably simpler for and less draining on Sri Lankas scarce negotiating capacity than separately negotiating multiple bilateral FTAs. The RCEP membership will bind Sri Lanka more exhaustively with the ASEAN architecture with which, now, its linkages are through its membership of the ASEAN Regional Forum, which mainly discusses security issues.



Towards a fruitful SLSFTA

Much of the possibilities of Sri Lankas greater integration with the ASEAN architecture and acceding to the RCEP would depend upon the success of the SLSFTA. There are several examples of FTAs signed with considerable enthusiasm not being able to live up to expectations. It is important to ensure, particularly for Sri Lanka, the SLSFTA maximises its potential benefits. This would, however, require addressing a few challenges.



One of the main sources of benefit for Sri Lanka from SLSFTA is an increase in FDI from Singapore. Just about 5 percent of inward FDI into Sri Lanka during 201417 came from Singapore. The SLSFTA would enable improvement of investment climate for foreign firms through its provisions on safeguards against expropriation of and discrimination against foreign investments.



Singaporean firms can bid for large government procurement projects in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankas Board of Investment is also targeting Singaporean FDI in infrastructure, IT services, tourism and education. Nonetheless, Sri Lankas overall investment climate needs to improve on the ground doing business parameters, such as opening a business. Streamlining redundant colonial-era business regulations and demonstrating consistency in economic policy would help gain the confidence of risk-averse Singaporean investors.



Greater inter-country agency cooperation, such as between Singapores Economic Development Board (EDB) and Sri Lankas Board of Investment, can help Sri Lanka in locating sustainable FDI in key sectors like transport, logistics and urban development. The Board of Investment needs to step away from managing export-processing zones and refocus its capacity on investment promotion. Opening its first overseas office in Singapore could contribute significantly to this objective.



The SLSFTA must note the concerns of Sri Lankan business over round-tripping of state-subsidised imports from ASEAN and China via Singapore. Such concerns can be addressed through effective usage of SLSFTAs rules of origin, which require at least 35 percent of value added to occur in Singapore.



Furthermore, additional concerns over surge in imports arising from lowering of tariffs can be addressed by strengthening temporary trade remedies like WTO-compatible safeguards and anti-dumping policies. Finally, worries exist over the free movement of skilled professionals (e.g. doctors, engineers and lawyers) to Sri Lanka from third countries. However, the SLSFTA only provides for controlled entry of a few foreign managers and technical manpower per project which usually accompany FDI internationally.



Looking ahead

Sri Lanka and Singapores warm diplomatic relations have not been accompanied by equal robustness in their trade and business relations. The SLSFTA is expected to change this substantially. Both sides are expected to benefit significantly from the agreement. Sri Lanka is expected to gain through import of cheaper consumer goods and intermediate inputs, FDI and technology transfer and healthy competition for domestic producers.



Singapore businesses, on the other hand, will gain from greater access and investment opportunities in Sri Lankas growing economy, its base of literate and productive workers and Sri Lankas strategic location for plugging deeper in Indian Ocean trade and the South Asian regional market.



From a larger regional perspective, the SLSFTA symbolises greater institutional bonding between South Asia and Southeast Asia, as well between global trade traffic encompassing the maritime spaces of Malacca Strait, Bay of Bengal and the

Indian Ocean.



In this vein, Singapore is working with India and Japan to develop the Trincomalee Port (the worlds fifth largest natural harbour) and Trincomalee city in north-eastern Sri Lanka. Such integration of maritime trade and business is great news at a time when global trade prospects are threatened by uncertainties. It is important for both Singapore and Sri Lanka to capitalise the most from the SLSFTA for establishing benefits of FTAs and upholding the virtues of free trade.



(Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja is Chair of the Global Economy Programme at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies in Sri Lanka (LKI). He can be reached at ganesh@lki.lk. Dr. Amitendu Palit is a Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economic Policy) at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), an autonomous research institute at the National University of Singapore. He can be contacted at isasap@nus.edu.sg. The opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and not the institutional views of LKI or ISAS and do not necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the authors are affiliated)THIS year, Huawei a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions has run a two-week educational experience language training to share and expose Chinese culture.

The remark was made recently by Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Mr Leonard Akwilapo, while presiding over an opening ceremony held in Shenzhen, China, as the guest of honour.

He said show demonstrated how Huawei was committed to contribute to higher education in Tanzania as well as the countrys future in the ICT sector.

The PS He pointed out that the program will enrich our students school experience and prepare them to work in the telecommunications companies, further sharing the Huaweis experience on processes which harbors dynamic global business environment in China.

He further remarked that Huaweis Seeds for the Future will enable the students gain an understanding of the latest skills needed to be successful in ICT, and experience latest information while in China, saying : And what it is like to work in a global, cross-cultural business environment.

During the occasion, the students shared their views with some pointing out that they visited spectacular tourism sites like the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace Museums and Splendid China. Some said the trip to the country had also enabled them to experience Chinese culture through various types of food, language, calligraphy and painting.

Others remarjed that it was a great program that enabled the youth to expand knowledge and practice in ICT with up-todate technology.

During our tour in China, we were able to see how Huawei is focused on innovation; the training we received put us on the right track to advice telecom companies or even the government on the advancement of our technology to cope with global standards, one participant remarked/ In 2016, Huawei launched the program to nurture professionals in Tanzania through the seeds for the future programme, where it also hopes to provide an opportunity for Tanzanian youth to visit Beijing and work, besides studying at its headquarters in Shenzhen.As a kid who spent a lot of time with his siblings exploring the nature that surrounded them, Paul Dayton learned to love natural history. When he found out that he could grow up and study nature for a living, his career path was set.

A professor emeritus of marine ecology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Dayton has not only spent a career fascinated by and studying life underwater, he also remains interested in, and committed to, preserving the desert ecology from his childhood in Arizona. Hes published a childrens book, Rabbits and Rats, Birds and Seeds, Cactus and Trees: Plants and Animals at Work in El Pinacate, Sonoran Desert, Mexico, which tells the story of the relationships between the plants and animals in the desert and how they rely on each other to survive.

The book is bilingual and has been nominated as a finalist for the 2018 International Latino Book Awards, produced by Latino Literacy Now, a non-profit promoting literacy in the Latino community.

Dayton, 77, lives in Solana Beach with his wife, Linnea (whos the editor and publisher of his book), and they have two adult children. He took some time to talk about his book and, his passion for nature, and his hope for the children who read his book.

Q: How did you go from a career in science that revolves around water to writing a childrens book about plants and animals in the desert?

A: Good question. The book was written to inform the Mexican children that live in the area surrounding El Pinacate (y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve), perhaps the most wonderful natural area I know. I hope that explaining the important relationships that structure the desert ecosystem will enable the citizens to understand the ecosystem, and that this understanding will also inspire a paternalistic love of the region so that they will want to protect these fragile relationships.

Q: Your book, Rabbits and Rats, Birds and Seeds, Cactus and Trees: Plants and Animals at Work in El Pinacate, Sonoran Desert, Mexico, features a desert tortoise named Renaldo telling the story, through you. Where did Renaldo come from and what inspired this story?

A: Renaldo is the name we gave to a real desert tortoise that lives on the top of a volcanic cinder cone that overlooks our favorite camp. This and one other found at the same location are the only living desert tortoises found in the Pinacate, so far as I know.

Q: Why did you want to tell it with the tortoise as the narrator?

A: First, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that this tough, old reptile is there watching over this ecosystem for many decades. Second, I did not want my message to the Mexican children to be a gringo lecturing to them about their park, and I thought that they would be more receptive to getting the information from a tortoise. One of the great childhood strengths lost to most adults is the ability to fantasize. I hope it works.

Q: What did you want to convey with this story?

A: A sense of tenderness for, and empathy with, nature. Ideally, this love is based on an understanding of important relationships that need to be protected. Too often, environmental protection focuses on individual species, when really it is the important relationships that need protection. These relationships are fractured long before a species becomes endangered. I hope that this is communicated to the parents as well as the children.

Q: What did you want children to get from this story?

A: I hope that the children will grow up with an ability to look at a natural situation and understand the natural history that resulted in the patterns they see, and perhaps more importantly, to be able to correctly fantasize other relationships that they can explore and study themselves. This is how a child grows into the future with a sense of place that then supports good human stewardship of nature. And, hopefully, some of the children will also grow into creative ecologists.

Q: What were your initial thoughts when you learned youd been selected as a finalist for this years International Latino Book Awards?

A: I was surprised and pleased as it means a lot to me because the organization has such worthy goals. My first thought was that the award and all the recognition should go to the translator, Barbara Ilizaliturri, and her husband, Exequiel Ezcurra, who helped with some technical aspects. The Spanish version was recognized, thus it was her brilliant translation that is responsible. Barbara deserves the recognition for her spectacular translation.

Q: What does it mean to you be nominated for this award?

A: Being recognized by an organization dedicated to enhancing literacy and good writing in the Spanish-speaking community is extremely satisfying. The world is full of wonderful books in Spanish, and it is very important that Latino children everywhere develop a cultural pride in their heritage.

Q: Why do you think its important to have an organization dedicated to specifically recognizing Latino authors, illustrators, books and stories?

A: As ecologists depend on a sense of place, people need a sense of self, and this organization does a wonderful job enhancing Latino pride that today, more than ever, we need to support.

Q: What has your work writing this book taught you about yourself?

A: Humility. I have always said that if you cannot explain something to an interested child, you do not understand it yourself. But when I tried to write something for kids, I found it really challenging, and my wife helped a lot.

Q: What is the best advice youve ever received?

A: Always imagine that you see the world through the eyes of the organism you study. This applies to plants and animals as it forces one to consider what is really most important to the organism. And this is also critical to healthy human relationships.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: I am a good cook with a Dutch oven in the field; and maybe not so good in the kitchen where the consumers are more critical.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: Taking my granddaughters to Balboa Park. It has to be one of the best parks in the country and there are always wonderful things to learn for young and old.

What I love about Solana Beach ...I like the easy access to San Elijo Lagoon (Ecological Reserve) that I visit several times a week, and I really appreciate our neighbors who tolerate my chickens and neurotic little dog.George Pimentel/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) -- A California court on Tuesday unsealed a redacted complaint filed by former Playboy model Shera Bechard against top GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy -- alleging that Broidy has breached a contract that required him to pay Bechard $1.6 million to keep quiet about their affair and her pregnancy.



The suit also names as defendants Bechards former lawyer, Keith Davidson, who cut deals for Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, and current Daniels lawyer Michael Avenatti. It alleges that Davidson breached his duties to Bechard and subsequently leaked info about the secret deal to Avenatti, who proceeded to make it public.



Bechards complaint -- which was filed under seal in Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this month -- alleges that Broidy has breached their contract by stopping the periodic payments of $200,000 that he was required to make under the agreement. She also contends that Davidson misled her about the terms of the contract, negotiated a crushingly one-sided deal that favored Broidy, charged her exorbitant and fraudulent fees, and breached his ethical duties to her by sharing confidential information about the deal with Avenatti.



She alleges Avenatti conspired with Davidson to interfere with the contract, and to breach Davidsons fiduciary duties to her.



Whatever transpired was not the fault of Ms. Bechard, writes Peter Stris, an attorney for Bechard.



She did nothing wrong. She should not be deprived of her rights because the three men described above (Mr. Broidy, Mr. Davidson and Mr. Avenatti) decided that they could use her to their advantage, he continues.



The version of the complaint filed Tuesday contains significant redactions that were made by Broidys legal team. The redacted sections appear to conceal the details about the relationship he shared with Bechard.



Avenatti has responded with a motion to unseal the complaint in total.



Several media organizations, including ABC News, have separately moved for unsealing of the complaint and other documents filed in the case.



Bechard alleges in her complaint that she met with Davidson on Oct. 31, 2017, for help "dealing with a problem." She says she was seven weeks pregnant with Broidys child, conceived in an extramarital affair. Broidy was, at the time, a deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee. She terminated the pregnancy in early December 2017.



About a week after first meeting with Davidson, Bechard alleges he told her that he was in discussions with Broidys lawyer, whom he identified as Michael Cohen, a man Davidson claimed to have a relationship with, according to Bechards filing. Bechard claims to have been surprised that Davidson had found the lawyer for Broidy so quickly, but she did not suspect anything was amiss at the time.



By mid-November, Davidson presented her with a proposed deal -- without providing her a copy, according to her complaint -- and she signed and agreed to the terms, under which both parties agreed to clam up about their relationship. In return, Broidy would pay Bechard $1.6 million in eight installments, with Davidson taking 35 percent off the top. Broidy made the first two payments.



Bechard fired Davidson in early April after learning from news reports of the alleged roles of Cohen and Davidson in the Daniels and McDougal deals, according to her lawsuit.



Despite his fiduciary and ethical duties to his client, Mr. Davidson treated Ms. Bechard's claims as a commodity to be traded for his own financial gain, Bechard alleges. She contends that Davidson, without her knowledge and consent, negotiated terms that would require her to pay $4.8 million dollars in liquidated damages if she breached the agreement.



No reasonable lawyer would have recommended that Ms. Bechard sign the settlement agreement, and no properly informed client in her position would have agreed, her complaint reads.



On April 12, Avenatti sent a tweet stating that he had received information about a deal between a prominent GOP donor and a Los Angeles woman who had become pregnant during an affair.



Bechard contends that Davidson improperly shared the information, and that Avenatti should have been fully aware that the information he allegedly received from Davidson was supposed to remain secret.



Avenatti didnt use any names in his tweet, but the next day, The Wall Street Journal published an article revealing the existence of the deal between Broidy and Bechard, and the role played by Cohen on behalf of Broidy.



Mr. Avenatti's decision to receive confidential information about Ms. Bechard from her attorney, Bechards complaint reads, including the existence and terms of the settlement agreement was, if Mr. Broidy's allegations are correct, accomplished through unlawful and unethical means, including complicity in Mr. Davidson's violation of ethical duties owed to Ms. Bechard.



Avenatti has already fired back Tuesday on Twitter in response to Bechards attorney, Peter Stris, who posted a copy of the redacted complaint: It was really big of you to release this when you should have never filed the original complaint under seal to begin with. When I am ultimately exonerated in this case because I did nothing wrong, I am coming after you, your firm and your client for malicious prosecution. Good luck.



Stris also represented McDougal in her lawsuit against National Enquirer publisher AMI Inc., which settled earlier this year.



Avenatti previously told ABC News that Bechards claims against him were without merit.



He did not tell me that I shouldnt say anything about it, Avenatti said of Davidson. I didnt owe her any duty. I was never told to keep it confidential, and I owed her nothing. Her beef lies with Mr. Davidson.



Davidson has previously denied the allegations leveled by Broidy in The Wall Street Journal and by Bechard in the complaint. A spokesman for Davidson told ABC News earlier this month that Davidson has never breached any agreement or client confidentiality in this case. Any accusation to the contrary is false and defamatory.



Helping his client achieve a $1.6 million settlement is a pretty impressive achievement, given the facts of this case, Paul Berra, Davidson's attorney, told the Los Angeles Times. I mean, she wasnt kidnapped.



In a statement to ABC News, Berra said, "Ms. Bechard's claim that my client disclosed confidential information is not true. The Wall Street Journal published the details of her relationship with Broidy and the settlement -- not Davidson. Broidy was wrong to stop making the installment payments, and everyone in this case knows it."



Bechards lawsuit seeks compensatory damages from all defendants, full payment from Broidy on an expedited schedule, a disgorgement or reduction in Davidsons fees and punitive damages against Davidson.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Save my User ID and Password

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Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site.CEO with leadership is key to success for startup, says Chun P Chiu, senior advisor of InnoBridge

Technology only accounts for 25% of what makes a startup successful while the CEO's leadership can contribute to 50% of its success, said Chun P Chiu, national policy advisor to the president of Taiwan, InnoBridge Capital's Senior Advisor and an angel investor, who has funded more than 100 startups over a 20-year period.

Born in Taiwan, Chiu received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Waseda University in Japan and a master's degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University in the US. He designed the industry's first computer system-on-chip (SoC) and later engaged in R&D of DRAM, SRAM and flash memory chips. Chiu was in charge of mini computer research at Hewlett-Packard (HP). After he left HP in 1980, he founded Integrated Device Technology (IDT) with four partners, working on the development of SRAM fabricated using CMOS technology, an area where there was little research at that time. Four of the founders including Chiu were of engineering backgrounds and didn't know the first thing about fundraising. Later they recruited someone from AMD to be their CEO and the company successfully went public in 1984.

Angel investors have valuable business connections

During his time at IDT, Chiu transcended from his role as an engineer and took on challenging marketing and sales work. He established a Japan subsidiary for expansion into the Japan market, which has always been known for its stringent requirements on product quality. Chiu was lucky to have old classmates working for distributors and his customer Fujitsu so they were willing to try out IDT products and help with the testing. Following Fujitsu, Toshiba also became IDT's customer, making IDT the only American company successfully penetrating into the Japan memory market, which contributed 10% of IDT's revenues. Having completed his mission, Chiu decided to retire from his position at IDT. Afterwards, in 1989, based on his technological expertise and experience, Chiu founded another company, QSI, and made himself the CEO. QSI went public in 1994 and was acquired by IDT in 1998, when Chiu formally retired and began angel investing to this day.

Drawing on his 20-year experience as an angel investor and venture capitalist, Chiu spoke frankly that more than 70 startups that he invested in went belly up, 10 are barely alive, five successfully went public and seven were acquired. The most successful one is network security equipment provider Netscreen, which was the first to make use of ASIC chips. Going public in 2001, Netscreen was later acquired by Juniper Networks for US$4.3 billion in 2004. The deal gave Chiu 200 times return on investment. Chiu helped recruit Frank Marshall from Cisco to join Netscreen as an advisor. Chiu thinks the move contributed to Netscreen's huge success. Marshall not only recognized Netscreen's technological strength but also helped the team set a product R&D direction. He also invested in the company himself and assisted in the search for a suitable CEO. As he thinks a company's success hinges on whether the management can work as a team, Marshall insisted all three founders must reach consensus on who should be hired as the CEO. Then, everything worked out.

The deal that took Chiu by surprise the most was Azalea Networks in 2008. The wireless mesh network communication technology the company developed was very competitive at the time. Chiu thought Azalea Networks had very promising outlook and provided pointers for company operations at monthly board meetings. However, the founder from China was not satisfied with the slow growth in the US market and decided to return to China to bid for a 2008 Summer Olympics project. Unfortunately, Azalea Networks was unable to collect payments after completion of the project, which put the company in dire financial difficulty. Chiu came to rescue again and finally helped find a buyer - Aruba Networks - to acquire Azalea.

Marketing and sales play a pivotal role in corporate success

Drawing on his experience in starting his own businesses and angel investing, Chiu gives suggestions to Taiwan entrepreneurs with respect to the preparations they have to make in order to reach success.

Know what the market wants

Marketing and sales is key to a company's success. A business leader has to figure out what the market needs and whether the company's technology matches the need. What Chiu used to do was to call field application engineers (FAE) stationed at customer sites back to join sales specialists and R&D engineers in brainstorming meetings every quarter so that the company could stay on top of customer needs. Chiu warns that entrepreneurs with engineering backgrounds often think they have the best product and the market will scramble for it. That is the biggest mistake when you start a business.

CEO leadership

A startup is already halfway to success if it has a good CEO. Many startup teams have technological strength but they are going nowhere. In most cases, it's because they are unwilling to work with outside professional managers to help with their business operation. After a startup receives the first round of funding from an angel investor, it will have to develop the ability to raise additional capital by itself. In general, Chiu does not hire a CEO at the beginning but instead allows the startup team to experiment on its own. If they can't make it, Chiu will try to hire an outside CEO.

Entrepreneur characteristics: humble and coachable

According to Chiu, the most important characteristic of an entrepreneur is the willingness to stay humble, keep learning and engage professional talent. When Chiu was doing DRAM research, a few Japanese engineers were very humble so Chiu taught them everything he knew. Later when a Japanese firm got an outsourcing contract for computer chips, they analyzed the chip and came up with a better design than IDT's. The ability to take advice and communicate is another characteristic that Chiu places great importance on. An entrepreneur does not have to follow everything his mentor says but must be able to listen and communicate.

Execution of business model combined with strategy planning

A startup must have a clear business model and an understanding of how big the target market is, how strong the competitors are, what its own advantages are, how it is going to sell its products and what its market strategies are.

Concise business proposal

Venture capital funds get a lot of business proposals every day. They need to quickly determine whether a proposal has any potential so they usually just read the first page. As such, an entrepreneur looking to persuade venture capitalists must be able to present his point concisely on one page.

Japan's technologies

Familiar with the Japan industry, Chiu thinks although the Japanese marketplace has a reputation of being conservative, Japanese enterprises hold special technologies and are now gradually opening themselves up to partnerships with foreign businesses. The Taiwan manufacturing industry known for its agility and efficiency is a good complement to Japan. Furthermore, with Japan's trust in Taiwan, now is an ideal time for Taiwan and Japan to join forces. However, it will definitely take some time to build trust in a business relationship with Japanese firms.

The whole world is in search of the next unicorn. Hardware is Taiwan's strength but future growth may be limited if it continues to focus only on hardware development, said Chiu. Instead, by combining hardware and software (application) developments, Taiwan will embrace tremendous opportunities. Furthermore, Asia offers more room for growth than other regions in the world. Taiwan, with geographical advantages, is an ideal testing ground for problem-solving applications. Taiwan can also work with other Asian countries holding different advantages to complement each other.

But Chiu warned against putting too much emphasis on China due to market uncertainties there. Nevertheless, Taiwan startups should not hesitate to take the first step. "Just do it and you can always make adjustments later," he said.

(Editor's note: This is part of a series of interviews focusing on the problems and opportunities that Taiwan-based startups face. The interviewees are venture capitalists and angel investors from Silicon Valley and Taiwan.)

Chun P Chiu, senior advisor of InnoBridge Capital

Photo: Joseph Tsai, Digitimes, May 2018ITRI award-winning researcher not in hurry to commericalize technology

The leader of a research team has said he will not rush to establish a starup to commericalize its technology, - which has won various innovation awards, including iF - as a business will be just a tool to better life, not a purpose in itself.

The team, led by RH Liao, at the Taiwan government-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute, has seen its innovative technology - fluid-driven emergency rescuer (FDER) - win various awards in the past 10 years, including Germany's iF and Reddot awards, IDEA of the US, Japan's Good Design Award (G-Mark), and the latest US Edison Award granted in April 2018.

Winning the latest award may provide a good timing for Liao to start a new venture to commercialize the innovation, but Liao is still taking his time. He told Digitimes that he hopes to make better preparations before establishing a startup.

Liao revealed that the micro-hydropower technology can be applied in two different devices: the fluid-driven tactical nozzle and fluid-driven sprinkler ligh. The two devices can provide thermal images, LED lighting, and laser indication of evacuation routes in the dark to enhance visibility, improve the efficiency of the rescue work, and protect lives of firefighters and victims.

RH Liao, research team leader at ITRI

Photo: ITRIHart Crowser

Ueno

Caplan

Bromwell

Shaljian

Hultz

Fong

Cody

Simbeck

At its Seattle headquarters, Hart Crowser hired Amanda Hultz as a geologist and Mike Shaljian as a hydrogeologist. In Honolulu, it hired Karl Bromwell as a principal environmental scientist, Faith Caplan as a senior associate environmental planner, Shyun Ueno as a geologist, and Simone Simbeck, Brittany Cody and Matthew Fong as environmental scientists. Hultz holds a bachelor's from Western Washington University. She is working on highrise development and landslide repair, and supporting the in-house geotech lab. Shaljian holds a master's from Washington State University. He will work on environmental investigations. Bromwell has over 30 years of environmental consulting experience in Hawaii. He has worked on stormwater permitting and environmental impact statement/environmental assessment planning, Phase I and II environmental site assessments and ecological appraisals, and managed large on-call contracts. Caplan has over 25 years of environmental impact statement, National Environmental Policy Act, environmental planning and permitting experience. Her work has ranged from Hawaii Environmental Policy Act projects to a $25 million environmental impact statement for military actions in the Pacific. Ueno holds a bachelor's in geology and geophysics, and is working on geotechnical investigations for building and roadway foundations, and geologic hazards such as rockfalls. Simbeck has 12 years of experience in stormwater management and environmental monitoring, investigation and compliance. She has managed multicultural projects, been a marine environmental dredging specialist for Koniambo Nickel SAS in New Caledonia, owned an environmental consultancy in New Zealand, and worked for Washington Department of Ecology's marine monitoring unit. Cody has six years of experience in stormwater permitting and Phase I and II environmental site investigations, and is a inspector for sediment and erosion control. She has a background in database management, technical data compilation, and making complex data easily understandable. Fong has a bachelor's in natural resources environmental management from the University of Hawaii and a background in soil and water sampling, and environmental compliance for geothermal and stormwater projects. Hart Crowser is an engineering, science, and consulting firm.



Elliott Bay Design Group

Moser

Shrestha

In Seattle, Elliott Bay Design Group hired Alina Shrestha as a naval architect and John Moser as a marine engineer. Shrestha joined EBDG as a contractor in 2017. She is an engineer and researcher with experience in vessel repair, design and analysis, material planning, construction management, regulatory compliance and inspection. She will be responsible for design, construction and repair of vessels. Moser is a Texas A&M University at Galveston graduate who was a firefighter and emergency responder in Central Texas. He will develop analyses, drawings and technical reports and provide engineering support to project managers. EBDG provides naval architecture, marine engineering and production support services.



Subscriber content preview

By NICOLE FOY

Idaho Press

NAMPA, Idaho  A century-old gold mine is a curious place, and thats a problem for those whose job it is to find bats and blasting caps as worrisome as the public finds them to be wondrous.

When the 2015 fire in Owyhee County finally burned out, a team of experts from the Bureau of Land Management followed closely behind the wildland firefighters assessing the safety of public land known as the Owyhee Front. The Soda Fire burned 280,000 acres in southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon. The blaze damaged 28 miles of roads and 150 miles of recreation trails, severely diminishing grazing acreage in Owyhee County and requiring the rescue of 283 wild horses.





. . .Historic Seattle seeks buyer for the Showbox

Photo by Brian Miller [enlarge]





Historic Seattle said it will lead an effort to save the Showbox nightclub downtown from being demolished by Vancouver, B.C.-based Onni Group to make way for a 44-story residential tower.

The preservation group is also looking for an investor to buy the building that houses the club and offer a long-term lease to AEG to keep the club operating.

The two-story, 22,138-square-foot building at 1412 1st Ave. was constructed in 1916.

The DJC reported last week that Onni filed plans to build a 442-unit tower with commercial space, 88 underground parking stalls and a bike room on the site.

After the news broke, Showbox fans flooded news comment sections and social media decrying the planned demolition.

Onni issued a press release saying it will work with Seattle Department of Neighborhoods to nominate the Showbox structure as a city landmark. The company looks forward to working with all stakeholders including the City and Landmark Preservation Board to determine the Landmark status of the building.

Seattle landmarks may be demolished only if the owner can demonstrate there is no reasonable economic use. They cannot be significantly altered without a permit from the landmarks board.

Historic Seattle said in a press release that developers often submit landmark nominations to try to control the process so the nomination fails. By channeling energy into following the landmarks process correctly, the community can help counter that strategy, it said.

Historic Seattle said it will advise people how to submit comments and help make a case for preserving the community icon.

The group recommends people contact City Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw, Teresa Mosqueda and Lorena Gonzalez and tell them why they think the building is important.

Historic Seattle said it will work with AEG, Vanishing Seattle and Friends of Historic Belltown in the effort. Updates are at https://tinyurl.com/y87ff9o5/.

Even if the building is landmarked, Historic Seattle said AEG could lose its operating rights when its lease ends in a few years, and that is why the search is on for an investor to keep the Showbox.

An Onni representative could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.





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SEATTLE  Green Lake Terrace, at 7415 Fifth Ave. N.E., has sold for almost $15.4 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Greenlake Terrace, which acquired the property in 2009 for almost $6.5 million.





. . .Subscriber content preview

SEATTLE  An apartment building at 6041 California Ave. S.W. has sold for almost $8.6 million, according to King County records.

The seller were three married couples that had owned the property for decades.





. . .This Bobcat Winns Senior Tyler Winns fought his way back to be able to join his teammates this past Friday as a captain for the EC vs Cook County game. Cook County displayed...

Rising transportation tax revenues show Georgians back to driving, traveling With the number of new cases of COVID-19 in Georgia steadily declining, more and more Georgians are driving and traveling. That encouraging trend is showing up in monthly tax collections...

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China delegation in Morocco explores aquaculture opportunities



A delegation from China had held talks in July with Morocco's Secretary of State for Sea Fisheries Mbarka Bouaida concerning Chinese interest in the country's fisheries and aquaculture sectors.



The delegation was led by Deputy Mayor Wang Luming of Qingdao in Shandong province, eastern China. Members of the team included representatives from the Chinese government and private firms.



Bouaida, who presented an overview of Morocco's fisheries and aquaculture sectors to the delegates, remarked that the meeting "was very interesting, given that China leads internationally in aquaculture.



He also compared his country's assets to those based in Shandong, explaining that the region has "a certain similarity with Morocco in terms of coastline length."



"We are very interested in this important partner, because China has very important know-how in aquaculture that the country has developed on several levels," Bouaida said.



"We need to develop a real partnership in terms of scientific research, particularly between the Moroccan National Institute for Fisheries Research and other fisheries research institutes in China, in order to train the maximum of experts in marine sciences."



Wang described his meeting with Bouaida as an opportunity to "discuss various areas of scientific collaboration with oceanographic institutions, as well as Chinese investment opportunities in Morocco's aquaculture and seafood processing industry."



Based on a recent FAO report, Morocco's fish production positions 13th worldwide with 1.3 million tonnes of fish, while China is the number one producer with 1.2 million tonnes of fish.



- Morocco World News





Aviagen welcomes Japan Chunky Association delegates in Netherlands and Spain

Aviagen recently welcomed a Japan Chunky Association (JCA) delegation to its stand at VIV Europe 2018 in the Netherlands, as well as to Aviagen SAU in Spain.

The delegation, made up of 15 high-profile members of the Japanese poultry industry, represented integrated firms, independent hatchery owners, feed suppliers and Nippon Chunky, the longstanding Ross distributor in Japan. The visits to VIV Europe and Aviagen SAU were accompanied by Ross vice president of Asia Orapan Chansawat.

The delegation began their mission by attending the VIV Europe event in June. At the show, they were welcomed by the Aviagen Europe and TMEA teams and toured an Aviagen stand with its "Committed to the Poultry Industry" theme.

From there, they headed to Aviagen SAU in Spain, where they spent time at Aviagen's new Parent Stock (PS) hatchery - which is built to meet a growing demand for Ross products in Spain, Portugal and Morocco - and Grandparent Stock (GPS) farms.

According to Hideaki Kokubo, executive officer of Nippon Chunky, the experience was beneficial for the entire JCA group.

"We enjoyed our discussions with the Aviagen team at VIV Europe, and our tour of the new Aviagen SAU PS hatchery and GPS farms. We were impressed with the facilities, which integrate the latest in cutting-edge technology, biosecurity and cost and energy efficiency," Kokubo said. "The modern equipment, along with best management techniques, helped us gain insight that we can apply to our own operations in Japan. This year marks our 36th mission to collaborate with our poultry industry colleagues around the world, and we look forward to future visits."

"We enjoyed the opportunity to welcome the JCA to our stand at VIV Europe and to Aviagen SAU in Spain," Chansawat said.

"This cross cooperation between our business units enables us to better demonstrate our commitment to our valued customers. Through our investment in facilities and equipment, as well as our efforts to share the most recent and effective management practices, we aim to help our customers achieve the highest quality and performance with their Ross broiler breeding stock."

- AviagenEarlier this month, Manes alleged that Chinas investments and business ties in the Caribbean and Central America, which remain modest, had become a concern for the U.S. Department of State owing to the potential that they could mask a creeping militarization of the region.

Manes said:

They [the Chinese] are trying to find weak spots in the region, where they can make these kinds of arrangements  we are concerned that it is not only investment in a port, but then they want to do something with their military and they want to expand Chinese influence in the region. It is a strategic matter and we all need to keep our eyes open to what is happening.

Such claims of Chinese military activity in Central America should be taken with a grain of salt, at the very least, given the right-wing political forces and pro-U.S. business circles that are levying the accusations.

The hard-right ARENA Party, or Nationalist Republican Alliance  which enjoyed major backing from President Ronald Reagan during the brutal civil war in the country of the 1980s through the training and arming of right-wing death squads  has accused China of ulterior motives underlying its interest in the Port of La Union.

What is there is a geopolitical interest, its medium- and long-term considerations: Chinas objective is to interfere in the security zone of the United States, ARENA Deputy Mauricio Vargas told Salvadoran newspaper ABC, echoing Pompeos talking points.

The National Association of Private Enterprise has also criticized the SEZ and El Salvadors relations with the Chinese government, warning that the lack of transparency could be a cover for unfavorable loans, corruption, and an influx of Chinese workers.

Others have warned, without citing any evidence, of the possibility that China will interfere in next years elections and fund the FMLNs campaign efforts under the cover of large infrastructure projects in the country.

The FMLN, for its part, has balanced its left-wing and anti-imperialist roots with a foreign policy that has preserved its collaboration with Washington on various security efforts aimed at drug interdiction or combating transnational organized crime. Unlike China, the U.S has significant military installations across the region, including an air base in Honduras and a radar station in El Salvador aimed at countering drug trafficking.

Recently the US Ambassador to El Salvador, Jean Manes, created headlines when she asserted that China could be seeking to establish a military presence in El Salvador. As reported in a Mint Press News story titled US Accuses China of Seeking to Build a Military Base in El Salvador Commercial Port Ambassador Manes seems to adhering to the anti-China rhetoric of the Trump administration which currently finds itself in a trade war with the Asian power. But there are many reasons to look skeptically on the idea that there could end up being a Chinese military presence in El Salvador.Elliott Gabriel points out in that article from Mint Press News The other reason this concern of the US seems overblown is the existence of close economic ties between El Salvador and Taiwan. These ties were again emphasized this month as Taiwan's foreign minister visited El Salvador to meet with President Salvador Sanchez Ceren. According to the Focus Taiwan News Channel , during this visit Taiwan promised to further invest in El Salvador's agriculture, industry and infrastructure. and Minister Joseph Wu thanked El Salvador for its support of Taiwan in various international treaty organizations.Taiwan and El Salvador signed four free trade resolutions in 2017 which went into effect earlier this year. Several maquila factories in El Salvador have Taiwanese ownership.Frankly, I am not sure what Ambassador Manes was trying to accomplish with her comments.WESTERN Australias northern pastoralists will have access to a new round of Business Improvement Grants (BIG) to boost their cattle operations.

Applications for round two are now open, building on the success of the original program which saw 48 pastoral businesses, including 12 indigenous businesses, benefit from the grants.

Under BIG Round 2, enterprises can apply for a reimbursement of up to $25,000, excluding GST, to carry out a business improvement review and develop a business plan, and assist with making business improvements.

BIG is an incentive program for commercial cattle producers in the Kimberley and Pilbara to increase their market competitiveness and growth, providing business advice and mentoring support.

Eligible existing participants of the first BIG program have also been invited to apply for up to $3000 for further annual reviews of their business performance and plans.

This will help drive ongoing business improvement and provide five years of benchmarking data to identify strengths and weaknesses within individual enterprises and across the industry.

Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan said beef production was a powerful driver of regional economies in WAs north and North West  and there were real opportunities to grow, particularly for Aboriginal pastoral businesses.

The Business Improvement Grants program will strengthen our pastoral businesses in the Pilbara and Kimberley, building a modern, energised and resilient northern beef industry, Ms MacTiernan said.

The McGowan government is continuing to direct support at the grassroots level, which leads to stronger businesses, best practices and jobs growth in the north.

Kimberley and Pilbara Cattlemens Association (KPCA) chief executive officer Emma White said they were really pleased to see the announcement relating to round 2 of the Business Improvement Grants.

Of the previous Northern Beef Futures program (now Northern Beef Development and based out of Broome) - the Business Improvement Grants program was one of the best areas the KPCA thought was of benefit to pastoralists.

For more information or to submit a grant application, visit http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/r4r/northern-beef-development-project.

Applications close Friday, August 10, 2018.THE Women In Farming Enterprises (WIFE) annual seminar will this year be hosted by its Dowerin branch.

The event at the Dowerin Community Club, on Tuesday, September 18, will focus on diversity, innovation and well-being.

WIFE was formed in 2009 by a group of people in Varley who saw a need for a professional and supportive network for women in rural areas with a connection to agriculture.

Born out of an idea to promote WIFE during those early years, the first seminar was held at Varley in 2012.

The network has expanded across WA and the groups share resources, ideas and information to ensure farm businesses profitability, sustainability and the health and well-being of those living rurally and working in agriculture.

The WIFE network has expanded from one branch and 30 members to 14 branches and more than 200 members.

The Dowerin branch was the first to establish itself out of the Great Southern area where most other WIFE branches are located.

WIFE Dowerin chairwoman Kezia Metcalf said this year Dowerin had the chance to bring women from across the State together to address issues in diversity, innovation and well-being.

Each branch has the opportunity to host the annual event and the Dowerin branch put their hand up last year, Ms Metcalf said.

Its a great way to give exposure to the community and surrounding towns.

Ms Metcalf said she went to the Ongerup event last year and she was impressed with the way WIFE Ongerup showcased their town and the area.

The Dowerin branch has been working hard to provide a seminar that has a good range of topics which will be interesting to women in farming.

Its not just for farmers, but for women in farming enterprises, for example those running non-farming businesses in regional towns would be welcome and valuable member, she said.

This years events main speaker is Esperance shark attack survivor Sean Pollard who will be talking about how he has been innovative in living his life after the attack and how he ended up at the winter Olympics.

Wesley Lefroy, Rabobank, will be presenting on innovation, diversification and the international agricultural econony.

Ms Metcalf said WIFE was about learning a lot from other peoples knowledge.

Its just so handy if you are a woman who has come from a non-agricultural background and they are thrown into the office without much knowledge of ag, she said.

We are trying to spread the word about what WIFE is about and how easy it is to set up your own branch and learn from each other.

The concept is about sharing ideas and experiences in terms of an agricultural office.

With only 120 tickets available for the event, Ms Metcalf said it was certain to sell out.

Ticket sales open on August 19 with limited places available.

More information: visit wife.org.auMia Davies.

I HAVE an abiding, deep respect for anyone who makes a living off the land.

Farming is in my blood and while I am not a farmer, my connection to agriculture runs deep on both sides of the family and continues to this day.

As the Member for Central Wheatbelt and leader of The Nationals WA, it is not only my role to reflect the voices and aspirations of my constituents, but also to provide leadership on issues that affect their daily lives.

This advocacy takes many forms  in Parliament it can be asking questions, leading debates and interrogating legislation.

It can be engaging with ministers, meeting with industry representatives, talking directly to constituents and working with our Federal colleagues to make sure they understand how their decisions impact our State.

Part of our role is to call out misinformation and policy agendas that are blatantly incorrect or misleading.

Our State Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan and I agree on one thing when it comes to the live export debate.

Animal welfare should be at the centre of every decision we make.

Every farmer agrees.

But our paths diverge after this because Ms MacTiernan has a long-held and public view that the industry should not exist.

Her continued insistence that developing new markets for chilled meat, pointing to our domestic processors and saying they can offer us a neat solution and blanket statements that the trade cannot be conducted in the summer months are as damaging, if not more, than the adverts Animals Australia are bombarding us with.

Ms MacTiernan needs to provide real evidence to back up her claims.

Where is there modelling on the effect of every farmer shifting stock through domestic processors?

What impact will this have on price?

Would this shift ultimately lead to the closure of a processor if farmers exit the industry because they can no longer factor live trade into their business structure?

At best, her positions can be defined as wilful ignorance, at worst a deliberate attempt to win the battle shes waged for years on behalf of the animal activist lobby.

The historical bank of goodwill the nation has for farmers is no longer enough to combat the relentless and well-resourced campaigns we have seen emerging over the past decade, whether it be live export, GMO or mulesing.

Australian agricultures connection with an increasingly middle-class and urbanised society is weakening and this population is influencing policy makers.

Time will not change this and the industry needs to act quickly to address this growing divide.

If we dont, the interest groups that bombard the general population with information related to the evils of live export and other emotive topics will continue to fill the void.

Many farmers and operators in the agricultural sector I engage with understand this  but there are still a few that think that because they are operating legally they should be left alone to get on with their business.

Frankly, that is old-school thinking and has to be stamped out.

The ag sector is dynamic, innovative, cutting edge and solutions driven.

We must be better at selling this message and work harder to create trust and understanding with the broader Australian public.

Ask any person tasked with crisis management and they will tell you its far easier to set the course straight when theres been a reserve of goodwill developed and banked over a long period of time.

The live export industrys wake-up call to start that process should have been the ban imposed by the Federal Labor government in 2011.

In terms of a proactive approach to the longer-term issue of building that bank of goodwill for the sector  our agriculture spokesperson Colin DeGrussa MLC has presented to various forums on models of industry engagement and advocacy that he observed while completing his Nuffield scholarship in 2014.

His view is that industry needs a comprehensive and co-ordinated approach to attacking and resolving the live export issue, which needs also to be linked to, but independent of, the lobby organisations.

It is a reality that everything in the sector from this point forward is set against the backdrop of the Awassi Express incident.

The whole of the animal production industry is being measured by the worst day of one operator, not the best of many, many others.

Animal welfare is a technical industry issue.

Approached scientifically, standards can and have been continuously improved over time.

It is at the centre of every farmers business model.

But as a well-respected industry participant pointed out to me recently, what we are dealing with is not a question of an irresolvable technical issue.

It is ideological and political.

The role and performance of the Federal regulatory body (Department of Agriculture and Water Resources) cannot be overlooked either.

The high level of scrutiny on the sector at this time means it is more important than ever for the department and its processes to be beyond reproach.

Unfortunately, they have been found wanting on at least one count  and that mistake sends a ripple effect of uncertainty across the sector and plays into the hands of critics.

I dont absolve government decision makers either  we can and should take some responsibility for the situation facing us now.

As a collective, those of us invested in the sector have not always put our best foot forward.

I do support the actions of David Littleproud as the Federal Agriculture and Water Resources Minister.

He responded to the Awassi Express incident by immediately adding an independent veterinarian to all voyages moving to implement reduced stocking rates and improved ventilation.

An additional accredited stockman was added to each voyage and a requirement for Kuwait to be the first port of discharge when travelling to multiple middle east ports was mandated.

After this, a whistle-blower hotline was created and he announced a short review into the trade during the northern summer months (the McCarthy Report, now complete) and a review into the investigative capacity, powers and culture of the independent regulator (the Moss Review, which is ongoing).

Mr Littleproud has clearly signalled that those operators who do not and cannot meet the standards expected by experts and the community will be stripped of their privilege to do business in Australia.

That does not mean there is not great uncertainty and concern within the WA sheep sector and I have urged the minister and his colleagues to visit WA to meet with industry representatives and growers who are bearing the brunt of the hiatus in shipping and changing goal posts.

I think its important they hear direct from Mr Littleproud that he supports the industry and understands that there is a crisis emerging here as serious as the drought in New South Wales and Queensland.

Likewise, I have asked him to consider providing additional resources to fast-track the Moss Review.

Any changes to the goal posts that emerge from this review should be known as soon as possible so farmers and the industry can start to adjust.

In the interim, exporters need to know that if they seek to conduct their business legally and demonstrate the new, tightened regulations, the department will manage the permit and approval process efficiently.

This industry can and should survive.

It will take a concerted effort from everyone involved and there is no room for ego or ideology, even politics.The Panasonic enforcement action in April  resulting in $280 million in penalties and disgorgement to the DOJ and SEC  offers almost every lesson a compliance officer might want to discuss about anti-bribery programs.

First, due diligence matters all the time, and matters all the way down. As often happens with anti-bribery offenses under the FCPA, bribes were relayed to government officials through intermediaries and sales agents. Multiple agents working for Panasonic failed the companys internal due diligence checks and parted ways with the company  and were then hired back as subcontractors, with a sales agent that had passed the due diligence.

That scenario underlines the point of what due diligence truly is: an effort to expel corrupt third parties from the enterprise permanently, rather than a simple background check to be performed at one moment in time.

If the mantra is, Companies dont commit crime; people working for companies do, then due diligence programs should flag specific high-risk people and ensure they dont work on behalf of the organization. That can require language in contracts with other third parties (to avoid subcontractor risk), follow-up audits, and similar measures.

Second, accounting controls also matter. Panasonic engaged in considerable books-and-records violations both to mask the improper payments and to inflate revenue and pre-tax income by recognizing revenue early. Panasonic ultimately paid more than $1.75 million to supposed sales agents who provided few (if any) actual services. None of that was properly recorded in the companys books.

Moreover, Panasonic employees knew about, and concealed, the scheme to sub-contract the sales agents who had been terminated. The third party that employed those sub-contractors was paid from a Panasonic budget line under the sole control of a senior Panasonic Avionics executive, with no oversight from anyone else at the company.

Proper accounting controls are crucial to effective FCPA compliance, since they can choke off the supply of money necessary for criminal violations. For example, a company could require multiple executives to counter-sign any payment above, say, $50,000; and require documentation that the party receiving that money has delivered the services promised.

Compliance with the civil side of the FCPA (implementing strong accounting controls) supports compliance with the criminal side (not paying bribes).

Third, leadership matters if a company wants the first two issues to matter. Large organizations are always porous collections of people and business practices. Even the most exhaustive controls, policies, and procedures leave some crack where misconduct can sprout. Strong ethical leadership is the sealant that tries to fill those cracks. The absence of strong leadership does the company no favors.

In Panasonics case, an internal audit in 2010 flagged potential problems with high-risk agents, and that report was circulated among senior executives. No follow-up happened for years.

Panasonic didnt disclose the misconduct voluntarily. Only when the Securities and Exchange Commission began requesting documents did Panasonic admit potential problems and begin cooperating. That said, after the investigation began Panasonic did cooperate fully, including a thorough internal investigation and providing foreign employees for interviews with the Justice Department.

The company ultimately received a 20 percent discount on its penalties, per the DOJs new FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy (pdf).

____

Eric Lochner, pictured above, @ELochner1 is the President and CEO of global intelligence and software firm Steele Compliance Solutions, Inc. | @SteeleGlobal. Steele provides comprehensive third-party due diligence, software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions that help organizations comply with regulatory third-party compliance requirements, and engaging compliance training. Eric has more than two decades of experience building successful global technology companies.

Steeles Whitepaper, Creating a Credible and Defensible Third-Party Program, can be requested here.A dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizen was arrested at Miami International Airport Tuesday and charged with bribing an official at Venezuelas state-owned energy company.

The DOJ charged businessman Jose Manuel Gonzalez Testino (Gonzalez) with conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and with substantive FCPA offenses.

Gonzalez, 48, and a co-conspirator paid at least $629,000 in bribes to a former official at Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), according to the indictment.

In exchange for the bribes, the official was supposed to help Gonzalezs companies win contracts from PDVSA and get them paid before other vendors.

The bribes were also intended to make sure PDVSA awarded the contracts in U.S. dollars instead of Venezuelan bolivars, prosecutors said.

The DOJ filed the indictment in federal court in Houston. It was unsealed Tuesday.

Gonzalez made his first court appearance Wednesday in Miami.

Hes the seventeenth defendant charged in the PDVSA case. Twelve have pleaded guilty.

The defendants include both vendors and former PDVSA officials.

The vendors are mostly charged with FCPA-related offenses while the former PDVSA officials generally face money laundering charges.

The DOJ said Wednesday the charges against Gonzalez are merely allegations and hes presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

_____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.A dozen private-practice lawyers in Tokyo, including partners from the top firms, are helping Japanese companies comply with anti-bribery laws by publishing guidance and working with foreign enforcement agencies on behalf of the companies.

The lawyers, along with a few compliance experts, formed the group in 2016. Its called the Anti-Bribery Committee Japan or ABCJ.

One of the groups members, Kengo Nishigaki, said recently that Japanese companies have found it difficult to conduct clean business in developing countries.

In an email to the FCPA Blog, he said, Unlike U.S. or European companies, Japanese multinationals are bit behind in terms of implementing anti-bribery compliance systems, and understanding practical methods of how to do business without bribery in such countries.

To help the companies comply wherever theyre doing business, the group published its Guidance on Prevention of Foreign Bribery (pdf) in 2016.

The ABCJ also created an Anti-Bribery Assessment Tool and, working with the Global Compact Network Japan, published the Tokyo Principles for Strengthening Anti-Corruption Practices.

All of the publications and tools are available in English here.

Among the dozen lawyers in the group, Kengo Nishigaki is a partner at Baker McKenzies Tokyo office. Hes admitted to practice in Japan and New York.

Other members of the group include partners in some of Japans leading law firms.

In July, Indonesias independent anti-corruption agency, the KPK, asked the Anti-Bribery Committee Japan to help stop Japanese companies from bribing Indonesian officials.

The KPK also asked the ABCJ to report bribe demands made on Japanese companies operating in Indonesia.

In response, the ABCJ reported a number of illegal charges that were requested by Indonesian government officials or civil servants, according to an Indonesian press report.

Japanese companies havent faced much enforcement at home. But earlier this month, prosecutors in Tokyo used their first plea deal with a corporation  Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Ltd.  to resolve an overseas bribery case.

In the United States, some of Japans best-known companies have faced enforcement actions.

In 2011, Yokohama-based construction giant JGC made the FCPA Blogs Top Ten list when it paid $218.8 million to resolve FCPA-related charges for bribery in Nigeria.

In 2014, Marubeni paid $88 million to resolve FCPA offenses in Indonesia. The company had also paid $54 million in 2012 to settle FCPA offenses in Nigeria.

This year, Osaka-based Panasonic Corporation and an aviation subsidiary paid $280 million to resolve FCPA offenses for payments to consultants in the Middle East and Asia.

On its website, the Anti-Bribery Committee Japan describes itself as  an independent expert group.

Its goals are to empower companies and people to combat corruption, shed light on the black box of bribery and corruption, and promote collective actions among stakeholders.

The ABCJ says its doing that by publishing compliance guidance and assessment tools, conducting workshops and hosting seminars, and collecting data about foreign bribery risks.

We do not want to be those in ivory towers, Nishigaki told the FCPA Blog. So, for example, the ABCJ conducts field research in less developed countries.

As its recent actions in Indonesia with the KPK showed, the ABCJ is using that field research to help Japanese companies take countermeasures against unreasonable demands for bribes.

___

Tina Song is a staff writer for the FCPA Blog and a product manager for FCPA Tracker.Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-CategoryDefinedCrowd Corp., a Seattle, WA-based smart data company for AI, closed an $11.8M Series A funding round.

The round was led by Evolution Equity Partners, with participation from Kibo Ventures, Mastercard and EDP (Energias de Portugal) as new investors, and current investors Sony, Portugal Ventures, Amazon Alexa Fund, and Busy Angels. In conjunction wioth the funding, Dennis Smith, Founder and Managing Partner at Evolution Equity Partners, joined DefinedCrowds Board of Directors.

The company intends to use the funds to develop its product offerings, expand the team, and increase its market-share globally.

Founded in 2015 by CEO Dr. Daniela Braga, DefinedCrowd provides a SaaS platform allowing data scientists to collect, enrich and structure data to train their AI and ML models via Web API and Web UI, through a combination of human intelligence, automatic tools, and machine learning capabilities.

With in speech and NLP technologies, they support a broad range of use cases, from virtual assistants, to customer review, autonomous vehicles, content categorization, pattern recognition, or even surveillance systems.

The company, which serves BMW, Mastercard, Nuance, and Yahoo Japan, among others, also offers capabilities in 46 languages, supported by their own community, Neevo by DefinedCrowd, which consists of 45,000+ skilled members worldwide.

FinSMEs

31/07/2018LegalZoom, a Glendale, Calif.-based provider of legal solutions for small businesses and families, received a $500m secondary investment.

The transaction was led by Francisco Partners and GPI Capital, with participation from one or more Franklin Templeton Investments funds and funds managed by Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers.

Following the close of the transaction, existing investors will retain meaningful stakes in the company. Global private equity firm Permira will remain the largest shareholder, Bryant Stibel will retain its entire ownership stake and Kleiner Perkins and Institutional Venture Partners (IVP) will retain the majority of their ownership stakes. IVP and Kleiner Perkins invested in LegalZoom in 2011; the Permira funds and Bryant Stibel invested in 2014.

As part of their firms investment, Dipanjan DJ Deb and Neil Tolaney from Francisco Partners and Khai Ha from GPI Capital will join the companys board of directors. Jeff Stibel of Bryant Stibel, who has served on the LegalZoom Board of Directors since 2015, will assume the role of Chairman.

LegalZoom intends to use the proceeds to continue to accelerate its growth.

Led by CEO John Suh, the company provides small business owners and families with a platform of people and technology that gives access to legal solutions be more informed and secure legal decisions.

LegalZoom, which services customers in the US and the UK and is now over 1,200 employees strong, is launching new services while expanding into new channels and territories.

In recent years, they have expanded into the United Kingdom and grown subscriptions to more than 50% of U.S. revenue.

FinSMEs

31/07/2018Cloud Conformity, a Pyrmont, Australia-based provider of public cloud infrastructure security and compliance monitoring solutions, raised $2.8m in Series A funding.

The round was led by Paladin Capital Group, with participation from Jump Capital. As part of the funding round, Tom Clute from Paladin Capital Group will join the board of directors and Saurabh Sharma from Jump Capital will join as a board observer.

The company intends to use the funds to expand current offerings for securing public cloud infrastructure to serve new customers and markets.

Co-founded in 2015 by Michael Watts and Mike Rahmati, Cloud Conformity is an early stage cloud security company providing a software platform to allow IT/DevOps staff at enterprises as well as small companies to continuously monitor and secure their AWS cloud infrastructure.

The companys solution provides real-time threat monitoring without performance impact, a large automated best practice policy library and simplified remediation capabilities.

Its global customer base spans fifteen countries.

FinSMEs

01/08/2018Inecosys GmbH, a Munich, Germany-based rapid control engineering startup, raised a high six-figure funding from High-Tech Grunderfonds.

The exact amount of the deal was not disclosed.

The company intends to use the funds to continue development efforts of the RSD process and the underlying embedded hardware.

Founded in 2014 by three PhD students from the Department of Internal Combustion Engines at the Technical University of Munich, Inecosys supports its customers in the implementation of embedded projects through the Rapid Series Development Platform (RSD). Research and pre-development results are generated in a continuous and agile process on rapid control prototyping systems and then transferred to the requirements of the final series product. As a result, customers achieve accelerated market readiness with reduced overall development costs at the same time.

The service offering of the company ranges from the provision of the platform and the implementation of the process to development services and series production. Up to now, customers have mainly been companies from the automotive sector.

With the seed investment, HTGF finances the development of the RSD process and the underlying embedded hardware. With this new platform, additional customers from the mechanical- and plant-engineering, production, energy and construction machinery sectors will be addressed in addition to the existing customers.

FinSMEs

01/08/2018Pico, a Chinese VR manufacturer in the field of all-in-one VR, completed $24.7M in Series A financing.

The round was led by GF Qianhe and GF Xinde Investment, and completed jointly by Jufeng S&T Venture Investment and others.

Established in 2015 and led by CEO Henry Zhou, Pico launched the Pico Neo DK, an all-in-one VR headset based on Qualcomms Snapdragon 820 platform, in 2016. It was followed by the Goblin series. Pico Neo, a 6 DoF all-in-one, was launched at the end of 2017.

The company is also actively deploying on the B2B side, getting deeply involved in education, real estate, insurance, automotive, medical and other fields, and developing cooperation with brands such as China Life, Mengniu, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

Currently, it holds 435 domestic authorized patents and 192 authorized (49 accepted) overseas patents. The team has more than 300 employees with offices located in Beijing, Qingdao, San Francisco, Tokyo, Barcelona and other countries and regions.

FinSMEs

01/08/2018 .               UFC,   -        UFC 267   .                 .      UFC             .   ...Victims of the water quality state of emergency are washing up on Fort Myers Beachs shores daily.

The beach is being inundated with sea grasses, dead fish and drift algae.

These marine organisms began appearing Thursday, and continued heavily over the weekend, connected to the almost year-long red tide algae bloom coming ashore from the Gulf of Mexico.

In addition, the respiratory irritation and smell of dead fish is cloying the air.

My 30, 60, 90 day outlook is way worse than it was last year, said Scott Safford, co-owner of the Sea Gypsy Inn.

The water quality issues bombarding the beach are already having a chilling effect on his business. Last week, two guests left after a day instead of making it through their four-day stay because of the respiratory irritations caused by red tide. Safford had two cancellations Monday morning.

When guests call in asking about the water, he said hes honest with them.

If youre coming down to hang out on the beach, Id recommend rescheduling, he said.

Sea grass serves an important role in the estuarine system, providing food for animals like manatees and also serving as home and safe zones for fish nurseries.

But the grasses are dying and washing up on the beach  a sign of the imbalance of salinity in the estuary, said Rae Burns, Town of Fort Myers Beach environmental technician.

We want our sea grasses in the sea grass beds, protecting our fish, she said.

The grasses need a mix of salt water and fresh water to thrive; too much of either is detrimental.

With two weeks of freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee, that mix has been thrown out of balance.

Its not just sea grasses  dead fish are here now, too.

Red tide has been concentrated in northern Lee County for weeks, but the bloom has shown its consequences now on Fort Myers Beach. This years red tide has been fed by the freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee; the nutrients in the water are the same kind that red tide likes to feed on.

Dead fish have been washing up on shore on the beach, dead from Karenia brevis. K. brevis is the organism that makes up red tide; it produces a toxin that kills fish and can cause respiratory irritation to people and animals when it becomes airborne.

The winds are blowing everything in shore, Burns said. Fort Myers Beach is getting red tide now.

Burns said people should not pick up or bury the fish  especially catfish, as they have a painful barb.

Let us handle them, she said.

The Public Works Department is cleaning up the fish on the beach.

According to the semi-weekly report by the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) released Monday, Lee County is experiencing high levels of red tide from north to south in both the Gulf and bay areas, with the exception of the bay area of south Lee County, which is not experiencing red tide.

The beach is also littered with drift algae  large clumps of red or brownish seaweed. Its a separate issue from red tide, but the town is trying to pick up the excess, Burns said.

There is a large clump of the drift algae living offshore, but currents and winds are breaking off pieces of it and pushing it toward the beach, Burns said.

The town is not removing the algae from the wrack line  the line made by high tide  because the wrack line, and the algae, serve an important ecological role in feeding shorebirds and other creatures. But, there is excess drift algae washing up, and the town will do emergency raking to remove anything past the wrack line, Burns said.

According to an email from Town Manager Roger Hernstadt, the town will continue to clean the beaches as necessary, and the town is working to get contractors to remove dead fish from the towns canals and waterways. The raking will continue as its needed.

Tractors could be seen Monday trying to pick up the drift algae, but new chunks washed up alongside fish, eel and horseshoe crab bodies within minutes.

Hernstadt said in an email Monday that the entrance fees to the Bay Oaks Swimming Pool will be waived, effective immediately, to give residents and visitors a place to relax and swim.

The pool fee waiver will continue until further notice or until beach conditions improve, Hernstadt said.

Safford is concerned that it could take weeks to clean up, as there are fish kills being reported 20 miles offshore. It can take a while for those bodies to get to shore.

Hes lived through red tide before, but said this is the worst its been.

When you smell it, when you see it, its unbelievable, Safford said. Theyve got to stop the discharges right now.

Sanibel is getting hit with red tide as well, including large dead creatures washing on shore.

Last week, a number of sea turtles and a whale shark were the victims.

We have a big fish kill from Punta Rassa to the Sanibel boat ramp up the beach and along the shoreline; they are seeing everything, said Rae Ann Wessel, Natural Resources policy director for Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. Its devastating  the death and the smell and just safety, from contamination. These are dark days. Weve got everything washing up, apparently.

The 26-foot young male whale shark was exposed to red tide; K. brevis was present in tissue samples taken by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials last Sunday. But, its not known yet if the red tide was the cause of its death.

The muscle, liver, intestine  tissue and contents  and stomach contents of the whale shark all tested positive for the red tide brevetoxin  Karenia brevis, Melody Kilborn, spokeswoman for FWCs Southwest Region Office, said. The whale shark was exposed to the red tide bloom, but this does not necessarily indicate this is why it died.

Holly Milbrandt, environmental biologist with the Sanibel Natural Resources Department, reiterated that the initial results are only an analysis of the four samples and further research will be required.

This isnt really meant to be a final report, she said.

Milbrandt echoed that the whales exact cause of death may never be revealed.

But I can say this is a contributing factor, she said, referring to the existence of brevetoxin in the tissue samples. Red tide definitely played a part.

Milbrandt noted the recent sea turtle strandings on the islands and other local sea life being impacted, pointing out that the area is in the midst of a red tide bloom that has been lingering since October.

This is a really challenging time for our beaches and the Caloosahatchee, she said. I think its evident that things are not right in our shore waters.

The reason beach-goers are seeing the full impact of blooms severity is due to wind direction.

Were seeing the effect of it because the on-shore wind is blowing it all on shore, Wessel said.

Such blooms feed on nutrients in the water  the more nutrients released from the rivers watershed and Lake Okeechobee, the greater the chance of marine-life killing blooms in the gulf, Wessel said.

To that end, SCCF is urging the community  particularly voters  to demand prevention at the source of the pollution.

The primary driver is nutrients in the water. We need to stop loading nutrients in our water bodies, she said. As we stand here in the middle of this extreme event, what we can do is ask for the state to tighten water quality and stormwater standards. Our options are limited while were the middle of an event. Its sort of like when the house is burning, thats not the time to call about getting an insurance policy.

SCCF has set up a call-to-action component online at sccf.org.

Were encouraging people to send a letter to current officials and ask questions of candidates both, Wessel said.

Safford hopes voters can put party lines aside and vote for candidates who will support clean water.

People from every political angle are saying the same thing, he said. People need to wake up. You have to vote for water first.

 Valarie Harring and Tiffany Repecki contributed to this story.A conversation in the Capitol focused on Florida last week.

The South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force is a 14-member committee established in 1996 with the Water Resources Development Act. It meets to connect four sovereign entities, the Army Corps, the South Florida Water Management District, the tribal entities of Southwest Florida and the state and federal government to relay information about the many related projects in the Everglades restoration projects.

The meeting, held Wednesday, had some local representation.

Several south Florida residents attended the meeting in person, including South Florida Clean Water Movement leader John Heim.

What the public sector is seeing is mismanagement. When you go down to the river and see miles of blue green algae, that spells mismanagement, Heim said during public comment. What were dealing with now is the ramifications of the toxic releases.

Heims request that could see immediate action was to reduce freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee to under 3,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Currently, the Corps target is 3,000 cfs over a 14-day average, which started with three days of no releases followed by several days of 4,400 cfs releases before ratcheting down to 3,000. He said hed also like to see the state stop blaming the federal government, or vice versa, and focus on fixing the problems.

Were looking for accountability, trust, not having to come all the way to D.C. to express to people we feel are failing us back home, he said. We want the state and federal level to work together.

Florida Congressman Brian Mast, District 18 (R.), also spoke. He wanted to hear what exactly the lowest level the lake could reach before the entities who request water would stop getting it  like agricultural industries.

If all of this is about managing risk, but were keeping the like at an artificially high level but were sending them their water, then that is management that needs to be adjusted, Mast said. My community is receiving the effects of the toxic algae we had no part in producing.

City of Sanibel Mayor Kevin Ruane is a member of the task force, and gave a presentation to show the rest of the committee the reality of the Caloosahatchee: bright blue-green toxic algae clogging its canals and rivers.

Ive been at this job for 12 years, Ruane said. Its the worst Ive ever seen these conditions.

In 2016, record rains lead to toxic algae blooms heavily on the east coast, and also affecting the west coast. In 2017, Hurricane Irma hit. Now, in 2018, the blooms are hitting the west coast again, and worse this time  and in addition, Sanibel and other areas have suffered from a red tide bloom for almost a year.

Were a tourist state, we make a lasting impression, Ruane said. Were in a fragile position on the verge of putting southwest Florida into a recession.

Ruane is well-versed in the intricate aspects of the many different Everglades restoration programs. He told his fellow committee members he knows the Caloosahatchee River has watershed issues as well, but the Lake Okeechobee releases only compound the issue. And, the excessive freshwater releases have fed the red tide in the Gulf. Lessening the releases would help the red tide recede.

He also pointed out that the Corps violated the Lake Okeechobee Release Schedule (LORS) during the spring this year, by withholding releases.

The Caloosahatchee needs freshwater releases in the dry months to maintain the brackish water of the estuary; despite requests for the Corps to release more water earlier this year, the Corps declined. In a previous Observer article, spokesman John Campbell said the reason was that meteorological predictions were showing a dry summer  a prediction that was sharply reversed in May, which was the wettest May on record for decades.

As the mayor of a small town, you dont walk any place where someone doesnt talk to you about the water, he said.

Comments caused task force chair, Susan Combs, to take some action during the meeting.

After hearing the concerns from Mast about the needed releases during the dry season, she said she wanted to form a subcommittee to start a conversation about how dry season release schedules could be altered. She directed a member of the committee to compile a group and meet by Aug. 10.

I dont think we can fix it today, but i think this conversation should continue, she said. Water management effects lives, businesses and health.

Martin County Commissioner Doug Smith sits on the committee as well; after seeing Ruanes photos, he said the west coast was experiencing what his coast went through during the 2016 algal blooms.

Those photos are reminiscent of how god-awful things were in 2016, he said. We feel your pain, well do anything we can to help you.

But the east coast is still dealing with the consequences of the freshwater run-offs.

The west coast has had a red tide bloom for almost a year, fueled by excessive freshwater coming from the Caloosahatchee River. The east coast doesnt have red tide, but Martin said its undergoing a massive coral reef die-off. The reef, which starts at the southern end of Martin County and wraps down around the Florida Keys, is infected and has experienced a 50 percent loss, he said.

Our nutrient loading in the estuary and river, now on the reef, is whats causing so much harm, Smith said. The coral reef tract is dying at an accelerated rate with unprecedented disease.Idaho drivers must be pretty goodand fast.

Police only ticketed two motorists last month under the states new left lane law, which fines drivers up to $90 for going to slowly in the passing lane.

Along with the pair of citations, state police gave warnings to just three other drivers since the law went into effect on July 1, according to the Idaho Press.

A majority of states have some form of a slowpoke law that reserves the left lane for passing, but only a few assign specific fines for the offense, with New Jersey and Indiana the highest at a maximum of $500.

In June, an Indiana State Trooper was hailed as a hero after he tweeted about pulling over a slow-moving car in the left lane that was holding up 20 vehicles behind it.

If vehicles are moving slower, it can cause accidents and crashes, Idaho State Police L.t Shawn Staley said.

The Idaho law doesnt give a firm time limit for how long a slow driver has to move out of the left lane, leaving it up to an officers discretion, and Staley says that drivers who are moving at the speed limit will not be fined.

However, the law also allows for cars to exceed the posted speed limit 15 mph on two-lane roads when they pull out to pass someone who is driving below it.

The Associated Press contributed to this reportHes back! Steve Harvey is set to return as the 2018 Miss Universe host.

On Tuesday, FOX announced that the Emmy award winner will take the stage in Bangkok, Thailand, where the three-hour competition will take place on December 16.

In 2015, Harvey, 61, famously named the wrong winner during the pageant. After initially announcing Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo, as the nights big winner, Harvey revealed he had made an error and Miss Philippines, Pia Alonzo Wurzbach, was in fact the winner.

Nobody feels worse about this than me, the Family Feud host told reporters after the mix-up.

Along with Harvey, reigning Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, from South Africa, will also return this year to crown her successor.

The Miss Universe competition provides women from all walks of life and all corners of the globe the opportunity to represent their countries and share their ambitions, perspectives and personal experiences on an international stage, Nel-Peters said in a statement.

Becoming Miss Universe changed the course of my life, she added. And I look forward to seeing which amazing woman will benefit next!Paul Teutuls reputation as a hothead followed him into the courtroom Tuesday.

Teutul, 69, and his lawyers were in the United States Bankruptcy Court in Poughkeepsie, NY, for a mediation session on Tuesday with JTM Motorsports over allegations that the Orange County Choppers owner promised to promote the company in exchange for free work on his Corvette.

While both lawyers were verbally discussing the mediation, Paul was getting agitated, the source told Page Six. He got up and said, Fk you, I want my car!

After that, he basically leaned over the table and lunged. He never touched the other attorney, but she requested that he be restrained and three court officers came upstairs.

He had to be removed by three security officers. They didnt handcuff him though, our source continued.

The American Chopper star filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in February and revealed in an updated filing in May that there is a $51,841.01 claim against him from JTM Motorsports Inc. He is paying the company $50 per day in storage fees for his car while his bankruptcy case is being heard in court.

Their next court date is in October.

Heated words. Sure. Thats why people go to court because they disagree on an issue, Teutuls rep told us. Security needing to be called? Never happened.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post.BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP)  Betty White sees no point in slowing down at age 96, as long as her phone keeps ringing with offers to work.

The actress known for her roles in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls" is marking her 80th year in show business with a PBS special that looks at her life and career.

Moore, Georgia Engel and Gavin MacLeod are among those sharing insights in "Betty White: First Lady of Television," which debuts Aug. 21.

The special shows White at work, at home and interacting with friends. She is the lone living star from "The Golden Girls."

White didn't join Engel and MacLeod at a TV critics meeting on Tuesday.

"Betty wanted to be here in the worst way," said Steve Boettcher, the special's co-director and producer. "She sends her best and she's doing great."

Tap dancer Arthur Duncan credits White with launching his career by featuring him on her own daily talk show in the mid-1950s. The show received letters complaining about Duncan's presence as a black performer.

White also served as producer and her response to the protests was to use Duncan every chance she could. He later went on to "The Lawrence Welk Show," becoming the first black regular on a TV variety show.

"She was probably one of the nicest, grandest, greatest people I've had the chance to meet in my life," said Duncan, now 84. "Whenever she walked into a room, it lit up."

The bald MacLeod, who is 87, recalled the interplay between his character Murray and White's portrayal of man-hungry Sue Ann Nivens on Moore's show.

"If I had hair, I don't think it would have worked," he said, laughing about the comedic opportunities his physical appearance afforded White.

"Thursday we'd get a new script and shoot it on Friday night. She could put that thing down and go up and do it. She was the quickest study I worked with in my career," MacLeod said.

MacLeod said the longtime friendship between Moore and her then-husband Grant Tinker and White and her husband Allen Ludden led to White's role on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

White and Ludden would attend Friday night tapings and eventually the writers created White's memorable character.

"To this day, people imitate her," MacLeod said, noting a scene in which Sue Ann shuts the oven door with her knee. "My wife still closes the oven door that way."

Moore's appearance in the special was the last interview she did before her death last year, Boettcher said.

Engel's fondest memories of White center on their off-screen friendship. They bonded over a mutual love of animals. The women visited a bear and White taught Engel how to give the animal a marshmallow using her teeth.

"Animals just take to her," said Engel, who is still acting at 70.

She said White's most recent pet, a dog, died not long ago. White adopted it after the dog flunked seeing-eye aide training.

Despite the ups-and-downs of show biz, White's friends say she has maintained a positive attitude.

"It has to do with her character," Engel said. "Betty has such integrity, honesty, generosity of spirit, wisdom and self-forgetfulness when she's in a room of people. It's a really beautiful thing."Jessica Vogel, a New Jersey woman who competed on Season 12 of "Hell's Kitchen," has died. She was 34.

Vogel's fiance, John Michael Keyser, told NorthJersey.com that the chef's "heart gave out" while receiving treatment for colitis at a local hospital. Colitis is a disease which causes inflammation in the digestive tract.

"We were planning to open a restaurant together," Keyser told the outlet. "My heart is breaking."

Vogel studied culinary arts at Johnson & Wales. She auditioned for the Gordon Ramsay-hosted show while working at a creperie and bakery in California, NorthJersey.com reported.

She also worked as a pastry chef for chef Christine Nunn at Grange in Westwood. She recently worked as the executive chef of Black Rebel Burger in Hackensack, N.J. before it shut down last year.

"She knew more about the Bergen County dining scene than just about anyone," Nunn told NorthJersey.com of Vogel. "She was really a talented chef who never reached her potential. It's a shame."

An obituary for Vogel published on Legacy.com called the chef "fearless."

"When she set her mind on something there was no way to stop her," the obituary read. "Jessica was fearless when it came to work, never backing down from a challenge."

It went on to reveal that Vogel battled issues with alcohol and drugs.

"She recently committed to living a better life and had graduated from an inpatient rehabilitation program with hopes of regaining control of her life," her family stated in the obituary. "Unfortunately, the damage done over the years was too great and she died, like she lived, a fighter."

Vogel came in 12th place in "Hell's Kitchen" in 2014.Hillary Clinton has found a new gig  that of executive producer.

The former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee is teaming up with Steven Spielbergs Amblin Television to adapt Elaine Weiss book The Womans Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote for television, The Hollywood Reporter revealed Wednesday.

The book, published in March, explores how activists led a decades-long fight to grant women the right to vote in America. Clinton confirmed the news on Twitter Wednesday.

The publication noted Amblin aims to adapt the book as either a TV movie or a limited series. And while a writer isnt attached to the project yet, Amblin TV will shop The Womans Hour to premium cable or streaming platforms.

Clinton, marking her debut as an executive producer, will join Amblin TV co-presidents Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, as well as Weiss. The 70-year-old is expected to be actively involved in the search for a writer, director, script and cast.

At the heart of democracy lies the ballot box, and Elaine Weiss unforgettable book tells the story of the female leaders who  in the face of towering economic, racial and political opposition  fought for and won American womens right to vote, explained Clinton.

Unfolding over six weeks in the summer of 1920, The Womans Hour is both a page-turning drama and an inspiration for everyone, young and old, male and female, in this perilous times.

So much could have gone wrong, but these American women would not take no for an answer: their triumph is our legacy to guard and emulate. I am thrilled to be working with Elaine, Steven and everyone at Amblin Television on bringing this important project to audiences everywhere.

Sources told the magazine Weiss, an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, was inspired by the 2016 presidential election between Clinton and Donald Trump, believing it paralleled the womens suffrage movement.

The author, who was determined to get her manuscript in Clintons hands, met a bookstore owner who delivered The Womans Hour to Clinton.

Sources added Clinton reportedly loved the book and felt it was a worthy story to share on the small screen, while also creating prominent roles for women.

Clinton eventually met Weiss before calling in the Hollywood filmmaker, a noted supporter, who brought in Amblin TV.

This isnt the first time Clinton has pursued television. She will also guest-star in the upcoming fifth season of CBS Madam Secretary with Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright.

While the episode wont air until October, fans already have some information about the guest stars roles.

In the episode, Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord, played by Tea Leoni, turns to the former secretaries of state to ask their advice on how to respond to a delicate situation, said CBS.

Albright, who earlier played herself in a second-season episode, took to Twitter in July to share the news.

It was great to be back on the set of @MadamSecretary with @tealeoni, she shared. It is always nice to consult with my successors. The episode will air on #CBS on October 7.

Clinton also took time to tweet about her guest role.

It was wonderful to spend some time with the team from @MadamSecretary on set in Brooklyn with a few former colleagues, she wrote. Mark your calendars for October 7th!Tom Cruise had no idea you could watch pornography on the internet until Seth Rogen told him, Judd Apatow claimed.

Writer and director Apatow was there to witness the moment Tom Cruise learned about porn and told talk show host Stephen Colbert all about it on "The Late Show."

I did once have a meeting with Tom Cruise, Apatow said. Hes a very, very nice man.

I got asked to meet him. He was looking potentially to do not an action movie, a romantic comedy.

This was back in 2006 when Apatow was making "Knocked Up" with Seth Rogen and he invited the actor to join him for the meeting with Cruise.

No one knew who Seth was, Apatow recalled.

He wasnt famous so he was just a dude with me and so I said, Someone needs to witness this.

So were talking to him (Cruise), and I dont know how it came up, but it usually comes up with Seth where (he) starts talking about marijuana and pornography.

And he starts talking about watching adult films on the internet and Tom Cruise goes, What? Youre saying theres adult films on the internet?

And Seths like, Yeah, theres all these movies on these websites. And Tom Cruises like, Wait a second. Youre saying if I go on the computer, on the world wide web, there are people having sex?

Rogen told Cruise that he watches porn on the internet all the time.

Everybody does it, its not a big deal anymore, Rogen said, according to Apatow.

The "Knocked Up" director told Colbert he still isnt 100 percent certain if Cruise was actually hearing about internet porn for the first time.

He was being very polite, but I think  I assume he was against it and being polite, but who knows, Apatow said. Well never know.

This article originally appeared on News.com.au.A royal correspondent is claiming journalists are allegedly being kept at a distance from Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle during official engagements so that they cant overhear any remarks that might breach royal protocol.

Richard Palmer, a reporter for Londons Daily Express who has covered the former Suits stars appearances, made the claim on Twitter Tuesday in a series of tweets.

Royal rota journalists are being kept further away from her than we were before the wedding, he claimed. That means we cant hear what she is saying.

"If you cant get direct quotes from members of the Royal Family that often makes for dull stories. You go afterwards and ask what she said. Mr. Bloggs said: The Duchess expressed the hope that women would eventually get the same opportunities as men in this profession. Boring.

So, just as with Kate [Middleton], that inevitably leaves you with little else to write about except what she wore and looked like These stories have limited shelf life.

Palmer believed this unusual move is part of an ongoing strategy created by the palace while the 36-year-old settles into her new role without worrying about being overheard for saying the wrong thing.

I suspect keeping the rota [royal correspondants] further away is about settling her in and nothing to do with any previous stories, he said.

My hope is that when they come back from their summer break, Meghan will be given of a freer rein to express herself (within earshot of the media) and get stuck into some of the serious topics she wants to tackle, added Palmer.

She has the soft power to help many people in this world. What she wears will always be of interest to some readers, of course, but it doesnt have to be all of the story.

In response, a rep from Kensington Palace told Fox News: "This is something that we're not providing any comment on."

Despite the criticism, Palmer insisted Markle is worthy of writing about.

So, to the Duchess of Sussex, he wrote. Like every [correspondent] and photographer I know, I am delighted shes joined the Royal Family. Shes a breath of fresh air, beautiful, and  lets be honest  a new character in the royal soap opera. It all makes for good copy.

Markle, who retired from acting in Hollywood to marry Britains Prince Harry in May, may still be learning how to safely find her away as the newest member of the royal family.

Despite her previous high-profile career, Markle has appeared visibly nervous during several events. And earlier this month, Markle seemingly broke royal protocol when she and Harry, 33, were on their first overseas trip as a married couple.

According to Irish senator Catherine Noone, who was one of the leaders of the recent referendum to legalize abortion in Ireland, Markle expressed her support for Noones efforts.

In a since-deleted tweet captured by the Irish Sun, Noon said: A pleasure to meet Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex at the British Ambassadors residence this evening. The Duchess and I had a chat about the recent referendum  she watched with interest and was pleased with the result.

Noone was quick to backtrack on her tweet as many pointed out members of the royal family are required to refrain from making political statements.

I deleted it because it was unintentionally misleading  the Duchess was not in anyway political, she later tweeted.

A rep for the royal family told Fox News at that time they had no comment.

Fox News Sasha Savitsky contributed to this report.Paris Jackson says Demi Lovatos recent drug overdose has had no effect on her current mental state.

Taking to her Instagram story on Tuesday, the 20-year-old daughter of the late Michael Jackson, denied reports that shes heading back to rehab following Lovatos hospitalization.

ummmm no?? I havent gone to a clinic..someone doesnt have to almost die for me to know to be healthy, Ive already had friends OD and die. thats enough for me, she wrote in response to a tweet alleging she was headed back to rehab.

She also addressed the rumor on Twitter: i havent gone back to rehab, or to any clinic.. idk who decided to make this bullst up for clickbait but its annoying! i dont need a celebritys misfortune to make me healthy. ive had enough friends OD to send me that message!

Paris was born into the spotlight and her every move only became more public  and more troubled  after the passing of Michael in 2009. In 2013, she overdosed on Motrin while engaging in self-harm and was hospitalized in Los Angeles.

A few years later in a bombshell interview with Rolling Stone, Jackson admitted to multiple suicide attempts, suffering from depression since the loss of her father and a stint in rehab.

It was great for me. Im a completely different person, she said of her time in rehab. I was crazy. I was actually crazy. I was going through a lot of, like, teen angst. And I was also dealing with my depression and my anxiety without any help.

However, in April, sources close to the Jackson family told The Post that they were still worried about her well-being, to which she responded, If youre worried about me, call me.

Lovato still remains in the hospital.

This article originally appeared in Page Six.Ronda Rousey is speaking out about her acting career  and one role in particular she'd like to play.

The actress and UFC Hall of Famer, 31, who's in the upcoming movie "Mile 22," was recently quizzed about her next steps in Tinseltown.

Youve worked with some huge stars in Hollywood already - like whos at the top of your list, who would you like to work with next? TMZ asked.

The star, who had roles in action flicks "The Expendables 3" and "Furious 7," was quick to respond.

Who do I need to? Rousey said. I dont think this will ever happen, but Im putting it out in the universe: I want to be a grown-up B.B. in Kill Bill 3 and work with Quentin Tarantino.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO, BRAD PITT DECLINED 'BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN' ROLES: REPORT

Perla Haney-Jardine, now 21, played the role in Tarantinos 2004 flick, Kill Bill: Volume 2.

Her character is the daughter of the titular Bill, played by David Carradine, and The Bride, who was played by Uma Thurman.

Tarantino isnt helming a new Kill Bill film at the moment, but his fans can expect another movie from him next year.

The Hollywood directors Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, starring Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, is set to come out next summer.Aloha Poke Co. has apologized after a video went viral over the weekend accusing the company of cultural appropriation and exploitation of Hawaiian people.

Hawaiian activist Dr. Kalama O Ka Aina posted the video Saturday calling out the Chicago-based company, which was started in 2016 by Illinois-native Zach Friedlander, for reportedly sending cease and desist letters to other eateries with similar names, demanding they no longer use aloha or poke together.

The Midwest chain claims the letters were sent in a cooperative manner, but native Hawaiians feel the company is trying to steal their identity and limit how they express themselves.

KIM KARDASHIAN'S BRAIDS CALLED OUT AS 'CULTURAL APPROPRIATION'

An Aloha Poke Stop restaurant in Alaska received one of the cease and desist letters, which informed the business it was in direct infringement of registered and valuable trademarks, and that maintaining the name would cause customers to likely be confused and mistakenly believe that your food, products and services are related to Aloha Poke Co.

Aloha Poke Shop owner Jeff Sampson also received a cease and desist order. He told the Honolulu Star Advertiser newspaper, We live aloha. They dont even know what it means.

Sampson, who opened his business in 2016, told the newspaper that he ignored the letter.

The Aloha Poke Co. released a statement on Facebook Monday apologizing for the controversy and claiming their attorneys had not followed through with any legal action. They also denied that the company had ever threatened anyone with a gag order  something shop owners alleged Aloha Poke Co. had done.

O Ka Aina claims in a petition calling for Aloha Poke Co. to remove aloha and poke from their name that by trying to trademark aloha and poke, the brand is capitalizing on an Indigenous traditional dish.

The Aloha Poke Co.s social media sites have been placed in clean-up mode after receiving a barrage of angry social media users attacking the restaurant.

We live aloha. They dont even know what it means.  Aloha Poke Shop owner Jeff Sampson

You don't own the word "aloha" and never will. How dare you? Disney tried to copyright "dia de los muertos" ask them how that went for them. Your insulting attempt to culturally appropriate of the word "aloha" is a PR nightmare you will wish you never started, one wrote on Yelp.

BOYCOTT THIS BUSINESS!!! This Haole owned business is sending out cease and desist orders to businesses using the word Aloha!!! another wrote.

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Though Aloha Poke Co. made an apology on Monday, the company did not say if it would discontinue sending the cease and desist letters.

To this point, the company holds two federal trademarks for its design logo and the words 'Aloha Poke' for use in connection with restaurants, catering and take out services. This means that the company has the exclusive right to use those words together in connection with restaurant services within the US. This trademark does not prevent another person or entity from using the word Aloha alone or the word Poke alone in any instance, the company said in the statement.

We respect and understand the concerns that have been raised around these false and misleading claims. We have been moved by the passionate defense of the Hawaiian culture displayed throughout social media and want nothing more than to assure everyone of the facts in these matters. We are truly sorry for all of the confusion that this has caused, the statement concluded.A California Safeway grocery store has apologized and will be rolling out implicit bias training company-wide after employees called 911 on a black woman donating food to the homeless.

On Sunday evening, Erika Martin went to a Mountain View Safeway with her sisters to give a care package to a homeless man who frequents the grocery store's parking lot.

That day I decided to give him dog food for his dog, said Martin to KPIX.

Martin was sitting in the car while her sisters handed out the food to the homeless man, she said, when police came up to her.

FILMMAKERS SAY THEY WERE STOPPED BY POLICE OUTSIDE AIRBNB RENTAL BECAUSE THEY ARE BLACK

The police just blocks me in. Im like, 'Whats going on?' said Martin.

According to Martin, police informed her a Safeway employee had accused her of shoplifting.

Then she [the officer] was like, 'Well, we were called here because you fit the description of someone taking items out of Safeway and bringing it back to your car,' said Martin.

Martin, however, was not wearing the same shirt that was reported to the police, KPIX reported  and claims she never left the car. Employees allegedly reported a woman wearing a blue tank top. Martin was wearing a religious shirt and sitting in the car listening to gospel music, she said to KPIX.

I said, What! Wait, are you kidding me? I never even stepped foot inside of Safeway, I was in my car the whole entire time I was there, she said, NY Daily News reported.

SOUTH CAROLINA GROCERY STORE CENSORS 'SUMMA CUM LAUDE' ON GRADUATION CAKE, FAMILY SAYS

Martin said Safeway workers had accused her of conspiring with an African American man who had reportedly stolen from the grocery chain before.

Though police soon realized that the Safeway workers had been incorrect, Martin said the damage had already been done, KPIX reported.

Racism still exists, said Martin.

I blame the Safeway employees and for them to do something like that to me is just hurtful and shameful, said Martin to KPIX. I am not going back to that Safeway ever.

Safeway also told Fox News they will be rolling out implicit bias training this year for store employees soon as part of the companys efforts to prohibit racial discrimination and racial profiling of customers.

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Wendy Gutshall, a spokesperson to Safety said in a statement to Fox News that the grocery store chain reached out to Martin to sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding, and have opened up an internal investigation into the incident.

Safeway is committed to fostering an inclusive environment and treating everyone with courtesy, dignity, and respect. We have longstanding policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment on the basis of race and other protected characteristics. Employees receive training regarding these policies upon hire and periodically thereafter, and we do not tolerate violations to these policies," the statement read.A supermarket employee in Louisiana who went viral for letting a young customer with autism help him stock the store shelves has now been gifted $100,000 for college tuition.

When Jordan Taylor, who works at Rouses Market in Baton Rouge, noticed Jack Ryan watching him refill the coolers, he offered to show him what do.

YELLOWSTONE PARK RANGERS SLAM 'RECKLESS' MAN FOR TAUNTING BISON

In a video taken by Jack Ryan's dad and shared on Facebook by his sister, Delaney Edwards Alwosaibi, Jack Ryan and Taylor can be seen working together to put milk and juice on the shelves.

Talk about a stand-up young man!!!! Alwosaibi wrote about Taylor. We all know autism makes going out difficult, and sometimes grocery stores can be a challenge. This young man took the time to slow down and allow Jack Ryan to help for over 30 minutes, guiding him as he finished his task.

Alwosaibi and everyone who saw the video were so impressed by what Taylor did, they decided to start a GoFundMe page Wednesday to help raise money to send him to college. Taylor told Alwosaibi he loves math and might want to be a teacher someday.

The campaign originally had a goal of $10,000, but after receiving an overwhelming amount of donations, the goal was increased to $100,000, which it had reached as of Friday afternoon.

He could have ignored him. He could have made an excuse and said he couldnt allow him to help. Instead, he let him have his moment and in turn gave my family a moment we will never forget, Alwosaibi wrote.

It might seem like nothing to others, but as you can hear my dad say in the video, [Im watching a miracle in action].

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GoFundMe spokesperson Bobby Whithorne told Fox News the fundraiser for Taylor is currently the top campaign on their site and global support has been pouring in. "Donors from Baton Rouge to Bangkok have been inspired by Jordan and Jack Ryan's story. Nearly 3,000 people have donated $100,000 from all across the US and all around the world. Donors from Japan to Germany, from Ireland to Italy, have stepped up and taken action to show their support," Whithorne said.A highway patrol officer who became an internet sensation after he helped rescue a month-old fawn from a Northern California wildfire said Monday he didn't expect the photos to go viral.

On Saturday morning, California Highway Patrol Sgt. David Fawson of San Francisco helped Cal Fire officers rescue a fawn from fast-growing wildfire in Redding, about 230 miles north of San Francisco.

PITTSBURGH DAD WORKED THREE JOBS TO SURPRISE TEEN DAUGHTER WITH 'DREAM' DRESS

"We were driving through an active fire, when Cal Fire said, 'Can you take a deer out here for us?'" he said. "I held it in my lap as we drove out."

He and his partner took the fawn to safer area miles away, but the baby deer didn't run away like Fawson thought it would.

"It stayed right by me," he said. "When it tried to nurse on one of my fingers, I thought, 'This is truly a young baby.'"

Fawson, 38, said he asked a colleague to take a photo because he knew his four daughters, ages 7, 9, 12 and 15, "would love it." The popularity of the photos online took him by surprise. Pictures of the fawn sitting in his lap in a patrol car and licking his neck have been shared more than 16,000 times on Facebook.

Representatives from Haven Wild Care's fawn rescue program came to retrieve her within two hours. They named her Carra, after the fire she escaped.

Fawson was on a two-day deployment in Redding to help the agency fight the Carr Fire. More than 50 officers from the CHP Golden Gate Division are helping during the wildfire that has destroyed more than 700 homes and claimed six lives in Redding.

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The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Haven Humane Society in Anderson has taken in 500 dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and livestock during the fires.

Fawson said thousands of first responders are working to save human lives, structures, and animals. Helping the fawn was a small victory.

"Any one of us would have done that," he said.A woman in Idaho has given a dog named Boomer the happily ever after he deserves, by adopting him into her family after rescuing and carrying the lost and injured 55-pound pup down a 11,106-foot mountain.

Last month, Tia Vargas of Idaho Falls was hiking down from the peak of Table Rock Trail near Grand Teton National Park en route to meet her father, Ted Kasper, when she stumbled upon an alarming sight: an English springer spaniel struggling and limping to keep up with a pack of hikers, who were searching for the dogs owner, People reports.

They asked if he was mine and said that theyd seen a note at the bottom of the trail mentioning that somebody had lost their dog, 40-year-old Vargas recalled. The tag on his collar said his name was Boomer, and I could see that he was hurt. The other hikers wanted to get to the top of the mountain, so I decided right then, 'OK, Boomer, Ill help you.'

OREGON WOMAN REUNITES GIRL WITH STUFFED ANIMAL LOST ON HIKE

Vargas soon realized, however, that Boomer was in such bad shape that he couldnt make the six mile trek on his own.

"His eyes were super puffy and bloodshot. His body was swollen, even his bum was very, very swollen, the single mom of three told ABC News. And you could tell he was very dehydrated. He had cuts and scratches on his belly and on his head. He was in bad condition."

Without a second thought, Vargas lifted the pup onto her shoulders, and continued on her way.

"I felt the difficulty of it right away. I never felt 55 pounds like that before, she told Mother Nature Network. Fortunately, she soon found Kasper, her father, whose sense of humor reenergized her.

"Dad laughed and said, 'Isnt this hike hard enough? You have to carry a dog too?' Vargas told the outlet. "My dad makes me laugh. He is such a great man."

Though the father-daughter duo were determined to get Boomer down the mountain safely, the task would prove to be difficult  and then it started to rain.

"We got lost twice. We couldn't find the trail. And at one point we had river on both sides of us, and that's about when my legs were done, she told ABC. We were walking through brush and thicket and it was scratching our legs. It started to rain and I put Boomer down on a rock and I laid on his belly and I was just done."

Again, her dads levity and support empowered Vargas to continue on, telling her a joke that made her laugh and gave her perspective.

I said a little prayer and I picked up Boomer and it literally felt like someone had walked up behind me and lifted the weight off my shoulders, she said.

Over six hours later, around 6 p.m., Vargas and Kasper made it down the mountain, and found a sign that Boomers owners had left for the missing pup. Contacting the family, the pair soon learned that Boomers people had lost the dog while hiking up Table Rock Mountain on July 4, where he wandered off and fell 100 feet down a snowy crevice, People reports.

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Thrilled to learn that their dog was alive and touched by Vargas act, they offered to let her adopt Boomer, as they will soon be moving to Arizona, according to Mother Nature Network. Vargas and her kids were overjoyed to accept.

In the weeks since, Vargas has set up a Facebook page for her new miracle dog where she posts updates and stories about how Boomer is doing as he recovers from the injuries sustained that fateful night on the trail.

Boomer is part of our family now, the supermom told People. I feel like theres a reason why I was on the mountain at the very moment that he needed somebody to help. Both of us had a guardian angel that day.Congo's health ministry says at least four new cases of Ebola have emerged in the country's east, just a week after an outbreak in the northwest was declared over.

The ministry says there is no indication the two epidemics separated by more than 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) are related.

The North Kivu health division notified the ministry on Saturday of 26 cases of hemorrhagic fever, including 20 deaths in North Kivu province. The ministry says four of six samples sent to the capital for analysis came back positive for Ebola.

POLICE OFFICER WHO DIED DURING TRAINING EXERCISE HAD RARE CONDITION

The new cases are in eastern Mabalako health zone within the Beni region.

Congo on July 24 declared the end of an Ebola outbreak that began in May in northwest Equateur province. Those 54 Ebola cases included 33 deaths.An officer with the Atlanta Police Department boasted a 100-pound weight loss while training to join the force over the past year.

Officer James Cornelius now weighs 235 pounds  about 100 pounds less than he weighed at the same time last year when he was hired by the Atlanta Police Department.

I couldnt really run down the street, Cornelius told CBS 46, adding that he joined the force because he needed a job to take care of [his] son.

SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT POSTS PHOTO OF DEPUTY'S BLOOD-SOAKED UNIFORM AFTER VICIOUS DOG ATTACK

At first, Cornelius had trouble; he failed the pre-enrollment physical training test  which includes 20 military-style push-ups in one minute and 25 sit-ups in one minute, according to the police department. His failure to pass the agility test prevented Cornelius from attending the training academy.

So, Cornelius decided to start eating healthy and working out. Eventually, his effort paid off.

The young officer began to run four miles a day. He also swapped pizza for lean meats and fruit. Now, Cornelius says he's able to run a mile and a half in 12 minutes, compared to the 22 minutes it took him before he started to shed the excess weight.

POLICE OFFICER WHO DIED DURING TRAINING EXERCISE HAD RARE CONDITION

In December, Cornelius was accepted into the police departments training academy and was sworn in as a police officer in June. Once he completes his field training, he will graduate from the academy in the fall, the news station reported.

As for his advice to others who are motivated to lose weight?

"Find your why, stick with it and grind it out," he said.

Cornelius was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Fox News on Wednesday.A woman and her grown son contracted rat lungworm after eating raw centipedes they bought at a market in China, researchers said.

Scientists with the Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China recently wrote in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene that the A. cantonensis parasite  often known as "rat lungworm"  was transmitted through an intermediate centipede host, MedPage Today reported.

Rat lungworm is a parasite thats found in rodents. The infected rodents then pass the parasites larvae through their feces, later infecting snails and slugs, among other creatures, when they ingest the larvae. Humans who eat raw or undercooked snails or slugs that contain the parasite can be infected, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.

The parasite is typically found in China and Southeast Asia, though it has also been reported in the U.S.

RAT LUNGWORM EXPLAINED: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE PARASITE FOUND IN FLORIDA

The newly reported research is significant because it suggests the parasite can be found in centipedes as well.

Dr. Lingli Lu, of Zhujiang Hospital in Guangzhou and co-author of the study, told MedPage Today in a statement the mother and son ate the centipede because they thought it would be good for their health.

Instead, ingesting the centipede made them ill.

The mother and son, ages 78 and 46, respectively, whose identities remain anonymous at this time, were admitted to the Zhujiang Hospital a few weeks apart after eating the arthropods.

Both patients exhibited signs of meningitis, such as a long-lasting headache and drowsiness. A meningitis specialist suggested testing for lungworm, The New York Times reported, after bacterial and viral causes were ruled out.

Turns out, both the woman and her son were infected with the parasite. The two recovered after they were treated with an antiparasitic drug and steroid.

TENNESSEE MOM'S 'NAGGING' TEXT TO HUSBAND ABOUT CAR SEAT LIKELY SAVED SON'S LIFE IN ACCIDENT

To verify centipedes were the cause, physicians bought at least 20 of the multi-legged creatures from the same farmers market and ran several tests on them. At least seven tested positive for lungworm larvae, ultimately confirming the researchers suspicion.



Though it is not uncommon in the country to eat dried centipedes  different aspects of centipedes have been used to treat a variety of different ailments throughout history  eating a raw centipede can also be dangerous aside from the possibility of contracting rat lungworm, as its venom can be deadly.

"In my opinion, it would be rude to tell the customer, Dont eat them raw, Lu told The New York Times regarding why the centipedes were sold alive. It would say the customer is stupid."A former Marine recruit filed a lawsuit on Monday against the food vendor for the Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego, claiming he developed medical complications stemming from an E.coli infection that led to the end of his military career.

Vincent Grano, 19, filed a lawsuit against Sodexo, Inc. after he and 29 Marine recruits were hospitalized in October when they were sickened by E.coli at Marine Corps Recruit Depot and Camp Pendleton, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. According to his lawyers, Grano now suffers from permanent brain and kidney damage due to complications linked to the E.coli infection.

Grano had contracted E.coli which led to him being diagnosed with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, a complication that about 10 percent of people develop after being infected with food-borne illness. The former Marine recruit suffered kidney failure and seizures, ultimately leading to his discharge from the Marines, the complaint stated.

PARASITE SCARE SPARKS RECALL FOR SALADS, WRAPS SOLD AT TRADER JOE'S, WALGREENS

Grano is one of the dozens of recruits who were sickened by the E.coli bacteria in October. Marine Corps officials announced an investigation is being conducted after more than 300 recruits reported falling ill.

At least 62 people contracted E.coli after eating undercooked ground beef, the Centers for Disease Control reported. Another 120 cases were also believed to be linked to the E.coli outbreak.

Though officials did not immediately provide the source of the outbreak, the CDC believes it came from undercooked beef.

Granos lawyers also said the 19-year-old only ate food provided by Sodexo in the 10 days leading up to his E.coli infection.

The lawsuit accuses the food company of violating state and local food regulations and failing to have workers who knew how to properly prepare food.

Grano is seeking just compensation in a fair and reasonable amount for the damages, including hospital bills, Stars and Stripes reported.Cops in Australia have been forced to patrol a dangerous cliff edge in a bid to stop tourists risking their life for the perfect selfie.

Tourists have been jumping the fence at the Wedding Cake Rock in the Royal National Park, south of Sydney, to take photographs next to the 160-foot drop.

'OBESE' TOURISTS FROM US AND UK ARE CRIPPLING DONKEYS, ACTIVISTS SAY

Now police have answered a call to deploy officers because they fear it is only a matter of time before someone falls  or the actual cliff face collapses with them into the sea.

Anyone would caught jumping the fence now risks the equivalent of a $2,300 fine.

New South Wales Parks and Wildlife (NPWS) called in the cops amid a craze on social media for taking dangerous selfies by posing at the edge.

A NPWS spokesperson told ABC News: It is extremely difficult to try to regulate this behaviour when people are intent on ignoring the signage.

The need to climb a 1.6 metre (5-foot) high fence makes it impossible for people to be unaware of the extreme danger.

UPSET TEEN ON AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT GETS 'LIFE ADVICE' FROM 64-YEAR-OLD

The rock is fenced off with warning signs after a safety report concluded the cliff face could collapse at any moment.

The national parks website warns visitors reminding of the high risks if they jump the fence to take their photos and requesting them to not ignore the signs.

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The white color is caused by iron leaching, which makes the sandstone layers dangerously soft, prone to cracking and at very high risk of collapse. Please stay behind the fenced off areas. Standing or sitting on the rock or cliff edges poses a very high safety risk.

For your safety, please don't stand or sit on the rock, or venture too close to cliff edges.

This article originally appeared in The Sun.Two sets of 24-year-old identical twins  who had their first date together and became engaged at the same time  are now preparing to tie the knot in Michigan this weekend before living together in a two-bedroom apartment.

Identical twins Krissie and Kassie Bevier, from Michigan Center, will marry Zack and Nick Lewan, from White Lake, in Grass Lake on Aug. 3 and 4, the Jackson Citizen Patriot reported. Krissie and Zack's wedding will be held on Friday, while Kassie and Nick will get hitched on Saturday. The four will have their reception Saturday night.

"I'm in disbelief sometimes of just how everything happened," Nick Lewan told WILX-TV .

The two sets of twins met at Grand Valley State University four years ago in a psychology class; the twins recalled the professor asking the class if there were any twins in attendance.

COPS IN AUSTRALIA ASSIGNED TO MONITOR TOURISTS TAKING SELFIES NEAR DANGEROUS CLIFF

"Psychology loves twin studies," Kassie Bevier told Jackson Citizen Patriot. "So the professor was like, 'Are there any twins in the class? We're going to talk about twins.' And we both raise our hands."

"I was looking around and I looked behind and I was like, 'Oh. I'm in trouble now,'" Nick Lewan said.

Following class, the twins exchanged numbers and Kassie and Nick had their first date at church one Sunday morning. They also invited Krissie and Zack to tag along.

"We're standing there in the church getting ready to sing and [the guys] just start belting it out," Kassie recalled. "They were actually singing. My sister and I looked at each other like, 'Who are these guys?'"

Shortly after, Krissie and Zack started dating too.

Last year, Nick and Zack Lewan proposed to the Bevier sisters on a trip to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. The brothers said they did not plan to propose at the same time, but it just happened.

"It basically happened at the same time  which is par for the course for us," Kassie Bevier said. "We do things in twos."

Kassie, meanwhile, claims the four of them don't go everywhere together, but 90 percent of their dates turn into double dates.

MARRIED TINDER USER SLAMMED FOR CRIB, DRESS IN PROFILE PHOTO

Following their wedding, the couples plan to move in together into a two-bedroom apartment in Fenton. But first, a relative gifted the couples with a stay at their house in Florida; both couples said they would go on their own for a few days apart but go to Disney World together.

The Beviers are working toward finishing their doctorates in physical therapy at the University of Michigan. Nick Lewan is pursuing his master's degree in mental health counseling from Oakland University, while Zack Lewan works in vegetation management for an energy company.

"We're individuals. We are all individuals," Zack Lewan said. "We work differently and we have different interests, and just respect each other for those differences."

The couples believed they click so well because they were brought up in good families.

"I'm just really thankful that we met two girls  not just because they're twins, but they grew up the same as we did," Zack Lewan said.

"We just flow together and it makes sense," Krissie Bevier said. "There is a special twin bond, and having someone who understands that is huge."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Just hours before most Americans were expected to be able to legally access blueprints for 3D-printed guns, a federal judge in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday stopping release of the blueprints until a hearing Aug. 10.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik issued the order in response to a lawsuit filed by eight states against the federal government to block a settlement allowing blueprints for 3D-printed guns to be downloaded from the Internet.

Downloading the blueprints would allow people to circumvent background checks and open the door to do-it-yourself firearms that could bypass point-of-sale controls that have traditionally been used to limit access to firearms and other dangerous devices.

Democrats urged the Trump administration Tuesday to block the settlement allowing blueprints for the 3D-printed guns to be downloaded from the Internet.

Donald Trump will be totally responsible for every downloadable, plastic AR-15 that will be roaming the streets of our country if he does not act today, said Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass.

In addition, attorneys general in 21 states urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to withdraw from the settlement.

In many parts of the U.S., weapons are already cheap and easily attainable. But 3D printing would likely make it easier for terrorists, homegrown dissidents and lone-wolf attackers to print weapons in locations where they are currently prohibited such as schools, government buildings and airports.

While this is not yet likely, the technology is improving quickly and even the most secure sites could be vulnerable to insider threats if a would-be attacker only needs access to a 3D printer and the Internet, according to our recent paper for the nonprofit RAND Corporation that analyzes the threats posed by 3D printing.

Until Judge Lasnik issued his temporary restraining order Tuesday, the blueprints were scheduled to be made available Wednesday as the result of a June settlement between Cody Wilson  creator of the first 3D-printed guns and an online archive of digital blueprints  and the State Department.

In 2013 the federal government made Wilson take down the digital blueprints for violating federal export laws, leading Wilson to sue. The settlement temporarily blocked by Lasnik says Wilson and Defense Distributed  the nonprofit he leads  can publish plans, files and 3D drawings in any form and exempts them from the export restrictions.

Even if the Internet-enabled gun movement can be blocked on a long-term basis, it is only one of the many potential ways 3D printing could introduce new security threats.

Hackers may have new and lethal ways to threaten our personal and economic security through infiltration or sabotage as digital files become physical products. And 3D printing could undermine export controls or sanctions if Iran can print parts for its Boeing airliners instead of relying on the U.S. and other Western powers to provide them.

We explored the potential security threats of 3D technology, formally known as additive manufacturing, by interviewing executives affiliated with private-sector 3D printing and holding a workshop with industry participants and leading security experts.

We found that regulation is unlikely to be effective and may be costly to society, potentially constraining the growth of 3D technology. But cooperation from business leaders, government officials and other policymakers could make a big difference by providing standards and a valuable foundation for technical and policy-level solutions.

Although 3D printing is in place across various industries, its use tends to be fairly limited, focusing on prototypes and small-scale production. But as the technology becomes more capable and accessible over the next few years, costs should fall.

Once the digital design is completed, fabricating an ornate and complicated shape does not require much more time, skill or cost than printing a simple 3D block. This gives 3D printing an advantage over traditional manufacturing for producing complex or highly customizable goods.

In the 3D printing industry thats known as getting complexity for free. Through digital design and layered construction, 3D printing allows for the creation of objects that cannot be built using traditional methods.

For example, the environmental control system duct in an F-18 fighter was traditionally built from 16 different components, each of which had to be adjusted to account for assembly and construction. With 3D printing, the entire duct is created as an optimized whole piece.

Advances in 3D printing could also unleash new forms of cyberattacks. As digital plans are transformed into physical objects, cybersecurity will become even more important.

Todays hackers steal credit card, Social Security and bank account numbers. Tomorrows may infiltrate a printer and corrupt software or alter a digital design, introducing imperceptible design flaws. Such a cyberattack could compromise airplanes and cars as well as simple household appliances and delivery drones  and have profound implications on personal and home security.

3D printing also has the potential to make trade sanctions  historically a major tool in dealing with international disputes  less effective. For instance, because of sanctions imposed over the last two decades by the West, Iran Air had to rely on salvaged or smuggled parts. It has become one of the most dangerous airlines in the world, causing some passengers to dub the airlines rusty aircraft flying coffins.

With access to printers, raw materials and digital designs, a state like Iran could print its own airline parts and more easily circumvent sanctions.

The growing opposition to 3D-printed guns shows that potential security threats do not have to be inevitable. The security challenges inherent in 3D printing could be addressed, while the development of industry norms can still be shaped.

Policymakers will likely need to balance safety and security, while avoiding overregulation that might smother a technology that could improve billions of lives and greatly contribute to a new era of innovation.

Trevor Johnston is an associate political scientist at the RAND Corporation.

J. Luke Irwin is an assistant policy analyst at RAND and a Ph.D. student at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Many Americans  including law enforcement officers  were expressing fear Tuesday over the thought of guns being churned out by 3D printers on demand. Thats understandable. The thought of criminals, terrorists and mentally ill people pressing a button and getting rifles and pistols popping out of printers like candy out of a vending machine is frightening.

But that idea is also fundamentally mistaken.

Under a settlement reached in June between the State Department and a company called Defense Distributed, it was supposed to become legal Wednesday for the company to make blueprints for hard-plastic guns available for download on the Internet.

But with only hours to go, a federal judge in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday blocking the settlement from taking effect at least until an Aug. 10 hearing. The order came in response to a lawsuit by eight Democratic state attorneys general, who argued that 3D-printed guns posed a risk to public safety.

Theres a lot of misinformation floating around about exactly what 3D printing of guns is and what its not, so lets get some facts straight about a pretty new technology.

For starters, its important to understand the Justice Department settled the lawsuit with Defense Distributed because the government was certain to lose.

Prior to the settlement, the government position was that sharing printing files known as CADs violated International Traffic in Arms (ITAR) regulations and thus could be censored by the government.

But Defense Distributed  which pioneered using 3D-printing technology to make guns at home and eventually at stores like Kinko's  contended that sharing information about how to make guns on the Internet was no different that sharing it in a book or instruction manual.

The information-sharing amounts to speech, and is therefore protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, the company argued.

The First Amendment protects speech that is unpopular as well as popular. So the argument that the amendment protects information about how to build a gun is valid.

Next, you need to know that 3D-printing technology is years  perhaps decades  away from being cheap, efficient and ubiquitous enough that it will be a major source of guns.

Currently, it takes days and a lot of money to print 3D guns  and that's not going to change for a long time.

More importantly, we know for a fact that having more guns in circulation and the legal right to carry them hasn't led to increases in gun crime and violence, even when counting mass shootings.

Yet here's Paul Penzone, sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, which he says is "the fourth-largest and fastest-growing county in America. Penzone says, conjuring up fantasies, that "anyone with an Internet connection and a 3D printer  readily available in stores and online  will be able to make an untraceable handgun, rifle or assault weapon with just a few clicks."

Penzone further warns in The Washington Post that "drug cartels, arms traffickers and terrorists will be able to increase their revenue and the volume of weaponry at the expense of our safety through an untraceable and unlimited method of firearms manufacturing and distribution."

We need to understand as well that criminals and terrorists already have easy access to a virtually endless supply of whatever weaponry they want.

In fact, it's perfectly legal already to build an off-the-books gun at home with parts you can order off the Internet and put together in a few hours. Given their outlaw status, drug dealers, terrorists, and gangsters are not particularly concerned whether the guns they use are traceable or not.

As anyone who has wasted hours standing in TSA lines at airports knows, terrorists aren't stopped by sweeping up babies, grandmothers and everyone else in pointless exercises in security-theater  or in secret, illegal total surveillance programs.

Terrorists are confounded by old-fashioned, dogged police work and push-back by people on planes.

If we want to minimize violence associated with drug trafficking, the smartest move we can make is to legalize drugs  something that both Canada and Mexico recognize.

Our neighbor to the north has already legalized marijuana, the only currently illegal drug that is used by more than 1 percent of Americans on a monthly basis. According to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health (table A.7B), 8.9 percent of us smoked weed in the past 30 days (that figure includes people in states where it's legal).

The next closest illegal substance was cocaine, which 0.7 percent of us admitted using regularly. Misuse of legal prescription drugs came in at 2.4 percent in the past month.

Mexico's new president is pushing for the same sort of marijuana reform that Canada has implemented.

We know from our own misbegotten history with alcohol prohibition that banning substances that adults want to consume creates black markets that are enforced through violence rather than contracts, courts and voluntary exchange. Attempts in recent years to intensify Mexico's war on drugs has only lead, predictably, to more, not less, violence.

Whats the next-best move to reduce gun violence and gangsterism? Put more guns into circulation and let people carry them in more circumstances.

That's what has happened over the past two decades in the United States and it correlates with a historic decline in violent crime and homicide.

According to government data, since 1996 the number of firearms in America has nearly doubled, to 393 million guns. Over the same time period, it became easier to get concealed-carry permits to walk around armed.

And yet, "from 1993 to 2015, the rate of violent crime declined from 79.8 to 18.6 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older," according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, which published a comprehensive report last October.

Over the same period, rates for crimes using guns dropped from 7.3 per 100,000 people to 1.1 per 100,000 people. The homicide rate is down from 7.4 to 4.9 per 100,000 people.

It's impossible to know whether the increase in guns caused the decrease in violence, but we do know for sure that it didn't spark a Mad Max-style free-for-all either. There is no reason to think that would change if and when 3D-printing allows us all to become our own gunsmiths in our home offices.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

A U.S. district court judge in Seattle issued an order Tuesday temporarily prohibiting Defense Distributed, a non-profit organization, from publishing online blueprints for building mostly-plastic guns with 3D printers. Based on the reactions of gun-control advocates, an imminent public safety crisis was averted, despite the fact that similar blueprints have long been available online.

Actress Alyssa Milano called the plans downloadable death. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., lambasted the Trump administrations settlement with Defense Distributed, in which the government agreed not to interfere with publication in exchange for the Defense Distributed dropping its lawsuit against the federal government.

President Trump himself tweeted that the idea of approving 3D-printed guns doesnt make much sense.

But the only thing that doesnt make much sense is the hyperbolic response of gun-control advocates to activity protected by both the First and Second Amendments to the Constitution.

Individuals who arent disqualified from purchasing or possessing firearms have always been free to build or customize their own firearms, as long as those firearms are otherwise in accordance with federal law.

In fact, private gunsmithing is a time-honored tradition that predates the mass-manufacture of firearms and still stands as a favorite pastime of gun enthusiasts.

While they certainly raise some novel issues on the law enforcement front, 3D-printed guns are just that  guns. Like all guns, someone has to make them. And, like all guns, government restrictions on their manufacture, possession and sale must comply with the protections afforded by the Second Amendment.

The Second Amendment doesnt ask who made the gun, or out of what material, or how much it cost. Rather, the Second Amendment, as interpreted by the Supreme Court (and arguably by the first 150 years of American constitutional scholarship), protects the individual right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear firearms commonly used for lawful purposes.

Its clear from the designs themselves and from the State Departments tacit approval that the Defense Distributeds blueprints for firearms fall within the protections of the Second Amendment. In other words, they are the equivalent of those firearms commonly used by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.

And while the Supreme Court hasnt directly addressed the issue of regulations for private gun manufacturing, it is  at the very least  a lawful activity. Others have long commented on the impracticality of attempting to ban it.

The publishing of these plans, therefore, hits at the core of another provision of the Bill of Rights  the First Amendment. Individuals clearly have a right to discuss and disseminate information on how to conduct lawful activities, whether it be how to drive a car, how to home-brew moonshine, or how to smith a firearm.

That others may use that information to participate in illegal activities doesnt make its publication any less protected by the First Amendment.

Further, even beyond the constitutional protections is the reality that, for the foreseeable future, the 3D-printed gun is a relative non-issue for public safety concerns.

First, the law hasnt changed. The same people are still prohibited from purchasing, possessing, and manufacturing firearms regardless of where or how they were made. The same types of firearms are still prohibited by federal law, whether manufactured with a 3D printer or retooled from a gun fitting legal specifications.

The Undetectable Firearms Act still prohibits the manufacture, possession, or sale of firearms that dont contain enough metal to set off a walk-through metal detector.

Concerns over future undetectable guns, while valid, are tempered by the reality that those guns will still require gunpowder-filled metal bullets to be effective. In addition, advancing technology may also create better methods with which to detect even plastic weapons.

Second, politicians like Schumer and celebrities like Milano miss the forest for the trees  or, more aptly, they miss the hundreds of millions of civilian-owned guns for the small number of 3D printers.

According to the latest Small Arms Survey, which comprehensively tracks international gun ownership and armed violence, there are almost 400 million guns in the hands of people in the U.S. People who want to illegally purchase or possess firearms already have ample opportunities to do so without 3D printers, and in a much cheaper and more efficient manner.

Certainly, technological advancements can lead to new and creative ways for criminals to harm others, even as they may also one day enable law-abiding citizens to exercise their rights in more cost-effective ways.

But whats equally certain is that the Bill of Rights restricts the governments ability to keep citizens from possessing firearms and publishing their own blueprints for engaging in a lawful activity. This isnt a design defect, but the sum and substance of the First and Second Amendments.

If we are to take the issue of illegal gun possession seriously  and I believe we should  we must do so while also respecting the First and Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Democrats went ballistic Wednesday with a torrent of attacks on President Trump, saying he may be guilty of obstruction of justice for tweeting that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should end Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

The presidential tweet that sparked the furor stated: ..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!

But despite what President Trumps opponents say, the Constitution makes clear that the president has the power to order the Justice Department to end any and all investigations he wishes  and the Mueller investigation is no exception.

Article II of the Constitution places the duty to take care that the laws are faithfully executed on the president  and the president alone.

It was well understood at the time of the Constitutions ratification that the president has control over all federal law enforcement. Even creating the post of special counsel  now occupied by Mueller  cannot transfer the presidents power over law enforcement to an entity that lacks accountability to the American people.

To allow anyone else to exercise any aspect of the presidents authority would sap him of energy in the executive, as Alexander Hamilton called it. As Hamilton observed in the Federalist Papers  a collection of essays to support ratification of the Constitution  good government requires energy in the executive. Hamilton wrote that a vigorous president is essential to the protection of the community from foreign attacks and the steady administration of the laws.

From a constitutional perspective, all other federal law enforcement officers  from the attorney general on down  assist the president in carrying out his constitutional duty. All federal prosecutors are the presidents subordinates.

As James Madison, who drafted the Constitution and led the fight for its ratification, observed: the president enjoys the power of appointing, overseeing and controlling those who execute the laws.

Presidents have long directed investigations and prosecutions. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson routinely commanded prosecutors, and John Adams ordered the filing of Sedition Act cases. As a result, President Trump controls the Department of Justice, including all of its prosecutors, special or not.

But in this case, President Trumps tweet is just blowing in the wind. As a matter of presidential statesmanship and political prudence, he would be wise to allow the Mueller probe to reach its conclusion.

Because the Constitution makes him the nations chief law enforcement officer, the president has an interest in allowing the machinery of justice to proceed to its natural end.

As far as we know, Mueller does not appear to have uncovered evidence that President Trump conspired with Russian officials to violate any federal laws  conspiracy is a federal crime; collusion is not.

And it appears that Mueller accepts the Justice Departments view that the department cannot make the president a target of a prosecution.

If Mueller clears President Trump, the special counsels finding will carry the greatest national credibility and will allow our nation to move forward to far more important issues of domestic and foreign policy.

Even if President Trump wanted to follow through on his tweet, he addressed it to the wrong person. He cannot order Sessions to end the Mueller investigation, because the attorney general has recused himself from any involvement in that investigation.

Rather than a tweet about ending the Mueller probe, President Trump could try calling Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is serving as acting attorney general and supervising Mueller following Sessions recusal.

If the president ordered Rosenstein to fire Mueller, Rosenstein would probably resign, since he was the one who first appointed Mueller. But if Rosenstein didnt resign the president could fire him for refusing to carry out an order to dismiss the special counsel and end his investigation.

President Trumps order to fire Mueller would then fall to the No. 3 official at the Justice Department, Solicitor General Noel Francisco, a Trump appointee whose primary job is managing the governments cases before the Supreme Court.

Francisco would have to decide whether to resign or to order the end of the Mueller investigation. While Francisco would have no constitutional grounds on which to refuse, he would no doubt remember Solicitor General Robert Bork.

Bork fired the Watergate special prosecutor in October 1973 after the attorney general and deputy attorney general at the time resigned rather than carry out President Nixons orders to fire the prosecutor. Democrats happily used the incident as ammunition to torpedo Borks nomination to the Supreme Court in 1987.

Ordering the end of an investigation would not constitute obstruction of justice under federal criminal law. Importantly, the laws on obstruction do not specifically mention the president  and courts have usually concluded that such laws do not apply to a presidents constitutional acts.

Further, President Trumps debatable actions are not corrupt beyond a reasonable doubt, as obstruction requires. These include the presidents alleged request to FBI Director James Comey to give lenient treatment to then-National Security Adviser Mike Flynn, his later firing of Comey, and now his tweet calling for an end to the Mueller investigation.

The president may believe in good faith that the prosecutions in the Russia probe are wasting limited federal time and resources and that he had multiple grounds for firing Comey  including Comeys mishandling of the Hillary Clinton email probe and politicization of FBI investigations.

But if the presidents critics truly believe he has committed obstruction of justice, their remedy will not come from the criminal law, but from the Constitution  which gives Congress the power to remove the president from office through impeachment.

The framers of the Constitution didnt want the United States to be ruled by a king unaccountable to anyone. They wanted a president to be held accountable for misdeeds, and gave Congress the power to remove the president from office if he has committed high crimes and misdemeanors.

Right now, both the Senate and House are probing Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. These probes have the power to subpoena witnesses and hold public hearings to lay out the facts.

Such hearings are exactly what happened when President Nixon faced impeachment after being accused of obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress in the Watergate scandal. Hearings were also held during impeachment proceedings against President Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.

President Nixon resigned before the House could vote on impeachment charges. The House voted to bring impeachment charges against President Clinton, but he was acquitted after a trial in the Senate.

If Congress believes that President Trump has obstructed justice, it can begin impeachment proceedings for high crimes and misdemeanors. And despite that phrase, impeachment does not require the president to have committed a crime.

Instead, as Hamilton explained in the Federalist Papers, high crimes and misdemeanors include political offenses that proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust.

The House and Senate will have to make their own judgments about whether President Trumps tweet calling for an end to the Mueller investigation  or further action he might take resulting in Muellers firing  amount to an offense for which the penalty is removal from the presidency.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Fox News host Tucker Carlson recently asked President Trump, "Why should my son go to Montenegro to defend it from attack?" It is a fair question -- one that many Americans were asking following Trump's performance at the NATO summit -- and it deserved a better answer than the president's musing on the "aggressive" nature of Montenegrins.

Instead, Trump should have recalled the words he spoke last year in Poland praising the heroes of the Warsaw Uprising, the 74th anniversary of which is being marked on Wednesday.

In one of the most powerful speeches of his presidency, Trump recalled the terrible price that millions paid for the West's failure to deter Nazi and Soviet aggression. "Under a double occupation, the Polish people endured evils beyond description," Trump recalled: "the Katyn forest massacre, the occupations, the Holocaust, the Warsaw Ghetto and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the destruction of this beautiful capital city and the deaths of nearly 1 in 5 Polish people. A vibrant Jewish population -- the largest in Europe -- was reduced to almost nothing after the Nazis systematically murdered millions of Poland's Jewish citizens."

The reason NATO was created out of the ashes of World War II was precisely to make certain such destruction never happens again.

In 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain famously dismissed Germany's threats to Czechoslovakia, declaring that Britain should not get drawn into war "because of a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing." The result was 50 million people dead, a continent in flames and the gas chambers of Auschwitz.

The lesson we learned from that experience is that weakness is provocative. When adversaries believe you are weak, they are emboldened to act -- and prone to miscalculate. When they believe you are strong and determined, however, they are far less likely to test you and start cataclysmic wars.

Trump believes in peace through strength. But to have peace requires not just military strength. As Trump said in Warsaw, "Our defense is not just a commitment of money, it is a commitment of will." President Ronald Reagan used the military far less than any of those who succeeded him in office not just because he rebuilt America's military strength but also because America's adversaries did not doubt his willingness to use it.

Why did Russian President Vladimir Putin believe he could invade Ukraine and annex Crimea without consequence? It was no mere coincidence that Russia's intervention happened just six months after President Barack Obama failed to enforce his red line in Syria. Putin saw that Obama imposed no costs on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's defiance, unwilling to launch strikes that a U.S. official said would be "just muscular enough not to get mocked." At that moment, he knew there would be no real costs for his intervention in Ukraine.

Obama projected weakness. On taking office, Trump rectified that situation by enforcing Obama's Syria red line, not once but twice -- sending a message of strength that was heard not just in Damascus but in Moscow as well.

There is a reason Putin despises the NATO alliance so much -- and has fought to prevent further integration of the countries of Eastern Europe into it. He knows he may be able to bully his unallied neighbors, but he can't bully a NATO ally -- because that ally is backed up by 28 others, bonded by a mutual commitment to each other's security and led by an American president who, while seeking friendship with all, is unafraid to flex U.S. military muscle.

That is why Putin opposed the admission of Montenegro into the NATO alliance, reportedly even backing a plot to assassinate Montenegro's prime minister in an effort to stop it.

That is why Putin wants Trump to fail in his effort to get the NATO allies to meet their commitments and spend 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense. He understands that a weak NATO cannot deter him but a strong NATO can.

As Trump said in Warsaw, "As long as we know our history, we will know how to build our future. Americans know that a strong alliance of free, sovereign and independent nations is the best defense for our freedoms and for our interests."

The whole point of NATO is not to defend Montenegro; it is to make sure we never have to defend Montenegro -- or Warsaw, or Paris, or London again.Alice Marie Johnson, the woman whose life sentence was commuted by President Trump last month, called America a country of second chances, and said that she believes Trump will follow up with more situations like hers.

Speaking to Fox News Sean Hannity, Johnson shared her experience since being released on June 6.

Every single place that I go, if people recognize who I am, they hug me. They tell me how happy they are that Im home, she said. They tell me how much they were praying for me, and how they followed from the day Kim went to the White House.

Johnson, 63, had been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole after she was convicted of a first-time nonviolent drug offense and charges related to money laundering. Reality TV icon Kim Kardashian West took up her case, even meeting with Trump at the White House to plead for clemency.

She said that the most difficult part of her journey was the time spent hoping for a chance to be released.

The waiting has been very painful for me and my family. Weve had so many ups and downs. So many false alarms that it was going to happen for years.

Johnson said that her case is proof that the system is broken, but she added that she has faith after being granted clemency by Trump.

I wont let him down, there is no way. This country is a country of second chances, she said on Hannity. I love America, and I believe that as the president sees what has taken place with me, that he is going to follow up and do some other things for other people.

Johnson also expressed her thanks to West, who has said she is working hard to help others.

I am so happy that Kim is staying focused, because there are so many others just like me.

West recently turned down the opportunity to join in Hollywoods Trump bashing in an appearance with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

She repeatedly brushed off Kimmels remarks aimed at Trump, at one point saying she is hopeful that more will come from their meeting at the White House, and that she has nothing bad to say about the president.President Trump gave hearty endorsements to Florida Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis Tuesday as two of the state's top Republican elected officials seek higher office in November's midterm elections.

"I don't do these endorsements easily," Trump told an enthusiastic crowd during his rally at Tampa's Florida State Fairgrounds. "I don't need to be here, but I happen to love this state."

The rally took place with four weeks to go before the Aug. 28 Republican gubernatorial primary, in which DeSantis will face off against state Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam.

Trump touted the congressman as "a true leader", "a proud veteran", "my great friend" and predicted: "he's going to be your next governor."

"I appreciate your support, Mr. President," DeSantis said after Trump called him up on stage. "But I appreciate more the leadership you're showing for our great country."

Trump also implored supporters to back Scott against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who he said was "[Chuck] Schumer-controlled, [and] Nancy Pelosi-controlled," referring to the Senate and House Democratic leaders.

"You know, I live a lot of time in Florida," Trump said. "The only time I see Bill Nelson is five months before every election. And after a while, you forget: 'Who's the senator?' But around five months, you see him at parties and you see him around ... We have to make sure that Rick Scott wins and wins big."

The speech was notable for Trump's emphatic call to implement stricter voter ID requirements in apparent response to some cities giving illegal immigrants the right to vote in certain elections.

"Only American citizens should vote in American elections," Trump said. "Which is why the time has come for voter ID, like everything else.

"You know, if you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card." Trump claimed. "You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture."

"In this country, the only time you dont need it, in many cases, is when you want to vote for a president, when you want to vote for a senator, when you want to vote for a governor or a congressman. Its crazy."

Trump also publicly pondered the idea of talking to Iran's leaders, one day after saying he'd meet them without preconditions.

"I hope it works out well with Iran. Theyre having a lot of difficulty right now," he said in an aside. "I hope it works out well. And I have a feeling theyll be talking to us pretty soon. And maybe not, and thats OK, too."

The Florida gubernatorial contest is the latest GOP primary into which Trump has injected himself, having previously helped candidates in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina with endorsements that have helped set the stage for the fall elections.

RON DESANTIS TEACHES HIS KIDS ABOUT TRUMP IN CAMPAIGN AD

Last month, Trump endorsed DeSantis, saying that he would be "strong on borders, tough on crime [and] big on cutting taxes."

Florida represented a crucial triumph for Trump in the 2016 presidential election and the president has maintained a steady presence in the state, returning frequently to his winter home in Palm Beach.

"We are restoring American strength and American pride," Trump said. "But to continue this incredible momentum, this incredible movement ... we need to elect more Republicans. We need more votes."

Appearing at a technical school in Tampa earlier Tuesday, Trump praised the strength of the economy, telling students and faculty members there was never a better time to learn new skills and gain employment. He was joined by Scott, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump and several members of Congress from Florida.

DeSantis has tied his campaign for governor directly to Trump, even teaching one of his two children to "build the wall" with blocks in a recent campaign ad.

Putnam, a former congressman, has run a more traditional campaign for governor, barnstorming the state with campaign events aimed at building upon his family's deep ties to the state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A bitter and expensive Tennessee gubernatorial primary comes to a close Thursday as Republicans will officially choose who will be their party's nominee.

The top four GOP contenders have emerged as a congressman, state House speaker, local businessman and political outsider: Rep. Diane Black, state Rep. Beth Harwell, former state economic development commissioner Randy Boyd and Bill Lee.

The four added $33 million in combined personal wealth to their campaigns and spent about that much, setting records and more than doubling what they've raised through donations.

Current Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican, is term limited.

In the tense primary, the Republicans all share at least one commonality: loyalty to President Trump and his policies. Trump won Tennessee with more than 60 percent of the vote in the 2016 presidential election.

Read on for a look at the GOP frontrunners ahead of Thursday's primary.

Diane Black

Rep. Diane Black announced her candidacy for governor exactly a year before the primary date. Touting her conservative record, Black promised not to back down when she announced she was throwing her hat into the ring.

Black, 67, has represented Tennessees 6th congressional district since 2011. Shes a registered nurse and small businesswoman  and was first in her family to earn a college degree.

In the House, Black chaired the powerful Budget Committee for a year, stepping down to pursue the governorship. She also serves on the Ways and Means Committee.

If elected, Black promises to lead Tennessee in favor of gun rights and against abortion. She also said she wants to lead the charge to shut down motel and massage parlors operating as dens of human trafficking in the state.

FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTION HEADQUARTERS

Black has earned the endorsement of Vice President Mike Pence. Trump hasnt formally backed anyone in the race, but he did say good luck to her while at a Nashville rally for Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Senate candidate, in May.

She has been endorsed by former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, the American Conservative Union and the National Rifle Association.

Black is the only candidate in the race who has served at the federal and state level, WBIR-TV reported.

Considered to be an early frontrunner, Black has sought to balance her time in Washington, D.C., with how she would govern the state, according to The Tennessean. Shes been an ardent supporter of Trump and has introduced legislation that aligns with his agenda, including crowdfunding a border wall and designating illegal border crossing a felony.

Randy Boyd

Businessman Randy Boyd was one of the first to announce his intentions to run for governor.

Aside from being CEO of Radio Systems Corp., the parent company of several pet products, including PetSafe and Invisible Fence, Boyd also helped start a state program that provides free community college as well as partners mentors with high school graduates, according to his campaign website.

Boyd, 58, also served as an unpaid adviser on education for Haslam and was Tennessees Economic and Community Development Commissioner for two years. As commissioner, Boyd helped to bring in almost $11 billion in capital investments to Tennessee as well as 50,000 new job commitments, The Tennessean reported.

BLACKBURN, BREDESEN LEAD CANDIDATES VYING FOR TENNESSEE SENATE SEAT

As governor, Boyd said he wants to be chief salesman for the state and continue to push for a better economy and education, which includes a focus on technical trainings.

To campaign, Boyd has jogged  literally  across part of Tennessee.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee endorsed Boyd in June, comparing him to the president while doing so.

Huckabee said Boyd has spent his life building a company from scratch, and like President Trump, he knows what it takes to disrupt government-as-usual.

Boyd has also been backed by more than 120 county and city mayors and more than 50 law enforcement leaders, his campaign said.

Beth Harwell

Calling herself a Ronald Reagan Republican, Beth Harwell has led the Tennessee House as speaker since 2011. In that role, she has been instrumental in ensuring Tennessee is one of the lowest taxed states, balancing the budget every year and fostering a business-friendly environment, according to her campaign website.

As governor, I will lead on jobs, cutting taxes, guaranteeing every child has a great school and ensuring our Tennessee values are protected, Harwell, 61, said when she announced her candidacy last year.

Harwell is also anti-abortion and a gun rights advocate.

Harwell, too, is a Trump supporter and told Fox News her goals as speaker mirror that of Trumps in the White House: lowering taxes, ending sanctuary cities and alleviating debt.

I believe I have the proven performance and results that conservatives in the state of Tennessee want, she said in contrasting her record with her opponents.

She also credited a lot of Haslams legislative achievements to her speakership.

According to her House biography, Harwell has pushed for stronger sexual abuse laws and victims rights, including increasing jail time for convicted rapists.

TOP TENNESSEE DEM PARTY OFFICIAL SNUBS REACHING OUT TO TRUMP VOTERS, CALLS THEM IDIOTS

Shes been honored with the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Businesses twice. The Tennessee Education Association Fund for Children and Public Education, the states teacher PAC, endorsed Harwell in May.

Shes the only candidate who supports the legalization of medicinal marijuana, according to The Associated Press.

Bill Lee

As the only candidate without a political background, businessman Bill Lee has cast himself as an outsider in the race, which he has described as a calling.

If elected, Lee, 58, would focus on jobs and rural communities as well as boosting the states education system while cracking down on illegal immigration. Like his GOP opponents, he is also a defender of gun rights and is anti-abortion.

Lees first wife died in a horseback riding accident, and although hes since remarried, he hasnt shied away from talking about how her death impacted his outlook on life and business.

At the time, his family air conditioning business was successful, but he decided to take a step back from it, appointing a new CEO, to spend time with his children, The Tennessean reported.

My entire life had turned upside down, and I didnt much care about anything that Id previously cared about for a short period of time, and thats what disarray will do for you, Lee told the newspaper. I cared about my family, and that was my primary goal at the time.

TRUMP ON CAMPAIGN BLITZ AS MIDTERM ELECTIONS NEAR

After her death, he started working at a program geared toward at-risk youth and the Men of Valor, an organization that helps men who have been released from prison readapt into society, The Tennessean reports.

According to his campaign website, Lee Company now garners an annual revenue of $215 million, has won numerous awards and employs more than 1,200 people.

Lee also works with his familys large cattle farm, according to his campaign website.

Nashville Predators captain Mike Fisher and NASCAR great Darrell Waltrip are honorary co-chairs on Lees campaign.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., fired back at left-wing billionaire George Soros Wednesday after he criticized her for leading the barrage of condemnation that forced Sen. Al Franken, a fellow Dem, to resign last year over groping allegations.

Soros criticized Gillibrand in a June interview with The Washington Post, saying that she was the only Democrat he would not like to see succeed in a potential run for president in 2020.

The Hungary-born philanthropist and political activist accused Gillibrand of pushing Franken, "whom I admire," out of the Senate "in order to improve her chances" of getting the Democratic nomination.

"If standing up for women who have been wronged makes George Soros mad, thats on him," Gillibrand said in a statement to HuffPo. "But I wont hesitate to always do what I think is right."

FRANKEN RESIGNS FROM SENATE AMID NEW CLAIMS OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, BACKLASH FROM DEMS

"It is clear that we must put our morals and the valuing of women ahead of party loyalty," Gillibrand added. "When someone does something wrong, you have to speak up and be counted, whether its President Trump, or a Democratic colleague."

Franken, a former "Saturday Night Live" cast member and writer, announced his resignation from the Senate in December after at least eight women accused him of groping them and trying to force kisses. Gillibrand was one of 10 female Democratic senators who called on Franken to go, saying "enough is enough."

In his resignation speech, Franken said that some of the complaints against him were "simply not true," while he remembered other alleged encounters "differently." He also noted that Trump was facing multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault during his campaign in 2016.

JOY BEHAR GRILLS SEN. GILLIBRAND ON WHY SHE PUSHED FRAKEN TO RESIGN

In January, Gillibrand was confronted by "View" co-host Joy Behar about her role in Franken's Senate exit.

"Why did you push Franken out? Behar asked. "How about a hearing first?"

"He's entitled to a hearing," Gillibrand answered. "But he's not entitled to my silence, Joy."

"It's not OK to grab women without their consent," Gillibrand added. "So why would you want to hold our elected leaders to the lower standard and not the highest standard? We should be holding all our elected leaders to the highest standard. I can't be a good mother, and I can't be a good senator if Im silenced just because hes my friend."

Earlier this week, Franken told a Minneapolis TV station that he had not ruled out seeking office again.

Fox News' Ben Florance and Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.An Illinois state representative is expected to resign Wednesday after his ex-girlfriend accused him of posting nude photos of her online without permission.

Nick Sauer, a Republican, allegedly used the photos of his ex-girlfriend to catfish other men on a fake Instagram account, according to a complaint Kate Kelly filed with the states Office of the Legislative Inspector General that was obtained by Politico.

Kelly, who also filed a report with the Chicago Police Department, said Sauer used the account to catfish other men using my privately shared naked photos.

Nick would use this account to direct message men with my photos to engage in graphic conversations of a sexual nature, she said. The men believed they were communicating with me and Nick shared private details of my life.

Sauer, who has only been in the state House for one term, is expected to resign, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The allegations that have come forth against Representative Nick Sauer are troubling. He will be resigning from office today. We should allow the proper authorities to conduct their investigations, House GOP leader Jim Durkin said in a statement to the newspaper.

INDIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR BY MULTIPLE WOMEN

Kelly told Politico the pair met on Tinder in 2016, and she moved from California to Chicago in June 2017. However, they ended the relationship in March after Kelly claims he began seeing other women.

The man I loved and honored for over two years unfortunately did not exist. Until I moved to Chicago to be closer to him, he and I would share very private photos with each other, as many couples do, Kelly told Politico, adding that Sauer eventually confessed to making the fake Instagram account.

REP. JIM JORDAN DENIES REPORTS HE TURNED BLIND EYE TO SEXUAL ABUSE BY OHIO STATE WRESTLING DOCTOR

Sauer calls himself a pro-growth, Jack Kemp style fiscal conservative, on his Facebook page, referring to the late Republican congressman and vice presidential nominee. He also worked in former President George W. Bushs administration, according to his website.

Corruption and unethical behavior has plagued Illinois past, but it does not need to define our future, his website promises. Nick will work hard to lead by example and make decisions that honor the values of our district and the people he will represent.

Sauer's listed as a member of the House Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Task Force and represents the 51st congressional district, which includes parts of Cook and Lake Counties.

In his re-election efforts, Sauer was expected to face Democrat Mary Edly-Allen and independent Jay Murphy in November.

Sauer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News on Wednesday afternoon.Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, one of the most outspoken members of the anti-Trump resistance in Congress, is facing fresh questions about a longstanding controversy regarding how her campaign raises money and how those funds have flowed to her daughter.

The California congresswoman has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars each election cycle from some of her states biggest politicians paying to be listed on her slate mailerssample ballots traditionally mailed out to about 200,000 voters in Los Angeles highlighting whom she supports.

Since 2004, the campaign in turn reportedly has paid $750,000 to the congresswomans daughter, Karen Waters, or her public relations firm Progressive Connections for help producing them.

A government watchdog in July filed the first of two complaints with the Federal Election Commission asking for a full audit of the Citizens for Waters campaign.

'Maxine Waters found an old provision and turned it into a cottage industry.'  Tom Anderson, National Legal and Policy Center

The first complaint alleges Waters broke federal campaign finance law, and also names the California Democratic State Central Committee and Sen. Kamala Harris, a likely 2020 Democratic presidential contender.

The conservative National Legal and Policy Center is still drafting a second broader complaint focusing on the sources of money going to the Waters campaign and flowing to her daughterand the accuracy of campaign finance reports, said Tom Anderson, director of the groups government integrity project.

Rep. Waters, first elected in 1990, has been in the headlines lately for her calls to impeach President Trump and statements urging public confrontations with his Cabinet officials.

Well before her current political fame, though, she mastered this somewhat-rare form of fundraising in slate mailers. Californias top politicians as well as local office-seekers have given far in excess of legal contribution limits to her campaign to be on her slate of endorsed candidates. The campaign then pays Karen Waters and other firms to produce, print and mail the sample ballots. The FEC approved the practice by Waters in 2004.

Maxine Waters found an old provision and turned it into a cottage industry, Anderson told Fox News.

However, the FEC complaint filed on July 25 states that the California Democratic party paid $35,000 to the Waters campaign in 2016 to include the endorsement of Harris Senate candidacy on the mailer. The FEC complaint, which cited an October campaign finance report, contends a third party is not legally allowed to pay for the mailer of a candidate without a reimbursement under the 2004 FEC advisory opinion.

A separate report shows that the Harris campaign paid $30,000 to the Waters campaign earlier in 2016 for a primary slate mailer, but no subsequent payments.

The Democratic State Central Committee of California's $35,000 contribution to Citizens for Waters violated campaign finance limits, the complaint states.

WATCHDOG SAYS WATERS INCITING 'MOB VIOLENCE'

Neither Waters congressional office nor her 2018 campaign responded to phone and email inquiries. Karen Waters also did not respond to phone messages. A California Democratic Party spokesman and Harris Senate office did not respond to phone and email inquiries.

The mailers continue to be a lucrative source of funds.

For the 2018 election cycle, FEC data shows, as of July 28, that Democrat Gavin Newsoms gubernatorial campaign paid $27,000 to Waters re-election campaign to be in the mailers.

The state Democratic Party snubbed Sen. Dianne Feinstein this year, but she paid $27,000 and has the Waters endorsement. Candidates for state assembly, sheriff and judges paid between $2,000 and $12,000 to Citizens for Waters to be included on the mailers.

FEC data also shows as of July 28, Citizens for Waters paid Karen Waters $54,000 so far for the 2018 election cycle, mostly for slate mailers but also for other campaign work. The congressional campaign paid her $72,000 in the 2016 cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in politics.

In November, Waters is facing Republican Omar Navarro, 29, a small business owner. The 79-year-old incumbent beat Navarro in 2016 with 76 percent of the vote, and outpaced him again in the June jungle primary (in which both parties can run) with 72 percent of the vote.

She is going to be re-elected no matter what, Anderson said. She comes knocking and other politicians in California to say, do you want my endorsement, because she knows they dont want her opposing them.

Her rising profile in opposing Trump likely gives her more clout, Anderson said.

If you dont pay to be on her slate, then maybe youre one of Trumps people, Anderson said. A local politician, like a judge, does not want to be on her bad side.

Legally, candidates are paying a reimbursement for the slate mailer, rather than buying an endorsement. But its difficult to prove whether the Waters endorsement comes as a result of the payment or if already endorsed candidates are paying for their share, said Adav Noti, a former FEC assistant general counsel.

Those payments are legitimate if its approximate to the cost for the entity producing, printing and sending the mailers, Noti, now a senior director at the Campaign Legal Center, told Fox News. Without seeing the information on the cost of the mailers, its difficult to say if there is anything inherently wrong with the math.

Federal law technically limits individual campaign contributions to $2,700 to a candidates committee and $5,000 to a political action committee.

This certainly violates the spirit of campaign finance laws, but the FEC doesnt seem to think it violates the letter of the law, said John Wonderlich, executive director of the Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan watchdog group that first reported on the practice by the Waters campaign in 2010 and the connection with her daughter.

In this case, is it a question of enrichment for a family member? Wonderlich added. How much of the money passes through to cover postage and printing? It may be unsavory but not corrupt. Much of it hinges on the extent to which the money passes through.

The 2004 FEC advisory opinion, signed by Democratic FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub, described the slate mailers as follows: The brochure will feature a prominent picture or likeness of Representative Waters on the front page. It will be promoted as Representative Waters' official sample ballot and will contain brief quotes, which convey her opinions and endorsements of the federal and non-federal candidates listed.

The 2004 FEC opinion states that the payments from other candidates would not constitute support of, or in-kind contributions to, any federal candidate appearing in the brochure, so long as the authorized committee of that federal candidate reimburses the Waters Committee.

Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal. Follow him @FredLucasWH.The federal judge presiding over the fraud trial of ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort rebuked Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team repeatedly on Wednesday, highlighting potential vulnerabilities in the first prosecution arising out of Mueller's ongoing Russia probe.

The 78-year-old Reagan-appointed judge, T.S. Ellis, sent jurors out of the courtroom several times as he reminded prosecutors that Manafort is not on trial for simply having a "lavish lifestyle."

Ellis also surprised the courtroom late Wednesday when he said, "Im hoping to finish this case much sooner than anyone predicted.

The trial had been expected to last three weeks. Earlier in the day, prosecutors told the judge they thought the government could wrap its case by the end of next week.

Prosecutors have introduced a bevy of exhibits and are in the process of calling several witnesses as part of their effort to paint Manafort as a tax scofflaw who failed to report money spent on luxury items -- then lied to get bank loans when his foreign consulting work dried up.

But the Mueller team was rebuffed by Ellis when it tried to introduce photos of Manaforts closets, filled with suits and other high-end articles of clothing. Ellis noted that those photos would eventually become fodder for the media, and called them "unnecessary" for jurors to see.

Enough is enough. We dont convict people because they have a lot of money and throw it around, he said.

He also dismissed an exhibit related to Manafort's lavish spending: "All this document shows is that Mr. Manafort had a lavish lifestyle," Ellis said. "It isn't relevant."

The legal standard for excluding evidence based on irrelevance or the risk of prejudicing jurors is high -- ordinarily, judges only prevent jurors from seeing evidence that has no tendency to make any fact at issue in the case more or less likely, or that would pose a substantial risk of unfairly arousing juror bias.

The prosecution was able to present some evidence of Manafort's spending on Wednesday. One witness, Ron Wall, the chief financial officer of high-end men's apparel store House of Bijan in Beverly Hills, Calif., testified that Manafort spent a grand total of $334,325 over a three-year period at the store.

That included one invoice for an assortment of clothing in 2010, at a total of roughly $128,000. Wall testified that most of those payments came from wire transfers from banks in Cyprus -- but he admitted on cross-examination by defense attorneys that he has other clients who similarly use wire transfers for costly items.

Another witness, Steve Jacobson, a contractor hired by Manafort from 2010 to 2014, said he worked on a number of the defendant's properties, including one in Trump Tower. That is the first time jurors heard Trump's name uttered in the trial.

Jacobson said most of the nearly $3.3 million Manafort paid him in that period came by way of international wire transfers. The parties also stipulated that a payment for daughter Andreas house in Arlington came in the form of a $1.9 million wire transfer from a Cyprus bank.

Among his other rebukes, Ellis on Wednesday told prosecutors to stop using the word oligarch to describe wealthy Ukrainians, whose dealings with Manafort are at the heart of the fraud charges he faces in the northern Virginia federal court. He said the term is a "pejorative" that would risk unfairly prejudicing jurors against Manafort.

More witnesses are scheduled in the case, who appear ready to testify about Manafort's spending habits. Ellis' decisionmaking casts into doubt how much of that testimony will be heard by jurors, or what instructions jurors will get on how to consider this testimony.

DAY ONE TRIAL RECAP: PROSECUTION CALLS FIRST WITNESS, WHO PRAISES MANAFORT'S WORK ETHIC

In a surprising moment, prosecutor Uzo Asonye told Ellis that Rick Gates -- Manafort's former business partner who had been considered a potential star witness for the prosecution -- might not be called to the stand after all.

"Enough is enough. We dont convict people because they have a lot of money and throw it around."  U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis

"He may testify, he may not," Asonye informed Ellis, saying Mueller's team would make the call depending on the evidence presented.

That disclosure prompted reporters to hustle out of the courtroom to report the news -- "scurry[ing] out of here like rats out of a sinking ship," Ellis said.

You know who you are going to call, Ellis sharply told Asonye. If you are going to call him, then this [debate over a particular exhibit] is a waste of time.

During opening arguments Tuesday, the defense team made it clear they intend to blame Gates, who handled some day-to-day business operations for Manafort, for many of the alleged reporting deficiencies Manafort is charged with.

Ellis interjected during the prosecutors' opening statement to remind jurors that wealth alone is not criminal, and he rebuked a prosecutor in front of the jury for saying that the "evidence will show" Manafort's guilt.

"It isn't a crime to have a lot of money and be profligate in your spending," Ellis said.

Jurors also heard Tuesday that Manafort bought an ostrich jacket worth more than $15,000. That prompted Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), to issue a statement calling for Manafort to turn over the jacket, which was "likely made from numerous juvenile ostriches whose throats were slit and whose feathers were plucked out."

Ellis had harshly admonished members of Mueller's team in a tense preliminary hearing in May, saying they "don't care" about Manafort and were pursuing the case against the 69-year-old ex-Trump adviser only as a means of targeting the president.

Ellis has issued tough -- sometimes colorful -- statements and rulings against the defense during the Manafort case, as well.

He interrupted a defense attorney who was outlining to the jury Manafort's efforts to improve American international political outreach, asking, I take it you plan to offer evidence? and prompting the attorney to offer some.

Ellis, who took senior status more than a decade ago but continues to hear a limited docket, also seemed to grow impatient on Tuesday after being told that attorneys on both sides were seen rolling their eyes in response to his rulings or after stepping back from the bench.

ELLIS ACCUSES MUELLER TEAM OF TRYING TO USE MANAFORT PROSECUTION TO GET TO TRUMP

The lawyers' facial expressions, Ellis said, appeared to show them thinking, "Why do we have to put up with this idiot judge?"

Earlier this month, Ellis denied a defense motion to move the trial further from Washington, D.C., rejecting Manafort's argument that media coverage in the major market would risk biasing the jury.

"The mere fact that a case has drawn substantial media attention does not, by itself, warrant a change in venue," Ellis wrote in denying the request.

Separately, Ellis also excoriated the defense team earlier this month for opposing Manafort's transfer to an Alexandria, Va., jail -- shortly after complaining that the jail at which he was housed was also inadequate.

"Defense counsel has not identified any general or specific threat to defendants safety at the Alexandria Detention Center," Ellis wrote. "They have not done so, because the professionals at the Alexandria Detention Center are very familiar with housing high-profile defendants including foreign and domestic terrorists, spies and traitors."

He continued, "It is surprising and confusing when counsel identifies a problem and then opposes the most logical solution to that problem."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Special Counsel Robert Muellers prosecutors were lectured by a federal judge on Wednesday for the language theyve used in the courtroom and more, as the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort entered its second day.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III specifically told prosecutors to stop using the word oligarch to describe wealthy Ukrainians, whose dealings with Manafort are at the heart of the fraud charges he faces in northern Virginia federal court.

The judge said the term has a pejorative meaning and is not relevant in this case. Further, he cautioned that using it could suggest Manafort is associated with bad people  and guilty by association.

Its not the American way, the judge said. He noted that wealthy donors like George Soros or the Koch brothers also could be considered oligarchs.

The Mueller team was later rebuffed again by Ellis when they tried to introduce photos that eventually would become public of Manaforts closets filled with suits and high-end clothing.

While its part of their effort to paint Manafort as a tax scofflaw who spent big on luxury items, Ellis would not allow the photos for now.

Enough is enough. We dont convict people because they have a lot of money and throw it around, he said.

The judge said the photos would seem unnecessary, irrelevant and potentially prejudicial. Further, he reminded the lawyers that Manafort is not on trial for having a lavish lifestyle, but for not reporting income on his taxes.

Ellis has scolded members of Muellers team before, asserting back in May that the team was really interested in targeting President Trump.

But the case is proceeding, in the first trial arising from the Mueller probe.

The Manafort charges do not relate to allegations of Russian meddling or collusion with Trump figures in the 2016 campaign, but rather focus on allegations that Manafort cheated on his taxes and engaged in other fraudulent activity.

The opening day focused heavily on the defendants lavish lifestyle, as prosecutors said he lied to put his money ahead of the law. Defense attorneys -- and even the presiding judge -- reminded jurors that exorbitant wealth, in itself, is not a crime.

His defense teams opening day strategy was to try and undermine the Mueller teams star witness, Rick Gates, who was Manaforts deputy in business and at the Trump campaign.

The attorneys argued Gates was the one who transferred all the money into accounts, including consulting fees collected from Ukrainian political figures. They said he was embezzling money and later lied about it to investigators  before agreeing to flip and testify against Manafort.

But the Mueller team contends Manafort bankrolled a luxurious globe-trotting lifestyle with money he wasnt paying taxes on.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye told the jury Tuesday that Manafort considered himself above the law as he funneled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts to pay for personal expenses such as a $21,000 watch and a $15,000 jacket made of ostrich.

"All of these charges boil down to one simple issue: that Paul Manafort lied," Asonye said. "Manafort placed himself and his money over the law."

Fox News Gregg Re and Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.Non-American citizens are increasingly found on voter rolls thanks to covert registration methods, with nothing actually stopping them from casting a ballot in an election.

Elizaveta Shuvalova, a Russian citizen who became a U.S. citizen only last year, was registered as an eligible voter in 2012 and added to the San Francisco voter rolls, the Washington Times reported.

She was perplexed to find herself in the voter rolls, saying she wasnt an American citizen and didnt even register to vote.

Ive never registered for anything in my entire life, Shuvalova told the paper. This is news to me.

Ive never registered for anything in my entire life. This is news to me.  Elizaveta Shuvalova, who became a U.S. citizen in 2017, but has been on voter rolls since 2012

The womans voter log shows that she signed up as a Democrat in July 2012. In 2016, her registration was canceled after she informed election authorities that she wasn't eligible to vote because she wasn't yet a U.S. citizen.

This is definitely a shocker to me. It is like an identity fraud because this is not coming from my end, the woman, who identifies as a Democrat, said. Like I told you, I havent even been a citizen during that time frame. So what can we do about it?

NON-CITIZENS, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS NOW MAY REGISTER TO VOTE IN SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS

But the case of Shuvalova is part of a larger concern some groups have when it comes integrity of elections. They claim that stories like hers are a common occurence in many parts of the country.

The Public Interest Legal Foundation, a nonprofit specializing in election integrity, found that non-Americans are being added to voter rolls in states such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia.

The group says that a large portion of the non-citizens even managed to cast their ballots in elections as well. For instance, in 2017, the group found that nearly 5,600 people on the voter rolls in Virginia were deemed as non-citizens, with a third of them voting in previous elections.

"Our voter registration system masks non-citizens and allows the opportunity to vote until they decide to self-report at their own peril. All of this could have been prevented if states actually verified citizen eligibility upfront."  PILF research director Logan Churchwell

Our voter registration system masks non-citizens and allows the opportunity to vote until they decide to self-report at their own peril. All of this could have been prevented if states actually verified citizen eligibility upfront, Logan Churchwell, communications and research director for the foundation, told the Times.

Shuvalova could have been added on voter rolls after signing a 2013 petition for a ballot initiative concerning housing development in San Francisco.

John Arntz, director of the San Francisco Department of Elections, told the Times that a signed registration card was submitted to the office to qualify the woman as a signer of the petition. He added that activists often distribute registration cards along with their petitions.

Normally, election authorities should check the registration application with other databases such as the states Department of Motor Vehicles and the secretary of states office to ensure the person is a citizen.

In Shuvalovas case, however, she wasnt detected as a non-citizen and she began receiving voting ballots. She received nine of them, but never actually voted. She reportedly returned one ballot in 2016 but only to inform officials that she wasn't a citizen and therefore wasn't eligible to vote.

The San Francisco election official said that Shuvalova could have easily gotten away with voting in elections before 2016 and she probably would have remained on the voter rolls as an eligible voter had she not informed officials.

But Arntz told the Times that the womans story isnt a reflection on whole the integrity of the election system.

If it was a problem, this would be an issue that comes up every election or something we would have experienced more through time. But it doesnt, he said.

This is the first instance that Ive actually had a conversation like this, he continued. So, no, I dont think it is a problem. I dont think theres many records out there like this.

He added that nobody in San Francisco has yet been prosecuted for being a non-citizen on the voter rolls.

I cant remember forwarding an allegation that someone was a non-citizen who registered to vote or did vote, Arntz said.Aaron Ford, the Democratic nominee for Nevada attorney general, is struggling to explain how he incurred over $185,000 in unpaid taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.

Ford, who serves as the majority leader of the Nevada senate, had three different liens filed against him by the IRS for failing to pay over $185,000 in income taxes between 2010 and 2013, according to financial disclosures filed with the Nevada secretary of state.

The first lien was issued by the IRS against Ford in October 2013 after it was determined he failed to pay over $85,000 in taxes for income garnered between 2010 and 2011. A subsequent lien was filed in April 2014 indicating Ford owed more than $42,000 in unpaid income taxes for 2012. In December 2014, the IRS filed a third and final lien against Ford for failing to pay over $58,000 in taxes for 2013.

Ford cited the liens on official financial disclosure forms he was required by law to submit to the Nevada secretary of state's office in 2014 and 2015. The debts were not cited in Ford's 2016 financial disclosure as the liens were released that year.

When the news first broke Ford's campaign manager, Peggy Yang, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the candidate had "faced some financial difficulties" as a result of the recession and that those "difficulties" were further complicated upon being promoted to partner at his law firm.

Click for more from the Washington Free Beacon.Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday endorsed dozens of Democrats in races across the country, flexing his political muscle in the midterms and vowing to hit the stump for some of them before November.

Notably, the former president did not endorse liberal darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in her New York House race. The 'democratic socialist' has teamed up on the campaign trail with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., but her high profile after defeating House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley in the primary has raised concerns in some corners of the party.

In New York, Obama endorsed two candidatesHouse hopeful Antonio Delgado and Anna Kaplan for a state Senate seat.

Among his most prominent endorsements were for Gavin Newsom for governor of California, Stacey Abrams for governor of Georgia and Jacky Rosen, the Democrat running against incumbent Republican Sen. Dean Heller in Nevada.

I am proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidatesleaders as diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted as the America theyre running to represent, Obama said in a statement on Wednesday. Im confident that, together, theyll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity thats broadly shared, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility and the rule of law.

His list of 81 endorsements includes more than a half-dozen former administration and campaign officials.

Obama also weighed in on home state races in Illinois, offering endorsements for gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker (brother of his former Commerce secretary Penny Pritzker) and several House candidates, as well as candidate for Illinois attorney general Kwame Raoul.

Obama earlier this year endorsed Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who is in a tight Democrat-vs.-Democrat race against Kevin de Leon in November.

After the Wednesday release, Obama tweeted the endorsements, as his office said another round would be coming before November.

Republicans, though, suggested the endorsements could do more harm than good.

"No one's more to blame for how weak today's Democratic Party is than President Obama," Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Ahrens told Fox News. "He cost them over 1,000 legislative seats, decimated their state parties and voters rejected his policies at the ballot box less than two years ago."

According to Obamas office, the former presidents endorsements were made in an effort to help current and aspiring Democratic leaders establish themselves, build their profiles, and lead their communities.

His office noted that some of the endorsements were given to several promising Obama Administration and campaign alumni who heeded the Presidents call in his farewell speech to 'grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself.'Vice President Mike Pence spoke at a ceremony Wednesday to mark the arrival of the remains of U.S. servicemen from the Korean War -- and joining him were two guests who lost their fathers in the war.

Pence took to Twitter Wednesday to share that he and his wife Karen would attend the ceremony in Honolulu with Diana Brown Sanfilippo and Rick Downes.

The vice president said that when Sanfilippo was 4 years old she lost her father in the Korean War during a recon mission, and that when Downes was just 3 years old he lost his father operating radar on a B-26 bomber.

Pence later wrote he was humbled & honored to be a part of the repatriations ceremony.

North Korea handed over the remains of what U.S. officials said are believed to be the remains of U.S servicemen who fought during the Korean War. A U.S. military plane made a rare trip into North Korea to retrieve 55 cases.

Fox News Pete Hegseth, who was traveling with Pence in Air Force Two, recalled the touching stories of the heroes' now-grown children.

We picked up probably the two most important passengers on that plane: a man and woman who were 4 and 3 years old  little girl and little boy in the 1950s  when they sent their fathers, then young men, both pilots, both first lieutenants, both went to fight in the Korean War, he said on Fox & Friends.

They dedicated their lives for the last 60 years finding out what happened to their fathers, what happened though those patriots, warriors who went to fight for us, for every generation of Americans, Hegseth continued.

The returned remains are seen as one major accomplishment of Trumps historic summit in Singapore with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un last month.White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on Wednesday brushed back criticism of President Trump's controversial tweet urging Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the Russia probe, telling reporters he was merely voicing his "opinion."

After Democrats claimed the tweet amounted to obstruction of justice, Sanders said the president was not actually giving an order to end the probe.

Its not an order, its the presidents opinion, Sanders said. It is ridiculous all the dishonesty thats gone on, and the president has watched this process play out, but also wants to see this come to an end.

Sanders maintained, though, that the White House wants the investigation to be completed, and said this should happen sooner rather than later.

Also on Wednesday, counsel to the president, Jay Sekulow, told Fox News that the presidents tweet was not an order.

The President did not issue an order or directive to the Department of Justice, Sekulow said in a statement to Fox News.

The defense of the presidents comments come after he posted a series of tweets blasting the Russia investigation.

This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further, Trump tweeted. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to the USA!

The tweet renewed Democratic complaints that Trump is wrongly challenging the independence of the special counsel. Trump has repeatedly blasted the probe as a witch hunt, but the call for Sessions to intervene represents another escalation.

Sessions, however, already recused himself last year  handing off oversight to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. So he is unlikely to act.

A Justice Department spokesperson had no comment on the tweet when reached by Fox News.

But Democrats on Wednesday blasted the presidents statement as an example of obstruction of justice.

Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff, D-Calif., tweeted:

The President of the United States just called on his Attorney General to put an end to an investigation in which the President, his family and campaign may be implicated. This is an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight. America must never accept it.

But Sanders maintained that the presidents tweets were not obstruction.

He is fighting back, Sanders said. He is stating his opinion and stating it clearly and certainly, expressing the frustration weve seen with the level of corruption from people like James Comey, Peter Strzok and Andrew McCabe. There is no reason he shouldnt be able to voice that opinion.

The presidents tweets also came on the second day of his former campaign chairman Paul Manaforts trialthe first out of Muellers probe.

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax! he tweeted.

Fox News' Judson Berger, Serafin Gomez, and John Roberts contributed to this report.The Trump administration on Wednesday sanctioned top Turkish officials over the countrys detention of American pastor Andrew Craig Brunson.

The Treasury Department sanctions, first announced by the White House, target Turkey's minister of justice and minister of interior over the holding of the 50-year-old pastor.

Pastor Brunsons unjust detention and continued prosecution by Turkish officials is simply unacceptable, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. President Trump has made it abundantly clear that the United States expects Turkey to release him immediately.

The administration said the two sanctioned officials -- Turkey's Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu -- both played leading roles in the organizations responsible for Brunson's arrest and detention. The sanctions effectively block any property or interest in property controlled by them in the U.S., and bar Americans from engaging in transactions with them.

Brunson, an evangelical pastor, was arrested in December 2016 and jailed. He was recently released to home detention.

In Ankara, Turkey called on the U.S. to reverse its decision and promised to "respond in kind without delay" against what it described as an aggressive stance by the Trump administration. It did not elaborate on possible measures.

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier warned the U.S. not to impose sanctions against his government. Late Saturday, Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying that Washington "cannot make Turkey back down with sanctions."

The pastor, who is originally from Black Mountain, N.C., has lived in Turkey for 23 years and led Izmir Resurrection Church.

Brunson was detained in the aftermath of a failed 2016 coup on charges of "committing crimes on behalf of terror groups without being a member" and espionage. He faces a prison sentence of up to 35 years if he is convicted on both counts at the end of his ongoing trial.

Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News "Sunday Morning Futures" that Brunson's release to house arrest "is just not good enough."

"Pastor Andrew Brunson is an innocent man. Hes a man of profound Christian faith, who has ministered in Turkey for more than 20 years ... There's no credible evidence of any wrongdoing against him," Pence said.

Fox News Samuel Chamberlain and The Associated Press contributed to this report.President Trump has proposed that U.S. trade officials raise tariffs on Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent over a perceived failure to address concerns regarding unfair trading practices, officials said.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer released a statement On Wednesday announcing that Trump had asked him to consider increasing tariffs from the initial 10 percent proposal to 25 percent on about $200 billion in imports as China continues to double down on unfair practices.

On June 18, the president directed me to identify $200 billion worth of Chinese goods for additional tariffs at a rate of 10 percent, in response to Chinas decision to cause further harm to U.S. workers, farmers, and businesses by imposing retaliatory duties on U.S. goods, Lighthizer said. This week, the president has directed that I consider increasing the proposed level of the additional duty from 10 percent to 25 percent.

While the tariffs would not be imposed until after a period of public comment ends on Sept. 5, a senior administration official said that Trump remains open to conversations, and that the administration is in contact with our Chinese counterparts.

China has been accused of continuing to engage in unfair trading practices, particularly in tech, and, according to one official, its government has missed many opportunities to address specific concerns presented by the U.S.

The Trump administration continues to urge China to stop its unfair practices, open its market, and engage in true market competition, Lightizers statement read. We have been very clear about the specific changes China should undertake. Regrettably, instead of changing its harmful behavior, China has illegally retaliated against U.S. workers, farmers, ranchers and businesses.

The administration had previously imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods on July 6 over similar concerns that Beijing was stealing or pressuring companies to hand over technology. China responded by implementing its own penalties on U.S. goods.

Chinese officials responded early Wednesday to threats of higher tariffs by saying they would retaliate again.

"If the United States takes further measures that escalate the situation, China will definitely fight back," said Geng Shuang a foreign ministry spokesman. We are determined to safeguard our legitimate and lawful rights and interests.

One senior administration official said that Washington is ready to engage in talks with Beijing, but that Trump is willing to take tough action in a way previous administrations have not in order to further discussions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Vice President Mike Pence contended Tuesday that President Trump's administration inherited a "cyber-crisis" when he took office, laying the blame for Russian meddling on the Obama administration.

[S]adly, previous administrations have let the American people down when it came to cyber defense, Pence said in a speech at the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity Summit in New York City. At the outset of this administration, it became clear from early on: In a very real sense, we inherited a cyber-crisis.

Sadly, previous administrations have let the American people down when it came to cyber defense. At the outset of this administration, it became clear from early on: In a very real sense, we inherited a cyber-crisis.  Vice President Mike Pence

Pence suggested the Obama administration was to blame for major security breaches in recent years, such as the Equifax hack -- which affected the data of half the U.S. population -- and the hack at the federal Office of Personnel Management, which affected about 18 million people, CNet.com reported.

Pence vowed the White House would take proactive measures to overhaul the countrys cyber-security systems, to prevent another attack.

The vice president also derided Russia for interfering in the 2016 presidential election and vowed the Trump administration would do more to prevent future cyber-attacks.

Pences denouncement of Russia was unprecedented, given President Trumps ambiguous stance on election meddling, the Wall Street Journal reported.

While other nations certainly possess the capability, the fact is Russia meddled in our 2016 elections, Pence said, That is the unambiguous judgment of our intelligence community, and, as the president said, we accept the intelligence communitys conclusion.

Trump was widely criticized for appearing to accept Russian President Vladimir Putin's assurance that Russia had not interfered in the 2016 election  just days after Special Counsel Robert Muellers indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officials. But following widespread backlash, Trump reversed his position.

At the same New York event, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced several initiatives to combat future threats, Politico reported, including an election security task force, a supply chain task force and a National Risk Management center.

The risk management center will reportedly work to safeguard the nations banks, energy companies, and other major industries, the Journal reported.

[O]ur digital lives are now in danger every single day, Nielsen said, adding that the next 9/11 attack would likely reach us online rather than on an airplane.

Our digital lives are now in danger every single day.  Kirstjen Nielsen, U.S. secretary of homeland security

Meanwhile, a group of demonstrators wearing red Handmaids Tale robes marched outside the summit to protest the Trump administrations now-rescinded zero tolerance policy, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions religious liberty task force.

A group called Refuse Fascism, which organized the protest, maintains that the Trump administrations religious liberty policies are discriminatory towards LGBT people and women, AM New York reported.A Canadian province has ditched a universal basic income welfare program after the government found it was not sustainable, making it the latest around the globe to scrap the plan.

The move comes as several American cities flirt with bringing the scheme to the U.S.

Ontarios new conservative government this week said it would end the pilot program, which gave free government funds to people in low-paying jobs -- instead of welfare benefits -- in the region to test whether the money helped to improve health, education and housing.

The government reportedly called the plan expensive and not sustainable. Lisa MacLeod, the Ontario minister for social services told The Guardian that the program was clearly not the answer for Ontario families.

Ontarios decision comes on the heels of Finlands decision to scrap its own test of universal basic income. Finlands program gave 560 Euros ($584) to 2,000 unemployed Finnish citizens per month, with no requirement to find a paying job. Earlier this year however, Finland decided not to extend the funding to the program.

Even as Canadian and European plans failed, U.S. cities are still pushing to test the scheme.

Stockton, Calif. Is set to become the first in the U.S. to take on the experiment, with a plan to pay 100 residents $500 a month without any conditions. The programs purpose is to eventually ensure that no one in Stockton, with a population of 300,000, lives in poverty. The receivers of the cash will be able to spend the money on anything they want without any rules or regulations.

Stocktons plan is slated to launch by 2019, and the tested resident pool will receive the funds for a full 18 months as a trial phase before being rolled out across the city.

Also in California, a startup, Y Combinator, based in Oakland, is giving out $1,500 a month to randomly selected residents.

Chicago is also weighing up the option of introducing the program, which would make it the largest city in the U.S. to get on board.

Alderman Ameya Pawar recently proposed the legislation, which would provide 1,000 families with a $500 monthly stipend  no questions asked.

Pawars bill already has the backing of the majority of city lawmakers, and Pawar hopes to soon work with Mayor Rahm Emanuel to implement the pilot program, The Intercept reported.

Nearly 70 percent of Americans dont have $1,000 in the bank for an emergency, Pawar told the outlet. UBI could be an incredible benefit for people who are working and are having a tough time making ends meet or putting food on the table at the end of the month.

A 2017 Pew Research Center study found that 60 percent of Americans favor the government providing a guaranteed income that would allow them to meet their basic needs, as workers with a high school diploma were the most likely to support a universal basic income at 65 percent, and workers with a four-year college education or more at 52 percent.

Fox News Lukas Mikelionis, Benjamin Brown and The Associated Press contributed to this report.A California Democrat who resigned last year amid sexual misconduct allegations -- including that he allegedly masturbated in front of a female lobbyist -- has transferred more than $1 million into a lieutenant governor committee account, according to a campaign finance report filed Tuesday.

The filing suggests that former state Assemblyman Matt Dababneh, 37, a Democrat who represented Woodland Hills, could be plotting a political comeback, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Dababneh stepped down last December after being accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. He denied the allegation and said at the time that he wanted to focus on clearing his name, the paper reported.

Lobbyist Pamela Lopez has accused Dababneh of pushing her into a hotel restroom in Las Vegas and masturbating in front of her, the report said.

Another woman, Jessica Yas Barker, said in December that she quit her job at a congressman's office because of Dababneh's frequent comments about her appearance, including advice that she not dress like "such a lesbian," the Bee reported.

Dababneh resigned with nearly $1.2 million in the bank for his reelection effort, and put $1.06 million into his lieutenant governor campaign account by the end of March, the Bee reported.

A Matt Dababneh for Lieutenant Governor 2022 committee was filed in March with the California secretary of state, helping to keep his campaign cash available, the Los Angeles Times reported in April.

Lopez has said Dababneh should instead donate the money to trauma and rape crisis centers to atone for his actions, according to the paper.

Dababneh reported spending more than $31,000 for lawyers; $11,828 for credit card payments; $8,430 for candidate travel; and $10,000 for a donation to the Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, among other expenses, the Bee reported.

Dababneh did not immediately respond for comment.A school district in Arizona is building a tiny home community for cash-strapped teachers who cant afford local housing.

The small town of Vail, located about 25 miles southeast of Tucson, has an average home price of $258,000 and no apartments within the 425-square-mile school district, CityLab reports.

This leaves many of the local school teachers, whose salaries range from about $38,000 to $46,000, commuting from Tucson in order to live somewhere they can afford rent.

STUDENT WITH CEREBRAL PALSY CLAIMS COLLEGE DENIED EXTRA ROOM FOR CAREGIVER

The lowest rent you can find for a house in Vail is $1,200, Sydney Scharer tells CityLab. Scharer teaches fifth grade at Senita Valley Elementary School and makes $38,000 a year.

The only way to afford rent was for her and her fiance to live in a 600-sqaure-foot apartment about a 30 minute drive from work for $850 per month. It was the closest thing we could get to Vail and still keep our rent reasonable, she said.

But now, thanks to a new housing community, Scharer, and soon others, will be able to live in a neighborhood of two dozen 300- to 400-square-foot homes on district land.

The tiny home community is being built on five acres near whats set to become the town city center. Scharer and her fiance just moved into the sites first tiny home, a one-bedroom, 400-square-foot property shes renting until her own customized tiny home is complete. On a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, her monthly payments will be about $700 a month.

The homes will be available both for purchase and rent, with the project being supported mostly by local investors. The district is spending $200,000 on infrastructure, and teachers and staff will pay $125 a month to cover the cost of renting the land, which will include utilities and internet, CityLab reports.

John Carruth, the school districts associate superintendent, told CityLab he acknowledges that the issue is not only limited to housing options, but teachers' salaries. Arizona ranked last in the country for elementary teacher salaries, and 49th for high school, AZ Central reports.

The best model is to compensate teachers so that they can afford a home like anyone else can, Joe Thomas, president of Arizona Education Association, the states largest teachers union, told City Lab. I dont think its any more complex than that.

I think its a creative approach, but I dont know if it values the work and the contribution that educators make in the community. Maybe if we can just move away from tiny school budgets, he said.

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Carruth said the district already contributes 89 percent of its budget to employee salaries and that a 10 percent bump wouldnt be enough to solve the affordable housing issue. The majority of our teaching stuff is under 35. Theyre dealing with this. Were trying to solve something we can control, he said.A pod of endangered orcas, native to the Pacific Northwest waters, has been seen floating the body of a dead calf that died over a week ago.

J35, a 20-year-old whale, gave birth to the first baby orca in three years, but the calf died shortly after.

The baby was so newborn, it didnt have blubber. It kept sinking, and the mother would raise it to the surface, said Ken Balcomb, a senior scientist with the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island, Washington State.

Since its death last Tuesday, the mother has been seen carrying the corpse of her dead calf on her forehead, pushing it to the surface of the water.

But over a week later, Jenny Atkinson, executive director of the Whale Museum on San Juan Island, said that experts now see other members of the pod sharing the responsibility of caring this calf, CBC radio reported.

They seem to be taking turns.

Atkinson told The Associated Press earlier that the pod is experiencing a deep grieving process.

While at least seven species in seven geographic regions covering three oceans have been documented carrying the body of their deceased young, scientist Deborah Giles with the University Of Washington Center Of Conservation Biology said that grieving for more than 24 hours is a rare occurrence.

The dwindling population of endangered southern resident killer whales has fallen to 75.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.British scientists believe 100ft rogue waves could be the reason why so many boats have been sunk in the mysterious Bermuda Triangle.

The infamous body of water in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean stretches 700,000 square km (270,271 square miles) between Florida, Bermuda and Puerto-Rico.

Also known as the Devils Triangle, the area features multiple shipping lanes and has claimed over 1,000 lives in the last 100 years.

But experts at the University of Southampton believe the mystery can be explained by a natural phenomenon known as rogue waves.

Appearing on Channel 5 documentary The Bermuda Triangle Enigma, the scientists use indoor simulators to re-create the monster water surges.

SECRETS OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE

Rogue waves  which only last for a few minutes - were first observed by satellites in 1997 off the coast of South Africa.

Some have even measured 30 meters (nearly 100ft) high.

The research team built a model of the USS Cyclops, a huge vessel which went missing in the triangle in 1918 claiming 300 lives.

And because of its sheer size and flat base, it does not take long before the model is overcome with water during the simulation.

Dr. Simon Boxall, an ocean and earth scientist, says that infamous area in the Atlantic can see three massive storms coming together from different directions  the perfect conditions for a rogue wave.

MORE THAN 100 YEARS LATER, THE 'GREAT MYSTERY' OF THE VANISHED USS CYCLOPS REMAINS UNSOLVED

Boxall believes such a surge in water could snap a boat, such as the Cyclops, in TWO.

He said: There are storms to the south and north, which come together.

And if there are additional ones from Florida, it can be a potentially deadly formation of rogue waves.

They are steep, they are high  weve measured waves in excess of 30 metres.

This story originally appeared in The Sun.The last time scientists visited the remote French island of Ile aux Cochons in the Indian Ocean, they found more than 2 million king penguins, including 500,000 breeding pairs.

That was 1982, and it gave the island the distinction of being the largest such colony in the world. But in the first comprehensive new count since then, researchers report in Antarctic Science that only about 200,000 king penguins now inhabit the island.

Of those, about 60,000 were in pairs, reports the BBC. The new numbers are based on aerial photos taken in 2015 and 2017 of the island, which sits between Antarctica and the tip of Africa, per the Guardian.

For now, researchers have no clear answer on what explains the population plunge, though followup field studies could shed light. It is completely unexpected, and particularly significant since this colony represented nearly one third of the king penguins in the world, says lead author Henri Weimerskirch of the Centre for Biological Studies in Chize, France.

One theory revolves around the weather: A particularly strong El Nino in the late 1990s warmed regional waters and might have pushed penguin prey such as fish and squid out of foraging range long enough to have devastating consequences on such a dense population, according to a news release.

Those effects could have been amplified against the larger backdrop of climate change in general, notes the Guardian. Other theories include diseases such as avian cholera, or the arrival of invasive species such as rats or mice.

(On the flip side, researchers found a previously unknown colony of a different type of penguin.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Biggest King Penguin Colony Sees a Catastrophic DropAn Alaskan borough has had to dust off its typewriters following a major ransomware attack.

The BBC reports that after the attack encrypted Matanuska-Susitnas email server, internal systems and disaster recovery servers, staff used typewriters. A spokeswoman for the borough told the BBC that workers had resourcefully dusted off the typewriters and were writing receipts by hand.

In a report released Monday, the Boroughs IT director Eric Wyatt said that a Trojan, a form of malware, was detected on July 17. The attack subsequently escalated, with the virus launching Crypto Locker ransomware.

The ransomware began encrypting files on workstations and servers. Nearly all of the Boroughs 500 work stations, encompassing both Windows 10 and Windows 7, and 120 of its 150 servers, were infected.

CITY OF ATLANTA HIT BY RANSOMWARE ATTACK

In a ransomware attack, hackers typically encrypt a computer networks data to hold it hostage, providing a digital decryption key to unlock it for a price. However, Wyatt said that the cyberattack against Matanuska-Susitna does not bear the characteristics of a classic ransomware attack.

This encryption is portrayed as a ransomware attack, however its real purpose may be to cover the tracks of the other components, he wrote.

In a statement released Monday, the Borough said that most of its data had survived the attack.

Despite the sophisticated level of attack, the Borough backup servers that store this local governments documents were structured in a way that protected most of the data. Credit cards are not stored here online and were never at risk, it wrote.

SCARY RANSOMWARE ATTACKS FAMOUS NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY

On July 24, the Borough first disconnected servers from each other, then disconnected the Borough itself from the Internet, phones and email. Since then, infrastructure is steadily being rebuilt, computers cleaned and returned, and email, phones, and Internet connection becoming restored, it explained.

Nonetheless, Wyatt described the attack as and very-well organized. Its not a kid in his moms basement, he said in the statement. Because we are getting the information out and sharing it with other entities, hopefully they can weather the storm.

Wyatt said that the city of Valdez, Alaska, and other locations in the U.S. have been hit with a virus that seems similar to the one that attacked Matanuska-Susitna.

At a meeting on Tuesday evening, Matanuska-Susitna Borough Manager John Moosey declared the cyberattack a disaster. Moosey told the audience that the declaration gives the Borough access to insurance, the emergency part of its budget and possible FEMA assistance.

HACKER TARGETS SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT, DELETES 30 MILLION FILES IN RANSOMWARE ATTACK

Earlier this year the City of Atlanta was targeted in a ransomware attack that mpacted a number of its systems. A virulent form of ransomware known as SamSam was used against the City.

Last year, a major ransomware attack forced the shutdown of a host of IT systems at Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

Also in 2017, a hacker targeted Sacramento Regional Transit, deleting 30 million files in a ransomware attack. Officials worked to restore the data from backup files.

In 2016, a Los Angeles hospital paid a ransom of nearly $17,000 in bitcoins to hackers who infiltrated and disabled its computer network.

SHIPPING GIANT HIT BY CYBERATTACK, REFUSES TO PAY HACKERS' RANSOM

Cybersecurity specialist Sophos released research Tuesday that sheds new light on the scale of the ransomware threat. SamSam, it reported, has generated almost $6 million in ransom revenue since it emerged 32 months ago.

Sophos Principal Research Scientist Chester Wisniewski told Fox News that SamSam has targeted a wide range of organizations. This just isnt against healthcare and government, we have seen attacks against just about anything, he said. Its likely opportunistic  if youre really locked down they move onto the next organization, but if they find a door thats ajar, they are more than happy to take you for a ransom.

Its more premeditated [than the traditional forms of ransomware], Wisniewski, added. They are doing their research to know when your business is open and closed  when they break in they are incapacitating your backups.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogersAmid the row over the release of blueprints for 3D-printed guns, a coalition of gun rights activists has posted plans for 3D-printed weapons online, citing the First Amendment.

A federal judge on Tuesday stopped the release of blueprints to make untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns. President Donald Trump also questioned whether his administration should have agreed to allow the plans to be posted online.

Austin, Texas-based Defense Distributed, a non-profit defense firm, was behind the plans. In June Defense Distributed reached a settlement with the federal government allowing it to make the plans for the guns available for download on Wednesday.

3D-PRINTED GUN BLUEPRINTS CAN BE DOWNLOADED STARTING NEXT MONTH, ENDING LENGTHY LEGAL BATTLE

However, the restraining order from U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle puts that plan on hold for now. "There is a possibility of irreparable harm because of the way these guns can be made," he said.

Nonetheless, plans for a number weapons have appeared on CodeIsFreeSpeech.com, which describes itself as a publicly-available website for truthful, non-misleading, non-commercial speech and information that is protected under the United States Constitution.

The purpose of this project is to allow people to share knowledge and empower them to exercise their fundamental, individual rights, it added.

ARMY'S NEW MACHINE GUN WILL BLAST LIKE BATTLE TANKS

The Firearms Policy Coalition, Firearms Policy Foundation, the Calguns Foundation and the California Association of Federal Firearms Licensees are involved in the project, according to the website. A number of individuals who are passionate about the Constitution and individual liberties, are also involved, it says.

Gun control advocates welcomed the federal courts temporary restraining order against Defense Distribution. The move will protect lives across the world, tweeted the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

The Firearms Policy Coalition, however, slammed the restraining order.

Advocates for gun control have argued that 3D-printed guns could also pose security challenges as they pass through airport X-ray machines.

GLOCK MAKES MILITARY-GRADE PISTOL AVAILABLE TO CIVILIANS

In a recent interview with Fox News, Defense Distributed director Cody Wilson described current 3D-printed guns as mostly curiosities, and said that the big and bulky characteristics of the weapons would help identify them. I doubt seriously that its a real problem, he added. If it is a problem, then the [security] norms will have to change.

People can use the blueprints to manufacture plastic guns using a 3D printer. But industry experts have expressed doubts that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns can cost thousands of dollars, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogersThe Navy is now strengthening and extending conceptual design deals with shipbuilders tasked with refining structures and presenting options for a new Navy multi-mission Guided Missile Frigate - slated to be ready for open warfare on the world's oceans by the mid 2020s.

Navy envisions the Frigate, FFG(X), able to sense enemy targets from great distances, fire next-generation precision weaponry, utilize new networking and ISR technologies, operate unmanned systems and succeed against technically advanced enemies in open or blue water combat, according to service statements.

Earlier this year, Naval Sea Systems Command chose five shipbuilders to advance designs and technologies for the ship, awarding development deals to General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Austal USA, Huntington Ingalls, Marinette Marine Corporation and Lockheed Martin.

The service has now modified these existing deals, first announced in February, to enable the shipbuilders to continue their conceptual design work and "mature their proposed ship design to meet the FFG(X) System Specification," according to the deal modifications.

The Navy expects that new weapons and sensors will better enable the ship to destroy swarming small boat attacks, support carrier strike groups, conduct dis-aggregated operations, attack enemies with an over-the-horizon missile and engage in advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare, service statements specify.

"These Conceptual Design awards will reduce FFG(X) risk by enabling industry to mature their designs to meet the approved FFG(X) capability requirements. The Navy has not changed its FFG(X) capability requirements," Alan Baribeau, spokesman for Naval Sea Service Command, told Warrior Maven.

STORMBREAKER: POWERFUL BOMB PENETRATES BAD WEATHER

The Navy hopes to expedite development to award a production contract in 2020 and ultimately deploy the new ship in the early to mid-2020s. For this reason, bidders were required to submit designs that have been demonstrated at sea and already paired with a shipyard for rapid production, according to the previous service solicitation.

"The Conceptual Design effort will inform the final specifications that will be used for the Detail Design and Construction Request for Proposal that will deliver the required capability for FFG(X)," the Navy's contract announcement said.

Service developers seem to be heavily emphasizing sensor networking, weapons integration and targeting technology as it navigates this next phase of development.

The FFG(X) small surface combatant will expand blue force sensor and weapon influence to provide increased information to the overall fleet tactical picture while challenging adversary Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (ISR&T) efforts, Naval Sea Systems Command FFG(X) documents said.

The blue force sensor language is explained by Navy developers as integral to the Navys Distributed Maritime Operations Concept which, as evidenced by its name, seeks to enable a more dispersed and networked attack fleet suited for dis-aggregated operations as needed.

Also, by extension, longer range sensors will be needed to identify enemy attackers now equipped with long-range precision strike weapons and enable command and control across vast distances of open water and coastal patrol areas.

The Navy vision for the ship further specifies this, saying the FFG(X) will be capable of establishing a local sensor network using passive onboard sensors, embarked aircraft and elevated/tethered systems and unmanned vehicles to gather information and then act as a gateway to the fleet tactical grid using resilient communications systems and networks.

Along these lines, the Navy's FFG(X) Request for Proposal identifies a need for a netted sensor technology called Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC).

CEC is an integral aspect of key emerging ship-defense technologies aimed at netting sensors and radar technologies in order to better identify and destroy approaching threats such as anti-ship missiles, drones and enemy aircraft.

CEC is a sensor netting system that significantly improves battle force anti-air warfare capability by extracting and distributing sensor-derived information such that the superset of this data is available to all participating CEC units, a Raytheon statement said.

Current analysis is no longer restricted to the idea of loosely basing the "hull design" upon the LCS, as was previously the case, Navy officials say.

Designs for the ship no longer merely envision a more "survivable" variant of an LCS. Previous FFG(X) requirements analyses conducted by a Navy Frigate Requirements Evaluation Team examined the feasibility of making the ship even more lethal and survivable than what previous plans had called for, Navy officials said.

NAVY'S USS FORD SET FOR UPGRADED SHIP DEFENSE WEAPONS

Existing plans for the Frigate have considered "space armor" configurations, a method of segmenting and strengthening ship armor in specified segments to enable the ship to continue operations in the event that one area is damaged by enemy attack. Discussions for Frigate technologies have included plans for an MH-60R helicopter, Fire Scout drone and ship defense technologies such as SeaRAM.

The Navy already plans for the new Frigate to be integrated with anti-submarine surface warfare technologies including sonar, an over-the-horizon missile and surface-to-surface weapons, which could include a 30mm gun and closer-in missiles such as the HELLFIRE. An over-the-horizon missile chosen by the Navy for the LCS is the Naval Strike Missile by Kongsberg-Raytheon.

Navy plans for the FFG(X) also call for advanced electronic warfare tech along with both variable depth and lightweight sonar systems.

The new ship may also have seven 11-meter Rigid Inflatable Boats for short combat or expeditionary missions such as visiting, searching and boarding other ships.

In addition, Navy developers explain that the ship will be configured in whats called a modular fashion, meaning it will be engineered to accept and integrate new technologies and weapons as they emerge. It certainly seems realistic that a new, even more survivable Frigate might be engineered with an additional capacity for on-board electrical power such that it can accommodate stronger laser weapons as they become available.

The Navys Distributed Maritime Operations Concept builds upon the Navys much-discussed distributed lethality strategy. This strategic approach, in development for several years now, emphasizes the need to more fully arm the fleet with offensive and defensive weapons and disperse forces as needed to respond to fast-emerging near-peer threats.

Part of the rationale is to move back toward open or blue water combat capability against near peer competitors emphasized during the Cold War. While the strategic and tactical capability never disappeared, it was emphasized less during the last 10-plus years of ground wars wherein the Navy focused on counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and things like Visit Board Search and Seizure. These missions are, of course, still important, however the Navy seeks to substantially increases its offensive lethality in order to deter or be effective against emerging high-tech adversaries.

Having longer-range or over-the-horizon ship and air-launched weapons is also quite relevant to the distributed portion of the strategy which calls for the fleet to have an ability to disperse as needed. Having an ability to spread out and conduct dis-aggregated operations makes Navy forces less vulnerable to enemy firepower while. At the same time, have long-range precision-strike capability will enable the Navy to hold potential enemies at risk or attack if needed while retaining safer stand-off distance from incoming enemy fire.

Click here for more from Warrior Maven.Reddit on Wednesday reported a data breach. The good news? Nothing too major was likely stolen. The bad news? It involved a two-factor authentication scam.

During the mid-June intrusion, the hacker accessed an old backup of Reddit that contained user data such as hashed passwords from 2007. The culprit also viewed logs from Reddit's "email digests," which can associate a username with an email address, if you provided it.

In other words, the breach appears to have only exposed email address information for existing users and scrambled password data for long-time Reddit fans from over a decade ago.

"The attacker did not gain write access to Reddit systems; they gained read-only access to some systems that contained backup data, source code and other logs," Reddit engineer " KeyserSosa " said in a post detailing the security incident.

Nevertheless, the breach is raising alarm bells in the IT security community because the attacker did so by breaking into employee accounts that were supposedly protected by two-factor authentication.

These accounts were configured to not only need a password upon login, but also a special one-time passcode that would've been sent over the employee's smartphone via SMS messaging.

"We learned that SMS-based authentication is not nearly as secure as we would hope, and the main attack was via SMS intercept," Reddit's KeyserSosa said, without elaborating.

How does a hacker go about stealing SMS messages? It's not as hard as you might think. In the past, cybercriminals have assumed a victim's identity to trick cellular providers into essentially giving them access to the person's phone number. Hackers with more technical expertise and the right hardware can also tamper with cellular technologies to collect nearby SMS messages or temporarily spoof someone's phone number.

Whatever the case may be, Reddit is using the security incident to encourage the public to switch over to non-SMS-based two-factor authentication. This involves your smartphone generating the special one-time passcode over an app. Another solution is to use a hardware-based security key, which is what Google has done to stop phishing on company employee accounts.

If you don't have two-factor authentication, it's a good idea to use it on your most important accounts, like Facebook or your bank, which can usually be activated in the settings page. Even the SMS-based authentication is better than simply protecting your account with a password.

For Reddit users who may have had their login credentials stolen in the breach, the website will reset passwords and message affected users with tips on how they can protect themselves.

"Whether or not Reddit prompts you to change your password, think about whether you still use the password you used on Reddit 11 years ago on any other sites today," the site said.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.Footage from Barcelona captured the dramatic moment panicked tourists on a Ryanair plane escaped via an emergency chute after a passenger's mobile phone battery burst into flames minutes before takeoff.

Travelers could be seen falling over each other in a bid to get away from the aircraft as quickly as they could, right after the inflatable slide was activated.

WARNING: Clip contains strong language.

The drama happened around 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday at Barcelona's El Prat Airport as the packed plane was preparing to take off for Ibiza.

NORWEGIAN AIR PASSENGER MAKES CONCERNING COMMENT OVER SEATING ASSIGNMENT

No one needed medical attention, although some passengers are said to have suffered slight burns as they slid down the emergency chute.

Footage taken by onlookers and other passengers who had already left the aircraft showed the moments of tension, sparked by the plane filling with smoke.

Passengers were taken to the airports Terminal One while they waited to board another plane and their luggage transferred to the new flight. Firefighters were not called upon to deal with the incident.

Photographs that claim to show the phone, and the damage to the plane, were later shared to Twitter.

The unnamed passenger whose mobile caught fire is said to be from New Zealand. The device is thought to have been in a suitcase in the storage area above his seat.

The passengers of a flight from Barcelona to Ibiza were evacuated in an emergency at Barcelonas El Prat Airport because of a fire in a mobile phone that was being charged with an external battery," a spokesperson for Ryanair said in a statement on Tuesday. All the passengers were evacuated from the aircraft in a safe way to the terminal and the cabin crew took charge of the device."

Ryanair is working to organize a replacement plane to re-accomodate the passengers as fast as possible," the airline added.

IRAQI AIRWAYS PILOTS SUSPENDED AFTER FIGHT BREAKS OUT IN COCKPIT

One relieved passenger said it was lucky the phone didn't catch fire "when we were already on the runway."

We were just over 100 feet away from the [gate] when the device exploded and smoke began to come out. Fortunately I was in the first row and I opened the emergency door before the pilot activated the chute."

Another passenger, Jordi Vilagut, told a Catalan TV station the incident had caused the aircraft to fill with smoke and some flames.

He said the evacuation had been more like a stampede because of the cabin crew rushing to get passengers off the plane as soon as possible.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX TRAVEL NEWS

This article originally appeared on The Sun.At least 32 healthcare workers reported to work this week despite losing their homes to the deadly wildfires raging in Northern California, a hospital official said Tuesday.

Chief Executive Officer of Shasta Regional Medical Center Casey Fatch told Fox News that at least 17 doctors and 15 hospital employees have shown up for their shifts despite the Carr Fire nearing Redding, which has burned through nearly 110,000 acres of land so far.

CALIFONIAS CARR FIRE BECOMES 9TH MOST DESTRUCTIVE IN STATE HISTORY; TWIN BLAZES THREATEN 10K HOMES

Despite canceling elective surgeries on Thursday, Fatch told Fox News that the hospital is now fully functioning, and its back to business as usual.

He said that the hospital has a foundation set up that is accepting donations, and will distribute funds on a needs base to the employees that lost their homes.

CARR FIRE PROMPTS ACCIDENTAL EVACUATION OF CALIFORNIA TOWN, SHERIFF REVEALS

The wildfire that started July 23 has claimed six lives, including two firefighters battling the flames. It has become the ninth most destructive wildfire in California history after claiming 880 homes and 348 outbuildings.

As of Tuesday, only 27 percent of the fire had been contained.Lethal injection, which became the death penalty method of choice after the electric chair was deemed too cruel, is now falling out of favor.

Drug companies are rebelling against it. States are fighting to keep it. And there is a new wave of controversy  and a slew of lawsuits  alleging that lethal injections are almost as inhumane as firing squads.

Now the future of legal injection is uncertain, and states find themselves looking for alternatives.

There are 31 states that currently allow the death penalty, with lethal injection being the primary method to carry out the practice. In recent years, many of those states have faced drug shortages due to manufacturers cutting off the supply due to objections over how their drugs are used.

Robert Dunham, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Death Penalty Information Center says hes not surprised that drug supplies are being cut off.

In every state thats attempting to carry out executions, prisoners have been challenging the method of execution. And those challenges have either been to the entire states protocol where they are attacking the use of particular drugs, or its been whats called an as-applied challenge when people who have particular medical conditions say that the use of any kind of lethal injection is inappropriate for them because of the way theyre likely to respond.

Several states including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas have recently faced court challenges or inquires over lethal injection protocols, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. A judge in Tennessee recently granted the state permission to begin using a new cocktail of drugs to carry out executions.

Some states have even gone further to enact secrecy laws to protect the source of acquired drugs.

All of the states that have been carrying out executions have some form of secrecy... Dunham said. The states initially said that this is necessary for them to obtain the drugs because drug manufacturers were being harassed, they claimed, by anti-death penalty advocates. Those allegations have all turned out to be false. But the states have continued to attempt to expand secrecy and the real reason is because the drug manufacturers themselves are opposed to the use of their medicines in executions.

Drug manufactures such as Pfizer, Athenex, Akorn, Roche, Janssen and others have put out statements opposing the use of their products in executions. In 2016, Pfizer started imposing controls over its medicines to make sure they would not be used for lethal injection.

Drugs like Midazolam and Pentobarbital have been affected by companies unwilling to sell their products to states. Midazolam was at the center of controversy after a botched attempted execution of an Oklahoma inmate in 2014. The drug was also part of an intense execution schedule and method carried out by the state of Arkansas last year.

Dunham also discussed a February 2017 attempted execution involving an Alabama inmate where the man was stuck about 12 times in order to find a usable vein. The prisoners attorney said the mans bladder may have been punctured during the attempt.

In a more recent case, the United States Supreme Court stayed the execution of Missouri death row inmate Russell Bucklew. Bucklew has cavernous hemangioma, which includes symptoms such as weak blood vessels and blood-filled tumors in the throat and nose.

One doctor and professor of medicine says the act of lethal injection is often confused for a medical procedure.

These are the sorts of medications that doctors use and how these medications are used for the purposes of execution, thats not really a doctors job, said Dr. Joel Zivot, an associate professor of anesthesiology and surgery at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Thats the state taking these sorts of medications and repurposing them as poison. In my hand, these are used to treat diseases and in the states hand the same compounds are now used to kill.

Zivot strongly stated that hes not an advocate or opponent of the death penalty itself but rather a campaigner for the elimination of the field of medicine from the entire process of executing criminals. He noted how some instances of the practice could violate the Eight Amendment. Zivot is not alone, the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Medical Association forbid members from participating in executions.

Some states have sought different executions methods if lethal injection drugs are not available. Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi all have laws that allow the use of death by nitrogen hypoxia, or gas chamber. Tennessee allows the use of the electric chair while Utah has passed a law allowing death by firing squad if the state is unable to obtain the proper drugs. New Hampshire allows inmates to be executed by hanging if it becomes impractical to carry out a death sentence by injection.

Criminal defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant said states may have to go as far as producing their own drugs to carry out the death penalty. Merchant went even further to say that death by lethal injection could come to a stop.

I do think this issue could go to the Supreme Court, ultimately, but its a very interesting issue that the courts are probably not going to be able to resolve because what weve got is independent drug manufacturers who are refusing to make the drugs unless the state says theyre not going to use them for executions, Merchant said. Now weve got drug companies that say we dont believe in the death penalty and they cant be forced to produce drugs that are going to be used in executions. So theyre really exercising their right to free speech and their belief system and that may put an end to this type of execution.

Merchant said death penalty procedures like the electric chair and hanging became obsolete with societal pressures.

I think its more than just the individual inmates rights. I think its us as a society because the Supreme Court said that we can have the death penalty but it has to be judged by an evolving standard of decency, she said. Yes, we want finality in these sentences but is there a way to do that without violating the Eighth Amendment and without being cruel and unusual and we just havent been able to find a method that society is OK with.A suspect is in custody after he allegedly opened fire on a Mississippi highway.

The active shooter situation began Tuesday afternoon on U.S 72, west of Slayden.

The shooting happened around noon. The man began opening fire on two vehicles on the highway.

One was a mail carrier, while a woman was on her way to work in the other vehicle.

Neither victim was hit by bullets, and no injuries were reported.

Investigators told Fox 13 the suspect burglarized three homes after the shooting. He entered a wooded area and remained in a house until around 3 p.m., when authorities were able to find him.

The suspect was identified by authorities as Brandon Chambers, 28.

Fox 13 is told the suspect fired shots at two or three cars.

Click for more from Fox 13.An Arkansas man was arrested in July after he attacked a police officer and admitted to planning the assault, officials said.

Cody Ramsey, 22, was sitting inside of a parked pickup truck on July 18 outside of Officer Andrew Napolitano's house near the officer's vehicle, the Beebe Police Department wrote on Facebook.

Napolitano and his two children were getting into the officer's vehicle when he noticed Ramsey, and asked if he was waiting for someone, to which Ramsey allegedly replied he wasn't.

The Beebe officer reportedly told Ramsey the area was private property and asked him to leave.

LAPD RELEASES VIDEO OF FATAL POLICE SHOOTING OF FEMALE HOSTAGE HELD AT KNIFEPOINT

Ramsey, according to police, "then leaned forward in his car seat and pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at Officer Napolitano's face."

The officer reportedly then pulled out his own gun and ordered Ramsey to drop his and to get out of his pickup, both of which he did.

After Ramsey got out of his car, he allegedly attacked Napolitano by "striking him" in the face several times.

A witness stepped in to help the officer and subsequently suffered minor injuries.

DAD KILLS WIFE, SON AND EX-WIFE AMID BITTER TRANS-ATLANTIC CUSTODY BATTLE, POLICE SAY

The department said Ramsey resisted arrest, but was taken into custody when other officers arrived at the scene.

Ramsey admitted to preplanning his attack on Napolitano, according to police. He was charged with aggravated assault, battery in the second degree on a law enforcement officer, and carrying a weapon.A Minnesota prosecutor said Wednesday she is dropping charges against 17 people who were arrested while protesting the 2016 fatal shooting of a black motorist whose girlfriend livestreamed the shooting's bloody aftermath online.

Several of the 17 had been scheduled to go to trial in mid-August, more than two years after protests erupted following the death of Philando Castile.

But after six of seven other protesters who went to trial were acquitted, St. Paul City Attorney Lyndsey Olson said, she determined that pursuing the remaining cases wasn't in the city's best interest and the city was unlikely to prevail.

Castile, a 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker, was shot during a traffic stop on July 6, 2016, after he informed a St. Anthony police officer that he had a gun. Authorities later discovered Castile had a permit for the firearm. The officer was charged with manslaughter but later acquitted.

The case got widespread attention after Castile's girlfriend, who was in the car with her young daughter, began livestreaming the shooting's aftermath on Facebook. Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the governor's official residence in the days that followed.

After nearly three weeks, authorities broke up the demonstration, arresting 73 people on unlawful assembly and public nuisance charges.

The City Attorney's Office said Wednesday that it still stands by its original position that the evidence supported criminal charges. Most of the people arrested had agreed to guilty pleas.

Olson's announcement on Wednesday came just days after Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said he wouldn't charge two Minneapolis officers in the June fatal shooting of a black man who was armed and running from police. Olson's office said her decision was not related to the incidents in Minneapolis.

___

This story has been corrected to show the number of defendants who had charges dropped was 17, not 18, after the city attorney corrected the number.A South Windsor, Connecticut woman is asking for the publics help to find her necklace, which contains her infant sons ashes, after it was stolen last week.

While out with a friend Saturday night, LeeAnn Winn decided to hide her purse under the backseat of her friend's car. When the two returned to the vehicle roughly an hour later, they found the cars window shattered. Bits and pieces of glass littered the seats and most of her friends possessions were stolen.

Unfortunately, Winns purse  which contained the necklace  was missing, too.

I feel incomplete, she told Fox News on Wednesday.

FLORIDA BEACHGOER FINDS BURIED MARINE CORPS RING, SEARCHES FOR OWNER

Winn's son, Jayden Xavier, was born prematurely in 2009. Though he remained in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for a couple of months following his birth, Jayden was healthy by the time Winn was finally able to take him home.

Sadly, after two weeks, Jayden died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or the unexplained death, usually during sleep, of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old, according to the Mayo Clinic. SIDs is also known as crib death.

It was incredibly painful, Winn said of her sons death, adding that Jaydens twin, Ayden, is now a healthy 9-year-old.

Though nothing can replace her son, Winn said the necklace is the last piece that I have of him, ultimately prompting her to share the story on Facebook. As of Wednesday afternoon, Winns post had more than 400 reactions and 3,000 shares.

"So many people feel for it and are coming together as a community. It gives me hope."  LeeAnn Winn

Though Winn doesnt have any leads as of the moment, she said the response shes gotten from friends and strangers alike has left her speechless.

MARINE CORPS RING FOUND ON FLORIDA BEACH REUNITED WITH OWNER

For so long this story has been only mine, she said. "[But now] so many people feel for it and are coming together as a community. It gives me hope.A former New York City teacher who had ranted online that his life was being destroyed by a trans-Atlantic custody fight shot and killed his 6-year-old son, ex-wife and current wife before turning the gun on himself, police said.

James Shields, 39, was found dead on Monday in his Queens home, where cops discovered two Glock handguns and 70 rounds of ammunition, the New York Daily News reported. His ex-wife, Linda Olthof, 47, current wife Saskia Shields, 38, and son James Jr., 6, were also found dead in the apartment, police said.

That's an interesting wrinkle in this case, NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said, referring to the ammunition found. What those rounds were meant for  may never be known.

LETTER ARRIVES FROM FLORIDA TEEN WHO VANISHED 5 YEARS AGO, FAMILY SAYS

Shields, a licensed physical therapist, had a permit to keep guns in his residence and the pistols appeared to have been legally purchased, investigators said. He used to teach at Manhattans High School for Art and Design.

Okhof, a Dutch artist, had been raising their son, known as Jimmy, in the Netherlands and was expected to take the boy back to Europe next week. The two arrived in the U.S. on July 21. Shields wrote in an online post that Olthof only wanted the child in the U.S. two weeks a year.

Shields set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for his custody fight with Olthof. He posted a rant on the GoFundMe in April under the subject Child Kidnapping.

Due to my exs extreme jealousy and bitterness she is dragging me through court case after court case to be spiteful, Shields wrote in the post.

In the Netherlands, the government pays for all legal expenses, so shes enjoying this as it drags on and on ruining me, he continued.

Shields GoFundMe campaign received no donors and was taken down by the website on Tuesday afternoon. Olthofs friend told the Daily News the mother did not like traveling across the Atlantic in order for her son to visit his father. She said Shields had a hot temper and did not pay child support.

OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDER ELLIE SOUTTER, 18, ENDED LIFE DUE TO MENTAL ILLNESS AND PRESSURE OF COMPETITION, DAD SAYS

She told me that some of the demands that he would make in court papers were totally one-sided and selfish, said the friend, who asked not to be named. He put the financial burden on her.

Shea said the GoFundMe page was among the pieces of evidence suggesting the triple-murder had stemmed directly from the custody battle.

We have a twist in the case in that, in this custody battle, if you look at the GoFundMe, theres some self-reported statements that his life is spiraling out of control, Shea said. Financial and custody seem to be the primary reasons behind this tragic incident at this point in time.

Shields current wife, Saskia, was also a Netherlands native who worked at a magazine. Neighbors told the Daily News they often heard the two fighting.

It would seem like it was a frequent thing, said Ellie Alvarado, a neighbor. Different times of day, there was some kind of yelling coming from the apartment.

Another neighbor, Tony Bekan, said his wife called Shields a Dr. Jekyll Mr. Hyde kind of person.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced his endorsements in November's midterm elections -- a wide-ranging list of 81 candidates in federal and statewide elections across the country and the first since the inauguration of President Donald Trump.



The endorsements mark Obama's most substantial involvement in the midterms this cycle, and come as Election Day is now less than 100 days away.



"Im proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidates  leaders as diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted as the America theyre running to represent," Obama said in a statement released Wednesday, "Im confident that, together, theyll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity thats broadly shared, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law."



"But first, they need our votes  and Im eager to make the case for why Democratic candidates deserve our votes this fall," he added.



According to the former presidents press office, Obama is expected to campaign in "several states" this fall and will issue a second round of endorsements ahead of Election Day. The same statement released Wednesday did not mention the specific states where Obama would campaign.



Obama endorsed candidates in 14 states in races up and down the ballot, ranging from gubernatorial and U.S. Senate contests to statehouse and state senate races.



The former president's endorsements also include candidates in three of ABC News' "18 for 18" contests, a list of the most consequential races that are shaping the midterms. Those candidates include Harley Rouda, the Democratic nominee in California's 48th Congressional District, Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia, and Jacky Rosen, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Nevada.



Other notable endorsements include California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is vying to become the next governor of the Golden State, Richard Cordray for Ohio governor, Rep. Jared Polis for Colorado governor, and J.B. Pritzker, who is running for Illinois governor against vulnerable GOP incumbent Bruce Rauner.



Rosen is the only U.S. Senate candidate on Obama's initial list of endorsements, and notably absent from the list are Democratic candidates in key races the party needs to win in order to wrestle control of the chamber away from the GOP.



Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is mounting an aggressive challenge to Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, and former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, who is hoping to capture the open seat generated by the retirement of GOP Sen. Bob Corker, are examples of prominent candidates that did not make Obama's initial round of endorsements.



Obama also endorsed a slew of candidates in other key California congressional races that will be key to Democratic hopes of taking back the U.S. House in 2018, including Rouda, Josh Harder, T.J. Cox, Katie Hill, Katie Porter, Mike Levin and Ammar Campa-Najjar.



The former president also endorsed candidates for the U.S. House in eight other states: Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Welcome to FOX News First. Not signed up yet? Click here.

Developing now, Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Friends of a missing University of Iowa student say she had been planning to attend a wedding in the Dominican Republic this week, as baffled investigators continue to look for clues

Facebook announced Tuesday it had uncovered 'sophisticated' attempts to influence U.S. politics ahead of the November midterms, elevating concerns about Russia and possible election tampering

The federal fraud trial of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort began Tuesday as prosecutors focused on his lavish lifestyle; Wednesday will be the first full day of testimony

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order on the blueprints on untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns

Embattled CBS CEO Les Moonves could address the sexual harassment allegations against him in a company earnings call this Thursday, FOX Business has learned

THE LEAD STORY  An Iowa college student who vanished two weeks ago had been planning to travel to the Dominican Republic this week for a wedding, friends said ... Mollie Tibbetts, 20, was supposed to accompany her boyfriend Dalton Jack to his brother Blakes wedding to his fiancee, Aimee Houghton, Blake said.Blake had jokingly suggested to his brother that he propose to Tibbetts, his high school sweetheart, during the trip.

Tibbetts was last seen jogging on the evening of July 18 in Brooklyn, a small Iowa town where the University of Iowa student had been living this summer with the brothers.

At a news conference Tuesday, Kevin Winker, director of investigative operations for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said investigators haven't drawn any conclusions about what happened to Tibbetts other than that disappearing on her own "is not consistent with her past." He said dozens of investigators from his agency, the FBI and local law enforcement are working on the case, and that they haven't ruled out any possibilities and are checking out every lead they receive.

ELECTION MEDDLING, THE SEQUEL? - Facebook says it has uncovered "sophisticated" efforts, possibly linked to Russia, to influence American politics in advance of the U.S. midterm elections ... The company said in a blog post that it removed 32 accounts from Facebook and Instagram because they were involved in "coordinated" political behavior and appeared to be fake.

Facebook did not explicitly say that the effort was aimed at influencing the midterm elections in November, but the timing of the suspicious activity would be consistent with such an attempt. The company, which said it is in the early stages of its investigation, held briefings in the House and Senate this week.

Facebook said it doesn't know who is behind the efforts, but said there may be connections to Russia. The company said it has found some connections between the accounts it removed and the accounts connected to Russia's Internet Research Agency that it removed before and after the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.

LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND INFAMOUS: Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's lavish lifestyle was front-and-center during opening arguments in his fraud trial, as prosecutors said he lied to put his money ahead of the law, while defense attorneys -- and even the presiding judge -- reminded jurors that exorbitant wealth, in itself, is not a crime ... Prosecutors also called their first witness in the case: former Bernie Sanders campaign adviser Tad Devine, who worked closely with Manafort on several elections in Ukraine, including the successful 2010 presidential campaign of since-deposed pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych.

Devine, under cross-examination by Manafort attorney Richard Wesley, confirmed that Manafort's former business partner Rick Gates handled most of Manafort's day-to-day business operations. The admission was significant because defense attorney Thomas Zehnle said in his opening statement that Manafort relied on others to keep track of the millions of dollars he was earning from his Ukrainian political work, and had misplaced his trust in Gates, who cut a deal with prosecutors and is expected to testify in the trial.

3D-PRINTED GUNS FIRE BLANKS - FOR NOW: A federal judge in Seattle issued a restraining order Tuesday afternoon temporarily stopping the release of blueprints to make untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns ... U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik issued the order a day after eight states sued the government to block a settlement reached by the Trump administration last month allowing a Texas-based company, Defense Distributed, to resume online-sharing of blueprints for the 3D firearms.

The company was set to allow downloads on Wednesday, although blueprints have been posted since Friday. The temporary restraining order blocks the release until the next scheduled hearing on Aug. 10.

FOX BUSINESS EXCLUSIVE - MOONVES NOT HIDING FROM SCANDAL: CBS honcho Les Moonves is planning to speak on the company's earnings call on Thursday, the latest indication that the embattled CEO plans to maintain a public profile amid an internal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, the FOX Business Network's Charles Gasparino has learned ... The news, after first being reported by FOX Business, spiked shares of CBS as much as 2.28 percent in early afternoon trading Tuesday. Shares of CBS ended the day at $52.67, up 2.71 percent in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.

The company still may decide at the last minute to pull Moonves, handing over the duties to the other two executives who deal with analysts' questions during earnings calls: Chief Operating Officer Joseph Ianiello and Adam Townsend, investor relations chief, a CBS insider said. But the plan, as of now, is to allow Moonves to appear on the call and take analysts' questions.

Moonves escaped sex abuse charges over statute of limitations

AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS

LIBERAL HOLLYWOOD VOICES: "They have nothing to say, and when you have nothing to run on, Hollywood celebrities are a good mouthpiece to send it out."  Radio host Michael Knowles, on "FOX & Friends," arguing that celebrities are becoming political spokespeople because Democrats have nothing to say. WATCH

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP: "I won't let him down, there is no way. This country is a country of second chances. I love America, and I believe that as the president sees what has taken place with me, that he is going to follow up and do some other things for other people."  Alice Marie Johnson, the woman whose life sentence was commuted by President Trump on "Hannity," giving thanks to the president and reflecting on her new opportunities. WATCH

TRENDING

Dem governor flees to $7M Italian vacation home as political, personal problems mount.

Painting of Trump team 'Crossing the Swamp' touches off social media frenzy.

Pizza delivery guy asks to play family's piano, wows with Beethoven sonata.

THE SWAMP

Democrat who resigned after masturbation allegation may be planning political comeback: report.

Trump slams 'total joke' Koch brothers, taking on mega-donor network.

The Brian Kilmeade Show: Allen West will run for political office again.

Oregon candidate slammed for vulgar tweet on Melania Trump.

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly says he will stay through 2020 at president's request.

ACROSS THE NATION

'Calexit' supporters revamp campaign with plan to convert half of California into 'autonomous Native American nation.'

Massachusetts town's entire four-person police department quits over 'unsafe working conditions.'

Carr Fire prompts accidental evacuation of California town, sheriff reveals.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Trump to propose 25-percent tariff on $200 billion of Chinese imports.

U.S. workers see biggest pay, benefit increase in 10 years.

Tesla Model 3 production, Elon Musk Q&A in earnings spotlight.

Kennedy: Trump sounds like Bernie Sanders when he irrationally attacks the Koch brothers.

Apple beats earnings estimates as iPhone sales climb.

Bank warns of impending market correction.

FOX NEWS OPINION

John Stossel: Are looney liberals and smug celebrities about to put an end to tipping?

Marc Thiessen: Trump, Putin, NATO and the Montenegro question.

Harry J. Kazianis: Kim vs. Trump: North Korea's leaders have never kept their word on nukes.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARED

FOX News takes biggest bite out of basic cable in July, including 'Shark Week.'

Sex predator law challenged by Bill Cosby to get court review.

Netflix wont air documentary on Louis Farrakhan after 'internal miscommunication.'

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?

Orcas pass around calf's body in mourning ritual one week after its death, report says.

Photographers on Skomer Island are crushing puffins to death while trying to take pictures, wardens say.

Life on Mars: Amazing models reveal what it could look like.

STAY TUNED

On Facebook:

Check out 'FOX News Update,' our new Facebook-exclusive news program hosted by Shepard Smith, Carley Shimkus and Abby Huntsman!

On FOX News:

FOX & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: Tomi Lahren and Michelle Malkin. Plus, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on giving relief to Americans facing high premiums; a look at how Florida is cracking down on school safety with dozens of armed guards in the aftermath of the Parkland massacre; and an in-depth look at the return of the remains of service members who served in the Korean War.

The Story with Martha MacCallum, 7 p.m. ET - Meet Sarah Smith, the Democratic socialist who wants to be Seattle's Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

On FOX Business:

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: Steve Presley, Nestle USA CEO; Steve MacMillan, Hologic CEO; Adam Putnam, Republican candidate for governor and Florida's commissioner of agriculture; Alan Dershowitz.

Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Michael Bellaman, Associated Builders and Contractors CEO; Brad Blakeman, former deputy assistant to President George W. Bush; Texas Lt Gov. Dan Patrick; Art Laffer, former economist under President Reagan.

Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Noon ET: Amber Smith, former Pentagon official; John Hannah, former national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Countdown to the Closing Bell, 3 p.m. ET: Joe Lieberman, former U.S. senator from Connecticut and Democratic VP nominee; Steve Joyce, Dine Brands Global CEO.

After the Bell, 4 p.m. ET: Mike Sievert, T-Mobile president; Sen. John Hoeven.

The Evening Edit, 5 p.m. ET: Christian Whiton, former Trump State Department senior adviser; Marc Lotter, former special Assistant to President Trump; Ned Ryun, American Majority founder and CEO.

On FOX News Radio:

The FOX News Rundown podcast: On Tuesday, a judge ordered a temporary restraining order to stop the release of downloadable blueprints for 3D-printed guns, though thousands had already downloaded the content. Josh Blackman represents Defense Distributed, the company releasing the blueprints, and he joins the podcast says this is a free speech issue, not a gun rights issue. In addition, Sam Bieler, who has been writing about 3D-printed guns since 2013, gives perspective.

The first case to be prosecuted from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 election began Tuesday with the trial of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Judge Napolitano weighs in. Plus commentary by National Review senior editor Jonah Goldberg.

Want the FOX News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.

The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: Special guests include: Ainsley Earhardt; Jonathan Swan; Rep. Scott.

#OnThisDay

1981: MTV makes its debut.

1971: Former Beatle George Harrison leads the Concert for Bangladesh in New York City.

1966: Charles Whitman kills 16 people at the University of Texas, Austin, before being slain by police.

1936: The Olympics opens in Berlin with a ceremony presided over by Adolf Hitler.

1907: The U.S. Army Signal Corps establishes an aeronautical division, the forerunner of the U.S. Air Force.

FOX News First is compiled by FOX News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Thursday morning.A Utah group hopes a big reward will help solve some of Utahs more than 200 cold cases.

The Utah Cold Case Coalition will offer at least $3,000 for information that leads to a conviction in one of the cases, the group announced Tuesday. Its the first time reward money will be offered for solving the cases, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Former reporter Tom Harvey, private investigator Jason Jensen and Salt Lake City lawyer Karra Porter made the announcement on the eve of Utahs Cold Case Month, which started Wednesday. They gathered with family members of victims in several cold cases, the newspaper reported.

The group hopes the reward will give people an incentive to come forward with information that could bring closure to families, according to FOX13 Salt Lake City.

Along with reward money, the group hopes to utilize Rosies Law in their investigations. The law, which was passed unanimously in the Utah Legislature earlier this year, established a statewide database for all unsolved murders and disappearances for the past three years, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

We want as much information as possible to input into that database, Porter said.

The law was named for Rosie Tapia, a 6-year-old girl who was killed in 1995 in Salt Lake City. The case remains unsolved, according to FOX13.

As the years go by and my kids are getting bigger and my grandkids are getting bigger and they're having babies: I just wonder what she would be in life, said Rosies mother, Lewine. So, it's kind of hard imagining stuff like that.

Rosies murder helped launched the Utah Cold Case Coalition, Porter said.

It opened my eyes to the need for more public outreach on these cold cases, Porter said.

There are some cold cases close to being blown open, Porter said. Theres a lead on where a body could possibly be buried but the municipality doesnt have the money to rent ground-penetrating radar, Porter said.

Harvey also urged people have had their DNA tested to donate their genetic makeup to help solve violent crimes.A 20-year-old Illinois tourist who was hit by a lava bomb while on a tour boat near Hawaii's Kilauea volcano said Tuesday she thought the vessel was getting dangerously close before an explosion sent debris flying through the roof.

Jessica Tilton has been hospitalized since July 16, when a boulder of lava about two feet in diameter hit her, breaking her thigh bone and pelvis and leaving her with other injuries. There were 23 others on the Lava Ocean Tours vessel who sustained minor burns and scrapes, but Tilton suffered the most serious injuries.

"Everything just went black and you didn't see anything," she told KHON2 from her hospital bed. "You just felt like you were suffocating and I thought I was dying."

Tilton, who was sitting closest to the railing on the ship, said she leaned over to protect her sister when the lava rock hit her.

"I kept screaming, 'My leg!' because my leg hurt," she told KHON. "I heard the captain saying, 'Is anyone hurt?' And my dad was saying, 'My daughter, my daughter!'''

Tilton, a student at Bradley University in Illinois, said it look over an hour to get back to shore, which she said felt like "forever."

"It was the worst pain I've ever felt. I was just so concerned that maybe these were going to be my last moments with my family," she said on Tuesday.

Tilton and her family went on the lava tour on the second to last day of a Hawaiian vacation celebrating her parents' 25th wedding anniversary. Her mother, who gets seasick, stayed ashore.

"Everything just went black and you didn't see anything. You just felt like you were suffocating and I thought I was dying."  Jessica Tilton

LAVA EXPLOSION NEAR HAWAII TOUR BOAT INJURES AT LEAST 23

Her father, Rob, told KHON that two surgeons that were sightseeing on the boat came to his daughter's aid

"There was a French surgeon who left his own sons that were injured," he told KHON.

Tilton has to take a leave of absence from the fall semester of her junior year at college. As a contemporary and lyrical jazz dancer, she is hoping she can fully heal and return to a normal life.

"It's getting there, it's a challenge every day, but you know, just using a lot of hope, just the goal of returning to normal life," she told KHON.

HAWAII VOLCANO TOURISTS MAY SOON SEE ERUPTION FROM SAFE VIEWING AREA ON LAND, OFFICIAL SAYS

Shane Turpin, owner and captain of the vessel involved in the episode, has previously told The Associated Press he never saw the explosion that rained molten rock across his boat. Turpin said the tour group had been in the area for about 20 minutes, making passes by lava from as it entered the ocean about 500 yards offshore, Turpin said.

He didn't observe "any major explosions," so he navigated his vessel closer, to about 250 yards from the lava.

Tilton said she raised concerns about how close the boat was getting, right before everything happened.

"It was too close for comfort for me personally," Tilton said.

Officials have warned of the danger of getting close to molten rock oozing into the sea, saying the interaction of the lava and seawater can create clouds of acid and fine glass. And whenever hot lava enters much cooler ocean waters, there is also the potential for large explosions. Despite the hazards, several companies operate such tours.

The Coast Guard prohibits vessels from getting closer than 984 feet from lava entering the ocean. The agency had been allowing experienced boat operators to apply for a special license to get closer, up to 164 feet, but stopped allowing those exceptions after the explosion last month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.The man accused of killing a New York City nurse he met on Tinder claims voices in his head made him carry out the attack.

Danueal Drayton, who is accused of killing Samantha Stewart in her Queens home two weeks ago, told the New York Daily News that he remembers strangling her, but he didnt mean to do it.

I really liked her. I didnt want to kill her, he told the newspaper from behind a glass partition at the Twin Towers mens jail in Los Angeles. They told me she had to die.

He continued: Im a passenger in my own body Its mind control. They use direct-energy weapons on me to control my mind.

Drayton, who was arrested last week in a California apartment where he allegedly tied up another woman, may also be connected to at least six other killings, police said.

MAN ACCUSED OF MURDERING NEW YORK CITY NURSE MAY BE CONNECTED TO SIX OTHER SLAYINGS: OFFICIALS

The 27-year-old, who confessed to killing Stewart, alleges he strangled her and then tried to resuscitate her. Eventually, he said, her body went stiff.

Stewart, also 27, was found dead on July 17 inside her Queens home. Her brother discovered her unconscious and naked body wrapped in a white sheet with injuries to her neck and head. Authorities said her teeth were knocked out.

Officials said Drayton and Stewart met on Tinder.

Drayton told the Daily News that he suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar II disorder and that voices have haunted him for years. He said the voices urged him to attack innocent people and then cover his tracks.

Police said Drayton has no history of mental illness.

After Stewarts death, he said he was determined to subvert the voices and that he intentionally left behind his Egyptian cologne so police could link it to him.

I wanted to get caught. I took some of her things with me and used them, he told the Daily News. I kept my same phone. I knew they could track it. I didnt know how long it would take.

Police believe Drayton bought a one-day ticket to California using Stewarts credit card. After he arrived in Los Angeles, he met his last victim while taking an Uber ride, Drayton said.

He said they went back to the 28-year-olds apartment, where he choked her.

Prosecutors said Drayton strangled and sexually assaulted his California victim over a two days. He was charged in Los Angeles with attempted murder, forcible rape, false imprisonment by violence and sexual penetration by a foreign object.

He pleaded not guilty on Monday through a public defender.

Drayton, whose rap sheet dates back to 2011, was freed without bail by a Nassau County judge just 12 days before Stewarts murder. He had been arrested for choking his ex-girlfriend as the couple fought at a Long Island, N.Y., park.

Detectives are checking out Draytons claims to other murders.

He has made statements alluding to his participation in other crimes, including other homicides. Everything has to be vetted, NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said. There is a lot of work to do.A 22-year-old man in Oregon was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison for killing his then-girlfriends 2-year-old son in 2016.

Since November 2016, Taylor L. Kraig has faced multiple charges, including aggravated murder, in the death of Zachariah Daugherty, the Oregonian reported.

Kraig had been the sole caretaker on the day of the childs death in August 2016, Multnomah County prosecutors said. Kraig reportedly called his girlfriend home from work, telling her the child had become unconscious.

Together, they took Zachariah to a local hospital, where the boy later died. Prosecutors said Kraig waited an hour before seeking medical attention for the boy.

According to FOX 12 Oregon, the child was taken to a hospital with traumatic injuries.

Prosecutors briefly considered the death penalty, but those charges were dropped after the Oregon State Medical Examiners Officer changed the toddlers autopsy reports, court records indicate.

Kraig did not initially tell investigators that he had abused the boy. Court records indicate Kraig and his girlfriend provided authorities with conflicting stories about what about happened to the child.

The precise manner of the childs death was listed as undetermined, the Oregonian reported. Court documents list the boys ultimate cause of death as viral and bacterial bronchopneumonia with bone marrow suppression and anoxic brain injury.

Kraig pleaded guilty in July to first-degree manslaughter, the report said.A Massachusetts woman was reportedly taken into custody on Monday after she allegedly drove into a car sporting a Trump bumper sticker.

The arrest of Chloe Wright, 25, followed an alleged hit-and-run in Hyannis on June 30, the Cape Cod Times reported, citing a police report.

After the incident, the man she hit reportedly contacted the Barnstable Police Department and recalled hearing a motorist behind him honking their car horn as he waited at a red light.

According to the police report, the honking continued and by the time he reached another red light, the motorist started shouting at him, the Times reported.

TRUMP SUPPORTERS PELTED BY EGGS, PUNCHES CAN SUE SAN JOSE COPS AFTER ATTACK, COURT SAYS

Fearing that the alleged honking and shouting was regarding a problem with his car, the man reportedly got out, at which point, the man said he heard the other motorist shouting about his bumper sticker supporting Trump, according to the report.

She said, You voted for Trump? the man recalled her saying. I said yes. She called me a racist and several other names.

The man then claimed that the woman repositioned her vehicle and hit his car with hers, the Times said, citing the police report. After this, the woman reportedly left the scene.

She bent my door and I had to lean back to avoid getting hit, the man reportedly said. She also hit the side of my car.

MASSACHUSETTS TOWNS ENTIRE 4-PERSON POLICE DEPARTMENT QUITS OVER UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS

The mans girlfriend, who was with him at the time, backed up his description of the alleged incident, the police report said, according to the Times.

Wright was arrested roughly a month later on a warrant from the Barnstable district court for assault with a dangerous weapon, state police confirmed to Fox News.

She reportedly pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Monday and was freed on a $1,250 bond. The Times reported that she was also charged with vandalizing property and leaving the scene of property damage.

Fox News' request for comment from Wright was not immediately returned.The boyfriend of missing college student Mollie Tibbetts told Fox News in an exclusive interview on Wednesday that he believes the doors of the home where she last stayed had been left unlocked  and he now locks his doors consistently.

Its Brooklyn. You dont lock your doors, said the boyfriend, Dalton Jack. We lock our doors now. Every night.

Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student, was last seen on July 18 when she left her boyfriends home to jog. The boyfriend shares the home with his brother and his fiance, and Tibbetts was staying there to watch his dogs while he was out of town on business.

Jack said he thinks the home's doors were left unlocked around the time of Mollie's disappearance.

Its more than likely because you know, nobody ever thought there was a reason to, he told Fox News. Again, its Brooklyn. Nothing ever happens in Brooklyn. Thats why its such a blindsided situation.

Officials have not revealed if there was any sign of a break-in or a struggle at the house.

Jack said that early on in the search for Tibbetts, he kept calling her missing phone, hoping anyone would pick up.

"I did for like the first week and a half. Not more recently. I was just trying to see literally if anybody would pick up. And then, yeah, straight to voicemail," he said.

Jack told Fox News the last time he saw Tibbetts was on July 17, and he kissed her goodbye.

"I left for Dubuque, Iowa, which is about 100 miles away, on Tuesday morning at 5 in the morning," he said. "And I was staying there for work until what was supposed to be Friday. And then Thursday after we found out she was missing I drove home. So I was in Dubuque the entire time."

Jack, who has been formally cleared by police in Tibbetts' disappearance, declined to talk about specifics of the case, citing officials' request.

"I mean everybody has their own theories but Im just kind of leaving it up to the law enforcement trying to figure that one out," he said. "I dont want to go racking it through my brain thinking of what happened, what happened, what happened. Just driving myself insane."

Jake Tibbetts, Mollie's brother, told Fox News that "as far as what we think happened, we are really not sure."

We know she is fighting as hard as anyone to get back home, he said. Its a process and we wish it wasnt so long, but good things take time, and getting her home will be a really good thing.

Jake said he expects Mollie to resurface.

We have full faith in the authorities, that they are going to do the best job they can," he said. "They have been brought in for a reason, because they are the best at what they do. We have a lot of faith in them.

Earlier, Tibbetts' father, Rob, said the bottom line is somebody knows something regarding his daughter's disappearance.

Rob Tibbetts, urging the public to come forward, said that in a small city like Brooklyn, Iowa, you cant do anything there without someone seeing it.

Just come home, pie, he said when asked if he had a message for Mollie. Were looking, well find you.

"Shes a brave girl. Shell be fine, just hang in there.

There is no information too trivial to report to police, he added.

He said Mollie always carried her iPhone around and, like every other young person her age, she is constantly online.

But he said since she was last seen, the phone has not been tracked down, its not powered on, and she has not been responsive to messages.

Its absolutely not like Mollie to not respond to her phone, Rob Tibbetts told Fox News.

Brother Jake said that on Thursday, July 19, the day Mollie was reported missing to police, he'd texted her in the morning to see if she wanted to borrow a car they shared so she could go to work at Grinnell Regional Medical Center.

She didn't respond.

I didnt think much about it at the time, but now I think about it a lot," he told Fox News on Wednesday. "About how weird it was not for her to text back."

As the day went on, it certainly became evident to me something had happened," he said.

Rob Tibbetts described Mollie as an avid jogger who enjoyed singing along in the car to Ed Sheeran and The Beatles.

She is extremely poised for her age and extremely mature, he told Fox News. She won a state speech contest in Iowa.

A TIMELINE OF EVENTS IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MOLLIE TIBBETTS

Tibbetts said Mollie, a psychology major, is also genuinely interested in other people."

Ive been telling people the genius of Mollie was her ability to make everything about other people, he said.

Scott Tibbetts, another of Mollies brothers, said having a missing loved one really is a helpless feeling, because there is not a whole lot you can do to end it."

Otherwise it would have been done, he said.

The case has drawn national attention, yet searches for Tibbetts, encompassing properties including an area hog farm, have come up short. Police have not announced any suspects in her disappearance.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the police tip lines at (800) 452-1111 or (515) 223-1400. The sheriff said the public can also send tips via email to tips@poweshiekcosheriff.comAn Iowa college student who vanished two weeks ago had been planning to travel to the Dominican Republic this week for a wedding, friends said.

Mollie Tibbetts, 20, was supposed to accompany her boyfriend Dalton Jack to his brother Blakes wedding to his fiancee, Aimee Houghton, Blake said.

Blake had jokingly suggested to his brother that he propose to Tibbetts, his high school sweetheart, during the trip.

Tibbetts was last seen jogging on the evening of July 18 in Brooklyn, a small Iowa town where the University of Iowa student had been living this summer with the brothers.

Tibbetts was taking care of Blake's dogs while the brothers were out of town, Blake said.

Thousands of volunteers have aided in the search for Tibbetts.

Blake said the canceled wedding plans are nothing compared to what the town is going through.

MOLLIE TIBBETTS' FATHER SAYS HE IS PUTTING HIS FAITH IN THE INVESTIGATORS

He also said the scrutiny on him and his brother is unwarranted, adding that investigators have confirmed their whereabouts on the night Tibbetts vanished.

He said the speculation was hurtful, but "the people in this community know the truth."

"We know something had to have happened to her," he said.

Meanwhile, investigators say they are still baffled at her disappearance.

Investigators haven't drawn any conclusions about what happened to Tibbetts other than that disappearing on her own "is not consistent with her past," said Kevin Winker, director of investigative operations for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, at a news conference Tuesday.

Neighbor Dave Collum said he has known her family for years and that she's not the type of person who would run away.

He said he's worried she was the victim of a stalker or a random abduction.

"Everybody in town is still trying," he said. "It's sad."

Collum put a magnet with her face on it on his red pickup truck, so he could have a reminder of her every time he gets into it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A North Carolina police officer shot at a driver who tried to run him over with his vehicle, officials said.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said the incident happened as they were responding to a report of a suspicious car on a business valet deck at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on Tuesday night.

"An officer got out of his cruiser and attempted to approach the suspicious vehicle, when the driver drove toward the officer," police said in a news release. "The officer perceived an imminent threat of being run over and fired his handgun at the driver."

The officer was not injured in the incident. Later that night, a man who had suffered gunshot wounds appeared at a local hospital in a vehicle police say was similar to the one they encountered at the airport.

Police added they were working Wednesday to determine whether the man is the same person involved in the airport incident. His identity has not been released, and investigators did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

Police say the criminal investigation is ongoing and that the officer involved in the shooting "has been placed on administrative assignment." A separate investigation is being conducted to determine whether the officer followed the department's procedures.An Ohio judge ordered a defendants mouth taped shut during his sentencing on Tuesday after the man failed to heed repeated warnings to stop talking.

The defendant, Franklyn Williams, was seen in court with red tape over his mouth after Cuyahoga County Judge John Russo got fed up with the 32-year-olds interruptions, FOX8 reported.

Williams  who was convicted in December of aggravated robbery, kidnapping, theft, misuse of credit cards and having weapons under a disability  refused to stop talking and kept interrupting his attorneys for about 30 minutes during his sentencing.

TEXAS AQUARIUM SHARK THIEF MAY HAVE POSED AS SUPPLIER TO STAKE OUT EXHIBIT, STAFF SAYS

Russo ordered six deputies to tape Williams mouth shut  but even then Williams continued chiming in.

Williams was eventually sentenced to 24 years in prison.

The convicted felon previously attempted to evade his trial when he cut off his ankle bracelet during house arrest and fled to Nebraska. Williams claimed he had no recollection of the escape because he'd been hit over the head.

Prosecutors, however, had cellphone records as proof that Williams was not being honest.A 70-year-old Pennsylvania pediatrician sexually abused more than two dozen young patients, sometimes while their parents were still in the room, police said.

Johnnie Wilson Jack Barto, of Johnstown, allegedly assaulted both boys and girls, mostly ranging in ages from 8 to 12, the Pennsylvania state attorney generals office announced Monday. One victim was an infant and another was 21 months old, officials said. The abuse, police said, could have spanned decades.

Barto used his position of authority as a pediatrician  the family doctor everyone relied on to treat and heal their children  and abused it to feed his own, sick sexual desires, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement.

Barto allegedly either waited for the patients parents to leave an exam room or used his body as a shield to block parents view when he carried out the assaults, police said. He would also say the assaults were part of the routine medical examination, investigators said.

The attorney generals office said Barto would digitally penetrate young girls  without wearing gloves  when they came in for ailments such as the flu or migraines.

Some of the alleged assaults happened as recently as January, Shapiro said, but could have begun in the 1980s.

FORMER UCLA STAR ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED CHILD SEX ABUSE BEFORE DEATH

The charges, which include indecent assault, aggravated indecent assault and child endangerment, come months after he was arrested on related charges.

In January, he was accused of touching a 12-year-old female patient inappropriately, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. A relative later told investigators that when she was 14, she fell asleep during a family gathering and woke up as Barto was inappropriately touching her, according to the Tribune-Review.

Barto used his position of authority as a pediatrician  the family doctor everyone relied on to treat and heal their children  and abused it to feed his own, sick sexual desires.  Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro

Every parent sends their child to a pediatrician to make sure they are healthy and getting the care they need. Parents rely on those doctors to examine their children, give them medical advice, and guide them as they try to do their best for their children, Shapiro said. Barto violated every tenet of his oath as a doctor and as a decent human being  violating the trust of his victims, their parents and of the entire community.

LARRY NASSAR SENTENCED TO 40 TO 175 YEARS IN GYMNASTICS MOLESTATION CASE

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat reported that Barto was accused of sexually molesting two female patients in 1998, but he was never criminally charged and denied the allegations. Ultimately, the Board of Medicine determined that he could keep his license, citing a lack of evidence.

A woman confronted Barto in 2017 after the doctor made her wait outside the room while he examined her son's genitals, although the 12-year-old was only suffering from the flu, police said. The woman returned to see the doctor fondling her son, police said, so she immediately confronted Barto, who walked away without offering any explanation.

A girl who was about 16 told her mother, herself a physician, that Barto had inappropriately touched her during an exam in 1997, police said. When the mother confronted Barto in the presence of the office manager, he promised he would never examine a female patient again, according to police.

Bartos license was suspended in January, and his bail has been set at $1 million. When the new charges were announced, Barto was already in prison.

MOM SAYS SHE WAS IN EXAM ROOM WHEN LARRY NASSAR SEXUALLY ABUSED DAUGHTER

The attorney generals office has created a special hotline related to the case for victims or parents to call: 412-565-7680. They can also contact the Richland Township Police at 814-266-8333.

I want to thank the brave survivors who have come forward and shared with our investigators their traumatizing experiences at the hands of Dr. Barto, Shapiro said. I have a message for these courageous individuals, and for any person or institution that believes they can get away with sexually abusing children and covering it up. We will pursue every allegation of child sexual abuse wherever we find it  in a doctors office, in a school or church  and we will hold child sexual predators accountable for their crimes under Pennsylvania law.

Shapiro's office said Barto could spend the rest of his life in prison if he is convicted.

Johnstown is a little more than 60 miles east of Pittsburgh.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Police in Indiana believe a pet pig might've thwarted would-be robbers from burglarizing a home in Indianapolis.

The thieves broke into the home this week and "completely damaged [the back] door," the homeowner, who wished to remain anonymous, told Fox 59.

MASSIVE FIRE AT OHIO SWINE FARM KILLS 5,000 PIGS, POLICE SAY

Whoever broke in, however, didn't steal anything, and police apparently suggested the family's pet pig, named Dumplin, is to blame.

"The officers were guessing when the person broke in they were probably surprised I had a pig and were like, 'We don't want to deal with this,'" the single mother of four said. "The cop was like we definitely think they got in and made it to where Dumplin was and thought, 'Nope. We don't want no part of this.'"

The woman told the news station she adopted Dumplin from a rescue last year, calling him the "perfect animal."

"The moment I saw him I knew he loved me instantly," she said, encouraging others to adopt the "tons of pigs in shelters that don't have homes."

The neighborhood the woman lives in  which she moved into just weeks ago  is not new to break-ins, Fox 59 reported.

Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.A Missouri sheriff's deputy was rushed to a hospital and underwent surgery Tuesday after he was attacked by a dog while serving a civil summons, authorities said.

When no one answered the door at the residence, the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department deputy noticed a side door that was partly opened, FOX 2 NOW of St. Louis reported.

As the deputy approached the door, the dog emerged from the rear of the house and attacked the deputy, latching onto his face.

Later, the dog bit into the deputy's left arm, according to the station. The deputy was able to reach his weapon and shot the dog once, allowing the deputy to free himself.

The department posted an image to Facebook showing the deputys blood-soaked uniform and bulletproof vest.

The homeowner told police the dog was a pitbull, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The animal was expected to survive, but Animal Control officials will decide what happens next to the dog.

The unidentified deputy, a 27-year department veteran, required surgery to address his injuries, which included a puncture wound near one of his eyes and a heavily damaged lip, the paper reported.State fire officials have identified a sixth victim of the Carr Fire in Northern California, which they say has become the seventh most destructive wildfire in the Golden States history, destroying more than 900 homes.

Daniel Bush, 62, died last week as the fire swept through the Redding area, about 100 miles south of the Oregon border.

His sister, Kathi Gaston, told the Redding Record Searchlight that her brother had returned to his mobile home in Keswick, near Redding, last Tuesday after undergoing quadruple heart bypass surgery.

The Carr Fire came through the neighborhood Thursday. Gaston said her brother wasn't allowed to drive and couldn't evacuate without help, but she couldn't reach him because the roads to his home were blocked by sheriff's deputies.

If wed been able to go in when we wanted to, hed be alive right now, Gatson said. Im very upset about it.

Gatson was holding onto hope that her brother might have made it to safety. However, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said during a news conference Sunday that the remains of a sixth person had been found in the home.

There aint much left, just his hip bone, Gaston told the paper. At least weve got a little more closure. Now we know.

Previously, two firefighters and two children and their great-grandmother were listed as fatalities in connection with the Carr Fire.

State officials pinned the cause of the Carr Fire on a mechanical failure of a vehicle, according to a statement released by Cal Fire. Further details were not immediately available.

More than 100,000 acres have been charred by the inferno.

New fires ignite

Meanwhile, a new fire ignited Tuesday afternoon near a national forest, state officials said, as thousands of firefighters are already contending with more than a dozen blazes.

The new blaze quickly gained intensity as gusty winds spurred the flames through brush and grasslands, as well as oak, pine and timber near the Mendocino National Forest, Mendocino County Undersheriff Matthew Kendall said.

An old ranching and farming community near Covelo, located in Northern California with about 60 homes, has been evacuated, as the fire was threatening structures, Kendall told the Associated Press.

There were no immediate reports of homes being destroyed, and air support was called in to assist the new fire, however, it was unclear when they firefighting aircraft will arrive as many are already tied up in other fire, Kendall said.

Fire officials said two blazes about 40 miles to the south in Mendocino and Lake counties had destroyed at least seven homes and threatened an estimated 12,000 more.

Another fire erupted Tuesday night to the east in Sutter County, however no homes were evacuated, state fire spokesman Scott McLean said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A tiny Virginia craft distillery is hoping to slay a monster.

Family-owned MurLarkey Distillery in Bristow says it is taking the fight to Monster Energy, the energy drink company, over the right to trademark its M logo, which appears on its liquor bottles and merchandise.

After MurLarkey applied for the trademark, Monster Energy lodged an objection with the U.S. Patent Trade Offices Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in May.

MurLarkeys Tom Murray says he is not going to be bullied by a company that has become known for its overly aggressive tactics enforcing its trademark rights.

Monster has a long history of going after small companies, thats supported by a simple Google search, Murray told Fox News. I thinks its unfortunate that they engage in this kind of business practice.

Monster Energy did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

Murray said hes not sure how MurLarkey happened to appear on Monster Energys radar.

FISHERMAN USES MONSTER ENERGY DRINK CAN TO LURE FISH, HOOKS ONE RIGHT AWAY

The distillery, about 35 miles west of Washington D.C., has been in business less than three years and the market for its vodka, gin and various whiskies is limited to Virginia, Washington and Maryland. The move into Maryland was recent. MurLarkey has four employees -- Murray, his brother, their cousin and his father-in-law.

Monster Energy, on the other hand, is a big conglomerate based in California with 2,500 employees. The companys roots date to the 1930s. Its products are sold around the world and reportedly generate more than $28 billion a year in revenue.

Were still trying to break a million, Murray said. Hes worried about the cost of taking on Monster Energy.

Monster Energy says in its TTAB complaint that MurLarkeys logo looks like its famous M logo, the one on billions of cans.

Murray disputes that and doesnt believe the two logos would cause consumers to be confused  the basis of Monster Energys objection.

ENERGY DRINKS COST NEW FATHER PART OF HIS SKULL, WIFE CLAIMS

Monster Energy has filed a number of TTAB proceedings over the years, challenging the use of logos and the words monster and beast and claw-like symbols.

According to Trademarkia.com, a trademark search engine, Monster Energy was 2017s No. 1 "trademark bully," objecting to 57 trademark applications.

In 2016 Monster Energy challenged a small New Jersey brewery that wanted to trademark a beer called Beast from the East, saying it would infringe on its Unleash the Beast slogan. The brewery abandoned its application.

That same year, Monster Energy filed an opposition against an Iowa man and candy seller who applied for a trademark for Monstrous Bliss, saying that it would violate its trademark for Java Monster. Monster Energy won a default judgment when the Iowan failed to submit an answer to its opposition.

FATHER SUES MONSTER ENERGY OVER SON'S DEATH

A year earlier, Monster Energy went after a winery in Bordeaux, France, with the name Dassault, claiming that allowing the name to be trademarked would confuse consumers of its Monster Assault drink. Monster Energy later withdrew its opposition.

In a long drawn out battle that began in 2014 Monster Energy challenged the trademark application of a tropical aquarium website called MonsterFishKeepers.com. over the use of the word "monster" in the company's name.

Two years ago, MonsterFishKeepers.com beat back Monster Energys challenge to its name, but not its logo. The website was represented by a legal clinic in Boston run by law school students. The TTAB ruled that there was little likelihood that the MonsterFishKeepers name would cause confusion with the Monster Energy name.

Last year, Monster Energy challenged a tiny root beer company in D.C. called Thunder Beast over the use of the word beast in the companys name. The case is still pending.

As part of the proceeding, Monster Energy Chairman and CEO Rodney Sacks gave a deposition that his lawyers submitted to the TTAB in June.

During the deposition, which took place in 2017, a Thunder Beast lawyer asked Sacks about Monster Energys inclusion on Trademarkia.coms ranking of trademark bullies.

You asked me if Im aware and I dont believe an inconsequential organization that looks at silly things like that without regard to the facts can come to those conclusions, Sacks said.

He added: I take action to protect our trademark and to protect this valuable asset that weve created and to stop people trying to profit off the backs of this company and this brand, he said. And thats what I do, and I believe I do it properly and fairly to the best of my ability.Houston Police announced Wednesday they had identified a suspect in the murder of a prominent cardiologist who once treated former President George H.W. Bush.

Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters that an arrest warrant had been issued for 65-year-old Joseph James Pappas, who investigators believe shot and killed Dr. Mark Hausknecht as he rode his bicycle to work on the morning of July 20.

"We need to find this guy," Acevedo said of Pappas, who he described as armed, dangerous and possibly suicidal. "If he's committed suicide, we need the body. If he's alive, we need to find him."

Investigators believe that Pappas held a grudge against Hausknecht after his mother died while the doctor was operating on her more than two decades earlier. Acevedo said that officers had searched Pappas' home early Wednesday and obtained additional evidence tying him to the murder.

"We believe that this absolutely is the killer," Acevedo said.

Acevedo said Pappas hadn't been seen in 36 to 48 hours. He said the last anyone had heard from Pappas was in a Tuesday morning text message in which Pappas wrote that he was going to kill himself.

Acevedo said the department received tips identifying Pappas as the gunman after authorities released new surveillance video Monday of the suspect riding his own bicycle through a neighborhood moments after the shooting. The footage showed a man wearing a ball cap, a short-sleeved polo shirt and khaki shorts.

Investigators said the shooter passed Hausknecht from behind and rode at least a block ahead before turning around and firing three shots at his victim.

"There was a lot of planning that went into this," Acevedo said of the murder. "There was a lot of planning and, sadly, some skill ... The shots that he took, took some skill."

The chief told people living in the area to be on the lookout for a Schwinn ten-speed bicycle that he said Pappas rode "extensively and almost exclusively."

In 2000, Hausknecht treated Bush for an irregular heartbeat after the 41st president complained about lightheadedness. After Hausknecht's death, Bush called him "a fantastic cardiologist and a good man."

Click for more from Fox26Houston.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A Houston-area woman has been arrested after stabbing a police K-9 dog under both eyes as police officers tried to apprehend her Monday, police said.

The suspect, identified as Abigail Martinez, 23, had been wanted on an outstanding felony drug warrant when Baytown police officers approached her recreational vehicle, Corpus Christi's KRIS-TV reported. Baytown is about 27 miles east of Houston.

Police said Martinez refused to come out of the RV, so officers opened the door, the Dallas Morning News reported. Police said they found Martinezs uncle, Felipe Martinez, 40, sitting on a couch.

Police said Felipe Martinez tried to get his niece to come out of the back room, but she again refused. Police then warned her they were sending in a K-9.

The K-9 quickly located the suspect in the back bedroom area. And when the K-9 went to approach the suspect, the suspect had a small piece of plastic, the handle to an eyebrow trimmer of some sort, and jabbed at the dog, striking the dog one time on each eye, Baytown Police Lt. Steve Dorris said.

Martinez was arrested and charged with a felony drug warrant and interfering with a police service dog. Martinez and her uncle  who reportedly had outstanding traffic warrants  were booked into the Baytown jail.

The dog was treated at a local hospital for two puncture wounds under the eyes, before being returned to duty.The man accused of stealing a horn shark from a Texas aquarium Saturday by disguising the fish as a baby may have posed as a salt supplier about a month ago to stake out the exhibit and prepare for the heist, staff members said.

Three suspects were arrested after a gray horn shark was taken from the San Antonio Aquariums tide pool exhibit around 2:15 p.m. Saturday. Surveillance video showed the trio "staked out the pool for more than an hour" before stealing the sea creature with a net. They then placed the shark, dubbed Miss Helen, in a bucket and onto a baby stroller before whisking it out of the building.

The strange heist caught the aquarium by surprise, but staff members believe planning for it may have begun a month ago.

Aquarium spokesperson Jamie Shank told KENS5 she believes one of the suspects paid a visit to the aquarium a month ago, but disguised himself as a salt supplier. The man asked to test the exhibits water quality  possibly a way to examine which animal he could steal.

Anthony Shannon, 38, was named the mastermind of the shark heist after he confessed to the crime, officials said. He was charged with felony theft.

Though staff members did not specifically name Shannon as the person who posed as the supplier, Leon Valley Police Chief Joe Salvaggio said the alleged shark stealer had been planning the heist for weeks.

Photos and videos from Shannons house showed almost a mock-up of an aquarium, KENS5 reported.

"The garage, in particular, there was, what is being described as a 6,000-gallon salt water tub that didn't even have a top. It was a huge tub and a 2,000-gallon one that was basically, floor to ceiling with all types of different marine animals," Salvaggio said.

"There's no way the shark would have survived. It still doesn't make sense that it did survive but they were prepared inside the house and probably in the vehicle to transport this thing," Salvaggio added.

Shannon reportedly has a rap sheet that dates back to 1998, when he was arrested for marijuana possession, KSAT reported. He was indicted in May 2002 for aggravated assault.

The police chief said Miss Helen has returned to the aquarium for visitors to see for the years to come.A very drunk woman sparked a massive search after she jumped off a Maryland drawbridge Sunday, police said.



The Coast Guard and Maryland Natural Resources Police were dispatched to a bridge on Route 50 in Ocean City at about 9:20 p.m. Sunday night after reports that a woman had jumped.

Authorities searched for the woman for several hours, dispatching boats and a state police helicopter to the area. They were unsuccessful in locating anyone in the water or along the shoreline, the Daily Times of Salisbury reported.

But at 11:26 p.m., police were called by passers-by to a gravel parking lot to report what appeared to them to be a highly intoxicated female, in a bikini, stumbling around, court documents said.

Witnesses also told police the woman had fallen down on her face.

Police identified the woman as 39-year-old Brooke North, of Ocean City, who was seen staggering towards the road and appeared to have poor balance.

North reportedly told officers that she was very drunk and had jumped off the bridge because she just likes swimming and wanted to get away, court documents stated. She said shed washed up on the rocks.

While speaking to the officers, North also randomly started yelling at passing vehicles, police said.

North was arrested and charged with being intoxicated in a public place and causing a disturbance. She was also charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace for jumping off the bridge. Shes posted $5,000 bail.A man suspected of killing Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in 2010 was extradited to the U.S. from Mexico on Tuesday, officials said.

Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, who was taken into custody in April 2017 and charged with first-degree murder, will face arraignment in Tucson, Arizona, on Wednesday, a statement from Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Southern District of California U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said.

Terry was killed on Dec. 14, 2010 in a gunfight between Border Patrol agents and members of a cartel rip crew they came across, which patrolled the desert along the U.S.-Mexico border looking for drug dealers to rob.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO TURN OVER DOCUMENTS RELATED TO OBAMA-ERA OPERATION FAST AND FURIOUS

The agents death exposed Operation Fast and Furious, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) operation in which the federal government allowed criminals to buy guns in Phoenix-area shops with the intention of tracking them once they made their way to Mexico. But the agency lost track of more than 1,400 of the 2,000 guns they allowed smugglers to buy. Two of those guns were found at the scene of Terrys killing.

In the statement, Sessions applauded Osorios-Arellanes return to the U.S., saying he would now face justice for this terrible crime.

To anyone who would take the life of an American citizen, in particular an American law enforcement officer, this action sends a clear message: Working closely with our international partners, we will hunt you down, we will find you, and we will bring you to justice, Sessions said.

FAST AND FURIOUS SCANDAL: SUSPECTED TRIGGERMAN IN BORDER AGENTS MURDER ARRESTED

Six other individuals were also hit with charges, in addition to Osorio-Arellanes. Of the six, three have pleaded guilty and two were tried in court and convicted. Another hasnt faced trial yet and is awaiting extradition to the U.S.

Fox News William Lajeunesse and Laura Prabucki contributed to this report.Politicians in France reportedly voted Monday in favor of a new law that would largely prohibit students from using smart devices on campus.

Students as old as 15 years old will not be allowed to use their smartphones, tablets and other similar items at school, unless theyre needed for lessons or after school activities AFP reported. Students with disabilities are not included in the ban.

MAN TRIED USING CELL PHONE AS SCOOTER HEADLIGHT, MAINE POLICE SAY

Secondary schools are reportedly given the choice to opt-in on the full ban or enforce a less strict version.

Critics of the legislation, who refrained from casting votes, decried it as being a publicity stunt, the outlet reported. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer, on the other hand, reportedly argued that it modernized the country and brought them into the 21st century.

He argued that a 2010 law, which disallowed such devices from being used in class, was not strong enough, the report said.Three Russian journalists were killed this week while filming a documentary on a private Russian security company operating in the Central African Republic, officials confirmed.

Alexander Rastorguyev, a director and an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was killed along with cameraman Kirill Radchenko and reporter Orkhan Dzhemal, the Investigations Management Center said. The editors of IMC said the reporters were being led by Dzhemal, a veteran war correspondent, through the African nation, The Guardian reported.

NORTH KOREA RETURNED 1 DOG TAG WITH 55 SETS OF SOLDIER REMAINS, US OFFICIAL SAYS

The journalists allegedly traveled to the country to film a documentary on Wagner, the private security company. The reporters were collaborating with an investigative media project on a story titled "Russian Mercenaries."

The Guardian reported Maxim Borodin, a Russian journalist, was killed earlier this year after falling to his death from a balcony. Borodin was allegedly also investigating Wagner before his death.

Andrei Konyakhin, chief editor of IMC, said the three reporters were trying to shed light on Wagner's operations in CAR as well as on Russia's interests in diamond, gold and uranium mining there.

The three journalists were allegedly working undercover while in CAR.

Officials said the journalists were traveling to the northern part of the African Nation to speak with a United Nations representative and were carrying several thousand dollars in cash and valuable video equipment when they were attacked.

Russian media outlets reported the journalists might have been ambushed and killed on Monday in Sibut, about 185 miles north of the countrys capital of Bangui. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed their deaths. Sibut Mayor Henri Depele said the journalists were killed after a group of armed men opened fire on the vehicle they were traveling in, Reuters reported. The Associated Press reported the men were kidnapped by about 10 men wearing turbans and speaking Arabic.

WIVES AND MOTHERS ON YEMENS FRONTLINE FIGHT TO FREE THOUSANDS OF MEN FROM PRISON HELL



Its impossible to believe this, but there is already no hope that this is a mistake, the IMC said in a statement.

Rastorguyev wast best known for his documentary The Term and being an opponent of Putin. Radchenko was a well-known photographer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.next Image 1 of 2

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Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Wednesday rejected accusations that Australia supported corruption and crime under Malaysia's former leader by harboring a high-profile fugitive since 2015.

Malaysian prime minister-in waiting Anwar Ibrahim recently said in an interview with Australia's ABC radio that some of Canberra's foreign policies "clearly have been tainted" and viewed as "complicit to the tolerance of crimes, of corruption and also criminal action" by shielding wrongdoers like former policeman Sirul Azhar Umar.

Sirul, who was a former bodyguard of ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak, fled to Australia after he was sentenced to death over the 2006 murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu. Her body was found blown up with explosives in a jungle after her yearlong affair with a friend of Najib ended.

Bishop said Sirul remained under immigration detention and that Malaysia has not made any extradition request.

"In the past, Australia has worked with the government of Malaysia of the day. For the past 61 years, it's been the same government. If we were waiting for the new government, we would have been waiting for 61 years before dealing with Malaysia and that's patently ridiculous," she told a news conference after meeting Anwar's wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is now Malaysia's deputy prime minister.

Sirul's case has posed a dilemma for Australia's government, which cannot by law extradite someone who could face capital punishment.

His case cropped up again after the shocking defeat of Najib's coalition in May 9 elections that ushered in Malaysia's first transition of power since independence from Britain in 1957. Najib last month pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power in a case linked to a massive corruption scandal in the 1MDB state fund that he set up but which accumulated billions in debts.

Malaysian police recently said they will reopen investigations into Shaariibuu's gruesome murder after her father lodged a fresh complaint with the new government.

Bishop said she didn't discuss Sirul's case specifically with Wan Azizah but they talked about Malaysia's plan in general to abolish the death penalty. Asked if Canberra will deport Sirul if Malaysia makes a request, she said she refused to "speculate" as there was no such application.

Bilateral relations were chilled for years after Canberra condemned Malaysia's "barbaric" execution of two Australian heroin traffickers in 1986.

Sirul and another former policeman were initially convicted in 2009 of Shaariibuu's murder but both won an appeal in 2013. The Supreme Court in 2015 upheld the initial High Court ruling. The prosecution contended that the murder of Shaariibuu was ordered by her former lover, Abdul Razak Baginda, a prominent defense analyst, after their affair ended.

The High Court in 2008 acquitted Abdul Razak, a married man and a former Najib confidante, of charges of abetting the murder.Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard is expected to put 100 gun boats in the Persian Gulf sometime in the next 48 hours to practice "swarm" tactics simulating actions which could potentially shut down the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 10 percent of the worlds oil passes through each year, two U.S. officials said Wednesday.

Iran normally conducts its annual "swarm" exercise in the fall, but officials said the event has been moved up likely due to recent threats made between President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in recent days.

In a statement about the exercise, Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a U.S. Central Command spokesman, said: "We are aware of the increase in Iranian naval operations within the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman. We are monitoring it closely, and will continue to work with our partners to ensure freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce in international waterways." The Arabian Gulf is also known as the Persian Gulf.

U.S. officials said there has been no mention of any threats to American forces.

President Trump, however, had strong words for his Iranian counterpart last week which seemed to allude to rising tensions.

"To Iranian President Rouhani," Trump tweeted. "NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH."

Currently, the guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans is in the Persian Gulf., with some British and French warships nearby. There are 10 American patrol craft based in Bahrain at the headquarters for the U.S. Navys 5th fleet.

The U.S. destroyer is part of the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier strike group, but the aircraft carrier is not in the Persian Gulf or surrounding area right now, having returned early to Norfolk, Va., late last month following a three-month deployment.

President Trump said Monday he would be willing to meet with Rouhani with no preconditions, on the heels of a fiery exchange of threats last month.

Iranian officials rejected Trump's overture to meet a day later.Israel's military chief is pleading to keep politics out of the army amid rising protests by the Druze minority against a recently passed law that enshrines the state's Jewish character and which critics say undermines its democratic values.

Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot has called on "all commanders and soldiers to keep controversial political issues" out of the military. In a statement Wednesday, he reaffirmed "our shared mission and camaraderie" with the Druze, an Arabic-speaking minority that serves in the military.

Like other minorities, the Druze have been outraged by the law, which they say renders them second-class citizens. Two Druze officers recently said they would stop serving in response to it, sparking fears of widespread insubordination.

The Druze, who follow an offshoot of Shiite Islam, have managed to survive in a turbulent region by showing allegiance to their country of residence  sometimes at the cost of fighting other Druze on the battlefield. In Israel, they have been fiercely loyal to the state and have risen to high office in the military and politics.

Israel's 1948 declaration of independence defined it as a Jewish and democratic state. The government says the new law merely enshrines the country's existing character, but critics say it undermines the constitution's commitment to equality. Arab citizens, who make up 20 percent of the population, say the law further marginalizes them.

Unlike most of the Arab population, which largely identifies with the Palestinians, the Druze see themselves as patriotic Israelis who have shed blood in the country's defense. Military figures often invoke the "alliance of blood" between Jews and Druze.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Cabinet ministers have met with the top Druze leadership, saying they understand and respect their concerns and will try to find a compromise.

Israeli Druze leaders say their alliance with Jews dates back long before they helped them win independence in 1948. The Druze revere Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, whose tomb in northern Israel is one of their most sacred sites. Israel's 130,000 Druze live mostly in the north of the country.

In a sign of solidarity, thousands of Israelis, including several retired high-ranking military officials, plan to attend a mass protest held by the Druze in Tel Aviv on Saturday.

"We will prove to the people of Israel and the government of Israel that this is a bad law, bad for all of us, and it needs to be annulled," Amal Assad, a retired general and one of the protest's organizers told Israel's Army Radio. "But the army should stay out of this argument."

Earlier this week, a Druze officer was suspended for a Facebook post in which he said he did not want to continue serving and predicted that hundreds of others would do the same.

A second officer, Lt. Shadi Zidan, voiced his pain about the new law.

"Today I refused for the first time in my service to salute the flag, I refused for the first time to sing the national anthem," he wrote on Facebook. "I'm a citizen like everyone else, give my all and more to the country, and in the end I'm a second-class citizen? So, no thanks. I don't intend to be part of that."The president of Kosovo has rejected the idea of dividing the country along ethnic lines to resolve a dispute over its independence from Serbia.

But President Hashim Thaci told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that he was open to discussing "a correction" of borders during the difficult European Union-mediated peace negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia.

"Serbia's claim for a Kosovo division will not be successful. It is unacceptable," he said.

In 1999, NATO intervened to stop a bloody Serb crackdown on Albanian separatists in Kosovo. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized as a separate nation by more than 100 countries, but not by Serbia.

Tensions remain high after seven years of negotiations, even though the EUs has made it clear to the governments in Pristina and Belgrade they must normalize relations to advance toward membership in the bloc.

Some Serbian government officials have suggested a possible solution could be a land swap based on where ethnic Serb and Albanian minorities are concentrated  Kosovo's northern Mitrovica region for Serbia's Presevo Valley.

Thaci said there would be no "division but a correction of borders," with the possible inclusion of the Presevo Valley in Kosovo. He did not say whether that would involve a swap for northern Mitrovica, where the majority of Kosovo Serbs live.

The president was determined that negotiations with Serbia, under the EU leadership and closely followed by the United States, would result in bilateral recognition soon.

"If the Kosovo-Serbia border correction and the final agreement on mutual recognition are achieved, if such an agreement is of bilateral and balanced, meaning a win-win for both parties, then no one would be against it," he said.

___

This version has been corrected to show that some Serbian government officials, not the government officially, have suggested a possible land swap with Kosovo.

___

Llazar Semini contributed from Saranda, Albania.Libya's coast guard intercepted three groups totaling more than 570 Europe-bound migrants, including at least 66 women and 19 children, in the Mediterranean Sea, a spokesman said Wednesday.

One group of 292 migrants, including 42 women and 10 children, embarked on the perilous trip for Europe on three rubber boats but the coast guard stopped them off the coast of the western town of Zawiya, coast guard spokesman Ayoub Gassim said in a statement.

Another group of 101 migrants on a rubber boat were also rescued off the capital, Tripoli, the coast guard said in a separate statement.

The coast guard said it had also rescued 181 others, including 24 women and nine children, in a separate incident off Tripoli. The migrants were on two rubber boats, Gassim said.

The migrants hailed from both African and Middle Eastern countries, he said.

The three groups were intercepted Monday. All of them were given humanitarian and medical aid and were handed over to anti-migration authorities in the town of Tajoura and Tripoli, Gassim said.

The interceptions came a day after the U.N. refugee agency said it is looking into possible violations of international law involving the transport to Libya of 108 migrants rescued at sea by an Italian-flagged mercantile ship.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Italy said on Twitter that Libya is not a secure port, making such a transfer a violation of international law.

An Italian lawmaker aboard a rescue ship operated by a non-governmental organization, Nicola Frantoianni, said on Facebook that they had proof that the ship, Asso Ventotto, was taking the migrants to Libya, calling it "a very serious precedent" if ordered by the Italian coast guard.

Responding to the suspicions, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Facebook Tuesday that the Italian coast guard was not involved in the rescue, which was coordinated by the Libyan coast guard.

Libya has emerged as a major transit point to Europe for those fleeing poverty and civil war elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East. Traffickers have exploited Libya's chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Libyan authorities have stepped up efforts to stem the flow of migrants, with assistance from European countries, who are eager to slow a phenomenon that far-right wing parties have seized upon to gain electoral support.North Korea last week returned 55 boxes said to contain the remains of U.S. service members who fought in the Korean War.

But only a single dog tag was included in the delivery -- with no other information to help identify each individual, a U.S. defense official said Tuesday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it would probably take months, if not years, for U.S. forensics experts to fully determine individual identities from the remains, which have not yet been confirmed by U.S. specialists to be those of American service members.

"We don't know who's in those boxes."  Jim Mattis, U.S. Defense Secretary

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week that the return of the remains was a welcome development in U.S.-North Korea relations, but not a guarantee that the remains were those of U.S. war dead.

"We don't know who's in those boxes," Mattis said.

He noted that some could turn out to be remains of missing service members from other nations that fought in the Korean War in the early 1950s.

"They could go to Australia," Mattis said. "They have missing, France has missing, Americans have. There's a whole lot of us. So, this is an international effort to bring closure for those families."

During the Korean War, combat troops of 16 other United Nations-member countries fought alongside U.S. service members on behalf of South Korea. Some of them, including Australia, Belgium, France and the Philippines, have yet to recover some of their war dead from North Korea.

The anonymous defense official also did not know details about the single dog tag, including the name on it, or whether it was even that of an American military member.

The 55 boxes were handed over at Wonsan, North Korea, last Friday and flown aboard a U.S. military transport plane to Osan Air Base in South Korea, where U.S. officials catalogued the contents.

After a repatriation ceremony at Osan on Wednesday, the remains will be flown to Hawaii where they will undergo in-depth forensic analysis, in some cases using mitochondrial DNA profiles, at a Defense Department laboratory to attempt to establish individual identifications.

Many families who are awaiting the return of their loved ones from the Korean War have already submitted DNA samples to the laboratory to aid in the process, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

North Korea provided the 55 boxes in a delayed fulfillment of a commitment its leader, Kim Jong Un, made to President Trump at their Singapore summit on June 12.

Nearly 7,700 U.S. service members were listed as missing and unaccounted for from the 1950-53 Korean War.

The Pentagon estimates that of the approximately 7,700 U.S. MIAs from the Korean War, about 5,300 are unaccounted for on North Korean soil.

The war killed millions, including 36,000 American soldiers, according to the Star Tribune.

Richard Downes, whose father, Air Force Lt. Hal Downes, is among the Korean War missing, said this turnover of remains, having drawn worldwide attention, has the potential to put the U.S. back on track to finding and eventually identifying many more.

Downes, 70, was 3 when his father's B-26 Invader went down on Jan. 13, 1952, northeast of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital.

His family was left to wonder about his fate. Downes, now executive director of the Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs, which advocates for remains recovery, said he hopes the boxes that arrive in Hawaii on Wednesday prove to be a vanguard that leads to a fuller accounting for families.

"These 55 can set the stage for more to come."  Richard Downes, family of missing Air Force Lt. Hall Downes

"These 55 can set the stage for more to come," Downes said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.next Image 1 of 2

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World War II veterans, Warsaw residents and the leaders of Poland joined anniversary ceremonies Wednesday honoring the fighters and victims of the city's ill-fated 1944 revolt against the Nazi occupation.

President Andrzej Duda laid a wreath at a memorial in Wola district, where German forces killed tens of thousands of civilians in early August 1944, in retaliation for the revolt organized by Poland's clandestine resistance movement, the Home Army.

"We pay homage not only to the fighters but also to those who were brutally murdered by the German forces  and the only reason was that they were Poles," Duda said.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki met with the few surviving veteran insurgents at a ceremony at the Warsaw Rising Museum. In a much welcomed declaration, he vowed that the government was taking full responsibility for financing the care for all known insurgents' graves and the search for those graves not yet found.

Eugeniusz Tyrajski of the insurgent's association said it meant a lot to the veterans that their struggles and sacrifices have not been forgotten.

Among the many observances, groups of boy and girl scouts walked through the Mokotow district that saw some of the fiercest fighting.

Warsaw traffic will stop for a minute's remembrance when the sirens wail at 5 p.m., the exact hour when the revolt started Aug. 1. Nationalist groups also pick the moment to hold loud rallies.

An estimated 50,000 young Poles took part in the Warsaw Rising. Some 18,000 of them were killed and another 25,000 were injured in the 63 days of struggle against the well-armed German troops. Some 180,000 civilians were killed in German bombings and executions.

The Nazis then razed the city and expelled some 500,000 remaining residents, sending some to the Auschwitz death camp.

___

Rising Museum's memorial video: https://www.1944.pl/Right-wing anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson was ordered released from a British prison on bail Wednesday after a contempt of court ruling was quashed by a judge, who ruled it came after a fundamentally flawed process.



Robinson, the former head of the English Defense League known for his fiery critiques of Islam, was jailed in May for 13 months after he filmed outside a court where a case with reporting restrictions on it was taking place.

Robinson's supporters say he speaks out against political correctness and the growing influence of Islamic extremism, while opponents claim he is a racist who stokes fear and division. A British counter-terror official said Robinson's material was partially responsible for the radicalization of a man who committed a terrorist attack on a mosque last year.



The May contempt of court ruling sparked outrage among Robinsons supporters, thousands of whom regularly turned out in London to protest, seeking his release.

This month, thousands flooded streets near Trafalgar Square to call for Robinson's release as well as to express support for President Trump. The push to free Robinson had drawn support from right-wing politicians across the globe, including Dutch MP Geert Wilders and Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.



Robinsons supporters had claimed that a 13 months in prison was tantamount to a death sentence, considering the presence of Muslim gang members in prison. They also claimed that, while he may have breached a reporting ban, the law was applied harshly and unfairly to him.



On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal said the initial ruling was made after a fundamentally flawed process.

We are satisfied that the finding of contempt made in Leeds following a fundamentally flawed process, in what we recognize were difficult and unusual circumstances, cannot stand, Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett said, according to the BBC. "We will direct that the matter be reheard before a different judge."

Robinson supporters reacted with delight at the ruling.

Over the past few months, we have worked tirelessly to make the case that was accepted in the Court of Appeal today. People across the political spectrum laughed, mocked us, derided the entire process, and almost unilaterally, without understanding the case, decided Tommy was guilty, #FreeTommy spokesman Raheem Kassam said in a statement.

Robinsons cause had reportedly gained some steam with the Trump administration. Reuters reported earlier this month that Sam Brownback, the U.S. ambassador for International Religious Freedom, complained to the British ambassador in Washington D.C. about Robinsons treatment.

A State Department official told Fox News that that characterizations of that meeting were completely false."



The most important thing is he is home with him family. He shouldn't have been locked up in the first place, James Goddard, who had been involved in a number of rallies of support for Robinson, told Fox News. Today is a victory for everyone that has been supporting Tommy. Finally justice has prevailed.

Fox News' Lucia Suarez Sang and The Associated Press contributed to this report.Authorities in Sweden launched a massive search Wednesday after crown jewels belonging to the country's royal family were stolen by thieves who escaped on a speed boat.

Two crowns and an orb -- one belonging to King Karl IX, the other to Queen Kristina -- were snatched Tuesday morning from the Strangnas Cathedral, a 900-year-old church located about 50 miles from the capital of Stockholm.

The two men lifted the jewels from locked glass boxes and made their getaway in a speedboat waiting at a nearby waterway, Sky News reported.

"The alarm went off when the burglars smashed the security glass and stole the artifacts," Catharina Frojd, a spokeswoman for the 14th-century Strangnas cathedral, told The Associated Press.

The church wrote on its website that the stolen items were kept "in accordance with the prevailing safety regulations in locked and alarmed displays in the cathedral." It gave no further details.

A witness to the heist, Tom Rowsell, told the Aftonbladet newspaper he was eating lunch with friends when he saw the two men run "from different directions."

"I saw a white little boat and the men jumped in the boat and sped away," Roswell told the news outlet.

Swedish Police said in a statement they've deployed helicopters and boats to search for the pair, who sped off in a motorboat into the vast system of lakes west of Stockholm.

"It's 1-0 to them right now," police spokesperson Thomas Agnevik told the Aftonbladet newspaper.

Authorities have asked the public for help, while Sweden's main news agency, TT, said an international inquiry for the artifacts would be made in Interpol's system.

THIEVES SWIPE $27K WORTH OF GADGETS IN BRAZEN APPLE STORE HEIST

"I have talked to someone at the county administrative board that says it is not possible to put an economic value on them -- these are invaluable objects of national interest," Agnevik told local media. "We are looking for a small and open motorboat. We have some different information about how exactly the boat looked.

Maria Ellior of the Swedish police's National Operations Department told TT the items are "impossible to sell." The artifacts, which date from the 17th Century, are made of gold and enamel and encrusted with beads, crystals and pearls.

The jewels were burial crowns to mark the death of King Karl IX in 1611, and were later exhumed and put on display, according to Sky News.

The Gothic-style cathedral where the theft took place is the burial site for Sweden's 17th century royals, built mainly of red bricks, and belongs to the Lutheran church.

Police said that the cathedral has been closed so "technical examinations" can be carried out after the theft.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.In a grainy, leaked cell phone video, the agonized cries and pleas of a man can be heard echoing through the dark room after every lashing to his flesh.

That man is 40-year-old Jamal al-Maimary. Despite being recently released from a political prison inside the Yemen capital of Sanaa, he is now left paralyzed below the waist.

The slow torture is hard for anyone to watch, but 25-year-old Nasayba stares at the screen without flinching. It is reminiscent of what is still happening to her own brother who was detained by Houthi militia leaders on November 10, 2016. According to her latest information, he has had both legs broken and is unable to walk.

But Nasayba wont give up her fight for him. She is one of around 20 women who make up Yemens Abductees Mothers Association. Together, the women fight on the frontlines across the war-ravished nation on behalf of all Yemeni men unjustly swept up as political prisoners in the war between the Shiite-aligned Houthi rebels and the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting on behalf of Yemens nationally-recognized government.

Formed in April 2016, the association is comprised of mothers, wives, sisters, daughters and passionate activists intent on bringing awareness to the burgeoning crisis of imprisonment and alleged torture behind the shrouded secrecy of the blood-spattered walls.

The first thing we are doing is gathering the women together so we can have a stronger voice to have our men released, explained founding member Sabah Alamid. Then we are gathering all the numbers and figures, providing psychological support for each other, and then helping women go to see their loved ones behind bars.

Those are all tasks that come with great risk. Beneath the black burqas, these tenacious and fearless females are bucking traditional gender roles in the notoriously conservative Muslim society in which women rarely feature in the limelight.

In several major cities across Yemen, the female activists routinely call street demonstrations they refer to as peace strikes which often end in them being attacked and fleeing from abduction themselves.

THE FIGHT FOR YEMEN'S CAPITAL FUELED BY DRUGS, WITCHCRAFT AND FIERCE FIRE

The association has enlisted research specialists who endeavor to track down where prisoners are being held and then quietly guide family members to that location so they make persistent requests to visit their detained relative.

Yet even that is a harrowing experience for all involved.

When I visit, I am not allowed to get close, whimpers Amina, the mother of a prominent Sanaa journalist who has been detained for more than three years, while his children play innocently with toys in the corner during the Fox News interview. Last time I tried to get close, and was banned from coming back for seven months.

According to data provided to Fox News by the Abductees Mothers Association, they have more than 17,000 civilian names registered as being wrongfully imprisoned, with around 3,200 either dead or being held in unknown locations, including 220 children used as a tool to punish their fathers.

The association claims to have verified at least 120 cases in which men have died under duress in prison.

YEMEN'S CHILD SOLDIERS FACE LONG ROAD AFTER SEXUAL, PHYSICAL ABUSE

Subsequently, the women pull out files of the dead, their smiling color photos contrasted with their decaying dead bodies and lengthy descriptions of who they were and what they left behind.

Each tale of torture is more horrific than the next. Some were beaten blue with a stick, others electrocuted or hung by their feet for days while their hands were so tightly bound it ripped through to the exposed bone. Others were allegedly tossed into cages teeming with snakes, some had their faces almost entirely cauterized with cigarettes, some with acid.

We have had a lot of cases like this, observed association member, Mariam Abdullah. Some kind of burning.

In one apparent torture case examined by Fox News at a small hospital in the city of Marib, a man in his thirties, Mohammed, mumbled endlessly and incoherently to himself - his face and body awash with deep burns and scars, his ribs protruding out from a frail layer of charred flesh.

FAMILY OF KURDISH FEMALE FIGHTER SEEN NAKED, MUTILATED IN GRAPHIC VIRAL VIDEO SPEAKS OUT

He cannot concentrate, the doctor noted. He cannot remember his name.

Mohammeds brother Bashar explained that his younger sibling, once a medical lab practitioner in Sanaa, suddenly disappeared in early 2017 into what they believe to be a Houthi detention facility. He was seemingly beaten and doused with acid from head to toe before being unleashed onto the streets - irreversibly mentally and physically wounded, a mere shadow of his former self.

Insects were eating his flesh, his smell was coming out through his open skin so no one could be around him and hospitals wouldnt take him in, Bashar said. About a year after he first disappeared, he was found almost dead in a trash can.

The person who discovered Mohammads almost lifeless body posted on Facebook seeking relatives to come forward and claim him, with the post eventually landing in Bashars inbox.

Furthermore, even though the overwhelming number of the prison human rights abuses are alleged to happen toward males, association member Isma Muhammed acknowledged that they have documented 75 cases of women being maltreated.

They are usually detained for only a few hours or a day, she said. Their abuse is more mental, but sometimes the guards are abusing them while they are searching, forcing them to get naked...

While human rights groups have largely pointed to the Houthis as shouldering most of the blame for wrongful imprisonment and mistreatment, the Associated Press reports that at least 2,000 men have absconded into secret prisons operated by the UAE, a partner in the Saudi-led coalition. The Emirati government have denied the allegations.

The women say they fight for all detainee rights, on all sides of the protracted conflict.

We want justice, we want the outside world to help us, added Mariam Abdullah. Otherwise, these men will just be forgotten. We need countries with the human rights, like the US, to help us.A Lyndhurst native and St. Ignatius alum, Kevin Wojton left the Cleveland area for a technology career in New York and Hong Kong. But his true love is rock climbing, having even becoming a sponsored athlete in the sportand his mission is to spread that love by bringing the ultimate rock climbing experience to Cleveland.



Enter the perfect place for Wojton to realize his vision: the historic Ohio City Masonic Center at 2831 Franklin Blvd. For the last five or six years, Ive been looking to start a rock climbing wall in Cleveland, he explains. Ive seen what rock climbing walls have done for other cities. I looked at 30 different buildings.



When Wojton looked at the Masonic Center in January, he knew he had found his future site. This buildings great, he says of the mysterious and foreboding building. We couldnt have a better location.



A $2.4 million renovation and construction plan is now underway on the 1932 building to create Cleveland Rocks one of the largest rock climbing gyms in Ohio, alongside a yoga studio space, and the technology-driven Flux Makerspace. The project should create 18 jobs.



Wojton is paying for the project partly through a traditional real estate bank loan, and partly thanks to a $80,000 USEPA-funded Brownfield Redevelopment Revolving Fund loan, approved by Cuyahoga County for the necessary environmental cleanup of the Masonic Center.



We are pleased to be part of this important economic development initiative that will breathe fresh life into the Ohio City Masonic Center," said County Executive Armond Budish in a statement. This project will continue to add to the exciting progress of the Ohio City neighborhood by creating jobs, [as well as] health/wellness and technology resources for our residents."



About eight Masonic Lodges operated out of the building before an ownership dispute reduced that number to just one lodge (that eventually moved out, too). It was the Masonic lodge here, says Wojton. One lodge took ownership and kicked the others out. They ran out of money three years ago and locked the doors and walked away.



After sitting empty, the building has some physical repairs that must be addressed, including asbestos remediation and a new roof. Vandals stole pipes, and the rain soaked the interior. But Wojton sensed the potential. We saw it as an iconic space, he says. With the story and the narrative, we wanted to invest the time and energy."



Wojton says old engraved masonic chairs, desks, gavels, and other masonic icons remain, not to mention paintings (even one of George Washington) and Art-Deco design elements. Then theres marble everywhereon the floors, the walls, the staircase, even the bathrooms.



It was definitely a different time, Wojton says. We want to keep as much of the historic nature of the building as possible.



The high ceilings make a great space for the Cleveland Rocks rock climbing gym, Wojton says, which will take up about 17,000 square feet of the 30,000-square-foot space. The rock walls will be some of the highest in the state, and the space will feature lead climbing, top rope, and auto-belay wallsas well as a bouldering areato cater to every age and skill level. Wojton reports the lead climbing wall will be as high as 60 feet, while the bouldering wall will rise about 16 feet.



Flex space will be available for yoga instructors to teach classes of any size, with the largest space allowing for yoga sessions of up to 100 people. Were promoting a path for people to build their own small businesses, Wojton says.



The nonprofit, all-ages Flux Makerspace will provide all the equipment for entrepreneurs and learners who want to start a business or learn the latest technologies. The space will be stocked with equipment like laser cutters and 3-D printers and will host computer programming classes for entrepreneurs and youth to make Cleveland a technology hub.



The Flux Makerspace will provide community access, mentorship, and serve as a business incubator, Wojton explains. Were just looking at ways for early-stage entrepreneurs with under $50,000 in revenue [to get started]. In the next five years, [we want] hundreds of people to learn software development. We want to get technology in the hands of people who want it.



Wojton has already offered one software development class and plans to hold another one in August. The bootcamp costs about $300, but he is hoping to get 501C3 nonprofit status and offer scholarships to those who cant afford the cost.



The Cleveland Rocks facility is on track to open later this year or in early 2019.



The combination of the three endeavors under one roof will bring the Cleveland community together, says Wojton. Our main goal is to make Cleveland as amazing a city as we can, he says. I personally feel we can make Cleveland a tech city. Our goal is to light the fuse and, in one, two, three, or four years, see the rebirth.CCP has ended its arrangement with Tiancity, the previous publisher handling EVE Onlines Serenity server, and penned a deal with NetEase to keep the online game up and running in China going forward.

A partnership with a local company is essentially required for a game to launch in China, and NetEase itself is no stranger to managing online games in the region. The company notably handles the Chinese release of Minecraft and has invested in companies like Bungie and the indie studio Jumpship just recently as well.

While Tiancity had handled EVE Onlines affairs in China since the severs launch in 2012, CCP noted in a blog post yesterday that members of the company had been speaking with other Chinese businesses to evaluate its possible next steps for EVE Online in the region.

CCP notes that its dealings with Tiancity will officially end on September 30, 2018. After that point, NetEase will take charge of EVE Onlines China-only Serenity server and help CCP manage in-game events and future content additions.Water rescue statistics : 14 people have drowned in the Rhine so far this year

Koblenz Water levels are currently low in the Rhine and many people are tempted to go for a swim to cool off in the hot weather. But statistics record that there have been 14 drownings already this year.

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According to statistics from the Deutschen Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft (DLRG), which is the German water rescue authorities, 14 persons have drowned in the Rhine River in the first seven months of this year.

In the entire previous year, there were 22 people who drowned in the Rhine, according to DLRG information released on Tuesday. In the Rhineland-Palatinate section of the Rhine, on person died in the past seven months, according to the DLRG. Last year, there were three deaths.

According to police, another person was found dead at the Rhine in Boppard on Saturday, adding to the DLRG statistics.The marine environment is critical to Grenadas economy and closely linked to the islands income generating tourism sector. Grenadas tri-island ocean state is not just a hub of maritime activity, but also home to unique marine biodiversityRight now, Republicans have a huge advantage when it comes to governorships, controlling twice as many as Democrats. That probably wont be true at the end of the year, with the GOP defending 26 seats, compared to the Democrats nine. But Democrats look unlikely to gain ground in some of their strongest states, with popular Republican incumbents almost certain to win reelection.In Maryland and Massachusetts, Govs. Larry Hogan and Charlie Baker, respectively, have enjoyed approval ratings in the low 70s for most of their terms. In Vermont, Democrats are privately all but conceding that they wont be able to prevent Gov. Phil Scott from winning a second term. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu looks a bit more vulnerable, but his approval ratings are in the 60s and his strongest potential Democratic rival, Colin Van Ostern, ruled out a rematch of their 2016 race in February, a day after a poll showed Sununu with a double-digit lead. And finally, Democrats could easily lose Connecticut in an open race that might become a sort of unpopularity contest between President Trump and outgoing Democrat Dannel Malloy, the governor with the weakest approval rating in the nation.Part of the Republican advantage in these otherwise blue states comes down to fundamentals. Even as New England has become bedrock Democratic territory in federal elections, voters have regularly elected GOP governors, if only as a check on big Democratic legislative majorities. Combining that with the strong personal appeal of Charlie Baker and Phil Scott, its no wonder that not only are they strongly positioned for reelection, but also that they have crowded out potentially strong challengers from entering their respective races, says Kyle Kondik, who tracks gubernatorial contests at the University of Virginias Center for Politics.These governors have found ways to break with their national party that appeal to home-state constituents. Scott, for example, signed new gun restrictions into law in April. That drew some protests and likely resulted in a more difficult primary season for him, if not a serious threat, but his change in position on gun control wont hurt him in the predominantly Democratic state.Perhaps most important this year, these governors have been able to distance themselves, to a greater or lesser degree, from President Trump. He is anathema among Democrats, but even in a hyperpartisan time, being governor is a big enough job that these Republicans have been able to cut their own distinct profiles. Democrats spent the beginning of the year trying to tie Trump to Hogan, says Mileah Kromer, who directs the politics center at Goucher College in Baltimore. Our polling shows that is just not happening. Theres been a shift, with Democrats now focusing specifically on Hogan and differentiating their positions from his.It would be foolish to count Democrats entirely out in states where they have a 3-to-1 advantage among registered voters, as is the case in Massachusetts. But any blue wave would have to be pretty big to threaten these popular incumbents.The chairwoman of the Spokane County Republican Party offered a defense of James Allsup during a meeting of local conservatives this month, claiming the 22-year-old alt-right provocateur -- whose views have been widely condemned as racist -- was a victim of "label lynching" by the political left and the mainstream media.GOP Chairwoman Cecily Wright introduced Allsup, a former leader of the College Republicans chapter at Washington State University, during a July 11 meeting of the tea party group Northwest Grassroots, which was attended by Spokane County Treasurer Rob Chase and Spokane Valley Mayor Rod Higgins, among others.Most recently, Allsup has been affiliated with a group called Identity Evropa, which promotes a vision of America dominated by white people and is classified by the Anti-Defamation League as a white supremacist group. He and other members of the group openly advocate a strategy they call "entryism," meaning they should infiltrate old establishments like the Republican Party to spread their message. Allsup's appearance at the Northwest Grassroots meeting has drawn criticism from activist organizations in Spokane, Seattle and Portland, and from various Republican leaders."How many of you have heard the term 'label lynching?' Sorta crazy, isn't it?" Wright says in a video of her presentation posted by the Northwest Grassroots YouTube account. "And yet, when you look at a website such as the SPLC, the Southern Poverty Law Center, or listen to your news commentators, they hang labels on people -- constitutionalists, conservatives, Trumpsters, deplorables, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, all those."She continues: "If I started saying something about you, that you were a white supremist (sic), and you could say because so-and-so and such-and-such happened, and other people pick it up, and then if the news media picks it up, you're dead meat, and it's pretty darn sad. And people's lives are destroyed with these labels that are being hung on them because we don't take time to really figure out, is it true or is it not true? What is the purpose behind labeling a person a certain way or not?"Then, Wright says, "I have a gentleman here this evening who has been label-lynched." Before Allsup stands before the camera to speak, Wright plays a recording of a speech he gave introducing Donald Trump during a 2016 campaign rally in Everett. At the time, Allsup said Trump would "take our country back from the globalists and the corrupt politicians." He did not mention his views on race as he has in more recent speeches, interviews, YouTube videos and social media posts."Did you just hear anybody that you disagree with in the video?" Wright asks her audience. "Absolutely not."Finally, Allsup delivers a roughly 15-minute speech in which he discusses the election and his involvement in the infamous "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he claims was "totally misrepresented in the media."He claims the media has mislabeled him: "It was racist, sexist, bigot, xenophobe, transphobe -- all the labels under the sun." And he falsely claims journalists never asked him to explain his views on immigration, the border wall and other issues."They don't want to talk about the ideas because they know if they get into the argument, if they get into the debate, they'll lose," Allsup says. "If they have to make the case for why they're right, they'll lose every time."He also claims the political left is synonymous with independent media organizations including The Spokesman-Review, the Inlander and the Daily Beast, which published a story about Allsup in early June after he was elected as a precinct committee officer of the Whitman County Republican Party.Later in the video, Allsup makes an unfounded claim that American wages are dropping because of immigration, and says that "illegals are pouring across the border," although apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border remain well below average, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures dating to 2000."On social issues," Allsup adds, "you have transgenders teaching your kids, you have the gay agenda everywhere, you have all this social degradation going on."In past interviews, when asked about his views on race, Allsup has pointed to the works of Richard Lynn, a British professor who for 50 years has employed eugenics to explain racial and gender inequality. Lynn asserts that men, whites and Asians are genetically superior groups, and the wealth and power of nations depends on their racial "homogeneity."Wright was elected to lead the Spokane County GOP by precinct committee officers in the spring following the resignation of former Chairwoman Stephanie Cates. In early June, after Allsup became a Whitman County committee officer, Wright condemned his views in an official statement bearing GOP letterhead."Mr. Allsup has never been affiliated in any official capacity with the Spokane County GOP," the statement read. "His past statements, affiliations and actions are deeply out-of-step with the values of the Republican Party, as well as the values of the Spokane County GOP and our members."Speaking of Allsup, Wright even joked to an Inlander reporter in June: "I'd like to go punch the guy in the nose myself."In a brief phone call Tuesday, Wright said her husband was the one who invited Allsup to speak at the Northwest Grassroots meeting. Asked if she was familiar with Allsup's past statements and his affiliation with groups like Identity Evropa, Wright said she had not taken a comprehensive look."I have not looked over them all," she said. "I did not investigate James Allsup. I know how he is portrayed, and he is not someone that I affiliate with."After ending the interview, Wright wrote a lengthy Facebook post in which she apologized for Allsup's appearance, calling it "a lesson to more thoroughly research individuals before giving them a platform to speak.""Northwest Grassroots is a group, independent of the Republican Party that does not shy away from controversial subjects," she wrote. "Mr. Allsup reached out to my husband, John Charleston, the head of NW Grassroots, to discuss what he feels is an untrue characterization of him as a white supremacist."After some discussion, she wrote, her husband felt that Allsup had been misrepresented and allowed him to speak at the meeting "to dispel the label he has been identified with as a racist and white supremacist -- a chance to defend and explain himself.""As you can see from the video I did not praise him, I did speak about the need to do research before accepting what is said about people," she wrote. "Allsup did speak but did NOT denounce the vile, racist views he is associated with as was expected."At the end of the video, however, Wright can be heard telling Allsup, "OK, well I really appreciate you."In a joint statement Tuesday, community and civil rights organizations from Spokane, Seattle and Portland called attention to the Northwest Grassroots video and demanded that Washington Republicans condemn Allsup. The groups said they are planning to stage a protest at 5:30 p.m. Thursday outside the Spokane County Courthouse."We cannot take for granted the integrity of our public officials when they denounce white nationalism in the press, while privately endorsing their leaders and values," the Rev. Walter Kendricks, a spokesman and co-founder of Spokane Community Against Racism, said in the statement. "We can't reasonably assume public officials will uphold our rights when they applaud those who would harm us."Liz Moore, director of the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane, added: "Our Spokane region has a strong track record of standing up against white nationalism. Together, we've defeated the Aryan Nations; we've defeated anti-immigrant, anti-gay and anti-trans policies; and we're committed to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with targeted communities to defeat this harmful ideology anytime it tries to gain a foothold."Caleb Heimlich, chairman of the Washington State Republican Party, also criticized Allsup's appearance at the meeting in a statement Tuesday."It's disappointing that a member of county party leadership would provide someone like James Allsup a platform for defending his radical, hateful views -- views that are completely antithetical to the core values of the Republican Party," Heimlich said. "We respond to James Allsup the same way we have responded each time he attempts to use the prestige of the Republican Party brand as a vehicle of self-promotion. We condemn his ideology and his discriminatory viewpoints in the strongest possible manner."In an email, Jared Powell, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers pointed to past public statements in which the Republican 5th District congresswoman has condemned Allsup."Cathy has been very clear with how she feels about James Allsup," Powell wrote. "She believes white supremacy has no place anywhere in America and that we must come together as fellow human beings to end bigotry and violence. She was not in any way affiliated with the event in this video and is disappointed anyone would give a microphone to James to amplify his hateful views."Republican Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said Northwest Grassroots represents a faction of the Spokane County GOP allied with state Rep. Matt Shea. The two elected leaders have been feuding for years. In 2016, Shea asserted on his podcast that a sheriff's deputy had provided the gun used in a triple homicide in Colbert; he was repeating claims made in a Facebook post by Michael "Scott" Maclay, an anti-Muslim con man and conspiracy theorist who recently changed his name to DumpOzzie Dot Com and filed to run against Knezovich in this year's election."That group is a Matt Shea group, and they don't necessarily like me all that much," Knezovich said of Northwest Grassroots. "When they started saying that (Allsup) might get invited to speak, I strongly advised against it because he doesn't stand for anything that the GOP should be associated with."In a phone call Tuesday, Higgins, the Spokane Valley mayor, said Northwest Grassroots meetings happen about once a month and usually draw around 50 attendees."I wouldn't say there's been anything untoward or anything radical," he said.Higgins said he could not comment on Allsup's views because he knows very little about him."Leading up to the meeting, I don't think I'd even heard of him," Higgins said. As for those groups that decried Allsup's appearance at the meeting, Higgins said, "If they're looking for things to be offended about, I'd think there are probably things of more substance."Chase, who is wrapping up his second term as treasurer and challenging fellow Republican Mary Kuney for a seat on the Spokane County Commission, also said he knew little about Allsup. He said he only recognized Allsup as the student who spurred controversy at WSU by erecting a plywood "border wall" in the center of the Pullman campus in October 2016."I think it was like guerrilla theater," Chase said. "They built a wall or something down at WSU and some of the other students got upset about it."President Donald Trump swung through Tampa on Tuesday to boast his administration's job creation efforts and to put his thumb on the scale in the state's hotly contested Republican primary for governor.In his first public visit to Tampa since taking office, Trump encouraged a crowd of about 10,000 at the Florida State Fairgrounds to back U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis for governor.Trump called DeSantis a "tough and brilliant cookie" who is "very smart.""I appreciate your support, Mr. President," DeSantis said. "But I appreciate more the leadership you're showing for our great country."Trump also came out swinging against U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat who the president said "puts criminal aliens before American citizens" and is controlled by Democratic leadership. Nelson faces a challenge from Gov. Rick Scott, who was not in attendance.He then went into his signature off-the-cuff, fact-challenged, campaign-style stump, where he claimed widespread support from minorities, record job numbers and that America would soon be the world's leader "in energy."Trump supporters decked out in American flag gear and Trump-branded apparel began lining up at the Fairground gates before sunrise, despite the July humidity and ever-present threat of thunderstorms. By mid-afternoon, hundreds were waiting to get in, verbally clashing at times with groups of protesters also assembling nearby.Once inside, the crowd was abuzz with optimism about Trump's presidency. As speakers took the stage to talk about how Trump is a "fighter" who faces tough "opposition," the crowd roared in approval.Air Force One touched down in Tampa at around 5:30 p.m. Supporters, including Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, greeted Trump as he walked off the tarmac at Tampa International Airport with Scott and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis and Matt Gaetz, two Florida Republicans running for re-election, joined him as well.The motorcade made its way through downtown Tampa to Tampa Bay Technical High School. There, Scott and Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump addressed the high school audience. U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, another Florida Republican, was in attendance as well.Ivanka Trump introduced her father as someone "who keeps his promise and who will always deliver for America's workers."Later, Trump ceremonially signed one of the first major education initiatives of his administration _ the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. The bipartisan legislation reauthorizes $1.2 billion for local technical education and shifted decisions on how best to spend the money to states and local community colleges.Trump said the bill gives students better access to jobs in this "incredibly booming economy.""There's never been a better time to learn a trade in this country," Trump said.Students organized a small protest outside the school ahead of Trump's visit. Larger protests awaited Trump at the fairgrounds."America is never, I mean never, a land for hate," Plant High School student Sam Sharf said while leading protesters up Harney Road toward the Tampa Bay Tech.Oddly enough, the very issue Trump came to town to promote _ vocational training _ is a top priority for Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, the other Republican running for governor.Putnam, a former congressman from Bartow, was long considered the favorite to represent the GOP in November, but Trump's endorsement of DeSantis on June 22 turned the race on its head.Putnam has tried to convince voters he'd be an ally for Trump in Tallahassee and has criticized DeSantis for bringing few ideas for Florida to the race. But the most recent polls show DeSantis leading Putnam by 6 percentage points and as many as 12, a total reversal from June.As Tampa prepped for Trumpmania, Putnam, who turned 44 on Tuesday, held a campaign event with veterans in the Villages."I'm confident that there's an awful lot of Trump-Putnam voters out there who want a governor who actually understands the challenges facing them and puts them first," Putnam said.Meanwhile, Scott ducked out before the rally at the fairgrounds for a fundraiser. The two-term Republican governor has carefully navigated his relationship with Trump as he looks toward a general election against Nelson.Trump left Washington, D.C., just as the first day of the trial for his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, wrapped up in nearby Alexandria, Va. Prosecutors allege that Manafort failed to pay taxes on millions of dollars earned working for a Ukrainian political party with deep ties to Russia.Manafort is the first official in Trump's circle to head to court in a case brought to prosecutors by Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.The investigation has so far led to charges against more than 30 people and companies. Trump has called Mueller's probe "a witch hunt."Hours before takeoff, Trump on Twitter provided a glimpse into the issues on his mind as he headed to Tampa.He tweeted a handful of endorsements, said he is "looking into" 3-D plastic guns and once again raised the prospect of a government shutdown."I don't care what the political ramifications are, our immigration laws and border security have been a complete and total disaster for decades," Trump tweeted, "and there is no way that the Democrats will allow it to be fixed without a Government Shutdown."Republicans were quick to dismiss the idea when Trump first suggested a shutdown over the weekend. Congress has until Sept. 30 to fund the government, and a shutdown could delay the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. It would also come in the middle of a midterm election in which Republicans are trying to hold onto the House of Representatives and the Senate.Tampa has a storied history of hosting presidents. President John F. Kennedy was the first when he visited on Nov. 18, 1963 _ four days before he was fatally shot in Dallas. Presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have made memorable appearances here as well.Tuesday marked Trump's 36th rally in the Sunshine State. The real estate mogul and part-time Florida resident was a frequent visitor to the Tampa Bay during the 2016 presidential campaign.Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in Florida en route to his election night victory _ which he was sure to remind Tampanians."I love Florida, I had a great victory in Florida," Trump said at Tampa Bay Tech.He added: "We're more popular than ever with evangelicals."The Massachusetts State Police have pledged to protect the residents of Blandford after all four members of the town's police department resigned this week.The entire Blandford police department resigned on Monday over what they referred to as unsafe working conditions. Mass. State Police Spokesman Dave Procopio said troopers will continue to serve the town and take on additional responsibilities following the news."The residents of Blandford may be assured that the State Police will continue to protect their community," Procopio said in a statement.State Police already "exclusively" provided police services in Blandford for overnight shifts, and state troopers will now assume additional duties to maintain day-to-day police operations.Any 911 calls made in the town for police assistance will now be directed to the Mass. State Police barracks at 90 Westfield Road in Russell, according to Procopio.Blandford, a small town in Hampden County, has less than 1,300 residents according to recent census measures.A letter obtained by MassLive and signed by Interim Blandford Police Chief Roberta Sarnacki and officers Chris Anciello, Gage Kerlik, and Krysten Scapin, said their resignation was effective immediately."For some time we have been dealing with unsafe working conditions. Policing is inherently dangerous, however it has been made much (more) so by our town's administration," the four officers said in the written statement.That smartphone in your pocket just might be speeding up the gentrification of urban neighborhoods. Or at least that's the basis of new research from the University of California, Berkeley.Will Payne, a doctoral candidate in geography and new media, is collecting data to examine how smartphones -- and specifically the location-based apps Yelp and Foursquare -- are impacting transitional and blighted neighborhoods in cities across the country.By making it easier than ever for people to discover out-of-the-way restaurants and new retail shops, these apps may be encouraging more residents to explore -- and move to -- neighborhoods they once would have avoided."In the past, a restaurant would open and maybe in a month or two get a review from. That is on hyperdrive now, says Payne.Payne is researching the time between the opening of a new restaurant in a transitional neighborhood and the uptick in housing prices surrounding it. He suspects that with the advent of Yelp and Foursquare, the lag time between the opening of a restaurant and gentrification is shorter." While those and other review apps aren't causing gentrification, he says, they may be exacerbating it.Payne is still collecting his research. But Dillon Mahmoudi, assistant professor of geography and environmental systems at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, says apps like Yelp and Foursquare, along with major tech companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, are absolutely impacting the way neighborhoods are developed.Mahmoudi points to Seattle, where Vulcan Real Estate, a development firm run by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, is using data from mobile devices in its project plans, looking at how and where affluent residents shop in order to help determine which neighborhoods it should focus on.Whats happening in Seattle is there is so much vertical mixed use that there is almost only small boutique shops, Mahmoudi says. Developers who collect all this data have an interest in developing vertical mixed use because thats what their users prefer, and the data shows that.Appealing to more affluent residents, according to Mahmoudi, comes at a social cost. His research shows that when cities tilt toward vertical mixed use with an emphasis on small boutique shops, instead of a mix of small and large retail spaces, there are fewer interactions between people from diverse social and economic backgrounds.Yelp, similarly, is helping to fuel the growth of those types of boutiques, which in turn makes neighborhoods less diverse.Yelp has a strong relationship with those small boutiques that rely on Yelp reviews to get their name out. Their core audience is affluent residents who rely on those reviews to know where to spend their money, Mahmoudi says.While location-based apps may be speeding gentrification, they can also be used as a tool to level the playing field for existing businesses, especially those owned by minorities, Payne adds. Currently, there's no location app that allows customers to search for minority-owned businesses or worker-owned restaurants. But that kind of filter could be built in to an app, which could bring more diners and shoppers to those businesses.You cant ask [these apps] to change their entire business model, but you can ask them to take other things into consideration when designing their apps," Payne says. "They cant fix gentrification, but they can help us find businesses to live out our values."Description

GIS 01 August, 2018: The Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping will promulgate three Regulations under the Merchant Shipping Act. The Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping will promulgate three Regulations under the Merchant Shipping Act.

Firstly, the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Training Provider) Regulations will provide a legal framework for maritime training institutions to operate and deliver courses in line with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping 1978.

The Merchant Shipping (Weight Verification of Containers) Regulations will enforce the implementation of amendments to Regulation 2 of Chapter VI of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

As for the Merchant Shipping (Port State Control) Regulations, they will provide a legal framework for the conduct of Port State Control inspections of foreign ships in our ports to ensure compliance with various International Conventions, with a view to eliminating substandard ships in our waters.1) Produce an Open Data Policy Roadmap

2) Create Programs and Job Descriptions that Promote Broad Data Literacy

3) Incentivize and Enable Cross-Departmental Collaboration to Connect Personnel and Data Resources from across City Government

4) Adopt Enterprise-Wide Procedures that Facilitate Data-Driven Insights

5) Link Civic Engagement with City Analytics

6) Produce Guardrails to Protect Equity and Fairness Issues

From improving public health outcomes to supporting safer transportation systems, analytics can offer new insights and improvements to city governance across core issue areas. While the structure, application, and processes used to develop, iterate, and implement the Civic Analytics Network cities projects vary significantly, there are common policies adopted and operating within each that other cities can replicate. There is a need for more research and literature on city-level analytics to help practitioners and theorists alike understand how data-driven decision-making practices are operating within municipal governments. Our recent report, Analytics in City Government: How the Civic Analytics Network Cities Are Using Data to Support Public Safety, Housing, Public Health, and Transportation, seeks to contribute to that developing field and highlights steps that cities can adopt to develop their own analytics initiatives, catalogs ten examples of city analytics projects in the domains of public safety, housing, public health, and transportation, and, in closing, offers six policy recommendations to help other cities develop their analytics capabilities.The Analytics in City Government policy recommendations, reproduced below, are derived from the Civic Analytics Networks work in public safety, housing, public health, and transportation and are offered to help spur and guide the effective development of analytics projects in other cities across the U.S.Adopting an open data policy can be a boon to rapidly, transparently, and collaboratively developing comprehensive analytics projects. Open data policies and portals enable city governments to operate with greater transparency to the public and to connect them directly to external researchers, algorithms, and/or datasets that can support more effective analytics project development. If advanced data use is a few steps down the road for a city, crafting an open data roadmap can help city government become more data-savvy to build towards future open data policy conversations. In early 2017, the Civic Analytics Network published an open letter to the open data community offering guidelines to help advance government capabilities for data portal development and to help deliver on the promise of transparent governance. [1] In June 2018, Civic Analytics Network members reaffirmed their commitment to those eight guidelines , publishing a one-year later letter to the open data community.By creating job descriptions and new frameworks for programs to appeal to data scientists considering positions outside of government, cities can attract dynamic, data-literate personnel to embed and distribute data skills at various levels within city government. Whether it is creating a CDO position, establishing an analytics team, or simply embedding a data scientist within a department, establishing a role for data expertise with the support of senior leadership can enable city officials to develop the analytics projects that they need most. In addition to bringing in data champions and expertise, cities can also improve internal capacities by designing training programs to provide critical professional development opportunities to city hall personnel. San Franciscos SF Data Academy which provides a pathway for city employees to receive continuous professional development focused on data skills and analytics from within government, is a leading example in city-level analytics training programs. [2] Developing an analytics project places data scientists in an internal consultant role, as they are typically situated outside of the department where that project will be implemented. It is important to establish pathways for data scientists to collaborate and receive input from the relevant department or agency, and, simultaneously, pathways to incentivize city personnel to engage with those new data science experts need to be established by supervisors or even from the bully pulpit. Government personnel operate in a bureaucracy and it is important for their supervisors to establish space in their day-to-day responsibilities to help them make the time to engage on data-focused projects. By incentivizing department or agency personnel to connect with data scientists within city hall, supervisors or even the bully pulpit can open up space within city staffs day-to-day schedule and performance requirements to enable them to pursue analytics solutions to core issues. Beyond connecting departmental personnel to data scientists via substantive pathways for collaboration, cross-departmental engagement is also key. While many city departments maintain useful data repositories, that data is often siloed or incompatibly structured, rendering analyses with data maintained by various departments infeasible. Establishing resources, tools, or policies to help streamline data standardization and warehousing can enable cross-departmental data sharing and is a critical facet of becoming a data-smart city. In Los Angeles, GeoHub , the citys open data platform, offers unprecedented access to the citys highly integrated data resources. GeoHub is a publicly available platform designed to allow the public to explore, visualize, and download location-based open data. It also allows departments across the city to share, access, and collaboratively utilize other departments data. [3] Other Civic Analytics Network members are working to replicate this platform in their cities.Whatever methods a city uses to encourage data analytics, adopting an effective project management process means establishing a policy framework that enables data science experts to design analytics projects with the support of the citys legal, administrative, and oversight capacities. Human-centered design is a commonly used method among Civic Analytics Network cities and offers methods that help craft analytics projects that are responsive, equitable, transparent, and designed with community members in mind. To develop useful analytics projects, cities need enterprise-wide procedures, such as data usage practices, security protocols, or standardized legal and data sharing agreements. For example, in New York City, the Mayors Office of Data Analytics (MODA) created the MODA Process Map to help departments develop data use practices and internal awareness. [4] While these procedures can help streamline, stabilize, and embed data use practices across government, project managers must be mindful of potential blind spots, such as algorithmic biases, that may be unwittingly built into their models. Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, a county-level member of the Civic Analytics Network and home to the City of Pittsburgh, a network member, has developed a Data Warehouse to create a more efficient and data-driven environment for the delivery of human services. The Data Warehouse has enabled county administrators to learn more about individual clients and address gaps in coverage. [5] Many Civic Analytics Network cities are now pursuing their first data warehouses, and this network-wide trend represents an important shift in practice from project-based data-use efforts to organization-wide strategic data practices and policies.Chief data officers may work within the walls of city hall, but they are members of a broader community and data ecosystem. The best analytics insights come when city government data use and civic engagement convergeafter all, the public is the constituency for city analytics. Whether an organization is analyzing datasets available on an open data portal, developing a data visualization, or scoping a predictive analytics project, the results any of these efforts yield are better crafted when co-created with the public. By producing analytics models informed by direct input from city residents or developed in partnership with a civic tech group, cities will garner better service improvements and data-driven insights. [6] Kansas City, MO, for example, uses a quarterly feedback mechanism called the Citizen Survey through which residents can both respond to prompt questions provided by the city and communicate their top priorities for the city. [7] Citizen Survey is a leading example of a municipal citizen survey tool and has established a continuous feedback loop to link citizen perspectives to Kansas Citys performance and services.Analytics is a practical tool for overcoming resource shortages and for distilling vast and disparate data, but it can also lead to the reproduction of biases and inequities under the banner of data science. Establishing standards of practice and mechanisms that ensure clear and continuous engagement with the public are critical components for cities to maintain transparent, equitable governance, and for incorporating inclusive analytics practices into city government. Under the leadership of San Franciscos chief data officer and the new chair of the Civic Analytics Network, Joy Bonaguro, the network is developing a toolkit to help cities assess the risks and biases of algorithms. This toolkit focuses on algorithms developed both within city hall and by third-party vendors, and aims to help safeguard city analytics so that future data-driven efforts are able to produce fair and equitable solutions for the benefit of all community members.(TNS)  The Massachusetts state Senate has overridden Gov. Charlie Baker's budget veto of a $75,000 package to secure new communications equipment for the Gloucester Police Department.The veto override  which followed a similar step by the House of Representatives  secures funding for new emergency radios for the police department in the new $41.9 billion fiscal 2019 budget signed into law Gov. Charlie Baker last Thursday, said state Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester. Tarr said the override passed the Senate on Monday night, and caps a series of budget line items aimed at programs on Cape Ann.Additional money  $1.3 million for infrastructure and technology for the growing Gloucester Marine Genomic Institute, and $2 million in annual funding for the Fishing Partnership  is included in both the House and Senate versions of an economic development bond bill that gained final Senate approval late Tuesday afternoon, Tarr said.The GMGI funding would support the Gloucester-based research institute's evaluation of the data it collects, and may include the installation of fiber optic cables, Tarr noted.The money for the Fishing Partnership, matching the amount called for in the House bill and backed by Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, D-Gloucester, would provide $1 million above the partnership's current annual allocation, Tarr said. The partnership provides health insurance, safety training and other services for fishing families, including more than 700 on Cape Ann.Tarr noted that steering money to the Fishing Partnership requires an added twist. Funding for the organization is capped at $6 million, but the additional $1 million this year would raise the partnership's total amount to $7 million. So, in addition to pushing for the funding, Tarr also emphasized the need to lift the cap."We're trying to make sure that we get the right language in the bill, so that it only gets the money to the partnership, but that it lifts that cap to make it happen," he said.While the budget funding is in place, the inclusion of the GMGI and Fishing Partnership funding in the economic development bill and its Senate passage Tuesday still don't mean the check is in the mail.Even upon approval of a bond bill, the release of any of its funding is determined by the governor. Bond bills give the governor authorization to borrow the money to fund projects, Tarr noted, though he is not compelled to do so.As to state budget money already secured, the $75,000 boost for The Grace Center, a $125,000 allocation  essentially a matching grant  for planning Gloucester's 400th anniversary celebration in 2023, and $25,000 for The Open Door were earmarked by Tarr in the Senate and Ferrante on the House side.The Senate on Tuesday also gave final legislative approval to a plan that requires the state Division of Marine Fisheries to complete a study of the lobster fishery and provide a recommendation regarding statutory or regulatory changes to allow the processing of lobster parts.Tarr sponsored an amendment to direct the DMF toward new regulations permitting on-shore processing of lobsters as part of a Senate environmental measure.The Need at Hyperspeed

(TNS)  As technology advances at warp speed, the need for employees in cybersecurity has reached critical levels. So, the next best thing for the future is to start exposing students early to a career in information technology.Rachel Riley, a 15-year-old Austin, Minn., teen and a Blooming Prairie High School sophomore, attended the first GenCyber Camp at North Dakota State University for a week during the summer. The camp is funded by the National Security Agency and National Science Foundation. She was one of several students who had the opportunity to learn more about the field of cybersecurity.The camp brought 53 students from across North Dakota and Minnesota to the NDSU campus, and ranged between ages 13 and 19. During the camp, students learned about core networking, security and programming topics during the mornings, and then participated in their choice of electives going into the afternoon.For Riley, it was the exposure to cybersecurity that made her think about the career field for the first time.It was an excellent way to get your first steps into cybersecurity, Riley said. It was fast paced, and it kept you on your toes.While at the camp, students like Riley had a chance to learn more about computing and cybersecurity with the hope that some of these students would pursue higher education, and possibly even a career in those areas. ISACA, a nonprofit information security advocacy group, predicts that by 2019 thered be a global shortage of about 2 million cybersecurity professionals.Theres a tremendous national need for people with these skills, said Jeremy Straub, associate director of the NDSU Institute for Cyber Security Education and Research. Cybersecurity has negative unemployment, and theres more demand than people looking to fill it. When theres a need, theres also an immense need to fill those jobs with those trained in how to defend databases. Thats why there are students like Rachel.Acknowledging various immersive experiences students may have already had like with VEX robotics and various STEM classes  classes that focus and emphasize on science, technology, engineering and mathematics  Straub said cybersecurity has been gaining traction at some schools pursuing cybersecurity education to incorporate into their curriculum.Cybersecurity fundamentally forces students to solve problems that are exciting and challenging, Straub said. They see the problem and work on it until they figure out the solution  it gives a lot of students exposure to go on and makes them aware of their personal information, and a little bit of what the bad guys are doing, even if theyre not completely involved as an information technology professional.Annually, the United States has been unable to fill 40,000 jobs for information security analysts and employers also struggle to fill 200,000 other cybersecurity-related roles, according to CyberSeek, a cybersecurity data tool. With the continuing shortfalls to meet the demand for cybersecurity, educators looked to expose younger students to the field with a goal in mind to possibly fill the need for professionals.Shawn Riley, Rachels father, works as the chief information officer for North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. It was through Burgum that Shawn learned about the cybersecurity camp offered at NDSU, and had registered his daughter to participate.Rachel is a real big science and math kid, Shawn said. Shes been really big into biology, evolutionary sciences, and so Ive been trying to expose her and my sons to different things  I expected her to be coming out with a hem and haw, but after day one, she was saying oh, this programming is really cool.Shawn said there was a bigger initiative that he, Burgum and Bismarck State College President Larry Skogen had done to push for more cybersecurity education. Earlier this month, they announced an educational collaboration with Palo Alto Networks to grow the schools Cybersecurity and Computer Networks Program. Cybersecurity is an industry with a zero percent unemployment rate in 2016, and continues to be one of the most in-demand and growing career fields worldwide, he added. This partnership aligned with Burnums K-20 workforce initiative to boost cyber education in K-12 schools and higher education.We are trying to get every child in all grades throughout the state of North Dakota to be cyber educated, Shawn said. Cybersecurity is kind of an amazing field right now. I see a lot of interest in schools, and its all over the nation really to bring cybersecurity into their programs.As to whether Rachel would consider pursuing cybersecurity once she graduates from school, thats left up in the air.My mind is set that Im going to be somewhere in the STEM field, she said. I wouldnt say I would have my job be somewhere in cybersecurity, but the knowledge I learned at camp will help me in the future where I am.(TNS) - When the radio of a Bakersfield police officer breaks, the IT department doesnt call the manufacturer for a replacement. They go to eBay to try to find extra parts.The 20-year-old public safety radio system for both Bakersfield and Kern County is outdated. The manufacturer of the radios no longer services the devices nor produces parts for upgrades.Agencies like the Bakersfield Police Department and the Kern County Sheriff's Office use their radio systems for officers and the dispatch centers to communicate with each other.The city and county have begun formulating a strategy for updating the aging analog system to digital.A report from a consultant estimated in 2017 that replacing the current radio system would cost about $76.7 million. The city would cover about $16.2 million of the cost, with the county taking $60.5 million.Essentially (the plan) is under review as far as whether or not it moves forward or waits for another time, said Megan Person, director of countywide communications.The city hopes the 1 percent sales tax increase, which is expected to raise $50 million annually, could help fund the new system.We have no money for it. So the sales tax is the best opportunity, said Bakersfield City Manager Alan Tandy.If the tax increase does not pass in November, Tandy said, the radio system will remain in place for the time being.But doing nothing doesnt sit well with some public safety officials.One of the hardest things that I do as chief is give direction to staff to go out and put themselves in harms way for the greater good, Bakersfield Police Chief Lyle Martin said in an email. To think that I will be sending them out there with less than adequate radio equipment keeps me up at night. The radio is their lifeline to back-up and lifesaving resources for the public.A new radio system would boost the signal strength for police and fire radios, as well as modernize the equipment being used.Think of big, old, boxes for TVs and what flat-screens are now, Tandy said. Its a technological shift.New radio towers would need to be constructed in a process that would take around two years.Its going to push the signal into areas where we normally havent had it, said BPD Public Information Officer Brian Holcombe. So concrete buildings will no longer be a problem.Under the current radio system, coverage inside certain concrete buildings within the city becomes spotty. Police would no longer have an issue communicating inside those areas with new radios, Holcombe said.The new system would have the advantage of linking county and city communications, which would make it easier for public safety workers in different departments to talk to each other during emergency events.The possibilities with new technology like this are endless, Holcombe said.But for now, the possibilities are more restricted.We will probably be on eBay until our circumstances change, Tandy said. Its something you can get by with for a while but eventually it becomes too problematic.You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415 or smorgen@bakersfield.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC.2018 The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.)Visit The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.) at www.bakersfield.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.With school shootings and other types of violence on campuses becoming commonplace, many districts have taken steps to ensure their students, teachers and staff are safe.Officials from local districts want to ensure residents they are doing everything possible to keep everyone safe, including enhancing their security measures.A school district in Lockport, New York, is implementing facial recognition technology into their surveillance system that will check each visitor's face against a database of expelled students, sex offenders and others.The idea behind the Lockport system is to enable security officers to quickly respond to the appearance of expelled students, disgruntled employees, sex offenders or certain weapons the system is programmed to detect. Only students seen as threats will be loaded into the database. Officials said it is the first school district in the country to adopt the Canadian-made system it is installing.Cleburne ISD Community Relations Director Lisa Magers said the district, like other public school districts across the state and nation, is continuing to review and revise procedures and best practices as safety for their students and schools remains a top priority."As we prepare for the start to a new school year, we are in the process of review at this time," Magers said.Godley ISD Technology Director Marty Oliver said the framing of facial recognition is key to its successful adoption."The best schools and administrators have always relied on facial recognition, but they themselves were the processor," Oliver said. "A goal of every principal should be the ability to recognize all of their students by sight, and most teachers know not just their own students, but also many of the other students within their school. This technology should be considered an enhancement of that process. It's a means of supplementing one of the key roles of campus administrators and accelerating their response time to a potential problem."They are currently in the process of upgrading their security technologies, he said."Facial recognition is one of the tools we hope to employ as the technology becomes more accessible," he said. "Again, our primary focus is to provide a better education for our students and that entails creating a safe learning environment."In closing, I'm aware of the concerns regarding a loss of privacy, etc., but there shouldn't be an assumption of privacy in a public space. If there are any assumptions to be made, it's that we are tireless in our efforts to provide a safe learning environment within our schools."They do want to know who is on their campuses at all times, he said."We want to make certain that they should be there, and we want to be able to quickly respond to any situation involving someone who isn't welcome," he said.Venus ISD Superintendent James Hopper said if all school district officials and trustees agree that using this technology would be beneficial, that district should implement it."I tend to think that common sense and being proactive rather than reactive when it comes to school safety and video surveillance is much more effective when it comes to 'thwarting bad guys,'" Hopper said. "Each employee must be vigilant and committed to knowing students and staff. Anyone one who is not a faculty member or student of a district should be held to stringent rules concerning access to buildings, including board members. They should set the example for the rest of the community."They are now implementing a new video surveillance system, he said, consisting of our 200 internet protocol based cameras across the district."The district has implemented some stringent policies and procedures when it comes to safety," he said. "We will continue to monitor this new video surveillance system and re-evaluate as we progress to determine if facial recognition capabilities are necessary and/or effective for our district."Burleson ISD Chief Technology Officer and Security Coordinator Stephen Logan said there are no plans to use facial recognition surveillance systems.2018 Cleburne Times-Review (Cleburne, Texas)Visit the Cleburne Times-Review (Cleburne, Texas) at www.cleburnetimesreview.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Any niceties between Red Bull and Renault are now in the past.

The two parties are splitting at the end of the year, with Red Bull moving to works Honda power.

But tempers are fraying, as team boss Christian Horner and driver Max Verstappen unloaded fury on Renault following another technical problem in Hungary.

"I'll leave it to Cyril to give the excuses," Speed Week quotes Horner as saying.

But Cyril Abiteboul, the Renault team boss, did not hit back with an excuse, but rather a message of resignation about the fading Red Bull partnership.

"We haven't read what Christian Horner says about us since 2015," said the Frenchman.

"It's very clear that we have nothing to do with them anymore," he added.

"They have a new engine partner who pays a lot of money to get their product on board, and I wish them good luck. That's all I have to say," Abiteboul said.

As for Horner's complaints about the MGU-K unit, however, Abiteboul insists Red Bull has some blame as well.

"We switched to an improved MGU-K in Monaco," he revealed. "Red Bull does not use them because the installation of the car is different.

"But with the new MGU-K we have the temperatures much better under control and there were no problems in our cars. But we cannot force Red Bull to use it."

(GMM)Bourdain. Photo: David Scott Holloway/CNN

The late, great Anthony Bourdains Parts Unknown will come to an end, but not quite yet. CNN says that the final five episodes of the celebrated Parts Unknown will air this fall. The networks executive vice-president of talent and content Amy Entelis shared the news in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, in which she also says the show will not be continued with a different host.

Only one of those episodes, Kenya, was finished before Bourdain died, and it will be the last one with his narration. The four others will be completed by their respective directors, with on-location audio from Bourdain and follow-up interviews. They will, respectively, cover the Big Bend area on the border of Texas and Mexico, Indonesia, the Lower East Side, and Spains Asturias region.

For the seriess final episode, cast and crew will talk about the series and theyll draw on outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage. The last hour will focus on Bourdains impact on the world, with fan reactions and friends who showed up in the series. Beyond the shows final two episodes, Entelis tells the Los Angeles Times that there are no plans to rummage through archival footage for more material. Parts Unknown received another six Emmy nominations this year, and Bourdains publisher Ecco  which was home to his book imprint  will release his biography in 2019.People prefer not to think about these things, for obvious reasons, but there are lots of, well, extra ingredients in our food. On Saturday, a woman named Jennifer Morzano reportedly had a close encounter with one such unexpected additive at an Asbury Park, New Jersey, restaurant when a live worm came crawling out of the cod she was eating. The incident was filmed by her boyfriend Jim Guinee  they were there for his aunts 80th birthday  who posted the video to Facebook, which as you might guess provoked the ire of the owners of the restaurant, Stella Marina Bar and Restaurant.

Truthfully, it sounds like the restaurant did everything it could. Something like this could have happened to anybody, and Guinee tells the Washington Post they received an apology and their eight-person meal was comped. The restaurant said that it immediately stopped serving the dish, and Guinee also says he doesnt hold this against Stella Marina. Guinee posted the video on Facebook not once, but twice on Saturday night, tagging the restaurant in both instances. The first post was shared only 15 times and viewed just under 3,000 times, while the second racked up nearly 2,000 shares and 200,000 views.

The exposure prompted a since-deleted response from Stella Marina, which wrote that it takes every precaution in preparing food and that a seafood purveyor missed the small worms  located in the center of their piece of fish. It also took umbrage with Guinee, describing his actions as the irresponsible reaction of an attorney of law to attempt to destroy our reputation & possible livelihoods. After taking that post down, Stella Marina put up another post on Monday signed by its owner Joe Cetrulo, who says this was the first incident in its ten years of business that cod has been removed from the menu.

Stella Marina, which means star of the sea in Italian is an award-winning rustic yet classic Italian restaurant located... Posted by Stella Marina Bar & Restaurant LLC on Tuesday, July 31, 2018

There is a reason that modern food safety is so rigorous and that restaurants serving, for example, raw shellfish have to put warnings on their menus. Other things eat our food, too, and sometimes those things are dangerous for us to consume. Bobbi Pritt, director of the clinical parasitology laboratory at the Mayo Clinic, identified the creature to the Post as likely a parasitic roundworm called an anisakid, writing, they are, unfortunately, a fact of life.

Pritt also adds that the live worm indicated the fish had not been fully cooked, at least according to U.S.D.A. standards of a 145-degree internal temperature. Government guidelines like this are, of course, paternalistic in that they are motivated by eliminating risk at whatever cost, even a sea of desiccated cod fillets. This can be at odds with a chefs motivation to do her job of, well, cooking good food.

Parasitic worms are common in fish  ask any chef who has butchered a swordfish!  and error means some will slip through and onto the dinner plate. As the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization told the Post, this does not automatically mean that a restaurant made a mistake.Photo: Michael Nagle/Getty Images

Another day, another food-contamination case. This time, the unfortunate honor has fallen on Walgreens, Kroger, and Trader Joes, which have been forced to recall salads and wraps possibly contaminated with the cyclospora parasite.

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a warning about consuming beef, pork, and poultry salad and wrap products at the three retailers, after tracing a parasite breakout to Caito Foods in Indianapolis.

In a statement on their website, Trader Joes officials say the affected products are their Trader Joes Tarragon Chicken Salad Wrap, Trader Giottos Caesar Salad With Chicken, and Trader Mings Chinese Inspired Salad With Chicken with best by dates between July 21 and July 23 and distributed in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

This is the second major outbreak of cyclospora since mid-July, when McDonalds was forced to pull salads at 3,000 locations across 14 states following a rash of cyclosporiasis infections, the intestinal illness caused by the parasite.News

UAE on track to achieve desired immunity against COVID-19

With the indicators of the health sector and the numbers we have reached, praise be to God, we are getting closer and closer to the immunity we aspire to until we return to our new normal life, an official said during the briefing.Mr. Azzeddine FARHANE, Ambassador of His Majesty the King of Morocco to Vietnam, stressed to the bilateral relation on the occassion of the 19th Anniversary of the Enthronement of His Majesty Mohamed VI, King of Morocco (July 30th 1999  July 30th 2018).

According to the Ambassador Azzeddine FARHANE, this year was exceptionally rich and dense in term of cooperation actions and activities between Morocco and Vietnam, which surely brought Moroccan and Vietnamese people closer, and built exchange bridges in all fields between our two nations.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Vietnam organized, in cooperation with its Vietnamese partners, three high level international seminars, that brought together renowned UN expert, eminent professors and skilled researchers, to exchange on topics of major interests for academia, both in Morocco and Vietnam. Hence, we organized seminars pertaining to the shared historic memory between our two countries, to the decentralization models and the territorial governance systems in Morocco and Vietnam and to the experiences of the two nation in enriching cultural diversity, for national unity and territorial integrity.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vu Hong Nam spoke at the ceremony. (Photo: Khac Kien)



Addresing at the ceremony on July 30th 2018, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vu Hong Nam affirmed The 4th Session of the Joint Committee and the 5th Session of Political Consultation between the two Foreign Ministries were held successfully in Ha Noi on April 23rd  24th 2018. This shows that both sides, at all levels and through all cooperation mechanisms, have been coordinating smoothly to facilitate all areas of bilateral cooperation among our agencies and businesses, especially in trade and investment where we are determined to hit US$1 billion in two-way trade turnover.

This year was also marked by the exchange of high level visits between the two countries, namely the very successful visit of the President of the Chamber of Representatives in the Parliament of Morocco to Vietnam, during which the first MOU between an African parliament and the National Assembly of Vietnam was signed, reflecting the strong wiliness to foster the Moroccan-Vietnamese parliamentary and legislative cooperation.

Moreover, two Vice-Presidents of the Chamber of Representatives participated, as guest of the host country, to the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum APPF26, held, in January 2018, in Hanoi.

Mr. Azzeddine FARHANE, Ambassador of His Majesty the King of Morocco to Vietnam, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vu Hong Nam. (Photo: Khac Kien)



Morocco and Vietnam are now actively working together to organize the upcoming visit of H.E.Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam, to Morocco, following the historic visit of the former Prime Minister of Morocco to Vietnam, in 2008.

On the Ministerial level, the two Minister of Foreign Affairs of both countries met, in New York, on the margin of the 72th General Assembly of United Nations, in order to exchange on bilateral and regional issues of common interests and coordinate positions within international organizations and fora, said the Ambassador Azzeddine FARHANE.

The visit of the H.E.Mme. Mounia BOUCETTA, Moroccan Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs to Vietnam, on April 22nd  24th 2018, to co-chair along with H.E.Mr. Vu Hong Nam, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, the 4th session of the Joint Bilateral Commission of Cooperation, was an important milestone and crucial moment to review the current status of the bilateral relations. On this occasion, the two countries reaffirmed the convergence of their views on multilateral issues and the importance of the settlement of disputes through negotiation and peaceful means.

The visit also succeeded in establishing an effective multi-sectorial road map and a concrete action plan, to reinvigorate cooperation between Morocco and Vietnam in myriads of fields.

According to the Ambassador Azzeddine FARHANE, Morocco's approach for South-South cooperation, under the guidance of His Majesty the King, is at the forefront of the country's strategic and economic priorities. Moroccos openness on South-East Asian countries, especially Vietnam, continues to frame its cooperation with ASEAN States, especially following the accession of Morocco to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation with ASEAN, in perspective of obtaining the status of Sectoral Dialogue Partner, in the near future.

The annual celebration of the accession to the throne is a unique occasion that Moroccans are commemorating as a lasting tribute of allegiance of the People to the Alaouite monarchy, leading the nation-building process in harmony, within stability and for prosperity.

Morocco and Vietnam enjoy historic and excellent bilateral relations ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations on March 27th 1961. The enthronement of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, is an occasion to cherish the cordial bonds between the two countries and to reflect on ways and means to consolidate the current momentum of bilateral cooperation and accelerate political, economic and social exchange for the welfare and prosperity of our two People./.



Haiti - Politic : The PHTK condemns the assassination of Todly Pierre-Raymond





Yanick Mezile Lherisson President of the Board of the Haitian Party Tet Kale (PHTK) has learned with amazement the sad news of tragic deaths, Monday, July 30, in Archaie of Raymond Pierre Todly, an influential member of the Party and former candidate for the deputation in the last election and Reginald Jean-Louis, one of his office colleagues. https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25108-icihaiti-security-a-former-candidate-of-the-phtk-executed-in-arcahaie.html



Recall that Raymond Pierre Todly aka "Baron" was quietly sitting at his desk when heavily armed bandits burst and shot him coldly with several bullets.



"The PHTK vigorously condemns this odious act that reflects the degree of intolerance of some.



Party constantly promoting dialogue, harmony and tolerance, the PHTK, which has always rejected violence as a means of conflict resolution, expresses its sympathies to the grieving families.



Moreover, the PHTK, requires the judicial authorities to open without delay an investigation to identify the authors and co-perpetrators of this double murder and to transfer them before their natural judge."



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25108-icihaiti-security-a-former-candidate-of-the-phtk-executed-in-arcahaie.html



HL/ HaitiLibre

















Harry Thomas, co-founder of the Creation Festival, billed as the country's largest Christian music festival, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison. Thomas has admitted that he had sexual contact with under aged girls.

As part of a plea agreement earlier this year, Thomas acknowledged sexually assaulting a 9-year-old in 2005, having sexual contact with three girls ages 7 to 9 in 2000 and 2010 and exposing himself to a girl between 2008 and 2010.

Harry Thomas, who's 75 years old, was the pastor of Come Alive New Testament Church in Medford and a co-founder of the Creation Festival. The festival consists of two annual, four-day Christian music events called Creation Northeast and Creation Northwest .According to its organizers, the festivals have become the "Nation's Largest Christian Music Festival." Average attendance is between 50,000 and 100,000 annually.

Relatives of the victims were in court during sentencing, and in testimony two of them described Thomas as a "ravenous wolf" and a "hypocrite" who professed to be a man of God while victimizing children. Burlington County assistant prosecutor Stephen Eife called Thomas "a devil in disguise."

Thomas, who had spent the previous 233 days in the Burlington County jail, wept as he expressed remorse and confusion about his crimes.

"I'm very sorry for the pain I've caused," he said.

Referencing a biblical passage about punishment for those who harm children, he said, "I agree with the scriptures. It would be better for a millstone to be hung around my neck and be cast into the sea. That's what I deserve."

Defense attorney Robin Lord, arguing for the minimum 15-year term rather than the maximum 20-year term sought by prosecutors, cited Thomas' age and numerous health problems, which she said would make the longer term a death sentence.

Lord argued that Thomas' crimes were diagnosed as the result of uncontrolled "compulsion" rather than choice. She also cited Thomas' worldwide ministry work, including building schools and hospitals in Haiti and Africa and establishing a festival at which Christians, Jews and Muslims performed together.

Superior Court Judge Jeanne Covert said she recognized that Thomas might die in prison but the 18-year sentence was appropriate given the crimes and the risk of Thomas reoffending.

Tags : harry thomas creation festival Creation Festivals harry thomas prison harry thomas child abuse harry thomas jailed child abuse caseMinisters

Learn about the ministers of the Health portfolio, including who they are, what they are responsible for and what they do.The Finnish network equipment manufacturer stated earlier this week it will provide its end-to-end 5G portfolio of technology, software and services to accelerate the deployment of the nationwide 5G network of T-Mobile in the United States. The multi-year agreement between the two telecommunications companies is worth 3.5 billion US dollars, or approximately three billion euros.

Analysts have drawn attention to the significance of the newly announced fifth-generation (5G) network agreement between Nokia and T-Mobile.

This is our largest 5G deal to date  in fact, its one of the largest-ever deals, Phil Twist, the head of global marketing at Nokia, was quoted as saying by Reuters.

A huge win for Nokia in the 5G domain, tweeted Teresa Mastrangelo, a principal analyst at Broadbandtrends.

Inderes, a Finnish market research company, pointed out that the announcement validates Nokias high expectations for the latter half of the year. The network equipment manufacturer, it reminded, stated in its earnings call last week that it is close to announcing a major 5G agreement in the United States.

Also Nokia confirmed that the impact of the multi-billion-dollar agreement was taken into consideration in the forward-looking statements in its interim report for the second quarter.

Rajeev Suri, the chief executive of Nokia, has repeatedly affirmed that the network equipment maker is well-positioned to take advantage of the expected acceleration in the adoption of 5G technology in the second half of 2018.

Nokia is well-positioned for the coming technology cycle given the strength of our end-to-end portfolio, he stated in the companys interim report.

Inderes estimated last week that the faster-than-anticipated adoption of 5G technology by wireless carriers could prove a problem for network suppliers such as Nokia.

Its somewhat ironic that the short-term challenges have to do with the fact that 5G is coming sooner than expected: customers operating on old budgets will demand more and higher speeds for the same money, and the supply chain wont be able to deliver the speeds needed, explained Mikael Rautanen, an analyst at Inderes.

[Nokia's] comments about rising cost pressures aren't about competition but about the attempts of big clients to fund their accelerated 5G projects from the pockets of network suppliers, he added. Suri has stated that a few major clients are transitioning to 5G ahead of schedule, but theyll have to fund [the transition] from their old budgets.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Lluis Gene  AFP/Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi SuomiPennanen was escorted out of the aircraft that was awaiting take-off after refusing to sit down in protest of the deportation of a fellow passenger and demanding that the pilot not take off until the person being deported has been removed from the aircraft.

Aino Pennanen, the legislative secretary of the Green League, has raised eyebrows among lawmakers and citizens alike with her actions on a Finnair aircraft at Helsinki Airport on Tuesday.

Many police officers escorted me out of the aircraft and I was taken away in a police van. This [occurred] because the captain denied my request not to take off with a person who was being removed forcibly, she described the sequence of events on Facebook.

The Greens legislative secretary apparently doesnt think she has to follow the law, responded Timo Heinonen (NCP), a third-term Member of Parliament from Loppi, Southern Finland.

Pennanen justified her actions by arguing that several experienced lawyers have drawn attention to flaws in the asylum procedure, the crumbling of legal aid to asylum seekers and the stricter criteria for humanitarian protection in Finland.

These are the major human rights issues of our time, and I feel I have an obligation to point out that no one should be sent to a place where their life is in danger, she stated.

Jussi Halla-aho, the chairperson of the Finns Party, underscored in a press release that authorities are responsible for interpreting and implementing the decisions of the parliament in a country based on the rule of law.

It is unsustainable for a country based on the rule of law if certain groups elevate themselves above the law and consider it their right to choose which laws, official decisions and court rulings they respect. It is particularly dangerous if people in a position of power are guilty of inciting such arbitrariness, he wrote.

Pennanen received support from Touko Aalto, the chairperson of the Green League.

Brave Aino Pennanen tried to prevent a person from being forcibly removed [from the country]. Drawing attention to blatant human rights problems cant depend on the civilian bravery of individuals. The official Finland must wake up, he tweeted.

Finnair, meanwhile, was asked in the aftermath of the incident whether its pilots have an obligation to participate in carrying out forced removals.

We as a company or individual employees to not have the necessary information or expertise to evaluate the grounds for forced removals, Manti Vaatainen-Pereira, a communications and social media professional at the state-owned airline, commented on Twitter.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Timo Jaakonaho  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi SuomiPuckish conservative ran short on votes but won the long game

William F. Buckley Jr.s decision to run for mayor of New York City in 1965 as the Conservative Party candidate proved a turning point in his career and in the conservative movement. By challenging a charismatic liberal Republican and a bland Democrat in what was perhaps the nations most liberal city as President Lyndon B. Johnson was pressing to build his Great Society, Buckley invigorated conservatives across the country.

Buckleys paradigmatic campaign, as he called it, sought to showcase conservative ideas as constructive alternatives to the liberal agenda. The National Review editor contested group interest liberalism, in which power brokers maintained control by placating voting blocs. That system, Buckley argued, perpetuated a stalemated status quo, as most voters had multiple interests. Addressing New Yorkers as individuals and talking about their city writ large, Buckley brought to bear wit, erudition, and theatricality, attracting more attention than normally accorded third-party candidates.

Buckleys campaign had its origins in an appearance he made before the New York City Police Departments Holy Name Society Communion Breakfast on April 4, 1965. His theme was the establishment of civilian review boards to investigate allegations of police brutality. Buckley opposed the imposition of such boards. Charges against police had been overstated, he said, positing that New Yorkers faced a greater threat from rising crime than from occasional police overreactions. He insisted that existing procedures might best address whatever abuses had occurred. Recent Supreme Court decisions, Buckley believed, had made it tougher for police officers to do their jobs.

The month before, the Alabama State Police had beaten civil rights marchers in Selma. The episode at the Edmund Pettus Bridge was very much on the minds of Buckleys audience, the press, and the public. Buckley said events in Selma had aroused the conscience of the world, adding, based on information he later found to have been faulty, that television coverage of the episode had excluded footage of police showing restraint as demonstrators provoked them. Buckley might better have cited proven false allegations against police leveled locally.

The New York Herald Tribune reported the next day that Buckleys audience had applauded his comments about the Alabama police and laughed at his references to the murder of civil rights volunteer Viola Liuzzo. Buckley remembered his listeners being silent during both passages. The New York Times, which mentioned neither applause nor laughter in its bulldog edition, a day later published an expanded story under the headline, Buckley Praises Police of Selma/Hailed by 5,600 Police Here as He Cites Restraint.

Unable to persuade the Herald Tribune to retract or modify its story, Buckley sued for libel. The Holy Name Society had recorded his talk; for members of the press, he played that tape, which documented the absence of applause and laughter. Clearly audible were Buckleys references to injustices dealt African-Americans. Hearing the tape, the National Catholic Reporter wrote that of 26 quotations in the Herald Tribune story attributed to Buckley 19 were inaccurate. The Tribune agreed to correct the record. Buckley withdrew his suit. But the memory of how a single newspaperhowever wrong its factscould shape the narrative stayed with him. Corrections very seldom catch up with distortions, he observed. The manner in which the media covered his speech, as well as public figures demonstrated disinclination to counter such faulty reporting, lest it cost them votes, drove home to Buckley certain realities about municipal politics in the New York of that era.

Buckley later said he decided to run for mayor about 45 minutes after his April 4 speech; more likely, his decision flowed from the Herald Tribune incident. Another impetus was liberal Republican congressman John V. Lindsays contemplation of a mayoral run. Were Lindsay to win the mayoralty in a city where registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans three to one, Buckley surmised, commentators would declare Lindsay a contender for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination. That would reverse inroads conservatives had made in shifting the partys ideological center rightward with the 1964 presidential nomination of Senator Barry Goldwater. This conservatives were determined to resist.

The night Goldwater lost, Lindsay had won a fourth term in Congress with 71.5 percent of the vote in a district LBJ swept. Lindsays campaign slogan, The Districts Pride, the Nations Hope, telegraphed his ambitions. New Yorks Republican Governor Nelson Rockefeller and fellow GOP moderate Jacob Javits, the states senior U.S. senator, both were thinking presidentially, and unlikely to leave office soon. Junior Senator Robert F. Kennedy had won election months earlier. In 1965, the mayoralty seemed the only way station that might open for Lindsay on the path he hoped to take from the House of Representatives to the White House.

Mayor Robert F. Wagner was retiring after 12 years at City Hall. The Liberal Party, which usually backed Democrats, was poised to endorse Lindsay, enlarging his prospects. As tribute for that gesture, the Liberals demanded Lindsay name one of their operatives to his ticket and award the Liberal Party a third of mayoral patronage. Lindsay entered the race with a record as one of the most liberal members of the House, with an 85 percent approval rating from Americans for Democratic Action. On May 13, 1965, Lindsay, 43, announced his candidacy for mayor.

Days later, Buckley, 39, published in National Review a column titled Mayor, Anyone? Proposing to lead New York City out of what he termed its perpetual crisis, Buckley described a 10-point program. He suggested measures to reduce juvenile crime. He advocated repealing narcotics laws regarding adults and allowing certified addicts to buy drugs at pharmacies. He favored legalizing gambling, exempting teens from minimum wage requirements, and ending union monopolies over city contracts. Businesses locating in depressed areas and hiring neighborhood residents would, under a Buckley plan, receive tax benefits.

To keep traffic moving, Buckley would ban loading and unloading of commercial vehicles between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. He suggested that the city allow people with good driving

records to use their cars as taxis. His proposal to build a bikeway from 125th Street to 1st Street generated considerable interest. Buckley favored residency requirements for welfare and wanted to require recipients to perform some kind of work. In laying out the magazine, the managing editor added to the cover a teaser: Buckley for Mayor? On June 7, Buckley told Conservative Party chairman Daniel Mahoney he would accept the partys nomination for mayor. At the Overseas Press Club on June 24, Buckley announced his candidacy. His opening linethat he often wished more of the press was overseasgot a sustained laugh. Buckley said he was running on the Conservative Party ticket because the Republican slot was closed to anyone not in the mainstream of Republican opinion. Lindsay and his managers countered that Buckleys views were outside the mainstream of New York opinion. When someone inquired whether he wanted to be mayor, Buckley said he had never considered it. Asked how many votes he expected to receive, he replied, Conservatively speaking: one.

Most of the press editorialized negatively about his politics and his policy recommendations, but reporters covering Buckley found his ready humor, candor, and unconventionality refreshing. Liberal columnist and Lindsay supporter Murray Kempton, a friend of the candidate, said he found it reassuring that Buckley had pledged not to campaign during the day, given his duties at National Review, while incumbent elected officeholders would be campaigning on taxpayers time.

Buckley, asked the first thing he would do if he won, shot back, Demand a recount! His jest became the campaigns most quoted line. Such witticisms tickled reporters and audiences; intimates feared Buckley was not taking his campaign seriously. He established credibility, however, by releasing well-reasoned position papers on virtually every issue. A commentator likened the volunteers crowding Buckleys headquarters to a New Frontier elite of the political right.

Lindsay sought to make a virtue of his newness to the New York municipal scene. His campaign advisers, taken with a Kempton lineHe is fresh, when everyone else is tiredprinted it on campaign posters. When not citing his personal attributes and professed idealism, Lindsay, by design, avoided specifics.

In September, city comptroller Abraham D. Beame, 59, won the Democratic primary. Asked to discern between the diminutive Beame and Lindsay, whom master builder Robert Moses likened to a matinee idol, Buckley pronounced their differences more biological than ideological, noting that he would be running against a tall liberal and a short liberal.

Averring disinterest in which rival he took votes from, Buckley was harder on Lindsay. He insisted that he bore the congressman no personal animosity, stating as his primary objection to Lindsay that he belonged in the Democratic Party. Indirectly nodding to Lindsays presidential ambitions, Buckley remarked, Mr. Beame does not pretend to be anything but what he is, a very ordinary politician. Lindsay denied having known Buckley when the two men were students at Yale and attributed Buckleys different recollection to his suffering delusions of grandeur. An irked Buckley retorted that he did not take grandeur to mean having known John Lindsay. Whenever Lindsay donned reformers robes to batter Beame, Buckley, invoking Lindsays deal with the Liberal Party, proclaimed the Republican boss backed.

On September 16, Buckley caught a break when a strike shuttered six of the citys daily newspapers. The 23-day walkout created a void that television, radio, and out-of-town papers filled, and which worked to Buckleys advantage. Appearing together for the first time on radio, Beame and Buckley took aim at Lindsay from opposite directions. Beame said Lindsay, by not identifying as a Republican in his campaign literature, seemed to be ashamed of his partisan affiliation.

Ill buy that, Buckley blurted, beckoning to Republican voters.

During the candidates first televised debate, Buckley, who at Yale had been a champion debater, employed techniques he had long since perfected, including scene-stealing. His facial expressions matched his rhetoric. Noting that Buckley had time remaining, the moderator asked if he cared to say more. No, the candidate said. I think Ill just contemplate the great eloquence of my previous remarks.

In early October, a Herald Tribune straw poll had Beame leading Lindsay 45 percent to 35 percent, with Buckley at 10 percent. Within days, Buckley had jumped to 13 percent. On October 21, the Daily News, back in print, put Lindsay at 42 percent, Beame at 37 percent, and Buckley at 20 percent. Three days later, the newspaper poll had Lindsay at 43 percent, Beame at 40 percent, and Buckley at 18 percent.

Lindsay, playing to liberals, began to slam Buckley as an ultra-rightist, employing the phrase relocation centers to describe a Buckley proposal to move unemployed mothers on welfare to areas where the city would provide the women with housing and job training and their children with schools and recreation centers. Beame referred to Buckley as the campaigns Clown Prince, asking rhetorically which groups Buckley intended to send to concentration camps once he removed all the welfare recipients and drug addicts.

Buckley was gaining among white ethnic voters, many of them Democrats, in the outer boroughs. Pollster Samuel Label attributed Buckleys numbers to his giving emotional voice to many racial discontents among white voters. In framing his arguments, Buckley repeatedly mentioned Beyond the Melting Pot, a 1963 book by Nathan Glazer and Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Glazer was a prominent Harvard sociologist; Moynihan, an academic on the rise in policy-making circles. As U.S. assistant secretary of labor, Moynihan had written a memorandum to President Johnson on the crisis besetting the black family: rising out-of-wedlock births, fatherless households, and increasing unemployment among black menphenomena Moynihan said were exacerbated by a welfare system that stifled incentive and discouraged work.

Glazer and Moynihan also noted challenges to other ethnic groups in New York. The books chapter on Irish-Americans, which Moynihan wrote, told of how these and other outer-borough Catholic voters, once cogs of Democratic machines and prime beneficiaries of Tammany Hall largesse, had lost influence to reform Democrats. These amateur Democrats, as political scientist James Q. Wilson called themwere mostly upper-middle-class professionals and almost exclusively Protestant or Jewish. Amateur Democrats cared more about programmatic issues and programs, often run in Washington, than neighborhood problems and political patronage, the focus of the regulars.

This shift of power from clubhouse to reformers coincided with a surge of African-Americans and Spanish-speaking residents into the city and what has been termed white flight to the suburbs. Increasingly, regulars and reformers battled over school busing, public funding for private and parochial schools, crime control and prevention, taxation, abortion, civilian review of police, and accommodation to alternative lifestyles. Court decisions on school prayer, busing, abortion, and other matters intensified the sense in the white working class of losing influence. Buckley addressed these concerns.

Either schools are places where education is the primary consideration, the candidate declared, or they are places where social policies of politicians are the primary consideration. He predicted that if the public schools became little more than social laboratories for the promotion of integration, parents most ambitious for the educational advantages of their children will, if they can afford to do so, send their children to private schools; those who cannot afford to do so will continue to send their children to the public schools but will become bitter, and even hostile, toward the minority groups whose pressures they hold accountable for unnatural arrangements. He embraced voucherslater rebranded school choiceas a means of relief for families unable to send children to private schools or better schools outside the city.

Many liberals dismissed Buckleys comments on education and other issues as racist. Decades later, academician Timothy Sullivan concluded that outer-borough voters took to Buckley because they felt he understood their frustrations and treated them and their concerns with respect. This mutual attraction abounded with ironies. An elitist by temperament and a skeptic regarding democracys ability to remedy social ills, Buckley gave voice to grievances felt by a constituency little disposed to favor conservative economics and less hostile than he to government intervention elsewhere.

The phenomenon of Buckleys appeal to primarily white, working-class voters persists. Buckley Democrats shared demographic and other characteristics with Nixons silent majority, Reagan Democrats, and Trumpers. Buckley and his advisers expected him to do best among Republicans concerned about rising taxes and a declining city economy. Few even within his own camp expected Buckley to draw working-class voters away from their Democratic roots. Voters among whom Buckley was making inroads could not have cared less whether he or Lindsay represented the GOPs future.

Nor did Buckley ignore African-Americans. He traced racial animus in New York in part to a legacy of discrimination and injustice committed by the dominant ethnic groups. The white people owe a debt to the Negro people against whom we have discriminated for generations. To right historic wrongs, Buckley embraced what later went by the name of affirmative action. He promised to crack down on unions that discriminated against African-Americans. Appealing to black individuality, Buckley declared educational success, bootstrapping, and capital formation surer avenues out of poverty than government programs.

Four days before the election, Buckley visited the offices of The New York Times. He recalled secretaries, janitors, and non-editorial staff enthusiastically welcoming him, in contrast to the cool response of the papers editorial board. He told reporters afterwards that he felt, upon exiting the building, as if he had passed through the Berlin Wall. Asked what he would do if he woke up mayor, Buckley replied, Hang a net outside the window of the [Times] editor.

Lindsay won with 45.3 percent to Beames 41.3 percent and Buckleys 13.4 percent. Between them, Lindsay and Buckley won 57.8 percent of the vote. As Buckley had anticipated, news reports began to name Lindsay a presidential possibility. The commentariats refrain was that Buckley, by failing to deny Lindsay victory, had not figured in the election, except insofar as he pulled votes from Beame, enhancing Lindsays tally. Another explanation was that traditionally Democratic voters made a conscious decision to deviate from past voting patterns.

Buckley polled worst in Manhattan, taking 7 percent to Lindsays 55.8 percent and Beames 37 percent. He did best on Staten Island, receiving 25.2 percent to Lindsays 45.8 percent and Beames 28.9 percent. Buckley polled 21.9 percent among Irish-Americans and 17.8 percent among Italian-Americans.

Buckleys percentage belied the growing and enduring impact he would have on American politics long after both of his opponents, each elected New Yorks mayor, had departed the scene. He emerged as the best-known American conservative after Barry Goldwater.

Fan mail inundated his office. Strangers stopped him to have pictures taken and to request autographs. National Review subscribership jumped to 117,000. His newspaper column, On the Right, had been running in 150 papers; that figure doubled.

Buckleys byline began appearing more frequently in Esquire, Playboy, The New York Times Magazine, and other periodicals besides his own. He became a favorite and frequent guest on The Dick Cavett Show and The Tonight Show. He appeared on the prime-time revue Rowan and Martins Laugh-In and on satirical programs hosted by Woody Allen. He began publishing books at the rate of at least one per year, many of them best sellers.

And Buckley launched his own weekly public affairs television program, usually featuring him matching wits with a liberal intellectual or activist. Debuting less than three months after Election Day, Firing Line ran for 33 years, making Buckleys a household face.

The Buckley persona became recognizable to millions. Two years after Buckleys mayoral run, Time ran a cover story, William F. Buckley, Jr.: Conservatism Can Be Fun. Presidential hopefuls sought his endorsement.

Buckley likely never would have attained such prominence, or its accompanying influence, had he not run for mayor. Among his many new roles was that of tutor to Ronald Reagan, who, a year after Buckleys paradigmatic campaign, won the California governorship. Days after the 1965 New York City mayoral election, Barry Goldwater proclaimed that Bill Buckley had lost the election but won the campaign. More than a half-century later, those words appear even more prescient than they did then.A reception is held by Chinese Ministry of National Defense to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Beijing, capital of China, July 31, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Yiye)

BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- A reception was held by the Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which falls on Aug. 1.

On behalf of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission, State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe extended Army Day greetings to the personnel of the PLA, the Armed Police Force, the reserve force, the militia, veterans, army heroes and role models, among others.

China will firmly stay on the path of peaceful development, pursue a national defense policy that is in nature defensive, and work with other countries to promote the Belt and Road Initiative, Wei said at the reception.

China will promote the building of a new type of international relations, build a community with a shared future for humanity, and continue its efforts to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and uphold international order, he noted.

There is only one China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, said the defense minister, pledging that the PLA has the resolve, the confidence, and the ability to defeat separatist attempts for "Taiwan independence" in any form and any external interference.

The army will stay true to its founding mission and work hard to build the people's forces into world-class forces, Wei said. Enditem

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]HONOLULUNative Hawaiian, environmental and wildlife protection groups urged Hawaii Governor David Ige to immediately halt all extraction of marine animals for aquarium purposes on Friday, July 27. This comes following a recent comprehensive review of collection reports showing that more than 126,000 reef animals have been taken in the months following the Hawaii Supreme Court order and subsequent First Circuit Courts October 2017 ruling that all commercial aquarium collection permits are illegal and invalid statewide.

The state records suggest that on average 20,000 reef animals continue to be taken from Hawaiis reefs every month despite the court ruling. The total number of reef animals potentially trafficked in violation of the court order could conservatively exceed 200,000 animals, not including under and non-reporting, since the October court ruling.

Ironically, the state is allowing this continued mass collection despite its own recent determination, after reviewing the pet industrys initial environmental assessment, that commercial aquarium collecting significantly impacts our marine environment, and therefore requires a full environmental impact study to comply with the Hawaii Environmental Policy Act.

Its outrageous that the state continues to disregard the courts clear positions that aquarium collecting is subject to Hawaiis environmental laws, including the most recent Circuit Court ruling that even recreational extraction of less than five animals per day is also subject to environmental and cultural analysis, said Rene Umberger, executive director of For the Fishes.

The Ige Administration has given the mainland pet industry the green light to take all the marine life they want, without regard for HEPA and court rulings, and with zero enforcement to ensure rules arent being broken, said Mike Nakachi, native Hawaiian practitioner for Moana Ohana. Rather than do its job to conserve our sacred reef resources for the Kanaka Maoli and future generations, the Administration continues to go out of its way to cater to private, commercial interests who exploit our people and wildlife.

Last year Governor Ige justified his veto of a bill that would have phased out aquarium fish permits stating that without the use of fine-mesh nets, which the aquarium fish permits allow, the worldwide demand for aquarium species could lead to new and more destructive ways of collection.

We urge the Governor to immediately intervene against DLNRs failure to protects Hawaiis reefs from further collection, including new or possibly more destructive methods used by aquarium collectors, said Bianca Isaki of KAHEA-The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance.

The cruel, environmentally harmful and potentially illegal collection of Hawaiis precious coral reef wildlife must be stopped, said Keith Dane, Hawaii policy adviser for the Humane Society of the United States. Governor Ige should step up and put an end to this ongoing destruction of our natural resources for the personal financial gain of a handful of individuals and corporations.

Background

In September 2017, the Hawaii Supreme Court found that the States issuance of commercial permits to collect aquatic life for aquarium purposes was subject to the Hawaii Environmental Policy Act. The following month, the Hawaii Circuit Court determined that all commercial permits to collect aquatic life for aquarium purposes were illegal and invalid. In January of 2018 the State determined that all collection of aquatic life for aquarium purposes, regardless of gear or method of capture, in the West Hawaii Regional Fisheries Management Area is prohibited. In April, the Hawaii Circuit Court further voided existing permits for recreational collection of aquatic life for aquarium purposes and determined that this activity is also subject to HEPA. Last week plaintiffs in the litigation were advised that the DLNR was rejecting the pet industrys proposed DEAs, requiring a full Environmental Impact Statement on the industrys impacts.

This appeal does not apply to take under Special Activity Permits which are used by public aquariums, research and educational institutions.Conservation and animal protection groups sued the Trump administration today for illegally establishing the International Wildlife Conservation Council, an advisory panel stacked with people who have personal or financial interests in killing or importing rare or endangered animals from overseas. Federal law requires government advisory panels to be balanced and not improperly influenced by special interests.

Todays lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court by Democracy Forward on behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, asserts that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service flagrantly violated federal law by appointing a council packed with trophy hunters firearm executives and representatives of businesses with close ties to the Trump administration.

Elephants, rhinos, and lions face enough threats without the U.S. government giving the cover of credibility to trophy hunters peddling the self-serving notion that killing endangered species constitutes a legitimate strategy for conserving them, said Natural Resources Defense Council senior attorney Zak Smith. If we have to sue to get our government to listen to wildlife conservation experts, were happy to do so. Smith is also director of NRDCs Wildlife Trade Initiative.

The IWCC is designed to promote the removal of barriers to trophy imports. Zinke, however, has refused to include conservation experts on the council, instead selecting trophy hunters and representatives of financially conflicted business interests. Four of the 17 council members had signed on to host a "Camouflage and Cufflinks" inaugural ball last year, soliciting millions of dollars in campaign contributions.

Zinkes thrill-kill council is unethical and illegal, and apparently thats just fine with him, said Tanya Sanerib, international program legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. These people kill imperiled animals for fun. They have no business making policy decisions about wildlife imports and were hopeful that the courts will agree.

Trump called big game hunting a horror show in 2017, just weeks after his Fish and Wildlife Service abandoned an Obama-era ban on importing elephant trophies and sanctioned the hunting of lions in several countries. According to a Humane Society International report (PDF), trophy hunting has caused the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals since 2005.

The publics interest is not served by using taxpayer dollars to host meetings of wealthy trophy hunters to hatch plans to minimize governmental oversight of their unethical hobby, said Anna Frostic, managing wildlife attorney for the Humane Society of the United States. The Department of the Interior has failed to provide a rational justification for establishing the IWCC, and we are asking the federal court to revoke the councils charter.

By establishing a council with the sole purpose of promoting the overseas hobby of trophy hunting, Secretary Zinke is breaking the law, said Democracy Forward Executive Director Anne Harkavy. Contrary to the committees own name, Secretary Zinke has failed to include any conservation biologists or others with expertise in advising on wildlife conservation policy.City/Town Adams Agawam Alford Ancram Ashfield Athens Austerlitz Averil Park Becket Bennington Berlin Bernardston Blandford Buckland Cairo Canaan Castleton-on-Hudson Charlemont Chatham Cheshire Chester Chesterfield Chicopee Clarksburg Claverack Colrain Connecticut Towns Conway Copake Cornwall Craryville Cummington Dalton Deerfield Dover East Chatham Easthampton Egremont Falls Village Florida Ghent Gill Goshen Grafton Granby Granville Great Barrington Greenfield Greenville Hancock Hatfield Hawley Heath Hillsdale Hinsdale Holyoke Hopkinton Hudson Huntington Jacksonville Kinderhook Lanesborough Lee Lenox Leverett Leyden Litchfield Longmeadow Maynard Mendon Middlefield Milford Millers Falls Millerton Monroe Monson Montague Monterey Montgomery Mt Washington Nassau New Ashford New Lebanon New Marlborough New Salem North Adams North Canaan Northampton Northfield Old Chatham Otis Peru Petersburg Pine Plains Pittsfield Plainfield Pownal Readsboro Richmond Rowe Russell Salisbury Sandisfield Savoy Searsburg Shaftsbury Sharon Sheffield Shelburne South Hadley Southwick Springfield Stamford Stephentown Stockbridge Stuyvesant Tagkanic Tolland Turner Falls Tyringham Ware Washington West Chesterfield West Springfield West Stockbridge Westfield Whitingham Williamsburg Williamstown Wilmington Winchester Windsor Worthington - Region Berkshire - Central Berkshire - North Berkshire - South Outside Berkshire Connecticut Outside Berkshire New York Outside Berkshire Other MA Outside Berkshire Vermont

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Berkshire District Attorney Candidates Field Questions at Forum



Paul Caccaviello, the incumbent, is facing off against challengers Judith Knight and Andrea Harrington in the September primary that will decide the next district attorney. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The three candidates for district attorney stuck to their talking points on Tuesday during a fast-paced forum sponsored by the Williamstown League of Women Voters.

Paul Caccaviello, Judith Knight and Andrea Harrington sought to impress the audience of at least 100 with their experience and progressive bona fides during the hourlong program in the Paresky Center auditorium on the Williams College campus. The session moderated by Kathy Campbell, a member of Amherst League of Women Voters, was recorded for later broadcast on WilliNet and other public television channels.

The aspirants for Berkshire district attorney fielded some two dozen questions from the audience and were given only a minute each to respond. There was no debate between the candidates but Caccaviello, the incumbent, and challenger Harrington had a few sharp words.

Harrington, a criminal and civil defense attorney who ran unsuccessfully for state Senate two years ago, has positioned herself as the modern answer to an "old guard" that's failed to keep up with the times.

Caccaviello, on the other hand, is defending the position he's held for four months as the experienced candidate with nearly 30 years in the district attorney's office and the prosecution of more than 5,300 cases.

But Harrington called him on the progressive stance he's taken on implementing and tracking racial bias within local law enforcement and the courts.

"When he started this campaign four months ago, he was talking about continuity and continuing the work that has been going on in the DA's office and now after sitting on a debate stage listening to myself and attorney Knight, he's now come to Jesus and confirmed racial bias in the criminal justice," she said. "This is not something that has been a priority of this office ever until this election cycle."

The incumbent, who was first assistant district attorney before succeeding David Capeless in March, waited until closing statements at end of the forum to defend his platform although he stressed during the questions the actions he's already taken in implementing bias training and other actions.

"I will not take advice and guidance from a candidate for this office who has not ever done this work," he stated. "That idea of doing cultural competency is my idea ... it was an idea that was actually fostered by the criminal justice reform bill, so I do take some offense, with all due respect to attorney Harrington, to suggest I took that idea from a debate is not the case."

Knight, however, says she's the true progressive candidate having run on the same platform back in 2006 against then incumbent Capeless. The rest of the state is just catching up with the recent criminal justice bill, she said.

"I am the progressive candidate who can get the job done," said Knight, who had worked as both a prosecutor and public defender before entering private practice.

The candidates largely agreed on the use of diversion programs as a way to keep small-time and young offenders out of the criminal justice system, with Caccaviello touting some of the current efforts being initiated through his office.

"I'm actually very much in favor of diversion programs," he said, "and I've already started the conversations."

Knight said she was disappointed that there has been no formal program implemented before now. Scientific research shows human brains aren't fully developed until age 25, meaning young people can make poor decisions that affect their entire lives.

"If there's a way in which we can divert and the person has a willingness to go through the pretrial probation diversion program ... they would come out at the other end with no criminal record whatsoever," she said. That is better for the community to have our young people back in, be able to go to college, able to get jobs without checking off some box."

Harrington said she would also implement a system to track bias within the district attorney's office related to prosecutorial decisions, bail and sentencing.

"Having people in the district attorney's office and people in law enforcement take a really close look at implicit bias in decision making is essential in building a system that's fair," she said.

Harrington and Knight said they would be more aggressive in dealing with forfeiture, or the taking of goods and property related to criminal activity.

Assets are seized prior to charges, said Harrington, vowing not to do so until there is a conviction and to be more cognizant of abuses in the system. Knight said she'd set up a transparent system showing how much and where any seized assets are coming from and how they are spent. Caccaviello said nothing is currently taken without a proper hearing.

The candidates, all Democrats, also spoke on modernizing the office through the use of technology, with Caccaviello saying he is implementing "reasonable transparency" by updating the website and starting a Facebook page.

When asked what significant difference the district attorney's office can make in the community, Caccaviello said it needed to be "victim oriented" in creating a safe community; Knight that it was all about transparency and trust; and Harrington that the goals have to change from the current focus on convictions and sentences to prevention.

The candidates will meet again on Wednesday night in Pittsfield for a forum conducted by the local chapter of the NAACP at 6 p.m. at Conte Community School.'Evacuees' who needed medical attention were checked out on their arrival to St. Elizabeth's Parish Center during Wednesday's emergency drill. 'Evacuees' are escorted into the St. Elizabeth's Parish Center after being bused from an evacuation center. Everyone who entered the evacuation center had to check in and be issued a wristband. Emergency responders from throughout the area participate in Wednesday's drill. Cots for would-be users of the shelter are equipped with bags of toiletries. Some of the equipment on display for the inspection of participants at Wednesday's drill. A decontamination shower is displayed inside the auditorium. PreviousNext

Emergency Responders Drill for Evacuation, Shelter Operation



Thomas Grady of the Berkshire County sheriff's office addresses the drill participants on Wednesday morning. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Emergency responders from throughout North County were at the St. Elizabeth's Parish Center on Wednesday and hoping that their next visit will not be any time soon.

The police, fire, and ambulance personnel were on hand to take part in an evacuation and emergency shelter simulation organized by the county's Regional Emergency Planning Committee.

Although they wore different uniforms with various insignia from their hometown agencies or municipalities, the emergency personnel in the room shared a common mission: keeping residents safe in the event of a crisis.

And several times Wednesday, they were reminded that mission's success depends on the various agencies working in concert.

"Nobody can do this stuff alone," Lt. Col. Thomas Grady of the Berkshire County sheriff's office told the group. "There is no one entity that has the resources in Berkshire County, if we have a large-scale event, to manage the situation on their own.

"On a day-to-day basis in the public safety world, we rely on mutual aid. You guys see that and live it every day. It's no different in the large-scale events. The difference in the large-scale events is getting people trained prior to the event and having the relationships developed so when the events do happen, we have a way to be able to get to the end result."

Grady told his fellow first-responders to use the exercise as a chance not only to learn about the specific roles they may play in an emergency but also to make personal connections.

"The people you don't know in this room today, introduce yourself," he said. "Get those phone numbers. So that when stuff starts to happen  whether it's the drill/training process or we have a real incident  you can start putting names and faces together."

North Adams Mayor Thomas Benard said he has learned that his role in a crisis is to let the professionals take the lead and be there to support police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians as needed. And he has learned how the personnel from departments throughout North Berkshire have made the connections that Grady talked about.

"I really appreciate that when you do this, you take a no-borders approach," Bernard said. "So when there is something that happens and people need to respond, those lines between Williamstown and North Adams and Adams and Clarksburg and Florida and Savoy and New Ashford all disappear, and the work becomes the focus.

"That's part of the reason this is an award-winning Regional Emergency Planning Committee, one that's been recognized by FEMA. So much of the equipment that's in this room today was secured by grants because funders know that if they make the investment, the people in this room, the people in the communities we serve, know how to make the most of the tools available."

Grady said Wednesday's exercise was funded by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency distributed through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to regional planning committees throughout the commonwealth.

In Berkshire County, the other two local committees, in central county and South County, are using their grant money this round to conduct "table top" exercises rather than full-scale drills like the one in North Adams on Wednesday, Grady said.

Both types of exercises play a role in a comprehensive approach to training first responders.

"It's a building block approach to training," Grady said. "So we try to go from conferences and classroom education, then into tabletop exercises. From the tabletop exercise, the next progression would be a functional exercise, which is a partial activation of resources, to test certain pieces of them. And then we move to the full-scale.

"We try to use the tiered approach so that we are always, hopefully, getting people trained before they participate. What we saw in the past is a lot of people would get to the shelter or an evacuation location who had no training, and then they were looking for direction as to what to do."

On Wednesday morning, "evacuees" were picked up at two locations off-site and transported by Dufour Tours to St. Elizabeth's, where they were checked in by emergency personnel, evaluated medically if necessary and, eventually, taken into the parish center's auditorium, where people would be housed in the event of an emergency.

Rows of cots were set up by way of demonstration, and other emergency response equipment, including a large decontamination shower, were set up so that participants could get a sense of what would be available in the event of an actual emergency.

Bernard reminded all of the many different threats that residents may face.

"You need to keep up the work you're doing and double down on the collaborative efforts, to continue to take that all-hazards approach," he said.

"Whether we're talking about weather, whether we're talking hazardous materials, whether we're talking about power outages, whether we're talking about war situations, active shooters, things we don't want to think about  but we know if we don't prepare, if we don't have protocols and plans in place, we're really going to be in trouble."



iciHaiti - Security : A former candidate of the PHTK executed in Arcahaie





On Monday morning, unidentified individuals entered the offices of the Civil Status Office of Arcahaie commune, where they coldly shot dead in his office, the former candidate for the deputies in the last elections under the PHTK banner Raymond Pierre Todly aka "Baron" before fleeing.



The news was confirmed by the mayor of Arcahaie, Rosemila Petit-Frere.



TB/ iciHaiti





















iciHaiti - Tourism : PoliTour guarantees the safety of visitors





Tuesday, in accordance with the latest instructions of Michel-Ange Gedeon, the Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), Chief Commissioner Gary Verdilus of the Directorate of Tourist Police (PoliTour), met with the Head of Airport Detachment, Service Managers and Heads of Posts of the Unit to work on strategies for the 2018 summer period.



The Tourist Police, is already very visible in many cultural events as well as in country festivals across the country in recent days, is working hard to ensure the safety of visitors to Haiti in this summer period 2018.



Let's recall that the PoliTour, created under the Minister of Tourism Stephanie Balmir Villedrouin in 2013 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8356-haiti-security-acceleration-of-the-creation-of-the-tourist-police.html has for mission is to monitor the tourist sites and monuments of the country, guide tourists and take action against any individual adversely affecting the tourism sector, will celebrate its 5th anniversary next autumn.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24558-haiti-security-the-agents-of-politour-learn-to-swim.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23514-haiti-security-graduation-of-the-3rd-promotion-of-the-tourist-police.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-22253-icihaiti-security-the-tourist-police-celebrates-its-4th-anniversary.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11025-haiti-tourism-2nd-promotion-of-the-politour.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-10850-haiti-tourism-new-taxis-and-politour-in-toussaint-louverture-international-airport.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9540-haiti-security-graduation-of-the-first-promotion-of-the-tourist-police.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8356-haiti-security-acceleration-of-the-creation-of-the-tourist-police.html



IH/ iciHaiti

















The emergency relief from Chinese government to Laos is unloaded from a Chinese cargo plane at the Wattay International Airport, in Lao capital Vientiane, on July 30, 2018. The humanitarian emergency relief of the Chinese government's assistance for the flooded southern Laos was handed over to the Lao side on Monday in Lao capital Vientiane. The aid includes 100 boats, 500 tents and 100 water clarifiers. (Xinhua/Zhang Jianhua)

VIENTIANE, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The humanitarian emergency relief of the Chinese government's assistance for the flooded southern Laos was handed over to the Lao side on Monday in Lao capital Vientiane.

The aid, carried by a Boeing-747 cargo plane of China Eastern Airlines, includes 100 boats, 500 tents and 100 water clarifiers.

The relief handover ceremony was held at the airport apron of Vientiane Wattay International Airport.

Wang Wentian, Chinese ambassador to Laos, said at the ceremony that China and Laos are good brothers who can go through thick and thin together, and whenever there is hardship, the two nations always share the same hardship, and support each other.

The Chinese people are caring a lot about the situation of the Lao people in the disaster-stricken south. To assist the Lao government's efforts to rescue and help the affected people, the Chinese government has decided to immediately provide humanitarian aid to the Lao side, the Chinese ambassador said.

"I hope that the relief, full of profound friendship from the Chinese people, will play a useful role in the Lao government's relief efforts," Wang said.

In her speech delivered at the ceremony, Lao Deputy Minister for Labor and Social Welfare Baikham Khattiya thanked China for its selfless and generous assistance.

After the floods in Attapeu Province in southern Laos broke out, China firstly offered Laos a helping hand, which once again reflects the sound friendship between the two governments and the two peoples, Baikham said, adding that the Lao side will make proper use of the Chinese relief supplies, to help the people in the disaster areas to resume normal production and living activities as soon as possible.

On July 23, a saddle dam of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric power project, invested by South Korean, Thai and Lao companies, burst, unleashing 5 billion cubic meters of water from the mountain to 13 villages of Sanamxay district downstream the Xe Pian River, some 560 km southeast of Vientiane.

Six villages were almost submerged by the muddy flood with 13,000 villagers being affected. Till Monday, 11 people have been confirmed dead and 120 others remain missing in the dam collapse accident.

3

1

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]Senate President Bukola Saraki has finally dumped the after the ruling All Progressives Congress for his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party after extensive consultations. There have been speculations that Saraki will leave the ruling party this week, and news of his defection today may not have come as a surprise to many.

The Senate president noted that he could not longer stay in APC because of some internal element and hence his defection.

While I take full responsibility for this decision, I will like to emphasise that it is a decision that has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist, Saraki said.

They have done everything to ensure that the basic rules of party administration, which should promote harmonious relations among the various elements within the party were blatantly disregarded.

Many have taken to social media to express their thoughts on Sarakis defection. A good number hailed the senate president for granted decision while some others say, Sarakis movement is selfless.

See reactions below

https://twitter.com/OsasCruz/status/1024362928978493440?s=19

The PDP just signed World best player, Ballon D'or winner, Champions League Winner, Nike ambassador, Cristiano Ronaldo(Senate President, Bukola Saraki) into their team. PDP also signed Marcelo (National Publicity Secretary And Spokesman of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi) into PDP!   ! (@JStyleG_) July 31, 2018

https://twitter.com/Rouvafe/status/1024375262467772416?s=19

The defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his protege, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, from APC to PDP isnt surprising to many people. It is something that is bound to happen.  Muhd El-Bonga Ibrahim (@el_bonga) July 31, 2018A Nigerian Music Promoter, identified on Instagram as @Solokeysent based in the US has called out Femi Kuti for him owing him money.

He also went further to accuse Femi Kuti of sleeping with under-aged girls and also his female dancers.

The accusation is coming few days after the musician cried out about a band member of his who took off few hours to his New York concert, almost ruining the show,

According to @Solokeysent, going by Femi Kutis character, he doesnt blame the band member who took off.

See screenshot of his Instagram post below:

Leave a Comment

commentsThe Ogun state police command has arrested Julius Ochim, for impregnating his own daughter, names withheld. The daughter was said to have reported to the police and that was how her 45year-old father was arrested.

Ogun State police spokesman, Oyeyemi Abimbola, confirmed the arrest.

According to Oyeyemi, the man was arrested following a complaint by his daughter who reported at Shagamu Police Division that her father has been having carnal knowledge of her for the past eight years after the death of her mother in 2009, consequent upon which she got pregnant for him and gave birth to a baby girl three years ago.

She stated further that her father used to threaten her with cultural implication of refusing him to sleep with her. Upon the receipt of the report, the DPO Shagamu Division, CSP Aduroja Moses, led detectives to the residence of the man where he was arrested.

On interrogation, the suspect confessed to committing the crime but blame it all on the devils handwork. He confessed to have been sleeping with the girl since the demise of his wife and that he started having problem with the girl when she started going out with another person whom she said she wants to get married to.

He confessed that the he was trying to prevent the girl from getting married so as to continue having his way with her.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police CP Ahmed Iliyasu has directed that the suspect be transferred to Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of State Criminal investigation and intelligence department for further investigation and prosecution of the suspect.Lauretta Onochie, president Muhammadu Buharis aide on social media had taken to Twitter earlier to rejoice that senate president president, Bukola Saraki has decamped.

Saraki, broke the internet yesterday after news of his defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC back to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP emerged. Lauretta in her post said Saraki has returned to his vomit by moving back to the PDP and was followed swiftly by Kwara state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed.

She wrote;

https://twitter.com/Laurestar/status/1024379669074857985

However, some of her followers regarded her dancing as pains, saying the only reason she hasnt moved yet is because no party will accept her. They wrote:

Such disrespect for your former party member?

What happened to the honor amongst thieves? I know you have to merit your salary but show some decorum please.

This is an all-time low.  NwaAmaikpe (@NwaAmaikpe) July 31, 2018

But when he decamp from PDP to APC in 2015, and used his looted money to sponsor Buharis candidacy , saraki was a nationalist, and Democrat . hypocrites.  Thomas Goji (@goji_thomas) July 31, 2018

Lauretta, u are next potential target in d transfer market. Apparently, its a low division side that submitted an offer for u Obviously bcoz of ur record of bad tackles & own goals.   Obidanlive (@Obayinokoko) July 31, 2018

Enjoy your sleepless night Madam. This will go on to show you that your principal is loosing his grip. If you love him ask him to go and rethink for all is not well  mpapamieari benibo (@mpapamieariben1) July 31, 2018Blockchain chain link 320 x 215

Entrepreneurs, start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises have increasingly turned to non-traditional funding sources, such as financial services made available by financial technology (FinTech) companies, to finance their ventures.

As a result, a Financial Technology Institutions Law (FinTech Law) was passed during the early months of 2018 with the intention of providing legal certainty to Mexicos FinTech companies. It regulates their organisation and operation, while also bringing the activities performed by FinTech companies under the regulatory purview of the Mexican Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) and Mexicos Central Bank (Banxico), with the main goal of protecting investors and solicitors, providing stability to the financial system and preventing money laundering activities.

FinTech companies are now required to obtain a license from the CNBV to operate in Mexico, which is only granted if it is pre-approved by an interdisciplinary committee composed of officers of the CNBV, Banxico and the Ministry of Finance. While secondary legislation is still expected, in order to be eligible to obtain such a license under current rules, FinTech companies must be incorporated as Mexican corporations (sociedades anonimas) and specifically include in their bylaws that their business purpose is to perform any of the activities regulated under the FinTech Law.

Prior to the entry into force of the FinTech Law, most Mexican FinTech companies had been operating in a regulatory limbo, struggling to fit their business activities within the scope of Mexican law. The FinTech Law mainly regulates two types of FinTech companies: (i) crowdfunding institutions; and (ii) electronic payment companies.

Specifically, crowdfunding institutions are defined as those that carry out activities to bring together investors and solicitors through IT platforms or electronic means in order to obtain or provide funding. The FinTech Law only recognises three categories of crowdfunding activities that can be performed through licensed FinTech companies: (i) debt crowdfunding (also known as peer-to-peer lending); (ii) equity crowdfunding; and (iii) profit sharing crowdfunding. This seems to leave other types of crowdfunding (e.g. donation-based, reward-based or cryptocurrency-based) in a regulatory grey area.

From a tax perspective, the main challenge that licensed FinTech companies operating in the crowdfunding space are facing relate to being able to set up a corporate structure that allows them to be taxed only on the service fee or commission earned, while also allowing their investors to be taxed according to their specific tax nature, rather than subjecting all investors uniformly to corporate taxes at the level of the FinTech companies and then exposing them to dividend taxes, which can lead to effective tax rates of more than 50% for individuals or foreign investors.

To a large extent, this issue is caused by the requirement imposed by the FinTech Law that all licensed FinTech companies should be incorporated as Mexican corporations, as these are entities with legal personality that are not pass-through for tax purposes (i.e. not tax transparent) from a Mexican perspective. As such, the law does not allow for the taxing of income obtained by FinTech companies in the hands of the investors, as if they had obtained the income directly.

While the FinTech Law does allow licensed crowdfunding companies to act as mandataries of their clients, which could somehow seem to be a solution as the crowdfunding companies would be receiving payments from the solicitors on behalf and for the benefit of the investors and, therefore, should not liable to corporate taxes on such income, this alternative entails many practical difficulties. For instance, solicitors may be required to withhold taxes from payments made to the crowdfunding companies, taking into consideration the nature of each investor, but have no visibility as to the identity of the investors, while at the same time being burdened with having to issue individualised invoices and withholding certificates to all investors.

Other types of vehicles seem more appropriate for these types of ventures from a Mexican tax perspective. For instance, Mexican trusts could be ideal from a tax perspective, as tax transparency can generally be achieved to the extent they do not carry on entrepreneurial activities in Mexico. However, Mexican trusts have rigorous know-your-customer policies that in practice are difficult to meet because most investors in crowdfunding structures are individuals that provide little information about themselves.

A similar result could be achieved using foreign limited partnerships with no legal personality in their country of residence (e.g. Canadian or Cayman limited partnerships). This is because tax transparency can also generally be achieved provided they do not carry on entrepreneurial activities in Mexico, but it is unlikely that Mexican regulators would be willing to issue rules that would have them supervise a foreign vehicle, as opposed to a Mexican entity.

Perhaps the most straightforward solution would be for the Mexican tax authorities to issue rules to extend the tax treatment awarded under Mexican tax legislation for Mexican investment funds to licensed FinTech companies operating in the crowdfunding space, as Mexican investment funds are also required to be incorporated as corporations, but are not considered taxpayers for income tax purposes on certain types of income, which allows their investors to be taxed according to their individual tax nature.

While the regulators seem to be taking the right steps to establish a much needed legal framework to foster innovative financial services, it appears that a similar effort is needed from the tax authorities to issue regulations that are tailored to an industry that is like no other in order to promote its development.

Oscar A. Lopez Velarde (olopezvelarde@ritch.com.mx)

Santiago Diaz Rivera Bravo (sdiazrivera@ritch.com.mx)

Ritch, Mueller, Heather y Nicolau, SC

www.ritch.com.mx

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Share this articleVancouver, British Columbia - August 1, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) SilverCrest Metals Inc. (TSXV: SIL.V; OTCQX: SVCMF) ("SilverCrest" or the "Company") announces the resignation of Dunham Craig from the Board of Directors of the Company. The Company wishes to sincerely thank Mr. Craig for his tremendous contribution and services as a director and wishes him all the best in his future.

N. Eric Fier, CEO of SilverCrest, remarked, "Dunham has been critical to the success of the SilverCrest story for the last several years and he will be truly missed. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

ABOUT SILVERCREST METALS INC.

SilverCrest is a Canadian precious metals exploration company headquartered in Vancouver, BC, that is focused on new discoveries, value-added acquisitions and targeting production in Mexico's historic precious metal districts. The Company's current focus is on the high-grade, historic Las Chispas mining district in Sonora, Mexico. SilverCrest is the first company to successfully drill-test the historic Las Chispas Project resulting in numerous discoveries. The Company is led by a proven management team in all aspects of the precious metal mining sector, including taking projects through discovery, finance, on time and on budget construction, and production.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. These include, without limitation, statements with respect to: the strategic plans, timing and expectations for the Company's exploration, rehabilitation and drilling programs of the Las Chispas Property, including drilling test water wells, permitting for various work, and optimizing and updating the Company's resource model; information with respect to high grade areas and size of veins projected from underground sampling results and drilling results; and the accessibility of future mining at the Las Chispas Property. Such forwardlooking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: the conditions in general economic and financial markets; availability of skilled labour; timing and amount of expenditures related to rehabilitation and drilling programs; and effects of regulation by governmental agencies. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors including: the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities; the interpretation of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

N. Eric Fier, CPG, P.Eng

Chief Executive Officer

SilverCrest Metals Inc.

For Further Information:

SilverCrest Metals Inc.

Contact: Fred Cooper, Investor Relations

Telephone: +1 (604) 694-1730

Fax: +1 (604) 357-1313

Toll Free: 1-866-691-1730 (Canada & USA)

Email: info@silvercrestmetals.com

Website: www.silvercrestmetals.com

570 Granville Street, Suite 501

Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3P1

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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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: http://www.bcsc.bc.ca/release.aspx?id=6894. Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country.

Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: http://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.aspEarlier this year, IoT technology company Mainflux won a Serbian Innovation Fund grant funding the development of a new IoT gateway, powered by the EdgeX Foundry platform.

Called the MFX-1, the gateway is being developed from the ground up as an open source IoT solution capable of both server-side and edge computing.

One of 24 out of 137 projects to be given grants, Mainfluxs gateway concept competed with technology across software and application development, information-communication technologies, mechanics and mechanical engineering, new materials, and nanotechnology.

Operational since 2011, the Innovation Fund has been a pioneering effort to operationalize and institutionalize Serbian Government Innovation Imperative Strategy imperative, first by increasing the capacity of startups and resources available for their growth.

The combination of Mainfluxs IoT platform and its IoT Gateway based on EdgeX will provide a Mainflux IIoT System, leading open source full-featured system for IoT solutions development. EdgeX Foundry is a vendor neutral open source project building a common interoperability framework to facilitate an ecosystem for Internet of Things (IoT) edge computing. At the heart of the project is an interoperability framework hosted within a full hardware- and OS-agnostic reference software platform to enable an ecosystem of plug-and-play components that unifies the marketplace and accelerates the deployment of IoT solutions.

It is important to emphasize that MFX-1 IoT Edge Gateway will be powered by The Linux Foundations EdgeX Foundry framework, said Drasko Draskovic, Founder of Mainflux and the chief architect of the Mainflux IoT Platform and MFX-1 gateway. Although these gateways can be deployed to run on a standard hardware, Mainflux is developing an optimized hardware platform to create an overall low-cost industrial IoT gateway solution Draskovic added.

Mainflux is highly secure, scalable, open-source IoT platform written in Go and deployed in Docker. It serves as software infrastructure and set of microservices for development of the Internet of Things Solutions and deployment of Intelligent products.

Since obtaining the grant in the beginning of the year, Mainflux has been working on several fields in parallel, integrating them together, partnering with Solid Run and working together on the hardware solution with Quad 1GHz NXP i.MX6 ARM A9 with 2GB RAM and 8GB eMMC.

Industrical IoT use cases are targeted, including indoor and outdoor installations in the most challenge conditions  on oil rigs, or in agricultural fields, or in remote areas of the energy grid. rough condition -

The gateway will support various types of wired and wireless connectivity radio modules and protocols including WiFi, BLE, 3G/4G, CAT-M, NB-IoT and LoRa.

With HW ready and functional, and enabled with U-Boot and Linux support via Yocto-crafted lean custom distribution, we were capable to run on the Go version of EdgeX tagged to an official California release, Drasko Draskovic, Founder of Mainflux We also developed MQTT connectors for EdgeX and connected the gateways with Mainflux IoT platform instances running in the cloud. From there we have continued work on System Management Service and we are working closely with EdgeX community in defining the APIs and specifications needed for implementation of this service.

In parallel the company and EdgeX team are working on the implementation of a cloud application, a specific vertical solution for fleet management of EdgeX gateways. The backend includes a set of Dockerized microservices written in Go and with domain-driven architecture implemented via go-kit with the frontend and application-specific UI written in Angular.

The whole solution will be offered as a Software-as-a-Service, running in the cloud and enabling management of thousands remotely dispersed EdgeX gateways and sensors and actuators connected to them, Draskovic continued. Together with the MFX-100 hardware and open-source Mainflux IoT platform well offer a turnkey solution for industrial IoT set up - from the edge to the cloud.

The company expects the MFX-100 solution to be commercially available in Q1 2019.

The EUs support for the Innovation Fund has been instrumental in advancing Serbias innovation financing and promoting better integration between the research and private sectors. The Fund is thus an important step towards closer links between Serbias and EUs research communities and innovation ecosystems.

The Mainflux project has been financed by the Innovation Fund from the budget of the Republic of Serbia from the division of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, through the Serbia Competitiveness and Jobs Project (loan agreement with the World Bank).

Edited by Ken BriodaghThe latest numbers from Canalys and IDC point Huawei surpassing Apple to become the worlds second largest smartphone vendor in Q2, 2018. The company shipped 54 million smartphones in the quarter ending April-June, up 41 percent from last year.

In the same time period, Apple shipped 41 million iPhones thereby registering a mere 1 percent YoY growth. As for market leader Samsung, it saw its shipments decline by 8 percent to 73 million.

Huaweis strong performance can be attributed to its latest flagship handset, the P20, which has been selling strongly. It is estimated that Huawei has shipped 7 million units of the P20 and P20 Pro combined since their launch. The companys online-only Honor sub-brand has also been doing extremely well in China and Europe, and it now makes a significant contribution to the total number of smartphones that Huawei ships every quarter.

Huaweis impressive performance does not mean Apple had a bad quarter. Despite the iPhone X receiving a lukewarm response, the company saw a 1 percent increase in its iPhone shipments during Q2, 2018. Plus, the iPhone X has helped push Apples ASP up and generated more profits for it. And despite its $999 price tag, the handset has continued to remain the most popular iPhone every quarter since its release last year. It is also important to note that Q2 has seasonally been weak for Apple since this is the last quarter before it unveils its yearly iPhone refresh, and thus, many potential buyers end up holding back on their purchase.

With Apple expected to unveil a trio of new iPhones in September, including a budget 6.1-inch LCD variant, the company is all set to reclaim its position in the smartphone market from Huawei in Q3. The launch of a cheaper iPhone will give Apples smartphone business a volume boost that should comfortably place it in the second position even in the offseason.

[Via IDCThe event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, who was on an official visit to Singapore from July 30-31, and Singaporean Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Grace Fu, along with hundreds of guests.

In his opening remarks, Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh said over the past 45 years, the Vietnam-Singapore relationship has continuously moved forward with significant progress made in cooperation in various areas, ranging from politics to economy, trade, investment, national defence and security, education-training, and tourism.

Singapore is one of the first ASEAN nations with which Vietnam established a Strategic Partnership, he said, noting that the two countries have shared similar viewpoints and strategic visions on many major issues such as the regional structure, ASEANs central role, and the advocacy of multilateralism and the rule of law in a changing world.

Successes in bilateral economic, trade and investment collaboration have made Vietnam and Singapore indispensable partners of each other, the diplomat said.

Singapore is the leading ASEAN trade partner and the eighth largest trade global partner of Vietnam, he said, adding that Singapores projects have played a key role in Vietnams regional economic transformation.

Deputy PM Minh highlighted the nine Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) in Vietnam as a symbol of the strong bilateral economic and investment ties.

He affirmed that for each Vietnamese citizen, Singapore is a great and faithful friend. Cultural similarities have brought the two countries closer and served as a firm pillar for their relationship.

Echoing Vietnamese Deputy PM Minhs views, Singaporean Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Grace Fu, praised the growing bilateral partnership, affirming that cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchange is a highlight of their bilateral ties.

Vietnam and Singapore will step up cultural collaboration and exchange between their people in order to enhance mutual understanding and trust, thus contributing to consolidating and deepening the Strategic Partnership, she said.

The Vietnamese cultural day featured impressive art performances and paintings by Vietnamese and Singaporean artists along with dishes of Vietnamese cuisine. A highlight of the event was a drama directed by Singaporean director Chua Soo Pong and performed by Vietnamese and Singaporean artists.Focus on Lisa Netz, co-owner of The Lavish Loft

Submitted by Haleh Rabizadeh Resnick, Federation Business and Community Development Director For the Voice What was your path to South Jersey? I grew up in...

Focus on Peter Hecht Partner at Magna Legal Services

Tell me about your connection to the South Jersey Jewish Community? I actually grew up in East Brunswick, Exit 9 off the Turnpike. But weve...

Focus on Abigail Dahan: Owner of the Bake School

Tell me a bit about your life in South Jersey. I grew up in Cherry Hill. We moved here from Paris when I was six...Aftab Hussain Shaheed Army Public School & College Jobs 2018

Latest Army Public School & College Teaching Posts Muzaffarabad 2021 Aftab Hussain Shaheed Army Public School & College APS & C Muzaffarabad, Pakistan Army, Government of Pakistan required candidates for the posts of Teachers and Subject Teachers.

How to Apply on Army Public School & College Job Advertisement

Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online.



Official Website: www.ispr.gov.pk/ads

Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted.This years submissions to the contest can be either single images or photo sets, covering six topics, including Vietnams nature, material culture, intangible culture, daily life, Vietnamese Ao dai (traditional long dress) and travel with Vietjet.

The event is open to all Vietnamese people and overseas Vietnamese, as well as foreigners living in Vietnam.

Each photographer can send their photographs via e-mail to cuocthianhdisanvietnam@gmail.com before October 1.

The top 100 photos will be displayed in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang and in an online exhibition.

The awards ceremony is expected to be held in late November. The organising board will present 18 prizes, including a special prize "sky prize" with a free year on the domestic journey of Vietjet. The prize will be awarded to beautiful pictures of nature, culture, and travelling with Vietjet.

Since it was first held in 2012, the contest has attracted a large number of organisations, individuals and photographers in the country and abroad. The event has contributed to promoting the most beautiful images of Vietnam to international friends as well as raising public awareness of the importance of preserving cultural heritages and natural values.At the meeting with the RoKs Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa, Deputy PM Minh expressed his hope that the two sides would continue work together closely to implement important agreements reached during Korean President Moon Jae-ins state visit to Vietnam in March 2018.

He took this occasion to reiterate the invitation to the Korean leader to attend the World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2018 scheduled to take place in Vietnam in September.

Deputy PM Minh applauded agreements reached at recent meetings between leaders of the RoK and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) as well as between leaders of the DPRK and the US.

Vietnam is willing to coordinate and promote its role in accelerating dialogue, cooperation and denuclearization on the Korean peninsula in a bid to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the region, he stressed.

Having noted that Vietnam is the biggest partner of the RoK in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Kang highly evaluated Vietnams role and hoped that Vietnam would continue supporting peace and denuclearization on the Korean peninsula.

Meeting with Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy PM Minh once again extended his sympathy to leaders of the Lao Party, State, Government and people over great losses caused by the collapse of the Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam and believed that local residents in affected areas would overcome the aftermath and stabilize their live soon.

Both ministers highly appraised the increasingly close and practical relationship between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs and agreed to well prepare for and effectively carry out the regular consultation mechanisms at the foreign minister and deputy minister levels.

The two ministers consented to increase the exchange of information and closely coordinate with each other at regional and international forums as well as within sub-regional mechanisms.

They agreed to work with other ASEAN members to deepen the ASEAN Communitys cooperation process, strengthen solidarity, and enhance the blocs centrality and common voice in strategic matters of the region, including the East Sea issue.

At the meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, the two officials noted with pleasure that the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic partnership is developing fruitfully.

They agreed to coordinate together more closely to implement the important results reached during Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs visit to Indonesia in August 2017 and the 3rd meeting of the Vietnam-Indonesia Bilateral Cooperation Committee in April 2018, and prepare for the upcoming high-level visits.

The two ministers emphasized the need to further boost economic and trade cooperation in an effort to elevate bilateral trade to US$ 10 billion in 2020.

Marsudi welcomed Deputy PM Minhs proposals on practical measures to step up bilateral ties, including the signing of cooperation deals on trade, agriculture-fishery, security, defence and crime prevention.

They promised to coordinate closely at regional and international forums, reinforce ASEANs solidarity, maintain the blocs central role and common voice in regional issues, including the East Sea matter, and work together to prompt ASEAN and China to soon build a effective and practical Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.

Marsudi thanked Vietnam for supporting Indonesias candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2019-2020 term and reiterated her countrys backing for Vietnams bid to run for non-permanent membership of the UNSC in 2020-2021 tenure.

Meeting with Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, Minh expected that the two foreign ministries would coordinate more closely, especially in holding celebrations for the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Deputy PM Minh suggested Malaysia create favourable conditions for Vietnamese products such as rice and farm produce to enter the Malaysian market in addition to promoting cooperation in the field of oil and gas and receiving more Vietnamese guest workers.

Saifuddin expressed his wish that Malaysia and Vietnam would further boost cooperative ties in politics-diplomacy and economy-trade and affirmed that Malaysia is ready to coordinate with Vietnam in regional issues in order to ensure solidarity, unanimity and ASEANs centrality.BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Tuesday stressed resolute efforts to terminate all paid services provided by the armed forces.

Xi made the call while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on this issue.

Military's paid services generally refer to those provided by the armed forces such as kindergarten education, publishing services, and real estate rentals to the civilian sector.

The implementation allows no exception, discount or makeshift compromise, Xi said, noting that such work is a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission (CMC) aiming to strengthen the armed forces as well as an important part in reforming national defense and the armed forces.

He also stressed that ending military paid services would create a sound environment for building a strong military in the new era.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, Xi extended Army Day greetings to the personnel of the People's Liberation Army, the Armed Police Force, the militia and the reserve force. China's Army Day falls on Aug. 1.

Xi stressed that the group study session was arranged to get a better understanding of the situation and mobilize all forces to promote the work in ending military paid services.

In the last more than two years, major advances had been achieved in this regard, and the military has generally relinquished commercial activities, said Xi.

Xi highlighted the move's significance in purifying the political ecosystem in the armed forces, maintaining its nature, implementing the Party's goal of building a strong military in the new era, building the forces into world-class forces in an all-round way, and strengthening the Party's ruling status and ensuring the country's long-term stability.

Xi said that according to the set schedule, all paid services provided by the military should stop by the end of this year. At present, the momentum for related work is generally good, but the mission remains arduous.

He called for efforts to maintain the good momentum, overcome all difficulties, carry the mission through, and achieve the goal as scheduled.

He stressed that such work should be advanced in a vigorous and orderly manner and that the overall stability within the armed forces and society should be maintained.

Also, policies and regulations in this regard should be improved to ensure that there are rules to be observed and all works are done in a law-based manner, Xi said.

Legitimate rights of the armed forces and the interests of the public should be well protected, Xi said, pledging full coverage, zero tolerance, and thorough investigation of all violations detected in this cause.REDDING, Calif. - The California Fire Foundation tweeted on Twitter Tuesday expressing their gratitude of Carr Fire relief support made by celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio.

The Revenant actor tweeted on Tuesday: Thank you to the firefighters risking their lives to protect people affected by the #CarrFire #FergusonFire #CranstonFire. To donate to the @CAFireFound and help firefighters and fire victims, click here: https://bit.ly/2wZkle1 .

Thank you to the firefighters risking their lives to protect people affected by the #CarrFire #FergusonFire #CranstonFire. To donate to the @CAFireFound and help firefighters and fire victims, click here: https://t.co/8c7m4lH82x.  Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) July 31, 2018

It is unknown how DiCaprio supported the organization, the California Fire Foundation thanked Dicaprio for the helping hand saying:

Thank you @LeoDiCaprio for your ongoing support of California's firefighters!

Thank you @LeoDiCaprio for your ongoing support of California's firefighters! https://t.co/8ed3FwGGrm  CA Fire Foundation (@CAFireFound) July 31, 2018

The Carr Fire as of Tuesday, July 31, 2018, has charred more than 110,000 acres and has destroyed 884 homes in Shasta County.

California Fire Foundation Communications director, Caroll Wills, says Dicaprio has been a long time supporter to the organization.SALEM, Ore. (AP)  Lawmakers from Oregon say state legislators from across the nation are urging Congress to legalize marijuana.

In a joint statement, they said a directive they crafted was approved Wednesday by the National Conference of State Legislators at its annual meeting in Los Angeles. It calls on Congress to help legal cannabis businesses access banking services.

Oregon Senate Republican Leader Jackie Winters said the cannabis industry is making big contributions to her state's economy, and giving it access to secure banking is critical to their success.

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, so financial institutions are reluctant to provide it with banking services.

Oregon Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, a Portland Democrat, said operating as a cash-only business invites crime.

This policy directive will help guide NCSL's advocacy efforts in Washington.MEDFORD, Ore.  Visiting an area of his constituency on Tuesday that is all-but surrounded by wildfires, Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) made his case for why "sweeping improvements" to federal forest management should be included in the final form of the 2018 Farm Bill.

Those improvements sucessfully made it into the House of Representatives version of the bill, which passed the House in June. However, Walden's office says that the same changes have yet to appear in the Senate version of the bill. When the two bills are combined, the future of that aid becomes uncertain.

"The West is burning," Walden said in a letter sent on Tuesday to lawmakers who will be charged with reconciling the two bills. "Lives have been tragically lost. Homes and other property have been destroyed. Smoke is choking our skies, leaving residents of southern Oregon and elsewhere with the worst air quality in the nation. It does not have to be this way."

Congressman Walden claims that he continues to push for active forest management that would remove fuels and lessen the ongoing threat of fire and smoke for Oregonians.

"Communities across the West should not have to face the increasing threat of wildfire and choke on smoke each summer because of mismanagement of our public lands. We can do better," Walden said.

Walden cited John Bailey, a professor at Oregon State University, who testified last fall before the Energy and Commerce Committee that some areas of eastern Oregon have nearly 1,000 trees per acre on land that historically had 20 trees per acre. Walden argues that overstocked tree stands fuel the West's increasingly destructive fires.

In a meeting with Southern Oregon business owners on Thursday, Walden announced that the House Energy and Commerce Committee would hold a hearing to examine the air quality impacts of wildfire smokepointing again to his proposed improvements to forest management policy as a way to address the issue.

"Year after year, people in the West are suffering from the effects of catastrophic fire and the smoke that comes with it," said Walden in a video message. "People end up having to wear masks, stay inside, and events are canceled. It's time for Congress to act. As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I'm announcing that we are going to hold a hearing this fall to look at the health consequences of the smoke from these catastrophic wildfires."BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Changsheng Life Sciences Ltd, held responsible for illegally producing sub-standard rabies vaccines for human use, will receive severe punishment, and a long-term institutional mechanism for safeguarding drug safety will be established in the country, as decided at the State Council's executive meeting on Monday.

The meeting, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, heard report from the State Council's investigation team of its findings on the case of illegal production of rabies vaccines by Changsheng, which is located in Changchun city, Jilin Province.

The Monday meeting urged competent departments to work with local authorities to recall and destroy each and every dose of the problem vaccine that have not yet been put to use.

The meeting also called for government supervision for recalling of faulty vaccines that may have been exported by the company in question and for timely briefings made to the World Health Organization.

At the same time, thorough checks will be carried out on all the other vaccines produced by the company and any sub-standard cases uncovered will be dealt with immediately.

"The CPC central leadership and the State Council have placed high priority on tackling this case and so far the investigation has moved forward steadily," Li said, " Given the heinous nature of this incident, tough punishment must be meted out to the culprits, and a comprehensive plan be drawn up to deal with its aftermath."

So far, the investigation has found evidence that the company, in producing rabies vaccines for human use, has engaged in suspected criminal activities involving violations of approved production process, falsification of production and inspection records, and destruction of evidence, severely violating national drug standards and regulations.

The Monday meeting called for expeditious steps to impose stronger punishment and heavier fines on the company and those held accountable for the case in accordance with law, while State Council investigation group's work on the case will continue. Suspected criminals will be handed over to judicial authorities for prosecution. Those who gravely violated the law will receive jail sentences, and will be driven out of the pharmaceutical business for life.

At the same time, the government will speed up its sweeping inspections and checks on all 46 vaccine producers across China. The results will be made public in a timely fashion.

The meeting called for a thorough investigation on possible misconduct in the regulation and supervision. Any dereliction of duty will be investigated and once established, severely punished. There will be zero tolerance for law-breaking activities such as bribe-taking and illegal transfer of benefits.

"Possible criminal activities of counterfeiting and administrative dereliction of duty will be thoroughly investigated and punished with the full rigor of the law. We must make this amply clear to our people and to the international community," Li noted at the meeting.

The Monday meeting also urged competent government agencies to move quickly in formulating a detailed regulatory plan that covers the entire process of vaccine R&D, production, distribution and use to set up institutional safeguards for drug safety

"As part of efforts to handle this incident, we must carry out sweeping checks on the vaccine business and indeed the entire drug industry, and put together a long-term mechanism for drug safety by drawing on advanced international practice," Li said.

He instructed that detailed and sound plans be worked out to deal with problems arising from the incident.Danielle Kane and her boyfriend Jerry Pinksen are shown in this undated handout photo. Danielle Kane is slowly coming out of a medically induced coma after being hit with a bullet during the Danforth shooting. Kane, a student nurse and her boyfriend, nurse Jerry Pinkse rushed out of a restaurant to save a wounded woman during the rampage. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Jerry PinksenPresident Donald Trump points up to heaven as he speaks during a meeting with inner city pastors in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)EUGENE, Ore. -- Another cougar sighting was reported Wednesday morning -- this time in the area of Hendricks Hill Drive and Riverview Street.

Eugene police said a person delivering papers in that area called in at 6:44 a.m. and said they spotted what appeared to be a cougar.

The caller added that the cougar went into bushes near homes.

The Central Lane Communications Center has contacted Oregon State Police. OSP and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating.

Eugene police urge residents to be cautious and observant and to keep pets close when in natural areas.

For more information on living with wildlife, click here.LOOKINGGLASS, Ore. -- Lookingglass Elementary Schools new gymnasium is well into construction just a year and a half after the old one burned to the ground.

The new building will serve as the schools gymnasium, cafeteria, library and music room -- the same functions as the original building.

That roughly 80-year-old building caught fire in December of 2016.

Fire Marshals told the Winston-Dillard School District it was likely an electrical issue.

The school district devised a plan, got approval from insurance and guidance from the Lookingglass community before setting out to rebuild.

Superintendent Kevin Miller said they ran into an issue at the beginning when no one wanted to bid to construct their new gymnasium.

Kinda had a rough start. We put the building out for bid and initially received no bids from any contractors, Miller said. So that was tough. But we retooled, went back out, and fortunately, Todd Construction picked up the bid as a general contractor. Since then things have been moving along pretty well.

With the project now three months into construction, resident Floyd Meredith said the community is looking forward to the future.

As soon as they get maybe that modular out of here and get some of their playgrounds straightened up, itll be one of the most top-notch schools around, Meredith said.

Miller said the district had the decision to close the school or rebuild the gymnasium.

The decision to rebuild in the original location was one the school district thinks will benefit the entire community.

So the building will be used, obviously, for P.E., for music, food service, but also the community can fill out a facility-use request, Miller said. Many events, community events, can happen in this building.

Miller said the building should be completed in December of this year, and theyll hopefully have it open in January of 2019.OREGON -- The South Umpqua Complex Fire continues to grow in Douglas County, and fires are burning throughout the state of Oregon.

The South Umpqua Complex burning in Douglas and Jackson counties is now at 14,000 acres and remains only 16 percent contained. Evacuation notices are in place there.

Level three evacuations have been ordered for residents near the Sugar Pine Fire near Prospect in Jackson County. Level three means those residents should leave immediately.

The Garner Complex Fire in southern Oregon also continues to burn, and the air quality in that area is still unhealthy and hazardous, officials say.

The complex fire is 65 percent contained and holding at just less than 9,000 acres. Crews hope to have it fully contained by next week.

Crews say they are starting to get a handle on the Taylor Creek Fire, which split from the Garner Complex.

The Taylor Creek Fire is 20 percent contained as of Aug. 1. Its burning nearly 30,000 acres, and nearly 1,000 people are under evacuation notice.

More crews from the Oregon State Fire Marshals Office are moving in to battle the flames.

The fire is growing, and crews worked through the night to make sure the blaze didnt hop the Rogue River.

When you live in the midst of it, you want to see what the fire is all about and you can actually see what theyre doing, resident Sharon Misfeldt said.

Sharon and her husband Bob live in a level three evacuation zone near the Taylor Creek Fire. They said living so close to the fire is anything but easy, but they said watching crews work to put it out brings them some peace of mind.

With these and other fires burning throughout the state, Congressman Greg Walden is calling on his colleagues in the Senate to approve farther-reaching forest management practices.

Walden walked along the outside of the Garner Complex Fire Tuesday, seeing the destruction firsthand.

Walden spoke at the Erickson hangar base in Medford.

Hes pushing for active forest management that would remove fuel and lessen the ongoing threat of fire and smoke.

The bill includes in the House version up to 6,000 acres where you can do expedited treatments and get ahead to the fuel loads out there, Walden said. So when a fire occurs, we know it will be more natural and we can fight it quicker.

Walden said his new reforms would include cleaning up after a fire and requiring replanting of our forests.

The bill would also fund responses to insect and disease infestation, watershed protection and hazardous fuels reduction.PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A Portland man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of his girlfriend's 2-year-old son has been sentenced to a decade in prison.

Taylor Kraig made no statement at Tuesday's sentencing in Multnomah County.

The toddler, Zackariah Daugherty, died in August 2016 from injuries he sustained while Kraig was caring for him. The toddler's mother, Amanda Daugherty, was working that day.

The mother attended the sentencing, but was too distraught to read her statement.

The statement read by the prosecutor said: "I will never understand why he had to be taken from me. I know he lives on because I see pieces of him everywhere I go. I just wish he was actually here with me. Without my Zack, I will never be the same."Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in Beijing Monday, hailing the positive progress in China-UK ties and substantial cooperation in all areas.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in Beijing on July 30, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua/Ding Haitao]

Li said that as permanent members of the UN Security Council and two of the world's major economies, China and Britain have the responsibility to uphold the international order and systems based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core.

"China and Britain should jointly adhere to multilateralism, safeguard an open world economy, and add constructive forces for stability in the world," Li said during the meeting.

China expects to advance all-round development of bilateral relations and cooperation with Britain, in a principle of mutual respect and equal treatment, Li stressed.

He called on the two sides to make a good use of each other's advantages and expand cooperation in various areas, and take the opportunity of the launch of the Shanghai-London Stock Connect within the year to cultivate new growth points for cooperation and achieve win-win results.

"China will work to create a better business environment for foreign companies in the country, including those from Britain," Li said, hoping Britain to provide a sound system guarantee for Chinese companies to invest in the United Kingdom.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in Beijing on July 30, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua/Ding Haitao]

Hunt, who was on his first China visit as British foreign secretary, hailed the development of "Golden Era" of bilateral relations.

Britain looks forward to the annual meeting of the two heads of government next year, and is willing to continue cementing political trust with China and synergizing development strategies, said Hunt.

Given the international situation stands at a critical point, Britain and China should enhance communication and coordination, jointly uphold multilateralism, free trade, and safeguard the international order based on rules, he said.

Hunt co-chaired the ninth China-UK Strategic Dialogue with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Monday.SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Lawmakers from Oregon say state legislators from across the nation are urging Congress to legalize marijuana.

In a joint statement, they said a directive they crafted was approved Wednesday by the National Conference of State Legislators at its annual meeting in Los Angeles. It calls on Congress to help legal cannabis businesses access banking services.

Oregon Senate Republican Leader Jackie Winters said the cannabis industry is making big contributions to her state's economy, and giving it access to secure banking is critical to their success.

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, so financial institutions are reluctant to provide it with banking services.

Oregon Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, a Portland Democrat, said operating as a cash-only business invites crime.

This policy directive will help guide NCSL's advocacy efforts in Washington.GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- The Taylor Creek Fire near Grants Pass has grown to nearly 27,000 acres.

Over 1,100 firefighters are on the scene of the blaze, which is only 20 percent contained.

Nearly 1,000 people are being told to evacuate.

More crews from the Oregon State Fire Marshals Office are moving in to battle the flames.China is willing to maintain friendly policies towards Malaysia to deepen cooperation and benefit people of both countries, said visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday when meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Saifuddin Abdullah.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with his Malaysian counterpart Saifuddin Abdullah in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

As two nations with traditional friendship, both China and Malaysia are developing countries, whose shared interests far outweigh differences, said Wang, adding Sino-Malaysian relations are of "strategic significance."

With the establishment of a new Malaysian government, Sino-Malaysian relations now stand at a new starting point. China is ready to enhance high-level exchanges between the two governments and lay out a blueprint for the development of future relations, Wang said.

Wang also expressed his appreciation for Malaysia's support of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying the joint efforts of China and Malaysia, as natural partners in undertaking the initiative, will open up even greater prospects for cooperation between the two countries and contribute to common development.

He noted that the two sides should encourage and support the businesses of both countries in more active cooperation.

Wang also highlighted Malaysia's role in regional and global affairs, saying China is ready to work with Malaysia to make sure that the upcoming Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Singapore will yield concrete results and send a clear message of supporting multilateralism and free trade.

For his part, Saifuddin said the two countries have traditional friendship and the bilateral relations have achieved significant developments in recent years, delivering benefits to the people of two countries.

Malaysia sees China as a good neighbor and an important partner and the new Malaysian government has attached great significance to the bilateral relations, said Saifuddin.

Regarding Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's upcoming visit to China, Saifuddin said Malaysia looks forward to working closely with the Chinese side to make the visit successful, to enhance friendship and to deepen friendly cooperation in areas including trade, tourism, culture and education so as to bring the bilateral ties to a new high, which is not only beneficial to the two peoples but is also positive for ASEAN, regional cooperation and the world.

Saifuddin also reiterated that Malaysia will actively support and participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.

China is the closest partner of cooperation for ASEAN, and Malaysia welcomes and hopes that China will continue to play an important role for regional peace and stability as well as common development, he said.OLMSTED COUNTY, Minn.  One person suffered non-life threatening injuries during a two-vehicle crash Tuesday.

The Minnesota State Patrol said a Chevy Cobalt driven by 19-year-old Omnya Hussein was northbound to Highway 63 on the ram from Olmsted County Rd. 16 when it collided with a northbound Honda Odyssey van driven by 55-year-old Sophorn Pho.

Pho was transported to St. Marys Hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Hussein wasnt injured.WORTH COUNTY, Iowa  A vehicle observed dragging corn stalks and driving erratically led to the arrest of two people early Wednesday morning.

The Worth County Sheriffs Office said after the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee was pulled over at 1:39 a.m. at 12th Ave. S and Highway 65, it was determined that the vehicle, driven by Blake Peterson, of Fort Dodge, had driven through a cornfield causing a quite a bit of damage to the crop.

Peterson later admitted to swallowing a  gram of methamphetamine prior to being stopped. A passenger in the vehicle, Cody Peterson, of Carpenter, was later found to be in possession of meth, drug paraphernalia, and other items such as brass knuckles, a wooden club, a crow bar, several flashlights and miscellaneous tools.

Blake Peterson is facing charges for OWI, criminal mischief, reckless driving, no insurance and driving on the wrong side of a two-lane highway.

Cody Peterson is facing charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.ALBERT LEA, Minn.  Separate trials are set for two men arrested after a southern Minnesota robbery led to a cross-border chase.

Tony Viramonh, 30 of Austin, and Joshua James Allen, 31 of Austin, are both charged with 1st degree aggravated robbery and ineligible person in possession of a firearm. Viramonh is also charged with fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. Albert Lea police say the men entered a home in the 300 block of 2nd Street East on the evening of June 24, pulled out 9 millimeter handguns, and pistol whipped the victim until forcing him to take his television and put it in Allens vehicle.



Joshua Allen Joshua Allen

Police say one of the guns was apparently fired at some point, with a bullet hole in the living room floor and a bullet found in the basement of the house.

After the robbery, police say Viramonh and Allen drove away from an attempted traffic stop and began a pursuit that lasted 20 minutes, covered 29 miles going into Iowa and then back into Minnesota, and hit speeds as high as 100 miles per hour. Police say they only stopped when their vehicle ran over stop sticks that had been placed in the road and the two men were apprehended at gunpoint.

Viramonhs trial has been set for September 25, while Allen is scheduled to stand trial on September 11.ROCHESTER, Minn.  A 33-year-old female was robbed and assaulted while walking home late Tuesday night.

Authorities say the woman was near 18th Ave. and 41st St. NW and was on her way home after going out for drinks at Broadway Pizza.

The woman noticed three males talking in a different language (possibly Somalian) and was on the phone with her sister when she was pushed to the ground, kicked in the face and robbed.

The suspects, described as being 18-22 years old and close to 6-foot, stole $100 and a debit card, according to authorities.

The woman suffered a facial laceration to her lower lip.A reception was held by the Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which falls on Aug. 1.

A reception is held by Chinese Ministry of National Defense to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Beijing, capital of China, July 31, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

On behalf of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission, State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe extended Army Day greetings to the personnel of the PLA, the Armed Police Force, the reserve force, the militia, veterans, army heroes and role models, among others.

China will firmly stay on the path of peaceful development, pursue a national defense policy that is in nature defensive, and work with other countries to promote the Belt and Road Initiative, Wei said at the reception.

China will promote the building of a new type of international relations, build a community with a shared future for humanity, and continue its efforts to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and uphold international order, he noted.

There is only one China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, said the defense minister, pledging that the PLA has the resolve, the confidence, and the ability to defeat separatist attempts for "Taiwan independence" in any form and any external interference.

The army will stay true to its founding mission and work hard to build the people's forces into world-class forces, Wei said.BREMER CO, Iowa- The Bremer County Attorney says he has received the conflict of interest complaint against Mitchell County Attorney Mark Walk.

The complaint, which was filed by Candidate for Mitchell County Supervisor Al Winters, was originally filed with Walk but had to be given to an out-of-county attorney to investigate.

The complaint says the conflict of interest arises from the relationship between Mitchell County Supervisor Stan Walk and Mitchell County Attorney Mark Walk have with the North Iowa Regional and Economic & Port Authority, otherwise known as the Port Authority.

Those with the Bremer County Attorneys Office say this will take a weeks to complete the investigation estimating to be complete by mid-August to early September.

County Attorney Kasey Wadding says he does have experience investigating similar cases in the past.MASON CITY, Iowa - It's an idea that many employers, including some in Mason City, North Iowa and Southern Minnesota, are starting to implement to attract more job candidates: loosening hiring requirements such as college degrees or specific skill sets for some positions.

For Alicia Thomson, who is a high school graduate, it was a welcome sight when she found a few positions working with special needs school children, and was hired.

"Being a paraeducator and working with those students was just one of the best times of my life. If they wouldn't have given me the training, I wouldn't have had that ability."

Thomson says it's a positive step for employers to include those who may not have a degree or necessary skills and help them train on the job.

"I think those people who go and get those degrees, they show that dedication that they can start something and get it completed. But on top of that, you have your life experiences that really add that extra layer."

Patti Hanson is the Regional Workforce Director for Iowa Works, which helps anyone find a job regardless of education. She says that employers are wanting to expand their pool of potential candidates to fill in-demand positions, and has seen some success with it.

"We test for a lot of the same things that they would have...that they would have somebody with a high school diploma would come to them with. And we offer a lot of workshops in conjunction with that here at our Iowa Works Center to help them prepare for that job readiness."

Thomson says that regardless if you have a degree or GED, there's one ultimate factor in an employee - work ethic.

"You learn that as you grow up in life, and I see a really strong work ethic here in Iowa. I think that's really important."

Hanson adds that another reason employers are looking into loosening up requirements is because applicants may have not tested well in school, or didn't go to college due to timing and personal reasons.SEATTLE (AP)  A federal judge on Tuesday stopped the release of blueprints to make untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns as President Donald Trump questioned whether his administration should have agreed to allow the plans to be posted online.

The company behind the plans, Austin, Texas-based Defense Distributed, had reached a settlement with the federal government in June allowing it to make the plans for the guns available for download on Wednesday.

The restraining order from U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle puts that plan on hold for now. "There is a possibility of irreparable harm because of the way these guns can be made," he said.

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson called the ruling "a complete, total victory."

"We were asking for a nationwide temporary restraining order putting a halt to this outrageous decision by the federal government to allow these 3D downloadable guns to be available around our country and around the world. He granted that relief," Ferguson said at a news conference after the hearing. "That is significant."

Eight Democratic attorneys general had filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the settlement. They also sought the restraining order, arguing the 3D guns would be a safety risk.

Congressional Democrats have urged President Donald Trump to reverse the decision to publish the plans. Trump said Tuesday that he's "looking into" the idea, saying making 3D plastic guns available to the public "doesn't seem to make much sense!"

Trump tweeted that he has already spoken with the National Rifle Association about the downloadable directions a Texas company wants to provide for people to make 3D-printed guns. The guns are made of a hard plastic and are simple to assemble, easy to conceal and difficult to trace.

"We don't agree with President Trump very much," Washington state Assistant Attorney General Jeff Rupert told Lasnik, "but when he tweeted 'this doesn't make much sense,' that's something we agree with."

After a yearslong court battle, the State Department in late June settled the case against Defense Distributed.

The settlement, which took gun-control advocates by surprise, allowed the company to resume posting blueprints for the hard-plastic guns at the end of July. Those plans were put on hold by the Seattle judge's decision.

During the hearing in Seattle, Eric Soskin, a lawyer for the U.S. Justice Department, said they reached the settlement to allow the company to post the material online because the regulations were designed to restrict weapons that could be used in war, and the online guns were no different from the weapons that could be bought in a store.

Since the weapons "did not create a military advantage," he told the judge, "how could the government justify regulating the data?"

But Rupert said a restraining order would keep the plans away from people who have learned about the technology and want to use it to get around gun laws.

Hours before the restraining order was issued, Democrats sounded the alarm, warning about "ghost guns" that can avoid detection and pose a deadly hazard.

The company's website had said downloads would begin Wednesday, but blueprints for at least one gun  a plastic pistol called the Liberator  have been posted on the site since Friday. A lawyer for the company said he didn't know how many blueprints had been downloaded since then.

Outrage over the administration decision is putting gun control back into the election-year political debate, but with a high-tech twist.

The president seemed to express surprise. He said on Twitter he was looking into the idea of a company providing plans to the public for printing guns, and he said it "doesn't seem to make much sense!"

Democrats agreed and said Trump had the power to stop it.

Some Republicans also expressed concern.

"Even as a strong supporter of the Second Amendment  this is not right," Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski tweeted, linking to a news story on the guns.

The NRA said in a statement that "anti-gun politicians" and some members of the news media wrongly claim that 3D printing technology "will allow for the production and widespread proliferation of undetectable plastic firearms."

In truth, "undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years," said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA's political arm. A federal law passed in 1988  crafted with NRA support  bars the manufacture, sale or possession of an undetectable firearm.

Trump spokesman Hogan Gidley made much the same point, saying the administration supports the law against wholly plastic guns, including those made with a 3D printer.

But Democrats called the law weak and said gun users can get around it by using weapons with a removable metal block that the gun doesn't need in order to function.

Democrats filed legislation that would prohibit the publication of a digital file online that allows a 3D printer to manufacture a firearm. Democrats also filed a separate bill to require that all guns have at least one non-removable component made of metal so they can be discovered by metal detectors.

People can use the blueprints to manufacture plastic guns using a 3D printer. But industry experts have expressed doubts that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns can cost thousands of dollars, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by.FOREST CITY, Iowa  A man accused of having 10 pounds of marijuana is changing his plea.

Jaime Vega Nunez, 40 of Forest City, was arrested after law enforcement searched his home on May 17 and say they found 10 pounds of pot and several kinds of drug paraphernalia.

On Tuesday, Vega Nunez entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

No sentencing date has been set. Possession with intent to distribute is a class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.ST. PAUL, Minn.  A man convicted of having sex with a teenage boy has lost in court again.

Christopher Lee Holloway, 48, was found guilty of 3rd and 4th degree criminal sexual conduct for a December 2014 incident where a Rochester woman found Holloway naked in bed with her then-14-year-old son. The boy told police he and Holloway had sex.

Holloway was sentenced in September 2016 to 15 years of supervised probation.

He appealed his conviction, claiming the Minnesota law that prevents sex crime defendants from arguing they were mistaken about their victims age if the defendant is more than 10 years older than the victim is unconstitutional and violated his rights to due process and equal protection.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals rejected that argument and now the Minnesota Supreme Court has affirmed that decision. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court again denied Holloways appeal and stated that while an older teenager or young adult might, in good faith, mistake someones age while pursuing a romantic relationship, it is appropriate to deny that defense in cases where someone is as old as Holloway and the age gap is as large as it is in his crime.ROCHESTER, Minn. - Candidates vying for the Minnesota Governor's seat made stops in Rochester on Tuesday.

DFL-endorsed Erin Murphy as well as Republican candidate and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty spent the day campaigning.

The Minnesota Primary Election is only two weeks away, on Aug. 14.

Murphy announced her "Our Promise Education Agenda," a commitment to an education system that supports all Minnesota kids and builds on Gov. Mark Dayton's legacy.

"It's important that we focus on equity and education," Murphy said, "and we know in Minnesota, that we're the second-most unequal state when it comes to education. As the governor, I want to continue the work and close the opportunity gap for every child in our schools."

Murphy comes into the race not only with the DFL endorsement, but also the support of current Gov. Dayton.

"I have no doubt she will be a fabulous governor for the state of Minnesota," Dayton said.

She knows she'll have to keep a close eye on Rochester.

"People are moving to this community," Murphy said. "Making sure we have enough housing, making sure there's the training in the workforce, that we need to fill the jobs that are coming to this part of the state, and it's a good problem to have."

Pawlenty visited the University of Minnesota Rochester, and met with students.

The former governor knows the landscape Rochester has to offer as home to Mayo Clinic, but also sees technical and trade schools as viable options for Minnesotans.

"So it is critically important, it is strategically important, it is morally important, it is economically important that we get as many as our citizens in Minnesota and in the country as educated and as skilled as possible," Pawlenty said.

Pawlenty's running mate is current Lt. Gov. Michelle Fischbach.

Some of the points on their platform include bringing tax relief to middle-income Minnesotans, not taxing social security benefits, and bringing down health care premiums.WINNESHIEK COUNTY, Iowa  A northeast Iowa man is facing multiple felony charges after an ATV crash resulted in a man going armed and threatening to harm others.

Jayme Kimber, 38, of Decorah, is facing two counts of felony going armed with intent, one count of aggravated assault while displaying a dangerous weapon and reckless driving.

It began Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. when the Winneshiek County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call about an ATV accident on 155th Ave.

When deputies arrived, the ATV was located but the driver was gone. Another 911 call was received on Middle Sattre Rd. near where the accident happened and authorities learned Kimber was on the property threatening others.

He was located in a shed amongst hay bales at around 2:45 a.m. Wednesday morning. The firearms were located and seized.ROCHESTER, Minn.  Passing a pet as a service animal is as easy as going online and buying a service animal vest for your dog.

But starting August 1, lying about a pet being a needed service animal is illegal.

One man who uses a service dog for his eye sight told KIMT this new law will help give legitimacy to people like him who genuinely need an animals help.

According to Minnesotas Council on Disability, this law will help.

Misrepresenting an animal as a service animal jeopardizes the independence and safety of people with disabilities. It also puts highly trained, expensive, and necessary service animals at risk of injury or death," said Minnesota's council on Diversity via email.

Under the new law, businesses are allowed to put up signs that have language saying all service animals are welcome but notes that brining in a fake animal is against the law.

But how do businesses spot a false service animal without being discriminatory?

Currently, under the American Disabilities Act, businesses have the right to ask two questions if they are suspicious a person is wrongfully identifying his or her pet as a service animal to get a type of privilege.

They can ask:

 Is the service animal required because of a disability?

 What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?

Businesses are not allowed to ask what a persons disability is or ask for a demonstration from the service animal.

The new law uses the federal governments definition of a service animal which means a dog. If a person claims a bird or cat is a service animal, this could be the first tip that a crime is being committed.

It is a petty misdemeanor the first time a person is caught lying about a service animal. It is a misdemeanor for every subsequent offense, which could mean a fine or light jail time.

To learn more about new Minnesota laws going into effect, click here.MASON CITY, Iowa  A man accused of abducting people and then robbing them is pleading not guilty.

Harold Victory Stinnett Jr., 28 of Clear Lake, is charged with 1st degree theft as a habitual offender.



Felix Arp Felix Arp

Mason City police say he was involved in a July 2 incident at the Yesway convenience store at 12th Street and North Carolina Avenue. Police say two men got into the car of a man and woman and ordered them to follow another vehicle to a parking lot, where the victims phones and wallets were taken.

An investigation led to a search of a home and vehicle in the 1400 block of North Hampshire Avenue and Stinnetts arrest.

His trial is set to begin on October 16.

A second defendant in this case, Felix Allen Arp, was arrested on July 13. He is also charged with 1st degree theft and has not yet entered a plea.PPX Mining's developing project in world-class mining jurisdiction

Igor Project: high grade underground mine development coupled with new gold discoveries in Northern Peru.

By Jason Smith

Modern precious metals mining has a supply problem. The discovery rate of new gold and silver deposits is declining and getting new projects into construction and operational has become more difficult.

In this environment, mining-friendly and precious-metal rich mining jurisdictions like Peru will play a pivotal role. While Peru doesnt lack the social and environmental challenges that arise with any mining project, it has an economy that depends on mining and a population that appreciates its importance as a job creator.

Moreover, the country has produced multi-million-ounce gold projects like Yanacocha, Lagunas Norte, and Pierina. Perus mineral endowment made it the number two copper, zinc, and silver producer in the world in 2017.

Ricardo Carrion, an analyst at Kallpa Securities, noted, Mining represents 15 per cent of our GDP and 60 per cent of our exports. It still has a lot of geologic potential, making Peru one of the few countries that still has a chance for big discoveries.

One company Carrion likes is PPX Mining Corp. (TSX.V: PPX), a precious metal developer and explorer with a key project, Igor, located in Perus La Libertad Department. PPX has done an excellent job of surviving the last commodity crisis and demonstrating the viability of its flagship project, says Carrion.

PPX is a company that has the potential to convert its Igor asset to cash flow via development of an existing resource and to simultaneously grow that resource through exploration. As such, it has a chance to help alleviate the industrys supply problem.

A Compelling Development Story

The development story at Igor centers on the Callanquitas structure on the property. That structure contains an underground mineable resource of 730,000 ounces of gold equivalent (448,500 ounces of gold and 16.6 million ounces of silver). That inferred resource estimate contains a smaller, higher-grade resource containing 239,400 ounces of gold and 10.5 million ounces of silver.

The company is currently in the process of collecting the bulk sample and metallurgical information it needs to put together a prefeasibility study on Callanquitas. Recent infill and resource expansion drilling on Callanquitas has yielded very high grades, which suggests that the projects resource will improve in size and confidence level when the study is released.

PPX Minings CEO and Director, Brian Maher, adds, Recent drilling appears to be increasing the confidence level of the deposit, and the new resource number in the upcoming prefeasibility study will likely include reserves.

This last point is key, as it suggests that the company can quickly move forward with a production decision once the study has been released.

Maher notes, We are working with MDA of Reno to complete this document. There will not be a long delay between receiving the official document and making a production decision. We are already in the process of ordering the needed equipment and have been very proactive anticipating what our needs will be once the study is received.

With District-Scale Exploration Upside

Adding to the excitement PPX has about Igor is the projects long-term exploration potential.

The district-scale property has several attractive targets, with the most advanced being the Portachuelos, Domo and Tesoros targets. Management is particularly enthused about Portachuelos, which lies to the south of Callanquitas and has been traced for 1.1 kilometres on strike. The potential resource here is lower grade than Callanquitas, but it extends to over 300 metres depth and its open in all directions.

Tesoros and Domo are targets that lie within a similar geologic setting to Portachuelos. All three targets will see drilling while PPX moves forward with a production decision for Callanquitas. Maher commented, Tesoros and Domo are similar targets to Portachuelos, making Igor a district-scale, multi-deposit type of project.

If the drilling for these targets in the upcoming months bears fruit, it could add a whole new wrinkle to PPXs story.

A Great Working Relationship with the Local Community

A key to advancing that story is the companys relationship with the local community. On that score, PPX appears to be ahead of the curve. Management recently signed a 10-year agreement with the nearby community of Callanquitas for exploration and mining operations in the area.

There is a 500-year history of mining in Peru, which means mining and resource extraction are part of the culture, says Maher. The people recognize the importance of mining to the economy, and that means the government has put together an infrastructure to support efficient mining permitting and decision making.

The company has been in the area for a long time, allowing it to build up a lot of goodwill in the community. In addition, the people in the area have seen mines built, closed, and remediated, meaning they have seen, first-hand, how modern mining techniques can minimize the legacy footprint of operations.

A Bevy of Potential Share Price Catalysts

Looking ahead, management sees several potential catalysts for PPXs market capitalization.

Maher sums it up nicely, We see two different avenues to create value. The first is formal commencement of production at Callanquitas. The initial target will be for a 350 tonne per day operation. At each step of the way  prefeasibility, final permit receipt, and commencement of commercial production  we have great share price catalysts. The second is the resource expansion story at Igor, and thats where things really get exciting.

Assuming the drilling on Igors other targets continues to generate strong results, PPX has the opportunity to move ahead with a development story to generate near term cash flow and an exploration story to foster long-term growth.

Its a potential winning recipe for PPX Mining (TSXV: PPX), one that could allow it to etch its own chapter in Perus mining history.

Positive outcomes still possible on suspended projects as Chinese FM Wang Yi heads to Malaysia: expert

Negotiations over suspended multi-billion dollar connectivity projects are "almost inevitable" and positive outcomes can still be expected, a Chinese expert said as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Malaysia on Tuesday.

High-level talks between senior diplomatic officials from both sides have been underway in Malaysia since Friday ahead of the 93-year-old Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad's trip to China in August.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with his Malaysian counterpart Saifuddin Abdullah in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

Wang began his two-day official visit to Malaysia on Tuesday en route to a meeting of regional ministers in Singapore.

Wang is expected to meet Mahathir during his trip, according to China's foreign ministry.

"Malaysia is China's friendly neighbor and an important cooperative partner in the region," foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at the daily conference on Tuesday.

"China-Malaysia relations have been positively developing in recent years.

"Both sides share strong desires to cooperate and bilateral collaborations have increasingly deepened."

Geng added that Wang will exchange in-depth views with the Malaysian side.

The new Malaysian government has suspended some $23 billion in projects involving Chinese companies, with the Malysian PM emphasizing that the decision was made purely on economic grounds.

It was "almost inevitable" that the two sides conduct talks over the suspended projects, said Xu Liping, an expert on Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.

Xu told the Global Times on Tuesday that he believes the projects will do great good for the Malaysian people and the country's long-term development.

The projects were only temporarily suspended due to its national debt pressure, Xu said.

Mahathir's visit to Beijing will allow the two sides to renegotiate loan terms and the scale of the projects, Xu noted.

Concessions could be made at both ends of the deal rather than a one-sided compromise in order to reach a final agreement satisfactory for both sides, Xu said.

The Malaysia Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement published on its website on Monday that Malaysia recognizes China has always been a close friend and an important partner.

On Sunday Mahathir told Guo Yezhou, a visiting senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), that the Malaysian government was willing to deepen its traditional friendship with China, strengthen exchanges between the ruling parties and expand pragmatic cooperation on all fronts, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Guo, deputy head of the international department of the CPC Central Committee, said China attached great importance to China-Malaysia relations and would continue to promote traditional friendship and close exchanges between the ruling parties to boost healthy and stable development of the bilateral relations.

Daim Zainuddin, the Malaysia leader's special envoy who visited China earlier in July, said he expected that his prime minister would be welcomed as an "old friend" of China when he visited Beijing in August, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Sunday.Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (TSX, NYSE: KL; ASX: KLA) reports higher second-quarter earnings and record cash flow, plus the company lists improved guidance for 2018. Production for the year is now targeted at over 635,000 ounces, up from 620,000 previously. Cash operating cash costs are now expected to average $400 to $425 per ounce sold, down from previous guidance of $425 to $450. Net earnings were put at $61.5 million, or 29 cents per share, a 78% increase from $34.6 million, or 17 cents, in the same period a year ago. Adjusted second-quarter net earnings totaled $63.4 million, or 30 cents, up from $39.3 million, or 19 cents, a year ago. The company says record quarterly cash flow from operations was $120.9 million, 56% higher than the year-ago period and up 35% increase from the first quarter. Production rose to 164,685 ounces from 160,305 in the second quarter of 2017. The quarterly dividend, paid on July 13, increased to 3 cents a share, compared to 2 cents for the dividend paid in April. Tony Makuch, president and chief executive officer, says the results were boosted by strong ore grades at the Fosterville and Macassa mines. At Fosterville, our average gradeof 20.6 grams per tonne was well ahead of expected levels, with the mine benefiting from a record month in June, producing 31,710 ounces at 30.4 grams per tonne, the CEO says. At Macassa, our stopes around the 5,700-foot level, the deepest mining done to date in the South Mine Complex, are high-grade stopes that have outperformed, which resulted in record quarterly productionof 60,571 ounces at an average grade of 21.5 grams per tonne.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Mandalay Resources Plans To Sell Challacollo Silver-Gold Project

Mandalay Resources Corp. (TSX: MND) says it has entered into a nonbinding letter of intent to sell Minera Mandalay Challacollo Limitada, which owns the Challacollo silver-gold project located in Chile, to Aftermath Silver. Mandaly reports that the sale price was C$11.625 million. One of Mandalays key strategic objectives for 2018 was to maximize the value of our portfolio through the sale of non-core assets, says Dominic Duffy, president and chief executive officer of Mandalay. The proposed sale of Challacollo will allow us to realize substantial value for the asset, while continuing our focus on streamlining operations at our two producing assets, strengthening our balance sheet, and positioning Mandalay for future growth.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Stewart Named Chief Operating Officer Of McEwen Mining

Chris Stewart has been named president and chief operating officer of McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE, TSX: MUX), effective Sept. 1, the company reports. He succeeds Xavier Ochoa, who resigned July 13 to pursue an opportunity closer to his home and family in South America, the company says. Stewart is a senior executive with 25 years of diversified experience in the mining industry. Chris is an ideal executive to lead our organic growth initiatives, as well as evaluate and execute on acquisitions, says Rob McEwen, chairman and chief owner.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Centerra Net Income Rises But Adjusted Income Lower

Centerra Gold Inc. (TSX: CG) reports higher net income but lower adjusted income in the second quarter, compared to the same period a year ago. The company lists net income of $43.5 million, or 15 cents per share, up from net income of $23.4 million, or 8 cents, in the year-ago period. The April-June results include a pre-tax gain of $28 million on the sale of its royalty portfolio and $9.4 million on the final installments from sale of the Altan Tsagaan Ovoo property. Excluding special items, Centerra said, adjusted income was $1 million, or zero cents per share. Excluding a $41.3 million pre-tax write-down of Mongolian assets, adjusted earnings in the year-ago period were $63.1 million, or 22 cents a share. The operations produced a total of 130,183 ounces of gold and 16.5 million pounds of copper in the quarter, says Scott Perry, president and chief executive officer. Kumtors gold production was lower as expected but Mount Milligan achieved better-than-expected mill throughput, which led to higher-than-planned gold and copper production. At Mount Milligan, the additional volumes of water from the spring melt allowed us to ramp up mill throughput quicker, enabling the mill to achieve an average of 52,081 tonnes per operating day during the quarter. Progress on the Oksut project includes the main road access and initiating site preparation, Centerra says. The project is on track for the first gold pour in 2020.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Endeavour Mining Reports Higher 2Q Adjusted Earnings

Endeavour Mining (TSX: EDV) reports that second-quarter adjusted net earnings per share were 9 cents, up from 7 cents in the same period of 2017. Production from continuing operations was 147,000 gold ounces in the second quarter, up from 84,000 a year ago, leaving the company well on track to meet full-year 2018 guidance of 555,000 to 590,000 ounces, Endeavour says. All-in sustaining costs were $780 in the second quarter, and the company says it is on track to meet full-year guidance of $760 to $810. Officials say that production from continuing operations increased year-on-year due to the addition of the Hounde mine and higher grades at the Ity mine. Construction progress at the Ity CIL project remains on time and on budget and we continue to anticipate the first gold pour by mid-2019, says Sebastien de Montessus, president and chief executive officer.(Kitco News) - Gold and silver prices are again mildly lower in early U.S. trading Wednesday. There continues to be a lack of major news to support the safe-haven metals, which is allowing the bearish chart postures to entice technical sellers in the futures markets. December gold futures were last down $1.20 an ounce at $1,232.40. September Comex silver was last down $0.069 at $15.49 an ounce.

The just-released ADP national employment report for July showed a rise of 219,000. The number is higher than the expected rise of 185,000. This number comes ahead of the more important U.S. non-farm payroll number on Friday, which is forecast to come in at up 190,000 in July. The metals markets reacted little to the ADP news.

World stock markets were mostly lower overnight, on renewed worries about the U.S. imposing new tariffs on Chinese imports. Reports said some of President Trumps advisors are advising him to sharply ramp up tariffs on China. And once again, China said it would retaliate if the U.S. set new tariffs on Chinese goods. U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward mixed openings when the New York day session begins.

In focus today is the FOMC meeting of the Federal Reserve that began Tuesday morning ends Wednesday afternoon with a statement. No changes in Fed policy are expected at this meeting, but as usual traders will parse the Fed statement on clues for futures monetary policy moves and timing.

The Bank of England meets Thursday for its regular monetary policy gathering. No changes in policy are expected from the BOE.

In overnight news, the Euro zone July manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) came in at 55.1, which was right in line with market expectations and compares to the 54.9 reading in June. A number above 50.0 suggests growth in the sector.

The key outside markets today find Nymex crude oil prices lower and trading just above $68.00 a barrel. The U.S. dollar index is slightly higher early today. These two markets are in a bearish daily posture for the precious metals markets.

U.S. economic data due for release Wednesday includes the weekly MBA mortgage applications survey, the ADP national employment report, the U.S. manufacturing PMI, the global manufacturing PMI, construction spending, the ISM manufacturing report on business, and the weekly DOE liquid energy stocks report.

Technically, gold bears have the solid overall near-term technical advantage amid a price downtrend on the daily bar chart. Gold bulls' next upside near-term price breakout objective is to produce a close in December futures above solid resistance at $1,250.00. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is pushing prices below solid technical support at $1,200.00. First resistance is seen at this weeks high of $1,237.80 and then at last weeks high of $1,244.70. First support is seen at $1,225.00 and then at the July low of $1,221.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 2.0

September silver futures bears have the solid overall near-term technical advantage. Silver bulls' next upside price breakout objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at $16.00 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $15.00. First resistance is seen at last weeks high of $15.70 and then at $15.90. Next support is seen at last weeks low of $15.34 and then at the July low of $15.185. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 1.5.(Updates with closing prices) By Eric Onstad LONDON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Copper and other base metals slipped on Wednesday on fears of slower demand due to renewed U.S.-China trade tensions and worries about slowing growth in top metals consumer China. Washington plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on $200 billion of imported Chinese goods after initially setting them at 10 percent, according to a source familiar with the matter, escalating the dispute between the world's two biggest economies. Investors also were disappointed after reports that a recent Chinese politburo meeting was less dovish than expected regarding monetary and fiscal easing, said Carsten Menke, commodities analyst at Julius Baer in Zurich. "I think the market is reacting in a sense that it's not expecting a full-fledged easing in China, but more of a gradual easing and this has reversed some of the hopes that have been priced into copper during this very recent recovery." Also weighing on sentiment was data showing that China's manufacturing sector grew at the slowest pace in eight months in July as export orders declined.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange closed down 2 percent at $6,172 a tonne. Copper shed 4.9 percent in July, but recently rebounded from a one-year low of $5,988 touched on July 19.

* MANUFACTURING DATA: Factory growth stuttered across the world in July, heightening concerns about the global economic outlook as an intensifying trade conflict between the United States and China sent shudders through trading partners.

* ESCONDIDA: Investors seemed to brush off news about labour unrest in Chile. The union at Escondida, the world's largest copper mine, said that an early, partial vote count on a final contract offer suggests its members will reject the offer and approve a strike.

* RUSAL: Aluminium fell 1.4 percent to end at $2,052 a tonne after the U.S. Treasury said it had extended a deadline for investors to divest holdings in Russia's Rusal , which has been hit by U.S. sanctions, to Oct. 23 from Aug. 5.

* ZINC: LME zinc lost 2.7 percent to finish at $2,555 a tonne. The speculative net short position has declined to 22 percent of open interest from a peak of 29 percent on July 17, broker Marex Spectron said in a note.

* ZINC SPREAD: The premium of cash zinc over the three-month contract rose to $64 a tonne, the highest since October last year, usually indicating tightness in nearby supplies. LME data shows that one player is holding a dominant position of over half of available inventories .

* PRICES: Nickel slid 3.1 percent to close at $13,590 a tonne, lead declined 1.3 percent to $2,126 and tin shed 1.3 percent to $19,825.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Top Base and Precious Metals Analysis - GFMS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by Manolo Serapio Jr. in Manila; editing by David Evans, Alexandra Hudson and Jane Merriman)

Reuters Messaging: eric.onstad.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))LME price overview COMEX copper futures Base metals news All metals news All commodities news Foreign exchange rates SPEED GUIDES ))MELBOURNE, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Global miner Rio Tinto is concerned about an escalating trade war between the United States and China but has yet to feel any impact from it, Chief Executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques said on Wednesday.

"To date it has had limited to no impact on Rio Tinto," Jacques told reporters. Rio has had no issues with orders from its U.S. and Chinese customers, he said.

He was speaking after Rio Tinto reported a 12 percent rise in first-half profit, slightly weaker than analysts had expected.

Chief Financial Officer Chris Lynch attributed the miss partly to the market not taking into account pricing in old alumina contracts the company has, which cost Rio "a couple of hundred million" dollars as it missed out on exposure to recent price gains in alumina after the United States imposed sanctions on Rusal.

(Reporting by Sonali Paul Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

Messaging: sonali.paul.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))(Updates closing price, adds quotes and details)

SHANGHAI, Aug 1 (Reuters) - China's yuan had choppy session on Wednesday, as traders grappled with Sino-U.S. trade war tensions, with the currency swinging between gains and losses before closing the domestic day slightly higher against the U.S. dollar.

The market was still weighing the possible impact of media reports saying Washington plans to raise tariffs on $200 billion of imported Chinese goods.

A Bloomberg report on Tuesday night said the United States and China were seeking to resume trade talks to defuse their battle over import tariffs.

Later media reports said that the U.S. plans tariffs of 25 percent, instead of 10 percent, on $200 billion in Chinese imports. A source told Reuters that an announcement on Washington's tariff plans for China could come as early as Wednesday. Prior to market opening, the People's Bank of China lowered the daily yuan midpoint to 6.8293 per dollar, 128 pips or 0.19 percent weaker than the previous fix of 6.8165.

Wednesday's fixing, the lowest since May 31, 2017, largely matched market forecasts, traders said.

In the spot market, the onshore yuan opened at 6.8220 per dollar, eased to a low of 6.8321 before ending its domestic trading session at 6.7948.

Frances Cheung, head of Asia macro strategy at Westpac in Singapore, said the market "chose to shrug off headlines on trade tensions as how the situation will evolve remains fluid. Market may have digested earlier China easing news, and shifted focus to the potential impact from pro-growth policy."

The pro-growth policy referred to China's fulfillment of its annual economic growth target, while it pledged to maintain a proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy to ensure ample liquidly, the official Xinhua news agency reported late Tuesday, citing a Politburo statement. Robin Xing, chief China economist at Morgan Stanley told reporters in Shanghai that the recent depreciation in the yuan was mainly driven by market forces to correct the sharp rises in the yuan earlier this year.

He expects the yuan to "go back to its previous regime of relative stability against its basket" of currencies, but sees higher volatility if Sino-U.S. trade tension intensifies. He maintained his forecast for the yuan to trade at 6.6 per dollar at the end of this year.

Separately, Mizuho Bank revised its year-end forecast for the yuan to trade at 6.8 per dollar, down from an earlier prediction of 6.55, due to "mounting China-U.S. trade war risk and PBOC's non-intervention FX policy stance", it said in a note.

China's uncharacteristically laissez-faire approach to its swiftly declining currency is spawning market speculation that the yuan is part of an economic stimulus toolkit and will be allowed to weaken more over the rest of the year. The offshore yuan was trading at 6.8150 per dollar as of 0942 GMT.

(Reporting by Winni Zhou and Andrew Galbraith; Editing by Richard Borsuk & Shri Navaratnam)

Messaging: winni.zhou.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))Franco Origlia/Getty Images(VATICAN CITY) -- Pope Francis made a surprise visit to an elderly woman in Rome over the weekend, greeting fans in the process.



Francis arrived discreetly in a blue Ford Focus to visit his acquaintance, an elderly woman who had repeatedly asked to see him but is physically unable to make the journey to the Vatican, Vatican News reported. The pope was accompanied by a few Vatican and Italian plain-clothes policemen, who stood guard at the entrance to the building while the pope was inside visiting, Italian news agency DIRE reported.



Although the street was mostly deserted due to summer vacation and high temperatures, about a dozen people spotted the pope, dressed in his white papal attire, as he got out of the car and went into the building. Many waited to greet him after his visit as well.



The pope's home visit lasted about an hour, and as he left the building he stopped to shake the hands of the people gathered outside, as is his custom. Overcome with the emotion of seeing the pope so unexpectedly, a woman began crying and told him, "What an immense joy this is, Holy Father!" to which he replied, "For me too!" DIRE reported.



Francis paused to play with a child, Vatican News reported, and a sick man in the same housing complex came down to see the pope and ask for his prayers. The pope hugged him and then blessed all of those present before departing.



Francis has repeatedly spoken in public about the importance of respecting elderly people during his five-year papacy, preaching that society must cherish and learn from its elders and not "discard" or abandon them.



His surprise visits to hospitals, care centers and charities in Rome are usually confirmed after they have taken place. It is rare that the pope leaves the Vatican for unscheduled or private reasons. Since becoming pope, he has only been seen going to a few stores in Rome to take care of personal shopping needs, such as when he visited an optician in the center of the city in September 2015 to fix his glasses.



As is his tradition since becoming pope, Francis vacations in the Vatican each July and all public ceremonies and weekly public audiences are canceled throughout the month.



On the first Wednesday of August, he resumed his weekly public audiences indoors due to the heat. Traditionally, the audiences are held in St. Peter's Square the rest of the year.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.A section of the Zhenchuanbao Great Wall in North China's Shanxi Province was severely damaged in April. This section of Great Wall was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Photo: VCG

A renovated part of the Great Wall collapsed recently, after several days of heavy rains in Dai county in North China's Shanxi Province.

Adjacent to the collapsed section, which was "renovated" eight years ago, is the 500-year-old Yanmen Pass, which has stood for centuries without "help" from local officials.

The local tourism administration said that they are now taking emergency measures to repair the section, and the site is temporarily closed over safety concerns.

The reopening date will be announced later, according to the Shanxi Evening News.

The Yanmen Pass, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), sits in the Yanmen Mountains, 20 kilometers north of Dai county. It is historically an important pass of the Great Wall, admired for its grandeur. The collapsed section is in the north of the Yanmen Pass.

Separately, a report on WeChat claimed that another construction site along the Great Wall, by the Yellow River, also collapsed due to the rainfall in recent days.

"Sometimes I was thinking why you [people renovating the Wall] can't do things more seriously. Why can't you devote all your energy?" read the article published on Wechat citizen journalist account Xiaozhanbianjibu.

The article struck a chord with many netizens who are unsatisfied with the shoddy renovation projects along the Great Wall, which are reported to be rampant all over the country.

Due to the popularity of the wall, which millions of tourists from around the world visit each year, governments at different levels are rebuilding the ancient heritage site in their regions into tourist attractions.

Experts warn that inappropriate renovation could bring more damage than protection to the Great Wall.

China's Great Wall stretches about 21,200 kilometers and spans 15 provincial areas, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

A widespread phenomenon

The recent collapse at Yanmen Pass offers a glimpse of the long, controversial history of renovation projects along the Great Wall.

In June, online reports about a botched renovation of the Wall in Shanxi's Datong surfaced. The reports said that the local authorities used modern materials made to look like ancient brick in their repair work. The renovation started in April and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019.

Later the authorities denied it and said the materials were "handmade bricks based on the ancient methods." But this explanation didn't soothe the public's anxieties, given there have been so many similar problematic renovation projects in previous years.

In 2016, the Chinese public was appalled at the Great Wall's renovation in Liaoning Province, where a team paved the wall over with smooth cement.

"They filled the crenelations and paved the walkways with cement. It does not look like the Great Wall I had in mind at all," a tourist surnamed Ye, who went to see the Xiaohekou Great Wall earlier this year, told the Global Times in an earlier report. This specific section was built in 1381 is widely known as the "most beautiful section of the Great Wall" among tourists.

An employee from the tourism administration explained that the initial intention was to "make it more suitable for tourists to walk on."

Xinhua also reported in 2004 that in the Baiyangyu section of the Great Wall at Qianan, Hebei Province, some 300 meters of the Wall was painted white by the construction team, which lacked basic skills in restoring cultural heritage sites.

Protection alliance

He Xinyu, a researcher specializing in the protection of the Great Wall at the Ningxia Museum, told the Global Times in a previous report that government should not take the convenience of tourists into consideration in renovation.

He said that it's necessary to use only the original materials in repair, otherwise it could do "more damage than protection" to the site.

Wang Guixiang, a professor of ancient architecture at Tsinghua University, once pointed out to the Global Times that if damage happens during renovations, it would be "irreversible."

Wang added that some construction teams lack knowledge about the protection of cultural relics.

To address these issues, a nationwide alliance to protect the Great Wall was set up this month. About 41 organizations including government departments and NGOs joined the alliance, which was initiated by the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage and the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage,said XinhuaThe US governments withdrawal from a number of international groups and the reckless trade sanctions it launched in recent days have made the world wonder: whats wrong with the country and why does it stand against the trend of globalization?

One of the possible answers is that the US is getting less confident. The logic behind the thought-provoking answer is that the US has lost faith in its prospects and made such arbitrary decisions for sake of self-redemption, though it should not abuse its strength and credibility as a major country.

The lack of confidence argument makes sense but not represents the whole thing. On one hand, the US is indeed diffident as it cannot adapt itself to the current trend of globalization, while on the other hand, its so-called self-saving measures not only go against its original goals and do harm to both others and itself, but also make new uncertainties for the world.

Its diffidence is a leftover of the crises the US faced in the 21st century, including the 9/11 attacks in 2001, financial crisis in 2008, and the rising tide of anti-establishment movement and populism in recent years. The real economy hollowing-out caused by the global capital flows and decreasing ratio of majorities brought by immigration worsened its plights.

Facing such challenges, the Democrats and Republicans failed to take timely countermeasures due to heated inter-party conflict. Instead, they rolled out parochial and rigid public policies to cater for special groups for more votes.

Domestic and foreign policies made under such twisted logic are not people- or nation-oriented, but specially tailored for certain groups and will change with the rotation of ruling parties.

Politicians of the two parties prefer to attribute these problems to external reasons, and pass the buck to the historical trend of economic globalization. Voters may buy such type of discourses in a short term, but in the long run, these voices, in essence a signal of confidence crisis, will fail to solve problems and meet peoples demands, and are poised to harm the national development of the US.

Its lack of confidence comes from its failure to get accustomed to economic globalization. In the past three decades or even more than a century, the US has unquestionably benefited the most from globalization, but the beneficiary is now complaining to the world that it had suffered losses from the process.

An objective conclusion is that the US did not suffer losses, but is jealous of the benefits other countries are enjoying in the globalization. Statistics indicate that emerging markets contributed over 50 percent to the global economic growth in the past decade, and the total GDP of BRICS countries was almost equivalent to that of the US.

The US cannot be the only beneficiary nor stop the stable step of economic globalization, but it still chose to challenge the international rules shared by all countries.

By forcing the others to take pills when it is sick itself, the US betrays the historical connotation and true essence of globalization though its actions cannot be considered pure de-globalization or isolationism.

Behind such actions lies its logic to use whatever that suits its interests and abandon whatever that does not. The diffident US cannot face up to a truth that it is the US who needs the world more.

The less confidence of the US is rooted in the recurrence of its paranoid style nature. As American historian Richard Hofstadter said in the 1960s, a certain inclination to extremely paranoid behaviors occurred periodically in the history of American politics.

Some American elites always believe that their value system and the economy and politics of the US are potentially under unspeakable and systematic threats and the only way to deal with the threats is to hit back at all costs, even by overcorrecting and hurting themselves.

It seems that the US needs an illusionary enemy all the time. Countries across the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic Ocean have been labeled by the US as enemies that must be dealt with through almost suicidal measures. Behind such an overreaction is not farsightedness but crazy behaviors after losing confidence.

Its undeniable that the whole world is paying for diffidence of the US and all its actions owing to this reason, with the costs like the temporary vacuum in global governance and complication of some hotspot issues.

Such costs will last a short period, but countries around the globe should be fully prepared to this situation. Only with necessary preparations for the temporary difficulties can the world rebuild a more just, fair, peaceful and stable new order.

Diao Daming is an associate professor at the School of International Studies and a research fellow at National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China.The

is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for an attack on horses at the Big Pine Saddle Club.

In early July, the Inyo County Sheriffs Office responded to reports of a truck set on fire at the Big Pine Saddle Club. Officers found multiple horses had been stabbed and suffered injuries from apparent blunt force trauma to their heads. The horses required extensive medical treatment to survive.

According to a Humane Society release, "Securing the serious attention and engagement of law enforcement, prosecutors and residents in cases involving allegations of cruelty to animals is an essential step in protecting the whole community. The connection between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented. Studies show a correlation between animal cruelty and many other crimes, from narcotics and firearms violations to battery and sexual assault."

The violent injuries inflected upon these horses is atrocious, said Crystal Moreland, California state director for the Humane Society of the United States. We are hopeful that anyone with information about this heinous crime will come forward.

The Inyo County Sheriffs Office is investigating this case. Anyone with relevant information is asked to call 760-878-0383.

The Humane Society doubled its standard cruelty reward from $2,500 to $5,000, thanks to a donation from a board member. The total reward now is $16,000 factoring other groups offering rewards.One of the officials of Shanghai Jahwa United Co., Ltd. displaying and explaining about some of their products to African journalists

Florida water, a product of Shanghai Jahwa United Co., Ltd. in China, which protects people from mosquitos bites for seven hours, is set to hit the African market.

The product will subsequently reduce malaria, which is mostly caused by mosquito bites, in Africa once it is widely used in most African countries.

Speaking to African journalists at the Shanghai KuaYue factory on Tuesday, 17th July, 2018, Kevin Xiong, the companys Strategic Business Development Manager of the Oversea Business Unit, said the Florida water, under its Liushen brand, is already visible in two African countries which are Mauritius and Zambia.

He said Liushen Florida Water, which has multifunctional use such as bug spray, sterilizer, and muscle relaxant, itch soother, has already captivated the minds of its users, in not only Africa but China, the U.S, Southeast Asia, and some European countries.

When you apply the water on your body, which has a pleasant smell, you will not experience any mosquito bite for seven hours. In Africa, there are three Liushen brand products that are visible in the market which are Florida water, shower cream and soap. In the U.S, we have both Liushen and Herborist brands there and the products of these brands are facial mask, shower cream and Florida water, he revealed.

He said Shanghai Jahwa United Co., Ltd., with its mission to create beautiful and healthy lifestyles for everyone, and a clean and delightful home for every family, is manufacturing products for cover skin, personal and home care.

He noted that the Florida water is very effective because it was discovered and manufactured as part of the Chinese traditional medicine.

Han Qiao, Product Development Teams senior chemist of the Research and Development Department, said whenever they want to manufacture a particular product, they will first try to understand what the customers want and also get their feedbacks about their existing products.

She said 3% of the companys total revenue is used for research and development, adding that 60% of the researchers have masters degree and above.

Research is the bedrock for a leading brand and for a home and personal care industry like Shanghai Jahwa United Co., Ltd., it is always important to embark on serious research so as to meet every standard set for our products. We produce body lotions, among many other products, she said.

She reiterated that Liushen Florida water is the companys most popular product right now because of its effectiveness in destroying mosquitoes, and also helps someone to stay cool if the person is feeling heat in his/her house.

Responding to challenges they face in the oversea market, Ye Weiming, the companys Chief Sales Officer, said there are different laws and regulations and also different consumer targets, among other challenges.

Quizzed on the companys communication strategy for consumers understanding of their products, he said they first do a thorough research about what the global consumers want and try to reach them through the traditional, social and new media.By Kang Hyun-kyung



Ven. Seoljeong, president of the Jogye Order, Korea's largest Buddhist sect, said Wednesday that he would soon step down to take responsibility for corruption allegations surrounding him.



The announcement came five days after he declared to decide on whether to resign after listening to the opinions of senior Buddhist monks. He added he had "emptied" his mind.



Ven. Seoljeong, president of Jogye Order / YonhapSouth Korea will work to better protect international refugees arriving in the country while greatly speeding up its refugee review process to help ease their pains and sort out fake asylum seekers, the country's justice minister said Wednesday.



Minister Park Sang-ki said the country will also boost its assistance for refugees here so they can stand on their own.



"(The government) has decided to come up with measures to help refugees to utilize their own capabilities and live independently instead of being passively dependent on support and protection," the minister said in an interview with a public relations official from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.



Park's remarks came in response to a recent petition posted on Cheong Wa Dae's website calling for a ban on the entry of new refugees. The petition was prompted by the recent arrival of some 500 asylum seekers from Yemen on the South Korean island of Jeju, which had previously allowed foreign nationals to visit the island without a visa for up to 90 days.



The island has since removed Yemen from the list of countries entitled to the visa-waiver program.



The justice minister acknowledged a need to protect the interests of local residents.



To this end, the minister said the government will greatly increase the number of workers involved in the process of reviewing newly arriving refugees, reducing the total amount of time needed to review a refugee to less than a year from the up to three years that it currently takes.



"It will also consider not referring fake asylum seekers who are clearly seeking to take advantage of the refugee protection system to the review process. It also plans to stipulate penalties for refugee brokers engaged in illegal activities," he said.



Still, the minister said entirely prohibiting any refugees from entering the country would run against the country's own interests, noting no country has withdrawn its membership from the United Nations convention on refugees.



Since the country signed the convention on refugees in 1992, 42,009 people from abroad have sought asylum in South Korea, but only 4 percent or 849 have been allowed to stay as refugees. Even with an additional 1,550 non-refugees who have been allowed to stay out of humanitarian concerns, the country's refugee protection rate stands at 11.4 percent, far lower than the average 38 percent of all signatories to the convention on refugees, Park noted.



"Withdrawing from the convention or abolishing the law on refugee protection is realistically impossible when considering our country's status and reputation in the international community and the effect such a move may have on our country's interests," the minister said.



Park's interview by Cheong Wa Dae came as the latest of its kind under a program introduced by the Moon Jae-in government that the government will directly answer any public petitions posted on Cheong Wa Dae website that gathers support from more than 200,000 people in less than 30 days.



The petition on refugees garnered more than 710,000 supporters, according to Cheong Wa Dae. (Yonhap)







North and South Korea held military talks on Tuesday (July 31) amid rising tensions after the United States detected renewed activity at a North Korean missile factory.

The meeting, their second since June, held in the border village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), was designed to follow on from an inter-Korean summit in April at which leaders of the two Koreas agreed to defuse tensions and halt "all hostile acts."

South Korea's defence ministry said last week it plans to reduce guard posts and equipment along the heavily fortified border as an initial step to implement the agreement.

Meanwhile, U.S. spy satellites detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the country's first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States, a senior U.S. official said on Monday (July 30), in the midst of talks to compel Pyongyang to give up its nuclear arms. (Reuters)



Starkey Korea CEO Richard Shim, left, shakes hands with President Moon Jae-in during the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry conference at the lobby group's head office in central Seoul last year. / Courtesy of Starkey Korea

By Jhoo Dong-chan



Starkey Korea, the Minnesota-based hearing aid maker's local branch in Korea, is fulfilling their social responsibility by helping war veterans in Korea and around the world.



Starkey Hearing Technologies, the Korean firm's U.S. headquarters, has engaged actively in various corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to help people around the world who have hearing difficulty under the company's management philosophy: "Alone we can't do much. Together, we can change the world."



Spearheading its U.S. headquarters' great cause, Starkey Korea has also emphasized its social obligation not only for the local community but also for those abroad under incumbent CEO Richard Shim's leadership.



In a bid to convey his gratitude to veterans who fought for the country during the Korean War, the CEO has offered them free audiometry and consultation services since 2013.



In 2013, Shim also donated 100 million won ($89,285) worth of hearing aids to foreign veterans who fought as the U.N. Forces during the war. He also donated 40 million won in 2014 to an Irish veteran who fought in the Korean War.



In both 2014 and 2016 Shim provided an additional 24 million and 40 million won worth of hearing aids to U.N. and Irish veterans, respectively. Earlier this year, he also conducted a free audiometry service for Dutch Korean War veterans who were invited to the country to attend the Winter Olympic Games.



Separate from his hearing aid donation to Korean War veterans, Shim has stressed the importance of world peace on the June 25th Korean War Commemoration Day every year.





Starkey Korea CEO Richard Shim, first from left, poses with Starkey Hearing Technologies founder and CEO William F. Austin, first from right, during Starkey Korea's 20th anniversary day event at the company's head office in Seoul, Feb. 19, 2016. / Courtesy of Starkey Korea

Shim also served as chairman of the Seoul Economy Committee, a business lobby organization under the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for two years since 2016. During his term, he offered services to improve the business environment in the metropolitan area while helping strengthen the competiveness of small- and medium-sized enterprises in the capital.



He was recently appointed chairman of the Korea Strong Small Business Association, another organization established to support small businesses' soft landing in overseas markets.



Separate from his work for the local economy, Shim has also served as chairman of the Korea Association of the Hearing Impaired, which aims to improve the quality of life for people suffering from hearing related problems.



Starkey Korea first started its sales operation in Korea in 1996 as a local affiliate of the largest U.S. hearing aid maker Starkey Hearing Technologies. It now has the No. 1 market share and customer satisfaction rating in Korea's hearing aid industry.



Thanks to the company's customer-centered service, Starkey Korea's sales have continued to grow for years, and made Shim the longest incumbent CEO among foreign companies in Korea.



Starkey Hearing Technologies was founded by William F. Austin who opened a hearing instruments shop in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, in 1967. Offering not only sales but also repair services for hearing aids of all types, the company was the only all-make hearing aid repair service provider at the time in the U.S.



The company sold less than 2,000 hearing aids in 1972 but its sales grew to some 65,000 units by 1976 after offering 90-day free trials, which allowed customers to return their hearing aids if they weren't satisfied. The policy has since become standard procedure for the hearing aid industry.





The Starkey Livio AI hearing aidGuizhou is situated in the southwest of China, and is known for its fresh air and bounteous mountains parted only by sleepy valleys. Not only that, but the areas tourism is still in its early stages, meaning theres no better time to get an authentic look at what living in China is like and appreciate the unchanged traditions and culture the province has to offer.

Liupanshui, the second largest city in the province, is located in the Wumeng Mountains of western Guizhou. It is famous in China for its cool, comfortable summers. With an average temperature of 19 degree Celsius, Liupanshui is the perfect place to escape the scorching summer heat.

As Liupanshui is warming up to be a tourist hotspot in coming years, we created this list of five things you have to do when you next head to Guizhou!

Visit a minority village

Changjiaomiao minority village

Guizhou is home to many minorities that are each incredibly proud of their own unique culture and customs. You can visit a number of villages in the province to learn about the Miao and Dong minorities, among others.

The villages have been redesigned and the government has implemented poverty alleviation methods to give locals jobs, so many people now work in the tourism industry. You can visit village museums to learn about how they were created and buy handmade souvenirs unique to the area. Villagers here are welcoming, friendly and will happily let you into their world so you can get a taste of life in present-day rural China.

Of course, youll also get a chance to try some delicious local food. In the Changjiaomiao village, visitors can watch how the Changjiaomiao make local rice cakes and even have a go. There are many culinary delights to try on Food Street including dumplings, rice cakes and spicy noodle dishes.Through artificial breeding and release, Chinese scientists have helped the population of Chinese sturgeons grow over the years, which protects both the endangered species and the biodiversity of the Yangtze River.

Known as a living fossil, the Chinese sturgeon, which has existed on earth for over 140 million years, is as old as the dinosaurs. An adult fish can grow up to 5 meters long and weigh 500 kilograms (over 1,100 pounds), with a life span of about 100 years.

(Photo by Yang Yang/People's Daily Online)

Although it spends most of its time in the sea, the Chinese sturgeon is actually a freshwater fish. When reaching sexual maturity, the fish will head to shallow water, entering the Yangtze River estuary from summer to autumn.

It then swims against the current to lay eggs in autumn. An adult fish can lay 300,000 to 1.3 million eggs at one time. After that, it migrates back to the sea. The fertilized eggs will hatch and then the babies swim to the sea next spring.

Although the Chinese sturgeons reproductive capacity is excellent, it faces the threat of extinction due to over hunting, river pollution, shipping interference, and excessive sand excavation in the river basin. The fish has been listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In 1988, the Chinese government added Chinese sturgeon to its list of Class I protected species, banning people from hunting them.

As early as 1982, the Chinese government set up the Chinese Sturgeon Research Center, the first of its kind, to protect the precious and rare fish, and to research the reproduction of the species in captivity.

Since 1984, for 60 times, we have released more than five million Chinese sturgeon of various sizes into the river, said Li Zhiyuan, vice-director of the Chinese Sturgeon Research Center in Yichang, Hubei province.

Monitoring data shows that the survival rate of the Chinese sturgeon released from Yichang in recent years has reached more than 50 percent. Now, the Chinese sturgeon is used to measure the health of the ecosystem along the Yangtze River.

At the research center, wild Chinese sturgeons and the first and second generations of artificially bred ones are all swimming freely inside water tanks. Although most of them are born and raised in a controlled environment, studies show that there genetics and habits are identical.

(Photo by Yang Yang/People's Daily Online)

Nevertheless, Chinese sturgeons suffer a severe gender imbalance, with the male and female ratio being 1:7.

In response, the institute introduced a breakthrough the research center had made in 2013female parthenogenesis, or getting fish fry simply by inducing eggs to hatch through modern biotechnology methods. Mother sturgeons can give birth to baby sturgeons alone, Li said.

Artificial technology is only an auxiliary means, Li emphasized. The protection and improvement of the ecosystem of the whole river basin is most important, and that requires the joint efforts of society.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced $113 million in new US investments in technology, energy and infrastructure for the Indo-Pacific region Monday. "These funds represent just a down payment on a new era in US economic commitment to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," Pompeo said. He added that in referring to an "open" Indo-Pacific region, the US means all nations must enjoy "open access to sea and airways" and the US has never and will never seek domination in the region.

Delivered at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce, Pompeo's remarks were generally interpreted by Western media as targeting China. The secretary of state also said in an interview the same day that any potential IMF bailout for Pakistan should not be used to pay off Chinese loans, leading to more speculation that Washington is boycotting China's Belt and Road initiative.

Washington may hope to disrupt the Belt and Road initiative, but it is highly unlikely the US' $113 million investment initiative will collide with the Belt and Road initiative. The Indo-Pacific region is too big and many Western elites have misunderstood the nature of the Belt and Road initiative, believing it is a geopolitical strategy that should be challenged. Given the backward infrastructure of the Indo-Pacific region, development plans, no matter how many, are far from enough to meet its needs. Different plans should not be exclusive to each other. The Belt and Road initiative is an open development plan. It's not about competition, but a platform for cooperation.

Many countries along the route of the Belt and Road are underdeveloped and have fallen behind in globalization. China's infrastructure construction capacity and manufacturing capacity are in line with their current needs. With the capacity and Chinese investment flowing into the region, an exploration of large international construction cooperation has been formed.

What's important is that China has not interfered in any country's politics nor sought to expand its sphere of influence. These countries participate in the initiative to expand their foreign cooperation. What are the US and other Western countries worried about?

The main reason may be that imperialism is deeply rooted in Western countries' political thinking and they understand the era differently from emerging countries. The West is still dominated by the US politically and militarily, and such a model has influenced Western countries' perception of non-Western countries.

Major powers are independent from each other outside the West. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS are obviously more equal than NATO and the G7. The consideration for emerging countries is mutual development and cooperation, not conquest. The Belt and Road's original intention was not an expedition, but for co-prosperity. China welcomes the US to invest in the Indo-Pacific, which may be a good thing for the Belt and Road if the US promotes the development of the region.

Chinese people are not surprised by the problems surfacing in the Belt and Road. The initiative is cooperative as well as explorative for the future. In the context of globalization, the initiative is bound to be carried forward regardless of some countries' selfish tricks and sarcastic remarks.Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

With European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's visit to the US on July 25, it seems that the trade confrontation between the US and the EU has eased temporarily as the two sides issued a joint statement following the Trump-Juncker meeting.

Several events during the visit deserve attention. First, the two sides set the tone for future transatlantic relations by defining them as entering the new phase, a period of closer friendship and stronger trade relations, which provides a more clear-cut strategic direction for the US and the EU.

Second, the US and the EU expressed their willingness to iron out differences on trade, agreeing to the goal of working together toward zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, and zero subsidies on non-auto industrial goods, reducing barriers and increasing trade in services, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical products and soybeans.

Third, the EU is making compromise on bilateral trade with the US in exchange for Washington's endorsement for multilateral trade system or returning to the mainstream values of the West. For instance, the EU intends to import more liquefied natural gas from the US to diversify its energy supply and lower trade barriers for US soybeans. In return, Washington agreed to work closely together with the EU to reform the WTO and to address "unfair trading practices." The consensus on that could be the foundation for the two sides to reach a new grand bargain on trade in the future.

Fourth, both sides decided to launch new talks and mechanisms to discuss details of a possible trade deal. The Trump-Juncker meeting serves as a point of departure followed by an establishment of Executive Working Group consisting of closest advisors from both sides to carry forward the consensus. Under such mechanisms, it is possible that the two sides will lift the current tariffs against each other after talks and hold a new round of talks on an upgraded Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

The US should stop lambasting the EU on trade issues. The tariffs against the EU have already backfired. Domestic pressure is mounting on Trump as most bipartisan lawmakers believe tariffs would only drag the two economic giants into a spiral of trade restrictions and countermeasures. Trump is also facing a global wave of anti-tariff measures by Canada, Mexico and China, all of which would impose retaliatory tariffs against the US. To step back from a larger trade war with the EU would ensure that the US is not to be isolated by all its trading partners.

However, it is still too early to conclude that transatlantic relations will be back to the right track. The two sides have not reached a deal on how to roll back current tariffs. A significant omission during the meeting has been the Iran nuclear deal. The joint statement did not mention the Iran issue and both sides did not come up with plans to solve the differences. If the US imposes secondary sanctions on EU enterprises due to their business connections with Iran, it will definitely break the spirit of the joint statement and create more troubles for transatlantic relations.

Despite the de-escalation of the US-EU trade row, transatlantic ties seem to be drifting toward an uncertain future. It certainly is a product of Trump's policies but also following the historical trend since the end of the Cold War. What had united Europe and the US has lost strength these years, be it ties in security, economy or shared values.

NATO, the most important institution binding the US and Europe together, is under pressure not only from Trump. Transatlantic economic links, though still extremely close, are facing challenges to explore growth areas when reviving the TTIP or a less ambitious mini-TTIP is far from easy. The EU, which particularly relies on exports, is dependent on other important economic centers around the world. In terms of shared values, the US under Trump is less interested in it and the EU, considering its own situation in the age of rising populism and illiberal tendencies inside its own borders, has become increasingly lonely.

More importantly, the US and the EU look increasingly different now in terms of their basic views about the world we live in and the role they should play. The Trump administration's National Security Strategy depicts a dangerous world where the US, which still boasts of immense power, should fight single-handedly with those revisionist powers.

On the contrary, the EU in its first Global Strategy which was adopted in June, 2016 sees a world where both challenges and opportunities abound and Brussels could succeed using its considerable soft power and its success formula - multilateralism. These underlying differences between the US and the EU have been the sources of many intense moments between the two and will become more obvious during Trump's era.

In a nutshell, though the joint statement of the EU and the US is comforting to many in the West in the sense of averting an imminent trade collision between the two, it is certainly not the end of the story. Trump's unpredictability cannot be underestimated and the foundation of the transatlantic partnership has already been eroded.

The author is an assistant research fellow, Institute of American Studies at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.The transformation of the indecent houses to modern structures makes the kid happy

Baichehe village has been completely transformed into a modern town by the Liupanshui Municipal Government.

Residents of Baichehe, a village in Guizhou Province in China, have become middle income earners, crediting their change of story to the Communist Party of China (CPC) through the support of the Liupanshui Municipal Government.

The residents, who were once filled with pessimism, could now realize the era of a positive dawn on their lives.

The mountainous community, which was a den for starvation, despondency and low income earners, has now become a standard town with Liupanshui government officials providing basic social amenities like water and electricity, schools, clinics, good roads and standard housing for the residents.

A media tour, which was funded by Liupanshui Municipal Government and organized by Peoples Daily Online, was an eye-opener on how the Chinese government has been alleviating poverty in the country.

Residents of Baichehe could now benefit from a boost of jobs, created by the Liupanshui municipal officials through tourism, aquaculture, manufacturing and cultivation of vegetables and fruits, among others.

Hu Qiong, a resident in her late 20s, who is employed by the tourism sector, said her entire family used to reside on the mountains, about three kilometres away from Baichehe, but when the government saw the difficulties inhabitants faced, it decided to relocate them.

She said things have now positively changed as they have now been provided with standard housing equipped with modern facilities.

Our previous village was transformed into a touristic site. Frankly, we are proud citizens of China. We are no longer worrying about what to eat or what job should we do to earn a living. We have jobs here, some people are into cultivation of crops with improved techniques, manufacturing of Baijiu wine (an alcohol that is only produced in China), etc, she said.

Hu said she earns 2,200 yuan, approximately US$324 every month, boasting that in a village like Baichehe, where the cost of living is relatively low, that amount of money is enough to use and save.

Hu is not the only member of her family who is enjoying the steady flow of income. She said her parents, who were farmers but could not make much money from agriculture, changed trade and have now embarked on manufacturing of local products for tourists to buy.

The proud Chinese citizen hastened to add that they are also being provided with training on basic working skills and ethics on how to deal with tourists, which makes her a fulfilled young lady, earning money and gaining experience as well.

She noted that in the village of over 1,000 households, they have access to education, health care services, water and electricity supply, improved roads with means of transportation, etc.

She said her three-year old girl is currently attending a kindergarten with modern facilities, which has been built in the village.

Zhou Jiang, a woman who was previously assigned to work in the village, confirmed that lots of things have changed, adding the construction of modern structures and provision of basic social amenities have given a facelift to the once despondent village.

What the Chinese government has been doing over the past few years to alleviate poverty in these counties is remarkable. Some of these villages and counties were once deplorable but when you have a government that is serious about transforming lives and changing the negative stories of its people, these are some of the outcomes, she said.

She said that the government is doing everything possible to relocate people from poor settlements and also create jobs for them to live a comfortable life.

Madam Zhou revealed that in the tourism company, for example, the residents own shares because the land that was utilized to set up the company still belongs to them.

According to her, the initiative is to slow down rural-urban migration because if the people have everything in their towns, there is no need to seek opportunities in big cities.

Baichehe is situated very close to mountains, and many independent observers have raised eyebrows about the safety of the residents, but Wang Chao, a standing committee member in the Department of Publicity of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Liupanshui city, allayed fears that the mountains were made of rocks not mud, hence there is no fear of mud/landslide.

The Chinese government takes into consideration the safety of the people. Before it thought of the relocation, a team of engineers carefully surveyed the area and discovered that the mountains will not pose any threat to residents lives, he explained, calming peoples fear.For the first time, a Chinese airline has offered its customers the option to buy occupying seat tickets, causing heated online discussion, China News reported on July 30.

Lucky Air, which is based in Kunming, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province, has launched a new option that allows customers to buy an air ticket that includes extra seats rather than the regular ticket that only includes one.

Supporters say that the new product could help to reduce vacancy rates and save costs to some extent during the off-peak season.

A netizen also noted that the service is helpful for customers on the larger side, as having the option to buy more space will make them feel more comfortable.

Objectors consider the service a waste of resources and worry that occupying seats for luggage could be a potential safety hazard.

An airline manager explained it only costs 20 percent of the economy ticket fee for an extra seat, adding that the product was launched mainly to provide passengers with a broad, quiet and private space, and as a convenient way to allow people to look after valuable belongings.

The product will not influence the availability of tickets for regular passengers, as occupying seat tickets will only become available for purchase 24 to 72 hours ahead of flight time on the premise that the load factor is below 70 percent, Chen Mingqiong, marketing director of the airline, explained.

Zou Jianjun, a professor at the Civil Aviation Management Institute of China noted that this innovative product should be welcomed, as it will not only increase income for the airline, but offer passengers more options.

Experts predict that the likelihood of more Chinese airlines launching similar products depends on how popular these tickets become, with products likely to be launched provisionally or at different stages in the future.Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

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By Steven Cuevas & Monica Bushman

Augustine Frizzell shot her debut feature film Never Goin' Back. Then she made it again.

The first time was in 2014. While Frizzell had made a couple of short films at that point, she hadn't written or directed a feature-length movie before.

Frizzell told KPCC's The Frame that it was when she started editing the film that she knew she'd listened to too many outside voices and strayed too far from the story she'd set out to tell.

"It's a scary decision to say, 'I'm not putting this out there,'" Frizzell said. But with a lot of encouragement from her friends, she decided to start again.

With the existing footage she had, she ended up making a short film, aptly titled Minor Setback. Then she rewrote the film, this time "trying not to cave into fear," and shot it with a completely different script and cast.

It's a semi-autobiographical teen comedy whose main characters Angela and Jessie are high school dropouts, living on their own. It goes where not many movies do, telling a story of what it's like being young and poor.

They wait tables at a Dallas-area diner and smoke huge amounts of weed any chance they get, while getting into one scrape after another. But all they really want to do is get down to the beach in Galveston to celebrate Jessie's 17th birthday.

Never Goin' Back writer/director Augustine Frizzell (center) with the film's director of photography, Greta Zozula.

While the film is largely based on Frizzell's own life, revealing her personal story wasn't what she found frightening. "The personal stuff was fine," Frizzell said. "I never minded that. It was the more risque stuff like an hour-long running poop joke... and the gross-out humor. It's not for everyone, but it makes me laugh."

In the end, Frizzell said, she's happy to have made a film that was true to her comedic vision and one that she wished she'd been able to see when she was trying to make ends meet as a teenager.

"There are very few, if any, comedies about impoverished youth," Frizzell said. "Because it's a heavy topic. It's really drab and sad, and people have sympathetic feelings for impoverished youth, and that's what we were."

"We didn't have parents, we'd been kicked out, we didn't have any money, we worked at the IHOP, making it day-by-day, had to drop out of school. It was just a heavy situation, and so it makes sense there aren't any comedies about that, because it's dark," Frizell said. "But I thought, that was my teen experience, and I look back fondly on so many of these things, and I want a teen comedy from my teen experience."

"Never Goin' Back" opens in theaters this Friday, Aug. 3 .Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

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Sorry dog lovers, Los Angeles is a cat town. We're one of only two megacities in the world that can say they have a big cat living within city limits. Mumbai has its leopards, we have our mountain lions. And we recently added a new feline resident.

A new cougar has been photographed in the Verdugo Mountains above Glendale and Burbank. It's the first time a male has been spotted in that area since the death of P-41, nine months ago. People have named the new puma Adonis, a nod to Aphrodite's lover in Greek mythology who was known for his remarkable youth and beauty. So the moniker is perfect. Adonis is young and seemingly flawless.

"It's been kind of like a new season of 'Game of Thrones.' It's a really engaging drama," says Miguel Ordenana, a wildlife biologist at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. "We don't know much about him other than he looks very healthy." And that he's a handsome devil.

Animal experts speculate that Adonis came from the San Gabriel Mountains, so hopes are high that he'll spread those genes.

A brief history of P-41 and Nikita

In spring 2010, Johanna Turner, a sound effects editor at Universal Studios, captured images and motion-activated video of an adult male mountain lion in the Verdugo Mountains.

He became one of the first large carnivores in the Verdugos to be studied. Not long after, a female mountain lion came along. Researchers named her Nikita, as in la femme.

Nikita has resided in the Verdugo mountains for about eight years. (Photo courtesy of Johanna Turner)

Nikita and P-41 mated and ended up birthing two litters of kittens, but things didn't go well. One of the kittens was rescued after it was found trapped under a car in the middle of Burbank. It was taken to a sanctuary.

The other two were believed to be setting out to find new territory, but one was killed trying to cross the 210 Freeway in La Tuna Canyon and the other one was killed on the 2 Freeway while trying to reach the San Rafael Hills.

Then in October 2017, the National Park Service announced that they had found P-41 dead due to rodenticide poisoning. Turner took his death hard.

"After P-41 died, I really felt like that was the end for the Verdugos, because there's development increasing all around," she says. "So I thought, we got to follow P-41. He got to live his life pretty well and that would be the end of me being able to follow a story like this and get to know an animal."

Adonis caught drinking water somewhere in the Verdugos. (Photo courtesy of Johanna Turner)

Biologists urged Turner not to jump to conclusions. Nikita was still in the area, after all. Perhaps another cougar would come along and strike her fancy. She didn't believe them -- but then Adonis showed up.

"It just changed my whole outlook," Turner says. "Now I get to know a new animal and I get to figure out... what he's like."

Adonis and Nikita have already been recorded together, so perhaps we'll soon hear the pitter patter of little kitten paws.

"Eventually, Adonis and Nikita will most likely have a litter of kittens," Turner says, "and those kittens will need a way to get out of the Verdugos because it's too small there to support more than two [mountain lions]."

At just 19-square miles, the Verdugo range is bound by the 210 and 2 freeways, which makes leaving the area extremely dangerous.

Ordenana explained that when a male or a female reaches adult age, they leave their natal range and find territory of their own. Grown males often end up chasing off young pumas when they reach the one- to two-year mark, even if they're their own offspring. Usually this isn't a problem if a suitable habitat isn't far off. But because of all our freeways and homes, humans have made this process nearly impossible.

Adonis: the wildlife ambassador

That's where all those stunning photos of these mountain lions come into play. Like P-41 before him, wildlife advocates hope Adonis has the power to make Angelenos care about the animals in the Verdugo Mountains.

We've seen big cats draw attention to conservation issues before, such as the beloved P-22, who's Griffith Park's semi-official mascot.

P22 walks by one of Miguel Ordenana's wildlife cameras in the daylight. (Photo courtesy of Miguel Ordenana)

"Because Adonis is so good-looking and photogenic and Nikita is so charismatic and really the great work of the cougar magic team, which is Johanna and Denis and others, (they) are really able to bring this information to the public and connect them to a really engaging and tangible story," Ordenana says.

Turner works with the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy, a group whose goal is to find and conserve these slivers of land that wildlife use to safely cross into the Verdugos.

"That's my goal in the camera trapping," Turner says. "It went from being just a hobby for fun into working with an organization like AFC and help them, which would, in turn, help the animals."

Editor's note: A version of this story also on the radio. Listen to it here on KPCC's Take Two .Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

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Every year, arsonists start hundreds of wildfires in California. The latest is the Cranston Fire, which has burned more than 13,000 acres outside Idyllwild.

But what drives people to start these fires? And what, if anything, do arsonists have in common? We asked some experts.

WHO THEY ARE

"An arsonist is usually a lone white male, 18-34 years old. He's disgusted or disgruntled with society, doesn't perform well at work, doesn't get along well with people, loves military and police paraphernalia, can't maintain a stable relationship, has some weird sexual problems and issues with alcohol," said John Maclean, who has written five books about wildfires, including two about deadly California fires started by arsonists.

Obviously not every arsonist fits this profile, but Maclean says it can be helpful to investigators in the early stages of their search for suspects.

We don't know much about, Brandon McGlover, the man accused of setting the Cranston Fire. He doesn't have a criminal record in Riverside County. John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney, said they had "nothing specific" yet on possible motive and called the case unusual.

Brandon McGlover appears in court where he pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of felony arson. (Riverside County DA)

WHY THEY DO IT

People set fires for all kinds of reasons. They do it for the thrill, to cover up evidence of a crime, to collect insurance money, for revenge and because other people did it before them, says David Butry, an economist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology who studies wildfires.

Arson is more common during economic downturns, according to Butry's research. So when unemployment is higher and wages stagnate, more people set fires. Not surprisingly, arson is also more common when police aren't around.

Firefighters work as the Cranston Fire burns in San Bernardino National Forest on July 26, 2018 near Idyllwild. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Arsonists are also influenced by other arsonists. "If you have an arson ignition today, the likelihood of having one tomorrow is increased. And that higher likelihood lasts for several days," Butry says. "It's consistent with the idea that there may be serial or copy cat arsonists."

SURPRISE

Some arsonists are firefighters. Seriously.

A seasonal firefighter arrested for arson in Montana earlier this year was sentenced to 35 years in prison. According to The Missoulian, "he initially said he was a contract firefighter but confessed to starting the fires because he enjoyed the camaraderie of firefighting and needed the financial payoff from fighting fires."

In an even crazier case from 1991, Glendale's chief arson investigator was arrested for arson. John Orr was charged with setting multiple wildfires, including one that destroyed 67 homes. In his house was the draft of a novel about an arsonist firefighter who got turned on by setting blazes.

In fact, California's rash of arson-started wildfires in the '70s and '80s was due to problems with volunteer firefighters setting blazes, according to Maclean.

"It makes sense," he said. "People who like fire, are attracted to fire, get into the fire service."

THE NUMBERS

Today, arsonists start on average about 200 wildfires a year in California. That's down a lot from the peak in the 1970s and '80s, when arsonists lit about 1,200 fires a year.

But those fires are doing more damage than in the past.

That's because the conditions today are much more conducive to huge wildfires than in the past.

There are a lot of reasons why.

LET IT BURN

For a nearly a century, we've been putting out fires on public lands and in forests right away. For many years, the US Forest Service even had a rule that all fires needed to be out by 10 a.m. the day after they were first detected. That meant that all the saplings and small trees that would've been destroyed in a small fire were able to survive.

So today, the forest is much thicker than it used to be, and all those small trees and brush act exactly like kindling when a fire starts, meaning today's fires are bigger and burn hotter than they did in the past.

There's also climate change. It's hotter and drier. The recent drought we had in California killed more than 129 million trees in California. And some scientists think that might mean big fires are more likely now.

And then there's us. Where we live. We increasingly are building houses in dangerous, fire prone places, like the foothills and in canyons. Our houses are surrounded by fuel. And the more people are near all the fuel, the easier it is for one of us to accidentally start a fire. Or start one on purpose, like in the Cranston Fire.Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

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A secret society of racist lawmen? A band of gangbusting deputies who operate like a gang themselves?

Sounds like a bad pulp novel, but these are some of the allegations that have been leveled against deputies within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for years. Reports of sheriff gangs accused of violent, racist behavior date back to at least the 1970s, and they're back in the news again.

Sheriff Jim McDonnell announced a new comprehensive study of secret deputy societies within his department just last week.

Despite the long history of accusations, "no one has undertaken a serious, comprehensive study of the issue. And I intend, on my watch, to get to the bottom of this," McDonnell said during a meeting of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission.

The civilian group is a watchdog for the Sheriff's Department; it's examining recent allegations that the Compton Station harbors a new clique of tattooed deputies.

"I am not going to pre-judge the outcome of our comprehensive study. But I will say this: renegade cliques erode public confidence as well as internal morale, and they will not be tolerated within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department," the sheriff said.

So what's the deal with these secret societies? What's really going on?

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

The story appears to have started with the Little Devils, a group formed within the East Los Angeles sheriff's station in 1971, according to the Los Angeles Times. Then came groups like the Pirates, Rattlesnakes, Cavemen, and Vikings. These groups flourished in overwhelmingly white sheriff's stations that operated in predominantly black and Latino neighborhoods.

In a class-action lawsuit against the Sheriff's Department, a federal judge called the Lynwood Vikings a "neo-Nazi, white supremacist gang." The county paid $9 million in fines and training costs to settle the suit.

Among its members was former, and now imprisoned, Undersheriff Paul Tanaka. He's serving five years in federal prison for conspiracy and obstruction of justice after he tried to derail an FBI investigation into police misconduct within county jails.

As recently as 2013, seven members of the Sheriff's Department were fired when another group, the Jump Out Boys, was exposed by the LA Times.

A pamphlet with the group's creed read, "We are not afraid to get our hands dirty without any disgrace, dishonor or hesitation... sometimes [members] need to do the things they don't want to in order to get where they want to be," according to the Huffington Post.

The Jump Out Boys' tattoo was a skull holding a revolver. Every time a deputy in the group was involved in a shooting, he would earn an extra line of inked smoke coming out of the gun, the Times reported.

Critics allege that the group glorified officer-involved shootings and encouraged overly aggressive policing. That's why some officials and members of the public are concerned about the possible resurgence of these groups.

The issue sparked anger at the oversight commission's meeting last Thursday when a public comment segment devolved into a feud between a speaker and the commission's chairman, who walked out in disgust.

Chair Robert Bonner's seat sits empty at a recent meeting of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission. Bonner, not pictured, stormed out after a discussion about deputy cliques devolved into shouting. (Photo by Bradley Bermont/LAist/KPCC)

SO WHY ARE THESE GROUPS BACK IN THE HEADLINES AGAIN?

Earlier this year, Sheriff's Deputy Samuel Aldama revealed that he received a skull tattoo as part of an initiation into a group of officers at Compton Station.

While denying that the tattoo represented a formal clique, the deputy acknowledged that 10 to 20 of his colleagues had the same tattoos. He said that the tattoo was awarded to officers who did their jobs well.

All of this was revealed in May when Aldama gave a deposition during a lawsuit stemming from the officer-involved shooting that killed Donta Taylor, a black man, in 2016.

Taylor family attorneys have used the tattoos to argue that a clique is tied to the killing, which they allege was racially motivated.

L.A. Sheriff announces inquiry into secret societies of deputies and their matching tattoos https://t.co/SWFSZfV7qg pic.twitter.com/NijdsUdzvL  Los Angeles Times (@latimes) July 27, 2018

The district attorney's office had ruled that the shooting was justified.

WHAT'S THE SHERIFF PLANNING TO DO?

In his address to the Civilian Oversight Commission, McDonnell said he was opening a comprehensive study of tattoos and secret societies in light of the new allegations. This is in addition to an ongoing examination of deputy tattoos, logos and symbolism within the organization, as reported by the Times.

Despite the inquiries, McDonnell defended Compton Station.

"We looked into the circumstances at Compton Station: All the indicators of a well-run station are in place," he said, noting that arrests were up and crime was down. He added that the Compton tattoo "does not in any way reflect the LASD of today."

There are a lot of unknowns here, recognized by both the commission and the sheriff. Questions remain as to the nature of the tattoos: Aare they a sign of camaraderie and self-expression, or are they indicative of a sinister organization within the department? Are the groups exclusive or inclusive? How does one become a member? What sort of behavior do they encourage?

When asked if his study would extend to the highest echelons of the department, McDonnell said he would look into it but felt the people in his command staff had integrity.

McDonnell refused to put a specific timeline on the study but told the commission that he hoped to have answers in about three months.

News happens every day. Here at LAist, our goal is to cover the stories that matter to you and the community you live in. Now that we're part of KPCC, those stories (including this one you're on right now!) are made possible by generous people like you. Independent, local journalism isn't cheap, but with your support we can keep delivering it. Donate now.Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

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After decades of dashed hopes and broken promises, Tail o' the Pup, Los Angeles's famous hot dog-shaped hot dog stand, will finally reopen.

The last we heard, this gem of novelty architecture was heading to the Valley Relics Museum in Chatsworth, where it would be on display but wouldn't dish out franks.

Now, just in time for National Mustard Day (yes, it's a holiday and it happens the first Saturday in August) comes word that the 1933 Group has acquired the landmark  and plans to bring it back as a restaurant.

An exterior view of Eddie Blake's Tail o' the Pup hot dog stand. It was located at 300 N. La Cienega and Beverly boulevards, next to the Beverly Center. (Gary Leonard/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The 1933 Group owns a bunch of bars around town  Bigfoot, Sassafrass, Thirsty Crow, Oldfield's, a few others  all themed, often with a heavy vintage vibe. These are the folks who restored Highland Park Bowl to its Jazz Age splendor, resurrected the Idle Hour, a once popular North Hollywood bar and restaurant shaped like a giant barrel, and are in the midst of revamping the Formosa Cafe in West Hollywood. They respect the history of the venues they acquire and they seem to know what they're doing, so fingers crossed that they'll treat Tail o' the Pup with the care it deserves.

The Idle Hour in North Hollywood was built in 1941 and renovated in 2015. (Mike Hume/Flickr Creative Commons)

Built in 1946, Tail o' the Pup operated (not always at the same location) until 2005. After shuttering, it spent years moldering in storage facilities including a Torrance warehouse and a Lake Elsinore salvage yard.

Excited about eating at this landmark? You can thank Alison Martino, who runs Vintage Los Angeles. According to Los Angeles magazine, she spent years searching for the stand then working with the family of Tail o' the Pup founder Eddie Blake to get it back. Now, the 1933 Group is looking for a new home for the Pup, somewhere street-facing in West Hollywood or Hollywood, near the stand's original location.

Tail o' the Pup is one of L.A.'s most famous examples of "programmatic architecture" -- buildings designed to look like food, animals or other items -- but it's hardly the only one. Southern California has a rich history of buildings shaped like boots, owls, toads, pigs, airplanes and more. In fact, we were ground zero for the bizarre building boom.

The giant donut on the roof of Randy's Donuts is adorned with a mini Space Shuttle on October 11, 2012 in Inglewood. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

The trend reached its apex in the early 20th century. Motoring was still a new pastime and business owners wanted to catch the eye of passing drivers. Unhampered by modern building codes, they threw up these cool and kooky structures.

Sadly, most have been demolished. You can still see a few, including the famous Randy's Donuts and a couple of old Chili Bowl locations

Fortunately, Southern California's rich history of novelty architecture remains well documented.



The Toed Inn

The Toed Inn, seen here in 1920, was shaped like a frog. It was originally located on on Channel Road in Santa Monica. After it was damaged by a flood in 1938, it was moved to 12008 Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

Hoot Owl Cafe

The Hoot Owl Cafe had a head that rotated, blinking eyes made from Buick headlamps and a sign that read: "Hoot hoot, I scream." It was designed by Roy Hattrup in 1926 - 27 and for more than 50 years, his wife, Tillie, ran it. It was originally located in Rosemead but was moved to two subsequent locations, both in South Gate, before being demolished in 1979. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

Mother Goose Pantry

"There was an old woman, who lived in a shoe; she had so many children, she didn't know what to do." Apparently, she opened the Mother Goose Pantry at 1951 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, seen here in 1928. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The Chili Bowl

Launched in 1931 by former amateur boxer Art Whizin, the Chili Bowl chain had 22 outposts at its peak. Each building was round and shaped like a chili bowl with 26 stools around a circular counter where diners could get the signature dish: an open-faced burger blanketed with chili. This 1937 photo shows the original Chili Bowl, located at 3012 Crenshaw Blvd. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The Airplane Cafe

Although the exact L.A. location of The Airplane Cafe is unknown, the airplane-shaped restaurant came with wings, a propeller and wheels, although it rested on raised slabs of wood. (circa 1924) (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The Feed Rack

Originally built as an ice cream parlor with an oversized ice cream cone at each corner, the building became the Feed Rack restaurant during the Depression. Notice the sign: "Hello, Oldtimer! Are you hungry? Stop and get some coffee & donuts. They are on us." Circa 1930. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The Teepee

The Teepee was a popular ice cream stand in Long Beach on 2nd St. at Covina Ave., 1931. During that period, the swastika was commonly displayed as a positive symbol before the Nazi Party adopted it and gave it its hateful connotations. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The Hollywood Flower Pot

Located at 1124 Vine St. in Hollywood, the Hollywood Flower Pot is both the name of this flower shop and an accurate description of its facade. Circa 1930. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The Pig Cafe

The Pig Cafe was built in 1934 near La Brea and Rosewood avenues in Hollywood. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

Sphinx Realty Company

This photo of the Sphinx Realty Company, located at 537 N. Fairfax Ave. across from where Fairfax High School now stands, supposedly dates to 1920, so it's too early for it to have been inspired by the Egyptology craze that swept the U.S. after Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered in 1922. Notice the signs listing nearby properties for sale. Back then you could buy a six-bedroom, corner stucco house for $7,200. (Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

California Piano Supply Co.

A giant grand piano marks the entrance of the California Piano Supply Co., which was renamed the Big Red Piano in the 1960s. Circa 1920s - '30s. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

Zep Diner

Shaped like a blimp (aka a zeppelin), the Zep Diner was located at 515 W. Florence Ave. near Figueroa St. Circa 1931. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The Tamale

As its name suggests, the Tamale, located at 6421 Whittier Blvd. in East L.A., specialized in Mexican food as well as hamburgers, chili, malted milk and something called "Spanish delight." The structure went on to become Charley's Beauty Salon in 2001. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The Cream Can

Shaped like a milk can, the Cream Can sold buttermilk (5 cents), orange juice, root beer and other beverages. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The Donut Hole

Cars exit The Donut Hole drive-in restaurant, located on Elliot Avenue at Amar Road in La Puente, on January 4, 1983. (Herald-Examiner Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The Brown Derby

1934: Exterior view of the first Brown Derby restaurant at Wilshire Blvd. and Alexandria Ave., with its large "Eat in the Hat" neon sign atop the dome. There were four Brown Derby restaurants  in Beverly Hills, Los Feliz, Hollywood and Wilshire  but only this one, the original was shaped like a bowler hat. It was first located at 3427 Wilshire Blvd. but in 1937 was moved one block over to 3347 Wilshire Blvd. (Works Progress Administration Collection/Los Angeles Public Library)

The Brown Derby Restaurant

Picketers protest in front of the Brown Derby Restaurant on Wilshire Blvd., in 1980, hoping to prevent the restaurant from being razed and replaced by a high-rise. The restaurant had suddenly closed its doors after paying and dismissing employees. In September of 1980, it was torn down and replaced with a parking lot and later a strip mall with a domed structure on the third floor of the building, to resemble the original hat-shaped building. (Mike Mullen/Herald-Examiner Collection/Los Angeles Public Library)Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

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Remember that glitch back in June that left over 100,000 names off Los Angeles County voter rosters? Well, a new report out Wednesday points to the cause of the massive error.

An investigation by IBM Security Services has identified a software problem as the root of a printing error that left voters confused and angry and poll workers overwhelmed.

According to the investigation, new file formatting changes to the statewide voter database were not compatible with the county's system. That led to empty spaces for the birthdates of more than 118,000 voters.

This confused L.A. County's voter information management system. As a result, it mistakenly classified the voters as underage -- and then left them off the printed precinct rosters.

IBM has advised the county to update the software code and implement new quality control practices.

The county says steps are being taken to ensure the problem doesn't happen again. The county paid $230,000 for the review.

News happens every day. Here at LAist, our goal is to cover the stories that matter to you and the community you live in. Now that we're part of KPCC, those stories (including this one you're on right now!) are made possible by generous people like you. Independent, local journalism isn't cheap, but with your support we can keep delivering it. Donate now.The Bishops School has issued a letter disclosing that it has discovered more than a dozen incidents of sexual misconduct, which took place over the span of 30 years, following almost a year of investigation.

In a letter issued to alumni dated July 23, school leadership stated seven alumni had come forward and described 15 separate incidents, five of which were first-hand accounts of sexual misconduct or a boundary violation committed by a school employee.

The school has contracted an attorney to handle the investigation and will also be working with the San Diego Police Department.

In a statement to the Light, The Bishops School said: The well-being of our students is our highest commitment. The Bishops community is deeply grateful to and admires our graduates for the courage to come forward. If any student from any era has an issue or allegation of this nature we will investigate and involve independent resources, and the appropriate authorities, to learn the facts.

The school began its investigation in September 2017, when an alumna disclosed her experience of sexual assault committed many decades ago by a former, now deceased, member of the school staff, according to a letter from the school.

It went on to state the school had appointed Jennifer Branch, Esq. at Andrews, Lagasse, Branch and Bell, LLP to investigate the report, and encouraged any other victims to come forward.

In response, one such alumna contacted the school and spoke with La Jolla Light on the condition of anonymity. She explained that she engaged in what was then viewed as a sexual relationship with a teacher in the 1980s.

When I attended Bishops, there were multiple students who had relations with faculty. I was not alone, she said in an e-mail.

Since the initial letter from the school was sent in September, the victim spent nine months in communication with school administrators to provide a thorough report.

As to why she came forward, she told the Light: What was critical to me as a victim was that I needed to know what the board decided to do to assist the victims and, more importantly, what they are putting in place to prevent it from ever happening again.

After the September outreach, other victims came forward to share their stories. In July, The Bishops School issued a follow-up letter. An excerpt reads: We thank those who responded to Septembers letter. Such care for the community and empathy for classmates is an example for Bishops students and alumni.  We are deeply saddened by their experiences and apologize for what occurred.

The letter went on to say reports were still coming in, some as recently as late June, and that the school would be focusing on the five first-hand accounts. These occurred in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and in each incident, a different perpetrator is named. Two are deceased, and the other three are no longer school employees.

Attorney Branch is in the process of finding where all the alleged perpetrators are working, particularly those who are still working in education.

The alumna who spoke with the Light said she looked up her abuser and found he is teaching at San Diego Community College.

The Bishops School Board of Trustees will also be working with the San Diego Police Department to notify them of all first-hand reports of experiences that would have been a crime at the time of the occurrence, regardless of whether the perpetrator is alive or deceased. The police will follow up with victims as appropriate, and the School will assist the police as they request, the School said.

We remain humble in our assumptions about the Schools past and unequivocally encourage any graduate who had an experience about which the School should be aware to contact incoming Interim Head of School Carol Barry or Ms. Branch.

Barry can be reached at barryc@bishops.com or (858) 875-0721. Branch can be reached at jbranch@albblaw.com or (858) 345-5073.

Turbulent years

The Journal of San Diego History edition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of The Bishops School published in 2008 notes that on the heels of The Bishops School merging from an all-girls school to a co-ed school in 1972, the school faced turbulent years.

Dorothy Williams, who served as headmistress from 1973 to 1983, guided the school through the turbulent years of the 1970s. According to one faculty member she dealt with discipline problems involving drugs and sex, conflicts with faculty over their roles as authority figures, changes in religious views, constant tensions over curriculum, (and) rebellious student attitudes toward traditions. 

Following Williams tenure, Michael Teitelman was appointed headmaster, and is credited with changing the curriculum to expand the Advanced Placement offerings and electives in almost every department.

He served until 2009, and was succeeded by Aimeclaire Roche, who was Head of School until just this year.

The month before the September letter was issued, Roche announced in August 2017 that she would be leaving her post after nine years and would be transitioning to a leadership role at Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Bishops School director of marketing and communications Keri Peckham said Roches departure is completely unrelated to the investigation.

Head of Middle School Barry was appointed to step in as interim Head of School effective Aug. 1, 2018 and Ron Kim (currently Interim Assistant Head of School at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks) will serve as Head of School as of the 2019 school year.

Founded in 1909, The Bishops School is located at 7607 La Jolla Blvd., and is an Episcopal school. It carries an annual tuition for grades 6 through 12 (including meals) of $36,290, in addition to other expenses.Photo taken on April 3, 2018 shows ice formed in the wind around Ulunggur Lake in Fuhai County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

As a Han from Xinjiang, one of the questions Im most frequently asked is "Why don't you look like a Xinjinger?" It never occurs to those asking that there are 47 nationalities in Xinjiang, and the Han People account for 40 percent of Xinjiang's whole population. Some stranger questions I have been asked include Do you ride a horse to school?" and "Do you eat raw meat?"

Once a doctor from Kashgar in Xinjiang complained that while she was in Beijing, she was approached by a total stranger, who asked in a condescending tone if she was a street vendor selling lamb kebabs.

As for my friends in Shanghai, one of their main concerns is whether its safe to travel in Xinjiang, as their impression is that its both attractive and formidable.

In 2016, a video named "I'm from Xinjiang went viral online, directed and produced by Kuerban Saimaiti, a member of a minority in Xinjiang. In his video, Kuerban introduced people from Xinjiang who lived and worked in other Chinese provinces, including famous TV stars such as Tong Liya and Li Yapeng, with the aim of clearing up any misunderstanding from people who had never visited the region. He wanted to show the world that Xinjiang is not as underdeveloped as many people think, and as Xinjiangers, we have our dreams, passions and careers, just like people in any other part of China.

Aerial photo shows a view of the moon bay in the Kanas scenic area in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

With the Belt and Road Initiative alongside the closing of the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, Xinjiang has once again become an inseparable part of the national strategy in economic development and anti-terrorism.

The region, located in the northwest of China, is the largest administrative region in the country, covering an area of about 1.6 million square kilometers, taking up one sixth of the country's territory. Its border stretches more than 5,600 kilometers, neighboring eight countries from north to south, covering northern, eastern and southern Asia.

It's perhaps one of the most diversified regions in China, with its mix of ethnic languages and culture standing in sharp contrast with eastern and central regions of China. Not only can you appreciate deserts and snow capped mountains, which are the usual media representations of Xinjiang, but also forests, lakes, glaciers and grasslands.

Photo taken on the Narat grassland shows the snow-covered mountains in Xinyuan County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

There are 47 nationalities in Xinjiang, 13 of whom are indigenous; Han, Uygur, Kazak, Hui, Khalkhas, Mongol, Xibe, Uzbek, Manchu, Daur, Russian and Tarar. They speak different languages and hold different beliefs. Therefore, Xinjiang has, since ancient times, been a melting pot of different ethnic groups, cultures and religions.

Though taking up so much of China's territory, the region remains a mysterious and distant place for most people despite the fact that communication and transportation today is better than ever.

Throughout Chinas history, Xinjiang has always opened its doors to those seeking the opportunity of a better life.

In 1959, a five year-old boy, along with his mother and elder brother, stepped onto a train heading westwards, to reunite with his father, who had been living in Xinjiang for three years.

His father was a veteran from the Huaihai Campaign, one of the three most important campaigns during Chinas War of Liberation (1945-1949), and the former leader of the local government in Pingdu. He wrote to his wife that Xinjiang was abundant in resources and they would enjoy a promising future there. Never had the family travelled so far before and the trip would be long and tiring, but they knew that it was their chance to start a new life together.

After a week's train trip to Gansu province they took a truck to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, staying with one of their relatives for a month. They passed the Sayram Lake and Guozigou Mountains in Yili (a region lying in the northwestern part of Xinjiang, known for its abundant rainfall), amazed by the spectacular scenery around them. They finally settled in Khorgos port, the biggest land port bordering the Soviet Union, which is today Kazakhstan.

With a booming trade between the two countries, the local administrative bureau would often throw banquets for foreign guests; attendees even getting the chance to watch performances from the National Ballet of China.

As for the family, Xinjiang protected them, fed them and nurtured them, so they could go on to lead a peaceful life.

The woman and her husband are my grandparents; the little boy is my father. As the third generation growing up in Xinjiang, not only am I blessed with snow-capped mountains, endless forests and grassland, which is a world away from other parts of China geographically, but I am also immersed in a more inclusive and diversified culture, which absorbs lifestyles of different ethnic groups and extends open arms to people from all over the country.

I am inspired by the perseverance and pioneering spirit of my predecessors, who, with raised spirits, helped "carve a path" for their future children and grandchildren, and made a huge contribution to the development and construction of Xinjiang.

Im proud to be a Xinjianger!CalPERS has now reported that its former chief financial officer, Charles Asubonten, misrepresented his work history and earnings before he was hired in October 2017. He resigned quietly in May, and the giant pension fund plainly desires to close the book on this disastrously botched appointment of a top-level official.

But things arent that simple. The Asubonten case raises questions about CalPERS management that demand a complete public airing before the systems board of administration, starting with the question: How did he get hired in the first place?

Asubontens misrepresentations were discovered in April, when CalPERS started asking him questions and checking his bona fides. The discrepancies, as theyre laid out in a report the systems investigators prepared, were so glaring they could not have been missed had the same questions been asked and checked during the recruitment process.

You were evasive, failed to answer questions directly, and gave inconsistent answers to similar questions. CalPERS investigators to ex-CFO Charles Asubonten

Advertisement

But the proper inquiry wasnt made until doubts about Asubontens background were raised by Susan Webber, a management consultant and financial blogger who posts at nakedcapitalism.com under the pen name Yves Smith, and subsequently by ourselves.

What took so long?

The issue is important because the California Public Employees Retirement System, which manages pension benefits and healthcare coverage for 1.9 million state and local workers and retirees, is engaged in recruiting a replacement CFO and a chief investment officer.

Marcie Frost, the CalPERS CEO, says the hiring process has been improved, but how would we know, until the prior procedure is thoroughly examined and the improvements described, in detail?

Lets briefly recap the Asubonten affair.

CalPERS made a big noise last September when it hired Asubonten, then 55, as chief financial officer, a post with base pay of $275,000. The pension fund issued a news release describing him as bringing more than 20 years of experience in many facets of finance and investments, covering several industries including mining, financials, energy, infrastructure, technology, healthcare, and industrials all across America, Africa, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The release said that most recently, he was the managing director in a private equity firm.

As we reported, the private equity firm mentioned in the release was nothing of the kind, at least not as that term is commonly understood. Typically, a private equity firm manages partnerships that invest in a portfolio of private companies and generally oversee their management. The goal is to build up the portfolio companies so they can go public or be acquired by someone else.

Asubontens firm, Transmax/RSA Capital, didnt appear to function that way. Asubonten told me in an interview in April that Transmax didnt raise capital in the U.S. Through the firm, he said, he advised people who raised funds on their own. Asked how big Transmax was, he told me, That is something I do not choose to discuss.

Once Webber started blowing the whistle on Asubontens background, CalPERS closed ranks behind him. He had dismissed her questions as character assassination, an assertion later repeated to me by a CalPERS spokesman. In a phone conversation, with Asubonten on the line, Frost gave him an unqualified endorsement. We thought Charles would be an excellent candidate, she said, and over the last five months that has proven to be exactly true.

But she also initiated an investigation into his work history. CalPERS investigators interviewed Asubonten on April 20 and 23. According to their account, his story appears to have come apart almost instantly. As Webber and I already had reported, the address he had given the pension fund for Transmax was a mail drop in a strip mall outside Baltimore. He had not registered Transmax as a business, though he later claimed that wasnt legally required.

Asubonten had claimed monthly salary from Transmax of $23,750. Asked to document the figure, he submitted W-2 forms for 2017 from three other purported employers, including the CFA Institute, an outfit that certifies Chartered Financial Analysts, for which he graded papers, and Rio Tinto, a British mining firm. But the Rio Tinto income statement covered earnings from 2007 to 2009, not 2017.

Asked how those earnings applied to Transmax, Asubonten told the investigators, I am Transmax and RSA, or words to that effect, the investigators reported. He added, I consider everything as Transmax, or words to that effect. That made Transmax sound like a corporate shell for Asubonten, not a private equity firm. On his Form 700, a financial disclosure the state requires from high-level public appointees, Asubonten valued Transmax at over $1,000,000. The investigators reported that he provided no records to document that value.

In general, the investigators found Asubonten not to be credible during the investigation. They informed Asubonten, You were evasive, failed to answer questions directly, and gave inconsistent answers to similar questions. They ruled that he had provided false, incomplete, incorrect, and misleading information on his employment application. Their conclusion was that it was proper to reject Asubonten as CFO during his probation. According to a settlement reached between him and CalPERS on July 10, he is considered to have tendered his voluntary resignation.

CalPERS tried to keep Asubontens fate quiet  the fund did not issue an announcement of his departure, although when we asked in May it acknowledged he was no longer with CalPERS. But then Asubonten appealed his dismissal to the state personnel board, and the investigators findings became public. Asubonten couldnt be reached, and his attorney didnt respond when we called.

But in his appeal, Asubonten argued that it was improper for CalPERS to use alleged misstatements on his Form 700 against him, since he maintains the form is designed chiefly to identify potential conflicts of interest. (On the other hand, its subjects are required to certify that its true under penalty of perjury.)

He said that as he is not an attorney, he had some difficulty describing the corporate structure of Transmax on the form. But given that in his appeal he described Transmax as a sole-proprietorship, its unclear why he checked a box on the form identifying it as a partnership, when a box labeled sole proprietorship is right next to it.

Asubonten also cited Frosts unqualified expression of support in their April conversation with me. Thats embarrassing for her, at least, but also brings us back to what kind of hiring process was in place when he was recruited. Webber calls this a due diligence failure, and shes right.

There was vetting, Frost told me this week. But what kind of vetting? She said Asubonten was interviewed and his references checked, and was found to be technically qualified for the job of CFO. But plainly CalPERS didnt bother to inquire closely into Transmax, or it would have discovered that it wasnt a private equity firm as commonly understood, wasnt registered anywhere as a business, and had a mail drop as its official address. Would that have inspired CalPERS to take a closer look at its technically qualified candidate? One would hope so.

Frost says CalPERS has put the recruiting and vetting process for its new CFO and CIO in the hands of the executive search firm Korn Ferry. But it had commissioned the search firm Heidrick & Struggles to manage the search for its last CFO. By the time Asubonten was hired, however, CalPERS had taken the process in-house, and it yielded a candidate who couldnt pass probation.

Its certainly encouraging that CalPERS has has taken a serious look at its procedures in the wake of the Asubonten botch, as Frost says. We have found areas where we can strengthen the process, she told me, though she wasnt very specific.

Maybe the CalPERS board can get a more complete answer, but to do so it will have to start asking questions and devoting serious time to figuring out what due diligence is performed on high-level CalPERS applicants. Or doesnt it think that the way CalPERS fills some of its top jobs is important?

Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com.

Return to Michael Hiltziks blog.USC School of Cinematic Arts on Wednesday suspended embattled CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves from the schools board shortly after the universitys communications school said it was temporarily removing Moonves name from its cutting-edge student newsroom.

The school takes the recent allegations very seriously and will discuss further action when the board convenes in October, USC School of Cinematic Arts said in a statement.

The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalisms high-tech news lab has been called the Julie Chen / Leslie Moonves CBS Media Center since it opened in 2015. USC Annenberg said that Moonves, who is facing sexual harassment allegations, and his wife, Chen, who is the host of the popular CBS daytime show The Talk, had requested the move. Chen is an alumna of the journalism school.

In recognition of the sensitivities surrounding recent allegations against Mr. Moonves, he and Ms. Chen have requested that USC Annenberg temporarily suspend use of the media centers name until the investigation concludes, USC Annenberg said in a statement.

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Other scandals have forced USC to disentangle itself from relationships with Hollywood figures in the wake of the #MeToo movement. In October, the School of Cinematic Arts rejected a $5-million pledge from disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein, who has faced accusations of sexual assault by dozens of women. Weinstein has denied the allegations.

In December, the school removed Bryan Singers name from a campus building after the X-Men director and USC alumnus was accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy at a party more than a decade ago. Singer has denied the allegations.

Los Angeles County prosecutors on Tuesday said they had declined to press charges against Moonves after a woman came forward late last year and accused the television executive of forcing her to participate in sex acts in 1986 and 1988. The statute of limitations had expired, so the case was dropped.

On Friday, the New Yorker published a report alleging that Moonves sexually harassed six women dating back more than a decade. The most high-profile was actress Illeana Douglas, 53, who has appeared in HBOs Six Feet Under and such films as Goodfellas. She alleged that Moonves pinned her on a couch and began violently kissing her during a meeting in his office in 1997 when she was cast in a network pilot. She lost her job on the pilot, which was never picked up. She said Moonves was so infuriated at her that he told her she would never work at this network again. Douglas later had other roles on CBS shows.

CBS said that Moonves said he tried to kiss the actress, but denied assaulting her.

Moonves has acknowledged mistakes, saying that he may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. But he added, I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyones career.

On Monday, CBS board of directors said it would hire an outside law firm to investigate the allegations contained in the New Yorker report.

CBS has been trying to contain fallout from the allegations, which threaten the tenure of Moonves, who has run CBS Corp. since 2006 and has led the broadcast network since 1995. CBS stock on Wednesday fell 12 cents, or less than a percent, to $52.55.

USC has been embroiled in scandals of its own. Last year, The Times reported that the university kept a hard-partying doctor in charge of its medical school, and operating on patients, despite his personal issues. The university ultimately severed ties with Dr. Carmen Puliafito, who has since lost his medical license.

During the medical license hearing in July, Puliafito and his attorney said the doctor suffered from bipolar disorder and a hypomanic state that poisoned his judgment.

Then, in May, The Times reported that a gynecologist who had been treating USC patients for three decades was accused of sexually assaulting scores of women. The university paid a settlement to the gynecologist, Dr. George Tyndall, to get him to leave the university. Female patients were not informed of the alleged misconduct surrounding that doctor, which included claims that he photographed patients genitals and touched women inappropriately during pelvic exams.

Tyndall has denied the allegations.

The most recent controversy sparked widespread outrage on campus and among donors, and there were demands that the university president, Max Nikias, must go. The embattled president said in May that he would step down.

Other groups also have distanced themselves from Moonves. Bucknell University has removed some references on its website to alumnus Moonves in the wake of the allegations. The Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace also said that Moonves had recused himself as one of its commissioners, according to Deadline.

meg.james@latimes.com

@MegJamesLAT

UPDATES:

2:35 p.m.: This article was updated with information about USCs actions regarding Harvey Weinstein and Bryan Singer.

1:50 p.m.: This article was updated with information about USC School of Cinematic Arts suspending Moonves and CBS stock performance.

This article was first published at 11:10 a.m.An Irvine call-center company has agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle allegations of sexual harassment toward both men and women workers detailed in a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of a former employee.

According to the EEOC, supervisors, managers and coworkers at Alorica Inc. leered at female employees and touched them inappropriately. In one case, a manager allegedly peered down female employees shirts to look at their breasts; in another, a male coworker allegedly exposed himself to a female employee.

Female workers were openly propositioned for sex, said Anna Park, regional attorney for the Los Angeles district office of the EEOC during a news conference Wednesday. When advances were rebuffed, some women said they were subjected to increased scrutiny or were written up. Some women ended up resigning from the company, she said.

Male employees were also harassed by women at the company, and some men said they were asked about their preference of sexual positions, Park said.

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The EEOC said it has identified 44 victims so far, though it expects that number to increase. Most of them have resigned from the company.

Alorica disputes the allegations in the complaint based on its internal investigation and believes the company would have been vindicated had we litigated the matter, said Tania King, the companys chief legal officer and chief employee experience officer, who was at the news conference. She said Alorica chose to settle because it wanted time to focus on employee programs and changes.

The allegations center around two Alorica facilities in Fresno and Clovis; the firms Irvine headquarters was not involved in the case. Alorica has thousands of employees in California.

As part of the settlement, Alorica will be under a three-year consent decree and will be monitored by the EEOC during that period. The company has already initiated a mandatory sexual harassment prevention training program for managers, King said.

Alorica has also hired an external monitor to conduct an audit to ensure issues of harassment and retaliation are rooted out, Park said. It takes vigilance and a fresh look to address these issues in the workplace, she said.

The $3.5 million will be divided among affected employees, and if there is a remainder, a designated nonprofit. A claims process will be established for the former and current workers in the Fresno and Clovis region.

Employees who worked for Alorica between Aug. 1, 2014, and the present and believe they were affected can submit a claim. Funds will be distributed according to the strength of the case, the EEOC said.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunagaPresident Trump is considering a plan to impose a 25% tariff on $200 billion in Chinese imports, more than double what he had initially proposed, a person briefed on the matter said.

The deliberations could be a sign that Trump is looking to intensify pressure in the trade standoff with Beijing even if it could significantly drive up costs on a wide range of products for American consumers.

A final decision has not been made, and a number of Trumps threats toward China have been designed more to bring Chinese President Xi Jinping to the negotiating table than to fundamentally change U.S. economic policy, said the person, who insisted on anonymity to discuss White House deliberations.

If Trump follows through with the plan, it could significantly raise prices on televisions, clothing, bedsheets, air conditioners and other consumer products.

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Trump in June instructed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to craft a plan to impose a 10% tariff on $200 billion in Chinese imports, or roughly 40% of the goods that China sends to the U.S. each year.

It was seen at the time as a dramatic escalation of Trumps trade battle with Xi, as Chinese leaders had refused to back down after numerous threats by the Trump administration. Chinas Ministry of Commerce called the move blackmail.

It was not immediately clear Tuesday why Trump is now looking at raising the proposed tariffs to 25%, but White House officials say trade talks with China have largely stalled.

Trump has launched an aggressive trade agenda this year, threatening several countries with high tariffs if they dont purchase more U.S. products or allow more U.S. investment in their countries.

In recent weeks, White House officials have claimed progress in talks with the European Union and Mexico, while talks with Canada and China have broken down. Trump has shown a willingness to try to isolate countries including Canada and China that he believes arent quickly offering the types of concessions he has demanded.

U.S. business groups have expressed angst about Trumps approach, warning it could drive up costs for companies and consumers. But Trump has urged patience, promising his approach will work if lawmakers and business leaders fall in line and give him more time to negotiate.Three Ukrainian nationals have been arrested in the theft of more than 15 million credit and debit card numbers from point-of-sale terminals at Chipotle Mexican Grill, Arbys and other retail and hospitality chains, federal authorities said Wednesday.

The three men are high-ranking members of an international hacking group known as FIN7 that gathered the numbers collected from more than 6,500 terminals at more than 3,600 separate business locations since 2015, the Justice Department alleges.

The naming of these FIN7 leaders marks a major step toward dismantling this sophisticated criminal enterprise, said Jay S. Tabb Jr., special agent in charge of the FBIs Seattle office.

Companies that have previously publicly disclosed hacks attributable to FIN7 include such familiar chains as Chilis, Red Robin and Jasons Deli. The Emerald Queen Hotel and Casino near Tacoma, Wash., and other unidentified resorts and hotels were victimized, the prosecutors said. Additional intrusions were alleged to have occurred abroad, including in Britain, Australia and France.

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The group hacked companies by sending emails with malware-ridden Microsoft Word attachments, prosecutors said. When employees opened the documents, they unwittingly unleashed a virus onto their computers that allowed the hacker group to infiltrate the companys computer networks.

Prosecutors said FIN7 is highly sophisticated and used elaborate methods. The emails were typically sent to specific individuals and might be posed as requests for catering orders when targeting restaurants, or as reservation inquiries for hotels. The hackers might follow up with phone calls to make the emails seem more legitimate.

The FIN7 hacks arent the only major point-of-sale data breaches against U.S. companies. Target was victim to a massive hack at the end of 2013, resulting in the theft of 110 million customers personal data, including credit card numbers.

More recently, in September 2017, Whole Foods was hit by a point-of-sale hack that primarily affected Whole Foods Taproom venues.

Martin Minnich, program manager at Cal Poly San Luis Obispos California Cybersecurity Institute, said the latest arrests show how hacking threats are growing increasingly common and more sophisticated.

Threat factors are evolving and changing very quickly. Its the same way a cold or virus does. Thats now happening on the digital frontier, said Martin, who added that companies need to do more to combat the scams.

Its about performing annual audits and looking for antiquated systems. You cant be everywhere all the time, but if youre not adapting as these threats are adapting, youre going to get left behind, he said.

Bugcrowd, a San Francisco cybersecurity firm, is employed by companies to detect software vulnerabilities by trying to hack into their systems.

Alyssa Habing, an account manager at the firm, said food industry companies werent necessarily on the forefront of cyber safety but are improving.

Some industries are moving faster than others. Obviously the companies that have invested in bigger IT teams are moving faster, she said.

The suspects have each been charged with 26 felony counts alleging conspiracy, wire fraud, computer hacking, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, the department said. They were identified as Dmytro Fedorov, 44; Fedir Hladyr, 33; and Andrii Kopakov, 30.

Hladyr is detained in Seattle and is awaiting a trial set for Oct. 22, the department said. Fedorov and Kopakov are detained in Poland and Spain, respectively.

Ethan.millman@latimes.com

@MillmanEthan

UPDATES:

3:25 p.m.: This article has been updated with more comments from cybersecurity experts.

1:10 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the FIN7 hacking group and previous point-of-sale hacks.

This article was originally published at 12:05 p.m.Federal food safety inspectors are urging consumers to check their refrigerators for packaged salads and wraps that may be contaminated with cyclospora parasites.

The beef, pork and poultry salads and wraps were distributed by Caito Foods of Indianapolis and sold by Walgreens, Trader Joes and Kroger, owner of Ralphs supermarkets, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service.

All of the items had best by dates of July 18 to 23, the agency said.

The warning stems from a recall of chopped romaine lettuce supplied to Caito from Fresh Express, a Salinas produce grower. In a recording on its consumer hotline, Fresh Express said the lettuce, now past its expiration date, was sold only to food service companies, not directly to retail outlets.

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Infection with the parasite can cause severe and frequent bouts of diarrhea, cramps, bloating, nausea, fever, and loss of appetite and weight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The parasites are specific to humans and tend to spread through poorly processed sewage that may find its way into irrigation sources.

In mid-July, McDonalds halted sales of its salads at 3,000 franchises in the Midwest after authorities in Illinois and Iowa reported an outbreak of illness attributed to cyclospora. Federal authorities have not linked the outbreaks.

In June, salad trays sold by Del Monte Fresh Produce were recalled after 227 people fell ill from cyclospora after eating vegetable-and-dip trays bought in convenience stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan, according to the CDC.

The agency last year reported a sharp increase in illnesses linked to the parasite  more than 1,065 reported cases in 40 states. There were 384 cases reported during a similar period in 2016, compared with 546 in 2015 and 304 in 2014, according to the CDC.

Last month, Caito Foods also recalled fruit salads with pre-cut melons that have been linked to a Salmonella outbreak that sickened 77 people in nine states.

The recalls and warnings come as the produce industry is recovering from a 36-state outbreak of illnesses linked to E. coli bacteria in romaine lettuce, which killed five people and sickened more than 200 others, about half of whom had to be hospitalized, according to the CDC.

The E. coli strain was traced to an irrigation canal in the lettuce-growing region around Yuma, Ariz. The outbreak, which began in April, was declared over June 28.

geoffrey.mohan@latimes.com

Follow me: @LATgeoffmohanTen years after faulty mortgages upended the global financial system, Wells Fargo & Co. agreed to pay $2.09 billion to settle a U.S. investigation into its creation and sale of loans that contributed to the disaster.

The long-anticipated penalty, announced Wednesday, is in line with what some analysts had predicted and smaller than sanctions borne by some of the San Francisco banks competitors. But the case offers a new look behind the scenes at decisions made at one of the nations largest home lenders before the crisis  and the evidence that executives saw of mounting trouble.

Investors, including federally insured financial institutions, ended up suffering billions of dollars in losses on securities that contained home loans from Wells Fargo, the Justice Department said in a statement announcing the accord. The investigation focused on mortgages in which borrowers were allowed to state their incomes, without providing proof.

Starting in 2005, the bank set out to double production of two types of risky mortgages: one known as subprime, offered to borrowers with weak credit, and another called Alt-A, a product targeted at independent contractors and others who may not draw a steady paycheck.

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As part of the push, Wells Fargo loosened requirements for so-called stated-income loans, which allow borrowers to say how much they made without verification. The bank later sampled and tested some mortgages and found borrowers had fudged income numbers. Despite those findings, it continued to report inaccurate income figures to investors who bought mortgage-backed securities that later went bad, according to the settlement agreement.

Abuses in the mortgage-backed securities industry led to a financial crisis that devastated millions of Americans, Alex Tse, acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, said in a statement. Todays agreement holds Wells Fargo responsible for originating and selling tens of thousands of loans that were packaged into securities and subsequently defaulted.

Wells Fargo Chief Executive Tim Sloan said in a statement that the bank was pleased to put behind us these legacy issues regarding claims related to residential mortgage-backed securities activities that occurred more than a decade ago.

Other big banks settled similar claims with the Justice Department years ago and paid much larger penalties. In 2014, Bank of America and Citigroup agreed to pay $16.7 billion and $7.3 billion, respectively, to settle allegations they misled investors about risky mortgage-backed securities. JPMorgan Chase agreed to a similar settlement in 2013 and paid $13 billion.

Those deals, like Wednesdays, dealt only with mortgage-backed securities. Big banks, including Wells Fargo, have also paid to settle allegations that they duped the federal government into improperly backing crisis-era loans through the popular FHA mortgage insurance program. Wells Fargo agreed to pay $1.2 billion in 2016; Bank of America and Chase reached smaller settlements in 2014.

Wells Fargo executives had been signaling the settlements approach. In January, Chief Financial Officer John Shrewsberry told Bloomberg his firm would probably hash out terms this year.

Although he declined to discuss the potential cost, the firm took a $3.3-billion litigation charge late in 2017, mainly for mortgage-related issues. Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Elliot Stein had estimated the settlement for mortgage-backed securities could cost more than $2 billion.

The settlement comes as Wells Fargo tries to correct a series of consumer abuses that have resulted in a raft of fines and sanctions, including a growth cap imposed on it by the Federal Reserve because of weak risk management and corporate oversight.

Over the last two years, the bank has admitted that it created millions of bank accounts without customers authorization, charged improper fees on mortgage borrowers and forced thousands of auto-loan customers to pay for insurance policies they did not need.

Those practices, and others, also have led to more than $1.1 billion in payments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other regulators, including a $185-million settlement over unauthorized accounts in 2016 that kicked off the banks troubles.

Wells Fargo shares rose 36 cents, or 0.6%, to $57.65 on Wednesday.

Times staff writer James Rufus Koren contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

2:20 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Wells Fargo, background on the banks consumer abuses and information on similar settlements by other large banks.

11:45 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the settlement.

This article was originally published at 11:05 a.m.In 1890 tobacco tycoon Abbot Kinney set out to transform marshland about 14 miles west of downtown Los Angeles into the Coney Island of the Pacific. He imagined a resort with amusement piers, casinos, Venetian-style canals and blue lagoons dotted with gondolas.

In the decades that followed, the oceanfront boardwalk in the community of Venice Beach has seen an oil boom, raging pier fires and more, eventually earning its reputation for a circus-like atmosphere of performers, mystics, artists, vendors and tourists.

Street photographer Dotan Saguy has been documenting it all for three years, capturing what he sees as the final vestiges of a dying society. With skyrocketing rents changing the neighborhoods culture and character, Saguy has compiled images of transient hippies, tattooed skaters, body builders, surfers and vagabonds for the forthcoming book, Venice Beach: The Last Days of a Bohemian Paradise, published by Kehrer Verlag.

Body Bender: A couple from Spain makes final preparations to go on stage while struggling to stay cool in the summer heat. The photographer said he was intrigued by the wifes muscles juxtaposed against the delicate fanning gesture of her husband. (Dotan Saguy)

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Fake News: Dogs on an afternoon stroll encounter a local street artists work in Venice. (Dotan Saguy)

Clothespins: A performer in the Venice Beach Freakshow protested the closing of the attraction following Snapchats purchase of the building. (Dotan Saguy)

I felt more connected to Venices inclusiveness and its opened-minded, free-spirited people, said the Israeli-born former tech entrepreneur, who added that his goal has been to find insight in the beautiful, eclectic chaos.

The books cover shows Jenna, a blond, bikini-clad snake tamer in something of a classic, surreal Venice scene. Later in the book, though, Saguys photos show Jenna and her 6-year-old son fighting an eviction notice. Other images capture lighter moments, such as when a man named Jingles in a mohawk hat preaches the vegan lifestyle to a pregnant young woman.

Everyone comes to Venice to be seen and entertained, which made it easier to approach and hang out with the hippies and homeless, Saguy said. I was able to create relationships, which helped me get beyond the circus.

Saguy has a presentation scheduled for noon-2 p.m. Sunday at Leica Gallery in West Hollywood. A reception and book signing are slated for 5 p.m. Aug. 11 at Venice Arts in Marina del Rey.

Flying: A couple visiting Venice Beach from Europe play in the sand as police behind them monitor a nearby drum circle. (Dotan Saguy)

Kama Kosmic Krusader: For more than 40 years, Harry Perry has played his guitar while skating along the boardwalk. (Dotan Saguy)

Boy and Snake: Jackson watches a boa constrictor, one of two snakes entrusted to him while a street performer took a quick break. The image is one of the happier moments for Jackson and his mom, Jenna, who is on the books cover. (Dotan Saguy)

See all of our latest arts news and reviews at latimes.com/arts.

UPDATES:

9:30 a.m.: This article was updated with a new time for the Leica Gallery event on Sunday.Lameness prevention: it's all in the head

An understanding of how cows think, how they see the world and how they move is essential for lameness prevention.Chronograph chronology Chronograph chronology

Since the acclaimed premiere of the Datograph 16 years ago, the Saxon watch brand has continuously leveraged its expertise in this domain...

Since the acclaimed premiere of the...He came out of a sandstorm, bloody and battered, an earthen and flawed Jesus who 30 years ago set off a culture war over questions of faith and the divide between artistic freedom and Christian scripture.

Martin Scorseses The Last Temptation of Christ was a meditation on a messiah tormented by inner doubts and moral reckonings until he found transcendence on the cross. The portrait of a spiritually uncertain Jesus (Willem Dafoe) ignited protests from evangelicals and Catholics over a scandalous, if quite human dream sequence, in which the son of God is tricked by Satan to escape crucifixion, marry Mary Magdalene and raise a family.

Shouts of blasphemy rang out over sex scenes and what Southern Baptists vilified as a wimpy Christ. The film jolted the American conversation on religion, art and politics in the same year that President Reagan signed a proclamation for a national day of prayer and the Cold War, propelled by a good-versus-evil ethos, was nearing its end. Much like today, when evangelicals vet Supreme Court nominees and remain crucial to President Trumps base, the nation was confronting existential questions and the tug of God on daily life.

Scorsese has long mapped the searching soul. His films  Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Silence  balance the sacred and the profane. His philosophical explorations of the vast, unsettled terrain between the human and the divine stem from a boyhood Catholicism and its teachings of devotion and selflessness. Based on the 1955 novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, the Jesus in Temptation is a fallible carpenter. He hears voices and is bewildered by who he is; his faith strengthens in degrees and doesnt crystallize until the end.

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This is Hollywoods worst hour. The Rev. Jerry Falwell

The Catholic Church rated the film morally offensive. Some Jewish leaders saw it as anti-Semitic. Picket lines went up in Los Angeles and New York. The Rev. Jerry Falwell, a television evangelist and leader of the Moral Majority, a political action group, said: This is Hollywoods worst hour. Neither the label fiction nor the First Amendment gives Universal [the studio] the right to libel, slander and ridicule the most central figure in world history.

That sentiment echoes today in skirmishes between liberals and the Christian right over immigration, abortion, gay rights and the furor around Trumps conservative Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Since its founding, this country has been a battleground between religion and secularism, and ironically, Trump, like Reagan in the days of Temptation, has become a hero of evangelicals despite his unholy tweets and alleged payoffs to a stripper and a Playboy Bunny.

Invoking God is as common as courting lobbyists. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions cited Apostle Paul in warning immigrants not to cross the border illegally; former EPA Director Scott Pruitt said Trump was elected president because of Gods providence. Trump pleased evangelicals at this years national prayer breakfast, saying: Our rights are not given to us by men, our rights are given to us from our creator. No matter what, no earthly force can take those rights away.

In her book The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America, Frances FitzGerald writes that evangelicals are the most American of religious groups, and during the nineteenth century they exerted a dominant influence on American culture, morals and politics. By the mid-twentieth century the United States was becoming a more secular nation, but since 1980 many evangelicals, led by the Christian right, have struggled to reverse the trend they have reintroduced religion in public discourse, polarized the nation, and profoundly changed American politics.

That is the terrain Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader encountered when Temptation opened in 1988. The following is an email conversation with Scorsese about the 30th anniversary of the film and his cinematic and spiritual evolution.

The Jesus in Last Temptation is a tormented messiah who discovers his faith and identity in gradations. His spiritual journey is quite human. The power of the film is that it forces self-reflection over ones struggles with faith, something experienced by most believers. Were you surprised at the reactions from Christian conservatives?

I was driven to make Last Temptation because I wanted to look at questions of faith and penance and redemption within the context of the world right now, with all the formalities stripped away. Im constantly exploring this question in my pictures and in my life.

Im a great admirer of many of the older Hollywood pictures about the life of Christ that I saw when I was young, but the limitation of those films is that they tell the story as if it were a pageant. Its like looking through an illustrated storybook  you leaf through the pages and look at all the familiar images and read all the familiar passages and everything is several layers removed from whats happening in your life right now.

I was trying to start a dialogue. I didnt want to just make a picture for people who were secure in their faith. Christs teachings are about all of us  the secure and the insecure, the powerful and the powerless, the down and out, the addicts, the people in real pain, the people caught in states of delusion, the ones who feel absolutely hopeless and see no possibility of grace or redemption. Because the afflictions of the least among us, as Jesus said, the inner circumstances that lead to their fall, are in everyone. I wanted to make a picture about a historical figure named Jesus, a spiritual guide, but also  a human being, surrounded by other recognizable human beings, as opposed to wax figures.

Did I think it would be accepted by everyone? Not necessarily. But I hoped it would. I knew that everyone wouldnt embrace it, but I thought they just might. And what happened was that the picture was vilified by people who made a cultural show of their vilification, and many of whom not only hadnt seen it but vowed to never see it. And that saddened me.

In a dream sequence in The Last Temptation of Christ, Jesus (Willem Dafoe) does not die on the cross. He becomes a family man. (Universal City Studios)

You once thought about becoming a priest. Much of your work is imbued with the spiritual, the place where the grace of God intersects with the deeds of men. Faith is constantly challenged. How has your faith evolved over time? And how have you dealt with those iterations in your films?

When I was young, I had a childs understanding of Catholicism, and the idea of God is somewhat like an ultimate parent  if you were good, you would be rewarded with his love, and if you were bad, you would be punished with hellfire. When I read Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, it had a profound effect on me. It was a liberating experience.

I also had a remarkable teacher, a priest named Father Principe, who would give us all the standard lessons about the wages of sin, but who set a different kind of example with his words. He advised us, sometimes cajoled us, truly guided us, and he had such an extraordinary love.

In the late 60s, when the country was in the middle of a moment even more dramatic and upsetting and confusing than the one were living through now, I remember seeing [Robert] Bressons adaptation of Diary of a Country Priest for the first time. That picture is based on a novel by [Georges] Bernanos, and absolutely every character in the novel and the film is suffering. But at one point, the priest says, God is not a torturer. He just wants us to be merciful with ourselves.

That opened my eyes. We feel that God is torturing us and punishing us, but when we give ourselves the peace to reflect, we come to understand that we are our own torturers and that we mete out our own punishments. So mercy begins with ourselves. Mercy, acceptance, charity, kindness and love. And I believe that started me on a road that Ive been on ever since  trying to understand who I am in relation to my faith, why I wanted to become a priest and then realized that it was not my vocation, then coming to terms with the fact that I was a filmmaker.

Im not saying that I always succeed, but Im always trying. You can see it in my pictures from the start, with Mean Streets. You dont pay for your sins in church, says Charlie, first thing in the picture. You do it in the street. In some pictures, you can see it clearly  Mean Streets, Raging Bull, Last Temptation, Casino, Silence. For me, over the years, its where Ive found my unifying thread.

Liam Neeson plays Father Ferreira in the film Silence. (Kerry Brown / Paramount Pictures)

The root of faith  as Jesus discovers in Last Temptation  is selflessness. How do we achieve that in a world that runs so counter to that notion?

You know the Bob Dylan song from Infidels, Man of Peace? You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace In other words, the people who make a show of their generosity, who draw attention to the wonderful acts theyve performed and the money theyve given away, who are always looking for reflections of themselves in the eyes of others. [This] runs counter to the deepest experience of being human, the understanding that without us and everything around us, me is not possible. To make a show of your generosity is not to be generous. Generosity and compassion are there at your core. Theyre basic to humanity.

But life is tumultuous. Its filled with temptations, and with them, greater temptations to just give up, a kind of spiritual exhaustion: I guess this is all there is, so I might as well grab as much of it as I can. So you try to keep the rudder straight, maintain your core values and acknowledge your failures and weaknesses, accept them, try to improve, and then you learn.

Does the world really run counter to selflessness? Or is it just that were now living through a moment in which so many people are making a show of selfishness, loudly and consistently?

If you had to distill the meaning of Last Temptation into one scene, which scene would it be?

I think it would be the scene where Judas comes to summon Jesus back from the dream. Willem was so remarkable in the passage where Jesus, as an old man who has lived a long, happy life, says that in the end, he does want to be the Messiah. We were under so much pressure with that picture, and Willem was in makeup for six straight hours, and we had no time, and we shot it and we just werent comfortable with it. And we went back the next day, really up against it, and he did it in one take. Its the heart of the picture, so it had to be right. And it was.

See the most-read stories this hour 

Twitter: @JeffreyLAT

jeffrey.fleishman@latimes.com

ALSO

Deep State conspiracies thrive in our messy and divisive cultural wars

Europes rising nationalism is putting pressure on film directors and the stories they tellDespite women and people of color at the helm of high-profile successes like Black Panther, Get Out, Girls Trip and Wonder Woman, a new study has found that diversity of representation among Hollywood films remains largely unchanged from a decade ago.

The study, published by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, found that among 1,100 popular films released between 2007 and 2017, theres been little to no improvement regarding the inclusion of women, people of color, or members of the LGBTQ or disabled communities.

Though 33 of 2017s top 100 films featured a woman as a lead or co-lead, just four of them were led by a woman of color, the study found.

When Hollywood discusses women they are thinking of white women, said Stacy L. Smith, the reports co-writer. But these trends seem to be relatively stable in terms of whos getting work, whether its driving storytelling or its the entire ecosystem of all speaking characters. Were seeing very little movement across the board, but once we cross gender with other factors, the story becomes really problematic.

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Of 4,454 speaking characters in the top 100 films of 2017, just 31.8% were women, the study reported. That percentage has remained relatively consistent since 2007, hitting a peak of 32.8% in 2008 and 2009 and a nadir of 28.1% in 2014.

Among characters with speaking roles in the top 100 films of 2017, 29.3% were minorities, 2.5% had disabilities and less than 1% were members of the LGBTQ community. (The annual study has been tracking LGBTQ inclusion since 2014 and disabled inclusion since 2015, with the percentages again consistent.)

We see slight deviations in haphazard ways but nothing that seems to suggest meaningful change happening, Smith said.

The study also explored the frequency with which female characters of color were excluded from major films last year: 65 films featured no characters of Asian descent, 64 had no Latina characters and 43 lacked a black female character (comparatively, just seven films were missing a white female character).

Characters from the LGBTQ and disabled communities fared far worse: LGBTQ women were not included in 94 films while disabled women were absent from 78 films. Of 400 popular films released between 2014 to 2017, only one transgender character appeared on screen.

Behind the scenes, representation is just as bad. 81.7% of people working as directors, writers and producers on the top 100 releases of 2017 were men and 18.2% were women.

Among 1,223 directors over 11 years, 5.2% were black or African American, 4.3% were women and 3.1% were of Asian descent. That translates to four black or African American women, three Asian or Asian American women and one Latina directing a film across the 1,100 examined.

The behind-the-camera numbers are absolutely at a standstill, said Smith. If were not seeing inclusion behind the camera, then the patterns on screen are going to be impervious to change. The only way to make storytelling move is by thinking differently in how directors, writers, etc. get attached to projects.

Though Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman was one of the most successful films of 2017, it remains the rare film to feature a woman both behind the camera and as its star (Gal Gadot, pictured). (Alex Bailey / TM & DC Comics)

While its easy to interpret films like the upcoming The Spy Who Dumped Me and Crazy Rich Asians as representing verifiable change in Hollywood, there are still more than two men appearing on screen for every one female among speaking roles.

Ageism also remains an issue in the industry. Among the top 100 movies of 2017, 30 included a male character over the age of 45 and only five films featured a woman in the same age bracket. Only one was led by a woman of color 45 or older.

Although change has been slow in coming, Smith is hopeful that heightened awareness about these issues can lead to change if supported with industry-wide action.

The conversation has been absolutely important, she said. Thats step one: getting communities engaged. And expressing their reactions and resistance to the way Hollywood has done business has been key to really countering the way in which Hollywood has thought about these decisions.

What hasnt worked is the activism around trying to change any of these numbers, she added. Moving forward, theres only one area that has to be targeted: Companies need to make public commitments to change and they have to have a strategy to meet the target inclusion goal when it comes to hiring.

Smith highlights nepotism and deals brokered between friends and in closed networks as contributors to this employment issue.

Access and opportunity should be given to individuals that are talented, qualified and available for the job and thats not how these deals are brokered, she said. So until hiring is targeted and activists rally around that one key exclusionary preface, these numbers wont move.

Reports like these alone arent enough to remedy the issue, Smith said.

Studies dont move the needle. Everybody likes to get the attention of drawing the focus on the issues but thats not what moves the needle. Changing hearts and minds, that isnt what changes this problem.

Instead, she proposed, change the nature of the business.

Given that people are flocking from film and going to television and streaming content, a better strategy would be for executives in the film industry to move away from their narrow imaginations and actually think critically about the diversity of the audience and serving their needs. If hiring practices do not change, then in 10 years were going to find the exact same thing.

sonaiya.kelley@latimes.com

follow me on twitter @sonaiyakBetty White was trending on Twitter this afternoon  but calm down, everybody.

The tweets were the result of PBS promoting Betty White: First Lady of Television at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills, which if you do a search on the social media platform, clearly was much to the relief of many who feared the worst about the 96-year-old comedy great.

White was not on hand for the panel (co-director and producer Steve Boettcher assured everyone she was great but deserved a day off), but she remained the central subject as Boettcher and some of Whites former cast mates spoke about her roughly seven-decade career and a project 10 years in the making (debuting Tuesday, Aug. 21).

With fellow Mary Tyler Moore Show stars Gavin MacLeod and Georgia Engel on hand, memories about Whites role as Sue Ann Nivens was a given. But one of the moments that stood out in a clip from the documentary may be a lesser-known highlight for White, who was the first woman to produce her own national television program with The Betty White Show in 1954.

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During that shows run, White worked with a dancer named Arthur Duncan, whose presence became a controversial subject as the show went national.

People from various areas, mainly the South, sort of resented black Americans on the program and they threatened to withdraw their support for the show if I continued on the show, said Duncan, who was a panelist at TCA. I only found out about it years later when Betty wrote her book. Her remark was, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could. She stood up for her beliefs and that ended that.

Long an object of ridicule by Whites character on Mary Tyler Moore, MacLeod remembered reuniting with her more recently for a promo video for New Zealand Airlines. During the shoot, he learned a secret of Whites longevity while they were on a lunch break.

That was the first time I realized that Betty loved hot dogs, he said, remembering Whites secretary saying she had one every day. I said, shes 92 years old  count how many hot dogs that is a year, and they tell you not to eat those things. Betty White can do anything.

Panelists also marveled at Whites work ethic, which was described by Duncan as a sense that every time she took the stage was an opportunity to learn something. Boettcher remembered that during the making of the documentary, the actress came to know the crew members, their families and their pets.

I remember the first day we were on set doing interviews with her she walked into the room, everybody takes a beat and she looked at every guy in the room and said, I like my odds. The whole crew kind of fell in love with her at that moment. 

chris.barton@latimes.com

Follow me over here @chrisbarton.The Sinner, USA Networks sleeper hit starring Jessica Biel as an amnesia-prone murderess and victim, was intended as a limited series when it premiered in summer 2017.

A psychological thriller wrapped in a murder mystery dipped in a detective drama, the show was a critical success, garnering top Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. And as an extra added bonus: The shows surprise success was followed by another surprise  the announcement of a Season 2.

The series returns Wednesday with a new plot and a new lead, Carrie Coon. The Leftovers star plays enigmatic and menacing cult leader Vera Walker, a character whose intensity permeates every corner of this story. Returning to the fold is Bill Pullman, once again excellent as the dysfunctional and empathetic detective Harry Ambrose, a man whose rumpled emotional baggage has proliferated between seasons.

In the first three episodes available for review, Season 2 continues to pull viewers in with a carefully curated balance of talent and story. Included here is the same brand of dark intrigue and twisted storytelling that initially made The Sinner stand out among other lauded dramas like The Handmaids Tale and The Crown.

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Like its predecessor, Season 2 of The Sinner kicks off with a deadly crime perpetrated by an unlikely suspect who belies no discernible motive. The mystery here is not how he did it, but why.

Middle-schooler Julian (Elisha Henig) poisoned and killed his parents at a roadside motel in the small town of Keller when the trio stopped for the night on their way to Niagara Falls. Except they werent really on vacation, and they werent really his parents, and that licorice taste in their morning coffee wasnt a Starbucks flavor of the month.

Keller detective Heather Novack (Natalie Paul) is in over her head on this one, so she requests the help of her fathers old friend, detective Ambrose. The investigator, who grew up in the region, returns to help solve the puzzle.

Dealing with the boy, however, causes Ambrose to face his own haunted inner child. Something bad happened way back when, and it likely explains why hes such a mess as an adult. Ambroses disturbing flashbacks  curtains (or perhaps a nightgown) ablaze, bubbling oil, creeping shadows  and the concern of childhood friends who know more than we do are early clues that lead to some bigger reveal.

Both seasons of The Sinner are produced by Biel and are rife with images of devout spirituality, or perhaps its blind faith. Last time around, Biels character Cora was the product of a fanatical Catholic zealot who raised her to believe that even something as innocuous as eating a chocolate bar was a devilish indulgence that might result in the death of her sick sister.

In Season 2, it appears that Vera is Julians mother and that shes brought him up to believe that his adherence to their faith (whatever it is) also has life-and-death implications for others.

The result is two perpetrators, seasons apart, informed by the warped religious teachings of their guardians.

Then again, this is The Sinner, a show with so many twists and turns that its hard to pin down any one characters background or motives until presented all the facts, during the finale, which is months from now.

But if the first few episodes are any indication, this is yet another disturbing/thought-provoking mystery worth unraveling.

The Sinner

Where: USA

When: 10 p.m. Wednesday

Rating: TV-MA (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 17)

lorraine.ali@latimes.com

@lorrainealiI never expected to be a guest at the farewell party for USC President C.L. Max Nikias, who agreed to step down in May after the university was hammered by sex and drug scandals that occurred on his watch.

But I did expect there would at least be a farewell.

After all, on May 25, billionaire developer Rick Caruso, who is now president of the USC Board of Trustees, announced that Nikias and the boards executive committee had agreed to begin an orderly transition and commence the process of selecting a new president.

Caruso vowed the process would be swift and thorough.

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Most people read that to mean that Nikias, whose fundraising prowess over an eight-year tenure helped vault the school into the top ranks of American universities, had agreed to resign.

But when?

More than two months have passed.

There is a growing concern, particularly among faculty members, that Nikias has not left the building.

Number of patients suing USC over sex abuse claims tops 300 as faculty push for Nikias exit 

Some have fretted that a faction of his supporters on the Board of Trustees has come to regret what one professor described as a rush to judgment that led to Nikias agreeing to leave. Others worry that when the fall semester starts at the end of this month, Nikias will address the class of 2022 at the annual gathering that signals the start of the academic year  not a good look for the beleaguered campus.

After all these scandals, he wants to be the one to welcome students to campus in a few weeks? said poet and novelist Carol Muske-Dukes, a professor of literature and creative writing. Utterly mind-boggling.

A group of professors who called on Nikias to step aside in May echoed her concerns in a letter to the Board of Trustees this week.

We find ourselves in a state of turmoil and uncertainty, they wrote. President Nikias cannot be the one who stands up to greet the new students at the Convocation. If he is, we face the prospect of student protests and walkouts, parent outrage, and a broad public perception that we have gone back on our commitment to accountability and transparency, as the world outside USC believes he has already resigned.

In a letter to USC faculty, Academic Senate President Yaniv Bar-Cohen urged teachers to individually contact the Board of Trustees. There remains too much uncertainty regarding this transition, Bar-Cohen wrote. One particular area of concern is the disposition of President Nikias.

So what exactly is the disposition of President Nikias?

Officially, he is on vacation. Tuesday, however, he met with a small group of professors to discuss the future, and to get a sense of how they were feeling.

Education professor William Tierney, an expert on higher education policy and university governance, was among them. He said the meeting was cordial and Nikias upbeat, but it was not clear what the transition timeline would be.

In a normal world, Tierney said, you would have a search up and running by now.

It hasnt always been easy getting answers out of USC. Its penchant for secrecy can be alarming.

Trustees routinely ignore requests for comment by reporters, or say they have been instructed not to talk. The membership of the boards executive committee is  preposterously  a secret.

I emailed Caruso twice to try to get a sense of what the search process looks like and whether Nikias will sever ties with USC or stick around in some capacity. (It is generally assumed that Nikias, as a tenured engineering professor, will be welcome to stay at USC as long as he likes, Tierney said.)

In the absence of a response from Caruso, I decided to reread his May 25 letter, which was exactly the balm that students, faculty and alumni craved at that painful moment. Caruso acknowledged the harm inflicted by Tyndall, and the frustration and anger it had caused. Nikias, he wrote, had agreed to step down. In his letter, he promised the one thing that matters most when it comes to healing a badly bruised institution: transparency.

And yet transparency is something that is sorely missing right now. Nobody seems to know whats going on. Without hard facts, rumors swirl: Nikias wants to rescind his resignation, a faction of the board of trustees is moving to oust Caruso. Its like a murder mystery, Tierney joked.

To my surprise, Caruso called Tuesday evening. He was in the Pacific Northwest, driving a boat to British Columbia, and he said he was going the wrong way. We joked about the metaphorical implications of that.

::

USC has got to do better when it comes to confronting improprieties and misconduct that undermine its hard-won reputation as a top-tier university.

I understand the impulse to close ranks, but a huge community is depending on USC to put things right, and to do so in an ethical and righteous manner.

Last year, Nikias badly mishandled Times inquiries into the sordid behavior of Carmen Puliafito, former dean of USCs Keck Medical School. Instead of responding in a straightforward manner to questions about Puliafitos documented drug and alcohol use, Nikias refused to acknowledge the scandal.

And now, the school is groaning under the weight of lawsuits from more than 300 patients of former school gynecologist George Tyndall, whom they have accused of sexually abusing and verbally harassing them. For years, their complaints were ignored.

No one is suggesting that Nikias knew about the abuses taking place in the campus clinic  which began long before he became USC provost in 2005  but he must be called to account for the fact that such egregious behavior flourished on his watch. (Tyndall has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.)

Max has been a remarkably successful president who had some blind spots that got us to where we are, Tierney said when we spoke Tuesday. In May, in an essay published in The Times, he applauded Nikias decision to resign: President Nikias relied on a small circle of confidants and, as his troubles rose, the circle grew smaller. The universitys Board of Trustees, mostly captains of industry, seemed awed by his fundraising ability. They ceded power to their fundraising juggernaut. The Academic Senate sat passively by as problems unfolded.

Maybe the haze swirling around the future of USC will lift a bit on Aug. 7, when the Board of Trustees is slated to meet.

Caruso, who has spent the summer talking to faculty, students, staff and alumni, said he would recommend a recruitment firm at the meeting. He will also ask the board to vote on the formation of a presidential search committee.

Heres what I will tell you, he told me. My goal is to have a new president announced in four to six months.

In the meantime, said USC spokeswoman Brenda Maceo, Nikias is on vacation. Chief Financial Officer Jim Staten is currently acting president. Provost Michael Quick will take the reins as acting president when he returns from vacation on Monday.

And what will happen when Nikias returns from vacation?

That is all TBD, she replied.

Which is exactly the problem. If USC is to move on, Max Nikias must move on, too. Sooner rather than later.

robin.abcarian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AbcarianLATUniversity of California President Janet Napolitano took the helm of the nations top public research university five years ago as a tough and seasoned politician and former Cabinet member in the Obama administration.

Her take-charge style and ambitions to make a mark startled some campus leaders accustomed to more low-key academics. But their sentiments were not always communicated to the top  and when the state auditor tried to assess campus views in a review of Napolitanos office published last year, two of the presidents aides tampered with the surveys. The interference sparked a political uproar and prompted Napolitano to apologize publicly.

Now campus leaders have spoken up  and say they want more autonomy from Napolitanos office even as they value many of the systemwide services it provides.

Their opinions are expressed in a new study obtained by The Times that was commissioned by the UC Board of Regents after the audit interference fiasco. Consultants with Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting Inc. interviewed 74 senior campus leaders, including all 10 chancellors, to gauge their views of the services and programs provided by the UC Office of the President, often referred to as UCOP.

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The study found widespread support for the vast majority of systemwide services, such as legal counsel, government relations, employee benefits and the retirement system. One longtime chancellor said the breadth of support for the presidents office is greater today than a decade ago, when a poll of campus leaders showed more dissatisfaction.

Senior administrators expressed the greatest concerns about the flurry of Napolitanos systemwide presidential initiatives. Since 2013, Napolitano has launched several signature ventures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expand access to food, promote free speech, increase collaboration with Mexico, aid UC students living in the U.S. illegally, and encourage students to pursue public service careers.

Although most recognize that the President should have discretion to champion her own initiatives and agree that several of the initiatives concepts were valid, uniformly we heard that initiatives were determined at UCOP and mandated to all campuses without enough meaningful advance deliberation and feedback from them, the study said. Nearly all voiced that most initiatives from UCOP were top-down driven and delivered in a command and control context.

In an interview, Napolitano said she was working to become more collaborative and consultative. Campus leaders agree that she and her key executives have done so, the study said.

Theres a historic pendulum at the UC on the relationship between [the presidents office] and the campuses, Napolitano told The Times. Perhaps the pendulum got swung too far in one direction and we need to bring it back into balance.

Campus leaders, who were not named in the study, also expressed concern about micromanagement of their decisions in such areas as staff salaries, outside speaking engagements and procurement. Some of the closer oversight was launched after political criticism of UC salaries and controversial moonlighting activities by former UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi, who ultimately resigned in 2016.

Central programs cited as somewhat duplicative included those dealing with technology transfers, undergraduate research, alumni affairs and marketing.

UC Berkeley, for instance, launched a year-long commemoration of its 150th anniversary this year. But the presidents office also rolled out a systemwide sesquicentennial celebration that sparked some concern about competition with Berkeley and UCLAs own centennial next year.

The offices proliferation of systemwide councils and committees has at times resulted in campus chancellors being bypassed in decisions involving their own staff, the report said.

Napolitano has begun to consider a potentially sweeping overhaul of her office  which oversees a $33-billion operation of 10 campuses, five medical centers, three national laboratories and global research  amid political criticism over its size and costs. Campus leaders told the consultants they wanted input into whether any programs are shifted to them.

The debate over who controls the University of California has raged for decades. Power has shifted among regents, the president and campus chancellors amid clashing views over whether UC should be one centrally controlled university system of 10 campuses or 10 autonomous campuses loosely aligned in a confederation.

Until the mid-1950s, the UC system was so centralized that presidents approved campus spending on taxi fares and file cabinets, according to a 2001 memoir by Clark Kerr, UC Berkeleys first chancellor. (Regents approved chancellors for UCLA and UC Berkeley only in 1951.)

When Kerr became UC president in 1958, he dramatically decentralized the system, cutting central staff by nearly three-quarters to 275 and giving the positions to campuses. He still believed in one university and had to fight off a rebellion for complete independence by then-UCLA Chancellor Franklin Murphy, wrote Kerr, who is widely regarded as UCs most legendary leader.

Napolitano has opted for more central control, invoking the slogan the power of 10 in marshaling all campuses to work toward overarching goals.

UC Santa Cruz Chancellor George Blumenthal said smaller campuses like his appreciate and depend on central services more than larger ones. Santa Cruz is grateful for the Office of the Presidents help, he said, on such projects as preparing building plans for review by regents.

It would be unbelievably expensive for me to staff up to do that work, he said, and so I dont really want to do it  it would be bad for the campus.

UCLA and UC Berkeley, in contrast, have long traditions of independence. In 1920, Berkeleys faculty persuaded regents to require the president to consult with their leaders on all academic personnel matters  unprecedented power for university faculty at the time. More recently, Berkeley began to use letters of recommendation in some admissions decisions in a controversial move that broke with UC tradition and prompted regents to restrict the policy last year.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ praised the wonderful things the presidents office provides, such as legal services, but said it was time to consider ceding more control to campuses because they have grown, matured and become far more financially complex.

We have very different campuses. We have very different missions. And things that treat us in a one-size-fits-all manner often dont make sense, Christ said in an interview.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block  who jokingly calls himself a colonist with inclinations toward more independence  said the tension is not unhealthy. Its some type of delicate balance between autonomy and oversight that were always trying to achieve, he said.

Christ, Blumenthal and UC San Francisco Chancellor Sam Hawgood will join Napolitano and Board of Regents Chairman George Kieffer in a working group to seek ways to build on the study as UC potentially reshapes the relationship between the central office and campuses yet again.

Its an opportunity to address questions, increase efficiencies and correct misinformation, Kieffer said. Its a time for introspection and action.

Judging from UC history, any solution may be temporary.

In microbattles over power  which are everywhere and all the time  there is never a final solution, Kerr wrote.

teresa.watanabe@latimes.com

Twitter: @teresawatanabeIts exhausting, dangerous and seemingly endless labor: tracking down hot spots still smoldering in the sage and pine west of Redding, then ripping through thickets until axes and shovels turn over the bare earth needed to form a firebreak.

But most of all, it is terribly hot.

Just ask the dirty and weary groundpounders, who have been attacking the Carr fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest all week, beating back flames with hand tools and hoses where the smoke is so thick that breathing is difficult, temperatures soar above 100 degrees and the relative humidity hovers at a parching 15%.

Brian Rodriguez, 22, of Moreno Valley, tried to pace himself as he heaved aside shovelfuls of leaves and chopped roots while humming to the tempo of Johnny Cashs rendition of John Henry.

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But it still gets hotter than hell, said Rodriguez, part of a California Conservation Corps crew assigned to cut a defensive line 4 feet wide and 10 miles long.

Did you evacuate for a California wildfire? Tell us what you took with you 

Rodriguez and the other 14 members of his crew were starting a 24-hour shift in one of the last patches of woodlands where the Carr fire still rampaged, threatening the modest wood-framed homes and businesses of Lewiston and nearby French Gulch.

Their workday began at sunrise at a sprawling base camp south of Redding, where 3,600 firefighters from as far as Florida gathered to combat a blaze that has already destroyed at least 818 homes and burned more than 110,000 acres.

The mood is at times somber.

Firefighters and law enforcement are paying tribute to eight fatalities reported from blazes burning in Shasta County and near Yosemite National Park by wearing black mourning bands on their badges.

Its been a very tough month. Four firefighters lost their lives, along with four civilians, said Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as he ended a morning briefing at the base camp Tuesday.

Pace yourself, he added. This job will get done.

The Carr fire is the largest and most destructive of 17 major blazes roaring across the state that are stretching resources to the limit in what fire authorities are already calling one of the worst  and earliest  fire seasons in decades.

MORE: Heres where the Carr fire destroyed homes in Northern California 

Firefighters are resigned to more long hot struggles to come: A trend toward large, severe year-round wildfires has been brewing throughout California and across the Western U.S. for over a decade, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

California fires no longer seem to arrive only in August and September. More massive conflagrations are spawned year-round by a confluence of familiar factors: drought, withering heat, gusting winds, dense brush, runaway campfire, vehicle sparks, downed power lines and arson.

In 2015, about 80,000 acres burned statewide between Jan. 1 and July 30, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. More than 180,000 acres burned during the same period the following year; 199,000 acres were consumed by that point in 2017.

So far this year, about 409,000 acres have been lost to fire, the agency said.

Firefighter Shawn Lee, right, and his colleagues try to contain flames from the Carr fire as it spreads toward the town of Douglas City near Redding on July 30. (Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images)

Theres no end to these tragic fires now, said Gabriel Lauderdale, a Cal Fire spokesman assigned to the Carr fire command post at a fairgrounds south of Redding. I didnt get home from the Thomas Fire [which burned more than 280,000 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties last year] until Christmas Eve.

Earlier in the week, fire crews were concentrating on areas where homes and other structures were in jeopardy. Now, with the fire 27% contained, the front is moving through sparsely populated valleys northwest of Redding that had been untouched by fire for decades.

Thick reddish-gray smoke hung over the regions active fires like a lid on a pot because of a stubborn inversion layer, officials said.

Residents who defied evacuation orders sat on front porches and roadside retaining walls watching fire engines and trucks loaded with firefighters, bulldozers and cranes speeding past toward columns of smoke on surrounding slopes.

High on a ridgeline overlooking Lewiston, the California Conservation Corps crew led by Cal Fire Capt. Ben Sitter lined up beside an immense earthmover parked along a winding road.

This is one of the few areas where fire is still actively devouring landscape, Sitter, 45, said. Our goal is to stop the flames from marching down mountain into the community of Lewiston.

The crew was psyched up for the job at hand: chopping shrubs and stumps with axes, rolling boulders aside with pry bars, and clearing a smooth path that would be roughly 4 feet wide and grow longer by the minute.

Armed with shovels, axes and chain saws, they marched in single file up into a stand of Douglas firs more than 100 feet tall.

Ricky Williams, 21, of West Covina, planned to keep his stamina by sticking with the rhythm of a mantra: Were going to get through this. This will end.

Brice Bennett, a spokesman for Cal Fire, would not go that far.

Im afraid nobody will be going home for a while, Bennett said. Looks like well be hopscotching from one fire to the next.As fire crews struggled to gain containment on more than a dozen wildfires raging across California on Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown told reporters that large, destructive fires would probably continue and cost the state billions of dollars over the next decade.

The more serious predictions of warming and fires to occur later in the century, 2040 or 2050, theyre now occurring in real time, Brown said at a news conference at the states emergency operations center outside Sacramento.

State officials said more than 13,000 firefighters are on duty fighting 16 large fires that have burned a total of 320,000 acres and displaced more than 32,000 residents. Seventeen states have offered assistance to California during the last week, sending help from as far away as Maine and Florida. Though the state has the resources now to combat the large wildfires, fighting them and keeping people safe will become harder, Brown said.

Things will get much tighter in the next five years as the business cycle turns negative and the fires continue, Brown said.

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Brown, who met with top fire and emergency response officials, said the state would spend whatever is needed to combat the blazes. But he said that current conditions are part of a long cycle that began with the rapid rise in greenhouse gases caused by human activity.

People are doing everything they can, but nature is very powerful and were not on the side of nature, he said. Were fighting nature with the amount of material were putting in the environment, and that material traps heat. And the heat fosters fires.

New wildfires broke out Wednesday, including two threatening homes in El Dorado County, further straining the efforts of overloaded firefighters who are trying to keep up.

The Omega and Bumper fires sparked evacuations, with residents being directed to a shelter at the Diamond Springs Firefighters Memorial Hall at 3734 China Garden Road. The blazes had burned 120 acres west of Pilot Hill and east of Frenchtown, respectively, and officials were hitting flames with water-dropping aircraft.

The Eel fire, which broke out in a remote area Tuesday afternoon in northern Mendocino County, was 0% contained after burning 1,000 acres as of Wednesday evening, said Punky Moore, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Forest Service.

RELATED: Did you evacuate for a California wildfire? Tell us what you took with you 

The fire is traveling through quick-burning grass and oak in a rural area of rolling hills that can become steep and difficult to access, Cal Fire Deputy Chief Scott McLean said.

Its going to keep growing, hopefully not very much more, but well find out, McLean said Wednesday morning.

Another blaze that ignited Tuesday in Mono County north of Mammoth Lakes, called the Owens fire, was 312 acres and 80% contained as of Wednesday evening, authorities said.

The largest and deadliest of the wildfires currently burning in California is the Carr fire, which as of Wednesday evening had burned 121,049 acres and was 35% contained.

Fire crews have been battling the blaze in triple-digit heat. On Wednesday, however, forecasters said temperatures will return to normal, or close to it, by this weekend. Temperatures will reach the high 90s and humidity will hover around 20%, said Roy Skinner, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

1 / 62 Cattle graze on the grassland near the Ranch fire outside of Lodoga. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 62 A man fishes in Clear Lake as the smoky haze shrouds visibility in Clearlake Oaks. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 62 A plume of smoke rises from the Mendocino Complex fire near Lodoga. The Mendocino Complex Fire, which is made up of the River Fire and Ranch Fire, has surpassed the Thomas Fire to become the largest wildfire in California state history with over 300,000 acres charred. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 4 / 62 Firefighters battling the Mendocino Complex blaze monitor a burn operation on top of a ridge near the town of Ladoga on Aug. 7. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 62 Crews battling the Mendocino Complex fire supervise a burn operation near the town of Ladoga on Aug. 7. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 62 Firefighters keep an eye on a burn operation as part of the battle against the Mendocino Complex blaze on Aug. 7. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 62 Arnold Lasker looks over the remains of his girlfriends house in Spring Valley, near Clearlake Oaks, on Aug. 7. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 62 Evacuated during the Ranch fire, Jay Michael and Gretchen Fritsch rest in their car in the parking lot of the Moose Lodge in Clearlake Oaks on Aug. 7. This is the eighth time they have been evacuated since living in the area, and the third time this year. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 9 / 62 Burned out cars sit in the remains of a home that was destroyed by the Medocino Complex fire in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 62 A sign warns people to stay out of a burned area in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 62 Helicopters enroute to pick up water at the Mendocino Complex fire in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 62 A Buddha statue is seen at a burned home in Spring Valley, near Clearlake Oaks, Calif. (JOSH EDELSON / AFP/Getty Images) 13 / 62 Image taken from the International Space Station shows the wildfires burning in Calif. In the upper left portion of the image is the Carr and Mendocino Complex fires and to the right is the Ferguson fire. (ALEXANDER GERST / AFP/Getty Images) 14 / 62 Crystal Easter comforts her dogs in Spring Valley as they flee a wildfire. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 15 / 62 Crystal Easter uses a pot of water to put out spot fires around her home, as her neighbors home burns in the background in Spring Valley. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 16 / 62 Jim Bolander hoses down the roof of his home for the sixth time in eight years as the Ranch fire spreads in Spring Valley. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 17 / 62 The Ranch fire spots out ahead of the main fire in Spring Valley, burning two homes. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 18 / 62 Evacuees from Lucerne, from left, Ken Bennett with Ember Reynolds, 8, and Lisa Reynolds watch the sunset as smoke from the Ranch fire rises at Austin Park Beach in Californias Clearlake with Mt. Konocti in the background. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 19 / 62 Resident Lane Lawder carries a water bucket while fighting to save his home from the Ranch fire burning along New Long Valley Road near Clearlake Oaks. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 20 / 62 A tree burns from the inside during the Ranch fire in Clearlake Oaks. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 21 / 62 An air tanker drops retardant on the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, burning along High Valley Rd near Clearlake Oaks. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 22 / 62 A fire truck passes a vineyard while battling the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, near Clearlake Oaks. (NOAH BERGER / AFP/Getty Images) 23 / 62 Flames erupt from the River fire near Scotts Valley Road in Lake County. (Mark McKenna / TNS) 24 / 62 A hillside smolders after flames passed through during the Ranch fire in Clearlake Oaks. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 25 / 62 The Ranch fire burns a home on New Long Valley Road near Clearlake Oaks on Saturday. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 26 / 62 A firefighter gathers water from a pool while battling the Ranch Fire near Clearlake Oaks on Saturday. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 27 / 62 A deer flees as the Ranch fire tears down New Long Valley Road near Clearlake Oaks on Saturday. (Noah Berger / AFP/Getty Images) 28 / 62 Dan Kissick, 60, left, shown with his son Jeff Kissick, searches the remains of his home on Kellinger Street on Saturday after the Carr fire hit Redding. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 62 Maureen Kissick examines china from her wedding 36 years ago as she sits in what was once the dining room of her home on Kellinger Street in Redding. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 62 A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. crew repairs power lines Saturday near the damaged home of Jose Briones along Baker Road in Redding. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 62 Smoke clouds rise from the Ranch Fire portion of the Mendocino Complex Fire in Lakeport on Aug. 1. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 62 Buzz Craddock carries a pack tied with antlers covered in fire retardant as firefighters work to stop the progression of the River fire in Lakeport, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 62 The charred remains of a truck sit in the ash in Lakeport, Calif., on Aug. 1. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 62 Firefighters watch as air tankers drop fire retardant ahead of the River fire in Lakeport, Calif., on Aug. 1. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 62 Helicopters make water drops as flames from the River fire advance towards Lakeport, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 62 A West Covina firefighter works as a barn in the background is destroyed by the Mendocino complex fires near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 62 A barn is engulfed in flames as the Mendocino complex fires spread with the wind near Hendricks Road in Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 62 Chickens near a home being destroyed by the Mendocino complex fires in a neighborhood near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 62 Firefighters work to keep flames from the Mendocino complex fires from destroying a home as evening winds kick in near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 62 A helicopter makes a water drop near the raging Mendocino complex fires west of Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 62 Firefighters work to keep flames from the Mendocino complex fires from destroying a home as evening winds kick in near Lakeport, Calif., on July 31. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 62 A firefighter monitors a controlled burn along California 20 in Upper Lake on July 31. The Ranch and River fires are burning together as the Mendocino complex fires. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 62 Firefighters from S&R Contracting in Oregon dig into the ground as they make sure all residual flames are put out near Redding, Calif., on July 30. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 62 The Carr fire destroyed and sunk boats docked at the marina in Whiskeytown, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 62 The Carr fire swept through and destroyed property and structures in Shasta, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 62 A Cal Fire firefighter waters down a back burn on Cloverdale Road near the town of Igo on Saturday, July 28, 2018. The back burn kept the fire from jumping toward the town. Scorching heat, winds and dry conditions complicated firefighting efforts. (Hector Amezcua / Associated Press) 47 / 62 A deer stands in the middle of a road covered in fire retardant as the Carr fire continues to threaten structures near Redding on Saturday, July 28, 2018. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 62 Mark Peterson, who lost his home in the Carr fire, gives water to goats that survived the blaze on Saturday, July 28, 2018, in Redding. (Noah Berger / AP) 49 / 62 Wildfire destroyed homes overnight in Lake Keswick Estates near Redding on July 27. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 62 A woman covers her face while viewing her grandmothers home, burned in the Carr fire in Redding, on July 27. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 51 / 62 A firefighter sprays water on whats left of a Redding home damaged by the Carr fire on July 27. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 52 / 62 A firefighter lights backfires during the Carr fire near Redding on July 27. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 53 / 62 A burning home is reflected in a pool during the Carr fire in Redding on July 27. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 54 / 62 A home burns along Sunflower Road in Redding during the Carr fire on July 27. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 55 / 62 A structure burns as the Carr fire races along State Route 299 near Redding on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 56 / 62 Firefighters transport a Carr fire evacuee to the Mercy Medical Center emergency room on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 57 / 62 Firefighters discuss plans while battling the Carr fire in Shasta County on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 58 / 62 Firefighters regroup while battling the Carr cire in Shasta County on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 59 / 62 A structure is engulfed in flames as the Carr fire burns along State Route 299 near Redding on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 60 / 62 A water tender operator helping to battle the Carr fire drinks a beverage after trying to save a burning structure in Shasta on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 61 / 62 The Carr fire burns near Shasta on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 62 / 62 A historic schoolhouse burns as the Carr fire tears through Shasta on July 26. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)

Any break in the weather is appreciated  were at 35% containment, he said. However, we dont want people to be complacent, or on edge. But the fact is, this fire was started by just one little spark off a vehicle.

Still, as a low-pressure system approaches from the west, the area could see shifting winds and gusts of up 30 mph, said National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Dang.

This fire has a very unique personality, said Jason Shanley, a spokesman for the Carr fire incident response. Its been active at night, while a stubborn inversion layer has kept smoke low to the ground and hindered air support during the day. Conditions also spawned a fire tornado that ripped through parts of Redding. Every day theres a new challenge.

The fire is now mostly burning on its western flank. On the eastern end, more and more of the 38,000 fire evacuees have been allowed to return to their homes  or what is left of them  in and around Redding.

The Carr fire has claimed six lives so far  those of a Redding fire inspector, a private bulldozer contractor and four civilians. It has also destroyed more than 1,500 structures, becoming the sixth most destructive wildfire in recorded California history.

MORE: Heres where the Carr fire destroyed homes in Northern California 

Steep terrain, erratic winds, and previously unburned fuels on the western edge are challenging crews and increasing potential for spot fires, according to a Cal Fire incident report.

Containment is also increasing on the two fires in southern Mendocino County: As of Wednesday evening the Ranch fire was 15% contained after burning 64,514 acres, while the River fire had spread across 33,398 acres and was 38% contained.

Low humidity, heat and wind will continue to challenge firefighters throughout the day Wednesday, according to a Cal Fire incident report. Firefighters hope to fully contain both blazes by Aug. 7, according to the report. The low-pressure system will have a similar effect on the weather around these fires and on the Carr fire, Dang said.

Fire officials anticipate that the Ferguson fire near Yosemite National Park will intensify and spread farther into the central Sierra Nevada, a change in behavior caused largely by the shifting weather patterns expected in the next few days. As of Wednesday evening, the fire had scorched 63,798 acres and was 39% contained.

For the last several days, a high-pressure system has remained over the region. This has created an inversion, which acts like the lid on a pot of boiling water, keeping smoke from rising. As that pressure system lifts, and the inversion disappears, officials anticipate the fire will be fed fresh air and intensify.

Now in its 20th day, the Ferguson fire still threatens to ignite a massive number of dead trees that have been killed off by five years of drought and a bark beetle infestation.

This fire has amazed me in its ability to do things Ive never seen before, fire behavior analyst Robert Scott, with California Interagency Incident Management Team 4, told a large group of firefighters gathered for the daily morning briefing Wednesday. Be extremely careful down there.

Safety remains a concern for firefighters. Two have died battling the fire, while another nine firefighters have been injured. Between Oakhurst and Ahwahnee, smoke hangs in the air, and poster boards strapped to road signs and mailboxes along California 49 have messages of support for firefighters, with many reading, Stay safe!

The features that make the region appealing to tourists and nature lovers  large canyons, tall ridge tops and plunging cliffs  have made the fire more than challenging for firefighters by creating unpredictable microclimates.

Unless youre out there on the ground, feeling the wind and listening to the needles crack underneath your feet, Scott said, you cant give a really precise prediction of what the fire is going to do.

During the news conference Wednesday, Brown said that he had spoken with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and that the federal government was an important partner in firefighting efforts.

The governor urged residents in fire-prone areas to stay on alert and said he planned to soon visit some of the states devastated communities. But he pointed out that major changes  from firefighting needs to environmental policy  are needed for the future.

Were going to have to adapt. Were going to have to change our technology, Brown said. But in the meantime, were going to spend a hell of a lot of money and theres going to be a lot of unpleasant events.

Cosgrove reported from Yosemite, Sahagun from Redding, Myers from Sacramento and Kohli from Los Angeles. Times staff writer Alene Tchekmedyian contributed to this report.

Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli.

UPDATES:

7:45 p.m.: This story was updated with new fire figures.

7:00 p.m.: This story was updated with new fire figures.

5:10 p.m.: This story was updated with new fires in El Dorado County.

12:10 p.m.: This story was updated with comments from Brown.

This story originally published at 10:15 a.m.The zippy electric scooters that have popped up on street corners and sidewalks across Southern California should be banned in Los Angeles until the city begins issuing permits to the companies providing them, a city councilman said Tuesday.

Councilman Paul Koretzs motion tells city officials to take all available measures to ban the scooters in L.A. and instructs transportation officials to issue cease-and-desist letters to any company offering scooters for hire.

The motorized scooters, provided by companies such as Lime and Bird, have exploded in popularity since their arrival in Southern California last year. They typically cost $1 to rent plus 15 cents per minute, and can be picked up and left anywhere, rather than returned to a rack or station.

If the City Council approved the ban, each scooter company could secure the right to operate in Los Angeles by obtaining a permit, once applications are open. City officials are currently debating the rules that scooter companies would need to follow, and a decision is a few months away, Koretz said.

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Before we come up with regulations and enforcement  since Ive seen none  it would be a good idea to stop and take a breath, Koretz said.

David Estrada, Birds chief legal officer, said in a statement Tuesday that the company will continue to work closely with policymakers to address safety concerns as the city develops an appropriate regulatory framework.

Lime spokeswoman Mary Caroline Pruitt said the company supports regulations that prioritize rider safety, while allowing Lime to continue to serve the community.

Beverly Hills approved a six-month ban on scooters last week. Officials said the temporary restrictions were necessary while the city hammered out a policy with the scooter companies.

Koretz said he had seen hundreds of people on scooters riding on the sidewalk near his home in Beverly Grove without helmets, or with another person on board. He said he has grown more concerned about the risk of injury  and the risk of lawsuits against the city that could follow.

If people wind up getting injured because of our lack of regulation, thats on us, to some degree, Koretz said. Theyre private companies, but theyre making use of the public right of way.

Transportation advocates have encouraged city officials to quickly finish the permitting process, saying the motorized scooters are not only fun, but an important way for commuters to travel from work, home and transit stations in sprawling Los Angeles.

These types of bike-shares and scooter-shares can have a role in transportation, but its important that the city has a means of regulating them, and that the terms of operation are clear, said Colin Sweeney, a spokesman for San Fernando Valley Councilman Mitchell Englander, who seconded Koretzs motion.

The City Councils transportation committee approved tentative scooter guidelines in June. The rules still need approval from the public works committee and the full council.

The current proposal would initially limit each company to 5,000 scooters in L.A.: up to 2,500 anywhere in the city, and an additional 2,500 in economically disadvantaged areas.

The Transportation Department asked for discretion to raise or lower fleet sizes four times a year, depending on how closely the companies follow the rules, and how many daily riders are using each scooter, on average.

The companies would be required to provide a cash payment option and provide free half-hour rides to users whose incomes are less than double the federal poverty line: $24,280 for a one-person household, or $50,200 for a family of four.

To address complaints that the scooters block sidewalks, doorways and wheelchair ramps, the city has suggested restricting parking to the outer edge of the sidewalk, in the area shared with trash cans, bus shelters and parking meters. In-app directions could guide users to an appropriate spot, officials said.

From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., including on weekends, the companies would have two hours to repair, remove or relocate any scooters that were broken or parked incorrectly. When the two-hour window closes, the scooters could be impounded by the Bureau of Sanitation, the city said.

Bird scooters removed from Newport Beach under threat of criminal prosecution 

laura.nelson@latimes.com

For more transportation news, follow @laura_nelson on Twitter.

UPDATES:

9:40 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Limes spokewoman.

8 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Birds chief legal officer.

This article was originally published at 6:35 p.m.The number of former patients suing USC for allegedly failing to protect them from sexual abuse at a campus health clinic increased to more than 300 this week amid a new push by university faculty to speed the departure of the outgoing president, C.L. Max Nikias.

The universitys trustees announced in May that Nikias had agreed to begin an orderly transition to a new president. At the time, the move appeared to be an attempt to quell outrage by professors and students over the handling of Dr. George Tyndall, the longtime campus gynecologist who was the subject of repeated complaints during his three decades at the student health center.

But in the two months since, many faculty members have become concerned that Nikias might not actually be leaving. A petition addressed to the trustees and signed by more than 670 faculty members charged that there had been no follow-up in terms of naming an interim president or launching a search for a permanent replacement.

We find ourselves in a state of turmoil and uncertainty, the petition said, noting that students return to campus in less than three weeks. President Nikias cannot be the one who stands up to greet new students at the Convocation.

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In a letter to the faculty Monday, the president of the academic senate, Dr. Yaniv Bar-Cohen, told colleagues that there appears to be broad faculty consensus that it would be inappropriate for Nikias to continue in office during the search for a new permanent President.

A university spokeswoman declined to answer questions about Nikias status or say whether trustees have formed a presidential search committee.

Tyndall, 71, has denied any wrongdoing and said his exams were always appropriate. His civil attorney did not return requests for comment Tuesday.

Full coverage of the USC scandal 

In this weeks lawsuits, 90 women and one transgender man echoed previously filed allegations that the doctor improperly touched patients genitals during exams and made lewd comments about their bodies.

One woman who saw Tyndall in the late 1990s said he remarked about how small her vagina was and how lucky her boyfriend was, according to the suit. Another woman who sought treatment for a cyst near her vagina around 2005 said he probed her with his fingers and told her, Youre going to make some man very happy someday.

An Iranian-American woman who saw Tyndall in 2015 alleged Tyndall made derogatory remarks about her heritage, including Persian women are child brides, according to court papers.

A transgender man residing in Northern California alleged in the suit that during a 2005 gynecological appointment, Tyndall caused extreme pain in examining his genitals and also groped his breasts.

The new plaintiffs include a woman who saw Tyndall for care when she was studying at Mount Saint Marys University, an all-women college with a campus next to USC. The woman said that as an 18-year-old in the mid-1990s, she was referred to USC for healthcare because at the time, her college lacked an on-site clinic.

She alleged that Tyndall did not wear gloves during a rough exam of her breasts and that during a particularly painful pelvic exam, she pleaded with him to stop.

He was very dismissive, the woman, now a child psychologist residing in Orange County, said in an interview. Then all of a sudden I just urinated on the table. He pulled his hand out and wiped and left the room. I was just pretty humiliated and just in shock. This is what I have to go through for the rest of my life? Thats the creepiest doctor.

A Times investigation in May outlined the allegations against Tyndall.

When allegations against Tyndall surfaced in the wake of The Times report, she said she recognized the physicians photo in the news and contacted a law firm. On Monday, she met with an LAPD detective and reported the incident.

Debbie Ream, a spokeswoman for Mount Saint Marys University, said that in 2001, the university opened up its own clinic at its campus near downtown L.A., ending the need to refer students to USC for treatment.

USC has indicated it wants to resolve the cases as a group and without a lot of legal wrangling. Trustee Chairman Rick Caruso said recently he wanted to see the cases settled as quickly as possible.

The Times reported an internal USC investigation determined that Tyndalls behavior during pelvic exams was outside the scope of current medical practice and amounted to sexual harassment of patients. But in a secret deal last summer, top administrators allowed Tyndall to resign quietly with a financial payout.

The university did not inform Tyndalls patients. Nor did USC report him at the time to the Medical Board of California, the agency responsible for protecting the public from problem doctors.

USC told The Times in a statement that it was under no legal obligation to report Tyndall. The statement said that in hindsight, USC should have reported him.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno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.

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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.Los Angeles took a step Tuesday toward converting a vacant childrens museum and a textile factory into crisis shelters to take homeless people off the streets of skid row and other parts of downtown.

The sites are outside skid rows 50-year-old homelessness containment zone. But the council vote Tuesday to evaluate the locations could be the beginning of transforming skid row, the most concentrated homeless enclave in the country, and lifting a longtime barrier to the march of downtown development.

Skid row is the result of years of neglect and legal decisions, said City Councilman Jose Huizar. We have to be creative.

Mayor Eric Garcetti has called for a new homeless shelter in every council district by the end of the year to accommodate 23,000 residents who live outdoors. Officials are considering more than two dozen potential sites for new shelters citywide.

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Huizar had called for additional downtown locations for the 2,100 people who live in skid rows block after block of encampments. A city report prepared in response to Huizars request found that 358 homeless people per square mile live in skid row, by far the densest massing in the city. An additional 1,500 homeless people are scattered throughout downtown.

The report said it would take 17 new interim housing sites, housing 95 to 100 people apiece, to shelter 1,800 of skid rows homeless people  the number authorities believe would be open to shelters. The cost would be $54 million the first year and $30 million in following years, the report said.

The estimate was based on capital costs of $1.4 million a site. The first of the new shelters  which is expected to open in late August or early September near the Olvera Street tourist destination  went over budget, to $2.7 million.

The city report said its cost estimates took rehabilitation projects into account, but Huizar said he believes that renovating existing structures would be cheaper than new construction and that other efficiencies could bring the cost down. The city traditionally has not developed shelters, but voters approved $4.6 billion for homeless housing and services, and the mayor has set aside $20 million for shelters and the council $10 million that could be used for crisis housing, Huizar said.

We have no more excuses now, Huizar told the council before the vote. Every day we see more and more people living homeless around City Hall.

The Los Angeles Childrens Museum, which closed in 2000 and more recently housed city attorneys offices, is in a plaza off Main Street north of City Hall. The closed textile factory is on Paloma Street south of skid row. Both are a moderately challenging walk carrying gear from skid row, and activist General Jeff Page questioned whether homeless people in his neighborhood would move that far.

Whos to say the people of skid row are going to travel outside of our community? said Page, the architect of last years failed campaign for a skid row neighborhood council. Page also said skid rows homeless people should receive priority in downtown shelters.

The City Council also asked staff to evaluate leasing private parking lots downtown, or dedicating public lots, for homeless people to sleep in their vehicles. Authorities in recent years have adjusted the shelter model to try to make it more attractive to homeless people, expanding to 24 hours, accommodating pets and belongings, and removing eligibility requirements, the city report said.

gholland@latimes.com

Twitter: @gehollandIn late June, Michael Phuong Minh Nguyen left his wife and four children in the city of Orange for his yearly visit to Vietnam, where he planned to pay respects to old friends and aging relatives.

He intended to tour Central Vietnam, stopping in Hue and Da Nang  and to send photos with loved ones to his family in the United States. Then on July 6, he just disappeared.

No one could reach him. Not his wife and children. Not his aunts and uncles in Saigon.

With no other clues, they worry that hes been arrested and detained by the Vietnamese government. They have no proof but rushed to report his case to authorities in both countries  pointing to unrest in Vietnam in recent months over land leases to China and a new cybersecurity law giving officials wide latitude to censor online critics.

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We have no idea why hes been out of touch, said Mark Roberts, his brother-in-law. Everyone is fearful because they have not spoken to Michael in more than three weeks  and every day, the gravity of the situation gets a little heavier.

On Tuesday, a court in Vietnam issued prison sentences to 15 protesters arrested at mass demonstrations sparked by concerns that investors from China would seize the land for development. Meanwhile, with police increasingly cracking down on bloggers since 2016, Vietnams National Assembly passed legislation to force companies such as Facebook and Google to store all data of Vietnam-based users in the country and open local offices.

That law unleashed protests in early June, with thousands of opponents warning that it would limit free speech. Under the requirement, taking effect Jan. 1, officials would have discretion in deciding when expression can be considered illegal  making it easier for the government to identify and prosecute users for online activities.

Against this explosive environment, Nguyens family members said they are desperate and determined to find him, said Roberts, who added that his brother-in-law is not involved in politics.

Nguyen, 54, is a U.S. citizen and owns a printing business. His wife, Helen, is a nurse whos been making numerous calls to the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City after he did not return on a scheduled flight home on July 16.

A mutual agreement between the two countries requires that the Vietnamese government notify the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam within 96 hours if an American citizen has been arrested and jailed. And though officials at the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City have contacted government representatives to get answers on Nguyen, family members say they have yet to receive any information.

Nguyens four daughters, even the youngest, understand he should have been back much earlier, Roberts said. They are confused, so scared because he is the one who takes them back and forth everywhere. He was a very steady presence.

In Orange County, supporters have contacted their local representative, Congresswoman Mimi Walters of Irvine, to ask that the case be treated with urgency.

Walters is deeply concerned about Mr. Michael Nguyens whereabouts, said T.W. Arrighi, her communications director. The congresswoman and her staff remain in close contact with the Nguyen family while working to provide answers and bring Mr. Nguyen home safely.

Nguyens family is also trying to reach the family of Will Nguyen, a Vietnamese American from Houston who was arrested and beaten after he participated in a pro-democracy protest while on vacation in Vietnam in June. He has since been released after being in custody for 40 days.

The difference is that Will, bloodied and beaten up, was videotaped so you knew the government had arrested him  while with Michael there is no videotape, Roberts said. We are at a loss. When you are traveling in a place where normal, everyday freedoms do not exist, you dont know what choices you have to stay safe.

anh.do@latimes.com

Twitter: @newsterrierFederal authorities on Wednesday disputed a claim made on social media by a Houston-based immigration lawyer that a migrant child had died in custody at a detention facility in Texas and said they were investigating whether a child died after being released.

Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in an email that no child had died while in the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, outside San Antonio.

Reports that a child died in ICE custody at Dilley are false. No child or adult has ever died at an ICE family residential center, the email read. Please note that the person who originally tweeted that later posted an update that retracted the original accusation. The updated accusation leaves little to no info that allows us to research.

ICE said it was looking into reports that a girl had died after being released from custody but had no further information to provide. The Los Angeles Times has not been able to independently verify a death.

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Reports that a child died in ICE custody at Dilley are false.  ICE (@ICEgov) August 1, 2018

Mana Yegani, in a since-deleted tweet, wrote Tuesday night that there were reports of a child dying in ICE custody and that the whereabouts of the childs parents were unknown.

But the lawyer later said the child died after being released and the death was a result of conditions at the facility.

Yegani wrote: The child died following her stay at an ICE Detention Center, as a result of possible negligent care and a respiratory illness she contracted from one of the other children. The events took place in Dilley Family Detention Center in south Texas.

Update: The child died following her stay at an ICE Detention Center, as a result of possible negligent care and a respiratory illness she contracted from one of the other children.

The events took place in Dilley Family Detention Center in south Texas.  Mana Yegani (@Law_Mana) August 1, 2018

The Dilley facility is the largest of ICEs trio of family detention centers. It can hold about 2,400 people. It is managed by CCA, a private firm, on behalf of ICE.

Katy Murdza, advocacy coordinator of the Dilley Pro Bono Project, an immigrant aid group, said in an email to The Times that the organization didnt have information on the cause of death or confirmation that it was connected with medical treatment at the facility.

We have, however, seen ongoing inadequacies in the standard of care provided to immigrants in detention, and have filed complaints with the government raising these concerns, she wrote.

She said the group has filed complaints with the government about conditions at the site.

The tweets by Yegani created a bit of a firestorm on social media and added more fuel to the controversy over the border enforcement policy engineered by the Trump administration that separated children from families and guardians at the border in an attempt to stop illegal immigration.

Secretly recorded audio and video of youngsters crying for their parents amid the separations of more than 2,000 children led a judge to order the administration to end the practice and reunify the families. Immigration advocates have said the separations have resulted in psychological trauma for the children and the policy was decried by watchdog groups as inhumane.

But no deaths of children while being held in ICE custody have been documented. Any such report would have undoubtedly sparked a new wave of public outcry over the detention policies.

Attempts to reach Yegani were unsuccessful. The lawyer said on Twitter that the childs family was being represented by a Washington, D.C-based lawyer whom Yegani also identified as a family friend. Yegani tweeted that the childs grandmother was in New Jersey.

Melissa Turcious, who identified herself as a friend of the family in an email to the Times, said she was helping coordinate legal resources and pro bono counsel.

david.montero@latimes.com | Twitter: @davemontero

UPDATES:

4:05 p.m: This article was updated with information from Melissa Turcious, who identified herself a friend of the childs family.

This article was originally published at 3 p.m.President Trump on Wednesday made good on a threat to impose sanctions on Turkey over the governments continued detention of Andrew Brunson, a U.S. Protestant preacher jailed two years ago on charges related to a failed military coup.

The Turkish government refused to release Pastor Brunson after numerous conversations between President Trump and President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, and my conversations with Foreign Minister [Mevlut] Cavusoglu, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said in a statement. President Trump concluded that these sanctions are the appropriate action.

Pompeos remarks came during a brief stop here en route to Singapore for a meeting of the Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations.

At the White House, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the administration had seen no evidence that Pastor Brunson has done anything wrong, and we believe he is a victim of unfair and unjust detention by the government of Turkey.

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In a statement, Turkeys Foreign Ministry said the U.S. should reverse what it called a wrongful decision.

The Turkish government would respond without delay to this aggressive attitude which serves no purpose, the Foreign Ministry said.

The sanctions reflect a significant ratcheting up of tensions between the U.S. and Turkey, a NATO ally and crucial player in the Mideast with which the administration has had increasingly testy relations.

Brunson, a North Carolina resident, has spent nearly 21 months in a Turkish jail on charges that his supporters contend are fabricated. Last week, under U.S. pressure, he was released to house arrest, but on Tuesday, a Turkish court refused to release him pending further proceedings scheduled for October.

Brunson had worked in Turkey for two decades when he was swept up in mass arrests after members of the Turkish military attempted to oust Erdogans government in 2016. Tens of thousands of teachers, politicians, police officers, journalists and others were arrested or fired in retaliation for the failed coup.

Turkish authorities accuse Brunson of helping to foment opposition to Erdogan that led to the attempted coup and of showing support for Kurdish rebels whom the government considers to be terrorists. He would face 35 years in prison if convicted.

Erdogans increasingly autocratic government blames the failed coup on a Turkish Muslim cleric who has been living in exile in Pennsylvania since the 1990s. The cleric, Fethullah Gulen, has denied involvement in the attempted takeover, but the Turkish government has demanded that the U.S. send him to Turkey for trial.

Brunsons plight has attracted considerable attention from evangelical Christian leaders, an important political constituency for Trump.

The pastor is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, a conservative Florida-based group that encompasses hundreds of churches across the United States. Pompeos hometown church in Kansas is also affiliated with the group.

Vice President Mike Pence, also an evangelical Christian, has spoken out on the pastors behalf as well. Pence highlighted Brunsons case at a recent State Department conference on religious freedom.

Release Pastor Andrew Brunson now, Pence said, addressing Erdogan, or be prepared to face the consequences.

Further deepening the administrations connections to the case, one of Trumps lawyers, Jay Sekulow, is head of the American Center for Law and Justice, which has lobbied on Brunsons behalf.

The sanctions levied by the Treasury Department target two senior Turkish officials whom the administration accuses of being directly responsible for Brunsons arrest and detention  Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

Under the sanctions, any assets the two officials might have in the U.S. will be frozen, and American businesses and individuals are barred from having financial transactions with them.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters traveling with Pompeo that the administration still hoped to pursue a diplomatic solution. But the administrations patience clearly seems to be wearing thin.

The unjust detention of Brunson, other U.S. citizens and at least three U.S. Embassy employees with Turkish citizenship must end and they must be allowed to go home, Nauert said.

Turkey knows our position well, she said. This has gone on far too long.

Pompeo most recently telephoned his Turkish counterpart while on the flight. The two will also meet on the margins of the ASEAN conference.

In announcing the sanctions, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said that Pastor Brunsons unjust detention and continued prosecution by Turkish officials is simply unacceptable.

President Trump has made it abundantly clear that the United States expects Turkey to release him immediately, Mnuchin said.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter

UPDATES:

3:15 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement by Turkeys Foreign Ministry.

The article was originally published at 12:45 p.m.A federal judge on Tuesday stopped the release of blueprints to make untraceable and undetectable 3-D-printed plastic guns as President Trump questioned whether his administration should have agreed to allow the plans to be posted online.

The company behind the plans, Austin, Texas-based Defense Distributed, had reached a settlement with the federal government in June allowing it to make the plans for the guns available for download on Wednesday.

The restraining order from U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik in Seattle puts that plan on hold for now. There is a possibility of irreparable harm because of the way these guns can be made, he said.

Washington state Atty. Gen. Bob Ferguson called the ruling a complete, total victory.

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We were asking for a nationwide temporary restraining order putting a halt to this outrageous decision by the federal government to allow these 3-D downloadable guns to be available around our country and around the world. He granted that relief, Ferguson said at a news conference after the hearing. That is significant.

Q&A: Want to make a gun with a 3-D printer? Here is why gun control groups oppose the practice 

Eight Democratic attorneys general had filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the settlement, arguing the 3-D guns would be a safety risk.

Congressional Democrats have urged Trump to reverse the decision to publish the plans. He said Tuesday that hes looking into the idea, saying making 3-D plastic guns available to the public doesnt seem to make much sense!

Trump tweeted that he had already spoken with the National Rifle Assn. about the downloadable directions a Texas company wants to provide for people to make the guns. Theyre made of a hard plastic and are simple to assemble, easy to conceal and difficult to trace.

We dont agree with President Trump very much, Washington state Assistant Atty. Gen. Jeff Rupert told Lasnik, but when he tweeted this doesnt make much sense, thats something we agree with.

After a years-long court battle, the State Department in late June settled the case against Defense Distributed.

The settlement, which took gun-control advocates by surprise, allowed the company to resume posting blueprints for the hard-plastic guns at the end of July. Those plans were put on hold by the Seattle judges decision.

During the hearing in Seattle, Eric Soskin, a lawyer for the U.S. Justice Department, said they reached the settlement to allow the company to post the material online because the regulations were designed to restrict weapons that could be used in war, and the online guns were no different than the weapons that could be bought in a store.

Since the weapons did not create a military advantage, he told the judge, how could the government justify regulating the data?

But Rupert said a restraining order would keep the plans away from people who have learned about the technology and want to use it to get around gun laws.

Hours before the restraining order was issued, Democrats sounded the alarm, warning about ghost guns that can avoid detection and pose a deadly hazard.

The companys website had said downloads would begin Wednesday, but blueprints for at least one gun  a plastic pistol called the Liberator  have been posted on the site since Friday. A lawyer for the company said he didnt know how many blueprints had been downloaded since then.

Outrage over the administration decision is putting gun control back into the midterm election political debate, but with a high-tech twist.

The president seemed surprised by the decision, and Democrats said he had the power to stop it.

Some Republicans also expressed concern.

Even as a strong supporter of the Second Amendment  this is not right, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski tweeted, linking to a news story on the guns.

The NRA said in a statement that anti-gun politicians and some members of the news media wrongly claim that 3D printing technology will allow for the production and widespread proliferation of undetectable plastic firearms.

In truth, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years, said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRAs political arm. A federal law that passed in 1988  crafted with NRA support  bars the manufacture, sale or possession of an undetectable firearm.

Trump spokesman Hogan Gidley made much the same point, saying the administration supported the law against wholly plastic guns, including those made with a 3-D printer.

But Democrats called the law weak and said gun users can get around it by using weapons with a removable metal block that the gun doesnt need in order to function.

Democrats filed legislation that would prohibit the publication of a digital file online that allows a 3-D printer to manufacture a firearm. Democrats also filed a separate bill to require that all guns have at least one nonremovable component made of metal so they can be discovered by metal detectors.

Industry experts have expressed doubts that criminals would go to the trouble of using the blueprints to manufacture plastic guns using a 3-D printer, since the printers can cost thousands of dollars, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by.A year-round fire season in California is pushing firefighters to the limits.

TOP STORIES

Life on the Fireline

On the front lines of Californias wildfires, the conditions are hot and deadly. The mood is at times somber, in remembrance of the eight people confirmed to have lost their lives. The outlook is one of determination, to get the job done in what fire authorities are already calling one of the worst  and earliest  fire seasons in decades. But theres also an acknowledgment that this is the new normal. Heres an up-close look at what its like to be on the ground battling the fires  and a graphic that breaks down where the homes have been destroyed in Northern Californias Carr fire.

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Firefighters work to keep the River fire from destroying a home near Lakeport, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

The Lying, the Witch Hunt and the Wardrobe

The trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on 18 charges of tax evasion, bank fraud and conspiracy got off to a rousing start Tuesday, with prosecutors alleging Manafort relied on crime to fund a lifestyle that included seven homes, fancy cars and even a $15,000 ostrich skin jacket. His defense attorney suggested that Richard Gates, Manaforts longtime business partner and deputy on the campaign, had lied about or perpetrated the crimes Manafort is accused of. The trial, a first in the investigation led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, is expected to last three weeks.

A Gun Control Fight in 3-D

Should people have online access to blueprints for 3-D printed guns that are untraceable and undetectable? A federal judge has issued a restraining order to stop their release and President Trump has questioned whether they make sense, even after his own administration cleared the way for them by backing away from an Obama-era ban.

Wont Get Fooled Again?

After all thats been written about interference in the 2016 election, Facebook says someone has been at it again ahead of the November midterms. Is it Russia? Thats what Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of Senate Intelligence Committee, believes. Today, his committee is planning to hold a hearing about foreign interference operations on social media. Meanwhile, Facebook says it has shut down 32 pages and accounts with names such as Aztlan Warriors, Black Elevation, Mindful Being and Resisters.

More Politics

-- Trump administration officials sought to defend its zero tolerance policy but ran into sharp criticism from senators as one official compared detention centers for children to summer camp.

-- Key Republican senators are showing support for Judge Brett Kavanaughs bid for the Supreme Court, while Democrats are not putting up a unified front as they seek more documents on his record.

-- Trump lashed out at the Koch brothers, saying their conservative political network had become a total joke in real Republican circles and was highly overrated.

To Protect and to Serve

The Los Angeles Police Department had gone 13 years without killing a hostage or a bystander. Last month, a Trader Joes manager died in the crossfire between police and a gunman in Silver Lake. In June, as newly released video shows, a woman in Van Nuys was accidentally killed by police as a man held a knife to her throat. Now, the LAPD has announced changes in tactics and weaponry that it says had already been in the works, aimed at lessening the odds of another hostage situation ending in the death of an innocent person.

MOCAs New Man

Running the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles has been about as messy as making a Jackson Pollock painting, with less satisfying results. The MOCA board hopes to change all that with the hiring of a new director in Klaus Biesenbach, from New Yorks Museum of Modern Art. But amid the praise, its received criticism over questions of race and gender.

Sign up to get Todays Headlines delivered to your inbox. 

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- LeBron James had one more career-defining moment in his home state, opening a public school in Akron, Ohio.

CALIFORNIA

-- The L.A. County district attorney has declined to file sexual assault charges against CBS Chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves, saying accusations made against him exceed the statute of limitations.

-- The number of former patients suing USC for allegedly failing to protect them from sexual abuse at a campus health clinic increased to more than 300 this week. Meanwhile, university president C.L. Max Nikias still has not left the building, as columnist Robin Abcarian delves into.

-- Los Angeles has taken a step toward converting a vacant childrens museum and a textile factory into crisis shelters to take homeless people off the streets of skid row and other parts of downtown.

-- In Salinas, the Matsui family is known for its orchids and its life-changing generosity. Columnist Steve Lopez reports.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Despite women and people of color at the helm of high-profile successes such as Black Panther, Get Out and Wonder Woman, a new study has found that diversity of representation among Hollywood films remains largely unchanged from a decade ago.

-- The murder-mystery series The Sinner is coming back with the same investigator, a new case and actress Carrie Coon.

-- Like a wily old wizard, the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons shows it has an enduring magic.

-- Alan Alda says he is 3 years into a battle with Parkinsons disease, and to hear him talk it hasnt been a big deal at all.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

Its been 40 years since National Lampoons Animal House pushed (or outright tore) the envelope of good taste and served as the breakout film for director John Landis and comedian John Belushi. It was filmed on and near the University of Oregons Eugene campus in the fall of 1977, and ever since then, the area has held the film in an awkward, toga-clad embrace.

NATION-WORLD

-- U.S. spy agencies are seeing signs that North Korea is constructing new missiles at a factory that produced the countrys first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States, according to officials familiar with the intelligence.

-- Despite dire warnings from Washington, a court in Turkey refused to release an American Protestant minister who has been detained there on charges related to a failed coup two years ago.

-- An Aeromexico airliner crashed after taking off in the northern Mexican state of Durango but the states governor said there were no deaths in the accident.

BUSINESS

-- MoviePass was once the fastest rising star in Hollywood. Now, there are growing signs that the end is near for the popular movie ticket service that billed itself as the Netflix for cinema.

-- Tesla will hold its second-quarter earnings call with analysts today, and the big question is how CEO Elon Musk will conduct himself.

SPORTS

-- Following the additions of Manny Machado and Brian Dozier, Bill Plaschke writes that the Dodgers can crush, but it is far more uncertain whether they can close.

-- The Lakers have unveiled new uniforms featuring a throwback look to the 1980s Showtime era.

OPINION

-- Lawmakers and the public wanted more say over who is running the California Air Resources Board. Instead, it chose self-preservation over transparency.

-- Columnist Gustavo Arellano writes that Whittier is a case study in how Latinos not only can thrive in this country, but also, contrary to the Trumpian conventional wisdom, blend in.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- InfoWars founder Alex Jones is seeking more than $100,000 in court costs from the parents of a child who died at Sandy Hook. They have lived in hiding after Jones spread false claims that they were actors. (New York Times)

-- Jumping out of a moving car, dancing alongside it and shooting video of the whole thing isnt a good idea, is it? The #InMyFeelings challenge has led people to do that, with tragic results. (Washington Post)

-- The best barbecue in every state. Certainly, someone will have a bone to pick with this list. (Food & Wine)

ONLY IN L.A.

Beach Boys members Brian Wilson and Mike Love have had their share of bad blood, but all appeared forgiven this week in Hollywood when they and their longtime bandmates came together for the first time since an acrimonious tour ending in 2012. They were there to promote a project (naturally) but also to relive the glory days  and recapture some good vibrations.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with friends. Comments or ideas? Email us at headlines@latimes.com.Heres the cold, hard, disheartening reality about the Trump administrations policies toward those arriving at the nations borders seeking asylum: Many more people with legitimate claims are likely being sent home to perilous conditions despite federal and international laws recognizing the right of the persecuted to seek sanctuary in other countries. That is unconscionable.

The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, which collects and aggregates a wide range of federal data, reports that immigration judges  who work for the Justice Department, not the federal courts  are granting asylum seekers appeals half as often as they did a year ago. Through June, courts revived less than 15% of the asylum claims that had been rejected by immigration agents, who make the initial determination whether an asylum seeker had a credible fear of persecution if returned home.

What changed from the first half of 2017? The reduction of successful appeals coincided with comments by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions that the asylum system is being gamed (theres little evidence of that), demands by Sessions that immigration courts handle appeals more quickly, and the roll-out of performance quotas to force immigration judges to clear cases faster. Thats what changed.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

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The TRAC analysis further found that rate of successful appeals varies wildly by geographic region and even among judges within the same regional court  a systemic inconsistency that predates the Trump administration. That justice is so fickle is neither fair nor meets our moral and legal obligations to those fleeing persecution.

We can rail against the Justice Departments failings, but the responsibility rests with Congress. In adopting asylum laws, it granted the department wide latitude in handling asylum requests from people facing persecution based on race, religion, race, political beliefs, nationality or membership in a particular social group.

That last, ill-defined category gave the government flexibility as times and needs warranted, but it also has led to uncertainty and politicization. Sessions, for instance, recently overturned an Obama-era immigration court definition that made asylum available to women who faced domestic violence in countries where police failed to protect them. So a political change in the attorney generals office can weigh more heavily than precedents set by immigration judges.

This is fixable if we ever get a Congress willing to compromise and craft comprehensive immigration reforms framed within a humanitarian context and informed by the nations best interests  in terms of diversity and economic growth  and not pandering to the current mood in the capital of nationalistic antipathy for the foreign-born. In the meantime, we must insist that people who are deserving of sanctuary receive it, and not get turned away to satisfy current political whims.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or FacebookWhen the next governor is sworn in January, he will have the opportunity to shape policy by filling the many state boards and commissions with his appointees  except, apparently, to the powerful agency charged with overseeing Californias ambitious climate change program.

Last week the California Air Resources Board approved a plan to set new, staggered six-year terms for the boards 14 voting members, 12 of whom are subject to gubernatorial appointment. The terms were required by a bill passed by the Legislature in 2016.

Previously, board members were all at-will appointments who could have been replaced at any time  or as often happened, remain on the board for years and years. Now, members will serve fixed terms and cant be replaced until their term is up. And under the distinctly backloaded schedule adopted by the board, most of governors appointees wont come up for review until December 2020 and December 2022.

That means Gov. Jerry Browns imprint on the board will continue long after he leaves office and the next governor  Democrat Gavin Newsom or Republican John Cox  wont be able to appoint a majority of the boards leadership until the end of his first term in office, assuming sitting board members serve out their terms.

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Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

Critics of the plan, including former state Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter), argue the arrangement ties the next governors hands. There would have been an outcry if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger or other former governors had tried to stack the board on their way out of office. Florez is one of two legislative appointees on the board, and both will see their term end in December unless theyre reappointed.

Even worse, though, was the secretive way the Air Resource Board handled the change. Board members had the plan for phasing in the new terms for nearly two weeks, yet the agency refused to make the plan public on its website until a few hours before the vote. That left little opportunity for advocacy groups to weigh in.

Yet one of the reasons lawmakers overhauled the board as part of Assembly Bill 197 in 2016 was to give lawmakers and the public more say over this powerful panel, which sets environmental policies that often become the template for the nation. The measure allowed the governor to continue filling most of the seats on the board, but imposed six-year terms to give the Legislature some oversight when seats came up for review and confirmation.

Board members and staff said the decision on how to phase in the terms was sensitive because the members were being asked to vote on their own seats. Yet that is exactly why the board should have acted with transparency and openness to public input. It did not.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookIts not easy building supportive housing for homeless people. The city of Los Angeles puts plenty of reasonable demands on developers who want a share of its $1.2 billion Proposition HHH fund for homeless and low-income housing. But requiring a developer to get a letter of acknowledgement from a City Council member before even applying is neither reasonable nor necessary.

Now, a community group is contending the policy illegally gives council members unrestricted veto power over affordable and supportive housing. In a Superior Court lawsuit filed last week, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment argues that requiring a developer to get a letter from the City Council member representing the projects site violates the California Fair Employment and Housing Act as well as a state anti-discrimination statute that prohibits local government from imposing requirements on residential projects that it doesnt impose on all other types of developments.

Lawyers for the group contend that requiring the letter causes a discriminatory effect against people of color, individuals with disabilities, and families with children. The suit notes that certain racial and ethnic groups and disabled individuals disproportionately make up homeless and low-income households. The lawsuit asks that the courts overturn the letter requirement for developers seeking either HHH funding or financing from the citys Affordable Housing Managed Pipeline.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

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The requirement to obtain a letter has long been troubling because it allows a City Council member to privately squelch a project at the beginning of the process for any reason  such as the design or the makeup of the tenants  or no reason. All of these things have happened. On some occasions, council members have given over letters only after developers gave in to the members demands. One developer recounted nixing a plan to even apply for HHH funding for a project after talking to a council member who balked at the idea of putting homeless housing there.

Certainly, many council members have given out letters with little issue. But if council members are worried about a projects design or their constituents input in a development, they should adopt citywide requirements on those issues for all HHH applicants.

HHH projects are vetted extensively by the citys Housing and Community Investment Department and two oversight committees before the City Council votes on them. So council members have a final say on projects  but in public where they will be held accountable for their actions and cant torpedo a good project on a whim with impunity.

Developers, housing advocates, and nonprofit groups have urged the city to scrap the council letter requirement. City officials should do so now, before a judge makes them.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or FacebookThe Hollywood Walk of Fame is an unlikely location for political unrest, but in the Trump era, the tourist attraction exerts unusual gravitational pull. Last Wednesday, President Trumps star was smashed by a 24-year-old man with a pickax. It was the second time since 2016 that Trumps star had been effectively destroyed, Todd Purdum reported, and the umpteenth that it had been spat upon, defaced with graffiti, spray-painted with a swastika, or decorated with dog feces.

By the next day, the first man to destroy the star had bailed the second alleged vandal out of jail, workers had covered the sidewalk, and two men dressed up as Russian soldiers stood guard beside the spot. This harmless farce was followed by an altercation Thursday night between hotheaded men whose argument beside Trumps star degraded into a bloody street brawl.

Naturally, TMZ was on the story, posting video of the altercation and asking the Los Angeles Police Department and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which manages the Walk of Fame, if it wouldnt be easier to just remove Trumps piece of the pavement.

The Chamber and LAPD both agree it would be even worse to remove the star because that would embolden people to deface the stars of celebs they dislike, the gossip site noted. So, the decision has been made to keep Trumps star in its place, knowing it will probably be destroyed again, and possibly again... and again.

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Again and again is right. Trump is not just a polarizing political figure. He is a celebrity in a culture that worships them. His supporters are prone to defending him so zealously in part because they are in thrall to his supposedly exalted status, gained over years on The Apprentice and in the pages of tabloids. Many even erroneously feel as though they know him.

Trump is not just a polarizing political figure. He is a celebrity in a culture that worships them.

Meanwhile, Trump antagonists cant help but feel that the Walk of Fame, where the names of so many beloved icons appear, is a sacred place, and that Trumps presence defiles or destroys its sanctity. What do zealots do to a figure who pollutes their place of worship? Smash the false idol!

Despite all the trouble it will cause, though, I think the star should stay, and not because its namesake achieved anything of lasting value in television, the category in which he received it.

The chambers reasoning is sound: Letting vandals have their way in this case would create a perverse incentive  a vandals veto. And it squares with the chambers 2015 explanation for leaving Bill Cosby on the Walk of Fame despite the many women who came forward to accuse him of rape. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a registered historic landmark, the chamber said back then. Once a star has been added to the Walk, it is considered a part of the historic fabric of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Because of this, we have never removed a star.

That standard is appealing insofar as it preserves not only history, but also the distinction between goodness and fame. Too many conflate them.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

That fame and depravity so often overlap is unpleasant to confront. But ignoring that truth can only enable depravity. Better a Hollywood Walk of Fame that keeps reminding this city  the one that can least afford to forget it  that fame can and does happen to moral monsters.

Maybe we should have a special section of the tourist attraction called the Hollywood Walk of Infamy, featuring Cosby, Trump and others who flagrantly abused their fame to harm others.

Of course, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce isnt about to entertain that suggestion. What could be more thankless than separating bad stars from good at a time of such intense polarization? The best we can hope is that they hold to the no removal policy, thus remaining the unlikely guardians of the fact that to be famous is not to be good.

As the scientist Alexander Bolonkin once wrote, At the end of its lifetime, a star can contain a proportion of degenerate matter.

Conor Friedersdorf is a contributing writer to Opinion, a staff writer at the Atlantic and founding editor of the Best of Journalism, a newsletter that curates exceptional nonfiction.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or FacebookEgyptian police have gunned down five members of terrorist group Hasm in Qalyubia governorate, Nile Delta.

Police forces raided a hideout near Al-Obour city, which sparked a shootout with the slain Hasm members who were trying to escape, the interior ministry stated on Tuesday.

The ministry said it identified four out of the five individuals who were killed in the shootout.

In other security raids on hideouts in Cairo, police forces have arrested five Hasm members and confiscated amounts of arms and ammunition, according to the ministry's statement.

Hasm has claimed responsibility for several attacks on security forces and members of the judiciary since it first emerged in 2016.

Earlier this week, Egypt's security forces killed four and arrested two Hasm members.

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In the past few weeks, many conservative voices have spoken in support of President Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh. But so have some liberal lawyers, including some of our colleagues at Yale Law School. Why would left-leaning attorneys lend their authority to a judge who has an unmistakable record of hostility to core liberal causes, from abortion rights to voting rights, from environmental regulations to restraints on presidential power?

In celebrating Kavanaugh, liberals may be acting out nostalgia for a long-gone bipartisan appointment process. They may be failing to admit the importance of values to judging, or they may be misreading Kavanaughs record. Perhaps they think he is the best nominee they can hope for, or that his personal virtue recommends his confirmation. Then again, maybe they are simply seeking influence. None of these are creditable reasons: There is no liberal case for Kavanaugh.

Since the failed nomination of Robert Bork in 1987, the confirmation process for judicial appointments has become intensely partisan. Nominees for federal judgeships have been far less likely to be confirmed, particularly when the White House and the Senate are controlled by opposing political parties. In 2016, Sen. Mitch McConnell obliterated any remaining commitment to bipartisan support for qualified nominees  those whose legal resumes are stellar no matter their ideological notions  when he refused even to hold hearings on President Obamas Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. McConnell and other Republicans opposed him because they wished to protect the rightward tilt of the Supreme Court, and their gambit has paid off under Trump. Liberals alone cannot resurrect a commitment to bipartisanship. In Kavanaughs case, such an effort also means soft-pedaling the record of a far-right nominee.

Even nice and smart people can have values that are radically out of step with the American public.

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During the confirmation hearings, many will make a show of saying that judges are umpires, calling balls and strikes against clear legal standards. But judging  especially at the Supreme Court  requires interpretation. What does equal protection of the laws mean? Do women have rights to constitutional equality or autonomy, and if so does that imply the right to abortion? Does the right to bear arms apply to assault weapons?

Nothing in the constitutional text or our history definitively answers these questions or even tells judges how to answer them. That is why fights over nominations to the Supreme Court are always fights over conflicting substantive visions of the Constitution and, ultimately, the countrys future.

Given what we know of Kavanaughs constitutional vision, and his judicial record, liberals should not support his appointment. As many commentators have argued, Kavanaugh has extreme views on matters ranging from gun rights to abortion to presidential power to the role of money in politics.

Those views, as well as his attitude toward precedent, were on full display in Garza vs. Hargen, the case of a 17-year-old girl in federal immigration detention who wanted an abortion to which she was entitled under state law. Existing doctrine says that the government may not impose an undue burden on a womans access to abortion. Against the views of six members of his court, who prevailed, Kavanaugh argued that the governments refusal to allow the young woman to leave the custody of immigration detention to obtain a legal abortion imposed no such burden.

Even with Republicans in power, liberals may be able to do better than Kavanaugh. The nomination is on a knifes edge in the Senate in terms of votes, and centrist Republicans who support Roe vs. Wade or constraints on executive power should oppose this nominee. If the confirmation isnt rushed, Democrats and independents may gain seats in the midterms, which would force the White House to choose a nominee with wider appeal.

In addition to citing his credentials, some liberals have promoted Kavanaugh based on his personal kindness and intelligence. Yet even nice and smart people can have values that are radically out of step with the American public. Yes, Kavanaugh has mentored female lawyers and hired a diverse range of clerks, but it is a sad commentary on this presidents record of nominating shockingly unqualified candidates for office and what we have come to expect of men (and Republican men particularly) that these are seen as stand-out virtues. We are glad if Kavanaugh has not been discriminatory in his hiring practices. What his rulings would do to womens rights and to security and opportunity for people of color and immigrants is much more important.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

Perhaps liberals praise Kavanaugh in order to gain favor with him. If confirmed, he will be in a position of great power in the legal world for decades to come, able to influence whose views are cited in judicial opinions and whose clerkship candidates are hired. More respectably, some liberals may believe that offering him public support would encourage him to keep an open mind and engage their arguments. However, we doubt that genuflection of this sort would move a nominee of such extreme views toward better legal decisions. Besides, these kinds of insider games further consolidate the power of unaccountable elites; they dont serve our democracy.

Trumps nominations for the high court will have grave, long-lasting effects on the nation. Let the debate over Kavanaughs confirmation focus on the issues, not on the pedigree or manners of a judge who, as a justice, will almost surely work to undermine decades of settled judicial precedent in a way no liberal should be willing to condone.

David Singh Grewal, Amy Kapczynski and Issa Kohler-Hausmann are professors at Yale Law School.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand FacebookTo the editor: As Jacqueline H. Wolf points out in her op-ed article on the high C-section birth rate in the United States, there is no evidence-based difference between regular checking of the fetal heart rate with a fetoscope compared with continuous electronic fetal monitoring. In fact, in our midwife-physician collaborative practice, intermittent auscultation is encouraged for low-risk, normal labor.

The problem is that a fetoscope works only when it is attached to the head of an actual person, namely a nurse. To have enough staff to enable nurses to listen, every 30 minutes, to the fetal heart rate of numerous laboring patients would probably be considered cost-prohibitive for most hospitals.

Replacing people with machines to save money is as prevalent in medicine as in other fields, but sometimes with much more significant consequences.

Laila Al-Marayati, MD, Los Angeles

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To the editor: As one of those obstetricians who trained before and after fetal monitoring machines arrived, I agree with Wolf. I spent many hours with the nurses documenting fetal heart tones every 15 minutes.

With the use of the computers and electronic fetal monitoring and displays at every possible location in labor and delivery wards, and with monitors attached to patients even as they walk around, the C-section rate is indeed increasing. With so much data, there is more fertile ground for any untoward outcomes in terms of malpractice lawsuits, thereby increasing the number of C-sections out of fear.

Michael L. Friedman, MD, Torrance

..

To the editor: Three years ago, as we waited at a Kaiser hospital for the birth of our first grandson, we were dismayed to see our daughter being rushed to the operating room for a C-section. Shed been in normal labor for 20 hours, progressing gradually toward a full-term delivery, when the monitors abruptly showed problems with the babys heart rate.

Our grandsons skin was blue upon delivery, and he had an Apgar score of 1, indicating a very high risk of infant mortality. He was rushed to intensive care, where he recovered fully. Now he is a delightful 3-year-old.

No, the monitors didnt prevent the need for intensive care or yield a higher Apgar score, but if his problem had gone undetected for 30 minutes or so as labor slowly progressed, I feel a C-section would have been too late to prevent serious damage.

Ed Schlipf, Lancaster

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookTo the editor: There is a lot to unpack in the Los Angeles Times article on long-term, low-income tenants being displaced by new landlords who issue mass evictions before renovating their properties and significantly increasing the rent.

For me, the most revealing quote was the Irvine developers statement about his effort to bring these buildings to the point where they are an asset to the community. This speaks to Californias failure to look at existing private housing that happens to be priced affordably  also known as naturally occurring affordable housing, or NOAH  as an an asset to the community. By failing to develop enough new homes, were allowing NOAH housing to go extinct.

This has created a gold mine for profit-seeking developers and has put additional pressure on governments to develop affordable housing that will never meet the needs of people being displaced from the NOAH homes they know and love.

We can either allow opportunistic developers to decide what we should value in our communities, or we can build our way out of this mess with smart-growth policies, creating an abundance of housing at every level of need. The choice couldnt be more clear.

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Andy Kerr, Long Beach

The writer is a member of the Los Angeles County Measure H Citizens Oversight Advisory Board.

..

To the editor: Renters are not owners and therefore have no guarantee of housing other than specified by their rental agreement.

I dont see anything in the article that implies that the developers broke the renters contracts, so to say the tenants were forced out of their homes seems disingenuous. If I rent a room at a Hilton for two nights for $200, the hotel is not obligated to rent it to me for a third night at the same rate.

Its becoming apparent that savvy real estate investors and companies like Amazon will become the two major forces that drive homelessness in L.A. Marilyn Haese, Los Angeles

These are old properties that need improvement and have been rented under market for years.

Barbara Shapiro, Huntington Beach

..

To the editor: In the 1973 film Soylent Green, the streets of 2022 are void of grocery stores and retail storefronts and instead replete with nondescript gray warehouses. The filmmakers made a subtle prediction that vital local establishments would fall away as resources grew scarce.

Fast forward to 2018, and it is all coming true. Today we buy and receive our goods via online shopping sites while neighborhood merchants must close their doors. Hundreds of retail clerks and salespeople are now more at risk of making up the next wave of homelessness.

In 2016 and 2017, taxpayers in the city of Los Angeles and in the county voted their hearts in supporting about $1.5 billion in bonds to help those whove already fallen homeless. But theres little acknowledgement of our need to stop contributing to what is about to be the new world order that Soylent Green predicted.

Its becoming apparent that savvy real estate investors and companies like Amazon will become the two major forces that drive homelessness in L.A.

Marilyn Haese, Los Angeles

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook.Newsoms budget proposes $3 million for Alzheimers research, brain task force By Melody Gutierrez Amyloid plaques, shown here in human brains, are a hallmark of Alzheimers disease. (UCLA School of Medicine) Gov. Gavin Newsom will call for the creation of a brain health task force and dedicate $3 million annually from the states general fund to Alzheimers disease research in the budget proposal he will release Thursday, a source close to the administration said. The money for Alzheimers research would target the new grants at understanding why the disease is more prevalent in women and people of color. Former California first lady and Alzheimers activist Maria Shriver pushed for the funding to be included in the state budget. Shriver said in a statement Wednesday that the funding would make California the first state to make understanding our brains a priority. The states former first lady, whose late father Sargent Shriver was diagnosed with Alzheimers, founded the Womens Alzheimers Movement, an advocacy group raising awareness about womens increased risk for developing the disease. In 2011, she wrote a comprehensive assessment on the disease, to which Newsom  then mayor of San Francisco  contributed a portion called What one city is doing. This is personal to me, just like it is to millions of California families, Shriver said. Alzheimers is one of the largest medical, social and economic crises in our state, and of our time. I am so proud that, once again, California is leading the way. Wiping out Alzheimers is going to require bold thinking, and there is no doubt in my mind that California is home to bold thinkers who can make this happen. Facebook

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Gov. Gavin Newsom orders reinvention of troubled California DMV By Patrick McGreevy A line of people stretches around the South L.A. location of a California Department of Motor Vehicles Office on Aug. 7. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered an overhaul of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which has been plagued by hours-long wait times at field offices, computer crashes and voter registration errors involving tens of thousands of customers. Just a few days after taking office, Newsom appointed a top advisor to a new DMV Reinvention Strike Team to revamp the beleaguered agency over the next six months. By any metric, California DMV has been chronically mismanaged and failed in its fundamental mission to the state customers it serves and the state workers it employs, Newsom said in a statement, adding Its time for a reinvention. The governor appointed state Government Operations Agency Secretary Marybel Batjer to lead the strike team with a goal of modernizing the agency and enacting changes that improve customer satisfaction, employee performance and transparency. Newsom also ordered an accelerated review of initial findings of an ongoing audit ordered last year by Gov. Jerry Brown. The action was welcomed by lawmakers who have been critical of the DMV, including Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield). The egregious management failures of the DMV have been self-evident, which is why I have been calling for new leadership and a comprehensive independent audit of this troubled state agency over and over again as the problems grew significantly worse, Fong said. Last summer, Californians seeking new driver licenses complained of wait times of four to six hours at DMV offices, which the agency blamed partly on snafus caused by a rush of people trying to get Real IDs, a new identification card design required for airline passengers starting in late 2020. Delays were also blamed on computer crashes at DMV offices as the agency struggled to update its aging automation systems. The DMV also admitted that there were an estimated 23,000 errors as people either were unknowingly registered to vote or mistakes were made in their registration status as part of the states new motor voter program. The agency registered to vote as many as 1,500 people with legal U.S. residency but no citizenship. Last month, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto retired from the agency. Legislators were angered earlier this week when the DMV said it needed an additional $40 million to prevent the return of long lines at its field offices. In addition, the agency has been under fire for issuing driver licenses in the last year that do not comply with the federal Real ID standards requiring two forms of identification by applicants. Facebook

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California police unions are preparing to battle new transparency law in the courtroom By Maya Lau Just as a landmark police transparency law is going into effect, some California police agencies are shredding internal affairs documents and law enforcement unions are rushing to block the information from being released. The new law, which begins to unwind Californias strictest-in-the-nation protections over the secrecy of law enforcement records, opens to the public internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. But the lawsuits and records destruction, which began even before the law took effect Jan. 1, could tie up the release of information for months or years, and in some instances, prevent it from ever being disclosed. The fact that police unions are challenging this law is on some level not surprising, said Peter Bibring, director of police practices at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, one of the principal supporters of the new law. They have a long history of fighting tooth and nail against transparency. Read More Facebook

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Secretary of State Alex Padilla begins second term with challenge to ensure every Californian is counted By Jazmine Ulloa Secretary of State Alex Padilla takes the oath of office as his family stands by his side on Monday in Sacramento. (Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times) Secretary of State Alex Padilla was sworn in for a second term on Monday, saying he would continue the battle to protect the right to vote at a time when voter suppression efforts, online disinformation campaigns and interference from foreign adversaries have polarized the public and threatened to undermine trust in U.S. elections. I am doubling down on our fight here in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C., to defend our democracy, he said. Working on the front lines with so many of you, I know that our collective resolve has never been stronger. But the loudest applause came when Padilla promised to fight back against the Trump administrations changes to the U.S. census, saying he will ensure every Californian gets counted. Padilla, a former state senator and Los Angeles City Council member from the San Fernando Valley, led the cause for a new motor voter registration law in 2015, and a new system for online business registrations. But the programs have had experienced problems: More than 23,000 Californians were registered to vote incorrectly by the state DMV, the agency reported last year. On Monday, Padilla said he would continue to push back against false claims of voter fraud in California and pointed to the states voter turnout as proof that his office was involving more people in the democratic process, a promise he made when he was first sworn in four years ago. More than 12.7 million voters cast ballots in the Nov. 6 midterm election, representing roughly 65% of the states registered voters, the highest number of any midterm election since 1982, according to state certified results. I made that promise based on a shared belief that we are a stronger democracy and a better California when we hear all voices from all corners of California, and when those voices are not just heard but counted, Padilla said. Facebook

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Ricardo Lara, Californias first statewide officeholder to come out as gay, sworn in as insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara on the floor of the state Senate in 2016. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Ricardo Lara took the oath of office as California insurance commissioner on Monday, pledging action to boost healthcare coverage and combat climate change. Lara, a Democrat from Bell Gardens, is the first elected statewide officeholder in California who has come out as gay. He began his speech in downtown Sacramento by thanking LGBTQ leaders who came before him and celebrated the occasion. Today, because of you, weve shattered the pink ceiling, Lara said. In his inaugural speech, Lara announced the creation of an executive position in his office to address climate change. There is no other industry that has the necessary expertise to ensure that California is prepared to mitigate and reduce risk to our communities and our environment, Lara said. Our planet cant wait. Im ready, and I hope you are too. Lara served as a state legislator and in 2017 introduced a bill to create a single-payer healthcare system in the state. He promised to work with new Gov. Gavin Newsom to expand coverage across California. Lara was sworn in by retired U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who declared unconstitutional Californias Proposition 8 gay marriage ban. State Sen. President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) was on hand for the ceremony along with multiple other state lawmakers. Facebook

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New California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis says she will help expand access to universities in the state New Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, center, is shown in June talking with attendees at the Power to the Polls rally in Sacramento. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) More Californians should be given access to public universities, Eleni Kounalakis said as she took the oath of office Monday to become the states first woman elected lieutenant governor. Kounalakis was given the oath of office by Gov. Gavin Newsom, her predecessor in the job, who pledged they would work together. As lieutenant governor, Kounalakis serves on the University of California Board of Regents and the California State University Board of Trustees, she noted in a speech at her swearing-in ceremony at the main Sacramento Library. In that role, she said, she will be committed to expanding access to affordable public higher education here in our state. Its wise, its smart and it is the best way to address our rapidly changing digital economy. Kounalakis is former president of a development company founded by her father, Angelo Tsakopoulos, and served during the Obama administration as the U.S. ambassador to Hungary. In November, she won her first run for statewide office. Also attending the ceremony were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Facebook

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California meets Dutch Newsom, who steals the show at his fathers inauguration By Taryn Luna Gov. Gavin Newsom gives his inaugural address while holding his youngest son, Dutch. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) In the California political world, all eyes were on Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday until his 2-year-old son stole the show. Dutch, the youngest of four children in the Newsom brood, climbed onstage in the middle of his fathers inaugural address in a tent outside the Capitol on Monday. The unplanned moment saw the 51-year-old governors big day interrupted by the toddler, bringing levity to the ceremony. Newsom was recounting Gov. Jerry Browns last inaugural speech and reference to the Sermon on the Mount, a biblical story about two men who built separate homes on sand and rock, when Dutch approached his father, a pacifier in his mouth and blanket in hand. Now more than ever we Californians know how much a house matters and children matter, Newsom said, improvising as he scooped the boy into his arms. The governor kissed Dutch on the cheek and held him for several minutes as he continued with the speech. This is exactly how it was scripted, Newsom joked. Newsom eventually put his child down and Dutch walked to the edge of the stage before retreating behind the podium to hide from his mother, First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The crowd roared. Siebel Newsom was able to briefly divert her son only for him to return to the stage minutes later. She grabbed him again and this time, the crying toddler did not reemerge. When fires strikes, when kids cry and the earth shakes, well be there for each other, Newsom said. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said the moment humanized Newsom, threw cold water on any theories that Dutchs cameo was planned. No, I know it was not, Garcetti said with a laugh after Newsoms speech concluded. I could see that look of absolute abject terror [on Newsoms face]. Weve all been there. Kids always think its about themselves and theyve proved it. California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) agreed. I worked in early childhood education for 20 years and theres no way you can ever get a child to do anything when you want them to do it, Rendon said. Facebook

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Fiona Ma takes oath as Californias new treasurer By Liam Dillon State Treasurer Fiona Ma. Fiona Ma took the oath of office in Sacramento on Monday as the states 34th treasurer, promising to boost Californias economy. Ma previously served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, in the state Assembly and on the California Board of Equalization. I want to thank everyone for entrusting me with this important job. I understand my role here as your state treasurer is to build that financial wall around California so that we will remain the fifth-largest economy, Ma said in brief remarks. That is my promise to you. California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye administered the oath to Ma. Following the ceremony, Ma held an ice cream social for guests. On Wednesday, she will host a public event in San Francisco to celebrate her swearing-in. State Treasurer Fiona Ma takes the oath of office. (Liam Dillon / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Expectations are high for newly sworn-in state schools chief Tony Thurmond Tony Thurmond shakes hands with retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gordon Baranco after taking the oath of office. (Melody Gutierrez / Los Angeles Times) Tony Thurmond took the oath of office as Californias state superintendent of public schools on Monday, promising a labor-friendly agenda before the teachers, students and Democratic officials who filled an auditorium at McClatchy High School in Sacramento to watch him being sworn in. We cant close the achievement gap without a great teacher at the head of every class, Thurmond said Monday to applause. We have to make sure we provide quality compensation and support to our teachers and our classified staff and all the educators who support our kids. Thurmond, a Bay Area Democrat who served in the state Assembly, won a hotly contested and expensive race with the help of labor leaders against charter school executive Marshall Tuck. The race took several days to sort out after Tuck held an initial lead in early returns on election night before falling behind thereafter. Thurmond was sworn in Monday by retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gordon Baranco. He was joined on stage by labor rights leader Dolores Huerta and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount). Thurmonds former colleagues in the state Assembly took turns praising him and promising to be an ally in improving schools. Many said they expected Thurmond would be a strong leader focused on improving student outcomes. We know we are going to work hard to give you the money you need and the budget you need to fully fund education and our schools so we can put our money where our mouth is and make sure our children have everything they need, Assemblywoman Connie Leyva (D-Chino Hills) said. As state superintendent, Thurmond will oversee the education of 6.2 million students at 10,000 schools. Thurmond was a member of the West Contra Costa County School Board and a Richmond city councilman before he was elected to the state Assembly. Tony is the right man at the right time to fight the federal, Donald Trump, Betsy DeVos anti-child, anti-education, anti-civil and -human rights agenda, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said. Tony is going to do that for us. Facebook

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State Controller Betty Yee takes oath of office with call for more affordable housing and healthcare State Controller Betty Yee California Controller Betty Yee took the oath of office Monday for a second term, saying she still has work to do addressing problems that include a lack of affordability in housing, healthcare and higher education. A San Francisco native, Yee is the chief financial officer of California  the fifth-largest economy in the world  having first won election to the post in 2014 before winning reelection in November. No region is spared from the widening inequality and increased poverty that plague our state, fueled by the lack of affordable, stable housing, the cost of healthcare and transportation, limited educational opportunities, student loan debt, displacement caused by disasters and more, she said. Yee was administered the oath of office by California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento before an overflow crowd that included state Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and San Francisco Mayor London Breed. As a public official it is about governance that delivers results and stays accountable while upholding the underlying value of dignity for all, Yee said. Facebook

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California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra begins new term promising to fight Trump policies California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Monday took the oath of office for a new term, saying he would continue his role as a leading challenger to Trump administration actions that he believes are counter to the states interests. Becerra, a former 12-term congressman, has become a national opposition figure to Trump, having sued the federal government 45 times since he was appointed as the states first Latino attorney general in 2017. Weve been a little busy stopping the dysfunction and insanity in Washington, D.C., from infecting California, Becerra told an audience during a swearing-in ceremony at the California Museum in Sacramento. Whether its the criminals on our streets or the conman in the boardrooms or highest office of the land, Becerra said, the California Department of Justice, well, weve got your back. Becerra won his first statewide election as the states top cop in November, two years after he filled the post vacated when predecessor Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. He has peppered the Trump administration with lawsuits challenging federal policies on healthcare, the U.S. census, the environment and immigration. Our state builds dreams, not walls, he said in a direct criticism of Trumps proposal to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Just last week, Becerra led a coalition of 17 Democratic attorneys general in announcing an appeal of a federal judge in Texas that ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. The ACA has been the law for nearly a decade and is the backbone of our healthcare system, Becerra said last week. This case impacts nearly every American  workers covered by employers, families, women, children, young adults and seniors  so we will lead the ACAs defense as long and far as it takes. Facebook

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California Democratic Party Vice Chairman Daraka Larimore-Hall announces bid to lead group By Christine Mai-Duc Daraka Larimore-Hall. (Dominic Parisi / Courtesy of Daraka Larimore-Hall) Daraka Larimore-Hall, a top official at the California Democratic Party, said Monday hes running to replace former chairman Eric Bauman, who resigned abruptly in November after being confronted with allegations of sexual misconduct. Larimore-Hall, a longtime state party activist and former chairman of the Democratic Party of Santa Barbara County, was one of the party leaders who urged Bauman to resign following the allegations. In an email to supporters announcing his bid, he urged both structural and cultural change at every level of our Party. He also repeated his call for a top-to-bottom investigation of the allegations, the party and its culture. In a Times investigation, 10 party activists and staff members said Bauman made crude sexual comments and engaged in unwanted touching and physical intimidation in professional settings. In order to be where we need to be for 2020, we have to confront the culture of abuse and fear that allowed someone to behave in such a vile way for so long, Larimore-Hall said in an interview. We cant brush it aside or think that our activists or our candidates or our donors are going to forget about this overnight. Larimore-Hall said his first priority would be to fully investigate the allegations and restore rank-and-file confidence in the partys leadership. The second would be to refocus the party on political priorities as the 2020 presidential election nears. The Bauman episode, Larimore-Hall said, threatens to derail the Democrats plans to help defeat President Trump and keep the seven congressional seats gained in the midterm elections. Its definitely a crisis, Larimore-Hall said. But the component parts  the energy, the enthusiasm, the volunteers, the infrastructure  its still there. We just need to direct it toward something. Larimore-Hall was elected vice chairman of the state party in February following Baumans razor-thin victory over Bay Area activist Kimberly Ellis. Ellis has announced another bid for the chairmanship and former state Senate leader Kevin de Leon is also mulling a run. The vote will take place at the partys May convention in San Francisco. Facebook

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Newsom will vow to seize this moment, and swipe at Trump in Monday inaugural address By Melanie Mason Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and his family attend an Inauguration Family Event at the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento on Jan. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Building on the theme of California exceptionalism that defined his campaign, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will depict the state as a guardian of progressive values and a counterweight to President Trump in his inaugural address Monday, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks. What we do today is even more consequential, because of whats happening in our country, read the excerpts obtained by The Times. Peoples lives, freedom, security, the water we drink, the air we breathe  they all hang in the balance. The country is watching us. The world is waiting on us. The future depends on us. And we will seize this moment. The speech casts Californias political stakes in a decidedly national scope, promising an agenda that will unify and be an example to the rest of the country. It contrasts the governing goals of Newsom, a Democrat, with that of Trump, the incoming governors perennial foil. We will offer an alternative to the corruption and incompetence in the White House, the excerpts say. Our government will be progressive, principled, and always on the side of the people. Newsom campaigned on an ambitious and wide-ranging platform, promising sweeping solutions on housing, healthcare, education and other issues that rank among Californians top concerns. In the weeks after his election, he struck a more muted tone, taking pains to emphasize his fiscal caution and need for patience in achieving those goals. The inaugural excerpts indicate a return to lofty pledges. While Newsom will vow to prepare for uncertain times ahead by building budgetary reserves and paying down debt, the prepared remarks quickly turn to a vow to be bold. Newsom has already floated several proposals for his first budget that carry significant price tags, including a nearly $2-billion plan to boost early childhood development for low-income families and a dramatic expansion of paid family leave from six weeks to six months. When asked for a preview of his inauguration speech during a news conference Sunday evening, Newsom predicted pundits would criticize his address as short on specifics. Well, of course, Im at an inaugural, Newsom said. But Ill be very detailed in the budget, a few days later. And then we will architect, in much more nuance and detail, in state of the state. I really see this as three opportunities  to communicate over the next few weeks our agenda, our vision for the state. Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report. Read More Facebook

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Newsom-hosted benefit concert raises nearly $5 million for wildfire victims By Taryn Luna Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom speaks at a concert to benefit wildfire victims at the Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Jan. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) On the eve of the gubernatorial inauguration, Californias political class rubbed elbows in Sacramento for a benefit concert hosted by Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and headlined by the rapper Pitbull. Newsom told the crowd gathered at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday evening that the fundraiser brought in nearly $5 million for the California Wildfire Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that supports the families of fallen firefighters and communities affected by wildfires. You know, a lot of folks feel anxious about not just politics, but government, Newsom said on stage before introducing the rapper and activist Common. But those firefighters, they are the antidote to the fear and cynicism; they are the manifestation of why government matters and why you should care. Top sponsors, including Salesforce, Kaiser Permanente and other interest groups, paid up to $1 million each to support the cause and curry favor with the new administration. Nathan Click, a spokesman for Newsom, said organizers sold more than 7,000 tickets. Several state lawmakers attended the concert alongside Capitol staff, lobbyists and business types, who mingled on the floor of the arena and offstage in private VIP areas. The rock band X Ambassadors and a duo called the Cold Weather Sons from the town of Paradise, which was destroyed by fire in November, were among several performers who entertained the crowd during the four-hour event. The California Rises concert is the final in a series of festivities held Sunday to celebrate the inauguration of Californias 40th governor. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private brunch at Sacramentos Crocker Art Museum and his inaugural committee hosted a free party for families at the California State Railroad Museum at the Old Sacramento Waterfront. Newsoms inauguration is set to begin at 11 a.m. Monday on the steps of the Capitol. Facebook

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Inauguration fever hits Sacramento as Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom prepares to take office By Phil Willon Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom holds his son, Dutch, as he and his family attend an inaugural event at the at the state Railroad Museum Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Incoming Gov. Gavin Newsom doesnt officially take the oath of office until Monday, but the parties celebrating his inauguration were in full swing all day Sunday. Newsom and his family were mobbed by well-wishers at the California State Railroad Museum at the Old Sacramento Waterfront in the afternoon, where his inaugural committee hosted a free party for families. He just has charisma. Hes able to really connect with people, said Rosielyn Pulmano, an attorney from Elk Grove who came to see Newsom with her husband, two sons and her niece. I think he cares about working Californians and a lot of their issues. Newsom arrived with his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and their four young children, and the governor-elect spent a good deal of his time wading through crowds, taking selfies with supporters and signing autographs as music boomed in the background. As the family toured the inside of the museums locomotives and the bevy of exhibits, Newsoms two-year-old son, Dutch, was wide-eyed, impressed by all the train cars and seemingly a little overwhelmed by the crowd. Newsom said that for his son, all that was missing from the museum was Thomas the Train, popular fictional locomotive in childrens books and cartoons . If theres one thing I can contribute to Sacramento maybe its getting a Thomas the Train exhibit for the two years olds, Newsom joked when talking with reporters afterward. Newsom said he wanted to include such an event in his inaugural festivities to highlight families and children, whose wellbeing will be among the top priorities of his administration. Youll see that not only as a preamble to the inaugural and the budget that well be submitting next week, but I think itll be a big part of the administration, Newsom said. The museum event followed a private, high-dollar brunch at Sacramentos Crocker Art Museum. A steady rain failed to dissuade as many as 200 guests who sipped wine and dined on chicken and salmon while waiting for a photo with Californias new first couple. Seen at the event were representatives of some of the states most powerful political interests, among them organized labor, healthcare companies and tribal gaming interests. A few other high-profile guests attended, too, including Larry Baer, CEO of the San Francisco Giants, and Erika Jayne, a singer and cast member of the reality TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Im excited to see someone like Gavin  young, vibrant  taking over the state and leading us into the future, Jayne said after attending the brunch with her husband, attorney Tom Girardi. Hes got a lot of great plans. Attendees said the event, which was closed to reporters and held under a tent in the museums outdoor atrium, did not include prepared remarks by Newsom. Among those seen leaving the event were representatives of AT&T, the California Medical Assn., Uber, Kaiser Permanente and the State Building and Construction Trades Council. A fundraising invitation obtained by The Times offered bundled tickets to all of the inauguration events, including those on Sunday and the Monday ceremony, ranging in price from $25,000 to $200,000. The money will be collected by a committee specifically organized to pay for Newsoms inaugural weekend. Sundays festivities are scheduled to end with a benefit concert headlined by Pitbull at the Golden 1 Center, home of the NBAs Sacramento Kings, to raise money for the victims of Californias recent deadly wildfires. Among the attendees at @GavinNewsoms pre-inaugural leadership brunch: Real Housewife of

Bev Hills @erikajayne. Im excited to see someone like Gavinyoung, vibranttaking over the state and leading us into the future. Hes got a lot of great plans. pic.twitter.com/561NHiy2XQ  Melanie Mason (@melmason) January 6, 2019 Facebook

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As Newsom inaugural events begin, he unveils more state budget promises on education and paid family leave Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, seen here last April, will propose new state budget efforts on paid family leave and education subsidies. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Californias incoming governor, who must send his first state budget plan to the Legislature this week, has already signaled a significant new focus on programs to help families and children from infancy to college. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom campaigned on a platform that included a number of child-focused efforts specifically aimed at helping lower-income families. The price tag for the initial efforts is expected to approach $2 billion  a cost paid out of an unrestricted tax revenue windfall that could be one of the largest in state history. Newsom may also seek help for families through new subsidies paid by California employers. The governor-elect is expected to propose a dramatic expansion of paid parental leave  from six weeks to six months  according to an internal document provided by a source close to the Newsom transition team, first reported on Sunday by the New York Times. The document doesnt offer a full explanation for how the program will be funded, saying instead that the budget will set a goal of ensuring that all newborns and newly adopted babies can be cared for by a parent or a close family member for the first six months. Employers across the state are currently assessed a payroll tax that helps offer a subsidy to parents who temporarily leave their job to care for a newborn. Newsoms plan, according to the document, would pay for some of the new costs by shrinking the mandated cash reserve of the state fund that administers the program, allowing more of the money to be paid in benefits. The increase in paid leave would not all happen at once but instead be phased in over a multi-year period. A task force to help implement the expanded care plan is also envisioned, according to the document. It would determine whether two parents could split the six months of paid leave and whether an extended family member could be enlisted to help care for the child of a single parent over the six-month period. The incoming administrations focus on young children will also include $1.8 billion in new spending on early childhood education programs, with a particular focus on training childcare workers and pushing for more California schools to offer full-day kindergarten. Those costs, according to an overview memo obtained by the Los Angeles Times, are considered to be a one-time expense while leaving the long-term costs of the effort to be determined later. More community college students would get free tuition under a third initiative expected in the new governors budget plan. Newsom will propose spending $40 million to offer a second year of tuition-free college to California students, according to an outline provided by a transition official, first reported by Politico. Students are already eligible for a single year of paid tuition under a plan agreed to by Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers in 2017. The incoming governor embraced the idea of free community college during the 2018 campaign as part of a broader focus on additional investments in higher education. Education is an economic development strategy, Newsom said at a higher education forum last spring. We need to significantly increase the investment from the general fund of this state on higher education. Theres no greater higher return on investment. Whether the proposal would be targeted to students based on a familys financial need is unclear. Many low-income students are already eligible for fee waivers at community colleges. The new governor must submit his full state budget plan to lawmakers no later than Thursday. Facebook

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Gavin Newsom and his family decide Sacramento is the place to be The Old Governors Mansion State Historic Park in Sacramento. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will move his family into the mansion. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and his family will give up the Marin County life and move to the Victorian-style governors mansion in Sacramento after he takes the oath of office Monday. Newsom and his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, had debated whether or when to relocate to the state capital since his election in November. The couple have four young children and expressed reservations about moving in the middle of a school year. To best serve the people of California while also maximizing family time together, the Newsoms have therefore decided to move to Sacramento, said Newsoms spokesman, Nathan Click. On Monday, they will move into the Governors Mansion  along with their four children, their two family dogs, and their family bunny rabbit  and reside there for the immediate future. The Newsoms currently live in Marin County. Gov. Jerry Brown and his wife, Ann Gust Brown, moved into the grand house in 2015 after it underwent $4.1 million in renovations to update electrical and plumbing systems, as well as to remove lead-based paint and install a fire sprinkler system and other security features. The mansion was built in 1877 and has been home to 14 governors, but before Brown it had not housed a California governor for nearly half a century. The state bought the mansion from a wealthy Sacramento hardware merchant, Albert Gallatin, in 1903 for $32,500. It was one of the few California homes at that time to have indoor plumbing. Facebook

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Newsom announces top labor, business liaisons as he prepares to take office Julie Su will be secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency for Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Friday named two advisors on issues related to the California economy, each recognized for their expertise on business and labor. The incoming governor will appoint Julie Su as secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and Lenny Mendonca as chief economic and business advisor and director of the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development. Su, 49, has served as state labor commissioner under Gov. Jerry Brown since 2011 and has led an office tasked with the enforcement of Californias labor laws. She won a MacArthur Foundation genius grant in 2001 and previously worked as a civil rights attorney representing low-wage workers. In her new position, Su will be tasked with coordinating the work of several workforce departments in state government, including those that administer unemployment benefits and oversee the relationship between agriculture workers and employers. Mendonca, 57, has been a longtime advocate for rethinking government operations as co-chairman of the nonprofit organization California Forward. Previously, he was partner at McKinsey & Co., a global management consulting firm. While he will be a key advisor to Newsom on the states economy, Mendonca will also lead the office often referred to as Go-Biz, designated as a high-level way to encourage job growth and economic development. In his new role, Mendonca will help ensure that California is rolling out the welcome mat to current and future California businesses and growing a sustainable economy for every Californian, said a statement from the Newsom transition team. Newsom will take the oath of office as governor Monday. He has previously selected key advisors on the state budget, legislative affairs and the executive branchs wide array of agencies and departments. Facebook

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Joshua Groban, aide to Gov. Jerry Brown, sworn in to California Supreme Court By Taryn Luna California Supreme Court Justice Joshua Groban gives remarks after he is sworn into the court by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday. (Taryn Luna) California Supreme Court Justice Joshua Groban, a lawyer and longtime aide to Gov. Jerry Brown, was sworn into the states highest court Thursday in Sacramento. The ceremony marked Browns fourth appointment to the state Supreme Court and gave the seven-member bench a Democratic majority. We live in a highly chaotic, ever-changing and ever-confusing world, Groban said in prepared remarks at the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building. But Im happy to report that Im joining an institution whose fundamental purpose, at core, is to provide stability and consistency amidst this chaotic place we live. I look forward to doing that with a sense of reflection, respect, fidelity to the law and compassion. None of Browns appointees, Groban included, have judicial experience. Groban served as legal counsel to Browns 2010 gubernatorial campaign and joined the administration as a senior advisor to the governor, overseeing the appointments of some 600 judges over the last eight years. Prior to working with Brown, Groban, 45, practiced law for more than a decade. In perhaps his final public appearance before his successor, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, takes office next week, Brown pushed back on notions that he stacked the court. I dont want this to be known as a Brown court, the governor said before administering the judicial oath of office. First of all, the so-called Brown appointments do not agree with themselves and nor should they. They are individuals. They will differ. Its not anybodys court. The governor called the court a high calling and said Groban possesses the values for the job. Probably, next to my wife, Ive talked to no person as much as Ive talked to Josh Groban, Brown said. I think youve talked to him more, Californias First Lady Anne Gust Brown interjected. I cant tell you what the hell hes going to do, Brown later quipped. I warned him, dont screw up, at least not at first. Facebook

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California campaign watchdog agency seeks law barring use of campaign funds to fight harassment claims Former state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia). ( (Steve Yeater / Associated Press)) Elected officials accused of harassment or discrimination would be barred from using political contributions to cover their legal defense costs under legislation proposed by Californias campaign watchdog agency. The state Fair Political Practices Commission has agreed to pursue a law change to clear up confusion after an attorney for one former state lawmaker argued political funds could be used in such legal defenses. Commission Chairwoman Alice Germond said putting a prohibition into the law would provide some much needed clarity. As chair, I would like to show the public their lawmakers are held to a standard that is above reproach, Germond said in a statement. People dont give money to campaigns for lawmakers to use it to defend their own bad behavior, so lawmakers shouldnt be able to use it in that manner. The issue came up a year ago when an attorney for former Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) sought a formal opinion from the FPPC after the Senate launched an investigation that later concluded Mendoza likely engaged in a pattern of harassment against female aides. Mendoza resigned in February under threat of expulsion by the Senate. In a Jan. 10, 2018, letter, Cassandra Ferrannini, an attorney for Mendoza, wrote to the FPPC that she believed Mendoza should be allowed to establish a legal defense fund able to defray his legal expenses in defending himself against the allegations. The use of campaign funds for attorneys fees under these circumstances would fall squarely within the scope of legislative matters, since it involves the alleged conduct of a legislator with regard to legislative staff that he supervised, Ferrannini wrote. The commission staff originally issued an advice letter that said Mendoza may use campaign and legal defense funds to defend himself from claims of sexual harassment that arose directly out of his activities or status as a candidate or elected officer. But the panel later rescinded the letter after some members questioned using campaign funds to fight sexual harassment claims. That left uncertainty about what was allowed, which Germond said could be cleared up by a new law. The FPPC is still looking for a legislator to carry the bill, a spokesman said. Facebook

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Californias landmark police transparency law takes effect after court denies police union effort to block it California Supreme Court building (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) A new state law allowing the public disclosure of internal police shooting investigations has gone into effect after the California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a bid by a police union to block it. The law opens to the public for the first time internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Assn. challenged the law last month, asking state Supreme Court justices to decide that the law only apply to incidents that occur in 2019 or later. The court rejected that request Wednesday, allowing members of the public to seek all applicable records held by police departments. Union president Grant Ward said in a statement that his organization was disappointed with the decision and is now seeking other legal options. We feel this is a statewide issue and should be considered accordingly, Ward said. Last month, the city of Inglewood authorized the destruction of more than 100 police shooting investigations and other records in advance of Jan. 1, when the disclosure law was scheduled to take effect. California law requires police departments to keep such records for five years, and Inglewood City Council voted to destroy records older than that. Mayor James T. Butts has said the decision had nothing to do with the new law. In Los Angeles, Police Chief Michel Moore has said that complying with the new disclosure rules could take hundreds of thousands of hours of work. State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), the author of the transparency law, has said she has no immediate plans to propose changes to it. Facebook

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Few complaints of racial profiling are sustained by police agencies in California, state panel finds CHP Officer J. Nelson stands outside the office of Gov. Jerry Brown as activists in 2015 support requiring the tracking of police stops. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Law enforcement agencies in California sustain few citizen complaints of racial or identity profiling, according to a report Wednesday by a state panel set up to help reduce bias in policing. The states Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board recommended in its annual report that law enforcement agencies improve training and adopt clear guidelines for tracking and reporting data on who is stopped by officers. The panel said that 453 law enforcement agencies in the state received 9,459 civilian complaints in 2017, including 865 complaints alleging racial or identity profiling. Of the racial and identity complaints that reached a disposition that year, 1.5% were sustained, 14.6% resulted in officers being exonerated and 83.9% of complaints were not sustained or were determined to be unfounded, the report said. A clearer picture of the issue is expected from a 2015 law that requires police agencies to report demographic data on all detentions and searches. The first reports by the eight largest agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, are due to be submitted in April. California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, whose office oversees the board, said tracking of all detentions and searches will be helpful to understand the scope of the issue. The Boards recommendations will help make our law enforcement agencies more transparent and promote critical steps to enhance, and in some cases, repair the public trust, Becerra said in a statement Wednesday. Facebook

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California housing crisis podcast: What Minneapolis decision to end single-family zoning might mean for California A view of downtown Minneapolis in 2014 (Stephen Maturen / Getty Images) Theres a national movement brewing to roll back zoning rules in cities that only allow one house on a plot of land. The epicenter of that movement is Minneapolis, which passed a plan last month to eliminate single-family zoning citywide and let landowners build duplexes and triplexes on residential property. On this episode of Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast, we talk about the reasons why Minneapolis leaders took this action, including their desire to combat a history of racial exclusion and spur more housing density to fight climate change. We also debate how Minneapolis decision might affect housing politics in California. Our guest is Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender, who helped shepherd the new zoning rules to passage and a former San Francisco city planner. The episode also crowns 2018s Avocado of the Year  the most ridiculous story exemplifying Californias housing woes  and includes our predictions for the most under-the-radar important themes in housing politics in 2019. Gimme Shelter, a biweekly podcast that looks at why its so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times Sacramento bureau, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CALmatters. You can subscribe to Gimme Shelter on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Google Play and Overcast. Facebook

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How young immigrant Dreamers made flipping control of the House a personal quest By Jazmine Ulloa Gabriela Cruz, who was brought to the U.S. illegally when she was 1, couldnt vote, but in the final hours before the Nov. 6 election, she was making one last run to get people to the polls. The sun was setting in Modesto when she found Ronald Silva, 41, smoking a cigarette on a tattered old couch behind a group home. He politely tried to wave her off until she reminded him he had a right that she as an immigrant without citizenship didnt have. It could really make a change for us, said Cruz, 29. Read More Facebook

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Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will propose almost $2 billion for early childhood programs (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Seeking to frame his new administration as one with a firm focus on closing the gap between children from affluent and poor families, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will propose spending some $1.8 billion on an array of programs designed to boost Californias enrollment in early education and child-care programs. Newsoms plan, which he hinted at in a Fresno event last month, will be a key element in the state budget proposal he will submit to the Legislature shortly after taking office Monday, a source close to the governor-elects transition team said. The spending would boost programs designed to ensure children enter kindergarten prepared to learn, closing what some researchers have called the readiness gap that exists based on a familys income. It would also phase in an expansion of prekindergarten and offer money to help school districts that dont have facilities for full-day kindergarten. The fact that hes making significant investments with his opening budget is really exciting, Ted Lempert, president of the Bay Area-based nonprofit Children Now, said Tuesday. Whats exciting is the comprehensiveness of it, because its saying were going to focus on prenatal through age 5. A broad overview document reviewed by The Times on Tuesday shows that most of the outlay under the plan  $1.5 billion  would be a one-time expense in the budget year that begins July 1. Those dollars would be a single infusion of cash, an approach favored by Gov. Jerry Brown in recent years. Most of the money would be spent on efforts to expand child-care services and kindergarten classes. By law, a governor must submit a full budget to the Legislature no later than Jan. 10. Lawmakers will spend the winter and spring reviewing the proposal and must send a final budget plan to Newsom by June 15. Though legislative Democrats have pushed for additional early childhood funding in recent years  a key demand of the Legislative Womens Caucus  those actions have typically come late in the budget-writing season in Sacramento. Quite frankly, to start out with a January proposal that includes that investment in Californias children reflects a new day, state Sen. Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) said. The governor-elect will propose a $750-million boost to kindergarten funding, aimed at expanding facilities to allow full-day programs. A number of school districts offer only partial-day programs, leaving many low-income families to skip enrolling their children because kindergarten classes end in the middle of the workday. Because the money would not count toward meeting Californias three-decades-old education spending guarantee under Proposition 98, which sets a minimum annual funding level for K-12 schools and community colleges, it will not reduce planned spending on other education services. Close behind in total cost is a budget proposal by Newsom to help train child-care workers and expand local facilities already subsidized by the state, as well as those serving parents who attend state colleges and universities. Together, those efforts could cost $747 million, according to the budget overview document. An expansion of prekindergarten programs would be phased in over three years at a cost of $125 million in the first year. The multiyear rollout would, according to the budget overview, ensure the system can plan for the increase in capacity. Lempert said the Newsom proposal is notable for trying to avoid the kinds of battles that in recent years pitted prekindergarten and expanded child care against each other for additional taxpayer dollars. The reality is we need to expand both simultaneously, he said. Another $200 million of the proposal would be earmarked for programs that provide home visits to expectant parents from limited-income families and programs that provide healthcare screenings for young children. Some of the money would come from the states Medi-Cal program, and other money from federal matching dollars. Funding for the home visits program was provided in the budget Brown signed last summer; the Newsom effort would build on that. Emphasizing a policy area with broad appeal in his first state budget could reflect Newsoms political sensibility about the challenges ahead. Democratic lawmakers and interest groups will be especially eager to see how Newsom addresses the demand for an overhaul of healthcare coverage in California  especially after a 2017 effort to create a single-payer, universal system fizzled. The path forward on healthcare is complex and costly, making early childhood education a more achievable goal in the governor-elects early tenure. Newsom is likely to face considerable demands for other additional spending. In November, the Legislatures independent analysts projected that continued strength in tax revenues could produce a cash reserve of some $29 billion over the next 18 months. Almost $15 billion of that could be in unrestricted reserves, the kind that can be spent on any number of government programs. Kim Belshe, executive director of the child advocacy organization First 5 LA and a former state health and human services secretary, said the initial Newsom budget proposal suggests the next governor will focus on a comprehensive approach to improving outcomes for children from low-income families. School-ready kids deserve quality early learning, strong and well-supported families, and access to early screening services, Belshe said. Newsom understands the whole child, multifaceted needs of our kids and is clearly ready to lead. Mitchell, the chair of the Senate budget committee, said shes eager to see the details of the governor-elects proposal to determine whether it might signal the beginning of an even broader expansion of early education efforts. Similar efforts have been hindered by a lack of money and ongoing debate over which services to help children 5 and younger need state funding the most. Universal preschool, in particular, has been debated for more than a decade. California voters rejected a ballot measure to fund a full prekindergarten system in 2006. Its clear theres a new movement afoot trying to engage on investment for universal preschool, Mitchell said. How we invest, and how we prioritize that investment, is going to be a great conversation for the coming months. Facebook

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California Politics Podcast: A final conversation with Gov. Jerry Brown No Californian has served longer as governor, signed more laws, granted clemency to more felons or waged more high-profile campaigns than Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown will leave behind a unique legacy when he packs his last belongings for the trip from the governors mansion in Sacramento to his Northern California ranch. His final two terms in office could be his most consequential. The governor reviewed some of the more notable moments from the past eight years in a far-reaching interview with The Times on Dec. 22. This weeks podcast episode includes extended portions of that conversation. Facebook

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A sagging economy could doom a 2020 ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes, Gov. Jerry Brown says Gov. Jerry Brown, at his Colusa County home on Saturday, said a ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes could struggle in 2020. (Randall Benton/For The Times) An effort to remove commercial property in California from the tax limits imposed by the landmark Proposition 13 could be felled by an economic slowdown, Gov. Jerry Brown said. In a Saturday interview with The Times at his Northern California ranch, Brown said liberal activist groups that have successfully placed the proposal on the November 2020 statewide ballot shouldnt read too much into early poll numbers showing support for the plan. That isnt as easy as you think, Brown said. Because youre going to be in a downturn of the business cycle. And youre talking many kinds of business. And the cost of doing business in California is already high. The ballot measure would allow counties to more frequently assess the market value of commercial property in California than allowed under Proposition 13, a 1978 ballot initiative that amended the state constitution to place strict limits on assessing property values and taxation for both homeowners and businesses. An analysis of the new measure, which qualified in October for the 2020 ballot, estimates it could bring in some $10.5 billion a year in new tax revenue. The business community will fight it, Brown said. And the minimum wage, the family leave, the environmental rules  business[es] have left California, thats going to be the big argument. And I think thats something you really have to think a lot about. The governor, who leaves office early next month due to term limits, declined to either endorse or oppose the ballot measure. He said Californias economic health in two years time could be a key factor in how voters weigh the proposal. Well be in a recession by then, Brown said. So its anybodys guess. Facebook

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Inglewood to destroy more than 100 police shooting records that could otherwise become public under new California law By Jack Dolan Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times) The city of Inglewood has authorized the shredding of more than 100 police shooting and other internal investigation records weeks before a new state law could allow the public to access them for the first time. The decision, made at a City Council meeting earlier this month, has troubled civil liberties advocates who were behind the state legislation, Senate Bill 1421, which takes effect Jan. 1. The law opens to the public internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The legislature passed SB 1421 because communities demanded an end to the secrecy cloaking police misconduct and use of force, Marcus Benigno, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said in a statement. Inglewood PDs decision to purge records undermines police accountability and transparency against the will of Californians. California law says police departments must retain records of officer shootings and internal misconduct investigations for five years. The city of Inglewood, however, had kept records longer than that, including case files of police shootings dating to 1991. State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), the author of SB 1421, intended for her bill to allow public access to all qualifying records held by a department, no matter the date of the incident. Inglewood City Council approved the destruction of records that have been in the police departments possession  more than 100 cases  longer than required by law. The city staff report and council resolution describing the action makes no mention of the new police transparency law. Instead it says the affected records are obsolete, occupy valuable space, and are of no further use to the police department. It added the traditional method of destroying such records is to shred them. It is unclear whether the records have since been destroyed. A spokesman for the Inglewood Police Department along with Inglewoods city manager, attorney, clerk, four council members and Mayor James T. Butts, a former Santa Monica police chief, did not respond to requests for comment. Inglewoods City Hall is closed the last two weeks of December. The Inglewood Police Department has a reputation for secrecy and using excessive force. In 2008, the departments officers fatally shot four men in as many months, three of whom turned out to be unarmed. The U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights probe and found significant flaws in the way the department oversaw use-of-force cases and investigated complaints against officers. Civil rights advocates still question why Inglewood police opened fire on a couple found sleeping in a car in 2016, killing them both. California police have a long history of shredding records to avoid scrutiny of their actions. In the 1970s, the LAPD famously destroyed more than four tons of personnel records after defense attorneys began requesting them as part of criminal cases against their clients. The move resulted in the dismissal of more than a hundred criminal complaints. In response, the Legislature demanded that records be preserved but then took other measures, supported by police unions, to ensure the public had very little access to them, making California the most secretive state in the nation when it comes to police misconduct. Skinners legislation begins to unwind those laws, which have been on the books since 1978. No video or audio of the Dec. 11 council action is available on the citys website and neither are meeting minutes or any record of the decision. A city spokeswoman, Courtney Torres, confirmed that the council had voted in favor of the police records purge, and said all the relevant reasons for the decision were included in the city staff report. The Jan. 1 implementation for SB 1421 has prompted other police officials to act. A police union in San Bernardino is asking the state Supreme Court to determine that Skinners bill only applies to incidents that occur in 2019 or later. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore sent a letter to Skinner earlier this month warning that complying with the law in regard to older records in the departments possession could take hundreds of thousands of work hours. Facebook

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Federal officials question California DMVs process for issuing Real IDs (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has notified the California Department of Motor Vehicles that its process for providing residents with federally recognized identification cards is not adequate. DMV spokesman Armando Botello said Friday that 2.3 million residents who received Real IDs under the current process will have to submit additional documentation when their cards are renewed in five years but will be able to use them in the meantime. The DMV is developing a way for residents to submit more documentation online or via email to comply with the stricter federal requirement, he said. But some state legislators are upset about delays in notifying them of the problem and say Homeland Security could eventually require additional documentation provided by current holders. The DMV has known for a month that millions of Real IDs theyve been dolling out are potentially invalid, Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) said. The DMVs only hope is that the Department of Homeland Security takes pity on California and gives the DMV more time to fix this mess. Real IDs are a new kind of driver license and identification card that federal law will require legal residents to present when boarding domestic flights or visiting military bases and other federal facilities starting Oct. 1, 2020. The DMV has only been requiring one form of documentation, including a current lease or utility bill, to verify the residence of a card applicant. But the federal government said in a Nov. 21 letter to the agency that two such documents are needed. On Friday, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto released a letter defending the current process but said her agency will start requiring a second document to prove residency in April. In order to minimize confusion among our customers, the CADMV will work to inform individuals who have been issued a Real ID under the current process that their card will be accepted for official federal purposes, even if their renewal occurs after the October 1, 2020, final enforcement date for Real ID, Shiomoto wrote to the federal agency. Legislative officials worry there is still a possibility that those issued Real IDs in the past might be required to present a second document to have their cards designated as compliant. The more complex process for obtaining Real IDs has led to hours-long waits for customers at DMV field offices this year, although wait times have been reduced recently by an increase in staffing. Shiomoto last month announced that she is retiring amid problems with the motor voter registration system and after the governor ordered an audit of her agency in response to the long wait times. On Friday, Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido blasted the DMV for waiting a month to tell legislators of the problem. This is unacceptable and flies in the face of security for our citizens, which is what Real ID was created for in the first place, she said in a statement. Facebook

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Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom taps Keely Bosler to be his finance director Keely Bosler, the director of the California Department of Finance, will continue in that role under Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. (California Department of Finance) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Friday appointed Keely Martin Bosler as director of the California Department of Finance, continuing the role she has served under Gov. Jerry Brown since August. Bosler will become Newsoms chief fiscal advisor, and will play a pivotal role in shaping Newsoms spending plan for the state that will lay the foundation for his top policy priorities. Newsom must roll out his first budget plan within days of taking office on Jan. 7. Californias brighter future depends on a strong, stable fiscal foundation, Newsom said in a statement released Friday afternoon. Keely is an accomplished public servant of sound fiscal judgment. She understands that state budgets are more than numbers on a page  they are value statements affecting the fate and future of millions of families reaching for the California Dream. We are fortunate to have her on our team. Prior to being appointed finance director, Bosler served as Browns cabinet secretary for two years and, before that, as the chief deputy director for budget in the Finance Department for three years. Earlier this year, Brown picked Bosler to lead an audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles, which had come under fire for long wait times at DMV field offices and numerous computer problems, including errors in the new motor voter program that registered Californians to vote. As we have discussed, long wait times at the Department of Motor Vehicles do not reflect the high standards of service that Californians expect from their state government, Bosler wrote in a letter in September to DMV Director Jean Shiomoto. The audit is still ongoing, but Shiomoto has since announced she will retire at the end of the year. Facebook

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Californias legislative analyst, after decades of nonpartisan research for lawmakers, calls it a career Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor, who has led the state research unit since 2008, will retire on Dec. 31. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Only five people have led the independent research office of the California Legislature since its creation in 1941. And each of them has had a pretty simple mantra to live by in reviewing public policy proposals and government programs: Call it like you see it. The job of any analyst, to me, is you maintain that nonpartisanship, Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor said. Taylor, 65, will retire from the post at the end of December after a four-decade career with the research team that began, as he likes to tell it, just after the passage of the landmark property tax rollback, Proposition 13, in 1978. He became the leader of the office, with the title of legislative analyst, in October 2008. Two months later, state government found itself in arguably the worst fiscal crisis in its history  a projected shortfall that ultimately grew to $42 billion by the following winter. There were forces beyond our control, Taylor said of that time. But dont underestimate the policy changes that were made afterward. Those changes, most notably a boost in taxes paid by high-income earners and a robust state budget cash reserve fund, have helped lead to successive years of fully funded government services. The state is projected to have some $24 billion in reserves by the end of the current fiscal year. Taylor announced his intention earlier to step down this year. Leaders from both houses of the Legislature select the analyst, who leads a staff of almost five dozen researchers. The office provides in-depth reports on pending legislation, as well as on broader policy topics like education and healthcare, and produces an independent analysis for every proposed ballot measure. A succession of lawmakers and governors alike have praised or panned the work of the Legislative Analysts Office based on their own political worldview. Taylor said his staff is mindful that they work for legislators, but try to ignore the rhetoric that follows the release of a major report. People are going to do what theyre going to do with our information, he said. They dont always like it, but they appreciate that we give them our best advice. Taylor oversaw a transformation in the way the Legislative Analysts Office distributes its information, embracing the release of research reports through social media instead of relying on traditional printed copies and journalist roundtable events. But he said the work of the researchers has remained largely unchanged through the decades. Having an independent take on things, I think, is good for the Legislature, he said. No replacement for Taylor has been announced, which means a short transition for his eventual successor before Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom sends his first budget proposal to lawmakers in early January. Taylor, who lives in the Sacramento suburbs, said he will honor the tradition of his predecessors in stepping away from public policy debates in order to give the new analyst space to lead the team as he or she sees fit. He said he hopes to travel in the coming years and spend time with his children who have moved to the East Coast. Forty years in state government, Taylor said in why he was stepping aside now. Isnt that enough? Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown sues to save California sentencing laws By Don Thompson, Associated Press (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown sued Thursday to protect one of his signature actions in office, a voter-approved measure that allows most prison inmates to seek earlier release and participate in rehabilitation programs. His administration filed a lawsuit challenging a pending 2020 initiative that seeks to toughen criminal penalties as part of an effort to roll back reforms adopted by voters within the last decade. Browns lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court contends the measure lacked enough valid signatures to overturn a previously approved constitutional amendment. County officials and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla certified the signatures in July but said they were submitted too late to qualify for last months election. The lawsuit names Padilla and the ballot measures official proponent, Nina Salarno Besselman, president of the advocacy group Crime Victims United. Padilla said the measure exceeded the required roughly 366,000 valid signatures, equal to 5% of votes cast for governor in 2014. Browns lawsuit says he used the wrong threshold. It says changing the state Constitution requires 8%, or more than 585,400 signatures. That makes the pending initiative more than 150,000 signatures short, the lawsuit says. Hes wrong, said Jeff Flint, a spokesman for the campaign backing the measure. He predicted a judge will be reluctant to reject a measure that already has qualified for the ballot. The secretary of state told us how many signatures are required, and thats how many we collected, Flint said. Padillas office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The measure would reverse reforms adopted by voters through Proposition 47 in 2014 and Proposition 57 in 2016. Proposition 57 allows most inmates to seek earlier paroles, and Proposition 47 reduced some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. The combination has helped keep Californias inmate population below a population cap set by federal judges. Corrections department spokeswoman Vicky Waters said the measure gives corrections and parole officials broad discretion to protect our communities and fashion a rational system of rehabilitation and punishment. This new initiative unlawfully seeks to supplant the departments constitutional authority to implement these critical reforms to our criminal justice system. The pending initiative would shorten the list of crimes that qualify for earlier parole and change some theft crimes from misdemeanors back to felonies. It would also increase the number of crimes for which DNA is collected, a list that was limited when some crimes went from felonies to misdemeanors. Those supporting the tougher penalties say easing criminal penalties has increased the number of dangerous criminals on the streets, but those backing the changes say they have helped reduce mass incarceration and rehabilitate convicted criminals. Facebook

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California Supreme Court orders records unsealed in pardon of ex-state Sen. Roderick Wright Former state Sen. Roderick Wright (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) The California Supreme Court has granted a request to unseal court records involving Gov. Jerry Browns decision last month to pardon former state Sen. Roderick Wright for felony convictions involving lying about living in his legislative district, officials said Thursday. The court order was in response to a request by the nonpartisan First Amendment Coalition, which argued that the public has a right to know what information went into the governors decision to grant clemency to Wright. This is an important victory for public access to court files involving the exercise of executive clemency, said coalition spokesman Glen A. Smith. We are gratified the court has recognized that these decisions should be subject to the same public access rules that apply to other judicial records under California law. The court gave Browns office until Jan. 2 to redact confidential material before giving the court documents that can be released to the public. The court files submitted by the governors office include letters of support for a pardon and an internal review of Wrights case. The court denied a motion to unseal the records of all clemency cases but left open consideration of requests on other individual cases. Browns office is currently evaluating the courts decision, said spokesman Brian Ferguson. The governor argued against unsealing records in a recent court filing that said confidentiality is consistent with historical practice and is supported by state law. In pardoning Wright on Nov. 22, the governor wrote: He has shown that since his release from custody, he has lived an honest and upright life, exhibited good moral character, and conducted himself as a law abiding citizen. Facebook

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California political watchdog agency fines BART, urges prosecution over using public funds for campaign A Bay Area Rapid Transit train leaves the station in Oakland in this 2013 file photo. (Ben Margot / AP) Californias state political watchdog agency on Thursday imposed a $7,500 fine against the Bay Area Rapid Transit District and called for a possible criminal or civil prosecution over allegations the district used public resources to campaign for a 2016 bond measure. The state Fair Political Practices Commission levied an administrative fine against BART for its failure to disclose spending on YouTube videos, social media posts and text messages to promote Measure RR, which authorized $3.5 billion in general obligation bonds. Though the panel lacks authority to seek criminal charges over the misuse of public funds, it also urged county district attorneys in the BART service area and the state attorney general to pursue possible criminal or civil charges over the spending of taxpayer dollars for campaign purposes, Commission Chairwoman Alice Germond said. It is the concept of misusing public funds that I think we all here are very disturbed about, and we want to send a warning and not create a precedent that is a minor, little slap on the wrist, Germond said, adding that the referral to criminal prosecutors would further send a message that this is wrong. Commissioner Brian Hatch also called for the state Legislature to consider granting the FPPC power to go after public agencies that spend taxpayer money on campaigns. Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) called on the agency to increase the fine to the maximum level of $33,375. The proposed $7,500 fine represents a slap on the wrist for a very serious violation of the law and the publics trust, Glazer said in a letter to the panel. In supporting the fine recommended by the staff, Germond said BART has agreed to pay the penalty. Somebody did something wrong and they have admitted it, she said. A staff report said there were factors in favor of a fine below the maximum. Although the Commission considers BARTs violations to be serious, the absence of any evidence of an intention to conceal, deceive, or mislead; the voluntary filing of the delinquent campaign statement; and the absence of a prior record are mitigating, the report said. Facebook

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California police union seeks state Supreme Court review of new law disclosing internal investigation records Los Angeles Police Department officers. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) A police union is asking the California Supreme Court to block the release of internal officer investigations before a new state law takes effect next year. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Assn. filed a petition Tuesday asking justices to rule that only investigations of incidents that occur after Jan. 1 would be available under the law  and not those the department has on file from years prior. The litigation comes after this years passage of Senate Bill 1421, which opens to the public for the first time internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The law goes into effect Jan. 1, and the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department has told the union it intends to make available in response to public records requests all the information it has. The union is very concerned about any plans to retroactively apply Senate Bill 1421, Grant Ward, the unions president, said in a statement. We believe retroactive application violates our members rights and we hope the California Supreme Court will consider the serious issues raised by our legal challenge. The bills author, Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), does not agree with the unions interpretation. She has said her legislation should apply to all the records in a police departments possession because the law simply declared that affected records were no longer confidential. If the record exists, its disclosable, Skinner said. A decision on what records will be available under the law is key to how far-reaching it will be. If the court restricts access to incidents that occurred prior to 2019, those cases will not be subject to public scrutiny. The police union in San Bernardino County is not the only one raising concerns about the law. Earlier this month, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore sent a letter to Skinner expressing concern that his agency would be overwhelmed if the law required the department to disclose older incidents. Even if the law only applied to the previous five years, Moore wrote, it could take nearly 300,000 hours of work to comply with its provisions. The LAPD operates with a guiding principle of Reverence for the Law; as such, we will diligently comply with SB 1421, Moore wrote. We maintain, however, that a retroactive implementation of SB 1421 will be exceptionally burdensome and would require significant reallocation of front-line investigative personnel. Skinner said if complying with the law becomes untenable for law enforcement agencies that maintain records for a long time, she would consider modifications. But she said agencies did not raise this concern during discussion over the bill. SB 1421 went through multiple committee hearings, multiple floor debates, extensive opportunity for all parties to weigh in on concerns with its structure, she said. That was not an issue that was raised by law enforcement at the time. Facebook

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Gov. Brown warns of backlash for Republicans in 2020 if Obamacare repeal is upheld Gov. Jerry Brown at the National Press Club in April. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) Gov. Jerry Brown warned Republicans on Tuesday that repeal of the Affordable Care Act would devastate the partys political chances in the 2020 election. Brown, speaking at a Sacramento Press Club event moderated by Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton and Brown family historian Miriam Pawel, said a federal judges ruling last week to strike down the 2010 law  if upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court  will build such a backlash that the Democrats will not only take over the Senate, theyll win the presidency and will win with the kind of momentum, particularly on the issue of healthcare, that [the law] will be replaced probably with something even better. The governor, who leaves office in less than three weeks, said he did not believe the ruling by a Texas judge would ultimately prevail. I think the decision will probably be overturned, Brown said. Few states have embraced the law championed by former President Obama more than California, both through its healthcare exchange, Covered California, and by expanding access to government-funded services under Medi-Cal. Some 12 million Californians now receive healthcare through Medi-Cal, and Brown said a final ruling affecting the federal dollars that subsidize that care would be a serious blow. California would not be able to afford it without the subsidy, the governor said. Facebook

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Bars in Los Angeles, San Francisco could stay open until 4 a.m. under new bill A bar in Sherman Oaks (acuna-hansen) For the third year in a row, a California lawmaker is trying to keep bars open until 4 a.m. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is reintroducing legislation that would allow Los Angeles, San Francisco and seven other cities to extend the sales of alcohol in bars, clubs and restaurants by an additional two hours. Nightlife brings people together, fosters creativity and innovation, supports small businesses, and creates middle-class jobs, Wiener said in a statement. Its time to embrace our nighttime economy and give our cities the tools they need to foster the best nightlife possible. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill by Wiener, writing: I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem. Should this years measure, Senate Bill 58, advance through the Legislature, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom would decide whether to sign it into law. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed SB 58, saying the city should have more flexibility than it does now. Every community has its own needs, and cities should be able to make informed decisions about what nightlife hours make sense for residents, visitors, and neighborhoods, Garcetti said in a statement. The bill would create a five-year pilot program where Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City and Palm Springs could decide to allow restaurants and bars within their cities to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. with the approval of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Facebook

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Bars in Los Angeles and San Francisco could stay open until 4 a.m. under new bill A bar in Sherman Oaks. (Acuna-Hansen) For the third year in a row, a California lawmaker is trying to keep bars open until 4 a.m. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is reintroducing legislation that would allow Los Angeles, San Francisco and seven other cities to extend the sales of alcohol in bars, clubs and restaurants by an additional two hours. Nightlife brings people together, fosters creativity and innovation, supports small businesses and creates middle-class jobs, Wiener said in a statement. Its time to embrace our nighttime economy and give our cities the tools they need to foster the best nightlife possible. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill by Wiener, writing: I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem. Should this years measure, Senate Bill 58, advance through the Legislature, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom would decide whether to sign it into law. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed SB 58, saying the city should have more flexibility than it does now. Every community has its own needs, and cities should be able to make informed decisions about what nightlife hours make sense for residents, visitors and neighborhoods, Garcetti said in a statement. The bill would create a five-year pilot program where Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City and Palm Springs could decide to allow restaurants and bars within their cities to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. with the approval of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Facebook

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Californias DMV director announces retirement amid problems with motor voter program (Kent Nishamura/Los Angeles Times) The director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles will retire at years end with a number of questions unanswered about the implementation of a major voter registration system and long wait times experienced by customers for much of the past summer. Jean Shiomoto will not continue in her current role as Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom takes office, and announced to staff several weeks ago her intent to retire at the end of the year after 38 years in state service, spokesman Armando Botello said in an email to The Times on Friday. Newsoms transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on who might lead the department in 2019. Shiomoto was appointed DMV director by Gov. Jerry Brown in the fall of 2013, having served in prior leadership roles with the department. DMV officials have been sharply criticized by lawmakers in recent months for delays in serving customers at its field offices across the state. Last week, DMV officials revealed errors in registering California voters for the November election  mistakes that followed a series of problems in the rollout of the states new motor voter registration system. Secretary of State Alex Padilla last week said he had lost confidence in Shiomotos leadership as a result of the voting registration problems. Facebook

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New law could break the stalemate over housing on the site of a near-vacant Cupertino mall By Liam Dillon For more than a decade, developers have tried to build new housing on the site of an all-but-empty mall in Cupertino, a city in the heart of Silicon Valley and home to Apple headquarters. A well-organized group of neighbors, upset about traffic, building heights and the potential loss of the communitys suburban lifestyle, turned away every plan. Now, for the first time, the stalemate might be broken  thanks to a decision made in the state Capitol. In an effort to address Californias housing affordability problem, legislators passed a law last year that requires cities and counties to approve housing projects if they comply with local zoning rules and other standards, forcing some resistant communities to agree to new homebuilding. In September, the city of Cupertino, citing the state law, approved developer Sand Hill Property Co.s proposal to build an office park and more than 2,400 homes where the Vallco Shopping Mall sits. Read More Facebook

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Local government was a last bastion for struggling California Republicans. Not anymore By Mark Z. Barabak Theres no shortage of watery metaphors to describe the disaster that befell California Republicans this midterm election. A blue wave. A Democratic tsunami. But the most apt may be a flood, with the casualties steadily rising as the vote count climbed in the days and weeks following Nov. 6. Eventually half the GOP congressional delegation was washed away, along with the entire slate of statewide Republican candidates. In Sacramento, Democrats claimed 29 of 40 state Senate seats and seized three-quarters of the 80-member Assembly  the largest number since 1883, when Chester A. Arthur was serving in the White House. Read More Facebook

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For the Republicans left in Californias Legislature, fewer lawmakers will have to do more work By John Myers From January to late summer every year, the California Legislature is a perpetual motion machine. And in the new year, the people most likely to struggle in keeping up will be Republicans, vastly outnumbered but still responsible for representing millions of the states residents. There are 22 standing committees in the state Senate, plus at least a dozen more subcommittees or special committees. And after Novembers election, only 11 Republican senators will be left to divvy up the work. To the victors go the spoils. To the vanquished go the extra assignments. Read More Facebook

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Californias DMV failed to finish registering 329 new voters before November election (Los Angeles Times) Officials at the California Department of Motor Vehicles said Friday that the agency failed to send information for 329 new voters to state elections officers in time for the November election, the latest revelation in a string of mishaps regarding voter registration. Secretary of State Alex Padilla responded with a blistering letter, calling on Gov. Jerry Brown or Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom to replace Jean Shiomoto, the DMV director. The Director of DMV has lost my confidence and trust, Padilla wrote. In all, the agency revealed that 589 mailed voter registration records that should have been processed under election deadlines werent sent to Californias secretary of state until late November, including forms from 260 drivers who had intended to update their address on existing voter registration records. The DMV had been instructed to not send registration forms that came in after Oct. 22, but the voters in question had forms that were postmarked before the deadline. In some cases, when the postmark wasnt legible, the agency said, documents inside indicated the voter had intended to finish their registration in time for the Nov. 6 election. The DMV recognizes the pause in transmittals was an error and affected the timing of the registration of the 589 individuals referenced above relative to the November election, Shiomoto wrote in a letter to Padilla on Friday. The pause was due to a misunderstanding on the part of the department, for which we take responsibility. Those who were trying to update their address for voter registration would not have been blocked from casting ballots. But officials said its unclear whether any of the 329 new voters were able to participate in the election. Shiomoto said in her letter that DMV will work with elections officials. The errors were not related to previous DMV mistakes about registering voters, problems associated with the rollout of the states new motor voter law. In those cases, multiple registration forms were sent to local elections offices for some voters, some people were assigned the wrong political party preference and others who are noncitizens were incorrectly placed on the list of registered voters. DMV officials have yet to respond to questions posed by The Times over the last several weeks about who knew of those mistakes and when. Facebook

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Newsom appoints a labor advocate and a former staffer as his chief deputy Cabinet secretaries By Taryn Luna A labor advocate and a San Francisco political operative have accepted positions in Gov.-elect Gavin Newsoms new administration. Angie Wei, a Capitol insider with deep ties to organized labor in California, will serve as a chief deputy Cabinet secretary with a focus on policy development. As a legislative director and chief of staff at the California Labor Federation, Wei has represented more than 1,200 unions and 2.1 million workers in Capitol fights over a host of policy issues, including drug-pricing transparency and paid family leave. The governor-elect also tapped Jason Elliott, a policy advisor to Newsom during his time as mayor of San Francisco and a chief of staff to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, as another chief deputy Cabinet secretary overseeing executive branch operations. Elliott and Wei will serve under Ana Matosantos, Newsoms previouslyOne of President Trumps top fundraisers secured a crushingly one-sided hush-money deal with a former Playboy playmate whom he impregnated, then withheld most of the $1.6 million that he promised to pay her, according to a lawsuit released Tuesday.

The suit filed by former Playboy model Shera Bechard on July 6 says the pact threatens her with financial ruin because it lets the Trump fundraiser, Elliott Broidy of Beverly Hills, collect up to $4.8 million in damages from her if she breaks its terms.

Bechard claimed in the lawsuit that her former attorney, Keith Davidson, deceived her about the terms that he negotiated with Broidys lawyer, Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney of President Trump.

Broidy, who has acknowledged having an extramarital affair with Bechard, has given her $400,000. But in a July 1 story in the Wall Street Journal, an attorney for Broidy said that he would not pay the remaining $1.2 million because the existence of the pact had been leaked.

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Bechards complaint, filed under seal in Los Angeles Superior Court and released with redactions, blames Davidson and lawyer Michael Avenatti for making the deal public.

Whatever transpired was not the fault of Ms. Bechard, the complaint says. She did nothing wrong.

Paul Berra, Davidsons attorney, said he had seen no evidence of wrongdoing by Davidson.

Helping his client achieve a $1.6-million settlement is a pretty impressive achievement given the facts of this case, he said. I mean, she wasnt kidnapped.

Avenatti, who mentioned the pact on Twitter in April without naming Bechard or Broidy, said in an email on Tuesday: When I am fully exonerated in this case because I did nothing wrong, I will be pursuing a malicious prosecution action against [Bechards new attorney Peter] Stris and his client for their frivolous claims against me.

A Stris spokeswoman said Avenatti was an appropriate defendant and solely responsible for his own predicament.

Elliott Broidy. (Billy Bennight / Tribune News Service)

Representatives of Broidy and Cohen did not respond to email requests for comment.

In her complaint, Bechard says she hired Davidson last October, when she was seven weeks pregnant with the child of Broidy, then a top finance official at the Republican National Committee.

Much of what she told Davidson in the meeting is blacked out in the complaint released on Tuesday, but Avenatti, The Times and other media outlets are seeking a court order unsealing the rest of the document.

Davidson, Bechard says, recruited Cohen to represent Broidy. Davidson had previously negotiated a nondisclosure agreement with Cohen on behalf of Stormy Daniels, the porn actress who is suing the president to void the pact that bars her from talking about her alleged affair with Trump.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has also fired Davidson, replacing him with Avenatti.

When Davidson told Bechard that he had a relationship with Cohen, the complaint says, she responded, Wait, hes your friend?

Davidson said they were not friends, and she had no reason to suspect anything was amiss, the complaint says.

Davidson presented her with the proposed $1.6-million deal, which required her to give up her right to sue Broidy and never talk about the affair, Bechard alleges in the suit. Davidson did not tell her about the Daniels hush-money deal that hed worked out with Cohen, according to the complaint.

The suit says Davidson refused to let Bechard keep a copy of her nondisclosure agreement with Broidy, which included terms such as the $4.8 million in damages if she violated the pact. Bechard aborted her pregnancy in December, the suit says.

By early April, Broidy had paid $400,000. Davidson kept about $70,000 for legal fees, transmitting the rest to Bechard.

By then, the Daniels hush-money scandal had broken. And another former Playboy model, Karen McDougal, was accusing Cohen and Davidson of colluding on a hush-money deal to keep her alleged affair with Trump out of the news in the closing weeks of the 2016 presidential race.

Bechard began to realize that something had gone seriously awry, the complaint says.

After details of Broidys affair were published in the Wall Street Journal, he acknowledged the relationship, admitted the existence of the settlement agreement and said he wouldnt pay Bechard any more money because the confidentiality deal was breached.

To be clear, Mr. Broidy did not allege that Ms. Bechard had personally breached the contract, nor even that she had intended for a breach to happen, the suit says. Nor could he. Ms. Bechard had no incentive or desire to reveal any confidential information. And she has never done so.

Bechard claimed in the compliant that Davidson failed to disclose to her  or outright lied about  the deals unconscionable terms.

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

Twitter: @finneganLAT

UPDATES:

10:45 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Peter Stris spokesman.

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Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings  one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook

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U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook

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Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook

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He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect  despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook

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Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram  which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal  claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook

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It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook

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New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook

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Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause.  #Georgia  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook

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Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook

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Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook

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Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook

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Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution  something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush.



The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY  LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook

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Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook

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Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook

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Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook

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Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook

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James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump  as recently as Tuesday  continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along  that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right  to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook

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Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook

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Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops  You really are our heroes, he said  as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water  we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook

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Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook

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Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see.  James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook

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Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes  he last won reelection by a 14-point margin  suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook

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Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook

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Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January  eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook

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Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook

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Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook

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Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook

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Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election  again, in blowout fashion  but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook

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Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook

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Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes  which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook

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Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook

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Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook

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GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10.  Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook

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Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook

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Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook

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Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook

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Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook

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CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook

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Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks  Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank  when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while  including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook

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Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook

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ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook

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Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters...  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook

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Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press  President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook

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Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there  the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day  and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event  a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook

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Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children  the older ones are 5 and 2  about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals  her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican  she the race felt mA comment by President Trumps attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani has focused attention on a previously unknown and potentially significant event in the timeline being investigated by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

In a television interview Monday, Giuliani disclosed a meeting that took place June 7, 2016, involving seven senior Trump campaign officials  which he said included Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort, and Richard Gates, Manaforts top deputy.

The timing is significant because it came as Trump Jr., Kushner and Manafort prepared to meet with a Russian lawyer who, they had been told, had information that would incriminate Hillary Clinton. On the evening of June 7, Donald Trump told a crowd of campaign supporters that he would soon give a major speech, which he suggested would unveil Russia-related improprieties committed by both Hillary and Bill Clinton, the former president.

Two days later, however, when the meeting with the Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, took place at Trump Tower, she provided no incriminating information about the Clintons, according to subsequent statements by both Trump Jr. and Kushner. Donald Trump never gave the promised speech.

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To hear President Trump and his defenders tell it, he knew nothing during the 2016 campaign about the offer of Russian-provided dirt on Clinton. Trump insists he did not know about the Trump Tower meeting until it became public last year.

Trumps professed ignorance, a pillar of his denial of any collusion, has fueled persistent doubts among skeptics in Congress and lawyers tracking the case. Those doubts have increased amid recent media reports that Michael Cohen, Trumps long-time lawyer, was prepared to say that he was present when Trump learned of plans for the meeting.

Giulianis reference to the June 7 meeting was notably jumbled. The Times has separately confirmed the fact of the meeting and its participants with a person with knowledge of the matter who spoke on a condition of anonymity because of the pending investigation. That person, who was not at the meeting, cited other topics that were discussed. The Times could not verify whether the session with the Russians was talked about.

Trump, his son and the presidents lawyers have consistently sought to minimize the importance of the meeting with the Russians. Starting with the first disclosure of it by the New York Times in July 2017, Trump and his aides have issued statements that have proven false and mischaracterized the session. An initial statement from Donald Trump Jr., which his father took a major hand in drafting, sought to portray the meeting as focused on the issue of American couples trying to adopt children in Russia.

Against that background, any evidence that senior Trump campaign aides conferred in advance to prepare for the meeting with the Russian lawyer and her associates could provide further evidence for prosecutors who are examining whether the earlier statements were part of an effort to thwart their investigation and if the aides acted illegally in seeking derogatory information about Hillary Clinton from the Russians.

Harry Litman, a former federal prosecutor who teaches constitutional law at UCLA and UC San Diego, said that if the June 7 meeting or another session was used to prepare for hosting the Russians, it could provide evidence of a conspiracy to try to receive or solicit something of value from a foreign government in violation of federal election law.

Litman, who reviewed Giulianis statements, said a pre-meeting strikes me as significant, because it is strong evidence of a prior agreement for a criminal objective.

Giulianis remarks, on CNNs New Day, came in response to a question about how he could be sure if the president didnt know beforehand?

Nobody can be sure of anything, Giuliani said. Then, without further questioning, he talked about the previously undisclosed meeting.

Cohen now says that during the June 7 meeting, participants were talking about the strategy to pursue during the June 9 meeting with the Russians, Giuliani said.

Neither Cohen nor his attorney, Lanny J. Davis, has publicly said that. Davis declined to discuss Giulianis remarks.

Giuliani added that people who participated on June 7 have denied that they were talking about the strategy of the meeting with the Russians. The people in that meeting deny it. The people weve been able to interview, he said, without specifying how many participants that meant.

Asked to clarify his remark, Giuliani texted a reply on Wednesday in which he cited an unspecified leak of such a meeting. He repeated that there was no such meeting at which preparations were discussed for the June 9 session with the Russians. He declined to say which participants he or others working on the presidents behalf may have interviewed.

In a closed-door interview last September with the Senate Judiciary Committee, Donald Trump Jr. said that during the days before the June 9, 2016, meeting, he may have had a conversation about it with both Manafort and Kushner. Trump Jr. told the committee that he did not discuss the Russian meeting in advance with his father.

Phone records show that Trump Jr. placed calls to a blocked number when the June 9 meeting was arranged  and soon after it concluded. He told the Senate Judiciary Committee he did not recall who those calls were to  and said he did not know whether his father used any phone with a blocked number.

Lawyers for Trump Jr., Kushner, Gates and Manafort, who is now standing trial on bank fraud and tax-related charges, would not comment.

david.willman@latimes.comRepublican senators expected to hold key votes on President Trumps nomination to the Supreme Court are showing subtle signs of support for the effort to put Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the bench.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine said Tuesday that they were satisfied with the GOP plan to limit the scope of documents to be released regarding Kavanaughs record, despite Democrats call for a fuller review of the candidates work in Washington, particularly his years as staff secretary in the George W. Bush White House.

Murkowski and Collins indicated they were keeping an open mind on the nominee as they reviewed his record. They told the Washington Post recently that they werent getting the same level of pressure from constituents to vote against Kavanaugh as they did to vote no on the Republican-led effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act last year. Their no votes helped kill those repeal plans.

With Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) receiving cancer treatment at home, Republicans cant afford to lose a single vote of their 50-49 majority if Democrats stay united and vote against Kavanaugh.

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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who had initially expressed concerns about Kavanaugh, announced his support for the nominee after meeting with him Monday.

At the same time, cracks are showing in Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumers effort to keep Democrats united against Kavanaugh. Democratic leaders have been urging members to refrain from meeting with Kavanaugh until the documents dispute is addressed.

But vulnerable Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, who is facing reelection in November in a state Trump won, met with Kavanaugh on Monday. Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana is scheduled to meet with Kavanaugh in August. Both men voted to confirm Trumps first Supreme Court pick, Neil M. Gorsuch, and are under heavy pressure to support Kavanaugh.

Manchin has not said how he will vote, but after he met with Kavanaugh, the senators staff released photos of the two men smiling together in his office.

Kavanaugh has met with 40 of 100 senators, with six more meetings scheduled for Wednesday.

The one-on-one meetings are a traditional part of filling a court vacancy, but there is nothing stopping Republicans from moving the nomination forward if Democrats refuse to have them.

On Friday, Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley of Iowa asked the National Archives only for documents from Kavanaughs time in the White House counsels office, saying, I am not going to put the American taxpayers on the hook for the Senate Democrats fishing expedition.

Grassley said Tuesday he had been told that senators are already getting more documents for Kavanaugh than they have for the last five Supreme Court nominees combined, and that the staff secretary documents would take months to wade through.

We havent had a single Democrat say they are going to vote for him, and probably two-thirds of the Democrats say they are going to vote against him. How much more information do you need to know to vote no? Grassley said. What are they going to do with the information?

Schumer dismissed that explanation, saying that senators have a constitutional responsibility to conduct a thorough review and that Republicans havent raised concerns about the costs of providing documents about nominees in the past, including the 170,000 pages of documents from Justice Elena Kagans White House service.

Schumer also scoffed at the idea that Democrats were dragging their feet.

Were not intending to be dilatory, he said at a news conference Tuesday. The intent here is sunlight, not delay.

Democrats on the Judiciary Committee formally requested documents on Kavanaughs staff secretary years from the National Archives on Tuesday.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said that those years, 2003 to 2006, include major topics such as discussions of the CIA torture program that senators should know Kavanaughs position on.

There is real value in this information, Feinstein said. We want to be able to look and see what his knowledge is on key issues and also what he thinks.

The latest from Washington 

More stories from Sarah D. Wire 

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter

Read more about the 55 members of Californias congressional delegationThe Trump administration took another step Wednesday to loosen regulation of health insurance, issuing new regulations to expand the availability of short-term plans that dont offer a full set of benefits.

The controversial move  which threatens to further weaken a pillar of the Affordable Care Act  will allow consumers who buy skimpier short-term plans to keep the coverage for as long as three years, up from the current limit of three months.

The president and others in the administration bill the less comprehensive plans as a solution to escalating premiums facing some consumers who dont get health coverage through an employer or a government health program such as Medicare or Medicaid

These plans arent for everyone, but they can provide a much more affordable option for millions of the forgotten men and women left out by the current system, said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

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But scores of patient advocacy organizations, leading physician and hospital groups, health insurers and many state regulators have vigorously opposed the administrations move, warning that skimpier plans, while possibly less costly, may not provide consumers with the coverage they need if they get sick.

Expanding short-term plans also risks driving up costs for Americans with preexisting medical conditions who need more comprehensive benefits.

A central goal of the 2010 healthcare law, often called Obamacare, was to guarantee coverage to Americans even if they were sick, and end the longstanding practice by health insurers of charging higher premiums to consumers with preexisting conditions. An important tool in assuring equal treatment for all consumers was mandating that health plans cover a basic set of benefits, including prescription drugs, mental health services and maternity care.

Most patient advocates believe short-term plans undermine those key protections.

Short-term plans  will not offer sufficient healthcare coverage for those living with a lung disease such as asthma, lung cancer or COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], warned American Lung Assn. National President Harold P. Wimmer. This is a reckless course of action that will negatively impact the health of patients around the country.

The criticism was echoed by Americas Health Insurance Plans, the industrys Washington-based lobbying arm.

We remain concerned that consumers who rely on short-term plans for an extended time period will face high medical bills when they need care that isnt covered or exceed their coverage limits, said Matt Eyles, the groups president.

A Los Angeles Times analysis of official comments filed with federal agencies before the final regulation was issued found more than 98%  or 335 of 340  of the healthcare groups that commented on the proposal criticized it, in many cases warning that the rule could gravely hurt sick patients.

A second Trump administration proposal to make it easier for individuals and small businesses to band together to form so-called association health plans  which also dont have offer a full set of health benefits  was similarly panned. More than 95% of the 279 healthcare groups that filed comments about the proposed association health plan regulation expressed serious concern or opposed it.

Among the groups that have opposed the Trump administrations moves are virtually every leading patient advocacy organization in the country, including the American Lung Assn., the American Heart Assn., the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the March of Dimes, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Susan G. Komen, AARP and the advocacy arm of the American Cancer Society.

The Trump administration finalized the association health plan regulation last month.

Administration officials appeared to give a nod to critics concerns that the short-term plans could leave consumers without critical protections.

The new regulation requires plans to more clearly alert consumers to limits on the coverage they provide, and appears to give states authority to restrict their availability.

State insurance regulators in many states, including California, Washington, Nevada, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New Mexico, have expressed serious concerns about expanding short-term plans.

Several of these states, including California, are already suing the Trump administration to roll back the new association health plan rule.

Obamacare 101: A primer on key issues in the debate over repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. 

The latest from Washington 

More stories from Noam N. Levey 

noam.levey@latimes.com

@noamleveyEgypt has condemned two terrorist attacks that killed over two dozen people in Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Fifteen people were killed in Afghanistans eastern city of Jalalabad when gunmen stormed a government building after a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance gate. Eleven more were killed in the western province of Farah when their bus was hit by a roadside bomb.

Egypt's foreign ministry stressed that Cairo "is standing by Afghanistan's government and people in the face of such bloody terrorist attacks."

The ministry reiterated Cairo's call for serious steps by the international community to dry up terrorist groups' sources of funding and deprive them of training and safe havens.

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President Trump on Tuesday lashed out at the Koch brothers, saying their conservative political network had become a total joke in real Republican circles and was highly overrated  deepening the divide between the GOPs donor class and its increasingly populist base at a crucial time, three months before the midterm election.

The comments, which came in a series of morning tweets, were an almost inevitable response to statements by Charles Koch, the billionaire conservative, and his aides who revealed at their annual donor conference that they would not be supporting some Republican Senate candidates who are in line with Trumps tariff and immigration policies.

At the weekend summit, Brian Hooks, the co-chairman of the network of Koch-affiliated groups, bemoaned the tremendous lack of leadership in Washington and the deterioration of the core institutions of society.

Hooks and other top Koch operatives pointedly criticized the White House and GOP lawmakers allied with Trump, taking particular issue with their positions on trade policy and increased federal spending.

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Charles Koch, who now runs the familys political network after the retirement of his brother David, who is ill, was somewhat more restrained, acknowledging that political polarization affected Washington and the country long before Trump entered the fray.

Weve had divisiveness long before Trump became president and well have it long after hes no longer president, he told reporters Sunday. Im into hating the sin, not the sinner.

Trump fired back in his tweets.

The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade, he wrote. I never sought their support because I dont need their money or bad ideas.

Trump added that the Kochs love some of his policies, including tax cuts and conservative picks for federal courts. Indeed, the industrialists did mobilize their political arm behind the GOPs tax reform package last year, spending around $20 million to support it.

Although they have benefited from the administrations tax cuts and deregulation efforts, the Kochs oppose Trumps immigration and trade policies, especially tariffs.

The brothers, Trump said, are now driven by a desire to protect their companies outside the U.S. from being taxed.

Im for America First & the American Worker  a puppet for no one, Trump said. Two nice guys with bad ideas. Make America Great Again!

With his tweets Tuesday, Trump escalated a feud that has its roots in the 2016 GOP primaries, when Charles and David Koch backed other candidates. During the general election campaign, Charles Koch told Fortune magazine that choosing between Trump and Hillary Clinton was akin to deciding between cancer or a heart attack.

Even after Trump won, the Kochs and their network of affiliated groups retained influence in the White House, especially on tax and environmental policy.

Marc Short, who recently left as White House director of legislative affairs, had previously led Freedom Partners, a Koch-backed group. Short also worked as an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, who has met privately with the Kochs since becoming vice president and gave the keynote address at an event for conservative activists they held last year in Virginia.

Trump allies in Washington, a half dozen of whom spoke Tuesday on the condition on anonymity, concurred with the presidents assessment that the Kochs are mainly looking out to protect their own business interests.

Uncertainty always upsets the business community, and thats where the Kochs come from, said a former administration official who asked not to be named to avoid alienating either side.

Republicans still expect Koch to spend the vast majority of his money on helping Republicans. But the personal rift with Trump is not likely to be repaired.

If youre running the country, youre not really interested in a couple of billionaires -- whether its the Steyers on the left or Kochs on the right -- telling you, We dont really think you know what youre doing, said the former administration official.

Trump currently has the political upper hand over the Kochs, with Republican candidates far more reliant on the presidents backing than the industrialists largesse in all but a handful of toss-up districts and states.

One example of his ascendancy in the party came later Tuesday, as the president rallied support in Tampa, Fla., for Rep. Ron DeSantis, a conservative upstart seeking the Republican nomination for governor who has pulled ahead of a more experienced and establishment-backed rival largely because of strong support from Trump.

Everyone needs to support Ron DeSantis, Trump said, framing Democrats campaigning in the state as running on open borders.

He mused at one point about the power of his endorsement. I dont do them easily, he said. But they do seem to have an impact.

But if the Kochs refusal to help Trump-styled GOP candidates ends up costing Republicans seats and possibly the partys majorities in November, the repercussions could be long-lasting.

The interesting question is the extent to which the business community is going to start to be more actively opposed to Trump policies and this move by Charles Koch and his network could be a triggering mechanism, said Fred Wertheimer, president of a left-leaning nonprofit group called Democracy 21, which has focused on Trumps ethics and the role of big money in politics.

Theyre kind of like the tip of the spear here because what theyre voicing is opposition to Trumps elimination of core Republican principles, he said.

Charles Koch and his network have the personal fortunes to push back against Trump, especially on trade and immigration, in a way that Republican lawmakers have so far been unwilling to do, Wertheimer said. While other business interests have pushed back against Trumps trade policies, they have not done so as aggressively as Koch, he added.

Rick Tyler, a GOP communications consultant, viewed the growing rift as emblematic of Trumps disruption of the GOP, which, he noted, used to be the free-market party.

Now, he said, our leaders are silent as were getting into a trade war with China.

At the weekend gathering of the Koch network in Colorado Springs, Colo., officials outlined a $400-million spending plan for the 2018 cycle that will focus on policy issues and political campaigns. But they were also intent on sending another message to Republican office holders and candidates not to take the groups support for granted.

Tim Phillips, the president of Americans for Prosperity, one of the Koch groups, singled out Kevin Cramer, the GOPs North Dakota Senate candidate.

Standing in front of a massive projection of a picture of Cramer, he told donors that the candidate, whom Trump rallied support for in North Dakota last month, is inconsistent on issues that include spending and free trade.

Although the Kochs announced heavy spending aimed at helping Republicans hold the Senate, their network is currently working in only four Senate races and has yet to involve itself in other key races in Indiana and Nevada.

The Kochs, however, are also backing some key administration priorities, including the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh.

Whether they like Trump or not, its in their self-interest to keep the Senate in Republican hands, said one GOP lobbyist in Washington, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid angering either side.

So if theyre not spending to help certain Republican candidates, its probably because theyve calculated Republicans can hold the Senate without them.

UPDATES:

5:55 p.m.: The article was updated with quotes from Trumps rally.

3:40 p.m.: The article was updated with Trumps departure for a rally in Florida.

12:20 p.m.: The article was updated with staff reporting and additional reaction and analysis.

The article was originally published at 5:35 a.m.The activists behind the Calexit proposal to split off California are scrapping their old plans in favor of a new secessionist proposal, one that would create what organizers call an autonomous native nation within a new independent state.

The California secretary of state cleared the group Yes California in April to begin collecting signatures from voters to place on the 2021 ballot the question of whether California should secede from the United States.

But with the groups Oct. 17 deadline to deliver signatures from 365,880 registered voters fast approaching, organizers are moving away from that effort and redirecting resources to the new proposal, said Marcus Ruiz Evans, president of Yes California.

Updates on California politics 

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The new plan would combine secession with the creation of the autonomous native nation within that newly independent state of California, Evans said.

He said previous Calexit proposals have been criticized for not doing enough for Native Americans. The new proposal seeks to address that by handing off a large swath of a theoretical new California, he said. An illustration provided by Yes California shows the state bisected from Oregon to the U.S.-Mexico border, with the new California comprising western, coastal areas and the autonomous native nation containing inland regions.

Tomorrow we are releasing the details of the new #Calexit plan which establishes an autonomous Native American nation (not a reservation) - the first of its kind in North America - created through the retrocession of (most) federal properties in California to Native Americans. pic.twitter.com/0iFzosNSPL  #Calexit (@YesCalifornia) July 31, 2018

According to the U.S. census, California is home to the largest Native American population in the country, and there are more than 100 federally recognized tribes in the state. Evans said the group has not officially communicated with representatives from tribal nations in California, but it plans to start soon.

Calls and emails to the Inter-Tribal Council of California and the Governors Office of the Tribal Advisor were not immediately returned Tuesday.

What we want to do is have this start a dialogue with Native people. Then we are going to be quiet and listen, he said. This is just part one. A whole lot has to be done. We need to do our homework.

Evans said the current boundaries for the autonomous native nation are based roughly on the location of federal land in the eastern half of the state. However, federally recognized tribes also live in the new California.

Evans said the group has to finalize its plans before beginning the process of gathering signatures to qualify the new proposal for the ballot.

The proposed new nations relationship with an independent California would be similar to relations between Greenland and Denmark, he said. The island country was granted self-government by the Danish parliament in 1979 and has since moved toward increased self-governance.

In our new #Calexit plan, we retrocede federal land back to Native Americans. Here's a map of federal lands in California. We return virtually all of it Native Americans to establish the first ever Native American nation in North America. pic.twitter.com/CI2wdNoh7i  #Calexit (@YesCalifornia) July 31, 2018

There have been more than 200 efforts to cut up California since 1849  and all have failed.

Evans said the Calexit signature gathering effort with the looming October deadline is going slow. The secretary of states office has not received the legally required notice from organizers that they have gathered 25% of the signatures needed for the proposed measure.

The California Supreme Court decided unanimously last month to remove from the November ballot a separate measure aimed at dividing California into three states that was backed by Silicon Valley billionaire Tim Draper.

The idea of secession isnt terribly popular with voters, according to two polls released in January 2017. About 32% of voters contacted in a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll supported peaceful withdrawal from the union. A Stanford University poll in 2017 found that only about 27% of the surveys respondents backed California secession.

Evans said the public may be getting tired or confused by repeated efforts to secede or split up California. His group has tried and failed in recent years to put the question before voters.

But he said the effort could become more popular among the states liberal majority  especially if Democrats fail to win control of the House of Representatives in the fall or if President Trump is reelected in 2020.

Ive seen Americans double down on stupid in my lifetime, and they are fully capable of doing it again, he said. We think Calexit is going to be bigger than ever.

javier.panzar@latimes.com

Twitter: jpanzarBurbank Water and Power will be host two town-hall forms over the next few days to hear from residents about the future of the citys energy sources.

The first meeting will be held from 10 a.m to noon on Saturday at the Buena Vista Branch Library, 300 N. Buena Vista St., said Joe Flores, marketing manager for the utility.

Those unable to attend the weekend event will have another opportunity from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, also at the Buena Vista Branch Library.

Flores said utility officials will be talking to residents about the long-term goals of the citys energy needs and the energy sources on which the city should be focusing.

We are in the process of continuously planning how were going to provide energy to the community, he said. Its really important to us what their wants, needs and desires are as we move forward in planning our energys future.

Lincoln Bleveans, assistant general manager of power supply for Burbank Water and Power, said it is important to hear from residents, who are both owners and customers of the utility.

He said he expects to hear a lot of feedback from residents during both forums, which Bleveans said will help him and his colleagues determine which avenues to consider.

Whether youre looking at a year or 20 years, the world is changing very quickly, and we want to make the best decisions we can when we need to for the city, Bleveans said. This public outreach process is really a parcel of determining and plotting Burbanks energy future.

Burbank currently has investments in numerous portfolios, receiving energy from wind and hydroelectric projects in the Pacific Northwest, solar energy in Burbank and Nevada and coal plants in Utah.

Bleveans said Burbank Water and Power is already looking to move toward renewable sources of energy, such as natural gas plants, biomethane projects, geothermal facilities and more wind and solar facilities.

On the other hand, he said the city-owned utility plans to move away from carbon-emitting sources, such as coal-powered facilities.

He said that, although these renewable sources are better for the environment, they are more difficult to predict in terms of reliability and power output.

We are very agnostic, Bleveans said. We look at our needs from an organic basis, so we look at whats best for Burbank and then we go out and find it, as opposed to the opposite. Its need-based planning and need-based procurement.

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpioDespite the staunch opposition of Costa Mesa community and police leaders, the California Department of Public Health has approved a nonprofits proposal to operate a mobile needle-exchange service in the citys Westside, as well as in three other Orange County cities.

Supporters say the program is intended to provide clean needles to help prevent the spread of diseases among intravenous drug users.

This weeks decision drew swift condemnation from Costa Mesa Mayor Sandy Genis, who said she was appalled that state officials would approve this needle-exchange program in our community.

We are going to quickly examine our options and will continue to oppose this irresponsible program, she said in a statement Tuesday night.

Ahead of the decision, Costa Mesa police officials and City Council members sent letters and made public statements outlining their concerns that the program could attract drug users to the community and potentially undermine the recovery of residents in local sober-living homes.

As approved by the state, the Orange County Needle Exchange Program will be able to distribute needles and other supplies on West 17th Street between Whittier Avenue and the city boundary from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays for two years starting next week.

The program also will operate in Anaheim, Orange and Santa Ana.

Our harm-reduction approach is a key, research-driven way to save lives and quell the spread of infectious disease, Dallas Augustine, a member of the programs board of directors, said in a statement Wednesday. We look forward to working closely with elected officials, law enforcement and communities throughout Orange County to improve public safety and promote public health for all of our residents.

In a letter to the affected cities, Department of Public Health Director Karen Smith wrote that the application met state guidelines and the department determined there is a public health need for these services due to the significant risk for transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C among people who inject drugs in Orange County.

The department identified Orange County as among the California counties most vulnerable to rapid spread of injection drug-use-related  infections, Smith wrote.

However, the city of Costa Mesa said in a news release that it will be in contact with officials in Santa Ana, Anaheim and Orange, and the City Council will explore all potential options to protect Costa Mesa and its residents, business owners and visitors.

The needle-exchange program  previously the only one of its kind in Orange County  used to operate out of the Santa Ana Civic Center, but that city scrapped the program in January, citing an increase in the number of discarded syringes in the area.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors also expressed opposition to the programs proposal, as did leaders in Newport Beach.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Andrew Do announced Wednesday afternoon that the board would hold an emergency meeting at 8:30 a.m. Friday in Santa Ana to discuss possible litigation aimed at halting the program.

As part of the states approval, the needle exchange agreed to work with the Orange County Health Care Agency to increase options for sharps disposal, provide additional syringe collection services and operate a hotline for reports of improperly discarded syringes and other concerns.

State officials also narrowed when and where the program can operate. Originally, the group proposed operating in Costa Mesa from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in the area between West 16th and West 18th streets, from Monrovia Avenue west to the outer border of the Armstrong Petroleum building.

Genis said, however, that the applicants for this program made no public outreach efforts in Costa Mesa, and their poor application demonstrates they dont care about our city. Further, they have a terrible record when it comes to collecting the needles that are passed out at a rate of 20 needles or more for every one collected.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter @LukeMMoney

UPDATES:

5:30 p.m.: This article was updated with the announcement of the Board of Supervisors emergency meeting.

2:15 p.m.: This article was updated with the statement from Dallas Augustine.

This article was originally published at 11:25 a.m.An Orange County judge ruled Tuesday that there is enough evidence to hold a 28-year-old woman for trial on charges of murder and driving under the influence in connection with a crash in March that killed three Las Vegas teenagers in Huntington Beach.

Superior Court Judge Derek Johnson said during a preliminary hearing that he was particularly struck by statements from witnesses that Bani Duarte declined a ride from another driver before the fatal crash. She did that, he said, despite later telling officers that she had lots of problems with her vehicle.

I think these facts are terribly aggravated and contain malice, Johnson said.

Friends and family members of the three people killed in the crash  A.J. Rossi, 17, Brooke Hawley, 17, and Dylan Mack, 18  applauded after Johnson delivered his ruling. A group of women huddled on a bench outside the Westminster courtroom and wept.

Duarte, of San Clemente, faces three counts of murder and one count of driving under the influence causing injury, as well as a possible sentencing enhancement on allegations of inflicting great bodily injury. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to Superior Court records.

Debra White, Duartes defense attorney, argued during the hearing that the murder charges should be dismissed. She contended that prosecutors dont have enough evidence to prove Duarte knew the risks of driving under the influence and had a conscious disregard for human life.

Miss Duarte did not harbor malice and she was not subjectively aware of the risks of her actions, White said. In the past, [she] was able to drink and drive and was stopped by an officer and it was fine. Nothing ever happened.

Duarte was arrested in 2016 on suspicion of DUI, but because of a processing error the case never got to prosecutors, according to Orange County Sheriffs Department officials.

White said three men in a car were following Duarte at the time of the crash.

She was driving like she was trying to get away from someone, White said.

The men had called 911 to report Duarte as a possible drunk driver, authorities said.

Matthew Nixt, who works for the Orange County Crime Lab, testified Tuesday that Duartes blood, which was drawn more than an hour after the crash, had an alcohol content of 0.28%, more than three times the legal limit. Nixt estimated that someone with that blood-alcohol level would have nine or 10 drinks in his or her system.

Huntington Beach police said in a document attached to an arrest warrant that officers found a partially empty 1-ounce bottle of vodka in Duartes purse and that her Hyundai Sonata contained an empty 24-ounce can of a malt beverage that its manufacturer says has 8% alcohol content.

Duarte, a single mother of four children, told officers she had gone out for sushi with a friend and then stopped at Stag Bar + Kitchen and Baja Sharkeez on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, where she had a total of two vodka sodas and one gelatin shot, according to law enforcement reports.

Duartes Hyundai crashed into a Toyota containing the teenagers shortly after 1 a.m. March 29 at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Magnolia Street in Huntington Beach. The Hyundai was traveling 79 mph when it slammed into the back of the Toyota, which was stopped at a red light, authorities said.

The impact pushed the Toyota through the intersection and into a pole, and it burst into flames. Three of the four teenagers inside, who were visiting Southern California from Las Vegas for spring break, were killed.

The fourth teen, Alexis Vargas, survived the crash and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Duarte is in Orange County Jail with bail set at $4 million. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 9.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCNI recollect only once attending chapel services during my three years of active duty in the U.S. Army.

One time.

I didnt need it. That was my excuse.

God and I were on relatively good terms, or so I thought. After basic training, however, this G.I. got cocky. Prideful, even. I didnt need a crutch.

I raised my right hand on Feb. 14, 1964 at the Los Angeles Induction Center. As we walked from the building to buses that would take us to Union Station, several elderly gentlemen from Gideons International handed out pocketsize New Testaments, free of charge.

Aware that Id reached a seminal moment in my life, I wisely accepted one. More than 100 of us boarded an overnight train for Salinas and a short bus trip to Fort Ord in Monterey County.

I read a few passages nightly  in King James English  before lights out. I was homesick most of my two-and-half months of basic training, and drew sustenance from the Good Book.

Easter fell on March 29 that year, and I was officially beginning my fifth week of training. Because it was Easter, we had the day off but were restricted to the company area. No passes.

More than 200 out of my company of 300 elected to attend a Protestant or Catholic worship service on Easter morning. We knew that guys left in the barracks would likely be conscripted for cleanup details.

We marched three miles from the training area to the chapel. The only memory I have of that service is sitting rigidly at attention in a pew, engulfed in Army Green. We numbered in the hundreds.

I dont recall a word of that Easter message, save one: Resurrection.

But I could barely define the term at that stage of my life. It clattered around my brain like sleet on a Korean Quonset hut.

That was the first  and last  church service of my Army career.

Approximately one year later I was a corporal stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. That was years before the advent of social media, and I called home  collect  every other Saturday night.

I decided to forgo protocol one Tuesday night and called home anyway. My dad answered. Dad never answered the phone.

Hey, whats up wheres Mom? I queried.

Well, came dads somber reply, shes at Hoag Hospital. Shes having surgery tomorrow.

What? I was stunned. And you didnt tell me?

Your mom didnt want you to worry. We were going to tell you Saturday after it was over and she was home.

What kind of surgery? I yelped.

Dr. Barnett found a lump in her breast.

Moments later I put the receiver down and hustled four blocks to the post chapel. It was 10 p.m. Eastern time and the door was shut, but I pushed it open.

I entered the sanctuary for the first time. On a post of 40,000 soldiers, it was dark and completely empty. It would just be God and me.

I knelt at the altar and prayed earnestly for mom for more than 30 minutes.

I felt self-conscious and scared. Mom was just 41. Too young, I thought, for breast cancer. I made promises to God that night that I didnt keep. But I was desperate, and the best time to pray is when youre desperate.

Mom came through the surgery with no sign of cancer, and I was deeply relieved.

Two months later, Uncle Sam shipped me across the Pacific to South Korea. I was stationed there for 18 months and never darkened the doorway of a church.

Promises forgotten.

But thats not entirely true. I entered a chapel once to attend a lecture by renowned author Pearl S. Buck. Miss Buck delivered a delightful lecture but that wasnt what I required. I desperately sought  without realizing it  an awakening of my soul.

But it would be a dozen years before Id get around to getting serious with God. Had I taken time to reflect earlier maybe Id have come to faith earlier  and saved myself a truckload pain.

But thats water under the bridge.

JIM CARNETT, who lives in Costa Mesa, worked for Orange Coast College for 37 years.Numbers from the musical The Lion King will be performed in Glendale this Friday, featuring some of the citys youngest residents.

YWCA Glendales summer camp for youth called Camp Y encourages children to explore the arts and expand their knowledge of skills such as singing, dancing and acting.

Camp Y participants performed selections from musicals every other Friday while attending the eight-week summer camp, and its last presentation will be Friday, with the The Lion King performance. About 20 children, ages 5 to 11, participated in this years camp.

YWCA Glendale partnered with the dance and theater program of Glendale Arts to expand the services and instructors available for the young participants.

Camp Y reaches out to children from low-income families and children who have been exposed to domestic violence, so they can have a space to explore their interests.

A lot of kids who experience trauma have a hard time expressing themselves. With a positive outlet, they can express themselves and build confidence through art, said Tara Peterson, executive director of YWCA Glendale.

The camps sponsors  Glendale Arts, Las Candelas, Kiwanis Club of Glendale, National Charity League Glendale Chapter, Assistance League Glendale, and Girls on the Run Los Angeles  each sent members to be counselors and instructors for the campers.

Through the arts, Camp Y aims to teach children about communication, both through their words and through art, to help them later as adults.

These are kids who would not have any opportunity do music and dance because those classes are really expensive, Peterson said. Bringing trained artists to work with kids who wouldnt have had an exposure to it before.

Camp Ys presentation of numbers from The Lion King will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the YWCA of Glendale, located at 735 E. Lexington Drive.

michael.livingston@latimes.com

@MLivingston06Since a young age, Leanorine Lorenzana, an incoming senior at Holy Family High School, knew she wanted a life involved with engineering, science and technology.

The 17-year-old enjoyed a taste of such a future recently, having completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys prestigious womens technology summer series in Cambridge, Mass.

The rigorous four-week study session began June 23 and ended July 21.

Lorenzana was one of 60 students selected from a pool of more than 600 and one of 40 candidates to take part in a curriculum that included electrical engineering, computer science and mathematics.

I thought it was going to be very hard when I applied, and I was nervous, Lorenzana said. Just going to MIT and the level of education that theyre set at is very complicated and very high. So, when I went in, I thought, Im not going to know anything compared to the other girls.

Lorenzana added, It was actually an amazing program the way they focused it. It was a crash course on certain things. Everyone was in the same boat, but we had residential tutors and office hours.

Lorenzana is no stranger to engineering.

Everyone is nerdy and everyone is talking about different things all the time. It was pretty fun and Id love to be a part of it. Holy Family High School incoming senior Leanorine Lorenzana

She wrote the winning essay for the 2018 City of Los Angeles Women in Engineering Day Contest, in which she suggested plans on how to handle high volumes of tourism during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The Eagle Rock native claims to have learned to use a computer by the age of 3, admires her uncle Michael Wong, a computer programmer, and was encouraged to apply for the summer program by her aunt Raichelle Aniceto, an MIT doctoral candidate in space systems engineering.

It was like Christmas when I found out about the program, Lorenzana said. Ive always had an interest in engineering, especially computer science and [Aniceto has] known that, so she referred me to the program.

Lorenzana filled out the paperwork by the Jan. 15 due date and was informed April 27 that she was on a waiting list.

Just to be on the wait list, knowing that I wasnt denied automatically, that was the positive, she said. On the other hand, I was kind of bummed about it. I just had to wait.

There was little downtime, though, because the following Monday Lorenzana received an email stating that she had been accepted.

I dont think weve even had anyone ever apply for this, said Robert Bringas Jr., Holy Familys assistant head of the School for Advancement. She took a chance and applied for it, so Im pretty excited. I think it speaks volumes for our science program and [Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math] Academy, and the things were trying to do at this school.

Holy Family High School incoming senior Lea Lorenzana was one of 60 students nationally to recently complete the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys prestigious Womens Technology Program summer series located in Cambridge, Mass. (Raul Roa/Staff Photographer)

The MIT summer program is certainly not a camp.

Lorenzana took part in one-hour-and-45-minute classes taught by MIT graduate students in her three fields and was expected to turn in a final project for each subject.

She created a heart monitor in her electrical engineering lab, while her final project was to program and build a mini childs piano.

In mathematics, Lorenzana and a partner wrote a report explaining cryptocurrency and, in computer science, not only did she learn to program games such as Hangman and Tetris, but her final project was to create a rotor-based engine that hit 3,400 revolutions per minute.

The summer courses proved to be eye-opening.

We went over all these things that you know about, but never really go in-depth about, Lorenzana said. And it was funny, because we would go to the movies, and wed be like, Oh, thats one of the things we learned in class. Its just shown in real life.

Lorenzana, who plans to apply to MIT, hopes the visit was a prelude for more things to come.

Over there, its a culture where anything nerdy wasnt seen with a negative connotation, she said. Everyone is nerdy, and everyone is talking about different things all the time. It was pretty fun, and Id love to be a part of it.

andrew.campa@latimes.com

Twitter @campadresportsLast month, the Glendale Police Department received approval from the City Council to host its first-ever gun-buyback event, aimed at curbing gun violence in the city.

In addition to trying to reduce criminal activity, officers hope to prevent the use of unwanted and unused guns in accidental shootings. Theyre hoping the event will entice gun owners to dispose of firearms they dont want or use anymore.

The main benefit is removing unwanted firearms from the community, including those that could potentially fall into the wrong hands, Glendale Police Lt. Danny Carver said.

Carver said residents can anonymously hand over their firearms, which will be destroyed by officers. In exchange, gift cards will be distributed to participants.

During his presentation to council, Carver said other cities comparable to Glendale have destroyed between 180 and 200 guns per event.

Its an easy solution for those who have handguns and rifles but dont want them anymore and dont know how to dispose of those firearms, Carver said.

Before the guns are destroyed, officers check their serial numbers to determine if a weapon has been stolen. If it was stolen, officers will try and contact the previous owner to see if he or she wants the gun back.

Otherwise, all guns turned in will be destroyed.

Unwanted firearms are not a good thing. A firearm is a tool. If you have no use for the tool, why do you want it? said Glendale Police Sgt. Dan Suttles.

Carver said the programs biggest drawback is that weapons used in criminal activity could be destroyed in the process.

Mayor Zareh Sinanyan said he asked for this item to be added to the meetings agenda.

To be honest, Im having difficulty remembering which terrible gun-violence incident prompted it, Sinanyan said. We are constantly experiencing these.

Sinanyan mentioned the July 21 standoff between Los Angeles police officers and a gunman at a Trader Joes in Silver Lake. The gunman engaged in a deadly gun battle with police, with a woman killed during the standoff dying from an officers bullet.

This brings forth, once again, the importance of eliminating as many of these firearms from the streets as possible, Sinanyan said.

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons, Suttles said. If youre a gun owner, you should be responsible. If you dont want it, there should be a way to get rid of it.

A date and time for the event will be determined later this year.

michael.livingston@latimes.com

@MLivingston06Even though the Ferguson fire isnt burning inside Yosemite National Park, its keeping popular parts of the park shut through Sunday. Unhealthful air and ongoing firefighting operations have closed Yosemite Valley, the Wawona area, two groves of giant sequoia trees, and Hetch Hetchy, an announcement said Tuesday.

The east-west route in the park  Big Oak Flat Road, or California 120 West, to Crane Flat and Tioga Road, or California 120 East  remains open. Visitors are warned to beware of smoky conditions while driving.

Park officials earlier said travelers with reservations for lodgings in closed areas  including Yosemite Lodge and the Majestic Yosemite Hotel  will be notified and either rebooked or given a refund. Recreation.gov was giving refunds to campers with reservations at affected campgrounds.

This handout satellite picture taken July 28 shows smoke rising from the Ferguson fire in California. (Planet Labs Inc. / AFP/Getty Images)

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Travelers planning on visiting the park this week may want to enter at Tioga Pass on the eastern side. Campgrounds and hiking trails along Tioga Road and at Tuolumne Meadows remain open. The High Sierra Camps and other back country destinations also are open.

The park closed the Valley and other areas on July 25, forcing visitors to leave quickly. Areas were expecting to reopen this coming Friday, but those plans were pushed back Tuesday because of bad air quality and the need to support firefighters at areas inside the park, the announcement said.

Fire crews are stationed at Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park in Ahwahnee, Calif., and, inside the park at Badger Pass and Drew Meadow. The fire has grown to more than 57,000 acres and is 33% contained.

The fire started July 13 in Sierra National Forest on the southwest border with Yosemite. It has grown to 57,000 acres and is 33% contained. It has claimed the lives of two firefighters.

Park officials are working with firefighting agencies to assess conditions each day.

For updated information on park closures, contact Yosemite National Park and the InciWeb entry for the Ferguson fire.

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravelEgypt has been in contact with Italian authorities to reveal the circumstances surrounding the clinical death of an Egyptian inmate at a prison in the central Italian city of Viterbo, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Hassan Mekheimar was sent to a local hospital in critical condition last week after he attempted to commit suicide while in solitary confinement, the ministry quoted the prison administration as saying.

The ministry did not mention why the Egyptian national was being detained.

The prison notified the Egyptian embassy about the incident on 24 July and requested that Mekheimar's mother be informed and invited her to visit him at the hospital.

However, on Monday, Mekheimar clinically died "as a result of complications resulting from the suicide attempt," according to Italian prison authorities.

Prison and hospital officials told an Egyptian embassy delegation that Mekheimar was sent to the hospital completely unconscious on 23 July after he attempted to commit suicide by hanging.

The Egyptian embassy has officially requested that the prison conduct a probe into the incident and asked for medical reports from the hospital.

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President Trump tweeted about Mexicos soaring violence this week, saying the United States must beef up its border security in response.

For the record: An earlier version of this report referred to the Drug Enforcement Administration as the Drug Enforcement Agency.

One of the reasons we need Great Border Security is that Mexicos murder rate in 2017 increased by 27% to 31,174 people killed, a record! The Democrats want Open Borders. I want Maximum Border Security and respect for ICE and our great Law Enforcement Professionals! @FoxNews  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018

He was referencing new data that show there were a record 31,174 homicides in Mexico last year  a 27% increase over the year before.

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American law enforcement officials say there is no evidence that Mexicos violence is affecting safety north of the border. A 2017 Drug Enforcement Administration report found that while drug-related murders have reached epidemic proportions in Mexico in recent years, this phenomenon has not translated into spillover violence in the United States. According to federal crime statistics, border communities such as San Diego and El Paso are among the safest cities in America.

Still, Mexicos rate of 25 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants is higher than at any point in Mexicos modern history. Although that is lower than the rate in El Salvador, which saw 60 homicides per 100,000 people last year, it far surpasses the rate in the United States, where nationwide there are five homicides per 100,000 people.

While the country has made meaningful reforms to its criminal justice system over the last decade, badly trained police and chronic government corruption contribute to widespread impunity by criminals. Roughly 4 out of 5 homicide cases in Mexico go unsolved.

Although factors within Mexico fuel much of the violence, the U.S. is helping drive Mexicos rising homicide rates as well.

A worker spackles the walls after a deadly shootout in Los Cabos, Mexico, in 2017. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

American guns

There is only one place to legally buy guns in all of Mexico  a heavily guarded store on a Mexico City military base.

It takes months to apply for a gun permit, and buyers are limited to acquiring only one handgun each.

How is it then that Mexico, which has some of the worlds strictest gun laws, also has the worlds highest rates of gun-related deaths? The answer lies north of the border.

An average of 253,000 guns purchased in the United States are smuggled into Mexico each year, according to a study by University of San Diegos Trans-Border Institute and the Brazil-based Igarape Institute.

Those guns, which are often purchased legally in the U.S., are directly driving Mexicos violence. About 70% of guns recovered by Mexican law enforcement officials from 2011 to 2016 were originally purchased from legal gun dealers in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The body of a homicide victim in Los Cabos, Mexico, in 2017. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

American appetites

Another driver of unrest in Mexico is the growing appetite for opiates in the United States. Increased production of poppies and the synthetic drug fentanyl have triggered turf wars in states such as Michoacan and Guerrero, experts say.

While past U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush and Barack Obama, acknowledged the role that U.S. demand for drugs plays in Mexicos violence, President Trump has complained that Mexico sends drugs across the border.

His administration has taken a generally punitive approach to reduce drug use, increasing penalties for users and dealers while repealing provisions of the Affordable Care Act that allowed addicts access to medical treatment for addiction.

The U.S. approach to drug farming in Mexico has also been punitive, with the U.S. helping fund eradication efforts around the country. But those have been largely unsuccessful because drug growers tend to live in impoverished rural areas where access to other kinds of work is limited. Result: Even if marijuana or poppy crops are destroyed, farmers replant when they can.

A Mexican federal police officer at the scene of a homicide in Los Cabos, Mexico, in 2017. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

American strategy

For more than a decade, the U.S. has been intricately involved in Mexicos fight against drug traffickers.

Under the Merida Initiative, a bilateral partnership forged in 2007, the U.S. spends about $100 million each year to help train police, spur improvements of prisons and jails and fund other programs.

U.S. law enforcement officials have also been involved in shaping Mexicos kingpin strategy, which targets the powerful leaders of drug cartels. One by one, often with the help of U.S. intelligence, Mexico has helped take down leaders such as Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the notorious leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel.

But many believe that strategy has had the unintended effect of spurring more violence.

Taking out the leaders of power groups only makes things worse because it constantly generates leadership succession struggles and encourages new turf wars, academic Vanda Felbab-Brown wrote in a recent report for the Brookings Institution think tank.

Guzmans arrest and extradition to the U.S. sent his cartel into chaos, with bloody battles for control playing out in states across Mexico. It also created an opening for a new ascendant drug gang: the brutal Jalisco New Generation cartel.

kate.linthicum@latimes.com

Twitter: @katelinthicumThieves in Sweden walked into a small towns medieval cathedral in broad daylight and made off with priceless crown jewels dating to the early 1600s before escaping by speedboat, police said Wednesday.

Two men vanished after the heist into a vast patchwork of lakes around Strangnas, 37 miles west of the capital, Stockholm, around noon Tuesday, police said.

The thieves snatched two gold crowns and an orb made for King Karl IX and Queen Kristina in the daring robbery. One of the crowns is encrusted with precious stones. The stolen items were on display at an exhibition in the cathedral, and visitors were inside at the time.

The alarm went off when the burglars smashed the security glass and stole the artifacts, Catharina Frojd, a spokeswoman for the 14th century Strangnas Cathedral, told the Associated Press.

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The church wrote on its website that the stolen items were kept in accordance with the prevailing safety regulations in locked and alarmed displays in the cathedral. It gave no further details.

Police sent out a helicopter and boat to hunt for the thieves but found nothing. Authorities said nobody was hurt in the robbery, but didnt provide further details.

Tom Rowell, a visitor who was eating lunch outside, said he saw two men running from the cathedral toward a small nearby jetty where a motorboat was moored.

The two men hurriedly jumped on board and it sped off, Rowell said, adding that they appeared non-Nordic. He didnt explain further.

The men appeared to have escaped using two womens bicycles  which they likely stole ahead of the heist  to race to a waiting boat, said police spokesman Stefan Dangardt.

Swedens royal jewels dated from the 17th century have been stolen in the Strangnas Cathedral, west of Stockholm. (Pontus Stenberg / AFP/Getty Images)

While the items are of great historic and cultural value, police expressed doubt whether the burglary would bring the perpetrators financial gain.

The stolen items are impossible to sell because of their uniqueness and high visibility, Maria Ellior of the Swedish polices National Operations Department told Swedish news agency TT.

The theft would be logged at Interpol, enabling an international search, TT said.

Strangnas is a small, quiet town with a population of about 13,000. It is popular with Stockholm commuters and with tourists, who come to see the cathedral and a street that has been called the prettiest in Sweden.

The Gothic-style cathedral, built between 1291 and 1340, is in the heart of the town. The cathedrals red-brick tower with a black top can be seen from miles around.

The cathedral was closed Wednesday, and a grassy area by the jetty was cordoned off as police inspected the ground for clues. Police also questioned witnesses who were inside the church at the time of the theft and people outside who saw the suspects get away.

Rowell, the eyewitness, is getting married at the cathedral next weekend. Its despicable that people would steal from a holy building, he said.When the custodians at the Vaticans Secret Archives proudly claim The history of the whole world is here, they are not kidding.

The archives heavily laden shelves stretch 53 miles down dimly lighted corridors and are packed with papal correspondence dating to the 8th century and penned by the likes of Mary Queen of Scots and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The only problem: There is so much of it. More than 1,000 scholars are let in annually to scour the shelves, but much has yet to be read, let alone inventoried, digitized or translated.

Which is why one IT professor in Rome decided it was time to let algorithms loose in the hallowed halls of the Vatican, using artificial intelligence software taught to read medieval Latin.

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When I first mentioned my ideas to train a computer to be able to read the 1,000-year-old handwriting of Vatican scribes, I was told it was impossible, but that just spurred me on, said Paolo Merialdo, a soft-spoken academic at Roma Tre University.

The chance of finding new insights into history was too hard to resist. After all, it was on those shelves in 1920 that archivists stumbled upon a letter, with 81 wax seals attached, sent by British nobles to Pope Clement VII in 1530 demanding permission for Henry VIII to divorce Catherine of Aragon.

Other treasures include a letter from Frances Marie Antoinette just before she went to the guillotine in 1793 and the 1650 note written on silk and folded inside a stick of bamboo in which the Ming Dynasty Empress Wang told the pope that she was converting to Christianity.

Marco Maiorino, archivist for the Vatican Secret Archives, is part of the team working on the software called In Codice Ratio, aimed at transcribing medieval Latin texts. (Fabio Frustaci / For The Times)

From 1887 theres a letter from a North American Indian chief, written on bark, which addresses the pope as the Grand Master of Prayers.

In 1810 Napoleon took the archives back to Paris after occupying Italy. About a quarter of the documents were lost  much of it shredded and sold to a cardboard factory  but the remainder was returned. Some documents recovered still have French reference numbers on them.

Despite the Da Vinci Code overtones, the secret in Secret Archives simply derives from the Latin for private or personal because it was the popes private collection.

Depicted as a high-tech steel bunker in Dan Browns Angels and Demons, the archives in real life are a maze of concrete corridors  but as in the bestseller mystery thriller, there are secrets waiting to be found. The 53-year-old Merialdo even has a touch of Tom Hanks about him, showing gritty self-belief as he built an investigative team that now includes Vatican archivist Marco Maiorino.

I told Merialdo that it would be tough for a computer to read the documents thanks to the joined-up Latin and the abbreviations used by scribes, said Maiorino. But I was intrigued because there is much in there which has never been seen.

And if a historian has read a page, he or she might miss something an algorithm would catch, Merialdo added.

The duo were joined by IT academic Donatella Firmani, 34, who explained the teams challenge by taking a business card and scanning it with her phone, producing an accurate text on the screen.

That is normal optical-character-recognition software, she said. But now watch this. Scanning a page of medieval Latin, the phone came up with a few lines of gobbledygook and gave up.

To get their software up and running, the team members scanned letters sent by 13th century Pope Honorius III and taught the computer how to read them with the aid of 600 Italian schoolchildren. The students were shown medieval Latin letters, written in the different styles used by Vatican scribes, and asked to identify them on computer screens.

Its called pattern matching, said Merialdo. The pupils didnt need to be able to read Latin, simply find the letters, and by doing it repeatedly, by picking letters written differently, they taught the computer how to do the job.

The snag was joined-up, or cursive, writing, which confused the computer as it struggled to figure out where letters start and finish  just think of the English word minimum written in longhand.

Undeterred, the team fed the computer a Latin vocabulary so it could it get used to common letter combinations  in order to better split them into letters.

Take the Latin word Huiuscemodi, which means of this kind. The handwritten letters uiu might appear as three Is, but the computer knows that is impossible, or two uus, which the computer knows is rare, Merialdo said. Another example is how the s was often very similar to f, but if the computer sees the letter before a c, it will know it has to be s.

They also programmed the computer to draw vertical lines separating out each individual stroke of the pen.

The computer looks at all the possible letters that can be built from the strokes and offers solutions using its knowledge of probable letter sequences, Merialdo said.

A screen flashed the images of Latin words divided into letter combinations by the computer, an elegant, 21st century counterpart to the flowing script of the medieval scribes.

A photograph distributed by the Vatican Secret Archives in 2012 offers a glimpse of the storehouse. (Giovanni Ciarlo / Associated Press)

So far, the computer has a reading accuracy rate of 65%. More like 72% if you allow words with just one wrong letter, and we are still training it to recognize abbreviations, Merialdo said.

One example, Maiorino added, is the word Epi, which was often used to mean Episcopi, Latin for episcopal.

Next up, the computer will be fed common word combinations and a bit of grammar, boosting its artificial intelligence. The team also found that drawing vertical lines between strokes was tricky when the strokes were diagonal, or when letters overlapped.

We taught the computer how to paint each stroke with different colors like jigsaw pieces and differentiate them that way, said Merialdo.

The name of their computer program is In Codice Ratio. Its a play on words, Merialdo explained. Codice is Latin for the documents, but also means computer code in Italian, while ratio means reason in Latin. It means you will find reason in the documents, and in code.

By next year, the group hopes to get its program up to 95% accuracy as its members near their ambition of setting it loose on the archives. Although it will not translate the Latin, it will generate digital  and easier to read  versions of documents.

The work is a departure for Merialdo and Firmani, who are more accustomed to developing algorithms used by Siri and Alexa, and building so-called knowledge graphs to help Google answer user questions. It all started when I realized I was studying the internet, but had the worlds richest archive on my doorstep here in Rome to study, Merialdo said.

The teams new passion for untangling medieval Latin is already finding applications in the modern world, far from the hushed reading rooms of the Vatican. Thanks to this work we have a contract with a company who will use the software for reading scans of crumpled, handwritten receipts, which could be very useful for tax accountants, Merialdo said.

Maiorino said he was looking forward to the day when Vatican documents transcribed by the software would allow him to do word searches across centuries.

The Vatican may be the smallest state in the world, but even today it has more ambassadors around the world than any country except the U.S., and we have records of all their correspondence going back 12 centuries, he said.

Maiorino speaks from experience. In 2012 he was involved in putting together an exhibition of the archives greatest treasures, including the 1493 papal bull, or decree, that split the New World between Spain and Portugal after Columbus return from the Americas  one of the most important documents in the history of the world.

We have been joking about how the program will steal my job, said Maiorino, who is an expert in medieval Latin. But it will only transcribe texts, while I will continue to translate and interpret them.

Kington is a special correspondent.Zimbabwes ruling party has won a majority of seats in Parliament, the electoral commission announced Wednesday, as the country braced for the first official results of the presidential election and police moved into place outside the commissions offices in the capital.

The ruling ZANU-PF won 109 seats while the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change party had 41 in the 210-seat House of Assembly. The commission said two seats were won by smaller parties and 58 seats had yet to be declared.

The commission has said it would announce the results of the presidential race, pitting President Emmerson Mnangagwa against opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, only after all the votes have come in from across the country.

Western and other election observers began to give their first assessments of Mondays peaceful election and whether it was free and fair. The Southern African Development Community called the elections a political watershed in Zimbabwes history but with some shortcomings, urging anyone with grievances to refrain from violence.

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The opposition alleges irregularities, saying voting results were not posted outside one-fifth of polling stations as required by law. Dozens of supporters marched to the electoral commission offices on Wednesday and were met by police.

Mnangagwas government, meanwhile, accused Chamisa and his supporters of inciting violence by already declaring he had won the election, the first after former leader Robert Mugabe stepped down in November.

Let me also warn such individuals and groups that no one is above the law, Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu said. Security forces will remain on high alert and continue to monitor the security situation in the country.

Zimbabweans desperately hope the peaceful vote will lift them out of economic and political stagnation after decades of Mugabes rule, but the country is haunted by a history of electoral violence and manipulation that means trust is scarce.

While the electoral commission has five days from the end of voting to release the final tally, the national mood was growing anxious partly because unofficial results are already swirling on social media.A member of a drug-robbery ring suspected in the 2010 shooting death of a Border Patrol agent in Arizona has been extradited from Mexico to stand trial in the United States.

Heraclio Laco Osorio-Arellanes was transported to the U.S. on Tuesday, according to a statement by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Osorio-Arellanes is charged with several crimes including first-degree murder and is expected to be arraigned Wednesday in Tucson, the statement said.

U.S. officials say Osorio-Arellanes was a part of a group of bandits who engaged in a 2010 shootout with Brian Terry and three other Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona.

Terry, a 40-year-old member of an elite Border Patrol tactical team, was killed in the nighttime incident. One of the alleged shooters was shot in the torso and unable to run, while five other suspects fled to Mexico and went into hiding.

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This undated photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry. (Associated Press)

Osorio-Arellanes has been in custody since he was arrested last year by Mexican authorities in the Golden Triangle, a region where three states intersect and drug cartels control vast stretches of territory. Authorities say he was a part of a rip crew that had sneaked across the border and was headed to rob marijuana dealers.

According to court testimony, Border Patrol agents noticed the six-man crew armed with long rifles and backpacks and ordered them to stop. The group responded with gunfire. Terry was struck by a single bullet.

Two of the weapons recovered from the scene were later traced to the Justice Department-sanctioned gun-tracking operation known as Fast and Furious, which allowed weapons to be illegally sold in the United States so they could later be tracked across the border to drug cartels in Mexico.

The intent was to arrest cartel leaders, but most of the firearms disappeared.

Terrys death unraveled the program and triggered one of the biggest political controversies of President Obamas first term, driving out the head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which ran it.

Bringing Terrys killers to justice has been a favorite cause of President Trump, who promised the Terry family he would open the books on the agents death and the Fast and Furious operation, Terrys cousin, Robert Heyer, told The Times last year.

Sessions said in his statement Tuesday that the extradition of Osorio-Arellanes was a warning.

This action sends a clear message: Working closely with our international partners, we will hunt you down, we will find you, and we will bring you to justice, he said.

Of the six defendants charged along with Osorio-Arellanes in the case, three have pleaded guilty, two were convicted after a jury trial, and one other defendant, Jesus Rosario Favela-Astorga, has not yet been tried.

Favela-Astorga was arrested by Mexican authorities in October 2017 and his extradition to the United States is pending.

kate.linthicum@latimes.com

Twitter: @katelinthicumEgypt is set to renovate the first and oldest line of Cairo's metro system with a fund of 205 million euros, the cabinet said on Wednesday after a deal was signed between the government and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The cabinet said that the signing in Cairo was attended by PM Mostafa Madbouly, Transportation Minister Hisham Arafat and Investment and International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr.

According to Arafat, the fund will be used to change the rail tracks used in the first line, as well as renovate stations and trains.

The transportation minister revealed that around 900,000 passengers use the metro line in the summer, and 1,200,000 use it in the winter.

Egypt has repeatedly hiked metro ticket prices after the partial lifting of fuel subsidies. The ticket price hike is to keep the service operating and finance extensions for the metro.

The last price increase was last May, when tickets prices were raised based on a new zoning system, ranging from EGP 3 to EGP 7 per ticket, up from a flat rate of EGP 2.

First launched in 1987, Cairo's metro, which operates throughout the capital and surrounding areas and runs both above and below ground at a top speed of 80 kilometres an hour, is one of the country's fastest means of transportation.

The metro accommodates more than four million passengers per day.

Egypt plans to construct two additional metro lines in order to connect Cairo, Giza and the countrys new administrative capital by 2030, bringing the total number of lines to six.

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A United States Marine veteran who is disabled changed his career path a handful of years ago when he found a new career passion after becoming a substitute teacher at Harns Marsh Middle School for four months. That zeal took on a new meaning after bringing Be The Voice to Lehigh Senior High School, the first in the state of Florida.

Leo Navarro is a critical thinking and research teacher at Lehigh High, now entering his third year.

Conversations held during Navarros critical thinking and research class two years ago pivoted around cyber bullying and physical bullying -where it comes from and the kind of physical, mental abuse and damage it can cause.

A project was created for the students regarding the topic.

My colleagues and I wanted to do something that was peer-led, an anti-bullying campaign, he said. When I was doing my research I literally came across Be The Voice on Google images. I visited the website and loved what these people stand for. I used an image and made that the project. I borrowed Debbies (Cwalina, co-founder of Be The Voice) program.

The first year the project was done, Navarro said it was a phenomenal success.

We had posters, things that lit up, anti-bullying all over the hallway, he said.

Last year it was held again with bigger projects, and kids becoming more involved.

There was big talk about it, spreading like wildfire, Navarro said.

The ninth grade teacher also received praise from his principal and vice principal about the project.

With the success of the project, Navarro reached out to Cwalina to let her know that he borrowed the Be The Voice initiative. He also wanted to show her what his students did in her honor.

I would say that our unique approach is really helping kids understand the power of the bystander,' Cwalina said. All students yearn to help, but tend to stay in the background for fear of retaliation. Our approach is empowering students to make a difference every day through acts of kindness and inclusion to the victim, or target of the bully. Such a simple approach allows students to make a difference in a safe way. And today the need for our message goes beyond defusing bullying. So many students are excluded and aloneand resort to extreme measures to deal with their pain.

She went on to say that the rise in both teenage suicide and school shootings in our country is alarming.

There are so many students who are struggling with fitting in, or finding their way. If we can teach our students to be more inclusive of those who are a little different, I honestly believe not only will we reduce bullying, but we will make a safer school climate, Cwalina said.

With the blessing from Cwalina, Navarro took the project to the next level, which resulted in the Lehigh Rotary Club and Lehigh Kiwanis Club sponsoring Be The Voice, which allows them to be the first school in Florida to bring the programs curriculum into Lehigh Senior High School.

Since I have been at Lehigh Senior High School I have personally seen bullying drop dramatically, Navarro said. Students are sticking up for each other. I have heard it and seen it. The environment overall has become safer and more aware.

He said his students are really excited to be the first school in the state of Florida to be a Be The Voice school.

They put their heart, sweat and tears into this class, Navarro said.

The curriculum, which will be adopted into this school year, is a 12-week, video based peer led program. Students will watch a video and discuss its content, such as how to handle specific scenarios of bullying.

Its all peer led. We are there to facilitate and answer questions. This is for the students to think about. They are very visually based and hands-on, interacting is a big deal, Navarro said.

He said he believes in the program because when teens have discussions at their intellect level they do not forget.

We as teachers help to cement those morals and ethics into their heads to make sure (they know) what is right from wrong. We give alternative examples in case they miss something, Navarro said.

Although Be The Voice will be open to the whole school to participate, Navarro said he and the other teacher who teaches Critical Thinking and Research will most likely be the first to implement the program.

We have the co-founder, Debbie, to walk us through everything. I would like to sit down, tour the company (Be The Voice) and see everything first-hand. I want to be more than a teacher teaching. I want to be able to give it the justice it deserves as a teacher, Navarro said.

The class Critical Thinking and Research, a reading and English class, is Principal Jackie Coreys brainchild.

I was brought in the second year of its inception, Navarro said of the class. I had wonderful teachers to help me. I have a new teacher coming on board this year. We have new things that we are going to be implementing into the curriculum. It is a class that evolves and it needs to. We will shift it year-to-year, keep it as up-to-date as possible, so these students are getting accurate situations.

The class, he said teaches students to become better people and more empathetic. Last year some of the topics includes sexuality, bullying, ethics, stereotypes and racism.

These are the things we speak about at an academic ninth grade level. What does this mean to you right now? We try to elevate their mentality and way of thinking to maybe a little bit of an adult level, he explained, adding that they provide actual definitions, so when they hear the words they are better educated.

With the class being a reading and English class, there are many writing assignments. He said the class starts with a very simple one-paragraph essay and works itself up to five paragraphs. Some of the assignments are stemmed around the students writing an informative essay on an article and video topic.

Its somewhat of an honors elective. We are not the simple class, Navarro said.

The tough teacher that does not put up with garbage has gained respect from his students.

I stick to my guns, my rules, my syllabus. I dont falter. I dont let things slide because in the real world, things dont slide. These kids need to understand what discipline is and what responsibility is. They respect me for it, Navarro said.

The few years he has been a teacher at Lehigh Senior High School have been rewarding, to say the least.

Its a humbling experience knowing you have this great responsibility and these parents and students that are looking at you to help their child grow to become better students and better people, Navarro said. If you can make a student comfortable and safe they are going to want to perform more and be inspired. They are going to want to come out of their shell.

The 39-year-old is a single father of three teenagers. As a United States Marine, he worked for the United States government most of his adult life. In addition to being a full-time teacher, Navarro is also a professional tournament poker player.

Ive played in the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker. I do not play cash tables, just tournaments. My kids root me on when I play in the big tournaments, he said.On Saturday, Aug. 11, at 11 a.m. the Lehigh Acres Community Council will host a candidate forum at Veterans Park Recreation Center. Residents are encouraged to come and get to more know about the candidates running for local government positions.

Each candidate will have a table for their campaign literature, a limited amount of time on the microphone to speak in front of attendees; and three hours of meet-and-greet time with those in attendance. The forum will promptly start at 11 a.m. and end around 2 p.m.

Each election season the community council aligns with supporting agencies to host one of the largest attended forums for candidates in the community.

According to Community Council President, the council has had a great turn-out in past years.

We have had an amazing turn-out during our previous forums, said Anglickis.

Besides getting a chance to meet and get to know those running for office, guests can enjoy a free ice cream social during the event.

The council will also host a public hearing during its monthly meeting to be held Aug. 20. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. and is in regards to a proposed church, which would be located at 4716 Lee Blvd. in Lehigh Acres.

The same request for a zoning amendment on commercial zoned land located at 4716 Lee Blvd., went before the Lehigh Acres Architectural, Planning & Zoning Review Board earlier this year.

Back in May, TDM Consulting presented on behalf of the applicant, who was proposing to amend a master concept plan. The zoning amendment would allow for a 3,696-square-foot place of worship instead of its current zoning of the 22,000-square-foot parcel for commercial/retail use.

The project was denied by LAARB board members because the church would occupy a fraction of a space where there could instead be 22,000 square feet of commercial/retail space.

Both the councils regular meeting and zoning hearing are open to the public.

The Lehigh Acres Community Council will hold its next meeting on Aug. 20 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lee County Sheriffs Office East District substation, at 1301 Homestead Road N.

For more information, visit the Lehigh Acres Community Council online at: www.lehighacrescommunitycouncil.com.Cape Coral City Council heard another round of complaints from residents concerned about water quality Monday.

Help may be on the horizon, however.

The city could have a partner in the county in getting toxic blue-green algae removed from Cape canals, thanks to $3 million in state Department of Environmental Protection grant money for areas affected.

Resident Louis Navarra summed the water quality issue up succinctly, pairing it with his complaint about vacation rentals: Maybe the algae will kill tourism and I wont have to worry about rentals because nobody will want to come here anymore.

Cape Coral Utilities director Jeff Pearson took a helicopter ride over Cape Coral and Lee County last week to survey the environmental damage.

I noticed a lot of buildup in the dead-end canals. That seemed prevalent in a lot of areas where it has nowhere else to go, Pearson said.

Councilmember John Gunter asked if there was anything that could be done to prevent toxic algal blooms from intruding into Cape canals in the future.

We need to look outside the box and see if there are preventative measures we can take, Gunter said. I live on a canal and we have green water and the smell. We need to find a short-term plan for a long-term fix.

Mayor Joe Coviello said the county is seeking grant money and the city, in turn, is applying to the county for that money as well for cleanup to piggyback with the countys, for which a vendor has been found by the DEP.

Well have to figure out how to dispose of the algae once its cleaned up and were hoping one of the first places they come is Cape Coral, Coviello said following the meeting. Weve had residents peppering the Army Corps of Engineers for them to come here, but we have to respect their role in this. They dont have any role in the water quality except for the releases.

Nutrient-rich water releases from Lake Okeechobee, made by the Corps when water levels in the lake get too high and so threaten the surrounding dike, have been blamed as a major contributing factor to both the blue-green algal bloom in the Calooshatchee and Cape canals and the red ride blooms off the beaches of Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach.

Coviello said he has seen suction and skimming used to pick algae up, but there hasnt been an approved method of disposal made by the Lee County. The problem has been finding out how to dispose of the toxin-fraught waste.

A possible place is in the southern part of the county where there arent many people, Pearson said.

Coviello said the county has authorized $150,000 to start moving forward as soon as a disposal method is decided upon.

Regarding grass dumping into Cape canals, another resident concern express Monday night, Councilmember John Carioscia expressed his frustration over the inability of the city to do much except when dumpers are caught in the act.

We can catch robbers on tape, but not grass dumpers. That doesnt make sense, Carioscia asked. If we establish rules and penalties and follow up on them, it will go away.

Carioscia, a former police officer who worked in code enforcement when he moved to the city, said it is a process. First-time offenses are usually given a written warning, with subsequent offenses resulting in fines.

Coviello asked Police Chief David Newlan about the plan to cut back on marine patrol and whether that money can be restored to address grass dumping. Newlan said they would go to the specific areas.

Councilmember Rick Williams said the city should think about beefing up the marine unit, which currently has five boats and two personal watercraft.Lee County has hired its debris-removal contractor to supplement efforts currently underway by Parks & Recreation employees to clean county beaches affected by the recent red tide fish kill.

CrowderGulf will begin Thursday morning, concentrating first along county parks and beach accesses on the Sanibel Causeway, Lynn Hall Park to Bowditch Point on Fort Myers Beach, and Boca Grande.

Lee County is actively working to clean up the debris along our beaches as a result of the recent red tide bloom, said Cecil Pendergrass, who is Chairman of the Lee Board of County Commissioners and the Tourist Development Council. I will continue to strongly advocate for water quality improvements by working with our state and federal agencies, pushing for action.

Parks & Recreation crews now are cleaning parks and boat ramps of the larger fish (not pinfish) each morning. CrowderGulf will supplement those efforts and also is under contract by the Town of Fort Myers Beach and City of Sanibel.

The county will focus on the most affected county parks and accesses.

The county also urges property owners adjacent to beaches to clean their immediate areas and is working on a plan to place Dumpsters in key locations where residents can dispose of these fish. People may also pick up fish immediate to their homes and businesses and place them in their normal waste stream by double-bagging them and placing them in their regular trash receptacles, but property owners are asked to understand that the hauler will not be able to make additional collections outside of regularly scheduled collection days.

Take extreme care with picking up any catfish, which have sharp  and toxic -barbs.

Once the locations of Dumpsters is determined, the county will release that information through news outlets and on its website.

Red tide is a naturally occurring microscopic alga that has been documented along Floridas Gulf Coast since the 1840s and occurs nearly every year., officials said. Blooms, or higher-than-normal concentrations, happen periodically. Blooms typically occur miles offshore and are carried to the shore by winds and currents.

Red tide is a different organism than blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) that has recently bloomed in the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie river basins.

For more information on red tide statewide, see the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission site here: myfwc.com/redtidestatus

Source: Lee County governmentSydney gets prepared with first resilience strategy

Mayors from around Sydney have launched a new plan outlining how the city will cope with major challenges including extreme weather events, cyber and terror attacks, housing affordability, inequality and congestion.

Resilient Sydney: a strategy for city resilience is the first of its kind and the result of two years work.

It was developed with an unprecedented level of collaboration involving Sydneys 33 metropolitan councils, 100 business and government organisations and more than 1000 residents.

Pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, the 100 Resilient Cities initiative provides technical support and resources for cities to develop and implement strategies to help them survive, adapt and thrive in the face of 21st century challenges.

Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said, Were seeing rising inequality, more homelessness, mental illness and obesity. And were experiencing increasingly extreme weather events with every year classed as another record breaking year in terms of rising temperatures.

All these issues are challenges in themselves and they arent unique to Sydney - the effects of urbanisation, globalisation and climate change are seen right around the world. They arent constrained by boundaries or different levels of governance.

Its why this strategy, developed with input from across Sydney, is such a breakthrough.

Chief Resilience Officer for Sydney, Beck Dawson, said, Our ability to bounce back is linked to the strength of connections between neighbours, businesses, councils and government entities.

As more people and organisations adopt resilience planning, our safety and quality of life will improve.

As part of the plan, Australian Red Cross and Insurance Australia Group have teamed up to develop the Get Prepared app, enabling residents to generate their own personal emergency plan within minutes.

Willoughby City Council Mayor, Gail Giles-Gidney, said, Willoughby City Council is pleased to have worked with other councils across Sydney to develop the Resilient Sydney Strategy.

Our residents told us that close connections with communities are the key to building a resilient Sydney, something that is also evident in our Community Strategic Plan.Industries Building and Saving: Ceresana Report on Insulation Material

Market Study: Insulation Material - World

01.08.2018 16:40:36 - Energy-efficient construction and renovation become increasingly important: Around the world, countries set up diverse support programs for a better insulation of buildings.



(live-PR.com) - For the second time already, Ceresana analyzed the global market for insulation material. The new study offers a complete overview on materials used in the construction industry for thermal and sound insulation in particular: Mineral wool (glass and stone wool), polystyrene insulation material (EPS and XPS), and polyurethane (PUR).



Climate Protection and Energy Conservation



Insulation materials have a high market potential: Ceresanas - For the second time already, Ceresana analyzed the global market for insulation material. The new study offers a complete overview on materials used in the construction industry for thermal and sound insulation in particular: Mineral wool (glass and stone wool), polystyrene insulation material (EPS and XPS), and polyurethane (PUR).Climate Protection and Energy ConservationInsulation materials have a high market potential: Ceresanas analysts expect a total demand of more than 578 million cubic meters in 2025. In general, thermal insulation is supposed to minimize heat loss and thus, energy consumption in cold climate regions. However, in warmer climates, insulation is also used as a heat barrier. Rising energy prices and state regulations to prevent climate-changing greenhouse gases or to conserve energy will lead to a higher demand for insulation material in the upcoming years.



Other Countries, Other Insulation Materials



In terms of renovations and refurbishments but also new buildings, there have been regional differences in the past years: In countries hit hard by the economic crisis of 2008/09, the construction sector in particular suffered dramatic losses. Construction industries in countries like Germany, on the other hand, experienced a much more positive development. In the industrial nations in Europe, North America, and Asia, existing building structures are mainly energy efficiently renovated; the new construction of buildings accounts for a rather slow dynamics. In emerging countries, considerably higher numbers of new buildings are constructed. The economic situation, factors such as the unemployment rate or disposable income as well as the demographic development impact the respective insulation material demand. However, a decisive factor for the country-specific demand is how quickly support programs can be implemented  and if an improvement of energy efficiency is also important for the population.



High Demand for Mineral Wool



Currently, mineral wool is the worldwide most frequently used type of insulation material. Glass and stone wool reached a combined demand of 52%, with glass wool being used more often. Polystyrene-based insulation material also has a high market share, while consumption of insulation materials based on PUR is notably lower. However, consumption of individual types of insulation materials may vary considerably in individual countries. Besides climatic factors and customer preferences, cost of acquisition, image, and technical properties are influential factors.



Increasing Numbers of Organic Products



Insulation material made of renewable resources is still a niche product but the demand is continuously growing. Bio-based insulation materials have several advantages: Materials such as straw, hemp, cork, wool or wood chips can be bought regionally, processed easily, and disposed of easily, they are cheap and have ideal ecological balance sheet values. However, building regulations and standards currently still complicate the implementation.



The Study in Brief:



Chapter 1 provides a complete description and analysis of the global insulation material market  including forecasts up to 2025. Key figures such as production and demand, as well as revenues are given for each world region.

In chapter 2, output and consumption of insulation material split by material (EPS & XPS, polyurethane, glass wool, and rock wool) are analyzed for 16 countries. Additionally, import, export, and turnover are examined in detail.

Chapter 3 focuses on the representation of different developments of the single types of insulation materials (EPS & XPS, PUR, glass wool, and rock wool) on the several regional and national markets.

Chapter 4 provides profiles of the largest manufacturers of insulation material, clearly arranged according to contact details, turnover, profit, product range, production sites, profile summary, product types, and application areas. Extensive profiles are given for the 137 most important manufacturers, including BASF SE, China National Chemical Corp., Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A., Covestro AG, DowDupont Inc., PetroChina Company Limited, Rosneft OJSC, Saudi Basic Industries Corp., Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., Synthos S.A., and Total S.A.

Further information:





About Ceresana:

Ceresana is a leading international market research institute and consultancy company for chemicals, plastics, industrial goods, and packaging. The company has been providing more than 10,000 customers from trade and industry in 60 countries with up-to-date analyses for over 15 years. The services of Ceresana for manufacturers, processors, and associations include implementation oriented consulting, customized single-client studies, and more than 100 market studies independent of the order.

analysts expect a total demand of more than 578 million cubic meters in 2025. In general, thermal insulation is supposed to minimize heat loss and thus, energy consumption in cold climate regions. However, in warmer climates, insulation is also used as a heat barrier. Rising energy prices and state regulations to prevent climate-changing greenhouse gases or to conserve energy will lead to a higher demand for insulation material in the upcoming years.Other Countries, Other Insulation MaterialsIn terms of renovations and refurbishments but also new buildings, there have been regional differences in the past years: In countries hit hard by the economic crisis of 2008/09, the construction sector in particular suffered dramatic losses. Construction industries in countries like Germany, on the other hand, experienced a much more positive development. In the industrial nations in Europe, North America, and Asia, existing building structures are mainly energy efficiently renovated; the new construction of buildings accounts for a rather slow dynamics. In emerging countries, considerably higher numbers of new buildings are constructed. The economic situation, factors such as the unemployment rate or disposable income as well as the demographic development impact the respective insulation material demand. However, a decisive factor for the country-specific demand is how quickly support programs can be implemented  and if an improvement of energy efficiency is also important for the population.High Demand for Mineral WoolCurrently, mineral wool is the worldwide most frequently used type of insulation material. Glass and stone wool reached a combined demand of 52%, with glass wool being used more often. Polystyrene-based insulation material also has a high market share, while consumption of insulation materials based on PUR is notably lower. However, consumption of individual types of insulation materials may vary considerably in individual countries. Besides climatic factors and customer preferences, cost of acquisition, image, and technical properties are influential factors.Increasing Numbers of Organic ProductsInsulation material made of renewable resources is still a niche product but the demand is continuously growing. Bio-based insulation materials have several advantages: Materials such as straw, hemp, cork, wool or wood chips can be bought regionally, processed easily, and disposed of easily, they are cheap and have ideal ecological balance sheet values. However, building regulations and standards currently still complicate the implementation.The Study in Brief:Chapter 1 provides a complete description and analysis of the global insulation material market  including forecasts up to 2025. Key figures such as production and demand, as well as revenues are given for each world region.In chapter 2, output and consumption of insulation material split by material (EPS & XPS, polyurethane, glass wool, and rock wool) are analyzed for 16 countries. Additionally, import, export, and turnover are examined in detail.Chapter 3 focuses on the representation of different developments of the single types of insulation materials (EPS & XPS, PUR, glass wool, and rock wool) on the several regional and national markets.Chapter 4 provides profiles of the largest manufacturers of insulation material, clearly arranged according to contact details, turnover, profit, product range, production sites, profile summary, product types, and application areas. Extensive profiles are given for the 137 most important manufacturers, including BASF SE, China National Chemical Corp., Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A., Covestro AG, DowDupont Inc., PetroChina Company Limited, Rosneft OJSC, Saudi Basic Industries Corp., Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., Synthos S.A., and Total S.A.Further information: www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/industry/insulation-material-world/ About Ceresana:Ceresana is a leading international market research institute and consultancy company for chemicals, plastics, industrial goods, and packaging. The company has been providing more than 10,000 customers from trade and industry in 60 countries with up-to-date analyses for over 15 years. The services of Ceresana for manufacturers, processors, and associations include implementation oriented consulting, customized single-client studies, and more than 100 market studies independent of the order. Contact information:

Ceresana



Mainaustrasse 34

78464 Konstanz

Germany



Contact Person:

Martin Ebner

Media contact

Phone: +49 7531 94293 10

eMail: eMail



Web: http://www.ceresana.com

Author:

Martin Ebner

e-mail

Web: http://www.ceresana.com

Phone: +49 (0)7531 94293 10 01.08.2018 16:40:36 -

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 Engage in Learning becomes a Learning Now TV Channel Partner

Learning Now TV.

01.08.2018 13:07:59 - Engage in Learning, the provider of a complete solution to meet every e-learning need, has joined a growing band of key organisations in the learning and development (L&D) sector by becoming a channel partner of Learning Now TV.



(live-PR.com) - Engage in Learning, the provider of a complete solution to meet every e-learning need, has joined a growing band of key organisations in the learning and development (L&D) sector by becoming a channel partner of Learning Now TV.



Learning Now TV is a live-streamed internet TV channel which broadcasts inspirational interviews, discussions, along with practical advice and guidance on real-world issues - Engage in Learning, the provider of a complete solution to meet every e-learning need, has joined a growing band of key organisations in the learning and development (L&D) sector by becoming a channel partner of Learning Now TV.Learning Now TV is a live-streamed internet TV channel which broadcasts inspirational interviews, discussions, along with practical advice and guidance on real-world issues to keep L&D professionals up-to-date in the world of corporate learning and performance. The channels programme attracted over 60,000 views in 2017  with most from the UK, USA, Europe and Australia.



Headed by Colin Steed  the former Chief Executive of the Learning & Performance Institute and the founder of The Learning Awards - Learning Now TVs key presenters include the international speaker and e-learning guru, Nigel Paine, along with Kim Edwards, an L&D manager at Getty Images. The stations programmes are produced by, and feature, some of the L&D worlds leading authorities who have many years experience of reporting the real-world issues for todays learning and performance professionals.



In becoming a channel partner, Engage in Learning has joined FT | IE Business School Corporate Learning Alliance; GoodPractice; Looop; Happy Serious Learning; the Learning & Performance Institute; Elephants dont forget, and Learning News, the learning sectors newswire.



Chris Horseman, Engage in Learnings Managing Director, commented, With more people searching for learning online, its important for L&D professionals to have access to the sort of career-enhancing insights, tips and techniques that Learning Now TV offers.



As we, as an e-learning producer embrace and supply our customers with a range of learning approaches, including microlearning materials, we feel that its important to encourage a similar approach for L&D professionals. What better way of disseminating this information could there be  in this digital age  than via relevant, informative and insightful programmes broadcast via the internet?



The head of Learning Now TV, Colin Steed, said, Im delighted to welcome Engage in Learning as a channel partner and Im sure that we can help promote their first-class personalised e-learning programmes to a worldwide L&D audience.



Our Channel Partners are vital in enabling us to provide Learning Now TV's live and on-demand content as a free subscription for all learning and performance professionals.



This move - to become a channel partner with Learning Now TV - forms part of a major development by Engage in Learning to raise its profile and attract even more customers. Already the company has broken all records for sales of compliance and regulatory e-learning materials - notably in the field of GDPR. It's now in the process of restructuring its content libraries to make them more accessible and attractive to customers.



In terms of raising its profile within the industry, Engage in Learning has not only signed a channel partner agreement with Learning Now TV but it has engaged Bob Little, the world-renowned publicist specialising in the online learning technologies sector, to promote the company within the world's media.



About Learning Now TV

Learning Now TV is a live-streamed internet TV channel which broadcasts inspirational interviews, discussions, along with practical advice and guidance on real-world issues to keep L&D professionals up-to-date in the world of corporate learning and performance. The channels programme attracted over 60,000 views in 2017  with most from the UK, USA, Europe and Australia.



About Engage in Learning

A UK-based supplier of eLearning courses and solutions focusing on helping organisations improve their safety, compliance and performance, Engage in Learning provides engaging and affordable learning thats practical and effective in an organisational setting.



Further information from:

Chris Horseman, Engage in Learning, +44 (0)20 3758 9530,

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405,

to keep L&D professionals up-to-date in the world of corporate learning and performance. The channels programme attracted over 60,000 views in 2017  with most from the UK, USA, Europe and Australia.Headed by Colin Steed  the former Chief Executive of the Learning & Performance Institute and the founder of The Learning Awards - Learning Now TVs key presenters include the international speaker and e-learning guru, Nigel Paine, along with Kim Edwards, an L&D manager at Getty Images. The stations programmes are produced by, and feature, some of the L&D worlds leading authorities who have many years experience of reporting the real-world issues for todays learning and performance professionals.In becoming a channel partner, Engage in Learning has joined FT | IE Business School Corporate Learning Alliance; GoodPractice; Looop; Happy Serious Learning; the Learning & Performance Institute; Elephants dont forget, and Learning News, the learning sectors newswire.Chris Horseman, Engage in Learnings Managing Director, commented, With more people searching for learning online, its important for L&D professionals to have access to the sort of career-enhancing insights, tips and techniques that Learning Now TV offers.As we, as an e-learning producer embrace and supply our customers with a range of learning approaches, including microlearning materials, we feel that its important to encourage a similar approach for L&D professionals. What better way of disseminating this information could there be  in this digital age  than via relevant, informative and insightful programmes broadcast via the internet?The head of Learning Now TV, Colin Steed, said, Im delighted to welcome Engage in Learning as a channel partner and Im sure that we can help promote their first-class personalised e-learning programmes to a worldwide L&D audience.Our Channel Partners are vital in enabling us to provide Learning Now TV's live and on-demand content as a free subscription for all learning and performance professionals.This move - to become a channel partner with Learning Now TV - forms part of a major development by Engage in Learning to raise its profile and attract even more customers. Already the company has broken all records for sales of compliance and regulatory e-learning materials - notably in the field of GDPR. It's now in the process of restructuring its content libraries to make them more accessible and attractive to customers.In terms of raising its profile within the industry, Engage in Learning has not only signed a channel partner agreement with Learning Now TV but it has engaged Bob Little, the world-renowned publicist specialising in the online learning technologies sector, to promote the company within the world's media.About Learning Now TVLearning Now TV is a live-streamed internet TV channel which broadcasts inspirational interviews, discussions, along with practical advice and guidance on real-world issues to keep L&D professionals up-to-date in the world of corporate learning and performance. The channels programme attracted over 60,000 views in 2017  with most from the UK, USA, Europe and Australia.About Engage in LearningA UK-based supplier of eLearning courses and solutions focusing on helping organisations improve their safety, compliance and performance, Engage in Learning provides engaging and affordable learning thats practical and effective in an organisational setting.Further information from:Chris Horseman, Engage in Learning, +44 (0)20 3758 9530, chrishorseman@engageinlearning.com Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405, bob.little@boblittlepr.com Contact information:

Engage in Learning



Kestrel Court, Waterwells Drive

Quedgeley, Gloucester, GL2 2AT, UK



Contact Person:

Chris Horseman

Managing Director

Phone: +44 (0) 845 456 0465

eMail: eMail



Web: http://https://www.engageinlearning.com

Author:

Bob Little

e-mail

Web: http://www.boblittlepr.com

Phone: 00 44 (0) 1727 860405 01.08.2018 13:07:59 -

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.Stock Market News

UK Economic Data - Asian Shares End Mixed As China Economic Data Disappoints 01-08-2018 03:22



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Motoring

31 July 2018  Fresh out of the shipyard in Ancona, Italy, Custom Line launches its fifth Navetta 33 yacht which was custom-built for a North American yachtsman. Part of the prestigious Ferretti Group, Custom Lines Navetta 33 took to the waters like a swan. This new masterpiece offers authentic refinement to the nth degree []

Aug 01, 2018 | By Joe Lim

31 July 2018  Fresh out of the shipyard in Ancona, Italy, Custom Line launches its fifth Navetta 33 yacht which was custom-built for a North American yachtsman. Part of the prestigious Ferretti Group, Custom Lines Navetta 33 took to the waters like a swan. This new masterpiece offers authentic refinement to the nth degree and with seductive interiors oozing sophistication and style, the owners yachting lifestyle just got sweeter.

This striking craft is also an extraordinary work of nautical engineering and has won so much praise from experts from near and afar. The new owner is too excited to take it for a spin on a Mediterranean cruise with his family before returning across the Atlantic. America remains of crucial importance for Custom Line.

Impossibly chic, Navetta 33 turns heads thanks to its exquisite lines and a painstaking attention to detail. The superyacht epitomises those values of seaworthiness, comfort, safety and customisation that have always been at the core of Custom Lines DNA.

The fifth Navetta 33 is yet another fruit of joint efforts by the Product Strategy Committee  headed by Mr Piero Ferrari  Studio Zuccon International Project, which was responsible for the exterior design, and the Groups Engineering Department, whose architects and designers crafted the tasteful interiors. Part of the crafts noteworthy features include a hull with bulbous forward section, designed from scratch, which will provide seaworthiness and stability performance at the very top of its class. In addition, yacht owners and their guests can enjoy marvellous spaces across all four decks: from the wide-body master suite forward on the main deck, to the four guest cabins on the lower deck.

The launch of the fifth unit of Navetta 33 comes at an exciting time for Custom Line and the Ancona Superyacht Yard, which in the space of a single month has seen the launches of the fifth Navetta 33, the fifth Navetta 37 and the first ever Navetta 42, the brands first mega yacht above 300 GT.

The event was held at the Ferretti Group Superyacht Yard in Ancona, a world-class ship-building facility that produces all the steel and aluminium mega-yachts for the CRN, Riva and Pershing brands, as well as the entire Custom Line fleet in composite. Among the vessels created here are the magnificent Navetta 28, the awesome Navetta 37 and the new flagship, Navetta 42, which is set to debut at the 2018 Cannes Yachting Festival as the largest Custom Line model ever built.

For more information visit: www.customline-yacht.comThe Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education said in a statement on Wednesday that no fake academic certificates for bachelors and masters degrees were issued to Kuwaiti citizens from Egyptian universities.

Kuwait recently opened investigations into hundreds of fake academic certificates obtained by Kuwaitis working in the government sector, local media news reports said.

Investigators revealed that the main suspect in the case is an Egyptian who owns a pharmaceutical company and three pharmacies in Kuwait.

Security sources revealed that arrest warrants have been issued for four others, including a ministry department head and deputy manager, according to Kuwaiti media.

Earlier this week, the Egyptian embassy in Kuwait affirmed that the suspects have no links to Egyptian public or private universities.

"The authorities in Cairo are fully ready to investigate any suspected cases if there is evidence that people in Egypt were involved in forging the degrees," said the Egyptian embassy statement.

The Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education affirmed on Wednesday that no fake certificates were issued under its supervision, asserting the validity of all scientific certificates documented by Egyptian universities.

"The supreme council of universities is entrusted with certifying all the scientific certificates in the country," the statement said, affirming that "the Egyptian universities have nothing to do with this case."

The ministry said it is in continuous contact with the Kuwaiti authorities and has instructed Egyptian universities to respond to check lists sent by Kuwait to confirm the validity of the certificates issued.

Search Keywords:

Short link:

Durango : An Aeromexico flight crashed on takeoff during a heavy hail storm in northern Mexico, engulfing the plane in flames and injuring 97 people, officials said. The Embraer 190 aircraft, which was operating between Durango and Mexico City and crashed around 3:00 pm local time (20:00 GMT), was carrying "88 adults, nine minors, two infants, two pilots and two flight attendants," the airline's director general Andres Conesa told a news conference yesterday.

"It is confirmed that there have been no deaths from the flight #AM2431 accident," tweeted Jose Rosas, the governor of Durango state where the crash occurred. The accident did cause two series injuries: a pilot had to undergo a spinal operation, and a young girl suffered burns on 25 per cent of her body, the governor said.

A total of 97 people were admitted for treatment following the crash, most of them for "very light" injuries, according to Durango civil defense spokesman Alejandro Cardoza. Cardoza said the plane was caught in a heavy hailstorm and the pilots tried to make an emergency landing, after which the fire broke out. Conesa thanked the crew "for their professionalism" and said that the aircraft "was perfectly maintained", but did not provide details on the circumstances of the accident.The Imperium Censorship of YouTube

When the 1948 masterpiece Imperium by Francis Parker Yockey becomes the focus of censorship by YouTube, you know that burying the memory hole has been accelerated to protect the safe space for anyone who cannot handle the truth. The fear that people might wake-up and start educating oneself motivates the shadow banning of any historic account that conflicts with the purity of an official narrative. That is why, Imperium the foe of the NWO, must be silenced. Yockey reflected an account of yesteryear that would get one expelled from those echo chambers of accepted culture.

"Today, history is written from the Marxist standpoint of economics, linear progress and class warfare. The originators, designers and masterminds of NWO Totalitarianism, in every and all forms, succeeded in transforming the United States into the great defender on the International . . . The necessity to inflict multiculturalism as the categorical reducing and retarding leveler, results in the demise of Western Civilization. Denying that the tribe is the essential community element is the foremost fraud that underpins contrived and manufactured emotional guilt, parity and self-admonishment. The controllers of the mythical mass colorless race and congenial culture, that drives assimilation into the world community - must destroy the uniqueness of every group - to squeeze the shackles of bondage, under the new age society of the New World Order."

For those who retain a degree of curiosity, review the table of contents and complete chapters of the Imperium text. Then view the video on Imperium.

The academic value for research, context and factual perspective is invaluable. However, the systemic purge of conflicting consciousness is now the new definition to qualify for addition to the YouTube service of accepted thought. Note that a BATR third party upload just received viewing limitations.

Your video Julius Evola on Francis Parker Yockey's Imperium was flagged to us by the YouTube community. Upon review, we have placed restrictions on how the video will be shown. Please note that your video will continue to be available on YouTube.

Video content restrictions

We believe in the principles of free speech, even when that speech is unpopular or potentially offensive to some viewers. However, YouTube doesn't allow hate speech or content that promotes or incites violence. In some cases, flagged videos that do not clearly breach the Community Guidelines but whose content is potentially controversial or offensive may remain up, but with some features disabled.

Your video will be shown after a warning message. In addition, certain features such as comments, sharing, thumbs up, and suggested videos have been disabled. Your video is also ineligible for monetization.

Even more troubling is the further notice that removes this same video from Europe and much of the rest of the world. This practice is pure authoritarianism.

"We have received a legal complaint regarding your video. After review, the following video: Julius Evola on Francis Parker Yockey's Imperium has been blocked from view on the following YouTube country site(s):

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Martinique, Malta, New Caledonia, Netherlands, French Polynesia, Poland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, French Southern Territories, Wallis and Futuna, Mayotte"



The internet is under direct assault from the companies that control and profit the most from their censorship. Free Speech is defined only in terms of a tale that fits with the world view of the globalist cabal. This is a familiar storyline but the magnitude and intensity of retribution is so apparent that the end result comes down to removing any defiance to the distilled doctrine of holy conformity.

While the hullabaloo about censoring YouTubes on Infowars gets the most attention, the full extent of especially Conservative and Christian sites that are isolated from search and ranking results deserve much more notice. The Social Media Tech monopolists are dedicated to isolate the mainstream populations to marginal influence.

The backlash is now in full view. The more acute and widespread the insults become, the negative reaction to the content of these collectivist companies grow. The crash in stock prices and decline in usage of their services is well on its way. The world will not stop if people do not read or view articles or videos on Imperium. But society will die a sick death if the demands of censorship are allowed to become an accepted ingredient of our culture.

If Americans allow the book burning going on in the EU and most of the developing world, what would be left of the United States will not be recognizable in a very few short years. Alternatives to the Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google and Bing search engines are long overdue.

Free Speech should never be a partisan issue. It needs to be a fundamental civil liberties principle. Notwithstanding their claims of establishing restrictions of what deems to be accepted content, the cozy arbitrariness and the bias within this cartel of corporatists maintain hostility towards our Western Civilization.

Allowing new disciples of Francis Parker Yockey to achieve a megaphone in this Artificial Intelligence age of program screen messages is so important to the gatekeepers that they would rather forego subscribers than to permit unfiltered perspectives.

The door is closing rapidly. Shadow banning is just the beginning. The rabbit hole is getting wider. Shadow banning is just the beginning. The rabbit hole is getting wider. The main stream mass media will distort the news and shape the deception without any pretense of objective coverage.

Only a combative public can defeat the lies and dishonesty from the Silicon Valley turncoats. Push the limits and challenge their bogus community standards. Knock their censorship techniques and spread your dissent on their platforms. Go public with your disdain for their suppression and banning of notable content. The actual hate on the web comes from the capricious censorship practiced by fraudulent community standards and reported by fake news services.

SARTRE - July 31, 2018

Editor's note: YouTube reversed their blocking restrictions in the U.S. after our appeal challenge.

Thank you for submitting your video appeal to YouTube. After re-reviewing your video Julius Evola on Francis Parker Yockey's Imperium, we've determined that it does not merit restriction. We have restored the video to its original state.

Please note that your video may remain ineligible for monetization.

Why your video was restricted

Every day users report tens of thousands of videos through our flagging system. We review flagged videos according to our Community Guidelines and decide whether to approve, remove, or restrict the video. While our team is highly trained, sometimes we make mistakes or additional context changes our perspective. That is why we always want to hear from YouTube users who believe their content may have been restricted in error.

Our commitment to you

We take your videos and the YouTube community feedback seriously. We provide all uploaders with an option to appeal any removal or restriction of their videos. When an appeal is submitted to us, we work quickly to review the content and take appropriate action, including restoring videos that have been mistakenly removed.

Source: http://batr.org/forbidden/073118.html

Discuss or comment about this essay on the BATR Forum

http://www.batr.org

"Many seek to become a Syndicated Columnist, while the few strive to be a Vindicated Publisher"



 2018 Copyright BATR - All Rights Reserved



Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.



US Stock Market Sector Breakouts Taking Place

Now is the time for traders to really pay attention to the rotation in the US Stock market as well as the continued price rotation in certain sectors. As we have been warning for the past few months, this really is a stock pickers market. Take a minute to review our past articles highlighting these sector moves and the general market sentiment over the past few weeks: June 24: Could A Big Move In The Global Markets Be Setting Up? & Q2 GDP vs. Technology Concerns vs. Foreign Markets. As traders, we need to understand how capital migrates towards opportunities and safety and how it migrates away from risks and price collapses.

Over the past months, our research team at Technical Trades Ltd. has been pouring over the charts to identify these moves and to keep our subscribers ahead of these trends. The US Dollar and the recent Q2 earnings season reporting have acted like pouring fuel onto a burning fire. BOOM. We highlighted the potential for increased volatility and price rotation weeks ago and we continue to try to identify the best opportunities for our subscribers.

Today, our research has really paid off with moves in sectors that weve highlighted and been trading for weeks. Our proprietary price modeling systems have shown us what to expect in the markets going forward many weeks and months. Weve been calling for the NQ to hover near 7400 while weve been expecting the DOW and S&P to continue to rally higher. Weve been sharing our research that we believe the Transports, Russell and many of the Blue Chips will perform much better than the hot technology sector and other sectors and its starting to happen now.

Capital appears to be migrating out of technology on weakness and expected continued pricing pressures and that capital will be attempting to find new sources of security and growth. Earnings numbers have been generally strong, therefore, we expect this capital to migrate into stronger, dividend producing and transportation based equities. With the 4.1% GDP number, the expectations going into the end of this year should be that the economy may stay hot and these sectors could continue to rally.

This Weekly IWM Chart shows dual Fibonacci extension levels that coincide near $184. These levels show us that the upside potential for this move in the Russell 2000 ETF, which is really only an 8~10% price rally) could accelerate upward throughout the end of this year as the US economy continues to push harder and the migration of capital continues to roll out of the hot technology sector and into more traditional sectors.

Weve highlighted the projected price point where this targeted level seems to be a key element of our analysis. This level also coincides with key Fibonacci price projection points. It makes sense to us that as capital moves out of technology and other risky sectors, this capital will be seeking a safe and secure investment in stocks that have the opportunity to perform well throughout the end of the year with a strong US economy. Retail, Transportation, the Russell 2000 and more traditional Blue-Chip equities seem to be the renewed targets for this capital.

This Weekly chart of the IYT (Transportation ETF) highlights the continued higher low price rotation patterns that have driven continued rallies in price. The last three low price rotations were key to setting up a new Pennant Formation Breakout that has just started. This breakout pattern is key to understanding the upside potential for the Transportation Index. These upside targets are 3.6% & 6.8% higher than current prices. This represents a very solid opportunity for traders over the next 4+ months as we head into the Christmas and Thanks Giving holidays  the Santa Rally.

What was hot over the past 4+ months, may start to flatten out and rotate lower over the next few months as capital migrates into newer opportunities headed into the end of 2018 with a strong US economy. Our opinion is that technology will become a weakening market sector for at least the next 30~60 days as revisions to earning and expectations, as well as continued issues from China and globally, drive a capital re-balancing process across the globe. This migration of capital will move into new, more traditional, equities as a source of security and growth. Capital always attempts to find the best environment for security, growth and limited risks.

For example, we just locked in a 12% profit on the financial sector using FAS, and we feel it is still headed higher, all this happened while technology stocks sold off.

If you want to see what our proprietary modeling tools are saying about the markets and what to expect in the near term future, then visit www.TheTechnicalTraders.com to learn how we can help you find and execute better trades while staying ahead of these market trends and cycles. Our proprietary price modeling tools are second to none and have proven to be extremely accurate over the past 6+ months. Dont miss the next big moves in the markets. Learn how we can help you find and execute better trades with our specialized research, daily videos, proprietary modeling systems and more. Watch how these markets rotate over the next few weeks to see how accurate our analysis really is.

Chris Vermeulen

www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic



Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better.



His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility.



He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect.

Chris Vermeulen Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.



The income share of the poorest half of Americans is declining while the richest have grabbed more. In Europe, its not happening.

By Emily Stewart

https://www.vox.com/2018/7/29/17627134/income-inequality-chart

Many thanks to Linda T. for sharing the story above.

***

Missoula the Most Unequal County in Montana? http://www.matr.net/article-83989.htmlThirty years ago, we had a chance to save the planet.

Almost nothing stood in our way  except ourselves.

By Nathaniel Rich

Photographs and Videos by George Steinmetz

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/01/magazine/climate-change-losing-earth.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-regionion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

***

After Missoula talk, kids climate change suit against U.S. headed to trial http://www.matr.net/article-84056.htmlLInstitut Africain des Sciences Mathematiques, a lance les candidatures pour la troisieme admission a lAfrican Masters in Machine Intelligence (AMMI), un master intensif dun an qui offrira aux jeunes africains les plus brillants une formation de pointe en apprentissage machine grace au partenariat avec Facebook et Google.

Le programme AMMI rassemble bon nombre detudiants internationaux africains qui batissent de forts liens bases sur une academie dexcellence et la croissance intellectuelle, et qui ont le desir commun de contribuer au futur de lapprentissage machine en Afrique. Il est imperatif, comme la declare Prof. Moustapha Cisse (Fondateur et Directeur du programme AMMI)  de preparer les etudiants AMMI a diriger la revolution de lIntelligence Artificielle du continent .

La cohorte actuelle des etudiants AMMI, est repartie dans deux centres AIMS (AIMS Ghana et AIMS Rwanda) et comprend 77 etudiants en provenance de 18 nations africaines dont 32% de femmes et suit les traces des cohortes precedentes qui ont ete residants a MILA, IVADO, Vector Institute, Facebook, et bien dautres.

Pour postuler, les candidats doivent : au minimum detenir une licence en mathematiques, informatique, ingenierie ou un diplome equivalent avec une grande experience en mathematiques, porter de linteret ou avoir une experience en intelligence artificielle/apprentissage machine, et faire preuve de leader de qualites et une attitude panafricaine.

Partager et informez vous aussi......

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LinkedInIranian forces have withdrawn their heavy weapons to a distance of 85 km (53 miles) from the Golan Heights frontier between Israel and Syria, TASS news agency quoted Russia's envoy to Syria as saying on Wednesday.

Backed by Russia, Iran, and the Hezbollah Shia militia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has retaken territory in southern-western Syria from rebels, bringing the pro-Assad forces in proximity to the Israeli border.

"The Iranians withdrew and the Shia formations are not there," the agency quoted Alexander Lavrentiev, President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to Syria, as saying.

Lavrentiev said Iranian service personnel whom he described as advisors could be among Syrian army forces who remain closer to the Israeli border.

"But there are no units of heavy equipment and weapons that could pose a threat to Israel at a distance of 85 km from the line of demarcation", Lavrentiev said.

Israeli officials see Iranian forces and Hezbollah as a direct threat to their country's security.

Last week an Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Russia had offered to keep Iranian forces at least 100 km from the Golan Heights ceasefire line.

But Israel rejected the offer, which came during a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The official said Netanyahu told Lavrov "we will not allow the Iranians to establish themselves even 100 kilometres from the border."

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For six years Amina al-Khoulani hoped her brothers Majd and Abdelsattar were alive, albeit cut off in a Syrian government prison after their arrest early in Syria's war.

But last week, newly published state records obtained by relatives told her the men died back in 2013, just weeks after the family last saw them through a metal fence during a visit to the Sednaya military jail near Damascus.

"We used to hear a lot of reports that they had been executed. We know that the regime is criminal and is capable of doing this but you always have hope that this is untrue," al-Khoulani, a refugee in Britain, said in a video call.

After years of government silence about the fate of tens of thousands of people that rights groups say have been forcibly disappeared in the war, authorities have begun quietly updating registers to acknowledge hundreds of their deaths, according to Syrians who have recently learnt of their relatives' fate.

Starting in around April, families began discovering what happened to their loved ones by chance, when they requested records from register offices, rights groups and Syrians said.

Such records are needed for many administrative tasks in Syria, so they are often sought. Only this time, the information was not what they expected - but what they had long feared.

Word spread that deaths were being acknowledged and more people began approaching registries for information.

Reuters in Beirut did not receive any response to questions faxed to the Syrian Information Ministry in Damascus. Officials at the Syrian missions in New York and Geneva could not be reached for comment.

The Syrian government last year denied a report by Amnesty International saying it had carried out a campaign of mass hangings and exterminations at Sedneya prison, calling it devoid of truth.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), which has been documenting the war from outside Syria, has recorded 532 cases of forcibly disappeared people being listed as deceased in state records in recent months, without relatives having been previously informed of their deaths.

SNHR head Fadel Abdul Ghany said the death notices were Assad's signal to Syria that he has won.

Anwar al-Bunni, a human rights lawyer with the Berlin-based Syrian Centre for Legal Research and Studies and himself a former detainee now based outside Syria, put the figure much higher. From sources inside Syria, he had so far documented 3,000 names and called this the tip of the iceberg.

"Mothers and sisters are going to see if their sons are on the lists. Those that find out drop to the ground and faint," said 63-year-old Fadwa Mahmoud, a refugee in Germany who founded Families for Freedom which campaigns on behalf of disappeared and detained Syrians.

Mahmoud is herself awaiting news of her husband and son who were detained in 2012.

Many of the death notices on the updated register are for activists arrested in the early days of the Syrian uprising in 2011 and 2012.

And many of those came from the Damascus suburb of Daraya, one of the early centres of the uprising where rebels were finally defeated by the government in 2016 after years of siege.

"Of course the paper does not state that they died in prison ... the death is written, the date, and that is it," said al-Khoulani. The al-Khoulani brothers' registry document, seen by Reuters, says they both died at 10 p.m. on Jan. 15, 2013.

She said her brothers had been taking part in Daraya protests calling for "freedom and dignity" - slogans of the "Arab Spring" uprisings under way across the region at the time.

Abdelsattar's friend and fellow protester Islam al-Dabbas also died that day, al-Khoulani said. So too did prominent Daraya activist Yahya al-Shorbaji, his family - now living outside Syria - told Reuters, producing his record.

The number of Daraya residents registered as having died on the same day has led relatives to conclude they were executed together.

A resident of Mouadamiya town, another early centre of the uprising, said 96 people had recently been listed as dead at the local records office. But the resident's son, missing since January 2013, was not among them.

"My heart and my hopes say he is alive, God willing, but common sense says that he has been killed with many others because he was a peaceful activist," the resident said.

SNHR has documented at least 85,036 people forcibly disappeared across Syria since the start of the war.

Around 90 percent are thought to have been taken by government security agencies, the rest by factions operating in Syria's chaotic multi-sided war, it said.

Backed by Russia and Iran, Assad's advances have accelerated this year with rebels now posing no military threat to his rule.

Assad's ally Russia is urging refugees to come home, saying there is nothing to fear from Assad's government.

But people continue to flee areas that are falling back under its control, and many refugees say they are scared to return, fearing arrest, conscription or worse.

Syrian opposition officials and Turkey, which backs them, have pushed for the issue of detainees and the forcibly disappeared to be discussed in peace talks that have made no progress.

"They forced us out of our homes, took our money and killed our children," said the mother of the al-Khoulani brothers from her exile in Britain. "I want justice."

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran on Wednesday that if it were to try to block the key Red Sea Bab al-Mandeb strait, it would likely face an international coalition which would include Israel.

"If Iran will try to block the straits of Bab al-Mandeb, I am certain that it will find itself confronting an international coalition that will be determined to prevent this and this coalition will also include all of Israel's military branches."

Netanyahu was speaking at a passing out parade for new naval officers in Haifa, where Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman added in a separate speech that Israel had "recently heard of threats to harm Israeli ships in Red Sea." He gave no further details.

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Metropolitan News-Enterprise

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Page 1

Ninth Circuit:

Norton Simon Museum Can Keep Nazi-Confiscated Paintings

By SHANE PATRICK ETCHISON, Staff Writer

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday affirmed the award of summary judgment to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, holding that a wealthy European heiress cannot recover the Nazi-confiscated paintings because the Dutch governments sale of the paintings in 1966 was an act of state and must be deferred to.

The two panels, depicting Adam and Eve, were painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder around 1530 and are currently on view at the museum. Marei von Saher, heiress of the family from whom the Nazis confiscated the paintings, sued the museum in U.S. District Court for Central District of California in 2007, seeking the return of the paintings.

The litigation between von Saher and the museum resulted in three Ninth Circuit opinions, the latest of which was written by Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeown and affirms the granting of the museums motion for summary judgment, applying the federal act of state doctrine.

McKeown explained:

Our judiciary created the act of state doctrine for cases like this one. In applying it, we presume the validity of the Dutch governments sensitive policy judgments and avoid embroiling our domestic courts in re-litigating long-resolved matters entangled with foreign affairs .For all the reasons the doctrine exists, we decline the invitation to invalidate the official actions of the Netherlands.

AP This composite image shows panels of Adam and Eve painted c. 1530. (Norton Simon Art Foundation)

Old Dispute

The opinion begins by noting that, while the paintings have been in Pasadena for nearly 50 years, the ownership dispute over them goes back to the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands during World War II.

In 1931, von Sahers father-in-law, Jacques Goudstikker, bought several paintings, including the Cranachs, from the Soviet Union as part of what was billed at auction as the Stroganoff Collection. McKeown noted that District Judge John F. Walter found that the Stroganoffs, a Russian noble family, had not actually owned the collection, but did not reach a determination of that matter in her opinion.

Goudstikker fled his native Netherlands ahead of the Nazi invasion. Hermann Goring, one of Nazi Germanys top commanders and a notorious confiscator of Jewish-owned art, purchased Goudstikkers firm in an involuntary sale and took possession of its assets, including the paintings.

After the allied forces won the war, the Cranach works were turned over to the Dutch government, which implemented a process for people to reclaim such stolen works.

Attempted Recovery

Pursuant to that process, Goudstikkers widow attempted to recover the Cranach paintings, but ultimately released her claim to them. Subsequent attempts by von Saher to renew the claim were not availing.

George Stroganoff-Sherbatoff (the opinion refers to him simply as Stroganoff), who was born a Russian prince but later renounced his title in order to become an American citizen and serve in the U.S. Navy in World War II, had an ongoing dispute with the Dutch government, claiming that as a member of the Stroganoff family the Cranach paintings were rightfully his. The Dutch government settled the dispute with the former prince by allowing him to purchase the paintings in 1966, after they had determined von Saher had no right to them.

Stroganoff-Sherbatoff sold the Cranach paintings to the museum for $800,000 in 1971.

First Appeal

The first appeal in the litigation between the heiress and the museum came after the District Court ruled unconstitutional the California law under which von Saher initially sued. That law had extended the statute of limitations for claims against museums for Holocaust-era artwork through the end of 2010.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district courts dismissal, finding that field preemption invalidated the California Legislatures attempt to engage in foreign affairs. The court did allow von Saher leave to amend her complaint if she could allege facts bringing the claim under a generic state statute of limitations.

Shortly after that opinion was filed, California extended the statute of limitations for recovery claims against museums for stolen artwork to six years after actual discovery by the claimant. Von Saher amended her complaint, but in 2014 the District Court once against dismissed it, this time finding that the claims conflicted with foreign policy.

Second Appeal

A panel of the Ninth Circuit reversed the district ruling, noting that, according to the amended complaint, the paintings had not been subject to the Netherlands internal restitution process and that the dispute in the case was simply one between private parties.

Circuit Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw dissented to that opinion. In her view, an amicus brief filed by the U.S. government clearly explained that the foreign policy of the federal government held that World War II property claims may not be litigated in U.S. courts if the property was subject or potentially subject to an adequate internal restitution process in its country of origin.

Wardlaws reading of the federal foreign policy led her to conclude that the claim was preempted. In that dissent, McKeown notes, Wardlaw mentioned but did not reach the question of whether the Dutch sale to Stroganoff-Sherbatoff was an act of state which would be afforded deference.

Act of State

The latest appeal came after Walter granted the museum summary judgment, applying an analysis of Dutch law. The panel agreed with the ruling, but indicated that the analysis had gone too far.

McKeown explained:

We view the conveyance not as a one-off commercial sale, but as the product of the Dutch governments sovereign internal restitution process. Under that process, the Netherlands passed Royal Decrees E133, to expropriate enemy property, and E100, to administer a system through which Dutch nationals filed claims to restore title to lost or looted artworks. Whatever the exact legal effect of those decreesand irrespective of whether the district court correctly interpreted their meaning under Dutch lawwe cannot avoid the conclusion that the post-war Dutch system adjudicated property rights by expropriating certain items from the Nazis and restoring rights to dispossessed Dutch citizens.

She continued:

Expropriation of private property is a uniquely sovereign act.

The jurist further explained that the sale of the artworks to Stroganoff-Sherbatoff after von Sahers failed attempt to claim them, and a 1999 Dutch appellate court decision holding that the process which the Netherlands had implemented was valid under international law both supported the conclusion that the sale was an act of state.

No Applicable Exception

The opinion rejects von Sahers contentions that an exception to the act of state doctrine should apply to her claim.

McKeown acknowledged that purely commercial acts are exempt from the deference afforded by the doctrine. But expropriation and government restitution, she noted, are acts unique to sovereignties and are never purely commercial.

She also declined to apply the so-called Second Hickenloper Amendment which restricts the act of state doctrine for takings occurring during or after 1959. She noted that the Dutch government did not take anything after that date, but had already been notified of the Goudstikker familys waiver of their right to restore possession by the time they sold the paintings.

Wardlaws Concurrence

Wardlaw concurred with the opinion, but attached her dissent from the earlier appeal to her brief concurrence. She noted:

This case should not have been litigated through the summary judgment stage. The district court correctly dismissed this case on preemption grounds in March 2012. Those grounds did not require any further factual development of the record, and were valid even taking all of the facts in the light most favorable to Von Saher. So here we are in 2018, over a decade from the date Von Saher filed her federal action, reaching an issue we need not have reached, to finally decide that the Cranachs, which have hung in the Norton Simon Museum nearly fifty years, may remain there.

The case is Von Saher v. Norton Simon Museum of Art, no. 16-56308.

Fred A. Rowley Jr. of Munger Tolles & Olsens Los Angeles office argued on appeal for the museum. Von Saher was represented before the panel by Lawrence M. Kaye of Herrick Feinstein LLP in New York.

Copyright 2018, Metropolitan News CompanyAugust 01, 2018

Syria Sitrep - The Southwest Is Liberated - On To Idlib

The Syrian Arab Army campaign in southwest Syria is coming to an end. The whole (green/black) area held by "rebels" and ISIS just six weeks ago is now liberated. After early resistance was overcome by a large force, many "rebel" groups gave up their fight and agreed to hand over their heavy weapons to the government forces. Those who accepted reconciliation agreements were granted amnesty, a few preferred to be evacuated to Idleb governorate.

The quarter million displaced persons the UN claimed to be in the area have not been found.



Daraa governorate, June 18 2018 - bigger

After the eastern half was cleaned and "rebels" in Daraa city defeated the fight continued in the Quneitra area along the ceasefire to the Israeli occupied Golan Heights. Here the early resistance was again strong but soon broke down. The "rebels" were offered a new alternative. They could attach their units to the Syrian army. More than 400 are now serving with the 4th Armored Division led by Maher Assad, the brother of Syria's president. Others were formed into the separate 'Ahmed' brigade. Many of these former "rebels" helped to overcome the resistance of the last ISIS fighters at the southwestern border with Jordan. A few of the ISIS nutters survived and were taken to prison (vid).

This model of converting "moderate rebels" into government soldiers to fight al-Qaeda, ISIS and other radical Islamist will be an important element in the upcoming operation to liberated Idleb.

During the last phase of the attack on ISIS holdouts in Quneitra some 150 other ISIS fighters, who had earlier dispersed in the southeastern desert, launched a surprise attack on Suweida city which is home of many Druze people. Lax guarding and likely some inside help enabled the night assault. The ISIS fighters went from house to house and slaughtered more than 250 civilians before escaping. A similar number of people were wounded.

Forces that were part of the southwestern Daraa operation have now been dispatched to comb through the semi-desert where these ISIS fighters are hiding. A similar situation exists in Iraq's Anbar desert. The size of the areas and the hilly geography make it difficult to find a dispersed enemy. It will require continuous long range desert patrols and several large sweeping operations to hunt these animals down.



Some of the military forces which took part in the southwestern battle had already moved north. Others will now follow. Idleb province is largely under control of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the former Jabhat al Nusra and part of al-Qaeda. The total opposition force in Idleb governorate is estimated at 80-120,000 of which some 15,000 are foreigners including large contingents of Uighurs, Turkmen and Chechnians. Many of the "rebel" leaders in Idleb are Saudis and Egyptians. In total there are less than 2 million people in the (green) rebel held area. The Syrian government has opened several corridors to enable civilians to flee towards its side.



Idleb governorate, August 1 2018 - bigger

The large government campaign to liberate Idleb governorate will only start in September. Preliminary 'shaping' operations by artillery and air will prepare the battlefield.

The western "rebel" area in Latakia near the Turkish border will have to be recovered before proceeding towards Jisr al-Shughur where many foreign fighters reside. The first large phase will recover the areas south of the (Latakia) - Jisr al-Shughur - Saraqib - Aleppo road. There will likely be several axes of operations from the east, south and west. This for now would avoid a fight for the city of Idleb. The resistance by local Syrian "rebels" will likely be weak. They are demoralized and only think of how to escape from another fight. The Idleb campaign will likely take no longer than three to four month.

Turkey is responsible for the 'de-escalation area' of Idleb governorate. It was supposed to separate the "moderate rebels" from al-Qaeda and other radical fighters but did not succeed. Turkish forces holds some 12 outposts along the current demarcation line between the government and the rebels. It is not expected that these isolated, platoon sized units will take part in any fight.

Turkey's President Erdogan had hoped to keep parts of Syria for Turkey. That is unlikely to happen. Turkey is in deep trouble. Today the Trump administration sanctioned the Turkish Ministers for Justice and Interior for keeping U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson under Turkish house arrest. Congress threatens to sanction Turkey should it buy the Russian S-400 air-defense system. The Turkish Lira just broke through the 5 lira per US$ mark and continuous to fall. Many Turkish companies and banks took loans in U.S. dollars and Euros and will have problems to pay these back. The U.S. military supports the anti-Turkish PKK/YPG militias in northeast Syria. Turkey has nowhere to go. NATO will not come to its help. It can not start a war against Syrian forces which have the support of Russia without strong U.S. backing.

Over the last two days another round of the Astana talks between Russia, Turkey and Iran was held in Sochi, Russia. The final statement again empathizes Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty. With the Syrian army coming north Turkey can no longer justify to hold onto Syrian land.

After the recent Sochi talks Alexander Lavrentiev, President Vladimir Putins special envoy to Syria, spoke (Ru, machine translation) with TASS news agency about the Idleb campaign. He hopes that a big fight over Idleb can be avoided. The plan is to incentivize "moderate rebels" to join the Syrian army in the fight against the Islamists as recently seen in Daraa. The Russian reconciliation officers are ready to make such offers.



Last week the Syrian government held talks with the Kurdish YPG/PKK organization that acts as U.S. proxy in northeast Syria. The Kurds want strong autonomy or even a federate state with its own income sources but are unlikely to get that much. The U.S. will not start a fight with the Syrian government when it recovers its northeastern land. The other Syrian people will not forget that the Kurds enabled the U.S. occupation of parts of their land and let Afrin go to the Turks instead of handing it to the Syrian government. The YPG/PKK Kurds are useful for Syria to threaten Turkey but that's about it.

Russia initiated talks with the German and French governments about the return of refugees to Syria and financial help for Syria's recovery from the war. As a first tranche of its atonement fee France sent a planeload of medical supplies to Damascus. More such gestures will follow.

Posted by b on August 1, 2018 at 19:20 UTC | Permalink

CommentsThe Morgan Hill City Council has amended a resolution placing a measure on the November ballot to appoint, rather than elect the city treasurer and city clerk. The Nov. 6 ballot measure will now only include a change in the the clerk position.

<

At the July 18 meeting, the council unanimously passed a resolution to put a measure on the ballot that would make the positions of city clerk and city treasurer appointed, rather than elected positions. Following opposition voiced after the meeting, about the treasurer change, being included, a special meeting of the City Council was called July 27 to discuss how to proceed with the measure.

<

At the special July 27 meeting, Councilmember Larry Carr said he was concerned whether the measure would pass, because of the treasurer position. Carr said he could not support a resolution to put the treasurer position on the ballot, because of the concerns personally expressed to him by current City Treasurer David Clink.

<

Eight years ago, a similar measure failed to gain voter support, which City Attorney Donald Larkin said at the meeting was for similar reasons. Larkin said at the July 18 council meeting that he didnt believe there was any organized opposition against the current measure. Mayor Steve Tate said July 18 that Clink was supportive of the measure as long as he was able to finish his term.

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Some council members voiced confusion over why Clink had changed his position. I share [Councilmember Rene] Springs concern that [Clink] was okay with it, and now hes not, said Councilmember Rich Constantine.

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Clink was not present at either meeting. However, he told the Times that while he knew the council may have been discussing an amendment, he was unaware when the special meeting was or if it was open to the public. All meetings of the City Council are open to public, except sessions to discuss labor negotiations, personnel matters, lawsuits or real estate negotiations.

<

Clink said in an interview with the Times that he never supported the measure and could not support it in the future because he believes it is a necessarily separate roll from the council. He said, People like that choice of an extra voice within the city.

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Had the measure been put on the ballot, Clink thinks there would have been organized opposition by the California Municipal Treasurers Association, an organization whose mission statement is to lead in promoting and enhancing the fiduciary responsibility and integrity of individuals responsible for public funds.

Clink said that he believed the council made the right decision to remove the ballot measure.

<

Morgan Hill is currently the only city in Santa Clara County to have an elected city treasurer. The treasurer focuses on the investment of city funds and collecting city taxes and licensing fees.

<

However, the City Council staff report presented on the measure states that many of the treasurer duties outlined in the California Government Code have been delegated to the Finance Director.

<

The council unanimously voted on the amendment. City Manager Christina Turner said at the special meeting that the issue could be revisited in the next two to four years.

The council considered putting the resolution on the ballot as two separate measures, one for the city clerk position and one for city treasurer. Ultimately, councilmembers felt the risk of the measure not passing and wasting the money it would take to place a losing measure on the ballot was too great.

Voters will still get to decide Nov. 6 if the city clerks position should be appointed. The city clerk position has been an elected position, for a four-year term, since the citys founding. Irma Torrez is currently Morgan Hills city clerk.Jayme and Jeremy Simmons were just about to head out on the Rubicon Trail, a 22-mile route through the Sierra Nevada, when they got the message from Jaymes mom.

They had made the trip annually for the last 13 years and were about to be out of cell range for the next four days; this would be the last call they made before they hit the trail.

She would have never usually called me at the start of my trip, said Jayme, 41. When I called her back she was hysterical, crying, Your house is on fire and I cannot save your animals, and I think theyre all going to die. I got your dogs, but I think the livestock isnt going to make it. I dont think anything is going to make it.

The blaze, the Simmons would soon learn, started as a vegetation fire at 4:15pm July 25 in the 12100 block of Church Avenue. Before being contained by a firefighting blitz of ground crews and a helicopter, it would burn 20 acres and multiple homes, displacing 21 residents in the area, CalFire would later report.

Unsure what theyd find when they arrived home, the Simmons headed back to San Martinan agonizing four-hour-drive.

The Simmons arrived to their home on Lena Avenue after nightfall.

You could see flames, said Jeremy, 41. We were able to walk up as close as the neighbors fence over here, and we could see low embers and little flames. And, we could see the freeway behind the house, which you shouldnt be able to see the freeway because the barn should be there.

The main house on nearly 2.5 acres and owned by Jeremys parents Judy and Chuck Simmons was mostly unharmed by the fire, but the barn with a loftwhich Jeremy and Jayme had converted into an apartmentalong with Chucks workshop and the original cottage from the early 1900s, had been leveled.

Fifteen years earlier the Simmons had moved in with Jeremys parents. The young couple had lived in Murphys, and his parents had a home in nearby Arnold. Both couples sold their land and headed for the South Valley, where Jayme and Jeremy searched for a place to buy.

They didnt find what they were looking for and stayed on the Lena Avenue property, where they taught themselves to farm and decided to return to school.

Jayme, now a ranger at Pinnacles National Monument, studied environmental geology while Jeremy earned his degree in environmental studies with economics and now does trail repairs and finish carpentry at Pinnacles.

Having previously been evacuated from their mountain home in Murphys, the Simmons thought theyd be safe from the same fire risks in South Valley. They didnt expect to lose everything.

When they arrived, they couldnt access the property.

Last night we put up the hammock stretched between the Jeep and one of the trees out there. said Jeremy.

Jayme said they just wanted to be sure the animals were OK and see if anything could be done to help them.

All the chickens are dead, said Jayme. They had lost about two dozen chickensmostly rare breeds like silkies and small millefleurs.

The Simmons were relieved that their pigs had survived along with the majority of their goats, all Nigerian dwarves.

This guy next door came over and saved their lives; he sprayed water on them the whole time, said Jayme pointing to their neighbors, the Bettencourts.

You cant possibly get them to go where they dont want to go, said Jaymes mom Gayle Ng of the seven pigsa mixture of Yorkshires, Hampshires and Glaucester Old Spotseach weighing hundreds of pounds.

They had the fence ripped up and were trying to get out, said Jayme.

Touring the aftermath, the Simmons walked through the ashes.

Thats our storage unit; that had everything in it, said Jayme. All my pictures from my childhood. All of that.

Jamye was still searching the ashes for a ring and a broach that were given to her when her grandmother passed away.

She did find a piece of her baby blanket, which she hopes her mom will make into a quilta replacement for the one she had just received from her mom.

Shes drawn me a lot of pictures, Jeremy said as his eyes welled up. Just for a lot of years now on anniversaries and birthdays, she just would draw me some memorable part of our trip. It just made me realize how fleeting my memory is.

Heres my chop saw, said Jeremy, picking up a melted circular bladethe only recognizable part that remained of the tool.

My 77 J20, said Jeremy pointing to a green J20 Jeep Gladiator, they fondly called The Beast.

You need a truck on a farm, said Ng.

But the Simmons only had their Jeep, with the top and sides that were left behind destroyed. They lost several cars and motorcycles, including both of their daily drivers, which they needed to get to work on separate sides of the Pinnacles.

In addition to the vehicles and the chickens, their barn, the Simmons lost a breeding buck, named Jack.

Also lost on their property were several outbuildings including their storage, a welding shop and the original cottage.

They lost everything, Jayme said about the welders. All their vehicles are here.

Without the welders, Jeremys parents may not make their mortgage payments.

Mireya Mora, 31, had about 10 minutes to get out of the cottage, which she and Felipe Zamora, 30, had been renting for about a year.

Mora had only enough time to grab her dog, her purse and some clothes for the couple.

His mom and his brother came here to help me, but the fire was here already, said Mora. Everything is gone: jewelry, money, everything.

The water was still bubbling out of the pipes into the ashes.

She had a couple things like her grandfathers little wooden box that had been in her family for 200 years, Zamora said about Moras precious family heirloom passed down from generation to generation from her family who had come from a town near Guadalajara.

For now well spend a couple of nights with my mom, said Zamora. I didnt have any renters insurance.

The Simmons also were without coverage and were not named in Jeremys parents policy.

Having studied geology, Jeremy said, we were really prepared for an earthquake. Its hard to prepare for fire because everything is gone. All your possessions are up in smoke.

Jayme cautions readers, Have an exit strategy, a way to contact your loved ones.

The Simmons have been staying with Jaymes parents and will be looking for housing.

Through the devastation, an experience of recovery that is just beginning, Jayme is still grateful for my life, my husbands life, my family, she said. Everybody is OK. My dogs. My goats were saved by a number of peoplethat helps.

Jeremy is also grateful for the firefighters.

They kept it wet, he said. They tried.

To donate to the Simmons relief fund, visit https://bit.ly/2OsKY4a. People who wish to donate a tangible item can visit https://amzn.to/2LVnPJj.More than 20 residents displaced by the July 25 fire that rapidly spread through a San Martin neighborhood have a variety of local resources from which to obtain long-term and immediate assistance until they are able to start rebuilding or find new permanent homes.

Members of several families whose homes burned in the blaze, which started as a vegetation fire, attended a July 26 community meeting at the San Martin Lions Club to gain more information about such resources. The leaders of Santa Clara County organizations in attendanceincluding CalFire, Social Services Agency, Office of Emergency Services and American Red Crossurged the impacted residents in attendance to spread information about available help to their neighbors through word of mouth.

In the immediate aftermath of the firewhich destroyed a residential duplex, a mobile home, 16 vehicles and three barnsdisplaced residents are eligible for pre-loaded $100 gift or debit cards to purchase essential items. These cards are funded and provided by the American Red Cross and the California Fire Foundation.

Two other homes were damaged, but not fully destroyed by the fire, CalFire Santa Clara Unit Fire Chief Derek Witmer said at the July 26 meeting. A total of 21 residents were displaced from the damaged and destroyed homes.

Longer-term assistance is available from local nonprofits the Gilroy Compassion Center and St. Josephs Family Center, as well as the Red Cross. Displaced fire victims who are citizens of Mexico can contact the Mexican Consulates office in San Jose.

Insured renters and property owners can obtain CalFires fire report to provide to their insurance companies starting about 10 days after the incident, Witmer said.

The July 25 fire began about 4:15pm in the area of the 12100 block of Church Avenue in south San Martin. Due to the dry conditions, and sustained winds of 20mph, fire officials said the blaze quickly spread through about 20 acres of vegetation and onto a ranch on Lena Avenue. While numerous horses, goats, pets and livestock were saved from the fire, at least one goat died in the flames, Witmer said.

Other displaced residents said they have been unable to locate some of their animals since the fire was extinguished.

A firefighter at the scene suffered heat exhaustion, Witmer said. No other injuries were reported.

Mirna Arriaga, a resident of Lena Avenue whose home was one of those damaged by the blaze, said when the fire started it looked like a brush fire. She called 911, then went back inside her home to watch television.

Just a couple minutes later, Arriaga received a phone call saying her neighbors house was on fire.

We went back out and couldnt see three feet in front of us, due to the smoke, she said. Arriaga and her family had to jump in their car and retreat; they didnt have time to gather any clothing or other possessions from inside the home.

Arriaga lived in the home with her husband, Jose Orozco, and their four children, who range in age from 6 to 22. Arriagas father, Raul Arriaga, owns and lives on the property as well.

Orozco said while the home was not completely demolished by the fire, it is not repairable. Arriaga said she entered the heavily smoke-damaged residence the next day, but the odor makes her nauseous. The family spent the night July 25 in their RV, parked in a nearby commercial parking lot.

Cause still undetermined

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the July 25 fire, Witmer said. He noted the windy conditions were the key factor in the blazes quick spread. The first CalFire units on the scene ordered five engines right off the bat. A CalFire helicopterwhich doused the blaze with water pulled from a nearby reservoirand airplane appeared within minutes.

Several bulldozers also responded, Witmer said. Units from Gilroy and San Jose fire departments assisted.

A resident at the July 26 meeting asked Witmer if a locked fence surrounding a property owned by the Santa Clara Valley Water District impeded firefighters response when they arrived to the emergency. Witmer said fire crews carry enough tools to break down or cut through almost any kind of barrier.

With the water district property, which is adjacent to the Lena Avenue ranch to the north, Witmer said it took firefighters about one minute to use tools to cut through the locked fence and proceed along the service road. He said a delay of that length wasnt enough to make a significant difference in the amount of property damage.

Chaotic, windy scene

The rapidly spreading fire created a chaotic scene for those who lived in the area of the blaze the afternoon of July 25.

Mike Sibley, 71, who rents a trailer on the Lena Avenue property, said he received a call from the owner of the house warning him of the fire. Sibley rushed back from a bar in Morgan Hill, where he had been hanging out with friends. He said he at times drove on the wrong side of the road to get to the fire several miles south.

Sibley said he arrived in time to rush into the mobile home he has been renting for about eight years and save his 20-year-old dog, Oddie, and some valuables.

He left his vehicle in front and headed to the scene of chaos.

There was three or four cars on fire and I probably would have lost mine if I went back there, Sibley said.

He also managed to lead out a kid goat.

There were about 30 goats in there and that was the only one who wanted to follow me out, he said. The firefighters out here are doing an amazing job.

Sibley did however lose several personal items when another of the buildings on the property burned.

About 7pm, Santa Clara County Sheriffs deputies cleared onlooking pedestrians away from in front of the house on Lena Avenue and moved them back to Manna Way after an electric pole caught on fire and threatened their safety.

A gray pit bull was picked up by animal control in the area, firefighters said.

The fire was mostly contained before dusk July 25, but crews remained in the area through the following evening to mop up and keep an eye on any potential hotspots.

<

 St. Josephs Family Center, 7950 Church St., Suite A, Gilroy, (408) 842-6662.

<

 Gilroy Compassion Center, 370 Tompkins court, Gilroy, (408) 763-7120.

<

 Mexican Consulate, 301 Enzo Suite #200, San Jose, (408) 294-3415.

<

 American Red Cross, (408) 577-2054.

<

 Residents who need a fire report for insurance purposes can call CalFire at (408) 779-2121. Fire reports are typically available from the firefighting agency starting 10 days after the fire.

More than 150 Islamic State fighters surrendered to Afghan security forces in the northwestern province of Jawzjan after they were defeated and driven out by the Taliban, Taliban and government officials said on Wednesday.

The defeat represents a major setback for the group, which first appeared in eastern Afghanistan around four years ago and which had gained a foothold in southern Jawzjan, where it fought for control of smuggling routes into neighbouring Turkmenistan.

"The evil phenomenon of Daesh has completely been eliminated and people have been freed from its tortures in Jawzjan province of Afghanistan," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, using an Arabic term for the group.

The Taliban launched an offensive several weeks ago in Jawzjan against the group, which they oppose as much as they do the Western-backed government in Kabul and which has established an unmatched reputation for brutality.

Last month, General John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, welcomed the fact that the Taliban were fighting Islamic State, which he said had to be destroyed.

U.S. forces have launched air strikes against Islamic State fighters in Jawzjan in recent months, but the Taliban has rejected any suggestion of cooperation and accused the United States of trying to obstruct them.

The fighting prompted thousands of people to flee to the provincial capital of Sheberghan, where many gave shocking accounts of the brutality of Islamic State fighters and commanders in Darzab and Qush Tepa, the two districts they controlled before being driven out.

Mujahid said more than 150 Islamic State fighters had been killed and more than 130 captured by the Taliban with the rest surrendering to government forces rather than the Taliban.

Afghan government officials said 152 fighters from the Islamic State strongholds of Darzab and Qush Tepa surrendered to security forces in the early hours of the morning.

Mawlawi Habiburrahman, commander of Islamic State forces in the north, and another commander called Mufti Nematullah were among those who surrendered, they said.

Bands of Islamic State fighters have been increasingly active in northern Afghanistan in recent years, fighting the Taliban for control of resources and sparking alarm in neighbouring nations.

Government officials said the group's defeat in Jawzjan would ease concerns about its potential to expand and support militant activity outside Afghanistan.

"The worries of neighbouring countries, and the presence of Daesh groups on their borders, have now been removed," said Mohammad Reza Ghafouri, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

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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.Two migrants were shot dead on a road in Serbia near the village of Dobrinci, around 45 km (28 miles) northwest of the capital Belgrade, police said on Wednesday, giving no details of their deaths or identity.

Hundreds of thousands of migrants passed through the so-called 'Balkan route' from the Middle East, Africa and Asia passed on their way to the West in 2015 but it was shut in 2016 when Turkey agreed to stem the flow of people in return for EU aid and a promise of visa-free travel for its own citizens.

Migrants still arrive in Serbia, however, mainly from Turkey, via neighbouring Bulgaria. Frequently they use smuggling networks.

There are as many as 3,600 migrants in government-operated camps in Serbia, officials say.

Rights activists say hundreds of others are scattered in Belgrade and towns along the borders of Bosnia, Croatia and Hungary as they try to enter the European Union.

Serbian authorities have arrested dozens of people smugglers but incidence of violence involving migrants are rare.

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If you are one of the many avid jam band fans in the Dayton area, no doubt you have heard of The Werk Out. In its 9th year, this major music and arts festival is one of the dont miss events of the summer. It takes place on the historic grounds at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio, just east of Columbus, where the Grateful Dead, among others, took the stage many times. The venues storied past is why Daytons homegrown heroes, The Werks, chose to host their yearly musical extravaganza there.

The natural valley serves as an ideal spot for viewing multiple stages and comfortably camping all weekend long. You pull in right off of I-70, get parked, put your tent set up, then wander down the tree lined path, which is peppered with hammocks, vendors, food on your way to the massive stage set up. There youll get to see some of the most exciting national jam and rock bands touring today, including: Umphreys McGee (2 sets), Joe Russos Almost Dead (2 sets), Lettuce, Papadosio, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (2 nights), Twiddle, Turkuaz, Spafford, The Marcus King Band, KNOWER (full band), Zach Deputy, Steady Flow, ekoostik hookah, TWERKAPOD: A Tribute to the 90s,, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Octave Cat, Ghost Light featuring Holly Bowling, Tom Hamilton, Steve Lyons, Raina Mullen, Scotty Zwang Music, Mungion, Mom and Dad (featuring Chuck Jones & Neal Evans of Dopapod), Mike Perkins, Electric Orange Peel, and Conscious Pilot.

When I think of seeing all that great music individually, it would be so expensive. Thats what makes this festival a real value for music fans like me! Plus, its not just music that you can take part in, as there are tons of cool classes and Werkshops happening as well. From yoga and classes on tarot reading, to ecological leadership classes (yeah!) and kids activities, there is something for everyone. Or just kick it at your camp site with all the new friends you are bound to make!

How to Go?

Legend Valley Music Center and Campground: 7585 Kindle Rd, Thornville, OH 43076

Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 6:00 PM Sunday, August 5, 2018 at 12:00 PM (EDT)

NOTE: Wednesday early bird admission is an extra fee.

Click here for ticketing information.Lelectricite est devenue, de nos jours, un besoin dune importance majeure, et cela, dans tous les domaines dactivite. Que ce soit dans les maisons ou []SEE THE FULL LIST REQUEST FOR THE FULL LIST READ LATEST NEWS GO HOME FIRST STAGE OF 2015 COWBELL NATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS MATHEMATICS C...Related FARC peace deal under threat as right closes on Colombia presidency

Outgoing Colombia president Juan Manuel Santos admitted defeat on Wednesday after failing to secure a ceasefire with ELN Marxist guerrillas before handing over the reins to hardline right-wing successor Ivan Duquee next week.

"We hope that the next government decides to continue" negotiating with the ELN, the last recognized armed group fighting government forces in Colombia, to "start a real and verifiable ceasefire," added Santos.

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By PTI

NEW DELHI: The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India today reported a marginal decline in sales at 1,64,369 units in July.

The company had sold 1,65,346 units in July last year, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a statement.

Domestic sales were up marginally at 1,54,150 units last month as against 1,54,001 units in the year ago month, it added.

Sales of minicars comprising Alto and WagonR were at 37,710 units as compared to 42,310 units in July last year, down 10.9 per cent.

However, sales of compact segment, including models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire, were up 17.8 per cent at 74,373 units as against 63,116 units in July last year, the company said.

Mid-sized sedan Ciaz sold just 48 units as compared to 6,377 units in the same month a year ago.

Utility vehicles, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga were down 4.9 per cent at 24,505 units as compared to 25,781 units in the year-ago month, MSI said.

Exports in July were also down by 9.9 per cent at 10,219 units as against 11,345 units in the corresponding month last year, the company said.By PTI

MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today refused to comment on the corporate governance issues plaguing ICICI Bank whose MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar was asked to proceed on leave till an external enquiry into her alleged malafide actions favouring Videocon group and the companies of her husband Deepak Kochhar was completed.

Replying to a question whether the regulator is engaged with the bank and also if there is a bigger issue of governance at private sector banks, RBI's deputy governor NS Vishwanathan said, "We are alive to what is happening in the banking system and we are dealing with those situations as they are emerging, but I cannot say what we are doing with a specific bank."

"I think it is not appropriate for us to discuss any specific bank," Vishwanathan, who is in-charge of the banking regulations department, said without naming ICICI Bank.

When asked about ICICI Bank's systemic importance as a too-big-to-fail bank, he said these are global standards which are being followed in our country as well.

It can be noted that a whitleblower had written to the PMO alleging that Kochhar twisted the bank's lending norms to extend Rs 3,250 crore loan to the Videocon group in 2010, which is now has become a dud asset.

The letter also alleged that the now bankrupt group has then offered a quid pro quo to her husband Deepak.

As the controversy grabbed headlines, the board had in early June asked Kochhar to proceed on leave till an external enquiry panel headed by retired Supreme Court judge BN Srikrishna was complete.

The board also appointed ICICI group veteran Sandeep Bakhshi as the chief operating officer, who reports directly to the board.

For the June quarter, the bank reported its first loss since 2001 has it provided more for bad loans and also due to treasury losses.

On a standalone basis, the bank reported Rs 120 crore of net loss for the June quarter, against net profit of 2,049 crore a year ago.

This was the first time that the bank has reported losses from its domestic operations.By AFP

BERLIN: Volkswagen today said it may be forced to recall 124,000 electric and hybrid cars due to the presence of cadmium, a carcinogenic metal, in the vehicles.

"Clarification is under way for a recall order by Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority," said a spokesman for the group, confirming a report in weekly Wirtschaftswoche.

Usage of cadmium, a metal used in electric appliances like televisions, has been banned in most types of car parts.

An unidentified supplier has however delivered a batch of battery chargers containing cadmium, which has been installed in some electric and hybrid cars of the Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche brands between 2013 and June 2018.

The Wolfsburg group had detected the problem and on July 20 informed the authorities about the battery chargers which each contain 0.008 grams of the metal.

The carmaker told AFP that 124,000 vehicles could be affected by the recall.

The affected cars do not pose any immediate danger to drivers, said the group, explaining that the metal is well-insulated from any possible contact with the atmosphere.

Production and delivery of the concerned models, which had been halted immediately, have since resumed after the affected components were replaced by cadmium-free parts provided by another supplier.By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Come Thursday, the Karnataka High Court may take a decision on the petition seeking direction to the state government to hand over the case of missing techie Kumar Ajitabh to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Justice Aravind Kumar said that the orders will be passed on merits of the case. The court also asked its registry to place all the records submitted by the investigating officers in sealed covers which are to be presented before the court on Thursday.

Before this, the state government sought two weeks time to show further progress in the probe. But the counsel for Ashok Kumar Sinha, father of Ajitabh, argued that the family of the missing techie has lost faith in the investigation. The court then decided to come to a final decision on Thursday.

Sinha sought the court to direct the State to hand over the case to CBI. Sinha expressed apprehensions that Ajitabhs disappearance could be part of an organized crime ring or that his sons skills could be used for anti-national activities out of coercion or even that his son could be made a victim of organ-trafficking.

Ajitabh went missing in the city when he left home after receiving a call from a prospective buyer of his car for which he had advertised on online marketplace OLX on December 18, 2017.

The High Court on January 16, 2018, had directed the City Police Commissioner to constitute a Special investigation team to trace Ajitabh, as the investigation by the Whitefield police had hit a dead end.

Mangaluru murder case: Five accused acquitted

BENGALURU: As the eyewitnesses turned hostile, the high court acquitted all the five persons convicted by the trial court in the murder case of advocate Naushad Kashimji in April 2009 at Mangaluru.

A division bench of Justice RB Budihal and Justice BA Patil acquitted all the five convicted.

The acquitted are businessman Dinesh Shetty, businessman Pratap Shetty L Ritesh, Subramanya alias Subbu and Ganesh.

Advocate Naushad was clubbed to death near his apartment in Falnir at Mangaluru city on April 9, 2009.By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:In a first of its kind in the city, the shadow police here have arrested four people suspected to be wholesale dealers of methamphetamine and seized about one kg of the contraband from them. The drug is expected to cost Rs 1 crore in the black market.

The arrested are Sasidharan,65, and Anil Kumar, 45, of Attingal, Nahas,55, and Shaji, 48, of Chirayinkeezhu. City Police Commissioner P Prakash said Nahas and Anil Kumar had a history of cases registered against them for various drug related dealings. Nahas also has similar cases against him in the Gulf countries.

The four were arrested from Barton Hill area in the city on Tuesday morning when they came in two bikes. The drugs were stored in powdered form, Prakash said.The arrest was the culmination of a week-long surveillance by the shadow police, he said.

The drug, popularly known as meth, is said to be highly addictive and is used as a recreational drug. It is infamously known to give strong euphoric effects even when administered in minute quantities. Five gram is more than enough to give strong euphoric effects, Prakash said.

The arrested have a network of students, youngsters and foreign tourists as clients. One gram of the drug was sold at `10,000.Since meth is a synthetic drug, the police commissioner said they will find out the laboratory in which it was synthesised. In 2013, two Iranians were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) sleuths from Chennai for running a lab where meth was synthesised.

Though the source of the currently seized drug and the links maintained by the arrested people are yet to be verified, Prakash said the National Investigation Agency and NCB will be alerted about the seizure on account of the possibility of international connections.Arunkumar Sekhar By

Express News Service

The Galrani sisters are popular across South cinema. While Nikki Galrani is more famous in Tamil cinema, Sanjjanaa Galrani is the bigger star in Kannada and Telugu cinema. The latter jokes that when shes in Chennai, shes known as Nikkis sister.

But the same happens to Nikki when she travels to Karnataka and the Telugu States, she says with a laugh.

After over a decade in cinema and having acted with many top heroes in Telugu and Kannada, Sanjjanaa has now ventured into TV with the big-budget Swarna Khadgam produced by Arka Media of Baahubali-fame.



Your debut was in Tamil cinema. But you havent acted in the industry after that.

When I did this film called Oru Kadhal Seiveer more than a decade ago, I was studying in class XI. I did it just for the experience, and the film too was only meant for festivals. But Ganda Hendathi (2006, Kannada) got released first and I was soon offered a role in Puri Jagannadhs Bujjigadu also starring Prabhas.

Once the makers of the Tamil film realised I was getting famous, they decided to release it to cash in. And now its listed as my debut. Its all a mess.



Do I sense some resentment?

It is just that Wiki lists films I havent even done and refuses to accept films I have done like King and Commissioner. I have done films with Mammootty, Mohanlal, Prabhas, Pawan Kalyan, and Puri Jagannadh sir, not to mention some really great women-centric roles. But none of these are listed online.

On reflection, I think all of us go through regrets, be it Trisha, Nayanthara, Anushka or whoever has been here for as long as I have. You then reach a saturation point after running behind trees and heroes for so long. Trust me, I would still love to do that. It is less work and more fame. But then, at the end of the day, it is about balance. You have to do certain things to satisfy yourself also.



Is that why you decided to venture into the TV space with the serial, Swarna Khadgam?



Firstly, I dont think its right to call it a serial, which is typically shot with a budget of 2-3 lakhs and conjures up visuals of crying characters. Swarna Khadgam, on the other hand, is shot with a budget of 38-40 lakhs per episode. Take just the locations alone: My kingdom as well as that of the heros and villains combined cost close to seven crores to create. Also, though it is made in Telugu, it is available in 10 languages all over India.



So tell us about how you got to work in this series?



I was working on Dandupalyam 2 and Two Countries, and had just finished Sardaar Gabbar Singh, when I got a call from Arka Media that made Baahubali. You dont get a call from such a big production house every day, so I took the next flight out to Hyderabad. When I signed it, it was just to be made in Telugu. Now, it has been released in Tamil and Bangla, and will be released in Oriya on August 5 and in Hindi in October, once we have 60-70 episodes in the bank.



What is the series about?



Manipuram Mahasamrajyam is the biggest and the most prosperous empire of its times, the reason being the swarna khadgam/golden sword. The villain is a powerful man who has done penance and secured magical powers, but he is not royalty. So the goddess who gives him his powers says that he has to get the coveted golden sword to rule the known world. I play a powerful character called Maharani Mahadhatri who has her own triangular love story too in addition to the primary story line.

My character gives power, motivation, and inspiration to people around her. I would say she is tshe physical embodiment of the Swarna Khadgam.



So you are game for a web series surely?



The industry is growing exponentially and I am game for doing a web series  something like a Sacred Games, but minus the nudity, of course. I am done with controversies in my life.Donald Trump on Wednesday urged his attorney general to end the high-profile investigation into Russian election meddling that has ensnared key members of his presidential campaign and cast a long shadow over his White House.

In a series of tweets that quickly sparked accusations that Trump is publicly attempting to pervert justice, the Republican leader decried the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller as "a disgrace" to the country.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump said.

Trump, along with allies in conservative media, has launched a long PR campaign against the Mueller probe, which he claims is biased and pursuing erroneous claims of collusion between his campaign team and Moscow.

"Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX," the president said Wednesday.

Mueller -- a respected former FBI director -- is investigating whether the Trump campaign aided or abetted an attempt by Russia to sway the 2016 presidential election, or tried to cover up the conspiracy.

He has so far lodged dozens of indictments, including those of suspected Russian hackers, and secured guilty pleas from at least three Trump aides charged with conspiracy and lying to investigators.

This was Trump's most direct demand yet that Sessions, who infuriated the president by recusing himself from the investigation, intervene to end the probe.

"The President of the United States just called on his Attorney General to put an end to an investigation in which the President, his family and campaign may be implicated," complained Democratic congressman Adam Schiff.

"This is an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight. America must never accept it."

Even Trump's allies questioned the demand.

"I've said all along I see no evidence of collusion. But if anyone helped Russia to hack/steal they deserve justice," said Republican operative Ari Fleischer.

"Let Mueller finish his job. Neither POTUS nor Sessions should interfere. After all, nothing will help Trump more than Mueller concluding there is no crime."

Amid the criticism from both sides of the political aisle, Trump's personal attorneys sought to walk back the comment, insisting the president was not ordering Sessions to do anything.

"The president has issued no order or direction to the Department of Justice on this," lawyer Jay Sekulow told The Washington Post.

Rudy Giuliani added: "He very carefully used the word 'should.'"

Trump's latest Twitter tirade came on the second day of the trial of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on bank and tax fraud charges that stemmed from the probe but were not directly related to his time on the campaign.

Trump tweeted on Wednesday that Manafort "worked for me for a very short period of time" but sought to defend his former aide's bona fides.

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders," he said.

Manafort served as Trump's campaign chief from May to August 2016 and the president asked Wednesday: "why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation."

"These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!" he said.

Manafort's trial opened Tuesday with prosecutors accusing him of hiding from US tax authorities millions of dollars from past lobbying work for the pro-Russia president of Ukraine, and failing to report his foreign bank accounts.

In a further tweet, Trump suggested Manafort has been harshly mistreated.

"Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and 'Public Enemy Number One,' or Paul Manafort," he wrote.

Manafort is scheduled to go on trial in September on separate charges brought by Mueller of conspiracy, money laundering and failing to register as an agent of a foreign government.

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JAIPUR: A total of 220 cow carcasses were seized from a warehouse in Rajasthan's Alwar district on Wednesday, police said.

The carcasses were found buried inside a Govindgarh facility belonging to a Shakeel, who was arrested on Tuesday, Sub-Inspector Dhara Singh told IANS.

Other than the cow carcasses, remains of buffaloes and goats were also seized from the location.

Singh said that beef was reportedly supplied to Haryana, Rajasthan and other surrounding states from this place.

The raid was launched early on Wednesday after Shakeel's interrogation, said Singh about the ongoing probe.

The officer said Tuesday's arrest came after three women were arrested on Monday when they searched a number of houses and seized 40kg of beef.

On questioning, one of the women, Akbari, confessed that her son Shakeel and his friend Sattar had brought the beef to her house, Singh said.

Shakeel was nabbed but Sattar is still absconding, Singh added.

Veterinary doctors and a large number of Hindu activists were present when the police raided the warehouse on Wednesday.

By PTI

JAMMU: An Afghan national, who was staying in Jammu and Kashmir even after his visa expired, has been arrested for illegally obtaining Aadhaar and PAN cards and moving around in suspicious circumstances near the Line of Control in the Akhnoor sector here, a police official said today.

A police party had found Barkat Hussain (45), a resident of Afghanistan's capital Kabul, moving around in the Khour area two days ago, the official said. During questioning, Hussain revealed that he lived in Delhi.

Several documents, including an Afghan passport, Indian visa that had expired two years ago, an Aadhaar card -- according to which he belonged to Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir -- and a PAN card was seized from him, the official said.

Hussain was shifted to the Joint Interrogation Centre for further questioning.

It is not immediately clear whether the Aadhaar and PAN cards were real, the officer said.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The All India Ambedkar Mahasabha (AIAM) reached out to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday for her support to the proposed Bharat Bandh on August 9.

"The TMC chief told us we have her support for the causes we are rallying for. MP Derek O' Brien has said he will raise it during the Zero Hour in Parliament next week. We have also met JD(S) chief Deve Gowda and will be reaching to the BJP as well," AIAM chairperson Ashok Bharti said.

The AIAM, an umbrella body of pro-Dalit outfits, has listed out 20 demands which it will be rallying for in the agitation. It is protesting the "dilution" of the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act, 1989 and also sought that those arrested during the April 2 protest be released and the charges against them be dropped.

The AIAM has also reached out to MPs in the reserved categories to support its causes for the agitation. The other demands include the release of the exhaustive caste census data gathered in 2011 and ensure caste census under the Census Law in 2021.

The organisation has appealed to its supporters to protest peacefully as 11 people were killed during the protests on April 2.

"The message has been sent out strongly to all supporters that they should remain calm throughout the agitation and not indulge in any violence. While on agitation, the people will do so with folded hands and give flowers as a symbol of peace where necessary," said Bharti.By PTI

NEW DELHI: The three armed forces face a shortage of over 9,096 officers, with the Army topping the list, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

In a written response to a question in the Lower House of Parliament, Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for Defence said as, on January 1, 2018, the authorised strength of the Army was 49,933, but it has 42,635 officers, which is 7,298 short of the sanctioned strength.

The authorised strength for the Navy is 11,352 officers as against the existing number of 9,746 officers, which is 1,606 less than the sanctioned number.

The Air Force has a shortage of 192 officers, Bhamre said, adding that it has 12,392 officers as against the sanctioned strength of 12,584 officers.

In response to another question on whether the government has received any proposal from China for a border defence cooperation pact, the minister replied in negative.

He said an agreement on border defence cooperation between India and China was signed on October 23, 2013.

"No new proposal for a defence cooperation has been received from China," the MoS said.

He said the government has taken various steps to strengthen defence cooperation with China, including mechanisms to enhance military to military exchanges and ensure maintenance of peace, stability and tranquillity along the India-China border.

These measures include annual defence and security dialogue, exchanges at the level of border troops, border personnel meetings, meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation on India-China Border Affairs and agreements and protocols relating to confidence-building measures.Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Belying the Sarbananda Sonowal governments fear of law and order problem following the publication of NRC draft, Assam has remained peaceful.

The Centre had earlier dispatched 220 companies of additional paramilitary forces to the state. Fearing trouble, the authorities in several districts had enforced prohibitory orders.

However, the exclusion of many prominent people has raised questions over the process. Close relatives of former President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed could not make it to the list.

They included the family members of Ziauddin, son of Fakruddin Ali Ahmeds brother Ekramuddin.

Imagine I am the nephew of former President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and my name is missing. We are worried, said Ziauddin.

An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Assam Police, whose family members are engaged in protecting the integrity of the nation, has been left out of the NRC draft. ASI Shah Alam Bhuyan, who was attached to CM Sonowal until recently and also his predecessor Tarun Gogoi, was shocked on not finding his name in the NRC.

Shah Alam, who has been in the police service for 30 years, carried the tag of doubtful or D voter until being cleared of it recently.

Yet, his name did not figure in NRC.His younger brother Chandu Bhuyan is an Army officer. The third brother Shilu is a commando in Assam Police and the youngest, Mukut, is a BSF jawan.

Shah Alams son Babul Bhuyan is also a BSF jawan.

Prof Omar Saaduddin Ahmed, the great-grandson of freedom fighter Bahadur Gaonburah, too, did not find his name in the NRC.

Gaonburah had participated in the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny in Jorhat and was imprisoned at the Cellular Jail in the Andamans.By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Press Information Bureau (PIB) today cancelled the accreditation of Brajesh Kumar, who is the prime accused in the Bihar shelter home sex scandal case.

Kumar owned a newspaper each in Hindi, English and Urdu but it is alleged that circulation figures were inflated to gain greater slice of government advertisement revenue.

In an order, PIB, which comes under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said, "It has been decided with the approval of the competent authority to cancel the PIB press accreditation of card number 2275 issued to Brajesh Kumar, correspondent, Pratah Kamal Hindi daily with immediate effect in view of his involvement in alleged criminal activities.

"The PIB also asked all ministries and departments concerned to withdraw the facilities provided to him on the basis of his accreditation which include health facilities, government accommodation, railway pass and other benefits.

The Bihar government's information and public relation department (IPRD) cancelled his press accreditation card after an FIR was lodged against him on May 31.

It has begun investigation on the media house to find out whether he and his colleagues ever misused facilities accorded to accredited journalists.

Kumar was allotted a government accommodation under the PIB-accredited journalist quota in a posh locality of the National Capital Region (NCR), where he had his Delhi office, officials said.

A fresh FIR was registered against Kumar yesterday following the "disappearance" of 11 women from the premises of a self-help group run by his NGO.

The probe of the shelter home sex scandal case has been taken over by the CBI and Kumar is currently in judicial custody.

The case relates to mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls residing at Balika Grih, Muzaffarpur.By PTI

NEW DELHI: The opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress today attacked the government in the Lok Sabha over the issue of Assam's National Register of Citizens, accusing it of attempting to polarise people and forcing them out of their land.

Arpita Ghosh of the TMC referred to George Orwell's novel "1984" to snipe at the government, accusing it of carrying out surveillance of citizens through Aadhaar and now using the NRC to force people out of their lands.

"It should be stopped," she said.

"1984" is a dystopian novel set in the year 1984 when most of the world population has become the victim of war and government surveillance.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress said the NRC has created an atmosphere of uncertainty. He said different kind of statements is being made on the NRC issue.

While BJP president Amit Shah said the government had the courage to execute the NRC, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi claimed the NRC was his baby, Chowdhury pointed out.

"Attempts to polarise people is being made," he charged.

Raising other issues, Sher Singh Ghubaya of the Akali Dal voiced concern over the spread of cancer in Punjab, especially in the Malwa region, and asked the government to provide financial assistance to patients.By PTI

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court today asked the Maharashtra government if it plans to take action against the organisers and contractors of the 2016 'Make in India' Investment Meet at the Girgaum beach here, where a massive fire had caused considerable damage.

The blaze had engulfed the stage at the cultural event at Girgaum Chowpatty seafront where a string of film celebrities and political leaders were present as part of the high-profile investment meet.

In an order in June this year, the high court had held that the function caused considerable destruction and damage to the Girgaum Chowpatty beach.

A division bench of justices A S Oka and Riyaz Chagla today noted that according to the report of the Chief Fire Officer, the Fire Brigade department, the combustible material was placed near the stage which resulted in the blaze.

"In view of this report, we want to know from the state government if it proposes to initiate action against the organisers and contractors of the function.

The government shall let us know of its decision within three weeks," Justice Oka said.

Enormous damage was caused to the beach due to the fire, he added.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation raising concerns of soil erosion caused at the beach due to the erection of structures for functions and rallies held there.Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: FIRs have been filed against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Assam for her alleged offensive comments in the aftermath of the publication of draft National Register of Citizens (NRC).



The Dibrugarh district unit of BJP Yuva Morcha filed an FIR against her with Naharkatiya police accusing her of trying to fan communal passion and destabilise Assam. In Lakhimpur, the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad filed another FIR against her for her alleged attempt to foment unrest.



After the publication of draft NRC on Monday, the West Bengal CM had warned of a civil war. She had alleged that NRC was an exercise against Bengalis and Biharis.



Meanwhile, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation, comprising MPs and MLAs, will visit Assams Barak Valley on Thursday to take stock of the situation.



On the eve of the visit, Assams Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary warned that action would be taken against the TMC team if found trying to disturb peace. He also criticised Banerjee for her comments.



The Supreme Court had monitored the updation of NRC. As such, Mamata Banerjees charges are without any basis. She cannot divide the people of Assam. The people are united, Patowary said.



The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) also criticised her.



Mamata hatched a conspiracy to create unrest in Assam. We warn her not to make any attempt to incite violence, AGP MLA, Ramendra Narayan Kalita, said.By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today extended till September 28 the interim protection from arrest granted to senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on his pleas seeking anticipatory bail in the INX Media case.

The matter was mentioned before Justice A K Pathak, who asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file a reply within four weeks.

During the hearing, the CBI told the court that it has already filed its reply in the case.

Senior advocates Dayan Krishnan, Pramod Kumar Dubey, Ramesh Gupta and Mohit Mathur appeared for Chidambaram.

The matter will be heard on September 28.

The court had on May 31 granted interim protection from arrest to the former Union minister and had directed the ED not to take any coercive step against him in the INX Media money laundering case till today.

The high court had also extended the interim protection against arrest granted to Chidambaram in the CBI case.

The senior Congress leader's role had come under the scanner of the investigating agencies in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the Rs 305-crore INX Media case.

It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-1 government that clearances from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) were given 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, alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance to the media group for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007.

Thereafter, the ED had lodged a money laundering case in this regard.The visit will be organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt in cooperation with the US-Egypt Business Council

A delegation of members of 60 American companies will visit Cairo at the end of October, Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar announced at a meeting with members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo held Wednesday.

The companies' representatives will explore available investment opportunities in the Egyptian market in various productive sectors, Nassar added.

The visit will be organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt in cooperation with the US-Egypt Business Council.

Nassar said that both Egypt and the United States will focus on enhancing trade cooperation between the two sides in the coming period. He underlined the importance of business organisations in both countries in facilitating the flow of joint trade and investment.

President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, Tariq Tawfiq, stressed the importance of enhancing communication between the business community and the government in order to improve the environment and business climate to attract new foreign investment to the Egyptian market.

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NEW DELHI: In Delhi to try and stitch an alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the collective leadership of Opposition parties would take on the BJP.

Mamata is scheduled to visit Parliament on Wednesday and meet leaders of various parties. She will hold talks with several leaders, including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

READ | NRC will be implemented in Assam, Opposition playing vote bank politics: Amit Shah

Mamata, who is in the national capital on a three-day visit, will invite the Opposition leaders to a rally in Kolkata on January 19 that is being planned as the Oppositions mega show of unity.

There will be a collective leadership to take on BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls in 2019. I will meet all the Opposition leaders and invite them for the rally, she told reporters.

The TMC chief met disgruntled BJP leaders Shatrughan Sinha, Yashwant Sinha and Ram Jethmalani on Tuesday. I invited them to participate in the rally in Kolkata. The people who fight against the ruling party win, she said.

ALSO READ | Contours of alternative alliance would emerge after 2019 poll results: CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury

Mamata, who has taken a lead in formation of a federal front to take on the BJP, said India needed a change and that change must happen in 2019 for the betterment of the country and the people. Mamata is seen as one of the main contenders for the PMs post and has been reaching out to regional parties to consolidate her position.

I will never allow a divided motherland. They (BJP) should remember that they were not there a few years back and they will not be there in the coming year, too. This is not Indian politics; Indian politics is about tolerance, she said.Ramananda Sengupta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Hours before an Indian army delegation joined Chinese troops celebrating the foundation day of the People's Liberation Army at Nathu La in Sikkim, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday declared that the Doklam standoff had been resolved through "diplomatic maturity without losing any ground."

Speaking during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Swaraj said the main aim of the informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Wuhan April 27-28 was to generate mutual comfort, understanding and trust between the two leaders, and all three objectives were achieved."We have resolved the Doklam issue with diplomatic maturity without losing any ground. There is no change in the status quo (on the ground). There is not an iota of change. The face-off at sight has been resolved on August 28, 2017," she said.

The Chinese defence and foreign ministers were expected to visit India this year to shore up military and people-to-people contact, while President Xi would visit India for the second informal summit at a mutually convenient time in 2019, she said. Asserting that ongoing boundary discussions dispute between Bhutan and China was a bilateral issue, she said "our concern was related only to the tri-junction area (India-Bhutan-China)," where the Indian Army and the PLA were locked in a face-off for 73 days after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from illegally building a road in the area.

Meanwhile, at the invitation of the PLA, an Indian army delegation joined Chinese troops celebrating the 91st anniversary of the foundation of the People's Liberation Army at Nathu La in Sikkim on Wednesday. After taking part in a cultural programme to mark the occasion, the Indian team reciprocated with a show of their own. The "celebrations took place in a very festive environment and provided an opportunity to both sides to display their rich culture.

Such interactions between both armies have resulted in promoting mutual understanding and contributed towards achieving common goals of peace and tranquillity along the borders," said an army release.By PTI

PANAJI: Goa Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai is in favour of holding beauty contests in paddy fields if that serves the purpose of attracting the youth to farming.

The minister was responding to the Demands for Grants for Agriculture department in the Legislative Assembly today.

He said all attempts should be made to make agriculture an attractive profession.

"Today agriculture does not appeal the young generation. They feel that it is a profession of the old people. The need of the hour is to incentivise agriculture," he said.

Stressing his point, the minister said, "If you want, you can even host beauty contests in paddy fields.

Let the youth come. You can do that. Do everything possible to get the young generation to the fields".

Sardesai had recently appealed to the farmers to chant a Vedic mantra in their fields and adopt "cosmic farming" techniques to increase the yield.

He said one should adopt traditional methods of farming.

"This is required for the food safety," he said.

Underlining the importance of community farming, Sardesai said, "The Goa government will remain the guarantor of land to ensure that no one will grab the land in question once it is brought under the contract farming scheme," he said.

Responding to Cut Motions moved by the Opposition during Demands for Grants for the Town and Country Planning department, the minister took a veiled dig at AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) workers.

"Some people just want to sensationalise the issues, but don't come up with the proof when given an opportunity," he said referring to various allegations levelled by the AAP against state ministers while holding protests on various issues.

"The Chief Town Planner had written a letter to them, but they didn't turn up," the Town and Country Planning minister said.

He was referring to the allegations of illegal conversion of land levelled against him by an NGO a couple of months back.

"These people had appeared during elections wearing topis (caps). They flopped and now they are back as activists. When they are asked to prove their allegations, they disappear. This is anarchy. The leader of these people is an anarchist, so what can you expect?" he questioned.

The AAP had drawn a blank in the Goa Assembly polls held last year.

Turning at the Congress MLAs, the minister said, "they are pointing fingers at us today but tomorrow they will do it to you".

The Congress had extended support to the NGO which had held a protest against the government.

The minister said Goa needs planned development and to achieve that goal things need to be put in place.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: New Delhi on Wednesday welcomed the US decision to designate three Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives as terrorists. India welcomes the announcements made yesterday by the US departments of State and Treasury in which three Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) terrorists and terror financiers have been named as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDTG), the ministry of external affairs said in a release.

While the state department named Pakistan-based LeT commander Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), the US treasury department separately listed Hameed ul Hassan and Abdul Jabbar, as SDGTs. Dakhil was an operational leader for LeTs attacks in India between 1997 and 2001, while Jabbar was described as a financial facilitator for the LeT who distributes salaries for the terrorist outfit.

According to the MEA, the announcement vindicates Indias consistent stand that internationally designated terrorist groups and individuals, including LeT and its front, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation [FIF], continue to operate from and raise financial resources with impunity in Pakistan, and use territories under its control for carrying out cross-border terrorism in India.

Centre denies active presence of ISIS in India

The Centre on Wednesday denied any active presence of the ISIS in India, claiming that the lone ISIS module in Jammu and Kashmir had been eliminated by the security forces. Union Minister of State for Home, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, said no terrorist of the ISJK, an outfit influenced by ISIS ideology, was active in Jammu and Kashmir and the extent of ISIS presence in the state was till recently limited to waving of flags of the terror group.

Appropriate action has been taken against those involved in waving ISIS and Pakistani flags in Jammu and Kashmir, the minister told the Rajya Sabha.Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: A police team probing the disappearance of 11 women from a government-funded shelter home run by sex scandal mastermind Brajesh Thakurs NGO in Bihars Muzaffarpur on Wednesday recovered dozens of liquor bottles and condoms on its premises.

The locked rooms of Swadhar Grih, the shelter home for women separated from their families, were opened by police in presence of a magistrate. A team of forensic experts also accompanied the team and collected samples from all parts of the shelter home located in Chhoti Kalyani area of Muzaffarpur.

A number of registers containing various details about the shelter home were recovered along with several objectionable items. We will examine the contents of the registers and other evidence collected during this visit, said Muzaffarpur DSP (Town) Mukul Kumar Ranjan to The New Indian Express.

Sources said the police team, which included women police station SHO Jyoti Kumari and investigation officer of the case, Kalawati Kumari, forced open the locks and found many empty liquor bottles and condoms inside.

An FIR was lodged at the womens police station about the disappearance of 11 of the women residing at Swadhar Grih on Monday. Sources said 27 women were residing at this shelter home and that 16 of them had been shifted to a short stay home at Begusarai in June.

According to district welfare unit assistant director Devesh Kumar Sharma, the shelter home authorities had not provided any information to the social welfare department about the disappearance of the 11 women.

Swadhar Grih is run by Seva Sankalp evam Vikas Samiti (SSVS) with funds from the central government with the aim of providing vocational training to helpless women. SSVS owner Brajesh Thakur was arrested on June 2 in the case related to the physical and sexual exploitation of the minor girls residing at Balika Grih, another shelter home the NGO runs. SSVS, which used to run five shelter homes, was blacklisted by the state government last month.

Meanwhile, Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday wrote to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of Patna High Court, Rajendra Menon, regarding the trauma of the inmates in the state-funded shelter homes in Bihar.

Terming the sexual exploitation of the minor girls at Balika Grih as heart-rending, Malik urged Nitish Kumar to conduct an intensive probe conducted into reports of mismanagement at short stay homes and put in place a mechanism for their constant monitoring. Describing the CM as an efficient administrator and a popular leader, Malik also asked him to implement the recommendations of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, at all shelter homes.Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has triggered a new controversy saying that he will attend the oath taking ceremony of Imran Khan as Pakistan's new Prime Minister.

The Punjab Local bodies said he will attend the ceremony which is scheduled to be held on August 11 and termed the former cricketer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief as a man of character who can be trusted. Sidhu also considered the invitation for the ceremony a great honour.

Talking to reporters, Sidhu said, "I have a very cordial relationship with Khan Sahib, I've know him since 1983 when I played with him for the first time at Faridabad. He slipped and fell down when he bowled the first ball to me. He then got up and told the umpire that there was saw dust and then bowled the next ball which hit me in my stomach. I was in pain and he came to me and asked - Sardar Sahib - everything okay? and I said yes. After that he did not bowl a bouncer. In the evening he even inquired about me."

Singing praises of Imran, Sidhu said, "In 1986 when I went to Pakistan, I built a bond with him as I considered him a pure soul. He was a selfless man and did everything for his team. If I have to define a great leader, it is a person who does not ask people to believe him but believes in people. From non-entities he has created heroes including fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. These players did not even have shoes to play during their initial days."

READ | Imran Khan's difficult road ahead as Pakistan Prime Minister

"The invitation came from across the border and it's a huge honour for me to be invited for the oath taking ceremony. It is a personal invitation from him and not a political one and it is a wonderful gesture which I have accepted. Being honoured is the biggest gift for any politician. Men of genius are admired, men of power are feared, but men of character are trusted. Khan Sahib is a man of character. He can be trusted. Sportsmen build bridges, break barriers, unite people," said Sidhu.

Describing Imran Khan as a ray of hope, Sidhu said, "He has risen from scratch in politics, and has exhibited great character. I see him as a ray of hope." Sidhu said that when he goes to Pakistan, he will talk to Imran about the celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in 2019 and also about the corridor to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, which is approachable from Dera Baba Nanak.

Sidhu was among the first cricketers from India to congratulate Imran Khan after his party emerged as the single-largest party following the July 25 elections in the neighboring country.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Exclusion of 40 lakh people from the updated National Register for Citizens (NRC) of Assam snowballed into a major political controversy on Tuesday with Parliament witnessing noisy scenes as Opposition parties forced adjournment of proceedings in the Rajya Sabha.

BJP President Amit Shah, in an unusually combative mood, said the critics were trying to protect illegal Bangladeshi settlers. Mocking the Congress, he said the party had the opportunity to implement the NRC but it simply did not have the courage to do it.

However, several Congress governments which ruled at the centre and the state lacked the courage to implement it.

Reminding the Congress that the NRC was their idea, he said: "The Assam Accord was signed by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on August 14, 1984. I want to ask the Congress: how can you raise questions about the NRC today?" Shah said.

The Supreme Court later stepped in and the Modi government started the process, he said, adding that the apex court is monitoring the entire exercise.

It is a matter of "grave sorrow" that no party apart from the BJP and the BJD found it fit to say that illegal immigrants have no place in this country.

The BJP is not doing politics over it and its stand has been consistent on the issue whether in power or in opposition, he said.

ALSO READ | Government does not have data on illegal immigrants in Assam: Congress

Later, talking to reporters at the BJP headquarters, Shah said the exercise would be firmly implemented as illegal Bangladeshis are not only a threat to national security but they also violate human rights of Indian citizens. He tore into the Opposition asking them to make their stand on illegal Bangladeshi settlers clear.

Shah did not spell out what exactly would be the follow-up actions on NRC, saying the priority is to complete the exercise. The government will take a call on evicting illegal immigrants later, he said.

Shah accused the Opposition of fomenting misinformation to fuel regional strife saying bonafide citizens from other states residing in Assam need not worry. Notably, Shah said the problem of illegal Bangladeshi settlers was not confined to Assam. He said the BJP would take a call on whether to expand the exercise to other states like West Bengal at an opportune time.

ALSO READ | Statehood demand grows louder in Assam's Barak Valley

Taking on West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who has accused the BJP of pursuing a 'divide and rule' policy, Shah alleged that she saw a "vote bank" in illegal immigrants for win in elections while his party was looking at the security of the country and rights of its citizens.

No Indian citizen should be concerned and natives of any other state living in Assam would not be touched, he said, adding, NRC must be implemented firmly and fairly.

The BJP has seized on the issue that resonates with its broader agenda of nationalism and Hindutva to corner opposition parties in the election year, with Shah pitching the party as one standing for rights of Indians as opposed to its rivals who are concerned with the rights of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

"The BJP is committed to the national security and safety of its citizens. This is our top priority. All other parties should clear their stand," he said, asking them to answer in 'yes or no' on whether they support NRC.

ALSO READ | Jamiyat-Ulema-e-Hind to approach SC on non-inclusion of 40 lakh Assamese in NRC: Madani

He said the NRC is the soul of the Assam accord which the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had signed and it clearly stipulates that every single illegal immigrant would be identified and his name struck off the voters list.

The Congress has a habit of changing its stand, he alleged and took a dig at its president Rahul Gandhi, asking him to remember his grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi's statements that illegal immigrants have no place in India.

Asked about human rights concerns raised by some parties and rights bodies, he said he is concerned about the rights of India citizens whose resources were being grabbed by illegal immigrants.

He also condemned Banerjee for her warning that there could be civil war and bloodbath, saying the country was divided once in the name of civil war.

"She should clarify what kind of civil war she is talking about," he said.

Asked about a demand of West Bengal BJP leaders for an NRC in the state, Shah said the NRC is presently confined to Assam and the party will take a stand on such issues at an appropriate time.

The BJP has often spoken about the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in West Bengal and hopes that it will become a major political plank in the state, where Shah is aiming to win 22 of its 42 Lok Sabha seats in the next elections. It had won two in 2014.

Shah said he chose to express his views on the NRC through the media after opposition members did not let him speak in the Rajya Sabha, which was adjourned for the day following protests by rival members over his attack on the Congress.

The claim by some parties that it will become an inter-state dispute is an attempt to create confusion, Shah said, condemning such statements.

He said the NRC in its initial inquiry has found that 40 lakh people living in Assam are not Indian citizens but people can file their objections and verifications will be done as per the process laid down by the apex court.

(with PTI inputs)Faizan Mustafa By

The second draft of Assams National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been published with 40 lakh people not finding their names in it. They are on the verge of becoming stateless. There are apprehensions of ethnic cleansing or disenfranchisement now due to the rising majoritarian politics, though the government said it is a mere draft and no one will be deported for now. A large number of excluded people are from the Bengali-dominated districts of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj. Since many Bengalis, including those from families of freedom fighters and government employees, who might have passports or Aadhaar, face exclusion, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said she would consider providing shelter to those excluded.

Citizenship is the relationship of an individual with a political community. It signifies full and equal membership of such a community. Exclusion of outsiders or others is central to the modern citizenship concept. But the Constitution does give some fundamental rights such as the right to equality, right to life and personal liberty, freedom of religion, etc., to even non-citizens and thus these 40 lakh people will continue to enjoy these fundamental rights.

There are two well-known principles for the grant of citizenship. While jus solis confers citizenship on the basis of place of birth, jus sanguinis gives prominence to blood ties. Under the momentum principle citizenship is individualistic and signifies universality and equality and obliterates ethnic, religious and caste identities. Shared identity is at the centre of citizenship.

Assam was ceded by Burma to the British in 1826 as per the Treaty of Yandabo. To protect the social and cultural interests of Assamese people, Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act was enacted in 1950 itself. Under the flawed idea of Pakistan, we had West and East Pakistan separated by over 2,000 km. As nations are not made in the name of religion, the two-nation theory failed within 25 years and East Pakistan became an independent Bangladesh in 1971. The artificial and foolish Partition created more problems on the eastern side where the border was extremely porous and migration had more to do with the earning of livelihood rather than conscious opting of one citizenship in preference of another.

Most Citizenship Act amendments were about Bangladesh as large-scale migration into India continued on the eastern side. The Assamese agitation against this infiltration eventually led to the historic Assam Accord of 15 August 1985. The Rajiv Gandhi government, through this accord, assured Assamese people that the Centre will ensure protection and preservation of their cultural, social and linguistic identity.

Who is included in the NRC? The 1986 amendment to the Citizenship Act (1955) made a special dispensation for Assam and introduced a new category of citizen in relation to Assam. The newly inserted Section 6A laid down that all persons of Indian-origin who entered Assam before 1 January 1966 and have been its ordinary residents will be deemed Indian citizens. Those who came later but before 25 March 1971 and have been ordinary residents will get citizenship upon registration at the expiry of 10 years of their detection as foreigner. But during this interim period, they would not have the right to vote but can get an Indian passport. Finally those who entered after 25 March 1971 upon identification under Illegal Migrant (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983 would be deported.

Unlike the original Citizenship Act that gave citizenship on the principle of jus solis to everyone born in India, the 1986 amendment was less inclusive as it added the condition that in addition to ones own birth in India, one could get citizenship only if either of ones parents was an Indian citizen at the time of birth.

In the 2003 amendment under the Vajpayee government, the above condition was made stringent keeping in view infiltration from Bangladesh; the law requires that in addition to the fact of birth, either both the parents should be Indian citizens or one parent must be an Indian citizen and other should not be an illegal migrant. With these exclusionary amendments, the narrow principle of jus sanguinis has become more important than the fact of ones birth on Indian soil.

Acting on a petition by Sarbananda Sonowal, the current Assam CM, the IMDT Act was struck down by the SC in 2005. The court almost toed the rightist line and came down heavily on illegal migration by terming it an act of aggression. The Bangladeshi migrants into Assam, who were mostly Muslims, were considered not only disruptive and dangerous but also followers of so-called Islamic fundamentalism.

The court expressed its concerns about the demographic shift in Assam. The states attempt to get around this by passing the Foreigners Tribunal (for Assam) Order of 2006 was also struck down by the court. In the Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha case (2014) where the constitutionality of the 1986 amendment was challenged, the apex court referred the matter to the constitution bench.

On the other hand, the top court was more sympathetic to the Chakmas who were Buddhist residents of Chittagong Hill Tracts and Mymensingh districts of former East Pakistan and todays Bangladesh. In the Khudiram Chakma case, it held that Chakmas have been in Arunachal Pradesh for almost three decades and thus are entitled to citizenship through registration on the basis of domicile. The court ordered that no Chakma is to be forcibly evicted and held quit notices issued against them as violative of right to life and personal liberty. One hopes the apex court will also protect the rights of those not included in the NRC.

Every illegal Bangladeshi immigrant is not a potential terrorist. We may not even be successful in deporting them to Bangladesh, but those excluded will have a miserable life in detention camps. India is a land of immigrants. Inclusion, not exclusion, has been our culture and motto. Let us not dilute it. Let us reject the politics of bigotry, hate, and us and others as these are not Indian values.

Faizan Mustafa

Vice-Chancellor of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, and an expert on constitutional law

Email: vc@nalsar.ac.inBy Express News Service

BENGALURU: Reaching out to agitators demanding a separate state for North Karnataka, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday held talks with leaders who have given a bandh call on August 2. Rejecting all claims of he or his government being unfair to the region, Kumaraswamy listed out the schemes and programmes he had envisioned for North Karnataka.

While the leaders of Uttara Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samithi welcomed the Chief Minister's assurances, they refused to revoke the bandh call. They have now asked the CM to convene a meeting of legislators in Suvarna Soudha within 15 days to respond to the demands of the people of the region.

"Neither did this agitation begin today, nor is the anger directed against this government. We began our agitation in 2007 after consecutive governments failed the people of North Karnataka," said Somashekhar Kothambari, president of the committee demanding a separate state. He appealed to the Chief Minister to give more representation to legislators from North Karnataka in the cabinet, diversify investments and route them to districts of Hyderabad- and Mumbai-Karnataka regions and set up district-wise industrial and manufacturing units instead of focusing only on Bengaluru and neighbouring districts.

"The call for bandh was given by the community as a whole and we need to consult them. We are happy with the CM's assurances but there is no change in our decision on the bandh. Any changes will be announced later," Kothambari told the media after the meeting.At the meeting, the CM highlighted his contributions to North Karnataka during his previous term as chief minister reminding the agitators that he had visited North Karnataka districts 35 times as part of his grama vastavya programme.

"I take full responsibility and ensure development of North Karnataka. Schools, colleges, educational institutions, hospitals, infrastructure etc will be taken care of. BJP is unable to digest the fact that I have waived farmers' loans. They have no other agenda till Lok Sabha polls and hence are dragging this issue," Kumaraswamy said defending his recent statements and accusing the BJP of vilifying him.

In an attempt to woo the protestors, Kumaraswamy even claimed that out of the Rs 2.18 lakh crore budget only about Rs 550 crore was allocated by him for projects in Mysuru, Mandya, Ramanagara and Hassan. The issue of jobs, lack of medical and educational facilities, connectivity, development, infrastructure were raised at the meeting to compare the stark contrast between South and North districts of Karnataka.

BJP politicising separate statehood issue, says Parameshwara

Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said the demand of a separate state for north Karnataka is being politicised by the BJP. He told mediapersons that the issue of lack of development in northern parts of Karnataka was being redressed since the time when S M Krishna was the chief minister. He recollected that according to Nanjundappa's report, as many as 114 taluks had been identified as backward taluks. He emphasised that the separatists demands should be discouraged as many had sacrificed their lives to witness an unified Karnataka. "Kannadigas should remain united,'' he stressed.Pramodkumar Vaidya By

Express News Service

HUBBALLI: Ironical as it may seem, the call for separate statehood is coming from the very region from where the call for unification of Karnataka, including all Kannada-speaking areas, was given.

Though, the voices are not yet shrill and dont seem to have wide support, it should serve as a wake-up call for the state government to address the issue before anymore damage is done. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamys recent remarks on voters of North Karnataka has infuriated locals and many organisations have called for a bandh on Thursday.

They have also accused the CM of neglecting the region in his recent budget and not giving adequate representation to leaders from the region in his ministry.

Those demanding statehood say North Karnataka is far underdeveloped than the souther parts despite having natural resources, more arable land and population. After the reorganisation of the state on linguistic basis, the focus of past governments has been on developing districts around Bengaluru. Over the years, a sense of alienation has built up among people in the northern region.

Even within the region, indices of development differ between Bombay-Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka. Narrowing the gap between these two regions itself is a herculean task for any government, a senior BJP leader said adding that excepting this from the present JD(S)-Congress government is impossible.

The demand for statehood for North Karnataka is not new. While agitation for special status for Hyderabad-Karnataka region was at its zenith during early 2000s, former minister Vaijnath Patil, who spearheaded the struggle, gave the first call for a separate state then. The region also observed Karnataka Rajyotsava as Black Day and hoisted a separate state flag. However, this move did not gain much traction, but the agitation continued.

A senior advocate in Hubballi said the agitation coincided with the demand for a High Court Bench in Dharwad and Kalaburagi. As the then government did not respond positively to the demand, voices for a separate North Karnataka state were again heard in the region and a separate flag was hoisted too. After prolonged struggle by the Bar association, supported by people from all walks of life, the government set up circuit benches which were later upgraded to full benches of the HC, he pointed out.

To look into regional imbalance and suggest measures to address it, a committee headed by noted economist Prof D M Nanjudappa was formed. The committee suggested spending `2,000 crore each for eight years in row, totalling `16,000 crore. When the Congress-JD(S) combine (2004-06) did not show enough enthusiasm to implement the Nanjundappa Committee report, the demand for a separate state rose again, recalled Somashekhar Kotambari, whose organisation has given a call for bandh on Thursday.

The bandh called by Uttara Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti is gaining traction, but organisations in Hyderabad-Karnataka have snubbed it. Even those demanding implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri drinking water project, which will quench the thirst of 11 taluk in three districts, were of the view that the government has not paid enough attention to their struggle.Deaths caused by heatwaves could increase dramatically in tropical and subtropical regions, the study found

The number of people dying from heatwaves is likely to rise sharply in some regions by 2080 if policymakers fail to take mitigating steps in climate and health policies, according to the results of a study on Tuesday

Deaths caused by heatwaves could increase dramatically in tropical and subtropical regions, the study found, followed closely by Australia, Europe and the United States.

Published in the journal PLOS Medicine, the studys results suggest stricter mitigation policies should be applied to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, because lower greenhouse gas emissions are linked with fewer deaths due to heatwaves.

Antonio Gasparrini, an expert from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine who co-led the research, noted that several countries around the world are currently being hit by deadly heatwaves and said it was highly likely that heatwave frequency and severity would increase under a changing climate.

(But) the good news is that if we mitigate greenhouse gas emissions...then the projected impact will be much reduced.

The researchers said they hoped their research, which used mathematical modeling, would help decision makers in planning strategies for climate change.

The model used different scenarios characterized by levels of greenhouse gas emissions, preparedness and adaption strategies, as well as population density to estimate the number of deaths related to heatwaves in 412 communities across 20 countries from 2031 to 2080.

The results found that compared with the period 1971 to 2020 and under the extreme scenario, the Philippines would suffer 12 times more excess deaths caused by heatwaves in 2031 to 2080.

Under the same scenario, Australia and the United States could face five times more excess deaths, with Britain potentially seeing four times more excess deaths from heatwaves in the same period.

These predictions improved, however, when scenarios were modeled with policies implemented to fulfill the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Under the least extreme scenario, and compared with the period 1971 to 2020, the study predicted that Britain would see only around double the number of excess deaths caused by heatwaves in 2031 to 2080.

The researchers note that their work had some limitations, since it could model only relatively simple assumptions of how countries may or may not adapt climate policies.

The findings should therefore be interpreted as potential impacts under hypothetical scenarios, and not as projections of (the) future, they said in a statement.

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By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: CPC Corporation, a State-owned petroleum company of Taiwan, has proposed to invest in a petrochemical project in the coastal town of Paradip.This was informed by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan after a meeting with high level Taiwanese delegation in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Met with a delegation led by president of Taiwans State-owned petrochemical company, CPC Corporation. They propose to invest USD 6.6 billion in petrochemical projects in Paradip using feedstock from IOC, Pradhan tweeted.

Pradhan said it was a preliminary discussion with the Taiwanese delegation comprising president of CPC Corp Shun Chin Lee and senior officials of Taiwan Government. The group led by Lee will visit Paradip to explore the possibility of investment.

The delegation will also hold discussion with State government officials. If everything goes as per plan, the Taiwanese company will work out its investment plan in collaboration with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) which is operating a refinery plant at Paradip.By Express News Service

MADURAI: Summoning the Thoothukudi collector to explain reasons for detaining an advocate under the National Security Act despite court direction against it, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court Bench castigated the attitude of the police.

While hearing a Habeas Corpus Petition (HCP) filed by Sathiyabama, whose husband Hariragavan was detained under the NSA two days after bail was granted to him, a division Bench headed by Justice C T Selvam got furious after learning that information regarding conditional bail were suppressed in the detention order served.

ALSO READ | Anti-Sterlite protests: Imposition of Sec 144 was not known to public in Thoothukudi, reveals report

Further, the Judges pulled up Thoothukudi Collector for signing the detention order, even without considering the Court's direction in the bail order, where it was clearly mentioned that the advocate will not involve himself in Sterlite issue for 90 days.

Warning that his move amounted to contempt of court, the Judges said that the action of the authorities made them think whether Tamil Nadu was a police State or a democratic one. Further, the Judges summoned the Collector on Wednesday for an explanation.

A file photo of the violence during the anti-Sterlite

protest in Thoothukudi | EPS

As many as 92 cases had been registered against Hariragavan on charges of instigating violence during the protest against Sterlite in Thoothukudi. He was later granted bail in all 92 cases on July 24 by the same Court.

However, a detention order under the NSA was served the evening of July 26 on apprehensions that he may indulge in similar activities prejudicial to the security of the State and the maintenance of law and order.

Hariraghavan is presently lodged in Palayamkottai Central prison.By Express News Service

CHENNAI: DMK chief M Karunanidhi, who was hospitalised in the wee hours of Saturday, requires an extended period of hospitalisation despite maintaining his vital signs with active medical support, a hospital release said on Tuesday. Although there has been resolution of the condition which led to his hospital admission, an extended period of hospitalisation will be necessary due to age-related overall decline in his general health, altered liver function and haematological parameters, a release issued by Kauvery Hospital said, adding, his vital signs continued to be maintained with active medical support.

Also Read | AIADMK leaders visit ailing DMK president M Karunanidhi

A large number of anxious party cadre have gathered in front of the hospital in Alwarpet since Saturday when he was admitted. The hospital said he was admitted with a drop in blood pressure and was resuscitated and stabilised in ICU. It noted he had faced a setback on Sunday, rumours of which had panicked cadre who refused to disperse till early Monday.

He is a very tough person: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi visited Karunanidhi on Tuesday. Accompanied by state Congress leaders, he saw the ailing leader at the ICU with DMK working president MK Stalin, and Rajya Sabha MP MK Kanimozhi. He is stable...he is a very tough person like the people of Tamil Nadu. He has the spirit of Tamil Nadu in him, he later told media. He said his mother Sonia Gandhi had sent her wishes to the DMK chiefs family. Rahul had visited Karunanidhi at the same hospital in December 2016.By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu agricultural power consumption is 11,406 million units a year and a total of 8,138 MW of solar power is required to replace the traditional water pumps with solar pumps, according to a report by Greenpeace.

The white paper From Rooftops to Farmtops: Augmenting Indias Distributed Solar Goals through net-metered solar pumps jointly prepared by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI)-TATA Water Policy Programme and Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) states that if solar pumps are to replace traditional water pumps in farms across the country, India could surpass its solar target of 100 GW by 2022.

The analysis was released at a roundtable conference hosted by Greenpeace India, GERMI, and IWMI-Tata Program to discuss steps necessary for the successful implementation of KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahaabhiyan) - a Central government scheme promoting solar irrigation pumps.

Currently, while the 60 GW target assigned for large-scale solar power is on track, the 40 GW target for rooftop solar power is still to gather momentum, with only 2.4 GW of total rooftop capacity installed as of March 2018.

Interestingly, TN, which had a policy for installing solar panels on the roof-tops of private and public buildings, is going slow on implementation. It is learnt a high-level meeting was held recently to install solar roof-tops in government buildings but a concrete decision to this effect has yet to be taken.

Meanwhile, experts are of the view that Net-metered solar farmtop installations are very similar to rooftop solar installations from a technical standpoint. While rooftop solar photo-voltaic systems take away high-paying consumers from the grid, farmtop systems will actually reduce the agricultural subsidy burden for Indias cash-strapped power utilities.

Farmtops are an excellent way to achieve target across country, said Akhilesh Magal, Head - Advisory, Renewable Energy, Environment, and Energy Efficiency, GERMI.A preliminary assessment shows that replacing 100 per cent of all agricultural consumption in the next five years would require a total solar PV installed capacity of close to 150 GW. This is far more than Indias solar target of 100 GW by 2022. Even achieving a modest 10 per cent of this potential in the next five years would translate to a very significant commissioned capacity of almost 15 GW.By IANS

MEXICO: An Aeromexico plane carrying 101 people on board crashed minutes after taking off. At least 12 of the 85 persons injured are said to be critical, an official said.

The incident took place on Tuesday at the airport in Durango city. Confusion still persists on any fatalities, as well as regarding the number of injured, Efe news reported.

Emergency and security teams were at the crash site -- a vacant and arid area near Guadalupe Victoria Airport.

The latest figures were provided by the spokesman for the Durango state Health Secretariat, Fernando Ros. He told the media that 18 have been hospitalised of whom 12 are critical.

Durango Governor Jose Aispuro ruled out any fatalities on Twitter.

However, Mexican Communications and Transportation Secretary Gerardo Ruiz Esparza told reporters that he could only confirm 52 people to have survived the crash.

The aircraft, an Embraer 190, that was carrying 97 passengers and a crew of four, went down around 3.20 p.m., shortly after taking off on a flight to Mexico City, the Durango state government said.

The North-Central Airport Group (OMA), the agency that operates the airport, blamed poor weather conditions for the crash.

"It was raining, there was a storm. I think they wanted to abort, but were not able to fall on the runway. It fell farther ahead where the paved runway ends and that caused the fire that seriously damaged the plane," Aispuro said.

The airport has been closed while officials attend to the wreckage.By AFP

AFGHANISTAN: More than 150 Islamic State fighters surrendered in Afghanistan on Wednesday, Afghan officials said, a move which they and the Taliban hailed as the end of the extremist group in the north of the country.

The apparent IS capitulation comes after weeks of intense fighting between IS and the Taliban in Jowzjan province in the north, and continuing pressure from Afghan and US forces.

It also came as the Afghan army took over security in the eastern city of Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province which is an IS stronghold, after a wave of attacks mostly claimed by the group.

In Jowzjan, officials described the surrender as a turning point.

ALSO READ | Afghanistan: 15 dead as gunmen storm government building, 11 killed in bus bombing

"Their fighters have surrendered in the past, but this time it is more important because the Daesh leader and deputy surrendered with more than 150 fighters all at once," Mohammad Hanif Rezaee, spokesman for the army's 209 Corps in the north, told AFP, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Rezaee said 30 women and children had also handed themselves in to Afghan authorities.

"With this, the Daesh chapter is going to be closed in the north," he added.

IS has a relatively small but potent presence in Afghanistan, mainly in the eastern province of Nangarhar but more recently in Jowzjan.

The group has fought turf wars with the much larger Taliban since emerging in Afghanistan in 2014. Estimates of their numbers in the country run as high as around 2,000.

ALSO READ | Afghanistan: Roadside bomb kills 11, injures 31 in western province

Until a few weeks ago there had been around 500 IS fighters in the Darzab and Qush Tepa districts of Jowzjan, provincial governor Lutfullah Azizi has said.

But the Taliban stepped up fighting with the group there after an IS attack on their fighters last month killed at least 15 people, Azizi said.

The Taliban took credit for the surrender announced by Afghan officials on Wednesday, saying it had "cleared" the north of IS fighters.

It claimed it had captured 130, wounded more than 100 and killed 153.

- Defending Jalalabad -

The development comes as the Afghan army took over security in Jalalabad, with more checkpoints set up and special forces conducting operations a day after militants stormed a government department in the city and killed 15 people.

Among those killed was a local employee of the International Organization for Migration and a local staff member of the International Rescue Committee, both foreign agencies said in statements.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but IS is widely suspected of carrying it out.

"To provide better security for the people, the national army is leading the security in the city," Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, told AFP.

The army will spearhead efforts "to contain the emergency situation" for a week, Khogyani said. Eventually, police and soldiers "will join hands to secure the city", he added, but declined to give further details.

Mohammad Ali, a soldier deployed from neighbouring Kunar province, told AFP at a checkpoint that he and his colleagues would "defend this city until the death".

The Taliban has not claimed a major attack in a city for weeks as it comes under increased pressure to agree to peace talks with the Afghan government.

But IS has carried out multiple attacks in Jalalabad and the capital Kabul in recent months, targeting everything from government ministries to a midwife training centre.

Last month an IS suicide bomber blew himself up near Kabul international airport, killing 23 people including AFP driver Mohammad Akhtar.

The increased attacks come as US and Afghan forces intensify ground and air offensives against IS, and the Taliban step up their turf war with the group.

"IS has come under intense pressure... they have lost a lot of men," said former general Hadi Khalid, now a military analyst.

"The only strategy that can keep them going is to attack soft targets and that is what they have been doing recently."

However Borhan Osman, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, cautioned that IS attacks on soft targets were not necessarily the result of recent losses on the battlefield.

"Attacking lightly defended targets has been part of IS-KP's modus operandi from the outset," he told AFP.By AFP

WASHINGTON: A US gun rights activist and entrepreneur vowed Tuesday to fight attempts to block his free publication of blueprints for 3D-printed firearms, as US President Donald Trump signaled he was skeptical about whether the plans should be readily available.

Cody Wilson, a self-proclaimed "crypto-anarchist" and gun rights advocate, has made available for download open-source digital files for making so-called "ghost guns."

His website Defcad went live ahead one day early on Tuesday, as uproar mounted over a settlement he made with the federal government that allowed him to publish -- and numerous states resorted to 11th-hour lawsuits to block the site.

READ | Donald Trump 'looking into' rules on printed guns

Wilson says he is facing legal action from "at least 21 state attorneys general" who have cited a risk to public safety -- but insists he will not back down.

"I intend to litigate," he told Wired magazine. "Americans have the unquestionable right to share this information."

Wilson's legal team has argued that any move to prevent the distribution of the blueprints would run counter to the "foundational principles of free speech."

Wilson also says the US Constitution's Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms, should extend to a person's right to make their own guns.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, center , speaks with

media members following a hearing where a federal judge issued

a temporary restraining order to stop the release of blueprints to

make untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns,

Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Seattle. | AP

Politicians, gun control advocates and law enforcement however have expressed concerns that Wilson's plans could help anyone -- from a teen to a convicted felon -- make untraceable weapons with no serial numbers which could evade metal detectors.

Karl Racine, the attorney general for the District of Columbia, argued that Wilson's website would be "reckless and would create chaos and violence in the streets of the United States."

'Doesn't seem to make much sense'

In June, after a five-year legal battle between Wilson and the federal government, Trump's administration granted him permission to operate his website Defcad, envisioned as the WikiLeaks of firearms.

On Tuesday, AFP was able to download two files from Defcad, which featured digital files for 10 firearms and weapons components, though the site had some technical glitches.

The controversial 3D firearms technology presents Trump with tough questions about protecting the public, the limits of gun ownership rights and his own political fortunes.

With legal challenges against Wilson multiplying, Trump weighed in on Twitter, revealing that he had spoken to America's main pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, about the topic.

"I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public," Trump said, in apparent skepticism about their use. "Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!"

During his 18-month presidency, which has not been spared from mass shootings in schools and elsewhere, Trump has occasionally seemed to favor tougher gun regulations, only to later buckle under pressure from his base and donors.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader in the US House of Representatives, condemned the administration's settlement with Wilson.

"This decision is a death warrant for countless innocent men, women and children," Pelosi said in a statement. "For the sake of all our safety and lives, it must be reversed immediately."

Global problem

While Wilson has somehow become the public face of homemade weapons technology, the phenomenon is bigger than his website alone.

Earlier in July, Los Angeles police showcased an arsenal of so-called "ghost guns" seized from gang members during a six-month undercover operation.

The weapons, including AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles, were fashioned from kits purchased online, according to police. Wilson's website also features blueprints for the AR-15 and similar arms.

Wilson wants to supercharge the "ghost gun" trend by building the definitive repository of information, where even a novice can download digital code and build a gun with a 3D printer.

Jonathan Lowy of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence told AFP that the implications could be even greater for other countries.

"It's certainly a huge international problem, particularly given that many other countries have much stronger gun laws than in America," Lowy said.

"So, in those countries, there are many people who shouldn't have guns and could not get them unless they can get their hands on a 3D-printed gun."

In the five years since his legal battle began, his company Defense Distributed has grown to 15 employees inside a non-descript warehouse in the Texas state capital of Austin.

They have created a plastic 3D-printable handgun called the "Liberator," a machine called the "Ghost Gunner" with which homemade metal gun parts can be constructed, and amassed digital files for a number of weapons.By AFP

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers assailed the Trump administration Tuesday for its controversial border policy, as one immigration enforcement official pushed back against charges of abuse to say that family detention centers are like a "summer camp."

The description was the latest disconnect between officials charged with carrying out a controversial "zero tolerance" policy that has led to the separation of thousands of children from their migrant parents, and outraged lawmakers and members of the public who accuse President Donald Trump of creating a child safety crisis.

Republicans and Democrats grilled immigration and border enforcement officials at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing over a series of decisions in recent months that led to the separation of more than 2,500 undocumented migrant children from their parents or guardians.

And while they warned that many young children in US custody have suffered abuse during their detention, Matthew Albence, an executive associate director at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, testified that conditions at family residential centers were not as bad as described.

"I think the best way to describe them is to be more like a summer camp," Albence told the panel, as he described "24/7" access to fresh food and water, educational classes, outdoor recreational opportunities and exercise.

Authorities have struggled to reunify families who were separated after being arrested for illegally crossing the border from Mexico.

The detention of separated children, including infants, in cage-like enclosures set off a global outcry, and Trump last month ordered an end to the separations.

Under a court order, the government has reunited some 1,800 migrant children with their parents.

But 711 children remain in custody, and Senate Democrat Dianne Feinstein warned they may never be reunited with parents.

"It's not an exaggeration to say that the policies of President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions may essentially orphan hundreds of immigrant children," she said, blasting the policy as "deeply immoral and haphazard."

The panel's Republican chairman, Senator Chuck Grassley, also offered harsh words, saying the government "is failing miserably" at providing humane treatment.

"Mothers have suffered unimaginable physical, mental and emotional and even sexual abuse while in federal custody," Grassley said. "Obviously that's unacceptable."

Lawmakers and activists have also focused on some 400 children who remain in detention because their parents were deported.

While Grassley and others worried that deportees may not have made informed choices about leaving their children behind, the administration said the departing parents did exactly that.

"A great many of these individuals do not wish to have their child return home with them," because their goal "in the first place is to get their children to the United States," Albence said.

The hearing follows a federal judge's order to remove many migrant children from a Texas detention center after a lawsuit accused the facility of placing children on psychotropic drugs that acted as "chemical straight-jackets" to control children rather than treat actual health needs.DHAKA: Thousands of school students brought parts of the Bangladesh capital to a near-standstill Wednesday, blockading roads to demand action after two teenagers were killed by a speeding bus.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan appealed to the students to end their protests to avoid a repeat of police baton charges against the blockades late Tuesday.

Dhaka suffers from daily gridlock but this has been heightened by more than 10 blockades set up across the city since Sunday.

Students mostly aged 13 to 15 have taken to the streets demanding the resignation of a government minister for his comments as well as action to make roads safer.

Bangladeshi students shout slogans as they blocked a road during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Photo | AP)

Authorities say more than 300 vehicles have been vandalised since the protests started. Anger erupted after one of two buses racing for passengers killed a boy and a girl waiting at the roadside on Sunday. Asaduzzaman Khan on Wednesday promised that the government would launch a public transport safety campaign.

"We request you to withdraw the blockades and return to the classrooms. People are suffering and we don't want this," he said.

More than 3,000 schoolchildren in uniform assembled at the Shahbagh intersection near Dhaka University chanting: "We want justice!"

They held placards reading: "Why my brother is buried in a grave while the criminals are roaming free?"

Bangladeshi students shout slogans, holding placards as they block a road during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Photo | AP)

Bangladesh roads are notorious for a lack of safety rules or proper policing. Public transport vehicles are often driven by unskilled or under-age drivers.

According to the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways, a private research group, more than 4,200 pedestrians were killed in road accidents last year, a 25 percent increase from 2016.

A remark by Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan stoked the anger when he questioned why there was such an uproar over the two Dhaka children but no reaction when 33 people were killed in an Indian bus crash the day before.

(Photo | AP)

There have been widespread social media demands for his resignation even though the minister later apologised.

Many Dhaka residents had to walk to work in the monsoon rain because of the protests. But many still supported the action.

"The students have done what should have been done by the adults... to raise voices against such anarchy," said banker Rashidur Rahman as he walked to workBy AFP

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the wide-ranging probe into Russian election meddling and possible ties between his campaign and Moscow, slamming it as "a disgrace" to the country.

The president's latest tweet on the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller came on the second day of the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on unrelated bank and tax fraud charges that nevertheless stemmed from the probe.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump said.

..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

He claimed Mueller was "totally conflicted" and denounced his probe as "a disgrace to USA."

It was Trump's most direct demand yet that Sessions, who infuriated the president by recusing himself from the investigation, intervene to end the probe.

Also Read: Trump criticized for not leading effort to secure elections

It comes amid mounting pressure as Mueller delves into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia's attempt to sway the election in the Republican's favor -- and if the president sought to obstruct justice during the investigation by firing former FBI director James Comey.

"Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX," Trump said Wednesday on Twitter.

Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to begin the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

The first trial arising from the investigation opened Tuesday with prosecutors accusing Manafort of hiding from US tax authorities millions of dollars from past lobbying work for the pro-Russia president of Ukraine, and failing to report his foreign bank accounts.

In a tweet, Trump portrayed his former campaign chief as a respected adviser to prominent US political leaders like Ronald Reagan and Bob Dole.

"He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!" Trump fumed.In its efforts to boost the Egyptian economy to meet the nations aspirations for a place among the worlds economic powerhouses the government has been entirely focused on economic growth statistics and has overlooked one of the major causes of the economic woes of the past seven decades  over-population.



Reaching a staggering 97 million in 2018, Egypts population has grown at an alarming rate over recent decades due to improved healthcare, uncontrolled birth rates and a lack of awareness of the escalating problem.

Subsidies provided by the state in the form of free healthcare and education to all Egyptians, along with subsidised foodstuffs for larger families, have been major elements in the development of the crisis.

There has also been a surge in birth rates in rural areas owing to agricultural land reforms that have redistributed land to farmers and taken it away from larger landlords.

Such measures have provided incentives to farmers to bring more children into the world to assist in farming work, and the result has been families of five children and above.

Many of these children have then found themselves to be unemployed because of the modern agricultural equipment that has been introduced into the countryside, reducing the need for manpower.

But by then the die has been cast as many of these larger families have found that they cannot survive on the plots of land allocated to them by the government, and they have therefore either sold it so that it can be used for illegal building or have migrated to the countrys larger cities in search of better job opportunities.



Many of these new migrants to the cities from rural areas have not had the funds to afford proper housing, and they have therefore resorted to living in the unplanned informal housing areas that have grown up around the cities as a result of unplanned migration.

Housing has been built without permits and has lacked proper infrastructure and sanitation.



In the wake of such developments, Egypts population has grown from 18 million in 1952 to 97 million and counting in 2018.

Moreover, with about 23 million people living in Greater Cairo alone, the area of the capital has a larger population than the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

The huge efforts required by the state to maintain living standards in Greater Cairo alone can be readily imagined, let alone those required to maintain them in the rest of the country.

The Cairo governorate thus finds itself with the task of maintaining a metropolis that has a larger population than many Scandinavian countries.



Historically, Egypt was a major producer of agricultural products and was self-sufficient in terms of food until the mid-1950s when the population started to increase.

From there, things have been on a downward slope, and today Egypt imports some 50 per cent of its food from other countries.

This led the government to initiate its Million Feddans Project to develop further agricultural land in Egypt, but even this hugely ambitious project will only serve to put off the crisis if the over-population problem is not tackled.



The Islamists have played a major role in the over-population crisis facing the nation and jeopardising its economic growth.

A significant section of the Egyptian population is unfortunately still under the spell of radical clerics who encourage them to have as many children as possible.

This instruction is based on a hadith (saying) of the Prophet Mohamed that encourages Muslims to marry and to multiply for the glory of the Islamic nation.

It disregards the fact that the entire Muslim population when the Prophet Mohamed issued his hadith was probably no more than 140,000 and perhaps only half of that.

There were nowhere near the estimated 1.8 billion Muslims that there are in the world today, and as a result the prophets hadith, on which fatwas (legal rulings) have been based, should not be taken literally in the 21st century.



Egypts still-growing population is putting immense pressures on the countrys dwindling water and food resources, and drastic measures must be taken to ensure that this ticking population bomb is defused and is not allowed to threaten the nations future prosperity.

Such measures may include limiting the number of children per family to a maximum of two (excluding twins or triplets) and imposing hefty fines on people who disregard this rule while limiting free education and healthcare to the first two children.

Incentives to use birth control must be provided to more people, and awareness programmes must be expanded, especially in rural areas.



Such drastic measures may help stave off the impending doom threatened by the current birth rate. If they are not implemented and the population continues on its present upward path, Egypts population will reach 151 million by 2050.

This has all the elements of a future catastrophe if it is not dealt with drastically from the present moment onwards.

Egypts arable land remains limited, and even with the most ambitious of programmes it will hardly be sufficient to cater to the needs of such a population in the next 30 years.



Even though efforts have been made to construct new cities away from the Nile Valley, the majority of the population still lives on a narrow strip of land on the banks of the Nile, and there is every reason to believe that this will remain the case for at least another generation. It is nightmarish to think of the countrys projected population of 151 million still living on the banks of the Nile.



The great Egyptian nation cannot be comprised of the impoverished, the sick and the needy as a result of the uncontrolled birth rate that is threatening to wipe out the results of economic progress.

It should be among the most developed, educated, and healthy nations in the world in order to live up to the name established by its great ancestors.

Yet, focusing solely on economic progress and overlooking the ticking population bomb would be as futile as pumping water into a leaky pipe.



Egypts over-population problem must be dealt with as it is the mother of all its other problems. Defusing the ticking population bomb is the key to a much brighter future for all Egyptians.



The writer is a political analyst and author of Egypts Arab Spring and the Winding Road to Democracy.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 2 August 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Defusing the population bomb

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By AFP

TAMPA: Planet-warming greenhouse gases surged to new highs as abnormally hot temperatures swept the globe and ice melted at record levels in the Arctic last year due to climate change, a major US report said Wednesday.

The annual State of the Climate Report, compiled by more than 450 scientists from over 60 countries, describes worsening climate conditions worldwide in 2017, the same year that US President Donald Trump pulled out of the landmark Paris climate deal.

The United States is the world's second leading polluter after China, but has rolled back environmental safeguards under Trump, who has declared climate change a "Chinese hoax" and exited the Paris deal signed by more than 190 nations as a path toward curbing harmful emissions.

The 300-page report issued by the American Meteorological Society and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mentioned the word "abnormal" a dozen times, referring to storms, droughts, scorching temperatures and record low ice cover in the Arctic.

Here are its key findings:

- Greenhouse gas surge -

Last year, the top three most dangerous greenhouse gases released into Earth's atmosphere - carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide - reached new record highs.

The annual global average carbon dioxide concentration at the Earth's surface climbed to 405 parts per million, "the highest in the modern atmospheric measurement record and in ice core records dating back as far as 800,000 years," said the report.

"The global growth rate of CO2 has nearly quadrupled since the early 1960s."

- Heat records -

The record for hottest year in modern times was set in 2016, but 2017 was not far behind, with "much-warmer-than-average conditions" across most of the world, it said.

Annual record high temperatures were observed in Argentina, Bulgaria, Spain and Uruguay, while Mexico "broke its annual record for the fourth consecutive year."

Smashing more heat records, the highest temperature ever noted -- 110.1 degrees Fahrenheit (43.4 Celsius) -- so far south anywhere in the world was marked January 27 at Puerto Madryn, Argentina.

The world's highest temperature ever for May was observed on May 28 in Turbat, western Pakistan, with a high of 128.3 degrees Fahrenheit.

"The 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998, with the four warmest years occurring since 2014," said the report.

Last year marked either the second or third hottest since the mid 1800s, depending on which data is consulted.

In another alarming milestone, 2017 was also "the warmest non-El Nino year in the instrumental record," referring to the absence of the occasional ocean warming trend that pushes temperatures higher than normal.

- Abnormal Arctic -

Unprecedented heat enveloped the Arctic, where land surface temperature was 2.9 degrees Fahrenheit (1.6 Celsius) above the 19812010 average.

Arctic temperatures were the second highest -- after 2016 -- since records began in 1900.

"Today's abnormally warm Arctic air and sea surface temperatures have not been observed in the last 2,000 years," it said.

In March, sea ice extent saw its lowest maximum in the 37-year satellite record.

Meanwhile, the Arctic sea ice minimum in September was the eighth lowest on record and covered 25 percent less area than the long-term average.

Glaciers across the world shrank for the 38th year in a row.

"Cumulatively since 1980, this loss is equivalent to slicing 22 meters off the top of the average glacier."

In the Antarctic, sea ice extent remained below average all year, with record lows observed during the first four months.

- Extreme rain -

"Precipitation over global land areas in 2017 was clearly above the long-term average," said the report.

Warmer ocean temperatures has led to increasing moisture in the air, particularly in the last three years, causing more rain.

Climate change can also exacerbate extreme weather.

Some parts of the world suffered extended droughts, demonstrating that "extreme precipitation is not evenly distributed across the globe."

- 'Most destructive' coral bleaching -

Ocean warming over the last few years has been blamed for widespread coral bleaching, as disease spreads in this precious habitat for fish and marine life.

"The most recent global coral bleaching lasted three full years, June 2014 to May 2017, and was the longest, most widespread and almost certainly most destructive such event on record," said the report.By AFP

WASHINGTON: A gun rights advocate is vowing to take his fight to publish online blueprints for 3D-printed firearms to the US Supreme Court, if necessary, after a court temporarily blocked the controversial venture.

A judge in Seattle granted the injunction Tuesday after eight US states and the District of Columbia argued that criminals and terrorists would use the blueprints to make untraceable, undetectable plastic weapons.

Cody Wilson, the founder of a company called Defend Distributed that has published the blueprints online, told CBS News he believes "access to firearms is a fundamental human dignity. It's a fundamental human right."

"What I'm doing is legally protected," he said in an interview hours before the injunction was handed down by US District Judge Robert Lasnik.

"I will go to the appellate level. I will go to the Supreme Court. I will waste all my time," Wilson said.

Also Read: 3D-printed gun entrepreneur defiant, Trump skeptical

The states acted to block publication of the blueprints after the Trump administration settled a five-year legal fight by permitting the company to publish its website Defcad.

The website was shut down by Wednesday, but blueprints that had been posted online before the court order had already been downloaded thousands of times.

In a message on the website, Defense Distributed made a public appeal for financial support "to uncensor the site."

As uproar mounted Tuesday, the White House expressed skepticism over the legality of Wilson's efforts, even though the administration had green-lighted the project.

"I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public," the president said. "Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!"

READ | Donald Trump 'looking into' rules on printed guns

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley expanded on the president's comments Tuesday night, telling reporters: "It is currently illegal to own or make a wholly plastic gun of any kind -- including those made on a 3D printer. The administration supports this nearly two-decade-old law."By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's top anti-graft body today decided to file a corruption case against former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and several former top officials of the Ministry of Information Technology.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at its headquarters in Islamabad.

Gillani and others are accused of misusing their authority to illegally grant an advertising contract in contravention of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules, Dawn reported.

The act is reported to have cost the national treasury Rs 129.

07 million.

Gillani served as 19th prime minister from March 25, 2008 until his disqualification and ouster by the Supreme Court on April 26, 2012.

The meeting also granted approval for the launch of investigations in four different cases against former president Asif Ali Zardari's foster brother, Owais Muzaffar alias Tappi, who was the Sindh local bodies' minister, the paper said.

Other Sindh government officials named in connection with the same investigations include former Sindh chief secretary Raja Muhammad Abbas, and the Sindh Land Utilisation Department's former secretaries Ghulam Mustafa Phul and Ghulam Abbas Soomro, it added.

These individuals are said to have abused their authority to illegally allot several hundred acres of land by the Malir river, which has reportedly cost the national treasury Rs 33 billion.MOSCOW: Three Russian journalists who were killed in the Central African Republic were investigating the activities of a private Russian army there, a media organisation they were working with said Wednesday.

Journalists Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal were killed on Monday in the strife-torn country, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed earlier.

"On Friday, July 27 (they) flew to the Central African Republic to shoot material on the activities of PMC Wagner in the country as part of a joint project with the Investigations Management Centre," the centre wrote on its Facebook page late Tuesday.

The Wagner Group has been described as Russia's shadow army which has operated in many of the world's hotspots, including Syria.

Analysts say Moscow uses the private company so it can play down military activity in countries such as Syria and Ukraine and discount casualties.

A journalist who was investigating Wagner's activities in Syria in April died after falling from the balcony of his fifth-floor flat in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.

The Investigations Management Centre is a media project launched by exiled former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who spent a decade in Russian jail after falling foul of the Kremlin and now lives in Britain.

The circumstances of the deaths of the three journalists in the Central African Republic are unclear.

On Wednesday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said neither the journalists themselves nor those who were backing their trip had told Russian authorities they would be in the country.

"They declared tourism as the purpose of their trip," she told the state channel Russia 24.

"The process of identification has been complicated by the fact that the dead Russians were not carrying their passports on them," she added.

Historically the major international player in the CAR has been France, but Russia has taken on an official role since December last year, when it was authorised by the UN to provide the armed forces with weapons and training.By AFP

DUSHANBE: Tajikistan on Wednesday pledged to create a "tourist police" force to protect visitors after four tourists were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon ordered the creation of the force tasked with "protection of public order and security (and) escort of tourists" as well as the "prevention of crime," state media reported.

The move is a response to the attack by an armed gang on a group of seven foreign cyclists on Sunday which left two Americans, one Swiss and one Dutch national dead along a popular biking route.

The incident was at first reported as a hit-and-run road accident but later claimed by the Islamic State jihadists.

Tajik authorities have declared 2018 to be a "year of tourism" and claim massive increases in visitor numbers.

On Tuesday IS released a video showing what it said was a pledge of allegiance by the five men accused of murdering the European and American tourists visiting the impoverished ex-Soviet nation.

Police in the authoritarian country have so far ignored the IS claim of responsibility for the attack, instead blaming a banned Islamist opposition party with the backing of rival Iran.

The police account has generated scepticism outside the republic due to an ongoing government crackdown on members of the party, which was legal as recently as 2015, Tajikistan's icy relations with Tehran and the IS video footage.

The video released by IS Tuesday shows five men, who resemble pictures of the suspects put out by Tajik police, sitting by a tree in front of a jihadist flag.

The clip shows them swearing allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group's leader.

Tajikistan released pictures of four of the suspects after they were killed by police while resisting arrest. A 33-year-old man resembling the fifth participant in the video has been detained.

The victims were killed by being struck by a car and attacked with knives and guns as they cycled along a road off the Pamir Highway -- a popular tourist route with spectacular views.

They have been named as Lauren Geoghegan and Jay Austin of the United States, Dutch citizen Rene Wokke and Swiss citizen Markus Hummel.

One Dutch and one Swiss citizen also survived the attack while a French cyclist escaped unscathed.By AFP

SWEDEN: Robbers who nabbed two 17th century royal crowns and an orb from a Swedish cathedral remained at large on Wednesday, a day after fleeing their daring midday heist by motorboat.

The thieves, who have not been identified, and the jewels are being sought internationally via Interpol, Swedish police spokesman Stefan Dangardt said, noting the objects were a "national treasure" and would likely be "very difficult to sell".

The 1611 gold burial crowns belonging to King Karl IX and his wife Queen Christina were originally interred with the couple but were later exhumed and had been on display in a locked cabinet in Strangnas Cathedral, located 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Stockholm.

King Karl IX's crown is made of gold and features crystals and pearls, while Christina's is smaller and made of gold, precious stones and pearls.

"We have as yet no value of the stolen goods, except that it is a national treasure," Dangardt told AFP.

"Several people were seen leaving the church by boat or waterscooter after the theft. We have spoken to witnesses, but we are interested in further information from anyone that has made any observations," he said.

Police say thieves have stolen priceless treasures from the Swedish royal regalia, including a jeweled crown, from a cathedral where they were on display, before speeding off by motorboat. (Photo | AP)

Tom Rowsell, who was having lunch outside the cathedral where he is to be married this weekend, told daily Aftonbladet he saw two men dash from the building toward a motorboat waiting on Lake Malaren.

"I saw a white little boat with an outboard motor on the back. The two men hurriedly jumped on board and it sped off," he said.

"I knew immediately they were burglars, because of the way they were behaving," he added.

- 'Not possible to sell'-

The theft occurred just before noon on Tuesday, and police quickly had helicopters, patrols, and search dogs looking for the thieves but their efforts have so far proved fruitless, Dangardt said.

"There is of course going to be a lot of media interest in these types of objects. There will be pictures in the media. It's just not possible to sell these kinds of objects," the national police coordinator for thefts of cultural artefacts, Maria Ellior, told news agency TT.

"So we can only speculate about (the thieves) intentions," she added.

Similar heists have occurred before.

In 2013, King Johan III's burial regalia was stolen from Vasteras Cathedral. It was recovered several days later in a garbage bag left on a a countryside road, following an anonymous tip.

"One can hope that something like that will happen in this case," Ellior said.

The perpetrators of Tuesday's heist risk up to six years in prison for aggravated theft.By ANI

LAHORE: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has congratulated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan on winning the recently-held general elections.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) took to their official Twitter handle and wrote in urdu that the Turkish President has extended his hearty congratulations to Imran for emerging victorious, reported Geo News.

"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a telephone conversation with Chairman of Tehreek-e-insaf. Winning the election presented a heartfelt greeting. Chairman of the Tribunal, and good wishes for the future, Tehreek-e-insaf, and expression. Relations between Pakistan and Turkey agree at the start of a new era. @ImranKhanPTI @RT_Erdogan #GE18," the PTI tweeted.

                        #PrimeMinisterImranKhan pic.twitter.com/WJ2HGeHSNa  PTI (@PTIofficial) July 31, 2018

The PTI further said that Imran and Erdogan have also agreed to work towards building a new era of Pak-Turk relations.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan heaped praise on the Turkish President by describing his leadership as "an example for the Islamic world," reported Anadolu Agency.

According to figures provided by the Election Commission of Pakistan, the PTI emerged as the single largest party with 115 seats after the Election Commission of Pakistan on Saturday released the complete preliminary results for 270 of 272 National Assembly constituencies.By PTI

WASHINGTON: The US has designated three Pakistanis linked to the LeT, the outfit responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack, as global terrorists to shut down the militant group's financial network and curtail its ability to raise funds to carry out violent terrorist attacks.

LeT commander Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil was named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the Department of State.

Separately, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action yesterday to disrupt the LeT's fundraising and support networks by designating two of the group's financial facilitators, Hameed ul Hassan and Abdul Jabbar, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).

A longtime member of the US designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Lashkar e-Taiba (LeT), Dakhil was an operational leader for LeT's attacks in India between 1997 and 2001.

In 2004, Dakhil was captured in Iraq by British forces, then held in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan until his transfer to Pakistan in 2014. After his release from Pakistani custody, Dakhil returned to work for the LeT.

In 2016, Dakhil was the LeT divisional commander for the Jammu region. As of early 2018, Dakhil remained a senior commander in the LeT.

The designation seek to deny Dakhil the resources to plan and carry out terrorist attacks, the State Department said in a statement.

Among other consequences, all of his property and interests subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him.

"Today's action notifies the US public and the international community that Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil has committed, or poses a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism," the State Department said.

Designations of terrorist individuals and groups expose and isolate organisations and individuals, and deny them access to the US financial system, it added.

Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker said Hassan and Jabbar were responsible for collecting, transporting and distributing funds to support the terror group and provide salaries to extremists.

"Treasury's designations not only aim to expose and shut down Lashkar-e-Taiba's financial network, but also to curtail its ability to raise funds to carry out violent terrorist attacks," he said.

As a result of the designation, all property and interests in property of Hassan and Jabbar subject to US jurisdiction are now blocked.

US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

As of late 2016, Hassan worked with Falah-e Insaniat Foundation, a front for the LeT, to collect and send funds to Syria.

Further, as of early 2016, Hassan worked with his brother, Muhammad Ijaz Safarash, and Khalid Walid to transport funds to Pakistan on behalf of the LeT.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) previously designated Safarash and Walid as Specially Designated Global Terrorists for their association with the LeT in March 2016 and September 2012, respectively.

Additionally, Hassan has an active Twitter account, which identifies him as the leader of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamat-ud Dawah in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

According to the Treasury, Jabbar is a financial facilitator for the LeT and distributes salaries for the terrorist group.

He has worked in the LeT's finance department since around 2000. Additionally, as of mid-2016, Jabbar distributed funds on behalf of the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation.

In December 2001, the Department of State designated the LeT as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.

The LeT was also added to the UN Security Council's Sanctions List in May 2005.

Jamaat-ud Dawa was designated as an alias of LeT pursuant in April 2006 and was added to the UN Security Council's Sanctions List in December 2008.

In November 2010, the Department of State amended its designations of LeT to include the alias Falah-e Insaniat Foundation.

In March 2012, the UN amended its Sanctions List to recognise the Falah-e Insaniat Foundation as a front for LeT.By PTI

CHICAGO: A US judge has temporarily blocked the online publication of blueprints for 3D-printed firearms, in a last-ditch effort to stop a settlement President Donald Trump's administration had reached with the company releasing the digital documents.

Eight states and the District of Columbia, which houses the capital Washington, had filed a lawsuit against the federal government, calling its settlement with Texas-based Defense Distributed "arbitrary and capricious".

The Trump administration had settled a five-year legal fight by permitting the company to publish its website Defcad -- which founder Cody Wilson envisioned as a WikiLeaks for homemade firearms called "ghost guns".

Those weapons can be manufactured using 3D printers or personal steel mills, and lack traceable serial numbers.

A 3-D printed gun. (Photo | AP)

At least one of the guns can also be made from plastic, which is virtually invisible to metal detectors.

US District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle, Washington granted the plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order blocking the release of the digital plans, and scheduled a hearing for August 10.

In a written statement, New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, one of plaintiffs, called the ruling "a major victory for common sense and public safety.

" "As we argued in the suit we filed yesterday, it is -- simply -- crazy to give criminals the tools to build untraceable, undetectable 3D printed guns at the touch of a button.

Yet that's exactly what the Trump administration decided to allow.

" As uproar mounted yesterday, the White House expressed skepticism over the legality of Wilson's efforts, even though the administration had green-lighted the project.

Trump weighed in on Twitter, revealing that he had spoken to America's main pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, about the topic.

"I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public," the president said.

"Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!" White House spokesman Hogan Gidley expanded on the president's comments yesterday night, telling reporters: "It is currently illegal to own or make a wholly plastic gun of any kind -- including those made on a 3D printer. The administration supports this nearly two-decade old law."

Twenty-three Democratic senators later introduced a bill designed to block the publication of 3D printable firearm blueprints.

Wilson remained defiant and vowed to fight in court. He told Wired magazine that he is facing legal action from "at least 21 state attorneys general" who have cited a risk to public safety.

"I intend to litigate," he told the magazine.

"Americans have the unquestionable right to share this information."

The self-proclaimed "crypto-anarchist" also made the digital blueprints available online earlier than today's launch date he had previously announced.

AFP was able to download two files from the website yesterday, though it had some technical glitches and was difficult to access.

The site had 10 firearms and weapons components with downloadable digital files.

Wilson, a law school dropout who has taken up the cause of allowing unfettered information online without government interference, contends that the US Constitution's Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms, should extend to a person's right to make their own guns.

His legal team has argued that any move to prevent the distribution of the blueprints would run counter to the "foundational principles of free speech".

But federal courts have disagreed. Before the settlement with the Trump administration, Wilson had lost in both district and appellate court.

The US Supreme Court had declined to take up his case.

Politicians, gun control advocates and law enforcement had expressed concerns that Defcad's files would allow anyone -- from a teen to a convicted felon -- to make dangerous weapons.

But while Wilson has somehow become the public face of homemade weapons technology, the phenomenon of "ghost guns" is bigger than his website alone.

Earlier in July, Los Angeles police showcased an arsenal of such weapons seized from gang members during a six-month undercover operation.

The firearms, including AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles, were fashioned from kits purchased online, according to police.

Wilson's website also features blueprints for the AR-15.

Over the last five years, Wilson's Defense Distributed has grown to 15 employees inside a nondescript warehouse in the Texas state capital Austin.

They have created a plastic 3D-printable handgun called the "Liberator," a machine called the "Ghost Gunner" with which homemade metal gun parts can be constructed, and amassed other digital gun files.

Jonathan Lowy of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence told AFP that if Wilson's website is ultimately allowed to publish, the consequences could be even greater outside of the US.

"It's certainly a huge international problem, particularly given that many other countries have much stronger gun laws than in America," Lowy said.

"So, in those countries, there are many people who shouldn't have guns and could not get them unless they can get their hands on a 3D-printed gun."By AFP

PEARL HARBOR: Sixty-five years after the Korean War ended, the remains of dozens of American soldiers killed during the brutal conflict are finally coming home.

Wednesday's repatriation marks an important step after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a summit, where Kim agreed to send home the war dead.

Trump, who has faced criticism over the pace of progress since the June meeting, praised Kim for "keeping his word," and Vice President Mike Pence is set to meet families when the remains arrive back in the US at a ceremony in Hawaii.

Caskets carrying the 55 sets of remains will all be draped in the blue-and-white flag of the United Nations, though most are thought to contain US troops.

More than 35,000 Americans were killed on the 1950-1953 Korean peninsula during the war, with 7,700 of these US troops still listed as missing in action -- most of them in North Korea.

It could take scientists and historians years to make final identifications.

John Byrd, director of scientific analysis at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which has a large laboratory in Pearl Harbor, said preliminary findings suggest the remains are likely to be American.

They "are consistent with remains we have recovered in North Korea... in the past," Byrd told reporters at Osan US Air Base in South Korea.

The cases had been kept there since Friday, awaiting their repatriation to Hawaii for further forensic analysis.

"There's no reason at this point to doubt that they do relate to Korean War losses," Byrd added.

- 'Solemn reminder' -

Around 500 officials from the United Nations Command (UNC), the United States and South Korea attended a formal repatriation ceremony at Osan earlier Wednesday.

"This is a solemn reminder that our work is not complete until all have been accounted for, no matter how long it takes to do so," said General Vincent Brooks, the Commander of the UNC and of United States Forces Korea.

After the ceremony, uniformed soldiers carefully deposited each case into two C-17 cargo planes, which later took off for Hawaii.

Byrd told reporters that "there was a single dog tag (US soldier's identity tag) provided with the remains."

"The family of that individual has been notified," he said, though he cautioned that the tag is not necessarily associated with the remains in the box.

The returned material also included military hardware and uniforms, including helmets, water bottles and boots, he said.

- DNA, bones, dental records -

Former DPAA official Jeong Yang-seung, who previously worked on identifying US remains from the North, said it was unusual to locate dog tags during the search and recovery process.

"It's once in a blue moon that dog tags are recovered," Jeong, now professor of forensic anthropology at the Middle Tennessee State University, told AFP.

"I don't think North Korea is refusing to give dog tags when it has more but it probably doesn't have dog tags lying around," he said.

"So when... only one dog tag was provided, it's probably not to tease the US but rather that it was sent because it could offer clues to the remains."

DNA analysis, skeletal studies of bones, dental records and details of where the remains were found play a key role in such investigations, he said.

"It's a very thorough process with many, many procedures so it takes a long time," he said.

"If it's identified quickly, it would be around five to six months, but if not, it could take decades."

Between 1990 and 2005, North Korea allowed 229 sets of remains to be repatriated, but those operations were suspended when ties worsened over Pyongyang's banned nuclear weapons program.

Following the summit in June, Trump had declared that Pyongyang was "no longer a Nuclear Threat," but Kim did not publicly promise to end work at the country's nuclear and missile facilities.

Instead, he spoke of committing to "work toward" eventual denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula but did not make any commitment to unilaterally disarm.

Still, experts see North Korea's return of the remains as an important goodwill gesture.

"It's a sign that they want to improve relations with us... and certainly for the families it's significant," Joel Wit, founder of the respected 38 North organization that monitors North Korea, told AFP.

And new satellite imagery from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station on North Korea's west coast suggests workers are dismantling an engine test stand, in line with a promise made to Trump.The period of Nasser has come in for unprecedented criticism of late. Learning from the past is one thing, but it is perilous to oblige a nation to break from it

26 July is of a great historical and strategic significance in the modern history of Egypt. However, this year was a sad one.

In 2018, 26 July came and passed like a meteor. There was no celebration, either officially, nor in the media, whether the semi-official one or in the independent newspapers.

This deafening silence coincided with a fierce campaign against the July 1952 Revolution and late president Gamal Abdel-Nasser.

On 26 July 1956, Nasser had nationalised the Suez Canal, a decision that secured him a special place in the hearts of Egyptians and in Third World countries.

This historic decision led to a major realignment of forces in the Middle East and the beginning of the end of Western colonialism.

It is a date that separates two distinct phases in the history of the Middle East.

In the pre-26 July era, the peoples of the region had been subjected to foreign rule and military occupation where the final say in their destinies had been made in faraway capitals, namely London and Paris.

The post-26 July period heralded a time of political and economic liberation and national revival.

In Egypt, celebration of the anniversary of 26 July has always been an occasion for renewed national pride and a painful reminder of the many sacrifices Egyptians made as a direct cost for having such a coveted and strategic international waterway that links three continents and three oceans.

In the two world wars in the 20th century, Egypt became a major battle ground because the belligerents either wanted to control the Suez Canal or prevent their enemy from controlling it.

The fact that an Egyptian leader could wrest control of the Suez Canal for the benefit of the people of Egypt was not lost on Western decision-makers.

Hence, the Suez War against Nassers Egypt in October 1956. The way this campaign ended heralded a new regional order in the Middle East with a very influential Egypt emerging, an emergence that tipped the balance of power to the advantage of the Arabs in their quest for a complete break from their colonial past, a past that had lasted more than 100 years. Egypt and the newly-independent Arab countries were making history.

When Egyptians celebrated this cherished national anniversary they were, in fact, rededicating themselves to the true meaning of the nationalisation of the Suez Canal, which has always been an assertion of their national will and independence from foreign powers.

It was never lost on generations of Egyptians that the decision to nationalise the canal had been a strong response on the part of president Nasser and the young Egyptian revolution to the withdrawal of the financing offer by the World Bank to build the Aswan High Dam, after initially expressing its willingness to do so.

American objections, and as a way to exert political pressure on the revolutionary government in Egypt, made it impossible for Eugene Black, then-president of the World Bank, to proceed with the project.

The nationalisation of the Suez Canal made the dream come true, but at a heavy cost for the Americans at the height of the Cold War years. The former Soviet Union agreed to finance the building of the High Dam and gained a firm footing in the Middle East.

Accordingly, Egyptians have always taken a special pride in their ability to shape the course of history in the region and in the wider Arab world. Celebrating 26 July, year in and year out, worked like magic on their morale.

This year there was seldom a mention of the anniversary. Of course, todays Egypt is a completely different place of that lost Egypt that had dared to dream.

But it is no excuse for failing to celebrate 26 July. One has a feeling that modern day Egyptians, due to their daily and endless frustrations and lack of confidence in better tomorrows, no longer care about their past, however great that distant past was, and however inspiring that past had been for other nations around the globe.

Maybe someone in power thinks that by neglecting significant and important historical dates in the history of the nation new kind of political legitimacy for the post-June 2013 order will be born.

I am afraid working for a complete break with the high moments of the July 1952 Revolution would only embolden the Muslim Brotherhood, and the forces of the extreme right in the country, in their unending quest to regain power.



There was a parallel to such neglect and the green light to ascribe to the July 1952 Revolution all the political and economic ills of the nation.

It took place, and with vehemence not unlike what we have witnessed lately, in the period from 2005 till the outbreak of the popular uprising of January 2011.

And the culprits had been the same; that is, the Muslim Brotherhood and the crony capitalists of the day. It is strange that history, albeit a very recent one, could be repeating itself before our eyes.

Going back to the roots, celebrating national anniversaries, like the anniversary of the nationalisation of the Suez Canal, that defined Egypt in the second half of the 20th century, and made the country a symbol for progress, independence and the true incarnation of free national will, as well as turning it into a beacon of hope in the Third World, would make sure that the July Revolution would strengthen and deepen the legitimacy of the June 2013 Revolution.

A break between the two would chip away at the political legitimacy of the post- June political order.

Deconstructing the July 1952 Revolution is a very perilous road to take. Some former Egyptian presidents should have known better.

The writer is former assistant foreign minister.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 2 August 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Persistent deconstruction

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By AFP

HARARE: Protests in Zimbabwe's historic elections turned bloody on Wednesday as a man was shot dead during demonstrations over alleged vote fraud and President Emmerson Mnangagwa appealed for calm.

The man died after soldiers fired live ammunition during opposition protests in downtown Harare, AFP reporters saw.

The polls -- the first since autocratic president Robert Mugabe was forced out by a brief military takeover in November -- had offered Zimbabwe the chance of turning the page on a brutal chapter of its past.

An opposition party supporter throws a rock aimed at Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa's election campaign poster in Harare, Zimbabwe. (Photo | AP)

But the mood quickly descended into anger and chaos as supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition declared they had been cheated.

"You said you were better than Mugabe -- you are the picture of Mugabe," shouted one young male protester wearing a white T-shirt. "We need security for the people."

Official results showed that the ruling ZANU-PF party had easily won the most seats in the parliamentary ballot -- strengthening Mnangagwa's prospects of holding onto power in the key presidential vote.

MDC supporters burnt tyres and pulled down street signs as protests spread from the party headquarters in Harare.

"Now is the time for responsibility and above all, peace," wrote Mnangagwa on his verified Twitter account.

"At this crucial time, I call on everyone to desist from provocative declarations and statements."

ALSO READ | Zimbabwe elections: EU observers criticise Zimbabwe elections for 'un-level playing field'

- 'Un-level playing field' -

European Union observers had earlier said they found an "improved political climate" in the elections but an "un-level playing field and lack of trust in the process."

It called for transparency in the release of results.

EU chief observer Elmar Brok said there were "efforts to undermine the free expression of the will of the electors through inducements, soft intimidation, pressure and coercion... to try to ensure a vote in favour of the ruling party."

"On many occasions, preparation, financing, media and hopefully not in the counting -- it was advantageous for the ruling party," he told AFP.

Mnangagwa, 75, had promised a free and fair vote after the military ushered him to power in November when Mugabe was forced to resign.

Under Mugabe's 37-year reign, elections were often marred by fraud and deadly violence, with the EU observers banned since 2002.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said Wednesday that of 210 parliamentary seats, 153 had been counted with ZANU-PF winning 110 and the MDC Alliance 41.

"The results are biased, trying to give the impression that ZANU has won," said Lawrence Maguranyi, 21, an MDC supporter and university student protesting at the party headquarters.

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, 40, said the presidential results were fraudulent.

"ZEC seeks to... reverse the people's presidential election victory. The strategy is meant to prepare Zim mentally to accept fake presidential results," he tweeted. "We won the popular vote and will defend it!"

- Delayed results? -

The regional SADC bloc, in its preliminary report, said Wednesday that the campaign and election had "proceeded in a peaceful and orderly manner and were largely in line" in Zimbabwean law.

It called for any aggrieved candidates to "refrain from any form of violence".

If no presidential candidate wins at least 50 percent of the ballots cast in the first round, a run-off vote is scheduled for September 8.

The electoral commission warned that final results of the presidential first round may not be known until Friday or even Saturday.

Commission chairwoman Priscilla Chigumba, a high court judge, has flatly denied allegations of bias and strongly disputed accusations of rigging.

Mugabe, 94, voted in Harare alongside his wife Grace after he stunned observers by calling for voters to reject ZANU-PF, his former party.

His attempts to position Grace as his successor are widely thought to have driven the military to intervene and put their favoured candidate, Mnangagwa, in power.

Mnangagwa, Mugabe's former right-hand man, was the clear election front-runner, benefitting from tacit military support and control of state resources.

But Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who performed strongly on the campaign trail, sought to tap into the youth and urban vote.

He has repeatedly accused ZANU-PF and election authorities of trying to use a flawed electoral register and fixed ballot papers to steal the election.

Mnangagwa was allegedly involved in violence and intimidation during the 2008 elections when then opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off after attacks claimed the lives of at least 200 of his supporters.By AFP

WASHINGTON: The White House on Wednesday sought to walk back a tweet from President Donald Trump calling for an end to the Russia election meddling probe, saying he was expressing an opinion, and not giving an order to the Justice Department.

In a series of tweets that quickly sparked accusations that Trump is publicly attempting to pervert justice, the Republican leader decried the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller as "a disgrace" to the country.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump said on Twitter.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders later told reporters: "It's not an order, it's the president's opinion."

She noted that Trump wants the probe to "come to an end."

But she dismissed accusations of any legal wrongdoing, saying: "The president is not obstructing. He's fighting back. The president is stating his opinion. He's stating it clearly."

Just ahead of the White House press briefing, Trump's personal attorneys also sought to walk back the comment, insisting the president was not ordering Sessions to do anything.

"The president has issued no order or direction to the Department of Justice on this," lawyer Jay Sekulow told The Washington Post.

Rudy Giuliani added: "He very carefully used the word 'should.'"

Sessions has recused himself from the investigation, meaning that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is overseeing Mueller's probe.By AFP

MORONI (COMOROS): Voters in Comoros overwhelmingly backed controversial constitutional reforms that would allow President Azali Assoumani to run for another term, an electoral official said Monday, following a referendum boycotted by the opposition.

The Indian Ocean archipelago has a long history of instability and risks renewed unrest after Assoumani banned demonstrations and the opposition called Monday's vote "illegal".

"I'll give you the national results... 'Yes,' 172,240 votes, which is 92.74 percent. 'No,' 13,338 votes, which is 7.26 percent," the president of the Comoros National Electoral Commission (CENI), Ahmed Mohamed Djaza, told a briefing in the capital Moroni.

Turnout was 63.9 percent, he added.

The poll was held to a backdrop of rising tensions, suggestions of ballot stuffing, and voting was interrupted by at least one violent incident.

"In the majority of polling stations visited there were fewer than 20 voters waiting to cast their ballots," Jules Hoareau, part of the Eastern Africa Standby Force observer mission, told AFP.

"But when we returned we observed a sudden flood of voting papers in the ballot box. That doesn't make any sense."

Unidentified assailants attacked the Hankounou polling station in Moroni with a knife, destroying two ballot boxes and hospitalising a policeman.

- 'The promise of change?' -



"What a result! A faked vote, fabricated figures -- that's how President Azali consults the public," said secretary general of the opposition Juwa party, Ahmed el-Barwane.

But Soilihi Ali Said, a voter in his 40s in the capital Moroni which on Monday was virtually shut down by a general strike, said he voted 'Yes' because "there's the promise of change with new faces and a state that's less bloated."

Under the constitution adopted in 2001, power rotated every five years between Comoros' three main islands as a means of balancing politics in the coup-prone country.

Following Monday's vote, that arrangement will be dropped and replaced by a president who will be elected for a five-year tenure, renewable for one term.

Assoumani will also gain the power to scrap the country's three vice-presidencies which was another balancing measure of the previous constitution.

Islam will now be proclaimed the state religion for the first time, following the vote. Ninety-nine percent of the Comorans are Sunni Muslim.

One businessman who requested anonymity told AFP he had not voted because he "sensed a scam".

In the capital Moroni there were only a handful of posters of Assoumani's face emblazoned with slogans exhorting voters to support his reforms.

The opposition did not participate in the process and turnout appeared weak at several polling stations in the capital, AFP reporters witnessed.

But state media insisted "there was no apocalypse... the vote proceeded without any major incident".

In the run-up to the poll, one of the vice presidents, Moustoidrane Abdou escaped an assassination attempt when his car was attacked by gunmen on motorcycles.

Assoumani is now expected to stage early elections next year to extend his time in office.

He had vowed to stand down if he had lost the vote, according to his spokesman Mohamed Ismailla.

The Comoros -- a group of three islands between Mozambique and Madagascar and one of the world's poorest countries -- has endured repeated coups and political turmoil since independence from France in 1975.

Assoumani, a 59-year-old former colonel, was president between 1999 and 2002, coming to power after ousting acting president Tadjidine Ben Said Massonde in a military coup.

He won the country's first multi-party elections in 2002, stepping down in 2006 to hand over power democratically to Ahmed Abdallah Sambi.

In May 2016, he returned again as president after an election marred by violence and allegations of voting irregularities.

In April this year, Assoumani suspended the Constitutional Court saying it was incompetent.By AFP

ROME: Migrant rescue charities operating in the Mediterranean said today that an Italian boat may have violated international law by taking more than 100 migrants it had saved back to Libya.

The Asso Ventotto, an Italian offshore supply ship, picked up 108 migrants in international waters late yesterday. They were found on a dinghy around 60 nautical miles northwest of Libya's capital Tripoli, according to a maritime traffic site.

Local media reported that Italy's coastguard instructed the Asso Ventotto to coordinate the rescue operation with the Libyan authorities.

The boat then transported those aboard to a port in Tripoli.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Italy tweeted: "Libya is not a safe port and this could lead to a violation of international law," adding that they were collecting "all the necessary information on the case".

German NGO Sea-Watch also condemned "the first pushback by an Italian vessel for years,"on Twitter.

In 2012, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Italy violated human rights by sending migrants intercepted at sea back to Libya in 2009.

The court said the practice violated international obligations to not return individuals to countries where they could be at risk of human rights abuses.

Many migrants trying to reach Europe are desperate not to go back to Libya, where they have been reported to face abuse and rape in detention centres.

Up until recently, the Italian coastguard led rescue missions and the migrants were taken to Italy.

However Italy's new populist government, in power since June, has taken a hardline stance on immigration and ordered the coastguard to let Libyan authorities take charge of such operations.

As NGOs expressed their dismay over the latest boat controversy, Italy's far-right interior minister Matteo Salvini, who has closed the country's ports to migrant rescue ships, praised the Libyan authorities.

"Over the last hours the Libyan coastguard has saved and brought back 611 immigrants to Libya," he tweeted.

"NGOs protest and traffickers lose their business? Well, we are going on like this!" he said with his signature hashtags "#Closedports, #Openhearts".

However, the speaker of Italy's lower house, Roberto Fico, who belongs to the Five Star Movement that governs in a coalition with Salvini's League, appeared to disagree with sending migrants to Libya.

"Libya is not a safe place. It is clear that you cannot leave migrants there," Fico said as he met with protesters denouncing the sale of Italian boats to Libya's coastguard yesterday.

Several commercial ships that have tried to take rescued migrants to Italy -- as was standard procedure under the former centre-left government -- have found themselves blocked by Salvini's policy and stranded for days at sea searching for a port where they can disembark.Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Sunshine and a few clouds. High around 60F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 46F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.What do accounts by journalists close to the state have to say about the course of the 25 January Revolution

I have spent recent months reading what journalists close to the state have had to say about the 25 January Revolution, and I have used this column to discuss the conspiracy theories that structure some of these narratives.



I have tried to explain why intelligent pundits could believe in such preposterous theories, though of course the discussion could and should go much further.

I have not discussed the US pressure on Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, for example, nor have I mentioned the understandable unease of many Egyptians at the rise of transnational networks and their consequences.



Many foreigners living in Egypt in 2011 tried to help the young revolutionaries with money, food, and access to logistics.

This does not prove that foreign intelligence services were acting against former president Hosni Mubarak, however.

At critical points some Egyptian activists sent e-mails to Western friends asking for help, but this does not prove that these western friends were the mentors of the revolution, even if some of them were diplomats.



On the other hand, Western interference and lecturing are often unpalatable, and the youthful infatuation with revolution is still a mystery for many officials and members of the Egyptian middle classes.

Conspiracy theories tend to structure the narratives of many insiders, though others do not fall into this trap even if they do mention cases of foreign interference.

I cannot claim I have read everything that has appeared by journalists close to the state on the 25 January Revolution. However, it is safe to say that Abdel-Latif Al-Minawis book The Last Days of the Mubarak Regime is probably the best book in its league.

Al-Minawi was head of TV news at state television in 2011, having been appointed some years earlier to take on the apparently impossible task of competing with Al Jazeera.

His remit was to provide credible information from a plurality of perspectives while respecting the regimes restrictions. And he had to achieve all this without the financial and technological resources required.

He had not emerged from the ranks of state TV, having worked for the influential daily Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper as well as for Al-Ahram. Moreover, he was a staunch liberal.

His book is a work of testimony and not a study. It is not an attempt to tell us what he did and what he did not do for television. Instead, it is an account of the crisis in 2011 as it unfolded and as he saw it.

In this he had many advantages as he was an insider and his position allowed him to oversee developments in the country as a whole.



Moreover, he was in the middle and had to convey messages from the top to the bottom of society and vice versa. He was fighting on many fronts as the presidential family and staff found him too liberal while the activists considered him and his team to be regime stooges.

The power elite was also divided: his direct boss, the then information minister Anas Al-Feki, was a supporter of Gamal Mubarak, the son of the former president, but the balance of power favoured the army.



Al-Minawi got a lot of credit when he aired the armys celebrated statement at the time of the revolution that we have never, and we will never, open fire on peaceful demonstrations, though he does not mention this episode in his book.

Instead, he tells us that he frequently had to check the content of news broadcasts with the army and the mukhabarat (intelligence services): were the instructions given by somebody in the presidents camp acceptable? He says he had to check when the topic was important or when he disagreed with his manager on what was the right course.



He often gathered important information. His superior, Al-Feki, was or became his friend and told him important things. I appreciated Al-Minawis defence of his former mentor in his book. Loyalty is a rare virtue.

However, Al-Minawi is especially harsh on Gamal Mubarak, leading aide Zakaria Azmi, and to some extent also former president Mubarak.

They persistently underestimated the seriousness of the crisis, were unwilling to cede an inch, and were too slow and authoritarian in their reactions, he says.

They paid too much attention to international reactions, and they tended to consider the events to be part of a conspiracy, even if they disagreed about the source of the trouble.

For some of those in charge at the time the Revolution was a Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy, while for others it was led by Tantawi, or by the West. Nobody seems to have understood that the people had risen, and therefore their decisions were wrong.

Al-Minawi is too harsh in his book for my taste, as he forgets that the upheaval was very sudden.

Just a few months before, a demonstration gathering 1,000 people would have been considered successful. Gamal Mubarak knew he might face trial or prison, and it was difficult for him to face a future with at best no political role.

Many international and local pundits thought that the regime led by former president Zein Al-Abidine bin Ali in Tunisia had collapsed because it had made concessions. These can calm a situation, but they can also embolden foes. Everything depends on the timing.

Moreover, the most disastrous blunder, launching the Battle of the Camel against the revolutionaries, was understandable to some extent.

Mubarak still had support, as Al-Minawi says, and his second speech in late January 2011 was a success. Many of those who had earlier protested in Cairos Tahrir Square left the area, having been satisfied with Mubaraks promises. It was tempting to try to reverse course.



Al-Minawis book contains a lot of revelations and insights. We learn things about the confrontation between Mubarak and the army and about Tantawis strategy.

He tells us that the composition of the crowd occupying Tahrir Square kept on changing, and he says that after the police collapse on 28 January 2011 the army and the television were the only functioning administrations in the country.



He describes the first nights after the police collapse, when thugs and criminals engaged in an orgy of robbing and stealing.

He says Mubarak retained some support, but his slowness and then the Battle of the Camel squandered this for many. He tells us that the army decided to get rid of the president five or six days before his resignation.

We realise how close Mubarak was to Gamal, even as other writers have described an ailing president being put under unbearable pressure by his wife and son.

Al-Minawi suggests that things were more complex and that on many crucial points they had the same agenda. Unfortunately, he frequently does not elaborate.

The valuable information the book contains is not its main strength, however. Instead, this is Al-Minawis riveting and very concrete account of the crisis.

We really see the revolution through the eyes of an official of the time, someone who was a reformer and who had seen it coming. He had to face the flow of information, too much on some accounts, too scarce on others. He had to face conflicting orders and desertions.

He had to find some time to sleep and to change his clothes. He had to work far from his family in a building surrounded by hostile people who were trying to attack it. He had to face the unknown and to confront fear.

The writer is a professor of international relations at the College de France and a visiting professor at Cairo University.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 2 August 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Statist narratives of revolution

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for an Off-Grid Life(Newser)  The entire four-member police department of a small western Massachusetts town has resigned, citing poor equipment and unsafe working conditions, the AP reports. Interim Police Chief Roberta Sarnacki and three officers submitted their resignations in a letter to Blandford officials on Monday, effective immediately. The officers said the town's police cruisers are in such bad shape they often have to answer calls in their personal vehicles. They said their police radios don't work in some parts of town and their poorly fitting bulletproof vests are beyond expiration dates. They also cited inadequate staffing and poor pay, and said the department has been neglected as Blandford, which has a population of about 1,200, considers merging the department with the nearby Chester PD. "We refuse to put our lives on the line anymore for a town that seemingly cares so little about us," the letter reads, per CNN.

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Massachusetts State Police said in a statement Tuesday that state police "will assume any additional duties required in the wake of the resignations of local officers," noting that all 911 calls from Blandford for police assistance are being routed to troopers in Russell, a town about five miles away. The Blandford PD Facebook page advised residents to continue calling 911 as usual if needed or to contact the Russell State Police Barracks for non-emergency police services. The Hampden County Sheriff also told 22 News that six deputies from his office were assigned to Blandford for Monday night and Tuesday morning. The officers on the Blandford force said they regret leaving the town without coverage, but have no other choice because their own safety has been put at risk. The Blandford selectwoman says police did not address their concerns with elected officials, but the letter says multiple complaints had been made to officials. (Read more police department stories.)(Newser)  A federal official in Mexico confirms that an Aeromexico airliner crashed after taking off in the northern state of Durango Tuesday, the AP reports, but the state's governor says there were no fatalities. Officials said the crash occurred in a field near the state capital's airport, Guadalupe Victoria International Airport; published photos show the smoking plane lying on its belly in the field, apparently relatively intact. The Embraer 190 plane was headed to Mexico City and had 97 passengers and four crew members onboard, CNN reports. An official says the plane "made it off the ground, but fell nose-first" a few hundred yards from the end of the runway, with the nose taking the brunt of the impact. Thirty-seven people reportedly suffered minor injuries. (Read more plane crash stories.)(Newser)  When North Korea handed over 55 boxes of bones that it said are remains of American war dead, it provided a single military dog tag but no other information that could help US forensics experts determine their individual identities, a US defense official said Tuesday. The official, who discussed previously undisclosed aspects of the remains issue on condition of anonymity, said it probably will take months if not years to fully determine individual identities from the remains, which have not yet been confirmed by US specialists to be those of American servicemen. The official did not know details about the single dog tag, including the name on it, or whether it was even that of an American military member.

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During the Korean War, combat troops of 16 other United Nations member countries fought alongside US service members on behalf of South Korea, the AP reports. Some of them, including Australia, Belgium, France and the Philippines, have yet to recover some of their war dead from North Korea. The 55 boxes were handed over at Wonsan, North Korea, last Friday and flown aboard a US military transport plane to Osan air base in South Korea, where US officials catalogued the contents. After a repatriation ceremony at Osan on Wednesday, the remains will be flown to Hawaii where they will begin undergoing in-depth forensic analysis, in some cases using mitochondrial DNA profiles, at a Defense Department laboratory to attempt to establish individual identifications.

(Read more North Korea stories.)(Newser)  More than a quarter-century after former President George HW Bush's grocery store scanner moment, President Trump has stumbled into a similar supermarket-themed slip. While championing the concept of voter ID to prevent noncitizen voting, Trump told a rally in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday that ID is required virtually everywhere else in America except at the voting boothincluding, wrongly, when buying groceries, per the AP. "If you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need ID," he told the crowd. "You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture."

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The Washington Post notes it's "unclear when the president last purchased groceries or anything else himself," a note echoed by many others online, per Time. (Business Insider notes the special instances when ID may be required.) Also making the rounds from the Tampa rally, per the Independent: images and video of attendees shouting at, swearing at, and giving the middle finger to the press. CNN reporter Jim Acosta tweeted "just a sample of the sad scene" with a 45-second clip. "I'm very worried that the hostility whipped up by Trump and some in conservative media will result in somebody getting hurt," Acosta noted. "We should not treat our fellow Americans this way. The press is not the enemy." (Read more President Trump stories.)(Newser)  Seth Owen was over the moon when he received what appeared to be the path to his "life goal" of going to college: an acceptance letter from Georgetown University. But the Florida 18-year-old, who was the co-valedictorian of his senior class, had his hopes dashed when he later received his financial aid package from Georgetown, which had been based on the expected contribution from his family. The problem: He's estranged from his Southern Baptist parents, and was essentially forced out of his home, because he's gay, NBC News reports. Owen says his parents found out he was gay when he was a sophomore, made him go to Christian-based conversion therapy, and eventually told him he had to keep going to their churchwhich Owen says bashed the LGBT communityor leave. And so in February, he did, crashing with friends instead.

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He says he was "devastated" when he realized he couldn't afford the tuition for his first year at Georgetownannual tuition and fees comes to around $70,000, and Owen would have to pay about $22,000 of that, per the Advocatelet alone for all four years. Enter Jane Martin, Owen's former bio teacher, who says Owen always "stood out to me." Martin, who's also gay, set up a GoFundMe for her ex-student, who also served as the ring bearer in her wedding. She explained she wanted to "help  bring a rainbow in the midst of Seth's storm" and "make the impossible possible." The GoFundMe has so far raised more than $82,000and if Georgetown eventually acquiesces and adjusts Owen's financial aid package, Martin and Owen say they'll use leftover donations to set up a scholarship fund for other gay teens. Owen plans on studying to become a criminal defense lawyer for teens, per WJXT. (Read more LGBT stories.)(Newser)  On Monday, the friend who accompanied Linda Olthof from the Netherlands to New York couldn't get in touch with her and called Olthof's sister back home. Her sister Googled "New York" to see if anything was amiss there and quickly came across news of a murder-suicide. "She believed something had befallen her sister," NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said Tuesday, per the Washington Post, and she was right: Olthof and her 6-year-old son James were dead, along with the new wife of her ex-husband, who was also dead. Police say James Shields Jr., a 39-year-old physical therapist, shot and killed the three in his Queens apartment before taking his own life during what was to be his son's routine custodial visit.

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Shea cited an April GoFundMe campaign started by Shields as an indication that the custody battle was the impetus. Shields, who was seeking $30,000 but received no donations, wrote, "I had the perfect life a few years ago but it has spiraled out of control ... How do I choose between financially ruining my current relationship vs giving up the battle for my son?" The name of the campaign was "Child Kidnapping"; he said Olthof had gone back to the Netherlands while pregnant after struggling to find work here and that he had been fighting to secure more than two weeks a year with the boy in the US. NBC New York reports the campaign was pulled from the site Tuesday. Olthof, 47, and her son had arrived in New York on July 21 and were due to leave next week, the New York Times reports. (Read more murder-suicide stories.)(Newser)  A white Michigan police officer who accused fellow cops of "straight-up racism" will receive a $65,000 settlement, though he's not exactly pleased. Sgt. Cleon Brown, a 19-year veteran with the Hastings Police Department, initially demanded $500,000 from the city in a lawsuit claiming he was subject to taunts beginning in 2016 when a genetic test revealed he was 18% to 33% "sub-Saharan African," reports MLive. The suit claimed his police chief referred to Brown as "Kunta," an African slave character from Alex Haley's Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Other officers stopped talking to Brown, or would whisper "Black Lives Matter" and pump their fists in his presence, while a black Santa head with "18%" written on its beard appeared in Brown's Christmas stocking, according to the suit.

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"It was almost like a disgraced type of reaction that I got from them like, 'Why are you proud of this type of thing?'" the US Army veteran told WDIV when the suit was filed last May. The city disputed his account at the time, arguing Brown "specifically went to other officers, raised the topic [of his DNA test], joked about it, and engaged in typical racial stereotypes," reports CNN. Per WWMT, the city's manager now says it viewed the lawsuit as without merit but found the settlement was more favorable than "the cost and disruptive effect of defending the case." Brown's lawyer says his client is disappointed with the outcomewhich allows him to remain on paid administrative leave until the end of October, when he'll resignbut couldn't afford to continue litigation. Per CNN, he plans to leave the city to find work. (Read more Michigan stories.)(Newser)  The US in early July hit $34 billion of Chinese goods with an extra 25% tariff; China responded in kind. CNN reports round two could see the US slap tariffs on another $16 billion in goods as soon as this week, but it's a much bigger figure that's attracting attention Wednesday. Bloomberg cites sources who say the White House is thinking about upping the ante and imposing not an additional 10% tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods but an additional 25%. CNN echoes that news via its source.

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Bloomberg frames the move, which would be revealed in the next couple of weeks, as intended to "force officials back to the negotiating table through threats of even higher tariffs"; the last high-level negotiations took place nearly two months ago. A Chinese foreign ministry rep responded to the news thusly, per the AP: "If the United States takes further measures that escalate the situation, China will definitely fight back. We are determined to safeguard our legitimate and lawful rights and interests." (Read more tariffs stories.)(Newser)  President Trump has had plenty to say on Twitter about Attorney General Jeff Sessions; on Wednesday, he had something to say to him. "..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!" he tweeted. Here's how the comment has been covered:

The New York Times calls the request that Sessions end the special counsel investigation led by Robert Mueller "an extraordinary appeal" and a "blunt direction."

The Hill characterizes the tweet as "a significant escalation of his attacks against the long-running probe."

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While Trump has expressed his displeasure about Sessions' decision to recuse himself from the investigation, Politico reports this marks the first time he has publicly said Sessions should put a stop to it. The site also flags one other element of the tweet, noting the number 17: It reports Trump has historically put the number of "angry Democrats" working for Mueller at 13.

ABC News reports Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani addressed the tweet, saying it was simply the president's opinion. "We have been saying for months that it is time to bring this inquiry to an end. The president has expressed the same opinion. The president was expressing his opinion on his favored medium for asserting his First Amendment right of free speech. He said 'should' not 'must' and no Presidential order was issued or will be."

CNN reports Sarah Huckabee Sanders said much the same thing during a White House press briefing Wednesday and has her quote: "Its not an order. It's the presidents opinion, and it's ridiculous that all of the corruption and dishonesty that's gone on with the launching of the witch hunt, the president wants tohas watched this process play out. But he also wants to see it come to an end as he stated many times. And we look forward to that happening."

The Washington Post looks at whether this tweet and previous ones could possibly "rise to the level of obstruction of justice." Read the piece here.

In a subsequent tweet, the president also once again distanced himself from Paul Manafort, whose trial on bank and tax charges enters its second day. "He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation," he tweeted in part.

A couple hours later Trump tweeted again about Manafort, who NPR notes is not being kept in solitary confinement. The tweet: "Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and 'Public Enemy Number One,' or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement - although convicted of nothing? Where is the Russian Collusion?"

(Read more President Trump stories.)(Newser)  The judge in Paul Manafort's trial told prosecutors Wednesday not to use the word "oligarchs" to describe wealthy Ukrainians who paid millions to the former Trump campaign chairman, the AP reports. US District Judge T.S. Ellis III told attorneys for special counsel Robert Mueller that the term "oligarchs" has a pejorative meaning and using it is not relevant to the fraud and tax charges against Manafort. He cautioned them that the term could imply that Manafort was associating with "despicable people and therefore he's despicable," adding, "That's not the American way." The proceedings kept the attention of President Trump, who defended his 2016 hiring of Manafort. "Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation," Trump tweeted Wednesday. "These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion  a Hoax!"

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Prosecutor Uzo Asonye said in his opening statement Tuesday that Manafort considered himself above the law as he funneled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts to evade US tax and banking laws. That "secret income" was used to pay for personal luxuries, including clothes and real estate. Manafort attorney Thomas Zehnle said his client relied on a team of financial experts to keep track of the millions of dollars he earned from his Ukrainian political work and to ensure that that money was being properly reported. He especially trusted business associate Rick Gates, who pleaded guilty in Mueller's investigation and is now the government's star witness. But that trust was misplaced, Zehnle said. "Money's coming in fast. It's a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it," he said. Mueller was not present in the courtroom, and prosecutors did not once mention the broader and ongoing special counsel investigation into Russian election interference or Manafort's work for the Trump campaign. (These words are also banned.)(Newser)  A man suspected of killing one of former President George HW Bush's doctors may have been seeking revenge for his mother, who died on the doctor's operating table more than 20 years ago, authorities said Wednesday. Joseph James Pappas, 62, should be considered armed, dangerous, and possibly suicidal, Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. "There was a lot of planning that went into this," Acevedo said of the July 20 attack on Dr. Mark Hausknecht, adding that it appears a "20-year-old grudge" led to the attack, per CNN. Hausknecht was gunned down while riding his bike to work at Houston Methodist Hospital, which is part of the busy Texas Medical Center. Authorities say the shooter rode past Hausknecht before turning around and firing. A tip on Tuesday led police to suspect Pappas, the chief said, though he didn't elaborate as to the nature of the tip.

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Acevedo said Pappas hadn't been seen in 36 to 48 hours, the AP reports. He said the last anyone had heard from Pappas was in a Tuesday morning text message in which Pappas wrote that he was going to kill himself. Acevedo said police searched his home at 4am Wednesday and found evidence that ties Pappas to the killing, but he declined to elaborate as to the nature of the evidence. The chief said Pappas, who was a peace officer in Harris County for three decades per the Houston Chronicle, is white and very fit, and that he's likely getting around on his 10-speed bicycle, which he rides "extensively and almost exclusively." Friends and family have described Hausknecht as a humble and generous man who was adored by his patients, volunteered in his community and cared about the environment. He was also an avid cyclist and rode his bike to work each morning, as he lived less than 2 miles from his office.

(Read more murder stories.)New Delhi:

Textiles and apparel exports dropped by nearly Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 2,30,056 crore in 2017-18 owing to competition from emerging economies like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka which enjoy preferential duty access in key markets, the government said on Wednesday.

The countrys textiles and apparel exports stood at Rs 2,37,922 crore in 2016-17, Minister of State for Textiles Ajay Tamta said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Replying to another query, the minister said that during the current cotton season (October 2017 to September 2018), shipments of cotton from the country are expected to touch 70 lakh bales, registering a 20 per cent increase over the previous season.

Also Read | RBI hikes repo rate by 0.25 per cent to 6.5 per cent on inflationary concerns

According to Tamta, while 51.2 lakh bales have been exported up to April 30, 2018, no target as such has been set for cotton exports.

Besides, he said there is no proposal to frame a separate policy for export of cotton, as its shipments are dependent on various factors including demand and supply conditions and the ruling domestic prices vis-a-vis international prices.

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

HBO has landed 'The Time Travelers Wife', a drama from top UK producer-writer Steven Moffat, who is best known for Sherlock and Doctor Who shows, with a straight to series order.

Written by Moffat based on Audrey Niffeneggers bestseller, The Time Travelers Wife is described as an intricate and magical love story about Clare and Henry. The story follows Henry, a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and his wife Clare, who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences.

I read Audrey Niffeneggers The Time Travelers Wife many years ago, and I fell in love with it. In fact, I wrote a Doctor Who episode called The Girl In The Fireplace as a direct response to it. When, in her next novel, Audrey had a character watching that very episode, I realised she was probably on to me, Moffat said in a statement.

Read More | Google dedicates Doodle to Meena Kumari on her 85th birthday

According to HBO, Moffat will also serve as executive producer on the project alongside Sue Vertue and Brian Minchin.

All these years later, the chance to adapt the novel itself, is a dream come true. The brave new world of long form television is now ready for this kind of depth and complexity. Its a story of happy ever after but not necessarily in that order, Moffat said.

So far, the studio has not provided an episode count and casting is yet to begin.

The series will be produced by Hartswood Films in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Also Read | Actor Alan Alda reveals he has Parkinsons disease

The novel was previously adapted into a 2009 film by New Line division, featuring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams in the lead.

This is the third major project from an A-list creator that HBO has landed in the current year in a competitive situation, bidding against streaming platforms.

(With inputs from agencies)

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

While speculations have been rife that the West Bengal government has denied permission to BJP president Amit Shah for his August 11 rally in Kolkata, the latest statement released by Kolkata police is contradicting the same.

Amidst rising tension over an ongoing BJP-Opposition face-off, the Kolkata police on Wednesday said, "Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice".

"It is to clarify that on request, permission for the meeting has already been granted," the statement added.

Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice.

It is to clarify that on request permission for meeting has already been granted.  Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) August 1, 2018

The political battle between the Saffron party and Mamata Banerjee-led TMC took a dramatic turn in the wake of the release of National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft in Assam. Elimination of around 40 lakh names from the NRC draft has been taking the entire country by storm.

Read | NRC: Mamata caught on the wrong foot as BJP finds goose with golden eggs

Talking about Shah's August 11 rally, the BJP earlier claimed that it was denied permission by the Kolkata Police to hold a political campaign in Rani Rashmoni Avenue.

According to BJPs West Bengal Youth Morcha president Debjit Sarkar, he had submitted an application with the Kolkata Police and embarked five places in the city as potential venues for August 11 rally. Sarkar further said that they will move court if police deny permission.

Shah, on the other hand, took a dig at the Trinamool Congress government, saying that he will definitely go to Kolkata and it does not matter for him whether he is granted permission or not. "If the state government wants, it can arrest me," he added.

It does not matter whether I get permission or not, I will definitely go to Kolkata. If the state government wants, it can arrest me: BJP President Amit Shah (file pic) pic.twitter.com/n3V39EWSww  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

The ruling TMC in its response said, " BJP and its national President have become nervous, tense. Their programme for Aug 3 in Kolkata was promptly granted permission. For their Aug 11 program, they only just sent a letter and permission granted".

Read | BJYM files police case after Mamata Banerjee's 'Civil War, Bloodbath' statement

This will be Amit Shahs first visit to the state post-release of the contentious National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft in Assam.

Shah had last visited West Bengal in June, where he had lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee government for unleashing violence on political rivals.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, who is on a desperate attempt to consolidate opposition unity ahead of 2019 elections, on Wednesday said that she was not vying for the post of prime minister and the candidate for the top post will be decided collectively by all opposition parties.

"I am not for any post. I am interested in seeing that all parties should work together. All political parties will sit together and decide," Banerjee told PTI.

The Bengal chief minister, who is on a two-day visit to the national capital, on Wednesday met leaders of various parties including the Congress, TDP, YSR (Congress), DMK, RJD, SP and JD-S and invited them to her January 19 rally in Kolkata.

Read | Kolkata police grants permission for BJP president Amit Shah's August 11 rally

The TMC office in Parliament was abuzz after Banerjee arrived at the Central Hall to meet other opposition leaders.

Interestingly, Banerjee also met veteran BJP leader LK Advani and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and extended an invitation for her rally.

Banerjee also paid a visit to JD-S leader HD Deve Gowda and requested him to attend the rally.

The TMC chief also stressed on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue in Assam and requested all the opposition leaders to send a delegation to Assam and create pressure on the government.

Read | BJYM files police case after Mamata Banerjee's 'Civil War, Bloodbath' statement

Banerjee also went to Sonia Gandhi's residence at 10 Janpath and discussed several political issues and the possibility of contesting elections together in future. Apart from the UPA chairperson, Mamata also met Congress President Rahul Gandhi and invite both of them to her rally.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Maratha community will launch a Jail Bharo Andolan on Wednesday in Maharashtra over demands for reservations in education and job sectors. The Maratha Kranti Morcha, which has been spearheading the protests, issued a statement calling for the agitation.

However, the organisation has hinted that there would be no violence or bandh as a team of 14 Maratha Kranti Morcha members is set to protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, the protesters are also calling for an apology from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for hurting communitys sentiments.

The state government, despite its assurance of withdrawing criminal charges of vandalism and damaging public property against some protesters, has not taken any action and that is why we are holding the protest Mumbai on Wednesday, Sakal Maratha Morcha leader Praveen Patil said.

ALSO READ: NRC: Mamata caught on wrong foot as BJP finds goose with golden eggs

CM Fadnavis has urged the protesters to maintain peace and tight security arrangements have also been made in several areas across the state.

Earlier on Tuesday, protesters staged a rasta roko protest on the Aurangabad-Jalgaon road. While on Monday, around 100 buses were burned or stone pelted as sudden violence got triggered during Maratha protests seeking reservation.

Till now, six people have committed suicide due to the ongoing agitation and the police have also informed that the eight demonstrators have also tried to set themselves ablaze in Lahur district.

Maratha outfits have announced that a mega rally will be held in Mumbai on August 9 in support of their quota demand.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Narendra Modi government on Wednesday gave its nod to the proposal of bringing a constitution amendment bill in Parliament to reinstate the original provisions of the SC/ST Act, in which dalits will be protected from any sort of atrocities.

According to reports, the Bill will be passed during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The Union Cabinet's decision to introduce the bill came amidst continuous pressure from alliance partners, including Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP and Ramdas Athawale's RPI.

As per the amendment, preliminary enquiry shall not be required for registration of an FIR against any person and an arrest, if necessary will not require any approval. Under this act, Section 438 of CrPC will not be applied.

Read | BJP holds Parliamentary Party meet; discusses key issues like Assam NRC, SC/ST Act

The amendment, if passed by Parliament, will nullify the Supreme Court's March 20 judgement, which stated that arrests of accused under the law can happen only after proper investigation.

The order had triggered a nationwide protest by dalit organisations, who threatened to call a Bharat Bandh if the restoration of the actual provisions is not made before August 7.

Earlier, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and his son Chirag also hinted a large-scale protest all over the country in case a new Bill or Ordnance is not made to strengthen the provisions of the SC/ST Act that was passed in 1989.

Read | Mamata meets Advani, Kirti Azad, Cong leaders in Parliament

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

In what is being called back home an election year, The New York Times has floated the idea of Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev running for the post of Prime Minister of India.

For now, it looks highly unlikely. And it may be so in the near future. It has four-five days since such a guess was made by one of the leading US newspapers. Yet, Ramdev has been conspicuously silent about it.

And, so no one knows how the Yoga Guru has taken it and the possibility of his turning out to be a virtual Donald Trump of India which was also suggested by the newspaper.

Thus, the question that arises is: Does Ramdev has political ambitions?

For the answer to this million-dollar riddle, Robert F Worth, the NYT writer of Ramdev story that was published in its magazine section on Friday (), asked Ramdev the penultimate question.

Worth writes: Ramdev founded a short-lived political party (Bharat Swabhiman Party) in 2010 and has since been rumoured to be weighing a political career himself. When I brought up the question, he smilingly batted it away, saying that hed become a nonpolitical person and that the triumph of the BJP had obviated any need for him to run for office. (Narendra) Modi is an honest prime minister, he told me. He is a visionary and a missionary. He will win the next term (in the 2019 elections). He will build a strong foundation for India.

Whatever may be the case, Ramdev has often created ripples in political quarters and this has been more so vis-a-vis the Hindutva bandwagon despite his being a staunch votary of the BJP and RSS-style of spiritual and cultural nationalism.New Delhi:

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees threat of a civil war and a bloodbath if a section of the West Bengal population is sought to be disenfranchised on the basis of a future report of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) which was in principle mandated by the Supreme Court to identify illegal migrants from Bangladesh is highly provocative and incendiary.

Banerjee has the tendency to shoot from the hip but being in a highly responsible position as chief minister she must weigh her words and think of the consequences of her irresponsible statements.

This is a highly sensitive matter and if there are riots or other forms of violence the blame can come on Banerjee for it. Such a statement can be interpreted as incitement to violence.

The NRC which took up the case of Assam in the first place in its draft report, has identified over 40 lakh migrants from Bangladesh after the cut-off date of March 24, 1971 as living illegally in Assam. The hard reality is that a substantial section of them, most of them fleeing under duress due to persecution and a life of deprivation became a convenient tool in the hands of some political parties especially the Congress in Assam and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal to use as a vote bank.

While Mamatas concern is with Bengal where the NRC is yet to identify the illegals, she is shaken by the Assam example and fears for the loss of her Muslim vote bank in her state. She has reason to believe that after Assam it is West Bengal that would be targeted for NRCs attention since some BJP leaders have explicitly revealed so.

Also Read | NRC: The political hot potato in Assam

It is widely believed that the influx from Bangladesh was highest in West Bengal. During the UPA regime, Sriprakash Jaiswal, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, had made a statement in Parliament on July 14, 2004, that there were 12 million illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators living in India, and West Bengal topped the list with 5.7 million Bangladeshis.

Having cultivated these immigrants and showered favours on them, including the grant of Indian citizenship without regard to the fact that they infiltrated into India without valid papers, the Trinamool Congress has been a huge beneficiary of the large vote bank in Bengal as the Congress was in Assam.

Politically, the Bangladeshi migrants are in a position to influence the results of the elections in a large number of constituencies in the Northeast. One estimate is that this is so in about 32 per cent of the constituencies in Assam alone. The estimates for West Bengal are yet to be computed.

Also Read | Why Rafale deal cant become a scam

The BJP is salivating at the prospect of this huge vote bank of Mamatas party in West Bengal losing the power to prop her up. At what stage the likely disenfranchisement would happen is, however, a big question mark and the benefit of this may well be lost to the BJP in next years Lok Sabha elections.

While making the statement on civil war, Mamata apparently did not reckon with the BJPs penchant for polarizing Hindu voters. The BJP would indeed do everything possible to turn the Hindus en masse against Mamata, citing her desperation to keep the minority voters in good humour.

The party would indeed project Mamatas stand of seeking to prevent the disenfranchisement of a section of the minority voters as an index that vote bank politics is more important to her than national interest.

Indeed, in the shape of NRC, the BJP has discovered a goose that lays golden eggs though the body would only be doing its duly-mandated work.

Clearly, Mamata has been caught on the wrong foot. Whether she shifts her position to suit her interests remains to be seen.



New Delhi:

It is a North-South divide that is playing out in Karnataka in the form of demand for a separate state comprising 13 backward districts of North Karnataka.



Perhaps, unwittingly, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy triggered this fresh headache for himself when he blamed the voters of North Karnataka for their own misery. He wondered why they had ignored him and his party in elections by voting on caste lines and now were lamenting that their region was backward.



Kumaraswamy was addressing a rally at Channapatna in his home constituency of Ramanagara on .



Activists in North Karnataka pounced on his comments and have called for a bandh in support of a demand for a separate state on . Their lament is that successive governments have ignored the region and as a result it stayed backward when compared to the more prosperous South Karnataka that has cornered the benefits of development.



This is not the first time that voices seeking separate statehood have been heard in the state. Regional imbalance has been an issue plaguing the state for several years and in the past too several times, activists have sought the carving out of a state as the only solution that could address their grievances.

Something like what happened in Andhra Pradesh out of which Telangana was carved out bowing to large-scale protests in 2014. But, in the case of Karnataka, the demand rises and ebbs without gaining the intensity that one saw in Telangana.

This time around in Karnataka, clearly the timing of the demand for a separate state  first voiced by senior BJP MLA B Sriramulu, gives out a clear indication that the BJP wants to use this unrest in the backward region as a potent poll issue in the forthcoming general elections in 2019.



Already, it is holding the JD (Secular) and the Congress, the two post-poll coalition partners, for neglecting North Karnataka and is tacitly supporting activists and the bandh call on .The revamp work at Manama Central Market is right on track and the Capital Municipality is planning to implement a series of development initiatives at the market.

This came as Shouqia Ibrahim Humaidan, the newly appointed director-general of the Capital Municipality, met with a group of traders from the Central Market and discussed ways to develop the market as per best standards.

The Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning attaches a lot of importance to this market as it is one of the prime markets in the Kingdom.

It is also a vital commercial land mark in the country, said Ms Humaidan. The revamp work is very much on track. The area for unloading fruits and vegetables will be expanded as activities in the market are set to increase. We will also repair the nearby streets and roads apart from erecting a wall around the market, said Ms Humaidan.

A new mechanism will be implemented for parking trucks and it will ensure the smooth flow of traffic.

A committee representing the traders at the market welcomed the initiatives to revamp the market. They extended their co-operation to the authorities while conveying some of their concerns.New York : The United States State Department has approved sale of items and services in support of Follow- On Technical Support for the Royal Bahrain Navy Ship Sabha (FFG-90) for an estimated cost of $70 million, the DefenseWorld. net reported.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale Thursday. The Government of Bahrain has requested to buy items and services in support of Follow- On Technical Support (FOTS) for the Royal Bahrain Navy Ship Sabha (FFG-90).

The sale includes engineering and logistics services from the US Navy and would fall under foreign military sales. The Sabha is a converted Oliver Hazard Perry guided missile frigate. The vessel carries Standard class surfaceto- air and Harpoon anti- ship missiles along with a Mk-38 gun and torpedoes with other lighter weapons and electronic warfare equipment.Japanese telecom giant NTT Docomo will invest in a firm that operates a taxi-service app.

Docomo says it will invest about 20 million dollars in JapanTaxi, which has a ride-hailing app. The software allows access to about 60,000 cars, or about a quarter of all taxis in Japan.

Docomo says it will introduce its own cashless QR code-based payment system.

The 2 companies will also develop a system that predicts taxi-ride demand.

Docomo's investment is seen as a counter to the Softbank Group, another Japanese telecom giant.

Last month, Softbank announced the creation of a joint venture with China's biggest ride-hailing service, Didi Chuxing. The new company will begin taking passengers in Japan later this year.Atsuko Maeda, 27, a pop cultural icon and original member of the all-girl group AKB48, has married actor Ryo Katsuji, 31, an official of his management company said on Tuesday.

Maeda, a native of Chiba Prefecture, was among several founding members of the group, named after Tokyoas Akihabara district, in 2005.

She was elected as the groupas most popular member in an annual vote by fans in 2009 and 2011, but quit the group in 2012 to pursue a career as an actor.

Katsuji, a Tokyo native, has appeared in various TV dramas, movies and theater productions, including the hit series aAmachan,a which aired on public broadcaster NHK in 2013.Deep connections

The teeth found in Magubike show some striking similarities to those of the San people.

Today, the San number roughly 90,000 people spread across Zimbabwe, Angola, South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. Studies that have looked into the DNA of the San suggest they are highly distinctive, having differentiated from other groups perhaps some 100,000 years ago, and remaining largely isolated since.

'Genetic data from present-day African populations suggest that the San people of southern Africa are one of the most distinctive, with deep and separate roots from populations living further north,' says Tim.

Yet the discovery of these teeth in Tanzania may alter this narrative.

While identifying features on the Magubike teeth are not unique to the San, they occur more commonly among this group than other sub-Saharan Africans. This implies that at least 45,000 years ago, people related to modern-day San may have lived over far greater distances than they do today.

This past connection between people in East Africa and the southern African peoples may also be reflected in languages spoken today. The San people speak distinct languages known collectively as Khoisan, which are unrelated to most other African language families, but show some resemblances to those spoken by groups of people still living in northern Tanzania.

The third hand

Using a scanning electron microscope, the researchers were able to create a high-resolution 3D model of the teeth. This showed the scratches on their surface in fine detail.

Dr Silvia Bello, a researcher studying the evolution of human behaviour at the Museum, says, 'What is interesting - and what I did for the paper - is the analysis of these scratches on the front teeth, which suggest the use of these teeth as a third hand.

'A behaviour seen elsewhere, but which seems to be shared by different species of hominins, including Homo heidelbergensis, Neanderthals and modern humans.'The social media space is agog with the announcement by Senate President Bukola Saraki that he has left the ruling All Progressives Party...

I wish to inform Nigerians that, aft er extensive consultations, I have decided to take my leave of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) July 31, 2018

This is not a decision that I have made lightly. If anything at all, I have tarried for so long and did all that was humanly possible, even in the face of great provocation, ridicule and flagrant persecution, to give opportunity for peace, reconciliation and harmonious existence.  Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) July 31, 2018

I will like to emphasise that it is a decision that has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist. pic.twitter.com/exp20OD5MV July 31, 2018

SENATE PRESIDENT BUKOLA SARAKI FINALLY PORTS TO PDP

FROM APC JUST AS THE TRANSFER WINDOW IS ON TGE VERGE OF CLOSING   L a s t b o r n (@jon__ohio) July 31, 2018

Are we supposed to laugh or cry? We know this move isn't about principles or the interest of the common man. It's another politician realigning and strategising for his own selfish interest.  Mayor Ikoroha (@TelltheMayor) July 31, 2018

I wish to inform Nigerians that, after extensive consultations, I have decided to take my leave of the All Progressives Congress (APC).  Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) July 31, 2018

Saraki is the Mourinho and Guardiola of Nigeria politics... too much tactics  Israel Le Guen (@IsraelOyelakin) July 31, 2018

So you must relinquish that position. Minority party cannot be the Senate President  olusanjo ewulomi (@bigsanjay1) July 31, 2018

At what point were you ever a member of @OfficialAPCNg Sir? Oga sir, we get sense pass like this. Anyways, all the best to you July 31, 2018

You will see poor Nigerians and foolish youths clap for him . You suffer in poverty and their kids school abroad. He didn't decamp for your sake but for his own selfish interest Nigeria youths . Public school in developed countries are free . Buhari stop the bribe get them angry  MXmillion gang (@DEENOSHOMAH) July 31, 2018

The impunity,disregard and political humiliation from Apc members were really getting out of hand I cant still comprehend they wasted 3 good year chasing your shadows but you have a tremendous political future ahead best of luck sir  wonchiko abdullahi (@nndabugi) July 31, 2018

Ko kan aye! If you like enta bush. That's is your decision not ours. Anyways we bid you farewell. Good luck in your endeavours. Have a nice time with @OfficialPDPNig . But no level for una next year sha cos @APCNigeria still RULES! @APCUKingdom July 31, 2018

Thank you very much.2014 from PDP to APC ,APC to to PDP in 2018.,you guys are using Nigerians for personal negotiation,trade by barter every four years,personal interest supercede national interest.  Itebu Abraham (@AbrahamItebu) July 31, 2018

Lol  Nigerians r too gullible to know these guys will still do this in 2022. We need resolution  fadoO (@FADZDSUGARBOY) July 31, 2018

The social media space is agog with the announcement by Senate President Bukola Saraki that he has left the ruling All Progressives Party.Nigerians have started to react to the announcement, see the various responses below:Twelve of the 30-member Sokoto State House of Assembly have declared their loyalty to the All Progressives Congress and President Muhammad...

Twelve of the 30-member Sokoto State House of Assembly have declared their loyalty to the All Progressives Congress and President Muhammadu Buhari.





The lawmakers stated this in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.





We reiterate our commitment and loyalty to the APC led government under President Muhammadu Buhari, they said in the statement.





Their announcement follows the decision of the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the APC.





While announcing his defection on Wednesday, Mr Tambuwal accused the Muhammadu Buhari administration of incompetence and failure to deliver on campaign promises.





The decision of the 12 lawmakers indicates Mr Tambuwal, who is believed to be eyeing the PDP presidential ticket, still enjoys the support of a majority 18 lawmakers of the Sokoto assembly.





See the full list of the 12 lawmakers who pledged loyalty to the APC here.



The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it is neither distracted nor surprised by the defection of Senate President, Bukola Saraki; G...

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it is neither distracted nor surprised by the defection of Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Governors Abdulfatah Ahmed and Aminu Tambuwal of Kwara and Sokoto States; National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi; and others from the party.





In the first official reaction, APC said the defectors had the right and freedom to pursue their political ambitions wherever they desired.





In the statement by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, the party also saluted the resolution of the defectors to come openly and declare where they belonged.





The party advised Saraki, Ahmed, Tambuwal, Abdullahi and the others to maintain their respective environments the spirit and atmosphere of freedom created by the APC, which enabled them to leave without let or hindrance.





The statement titled, APC Neither Surprised Nor Disturbed by Defections reads in full:





The defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki; Governors Abdulfatah Ahmed and Aminu Tambuwal of Kwara and Sokoto States; National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi; and others, to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) neither surprises nor distracts the All Progressives Congress (APC). Every follower of events in recent times could decipher the signs that foretold the exit of Saraki, Tambuwal, Ahmed, Abdullahi, from our great party.





We thank them for their contributions to the APC for the period they were with us. We also salute their courage to openly declare where they belong, as we had always advised.





APC is a party founded and run on the principles of freedom, sincerity, and forthrightness. Saraki and the others have the freedom of association and the right to pursue their political ambitions wherever they deem fit.





Our advice and hope is that those who have left would also have the courage to inspire in their respective political environments the atmosphere of unencumbered freedom created by the APC, which enabled them to leave without let or hindrance.





As a party, our attention is on the matter in hand, the 2019 general election. We are united and focused, with an eye to continuation of our winning streak in all elections this year, next year, and beyond. And we will win!



The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has queried the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, asking him t...

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has queried the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, asking him to respond within 48 hours why disciplinary action ought not to be taken against him, for breaching article 21 of the partys constitution.





This was contained in a resolution signed by the National Secretary of the party, Mai Maila Buni.





Buni said Saraki had allegedly flouted the laws of the party with his activities.





Some of the allegations raised against him include that you encouraged and facilitated by providing an enabling environment for the defection of some senators who are members of the APC to the other opposition Parties.





That you have deliberately refused to screen nominees for appointments submitted by Mr President who are members of the party from being confirmed by the senate. This has caused untold embarrassment and ridicule to the party and the government.





That you have organized a public rally in your state where members of the party urged you to decamp to PDP. That as a follow up to the above the Kwara state governor who is known to be your staunch supporter Had made public pronouncements suggesting that he will decamp from the party as an indicator to your formal defection.





That you used the office of the senate President to cause avoidable delays in the budgetary process and passage of the appropriation act into law thereby frustrating the implementation of the partys manifesto and programs and frustrating the APC led Federal Government in the actualization of the campaign promises of the party.





Converting the guest house of the senate President to meeting points and presiding over anti APC activities in the guest house and encouraging defection of senators from the party and presiding over such meetings and compiling a list of the said defectors including some without out their consent.





Procuring joint letter of decampees from the APC and reading same on the floor of the senate including some who did not accede to defecting thereby causing embarrassment to the party. Inspite of the efforts to address grievances to reconcile aggrieved members, you worked against the process and encouraged the formation of an association which sought to impersonate and pass off the name of the party, it stated.



The Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement has asked the federal government to stop the secret burial of soldiers killed in the war agains...

The Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement has asked the federal government to stop the secret burial of soldiers killed in the war against Boko Haram.





In a statement on Tuesday, Oby Ezekwesili, Aisha Yesufu and Florence Ozor, conveners of the movement, said several months after the federal government claimed to have defeated Boko Haram, Nigerians still see pictures of mass burials of the soldiers killed by Boko Haram





The group was reacting to pictures of mass burial of soldiers allegedly killed in an ambush attack by the sect in Bama local government area on July 16. But Nigerian army denied reports that some soldiers got missing in the ambush.





Were Nigerians not told that the military has won the war? What then is the reason for the escalation of attacks by the terrorists and the heightened loss of life of citizens and our soldiers? the statement read





The #BringBackOurGirls advocacy has been consistent in voicing the correlation between the wellbeing of our troops, the rescue of our #ChibokGirls and the end of the insurgency.





It is therefore disheartening that several months after the federal governments announcement that Boko Haram has been technically defeated, we see pictures of a mass burial for our troops, killed by Boko Haram.





BBOG group asked the military authorities to confirm the number of soldiers killed by Boko Haram in July.





The military authority should immediately confirm the number of our soldiers that have died within this month of July 2018. Their families and Nigerians should have a brief on the circumstances of their deaths as a means to healing, to have closure. Their names should be released for proper honour as obtains in other climes, the statement read.





We take exception to what is to all intent, a secret burial of our fallen heroes. Those responsible for the safety of our troops should be sanctioned for this failure and measures must be put in place to prevent further deaths and damage to the morale of our troops. We question why the current status of our defence budget is at variance with the safety and wellbeing of our troops in this fight against Boko Haram.



Bolaji Abdullahi has resigned as the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Bolaji Abdullahi has resigned as the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).





He denied leaving the party after Senate President Bukola Saraki announced his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday.





But in a statement on Wednesday, Abdullahi said he decided to resign his from the position because his loyalty is constantly brought into question.





The former APC spokesman said the dissolution of partys executive in Kwara state was only another phase in the unrelenting assault I have had to endure.





In view of recent political developments in the country and within the APC, i have decided to resign my position as the national publicity secretary as well as my membership of the party with effect from today, the statement read.





In the last few days, I have had to endure the flagrant usurpation of my role as the spokesman of the party in a manner that I consider unbefitting of a ruling party and inconsistent with my ethical standards.





I have served the APC honestly and to the best of my ability and when I stood for and won my election at the last convention; it was a keen desire to continue to do so. However, in a situation whereby my loyalty is constantly brought into question; my subordinates deployed to subvert my office; and my views constantly second-guessed on the basis of my political affiliation, it has become imperative for me to review my position.





Since assuming office as the spokesman of the party, I have tried to set a new template for public political communications in a way that departs from the vulgar abuse and verbal aggression of the recent past, where cheap lies and crude propaganda were normalised as politics, and even celebrated as measures of competence.





Unfortunately, those who felt I was not forceful enough framed my ethical disposition as evidence of a lack of commitment to the party. The unlawful dissolution of the validly elected party executive in Kwara state earlier in the week was only another phase in the unrelenting assault I have had to endure.





As a national officer of the party, who sit in that committee, courtesy should demand that my views be sought on a matter that concerns my state and in which I am directly involved. That action was, to say the least, disrespectful.





Abdullahi said by declaring Bashir Bolarinwa as caretaker chairman, the national working committee (NWC) has taken sides, violated its oath office and subverted its own credibility as an impartial arbiter.





Yet, these are the same people that have continued to insinuate that others are serving interests other than those of the party. Politics is local, and my personal stake in the issue of Kwara makes it incongruous for me to continue to sit as part of the working committee of the party, he said.



A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the arrest of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, for failing to appear in court.Justice Stephen Pam issued the warrant of arrest on Thursday after Mahmoods absent in court for the third time.The judge asked the police to effect the arrest immediately.Justice Pam had on July 5 ordered Yakubu to appear before him to show cause why he should not be sent to prison for contempt of court.The judge made the order for Mahmood to appear before him while ruling on a preliminary objection by INEC and its Chairman in a contempt proceeding filed by Ejike Oguebego and Chuks Okoye, Chairman and Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, respectively.Five days later, on July 10 when the court sat again, the INEC boss did not show up with his counsel, Mr Adeboyega Awomolo, informing the court that his client had filed an appeal challenging that order at the appeal court and another appeal before the Federal High Court asking for a stay of proceedings pending the determination of the appeal.But counsel to the plaintiff informed the court that contrary to the claims of the INEC counsel there was no material evidence before the court to stop the order of the court or the hearing.In his ruling (on July 10), Justice Pam held that the fiat by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to hear the matter subsists.The judge, however, adjourned the case to August 1 (today)to allow the INEC chairman to attend to his mothers funeral but insisted that the INEC boss must appear before the court as ordered at the next sitting.But when the court reconvened today, the INEC Chairman was absent, a development that led to the order for his arrest.President Muhammadu Buhari will on Saturday begin a 10-day working holiday.

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Saturday begin a 10-day working holiday.





Revealing this in a statement on Wednesday, Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said: President Muhammadu Buhari begins a 10 working days holiday from August 3, 2018.





In compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, a letter has been transmitted to the President of the Senate, and the Speaker, House of Representatives to that effect.





While the President is on vacation, the Vice President will be in acting capacity as President.



There was drama at the Akwa Ibom state High Court on Tuesday when kidnappers from Rivers state created a scene at the premises after they ...

There was drama at the Akwa Ibom state High Court on Tuesday when kidnappers from Rivers state created a scene at the premises after they were sentenced to death.





Immediately after the presiding judge, Justice Okon Okon pronounced the death sentence, the condemned criminals rained abuses on him and threatened to kill the Akwa Ibom state government prosecution team.





The condemned criminals went haywire, destroying the window of the court-room, causing pandemonium in the area while litigants as well as lawyers were seen scampering for safety.





It took the intervention of a detachment of soldiers and policemen to save the situation, taking them into a waiting prison van.





The condemned kidnappers were: Bernard Efe Ajomaya, Christian Charles Naya, Daniel West and Shedrach Dick Dala.





It was gathered that the kidnappers had on 19th May, 2015, kidnapped a medical expert in Uyo, Dr. Usen Bassey from his IniAbasi Clinic, where they demanded a N10m ransom.







The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday nullified April 25, 2018, judgment of the Federal High Court which had struck down the National Assemblys election re-ordering provision of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018.Although the controversial section of the bill was removed and its revised edition was resent to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent, the Court of Appeal held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first place.The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, who headed a five-man panel of the court, ruled in her lead judgment that the suit was premature as a bill could not be challenged in the law court until it became an Act.The court, in upholding the appeal by the National Assembly, also held that the Accord Party which instituted the suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked the locus standi to file the action.Justice Bulkachuwa held that since the bill did not affect its rights or the obligations of the party, the general interest available to the public did not confer the rights on it to challenge the bill.Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, has bared his mind on how Nigeria can move forward amid the recent political developments...

Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, has bared his mind on how Nigeria can move forward amid the recent political developments.





Various lawmakers and governors have left their party to another in the last two weeks.





Senate President Bukola Saraki leads the retinue of lawmakers that left the All Progressives Congress (APC) while governors Samuel Ortom and Abdulfatah Ahmed of Benue and Kwara respectively, have also left the party.





Writing via his Facebook page on Wednesday, Sani said the executive and legislative arms of government should still be able to work together despite the defections.





In view of the current reality, its possible to have a harmonious working relationship between the parliament led by the opposition, and the presidency led by the ruling party, in the remaining lifespan of this political dispensation, he wrote.





Sani said for this to happen, the following measures have to be taken by both sides.



The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the Aug. 17 deadline for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will not be extended.The commission said the exercise would resume after the 2019 General Elections scheduled from Feb. 26 and March 2.Mr Mohorret Bigun, Public Affairs Officer of INEC in Gombe told newsmen on Wednesday that the exercisewould henceforth include weekends and public holidays to allow for more people to register beginning from Aug.1.He said INEC was not planning to extend the exercise beyond Aug. 17 as being anticipated in some quarters. There will be no extension of ongoing registration beyond the Aug. 17 deadline. Those who are anticipating extension should go andregister.From Aug. 1, we are going to operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Sunday. This is to give room for those who are yet to turn upfor the exercise.We have been directed to suspend the registration of voters until the 2019 general elections are concluded, Bigun said.He said the commission decided to suspend the exercise till next year to enable it to produce the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)for distribution.The commission would not want to deny anyone the right to vote; hence the need to suspend the exercise temporarily to preparefor the general elections in 2019.According to him, 141,345 persons, comprising 55,407 (39 per cent) females and 85,947 (61 per cent) males have so far registeredas at July 30.He appealed to those who were yet to register to take advantage of the adjustment in the timetable.Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, Wednesday thanked the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomole, for assisting him defeat the Imo Allied forces.His statement is coming at a time, the Adam Oshiomoles recognized chairman of Imo state, APC, Mr. Dan Nwafor, yesterday swore in other executives of the party.The swearing in ceremony which took place at the Imo International Convention Centre, IICC, in Owerri, also witnessed the swearing-in into office of the 27 local government chairmen of the party as well as the ward executives.This is happening a day after the National chairman of APC, Oshiomole, was said to have sworn in Nwafor, at Abuja, as the newly elected chairman of the party in the state.Recall that the Hillary Eke, led APC, in the state had been inaugurated as the chairman of the party by the former National Chairman of APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, a matter said to be currrently in court between Okorocha and the members of the Imo Allied forces.But in a release to newsmen by Okorochas Chief Press Secretary, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo, he expressed his gratitude to Oshiomole for a work well done.It stated: The governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has Congratulated Mr. Daniel Nwafor for being sworn-in as the State Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, by the National Chairman of the Party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole at the National Secretariat of the Party in Abuja on Tuesday, July 31, 2018.The governor noted that with the election of Mr. Nwafor at the State Congress of the Party and his subsequent swearing-in as the State Chairman of Imo APC, members of the Party, no doubt, have got an active Chairman considering what was obtainable in the Party in the past four years.The governor remarked that with Mr. Nwafors wealth of experience in administration and his feat in education, he is fully equipped and enviably prepared to offer Imo APC the kind of leadership that befits a ruling Party.He charged Mr. Nwafor to pursue with vigor his promise to Party members on the day he was elected that he would be Chairman to all and would provide a level playing ground for all those with aspirations.The governor equally advised Mr. Nwafor to work harmoniously with other members of the State Executive Committee since they are all partners in Progress and to reposition the Party so that the ugly experience that associated with the past EXCO could be forgotten so soon.He prays that God should, in his infinite mercy, grant Mr. Nwafor and other members of the APC State EXCO the wisdom, good health and all they need to do well in the positions they have found themselves in the Party at the moment.The governor thanked in a special way, the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Oshiomhole for, not only swearing-in Mr. Nwafor but for also working hard to inject new life into the Party, to the glory of God and to the delight of members across the nation.The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has reacted to the resignation of Bolaji Abdullahi as the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progr...

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has reacted to the resignation of Bolaji Abdullahi as the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).





Abdullahi had on Wednesday defected from the APC a day after Senate President, Bukola Saraki announced his resignation from the party.





On why he defected from APC, Abdullahi wrote: In the last few days, I have had to endure the flagrant usurpation of my role as the spokesman of the party in a manner that I consider unbefitting of a ruling party and inconsistent with my ethical standards.





I have served the APC honestly and to the best of my ability and when I stood for and won my election at the last convention, it was a keen desire to continue to do so.





However, in a situation whereby my loyalty is constantly brought into question; my subordinates deployed to subvert my office; and my views constantly second-guessed on the basis of my political affiliation, it has become imperative for me to review my position.





Reacting, PDP Spokesman, Kola Olognondiyan congratulated his counterpart, Abdullahi on his resignation.





He said Abdullahis decision was good for democracy.





In a tweet on his verified Twitter page, he wrote, I want to use this medium to congratulate my brother and colleague Mal. Bolaji Abdullahi for seeing the light.





Your decision to quit the APC is a welcome idea and good for democracy. Welcome to PDP.



The Special Assistant on Social media to President Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie has reacted to the defection of Senate President Buk...

The Special Assistant on Social media to President Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie has reacted to the defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki and Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).





Recall that Senate President. Bukola Saraki and Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed announced their resignation on Tuesday.





Reacting to the development, Onochie in a Tweet said Saraki had gone back to his vomit.





She tweeted Dr. Bukola Saraki returns to his vomit. He defects to PDP.





Kwara State Governor Fatai follows suit.





In a statement by Dr. Muyideen Akorede, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, the Kwara Governor gave reason for his defection.





He explained that his decision followed due consultations with the people and in response to calls by major stakeholder groups in the state.



Reno Omokri, the former aide to Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed why National leaders of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju...

Reno Omokri, the former aide to Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed why National leaders of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Tinubu and Adams Oshiomhole have not left the ruling party.





Omokri writing on his Twitter Page said the fear of the Ecomomic Financial and Crimes Commission, EFCC, will not allow Tinubu leave the APC.





According to him, Oshiomhole will not dump the APC in order to remain relevance in the polity.





Further speaking on defections, Omokri said the minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi would also not dump APC due to shame.





Omokri tweeted:If not for SHAME Chibuike Amaechi would have defected to PDP





If not for FEAR of EFCC, Asiwaju Tinubu would have abandoned APC.





If not for RELEVANCE, Oshiomhole would have returned to Labour Party.





If not for DESPERATION Rochas Okorochawould have returned to APGA.



The Lee County Arts Centers first Art Walk at the Hancock Bridge Square Shopping Plaza drew a crowd Saturday.

Hundreds came out to see about three dozen vendors with some of the best art the community has to offer from people of all ages.

Marion Briggs, vice president of the arts center, said they were very excited by the turnout  and the dry weather.

It seems like the event is going really well. The vendors are really happy and were hoping we get more people here, Briggs said. There has been a lot of excitement around this event and a lot of different types of artists.

You couldnt have asked for a better day.

The rain, which fell eight miles to the north, stayed away, although there was some thunder in the distance.

Briggs credited the hard work of the community and thanked the owner of the shopping center.

He did allow us to have this. He signed off on it and that was very productive for us and allowed us to have the event here and not have to pay to hold the event somewhere else, Briggs said.

The vendors had all sorts of art to present. Among the artists was Victoria Busch, the 10-year-old daughter of outgoing Economic Development Office director Rachel Busch, who was selling jewelry with sprinkles.

We went to Europe last summer and she saw girls selling jewelry and she said she could do that, Rachel said. When we came home, she decided to make jewelry like Edison light bulbs.

We saw these orbs in Budapest, bought one and they looked so cool and I could make them with sprinkles, Victoria said. Ive already sold half my inventory.

Sara Connors, an artist who owns Mystical Wonders, was selling and making a wire and crystal pendant using exotic stones. She sold pendants, rings and necklaces.

A simple design will take me about 45 minutes. Ive been doing it for about a year and Ive gotten a lot faster making them, Connors said as people gazed at her inventory. My price range is between $25 and $75. I like the metaphysical properties of crystal. They exude positive energy.

For the two businesses in the plaza, the Sewing Boutique and the Quilt Lovers Hangout, business was strong as regulars had a reason to come out.

All the locals are happy to see the excitement in this plaza. This is where a lot of them live and they would like to see things happen more often, said Wendy Fahl, owner of the Sewing Boutique. It had brought more awareness and is great for marketing and visibility.

This has been amazing. Im really thankful for the people who organized this. It has brought a lot of foot traffic that wouldnt otherwise be here, said Andrea Sensecqua, owner of the Quilt Lovers Hangout, which is set to move later this month.

Maryanne Howard, president of the Lee County Arts Center, said she thought the event was a success and looks forward to holding another event in October, possibly at Marinatown.

This was an important event to let people in the area know about the talent we have across the river, Howard said.

Briggs said she hoped this would be the first of many events to come, with them spread out throughout the year and at different venues.In Southwest Florida, jobs in the medical field are in high demand, and not just surgeons and nurses.

There is also a need for nurses assistants, home health aides, office workers and phlebotomists, well-paying jobs that dont require a college degree or a long period of time in school.

Southwestern Vocational Training, at 4940 Bayline Drive in North Fort Myers, is training people in all these jobs, and can get you trained and working in as little as two weeks.

Tracy Walters, education coordinator, said the idea is to get people in careers faster, especially those who cant go to school for 15 months.

We get them ready to work in peoples homes, work for agencies and be home health aides, Walters said. We also get them ready to work for a hospital, urgent care centers, doctors office and more.

The school fills a huge need. We help people change their lives. We are supportive and do whatever we can to help them, said campus manager Rosemarie Marzano. Many of our students have had rough lives and we try to make them successful.

SWVT started in 2009 in Cape Coral as a licensed post-secondary school. When it outgrew that facility, it moved to its current location last December.

SWVT has provided training to more than 1,500 students for careers that will strengthen your career development in a small-class environment that gives students the individualized attention to help them succeed.

We try to keep class sizes down to around 15 to give that individual attention. Phlebotomy is a complex skill and were doing it quickly so I want to sit with a student whos struggling, Walters said. I cant do that with 25 to a class.

Among the programs is a prep course for certified nursing assistants to get you ready for your state exam, which is one week during the day and two at night.

They also have a program for home health aides that can have you working in as little as two weeks, and phlebotomy, which can get you trained in as little as three weeks.

Walters said you would think courses like this would take months, but thats not true if you know the basics.

We focus on the basic skills of phlebotomy, drawing blood with straight needles, doing capillary sticks. We get them to entry level positions, Walters said.

These entry-level positions dont pay badly. While it may vary depending on where you work and what you do, Walters said starting pay is roughly about $14 an hour.

Other courses, including patient care technician, medical assistant and accounting specialist, take anywhere from three to six months. There are also courses you can take online, at your own pace, and SWVT is always looking to add more courses as it grows.

Not only are the courses short, they dont cost too much which, for many, is a determining factor in whether people can go to school. Financial aid is offered and many of the students leave SWVT with little or no student debt.

We offer a lot of scholarships, both in-house and we also give resources that offer help with tuition. We will work with a student and break down the payments and youll leave here debt free, Walters said. You dont need an associates degree to be a medical assistant.

Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday by appointment only. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the day and 5:30 to 9:45 p.m. at night.

For more information, call 214-0717 or go to www.swvtfl.comTo the editor:

As a father, I wont stand by while the NRA turns our kids into targets. Greene says on the mailer.

Students should be worried about grades, not guns, says Greene, a father of three young sons. When I send my kids to school, I shouldnt be afraid theyll be killed in their classrooms. No parent should.

And these are the words of promise of Jeff Greene. Nice words; nice promises; but so very unlikely to bear fruit. How would he attempt to fulfill these empty declarations?

First, the NRA. This is an organization created to promote gun safety. If we make an attempt to use Jeff Greenes logic we might say: a good comparison would be to declare that automobile safety organizations promote auto deaths. Absurd! It would be most instructive for us to learn exactly what magic bullet: (sorry about that!) Mr. Greene would employ. I am waiting, Mr. Greene.

The NRAs mission statement, summarized from its bylaws, is: To protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, especially with reference to the inalienable right of the individual American citizen guaranteed by such Constitution to acquire, possess, collect, exhibit, transport, carry, transfer ownership of, ! And Mr. Greene takes exception to this? Really?

I am sure that in his own field of endeavor Mr. Greene is very knowledgeable but he is clearly out of his element in politics. He definitely is not a help to the Democratic Party.

And so, Mr. Greene would bend and twist and rewrite portions of our Constitution to serve his political obsession. He will fail.

Joseph L. Kibitlewski, PhD

Cape CoralCape Coral capped its property tax rate at its current level Monday.

The Cape Coral City Council approved a tentative not-to-exceed millage rate of 6.75, the same as last year. The rate can be lowered as the budget process continues into fall but can not be raised.

The rollback rate, the amount needed to raise the same amount of revenue from property taxes, was set at 6.4402 mills based on the increase in valuation citywide.

A mill is $1 per every $1,000 in taxable property valuation.

City Manager John Szerlag recommended the millage stay at the current rate as it did last year as a result of damage caused by Hurricane Irma and the fact that the city has not yet been reimbursed by FEMA for damage costs.

There was no debate and the motion passed unanimously 7-0. Councilmember Jennifer Nelson was absent from the meeting.

For the next two months City Council will meet with the Budget Review Committee to review aspects of the budget Szerlag proposes for the budget year that will begin Oct. 1

Budget workshops, are planned for Aug. 7 and Aug. 9, at 1 p.m. in council chambers, with an if necessary meeting set for August 23. Public hearings are set for Sept. 6 and 20 at 5:05 p.m., also in council chambers.

In other business, there was once again some disapproval of items placed on the consent agenda.

Councilmember Marilyn Stout took issue with the city paying for school resource officers for three privately owned charter schools.

Some of these schools are not non-profit. They should fund SROs, Stout said. If they werent making money, they wouldnt be building more schools.

The schools in question are not part of the citys municipal charter school system but are located within the city limits. They were North Nicholas High School, Unity Charter and Southwest Charter Foundation, all of which have footed some of the costs for SROs now mandated by the state as part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. The act requires each public school  which charter schools are  to assign a law enforcement officer at each campus.

While there were some concerns expressed by Councilmember John Gunter on whether these schools were contributing enough, Council voted 6-1 to approve the items, with Stout voting against while affirming her commitment to keeping schools safe. Her position is that charter schools are part of the School District of Lee County, which the safety act makes responsible for SRO funding and compliance.

City Council also got an update on the Southeast 47th Terrace Streetscape project, which is still on schedule to be completed by the end of the year.

Maxwell Spann, director of landscape architecture with CPH Engineering, showed Council the plans they have for the above groundwork for the project, especially the traffic roundabout.

The plans include decorative shrubbery and palm trees, as well as several shade trees, which will take time to grow to provide the shade. Much of the below-ground work, such as stormwater, water lines and fiber optics, has been completed.

Council also moved Gary Eidson from an alternate member of the Budget Review Committee to a permanent member following the resignation of James McQuality. Gene Smith was named an alternate.

Mary Joe Lawrence addressed Council on the problem of the sale of pets born in pet mills and asked the board to consider a ban on retail sales in the city.

Animals born and raised in these facilities are more likely to have genetic disorders, lack of proper socialization and diseases that may not be detected until after the pet is adopted., Lawrence said. Breeding animals are also subject to inhumane housing conditions, lack of medical care, and are disposed of when they reach the end of their breeding cycle.

Council members Rick Williams and Jessica Cosden pounced on the opportunity to bring up a future ordinance to address the issue. Gunter also expressed his approval.

Council also passed several planning and zoning based ordinances, including an amendment to the citys comprehensive plan, that would amend the land-use map from Mixed Use Preserve, Class III, Type D to Multi-Family Residential and from Urban Services Reserve Area to Urban Services Transition Area for an 84-acre parcel west of the Sandoval subdivision.

The next regular meeting of the Cape Coral City Council is Monday, Aug. 6, at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall.At 11:55 a.m. Tuesday, Cape Coral Police responded to 1809 Harbour Circle in report of shots being fired.

Responding officers discovered a deceased white male on a dock in back of the residence. The man, identified as Jonathan Joseph Breadmore, 28, suffered apparent gunshot wounds, police reported.

The resident of the home, Gerald P. Koller, 49, surrendered himself to officers on the scene. He was later arrested and charged with homicide murder dangerous depraved without premeditation, according to police.Being a White Minority is Nothing To Write the 'Washington Post' About

By Genevieve Burgess | Think Pieces | August 1, 2018 |

The Washington Post recently ran a story about workers in a Pennsylvania chicken processing plant who were demoralized because they were in the minority at their jobs. Most of the other workers were Spanish speaking immigrants. There are several comments about being the only white people, while the article remains fairly vague about the actual demographic breakdown of the Spanish-speaking workers since native Spanish speakers can be white no matter their country of origin. Mostly, the focus of the article is on a young woman named Heaven, who seems most dissatisfied that her job is socially isolated. In her case, its partly because the other workers are speaking Spanish, but it sounds like the nature of her position would be isolating anyway. I have sympathy for a job that feels isolating, but I have no sympathy for white Americans complaining about being ethnic minorities. Because I was one, and its frankly pretty dull.

I grew up just outside of Washington, D.C in Prince Georges County, Maryland. We moved out of the area in about 2000, and the census data on the Wikipedia page indicates that in that year the population was 62.7% Black and just a hair over 27% white. Our next door neighbors to either side were immigrants, one family from Ethiopia and the other from China. When I was in elementary school, I was one of a handful of white, mixed race, or Asian kids in my class each year until my parents sent me to a private middle school because the public school system was well say troubled. This was something most families we knew ended up doing around the middle school or high school years, seeking out private schools or leaving the county. We had friends who were Muslim that sent their kids to the same Catholic middle school I went to to get them out of the public school system. We moved before I started 8th grade to Carroll County, Maryland, which was over 95% white at the time, and I experienced a HEFTY dose of culture shock. Not only had I moved out of the suburban area Id always known, but the overwhelming whiteness of my new school and town was jarring.

Growing up as one of the few white kids in my class was never isolating. I always had friends in my class. I did have problems when I was young with people pulling at or playing with my hair because it was different. I experienced far worse bullying at the Catholic middle school from other white students. Sometimes people would ask me if I was related to other white students because there were so few of us and I did have to explain to my classmates why I got sunburned and why you could see my veins under my skin. I took some white girl verbal jabs, but I took at least as many jabs at my weight, glasses, braces, or other distinguishing features throughout childhood. Kids are kind of assholes and pick on differences. My teachers never treated me with suspicion or underestimated my abilities because I was white. When I watched TV, I saw mostly white people on the screen. When I looked at the pictures of the US Presidents and founding fathers, they were all the same color as me even if my classmates werent. I walked around my neighborhood freely, selling Girl Scout cookies and trick or treating with friends. Doors were opened when I knocked on them, people smiled when they saw me. I had no fear that my neighbors would call the cops on me for knocking on their door or setting up a lemonade stand. Being a white minority in a limited geographic or professional area is not the same as actually being a minority and dealing with the prejudice that is leveled at people of color in our society, something that is only clearer to me the older I get. I was different, but my differences never put me at a disadvantage. High school might have been harder for me, but it might not have been. Id been in a Talented and Gifted class in elementary school, and most of those kids ended up in the Science and Tech program at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, the crown jewel of the P.G Country school system. If Id been there, I doubt I would have had any problems at all.

Heavens coworkers are looking for the same thing she was; a job that didnt require higher education that paid decently. It is not their fault that there are few opportunities in the area that meet those standards. Heaven may be frustrated that work briefings are primarily instructed in Spanish with spotty English translation of only the most basic information, but anytime she has to access a service outside the factory she can be confident that shell be understood and will understand whats being said to her. Again, I am sympathetic to someone who feels lonely in an isolating job, Ive had them before, but the isolation is not the fault of the people she works with. The animosity that Heaven and her boyfriend have developed towards their coworkers is presented as almost a logical reaction to a difficult situation, but its far from logical or reasonable. They are all suffering from a lack of opportunities, and trying to make the best life they can.

Since leaving Prince Georges County Ive also lived in Miami-Dade County and now Washington, D.C, other places that do not have a white majority. I tend to feel more comfortable in diverse settings. Living in Carroll County I was exposed to some of the more insular, reactive, and exclusionary tendencies that arise in majority white areas. I had classmates with confederate flags decorating their cars and occasionally as tattoos on their bodies. The Klan was known to be active in the area. I say this not to imply that Im somehow better for the experience, but to say that if we want to discuss who in this country might be in an intellectual bubble, I dont think its people who casually encounter people from different backgrounds, countries, and languages. Heaven was poorly served by growing up in an overwhelmingly white society prior to her job at the chicken processing plant, she had little to no awareness of how to relate to people of a different background and could not learn the value of developing linguistic skills that might help her make friends with her coworkers. Thats not her fault. But how she adapts to the situation and who she blames for her discomfort is. Social isolation is not the same as systemic racism.

I still have a lot to learn about the racism in our society, and how I can use my privilege to help. Im far from perfect and I benefit in a million tiny ways that I will never be able to quantify or correct for. But I know for sure that the white minority experience is in no way comparable to the actual minority experience, and pretending otherwise is bullshit.

 Review: Will There Be a Sequel to Zoje Stage's Phenomenal 'Baby Teeth'? | Review: 'First Reformed' is a Beguiling Drama With a Year's Best Performance From Ethan Hawke 

Genevieve Burgess is a Features Contributor for Pajiba. You can follow Genevieve Burgess on Twitter.Without reconciling the two, family and personal loneliness are the themes of Family Portrait, the just-released debut full-length album by Felix Clary Weatherall, aka London artist Ross from Friends. Paying homage to the former  a father whose love for dance music led him to build a sound system in the late '80s that soundtracked a subsequent DIY European tour of parties in squats and random public spaces, documented in full by a friend who'd later become Weatherall's mother  might seem to exclude the possibilities of exploring the latter, but these subjects exist separately on the album, and in surprising harmony.

Culling influence from the styles his father championed then, like Italo disco and hi-NRG, the album makes for a sweet tribute, yet Weatherall has no qualms about tapping intimately into his individual sense of isolation. "Pale Blue Dot" is easily the clearest representation of this; named for a 1990 NASA image of a faraway Earth "surrounded by absolute nothingness," as Weatherall describes it, the track repeatedly calms between bouts of speedier beats, and those moments seem to reflect a certain solitude within the greater, busy and populous world.

The music video, released mid-July, is a compilation of the tour footage gathered by his mother  a time capsule representative of his parents' time together shortly before he was born  but that also memorializes the trip's original mission, too.

In a recent chat with Weatherall, he told PAPER more about the significance of that tour, and about how his family history has guided him in (and out of) dance music.

After seeing the footage your mom shot of your father's tour in "Pale Blue Dot," I wondered how heavily Italo disco, hi-NRG and proto-techno figure in the kind of music you make now. It almost completely informs it. Actually, I think right now, the music I make now is probably a little bit less informed by that, but previously, it definitely was completely informed by that. They'd just be playing nutty Italo dance music and this really fun synth dance music, basically. I've just been born on this stuff; I was just born listening to this kind of dance music.

When did you first see the footage? When did you first learn of your parents' history? I kind of knew about [the history] for a while. I never really thought how significant it was until I got older. I knew that was how they meant, and I've known that for my whole life, although it didn't really mean anything to me. I didn't think of it as really having any significance until a few years ago when I started actually getting into dance music and house music. So when I put all these pieces together, I was like, "Wow, that's actually crazy." Around the same time, my mum just got all the footage she had digitized, because she had it all on reel-to-reel. Me and my mum watched it together, and I was like, "This is absolutely mad," but then I kind of forgot about it. [I thought] it'd be really cool to do something based around that, so I spoke to my mum and dad loads about the trip over the past couple of years and learned so much about it, and how significant it actually was. It was the place where they first met, and they were out there for a reason  this is 1990-1991, when the Berlin wall was first being taken down, and the Eastern Bloc was freed up to the West. They went over there to liberate people with the music, which I thought was such a nice thing, and such a cool, liberal thing to do. As well as them two meeting on that trip, and then I'm spawned out of this mad fucking liberal wave trip thing. (Laughs) It's cool.

I love that message, that they were going there to bring a sense of liberation and joy through music. Yeah, I had no idea about that, not until  I probably just discovered that a couple weeks ago, that that was the reason they were out there. I was just speaking to my mum about it, because it was the first time I showed her the music video, and she absolutely adored it. She just told me that whole story. I couldn't believe what I was hearing; it's such a great thing that they were doing.

Do you feel like your project now has potential to do the same? To bring people a sense of liberation and joy. I would love to think so. I would love to think that people would find some kind of, I don't know, solace in my music or something like that. I don't really don't think I'm as actively engaged as my parents were in any way. I would love to think that people draw their own meaning from it, and get something positive out of it. But I mean, there's no way I'm going to be like, joining forces from the East and the West through the power of music anytime soon, do you know what I mean?

"Family Portrait" by Ross From Friends

Sure. But there's still plenty of divisiveness that music can in some ways help bridge. Oh yeah, 100 percent. It's something I'm probably more unaware of, but honestly if people find that function, I would be overjoyed.

So you named the album Family Portrait  is that in tribute to your family then? Yeah, it was a tribute to my family, and that entire history about my parents. It also is a reference to this photograph taken by this Voyager spaceship of the solar system, and this photograph actually included another image, which is a much more famous image, called "Pale Blue Dot." I called that song "Pale Blue Dot" initially, and then I read more about this photograph and saw that it was to do with this other image, "Family Portrait," and I was like OK, that's crazy, I'm definitely calling the album that. That's such a weird coincidence. I named that song "Pale Blue Dot" just for the sake of the loneliness of this photograph  it's just a photo of Earth, and it's just this tiny, little dot, surrounded by absolute nothingness  and that's some of the emotional things that run out of the entire [album], as well.

Those feel like disparate ideas, in a way: the sense of family and the feeling of loneliness. It definitely is. I think that goes further on more of a personal thing, for me. I reckon those two things making sense with one another, yeah.

How do you reconcile the idea of both? I don't know. Family's always at a distance in some kind of way. It's more a general theme, like my somewhat loneliness, and also an homage to my parents, who created me, more so. I don't think it's meant to be about me being, like, separated from my family or anything like that. But it is kind of just those two themes, separately, I reckon.

I think that's important to highlight, because even if you feel lonely at times, or even often, it doesn't mean you can't also sometimes feel the togetherness of family or community. I think the idea of my family, being a part of it, is to do with my parents, who basically just created me years and years ago. That's kind of the family part of it there, rather than it being about us being a community or us being together. It's also the family portrait thing  it's kind of nostalgic, and it's something about me and my family all being together in the past, looking at a photograph of me and my family in the past. It's a distant thing, as well.

Before you started this project, you were DJing a lot, yeah? Right, so I was like DJing a whole bunch, and I was in bands and stuff like that. I've just gotten into music for a long time, since I was a kid, basically, and always listened to music and always made music. I first started properly making music when I was teaching myself how to play guitar and I'd record myself playing guitar, and that eventually led to me getting more electronics involved, then going back to what I was listening to as a kid and putting that into my music more.

Felix Clary Weatherall (aka Ross From Friends)

It sounds like you veered away from electronic for a moment. Definitely. I completely veered away from it in my teens; I was a classic indie kid when I was a late teenager, or like mid-teenager: 15, 16, 17. I pretty much just listened to indie music and bands' music, and I was kind of a scene kid  not a scene kid, but an indie kid. (Laughs)

What drew you back to electronic and dance music? I don't know, really. I think I just remembered listening to post-dubstep music, like James Blake and Mount Kimbie, like 10 years ago. I started getting really into that, which quickly led to club music.

Are you still working on other projects currently? It sounds like you've got a lot going on outside of Ross from Friends. Definitely. I'm not in any actual, released side project, but I'm always doing other music, all the time. I'm always making pop music, and I still record guitar and do singing stuff, just when I feel like doing that. I do various other things. My manager's trying to get me to release it all as Ross from Friends, but some of it doesn't feel quite right.

What other styles do you dip into? Pop music, me singing, and I wanted to do this hip-hop project where I was just have a robot rapper. I was going to market myself as the first robot rapper, like Rapbot3000 or something like that. (Laughs) But I don't know how far that would go. And then just making hip-hop beats all the time. I always try to fuse quite a lot of that into what I do as Ross from Friends, as well. Especially the album  I kind of wanted to show all the other stuff that I've made, so there's a lot of more downtempo music in there, and a lot of hip-hop influenced stuff, and then I like sing on it a little, as well.

Speaking of marketing, how much marketing goes into the way you present yourself as Ross from Friends? Also, why Ross and not Joey or Rachel or Chandler? How much of the persona is shaped and how much is organic. I try not to think about it. I guess it probably is kind of organic; I just try and put my sense of humor into it quite a lot. Just trying to do some silly stuff, then I'll do some serious stuff for a bit, and I'll just do what feels right. I suppose there is marketing, in a sense, which I don't really get involved with, which is like digital advertising or DSPs or something. I've got a manager who, luckily, does that kind of stuff. But when it comes to my social media presence and how I market myself there, when I go to do a post, I just write something silly. Then also, when I was calling myself Ross from Friends, I never really thought of it as being like, "Oh, that's really going to stand out." I just thought it was silly at the time, I thought it was fun. I didn't really put much thought into it. I never thought I'd be a proper artist, like someone who's making albums and stuff. I thought, "Oh, this'll just be fun." (Laughs) And it continues to be fun, but it's now become my job, as well.

Do you ever wish you'd picked a different cast member than Ross? (Laughs) I actually do. I actually think Ross comes across so badly now on the TV show. I chose Ross because he's the main love interest, and he just seemed like, in my eyes, the main character. But in retrospect, Chandler's way better. He's way more down to earth, and he's a funny guy, as well. And he doesn't do as many awful things as Ross does. (Laughs)

Photos Courtesy Ross From FriendsMediaTek has been able to advance the release of its new-generation Helio M70 5G chip solution by a full year. It will use a 7nm processor delivered by Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It will use TSMC's next generation 7nm with EUV technology The move is seen as an apparent move to solicit patronage from Apple for its 5G iPhones.

The news of the MediaTek chip first came to light in June. MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai said that his company's R&D teams are actively working to create for consumers the best user experiences associated with 5G and AI.

Tsai further stressed that MediaTek will not only seek to hit the 5G chip market with a bang in 2019, but will also significantly ramp up its shipments in 2020-2022 to build a solid presence in the market.

Will Apple delay iPhones with 5G modems until 2020 to match MediaTek's scheduling or will Apple try to work a deal out with Qualcomm? This gap in 5G chip timing from MediaTek has led to speculation.

A new report from Digitimes today is titled "Apple, Qualcomm may make peace over 5G, supply chain speculates." The report claims that "supply chain sources have speculated that Qualcomm and Apple will probably make peace when it comes to 5G chip supply.

It has been well expected within the upstream and downstream supply chains that both sides may eventually patch up their broken relationships during the upcoming 5G era, as it would be too risky for Apple to bet on the yield rate of its 5G smartphone production adopting non-Qualcomm chipsets, while Qualcomm's 5G chip solutions now boast strong comprehensiveness.

Supply chain sources said it remains to be seen as to whether Apple will resume the adoption of Qualcomm's modem chips for its 2019 iPhone devices. As there are now only three major makers of mobile modem chips in the world, Apple is unlikely to terminate partnership with Qualcomm over the long term.

The sources reasoned that new-generation 5G smartphones must be compatible with 4G communications specs in the short term, and performance, quality and yield rate are crucial elements affecting sales of 5G smartphones. Accordingly, global smartphone brand vendors can hardly avoid cooperating with Qualcomm, which has been undertaking technological cooperation with many telecom operators in the world and has already provided complete 5G product design solutions and chip platform for trial uses by brand customers for a long while."

While MediaTek's scheduling for their 5G modem chips have made a giant leap forward, MediaTek is making it clear that they won't have their chip available in volume until 2020.

However, it's equally possible that Apple may only introduce 5G modems in their premium line-up in 2019 that could translate to volume that MediaTek could handle.

While the speculation held by the supply chain appears to be logical, it also has a Qualcomm propaganda tinge to it. Will Apple and Qualcomm wrap up their dispute in time for the 5G revolution? Qualcomm is hoping that Apple will be boxed in and be forced to deal with them.

I think that MediaTek moved up its schedule for their new Helio M70 5G chip by a full year in order to win Apple's business.

What are your thoughts? Send in your comments below.





About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.I close this little series with the tenth and final installment of an article that I originally wrote for Richard C. Martin, et al., eds., Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, 2 vols. (New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004), on the subject of Muslim Identity:

The Persistence of Islamic Identity

Through the ideological turbulence of the past two centuries, the fundamental self-understanding of Muslims as Muslims remained intact, though sometimes tacit. The first Arab rebellion against Ottoman Turkish rule came with the rise of Wahhabism in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and its attempt to repair, Islamically, what it perceived as serious defects in Muslim society. Although that irruption was contained and reversed, Wahhabism again came to power, this time more lastingly, with the Saudi conquest of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in 1925, and the discovery of Arabian petroleum in the 1930s has made advocates of this brand of militantly Islamic self-identification both wealthy and influential.

Resistance to European imperialism has been most effectively captained, in many instances, not by political or military officials but by popular religious figures. For example, Ahmad Brelwi, who was both an initiate of the Naqshbandi order and a Wahhabi, led armed resistance between 1826 and 1831 both to perceived encroachments of the Sikhs and to the rising menace of British power in northern India. Slightly later, from 1830 to 1859, Shamil of Daghistan, another Naqshbandi, led similar resistance against the infidel Russians, and, between 1832 and 1847, Abd al-Qadir, a chief of the Qadiriyya dervish order, fought the infidel French in North Africa. Likewise, the struggle of the Sanusi order in Libya against the Ottomans and, later, the Italians, and the revolt of the Sudanese Mahdi, were explicitly conducted in the name of Islam, not local patriotism.

The Young Turk revolution faced a short-lived mutiny in 1909 when members of a pan-Islamic group calling itself the Muhammadan Union joined with the First Army Corps to demand imposition of the sharia. Later, the Young Turks themselves flirted with pan-Islamism (at least for propaganda purposes) with Enver Pashas 1918 launch of the Army of Islam, designed to liberate the Muslims of Russia. The previous year, the grand vizier Mehmed Said Halim Pasha had delivered a classic statement of pan-Islamic belief, declaring that the fatherland of a Muslim is wherever the sharia prevails. Even the communists, jockeying for power in the months after the fall of the Ottoman empire, found themselves constrained to invoke Islamic solidarity rather than class struggle.

The Muslim masses have continued to see the chief threat to them not in foreigners but in infidels. (That the two were often identical obscures but does not remove the distinction.) When, for example, on 2 November 1945, Egypts political leaders invited protests to mark the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, resulting demonstrations turned into anti-Jewish riots and then into attacks on Catholic, Armenian, and Greek Orthodox churches. In January 1952, anti-British demonstrators in Suez, angry at the British, killed several Coptic Christiansarguably Egypts most Egyptian residentsand looted and burned a Coptic church. Many hundreds of miles away, meanwhile, the Algerian response to the French slogan of Algerie francaise was neither Algerie arabe nor Algerie algerienne, but Algerie musulmane (Muslim Algeria). During the Lebanese civil war, when civil government lost effective authority over the country, residents reverted to their essential identities as Maronite Christians, Druze, and Sunni and Shii Muslims.

Posted from Fairfax, VirginiaFinancial institutions in the country have positioned themselves to help businesses in the manufacturing sector to overcome their challenges, return to profit ways and expand to create more job opportunities.



Subsequently, the institutions have begun reducing their cost of borrowing and are also offering free advisory services to players in the manufacturing sector to help them increase the level of their contribution to Ghanas Gross Domestic Product (GDP).



The Head of Client Coverage at Stanbic Bank Ghana, Ms Sylvia Inkoom, announced this at the Graphic Business/Stanbic Bank Breakfast Forum in Accra Tuesday.



The breakfast meeting, which was on the theme: Unlocking economic growth through manufacturing  Cost, quality and competitiveness, was organised by the Graphic Business, in partnership with the Stanbic Bank.



At our bank, for instance, we have dropped our base rate from about 26 per cent in the last few months to about 16 per cent and we are seeing other universal banks do same, Ms Inkoom said.



Citing examples from neighbouring countries and what pertained globally, she said the cost of funds was much lower there and said for players in Ghana to position themselves to compete globally, the rate must be reviewed further down.



In our neighbouring countries and globally, there are rates lower than 16 per cent and if we want to compete and be able to be global players, there is the need to work around ensuring that the cost of funds comes down further, she said.



Advisory services



The Stanbic Bank Ghana, a member of the Standard Bank Group, Ms Inkoom said, was well positioned to provide expert advisory services for players in the manufacturing sector to enable them to create strategic partnerships to aid their growth.



She said there was a move to compete with manufacturers globally and, therefore, local players could not afford to be comfortable in their zone or risk being pushed out of business.



While you are urged to work and operate locally, we are encouraged to think globally because we cannot just exist in our small corner any more. In that regard, the financial services sector also has to step up support in the changing environment.



The Standard Bank Group is present in over 20 African countries and present on most of the international markets. What we bring to the discussion is the diversity, thought leadership and experiences across the world. We will urge you to use us and bounce off your ideas with us, she added.



The Stanbic Bank, she said, had an in-house team trained to advise on mergers, acquisitions and other forms of advisory services that could help players in the sector hold strategic conversations with partners.



We encourage that you start thinking strategically and talking to partners. You cannot just be in your corner. We urge you to use us and other financial institutions in the market that have the skills and training, but we will urge you to use us, she stressed.



Ms Inkoom bemoaned the practice of businesses wanting to have total ownership of their businesses and refusing to open up for other equity investors.



She said there were partners who were seeking to invest in businesses over either a long or short term and it behoved the owners to determine how long to allow others to establish partnerships with them.



Equity, we always say, is one of the cheapest sources of funding if we need to open up. We always encourage that it is better to own 10 per cent of something big than to own 100 per cent of something that does not value much, she said.



The financial services sector, she explained, was equipped with many people who could help businesses decide on the type of balance sheet structure to have and urged businesses to patronise their services.



Fix ailing manufacturing



Growth in the manufacturing sector has been on a downward trajectory in the last six years, recording negative and, sometimes, marginal positive growth.



Industry players have attributed the declining fortunes to the high cost of funds, rising levels of cheaper imports, poor infrastructure, unstable power supply, among others.



Ms Inkoom, therefore, called on the government to prioritise the sector and fix the challenges to drive economic growth.



If this sector is as important as it is, then we have to find a way to fix the problems that bedevil it. The financial services sector continues to play a role, but it is important for stakeholders to have a plan on how to fix the issues, she said.



On how to address the challenges in the power sector, she said it was important for the government to provide incentives for those who would decide to explore other forms of power generation.



These are things happening around us and we can do same in Ghana. This sector is very relevant to the financial services sector and the nation as a whole, she added.

Source: www.graphic.com.gh









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Featured VideoThe Bank of Ghana has merged five banks into a Consolidated Bank of Ghana Limited.



The banks are BEIGE, Sovereign, Construction, UniBank and Royal Bank.



It follows the insolvency of the four banks after investigations by Bank of Ghana (BoG).



The BoG Governor, Dr Ernest Addison announced this Wednesday afternoon.



The Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited is expected to help the government in economic development.



The government has also issued a bond totaling GHc5.6 billion to cater for bad assets of the four banks, Dr Addison said. Explaining, the Governor said Unibank and Royal Bank were under capitalised and that those banks were beyond rehabilitation.



On Royal Bank, he said non performing loans were high whilst Sovereign Bank's license, he said was granted under suspicious act.



Dr Addison said the consolidated banks will be headed by Mr. Nii Amanor Dodoo of KPMG as the Receiver for the five banks.





PRESS RELEASE

GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHES NEW INDIGENOUS BANK;

BANK OF GHANA REVOKES LICENCES OF FIVE BANKS AND APPOINTS RECEIVER IN RESPECT OF THEIR ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

The Bank of Ghana today has granted a universal banking licence to Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited established by the Government. The Bank of Ghana has also today revoked the licences of uniBank Ghana Limited, The Royal Bank Limited, Beige Bank Limited, Sovereign Bank Limited, and Construction Bank Limited and has appointed Mr. Nii Amanor Dodoo of KPMG as the Receiver for the five banks.All deposits of the five banks are safe and have been transferred to the Consolidated Bank. Customers can carry out their business as usual at their respective banks which will now become branches of the Consolidated Bank. All staff of these banks will become staff of the Consolidated Bank. Boards of Directors and shareholders of these banks no longer have any roles.Ghana needs a strong and stable banking sector to drive the process of economic transformation. A weak banking sector means that access to credit will be limited while lending rates will continue to be high.The Bank of Ghana is mandated by law to promote the safety, soundness, and stability of the financial system and to protect the interests of depositors. In this context, the Bank has over the last year rolled out measures to strengthen the financial system to protect the interests of depositors however, a number of legacy problems have plagued the banking sector including macroeconomic factors, poor corporate governance and risk management practices, related party transactions that were not above board, regulatory non-compliance, and poor supervision, (questionable licensing processes and weak enforcement) leading to a significant build-up of vulnerabilities in the sector.From an Asset Quality Review (AQR) of banks conducted by the Bank of Ghana in 2015 and updated in 2016, a few indigenous banks were identified as vulnerable with inadequate capital, high levels of non-performing loans, and weak corporate governance.In August 2017, the Bank of Ghana closed two of those banks (UT Bank and Capital Bank) and approved the acquisition by GCB Bank of some of their assets and liabilities under a Purchase and Assumption Agreement. Other banks that were more recently licensed in 2016 and commenced operations in 2017 also began to show signs of distress, primarily due to conditions under which they obtained their licences.Efforts by these banks to extricate themselves from financial difficulty have not borne fruit. The situation has rather worsened for these banks.uniBank and Royal Bank were identified during the AQR update in 2016 exercise to be significantly undercapitalized. The two banks subsequently submitted capital restoration plans to the Bank of Ghana. These plans however, yielded no success in returning the banks to solvency and compliance with prudential requirements.The Official Administrator appointed for uniBank in March 2018 has found that the bank is beyond rehabilitation. Shareholders, related and connected parties had taken amounts totaling GH3.7 billion which were neither granted through the normal credit delivery process nor reported as part of the banks loan portfolio. In addition, amounts totaling GH1.6 billion had been granted to shareholders, related and connected parties in the form of loans and advances without due process and in breach of relevant provisions of Act 930. Altogether, shareholders, related and connected parties of uniBank had taken out an amount of GH5.3 billion from the bank, constituting 75 percent of total assets of the bank.









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Featured VideoThe business community in Ghana is disappointed with the Akufo-Addo administration for not implementing business-friendly policies, Sampson Asaki Awingobet, Executive Secretary to the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, has said.



According to him, although the government, through the Ministry of Finance, abolished some nuisance taxes, the effects of it has been nullified by the introduction of other taxes.



Mr Awingobet told Accra FM Wednesday, 1 August that if the current government does not focus on policies that will help the business community, then the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) will lose the 2020 elections.



The NDC administration also failed to assist the business community and they suffered electoral defeat for their actions.



Unfortunately, the NPP administration is also doing the same things the NDC did, and for now we can only wait till 2020 and vote against the government, he said.



He added: Now they have introduced taxes on luxury cars without even consulting stakeholders. This tax is bad and will not inure to the benefit of importers of cars.



All the so-called policies they introduced for businesses are not working. Go to Abossey Okai and speak to the spare parts dealers and they will tell you how disappointed they are in this government.







Source: classfmonline.com









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Featured VideoThe President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has revealed that the Public Procurement Authority, simply reviewing contracts brought before it for approval under either sole sourcing or restrictive tendering, has, in the past 18 months, saved the country some GH1.6 billion.



Speaking at the 2018 Internal Audit Conference, on Wednesday, 1st August, 2018, on the theme, Leadership and Good Corporate Governance; A key to Effective Public Financial Management, President Akufo-Addo indicated that, in the whole of 2016, the Authority made zero savings.



This, the President said, is what can happen when our institutions work, adding that I know that there is no better way to retain the confidence of the people than to ensure that public institutions work.



As internal auditors, he noted that they constitute the first line of defense in the fight against corruption, explaining that if they did their work well, they provide an independent and objective assessment of an institutions operations; specifically, the effectiveness of its internal control structure.



When people know that they cannot get away with spending 10 cedis of public money without accounting for it, they hesitate to take 100 or 1,000 or 10,000 cedis, the President stressed.



However, with the Auditor-General, year-in-year-out, uncovering cases of financial malfeasance in the public service, the President stated that we cannot avoid the conclusion that the internal auditor must be either complicit or incompetent. We cannot afford to have internal auditors that would be complicit in the malfeasance they are expected to prevent, and, certainly, we do not need incompetent ones.



He continued, From what is euphemistically termed petty corruption, to what must be called grand corruption, the truth is that corruption thrives when no one is checking.



President Akufo-Addo, thus, emphasised that the internal auditor is one of the primary weapons in the fight against corruption.



I came to reiterate that I need your help in the fight against corruption. I came to renew publicly the sacred vow that I took to protect the public purse. I came also to acknowledge that this is not a battle I can wage or win alone. There are many layers to the protection of the public purse, and internal auditors are its primary defenders, he said.



Whilst acknowledging the fundamental role that internal auditors play to prevent, detect and reduce corruption, leakages, and waste of public resources, he added that internal auditors help to ensure accurate and timely information, which helps to improve financial management systems in organizations.



Internal auditors lead in the safeguarding of resources and help to strengthen the control system, compliance with laws, policies and procedures in organizations Even more important is their role in ensuring accountability, transparency and the quality of performance in the organization, he said.

Attempts to tarnish me with corruption wont wash



The President stated that, despite stringent and desperate efforts being made by my political opponents to tarnish me and members of my family with corruption will simply not wash.



President Akufo-Addo reaffirmed that I did not come into public life to make money out of public service, and members of my family know fully well that they have to behave, and are not involved in anything untoward. I am aware that you give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. But, this dog will not be hanged.



He, thus, assured that institutions, such as the Auditor-General, Internal Audit Agency, EOCO and other statutory institutions, will continue to be empowered to carry out their mandate so that relevant laws and policies are complied with.



President Akufo-Addo, in concluding, assured Ghanaians that Government is on the right path to secure what is good for the country, and will endeavour, with Gods Grace, to work hard to reach our goal. Let us all work hard, and we shall achieve the prosperous and happy Ghana we all envisage.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Featured VideoGovernment has defended the US$ 2 billion infrastructure agreement it entered into with Sinohydro Corporation Limited for the construction of priority projects.



The government also insisted that the arrangement was a barter facility and not a loan as the public were made to believe.



The Minority in Parliament opposed the US$ 2 billion infrastructure arrangement in their view the facility is a loan and until government declared it as such, they would not support it.



Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Deputy Minister for Information gave the justification at press conference in Accra where he threw more light on the agreement.



Parliament approved a US$ 2 billion Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) with Sinohydro Corporation Limited for the construction of priority infrastructure projects.



Under the agreement Sinohydro Corporation is expected to implement the various EPC contracts for Ghana and the government repays with refined bauxite (Alumina/Aluminium).



The objective of the facility is to improve infrastructure projects such as hospitals, bridges, interchanges, roads, affordable housing and fishing landing sites in line with government development agenda.



Mr Oppong Nkrumah also stated that the phase one of the project, which is US$ 500 million would be used to construct critical infrastructure especially roads across the country.



He said the phase two of the plan, which is US$1.5 billion goes beyond road projects and comprises of hospitals, bridges, affordable housing, rural electrification and fishing landing sites which cut across the length and breadth of the country.



He explained that one important thing about the current structure deal was that 30 percent of the work had to be reserved for local sub-contractors.



Mr Oppong Nkrumah also stated the current barter arrangement would allow government more fiscal space even as they improve on their domestic revenue mobilization.



He explained that the projects that would be undertaken the facility would create jobs for the youth as well as open up the beneficiary centres of the economy.



Mr Anthony Abeifa Karbo, Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways in highlighting the various roads projects to be constructed stated that the barter arrangement was a new way financing projects where other African countries have gone and made great impact on their economy.



He said all the roads captured under the sinohydro facility have been carefully selected and have clear national representation, adding that, every part of the country had been captured under the facility.

Source: GNA









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Featured VideoThe Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II stole the show in Uganda over the weekend with the royal horns of Asanteman which were manufactured several years ago.



Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who is in Uganda as the special guest of honour for the 25th anniversary of the Kabaka of Buganda Kingdom, Roland Muwenda Mutebi II, made an lasting impression on many people in the country.



Some servants of the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, who were part of the entourage of the Asantehene, used their horns to produce some melodious traditional Asante tunes to herald Otumfuo from a private jet.



All activities at the Entebbe International Airport came to a standstill, as staffers at the airport and travellers alike rushed to the place to catch a glimpse of Otumfuo and his entourage.



Otumfuo was accompanied to Uganda by Nana Otuo Serebuo, the Asante Juabenhene, who is also the Chairman of the Council of State, prominent chiefs in Asanteman and servants at the Manhyia Palace.



At the Entebbe International Airport to welcome the Asantehene and his royal delegation to Uganda were the Prime Minister of Uganda, Charles Peter Mayiga and some top government officials.



High-ranking officials from the Buganda Kingdom were also at the airport to give the Asantehene, who is the 16th occupant of the Golden Stool, a rousing welcome.



The delegation that welcomed the Asantehene at the airport was equally thrilled with the spectacular cultural display by their august visitor and his delegation.



The elated Prime Minister Charles Peter Mayiga, in a brief speech at the airport, stated, We are very hopeful that Otumfuos stay will be a pleasant one and cement the relations between the two kingdoms.



According to reports, the Asantehenes long convoy caused vehicular and human traffic right from the Entebbe International Airport to the royal palace of the Kabaka as people trooped to the roadside to catch a glimpse of Otumfuo.



He later met the Kabaka of the Buganda Kingdom, Roland Muwenda Mutebi II at the royal palace where they exchanged gifts during the meeting.



During his five-day visit to Uganda, the Asantehene would meet President Yoweri Museveni in Kampala, the capital of Uganda where the two would hold talks to deepen relations between Ghana and Uganda.

Source: Daily Guide









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Featured VideoThe President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says one of the most important, immediate challenges that will confront Universities across the country will be the dramatically increased population of students, who will be seeking admission in some two years, as a result of the Free Senior High School policy.



Speaking at the investiture ceremony of Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse as Chancellor of University of Ghana, on Wednesday, 1st August, 2018, President Akufo-Addo urged the new Chancellor and all heads of our tertiary institutions, to begin making adequate preparations towards the increased population.



The Free Senior High School policy will be a permanent feature of our educational architecture. We cannot be caught off guard, and, as the saying goes, the best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today, the President said.



With Mrs Chinery-Hesse becoming the first female Chancellor of any public university in the country, the President stated that he is taking over as Chancellor from one of Ghanas most illustrious sons, the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, under whose stewardship the University has attained the rank of the best in West Africa.



I thank Mr. Kofi Annan, who served the two terms of his mandate, for his invaluable service to the nation. It is not every day that one picks up the mantle of leadership from such as Mr. Kofi Annan So, Madam Chancellor, I am sure that you know that you have your work cut out for you, he said



Nonetheless, the President was unequivocal that the University could not have picked a worthier successor to Mr. Kofi Annan than Mrs Chinery-Hesse.



Her wealth of experience, Chief Director at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, Member of the Governing Council of the University, Advisor to the 2nd President of the 4th Republic, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, the President said will ensure a seamless transition, and put her in good stead to help spur on the University onto even greater heights.



I commend the authorities of the University for the excellent choice of this distinguished person, one who is also, happily, a firm believer in academic freedom. As the first female Chancellor of any Ghanaian university, Mrs. Chinery-Hesse blazes, again, a trail for other women to follow, and, moreover, I am sure the University will definitely feel the added benefit of that special quality that a woman can bring to leadership, he said.

President Akufo-Addo assured of Governments steadfast commitment and continued support to the University of Ghana, and, indeed, to all other universities in the country.



It is my expectation and hope that Legon will continue to produce graduates, who are moulded to take on the opportunities and possibilities for higher achievement, through innovation and creativity, in todays science and technology-led, knowledge-driven global economy, and who will, thereby, help generate prosperity for the mass of our people in our time, he said.



Share with the youth of Ghana one fundamental belief that shapes everything he does, the President stated that we have it in us to be the best generation, the generation that fulfils the dreams of the great patriots who brought our nation independence, the generation whose work will give full meaning to the words of our countrys motto, Freedom and Justice, the generation that will build a new Ghanaian civilisation the equal of any on the face of the planet. Let us be up and doing. Greatness beckons.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Featured VideoFourteen members of the same family were killed today in a car crash in central Vietnam on their way to a wedding party.



The groom was also in the vehicle that crashed and he died instantly when their van hit a container truck, police said.



The groom and his family members were heading to the brides family home in a neighbouring province when they were involved in an accident in Quang Nam. Their 16-seater van collided with a container truck at about 2.30am, killing 13 people instantly. Another died later in hospital.



Confirming the incident, a policeman said: "All victims bodies were brought back to their home for burial. We are treating some of the injured in a local hospital."



Local authorities said Monday they were investigating the cause of the deadly crash.

Source: lindaikejisblog









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Featured VideoDeputy Minister for Education in charge of General Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has said private schools in the country are not benefiting from the free Senior High School programme because their tutors do not qualify to teach in public schools.



According to him, facilities in such schools do not also meet standards set by the Ghana Education Service.



the teachers we have at the private schools do not have the qualification to teach at the public senior high schools and once you are using public money, everything you are doing there should be at the public level, he said on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday.



The Akufo-Addo government started the implementation of the free SHS programme in 2017 offering students the secondary level an opportunity to attend school without paying anything.



Some of the private schools, however, appealed to the government to cover include them on the programme but their pleas were ignored.



Dr. Adutwum on the Citi Breakfast Show said one of the reasons why such schools were not included was because the private secondary schools would be asked to hire new teachers and upgrade their facilities.



He added that such directive would, however, bring too much burden on most of the private schools hence the decision not to include them.



They are going to be told that all the teachers they have do not qualify to teach here and therefore they should hire a whole new set of teachers. And by the way, the national inspectorate board would have to come to the private schools, look at their buildings and raise issues with their buildings.



They [national inspectorate board] may also say the private schools do not have science labs that meet the specification of the Ghana Education Service in terms of lab requirements. They may also request for computer labs. So it sounds so simple and easy for someone to say they have space, space does not educate the children. You must have a system in place which takes a long time to build, the Deputy Education Minister explained.



Following calls for the scrapping of boarding from the free SHS programme to ensure its sustenance, Dr. Adutwum said the government is not considering such a move.



We felt that the boarding system is a fabric of our education so we did not consider changing itand not all communities have day schools.



He argued that a number of deprived students would suffer if such a move is adopted.



All communities dont have day schools. Its not that simple. When you do that you are going to disadvantage those who cannot afford. If you look at Accra, the vast majority of students are in day schools. 76 percent of students in Accra are day students. And Accra schools do very well. The same thing cannot be said in other regions where the location or where the population is distributed does not lend itself to the implementation of a very strong day programme, he stated.

Source: citinewsroom.com









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Featured VideoA reception is held by Chinese Ministry of National Defense to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Beijing, capital of China, July 31, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Yiye)

BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- A reception was held by the Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which falls on Aug. 1.

On behalf of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission, State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe extended Army Day greetings to the personnel of the PLA, the Armed Police Force, the reserve force, the militia, veterans, army heroes and role models, among others.

China will firmly stay on the path of peaceful development, pursue a national defense policy that is in nature defensive, and work with other countries to promote the Belt and Road Initiative, Wei said at the reception.

China will promote the building of a new type of international relations, build a community with a shared future for humanity, and continue its efforts to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and uphold international order, he noted.

There is only one China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, said the defense minister, pledging that the PLA has the resolve, the confidence, and the ability to defeat separatist attempts for "Taiwan independence" in any form and any external interference.

The army will stay true to its founding mission and work hard to build the people's forces into world-class forces, Wei said.President Nana Akufo-Addo has sworn in Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse as the 10th Chancellor of the University of Ghana (UG), Legon.



This makes her the first female Chancellor of the university, succeeding former UN boss Kofi Annan, who served for 10 years. Mrs Chinery-Hesse is expected to serve the university for 5 years.



Speaking at the investiture in Accra on Wednesday, 1 August 2018, Mr Akufo-Addo lauded the University Council and management for appointing Mrs Chinery-Hesse.



He said the university administration could not have picked a worthier successor to Mr Annan than Mrs Chinery-Hesse.



He admonished the new Chancellor and all heads of tertiary institutions to make adequate preparations for the expected increase in the number of Senior High School (SHS) leavers, as a result of governments Free SHS policy, adding the policy will be a permanent feature of our educational architecture.



The president further pledged governments support to the various tertiary institutions in order to admit a higher number of students in the next academic year.



For her part, Mrs Chinery-Hesse promised to use her experience to develop the university and raise the standard of learning at the countrys premier tertiary institution.



I promise to bring to bear as well, as the Chancellor, the formidable skills I have garnered in my many international interventions We will confront the problems and I assure everybody that all will be amicably resolved.



She said her vision for the university is rooted in Ghanaian and African realities and want to create an institution which is authoritative in research on Ghana and Africa at the highest level of quality by any international measure.



She commended the strides made by past Chancellors and the improvement in the gender ratio  recording high female students over the years.



Mrs Chinery-Hesse said the universityy wishes to create a home welcoming to scholars of international standard from all over the world and from a rich variety of cultures.



She also lauded the president for introducing some key educational reforms which she described as key interventions that will improve the education sector.







Source: classfmonline.com









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Featured VideoPresident Nana Akufo Addo is likely to confirm the nomination of Mrs Jean Mensah as the new Chairperson of the Electoral Commission within the next 24 hours, Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame has revealed.



This is after the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a writ for an application seeking an injunction to stop President Akufo Addo from continuing with the process of appointing a new Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.



A private individual Fafali Nyunator had prayed the apex court to declare that the Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo breached the constitution and exceeded the limits of her powers by defining the scope of the committee of enquiry that probed the petition for the removal of the former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei.



According to the writ filed at the Supreme Court, Tuesday, July 3, 2018, Nyonator is seeking among other things a declaration that the determination by Her Ladyship, the Chief Justice of a prima facie case pursuant to Article 46 of the Constitution for the removal from office of the Chairperson of the EC is inconsistent with Article 130 (a) of the Constitution.



But a seven member panel of the Supreme Court ruling on the matter, explained that Article 2 clause of the Constitution makes available remedies for reinstatement if the court eventually finds the removal of Mrs Charlotte Osei unconstitutional.



Addressing the press after the ruling, Hon. Godfred Yeboah Dame stated that with the ruling President Akufo Addo has been cleared to go ahead with his appointment of the new EC chair.



The way has been paved clear for the appointment of the Electoral Commissioner formally, the swearing in will take place. The President will act in accordance with this ruling which is that theres no impediment in his way and he can go ahead and appoint. Indeed hes going to appoint, Im sure hes going to appoint within the next 24 hours.

Sources at the Presidency have confirmed to Kasapafmonline.com that the Council of State has approved Mrs Jean Mensahs nomination.



She replaces Mrs. Charlotte Osei who was removed with her two deputies  Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwah  by the President following recommendations by a committee set up by the Chief Justice to probe a petition against them.







Source: kasapafmonline.com









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Featured VideoA National Democratic Congress flagbearer aspirant, Alban Bagbin, has taken a swipe at President Akufo-Addo over what he believes is a demonstration of ineffective leadership in governance.



Bagbin, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nadowli-Kaleo constituency said he is surprised at the administrative style of Akufo-Addo particularly his appointment of 110 ministers and deputy ministers, despite criticizing the previous government heavily for appointing 84 ministers and deputy ministers.I dont think that this is the Nana Addo I knew that he could ever think of appointing 110 ministers and deputy ministers after criticizing 84 ministers and deputy ministers that it was on the high side, he said.

Providing his assessment of President Akufo-Addos performance as president over the past 18 months, Bagbin, who serves as the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament said Akufo-Addo has lost grip over his appointees.



But I will say again, I think he has been torpedoed and pushed to do that and that it looks like he is losing grips over his people. He is not in firm control actually. I dont think he is in firm control, he said.

Alban Bagbin however said Akufo-Addo should be given more time to redeem himself.



He said Akufo-Addo had failed to deliver on his campaign promises, describing governments flagship programme, Free Senior High School (SHS) as a disaster.



In spite of the mistakes that his government is making and sometimes the surprises that he is giving to Ghanaians because they are not practicing what they preach, we should give him time, he said.

Source: citinewsroom.com









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Featured VideoDr Nii Kotei Dzani, a Member of the Council of State has called for a national debate to review the current age of 40 years before one qualifies to be elected as President.



He said: We need to spark up the debate on the appropriate age for Presidency in this country. As young Parliamentarians, the ball is in your court. It is up to you to bring it before the house, start a conversation, in Accra.



Dr Dzani made the call at the inauguration of the Young Parliamentarians Forum.



The Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) is a non-partisan Union of the Parliament of Ghana to further the agenda of young people in Parliament.



The current Parliament of Ghana, which is the 7th in the 4th Republic, is made up of relatively younger legislators, as a result of the high number of young new entrants that won the elections in their respective constituencies.



Ghanas Parliament currently has 71 Members of Parliament (MPs) below the age of 45, and this accounts for 25.8percent of the House.



Dr Dzani, the youngest member of the Council of State and President of Groupe Ideal said that it was about time Ghana followed the example of Canada, France, New Zealand and allowed people younger than age 40 to run for the highest political office of the land as President.



Citing examples of young leaders around the world, Dr Dzani said: Indeed, the World over, young people are leading the way. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada at the age of 37 years of age. President Macron became President of France at age 39.



Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern was elected at 37 years of age in 2017



He urged the young MPs to be willing and ready to improve every day and take advantage of the mentorship opportunities available to them by associating with senior members.



The destiny of Ghana is in our hands, we must learn from those who have gone ahead of us, tap into their knowledge and dont be in a hurry to kick them out so that you can take over, he said.



Professor Mike Oquaye, the Speaker of Parliament advised the young parliamentarians to allow themselves to be mentored and trained, as being too known is not a good thing.



The Speaker registered his support to the Forum with resources from home and abroad, saying, the future belongs to young people.



There is no alternative to this; not having the youth is for the future to perish. As Speaker, I will support the YPF; we will find resources both home and abroad to ensure that this forum succeeds



Mr Alex Tetteh Djornobuah, MP for Sefwi-Akontombra Constituency and the President of YPF, the inauguration is a key catalyst to Ghanas parliamentary work.



We recognise that after 25 years of parliamentary democracy, the role of young MPs has been very essential but it is high time we uplifted our level of engagement, not only with the youth of Ghana, but the rest of the world.



Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, First Deputy Speaker; Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu;, Mr Emmanuel Anyimadu, the Clerk to Parliament; Deputy Majority Leader Adjoa Safo attended the inauguration.

Source: GNA









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Featured VideoThe Minority in Parliament has sounded another alarm over the controversial Karpower deal which was extended from ten to twenty years in March 2018, despite the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) talking down the deal and describing it as bad.



Addressing the press on Wednesday, a former Deputy Power Minister, John Jinapor, described the reviewed Karpower dealas a scandalous and corruption-ridden agreement.



This was during a press conference held in opposition to proposed amendments to the AMERI deal.



Mr. Jinapor warned that the renegotiated Karpower deal was even worse than the AMERI deal that civil society had also kicked against.



This renegotiated agreement is even worse than the AMERI Novation agreement presented to parliament by Mr. Boakye Agyarko The renegotiated Karpower agreement stinks to the heavens with big fishes in government superintending the looting of the state under this new deal.



The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) board, has not approved this deal, according to Mr. Jinapor.



What they have done is to do double the tender. Anytime you double the tender of a PPA [Private-Public Partnership Agreement], the rule of thumb is that the capacity charge drops to between 30 and 40 percent.



What this government has done is to renegotiate the deal, double the tender and give us a minimal reduction of about 8 percent. So who is seeking to cream off the 32 percent, he asked.

Mr. Jinapor concluded by saying the Minority will soon release details on the deal they consider scandalous.



The renegotiated deal was poorly negotiated and fraught with inflated and padded figures. The Minority will soon engage the Ghanaian public on this stinking deal and we shall make the details available.



Citi News sources at the Energy Ministry suggested at the time that the deal has been renegotiated to ensure value for money.



The new terms are however unclear for now.



The company announced it will move from using Heavy Fuel Oil [HFO] to natural gas when it moves the vessel from Tema to Takoradi.



The Karpowership from Turkey has the capacity to supply 470 megawatts (MW) of power to Ghana.



Karpower barge deal makes no sense



In December 2015, current Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was scathing in his assessment of the initial deal.



Dr. Bawumia said it made no sense for government to secure the power barge as an emergency solution to the power crisis, explaining that the deal did not give the country value for money.



The 225 megawatts power barge docked at the Tema Port in December 2015, to augment the shortfall in power supply at the time.



A 225 megawatts plant like the Karpower Plant that we are renting, will cost some 225 million dollars if we wanted to purchase it; and we will own it. Under the Karpower deal, we will pay for the power from the barge for the next ten years whether we use it or not. The African Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) estimates that based on the capacity charge alone which is 5.6 percent per kilowatt hour, it will cost Ghana close to one billion dollars over the next ten years for the energy from the barge. This, however, excludes the cost of fuel which will require about 35,000 tones every month. After ten years, the barge will sail away and with this one billion dollar, we could have built a 1,000-megawatt plant for ourselves.

Power from the barge will also cost at least twice what it cost to supply power from Takoradi. This really does not make sense.

Source: citinewsroom.com









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Featured VideoNational flags of the United States, Canada, and Mexico fly in the breeze in New Orleans on April 21, 2008. The Canadian government may have been left out of NAFTA talks between the U.S. and Mexico last week and again this week -- but federal insiders insist they're cautiously encouraged Canada's continental partners are once again working out their bilateral sticking points. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP - Judi BottoniChina has decided to issue plaques of honor to all families who had or have loved ones in military service.

The order was given by the State Council via a circular made public on Tuesday.

The scope of eligible families is expanded to those of active service personnel, martyrs, demobilized or deceased ex-servicemen and women (who died on duty or of illness).

The plaques had been reserved for families of martyrs and volunteer military personnel before the expansion.

"It is a key measure to promote the tradition of honoring military families," said the circular, adding that the issuance needs to be completed by May 1, 2019.

The plate is painted gold and inscribed with four large Mandarin characters: Guang Rong Zhi Jia (Family of Honor), the circular said. The family can decide where it wants to place the plaque, but it is advisable to hang it on the front door.

Authorities said the move would help establish a military honor system and create an atmosphere in which military service is regarded as a profession of honor and treated with respect.Two summers ago, Robert Eugene Turner, the son of an Illinois boilermaker who invested $30 billion for pension plans and mutual funds in his dot.com heyday, attempted a comeback after his Berwyn-based Turner Investments imploded. Now he has cut short the comeback, and announced a more drastic career change  becoming a minister.

Turner investment funds scored big profits in the 1990s. He picked Cisco Systems in 1990, years before it briefly became the most valuable U.S. company, and was also an early believer in Salesforce. His investors profited handsomely in the dot.com and telecom stock boom.

But he went the wrong way when he urged clients to buy deeply into U.S. stocks just before the market collapse of 2008. That and other ill-timed picks, and the general decline in growth-oriented, active stock funds, drove away clients like Vanguard Group and the Pennsylvania state retirement system (SERS).

As clients left, Turner's prized stock-pickers, who once made his Berwyn-based firm famous on CNBC and BloombergTV, quit in platoons. He sued several of them for joining competitors. Mozido, the flashy billion-dollar "unicorn" global telecom company where Turner served as chairman at the invitation of its founder Michael Liberty, also failed to perform.

But Turner had another bold plan: As customer assets at his old company fell toward zero, he made a fresh start, announcing he would build another fund family, using new automated investing technology to drive down costs.

In July 2016, Turner said he was combining the remaining staff and assets at Turner Investments, with an investment platform formed by Veracen LP, a business started by Radnor investor Michael T. Kennedy, at new offices near Turner's Berwyn base.

The group appealed to friends for $12.5 million they would use to build an automated money management firm they projected would invest $10 billion by this year. They admitted the company was "highly speculative." Last August, a year into the plan, a New York spokesman for the venture predicted it would employ at least 60 people by the end of this year or early next.

Now Turner is out. In a note to friends earlier this summer, Turner, now 61, said he was resigning from the Veracen project, effective last month. "As an investor whose funds have gone" into the group's software and investment platform, "I wish Michael and his team success," Turner wrote. He remains an investor but is no longer active in Kennedy's effort.

Turner told friends he would continue to work with his sons investing their money in a family investment office he calls Windhill. (Turner collected as much as $30 million a year when his firm was prosperous, according to a prospectus his former company once filed in an abortive initial public offering proposal. He used part of his fortune to endow the Turner College of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at his alma mater, the Peoria, Ill.-based Bradley College.)

But mostly, Turner wrote, he planned to "focus my attention on where it counts and that's growing my faith. I firmly believe that we are placed on this planet to grow daily in our awareness of God. Without the distractions of business, I can do that much better."

He said he's been active at his church and in support of City Team Ministries, which runs programs in Chester and Delaware Counties. "And to keep the intellectual challenge growing, I'm enrolled in a four-year program to become an ordained minister," Turner concluded. A Presbyterian, he is studying to be a nondenominational preacher. He declined to comment for this story.

Former employees and associates, speaking on condition they not be named, tell me they were surprised at Turner's choice.

Turner plans to continue his stock investments through the family office, but the public sector of his 40-year investing career appears to be over.The aftermath of the flooding at Sansom and Juniper Streets on the morning of July 3, 2018. Read more

Time, a bar-restaurant at 1315 Sansom St., will reopen at 5 p.m. Wednesday, nearly one month after a water main ruptured, sending rushing waters through the neighborhood.

Time's electrical and refrigeration systems were destroyed.

Executive chef Mackenzie Hilton will offer a limited bar menu for a few days until everything is fully up and running. No draft beer will be available at the outset as the draft lines are still getting fixed.

Time required a new electric panel and new flooring on the first floor.

"There was so much water pouring in, it was insane," owner Jason Evenchik told The Inquirer on July 3. "I saw it outside the beer walk-in [refrigerator], and I could see kegs floating outside. There had to be a foot of water at that point. By 5 [a.m.], it was nearly 3 feet. By 5:15, it was probably chest-high."

Opa, a Greek bar-restaurant at 1311 Sansom St., remains closed. Owner George Tsiouris said on Tuesday that he expected to reopen in early September.The "seven-month nightmare" that would cost Jeffrey Armstrong his job and his home all started when Wawa spoiled his lunch.

Armstrong, a 40-year-old former Wawa worker, thought his store's lunch break policy violated Delaware state law, since it didn't guarantee employees a half-hour uninterrupted break for every 7  hours worked.

He raised the issue with his boss, who wrote him up in December because he "gossiped" about the matter with co-workers. He contacted human resources, which he said never returned his calls. He filed an internal ethics complaint, all to no avail.

In the end, Armstrong was fired four days before Christmas last year after donating food to a church. Wawa offered shifting reasons for his dismissal, ranging from stealing to mishandling food. Delaware officials, in assessing whether he qualified for unemployment, found that Armstrong was fired "without just cause." Armstrong believes his termination was really retaliation for blowing the whistle on a legally dubious lunch break policy.

Armstrong filed charges against Wawa in February through the National Labor Relations Board, alleging the company fired him for protesting policies he had the right to contest. The NLRB, a federal agency that enforces labor laws, is now trying to facilitate a settlement, according to emails and documents.

Wawa was willing to sign a proposed settlement last week that would have given Armstrong $8,630 of back pay, but only if he waived his right to seek his old job back, according to a copy of the proposal and an email Armstrong received from an NLRB official. Armstrong, who earned about $400 per week at Wawa, rejected the offer.

"I'm not comfortable with that at all because it's not true. They're not offering me my job back and I'm not turning them down," said Armstrong, who worked for Wawa for 4 years and was cross trained to work throughout the store.

>> READ MORE: Wawa to pay $25 million to settle employee stock suit

A Wawa spokesperson declined to comment, citing active litigation.

The Wawa store, located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, gave workers 15 minutes in paid break for every four hours worked, but the breaks could be cut short depending on staffing needs, according to a copy of the policy.

Delaware state law says all employees must receive a meal break of at least 30 consecutive minutes if the worker is scheduled to work 7  or more hours per day. There are some exemptions granted, such as if only one worker performs the duties of a job or there are fewer than five employees on a shift.

Wawa did not answer questions about the store's lunch break policy and whether it complied with Delaware state law.

>> READ MORE: African valets who park the cars at Penn Medicine say they got fired after trying to unionize

According to his affidavit, Armstrong said he asked the store manager, Alexa Houston, for a half-hour uninterrupted, unpaid break promised by Delaware state law. But Houston, who did not return a message seeking comment, instead instituted a new policy that said workers "may not clock out and do what you please on your break," according to a memo she sent to employees in November.

In addition, the policy prevented workers from going to their cars during break, something Armstrong wanted to do. At the same time, the policy permitted smokers to light up twice a day for 15 minutes at the front of the building or near the store's trash area. Armstrong contacted Wawa's ethics hotline twice about the break policy, according to his affidavit.

The confrontation between Armstrong and Houston escalated as he became more vocal about the break policy. On Dec. 12, Houston wrote him up for "creating conflict with associates," according to a report she drafted. Among other things, Houston wrote that Armstrong "gossiped" with a coworker about a conversation that he had with his manager about the break policy. Armstrong, she wrote, was telling coworkers he was out to get her job, according to the write up.

Armstrong was fired more than a week later  on Dec. 21  ostensibly over an unrelated issue.

In Armstrong's telling, he was called into Houston's office and accused of stealing food by a person from loss prevention who didn't identify herself. The issue stemmed from Armstrong taking food donations to the Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach. After he was fired and escorted from the store, he said he obtained a note from the church proving that he dropped off food donations at the church. Then, he said, Wawa's story changed.

>> READ MORE: Japanese American woman finds slur on Philly hotel bill

According to company documents, Armstrong was fired for mishandling  not stealing  food donations he took to the church. In a January decision upholding Armstrong's termination, a Wawa senior associate relations specialist wrote that Armstrong was not food certified and suggested he may have improperly stored and transported the food since, among other reasons, the "temperature of his storage unit was not monitored" and "it is not known if the cardboard box he used was clean and free of any possible contaminants."

In February, Delaware's Division of Unemployment Insurance said Armstrong was fired without just cause and could apply for unemployment benefits, according to government records. The division reported that Wawa at first indicated Armstrong was fired for contributing to unsanitary or unsafe conditions, but later told the division he was fired for theft when asked for more information.

"I was just stunned. Absolutely numb. I couldn't believe what just happened to me. I knew none of it was true," Armstrong said. "And I knew I could prove it  and it didn't matter."

Armstrong's mother was dying of cancer when he was fired just before the holidays, so he initially kept the bad news from his family.

"My whole world fell apart and I had to pretend that it didn't for five days because I wasn't going to lay it on my parents in my mom's condition," he said.

Armstrong said he had to abandon the trailer he bought for himself in Delaware because he could no longer afford the rent for the land it sat on. He now lives in Philadelphia in his parents' house and is a waiter at a Texas Roadhouse in Bensalem. He says it's the best job he's ever had.Lauren Simmons, 23, is the youngest female trader on the New York Stock Exchange. She spoke Tuesday, July 31, 2018 in Philadelphia. (Credit: Derrick Dean) Read more

She's what most traders aren't: a millennial, a woman, and a minority.

At 23, Lauren Simmons is the youngest and only current full-time female trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

She spoke Tuesday at the Pyramid Club in Center City during an event hosted by local investment adviser Modern Wealth Concepts of Jenkintown.

Simmons, a native of Marietta, Ga., graduated from Kennesaw State University with a degree in genetics and a minor in statistics, all of which helped her impress Gordon Charlop, partner at Rosenblatt Securities and a floor trader for 25 years. As a NYSE floor governor, he hired her last year to work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as an equity trader.

"He liked my stats background, and as a trader, you have to make quick decisions," Simmons told the crowd. Rosenblatt is a specialist boutique brokerage firm that trades mostly exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, she said.

Simmons moved to New York City shortly after graduating to pursue her dreams of working in the Big Apple. A chance opportunity arose when she was deemed overqualified for a position, but the employer insisted on introducing her to Charlop at the NYSE.

She's the youngest female and only the second African American woman to ever work at the NYSE in its 226-year history. On Dec. 5, 2017, she signed her name alongside that of John D. Rockefeller in the constitution of the NYSE.

"When I heard Lauren's story, I knew it was something that needed to be shared," said Jen Montague, executive director of Modern Wealth Concepts and chair of leadership and development programs at the African American Chamber of Commerce, which co-hosted the event along with the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce. Modern Wealth Concepts was founded by fee-based financial planner Keith Donnell and is run by him and his daughter Montague of Cheltenham. The firm manages roughly $20 million in assets.

"To accomplish what she has so quickly after graduating college says a lot about her character and her leadership qualities. No matter where you're at in your career, you will take something away from this experience," Montague said.

Raised by a single mother of three, Simmons initially wanted to work as a genetics counselor because her twin brother suffers from cerebral palsy. "I need to live vicariously for him, that's my mind-set," she said.

How has she changed since joining Wall Street?

"Extroverts like this type of job, and yes, it's a community of men. But to focus on that is a distraction mind-set. Men on the floor are very loud, so I had to change from being a soft-spoken gal from Georgia or I'd get run over. Once I passed the exams to trade on the floor, I knew I had to step out of my comfort zone. And I'm changing their minds, as well."

Advice for women in the workplace? Simmons has that, too.

"Women are taught to pursue perfection rather than taking risks," she added. "That's just silly. You're not reaching too high. You can make anything a reality."

Other advice for new grads?

"Get your face in front of a lot of people. LinkedIn was and is my best friend. And believe in the power of networking in person. Don't take someone saying 'no' so personally." She's also a fan of vision boards and such books as The Universe Has Your Back and You Are a Badass.

Since her hiring, Simmons has met other women who've broken into the boys club  including Martina Edwards, the first African American female broker on the NYSE, and Stacey Cunningham, this year named the first female president of the NYSE.

"At breakfast with Stacey, she told me the prior president asked her, 'Who do you think would make a good successor?' and she didn't get it at first. He was offering her the job. And she thought she wasn't qualified. Women have to find people who want you to succeed. If they're giving you the opportunity, why are you saying 'no'?"

Although much of Wall Street trading is now automated and computerized, the NYSE is one of the last remaining trading floors with humans, she added.

"My orders from clients might move prices, and I can go to one of the market-makers in a stock in-person and ask them what the market is looking like. Technology can't do that."Karen Giberson, President of The Accessories Council is leading the war against the Trump Administration's tariffs as they promise to adversely effect fashion accessories, especially handbags. She is shown with a selection of items on July 25, 2018. CHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer Read more

As president of the Accessories Council, the New York nonprofit that champions the interests of the bags, baubles, belts, and barrettes industry, Karen Giberson is a firm believer that products should be manufactured in America when it's feasible.

Yet despite Giberson's strong USA-made stance, she  and members of 65 other trade organizations, including the National Retail Federation  are gearing up to throw a monkey wrench into the Trump administration's proposed trade tariffs on goods made in China.

On behalf of the council's roughly 300 members, including such brands as Kate Spade and Tory Burch, Giberson filed a request Friday to testify at a public hearing in opposition to $200 billion in retaliatory duties that President Trump proposed this month on a range of Chinese exports, from fish to chemicals to textiles. Included on the list are handbags, other small leather goods, items fashioned from fur  faux and real  a ton of hat types (but not all hats), and plastic apparel like ponchos.

If Giberson is granted her request, she will appear next month before a panel of United States trade representatives in Washington. Based on oral and written testimony from her and others, the panel will determine whether this 10 percent increase on the foreign purchase price of the affected goods will be enforced.

"You can't raise tariffs 10 percent and not think it won't hurt American businesses," said Giberson, who lives in Media.

>> READ MORE: What is a tariff, anyway?

This $200 billion in proposed tariffs is in addition to $34 billion already levied this month on Chinese goods, mostly industrial imports. What makes this round different, said customs and international trade attorney Peter W. Klestadt, who is representing the council, is that it's the first on consumer goods like seafood and fashion items, and even some cosmetics.

The proposed tariffs could take effect as early as September, and if they do, Giberson said, consumers can expect to spend anywhere from a few additional dollars to upwards of $30 extra on their favorite tote, cross-body bag, or clutch as designer brands pass along the added importing costs to shoppers.

In an already depressed brick-and-mortar shopping environment, that could be catastrophic  especially as we approach retailers' make-or-break holiday season.

>> READ MORE: Consumers, already stung by rising prices, could get socked by Trump's tariffs

"Many of our members didn't factor in these new costs, and they will have to eat them," Giberson said.

I don't imagine this is why Ivanka Trump shuttered her clothing line last week. She said she was stepping down to focus on politics, and the proposed tariffs don't include most clothing. But there were a bevy of handbags and wallets under the Ivanka Trump umbrella, and her brand did outsource manufacturing to China, among other countries, according to a Washington Post report. (I actually salivated over a few items, dropping them like hot potatoes when I saw the label at T.J. Maxx.)

And since we don't know when and if the trade wars will let up, who knows when the pussy bow blouse might come attack?

>> READ MORE: U.S. announces billions to help farmers hurt by Trump tariffs

Giberson feels for industry giants like Michael Kors, but she's most concerned about the smaller businesses that account for more than half the council's membership. These companies  many with women and minorities at their helms  are in greatest danger of folding if they can't offset the unexpected higher cost of doing business, she says.

Take the Philadelphia handbag line MinkeeBlue.

Started in 2014 by Philadelphia Fashion Incubator designer-in-residence graduate Sherrill Mosee, MinkeeBlue is a collection of totes for professional women to carry everything from lunch to laptops. Initially, Mosee wanted to both source and make her handbag line in the States. But after calculating it would cost her $2,000 for each sample and more than $100 per bag for labor, she started to look overseas.

Mosee found a Chinese factory that charges her between $45 and $65 per handbag. And this, she says, includes an existing 17 percent tariff. (If the Trump proposal goes through, her tariff will go up to 27 percent per bag.)

She retails the bags online for $140, and after business expenses that include marketing, warehousing, and insurance, the profit margin on each one is slim.

"A 10 percent increase in tariffs would be devastating to my business," Mosee said. "I'm not in a position to absorb the costs. That leaves me two choices: pass the costs on to the consumer or close my business."

Giberson, who has been a part of the accessories industry for 30 years  first as an assistant jewelry buyer at Macy's and then in QVC's marketing department  knows manufacturing. So she does understand where the Trump administration is coming from, she says, especially with its concerns about China stealing U.S. intellectual property.

Still, Klestadt says, those trade secrets mostly concern technology. And most accessories  especially handbags  have essentially been made the same way for a hundred years.

"One of the questions that's asked for purposes of the hearing is, will the imposition of this tariff on these particular products result in pressuring China to change behavior in respect to intellectual properties?" Klestadt said. "Of course the answer to handbags is no."

The day after the latest round of tariffs was proposed, Giberson reached out to lawyers, took conference calls from the National Retail Federation, and called on partners on the Council of Fashion Design. She spent two weeks gathering information, including a survey asking her members to describe the impact of the tariffs on their businesses.

This action is detrimental

Like Mosee at MinkeeBlue, co-owner Deepa Gandhi of the Dagne Dover handbag line  a graduate of Penn's Wharton School  did not budget for additional tariffs. She's already placed her holiday orders. And, to make matters worse, if she wanted to pull manufacturing from China, it would take 18 months to get things up and running at a new factory.

"We understand the importance of protecting American businesses," Gandhi said. "But this action is detrimental to our supply chain and can prove detrimental to American business."

It's for these reasons, Giberson said, that she needs to step up.

"The way it's being done, it's going to hurt businesses more than it will help them," Giberson said. "And it will hurt us for a long time."The Reverend John T. Sweeney, center, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Westmoreland County to sexually abusing a fourth grader. The state attorney general is days away from releasing an investigative report about 300 alleged abusers just like him. And yet, only a few have ever faced criminal charges through the years in this state. Read more

Josh Shapiro is delivering a few lessons this week on the power of the people vs. the power of people with deep pockets.

They're more like jabs, and they are coming from Pennsylvania's attorney general ahead of the release of a criminal investigative report, days away, that will disclose clergy abuse by more than 300 predator priests at six of Pennsylvania's eight Catholic dioceses.

Shapiro's office over the last year has taken a beating behind closed doors from church-affiliated lawyers who have sought to kill or neuter the report. Shapiro seems willing now, as the finish line approaches, to slap back at them.

It's about time.

It began on Tuesday, when Shapiro held a news conference to announce a conviction against creep-in-a-collar John T. Sweeney. The priest from Westmoreland County pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy who, now in his 30s, serves in the U.S. Coast Guard.

The victim was there and spoke. So were some of Shapiro's deputies, who have overseen the two-year grand jury probe that is expected to detonate in the next two weeks with toxic revelations about the Dioceses of Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, and Scranton.

Just a few days before, Shapiro's office had been fighting furiously to prevent the investigation from being buried.

On Thursday, July 26, Shapiro implored Pope Francis to help stop a few dozen unnamed objector priests  for all we know they are bishops or cardinals, even  who have been trying, with lawyers bankrolled by God knows whom, to stop the report's release.

Then on Friday, the state Supreme Court handed Shapiro's office a partial blow/win.

The court ruled that the names of the two dozen complainants be blotted from the report, but that the report be made public by mid-August. Their reputations, the Men of God had argued, would be unconstitutionally harmed.

With revisions presumably already underway on the more than 800-page report, Shapiro moseyed over to southwestern Pennsylvania on Tuesday to show a rare conviction against one of the few priests that his office has ever been able to lock up.

But he said more than just that.

"No one is above the law and we will apply the law without fear or favor," he said. "If anyone has information regarding child sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church of Pennsylvania, please contact the attorney general's clergy abuse hotline, 888-538-8541."

That's right: The man wants Even. More. Leads.

Even now.

How can anyone not be rooting for Shapiro and his investigators?

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia isn't in the crosshairs now because two previous grand jury probes exposed how young souls were destroyed by predators who were protected by cardinals for decades.

Philly's dirty laundry count in 2005, when a city grand jury slammed it: At least 63 priests  and probably many more  sexually abused hundreds of minors over several decades across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Cardinals John Krol and Anthony J. Bevilacqua "excused and enabled the abuse," the grand jury found at the time. No one, though, could be prosecuted because time had expired to file charges.

A state grand jury under former Attorney General Kathleen Kane reported in 2016 that 50 abusive priests and religious leaders in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese had done damage to "hundreds" of children over two generations. Again, no charges were filed because of the state's paltry statute of limitations.

Kane's office did charge three former leaders of a Pennsylvania-based Franciscan Friar order with conspiracy and endangerment for overseeing Brother Stephen Baker as he sexually abused more than 100 minors over at least two decades in Johnstown and multiple states. One of Baker's ravaged victims died before the case could go to trial.

>> READ MORE >> Sex-abusing priest caused suffering for a generation  and walked free.

You know what didn't happen with any of those prior probes? No one tried to kill them with Supreme Court action.

This time, the church and its clergy apparently had the appetite for a fight.

The court kept the objectors' names unknown, even as they attacked the very grand jury law that helps prosecutors catch bad actors. Their lawyers say the Attorney General's Office trampled on their due-process rights during its investigation.

The Supreme Court plans to consider the priests' legal arguments later this year.

"We shouldn't have tampering of a grand jury report," one prominent state prosecutor, John Morganelli, told me this week of exactly what the legal fight amounts to.

As I wrote this column on Wednesday, the Harrisburg Diocese, which had tried to shut down the grand jury, was suddenly magnanimous.

Bishop Ronald Gainer announced he would publish a list of 71 clergy members or seminarians accused of child abuse since the 1940s.

No doubt, he did so to get ahead of what will be a very unflattering, very ugly report.

Shapiro, meanwhile, tweeted something that reads like he's finally throwing poison darts back at Goliath.

"This is long past due and only comes in the face of the imminent release of my Office's investigation detailing widespread sexual abuse and cover-up by more than 300 priests in six PA dioceses," he wrote. "Stay tuned."

Correction: A previous version of this column misstated the number of grand jury investigations into clergy sex-abuse in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.Comedian Samantha Bee made her way to Philadelphia earlier this week for an interview with District Attorney Larry Krasner that will air on a future episode of TBS's Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Neither the DA's office nor TBS would say what the pair discussed.

The host interviewed Krasner on Monday at the Franklin Inn Club on quaint Camac Street in Center City, according to Basil Talbott, a club member. Founded in 1902, the Franklin Inn Club is a social club with a literary bent, and counts illustrator N.C. Wyeth (father to Andrew) and novelist Owen Wister (The Virginian) among its notable former members.

Ben Waxman, director of communications for the DA's office, on Wednesday confirmed Bee's visit. A rep at TBS noted that the show's crew had been filming a field piece in Philly this week, but "has since packed up."

The Franklin Inn Club got involved earlier this month, when a location scout hit Philadelphia to find a spot for the interview, which was set up by a Full Frontal producer. Talbott said the show was looking for a "bookish, intellectual look" for the segment, and the Franklin Inn Club fit because it "looks like something out of old Philadelphia."

Bee, Talbott said, showed up at the club around 7 a.m. on Monday with a crew of about 25 people  somewhat large for the venue, which usually hosts literary talks, political discussions, and members' private events.

Cameras and lighting systems were spread out over two floors of the building. "We had more equipment that you can imagine in this little club," Talbott said.

Bee interviewed Krasner one-on-one in the building's first-floor foyer for most of the morning, Talbott said.

She then headed to the Franklin Inn Club's second-floor library, where Talbott said she spoke with a small group of Krasner supporters. Krasner was not part of that interview.

Bee's portion of the shoot wrapped up around 5:30 p.m. on Monday, when the host had to leave Center City to catch a flight. An air date for the interview has not yet been announced.

Krasner was elected as DA in November. His star is on the rise nationally, as the Inquirer has reported, and he has been labeled by some as "the most progressive DA in the country." He has made headlines for making substantial staff changes, reforming bail practices for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, and clearing a man of murder after 11 years behind bars.

>> READ MORE: 6 months in, Philly DA Larry Krasner cementing national stature among reform advocates

Full Frontal has been a hit for TBS since debuting on the network in 2016. Earlier this month, the show racked up seven Emmy nominations for awards including outstanding variety talk series, outstanding writing for a variety series, and outstanding interactive program. The nominations came about a month after Bee caused a controversy online by using a vulgarity to describe Ivanka Trump on Full Frontal. She has since apologized for the incident.China has taken concrete measures to deal with resettlement issues of veterans, including providing jobs for demobilized soldiers in government institutions and State-owned companies to better protect their interests, officials at the Ministry of Veterans Affairs said on Tuesday.

The ministry is working to increase subsides for veterans, assist them in starting their own businesses or provide jobs for demobilized soldiers, Sun Shaocheng, the minister of veteran affairs, told a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs came into being on April 16, and is in charge of providing policies and regulations on demobilized military personnel, honoring the dedication and spirit of veterans, and dealing with veterans' retirement, reemployment and vocational training issues, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xu Guangyu, a senior consultant at the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, said that "focusing on the resettlement issues of veterans ahead of the 91th anniversary [August 1] of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is significant as more than 50 million veterans in China are involved."

"Taking measures to better resettle veterans would also help stabilize the military, as active-duty soldiers would not have to worry about life when they retire," Xu told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "veterans have made great sacrifices for the country and they deserve respect. China needs to pass laws to protect veterans' interests."

As China implements military reforms, resettling veterans remains a challenge and governments at all levels should be involved in resettling veterans and prioritize their interests, Song said.

Appropriate arrangements for veterans will show that society has never forgotten their sacrifices, and would make military service an honorable vocation, Song said.

Problems remain

Fang Yongxiang, vice minister of veterans affairs, said at the press conference on Tuesday that problems involving the resettlement of veterans include how to fully implement resettlement policies, identify veterans, set standards for subsides and help those living under difficult circumstances.

A former military officer surnamed Wang, who served in the PLA for more than 20 years and lives in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the government has taken measures to improve the lives of veterans, but that some problems need to be solved.

This includes helping many veterans start a new life, which is not easy since they find it difficult to get jobs compatible with their army training, Wang said.

Fang noted that the ministry has issued a guideline on arranging jobs for veterans, requiring government institutions and State-owned companies to help more than 80 percent of veterans who meet certain requirements, and offer monthly subsides to veterans before they get a job.

In response to reports that veterans staged protests to appeal for their requests, Fang said that the ministry attaches great importance to petitions from veterans, and has conducted surveys on how to better protect their legal interests.

He noted that they should believe that the Party and government care about veterans and will help solve their problems in accordance with the laws and rules.

"We oppose complaining in extreme ways or taking collective action," Fang said.

"We hope that every veteran would follow the rules and laws and avoid acting on impulse or violate the law, which would affect social stability or be taken advantage by others," Fang said.

Fang added that the ministry is working to improve communication with veterans and has opened an online channel for veterans to apply for their petitions and check the implementation of relevant policies.

The ministry's website, mva.gov.cn, started functioning on Tuesday and will release information and policies on veterans and timely respond to their concerns.Inside his studio, ceramicist Brian Giniewski places several bowls atop a table in front of a vibrant peach backdrop and scatters a handful of dog food among the clay dishes. Within seconds, Jelly, the newest member of the artist's marketing team, comes running.

"She's our new hand model," Giniewski says of the 9-week-old border collie while grabbing his Canon 5D Mark III.

With Jelly munching away on the pellets, Giniewski brings to life his next crowd-pleaser for Instagram, a teaser for a new line of pet ware.

Giniewski, 34, is one of a handful of Philly clay throwers who've gone viral on Instagram as the platform has suddenly become a fertile marketplace for rising artists.

Arguably the most successful of local Instagram potters, Giniewski over the last two years has sold work to West Elm, collaborated with Urban Outfitters, begun talks with trendy restaurants like Momofuku Milk Bar, and built a steady business of custom orders.

One of his latest customers is Bravo TV Top Chef competitor Claudette Wilkins, who stumbled across his Instagram a few weeks ago. Giniewski is now providing the dessert plates for Wilkins' new restaurant in San Diego.

"Instagram has been huge for us," says Giniewski, who with his wife, Krista, manages three accounts, including one centered on Jelly, @jellyinthecity.

"The vast majority of all of the business that we do originates from it," he says. "Just last week, we did a post announcing a release of new mugs on our website, and within one day, all 25 were sold."

Known for producing pottery with a signature glaze of thick, richly colored drips that spill down the sides of the clay, Giniewski has built a following of more than 30,000 on his personal Instagram account (@brianginiewski). His team's third account, the playful @lil_uglies, gives pottery pieces with imperfections their own personalities.

He and his wife spend several hours each day managing incoming messages on Instagram, which attracts private customers and wholesalers.

"We're finding that people would much rather do their research from their sofa than travel to New York and walk through a huge trade show," Giniewski says. People find my Instagram, reach out, and start stocking their stores  it's really direct like that."

Giniewski began making what he calls "drippy" ceramics as a full-time potter two years ago, using social media from the start to spread the news about his work. "It's not just about being talented on the potter's wheel," he says. "What separates a really good artist from a really good artist who can make a living is finding that balance between fulfilling your creative visions and handling emails, calls, vendors, and all of the other aspects."

Giniewski also relies on Instagram to inspire new works by showing various prototypes to his following. "There's a transparency  you put pieces out in the world, and people are virtually voting on it, enabling you to gauge what's causing excitement and momentum," he says.

Not surprisingly, the majority of his audience is under 35. A 2017 survey by the art marketplace Invaluable found social media is the main way nearly half of consumers ages 18-24 discover art. Nearly 56 percent in that age group said they would buy art online.

Ceramicist Michael Connelly, who works out of Phoenixville and Brewerytown, has found that on Instagram, his personality  and even his family  can enhance his connection with buyers.



"People are more likely to buy your work if they feel like they know you and can relate to you," he says. He's grown a following of nearly 8,000 on his @connellymichael account.

Pictures on Connelly's Instagram show his son, Julian, enjoying simple pleasures like diving into a bowl of noodles. They also show the 45-year-old artist himself, hands covered in clay as he creates. The mix between professional and personal gives a glimpse into the life that Connelly leads beyond the teapots, vases, and bowls he sells.

Portrait of the artist as a person

"Instead of just having a flat-out website where you see only the work, you get an image of the artist and how they're connected to what they're making," says Emily Marilyn Daley, 25, another local potter with a growing Instagram following.

Daley, who describes her work as flirty and fem, launched her business in December and makes sales primarily through Etsy and social media. Her selfie-heavy Instagram, @emdceramics, is full of images of her pink and pastel-colored mugs, planters, and other handcrafted works, along with flirty-looking images of herself.

"It needn't be that serious," says Daley. "I'm not a machine that just puts out work, and I don't think people are interested in that when they buy ceramics, anyway."

Daley says Instagram also helps local ceramicists connect with one another. She reached out last year to Giniewski, who has since given her advice on everything from glazes to equipment to basic business tactics.

"Brian's one of my good friends now," she says. "He's given me shout-outs, too, which has allowed me to gain more followers and get my work out there."The New Jersey teen who traveled to Guatemala for treatment after physicians at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia declared his brain irreversibly damaged has died.

Ari Chakrabarti said that his 15-year-old son Areen's heart stopped beating Tuesday at the New Jersey hospital that took him in after the family returned from Guatemala.

"He was a jolly kid," Chakrabarti said. Areen loved to play and was always running around, he said. "He was big into computers."

On April 14, Areen, who was diagnosed on the autism spectrum, suffered from severe smoke inhalation after he became confused and ran back into his family's Bordentown home to fetch his beloved video games. He had been on a ventilator since the blaze.

Citing ethical concerns, CHOP doctors declined to perform the tracheostomy that would have allowed the family to transfer Areen to a New Jersey hospital or long-term care facility.

>> READ MORE: At CHOP, two boys were diagnosed with brain death. Here's what that means

The family wanted to move Areen to New Jersey because of the state's religious exemption that declares brain death alone is not enough for a legal declaration of death if a patient's faith dictates that life persists as long as the heart is beating. Areen's family are Hindu. (Pennsylvania does not have such an exemption.)

In late June, the teen was taken to Hospital Universitario Esperanza in Guatemala City on a medical transport flight so he could have the surgery to insert a breathing tube. The family returned July 11 to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, his aunt, Tumpa Banerjee, said at the time.

A hospital spokesperson said then that they do not comment on any patient because of privacy issues.

The family hoped to move Areen to an apartment in Somerset County, but Areen suffered a setback, bleeding profusely in his urine. Providers at Newark Beth Israel declined to check the boy for signs of an infection, his father said.

The family went to court to fight for further treatment, Chakrabarti said. Though doctors said there was no hope that Areen would ever recover, his family insisted they saw signs of improvement; he was moving his legs, arms, and hands when family talked to him or after music from his favorite video games was played, his father said.

On Monday night, the hospital stopped administering medications, Chakrabarti said. The hospital did not have an immediate statement on the case.

A service for Areen will be held Friday from 1 and 3 p.m. at Franklin Memorial Park in North Brunswick.

In a similar case, CHOP physicians declared 10-year-old Jayden Auyeung brain dead and asked the family to remove all life support on May 16, the child's 10th birthday. Though the family fought to keep him on life support, Jayden's heart stopped beating on June 16. The official cause of death was hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, cardiopulmonary arrest, and respiratory failure, the family said. The boy suffered from a genetic motor neuron disease and wasn't able to breathe after a mucus plug developed in his throat while he was at home.Huntington, W. Va. resident Darren Booth demonstrates a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol that he designed and made, using some parts printed on a 3D printer. Read more

With heated nozzles that travel back and forth, depositing layer after layer of plastic in any shape imaginable, 3D printers are hailed as a high-tech tool for the masses.

Craft-minded folks have used them for decades, creating jewelry, toys, and action figures. Home-repair buffs fashion replacement brackets for refrigerator shelves. Paleontologists make models of dinosaur bones, and surgeons print out full-size replicas of human organs, allowing them to plan a difficult operation.

And yes, the printers also can be used to make guns.

But despite the public outcry and legal wrangling over a Texas nonprofit that sought to distribute instructions to print firearms, those who have used the technology say it poses little threat to public safety.

Darren Booth, a gun designer who lives outside Huntington, W.Va., said it takes him 30 hours to print out the plastic parts for an AR-style 9mm pistol that he devised, plus another five hours of assembly and fine-tuning. While most of the gun is printed in plastic, a few parts  notably the barrel, which must withstand a high degree of stress during firing  are made of metal.

"It's not just 'click print' and it pops out the other side," Booth said.

A criminal, he predicted, would likely take an easier route. Guns are easy to come by in the United States, through various legal and illegal means. And if a person with bad intentions truly wanted to make his own firearm  to avoid traceability by the government, say  there are easier, faster, and cheaper ways to do that, too. Parts can be ordered, finished, and assembled by someone with know-how, Booth and other gun enthusiasts say.

>> READ MORE: I bought an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle in Philly in 7 minutes

"They're making a big deal out of nothing," Booth said of those who warn about 3D-printed firearms.

Jeff Rodriguez, a gun designer who lives outside Seattle, said advanced expertise is required to turn the computer files into a firearm.

"Model gun files won't make you a gunsmith any more than scrolls for a player piano will make you a pianist," he said.

Yet other experts in 3D-printing technology see a possible cause for concern.

Evan Malone, founder and president of NextFab  a Philadelphia-based network of workshops stocked with 3D-printers and other tools  agreed that there are easier ways to make untraceable firearms. But he is concerned that advances in 3D printing might put the idea into the heads of those outside the gun-owning community.

"It would be a new population that doesn't necessarily have that background and maybe doesn't have the appreciation or concern about legal gun ownership or the potential injury to themselves and others," Malone said. "They don't necessarily have the background a gunsmith would have, in terms of awareness of how materials behave and the best ways to do it."

On Tuesday, a federal judge in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order to stop the release of instructions to make 3D-printed plastic guns. The company behind the plans, Austin, Texas-based Defense Distributed, had reached a settlement with the federal government in June allowing it to make the plans for the guns available for download on Wednesday.

The White House on Wednesday said the Justice Department had not consulted President Trump about the settlement. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the Justice Department "made a deal without the president's approval."

Trump has questioned whether his administration should have agreed to allow the plans to be posted online.

Though 3D printers have been around since the early 1980s, they became a widespread tool in the past 15 years with the advent of open-source online blueprints  enabling tech-savvy people to make their own printers.

Open access also is the mantra for the computerized instructions that are used to print out objects. These are essentially long lists of coordinates  telling the printer to move left, right, forward, backward, up, and down as it deposits minute amounts of heated plastic. High-end commercial models also can print objects in metal, but they cost $100,000 to $1 million or more, Malone said.

Among the concerns about printed firearms is that they are made from plastic, potentially enabling owners to sneak them through a metal detector.

In theory, that is possible. But airports now widely use "millimeter-wave" detectors, which allow the operator to scan for objects by shape, not by whether they contain metal. And even in other facilities that rely on metal detectors, those devices would pick up metal bullets.

Law enforcement sources were reluctant to comment on the potential threat posed by 3D-printed firearms. The International Association of Chiefs of Police did not reply to a request for comment. The Philadelphia Police Department also declined to weigh in on the topic, but City Council has done so. In November 2013, Council members passed a bill banning the use of 3D printers to make firearms, which was signed into law the next month by Mayor Michael Nutter.

The whole discussion rankles many in the gun community, who like to point out that most people who own firearms never commit a crime.

So if printing out parts for firearms is so difficult and time-consuming, why do it?

Booth, the West Virginia firearm designer, sounds like anyone else in the 3D-printing community when asked that question. It's a creative outlet.

"It's mainly the novelty," he said. "Just trying out new designs."

This article contains information from the Associated Press.Ady Barkan, activist and co-director of Be A Hero. after participating at a panel discussion about criminal justice reform in City Hall. Read more

A onetime running and outdoor enthusiast who now uses a motorized wheelchair to zip around, Ady Barkan says it's been getting harder just within the last few weeks for him to lift his fork and eat his meals.

His words are slurred and no longer come as quickly as his agile Ivy League-educated mind can create them.

But two years after doctors told the now-34-year-old Barkan that he's terminally ill with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis  better known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease  he can still raise his right fist, and that revolutionary gesture means a lot to this career political activist right now.

"Stand up and help make my voice louder, because ALS is taking that away from me!" Barkan exhorted a packed reception room in Philadelphia City Hall where a couple of hundred people had wedged in and others were turned away from hearing his labored yet forceful words. He asked for a "mic check" in the style made famous by 2011's Occupy Wall Street protests.

"I am ready for an economic revolution!" Barkan shouted, as the luminaries he'd just led in a panel discussion on criminal justice reform  including District Attorney Larry Krasner, City Council member Helen Gym, and social activist Shaun King  looked on in admiration.

"I am ready for an economic revolution!" the room thundered back.

"I am  ," said Barkan, as he paused with a wan smile, now raising his right arm just above his head of thick black hair flecked with the faintest touch of gray. " I am a revolutionary!"

When Donald Trump was elected president on Nov. 8, 2016  roughly a month after Barkan was diagnosed with ALS  there were a lot of folks on the left side of America's political dial who vowed to resist the incoming president's blend of authoritarianism and bigotry as if it's the last thing they do. But few meant it the way Ady Barkan did.

"The explicit reason I'm doing all of this is because our democracy is under incredible threat and we don't have much time to save it  so I'm doing whatever I can to save and strengthen our democracy," Barkan told me after the event, gazing with curiosity outside Gym's fifth-floor City Hall office at the iconic Jacques Lipchitz sculpture called Government of the People.

"The personal reason that I'm doing it is because it makes me feel hopeful and empowered and connected to people around me," he quickly added.

Right now, Barkan is nearing the end of a 22-state, coast-to-coast "Be a Hero" tour in which he joins with other activists and politicians to rally support to undo the GOP's 2017 tax cuts and for other left-wing causes. He said he finds "personal liberation and salvation" from his tireless political crusade but also said that "it allows me to be bigger than myself  and, in a way, to outlive my disease."

Before the tumultuous year of 2016, Barkan  who lives in Santa Barbara, Calif., where his wife, Rachael, is a professor  was known among a small circle of progressive activists as an innovative policy wonk, who'd shunned the lucrative jobs offered his fellow Yale Law School grads. Instead, he launched a campaign called Fed Up aiming to reform the Federal Reserve Bank toward economic policies that would help working-class people, and worked with officials like Philadelphia's Gym to promote progressive ideas in City Halls through the group Local Progress.

Barkan had just witnessed the birth of his son, Carl, when he felt weakness in his left hand that led to his life-shattering diagnosis. Suddenly, he was faced with an existential choice  knowing that the degenerative disease would sap his strength and might kill him within a few years. Many people would probably pull back, see the world and focus on spending quality time at home, surrounded by family.

But not many people are like Ady Barkan. To be sure, he cherishes every moment with his wife and child, who'll join him this weekend in New York for the tour's final stops, and he can enjoy the finer things like a trip to Italy where he "ate four plates of pasta every day." But he thinks the best thing he can do for Carl, now 2, is to fight to make sure that he grows up in a democracy.

"Work-life balance is a more acute problem when you're dying and have no time and everything takes so long  getting dressed, eating, writing an email," he said. "So I feel those tensions and it's hard to know how to balance them, but ultimately I'm trying to build a better world for my son, and I'm having fun in the process."

Having fun while also making some national headlines  like the viral debate Barkan had last year when he cornered Arizona GOP Sen. Jeff Flake on a cross-country flight and pleaded with him to vote against his party's tax-cut plan, saying that "you can save my life," or getting arrested in the Capitol Rotunda around that same time. The efforts by Barkan and his fellow activists didn't prevent the overall tax bill from passing, but GOP leaders did kill the one provision he'd most aggressively protested, a $25 billion spending cut to Medicare.

Now, he campaigns for Democratic congressional candidates with his eye on a liberal agenda that would be bolder than anything the party has proposed in decades  a single-payer health-care plan, a guaranteed jobs program, and justice reforms like an end to the death penalty and mass incarceration.

"We're on the verge of a political revolution," Barkan said with clear enthusiasm. "Think about how dark our political life is  and then think that 27 months from now we can have the most progressive president in 80 years! We could have a progressive Congress!"

Barkan hopes he lives long enough to see it.Bob Gable dressed up as the Bucks County Batman in Ed's Bait and Tackle Shop in Bensalem, where he gained social media fame when a video of him cleaning up graffiti for the store went viral. Read more

Meet Bob Gable, whose alter ego is Bucks County Batman.

Holy costumes, Batman! Gable's custom-made Batsuit and the associated accessories cost him about $12,000. His 7-year-old son has more than 200 superhero costumes of his own.

By night, mild-mannered Bob Gable serves up cocktails at Parx Casino. But by day, he serves up street justice as a fighter of criminal mischief and collector of insane superhero gear.

"My slogan is 'Making Bucks County great again,' " Gable said.

A divorced dad of two from Bensalem, Gable, 41, has loved comic books since childhood and he's been a costume aficionado for about a decade. But what started out as a Halloween-costume hobby has morphed  like Bruce Banner  into a hulking monster of a collection.

Gable's Batsuit  which is custom-made and loaded with accessories including a voice changer  cost him about $12,000. His custom-made costume from Iron Man, War Machine, won him best overall costume at Philadelphia's Wizard World conference in 2015. That one cost only about $7,000.

His older son has three separate closets to contain his 200 superhero costumes  one for Marvel, one for DC, and a third just for Spider-Man.

Superhero toys decorate every surface of Gable's home, bat decals dot the walls, and when he opens his car door, a purple light projects a bat signal onto the ground. He's got a soundproof room in the basement that's wallpapered with Marvel comics and even his paper towels are superhero-themed.

Obviously, this is not a mild interest or an armchair hobby for Gable. But ask him the origin story behind his superhero obsession and he clams up. Gable is so quiet and brooding he makes Christian Bale's Batman look chatty.

>> MORE WE THE PEOPLE: Chef Rich Friedrich makes the 10,000 wings needed for Philly's annual Wing Bowl

But what is evident is how superheroes have helped him to connect with his boys, ages 7 and 3.

"Buying the costumes for my son and wearing them and playing in them has brought us a lot closer," he said. "Now his little brother just started to dress up. He just got his first costume. It's Thanos. He's the bad boy."

Gable used to buy his superhero suits on Amazon, but then a coworker introduced him to designers who, just like The Incredibles' Edna Mode, create custom-made superhero suits that he can order online.

"I've had designers from Beijing, Australia, Thailand," he said. "There is a whole community of people who do this."

The costumes often arrive in hundreds of parts, which Gable has to assemble. Then he'll add the lights, electronics, and other elements. The process can take months.

Gable's current Batsuit  yes, he's had others  has pieces from all over the world. The pants and jacket are a motorcycle suit from UD Replicas, and the rest is custom-made.

For the first few months, Gable just wore the suit while riding around Bensalem on his motorcycle.

Then he began to make videos like this one, in which Bucks County Batman karate-chops a watermelon. Or this one, in which Bucks County Batman goes to Wawa to buy milk. He posts them to a YouTube page he created for his son.

But it wasn't until June that the Bucks County Batman tackled his first real crime. A villain by the name of Tank who'd repeatedly spray-painted the bridge near Ed's Bait & Tackle shop in Bensalem had struck again.

The shop owner's son, Eric Brodecki, took to Facebook, offering free shiners and worms to whoever could bring Tank to justice "so he can answer for his war crimes."

>> MORE WE THE PEOPLE: Sunny Bear is a Philly dog who channels "The Art of War" to his army of Twitter fans

Gable answered the call. He arrived in costume with a large roller brush and painted over the graffiti. Brodecki's brother, Gordon, filmed his good deed and posted it to social media. Soon, Bucks County Batman was featured on Fox29 and in a local paper, the Bucks County Courier Times.

"It was a nice thing that he did for my dad," Eric Brodecki said, noting that Tank the Tagger has not returned. "I think Bucks County needs its own Batman. We don't have a hero."

Gable said he's been inundated with messages on his Bucks County Batman Facebook page asking him to appear at birthday parties, charity events, and the hospital bedsides of sick children.

For this man of few words, the attention has been overwhelming. But he hopes, like all Batmen, to use it as a force for good.

"It's just nice to make people happy," Gable said.

Want more We the People?Actor Jimmy O. Yang, left, takes a bite of the $120 Philly cheesesteak as Chef Mark Twersky, center, and writer Kevin Kwan, right, pose during a promotional event for the movie "Crazy Rich Asians" at Barclay Prime in Philadelphia, PA on July 31, 2018. Read more

Crazy Rich Asians cast members Gemma Chan and Jimmy O. Yang stopped at Rittenhouse Square's Barclay Prime Tuesday, along with author Kevin Kwan, to try the Philly steak house's crazy and very rich $120 cheesesteak during a publicity tour for the forthcoming movie based on Kwan's novel.

Yang and Kwan dined without Chan, who left after making a brief appearance.

Crazy Rich Asians, the movie, is scheduled for release Aug. 15 and is based on Kwan's best seller of the same name, the first book in a trilogy. Jon M. Cho directs.

Chan and Yang play supporting roles in the film, which follows a woman trying to navigate the world and her relationships after she meets the family of the man she is seeing and comes to find he is "the Prince Harry of Singapore." Constance Wu and Henry Golding star.

The Barclay Prime sandwich, described as the "Tesla of cheesesteaks" by executive chef Mark Twersky in a Buzzfeed "Worth It" video, is built on bread from Philadelphia's Parc Restaurant and filled with Wagyu beef cooked in truffle butter, truffle peelings, and caramelized onions. The insides are topped with truffle foie gras mousse and, of course, cheese (artisanal wiz). The dish is served with a half bottle of Veuve Clicquot.

READ MORE: Philly and cheesesteaks hit Buzzfeed's 'Worth It' radar

"Oooooh, here we go," Yang said as the steaks arrived. They popped the champagne and got a quick rundown from Twersky of what goes into the sandwich.

"Oh, my god!" shouted Yang, who liked the truffle effect, the quality of the meat, and who was curious about the cheese.

When the group finished, Kwan suggested eating another sandwich. He and Yang, who had expressed his desire to see how the pricey cheesesteak is made, then decided to give up their scheduled break before a movie screening to go behind the scenes at the restaurant.

The two were taken to the kitchen, where they received chef jackets and got to cooking. Yang sprinkled salt into the pan while cooking the steak, and Kwan layered the inside of the bread with a truffle spread. The two were cheesing hard when Twersky dripped the homemade truffle cheese wiz onto the beef.

Id work here, said Yang when their second $120 entree was plated. Could I get paid $12 an hour?After a rough game Monday night, Odubel Herrera wasn't in the Phillies' lineup Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Read more

BOSTON  In a span of three innings Monday night, Odubel Herrera made a baserunning mistake and had a defensive misadventure in center field. On Tuesday, he wasn't in the Phillies' lineup.

Cause and effect?

"We planned Odubel's off-day a week ago because we wanted to give him back-to-back off-days," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. "It's going to be a long stretch. We're going to be leaning on him every single day all the way through September and October. It's important to get our guys a blow when we can."

Kapler met with Herrera after Monday night's 13-inning, 2-1 loss to Boston to discuss the gaffe on the bases. With Rhys Hoskins in a rundown between third base and home plate, Herrera tried to sneak into third. It was the right idea, but Herrera didn't slide into third, enabling the Red Sox to tag him out and then double up Hoskins.

"I feel that I should've slid into third, make it a harder play for the third baseman or whoever tagged me," Herrera said through a team translator. "I should have done better."

Kapler said Herrera "did a really good job of owning what happened," adding that he's "really proud of him."

In addition, Kapler claimed that Herrera's day off wasn't any different from rightfielder Nick Williams getting a breather Monday night against Boston Red Sox lefthander David Price. With another lefty (Drew Pomeranz) on the mound Tuesday night, Kapler said it was a logical time to give lefty-swinging Herrera a break.

Whats the catch?

After the Phillies finalized a trade for two-time all-star catcher Wilson Ramos, Kapler met with both Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp to discuss how their playing time might eventually be affected by the move.

For now, nothing will change. Ramos is on the disabled list with a left hamstring injury and won't likely return until mid- to late-August or possibly even Sept. 1, at which point rosters will expand and the Phillies will carry three catchers. Once Ramos is healthy, though, he figures to bring his .834 OPS to the lineup on a regular basis.

"You don't just act like we didn't just add a piece because we did, however there's plenty of opportunity for those guys," Kapler said. "In many ways, Alfaro and Knappy both have the capability to earn substantial amounts of playing time. Both of those guys are going to play a lot."

Extra bases

The Phillies recalled outfielder Dylan Cozens from triple A to take the place of infielder Trevor Plouffe, who was designated for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot for newly acquired lefty reliever Aaron Loup.  Reliever Edubray Ramos (knee) pitched a scoreless two-thirds of an inning as he began a minor-league rehab assignment Tuesday night at double-A Reading. He allowed a hit and walked a batter.  After a day off, the Phillies open a four-game series against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Righthander Nick Pivetta will start the series opener Thursday night.Drones zip above West Philly streets, casting a watchful eye on residents. Police control checkpoints and enforce curfews in "high-crime" neighborhoods. Protesting in Center City is illegal.

Yet the trolleys, the rowhouses, even the towing signs look the same.

This is a Philadelphia of the near future, one that independent filmmaker M. Asli Dukan and her team have created for the web series Resistance: the battle of Philadelphia. The ambitious speculative fiction series, which premieres at the annual Blackstar Film Festival in West Philly on Friday, explores questions like: What would happen if the government privatized all social services? What would it feel like to live in a police state? And, as one character in the series puts it, how do you resist when your opponent is the system?

Watch the trailer below: (The entire series will be posted after a screening at Scribe Video Center Sept. 7.)

Dukan, 45, is a veteran filmmaker and New York City transplant who settled in West Philadelphia in 2014 after getting to know the city's black arts scene: from the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, which is held in Philadelphia every year, to the science fiction collective Metropolarity to public interest attorney Rasheedah Phillips' work with afrofuturism to Blackstar itself.

Philadelphia, she said, has been good to her as an artist.

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the 40-minute series, which Dukan and her team shot in five days last October with 11 actors and 20 crew members.

The crew

"When I see filmmakers, I think 'black women' because that's who I am," Dukan said.

A set comprising mostly black women was a new experience for Kennedy Allen of radio show The Black Tribbles, who made her film debut as one of the main characters in the ensemble cast.

Makeup artist Mary Arlynda Vermell had palettes of color that suited her complexion, and costume designer Kima Baffour made Allen feel like the shape of her body was not "an obstacle that needs to be altered away," she said.

"But seeing a black woman direct such a large  group of people, handling challenges with dignity, grace, and a great sense of humor, made everything amazing," Allen wrote in an email. "It seemed  right."

The issues

Many of the actors and artists who worked on the film were inspired by what they described as the political urgency of the film.

"Even though it's based in the future, these things are happening right now," said animator Jose Mazariegos, the force behind the project's visual effects  phones look like they're implanted in the characters' palms and computer screens emerge seemingly out of thin air. Mazariegos, 38, said he identified with the spirit of resistance, with people taking action and choosing not to be complacent about the status quo. "We have rights," he said. "We can organize and protest."

Coproducer Sara Zia Ebrahimi said the series is a powerful way to imagine how things might develop if certain trends  say, the closing of Philadelphia's public schools  continue, and pose the question: How can we stop this evolution if we don't want to end up in that future?

The location

The series had strong local ties: Dukan set the work in West Philadelphia because of its history of police brutality, like the MOVE bombing, but also because of its history of resistance. She shot the series on location there, and largely worked with a West Philadelphia-based crew, like theme-music composer John Morrison who can often be found DJing parties at neighborhood haunt Dahlak and whose debut album, called Swp: Southwest Psychedelphia, was a "love letter" to the city. That the series was so site-specific gave it a feeling of authenticity and rootedness, Ebrahimi said.

The funding

As part of her role, Ebrahimi helped raise money to finance the series; film is notoriously expensive, which is often a barrier to entry. There are so few opportunities, Ebrahimi said, for artists to get their work financed if they don't have a long, established track record.

"So it becomes about pulling on community support," she said.

She and Dukan, along with executive producer Anissa Weinraub, ended up raising the $15,000 it took to produce the film with small donations on GoFundMe and a grant from West Philly-based Scribe Video Center. Another supporter in West Philly hosted a fund-raising brunch for the series. In 2016, Dukan won a grant from the Leeway Foundation, which supports women and trans artists, that helped fund the project. (Ebrahimi, who is also a filmmaker, is the program director of Leeway but did not begin working on Resistance until after Dukan won the grant.)

The writing

Dukan worked with Alex Smith, a comics and short-story writer who's a member of Metropolarity, to write the script. Smith, 42, of West Philly, said that in his writing, he tries to capture the surreality of how it feels to experience the world as a queer black man.

"I knew I wanted to write something dreamy," he wrote in an email. "I wanted to present the idea of struggle and resistance as an act of dreaming, of reimagining spaces, and to me the best way to do that is to conjure up the essence of films like 2001: A Space Odyssey or like a Hype Williams music video  I wanted it to have an impact on all senses and not just be, like, a procedural, like NCIS or Law and Order or something that doesn't stick with you, challenge you, or prick at your imagination. Dreams are important, so is film and art; the two can coexist, should coexist, MUST coexist if marginalized people expect to be liberated."

But he also worked to ground the dialogue in the everyday, since the world of Resistance is populated by real people. That combination of surreal and poetic, yet also grounded and realistic, is important, he said, especially when it comes to telling stories about black people.

"I think it's time that regular, everyday, artistic, hardworking, black people get their stories told in new and exciting ways without stripping us of what makes us," he said.In The Spy Who Dumped Me, Mila Kunis plays Audrey, a woman who believes her ex-boyfriend works for NPR. But that changes one day when he shows up at her place trailed by an army of assassins.

No podcast is that bad, so what gives?

Turns out the guy (Justin Theroux) is a government agent in possession of a valuable item, and after the movie's noisy and violent prologue, it falls to Audrey to take it to Vienna, and deliver it to safe hands.

What follows is a bawdy, bloody but only sporadically funny spy spoof and buddy comedy that pairs Kunis with Kate McKinnon, playing Audrey's hyper-protective and just plain hyper best friend, Morgan.

Writer-director Susanna Fogel has given her leads a reasonable supply of one-liners and wisecracks, but she hasn't really given them characters to play. All we really know about Audrey at the outset of The Spy Who Dumped Me is that she's a supermarket cashier at a place modeled on Trader Joe's (she's still wearing her Hawaiian shirt and khakis when she arrives in Vienna), and even that much is hard to believe.

McKinnon's Morgan is a collection of off-the-wall antics and quirks, and while some of them suit the SNL comic's unpredictable energy, they don't add up to a person.

The two leads spend most of the movie in a fruitless search for their characters, and looking for some kind of chemistry, which remains elusive throughout. (The deficiencies of The Spy Who Dumped Me are also heightened by the fact that we've seen similar movies done so well, and so recently  Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock in The Heat, and McCarthy in Spy).

Fogel also whiffs on would-be romance between recently dumped Audrey and the handsome British agent (Sam Heughan) who follows the duo from Vienna to Prague to Paris and then to Berlin. (The movie is expensive-looking, and appears to have been shot on location.)

The Spy Who Dumped Me has good supporting talent  Fred Melamed, also Jane Curtin and Paul Reiser as Morgan's parents (the Freemans!), although Reiser is stuck with a gag about why he can't understand the workings of the TV remote. Most of the ancillary laughs go to Hasan Minhaj, who plays a CIA agent who can't get through a sentence without mentioning that he went to Harvard.

The movie's R-rated violence is sometimes jarring in the context of the breezy comic tone Fogel wants to establish, but at the same time the director shows a real talent for action  some of the stuff is as good and as lucid and efficient as the recent Mission: Impossible (the motorcycle stunts are almost duplicates), and most are better than Skyscraper.

The blend of action and comedy is best expressed in an amusing role for Ivanna Sakhno as an Eastern bloc gymnast-turned-model-turned-assassin who's assigned to kill the two women, and ultimately faces off with McKinnon during a Cirque du Soleil high trapeze battle.

McKinnon lands safely, even if most the jokes do not.China will open more than 600 barracks to the public to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Aug. 1, the People's Daily reported Wednesday.

Barracks of the army, navy, air force and rocket force of the PLA and the armed police at the division, brigade, regiment, battalion and company levels will be available for the public to visit, covering 31 provincial regions across the country.

Opening up the barracks will help the public understand the achievements of reform and development made by the national defense and the military, and learn from the hardworking spirit of the soldiers, the paper said.

The barracks will be opened during major festivals and days of commemoration, with activities to be held for interaction with the public.Movita Johnson-Harrell, supervisor of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Victim Witness Services, center, spoke at an Aug. 1 news conference about a new program for family members of homicide victims. Behind her are from left, DA Larry Krasner, Rafeeqah Sanders (back center), who will be a peer crisis responder, and Stephanie Ledesma, chief operating officer at Aetna Better Health of Pennsylvania. Read more

Under a new program, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office will provide immediate support to people whose loved ones are killed in a homicide, District Attorney Larry Krasner and victim-support advocates announced Wednesday.

The program, called Philadelphia CARES, is funded by a $1 million grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Krasner said at a news conference. The grant will be administered by his office's Victim Witness Services Unit, and the funds will be shared with the Medical Examiner's Office and the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia.

The grant will allow the the D.A.'s Office to recruit, train, and deploy 12 peer crisis responders who have lost loved ones to homicide and who come from different ethnic backgrounds and neighborhoods, Krasner said.

The program is expected to launch after Labor Day, said Movita Johnson-Harrell, the head of the Victim Witness Services Unit. Her son Charles Andre' Johnson, 18, was fatally shot in 2011. She said the responders would be hired as contractors.

CARES stands for Crisis Assistance, Response, and Engagement for Survivors. After its program manager learns about a homicide from the Police Department, two peer crisis responders will be dispatched to speak to the victim's family members wherever they are  at the crime scene, a hospital, the Medical Examiner's Office, the Police Department, or the family's home, Johnson-Harrell said.

Those responders, she said, will try to notify family members that a loved one was killed, so that a homicide detective is not the one to relay the news.

"One thing that happens when you get the news that your loved one has passed is something literally breaks inside of your brain, and you are no longer the person that you were before this incident occurred," Johnson-Harrell said.

The responders will be available to assist the family with funeral arrangements, court hearings, food, and other needs, she said. Intensive support services will be provided for up to 45 days after the homicide, after which there will be a "soft handoff to one of our community-based agencies who will then work with that family to make sure that their needs are continued to be met," she said.

The responders will act as a bridge between the family members and the office's existing victim-witness coordinators and with victim-service agencies, she said.

The grant will allow the Medical Examiner's Office to hire a part-time social worker to provide grief counseling to family members on weekends and some holidays, Krasner said. It will allow the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia  which provides counseling services and legal aid and works with students in schools  to hire a full-time liaison to support the project and coordinate with the D.A.'s Office.

Jennifer Storm, the state's victim advocate, said at the news conference at the D.A.'s Office that she has heard "horrific" experiences of mothers of homicide victims after they were notified that loved ones were killed. The new program "will reduce victimization, will ensure that families are given one point of contact from the moment of the crime," she said. "They will immediately start crisis intervention."

One of the peer crisis responders will be Rafeeqah Sanders, whose daughter, Rose Daniels, was killed at age 27 in a 2011 domestic-violence incident.

"When I got that call, my whole world just stopped. I was just frozen," Sanders said at the news conference. "Nobody came into my home or called me to give me assistance."

The new program "is so needed," she said. "The initial trauma that I went through, I wish I had this program. I wish somebody was with me, who'd been through it, who said, 'Rafeeqah, how can I help you?' "New documents show efforts by the Roman Catholic dioceses of Harrisburg and Greensburg to block a statewide grand jury probe into clergy sex abuse. Read more

LOWER PAXTON TOWNSHIP, Pa.  Days before the release of a grand jury report detailing allegations of Catholic clergy abuse and cover-up across Pennsylvania, the Diocese of Harrisburg on Wednesday shared its own list of accused clergy members and outlined steps to address fallout from the probe.

The seven-page list  a version of which the diocese published on a newly launched website  includes 71 clergy members or seminarians working there who were accused of child sexual abuse since the 1940s, including one who left ministry as recently as 2016. That is roughly triple the number of Harrisburg clergy members against whom allegations had previously been reported.

The list, compiled following an internal review, "has caused the diocese to take a frank look at its past as well as its present," Bishop Ronald Gainer said at a news conference at diocesan offices. "In my own name, and in the name of the Diocesan Church of Harrisburg, I express profound sorrow, and I apologize to the survivors of child sex abuse."

The bishop also acknowledged that because at points over the decades "the leadership of the church did not in every case take adequate measures" to protect sexual-abuse victims, he had ordered the names of every Harrisburg bishop since 1947 to be removed from any room, facility, or building in the diocese that honored them.

"This decision may be controversial, but I believe leaders of the diocese must hold themselves to higher standards," Gainer said.

The posting of the Harrisburg list came ahead of the looming release of a grand jury report that chronicles past abuse by hundreds of Catholic clergy across Pennsylvania. Attorney General Josh Shapiro has said the report will expose widespread sexual abuse "and a systemic cover-up by leaders" in six of the state's eight Catholic dioceses. And it came on the heels of last week's resignation of Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick over past allegations of sexual misconduct involving boys and young seminarians.

On Wednesday, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, acknowledged "grave moral failures of judgment on the part of church leaders" given their failure to take action earlier, and said conference leaders are deliberating over reform amid a "crisis of sexual morality."

More revelations are coming. Last week, the state Supreme Court ordered the release this month of a redacted copy of the more-than-800-page grand jury report, at least temporarily removing names or identifying information about nearly two dozen clergy members who secretly challenged their inclusion in the report. The report is expected to become public between Aug. 8 and Aug. 14, depending on challenges to the redactions.

Attorney Matthew Haverstick, who represents the Harrisburg Diocese, said the list released Wednesday is "not the same" as the list that will be included in the grand jury report, but he would not elaborate. "It's not appropriate for me to talk about it," he said.

Harrisburg diocesan officials said their list of accused clergy should not be viewed as a determination of guilt or innocence, but rather as a list of historical allegations compiled using diocesan records. More than half the men on it are dead and none are currently in active ministry, although the whereabouts of some are unknown. Haverstick called the allegations "historic stuff  this is not stuff that happened five years ago, 10 years ago."

Also left off the list were names of accused priests for whom the claims were deemed "not substantiated" by law enforcement or diocesan reviewers.

Gainer, who became the Harrisburg bishop in 2014, said the diocese had intended to publish the list in September 2016 but held off at the request of the Attorney General's Office, which feared it would hamper what was then an early-stage investigation.

"They had decades to publish these names, then they wanted to give them out in the middle of our investigation  when it could only harm our investigation," said Joe Grace, a spokesperson for Shapiro. He said the decision to release them now was long overdue, noting that the diocese at one point tried to shut down the grand jury probe.

Gainer also said Wednesday the diocese will waive any confidentiality provisions in past legal settlements with victims "so that the survivors can feel free to tell their stories to whomever and whenever they wish." It was not immediately clear how many such settlements existed, although the Conference of Catholic Bishops barred the confidentiality clauses in 2002.

In 2004, then-Harrisburg Bishop Nicholas Dattilo reported that 22 priests had been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors between 1950 and 2002. A separate list kept by the watchdog group BishopAccountability.org had identified 24 accused clergy or seminarians in the Harrisburg Diocese.

The disparity between the number of priests previously known and the number named Wednesday "demonstrates that for Church hierarchy, the reputation of the Church and the Church hierarchy was more important than the safety of children," said the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, an advocacy group.

Among priests on the Harrisburg list who had confidentiality agreements with accusers was the Rev. Augustine Giella, who transferred to Harrisburg from the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., and faced "multiple allegations of sexual abuse of children," according to the diocese. Giella died within months of being charged in New Jersey with sexual assault and child pornography in the early 1990s.

Harrisburg-area lawyer Ben Andreozzi, who represents some of Giella's victims, said the diocese should have disclosed names of the accused priests 15 or 20 years ago, or when they were accused, "as opposed to releasing this list days before the grand jury report would have done the exact same thing."

Also included on the list was Guy Marsico, another priest who faced multiple allegations of child sexual abuse. A Lancaster County man who said he was abused by Marsico, and testified before the grand jury, filed court papers asking the state Supreme Court to release the grand jury report.

The pending grand jury report is the culmination of a two-year investigation in the Dioceses of Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, and Scranton. Of them, the Erie Diocese also released a similar list of accused priests in advance of the report. The state's two other dioceses  Altoona-Johnstown and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia  already have been examined in similar investigations and published their own lists.In this May 10, 2013, file photo, Cody Wilson holds what he calls a Liberator pistol that was completely made on a 3D-printer at his home in Austin, Texas. Read more

If you think the hubbub over 3D-printable guns seems new and confusing, you're not alone.

The issue came to front pages nationwide after a federal judge in Washington state Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order against Defense Distributed, a group that wanted to post files on the Internet that would allow people to make guns at home with the help of a 3D printer. But this injunction is just the latest development in a dispute that's been years in the making.

Of course, this issue has all the hallmarks of the nation's long-simmering broader debate on guns. But it muddies the conversation even further with new details to consider, including freedom of speech and the fast-paced development of new technologies.

Here's a quick guide to get you up to speed.

Why are we talking about this now?

The national conversation has much to do with Cody Wilson, the 30-year-old director of Defense Distributed, which describes itself as a "a non-profit, private defense firm principally engaged in the research, design, development, and manufacture of products and services for the benefit of the American rifleman."

Wilson has been fighting the federal government for the right to post the gun "blueprints" online since 2013, when he was first blocked by the Obama administration, which cited export laws. But earlier this summer, the federal government reversed course and the group was allowed to post some of the "blueprints" last week  something Pennsylvania, New Jersey and a handful of other states tried to block with a lawsuit.

Additional files were planned to be posted Wednesday but were blocked by U.S. District Court Judge Robert S. Lasnik. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for later this month, according to the New York Times.

>> READ MORE: Federal judge blocks publication of 3D-printed gun blueprints



Defcad.com, the website administered by the group, now features this message: "This site, after legally committing its files to the public domain through a license from the U.S. Department of State, has been ordered shut down by a federal judge in the Western District of Washington."

Plans for 3D printable guns made available by Wilson were downloaded more than 100,000 times when first published five years ago, according to the Associated Press. The files he posted on Friday were downloaded about 2,500 times before the judge's order, Wilson told the New York Times.

Whats the controversy?

Regular guns are subject to a host of federal, state, and local regulations on manufacturing, distribution, and possession. 3D guns can be made by anyone with access to a 3D printer.

There's no systematic tracking information, such a serial number or a registration. Because they are plastic, they may be able to bypass airport metal detectors. Because some can be disassembled, they may be able to bypass X-ray machines. Critics worry that this level of accessibility would pose a large public-safety threat.

But for Wilson, it's about free speech.

"Americans have the right to this data," he told the Inquirer and Daily News on Sunday. "We have the right to share it."

>> READ MORE: Going ballistic: The war is on against 3D gun printers | Stu Bykofsky

In his ruling, Lasnik acknowledged that there were "serious First Amendment issues," the New York Times reported.

What are politicians saying?

President Trump tweeted early Tuesday that he was "looking into 3D Plastic Guns being sold to the public."

"Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!" he wrote.

Hogan Gidley, deputy White House press secretary, said Tuesday that it's illegal to own or make a "wholly plastic gun of any kind," the Washington Post reported.

Gidley said that the administration "will continue to look at all options available to us to do what is necessary to protect Americans while also supporting the First and Second Amendments" and that Trump "is committed to the safety and security of all Americans and considers this his highest responsibility."

After an emergency court hearing Sunday, Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf tweeted that "the possibility of untraceable guns in the hands of unknown users is too daunting to stand by and not take action," while Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro called the accessibility to 3D-printed guns "an existential threat."

New Jersey and Pennsylvania were among many states that also filed for injunctions to block access to the blueprints.

The White House criticized the Justice Department for making the settlement that allowed Defense Distributed to post the schematics. The settlement was made "without the president's approval," Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at Wednesday's briefing.

"The president is glad this effort was delayed to give more time to review the issue," Sanders said. Echoing the NRA's stance, she also said the administration supports the law already on the books that prohibits wholly plastic firearms.

What is 3D printing?

3D printing is "a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file." It requires a 3D printer and raw plastic, a lot of steps, various types of software and technical know-how.

First, a digital 3D model of the desired product is created, usually using a computer-aided design (CAD) file. Next, slicing software is needed to digitally divide the model into minuscule horizontal rows. This divided design is then fed into the 3D printer, which uses melted plastic or other material to build the model, tiny row by tiny row.

The first 3D printing patents were issued in the 1980s, and today the machines are used in various professional fields. Industrial 3D printers have been used to make car parts, prosthetic limbs, footwear and other less-controversial products.

According to Popular Mechanics, weapons created by 3D printers are not usable on their own. The printer creates what is essentially a plastic shell, and the user must manually add metal components to turn it into a working weapon.

Experts are skeptical

While a publicly accessible blueprint for 3D printed guns puts the ability to create a deadly weapon into anybody's hands, experts don't believe that such information will cause a dramatic uptick in plastic firearms.

To print a gun, one must have the technical knowledge and access to a 3D printer, which can cost anywhere from $200 to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The printing and assembly process can take about 35 hours.

>> READ MORE: 3D-printed guns not a big threat, say those who've tried it

Kyle Mizokami of Popular Mechanics argued that "3D printing gun parts is the most complicated way for a criminal to get his hands on a firearm." Mizokami wrote that it would be much easier and cheaper for a person to steal a gun, buy one on the black market, or construct one from existing parts.

In addition to a complicated printing process, the final product can be flimsy if lower-grade materials are used. In 2013, an Australian police department tested printed guns, which exploded as soon as the trigger was pulled.

Justine McDaniel contributed reporting.This May 10, 2013, file photo shows a plastic pistol that was completely made on a 3D-printer at a home in Austin, Texas. A coalition of gun-control groups has filed an appeal in federal court seeking to block a recent Trump administration ruling that will allow the publication of blueprints to build a 3D-printed firearm. Read more

Amid a national outcry and a spate of legal challenges, a federal judge in Washington state issued a restraining order late Tuesday that effectively blocked the Texas group that planned to publicly post files Wednesday that would enable people to make 3D-printable guns.

Acting in a lawsuit joined by Democratic attorneys general in several states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Judge Robert S. Lasnik temporarily suspended the Trump administration decision that allowed Defense Distributed to post the files, the Washington state attorney general said.

"If an injunction is not issued and the status quo alters at midnight tonight, the proliferation of these firearms will have many of the negative impacts on a state level that the federal government once feared on the international stage," Lasnik wrote in his order, saying the attorneys general had shown "a likelihood of irreparable injury" if the files were to be posted.

It came less than a day before the nonprofit had planned to release more downloads for creating 3D-printed guns, saying it planned to unleash "the new era of downloadable guns" on Wednesday.

Shortly before Lasnik's ruling, Defense Distributed had agreed not to upload any new files until a court hearing next month in New Jersey, officials said, but files already posted on the nonprofit's website would have been allowed to stay.

The Washington decision applies to all files, and all computers nationwide, by blocking the federal settlement that permitted Defense Distributed to disseminate the "blueprints" for the 3D-printable guns in the first place.

Cody Wilson, the director of the group, said the site would disable all the available 3D-printable firearm blueprints until he reviewed the judge's decision, CNN reported late Tuesday.

The Brady Campaign, one of the most prominent gun-control groups, praised the ruling.

"It is immediately obvious to anyone who looks at this issue that 3D-printed guns are nothing short of a menace to society, and we are thrilled that the court ruled in this manner," said Avery Gardiner, its co-president. "We will continue to do everything in our power to make sure that this temporary halt in publication becomes a permanent one."

A similar request for an injunction was also pending in Pennsylvania, where Attorney General Josh Shapiro had won a temporary block on the website that prevents anyone in the state from accessing it. Shapiro called the Washington judge's order "a tremendous win for public safety and common sense."

As activists and lawmakers sought to intervene Tuesday, arguing that public access to the files posed a national security threat, President Trump's State Department defended its decision to end a years-long legal battle to block Defense Distributed from sharing the files. That came hours after the president himself tweeted that the idea of 3D-printable guns "doesn't seem to make much sense!"

Wilson has framed the debate as a First Amendment issue, arguing the right to free speech allows him to publish the code that creates the guns.

"Americans have the right to this data," he told the Inquirer and Daily News on Sunday. "We have the right to share it."

The 3D technology allows someone to print a working gun without passing a background check or using a licensed gun dealer. The firearms don't have serial numbers, so they aren't traceable by law enforcement, and they cannot be detected by a metal detector unless they have metal parts. Made out of plastic, they sometimes are not durable, and require access to a 3D printer. They fire bullets, as a regular gun would.

Wilson, a 30-year-old from Austin, Texas, had fought the federal government since 2013 for the right to post the gun "blueprints" online. First under the Obama administration, then under Trump, the State Department blocked the group from publishing, raising concerns about downloads by people in other countries. But a few weeks ago, the State Department reversed course and agreed to a legal settlement allowing Defense Distributed to post the files as soon as Wednesday.

Lawmakers this week had called on Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to reverse last month's government settlement with Wilson that allowed him to post the files.

Trump said in his Tuesday morning tweet that he would look into the issue and that he had spoken to the National Rifle Association, but didn't elaborate.

But later Tuesday, the administration doubled down on its decision to allow the gun downloads. In a response to the Washington state lawsuit that sought to suspend the settlement, it said the Department of State lacks the jurisdiction to regulate the downloads because they involve "defense articles and services, or technical data related thereto, to U.S. persons on U.S. soil."

The attorneys general of Pennsylvania and New Jersey both got Defense Distributed to block the website downloads in their states earlier this week, preventing residents from accessing them, and have filed separate suits against the group. In addition, both on Monday joined the group lawsuit led by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

"These ghost guns are untraceable, virtually undetectable and, without today's victory, available to any felon, domestic abuser or terrorist," Ferguson, a Democrat, said in a statement after the judge's ruling. "I am thankful and relieved Judge Lasnik put a nationwide stop to the Trump Administration's dangerous decision to allow downloadable, 3D-printed ghost guns to be distributed online."

A group of Democratic senators also introduced a bill Tuesday to block the publication of the files and to ban untraceable or undetectable weapons by requiring all to have a permanent metal piece with a serial number. A similar bill is being introduced in the House by Rep. David N. Cicilline (D., R.I.).

"It's incumbent on we in Congress to do everything to stop these websites before the damage by a mass shooter or a terrorist occurs," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.).

But there was no evidence the measure could gain any traction in the Republican-controlled Congress; acknowledging the legislative process might be too slow, the senators implored Trump to act.

It is difficult to predict what effect the 3D-printed gun downloads would have. Some on social media have pointed out that such online templates are already available, and there are other ways to obtain illegal guns.

Wilson had made much of the advent of the technology: After the settlement with the federal government, he tweeted a photo of a gravestone engraved with the words American gun control.

Others, including politicians fighting to block the files, say the guns would be easier to conceal and impossible to trace.

"You will see them around our streets, in our airports, our train stations; they are undetectable, untraceable. Forget about the TSA guarding the plane," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.).

The state attorneys general, in a letter to Pompeo, contended the federal settlement would give "terrorists, criminals, and individuals seeking to do harm  unfettered access to print and manufacture dangerous firearms." Others contend the proliferation of such firearms could also take business away from the traditional gun industry, the companies that the NRA represents, and confound law enforcement in attempts to reduce gun violence or get illegal guns off the street.

The NRA, which had largely stayed out of the debate, said late Tuesday afternoon that the technology would not cause a proliferation of 3D-printed guns.

"Many anti-gun politicians and members of the media have wrongly claimed that 3D printing technology will allow for the production and widespread proliferation of undetectable plastic firearms," Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement. "Regardless of what a person may be able to publish on the Internet, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years."

When Wilson first published plans for 3D-printable guns in 2013, they were downloaded more than 100,000 times, the Associated Press reported. The files posted by Defense Distributed on Friday were downloaded about 2,500 times, Wilson told the New York Times.

Staff writers Tom Avril and Jonathan Lai contributed to this article.Former U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his speech at the 16th Annual Nelson Mandela Lecture at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, July 17, 2018. Read more

Former President Obama on Wednesday released his endorsements for Democratic nominees in the upcoming midterm elections, and in Pennsylvania, one of the candidates is running for two seats at the same time.

Obama endorsed Tina Davis for the state Senate's Sixth District, which covers parts of Bucks County. Davis is also seeking another term in the state House of Representatives, where she represents the 141st Legislative District, which also includes Bucks County. (Obama did not endorse her in that race).

Davis was first elected to the House in 2010.

She told the Bucks County Courier Times in May that she was seeking two seats because she was encouraged by the high number of women running for election in Pennsylvania. (Davis is co-founder of the group Emerge Pennsylvania, which trains Democratic women to run for office).

Sen. Robert "Tommy" Tomlinson, an incumbent Republican and Davis' opponent in the Senate race, criticized her for running for multiple seats. He told the Courier Times: "She is making it clear that she cares less about serving the public and more about ensuring she has a job. The truth is that if Tina Davis felt she could win the Senate seat, she wouldn't run for both."

Davis told the Courier Times that if she wins both seats, she will step down from one, forcing a special election for that seat.

Other Pennsylvania Democratic nominees endorsed by Obama on Wednesday include:

Madeleine Dean , Fourth Congressional District (Montgomery County)

Susan Wild, Seventh Congressional District (Lehigh County)

Liz Hanbidge, State House District 61 (Montgomery County)

Carolyn Comitta, State House District 156 (Chester County)

And in New Jersey, Obama endorsed:U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions gestures during a news conference in Boston last week. Read more

The Justice Department replaced a Philadelphia immigration judge who had asked for more legal information in a deportation case, inserting a new jurist who quickly ordered the defendant removed from the United States, according to a letter of protest signed by 15 retired judges.

The ouster of Judge Steven Morley from the case marks the latest attack on judicial independence by a Justice Department led by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the judges wrote.

"As a democracy, we expect our judges to reach results based on what is just," they stated, "even where such results are not aligned with the desired outcomes of politicians."

Justice Department officials declined to comment Wednesday. Efforts to contact Morley were unsuccessful.

The July 30 letter, first reported by the website BuzzFeed News, condemns what it describes as "interference with judicial independence."

"Important due process safeguards are required in deportation proceedings," because the consequences can be life or death, the judges wrote. In this case, the immigration review office sought "to ensure an outcome that would please its higher-ups."

The Justice Department's action has shocked members of the city's community of immigration lawyers and disturbed other public officials.

Morley was presiding over the case of Reynaldo Castro-Tum, who came here four years ago from Guatemala as an unaccompanied 17-year-old.

He had been released into the care of a relative in rural Washington, Pa., and had failed to show up at several court hearings. The judge suspended the case using a procedure known as "administrative closure," saying the notice sent to Castro-Tum may have gone to the wrong address.

As head of the Justice Department, which oversees immigration court, Sessions has restricted the use of administrative closure, a common practice in the past.

Morley was removed after he asked for briefs to be filed on whether the defendant had been properly notified of the hearing. The Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review sent Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Deepali Nadkarni to Philadelphia Immigration Court to conduct a single hearing. She ordered the defendant removed without further inquiry.

"I was getting ready to write the brief, then I noticed Judge Morley was gone," said Castro-Tum's lawyer, Matthew Archambeault of Philadelphia. "It's really quite shocking."

Archambeault first stepped forward as a friend of the court for a youth who had no legal representation. The case was likely headed toward a ruling of deportation, Archambeault said, but at the same time it was unclear that Castro-Tum had received the notices telling him he must be present in court.

"If a judge is making a decision I disagree with, I want to make sure it's his decision, that it's not being dictated from above," Archambeault said. Morley's removal "was done as a message to the judges: Get in line, or else we'll put someone there who'll do it for you."

Among the judges who signed the letter were:

 John Gossart Jr., an immigration judge from 1982 until his retirement in 2013. He's a former president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, and is co-author of the National Immigration Court Practice Manual.

 William Joyce, who served in Boston and, before his appointment to the bench, was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

 Cecelia Espenoza, who previously was a member of the immigration review board and taught immigration law at the University of Denver.

"When a sitting judge is removed from a case without cause, and a special judge is sent to make a decision, that's cause for serious concern," said John Vandenberg of Hogan & Vandenberg LLC, former head of the Philadelphia chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "A degradation of due process in immigration courts could be a bellwether for the degradation of due process in other courts. And due process is what makes our country different."

Others insist that the country needs to be tougher on people wanting to come here from other lands, particularly those who cross the border without permission.

>>READ MORE: In Sessions' asylum ruling, a court system unlike others

The Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform, for instance, advocates for tighter controls on immigration. Contending that migrants often try to game the system in order to stay here, FAIR wants a faster, tougher approach toward people who come to the U.S. claiming they're being persecuted in their homelands.

Immigration court is a civil, not criminal, system, composed of roughly 60 jurisdictions and 350 judges. In the flow chart of the federal government, these courts come under the Justice Department. At the top of the department stands the attorney general, who has the power to issue binding decisions on how immigration judges operate.

Those circumstances make the courts vulnerable to political pressure and government directives, outside observers say.

In April, the Justice Department told judges they each must clear at least 700 cases a year, and have less than 15 percent of their decisions overturned, to receive a satisfactory rating on their job reviews.

The next month, Sessions told immigration judges they could no longer grant asylum to most migrants who come here trying to escape domestic abuse or gang violence. He reversed a ruling that had granted asylum to a Salvadoran woman who said she was physically and emotionally abused by her ex-husband.

Now, said Philadelphia City Councilwoman Helen Gym, whose office has followed cases in local immigration court, "The DOJ has targeted a judge simply for doing his job and attempting to uphold the law.  I am deeply disturbed to see the U.S. Department of Justice go to such lengths to interfere in Philadelphia's immigration courts in ways that threaten basic judicial fairness."While the Kenney administration has negotiated contracts with the city's four major labor unions during the last two years that gave them all substantial raises, it also says it has taken action to reform the severely underfunded pension fund by requiring employees to kick in more money for their retirement benefits.

City officials contend the additional contributions, a $65,000 cap on future payments for new non-uniformed workers, and increased infusions of cash from the sales tax will lift the pension plan to the targeted 80 percent funding level by 2029.

Finance experts say, however, that the city's projections are unrealistic. They cite the city's 7.65 percent assumed rate of return on investments, which they say is too high and risky, and the continuation of two pension-bonus programs.

For now, the plan has only 45 percent of the $11.3 billion it needs to pay current and future retirees their promised pensions.

The goal of getting to 80 percent in 12 years probably is too optimistic and "notable improvement will likely require more time to come to fruition," S&P credit analysts said in a report released last week.

Michael Karp, a longtime member of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, a state board that oversees Philadelphia's finances, recalled similar projections made 10 years ago.

"We talk about 80 percent, but we never get there. We never get out of that 45 percent. We seem to be stuck on that," Karp said during last week's PICA meeting.

Rob Dubow, the city finance director, said that the aftermath of the Great Recession and the fact that retirees are living longer have impacted the fund.

In an interview with the Inquirer and Daily News, Dubow said that while some might dispute how long it will take the pension fund to reach 80 percent, the increased contributions will move the plan closer to the target than if the city had done nothing.

"You can get to an increased funding percent either through reducing the growth in liabilities or increasing assets," Dubow said. "We get there with a slightly different combination than we started with, but we still get there, and that's the important thing."

When Kenney signed a contract in 2016 with the city's blue-collar workers, represented by AFSCME District Council 33, he contended he had achieved pension reform by creating a hybrid plan that would cap defined benefits at $50,000 for all new employees and require current employees to pay more into the fund. Employees who had a salary of $45,001 or higher would contribute between 0.5 and 3 percentage points more. (The average salary for DC33 employees is $38,000.)

The city wanted to use the DC33 contract as a target for the other three unions, which have higher average salaries and whose increased contributions would have a bigger impact. Officials said if everyone agreed to DC33's plan, the city would reach 80 percent funding by 2030.

None of the unions signed on, however. In fact, the city ended up increasing DC33's cap and reduced the contribution rates. Yet the city maintains that 80 percent projection.

Now, all non-uniformed employees, union and nonunion, with a salary of $45,001 or higher will contribute between 0.5 and 2.75 percentage points more, depending on salary. For new employees, pensions will be capped at $65,000. Elected officials will pay more into the fund, but they will not be forced to go into the plan that would cap their benefits.

All police and firefighters, whose contracts were decided through arbitration, will continue to have a defined-benefits plan. Most current members will have to contribute an additional 1.84 percentage points of their salaries; new members, 2.5 percentage points above the 5 percent rate, or 7.5 percent.

The city's actuary predicts that the increased contributions will pump an additional $290 million annually into the pension fund over the next 10 years for a total of $1.4 billion.

During the same 10-year period, the city plans to add $9.6 billion into the fund, including $750 million in sales tax revenue.

Those additional contributions, combined with a steady 7.6 percent rate of return will lead the plan to 82 percent funding in 2029, according to the actuary.

The fund has prospered during the last two years. In fiscal year 2017, it had a 13 percent investment gain and preliminary numbers for fiscal year 2018, which ended June 30, have it at 8.1 percent.

But in 2016, the fund's investments lost $149 million, and taxpayers often have to make up losses when the fund doesn't perform as expected.

In addition to the investment return risk, S&P analysts found that Philadelphia's Pension Adjustment Fund, which doles out bonuses to retirees when the fund does well, will prevent the city from making significant gains in the good market years.

"It is an imbalance," Todd Kanaster, an analyst with S&P, said of the Pension Adjustment Fund. "When the market doesn't do well, there's no sharing. That's entirely borne on the city. If there's a gain, it's split with the retirees. There goes a lot of the asset gain."

City spokesperson Mike Dunn said the Pension Adjustment Fund is the equivalent of a cost-of-living adjustment, which the mayor describes as important and fair.

In the last three years, the Pension Adjustment Fund has sent retirees nearly $70 million in bonus checks.

PICA has been critical of the city's pension adjustment fund, as well as the city's continuance of the controversial Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP), which the authority says has cost the city at least $237 million over the 16-year period ending in 2015.

City officials say that one of the biggest achievements in the new contracts is making the hybrid plan mandatory for new non-uniformed employees; the previous administration had a similar plan but it was mostly voluntary.

"We tried to develop a plan that we thought would work for Philadelphia," Jim Engler, the city's deputy mayor for policy and legislation, said in an interview. "We tried to do that in a way that was holistic, provided at least a continued secure pension benefit for employees, reduced the city's liabilities in a similar way and was able to be achievable, and I think that's what we got by securing a mandatory new plan."

Analysts at both S&P and Moody's said that the new, stacked hybrid plan for new non-uniformed employees are a positive and should improve funding levels over time.

"It's not going to lower the unfunded liability today," said Tom Aaron, a vice president and analyst at Moody's Investors Service. "Over time as more and more of new employees are in the hybrid plan, the city's risk profile would be coming down a bit and that's a positive."Source: Nyasa Times

Chazama (centre) says military relations between China and Malawi is important part of bilateral ties.

Home Affairs and Internal Security minister, Cecilia Chazama, says the Malawi government is overly grateful to the support the Chinese government is rendering to the southern African nation since the establishment of bilateral relations over a decade ago.

Chazama made the sentiments in the capital Lilongwe during the 91 anniversary of armed forces day of Peoples Republic of China at the Chinese Embassy.

She said there is a sound military cooperation between the Malawi Defence Force and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army.

Chazama said the military relations between China and Malawi is an important part of bilateral ties and the two militaries have gradually carried out friendly cooperation, as evidenced by exchange visits by military delegations of the two sides.

From the time the two countries established diplomatic ties, Malawi has beneffited a lot and as we celebrate today, it is pleasing to note that the two countries are deepening the mutual understanding and trust in various military related fields, said Chazama.

She added: I wish to thank the Chinese Government for various support and aid to Malawi and we hope to strengthen cooperation and boost these existing relations.

Chazama added: I wish to assure you that Malawi will help further enhance the existing friendly relations between the defense departments and the militaries of the two countries in order to expand the existing cooperation.

We are grateful that our officers, men and women in uniform are benefitting a lot from these bilateral relations. It is worth mentioning that China has offered several scholarships to the Malawi Defence Force which have been vital in promoting knowledge and skills of our soldiers.

In his remarks, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, Liu Hong Yang expressed Chinese Governments commitment in ensuring continued bilateral relationship of the two countries.

Yang said security issues are crucial in the development of any country.

General Griffin Supuni Phiri the Commander of the Malawi Defence Force and his delegation attended the function.Two attendees to a rally held by President Trump Tuesday night wear shirts promoting one of the more bizarre conspiracy theories to emerge during his presidency. Read more

President Trump's political rally in Florida Tuesday night turned into a coming-out party for one of the most bizarre conspiracy theories to emerge during his presidency.

Throughout the broadcast, Fox News (the only network to stream the president's rally live in its entirety) kept catching attendees in the crowd holding signs stating "We Are Q" and wearing T-shirts adorned with the letter "Q." One attendee can be heard shouting to CNN reporter Jim Acosta to ask Trump about QAnon.

The "Q" stands for QAnon, a supposed government insider with top security clearance (the alias is a reference to Q-level security clearance) who has access to the real truth about the Clintons, pedophile rings, Barack Obama, Tom Hanks, and a nebulous "deep state" out to get the president.

Origins of QAnon

The QAnon conspiracy theory first emerged in November 2017 on the message board 4chan in a post titled "The Calm Before the Storm," a phrase Trump wryly tossed out without explanation during a photo-op with senior military staff last October.

Since then "Q" has dropped random clues on 4chan and 8chan known as "bread crumbs" his followers believe are linked to top secret information that reveals Trump's efforts to end a complex ring of human trafficking and child abuse that they say Democrats and Hollywood celebrities have attempted to cover up.

Supporters also believe Trump is not being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller. Instead, they think Trump only acted as though he engaged in a conspiracy with Russia in order to get Mueller appointed, so the two could secretly work together to take down this supposed cabal of criminals.

An unusual conspiracy theory

The QAnon conspiracy theory is unusual in many ways, but according to University of Miami professor Joseph Uscinski, one of the most interesting ways it stands out is that typically conspiracy theories are for losers in a fight.

"Normally you don't expect the winning party to use them, except when they're in trouble," Uscinski told the Daily Beast's Will Sommer, who has done extensive reporting on the QAnon conspiracy theory.

It's easy to understand why the conspiracy theory is appealing to Trump supporters; it offers a counter-narrative at a time the special counsel's investigation over Russia's cyber attacks during the 2016 presidential election campaign is heating up.

An important part of the QAnon conspiracy theory is the belief that many of these accused pedophiles and deep-state murderers have already been arrested, and are forced to wear ankle monitors as they await judgment. It's the main reason so many QAnon posts involve a close examination of the ankles of political and public figures.

Curt Schilling has promoted Q

"Q" has many public backers who have helped pull the conspiracy out of the fringes of the internet and amplify it to mainstream Republicans, including comedian Roseanne Barr and antiabortion activist Cheryl Sullenger. Among the most vocal is former Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling, who has promoted "Q" on many occasions on social media and his Breitbart podcast.

"It's a group of people that are very Christian, focused group of people, who believe the deep state is real  which I don't think we can deny anymore, that the deep state exists," Schilling said on The Curt Schilling Podcast in June, adding, "I've been looking into it, I'm going to continue to look into it."

QAnons real-world impact

While the conspiracy theory was mostly relegated to T-shirts and signs during Trump's most recent rally, the bizarre conspiracy theory has been making very public inroads over the past several months, with real-life consequences.

On June 15, a man armed with an AR-15 rifle and a handgun cited the conspiracy theory as he blocked traffic on a highway near the Hoover Dam using an armored truck. Others marched in Washington in April, declaring "We see Q people!"

Earlier this week, the Newport Beach Police Department told the Daily Beast it was investigating the appearance of a man outside the office of Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for porn star Stormy Daniels (real name Stephanie Clifford). The man appeared after "Q" shared photos and the location of Avenatti's law office on 8Chan.

"We will NOT be intimidated into stopping or changing our course," Avenatti wrote on Twitter.

The growth in popularity of QAnon mirrors another debunked conspiracy theory  known as Pizzagate  that emerged during Trump's president campaign. Supporters of Pizzagate falsely claimed there were coded messages in the emails of Democratic Party officials, including Hillary Clinton, that pointed to a child-sex ring in the basement of a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant called Comet Ping Pong.

In December 2016, Edgar Welch drove from his home in North Carolina to Comet Ping Ping to "self investigate" the internet rumor, and ended up firing his rifle inside the busy family restaurant. Fortunately, no one was harmed, and Welch was sentenced in June 2017 to four years behind bars.President Donald Trump, left, sits with Attorney General Jeff Sessions during the FBI National Academy graduation ceremony in Quantico, Va. on Dec. 15, 2017. Read more

For what appears to be the first time, President Trump is publicly calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russia's attack on the 2016 election.

On Twitter Wednesday morning, Trump wrote that Sessions "should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further."

The call to end the Russia probe was just one of a series of tweets that appeared more focused on Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman who is currently on trial on tax evasions and fraud charges. Manafort has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

>> READ MORE: Bizarre conspiracy theory, pushed by Curt Schilling, emerges at Trump rally

So far, the Justice Department has not responded to the president's comments. Mueller's team reports to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein due to Sessions' decision to recuse himself from any investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 president campaign. That recusal came after Sessions made several misstatements over his own contact with Russians while serving as a surrogate for the Trump campaign.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Trump's comments weren't an order to the Justice Department and denied that the president was attempting to obstruct Mueller's investigation.

"It's not an order, it's the president's opinion," Sanders said. "The president is not obstructing, he's fighting back."

Two of Trump's lawyers, Jay Sekulow and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, attempted to downplay the president's comments to the Washington Post. Sekulow told the newspaper that Trump "has issued no order or direction to the Department of Justice on this," while Giuliani said it's well-known that the president "uses tweets to express his opinion."

The president's call to end Mueller's investigation, which just last month drew 12 new indictments, was swiftly met with criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, called President Trump's tweet an attempt to obstruct justice.

"The President of the United States just called on his Attorney General to put an end to an investigation in which the President, his family and campaign may be implicated," Schiff wrote on Twitter. "This is an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight. America must never accept it."

Rep. Ryan Costello, a Republican from Chester County who supports legislation to protect Mueller's investigation, said the president's tweet "undermines the integrity of the investigation. I think it's a legitimate investigation," Costello said on CNN before echoing the comments of his colleague, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.). "If you're innocent, act like you're innocent. Don't do this stuff day after day."

"I think it is entirely inappropriate and intemperate," Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) said of Trump's request.

"It's hard to separate signal from noise when it comes to Trump's reactions to the Mueller probe. But the tweet this morning is an escalation from what we've seen from this President before," wrote CNN political analyst Chris Cillizza. "And we should all be paying very close attention to what happens next."Dr. Jon Bjornson, 85, of Philadelphia, a Vietnam War veteran and psychiatrist who devoted his life to counseling war veterans and promoting peace, died Sunday, July 29, of renal failure at Chestnut Hill Hospital, where he was in hospice care.

Dr. Bjornson served as a U.S. Army flight surgeon and psychiatrist in Vietnam for a year before he was honorably discharged in 1965 with the rank of major.

He was so profoundly affected by his experiences that he shaped the rest of his life around counseling GIs, speaking out against the war, and raising awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He sat on two national panels to determine the cause and treatment of the disorder.

In March 1971, Dr. Bjornson organized a conference at the University of Pennsylvania called "We Accuse," a makeshift war-crimes hearing with testimony provided by soldiers who in some cases had committed the atrocities.

The meeting highlighted the need for increased counseling services, educational opportunities, and drug and alcohol programs to treat the ongoing effects of war on veterans.

Dr. Bjornson was especially worried about returning American POWs and the adjustments they faced after years spent in Vietcong prison camps.

"They will be returning to a divided nation," he told the Daily News in 1973. "This war has been the subject of so much controversy that they will be heroes in half the people's eyes and traitors in the eyes of the other half.

"When they first come home, I suspect they will be pretty numb," Dr. Bjornson said. "They will be hit with civilization as we know it  large cities, throughways, mass communications. Even the temperature change will be a problem to them at first."

Dr. Bjornson correctly predicted that some Vietnam veterans would end up homeless or in prison.

Determined to reach some of those veterans, Dr. Bjornson began a PTSD therapy group at the State Correctional Institution at Graterford and ran it as a volunteer for decades. He was an early advocate of community-based services and peer counseling  of veterans by veterans  as the most effective form of healing.

Along with running a private practice in Center City, Dr. Bjornson was the director of the psychiatric unit at Einstein Medical Center and Eugenia Hospital in Lafayette Hill. He was an associate professor at Jefferson Medical College from 1968 to 1985 and retired from Chestnut Hill Hospital as an attending physician in 2004.

He was a national authority on PTSD. Stress disorder patients, he told the Daily News in 1980, are still fighting the war within themselves, years after it has ended. "Just learning how to talk about their experiences can be a breakthrough," he said.

They numb themselves to deal with the horrors of combat. When the numbness wears off, they may experience flashbacks and nightmares, and may be unable to show warmth or tenderness, or respond to it.

In the mid-2000s, when veterans from the war in Iraq began experiencing problems with PTSD, Dr. Bjornson saw parallels with the Vietnam War.

"I'd anticipate the number of homeless is going to be large, very similar to Vietnam," he told Philadelphia Weekly in 2006. "The Iraq vets are in the same kind of war. There are insurgents and a lot of atrocities, a lot of killing of innocent people. When you see one of your buddies killed by one of these IEDs, that makes you pretty angry. You're out to get revenge. Then afterward you have to deal with it."

Born in Orange, N.J., to Bjorn Bjornson of Iceland and Gladys Ochs of Tennessee, Dr. Bjornson graduated from Sanford School in Hockessin, Del., in 1950, from Syracuse University in 1954, and from Syracuse Medical School in 1958.

He married Judy Simpson in June 1958, and the couple lived briefly in Madison, Wis., where he led a community health center. That same year, Dr. Bjornson joined the Army Medical Corps and served stateside before deploying to Vietnam in 1964.

Starting in the late 1960s, Dr. Bjornson joined with veterans who shared his opposition to war. He attended and led antiwar rallies for decades, his family said.

"My father had a deep sense of right and wrong  he was an activist who stood for peace, equality, and justice," said his son, also named Jon Bjornson.

He volunteered with Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), and Veterans for Peace (VFP).

"In 2001, he and members of the VVAW put up crosses at the Liberty Bell in honor of the people who had been killed in Iraq," said his daughter-in-law, Carolyn Bjornson.

A photographer, Dr. Bjornson took pictures of Vietnamese children during his deployment. The images were exhibited at Jefferson in 1969. "They were beautiful," his daughter-in-law said. Later, he photographed his grandchildren at sporting events.

He had no interest in material things. He and his wife enjoyed walking their dogs along the Wissahickon Creek and shopping at Weavers Way Co-op in Mount Airy.

In addition to his wife, Judy, and son, he is survived by two granddaughters and a grandson. He had two daughters, Noelle and Amy, who died earlier.

Services and burial will be private.

Memorial donations may be made to Vietnam Veterans Against the War via VVAW.org.Cody Wilson shows the first completely 3D-printed handgun, The Liberator, at his home in Austin on Friday May 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Austin American Statesman, Jay Janner) Read more

Printing your own functioning gun may have once seemed impossible, but now anyone with a 3D printer or a few thousand dollars could do it. On Aug. 1, multiple blueprints of guns were supposed to go live online. After multiple attorneys general sought to keep that from happening in their states, a federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocked the files' release nationwide.

The battle over 3D printed guns, though, is far from over.

The first thing that I thought when I read the news was: "How is this even legal?"

Answering that question took me back to Ronald Reagan's last couple of months in office. Below, you will find what I learned  a timeline of how we got here and what we can do moving forward to prevent 3D printed guns from being the next threat on our schools, churches, movie theaters, and newsrooms.

1988

Undetectable Firearms Act signed: On Nov. 10, 1988, Ronald Reagan signs the Undetectable Firearms Act, which prohibits the manufacturing, sales, or possession of a firearm that is not detectable by "walk-through metal detectors."

When Reagan signed the Undetectable Firearms Act, 3D printers were in their infancy. Reagan probably couldn't imagine that printing of guns would be making international headlines just a few decades later.

Cody Wilson born: Also in 1988, Cody Wilson was born. Years later, he would become the key player in the evolution of 3D printed guns.

2012

Defense Distributed founded: Wilson, a 24-year-old law student at the University of Texas, founds Defense Distributed "a nonprofit, private defense firm." Wilson wants to be for guns what Julian Assange is for journalism, an anarchist and open to any alternative to the current system. "We wanted to be the Wiki for guns."

It is hard to think of anything that fits that vision more than blueprints for DIY guns. Wilson started by experimenting with printing parts for an AR-15  the rifle that time and again is used in mass shootings. For Wilson, this is a part of his radical agenda of disruption. Designs of 3D printed items are saved in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) files. Wilson's goal is to upload the CAD files online for anyone to access. "There are people all over the world downloading our files and we say 'good.' We say you should have access to this. You simply should."

Sandy Hook shooting: On Dec. 14, Adam Lanza enters Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., with an AR-15. He kills 20 children and six adults.

Thingiverse removes gun-related items: A few days after the Sandy Hook shooting, Thingiverse, a 3D printing website in which people can share CAD files, removes most gun-related items. The move pushes Wilson to open his own website, which then becomes the focus of controversy.

2013

DEFCAD.org launches: In March, Wilson announces DEFCAD.org, a for-profit search engine and depository of CAD files related to guns.

The Liberator debuts: In May, he debuts the Liberator  the world's first fully printed gun. With the exception of one nail  which arguably contains enough metal to comply with the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988  the Liberator is completely made of plastic. It has no magazine and is capable of shooting a single bullet. Depending on the metal detector, a bullet may not set it off. By replacing the single nail with a plastic alternative, a gun with bullet inside could be undetectable  coining the term ghost guns.

State Department gets involved: Two days after the Liberator debuts and its CAD files downloaded 100,000 times, the State Department sends Wilson a letter asking him to remove 10 files, including the one for the Liberator. The State Department argues that by uploading the files to the internet, which is international, Wilson did not comply with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Among other things, ITAR regulates technical data about firearm development and production, including "blueprints, drawings, photographs, plans, instructions, or documentation." The letter, in essence, threatens legal action if the files are not removed. Wilson, still a law student at the time, agrees to comply.

2015

Defense Distributed sues State Department: In May, Defense Distributed joins the Second Amendment Foundation Inc. to bring a lawsuit against the State Department, arguing that forcing the removal of the CAD files infringes on Wilson's right to free speech. After all, Wilson is sharing lines of code, not guns.

Federal judge rules: In the summer, a federal judge rules against Defense Distributed, saying that "public interest of national security outweighs" the plaintiffs' "interest in protecting their constitutional rights." Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation appeal the decision.

2016

Decision affirmed: In September, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirms the lower court's decision.

2017

Appeal: In August, Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation appeal to the Supreme Court.

Back to lower court: In November, the Supreme Court returns the case to the lower court.

2018

State Department settles, gun files allowed: On June 29, in a dramatic legal shift, the State Department settles the case  although it was winning and had seemingly no reason to do so  conceding all of Wilson's arguments. Starting Aug. 1, Defense Distributed is allowed to upload gun files again to DEFCAD.org.



Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among the first states to take action: Following the settlement, 10 states  including Pennsylvania and New Jersey  rush to find ways to prevent guns from being downloaded and printed in their states.

On July 29, a federal judge holds an emergency hearing about a lawsuit brought by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Gov. Wolf, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The state argues that having access to the firearm CAD files, which includes plans for an AR-15 assault rifle, imposes "harm to Pennsylvanians [that] would have been immediate and irreversible." Wilson agrees to block the site in Pennsylvania but promises to fight a permanent ban.

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal sends Wilson a cease-and-desist letter, arguing that making the CAD files available would violate his state's gun laws. Similar to Pennsylvania, Wilson agrees to block the site in New Jersey.

Files blocked nationwide: On July 31, a federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocks the nationwide release of gun files on DEFCAD.org. There are other ways to get similar CAD files but no one-stop shop, as Wilson envisions.

What you can do today

Law often advances slower than technology but that doesn't mean we don't need to push hard for it to keep up.

"Not everyone thinks that downloading and creating functioning firearms is a terrible idea and those supporters have already been speaking up," says Elisabeth Ryan, an attorney with expertise in gun law and public health. "So call your congressperson, call your governor. Let them know what you think because this isn't an issue that has had much public attention until now." When you call your representative, ask them to support Rep. Seth Moulton's legislation to ban 3D printed guns; ask your senator to introduce a version of the bill in the Senate.

Another measure is to demand that your state makes it mandatory for all schools to ban DEFCAD.org from their network. Many schools have 3D printers that are used for educational purposes. In fact, much of the innovation in 3D printing came in response to demand from K-12 schools and universities. There must be safeguards to prevent students from using 3D printers in schools to print guns or gun parts. All the metal detectors in the world won't matter if a gun is printed from inside the school.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey are at the forefront of this evolving issue on 3D printed guns. We want to hear what you think. Email me your thoughts and/or experiences at agutman@philly.com.We live in an era of diminished trust and heightened cynicism. It is hard, now, to imagine someone expressing unqualified faith in government, the media, business  or even, for that matter, religious institutions. And the implication of this development is not simply the erosion of trust. It is the increasing difficulty of learning about the world around us, as we lose belief in those who might teach us.

Learning requires risk-taking. It forces us to face what we don't know with the hope of advancing toward some grasp of it. The smaller the undertaking, the lower the emotional gamble  learning tomorrow's weather forecast doesn't entail an interior journey. But learning about the true and important things in life does require trust and dedication and vulnerability  usually under a teacher's guidance. It is no surprise so many of us come to love the ones who teach us.

>>READ MORE: Pa. Supreme Court: Release redacted report that names more than 300 'predator priests'

Neither is it a surprise, any longer, that some people charged with these roles of profound responsibility abuse them in the cruelest ways. The latest revelation concerns the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., Theodore McCarrick, who resigned Saturday from the College of Cardinals. Over several decades, McCarrick is alleged to have sexually abused at least one child and several adult seminarians or young priests, all of whom looked to the charismatic prelate for guidance  moral, vocational, spiritual. Into his den, he drew them.

McCarrick, who has denied the allegation involving the child, has now become the first prince of the church to resign his role since 1927 and the highest-ranking member of the Catholic hierarchy to step down amid sexual-abuse allegations. But there are others in the church who presumably knew of the charges against him decades ago and failed to act when given the chance.

Two New Jersey dioceses where McCarrick served as a bishop paid settlements to young men who alleged abuse as recently as the early 2000s; it isn't likely that $180,000 went missing from church coffers with only McCarrick's knowing. In 2011, a priest from Brazil filed a lawsuit against McCarrick for unwanted sexual advances. The suit was withdrawn  but again, it seems unlikely the episode came and went unknown to anyone other than McCarrick.

>>READ MORE: AG Josh Shapiro asks Pope Francis for help in Pa. clergy sex abuse case

The question of who in the church hierarchy learned of the allegations against McCarrick  and when  has thus spawned its own predictable controversy. Some Catholics have blamed the hierarchy's lax attitude toward abuse claims on a modern, Pope Francis-inflected tolerance for gay priests and disregard for traditional church doctrine on sexual morality. Others counter that scapegoating gay priests who remain faithful and celibate is a dangerous and misplaced overreaction. The particular matter of who abetted McCarrick and how has taken on a dimension of doctrinal argument, subtly shifting into a debate about what the church ought to teach.

This discussion seems not only off-point but also ominously premature. What the church ought to teach makes sense to debate only if it is established that the church can teach at all. And it is precisely that capacity that McCarrick, along with his anonymous enablers and legions of abusing predecessors, have all but destroyed. As New York Times columnist Ross Douthat observed, "the Catholic bishops are now somewhat protected from media scrutiny by virtue of their increasing unimportance." The price of that protection is a conspicuous moral muteness: The light has gone under a bushel, and the salt has lost its flavor.

The church has described itself as "mater et magistra," mother and teacher. Yet, having obliterated its ability to inspire trust, in large part through decades of abuse and abuse-enabling, the church has now been rendered unqualified, in the eyes of many, to serve in that role. As McCarrick allegedly transgressed and abused his position as a spiritual guide, so, too, can it be said that the church has forfeited, at least for now, its own teaching role.

>>READ MORE: Pa. Supreme Court enables toxic secrets in priest sex scandal | Editorial

Every effort ought to be made to restore this crucial function, which begins with rebuilding trust. And that requires accountability, which is painful. Francis has already mandated that McCarrick remain in penitent seclusion until the accusations against him can be examined at a canonical trial. This is a positive step, but the Vatican ought also to invite an independent inquiry into who aided McCarrick's reported abuse, passively or otherwise, how and for how long.

The church should punish those found guilty and cooperate with law enforcement when needed.

The process will likely be ugly, but so much less so than what came before. It is not too much to ask not to be raped or otherwise sexually abused by shepherds of the faith in the course of following Christ. Neither is it too severe to say that if clerics cannot meet that meager demand, they can scarcely teach His people anything at all.

Elizabeth Bruenig is an opinion columnist at The Washington Post. @ebruenigClifford Jeffrey "CJ" Wise was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1979, but spent all of his young years in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. The son of John and Diane Wise, CJ followed in his dad's boots and joined the United States Navy.

CJ graduated from Pine Bluffs High School May of 1997 and upon graduation entered into the military. "It wasn't just that I was following in my dad's footsteps, but the Navy offered me the best option for being a diesel mechanic, which was what I wanted." said CJ.

After basic training in San Diego, California, he headed Chicago, Illinois for a 13 week technical school on mechanics. Upon completion of tech school, CJ was stationed aboard the USS Mount Whitney.

"I looked forward to the traveling," CJ stated, "and while in the Navy I was able to travel up and down the east coast of the United States, go to the Mediterranean area - Spain, Portugal, France and Italy." he added.

CJ would serve his four years all aboard the USS Mount Whitney. "I have fond memories, enjoyed the traveling, but was ready to be home!" he said. "I was done with the politics!" he added.

Once home, this veteran would continue working in the career field he was trained in. "Entering the Navy, gave me experience and an education that I could continue using. It also gave me experience, and that you just can't buy!" he said. He went to work in the area as a diesel mechanic, worked in Cheyenne, Wyoming for a while, then went to work for the State of Wyoming.

An opportunity arose and CJ went to work in the Coal Mines of Gillette. After gaining experience there, he made the change to the oil and gas field. CJ is currently employed with Halliburton in Colorado.

Penny Merryfield CJ Wise stands proudly with his dad, John Wise also a Navy veteran.

During his civilian time, he also served in the United States Navy Reserves for 8 years. "I was attached to the 1BU13 out of Portland, Oregon and during drill we would go out and have fun on the Columbia River." he said.

Completing his reserve time, CJ exited the Navy as an E5. He has two daughter, Paige 14 years of age and Ella, 10 years. "It was time to be home with my girls!" CJ stated.

CJ visits his parents home and Pine Bluffs every chance he gets. "I am proud to have come from such a great place, and I want my girls to experience the Pine Bluffs atmosphere." CJ exclaimed.

"As for the armed forces, serving our country and joining the military, I would simply say 'Do it!', get the education, enjoy the travel and seeing other parts of the world. It is the best experience I ever had!" said CJ.Sandy Vetter and her Doberman SE, recently returned from Sedalia, Missouri, after competing in the United Doberman Club National Show.

Held at the beautiful and historic State Fair Complex, they were one of many teams competing in the Obedience Trials.

There were three separate trials during the week long show. Team SE came away with three High In Trial awards. Their scores were 193, 192 ' and 194 . A perfect score is 200.

It was a ''bucket list" goal for Vetter to be able to compete at a National level. She went out there hoping to do well in one trial and SE exceeded her expectations with her willingness to work. Vetter has been training obedience for over three years and Schutzhund (Protection) for over a year with SE.

Besides attaining her D-CD in only three shows, SE also completed her Working Aptitude Evaluation. This is a test determining the working temperament of a Doberman. The dog is judged on reactions to different stimuli and the ability to recover and go on to the next phase. Some of the tasks consisted on greeting a friendly stranger, a neutral stranger, unusual noises, different terrains and a ''boogie man". A dog is to remain indifferent to the stranger, until the stranger poses a threat. Reacting to the threat, alerting to the threat and addressing the threat, the dog should show signs of protection of its owner when addressing the threat situation.

Courtesy Heidi Romsa Sandy Vetter and SE pose with awards.

SE and Vetter also compete in AKC obedience where SE has attained her Beginner Novice Title, two legs of her Preferred Novice and one leg of her Companion Dog (CD) title. All this has been accomplished in seven shows.

Vetter is the National Certified groomer at Bluffs Veterinarian Clinic in Pines Bluffs. She has been with BVC for twenty one years and has been grooming for fifty years.

She has lived in the Pine Bluffs area since 1980. Vetter has competed with SE in Pueblo, Longmont, Elizabeth and Greeley, Colorado. They are looking forward to competing this August in Cheyenne, Wyoming at the Cheyenne Kennel Club's show.

The training with SE and keeping up with her grandchildren are her hobbies.Farmers work to harvest wheat just north of Pine Bluffs Tuesday, July 31. Area wheat harvest is at 70 percent completion. Bradley Shmidl with Frenchman Valley Co-Op said the one of the facility's four bins is 100 percent full, with the others being partially or nearly full. Some farmers have lost the last few hundred acres of their crops due to recent hailstorms. Other, large farms, have had operations delayed by recent rain. Shmidl said smaller outfits have completed their harvest with larger coops nearing the end. Compared to recent years, this year's harvest has produced significantly larger yields, Shmidl said.

Over a 10-day period, the National Weather Service in Cheyenne issued 95 total warnings. As a breakdown, that's 74 severe thunderstorm warnings, 14 tornado warnings and seven flash flood warnings.

Compare that to a low of eight warnings issued in 2009, all severe.

In 2016, the NWS Cheyenne office issued 71 warnings, all of which were severe over the same 10-day period of July 20 - 30.

Of those, 59 were severe, 10 were tornado warnings and two were flash floods.

The NWS Cheyenne office covers rural northern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming and the Nebraska Panhandle.

A storm produced damaging hail in the Cheyenne area Sunday afternoon.

But that anomaly isn't that unusual said NWS Meteorologist Bill Mokry.

"It seems astronomical, but it's not unusual to have these types of storms this time of year," Mokry said.

Mokry attributed the increase in warnings to "scenic" tornadoes. Pictures and video of a tornado north of Laramie made the rounds on social media last month, and one near Douglas that touched down on Saturday is doing the same now.

"The weather community is figuring out that there are tornadoes in Wyoming too," Morkry said, adding that many in Wyoming are easier for photographers and videographers to get images of because they are not rain-wrapped.

There are also more boots on the ground with local agencies keeping an eye out for severe storms as well as an influx of trained spotters.

Mokry cited a case in which residents in a rural area were able to notify NWS of quarter-sized hail just by stepping outside and making a phone call.

He said it takes people seeing severe weather events and contacting NWS when appropriate.

"It helps us meet our goals as an agency and keep people safe," he said.

Heading into the weekend, Mokry said to expect dry weather in southeastern Laramie County.In the most recent report, Lee County is still finding the chemical arsenic at record levels in groundwater on Pine Island Flatlands Preserve.

The property is a Lee County Conservation 20/20 preserve of 920 acres located about 5 miles south of the Center in St. James City. Arsenic was first detected there in February 2012.

The preserve serves as a spray field for the Pine Island Wastewater Treatment Facility. Wastewater is treated and then sprayed into a non-public part of the preserve. Groundwater wells were installed to monitor the effluent sprayed on the preserve.

Results from the June 2018 report by Kimley Horn stated, During the third quarter sampling event, in August 2017, a significant spike in arsenic concentration was identified in MW-2 (Well #2). As such, a confirmation sample was collected in October 2017, which confirmed the significant increase.

The report goes on to state, arsenic appears to be limited to the area around MW-2, and does not appear to have the potential to impact the one private water well located within a 1/4-mile radius of the site.

Between 2012 and 2016, test results revealed higher than normal arsenic levels in effluent and groundwater at the preserve.

The elevated arsenic levels came to light in 2016 when the Conservation 20/20 Citizen Advisory Committee member began reviewing records from effluent and groundwater testing between 2011 and 2016.

I was reviewing the old records of the effluent and groundwater test results when I saw the spike in the effluent from 2012, Greg Rawl, a member of the Citizen Advisory Committee, said. The effluent is only tested once a year but I believe the test result was at the end of the slug (load). This means its likely the arsenic had, for the most part, been sprayed into the field.

The tests between 2011 and 2016 showed effluent water samples jumped from an average MCL (maximum contaminant level) of 2.5 ug/l to 12.3 ug/l. The acceptable MCL level for arsenic in drinking water is 10.0 ug/l. But the groundwater samples in 2013 and 2014 surpassed the 100 ug/l alarm level established by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

[TABULATED_DATA]

(Pine Island Waste Water Treatment Plant / Ground Water Management Plan results)

Lee County Government Communica-tions Director Betsy Clayton recently acknowledged the high arsenic levels in 2012 but stated the years after that the arsenic levels were below 10.

While this is true for the effluent arsenic levels, the arsenic levels in the groundwater reached levels many times higher than the standard for drinking water and when levels reach 100 ug/l the county is required to report this to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

This January Lee County submitted the results of the soil sampling to Florida Department of Environmental Protection seeking guidance for closure options. FDEP recommended three additional monitoring wells be installed at the site to further evaluate the impact on groundwater.

In new groundwater tests conducted May 21 shows arsenic levels at 300 ug/l 30 times the safe level for drinking water. A second test was done and the 300 ug/l level was confirmed.

The cause of the elevated arsenic is unknown but the June report raises the possibility of arsenic treated wooden fence posts around one of the wells. It is believed the fence enclosure was installed around 2011/2012, when the first arsenic impacts were observed.

At that time (September 2017), we were unsure of the cause, Clayton responded. Thats why the county had committed to working with the DEP, hiring the vendor, sinking new wells and monitoring. Now as you know from seeing the report we just provided you (June 26, 2018 Site Assessment Report) we are working with DEP to move forward on the recommendations made in the report to address the potential cause, which may be the fence post issue.

The problem with the fence posts as a source of the arsenic, is it doesnt explain the high arsenic levels reported two miles away in Island Acres, Calusa Water Keeper John Cassani said.

Also if you look at the effluent (2012), its a smoking gun, Cassanni said. The arsenic showed up in the well water shortly after the effluent was dropped. If the source of the arsenic shows up first in the effluent and then the groundwater, it doesnt take a hydrogeologist to figure out the source of the arsenic is in the effluent.

Lee County has dealt with the arsenic contamination they spread on Flatwoods by first hiring a company to blame it on cows and then shutting down the monitoring wells that were showing high levels of arsenic, island resident Scott Wilkinson said. When the media broke the story, Lee County reduced the certified arsenic levels by a factor of 1,000. With the levels too high and the cow theory not panning out, Lee County is now trying to blame the arsenic on a single mysterious fence post and claims they dont need to clean up this hazardous waste. This is another example of why the Greater Pine Island Community cannot trust Lee County Government to represent our best interests.

Wilkinson is also a Greater Pine Island Civic Association board member.Sailors stand guard aboard a Chinese naval ship during the three-day Open Day activities on July 30, 2018. (military.crn.cn/Photo by Yan Pei)

By Zhu Xidi, Yang Chenxiuand Zhao Wei

QUANZHOU, Aug. 1 (ChinaMil) -- Four Chinese naval ships opened to the participants and the public during the first day of the Seaborne Assault competition of the International Army Games (IAG) 2018 at Shihu Port in Shishi city, Quanzhou , southeast Chinas Fujian province on Monday.

Ships opened to the public include the dock landing ship Jinggangshan (Hull 999) attached to the South China Sea Fleet under the PLA Navy, and the guided-missile destroyer Changchun (Hull 150), the corvette Quanzhou (Hull 588) and the tank landing ship Wuyishan (Hull 914) attached to the East China Sea Fleet under the PLA Navy.

It is the first time for the PLA Navy to open so many naval ships for public tours in the same place. The Open Day activities will last for three days.

The destroyer Changchun, honored as the Chinese Shield, is a new guided-missile destroyer designed and made by China. The amphibious dock landing ship Jinggangshan has one of the heaviest displacements among its kind in the Chinese Navy's dock landing ships. And it is the first time for the corvette, named after Quanzhou, to return to its hometown and open to the public.

Foreign naval participants of the Seaborne Assault competition also visited the four ships.

Visitors take photos aboard a Chinese naval ship during the three-day Open Day activities on July 30, 2018. (military.crn.cn/Photo by Zhao Wei)If you have requested a mail ballot for the Aug. 28 Primary Election, its likely on its way.

The Lee County Elections Office mailed 123,164 domestic mail ballots on Thursday and voters should start receiving them next week.

Meanwhile, with the Primary Election less than a month away, election officials encourage voters to make sure they have registered for their political party of choice as the deadline is Monday.

Tommy Doyle, Lee County Supervisor of Elections, said if individuals want to vote for a major party primary candidate, and not just for those in the nonpartisan races, they have to register to vote by Monday, July 30, 29 days before the election. If party registration is made or changed after July 30, it will not go into effect until after the election.

Lee County voters can confirm their voter information on lee.vote, by clicking the red Check my Voter Registration Status button, or call the Supervisor of Elections Office at (239) LEE-VOTE (533-8683).

It also is important that voters use a bona fide residential address  not a business address  when registering to vote.

When the Lee County Supervisor of Elections Office finds voters registered at a business, or non-residential address, a certified letter is sent to the voter explaining that they must be registered at their legal residence. Also included in the letter is a Florida Voter Registration application and postage paid envelope.

If the voter fails to respond within 30 days, the office then follows the following procedure as per state law:

A legal notice is published stating the voters eligibility to vote is in question and they must contact the Lee County Supervisor of Elections Office immediately.

If the voter fails to respond within 30 days of the published legal notice, the voters registration status is changed from active to removed for not having a legal Florida Residence. If this change is made, the voter will have to register to vote again.

Voters are asked to contact the Supervisor of Elections Office if they believe they may have been registered to vote at a business or non-residential address to ensure they are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections.

Voters who want to request a mail in ballot must do so by Tuesday, Aug. 21. Doyle said if the request is made that close to the primary, the voter is advised to drop their ballot off at one of the drop off sites.

Its best to mail the ballot in at least seven days before election day to ensure it is received by 7 p.m., the time the polls will close on Aug. 28.

If the ballot is received after 7 p.m. it wont be counted and it is never opened up, Doyle said.

Voters can call the Lee County Supervisor of Elections Office at (239) LEE-VOTE (533-8683), to request a vote-by-mail ballot. It also may be done online at lee.vote.

There are approximately 435,000 registered voters in Lee County. For the 2014 Primary Election, almost 22 percent of the voters cast their vote. The General Election typically attracts triple the number of voters who cast a ballot in the primary. In 2014, 60 percent of voters cast a vote.

Its hard to say what is going to happen this year because of the dynamics of the politics right now, Doyle said.

For those who like to vote early but still prefer to vote at the polls, there will be 10 early voting sites.

Early voting is set for Saturday, Aug. 18, through Saturday, Aug. 25.

Early voting sites will be open from from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

Sites will include:

Cape Coral Elections Office, 1039 S.E. 9th Avenue;

Cape Coral Lee County Library, 921 S.W. 39th Terrace;

Northwest Regional Library, 519 Chiquita Boule-vard, North, Cape Coral;

North Fort Myers Recreation Center, 2000 N. Rec-reation Park Way North, North Fort Myers;

East County Regional Library, 881 Gunnery Road N, Lehigh Acres;

Veterans Park Recreation Center, 55 South Home-stead Road, Lehigh Acres and

Lee County Elections Center, 13180 S. Cleveland Avenue, Fort Myers.

On Election Day, Tuesday, Aug. 28, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

There are 127 polling locations throughout in Lee County and each will have a minimum of 12 poll workers, Doyle said.

Early voting sites have more, so they can handle any volume that comes in, he said of poll workers.

The poll workers started their training ,which ranges from three to four hours this week.

We will train 1,800 to 2,000 poll workers and field techs, Doyle said. There is a lot of new poll workers this year.

This week, deputies, the poll workers who greet voters, try to keep things orderly and answer any questions, are training.

I have been into all the classes. Out of 30, 25 are new ones for the position, Doyle said.

The Lee Elections Office is doing what it can to educate voters.

Sample ballots will be mailed Aug. 10 to voters who did not request a vote-by-mail ballots.

Sample ballots are going to be mailed to everyone who did not request a mail ballot, Doyle said. We are sending it to a household. You are going to get a sample ballot for the whole household.

Voters can also visit lee.vote to look at their specific ballot.

Thats important because ballots vary among the precincts.

For example, there are four school board races  one countywide, meaning everyone votes; and three that are district specific.

You can go onto lee.vote and download your specific ballot and take it as a cheat sheet if you need it, or a sample ballot, Doyle said.

In regard to mail ballots, requesting one does not obligate a voter to vote by mail; they can still vote at the polls if they wish, Doyle said.

The Primary Election ballot is one page in length. The General Election, Doyle said will be longer due to all of the constitutional amendments.

The local races on the Primary ballot include:

County-wide Republican primary races (only Republicans may vote on the contests):

* United States Senator: Roque Rocky De La Fuente and Rick Scott

* Governor and Lieutenant Governor: Don Baldauf; Ron DeSantis; Timothy M. Devine; Bob Langford; John Joseph Mercadante; Bruce Nathan; Adam H. Putnam and Bob White

* Attorney General Fiscal General: Ashley Moody and Frank White

* Commissioner of Agriculture: Matt Caldwell; Denise Grimsley; Mike McCalister and Baxter Troutman

* State Attorney 20th Judicial Circuit: Chris Crowley and Amira Fox

* Representative in Congress District 17 (Only Republicans residing in District 17 may vote) Bill Akins; Julio Gonzalez and Greg Steube

* State Representative District 79 (Only Republicans residing in District 79 may vote) Matthew Shawn Miller and Spencer Roach

County-wide Democratic Primary races (only Democrats may vote):

* Governor and Lieutenant Governor: Andrew Gillum; Gwen Graham; Jeff Greene; Chris King; Philip Levine; Alex Lundy Lundmark and John Wetherbee

* Attorney General Fiscal General: Sean Shaw and Ryan Torrens

* Commissioner of Agriculture: Nicole Nikki Fried; Jeffrey Duane Porter and Roy David Walker

* Representative in Congress District 19 (Only Democrats residing in District 19 can vote): David Holden and Todd James Truax

* Representative in Congress District 17 (only Democrats residing in District 17 may vote) April Freeman and Bill Pollard

* State Representative District 76 (Only Democrats residing in District 76 can vote): Neilson Croll Ayers and David Bogner

County-wide, all voters regardless of party affiliation:

* Circuit Judge 20th Judicial Circuit Group 8: James Wesley Chandler and John Owen McGowan

* County Judge Group 7: Maria E. Gonzalez and David McElrath

* School Board Member District 6 (At large; everyone votes): Nicholas Alexander; Lori Fayhee; Betsy Vaughn and Karen Putman Watson

School Board races, non-partisan, district voters only

* School Board Member District 1, (Only voters residing in District 1, mostly Cape Coral, Pine Island and Sanibel; regardless of party affiliation): Charles B. Dailey and Mary Fischer

* School Board Member District 4, (Only voters residing in District 4, mostly Cape Coral, North Fort Myers and Dunbar, regardless of party affiliation:) Don H. Armstrong; Debbie Jordan; Louis Navarra and Geraldine Gerri Ware

* School Board Mem-ber District 5, (Only voters residing in District 5, mostly Lehigh Acres, regardless of party affiliation): Gwynetta Gwyn Gittens; Moses Jackson; Pamela LaRiviere; Taruas Pugh and Jon Larsen ShudlickFacial plastic surgeon Dr. Stephen Prendiville welcomed Dr. James L. Newlon to the Facial Plastic Surgery Center on Cypress Lake Drive in Fort Myers during an open house July 19. The facial plastic surgeons also announced that they are teaming up to raise money to support Captains For Clean Water, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for and protecting South Floridas water resources.

Patients and friends attended the open house to meet Dr. Newlon and hear about their efforts to help Captains For Clean Water. Both physicians and the Assuage Luxury Spa will donate 10 percent of their income from injectables and filler sales to the non-profit for the entire month of August. The offer will be extended to Assuage Luxury Spa locations in both Fort Myers and Naples, where Dr. Prendiville serves as medical director.

The surgeons are issuing a challenge to other businesses to also dedicate a portion of their revenues during August to help Captains For Clean Water save our waters. Businesses that wish to join the challenge should contact Captains For Clean Water at www.captainsforcleanwater.org

We are disheartened to see the damage caused to our rivers and estuaries by the unnatural discharges from Lake Okeechobee. Our fish and seagrasses are dying, our shorelines are caked with green algae, and our decaying water quality is impacting everyone, said Drs. Prendiville and Newlon. Both are avid fishermen and supporters of Captains For Clean Water.

The solution is to restore the natural flow of the water by purchasing land to treat and convey Lake Okeechobee water south. Funds to do this are already available through Amendment 1, but our legislature is slow to act to implement this long-term solution, they said.

We believe strongly that we must put pressure on our legislators and the Army Corps of Engineers to save the fisheries and coastal communities of south Florida. It starts with just a few of us stepping forward to say enough is enough and we ask others to join us in this fight to protect our waterways, and ultimately, our way of life, said Drs. Prendiville and Newlon.

The two facial plastic surgeons share space at Dr. Prendivilles offices at 9407 Cypress Lake Drive in Fort Myers.

Dr. Prendiville is the only Fellowship-trained facial plastic surgeon in Fort Myers who is certified by both the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.

Dr. Newlon has more than 12 years of experience as a facial plastic surgeon and is the current chairman of otolaryngology for the Lee Health system. He is board-certified by both the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngol-ogy Head and Neck Surgery.

For additional information, visit www.drprendiville.com and www.docnewlon.comBy CJ HADDAD

cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com

A mass assembly of water-quality advocates piled into the Cape Coral Yacht Club Ballroom Tuesday afternoon, while even more lined up outside- denied entry due to the massive turnout and maxing-out of the buildings capacity.

Lieutenant Col. Jennifer A. Reynolds, Deputy District Commander for South Florida in the Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District, had the difficult task of fielding questions and complaints from Cape Coral and Southwest Florida residents who feel so passionately about the blue-green algae that is harming their health, businesses and economy.

Cape Coral Mayor Joe Coviello, along with Rep. Dane Eagle and District 4 Lee County Commis-sioner Brian Hamman were also present to soak in what residents had to say.

I wish I had a better, easy solution, but I dont, Reynolds told the audience in response to a question from an audience member.

Everything and anything water-quality related was discussed at the open forum  from Lake Okeechobee releases, to why the water is so nutrient-laden and how the blooms are hazardous to the publics health was deliberated.

Reynolds spoke of reservoir storage projects happening in surrounding areas of Lake Okeechobee that she called prevalent and could help with the number of releases east and west into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers.

She said these projects, especially when they are all completed and working in unison, will see the number of releases necessary drop.

Though in big rain events, releases are inevitable.

The Corps is currently working on the Lake Okeechobee regulation schedule, along with South Florida Water Management District  and is taking input from the public and experts alike.

The rehabilitation of the Herbert Hoover Dike was also touched on by Reynolds, as she said they expect to finish in 2022.

When the dike reaches 18 feet-plus, it starts to fail, she said. Rehabilitation will increase our water management options.

Right now, the water level is at 14.5 feet. When rain events happen, the levels rise three to four feet, putting it around the danger levels of 18 feet.

Reynolds stated the releases are to keep water levels in Lake Okeechobee stable and make it able to take on a big rain event at any time.

After her presentation, Reynolds took just about two hours to answer everyone who had a question about what exactly is going on, no matter what the attitude or demeanor of the crowd was shaping up to be.

She did a good job, she took a lot of shots today. She was put up here to take shots and she handled it well, said Capt. David Menist, Floridas Son Fishing Charters owner and passionate water quality promoter.

Im glad we had the numbers that we had today, this is what we need. We needed to fill this room and be heard, he continued. Army Corps of Engineers danced around a lot of questions when it came to Big Sugar and it came to Rick Scott. She was very informational, but, her hands are tied as well.

The question-and-answer portion certainly brought out some of the bad blood in the crowd when it came to why this is happening in residents backyards.

A stand out question came from an audience member who asked, Are we collateral damage at this point? To which Reynolds replied, That is the hardest question to answer. Solutions (long-term) are years down the line. If it rains a lot, were in trouble.

The question most folks seemed to have on their mind  and were most upset at receiving no definitive answer  was the question of the heath effects people are suffering and potentially unknowingly suffering from.

Where my frustrations comes from is when we ask the questions like Is this harmful to us? and they dont have an answer. When is this going to change? theres no answer, Menist said.

Cape Coral resident Will Zariske who was in attendance, lives on his sailboat in Rosen Park Marina with his pregnant wife. They have become campaigners for clean water and held signs that said Stop poisoning us and What about the live-aboards?

I think it was a lot of rhetoric and a lot of the same thing. I wish I could say it was better, but I dont see a solution to this anytime soon, he said of the meeting, which he had to watch half of from outside with the rest of those denied entry.

This solution should have been done 10 years ago, he expressed. They continue to allow the water releases and as soon as they do that, its just going to continue. They need to shut off the water releases.

Though he may not have heard the immediate action he was looking for, the turnout for the meeting was a positive step.

Im glad a lot of people are becoming more proactive and aware about the situation, Zariske said.

As for Capt. Menist, all he said was, he will continue to be hopeful.

I gotta believe that, or else, what am I doing here? he responded when asked if he thinks the Corps is on the right track.

If we lose hope, we lose it all. Hope. Hope for my son. Our children and our grandchildren, this is what were saving this for, he said. We already know what condition were in right now. But its about our children and our childrens children.

For additional information on the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Pro-ject and to email your comments to the Corps, visit www.saj.usace.army.mil /LOWRP/.

Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cjKAMPALA  Gen Caleb Akandwanaho, aka Salim Saleh, is mediating the standoff between Bank of Uganda (BoU) and Meera Investments Limited over the acquisition of the latters 48 properties by dfcu Bank in its controversial takeover of Crane Bank last year, PML Daily has learnt.

In February, Meera Investments Ltd, which is owned by businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, sued dfcu Bank, seeking to reclaim leasehold titles and developments for the 48 banking halls taken over by the latter when Crane Bank was liquidated. Also sued alongside dfcu Bank is the Commissioner for Land Registration, who is accused of conniving with dfcu Bank to transfer the leases of the 48 properties into the latters names without the consent of Meera Investments Ltd.

However, it has emerged that BoU and dfcu Bank have taken the mediation route after lawyers advised that they are likely to lose the properties if the case comes up for hearing in the Commercial Court.

Mediation talks between BoU and Mr Ruparelia have failed to take off and early this month, Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine, the mediator, wrote to Justice David Wangutusi, the head of the Commercial Court, stating that since he took over the mediation, there has not been any input by either party to the case

Gen Saleh is reported to have met all parties in the matter after being reached out by dfcu through a prominent city lawyer.

Sources said Mr Ruparelia is confident of recovering his properties first.

Meera Investments wants court to direct them to immediately cancel out Dfcu Bank as being the rightful owner of those properties and reinstate them as the rightful owners.

Meera in its law suit, claims that at the time when Bank of Uganda took over the management of then Crane Bank in October 2016 before its eventual sell to DFCU, was the leaseholder of the suit properties and paying US $6,000 every beginning of the year.

Meera adds that transferring the same properties to DFCU Bank without their prior written consent, is illegal

In exercise of its powers, Bank of Uganda in January transferred the liabilities of Crane Bank to DFCU Bank.

Prof Emmanuel Mutebile the Bank of Uganda Governor said in a statement that the central bank also conveyed Crane Banks assets to DFCU bank.

RelatedKAMPALA  The gay community in Uganda has suffered a severe setback after a passionate defender of their rights, Val Kalende, denounced the same-sex practice and announced that she will soon get married.

Ms Kalende quit her journalism profession in 2017 to pioneer the Sexual Minorities Uganda, an umbrella body of the LGBT organisations in the country.

However, at Pastor Bugingos fellowship service that was broadcast live on Salt TV on Sunday, Ms Kalende announced that she is no longer gay and said she regrets her action.



I started practicing lesbianism when I was 17 years old in A-level at one of the prominent girls secondary schools in Kampala. I do not know how Satan sought me amongst all my friends, because all the girls I did that habit with in high school got married, she narrated.

Even the girl I was dating at the age of 17 is now married. I have denounced Satan, she added.

The communications and digital media consultant said because of her decision, her family banished her.

Im born of Christian parents. All of them cut their ties with me for being gay. I became an orphan. I became rebellious. We always wondered why the world forced us to become girls who do not love men. Right now, I have no peace of mind. I sometimes break down and cry wondering why I am like this, she said.

Kalende said she never wanted to go public, but her life was at risk because of the LGBTQ leaders who wanted to expose her or even cause harm.

Posting on her Facebook page, Ms Kalende said: Men are designed to make love to women and vice versa. Gods first declaration: It is not good for man to be alone. God could have made another man for Adam. But instead God created a woman to solve mans aloneness. Life and death: Homosexuality represents death. It denies life. It prevents the propagation of the human race.

I understand my introverted nature makes it uncomfortable for people to reach out to me but I am pretty much an open person when it comes to issues I am passionate about. I am not an authority on sexuality let alone what qualifies for sinful nature but I sure have an awareness that could help folks out there. Feel free to message me privately or leave your questions below this post.

Mr Frank Mugisha, the Executive Director of Sexual Minority Group Uganda, said Ms Kalendes decision to quit the community will have psychological impact on many members who are still being victimized.

RelatedBOMBO- Uganda Peoples Defence Forces has today July 31st retired several officers and militants from active service at a ceremony held at General Military Headquarters Bombo.

The Commander Land Forces Maj Gen Peter Elwelu who represented the Chief of Defence Forces Gen David Muhoozi advised the soldiers to prepare for their families and themselves to have a decent retirement into the civilian community and plan for their resources carefully.

Prepare for what lies ahead to make good life for yourselves during retirement he said.

Maj Gen Elwelu saluted the courageous and patriotic ways of the Retiring Officers and Militants for their devotion during their time in the military.

Gen Elwelu added that their service has greatly contributed to the peace and security the country is enjoying today. He commended the retirees for attending the retirement function in such large numbers.

The retirees were urged to continue protecting the security of the country even when not in uniform and continue being eyes and ears of the Army in their respective communities.

Col John R. Kagwisa on behalf of the retiring officers thanked the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs for creating enabling environment for the UPDF.

Col Kagwisa also thanked the Chief of Defence forces in his absentia for his guidance, counseling and direction through their career as serving officers.

We are very grateful and do promise that we keep the flag of UPDF flying high he said.

He applauded their families for keeping together and running as a unit during time of loneliness for the sake of their spouses to serve this country. Our children grew up missing their parental care he added.

Col Kagwisa quoted Steven Stankorich what we have done for ourselves alone dies with us, what we have done for others and the world remains forever

The function was attended by Chief of Pensions and Gratuity Brig Metland Bitumbika, Deputy Chief of Personnel and Administration Brig Sam Kakuru Directors and Senior Officers.

A total of 460 Officers and Militants retired from active service of the military from General Headquarters Bombo.

RelatedKAMPALA  Archbishop Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, of Cape Coast, Ghana, is a member of the Standing Committee of The Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), the Assembly of the African Bishops, that will be making 50 years in July 2019, with the climax of the celebrations to be hosted in Kampala, Uganda. SECAM was launched by His Holiness Blessed Pope Paul VI when he was welcomed to Kampala in July 1969, the first ever visit of a Pope to Africa.

Archbishop Palmer-Buckle on July 29, 2018 spoke to journalists in Kampala about the significance of the SECAM Golden Jubilee Celebrations, the Catholic Church in Africa and why Uganda is the heart of Catholicism on the continent. PML Daily Editorial Director,ALEX B. ATUHARE attended the interviews.

EXERPTS:

QN: Archbishop Palmer-Buckle, you are welcome to Kampala and thank you for the opportunity to discuss SECAM and its agenda.

Thank you very much and the pleasure is mine.

QN: What has been the vision and focus of SECAM for the last 50 years? What is the significance of the Golden Jubilee celebrations?

Archbishop Buckle: It is good to know the history of SECAM and how it is closely linked with in Kampala, Uganda.

After 1964, when Blessed Pope Paul VI, canonized the Uganda Martyrs, he came here on his first visit to Africa in your beautiful country . When he came here, he met the African Bishops who had participated in the Vatican Council II of 1962  1965. They were having their first meeting here and they invited him and he used the opportunity to inaugurate SECAM here in Kampala on the soil of theAfrican Martyrs. Why the word Symposium? The Bishops decided to call it [their Assembly] a symposium unlike many other types of Councils or Conferences or something else. So a Symposium, from the Greek word, symposionactually means sitting around a meal, having a conversation and doing consultation, sharing ideas, worries and trying to find solutions to it.

So the Bishops wanted a coming together of African bishops, seat around to discuss issues as far as evangelization [was concerned], look at the challenges, [think about] how to bring about human development, [manage] their relationship with other religious bodies and also how to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. That how it started. And we are now 50 years old come next year, so we came here to launch it and we are praying and hoping that Uganda being where SECAM was born, will welcome us once again to come for this celebration.

QN: And what is the significance of the celebrations?

Archbishop Buckle: 50 years in the scriptures is a very important time to celebrate. Its when we REFLECT  stop and take stalk [of what has happened], thank God for the many blessings you have received, look back into the past, see where God has blessed us, how we have used the talents, where we have failed and ask for forgiveness; RECONCILE  by coming to the reconciliation with one another, and RENEW  our commitment to Jesus Christ and his Good News. So that what we looking to do.

QN: 50 years down the road, what are some of the milestones achieved by SECAM?

Archbishop Buckle: The first one definitely is the fact that the Catholic Church has grown exponentially in the last 50 years, from about 55 million somewhere in the 1975 to now 178 million. So the church has grown very big. From the 60s we had just about some 20 or 30 dioceses in Africa, now we have more than 400 dioceses, and about 37 Episcopal Conferences.

Then you can also think of the fact that in these 50 years many of our own African bishops have risen to become influential members of the universal church in administration like [Lauren) Cardinal Rugambwa of Tanzania, then you have heard of [Bernardin] Cardinal Gantin who was Prefect in charge of all the Cardinals. We have had [Francis} Cardinal Arinze of Nigeria, who served in the Vatican for over 20. We have [Peter] Cardinal Turkson from Ghana who currently the Popes right-hand man promoting integral-human development in whole world, and dealing with justice and peace. We have [Robert] Cardinal Sarah who is in-charge of the Council for Divine Worship. So you see that the church has grown from being missionary, receiving missionaries to now offering its own share of what it can do for the greater church in the whole world. So, the Church has been able to do what Blessed Pope Paul VI prophesied when he launched SECAM in 1969, he said, be missionaries to yourselves.

QN: It terms of human development amid challenges like conflict, political instability and refugees crisis in Africa, what has the Catholic Church done to influence a positive trajectory?

Archbishop Buckle: SECAM actually is an Assembly or coming together of the bishops. Now, every bishop is running a church, wherever he is in whatever location. If I take my country Ghana for instance, we have 20 dioceses, and in Ghana we run at least 11 percent of the educational facilities, we run at least 12% of health services and the rest of it. We run almost 40% of teacher training colleges. We are involved in social issues; justice issues, governance, education for mission and the rest. Now this is just Ghana, and that is replicated in every other country in Africa, where the Catholic Church has presence.

And where there have been challenges for instance in elections, we have been there. For instance, in the DR Congo now, the Catholic Church is really at the forefront of trying to discuss and talk to the head of state to see how things can be better done for the good of the country.

In South Sudan, the Catholic Relief Services, the Catholic Dioceses of Africa -messiah have been there helping to bring about peace. When Rwanda had its issues we were there. In Nigeria issues with Boko Haram the Catholic Church was there, playing an important role. If you take Sierra-Leone where they didnt have elections for decades, the Catholic Church has been there. So when you look at the Catholic Church, even though evangelization, preaching Jesus Christ is our focus, we are very conscious of promoting human development and also help in bringing about peace.

QN: Give is the year-plan for the SECAM Golden Jubilee celebrations?

Archbishop Buckle: The celebration is going to be a very good one and we have launched int here in Kampala in your beautiful cathedral at Lubaga. The theme is; Church, Family of God in Africa, Celebrate your Jubilee! Proclaim, Meet and Welcome Christ your Savior. Church family of God it is one of the biggest hallmarks of the church. You know so when we talk about family, every Christian, every catholic is my brother is my sister and the rest and you learn to relate with a person because its the same blood of Christ, the body of Christ that we receive at the Altar and therefore we want to become better and better church family not only for the church but also for the society. We want to celebrate this jubilee you know and as I said we want to render thanks to God for the many blessings he has given us, we want to review where we have not done well enough and where we should do better. We want to recommit ourselves to the message of Christ and to the development of the continent.

The celebrations will be a year-long, and every month we have a specific focus. We are focusing on youth, the children, our grandfathers, refugees, women, politicians, professionals of all kinds of people.

QN: We understand the African Bishops have invited the Pope. Will be be gracing the celebrations in Kampala, in 2019?

You know Holy Father has a very big schedule, but we have invited him and we are praying that he makes it. I believe that 50 years anniversary of SECAM, all the bishops of Africa about 600 of us will be here in Kampala, we pray that the Holy Father listens to our prayers, mightily and he comes to this your beautiful country once again. He was here not too long ago; we pray he comes back because your country is so beautiful. You have the Martyrs of Uganda praying for us and, I am sure that the heart of the Catholic Church in Africa is here in Uganda.

QN: Your last words.

Archbishop Buckle: To the Catholic Church in Uganda; you are really the heartbeat of the Catholicism in Africa. We cherish this.

********** The Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, is the Archbishop of Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cape Coast, Ghanas oldest Archdiocese first erected in 1950 and also doubles as the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Accra. Archbishop Palmer-Buckle, is a member of the Standing Committee of The Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), and also its Treasurer.

RelatedKAMPALA- Bank of Uganda has Wednesday August 1, opposed the introduction of the excise duty tax on mobile money arguing the tax is neither fair nor equitable and will deter the growth of the countrys financial Institutions.

Appearing before the Finance Committee of Parliament chaired by MP Henry Musasizi over the amendments in the mobile money tax that was re-tabled by government recently officials said that taxes affect the growth of financial.

The Bank of Uganda officials argued that imposing high taxes on nationals does not generally mean its an avenue of a country raising revenue also revealing that mobile money transactions declined by 672bn shillings in the first two weeks of implementing the mobile money tax.

At the same meeting, telecom giants, MTN Uganda revealed that its revenue has declined in the last 4weeks by 30 percent since the implementation of mobile money tax on July 1.

MTN Ugandas Chief Executive Officer Wim VanHelleputte, told the committee on finance that the mobile money sector is just growing and slapping heavy taxes will cripple business.

The company now recommends for the withdraw of the tax since there is already 15% Excise Duty and 10% Withholding tax on the same service.

At the start of last month, government imposed a 1% tax on mobile money transactions, drawing protests from the public.

Civil rights groups have hit out at the new taxes saying that it is likely to affect lower-income citizens disproportionately.

Also two concerned citizens; John Robert Turyakira and Anthony Odur had petitioned High court challenging the one percent tax levied against Mobile Money depositors by telecom companies on orders of Uganda Revenue Authority.

RelatedBULANGE  Kabaka Mutebi has said the widespread corruption in the country is to blame for the rising spate of murders.

Speaking at his 25th silver jubilee celebrations in Mengo, Kampala, the Buganda king said massive corruption is prompted by greed and has caused a total breakdown of the social fabric.

This country will continue to deteriorate if prevailing levels of corruption remain unchecked, Kabaka said at the celebration that was attended by the leader of Ghanas Ashante Empire, Otumfour Nana Osei Tutu II, Vice president Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, several kings and cabinet ministers

Previously, parents taught children how to avoid greed and indeed children grew into good mannered citizens. But during this era, there is a lot of greed among people and this is why we witness a lot of corruption, he said.By Yang Zhou and Zhou Na

VIENTIANE, Aug. 1 (ChinaMil) -- The Peace Train 2018 China-Laos humanitarian and medical joint rescue exercise between Chinese and Laotian militaries successfully concluded on Tuesday. The two militaries spoke highly of the results of the joint exercise.

Maj. Gen. Onsy Senesouk, deputy minister of Laotian National Defense, presented the Friendship Medal to the Chinese military medical team participating in the exercise at the closing ceremony.

Director of the Health Department of the General Logistics Department of the Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) said at the closing ceremony that the joint exercise provided a platform for the medical staff of the two militaries to learn from each other and exchange experience in the health field, and the LPAF gained knowledge and valuable experience from the joint exercise, which will greatly improve their work efficiency in the future.

Maj. Gen. Liu Dianrong, deputy head of the Health Bureau of the Logistic Support Department of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), said at the closing ceremony that the Chinese Peace Train medical team came to Laos again to deepen the implementation of the important consensus on jointly building a community of shared destiny with strategic significance reached by the leaders of the two countries, and pragmatically promote the development of military health exchanges between the two militaries.

Tan Yingjun, leader of the Chinese Peace Train medical team, said that the Sepien-Senamnoi Hydropower Dam in Attapeu Provinces Sanamxay District, collapsed on July 23 during the joint exercise. The Chinese medical team immediately assessed the situation after the accident. At the request of the Laotian side, the Chinese medical team sent 32 staff to the front line on July 25, turning the exercise on flood disaster relief in a real battle.KAMPALA A new study has found that majority of refugees are borrowing funds as Ugandans.

According to a report from a survey carried out by Platform for inclusive finance, refugees borrow as Ugandans but informally.

Among the reasons fronted for this included lack of information, contact and misinformation about refugees that fuels the perception of refugees as high risk clients which has pushed most of them to borrow as Ugandans.

It is alleged that most of the refugees are into business with the average debt of Shs540,000.

Refugees do smaller and fewer businesses compared to local businesses, but with the same activities of agriculture, trade and services.

At least 72% of refugees have their own business.

The biggest obstacle to business growth is lack of start-up/working capital. This has been brought about by legal limitations as well as societal fears and prejudices reflected in public policy and media which cause FSPs concerns about their reputation, reads a report that was launched at Hotel Africana.

The report found that 75% of refugees save money daily, weekly or monthly. Men are more mobile and save with their wives while on the other hand, women save in VSLAs/SGs. Urban refugees and youth are more likely to have a smart phone and use a mobile wallet (90% have phones).

Furthermore, the report found that there are 29,053 recorded savings groups and SACCOs among refugees. While these help with small loans, they cannot meet demand for credit.

Most charge 2% interest per month, require guarantors and collateral.

As of April 18, 13.6% of the registered adult refugees live in Kampala. Majority of the refugees (65%) live in the North, 7% mid-west (Kiryandongo and Kyangwali) and 15% in South West like Nakivale, Rwanwanja, Oruchinga and Kyaka II.

RelatedKAMPALA- Akamba Paul (MP- Busiki County) on the 24th July 2018 regarding the ban of Air time scratch cards.

Early this year, our country experienced an unprecedented surge in the number of crimes committed using mobile phones, including the rampant kidnaps and murders of several women, such as Susan Magara and the Entebbe women.

In order to improve the security situation, in March 2018, Cabinet agreed to the streamlining of Sim Card registration processes and an inter-Ministerial Committee of Cabinet involving Internal Affairs, Security and ICT was tasked to engage with Telecom operators to find solutions to the phone-based security threats.

It is said, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) in liaison with other security agencies recommended to Government that in order to eliminate SIM Card related crimes and improve traceability of mobile phone users, there was need to ban the vending of air time cards as this was directly linked to the selling of illegally registered Sim cards and would facilitate airtime recharge and top-ups manually without any digital tracing.

Minister Tumwebaze told Parliament that the use of electronic recharge systems was therefore recommended as the most viable and secure option, with so many other attendant advantages.

He went on to defend the ban saying Uganda isnt the only nation around the world to adopt this system of payment citing South Sudan and Zimbabwe as some of the nations that have this ban in place.

To further defend the electronic air time recharge, Tumwebaze highlighted some of the advantages that will come with the ban on airtime scratch arguing it will go a long way into improving the process of directly tracing vendors and eventually their customers who procure airtime electronically.

He said that this will be possible as all vendors who have been selling the paper version of airtime scratch cards have been given the opportunity to sell the same airtime in a digital format using an ordinary phone as a tool of trade, and have been duly registered by the Telecom operators.

There is therefore no inconvenience to anybody since the same people and outlets that were selling the paper scratch cards are the same points of sale for the electronic recharge, the Minister remarked.

Ceclia Ogwal (Dokolo Woman) protested the ban saying it will lead to loss of jobs especially amongst women who have been selling airtime alongside newspapers on the street, warning that the new move is likely to bring along terrible consequences.

The people who are actually more engaged in selling scratch cards are women. Can you also tell us if you have done some research, when you brush these women aside, where are you going to deploy these women? Are you aware you are forcing women into unemployment, desperation and probably into prostitution? Ogwal asked.

In response Tumwebaze said that digitisation of airtime will instead create more opportunities through formalized distribution and also will improve revenue assurance by Government, since with the electronic system, URA can determine the amount of Airtime sold by Telecom operators and agents and thus rule out any tax under declarations.

At the time of raising the matter last week, Akamba rejected Governments claim that the electronic airtime purchase will improve the environmental conservation, wondering why Government doesnt turn its gun on effecting kaveera ban and go after inconsequential items like airtime scratch cards.

Tumwebaze defended the stand saying the new system will reduce e-waste caused by the many scratch cards that are thrown into the environment.

I am happy that Akamba acknowledges that paper scratch cards were adding to the environment menace. However, if we have not yet succeeded in banning buvera, it does not mean that we should condone any other waste that contributes to the already bad situation, said the Minister.

Furthermore, Government argues that the use of electronic recharge systems will protect the public against purchase of fake air time scratch cards intended to defraud unsuspecting members of the public, highlighting that on a number of occasions, security agencies have arrested a number of people defrauding members of the public through sale of fake air time scratch cards.

Additionally, Government stated that Air time scratch cards are a cost to the provision of communication services in Uganda as this involves the cost of manufacture, importation and distribution which increases the overall cost of doing business.

Yet still, according to Tumwebaze, the paper scratch cards are manufactured outside Uganda, and add onto our importation bill thereby facilitating capital flight noting that the new electronic recharge system, will rationalise all associated costs in the distribution system enumerated above and mitigate both importation of scratch cards and capital flight to some extent.

The Minister also added that electronic recharge system is one of the steps of inculcating among the citizens the culture of ecommerce by transacting digitally and slowly transition into a cashless economy.

He rejected accusations that the public hasnt been sensitized about the new development pointing out that several public notices have been running in the mass media to prepare customers for the shift to the electronic recharge system.

With the new development, consumers can buy airtime using Easy Load, Mobile money, Me2U, Payway and several other electronic means, and these services are available across the country, at the same outlets that were selling paper air time vouchers.

At the moment, the mobile network operators have gradually phased out the distribution of scratch cards and majority of users are already using E-Top up and are also working out mechanisms to redeem any scratch cards that will still be in the hands of customers by 31st July 2018 with Telecom operators said to have put in place system to facilitate conversion of any unutilized scratch cards into mobile money.

He assured Ugandans that no customer will lose money and those with any unutilized air time cards will be refunded, although he didnt mention within which period the Telecoms have to refund its subscribers.

Tumwebaze pointed out that he isnt surprised at the initial resistance to the shift, but called on Ugandans to embrace these technology advancements and not resist, warning that if they insist on resisting technology then it will disrupt.

Kadaga didnt pronounce herself on the prayers made by Akamba to halt the ban, but instead ordered the Minister to organize a meeting between Parliament and Telecom operators that will act as an awareness clinic to help MPs sensitise their voters.

RelatedKAMPALA  Police have on Tuesday arrested socialite Judith Heard over leaking her nude pictures as government intensifies crackdown on pornography.

According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire, Heard, whose video of her having sex with an unidentified man leaked in May, was arrested after she refused to honour police summons issued over three weeks ago.

Mr Owoyesigyire said the socialite is being detained at Kampala Central Police Station where she is interrogated.

A senior CID at the CPS, who requested for anonymity said Heard recorded a statement, blaming her former boyfriend for leaking the nude pictures.

Mr Owoyesigyire said Heard will appear in court once investigations are complete.

The government, through the pornography control committee has in recent months stepped up efforts to control the sharing of pornography in the country.

Recently, Lillian Rukundo, a student of Mass Communication at Uganda Christian University (UCU) was charged and remanded to Luzira prison after she pleaded guilty to 10 counts of producing a provocative sex video.

The committee is working with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA) to block websites featuring pornographic content.

Early last month, police issued an arrest warrant to other socialites such as Don Zella and Jack Pemba over leaking of nude photos. Over the years, sex videos of Ugandan celebrities in the nude have been published. Some of them are Judith Heard, Desire Luzinda, Zari, Bad Black, Patience Namara and Bettina Tumuhaise, among others.

RelatedAn Arkansas State Police K-9 and the suspect he was chasing were both killed in a gunfight on Monday night. Arkansas State Police say that a trooper performed a traffic stop on a vehicle that had reportedly been involved in a chase with law enforcement officers in Missouri. Image courtesy of ODMP.

An Arkansas State Police K-9 and the suspect he was chasing were both killed in a gunfight on Monday night, according to WREG-TV.

Arkansas State Police say that a trooper performed a traffic stop on a vehicle that had reportedly been involved in a chase with law enforcement officers in Missouri.

When the unidentified driver fled on foot, two troopers and a Mississippi County Sheriffs Deputy gave chase. They eventually deployed K-9 Hemi.

When Hemi caught up with the suspect, the man shot the dog, and turned on officers and began firing, the Arkansas State Police said.

Officers returned fire, and the suspect later died from his injuries. One state trooper was also injured during the chase but is expected to be OK.A Colorado man was fatally shot by police after he was mistaken for a burglar, according to USA Today.

Aurora police had responded to a call from a woman who said a man was breaking into her house.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers heard gunshots. Unbeknownst to them, a male resident of the home had just fatally shot an intruder. Officers entered the building, encountered an armed man, and shot him.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital where he died of his injuries.

"This is a very heartbreaking and tragic situation for everyone involved," said Nick Metz, police chief with the Aurora Police Department, in a statement. "We are providing assistance through our victim advocates to help the family of the deceased resident through this very difficult time."Takeover of Telenor's CEE assets concludes

PPF announced at the end of March that it is taking over the telecommunication assets of Telenor in Central and Eastern Europe, specifically in Bulgaria, Hungary, Montenegro and Serbia. The transaction has just been closed.

PPF Group has announced late on Tuesday that it has completed its acquisition of mobile operator Telenors telecommunications assets in Central and Eastern Europe, specifically in Hungary, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Serbia. PPF Group has received all the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities and completed all other requisite processes.As a result, PPF Group now holds full control over Telenors operations in the aforementioned countries.The total purchase price of the assets was EUR 2.8 billion (based on the enterprise value approach). PPF Group financed the transaction through a syndicated loan. The acquisition is the biggest in the telecom sector in Central and Eastern Europe since 2011.is a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile services in Scandinavia, CEE and Asia, with an annual turnover of NOK 125 billion (2017) (EUR 12.7 billion)* and 178 million customers. The company has been active in Central and Eastern Europe for 25 years. Telenor entered the Hungarian market in 1994 as a local operator, Pannon. In 1996, it extended its reach to Montenegro, buying Mobi 063, and in 2006 it moved into Serbia. In 2013, Telenor entered the Bulgarian market by acquiring Globul. At the end of 2017, Telenor was providing its services to over 9 million customers across the four CEE countries, and was employing almost 3,500 staff there.invests into multiple market segments such as banking and financial services, telecommunications, biotechnology, insurance, real estate, and agriculture. PPFs reach spans from Europe to Russia, the USA and across Asia. The PPF Group owns assets exceeding EUR 38 billion (as at 31 Dec. 2017). Previous transaction experience includes the acquisition of O2 Czech Republic from Telefonica in 2013 and Nova Broadcasting Group in Bulgaria in 2018.CHIASSO, Switzerland, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ODEM, creator of the world's first On-Demand Education Marketplace, is joining forces with the InternetBar.org Institute and leveraging blockchain technology to provide displaced populations with digitized educational records. Collaboration with the IBO will use cutting-edge cryptographic technology and ODEM systems to deliver blockchain-backed education certificates through mobile devices.



"Together we can use the security of blockchain technology to help the world's most-disadvantaged people," said Richard Maaghul, ODEM's Chief Executive Officer.

"It's really gratifying to be involved with the IBO on such an important project."

ODEM's database-service tools aim to help those in stateless communities, such as doctors, nurses, and teachers, by providing verified evidence of their professional qualifications. Re-establishing professional credentials is a first step toward helping these communities to regain self sufficiency. According to the UNHCR, almost 70 million people around the world are displaced.1

"Our platform is a component of next-generation systems which can benefit disenfranchised communities," said Scott M. Akers, ODEM's Blockchain Solutions Engineer. "This initiative demonstrates how emerging technologies, such as blockchain, can make a positive difference in the lives of people, regardless of their economic status."

ODEM is building the ODEM Platform to empower students to engage with top educators to create high-quality, reasonably priced educational programs. Unlike online education providers, ODEM focuses on real-time, in-person academic experiences. Powered by the ODEM Token, the platform streamlines the organization and delivery of educational offerings.

By partnering with IBO and deploying a decentralized education (DApp), ODEM aims to fill gaps in educational qualifications that occur when people are displaced by war, famine, or other calamities. Providing continuity in credentials can reduce the need for professionals to repeat costly and time-consuming exams to work in their chosen fields.



The non-profit InternetBar.org Institute recognizes that access to technology and new forms of identity can help vulnerable populations to begin rebuilding lives and communities. Individuals become positive forces for change. The IBO will introduce displaced populations to ODEM's educational marketplace to establish verified credentials. Armed with their digitized educational history, each displaced person has the potential to lead their community in the direction of positive social change.

For more information please see: ODEM.IO. Or join the ODEM conversation on Telegram.

For ODEM:

Alexa Narma,

Sr. Director, Product and Marketing

[email protected]

[email protected]

Tel: +1 (424) 327-5682

Via Balestra 6

6830 Chiasso, Switzerland

Join The ODEM.IO Conversation on Telegram.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/odem-io/

https://www.facebook.com/odemio/

https://twitter.com/ODEM_IO



For the IBO:

Jeffrey Aresty, President

[email protected]

Tel: +1 (508) 314-0916

Christy Leos, Director of Operations

[email protected]

Tel: +1 (281) 594-7824

1301 Fannin St #2440

Houston, Texas, USA

77002

1 http://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/639718/ODEM_IO_Logo.jpg

Related Links

https://odem.io



SOURCE ODEMNorth Korea will top Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's agenda as he heads to an Asian security meeting in Singapore this week amid new concerns over Pyongyang's ballistic missile program and commitment to denuclearization.

Pompeo and North Korea's foreign minister are both set to attend the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum on Saturday and U.S. officials say a meeting between the two of them is possible, although not confirmed.

North Korea is one of 27 members of the forum, which in the past has served as a venue for meetings between top diplomats from Pyongyang and Washington. Singapore was also the site of last month's historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at which the two reached a loose agreement on denuclearization.

North Korea "will be in the room and there will certainly be discussions about denuclearization," one senior State Department official said Tuesday. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss Pompeo's schedule and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Since the Trump-Kim summit, though, issues have arisen to give U.S. and other analysts pause. On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that U.S. intelligence officials suspect that North Korea is continuing to build new missiles in the same research facility that manufactured the country's ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.

The Post also reported that North Korean officials have talked about how they plan to deceive the U.S. about the size of their arsenal of missiles and nuclear warheads and facilities. "Their strategy includes potentially asserting that they have fully denuclearized by declaring and disposing of 20 warheads while retaining dozens more," the newspaper said.

TORONTO, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Purchase expands Avison Young's U.K. footprint and adds eight Principals

Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, the world's fastest-growing, private and Principal-led, global commercial real estate services firm, announced today that it has acquired market-leading U.K. firm Wilkinson Williams LLP and opened a new office in London's West End.

Since its inception in 1991, Wilkinson Williams has been the leading advisory specialist firm acting in the U.K.'s out-of-town retail market. Wilkinson Williams represents many leading landlords and tenants across the U.K., providing expert advice on all aspects of their respective retail warehousing and food-store property needs. The business has focused solely on the out-of-town retail sector within the U.K. and prides itself on its deep market knowledge, which is underpinned by a genuinely integrated approach involving investment, agency and lease advisory services.

"The acquisition of Wilkinson Williams represents another significant milestone in the growth of Avison Young and further underlines our progress towards becoming a market-leading real estate advisory business across all sectors and disciplines in the U.K.," comments Rose. "This acquisition is another example of how our Principal-led partnership structure and collaborative culture allow us to attract and deliver talent of the highest calibre. Furthermore, the addition of 16 members, including eight principals, will greatly strengthen our existing high-performing U.K. team."

For the past eight years, Wilkinson Williams was named the No. 1 retail warehouse property leasing agent in research firm Trevor Wood Associates' Definitive Guide to Retail and Leisure Parks publication. Wilkinson Williams is currently instructed on more than 21.5 million square feet (msf) (or 2 million square metres) of accommodation. In 2017, the firm advised clients on investment transactions with a combined value of approximately 580 million.

Effective immediately, Wilkinson Williams is rebranded as Avison Young and 16 members join from Wilkinson Williams. Miles Marten,Paul Wilkinson, James Potter, Grant Imlah, Mark Phelps, David Marsden, Paul Simpson and Peter Phillips become Principals of Avison Young. Marten and Wilkinson will focus on investment advice; Potter, Imlah, Phelps and Marsden will focus on agency leasing; and Simpson and Phillips will concentrate on lease advisory services.

Also joining Avison Young from Wilkinson Williams are: Ellie Kirkby and Andrew Cherry as Directors; George Stratton and Jack Lloyd as Associates; and Jo Monaghan, Adele Colley, Donna Roberts and Jon Gilmore as office administrators.

Rose continues: "The Wilkinson Williams team will provide clients with fully integrated services in the retail sector, including investment consultancy, occupational and asset management advice, rent review and lease-renewal advisory services. This acquisition will ensure that we have a market-leading capability in the retail service line, providing us with intelligent insight and market knowledge on a national level. The new Principals are well-respected leaders within the retail industry, and their combined experience and approach to the delivery of client projects will be extremely beneficial to Avison Young as we continue to execute our strategic growth plan throughout the U.K."

Jason Sibthorpe, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the firm's U.K. region, will co-ordinate the new London West End office's day-to-day operations in conjunction with the firm's U.K. growth strategy.

"We look forward to adding Wilkinson Williams' retail expertise to our comprehensive U.K. business-line coverage," states Sibthorpe. "The new team prides itself on being the retail market leader in its space and has developed incredibly close relationships with clients - many of whom have relied upon the firm since its inception. Retail is, perhaps, the most challenged real estate sector, and it is crucial that we are able to provide our clients with intelligent and integrated advice that responds to disruption and technological challenges with innovation and educated foresight. Our clients rightly demand and expect informed advice that clearly demonstrates added value and holistic solutions."

Sibthorpe adds: "Wilkinson Williams has been leading the way for many years in the retail sector and will add fantastic gravitas, capability and coverage to our rapidly growing U.K. and global operations."

Effective immediately, Avison Young's newest London West End office is located at Heathcoat House, Savile Row, London, W1 in the Mayfair area.

The new office represents Avison Young's second office in London's West End, fifth office in the U.K., 11th office in Europe, and an additional step in the firm's ongoing aggressive growth and expansion strategy.

Over the past nine and a half years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 84 offices in 75 markets, and from 300 to more than 2,600 real estate professionals in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Europe.

"This acquisition of Wilkinson Williams establishes another benchmark in the expansion of our rapidly growing international operations," says Hiren Thakar, Avison Young Principal and COO, International Operations. "By opening a second London West End office, we continue the trend of rapid growth in the U.K. through high-end services for clients. The new Principals are not only high achievers, but great partners. Their addition offers us another opportunity to provide clients with additional services in the U.K., Europe and globally as we widen our retail platform by providing expanded services for occupiers, investors and asset managers alike."

Avison Young entered the U.K. market in April 2014 when it acquired London-based commercial real estate services firm Haywards LLP and opened offices in London's West End and Thames Valley. The firm widened its U.K. footprint in January 2016 by expanding to the Midlands with the opening of an office in Coventry through the acquisition of North Rae Sanders. In August 2017, Avison Young acquired WHR Property Consultants LLP and opened an office in Manchester.

"Avison Young has provided us with a unique opportunity to integrate our business with a like-minded firm that concentrates on providing high-quality advice to clients," says Marten. "The approach of Avison Young as a business owned and managed by its Principals is almost unique in a market dominated by large corporations - and was a major attraction to us. We look forward to continuing to grow our business throughout the U.K. with the support of a larger company with international reach and to be part of its continued expansion. We also believe this move will provide an exciting environment for our talented younger members - and one where they will be able to share in the success and growth of Avison Young."

The U.K. has a well-developed out-of-town retail market, currently providing a total of approximately 185 msf of accommodation within a range of single-unit, cluster and large retail/shopping park destinations. In a rapidly evolving retail world, the U.K. has one of the most developed markets, with the sector showing that its attributes of convenience and accessibility are proving attractive to consumers and are allowing retailers to fulfill their omnichannel objectives. The sector also represents an important subsector within the U.K. market, accounting for an average of approximately 3 billion per annum of capital-investment transactions over the last five years.

Today's announcement comes on the heels of Avison Young announcing on July 16, 2018 that Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers, has made a $250-million preferred equity investment to accelerate Avison Young's strategic growth plan.

"Today's acquisition of Wilkinson Williams represents the first scheduled investment under our new strategic partnership with CDPQ," says Rose. "We're looking forward to making more acquisitions in the U.K. and globally as we accelerate our strategic growth plan on the strength of the private-equity investment funds provided by CDPQ."

Terms of the Wilkinson Williams transaction were not disclosed.

Biographies

Miles Marten

Miles Marten joined Wilkinson Williams in 1995 when the firm was in its early days of growth; he was previously an investment agent in the retail warehouse sector. During his career, he has specialized in providing investment advice in terms of strategies, acquisitions and disposals to a wide range of clients. In particular, he specializes in large strategic acquisitions and development opportunities throughout the U.K. Marten has been involved in some of the U.K.'s most significant retail property investment transactions, including advising on the acquisition of Fosse Park, Leicester for 345 million on behalf of a joint-venture between The Crown Estate and Gingko Tree Investment. He has close relationships with a number of large owners of retail parks in the U.K., including The Crown Estate, Aviva Investors, LaSalle Investment Management and LondonMetric plc.

Marten was appointed Managing Partner of Wilkinson Williams in 2007 and has been instrumental in developing the business and employing a number of market-leading junior brokers. He holds a first-class Bachelor of Science degree in estate management from the London South Bank University and is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). In the community, he serves as a governor of Brambletye Preparatory School in Sussex.

Paul Wilkinson

Paul Wilkinson has more than 30 years of real estate experience, most recently as the chair of Wilkinson Williams, which he co-founded in 1991. Before co-founding Wilkinson Williams, he gained experience first as a principal at the Coal Pension Scheme and then as an investment agent at a national firm of surveyors. Wilkinson has developed a wide network of long-standing fund and property-company clients in the retail warehouse and food-store markets, including the likes of Legal & General, British Land, Aberdeen Standard Investments, Paloma Capital and Columbia Threadneedle. He remains one of the most active investment agents in the sector across a wide range of lot sizes. Wilkinson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in urban estate management from Liverpool John Moores University. He is a member of the RICS, the Investment Property Forum and the Property Week Investment Panel.

James Potter

James Potter has 25 years of commercial real estate industry experience, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams. Prior to joining Wilkinson Williams in 1997, he was an associate with Cushman & Wakefield. During his career, he has become a leading agency advisor in the U.K.'s out-of-town retail market. He acts for the majority of landlords who own major out-of-town retail destinations in the U.K., including British Land, The Crown Estate, Hammerson, TH Real Estate, Landsec, LaSalle Investment Management, LondonMetric, Legal & General and USS.

Potter's expert knowledge and attention to detail make him one of the most sought-after retail agents in the U.K. He acts on behalf of some of the largest and most prestigious retail parks in the country, including Teesside Shopping Park, Stockton on Tees (British Land), Fosse Park, Leicester (The Crown Estate/Gingko Tree Investment), Gallagher Shopping Park, Wednesbury (Quadrant) and Lakeside Retail Park, Thurrock (Landsec). Potter also represents a number of national retailers, including Dixons Carphone and the JD Group. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in urban land economics from Reading University and is a member of the RICS.

Grant Imlah

Grant Imlah has 29 years of commercial property brokerage experience exclusively in the out-of-town market, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams. Prior to joining Wilkinson Williams in 1994, he was with Cushman & Wakefield and then an associate at Knight Frank. He ranks as one of the most experienced brokers operating in the U.K. retail warehouse market and has represented many institutional clients and developers. Major landlords for whom Imlah has acted include The Crown Estate, Aviva Investors, Orchard Street and M&G. Imlah also has a long tradition of acting for a range of occupiers and currently is retained by such firms as Hobbycraft and Carpetright. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in land management from Reading University and is a member of the RICS.

Mark Phelps

Mark Phelps has more than 25 years of out-of-town retail property market experience, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams, which he joined in 1999 from Jones Lang Wootton. He has been a key member of the Wilkinson Williams' agency team in terms of growing both its landlord and retailer instructions. He has built strong relationships with such notable clients as Aberdeen Standard and Legal & General. He also has close connections with retailers, having acted on acquisitions and dispositions for such firms as Carpetright, Hobbycraft and Dixons Carphone. He is a member of the RICS.

David Marsden

David Marsden has more than 20 years of experience in the out-of-town property sector, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams, which he joined in 2002. Prior to joining Wilkinson Williams, he spent four years as a surveyor at Dixons Stores Group. During his career, he has advised occupiers and landlords throughout the U.K. market, serving such major owners as Aviva Investors, Royal London and The Crown Estate. In addition, he has represented several retail clients over the years and currently advises Dreams. Marsden is active in the industry as an executive board member with Accessible Retail, the industry body representing the interests of retail warehouse owners and occupiers. He is also a RICS member.

Paul Simpson

Paul Simpson has more than 30 years of experience in the U.K.'s out-of-town retail property market, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams. Prior to joining Wilkinson Williams in 1996, he was a salaried partner of Cushman & Wakefield. He is now responsible for all aspects of lease advisory work, along with asset management and agency services for a wide range of landlord clients in the increasingly important area of lease renewals and rent reviews. Simpson's current clients include Hammerson, Aviva Investors and Aberdeen Standard. Simpson is authorized by the RICS to act as an arbitrator or independent expert in rental disputes across England and Wales. He is also a fellow of the RICS.

Peter Phillips

Peter Phillips has more than 30 years of commercial property experience, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams. Prior to joining Wilkinson Williams in 2001, he was an associate director with Jones Lang LaSalle. During his career, he has focused on landlord and tenant representation, specializing in the food-store and out-of-town retail sector. His major clients include Aberdeen Standard, Columbia Threadneedle, TH Real Estate and USS. Phillips sits on the RICS Panel of Arbitrators and Independent Experts and is also a member of Arbrix and Index. He is also a RICS member.

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing, principal-led commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 2,600 real estate professionals in 84 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial, multi-family and hospitality properties.

For further information/comment/photos:

Sherry Quan , Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations,

Avison Young: 604.647.5098; mobile: 604.726.0959

, Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: mobile: Mark Rose , Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028

, Chair and CEO, Hiren Thakar , Principal and COO, International Operations, Avison Young: 312.273.4500

, Principal and COO, International Operations, Jason Sibthorpe , Principal and Managing Director, U.K., Avison Young : + 44 (0)7786 337 016

, Principal and Managing Director, U.K., : + Miles Marten , Principal, Avison Young: +44 (0)7770 748 290

Avison Young's new London West End - Mayfair office is located at Heathcoat House, Savile Row, London, W1 in the Mayfair area.

http://www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young is a 2018 winner of the Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation, having retained its Best Managed designation for seven consecutive years.

Follow Avison Young on Twitter:

For industry news, press releases and market reports: http://www.twitter.com/avisonyoung

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Editors/Reporters

Please click on links to view and download photos of Miles Marten , Paul Wilkinson , James Potter , Grant Imlah , Mark Phelps , David Marsden , Paul Simpson and Peter Phillips

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Media Contact: Sherry Quan, +1-604.647-5098 or +1-604.726.0959, email: sherry.quan@avisonyoung.com

SOURCE Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)Laekna to Develop and Commercialize Two Oral Akt Inhibitors with Positive Proof-of-concept Results

SHANGHAI, July 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Laekna Inc., a biotechnology company headquartered in Shanghai, announced today the signing of an agreement with Novartis Pharma AG for exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize two oral Novartis clinical-stage oncology assets. The candidates are oral pan-Akt kinase inhibitors. Over ten clinical Phase I/II studies for afuresertib (ASB183) and uprosertib (UPB795) have been conducted in several cancer indications including ovarian and gastric cancer, multiple myeloma, melanoma, and other indications. These trials demonstrated positive proof-of-concept results for clinical efficacy and tolerable safety profiles in cancer patients. Novartis will have an equity stake in Laekna, along with upfront and development milestone payments, and royalties on future sales. Details of the terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The Pten/PI3K/Akt signaling axis is one of the most critical oncogenic pathways driving cancer growth. Inhibiting this axis has been proven to be effective for many cancer patients, and early clinical results for afuresertib and uprosertib are extremely promising. Laekna has mapped out several clear registration paths for NDA approval potentially as the first in class medicine.

In 2017, Laekna struck its first deal with Novartis, acquiring global rights to develop a CYP17 inhibitor (CFG920), an oral androgen inhibitor, to treat prostate cancer. Before the in-licensing, Novartis had reported positive results from a proof-of-concept study of CFG920 in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

"Novartis is a global leader in oncology drug innovation. This is the second licensing agreement between Laekna and Novartis, adding to the previous licensing of CFG920 less than a year ago", says Dr. Chris Lu, founder and CEO of Laekna. "We have demonstrated to Novartis that Laekna is a valuable collaborator with our strong commitment, experienced team and financing support from the top investment partners."

"We are dedicated to developing these products rapidly through the regulatory process and into commercialization, with the goal of ultimately benefitting patients around the world," added Amy Xie, VP Operations at Laekna.

About Laekna



Established in 2016, Laekna Therapeutics is a clinical-stage oncology company focused on liver disease and cancer and headquartered in Shanghai's Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park. The company is committed to the research and development of a new generation of small molecule and antibody-targeted drugs. The founders and staff are R&D and management veterans of large, well-known pharmaceutical companies in China and abroad. The company focuses on delivering innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs. Through collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and hospitals, Laekna is committed to delivering more effective and safe medicines to benefit patients in China and around world.

SOURCE Laekna Inc.OXFORD, England, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Owen Mumford , pioneers of safety lancets for capillary blood sampling, is supporting healthcare professionals gain confidence and achieve better samples as a result

When used correctly, POCT has been shown to improve patient care and work flow efficiency [1]

Owen Mumford ' s ' Sample with Confidence ' range provides educational support for healthcare professionals using capillary blood based testing

Access to education will support good results as we see an increase in use of this form of blood sampling by healthcare professionals

It is estimated that global diagnosis by POCT will reach more than $38 billion by 2022[2], providing faster access to test results and allowing for more rapid clinical decision-making and more appropriate treatments and interventions.

Owen Mumford is a global leader in medical device design and manufacturing, with a legacy in the diabetes capillary blood POCT market. In acknowledging the increased use of this form of diagnosis, the company is supporting the growing number of healthcare professionals who recognise the benefit of using capillary blood sampling to test for an increasingly wide range of conditions.

This support is provided through a portfolio of education materials demonstrating how to collect different samples to support the achievement of more accurate POCT results using capillary blood.

Tony Cambridge, POCT Manager, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust says, "POCT has a foothold in patient testing particularly in glucose, urine, blood gases, INR and haemoglobin but there is scope for expansion, particularly in areas such as tests for HIV, influenza, and genetic abnormalities through use of molecular testing.'

"However it is important that the healthcare professional is trained and competent to perform the test. Fear of using blood capillary testing is often down to confidence and understanding how it fits with patient pathways so educational material is essential to ensure the correct usage of products. The materials available from Owen Mumford are on point and graphical in nature, and I believe that it will make it easy for users to understand the application of the test whilst reducing pre-analytical errors."

The materials were developed in conjunction with two leading experts in the field of blood sampling education. Mary Ertl Dettmann[3] and Beth Kratzer[4] both of whom have backgrounds in blood sampling practice.

Mary Ertl Dettmann comments, "Education is crucial to avoid pre-analytical errors, both for POCT and for lab tests. There is a misconception that anyone can collect blood. This is not the case.

"Confidence is key so the title of the education materials that we've developed with Owen Mumford is very important. The 'Sample with Confidence' materials highlight the importance of getting the right capillary sample first time and having the faith needed to ensure that accurate, reliable test results are obtained."

Beth Kratzer continues, "Cost is important in managing healthcare around the globe. As well as avoiding additional expenditure through repeat sampling, the "Sample with Confidence' programme can reduce training costs while ensuring a consistent approach, without different interpretation by a trainer, and the programme is very accessible as the guidelines are available 24/7. It offers an effective means of healthcare professionals increasing their comfort and proficiency in taking blood capillary samples, and therefore encourages confidence in using this effective diagnosis tool."

The 'Sample with Confidence' materials are available on the Owen Mumford websitehttps://www.owenmumford.com/en/sample-with-confidence/ with the UK corporate site offering the materials in English. Translations in additional languages will be available on country specific websites in the coming weeks.

ABOUT OWEN MUMFORD

Owen Mumford is a major healthcare company and device manufacturer that commercialises pioneering medical products in its own brand and custom device solutions for the world's major pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies. Owen Mumford's goal is to enhance access to diagnostics, encourage adherence to treatment and reduce healthcare costs, making a world of difference to a world of people.

Through advanced research involving end-users and healthcare professionals, and extensive design and manufacturing capabilities, Owen Mumford produces class-leading medical devices that are used globally and exports over 85% of its products to more than 60 countries worldwide.

Selected as one of The World Economic Forum's Global Growth Companies, Owen Mumford is a trusted partner to many of the world's biggest diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies. For further information visit http://www.owenmumford.com.

1. Larsson, Pylpczuk, Huisman The State of Point-of-Care Testing, a European Perspective March 2015 US National Library of Medicine

2. Markets and Markets, Point-of-Care Rapid Diagnostics Market by Testing, Global Forecast to 2022 February 2018

3. Mary Ertl Dettmann MA, CLS, MT(ASCP), is a former Education Coordinator at ACL Laboratories, West Allis Wisconsin and Education Manager-Laboratory at Wheaton Franciscan Laboratories Milwaukee Wisconsin.

4. Beth Kratzer CLS MT(ASCP) is a Clinical Development Coordinator, Laboratory Education Department at Ascension WI Wheaton Franciscan Laboratories Milwaukee Wisconsin.

SOURCE Owen MumfordNowadays, online casinos are known as ideal gaming platforms that offer an immersive gaming experience for thousands of users around...

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This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie PolicyThe 16-year-old winner of the annual Amal Clooney Scholarship said on Tuesday that she wants to combat child marriage and marital rape in Lebanon, where there is no minimum age to wed.

Kamar Omary will head to Armenia's UWC Dilijan College in August to enroll in its two-year international baccalaureate program -- the fourth Lebanese teenager to receive the award set up by the prominent Lebanese-British human rights lawyer.

"We need a minimum age for marriage and marital rape should be criminalized," Omary told Reuters by phone from Lebanon. "Sexism and abuse of women and children is still widespread. ... Women are stigmatized. They are generally seen as weaker than men and we need change."

Religious communities' personal status laws in Lebanon allow girls younger than 15 to marry, leading many Syrian refugee families, who cannot afford food or rent, to marry off their young daughters, rights groups say.Changdeok Palace is the most popular royal palace in Seoul, according to a straw poll released on Tuesday.

In the poll of 356 foreign tourists conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, about 43 percent chose Changdeok Palace, known for its secluded paths, ponds and feeling of natural harmony. They especially liked the nighttime tours.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<p>Much has changed during the last 18 months. Theres the political dynamics on Capitol Hill, bringing new challenges to leaders in health care. On the frontlines, assisted living providers continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, saving lives and protecting residents from the virus latest iterationthe Delta variant. In Washington, there is a new face in assisted living leadership.</p><p>Being the first woman and first person of color to hold the title of executive director of the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), LaShuan Bethea is a force, bringing 25 years of experience as a nurse and fierce advocacy from the front lines of long term care. She most recently served as vice president of legislative affairs and reimbursement for Genesis HealthCare.</p><p>In an interview with Provider, Bethea shares her message to Washington and assisted living providers across the country, along with a sneak peak of what providers can look forward to at this years NCAL Day at the 72nd American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living Convention & Expo.<br>Provider: Youve just recently come on as NCALs new executive director, congratulations! What made you take this position? What challenges do you want to tackle? </p><p>Bethea: Ive been a nurse for over 25 years. I have a range of experience in a variety of different long term care settings. One of the things Ive developed a passion about is advocacy. Ive focused on legislation, regulation, and quality care for excellent outcomes. Having 25 years experience, I see this as an opportunity to expand my role for quality and great outcomes in the assisted living care setting.</p><p>Provider: How can assisted living providers be successful with the Phase 4 application process with the Provider Relief Fund?<br></p><p>Bethea: Were thankful to the Biden administration for making these funds available to all providers and prioritizing the needs of those we care for in our assisted living communities. The application is open until Oct. 26, and there are webcasts that will help providers with applying. I encourage providers to complete their applications sooner rather than later so that they have enough time to get their applications in.</p><p>Provider: How do you balance the needs for assisted living providers to get federal COVID relief while at the same time maintaining that assisted living remain a state-regulated area of long term care? </p><p>Bethea: I think it is important that the federal government as well as state governments understand the wide variety of individuals who are providing assisted living care. We have some assisted living providers that have a social or hospitality model, and we have other assisted living providers who provide more of a medical modelthey collaborate with hospitals or SNF [skilled nursing facility] settings.</p><p>Assisted living, no matter what range of the spectrum it falls in, we are not a true medical model, and we do need additional resources to make sure that we can be competitive in terms of wages and hiring caregivers to work in our settings, as well as having access to personal protective equipment, testing, and vaccines. </p><p>Its important for the state and federal government to recognize that the governments role in assisting providers during the pandemic should not be setting-agnostic; they should be providing assistance to those who need assistance in providing care to a vulnerable populationwhether thats in a skilled setting, a hospital, or an assisted living setting. </p><p>Provider: Are there any current discussions on Capitol Hill about increased regulation or scrutiny of assisted living communities?</p><p>Bethea: There is nothing specific that Im aware of, but its definitely something that were keeping our eye on. Right now there is definitely an opportunity for Congress to continue to prioritize assisted living, including the individuals who choose to call assisted living their home as well as their caregivers. And they can do that through the Human Infrastructure Act. They can make sure that funds are allocated to cover wages. </p><p>Workforce is one of our most significant challenges. Another bill in Congress, the Care for our Seniors Act, also addresses our ongoing workforce challenge. It uses a multitiered approach to help providers not only recruit new caregivers but retain them by providing services that support them, such as affordable housing, child care, tax credits, and loan forgiveness for any new graduate who chooses to work in a care setting.</p><p>So while there is no regulation thats looking to increase scrutiny, I think that Congress is focusing where they should be focusing right now, which is making sure that seniors and individuals living in a senior living community have the resources that they need to successfully get through this pandemic.</p><p>Provider: There seems to be some movement to make assisted living care more affordable. What do you think are the prospects for more development in this area? To enhance access to assisted living for those with middle to low incomes? </p><p>Bethea: With the use of home- and community-based services waivers and the funding thats been allocated for them, I think that we should absolutely make sure that assisted living is a part of what is considered when those resources are distributed. It is a way to make sure that not only those individuals who have sufficient financial resources can afford to make assisted living their home but also individuals with a moderate or low income can use Medicaid reimbursement to select assisted living as their home. </p><p>Provider: Will the vaccine mandate for health care workers cause any type of staff exodus from member facilities in the assisted living world?</p><p>Bethea: There is definitely some vaccine hesitancy. One of the ways we can deal with that is while we are fully supportive of health care providers being vaccinated, I think that in order to help us deal with the vaccine hesitancy it will be important for the Biden administration to provide some type of guidance to help us manage or deal with giving additional time to unvaccinated workers.</p><p>In addition, when the mandate goes into effect, if we lose some individuals who are choosing not to get vaccinated, we believe that the administration can also assist us by providing some supplemental staffing or other resources to help us fill that gap that we may have so our staffing challenges dont continue to get worse. </p><p>Provider: Considering the post-COVID push to have elders and people with disabilities cared for more at home, how will that affect business? And will you see more of your members go into the home care space?</p><p>Bethea: Assisted living is a perfect option for individuals to choose. I wouldnt say that one is better than the other. Whether more people will stay at home or more in a facility, I think that is to be determined. Assisted living is absolutely an option for individuals whether they are people looking for a more social or hospitality environment, or whether they have additional medical needs, assisted living is an environment that has something for all those individuals. </p><p>Provider: At Genesis, you were chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. As you know, more than half of the frontline workers in long term care are people of color. This is way over the national average for a workforce in any industry, but the ranks of owners, administrators, and other key leadership spots are not diversified. How is NCAL planning to support the growth in the number of people of color into management and executive positions in long term and post-acute care? </p><p>Bethea: One of the ways any organization has the ability to support diversity in executive positions is making sure that when they have open positions, they interview individuals from a diverse candidate pool, and that at least one of the candidates be a diverse candidate.</p><p>I think the other option, because we know that more than 50 percent of our workforce are persons of color, is succession planning. Succession planning is another way to look at individuals in the workforce and give people a chance to move up within an organization and within a trade association. <br>Its important to share those potential options with members and let them know what paths they can take to expand diversity within their organization, either through mentoring, succession planning, and/or ensuring diverse candidate pools with hiring and with promotion. Its also about looking at representation within their leadership but also within their board.</p><p>Great ideas and options for opportunities come when you have diverse representation in committees and boards that are making decisions about how policy is being structured within an organization. </p><p>Provider: This month is the largest gathering of your members of the year, and the first since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. What can your members expect from NCAL Day? </p><p>Bethea: Im extremely excited about our fifth annual NCAL Day on Oct. 10. Its a great opportunity where like-minded assisted living providers can join together to enjoy thought-provoking education that is tailored to the assisted living sector.</p><p>We have lots of great educational opportunities, including one provided by the Ritz Carlton leadership center. They will conduct a presentation that is going to walk through how to foster a culture of personalized service in genuine care. Attendees will hear a national update from NCAL leadership, they will hear more about how the federal government will potentially impact the assisted living profession, and how NCAL is working on their behalf.</p><p>One of the other benefits, especially after 18 months of working remotely and having video conference calls, is that this is an opportunity to safely network, meet new people, share ideas, and innovate with your fellow assisted living professionals as well as discuss some best practices and some of the experiences that individuals have had within the last 18 months. </p>

2021-10-08T04:00:00Z

<img alt="" src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/LaShuanBethea.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" />

Management

Right now Congress has an opportunity to continue to prioritize assisted living along with skilled nursing.Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

Home Regional News EastWelcome Guest! You Are Here:A government source here said, "We're discussing a follow-up summit in late August" because Seoul wants to play the role of go-between in dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, which have been unable to make progress on the North's denuclearization.

The leaders of the two Koreas agreed at their summit on April 27 to hold a follow-up summit in autumn.

National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon will visit Pyongyang soon to arrange another urgent inter-Korean summit in late August, a source said on Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo came back empty-handed from a visit to the North early July, having been unable to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Last week, Suh was in Washington, accompanied by Park Sun-won, the former consul general in Shanghai who has been reassigned as his special adviser. They met with American officials to discuss issues like easing some North Korea sanctions and formally declaring an end to the Korean War, government officials said.

Suh is reportedly working out a package of offers to the North.

Seoul is in a hurry because there will not be another slot until late September. The North Korean regime celebrates its 70th anniversary on Sept. 9, and the UN General Assembly opens in New York in mid-September.

"There will have to be some progress in efforts to declare an end to the war this year and improve in cross-border relations, which are two key points" in the declaration signed by the leaders of the two Koreas in April, a government official here said.

Seoul believes that will require easing sanctions to a certain extent.

Beijing has also called for easing sanctions and formally ending the war, but Washington says the North must take concrete steps toward denuclearization first, including supplying details of its nuclear program.Invest In Violence Intervention This week U.S. Senator Charles Schumer advocated for at least $5 billion in funding for Community-based Violence Intervention (CVI) programs to be included in the...

Pumpkin Month At Queens Farm! October is Pumpkin Month at Queens Farm and there were pumpkins as far as the eye could see at the Queens County Farm Museums Pumpkin...BMW also claims that the EGR was used in models sold around the world. But the fires have been reported only in Korea and BMW has not been able to explain why.

The German automaker said coolant leaks in the EGR caused engine temperatures to rise, but experts doubt that the carmaker and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have been unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the problem.

BMW blames the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) module in diesel engines and pledged to recall the 3, 5 and 7 Series that were manufactured between 2011 and 2016. But 100,000 owners of the affected models are still driving around the streets and highways of Korea, presenting a potential fire hazard.

It was the second fire in as many days, the 11th unexplained combustion of a BMW in July alone and the 28th this year. All of the cars were models that have been put on recall.

Another BMW burst into flames on Tuesday as it was racing down an expressway on the outskirts of Seoul, forcing the driver and passenger to abandon the car.

One reason could be simple bad luck. BMW said the biggest proportion of the 5 Series were sold in Korea with 30 percent of worldwide sales, so the probability of the fires occurring here is higher. Yet no fires have been reported in the U.K. and Ireland, where sales of the 5 Series are similar to Korea's.

Could the heat wave be to blame? The number of fires rose to 11 in July alone. National Emergency Management Agency data show 653 incidents of vehicular fires occurring on average between July and August, compared to 513 in January and February.

But BMWs caught fire in winter as well, and many other places around the world saw scorching heat this summer. That leads to the suspicion that cheap parts were used in the models sold in Korea, despite BMW's protestations that the parts are the same worldwide.

Kim Pil-soo at Daelim University said, "There is a chance that another type of software was used to meet Korean emission standards."

There is always the possibility that fires have broken out in BMWs sold in other countries but were not reported. According to ABC news, around 40 incidents of combustion were reported across the U.S. over the past five years, and BMW was forced to recall 1 million of its cars including the 3 and 5 Series made from 2006 to 2011. All of the problems were traced to electrical components.

In May this year, BMW recalled 290,000 older cars of the 3 Series in the U.K. due to defects in wiring connected to the heater pan.

Ha Jong-sun at Barun Law in Seoul said, "There are suspicions that automakers are hiding the fundamental reasons and blaming already publicized components to minimize recalls."

Spontaneous combustion of cars happens more frequently than many people think. According to the NEMA, Korea sees some 5,000 such incidents every year, and 70 percent are unexplained and involve mechanical or electrical problems.

Some 3,576 fires were reported last year, an average of 10 a day. This has brought a barrage of criticism on the ministry for dragging its heels and coming to action only after the BMW fires made headlines.Ex-Deputy Culture Minister charged with embezzlement to stay detained until mid-October

 RIA Novosti, Kirill Kallinikov

15:17 01/08/2018

MOSCOW, August 1 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court has upheld extension of detention for ex-Deputy Culture Minister Grigory Pirumov, who stands charged with embezzling funds allocated for the construction of the Hermitage Museums facilities, the courts press service has told RAPSI.

The court also upheld a ruling to extend detention of another defendant, businessman Nikita Kolesnikov.

Earlier, Moscows Basmanny District Court extended their detention until October 16.

According to investigators, Pirumov, Kolesnikov and ex-director of the Culture Ministrys department of property management and investment policy Boris Mazo, who was arrested in absentia, had stolen 450 million rubles ($7.3 million) allocated for construction of the Hermitage Museums facilities. Suspects have organized conclusion of a state contract without intent to execute it. Funds received as a down payment were transferred to firms under their control, investigators claimed.

In October 2017, the Dorogomilovsky District Court of Moscow sentenced Pirumov to 1.5 years in a penal colony. The court took into consideration the time Pirumov spent in detention and freed him in the courtroom. Kolesnikov received a 5-year suspended sentence in this case.

On December 19, the Moscow City Court toughened punishment for Pirumov. The court imposed a 1-million-ruble fine ($17,000) on ex-official and deprived him of the second-class medal of the Order of Merit for the Motherland.

However, prosecutors again filed an appeal against Pirumovs sentence demanding a 5-year prison term for him. The appeal is to be heard on June 21.

Investigators claimed that between 2012 and 2016 the defendants stole over 160 million rubles allocated on restoration of the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow, Ivanovsky Convent in Moscow and other objects across Russia.

In December 2016, Chairman of the Russian Government Dmitry Medvedev relieved Pirumov of his post.Russian Human Rights Council Chair calls to adopt law to protect journalists in war zones

 RIA Novosti

10:48 01/08/2018

MOSCOW, August 1 (RAPSI) - Chairman of the Presidential Council for Human Rights Mikhail Fedotov believes it is necessary to speed up the adoption of legislation on journalists work in war zones, a statement published on Wednesday on the advisory bodys website.

The statement was made in relation to the murder of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic.

On the night of July 30 to 31, journalist Orkhan Dzhemal, director Alexander Rastorguyev and operator Kirill Radchenko were killed allegedly by rebels. Russias Investigative Committee has already opened a case on the journalists murder.

According to Fedotov, the murder cannot go unpunished, it must be investigated as quick as possible and effectively. However, other journalists, who will go to flashpoint areas in future, must obtain maximum possible security guarantees including advanced insurance, focused instructions and body armors. All these guarantees are to be provided for in a draft law developed by the Human Rights Council yet several years ago but put aside in the State Duma, the advisory bodys chairman said.

He projected hope that the death of three Russian journalists will boost the adoption of the legislation.Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale

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Search Real EstateSociety is changing, and unfortunately so are families. Lately, it seems fewer families engage in activities together, and each family member pursues individual interests instead. After feeling like we needed more family time, my husband and I decided to make a change for our children. Since then, hunting and shooting have taken over our lives, and it feels so good knowing that we do these things as a family. Its fun and meaningful to be able to create these memories with each other and share them with our children. Not only is hunting a fun hobby, but it carries with it lessons which can last a lifetime. Here are eight benefits of taking your kids hunting.

THE WHOLE FAMILY CAN PARTICIPATE

So many activities are one-sided. Having your own hobbies is healthy and normal, but there is something to be said for being able to load everyone up in the truck and hit the woods on a Saturday morning, hunting for a few hours, and then coming home and sharing our adventures over a hot breakfast. Aside from this, we all reap the rewards of hunting by sharing the food we provided for ourselves, and nothing is more awesome than that!

IT BUILDS CHARACTER

Kids and adults alike need to be forced out of their comfort zone. We can all agree that when we are hot, cold, wet, tired, bored, hungry, muddy, need to pee, or getting eaten up by mosquitos, our character is tested. As parents, we get very caught up in trying to keep our kids comfortable, but there is nothing to learn by being comfortable all the time. We don't just take the boys hunting when the weather is good, we take them when it flat out sucks, too. Over time, they have learned to acclimate, and they don't complain much anymore. They embrace the suck and keep on keeping on.

CHILDREN (AND EVERYONE ELSE) SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM

Food doesn't come from the grocery store. Common sense, right? Unfortunately, not for everyone. As the skin of Americans seems to grow thinner by the day, the most minuscule things are censored, including where our Sunday afternoon grill fare comes from. Hunting leaves no room for that. Our children see and help with the full process from start to finish: tracking, killing, gutting, skinning, butchering, and soaking the meat. Not only do our kids help us with processing deer, they help us with processing waterfowl by plucking the feathers and skinning the ducks, and when it comes to the beautiful veggies on their plate, they have often watched them grow and helped to pick them. Recognizing the hard work required to harvest foods of all kinds, reinforces gratitude and discourages wastefulness in all of us.

IT TEACHES DELAYED GRATIFICATION

We live in a world of instant gratification. With the ability to keep a computer with internet access at our beck and call via the almighty smartphone, we are used to getting whatever we wantwhenever we want it. So much is lost in not having to work for and wait for something. Children need to see and feel that hard work doesn't always equal success when we want success. Success and failure are both inevitable in every aspect of life. Just because we have found a great spot, cultivated it, honed our shooting skills, and are sitting in that blind or stand on opening day does not mean we will punch a tag on opening day. Resiliency should never be underestimated. Which brings me to my next point

CHILDREN NEED TO SEE THEIR PARENTS SUCCEED AND FAIL

There is not much else to say about this, other than we set the example for our children. They are always watching what we do and how we react to things. Showing them how to leave the woods after a bad day of hunting with a smile on your face and try again next time, is just as important as showing them how to harvest an animal with a humble and grateful heart.

IT'S A VALUABLE LIFE SKILL

While a lot of us never truly need to kill our own food, and while most of us have never had to defend ourselves or our family in our daily lives, there is something to be said for knowing how to if the need arises. Teaching our children these skills will only serve to benefit them throughout their lives, and hopefully, instill in them a sense of self-confidence.

WE KEEP THIS PART OF OUR HERITAGE ALIVE BY GIVING IT TO A NEW GENERATION

The attack on the 2nd Amendment and all things it pertains to, including hunting, is alive and well. The key to keeping these rights and traditions going for years to come is passing the love we have for them down to our children. Creating memories with our children in the outdoors whether through hunting or banging steel at 1,000 yards will stay with them for years to come.

BECAUSE EXPERIENCES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THINGS

Our society is so wrapped up in all of the stuff we can buy. Of course, we all enjoy having nice things, but life is about so much more than the latest and greatest iPhone. Someday, years from now, your kids likely won't remember the time you bought them that action figure or a pack of Pokemon cards or that new Call of Duty game for their Xbox. What they WILL remember is the first time they walked fearfully through the dark with their hand in yours, climbed a tree by the light of the moon, and sat nervously, 20-feet off the ground, wondering what might be watching them from the inky depths of the forest. What they WILL remember, is that feeling of fear being replaced by total awe when they watched the woods wake up around them on a cool fall morning, with you sitting to their left.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynsey Davis was born and raised in West Tennessee, where she spent most of her time on horseback. Her love of guns and hunting were sparked after marrying her long-time friend and high school sweetheart in 2006. Davis splits her time between shooting matches, hunting, and chasing after two rambunctious little boys. She is passionate about cooking and loves to incorporate wild game into her recipes. Davis is a contributor to North Carolina Bow Hunter Magazine. And, on top of all that- she's a full-time student, finishing up a Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Science.Attempting to allay the British judiciary's historical concern about prison conditions in India, further undertakings given by the Modi regime were, Mallya would not be exposed to overcrowding in the prison, and that he would be kept in a separate compound which is clean and hygienic.

Five photos of western style toilets were presented to convince the court that acceptable standards would be extended to Mallya.

The Narendra Modi goverment gave an assurance on Tuesday to the British court hearing its application for the extradition of businessman Vijay Mallya to India that if sent back, Mallya will be provided a private western style toilet and wash facilities at Mumbai's Arthur Road prison, where he is proposed to be held.

Barrister Mark Summers, appearing for the British Crown Prosecution Service on behalf of the Government of India, said: The Indian government will honour these assurances. He had earlier submitted a third letter of assurance on the subject to the court, presided over by the chief magistrate of the Westminster magistrates' court Emma Arbuthnot.

Mallya was owner of the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines, which is alleged to owe Rs 90 billion to Indian banks, his figure being Rs 55 billion. He is liable as he provided his personal guarantee in drawing the money.

The extradition matter, though, is only about Rs 7.5 billion borrowed from IDBI Bank, where he and executives of the bank are accused of conspiracy and fraud. Mallya denies the charge and is otherwise a significant shareholder in United Breweries, which produces Kingfisher Beer.

Attempting to allay the British judiciary's historical concern about prison conditions in India, further undertakings given by the Modi regime were, Mallya would not be exposed to overcrowding in the prison, and that he would be kept in a separate compound which is clean and hygienic. Five photos of western style toilets were presented to convince the court that acceptable standards would be extended to Mallya.

Summers also informed the court that Mallya would not be kept in a prison meant for convicts during pre-trial or trial periods or after conviction. He was at pains to impress upon Arbuthnot that the barrack where Mallya will be kept, if extradited, has recently been renovated and has structural stability.

He then produced a series of photographs to try and establish that Mallya will enjoy sunlight in his cell -- another sticking point in British courts allowing extradition requests from India. He then put it to the court that no inspection of the Arthur Road facilities by the British court was required.

Arguing for Mallya, Barrister Claire Montgomery rejected the Indian government's claims. She maintained: The photos cannot be relied on. She quoted an expert who had been shown the pictures as saying: It is very difficult to work out where the light was coming from. She implied the photos of the cell had been taken by showering artificial light on it.

Arbuthnot finally ordered a video of the cell to be taken at midday and handed in within three weeks or by August 21. Summers, consulting Rakesh Asthana of the Central Bureau of Investigation who was present in the court, offered to do.

What was scheduled to be the final hearing in the case which has been dragging for over a year, in fact, transpired to an abbreviated half hour session, as the magistrate was reported to be feeling under the weather. The next hearing was posted for September 12.

Prior to that, on August 3, the Bangalore high court is expected to hear Mallya's application for selling if his assets worth an estimated Rs 130 billion placed before it.

Meanwhile, Mallya's Force India Formula One racing company went into administration last week and there is speculation that it could soon change hands. Mallya is, however, said to be resisting this. Force India's deputy team principal Bob Fernley described Mallya as being "devastated" by the turn of events.

He, however, claimed her majesty's revenue & customs had dismissed a hearing on a winding up order as, according to him, all dues had been settled by the firm. There are reports of there being five bidders for the Silverstone based unit, but at the same time whispers that the company could come out of administration.

Photograph: PTI Photo/Marazzo in Basque means shark, and the sleek beast is what the design of Mahindras new Multi Utility Vehicle is based on.

Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com reports from the Marazzo's launch.

From left: Veejay Ram Nakhra, Mahindras senior vice president (sales and marketing), automotive division; Pawan Goenka, MD, M&M; Rajan Wadhera, president, automotive sector; and Ramkripa Ananthan, design head, M&M unveiled the name of the vehicle. Photograph: Rajesh Karkera/ Rediff.com

Home-grown auto major M&M on Tuesday unveiled its new multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) that will be called 'Marazzo', to compete with segment leader Toyota Innova Crysta.

Built on a completely new platform, the 7/8-seater Marazzo is the automaker's first passenger car developed at its North American technical centre along with Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai.

The new vehicle will be manufactured at the company's Nashik facility and will be rolled out by September, said Pawan Goenka, managing director, M&M.

Early theme sketches done by the Mahindra and Mahindra design team. Photograph: Courtesy, M&M Ltd.

"A collaborative effort of Pininfarina, Mahindra Design Studio, MNATC and MRV, Marazzo is born of a vision to design a global vehicle with quality and refinement," he said.

Goenka did not disclose the price or the investment that has gone into the making of the new vehicle but said that typically the creation of a new platform entails an investment of Rs 800-1,600 crore.

Early theme sketches done by the Mahindra and Mahindra design team. Photograph: Courtesy, M&M Ltd.

Ramkripa Ananthan, design head, M&M, who shared the story behind the design theme of the Marazzo, said they were looking for everything that M&M vehicles stood for and what the consumers expected. And stress was put on the need for agility, easy maneuvrability, drivability and individuality even in a family car.

The Marazzo represents freedom and adventure -- exactly what Mahindra and Mahindra stands for, she said.

The front grille carries the chrome insert which is actually inspired from the teeth of a shark. Photograph: Courtesy, M&M

After working on initial concepts one concept stood out, that was the sleek unique and rather exciting form of a shark, and thus came the look and feel of a shark -- exciting, aerodynamic, agile and purposeful. Incidentally, marazzo in Basque stands for shark.

The current MPV market stands at around 10,000-12,000 units per month and M&M looks to corner a sizeable pie of it, the company said.

The actual tail lamp which looks like the tail of a shark. Photograph: Courtesy, M&M.

Goenka said that with the new launches, Mahindra is filling the gap in its product portfolio, adding that the company will also be rolling out a sub-four metre SUV as well as a large G4 SUV in the premium segment, with its pricing higher than any other Mahindra vehicle this year.

"One of these two SUVs will be rolled out before Diwali this year," he added.

Built on a completely new platform the Marazzo will be launched as a 7/8-seater utility vehicle.

"This car will have nothing carried over from M&M's previous or current models. Nor will it replace any of our products," said Pawan Goenka.

The futuristic looking cluster with a purple-hued illumination. Photograph: Courtesy, M&M.

The Marazzo will have an elongated body tapering at both ends, to minimise drag, and to travel long distances at great speed.

A strong body character, a dynamic shoulder, muscular full volume, a distinctive tail, a focused expression and an intimidating front fascia -- are what the design was based on, said Ramkripa Ananthan.

The Marazzo also boasts of the largest interior of any Mahindra vehicle, thanks to its whopping 47.5 sq footprint which allows for a very spacious cabin.

The vehicles cabin is completely muffled from the noise of the powertrain, road, and other inputs.

The vehicle is spacious and comfortable, the interiors are fresh to give one a fatigue-free feeling even when travelling long distances.

"It will give you a plush ride on any terrain," boasted Rajan Wadhera, president, automotive sector, M&M.

The seats are draped with premium leatherette, and are extremely plush and comfortable. Photograph: Courtesy, M&M.

The new utility vehicle will also come with a completely new engine developed by the Mahindra powertrain, one that is marked by high performance, affordable technology, and efficiency. It is a lightweight engine with improved fuel economy, added Wadhera.

The Marazzo Sleek will come will sport exciting interiors -- with blue and purple hues of lighting, the most interesting aspect being the roof of the air-conditioning vent.

Goenka said that more details of the vehicle will be released soon and hopefully we shall see it by September 2018.

The Marazzo's interior has an out of the world roof airconditioning. Photograph: Courtesy M&M.

Though the company did not disclose the price of the vehicle, it is expected to be in the range of Rs 10-15 lakh, depending on the variant.

Besides Innova Crysta, Marazzo will also be competing with other brands in the segment such as forthcoming second-gen Maruti Ertiga and Renault Lodgy.

The Mahindra Design Studio in Kandivili east in north Mumbai and Italian design house Pininfarina have collaborated closely during the design development process of the new vehicle, the company said.

Part of the live webcast of the Marazzo's launch by Mahindra and Mahindra. Video: Courtesy, M&M.

Additional reporting by PTI.Most of the unicorns or billion-dollar valuation firms including Flipkart, Paytm and Ola have had the maximum stakes owned by foreign funds. The founders of all these firms have either single digit stakes in their companies or in low double digits.

The proposal to give the power of decision making of a company to the founders has not gone down well with private equity players and investors.

Many believe that if the proposal is finally implemented in spirit, it will have an adverse effect on the investment cycle in the country.

The need to amend relevant provisions in the Companies Act so as to facilitate founders have control over their e-commerce companies, despite having small shareholding, would be examined in the light of the experience of their utilisation by e-commerce companies, the Draft National Policy states.

According to PE players, the idea of the founders having total control of the company with even minor stake holding will disrupt the decision making process which at the moment is taken by the board of directors keeping in mind the interest of all parties. In 2017, almost $21 billion worth of PE investments made its way into ecommerce companies and startups.

Most of the unicorns or billion-dollar valuation firms including Flipkart, Paytm and Ola have had the maximum stakes owned by foreign funds.

The founders of all these firms have either single digit stakes in their companies or in low double digits.

It is the investor who takes chances on a firm and values the company at a certain price. It hopes to garner this in the future when the firm either goes public or sells stake further.

"Investors are mostly listed entities and have to convince themselves that the money they are pouring into a firm would give them good returns.

"The risk incurred is mostly with the founder, said senior executive of a Singapore-based PE fund.

This is like the case of erstwhile online marketplace giant Snapdeal, where its biggest investor SoftBank Group (SBG) had to right off the billion dollar valuation.

Investors believe that the board of directors, which has representation from all parties, brings a balanced point of view to the table.

A founder would always have a view which is biased to an extent. Investors bring in an outside perspective which is kept in mind for the well being of the company as they are the ones who have invested their capital. Leaving all decisions with just the founder is unfair, said a senior vice-president of a US-based PE fund that has invested in few of the biggest ecommerce companies in the country.

Industry experts believe that the recommendation for making amendments in the Companies Act, allowing founders of ecommerce to continue having control in spite of dilution, will create problems for founders to raise funding.

The investors who put in their money at substantial premium would like to control voting rights to ensure proper deployment of their investment.

"This is a departure from the regular liberalisation taking place under the Indian FDI regime, especially in a sector where there are no security related concerns, said Amarjeet Singh, partner, tax, regulatory and internet business, KPMG India.

Many of the PE players who have been in the know of the proposals in the draft policy have already started doing rounds of the Niti Aayog and Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) in the hope that the final policy keeps in mind the investors.

Industry experts also are of the view that this proposal could reward protection, not performance and believe that such proposals are open to easy abuse.

On one hand, we have international award-winning mechanisms such as insolvency and bankruptcy code which are saying that assets must be tested against market forces. On the other hand, we are seeking protection for a sector where for the last 10 years there have been FDI investments of over billions of dollars.

"When capital is infused into a company, it is for a price, which is based on the performance of the company and the control package the investor is getting, said Bharat Anand, partner, Khaitan and Company.

Photograph: Kim Hong-Ji/ReutersSamsung said Tuesday that second-quarter sales fell three percent to W58.5 trillion on-quarter while operating profit dropped five percent to W14.9 trillion (US$1=W1,120). That ended six straight quarters of earnings growth.

Samsung Electronics is suffering slow sales of its Galaxy S9 smartphone and becoming increasingly reliant on sales of memory chips.

The tech giant admits that sales of the Galaxy S9 smartphone fell below expectations. To make matters worse, Chinese panel makers have been flooding the market with cheaper flat screens, hurting Samsung's earnings.

The only solace came from a record operating profit in the semiconductor business of W11.6 trillion. But that means Samsung relies on computer chips for an alarming 78 percent of its operating profit. Samsung's smartphone revenues, by contrast, plunged 20 percent on-year to W24 trillion, and operating profit nosedived 35 percent to W2.7 trillion.

The culprit is the Galaxy S9, which hit store shelves in mid-March but disappointed consumers with a lack of innovative features amid intensifying competition from Apple and cheap-and-cheerful Chinese rivals.

Samsung said in a telephone conference with investors that it now wants to focus all of its efforts on the success of the Galaxy Note 9 set for release on Aug. 9. The Note 9 has twice the memory as its predecessor but will be priced more or less the same, though it seems to have few other distinguishing features.

Analysts expect Samsung's operating profit to reach over W17 trillion in the third quarter thanks to the booming semiconductor market. But risks lie ahead beyond the end of this year.

Samsung itself refrained from forecasting chip market conditions next year, but analysts think rising OLED sales could rescue the company's earnings.While consumers will be paying a higher upfront cost for smart metering, the share in the efficiency gains could more than offset this higher spend

A van circles a residential or commercial complex and logs the exact number of units that various electrical appliances inside have consumed at any time of the day.

This reading is then transmitted to a data centre where it is automatically billed and logged into a digitally accessed account.

A distant dream for the modern urban planner? Not if some recent initiatives are anything to go by.

Recently, the National Democratic Alliance government announced that it had finalised the first tranche of a bulk tender for smart meters. Domestic players, such as Larsen & Toubro and Jay Auto, have indicated their interest in supplying such meters, as have some overseas suppliers, Indonesian company PT Hexing among them. Energy Efficient Services Ltd (EESL), the government-owned energy services company, conducted the bulk tendering under which five million meters will be supplied to power distribution companies in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

Part of the first tranche of meters will go to the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd (DHBVN), the power distributor in Gurgaon.

This is in keeping with Union Minister Piyush Goyals 2015 announcement that the millennium city would be the countrys first smart power city.

DHBVNs plan offers pointers to the future. The distribution utility touches more than 500,000 consumers, across 600 housing societies, 35 villages, over 50 municipal colonies and even 75 unauthorised colonies, so the scale of operations is huge.

All 11 KV lines and other low-transmission (LT) lines will be shifted underground and a 2,500 km duct will be constructed to accommodate the overhead infrastructure (wires and more than 7,000 poles, transformers and feeders).

The maintenance system will be replaced by the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (Scada) software, which some distribution companies like Tata Power Delhi Distribution already use in Delhi.

In fact, transmission companies apply Scada on a wider scale for intra-state and inter-state monitoring of sub-stations, which also enables metering, monitoring, and even fixing a fault without disrupting supply from the substation.

For Gurgaon alone, the implications of the smart grid is huge.

Theft accounts for about 20 per cent of the citys power distribution networks, which technology can now help plug.

Smart metering in Gurgaon is expected to save a substantial 120-150 Mw of power a day by 2022.

Meters procured under the EESL tender will also be supplied to cities like Kanpur and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. According to 2016 cost estimates, the Kanpur project is likely to cost Rs 320 crore.

Similar initiatives are being planned in Pune and Gujarat.

Although most of India still uses manual meter readings, the Automatic Meter Reading or AMR, which records the reading at the back-end rather than at the customers premises, is already in vogue in some cities, as is the Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI), which are considered the building blocks of smart grids.

Apart from streamlining the metering process, these technologies help monitor such variables as load, power outages and so on and, importantly, save power consumption.

The advancements in metering technology have opened up huge potential for consumers to optimize the use of electricity, explains Brajesh Singh Bhaduria, chief executive officer, Essel Utilities.

The company, which has been in power distribution business since 2013, has used AMR and AMI in Nagpur and Muzaffarpur where it has distribution franchisee licences.

Conceptually, a smart meter linked to a smart grid can be used to enable consumers to operate home appliances remotely and check which of those are using maximum electricity and opt to use them during off-peak hours.

This facility could come in handy once the time-of- day tariff concept enabling dynamic pricing of power based on demand and supply is in place.

Just as power tariffs are worked out based on consumption slabs, smart meters enable such dicing based on timing.

You can slice data like during this time to this time because you consume this much energy, so this is the rate. Based on that you can decide to use your washing machine and other appliances when the power is cheaper, explains Sanjeev Sharma, country head and managing director, ABB India.

"Last month, ABB signed up with IIT Roorkee for a smart power project on campus. They are creating a green campus (based on renewable energy) and have smart metering as well. In such an instance, the microgrid system prioritises and keeps selecting the cheapest and greenest source of power depending on the priority that is programmed," Sharma explained.

The system can also be programmed to create priority and non-priority loads - especially now that renewable power has priority in what is known as the merit order of dispatch - a way of ranking available sources of energy - under government norms.

This technology also addresses the question of unpredictable supply that is a chronic problem with green energy - for solar, when the atmosphere is cloudy, for wind, when the atmosphere is calm.

For instance, if the solar power availability suddenly drops 30 per cent, the system adjusts demand to lower the load automatically, and still run the core business with the chosen source of power, Sharma explains.

Technology-wise its pretty simple, he adds. The only thing is the investment. All distribution companies are regulated and power regulators control how much money they can spend on new technology.

"Whatever they spend they have to recover. Since most consumers are price sensitive, the technology flow takes time.

Haryana is a case in point. The smart grid project was originally conceived by the state government in 2011-12 but funding arrangements between the state and the Centre and deciding the nodal agency for executing the project delayed the work.

But falling costs could hasten adoption. The average cost of a smart meter alone, including the communication module and infrastructure software, was Rs 6,000-8,000.

With the latest EESL smart metering tender, we have seen drastic reduction in the average cost of smart metering infrastructure.

"Today, a single phase meter with a GPRS module costs Rs 2,305 with an implementation cost of Rs 1,728 (without taxes) with five years of support, says Bhaduria.

All the same, it is indisputable that consumers will be paying a higher upfront payment for smart metering.

But the share in the efficiency gains in the longer run could more than offset this higher spend.

Photograph: Vivek Prakash/Reuters'Till today, we don't know what PM Modi discussed with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, but we have been told that the relations have been reset.'

'We have no evidence from China to show that anything has changed, even though India had made several gestures in preparation for Wuhan,' says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi with China's Supreme Leader Xi Jinping in Wuhan, April 28, 2018.

When Edmund Hillary became the first human to step on the summit of Mount Everest, sharing the glory with him was his sherpa, Tenzing Norgay.

The message was that Hillary could not have accomplished his feat without the support of the sherpa, who knew the route to the top and its hidden dangers by instinct, if not by experience.

The political summits too have been acknowledging the role of the sherpas in preparing the ground and clearing the path for the principals to negotiate war and peace. But the current world disorder seems to have invented summits without sherpas, or at least without them being visible.

Gone are the days when ambassadors were plenipotentiaries, the lords of all they surveyed abroad and were empowered to negotiate war and peace with foreign lands.

Even matrimonial alliances were not uncommon to seal the bonds of friendship. They merely had to keep their governments informed through despatches by diplomatic bags.

Instructions came too late or did not come at all since the deeds were done.

Rewards and punishments too arrived by snail mail many months after the relationship had either improved or the ambassador was declared persona non grata and shipped out.

Then came the period after the advent of the communications revolution when the ambassadors and their minders came to have the same sources of information and the former became dispensable.

But even in that age, the diplomatic machinery worked on briefs, draft speeches and talking points printed on attractive folders for the principals to use.

Many of them went by the briefing book and read out even the mistakes in them, giving rise to embarrassment to the readers and merriment to the listeners.

One such occasion (perhaps apocryphal) was when Leonid Brezhnev kept addressing Mrs Gandhi as Mrs Thatcher at a bilateral meeting.

Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin pointed out to him gently that it was Mrs Gandhi who was sitting across the table, but Brezhnev told off Kosygin by saying, 'I know it is Mrs Gandhi, but it is written here Mrs Thatcher.'

Senior diplomats and other officials who did all the work for their principals, but did not take the credit came to be known as sherpas, to distinguish them from the summiteers who took the credit.

Sherpas could be of any designation and any rank and it was not derogatory to be called so.

The sherpas too had their anonymous underlings, who toiled day and night to prepare the best documents.

The briefs were written and rewritten at different levels and finally produced in the right font on the right paper of the size prescribed by the leaders.

Rajiv Gandhi, it was rumoured, wanted all the briefs written on one page since, as a trained pilot, he was not accustomed to turning the pages.

Fast forward, we have reached the new paperless, and even briefless world.

Sherpas seem to have become an extinct species, as the summiteers have begun to take the bull by the horns and handle diplomatic situations by themselves.

<>One of the earliest among the new genre of ministers was Jaswant Singh, who insisted on proper briefs, but left them behind when he walked into the conference room empty-handed even when delicate negotiations were involved.

Having been accustomed to bosses who could not operate without briefs, diplomats were quite nervous, when the minister did not carry any papers.

But judging from the results, he performed well, liberated as he was from the stereotyped views in the files.

Tete-a-tetes between leaders were more for small talk in the early days, but these have become the order of the day of late. These have proliferated in recent years, giving the leaders a chance to understand each other.

In certain cases, the tete-a-tete got extended so long that the accompanying delegations were not invited to join the leaders at all.

History will have many gaps if this trend continues as the principals may not recall the details of the conversations or they may embellish the conversations in their own favour.

I remember how the then minister of external affairs, Shyam Nandan Misra, had a one-to-one meeting with Fidel Castro in 1979 in Havana, but could not remember a word of what Castro told him.

This was at a non-sligned summit which took important decisions in which India was playing a role. India's inputs on these matters at the highest level were erased forever.

More recently, with the advent of agenda-less summits, tete-a-tetes have replaced the delegation meetings to a large extent, particularly at the head of State and head of government levels.

Till today, we do not know what PM Modi discussed with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, but we have been told that the relations have been reset.

We have no evidence from China to show that anything has changed, even though India had made several gestures in preparation for Wuhan.

Soon after Wuhan, in an unfriendly step, China set up an alternative to SAARC, by creating the China South Asia Cooperation Forum with itself in it and India quietly participated in the initial meeting.

No news came also about any new understanding on the contentious issue of violation of Indian integrity by the China Pakistan Economic Corridor as part of the Bridge and Road Initiative of China. Prime Minister Modi, on the other hand, was excessively cautious about China in his address in the Shangri-La Dialogue.

In the case of Russia, there have been reports of progress on certain nuclear matters and arms deals.

The one case which became a publicity disaster for President Donald J Trump was his meeting without sherpas for more than two hours in Helsinki with President Vladimir Putin of Russia at a particularly delicate moment in US-Russia relations.

Trump's obsequious behaviour with Putin at a press conference soon after the summit brought him to the brink of impeachment.

Trump said that they talked only about sweet nothings like lovers would do, but Putin listed several issues on which he secured approval for the status quo in his favour.

There were no record takers or recordings and the only people present other than the principals were the interpreters. Since interpreters are sworn to secrecy and will not share their notes with anyone, there is talk of subpoenaing them to get to the truth.

The solution being suggested is to invite Putin to the White House, which is properly wired, to make him speak on record.

If only Trump and Putin had their aides with them, Trump would not have been accused of becoming Putin's lapdog or worse.

But then summits without sherpas have become not only fashionable, but also indispensable to resolve intractable issues.

T P Sreenivasan, (IFS 1967), former Ambassador of India and Governor for India of the IAEA is the Chairman, Academic Council and Director, NSS Academy of Civil Services, Director General, Kerala International Centre.'Bangladeshi Muslims want to increase their population in India.'

'They have made colonies in India.'

'Rohingyas are doing the same.'

'This has to stop.'

IMAGE: On July 30, 2018, the fate of 4 million people in Assam was left in limbo after their names were left out of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens. Photograph: PTI Photo

'If the Bharatiya Janata Party is voted to power in Bengal, then we will implement the National Register of Citizens in the state too.'

'We will send back the illegal immigrants to Bangladesh. Tough days are ahead, we will not tolerate any illegal immigrants in Bengal.'

With these statements, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh kickstarted a furore, with the Congress and Communist Party of India-Marxist leaders alleging that his statements reflected the "anti-Bengali mindset" of his party, which it alleged was trying to 'import Hindi heartland culture' in Bengal.

Speaking to Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf, Ghosh, below, explains how the presence of 10 million Bangladeshis has made life hell for the people of Bengal because of their illegal activities -- be it terrorism or minting fake currency.

On Monday you said if the BJP was voted to power in Bengal, you would push for the National Register of Citizens on the same lines as in Assam. Why would you want that?

First and foremost, the Supreme Court of India said that all border states must have an NRC.

Secondly, there are one crore (10 million) illegal Muslim Bangladeshis living in West Bengal. They wield a huge influence on the politics of the state because of their huge numbers.

They also have a huge hand in terrorism, be it guns or fake currency or even making bombs.

They have made life hell for the people of Bengal and therefore, I said all these unwanted elements must be thrown out.

The CPI-M, which was ruling Bengal, always denied that illegal Bangladeshis were present in Bengal, so who would have dared to throw them out?

The CPI-M made them voters. And because of that Bengal's economy also suffered.

Till the time illegal Bangladeshis are not thrown out of Bengal, the state will be in a state of turmoil.

How have you arrived at this figure of 1 crore Bangladeshi immigrants residing in West Bengal? Where is the proof?

Many of them get caught. And many of them are in jails too.

Now a new trend has emerged from the Mamata (Banerjee) government (which rules Bengal). They are making Rohingya Muslims too settle down in Bengal. So shall we call Rohingya Muslims Indians too?

This is how appeasement politics works in Bengal. They do all this for votes.

The CPI-M did this for 34 years and now the Trinamool Congress is doing the same now as these illegal immigrants are supporting the TMC.

It is alleged that the BJP wants to communalise the NRC issue.

After Partition, the Hindus of Bangladesh are running helter-skelter today. This is not the case for Muslims as they took away their own country, Bangladesh (East Pakistan earlier).

So, why are Bangladeshi Muslims now migrating to India? It means that they have some hidden agenda. They are doing anti-social work in India.

Under the garb of targeting Bangladeshi Muslims, are you not targeting the Muslims of Bengal?

We have no problem with the Muslims of West Bengal; they are here for decades. We are targeting Bangladeshi Muslims.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says you are polarising the community.

Mamata Banerjee has made camps for Rohingyas in Bengal. Bangladesh is not keeping Rohingya Muslims, why should India keep them?

Mamata is doing it because they (the Trinamool) want to convert those Rohingya Muslims into votes.

The BJP is not interested in votes; we work in the interest of the country.

One crore is a huge number.

Yes, it is. You check in big cities like Mumbai and Delhi, you will find so many Bangladeshi Muslims. They have made colonies across India.

Rohingya Muslims have settled down in Jammu. It is a big threat to our security.

If you are an outsider in Bengal, you will not be able to differentiate between a West Bengal citizen and a Bangladeshi citizen.

They have a different accent and we, from West Bengal, can identify them. They are settled everywhere around the border of India.

They have also won panchayat elections in West Bengal. Today, they are controlling the panchayats of West Bengal.

They will loot our country's money. They indulge in cow smuggling and all this happens out in the open.

Malda is a corridor of fake currency.

The Bangladesh economy is doing well. Why would Bangladeshis come to India?

The problem with Bangladesh is that they have a huge population. There are no jobs in that country.

Another problem with these Bangladeshi Muslims is that they want to increase their population in India. They have this pan-Islamic mindset.

When Partition took place, West Bengal had 5 Muslims MLAs. Today we have around 60 Muslim MLAs.

Doesn't this statement of yours prove that the BJP wants to scare Hindus by showing that the Muslim population is multiplying manifold?

In Gujarat and Haryana, how many Muslims are there? The BJP never scared the voters of those states about Muslims and still we won.

People love the BJP and therefore, they vote for the BJP. The BJP's stance is for development and everyone knows that.

Our opponents are scaring Muslims that if the BJP comes to power they will be killed in broad daylight. Today, hundreds of Muslims are joining the BJP in Bengal.

Bengali Muslims are the poorest as compared to other Muslims in the country. This is what the (Justice Rajinder) Sachar committee report stated too.

Still Mamata Banerjee wins elections in Bengal.

We will see during the Lok Sabha election of 2019. In Bengal, local elections do not take place.

In the panchayat elections, in more than 30 per cent seats no Opposition candidate contested as they were not allowed to file their nominations (allegedly because TMC workers prevented them).

That case is going on in the Supreme Court. 42 per cent of people were not allowed to vote in panchayat elections in Bengal.

In Assam, 40 lakh people have been left out of the NRC. Now, you want to declare one crore people as illegals in West Bengal. What will you do with them once you identify these 'illegals'?

Let us first find them.

The government makes a budget for 10 people and then it turns out that there are 15 people. So these five eat into government resources.

This is exactly what is happening in West Bengal. At least, don't give them government subsidies.

The least we can do is cancel their voting rights. Make sure that they do not get bank loans.

If these things happen, then the next wave of illegal immigrants will stop coming.

Does Bengal still witness an influx of illegal immigrants?

Yes. They are coming even now.

They gun down our BSF (Border Security Forfce) officers when they are smuggling cows.

If our borders are not safe, how can our country be safe? These things have to stop.

India is not a dharamshala for Bangladeshi refugees.

They have come and made colonies in India. Rohingyas are doing the same. This has to stop.

All India United Democratic Front MP Badruddin Ajmal says the BJP is politicising the NRC because it wants to weaken the Muslims politically so that Muslim candidates don't win elections.

Ajmal's own MLA has come from Bangladesh.

Can you name him?

I don't recall his name. The people in Assam know about this.

Why did the Bodo movement start?

It started because Bangladeshis came and grabbed their land in Assam.

The Congress gave these Bangladeshis protection in Assam. Now, the Bodos are with the BJP as we are giving them security.

What about Bangladeshi Hindus? Are they also coming to India?

Their life and property are not protected in Bangladesh. Their temples are being broken.

Hindu girls are being kidnapped in Bangladesh. So they are forced to come to India.

One can understand that, but why do Bangladeshi Muslims come to India?

They asked for a separate country in 1947 and they got East Pakistan. Now why do they want to come to India?

The people of Assam don't want Bangladeshi Hindus to come to their state.

In Maharashtra, people do not want Biharis to come. Why?

It happens because if people migrate from one state to another in big numbers, then nobody wants their rights to be snatched.

In Assam, they are upset because Bangladesh is a different country altogether.

Today, Assamese fear they will become a minority in their own state.'I am a Muslim and if my Hindu brothers were to march to my house and if that were to give birth to any controversy, then this government will use it to exploit another issue.'

'I don't want to give BJP leaders a chance to play their communal politics.'

IMAGE: Protestors demand reservations for the Maratha community in Karad, Maharashtra. Photograph: PTI Photo

As the Maratha community's agitation for quotas in government jobs and education escalated, another MLA from Maharashtra resigned in support of the quota demand.

Congress MLA Abdul Sattar, who represents Sillod in Aurangabad district, sent his resignation to Maharashtra assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagde.

Before Sattar, another Congress MLA Bharat Bhalke, Nationalist Congress Party MLAs Bhausaheb Patil Chikatgaonkar and Dattatraya Bharne, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Rahul Aher, the Shiv Sena's Harshvardhan Jadhav had resigned demanding reservation for the Marathas.

"Ab mujh par koi bandhan nahi hai (Now, I am under no obligation). I will fight for nyay (justice). And will keep fighting alongside the protesters till the time they get reservations," Sattar, below, tells Prasanna D Zore.

Why did you resign?

The last Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra had given reservations to Marathas and Muslims, but this government could not give justice to them.

As a result, the Marathas today have taken to the streets to demand their just rights.

Even as they are agitating for it, the Devendra Fadnavis government has remained a mute spectator to their plight.

It was this government's moral responsibility to take the fight for reservations forward in the courts, but it failed miserably.

To add to that, the police under this government are humiliating the protesters by beating them and rounding them up.

This government has failed to take any decisive measure to implement the ordinance passed by the previous Congress-NCP government, which accepted reservations for Marathas, Dhangars and Muslims.

Despite the courts giving a green signal for reservation to Muslims, (the Bombay high court had upheld reservations for Muslims only in educational institutions even as it rejected quota for Muslims in jobs. The court had quashed an ordinance passed by the previous Congress-NCP government in 2014 to grant 16 per cent quotas to Marathas and 5 per cent quotas to Muslims. The current government has asked the court for its opinion in this ongoing case) this government purposely did not implement it.

The Fadnavis government had in its election manifesto promised reservations for the Dhangars. But even they are waiting for this government to offer them reservation quota in education and jobs.

The Dhangars too are preparing to agitate on the streets for what was promised to them.

The Kolis (fisherfolk) and tribals too were promised reservations, but this government have not yet fulfilled any of these assurances.

To protest against this injustice, I decided to resign from my seat in Sillod.

You claim that the Congress-NCP government passed an ordinance to give reservations to the Marathas and Muslims, but the Bombay high court struck down that ordinance that gave reservations to Marathas and Muslims in jobs...

Yes, that is true.

But then it was the duty of the Fadnavis government to take steps to find solution to these issues.

The new government that was formed in Maharashtra failed to plead its case strongly in the high court.

This government should have brought it to the court's notice that these reservations were not based on religion, but on their economic backward status.

They failed to convince the court that to bring these economically backward constituents of Maharashtra on an equal footing with those who have the privilege of education and jobs.

It was necessary to implement the ordinance passed by our government.

The Congress government had known this plight of the Marathas, Muslims, Dhangars and others and so we had passed that ordinance.

After this ordinance was effected, many people from these two communities benefited from it.

But then the court stayed it.

The court had accepted the reservations for Muslims, but still this government did not implement it.

This should not have been an issue at all.

This should give you a peek into this government's thinking and ideology.

It is the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh) that makes the policies, makes the decisions and the BJP implements it.

This government only listens to what the RSS has to say.

All this is now manifesting as anger on the streets and even though only the Marathas are expressing it aggressively, the Dhangars, the Kolis and Muslims are also not too happy.

What has the RSS got to do with what the government does or doesn't do?

There is no question of unnecessarily dragging the RSS into this.

I am just explaining the ground reality about why this government is weakening the case of reservation for Marathas and Muslims.

On the one hand, this government did not forcefully support the case for reservation for Marathas in the courts and on the other they purposely didn't implement the reservation for Muslims which had got the green signal from the court.

When the high court has given the green signal, then how can we listen to what I, you, Devendraji or the RSS wants?

Was there any pressure on you from your voters to resign?

They (the Marathas) said they would be launching an agitation in front of my house from August 1 if I did not resign.

In fact, they will be agitating outside the homes of all the MLAs of the state from August 1 if they don't get any assurance from the government on their demands.

So, you resigned under duress? Are you scared your voters won't elect you again?

No, I am not scared or under any pressure from anybody.

I am a Muslim and if my Hindu brothers were to march to my house and if that were to give birth to any controversy, then this government will use it to exploit another issue.

The Muslims, the Marathas, the Dhangars are all my voters.

As their representative, I belong to all of them.

There are over 130,000 Marathas in my constituency and if even 5,000 or 500 of them were to march to my house, and even if by mistake some controversy arises because of it, in such a situation, I thought it was wiser for me to resign.

Are you saying that the protesters who threatened to march to your home would be so insensitive to give a communal colour to it?

No, you are not getting what I want to say.

They have already announced that they will agitate in front of the homes of Maharashtra MLAs and demand their resignations.

What makes you say that?

Listen, in my constituency, there are 40,000 Muslims and the rest are Hindus.

I don't want to give BJP leaders a chance to play their communal politics in such an environment.

So, I decided to resign to protest against non-implementation of the reservation demands by the Marathas, Dhangars, Kolis and Muslims.

To support the just cause of my constituents is not an unfair thing to do.

The issue of reservation quotas for Marathas has been pending since your party was ousted out of power and much before that. Why resign a year before the next assembly election in the state?

Whenever we got a chance to raise this issue, we did so during the various sessions of the Maharashtra assembly.

We have been quite vociferous with our demand for implementation of quotas for the Marathas, Dhangars, Kolis and Muslims.

We have raised our demands in the most parliamentary manner.

Are you saying that we should have resorted to violence for this government to understand the poor condition of these people?

We just cannot do that.

Whatever we could do democratically, we have given voice to the demands of these people.

But this government chose only to ignore the voices of the people.

They will never speak truthfully what they intend to do.

They just want to keep the political pot boiling.

They believe in just promising the moon, but will not initiate measures to help the poor.

The farmers too are going through the same treatment.

Every person in this country and state has aspirations and if those aspirations are looked down upon by the ruling party, then we have no choice but to hit the streets.

We will be with the agitators out there on the streets.

Why didn't you resign earlier? Why now?

If we had resigned on the very first day (of the current agitation), then those who elected us would have blamed us for chickening out of a fight, of not creating awareness about their situation to the rulers of the state.

They would have demanded accountability from us.

To be truthful to our constituents, we did raise the issue of reservations during every session of the assembly.

Check our records about how we fought over this issue.

But now that we have realised that this fight is not bringing any result, we have decided to resign and join the protesters.

Will your resignation get the reservations for Marathas and Muslims?

Whatever be the fate of the reservation, the people who trusted and voted for me are now looking forward for our empathy.

We can't leave them in the lurch at this juncture.

We have to be with them is what the situation now demands and we are just biding by it.

Are there any other Congress MLAs who could follow you?

We had a meeting of all our MLAs and MPs (from Maharashtra) and all of us expressed our strong feelings about the reservation issue before the senior leaders.

They have promised to take this issue with the party high command and once we get a green signal from it, all of us would resign.

All Congress MPs and MLAs from Maharashtra to resign en masse?

We have expressed our desire to resign.

Our senior leaders will take a decision on this matter and we will obey the decision of the party high command.

As a democratic party, the Congress allows everybody to voice its feelings openly.

We will be thankful to our party if they were to accept our decision or reject it.

But in my personal opinion, it is better to resign from our constituencies if we cannot help our people get justice.

We did not become people's representatives just to earn allowances and salaries.

We have become MLAs so that we can be with our people through their difficult times and fight for their demands and justice.

Now that you have resigned, how will you continue your fight for reservations for the Marathas and Muslims?

Being an elected representative, I was under certain restrictions.

But now that I have resigned I will be joining my people in their agitation and hit the streets to be with them in their fight for reservations.

Ab mujh par koi bandhan nahi hai (Now, I am under no obligation). I will fight for nyay (justice).

I will keep fighting alongside the protesters till the time they get reservations.

Can you categorically state that if a Congress-led government were to be voted to power in Maharashtra in 2019, you will implement quotas in education and jobs for all the people who are demanding it?

We already presented an example of our commitment to reservation in 2014 when after our cCabinet meeting, we passed an ordinance (to give 16 per cent reservations to the Marathas and 5 per cent to Muslims).

Nobody will be able to stop us from implementing quotas for the Marathas, Dhangars, Kolis and tribals.The India-China face-off over Doklam was resolved through 'diplomatic maturity without losing any ground' and status quo has been maintained, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday.

Swaraj told the Lok Sabha that the main objective of the informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Wuhan was to ensure mutual comfort, mutual understanding and mutual trust between the two leaders and all the three objectives have been achieved.

"We have resolved the Doklam issue with diplomatic maturity without losing any ground. There is no change in the status quo (on the ground). There is not an iota of change. The face off at sight has been resolved on August 28, 2017," she said during Question Hour.

The External Affairs Minister said the Wuhan informal summit was held without any agenda and without having any objective to discuss any specific issue.

Before the summit, the foreign ministers of the two countries decided that the leaders should not be restricted to any specific issue, she said.

"The decision to host Wuhan was taken not to resolve any issue but to create a conducive environment. Three main objectives were to ensure mutual comfort, mutual understanding and mutual trust. In all the three objectives, we have achieved success," she said.

Swaraj said as a follow up to the Wuhan summit, the Chinese Defence Minister is coming to enhance military cooperation while the Foreign Minister will arrive later this year as part of efforts to enhance the people-to-people contact.

The first informal summit between Modi and Jinping was held at the Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27-28. India and China were locked in a face-off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector for over 50 days after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area.

China claimed it was constructing the road within their territory which India had objected saying the territory does not belong to China.

To another query, Swaraj also made it clear that the boundary dispute between Bhutan and China was continuing and it was a matter between those two countries.

"Our concern was related only to the tri-junction area (India-Bhutan-China)," she said.

Trinamool Congress member Sugata Bose said that since the external affairs minister was not present in Wuhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House, he should make an intervention and disclose what had happened in his informal summit with the Chinese leader.

Swaraj dismissed the suggestion, saying she was capable of answering all questions relating to the Wuhan summit as she was fully abreast of it.

"I am capable to answer all the questions, irrespective of whether I was present there or not. I am fully aware of what was happening there," she said.

Replying to a question regarding the South-China sea dispute, Swaraj said India believed that the international sea route should be free for navigation.

"There should be freedom of navigation. Our stand on South China sea is clear that there should be freedom of navigation and all international laws should be adhered to," she said.

Regarding the Wuhan summit, Swaraj said as an innovative format for leadership-level diplomatic engagement, it enabled the two leaders to hold direct, free and candid exchange of views on issues of over-arching, long-term and strategic significance, without the constrains of protocol and pre-agenda.

She said it was not meant to discuss specific topics but to strengthen mutual trust and understanding between the two leaders in order to forge a common understanding on future direction of India-China relations and to create the appropriate conditions for the two sides to deal with their differences constructively.

President Jinping has accepted the Prime Minister's invitation for visiting India for the second informal summit at a mutually convenient time in 2019, Swaraj said.No terrorist of the 'Islamic State of Jammu and Kashmir,' an outfit influenced by Islamic State ideology, is active in Jammu and Kashmir and the extent of ISIS presence in the state was till recently limited to waving flags of the global terror group and Pakistan, Union minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said on Wednesday.

Appropriate action under law has been taken against those who were involved in cases of waving ISIS and Pakistani flags in Jammu and Kashmir, the minister said.

There were eight such cases in 2015, 31 cases in 2016 and five cases in 2017.

"Till recently the extent of ISIS presence in Jammu and Kashmir was limited to waving of ISIS and Pakistani flags by some miscreants. However, on June 22, 2018, four terrorists belonging to the ISJK, an outfit influenced by ISIS ideology, were neutralised in Anantnag district. At present no terrorist of ISJK is reportedly active in the state," he said in response to a written question.

Since the imposition of Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir on June 20, 176 people have been arrested for pelting stones, Ahir said in reply to another question.

Besides, there were 39 incidents of terrorist violence in which eight security forces personnel were martyred and three civilians lost their lives, he added.

14 terrorists were also killed in these incidents.

The minister also said 213 terrorists, including 86 local terrorists, were killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2017.

In 2016, 150 terrorists, including 33 local terrorists, were killed in the state.Springfields favourite family -- The Simpsons -- moved to Bristol for an artistic makeover at UpFest 2018, Europes largest live street art festival.

Take a look at some of the mind-blowing art which covered some 60,000 sq ft of surfaces, including buildings, shop fronts and shutters.

Nomad Clans new piece of street art called Bemorelisa at UpFest. Nomad Clan are an internationally acclaimed street art duo from the UK, who have painted giant murals all over the world. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Upfest, this year, had a Simpsons theme, with creator Matt Groening handpicking three artists from across the globe to bring a touch of Springfield to the festival. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Bart Simpson makes a splash at Upfest, thanks to Hong Kong-based artist Bao. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Soker, a wildstyle writer and one of Bristols finest talents, presents us the Simpsons at the street art festival. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Celebrating its 10th year, UpFest featured great art from Inkie. The annual event, in the hometown of guerrilla artist Banksy, was started in 2008 and now attracts over 300 artists from 70 countries around the world. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Getting some nautical vibes from this piece by The Hass. Some of the graffiti art work is painted on moveable boards and temporary hoardings, but many of the murals on some venues and buildings remain all year until the next festival becoming local landmarks. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Organisers also wanted to mark the suffragettes centurion anniversary and invited artists like Argentinas Caro Pepe to offer their own artistic comments on womens rights. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Ant Carver's work is one of the many being featured in the festival, being held in the Bedminster and Southville areas of Bristol. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Greek graffiti artist Insane51 has some serious x-ray vision! Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

A boy walks past a new piece of street art on the final day of UpFest. According to organisers, approximately 8,000 spray cans were used during the three-day festival. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Inkie's artwork as part of UpFest. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty ImagesIn her three-day visit to Delhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee met several opposition party leaders as well as Bharatiya Janata Party critics and in-house rebels.

With a tagline "Dui hajaar uneesh, BJP finish (2019, BJP finish)", the West Bengal chief minister met Gandhis as well as BJP veteran L K Advani and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut

Amid speculation about her being oppositions prime minister candidate, the firebrand leader said that she was not vying for the top post and that the first priority was to defeat the BJP which is "scared and nervous" to face the 2019 polls because of opposition unity.

Is the BJP taking note of it?

Banerjee met Congress's Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at 10 Janpath. After nearly half-an-hour long meeting with the Gandhis, the TMC supremo said, "We discussed the political situation. We discussed how the opposition can together take on the BJP because it knows that it will not come back to power. We also discussed the National Register of Citizens issue." The Congress has indicated its willingness to accept her candidature as opposition's PM face. Photograph: PTI Photo

Banerjee met Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan at TMC's office at Parliament House. Banerjee also invited the leaders of the opposition parties to her January 19 rally in Kolkata. The rally is seen as not just a show of opposition unity but also an attempt to catapult Banerjee to the centrestage. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

Mamata also visited dissident BJP leaders Shatrughan Sinha and former union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Ram Jethmalani. She also met BJP veteran L K Advani at his chamber in Parliament House ."I went to meet him and enquired about his health," she told reporters. Photograph: Kind courtesy @ShatruganSinha/Twitter

Suspended BJP member of parliament Kirti Azad met Banerjee and hailed her as a great leader, saying that her efforts to consolidate all opposition parties are "commendable". Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter and member of parliament Misa Bharti also met Mamata. On her meeting with leaders of various political parties, the West Bengal CM said, "We know every political leader. I am happy to meet all of them." Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

Interestingly, Banerjee extended an invitation for the Kolkata rally to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray through Raut who said the party would take a decision on it. Though a constituent of the NDA, the Sena has been openly critical of the Modi government. Photograph: ANI

Mamata with Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav. Attacking the Centre on Assam's National Register of Citizens final draft, she said, "People whose names have been kept out are from Bihar, UP, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, West Bengal. We want them to live peacefully. Some of them are living for 100 ears for five generations in Assam. How can you do this to them?". Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

Banerjee also met former prime minister and Janata Dal-Secular chief H D Deve Gowda at Karnataka Bhavan and invited him to the rally. Photograph: PTI Photo

With inputs from PTIVociferous protests by members of the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday forced the adjournment of the Rajya Sabha for the day, as it failed to complete a discussion on Assam's National register of Citizens and the reply to it by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The House had witnessed an adjournment in the morning When the House reconvened at 2 pm after the lunch break, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy of the Trinamool Congress stood up and raised a point of order as Bharatiya Janata Party pesident Amit Shah was asked to conclude his speech he had started on Tuesday.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu responded to the point of order, saying he has allowed Shah to complete his speech which could not be completed on Tuesday due to continued disruptions.

Roy said 'if any member who is so called upon does not speak, he shall not be entitled except with the permission of the Chair. Here, in this case, one honourable member has already spoken. How can he speak twice? There is no provision in the rules'.

Soon thereafter, Trinamool Congress members stormed the Well of the House raising slogans, with Naidu asking them to go back to their seats, saying he has allowed Shah to conclude his speech.

Congress member Bhubaneshwar Kalita said his party members from Assam have not spoken on the NRC and should be given an opportunity to do so.

With disruptions continuing, Naidu said: "Are we at the mercy of one party? Why have your people (from Assam) have not spoken (when) an opportunity came to your party. Your party should have first given the opportunity to Assam members."

"You create disorder and raise a point of order," Naidu said, and asked Shah to speak.

However, the BJP chief was unable to speak amidst the slogan shouting and disruption.

Naidu then said that the conduct of the protestors was unbecoming of Parliamentarians.

"There seems to be a system, that you spoke, you had your say, it has gone on record, now you come and disrupt the House. So you don't want to hear the reply," Naidu said, asking Shah again to speak.

However the BJP President said if his speaking caused 'so much fear, he can let go of the opportunity' to enable Naidu to run the House.

"I know why they (opposition) do not want me to speak," requesting Naidu to ask the Home Minister to make a statement.

Then Naidu asked the Home Minister to reply to the debate.

However, the TMC members who were shouting slogans from the Well remained unrelenting.

Amid the unabated slogan shouting and disruption, Rajnath Singh sought the Chair's permission to table his entire speech, saying that some members did not wish to hear the reply to the discussion on the NRC.

"As some of the members do not want the debate to continue and are not willing to hear the reply of the home minister, I would like to thank the Home Minister for continuously coming here for three days," Naidu said and then adjourned the House for the day.

The Rajya Sabha was earlier adjourned till noon as Congress members created an uproar, insisting on removal from House records certain remarks made by BJP MP Amit Shah in connection with the Assam National Register of Citizens.

Soon after scheduled papers were laid, senior Congress MP Anand Sharma raised a point of order and insisted on removal of certain comments made by Shah on Tuesday in the Upper House.

Several other Congress members were on their feet to support Sharma.The issue of National Register of Citizens in Assam is likely to rock both houses of Parliament on Wednesday too.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has given given zero hour notice in Lok Sabha over the NRC issue.

Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party MPs continue their protest in Parliament demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

Watch all the action LIVE here.The International Fleet Review will be held at a naval base in Jeju on Oct. 10-14 despite protests from locals who did not want the noise and commotion in their backyard.

A Navy spokesman told reporters on Tuesday, "We decided to hold the International Fleet Review in Jeju to have an opportunity to heal the scars of conflict caused in the process of building the port, to achieve reconciliation and to find a win-win solution between civilians and the military."

This year's fleet review is the third and marks the 70th anniversary of the armed forces. The Navy plans a parade on Oct. 12.

The naval base will be opened to the public on Oct. 13-14, and Korean and foreign naval vessels will also be accessible to civilian visitors. Visitors will be introduced to the cultures of various participating countries with hands-on events and performances.

Adm. Sim Seung-seob, the chief of naval operations, thanked residents of Jeju and Gangjeong Village, where the port was built, "for helping make it possible to hold the fleet review."

The Kerala government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the custom of barring entry of women between the age group of 10 to 50 years into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala is not permissible under the Constitution.

It said that celibate status of deity cannot be a ground for barring entry of women as it is a Hindu temple and not a temple of a particular denomination.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas challenging the ban on entry of females between the age group of 10 to 50 years into the 800-year-old shrine after hearing the matter for eight days.

"We will pass orders. Judgment reserved. Hearing concluded. Advocate on Record of both the sides will collect written submissions and compile it and submit before the court in seven days," the bench also comprising justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra said.

Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing for Kerala government, said that the custom of barring women between the age group of 10 to 50 years is not permissible under the Constitution.

"Sabarimala temple cannot claim to be a distinct denomination to claim a custom which bars entry of women of 10-50 year age group to temple. It is not a temple of a particular denomination but a Hindu temple," he said.

Gupta, referring to the arguments of the petitioners who had challenge the ban on entry of women into the temple, said that they pointed out that Kerala high court had held that it is a denominational temple.

"It is my submissions, that it is not a denominational temple and the religious rights are not protected", he said.

Citing an example of Lord Jagannath Puri temple, Gupta said that it is also not a temple of particular denomination while on the other hand temple of Ramakrishna Paramhans is of a particular denomination as he is being worshipped by a particular sect.

He said that even Dakshineswar temple in Kolkata, where Shri Ramakrishna Paramhans himself worshipped, is not a temple of any particular denomination.

"Dakshineswar temple is a Hindu temple where goddess Kali is worshipped," he said and added that "the celibate status of deity cannot be a ground to bar women's entry into the Sabarimala temple".

"There were many devotees of Shankaracharya who were celibate," he said and added that the Constitutional provisions have to be interpreted broadly as the right of State to make laws under Article 25(2)(b) not just applies to social aspects but also religious aspects.

The senior lawyer told the bench, that there is no need to strike down Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965 (which bars women from entering the temple).

"The rule can be read in such a manner to the effect that women cannot be excluded," he said.

To this, Justice Nariman remarked, "Very difficult. Very difficult".

He concluded his rejoinder saying "our Constitution is reformist and if we keep going back to the period of holy antiquity then there wont be any reforms".

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for petitioners challenging the ban, said the court had always struck down laws, customs, practices or tradition which prevented Harijans from going to temple.

"Similarly, now the court can struck down such laws, practies or customs which deny women the right to enter temple", she said and added that if court recognises a custom, then it will have force of law.

She said that this discrimination between men and women on allowing entry to temple is on the basis of sex and court cannot avoid this question and it has always struck down such discriminations.

"It is a case of discrimination on the basis of menstruation alone and is like creating sub-classification even among women. It is not only discrimination between men and women but also women and women," she said.

The bench, also heard the rejoinder arguments of two amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran, K Ramamurthy and counsel appearing for parties and reserved its verdict.

The court was hearing a batch of pleas filed by petitioners including Indian Young Lawyers Association and others challenging the ban on entry of women between 10-50 years of age group.

The apex court had on Tuesday said that the constitutional scheme prohibiting exclusion has "some value" in a "vibrant democracy".

The Kerala government, which has been changing its stand on the contentious issue of women of a particular age group entering the Sabarimala temple, had on July 18 told the apex court that it favours their entry.

The apex court had on October 13 last year referred the issue to a Constitution bench after framing five "significant" questions including whether the practice of banning entry of women into the temple amounted to discrimination and violated their fundamental rights under the Constitution.Haiti: Acts of revenge committed by gangs or by other organized crime entities; ability of gangs or other organized crime entities to track down their targets, including those who return to Haiti after a long absence (2015-June 2018)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 3 July 2018 Citation / Document Symbol HTI106117.FE Related Document(s) Haiti : information sur les actes de vengeance commis par les gangs ou par d'autres structures du crime organise; capacite des gangs ou autres structures du crime organise a suivre la trace de leurs cibles, y compris si elles retournent en Haiti apres une longue absence (2015-juin 2018) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Haiti: Acts of revenge committed by gangs or by other organized crime entities; ability of gangs or other organized crime entities to track down their targets, including those who return to Haiti after a long absence (2015-June 2018), 3 July 2018, HTI106117.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b6158d04.html [accessed 27 October 2021] 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.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Overview

1.1 Perpetrators of Acts of Revenge

In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, an assistant professor of social work at the University of North Carolina, who has researched armed groups, security forces and human rights in Haiti, stated that acts of revenge are the work of armed groups (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). Other sources also stated that gangs commit acts of revenge in Haiti (RNDDH 8 June 2018; Executive Director 5 June 2018). In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, a project leader for the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (Centre d'etude et de cooperation internationale, CECI) [1] stated that acts of revenge [translation] "are among the methods of control used by gang leaders" (Project Leader 29 May 2018). Sources state that acts of revenge are also committed by criminals (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018; Project Leader 29 May 2018). In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, the Chancellor of the Interuniversity Institute for Research and Development (INURED) [2] stated that, while conducting research for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2017, he found that the perpetrators of acts of revenge were not necessarily gang members, and that they may be "gun[s] for hire" who work for others (Chancellor 18 June 2018). In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, an official from the NGO Defenseurs Plus [3] stated that anyone could perpetrate acts of revenge (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018). The Project Leader added that [translation] "leaders use revenge to stay in power, but acts of revenge may also occur on an individual level" (Project Leader 29 May 2018).

1.2 Motives

The Assistant Professor stated that the purpose of revenge may be to [translation] "punish" or "dissuade" those who oppose, or who might be tempted to oppose, armed groups (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018).

In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, an official from the National Human Rights Defense Network (Reseau national de defense des droits humains, RNDDH) [4] stated that acts of revenge are generally motivated by political rivalries, the settling of scores, or romantic relationships (RNDDH 8 June 2018). The Chancellor also mentioned romantic relationships, "mostly" " involving gang leaders, as a motivation (Chancellor 18 June 2018). A case study by Collaborative Learning Projects (CDA) [5] states that "gangsuse their weapons to settle personal grievances over pride or women, and are often hostile to other forms of local leadership" (CDA May 2015, 6). Other sources also stated that the motives for revenge may be political (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018; Project Leader 29 May 2018). Defenseurs Plus stated that mere disagreements between youths, such as over a game of dominoes, or for sentimental reasons, may sometimes lead to acts of revenge (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018). The Chancellor also stated that, in some rare cases, simple "outsiders" could be targeted (Chancellor 18 June 2018).

Sources stated that acts of revenge may be committed by gangs and criminals for collaborating with the police (Executive Director 5 June 2018; Assistant Professor 1 June 2018; INURED Aug. 2017, 32) or testifying against them (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). Defenseurs Plus stated that those who report criminals to the police are [translation] "particularly targeted" (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018). The Chancellor stated that acts of revenge targeting people who had given information to the police were "rare" (Chancellor 18 June 2018). Moreover, The Assistant Professor stated the following:

[translation]

Criminals who tell on other criminals to get a reduced sentence or win favor with the court are rarely targeted for revenge in Haiti. Lack of loyalty by another member of the armed group is expected when someone is being questioned by the police and will rarely be punished by the armed group. (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018)

Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The Project Leader stated that revenge is a method of control used by gang leaders and criminals to stay in power (Project Leader 29 May 2018).

1.3 Forms

Sources stated that acts of revenge may take a number of forms (Assistant Professor June 1, 2018; Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018). The professor stated that revenge may be "mild", such as theft, destruction of property and voodoo curses, or "severe", such as murder and sexual assault (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). The same source stated that acts of revenge are often public, in order to have a deterrent effect on the group's opponents (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018).

Sources stated that threats may precede acts of revenge (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018; Project Leader 29 May 2018) or may constitute [translation] "verbal assault" (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018). The Assistant Professor stated that they may also take the form of voodoo curses (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). The official from Defenseurs Plus stated that some acts of revenge consist in [translation] "defamation" and "smear campaigns" to attack peoples' reputations and dignity (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018). The Chancellor stated that [translation] "In Haiti, 'rumor' is an informal institution used to achieve specific objectives" in Haiti, rumours are an informal institution used  to achieve specific goals" and that this institution [translation] "is widely used by gangs and gang leaders to spread fear" " (Chancellor 18 June 2018).

Sources stated that acts of revenge may take the form of damage to a person's material possessions (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018; Assistant Professor 1 June 2018), such as their houses, their cars or their offices (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018). The Assistant Professor stated that some people are victims of theft or looting, and others have their pets killed (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018).

Sources stated that physical assaults are among the common acts of revenge (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018; Executive Director 5 June 2018; Assistant Professor 1 June 2018).

Among the other acts of revenge, sources mentioned murders (Executive Director 5 June 2018; Assistant Professor 1 June 2018) or assassinations (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018; Project Leader 29 May 2018). The Chancellor stated that "revenges usually take [the] form of killing[s]" (Chancellor 18 June 2018). The Assistant Professor stated that, albeit rarely, the murdered body of a child of the target of the act of revenge is sent to them (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). Some sources also mentioned sexual assault among the acts of revenge (Executive Director 5 June 2018; Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). The Assistant Professor also mentioned kidnappings and acts of torture (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018).

According to The Assistant Professor, the severity and likelihood of an act of revenge diminishes with the passage of time and in function of the geographical distance and the power of the armed group threatening revenge (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). She illustrated her point this way:

[translation]

For instance, if I testified against leader X today, there is a very high probability that if I don't go into hiding immediately I will be killed. This probably lessens as leader X loses power (for instance, by being incarcerated or getting older and less active in the group), with geographic distance, and with time. In a year, if I am living in another part of Haiti, I will probably be relatively safe, so long as I do not continue to engage in activities against the gang. If Leader X dies, or gets older and is less active, even if the gang continues to operate, the probability that I will be targeted for revenge decreases substantially. Within a few years, so long as the group that Leader X led is no longer very active, I should be okay to return home but I should keep a low profile and not engage in community organizing against the gang or spend time openly with the police. In another five or ten years, the threat of revenge should be completely gone, even if Leader X gets out of prison. (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018).

Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

In the case of political revenge, Defenseurs Plus stated that [translation] "the threat depends on the political circumstances, an individual's power, or his links to power", as well as on his visibility. They stated that [translation] "a person who is very well known will clearly find it more difficult to escape from an assailant than an ordinary member of the public" (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018). However, the Project Leader reported that, in cases of political revenge, if those seeking it are serious, if they lose track of someone, they attack the family (Project Leader 29 May 2018).

Defenseurs Plus also stated that the ability to escape revenge varies on the one hand according to a person's means, an example being that a person with a car can protect themselves more easily than a person who has to move around on foot, and on the other hand according to their circumstances, an example being that a somewhat impoverished single mother of three school-aged children wanting to change cities in order to hide would have more difficulty (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018).

1.4 Victims

According to the RNDDH, [translation] "acts of revenge can be targeted or indirect. The idea is to send a message" (RNDDH June 8 2018). Sources stated that those targeted by acts of revenge are either people who have done something wrong in the eyes of the assailant or those close to them (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018; Assistant Professor I June 2018).

According to the Assistant Professor, when revenge is exacted by an armed group, the victim can be a person who has acted contrary to the interests of the group, for example by testifying against it in a trial or by talking to the police about its activities (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Executive Director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) [6], writing on his own behalf, also indicated that victims could be people suspected of having cooperated with the police (Executive Director 5 June 2018). Defenseurs Plus stated that political figures could also be targeted (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018). The Chancellor stated that community leaders were among the most vulnerable of those targeted by acts of revenge, and that journalists, those working for NGOs dealing with conflicts, activists and small business owners could also be targeted (Chancellor 18 June 2018).

Among those close to a target who can also be identified for revenge, sources mentioned family members (Executive Director 5 June 2018; Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). Some sources added that vulnerable members of the target's family, specifically women and girls, are at greater risk (Chancellor 18 June 2018; Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018; Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). According to The Assistant Professor, the wife, girlfriend, mother or daughter of a target "may be sexually assaulted, sometimes in the presence of the person being threatened, as an act of revenge"" (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018).

According to The Executive Director, a target's associates can also be a target for revenge (Executive Director 5 June 2018). With regards to political revenge, Defenseurs Plus also stated that supporters and colleagues of a political figure run the risk of being targeted (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018).

Sources have reported that police officers can also be targeted by acts of revenge (RNDDH 8 June 2018; Executive Director 5 June 2018; Project Leader 29 May 2018).

2. Ability to Track Down Victims

According to the sources, the principal means assailants use to find their victims is by word of mouth (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018; Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). The Project Leader mentioned that assailants generally know their victims, who are members of their entourage, their [translation] "sphere of influence" at work or school, or who are known publicly (Project Leader 29 May 2018). The Executive Director stated that assailants can look to the victim's social networks as a way to find them, including informal networks in their neighbourhood (Executive Director 5 June 2018). The Chancellor stated that the main way of tracking victims down was "individual networks" (Chancellor 18 June 2018).

According to The Assistant Professor, rumours are rife in Haiti and are an effective way of locating people because "Haitians tend to be geographically tied to a small area and so anyone outside of their [usual] circle will be quickly recognized" (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). She added that Haitians are generally well aware of their neighbours' business (assistant professor, 1 June 2018). The same source indicated that she had experienced this reality when she was trying to find former participants in a study while doing field research, asking neighbours where the former participants were was generally enough to locate them (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). She also told a story specifically about the gang environment: more than 12 years after working with a child who was linked to a gang, she consulted a gang leader and, in a few minutes, was able to find him and talk to him on the telephone, even though he had moved to the Dominican Republic and had maintained no contact with his previous gang and his former neighbourhood in the interim(Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). According to the source, this is because the gang had kept track of him for all those years (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018).

According to Defenseurs Plus, community radio can sometimes be used to track victims, especially when they are political figures (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Sources stated that social media are not readily used to keep track of people (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018) because very few Haitians have Internet access (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018).

The Executive Director indicated that some victims of acts of revenge reported that the police had helped their assailants to find them (Executive Director 5 June 2018). The Chancellor stated that, while it was a rare occurrence, some prominent gang leaders, who work in state institutions, use police files and personal information for their own purposes (Chancellor 18 June 2018).

3. Protection

Some sources state that, in Haiti, no state protection exists for targets of acts of revenge (RNDDH 8 June 2018; Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). Other sources have stated that there is some protection, but that it is inadequate (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018; Executive Director 5 June 2018). The Executive Director stated that it is possible for victims to file a complaint with the police and that "in some cases" the police will investigate or at least go to the victim's house (Executive Director 5 June 2018). Defenseurs Plus provided the example of a fellow human rights activist who, after receiving anonymous threatening telephone calls following his involvement in a trial, filed complaints with the police and the prosecutor's office with no results before he had to leave the country for his own safety (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018).

According to some sources, the Haitian Police lack the resources to provide protection for those targeted by revenge (RNDDH 8 June 2018; Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018; Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). The Project Leader stated that police officers, themselves targeted by acts of revenge, are afraid of the gangs (Project Leader 29 May 2018). According to the Assistant Professor, "[i]n fact, the police typically encourage the person to hide or to leave the country." (Assistant Professor 1 June 2018). The Chancellor stated that the Haitian police, a a "weak" and "underpa[id]" institution, was easily corrupted and that many police officers were involved in abductions and crimes (chancellor, 18 June 2018).

Sources also reported that the ineffective and corrupt nature of the legal system encourages acts of revenge (Executive Director 5 June 2018; Project Leader 29 May 2018), because "the probability of prosecution is not high enough to provide a substantial deterrent to organized crime revenge" (Executive Director 5 June 2018). According to Defenseurs Plus, people resort to private violence and vigilantism as a means of avenging themselves because the legal system is weak and the police do not always manage to meet the needs of the public in terms of protection (Defenseurs Plus 7 June 2018).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] CECI is a Quebec-based organization whose mission is to combat poverty and exclusion around the world. It has operated in Haiti since 1971 (CECI n.d.).

[2] INURED is an institute whose mission "is to contribute to the development of high-level research and scientific training in Haiti with the aim of improving the educational, socio-economic and political condition of Haiti's people" (INURED n.d.)

[3] Defenseurs Plus is a Haitian NGO dedicated to promoting and effectively defending human rights in Haiti (Defenseurs Plus n.d.).

[4] RNDDH is a Haitian NGO that makes systematic and routine visits to key institutions across the country to monitor the observance of human rights (RNDDH n.d.).

[5] CDA is an international not-for-profit organization that uses reliable and varied sources (CDA n.d.a) to produce tools and advice for practitioners and decision-makers working to build peace in conflict-affected countries (CDA n.d.b).

[6] IJDH is an American NGO that supports human rights workers in Haiti in their fight for justice and democracy through the Bureau des avocats internationaux (IJDH n.d.).

References

Assistant Professor. 1 June 2018. Written communication sent to the Research Directorate.

CDA Collaborative Learning Projects (CDA). May 2015. Sabina Carlson Robillard. Do No Harm Teaching Case Study: Cite Soleil. [Accessed 11 June 2018]

CDA Collaborative Learning Projects (CDA). N.d.a. "Collaborative Learning". [Accessed 12 June 2018]

CDA Collaborative Learning Projects (CDA).N.d.b. "About CDA". [Accessed 12 June 2018]

Centre d'etude et de cooperation internationale (CECI). N.d. "Haiti". [Accessed 7 June 2018]

Chancellor, Interuniversity Institute for Research and Development (INURED). 18 June 2018. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Defenseurs Plus. 7 June 2018. Telephone interview with a representative.

Defenseurs Plus. N.d. Facebook. "About". [Accessed 8 June 2018]

Executive Director, Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH). 5 June 2018. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH). N.d. "About". [Accessed 8 June 2018]

Interuniversity Institute for Research and Development (INURED). August 2017. Republic of Haiti: Country of Origin Information Paper. [Accessed 11 June 2018]

Interuniversity Institute for Research and Development (INURED). N.d. "Mission". [Accessed 21 June 2018]

National Human Rights Defense Network (Reseau national de defense des droits humains, RNDDH). 8 June 2018. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

National Human Rights Defense Network (Reseau national de defense des droits humains, RNDDH). N.d. "Vue d'ensemble du programme de surveillance". [Accessed 29 June 2018]

Project leader, Centre d'etude et de cooperation internationale (CECI). 29 May 2018. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral Sources: Assistant professor of anthropology with interests in politics and violence in Haiti; Assistant professor of political science who has worked on issues of post-conflict peace-building in Haiti; Associate professor of social sciences working on security, violence and marginalization in Haiti; Associate professor with interests in security and justice in Haiti; Bureau des avocats internationaux; Consultant on matters of post-conflict management in Haiti; Professor of sociology with interests in social, economic and political development in Haiti; Research director and professor of international relations, working on issues of violence and security in the Caribbean; Security Governance Group.

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; ecoi.net; Factiva; Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme; Fondation pour la recherche strategique; France  Office francais pour la protection des refugies et apatrides; Freedom House; Haiti  ministere de la Justice et de la Securite publique, Primature; Human Rights Watch; International Crisis Group; United Nations  Refworld.Mexico: Whether a third party can access personal information included in government databases, including home address, through the Unique Population Registration Code (Clave Unica de Registro de Poblacion, CURP) or driver's license; protection of personal data in case a driver's license is lost or stolen (2016-July 2018)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 3 July 2018 Citation / Document Symbol MEX106137.E Related Document(s) Mexique : information indiquant si un tiers peut avoir acces a des renseignements personnels contenus dans des bases de donnees du gouvernement au moyen du Code unique d'enregistrement de la population (Clave Unica de Registro de Poblacion - CURP) ou d'un permis de conduire; information sur la protection des renseignements personnels en cas de perte ou de vol de permis de conduire (2016-juillet 2018) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Mexico: Whether a third party can access personal information included in government databases, including home address, through the Unique Population Registration Code (Clave Unica de Registro de Poblacion, CURP) or driver's license; protection of personal data in case a driver's license is lost or stolen (2016-July 2018), 3 July 2018, MEX106137.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b61599d4.html [accessed 27 October 2021] 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.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Access to Personal Information with the CURP

In response to an access to information request filed by the Research Directorate, a representative from the National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Information (Instituto Nacional de Transparencia, Acceso a la Informacion y Proteccion de Datos Personales, INAI) indicated that [translation] "[a]ny person can consult or know the CURP of a Mexican citizen" through the web portal of the Ministry of the Interior (Secretaria de Gobernacion) set up for this purpose (Mexico 21 June 2018). A print-out of the web portal is attached to this Response. The INAI representative explained that anyone who has either someone else's 18-character CURP, or their complete first and last names, date of birth, and the name of the federal state where he or she was born, can obtain the following information through the web portal of the Ministry of the Interior:

[translation]

CURP.

First surname.

Second surname.

First name(s).

Sex.

Date of birth.

Nationality.

Federal state of birth.

Type and data of the document [used to obtain the CURP].

Historical entries, in cases where there have been amendments to the CURP [1]. (Mexico 21 June 2018)

The INAI representative explained that the Ministry of the Interior's web portal to consult the CURP is [translation] "considered a source of public access as it can be consulted by any person without there being any rule or norm that prohibits it" (Mexico 21 June 2018). The same source further indicated that, according to Mexican law, obtaining personal data through publicly accessible sources does not require the consent of the person in question (Mexico 21 June 2018).

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an associate professor at the University of Colorado Denver whose areas of focus include criminology, and science and technology, and who has published a book on surveillance technologies and information systems in Mexico, stated that, drawing on his previous research from 2010 to 2012, if someone knows another person's name, sex, and place and date of birth, which is [translation] "fairly common," a CURP can be obtained "quite easily" (Associate Professor 16 June 2018).

Sources indicate that the CURP does not indicate a person's address (Mexico 21 June 2018; Professor 16 June 2018). Sources indicate that a third party cannot access a person's home address only by knowing the CURP (Managing Partner 10 June 2018; Professor 16 June 2018).

1.1 Driver's Licenses

Sources indicate that the information contained in driver's licenses in Mexico varies from state to state (Mexico 21 June 2018; Professor 16 June 2018). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Managing Partner of a law firm with offices in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon and Mexico City, whose practice areas include the protection of personal data, stated that

[translation]

it is important to note that in addition to the name of the driver, all Mexican driver's licenses contain the [holder's] home address. Consequently, if a third party has access to the driver's license of another person, they would have direct access to the home address that the person registered during the process to obtain the driver's license. (Managing Partner 10 June 2018)

The Keesing Reference Systems provides 8 samples of Mexican driver's licenses, 5 of which contain the holder's home address, and 3 of which do not [2] (Keesing Reference Systems n.d.).

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a professor at the Faculty of Law at the Autonomous Technical Institute of Mexico (Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico, ITAM), stated that some driver's licenses include the CURP (Professor 16 June 2018). The representative from INAI indicated that if a driver's license has the information required by the web portal of the Ministry of the Interior, a third party may be able to access someone's CURP (Mexico 21 June 2018).

2. Protection of Personal Data

According to the Managing Partner, it is [translation] "very common" that driver's licenses are lost or stolen, and used by third parties to sell personal information or commit illicit acts such as identity theft (Managing Partner 10 June 2018). The INAI representative indicated that when an identity document is lost or stolen, the person must report it to the competent authorities of the state (Mexico 21 June 2018). The same source indicated that, in the case of Mexico City, complaints can be filed with a civil judge (Juez Civico) and the claimant must produce either official identification or two witnesses in order to establish their identity (Mexico 21 June 2018). Sources indicated that thefts can be reported to a state Prosecutor General's Office (Fiscalia General) (Managing Partner 10 June 2018; Professor 16 June 2018). According to the Managing Partner, in cases where the driver's license is lost, [translation] "it is important to report said loss to the relevant state Motor Vehicle Control Institute (Instituto de Control Vehicular) in order to deregister said license and to process a new one through the driver's license replacement procedure" (Managing Partner 10 June 2018).

According to the INAI representative, filing a report [translation] "does not protect personal data per se; rather, it is only a way to prevent a potential identity theft, that is to say, against the misuse of the lost or stolen document, as the affected person can demonstrate that he or she was not the one who used it in this way" (Mexico 21 June 2018). Other sources similarly indicate that with the record of the report, the affected person can protect themselves against legal responsibility for any improper use of their stolen license (Managing Partner 10 June 2018; Professor 16 June 2018). The Managing Partner stated that these protection measures are therefore [translation] "effective" because of the protection they afford from "any type of civil and/or penal responsibility" (Managing Partner 10 June 2018). The Professor indicated that the effectiveness of filing a report [translation] "is subject to the type of claim or illegal act that was committed using the license" (Professor 16 June 2018). The same source also indicated, without providing further details, that [translation] "if someone's personal information is used without their consent, they can approach the [INAI], either at the national or local level, to ask that they oblige the holder of the illegally acquired information to remove it from the database" (Professor 16 June 2018). According to the same source, this means of defence is [translation] "effective" (Professor 16 June 2018). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] The Agreement for the Adoption and Use by the Federal Public Administration of the Unique Population Registration Code (Acuerdo para la Adopcion y Uso por la Administracion Publica Federal de la Clave Unica de Registro de Poblacion) provides the following:

[translation]

ARTICLE 2. The unique population registration code shall contain eighteen characters, defined as follows:

The first four places shall be letters and shall be obtained as follows: the first two shall be the initial and first internal vowel of the first surname, in that order; the third shall be the initial of the second surname and the fourth shall be the initial of the first given name.

When the first or second surname is hyphenated, only the portion before the hyphen shall be used for inclusion in the code.

When the name of a physical person includes articles, prepositions, conjunctions or contractions, these shall not be included in the code.

For women, maiden names only must be used; The next six places shall be numbers, indicating the year, month and day of birth, in that order.

The year shall be rendered with the last two digits; when the month or day are a number less than ten, they shall have a leading zero; The next place shall be a letter, "H" for male and "M" for female; The next two places shall indicate, in the case of individuals born in Mexico, the federative entity in which they were born. For this purpose, the codes appearing in Annex I, which forms part of this Agreement, shall be taken into consideration. For individuals not born on Mexican territory, these places shall be filled with the codes provided in the regulatory instruction issued by the Ministry of the Interior; The next three places shall be letters, corresponding to the first internal consonants of the first surname, second surname and first given name, in that order; The next place shall be either a number or letter, and shall be used to differentiate the codes in cases of homonymy. This place shall be progressive in nature and shall be assigned by the Ministry of the Interior.

This place shall be a number for persons born 31 December 1999 and earlier, with a leading zero, and a letter for persons born 1 January 2000 and later, with a leading A, and The last place shall be a number, a verification digit assigned by the Ministry of the Interior.

Specific cases not covered in this Article must be resolved in accordance with the regulatory instruction issued by the Ministry of the Interior. (Mexico 1996)

[2] The 5 samples that contain the holder's home address are from the following states: Nuevo Leon (expires in 2013), Guanajuato (expires in 2016), Jalisco (expires in 2012), Puebla (expires in 2010), and Veracruz (expires in 2012); the 3 samples that do not contain the holder's home address are from Mexico City (expires in 2013), Baja California (expires in 2013) and the state of Mexico (expires in 2008) (Keesing n.d.).

References

Associate Professor, University of Colorado Denver. 16 June 2018. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Keesing Reference Systems. N.d. "Mexico - MEX - Driving Licence." [Accessed 28 June 2018]

Managing Partner, law firm in Mexico. 10 June 2018. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Mexico. 21 June 2018. Instituto Nacional de Transparencia, Acceso a la Informacion y Proteccion de Datos Personales (INAI). Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate.

Mexico. 1996. Acuerdo para la Adopcion y Uso por la Administracion Publica Federal de la Clave Unica de Registro de Poblacion. Excerpt translated by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada. [Accessed 25 June 2018]

Professor, Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico. 16 June 2018. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Academic specializing in corruption in Mexico; Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Juridico; Instituto para la Seguridad y la Democracia A.C.; law firm specializing in criminal law; Mexico  Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Penales, Plataforma Nacional de Transparencia, Secretaria de Gobernacion; Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico  Instituto de Investigaciones Juridicas; World Bank.

Internet sites, including: ecoi.net; Mexico  Instituto Nacional de Transparencia, Acceso a la Informacion y Proteccion de Datos Personales; Mexico News Daily; Reforma; UN  Refworld; World Bank.

Attachment

Mexico. N.d. Secretaria de Gobernacion. "Consulta curp." [Accessed 21 June 2018]Mexico: Rights and obligations of permanent residents; conditions under which permanent residence is cancelled (2016-June 2018)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 27 June 2018 Citation / Document Symbol MEX106140.E Related Document(s) Mexique : information sur les droits et les obligations des residents permanents; les conditions requises pour l'annulation de la residence permanente (2016-juin 2018) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Mexico: Rights and obligations of permanent residents; conditions under which permanent residence is cancelled (2016-June 2018), 27 June 2018, MEX106140.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b615b194.html [accessed 27 October 2021] 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.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Validity of Permanent Residence in Mexico

Sources indicate that permanent residence in Mexico does not expire (CMDPDH 18 June 2018; Sin Fronteras 4 June 2018). The Regulations under the Law on Migration (Reglamento de la Ley de Migracion) provide the following:

[translation]

Article 157. The card certifying the status of permanent resident shall be valid indefinitely, except in the case of foreign minors, who must renew the card every year until the age of three. From that age on, the migration document must be renewed every four years until the holder reaches the age of majority.

 (Mexico 2012)

1.1 Lost, Stolen or Damaged Permanent Residence Cards

Sources indicate that if the permanent residence card is lost or stolen, its holder must obtain another copy (Sin Fronteras 4 June 2018; CMDPDH 18 June 2018), from the National Migration Institute (Instituto Nacional de Migracion, INM) (CMDPDH 18 June 2018).

The Regulations under the Law on Migration indicate the following:

[translation]

Article 162. The foreigner may request that the Institute replace the migration document certifying his or her lawful status in the event of theft, loss, partial deterioration or total destruction, as follows:

He or she must submit the application for document replacement, passport or identity and travel document valid under international law and proof of payment of fees in compliance with the Federal Law on Rights. If the theft or loss of the migration document took place abroad, the foreigner must produce, in addition to the above, a copy of the visa; He or she must appear in person before the immigration authority if the theft, loss or mutilation of the migration document took place on Mexican territory. This appearance must be recorded in the proceedings. The immigration authority, after verifying compliance with the applicable requirements and the immigration control lists, shall issue the appropriate decision, and If the decision is positive, the immigration authority shall issue the corresponding document. Otherwise, a duly founded and warranted decision must be issued, granting a period not more than thirty and not less than fifteen calendar days for the foreign person to leave Mexican territory. (Mexico 2012)

An information page on the website of the embassy of Mexico in Canada regarding a "visa due to theft, loss or destruction of temporary or permanent resident card" indicates that the previous holder of such a card "must file a Request for Replacement at the closest Mexican Embassy or Consulate. Issuance of this visa will depend on the authorization of the [INM]" (Mexico 4 Dec. 2012). The same source indicates that, once the INM authorizes the issuance of this visa, the holder must make an appointment at the consular office and provide, in person, the following requirements:

Completed and signed application form;

original and copy of a valid passport or travel and identity document;

a photograph;

original and copy of the report filed with the "competent authority" that indicates that the permanent residence card was lost, stolen, or destroyed;

original copy of the permanent residence card, if the card was damaged; and

the required fees, paid in cash (Mexico 4 Dec. 2012).

The same source adds that "[t]he interested party must allow for a period of 10 working days between the date of the visa application and the date of its issuance, if appropriate" (Mexico 4 Dec. 2012). The visa "may be used for a single entry and only during the period of validity that begins on the date of its issuance" (Mexico 4 Dec. 2012). The holder must apply for a replacement of the permanent residence card at the INM within 30 days after entering Mexico (Mexico 4 Dec. 2012).

2. Rights and Obligations

Sources indicate that persons who are permanent residents in Mexico have the same rights as Mexican citizens, with the exception of voting in elections (CMDPDH 18 June 2018; Lawyer 21 June 2018). The Law on Migration (Ley de Migracion) provides, among others, the following rights and responsibilities of permanent residents in Mexico:

[translation]

Article 8. Migrants shall be able to access educational services provided by the public and private sectors irrespective of their immigration status and in accordance with the relevant legal and regulatory provisions.

Migrants shall have the right to receive any medical care provided by the public and private sectors irrespective of their immigration status and in accordance with the relevant legal and regulatory provisions.

Irrespective of their immigration status, migrants shall have the right to receive, free of charge and without any restriction, any urgent medical care that is necessary to save their life.

In the provision of educational and medical services, no administrative act shall establish restrictions on foreigners greater than those generally established for Mexicans.



Article 55. Permanent residents shall have the right to preserve family unity; they therefore may enter together with or subsequently request the entry of the following persons, who shall be able to reside in Mexico under the same lawful status and with the entitlements set forth in the previous article:

Father or mother of the permanent resident; Spouse, who shall be granted the lawful status of temporary resident for two years, after which he or she may obtain the lawful status of permanent resident, provided the marriage is still intact; Common-law partner or equivalent figure, who shall be granted the lawful status of temporary resident for two years, after which he or she may obtain the lawful status of permanent resident, provided the common-law marriage is still intact; Children of the permanent resident, spouse, or common-law partner, provided the children are unmarried children and adolescents or are under their guardianship or custody; and Siblings of the permanent resident, provided they are unmarried children and adolescents or are under his or her legal representation.

For the exercise of the right enshrined in this article by persons granted political asylum or recognized as refugees, the international treaties to which the Mexican State is signatory and other applicable legislation shall be honoured. (Mexico 2011)

Sources indicate that permanent residence card holders may experience problems when accessing services such as opening bank accounts (Sin Fronteras 4 June 2018; Animal Politico 4 Mar. 2018) and health care (Animal Politico 4 Mar. 2018). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of Sin Fronteras, a non-profit Mexican civil society organization that promotes and advocates for the the rights of migrants (Sin Fronteras n.d.), indicated that some government officials are not familiar with immigration documents and indicate to permanent residence card holders that [translation] "some services are provided only for Mexican citizens" (Sin Fronteras 4 June 2018). Animal Politico, a Mexican news source, reports on the case of a Venezuelan national with Mexican permanent residence who faced problems accessing health care at a clinic as employees were not familiar with the permanent residence card (Animal Politico 4 Mar. 2018). Further information on the prevalence of barriers for permanent residents accessing services could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3. Leaving and Entering Mexico and Cancellation of Permanent Residence

Article 54 of the Law on Migration indicates that holders of Mexican permanent residence have the [translation] "right to enter and leave Mexican territory as many times as they wish" (Mexico 2011). The Sin Fronteras representative indicated that Mexican permanent residents can stay outside Mexico [translation] "for years" (Sin Fronteras 4 June 2018). Sources indicate that Mexican law does not have restrictions on the amount of time that Mexican permanent residents can stay outside Mexico (CMDPDH 18 June 2018; Lawyer 21 June 2018).

The Law on Migration indicates the following:

[translation]

Article 64. The Institute must cancel temporary or permanent resident status for the following reasons:

The foreigner has declared that his or her departure is final; The foreigner is granted another lawful status; The foreigner provides false information or presents forged or else legitimate but fraudulently obtained official documentation to the Institute; The foreigner loses his or her lawful status for the other reasons established in this Law; The foreigner loses recognition of his or her refugee status or additional protection under the applicable legal provisions; and The foreigner is subject to criminal prosecution or convicted of a felony under Mexican criminal law or under the provisions of the international treaties and agreements to which the Mexican State is a party, or if his or her history in Mexico or abroad could compromise national security or public safety. (Mexico 2011)

In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, an immigration lawyer based in Cozumel indicated that a Mexican permanent resident must not enter Mexico under another status, including as [translation] "tourist," as the new status will invalidate the previous one (Lawyer 21 June 2018). Article 61 of the Law on Migration indicates that [translation] "[n]o foreigner may possess more than one status of resident at a time" (Mexico 2011).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Animal Politico. 4 March 2018. Manu Ureste. "Venezuela huye del hambre y busca refugio en Mexico." [Accessed 15 May 2018]

Comision Mexicana de Defensa y Promocion de los Derechos Humanos (CMDPDH). 18 June 2018. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate.

Lawyer, Cozumel. 21 June 2018. Telephone interview with the Research Directorate.

Mexico. 4 December 2012. Embassy in Ottawa. "Visa Due to Theft, Loss or Destruction of Temporary or Permanent Resident Card." [Accessed 21 June 2018]

Mexico. 2012 (amended 2014). Reglamento de la Ley de Migracion. Excerpts translated by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada. [Accessed 18 June 2018]

Mexico. 2011 (amended 2017). Ley de Migracion. Excerpts translated by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada. [Accessed 18 June 2018]

Sin Fronteras, IAP. 4 June 2018. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate.

Sin Fronteras. N.d. "Quienes somos?" [Accessed 21 June 2018]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Mexico  Instituto Nacional de Migracion.

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; Factiva; Freedom House; La Jornada; Mexico  Comision Mexicana de Ayuda a Regufiados, Instituto Nacional de Migracion; US  Department of State, Embassy in Mexico City; Washington Office on Latin America.Haiti and United States: Whether legal representation is required for persons who apply for asylum in the US; availability of legal aid for asylum applicants, particularly for Haitians, in the states of California, Florida, New Jersey and New York (2016-June 2018)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 6 June 2018 Citation / Document Symbol ZZZ106129.E Related Document(s) Haiti et Etats-Unis : information indiquant si la representation juridique est obligatoire pour les personnes qui demandent l'asile aux Etats-Unis; la disponibilite de l'assistance juridique, en particulier pour les Haitiens, dans les Etats de la Californie, de la Floride, du New Jersey et de New York (2016-juin 2018) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Haiti and United States: Whether legal representation is required for persons who apply for asylum in the US; availability of legal aid for asylum applicants, particularly for Haitians, in the states of California, Florida, New Jersey and New York (2016-June 2018), 6 June 2018, ZZZ106129.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b615d794.html [accessed 27 October 2021] 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.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Legal Representation

The US Immigration Court Practice Manual [1] explains the following:

Asylum applications are categorized as either ''defensive'' or ''affirmative.'' A defensive asylum application is filed with the Immigration Court by an alien already in [removal] proceedings. An affirmative asylum application is filed with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Asylum Office by an alien not in removal proceedings. If the DHS Asylum Office declines to grant an affirmative asylum application, removal proceedings may be initiated. In that case, the asylum application is referred to an Immigration Judge, who may grant or deny the application. (US 2 Nov. 2017, Sec. 3.1 (b) (iii))

Title 8 [2] of the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) provides that applicants "may have counsel or a representative present" during interviews before asylum officers (US 24 May 2018, Sec. 208.9). The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicates that for the affirmative asylum process, applicants "may bring an attorney or accredited representative to the interview" (US 26 Jan. 2018).

The Immigration Court Practice Manual provides the following about appearances before the Immigration Court:

2.1 Representation Generally

(a) Types of representatives.  The regulations specify who may represent parties in immigration proceedings.  As a practical matter, there are four categories of people who may present cases in Immigration Court: unrepresented aliens (Chapter 2.2), attorneys (Chapter 2.3), accredited representatives (Chapter 2.4), and certain categories of persons who are expressly recognized by the Immigration Court (Chapters 2.5 [Law Students and Law Graduates], 2.8 [Family Members], and 2.9 [Others]).



No one else is recognized to practice before the Immigration Court. Non-lawyer immigration specialists, visa consultants, and "notarios," are not authorized to represent parties before an Immigration Court.



2.2 Unrepresented Aliens ("Pro se" Appearances)

(a) Generally.  An individual in proceedings may represent himself or herself before the Immigration Court.

Many individuals choose to be represented by an attorney or accredited representative. Due to the complexity of the immigration and nationality laws, the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge recommends that those who can obtain qualified professional representation do so. 



(US 2 Nov. 2017, Sec. 2.1-2.2, emphasis in original)

The US Department of Justice explains the following about the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA):

The BIA has been given nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals from certain decisions rendered by immigration judges and by district directors of the [DHS] in a wide variety of proceedings in which the Government of the United States is one party and the other party is an alien, a citizen, or a business firm.

BIA decisions are binding on all DHS officers and immigration judges unless modified or overruled by the Attorney General or a federal court. (US 16 Mar. 2018)

The Board of Immigration Appeals Practice Manual [3] provides that the BIA "generally has the authority to review appeals from," among others, "decisions of Immigration Judges pertaining to asylum" (US 23 Mar. 2018, Sec. 1.4(a)).

The Board of Immigration Appeals Practice Manual provides the following on appearances before the Board:

2.1 Representation Generally

(a) Types of representatives.  The regulations specify who may represent parties before the Board.  As a practical matter, there are four categories of people who may present cases to the Board: unrepresented aliens (Chapter 2.2), attorneys (Chapter 2.3), accredited representatives (Chapter 2.4), and certain kinds of individuals who are expressly recognized by the Board (Chapter 2.5 [Law Students and Law Graduates] and 2.9 [Others]).

No one else is recognized to practice before the Board. Non-lawyer "immigration specialists," "visa-consultants," and "notarios" are not authorized to represent parties before the Board. 



2.2 Unrepresented Aliens ("Pro se" Appearances)

(a) Generally.  An individual in proceedings may represent himself or herself before the Board.

Many individuals choose to be represented by an attorney or accredited representative. Due to the complexity of the immigration and nationality laws, the Board recommends that those who can obtain professional representation do so.

 (US 23 Mar. 2018, Sec. 2.1-2.2)

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an assistant professor of law at the University of Detroit Mercy, whose areas of expertise include immigration law and asylum in the US [4], indicated that asylum applicants do not need an attorney, whether they are trying to obtain asylum through the affirmative or defensive process, or for an appeal to a decision (Assistant Professor 30 May 2018).

2. Fees for Asylum Applications

According to the USCIS, there is no "[f]iling fee" associated with the filing of the form I-589, called "Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal" (US 20 Mar. 2018). The same source adds that "[b]iometrics services may be required at no cost" (US 20 Mar. 2018). According to a manual prepared by the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) [5], there is no "filing fee" associated with applications for asylum, filed affirmatively or defensively (NIJC Oct. 2017, 28). Similarly, the Assistant Professor indicated that there is no fee when applying for asylum status in the US (Assistant Professor 30 May 2018).

Title 8 of the US CFR provides the following regarding the fees for filing an appeal with the BIA:

 1103.7 Fees.



Form EOIR-26. For filing an appeal from a decision of an immigration judge - $110.

Form EOIR-29. For filing an appeal from a decision of an officer of the Department of Homeland Security - $110.

 (US 24 May 2018, Sec. 1103.7)

3. Legal Aid

Citing US court decisions, Sabrineh Ardalan, of Harvard Law School [6], explains that the Supreme Court and federal courts have "declined to recognize a universal right to appointed counsel for indigent asylum seekers, and instead maintain that immigration proceedings are civil in nature" (Ardalan 2015, 1009). Similarly, the Huffington Post (HuffPost), an American news website, explains that participants to immigration proceedings do not have "a right to a lawyer" because the proceedings "are civil rather than criminal" (HuffPost 9 Nov. 2017).

The information in the following paragraph was provided by the Assistant Professor:

"In general, traditional legal [aid] services are not available to asylum applicants in the US." Legal aid organizations often receive funding from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) that places limitations, for example in terms of immigration status and on eligibility for assistance. "Even if LSC-funded entities have other funding, the commingling of those funds usually prevents legal aid organizations from providing legal services to non-LSC eligible clients." Asylum seekers are not eligible for such assistance. "Of course, in several states around the country, there are immigration legal service providers and law school clinics [funded by other entities] that do provide free or low-cost assistance to non-citizens with immigration issues" (Assistant Professor 30 May 2018). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3.1 Authorised Pro Bono Legal Service Providers

For the interview related to the affirmative asylum process, the USCIS indicates that applicants "may obtain a list of pro bono (free or reduced cost) attorneys and community-based, non-profit organizations that may be available to assist [them]" (US 12 May 2017). Title 8 of the CFR provides the following in the "List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers":

1003.61 General provisions.

(a) Definitions

Director. Director means the Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)  and shall also include any office or official within EOIR to whom the Director delegates authority with respect to subpart E of this part. Pro bono legal services. Pro bono legal services are those uncompensated legal services performed for indigent individuals or the public good without any expectation of either direct or indirect remuneration, including referral fees (other than filing fees or photocopying and mailing expenses), although a representative may be regularly compensated by the firm, organization, or pro bono referral service with which he or she is associated. Organization. A non-profit religious, charitable, social service, or similar group established in the United States. Pro bono referral service. A referral service, offered by a non-profit group, association, or similar organization established in the United States that assists persons in locating pro bono representation by making case referrals to attorneys or organizations that are available to provide pro bono representation. Provider. Any organization, pro bono referral service, or attorney whose name is included on the List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers.

(b) Authority. The Director shall maintain a list, known as the List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers (List), of organizations, pro bono referral services, and attorneys qualified under this subpart to provide pro bono legal services in immigration proceedings. The List, which shall be updated not less than quarterly, shall be provided to individuals in removal and other proceedings before an immigration court.



(US 24 May 2018, Sec. 1003.61, italics in original)

The Immigration Court Practice Manual provides the following:

2.2 Unrepresented Aliens ("Pro se" Appearances)



(b) Legal service providers.  The Immigration Courts cannot give advice regarding the selection of a representative. However, aliens in proceedings before an Immigration Court are provided with a list of free or low cost legal service providers within the region in which the Immigration Court is located.  The list is maintained by the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge and contains information on attorneys, bar associations, and certain non-profit organizations willing to provide legal services to indigent individuals in Immigration Court proceedings at little or no cost. The free or low cost legal service providers may not be able to represent every individual who requests assistance.

In addition, all of the lists of free legal service providers nationwide are available on the EOIR website at www.justice.gov/eoir. (US 2 Nov. 2017, Sec. 2.2)

The EOIR website provides the following information about the "List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers" (formerly known as the "List of Free Legal Services Providers"):

The List contains information on non-profit organizations and attorneys who have committed to providing at least 50 hours per year of pro bono legal services before the immigration court location where they appear on the List. The List also contains information on pro bono referral services that refer individuals in immigration court proceedings to pro bono counsel. (US 16 May 2018)

The EOIR website, according to a list dated 16 May 2018, indicates that the following states and territories do not have any providers: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming (US 16 May 2018). An April 2018 document combining the lists of pro bono legal service providers for the states of California, Florida, New Jersey and New York, as provided on the EOIR website, is attached to this Response (Attachment 1).

The Assistant Professor explained that the capacity and specialization of free or low-cost legal service providers, available to non-citizens with immigration issues, "vary widely. Some only assist with a narrow segment of legal matters, such as naturalization. Other have robust removal defence programs that rely heavily on pro bono attorney involvement" (Assistant Professor 30 May 2018). Similarly, according to the lists of pro bono legal services providers in California, Florida, New Jersey and New York, some providers have restrictions in terms of clients they represent, including the following examples:

The Legal Aid Society of San Diego does not represent asylum cases (US Apr. 2018a);

The Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco "[r]arely take[s] asylum cases" (US Apr. 2018a);

The Catholic Charities Legal Services Archdiocese of Palm Beach does not represent detained clients (US Apr. 2018b);

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) only represents minors and unaccompanied children in:

Los Angeles and San Francisco (US Apr. 2018a); New Jersey (US Apr. 2018c); New York (US Apr. 2018d).

The Immigrant Defenders Law Center in Los Angeles only takes cases of unaccompanied minors (US Apr. 2018a);

The Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights in New York does not take asylum cases (US Apr. 2018d);

HIAS, located in New York and which represents clients in the Newark Immigration Court in New Jersey and at the New York Immigration Court, provides assistance to asylum applicants who are scientists, scholars, students, artists or professionals (US Apr. 2018c; US Apr. 2018d).

According to the same lists, in California, there are six providers (located in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco), that specifically mention that they offer assistance to asylum seekers, or that they accept all types of cases (US Apr. 2018a); in Florida, there are four (located in Doral, Hollywood, Jacksonville, Miami and Port Richey) (US Apr. 2018b); for New Jersey courts, there are three (located in Newark and New York) (US Apr. 2018c); and in New York, there are six (located in Brooklyn, New York and Rochester) (US Apr. 2018d).

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative at the Orlando Center for Justice (OCJ), an organization that is included on the list of pro bono legal service providers for the state of Florida, explained that the OCJ provides the following pro bono legal services to asylum seekers:

We provide consultations. We have represented clients before USCIS asylum officers in affirmative cases and in Immigration Court in defensive cases. We advise on what is asylum and what it is not. We prepare application packages and prepare clients through mock interviews and/or hearings. We attend interviews and hearings with clients. Our service area is mainly Central Florida, but we do take cases throughout Florida.  [We attend] BIA appeals, if warranted. (OCJ 29 May 2018)

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative at Americans for Immigrant Justice (AI Justice), an organization that is included on the list of pro bono legal service providers for the state of Florida, indicated that their pro bono legal services include "legal screening and assessment, Freedom of Information Act requests (as needed), and, as feasible, affirmative and defensive representation" (AI Justice 31 May 2018).

3.2 BIA Pro Bono Project

The Board of Immigration Appeals Practice Manual provides the following:

2.2 Unrepresented Aliens ("Pro se" Appearances)



(b) Pro Bono Program.  The Board cannot give advice on when to obtain professional representation or whom to select. However, EOIR provides general information for persons seeking free legal services on its website through the Office of Legal Access Programs. The website also includes information on the BIA Pro Bono Project, which matches attorney brief writers with indigent aliens who have cases on appeal

 (US 23 Mar. 2018, Sec. 2.2)

The Department of Justice describes the BIA Pro Bono Project as follows:

In January of 2001, [the Project was] implemented  to increase pro bono representation initially for individuals detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with immigration cases under appeal. The Project was developed between EOIR and several non-governmental organizations  Since its start, the Project has succeeded in securing pro bono counsel for well over 1,000 individuals around the country - individuals who would not have otherwise been represented by counsel.

As a general matter, immigrants in removal proceedings are not entitled to publicly-funded legal assistance and, thus, many appear before the Immigration Courts and BIA without legal counsel. Agencies that provide legal services to immigrants normally face great obstacles in identifying, locating, and communicating with unrepresented individuals in time to write and file an appeal brief.

Under the Project, EOIR assists in identifying potentially meritorious cases based upon criteria determined by the partnering volunteer groups. Once cases are identified and reviewed, their summaries are then distributed via e-mail to pro bono representatives across the United States. Volunteers who accept a case under the Project receive a copy of the file, as well as additional time to file the appeal brief. (US 16 Nov. 2016a)

3.3 National Qualified Representative Program

The Department of Justice indicates that the National Qualified Representative Program (NQRP), launched in 2013, is "a nationwide program to provide [q]ualified [r]epresentatives  to certain unrepresented and detained respondents who are found by an [i]mmigration [j]udge or the BIA to be mentally incompetent to represent themselves in immigration proceedings" (US 16 Nov. 2016b). The Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) [7], contracted by the EOIR to set up the NQRP (Vera n.d.a), stated that, as of July 2016, the NQRP operated in six states (Washington, California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Florida), and that it would "eventually operate nationwide" (Vera n.d.b). Further information on the NQRP could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3.4 Availability

The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC)'s Immigration Project [8] indicates that in the 2017 fiscal year, in the US, 6,228 asylum decisions (out of a total of 30,179) made by the Immigration Court involved unrepresented applicants (20.6 percent); and that in the 2016 fiscal year, 4,843 asylum decisions (out of a total of 22,312) involved unrepresented applicants (21.7 percent) (TRAC 28 Nov. 2017). According to the same source, out of 2,602 asylum decisions before the Immigration Court involving Haitians between the 2012 and 2017 fiscal years, 1,156 applicants were not represented (approximately 44.43 percent out of a total of 2,602 cases), and 1,446 were represented (approximately 55.57 percent) (TRAC 20 Nov. 2017). According to the same source, 86.1 percent of the asylum applications filed by Haitians were denied, with a rate of denial at 95.5 percent for unrepresented applicants, compared to 78.6 percent for represented applicants (TRAC 20 Nov. 2017). A table with the number of asylum applicants represented and not represented by nationality, from 2012 to 2017, provided by TRAC's Immigration Project, is attached to this Response (Attachment 2).

The Assistant Professor provided the following information:

For asylum applicants to be eligible for free legal services, they must live in an area where there is a provider able to perform these legal services.  Availability of immigration legal services varies greatly [around the country].

Some asylum applicants are successful in obtaining legal aid with the lists of pro bono legal service providers, but certainly not enough. There is a dearth of immigration legal service organizations that really have the capacity to meet the needs of persons seeking asylum  especially when those persons are detained.  Several detention facilities [are] in remote parts of the country where there are also immigration courts on site. Stewart, in Georgia is an example of one such site. Stewart Detention Center is over two hours from Atlanta. The facility has a capacity of 1,700+. It is an impossible task to provide free or low-cost immigration legal services at a site like Stewart (or Eloy, AZ). 

Asylum applicants face obstacles in obtaining legal aid services, [including the following]: ... language access (more attorneys and staff speak Spanish than French or Haitian Creole), short timelines, ineligibility for bond for many detainees, limited pro bono specialization/training on the complexities of immigration law generally and asylum law specifically, unwillingness of large and small firms to commit the time and money for prolonged representation, and limited mentoring capacity. (Assistant Professor 30 May 2018)

According to the lists of pro bono legal service providers, in California, there are no providers that specifically mention that they offer services in French or Haitian Creole (US Apr. 2018a); in Florida, there are two that indicate both French and Haitian Creole among their languages (US Apr. 2018b); in New Jersey, there are two that indicate the use of French (US Apr. 2018c); and in New York, there are three that mention French and one that mentions Creole (US Apr. 2018d).

The OCJ representative explained the following regarding the requests they receive from Haitians:

We do see a significant number of Haitians seeking [asylum] services. We are not able to provide legal services to all of them. 20 percent of all we serve are pro bono. The remaining services are on an income based sliding scale. We have two full time staff attorneys, so our ability to take cases is limited. Neither of our attorneys speak Creole, further limiting the total number of Haitian Creole cases we can take at one time because an outside translator is often needed. Unfortunately, without additional funding, our reach is limited. (OCJ 29 May 2018)

The AI Justice representative explained that they "have seen a sharp increase of Haitian clients seeking assistance," with the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) [9] (AI Justice 31 May 2018). According to the same source, AI Justice is not able to provide legal aid services to all Haitians seeking assistance because the organization has limitations in terms of funding and capacity (AI Justice 31 May 2018).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] The Immigration Court Practice Manual is "a comprehensive guide that sets forth uniform procedures, recommendations, and requirements for practice before the Immigration Courts. The requirements set forth in this manual are binding on the parties who appear before the Immigration Courts, unless the Immigration Judge directs otherwise in a particular case. The Practice Manual does not limit the discretion of Immigration Judges to act in accordance with law and regulation" (US 2 Nov. 2017).

[2] Title 8 of the CFR pertains to "Aliens and Nationality"; the regulatory entity for sections 1 to 499 is the DHS, and the regulatory entity for sections 1000 to 1399 is the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) (US 24 May 2018).

[3] The Board of Immigration Appeals Practice Manual "describes procedures, requirements, and recommendations for practice before the Board of Immigration Appeals[;] [it] is provided for the information and convenience of the general public and for parties that appear before the Board  [and] [it] does not carry the weight of law or regulation. [It] is not intended, nor should it be construed in any way, as legal advice, nor does it extend or limit the jurisdiction of the Board as established by law and regulation" (US 23 Mar. 2018, Sec. 1.1).

[4] The Assistant Professor indicated that the information he provided is also based on resources and background shared by an attorney managing a legal resource centre for immigrants in Michigan (Assistant Professor 30 May 2018).

[5] NIJC provides legal services to immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the US (NIJC n.d.).

[6] Sabrineh Ardalan is an assistant director at the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program where she "supervises and trains law students working on applications for asylum and other humanitarian protections, as well as appellate litigation and policy advocacy" (Harvard Law School n.d.). She also teaches courses on immigration and refugee law (Harvard Law School n.d.).

[7] Vera, "in partnership with leaders in the public sector," works on "projects [that] drive change by advancing new knowledge about justice reform and implementing solutions on the ground," including projects related to immigration (Vera n.d.c).

[8] TRAC "is a data gathering, data research and data distribution organization at Syracuse University" (TRAC n.d.a). TRAC's Immigration Project includes, among other elements, "[d]etailed reports on the handling of asylum matters by over 200 immigration judges [in the US]" (TRAC n.d.b).

[9] The USCIS indicates that "[t]he Secretary of Homeland Security may designate a foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country's nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately. USCIS may grant TPS to eligible nationals of certain countries (or parts of countries), who are already in the United States. Eligible individuals without nationality who last resided in the designated country may also be granted TPS" (US 22 May 2018).

References

Americans for Immigrant Justice (AI Justice). 31 May 2018. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate.

Ardalan, Sabrineh. 2015. "Access to Justice for Asylum Seekers: Developing an Effective Model of Holistic Asylum Representation." University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform. Vol. 48, No. 4. -+-+- [Accessed 22 May 2018]

Assistant Professor, University of Detroit Mercy. 30 May 2018. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Harvard Law School. N.d. "Sabrineh Ardalan." [Accessed 23 May 2018]

Huffington Post (HuffPost). 9 November 2017. Teresa Wiltz. "Amid Immigration Crackdown, Cities Step in with Free Legal Aid." [Accessed 17 May 2018]

National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC). October 2017. Basic Procedural Manual for Asylum Representation Affirmatively and in Removal Proceedings. [Accessed 24 May 2018]

National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC). N.d. "About Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center." [Accessed 24 May 2018]

Orlando Center for Justice (OCJ). 29 May 2018. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate.

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). 28 November 2017. Immigration Project. Asylum Representation Rates Have Fallen Amid Rising Denial Rates. [Accessed 23 May 2018]

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). 20 November 2017. Immigration Project. "Table 2. Immigration Court Asylum Denial Rates by Nationality and Representation Status, FY 2012 - FY 2017." Asylum Representation Rates Have Fallen Amid Rising Denial Rates. [Accessed 25 May 2018]

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). N.d.a. "Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse." [Accessed 23 May 2018]

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). N.d.b. Immigration Project. "About the Project." [Accessed 23 May 2018]

United States (US). 24 May 2018. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). [Accessed 28 May 2018]

United States (US). 22 May 2018. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). "Temporary Protected Status." [Accessed 4 June 2018]

United States (US). 16 May 2018. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). "List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers." [Accessed 17 May 2018]

United States (US). April 2018a. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). "California." List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers. [Accessed 17 May 2018]

United States (US). April 2018b. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). "Florida." List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers. [Accessed 17 May 2018]

United States (US). April 2018c. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). "New Jersey." List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers. [Accessed 17 May 2018]

United States (US). April 2018d. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). "New York." List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers. [Accessed 17 May 2018]

United States (US). 23 March 2018. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). Board of Immigration Appeals Practice Manual. [Accessed 23 May 2018]

United States (US). 20 March 2018. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). "I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal." [Accessed 23 May 2018]

United States (US). 16 March 2018. Department of Justice. "Board of Immigration Appeals." [Accessed 23 May 2018]

United States (US). 26 January 2018. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). "The Affirmative Asylum Process." [Accessed 24 May 2018]

United States (US). 2 November 2017. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). Immigration Court Practice Manual. [Accessed 17 May 2018]

United States (US). 12 May 2017. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). "Preparing for Your Asylum Interview." [Accessed 24 May 2018]

United States (US). 16 November 2016a. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). "BIA Pro Bono Project." [Accessed 23 May 2018]

United States (US). 16 November 2016b. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). "National Qualified Representative Program (NQRP)." [Accessed 28 May 2018]

Vera Institute of Justice (Vera). N.d.a. "National Qualified Representative Program - Learn More." [Accessed 29 May 2018]

Vera Institute of Justice (Vera). N.d.b. "National Qualified Representative Program - Overview." [Accessed 29 May 2018]

Vera Institute of Justice (Vera). N.d.c. "Projects." [Accessed 29 May 2018]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: American Bar Association  Immigration Justice Project; Camden Center for Law and Social Justice; Casa Cornelia Law Center; Catholic Legal Services, Archdiocese of Miami; Central American Legal Assistance; Centro Legal de la Raza; El Rescate; Equal Access Legal Services; Human Rights First; La Raza Centro Legal; professor of law whose areas of expertise include immigration and refugee law in the United States; professor of law whose research focuses on immigration and refugee law in the United States; San Francisco Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights  Asylum Program; Social Justice Collaborative.

Internet sites, including: American Immigration Council; Factiva; Human Rights First; Humanity in Action; UN  Refworld; US  Department of State; Washington Office on Latin America.

Attachments

United States (US). April 2018. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers. [Accessed 17 May 2018] Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). 20 November 2017. Immigration Project. "Table 2. Immigration Court Asylum Denial Rates by Nationality and Representation Status, FY 2012 - FY 2017." Asylum Representation Rates Have Fallen Amid Rising Denial Rates. [Accessed 29 May 2018]Democratic Republic of the Congo: The biometric passport, including its appearance and security features; requirements and procedure for obtaining a biometric passport from inside and outside the country (2016-July 2018)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 4 July 2018 Citation / Document Symbol COD106122.FE Related Document(s) Republique democratique du Congo : information sur le passeport biometrique, y compris sur son apparence et ses elements de securite; information sur les exigences et la marche a suivre pour obtenir le passeport, tant a l'interieur du pays qu'a l'etranger (2016-juillet 2018) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo: The biometric passport, including its appearance and security features; requirements and procedure for obtaining a biometric passport from inside and outside the country (2016-July 2018), 4 July 2018, COD106122.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b615ff24.html [accessed 27 October 2021] 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.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Biometric Passports

For information on the introduction of biometric passports issued since November 2015, see Response to Information Request COD105556 of July 2016.

According to sources, old semibiometric passports [issued before 10 November 2015 (US n.d.)] were expected to become invalid on 14 January 2018 (Radio Okapi 6 Oct. 2017; La Libre Afrique 2 Oct. 2017) or on 16 January 2018 (US n.d.). Information confirming the cancellation of semi-biometric passports in January 2018 could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints for this Response.

1.1 Appearance and Security Features of the Passport

According to the US Department of State Reciprocity Schedule for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), there are three types of biometric passports in the DRC:

Regular: the cover is navy blue and contains the phrase "PASSEPORT" at the bottom of the page;

Service: the cover is forest green and contains the phrase "PASSEPORTE [sic] DE SERVICE" at the bottom of the page;

Diplomatic: the cover is burgundy red and contains the phrase "PASSEPORT DIPLOMATIQUE" at the bottom of the page (US n.d.).

The same source notes that the front cover of all DRC passports has the following features, starting from the top:

The words "REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO" printed in gold letters along the top of the front cover;

The national emblems, in gold;

A ribbon with the words "JUSTICE, PAIX, TRAVAIL" in gold (US n.d.).

According to the Public Register of Authentic Travel and Identity Documents Online (PRADO) of the European Union (EU), the regular passport measures 125 mm by 88 mm, contains 32 pages and has a maximum validity of 5 years (EU n.d.). A detailed description of the regular passport issued in 2016, including its security features, from Keesing Reference Systems, is attached to this Response (Attachment 1).

A detailed description of the diplomatic passport issued in 2016, including its security features, from Keesing Reference Systems, is attached to this Response (Attachment 2).

A detailed description of the service passport issued in 2016, including its security features, from Keesing Reference Systems, is attached to this Response (Attachment 3).

2. Obtaining a Passport

2.1 Obtaining a Passport from Inside the Country

According to the Reciprocity Schedule, the procedure for obtaining a passport is as follows:

File the application with the ANR office (National Intelligence Agency). Case file should contain a Police Certificate, 2 passportsize pictures, proof of identity (National ID or old passport) and proof of nationality (Birth Certificate or Nationality Certificate);

Pay the fees at the indicated bank;

Get photo and fingerprints captured at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (US n.d.)

In a note to its clients published in January 2016, the Trust Merchant Bank (TMB), a commercial bank in the DRC, announced a [translation] "new passport application service at TMB" and states that

passport application forms are now available from TMB. This service is open to everyone, TMB client or nonclient alike.

Passport application forms may now be acquired at the following TMB branches:

TMB Kinshasa: Place du Marche, Victoire, Limete 7eme rue, UPN, Memling, Grand Hotel and Boulevard

TMB Lubumbashi: Lumumba branch

TMB Bunia

TMB Bukavu

TMB Kananga

TMB Kisangani

TMB Kindu

TMB Mbuji-Mayi

Forms cost USD 185.00. Once that amount is deposited, you provide our agent with a copy of the deposit slip (Bordereau de Versement Especes, BVE) and your identity card, you sign the purchase document in the form and thus obtain the blank form.

Then, without the bank's intervention, you carefully complete your form; you go to the ANR for fingerprints, then to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or the provincial branch office) to have your photograph taken. The Ministry should issue your passport 48 hours after the photograph is taken. (TMB 29 Jan. 2016)

Other sources also indicate that the fee for obtaining a new passport is US$185 (US n.d.; ACP 17 Nov. 2017). The Agence Congolaise de Presse (ACP) reports that the cost for replacing an old passport is US$100 (ACP 17 Nov. 2017). According to the Reciprocity Schedule, the wait time is approximately one week to receive the passport (US n.d.). The ACP states that, for applicants in Kinshasa, the wait time for receiving their passport [translation] "cannot exceed four clear days" whereas for applicants "outside the capital," the wait time is 14 "clear days" (ACP 17 Nov. 2017).

However, Radio Okapi, the UN radio station in the DRC (Radio Okapi 22 Sept. 2014), notes that passport applicants [translation] "are forced to bribe government officials" in order to obtain their document more quickly (Radio Okapi 11 Dec. 2017). The same source adds that a network within the administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [translation] "delays or accelerates the issuance of passports depending on the amount of the bribe an applicant is willing or unwilling to pay" (Radio Okapi 11 Dec. 2017). Similarly, the US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017 indicates that officials accept bribes to expedite passport issuance (US 20 Apr. 2018, 29). The same source also states that there were "credible reports that the government refused to issue new passports to civil society activists and opposition members critical of the government" (US 20 Apr. 2018, 29-30). Similarly, Actualite.cd, a Congolese news site [translation] "specializing in political, security and economic news," states that, according to a news release by the NGO La voix des sans voix pour les droits de l'homme (VSV), a number of activists and opponents are reportedly on a blacklist preventing them from obtaining a biometric passport (Actualite.cd 11 Nov. 2017). The same source reports that, according to the news release, the President of the Association Congolaise pour l'Acces a la Justice (ACAJ) did not receive his biometric passport [translation] "under the pretext that his name was on a list of Congolese figures who are not allowed to obtain a biometric passport" (Actualite.cd 11 Nov. 2017).

2.2 Obtaining a Passport from Outside the Country

According to the US Reciprocity Schedule, DRC citizens living overseas may apply for a passport at the nearest DRC embassy (US n.d.). The same source states that the wait time can be longer than one week and the cost can be higher due to mailing charges that may apply (US n.d.). The ACP notes that the wait time to receive a passport must not exceed 28 [translation] "clear days" when the applicant resides outside the country (ACP 17 Nov. 2017).

According to a document on the website of the Embassy of the DRC in Ottawa, those applying for a [translation] "new" [biometric] passport must present the following documents at the "documentation appointment":

Proof of Congolese nationality (previous expired Congolese passport, previous Zairian passport or a certificate of nationality issued by the DRC Ministry of Justice and Human Rights);

A document of legal residence in Canada (permanent resident card, work permit, study permit or "any other document issued by Immigration [C]anada");

Four passport photographs less than 6 months old;

Completed application form;

Cash payment to cover passport fees (DRC n.d.).

According to another document on the website of the same source, the cost of the biometric passport is C$400 (DRC 7 Mar. 2016).

Sources report that, on 20 February 2018, Moise Katumbi, a member of the Congolese opposition, had his passport application rejected at the Embassy of the DRC in Brussels (Kinshasa Times 21 Feb. 2018; Jeune Afrique 26 Feb. 2018).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Actualite.cd. 11 November 2017. "Plusieurs activistes et opposants seraient sur une liste noire qui les empeche d'acquerir le passeport biometrique (VSV)." [Accessed 11 June 2018]

Agence Congolaise de Presse (ACP). 17 November 2017. "Un guichet pour l'obtention de passeport biometrique operationnel aux Affaires etrangeres." [Accessed 12 June 2018]

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 7 March 2016. Embassy in Ottawa. Communique important et urgent 132.63/A3/DP/0141/2016. [Accessed 14 June 2018]

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). N.d. Embassy in Ottawa. Informations importantes concernant la demande d'un nouveau passeport congolais. [Accessed 14 June 2018]

European Union (EU). N.d. Public Register of Authentic Travel and Identity Documents Online (PRADO). "Document: COD-AO-02001." [Accessed 14 June 2018]

Jeune Afrique. 26 February 2018. "RDC : Moise Katumbi prive de passeport." [Accessed 27 June 2018]

Kinshasa Times. 21 February 2018. "Sans passeport biometrique, Moise Katumbi s'eloigne encore de Kinshasa." [Accessed 27 June 2018]

La Libre Afrique. 2 October 2017. Marie-France Cros. "RDC : passeports : retour partiel en arriere." [Accessed 12 June 2018]

Radio Okapi. 11 December 2017. "Acquisition des passeports en RDC : les requerants contraints de soudoyer les preposes de l'Etat." [Accessed 12 June 2018]

Radio Okapi. 6 October 2017. "RDC : la mesure d'invalidation des passeports semi-biometriques ne sera pas retiree (She Okitundu)." [Accessed 14 June 2018]

Radio Okapi. 22 September 2014 (updated 8 April 2015). "A propos." [Accessed 27 June 2018]

Trust Merchant Bank (TMB). 29 January 2016. "Nouvelle procedure de demande de passeport a la TMB." [Accessed 14 June 2018]

United States (US). 20 April 2018. Department of State. "Democratic Republic of the Congo." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017. [Accessed 14 June 2018]

United States (US). N.d. Department of State. "Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.) Reciprocity Schedule." [Accessed 12 June 2018]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Democratic Republic of the Congo  Embassy in Ottawa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Internet sites, including: BBC; Democratic Republic of the Congo  Embassy in London, Embassy in Paris, Embassy to Benelux and the European Union, Primature; ecoi.net; Factiva; Le Phare; Le Potentiel; Radio France internationale; UN  Refworld.

Attachments

1. Keesing Reference Systems. N.d. "Congo, Democratic Republic - COD - National Passport." [Accessed 18 June 2018]

2. Keesing Reference Systems. N.d. "Congo, Democratic Republic - COD - Diplomatic Passport." [Accessed 18 June 2018]

3. Keesing Reference Systems. N.d. "Congo, Democratic Republic - COD - Service Passport." [Accessed 18 June 2018]U.S. spy agencies have detected continuing activity at a missile factory in the suburbs of Pyongyang, the Washington Post reported on Monday.

Surveillance satellite photos suggest that the large-scale weapons factory in Sanum-dong in the suburbs of Pyongyang is making one or two liquid-fuel ICBMs, the paper said quoting an anonymous intelligence officer.

The Sanum missile factory made the Hwasong-15 ICBM that is thought to be capable of reaching the eastern part of the U.S. mainland.

The report comes after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Pyongyang of continuing to produce highly enriched uranium.

After the U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore in June, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that North Korea is "no longer a nuclear threat." But the Americans have grown more suspicious of Pyongyang's sincerity in recent days.India: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) political party, including differences between the SAD (Badal) led by Parkash Singh Badal and the SAD (Amritsar) led by Simranjit Singh Mann; relations with authorities (2016-April 2018)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 15 June 2018 Citation / Document Symbol IND106096.E Related Document(s) Inde : information sur le parti politique Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), y compris les differences entre le SAD (Badal) dirige par Parkash Singh Badal et le SAD (Amritsar) dirige par Simranjit Singh Mann; les rapports avec les autorites (2016-avril 2018) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, India: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) political party, including differences between the SAD (Badal) led by Parkash Singh Badal and the SAD (Amritsar) led by Simranjit Singh Mann; relations with authorities (2016-April 2018), 15 June 2018, IND106096.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b616d634.html [accessed 27 October 2021] 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.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) (SAD(B))

1.1 Leadership

According to sources, the SAD(B)'s leader is Sukhbir Singh Badal (The Times of India 23 May 2018; Political Handbook of the World 2017, 667). Sources indicate that Sukhbir Singh Badal is the son of Parkash Singh Badal, and that the former became the party's president in 2008, when the latter became the party's "patron" (The Hindu 1 Feb. 2008; Hindustan Times 31 Jan. 2008).

1.2 Political Representation

Sources report that in February 2017, the SAD(B) contested the Punjab assembly elections in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) (The Times of India 23 May 2018; FirstPost 11 Mar. 2017), which is described as "its regional and national ally" (The Times of India 23 May 2018). The SAD(B)-BJP alliance won 18 seats out of 117 in the elections (FirstPost 11 Mar. 2017; India [2017]), with 15 seats going to the SAD(B) and 3 to the BJP (India [2017]).

According to sources, the SAD(B) was in power before the Punjabi 2017 state assembly elections for two consecutive terms (Kumar 12 Mar. 2017) or 10 years (The New Indian Express 17 Dec. 2017). In a 2015 academic paper published in the Journal of Punjab Studies, Jugdep Singh Chima, an assistant professor of political sciences at Hiram College (Hiram College n.d.), notes that the SAD(B), together with the BJP, won the Punjabi state assembly in 1997, 2007 and 2012 (Chima 2015, 151).

1.3 Political Agenda

In an article published in the Indian daily Hindustan Times, Ashutosh Kumar, a professor at the Department of Political Science at Panjab University who specializes in Indian politics (Panjab University n.d.), explains that the SAD(B), under Parkash Singh Badal, "reincarnated itself from being a 'movement party''' with a Sikh ''ethno-religious agenda'' to an '''electoral party'," which allowed the party to gain wider support (Kumar 12 Mar. 2017). Similarly, Chima explains that, during a conference held in 1996, the SAD(B) expressed its support for "a composite Punjabi culture or regional nationalism irrespective of religion," called Punjabiyat, opened its membership to Hindus and stated that its goal was to govern "based on compassion and equality" (Chima 2015, 151). Chima concludes that the SAD(B) went for a ''more moderate political ideology and inclusive party identity,'' and shifted from "being a parochial 'ethnic party' to becoming more of a 'multiethnic' Punjabi" party (Chima 2015, 151). The New Indian Express also notes that the SAD(B) "tried to portray itself as secular" by appointing three Hindu leaders as senior vice-president, general secretary and treasurer (The New Indian Express 17 Dec. 2017).

The Elections.in website [1] indicates that the SAD(B) is at the far right of the political spectrum insofar as "it asserts that religion and politics are synonymous and [that] one cannot operate without [the other]" (Elections.in 10 Mar. 2015). However, in contrast, Jugdep Singh Chima indicated, in a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, that the SAD(B) is not at the far right of the political spectrum but is rather a ''moderate'' Sikh party, which attempted to gain more votes from the Hindus by becoming more of a "Sikh moderate, Punjabi regional party" (Chima 1 May 2018). Chima stated that, although the SAD(B) does not separate between politics and religion, "pragmatically, it does not focus on religion but on the bread and butter of politics (such as economic issues)"; the SAD(B) needs to make claims in favour of religion because it does not want to lose the Sikh electorate (Chima 1 May 2018).

Kumar explains that the SAD(B)'s alliance with the BJP, which has an "urban upper caste Hindu support base," allowed the party to increase its support base and to cement its "newly invented 'secular' image" (Kumar 12 Mar. 2017). Chima similarly explained that the BJP's support base rather lies within the upper cast urban Hindu population, and that the coalition between the SAD(B) and the BJP is "usually a matter of convenience'' (Chima 1 May 2018). According to Kumar, both the transition from a "movement party" to an electoral party and the alliance with BJP allowed the SAD(B) to "shape politics" in Punjab despite being perceived as concerned mainly with rural Sikhs (Kumar 12 Mar. 2017).

Chima stated that while the SAD(B), being culturally nationalist, protects the interests of the Sikhs when they are violated, it is not politically separatist (Chima 1 May 2018). According to the same source, the SAD(B) accepts the ''wider Indian identity'' for the Sikhs as well as the unity of India (Chima 1 May 2018).

1.4 Symbols

The electoral Commission of India indicates that the party's symbol is "[s]cales" (India 13 Apr. 2018, 7). According to Elections.in, the scales symbol is shown as being equal on both sides, and is ''usually drawn on a bluish-black rectangular flag" (Elections.in 10 Mar. 2015).

2. Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) (SAD(A))

2.1 Formation and Leadership

According to the Political Handbook of the World 2016-2017, the SAD(A) was formed in the mid-1990s by Simranjit Singh Mann, whom the Handbook describes as a "radical" (Political Handbook of the World 2017, 675). Sources from 2017 and 2018 still describe Mann as the leader of the SAD(A) (Political Handbook of the World 2017, 675; Chima 1 May 2018). The Political Handbook of the World notes that the SAD(A) is also referred to as the SAD(M) (Political Handbook of the World 2017, 675).

The same source notes that in March 2013, the SAD(A)'s leadership in Malwa [one of the main divisions of Punjab] joined the SAD(B) (Political Handbook of the World 2017, 675).

2.2 Political Representation

Sources indicate that the SAD(A) ran for 54 seats in Punjab's 2017 assembly elections (India [2017]; Hindustan Times 12 Mar. 2017), but won none (India [2017]). According to sources, the SAD(A) has not won an election since 1999, when Mann was elected a member of the parliament [of the Lok Sabha (Lower House)] (Political Handbook of the World 2017, 675; Hindustan Times 12 Mar. 2017).

2.3 Political Agenda

Sources indicate that Mann advocates for the creation of Khalistan, a separate Sikh country (Hindustan Times 23 Mar. 2016; Chima 1 May 2018). Asian News International (ANI) reports that, in 2014, Mann demanded the creation of Khalistan "to act as a buffer state between India, China and Pakistan" (ANI 6 June 2014). The same source quotes Mann as stating the following:

"Everyone has heard that the Sikh community has just one demand, i.e. Khalistan.  Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs would feel safe in this Sikh nation and peace would prevail forever in South Asia. Khalistan is in favor of all the nations and religions" (ANI 6 June 2014)

Chima explained that while the SAD(A) advocates for a separate Sikh country, it is a "non-violent separatist party" that is committed to the creation of Khalistan through political means (Chima 1 May 2018).

According to the Hindustan Times, advocacy for the state of Khalistan ''shrank from public and political discourse over time,'' and Mann lost the support-based he used to enjoy in the 1980s and 1990s (Hindustan Times 1 Jan. 2017). The Indian daily newspaper Mail Today explains that, since the mid-1990s, the state of Khalistan has not been a "rallying point" in state elections (Mail Today 31 Jan. 2017). According to the same source, there are two advocacy groups for Khalistan in Punjab, namely SAD(A), which has been ''struggling in electoral politics for  years," and the Dal Khalsa, which does not participate in state or national polls (Mail Today 31 Jan. 2017).

On the use of the words "radical" or "extremist" when describing Mann, a 2017 article in the Hindustan Times states that Mann "abhors" the use of these terms (Hindustan Times 1 Jan. 2017). The same source quotes Mann's son, Emaan Singh, as stating that

"[o]nce we are compartmentalised as this, it gives an easy handle to the state to persecute us. It is unfair. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that demanding Khalistan is not a crime, and yet my father is hunted relentlessly by the state in a bid to curtail him." (Hindustan Times 1 Jan. 2017)

3. Relations with Authorities

The information in the following two paragraphs was provided by Chima in a telephone interview with the Research Directorate:

Mann has been charged with ''dozens of sedition cases'' for publicly calling for a Sikh independent country. The SAD(A) deems the SAD(B) ''too soft'' when it comes to defending Sikh political interests, leading to tensions between both parties. SAD(A)'s activists often disrupt rallies held by the SAD(B)-BJP coalition and they are also often ''roughed up'' by SAD(B)'s supporters or members. SAD(A)'s activists were ''beaten up'' several times and sometimes arrested by police when disrupting the SAD(B)'s and the BJP's rallies. There are no armed militias associated with either the SAD(A) or the SAD(B), though there are activists that can ''act like militias,'' while being mainly activists.

In terms of treatment of its members, the SAD(B) is an established constitutional party that does not challenge the unity of India; SAD(B)'s members do not face ''political persecution." However, because SAD(A)'s activists advocate for a Sikh country, their situation might be "different"; there have been "multiple" cases of "temporary arrests" of SAD(A)'s members (Chima 1 May 2018). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The Indian Express reports that a First Information Report (FIR) was registered, among other, for raising "slogans against the nation," against the organizers of the 10 November 2015 Sarbat Khalsa (congregation of Sikhs), including Mann (The Indian Express 27 Nov. 2015). A Hindustan Times article states that, according to Mann's son, it was the 80th time Mann was charged with sedition (Hindustan Times 1 Jan. 2017). According to the Indian Express, Mann stated that the Punjab and Haryana High Court, as well as the Supreme Court of India, have "already cleared that the mere demand for Khalistan is no offence" (The Indian Express 27 Nov. 2015).

Sources indicate that, in April 2018, the commission responsible for investigating a sedition charge against Mann recommended the cancellation of the FIR against him and found that he did not "utter a word" at the November 2015 Sarbat Khalsa (The Times of India 14 Apr. 2018; PTI 13 Apr. 2018). Press Trust of India (PTI), an Indian news agency, states that the commission was set up to look into "'false cases'" registered against Mann, among others, during the SAD-BJP era in Punjab (PTI 13 Apr. 2018). The Times of India stated that, according to the Commission's report, the sedition case was "falsely" lodged against Mann by, among others, the Akalis (The Times of India 14 Apr. 2018). Similarly, PTI quotes a spokesperson of the Commission as stating that the Commission's "'report said false cases were registered on political considerations against  Simranjit Singh Mann'" (PTI 13 Apr. 2018).

The Tribune reports the following incidents involving members of SAD(B):

On 15 January 2018, SAD(B) leaders and workers were detained by police during a march in Patiala; the protesters sought the registration of a case against Congress leader Harinderpal Singh (Harry Mann) "for allegedly inciting party workers to hack their SAD-BJP rivals'' (The Tribune 16 Jan. 2018). The police released them "about one-and-a-half hours later" and allowed the protesters to march under "tight security" (The Tribune 16 Jan. 2018);

On 20 March 2018, leaders of the SAD(B) and the Punjab unit of the BJP, including Sukhbir Singh Badal, were detained after a protest march turned violent (The Tribune 21 Mar. 2018). According to the same source, the parties' leaders asked the protesters at their rally to maintain discipline and "not indulge in any violence," but the protesters turned violent during the march that took place on the first day of the budget session "against the alleged failure of the Congress government to honour its commitment of a complete loan waiver for farmers" (The Tribune 21 Mar. 2018).

Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Dataset (ACLED) [2], Kashmir News Service reported that on 25 July 2016, marchers belonging to the SAD(A) were stopped by police in Lakhanpora in the Jammu region while marching toward the Kashmir valley to "shore solidarity with the people there after civilian killings by the forces" (ACLED [2018] event 1322731). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Without providing further details or indicating which SAD party was involved, The Tribune reports that, on 24 February 2018, two policewomen were injured and one SAD candidate was attacked when SAD workers clashed with police in Bathinda city while the SAD "accused the ruling party of misusing the government machinery" (The Tribune 25 Feb. 2018). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] Elections.in provides news and information on elections in India, as compiled from ''various online sources'' and from the Election Commission of India (Elections.in 15 Oct. 2013). In its disclaimer, Elections.in warns that although it intends to provide reliable information, it does not warrant accuracy of the data (Elections.in 15 Oct. 2013).

[2] ACLED monitors and publishes data on dates and locations of reported incidents of political violence across, among others, South Asia and South East Asia (ACLED n.d.). It has received funding from the US Department of State and from the EU (ACLED n.d.).

References

Armed Conflict Location and Event Dataset (ACLED). [2018]. Clionadh Raleigh, Andrew Linke, Havard Hegre and Joakim Karlsen. "India." Data. [Accessed 6 Mar. 2018]

Armed Conflict Location and Event Dataset (ACLED). N.d. Clionadh Raleigh, Andrew Linke, Havard Hegre and Joakim Karlsen. "About ACLED." [Accessed 29 May 2018]

Asian News International (ANI). 6 June 2014. "Make 'Khalistan' Buffer State Between India, China and Pakistan: Simranjit Singh Mann." (Factiva) [Accessed 1 May 2018]

Chima, Jugdep S. 1 May 2018. Telephone interview with the Research Directorate.

Chima, Jugdep S. 2015. "The Shiromani Akali Dal and Emerging Ideological Cleavages in Contemporary Sikh Politics in Punjab: Integrative Regionalism Versus Exclusivist Ethnonationalism." Journal of Punjab Studies. Vol. 22, Issue 1. [Accessed 30 Apr. 2018]

Elections.in. 10 March 2015. "Shiromani Akali Dal Party (SAD)." [Accessed 2 May 2018]

Elections.in. 15 October 2013. "Disclaimer - Elections.in." [Accessed 2 May 2018]

FirstPost. 11 March 2017. "Punjab Election Results 2017: Congress Wins 77 Seats; Amarinder Singh to Be Next CM." [Accessed 9 May 2018]

The Hindu. 1 February 2008. "Badal Jr. Is Akali President." [Accessed 24 May 2018]

Hindustan Times. 12 March 2017. "Punjab Election Results: Simranjit Mann, Jagmeet Fail to Make any Difference." [Accessed 27 Apr. 2018]

Hindustan Times. 1 January 2017. Chitleen K. Sethi. "Pushed to the Margins, Simranjit Mann Carrying Legacy of a Lost Cause." [Accessed 24 Apr. 2018]

Hindustan Times. 23 March 2016. "Khalistan-seeker Simranjit Mann's SAD (A) Now Demands 'Jat-land' State." [Accessed 23 Apr. 2018]

Hindustan Times. 31 January 2008. "Sukhbir Badal Elected Akali Dal President." [Accessed 25 Apr. 2018]

Hiram College. N.d. "Jugdep Chima." [Accessed 2 May 2018]

India. 13 April 2018. Election Commission of India. "Notification." (No.56/2018/PPS-III) [Accessed 2 May 2018]

India. [2017]. Election Commission of India. "Punjab General Legislative Election 2017: Performance of Political Parties." [Accessed 30 Apr. 2018]

The Indian Express. 27 November 2015. "Mann Moves Punjab Haryana HC Seeking Quashing of Sedition FIR." [Accessed 1 May 2018]

Kumar, Ashutosh. 12 March 2017. "Election Results: 5 Reasons Why SAD Was Crushed in Punjab Elections." Hindustan Times. [Accessed 23 Apr. 2018]

Mail Today. 31 January 2017. Harmeet Singh. "Khalistan Supporters Are Now Poll Poster Boys." (Factiva) [Accessed 1 May 2018]

The New Indian Express. 17 December 2017. Harpreet Bajwa. "Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal Plans to Re-jig Party." [Accessed 30 Apr. 2018]

Panjab University. N.d. "Department of Political Science." [Accessed 2 May 2018]

Political Handbook of the World 2016-2017. 2017. "India." Edited by Thomas Lansford. Washington, DC: CQ Press.

Press Trust of India (PTI). 13 April 2018. "Cases Against Mihthu, Mann, Khaira False: Panel." [Accessed 1 May 2018]

The Times of India. 23 May 2018. "Shiromani Akali Dal." [Accessed 24 May 2018]

The Times of India. 14 April 2018. "Cases Against Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Simranjit Singh Mann False: M S Gill Panel." [Accessed 1 May 2018]

The Tribune. 21 March 2018. "90 Protesting Akali, BJP Leaders Detained, Let Off." [Accessed 2 May 2018]

The Tribune. 25 February 2018. "Cong Wins Bypolls, Oppn Cries Rigging, Takes to Streets." [Accessed 2 May 2018]

The Tribune. 16 January 2018. Gagan K. Teja. "Cops Detain Akalis in Gurdwara." [Accessed 2 May 2018]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Global Institute for Sikh Studies; professor in the Department of Political Science at Panjab University; World Sikh Organization.

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; ecoi.net; Factiva; Global Institute for Sikh Studies; Human Rights Watch; Sikh Siyasat News; Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar); The Tribune; UN  Refworld; US  Department of State; World Sikh News.India: Treatment of political activists and members of opposition parties in Punjab; treatment of perceived supporters of Sikh militancy by authorities (2017-April 2018)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 14 June 2018 Citation / Document Symbol IND106097.E Related Document(s) Inde : information sur le traitement reserve aux militants politiques et aux membres des partis de l'opposition au Pendjab; le traitement reserve par les autorites aux partisans presumes de l'activisme sikh (2017-avril 2018) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, India: Treatment of political activists and members of opposition parties in Punjab; treatment of perceived supporters of Sikh militancy by authorities (2017-April 2018), 14 June 2018, IND106097.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b616ebc4.html [accessed 27 October 2021] 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.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Overview

According to sources, Punjab's 2017 state assembly elections marked the end of a 10-year rule of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance (FirstPost 11 Mar. 2017; The New Indian Express 27 Dec. 2017). The Election Commission of India indicates that the Indian National Congress [also known as Congress] won Punjab's 2017 state assembly elections, with 77 out of 117 seats and 38.5 percent of the vote (India [2017]). FirstPost, an Indian news website, indicates that Punjab's 2017 state assembly elections took place on 4 February 2017, with "a re-poll in [a] few polling stations on 9 February" (FirstPost 11 Mar. 2017). The Election Commission of India states that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) arrived second in the 2017 state assembly elections by taking 20 seats out of the 112 seats it contested, and winning 23.7 percent of the vote (India [2017]). Sources indicate that the alliance between the SAD and the BJP won 18 seats and approximatively 30 percent of the vote (FirstPost 11 Mar. 2017; India [2017]), with 15 seats going to the SAD and 3 to the BJP (India [2017]). The Chief Minister of Punjab is Captain Amarinder Singh, Congress's leader (FirstPost 16 Mar. 2017; The Times of India 27 Feb. 2018). According to the Tribune, an Indian daily newspaper, Sukhpal Khaira of the AAP is the leader of opposition in Punjab (The Tribune 20 July 2017). The Hindustan Times, an Indian daily newspaper, indicates that the opposition in the Punjab assembly is shared by the AAP and the SAD, and led by the AAP (Hindustan Times 12 Mar. 2017).

2. Treatment of Political Activists and Members of Political Parties

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Centre for Public Affairs (CPA), a Noida-based research centre on public policies [1], indicated that any party that accepts the Indian constitution and the unity of the country "has full rights to organize rallies, conferences, meetings and seminars to express its views and political opinions, howsoever critical it is of the government and of the ruling party" (CPA 7 May 2018). In other correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of the World Sikh Organization of Canada indicated that while the proponents of the SAD and of the BJP do not face "significant oppression or persecution," there have been some clashes between SAD and Congress members in which some "allegations of political favouritism have been made" (World Sikh Organization of Canada 14 May 2018).

Sources indicate that, on 1 May 2017, four Faridkot [west of Ludhiana] councillors of the SAD-BJP alliance were put in "illegal" detention by the Zirakpur [northeast of Patiala] police (The Times of India 3 May 2017a; Punjabtribune.com 2 May 2017). According to Punjabtribune.com, a Jalandhar-based news portal, the police reportedly invoked "secret information" for the detention, though the SAD's secretary and spokesperson, Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, stated that the Faridkot member of the legislative assembly wanted the councillors to support a no-confidence vote moved by Congress against the Faridkot municipal councillor, Uma Grover (Punjabtribune.com 2 May 2017). The Times of India, an Indian daily newspaper, reports that Congress failed to pass the no-confidence vote (The Times of India 3 Mar. 2017b). Punjabtribune.com notes that, according to the SAD, Congress leaders are committing "political murders" in the "full knowledge" of the Chief Minister, and it adds that the SAD alleged that the Congress administration and the police failed to work independently (Punjabtribune.com 2 May 2017).

The Tribune reports that, on 7 January 2018, Punjab's opposition leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira and six members of the legislative assembly led workers affiliated with AAP in a protest against Punjab's government debt waiver program for farmers (The Tribune 8 Jan. 2018). According to the same source, the AAP leaders were taken into preventive custody by the police and were released after a couple of hours (The Tribune 8 Jan. 2018). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The Times of India indicates that, following the election of Congress in Punjab's 2017 state assembly elections, several clashes between groups of political activists occurred across the state (The Times of India 3 May 2017a). According to the same source, a SAD leader, Daljit Singh Cheema, accused Congress of "unleashing violent attacks on [SAD] workers" (The Times of India 3 May 2017a). The same source reports that, in April 2017, there have been allegations that relatives of local Congress members of the legislative assembly led "power struggles" to control truck unions in Bathinda and Jalandhar and quotes a former union leader as stating that

"[t]he political party in power eyes truck unions. Each truck union has its own territory and it is alleged that [the] president charges 'goonda [thug] tax' from each truck depending upon the load and issues a slip allowing it to pick [up] the load." (The Times of India 3 May 2017a)

The Times of India article indicates the following incidents of violence in the state of Punjab:

On 12 March 2017, groups from Congress and the SAD clashed over the control of local truck union, and resulted in the death of two Congress supporters;

On 14 March 2017, a SAD-affiliated worker was shot dead by Congress workers in the village of Pherochichi (near Qadian, north of Ludhiana) in Gurdaspur;

On 18 March 2017, a Congress supporter was injured in a clash with SAD-affiliated workers in the village of Agwan (near Dera Baba Nanak, in Gurdaspur) (The Times of India 3 May 2017a).

Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Media sources report the following incidents of violence between different political groups in the state of Punjab:

On 19 April 2017, the son of a former SAD sarpanch [elected village official] of the village of Khiali Chahlanwali [south of Amritsar] was shot dead by individuals reportedly affiliated with Congress; police arrested and "booked" 18 persons (The Tribune 21 Apr. 2017);

On 2 May 2017, a father and his son, both affiliated with the SAD, were killed in the village of Rukan Shah Wala [east of Ferozepur] when Congress activists fired gunshots at them; another family member, then vice president of SAD's local unit, was injured (The Times of India 2 May 2017);

On 22 October 2017, the son of SAD district chief of Muktsar (west of Ludhiana) was attacked and 13 persons were "booked" by police in the city of Malout [southwest of Ludhiana], including four Congress leaders; the attack is reportedly the fallout of an old rivalry that involved accusations of "booth capturing" (The Tribune 24 Oct. 2017);

On 24 February 2018, two persons were reportedly injured in a clash between SAD-affiliated workers and Congress-affiliated workers outside a public school when candidates from the SAD-BJP alliance and from AAP accused the ruling party "of capturing booths and misusing the government machinery in various wards" (The Tribune 25 Feb. 2018).

3. Treatment of Hindu Political and Religious Activists, Including Targeted Killings

FirstPost indicates that the "state of Punjab has been plagued by a series of political killings" since January 2016, "many of which remain unexplained and unsolved" (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017). The same source explains that 10 attacks have claimed the lives of 15 members of non-Sikh religious groups (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017). The Hindustan Times reports that nine murders of "right-wing, religious leaders" took place during that same period (Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017). Both sources explain that the modus operandi were similar in all the cases of killings: assailants on motorcycles shooting at targets from close range (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017; Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017). FirstPost further explains that, according to Punjab's Director General of Police (DGP), Suresh Arora, assailants used "32 bore or nine-millimetre pistols, wore similar headgear, shot at the target from close proximity, brandished the gun in the air to instil fear and sped away on motorcycles" (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017).

The Hindustan Times states that police "are hinting" that "extremist elements," with support from abroad, are trying to create "communal tension[s]" in Punjab (Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017). FirstPost indicates that, according to Arora, there is "a possibility that some terrorist organisation based in a foreign country" is responsible for the death of an activist from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Ravinder Gosain, though there is "no supporting evidence [that] has been found yet" (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017). The Hindustan Times reports that the individuals that have been killed belonged to groups that "do not pose any threat," but that are "rivals to Sikh hardline groups" (Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017).

Sources indicate the following cases of political killing since January 2016:

In January 2016, an RSS-affiliated individual was shot at in Ludhiana, and escaped unhurt (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017) or suffered "minor injuries" (Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017);

In April 2016, a leader of the Namdhari sect was killed near Ludhiana (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017; Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017);

In April 2016, a leader of Shiv Sena [a political party present in Punjab] was shot dead in Khanna [southeast of Ludhiana] (Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017; FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017); FirstPost explains that it was the head of the "labour wing of Shiv Sena's Punjab unit" (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017);

In August 2016, a retired leader of the RSS was shot dead in Jalandhar (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017; Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017);

On 14 January 2017, the district president of Shri Hindu Takht was shot dead outside of Durga Mata temple in Ludhiana (Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017); similarly, FirstPost reports that the "[p]ublicity manager of Hindu outfit Sri Hindu Takht" was "gunned down" in Ludhiana in January 2017 (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017);

In January 2017, "twin bomb blasts" targeting a relative of Congress candidate and "chief" of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) claimed six lives, though the relative "barely escape[d] death" (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017);

In February 2017, a father and son, both DSS followers, were shot dead near Ludhiana (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017; Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017);

A pastor was shot dead in Ludhiana on 15 June 2017 (Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017) or in July 2017 (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017);

In October 2017, RSS leader Ravinder Gosain was shot dead in Ludhiana (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017; Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017; The Tribune 31 Oct. 2017);

In October 2017, the district president of Hindu Sangharsh Sena was shot dead (FirstPost 6 Nov. 2017; Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017; The Tribune 31 Oct. 2017).

4. Treatment of Perceived Supporters of Sikh Militancy by Authorities

An October 2017 FirstPost article reports that the Punjab police "believes [that] militancy is returning to the state" (FirstPost 31 Oct. 2017). According to the same source, on 29 September 2017, police arrested seven young individuals from Ludhiana for being part of the Babbar Khalsa International, a banned terror group, and seized "a 32 bore pistol, two 315 bore pistols and cartridges from the accused" (FirstPost 31 Oct. 2017). The same source reports that the police stated that they had "proof" that the accused were "talking to terrorists and working for them as sleeper cells," and quotes Ludhiana police commissioner as stating that "[t]he youth have no criminal background[,] but their operations were funded by Surender Singh Babbar of Babbar Khalsa International[,] who operates from England" (FirstPost 31 Oct. 2017).

Similarly, the Hindustan Times states that, in 2017, police put out of action "over 10 Khalistani modules and arrested nearly 50 persons on charges of trying to revive Khalistani militancy and planning attacks in various parts of the state" (Hindustan Times 7 Nov. 2017). In another news article, the Hindustan Times reports that, according to the police, young Sikhs are "radicalised" on social media by Khalistani groups and they are recruited to kill specific targets (Hindustan Times 9 Jan. 2018). According to the same source, in August 2017, police "found an 18-year-old Ludhiana girl allegedly brainwashed through Facebook by fundamentalists in Canada and incited to kill Hindu leaders" (Hindustan Times 9 Jan. 2018). The same source adds that, on 4 November 2017, five suspects were arrested, and one of them, from the UK, told police that the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) recruits young Sikhs, on behalf of the "Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)," for "anti-India activities" (Hindustan Times 9 Jan. 2018).

However, FirstPost indicates that Gurnaam Singh, a human rights activist, "alleges that the youth have been made scapegoats to a state-sponsored terrorism" (FirstPost 31 Oct. 2017). The same source quotes Singh as stating that

"[t]errorism has been the past of Punjab and people have always been concerned about their safety and lived in fear of its revival. Every government, be it Shiromani Akali Dal or the incumbent Congress government has used this tool to keep people engaged in non-productive issues." (FirstPost 31 Oct. 2017)

The same source quotes a relative of one of the accused as stating that

"[t]hey are not terrorists but youths with a religious bent of mind and a deep faith in the Sikh religion. Whenever there was a malicious and derogatory campaign on social media against Sikhism they used to answer the narrative and that just became their fault." (FirstPost 31 Oct. 2017)

Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Note

[1] The CPA conducts and promotes research on matters of societal concern, develops policy options at the national and international level, and carries out research on social, economic and political issues (CPA n.d.). It has received funding from the Indian Council of Social Science Research, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the Japan Foundation, the Maison des sciences de l'homme de Paris, the Centre de recherches sociologiques sur le droit et les institutions penales, l'Ambassade de France in New Delhi and the UN's Development Programme (CPA n.d.).

References

Centre for Public Affairs (CPA). 7 May 2018. Correspondence to the Research Directorate from a Representative.

Centre for Public Affairs (CPA). N.d. "Origin." [Accessed 11 June 2018]

FirstPost. 6 November 2017. Sat Singh and Manoj Kumar. "Punjab Political Killings Part 1: Too Many Agencies, Too Little Progress; Probe into 15 Murders Headed Nowhere." [Accessed 7 May 2018]

FirstPost. 31 October 2017. Sat Singh and Manoj Kumar. "Punjab Police Claims Insurgency Is Returning to State, Activists Term Recent Arrests a Ploy to Evade Questions on Development." [Accessed 4 May 2018]

FirstPost. 16 March 2017. "Captain Amarinder Singh Sworn-in as Punjab CM, Navjot Singh Sidhu Becomes Cabinet Minister." [Accessed 16 Mar. 2017]

FirstPost. 11 March 2017. "Punjab election Results 2017: Congress Wins 77 Seats; Amarinder Singh to be Next CM." [Accessed 3 May 2018]

Hindustan Times. 9 January 2018. Ravinder Vasudeva. "New Brand of Sikh Militancy: Suave, Tech-Savvy Pro-Khalistan Youth Radicalised on Social Media." [Accessed 4 May 2018]

Hindustan Times. 7 November 2017. Ravinder Vasudeva. "Political Murders Keep Punjab on the Edge." [Accessed 7 May 2018]

Hindustan Times. 12 March 2017. Chitleen K. Sethi. "In a First, New Punjab House Will Have Divided Opposition." [Accessed 11 June 2018]

India. [2017]. Election Commission of India. "Performance of Political Parties." [Accessed 4 May 2018]

The New Indian Express. 27 December 2017. "2017: A Year When Punjab Assembly Polls Re-Aligned the State's Politics." [Accessed 8 May 2018]

Punjabtribune.com. 2 May 2017. "SAD Demands High Level Inquiry into the Whole Incident and Strict Action Against the Guilty Police Officials." [Accessed 8 May 2018]

The Times of India. 27 February 2018. Robin David and Sanjeev Vermal. "Won't Retire from Politics till I bring Punjab out of Its Financial Mess: Amarinder Singh." [Accessed 8 May 2018]

The Times of India. 3 May 2017a. "Opposition Attacks Congress over Violent Political Clashes Across Punjab." [Accessed 3 May 2018]

The Times of India. 3 May 2017b. Neel Kamali. "No Confidence Motion Against Faridkot MC Chief Falls."[Accessed 8 May 2018]

The Times of India. 2 May 2017. Neel Kamali. "Two Akali Dal Men Killed in Firing by Congress Workers." [Accessed 3 May 2018]

The Tribune. 25 February 2018. Harshraj Singh. "Amid Clashes, Ludhiana Sees 59% Turnout." [Accessed 15 May 2018]

The Tribune. 8 January 2018. "Khaira Leads AAP Protest, Calls Waiver Farce." [Accessed 11 June 2018]

The Tribune. 31 October 2017. "Hindu Sangharsh Sena Leader Shot Dead in Amritsar." [Accessed 8 May 2018]

The Tribune. 24 October 2017. Archit Watts. "4 Cong Men Booked for Malout Attack." [Accessed 16 May 2018]

The Tribune. 20 July 2017. Jupinderjit Singh. "AAP's Sukhpal Khaira New Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly." [Accessed 16 May 2018]

The Tribune. 21 April 2017. "SAD Ex-Sarpanch's Son Shot in Mansa." [Accessed 7 May 2018]

World Sikh Organization of Canada. 14 May 2018. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate.

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Assistant professor of political science at Jangipur College who researches political violence in Punjab; Public Affairs Centre India; Punjab State Human Rights Commission; Society for the Study of Peace and Conflict; World Sikh Organization of Canada.

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; ecoi.net; Human Rights Watch; Public Affairs Centre India; Sikh Syasat News; Society for the Study of Peace and Conflict; UN  Refworld; US  Department of State; World Sikh Organization of Canada.India: Socio-economic profile of Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Mumbai, including population, demographics and economy; tenant registration requirements (2016-April 2018)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 25 May 2018 Citation / Document Symbol IND106101.E Related Document(s) Inde : information sur le profil socioeconomique de Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ludhiana et Mumbai, y compris la population, les donnees demographiques et l'economie; les exigences en matiere d'enregistrement des locataires (2016-avril 2018) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, India: Socio-economic profile of Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Mumbai, including population, demographics and economy; tenant registration requirements (2016-April 2018), 25 May 2018, IND106101.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b6172bc4.html [accessed 27 October 2021] 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.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Bengaluru

The city of Bengaluru is located in the state of Karnataka (India [2011]a), of which it is the capital (World Atlas 25 Apr. 2017; India Today 2011, 75). According to sources, Bengaluru was formerly known as Bangalore (BBC 31 Oct. 2014; The Times of India 1 Nov. 2014). According to provisional reports from India's census, the population of Bengaluru was 8,443,675 as of 2011 (India [2011]a). Other sources report that Bengaluru has a population of 10.5 million people (World Economic Forum 5 Oct. 2016) or 10.6 million people (World Atlas 25 Apr. 2017) or 11.5 million people (PRI 6 May 2016).

According to the book India Today. An Encyclopedia of Life in The Republic, Bengaluru is a "demographically diverse city" (India Today 2011, 75). Information on the ethnic composition of Bengaluru could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

According to provisional reports from India's 2011 Census, 78.87 percent of Bengaluru's population follows Hinduism, while 13.9 percent follows Islam, 5.61 percent follows Christianism, 0.97 percent follows Jainism, 0.15 percent follows Sikhism, 0.15 percent follows Buddhism, 0.01 percent follows another unspecified religion, and 0.44 percent follows no particular religion (India [2011]a). Sources indicate that the languages spoken in Bengaluru include the following: Kannada (World Atlas 25 Apr. 2017; BBC 31 Oct. 2014; India Today 2011, 75), Hindi, English, Telugu (World Atlas 25 Apr. 2017; India Today 2011, 75), Urdu, Tamil (India Today 2011, 75), Konkani and Malayalam (World Atlas 25 Apr. 2017).

India Today states that Bengaluru is "the fastest growing major metropolis in India" and that it is a "major economic and cultural hub" (India Today 2011, 75). Other sources indicate that Bengaluru is referred to as "India's Silicon Valley" (BBC 21 Oct. 2014; PRI 6 May 2016; World Economic Forum 5 Oct. 2016). Information on employment rates in Bengaluru could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Sources report that there are landlords in Bengaluru who require potential tenants to show their Aadhaar card (Bangalore Mirror 11 May 2017; Asianet News Online 10 May 2017) in order to "process rental agreements" (Bangalore Mirror 11 May 2017). For further information about the Aadhaar card, see Response to Information Request IND106095 of May 2018.

2. Chennai

The city of Chennai is the capital of the Tamil Nadu state (India [2011]b; India Today 2011, 679). According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Chennai is "India's fourth largest city, by economy and population" (India n.d.a). According to provisional reports from India's census, the population of Chennai was 4,646,732 as of 2011 (India [2011]b). Other sources indicate that Chennai has a population of 7 million people (World Atlas 25 Apr. 2017) or 10.2 million people (World Economic Forum 5 Oct. 2016).

According to provisional reports of India's 2011 Census, 80.73 percent of Chennai's population follows Hinduism, while 9.45 percent follows Islam, 7.72 percent follows Christianism, 1.11 percent follows Jainism, 0.06 percent follows Sikhism, 0.06 percent follows Buddhism and 0.04 percent follows another unspecified religion (India [2011]b).

According to India Today, Chennai is the "center of a vibrant cultural life based around Tamil culture and language" (India Today 2011, 680). Sources indicate that Chennai is a demographically diverse city (Yatra n.d.a; The Hindu 19 Dec. 2011), that is "home to over 30 different communities" (The Hindu 19 Dec. 2011). Information on the ethnic composition of Chennai could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Sources indicate that while the official language of Chennai is Tamil (Yatra n.d.b; India Today 2011, 679), the following languages are also spoken in Chennai: English (Yatra n.d.b; India Today 2011, 679); Telugu and Malayalam (Yatra n.d.b).

According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Chennai has a "diverse array of economic sectors and is known for its automobile industry" and information technology sector (India n.d.a). Information on employment rates in Chennai could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Information on tenant registration requirements could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3. Delhi

Sources indicate that New Delhi is one of several districts that are part of the city of Delhi (The Diplomat 29 Sept. 2016; India Today 2011, 502). According to The Diplomat, an international affairs magazine for the Asia-Pacific region,

[t]he entire city of Delhi ... is a Union Territory under the Indian constitution, officially known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi. This region is jointly administered by a local government and the central government of India. Central government buildings are concentrated in New Delhi and the central government  of India has paramount jurisdiction over these buildings - thus over most of New Delhi. (The Diplomat 29 Sept. 2016)

According to provisional reports from India's census, the population of Delhi was 11,034,555 as of 2011 (India [2011]c). According to other sources, the population of New Delhi is more than 18 million people (India Today 2011, 502; CNN 10 Nov. 2017). Information on the ethnic composition of Delhi could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

According to provisional reports of India's 2011 Census, 80.21 percent of Delhi's population follows Hinduism, while 12.78 percent follows Islam, 0.96 percent follows Christianism, 1.39 percent follows Jainism, 4.43 percent follows Sikhism, 0.12 percent follows Buddhism, 0.02 percent follows another unspecified religion, and 0.08 percent follows no particular religion (India [2011]c).

According to India Today, "[n]umerous languages are spoken in Delhi, although the predominant languages are Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, and English" (India Today 2011, 502).

Information on employment rates in Delhi could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3.1 Tenant Registration in Delhi

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a PhD research scholar at the Centre for Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi stated that

[t]enant registration is currently compulsory in Delhi and every tenant needs to be verified [by] the police.  [T]he tenant needs to sign an agreement on a notarized certificate with the landlord in the presence of two witnesses. After police verification, they are allowed to lease and move into the premises. (Research scholar 2 May 2018)

The same source explained that "[w]hile it is compulsory that tenants be verified by the police before they move in the premises, this is not always the case" (Research scholar 2 May 2018). Press Trust of India (PTI), a New Delhi-based Indian news agency, cites a police officer as stating that "Delhi's south-west district police have registered 46 [First Information Reports (FIRs)] against landlords, who failed to comply with tenant verification rules" in January 2018 (PTI 23 Jan. 2018). The same source cites the police officer as further stating that tenant verification is "'a must, especially in the capital'"(PTI 23 Jan. 2018).

4. Hyderabad

The city of Hyderabad is located in Telangana state (Encyclopaedia Britannica 27 Apr. 2018; Telangana n.d.). The Encyclopaedia Britannica explains that Hyderabad serves as the capital of both Telangana and Andra Pradesh states and that it is "Telangana's largest and most-populous city" (Encyclopaedia Britannica 27 Apr. 2018). According to provisional reports from India's census, the population of Hyderabad was 6,731,790 as of 2011 (India [2011]d). Other sources state that Hyderabad has a population of 8.4 million people (The New Indian Express 23 July 2017) or 9.7 million people (World Atlas 25 Apr. 2017). Information on the ethnic composition of Hyderabad could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

According to provisional reports of India's 2011 Census, 64.93 percent of Hyderabad's population follows Hinduism, while 30.13 percent follows Islam, 2.75 percent follows Christianism, 0.29 percent follows Jainism, 0.25 percent follows Sikhism, 0.25 percent follows Buddhism, 0.04 percent follows another unspecified religion, and 1.56 percent follows no particular religion (India [2011]d). According to India Today, "[s]ome 40 percent of the population [in Hyderabad] is Muslim, and the city has traditionally been the heartland of Muslim culture in the south [of India]" (India Today 2011, 336). According to the same source, "[t]he large number of Muslim residents in the 'Old City' of Hyderabad gives rise to communal tensions, and violence between Hindus and Muslims breaks out from time to time" (India Today 2011, 338). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The same source states that "Telugu and Urdu are the principal languages spoken, although English is widely used in the city's administration and among the educated class" (India Today 2011, 338). According to the same source, Hyderabad is "an industrial center with notable [information technology], media and pharmaceutical companies" (India Today 2011, 338). Other sources indicate that Hyderabad is an information technology hub and a tourism centre (World Economic Forum 5 Oct. 2016; Encyclopaedia Britannica 27 Apr. 2018). Information on employment rates in Hyderabad could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

For information regarding tenant registration requirements in Hyderabad, see Response to Information Request IND106098 of May 2018.

5. Kolkata

The city of Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal (India [2011]e; Encyclopaedia Britannica n.d.). Sources indicate that Kolkata was formerly known as Calcutta (Yatra n.d.c; NPR 2 Sept. 2016; Encyclopaedia Britannica n.d.). According to India's 2011 Census, the population of the Kolkata metropolitan area is 14,035,959 people (India [2011]e). Other sources report that Kolkata has a population of 14.7 million people (World Atlas 25 Apr. 2017) or 15 million people (World Economic Forum 5 Oct. 2016). Information on the ethnic composition of Kolkata could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Sources indicate that the languages spoken in Kolkata include Bengali, English and Hindi (Yatra n.d.d; Ghosh Jan. 2005, 52).

According to sources, Kolkata is a "commerce hub" (World Economic Forum 5 Oct. 2016; Encyclopaedia Britannica n.d) and a city of transport and manufacturing (Encyclopaedia Britannica n.d.). Information on employment rates in Kolkata could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Information on tenant registration requirements in Kolkata could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

6. Ludhiana

The city of Ludhiana is located in the state of Punjab (Encyclopaedia Britannica 5 Mar. 2018; India n.d.b) and "is the largest city in [Punjab] in terms of area and population" (India n.d.b). According to provisional reports from India's census, the population of Ludhiana was 1,618,879 as of 2011 (India [2011]f). Information on the ethnic composition of Ludhiana could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to India's Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ludhiana is an "important pilgrimage center for Sikhs" (India n.d.b). According to provisional reports from India's 2011 Census, 65.96 percent of Ludhiana's population follows Hinduism, while 28.75 percent follows Sikhism, 2.81 percent follows Islam, 1.05 percent follows Jainism, 0.68 percent follows Christianism, 0.62 percent follows no particular religion, 0.11 percent follows Buddhism and 0.03 percent follows another unspecified religion (India [2011]f).

Media sources report instances of targeted killings in Ludhiana (Hindustan Times 9 Oct. 2017; PTI 16 Oct. 2017; The Tribune 14 Feb. 2018), including "a series of high-profile murderous attacks on activists belonging to religious or right wing organisations" (PTI 17 Oct. 2017). For further information on targeted killings in Ludhiana, please see Response to Information Request IND106097 of May 2018.

Sources indicate that Ludhiana is an industrial centre (Encyclopaedia Britannica 5 Mar. 2018; India n.d.b). Other sources indicate that Ludhiana is the industrial hub of Punjab state (PTI 25 Aug. 2014; The Indian Express 13 July 2017). Information on employment rates in Ludhiana could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Information on tenant registration requirements in Ludhiana could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

7. Mumbai

The city of Mumbai is located in the state of Maharashtra (India [2011]g; Yatra n.d.e). Sources indicate that Mumbai was formerly known as Bombay (Yatra n.d.e; PTI 11 Feb. 2016). According to provisional reports from India's census the population of Mumbai was 12,442,373 as of 2011, while its "urban/metropolitan" population was 18,394,912 (India [2011]g). Other sources report that Mumbai has a population of 20.8 million people (World Atlas 25 Apr. 2017) or 21.4 million people (World Economic Forum 5 Oct. 2016). Information on the ethnic composition of Mumbai could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to provisional reports of India's 2011 Census, 65.99 percent of Mumbai's population follows Hinduism, while 20.65 percent follows Islam, 3.27 percent follows Christianism, 4.10 percent follows Jainism, 0.49 percent follows Sikhism, 0.49 percent follows Buddhism, 0.40 percent follows another unspecified religion, and 0.26 percent follows no particular religion (India [2011]g). Sources indicate that the languages spoken in Mumbai include English, Hindi (Yatra n.d.f; Forbes Travel Guide 11 Aug. 2017), Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Konkani, Dangii and Varhadii (Yatra n.d.f). According to The New York Times, "most of the people in [Mumbai] can read English but not Marathi" (The New York Times 16 Feb. 2011). According to sources, Mumbai is India's financial centre (NDTV 6 May 2018; World Economic Forum 5 Oct. 2016; Yatra n.d.e). Information on employment rates in Mumbai could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

For information regarding tenant verification in Mumbai, see Response to Information Request IND106098 of May 2018.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

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Bangalore Mirror. 11 May 2017. "Bengaluru Landlords Have a New Demand: Aadhaar." [Accessed 9 May 2018]

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 31 October 2014. "Bengaluru: India's Bangalore City Changes Name." [Accessed 8 May 2018]

Cable News Network (CNN). 10 November 2017. Huizhong Wu. "Delhi Pollution Crisis Prompts City-Wide Emergency Measures." [Accessed 9 May 2018]

The Diplomat. 29 September 2016. Akhilesh Pillalamarri. "India's Capital City: Should We Call It Delhi or New Delhi?" [Accessed 7 May 2018]

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The Hindu. 19 December 2011 [updated 26 July 2016]. "The Magic of Melting Pot Called Chennai." [Accessed 9 May 2018]

The Hindu. 19 July 2016. Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar. "Delhi Is Now World's Second Most Populous City." [Accessed 9 May 2018]

Hindustan Times. 9 October 2017. "Ludhiana Pastor Murder: Three Months On, Cops Fail to Crack Case, 'Withdraw' Kin's Security." [Accessed 9 May 2018]

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India. N.d.a. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. "City: Chennai (M.Corp)." [Accessed 8 May 2018]

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The Indian Express. 13 July 2017. Raakhi Jagga. "GST Confusion Hits Industrial Production in Ludhiana." [Accessed 11 May 2018]

India Today: An Encyclopedia of Life in The Republic. Vol. 1. 2011. Edited by Arnold Kaminsky and Roger D. Long. ABC-Clio: Santa Barbara.

National Public Radio (NPR). 2 September 2016. Sandip Roy. "Why Is Calcutta Now Kolkata? What Other Names in India Are Changing?" [Accessed 8 May 2018]

New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV). 6 May 2018. Imtiyaz Abdullah Samnani. "Mumbai Officials Say They Have Plan to Lose World's 4th Most Polluted Tag." [Accessed 7 May 2018]

The New Indian Express. 23 July 2017. Mithun MK. "By 2030, City's Population Will Be Too Much for ts Transport System." [Accessed 11 May 2018]

The New York Times. 16 February 2011. Manu Joseph. "India Faces a Linguistic Truth: English Spoken Here." [Accessed 8 May 2018]

Press Trust of India (PTI). 23 January 2018. "Delhi Police Files 46 FIRs Against Landlords, for Violation of Tenant Verification Rules." [Accessed 11 May 2018]

Press Trust of India (PTI). 17 October 2017. "Killing of RSS Leader Is Eighth Murderous Attack Since 2016." [Accessed 9 May 2018]

Press Trust of India (PTI). 16 July 2017. "Pastor Shot Dead in Ludhiana." [Accessed 9 May 2018]

Press Trust of India (PTI). 11 February 2016. "Why UK Daily Decided to Use 'Bombay' and not 'Mumbai'." [Accessed 8 May 2018]

Press Trust of India (PTI). 25 August 2014. "Ludhiana Offers Maximum Employment: Economic Survey." [Accessed 11 May 2018]

Public Radio International (PRI). 6 May 2016. Mary Kay Magistad. "India's 'Silicon Valley,' Bangalore Is Fast Becoming a Serious Global Player." [Accessed 8 May 2018]

Research Scholar, Jawaharlal Nehru University. 2 May 2018. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Telangana. N.d. The Official Website of Hyderabad District. "General Info." [Accessed 9 May 2018]

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The Tribune. 14 February 2018. "'Arm Supplier' Held in RSS Leader Ravinder Gosain Killing Case." [Accessed 9 May 2018]

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Additional Sources Consulted

Internet sites, including: Al Jazeera; Business World; DailyO; Deccan Chronicle; Deutsche Welle; ecoi.net; The Guardian; The Hindu Business Line; Scroll.in; The South China Morning Post; UN  Refworld.A U.S. expert believes he has pinpointed North Korea's main secret uranium-enrichment facility in a different part of the country than previously reported.

David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security told Voice of America on Monday that the facility is not in the North's main Yongbyon nuclear facility but in a secret location a long way from Pyongyang.

Albright added that he believes Kangsong is the only secret facility the North is operating. He came to the assessment based on analysis of accounts of North Korean defectors who were in charge of assembling the uranium-enrichment centrifuges.

He was contradicting recent information from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies that identified a uranium-enrichment facility called Kangson in Nampo, near Pyongyang, which he said "is too small" and has too much truck traffic. He said there are several places in North Korea called Kangsong, a similar name.

Albright said the U.S. government has known about the secret facility for some time, but it wanted to focus on Yongbyon in trying to persuade North Korea to denuclearize.

"We agreed at that time it would have severely complicated the negotiations because the Obama administration had decided that they only wanted to freeze activities at Yongbyon, and they would deal with sites outside Yongbyon later," he told VOA.

"So if we published information about a secret site, that would become a part of negotiations and disrupt things. So we agreed not to release it."

Albright also said the U.S. believes North Korea has about 12,000 centrifuges, but others more plausibly believe it has less than 6,000.

A government official here was unhappy with the report and insisted the Kangson facility near Pyongyang has been correctly identified.

Summer heat and humidity can take a toll on cattle and humans.

This summer's high temperatures are taking their toll on humans and cattle.

Extreme heat actually is a mix of temperature and humidity, and when both are high, the effort to stay cool can be stressful, according to Karl Hoppe, North Dakota State University Extension livestock systems specialist at the Carrington Research Extension Center.

Cows will look for shade to provide some relief from heat radiating from the sun. They'll also seek a wind or breezy location to provide some evaporative relief, and water, mostly for drinking and some for cooling.

"Adequate drinking water is the first step in relieving heat stress," Hoppe says. "During hot weather, cattle will substantially increase water intake. It's important to have enough drinking space and adequate water reserves to allow cattle to drink and not fight with other cattle for water."

Depending on their size and stage of production, cows can require 15 to 30 gallons of water per day.

"The minimum livestock storage tank capacity should be enough to meet the minimum water requirements for the number of animals being grazed per day," says Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist. "The water tank should supply adequate water for two to three days using an electric (hard-wired) pump or three to seven days using a wind- or solar-type pump."

Because of cattle's need for water, producers should be extremely diligent about monitoring water sources on hot days, the specialists say.

"Hot, dry conditions support the growth of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), which is toxic to livestock," Meehan adds. "Ponds that had adequate-quality water for drinking early in the grazing season may become toxic because salts and sulfates become more concentrated as water evaporates."

If water quality is a concern, immediately collect a water sample and have it tested for total dissolved solids (TDS) and sulfates. Greater than 3,000 to 5,000 parts per million of TDS would indicate the water is poor quality and producers should find alternative water sources.

Biting flies also create stress on cattle. To lessen fly stress, cattle will bunch together. This reduces the wind that can get into the middle of the herd and exaggerates heat stress.

Bunched cattle also can create a dust cloud on dry days. Too much dust can lead to breathing stress. When the weather is hot, cattle with reduced lung function can be identified easily; they may have labored breathing with increased panting, their tongue may be hanging out and they may be frothing at the mouth.

Hoppe says feedlots use water sprinklers to cool the pen surface or wet the cattle. However, spraying water can lead to increased localized humidity, which on hot days may create more heat stress than relief.

Cattle with white hides will reflect sunlight and tend to handle heat better than black-hided cattle. However, in winter, black-hided cattle may enjoy the solar heat-collecting properties of their hide.

In North Dakota, the nighttime temperatures usually fall below 72 F, giving cattle an opportunity to cool. When the temperature doesn't drop below 72 F, cattle remain stressed, and after two or three days, they can develop heat stress.

"When several days of hot and humid weather are forecast, be proactive and create cooling opportunities in the morning before cattle start panting," Hoppe advises. "Cooling options are more water tanks with easy access, moving cattle to shade and away from windbreaks, and controlling flies."

The specialists also suggest producers sign up for the Cattle Heat Stress Forecast Maps (https://toolkit.climate.gov/tool/cattle-heat-stress-forecast-maps) to receive alerts about cattle heat stress conditions in their location. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service offers daily maps with seven-day forecasts of temperature, humidity, wind speed and cloud cover based on information from the National Weather Service.

For more information about heat stress, water requirements and water quality, check out these NDSU Extension publications:

"Livestock Water Requirements" (http://tinyurl.com/LivestockWaterRequirements)

"Livestock Water Quality" (http://tinyurl.com/LivestockWater)

"Dealing With Heat Stress in Beef Cattle Operations" (http://tinyurl.com/beefheatstress)The popular History Alive programs at the Chateau de Mores State Historic Site during August include portrayals of the Marquis de Mores, Madame de Mores, and A.T. Packard. Presentations will be held on the Chateau veranda on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. (MT). History Alive programs are free and open to the public.

The French aristocrat and cattle baron the Marquis de Mores will appear at the Chateau the weekend of Aug. 4-5. Portrayed by Lance Rustand, the Marquis will share his dreams of a beef empire in the frontier Medora of the 1880s.

The Madame de Mores (Medora) will appear at the Chateau Aug. 11-12 and Aug. 25-26. Portrayed by Karen Nelson, this program will center on Madame de Mores return to Medora in 1903 after spending summers at the Chateau from 1883 to 1886. Visitors will meet Madame in a brief retrospective on her time in western Dakota as well as her life following her return to France.

A.T. Packard, the editor of the Bad Lands Cow Boy, will appear the weekend of Aug. 18-19. Portrayed by Donald Ehli, Packard will discuss his life as the editor of the newspaper from 1884-86.

The free History Alive programs explore the lives and times of decades gone by, combining theater arts with history. The 20-minute monologues are based on original letters, diaries, and other documents, many from the archives of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

The Chateau de Mores is a state historic site managed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The Chateau de Mores site and Interpretive Center near Medora is open daily, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (MT). For more information, contact Site Supervisor Chris Dorfschmidt at 701-623-4355. Find out about additional upcoming educational programs sponsored by the State Historical Society of North Dakota at history.nd.gov/events or call 701-328-2666.State and local public health officials have seen an increasing number of HIV diagnoses among persons who report injection drug use.

During the first six months of 2018, 11 new cases of HIV infection were investigated by public health officials. While this number is lower compared to 2017 when 15 cases were investigated, almost half reported injecting drugs as a risk factor compared to an average of 22% in earlier years.

The current increase in IV drug associated infection is concerning in that people are putting themselves and their partners at risk, says DPHHS HIV epidemiologist Helen McCaffrey.

The risk of becoming infected with HIV, or other blood borne diseases is very high if a person shares needles or injection equipment, or works, with someone who has HIV or another blood borne disease. This is because sharing needles and syringes is a direct route of transmission.

Injection drug use can also cause other diseases and complications. HIV is major concern, but sharing needles puts people at risk for getting other infections like hepatitis B and C and both can lead to severe liver disease, says Dana Fejes of the STD/HIV Prevention program.

Substance abuse may also increase the risk of obtaining other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) or unwanted pregnancy. When people are using drugs, they are more likely to have unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners, which puts them at greater risk for other STDs.

To lower an individuals risk of HIV infection or other blood borne infections, public health authorities recommend the following:

 Stopping injection and other drug use. If you keep injecting drugs, use only sterile needles and works. Never share needles or works.

 Talk to your partner about HIV and other STDs and use latex condoms every time you have sex.

Improving and Protecting the Health, Well-Being and Self-Reliance of All Montanans.

 Have an honest and open discussion with your health care provider about your sexual history and ask if you should be tested for HIV and other STDs.

 Your provider can also discuss testing for hepatitis C as well as vaccines for conditions like hepatitis B and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), both of which can be transmitted sexually.

In addition, health care providers are encouraged to assess and test patients for HIV infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that individuals between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care and those with risk factors get tested more frequently. A general rule for those with risk factors is to get tested at least annually.

If you are looking for a free HIV test or a place to exchange or dispose of needles, please visit our DPHHS website at GetTested.MT.gov to find an anonymous testing or syringe exchange location. More information about HIV, STDs, and Hepatitis C and ways to protect yourself from these diseases are available at our website.Native American music, dancing, and culture are part of this years annual Indian Arts Showcase at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site. The Native American group, Northern Plains Oyate will be hosting a traditional pow wow this Saturday August 4. There will be additional Native American dancing on Sunday August 5. Native American artists will be displaying their works on both days. This event is free.

The Indian Arts Showcase is one event that highlights the history and culture of the Northern plains tribes. Included are presentations, music, and traditional crafts to help connect visitors with this rich culture, says Ranger Yellow Bird. The Northern Plains Oyate group will be sponsoring their first annual pow wow at Fort Union. The pow wow will be on Saturday starting at about 9:30am and go until the park closes at 6:00 pm. Descendants of Oglala Lakota leader Crazy Horse will be presenting on their ancestor. Known as the Clown family, they will talk about the oral traditions and history of Crazy Horse. Members of the Hidatsa tribe will also have horseback riders come in and talk about the Xo shga riders and their mission during the event as well.

Native American artisans continue to be part of the program as well, displaying their traditional arts and crafts throughout the day. Their knowledge with traditional arts and crafts continues to be the legacy for the Indian Arts Showcase. Our programs continue to give our visitors an experience they might never get in their lifetime, says Ranger Yellow Bird. We appreciate the tribes who continue to come and help bring this opportunity to our visitors.

This event is possible because of support provided by the many sponsors of the Northern Plains Oyate, The Friends of Fort Union, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation office of councilman Fred Fox, the Fort Union Cooperative Association and the Williston Convention and Visitors Bureau

Park hours are from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm CDT daily at Fort Union. Fort Union Trading Post is located 24 miles north of Sidney, Montana and 25 miles southwest of Williston, North Dakota, via highway 1804. While here, visitors are encouraged to tour the reconstructed fort, trade room and Bourgeois house.

For more information on Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site contact the park at 701-572-9083. Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Union-Trading-Post-National-Historic-Site/118231345800Monday, August 6, 3:30 p.m., Sidney Country Club

The Economic Update Series is expanding, with stops in Glasgow and Sidney being added this year! In keeping with one of the main objectives of Envision 2026 (the 10-year strategic plan of the Montana Chamber of Commerce), were focusing on Entrepreneurship this year. Join us for a new report on business start-ups in Big Sky Country and hear from a panel of entrepreneurs themselves. Register now to also learn more about local, state, and national economic projections for your area from Chief Economist Patrick Barkey of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research. Seminars last approximately one-and-a-half hours and include a meal.

For more information or to register visit https://www.montanachamber.com/events/economic-outlook-seminar/ for more information or to register.

The Trump tax cut is history  is Montanas tax revenue malaise over, as well? by Patrick Barkey, Director, University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research

You might ask what one has to do with another. State tax revenue faltered in fiscal year 2017, which predated the changes in Federal individual and corporate income taxes by almost eight months. Yet the anticipation of those changes  especially by high-income individuals with the ability to shift their liabilities forward and backward in time  may have contributed to the softness in Montanas income tax collections last fiscal year that seemed out of step with economic activity.

On the other hand  as economists are fond of saying  there is also plenty of evidence to suggest that the lethargic tax performance last fiscal year for Montanas income tax was due to weakness in the economy, not just the shifting in timing of high income Montanans to take advantage of anticipated (at the time) tax cuts. The eastern third of the states fortunes, not to mention the Billings economy, had been hit hard by the softening of energy investment, and the agricultural economys woes are far from over.

With some better state revenue data now in the books, does this mean that the state economy has found a higher gear? There are plenty of things working in Montanas favor these days, not the least of which is the federal tax cut itself. But as good as a few months tax collection may make state government feel, the turning point in the economy is a much harder call. Join us for this years mid-year Economic Update as we do our best to read the tea leaves to make the call on whether the 2018/19 year will finally be one where Montana gets back on the growth track again or not.As the summer heats up, boaters, floaters and swimmers are hitting the water to cool down. Montanas many rivers, lakes and reservoirs offer fun recreational opportunities like swimming, boating and floating, but its important to remember to be safe while enjoying the water.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that drowning is the fifth leading cause of unintentional injury/death for people of all ages, and that potentially, half of all boating deaths could be prevented with the use of life jackets. The CDC also states that among children 14 and under, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury/death (after motor vehicle crashes).

Parental/adult supervision alone is not enough to prevent water accidents when swimming, boating and floating in Montanas many bodies of water. Using the proper size and type of life jacket is crucial for all swimmers to be safe while recreating.

Its critical for everyone to wear the proper-sized life jacket when recreating on the water, said FWP Boat Education Coordinator Sara Smith. A jacket that is too big can easily slip off.

To properly fit a life jacket, hold your arms straight up over your head and ask a friend to grasp the tops of the arm openings and gently pull up. Make sure there is no excess room above the openings and that the jacket does not ride up over your chin or face.

Here are additional tips to keep you safe when youre on the water:

- Make sure an adult is constantly watching children swimming or playing in or around the water. Have children playing near water wear life jackets as there may be steep drop-offs you are unaware of.

- Dont consider your children to be drown-proof because you enrolled them in swimming class. A child who falls into water unexpectedly may panic and forget learned swimming skills.

- Always swim with a buddy. Never swim alone or unsupervised.

- Know the local weather conditions and forecast before swimming or boating. Strong winds and thunderstorms with lightning strikes are dangerous to swimmers and boaters.

- Dont use air-filled or foam toys, such as water-wings, noodles, or inner-tubes, in place of life jackets. These are toys and are not designed to keep a swimmer safe.

- When boating, children under 12 years of age must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket, but it is recommended that everyone on the boat wears a life jacket.

- Jumping from cliffs or bridges is dangerous because of shallow water, submerged rocks, trees, or other hazards. Never dive head-first into water.

- Never drink alcohol before or while swimming or boating. Never drink alcohol while supervising children.

For more information about boating safety, contact FWP Boat Education Coordinator Sara Smith at 406-444-9948, [email protected]Thomson Reuters has entered into a strategic partnership with CryptoCompare, a cryptocurrency market data aggregator, to supply data related to 50 cryptocurrencies.

CryptoCompare will integrate order book and trade data for these digital currencies sourced from a wide variety of trusted exchanges, into Thomson Reuters financial desktop platform Eikon.

Thomson Reuters Eikon provides financial analysis tools, enabling financial transactions. It is an open platform, customizable to the individual needs of a financial professional or institution.

With the partnership, Eikon users will get data for actively trading coins, allowing them to identify the specific buy and sell opportunities.

Sam Chadwick, Director of Strategy in Innovation and Blockchain at Thomson Reuters said, "Despite the decline in the price of many of the leading cryptocurrencies during 2018, we continue to see increasing demand from our customers for pricing coverage of the major names. . This partnership puts pricing data for this emerging market alongside other asset classes, giving our customers a more comprehensive trading view in Eikon."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsCryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has appointed BNY Mellon executive Jeff Horowitz as its Chief Compliance Officer.

After spending close to 12 years at Pershing LLC, a BNY Mellon Co., Horowitz joined Coinbase to help it navigate regulations for virtual currency companies, the company said.

In a blog post, Coinbase stated that Horowitz' experience, vision and judgment will help the firm as it continues to expand into new and add new services such as Coinbase Custody. The company also acquired a licensed broker-dealer recently.

According to Coinbase, the appointment is important as continued regulatory compliance across all the varying jurisdictions will be critical going ahead.

For the past three years, Horowitz was managing director and global head of compliance for Pershing, overseeing its regulatory and compliance programs. Prior to that, he was the firm's chief compliance officer and global head of anti-money laundering and compliance programs. Pershing handles approximately $1.8 trillion in client assets.

He has also led various compliance and AML programs at Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Salomon Brothers, and was a banking regulator with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. or FDIC.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsTech giant Google reportedly plans to launch new censored version of its search engine in China, the country where most of its services are blocked.

According to Ryan Gallagher of the Intercept, Google is planning to launch a censored version of its search engine in China that will blacklist websites and search terms about human rights, democracy, religion, and peaceful protest.

The project has been code-named Dragonfly and its work has been in progress since spring of last year. Work on the project has been accelerated after Google's CEO Sundar Pichai had a meeting with a top Chinese government official, Intercept report says, citing internal Google documents and people familiar with the plans.

Google engineers have created a custom Android app, different versions of which have been named "Maotai" and "Longfei." The app, which has been demonstrated to the Chinese government, could be launched in the next six to nine months, subject to approval from Chinese officials.

If approved and launched, it will be for the first time in almost a decade that Google has operated its search engine in China.

According to the Intercept, roughly 200 employees at Google are working on the new censored search engine. Most are based at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, while others are spread out across the US.

Google's Android smartphone platform already boasts of having the largest market share of any operating system in China. It currently enjoys roughly 51 percent share all smartphones.

However, Google's search engine as well as other services, including Gmail and YouTube, cannot currently be accessed by users in China as officials have blocked these services using its Great Firewall.

Recently, Google has repeatedly shown signs of preparing for its return to the Chinese market.

In December last year, Google said it would open its first artificial intelligence research center in Beijing. The company leased a 6,000-square meter office with space for more than 300 workers in Beijing.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsA special election next Tuesday in a Republican-leaning congressional district in Ohio has narrowed significantly, according to the results of a Monmouth University Poll released Wednesday.

The poll found that 44 percent of potential voters support Republican State Senator Troy Balderson, while 43 percent back Democratic Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor. Eleven percent of potential voters remain undecided.

Balderson's slim one-point lead compares to the 43 percent to 33 percent advantage he held among potential voters in a poll conducted just over a month ago.

A standard voter turnout model and a Democratic "surge" model both show tight races, while Balderson leads O'Connor by 49 percent to 44 percent under a lower turnout model.

However, O'Connor performs better in all three possible voter turnout models than he did in the poll conducted in June.

O'Connor benefits from an increase in support among independent voters, who prefer the Democratic candidate over Balderson by 48 percent to 32 percent.

Many independents have moved from being undecided to favoring the Democrat, as Balderson's support is similar to the 33 percent seen in June but support for O'Connor has jumped from 30 percent.

The tight race comes even though the district has largely been held by the GOP since the late 1930s, including the last 35 years consecutively.

Reflecting Republican concerns about the race, President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to Ohio on Saturday to campaign for Balderson.

"This is still a Republican leaning district with many metrics that continue to favor Balderson, but growing Democratic enthusiasm has made this race surprisingly competitive," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

He added, "O'Connor's chances hinge on generating a larger than usual share of the vote from the suburbs north of Columbus."

The Monmouth survey of 512 voters in Ohio's 12th Congressional District was conducted July 26th through 31st and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsKorean power monopoly KEPCO has lost its preferred-bidder status for a 15-billion British pound order for a nuclear reactor from the U.K.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Tuesday, "Toshiba last week notified us of the cancellation of our preferred-bidder status because it wants the opportunity to negotiate with other companies."

The ministry swiftly dispatched a team of officials to London on Sunday to try and persuade the British government to reconsider. Although Toshiba has the rights to the project, including selling it to anyone it likes, the British government holds the key since it must repay the cost of the construction through proceeds from utility fees.Electro Scientific Industries (ESIO) reported first quarter EPS of $0.96 after the close Wednesday, up from $0.38 last year. Street expectations were for EPS of $0.85. The stock is now up 2.44 on 34K shares.

Electro Scientific Industries pulled back late Wednesday morning and finished with a loss of 0.23 at $17.80.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsYum China Holdings (YUMC) reported second quarter EPS of $0.36 after the bell Wednesday, up from $0.31 in the previous year. The consensus estimate was for EPS of $0.33. The stock is now down 1.79 on 33K shares.

Yum China pulled back around midday Wednesday and finished with a loss of 0.44 at $35.64.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsDear Editor

There is nothing wrong with the name of the new party.

Rugby has nothing to do with the name of the party. How did halfback and number 9 got to be discussed here?

I thought the old man that is the P.M. of Samoa should understand what Samoa First means. It does not mean first five as you referred to in rugby.

It does not mean to be the first one to do something as you mentioned that H.R.P.P. did many firsts for Samoa.

What the new partys name means, those in leadership positions will put the interests and concerns of the people of Samoa first and foremost.

They will put the needs of the hard working people and their families first. It means that the leaders will listen to the voice of the people of Samoa, men, women and children.

They look up and look outwards to improve services and find ways to help the people of Samoa. It means helping the Samoan people with their roads, their farms, their business, their education, their hospitals, their police protection and justice system, public services etc, etc.

They need leaders who invest their time and their expertise and resources helping people of our country first.

Under the H.R.P.P., the people of Samoa had been asking for help but you Mr. P.M. havent listened. You have been looking after your own people first.

Samoa First means giving and wisely using overseas donations for the benefit of the country, not in your bank account.

It means paying our rugby players and athletes who represent our country first. Our athletes are the lowest paid people in the world and some of them are not even paid for their services to the country.

It means keeping promises you make to the people of Samoa.

It means speaking kind words of encouragement to those who represent our country instead of boosting your own selfish ego and calling people names when they do not win.

Samoa first means protect and fight for our lands instead of giving them to Chinese business people.

Mr. P.M., Samoa First and not China First as you had been doing. It means free press and freedom of speech. It means love your God with all your might, mind and soul.

It means love your neighbor just like you love your family. It means change of leadership from dictatorship to democracy and understand what it truly means e Faavae i le Atua Samoa.

Samoa, you need to stand up and let your voices be heard. Stop being afraid of this bully that thinks he has been in power for so long and therefore has the right to dictate your lives.

Vote for a new leader that will put you and your family and your children first. Vote for those who believe what it means Samoa First.

Mauga TuiotiA man has been sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment for being in possession of 7.9 grams of methamphetamine and an electronic scale used to weigh banned substances.

Tapu Oloaga, 37, of Tafuna, American Samoa and Laulii pleaded guilty to the two charges and was sentenced by the Supreme Court Justice Vui Clarence Nelson on Monday.

According to the summary of facts presented in court, the defendant arrived on a Polynesian Airline flight at Fagalii airport at 5 pm on November 2, 2017. He made his way to the terminal for normal immigration and customs checks. During the course of a customs officer and a police officer checking the defendants belongings, he produced an electronic weighing scale from his pocket.

He was taken to a room for a full body search as officers believed the scale is used to weigh banned substances. While the defendant walked to the room, he quickly put his right hand inside his pocket and tore the bottom of the plastic bag and the substance scattered inside his pocket.

When the police conducted a full body search, they found one small clear plastic bag containing methamphetamine weighing 2.1 grams and one medium clear plastic bag containing methamphetamine weighing 5.8 grams. The total amount of methamphetamine in both plastic bags recorded in the summary is 7.9 grams but as stated previously, it was reduced by consent to 6.4 grams.

The prosecution, represented by Quentin Sauaga from the Office of the Attorney General, had argued that this is a case of importation of methamphetamine, hence defendant being charged with possession.

Their submission argued that defendant was not only a consumer, but a distributor of methamphetamine for commercial use and they pointed to the quantity involved, plus his carrying of an electronic weighing scale, which had traces of methamphetamine.

But the defense, represented by counsel Unasa Iuni Sapolu, had submitted that the penalty should not be a custodial sentence as the methamphetamine was for personal use only and went on to cite several New Zealand authorities where penalty of home detention was imposed.

Justice Vui, after considering the submissions of both the prosecution and the defense, said he had to impose a custodial sentence to serve as a deterrence to the defendant and others who wanted to get involved with methamphetamine.

This is to deter not only the defendant from future involvement with such illegal narcotics and to send a loud and clear message to others that if you involve yourself with methamphetamine it is likely you will be spending time in either Tafaigata or Vaiaata. All other defendants who have previously appeared before the court on possession of methamphetamine have received imprisonment penalties and it is highly likely that will continue to be the case. It is of concern to the court that the harder type narcotics seem to be taking root in our community and as evidence by the increasing number of cases coming before the court involving Class A drugs in recent years, he stated in his ruling.

It used to be that marijuana a Class B drug was the flavor of the day but that seems no longer the case. Methamphetamine and cocaine are emerging as new players in the drug market. Experience shows probably as pre-cursers of even harder and more addictive narcotics. The court must by its penalty soundly discourage such a trend and do all that is possible to stamp out this growing trend before the problem becomes as entrenched in Samoan society as is the use and consumption of marijuana.Minister of Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, has warned Samoan citizens fronting up to apply for licenses for businesses funded by foreigners that their actions are illegal.

Samoa has in recent years seen a proliferation of foreign-owned businesses in Apia, triggering concerns that foreigners are using locals as fronts in order to meet the governments strict business registration regulations.

But the Minister said the actions of citizens engaging in this practice is illegal and they will be investigated.

This is illegal and we have sent out Internal Revenue Officers to investigate these claims. The problem is our own people. They submit the application as if they are the ones who will run the business, yet we find out there are Chinese people in the backrooms monitoring the cameras and keeping tabs on the workers, he said in an interview with Samoa Observer.

We had to close down one store last year when our office acquired solid evidence to prove the Chinese is the one who is funding the business, yet the business license is under someone else.

Tialavea confirmed that they are investigating whether there are other businesses involved in such practices and warned that the Revenue Office will not hesitate to do what is right.

This is illegal and if caught they will be dealt with in accordance to the law. Although this is common knowledge with the many Chinese shops, but the fact remains is that we cannot prove it unless there is concrete evidence, only then we can act, he said.

But capacity challenges currently being experienced at the Revenue Office is making it difficult for on-the-spot checks on businesses, which Tialavea admitted is an ongoing issue, but they are managing with the resources they have.

The submission of false financial statements by businesses  in order to avoid paying value-added goods and services tax (V.A.G.S.T.)  is another challenge facing the Revenue Office.

He explained this is a tax on most goods and services supplied in Samoa by a registered business and is also charged on most imported goods and certain services. The V.A.G.S.T. of 15 per cent is added to the price of taxable goods and services.

As an example of tax evasion by businesses, he said: If you have an annual turnover of $130,000 or more from your taxable activity or you expect your turnover to be $130,000 or more in the next 12 months, you must register. Under the threshold for the V.A.G.S.T. $130,000 per annum, yet some stores submit their financial statements just under the threshold  yet spot checks see the stores have a stock of more than $200,000.

Tialavea said even his own visits to shops show them having stock whose value exceed $200,000 but are filing their tax returns under the $130,000 threshold.

And we are seeing of a lot of these lately and it is becoming a trend that should be eliminated. I sometimes go shopping and then inquire about a certain shop to find out they are filing under the threshold of $130,000; yet the stock in the store is far more than the threshold.

He said it is an area that they are working hard to address and the deployment of internal revenue officers out in the field will enable them to investigate.Apia is set to play host to two regional conferences this month heralded by the Forum Foreign Ministers Conference on August 10.

It is understood the meeting next Friday by the foreign ministers, who will be representing the members of the Pacific Islands Forum, will meet to set the agenda for next months 49th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Summit in Nauru.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters is expected to join his colleagues in Apia with Prime Minister Tuilepa Lupesoliai Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi indicating recently that he was looking forwarding to meeting Mr Peters.

I look forward to talking to Winston Peters, when he lands here in a few days time. I have a very long list of very tiny projects which will make his visit more exciting, said the Prime Minister at a reception last Friday, to mark the 56th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship between Samoa and New Zealand.

Samoa is the current chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (P.I.F.) and will hand over the leadership to Nauru when the Leaders Summit gets underway from September 1-9. Nauru has come under a lot of international criticism in the last month over its decision to ban Australian public broadcaster, Australia Broadcasting Corporation (A.B.C.) from the leaders summit.

Mr Peters visit to Samoa for the Forum Foreign Ministers Conference comes on the back of the New Zealands announcement of its Pacific Reset Policy, which would see $714 million in aid going to the region over the next four years.

The regions trade ministers will also meet in Apia with the discussions expected to focus on the Pacific African Caribbean Pacific Group of States (P.A.C.P.) and European Union (E.U.) trade negotiations. It is understood the trade ministers will attempt to reach a common ground before they enter into negotiations with the A.C.P. and E.U.The Samoa Victim Support Group (S.V.S.G.) has appealed to the Government to reconsider amending the bill to allow teachers to use reasonable force in schools.

The S.V.S.G. board chair Georgina Lui and colleague board member Mulipola Anarosa Molioo made the call recently and added that they had a mandate to protect victims and the amendments will see the re-introduction of corporation punishment.

Our mandate is to protect the victims and what we are looking at here are potential victims from children who will be subjected to violence from teachers who will believe that this proposed amendment justifies the use of corporal punishment and that is a huge concern, Lui said in an interview with Samoa Observer.

We are bringing back the law that was repealed. This is being brought back in disguised as a reasonable force, but it is corporal punishment.

As a parent Lui said she will not take the risk of sending her children to school with this amendment in place.

Our position is that we want to support those who are against to allow reasonable force into the schools. I am not so sure the Government has conducted a consultation on this issue, whether parents agree that their children would be subjected to this once the law is passed, she added.

The amendments to the law will give teachers the license to assault children and they will not be held criminally responsible for their conduct, she added.

Lui has recommended that the Government consider training the teachers on how to best handle situations when they arise in schools.

Instead of reacting they should be proactive in preventing them from happening in the first place. The way it looks here is like the teacher can use reasonable force to prevent one child from harming another child or from committing a criminal offense or from using threatening and offensive behavior and in is pretty wide ranging, she added.

The S.V.S.G. will embark on an advocacy program targeting communities to advise them of the implications of the proposed amendments and its impact on school children.Samoa is among the 13 Pacific Island Governments that have shown in their Pacific Nationally Determined Contributions Hub (Pacific N.D.C. Hub) they are ready to lead by example in the fight against climate change.

A recent dialogue held in Suva, Fiji, 13 out of 14 Pacific Island have nominated their focal points for the Pacific Nationally Determined Contributions Hub (Pacific N.D.C. Hub) showing the ongoing commitment of the region to accelerating its full establishment and operationalisation.

The focal points, highlighted in a press statement, agreed on the modalities for the selection of steering committee members and that it must be established as a matter of urgency.

Climate change is a global challenge and collective challenges require a collective response as it is having an outsized and immediate impact on the Pacific, even though the regions contribution to greenhouse gasses is insignificant, said Samoas Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment C.E.O. and chairperson of the meeting, Ulu Bismarck Crawley.

The creation of the Pacific N.D.C. Hub was inspired in the wake of the Paris Agreement, which was widely applauded as a universal call for all nations to band together to combat climate change, based on bottom-up contributions, which will be reviewed and strengthened over time in five-year cycles.

N.D.C.s are aimed at achieving ambitious but essential long-term goals of limiting global temperature rise and building resilience to climate impacts, the statement said.

First envisaged at the Climate Action Pacific Partnership meeting in 2017 and formally launched at COP23 by the Prime Minister of Fiji and COP23 President Voreqe Bainimarama, the Pacific N.D.C. Hub is being established to support Pacific Island Countries towards achieving their ambition of limiting global temperatures to 1.5 0C through their N.D.Cs., the statement said.

The Pacific N.D.C. Hub is now moving from the design stage to the delivery stage and will be operational by early next year, said the statement.

It is committed to supporting countries in the region with implementing and enhancing their N.D.C.s.

Support for the Pacific N.D.C. Hub within the Pacific community has been strong, but there is a recognition further funding is required to fully service country needs.

Countries acknowledged the added value that the Pacific N.D.C. Hub brings to the region and urged for its operations to commence as soon as possible, said the statement.

The overall objective of Pacific N.D.C. Hub is for Pacific Island Countries to enhance and implement their N.D.Cs, driving sustainable and resilient development and a transition to a low carbon development pathway.

The N.D.C. Hub will provide technical and facilitate partnerships to enhance and implement the regions N.D.Cs. The N.D.C. Hub builds upon existing networks and mechanisms in the region. It contributes and aligns to national climate change policies and frameworks, including the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific and the Regional Technical Support Mechanism.

The Regional Pacific N.D.C Hub is a collaborative effort by Pacific Island Countries and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbiet GmbH, the Global Green Growth Institute, the NDC Partnership Support Unit the Pacific Community and the Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme with initial funding of 2.1 million Euros from the UK, Australia, and Germany.HONOLULU (AP)  Decades after the end of the Korean War in 1953, the remains of dozens of presumed U.S. war dead were on their way Wednesday to Hawaii for analysis and identification. The U.S. military believes the bones are those of U.S. servicemen and potentially servicemen from other United Nations member countries who fought alongside the U.S. on behalf of South Korea during the war.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and the commander of U.S. forces in Asia, Adm. Phil Davidson, were expected to speak at a ceremony marking the arrival of the remains on U.S. soil and the beginning of a long process to identify the bones.

North Korea handed over the remains last week. A U.S. military plane made a rare trip into North Korea to retrieve the 55 cases.

About 7,700 U.S. soldiers are listed as missing from the 1950-53 Korean War and about 5,300 of the remains are believed to still be in North Korea.

Hanwell Kaakimaka's uncle, John Kaakimaka, is among those who never came home.

"We've been watching the news, and we've been hopeful that my uncle is among the remains," he said, adding that it could bring his family some closure.

His uncle, who was from Honolulu, was a corporal in the 31st Infantry Regiment of the Army's 7th Infantry Division. He went missing on or about Dec. 2, 1950.

Hanwell Kaakimaka said the story he heard from his dad was that his uncle was injured and was being brought back from the front when Chinese troops overran the area and attacked the convoy.

If John Kaakimaka's remains are ever identified, his family wants him to be buried in a cemetery at the base of Diamond Head crater in Honolulu because that's where his parents and brothers were laid to rest, Hanwell Kaakimaka said.

The Kaakimaka family provided DNA samples to the U.S. military's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency over a decade ago, hoping officials would be able to make a match.

The agency identifies remains of servicemen killed in past conflicts. It typically uses bones, teeth and DNA to identify remains along with any items that may have been found with remains like uniforms, dog tags and wedding rings. But North Korea only provided one dog tag with the 55 boxes it handed over last week.

Before the remains were put on military planes bound for Hawaii, hundreds of U.S. and South Korean troops gathered at a hanger at the Osan base in South Korean for the repatriation ceremony, which included a silent tribute, a rifle salute and the playing of the U.S. and South Korean national anthems and dirges in front of the U.N. flag-covered metal cases containing the remains.

"For the warrior, this is a cherished duty, a commitment made to one another before going into battle, and passed on from one generation of warriors to the next," Vincent Brooks, chief of the U.S. military in South Korea, said in a speech.

The remains were then moved in gray vans to an airfield where U.S. and South Korean soldiers loaded them one by one into two transport planes. Four U.S. fighter jets flew low in a tribute.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week that the return of the 55 boxes was a positive step but not a guarantee that the bones are American.

A U.S. defense official said Tuesday that it probably will take months if not years to fully determine individual identities from the remains. The official, who discussed previously undisclosed aspects of the remains issue on condition of anonymity, also said North Korea provided a single military dog tag along with the remains. The official did not know details about the single dog tag, including the name on it or whether it was even that of an American military member.

The repatriation is a breakthrough in a long-stalled U.S. effort to obtain war remains from North Korea.

There are 7,699 U.S. service members listed as unaccounted for from the 1950-53 Korean War, of which about 5,300 are believed to have died on North Korean soil. There remainder are those who died in South Korea but have not been recovered; those who died in air crashes at sea or on ships at sea, as well as a number who are believed to have been taken to China.

"The remains received from North Korea are being handled with the utmost care and respect by professional historians, forensic scientists, uniformed personnel and government officials," the U.S.-led U.N. Command said in a statement. It said it "never leaves troops behind, living or deceased, and will continue the mission of repatriation until every service member returns home."

The bones' return was part of an agreement reached during a June summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump thanked Kim for the return.

During the summit, Kim also agreed to "work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in return for Trump's promise of security guarantees. Trump later suspended annual military drills with South Korea which North Korea had long called an invasion rehearsal.

But Trump now faces criticism at home and elsewhere that North Korea hasn't taken any serious steps toward disarmament and may be trying to buy time to weaken international sanctions against it.

North Korea halted nuclear and missile tests, shut down its nuclear testing site and began dismantling facilities at its rocket launch site. But many experts say those are neither irrevocable nor serious steps that could show the country is sincere about denuclearization.

North Korea may want to use the remains' return to keep diplomacy with the United States alive and win a reciprocal U.S. concession. Experts say the North likely wants a declaration of the end of the Korean War as part of U.S. security assurances.

An armistice that ended the Korean War has yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula in a technical state of war. North Korea has steadfastly argued its nuclear weapons are meant to neutralize alleged U.S. plans to attack it.

Efforts to recover remains in North Korea have been fraught with political and other obstacles since the war's end. Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea unilaterally handed over 208 caskets to the U.S., which turned out to contain remains of far more than 208 individuals, although forensics specialists thus far have established 181 identities.

A series of U.S.-North Korean recovery efforts, termed "joint field activities," between 1996 and 2005 yielded 229 caskets of remains, of which 153 have been identified, according to the Pentagon.While the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee has remained undecided about whether to endorse Acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Sharma for the position of Chief Justice, lawmakers from the ruling party have claimed they have collected more documents to prove that Joshees academic credentials were forged. But, the main opposition party Nepali Congress is about to defend Joshees nomination. Therefore, the issue continues to be the most highlighted topic on the front pages of major Nepali and English newspapers published from Kathmandu on Wednesday.

Some other political, sociocultural and economic issues have also made it to the front pages of major broadsheets.

Important

More evidence against Joshee

Kantipur, Nagarik, Naya Patrika and Republica have informed that ruling party lawmakers have said they have collected additional evidence to prove errors in academic certificates of Acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Joshee as the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee is all set to make a decision today.

Rajdhani reports that the ruling Nepal Communist Party and the main opposition Nepali Congress are at odds over the endorsement. Therefore, The Kathmandu Post reports that the Committee is likely to settle the issue through voting as the main opposition party, Nepali Congress, is preparing to defend him. Kantipur reports that whereas the NCP wants to reject his nomination, the Congress party wants further delay in the decision. Therefore it may boycott the Committees meeting or press for the formation of a subpanel for further probe.

Meanwhile, Joshee held a meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli yesterday, seeking early resolutions of the controversy surrounding his hearing, The Himalayan Times reports in the lead story.

Amendments filed in line with agreement with Dr KC

Gorkhapatra and The Kathmandu Post have reported that the ruling Nepali Communist Party on Tuesday registered amendments to the National Medical Education Bill, currently being discussed by Parliament. The amendments are necessary to implement the agreement the government signed with medical education reform activist Dr Govinda KC around one week ago.

Three lawmakers of the party filed the amendments seeking revisions on 22 provisions of the bill, according to Gorkhapatra. The Kathmandu Post explains, Major provisions of the agreement include a 10-year moratorium on establishment of new medical colleges in Kathmandu Valley, barring one university from affiliating more than five medical colleges and requiring a medical college to run a hospital for three years before claiming affiliation.

Ignored

Narayan Kaji Shrestha resigns from NCP spokesperson

Naya Patrika reports in a snippet that ruling Nepal Communist Partys spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha has resigned from the position after two party chairmenKP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahalhave expressed dissatisfaction over his act of meeting fasting medical education reform activist Dr Govinda KC some days ago.

As Oli sought clarification from Shrestha for meeting the activist, Shrestha announced his resignation and walked out of the meeting of the partys Secretariat last Saturday, according to the report.

Modi will visit Nepal again later this month

A three-page box story in Annapurna Post reports that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to pay a visit to Kathmandu once against in the last week of this month. It will be Modis second visit to Nepal, and fourth once he took the charge of the premiership in 2014.

Modi will come to Nepal for the fourth summit of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. Meanwhile, heads of state or government from other member countries will also join the meeting.

Govt to revise retirement age

The anchor story in The Himalayan Times reports that the government is soon ending different standards of retirement age as they are in practice today and make it uniform at 60 years.

The draft of Federal Civil Service Bill has already been prepared by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, the report informs, adding at present civil servants retire at the age of 58, health professionals and parliamentary staff retire at the age of 60. Likewise, teachers retire at the age of 63 and court staff at the age of 65.

Interesting

All wild animals will get protected status now

The government is preparing to annul existing wildlife conservation law and implement a new one, which will give the protected status to all wild animals living in the country, according to Nepal Samacharpatra lead story.

The existing law, however, has a limited number of protected animals including 27 mammals, nine birds and three reptiles. Researches have confirmed that there are 212 mammal, 887 bird, 140 reptile and 55 amphibian animals in the country.The city of La Mesa plans to partner with a nationwide traffic safety program called Vision Zero to reduce collisions.

La Mesa will be the second city in the county to adopt the Vision Zero policy. The city of San Diego started in 2015 with a goal of eliminating all traffic deaths in the city by 2025 through enforcement, education and street engineering.

At no cost to cities it works with, Vision Zero analyzes data to understand trends and then advocates for engineering changes and safety improvements on streets where they are most needed.

According to its website, Vision Zero looks at traffic deaths and serious injuries as preventable, not as accidents. It believes everyone has the right to move safely in their communities, and that system designers and policy makers share the responsibility for safety. It prioritizes roadway designs and policies that lead to safe traveling speeds.

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In an agenda report provided by the city, Vision Zero data from 2006-13 highlighted intersections with the greatest number of bicycle and pedestrian crashes in La Mesa. There were seven at Fletcher Parkway and Southern Road, seven at La Mesa Boulevard and Spring Street, six at Parks Avenue and University Avenue, and five at Massachusetts Avenue and University Avenue.

The report from the same time frame about the most perilous corridors also noted that there were 25 bicycle and pedestrian crashes at University Avenue, 17 at El Cajon Boulevard and 16 at Lake Murray Boulevard.

Andy Hanshaw, executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and Vision Zero spokesman, gave the City Council an overview of the program last week. The program started in Sweden in 1997. It is also in Canada, England and the Netherlands.

Hanshaw explained that the Vision Zero message is now spreading across the United States  that no loss of life is acceptable, that death on the street does not have to be part of modern life.

The program works to build leadership, collaboration and accountability from transportation professionals, policymakers, public health officials, police and community members, he said.

La Mesa is already one of the most proactive cities for road safety, with a Traffic Commission, traffic calming program, past Safe Routes to School efforts, an Urban Trails plan and funding for a variety of safety-oriented road-improvement projects.

City Councilwoman Kristine Alessio said she has traveled all over the world and has seen separate lanes for everyone  walkers, bike riders and automobiles.

The streets should be safe for everyone, she said.

Mayor Mark Arapostathis, director of Theatre Arts at La Mesa Arts Academy, said he will be launching a new Safe Routes to School program to the middle school on Wednesdays. He said his goal is to bring it to all eight schools in the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District within the next three years.

Safe Routes to School was a federally funded national and international program that created convenient, safe and fun opportunities for kids to walk and bike to and from school. Through the program, La Mesa was able to obtain, on behalf of the school district, sidewalks near Lemon Avenue and Rolando elementary schools.

La Mesa City Councilman Colin Parent has a vested interest in Vision Zero, as executive director and general counsel at the nonprofit Circulate San Diego, a group that advocates for better mobility, transportation, housing and land use issues.

Parent said the work La Mesa has done in the past dealing with street safety is spot on and that now it is up to city officials to make a commitment to prioritizing and continuing those efforts.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.comSantee residents have long been frustrated by traffic snarls and bottlenecks along state Route 52. The city is determined to get them some relief.

Santee Mayor John Minto and City Manager Marlene Best last week got the unanimous support of the Santee City Council to create a State Route 52 Coalition to fast-track needed changes.

The coalition will be a partnership between local and regional entities interested in immediate improvements to the highway.

Members could include representatives from the regions planning agency, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), San Diego County, the cities of San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Chula Vista, the local and regional business community, and environmental groups such as Preserve Wild Santee.

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The stakeholders would fund efforts to highlight the need for immediate action on State Route 52, working with decision-makers to influence the process and seek funding. Santee will be the clearinghouse for the process, Best said.

The City Council says while people from across the county are using State Route 52, Santee commuters are the most impacted. Residents are forced to sit on Mission Gorge Road and Mast Boulevard waiting for their turn to get onto State Route 52 in the morning, then are stalled on the freeway waiting to exit during the evening commute.

I think everyone in this room knows that Highway 52 impacts our community more than it does anywhere else in East County, Best said at the July 25 City Council meeting .

The year the freeway opened in 2011, there were an average of 70,000 daily trips taken as recorded at Mast Boulevard, according to statistics from the California Department of Transportation, That number jumped to 83,000 in 2016, Caltrans said.

There are no hard and fast numbers for this year, but Best said East Countys industry, retail outlets and residential developments are growing  meaning more traffic.

Common sense tells you there are more people living here and shopping here than three years ago, and they all have to get to where they need to go, Best said.

Among the coalitions first tasks will be the hiring of a federal lobbyist to get support and funding for traffic relief for the area. Minto mentioned the lobbying group of David Turch & Associates as under consideration.

The City Council has been united in its view that East County is an afterthought to those who make the decisions about where San Diego County dollars are spent and it feels a hired lobbyist will help.

Minto said other parts of the county have taken priority over Santee and other East County areas for too long, and the traffic issue is too important to be overlooked. He said jams on the highway are a regional issue.

Minto gave kudos to former Santee Mayor and City Councilman Jack Dale for work done thus far. Dale was on the SANDAG Transportation Committee and chairman of its board and was instrumental in having state Route 52 extend into Santee seven years ago. State Route 52 originates at La Jolla Parkway at Interstate 5 and ends in Santee at state Route 67 heading east to Lakeside or west toward El Cajon.

Minto noted that Santees stretch of the highway was originally planned to provide more convenience and better access for Santee residents making their way up to Interstates 15, 805 and 5 to the north as well as toward state Route 67 and Interstate 8.

But to no ones surprise, it didnt take long for the rest of the county to take note: People in Ramona, Poway, Alpine, Lakeside, El Cajon, San Diego, Chula Vista and National City found 125-to-52 and decided it was a better way to go also, and that once again impacted our freeway, Minto said.

SANDAGs 2035 vision includes widening state Route 52 from two lanes each way to three lanes in each direction from state Route 125 to Interstate 805. The plan is said to include installing two reversible managed lanes for high occupancy use and single-occupancy use with a fee (similar to the ones on Interstate 15) from state Route 125 to Interstate 805.

But Santee, which has grown from 40,000 residents when it incorporated in 1980 to 53,000 as of the 2010 census and is growing exponentially says it cant wait 17 more years.

Im tired of hearing people tell us, We have to do something, why dont you do something?  Minto said. They say, We have this freeway problem and that freeway problem, and no one does anything. Well, we have been doing something. And now we are going to grab for that brass ring.

In a May presentation to the City Council, a SANDAG representative said that of 196,000 employed East County residents, nearly three-quarters work outside the area. Ninety-four percent of Santee residents commute for work outside the city, SANDAG said.

SANDAG, as part of its regional transportation plan, has promised relief will be coming, but Santee is way down on the list, Minto said. Change is not likely to happen until 2035.

Other areas of San Diego County also have traffic woes, but Minto thinks that East County is not taken seriously and does not wield enough influence. The coalition will change that.

We are not a large enough city like San Diego to push it, Best said. Were limited in our influence. So we need regional purveyors and coordinators to bring people together in a grassroots effort.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.comCarlsbad asked new questions Tuesday about the latest environmental documents for a 20-year-plan that outlines the future of the countys McClellan-Palomar Airport.

The City Council originally submitted its comment letter March 16 on the proposed update of the airports master plan, which is considered a blueprint for the next two decades of development.

Since then, based on community feedback, the county has revised some of its environmental documents for the project. That prompted more comments and questions from Carlsbad, home to the airport since 1959.

Improvements expected in the years ahead include extending the runway, reconfiguring the runway and taxiway, adding new safety features and more. No money has been allocated for construction, which could cost as much as $125 million, and each phase of the work would require additional review and approvals.

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They will have to come back with each project and determine if the impacts have all been evaluated, Sarah Rockwell, an attorney with the Denver-based firm of Kaplan, Kirsch and Rockwell, said Tuesday. The city hired the firm as an independent consultant to help staffers evaluate the countys proposed airport master plan.

Some residents have argued that the proposed improvements amount to an expansion of the airport, which could trigger a city election on the issue. However, a majority of the City Council members, with the advice of their consulting attorneys, has indicated that the project is not an expansion because the airports boundaries will not change.

Representatives of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and some of the citys largest employers have supported the airport plan.

However, a group of residents, may of whom live near the airport or under its flight path, has staunchly opposed the proposed improvements. They say a longer runway would bring more noise, traffic and pollution to the area.

A few Carlsbad residents at the meeting urged the council to continue questioning the airport master plan.

You definitely should beef up your comments, say Ray Bender, a frequent speaker on the issue.

Approval of the new master plan, which will replace the original master plan adopted in 1997, is up to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and is expected later this year. The city has little authority over the decision, except to submit formal comments, as can any citizen of the county.

The latest version of Carlsbads letter to the county updates the citys observations in two areas  biological resources and greenhouse-gas emissions, Rockwell said.

Among other things, the biological section fails to acknowledge the presence of 10.2 acres of critical habitat for the San Diego thornmint on the airport property, Rockwell said. The plant is protected by the federal and state Endangered Species Acts.

The revised section on greenhouse-gas emissions fails to address Carlsbads previous comments regarding aviation emissions, she said.

The draft environmental document does not disclose the emissions because the county has no control over aircraft emissions, which are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Carlsbad maintains that those emissions should be disclosed in the report even if the county cant regulate them.

County officials have said the improvements are necessary for the safety of all airport users and to accommodate the unavoidable growth and more modern aircraft expected at the airport.

The Board of Supervisors started looking at the airports needs in 2011 in preparation for the updated master plan.

The airport has gradually transitioned over the years from serving mostly small, propeller-driven private aircraft to one that now serves mostly mid-sized corporate jets.

Overall air traffic peaked in 1999 with 285,122 takeoffs and landings, but dropped to 149,029 in 2016 with the decreasing use of personal aircraft, according to the draft environmental report

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehlOn Monday night, distinguished Judge H. Lee Sarokin hosted a reading for his latest hot-button-issue play at North Coast Repertory Theatre.

The Protester, a one-act play about a family dealing with deportation and free speech issues, ran a brisk 58 minutes so that the 89-year-old Sarokin could preside over his favorite part of the evening: a discussion with the audience on the thorny legal issues in the play.

All but a handful of the Solana Beach theaters 181 seats were filled for the performance. Afterward, enthusiastic audience members didnt hold back in expressing their legal opinions or their right to humbly change their minds after the playwright weighed in with his own thoughts.

I hope theres a lot of agony out there, Sarokin joked with the crowd, admitting that he intentionally writes plays with strong arguments on both sides so audience members must consider how their personal feelings affect their views on the law.

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The Protester is the ninth Sarokin play that North Coast Rep has presented in its New Works series over the past eight years. He took up play-writing after he and his wife of 48 years, Margie, moved to La Jolla after his 1996 retirement from a long and illustrious career as a civil rights champion.

Actors Richard Baird, left, Richard Trujillo, Larry Baza, hidden, Melba Novoa and Catalina Maynard, right, perform H. Lee Sarokins play The Protester at North Coast Repertory Theatre Monday night. (Don Boomer / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Sarokin spent 25 years as a trail lawyer, then served on the U.S. District Court in New Jersey from 1979 to 1994. Before retiring, he spent nearly two years on the U.S. Court of Appeals.

As a judge, he wrote more than 2,000 legal opinions and made many landmark decisions, including forcing tobacco companies to reveal secret research and ordering service clubs like Kiwanis to admit women.

But the decision hes most famous for was in November 1985, when he freed former middleweight boxer Rubin Hurricane Carter from prison after serving 19 years for a triple-murder he did not commit. It was dramatized in the 1999 film The Hurricane and the two men remained close friends until Carters death in 2014.

Although Sarokin wasnt trained in playwriting, he is a lifetime theater buff and he said serving as a trial judge was good preparation, since trials unfold like a play and always have a surprise ending.

All nine of his plays are based on topical issues that present a legal quandary. David Ellenstein, artistic director of North Coast Rep, said Sarokin has a prescient quality of writing plays about issues that later explode into the public consciousness.

His last play, The Wedding Cake, was presented at North Coast Rep several months before the U.S. Supreme Court took up the gay marriage-themed issue and well before La Jolla Playhouse produced its own play on the topic, The Cake, last winter.

He has also written fictional plays about officer-involved shootings of black men, federal employees who release classified documents, the limits of diplomatic immunity, terrorism and federal corruption.

Retired U.S. District Court Judge H. Lee Sarokin, center, and his wife, Margie, second from left, watch the reading of his latest play The Protester at North Coast Repertory Theatre on Monday. (Don Boomer / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Sarokin said he came up with the idea for The Protester in January after reading a report on the harsh living conditions in federal immigration detention centers. He had no idea the topic would blow up it as it has in recent months.

I try to make my plays current, but I couldnt keep up with this one, he said, in a backstage interview before Mondays reading. Every day there was something in the paper that was more horrific, whether it was parents being deported and leaving their children behind or the sexual abuse of women in the centers.

The Protester is the story of Juan Rodriguez, a pizzeria worker in his mid-30s who entered the U.S. illegally with his father 20 years before the story begins. At work one day hes arrested by ICE officers and held in detention for deportation. After six months, hes freed to return to his wife, children and memory-impaired father thanks to the intervention of his sister Grace, a firebrand law student and naturalized U.S. citizen.

Angry about her brothers treatment, Grace organizes a noisy anti-deportation protest at her law schools graduation ceremony, where the anti-immigration U.S. attorney general is scheduled to speak. At a disciplinary hearing, Grace faces suspension or expulsion for repeatedly disrupting the ceremony to exercise her free speech rights. The play ends with Graces fate hanging in the balance.

Christopher Williams, who directed the reading, said he loves plays like The Protester because they dont offer a black-and-white conclusion.

Its easy to get caught up in the emotions of the play, Williams said. We go in with our gut on how we feel about the issue, but his plays help you understand the legal rules behind these decisions.

Retired U.S. District Court Judge H. Lee Sarokin, left, takes questions from the audience about his new play The Protester at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach on Monday. (Don Boomer / San Diego Union-Tribune)

After patiently encouraging debate from the audience in the style of a college professor, Sarokin told the crowd that hes a free speech advocate and is sympathetic to the problems faced by the fictional Rodriguez family. But he doesnt believe Graces right to protest is any greater than the universitys right to choose its own keynote speaker and have a peaceful ceremony.

As with most of Sarokins plays, The Protester ends with an impassioned speech. In this play its delivered by Juan, played by actor Richard Trujillo, on the issues of free speech, patriotism, family unity and the law. Sarokin said these speeches always represent a summation of his own feelings on the topic.

Over the past nearly 90 years, Sarokin said hes seen great periods of social upheaval in this country. Although the racism and anti-immigrant rhetoric has ramped up in recent years, he said its not as severe now as it was during the civil rights era. However, Sarokin said this is the first time hes seen so much of the agitation, much of it false, being fomented by the president and the administration itself.

He said The Protester is his way of making people stop and think, no matter where they come down on the issue of illegal immigration.

I find it offensive that people who are coming here to seek asylum  which is authorized by international law  are treated in this country like criminals, he said. I know this is a hot-button topic. Its controversial. These plays are a great outlet for me to write about issues I have a great interest in.

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.comIt is really easy to buy weed in Chula Vista.

All you need is cash, a valid ID, and a copy of the San Diego Reader  an alternative weekly newspaper where unlicensed pot shops advertise discounts and customer loyalty programs.

There are currently nine unlicensed marijuana dispensaries in Chula Vista. All but one of them are in the southwestern part of the city, along Third Avenue and Broadway.

Chula Vista has been engaged in an endless game of whack-a-mole for years. As soon as the city shuts down one dispensary, another opens. Since 2014, the city has closed more than 35 unlicensed stores.

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Weve had operators open up at locations where either the same or a different operator was previously shut down, said Deputy City Attorney Megan McClurg. Weve also had operators open up, weve shut them down, and then the operator just relocates to another address, sometimes just down the street.

Although illegal pot shops are nothing new to Chula Vista, McClurg has noticed an increase since the state legalized recreational marijuana in November 2016.

There has definitely not been a decrease since November 2016, she said. In fact, we are seeing increasingly defiant, unlawful operators who are motivated to operate in violation of the law for as long as possible.

Previously, operators would voluntarily shut down once the city notified them. But now the city sees more operators and landlords who appear to know the entire operation is illegal, she added.

Chula Vista currently has a ban on marijuana. The City Council approved a set of regulations in March. Those regulations include prohibiting anybody who has operated an unlicensed marijuana business from opening a legal store in Chula Vista.

Residents will vote on a cannabis tax in November. If the tax is approved, the city will issue permits as early as the first quarter of 2019.

But until then, every store selling marijuana in Chula Vista is operating illegally.

Despite being illegal, all of Chula Vistas dispensaries are listed on Weedmaps, a website that lists the address and hours of cannabis storefronts. At least three dispensaries advertise on the San Diego Reader and two hire sign spinners to attract more customers.

All of them are busy.

More than a dozen customers walked into the Chula Vista Fire House on Main Street during a 10-minute span on Wednesday afternoon. One of the customers was dropped off by an Uber driver who waited outside while the customer bought drugs.

Employees at the store  and every other dispensary visited by the San Diego Union-Tribune  declined to comment.

No one is going to want to talk to you, said an employee at the Chula Vista Collective, one of two Third Avenue dispensaries that hire sign spinners.

Cannabis dispensaries in Chula Vista include The Chula Vista Clinic on Third Avenue. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Chula Vistas dispensaries are all fairly similar.

The usual layout is a small room with a glass counter where a security guard checks your ID. First-time customers usually get a 10 percent discount.

Once given the go-ahead, customers walk into a larger showroom, usually with wooden floors, white walls, glass display cases, and hip-hop playing in the background.

Inside the display cases are pre-rolled joints, edibles, grams of various types of marijuana buds, pipes, and bongs. Some stores have coolers filled with cannabis-infused drinks and ice cream.

Behind the display cases are the bud-tenders, usually two or three young women who help customers find the right kind of product. Some of the stores have a sign telling customers not to harass their employees.

They sell bongs for $50, grams for $10, and a wide variety of produces like cheese-flavored chips called Wheetos, cannabis-infused soda called legal, and a marijuana-infused michelada mix.

Some of the stores are open 24/7 and hire enough staff  including private security guards  to keep those hours.

Unlicensed cannabis retailers also pay for advertising. The full-page ad on the San Diego Reader for Chula Vista Exotica boasts the stores non-Profit status, Lab-tested flowers, and three security guards.

The Reader declined to comment when asked about profiting from illegal pot shops.

Several challenges prevent Chula Vista from shutting down illegal dispensaries quickly.

Operators hide their identities and have enough money to fend off closure efforts. Complicit landlords receive above-market rates and city resources in code enforcement, the police department, and the city attorneys office are stretched thin, McClurg said.

Still, Chula Vista wants to be more aggressive.

The first step is raising civil fines. Current fines are $2,500 per day. If voters approve the cannabis tax in November, fines will be $10,000 per day. Chula Vista plans to use some of the cannabis tax revenues to beef up the citys enforcement resources.

The city hopes added resources will help. But they dont expect to get rid of all illegal pot shops.

We do not expect that problem simply to go away because weve started licensing legal businesses, City Attorney Glen Googins wrote in an email. This is not what has occurred in other jurisdictions (including San Diego).

The city is also looking to hire a criminal prosecutor to speed up the closure process.

Criminal prosecution tends to be a quicker enforcement tool than civil enforcement, partly because of constitutional rights to a speedy trial in the criminal process. Additionally, criminal prosecution opens up the possibility of obtaining search warrants that allow seizures.

Chula Vista included the position in their city budget and staff hope to find funding for the position by the end of the year.

Until then, anyone 21 and older in Chula Vista can walk into an unlicensed dispensary and get a 10 percent discount for being a first-time shopper.

Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or TwitterNational City Councilwoman Mona Rios has come under scrutiny for her time as president of the National City Rotary Club, which has been around since the 1950s.

Current members are accusing the councilwoman, her former campaign manager and her city council aide of nearly destroying the club through faulty accounting and poor leadership.

Rios was president in the 2014-15 fiscal year and her campaign manager, Marcus Bush, succeeded her in 2015-16. Rios aide, Anita Brinkley, was treasurer under Rios, Bush and their successor, David Garcia, according to a Rotary Club report that outlines their time in leadership.

During that time, the Rotary Club did not bill members for dues, failed to file IRS tax forms and did not pay rent for the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center where the club held its weekly meetings, according to the report and IRS records.

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As a result of the failure to file IRS returns, the club lost its tax-exempt status, essentially barring it from fundraising. It also was evicted from the community center, which is owned by the city.

We basically had three bad presidents and it almost devastated our club because people didnt do proper accounting, said departing president Bill Wells. We dont even know where some of the money is.

There are currently about a dozen members left in the Rotary Club, said Wells, who shares a name with the mayor of El Cajon.

Rios declined to comment. Bush said he took responsibility for the improper accounting. David Garcia, who succeeded Bush, did not respond to requests for comment.

Duane Schirmer, a Rotary Club member who balanced the clubs books, said the clubs accounting was basically non-existent between 2014 and 2017. There are no records of how money was spent.

The books had incoming money, but nothing going out, Schirmer said. We had nothing to show the Martin Luther King Jr. Center that we paid rent because we had no checks of money going out.

Schirmer said remaining Rotary members paid some of the IRS fines out of pocket.

Brinkley disputes that she did not keep records or engage in proper accounting during her time as treasurer. She said she turned over bookkeeping records to Garcia before she left the club.

IRS records show the Rotary Clubs tax-exempt status was revoked in November 2017  an action that is taken when the required Form 990 return is not filed for three consecutive years. Records show the last Form 990 was filed by the president who preceeded Rios, Jon Halstead.

The Rotary Club also is required to file forms with the state Attorney Generals Office, which oversees charitable organizations. Records show the club did not file required forms in the past five years, with the exception of fiscal year 2014, when Halstead served as president.

Financial statements from the city of National City show the Rotary Club was billed $2,100 to use the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center from September 2014 to June 2016  during the time Rios and Bush were president. The records show the Rotary Club only paid $300 of the amount owed until 2017, when the rest was paid.

The Rotary Club spent the past year balancing the books. It published an internal report to show members the financial situation the current leadership inherited and the steps taken to right the ship.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune, was not intended to be made public, said Wells.

Wells said its important the public know that Rios and the others had a negative impact on the club.

I quite frankly think she mismanaged the club that I belong to, he said. Can they be relied on to manage the money of the city and do good for the people of National City? I dont think so.

Apart from the financial mismanagement, the Rotary Clubs report claims Rios used the organization for her own political gain. While she was president and running for re-election for a seat on the City Council in 2014, the Rotary Club printed shirts that read, Rotarians at Work on the back and Vote for Mona Rios, on the front, according to the report.

At the time, Rotary members werent aware of rules against promoting political campaign, Wells said.

I dont think the club realized what she was doing, Wells said. If Rotary International had known, they wouldve pulled our charter at the time because what she did was completely against Rotary rules.

Rios declined to discuss her time in the Rotary Club.

Her lawyer, Cory Briggs, dismissed the Rotary Clubs report as unsubstantiated accusations.

Bush and Brinkley labeled the Rotary Club report a smear campaign against Rios, who is up for re-election in November.

Bush, Rios former campaign manager, said he was unaware of the fact that the clubs status was subject to filing of IRS forms until after his term as president.

I took responsibility for that and apologized because I didnt know about that, he said.

Bush maintained that the Rotary Club had successful years under his and Rios leadership, including three successful fundraisers that raised money for programs and scholarships in each of the two years.

Anita Brinkley, Rios city council aide, said the club was struggling financially before she came on board.

She disputes being treasurer while Rios was president. Rios did not have a treasurer in 2014-15, leaving the councilwoman to carry out the accounting duties herself, Brinkley said.

Brinkley also said she planned to file IRS paperwork in November 2017 and even talked to a tax lawyer. But she left the Rotary Club before November because she did not agree with the leadership of then-president Garcia.

Brinkley said she told the Rotary Club what steps members needed to take to file the tax returns before she split ways with the organization.

Brinkley did not pay her dues when she left and still owes the Rotary Club $100. She said she wants to pay back the money in person but was unaware of where the club was holding meetings.

Current members of the Rotary Club said Rios and Bush did not tell them about the clubs financial situation. The organization only found out after the IRS sent them a revocation letter and the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center told them they were evicted.

The club had to pay $1,000 in fines for not filing paperwork with the IRS and the States Attorney Generals Office. Because they couldnt host fundraisers, some of the money came from members themselves, Schirmer said.

In the past year, the club paid its arrears to the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and were reinstated as a charity by filing the required forms with the state attorney generals office. The group is working with the IRS to be retroactively reinstated.

I thought the club was going to die, and I was ready to walk away, Schirmer said. But the remaining members are committed. Weve been working with the IRS and we paid off our rent so we are moving back soon.

Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or TwitterWhats happening

August is National Deli Month and D.Z. Akins is celebrating the great American heritage of New York-style delicatessens all month long, and all for a good cause. Three years ago, a national documentary film, Deli Man, sounded the alarm on how delicatessens, a mainstay of every Jewish community, were rapidly disappearing. Now deli mavens across the country have united to bring renewed attention to the unique and truly American businesses by creating a month entirely for delicatessens. Opened in 1980 by Debi and Zvika Akin, the deli boasts more than 130 sandwich options and an entire page of fountain choices like sundaes, shakes, malts and sodas. A portion of each meal sold will be donated to Jewish Family Services. 6930 Alvarado Road, San Diego. delimonth.com/dz-akins-deli

CREAM, aka Cookies Rule Everything Around Me, is celebrating National Ice Cream Sandwich Day by selling mini versions of its handcrafted ice cream sandwiches for one penny, honoring the invention of the original in 1900, when it sold for 1 cent from a street cart. 1 to 4 p.m. today. 5157 College Ave., Suite B, San Diego. (619) 230-5177.

Dairy Queen is hosting its 13th annual Miracle Treat Day today in support of Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals. For every Blizzard Treat sold at participating DQ Grill & Chill and Dairy Queen locations, $1 will be donated to Rady Childrens Hospital in San Diego. For more information and locations, visit miracletreatday.com

Firehouse Subs will host its seventh annual H2O for Heroes bottled water collection drive on Saturday. The restaurants will provide one medium submarine sandwich to each guest who donates an unopened 24-pack of bottled water, benefiting local fire and police departments, emergency victims, senior and community centers. More than 768,000 bottles of water were donated during last years drive, and the brand hopes to increase collections by 10 percent. Locations: National City, Chula Vista, Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa, Encinitas, Escondido and Oceanside. firehousesubs.com

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Royale! Burgers and Cocktails will host In Good Company, a summer bar takeover series featuring mixologists from top San Diego bars, including Noble Experiment, Jaynes Gastropub, False Idol and Charles + Dinorah at The Pearl Hotel. The cocktail menu features seasonal produce, botanicals and ingredients from Nopalito, the 15-acre family farm. 7 to 10 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20, Sept. 12 and Sept. 25. 4204 Voltaire St., San Diego. royalesd.com

National Oyster Day is Sunday. Heres where you can shuck em.

Stake Chophouse + Bar: $1.25 oysters all night long. Additional oyster offerings from the menu include oyster shooters and wood-fired Oysters Rockefeller. Have a glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne for $12. 1309 Orange Ave., Coronado. (619) 522-0077. stakechophouse.com

$1.25 oysters all night long. Additional oyster offerings from the menu include oyster shooters and wood-fired Oysters Rockefeller. Have a glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne for $12. 1309 Orange Ave., Coronado. (619) 522-0077. stakechophouse.com Blue Point Coastal Cuisine: Oyster and wine pairing from 1 to 3 p.m. for $30. Or nosh on $1 oysters from 5 p.m. to close. Reservations: (619) 233-6623. cohnrestaurants.com/bluepoint

Oyster and wine pairing from 1 to 3 p.m. for $30. Or nosh on $1 oysters from 5 p.m. to close. Reservations: (619) 233-6623. cohnrestaurants.com/bluepoint Fishbone Kitchen: Stop by the 12-seat raw bar for $1.50 oysters alongside a selection of sustainable seafood choices such as fish, ceviche, poke and fresh, spiky sea urchin. Liberty Public Market, 2820 Historic Decatur Road, San Diego. (619) 643-2261. fishbonekitchen.com

Stop by the 12-seat raw bar for $1.50 oysters alongside a selection of sustainable seafood choices such as fish, ceviche, poke and fresh, spiky sea urchin. Liberty Public Market, 2820 Historic Decatur Road, San Diego. (619) 643-2261. fishbonekitchen.com Herringbone La Jolla: $1 oysters of all kinds all day long, also a sampler for diners looking to try a variety of the mollusks. 7837 Herschel Ave., La Jolla. (858) 459-0221. herringboneeats.com

$1 oysters of all kinds all day long, also a sampler for diners looking to try a variety of the mollusks. 7837 Herschel Ave., La Jolla. (858) 459-0221. herringboneeats.com Water Grill: The Oyster Sampler offers six different varieties for $17.10, or get a dozen for $32.20. 615 J St, San Diego. (619) 717-6992. watergrill.com

The Oyster Sampler offers six different varieties for $17.10, or get a dozen for $32.20. 615 J St, San Diego. (619) 717-6992. watergrill.com Beerfish: The North Park eatery shucks oysters every Monday, so stop by for $1 oysters (while supplies last) along with $4 IPAs. 2933 Adams Ave., San Diego. (619) 363-2337. beerfish.com

New summer menus continue to sizzle at local restaurants

Farmers Table invites guests to cool down with new summertime frozen drink options. The Golden Frog is crafted from blueberry, pineapple, jalapeno and mezcal to give it its spicy, smoky and fruit-forward flavor profile, while the BlueBlaze Margarita, similar in flavors, is a mix of jalapeno and blueberry-infused tequila, gourmet blueberry syrup and fresh lime, garnished with charred jalapeno and blueberries. 8141 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa. (619) 724-6465. farmerstablelamesa.com

Prep Kitchen chef Joe Elevado has curated new brunch and lunch menus. Known for its artisan, farm-to-table fare, Prep Kitchens offerings incorporate New American cuisine with touches of Asian influence enhanced by local seasonal produce. The brunch menu features items like baked crab scramble, andouille sausage Benedict, a cinnamon roll skillet, Bloody Mary carts, fruit and herb mimosas and hot coffee sundaes served with a bento box of treats. For lunch, guests will find a shrimp tostada, buttermilk fried chicken sandwich and a smoked beet and peach salad. The menus are only available at the Littly Italy and San Marcos restaurants, with plans to offer the new dishes at all locations. 1660 India St., San Diego and 250 N. City Drive, San Marcos. prepkitchen.com

The Grass Skirts Beverage Director, Steven Tuttle, unveiled summer-inspired cocktails with a splash of aloha. Some of the drinks offered are the Singapore Sling, made with gin, Benedictine (an herbal liqueur), Herring Cherry Liqueur, orange liqueur, lime, passion fruit, pomegranate, orgeat, bitters and soda; Ricky Ricardo, made with white rum, lime, Mexican cola and bitters; and the Hakuna Colada, a mix of masala (a blend of ground spices), tea and cilantro brandy, lime, pineapple, coconut and bitters. 910 Grand Ave., San Diego. (858) 412-5237. thegrassskirt.com

Cusp Dining & Drinks new dinner menu features starters like crab tostada with lump crab meat, tomato, onion, cilantro, avocado puree and citrus crema; and for entrees, theres roasted Scottish salmon with potato manchego (cheese) croquettes, summer squash, poached cherry tomatoes, pickled bell peppers and basquaise sauce. 7955 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla. (858) 551-3620. cusprestaurant.com

Giardino offers more than a dozen new summer dishes, including vegetarian options. Entree choices include lobster gnocchi with lobster tail, baby shrimp and pink sauce; 8-ounce filet mignon with spinach mashed potatoes in a barolo (red wine) reduction or bacon-wrapped salmon with purple cauliflower mashed potatoes with a lemon dill sauce. 8131 Broadway, Lemon Grove. (619) 825-7112. giardinosd.com

Pacific Breeze Cafe is serving fresh menus for breakfast and lunch featuring dishes like avocado toast, achiote-braised pork shoulder hash, vegan vegetable wrap or wrap combo (half of any wrap and choice of cup of soup or small organic green salad) and buttermilk fried chicken. You can also purchase pre-made wraps, salads and sandwiches in the Grab & Go case. 1555 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar. (858) 792-0476. pacificadelmar.com

Curadero executive chef Brad Kraten and sous chef Citlalmina Rosetes latest dinner menu includes small dishes like short rib empanadas or smoked jalapeno braised octopus a la plancha; and larger plates like the carnitas trio with pork three ways  shank, cochinita pibil (slow-roasted) and chicharron (fried) or the pescado tikin xic, fish marinated in achiote and wrapped in a banana leaf with tomatoes and onions, black beans and rice. 1047 Fifth Ave., San Diego. (619) 515-3003. curadero.com

Verandina, South Countys seaside Italian eatery, offers weekly specials like All Day Happy Hour Monday with $4 bites and $5 drinks; half off select bottles of wine on Tuesday (after 5 p.m.); Wednesday is Cheese Wheel Pasta night (after 5 p.m.); and Thursday is Date Night. For $49, two people can enjoy two glasses of house wine, a shared starter, two entrees and a shared dessert. 710 Seacoast Drive, Imperial Beach. (619) 271-6795. VerandinaRestaurant.com

Openings

IDEA1, the mixed-use community in East Village, recently opened Young Hickory. Situated on the ground floor, the coffee and beer hangout  already a presence in North Park  serves a diverse selection of craft beer cans from local and out-of-state brewers, Bird Rock Coffee Roasters coffee and Tea Gallerie teas, as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner. 810 13th St., San Diego. (619) 501-5263. younghickory.com

Blade 1936 will open its doors in late September. With a menu crafted by chef and partner, Mario Cassineri, the restaurants name is a tribute to Oceansides old newspaper, The Blade-Tribune, which occupied the space from 1936 until the 1960s. The historic structure will revive into an Italian haven with rustic wood and steel elements, while preserving the integrity of the building. Partner and general manager John Carlo Ferraiuolo (Caffe Calabria, Red Oven) will use a custom-made Stefano Ferrara brick pizza oven to cook up pies  from a traditional margherita pizza to a signature mimosa topped with cream, prosciutto cotto, corn and fior di latte cheese. The menu also includes pastas, desserts and a full bar. 401 Seagaze Drive, Oceanside. blade1936.com

carolina.gusman@sduniontribune.comIts tempting to call Steve Lukather the missing link between The Beatles, Weezer, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, the Circle Jerks, Van Halen and Dolly Parton  to cite just a fraction of the many artists with whom he has collaborated.

Tempting, but inaccurate, for one simple reason.

Lukather has never gone missing since  at the age of 19  he played guitar on Diana Ross Baby, Its Me and Boz Scaggs Down Two Then Left albums in 1977. That was, incidentally, the same year he co-founded the band Toto.

Ive never stopped working and I still have pinch me moments all the time, said Lukather, who performs sold-out shows at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay with Toto on Tuesday and on Sept. 27 with former Beatle Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band.

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In between those two San Diego performances, his 352-page memoir, The Gospel According to Luke, will be published Sept. 18. Then, on Oct. 5, Sony Legacy will release All In, a 13-CD, 17-LP collection that includes Totos 10 studio albums, two discs of unreleased material, a Blu-ray concert film disc and an 80-page hardcover book.

For good measure, Toto  one of the most critically reviled bands of the 1970s and 80s  now boasts a previously unimaginable patina of hipness.

Credit for this goes in part to Weezer, which in June scored a hit with its almost note-for-note re-make of Totos 1983 chart-topper, Africa. Even more significant, though, is Totos evolution from corporate rock whipping boys to heroes of yacht rock, the phrase used to describe the sleek soft-rock style of the late 1970s popularized by Toto, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross and other like-minded acts.

Our (concert pay) guarantees have quadrupled! said Lukather, speaking last week from his Los Angeles home.

Weve got a younger audience now. All of a sudden, our back catalog is exploding on Spotify and we have half a billion streams. People are saying: Wow these guys have 19 albums out that sold 40 million copies?

Weve become an underground thing for kids, because we never got the love our peers got back in the day. Kids are loving discovering us and Im happy to be that band.

Lukathers many album credits as a studio guitarist include Michael Jacksons Thriller, Chaka Khans I Feel for You and former San Diegan Stephen Bishops Bowling in Paris. Here are excerpts from our interview, in which he discussed:

Himself: Im a weird guy with a weird sense of humor. Please take out the parts of this interview that make me sound like a douche bag.

Playing at Humphreys: Ringo loves that place! He loves to give sh-t to the people out on boats who dont pay for tickets.

Ringo: Ive been in his band for seven years and I adore the man. Hes 78 and seems every bit like hes 45. This guy is my hero. Hes really smart and hes as funny now as he was in (the 1964 Beatles movie) A Hard Days Night. Ive been in his band for seven years now and Ive learned so much from Ringo. I got to write a song (2017s Show Me the Way) with Ringo  and Paul (McCartney) played bass on it. If it only sells 100 copies, I did a song with Ringo and Paul! Ringo did that for me, because he knew how much it would mean to me. He is such a thoughtful guy. I told him hed have to kill me to get rid of me!

Drugs: Youd walk into (recording) studios and there were piles of cocaine. It was a fiesta, 24 hours a day. It didnt get dark until the end of the 1980s, when everybody went into the closet. It was still there, but everyone was on the down-low. People were losing their careers and lives. It got really ugly, really fast, and I dont recommend it to anybody. I talk about this in my book  how I (messed) myself up with booze. That was not a good part of my life.

Sobriety: I just stopped one day. I quit drinking, smoking, doing anything bad. That was almost 10 years ago.  I just was done: Thats (expletive) it  my last hangover ends today. Nobody ever wanted to grow up. We lived this Peter Pan life. Youre a teen thrown into the rock world, given all this money, freedom and craziness, and able to get away with murder.

Recording with Miles Davis in 1986: Miles was so cool to us. We were so nervous; a bunch of white guys from the (San Fernando) Valley. He loved us. He thought we were hilarious! I tell the whole Miles story in my book. He liked us and he kept showing up everyday (at the studio), and then he asked me to join his band. I was like: Man, you gotta be kidding me! Youve had John McLaughlin and Mike Stern in your bands! Miles said: No, I like that rock n roll s--t you do.

Weezers version of Totos Africa: I think its cute. ... Do I think (the band) Weezer are Toto fans? Absolutely not. They make fun of 80s bands, even though were a 70s band. Toto is going to play (Weezers) Hash Pipe at our shows, and were going to own it!

Negative reviews of Toto: One critic wrote that our parents should have been killed, so that we never would have been born and never played this sh-tty music. That was a cheap shot. There was a strict rule (at music magazines) that you can never mention members of Toto. This happened at Classic Rock, Rolling Stone, Mojo, NME. Why? Because they hated us that much. They think were a fake band made up in a boardroom. They hate everything about us, even though theres never been a band like us (whose members) played on 5,000 albums, collectively, sold 40 million albums and had half a billion streams. They skip over that and get to the important stuff, like Madonna lip-syncing. (Those publications) try to get us (for articles) now, and were like: No. (Expletive) you! We turned down a Rolling Stone cover story in 1983, and recently: (Expletive) you! Youre about as helpful as anal warts....

His hair: Someone wrote online: Youre not fooling anybody with that wig. Im like: Who the (expletive) would wear a wig like this? (Expletive) you! I have hair! 

Toto

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

Ringo Starr & his All-Starr Band

When: 8 p.m. Sept. 27

Where: Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island

Tickets: Sold out

Phone: (800) 745-3000

Online: ticketmaster.com

george.varga@sduniontribune.com

Twitter @georgevargaPaul McCartney as Frodo? John Lennon as Gollum? George Harrison as Gandalf? Ringo Starr  who performs a sold-out Sept. 27 San Diego concert at Humphreys  as Samwise Gamgee? Middle Earth and Beatlemania?

No, this isnt some LSD-fueled fantasy that mashes up The Beatles and The Lord of the Rings. At least, it isnt according to Peter Jackson, who directed the three top-grossing film adaptations The Lord of the Rings trilogy and discussed The Beatles connection during a 2014 interview at Comic-Con in San Diego.

This unlikely, but true, story took on new currency Tuesday, after noted documentary filmmaker and author Louis Theroux wondered aloud on his Twitter page if such a collaboration had ever been a possibility.

Actor John McGinley then responded in a tweet that, indeed, it was true. And, he noted, The Beatles had wanted Stanley Kubrick  the celebrated director of Lolita and Dr Strangelove  to helm the Fab Fours proposed film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

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Had all gone according to plan, it would have been The Beatles third feature film, following the Richard Lester-directed A Hard Days Night and Help!

According to Jackson, the worlds most famous rock band went so far as to approach Kubrick in 1967. But he turned them down to focus on what became 2001: A Space Odyssey, a film that is still regarded as one of his greatest achievements.

Yet, even if Kubrick had agreed, The Beatles quest to turn The Lord of the Rings into a movie starring The Beatles would apparently have been a non-starter. Thats because Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien was, most decidedly, not a fan of the band.

It was something John (Lennon) was driving and J.R.R. Tolkien still had the film rights at that stage, but he didnt like the idea of The Beatles doing it. So he killed it, Jackson told the Wellington Evening Post in 2002, after learning of the proposed project from McCartney. There probably wouldve been some good songs coming off the album.

Jackson revisited the topic in a 2014 interview with Deadline conducted at that years edition of Comic-Con in San Diego. In that interview, he elaborated on The Beatles failed attempt to sway Kubrick.

They approached him and he said no. I actually spoke about this with Paul McCartney. He confirmed it. Id heard rumors that it was going to be their next film after Help!  Jackson told Deadline.

John Lennon was going to play Gollum. Paul was going to play Frodo. George Harrison was going to play Gandalf, and Ringo Starr was going to play Sam. And a lot of other people were going to play other roles. Paul was very gracious; he said: It was a good (thing) we never made ours because then you wouldnt have made yours and it was great to see yours. I said: Its the songs I feel badly about; you guys would have banged out a few good tunes for this. You were The Beatles, after all. Its a shame we missed out.

Tolkiens antipathy towards The Beatles was apparently fueled by an unknown garage band that practiced very close to his home in Oxford, England. In a 1964 letter to Christopher Bretherton, Tolkien complained about nearby street noise that lasted from early morn to about 2 a.m.

Moreover, Tolkien wrote: In a house three doors away dwells a member of a group of young men who are evidently aiming to turn themselves into a Beatle Group. On days when it falls to his turn to have a practice session the noise is indescribable.

george.varga@sduniontribune.com

Twitter @georgevargaIn a lawsuit filed Monday, a former Marine recruit says Sodexo  the food vendor at the Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego  was negligent in its food safety practices and is therefore liable for the E.coli-linked medical condition that ended his military career.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in October that more than 300 Marine recruits were treated for symptoms associated with exposure to E.coli bacteria at Marine Corps Recruit Depot and Camp Pendleton.

An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control confirmed 62 cases of E.coli infections and listed another 62 as probable. An additional 120 cases are suspected. Thirty Marines required hospitalization.

The CDC suggested under-cooked ground beef was the source of the outbreak, noting inconsistent cooking temperatures and poor recruit hygiene habits as contributing conditions.

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Vincent Grano is one of the recruits who ended up hospitalized, and the first to take legal action. According to his complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in San Diego, Grano was diagnosed with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, a complication found in about 10 percent of people who contract E.coli.

While in the hospital, the syndrome led to Granos kidneys failing and a bout of seizures. He was diagnosed with epilepsy. On June 29, he was discharged from the Marines due to his seizure disorder, the complaint says.

His attorneys said Grano has permanent brain and kidney damage, and that they have been contacted by other affected recruits.

We have been contacted by five others, William Marler, an attorney who specializes in food safety, said in an email. All Marines who had E.coli and developed HUS.

Marler and attorneys from the San Diego law firm Gordon & Holmes are representing Grano.

In an email, the recruit depot said Sodexo is still feeding recruits, but that it has taken steps to ensure food safety.

MCRD has reinforced existing hygiene requirements with a continued focus on hand-washing, enhanced facilities cleansing to ensure proper sanitation and hygiene in all areas and increased inspections of barracks, dining facilities and common areas by the commands supporting Preventative Medicine Unit, said Steven Posy, MCRDs community relations officer.

Marler said the Marine Corps was not a target of the lawsuit.

I want to make clear that this is not a claim against the Marine Corps, he said in a statement. We intend to hold Sodexo and the supplier of the tainted meat responsible for the devastating injuries caused to Mr. Grano and the other young service members who have contacted us.

Sodexo did not return requests for comment.

UPDATES:

Aug. 2  Sodexo spokesman Enrico Dinges issued this statement on behalf of the company after the original posting of this article: We are aware of the lawsuit and the CDC report which, in fact, did not conclusively determine or identify the source of the E.coli. As litigation has been filed related to this incident, we are not able to provide a detailed response at this time. It is important to note that Sodexo is a recognized industry leader in food safety and quality assurance making the safety, health and wellbeing of our clients and customers the number one priority. Sodexo proudly serves nutritious, healthy and delicious meals to millions of customers every day in North America.August 1, 1910 The San Diego Union

The San Diego Union-Tribune will mark its 150th anniversary in 2018 by presenting a significant front page from the archives each day throughout the year.

Monday, August 1, 1910

In 1910 the first two San Diego firefighters to die in the line of duty were gunned down in the street by a disgruntled former colleague.

Burt Durham shot and killed Capt. Peter Sampsell, 42, and engineer Daniel Grant, 53, after turning in a false alarm from the call box at Second Avenue and Spruce Street to draw them out. Durham also killed his wife, Ollie, and infant son, Lee, before taking his own life.

Here are the first few paragraphs of the story:

MANIAC, ON RAMPAGE; KILLS THEE PERSONS AND WOUNDS TWO

AMBUSHES FIREMEN; BEATS WIFE AND CHILD TO DEATH IN HOME

HUNDREDS OF DEPUTIES ARMED WITH RIFLES PATROL CITY IN SEARCH OF ARCH-MURDERER

Sent in Alarm and Shot Down Engine Crew as They Drove in Sight

KILLED FAMILY WITH CLUB

Driven Insane by Brooding Over Fancied Wrongs While Employed at Fire House

THE DEAD  Donald F. Grant, engineer Engine Co. No 3

Mrs. Bert S. Durham and child

THE WOUNDED  Peter Sampsell, captain Hose Co. 3

Guy Elliott, driver Hose Co 3.

THREE persons dead, a fourth dying, a fifth in a critical condition in St. Josephs hospital, hundreds of armed men scouring the city in automobiles and on foot in search of the murderer and he, well known to members of the police and fire departments, still at large, is the result of some ill will borne against Capt. E.P. Sampsell of fire engine company No. 3 by Bert S. Durham, a former member of that company, but who a few months ago resigned and since which time has become a raving maniac.

The dead include Don F. Grant, chief of fire company No. 3, who was shot in the shoulder, the bullet penetrating the heart and lungs, when answering a false alarm sent in from Second and Spruce streets about 1 oclock this morning, and Durhams wife and baby who were beaten to death with a blunt instrument when asleep in their apartments in the Albemarle rooming house on D street across from the courthouse.

The bodies of the mother and babe were discovered shortly before 4 oclock this morning by a party who were searing for the fiend and who visited the home believing that he might have returned there after shootgin the members of the fire department.

Every available man in the police department and scores of deputies from the sheriffs office were pressed into service immediately, armed with Winchesters, revolvers and, in fact, any make of a gun available, and given orders to shoot on sight upon refusal of any one to throw up their hands.

Every nook and corner of the city is being watched, autos were pressed into service and scoured the city for the remainder of the night, but up to the hour of going to press the search had been futile.

The crimes of this morning will go down in the records of San Diego county criminal history as the most brutal, the most fiendish known.

View anniversary front pages online at sandiegouniontribune.com/150-years. For more from the Union-Tribune digital archives, go to newslibrary.com/sites/sdub. Searching is free, with registration. A fee is required to view full stories.Seven people have died of heat stroke in recent weeks as high temperatures have hit Mexicali, Baja Californias desert capital. Another 65 have died of other medical conditions such as heart, kidney and lung diseases that have been aggravated by the high temperatures, Dr. Raul Gonzalez Vaca, Baja Californias chief medical examiner, said Tuesday.

Temperatures in the region reached a peak for the year of of 118 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday and 122 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, said Manuel Colima, head of the meteorology division of Mexicos National Water Commission in Mexicali. The temperatures have since fallen, with a high Monday registered at 113 degrees Fahrenheit, he said.

Young residents of Mexicali find a way to beat the regions searing temperatures. (Victor Medina / La Cronica)

Mexicalis Civil Protection Office has issued an alert, urging people to stay away from desert areas such as the Laguna Salada, Cerro Centinela and sand dunes outside Algodones, as the temperatures can be deadly in summer.

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Capt. Rene Rosado, Mexicalis longtime Civil Protection chief said last summer was very difficult, but we think that this summer will be worse. The city had not seen such a stretch of searing temperatures since 2005, he added, when 29 people died of heat stroke.

More than 1,200 individuals had received assistance at municipal shelters since they were opened on June 21, said Alfredo Vega, a city spokesman. Those receiving assistance have included indigents as well as families who lack the proper conditions at home to withstand the high temperatures.

Staff at Mexicalis municipal zoo attempt to revive a dehydrated pelican. (Victor Medina / La Cronica)

Humans have not been the only ones suffering from the heat. Residents from several parts of Mexicali last week called in reports of pelicans that had fallen from the sky onto streets, medians and trees. According to an account in the Mexicali newspaper, La Cronica, staff from Mexicos environmental protection agency, Profepa, responded to calls of eight pelicans showing signs of weakness, disorientation and dehydration.

Veterinarians at the Bosque de la Ciudad, the municipal zoo, determined that they were dehydrated and underweight. Most did not survive, according to news reports.Coleman University, a small San Diego school that opened in the early 1960s to train workers for the burgeoning computer and information technology industries, is closing due to accreditation and financial problems.

The closure, which will take effect Sunday, comes with little notice. Coleman officials were promoting the private, nonprofit school about two weeks ago at San Diego Comic-Con. And its website is still marketing classes.

Coleman President Norbert J. Kubilus said in a statement that the school, which has about 200 students, learned in June that the Western Assn. of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission denied our petition for initial accreditation.

Losing our bid, he said, placed the financial sustainability of the university in question. For the last three weeks, our Board of Trustees and management have been seeking alternate forms of financial support to keep the school open.

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Finally, after exhausting all feasible resources, the decision to discontinue operations at the end of the current term had to be made.

The California Office of Student Assistance and Relief issued a statement confirming the closure, and notified Coleman students that they have a right to request a refund and to have student loans discharged.

Coleman was created in 1963 by Coleman Furr and his wife, Lois, who saw an opportunity to train students in electronic data processing. The school eventually expanded its offerings. It remained a college until 2008, when it began the transition to university status.

Coleman struggled to compete in a region that is dominated by UC San Diego and San Diego State, public schools that operate large programs in computer science, information technology and engineering.

Declining enrollment over the last five years has taken its toll, Kubilus said in his statement.

Many factors outside of the universitys control contributed to this decline, such as de-recognition of our national accreditor by the secretary of Education, tightened controls over international students coming to the United States to study, and historically low unemployment in our region, he said.

Kubilus added: While we have stemmed the downward trend in recent months, meaningful enrollment growth is nearly impossible without regional accreditation.

Coleman also was competing for students at a time when overall enrollment at the nations degree-granting colleges and universities has been sliding. Enrollment dropped by 1.2 million students from 2010 to 2016 and is expected to continue dropping, partly due to a major fall in the nations birth rate, education analysts say.

The slide has contributed to the closure of a number of small schools, including Marylhurst University near Portland, Ore., which is closing at the end of the year.

Were going to see more closures, said Carol Aslanian, an education analyst and president of Aslanian Market Research in Hoboken, N.J. Many small, private schools dont have the resources to do outreach and convert people into students. Its a very competitive market.

Robbins writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.A federal appeals court decided Wednesday that the Trump administration may not withhold federal funds from Californias immigrant-friendly sanctuary cities and counties.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, upheld a district judges ruling in favor of San Francisco and Santa Clara County, which sued over the administrations threats to withhold money to jurisdictions that have passed laws limiting local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

The ruling was a blow to the Trump administrations efforts to punish cities and states that fail to help enforce federal immigration law, a goal President Trump announced shortly after he was sworn in.

The administration did not comment on whether it intended to appeal the decision.

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But the 9th Circuit handed Trump one victory. It removed a nationwide injunction against his directive, concluding there was not enough evidence presented in the case so far to support blocking it beyond California.

Devin OMalley, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice, called the ruling a a victory for criminal aliens in California, who can continue to commit crimes knowing that the states leadership will protect them from federal immigration officers.

OMalley also declared that the removal of the nationwide injunction amounted to another major victory for the rule of law.

The case stemmed from an executive order issued by Trump shortly after taking office. He directed his administration to withhold federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions.

The 9th Circuit said Trump exceeded his authority because only Congress can put conditions on federal funds.

The United States Constitution exclusively grants the power of the purse to Congress, not the President, wrote Chief 9th Circuit Judge Sidney R. Thomas, a Clinton appointee.

The administration argued that the order was all bluster and no bite, representing a perfectly legitimate use of the presidential bully pulpit, without any real meaning  gesture without motion, as T.S. Eliot put it, Thomas wrote.

But that explanation strains credulity, Thomas said.

The ruling quoted Trump expressing his opposition to sanctuary cities in a television interview after issuing his order.

If we have to defund, we give tremendous amounts of money to California.... California in many ways is out of control, the court quoted Trump as saying.

The Justice Department later issued a memorandum interpreting Trumps order as affecting only three law enforcement grants historically conditioned on compliance with immigration law.

But the 9th Circuit said that interpretation was unreasonable and inconsistent with the executive order.

The court left the injunction in place for California because it found there was sufficient evidence that the counties and the state were particular targets.

But there was little to no evidence presented on the impact of the executive order outside California, the 9th Circuit said.

The record as presently developed does not justify a nationwide injunction, the court said.

Unless the Trump administration appeals, which legal analysts believe is likely, the case will return to the district court, where evidence could be presented to support a nationwide injunction.

Ninth Circuit Judge Ferdinand F. Fernandez, appointed by former President George H.W. Bush, dissented.

He argued the case was not ripe for a decision, in part because no action has been taken against the counties.

While the counties may be convinced that the Executive Order loosed a fearsome chimera upon them, that does not mean that the courts should take up arms to vanquish the imagined beast by slaying the executive order itself, Fernandez said.

Wednesdays decision was the latest among several to block Trump from punishing sanctuary jurisdictions.

Last month, a federal judge in Sacramento largely rejected a challenge by the Trump administration of three statewide California sanctuary laws.

In April, a federal judge in Los Angeles sided with the city in a ruling that said the administration could not consider sanctuary policies in parsing out police grants.

Chicago and Philadelphia also won court challenges of the administrations authority to yank law enforcement grants based on sanctuary policies. The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision in the Chicago case.

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, though, has allowed a Texas law requiring police chiefs and sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration officials to go into effect. Texas lawmakers passed the requirement in response to the sanctuary city movement.

The U.S. Supreme Court has not yet weighed in on the sanctuary policies or on the legality of the administrations effort to end protections from deportation for immigrants who came to the U.S. when they were young.

The high court decided 5 to 4 in June to uphold Trumps travel ban, which was a revision of an executive order the president issued shortly after taking office.

The order bans foreign visitors and immigrants from several mostly Muslim-majority nations. Lower courts had struck down the ban.

Santa Clara County Counsel James Williams called Wednesdays decision great news.

He said all the courts that have examined lawsuits involving sanctuary polices have concluded that Congress, not the executive branch, controls federal spending.

This opinion today is a huge reaffirmation of that very core bedrock principle of separation of powers, Williams said.

Kent Scheidegger, legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, described the majority ruling as deeply dishonest. The foundation sided with the Trump administration in the case.

Scheidegger noted that Trumps order asked for compliance consistent with law, which limited it to only a few grants, not all federal spending.

This case is headed for rehearing by a larger 11-judge panel, at least, and probably to the Supreme Court, he said.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera praised the ruling for blocking an unconstitutional power grab by Trump.

San Franciscos sanctuary policies make our city safer by encouraging anyone who has been a victim or witness to a crime to tell police, Herrera said. We are a safer community when people arent afraid to call the Fire Department in an emergency.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan

UPDATES:

2:50 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from San Franciscos city attorney.

2:20 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from the Department of Justice.

1 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction to the ruling.

11:50 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details and background.

11:10 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details from the decision.

This article was originally published at 10:30 a.m.On the House floor last week, Rep. Duncan Hunter packed a remarkable condemnation of the U.S. Department of Justice into a one-minute speech.

The law enforcement agency, he said, is corrupt, answerable to no one and uses the law to extort the American people and effect political change.

His criticism echoes President Donald Trumps and is no less ironic: They both lash out at the federal agency  ostensibly under the control of the president  for its investigation into matters relating to the president. Significant, but not mentioned in Hunters speech, is that same agency has been investigating him for possible misuse of campaign funds, and maybe more, for at least a year and a half.

The Alpine Republican took the lectern on Thursday to endorse the move by fellow conservatives to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. They contend Rosenstein has not cooperated with Congress by failing to produce all the documents requested. They also maintain he should have recused himself, because of a potential conflict, from overseeing the investigation being conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller. The special counsel is looking into possible coordination between the Russian government and Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, among other things.

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The impeachment effort seemed certain to fail, and Republican leaders determined that allowing a vote would split the party. They convinced impeachment leaders to back off, at least for the time being, as the House began its summer break last week.

Regardless, Hunter launched into a fiery denunciation of the Department of Justice, castigating past and present subversive partisan officials. Its worth pointing out, of course, that Rosenstein, Mueller and others in the agencys hierarchy are Republicans.

Seeking to adhere to the one minute allowed him, Hunter sped through his prepared speech. Heres what he said:

Imagine living in a country where the federal government decides whether youre jailed or set free based on your politics. Well, dont imagine anymore. Its real and its happening right here. My colleagues are right to introduce articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

The Department of Justice is corrupt, answerable to no one and uses the law to extort the American people and effect political change. Loretta Lynch, James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Rod Rosenstein, Bob Mueller and countless others in the DOJ and FBI who will never be found out tried to undermine our last presidential election and destroy our president duly elected by the American people.

I call on this Congress to root out all the corrupt lawyers and bureaucrats in the DOJ and the FBI so the greatest president of my generation can do the work that the American people duly elected him to do. Over the next five weeks, Congress will not be around to watch the presidents back and hold those subversive partisan officials accountable. For five weeks, the lies and cover-ups and destruction of the president and his family and associates will continue unchallenged.

The president needs the support and prayers of the American people now more than ever. I look forward to the day where the American people can trust the institutions created to protect them instead of fearing the retribution of a rigged, politically driven and corrupted legal system.

Maybe were getting numb to people in power making sweeping accusations with little to back them up. Regarding Hunter, weve become accustomed to unusual things coming out of his mouth. This is a Marine veteran who during a discussion on the militarys previous dont ask, dont tell policy on gays made national news by expressing concerns about hermaphrodites in the military.

Its easy for people to shrug this off as they have in the past, saying thats just Duncan Hunter. But lets take a step back and think about it: A member of Congress essentially has accused the top federal law enforcement agency of trying to overthrow the U.S. government.

 On a House floor last week, Rep. Duncan Hunter packed an amazing assault on the U.S. Department of Justice into a one-minute speech.

A spokesman for Hunter said the congressman was criticizing the culture within the Department of Justice and longtime officials who he believes are biased against Trump. Hunter does not extend that view to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who came from the Senate and is not part of the agency culture, according to spokesman Michael Harrison.

Still, Hunter remains under criminal investigation by Sessions FBI, though there havent been any significant public disclosures about the probe in recent months.

Given the circumstances, Hunter performed reasonably well in the June primary, gaining just over 47 percent of the vote in a seven-candidate field in the heavily Republican 50th District, which includes swaths of east and north San Diego County and stretches into southern Riverside County.

Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar also advanced to the November election, finishing second with more than 17 percent.

Thats a big gap to close, but Campa-Najjar says hes getting there. A recent poll commissioned by his campaign says Campa-Najjar is within nine points of Hunter, and the race becomes a statistical dead heat once voters learn more information about both candidates  including their stands on issues and details of the investigation.

He has raised more money than Hunter as of the reporting period ending June 30, according to a recent analysis by inewsource, though Hunter spent more and had more cash on hand.

Meanwhile, Campa-Najjar created a buzz in the political world by hiring nationally recognized political consultant Joe Trippi, who helped engineer Democrat Doug Jones victory in a special election last year for the U.S. Senate in very Republican Alabama. Trippi also has worked on Gov. Jerry Browns campaigns and was credited for his groundbreaking use of the Internet to build finances and organize support for former Vermont Gov. Howard Deans 2004 presidential campaign.

Things may have been quiet on the Hunter investigation front, but more will be heard about that as the campaign heats up this fall. For now, Hunters criticism of the agency conducting it may have brought the matter back into the publics consciousness, even if just for a minute.Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday endorsed numerous candidates across the country, including Democrats Ammar Campa-Najjar and Mike Levin for San Diego County congressional seats.

The announcement follows reports earlier this year that Obama plans to hit the campaign trail this fall as Democrats seek to take over Congress from Republicans. The endorsements, which included candidates for state offices, were expected.

Winning several congressional districts in California currently held by Republicans is considered a key to success for Democrats, though its unknown publicly where Obama will make campaign appearances.

In California, the former president endorsed Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom for governor and Eleni Kounalakis, a former U.S. ambassador to Hungary, for lieutenant governor. He endorsed eight congressional candidates, including Levin and Campa-Najjar.

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Im confident that, together, theyll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law, Obama said on Twitter. But first, they need our votes.

Levin, an environmental attorney and former executive director of the Democratic Party of Orange County, faces Board of Equalization member Diane Harkey, a Republican and former state legislator. They are running in the coastal 49th Congressional District, which straddles north San Diego and southern Orange counties.

Harkey finished atop a crowded field in the June primary with 25.5 percent of the vote, with Levin second at 17.5 percent.

Incumbent Republican Darrell Issa decided not to run for re-election after narrowly avoiding defeat in 2016 and facing weekly protests outside his Vista office because of his support for President Donald Trump and efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.

Campa-Najjar served in various roles within the Obama administration, including a public relations position in the Employment & Training Administration. Hes running against Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, in the 50th Congressional District, which includes much of east and north inland San Diego County and stretches into Riverside County.

Hunter, who is under federal investigation for personal use of campaign funds, gained 47 percent of the vote in June to Campa-Najjars 17 percent.A Muslim advocacy group wants the Cajon Valley Union School District to hold religion-specific cultural sensitivity training and strengthen its bullying policies after an eighth grader claimed she and her parents were attacked by fellow students for being Muslim.

The student, who came to the U.S. in 2016 as a Syrian refugee, claimed she had been harassed and taunted over the course of several months by fellow students from her school, Greenfield Middle in El Cajon.

On March 20, about 10 students allegedly followed the girl home and slapped and beat her and her parents, said Mejgan Afshan, advocacy and policy coordinator for the Council on American-Islamic Relations San Diego chapter, at a news conference Wednesday. They pulled the girls hair, demanded to see her identification and shouted slurs, Afshan said.

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The student was identified by CAIR-San Diego only by her first name, Sidra.

Afshan claimed the principal, Gregory Calvert, had responded to Sidras report of the bullying in a cold and aggressive way and that the districts response was ineffective. She said she doesnt know if the district ever disciplined the students who were allegedly involved.

The district learned of the incident shortly after it happened on March 20, said Karen Minshew, Cajon Valley assistant superintendent for education services.

The childs story is heartbreaking, and we are here because we care, Cajon Valley Superintendent David Miyashiro told reporters in the hallway, after Afshan asked him to leave the news conference.

Miyashiro wouldnt say whether the students involved in the alleged incident were disciplined, citing privacy policies. He also wouldnt comment on the principals response because he said it is a personnel matter. Miyashiro said that not all of CAIRs allegations were accurate.

Weve tried to listen to their concerns and are very supportive of not just Muslim communities, but all our religious and cultural communities, Miyashiro said. To say that the district is not trying to stop that is false.

Miyashiro said the district recently added sections to its middle school curriculum that address managing emotions and building healthy relationships.

Such bullying that targets Muslim students is not rare, CAIR officials said.

In a 2017 survey conducted by CAIR-California of about 1,000 Muslim students, more than half said that students at their schools are bullied for being Muslim. About 70 percent of respondents said they felt welcome and respected in school, down from 83 percent in CAIRs 2014 survey.

There are a lot of families who are scared to report harassment and discrimination, said Yusef Miller, CAIR-San Diego community outreach liaison. It is sad to see this wave of bigotry, racism and hatred toward the newcomers.The regions top planning and transportation agency recently awarded $3.6 million in grants to local cities to improve everything from bicycle lanes and racks to sidewalks and intersections.

A total of 15 projects were approved for funding in cities from Imperial Beach to El Cajon to Oceanside. Local contributions totaled about $2 million.

The money comes as part of the San Diego Association of Governments Active Transportation Grant Program, which is funded with the regions half-cent sales tax for transportation, Transnet. Sixty four projects have received nearly $19 million funding under three previous grant cycles.

The most recent active-transportation projects include:

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$412,000 in National City to install a protected bike lane on Division Street from Euclid to Harbison avenues. The project would narrow the street from four lanes to two, with a center turning lane. It would also add a pedestrian crossing with LED-illuminated signs at Division Street and Drexel Avenue.

$162,000 in La Mesa would help fill in a gap in the citys network of bike lanes on the east side of Massachusetts Avenue from Blackton Drive and University Avenue. The project would also add new pedestrian ramps, a crosswalk and medians at the intersection with Blackton Drive.

$150,000 to help design a campaign in the city of San Diego to encourage the use of biking, walking and public transit.

$100,000 for an enclosed bike parking facility to service Oceanside City Hall. The structure is envisioned to accommodate 40 bikes that would also be open to employees of downtown businesses.

$62,500 for bike corrals throughout National City. Each corral includes bike racks on 12-by-6 foot concrete pads, designed to also provide space for dockless bikes and scooters.

California speeding toward fight over driving limits in age of climate change and electric cars 

The grants are part of SANDAGs efforts to meet state targets assigned to municipal planning organizations by the California Air Resources Board for reducing per-capita greenhouse gases and vehicle miles traveled.

The agency is responsible for cutting per-person emissions 15 percent below a 2005 benchmark by 2020. The agency has said its unclear whether it will meet the target.

The air board is slated to release a progress report this fall on efforts by major regional planning agencies to reduce emissions largely associated with transportation.

Twitter: @jemersmith

Phone: (619) 293-2234

Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.comAn Aeromexico jetliner taking off in a blustery storm smashed down into a nearby field but skidded to a stop virtually intact, and all 103 people aboard were able to escape advancing flames before fire engulfed the aircraft.

Passengers expressed gratitude to be alive, but many were extremely shaken after the crash Tuesday afternoon.

It was really, really ugly, said Lorenzo Nunez, a passenger from Chicago who fled the plane with his two sons and wife. It burned in a question of seconds, he told reporters, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

Survivors said the Embraer 190 plane burst into flames right after it hit the ground.

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(Ellis Simani / @latimesgraphics)

We felt the flames coming quickly.... There was a lot of smoke, Jaquelin Flores told the newspaper El Sol.

Romulo Campuzano, head of a political party in Durango state who was on the plane, told Foro TV that both wings were on fire as he bolted from the aircraft.

Durango state Gov. Jose Aispuro said a gust of wind hit flight AM2431 heading from the city of Durango to Mexico City just as it was lifting off the tarmac, forcing the pilot to abort takeoff.

Passengers said they heard a loud noise as the planes left wing banged to the ground, and both engines tore loose. The plane stayed upright, though, and the escape slides activated.

Aispuro said it was too soon to speculate on the cause of the crash. Mechanical failure and human error could be factors, but certainly the weather wasnt favorable. Strong wind and heavy rain with marble-sized hail lashed Durango city, even damaging hangars at the airport.

The most important thing in the seriousness that is an accident of this nature is that there were no deaths  thats what is most encouraging for us, Aispuro said at a news conference.

After the accident, several passengers walked away from the plane before first responders arrived. Some sought medical help, while others rushed home to loved ones. Officials spent much of the afternoon tracking down survivors to ensure that everyone was accounted for.

Officials said 49 people had been hospitalized  most with minor injuries. The pilot suffered the most serious injury, a cervical lesion that required surgery. Some people had burns on a quarter of their bodies, said Durango state Health Ministry spokesman Fernando Ros.

Aispuro said all were expected to live.

Aeromexico Chief Executive Officer Andres Conesa described the day as very difficult and credited the timely reaction of crew and passengers for the lack of fatalities.

Our heart is with those affected and their families, he said at an evening news conference.

Conesa said the passengers included 88 adults, nine children and two babies and the crew consisted of two flight attendants and two pilots.

He said the jetliner had been sent for maintenance in February and the crew was well-rested, having started their workday in Durango.

The website Planespotters.net said the Brazilian-made medium-range jet was about 10 years old and had seen service with two other airlines before joining the Aeromexico fleet.

Operations were suspended at Durango citys Guadalupe Victoria airport after the crash.

UPDATES:

4:35 p.m.: This article was updated with details on the number of injuries in the accident.

3:37 p.m.: This article was updated with the announcement that there were no deaths in the accident.

This article was originally published at 3:25 p.m.Some of San Diegos licensed marijuana retailers are experiencing spot shortages of certain brands of cannabis due to the failure of cultivators and suppliers to produce weed that meets new purity and potency standards imposed by the state.

None of the roughly one dozen licensed recreational marijuana retailers in San Diego have run out of cannabis, or is close to doing so.

But a sampling of local stores found minor, brand-related shortages at such stores as Urbn Leaf in Bay Park and at A Green Alternative in Otay Mesa. Apothekare in Mission Valley says it experienced a supply hiccup thats since gone away.

For competitive reasons, the stores arent citing the names of brands that have been in short supply.

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Problems also are occurring elsewhere in Southern California.

We sell to about 50 dispensaries in San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles counties and the Inland Empire  and demand is exceeding supply, said Lincoln Fish, founder of OutCo, a cultivator, distributor and retailer near El Cajon.

The shortage stems from state testing standards that were originally supposed to go into affect on January 1st. The state pushed that date to July 1st, largely to give the cannabis industry more time to adjust to standards that apply to the purity and potency of marijuana, and the packaging of products. Special attention is being paid to making sure the cannabis doesnt contain harmful levels of pesticides and solvents.

In late June, the United Cannabis Business Association implored Gov. Jerry Brown to delay the start date, saying there were still a lot of issues to be worked out. But Brown said no.

A lot of manufacturers, distributors and cultivators just waited too long to do the research and development work needed to make sure that their product would meet state testing standards, said Greg Magdoff, chief executive officer of PharmLabs, a San Diego-based company that is licensed to do such testing.

Its not that a lot of these companies are failing their tests. Many of them havent submitted product for testing because they knew they wouldnt pass.

The deadline caused a disruption, but compliant cannabis is coming back into the pipeline, said Rocky Goyal, who runs Apothekare. July was not a great month (for sales). But things are getting straightened out.

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is scheduled to release sales figures for the second quarter of the year by mid-August.

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Legal recreational cannabis dispensaries around San DiegoPresident Trump threw a Twitter tantrum Wednesday, calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to put an end to special counsel Robert Muellers Russia probe and comparing federal investigators treatment of his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, to how they handled mobster Al Capone.

The social media screed comes on the second day of Manaforts federal trial. The 69-year-old GOP consultant and lobbyist is facing bank and tax fraud charges related to his work for pro-Russian forces in Ukraine.

This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further, Trump tweeted. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!

Trump has repeatedly pressured Sessions to end the investigation into Russias efforts to influence the 2016 election and tried to smear Mueller and his team of investigators.

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Mueller is reportedly eyeing Trumps tweets as part of a broader probe that includes possible coordination between Trump associated and the Kremlin and obstruction of justice on part of the President.

Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and Public Enemy Number One, or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement - although convicted of nothing? Where is the Russian Collusion?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

Trump has railed against Sessions decision to recuse himself from the Russia probe, a move made because of his work on the Trump campaign and revelations that he met with a Russian ambassador leading up to the election.

He tweeted in May that he wished he had never appointed Sessions. Trumps legal team quickly sought to clean up in the wake of the Presidents social media meltdown.

The President was expressing his opinion on his favored medium for asserting his First Amendment right of free speech, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, now serving as Trumps attorney, told the Los Angeles Times. He said should not must and no Presidential order was issued or will be.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also defended Trump as she downplayed the significance of the tweets.

The President is not obstructing, hes fighting back, Sanders said. Its not an order, its the Presidents opinion.

Trump also alternatively sought to distance himself Wednesday from Manafort, whom he has know for decades, and complained his former campaign chairman is being mistreated.

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders, he wrote. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion  a Hoax!

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been hounded by the President for recusing himself from the federal Russia probe. (Alex Brandon / AP)

Manafort only worked for Trumps campaign for a matter of months, but they have known one another for years.

The President complained that the government hadnt told him that Manafort was under investigation before he hired him to run his presidential bid.

He later asked who was treated worse? Manafort or Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and Public Enemy Number One.  Al Capones first name was actually spelled Alphonse.

Trump also continued to cast doubt on the U.S. intelligence communitys unanimous assessment that Moscow was behind a coordinated attempt to sway the contest in Trumps favor.

Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX, he tweeted Wednesday.

Mueller, who is a registered Republican, has indicted 32 people, including four former Trump campaign aides.

Paul Manafort, President Trumps former campaign chairman, is being facing trial for money laundering and fraud. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP)

Last month, 12 Russian were charged with hacking into the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election. Thirteen other Russians and three Kremlin-linked companies were indicted by the special counsel in February. All were accused of tampering in the 2016 election to support Trump.

The Russian government has repeatedly denied meddling in the election.

Trump apparently couldnt be bothered to spell-check his tweets Wednesday as he fired off error-laden missives accusing his one-time Democratic opponent of working with Russians against him.

We already have a smocking (sic) gun about a campaign getting dirt on their opponent, it was Hillary Clinton, he fumed.San Diego is cracking down on income discrimination by landlords with a new policy prohibiting the rejection of potential tenants based on their use of federal housing vouchers.

Supporters say the policy could help alleviate stark racial segregation in San Diego, where low-income minorities dominate the southeastern part of the city and whites dominant the northern neighborhoods.

They say such segregation is partly the result of landlords in wealthy areas refusing to consider applicants with federal housing vouchers, who are 86 percent minorities in San Diego.

This is long overdue, City Councilman David Alvarez of Logan Heights said on Tuesday before the council voted 6-1 to adopt the policy. Allowing people to discriminate based on income is a way of continuing to segregate our community.

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The policy also aims to make it easier for people with federal vouchers to quickly find apartments, a process that typically takes several months. More than 36,000 people in the city have such vouchers, which are commonly referred to by their federal code, Section 8.

Advocates for landlords say rejection of applicants with federal vouchers hasnt been based on their race or income status, but has been prompted by a desire to avoid bureaucratic red tape that comes with having tenants on federal assistance. They successfully persuaded city officials to delay the effective date of the ordinance until August 2019 and to have the citys Housing Commission spend the next year helping reluctant landlords better understand the process.

We understand the goal of the ordinance, said Molly Kirkland, a spokeswoman for the San Diego County Apartment Association. Our concerns are not about voucher holders. They are entirely about the program bureaucracies  at least as we hear it from our members.

Councilwoman Georgette Gomez of City Heights, who spearheaded the new policy, said that it doesnt force landlords to rent to tenants with federal vouchers, it just prohibits them from rejecting an applicant solely on that criterion.

All we are asking is that landlords allow Section 8 voucher holders to apply and to evaluate them in the same way as any other applicant, Gomez said. Landlords will still be able to use their rental criteria to screen applicants, they just wont be able to say no before even giving them a chance to apply.

A member of Gomezs staff showed the council online apartment ads that stipulated applicants wouldnt be considered if they planned to use federal vouchers to help pay their rent.

Local landlord Will Hilsdorf said there are sound reasons for such stipulations.

I dont discriminate according to creed, color or anything like that, Hilsdorf told the council. Its the Housing and Urban Development people that are the pain in the neck, not the tenants.

Advocates for landlords say the policy will force them to deal with an onerous federal bureaucracy that brings with it mountains of paperwork, inspections and difficulty securing rent increases.

Councilman Mark Kersey of Black Mountain Ranch cast the lone vote in dissent. He said he couldnt support the new policy without an exemption for small landlords with only a handful of units.

Mayor Kevin Faulconers staff expressed similar concerns, drawing a distinction between professional property managers who can handle the required paperwork and ordinary landlords, who may struggle.

San Diego is following the lead of San Francisco, Santa Monica and several other cities that have passed such anti-discrimination laws.

People who qualify for federal vouchers receive rental assistance. Typically, they pay 30 percent of their income in monthly rent and the Housing Commission uses federal money to cover the difference.

There is roughly a 10-year waiting list for such vouchers, officials said. Locally, those with vouchers are 58 percent women, 30 percent families with children and 7 percent formerly homeless veterans.

The average household income of local voucher holders is $19,000 per year.

Discrimination against voucher holders emerged as an issue last spring during the eviction of many low-income resident from a Rancho Penasquitos apartment complex to make way for a new development on the site. Nearly half of the 332 residents displaced had vouchers and said they were struggling to find new places to live, partly because of landlord discrimination.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrickThe Border Patrol agents who shot a 19-year-old man suspected of hitting another agent with a rock and then stealing his all-terrain vehicle were identified Wednesday as Agent Micah Owens and Agent Brandon Brandt.

The suspect, identified as Francisco Javier Gutierrez-Alvarado, was taken to a hospital with injuries that werent considered life-threatening, police said.

He faces a charge of assaulting a federal officer. Officials are still working to determine his citizenship.

The incident happened early Sunday near Monument Road and Saturn Boulevard  an area often referred to as Spooners Mesa.

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San Diego police, who are handling the investigation, initially said an agent patrolling the area came across a man and tried to make contact with him. A fight ensued and the man reportedly hit the agent with a rock, knocked him off his ATV, and drove off on the vehicle.

Other agents in the area pursued the man who eventually crashed into a fence, police said. He was arrested soon after.

During the incident, and before the crash, two Border Patrol agents fired at the man, hitting him at least once, according to police Lt. Matt Dobbs.

On Wednesday, Dobbs said the incident was still under investigation, including whether a fight preceded the alleged attack.

Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call investigators at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (888) 580-8477.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.comA man who kept a cache of drugs, money and high-powered guns in suburban Chicago stash houses and storage units pleaded guilty Tuesday in a federal courtroom in San Diego to taking part in a drug trafficking ring that moved cocaine from Mexico into the U.S. through San Diego.

Juan Angel Pavo Mexicano, 33, was the fourth defendant to plead guilty in the case, which involves conspiracy to distribute cocaine that allegedly comes from a Mexico-based trafficker identified in court documents only as El 99.

According to federal prosecutors, Mexicano admitted that his stash house in Addison, about 10 miles northwest of Chicago, was used to temporarily store roughly 330 pounds of cocaine arriving from Mexico. He also stored drug money at the house before it was moved south to Mexico.

The stash house was raided in August 2016 shortly after Mexicano had removed bulk (cash) and cocaine from the property, federal prosecutors said.

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Mexicano also admitted to renting a storage unit in Elgin, another city near Chicago, where law enforcement officers found a huge cache of high-powered rifles, other firearms and two live grenades, according to Larry Casper, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.

Mexicano still faces state charges in Kane County, Illinois, in relation to the weapons discovered at the storage facility.

Hes scheduled to be sentenced on the federal drug charge Oct. 19 in San Diego by U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel. Mexicano faces a sentence between 10 years and life in prison.

Three other defendants in the case had previously pleaded guilty, including two California residents and one man who admitted to laundering money for the group. The names of at least three other defendants were redacted from the federal indictment.

The others to plead guilty were Walter Rovidio 40 Rounds Ipina, 40, of Victorville; Zachary Cholo Vasquez, 27, of Anaheim; and David Pelon Castaneda-Solis, 34, of Mexico.

According to prosecutors, Ipina used a big rig from his family-owned trucking business to move cocaine provided by El 99 from Mexico to the U.S. through the San Ysidro port of entry. In September 2016, he was stopped by law enforcement agents who discovered roughly 70 pounds of cocaine in his semi-truck.

Ipina is scheduled to be sentenced Friday.

Vasquez admitted to serving as a recruiter for the group and coordinating with El 99 in Mexico to bring between 275 and 330 pounds of cocaine into the U.S., prosecutors said. He also admitted to recruiting and supervising a driver who smuggled cocaine through San Ysidro at least four times before he was caught.

Vasquez is set for a Sept. 13 sentencing. He and Ipina face the same sentence as Mexicano of 10 years to life in prison.

Castaneda-Solis pleaded guilty to laundering drug money for the group following his arrest in August 2016, when he was caught by law enforcement officers unloading $154,000 from a hidden compartment in the dashboard of a Honda Pilot, prosecutors said. The money was destined for Mexico.

Castaneda-Solis is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 4. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.comPolice are hoping to identify a man they suspect swiped four credit cards while the owner was working out, then  in less than an hour  used the cards to buy nearly $8,000 in goods.

The theft happened about 6:30 p.m. July 9 at the AquaVie Gym on Broadway in downtown San Diego, Sgt. Matt Botkin said Wednesday.

A man apparently broke into a gym locker and stole four credit cards out of the victims wallet.

He then quickly started using them to make pricey purchases, Botkin said.

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Police released surveillance images of the man and asked anyone who may recognize him to contact police Detective Kevin Jankowski at (619) 744-9517 or kjankowski@pd.sandiego.gov.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUTThree adults, two children and a dog were displaced by a fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon at a Sherman Heights home, authorities said.

The small blaze, which began for unknown reasons while the residents were away, was first reported just after 12:50 p.m. on L Street near 25th Street, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Alec Phillipp said.

When crews arrived at the single-story home, there was light smoke coming from the windows, but it was gradually getting thicker, SDFD Battalion Chief Steve Salaz told OnScene TV. Firefighters went into the home and discovered flames in the attic.

Crews knocked down the blaze in 17 minutes, Phillipp said. No injuries were reported.

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The American Red Cross responded to help the displaced family, Phillipp said.

Fire investigators were trying to determine what caused the blaze. The flames and smoke caused an estimated $75,000 in damage to the home and $25,000 to its contents.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.comAuthorities on Wednesday asked for the publics help in identifying an acne-suffering thief involved in a brazen, early evening mugging in the parking lot of San Marcos popular Restaurant Row in June.

They also released a sketch of the mugger, who threatened the victim with a drywall saw, according to a statement released by San Diego Crime Stoppers, which is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

The robbery happened about 7:40 a.m. June 12  shortly before sunset  in the parking lot of Buffalo Wild Wings on San Marcos Boulevard near Via Vera Cruz.

The thief, driving a light-colored Nissan Versa, pulled up behind a parked car near Restaurant Row. The mugger got out, opened the door of the parked car and held a drywall saw to the neck of the driver seated inside.

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The assailant threatened to cut the victim, then forcefully snatched his phone and took off, according to the news release.

The victim described the mugger as a thin white man between 21 and 25 years old. He was between 5 feet, 9 inches and 6 feet tall and weighed around 165 pounds.

According to Crime Stoppers, the thief had short, wavy hair, dark eyes and was clean shaven with severe acne on his face.

He was last seen wearing a black hat, a 3/4-length shirt and black cargo shorts, authorities said.

Tipsters with information about the thief or the incident were asked to call the San Marcos Sheriffs Station at (760) 510-5200.

Anonymous tips can be made by calling the Crime Stoppers tip line at (888) 580-8477.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUTSupporters of the family of Earl McNeil, who died after he was arrested by National City police two months ago, once again called for video, audio and records related to McNeils death to be made public at a news conference Tuesday.

McNeils aunt, Tammy Davis, stood outside of City Hall in National City with the 20-plus community members who repeated the demands they have made since McNeils death. Davis said she is still re-living the incident and was not ready to address her nephews death.

McNeil suffered from mental illness and, according to court records, was diagnosed with schizophrenia at an early age. A family attorney said officials with Medical Examiners Office told the family during a private meeting that preliminary indications show that McNeil had drugs in his system and suffered a heart attack during his arrest May 26. He was taken off life-support about two weeks later.

No official cause of death has been publicly released yet. The Medical Examiners Office plans to finish its report in mid-August.

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The group called on the National City Police Department, Sheriffs Department and District Attorneys Office to release relevant video, audio and records related to McNeils death.

When videos exonerate police officers, theyre released immediately, said Mark Lane, a National City resident who is part of a core group that has organized protests and news conferences in the wake of McNeils death to demand transparency.

Lane was flanked by other community members holding signs that read, Release the video tapes, Stop criminalizing mental illness and Who killed Earl McNeil?

Police Chief Manuel Rodriguez has said his department is awaiting a completed autopsy to understand what caused or contributed to McNeils death. Until then, the Police Department does not plan to release video of the two-hour interaction officers had with McNeil  footage that does not show what exactly resulted in McNeils death, the chief said.

Lane said police should release the video regardless of whether officers actions led to McNeils death so the public can see whether officers used excessive force or followed protocol.

All of that we can see in the videos, Lane said. Thats what its there for. Its to protect us as a citizenry and its to protect them as police officers.

The Police Department last week allowed family members and their attorney to listen to a recording of the call McNeil made outside the police station before he was arrested.

Rodriguez said police let the family listen to the audio clip because of a public misconception McNeil went to the police station to ask for help when in fact he showed up to turn himself in. Police said McNeil told dispatchers he had a warrant out for his arrest, was high and wanted to kill Jesus.

Court records show McNeil was arrested Sept. 18 for drunken driving, illegal possession of a baton or billy club, and driving without a license. His blood alcohol level was 0.09, barely above the legal limit of 0.08.

In November he pleaded guilty to the drunken driving and billy club charges. He was sentenced to probation and ordered to complete a three-month anti-DUI program. But the records show he never enrolled in the program. As a result, the court issued a bench warrant for his arrest on May 22, four days before his death.

When officers tried to detain McNeil outside the station, he became agitated and made irrational comments, police said. He was placed in a restraint known as a Wrap and taken to county jail, where he went into medical distress. He was kept on life-support until June 11.

On Tuesday, McNeils supporters also called on the City Council to place the case on a future agenda  a move that would presumably lead to more discussion among city leaders and possibly force them to take a stance or an action, Lane said.

We have a vacuum of leadership, he said, adding that some council members are more concerned about protesters and their actions than the issue at hand  McNeils death.

The City Council will be on a break in August  a decision that was made before protesters began to show up to council chambers to press police and city leaders for answers about McNeils death. Protesters interrupted four consecutive City Council meetings in recent weeks.

Councilwomen Alejandra Sotelo-Solis and Mona Rios made a motion two weeks ago to place the item on the agenda, but the motion failed by a 2-2 vote. Councilmen Jerry Cano and Albert Mendivil opposed the move, while Mayor Ron Morrison was absent.

Organizers said they are planning a town hall meeting in National City but have not finalized plans. They plan to invite council members, the police chief and District Attorney Summer Stephan.

Reporter Greg Moran contributed to this story.

Breaking News

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandezPresident Trump called on Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, opening the president to further complaints that he is trying to obstruct the investigation into Russias election interference and his campaigns possible complicity.

Trump is already reportedly under investigation for potential obstruction of the Russia probe led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. His tweet early Wednesday was the presidents most explicit statement to date seemingly aimed at getting his attorney general, the nations top law enforcement officer, to end the probe.

The tweet, along with several others on Wednesday morning, reflected the presidents accelerated attacks on the investigation, which he claims is tainted by bias. They coincided with the second day of the trial of Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign chairman, on 18 charges of tax evasion, bank fraud and conspiracy.

This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA! Trump wrote.

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Manaforts trial continued in Alexandria, Va., with testimony from several more witnesses for the prosecution, including a political consultant who worked with him in Ukraine for the pro-Russia government at the time; an FBI agent who helped search his condo last year; and an employee from a high-end menswear store who said Manafort would pay for custom suits with wire transfers from overseas accounts.

Prosecutors have accused Manafort of using more than 30 such accounts in three foreign countries  Cyprus, the Seychelles, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines  to avoid paying U.S. taxes on $15 million of income.

The president suggested in a tweet that Manafort was being treated worse than Al Capone, the notorious Prohibition-era Chicago gangster who was also prosecuted for tax evasion. Where is the Russian Collusion? Trump added.

Trumps tweets prompted Rep. Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, to accuse the president of obstruction hiding in plain sight.

The President of the United States just called on his Attorney General to put an end to an investigation in which the President, his family and campaign may be implicated, Schiff tweeted. This is an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight. America must never accept it.

The Justice Department says a president cannot face criminal charges while in office. But depending on what Mueller uncovers, including on obstruction, Congress could decide to pursue impeachment. President Clinton was impeached by the U.S. House for perjury and obstruction in 1998, a time when Congress likewise was under Republicans control, though the Senate voted for acquittal.

Follow the latest news of the Trump administration on Essential Washington 

Contrary to Trumps tweet, Sessions doesnt have power to stop the investigation because he recused himself from the Russia investigation more than a year ago. Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod J. Rosenstein became responsible for the probe, appointed Mueller and supervises his work.

Its a tweet thats just blowing in the wind, because Sessions has already recused himself from the Russia investigation, said John Yoo, a UC Berkeley law professor who served in President George W. Bushs administration.

Even so, the episode once again forced the White House and Trumps allies to defend a presidential tweet aimed at undermining the investigation.

Although the White House and the Justice Department previously have said that Trumps tweets are official presidential statements, his lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani responded to the latest one as he has before, by brushing off suggestions that Trumps tweets could be used as evidence of obstruction.

The president was expressing his opinion on his favored medium for asserting his 1st Amendment right of free speech, Giuliani said in an interview. He said should, not must, and no presidential order was issued or will be.

Giuliani said he spoke with Trump to make sure that the president wasnt actually issuing an order. I talked to him about it to make sure he was on the same page as we are, Giuliani said, and the president indicated he was not ordering Sessions to act.

Giuliani told CBS Face the Nation on Sunday that all of Trumps tweets dont amount to anything. He added, Obstruction by tweet is not something I think works real well. Generally obstruction is secret, its clandestine, its corrupt.

For months, Trumps lawyers also have argued that its impossible for the president to obstruct justice because his constitutional authority extends over the Justice Department. That allows him to direct officials where to focus their resources or to fire them, as Trump did in removing James B. Comey as FBI director last year. That firing led to Muellers appointment as special counsel.

Wednesdays tweet was a reminder of Trumps unabated anger at Sessions for recusing himself from overseeing the Russia investigation. He did so on March 2, 2017, as members of both parties and legal experts contended that he should have.

At the time, Sessions pointed to Justice Department regulations to explain that, as one of Trumps earliest and most active supporters, he shouldnt participate in the investigation of the Trump campaign. He announced the decision after controversy over his own undisclosed contacts during the campaign and the post-election transition with the Russian ambassador at the time, Sergey Kislyak.

Two months ago, Trump tweeted that he should have chosen an attorney general who didnt need to recuse himself. I wish I did! he wrote.

Joseph diGenova, a former U.S. attorney who was nearly hired to represent Trump, said the president has been completely disgusted with Sessions.

He doesnt like weak people, DiGenova said in an interview with The Times. And he thinks Jeff Sessions is extremely weak and not a competent leader.

In his latest tweets, Trump also quoted criticism of the investigation from Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law School professor who frequently defends him on television. In an interview, Dershowitz also cast doubt on whether Trumps tweets can be seen as an act of obstruction.

You cannot obstruct justice by openly exercising your 1st Amendment rights and openly criticizing a prosecution, whether youre right or wrong, he said. Obstruction of justice is generally committed behind the scenes, so I think both sides are a little overwrought here.

Dershowitz also acknowledged that Trump was mistaken in suggesting that Sessions can end the investigation. You cant be both recused and making decisions about the investigation, he said.

Stephen Vladeck, a University of Texas law professor, said Trump would need to take different steps to halt the probe. He could give the order to Rosenstein and fire him if he does not comply, Vladeck said, or Trump could try to replace Sessions with someone who does not have a conflict of interest, allowing that person to order Rosenstein to shutter Muellers investigation.

Manafort is the first person to face trial on charges stemming from the special counsels work. Prosecutors say he evaded taxes on income earned while working as a political consultant in Ukraine, and then relied on bank fraud to sustain his expensive lifestyle after the autocrat he worked for fled to Russia in 2014.

FBI Special Agent Matthew Mikuska described on Wednesday the early morning search of Manaforts condo in July 2017. Mikuska said agents arrived at Manaforts door at 6 a.m. and knocked three times. Hearing no answer, he said, they opened the door with a key, finding Manafort and his wife inside.

Agents seized numerous documents during the search, including a 2016 loan application from Manafort to the Banc of California, invoices for home renovation work, and wire transfers originating in Cyprus to Manaforts companies.

Maximillian Katzman, 29, manager of a luxury menswear boutique in Manhattan, testified that Manafort was one of the stores top five clients, and the only one who paid his bills through international wire transfers.

Katzman was the first of six witnesses who testified about Manaforts luxury lifestyle funded through offshore accounts. Stephen Jacobsen said he was paid at least $3 million for home improvement projects on Manaforts various homes, and Ronald Wall testified that Manafort was a very good customer at the House of Bijan clothing store.

The trial appeared to be running ahead of schedule. Prosecutors said they might be able to rest their case next week.

Bierman reported from Washington, and Megerian and Fawcett reported from Alexandria, Va.

noah.bierman@latimes.com | Twitter: @noahbierman

UPDATES:

4 p.m.: This article was updated with more testimony against Manafort.

2:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional testimony from Manaforts trial.

1:35 p.m.: This article was updated with additional context, developments from the Manafort trial and quotes from Yoo and diGenova.

This article was originally published at 10:20 a.m.The youngest of the San Diego Zoos three giant pandas is growing up.

Xiao Liwu, (pronounced sshyaoww lee woo) celebrated his 6th birthday on Sunday. Born July 29, 2012, at the zoo, hes the last of six babies birthed by the prolific Bai Yun. His father is Gao Gao.

Under the watchful eye of Bai Yun, her son has matured into an inquisitive explorer. Hes now a young adult of breeding age. (Somewhere, panda matchmakers are doubtlessly searching mating databases for suitable partners.)

At his Super Hero for Wildlife birthday party, Xiao Liwu enjoyed bamboo-bread cupcakes and other treats, and played with stuffed burlap pillows. Volunteers made papier-mache lanterns inscribed with conservation messages.

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Zoo guests and keepers watched at the Barlin-Kahn Family Panda Trek and watched as Xiao Liwu, informally known as Mr. Wu, enjoyed his presents.

Xiao Liwu and his parents are on loan to the zoo from the Peoples Republic of China under a landmark conservation program that began in 1996 with the arrival of Bai Yun and her then-mate, Shi Shi. Sadly, whatever amounts to romantic chemistry for pandas was lacking  they werent interested in each other.

The conservation program has uncovered much about panda biology, especially about reproduction.

In a more comic vein, the zoos conservation program provided inspiration for the news spoof movie Ron Burgundy. But with six successful panda births, no one is laughing at Bai Yuns mothering skills. She made history in 1999 by giving birth to Hua Mei, the first giant panda to be born and survive in the United States.

Bai Yun, 26, is now too old to reproduce. But she has given many insights into panda biology and behavior and will continue to do so as a senior panda citizen. (Gao Gao, who is also aging, is not now on display. He is wild-born, and its estimated he was born in 1990, making him about 28.)

Bai Yun is the most scientifically influential panda that has ever lived, said Barbara Durrant, Henshaw Chair and director of reproductive physiology for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, in a 2015 Union-Tribune article.

If you cant make it to the zoo, you can see Xiao Liwu and Bai Yun on the Panda Cam, at j.mp/pandacam.

Nearly 2,000 giant pandas now live in their native habitat in central China. The species is listed as vulnerable. It had long been listed as endangered, but its status was upgraded in 2016 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Theres much more to learn about pandas. These bear relatives are an evolutionary paradox. They descended from carnivorous ancestors, and are equipped with the short gut of a carnivore. Yet they almost exclusively eat bamboo, a food with very little nutritional value. And their gut microbes are inefficient at breaking down cellulose so it can be digested.

Related reading

The zoo wants public to name new panda cub

Wonderful Wu

San Diego Zoos panda mom a giant gift to science

Panda mom is a giant pioneer

San Diego Zoo says giant panda Bai Yun is pregnantA trio of high-profile hackers linked to a sophisticated international cybercrime group known as Fin7 has been arrested, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

The cyber criminals allegedly breached computers in 47 states and stole details linked to 15 million credit cards.

The three men, Fedir Hladyr, Dmytro Fedorov and Andrii Kolpakov, were arrested in Europe between January and June of this year, officials said. Hladyr is in U.S. custody, and U.S. authorities are seeking extradition of the other two.

The international hacking group targeted more than 120 U.S. companies in order to steal customer card data and other information, according to officials.

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Since at least 2015, FIN7 members engaged in a highly sophisticated malware campaign targeting more than 100 U.S. companies, predominantly in the restaurant, gaming, and hospitality industries, the DOJ said in a statement.

The group breached systems operated by dozens of restaurants including Chipotle, Arbys, Jasons Deli, Red Robin and Chilis through phishing scams that appeared to look legitimate.

Hackers carefully crafted email messages that would appear legitimate to a business employee, and accompanied emails with telephone calls intended to further legitimize the email, officials said.

The emails contained malware that would grant them access to customers credit card data.

The members of the prolific hacking group also targeted computer networks in Britain, Australia and France and caused tens of millions of dollars in losses, officials added.

Each of the three FIN7 conspirators is facing 26 felony counts alleging conspiracy, wire fraud, computer hacking, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

The three Ukrainian nationals indicted today allegedly were part of a prolific hacking group that targeted American companies and citizens by stealing valuable consumer data, including personal credit card information, that they then sold on the Dark net, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski.

The group used a fake cybersecurity company supposedly based in Israel and Russia to recruit hackers.

The fake company, Combi Security, indicated that it provided a number of security services such as penetration testing and listed multiple U.S. victims among its purported clients, according to Justice officials.CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.  A Virginia teacher who pleaded guilty to a federal child pornography charge had more than 100 up-skirt images of his students.

The Daily Progress reports Charlottesville police presented evidence of those images of Charlottesville High School students at Richard A. Wellbeloved-Stones sentencing Monday. The school district had previously said that none of the 57-year-old environmental science teachers crimes were related to his tenure at the school.

In an email sent to parents after the hearing, district spokeswoman Beth Cheuk says the photographs appear to have been taken without students knowledge in his classroom between 2012 and 2014.

Wellbeloved-Stone was sentenced to 23 years in prison for photos involving a prepubescent girl.

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The photos of students are not covered in the plea agreement. Its unclear whether Wellbeloved-Stone will face additional charges.Two years ago, The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board urged city residents to support Measure G to empower a citizens board to review in-custody deaths and officer-related shootings. It passed in a landslide: 83 percent of the 487,000 San Diegans who voted on the measure agreed with us.

Measure G didnt do a lot. It renamed the Citizens Review Board on Police Practices by changing Citizens to Community, and expanded oversight from the mayor to the mayor and City Council. But it didnt give the volunteer panel subpoena power or the authority to hire independent legal counsel.

At the time, we wrote that the change was some very weak tea but a small but important step for a panel that previously only examined Internal Affairs investigations. Then, as now, almost everyone understood the difficulty of police officers jobs but many people wanted checks on lethal force.

Fast forward to this year when the need for more reform has never been more clear. Andrea St. Julian, the president of the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association, which represents the interests of the local African-American legal field, said in April that the community simply does not trust the current community oversight model for police practices. And Ernie McCray, who spent 37 years as a school educator and administrator, wrote in the San Diego Free Press last month that, Trying to build trust with the police in San Diego, for communities of color, has been like trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle. One with too many pieces  due to years of bad history.

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Which brings us to Monday. A proposal to pursue a more independent San Diego police review commission  by greenlighting talks with the police union ahead of a potential November ballot measure  failed to win enough votes at a San Diego City Council meeting when Democratic Councilman Chris Ward broke ranks and sided with the councils Republican minority to scuttle the measure.

In an interview on Tuesday, Ward said he voted as he did because city officials simply ran out of time to conduct the so-called meet and confer process with its police union before the councils August deadline to place any measure on the November ballot. But that just means the council should have gotten its act together earlier. Specifically, Council President Myrtle Cole should have docketed the item earlier, and City Attorney Mara Elliott should have advised the council about the process earlier.

What became embarrassingly clear at Mondays council meeting is that someone at the city had, as Councilman David Alvarez labeled it, an intent to delay this. Even more embarrassing? A mayoral aide acknowledged that the city is still phasing in the reform that voters approved two years ago.

All facets of Measure G arent even implemented yet  a bylaws review is underway  and about a third of the 23-member commissions seats have been vacant for months. District 4, Coles district of primarily people of color, has no representative.

What a farce. Dragging your feet on issues of trust between the police and people of color in this day and age is a bad look, whether its slowly phasing in a proposal that 400,000-plus San Diegans supported in 2016 or failing to clear procedural hurdles to allow those same voters to weigh stronger reforms now.

Enabling independent investigations into police practices is something that is long overdue. You may not agree with us that the city is merely delaying the inevitable. But its clear the city is delaying.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & OpinionRe San Ysidros new PedEast pedestrian entrance scheduled to open next month (July 24): Here we go again. The government has spent millions of taxpayer dollars to create 22 new pedestrian lanes at the border. Nevertheless, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has decided to open only 10 of the 22 lanes. Whats the point?

CBP presumably cant afford, with a mere 25,000 paid agents, to open all 22 lanes for the purpose they were built?

The same thing happened with the new vehicle lanes. More millions spent without significant benefit to the public because the lanes are not open.

If the government really wants to ease the congestion at the busiest border in the world it needs to direct CBP to keep all the lanes open all the time. Otherwise the $741 million spent to improve the facilities is just more money down the rat hole.

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Hal Valderhaug

La Mesa

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.The San Diego Museum of Man is mulling a name change and San Diegans are full of ideas  and ready to pitch them.

The museum, which is found inside the citys Balboa Park, recently announced that it is looking to rename the institution to something that is more inclusive.

It said this on its website: Our current name served us for 70 years, and now it is time to select a new name that better reflects our values of inclusivity, equity, and love; better describes all the people we serve and the stories we want to tell; and fully embodies our mission of inspiring human connections by exploring the human experience.

The new name will be unveiled in the Spring of 2020, and in the meantime it is asking visitors to take a survey and give feedback on five potential names:

The Museum of Mankind The Human Experience The Museum of Many The We ONE"

The San Diego Union-Tribunes Ideas and Opinion team, however, took to Twitter to ask San Diegans for name suggestions of their own and they did not disappoint.

Update: The museum is taking community feedback for its new name and welcomes suggestions as well, Shannon Fowler, the museums director of marketing and communications, told the Union-Tribune.

If that sounds familiar, its because when New York City asked the public to name four boats on its ferry service, it ended up with names like The Friendship Express, The Lunch Box and The Owls Head.

No joke!

Would you like to see the Museum of Man to be renamed? If so, what should it be called? Tweet us your suggestions or email them to me.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

Read The Conversation on Flipboard.The June arrest of two suspects on suspicion of committing a residential burglary in Poway has led to several more arrests associated with a string of burglaries.

Daron Davon Turner, 38, and his half-brother, Daren Tyrone Turner, 25, who are both from Inglewood, were arrested in the City of Poway on June 11 on suspicion of committing a residential burglary on June 8, according to an Aug. 1 press release from the San Diego County Sheriffs Department.

A subsequent investigation connected the brothers to multiple residential burglaries that had occurred throughout North County. Sheriffs detectives from the Poway, San Marcos, North Coastal and Vista stations executed search warrants in multiple locations in Los Angeles County, which resulted in the seizure of evidence related to the burglaries, according to the press release.

Daron Turner is facing 10 felony counts of burglary and Daren Turner is facing five felony counts of burglary.

The subsequent searches also resulted in cases being submitted to the District Attorneys office for other members of the Turner family, according to the press release. These include Lillie Mae Turner, mother of Daron, for possession of stolen property; Gregory Earl Newberry, uncle of Daron, for being a felon in possession of a firearm; and the girlfriend of Daron Turner, unnamed in the press release, for possession of stolen property and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Anyone with information about these cases should contact Poway Detective Lozano at 858-513-2848 or San Diego Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

Email: news@pomeradonews.comIt might be surprising to hear that over 500,000 adults in San Diego struggle with illiteracy and that many go through life thinking that learning to read is beyond them.

This is a reality for more residents than the average person might imagine, says Jose Cruz, CEO of the San Diego Council on Literacy.

Literacy is important. It touches all of us as human beings, said Cruz, emphasizing the broad mission of the council, which convenes and supports over two dozen literacy programs countywide.

This pressing community need inspired a creative collaboration between The San Diego Union-Tribune and Sock Problems, a charity-partner business, to aid the San Diego Council on Literacy with a new promotion. The sale of limited-edition socks aims to raise both awareness and funds to combat illiteracy in the San Diego area. The socks, designed to captivate the imagination in the same way reading does, use both words and symbols to celebrate adventure, diversity and exploration.

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In recent years, fun and funky socks have grown in popularity, becoming a statement-making fashion accessory. Ryan Berman, founder of Sock Problems, saw potential for this trend to do more than make a sock drawer colorful. He thinks attention-grabbing cause-centric socks can spark conversations that lead to action and awareness for expert charities that are tackling the worlds biggest problems and said he is keen to tackle a problem in our own backyard.

Sock Problems, with the mission to sock the worlds problems with socks, has a simple philosophy for action: Turn an everyday item into a vehicle for change. Among the causes in its inaugural lineup are issues such as childhood cancer, climate change, and extinction.

The limited-edition socks use both words and symbols to celebrate adventure, diversity and exploration. (Sock Problems)

Together, the Union-Tribune and Sock Problems hope to raise nearly $5,000 for the San Diego Council on Literacy through the sale of their limited edition Word Up footwear to sock illiteracy. Funds raised through this initiative will go toward supporting the councils work. This means more books for low-income children and more adults and children receiving literacy instruction. Also, literacy programs would get more resources to help them succeed in providing instructional and support services.

Socks can be purchased online at sockproblems.com/illiteracy. The Union-Tribune will also sell them at the second annual San Diego Union-Tribune Festival of Books on Saturday, Aug. 25 at Liberty Station in Point Loma.

The Union-Tribune and San Diego Council on Literacy have had a symbiotic relationship dating to 1986, when the council was co-founded by Helen Copley, the matriarch of the Copley Press. For more than the 30 years, the partnership has flourished with events and initiatives that include the 20-year run of the Union-Tribune Race for Literacy and the game-changing San Diego READS project of San Diego City Schools. The collaboration continues to evolve; the council will once again be the major beneficiary of The San Diego Union-Tribune Festival of Books.

In addition to its longtime support of the council, the Union-Tribune has forged enduring relationships with such venerable San Diego County organizations as Junior Achievement, the Classroom of the Future Foundation, the USS Midway Museum and Fleet Week San Diego, to name a few.Toronto, ON -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/01/2018 -- FranchiseCanada.org, a new website designed as a high quality lead generation tool for the franchise industry has been launched today.



Website Founder; Maxwell Duchaine of Triforce Media states, "A membership with FranchiseCanada.org will demonstrate how we can provide quality leads, and reduce costs for franchise brand operators and groups. Our goal is for franchisors to utilize our website as a demand generating tool that eliminates and refines quality prospects based on our psychographic analysis and their unique criteria."



FranchiseCanada.org layers in the criteria direct from the franchisor and then layers' in personality tests, so that franchisors only receive those leads that meet with the franchisor's brand profile thus saving them time and money vetting these prospects.



"Once the prospects have successfully met with a brands profile and completed the cycle of this proven system, the lead gets sent to those franchisors who meet with that specific criteria."



FranchiseCanada.org strategists, will constantly encourage visitors to browse opportunities and engage in the automated, back and forth communication strategies with prospects, thus generating this powerful lead generating tool for the industry.



Current advertising rates are low as they will need to prove their system to the industry, but no doubt, if this system works it will revolutionize the way franchises are sold in the future across Canada and the United States.



For more information or to claim a franchise, please visit franchisecanada.org or to speak directly with a media or sales rep about FranchiseCanada.org. Contact us toll-free at 866-919-5809.



Media/Sales Contact

866-919-5809New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/31/2018 -- Calling all Dog Moms who are sophisticated, beautiful, kind, confident, and willing to share the spotlight with their fur baby. Chase & Papi, Pet Lifestyles Magazine, and WizSmart Dog Pee Pads are proud to announce the first pageant for the stylish, poised, and articulate Dog Mom and the most glamorous dog. Initial registration is online at https://www.chasepapi.com/audition.



According to Desh Valcin, Pageant Founder and owner of Chase & Papi the luxury pet event planning company, "We are celebrating the character and confidence of dog moms who truly stand out from the pack with this unique pageant concept. This event promises to be what Chase and Papi is known for, a merger of glamour and fun that engages and entertains the community of devoted pet parents." Auditions to compete in the Miss Dog Mom Pageant are required in order to be considered as a contestant; they will be held Saturday, August 4th as well as Saturday, August 18th and Saturday, August 25th in a midtown Manhattan studio location. 21 contestants will be chosen from the group of candidates who audition in August of 2018 for the May 2019 Pageant final.



Dogs will compete solely in the evening wear category; however, Dog Moms will be judged on character, poise, confidence, and personality in the three segments of the competition: Interview, Style Challenge, and Evening Gown. There is no performing talent required on the part of Dog Moms, Desh Valcin emphasizes that the Pageant is open to "outgoing, intelligent and dynamic women who are excited to represent the beauty of being a dog mom. Body proportion and personality are what counts, not a specific body measurement." Pageant newcomers welcome. There are no height or weight restrictions for Dog Moms or their dogs. Each category will be equally scored by a panel of celebrity judges to be announced closer to Pageant date.



It is important to note that all contestants are competing on behalf of an animal rescue or similar respected not-for-profit organization involving dogs. The winner of the pageant, Miss Dog Mom herself, will not only receive a cash prize but a donation will be made in their name to their favorite pet charity or animal rescue group. There will be several tiers of prizes and awards which will be announced closer to the pageant date in the Spring of 2019.



For interviews with Desh Valcin, photo opportunities with the Pageant contestants and their dogs, or additional information as well as sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lori Zelenko at LSZ COMMUNICATIONS at 917-693-8602. Miss Dog Mom Pageant registration is online at https://www.chasepapi.com/



ABOUT OUR SPONSORS



Chase and Papi a luxury pet event planning company hosting the Miss Dog Mom Pageant.



Pet Lifestyles Magazine reaches the most dedicated of the 1.1 million pet owners in the City.



WizSmart the eco-friendly and leak-proof dog pee pad offering superior absorbency.The Earths oceans lock away atmospheric carbon dioxide, but a leak in the Southern Ocean, which surrounds Antarctica, brings the greenhouse gas back into the atmosphere. A team of scientists led by Princeton University and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry looked at concentrations of nitrogen embedded in deep-sea corals and shelled microorganisms called diatoms and foraminifers to identify an increase in Southern Ocean upwelling during the past 11,000 years, which could explain the mysterious warmth of the Holocene period that allowed human populations to flourish.

We think we may have found the answer. Increased circulation in the Southern Ocean allowed carbon dioxide to leak into the atmosphere, working to warm the planet, said Princeton Universitys Professor Daniel Sigman, co-author of the study.

For years, researchers have known that growth and sinking of phytoplankton pumps carbon dioxide deep into the ocean, a process often referred to as the biological pump.

The biological pump is driven mostly by the low latitude ocean but is undone closer to the poles, where carbon dioxide is vented back to the atmosphere by the rapid exposure of deep waters to the surface. The worst offender is the Southern Ocean, Professor Sigman said.

Most scientists agree that the Holocenes warmth was critical to the development of human civilization.

The Holocene was an interglacial period, one of the rare intervals of warm climate that have occurred over the ice age cycles of the last million years. The retreat of the glaciers opened a more expansive landscape for humans, and the higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere made for more productive agriculture, which allowed people to reduce their hunter-gathering activities and build permanent settlements.

In order to study the potential causes of the Holocene carbon dioxide rise, Professor Sigman and co-authors investigated three types of fossils from several different areas of the Southern Ocean: diatoms, foraminifers and deep-sea corals.

From the nitrogen isotope ratios of the trace organic matter trapped in the mineral walls of these fossils, the scientists were able to reconstruct the evolution of nutrient concentrations in Southern Ocean surface waters over the past 10,000 years.

The method we used to analyze the fossils is unique and provides a new way to study past changes in ocean conditions, said study first author Dr. Anja Studer, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry.

The fossil-bound nitrogen isotope measurements indicate that during the Holocene, increasing amounts of water, rich in nutrients and carbon dioxide, welled up from the deep ocean to the surface of the Southern Ocean.

While the cause for the increased upwelling is not yet clear, the most likely process appears to be a change in the Roaring 40s, a belt of eastward-blowing winds that encircle Antarctica.

Because of the enhanced Southern Ocean upwelling, the biological pump weakened over the Holocene, allowing more carbon dioxide to leak from the deep ocean into the atmosphere and thus possibly explaining the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

This process is allowing some of that deeply stored carbon dioxide to invade back to the atmosphere. Were essentially punching holes in the membrane of the biological pump, Professor Sigman said.

The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over the Holocene worked to counter the tendency for gradual cooling that dominated most previous interglacials.

Thus, the new results suggest that the ocean may have been responsible for the special stability of the Holocene climate.

The same processes are at work today: the absorption of carbon by the ocean is slowing the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by fossil fuel burning, and the upwelling of the Southern Ocean is still allowing some of that carbon dioxide to vent back into the atmosphere.

If the findings from the Holocene can be used to predict how Southern Ocean upwelling will change in the future, it will improve our ability to forecast changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and thus in global climate, Professor Sigman said.

The study was published online this week in the journal Nature Geoscience.

_____Vietnamese brands attracting more Japanese investors

VietNamNet Bridge - Japanese enterprises are entering the Vietnamese market gradually by buying into Vietnamese enterprises and cementing their positions in business fields with stable growth.









Vietnamese brands are attractive to Japanese investors













Sojitz Group in mid-June acquired 95.24 percent of shares of Saigon Paper Corporation in a deal worth $91.2 million, or VND2 trillion. The amount of money is still smaller than the $128 million that Unicharm of Japan spent to buy 95 percent of charter capital of Diana some years ago.



Saigon Paper Corporation is now the biggest paper tissue manufacturer in Vietnam, with annual revenue of $100 million.



This was the latest M&A deal committed by Japanese investors, following a series of deals made recently. Vietnamese enterprises with strong brands lead the markets, and are being eyed by Japanese investors.



After acquiring 24.94 percent of charter capital of Hau Giang Pharmacy (DHG), Taisho, a Japanese pharmacy group, has offered to buy 7.06 percent more of DHG shares. If the deal succeeds, Taishos total ownership ratio in DHG would be 32 percent.

Japanese enterprises are entering the Vietnamese market gradually by buying into Vietnamese enterprises and cementing their positions in business fields with stable growth.



After selling shares to Japanese investors, many Vietnamese companies benefit immediately from the new Japanese owners.



In early March 2018, Takara Belmont announced the admission of Ngu A Chau JSC (NAC), a well-known company in the hair care cosmetics industry.



Hidetaka Yoshikawa, general director of Takara Belmon, said the group will retain Ngu A Chau brand and use Japanese technology to improve product quality and turn the company into the No 1 firm in its business field.



Meanwhile, Sojitz Planet, after buying 20 percent of shares of Rang Dong Plastics, has announced construction of a plant worth $32 million, which aims to help Rang Dong cement its firm position as No 1 in the plastics market.



In order to increase capital, improve corporate governance, and upgrade technology, many Vietnamese have decided to stand on giants shoulders, i.e. sell shares to foreign companies to exploit their financial capability and technology.



Do Anh Tu, the founder of Diana, said Diana sold 95 percent of shares to Unicharm, a Japanese company, to help turn Diana into a global brand.



Saigon Paper founder Cao Tien Vi said with Japanese investment, the brand will become stronger thanks to the power and large network of Sojitz.



Saigon Paper still needs more capital to expand production and upgrade technology to improve its competitiveness in the market where there are many rivals, both Vietnamese and foreign.



For Nguyen Van Ngu, the founder of Ngu A Chau, selling shares is a way to protect the brand, she said.





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Thanh MaiThe Accord with the ADCI is a good start for defining how to move ahead our companies for good co-operation and trust. We can work together in the future and develop the next generation of salvers and commercial divers, ASA president Jim Elliott told the one hundred Latin American companies represented in the audience.

The two-day event was organised by Lino Arosemena, chairman of the ASAs Latin American Committee and General Manager of Talleres Industriales, a renowned Panama shipyard and coincided with Panama Chamber of Shippings Annual Maritime Conference to provide an opportunity to build upon strategic alliances, highlight valuable synergies across the commercial diving and marine salvage communities, and to further develop relationships with government stakeholders who will require the assistance of our membership during maritime casualties and natural disasters, as well as remedial work in existing areas, said Lino Arosemena.

ASA has signed a consulting accord with the Panama Canal Authority to provide Canal authorities with training and advice, said Elliott. We are in a profession where we meet people in their worst days, and we are on call all the time, as a reference to ship wrecks and maritime accidents.

Fortunately in the Latin American region, it is rare to see maritime disasters but there are opportunities for commercial and industrial diving of all kinds. Commercial divers are constantly on call to do underwater ship repairs.

The conference features roundtable discussions, presentations and networking opportunities for current and prospective members of ASA and ADCI, with its Latin America and the Caribbean chapter. Several specialists and class representatives addressed safety standards during diving and salvage operations, salvage operations in South America, new technologies and partnership and co-operation of salvers throughout the Americas.These children are among 140 who received free Christmas presents last year from Joyful Treats. Joyful Treats

Khadija Wallace is using her love of baking and entrepreneurship to help others launch their businesses with her Ypsilanti Township-based nonprofit, Joyful Treats Community Development Corporation.

Wallace grew up in Tuscaloosa, Ala., watching her grandmother cater events for her church and the University of Alabama, but she didn't get into the food business until after she had spent many years working in finance and payroll.

After moving to Michigan with her husband, she launched the for-profit company Joyful Treats Catering 17 years ago as a way to leave a legacy to her children.

While she was waiting for the catering business to grow to a full-time job, she took some part-time jobs, including one at Eastern Michigan University. It was there that she met and talked to people of varying ethnic and religious backgrounds, and realized that a sensitivity to those cultural differences could be a valuable asset in the catering business.

Her vision for a nonprofit began to grow, and she added an educational component to her plan after serving as an official caterer for Super Bowl XL in Detroit in 2005. During that time, she had a few children packing food or making favors for her.

"I thought it would be great to be able to show kids what we were doing, teaching a life skill in the food sector," Wallace says.

She established the nonprofit arm of the business in 2012 but didn't acquire her 501(c)3 status until 2015. Now, with a move into a 4,400-square-foot space at 103 Ecorse Rd., she has the space to teach multicultural etiquette classes, run a weekly food bank supported by Ypsi nonprofit Food Gatherers, and offer a licensed commercial kitchen and business incubator-style office space for rent to other small businesses trying to scale up.

Wallace plans to invest the money raised from the rental space back into running her nonprofit. She already has many corporate clients through the for-profit arm of her business and also hopes some of them will help sponsor events run by the nonprofit arm.

Classes will range from multicultural food and wine tastings, like a recent "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" class pairing traditional Irish food with wines, to a class about etiquette for "High Tea."

Wallace's next big project is a Sept. 1 back-to-school event with the theme "Cool food for cool kids," encouraging kids to eat healthier during the school year. To continue with the school lunch theme, she will give away school supplies in lunch pails to participants.

Wallace also intends to continue the tradition of giving away free Halloween costumes and hosting a Halloween party. Last year, her nonprofit passed out 400 costumes to kids who couldn't afford their own.

"My current vision is sharing space with other mom-and-pop businesses that don't have a commercial location," she says. Wallace says she's open to any type of small business tenants but dreams of creating a hub for businesses that provide services related to catering, such as event planning or decor.

Joyful Treats is currently open by appointment only but Wallace says she is usually in the store from 1-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. She hopes to expand hours as more tenants start leasing office space.

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com.

Photos courtesy of Khadija Wallace.Sen. Bam on the death anniversary of former President Cory Aquino

We remember Tita Cory today as we commemorate her death anniversary.

She is often referred to as the Mother of our Democracy, but to me, she was primarily a loving, thoughtful, humble and gracious aunt. She inspired a generation to continue the work of safeguarding our freedom and improving the lives of our countrymen.

She said, "I don't have any formula for ousting a dictator or building democracy. All I can suggest is to forget about yourself and just think of your people. It's always the people who make things happen."

She reminds us, to this day, that it is up to all of us, together, to move this country forward and create a better Philippines.

Salamat, Tita Cory!Press Release

August 1, 2018 Dispatch from Crame No. 351:

Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement on the Presidential Spokesperson's deceptive finger pointing 8/1/18 Like his boss, Harry Roque has become the master of deception. He says PNoy was partly responsible for the culture of impunity promoted by Duterte. That is but an empty argument to PNoy's criticism of Duterte's self-indulgent dichotomy between human rights and human lives. Why are they looking at PNoy? Let us be clear about this. Unlike Duterte, PNoy, then and now, never encouraged, induced or condoned killings and death squads. And unlike Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, PNoy never coddled butchers like Palparan and the Ampatuans. Unlike his immediate predecessor and successor, PNoy is no human rights violator. What is significant though is Roque's admission of the existence of a culture of impunity in the country today. The question thus remains, what is Malacanang doing about it, other than Roque obfuscating Duterte's daily endorsement of murder and mayhem in the past two years. With this admission, Roque is saying that the killings are here to stay. There will be no respect for either human rights or human life under this regime. And Roque will be remembered as the singular embodiment of this policy: a human rights lawyer-turned rabid defender of state-sponsored mass murder.Press Release

August 1, 2018 De Lima thanks Liberal Int'l for 'highest human rights honor' Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima today thanked Liberal International (LI) for recognizing her unwavering stance on human rights by conferring her this year's prestigious "Prize for Freedom" Award last July 28. De Lima, a known human rights defender here and abroad, said her heart is "filled with joy and gratitude" for the continued support she receives from the international delegates. "I humbly thank the LI, particularly my fellow liberals who personally attended the awarding ceremony last Saturday, July 28, for going the extra mile to recognize my efforts in defending justice and human rights and for keeping their faith in me amid this ordeal," she said in a handwritten statement sent from her detention. "Though I failed to personally attend the awarding ceremony due to my current situation, knowing LI is on my side eases my tribulations and deepens my resolve to keep on fighting for my causes," she said. In a simple awarding ceremony held at Novotel Manila, Araneta Center, Quezon City last July 28, the LI delegates led by its President Dr. Juli Minoves formally conferred De Lima with the "highest human rights honor." Among the LI delegates present were LI Deputy President Dr. Hakima el Haite, former Hong Kong Legislative Council Emily Lau, and Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) Secretary General Kiat Sittheeamorn. Israel, de Lima's eldest son, accepted the trophy on behalf of Sen. De Lima, along with the Senator's brother Vicente "Vicboy" de Lima II and nephew Marcel de Lima, and her sister Caroline de Lima and her aunt, Lilia de Lima. De Lima, the first prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, also thanked LI for raising the alarm over her continued illegal detention and for calling on Mr. Duterte to immediately free her. "Despite the persistent attacks and obvious lies thrown against me by the Duterte administration, I am grateful for their firm belief of my innocence. Truly, I am not alone in this fight," she said. "Their presence is a testament that indeed, the world is watching closely what is happening not just to me, but in our country under a selfish and vengeful leader sitting in Malacanang," she added. In a press conference held hours before the awarding ceremony, Sittheeamorn only uttered good words for De Lima, saying he and his colleagues "have been following the works of Senator De Lima in the previous years." "She is one strong fighter for human rights and democratic values," Sittheeamorn said. "Senator De Lima's struggle, her sacrifice, is not solely a Filipino matter, nor is it even an Asian matter. Leila's cause transcends petty political rivalries and regional nuances; she personifies humanity's shared aspiration for universal human rights," Dr. Minoves added. LI regarded De Lima as a "flag-bearer for human rights in the Philippines and beyond, setting a shining example for other human rights defenders." According to the London-based world federation of liberal and progressive democratic parties, De Lima was conferred the "Prize for Freedom" award for her "exceptional contribution to the advancement of human rights" in the Philippines." De Lima is the second Filipino who accepted the Human Rights Prize, after then President Corazon Aquino in 1987, who was recognized "for her world-renowned advocacy of democracy, peace, and the empowerment of women." Prior to this award, De Lima was also recognized by the Foreign Policy magazine as one of the leading Global Thinkers for 2016 and 2017; by Time Magazine as one of 100 Most Influential People, one of the Icons, for 2017; by Fortune Magazine as 39th World's Greatest Leader; and by Amnesty International as the Most Distinguished Human Rights Defender for 2018, among others.Press Release

August 1, 2018 Senate amends outdated corporate code to improve business climate Local business owners and investors will soon need not resort to naming their entire household as incorporators to comply with the stringent requirement of the law, said Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon. This is after the Senate on Tuesday passed on second reading Senate Bill 1280 which seeks toamend the decades-old Corporation Code and introduces, among others, the concept of a one-man corporation. Drilon, who authored and sponsored the bill, described the legislation as a "milestone" necessary to improve the business climate in the Philippines. "These are long overdue reforms that the business sector is fully supportive of and, in fact, has been clamoring for its immediate passage," Drilon said. "I'm glad that the Senate is able to respond to such call of the business sector in order that we can establish a more business- and investor-friendly environment." Drilon is confident that once the bill is enacted into law, it will change the atmosphere of conducting business in the country, particularly in light of the country's dismal ranking in terms of the ease of doing business in 2017. In a study by the World Bank regarding the ease of doing business across 190 countries in 2017,the Philippines was ranked 113th, Drilon noted. It also lagged behind its neighbors in the Southeast Asia, far from Thailand and Vietnam, which were ranked 26th; Brunei, 56th; Vietnam, 68th; and Indonesia, 72nd. Singapore was ranked 2nd. Drilon said that the proposed changes would streamline the process of incorporation to make the present corporate code attuned with the changing business landscape, thereby making the Philippines an attractive investment destination. The bill is expected to hurdle third and final reading next week. Drilon said the proposed revised corporation code would introduce the concept of the one-person corporation, simplify the name verification process, and grant a perpetual life as the default option for corporations. Drilon said that to a provision requiring corporations to have least five incorporators as "a common stumbling block" for many investors. He noted that naming household members - from cook to driver - is a usual practice in the country. The measure also allows electronic filing of reportorial requirements and attendance in meetings via remote communication or in absentia. Drilon said there are four reform clusters that the bill seeks to address, including improving the ease of business in the country, prioritizing corporate and stockholder protection, instilling corporate and civic responsibility, and strengthening the country's policy and regulatory corporate framework. "In general, the proposed amendments promote efficiency and encourage transparency in corporate dealings - from formation to daily operations.. Having them in place will allow the Philippines to compete with other countries as a viable investment destination and small-business-friendly jurisdiction," Drilon said.Press Release

August 1, 2018 HONTIVEROS: JOINT EXPLORATION WITH CHINA VIOLATES HAGUE RULING, SURRENDERS PHILIPPINE SOVEREIGNTY "It is preposterous and treacherous. It reverses our historic victory at The Hague and signs away Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea." This was the statement issued today by Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros as a response to the plan by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to conduct a joint exploration of natural resources with China in the West Philippine Sea. Hontiveros said that the DFA's plan is absurd as it recognizes China's claim and ownership over the West Philippine Sea and nullifies the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). "Is this the result of the DFA's so-called 50-100 diplomatic actions against China? Is this what President Duterte calls an independent foreign policy?" she asked. "In case the DFA failed to read the ruling, the UN decision is very clear. We have sovereign rights to access offshore oil and gas fields, including the Reed Bank, within our 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone. We don't share ownership of the West Philippine Sea with China," Hontiveros said. The opposition Senator said that this was exactly what she feared would happen as a result of the Duterte government's non-transparent and subservient foreign policy, particularly its dealings with China. She reiterated her call to the Duterte government to undergo a foreign policy audit. "This is precisely the reason why I am calling for a foreign policy audit, to determine if the government's foreign policy thrust and direction are still compatible with our sovereignty and security interests, and whether or not they are still in compliance with our international obligations, particularly the arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea. With this latest development, I hope a parliamentary oversight of the Executive's foreign policy can be conducted the soonest," Hontiveros said. Hontiveros challenged the DFA to junk the planned joint exploration with China and focus on ways of enforcing the UN ruling on the West Philippine Sea. "The people want a DFA that is courageous in asserting our historic victory at The Hague, not a foreign affairs office that the public can't distinguish anymore from the Chinese embassy," Hontiveros said.Press Release

August 1, 2018 Statement of Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, Partido Liberal president, on 9th death anniversary of President Cory Today we remember the ninth year since former President Corazon Aquino passed away. It has been almost a decade since she left us, but her legacy remains firm in our hearts and minds. For us who spent our youth under the rule of a dictator, President Cory was a symbol of a new day. She was a woman of strength and had done right by her duty to country. It was by no means an easy choice -- but she, like all people fighting for our freedom back then, chose what is right. Now, we face similar choices as we continue to battle against tyranny and age-old injustices. Last Saturday, we just awarded the Liberal International's Prize for Freedom to Sen. Leila De Lima in recognition of her achievements and her continuing fight for human rights even while wrongly imprisoned. The first Filipina to get this award was President Cory in 1987, in her fight for democracy. Vice President Leni Robredo, in her speech during the awarding, said that they embody the indomitable spirit of a freedom fighter, while she herself continue to field political persecution and character assassination with dignity. Let us borrow courage from these extraordinary women. Be a Cory in this time of uncertainties.Press Release

August 1, 2018 Transcript of interview with Sen. Cynthia Villar on the coconut levy bicam, rice tariffication, TRAIN 2 Q: On the coconut levy bill bicam Villar: Actually, dalawa ang budget ng trust fund. Isa iyong galing sa coconut levy and that is around P100 billion pesos. It will be invested in treasury bills and every year, we will give to the reconstituted PCA to spend it as we enumerated where to spend it; like it will be spent on scholarship of children of farmers, their health benefits, and their shared facilities program and then their program to improve their farms. Q: Senate version po ba ang na-approve? Villar: Na-adopt ang Senate version and then it will be managed by a reconstituted PCA. Wala nang ibang ike-create na committee, just the reconstituted PCA wherein there will be four representatives from government, one from the industry and six coconut farmers. Q: May incentives for farmers? Villar: Meron doong farm development so lahat ng hindi mako-cover doon na iyon. Medyo vague iyon eh. So lahat ng needs nila, doon nila kukunin. Kasi iyong shared facilities is 30%, farm development is 30%, empowerment of farmers' organization, 15%, 15% sa scholarship and 10% sa health benefits. Q: May 10 billion on top... Villar: Another budget iyon from the GAA that will go to the Philippine Coconut Authority. That's the role of government in improving the industry. That's P10 billion a year. Iyong P5 billion galing sa coco levy fund, they have more than P100 billion coco levy fund. So every year they can spend P5 billon until it runs out. Q: How many farmers will benefit? Villar: 3.5 million. Q: When will be the ratification of the bicam report? Villar: We will just have to write it with all the bicameral changes and then it's ok. We have approved it in principle. Q: Ano pa ba ang highlights? Villar: Iyong ibibigay ng gobyerno na P10 billion for the coconut industry, 20% for infrastructure, 20% for shared facilities program, and then there's planting and replanting and establishment of nurseries, for intercropping and then for research and development, for creation of markets. It's all indicated in the bill and that should be followed by the PCA. Q: I-invest sa treasury bond? Villar: Iyong coco levy fund ilalagay sa treasury bills and then it will earn mga 2 to 3 percent a year. Idadagdag sa principal, basta ang gagastahin P5 billion a year. Q: kelan po ang start? Villar: Next year. Q: To run for how many years and fund na iyon? Villar: Kasi ngayon P105 billion ang pera nila, kung idi-divide mo iyon by P5 billion, that's 21 years pero mage-earn pa iyon ng interest so ganoon din, 25 years. Q: Saan kayo nagtagal, ma'm? Villar: Iyong whether to create another committee or reconstituted PCA. Gusto namin reconstituted PCA para isang overhead na lang. Kasi mahirap iyong maraming committee, maraming gastos. So sinisimplify namin iyong management, para less ang overhead para lahat ng pera mapupunta for the benefit of the coconut farmers. Q: May mga safety nets to make sure na ang funds pupunta sa farmers? Villar: It will be subject to audit, COA. Yearly, oo. Lahat sila subject to audit. Remember, the PCA is a government organization, so lahat ng gagawin niya subject to audit. Q: Update po sa rice tariffication bill? Villar: Sinusulat pa namin. Kasi iyong rice tariffication, ang pwede lang nating i-tariffy is 34% in ASEAN. Ang biggest competitor natin ay Vietnam. Maski lagyan natin ng 35% tariff, talo pa rin tayo ng Vietnam. So in the rice tariffication bill, we will create a Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund and nangako ang government they will give us P10 billion appropriation for that, which we will use to mechanize ang ating rice farming. We will use this also to teach farmers to be seed growers ng inbred seeds. Kasi iyong inbred seeds, they can produce rice at 6 metric tons per hectare, instead of the present na 4 metric tons per hectare. So lalaki ang production nila, plus iyong mechanization, that will decrease the cost by 3.40. Kasi ang Vietnam 1.20 ang kanilang labor cost. Tayo 4.60. we have to reduce our labor cost through mechanization. With that, our rice farmers will be competitive. Then we will be establishing rice schools, to be operated by PhilRice and PhilMech all over the country especially in the rice producing provinces para matuto sila how to mechanize and how to be seed growers nung inbred seeds that can produce more rice per hectare. Q: Sa TRAIN 2... Villar: Ways and Means iyon eh. We will see what's in there. We will be studying pa. I think they will change the name, Investment Incentive Act na yata iyon hindi na TRAIN 2. Q: That is to make it more palatable? Villar: Talaga namang they will review the investment incentives so why will we say TRAIN 2? Q: That will be the version that will be filed by SP Sotto? Villar: Siguro. Q: Is it okay for you to remove incentives? Villar: Depende. Kung ang tatanggalan nila ng incentive iyong maraming empleyado, medyo may effect din sa atin iyon. Ang gusto nating tanggalan nila ng incentive, iyong wala namang effect sa employment. Pero kung maaapektuhan ang employment, katakot-takot na naman... Q: Iyong lowering of corporate income tax... Villar: Iyon ang kapalit. Ibig sabihin, ilo-lower nila ang income tax na corporate dahil tatanggalin nila ang incentive ng mga industries. Ngayon kung ang cost ng pag-lower ng income tax ng corporate will result in reduction of employment, medyo may problema iyon. So we will see. Q: You will ask the finance department to present it? Villar: We will study, kasi we can do research naman on our own. Q: What will it be called? Villar: Repeal of the investment incentive law. Kaya sila nabigyan ng incentive because of that law, eh di rerebyuhin iyon. Q: Iba pa iyon sa rationalization of incentives? Villar: Iyon din, pareho iyon.Kim Campbell will leave the Employers and Manufacturers' Association at the lobby group's November annual meeting, removing a vocal critic of the government's plans for employment law reform at a time when a working group will offer the minister some advice.

The former pharmaceuticals executive will resign as chief executive at the Nov. 22 annual meeting, after eight years as a leading voice for New Zealand businesses. EMA Northern is a founding member of peak lobby group Business NZ, representing more than 4,000 members in the upper part of the country. If the EMA board can't find a replacement by the annual meeting, Campbell will stay on until a new CEO is found.

"Kim is an outstanding advocate for business, and the needs of business. He has done a sterling job in leading the organisation through significant change in the past seven years and leaves the EMA in great shape," EMA president Andrew Hunt said in a statement. "His belief in the work of the EMA and focus on helping businesses succeed has been uncompromising,"

Campbell has been forthright in his opposition to the government's moves on industrial relations law, returning legislative settings for collective negotiations back to where they were before changes in 2014. There's more uncertainty about the government's plans for fair pay agreements, and firms will have a say through Business NZ's representation on a working group chaired by Jim Bolger.

Hunt included Campbell's recent advocacy on the proposed law changes among highlights of his tenure, saying the campaign "galvanised our members to ask government to consider the ramifications of the raft of employment relations changes in the pipeline."

The EMA's board decided to introduce a flatter management structure for the group after a strategy session last year "to ensure the organisation is able to focus on enhancing the membership offering on the one hand while balancing this with ensuring we have enough fuel in the tank (ie revenue) to run our operation," Hunt said in the 2017 annual report.

The group's subscription revenue rose 6.9 percent to $7.5 million in the year ended June 30, 2017, and was the biggest contributor to its $18 million of annual revenue.

Separately, Business NZ and industry training organisations welcomed the New Zealand Qualifications Authority's micro-credential system, where briefer training periods are tailored to specific skill sets.

"Micro-credentials - shorter bite-sized 'bits' of learning - provide businesses and employees with greater opportunities for upskilling when required," Business NZ CEO Kirk Hope said in a statement. "This means it will be easier for employees to evolve in their current roles or step into new roles without having to undergo a full qualification or lengthy retraining process."

(BusinessDesk)

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Modi said at a Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentary meeting that the motion in the Lok Sabha showed the opposition's political immaturity as his government neither lacked numbers nor faced any hostile political environment in the country, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters.

: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a jibe at the Congress over the no-confidence motion against his government, saying he was "thankful" to the party for allowing him to expose the opposition's hollowness and inform the masses about his dispensation's successes.

He was also felicitated on the occasion for the government's "grand win" during a division of votes on the motion.

A source quoting Modi said the prime minister offered badhai (congratulations) to party members and allies for the motion's defeat and double badhai to those who brought it.

The government got a platform to share the successes of its four and a half years rule with people far and wide, and also to expose the opposition, he said.

The Indian diaspora at Uganda, an African country he visited recently, had also keenly followed the debate on the motion.

Taking a dig at the Congress, which had brought in a no-confidence motion of its own before the speaker decided to take up the Telugu Desam Party's motion as it was first to be listed, Modi said no mature political party would have made such a mistake.

Now to cover up for this, it is raising irrelevant issues, he said, apparently referring to the Congress' attack on the government over the Rafale deal.

The meeting also saw top party leaders, including Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Sushma Swaraj, besides BJP president Amit Shah felicitating the prime minister and expressing their views.

Shah said there was no reason for the opposition to sponsor such a motion, which was comprehensively defeated with 326 members voting against it and only 126 supporting.

Swaraj made a reference to the wide margin to attack the opposition, while Gadkari said it was spreading confusion over a host of issues among the masses as it lacked a real agenda.

The prime minister said members of the BJP and its allies should also be felicitated for the win.

He also praised Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's speech on the motion and asked party members to take it to the masses, Kumar said.System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3ab40d8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3bc9c88)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3ab40d8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3bc9c88)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3ab9b10)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3bc9c88)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3bc9c88)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3095450)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd3aa6f20)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd3aa6f20)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd4349378)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd40458c0)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd4349378)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd40458c0)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd4344750)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd40458c0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd40458c0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd30951b0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd3deb128)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd3deb128)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fcffa24c8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3c06bd0)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fcffa24c8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3c06bd0)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3486490)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3c06bd0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3c06bd0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd30949d8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd3ab1390)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd3ab1390)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd35686d0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3994ef0)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd35686d0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3994ef0)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3577d00)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3994ef0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3994ef0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3095480)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd37264e0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd37264e0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3db1bb0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3ff52a0)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3db1bb0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3ff52a0)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd3abb420)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3ff52a0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3ff52a0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3094df8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd3db1fe8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd3db1fe8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0Solar Novus Today Has Been Integrated

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The World Sikh Organization of Canada is gravely concerned by the increasing number of mob lynching attacks perpetrated by radical Hindutva terror groups and has called on the Indian government to do more to protect minorities.

Attacks on religious minorities have been escalating since 2014. In the past two months, over 20 murders by radical Hindu "cow protector" lynch mobs of mainly Muslim victims have been reported across India.

Radical Hindutva groups have also forced Christian tribal groups and Dalits to "re-convert" to Hinduism and have attacked journalists, lawyers, and activists.

WSO President Mukhbir Singh said, "we are deeply concerned by the recent lynching attacks in India. The victims have mostly been members of minority communities.

We urge the Indian government to unequivocally condemn these attacks and swiftly bring those responsible to justice. The rising number of attacks by radical Hindutva groups imperils the rule of law and endangers vulnerable minorities. India must show a commitment to the protection of human rights of all citizens, including minority communities. As Sikhs, we have both experienced the brutality of state sponsored mob violence in India and the lack of justice and accountability that followed. We cannot let history continue to repeat itself when it comes to victimizing minorities in India."

In an incident reported in Rajasthan last week, a Muslim man, lynched by a group of radical Hindu "cow protectors", died after Indian police delayed taking him to the hospital, instead first finishing their tea and then attending to the health of the cow owned by the injured man.

Targeted attacks on minorities have steadily increased since Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) ascent to power in 2014. Many of the groups responsible for these attacks enjoy the protection and support of local authorities and the patronage of the BJP.

Raja Singh, a BJP member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly from Hyderabad, released a video in which he justified the killing by accusing the victim of cow smuggling. He also termed cow protectionism a "war" and urged the prime minister to pay special attention to protection of cows.

Earlier this month, Indian Union Minister Jayant Sinha honoured eight men convicted of lynching Muslim cattle trader Almuddin Ansari for allegedly carrying beef in his car. The Jharkhand High Court had granted the men bail in the case after their conviction by a lower court.

Mob attacks on minorities are often carried out by groups claiming to support the BJP. In its World Report 2018, the Human Rights Watch emphasizes that, "the government failed to promptly or credibly investigate the attacks, while many senior BJP leaders publicly promoted Hindu supremacy and ultra-nationalism, which encouraged further violence".

Enactment of laws by the BJP, including prohibiting cow slaughter practices, provides support to pro-Hindutva or right wing groups to unleash violence on minority groups. The Indian government has been slow to condemn these attacks. Instead of taking legal action against attackers, the police have often filed complaints against the victims under the laws banning cow slaughter.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp says it is planning to limit message forwarding in India, where two dozen people have been killed this year in violent mobs fuelled by rumours spreading on the global messaging platform, and is instituting a new global limit on forwards around the world.

The company said in a blog post in the US that it is launching a test to limit forwarding on WhatsApp in India, where people forward more messages and videos than anywhere else in the world. The controls include a plan to limit the number of chats that users can send forward to five in India and removing the quick forward button next to media messages.

Other countries around the world have also grappled with the spread of fake news on the platform  including during a recent yellow fever epidemic in Brazil  but in India the fake news problem is particularly pernicious because so many digitally naive users are coming online for the first time. Many of the mobs attacked people they thought were child kidnappers because of rumours spread on WhatsApp.By M Rajshekhar

Special to The Post

In the last 15 years, novelist and writer Desraj Kali has seen Punjab undergo some striking changes. But none is as striking as its gradual religious revolution.

A growing number of people in the predominantly Sikh state, he says, are now visiting Hindu temples. Not those of principal deities like Vishnu, Shiva and Rama, but of Shani, the elder brother of the god of death Yama, who is notorious for his malefic influence on life.

More than ever before, Kali says, people are visiting the gurudwara of Baba Deep Singh in Amritsar. According to legend, Deep Singh, a Sikh warrior, was decapitated while battling the forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali, the king of Afghanistan. In a niche in the perimeter of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, there is a painting depicting the storied aftermath: Deep Singh, holding his severed head with his left hand and swinging a massive sword with his right, continued to fight, and died only after reaching the Golden Temple.

There are more, says Kali. People in increasing numbers are placing chadars at Pirs mazaars. There is a thousand-fold increase in the number of tantrik ads in the local media. Eeven orthodox Sikhs  Amritdhaaris, who carry the sacred dagger called kirpan  have begun visiting non-traditional deras, religious centres with living gurus, though Sikhism expressly forbids worship of individuals.

The rise of uncertainty

What explains these sweeping changes in Punjabs religious milieu? It is the rising uncertainty in peoples lives.

For decades now, the economic engines that pushed Punjabs growth have been slowing. Farm growth, which peaked at around 5%-6% annually in the early 1980s, has slowed to around 1%-2% now.

Agriculture in Punjab, says Abhijit Sen, a former member of the erstwhile Planning Commission, depended on two factors: A state committed to running agriculture (like funding agricultural research and providing water), and a tradition of bequeathing all land to the firstborn, so that landholdings did not get smaller and smaller.

Over the years, this architecture has corroded. The state ran out of new land to bring under farming; between sustained mono-cropping and high use of chemical inputs, its agricultural soil weakened; the state withdrew from extension work and farm research; monsoon patterns began to change; and legal norms (finally) allowing daughters to inherit property contributed to the fragmentation of landholdings.

Industry, similarly, went into a tail-spin. At the time of Independence, Punjab was industrialised and local demand for its products was thriving. Thanks to migration, the state tapped into markets beyond its boundaries. Industry in the state was relatively small-scale, but was able to sell outside Punjab, said Sen.

In recent years, however, as Scroll.in reported earlier in this series, industry has tanked, with predictable impacts on businesspeople in the state. Only about 40% of the companies here are surviving, said Amarjit Singh, proprietor of the Ludhiana-based real estate company Bhumi Solutions. Another 30% have sublet their premises to other businesses. And about 30% have shut down. Much of this decay happened, he says, in the last four years.

As you travel through Punjab, you see first-hand just how fragile most household budgets are. Take a farmer with two acres. In a good year, he will make about Rs 90,000. If he spends Rs 3,000 a month on running the house (Rs 36,000 annually) and another Rs 15,000 each on preparing for his kharif and rabi crops (Rs 30,000), he is left with just Rs 24,000. Of that, if Rs 12,000 goes into the school or college fees of his two children (assuming a minimal Rs 500 per month per child), he is left with just Rs 12,000 to meet all other expenses.

Even conservative arithmetic leaves no margin for acts of man or god. If there is an illness in the family, if the crop sells at lower rates than expected, if the rains are less than ideal  in the last decade, Punjab has seen six weak monsoons, resulting in only one of the two crops doing well  households go into debt.

In Punjab, people who earn Rs 10,000 but have their own home live at subsistence levels, said Sucha Singh Gill, director-general of Chandigarhs Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development. Those making Rs 10,000 but living in a rented house live at semi-starvation levels.

A loss of control

Synchronous with the decline of agriculture and industry is the unravelling of the social milieu. Before militancy, there was a certain Nehruvian idealism in the state  a desire to make Punjab something, said Sumail Singh Sidhu, former professor at Delhi Universitys Khalsa College and former state convenor for the Aam Aadmi Party. There was also the ethos absorbed from progressive left movements. The Sikh movements themselves had left, centrist and right wing schools.

All that was crushed, partly by the sectarian Sikhs as the Khalistan movement took shape, and partly by the state government. One visible outcome of it today is the loss of local leadership. The traditional activist is gone, said human rights activist and advocate RS Bains. In terms of human character, they were the best of people. They were truth-speakers. They wanted to change society.

In this vacuum, a new set of actors have emerged  like the extra-constitutional halka in-charge and other local elite, who have compensated for the power they lost due to, say, the Dalits economic independence by drawing close to the ruling political party. And alongside the rise of rapacious extra-constitutional power centres, gun culture has taken root in the state.

In the process, says Jagrup Singh Sekhon, a professor at Amritsars Guru Nanak Dev University, the nature of Punjabs villages has changed considerably. Villages today are faction-ridden. You are either with the Akali Dal or you are not.

Village life, as a result, is one of oppression and uncertainty. As the previous story in this series reported, justice can be elusive. We cannot go to the police, said Kishan Chand, a ghoda-gaadi wallah who lives in the poor quarters of Nurmahal town in Jalandhar. I can complain, but the police might get tapped by the other side and register a case against me instead.

How the state responded

The people of the state have responded in a number of ways. Addiction to drugs and alcohol is high. Migration is on the rise. The state, judging by its pop culture, is awash in nostalgia. Punjabi pop videos jive around memes of machismo and imperilled romance before the hero brandishes a gun, launches into fights, and sets things right.

The songs have guns, big houses, open jeeps, Royal Enfields, said novelist Kali. Even as people struggle, caste ka ghamand liye ghoom rahein hain." They are drawing arrogance from their caste.

Another response, says Ronki Ram, dean (faculty of arts) at Chandigarhs Panjab University, is the increasing escape into religiosity. In their understanding of causes, however, people are guided more by religion than rationality, Ram said. That is because the central logic running through the people is religion. Development is to be received through religion  not through technical means.

The interesting development here, Kali notes, is that people are turning towards the new gurus and away from orthodox religion. This is similar to what Scroll.in noticed in Odisha as well, where there is a sharp rise in the number of religious gurus. In the last ten years, more than 50 matths have opened in Bhubaneswar alone, said Rama Ballav Pant, a former BJD leader. They are all self-appointed babas.

The rise of new religious complexes

For an observer from outside, the changing religious landscape of Punjab is bewildering. The state has old, historic gurudwaras run by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, the apex body of the Sikhs. Then there are the new Gurudwaras which, while not under the SGPC, follow its norms and preach from the Guru Granth Sahib. And then there are the offshoots, and the breakaways from Sikhism.

Some, like the Ad Dharmis, are caste-specific breakaways. Some are sects like the Radhasaomis, which has a sprawling complex near Beas, a town between Jalandhar and Amritsar, and smaller campuses across Punjabs hinterland. Then there are the growing number of living sants like Dera Sacha Saudas Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insaan (and, till he was declared clinically dead, Baba Ashutosh of Divya Jyoti Sansthan at Nurmahal).

These sants, says a former member of the SGPC, are different from the preachers who set up new gurudwaras. While the preachers preach from the Guru Granth Sahib, the new sants have their own holy books, their own accounts of how the world came into being.

A matter of demand and supply

The first reason people flock to these new sants is tactical. As Sekhon says, life in Punjabs villages has become faction-ridden and hard. In such a construct, who can save people from the police, the patwari, the village leaders? That is what takes people to the sants.

These sants, with their mass following, form a protective buffer between the state and the individual, since local leaders listen to the sants.

Why? Because, as Laxmi Kanta Chawla, a former health minister and BJP member, says, the nature of political leaders in the state is changing. These [leaders] are people who have not done anything to build a following of their own. So they have to pander to communities, leaders who can make them win.

This influence over politicians is one reason why the number of sants is rising fast. Someone might be working in another dera, but cannot become its leader or make a name of his own, a businessman in Moga said, explaining the amoeba-like multiplication of sants and deras. So he either splits the dera, or starts one of his own. The new leader usually gets someone  perhaps a follower of the original dera  to back him financially. They do a few functions to which local leaders are invited, and thus the forging of bonds begins.

When people see local leaders visiting the new dera, they recognise it as a power centre and begin going there as well. In a nearby village called Barauli, three or four new deras have come up, said the businessman. People are going there because they feel kaam ho jayega ." The work will get done.

Much of this, says Bains, is inevitable. When formal institutions fail, informal ones come up," he said. "Even in a dictatorship, informal channels will work. Society mein networking to hota hain. And these informal institutions have always been put to instrumental use. As Sekhon says, Every system has patronised the deras  be it the Centre, the militants or the state.

What is relatively new is the open, symbiotic relationship with politicians and the capitalisation of the sants. The big ones are very well-funded. They market themselves aggressively. They run schools and health camps, and offer subsidised food. And at the new deras, canteens offer subsidised colas and chow mein, drawing in more people with the novelty.

Turning away from Sikhism

Novelty apart, many people feel, the main reason for the popularity of the new sants is the perception that orthodox Sikhism is failing them.

When you are frustrated, you seek external help, advice, said Sarabjit Singh Verka, an investigator with Punjab Human Rights Organisation. And that is something the gurudwaras are not very good at  they refer you back to the Guru Granth Sahib. In contrast, in a dera, koi aapka kaam kara dega ." Someone will get your work done.

Kali agreed and drew a link between uncertainty and insecurity. There is a hopelessness. And then a process to save yourself starts.

The evening I met him in Jalandhar, Kali explained the move towards the deras with an example. Ab main bimaar hoon. Ab main toot chuka hoon. Ab mera shabd se kuch nahin hoga. Ab mujhe deh ki zaroorat hain (I am ailing. I am broken. The book doesnt give me solace. Is that book listening to me? Is it hearing me? I want a remedy for the specific things ailing me. I want a human to hear me and respond to me).

This, he says, is pushing people towards the supernatural. Baba Deep Singhs Gurudwara is a case in point. People go there because, he said, Wahan ek shakti hain. Shaheed ki shakti (There is a force there. The force of a martyr).

Alternately, they go to the sants who prescribe remedies. In these deras, the baba makes promises and prophecies, said the Moga businessman. The people for whom the predictions come true tell others. And the following grows.

This is similar to what Scroll.in had heard in Odisha. Physical poverty and distress has a psychological and social effect on people, a person there had explained. This belief in babas springs from there  be it Radhe Maa or Sarathi Baba. People live in the hope that the guru will change the condition of their lives  an illness they cannot cure on their own, lack of money, whatever.

As Panjab Universitys Ronki Ram said, People go to the new derasbecause they find them offering a vital space for recognition and identity.

The inevitable fallout

The flow of people towards deras and sants  at first a trickle, now a trend  is in turn giving rise to questions about the future direction of Sikhism.

In a sense, it is the continuation of an age-old process. Sikhism was an offshoot of Hinduism; the Jatt Sikhs and others had broken off from mainstream Hinduism over caste discrimination, and created for themselves a rational religion that was more of a manifesto for social transformation, one that spoke about gender and caste equality.

However, over time, little of those ideals converted into practice. Caste discrimination continued, resulting in Dalit groups like the Ad Dharmissp lintering out of Sikhism, and eventually leaving it entirely.

Today, as a new set of marginalised people  the small farmers amongst Jatt Sikhs  foray beyond Sikhism, the perception that Sikhism could be under threat is again gaining ground among some.

Ronki Ram does not agree with this assessment. People go to the new deras because they are rational. There is more to gain by going there. It is a strategic choice. But when the Sikh gurudwaras see this, they get desperate, thinking people are leaving us.

According to him, what we are witnessing is not the decline of orthodox Sikhism but an increased, escalating religiosity across the state. The number of agencies propagating religion is going up. Some people are turning to Sikhism, others to the deras. Some read the Guru Granth Sahib, others pin their faith on books written by Valmiki. Between them, dharam aagey badh raha hain (The state is getting more religious). And all this, he says, is playing out in the absence of development.

Where is this trend leading the state? The answer is anyones guess, says Ram. A rise in religiosity can give rise to new confrontations. People will get angry not because their survival is in danger, but because they think they are discriminated against due to their religion. Therefore, they reason, if they save their religion, they will save themselves.

All this, in turn, can lead to a rise in militant defence of emerging religions, and a consequent escalation of social tensions.

This piece was originally appeared in Scroll.in.

See https://scroll.in/article/804145/why-is-punjab-increasingly-turning-towards-new-gurus-for-comfortDeadly heatwaves threaten China's northern breadbasket



Paris, Aug 1 (AFP) Aug 01, 2018



The North China Plain, home to nearly 400 million people, could become a life-threatening inferno during future heat waves if climate change continues apace, researchers have warned.

Soaring temperatures combined with high humidity -- made worse by the region's dense irrigation network -- means the China's breadbasket faces "the greatest risk to human life from rising temperatures of any location on Earth," they said in a statement.

Megacities Beijing and Tianjin both fall within the densely populated plain, along with other major urban areas.

But it is tens of millions of farmers working outside that will be most at risk.

Even if humanity manages to slow the pace of global warming, hot spells across the region could, by century's end, exceed the human body's ability to cope, the scientists reported this week in the journal Nature Communications.

"This spot is going to be the hottest spot for deadly heatwaves in the future, especially under climate change," said lead author MIT professor Elfatih Eltahir, who has published similar assessments of the Persian Gulf region and South Asia.

In China, heatwaves have become both more intense and more frequent since 1970, especially in the last 15 years.

Average temperatures have gone up 1.35 degrees Celsius (2.4 degrees Fahrenheit) since 1950, nearly double the average global increase.

But the human body's capacity to withstand extended bouts of heat also depends on how much moisture is in the air.

So-called "wet bulb" temperatures take humidity into account, providing a better measure of potential health impacts.

For perspiration to occur, air at the skin surface must be moister than the ambient air. The larger the difference, the more quickly the body can cool.



- A sunburn, but inside the body -



"But if the wet bulb temperature exceeds the human body's skin temperature of 35 C, perspiration no longer works as a cooling mechanism," explained Jeremy Pal, a professor at Seaver College of Science and Engineering in Los Angeles who has collaborated with Eltahir in the past but did not take part in the new study.

"The body will quickly overheat, resulting in death."

Experts estimate that a healthy adult may not survive outdoors at "wet bulb" 35 C for more than six hours.

Humidity is key.

At 55 percent relative humidity, for example, it would take a searing air temperature of 44.4 C (112 F) to reach the 35 C wet bulb threshold.

But at 85 percent humidity, an outdoor temperature of 37.8 C (100 F) is sufficient to surpass the limit of human tolerance.

"When it is both very hot and humid outside, heat in the body cannot be expelled," noted Camilo Mora, a professor at the University of Hawaii who developed a model last year to calculate deadly heat days under different climate change scenarios.

"This creates a condition called 'heat citotoxicity' that is damaging to many organs," he told AFP at the time.

"It's like a sunburn, but inside the body."

Eltahir and Suchul Kang a researcher at the Center for Environmental Sensing and Modeling in Singapore, used climate models that best matched temperature records over the last three decades to forecast heatwaves.

They looked at two possible futures.

One -- often called the "business-as-usual" scenario -- assumes that climate change will continue unabated, while the other allows that humanity can bend down the curve of greenhouse gas emissions enough to cap warming at about 3 C, compared to mid-19th century levels.

Surprisingly, they found that the North China Plain's irrigation system adds about half a degree Celsius to future warming, under either scenario.

"Irrigation exacerbates the impact of climate change," Eltahir said.

Unless drastic measures are taken to limit the greenhouse gas emissions warming the globe, "the North China Plain is likely to experience deadly heatwaves with wet bulb temperatures exceeding the threshold defining what Chinese farmers may tolerate," he added.

The 196-nation Paris Agreement calls for capping the rise in temperature at 2 C, and 1.5 C if possible.US judge blocks release of 3D gun blueprints amid uproar



Chicago, July 31 (AFP) Jul 31, 2018



A US judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the online publication of blueprints for 3D-printed firearms, in a last-ditch effort to stop a settlement President Donald Trump's administration had reached with the company releasing the digital documents.

Eight states and the District of Columbia, that houses the capital Washington, had filed a lawsuit against the federal government, calling its settlement with Texas-based Defense Distributed "arbitrary and capricious."

The Trump administration had settled a five-year legal fight by permitting the company to publish its website Defcad -- which founder Cody Wilson envisioned as a WikiLeaks for homemade firearms called "ghost guns."

Those weapons can be manufactured using 3D printers or personal steel mills, and lack traceable serial numbers. At least one of the guns can also be made from plastic, which is virtually invisible to metal detectors.

US District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle, Washington granted the plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order blocking the release of the digital plans, and scheduled a hearing for August 10.

In a written statement, New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, one of plaintiffs, called the ruling "a major victory for common sense and public safety."

"As we argued in the suit we filed yesterday, it is - simply - crazy to give criminals the tools to build untraceable, undetectable 3-D printed guns at the touch of a button. Yet that's exactly what the Trump administration decided to allow."

As uproar mounted Tuesday, the White House expressed skepticism over the legality of Wilson's efforts, even though the administration had green-lighted the project.

Early in the day, Trump weighed in on Twitter, revealing that he had spoken to America's main pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, about the topic.

"I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public," the president said. "Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!"

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley expanded on the president's comments Tuesday night, telling reporters, "It is currently illegal to own or make a wholly plastic gun of any kind -- including those made on a 3D printer. The administration supports this nearly two-decade old law."



- 'I intend to litigate' -



In the meantime, Wilson remained defiant and vowed to fight in court. He told Wired magazine that he is facing legal action from "at least 21 state attorneys general" who have cited a risk to public safety -- but insisted he will not back down.

"I intend to litigate," he told the magazine. "Americans have the unquestionable right to share this information."

The self-proclaimed "crypto-anarchist" also made the digital blueprints available online earlier than the Wednesday launch date he had previously announced.

AFP was able to download two files from the website on Tuesday, though it had some technical glitches and was difficult to access. The site had 10 firearms and weapons components with downloadable digital files.

Wilson, a law school dropout who has taken up the cause of allowing unfettered information online without government interference, contends that the US Constitution's Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms, should extend to a person's right to make their own guns.

His legal team has argued that any move to prevent the distribution of the blueprints would run counter to the "foundational principles of free speech."

But federal courts have disagreed. Before the settlement with the Trump administration, Wilson had lost in both district and appellate court. The US Supreme Court had declined to take up his case.

Politicians, gun control advocates and law enforcement had expressed concerns that Defcad's files would allow anyone -- from a teen to a convicted felon -- to make dangerous weapons.



- Global problem -



But while Wilson has somehow become the public face of homemade weapons technology, the phenomenon of "ghost guns" is bigger than his website alone.

Earlier in July, Los Angeles police showcased an arsenal of such weapons seized from gang members during a six-month undercover operation.

The firearms, including AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles, were fashioned from kits purchased online, according to police. Wilson's website also features blueprints for the AR-15.

Over the last five years, Wilson's Defense Distributed has grown to 15 employees inside a non-descript warehouse in the Texas state capital Austin.

They have created a plastic 3D-printable handgun called the "Liberator," a machine called the "Ghost Gunner" with which homemade metal gun parts can be constructed, and amassed other digital gun files.

Jonathan Lowy of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence told AFP that if Wilson's website is ultimately allowed to publish, the consequences could be even greater outside of the US.

"It's certainly a huge international problem, particularly given that many other countries have much stronger gun laws than in America," Lowy said.

"So, in those countries, there are many people who shouldn't have guns and could not get them unless they can get their hands on a 3D-printed gun."Canada launches peacekeeping mission in Mali



Gao, Mali, Aug 1 (AFP) Aug 01, 2018



Canadian armed forces officially launched their peacekeeping mission in restive northern Mali Tuesday, marking Ottawa's return to the blue helmets after more than a decade.

The contingent of 250 soldiers and six helicopters is expected to conduct medical evacuations in the north of the country from Wednesday as they take over from German troops.

"My team and I are extremely proud to wear the blue beret as UN soldiers from Canada," Canadian commander Colonel Chris McKenna said at a ceremony at the UN base in Gao.

"It has been several years since Canada has had a large UN footprint and the pride that we take in hoisting the United Nations flag beside our beloved red-and-white Maple Leaf should not be underestimated," he said.

The Canadian troops, who are on a one-year mission, have been deployed since the start of July at Camp Castor, which also hosts German and Dutch troops.

While Canada originated the concept of peacekeepers in the 1950s, it has not deployed troops on UN peacekeeping missions for more than a decade.

At the start of the year, the UN had only about 50 Canadian peacekeepers. The Malian mission also marks the return of the Canadian military to Africa for the first time since the Rwandan genocide in 1994, when Ottawa lead the UN mission there.

Islamist extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert in northern Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

However large stretches of the country remain outside of the control of the Malian, French and UN forces, which are frequent targets of attacks.

"It's always a risk being in a dangerous place but we take security measures to protect our military, our citizens so that the risks are minimised," Canadian ambassador Louis Verret told AFP.

The UN mission, MINUSMA, deployed to Mali in 2013 in the wake of the French anti-jihadist operation and comprises some 14,000 military personnel and police.

It is currently the most deadly UN peacekeeping mission, having lost about 170 members including 104 killed in hostile acts -- more than half the UN soldiers killed during this period around the world.'Victory is near,' Syria's Assad tells troops



Damascus, Aug 1 (AFP) Aug 01, 2018



Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told his troops on Wednesday they were close to winning the country's seven-year war after inflicting a succession of defeats on rebels.

Early last year, government forces held just 17 percent of national territory but a series of blistering offensives has since forced the rebels out of many of their strongholds, putting Assad's government back in control of nearly two-thirds of the country.

"Our date with victory is near," Assad wrote in an open letter to the rank and file.

"They (the rebels) were ultimately forced to leave -- humiliated, rolled back, their tails between their legs -- after you gave them a taste of bitter defeat."

Much of the territory was recaptured without any ground fighting as the rebels reluctantly agreed to leave their bombed out enclaves in Russian-protected convoys.

The army has been bolstered in its offenisves by Russian air strikes, Iranian military advisers and militiamen from Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Government troops are now moppinging up the remaining rebel pockets in the south, and last week Assad promised a similar offensive against the rebels' last major stronghold -- Idlib province in the northwest.Iraqis from same family risk death penalty over IS killings



Baghdad, Aug 1 (AFP) Aug 01, 2018



Eight Iraqis from the same family risk being sentenced to death after admitting to involvement in killing 370 people while members of the Islamic State group, the judiciary said Wednesday.

The men face charges under Iraq's anti-terror legislation over the killings at Khasfah, a sinkhole in northern Iraq just eight kilometres from Mosul, the former capital of IS's self-declared "caliphate".

"The eight terrorists arrested have admitted to participating in the Khasfah massacre," said Supreme Judicial Council spokesman Abdel Sattar Bayraqdar.

"They participated in the execution of 370 civilians and members of security forces and the arrest of 400 people in Mosul," who were then held in IS jails, he added in a statement.

After IS overran Mosul in 2014, Khasfah became one of Iraq's largest mass graves as jihadists carried out a series of executions at the site.

Witnesses said the victims were blindfolded and had their hands tied behind their backs, before being forced to kneel. They were then shot and pushed into the crater.

More than 300 people, including around 100 foreigners, have been sentenced to death or life in prison by Iraqi courts over their membership of IS, according to judicial sources.

Iraq declared victory in December over the jihadist group, which at its peak controlled nearly a third of the country as well as large swathes of neighbouring Syria.What we know about Russia's 'Wagner Group'



Moscow, Aug 1 (AFP) Aug 01, 2018



The Russian "Wagner Group" has once again been forced into the spotlight after the deaths in central Africa of three Russian journalists who were apparently investigating the activities of the private army there.

Wagner has been active in conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, and has sent mercenaries to the Central African Republic and Sudan, according to Western and independent Russian media reports as well as foreign governments.

Journalists Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal had flown to the strife-torn African country to report on Wagner's operations, according to the media organisation they were working with.

Analysts say Moscow uses the private group so it can play down military activity in active conflicts and discount casualties.

Moscow-based defence analyst Pavel Felgenhauer told AFP that Wagner most likely viewed its operations in the Central African Republic as a business opportunity, rather than part of a wider military venture.

"We can assume the Kremlin gave the green light to Wagner's activities in the CAR when the leadership of the country was visiting Russia (in May this year)," he said.

"Without the approval of the Kremlin, Wagner would not be there."

He said mercenaries in Africa would be paid significantly more than those involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, making it a more attractive prospect for potential recruits.

The apparent work of the group in the CAR runs in parallel with Russia's official role there. In December it was authorised by the UN to provide the armed forces with weapons and training.



- Troll factory -



Wagner was set up by former Russian intelligence officer Dmitry Utkin, who was part of the first convoy of mercenaries sent to Syria in 2013 -- long before Moscow's official involvement in the conflict.

The group is funded by an ally of President Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to Western and Russian media.

Prigozhin is a Saint Petersburg businessman who made a fortune in catering before signing lucrative contracts with Russia's military and government.

He has also been charged by a US court with setting up an internet "troll factory" that attempted to influence the 2016 American presidential elections in favour of Donald Trump.

Wagner's activity in Syria attracted attention in February after the deaths of several of its employees there.

Various media outlets reported up to 200 fatalities in a US attack on pro-regime troops in Deir ez-Zor.

The Conflict Intelligence Team -- a group of Russian investigative bloggers -- established that dozens of those were members of the Wagner group.

After days of silence, Moscow acknowledged five Russian nationals were killed and dozens were wounded in the attack, saying they were in the country "on their own initiative".



- 'Heroes of the Fatherland' -



The response was similar to Moscow's official line on eastern Ukraine, where a conflict between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists has left more than 10,000 dead since 2014.

Founder Utkin and the Wagner Group were blacklisted by the US Treasury in 2016 for having "recruited and sent soldiers to fight alongside separatists in eastern Ukraine".

Utkin himself joined the ranks of separatist forces there in the first year of the conflict, following his ill-equipped mission to Syria.

The Kremlin has continuously rejected accusations from Kiev and the West of its military presence in the region, insisting that Russians who are fighting there are "volunteers".

In 2016, Utkin attended a televised ceremony held in the Kremlin to honour "the Heroes of the Fatherland" and was photographed alongside Putin.

Investigating Wagner has already proved a dangerous activity for reporters.

A journalist who was looking into the group's activities in Syria died in April after falling from the balcony of his fifth-floor flat in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.

Analyst Felgenhauer said he thought it was unlikely the journalists in the Central African Republic were killed by members of the Wagner Group.

"But it is a good advertisement for them. Perhaps some other African leader will hear about Wagner because of this killing and will want some Russian mercenaries for himself," he told AFP.Texan behind 3D-printed gun designs vows to fight US court ban



Washington, Aug 1 (AFP) Aug 01, 2018



A US gun rights advocate is vowing to take his fight to publish online blueprints for 3D-printed firearms to the Supreme Court if necessary, after a federal judge temporarily blocked the controversial venture.

Cody Wilson, founder of the company Defense Distributed, had briefly made the blueprints available online Tuesday after a much-questioned settlement with the federal government.

But a judge in Seattle granted an injunction after eight US states and the District of Columbia argued that the blueprints could allow anyone -- from a teen to a 'lone wolf' gunman -- to make untraceable, undetectable plastic weapons.

Wilson told CBS News he believes "access to firearms is a fundamental human dignity. It's a fundamental human right."

"What I'm doing is legally protected," he said in an interview hours before the injunction was handed down by US District Judge Robert Lasnik.

"I will go to the appellate level. I will go to the Supreme Court. I will waste all my time," Wilson said.



- 'The debate is over' -



The states had acted to block publication of the blueprints after the Trump administration settled a five-year legal fight by permitting the company to publish the plans on its website Defcad.

The website was shut down by Wednesday, but blueprints that had been posted online before the court order took effect had already been downloaded thousands of times.

"The debate is over. The guns are downloadable. The files are in the public domain -- you cannot take them back," Wilson told CBS.

But gun control groups applauded the judge's decision, with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence calling 3D-printed firearms "nothing short of a menace to society."

"There is simply no way of telling how much damage has already been done by Cody Wilson's dangerous and reckless actions," Brady Campaign co-president Kris Brown said in a statement.

"This is a strong step and a clear victory for the entire gun safety movement, but we simply can't let up."



- Action on the Hill -



Late Tuesday, dozens of Democratic senators introduced legislation designed to block the publication of 3D-printable firearm blueprints, a move gun control groups also applauded.

But the National Rifle Association, the nation's most politically influential gun rights group, claimed undetectable plastic weapons were already illegal under a 1988 law and therefore the issue was moot.

"Regardless of what a person may be able to publish on the Internet, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years," the NRA said in a statement.

A White House spokesman made a similar case Tuesday, even as the president tweeted earlier in the day that the idea of "3D plastic guns" being available to the public "doesn't seem to make much sense."

But Wilson has gotten around the legal prohibition against plastic guns by providing instructions with the digital files for 3D printing his "Liberator" plastic gun that call for an approximately six-ounce block of steel to be affixed to the weapon.

Should those who print the gun follow those instructions, metal detectors would pick up the weapons, thus complying with the law.

But while users can build the gun, there is no way to ensure they affix metal to it.

Prior to the Trump administration granting Defcad permission to publish, Wilson had actually been losing his drawn-out legal battle, after both a federal district court and an appellate court ruled against him.

The US Supreme Court had declined to take up his case.

But in a sign of his determination to continue the legal fight, a message on the Defense Distributed website made a public appeal for financial support "to uncensor the site."English31/07/2018

DODIK AND LUKAC DISCUSS FORMING SRPSKAS COORDINATION BODY

BANJALUKA, July 31 /SRNA/ - Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and Republika Srpska Internal Affairs Minister Dragan Lukac today in Banjaluka discussed the forming of a coordination body that would be tasked with monitoring the movement of migrants in Srpska, in keeping with conclusions of the ruling coalition in Republika Srpska.



The coordination body, which will be formed by the decision of the Republika Srpska Government, will be conducting activities aimed at monitoring the entry, stay and movement of migrants in Republika Srpska, says a press release from the office of the Republika Srpska Government.



The Republika Srpska President and Internal Affairs Minister agreed that representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Civil Protection and local communities will be involved in the coordination body. /end/sgIn an exceptional year, months of cold, wet weather last winter and spring have been followed by the hottest, driest spell for a generation. That has had a huge impact. For livestock farmers, grass growth for cattle and sheep has ground to a halt, many are already feeding hay and silage that was intended for the coming winter and supplies of all feed and bedding are challenging to secure.

For cereal growers, early indications are that the winter barley harvest has been, at best, average. Spring barley, sown during a cold, wet spring, will see its harvest start in earnest in the coming weeks and spring barley is Scotlands most important arable crop.

Organisations attending todays meeting included Scottish Government; Scottish Beef Association; Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB); Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS); Scottish Machinery Ring Association; Scotlands rural charity RSABI; Scottish Dairy Hub; Maltsters Association of Great Britain; Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC); NSA Scotland; Scotch Whisky Association; SAC Consulting and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

NFU Scotland representatives included Vice Presidents Martin Kennedy and Gary Mitchell; Livestock Committee Chairman Charlie Adam; Combinable Crops Committee Chairman Ian Sands and Less Favoured Areas Committee Chairman Robert MacDonald.

Speaking afterwards, NFUS Vice President Martin Kennedy, who chaired the meeting said:

Exceptionally volatile weather over the past 12 months has made this a costly and difficult time for all farmers and crofters. That is having an impact that no one could have predicted. It was hugely worthwhile pulling in key stakeholders as we all work to identify short-term solutions that may address the serious shortfall in feed and fodder that is emerging.

There is no silver bullet, but farmers can be reassured that help and advice is available from several of those round the table today.

It was agreed that the following actions are required:Held in May at Stoneleigh Park, the Royal Agricultural Society of Englands event attracted over 370 exhibitors and 10,131 visitors, who attended to see what was new, gather advice and hear from the experts.

The professional and business nature of the pig and poultry sectors was clearly apparent at the Fair, says event organiser Alice Bell. Our survey shows that producers found it an extremely valuable and worthwhile day away from the farm. In total, 98% of visitors found what they were looking for at the Fair, with four out of five visitors planning to make changes to their business as a result of their visit.

Taking place every two years, the Fair is a great chance for producers to see what is new, with 69% of visitors saying they attend the Fair to see new products, while 68% planned to make a purchase as a result of their visit.

Exhibitors had raised the bar too for 2018, with a wide range of inviting and interesting stands offering the very latest innovations, advice and solutions. The atmosphere at this years Fair was buoyant and business like, says Ms Bell. There were so many informed conversations going on, really cementing it as the place to do business.

This is born out in the research, with 93% of producers rating their day at the Fair as valuable for their business, while 100% of exhibitors said they met most or all of their objectives of exhibiting at the Fair.

The RASE would like to thank all the visitors and exhibitors who helped make the 2018 Fair such a success, added Ms Bell. We are already working on ideas and improvements to ensure the 2020 event, taking place Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th May, continues to deliver for the industry.Daimler Long: 34 Prozent Chance!

von Harald Zwick - 14.10.2020, 07:30 Uhr

Daimler konnte sich ausgehend vom 11. Juni 2020 deutlich von seinen Konkurrenten Volkswagen und BMW absetzen und um 15 Prozentpunkte mehr an Performance generieren als beispielsweise der nachste Verfolger BMW. In diesem Betrachtungszeitraum erreichte der Kursverlauf von Volkswagen nur eine rote Null.

Der deutsche Premium-Autobauer Daimler steckt wie seine Konkurrenten im Wandel hin zur Elektromobilitat. So will Daimler-Chef Ola Kallenius die Zahl der Motorenvarianten bei Verbrennern um 70 Prozent reduzieren und so die Kosten drucken. Bis 2025 wollen die Schwaben wieder zweistellige Renditen erwirtschaften. Aktuell setzt Tesla Punkto Elektromobilitat und Assistenzsysteme die Standards und der Rest versucht den Ruckstand aufzuholen. Doch viele Beobachter sehen die deutsche Automobilindustrie auf dem Weg, diesen Transformationsprozess zu ihren Gunsten zu gestalten und sich wieder an die Spitze zu setzen. Dass die Verkaufszahlen nach der Pandemie wieder ansteigen konnen, zeigt der Automobilmarkt in China, wo der Absatz aller Autobauer im September 2020 um 7,4 Prozent gegenuber dem Vorjahresmonat auf 1,94 Millionen PKWs gestiegen ist. Daimler hat in der vergangenen Woche bereits seine Absatzdaten fur das dritte Quartal vorgelegt und dabei uber starke Verkaufe in China berichtet.

.

Zum Chart

.

Der Kursverlauf der Daimleraktie hat sich seit dem Tief im Corona-Sell Off Mitte Marz in der Spitze um 134 Prozent nach oben vorgearbeitet und damit beinahe das partielle Hoch von November 2019 erreicht. Aktuell wird der Widerstand bei 49,31 Euro getestet, der sich schon im Dezember 2019 herausgebildet hat. Ein weiteres Indiz liefert der intakte Trendkanal, an dessen unteren Bereich der Kursverlauf lokalisiert werden kann. Bei Uberwindung der wichtigen Marke in der Hohe von 49,31 Euro besteht Potenzial bis auf den Bereich rund um die Marke von 54,21 Euro. Nach unten hat die Unterstutzung bei 43,30 Euro gehalten. Wenn alle Stricke reien, sollte die 40,54 Euro einem eventuellen Kursverlust Einhalt gebieten. Unter dem Strich deutet aber alles auf die Fortsetzung der nach oben gerichteten Kursentwicklung hin.

Wichtige Chartmarken Widerstande: 49,31 // 54,21 Euro Unterstutzungen: 43,30 // 40,54 Euro

Fazit

Daimler konnte sich ausgehend vom 11. Juni 2020 deutlich von seinen deutschen Konkurrenten Volkswagen und BMW absetzen und um 15 Prozentpunkte mehr an Performance generieren als beispielsweise der nachste Verfolger BMW. In diesem Betrachtungszeitraum erreichte der Kursverlauf von Volkswagen nur eine rote Null.

.

Mit einem Open End Turbo Call Optionsschein auf Daimler (WKN UD8UU7) konnten risikofreudige Anleger, die einen steigenden Kurs der Aktie in den nachsten 1-4 Wochen erwarten, uberproportional durch einem Hebel von 3 profitieren und das Ziel bei 54,21 Euro ins Auge fassen (2,13 Euro beim Turbo-Call). Der Abstand zur Barriere betragt dabei 32,73 Prozent. Der Einstieg in diese spekulative Position bietet sich dabei stets unter der Beachtung eines risikobegrenzenden Stoppkurses an.

Dieser konnte beim Basiswert bei 44,90 Euro platziert werden. Im Open End Turbo Call Optionsschein ergibt sich daraus ein Stoppkurs bei 1,20 Euro. Fur diese spekulative Idee betragt das Chance-Risiko-Verhaltnis dann 1,38 zu 1.

Open End Turbo Call Optionsschein Strategie fur steigende Kurse WKN: UD8UU7

Typ: - akt. Kurs: 1,60 - 1,61 Euro

Emittent: UBS Basispreis: 32,94 Euro

Basiswert: Daimler AG KO-Schwelle: 32,94 Euro

akt. Kurs Basiswert: 48,88 Euro Laufzeit: Open End

Kursziel: 2,13 Euro Hebel: 3,01

Kurschance: + 34 Prozent Quelle: UBS

Urheberrecht / Bildmaterial:

Wir verwenden Bildmaterial von folgenden Anbietern:

www.fotolia.de

www.istockphoto.de

Wir verwenden Charts von folgenden Anbietern:

www.tradesignalonline.de

www.market-maker.de

Interessenkonflikt

Hinweis auf bestehende Interessenkonflikte nach  34b Abs. 1 Nr. 2 WpHG:

Wir weisen Sie darauf hin, dass die FSG Financial Services Group oder ein verbundenes Unternehmen aktuell oder in den letzten zwolf Monaten eine entgeltliche Werbungskooperation zur Deutschen Bank Aktiengesellschaft eingegangen ist.

Der Autor erklart, dass er bzw. sein Arbeitgeber oder eine mit ihm oder seinem Arbeitgeber verbundene Person im Besitz von Finanzinstrumenten ist, auf die sich die Analyse bezieht, bzw. in den letzten 12 Monaten an der Emission des analysierten Finanzinstruments beteiligt war. Hierdurch besteht die Moglichkeit eines Interessenskonfliktes.



Der Autor versichert weiterhin, dass Analysen unter Beachtung journalistischer Sorgfaltspflichten, insbesondere der Pflicht zur wahrheitsgemaen Berichterstattung sowie der erforderlichen Sachkenntnis, Sorgfalt und Gewissenhaftigkeit abgefasst werden.

Haftungsausschluss

Der Herausgeber ubernimmt keine Gewahr fur die Aktualitat, Korrektheit, Vollstandigkeit oder Qualitat der bereitgestellten Informationen. Haftungsanspruche gegen den Herausgeber, welche sich auf Schaden materieller oder ideeller Art beziehen, die durch die Nutzung oder Nichtnutzung der dargebotenen Informationen bzw. durch die Nutzung fehlerhafter und unvollstandiger Informationen verursacht wurden, sind grundsatzlich ausgeschlossen. Alle enthaltenen Meinungen und Informationen sollen nicht als Aufforderung verstanden werden, ein Geschaft oder eine Transaktion einzugehen. Auch stellen die vorgestellten Strategien keinesfalls einen Aufruf zur Nachbildung, auch nicht stillschweigend, dar. Vor jedem Geschaft bzw. vor jeder Transaktion sollte gepruft werden, ob sie im Hinblick auf die personlichen und wirtschaftlichen Verhaltnisse geeignet ist. Wir weisen ausdrucklich noch einmal darauf hin, dass der Handel mit Optionsscheinen oder Zertifikaten mit grundsatzlichen Risiken verbunden ist und der Totalverlust des eingesetzten Kapitals nicht ausgeschlossen werden kann. Alle Angebote sind freibleibend und unverbindlich. Der Nachdruck, die Verwendung der Texte, die Veroffentlichung / Vervielfaltigung ist nur mit ausdrucklicher Genehmigung der FSG Financial Services Group GbR gestattet.L'Oreal: News Release: "L'Oreal acquires German natural beauty company Logocos Naturkosmetik AG"

L'Oreal acquires German natural beauty company

Logocos Naturkosmetik AG

Clichy, 1 August 2018 - L'Oreal announces the signing of an agreement to acquire Logocos Naturkosmetik AG, the German beauty company which pioneered natural cosmetics with the brand Logona and other brands such as Sante. All the company's brands are vegan and bio certified with a range of products using their own plant extracts and natural ingredients derived from organic farming.

Founded in 1978 by a naturopath, Logocos Naturkosmetik is based in Hanover, Germany and employs about 340 people. In 2017, net sales were 59 million euros across Germany and other countries in Europe.

Logona products cover haircare, hair color, skincare and hygiene product categories and are found in specialized distribution, mainly organic stores, at a premium price level for the engaged consumers of natural cosmetics. Sante line of products includes haircare, skincare, hygiene and make-up and is found mainly in mass retail at an accessible price for young and trendy consumers.

Alexis Perakis-Valat, President of L'Oreal's Consumer Products Division, said "Logocos brings to the Division two authentic and certified naturaI brands as well as a unique expertise from a worldwide pioneer of the organic beauty market. In line with L'Oreal's strategy to "seize what starts", this acquisition reinforces the position of the Division on one of today's major beauty ascending trends".

Fabrice Megarbane, General Manager L'Oreal Germany, said "L'Oreal Germany is excited to acquire an expertise in natural cosmetics in a market where the desire for organic cosmetics is among the highest in Western Europe."

With this acquisition, L'Oreal plans to expand the sales of Logocos Naturkosmetik brands internationally. The transaction is expected to be completed in a few months after customary regulatory approvals.

About L'Oreal

L'Oreal has devoted itself to beauty for over 100 years. With its unique international portfolio of 34 diverse and complementary brands, the Group generated sales amounting to 26.02 billion euros in 2017 and employs 82,600 people worldwide. As the world's leading beauty company, L'Oreal is present across all distribution networks: mass market, department stores, pharmacies and drugstores, hair salons, travel retail, branded retail and e-commerce.

Research and innovation, and a dedicated research team of 3,885 people, are at the core of L'Oreal's strategy, working to meet beauty aspirations all over the world. L'Oreal's sustainability commitment for 2020 "Sharing Beauty With All" sets out ambitious sustainable development objectives across the Group's value chain.

For more information: http://mediaroom.loreal.com/en/

"This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy L'Oreal shares. If you wish to obtain more comprehensive information about L'Oreal, please refer to the public documents registered in France with the Autorite des Marches Financiers, also available in English on our Internet site www.loreal-finance.com.

This news release may contain some forward-looking statements. Although the Company considers that these statements are based on reasonable hypotheses at the date of publication of this release, they are by their nature subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or projected in these statements."

Contacts at L'Oreal (switchboard: +33 1 47 56 70 00)

Individual shareholders and market authorities

Mr Jean Regis CAROF

Tel: +33 1 47 56 83 02

jean-regis.carof@loreal.com

Financial Analysts and Institutional investors

Mrs Francoise LAUVIN

Tel: +33 1 47 56 86 82

francoise.lauvin@loreal.com

Journalists

Mrs Stephanie CARSON-PARKER

Tel: +33 1 47 56 76 71

stephanie.carsonparker@loreal.com

Mrs Polina HUARD

Tel: + 33 (0)1 47 56 87 88

polina.huard@loreal.com

For more information, please contact your bank, broker or financial institution (I.S.I.N. code: FR0000120321), and consult your usual newspapers, the Internet site for shareholders and investors - www.loreal-finance.com - or the L'Oreal Finance app, alternatively, call +33 1 40 14 80 50.

www.loreal.com - Follow us on Twitter @loreal





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: L'OREAL 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.The soaring popularity of bourbon has resulted in high-end bourbon getting more and more expensive. Today, were ignoring the premium-priced whiskey and looking for some value bourbon options, both 100-proof Kentucky straight bourbons.

Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 6 Year Bourbon is sold only in Kentucky for the value price of around $13 a bottle. Made by Heaven Hill (who makes Elijah Craig and Evan Williams), it uses a mashbill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. Its a standout because, while there are many bottom-shelf bourbons in the same price range, none carry an age statement of six years (meaning all the whiskey in the bottle has been aged at least six years).

David Nicholson Reserve Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey is also bottled at 100-proof, although it doesnt carry an age statement. The brand was owned by the Van Winkle family until it was sold to Missouri-based Luxco in 2000. David Nicolsons 1843 brand utilizes a wheated mashbill (as is the standard for Van Winkle bourbons), but the $30 Nicholson Reserve features a more traditional mashbill with rye along with corn and malted barley.

Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 6 Year Bourbon

Color: Light amber.

Nose: Vanilla, brown sugar, burnt corn, citrus.

Palate: Butterscotch, spice, wood.

Finish: Long with cinnamon and burnt sugar.

Verdict: Just a solid, if unexceptional, classic bourbon. Good enough to sip neat, but perfectly priced and proofed for cocktails or other mixed drinks.

David Nicholson Reserve Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

Color: Orange copper.

Nose: Candied apple, spice, and leather.

Palate: Plenty of spice and vanilla with apple and red fruit.

Finish: Intense but short finish with fruit and spice.

Verdict: Though not for everyone, this is a unique and largely enjoyable sipping bourbon. Theres a short sweetness that is enjoyable and can work in the right cocktail.

In terms of price-to-value ratio, Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 6 Year Bourbon is hard to beat, which is why it is a bourbon I try (despite being sold only in Kentucky) to keep on hand when I can. David Nicholson Reserve is more expensive, but also more unique. Its worth a try, despite falling into a more competitive price range that includes such excellent bourbons as Eagle Rare 10 Year, Elijah Craig, and others.

These are both versatile bourbons that pair with excellent cigars. Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 6 Year Bourbon pairs well with most balanced cigars, while the spiciness of David Nicholson Reserve is more apt towards a medium- to full-bodied cigar, like El Gueguense, Litto Gomez Diez Small Batch, Muestra de Saka, or Warped Futuro.

Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie GuysThe new Chinese ZTQ 05 light tank has shown up in the bluish camouflage used by the Chines marines. The Marines do not use the ZTQ 05 as a tank but as an assault gun, with its 105mm gun providing close (line of sight where the gunner can see the target) artillery support. The new marine brigades each have two marine infantry battalions and one armor battalion. The armor battalion contains Type 96A medium tanks as well as ZTQ 05 light tanks operating mainly as assault guns to help the marines fight their way off the beach as quickly as possible. Tanks often operate as assault guns for the infantry but the marine ZTQ 05s will carry mostly high-explosive shells and use crews trained to handle assault gun jobs.

There are believed to be about 300 ZTQ o5s in service already. Army units are using the ZTQ 05 as a light tank in areas where the terrain is too difficult for heavier tanks. Thus in 2017 army units in Tibet, on the Indian border, were seen using ZTQ 05s. Earlier in 2017, ZTQ 05s were seen with army units operating in the mountainous areas near the Vietnam border. In 2017 it also became known that the Chinese military had officially recognized the existence of the ZTQ 05 and gave it a name; Xinqingtan. Before 2017 the ZTQ 05 was something of a mystery and some experts believed it was just another experimental vehicle. China produces a lot of those and not all make it into production, even just for export.

At the end of 2016 photos appeared on the Internet showing many ZTQ 05s on rail cars, painted in army colors and headed for delivery to units in southern China. This indicated that the military had placed an order after five years of testing and tinkering with the design. Although pictures of the ZTQ 05 have been showing up since 2011 it was not until late 2016 that details of the rather sophisticated turret were visible. The ZTQ 05 was designed for rough, mountainous terrain as found in Tibet and the mountainous jungles on Vietnamese border. By late 2016 it was also clear that the ZTQ 05 was in mass production.

The ZTQ 05 replaces the 21 ton Type 62 (WZ131) that entered service in the 1960s and some are still used as a light reconnaissance tank. The Type 62 looked like a scaled down Russian T-55 (or Chinese clone the Type 59) with much thinner armor (35mm/1.4 inches in the front). This provided protection from most artillery fragments as well as most machine-gun fire. The Type 62 had a four-man crew and an 85mm gun. Over 1,500 were built before production ceased in 1989. There were stories in Chinese media during 2013 indicating that the Type 62 was being retired and some officers were not happy with that because at the time there was no replacement.

First mentioned in 2010, it is believed that the ZTQ 05 began to undergo intensive testing and evaluation in 2014. The tank has a 105mm gun, improved armor protection and running gear that is more efficient and easier to maintain. A tank this size could carry about 36 105mm rounds as well as ammo for the 7.62mm and 12.7mm machine-guns carried. The ZTQ 05 is heavier, at 35 tons, than the 21 ton Type 62. There are also many other improvements as armor design has advanced greatly since the 1960s. Then again the armor piercing capabilities of artillery shells and heavy machine-guns have become deadlier. It appears that the ZTQ 05 has modern armor and other protection. So far China has released very little official data on the specification of this new light tank. The vehicle is widely known because cell phone photos have been taken more of them were transported to distant places (like Tibet) on railroad flat cars or moved around on tank transporters for tests in different parts of the country.

The turrets were often covered with netting to conceal details, although a few other photos have appeared with a clear (but not as detailed) view of the turret. This turret detail revealed the TZQ 05 was using a smaller version of the modern turret used in Chinas most modern tank, the Type 99A2. This tank first appeared in 2007 and quite a lot of detail was visible. These turrets (ZTQ 05 and T-99A2) are of modern design and the latest photos show more detail, confirming the presence of numerous of sensors. There appears to be modular armor (reactive or other lightweight types) for parts of the vehicle. Overall the vehicle is most definitely a modern design and the Chinese will probably eventually offer it for export. At that point, the details will be revealed.

Although China still borrows (and often improves on) a lot of Russian armored vehicle tech China is also pulling even with and even ahead at times of Russia. More importantly, new Chinese designs are mass produced for widespread use in the Chinese military as well as export to a growing list of satisfied customers.So far this year most of the violence has not been from Islamic terror attacks but because of clashes involving tribal groups who sometimes proclaim their violence Islamic terrorist related but most of the time it is not. Since the start of the year, nearly 300 have died from this violence with many of the victims unarmed bystanders. There have been about a hundred of these clashes so far, most of them in central Mali (Mopti region) where the pastoral Fulani clash with the sedentary Bambara and Dogon who tend to be farmers. Further north it is one Tuareg clan versus another or Islamic terrorists, especially an ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) faction called ISGS (Islamic State in the Greater Sahara) The ISGS is considered a major threat for the local Tuareg because ISGS, in an effort to intimidate the Tuareg into cooperating (or at least not interfering) with the Islamic terrorists have killed dozens of unarmed Tuareg in the last few months. This is all about survival for ISGS. Islamic terrorists, even the most extreme ones like ISIL need cash because it is simply more efficient to purchase many items (like weapons, ammo, information and sanctuary in areas controlled by local tribes. Northeast Mali (near Gao and the Niger border) is where ISGS operates. As a result, the violence is escalating there but is still infrequent and much of it is Islamic terrorists raiding villages for supplies. This ISIL franchise is frequently encountered in northeastern Mali on both sides of the Niger border. The ISGS personnel frequently clash with pro-government Tuareg militias and usually lose. Its not that these ISGS men are not fanatic enough but that the Tuareg know the area well and have lots of experience in irregular warfare. Since March 2018 ISGS has taken very heavy losses as the Tuareg militias worked with a special French counterterrorism operation that included troops from Mali and Niger and spent enough time searching to find several ISGS camps and forcing the Islamic terrorists to fight. So far ISGS has lost over a hundred dead and captured but groups like ISGS dont surrender but fight harder until they are crushed. ISGS is still up there but in much-reduced circumstances.

The Tuareg clans also battle each other over various issues, many of them ancient feuds but also over how to handle the peace deal with the government that ended the 2012-13 war in the north to destroy an Islamic terrorist/Tuareg separatist government.

Most of the Islamic terrorists in Mali belong to AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) or JNIM (Jamaah Nusrah al Islam wal Muslimin, or Group for the support of Islam and Moslems). In Mali and neighboring states, most of the Islamic terrorists are not ISIL and are largely united. AQIM concentrates on its fundraising operations (mostly smuggling) while most of the Islamic terrorist activity is the work of JNIM, which was formed in early 2017. In part JNIM was a reaction to the growing threat from ISIL which is hostile to everyone who is not ISIL and will attack or recruit from JNIM members (AQIM factions, Ansar Dine, FLM and al Mourabitoun). Another reason for the merger was to make it easier to pool resources (including information and advice) and coordinate with other Islamic terror groups in the area. This reduces friction and destructive feuding. Making a coalition like this work is always difficult, especially considering the importance of ethnic differences. As a result of this cooperation, there are now connections (supplying information, personnel, supplies) between Islamic terrorists in central Mali and those in the north. These links werent that common before JNIM was formed.

July 29, 2018: In the north (Kidal) Islamic terrorists fired ten mortar shells at various targets in the city, including polling places and military bases. No one was killed but normal activities were suspended for hours near areas where shells fell. Since the presidential election is being held today the shelling was apparently meant to disrupt that. The Islamic terrorist violence (mostly in the north) did manage to keep about one out of every 220 voting stations closed. One in seven were closed temporarily because of violence. The vote was completed successfully although the turnout was lower than expected. Voting hasnt brought in honest and effective leaders in the past and most voters are not optimistic.

July 28, 2018: In central Mali, there were more clashes between tribal (Fulani, Bambara and Dogon) militias leaving at least 17 dead. Over the last few months, more than fifty have died in this militia violence.

July 25, 2018: In the north (Timbuktu) hundreds of Arab residents, many of them armed, demonstrated to protest the continuing Islamic terrorist violence which was making it difficult to do business. Arabs dominate the small business community in the city.

July 24, 2018: In central Mali, Islamic terrorists shelled Ambodedjo airport outside Sevare but caused little damage and no casualties.

July 23, 2018: The EU (European) has agreed to pay for repairs to the G5 headquarters in Sevare, a city on the Niger River in central Mali where Islamic terrorists attacked a G5 international counterterrorism force regional headquarters on June 29 and heavily damaged the headquarters and base it was in. The organizers of the G5 force are having problems with the Mali contingent, which was in charge of base security. The Mali military has long been a problem because these soldiers were seen, by most Malians, as thugs in uniform rather than a trained, disciplined and effective military force. The problems with the Mali military have always been at the center of whatever national crises developed. This was acknowledged in the wake of the 2012-13 Islamic terrorism crises in the Tuareg north. After that, despite efforts (foreign cash and trainers) to train a new generation of Mali officers and troops the army was still unreliable. The army did show some improvement but not enough to make a major difference. Thus the Mali contingent of the G5 force has problems and makes the entire G5 force look bad and undeserving of long-term support.

Trying to persuade donor countries to make a long-term commitment to paying for the G5 force requires examples of G5 success. Donors and supporters earlier responded to calls for money to get G5 going. The G5 force now has over half a billion dollars in aid pledges but few long-term aid commitments. The reason for that is donors want to see how well the G5 force does over time. This is particularly true of the Mali contingent. The G5 troops are supposed to be among the best each nation has but African nations vary quite a lot in the quality of their soldiers. The other four G5 nations provide much more effective troops. A lot of this has to do with corruption and Mali is worse than the other G5 nations in that respect, especially in the military. It was corruption in the military that triggered the separatists and Islamic terrorist violence in the north and the attempted coup by the military when Mali lost control of the north in 2012.

Mali troops are still considered poorly trained and led by inadequate (and often corrupt) officers. Mali leaders say they can fix this but they have been saying that about the military and the government in general since 2012 and there has not been a lot of progress. As a result in central and northern Mali French troops and foreign peacekeepers are less likely to be attacked than Mali soldiers. Worse, it is the Mali troops who are most often assigned to guard aid convoys. This gives locals more of an incentive to attack these convoys. Many of the attacks on aid convoys are by bandits or local tribesmen looking for an easy way to make some money. Mali soldiers guarding a convoy not only indicates less dangerous convoy security but also an opportunity to strike back at the hated Mali military.

The regional G5 Sahel Joint Force was seen as a better peacekeeping solution because the five Sahel nations (Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad) involved would contribute troops best able to deal with Islamic terrorism throughout the Sahel. G5 just began operations in early 2018 but so far G5 has demonstrated the ability to get organized but not to make a difference in Mali, the most troublesome Sahel nation at the moment. The Mali contingent of the G5 is considered the least capable and the losses from the June 29th attack seem to bear that out. Outside of Mali G5 has been more effective, especially in Burkina Faso and Niger.

The idea for the G5 force has been around since 2015 but it was only by the end of 2016 that the countries involved agreed on the details. This included who would provide what in terms of the 5,000 soldiers and police needed and where they would be based. The G5 force will be stationed in three operational areas along with troops familiar with local conditions. Thus Sahel East would consist of troops from Chad and Niger. Sahel Central would be staffed by troops from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso while Sahel West would mainly use troops from Mali and Mauritania. Some of the G5 force was operational by the end of 2017 and by early 2018 the G5 force has already taken part in several counter-terror operations, one of them in the area where the borders of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso meet. A successful G5 Force would enable France to shrink and eventually disband the force of 4,000 French troops it has deployed in the Sahel since 2013 and reduce the 13,000 strong UN peacekeeper force in Mali. The recent appearance of ISIL in the area and the October 2017 attack on American Special Forces troops in Niger was related to building the G5 Force. The peacekeepers in Mali are mainly African and mainly stationed in the north and, increasingly central Mali where there is more Islamic terror group activity, not all of it violent. Most of the recent Islamic terrorist violence has been in Mali.

July 20, 2018: In the north Islamic terrorists ambushed an army convoy but were pursued, losing 11 dead. One soldier was killed and several wounded. In the northeast, near the Niger border, unidentified armed men attacked a Tuareg village and killed twenty people.

July 19, 2018: Three British CH-47 helicopters arrived, along with 90 troops to operate and maintain them, to support counter-terror operations in the north.

July 18, 2018: In central Mali and across the border in Burkina Faso, the army and G5 forces there completed a ten-day operation that captured sixty Islamic terrorists and destroyed several bases. In April a similar eight-day counter-terror operation sealed the Mali border and over a hundred suspected Islamic terrorists on the Burkina Faso side of the frontier were arrested. Some of those arrested were known Islamic terrorists and in other locations explosives and weapons were seized.

July 15, 2018: In the northeast ISIL gunmen attacked a Tuareg village near the Niger border and killed 14 civilians.

July 11, 2018: Three years after placing the order for six Brazilian A-29 Super Tucano aircraft the Mali Air Force received the four Mali could afford. Budget problems reduced the size of the order. The A-29 was seen as an essential purchase because in 2015 Mali has no flyable combat aircraft. The Super Tucano is a single engine turbo-prop trainer/attack aircraft that is used by over a dozen nations, including many in Africa. This aircraft carries two internal 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine-guns and can carry up to 1.5 tons of bombs and rockets. It can stay in the air for 6.5 hours at a time. It is rugged, easy to maintain, and cheap. You pay $15-20 million for each Super Tucano, depending on how much training, spare parts, and support equipment you get with them. Mali purchased some 20mm autocannon pods for its a-29s.

July 10, 2018: Algeria expelled another 355 illegal(from Niger) migrants and sent them back to Niger. Algeria has an agreement with Niger to return the illegals, via trucks or busses, to the Niger capital where Niger officials take over. Most 0ther sub-Saharan nations refuse to take their illegal migrants back from Algeria so Algeria takes these illegals to the Mali or Niger border, gives then supplies of water and points them in the direction of the nearest town across the border. Soldiers remain at the release point for a day or so because the illegals were told they would be shot on sight if they tried to double back into Algeria. European media found out about this practice (which was no secret in Algeria and the nations the illegals were forced to return to) and accused Algeria of murder because some of the illegals sent back died along the way. Algeria told the UN that if they wanted to help they could set up aid stations in Niger and Mali near the Algerian border. Whether the UN does that or not Algeria made it clear it would continue the return policy because most of the illegals made it home and reported that Algeria was not a good choice if you were seeking to migrate illegally. Many of these illegals are headed for Europe but will often remain in Algeria if they must to raise more money to pay the people smugglers to get them into Europe.By now, Sidney's registered voters have received a large, white envelope from the Cheyenne County Clerk's office containing a mail-in ballot. The question posed to voters is a small change to the city's current LB840 Economic Development Plan that will allow the city to seek funds for economic development other than that raised by a one-half percent sales tax already in place.

The LB840 fund, first approved by voters in 1997 and renewed in 2017, dedicates a portion of sales tax specifically to economic development.

Although the current plan is set to run through 2028, the city's economic de...LINCOLN - The Nebraska Corn Board will hold its next meeting Wednesday, August 15 and Thursday, August 16, 2018 at Bayside located at 865 Lakeview West Rd, Brule, Nebraska.

The Board will conduct regular board business and hold election of officers during the morning of August 15th. The remainder of the 15th and the morning of the 16th, the Board will hold a joint Nebraska Corn Growers Association and Nebraska Corn Board meeting.

The meeting is open to the public and will provide an opportunity for public discussion. A copy of the agenda is available by writing to the Nebraska Corn Board,...At home on the range

With hunting season now in full swing throughout the State of Iowa, a new business in the Tama-Toledo area looks to ...francis_vaz BHPian



Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Mumbai Posts: 182 Thanked: 489 Times

DIY: Puddle lamps under ORVMs for the Maruti Ertiga Note: All the DIY/Modifications done to the car are for my own convenience. None of the parts used are sponsored by any brand whatsoever, neither am I related to the seller or the company in any manner. The whole purpose of this DIY's is to help other Bhpians/guests find solutions to common problems they may face. I will not be held responsible for any warranty issues you may face after following my DIY's. I'll try my best to help and provide all the support I can.



I was always fascinated by how the puddle lamps worked, and how useful they were during monsoons and when you have parked your car in a dark place. While I was washing the car one day I noticed a small cover under the ORVM's. After using a flat head screw driver and prying it out I found that there was enough space to add a puddle lamp and there was a hole through which the mirror wires passed, the area was very limited but now the itch to add a puddle lamp had started.



First I thought maybe the Indonesian model gets these lamps and MS has removed them for the Indian model. But after searching online I couldn't get anything. After searching a lot on AliExpress I found replacement LED puddle lamps for VW and Ford vehicles but none for the shape and size that the Ertiga had, they were either too big or not of the exact shape I wanted.



While searching I came across these lamps, they are compact, bright and have the same fitting as we have for reverse parking sensors. (Drill a hole and push to fit).

The size turned out to be exact for the space available underside the mirror cover. After taking some more measurements I ordered the lights. The space (height) available is approximately 26mm with some 1mm here and there to spare.



Link to the item I have used: (I went with the flood type because of the light spread it offered as opposed to the focused one. The lights are waterproof and have a metal casing and they are heavy.)

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2PCS...3f1c4c4dQmEbdM



If you are looking for a more expensive and fancy alternative, like the new BMW's: (I have not used these lights and do not know how they will work and what output they will give, I found these during my search, anyone interested can take a shot at it.)

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/-/32...1b962e0eqrcKtn



If you are looking for a cheaper alternative: (This lights are cheaper but are a little bit longer in length and they have a focused beam as opposed to the flood type that I wanted. Not sure about the quality of these bulbs nor the waterproof rating. The length of this light is ~26mm so you have to be careful when purchasing it, there is a possibility it may not fit the area.)

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/High...4fce4c4di70jtW



I got the lights in 25 days with free shipping via China Post Registered Mail.



Before we begin this DIY, I would like to mention that since MS shares a lot of parts with other vehicles of its stable, they have done the same with ORVM's. The second generation Swift, Swift Dzire and Breeza have the same ORVM's as the Ertiga. Out of these three I have checked the Dzires's mirrors and it has the small cover needed for this DIY. Other two cars I have not been able to check. Also pry open the cover and check the amount of space available and then only go ahead. If they happen to have the required area then you can proceed below.



Since this DIY needs you to route the wires through the roof liner, the A-Pillar, the door panels, behind the glove box and behind the fuse box, I would recommend you to take some professional help to remove the parts. I took the car to my FNG to get the wiring routed as I wanted. I could have taken the glove box and other parts apart, but my dad suggested otherwise. Since the FNG is of a family friend I took the car there. Since I was working too, to route the wires, and take the parts apart I couldn't take pictures of the complete WIP, but I'll mention each step and try my best to narrate everything in detail.



Before proceeding please keep in mind that the part you are going to drill is NOT AVAILABLE AS AN OFFICIAL PART FROM MGP, IT IS A SUB PART OF THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY. You will/ may need to buy the entire mirror assembly for that one little plastic part if things go south during the DIY. This DIY won't hamper the working of your ORVM in any manner, but will only leave an empty hole below the mirror, if in case the part breaks.



Tools required: Sharp flat head screw driver. (Small size)

Star or Philips head screw driver.

20 AWG or similar size wire, 2-core, 10 meters. (Make sure the wire isn't very thin or too thick as we need to pull it through some tight spots and it should not break while pulling.)

Hot Melt Glue Gun.

Wire Stripper.

Pliers.

Wood Auger Drill Bit or Hole saw (23mm).

Chocolate block connectors.

Soldering Iron.

An old bicycle wheel spoke or stiff wire to pull the wire from the rubber connectors on the doors.

Heat shrink tubing.

Multi-meter.

Insulation/ Electrical tape to hold the wire in place when routing.

An old acrylic or plywood sheet to make a template hole for the lights. Time taken: ~2.5-3 hours.



The part where the lights will be installed:





I'll divide this DIY in parts for easy understanding.



I) Routing wire through doors and roof liner:

Opening the door panel to pass the wire through the door and out through the mirror part.

The door is held together by 2 screws and one push clip. Remove them and then lift the door from the bottom and start pulling it out slowly. There are cables connected to the controls on the driver side and passenger side.







There are two connectors for the driver side door and one on the passenger side. You may need help with holding and taking out the connectors as they are firmly fit and have a small clip that needs to be pressed in order to free it.

Driver side door panel:



After removing the door panel you can pry out the black cover that hides the mirror screws and the hole through which we need to pass the wire. You can pull it out with fingers or a flat head screw driver from the sides.



Once everything is clear push the wire through the hole and take it about 4" inches outside under the mirror, and route the remaining wire to the center of the door near the hinge where you will see the flexible rubber tubing (spring like) that has all the wires, and it passes from the door to the A-pillar.





To open the cover, pry it with a flat head screw driver at this area, the locks are here:



The wire out through the mirror cover:



After coming near the tubing, take a stiff wire or a cycle wheel spoke and bend the top end making it round/ smooth so that it wont get stuck in the tubing when you are pushing the wire out to the other end. Fix the wire to the end of the spoke/wire and put some electrical tape to prevent it from coming out. The wire once inside through the door needs to pass through this small passage on the A-pillar. ( See the tiny red thing in the second picture near my finger, that is the wire; the place is very small so use a thin but strong wire)





Once through the tubing the real struggle begins especially for the driver side. This is where I got involved in the process and forgot to take the pictures of the WIP.



First let's begin with the passenger side, to pass the wire easily you need to take out the glove box. The glove box is hinged at two places and the hinges act as locks. Squeeze the inner side of the glove box to remove it from the hinges and pull it outward. It'll come out completely exposing the rubber pipe on the A-pillar where it enters the cabin. Since I don't have any pictures of this I am trying to explain it verbally.

The wire passing behind the glove box:



Once the wire is inside you need to take it down to the passenger foot well. This is where the power wire from the dome light and the wire for the light on the driver side will come and connections will be done.



Now comes the most irritating part, routing the wire inside the cabin through the A-pillar for the driver side. The problem is the fuse box that sits in front of the passage through which the wiring harness comes in. Hence you cannot access that area until you remove the panel below the steering wheel. It is held by two screws, one besides the hood opening latch and one on the other end. And the rest is in place with the push type clips. To open it pull the plastic panel from the bottom and it should come out. Then to pass the wire you need the spoke/wire again and put it from the inside to get it on the outside of the A-pillar. Once you are able to get your way out, fix the wire in the loop again secure it with electrical tape and pull the wire inside the cabin.

This is where I spent almost 1.5 hours trying to get the wire in.



The panel screws:







Wire inside the cabin:





The fuse-box: (God bless the person who designed it. It is VERY difficult to access)



Fix the wire in place so that it doesn't interfere with the steering operation.



Wire passing across the central console to the passenger side foot well:

OBD port with blue arrow and red arrow showing the wire.

OBD port with blue arrow and red arrow showing the wire.

Make sure you add some identification mark on the wires to make sure which wires are for the lamps and which is the power wire.



After getting the wires inside the cabin, you need to take the power from the front dome light. The dome light is another example of bad designing by MS, they have not used a screw to hold it in place, but rather 4 oddly shaped clips that become loose the minute you pull the dome light down. To remove the dome light, put your fingers between the light frame and the roof liner and pull it down, the clips will get stuck and you need to loosen them properly. There are two wires that need to be disconnected one for the light power supply and other for the Bluetooth mic. (both denoted in red arrows)



The dome light



Since the dome light has the theater dimming effect, I decided to take power from it. Also this would help me in turning ON the puddle lamps when I unlock the car with the remote key. I soldered the wires on the metal guides to draw power for my lights. The right side is positive and the left side is negative.





I added a chocolate block connector to the terminals and connected the wire (during which the dome light power was disconnected) that I would be passing down to the foot well from the roof liner. I would recommend using bullet connectors instead of the connector. I have ordered the bullet connectors from AliExpress once they arrive I'll change it.



Now to pass the wire from the roof liner use the same spoke/wire again and push the starting part towards the windscreen and the wire will come out from there. Pull the necessary length of wire while keeping around 4" for connection to the dome light. Do not pull the roof liner down near the windscreen, you will damage it and it won't get back to it's original state.

Instead just push the wire in the gap and it'll stay there.



Wire passed through the roof liner:





Take the wire towards the rubber beading of the door and remove the rubber beading and pass the wire through it.







Once the wire reaches the bottom you can easily move it to the passenger foot well. Now you should have three wires.

Routing the wires work is DONE!!

I was always fascinated by how the puddle lamps worked, and how useful they were during monsoons and when you have parked your car in a dark place. While I was washing the car one day I noticed a small cover under the ORVM's. After using a flat head screw driver and prying it out I found that there was enough space to add a puddle lamp and there was a hole through which the mirror wires passed, the area was very limited but now the itch to add a puddle lamp had started.First I thought maybe the Indonesian model gets these lamps and MS has removed them for the Indian model. But after searching online I couldn't get anything. After searching a lot on AliExpress I found replacement LED puddle lamps for VW and Ford vehicles but none for the shape and size that the Ertiga had, they were either too big or not of the exact shape I wanted.While searching I came across these lamps, they are compact, bright and have the same fitting as we have for reverse parking sensors. (Drill a hole and push to fit).The size turned out to be exact for the space available underside the mirror cover. After taking some more measurements I ordered the lights. The space (height) available is approximately 26mm with some 1mm here and there to spare.Link to the item I have used: (I went with the flood type because of the light spread it offered as opposed to the focused one. The lights are waterproof and have a metal casing and they are heavy.)If you are looking for a more expensive and fancy alternative, like the new BMW's: (I have not used these lights and do not know how they will work and what output they will give, I found these during my search, anyone interested can take a shot at it.)If you are looking for a cheaper alternative: (This lights are cheaper but are a little bit longer in length and they have a focused beam as opposed to the flood type that I wanted. Not sure about the quality of these bulbs nor the waterproof rating. The length of this light is ~26mm so you have to be careful when purchasing it, there is a possibility it may not fit the area.)I got the lights in 25 days with free shipping via China Post Registered Mail.Before we begin this DIY, I would like to mention that since MS shares a lot of parts with other vehicles of its stable, they have done the same with ORVM's. The second generation Swift, Swift Dzire and Breeza have the same ORVM's as the Ertiga. Out of these three I have checked the Dzires's mirrors and it has the small cover needed for this DIY. Other two cars I have not been able to check. Also pry open the cover and check the amount of space available and then only go ahead. If they happen to have the required area then you can proceed below.Since this DIY needs you to route the wires through the roof liner, the A-Pillar, the door panels, behind the glove box and behind the fuse box, I would recommend you to take some professional help to remove the parts. I took the car to my FNG to get the wiring routed as I wanted. I could have taken the glove box and other parts apart, but my dad suggested otherwise. Since the FNG is of a family friend I took the car there. Since I was working too, to route the wires, and take the parts apart I couldn't take pictures of the complete WIP, but I'll mention each step and try my best to narrate everything in detail.Before proceeding please keep in mind that the part you are going to drill is~2.5-3 hours.I'll divide this DIY in parts for easy understanding.Opening the door panel to pass the wire through the door and out through the mirror part.The door is held together by 2 screws and one push clip. Remove them and then lift the door from the bottom and start pulling it out slowly. There are cables connected to the controls on the driver side and passenger side.There are two connectors for the driver side door and one on the passenger side. You may need help with holding and taking out the connectors as they are firmly fit and have a small clip that needs to be pressed in order to free it.After removing the door panel you can pry out the black cover that hides the mirror screws and the hole through which we need to pass the wire. You can pull it out with fingers or a flat head screw driver from the sides.Once everything is clear push the wire through the hole and take it about 4" inches outside under the mirror, and route the remaining wire to the center of the door near the hinge where you will see the flexible rubber tubing (spring like) that has all the wires, and it passes from the door to the A-pillar.After coming near the tubing, take a stiff wire or a cycle wheel spoke and bend the top end making it round/ smooth so that it wont get stuck in the tubing when you are pushing the wire out to the other end. Fix the wire to the end of the spoke/wire and put some electrical tape to prevent it from coming out. The wire once inside through the door needs to pass through this small passage on the A-pillar. ( See the tiny red thing in the second picture near my finger, that is the wire; the place is very small so use a thin but strong wire)Once through the tubing the real struggle begins especially for the driver side. This is where I got involved in the process and forgot to take the pictures of the WIP.First let's begin with the passenger side, to pass the wire easily you need to take out the glove box. The glove box is hinged at two places and the hinges act as locks. Squeeze the inner side of the glove box to remove it from the hinges and pull it outward. It'll come out completely exposing the rubber pipe on the A-pillar where it enters the cabin. Since I don't have any pictures of this I am trying to explain it verbally.Once the wire is inside you need to take it down to the passenger foot well. This is where the power wire from the dome light and the wire for the light on the driver side will come and connections will be done.Now comes the most irritating part, routing the wire inside the cabin through the A-pillar for the driver side. The problem is the fuse box that sits in front of the passage through which the wiring harness comes in. Hence you cannot access that area until you remove the panel below the steering wheel. It is held by two screws, one besides the hood opening latch and one on the other end. And the rest is in place with the push type clips. To open it pull the plastic panel from the bottom and it should come out. Then to pass the wire you need the spoke/wire again and put it from the inside to get it on the outside of the A-pillar. Once you are able to get your way out, fix the wire in the loop again secure it with electrical tape and pull the wire inside the cabin.This is where I spent almost 1.5 hours trying to get the wire in.Fix the wire in place so that it doesn't interfere with the steering operation.Make sure you add some identification mark on the wires to make sure which wires are for the lamps and which is the power wire.After getting the wires inside the cabin, you need to take the power from the front dome light. The dome light is another example of bad designing by MS, they have not used a screw to hold it in place, but rather 4 oddly shaped clips that become loose the minute you pull the dome light down. To remove the dome light, put your fingers between the light frame and the roof liner and pull it down, the clips will get stuck and you need to loosen them properly. There are two wires that need to be disconnected one for the light power supply and other for the Bluetooth mic. (both denoted in red arrows)Since the dome light has the theater dimming effect, I decided to take power from it. Also this would help me in turning ON the puddle lamps when I unlock the car with the remote key. I soldered the wires on the metal guides to draw power for my lights. The right side is positive and the left side is negative.Doing so also helped me to turn off the puddle lamps completely with the dome light switch, or keep them continuously ON.I added a chocolate block connector to the terminals and connected the wire (during which the dome light power was disconnected) that I would be passing down to the foot well from the roof liner. I would recommend using bullet connectors instead of the connector. I have ordered the bullet connectors from AliExpress once they arrive I'll change it.Now to pass the wire from the roof liner use the same spoke/wire again and push the starting part towards the windscreen and the wire will come out from there. Pull the necessary length of wire while keeping around 4" for connection to the dome light. Do not pull the roof liner down near the windscreen, you will damage it and it won't get back to it's original state.Instead just push the wire in the gap and it'll stay there.Take the wire towards the rubber beading of the door and remove the rubber beading and pass the wire through it.Once the wire reaches the bottom you can easily move it to the passenger foot well. Now you should have three wires.Routing the wires work is DONE!! Last edited by francis_vaz : 31st July 2018 at 10:55 .Vfx house Union has promoted Lucy Cooper to managing director and Simon Hughes to creative director. Both will report directly to Founders Tim Caplan and Adam Gascoyne.



Cooper has more than 20 years of creative industry experience having worked in broadcast, film, TV and commercial post production and physical special effects including eight years at VFX software vendor The Foundry. She has been working at Union for over two years and is being promoted from her role as commercial and operations director where she has been instrumental in the companys recent expansion into new premises in Rathbone Place, London.



Simon Hughes has over 20 years in the industry in the UK and Canada at studios including Cinesite, Image Engine, Double Negative, Clear Film, CIS/Rainmaker and now Union. His credit list includes District 9, for which he won a Visual Effects Society award for Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture.



Since joining Union in 2012, he has worked on projects including Annihilation, Suffragette, Bridget Jones Baby, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri and most recently Mamma Mia 2.



Union has grown from 51 to nearly 100 staff in the last 12 months delivering work on projects including Annihilation, Victoria and Abdul, My Cousin Rachel, Trust, The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri and Mamma Mia 2.



Tim Caplan, Co-founder said: Its been a very exciting year at Union working on some great projects and moving into our new space. Both Lucy and Simon have been key to making this happen and these appointments are in recognition of the roles theyve taken on in our growing team. Both Adam and I will continue to rely on them to help us run and scale the business whilst ensuring we remain the company that Union has always set out to be.

Share this storyWhen I talk about my experience of using crystal meth, I often joke about it. I'll say things like, "When I was on meth, I was so skinny I could wear a garbage bag, belt it, and look fabulous!"

Crystal methamphetamine has a lot of nicknames: "tweak," "rocket fuel," "ice," "speed." "Redneck cocaine" has a charming twang to it. "Scooby snax" sounds like the name of a kid's breakfast cereal.

My favorite moniker for the powerful addictive drug is "Tina." Tina sounds like your crazy friend, you know? Hang out with Tina, and you don't know where you'll end up: maybe at a bar, maybe at a cool party, maybe at a sex club, maybe in jail. Adorable Tina.

It was 1998. I had spent over a decade living in New York City, failing to succeed at an acting career. I realized one day that my career wasn't as an actor, but as a waiter. As the Broadway dream died, I countered that death by numbing myself with ever increasing amounts of alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine. I couldn't keep a waiting job, and I was couch surfing. I decided to leave New York, and my best thinking lead me to move to West Hollywood.

When I Met Tina

I moved into a building on Formosa Avenue called "The Merry Lee." It was kind of a gay boy sorority house. Instead of our own names, the mailboxes campily listed "Julie Newmar," "Greta Garbo," and "June Cleaver." I was "Holly Golightly." I lived on the second floor, and the drag queen building manager, "Marlene," lived beneath me.

I had no plans when I moved to L.A. No dreams of making it big in the movies. I did what I did: I waited tables. I begrudgingly told people the specials and picked up their grimy plates. And I was bitter, resentful, and drunk, looking for further escape.

I don't remember who first introduced me to Tina, and it doesn't really matter. After my first taste, I knew I wanted more. Tina made me feel strong and cool, and something I rarely feel: sexy. Oh, I was the most slinky, sexy little minx of a gay guy you could ever meet if I was on crystal. The speedy drug encouraged me to indulge every sexual whim, every naughty, dirty little thought.

My memories of this time are blurry, like the view out the window of an accelerating runaway train. In the few years I lived in WeHo, my use of Tina increased, and I decreased things like sleep and food. For nutrition, I cleverly invested in six packs of Ensure.

I was awake and high for days at a time, then I'd crash. I'd managed to get a job as a room service captain in a swanky Beverly Hills hotel, working the graveyard shift, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. At work, I often stayed awake via the plastic pouch of powder in my pocket. I went straight from work to a divey gay bar on Santa Monica Boulevard that was open at that hour, catering to others like me who'd been up with Tina for a day or three. The most eligible bachelors are available at saloons in the morning.

While some of the experiences with said bachelors were fun, mostly they were just drug-fueled, jittery, sweaty encounters. I'm sure I was as meaningless to them as they were to me. There's nothing safe about that kind of sex. As a friend once said: "Crystal has the power to make condoms just POOF! Disappear!"

There were times when I was in danger from these encounters. There were times when I had to physically push men off me and run out the door. I was threatened, stolen from, shoved, and hit. Compared with being high on Tina, these were minor troubles: the cost of doing business.

The Downward Spiral

As my drug use increased, I stopped contacting my family. I have a loving, wonderful family, one that cares deeply for me. When I hadn't talked to them in weeks, they drove -- my parents, two brothers, and sister -- from my hometown of Phoenix to L.A. to find me. They spent two days going from my apartment, to my work, to friends' houses, and I managed to evade them. My life was none of their fucking business! I was pursuing sex, drugs, and rock and roll, baby! And I wanted none of their concern or love, or anything that might dissuade me from my best friend, Tina. My family left L.A. without ever seeing me. I'd fooled 'em. Or so I thought.

In a message given to me by a friend, my mother exclaimed: "Why are you doing this? Why are you avoiding us? We know you. We love you." I didn't hear it. Or if I did, I didn't care.

My ability to pay the rent was shaky. There were several months when building manager Marlene tapped her nails on my door, and I pretended not to be home. There were some nights when I was so paranoid of running into her that I stayed out all night and all day in fear. Once, I slept in the park because I couldn't pay the rent.

One evening, I'd been up for a couple of days. I decided to go to my favorite bar for happy hour before my graveyard shift at the hotel. Usually, I carried my stash of Tina either in a pocket or in my sock, but for some reason this particular night, I didn't take it with me. At around 8:30 p.m., I scurried out of the bar to try to catch the bus to work. A policeman spotted me and drove his car on the sidewalk to stop me. The officer said he was stopping me for "suspicious behavior." He searched me and found no weapons (as if!) or, thankfully, illegal substances. However, the officer ran my name through the system and found a warrant out for my arrest. A year earlier, I'd received a DUI that I never took care of.

Tina Takes Me to Jail

As I sat in L.A. County Jail, serving a 30-day sentence for that DUI, I thought: "I'm not supposed to be here. My life has taken a severely wrong turn somewhere." It never occurred to me that drugs or alcohol might be the cause.

Another joke I often make is that jail is not nearly as sexy as it is in porn. While that statement is very true, jail is also an incredibly frightening place. In L.A. County, they segregate gay men from the general population for our safety, but there were still bloody fistfights every day in my housing facility. People fought over jailhouse boyfriends, over the homemade hooch pruno, over coming down off drugs, or over what was for lunch. I was fortunately never in a fight nor targeted, but I felt the tension and threat every day that I was there.

When I was released from the downtown jail (early, after 16 days), I ran for about six blocks, just running and running. Then, I had to figure out how to get back to my apartment. I had no money, but I had to find a way. I had a stash of Tina waiting for me.

I'd lost my job at the hotel (going to jail made it a "no call, no show" situation), my apartment was once again in jeopardy, and I wasn't feeling so sexy anymore. Mostly, I felt desperate and desperately lonely. Turns out, Tina's a pretty selfish girl. Like most addictions, she demands all your time, all your attention, all your money, and if she can get it, all your life. In less than three years in West Hollywood, my life was in shambles. Crystal was my problem, and to get away from crystal, I needed to get away from California. I got on a Greyhound bus and got the hell out of Dodge.

That was the end of my Tina relationship, but it was another ten years before I could dump my first love: booze. In that ten years' time, I was diagnosed with AIDS (in 2003). When the doctor told me the diagnosis, he said that he thought I'd been positive for a long time and just didn't know it. Taking care of my health had never been a priority. It took another seven years before I became drug and alcohol free.

When I look back at that tumultuous time, I can't believe that I made it through alive. I fought so hard to be the cool, sexy guy hanging out with Tina. I wasn't. Yet, I made it through to the other side. I'm healthy and sober. I have terrific friends and a great relationship with my family.

Not to be too kumbaya, but there must have been a guardian angel or higher power or something looking out for me. And that's no joke.By Faisal Al-Alamy,

Special to The Post

Employers have long been required to demonstrate that they are unable to recruit qualified Canadian permanent residents or citizens (Canadian Applicants) to fill positions before hiring foreign workers.

The current incarnation of this process is called the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application process which employers generally need to make before hiring foreign workers in Canadas Temporary Foreign Worker program (TFW).

As of August 28, 2017, employers in all provinces and territories seeking to hire foreign workers (other than those exempted from LMIAs) will be required not only to advertise job postings but also register with Service Canadas Job Match which employers will be able to view on their Job Bank profile.

Prior to this, employers could opt to advertise on the provincial equivalent job match database such as Work BC. Now, the Federal Government will require Canadian employers who plan to hire either High or Low Wage workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to register in the Federal Job Bank under the new Job Match platform, an employment matching service in which employers advertise their job postings for a minimum of 30 days (along with at least two other advertising sources) before applying for an LMIA.

This matching capability requirement is intended to bring employers and potential employees closer together through a system that pairs job seekers from around the world registered on the Job Match service.

Employers must give priority to permanent residents and Canadian citizens who are paired with the job posting (pending a successful job interview and/or company hiring policies). It also provides an opportunity to help clear the way for hiring of foreign workers when an employer can clearly demonstrate that there are no Canadian citizens or permanent residents available with the necessary qualification for the particular position.

In those cases, the new requirement may result in a greater chance of approval of an LMIA application for a foreign worker.

The Job Match service will rank potential job seekers on a five-point basis  one to five stars. The more stars a potential applicant receives with respect to a particular position, the greater the chance that the applicant fits the position.

Employers advertising for High Wage positions will be required to invite Canadian applicants who receive a rating of four to five stars before recruiting foreign workers.

Employers advertising for Low Wage positions will be required to invite Canadian applicants who receive a rating of two stars or more before recruiting foreign workers.

Employers will need to demonstrate due diligence in assessing Canadian applicants before offering positions to foreign workers.

However, the matching process will also connect employers with foreign applicants who register with the Job Match enabling employers to find foreign workers where there are no suitable Canadian applicants.

Employers are well advised to consult an immigration professional when considering hiring foreign workers.

An immigration professional can guide employers with appropriate strategies and advice to maximize their success at receiving a positive LMIA as well as provide more information on the new Job Match requirement.

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Linkedin Eko Nugroho, Rico Ihle and Wim Heijman (The Jakarta Post) Wageningen, The Netherlands  Wed, August 1, 2018

Indonesia has implemented various programs to achieve self-sufficiency in meat production for a decade. The objective of the program is to fulfill at least 90 percent of the domestic demand through domestic beef production, whereas the remainder can be supplemented by imports.



After the programs failure in 2014, when imports accounted for 30 percent of domestic demand, the government extended the deadline to 2026. Nevertheless, this year, domestic beef production still accounts for 61 percent of the domestic demand, which reached about 663,290 tons. Therefore, the program to achieve self-sufficiency in meat production has fallen short of its goal. Indonesia still has to import meat to meet the shortages of domestic beef production.



To achieve the programs target for self-sufficiency by 2026, the directorate general of livestock and animal health at the Agricultural Ministry introduced a special program to increase the number of pregnant Indonesian cows last year. The effort is called the UPSUS SIWAB program.



The core objective of the program is to accelerate the growth of the Indonesian herd through artificial insemination. With a budget of Rp 1 billion (US$69,380) last year, the government claims that at the national level, artificial insemination has reached 99.4 percent of the target of 4 million cows. However, if we look from the perspective of feed resources, with just eight years remaining before the 2026 target, the achievement to reach self-sufficiency remains questionable. These doubts are raised because the traditional cattle farming practices of smallholders, the low quality of cattle forage and scarcity of land for cattle fodder production limit national cattle production.



Ninety-nine percent of Indonesian cattle farms are in the hands of smallholders who possess, at most, less than 1 hectare of land and do most of their farming to maintain their own livelihood. Although forming the backbone of the Indonesian domestic beef supply, these smallholders are mostly poor and usually keep no more than two head of cattle as a side activity in addition to their main occupation of crop growing. Hence, keeping cattle is not the priority of many smallholders.



They often keep cattle mainly to accumulate financial assets or for insurance against crop failures in the medium- and long-term. By selling their cattle, they can earn a relatively large amount of cash to cover major expenses. This smallholders mindset of the traditional role of cattle in their production profile means that they do not pay much attention to the animals, which leads to low productivity and low production volumes.



One way to improve domestic production quantities would be to support more profit-oriented cattle farming structures. To achieve this, the government should provide intensive training especially to young farmers.



Second, scientific research has shown that Indonesian smallholders are traditional livestock farmers who keep cattle in barns and feed forages using a cut-and-carry feeding system. Moreover, smallholders usually tend to minimize the cattle production costs by collecting forage from roadsides, riversides or on the edges of fields. This practice leads to low quality and low production forage. One way to improve the quality would be to introduce grass varieties that have high protein content such as rumput odot, king grass and indigo merah. To achieve this, the government should provide and distribute these types of grasses to farmer groups.



Third, 44 percent of Indonesias cattle population is concentrated on Java, which represents only 7 percent of the total national land area. The population pressure there has led to the conversion of agricultural land into settlements. This causes a decrease of available land for fodder production on the island. There are several solutions to address land scarcity for fodder production. One of the solutions is extending fodder to areas beyond traditional food crops. This could be achieved by using teak forests in a sustainable manner to produce fodder for cattle (so-called silviculture).



To implement such a system, the cooperation of multiple stakeholders is essential. Our observation in the Bojonegoro region in East Java showed that the Sylvopastura beef program (Pahasylpi) increased the number of cattle kept by a group of farmers by 75 percent in 2017 and 2018. The Pahasylpi program can involve smallholders living adjacent to the forest to safeguard the teak forest.



Pahasylpi is a program initiated by the livestock service agency in Bojonegoro together with the state forest company, the Agriculture Ministry and a group of farmers that integrates cattle production and teak forest management using silviculture.



Another option to solve this challenge is the use of marginal land for fodder production. This is land that is not suitable for growing crops because of low soil organic matter and extremely low or high pH values. Moreover, they are often located on slopes and are difficult to gain access to. The Agriculture Ministry estimates marginal land amounts to 157 million ha. For cultivating this land, the government can establish partnerships with researchers to find innovations in land cultivation technologies for fodder production. Finally, fodder production could be expanded to areas outside Java that still have an abundance of pastoral land for cattle grazing. Indonesias eastern regions such as West Nusa Tenggara would be suitable for that.



To achieve the target of self-sufficiency in the meat production program by 2026, the government should not only pay attention to increasing the number of cattle, but also to improve fodder production. Traditional cattle farming practices by smallholders, low forage quality and land scarcity on Java have been restricting national cattle production. Incentivizing farmers to engage in profit-oriented cattle farming, introducing high-protein grass varieties and silviculture are promising options to ensure the success of the program.



Silviculture seems to be the most feasible option because it would also contribute to the other two solutions by expanding lands for fodder production and introducing high-quality grasses.

***

Eko Nugroho, Rico Ihle and Wim Heijman are members of the Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Eko is also lecturer at the Faculty of animal science, Brawijaya University, Indonesia.

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Linkedin Colin Rubenstein (The Jakarta Post) Melbourne  Wed, August 1, 2018

Israels new Jewish Nation-State law, passed in the Knesset on July 19, has been greeted with widespread condemnation abroad. Yet upon closer examination much of the criticism appears to be based upon misinterpretations and assumptions that go beyond the actual wording of the law.



The law, it must be stressed outright, is purely declarative in nature and carries with it no practical impact on Israeli life. Rather, it is an overwhelmingly symbolic reaction to those who object to the continued existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.



Principally among them is the Palestinian leadership, who have vehemently rejected Israels reasonable demand to be accepted and recognised as a Jewish homeland in any future peace agreement, just as Palestine will be the Palestinian homeland.



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made this clear in his response to the laws passage. Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people, which respects the individual rights of all its citizens, Netanyahu said. In recent years there have been some who have attempted to put this in doubt, to undercut the core of our being. Today we made it law: This is our nation, language and flag.



The law simply enshrines among Israels Basic Laws the foundational sentiment embodied within Israels Declaration of Independence, namely, that Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, where the Jewish people exercise their right to national self-determination.



It then goes on to provide elevated constitutional status to existing laws regarding Israels flag, national holidays, use of the Jewish calendar, and the Hebrew language. Similar constitutional provisions emphasizing national self-determination and cultural expression can be found in numerous countries in Europe and elsewhere.

Claims that the law harms the prospects for a two-state peace outcome are simply bizarre  since 1947, partition has always been discussed in terms of a Jewish state existing alongside an Arab state.



Allegations that the law is racist or harms the status of minorities in Israel are also baseless.



While certainly controversial, the law also does not even necessarily downgrade the status of Arabic in the country  it explicitly states that the clause identifying Hebrew as the official language of Israel does not change the status given to the Arabic language before the Basic Law was created and also insists Arabic services must be available for all government business.



A passage in the law that commends Jewish settlement as a national value also created controversy, primarily because the term settlement is inevitably associated with Jewish towns in the disputed West Bank.



Yet the laws phrasing in Hebrew simply mimics language of the pre-state Zionist movement regarding the national goal of rebuilding and restoring Jewish life in the land of Israel and it does not necessarily have any other connotations.



To be sure, radically anti-Zionist Arab lawmakers from the far-left Joint List party were always going to vehemently oppose any law of this kind  they object to any characterization of Israel as a Jewish homeland, even though Israel has been explicitly such a homeland since 1948.



Even so, the offence voiced over the matter by Druze and Arab leaders does suggest mistakes in the drafting, debate, and execution of the legislation, something even some top government ministers have acknowledged and vowed to address. These missteps are lamentable, because the controversy risks setting back hard-fought and sustained achievements by successive Israeli governments in recent years towards empowering and integrating Israels minorities and addressing both the discrimination and social gaps which affect them.



Thabet Abu Rass, co-director of the Israeli coexistence NGO Abraham Fund, told the Jerusalem Post earlier this year that the Israeli Arab community is more integrated and has more mobility in Israeli society than ever, with a record number studying in Israeli universities, producing more Arab doctors, nurses and pharmacists than ever before.



Abu Rass noted that four out of 11 players on Israels national soccer team are Arab, while the Netanyahu government had delivered on a 2015 promise to invest 15 billion shekels (US$4.1billion) into Israeli Arab communities  an infusion unprecedented in scope.



Veteran lawmaker Benny Begin of the ruling Likud party, son of the late Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, who notably abstained on the vote over the law, told the Knesset it would have been both wiser and more constitutionally sound if the Basic Law had included a specific clause asserting that its provisions do not in any way diminish the legal, social, political or civil rights and equality of Israels non-Jewish minority.



Opposition politicians, such as new parliament opposition leader Tzipi Livni, have said the same thing, with Livni suggesting she and her party would likely have supported the law if such a clause had been included in it.



Such a clause would have been advisable even though the new law does not supersede earlier Israeli basic laws which already guarantee these equal rights.



Yet whatever missteps there may have been in creating this law, some perspective is in order. The ongoing national project that is Israel, Jewish and democratic, which existed before the passage of the law, continues unchanged. The partnership between Israels Jewish and Zionist majority and its non-Jewish and/or non-Zionist minorities will endure  a necessity for both populations, destined to live together in forging a common future.

***

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Linkedin Rita Widiadana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 1, 2018 11:33 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50a8e0e 3 Opinion child-marriage,children-development,child-abuse,gender-based-violence,gender-inequality,Education,poverty Free

If you like each other, the best thing to do is get married so you dont commit a sin, stated a married 16-year-old girl in Lamongan, East Java.



A married 17-year-old girl from the same city talked of her shattered dreams: I thought when I got married, life would be more like I wanted it to be, but it isnt ever going to be.



In North Jakarta, a young mother of 15 said, Of course we regret things, but we cant change anything. The most important thing is that our kids dont turn out like us.



These are excerpts of consultations, jointly conducted by UNICEF and the Purposeful Productions movement focusing on adolescent girls. They aim to hear directly from girls, boys, women and men in Mamuju in West Sulawesi, North Jakarta, and Lamongan, East Java  three places with a high prevalence of child marriage  about why this practice continues and is so pervasive in Indonesia. The three girls are just a few of thousands of others trapped in early union.



Child marriage is common in almost all geographical pockets throughout Indonesia. Rates vary widely across the country and by level of government (province, regency and districts).



According to the 2012 National Socioeconomic Survey, West Sulawesi has the highest prevalence of child marriage at 37.3 percent, followed by Central Kalimantan and Central Sulawesi at 36.7 percent and 34.4 percent, respectively.



Child marriage is as complex as a spider web and has been haunting the lives and futures of Indonesias 85 million children. Ending this practice will be an uphill battle for Indonesia unless drastic changes in social behavior are made, with stronger political commitment and the strengthening of legal frameworks in childrens interests.



This practice continues mostly on the grounds of cultural and religious norms, said Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana S. Yembise in an interview with The Jakarta Post in conjunction with National Childrens Day, which fell on July 23.



Many Islamic clerics say girls are ready for marriage once they start menstruating, as the Quran does not mention a specific age, while other experts cite verses that indicate that both bride and bridegroom should be mature enough and capable of judgment.



Cultural arguments include parents embarrassment when their teenage daughters have no suitors.



Despite modern developments, including more girls having a higher level of education, around one in nine girls marry before the age of 18, making Indonesia one of the top countries in absolute numbers of child brides and the child marriage burden  with about 375 girls marrying daily. Reasons to marry young go deep beyond mutual love, religious and traditional values and socioeconomic condition.



Child marriage is a fundamental violation of girls rights. The practice is largely driven by poverty, a lack of access to education and social norms rooted in the lower status of women and girls here in Indonesia, the minister said, adding that it also contradicted Indonesias efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal 5, which includes eliminating all harmful practices of early and forced marriage by 2030.



Child marriage has attracted significant global attention in the last decade in response to growing evidence on the scale and scope of the problem, and is now specifically targeted in the SDGs. For Indonesia, being slow and ineffective in addressing this critical issue will lead to the countrys failure to achieve the SDGs in under 15 years.



Indonesia has ratified the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child through the 2002 Child Protection Law. However, inconsistencies and contradictions remain, as Yohana noted.



Special considerations need to be taken seriously concerning the contradictions in the Child Protection Law and Marriage Law, she said. The ministry is organizing a public discussion involving academics, policymakers, members of civil society, religious leaders, women and youth organizations on the issue.



While the 2002 Child Protection Law defines a child as someone below 18, the age of consent to marriage is 16 years for girls and 19 years for boys according to Article 7 of the Marriage Law.



The ministry, she said, has proposed revising the Marriage Law to end cases of child marriage but without success. Probably reflecting on what she said was a controversial issue, amendment of the 1974 law was listed in the 2015-2019 legislation program, but not included on the 2018 priority list.



Worse yet, the Marriage Law allows exceptions to the minimum age subject to consent from an appropriate authority, leaving occasion for children to marry legally at an even younger age.



A research report by 18+Coalition and UNICEF, Revealing the Truth of Marriage Dispensation: An Analysis of Child Marriage Practice in Tuban, Bogor and Mamuju Districts ( 2016 ), reveals that the procedure for granting marriage dispensation requests in Indonesia enables multiple interpretations and loopholes.



The report states the marriage dispensation is fraught with challenges and [] is incompatible with national and international child rights frameworks.



To end child marriage requires strong political commitment from the countrys top leader. Recently, President Joko Jokowi Widodo pledged to end child marriage amid mounting pressure.



Since child marriage in Indonesia remains a sensitive issue and is closely linked to religious and traditional norms, interfering with the Marriage Law could bear a political risk for President Jokowi or any other presidential candidates ahead of the 2019 presidential election. However, child marriage should not become a cheap bargaining chip for short-term political interests as it affects the lives of the countrys future generation.



While the focus on ending child marriage is on increasing the minimum age of marriage to 18 years, a broader set of corresponding laws and policies is needed to protect the rights of children and to prevent them from entering child marriage.



Every one of us must support young girls and boys to end this harmful practice so that all children have the right to choose when and whom to marry later in adulthood, and so they can complete their education to reach their utmost potential.



Parents, communities, traditional and religious leaders, the school system, the government, lawmakers and the media must work together in combating child marriage.



The government and lawmakers have the power to develop relevant legislation and policies, allocate available budget resources, monitor implementation and guarantee accountability.



To turn a blind eye to this problem is to endorse the damaging practice. Child marriage is not a childs responsibility. It is our responsibility.

***

The author is writing a book on child and youth rights issues in Indonesia, including child brides.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.The 16-year-old winner of the annual Amal Clooney Scholarship said on Tuesday that she wants to combat child marriage and marital rape in Lebanon, where there is no minimum age to wed.

Kamar Omary will head to Armenia's UWC Dilijan College in August to enroll in its two-year international baccalaureate programme - the fourth Lebanese teenager to receive the award set up by the prominent Lebanese-British human rights lawyer.

"We need a minimum age for marriage and marital rape should be criminalised," Omary told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Lebanon.

"Sexism and abuse of women and children is still widespread ... Women are stigmatised. They are generally seen as weaker than men and we need change."

Religious communities' personal status laws in Lebanon allow girls younger than 15 to marry, leading many Syrian refugee families, who cannot afford food or rent, to marry off their young daughters, rights groups say.

Clooney, a London barrister, is known for representing Yazidi women who have been victims of sexual slavery, rape and genocide by Islamic State militants in Iraq, and for her marriage to Hollywood star George Clooney.

Read also: Amal Clooney speaks from the heart as George gets lifetime award

Omary said she hopes to follow in Clooney's footsteps of fighting for "people in need", such as some 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, most of whom live in poverty.

"Every single person deserves education, health and security, and most refugees don't get that here. That is very unfair," Omary said.

"I want to connect with people and listen to them - that is how you trigger change and that is whatAmal does. She listens to the people and defends them."

Amal Clooney Scholarship winners are chosen based on their academic performance and interest in the promotion of human rights and international issues.Oceu Apristawijaya features artwork titled Home #1 at ART Jakartas 10th anniversary. Through this series of works, Oceu tries to visualize a home as a place of sharing.

Most of Oceus works explore human beings and their dialogue with nature, culture or their surrounding environment.

Read also: ART Jakarta spotlight: Triyadi Guntur Wiratmo

In 2008, Oceu took a three-month residency at Rimbun Dahan and, in 2012, he returned to Malaysia to complete a mural at Hotel Penaga during his arts residency in George Town, Penang.Since its first iteration in 2009, Art Jakarta has flourished into one of the largest art and social events with galleries and artists from all over Indonesia and the world displaying their works.



Created by Harpers Bazaar Indonesia fashion and lifestyle magazine, this years art fair will run from Thursday through Sunday at the Grand Ballroom of Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place  home to Art Jakarta since its beginning.



From the start, Art Jakarta was created with one goal in mind: to make art a part of peoples day-to-day life and not something that can only be enjoyed by the few.



For the fairs 10-year anniversary this year, the Art Jakarta committee decided to do something drastically different from previous years.



This is going to be an art fair that celebrates our 10-year run. Thats why we are using the number 10 as one of the themes for the fair, said Ria Lirungan, deputy head of Art Jakartas committee and editor-in-chief of Harpers Bazaar Indonesia.



In a culmination of installments that we call 10 for 10, we have invited 10 artists who will create 10 different installments, all with the number 10 in it. They will be displayed right at the entrance of the fair.



These artists are: Kemal Ezedine, Yani Mariani, Agus Suwage, Syagini Ratnawulan, Bagus Pandega, Hahan, Chinati Juhansyah, Eddie Sutanto, Heri Dono and Tere.



An additional 10 Japanese artists from Japan Art Now will be creating and bringing in their own pieces.



Though the theme of 10 is ever present in this years fair, other key pieces and special events will also take place, led by local and foreign artists, galleries, performers and even chefs. So far, 53 galleries, 630 artists and more than 2,000 pieces of artwork have been listed to join the art fair.



There will be a number of performances, including one by the Sasikirana dance troupe from Bandung [West Java] with their Pasar Purnama group. Another is a flying balloon puppet show from Yogyakartas Papermoon, said Dedy Koswara, the organizing committees deputy head.



The fair will also stage charity auctions for the Mitra Museum Foundation of Jakarta and the

Indonesia Heart Foundation.



Meanwhile, Jakartas foodies will enjoy a food art workshop by chef Chitra, along with a pop-up restaurant by Maggie Joan from Singapore with Michelin-starred chef Seumas Smith. The restaurant itself will be designed by interior designer Kezia Karin and Larc Studio, with production by Viro Interior.



Representing Spain in the fair is Le Museo (The Museum), which will bring with it a solo exhibition by Fernando Botero.



Art Jakarta not only aims to bring in professional artists this year, but also to help young, rising artists find a platform that can elevate their name. In association with the Creative Economic Agency (Bekraf), the fair will feature the Art Unlimited gallery with pieces created by young artists hoping to gain more recognition.



The CreArt association, a creative pop-up market, will also be doing something similar during the fair by allowing young artists to sell their art and products to visitors.



Social media has also become one of Art Jakartas key components, with participants being chosen through Instagram.



We realize that technology and social media brought changes in the way people express their art. So, we chose a few names to be displayed at the fair with their artwork and profiles. Some of them are photographers, chefs, illustrators, designers or travelers who we think have [an Instagram] feed that is worth [viewing], Ria said.



With a plan to draw thousands of visitors to the fair, the Art Jakarta committee decided to make one more change: This year, visitors will be charged an entrance fee.



The point of charging an entrance fee is to screen visitors, so we can see who is actually serious about visiting and looking at the artwork, Dedy said.



 The writer is an intern at The Jakarta PostChina-based Huawei took the second-place spot from Apple in a tightening global smartphone during the second quarter of this year, according to figures released Tuesday by International Data Corporation.

South Korean consumer electronics titan Samsung remained the top smartphone maker, shipping 71.5 million handsets, but Huawei moved into second position with shipments of 54.2 million, according to IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

Silicon Valley-based Apple shipped 41.3 million iPhones, claiming 12.1 percent of the global market compared to 20.9 percent for Samsung and 15.8 percent for Huawei.

It was the first time since early 2010 that Apple wasn't in one of the top two spots in the smartphone market, according to IDC.

"The continued growth of Huawei is impressive, to say the least, as is its ability to move into markets where, until recently, the brand was largely unknown," said Ryan Reith, program vice president with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers.

The iPhone did well, with the top-of-the-line iPhone X model a big seller in many markets, according to IDC. Apple was expected to wrest back control of the market with the release of new iPhone models in the fall.

Read also: Huawei, Samsung neck and neck in foldable smartphone race

Apple, Huawei and Samsung were the main contenders when it came to competition for high-end smartphones priced at $700 or more, according to Reith.

Preliminary findings by IDC indicated a total of 342 million smartphones were shipped during the second quarter in a 1.8 percent decline from the same period a year earlier.

The drop marked the third consecutive quarter of year-over-year declines in the global smartphone shipments, according to IDC.

Market saturation and climbing average selling prices were among factors curbing growth in the smartphone market, said Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker research manager Anthony Scarsella.

"Consumers remain willing to pay more for premium offerings in numerous markets and they now expect their device to outlast and outperform previous generations of that device which cost considerably less a few years ago," Scarsella said.French jazz group Insula performed in Malang, East Java, for the group's first appearance in a series of concerts in Indonesia.

Members Maher Beauroy, who plays the piano, and Redha Benabdallah on the oud, performed their Modern Caribbean and Arab Andalusian-inspired music at Mount Bromo Jazz in Tugu Malang Hotel over the weekend.

The band will also embark on a tour around the archipelago, with performances slated for Medan, North Sumatra, and in Jakarta, as well as at the Ubud Village Jazz Festival in Bali.

Insula is a regular at international jazz festivals. Its recent performance was supported by the French Institute in Indonesia (IFI), as noted by Indonesia Music Museum head Hengki Herwanto.

In addition to enriching the knowledge of jazz music, Hengki said the French government through the IFI introduced music as a part of the country's culture.

"Insula's world tour has been realized because it is part of a cultural ecosystem built by France through the IFI as one of its chain links," Hengki said, on the sidelines of the concert at the Tugu Malang Hotel on Sunday.

Read also: French students learn, collaborate on traditional Javanese performing arts

Hengki underlined the importance of the government's role in building a supportive ecosystem, noting that Indonesia's own Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) could be a start.

"This is a good start, because by building the creative economy's ecosystem, it will increase the synergy among stakeholders," Hengki said.

Hengki further said there were many Indonesian artists that could perform overseas. In Malang, for example, he said there was Nova Ruth, Bambu Wukir and Ikbal Lubys. "However, they usually move independently, without a supportive ecosystem from the government," he said.

Nova said it all began with the desire and capacity of the artists themselves. "Insula or any other group in France went through a long process to be able to reach this stage," Nova said.

She further said there were several components that were key to building an ecosystem, such as the government, venues, communities and taxes.

Nova cited the experience with her band Filastine, when in 2009 the group performed worldwide, exposing them to the system in Europe.

"A tour like Insula can be held because it is funded from taxes, so the public's money is given back to the public," Nova said. (liz/kes)Maison&Objet, an annual lifestyle trade fair in Paris, is slated to return on Sept. 7-11. For professionals working in the field of home and living, the fair is a must-visit event every year to keep up with new trends and inspirations on decoration, design, furniture, accessories, textiles, tableware and much more.

This years Maison&Objet will feature a new layout, comprising two hubs to simplify visitors experience.

Philippe Brocart, managing director of SAFI, the company that organizes Maison&Objet Paris, said the two categories of visitors, namely retailers and specifiers, only had a day and a half to explore the fair, and they shared the common goal of finding what they need as easily as possible.

For the Maison hub that offers decoration and home interior solutions, four different universes have been organized according to style, namely Unique and Eclectic, Today, Forever and Craft.

Meanwhile, the Objet hub, highly regarded by French and international buyers for novelty shops, concept stores and online shops, are divided into seven sectors according to product typology. They are: Cook and Share, Smart Gift, Fashion Accessories, Kids and Family, Home Accessories, Home Fragrance and Home Linen.

Another highly anticipate feature of Maison&Objet is Designer of the Year. This honor goes to Ramy Fischler, a designer originally from Belgium who moved to Paris in 1998 and was a resident at the prestigious Villa Medici in Rome.

According to a statement released by Maison&Objet, Ramy is fascinated by cinema, and he practices design in much the same way a director makes a film.

Among his notable projects is a commission for Refettorio Paris, a soup kitchen for the homeless and refugees initiated by Italys most prominent chef, Massimo Bottura. The venue is established inside the Foyer de la Madeleine in Paris, styled with bespoke decor made from recycled building materials.

Ramy was also commissioned by Twitter France to investigate the many ways in which work environments are changing and question the value of information. His findings are then applied to spatial planning and office design.

Read also: French founder strives to elevate Indonesian brand at Maison&Objet

The designer will spotlight the diversity of his studios projects and day-to-day activities at the upcoming Maison&Objet.

Indonesia represented at the fair by renowned interior designer Alvin Tjitrowirjo and Bali-based parachute hammock manufacturer Ticket to the Moon, according to Asias official representative for Maison&Objet. (mut)Suicide is never easy. It is never easy to cope with the aftermath of a suicide, regardless of who committed suicide  whether a celebrity or someone we know. It is also difficult because suicide often raises more questions than answers: Why? They had all the money and success anyone could dream of, so why did they commit suicide? Why didn't they seek help? Why did it have to end like this? Didnt they think about how it would affect their family? How could they be so selfish?

All these questions often leave those who have been left behind more frustrated, and with even more questions.

One thing is certain: any suicide is devastating. However, refraining from talking about or trying to understand the event would also be equally devastating.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that one person commits suicide every 40 seconds in the world, which translates into approximately 800,000 deaths by suicide each year. WHO also states, "Suicide occurs throughout the lifespan and is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds globally."

According to a 2015 WHO report, three suicide deaths occur per 100,000 individuals in Indonesia. However, it is difficult to gauge the real figure due to potential underreporting, which may be linked to the social stigma surrounding death by suicide and mental illness. Death by suicide, especially in Indonesia, is still considered taboo and sinful. The major religions in Indonesia say that suicide is a sin. The stigma can be so strong that, following the suicide of a relative, a family might report the death as anything but suicide.

Trying to brush the issue aside will not change anything. Change will come from doing the opposite: The more we talk about suicide to try and understand it, the more we become aware of the need to make mental healthcare accessible, the more we can prevent suicide.

Risk factors

Suicide is a complex issue that is rarely attributed to a single factor or event. Studies have shown that a combination of biological, psychological and social factors is associated with an individual's increased vulnerability to suicide.

There are risk factors that can be changed, such as substance abuse, yet there are also risk factors that cannot be changed, like a family history of suicide or the sudden death of a loved one. It is important to underline that these risk factors might not directly lead to suicide. For instance, having mental health issues does not directly cause someone to commit suicide, but could be a likely cause in combination with other factors.

The risk factors of suicide include:

Mental health issues (e.g., depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder) and/or substance abuse (drugs and/or alcohol)

Feelings of hopelessness

Past suicide attempt(s)

Family conflicts or domestic violence, including child abuse

Family history of suicide

Social isolation (feeling isolated or cut off from others) and geographical isolation (physically distant from one's social support system and/or living in a remote area).

Gender: males are at a statistically higher risk of suicide than females. In Indonesia, the male-to-female suicide ratio is 4.5 to 1.6).

Personal loss and/or stressful life events (e.g., loss of a loved one, financial loss, the end of a relationship, life transitions, an abusive relationship, conflict, school exams)

Impulsive or aggressive tendencies (e.g., acting on impulse without thinking things thorough)

Cultural/religious beliefs that view suicide as an honorable solution to a personal or professional quandary (such as the ritual seppuku historically performed by samurai)

Local suicide epidemics (also called "suicide contagion", when one suicide in a community leads to multiple suicides or suicide attempts)

Physical illness

Easy access to lethal methods and means of committing suicide

Unwillingness to seek help, possibly due to the stigma of mental health, substance abuse or suicide and suicidal thoughts

Protective factors

It is also important to recognize and understand the protective factors against suicide. Protective factors help protect individuals from suicidal thoughts and prevent suicide attempts.

These protective factors include:

Willingness to seek help

Easy access to and awareness of effective clinical support for psychological, physical and substance abuse problems

Family and community support (feeling connected to individuals, family, community and social institutions)

Adaptive problem-solving and conflict resolution skills; nonaggressive approach to managing disagreements

Strong sense of purpose and meaning in life

Belief in cultural/religious teachings that disapprove of suicide and encourage the life instinct or the survival instinct

Good, continuing support from medical and mental health treatment or relationships with medical and mental health professionals

***

Emilita Krisanti "Santi" Cornain is a clinical psychologist at the International Wellbeing Center who is trained in cognitive behavior therapy, and often combines mindfulness and solution-focused strategies in her practice. Santi completed her undergraduate degree in psychology through the double-degree program at the University of Indonesia and the University of Queensland, Australia; she holds a clinical psychology doctorate from Australia's Griffith University. Outside of work, Santi can be found playing with her energetic toddler, reading novels or searching for the next best vegetarian dish in town.Dozens of sketches by Mudji Sutrisno will be on display at the Bentara Budaya Balai Soedjatmoko cultural space in Surakarta, Central Java, until Friday.

The Kumandang Ing Sepi (Sleeping in Silence) exhibition features mostly black-and-white sketches of stupas, mosques, temples, churches and fragments of Jesus crucifixion.

"These sketches serve as a reflection of the noisy conditions of our nation related to politics, religion, God and intolerance. Praying spaces are a symbol of silence, a good place to bring our religious identity back," Mudji told The Jakarta Post at the opening event.

Read also: Sudjojono's sketchbook unveiled in Singapore

Up to 90 sketches are exhibited at the venue, mostly created using paper, as well as black and white ink. Other than religious-related works, visitors can also expect to find some colored sketches of various fruit where the artist used acrylic paint.

Mudji is mostly recognized for his simple, yet powerful, technique of drawing a complicated object using only lines.

Bentara Budaya curator Efix Mulyadi said Mudji had succeeded in finding quiet places within so much noise, like temples, mosques and churches.

"From these sketches, he's inviting us to follow him to explore the spiritual realm," Efix added. (kes)The Indonesia World Spirit exhibition, showcasing the State Palace's art collection from Aug. 3 to 31 at the National Gallery in Central Jakarta, is part of a series of events marking the 73rd anniversary of the proclamation of Indonesian independence.

The exhibit is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., reported Antara.

This is the third time the palace has opened its art collection to public view, joining collections from four other presidential palaces, including those in Bogor and Yogyakarta.

Read also: Hundreds of palaces still in existence in Indonesia

According to State Secretary Pratikno, the exhibition will feature up to 45 works of art ranging from paintings and statues to handicrafts, from both Indonesian and foreign artists such as Raden Saleh, Dullah, Walter Spies and Fernando Amorsolo.

Indonesia World Spirit has been organized in collaboration with the Education and Culture Ministry, Tourism Ministry, the National Gallery and the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf). The event aims to generate more appreciation for past artists who that pursued moral values, virtue and high spirit throughout their lives, not just in their art. (anm/kes)Retail startup Warung Pintar has announced the availability of cashless payment services in all its kiosks across Greater Jakarta.

This initiative was introduced in collaboration with Go-Pay, which means all Warung Pintar now have a QR code that can be scanned by Go-Pay users to pay for their purchases at the kiosks.

First established in November 2017, Warung Pintar combines traditional kiosks with modern retail technology and is on a mission to improve the quality of small and medium businesses in Jakarta as well as encouraging technology-inclusion for the grassroots.

Read also: Warung Pintar acquires early financing worth US$4m

"From our internal research, we found 72 percent of warung [kiosk] customers want this [cashless payment] service to be available in the kiosk and we ourselves have seen the many benefits of this system. For both kiosk owners and customers, the system can increase efficiency as it cuts down the time people take paying in cash and waiting for change. It also allows them to track all transactions digitally, quickly and safely as cash has long been the target of theft," said Warung Pintar COO Harya Putra in a statement.

As of July, the startup boasts more than 313 kiosks that are managed by over 500 micro-entrepreneurs. (kes)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 1, 2018 08:03 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df509eef5 1 City Jakarta-administration,anies-baswedan,dismissal,reshuffle,evidence Free

The Jakarta administration has used media reports to justify demoting several high-ranking officials within the administration, the State Civilian Bureaucracy Commission (KASN) has revealed.

KASN commissioner I Made Suwandi said that, when his office demanded that the administration provide a rationale behind the decision to demote the officials, the administration submitted a media report that showed a request from the Gerindra Party to dismiss Anas Effendi, the former West Jakarta mayor.

"There are various [reports], including a report that reads 'Gerindra calls for firm sanction against Anas'," Made said on Tuesday as reported by kompas.com.

He added that another report stated that Anas attended a campaign held by Djarot Saiful Hidayat during gubernatorial elections last year.

"To launch an investigation based on a newspaper report is allowed, but there should be questioning to clarify the report," Made said.

The KASN previously questioned several officials from the administration, including Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and city secretary Saefullah, over the demotions, which were carried out in June and July.

Made said the administration had failed to provide a reason behind the moves.

KASN chief Sofian Effendi said that questioning the policy was part of his job and that he did the same when changes were made under the administration of former governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

Sofian said that Ahok was able to provide the commission with assessment reports, which were obtained after officials were questioned. (fac)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 1, 2018 17:44 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50bed95 1 City Jakarta-administration,investment,facility Free

The city administration launched on Tuesday the Jakarta Investment Center (JIC) at the citys One-Stop Public Service Mall on Jl. Rasuna Said, Kuningan, South Jakarta, in the hope of facilitating investors to do business in the capital.

In his opening speech during the launch, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan encouraged investors to do business in the biggest city in Southeast Asia with more than 10 million residents, adding that the rapid growth of the middle-class and the strong purchasing power in Jakarta would be beneficial to investors.

There is no better time than today to invest in Jakarta. Come and grow with Jakarta. Smart city, smart opportunities, Anies said.

Meanwhile, Jakarta contributes about 17 percent to the nations GDP, showing that the capital is the key player in the countrys economic growth.

This year, Jakarta aims to attract Rp 100 trillion (US$6.9 billion) from foreign and domestic investment, Jakarta Investment and One-Stop Integrated Service Agency (PTSP) head Edy Junaedi said.

Edy added investors could consult about licensing as well as their business with the JIC.

After obtaining a principle license from the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), investors could apply for other licenses with the PTSP and consult with the JIC, he said.

Investors could consider investing in the tourist sector in the capital, especially in the Thousand Islands, a field of business with great potential. We want to offer a new field, which is tourism since investors usually prefer doing business in the service and property fields, Edy said.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Stockholm, Sweden  Wed, August 1, 2018 21:30 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50c94a4 2 World #Denmark,denmark,Women,burqa-ban Free

Denmark's ban on the Islamic full-face veil in public spaces came into force on Wednesday, with anyone wearing a garment that hides the face in public risking a fine.

Human rights campaigners have slammed the ban as a violation of women's rights, while supporters argue it enables better integration of Muslim immigrants into Danish society.

Wearing a burqa, which covers the entire face, or the niqab, which shows only the eyes, in public will lead to a fine of 1,000 kroner ($156, 134 euros).

The ban also targets other items that hide the face such as balaclavas and false beards. Repeated violations will be fined up to 10,000 kroner.

It is not known how many women wear the niqab or burqa in Denmark.

Protests against the ban were planned in the capital Copenhagen and the second-biggest city Aarhus late Wednesday, with several hundred people expected to attend -- some of them wearing the full-face veil.

A spokesman for Denmark's national police said that as of 2:30 pm (1230 GMT), no violations of the ban had been registered.

A 30-year-old Muslim woman interviewed in daily Berlingske, identified only as Sarah, said on Wednesday that she had "lost faith in the system".

Born and raised in Denmark by parents who emigrated from Turkey, she has worn the niqab since she was 18.

"I've realised that democracy doesn't work. Politicians boast of freedoms and rights when they are making fun of Muslims and when they are drawing caricatures of the prophet. But when it comes to me, they take away my right to choose how I want to dress," she said.

"I have come to the realisation that Muslims don't have the same rights as others. So much of politics is hypocritical."

When the government presented its proposal for the ban in February, it said the burka and niqab were not "compatible with the values and sense of community in Danish society".

But Sarah said that instead of enabling Muslims to integrate Danish values, the ban risked having the opposite effect of increasing segregation.

"When the mosque is one of the few places where we can (wear veils), then I think the law will mean that more people will go to the mosque."

The full-face veil is a hot-button issue across Europe.

Belgium, France, Germany and Austria have already imposed bans or partial bans.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Wahyoe Boediwardhana (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya, East Java  Wed, August 1, 2018 15:59 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50b9214 1 National research,diaper,disposable-diapers,Brantas-River,East-Java Free

A study has found that 21 fish species in the Brantas River in East Java are threatened by solid waste that is dumped into the water, including disposable diapers.

In its latest study, Ecological Observation and Wetlands Conservation (Ecoton) estimated that half a metric ton of disposable diapers was dumped into the river each year. They calculated the figure after conducting 30 clean ups at one sluice gate in a year.

Imagine, we got that number only from the samples we took from one sluice gate, Karangpilang, said Prigi Arisandi, executive director of Ecoton, on Tuesday.

A microscopic picture of the stomach of a fish taken from the Brantas River shows the fish had ingested plastic fibers and fragments. (Courtesy of Ecoton/-)

Ecotons research manager Riska Darmawanti said the organization had found plastic fibers akin to those found in diapers in the stomachs of several types of fish, including those known locally as rengkik, nila, keting, bayer merah, bader putih and jendil. The researchers found the plastic fibers in 80 percent of the fish they examined.

When disposable diapers are immersed in water and exposed to sun shine, over time the diapers break down into smaller pieces. The fish swallow the pieces, which can be transferred from the stomach to the meat. When people eat the fish, the plastic will be transferred to their bodies, Riska explained.

Ecoton said solid waste had also contaminated the river water with plastics, compromising the health of 3 million tap water customers in Surabaya.

Ecoton urged the city administration to protect the rivers from solid waste, especially diapers. Recently, it took its protests to the streets, along with colleagues from the Diaper Evacuation Brigade Community, to urge the administration to remove diapers from the Brantas River.

Andreas Agus, a researcher at the community, said residents commonly ate keting and rengking fish.

Ecoton also called on the public to return to using reusable cloth diapers.

Read also: Editorial: Diabolical plastic

Consumers must change their behavior, the more comfortable a product makes us, the more threatening it is to our lives, Agus said.

East Java Governor Soekarwo called on mayors and regents to pay serious attention to solid waste in rivers.

East Java administration spokesperson Benny Sampir Wanto said the governor had asked regents and mayors to establish waste sorting facilities and instruct residents not to dump waste into rivers.

In December 2017, three residents, including Riska from Ecoton, filed a lawsuit against the governor. They accused the governor of showing negligence toward the management of disposable diaper waste in the Brantas River.

Last year, the United States-based NGO Trash Free Seas Alliance (TFSA) revealed that micro plastics had been found in 28 percent of fish in Indonesias markets. The micro plastics come from plastic waste that enters rivers and ends up in the sea.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Gemma Holliani Cahya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 2, 2018 07:59 1182 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50c5d2c 1 National tigers,conservation,Riau,WWF,BKSDA Free

Video footage capturing the lives of a family of Sumatran tigers in a forest in Riau has sparked hope of a better future in the country for the species.

The footage was released by the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to commemorate International Tigers Day on Monday.

It shows how the tiger, named Rima, has given birth twice  to three cubs in 2015 and to four in 2017. Rima lives in a forest in Riau with Uma, her male partner, and their seven offspring.

Parts of the video show the mother tiger and her four new cubs pass a trap camera in the forest. The cubs look healthy and curious about their surroundings as they follow their mother through the forest.

Tigers Alive Initiative head Michael Baltzer was quoted on the WWF website on Monday as saying the footage proved that tigers could proliferate like cats if they had a protected habitat, enough food and were not hunted.

Sumatran tigers have been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List since 2008.

Accelerated deforestation in Sumatra, poaching and the rampant illegal trade have significantly decreased the number of Sumatran tigers across the island.

In 1978, experts estimated the population of Sumatran tigers at 1,000. Today, the Environment and Forestry Ministry estimates that the Sumatran tiger population currently stands at no more than 600.

The Riau BKSDA head said the rare footage was good news as the government was aiming to increase the countrys tiger population by 10 percent.

It proves that Sumatran tigers can thrive in Sumatra. This shows a strong commitment by the government to save the tiger and its habitat, he said. (ahw)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 1, 2018 17:12 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50bcc6e 1 Business tax-refund,tourist-arrivals,Tourism-Ministry,finance-ministry,Sri-Mulyani-Indrawati Free

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said the ministry would study a request made by Tourism Minister Arief Yahya, to revise down the minimum amount tourists would need to spend in a store to get a tax refund.

We will study the request for a revision of the tax refund regulation, Sri Mulyani said in Jakarta on Tuesday as reported by tempo.co.

Under the existing regulation, tourists can get their tax back if they spend at least Rp 5 million (US$346) at certain stores.

Previously, Arief called on the Finance Ministry to decrease the minimum amount per store to Rp 1 million.

Arief said Rp 5 million was too high, making Indonesia an unpopular shopping destination. He also demanded the extension of the refund period to three months from the current one-month period.

Arief said the proposal was submitted to the Finance Ministry after he got input from stakeholders in the Tourism Ministry. I hope the new regulation can be issued as soon as possible, he added.

Meanwhile, Sri Mulyani said she could not say whether the ministry would agree with Ariefs request. She said her ministry would discuss the issue. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Bogor, West Java  Wed, August 1, 2018 15:57 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50b8229 1 Business Jakarta-Surabaya-medium-speed-railway,local-contents,Budi-Karya-Sumadi,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan Free

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has said that the government is seeking more involvement of local contents in the Jakarta-Surabaya train project, particularly rolling stock components that can be manufactured by state-owned train maker PT Industri Kereta Api (INKA).

He said PT INKA could at least manufacture 40 percent of components that would be imported.

However, the project was bound by an agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and therefore, a renegotiation was needed, Budi said, adding that the agreement with JICA specified which components had to be imported from Japan.

"We may have to renegotiate with JICA. For Jakarta-Surabaya train project, we still have room as the project is yet to be started, he said at Bogor Palace on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that the effort to increase local contents to a number of infrastructure projects was to reduce imports as currently Indonesia suffered from current account deficit that among other gave pressure on rupiah.

"We want to reduce the import as much as we can," he said.

Budi said that the government would also seek more involvement of local connects for a Patimban seaport project in Subang, West Java. He said the port and railway projects had local contents around 70 percent and 80 percent respectively.

"Maybe, we can increase the local contents by around 5 to 10 percent in the train project and around 5 percent for Patimban port project," he added.(bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Kurniawan Hari (The Jakarta Post) Washington DC  Wed, August 1 2018

The key speaker during a recent gathering of the Indonesian diaspora at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC was Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita, but the real star of the event was his boss, President Joko Jokowi Widodo.

Jokowi was not present at the gathering. Yet, every time Enggartiasto mentioned Jokowis achievements during his four years in office, the audience clapped their hands in excitement in support to the former furniture businessman, who is seeking a second term next year.

Opening his remarks, the trade minister explained the latest situation about the trade spat with the United States as well as his visit to the US to deal with the issue.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 1, 2018 17:09 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50bc298 1 City Sandiaga-Uno,Trips,Moscow Free

Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno left the capital on Tuesday evening for an overseas work trip to Moscow to follow up on an existing cooperation agreement between the two cities.

This is his fifth overseas work trip since he and Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan were sworn into office in October last year.

[The deputy governor] will return from Moscow tomorrow, Jakarta Gubernatorial and Foreign Affairs Bureau head Muhammad Mawardi said on Wednesday as reported by kompas.com.

Sandiaga said he would meet with the mayor of Moscow to discuss a sister-city cooperation agreement that the previous Jakarta governor, Djarot Saiful Hidayat, had renewed.

Djarot went to Moscow in August last year, visiting Moscows Traffic Management Center and Moscow Central Circle.

Sandiaga's first work trip abroad was to Dubai in November 2017. He went to Tokyo in February and the United States in June. His last overseas work visit was to Singapore on July 9.

The citys 2018 budget set aside Rp 54.5 billion (US$ 3.7 million) for work trips by city officials, including the governor and deputy governor.

Rp 36.4 billion is allocated for domestic work trips and Rp 18 billion for overseas trips. (ami)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 1, 2018 13:45 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50b1c8f 1 World #HajPilgrimage,hajj-pilgrimage,Saudi-Arabia,Indonesia,raids Free

Saudi Arabian security authorities have arrested 116 Indonesians during a raid on a shelter in Misfalah, Mecca, for allegedly using illegal means to go on the haj.

"These people were raided last Friday. Most of them were found to have work visas," the Indonesian Consulate General in Tarhil stated in a press release on Wednesday. Others had entered Saudi Arabia with a pilgrimage visa for umrah (minor haj).

The umrah pilgrims, most of who had arrived from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, paid between Rp 50 million (US$3,461) and Rp 60 million to a travel agent in Indonesia for a haj trip. However, when they reached Mecca, they were asked to pay 500 riyal (US$133) to retrieve their passports from a local guide.

"As they had arrived in Mecca, they were free to go wherever they wanted. They no longer had any business with the travel agent," said Talabul Amal, an official at the Tarhil consulate general, adding that the group did not recall the travel agent's name.

Talab added that among the 116 Indonesians who were arrested were those who had entered Saudi Arabia legally. The Saudi authorities, however, had arrested them along with those who had entered the country illegally, simply because they lived in the same building.

Indonesian consul general to Jeddah Mohamad Hery Saripudin said this was not the first time Indonesians were caught using illegal means to go on the haj.

Saripudin called on all Indonesians to always comply with Saudi Arabia's travel regulations.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 1, 2018 12:40 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50ac300 1 City brawl,student,South-Tangerang,stabbing Free

An 18-year-old high school student suffered a stab wound to his cheek in a brawl between students at SMK Sasmita Pamulang state vocational high school and SMK Bhipuri Cilenggang Serpong state vocational high school in South Tangerang on Tuesday afternoon.

One of the victims in the brawl was stabbed in his cheek. Kids brawls these days are scary, South Tangerang Police criminal investigation unit head Adj. Comr. Alexander Yurikho said as quoted by kompas.com.

Footage of the brawl on Jl. Raya Serpong in Kademangan was spread on social media and in chat groups, which showed the victim with a stab wound to his cheek still standing while holding a clurit (small sickle).

The victim was taken to Hermina Hospital in Serpong immediately after the brawl.

We didn't arrest the brawling students because they dispersed after the brawl, Alexander said. (ami)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Bangui, Central African Republic  Wed, August 1, 2018 07:48 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df509e2f6 2 World #Russia,Russians,Central-Africa Free



Three Russians carrying press cards have been killed in the troubled Central African Republic (CAR), Russia's foreign ministry said Tuesday.

"According to information received on July 30 (Monday), three people were killed not far from the town of Sibut, 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of Bangui," the ministry said in statement.

It added that the bodies had been transported to the capital.

A judicial source told AFP the men were "assassinated by unknown gunmen" at a roadblock.

"They were driving back from (the northern town) of Kaga Bandoro," a religious source added.

Although the foreign ministry said the trio were carrying press cards, a Russian security official reached in Bangui said representatives in the CAR were not aware of the presence of any journalists from Russia.

Rich in minerals, including uranium, the CAR is one of the poorest and most unstable countries in the world.

It plunged into violence after longtime leader Francois Bozize, a Christian, was overthrown in 2013 by a mainly Muslim rebel alliance.

Former colonial ruler France intervened militarily to push out the alliance before winding down the operation.

But President Faustin-Archange Touadera, Bozize's elected successor, controls little of the country beyond the capital Bangui.

He governs with the support of a United Nations force of 13,000 troops and police, one of the biggest peacekeeping missions in the world.

Most of the CAR is controlled by 15 militias, many of which claim to represent Christian or Muslim communities but frequently clash over natural resources and revenue, which includes roadblocks.

Assaults on peacekeepers and aid workers have been frequent, but there has been no known attacks on Russians in recent memory.

- Arms race -

Historically, the major player in the CAR has been France, but Russia has taken on a visible role since December last year, when it was authorised by the UN to provide the CAR armed forces with weapons and training.

The delivery was ostensibly aimed at shoring up the beleaguered central government and its chronically weak military -- an exemption to a UN arms embargo imposed at the outbreak of conflict in 2013.

Britain, France and the United States voiced concern, demanding that deliveries be restricted to light arms and that Russia take steps to provide traceability to prevent the weapons from being sold on the black market.

A UN panel of experts on Tuesday warned that Russia's weapons supply has sparked an arms race in the rampantly unstable country, with rebels turning to traffickers in Sudan for fresh gun shipments.

The rebel factions "believe that the government is preparing for a war against them", said the report sent to the Security Council last week.

Russia is also believed to have signed a range of deals with the government since then, including security for Touadera. His security advisor is also a Russian.

In May, Touadera met President Vladimir Putin at an economic gathering in St. Petersburg, where he thanked the Russian leader for Moscow's help during "a difficult humanitarian situation" and "in the process of the country's consolidation and reconciliation".

In early July, Russia tried to set up a meeting in Sudan to mediate between the government and the militias, government sources say.

Touadera's office said the Russian initiative was dropped as "the head of state believes there is no cause to engage in other processes while the African Union one is still under way."Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Jim Slater (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Wed, August 1, 2018 12:00 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50aa5d3 2 Sports #tennis,ATP,WTA,Wawrinka Free



Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, struggling in his comeback from left knee surgery, was ousted by US qualifier Donald Young at the ATP and WTA Washington Open on Tuesday.

Young, ranked 234th, outlasted the 33-year-old Swiss 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/3) and advanced to a second-round match with Japanese seventh seed Kei Nishikori.

"It was a tough fight, a lot of nerves because he can hit any shot," Young said. "Stan at the top is totally different than when he's working his way back. I'm sure he'll be back. I won't want to play him when he's back."

Wawrinka, ranked 198th, fell to 6-11 this year after missing most of nine months before returning in May.

"It's painful to lose in the first round here, especially 7-6 in the third," Wawrinka said. "I was missing a lot for sure. It's tough when you haven't played a lot of matches. Tough loss for sure."

On the women's side, reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens opened by beating fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 7-5, 6-4.

Third-ranked Stephens, who captured her first Grand Slam title last year in New York, rallied from 5-2 down in the first set to book a second-round match against Germany's Andrea Petkovic.

"I'm super excited about the hardcourt season again," Stephens said. "It was good I was able to fight back and win."

Wawrinka, who began his career in 2002, won his first Grand Slam title at the 2014 Australian Open and added the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open titles. He reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2014 and 2015 but hasn't gotten past the second round since.

Hard-learned patience over 12 years before his Slam breakthrough is paying dividends as Wawrinka tries to recapture top form.

"There are different steps. Right now is to get back a little confidence and get rid of all the doubt you have in your game," Wawrinka said.

"I feel like I'm really close, but sometimes really far. I'm sure I'll get back where I want to be. It's a long process and you have to accept that. I know I'll get back. I just don't know how long it will take."

It doesn't help that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal returned from injuries and quckly found top form. After several knee injuries, Nadal has won three of the past six Grand Slam titles. Federer has taken three of the past seven Slam titles after 2016 knee surgery.

"You can't compare an injury," Wawrinka said. "Some come back quickly. Some it takes more time.

"You need to accept it's going to be painful. It took a lot of years to win Grand Slams and if it takes me a few months to get my game back in top shape then that's all right."

- No. 2 Wozniacki withdraws -

Stephens, who won her first WTA title at Washington in 2015, fired her sixth ace on her first match-point chance to advance after one hour and 53 minutes.

"I knew I was in for a real test from the very beginning," Stephens said. "I knew I had to be patient, play my game and wait for my opportunities."

Stephens became the top-rated player in the draw when world number two Caroline Wozniacki, the reigning Australian Open champion, withdrew due to a right leg injury.

"It's just something that has been nagging for a little while," Wozniacki said. "Hopefully it will be fine."

Stephens' top-rated remaining rival is Japan's 17th-ranked Naomi Osaka, the reigning Indian Wells champion who won her Washington debut 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) over American Bernarda Pera.

"Confidence-wise, winning Indian Wells was good for me," Osaka said. "It has helped me a lot."

Top-seeded defending champion Alexander Zverev of Germany was scheduled to open later in a second-round match against Tunisia's Malek Jaziri. Third-ranked Zverev beat Jaziri in last year's third round at Washington.

Zverev has never played brother Mischa, the 15th seed, in an ATP event but they could meet in the third round, with Mischa to face US wildcard Tim Smyczek on Wednesday.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 1, 2018 13:39 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50aef4e 1 City odd-even-license-traffic-policy,violation,fine,police,enforcement Free

The Jakarta Police traffic unit has begun ticketing and fining motorists who violate the expanded odd-even license plate number policy after it officially came into effect on Aug. 1. The policy regulates that cars with license plates ending in odd numbers are only allowed to travel on certain roads on odd-numbered dates and vice versa.

On Wednesday, several police officers stopped and ticketed dozens of motorists driving private cars with even plate numbers at the Pancoran crossroad on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta.

One violator was Michael. He told the police he was not aware about the policy and that he was on the way to the hospital for medical reasons. Along with his driver's license (SIM) and his car registration certificate (STNK), Michael also showed officers a letter from the hospital outlining his medical needs.

We have to keep your drivers license, sir, a police officer told Michael.

Im in a hurry, Im going to the hospital, sir. Please, be quick, Michael replied.

The officer proceeded to write a ticket and gave it to Michael.

The city administration has issued a gubernatorial decree on the policy to give police officers the legal justification to penalize violators.

The odd-even policy now covers Jl. S Parman in West Jakarta, Jl. Benyamin Sueb in Central Jakarta, JL. Gatot Subroto, Jl. HR Rasuna Said and Jl. Arteri Pondok Indah in South Jakarta, as well as Jl. DI Panjaitan, Jl. Ahmad Yani and Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan in East Jakarta. (vla)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Andrew Beaty with Eric Randolph in Tehran (Agence France-Presse) Tampa, United States  Wed, August 1, 2018 09:00 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50a2650 2 World #DonaldTrump,DonaldTrump,#Iran,Iran,nuclear-arsenal Free



US President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that talks with arch foe Iran were imminent, despite silence from the Islamic republic's leaders to his offer for a meeting.

Scepticism was rife in Iran over possible talks, with one lawmaker saying negotiations would be a "humiliation."

The country's top leaders did not give an immediate response to Trump's statement a day earlier that he would meet them "any time" without preconditions.

"I have a feeling they'll be talking to us pretty soon," Trump told a rally in Tampa, Florida, before adding: "And maybe not, and that's OK too."

He also used the occasion to again blast the "horrible, one-sided" 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers from which the American president withdrew.

"It's a horror show," Trump said.

"I hope it works out well with Iran. They are having a lot of difficulty right now."

The US is set to start reimposing full sanctions on Iran from August 6 -- a move that has already contributed to a major currency crisis with the rial losing two thirds of its value in six months.

Several Iranian public figures said it was impossible to imagine negotiations with Washington after it tore up the nuclear deal in May.

"With the contemptuous statements (Trump) addressed to Iran, the idea of negotiating is inconceivable. It would be a humiliation," said Ali Motahari, deputy speaker of parliament, according to the conservative Fars News.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said: "America is not trustworthy. After it arrogantly and unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement, how can it be trusted?"

Only last week, Trump fired off an all-caps tirade at his counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Twitter, warning of untold "suffering" if Iran continued to threaten the United States.

Many in Iran are therefore suspicious of his latest volte-face.

"We cannot negotiate with someone who violates international commitments, threatens to destroy countries, and constantly changes his position," said analyst Mohammad Marandi, of the University of Tehran, who was part of the nuclear negotiating team.

Some officials remained more receptive.

"Negotiations with the United States must not be a taboo," said Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, head of parliament's foreign affairs commission, in an interview with the semi-official ISNA news agency.

"Trump understands that he does not have the capacity to wage war with Iran, but due to historic mistrust, diplomatic ties have been destroyed," said Falahatpisheh, adding that this left no choice but to work towards reducing tensions.

Motahari added that hardliners, who have long opposed any rapprochement with the US, share the blame for the collapse of the nuclear deal.

"If the whole Iranian system had worked to implement this agreement, today we would be witnessing the presence of European companies in Iran and their investments, and even Trump would not be able to withdraw so easily from the deal," he said.

"But from the start one part of the system did not want the agreement to work."

- 'Maybe an opportunity' -

On the streets of Tehran, meanwhile, the focus remained resolutely on Iran's domestic economic difficulties.

"All of us believe that Trump is the enemy of Iran and Iranian people. But now maybe Trump wants to give the Iranian people an opportunity and, God willing, it could be a way to get past our disastrous situation," added Hushiar, an office manager in her 50s.

Many Iranians find it hard to believe that the man who is trying to destroy their economy, and has banned them from flying to the US, can be trusted.

"If they are honest in their words that they want to have negotiations with us without any preconditions, at least they should stay in the JCPOA (nuclear deal) or they should let us get the benefits of European trade," said Morteza Mehdian, a software engineer in his 20s.

"But the reality is this man is a liar and we cannot trust his word."

For now, this is also the official line, with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying earlier this month that talking to Trump would be "useless."

Foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on Monday said "there is no possibility for talks," ahead of Trump's statement.

"Washington reveals its untrustworthy nature day by day," Ghasemi said, according to the conservative-aligned Mehr news agency.

The Trump administration says its "maximum pressure campaign" is designed to force Iran into a new deal that goes beyond limiting its nuclear programme and includes curbs to its regional behaviour and missile program.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Christoph Rauwald (Bloomberg) Frankfurt  Wed, August 1, 2018 19:16 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50c4dd1 2 Business #automotive,#Germany,#car,#Volkswagen,#emission,#Trade Free

Volkswagen AG warned that it will take a huge effort to meet delivery targets this year, as the worlds largest automaker battles trade tensions and stricter emissions rules while preparing to amp up digital investments which may lead to deals.

Tougher pollution-testing procedures, aimed at preventing a repeat of Volkswagens cheating scandal, will take effect next month and lead to delivery delays.

The German manufacturer is also bracing for higher tariffs around the globe, which could particularly hit Audi and Porsche, the groups main profit earners.

Protectionist tendencies are escalating worldwide, Chief Executive Officer Herbert Diess said in a speech on Wednesday.

Meeting delivery goals while avoiding deep discounts this year will be a titanic task, said Diess, who recently completed his first 100 days in office.

Beyond the daily issues, hes trying to ready the automaker for approaching challenges, from electrification to self-driving cars to sharing services.

The company needs a massive expansion in software and in its digital investments, including new partnerships and acquisitions, he said.

Volkswagen shares fell after the German manufacturer said it wouldnt be able to repeat the 23 percent surge in profit it reported for the second quarter. The challenges range from economic volatility, increasing competition and the costs of the ongoing diesel scandal, to new, time-consuming exhaust-testing, Volkswagen said in a statement Wednesday.

The carmaker churned out more cars ahead of the EU emission-rules change.

Production jumped 13.5 percent in the second quarter, twice the growth rate of deliveries.

Volkswagen said earlier this year that the company may experience inventory build-up ahead of the Sept. 1 introduction of the Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Test Procedure, or WLTP.Diess is grappling with political challenges alongside an internal overhaul in the aftermath of the three-year-old diesel crisis, which continues to burden the industrial giant.

In the second quarter, the company took 1.64 billion (US$1.92 billion) in charges, mainly for a fine from German authorities, raising the total damages to about 27.4 billion.

Rupert Stadler, the now-suspended head of the Audi luxury unit, was arrested in June by Munich prosecutors and remains in custody.Volkswagen shares fell as much as 3.6 percent, and were down 1.9 percent at 149.40 at 10:18 a.m. in Frankfurt trading, taking the decline for the year to 10 percent.

We cannot rest on our laurels because great challenges lie ahead of us in the coming quarters, Diess said. Growing protectionism also poses major challenges for the globally integrated automotive industry.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 1, 2018 14:32 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50b4e51 1 National whale,East-Nusa-Tenggara,Sikka Free

A whale has been found washed ashore on Liwung Pireng Beach in Kolidetung village, Lela district, Sikka regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

District head Lela Rikardus Pieterson said the whale was already dead when it washed ashore. "When the local residents found it on Saturday, the whale was dead and was decomposing," he told kompas.com on Wednesday. "It might have been dead for a week."

According to Rikardus, the whale might have been brought ashore by big waves on Monday, July 23.

As the carcass had already mostly decomposed, local residents took its bones home. However, they did not take its meat for consumption, tribunnews.com reported.

Program and Evaluation head of the Kupang National Marine Conservation Bureau, Imam Fauzi, said the bureau was still trying to identify the species of the whale. (stu)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Singapore  Wed, August 1, 2018 17:54 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50c1c18 1 SE Asia #Indonesia,Singapore,fashion Free

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi inaugurated pop-up store Rising Fashion in Paragon Mall in Singapore on Wednesday, the shop is part of cooperation efforts between Indonesia and Singapore.

"Last year we did similar activities in Indonesia. The point is to connect young Indonesian-Singaporean designers, not only on design issues, but also marketing issues," Retno told reporters.

Rising Fashion is a collaboration platform between Indonesia and Singapore and was first held in August last year at the Gallery Lafayette in Jakarta.

This year, there are 14 fashion designers from Indonesia who will display their products in the pop-up store, selected by the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf).

The products of the 14 Indonesian designers will be showcased in two waves. The first wave will be held from August 1 to 15, with products by Purana, D.Tale, Nataoka, Hunting Fields, Maison Met, Pattent Goods, and Oaksva Jewelery. Meanwhile from Aug. 16 to 30 the pop-up store will display products by Woodka, Bermock, Danjyo Hiyoji, Alexalexa, Saul, Jeffry Tan and Diniira.

Retno said the presence of such Indonesian products in Singapore could increase Indonesia's exports to global markets and compete with other countries' products.

For Indonesia, fashion is one of the most important sub-sectors of the creative economy. Creative Economy Outlook data published in 2017 showed that the fashion sub-sector amounted to US $10.9 billion, contributing 54.54 percent to the total export value of the creative economy sector in 2015.The Australian hotel operator owned by billionaire Harry Triguboff was fined AU$3 million (US$2.22 million) on Tuesday for misleading customers, after it withheld unhappy guests' details from travel site TripAdvisor Inc to avoid bad reviews.

Between November 2014 and October 2015, Meriton Serviced Apartments falsified or held back the contact details of customers it thought might be critical at 13 properties, Australia's Federal Court found.

The company's booking software allowed staff to add letters to customers' email addresses to stop TripAdvisor from reaching them if they had made complaints during their stay. It also held back reviews during maintenance periods at the hotels.

On Tuesday, the court imposed the AU$3 million fine, which is payable within a month.

This is about a fifth of what the judge had said the maximum levy could be, A$14.3 million, but higher than the A$330,000-A$400,000 Meriton had suggested it should pay.

"Meriton's conduct created an unduly favourable impression," Justice Mark Moshinsky said in a written judgment.

Read also: Best Indonesian hotels based on guest feedback revealed

"The contravening conduct occurred on a large scale, and the TripAdvisor website, where the misleading impression was created, attracted a very large number of consumers. In these circumstances, I consider that a large penalty is required."

Meriton did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The company had previously disputed that the practice had any effect on its TripAdvisor rating and it stopped withholding customers details as soon Triguboff - who was rated Australia's wealthiest man in 2016 - found out.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which brought the proceedings against Meriton, had initially sought a A$20 million penalty.

"This case sends a strong message that businesses can expect ACCC enforcement action if they're caught manipulating feedback on third party review websites," ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said in a statement.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Sri Wahyuni (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java  Wed, August 1, 2018 10:05 1183 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df50a56e7 1 News UGM,university,student,Gadjah-Mada-University,Pangalengan,West-Java Free

A group of 30 Gadjah Mada University (UGM) students has helped the locals of Margamukti village in Pangalengan district, Bandung, West Java, map its tourism potential as part of the students Community Service Program (KKN).

The result of the mapping was officially handed over by the students in the form of a blueprint to Margamukti village head Agus Suherman during the Pangalengan geotourism festival held in the village over the weekend. The festival itself aims to improve public awareness of the importance of tourism potential in sustainable tourism development.

Apart from the blueprint, the students, who have been staying in the village since June 24 and are scheduled to leave on Aug. 9, also presented the administration with a Margamukti geological map and a village tourism website.

Located some 1,200 meters above sea level, Margamukti offers cool weather and a green panorama of tea plantations and pine forests as well as hot springs, waterfalls, biking tracks, spots to enjoy sunsets and geothermal power plant sites in the nearby area.

UGM community service director Irfan Dwidya Prijambada said tourism was the easiest way to develop a community as it did not need huge capital. What we sell is the existing nature. Only, it needs to be well managed, Irfan said.

He added that tourism matches with the development program of the Pangalengan administration as the Bandung regent was also seeking to develop the district as a tourist destination.

Read also: UGM students sent to Asmat

Meanwhile UGM deputy rector Bambang Agus Kironoto said that what the students were doing in Pangalengan was to implement the success that UGM already achieved in Lahendong, North Sulawesi, in developing geothermal-based tourism through the same program.

We will try to implement the success here in accordance with the potential of this region, so as to create added value, Bambang said, underlining the importance of mapping a regions potential.

For this, he said, the working program of the first KKN students deployed in Pangalengan focused more on the mapping of the potential of the region, based on this the next group of students will further help develop tourism in the area.

This for sure will not be the only group of students to be sent here. There will be more to come. But, this will not be successful without the support of all parties including local communities, Bambang said.

UGM sent out a total of 5,592 KKN students in 212 groups this year across the countrys 34 provinces.

In the past few years the university has been implementing KKN programs in which a target region receives groups of KKN students continuously every year for five consecutive years for sustainability purposes. Each group usually stays for about two months in the location. (kes)About a year-and-a-half ago, residents of the Two Bridges neighborhood were promised they would have a meaningful role in the environmental review for three proposed mega-projects along the waterfront. At the first public engagement meeting, held in December of 2016, they were more than a little skeptical (See this: Residents Doubt Their Concerns Will Be Heard). Now the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is complete. At a meeting of Community Board 3 held July 23, residents worst fears were realized, as the developers outlined the findings and proposed mitigations.

At the meeting of CB3s land use committee, the developers presented a synopsis of the 800 page document and talked about possible neighborhood improvements, including a new elevator at the East Broadway Subway Station and the renovation of three local parks. Community board members and community residents were less than impressed, telling the developers they were offering crumbs in exchange for reduced light, increased traffic and overcrowded schools.

The projects would add 2,775 mostly market rate rental units to the historically low-income Two Bridges area. 694 apartments (25%) would be designated as permanently affordable. The developers are JDS Development Group, a partnership between L+M Development Partners and the CIM Group and The Starrett Group. Their proposed towers would range in height from 63-80 stories.

A public hearing is scheduled before the City Planning Commission Oct. 17. But first, Community Board 3 will hold a hearing to gather local comments. Its scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 14, 6:30 p.m. at M.S. 131, 100 Hester St. Anyone wishing to speak has two minutes to offer testimony about the impact of the projects on local schools, transportation, streets, affordable housing, neighborhood character, etc.

The developers were represented at the July meeting by attorney David Karnovsky, who just happens to be former general counsel of the Department of City Planning. He was backed up by a sizable team from AKRF, the influential consulting firm that prepared the environmental review for the three development teams.

Even though the Draft EIS was paid for and overseen by the developers, Karnovsky stated, Its a city document, not a developer document, adding, that the environmental impact statement was reviewed by the city, vetted by the city. Its a highly technical process based on the City Environmental Quality Review Manual, which lays out very high thresholds for mitigating impacts in areas such as public schools and roadways.

Throughout the meeting, numerous community members expressed frustration that, in their view, the Draft EIS fails to account for the true impacts of the mega-towers on the surrounding area. Testimony by Melanie Wang from the local advocacy organization CAAAV was particularly emotional and pointed.

In a brief section (1 1/2 pages long) on indirect residential displacement, Wang noted, the Draft EIS concluded that the influx of 2,000 market rate apartments would have no significant adverse environmental impacts on the large amount of rent regulated housing in the neighborhood. The study authors asserted that these affordable units are protected from market influences through rent stabilization and other regulatory programs.

At CAAAV, said Wang, she works with rent regulated tenants every day who are being harassed out of their homes. Wang added, I think every resident of this neighborhood knows that the addition of pricey rentals in shiny new towers will imperil the Lower East Sides dwindling stock of affordable housing.

During her remarks, Wang read from an article in Luxury Listings NYC, which profiled One Manhattan Square, Extells 80-story condo tower on the former Cherry Street Pathmark site. In the story, a real estate broker who sells a lot of high-end condos on the Lower East Side, Ariel Tirosh, said all of the new projects would raise the profile of the gritty area. He speculated that, eventually, if the developers are careful, (Two Bridges) will become a neighborhood.

This mentality, explained Wang, appears to have permeated the real estate industry. Speaking directly to the developers sitting in the first row, she said, Im going to tell you and everyone else in this room is here to tell you that this is already a neighborhood. Its been a neighborhood for a long time. Even though theyre bringing in thousands of market rate apartments to a working class, immigrant neighborhood, Wang asserted that the existing community will remain and persist. Referring to the dramatic changes the towers would bring, she concluded, It is outrageous to me that this DEIS ignores that change, that potential impact.

It goes without saying that many Two Bridges residents will not be content with a new swing set at their local park or a new stairwell leading to the F Train. One tenant leader, Marc Richardson, said, I havent talked to anyone in the community who isnt outright opposed to the developments, or wouldnt want to see them significantly reduced. Another tenant leader, Trever Holland, referred to Extells monstrous tower, saying, I want anyone to raise their hand if they think that 80-story building that sits next to Manhattan Bridge is appropriate from any angle in the city.

Local activists and elected officials are fighting the projects in a couple of different ways. First, City Council member Margaret Chin and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer are trying to push through a zoning text amendment to require a ULURP in the Two Bridges area. The full-scale land use review would give the City Council some leverage, since ULURP requires Council approval. Second, local groups are advocating for a neighborhood rezoning, including height caps and mandatory levels of affordable housing.

During the recent meeting, Julian Morales of the neighborhood group GOLES pointed out that people at a public scoping hearing last year asked to have the rezoning option studied in the environmental review. Thats a true alternative, a reasonable alternative to have considered, he argued. Karnovsky responded by saying that the rezoning proposal wasnt studied because it didnt meet the developers objectives. According to the Draft EIS, those objectives include:

creating up to 2,775 new residential units of which 25 percent or up to 694 residential units would be designated as permanently affordable, including approximately 200 new units of low-income senior housing, advancing a City-wide initiative to build and preserve 200,000 affordable units over 10 years in order to support New Yorkers with a range of incomes; provide additional resiliency measures at each site; achieve high quality urban design, architecture, community facility space, and open space elements; enhance the surrounding streetscape and enliven the pedestrian experience, through the creation of new buildings, landscaping, and open space on the project sites ;add to the retail mix already located in the Two Bridges neighborhood; and strengthen the Citys tax base by encouraging development and employment opportunities in the area.

Questions were raised about several conclusions in the Draft EIS. A lot of time was spent discussing the section on public schools. If the projects include 200 apartments for seniors, the environmental review found, there would be no need to add elementary school seats. If theres no new senior housing, the developers say there would be a small impact, creating a deficit of 16 seats in local schools. As a mitigation, they would potentially pay the Department of Education to relocate administrative offices now located in area schools, or make other space within the district available to the DOE. The study authors say they consulted with the School Construction Authority in evaluating the capacity of area school buildings.

CB3 member Lisa Kaplan said, Already we have janitors closets being used as school nurses offices or administrative space. These buildings have been crammed to the fullest. The fact that AKRF consulted with the School Construction Authority, which has a long history of underestimating local population trends, said Kaplan, gives us very little assurance that anything reasonable would be determined.

Another community board member, Dominic Berg, questioned how the developers conducted their analysis of available school seats. He asked how many studio, one-bedroom, 2-bedroom (etc.) apartments were planned in the new towers, in an effort to assess how many school-age children might be coming into the community. The developers did not have an answer, explaining that  in keeping with city planning guidelines  they used a standard formula (We use an average, said Karnovsky). Their analysis concluded that the projects would generate a need for 309 additional elementary school seats. The numbers you are using are basically bunk, said Berg. Once again, we are being screwed as a community when it comes to schools.

Berg pointed out that a site has been reserved for a public school as part of the Essex Crossing project on Grand Street, although the School Construction Authority has declined to allocate funding. Heres an exchange between Berg and Karnovsky on the topic:

Berg: Has there been any consideration of the developers offering to fund the construction of the school? Karnovsky: Were working with a 16 seat deficit, which is different than (building a new) school. Berg: I take that as a no. Karnovsky: We are committed to funding the gap, of finding ways to do that usefully Were not looking at an entirely new school.

The president of District 1s Community Education Council (CEC1), Naomi Pena, shared some concerns of her own. Noting that no one from CEC1 had been approached during the first phase of the environmental review, she said, I think its really important that if you want to have a discussion about the impact on our schools you have to talk to the stakeholders who are representing them. She said the analysis was clearly flawed. 16 seats?, she asked. Absolutely asinine. Its an insult to everyones intelligence.

I am trying to prevent another Tribeca in this neighborhood, she explained, in a reference to the school overcrowding crisis that has unfolded in Lower Manhattan during the past decade.

Another topic that came up is the developers plan to add an elevator leading to the subway at East Broadway and Rutgers Street, and new, wider staircases on Madison Street. The developers touted the improvements, estimated to cost at least $40 million, as ADA-accessible.

Linda Jones, a community board member who lives near Seward Park, said, I was a little disturbed when I realized that the elevator would be placed at the north end. Thats great for those of us who live in that area, but we should have another one at the south end (closer to the Two Bridges projects). The north end also has an escalator.

In the environmental review, more than 30 intersections were studied to evaluate additional congestion as a result of the projects. AKRF found that about a half dozen intersections would suffer significant adverse traffic impacts. According to the Draft EIS, the majority of the locations where significant adverse traffic impacts are predicted to occur could be fully mitigated with the implementation of standard traffic mitigation measures (e.g., signal timing changes and lane re-striping) The Draft EIS also states, The significant adverse traffic impacts at the South Street and Montgomery Street intersection and at the Chatham Square and Worth Street/Oliver Street intersection could not be mitigated.

CB3 member Trever Holland, who lives at South Street and Rutgers Street, asked why no mitigations were planned at that intersection.

Chi Chan, a vice president at AKRF responded, There were no impacts There are incremental impacts that determine what the threshold will be (and those thresholds were not reached at this intersection).

Holland shot back, Right in the middle of all of the proposed developments  and you dont think theres going to be any impact at that intersection? There is a senior building at the corner. A couple of years ago three seniors were killed on South Street.

The developers are planning to spend $15 million to upgrade three public spaces: Coleman Playground, Captain Jacob Joseph Playground and Little Flower Playground. Holland has questioned how they decided which parks would receive funding. Karnovsky said it was partly based on input from the citys Parks Department, as well as feedback from local residents during a series of outreach events last year.

Holland said very few locals actually chimed in on the subject of park improvements, and he called for more robust engagement with the community. He also said there are obviously public spaces along the waterfront in desperate need of financing. Holland specifically mentioned Pier 42; only a small portion of that future recreational space has received funding. Karnovsky responded, Its our understanding it is funded for phases that are within our build years. Grace Mak, another local resident, said she didnt understand why the heavily used Cherry Clinton Playground would not be slated for major renovations.

Other speakers voiced their displeasure with the projects and the proposed mitigations. One woman said, You want to give us an elevator? Pretty much, youre giving us crumbs. A crumb, to be exact. How about offering us a hospital, a new school, an affordable supermarket? As far as Im concerned, you can keep your crumbs.

In the past, the developers have defended their projects, and emphasized various efforts to reach out to the local community. During the meeting, Karnovsky repeated some of those same talking points. At one point, he said, We are not doing the bear minimum. While indicating he did not wish to disparage Extells One Manhattan Square (where there has been virtually no meaningful community outreach), Karnovsky added, This is not the Extell project.

He also indicated that the developers are eager to hear additional feedback from CB3. The DEIS identifies potential (mitigation) measures. Members of this board have a role to play, he added. They are not written in stone.This summer, indulge and broaden your historical fashion knowledge by visiting five of the best fashion exhibitions the UK has to offer.

Whether you are based in London or fancy heading up to Edinburgh for a weekend away, this summer, enjoy the retro genius of Orla Kiely, or take a nostalgic trip down Girl Power Lane - this summers' fashion exhibitions have something to tickle everyone's fancy.

Azzedine Alaia: The Couturier

Design Museum, London

May 10 - October 7 2018

If Elle says its a must see then who are we to argue?

Featuring a highly-coveted collection of hand-crafted works; the Azzedine Alaia exhibition is a celebration of the work and life of the late fashion curator.

A designer whose clients included the likes of Greta Garbo and Michelle Obama, you would not be able to find an Alaia in any high-street store. Unlike his contemporaries, Alaia refused to be tempted by the calling of fast-fashion and the pressure of fashion week deadlines. Each Alaia creation is exactly that, a personally constructed creation, bespoke and beautiful, designed specifically for buy or purpose.

More than just a collection, the exhibition offers an incredibly intimate insight into Alaias journey as an artist and a designer, from both a professional and a personal perspective.

Liberty Art Fabrics & Fashion

Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh

July 28 2018 - January 12 2019

A retrospective celebration of Liberty London is setting up shop in Edinburghs Dovecot Studios from late July until January 2019.

The exhibition will showcase over 100 innovative patterns, fabrics and garments that Liberty have pledged their name to in their 140 years of activity.

Featuring a variety of their first pieces, including those inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites, contrasting with their more modern-day offerings; the Liberty London exhibition is perfect for those interested in how the face of fashion has changed, as well as how the brand itself has developed.

Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up

V&A, London

June 16 - November 4 2018

Described as an extraordinary testimony to suffering and spirit by The Observer, the Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up exhibition is taking over the V&A until early November.

The curation consists of numerous personal artefacts and clothing owned by Kahlo herself. Excitingly, the collection in its full form has never been exhibited outside Mexico before - meaning this exhibition is a must-see.

Objects included in the exhibition include Khalos prosthetic leg adorned with a red leather boot, a selection of her most prized cosmetics as well as many of the late artists most iconic dresses.

Orla Kiely: A Life in Pattern

Fashion and Textile Museum, London

May 25 - September 23 2018

This summer, Londons Fashion and Textiles Museum plays host to one of the most iconic and celebrated fashion designers of the modern day; Orla Kiely OBE.

Featuring 150 objects (including hand-drawn first drafts of designs as well as photographs) the Irish designers showcase is one of the fashion exhibition calendar year highlights.

Described as the Queen of Prints via The Guardian, Orla Kiely began her career creating hats, and has since has had her designs used on a range of Citroen DS3 cars and has crafted her own refillable water bottle (the wottle). Her retro prints have, and shall continue to inspire a generation to come. Make this a must on your summer schedule.

SpiceUP: An Exhibition About The Spice Girls

Business Design Centre, London + Manchester Central, Manchester

28 July - 20 August 2018 (London) + 24 August - 4 September 2018 (Manchester)

The travelling Spice Girls exhibition SpiceUP will first be held at Londons Business Design Centre in Angel Islington, before heading up to Manchester Central in the North West of the UK.

Spreading girl power, celebrating badass women and causing UK fans to take a well-needed trip down memory lane, the nostalgic SpiceUp exhibition is set to be monumental.

Featuring 90s memorabilia, official Spice Girls merchandise and some of their iconic costumes, the exhibition is expected to be vivid, colourful and a must for any pop music fan.The legend that made his name as a quick-witted action hero in Kingsman , Taron Egerton, is literally perfect casting for British legend Robin Hood.

Directed by Otto Bathurst, whose name you might not know but whose work you definitely do -- he directed a lot of the first season of Peaky Blinders as well as 'The National Anthem' Black Mirror episode (you know, the pig one).

Robin Hood reveals some fantastic effects, slick fight scenes, and a truly epic story. Following in the footsteps of Guy Ritchie's This first look trailer forreveals some fantastic effects, slick fight scenes, and a truly epic story. Following in the footsteps of Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword from last year, the trend of updating Briitsh legends seems to be going strong.

Peaky Blinders ' own Paul Anderson play the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisbourne respectively - a notorious duo! Also making an appearance in the trailer are Jamie Foxx as Little John and Jamie Dornan as Will Scarlett. Eve Hewson is the Maid Marion to Egerton's Robin, while Ben Mendohlsen ( Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ) andown Paul Anderson play the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisbourne respectively - a notorious duo!

From the BBC's campy TV adaptation to Kevin Costner's Prince of Thieves (1991) to Russel Crowe's gritty 2010 version, we can't wait to see what original take this Robin will present. The official synopsis states: "Robin of Loxley (Taron Egerton) a war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander (Jamie Foxx) mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown in a thrilling action-adventure packed with gritty battlefield exploits, mind-blowing fight choreography, and a timeless romance."

Robin Hood shoots into cinemas on November 22nd, distributed by Lionsgate.#Spiritwalker Korean film 'Spiritwalker' to be remade in Hollywood The Korean action fantasy film "Spiritwalker" will be remade for U.S. audiences by a renowned producer in Hollywood, the film's distributor said Wednesday. Lorenzo di Bonaventur...Another month, another deluge of wonderful Netflix content to binge! Whatever the weather may bring, entertain yourself with one of these very many new films coming to Netflix UK this August.

1. Touch of Evil (1958)  1st August

Orson Welles 1958 American film noir classic is now regarded as one of his best films, and in 1993 was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.

A saga of corruption and intrigue, the film begins when a car bomb explodes by the US-Mexican border. As both a Mexican and an American agent investigate, one of the officers soon begins to suspect that the other is corrupt, and his investigation risks putting his life in danger.

2. Like Father (2018) 3rd August

Released straight to Netflix, this film stars Kristen Bell as workaholic executive who is left at the altar. Instead of her would-be husband, she invites her long-estranged father to her honeymoon, played by Frasiers Kelsey Grammer.

Though it obviously stars some comedy geniuses, Netflix classes this film as emotional and heartfelt, so prepare for a bit of a rollercoaster with this one.

3. Pride and Prejudice (2005)  4th August

Based on the renowned Jane Austen novel but changed enough to make it new, this romantic drama stars Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen as Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy, played with understated chemistry.

A classic and timeless tale of morality, love and marriage, few were surprised when Pride and Prejudice raked in four Academy Award nominations that year.

4. Loving Vincent (2017) 5th August

Loving Vincent is a biographical drama about famous painter Vincent Van Goghs life, and particularly focusing on the circumstances of his premature death.

If for nothing else, its worth watching as the worlds first fully painted feature film, with 65, 000 frames having been painted in oils on canvas by a team of 125 specialised painters.

5. 20th Century Woman (2016) 17th August

A drama set in 1979 California, the story follows single mother Dorothea Fields as she raises her teen son in a time of cultural upheaval. She enlists the help of two younger women  her teenage neighbour Julie and Abbie, a punk artist living as a boarder in their home  to aid in her sons upbringing. Starring Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig and Annette Bening, this is a must-watch.

6. To All the Boys Ive Loved Before (2018) - 17th August

This adaptation of the successful novel of the same name follows Lara Jean Song Covey, a girl who writes love letters to all her crushes, letters intended for her own record only. One day however, the letters are mysteriously sent out, throwing her life upside down as each recipient lines up to confront her.

7. The Secret Life of Pets (2016)  22nd August

Max is a spoiled dog enjoying his fancy life in New York until his owner brings home Duke, a giant and messy mutt. While out on a stroll without their owner, the pair come across a gang of alley cats and eventually end up on their way to the pound. Saved only by a street bunny called Snowball, the two are enlisted into a gang of abandoned pets hell-bent on revenge against their owners.

8. Bad Moms (2016)  26th August

An entertaining comedy starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn as stressed-out mothers trying to get away from their daily lives and responsibilities. In their mission to go wild and blow off some steam, they also set themselves up for a showdown with the PTAs disapproving and perfect mums.

And if you love this film, rest easy knowing theres a sequel you can follow up with.JfC

The KCL Justice for Cleaners () campaign has been in dispute with the university's senior management for the past two years. They are calling for an end to the outsourcing of the university's cleaning operations, claiming that staff employed by Servest (which holds the current cleaning contract with KCL) are not offered the same employment rights as in-house staff. The demonstrations outside the Barbican Centre are the latest in a series of escalations of this long dispute - cleaning staff also protested at the KCL Guy's Campus open day on 8 July, and students supporting their cause occupied the James Clerk Maxwell Building on KCL's Waterloo Campus for nine days during the UCU strike over pension reforms in March. Graduates and academics alike have attended the demonstration to show solidarity with cleaning staff.Hundreds of academics signed a letter supporting the group's cause in the spring, and the group says that more and more students are rallying to support its cause. During the graduation ceremonies, students and academics alike were pictured wearing badges supporting the campaign's demands.Despite KCL's senior management, including Principal Edward Byrne, promising to begin a review process that could bring KCL cleaning staff in-house once the contract with Servest ends, the campaign has accused management staff of continuing to "to show no practical action or intention of ending outsourcing and bringing the cleaners in-house.Speaking exclusively to The National Student, Justice for Cleaners said that the institution's 'persistent reluctance' to address the issue of outsourcing was both 'undeniable and frustrating.''The campaign to bring cleaners in-house and end their outsourcing has been going on for over two years, both from a student and union perspective, and yet it took a 9-day occupation outside the Principal's office in March 2018 for the matter to even be addressed,' they explained. The group also said that supporters of their campaign had been subjected to 'consistent aggression' from KCL senior management. They told TNS that students taking part in the March occupation and other demonstrations had been threatened with disciplinary action, suspensio and police action 'for as little as giving out leaflets.' KCL has also introduced new rules on student protests , which will see students banned from using banners and megaphones during demonstrations near the university's lecture theatres.According to the campaign, the cleaners themselves have also experienced repression. They said that those who resisted and spoke up about their working conditions have allegedly been "suspended and intimidated" by Servest. The group Justice for Cleaners is sceptical about Principal Ed Byrne's proposed review that could bring cleaning back in-house. They believe that the process is 'unnecessarily convoluted and frequently opaque.' 'It is imperative to exert pressure adjacent to the review, in the build-up to the cleaning contract renewal deadline in February 2019, to ensure that cleaners get justice,' they added. 'Only by disrupting the universitys day to day activities, public shaming and creating solidarity with other campaigns will senior management listen.' The group has supported other campaigns to end the outsourcing of staff and improve worker's rights at universities across London, including Goldsmith's, LSE, SOAS and the University of London. The group warned that outsourcing is a 'huge problem' across the University sector, and is 'is consistently used by universities to entrench a worker hierarchy and allegedly cut costs.'New research shows deaf students are less likely to attend a Russell Group university than their hearing classmates.

Data obtained by the National Deaf Childrens Society (NDCS) via a Freedom of Information request has revealed how only 9% of deaf school leavers attended a Russell Group university in the academic year 2015 to 2016, compared to 17% of applicants with no disability.

Photo by mentatdgt from Pexels

The National Deaf Childrens Society (NDCS) say they want universities to to widen access for deaf young people.

Susan Daniels, chief executive of the NDCS, said: "The 50,000 deaf children and young people in the UK should have the same aspirations and the same opportunities to thrive and succeed in life as any other children.

"While we celebrate the fact that deaf young people who complete their A-levels now go to university at a similar rate to hearing young people, clearly there is still a big problem when it comes to entering our top universities.

She said: "Russell Group universities need to get a grip on this problem. They need to work out what's working and what isn't.

"They need to learn from some of the innovative programmes that have been developed to get children from disadvantaged backgrounds into university."

A spokesperson for the Russell Group said: Russell Group universities encourage all young people to apply to our universities, whatever their circumstances may be. Applications are judged on merit and are not affected by a students disability.

Our universities are working with 8,000 schools across the country to continue improving the diversity of our students, by encouraging young people from all backgrounds to apply.

Students with disabilities, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing, are supported by a disability adviser when they arrive at university to develop an individual student support plan. This can also include help with applying for disability financial support.Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here

You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: 

Home PageHome >Camera Enforcement > Revenue from Cameras > Texas: School System Goes After School Bus Camera OperatorAfter a few miles breaking myself in gently with Aston Martin's new 211mph flagship super grand tourer, I judged on a nice long straight stretch of beautifully smooth road that the time was right to open her up.

Pressing down hard on the accelerator of the new 225,000 DBS Superleggera, I felt a surge of jet-like G-force push me back into the sportily supportive seat as two words shot involuntarily from my mouth. One of them is unrepeatable in family circles.

For bless me, it really is fast.

DBS Super-fright: Daily Mail motoring editor Ray Massey got a shock when he took to the wheel of the latest 211mph Aston Martin

I was out in vintage Bond country  the German and Austrian Alps  putting this car designed for continental cruising firmly through its paces.

Aston Martin bosses insisted before the launch that they wanted to create a very fast car that was engaging and exciting for drivers of all abilities and didn't terrify less experienced owners.

But they also boasted that it 'packs a breath-taking punch' like James Bond who drove its predecessors.

They've succeeded in their aims  up to a point.

You can drive this stunning creature for long distances in sporty comfort and refinement and enjoy it tremendously.

But you do have to treat it with respect  because this beauty can very quickly turn into a beast.

The DBS Superleggera is Aston Martin's new super grand tourer. It costs from 225,000 (before options)

Ray Massey quickly notices that there isn't much to see in his rear-view mirror as he races the super-potent British GT car through the German and Austrian Alps

The DBS Superleggera - or superlight - is powered by a mighty 5.2 litre twin-turbo V12 petrol engine developing 725 horse-power

The clever stability and safety features go a long way towards saving you from yourself. But don't push it.

The new DBS Superleggera accelerates from rest to 62mph in a staggering 3.4 seconds. But no stopwatch can come close to translating how nerve-tinglingly exciting this actually feels behind the wheel.

It's powered by a mighty 5.2 litre twin-turbo V12 petrol engine developing 725 horse-power  equivalent to seven Ford Fiestas - and linked to an enthusiastic eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Significantly, it will also sprint from rest to 100mph in just 6.4 seconds and cover the stretch from 50mph to 100mph in fourth gear in just 4.2 seconds.

Ray Massey says you can drive in supreme comfort and refinement at modest speeds. But once you put your foot down the DBS becomes a difficult animal to tame

The DBS Superleggera replaces the Vanquish S as the British brand's flagship GT model

One of its best credentials is how well it handles tight and twisty alpine roads - like this one

It's beautifully balanced taking on corners on tight and twisting alpine roads and is beautifully mannered once you're in the rhythm for some long-legged mile-munching.

There is a choice of three dynamic modes which can be selected to intensify or relax DBS driving responses: GT for more relaxed cruising, Sport for more engaged driving, and Sport Plus for full-on excitement.

Driving in automatic mode, specially developed software guiding the the eight-speed 'box helps gauge driving conditions and the driver's input to ensure the car is in exactly the right gear at the right time.

The V12 powerplant has gas-guzzling fuel economy averaging 22.9mpg and CO2 emissions at 285g/km - you'll need deep pockets to keep it fuelled

As you might expect, the soundtrack produced by the quad exhaust pipes in a match for the beautiful looks

The sports-plus seats offer firm support and comfort for long distance drives

But the fun really starts when you use the full-length paddle-shifters on the steering wheel to manually take control of the transmission and run up and down through the gears yourself.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera: Will it fit in my garage? Price: from 225,000 On sale: Now Length: 4712mm Width: 2146mm Rear width: 1968mm Front width: 1942mm Height: 1280mm Weight: 1693kg Seats: 4 Engine: 5.2 litre bi-turbo V12 48-valve with stop-start cylinder deactivation Power: 715bhp Transmission: ZF eight speed automatic Top speed: 211mph Acceleration: 0-62mph: 3.4 seconds 0-100mph: 6.4 seconds 50mph  100mph: 4.2 seconds (in fourth gear) Fuel economy: 22.9mpg average CO2 emissions: 285g/km Turning circle: 12.4m Wheels: 21-inch Forged Y-spoke wheel in silver Tyres: 21-iinch Pirelli P Zero

Cleverly, the paddles are designed so that the driver doesn't have to reposition his or her hands on the steering wheel during cornering.

It also sounds the business with the burble and roar from the quad exhaust pipe finely tuned to ensure pops and bangs during enthusiastic driving and more subdued refinement during more relaxed cruising and grand touring.

Like one of Bond's Walther PPKs, it also has tremendous stopping power - trust me, I had the chance to put it to the test.

When a reckless continental white van man came storming around a blind corner on the wrong side of the road while attempting to overtake three cars, I slammed on the powerful anchors to give the idiot a fighting chance to pull in.

He took it.

'Brakes work well', I said coolly to my ashen-faced passenger. Just as well.

The sports-plus seats offer firm support and comfort for long distance drives. But although there are two sculpted seats in the back, you wouldn't want to go far in them unless a small child.

The new flagship DBS Superlegerra replaces the Vanquish S at the top of the Aston Martin pile.

It's a worthy successor to Aston Martin's beefy long distance cruising models which over nearly fifty years have been driven on the big screen by British secret agent 007. And ultimately the best of the bunch.

However, it's not what you'd call efficient.

The V12 powerplant has gas-guzzling fuel economy averaging 22.9mpg and CO2 emissions at 285g/km - you'll need deep pockets to keep it fuelled.

Treat it with respect: Ray Massey says the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera isn't a car you should take lightly when you're at the wheel

History of DBS The 'DBS' nameplate was first used in 1967 on a six cylinder V6 vehicle created by Aston Martin's in-house designer William Towns. It was designed to be a dramatic departure from the DB6 it replaced, although the the fastback four-seater DBS was produced alongside the ageing DB6 for three years, until the older car was finally phased out in 1970. Two years into production, the six-cylinder DBS was joined by the DBS V8 powered by Aston Martin's all-new 5.3-litre V8 engine hailed as 'the world's fastest four-seater production car'. Just over 1000 DBS cars were built between 1967 and 1972, including both V6 and V8-powered editions. After a gap of 35-year the DBS name was revived in 2007, when the all-new DBS - a development of the DB9 - was unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in the USA before going on sale the following year and replacing the first generation Vanquish S. Powered by a 6.0-litre, 510bhp V12 engine linked to a six-speed manual gear-box, it had a top speed in excess of 190mph. Later DBS versions had a choice of manual or automatic transmission. In 2009 Aston Martin introduced the DBS Volante - the first ever open-top DBS. Production of both the second-generation DBS and DBS Volante ceased in 2012.

Ferrari book that costs as much as a family car

If you can't run to buying a brand-new Ferrari, how about books about them for the price of a family car?

Taschen next month publishes Ferrari, in a limited edition run of 1,947 books  the figure commemorating the year in which the firm was founded by race car legend Enzo Ferrari.

Each lavishly illustrated 514page collectors' edition tome, written in collaboration with Ferrari, uses the same leather as in the cars and sits in an aluminium display case replicating a Ferrari engine.

Speed read: The 250 Art Edition volumes of Ferrari  which include a bookstand evocative of a Ferrari 12-cylinder engine  are priced at an eye-watering 22,000

Standard versions are a cool 4,500.

But the 250 Art Edition volumes  which include a bookstand evocative of a Ferrari 12-cylinder engine  are 22,000.

Each is signed by Enzo's son Piero Ferrari, the late Ferrari and Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne and his successor as Ferrari chairman John Elkann.

Prescott Hill Climb celebrates 80th birthday

Expect two days of high-octane action at the Vintage Sports Car Club's 80th anniversary celebrations of the Prescott Hill Climb.

Vintage vehicle fan Peter Waller, now 85, diving his ERA R9B at the Prescott HillClimb in the Seventies

This weekend, about 250 pre-war racing and sports cars  including MGs, Bentleys, Bugattis, Austins, Alvises and ERAs  take on the steep 880-yard course at Gotherington, Glos.

Tickets at the gate 25 per day, 40 for the weekend. Under 16s free. Visit vsccprescott.co.uk

Demise of diesel hastened by 'political confusion'

Diesel's death is premature but its demise has been hastened by politicians 'sowing the seeds of confusion'.

Mike Hawes, of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said reports that diesel and petrol cars would be banned by 2040 were harmful  and it took ministers a year to clarify that electrified hybrids wouldn't be affectedWhen will ministers wake up to the nightmare they've caused by rushing to get smart energy meters into every home in Britain?

This failing scheme must be paused immediately while the Government reviews what's gone wrong and works out how to fix it, or we'll end up paying for its folly through higher energy prices.

At its launch in 2015, we were told the project to upgrade Britain's 53 million gas and electricity meters to digital versions would be a boon for homeowners.

A screen showing your spending by the minute, the end of estimated bills  what was not to like?

Transparency: Smart meters tell you how much energy you're using - what's not to like?

Ministers even claimed households would be 26 a year better off because they'd be inspired to use less power  a figure that supposedly included the installation costs that are paid by suppliers and added to everyone's bills.

Three years on, Britain's biggest infrastructure project since the Seventies is an utter mess.

Costs have ballooned so much a Parliamentary report has already concluded that the 26 estimate is more likely to be 11. Privately, industry figures say every penny in savings will be wiped out.

The big problem is the 2020 deadline for finishing the rollout. Power suppliers  who are in charge of installing the devices  face multi-billion-pound fines if they fall short. My sources say they almost certainly will.

Justified scepticism among the public hasn't helped. Many fear a loss of privacy if they let firms access their data. Others refuse upgrades as the meters being installed lose their smart functions when you switch suppliers.

It's led to bullying tactics. Power firms are spending vast sums on marketing, some of which is grossly misleading, and have been caught turning up to appointments they booked without their customers' permission.

Meter-fitters, meanwhile, are in such high demand that they now charge exorbitant fees.

All told, suppliers say the race to beat the deadline will cost them 9 billion more than predicted.

As so often, the chaos can be traced to a controversial EU edict which has been handled poorly by policymakers in Westminster.

Their mistakes in putting individual firms in charge of the rollout and imposing an unnecessary deadline have put us in this hole  and it's time they stopped digging. Energy minister Claire Perry should tell Theresa May she needs to go back to the drawing board.

One solution might be to ask local energy networks to carry out the installations, so they could upgrade entire streets at a time.

But given that, thankfully, we all have a legal right to refuse a smart meter, a better answer is surely to push back the 2020 deadline, or scrap it entirely.

Paltry pension

Have you got an annuity paying a paltry income of less than 100 a year? I'm on the hunt for the smallest pensions in Britain.

Maybe you converted an old work pension into an even smaller annual payout before the 2015 pension freedoms were introduced.

Some savers tell me that if they were able to swap these incomes for a one-off lump sum, it would change their lives  for example, they could carry out urgent home repairs.

I want to show Chancellor Philip Hammond why the rules need to change to allow pensioners to cash in annuities.

If you've got a small pot, tell me what you would do with a lump sum at d.hyde@daily mail.co.uk or Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London, W8 5TT.

Saving face

The City watchdog's latest bright idea to end the great savings rip-off is a new limit on how low banks can cut rates. We've had a stream of crackdowns over the past few years, all of which have fallen flat.

Most banks pay 0.05 per cent on their main easy access accounts  and even less to loyal customers.

The downside of an official floor for rates would be a bonfire of best buys and the temptation for more deals to be cut to the minimum. But the Financial Conduct Authority reckons it would still give savers up to 480 million extra interest.

What would the cap be? The FCA has only one palatable option: force banks to peg savings to the official base rate, currently 0.5 per cent.

Any lower, and it'll be condoning banks that pay savers less than the firms get on their own deposits  which would be a whole new scandal.

d.hyde@dailymail.co.ukFor years, I've promised myself that I would work out precisely how much I pay for my investments. Well, I've done it and I'm spitting blood.

Without giving too much away, I can reveal that the Hazell household has paid well over 100,000 in charges to have our money invested and administered over the past decade or so.

If you think that's a sign I'm stinking rich then think again. Journalists like me are not among the top paid people in the country  we don't even come close.

However, like many of you, I have saved diligently into pensions and investment funds, in my case for around 30 years.

Yet the harder I have saved, the more I have helped to line the pockets of others.

Goodbye, hard-earned cash: Tony Hazell spends a great deal on investment fees every year

How the fees rack up for investors

DIY investors pay two main fees: one to the manager who runs an investment fund. This could be anything from under 0.2 per cent to 2 per cent  or 1 to 20 for every 1,000 invested each year.

In some cases, the manager can even add 'performance fees' if they do their job and make us some money.

The other fee goes to a company that administers the money. This is known as a platform (don't ask me why).

I'm paying between 5.30 per 1,000 for the cheapest investment  a Vanguard FTSE UK All Share tracker  to 16.70 per 1,000 for LF Odey Opus, a specialised actively managed fund.

How platform fees eat into your savings

We don't have to use a platform to invest but it does make it more convenient, allowing us to get an instant overview of our money and to trade easily.

Platforms hold around 519 billion of our money so if their charges averaged 0.25 per cent they would cream off 1.3 billion every year.

In fact, some charge more. Don't get me wrong. I want these companies to be successful and to make healthy profits  it allows them to invest in services and safeguard our savings.

But surely there's a line between a fair return and excessive profits, especially when it can be so difficult to compare the charges? This is a fact that has not escaped the financial regulator which is looking at some fees.

Fees consultancy The Lang Cat worked out that platform costs for someone trading four times a year range from 60 to 450 on a 100,000 portfolio.

Platforms hold around 519 billion of our money so if their charges averaged 0.25 per cent they would cream off 1.3 billion every year

Let's consider two platforms, Hargreaves Lansdown  the biggest  and Fidelity.

HL charges 0.45 per cent  or 4.50 for every 1,000  on the first 250,000. On money above this threshold the charge drops to 0.25 per cent, or 2.50 for every 1,000.

Crucially, each investment type is kept separate for the purposes of the fees tier. So in the worst case, if you held 250,000 in an Isa and 250,000 in a pension you would be charged at 0.45 per cent on the whole lot  that's 2,250 a year. A husband and wife each holding this amount would pay a total of 4,500.

Fidelity charges 0.35 per cent. But for investors with more than 250,000 it cuts the fee to 0.2 per cent on the whole lot.

It also adds pension and Isa investments together when deciding the fee level, and it recognises loyalty, so for those with more than 250,000, all family members in a household can benefit from the lower fee.

In the extreme 1 million case, our husband and wife would pay 2,000 a year.

I tackled Hargreaves Lansdown's chief executive Chris Hill about fee levels and company profits.

He told me: 'We focus on providing excellent service and value for our clients. If you phone HL someone will pick up in less than 10 seconds. We also negotiate discounts on fund fees on behalf of our clients.

'After the discounts, the average client is really paying 0.23 per cent for our services, though this does depend on their choice of investments and wealth.'

He also cited the administration costs such as reporting to HMRC and regulators and dealing with other firms who still use paper rather than technology.

I won't argue  they do provide exceptional service, security, a great website and app.

But do they have to make quite so much profit from investors?

Tesco, for example makes about 5 profit for every 100 income once all of its expenses and bills are paid. Barclays Bank makes 16. Hargreaves Lansdown makes 68. Even the biggest money-spinning law firms only make 37 per 100, according to a PWC survey.

How to cut down on fees

How can we as retail investors cut fees? Well we could buy shares directly, but that demands a lot of expertise and time.

Investment trusts are an option. Many platforms charge far less to hold these. As companies which invest in the shares of other companies they have independent boards that can help to push down their charges.

We could go direct to the fund manager. For example, M&G has a service called myM&G for direct investors.

This charges 1.07 per cent on its popular Episode Income fund and 0.82 per cent for those holding more than 250,000, with the manager undercutting the overall costs of going via a platform.

We use platforms because they offer convenience, choice and service. But charges should be a key concern for all investors.

No matter how good the service is, there is a point when many would opt for Aldi over Waitrose.

How to find the best and cheapest investing platform DIY investing platform prices can be chiefly be split into two camps, writes Simon Lambert. Some charge a flat administration charge, while others charge a percentage of investors' holdings. The former tend to always charge for buying and selling investment funds, while the latter may bundle this cost in and offer free fund dealing. All charge for buying and selling shares, investment trusts and other products that are not funds, but the dealing fees vary from as low as 5 to about 12. If you are a buy and hold investor putting away a large sum of money then you may benefit from a flat fee rather than percentage-based charging, which can mount up to a hefty amount. But if you plan on buying and selling regularly watch our for dealing charges, as these can also add up substantially and easily erode the gain from a flat fee. Lower charges for regular monthly investing can substantially cut costs. Read our round-up of the best investment platforms and use our tool built by This is Money and Broker Compare to find the best one for how you invest.

t.hazell@dailymail.co.ukI'm a grandmother aged 70. I booked a holiday for myself, my daughter and her five children under ten to Corfu with TUI, leaving on Friday, July 20.

I received an email saying that if I wanted us all to sit together I would have to pay to reserve seats.

I panicked at this and booked the seats at a cost of 85, which I thought outrageous, but I paid it anyway.

I must admit I was tempted not to, and let other passengers deal with the trouble of five screaming children in the flight.

Flight fight: Travel firm Tui charged one reader an additional 85 just to get a seat next to her five young grandchildren

I have since discovered that it is illegal for the carrier to separate children under 12 from an accompanying adult.

I telephoned TUI to complain. The person I spoke to refused to put me through to a manager.

He just kept saying 'there will be no refund'. I cannot understand a reputable family holiday company behaving in this manner. S. N., Bucks.

Neither can I  85 is a trivial amount of money for a company the size of TUI, so why argue, especially when they are in the wrong?

The Civil Aviation Authority, the regulator of UK air travel, tells me it is a requirement for all airlines in the EU to ensure children under 12 are next to an accompanying adult.

Where this is not possible  perhaps due to the size of the group  they should be on the row in front or behind.

Strictly speaking it is not illegal so neither you nor the CAA can take them to court for non-compliance. But it is a breach of the EU regulations and CAA guidance.

This is not least because if there's an emergency and the plane has to be evacuated, people should get off as quickly as possible, not be scrambling up and down aisles looking for their children.

The CAA is aware that some airlines do not stick to the regulations and is keen to hear from parents who are being refused seats next to their children.

There is a dedicated page on allocated seating at the CAA website and you can complain about an airline by using the Contact Us link at caa.co.uk.

We at Money Mail would also like to hear if an airline has failed to seat you next to your children under 12 or demanded that you pay to secure seats next to them.

While you've raised an important issue, TUI still won't budge over your money.

A spokesman told me: 'We would always try to seat customers together where possible, with priority given to families travelling with children.

'Where we are unable to seat a whole family together, we will always seat an adult next to a child.

'If customers wish to be seated as a group together then we recommend pre-booking seats to guarantee this.

'We follow the CAA's guidelines on seating so if a customer has chosen not to use the pre-booking service and, in very rare circumstances, their child is initially allocated a seat away from them, it will be automatically re-assigned.'

So while you can't demand to have your whole family in one group and airlines may suggest you pay to sit together, if they separate you from any children aged under 12 they are in breach of EU regulations.

To underline this, a CAA spokesman says: 'The bottom line is that when boarding an aircraft family groups should be seated together.'

You have your say Here are some of your letters on our article about a 97-year-old care home resident locked into a costly home insurance policy... I negotiate each renewal with my insurer to keep the premium below 250. This year by mentioning the fact I am mortgage free, I got 10 per cent off. If you don't ask, you don't get. D.K., Edinburgh. My mother-in-law used a well-known provider that is aimed at the over-50s. I saved her more than 400 by switching. All companies treat the elderly as money trees. O. A., Chester. My late brother's paperwork revealed that his insurer had been charging him nearly 500 for building and contents cover. For similar cover I now pay 120. So much for loyalty. F.F., London. I understand an increase in premiums for an unoccupied property, but those costs are absurd. They are trying to defend the indefensible. G.J., Birmingham.

Hermes lost my returns parcel

I am a Christian lady and have been a supporter of The Leprosy Mission and its online shop for many years.

But I had to return four books from my last order. The returns parcel was collected by Hermes, but then lost. It is ignoring my request for a claims form.

The Leprosy Mission has tried to help me and gave me Hermes' address and phone number. But I cannot get any reply from them. Mrs B. L., Lincoln.

It seems the problem arose because the courier was handed the parcel when delivering to another house. It wasn't on his scheduled collection and so went missing.

When I contacted Hermes it immediately called you and sent a cheque for 25 to cover your photocopies, postage and phone calls.

You'd already received a refund from the charity, so Hermes will be making a donation to them to cover that.

Mistakes happen but some companies are swifter to resolve them than others. In this case Hermes gets five gold stars.

Straight to the point Why does eBay charge sellers 10 per cent of the postage costs on top of its normal fees? This seems unfair when it's not providing a service for this. M. H., Dorchester, Dorset. Ebay says it does this to deter sellers from bumping up the cost of postage instead of the headline price of the item being sold, because it was a significant source of complaints from buyers. eBay says it explains its fees in its user agreement and terms and conditions, and most sellers factor this into their pricing. *** My sister moved home last December into a property fitted with prepayment meters. Scottish Power changed the gas meter without a problem, but the electricity one has still not been replaced. Engineers repeatedly fail to turn up and each time Scottish Power claims the next available time slot is not for three weeks. Can you help? P. W., Hessle, East Riding of Yorkshire. Scottish Power apologises for the delays and poor service. The prepayment meter has now been changed to a credit version and Scottish Power has offered 180 to compensate for the missed appointments. *** My 82-year-old wife rarely uses her phone. She had almost run out of credit so I topped it up with 10. The next day she had a text stating her balance was nil. Virgin also cancelled her SIM card. R.F., email. A Virgin Media spokesman says the SIM card was deactivated shortly after you applied the credit because your wife had not used the phone for around a year. It has put the 10 credit on a new Virgin Mobile SIM card and has explained this to you.Apple shares jumped more than 2.5 per cent in after-hours trading last night as it stunned Wall Street with third-quarter revenue of $53.3billion.

The iPhone maker's earnings beat analysts' expectations of $52.3billion  cementing its place in the race to become the first $1trillion company.

Revenue from the services division  which includes Apple Music and the App Store  was $9.5billion, trampling expectations, and it sold 11.5m iPads, 3.7m computers and 41.3m iPhones.

Apple's earnings beat analysts' expectations of $52.3bn  cementing its place in the race to become the first $1trillion company

Apple's stellar results come after a week that saw US tech companies take a beating as they missed several analyst predictions.

Facebook issued a bombshell profit warning on Wednesday, prompting investors to wipe a record $120billion off its value in a single session.

The next day, Amazon's second-quarter revenues were lower than expected. And on Friday, Twitter reported a drop in user numbers.

The trio of shocks spooked investors  who are more used to pleasant surprises from Silicon Valley  and focused attention on whether Apple would buck the trend.

Analysts had been expecting the world's most valuable company to post revenue of $52.3billion (39.9billion) for the three-month period, as well as sales of 41.8m iPhones.

Its overall iPhone sales of 41.3m slightly disappointed. Despite trade-war worries, the total was helped by a buying boost in urban China.

Apple has beaten Wall Street expectations in recent months in spite of fears of an iPhone sales slowdown, partly thanks to the bigger price tag of its latest smartphone.

The 1,000-plus iPhone X was launched in November and was the world's bestselling handset in the first three months of 2018.

But the company has also been boosted by its growing services arm, which as well as its music streaming division and App Store, includes other products such as its 320 Home Pod smart speaker.

Joshua Owen, a trader at Ayondo Markets, said: 'Apple has stated it wants its services division to be a $50billion company in the coming years, and investors will have to gauge whether this arm can realistically pick up the slack in any fall in hardware sales.'

Meanwhile, Apple boss Tim Cook has turned his attention to repatriating the company's foreign cash pile and launching a massive share buyback scheme.

That has slowed its march towards a $1trillion valuation, but yesterday the company was still well ahead of rivals Google and Amazon, with a value of about $957billion.

Investors were watching closely for hints of a new iPhone model as well, with its third quarter typically seen as the one in which sales of the current version begin to die down.

That is because Apple traditionally unveils the next version in September every year.

Some analysts have speculated the firm could launch as many as three iPhones.

However, Ken Segall, the company's former creative guru, has claimed it may struggle to repeat its past successes now because the company is becoming 'a little vanilla'.

Segall said former boss Steve Jobs sought to create an aura around Apple's products, but he added: 'The passing of Steve Jobs created a completely different approach to marketing. Tim Cook goes by recommendation of the people around him.

'In a big company environment, people tend to get safer. In the old days, Apple used to do things that got a lot of attention.'



A former Tory Treasury minister has signed up for another boardroom role  taking the number of jobs she currently holds to seven.

Angela Knight, who has headed the British Bankers' Association and Energy UK, is joining the board of crisis-hit doorstep lender Provident Financial.

But the 67-year-old, who is expected to be paid at least 30,000 a year for the role, already sits on the boards of housebuilder Taylor Wimpey, a subsidiary of Arbuthnot Latham bank and trading firm TP Icap, and is chairman of the Government's Office of Tax Simplification, deputy chairman of the Astana Financial Services Authority in Kazakhstan and an associate at the Securities Industry Management Association.

Former Tory Treasury minister Angela Knight, who has headed the British Bankers' Association and Energy UK, is joining the board of crisis-hit doorstep lender Provident Financial

Her string of jobs raises fresh concerns about the number of key roles being handed to influential City figures, in what has been called overboarding.

Last week Royal Mail faced criticism after it was revealed chairman Peter Long held four senior board positions, as did the head of its pay committee, Orna Ni-Chionna. Long has since quit one of his jobs.

Knight earned at least 134,000 last year from the three jobs which disclose her pay.

She has recently also been listed as an adviser at economics firm Oxera and training company Goodacre, but it is not known if she still holds those positions.

She served as City minister under John Major and gained infamy as boss of the British Bankers' Association lobby group during the financial crisis, when she sought to defend sky-high bonuses and protect the industry's battered reputation. Knight later ran electricity and gas suppliers' trade body Energy UK.

At the Provvy she will chair the group risk committee  a vitally important role for the lender which targets high-risk borrowers without much money and is still recovering from a major IT meltdown last year.

Campaigners questioned whether Knight's jobs will prevent her from spending the necessary time on each company.

Mark Bentley of Sharesoc, which represents ordinary investors, said: 'We're very concerned about people working on too many boards, and seven jobs does seem like too many. Head of the risk committee at a company such as Provident is a very responsible role, not an easy one, and should be done by someone with the time to focus on it.'

However, the Provvy's chief executive Malcolm Le May said: 'I'm very confident Angela has got the time to do this.

'It's very important that the market believes people will do this job properly, and I think she will.'

The Provvy unveiled half-year profits of 34.6million, less than half the 73.3million it made in the same period last year. The slump was almost entirely due to the disastrous IT upgrade which saw debt collectors sent to the wrong addresses or at the wrong times.

It also cost former chief executive Peter Crook his job.

Bosses said turnaround efforts are continuing, although collections in the doorstep-lending arm remain 10 per cent below where they were before the debacle.

This is largely because customers who owed money when the disaster happened have proved difficult to track down.

The Provvy also said insurance expert Patrick Snowball, a former tank commander, will join as chairman, and former Barclays marketing chief Libby Chambers will become a non-executive director and run a new ethics committee.

It also said it hopes to restart dividends at the end of the year.HSBCs former head of currency trading, was accused of cheating on a 2.7bn deal

A banker has won an extradition battle with US authorities over charges of currency rigging.

Stuart Scott, HSBCs former head of currency trading, was accused of cheating on a 2.7billion deal to boost the lenders profits.

It is alleged the fraud on oil firm Cairn Energy netted 5.5million for the bank and the traders involved.

Scott, who lives in Hertfordshire, has won a last-ditch challenge to an order that would have seen him hauled before the US courts.

Court of Appeal judges ruled he should remain in this country because most of the harm caused by the trade happened here.

The case has already seen Scotts former boss Mark Johnson jailed for two years, after he was arrested by the FBI at JFK Airport in New York.

Johnson allegedly greeted the news that the trade with Cairn had gone through by saying: Ohhh f***ing Christmas.

The US government is expected to appeal against the judges decision.Nationwide building society is facing a backlash over a controversial move to scale back its telephone banking service.

Customers have told Money Mail they are furious that, from October 8, they will no longer be able to call the building society to pay their bills or transfer cash.

They say they feel the building society is trying to force them to use the internet and mobile banking instead.

But this is difficult for many vulnerable and elderly people, or those who live in areas with poor internet access and mobile signal.

Disappointed customers: Brian and Lynn Bruce use the Nationwide telephone banking service twice a week

For some, the only alternative is to drive miles  or catch a bus  to the nearest of Nationwide's 700 branches to pay their bills.

Readers say they resent this and may switch to another bank, given that Lloyds, HSBC, Barclays, Santander and HSBC all still offer telephone banking payments.

Money Mail readers branded Nationwide's move as 'callous' and 'hypocritical' after the bank was revealed to have paid its chief executive Joe Garner 2.3 million a year in pay and perks.

Lynn Bruce, 67, who lives with her husband Brian, 71, in Woolpit, Suffolk, uses the telephone banking service twice a week.

She says: 'We have been with Nationwide for around six years and we use telephone banking to pay people including the window cleaner and to send money to my two sons, who live abroad.

Money Mail readers have branded Nationwide's move as 'callous' and 'hypocritical'

'We don't want to change what we do, and we feel we are being coerced unnecessarily. It's hypocritical and callous.

'They've betrayed vulnerable and elderly customers. We've become so frustrated with Nationwide recently, we ripped up our voting forms for the AGM in July,' she says.

Outside a Nationwide branch in Midhurst, West Sussex, customers voiced their anger over the decision.

Maggie May, 84, a retired film producer from the area, says: 'It is bad enough they are not open on a Saturday and Sunday, but now branches are closing and they are cutting telephone banking.

'There are many old people here and Nationwide have a responsibility to their customers to provide the services they need. I rely on these services. Not all of us are au fait with the latest technologies'.

At the moment, Nationwide customers can register for telephone banking at a branch or online.

Once this process is complete, they can make payments, check their balance and move cash between accounts over the phone.

The service is automated and passnumbers are used to protect accounts.

But Nationwide says fewer than 2,000 people a year use telephone banking to make payments, while only around 50 people use it as their sole way of making payments.

So this wouldn't include someone who had visited their branch even just once in the past year, for example.

For that reason, it has decided against investing the necessary money to keep the service updated with the latest technology  even though it could leave some customers struggling to pay bills.

The building society told Money Mail the decision was not a ploy to save money.

But a spokesman declined to give details on costs or how expensive it would be to carry out necessary updates.

Customers will still be able to transfer money into their other Nationwide accounts. And those who use its special helpline for vulnerable customers should still be able to make telephone payments 'depending on the circumstances', the spokesman says.

Patrick Tyrrell, 72, a business owner in Midhurst for 50 years, feels it is a cutback too far. 'Nationwide really need to look at how they are serving people,' he says. 'Reducing costs is not a good enough reason to cut a service when people are still using it.'

Peter More, 65, of Crackington Haven in Cornwall says he has already become frustrated with the lack of local Nationwide branches nearby  he has to drive 40 or 50 miles to his nearest branch.

'Closures have had a real impact and I now have to go to Plymouth or Exeter to use a branch,' he says. 'I've been a Nationwide customer for more than 30 years but this may soon come to an end.'

Back in Midhurst, Maria Diamond, 55, a mother-of-three, says many customers now rely on public transport to get to a branch.

'In some neighbouring villages, there is no bank at all and they rely on other services like this.

'I can drive, but there are many who can't, so without telephone banking and local branches they have to get a bus to the next town,' she says.

A Nationwide spokesman says: 'The majority of the 2,000 customers who made telephone banking payments last year also used online and mobile banking and visited branches.

As such, continuing the service, including updating the relevant systems, isn't sustainable given the number of users.

'We continue to invest in our [branch] network and are committed to maintaining our High Street presence.'

f.parker@dailymail.co.ukSITEKI  A scuffle broke out between police officer and election nominees outside the Swaziland Revenue Authority (SRA) service centre in Siteki yesterday evening.



Scores of nominated candidates had crammed the service centre in order to process their tax clearance certificates ahead of the submission deadline set by the elections body.

All nominated candidates are required by election laws to submit their tax clearance certificates with the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), and the deadline for this years elections is today.



The scores of election nominees who had crammed the Siteki SRA service centre became frustrated as the clock struck 5:30pm.

This resulted in a lot of pushing and shoving, prompting some nominees to call the police to maintain order.



When police arrived, they immediately blocked the entrance to the service centre and ordered the nominees to form a clear and straight line.

But instead of forming one line, the nominees formed two opposite lines.



There was a lot of shoving as the police tried to force the nominees to form one line and some officers were seen scuffling with some nominees. Go to the back! You wont be allowed inside if youre not in the queue, shouted one officer as he was pulling some nominees.

The strategy of the police angered some nominees and most of them expressed their unhappiness with the intervention of the police. Ningasenti bantfwana nine (stop treating us like children), shouted one of the nominees.MBABANE  For a small town like Matsapha, there is quite more than meets the eye.



Councillors of the Matsapha Town Council will tomorrow meet and deliberate, among other issues, a motion that was moved in a previous meeting which was against a ministerial directive to appoint a new external auditor.



The controversial motion was to rescind a resolution to appoint PriceWaterHouse Coopers as the external auditor and reappoint KPMG.

According to a motion, which was questioned by sources, the mover was Councillor Siphesihle Nsibandze and seconded by one MP Ndzimandze and Nkhanyeti Ngwenya.



The motion in question was dated July 6, 2018 and had it been passed, it would have gone against a directive from Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phiwayinkhosi Mabuza.



This publication is in possession of a letter written by Mabuza on June 22, 2018, approving that the Matsapha Municipality appoint PWC as its external auditor for a three-year period, starting from 2018 to 2020.



Now therefore, it is hereby moved that councils resolution of the 31st May 2018, awarding Tender No. 27 of 2018/19, to PriceWaterhouseCoopers be rescinded and that the awardee for the aforesaid Tender be the First Best Evaluated Tender, viz KPMG Audit Firm, reads the motion to be discussed tomorrow.



According to a letter written by Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Principal Secretary, Clifford Mamba in May 2014, the town council was given authority to engage KPMG from 2013 to 2016. This was in terms of Section 101 of the Urban Government Act 1969.



Disgruntled



Disgruntled sources employed by the town council alleged that the motion was questionable because it was not written in the usual format and did not follow standing orders.

According to Standing Order 19, every motion shall, on receipt, be stated and numbered and shall be entered by the town clerk upon the agenda in the order in which it was received.



The order also states that save and expect that notice of an amendment shall be entered immediately after such notice of motion, irrespective of the time upon which notice of motion to amend was received.



A copy of a valid motion which this publication is in possession of is stamped and dated by the town council. It also has a template which requires councillors to state the motion, state what it is in relation to, state where it was signed and then signed by the mover as well as two seconders.

However, the motion rescinding PWCs appointment had no council stamp and was not dated as to when it was received.



It should be noted that the questionable motion was written in terms of Standing order 21, which states that; No motion to rescind any resolution which has been passed within the preceding three months, nor any motion to the same effect as any motion which has been negative within the preceding three months, shall be placed on the agenda unless the notice of motion is signed by three members, in addition to the members who proposed the motion, and when any motion has been disposed of by the council, it shall not be competent for any member to propose a similar motion within a further period of six months.

This publication is also in possession of minutes from a meeting held on July 26, where the motion mover, Nsibandze, sought clarity on the process of rescinding a motion.MBABANE  Tempers flared yesterday during a dramatic meeting at the Municipal Council of Mbabane as councillors squared up following a heated exchange of words last night.



Ward 3 Councillors Mbutfo Nhlengetfwa squared up with Ward 5 Councillor Arnold Dlamini outside the Council Chamber last night and the former threatened to sort the latter out. Dlamini, who also doubles up as Under Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, was confronted by Councillor Nhlengetfwa, Ward 2 Councillor Musa Dlamini and Deputy Mayor Simangaliso Gama.



The enraged trio had been angered by a submission that was made by Arnold and they had to be separated by other councillors during the heated confrontation outside the council chamber.



We are not your boys and you will not dictate to us how council business is supposed to be handled. We will sort you out, the Councillors were heard saying.

All the while, Councillor Arnold stood his ground and pleaded his innocence.

Nhlengetfwa was clearly the councillor who led the charge.



Moments before the confrontation spilled onto the corridors of the civic offices, in full view of members of the media who were covering the meeting, Nhlengetfwa had stormed out of the council chamber in protest of a submission that had been made by the Home Affairs senior officer.

The Ward 3 Councillor walked out despite repeated pleas from Mbabane Mayor and Ward 1 Councillor, Zephaniah Nkambule, to remain seated.

Councillor Nhlengetfwa, I order you to remain in your seat, I urge you to respect this house, the Mayor said.

Hwawu ngeke, ngiya ekhaya mine, said Nhlengetfwa as he strode out of the council chamber causing a stir in the chamber.

Councillors, I hope you do see what the councillor is doing and this is in total disrespect of the house. There certainly has to be serious repercussions for such, said Nkambule.

Immediately, Deputy Mayor Gama followed Nhlengetfwa through the door and the two returned and occupied their seats.

Once again, Mayor Nkambule gave Councillor Arnold the floor to continue making his submission to adjourn or note the information about a report that had been brought to council by the Chief Executive Officer Gideon Mhlongo.

Meanwhile, it remains a mystery whether the chief executive officer will remain in office today, while some councillors are adamant he is not coming back and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phiwayinkhosi Mabuza was vague in his response when contacted at 9:20pm yesterday.

When contacted Mabuza said: The contents of my decision have been informed by the report I received on Section 27.MBABANE  A manager of Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE) is allegedly on the verge of leaving his wife for the woman who was the maid of honour during their wedding.



Sikhumbuzo Dlamini (42), who is the General Manager Research and Policy of CBE and his wife Samukelisiwe (39) are currently embroiled in a divorce dispute which is pending at the Mbabane Magistrates Court.



Samukelisiwe alleged that her husband openly informed her that he was going to marry one Sharol Nxumalo, who was the maid of honour during their wedding.

According to Samukelisiwe, Sikhumbuzo allegedly made no secret of his love relationship with Nxumalo. The husband and wife now live apart while the divorce proceedings are pending in court.



The veracity of these allegations is still to be tested in court. Sikhumbuzo is yet to file a response to the allegations. Samkelisiwe is represented by Sabela Dlamini of Magagula and Hlophe Attorneys.



Affair



Samkeliswe said she was not happy that her children, who were born of the marriage, were exposed to her husbands love affair with Nxumalo when they visit him at his place of residence.



The respondent (Sikhumbuzo) conducts an open relationship with the said Sharol Nxumalo to whom the children are exposed when he takes them away. To make things worse, Sharol Nxumalo was maid of honour in my wedding to the respondent, she submitted.



Samukelisiwe has taken her husband to the High Court where she is seeking an order that Sikhumbuzo be interdicted from the disposal of the assets they jointly own since they were married in community of property.

She also wants the court to compel her husband to fully disclose to her all assets of their matrimonial joint estate which are either registered in his name or over which he has control.By Trend





Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated President of the Swiss Confederation Alain Berset.

On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I congratulate you and your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Swiss Confederation, said the congratulatory letter.

I believe that the development of friendly relations and the deepening of the mutually fruitful cooperation between Azerbaijan and Switzerland will continue to serve best interests of our peoples, said President Aliyev.

On this remarkable day, I wish you the best of health, success in your endeavors, and the friendly people of Switzerland lasting peace and prosperity.After winning the prize for Best Script together with Eftimis Filippou in 2011 for the film Alps, cinema director Yorgos Lanthimos returns to the 75th International Film Festival in Venice, to present his new film The Favourite, and compete for the Golden Lion. It is a satirical period drama, that takes place in 18th century Spain where the war of succession is raging. It recites the story of three women: Queen Anna, Duchess Sarah Churchill and Baroness Abigail Masham. The three main characters are interpreted by Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weiss while the original script is written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara.

Early 18th Century. England is at war with the French. The fragile Queen Anna occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah rules the country in her place, while taking care of the Queens health and temperament. When Abigail, a young maid arrives at the palace, Sarah is fascinated and takes her under her protection. For Abigail it is an opportunity to return to its aristocratic roots. As the tactics of the war stand barriers for Sarah, she takes her place on the Queens side. The upcoming friendship gives Abigail the opportunity to fulfill her aspirations and will let no woman, husband, politicians or rabbits stand in her way. 

The film is programmed to be released in American theaters on November 23 by Fox Searchlight and it will premiere at the 56th New York Film Festival on September 28th.

Read more at int.ert.gr

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: anna Hanks License: CC-BY-SAGreece is ready to take the next step and exit with success the ESM program, said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a report Tuesday, according to ANA.

The Washington-based group noted that Greece's reforms efforts in combination with the recent debt relief agreed upon with Eurozone partners secure it market access in the medium term. However, it goes on to warn of challenges in the future.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism reportEight Grecian island just as incredible as Santorini or Mykonos, but much less well-known than the two iconic Cyclades isles

he Points Guy Travel (TPG) website posted a recent article featuring another eight Grecian island destinations it says are just as incredible as Santorini or Mykonos, but much less well-known than the two iconic Cyclades isles.

TPG singles out Astypalaia in the southeastern Cyclades with heaps of praise, noting the island offers relaxation and enjoyment.

Better-known Hydra also makes the list, with TPG mentioning that private vehicles are prohibited on the small rocky isle.

Crete, a far cry from Hydra, is next up on TPG's list, as Greece's largest island is promoted as offering everything a traveler can desire in a Mediterranean setting.

The largest island in the Cyclades chain, Naxos, also makes it on the list, although the latter, along with Crete and Hydra, attract millions of tourists every year.

Small Folegandros, also in the Cyclades group, is compared with Santorini, without the "price tag" and the thousands of visitors.

Symi, a small wonderful island in the eastern Aegean that's only a short boat ride from Turkey, is likened to Amalfi in Italy.

In departing the Aegean and heading to the Ionian Sea, TPG recommends Zakynthos, a distinctly verdant Greek isle with impressive beaches, such as the renowned Navagio.

Finally, TPG lauds picturesque Patmos, in the eastern Aegean, also well-known as the place where the Book of the Revelation of the New Testament was composed in the first century AD.

Read more at naftemporiki.gr

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Valeria Casali License: CC-BY-SAHolidays with wife Chloe Gree in the Mediterranean

Jeremy Meeks and Chloe Green held hands as they went for a stroll around the beach on Saturday afternoon (July 28) in Mykonos island, Greece.

The 34-year-old Hot Felon kept things cool in a white buttoned-down shirt and blue shorts, while the 27-year-old Topshop heiress looked cute in a denim romper for their vacation.

Jeremy and Chloe  who welcomed their son Jayden back in June  are vacationing across Europe as they celebrate their one-year anniversary.

Read more at justjared.com

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism reportNational Bank of Kuwait-Bahrain (NBK Bahrain), the branch of NBK Group in Bahrain, reported net profits of BD55 million ($144.5 million) for the first half (H1) of 2018 compared with BD46.1 million for H1 2017, a growth of 19.4 per cent.



NBK-Bahrains total assets increased by 13 per cent y-o-y to BD6.048 billion, compared with BD5.359 billion for the same period of previous year. While total shareholders equity increased by 18 per cent y-o-y to BD642.330 million compared with BD545.482 million for the same period of previous year.



Customer deposits increased by 24 per cent y-o-y to BD3.244 billion compared with BD2.611 billion for the same period of previous year.



Isam Al-Sager, NBK Group chief executive officer said: Once again, NBK Group proves its dominance in the regional market and solidifies its leadership position through the outstanding performance of yet another one of its regional branches, NBK-Bahrain. These solid results come in line with the Groups strategy aimed at strengthening its position throughout Mena region to diversify its revenue stream.



We have been increasingly focused on our international operation and the numbers have definitely reflected the successful route we have been following. During the 1H2018, our international business continued to grow, strongly contributing close to 30per cent of the Groups bottom line.



Al Sager also added that the improved profit performance was attributable to increased operating banking revenues despite the challenging operating environment.



Moreover, Al-Sager affirmed that NBK-Group will continue to focus on its international operations and foster external growth in order to complement its local dominance.



Ali Fardan, NBK-Bahrain general manager, said: We continue to draw on NBK-Groups clear strategy to focus on our core business to consistently drive solid results. In addition to that, we have a very talented and experienced team that backs our operations year after year. I am confident that we are set to achieve further growth in the remaining part of 2018 and beyond.



NBK has been present in Bahrain since 1977 and enjoys strong and historical relationships with the major Bahraini and international companies, Al Fardan added.  TradeArabia News ServiceEbrahim K Kanoo, the diversified business conglomerate, is enrolling candidates for its graduate programme Tumooh, part of its initiative to provide job opportunities to talented young Bahrainis.

The two-year programme comprises general professional skills and specialist technical development training.

Currently, the programme is open to Bahraini nationals who have received a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering, IT, International Logistics Management, Sales & Marketing or Business, in the last 24 months. Applicants are also expected to have a strong command of written and spoken English.

The graduates are selected based on their academic achievements and enter into a rigorous interview process and psychometric test. Once chosen, they go through a job rotation schedule at Ebrahim K Kanoo in order to understand the diverse business lines of the company and where their individual strengths can be best utilised.

Ebrahim K Kanoo managing director Talal Kanoo highlighted the importance of the Tumooh programme which aims to build local talent from the grassroots level.

A companys success lies in the strength of its workforce. At Ebrahim K Kanoo, we invest significant resources into training and developing our local staff and continually look to support young Bahrainis as they are the future of our company as well as our society. The Tumooh Programme was designed to be an extension of the learning journey and is a very important part of our Bahrainisation plans. We encourage all fresh graduates who fit the criteria to apply and take advantage of this opportunity, he said.

Ebrahim K Kanoo is one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the kingdom, with a rich history associated with many household names such as Toyota, Lexus, Michelin and Ziebart. The company currently has a workforce of over 2,500 employees and has ambitious plans for growth in the future.

2018-2019 marks the second year of the Graduate Programme. The first batch consisted of 10 graduates who are currently on rotation schedules across Ebrahim K Kanoos multiple divisions and departments.

Interested students are encouraged to apply through the companys talent portal on Careers.ekkanoo.com/Graduate_Recruitment. The company will only accept online applications for the programme. - TradeArabia News ServiceGlobal innovator LG Electronics has established a major new AI research presence in North America in collaboration with leaders in academia and start-ups.



This week marks the launch of the new LG Electronics AI Research Lab in Canada, an extension of the newly expanded LG Silicon Valley AI Lab in Santa Clara, California, US, said a statement from the company.



Supporting LGs vision of AI as a key future growth engine, the North American labs further enhance LGs global research capabilities, which include AI labs in South Korea, India and Russia, it said.



In addition, LG is entering into a new research partnership with the University of Toronto, which is recognised worldwide for its AI and machine learning expertise, particularly in the area of deep learning.



LG Electronics president and chief technology officer Dr I P Park, said: AI will ultimately touch everybodys lives, transforming the way we live, work and play.



Early implementations of AI in connected devices today are setting the stage for tomorrows smart cities, smart homes, smart businesses and smart devices, all with capabilities that no one has even dreamed of yet, he said.



He said the North American labs and LGs research partnership with the University of Toronto will play a key role in developing source technologies defining that future.



Under its five-year, multi-million-dollar research partnership with the University of Toronto, LG will build on its Open Platform-Open Partnership-Open Connectivity strategy to expand the AI ecosystem.



The new lab will capitalise on the expertise of researchers at the University of Toronto who will now have the opportunity to work collaboratively with LGs growing US and Canadian AI R&D teams.



Complementing this work, LG intends to collaborate with and invest in North American start-ups.



University of Toronto president Meric Gertler views LG as an exciting new partner for AI research. He said: The University of Toronto looks forward to partnering with an innovative global company like LG as our researchers continue to advance the boundaries of artificial intelligence. The presence of such leading, multi-national firms in our innovation ecosystem strengthens opportunities for our faculty, students and start-up companies across a whole range of disciplines.



Dr Park continued: AI solutions based on deep learning will revolutionize how we interact with the world around us, in new seamless ways that use contextual data from things like biometrics, emotions, gestures and of course voice.



He went on to explain the three main pillars of LGs AI strategy: The first is the ability to evolve with time, so the more you use our products, the better they evolve to meet your specific needs. The second is the ability to integrate AI into diverse touchpoints  to have a seamless, consistent user experience across the entire LG product portfolio, from connected appliances and TVs to connected cars and smartphones. The third is openness; our strategy is to provide the best AI experience for LG customers, leveraging the complementary capabilities of leading partners across the ecosystem, Dr Park explained.  TradeArabia News ServiceOman Air, the national airline for Oman, has increased its frequency to Salalah, the principal city of the Dhofar region, to cater for the increase in demand from holidaymakers looking to experience the Khareef season.

Starting from July 1 until September 15, the airline has increased uplift for its summer/autumn schedule, offering an additional 92,874 seats on the Muscat- Salalah route, an increase of 28 frequencies offering 4,222 extra seats per week in each direction.

Oman Air is also offering 154 flights, providing 13,106 seats on its Salalah-Dubai route. Over the years Oman Air has facilitated demand to Salalah during the Khareef season with extra flights to Salalah and this year, in response to demand, the airline has upped capacity by an additional 6 per cent from 2017.

The increase in flights highlights Oman Airs commitment to those living and visiting the Dhofar region during the monsoon season.

Known for its lush greenery and tropical showers, the Khareef season is considered to be one of the most important tourist seasons in the Gulf. The Khareef attracts locals and visitors from far and wide, as the weather is much cooler than the rest of the region.

During the Khareef season, visitors to the region can enjoy Salalah Tourism Festival. Running until August 25, the festival offers a range of religious, economic, cultural, social, sports, arts and recreational events.

Figures from Omans National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) show that the total number of visitors to Dhofar for Khareef this year stands at 235,113 as of July 21. This shows a phenomenal growth of 66.4 percent, against an arrival of 141,259 tourists for the same period of 2017.  TradeArabia News ServiceYou can opt out of certain types of cookies (e.g. those used in social media sharing) by choosing "I do not accept". The website will still largely function well, but with slightly less functionality in places. To manage your cookie preferences in future, visit the "Cookie Statement" link at the bottom of any page.Timothy Lohri, of Williamstown, West Virginia, has admitted to his involvement in methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin distribution that spanned multiple states, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Lohri, age 36, pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances. Lohri admitted to his involvement in a conspiracy that consisted of trafficking crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice, heroin, and cocaine brought to West Virginia from Columbus, Ohio, and obtained from as far away as Atlanta, Georgia.

Lohri faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., and Shawn M. Adkins are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol; Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Tyler County Sheriffs Office; the Wetzel County Sheriffs Office; the Sistersville Police Department; the Paden City Police Department; and the New Martinsville Police Department investigated. The Columbus, Ohio, Police Department Gang Crimes Unit assisted in the case.

The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.

U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided.

Also, Michael Shawn Hartline and Rachel A. Cook, both of Sistersville, West Virginia, have admitted to a drug distribution charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Hartline, age 34, and Cook, age 28, each pled guilty to one count of Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Hartline and Cook admitted to distributing crystal methamphetamine in Tyler County in November 2017.

Hartline and Cook each face up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., and Shawn M. Adkins are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol; Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Tyler County Sheriffs Office; the Wetzel County Sheriffs Office; the Sistersville Police Department; the Paden City Police Department; and the New Martinsville Police Department investigated. The Columbus, Ohio, Police Department Gang Crimes Unit assisted in the case.

The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.

Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided over the Hartline hearing.

U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided over the Cook hearing.| By Jena Frick

UMBs Police Force and Community Engagement Center Team Up for Free Cookout; New Chief Set to Welcome Neighbors

WHO: Members of the University of Maryland, Baltimore Police Force (UMBPF) along with the universitys Community Engagement Center (CEC) and the West Baltimore Community

WHAT: National Night Out is a nationwide event that takes place every year on the second Tuesday of August. The event promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to strengthen relationships and promote a true sense of community. Millions of communities across the country participate in National Night Out annually with block parties, parades, cookouts, and various other community events.

WHEN: Tuesday,August 7, 2018

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: The University of Maryland Community Engagement Center

870 W. Baltimore St.

Baltimore, MD 21201

*Located on the lawn between the Community Engagement Center and the Maryland Proton Treatment Center*

INFO: The UMBPF along with the CEC are poised to host a community cookout to celebrate National Night Out. The event will allow members of the West Baltimore community to meet and mingle with University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) faculty, staff, and students, as well as UMB law enforcement officials including the universitys new chief of police, Alice K. Cary, MS. Cary comes to UMB from the University of Oregon Police Department, where she served as patrol operations captain.

In addition to meeting university police officers, participants will get a first-hand look at the departments policing equipment, including a police cruiser and Segway. Community members can also anticipate a special appearance by McGruff the Crime Dog as well as music and lawn games including cornhole and giant Jenga.

Free burgers and hot dogs will be prepared and served by UMB police officers and CEC staff. Soft drinks and water will also be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets to the event.

Please Note: There is no scheduled rain date. In the event of a cancellation, it will be announced on Monday, August 6, 2018.

MEDIA: Please call ahead for parking information.

About the University of Maryland, Baltimore

Founded in 1807, the University of Maryland, Baltimore is Marylands only public health, law, and human services university, dedicated to excellence in education, research, clinical care, and public service. UMB enrolls 6,500 students in six nationally ranked professional schools  medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and social work  and an interdisciplinary Graduate School. The university provides more than $40 million each year in uncompensated care to Maryland citizens, and receives more than $550 million in extramural research funding annually. For more information about the University of Maryland, Baltimore visit www.umaryland.edu.

For additional information contact: Jena Frick, Senior Media Relations Specialist

Phone: 443.388.0691 (mobile) 410-706-3514 (office), Email: jfrick@umaryland.eduNew Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) India on Wednesday welcomed the US Department of State decision to designate Pakistani Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) terrorist Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil and others as

Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDTG) and said the announcement vindicates New Delhi's stand that terrorist groups and individuals operate with impunity in Pakistan.

"The announcement vindicates Indias consistent stand that internationally designated terrorist

groups and individuals, including LeT and its front, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation continue to

operate from and raise financial resources with impunity in Pakistan," MEA spokesman said here in response to a question.

The spokesman further said the terror groups and individuals use territories under Pakistani control "for carrying out cross-border terrorism in India and elsewhere in South Asia".

"The latest designations also call into question Pakistans sincerity in taking effective action against such terrorist elements," he said.

The spokesman said: "India welcomes the announcements made yesterday by the US Departments of State and Treasury in which three Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) terrorists and terror financiers have been named as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDTG)".

In a major counter terrorism action, prominent LeT terrorist and a former commander in Jammu and Kashmir region Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil was on Tuesday designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the United States.

The list under Section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224 of the United States imposes sanctions on "foreign persons, who have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism".

Dakhil, a long-time member of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), was an operational leader for the various attacks carried out in India between 1997 and 2001. In 2004, Dakhil was captured in Iraq by British forces and held in the US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On transfer to Pakistan in 2014, he was later released from Pakistani custody and is again

reported to be 'active' in his operational works.

UNI DEVN RSA 2025Troops standing firm at northern border, talks for peace to continue: Rajnath Singh 27 Oct 2021 | 9:05 PM New Delhi, Oct 27 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said while troops are "standing firm" at the northern border, ongoing talks for peaceful resolution of crisis will continue, and also lauded the response of Indian Army to cross border terrorism as he addressed the top commanders of Indian Army here. see more..

India test fires Agni-5 missile 27 Oct 2021 | 8:54 PM New Delhi, Oct 27 (UNI) Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile Agni-5 was successfully launched from APJ Abdul Kalam Island on Wednesday, an official statement said. see more..

Reaffirmed India's focus on free, open, inclusive Indo-Pacific at EAS Summit: PM Modi 27 Oct 2021 | 8:29 PM New Delhi, Oct 27 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday participated in the 16th East Asia Summit through video conference during which he reaffirmed Indias focus on a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and the principle of ASEAN Centrality in the region. see more..New Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) Amid height of political confrontation between treasury bench and the Opposition over NRC issue in Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Lok Sabha proceedings on Wednesday but chose to remain silent when he was repeatedly questioned on the maiden informal Summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Despite specific plea by Trinamool Congress MP Sugata Bose and Congress members Mallikarjun Kharge, K C Venugopal and Jyotiraditya Scindia that Prime Minister should answer the queries on the first informal Summit between two leaders saying External Affairs Minister was not present there, Mr Modi maintained silence smiling occasionally.

Ms Swaraj did all the talking. The Minister dismissed such a suggestion, saying she was capable of answering all questions relating to the Wuhan summit and maintained: "I am capable of answering the questions....because I had gone to China and interacted with the Chinese Foreign Minister to prepare ground for the first informal Summit".

"......irrespective of whether I was present there or not at Wuhan. I am fully aware of what was happening there," she said.

Te Prime Minister sat patiently smiling occasionally and at one point of time was seen interacting with

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who sits next to Mr Modi.

The Trinamool member Mr Bose said he was asking questions specifically on Doklam as the Chinese army is said to have moved "uncomfortably closed" to Siliguri corridor in West Bengal.

But after Mr Swaraj's reply, the Jadavpur lawmaker, said - "I am happy to learn that the Doklam issue has been resolved by diplomatic efforts".

"Wahan til bhar ka parivartan nahi hae (There is not an inch of change in status quo on ground)," Ms Swaraj said amid thumping of desks by treasury bench.

Replying to supplementary queries from Mr Bose, the External Affairs Minister said - "I am making this statement in the House with utmost responsibility that the Doklam issue (with China) has been resolved by diplomatic maturity".

She also said the maiden informal Summit between Mr Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan in China on April 27-18 was highly successful.

She said the Summit was successful as it could achieve three major milestones. "It could help create a right atmosphere for diplomatic efforts between two countries, it could bring about mutual understanding between two leaders and also build up mutual trust between the two," Ms Swaraj said.

"As an innovative format for leadership-level diplomatic engagement, the informal Summit enabled two leaders (Modi and Xi Jinping) to hold direct, free and candid exchange of issues of over-arching long term and strategic significance without the constraints of protocol and pre-set agenda," Ms Swaraj said.

To a question from Sugata Bose whether Doklam issue was raised, the Minister clarified, "It was not meant to discuss specific topics".

She also pointed out besides Wuhan informal Summit, PM Modi and the Chinese President also met at Johannesburg on the sidelines of BRICS Summit in July and earlier also on the sidelines of SCO Summit at Qingdao in China.

Ms Swaraj said the Chinese President has accepted Prime Minister's invitation for visiting India for the second informal Summit at a mutually convenient time in 2019.

India and China were locked in a face-off in the Doklam area around Sikkim sector last year.

To a query from lone Sikkim MP P D Rai on the Chinese foreign minister visiting Bhutan, Ms Swaraj clarified that the boundary dispute between Bhutan and China was strictly a matter between those two countries.

"Our concern was related only to the tri-junction area (India-Bhutan-China)," she said adding the issue was resolved by 'diplomatic maturity'.

I can assure the House that there has been no change in status quo at Doklam since August 28, 2017," Ms Swaraj added.

UNI DEVN RSA 1349Punjab Cultural Mission established to connect youth with rich heritage

Chandigarh, Aug 1 (UNI) The Punjab Kala Parishad on Wednesday established Punjab Cultural Mission with the aim to connect the youth with the extremely rich and glorious cultural heritage of Punjab.

The decision was taken in a meeting of intellectuals presided over by Parishad Chairman Dr Surjit Patar. The responsibility of being the Director of the mission has been entrusted to noted singer Pammi Bai.

Stating this, an official spokesman said that the Punjab Cultural Mission would work from the level of the headquarter to the village level so as to connect the youth with the rich cultural and historical heritage of Punjab.Why is it important to promote effective mutual legal assistance in the fight against human trafficking and migrant smuggling?

Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic - 1 August 2018 - The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT) organized, from 9-10 July 2018, an international workshop on promoting effective mutual legal assistance of criminal cases related to trafficking in persons (TIP) and the smuggling of migrants (SOM) amongst countries of origin, transit and destination.

The Kyrgyz Republic is a party to a number of legal assistance and extradition agreements, including the Agreement on Cooperation of the Member Countries of the Commonwealth of the Independent States on Combating Trafficking in Persons, Human Organs and Tissues. The Office of General Prosecutor of the Kyrgyz Republic is the central authority for international cooperation on criminal justice matters, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the assisted returns of Kyrgyz victims to the country.

In terms of the country's policies, international cooperation on TIP and SOM are based on a range of bilateral, regional and universal agreements, treaties and conventions. Government stakeholders consider the country to be effectively cooperating with Russia and Kazakhstan - the main destinations of trafficking for labour exploitation. There is not, however, effective cooperation on TIP for sexual exploitation with main destination countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey, despite having signed bilateral agreements on cooperation. Therefore, information exchange with criminal justice institutions from other countries on investigative, prosecutorial and judicial matters related to TIP and SOM remains a major challenge, and only a few criminal cases involving these destination countries have led to convictions.

In is in this context that GLO.ACT facilitated a dialogue to strengthen international cooperation between Kyrgyz authorities and authorities from origin, transit and destination countries, such as Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the Russian Federation and Turkey. The two-day workshop gathered over 35 criminal justice practitioners, including prosecutors with the purpose to discuss main challenges and develop relevant recommendations to improve international in TIP and SOM cases. Workshop participants shared information on peculiarities of national legal frameworks regulating international cooperation and mutual legal assistance, as well as TIP and SOM practices. These criminal justice practitioners also discussed the main challenges faced while proceeding with mutual legal assistance processes.

"Human trafficking and migrant smuggling are transnational organized crimes, so promoting effective international cooperation among prosecutors is crucial today. We are very grateful to GLO.ACT for this great opportunity to have our colleagues from other Central Asian countries, the Russian Federation and Turkey to share their experience with us and to be able to build a strong network of prosecutors," said Ms. Zhamanbaeva Zh., Deputy General Prosecutor of the Kyrgyz Republic in her welcoming remarks.

Representatives from central authorities from Turkey responsible for international matters shared their country's experience on the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings as of 2016. The implementation of this convention envisages participation of Turkey in the monitoring system set up to supervise the implementation of the obligations contained in the convention. The convention consists of two pillars: the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) and the Committee of the Parties. "We are lucky to be a part of GRETA, which ensures the introduction of victim-centered approaches in government efforts to fight trafficking in persons," said Mr. Duyku Harun, a judge working for the Turkish Ministry of Justice.

GLO.ACT significantly contributed to the international workshop by providing detailed interpretation of UNTOC and its supplementing two protocols on TIP and SOM, especially by underlining the importance of the criminalization of both crimes in national legislation. Relevant UNODC online products related to international cooperation and mutual legal assistance were also made available during the meeting. These included:

Human Trafficking Knowledge Portal "Case Law Database"

SHERLOC portal - Sharing Electronic Resources and Laws on Crime

Mutual Legal Assistance Request Writer Tool

All participants expressed their interest to actively use these online tools going forward and saw them as an important source of information to share with other colleagues in their respective countries.

Following discussions on challenges faced by countries of origin, transit and destination while responding to TIP and SOM cases, workshop participants developed a list of conclusions and recommendations.

The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), 11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. GLO.ACT works with the 13 countries to plan and implement strategic national counter-trafficking and counter smuggling efforts through a prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships approach. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.

For more information, please contact:

Madina Sarieva

madina.sarieva@un.org

www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/

Email: glo.act@un.org

Twitter: @glo_act(Aug. 1, 2018) -- The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Office of Information Technology (OIT) has been awarded a 2-year, $500,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to boost its high-technology research Internet network. UTSA will use the funding for the project, The Roadrunner High-Performance Science, Engineering and Business Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), to install 10-gigabit-per-second network switches in several research buildings on the UTSA Main Campus.

The new switches will increase network bandwidth from one gigabit-per-second to 10 gigabits-per-second and improve the speed of data transfer rates five to 10 times for as many as 1,000 network ports in select research laboratories.

The project will benefit UTSA researchers who frequently transfer large amounts of data, including those studying real-time remote surgery, smart buildings and grids, cybersecurity, cloud computing and other topics that require large datasets, said Brett League, director of the Research Computing Support Group. The improved infrastructure will also allow UTSA researchers to fully utilize internal resources such as the institutional High Performance Computing cluster and Advanced Visualization Lab.

Four UTSA faculty and staff members are serving as principal investigators for the project:

Bryan Wilson , Interim Vice Provost for Information Technology, Principal Investigator

, Interim Vice Provost for Information Technology, Principal Investigator Harry Millwater , Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Co-principal Investigator

, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Co-principal Investigator Bernard Arulanandam , Interim Vice President for Research, Economic Development and Knowledge Enterprise, Co-principal Investigator

, Interim Vice President for Research, Economic Development and Knowledge Enterprise, Co-principal Investigator Brent League, Director of the Research Computing Support Group, Co-principal Investigator

Millwater and League collaborated with multiple OIT staff members including Daniel Byrd, director of Infrastructure Services and Keith Trevino, OIT manager for Communications Infrastructure Services, to help develop a strategic technology plan to foster innovative research and collaboration across a broad range of academic disciplines.

The project is exciting for two major developments. First, a new research-dedicated network will be deployed across campus that will exclusively handle research network traffic, and second, the project will address the last mile bottleneck of networking - the research lab to the campus backbone, said Millwater. With these two improvements, research connectivity will be dramatically improved.

UTSA is ranked among the nations top five young universities, according to Times Higher Education.(L-0776-A) Steel framework of the Smith-Young Tower (now Tower Life Building) as seen from the Medical Arts Building, October 1928. San Antonio Light Photograph Collection.

(Aug. 1, 2018) -- The UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures celebrates San Antonios Tricentennial with a new photo exhibit, San Antonio 1860s  1990s: A Photographic Chronology from UTSA Special Collections, drawing on the treasures of the UTSA Libraries Special Collections to tell San Antonios story in photographs.

With an extensive photo archive of 3.5 million images, longtime collection curator Tom Shelton has selected 300 photographs depicting ethnic communities and culture, daily life, street scenes, events and architecture. The exhibit opens Aug. 4.

Shelton chose a chronological arrangement to give visitors a better idea about the pace with which changes in the city occurred and to make it easy for them to make comparisons between eras.

Theyll see photographs of the narrow, winding streets of the 19th century and the urban sprawl of the 20th, said Shelton. Theyll find jitterbug dancing in 1939 and breakdancing in 1984.

UTSA Libraries administers the Special Collections and historic photo archive at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures. The extensive photo collection includes the San Antonio Light collection, the San Antonio Express-News collection, the Zintgraff commercial studios collection, the institutes general photograph collection, and other smaller collections.

This exhibit demonstrates the depth and breadth of the photograph collection, which is comprised of 3.5 million photos, said Amy Rushing, head of UTSA Libraries Special Collections. It illustrates Toms familiarity with San Antonio history and his extensive knowledge of the photographs within the collection, particularly those that may never have been seen before. I think visitors will be excited to see the hidden gems Tom has brought to light.

The historic photo archive sees extensive use, including references for architecture firms and classes, educational programs, news stories, movie productions, genealogy studies and dozens of other projects.

Photographic records of Texas changed everything, said Angelica Docog, executive director of the institute. It adds a visual representation of a moment in time  an indisputable, factual account  that tells so much about a subject and situation. These photographs are windows into our past and opportunities to learn more about ourselves and our ancestors, and what it took to build a life in Texas.

UTSA Libraries Special Collections oversees the historic photo archive at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures. It is open to the public Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m.  3 p.m., or by appointment, 210-458-2228.

The Institute of Texan Cultures is located on the UTSA Hemisfair Campus, 801 E. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. Regular hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults (18-64); $8 for seniors (ages 65+) and children (6-17); children 5 and under free; free with membership, UTSA or Alamo Colleges identification.President to Speak at UW Fall Faculty and Staff Meeting; Fall Kickoff Events Scheduled

University of Wyoming President Laurie Nichols will provide updates on key issues and initiatives, and outline future plans during the UW Fall Faculty and Staff Meeting Tuesday, Aug. 28, at 1 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom.

In addition to the presidents State of the University address, newly promoted faculty members and academic professionals will be recognized, and the presidents of the Associated Students of UW, Faculty Senate and Staff Senate will offer brief remarks.

The convocation will air on the WyoCast system. A link will be provided at a later date.

The president has authorized two hours of release time for employees to attend the Fall Faculty and Staff Meeting. The scheduling of release time should be a collaborative discussion between employee and supervisor to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the unit.

Also, the fall semester kickoff calendar has been released. Visit the Office of the Presidents website for a complete list of events at www.uwyo.edu/president/_files/docs/events/fall-2018-kick-off-events.pdf.As we all know understanding wine around the world can be challenging to get a grasp on especially if we haven't visited the region, don't understand the language nor the wine laws that come along with each wine territory. When it comes to Italian wines the real challenge is that Italy alone has over 2,000 native grape varieties. That's enough to make your head spin.





Our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group this month is taking these Italian grapes to another level by finding countries around the world outside of Italy that are growing some of these Italian grapes on their own soil. What types of wines do they produce on different soil , with different climates and how do they compare to those that are grown in Italy? There is lots to share and our group this month will shed some light on the variety to be discovered.

Join us this Saturday August 4th at 11am EST on Twitter at #ItalianFWT and chat about Italian grapes from around the world.

Camilla of The Culinary Adventures of Camilla features "Italian Grapes in Paso Robles: Aglianico, Malvasia Bianca and Some Pairings"





Jeff from Food Wine Click shares "Eating Pizza / NotPizza with Italian / NotItalian Wines"





Lauren from The Swirling Dervish features "Ryme Cellars Ribolla Gialla: A Taste of Friuli in Napa Valley"

Lynn from Savor the Harvest shares "This Italian Wine Grape Fooled You"

Susannah from Avvinare shares "Noteworthy New York State Wines Made with Italian Grapes"

Gwendolyn from the Art Predator features "An Italian in AUS? Meet a 2006 Montepulciano from Tscharke"

I'll be featuring from Vino Travels "Italian Grapes in Lodi with Harney Lane's Primitivo"

Don't miss an Italian wine blog ~ Subscribe



Franco-Brazilian mathematician Artur Avila won the last Fields Medal in 2014. (Photo: AFP/Mauro Pimentel)

It is the first time that a Latin American country has hosted the International Congress of Mathematicians, which has taken place every four years since the late 19th century and will run to Aug 9.

Organiser Marcelo Viana, who heads Brazil's National Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, or Impa, said the event is a landmark for the region's biggest country.

"When the first congress was held in 1897 there were practically no mathematicians in Brazil. The fact we've been entrusted to organise this gives you an indication of how far we've come," he told AFP.

The institute is based in Rio de Janeiro, where the building, featuring large areas of glass and clean modern lines, blends into the lush growth of the Tijuca rainforest - a surprisingly wild setting for the austere precision of the activity inside.

One of Impa's researchers, the Franco-Brazilian mathematician Artur Avila, won the last Fields Medal in 2014, along with three others, including the first female laureate, Harvard-educated Iranian Maryam Mirzakhani. She died in 2017, aged 40.

The Fields Medal recognizes outstanding mathematical achievement of candidates who were under 40 years old at the start of the year.

At least two and preferably four people are always honored and the announcement is expected at the start of the congress on Wednesday.

MATHS FOR THE MASSES

For Brazil, just hosting the congress is a win that builds on its ascent in January to the International Mathematical Union's elite Group 5, a club for leading mathematics research nations.

Viana hopes the event will help "promote math among the young."

"In 2006, the (congress) was held in Madrid and all my Spanish colleagues said that the culture of mathematics really took off across the country."

So the Impa will throw its venerable doors open with activities meant to lure in non-specialists and broaden the discussion far beyond mere numbers.

"Normally we're asked to organise conferences in the most accessible language as possible so that all mathematicians can understand. We're going much further so that children can also understand," the Impa director said.

Another Brazilian research body, the Serrapilheira Institute, has sponsored 19 black mathematicians and two members of indigenous tribes to attend. They will join a round table on gender inequality in the field.

But Viana said that the excitement of the congress cannot mask the no less stark inequalities in Brazil's school-level math.

"Our system is far too imbalanced, with huge differences between public and private education. Public school teachers are not well enough trained or paid," Viana said.

In the international PISA education rankings, which are issued every three years, Brazil was in 65th position for mathematics in 2015.

Research has taken a strong hit due to budget cuts in the wake of a deep recession in 2015 and 2016, contributing to a brain drain.

"In other countries, like China, they respond to moments of crisis by raising the research budgets to develop new growth points for the economy," Viana said. "Here the government opted for austerity and it doesn't make sense."Market management officials in Ho Chi Minh City destroy fake helmets. - VNA/VNS Photo Manh Linh

Shops on Pham Van Chieu Street in Go Vap District and on Truong Chinh Street in Tan Binh District, for instance, sell watches and sunglasses ostensibly made by brands like Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, Dior, Rolex, and Omega for VND200,000 to VND300,000 each.

They even issue warranty cards to customers.

But the shop owners freely admit that the goods are from Guangzou in China and brought into Vietnam over the northern land border.

Nguyen Minh Tan, the owner of a shop selling sunglasses sellers, said he could earn bigger profits by flying to Guangzou and buying directly from their Chinese manufacturers at much lower prices.

According to the Steering Board for Combating Smuggling, Fraudulent Trading and Counterfeit Goods, this year authorities have discovered over 80,000 cases of frauds and fake goods, and fined violators VND7.4 trillion (nearly US$320 million).

Nguyen Van Can, head of the customs bureau, said criminal charges were pressed in 30 cases of smuggling, fraud and trading of fake goods, and fines of nearly VND116 billion were collected.

Better control of fake goods

The huge profits from fake goods mean smugglers and sellers of fake goods resist market management authorities.

A customs officer from the Ho Chi Minh City Market Management Division said fake goods sellers and smugglers watch the divisions office to spot the launch of inspections and warn shopkeepers to hide their smuggled and fake goods.

Two week ago smugglers in the central province of Nghe An shot and injured two soldiers when border guards confronted them when they were transporting heroin from Laos.

In the southern province of Binh Duong, cigarette traffickers rammed their car into police vehicles, injuring six officers who tried to apprehend them.

The Ho Chi Minh City Market Management Division said authorities have discovered and seized a dozen tonnes of smuggled goods including sunglasses, garments and foods carrying famous brand names such as Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, Dior, Rolex, and Omega.

There were no invoices, receipts or documents for the goods, a spokesman for the division said.

Meanwhile, customs officers at the international airports in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang regularly find high-value goods like gold, cigars, cosmetics, foreign currencies, and wildlife products being smuggled into the country.

The sea routes to Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City are also used to bring in a lot of smuggled and fake goods, the division said.

Nguyen Van Bach, deputy chief of the division, said his officers collaborate with other agencies in the city to discover the tricks adopted by smugglers and fake goods manufacturers and sellers and to persuade the public to inform authorities about these crimes.The water level reached 7.5 metres on the stretch of the Bui River in Hanois outer district of Chuong My, the highest level ever recorded. (Photo: VNA)

Chairman of the Hanoi Peoples Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said on July 30 during an inspection on flood prevention work in the district that the authorities must prepare for the worst-case scenario.

He said that the city authorities would provide 10,000 sand bags and request relevant agencies strengthen the embankment to prevent water from the Bui River flowing in.

Chung also asked the district authorities to call on residents residing near Bui Rivers Dyke to quickly relocate their belongings to higher places.

Regarding concern over clean water, the city authority has asked a number of enterprises to provide 5,000 big water bottles for local residents who are in need.

The municipal Peoples Committee chairman also directed relevant agencies to be on duty around the clock to tackle all possible incidents, ensuring the safety of the dyke.

According to a report from the Peoples Committee of Chuong My district, in recent days, due to the heavy rain, the water level at Bui and Tich Rivers has continued to swell. On July 30, the water level at Bui reached its peak of 7.52m, about 1m higher than the third warning level  an alarming level that caused widespread flooding in downstream areas; many construction, transportation and irrigation works suffered heavy damage.

Chu Phu My, Director of the Hanoi Agriculture and Rural Development department, said the water level at the Bui River was down to 7.42m on July 31.

The department remained to monitor the Huu Bui and Huu Tich dykes and embankments belonging to the communes of Quoc Oai and Thach That districts. If the water continues to rise, the department will submit a plan on the water discharge to the municipal Peoples Committee so that the inner city will not be inundated as well as to ensure the safety of local people and their property.

After the water recedes, the department will focus on calculating the damage and conducting repair work, My said.

Regarding the communes which were inundated, he said that steering committee for natural disaster prevention and control would work with relevant agencies to perform relief work, providing necessary support so that people could restore production and return to normal lives.

Dinh Manh Hung, Chairman of the Chuong My district Peoples Committee, said nearly 1,300ha of rice, 260ha of vegetables and 555ha of aqua-culture were damaged by floods. As many as 3,300 metres of roads and 9,400 canals were badly affected. The floods also destroyed 33 bridges and resulted in the death of 339 cattle.

As of July 30 night, two children have drowned and 2,349 households have been submerged under flood waters. Some villages like Yen Trinh and Thuan Luong of Hoang Van Thu were isolated.

To cope with the situation, the district Peoples Committee has taken drastic measures to ensure the safety of state and local residents property.

Accordingly, the districts Military Command was asked to coordinate with armed forces units in the localities to conduct rescues in case of emergency. Relevant agencies were directed to collaborate with communes and local authorities in preparing necessary equipment and forces and closely monitor the water level at rivers and reservoirs to support the evacuation of people in accordance with the set plan.

In response to the calls from local authorities, hundreds of people have used thousands of sand bags and bamboo poles to reinforce the eroded embankment.

Luu Huu Nhan, a resident from Thanh Binh commune whose home is 100m from Bui Dyke, said that as soon as they were informed of the rising water level, hundreds of local residents arrived at the scene to join the repair work.

Never before have people taken an active role like this year. Over 500 people were mobilised just on July 29 night to protect the dyke, Hung said, adding that people were the most important factor in flood control work.Nguyen Quoc Minh, chairman of the board of Con Cung company, shows its products to an inspection team from the Ministry of Industry and Trade on July 30, following an incident in which several goods in Con Cung stores were found to have violated product origin regulations.  Photo dantri.com.vn

Con Cung is a nationwide baby product retailer whose several stores in HCM City were found to have violated product origin regulations last week, MSA said. More than 5,000 products were confiscated by MSA for further investigation into their true origin.

The alleged violations included lack of receipts for some imported goods, inadequate origin stamps, and origin stamp alterations. Some products had stamps covering information printed on products, while an item of clothing showed signs that its origin stamp had been replaced, according to MSA.

An inspection team, led by Hung consisting of ministry officials and staff from the MSA HCM City Branch, visited Con Cungs headquarters in District 7, where Nguyen Quoc Minh, chairman of the board, explained that the violations were a result of technical errors, such as stamps falling off due to insufficient glue, as opposed to malicious intent.

Hung said the investigation into Con Cung was originally scheduled last week under a decision from the ministry on July 24, but the company asked for more time to prepare proper documents and receipts to aid the investigation.

Con Cungs commercial activities since January of last year are also being investigated.

On July 28, Con Cung announced on its website that all its products have proper receipts to prove their origin, and that it would reward VND1 billion (about US$43,500) to the first customer who can prove that a product recently bought from its stores was fraudulent or had unclear origin.

Nguyen Van Bach, deputy head of the MSA HCM City Branch, said the branch had inspected 88 Con Cung stores in HCM City so far. Further inspections are being conducted, with results expected soon, he said.

As for the problem of products with unclear origin, the MSA HCM City Branch told Tuoi Tre newspaper that it had seized over 13,000 stamps and labels of famous fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci, with unclear origin from four shops in District 5s Dai Quang Minh Trading Centre. MSA officials are working with these brandname companies to check the validity of the stamps and labels.

Mark Gillin, board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in HCM City, said that fraud was highly detrimental to real brands, and that consumers and businesses should have better awareness about the importance of intellectual property rights.ENZ said last week that over the course of 2017, New Zealand welcomed over 2,500 Vietnamese students, with the number of secondary school students adding up by 36 per cent on-year, while university student numbers growing by 14 per cent on-year. The first half of 2018 has continued to see positive growth with an increase in first-time student visas.

Ben Burrowes, ENZs regional manager for South East Asia, said it is encouraging to see the rising number of Vietnamese students in New Zealand, as it reflects New Zealands commitment towards education and the well-being of international students.

As New Zealands third largest source market within Southeast Asia for international students, Vietnam is a crucial market for our education institutions. Over the past few years, we have really focused our efforts on delivering an excellent education experience for Vietnamese students, making sure they are well-equipped with the necessary tools, said Burrowes. The ENZRA programme, once re-launched in Vietnam, will encourage local education agents to improve their capabilities and provide the best support possible for Vietnamese students as they begin their overseas education journey.

New Zealand is one of only two countries in the world that has in place an International Education Strategy. As part of this strategy, ENZ continues to work closely with education agents to further promote New Zealand as a study destination.

It is also set to re-launch the Education New Zealand Recognised Agent (ENZRA) programme near the end of 2018, which will review and update the list of Recognised Agents annually to ensure that the highest quality support is delivered to the students. In addition, agents will be given comprehensive online training, providing them with up-to-date skills and more information to better assist international students.

Ben Burrowes said there was a record number of Vietnamese students in New Zealand last year

As well as providing more support to high-performing agents, ENZ is also focusing on making the process easier for students with the launch of the My StudyNZ app, which is designed to better support the students search process by matching them with the courses and institutions that best suit their profiles. Students are also able to review personalised study recommendations, shortlist matches and track their progress towards applying for courses and visas.

New Zealands Ambassador to Vietnam Wendy Matthews said: New Zealand offers innovative and world class education. This is also evident in New Zealands approach to international studentswe want students to be well-prepared and well-informed even before their arrival to New Zealand. The ENZRA programme and the My StudyNZ App are some good examples of how we are making it easier for Vietnamese students to access and understand New Zealand education.

New Zealand is proud to be a trusted education partner of Vietnam

New Zealand is proud to be a trusted education partner of Vietnam, one example of this is the renewed Strategic Engagement Plan on Education 2018-2020 signed earlier this year. There is great opportunity and potential in further strengthening this partnership and we look forward to welcoming more Vietnamese students to New Zealand in the near future.

Students and parents interested in learning more about world-class education opportunities in New Zealand are invited to visit the ENZRA Fairs in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi on September 22 and 23. More information can be found on ENZs website.

New Zealand Education Fair 2018 charmed parents and students The New Zealand Education Fair 2018 has attracted over 1,000 participants and offered a holistic experience of student life in New Zealand.

Education New Zealand Fairs come to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi More than 60 of New Zealands education providers will be travelling to Vietnam to showcase their countrys world-class learning environment to hundreds of prospective Vietnamese ...

Vietnam-New Zealand comprehensive partnership Vietnam and New Zealand (NZ) have enjoyed rapidly and strongly growing partnership and increasing connectivity. Vietnam is the 16th largest exporter of NZ and its ...Kim Le, outsourcing and staffing manager for North Vietnam of ManpowerGroup

In you role for ManpowerGroup, you often work with customers on human resources (HR) related issues. What are the challenges facing the majority of businesses today?

The biggest challenge facing businesses in Vietnam and the world nowadays is the inability to balance the HR supply and demand. Forty five per cent of businesses out of a total of 39,195 in 43 countries and territories joining ManpowerGroup's Talent Shortage Survey said that they cannot find the skills they need, and for large organisations (250 + employees) it is even higher, with 67 per cent reporting talent shortages.

As per our survey, most of the top-ten in-demand roles today require post-secondary training and not always a full university degree. In the digital age, employment will not always require a college degree, but rely heavily on continual skills development as even the most traditional roles are augmented with new technology.

What are businesses doing to solve talent shortages?

Globally, businesses apply different strategies to overcome talent shortfalls based on their demands and capacity. According to ManpowerGroup's surveys, the most effective and popular strategies include providing additional training and development (54 per cent); adjusting education and experience requirements (36 per cent); recruiting from outside the traditional talent pool (33 per cent); offering additional perks and benefits (32 per cent); exploring alternative work models: contract, freelance or temporary work (30 per cent).

In regard to salary, the survey produced an amazing result - when the rate of employers (29 per cent) increasing salaries is not as high as in the past.

In addition, allowing employees to have flexibility in working time, or distance working is also an effective strategy that employers should pay due attention to as the young workforce (aged 18-33 and accounting for around 30 per cent of the world's workforce) are very concerned with these issues. Outsourcing is a strategy that is becoming a trend across the world and one we are seeing effectively deployed in Vietnam, contributing to ease the HR supply-demand imbalance.

With a specified management process, outsourcing is proving to be an effective tool for businesses to find the skills they need.

You have talked about the ways that businesses use an outsourcing service from suppliers. What are the advantages of the service in comparison with traditional HR recruitment and management methods?

Outsourcing has four advantages above traditional HR recruitment and management, enabling businesses to gain flexibility in HR organisation and management.

Firstly, cost effectiveness. Outsourcing does not mean a cut of overhead costs because businesses have to pay the service fees for suppliers. Outsourcing can lead to cost savings for businesses as outsourcing enables businesses to switch over HR costs - the fixed cost - to operation cost, which has time flexibility and helps them make a cut as requested from business demands.

The second advantage is in meeting businesses' short and long-term demands. When businesses want to recruit a large number of labourers for a project development which covers several months, years, or a certain period in a year, they cannot depend on their current employees to satisfy such a changeable demand. Instead, they can work with a supplier of outsourcing services who has professional staff and managers.

What's more, suppliers of an outsourcing service can share part of the risk, training and HR development costs with businesses. Instead of spending time on addressing unexpected risks, or finding qualified training programmes to develop and retain talented employees, businesses can work with a service provider who offers advice and gives some suitable strategies. This supplier can even provide training programmes for existing employees of the businesses.

Last but not least is that outsourcing enables businesses to approach high-quality manpower as these labourers are all trained and selected carefully. With the service, a business can also increase or decrease its human resources in different development periods without being worried about personnel organisation, thus helping them increase labour productivity.

A number of businesses still hesitate to use outsourcing services for fears of difficulties in management of leased labourers. Is this a serious issue?

Outsourcing and staffing is now the trend in the labour market. In order to catch up with the rapid changing world of work, businesses have to supervise and manage the workload with proper procedures and processes, instead of overseeing every job in a detailed way. Businesses who are still hesitant will find it difficult to gain a competitive edge. To ease their concerns, businesses should assess labour supply ability, professionalism of staff, financial capacity, experience and professionalism of potential suppliers of this service.

What are your forecasts on outsourcing trends among domestic and foreign firms in Vietnam at present and in the future and what can Vietnam learn from other countries around the world?

Nowadays, outsourcing and staffing is the obvious trend in the labour market globally. For foreign investors in Vietnam, the majority already uses outsourcing and staffing services based on their operation scale.

For example, one customer of ManpowerGroup Vietnam outsources up to 70 per cent of its workforce, while the common rate for the majority of customers is 30 per cent. For Vietnamese companies, not many of them use this service yet because of certain preconception and concerns against this rather new service.

To create a momentum for business developments and to catch up with the global business governance trend, Vietnamese firms should overlook the concerns to learn more about the advantages of new HR solutions and then apply new HR models and HR solutions in an appropriate manner.

Regarding a larger governance view, the government has issued a number of legal documents as well as suitable and concrete working rules to support businesses in approaching new HR solutions such as outsourcing and staffing services.A report from the General Department of Vietnam Customs said there were over 5,000 scrap containers help up at ports in Hai Phong and HCM City. - Photo thoibaokinhdoanh.vn

According to Au Anh Tuan, acting director of the Customs Supervision and Management Department, after China banned the import of 24 types of scrap, the amount imported to Vietnam in 2017 and the first five months of 2018 has increased. Additionally, some enterprises had forged scrap import permits.

Domestic companies have imported scrap from many different countries for production demand.

Remarkably, in the first five months of this year, the volume of imported plastic scrap surged nearly 200 per cent over the entire 2017, Tuan told Thoi bao kinh doanh (Business Times).

A report from the General Department of Vietnam Customs said there were 3,579 scrap containers held up at Cat Lai Port in HCM City and 1,485 containers at Hai Phong Port.

Tuan said that many shipments of imported scrap did not meet environmental criteria.

The customs department refused many shipments and a number of enterprises had not carried out customs procedures when they were detected by customs officers, resulting in the large amount of scrap at seaports around the country, he said.

At a press conference on Monday, responding to questions about the handling of scrap containers at ports and preventive measures for the future, Mai Xuan Thanh, CGDs deputy general director, affirmed that the department would not accept any imported scrap shipments that did not meet the conditions for environmental protection and had no clear origin.

Owners have to remove the imported scrap from Vietnam if such a shipment is still held up at port 90 days from the date of arrival, he added.

Particularly, for illegal scrap importers, the department will resolutely transfer the cases to investigation agencies to handle in accordance with the law.

Tuan said CGD was proposing the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to publish a list of eligible enterprises to import scrap into Vietnam.

They would submit to the Finance Ministry a proposal to the Government to amend and supplement the regulations on sanctions in case the transport owners do not remove scrap which causes environment pollution in accordance with Article 58 of the Customs Law of 2014.

Earlier, at a recent Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called for solutions for the thousands of imported scrap containers held up at major seaports around the country.The Turkish Secret Service, the MIT (the Turkish acronym for Milli Istihbarat Teskilat) made an unsuccessful attempt to kidnap a Turkish citizen in Mongolia.

Considered by the MIT as connected to the preacher Fethullah Gulen, Professor Veysel Akcay had been kidnapped at the entrance of the school where he was working, by 5 members of the Turkish secret service. He was then transported to the airport of Oulan Bator where a CL604 Challenger (a plane of the Turkish Army) was waiting for him.

Put on notice by colleagues of the professor, the Mongolian police gave the order for the plane not to be allowed to take off for so long as Veysel Akcay was on board. He was finally set free after eight hours of negotiations.

During the incident, the Turkish authorities including the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu, denied the action of their secret services.

Last April, Turkish Vice Prime Minister, Bekir Bozdag, declared that 80 Turkish nationals had been  bundled away by the MIT in 18 different countries [1].

It is now emerging that such kidnappings in Ukraine and Gabon were carried out with the complicity of local authorities.

Another operation of this type has produced a scandal in Kosovo [2].The administration of the Iranian President, Hassan Rohani, rejected the White House proposal for a joint summit, put forward on 30 July 2018. Teherans immediate response was that it would only accept this proposal after the United States had returned to the agreement known as the 5+1 or JCPOA.

Just as in the case of North Korea, the White House offer took place following a harsh exchange of messages between President Donald Trump and his Iranian partner.

Following the signing of the 5 + 1 agreement (JCPOA), President Rohanis administration dismantled the system that the government of Rohanis predecessor, Mahmud Ahmadineyad, had established to buffer the effect of the sanctions against Iran.

After freeing up 400 million dollars that had been frozen in the United States, President Rohani was relying on the application of the JCPOA to re-establish financial and trade exchanges between his country and the West. But when the United States walked away from the agreement and announced new sanctions against Iran, this triggered a wave of panic in Iran and the collapse of the Iranian economy.

The unilateral US sanctions against Iran on trade in metals, currency, debt and products from the Iranian automobile industry should enter into force very soon - 7 August 2018 to be precise. The sanctions intended to hurt the banking and oil sectors will enter into force on 5 November 2018.

The downward spiralling of the Iranian economy is gaining momentum as the date on which the sanctions will be applied draws closer. The Iranian currency had witnessed a serious devaluation, passing from 42 000 rials to one dollar (at the end of 2017) to 110 000 rials to one dollar at the end of July 2018.

For seven months now, Iran has been the theatre for a wave of demonstrations against corruption and mismanagement by the Rohani administration. On the other hand, the former president Ahmadineyad is under house arrest and his vice president was subject to a secret trial which resulted in a sentence of 15 years jail time.

The President of Irans Parliament, Ali Larijani, referring to the US proposal for the summit meeting, urged President Rohanis government not to close the door to negotiations.

For his part, the Iranian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, travelled discretely to Oman. It was here that in 2011 the election of todays President Rohani and the subsequent signature of the JCPOA had begun. Then the Foreign Minister of Oman, Yusuf ben Alawi, travelled to Washington for talks with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.The Syrian Arab Army regained control of the region along the line marking off the occupied Golan, previously under jihadi control.

The Syrian authorities confirm that the speed with which the Syrian Arab Army progressed in the most recent battles is the result of the decisions taken on June 16 2018 by Presidents Vladamir Putin and Donald Trump during their Helsinki Summit.

Following the Helsinki Summit, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov and General Valery Guerasimov, Head of the Chief of Staffs of the Russian Federation made a joint visit to several European countries  even though an entry ban to the EU had been imposed on General Guerasimov. The two of them also made a joint visit to Israel. On this tour, the Russian representatives repeated their commitment to respect the line of demarcation of the Golan.

Three secret meetings took place between the Syrian Arab Army and the Israeli armed forces, under the auspices of the UN and Russia.

The government of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, sealed off Israels borders to those that had previously collaborated with it and who were seeking refuge in Israel before the advance of the Syrian Arab Army. Prime Minister Netanyahu is now abstaining from continuing to provide them with ammunition.

Netanyahu also hopes to ensure that the Syrian Arab Army abstains from allowing pro-Iranian militias to set up camp along the line of demarcation.

For its part, the US forces present on Syrian soil should have to withdraw from the base that opened illegally in the Syrian region of Al-Tanf, which borders with Jordan.The Bold Type Trippin Season 2 Episode 9 Editors Rating 3 stars * * * Photo: Philippe Bosse/Freeform

Sometimes while watching The Bold Type I play a little game called In What World? For instance: In What World would the head of social media be able to take not just a lunch outside the office with her girlfriend but also leave early to go on a road trip for a birth certificate ON THE DAY OF THE WEBSITE RELAUNCH? Or, In What World could someone like Jane be drunk and high all day, and still have the ability to not only sing a perfect rendition of Natalie Imbruglias Torn at a dive bar, but then hop in a car and both read a pile of information on fertility options and also write an article for work? FURTHERMORE, In What World is the pitch fun things to do when you just cant anymore accepted with no follow-up details? The answer to all of these questions is In No World Except The Bold Type World and You Should Either Just Get on Board or Get Off the Ride.

Fun game, right?

I am happy to report, however, that there are some excellent moments in Trippin thanks to Suttons sojourn back to her hometown to procure her original birth certificate in order to get a passport in time for Paris Fashion Week. Sutton tries every other option to get her passport, including asking Richard for help through his contact at the State Department (IN WHAT WORLD), until she has no excuse: She has to go home to Harrisburg and get her birth certificate from her mom. She isnt thrilled about the prospect of seeing her alcoholic mother, but the rest of us definitely are. Babs Brady, live and in Technicolor!

Our three ladies hop in Kats parents car and make the three-hour trip to the capital of Pennsylvania, though this road trips not all gas station roast beef sandwiches and sing-a-longs to Dua Lipa. Janes super drunk in the backseat thanks to her afternoon Drink and Avoid Life session with Pinstripe  and by avoid life I mean avoid her hot doctor boyfriend who handed her a fairly thick folder full of research on her reproductive system. This drunkenness gets compounded when she discovers Kats parents have a weed pen stashed in the car. Meanwhile, Kat is DOING WORK that she should be doing AT THE OFFICE and keeping tabs on how Scarlet readers are dealing with Jacquelines unilateral decision to remove comments from the website. Spoiler alert: They dont take it well. All of this is happening while Sutton is dealing with both the new knowledge that Richard and his girlfriend are moving in together and the fact that she is about to see the one person in the world she would like to avoid at all costs. And you thought road trips were just for trail mix and that thing people do in the car when they just start reading signs aloud for no reason.

They reach Suttons childhood home in the evening, only to find it locked and the spare key missing. For Sutton, this is just another way her mother is ruining her life. High Jane comes up with a plan to break in and steal the birth certificate, because you cant get in trouble for stealing whats yours, but as convincing as the argument is, Sutton knows shell have to go find her drunk mom at the local dive bar and get the key. Shes harping on her mom so much, and is so sure theyll find Babs facedown in a shot glass, that you just know this is not going to be the case at all.

And thats pretty much how it goes down. Sutton runs into her old high school boyfriend Billy (played by Billy Magnussen) who is still performing with his old band at the same dive bar as a reminder to Sutton that everything is the same as when she left. But also Billy is very charming and funny and I would not hate it if he popped up in NYC some time, just saying. But some things have changed! Yes, Suttons mom shows up at the bar  but its because she works there now. She looks decent! She is not drunk! Kat and Jane are wondering where the trainwreck is, and Sutton assures them shell show herself eventually. But she never does.

Babs has been sober for months, she has a job, and she is cleaning up her act  for good this time. Suttons heard this all before and continues to reject anything Babs has to say to her. Even after seeing that her home, typically a garbage dump, is immaculately clean, Sutton does not want to admit that her mom might really be changing. Shes been down this road before. Shes gotten her hopes up only to be disappointed by Babs over and over again. Her heart has been broken too many times this way. Thats when Jane drops the Dead Mom card. Do-overs with your mom arent things to be taken for granted. It is way harsh, Tai, and I hope Jane doesnt use that on the reg, but it seems to be effective on Sutton in this moment. The girls share a teary group hug and remind us all what we love about this show.

Sutton, braver thanks to the love of her best friends, has a sit-down with Babs. Mrs. Brady explains that a few months ago, after a classic Babs Bender, she saw a picture of Sutton out with her friends and suddenly realized that if she didnt make some changes, she would never know her daughters life. Sutton is still hesitant to be the least bit hopeful, but she promises that shell check in on her mom every once in a while to see if Babs is holding up her end of the bargain. That, at least, Sutton can do. Its a very lovely little scene and perhaps now a Classic Babs Bender entails chicken fingers and crying while holding hands. It sounds like a fun night to me!

The girls make it back to NYC in the a.m. and Sutton, who for some reason is the only one of the three who looks like the hottest of messes, gets her birth certificate in to the Scarlet travel department on time so they can magically get her a passport in under a week. And even better news: Kats going to Paris with her! Im ready for some heart-to-hearts over croissants. To France, mes amies!

From the Back Page

 Kat has her first confrontation with Jacqueline as a department head over the whole losing the comments section thing, but turns out to be correct when there is major backlash over the decision during the relaunch. Jacqueline goes to Kat for advice on how to handle the situation, and that advice is basically: Own your mistake and also put the comments section back.

 The comments section snafu comes at an extremely bad time for Scarlets editor-in-chief, thanks to a, ahem, New York Magazine article about the decline of the celebrity editor and questioning Jacquelines usefulness. Let it be known that this recap section is a safe space and we would never denounce such a diva here. But also, the one-two punch of the article and the relaunch issues has some board members  cough Cleo cough  wondering if Jacqueline is out of touch.

 Kat makes out with a hot townie bartender, but in the midst of all the relaunch stress, realizes the only person she wants to be with is Adena. The Great Open Relationship Experiment is over.

 Alex Watch Update: Hes planning walking food-tours for fun and making Y2K jokes. Oh Alex, what have they done to you? Remember when you were bribing key copiers and kissing people in cabs? Misty water-colored memories 

 Jane eventually realizes that she cannot hide from her problems, reads Dr. Bens research packet, and decides to freeze her eggs. It seems like Dr. Ben is being a little overbearing, but hes honestly pretty sweet about everything and only wants to help any way he can  which is by doing doctor things. The couple celebrates with sex in a public bathroom.

 But wait! Jane runs into Pinstripe again, who has just sold a book proposal, and he informs the good lady that he is more than just a day-drinking buddy. He is serious about her. Then he gives her some eyes and Jane is like, Huh? and were all like, YES. Maybe from now on we can forget anything about Janes professional life and stick to love triangles only. Then wed truly be living.

 Jane and Kats slow dance! Hug your friends, people!The nicest man in the world, reportedly. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

This post originally ran after the release of The Mummy. Because Tom Cruise has continued to be a nice guy, we have updated this post to include three more unsettlingly nice stories.

First things first: We get it. Theres an awful lot of unsettling Scientology stuff (a whole lot of stuff ) around Tom Cruise. But pay no attention to that: Cruise has a new movie out, which means its time for the latest round of absolutely gushing stories about Tom Cruise. Theyre kind of like Prince stories  always unique and surprising, often exceedingly delightful, if you can ignore the odd feeling in the back of your spine. On a Hollywood press tour, its a truth universally acknowledged that Tom Cruise is a super-nice dude.



He taught Zac Efron how to ride a motorcycle.

In 2010, a young Zac Efron sat down with the now-defunct Details magazine for a cover shoot. He was in his postHigh School Musical phase, trying to break out of the teen-star shell. Somewhere along the line, Tom Cruise asked him if he knew how to ride a motorcycle. You wanna learn how? Cruise asked, inviting young Efron to his house. According to Details, Cruise taught him how a motorcycle engine works, showed him the hangar with his dozens of pristine bikes  including the Triumphs he rode in the Mission: Impossible movies. When Details asked him why he thought Tom Cruise would do such a nice thing, he had no idea. I dont know. I dont even want to know, he said. Its just so cool that he gave a shit, the fact that he cared at all. No one else did that.

He helped Mummy co-star Jake Johnson get in shape.

Heres a story that is very anti-Hollywood, but very Tom, Johnson told Thrillist recently. He wanted me to work out with him and get in shape for the movie. People have told me in the past, including New Girl, that I need to lose weight and stay in shape. But they dont tell me how. Its like, Hey tubbo, fit into these slacks! Instead Tom Cruise invited Johnson to his gym (the Pain Cave). He said, Youll be training with me and my trainers. If you want Ill put you on a food plan with my chef. The food is great, Johnson recalled. When someone on Mummy set insisted that Johnson wait until after Cruise was done working out so the star could have the gym alone, Cruise was furious. Let me make something crystal clear: I dont care what anybody on the crew says to you, they dont know what Im saying to you, Johnson remembered him saying. And Im saying to you that you are always welcome. I dont care what Im doing in there. Youre not other. Youre my castmate. Come in.

He stayed in touch with the kid who dropped out of Jerry Maguire.

Before Jonathan Lipnicki, there was another kid set to steal the show on the Jerry Maguire set. He spent a few weeks filming, but after a certain point, he ran out of gas, Cameron Crowe told Deadline, and wanted to leave the production. The role was recast  Lipnicki stepped in  but Crowe got a call from the mother of the boy who almost took the role. Weeks later, the mother of the first kid calls the office. I got on the phone and she says, Will you please tell Tom Cruise thank you for the way he has kept in touch with my son, sent him letters and gifts, and just let him know all is well? I thought, wow, I had no idea Tom Cruise was doing that, he said. Crowe continued:

She said, It really helped my son. Hes over it now, hes fine, and Tom did a beautiful job helping him transition back to his life. I went to Tom, later, and said, you quietly helped this kid through what could have been a terrible transition. Thank you, but why did you never tell any of us? Tom said, I just didnt want that first actor to go to the movies, look at the screen and think hed failed. I wanted him to love movies, his entire life. That is the quiet way Tom Cruise conducts his professional life.

He gave Kanye West advice on his fledgling comedy career, but declined a role in Kanyes HBO pilot.

Once upon a time, Kanye made a comedy pilot for HBO. When Vulture saw the pilot, Wyatt Cenac revealed overhearing a conversation between Kanye and Cruise: Kanye had been trying to get Tom Cruise to be in the pilot. And he had asked him because they were friendly. And were shooting a scene [in the Escalade] and at one point Kanyes like, Shut the fuck up, its Tom Cruise, and because he couldnt get out of the car, he had to take the phone call smashed between people, Cenac said. You can hear Tom Cruise laughing [does a Tom Cruise laugh] as Kanye goes, Yeah, man, Ive been working on the improv stuff, you know, all your suggestions were great. [Does another Tom Cruise laugh.] That went on for like 15 minutes. Tom Cruise never did the show and we had to hire a Tom Cruise look-alike that was like five-feet taller than Cruise.

Hes a good sport on set.

I think theres something very right with him in that he cares so much about the audience experience, his Mission: Impossible co-star Simon Pegg told Jimmy Fallon. Its like hes obsessive with giving people an authentic experience. Actor-director Todd Field, who acted with Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut, said something similar of working with Cruise and Stanley Kubrick: Youve never seen [an actor] more completely subservient and prostrate themselves at the feet of a director.

He convinced the Black Eyed Peas to do a song for Knight and Day.

Tom Cruise, a self-described big fan of the Peas, was almost done with filming Knight and Day when he, co-star Cameron Diaz, and ex-wife Katie Holmes saw them play over Super Bowl weekend. He was struck with a brilliant idea: As we were watching, it occurred to me that this is the perfect time, so I called up Will [i.am], and he doesnt have any time, but I asked, Are you interested [in doing a song for the film]? They were, so they did.

He totally did not get mad at Cuba Gooding Jr.s dad when he asked about his sexuality.

During the filming of Jerry Maguire, Cuba Gooding Sr. impolitely inquired about Tom Cruises sexuality. He gave Tom Cruise a hug and said, I love you, man. Now seriously, are you gay or not? Gooding Jr. recalled, years later. I almost fainted. And thought, Please, lord, let me disappear. Cruise was so chill dealing with the prying parent: Tom just laughed and said No, his co-star reported.

He gave Kevin Pollock a $500 pen (and then a second pen).

During rehearsals for A Few Good Men, Kevin Pollock noticed Tom Cruise making notes in his script with a ridiculously huge pen. At first, they joked about it. Then, Cruise convinced Pollock to try writing with it. Its like an angel wing floating on a cloud. It was a magical pen, Pollock recalled to the Chive. Even Demi Moore agreed the pen was a total joy to use. When Pollock learned the pen cost $500, he was crestfallen. Later, Cruises assistant showed up with a gift: the luxury writing utensil itself. When Pollock admitted to his co-star that he hadnt used the pen because he felt it deserved a special spot on his mantle, Cruise bought him a second $500 pen  one for the mantle, and one for Pollocks pocket.

He personally arranged for Bill Hader to leave a set and get home to New York after an attempted bombing in Times Square.

As Bill Hader and Tom Cruise were in Los Angeles filming promos for the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, word reached the set that a car bomb had just gone off in Times Square. Hader was a new dad at the time, concerned about his wife and infant daughter in New York. Cruise noticed Haders concern, and asked when hed get to go home to check on them. Hader wasnt due back to the city for two more days, and so, Tom Cruise took over the set and got Bill Hader home by 8 a.m. the next morning. As Hader recalled:

He thinks for a second. No, he says. Well get you home tonight. And in that moment, Tom Cruise, as Les Grossman, in a karate gi, began to direct all my coverage, Hader recalled. All my footage, all my close-ups. Boom! We do three perfect takes. Boom, boom, boom. Everyones chest-butting each other, some people are chest-butting themselves, people are going insane. Two days worth of work, Hader said, and he got it done in 45 minutes. Then Katie Holmes came up to him and handed him a piece of paper with his new flight information. Youre on the red eye tonight, she told him. Im like, What?! Hader said. Because Cruise got him out of work and on a plane that night, he was able to surprise his wife and daughter by 7:45 the next morning and check in on them in person. So thats what its like to work with Tom Cruise, Hader said.

He rescued a family from their burning sailboat.

While vacationing with then-wife Nicole Kidman and their kids on their luxury yacht in 1997, Tom Cruise spotted a sailboat going up in flames. The actor sent the yachts skiff to rescue the people aboard  French paper tycoon Jacques Lejeune, 68, his wife, Bernadette, 42, daughter Eugenie, 7, and two crew members  according to People.

He helped rescue a victim of a hit-and-run, and paid her medical bills.

The year before the sailboat rescue, Tom Cruise was driving down Wilshire Boulevard on a rainy night when he watched Heloisa Vinhas, a 23-year-old aspiring actress, get hit by a car. Cruise commanded someone to call for help and accompanied her to UCLA Medical Center, according to People. He even picked up the $7,000 medical bill for her broken left leg and bruised ribs when he found out she wasnt insured. If hes not Superman, he can be Batman  Batman doesnt have superpowers, Vinhas told the mag.

He saved a pair of his littlest fans during a crowded red carpet.

At Mission: Impossibles West End premiere, Tom Cruise spotted preteen fans Laurence Sadler, 7, and Christos Chris Tzanetis, 13. As he and Kidman made their way through the crowd, he eyed Sadler being pinned against a steel bar. Cruise rescued both young fans from being crushed, and called for a police officers help. Every night I say good-night to him when I pass his poster in my room, Sadler told People at the time.

He never forgets Dakota Fannings birthday.

He has sent me a birthday gift every year since I was 11 years old, Fanning told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live. I always think, Oh, when Im 18, hell probably stop. Oh, 21, hell stop. But every year. Its really kind. Fanning says he usually gifts her shoes.

He bought his publicists daughter so many wedding gifts.

Pat Kingsley and Tom Cruise had one of the closest talent-publicist relationships. They met after hed finished work on A Few Good Men, and often talked every day. They parted ways, she later said, over a disagreement over The Last Samauris press tour: He wanted to talk more openly about Scientology; she thought it wasnt a good talking point during the press tour. But before that, she said, We talked constantly, telling The Hollywood Reporter that they shared 11 p.m. calls almost nightly. He was an insomniac. I liked the fact that he was so much fun. And he was so thoughtful. He remembered birthdays, my daughters birthday. He came to her wedding; she was registered somewhere for the china, and he bought out everything. Theyve got things they havent even opened yet, and theyve been together 15 years!

He sends Kirsten Dunst (and Jimmy Kimmel) a cake every year.

Kirsten Dunst acted with Cruise in 1994s Interview With a Vampire. I ran into Tom like five years ago, and now I get this cake every thats one of the best cakes Ive ever had. Its from Dylans Bakery in Thousand Oaks, she explained to Jimmy Kimmel in 2015. We call it the Cruise cake at my familys house. Were like, Cruise cakes here! And its gone within a day. Kimmel agrees that the cake is good, and that he receives one regularly, too.

He gifted his lawyer a rare book of English history.

When Cruises longtime lawyer Bert Fields turned 86, the actor got him an especially thoughtful gift. Fields received a customized Cruise cake and an extremely rare edition of [Raphael] Holinsheds history of England, Fields told THR. He knows I write about English history, and this is a fantastic prize.

His maintained a friendship with Billy Wilder in the directors last years.

Cameron Crowe really wanted the legendary director to take the role of Jerrys mentor, Dicky Fox. Crowe was inspired by The Apartment, and set a meeting with Wilder to offer him the role. When he arrived to Wilders office, the director started chatting about his old movies, mistaking him for a messenger. When Crowe offered him the role, he declined, finally saying yes after a long courtship.

When filming began, Wilder apologized and dropped out. Crowe told Cruise. Cruise says, lets go talk him into it. We drive to Billy Wilders office. Billy is there, and he lights up when he sees that its Tom Cruise. He invites us in, Crowe recalled to Deadline. He tells Tom these stories about Cary Grant, and Sunset Boulevard. Hes just magnificent. And I realize he is in full Hollywood director, getting-ready-to-make-another-picture-as-soon-as-possible mode, and hes got Tom Cruise in his office. And Im virtually invisible at this point, as that romance is happening. Eventually, Wilder finally declined and the role was recast. Crowe told Deadline Wilder and Cruise remained friends until the directors death. He loved Billy Wilder and we talked about him, constantly. Tom wrote notes to Billy, and they developed a little bit of a friendship. When Billy passed away, Tom came to the memorial and really let everybody know how much he loved Billy. I think Tom got a big kick out of Wilder. How could you not?

He got Cameron Crowe back into directing.

After the failure of Elizabethtown, Cameron Crowe wasnt sure about directing another movie. Then Tom Cruise took him for a drive, and the two of them ended up on the set of Knocked Up. Mr. Cruise introduced Mr. Crowe to Mr. Apatow, who joked that hed been stealing for years from Say Anything, the sharp-witted teen comedy that first established Mr. Crowe as a director in 1989, the New York Times reported. Cruise sidles up to me and goes: See? Get out of your house, man, its fun, Crowe recalled to the Times. And thats when it felt like, yeah, its time to direct again.

He released Jessica Chastain from her Oblivion contract so she could star in Zero Dark Thirty.

Jessica Chastain was set to co-star with Tom Cruise in the dystopian action movie Oblivion when she got a call from Kathryn Bigelow, who wanted Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty. Before even reading the script, Chastain told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, she agreed to star. Cruise came to Chastains rescue: I was excited to do [Oblivion]. But when [Zero Dark Thirty] came my way, I realized I had to do this. And the person who made it possible for me to do this movie is Tom Cruise. Someone contacted him from my agency and said, Listen, she wants to work with you. And she would love to, but there is this other film, and its so important. And he said, OK, were going to let you out of your contract. Olga Kurylenko eventually signed on to Oblivion in Chastains place.

He always takes his kids calls, even in the middle of a scene.

There were times that I was about ready to say Action; and the phone rang, Steven Spielberg told People in 2002 about working with Tom Cruise in Minority Report. If it was Toms kids, everything stopped for that. Just when he was preparing for probably the hardest scene he has in the whole movie, the phone rang. Anybody else would have looked up with anger in their eyes, but he immediately broke character and walked off and took the call. Spielberg was impressed by his stars attention to his kids even when it came to minor emergencies: Connor or Isabella had stuck an eraser in their eye or something like that. It was not serious, but Dad came to the rescue. I thought it was amazing. I have been known to say, Ill call them back after the shot.

He bought W. Earl Brown Elton JohnBilly Joel tickets after a rehearsal ran late.

While shooting Vanilla Sky, a rehearsal ran late and Cruises scene partner W. Earl Brown (Deadwood, Preacher) missed an Elton JohnBilly Joel concert he had tickets to in L.A. Once Tom Cruise found out, according to People, he made it up to Brown: You didnt give your tickets away? Why didnt somebody tell me? he reportedly asked. When Elton John and Billy Joel played in L.A. a few nights later, Cruise got Brown two tickets to the show, fourth-row center.

He danced to Yung Joc on BET.

Technically, this isnt a nice thing Tom Cruise did for any one person in particular, but rather one very nice thing he did for the internet as a whole. For a short period of time, the Yung Joc motorcycle dance was the most important dance you could do. And Cruise, in an appearance on BET, did the dance. He sold it, committed completely. So here you have it: Tom Cruise dancing on 106 & Park during Mission: Impossible IIIs press tour.Margot Robbie; Nicole Kidman. Photo: Getty Images

Nicole Kidman will star opposite Charlize Theron in Annapurnas Roger Ailes movie dramatizing the former Fox News chairmans downfall. Per Variety, Kidman will play Fox & Friends host Gretchen Carlson, who filed a sexual-harassment lawsuit against Ailes, which began his careers unraveling. Theron will produce and star as Megyn Kelly in the untitled movie. Jay Roach (Game Change) is directing, with Charles Randolph (The Big Short) writing the script.

After 20 years ruling over the Fox network, Ailes resigned in July 2016 following reports of sexual harassment and misconduct. Carlson was the first to file suit against Ailes, saying that he fired her from Fox because she refused his sexual advances. In her legal complaint, Carlson alleged Ailes asked her turn around so he could view her posterior, commented repeatedly about her legs, and instructed her to wear certain outfits that he claimed enhanced her figure. Ailes denied the allegations until his death last year.

Annapurnas Roger Ailes movie is one of two Fox-focused projects coming soon: A Blumhouse-produced Showtime limited series is in the works, starring Kidmans Boy Erased co-star, Russell Crowe.

Update: Because Fox News is an established purveyor of blonde privilege, yet another yellow-haired woman has joined the film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Margot Robbie will play an associate producer at the news network. Get those roots retouched!Photo: HarperCollins

The cover for Angie Thomass acclaimed Black Lives Matterinspired novel, The Hate U Give, began, fittingly, as a piece of protest art. Back in 2015, Debra Cartwright, the artist who made the illustration, was sitting at her desk at People magazine in Times Square while a protest over the death of Freddie Gray took place on the street below. Unable to knock off work to join in, Cartwright did the next best thing: She sketched an illustration on Photoshop of a woman holding up a protest sign. Only her puff of curly hair is visible above the edge of a poster with the words End Police Terror. The piece went viral, and eventually, Angie Thomas saw it on Instagram and suggested it to her publisher as cover material. Last week, the official poster for the movie adaptation, due out in October, was released online; the poster is closely modeled on Cartwrights work.

Vulture caught up with Cartwright to chat about her inspiration for the cover, why she sees her work as propaganda, and how she feels about the controversy surrounding the fact that the actress selected to play the lead in The Hate U Give has paler skin than the illustration Cartwright designed.

Id love to hear more about how you came up with the original image that the cover is based on.

The protest was going on below. I remember I put as my caption on Instagram scared to have a kid one day, because the original illustration has a woman and a little boy. I was really just feeling the humanity surrounding the protest and wanting to connect with what was going on down below, and feeling a little overwhelmed with all of the police brutality and the death. Freddie Gray looked like he could be my uncle or my cousin, and I wanted to do something that showed solidarity.

How did things develop from there?

That illustration spread, a lot of people re-posted it, and Angie Thomas saw it on Instagram and presented it to Jenna Stempel-Lobell [Stempel-Lobell is a senior designer at HarperCollins Childrens Books], and she really liked that format for the book cover.

It was the first book cover Id ever done, so I was really excited. Then they sent over a PDF of the manuscript. I carried around my iPad for two weeks and my friends were like, Youre not done with this book yet? Its a young-adult book, you should be done. I was like, Im done but its so good, I keep going back. The character is so lovable and so different from the protagonists of the books I grew up reading.

What kind of books did you grow up reading?

The YA books I grew up reading did not have black people on the covers. Now Im seeing a ton of illustrated black people on the covers of YA when I go into bookstores. When I was going through, the only black people I saw on covers were either really hood books, which is terrible to say, or slavery books. I was sitting there reading Gossip Girl, which I had no business reading at the time.

Tell me a little bit about the creative process. Did you know exactly what you were going to do with this cover once you got the assignment? Did you play around with alternate versions?

Its funny because Im working on another book cover now, and there are so many ideas that weve gone through, but for this particular one, it was: I want this illustration, this woman, turned into the protagonist of the book. Just use Angies description and create Starr [the protagonist], and put the Jordans on her feet. Ive never done Jordans  that was the most intricate part of it. I had to go in and create these details. Angie was like, I need my Jordans to be on point. It was really fun though. It was the easiest turnaround Ive ever done in a project.

In the original, the poster covers the womans eyes. Why did you decide to add eyes for the cover of the book?

In most of my illustrations, Ive used white space to hide the head, mainly so people can be like, Thats me. If you dont see the facial expressions, you can put yourself in it a lot easier. I just wanted everyone to be able to relate to it. For the book cover, though, they told me, We need you to add eyes. I didnt want eyes on it, but it has eyes on it. That was the art direction.

They were right, really. The eyes make her more of a character. This is the actual girl, youre going to learn about her story.

How did you decide what expression to give her?

I didnt want her eyes angry or worried. That was a conversation. We discussed that. I wanted them to be pretty straightforward, a little passive, because I feel like  and this is funny, because its happening with my new book cover, too  they wanted something more angry and aggressive, and I feel like black women have had that stereotype way too much already. I never make people who are angry or aggressive. This is just a direct message Starr is trying to say. Theres no anger or force behind it, shes just like, Get it together, this is the change we need. Her eyes are direct, but solemn. Not any type of hate in them.

How did you decide what she looked like?

I literally just followed exactly what they said in the book. Its really funny because when I just did the deal with Fox, they needed to have a derivative because the actual actress looks so different from the description in the book. They changed it up a bit.

I wanted to ask you about that. Some people were upset because Amandla Stenberg, the actress playing Starr, is mixed race and has a lighter complexion than the character in the book. What do you think about the casting choice, and the conversation around it?

I wasnt exactly thrilled, because of the colorism in Hollywood and everything. I was hoping it would be a very brown-skinned actress, because theres so little opportunities in these big movies for darker-skinned actresses. I cant fudge. Thats how I felt. And the fact that Fox was like, Were going to have to lighten your illustration, were going to have to change the hair. In the movie, the illustration fades into the character, and I gave them the rights to change the illustration. Its kind of a bummer.

Photo: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Tell me more.

Its disheartening, because I do feel like so much money was thrown behind the movie, and so much marketing was thrown behind it, and its just like, you can tell who Hollywood is pushing to be in the limelight, and everybody knows it has a lot to do with appearance, but it also is still being driven a bit by colorism. Not a bit. It is.

I obviously still think its going to be a wonderful movie, because I think Amandla Stenbergs a great actress, but I also think there are plenty of other actresses who would be wonderful in this role as well. It was a very specific description in the book, and to see that the actress is not that description, that would annoy me as a reader, especially if I was a teen. If I saw that, as a teen, it would be very disheartening, a little damaging.

Theres a long history within young-adult publishing of publishers whitewashing book covers, or putting light-skinned illustrations of characters on the covers of books about dark-skinned protagonists. Were you thinking about that when you were working on your illustration of Starr?

Sure. I think most of my work has centered on colorism and beauty standards and representations of black women, so that fit in well with what they were trying to do with the book cover. I wish they had stuck to that idea when they were turning it into the movie, but thats out of my control.

Was designing book covers something youd always wanted to do?

[Laughs.] No. Actually, in design school at Parsons I took a book-cover design class, and my teacher must be cracking up, because he told me, I dont know if this is for you.

How come?

A lot of book covers are really conceptual, and my teacher, who is an art director at Penguin, would be like, You have to go deeper, think more, think outside the box. And Id argue that it didnt have to be that deep. I feel like it should be very simple, straightforward, to the point. And then you can read into it what you like. You dont want the reader to see the book and conceptualize where you were coming from with the cover, you want them to just be drawn to the cover and think, Thats gorgeous, Im buying that. That was what Id always argue. Now were good, but I dont think I was his favorite student at the time. Hes probably very surprised that my illustration made it as a book cover.

In that class, did you ever talk about the possibility of using protest art as cover design?

Absolutely not. This was ten years ago. The class I took was more like, the character feels trapped as a protagonist, so we should do a series of boxes because his mind feels trapped. [Laughs.] Okay, sure. It was so conceptual. And the books we read and created covers for, I didnt relate very well to them, either. Social media wasnt big when I was at Parsons. I dont think it was even thought of that there would be protest art as a book cover. We talked about protest art in the history of design, but we werent really thinking about it as applicable to right now. We talked about Russian Constructivism, Lenin, propaganda and protest art, which mirror each other. This really influenced what I do.

Do you think of the cover you designed for The Hate U Give to be propaganda?

Yes. Because I think propaganda is anything thats stating your opinion, or your stance of something, or if its inciting some type of unhappiness with the status quo. As you probably know, the book was banned from certain schools and libraries in South Carolina, which Im like  yes! Good work. That means its doing something.Carrie Coon, one of several reasons to watch The Sinner season two. Photo: USA Network/Zach Dilgard/USA Network

Carrie Coon is the star of The Sinner season two, which premieres tonight on USA. Honestly, that could be the end of my review, since shes reason enough to watch the latest installment of this anthology crime series. Coon established herself as such a commanding presence in The Leftovers and Fargo that whenever she joins a show, it automatically becomes must-see TV.

But there are plenty more things to recommend about The Sinner, including another murder-driven narrative that immediately draws in the viewer, a precise balance between character development and plot advancement that doesnt succumb to lulls, and a fine lead performance by Bill Pullman as the grizzled yet compassionate Detective Harry Ambrose. In particular, Ambrose serves as the primary connective tissue between the first season  which starred Jessica Biel as a wife and mother who suddenly stabbed a man to death for reasons that slowly came into focus  and the second, which also begins with a crime that seems to solve itself, until motive enters the picture. (Biel remains onboard, but this time off screen as executive producer.)

The first episode opens on a couple and a preteen named Julian (Elisha Henig) taking what appears to be a family summer road trip to Niagara Falls. After car trouble delays their journey, they find a hotel to stay in overnight where, the next morning, Julian returns from the breakfast bar with mugs of tea for his parents. Shortly after a few sips, Dad falls dead in the shower and Mom does the same on the floor of the hotel room. We see what happens, so we know what happens: This 13-year-old boy just killed his parents.

Except we dont totally know. Theres something off-kilter about the kid and odd about the circumstances surrounding that trip to Niagara Falls that suggests theres more going on here than meets the eye.

Heather Novak (Natalie Paul of The Deuce), the detective-in-training assigned to investigate the deaths, reaches out to Ambrose, an old friend of her father (played by Coons husband Tracy Letts), and asks him to serve as a consultant on the case. That brings Ambrose to Keller, New York, the upstate scene of the crime and also his hometown  which, as sparing flashbacks sprinkled throughout the first three episodes indicate, contains a wellspring of troubling childhood memories. While grappling with those recollections, Harry tries to develop a bond with Julian and help Heather poke at the most relevant holes in the story of what happened in that hotel. Then a woman named Vera (Coon) enters the picture, and things get even more complicated. She walks into the Keller police station demanding to see Julian for one very important reason: She says shes his mother.

Elements of other shows may creep into your head while watching season two of The Sinner, the same way memories simmer to the surface for Harry and, eventually, too, for Heather. The whole reluctantly returning to ones hometown to investigate a crime scenario is reminiscent of Sharp Objects. The fact that Vera lives in a utopian community just outside of town, a place thats viewed skeptically by Keller locals, gives this season a whiff of Wild, Wild Country. And naturally, certain story elements  like the fact that what seems to be an easy open-and-shut case is made more complex by Ambroses probing  share a lot in common with the first season of The Sinner.

Yet it doesnt feel derivative. One of the greatest strengths of this season is its confidence in the compelling nature of the story itself to carry the day. Under the supervision of showrunner Derek Simonds, who also wrote the first episode, The Sinner takes twists and turns but is neither flashy nor heavy-handed. Its straightforward, smart, and doesnt condescend to its audience.

The same can be said of the casts performances. Coon is, as ever, thoroughly controlled, and she turns that steadiness into Veras biggest tell. The more firmly Vera says something, and the more sturdy and calm her demeanor seems, the more you get the sense that shes hiding something. You also get the sense that you do not want to piss off this woman; if you watched The Leftovers, you already know that watching Carrie Coon dance right up to the line of losing her shit is one of the greatest pleasures TV has to offer.

Pullman  whose early reputation was built on playing ridiculously nice guys and presidents  resettles into his role as Harry beautifully. With a beard thats a month away from going full Letterman, a beleaguered slouch, and eyes that still radiate warmth, hes a detective raging very quietly against the dying of his own light. Meanwhile, as a confused kid who can suddenly lose all control, Henig (who played Zach Braffs son on the short-lived Alex, Inc.) is also very believable.

The idea of a child killer is obviously disturbing, but The Sinner avoids drowning in its own grimness. Perhaps this is because, at least in the first three episodes, it backs away from getting overly gratuitous in its depictions of violence. The series is dark, but doesnt revel in that darkness. It tells and shows what it needs to tell and show, and nothing more.

Thats why Im tempted to say its a shame that The Sinner rolls out each episode on a weekly basis, since its addictive properties make it highly conducive to binge-watching. But consuming it week after week allows us to prolong the experience, the same way we try to extend the pleasure of a well-crafted, literary summer read. Thats what this season of The Sinner is: an intelligent August thriller thatll hook you in so firmly, itd be impossible to disengage from its grasp, even if Carrie Coon were not involved.Paul Manafort's criminal trial kicked off with a furious start Tuesday as the federal courtroom in Alexandria, Virginia, found a jury, heard opening statements and saw the first witness testify.

President Donald Trump was also following the developments of Manafort, his former campaign chairman, from Air Force One, and had his legal team giving him updates.

This is the first criminal trial brought by the team of special counsel Robert Mueller.

Here are five takeaways:

Flipping Is Off the Menu?

This trial is really happening. After months of speculation of whether Manafort would "flip" on his campaign associates and Trump, Manafort never reached a deal with prosecutors.

Mueller's team plans to rely on a boatload of documents, emails and witnesses to paint Manafort as a serial liar who deceived the federal government, his own accountants and banks and orchestrated his business associates into setting up a criminal financial enterprise.

Prosecutor Uzo Asonye started the first words of the trial with this line: "A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him."

There were rumblings of a deal Monday night, after defense lawyers and the Justice Department jointly agreed to drop Manafort's appeal of the loss in his civil lawsuit challenging Mueller's authority. Yet no plea materialized in court Tuesday.

RELATED: Paul Manafort trial tracker

He could always change his mind, plead guilty and agree to cooperate with Mueller's investigation into Russian collusion at any time before a jury returns a verdict.

But why wouldn't Manafort roll the dice on the jury and hope for the President's sympathies now?

Trump has offered pardons to several others, especially to those convicted of public corruption crimes, and tweeted his support of Manafort. "Wow, what a tough sentence for Paul Manafort, who has represented Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other top political people and campaigns," tweeted the President, who would be the sole person with power to pardon Manafort if he's convicted in this case. "Very unfair!"

All About Gates

Manafort's relationship with his right-hand man, Rick Gates, appears to be over.

Defense attorney Thomas Zehnle focused more than half of his opening statement on Gates, calling him the prosecution's "star witness" and, conversely, calling him an embezzler. He described how his team would show how Gates "did it" -- that is, handled much of Manafort's business dealings that the government says were criminal, while also swindling Manafort.

Gates pleaded guilty to two criminal charges in DC federal court related to his dealings with Manafort in February -- effectively flipping on Manafort -- and prosecutors dropped the part of the case against him in Virginia. One of those crimes was lying to investigators, Zehnle pointed out in an early attack on his trustworthiness.

If Manafort successfully cuts into his longtime deputy's credibility, that could spell problems for the entire Mueller investigation. Gates has agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department for as long as it sees fit, and prosecutors told him long ago they sought his help in their core mission of investigating Russian interference in the presidential election, according to CNN reporting. (The allegations at issue in Manafort's case barely touch his and Gates' work on the Trump campaign.)

A Whiff of Russia

Democratic political consultant Tad Devine's appearance as the first witness may signal that the jurors will be schooled on Ukrainian politics.

Devine worked with Manafort and his team of associates on political campaigns in the region for years. And for almost an hour, prosecutor Greg Andres walked Devine through his knowledge of several Manafort contacts and business strategies in the Eastern European country, including his contact with oligarch and Party of Regions backer Rinat Akhmetov.

The former Ukrainian president for whom Manafort did the most work, Viktor Yanukovych, fled to Russia after losing power in 2014 and is now considered to be closely aligned with President Vladimir Putin.

Devine also discussed how Manafort and Gates in 2014 sought unsuccessfully to pivot toward helping a budding opposition party and working for the current Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko.

Manafort's jury of peers

Six men and six women will decide Manafort's guilt. The 69-year-old faces a maximum sentence of more than 300 years in prison if these Northern Virginians side against him.

When the courtroom filled with jurors Tuesday morning, they looked much like Manafort -- largely middle-aged, white. Two potential jurors said they were "recovering attorneys," while four said they were former or current federal government employees.

However, none of those individuals made the jury.

Not much is known about the 12 individuals and four alternates. These people in the courtroom will be known only by their juror numbers and their observable appearances during the trial: Juror 145, Juror 299, Juror 276, etc. Almost three-quarters of the jury is white. At least four jurors are younger than Manafort.

What's left are a few people who closed their eyes during the hours of proceedings Tuesday. Several who put on glasses for the start of opening statements. And one man who looked unhappy to be chosen then took close notes.

Lightning Speed

Before heading into Tuesday, court-watchers expected a slow start to the trial, with the jury selection process to last up to two days and for opening statements to start on the third day. Judge T.S. Ellis had other ideas. The pace so far has repositioned the trial from one that could bore jurors and get bogged down in financial technicalities to one that's whipping by.

Ellis set a tight schedule for opening arguments Tuesday: 30 minutes or less. Asonye and defense lawyer Thomas Zehnle kept each of their summations of the case to about that time.

And then following a short break, prosecutor Greg Andres began to question Devine. Andres pelted questions at a quick clip and showed more than a dozen documents to the jury as evidence of Devine and Manafort's Ukrainian work. At about a half hour into Andres' questioning of Devine, Ellis cut in. How much more with this witness, he asked. "Move it along," Ellis said.

Day two begins Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.As the Carr Fire becomes the seventh most destructive wildfire in California's history, renowned chefs Guy Fieri and Jose Andres are doing everything they can to help feed the evacuees and first responders.

"My team and I got involved. My son and his buddies, and a bunch of my buddies, loaded up the caravan from wine country and drove four hours up here," Fieri said.

2017 California wildfires Accidents, disasters and safety California Celebrities Continents and regions Fires Guy Fieri Labor and employment Natural disasters North America Public safety workers Southwestern United States The Americas United States Wildfires Workers and professionals

"We are just working arm-in-arm with the Salvation Army, local chefs, residents and everybody helping out all of the evacuees."

More than 12,300 firefighters are battling 15 wildfires burning across California. In total, these fires have burned more than 280,000 acres, and forced more than 44,000 residents to evacuate.

The Carr Fire began on July 23 in Northern California, and on Saturday Fieri arrived in Redding, a city of almost 100,000 people where the fire swept through. Two days after Fieri got there, Jose Andres' nonprofit, World Central Kitchen, joined him and fellow food first responders, Operation BBQ Relief.

"We hit the ground on Monday and started our meal operation today. Guy is heading to the Lake County Fire and we are taking over, and continue the efforts here in Redding," said Nate Mook, Executive Director for World Central Kitchen.

With the help of Operation BBQ Relief, Fieri and his team were able to make over 1,000 meals twice a day, Mook said.

BBQ Relief, whose main mission is to feed those affected by natural disasters in the United States, has around 30 volunteers and with World Central Kitchen's help it totals to 100 people on the ground to help feed those in need.

"We are planning to do 5,000 meals a day or more, depending on the need. We have the capacity and are prepared to cook 5,000 meals a day with no problem," Mook said.

Fieri, alongside World Central Kitchen and BBQ Relief, are able to plan where help is needed the most by working with the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, who oversee the incident response.

That way they can travel across the state to help everyone affected by the multiple wildfires.

"It's unbelievable to see what folks are going through, but it's even more unbelievable just how great this community is, and [to see] all these folks that have come together," Fieri said.

Andres is not in California, but he has been monitoring the situation and will fly in if needed.

"We got six chefs in Redding. Depending on the need we will bring more chefs and volunteers. We don't know what the next four days will look like, so he will be paying close attention," Mook said.

Andres recently left Guatemala, where he and his team were able to make more than 325,000 meals for those affected by the volcano eruption last month.

Mook said that even though the numbers can look a bit overwhelming, the volunteers get inspiration and passion to help those in need from all the support they receive from the communities.

"At the end of the day you just have to start somewhere, and just start cooking, cooking until everyone is fed," Mook said.

As for Fieri, he takes pride in all the folks who drop everything just to help.

"We're in tough times ... with all of the things going on, you take a moment like this and you really see America is made of a lot of great people coming together," Fieri said.President Donald Trump traveled to Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday night for the latest in a rapidly increasing number of campaign rallies for Republican candidates running for office this November. This time, Trump was supporting the gubernatorial bid of Rep. Ron DeSantis, who has benefited mightily from Trump's endorsement and is now considered the favorite in the August 28 Republican primary.

I went through a transcript of Trump's remarks and pulled out the ones that really stood out to me. They're below.

Continents and regions Donald Trump Elections and campaigns Eric Trump Florida Government and public administration Government bodies and offices Misc people North America Political Figures - US Politics Southeastern United States The Americas United States US federal government White House 2016 Presidential election Christmas Elections (by type) Holidays and observances Political candidates US Federal elections US Presidential elections

1. "Oh, that's too bad, that's too bad. That's too bad. That's too bad. One person -- one person, and tomorrow the headlines will be, 'Massive protests.' "

Within seconds of Trump beginning to speak, a protester disrupted him. And -- spoiler alert! -- the headline wasn't "MASSIVE PROTESTS DISRUPT TRUMP RALLY." And away we go!

2. "In fact, it was gone, until one gentleman decided at 2 o'clock in the morning."

It's an accepted staple of Trump's current stump speech that he will take this extremely thinly veiled shot at Arizona Sen. John McCain for voting against the so-called "skinny repeal" health care bill. And, yes, Trump has kept this line in his speech even as McCain, a prisoner of war in Vietnam, battles brain cancer.

3. "I have Eric Trump, who's been fantastic. He loves this political stuff."

Earlier in the day, on the way to Florida, deputy White House press secretary Hogan Gidley was asked why Eric Trump was along on this trip. "I don't know," he replied. Good times.

4. "We have a big thing happening because you know this -- look at all those hats. White ones, red ones, they all have the same thing, 'Make America Great.' "

Red ones! White ones! And, yes, Trump makes mention of all the people wearing "Make America Great Again" hats in the crowd at each of his campaign speeches.

5. "I also want to thank David Bossie for being here, Corey Lewandowski for being here, two of our great supporters."

Lewandowski, as you know, is Trump's former campaign manager, who remains in the fold as an adviser. Bossie is the man behind the Citizens United lawsuit and was deputy campaign manager in the closing months of Trump's 2016 campaign.

6. "It was actually done quite easily. We won quite handily. We were never left-center stage."

The 2016 election ended 630 days ago -- as of last night. Also, the reference to having "never left-center stage" is him talking about how he was often in the middle of the stage -- thanks to his standing in the polls -- during the Republican primary process.

7. "And I said, 'I always want odd numbers.' Because I want to be in the center. I didn't want to be tied for the center."

Yes, Trump always wants to be in the center. By himself. With all eyes on him. Which is why the people pushing the idea that Trump hates the job and won't run for re-election should be totally ignored.

8. "Look at all those cameras right there."

He is always, always, always aware of being on TV and how much buzz whatever he is saying is drawing. It's his lifeblood.

9. "They are fake. No, I mean, do you believe -- look at this: Every night, it's the same thing."

The reason the coverage of Trump has a similar ring to it is because Trump does the same sorts of things -- tweets that explode the White House message, threats to foreign leaders, score-settling against political opponents -- every day.

10. "They just can't get enough. They can't get enough. They cannot get enough."

Trump means this as a shot against the media but, in truth, he absolutely loves all the media attention. Loves it.

11. "So we're setting records like never before."

What does this apply to? Who knows! Everything?

12. "You guys are great. Thank you. Blacks for Trump. They say, 'Blacks for Trump.' "

"Look at my African-American over here! Look at him." -- Trump, June 2016

13. "Sorry about this, women, but the employment rate has reached the lowest level in only 65 years. It'll be history soon."

I am so confused. What is Trump "sorry" for here?

14. "But everyone that reached me says hello, Mr. President, congratulations on what you've done for the economy. It's the talk of the world, talk of the world."

To Trump's telling, every single world leader he meets says this to him. If it is true -- which, um, maybe? -- it's likely the result of the fact that Trump has made very clear that the way to his heart is through an unrelenting fusillade of compliments.

15. "Now that we have the best economy in the history of our country. ... "

Um, no.

16. "We won every farm state, you're going to see that middle of that map -- wasn't even the middle, it was about everything but a little corners of each side. But you have to see, that is all red, Republican red, beautiful, Republican red."

It's hard to be totally sure what Trump means by a "farm state." But this 2017 list of the states with the most farms shows that Trump won seven of the top 10. He lost California (#5), Minnesota (#8) and Illinois (#9).

17. "Farms have been on a decline, I mean it's been for 15 years."

Again, not sure exactly what measurement Trump is using here. But it is true that in February farm income hit its lowest point in 12 years.

18. "I'm not like other politicians."

FACT CHECK: True!

19. "One of the brilliant pundits that has a -- doesn't have a clue. I mean, these people, how they have gotten us wrong."

"One of the dumber and least respected of the political pundits is Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post @TheFix. Moron hates my poll numbers." -- Donald Trump, May 12, 2015

20. "Dump all you want. I hope you dump a lot."

He's talking about steel dumping. By other countries.

21. "I tell the story, I was in New York and I shake hands."

"Barbaric." -- Donald Trump on shaking hands

22. "You know, polls are fake, just like everything else."

I don't have anything funny to say. Just go back and read those nine words. And remember that the President of the United States said them. And a decent-sized group of Americans applauded.

23. "Remember, I said, when I'd be a little bit wild, and we'd have a lot of fun, they'd say, 'He's not acting presidential,' and I'd say, 'Well, it's a lot easier to act presidential than to do what I do.' Anybody can act presidential."

Trump followed this riff by walking woodenly back and forth across the stage. Modern-day presidential!

24. "Ladies and gentlemen of the state of Florida, thank you very much for being here. You are tremendously people, and I will leave now, because I am boring you to death. Thank you."

"Presidential" Donald Trump.

25. "Abe -- Abe looked pretty presidential, right? What do you think? He's tough. He's tough. I admit it: Abe Lincoln is tough. But we love Abe Lincoln."

Many historians have said Abe Lincoln is tough. But we love him.

26. "And on top of that, the Democrats -- Nancy Pelosi, the whole group, Maxine -- Maxine. She likes me a lot. She likes me a lot."

"I think he's the most deplorable person I've ever met in my life." -- Maxine Waters on Donald Trump

27. "You know, if you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need ID."

This is, as anyone who has ever been to a grocery store knows, not true. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders was asked about this line during her briefing on Wednesday; she explained that Trump was referring to showing a driver's license when you try to buy alcohol at a grocery store. Riiiiiiiiight.

28. "In this country, the only time you don't need it in many cases is when you want to vote for a president, when you want to vote for a senator, when you want to vote for a governor or a congressman, it's crazy, it's crazy."

One other time when you don't need your ID: when you buy non-alcoholic groceries.

29. "Remember I said it's awfully early to be thinking this, but I always think it, remember the attack on 'Merry Christmas,' they're not attacking it anymore. Everyone is happy to say Merry Christmas, right? Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas."

Satire is dead. This line killed it. RIP, satire.

30. "They came out and they voted 84% and doubled and tripled the numbers that ever voted in an election before. We love the evangelical Christians."

It was 80%. But, honestly, close enough. We love the evangelical Christians!

31. "We want to be a puppet for no one any longer."

"No puppet. No puppet. You're the puppet." -- Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton, October 2016

32. "I've got a lot of fun, even in Florida, I've had a great career, I've had a lot of fun."

Even in Florida!

33. "And I didn't know anybody in Washington, but now I know everybody in Washington. I know the good ones. I know the bad ones. I know the wonderful people and I know the scum. And America now is winning again like they haven't won before."

So, yeah. That all makes perfect sense to me. [jerks collar nervously]

34. "Brett Kavanaugh, highest education, best grades, best tests, best everything."

The key credential to becoming a Supreme Court justice is having the "best tests." It is known.

35. "I've also directed the Pentagon to begin the process of creating the sixth branch of our military, the Space Force -- building the space force."

SPACE! FORCE! Also, I got you this T-shirt. I hope you like it.

36. "Instead of apologizing for America we're standing up for America. We're standing up for the heroes who protect America and, yes, we are proudly standing up for our great National Anthem."

If you needed to explain Trump and how he appeals to his voters to an alien, I would nominate these two sentences.

37. "This may be, in fact it probably is, the greatest movement in the history of our country."

Yes, President Trump, the civil rights movement would like a word ...

38. "We're going to keep on winning. We're going to win so much and the people of Florida actually love, don't they? They love it."

Who doesn't love winning? Not me!It is the week before school begins for Jackson County, Alabama schools and special education teacher Melanie Geiger is taking part in a leadership academy. She is in a room full of principals, assistant principals and teachers from 17 schools in the Jackson County School District. Geiger told WAAY 31 as educators prepare for the classroom this year, there is another big topic of conversation, keeping guns on campus to protect students..

"We've talked about this at school a lot with other teachers when this came up, and we discussed among ourselves who would feel comfortable, who would not feel comfortable," said Geiger.

Jackson County School Superintendent, Kevin Dukes told WAAY 31 that 11 of his 17 administrators expressed interest in going through the Alabama Sentry Program. It allows certified school administrators to use lethal force to defend students, in the case of an active shooter situation. Governor Kay Ivey didn't go through lawmakers and issued the executive order in May. It lets schools without full-time school resource officers keep a gun on property and gives trained administrators access to the weapon, but only administrators-- not teachers.

"It puts teachers in a bad position because they got into this business for the love of students and to teach students, and who would have thought we would be having a conversation about guns in schools to protect our students? It's crazy," said Superintendent Dukes.

Superintendent Dukes told WAAY 31 that arming anyone is a last resort and right now the district is exploring other measures. That includes putting cameras in the classroom so if an active shooter entered a school, the sheriff's department would have a live feed of what is going on. Geiger said she hopes the district comes up more solutions to avoid guns on campus.

"I have a gun, I have a gun permit. I do not feel comfortable carrying a gun in the school system, for me as an educator when I went through school that is not what I was there to do," said Geiger.

Superintendent Dukes says if the school board approves the measure and his administrators go through the training, he will be right there with them and learn to use lethal force in a worst case scenario.

"If we do choose that route, to go through the Sentry Program, then absolutely, I will go through the program with everybody else," said Superintendent Dukes.

School boards still have to vote on whether they want to implement the program, and school administrators who volunteer will have to go through extensive training and a mental evaluation.A total of 8 people were taken to the hospital because of a chemical fire at a metal plating business in Huntsville.

It happened on Orchard Street.

Huntsville Fire Department crews worked for several hours to make sure the fumes from the fire were not a danger to the area.

Six firefighters and two workers were taken to the hospital and we know some of the firefighters have been released as of Tuesday night.

Right now there is no threat to people's health in the area.

The fire department was being extremely cautious, because the business uses a slew of different chemicals.

The department told WAAY 31 a soap type mixture, that has several different chemicals in it, caught fire.

A hazardous materials team came in to tackle the aftermath of the fire.

The team said it's not uncommon for a combination of chemicals like this to catch fire.

"Anything exposed to fire can burn, or even if it doesn't burn, once heated, it will off gas. So, either way the off gas, or what would have been in the smoke would have been what we would have been concerned with," said Wesley Ogle of the Huntsville Fire Department.

Fire crews were monitoring the air in the surrounding area for dangerous fumes.

They said they don't believe any harmful fumes got close to people in the area.

The firefighters and workers taken to the hospital was just a precaution, because they didn't know if the fumes contained other dangerous chemicals found in the building.

Investigators will begin working Wednesday morning to figure out the exact cause of the fire.A man convicted of robbery and serving time at the North Alabama Community Based Facility/Community Work Center was recaptured after his escape.

According to the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), Gregory Devonta Ivey, 26, was reported missing around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday evening.

Officials said he left from an assigned job in Athens.

Court records show Ivey pled guilty to a charge of second-degree robbery in May 2016 and was serving a 15-year sentence when he left his position.

Ivey was recaptured thanks to a partnership between ADOC officials and the U.S. Marshalls. ADOC said he was placed back into custody around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night in Huntsville.

Officials said he surrendered to authorities when he was arrested.

Court documents show that Ivey was originally arrested back in February 2013. In 2014, he was indicted on four counts of first-degree robbery. The indictment alleged that Ivey stole money from a Dollar General while armed.

The indictment also stated that Ivey stole a woman's purse and a man's car and television while armed.

In their statement, ADOC didn't state what new charges, if any, Ivey may face for walking away from his work assignment.Many people in Scottsboro are wondering what caused a local business to catch fire and put some people out of a job. The fire happened early Tuesday morning at the Jackson County Court Referral and Community Corrections building on South Houston Street--right next door to the Scottsboro Fire Department.

WAAY 31 spoke with several people in Scottsboro who believe the fire is suspicious. "A lot of people dont like that building over there," said Scottsboro resident, Sambo Thompson. "I figured somebody mightve thrown something through the back glass and caught it on fire myself," he said.

The business is known for conducting random drug tests and is a place Thompson says hes been to often and knows too well. He tells WAAY 31 it wouldnt surprise him if the fire was set intentionally. "A lot of people have went through it and Ive known that they didnt have anything or did anything and they come up diluted pees. So they start them over again and they have to go through the program again," Thompson said.

And Thompson isnt the only one who thinks the business may have gained some enemies. "Everybody in Scottsboro and Jackson County just about knows about court referral. None of them like it," said another Scottsboro resident, Micheal Wilks. "Theyd fail them for some odd reason when theyd be totally clean. And that's why why Wilks thinks the fire is suspicious. "I thought it was funny," he said.

Thompson says it couldve been someone who didnt want to get in trouble for using drugs. "Couldve used last night and didnt want to come in and take a drug test in the morning and just done away with it," he said. But no matter what happened, the fire caused some serious damage to the inside of the building and, now, some people are without jobs. "Ive been out of work before, too, and it aint fun," said Wilks.

Both Sambo Thompson and Michael Wilks are wishing the business the best of luck moving forward. "Theyre good people. I feel sorry for them. Like I said, I love them to death. If I can help them in any way, I'll come help them in any way that I can, because they helped me stay clean for a while," Thompson said.

WAAY 31 reached out to the business to see if they would like to make a comment on the fire, but we havent heard back from them. We also reached out to the Alabama state fire marshal to see if we could get more information on what caused the fire, but were still waiting to hear back from them as well.A former substitute teacher has turned herself into Florence Police after a grand jury returned an indictment for having sexual contact with a high school student.



Kayla Safford, 24, of Florence, is accused of having sex with a male student off campus from where she taught at Florence High School. The student was 18 at the time. Detectives were made aware of the allegations in March. The Florence City School system was also made aware of the allegations early into the investigation. Officials presented their evidence to a grand jury last week where the returned the indictment Wednesday.



According to Alabama law, A person commits the crime of a school employee having sexual contact with a student under the age of 19 years if he or she is a school employee and engages in sexual contact, as defined by Section 13A-6-60(3), with a student, regardless of whether the student is male or female. Consent is not a defense to a charge under this section. The crime of a school employee having sexual contact with a student is a Class C felony.



Safford was a contracted substitute teacher at the time and police say the relationship started while she taught at Florence High School. She was booked into the Lauderdale County Detention Center on a $10,000 bond and has since bonded out.Athens Police arrested three men on drug charges, and one of them is charged with theft, too. All three are in the Limestone County Jail without bond.

TK Gill, Antonio Stinnett, and Julius Allen are each charged with Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana. Police said they found cocaine, marijuana and other property related to the sale and distribution of illegal drugs.

During the search, officers discovered auto parts purchased with a stolen credit card. It lead to an added charge against Gill of receiving stolen property.... but you will need to show proof of jab get into bars STUDENTS heading to college in September will not have to be vaccinated...WHILE there is no guarantee of sunshine on the Sunny South East as we move into the autumn/winter season, revellers will nonetheless be thrilled...THE road to the classroom is to be made safer and easier for four Waterford primary schools. They have been selected for inclusion in...The team at Waterford Walls has hardly been able to contain its excitement this week as it brings another exciting artwork to the city....CHANGES to the junction between New Street and Barrack Street have backfired, becoming yet another source of traffic chaos in the heart of the...From 24 to 26 July 2018, the WCO participated at the "VIII International Scientific and Practical Conference on the Problems of Expert Activities" in Yekaterinburg (Russian Federation). The Conference was opened by Mr. Peter Tokarev, Head of the Central Expert Criminalistic Customs Administration (CECCA) who emphasized the important role played by Customs Laboratories in the protection of the society and the environment.

The Director of the Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate, Mr. Ping Liu, thanked the Customs of the Russian Federation for the invitation to participate in the Conference. He also thanked the Regional Customs Laboratory for taking the lead in organising the Conference, noting that the WCO supports and promotes such events and regional networking for Customs Laboratories as it provides invaluable opportunities for Members to share practical experiences in the analysis of a variety of goods. During the conference, experts from Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Korea, Russian Federation and the WCO exchanged experiences and challenges regarding chemical analysis performed by Customs Laboratories.

A wide range of topics were addressed and the participants were informed about the WCOs capacity building and network activities, the update of the Customs Laboratory Guide, the Action Plan on Mineral Resources and the oil and fuel theft problem.

Moreover, perspectives on the implementation of sensory (organoleptic) analytical standards, the chemical analysis of some specific commodities (e.g., food and flavour additives, meat products, vegetable oils, polymers, mineral oils, ferroalloys, narcotics, designer drugs, etc.) and some modern forensic and cultural heritage analytical methods were presented. In his closing remarks, Mr. Tokarev thanked participants for the high level discussions and emphasized the importance of the cooperation and networking between Customs Laboratories.Three teens cited for "egging" vehicles near Lone OakAdvertisement

By WestKyStar & MSU Staff

Jul. 31, 2018 | MURRAY

By WestKyStar & MSU Staff Jul. 31, 2018 | 09:41 PM | MURRAY

Murray State University will host 11 Racer One Stop dates for current students throughout the month of August in addition to providing on-site admissions staff and resources for prospective students who are interested in attending the University for the fall 2018 semester.



Racer One Stop, which began in 2017, provides one convenient location inside the Curris Center Stables for students to receive information and have questions answered for a variety of resources, including billing, financial aid, registration, scholarships, veterans affairs and housing.



Fall 2018 dates for Racer One Stop are as follows:

August 710, 13, 1617 and 20 from 8 am to 5 pm

August 11 from 1 to 4 pm

August 1415 from 8 am to 6 pm



Prospective students can also be admitted and enrolled for the fall 2018 semester on these dates, pending University admission requirements. Individuals seeking admission for the fall 2018 semester must bring their high school transcript. University advisors will be on site to assist individuals with planning their upcoming semester of courses. The standard application fee will be waived for those who apply for on-site admission during Racer One Stop dates. Prospective students may also apply online at murraystate.edu/apply or call the Office of Admissions at 800-272-4678.



Classes begin Tuesday, Aug. 14, at the Murray campus and all regional campus sites.



About Murray State University: Murray State University provides an Opportunity Afforded for more than 10,000 students through a high-quality education with experiential learning, academic and personal growth and the ability to secure a lifetime of success. Since 1922, the true value of higher education has been found at Murray State University, where our commitment is to afford endless opportunities for developing leaders in the community, the country and the world. The Universitys main campus is located in Murray and includes five regional campuses. For more information about Murray State University, please visit murraystate.edu.



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By Tim Brockwell

Aug. 01, 2018 | MURRAY

By Tim Brockwell Aug. 01, 2018 | 01:31 PM | MURRAY

As the Calloway and Marshall County Republican Parties plan to host a speech by National Rifle Association President Oliver North at Murray State University's Lovett Auditorium Friday night, several groups are planning to participate in a protest and vigil on the school's campus.



North's speech is the main event at the GOP's annual "Night Before Fancy Farm" rally. North was named President of the NRA in May. He is also a decorated Marine Corps veteran and former television host, and is perhaps best known for his involvement in the Iran Contra affair during the 1980's.



Bobbie Foust represents some of the groups planning to attend the protest. She says many people are offended that North was asked to come speak so soon after the deadly mass shooting at Marshall County High School in January.



"We feel it's insensitive to bring the head of the NRA to western Kentucky just a few months after our students were killed by a shooter." She said.



The group "Say NO to Oliver North" helped organize the protest and vigil. In a Facebook post, the group expressed similar views.



"Not even six months after a deadly shooting at Marshall County High School, Marshall County Republicans have invited Oliver North to come speak at an event the night before Fancy Farm. We believe this is a grave error in judgement on their part, and will not let his visit go unanswered." they said.



Shaundelle Brooks, mother of Antioch, TN Waffle House shooting victim Akilah Dasilva, said in a press release she will attend the protest to show support.



I just want to let (the students) know that Im in there  in the fight  with them until the end. she said. I totally understand how they feel as a parent losing a child to gun violence. My child spoke against gun violence in his music and in life, and for him to lose his life like that, I dont have a choice but to be part of the fight.



Other speakers at the protest will include Heath High School shooting survivor Hollan Holms, Mark Bryant of the Gun Violence Archive, Rev. Dr. Darvin A. Adams, and Joey King, member of Chapter 89 Veteran's For Peace.



Danny Holt from the Marshall County Republican Party said his organization chose North as their speaker this year before he became NRA President, and that the decision was made based on North's many accomplishments over the years.



"We were looking at him as a highly decorated retired lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps who had served his country and been highly decorated, even with two purple hearts. A man who had served his country as the head of the National Counterterrorism Department. A man who had been part of many different things." Holt said.



Holt added that it was not his or anyone else's intention to be insensitive, or to disrespect any of the victims of the Marshall County High School shooting.



North's speech is set to begin at 7 p.m. Protestors will assemble at the "free speech zone" near the Curris Center from 4-6 p.m. They will then march to Lovett Auditorium for a silent vigil from 6:15 to 7:30.Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

Aug. 01, 2018 | MURRAY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 01, 2018 | 09:48 AM | MURRAY

Murray State University has announced plans to close all of its campus offices early on Friday due to the large number of visitors expected to attend NRA President Oliver North's speech Friday night at Lovett Auditorium on the University's main campus in Murray, as well as several associated protests.



In a press release the school says it anticipates a large number of visitors on campus Friday attending and/or participating in the event sponsored by a non-University affiliated organization. In order to accommodate the increased number of visitors on campus, the University will be closing all offices from 3 pm to 9:30 pm this Friday. This closure includes all regional campuses in Paducah, Hopkinsville, Madisonville, Henderson and Fort Campbell.



North is set to speak at 7 pm. Several groups are holding protests at the campus leading up to his speech. The University will resume normal operating hours at 8 am on Monday, August 6.



On a related note, Murray State University Police released a statement Monday saying that the Federal Aviation Administration has established restricted air space on the campus on Friday from 3 pm until 10 pm. This means that owners and operators of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), whether licensed or unlicensed, will not be able to operate them during that time. Violators will face criminal charges.



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By Mike Cooper

Aug. 01, 2018 | MURRAY

By Mike Cooper Aug. 01, 2018 | 04:56 PM | MURRAY

The City of Murray celebrated the opening of their new city hall with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday morning.



Mayor Jack Rose, along with members of the City Council, participated in the ceremony. He told the crowd that he was proud to be part of such an important landmark for the City of Murray and Calloway County. He pointed out that this building, with the upgrades, should serve Murray adequately for the next 50 to 100 years.



The City Council felt that Murray needed a larger, more convenient city hall due to the population of the city doubling from 1965 to 2015. They voted unanimously in March of 2017 to purchase the building.



Mayor Rose also commented that the new city hall has deep personal meaning to him, because part of the new parking lot for the building, is on the location where the house that he grew up in once stood.



The building, located at 5th and Main Streets in downtown Murray, was originally The Peoples Bank of Murray, built by the Doran family in 1995. Later, it became BB&T Bank.



The City of Murray was able to purchase the building for $900,000 and they spent between $250,000 and $300,000 on renovations. The insurance appraisal for the building came in at $7,000,000. Mayor Rose said he felt this was extremely good for the City as they were able to have a fine facility at a very low cost.



The old city hall, located at 104 North 5th Street, is being converted into the new Murray Police station.John J. Mensore, a familiar face to valley residents, will take the stage one last time at ArtsLinks Coffeehouse Series concert on Thursday, Aug. 2. This will mark Mensores 80th birthday. ArtsLinks Coffeehouse Series is sponsored by Wetzel County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

This free concert will be presented at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Theater in downtown New Martinsville. Mensores performance will feature all the popular songs you love, and light refreshments will be provided. He will be joined by Ken McBride, Dan Marrin, Ray Ebert, Ron Hoskinson, Rodney Sands, Teresa Shreve and Michelle will dance!

The son of musical parents who encouraged his talent at a very young age, Mensore began his singing career at age six. He has been a generous supporter of ArtsLink since its inception by sharing his vocal talents annually at various ArtsLink concerts. He has performed at numerous venues in recent years, including churches, Rotary Conferences, Ebert Brothers concerts, and local fairs and celebrations. He also has sung at schools, talent shows, on WTRF television, and at various nightclubs. His favorite songs are those made famous by Perry Como, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennett. Mensore is especially proud of the Ambassador of Music award presented to him by former West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin in recognition of his lengthy singing career.

ArtsLink is committed to providing universal accessibility wherever possible. Persons with special needs may contact Donna Earley at 304-455-2278 to request assistance. Financial support for ArtsLink activities is provided by the New Martinsville Parks & Recreation Commission, West Virginia Northern Community College, WETZ/WYMJ Radio, and Ohio Valley Online.Wits maths fundi equates to global maths advocate

Former Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Loyiso Nongxa has been elected as a Vice-President of the International Mathematical Union (IMU).

The acclaimed maths fundi was elected during the IMUs Annual General Meeting held in Brazil from 29 to 30 July.

The IMU is an international non-governmental and non-profit scientific organisation aimed at promoting international cooperation in mathematics; supporting and assisting the International Congress of Mathematicians; and encouraging and supporting international mathematical activities, which contribute to the development of mathematical science. IMU has been in existence since 1920 and is a member of the International Science Council (ISC).

Nongxas wealth of experience in building an inclusive mathematics society and fostering mathematics education will be pivotal in advancing the objectives of the IMU across the globe.

Nongxa, who is the Founding Director of the Centre for Mathematical and Computational Sciences at Wits, has been active in the process of transforming the higher education landscape in South Africa while grooming and nurturing mathematics talent.

Many of the activities that are part of the IMU global agenda are matters I have been dedicated to, especially over the last 20 years. These include building a globally inclusive mathematics community inclusive across borders, investing in the potential of the next generation of mathematicians, and contributing to Mathematics that is responsive to the challenges of the 21st century, says Nongxa.

Having grown up during apartheid inequality and limited opportunities, Nongxa says he is privileged to have been nominated as a candidate to serve on the Executive of the IMU.

About Nongxa

Nongxa is the Chairperson of the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF). He has held a number of senior leadership positions including that of Vice Chancellor and Principal for 10 years and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) at the University of the Witwatersrand, and Dean of Natural Sciences at the University of the Western Cape. He served as a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University and the University of Illinois, and as a Visiting Researcher at the Universities of Colorado, Hawaii, and Connecticut, and Baylor University in the United States, amongst others.

He was South Africas first African Rhodes Scholar to graduate from Oxford University with a doctoral degree in mathematics. He completed undergraduate and Masters degrees at the University of Fort Hare.

Nongxa has served, inter alia, as Chairperson of the Review Committee of the National System of Innovation appointed by the Minister of Science and Technology, and he was the Chairperson of the Research and Innovation Strategy Group of Universities South Africa (USAf, formerly HESA).The richest 10% own 95%  products of an economic and social system

How is it possible that we can have a society with so much wealth and so much poverty?

South Africa is home to some spectacularly wealthy people. Understandably, given the high levels of poverty and the backlog in basic services, policymakers, academics and the general public have tended to focus on poverty and the poor. But the rich should also interest us. Where do they get their money from and what do they spend it on?

However, a focus on the wealthy as anomalies  as objects of curiosity  obscures the important fact that they are anything but anomalous. In fact, they are products of an economic and social system that continues to produce and reproduce staggering inequalities. The result of this system is the wealth we see in these pages. The magnitude of these riches should force us to ask deeper questions about wealth in our society. How has our history of dispossession and apartheid affected the accumulation and distribution of wealth in South Africa?

Why, but for a few exceptions, has this pattern of accumulation and distribution persisted in post-apartheid South Africa? How is it possible that we can have a society with so much wealth and so much poverty? Why does the economy continue to reproduce so much inequality?

The first and most important point to make about understanding inequality in South Africa is that it has deep historic roots in our colonial and apartheid past  it is not something that has only recently happened. These historical roots go back several centuries, as detailed in Stellenbosch University Professor Sampie Terreblanches History of Inequality in South Africa 1652-2002. Inequality has continued to be pervasive in the post-apartheid period. Economists use the Gini coefficient to measure inequality. The Gini coefficient is defined as a ratio with values between zero and one, where zero is a perfectly equal society and one is a perfectly unequal society.

A simple way to think about the Gini coefficient is to imagine a country where all of the income is earned by just one person. Such an economy would have a Gini coefficient of one. South Africa is one of the countries with the highest Gini coefficient in the world. In its extensive review of inequality trends in South Africa, the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit found that overall inequality decreased only slightly between 1993 and 2014, from 0.681 to 0.655, despite a temporary increase accompanying the global financial crisis that began in 2008, when inequality rose to 0.69. The main reason it did not increase over the entire period is because of social grants and other similar programmes.

What are the factors that drive the reproduction of inequality?

The labour market remains at the core of the countrys socioeconomic challenges, and is also at the core of the inequality issue. In 1994, the narrow unemployment rate, which excludes workers who have given up any prospect of finding a job and have stopped searching for work, was 20%, rising to 26.7% in 2000 and falling to 22.5% in 2007, according to International Labour Organisation figures.

By last year, however, the unemployment rate had risen to 27.7%, the highest level so far in this decade, according to figures from Stats SA. Other studies have shown current political uncertainty and poor economic growth are predicted to drive the narrow unemployment rate towards 30% in the next few years. The South African labour market can be characterised as divided into two, where the high-skilled segment is dominated by excess demand for workers, skills shortages and very high wages, while the low-skilled tier is characterised by excess supply of labour, unemployment and very low wages.

There is also a spatial aspect. Unemployment is very high in rural South Africa due to a lack of economic opportunities in the former apartheid homelands and in small towns. There is also a gender dimension  unemployment rates for women are much higher than for men, and wages for women are much lower than for men. All of this matters for inequality.

Income inequality is driven predominantly by wage inequality. A 2015 study by researcher Arden Finn shows wage inequality accounted for 91% of overall income inequality in South Africa, or 0.6 of the 0.66 Gini coefficient for income. As we have said, South Africa has some of the highest income inequality in the world. In 2015, the top 10% of full-time employees took home, on average, 82 times more than the bottom 10%, and research shows that white workers, on average, earn three times more than black workers. On aggregate, a 2014 study found that, across the JSE, the ratio of the average salary of a companys chief executive to the average wage is 73:1. In 2016, PwC calculated a pay ratio for a sample of South African firms between 13 and 66, and this was 13 to 62 last year.

Researchers investigating poverty and inequality in South Africa have for many years had access to excellent poverty data, and data on income inequality. However, there has been very little written about the extent and dynamics of wealth inequality, a field of study that has attracted increasing attention since the seminal contribution on wealth inequality by Thomas Piketty in 2013.

A 2016 paper by Anna Orthofer from Stellenbosch University is the first significant investigation into wealth inequality in the country. She used previously unpublished personal income tax data from the SA Revenue Service for the 2010/11 tax year and the striking results underscore the importance of including an analysis of the distribution of wealth in any study of inequality.

Orthofer found that, while the highest-earning 1% of the population earns between 16% to 17% of all income, the top 10% earn 56% to 58% of it. Looking at wealth, however, the top 10% of the population have approximately 95% of all wealth, while 80% own no wealth at all. Not only are these findings striking, they also show us how the pattern of economic growth in post-apartheid South Africa has worsened wealth inequality. We should all be concerned that the country is making little progress in addressing income and wealth inequality, and that the little bits of data we have suggest wealth inequality is now worse than it was during the height of apartheid. In 1970, the richest 20% of the population owned 75% of all wealth.

In the face of the persistence of inequality in South Africa, what can we do? Of course, employment creation and increasing economic opportunities for those on the margins of the economy must be a key part of the solution. However, we believe that there has been insufficient attention paid to the structures of economic, political and social power that continue to produce and reproduce poverty, and particularly inequality, in South Africa.

We argue that an intersectional approach  an approach that seeks to identify interlocking systems of power including race, gender, class, culture, employment, age and sexuality  is necessary to understand the way in which these different dimensions of power interact to reproduce inequality.

To do this, researchers from the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies at Wits and our partner institutions are examining how inequality is produced and reproduced across spaces and classes through the education and healthcare systems, and in the labour market.

While power underpins all social relations, it is often taken for granted or completely overlooked as it is often hidden behind other social relations. It is our view that addressing poverty and inequality requires us to think beyond technocratic policy solutions, and to look much deeper at power. Changing power relations to generate coalitions that will support policies that improve equality outcomes are needed, both inside and outside the state, if we are to overcome our legacy of poverty and inequality.

Professor Imraan Valodia is Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, Eddie Webster is Professor Emeritus in the Society, Work and Development Institute (SWOP), Wits University and David Francis is Research Manager at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, Wits University. This article was originally published on City Press. Read the original article.The Rome Home which once housed as many as nineteen elderly citizens, had to shut down due to financial strains. Mary Finocchiaro was on the Board of Managers and hated to see it go.

"Even now its, its emotional. Yeah, but we still drive by," Finocchiaro said.

Those emotions are about to change for the better since the Rome Home will soon become The Abraham House Rome. Theyll be providing a home for six end of life patients and temporary room for their families. Finding housing for the terminally ill is a growing problem in many communities. Patricia King works at Rome Memorial Hospital and knows the services needed.

"The need in Rome is dramatic," King said. "We currently have very limited capabilities in terms of referring our patients. The facilities are always full."

The Abraham House will be looking to fill that need, but they first need to renovate the building. Rome Mayor Jacqueline Izzo stepped in with some additional funding from the city to help speed things up.

"One of the things that I wanted to do was to identify service gaps that were in our community, and this was a large gap," Izzo said. "We were missing this in our healthcare model."

Having a family member with a terminal illness is heartbreaking, but its even more difficult when you have no one to care for them, or nowhere for them to go. Gina Ciaccia is the executive director of the Abraham House and talked about what it's like to have to turn people away.

"The most difficult part of my job is to have somebody call you when theres not a lot of options left, and ask, 'Do you have availability?' And I have to say, 'No, Im sorry. Were full.' You know, 'I can put you on our waiting list,' and there are people that are just  we cant get to and we cant serve."

The Abraham House is hoping to keep renovations to a minimum, but the current projections are going to require around one hundred thousand dollars. That may be difficult since the Abraham House runs solely on donations. The Abraham House Rome is hoping to open their doors to the public in the spring, and anyone wishing to make a donation can now do so online.There is a push this month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to get people in specific age groups in-the-know on which vaccines need to be updated and when during the month of August as it's Immunization Awareness Month.

We spoke with nurse, Marina Kistner from the Oneida County Health Department on August 1st about why it's important to keep those immunizations up-to-date.

Kistner says it's important to make the appointment now in order to get the vaccinations for your children ahead of the school year.

If your primary care doctor is not able to get you in for an appointment, you can make an appointment with the clinic. The number to call is (315) 798-5747.

According to a study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, nationally, 23 percent of children are still not getting the CDC-recommended seven-vaccine series within the first three years of life. The study found missed well-child visits were the largest reason for under-vaccination.

The study, Early Childhood Vaccination Trends in America, looked at U.S. claims data for 843,610 children, born from 2010-2013, and commercially insured by Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. This study followed their care continuously from birth to 3 years of age, focusing on completion rates of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) recommended seven-vaccine series for children. The study found that nationwide 73.5 percent of children were up-to-date, while only 64.2 percent in New York state were up-to-date on their CDC-recommended vaccinations during the seven-year span.Last week state regulators revoked their approval of Charter Communications merger with Time Warner Cable, ordering the cable company known locally as Spectrum to leave the state and find another company to provide service for its two million customers throughout New York.

Now, Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi of Utica is taking that one step further by demanding that the company give rebates to their current cable and internet customers.

Brindisi says he has received thousands of complaints from his constituents about high cable rates and some people not being able to receive internet services at all. Brindisi is now saying those customers deserve to get their money back.

RELATED: Public Service Commission orders Charter/Spectrum to leave New York State

Brindisi says he has a list of demands he is asking the Public Service Commission and the state Attorney Generals Office to include along with their order for Charter Communications to leave the state.

Brindisi pointed out during a news conference on Wednesday that the company has just 56 days left to provide a transition plan for cable and internet services for the state. Last week, the Public Service Commission said that Charter Communications is not meeting public benefit conditions that were agreed upon in 2016. Specifically, the companys commitment to expand its broadband network to underserved areas.

Brindisi says Charter should provide reasonable compensation in rebate checks for its customers who have received cable rate increases above the national average, and he says customers who never received service upgrades should also receive compensation.

Brindisis final demand is that any company that takes over for Spectrum should negotiate in good faith with workers so that their pensions and healthcare benefits are not cut.

He says thousands of people have a problem with Spectrums service  or lack of service  locally.

This box represents hundreds, I would probably say thousands, of petitions and responses that we got back from people within this region about the high prices they have been charged by Spectrum, about the poor customer service that they have received, or the lack of access to broadband and high-speed internet that they were promised when this company took over here in New York State, Brindisi said.

Brindisi says this will not impact services for customers, and he says several other cable companies have already reached out to the state to pick up the service.WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) -- Purdue researchers say Hoosier farmers will have to adapt management practices and the types of crops they plant over the next several decades. It's a result of climate change.

Members of the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment held a briefing this morning to discuss Indiana's changing climate. Based out of Purdue University, the team aims to show how climate will affect state and local interests.

Today's new report showed that farmers may have to rethink their strategy for the future.

Research shows average global temperatures rising over several decades. The report says Indiana's growing season temperature will be upwards of seven-point-two degrees warmer by mid-century.

Jeff Dukes, Director of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center believes Hoosier farmers are having to constantly adjust to the climate. "We're farming for the climate of today, and tomorrow we're not going to have this climate anymore," said Dukes.

Dukes thinks the continuous change in climate will worsen conditions for farmers. "A lot of the issues they may be dealing with now are just going to be amplified going forward, so they should think about what is it really worth dealing with now," he added.

Purdue Professor of Hydrology Laura Bowling believes the observed increase in global temperatures will create a longer growing season. "Whether we're talking about the onset of the growing season being when soil temperatures are warm enough or the date of the last spring frost going up to the date of the first killing frost in the fall, I think it's pretty clear that that total time is lengthening," said Bowling.

While the prolonged growing season seems enticing, it brings risks. "We expect to have less water available late in the growing season because the hotter plants are going to need more, and so they are going to remove more water from the soil faster," said Bowling.

The decrease in an ample water supply would put farmers' crops directly at risk. No water would yield no crops. With temperatures expected to continue their climb, thinking ahead will be the key for Hoosier farmers. "If we prepare for it, if we make changes accordingly, then I think we can maintain productivity and maintain economic competitiveness," said Dukes.

Researchers say these changes could reduce corn yields by up to 20-percent by the year 2050.

Also by that year the frost-free season is expected to be a full month earlier.



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Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home pageUpdate: Five crews with aerial platforms tackled overnight major fire at Kronospan in Chirk

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Aug 1st, 2018

Five fire crews were called to a major blaze at a factory in Chirk last night.

Shortly after 10pm last night Wrexham.com reported that a fire had broken out at Kronospan.

Update 9:40am North Wales Fire & Rescue have issued a longer statement on the incident, that reads: Firefighters from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service have attended a fire at Kronospan in Chirk. The call was received at 10pm on Tuesday 31st July.

Crews from Deeside, Chirk, Llangollen, Wrexham and Johnstown and aerial ladder platforms from Wrexham and Rhyl attended. A crew from Oswestry, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service also attended.

The fire was confined to the production area and was brought under control by 00.29hrs on Wednesday morning (1st August).

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental.

Earlier information below

A spokesperson for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed five crews were called to the scene with two aerial ladder platforms.

A fire engine from Oswestry was also called to the scene.

The crews used one hose reel jet, four breathing apparatus and one thermal imaging camera to extinguish the blaze.

The fire was confined to an industrial chimney with a spokesperson for the fire service saying the cause is believed to be accidental, and possibly related to a transformer unit

Original information from 10pm last night onwards below

Multiple fire crews have been in attendance at the Kronospan factory in Chirk overnight.

As of 1:45am there was no formal update available.

Original information below.

Firefighters were called to the blaze shortly after 10pm this evening, with a crew from Oswestry confirming they are assisting North Wales Fire and Rescue Service with a property fire, with other stations noting there are multiple appliances and crews at the scene.

It is believed two crews are attending from Flintshire/Chester direction as well as more local crews.

North Wales Police and the Welsh Ambulance Service have also been sighted at the incident. As of midnight there is no official local update available.

Thick acrid smoke was reported by residents nearby, with praise for firefighters: It was scary at first but the Firefighters dont waste any time controlling it, they are brilliant, fair play.

Local MP Susan Elan Jones is aware of the incident and has said she will be following up with Wrexham Council and Kronospan about the fire.

Wrexham Council Lead Member Terry Evans has said: Major fire at kronospan massive pollution, while publishing the below images of the fire:

Two fire crews were heard heading towards Wrexham on the A55 just after 10pm, with this believed to be the only fire in the Wrexham area this evening.

Thanks to @MarkCabin for letting us use the top image.

More shortly.Multiple fire crews attend major fire at Kronospan factory in Chirk

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jul 31st, 2018

UPDATE 7:40am  You can see our full morning update by clicking here.

Original information below.

Multiple fire crews have been in attendance at the Kronospan factory in Chirk overnight.

As of 1:45am there was no formal update available.

Original information below.

Firefighters were called to the blaze shortly after 10pm this evening, with a crew from Oswestry confirming they are assisting North Wales Fire and Rescue Service with a property fire, with other stations noting there are multiple appliances and crews at the scene.

It is believed two crews are attending from Flintshire/Chester direction as well as more local crews.

North Wales Police and the Welsh Ambulance Service have also been sighted at the incident. As of midnight there is no official local update available.

Thick acrid smoke was reported by residents nearby, with praise for firefighters: It was scary at first but the Firefighters dont waste any time controlling it, they are brilliant, fair play.

Local MP Susan Elan Jones is aware of the incident and has said she will be following up with Wrexham Council and Kronospan about the fire.

Wrexham Council Lead Member Terry Evans has said: Major fire at kronospan massive pollution, while publishing the below images of the fire:

Two fire crews were heard heading towards Wrexham on the A55 just after 10pm, with this believed to be the only fire in the Wrexham area this evening.

Thanks to @MarkCabin for letting us use the top image.

More shortly.Police appeal to trace missing man from Cefn Mawr

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Aug 1st, 2018

Update 7:30pm  Good news from North Wales Police: Lee Phelan who was missing from Wrexham has been found safe and well. Thank you for your assistance.

Original information below

An appeal for information has been issued this evening to help trace a missing man from the Wrexham area.

North Wales Police say that 38-year-old Lee Phelan 38 is missing from his home address in Cefn Mawr. He was last seen at 1:30pm.

Any sightings or information on his whereabouts please contact North Wales Police on 101 quoting reference W107832.After nearly 18 months of sittings and questioning witnesses, parliaments Department of Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee (DCMS) has finally released an interim report on fake news.

Evidence has been selected and manipulated to justify the committees demand to ramp-up the UK ruling elites anti-Russia campaign.

On the pretext of combating fake news from Russia, the report calls for immediate steps to crack down on the democratic rights of individuals and political organisations, censor social media and close down alternative media sources that expose the plans of the imperialist powers.

A related purpose of the report is to use allegations of Russian political interference to halt or reverse the Brexit vote.

The select committee investigation was launched in January 2017, tasked with investigating fake news and centring on accusations of foreign interference in the June 2016 referendum on UK membership of the European Union and the June 2017 general election. It was formed in tandem with the Democratic Partys campaign against the victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election which has also centred on allegations of Russian interference.

The DCMS summary states, There are many potential threats to our democracy and our values, including fake news, created for profit or other gain, disseminated through state-sponsored programmes, or spread through the deliberate distortion of facts, by groups with a particular agenda, including the desire to affect political elections.

Such has been the impact of this agenda, the focus of our inquiry moved from understanding the phenomenon of fake news, distributed largely through social media, to issues concerning the very future of democracy. Arguably, more invasive than obviously false information is the relentless targeting of hyper-partisan views, which play to the fears and prejudices of people, in order to influence their voting plans and their behaviour.

The DCMS identifies Russia as the puppet master able to influence the thoughts and very actions of millions of people all over the world:

In particular, we heard evidence of Russian state-sponsored attempts to influence elections in the US and the UK through social media, of the efforts of private companies to do the same, and of law-breaking by certain Leave campaign groups in the UKs EU Referendum in their use of social media.

The DCMS calls on the term fake news to be discarded by the government as there is no clear idea of what it means, or agreed definition. Instead, the government should put forward an agreed definition of the words misinformation and disinformation, that can be used as the basis of regulation and enforcement.

Why the DMCS, consisting of five Conservatives, five Labourites and a Scottish National Party representative would feel it necessary to discard the term fake news is clear. These are representatives of a right-wing political and corporate set-up that is universally despised. This same parliament voted to take Britain to war in Iraq based on lies that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. The most infamous fake news document of the 21st century, the dodgy dossier, was used in 2003 to justify the US/UK led invasion that resulted in over a million deaths.

Russia or Russian is mentioned 134 times in the report, an average of 1.5 mentions per page. It states that, The evidence led us to the role of Russia specifically, in supporting organisations that create and disseminate disinformation, false and hyper-partisan content, with the purpose of undermining public confidence and of destabilising democratic states. This activity we are describing as disinformation and it is an active threat.

When it comes to quantifying the active threat, the DCMS offers nothing of substance. It castigates Facebook who told us that the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency (IRA) had bought only three adverts for $0.97 in the days before the Brexit vote. It adds, According to evidence that Facebook submitted to Congress, and later released publicly, Russian anti-immigrant adverts were placed in October 2015 targeting the UK, as well as Germany and France. These amounted to 5,514.85 roubles (around 66).

Asked by the DMCS to provide details on all political advertising paid for by Russian agencies targeting UK Facebook users from October 2015 to date, Facebook replied in June this year, Looking further back over the activity of the IRA accounts from as early as January 2015 (including the period of over a year before the start of the regulated referendum period), the total spend on impressions delivered to the UK is approximately $463.

In order words, the meddling in British politics since 2015 by Russia consists of paying $463 in Facebook adverts!

This didnt suit the objectives of the DCMC, who describe Facebooks response as obfuscation.

After stating it has received disturbing evidence, of hacking, disinformation and voter suppression in elections since 2010, it notes that some of this remains unpublished.

The report seeks to link the Leave campaign with Russian interference, stating in bolded text that businessman and UK Independence Party funder Arron Banks is believed to have donated 8.4 million to the Leave campaign, the largest political donation in British politics, but it is unclear from where he obtained that amount of money.

Banks is estimated to be worth anything up to 250 million. Without revealing any of it, the report states, we have evidence of... Banks discussions with Russian Embassy contacts, including the Russian Ambassador, over potential gold and diamond deals, and the passing of confidential information by Banks.

The DCMS campaign was given the imprimatur of the mouthpiece of the Remain campaign and leading voice demanding an anti-Russian agenda, the Guardian. It hailed the plucky little committee, editorialising that its report has the potential to reshape the political landscape, as it deals with issues demanding essential action. For this is subject-matter on which neutrality is not an option.

Citing Russian dirty tricks and destabilisation, Facebooks consistent refusals to acknowledge its practical, moral or legal responsibilities, and the reckless audacity and contempt with which groups like SCL Elections, Cambridge Analytica, Global Science Research and Aggregate IQas well as the Vote Leave and Leave.EU campaignsdefied the regulatory authorities and the whole idea of the rule of law in politics, it complains, It is not impossible that this superior ruthlessness, audacity and defiance enabled the leave side to win the 2016 referendum...

This must be combated by a huge assault on democratic rights, with the DCMS stating, In this rapidly changing digital world, our existing legal framework is no longer fit for purpose.

In a measure aimed at censoring web sites that oppose official lies, it states that government should initiate a working group of experts to create a credible annotation of standards, so that people can see, at a glance, the level of verification of a site.

A new category of tech company should be developed, which is not necessarily either a platform or publisher. These companies should have a clear legal liability to act against harmful and illegal content.

This would be the basis for a dragnet to delete masses of social media content.

The liability should include both content that has been referred to them for takedown by their users, and other content that should have been easy for the tech companies to identify for themselves. In these cases, failure to act on behalf of the tech companies could leave them open to legal proceedings launched either by a public regulator, and/or by individuals or organisations who have suffered as a result of this content being freely disseminated on a social media platform.

It recommends,  Paid-for political advertising data on social media platforms, particularly in relation to political adverts, should identify their source, explaining who uploaded it, who sponsored it, and its country of origin.

A ban on micro-targeted political advertising to similar audiences and a minimum limit for the number of voters sent individual political messages should be agreed, at a national level. 

The author also recommends:

Claims by Cambridge Analytica whistleblower used for new electoral investigation into Brexit [03 April 2018]While slashing wage levels and preparing deep cuts in basic social programs, French President Emmanuel Macron is forking over billions of euros to the super-rich and the military. On July 13, he promulgated the Military Planning Law (LPM) for 2019-2025, which will increase French military spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025.

The military budget will increase 1.7 billion per year until 2022 and 3 billion per year starting in 2023. Total military expenditure over the period will be 300 billion. For 2018, it is 34.2 billion (1.82 percent of GDP), compared to 32.7 billion (1.77 percent of GDP) in 2017.

The increase in military spending underscores the fact that France is preparing for large-scale conflict amid growing tensions among the major world powers. Macron is also preparing to impose the draft for all young men and women, supposedly to bring the army closer to the people.

The military spending will go for:

* Increasing regularly planned funding of overseas wars, which will go from 650 million to 1.1 billion starting in 2020. It was 450 million in 2017.

* The acquisition of heavy weaponry for the army, including 100 modernised Leclerc tanks, 733 VBL light armoured vehicles, and 34 NH-90 helicopters.

* Buying 28 new Rafale fighter jets, 11 A330 MRTT tanker aircraft, and 11 A400M heavy transport planes.

* Building up Frances nuclear arsenal, with spending going from 3.9 billion in 2017 to 6 billion per year in 2025. This is a 65 percent increase compared to the previous LPM budget.

* Investing 4.6 billion in intelligence and 1.6 billion in military innovation, with the creation of 1,500 and 1,000 new jobs, respectively.

The rearming of French imperialism goes hand in hand with drastic cuts in social spending and draconian police state measures targeting growing social opposition among workers. Increased military spending will be financed by vast cuts in basic medical care, housing, education and other social services.

As he increases military spending, Macron is promising to cut public spending as a proportion of GDP from 56.5 percent in 2017 to 52 percent. This represents a roughly 100 billion cut.

At the same time, he is slashing the Tax on the Wealthy (ISF), which will allow holders of large fortunes to increase them by billions of euro each year. The 13 richest people in France have increased their wealth by 23.67 billion since the beginning of 2018 alone.

To justify increasing the military budget, the French army points to the neo-colonial wars being waged across Frances former colonial empire. In its 10 talking points on the budget, it claims that our armies face a very high operational tempo, especially in the demanding theatres of the Sahel and the Levant. It continues: In this context, we must satisfy the immediate needs of our armies in order to ensure the long term sustainability of our engagements.

Having already gone to war in Libya in 2011 and Mali in 2013, French imperialism is stepping up its military intervention in Africa and the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria. Amid ever sharper international tensions, Paris is preparing new wars in its former colonial sphere to defend its imperialist interests, most notably the vast uranium mines in the Sahel that supply French nuclear energy plants.

There is a broad discussion in official circles concerning Frances expanding wars in its former empire. David Lees, a lecturer on French studies at the University of Warwick, told RT that Macron will now be putting more emphasis on la Francophonie, or the French-speaking world, aiming to dominate the French-speaking world. He added, There is potential, of course, that Macron will look to Syria and look to the issues in Syria as a way to potentially ensure that the French army deploys more in Syria in the future.

Since 2011, France has waged war in Syria alongside the United States, backing Islamist and Kurdish militias in an attempt to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In 2017 and 2018, Washington, London and Paris have carried out multiple unprovoked strikes in Syria based on lying claims that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons.

Frances reactionary rearmament campaign comes amid a vast escalation of military spending in Europe and throughout the world. The United States, whose government is openly threatening Russia and China, has carried out a spectacular increase in yearly military spending to reach 614 billion.

At the July 11-12 NATO summit in Brussels, Washington demanded that its allies pledge to boost military spending to 2 percent of GDP by the mid-2020s. Amid growing NATO threats against Russia that could provoke a global conflict among the nuclear powers, conflicts are also erupting within NATO itself, particularly between Washington and Berlin.

In this explosive and dangerous context, certain strategists of French imperialism are calling for a policy that is more independent of the United States, echoing the policy debate in Berlin. The increase in military spending is a key issue in this debate.

Speaking to France Info, Yves Boyer, an associate fellow of the Strategic Research Foundation (FRS) think tank, stressed that the European Union must review its perception of the United States. He added that Europe, together with France, must re-think its security so that Europe can ensure it alone and in its interests.

European rearmament is a warning to the international working class of the bankruptcy of the capitalist order. Caught in a financial and economic downward spiral for which they have no solution and impelled by the escalating crisis of their catastrophic wars in the Middle East and Africa, the European capitalist classes are furiously rearming, as in the lead-up to World War I and World War II. To fight against austerity, workers will be required to carry out a political struggle against militarism and war.A well-attended memorial event, Justice DeniedThe Life and Times of Joy Gardner, marked 25 years since the 1993 murder of Jamaican mother Joy Gardner by the British governments Alien Deportation Squad (ADG).

Held in North Londons West Indian Cultural Centre, the event included a showing of Ken Feros documentary Justice Denied about Joys murder. The memorial was held by the United Families and Friends (UFF) campaign, set up in 1998 to expose deaths in police custody and prison.

The main speaker was Joys mother, Myrna Simpson, who is also interviewed extensively in the film. Justice Denied can be viewed on Vimeo here.

Feros film was made in the months between Joys death and the acquittal of three police officers tried for her murder. Primarily via interviews with Myrna, other members of Joys family and contemporary footage, the film brings out the brutality of the ADG raid and the Home Office policy behind it.

Joy arrived in Britain in 1987 legally, on a six-month visa. Her son, Graeme, was born in Britain. Joys visa expired, but in 1993 she applied to the then-Tory home secretary for a deportation order to be revoked on compassionate grounds. She spoke to MPs, lawyers and the Home Office asking to be allowed to stay in Britain for her own, her sons and her familys circumstances.

Lawyer Jane Coker explained that notice that Joys last applications had been refused only arrived hours after her house was raided and she was attacked and killed, in front of her son. The film shows the systematic stalling and prevarication by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to paralyse efforts by the family to win justice.

Although the ADG was disbanded, the deportation raids continued, spreading, as intended, fear in immigrant communities. Fero interviewed relatives of people who died either as a direct result of immigration raids or of other raids that were assumed to be immigration related. Kwanele Siziba fell to her death trying to escape police that turned out to be accompanying bailiffs. Joseph Nnalue died when police and immigration officers arrived at his house.

Twenty-five years later, Myrna Simpson once again recounted to the memorial meeting the terrible circumstances of Joys death:

In 1993 on 28 July police and immigration officers went to Joys flat in Hornsey, broke the door down, went in, took her out of her bedroom with her young son. They were asleep. They woke them up, took them into the living room, and they decked her. They went on top of her, police officers and an immigration officer, and decked her. Put on 13 feet of tape around her face, put on a body belt, put leg irons on her feet and killed her there and then. They took her, in front of her five-year-old child, to Whittington Hospital, saying that she was not dead. But she died. She died in the flat.

She stayed in the hospital for four days, she was rotting for four days. They had to use spray and clean out the hospital. I tell you it was horrible. I slept in the hospital for the four nights that she was there. I slept on the floor, they didnt give me a bed. A sister of mine came up and stayed with me, so I could have a bath and get something to eat. I stayed for the four days until they had to turn off the machine. They said her kidney had failed, but I knew her kidney had failed from the time when she was in the flat.

Myrna explained her background:

I came to this country when I was only a young woman. My first vote was in this country. I was in the Windrush [Caribbean workers who, from 1948, answered the call from the mother country to redress the labour shortage after the war and come to Britain.] You hear the talk about the Windrush, I was one of them.

[Joy] was my first child, I had her when I was only young. I was only a child myself when I had her. I left her very young to come to this country, to work for this country. I worked in the snow, the frost and the fog. I couldnt get a proper place to live. We used to live in one room. We had to cook on the landing. People think we had life easy. We didnt have life easy. We had it rough, really rough, but we bear it.

Even after a quarter of century, there has been no justice. Myrna continued:

I will get justice for Joy. I maybe wont get it now, but I will get justice for Joy. Joy is a martyr, she set an example for others.

And I am not just fighting for Joy, I am fighting for everybody, whether black or white. It doesnt matter who you are, if you have been killed unlawfully, I will fight for you. I thank everyone who has come. It is 25 years since Joy was taken away from us in a brutal way. But it happened, its happening all the time. Its still happening, but one day, one day there will be peace in the valley.

Fero attended and spoke to contrast Joys case with that of Stephen Lawrence, the 19-year-old stabbed to death by racist thugs in April 1993. After a persistent and determined campaign by Doreen and Neville Lawrenceincluding a private prosecution, and an undercover police operation directed against the parents themselvesthey eventually forced a public inquiry which famously found the Metropolitan Police guilty of institutional racism. A number of those that attacked Stephen were eventually jailed.

Fero expressed his view that Two months apart, and if you look at the way the state has treated the family of Stephen Lawrence and the family of Joy Gardner, there is very big difference. The only difference that I can see is that the murderers that killed Joy wore a uniform. There is no other difference.

Other speakers included Rupert Sylvester, whose son Roger was killed by the police in 1999. In 2003 an inquest jury found that Roger had been unlawfully killed when six police officers held him on the floor at St. Anns Hospital in Haringey. The verdict was overturned a year later in the High Court after an appeal by the police. Marci Rigg, whose mentally ill brother Sean died in 2008 at the hands of the police, also spoke.

In the quarter of a century since Joys death, it remains the case that the only genuinely independent investigation into the murder was the Workers Inquiry held November 1995 by the International Communist Party, forerunner of the Socialist Equality Party.

Using evidence presented at the police officers trial and testimony from Joys family, including Myrna, the Workers Inquiry:

 proved that Joys death was the direct result of the actions of the ADG.

 drew out that her brutal treatment was the result of an offensive by the British government against the entire working class

 rejected the notion of illegal immigrants

 indicted the Labour Party and the trade unions and their nationalist policies for their refusal to mobilise in defence of immigrant workers

 exposed the role of the so-called black leaders as serving only to divide the working class

 pointed out the need for a political struggle against the capitalist system.

The record of the Workers Inquiry into Joys death was published as a book, A State Murder Exposed: The Truth about the Killing of Joy Gardner. It can be purchased here for 10, including postage (in the UK).Despite pouring rain, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Munich on July 22 against right-wing agitation, increased military spending, poverty and war. Participants gathered in four of the citys squares and marched in an ever-expanding demonstration, which eventually led to the Konigsplatz, where more than 50,000 people came together, according to the organizers.

A section of the rally on the Konigsplatz

More than 130 organizations had called for the demonstration under the motto Incited againsttogether against the politics of fear. In addition, the call was supported by numerous celebrities, such as the cabaret artists Max Uthoff, Claus von Wagner and Urban Priol. The Munich Kammerspiele and the Volkstheater also supported the call.

The Christian Social Union (CSU) faction on the Munich city council wanted to ban the two companies from supporting the demonstration, referring to the neutrality obligation of city institutions, but were unable to prevail. The party then put up posters throughout Munich on Saturday that accused the demonstrators of lacking decency.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens and the Left Party, which had signed the call for the demonstration, were barely visible at the protest. The event was dominated by home-made banners, many of which attacked not only the CSU, but also the right-wing politics of all parties: Agitation [against refugees] and let them drownis this your leading [German] culture?, Sea rescue is not a crime. There were also signs reading No wars in my name, and bearing slogans against growing state surveillance.

A section of the final rally on the Konigsplatz

Participation in the demonstration exceeded all expectations. Workers, students, retirees, doctors and especially young people had come because they no longer want to accept the shift to the right by the political establishment. They showed clearly that the agitation against refugees, the war policy and austerity are rejected by the bulk of the population.

Im here because I believe that it is not illegal to rescue people who face drowning in their attempt to escape, one protester said. And Im also protesting today against the police law. The new state law came into force on May 25, providing the police and judiciary with extremely broad powers.

Tobias

Tobias came not only because of the CSUs policy. The refugee crisis is being instrumentalized to enforce the shift to the right, he said. They are acting like were being flooded [with refugees], which I think is not the case at all. So, we just let people drown in the Mediterranean, of course, without justification, actually against all human rights.

Max, a 23-year-old student, came to the demonstration because he can no longer stand domestic German politics. That applies to refugee policy as well as to social policy, he said. There should be enough money, if you look at the economy. But there are so many expenditures on the military, which are incomprehensible and could be much better used for the benefit of society.

Oskar and his companion

Oskar is 17 and came to the demonstration from Munich-Grohadern. He was particularly shocked when federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) had joked about deportations. But he also no longer wants to accept social injustice and the turn to the right. The right-wing are whipping up stupid fears about refugees, but they do not talk about the arms exports, which lead to people seeking to flee.

The issue of militarism and wars in the Middle East concerned many participants. Alexander, a 74-year-old retiree, came to protest for these reasons. Germany must stay out of war because its always about the interests of those who want to grab power, he said. He was pleased that socialist views were being discussed again, including in the US.

Asked about the role of the SPD, the Greens and the Left Party, many reacted dismissively. I have more and more problems voting every time, Stephanie Regensburger, a family doctor said. Ive thought twice about not voting, because I dont know who to vote for, because theyve all adapted and because I no longer believe it is a democratic process.

The demonstration

In fact, all the parties represented in the Bundestag (federal parliament) are involved in the right-wing policy of deportations, state rearmament and war. That is why many demonstrators responded very positively to the statement Refugees ensnared in European dragnet, distributed by representatives of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP, Socialist Equality Party).

The SGP leaflet explained that the brutal crackdown on refugees is an expression of the deep crisis of capitalism and is directed against all workers.

These criminal policies of the capitalist parties stand in stark contrast to the humane sentiments of workers and young people throughout the world, it stated. The task now is to connect the humane and democratic sentiments of workers all over the world with a political program that expresses their social interests. The defense of immigrants and refugees must be connected to opposition to war, social inequality, declining wages and the assault on social programs.A court ruling this month shed further light on the lengths to which Australian governments have gone to violate the basic legal and democratic rights of asylum seekers, setting precedents now being used against millions of desperate refugees trying to find protection in Europe and North America.

Successive Liberal-National Coalition and Labor governments deliberately sailed refugee boats, intercepted by the Australian navy, to an uninhabited offshore reef so that their passengers could be imprisoned indefinitely on remote Pacific islands.

By sailing the detainees through Ashmore Reef, about 320 kilometres off Australias northwest coast, they could be declared offshore arrivals. They then had no right to apply for an Australian protection visa, and could be transported to one of Australias offshore processing facilities, either on Papua New Guineas Manus Island or the small island nation of Nauru.

This month a court ruled that the excision of the territory of Ashmore and Cartier islands from Australias domestic migration zone was invalid. This meant that up to 1,600 asylum seekers could potentially challenge their detention and denial of protection visas.

A Bangladeshi refugee brought the case before the Federal Circuit Court. He arrived in Australia by boat in October 2012, under the last Labor government, and had his application for a protection visa denied by the current Coalition government in September 2016. His lawyers argued that he first arrived in Darwin, the capital of Australias Northern Territory, not in an excised area.

In January 2002, then Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock declared Ashmore Reef to be a port so the Howard Coalition government could excise the territory from the Migration Zone. However, the court ruled that because there is no infrastructure at the reef, or anything resembling a port, the area could not be legally excised.

Justice Justin Smith said the facts clearly establish that the relevant area was not a port. The area was an area of water within a reef. He added: It was, it seems, navigable, but it was not disputed that the area was not, and could not be, used for the transfer of goods or passengers from vessels unless that transfer was to another vessel.

From 2002 to 2013, numerous refugee vessels were captured by the Australian navy and taken to the reef. One example was the Lambeth, referred to as a Suspected Irregular Entry Vessel, whose passengers were seized by the navy. They were first taken to Darwin, where a number who needed medical treatment were offloaded. The remainder were sailed westward for two days to Ashmore Reef in order to be declared offshore entrants.

This dangerous and inhuman practice, which denied refugees their rights to seek asylum under international law, had its origins in the Pacific Solution. Unveiled by the Howard government in September 2001, this policy redefined Australias territory, excising hundreds of islands from its Migration Zone and consigning thousands of refugees to Manus or Nauru.

This regime was enforced by Operation Relex, with the military constantly monitoring the seas north of Australia. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) also fed the navy intelligence to assist the interception of refugee boats and stop them reaching the Australian mainland.

In 2013, the current Liberal-National government went further. It excised the entire Australian mainland from the Migration Zone and launched Operation Sovereign Borders, a fully-militarised offensive to turn back all refugee boats.

The governments response to this months court verdict has been to try to legalise the pre-2013 flouting of the law by introducing legislation that retroactively makes the Ashmore and Cartier Islands a legally excisable zone.

Introduced in the House of Representatives on June 20, the Migration (Validation of Port Appointment) Bill 2018 seeks to make the islands a properly proclaimed port and declare that all decisions which relied directly or indirectly on the terms of the appointment are valid and effective.

Daniel Estrin, a lawyer who took the case to the Federal Circuit Court, said the legislation is an attack on the rule of law. It is a cheap Band-Aid approach to a flawed policy and undermines our rule of law, he said. When you deny people their rights and detain them without proper basis, you dont get to fix it retrospectively.

This is not the first time an Australian government has retrospectively legalised the criminal treatment of asylum seekers. In 2011, the minority Gillard Labor Government, which was kept in office by the Greens, joined forces with the Coalition opposition to rush through the Deterring People Smuggling Bill 2011.

Under the pretext of combatting people smuggling the bill retroactively inserted so-called people smuggling offences into the Migration Act. These expunged any legal defence by people, such as Indonesian fishermen, who helped refugees to seek protection from persecution.

Likewise, in 2015, Labor Party parliamentarians joined hands with the Abbott Coalition government to ram a bill through both houses of parliament within 24 hours, giving the government carte blanche statutory authority to indefinitely detain refugees on Nauru and Manus Island.

The Migration Amendment (Regional Processing Arrangements) Bill 2015 blocked a High Court challenge then underway by asylum seekers to the legality and funding of the offshore detention regime. The explicit purpose of the bill was to strip detainees of any legal right to challenge their brutal treatment.

In parliament, Labor opposition leader Bill Shorten pledged to then Prime Minister Tony Abbott that the Labor Party would be there to pass laws whenever the government needed it in the national interest.

This record demonstrates the contempt of Australian governments for both domestic and international law when it comes to overturning fundamental legal and democratic rights, which also have virtually no protection under the reactionary Australian constitution.

Vulnerable refugees have been among the first victims, but the latest bill is another warning of methods that will be used against the working class more broadly as opposition grows to the corporate elite and its parliamentary servants.Members of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently disclosed a secret program to the Boston Globe detailing how federal air marshals keep track of Americans at airports who are not suspected of a crime, not under investigation, and not on any terrorist watch list. The program, ominously called Quiet Skies, was established to spy on and gather details on people traveling on a plane based on suspicious behavior.

The passengers being spied on are not under investigation by any agency and are not in the Terrorist Screening Data Base, according to the TSA bulletin released to the Globe. The bulletin states how the agency is given wide latitude to determine which passengers to follow and to keeps tabs on and prevent ostensible threats posed by unknown or partially known terrorists.

The article stated how some TSA officials grew to have misgivings about the efficacy of the program and its legality, but the agency declined to say whether the program actually prevented any incidents, or even if the program really existed. Nonetheless, TSA spokesman James Gregory reportedly said the release of that information would make passengers less safe.

Under the Quiet Skies program, thousands of Americans traveling on airplanes have been spied on by small teams of undercover air marshals. The marshals are given a checklist to document whether the subject was abnormally aware of surroundings or if he or she exhibited behavioral indicators such as excessive fidgeting, Adams apple jump, strong body odor, cold penetrating stare, or simply behaviors qualified as other. If the subjects appearance was different from information provided and had lost weight, or gained weight, or were balding, or had a beard, or mustache, or even clean-shaven, this would also be noted by air marshals.

If a subject slept during the flight, even if only briefly, this would be noted. Air Marshals would also keep tabs on seemingly innocent behavior such as if the person were in possession of a phone, or used the phone to talk or text. If the person used the bathroom, traveled or met with others, had checked baggage, or carry-on baggage, or engaged in conversation with others, all this would all be noted by an undercover, armed federal agent.

These observations would be documented minute-by-minute in two separate reports and then sent to the TSA. According to agency documents, all American citizens are automatically screened for being included in the Quiet Skies program, with their travel patterns and associations checked with a terrorist watch list and other databases.

However, even if a person was possibly affiliated with someone on a watch list, this may prompt additional surveillance. When someone is selected for spying, a team of air marshals is then put on that persons next flight. According to agency documents, the team will then be given a file containing a photo and basic information about their subject.

Some 2,000 to 3,000 federal air marshals are deployed at the major airports and routes deemed to be potentially higher risk, or on routes with someone on a terrorist watch list. While this has been always the case since September 11, 2001, the Quiet Skies program, in which the TSA is actively spying on citizens as part of special mission coverage, only began last March.

According to TSA documents, there are about 40 to 50 air marshals on domestic flights every day, with on average, 35 people being actively followed and spied on.

The criteria upon which passengers are screened and then followed are broad. According to an internal bulletin from May, travelers may be added to the watch list if their international travel patters [sic] or behaviors match the travel routing and tradecraft of known or suspected terrorists or are possibly affiliated with Watch Listed suspects.

Suspects can remain on the Quiet Skies watch list for up to 90 days, or three encounters, whichever comes first, after entering the United States. The program can also target people who have spent time in one or more specific countries or whose information includes e-mail addresses or phone numbers associated with people on a terrorism watch list.

Passengers can be followed on domestic flights from the moment they pass security, board a flight, and leave their destination airports, with agents being allowed to note the license plate number of the vehicle picking up the person.

The TSA would not disclose how long the information agents collect is stored and said it was only used for internal purposes and not shared with other agencies unless significant derogatory behavior is observed.

According to some TSA officials who spoke to the Globe on condition of anonymity, they monitored those who posed no threat whatsoever including a businessman, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant, and another police officer.

While the TSA officially denied any program was taking place until only last week, the Globe  s expose has led to lawmakers and civil rights organizations speaking out against the covert domestic spying program. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on the TSA to abolish the practice, and the ACLU said it plans to file a Freedom of Information Act request to learn more about the program. In addition, top TSA officials have agreed to brief Congress this week.

The TSAs air marshals program has come under renewed scrutiny following a 2017 Government Accountability Office Report revealed the agency has no information on the effectiveness of armed marshals in preventing terrorist attacks, the declared reason for their undercover presence on flights, even after spending more than $800 million on the program in 2015 alone.Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the Danish capital of Copenhagen wearing burqas and other face veils Wednesday to protest a law against facial coverings, saying the legislation oppresses some Muslim women and violates their rights.

Denmark joins several other European nations restricting face coverings. France banned the full face veil in 2011, while Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and parts of Switzerland have restrictions in place. Other European countries have debated the issue.

Demographic groups Muslim people Population and demographics Protests and demonstrations Society Continents and regions Denmark Europe Northern Europe

The Danish law was passed in May and came into effect Wednesday, meaning people found wearing facial coverings in public could be fined from 1,000 Danish krone ($157), for a first offense, up to 10,000 krone ($1,565) for a fourth violation.

Several women wearing niqabs -- which fully cover the body but leave the eye area open -- said this would make it very difficult for them to leave their homes, whether to take their children to school, grocery shop, or just move around their communities. The burqa covers the entire body and has mesh in the eye area.

A Muslim protester -- Sabina, who gave only her first name and wears a niqab -- said it would have "huge consequences" on her life.

"Every time I step outside my front door, I am a criminal. I have to stay in my house, isolated. I cannot go to the grocery store, I cannot go out," she told CNN.

"Wearing this is an important spiritual choice for me. And now it is also a sign of protest. Every time the government does this, they make me firmer in my belief."

The ban has been ridiculed for its vague language -- and for outlawing all facial coverings in public -- despite its backers clearly stating that its real target is the Islamic face veil. Anything from ski masks and fake beards to scarves covering the face could be seen as illegal. Police said they would not enforce the ban during Wednesday's protest because people had the right to demonstrate.

Critics of the law also point out the small number of women who actually wear the veil in Denmark -- only around 150 to 200 Muslim women wear the niqab or the burqa on a daily basis, according to a University of Copenhagen study. Muslims account for about 5% of Denmark's population of 5.7 million.

Sasha Andersen, a spokeswoman for the Party Rebels political group that organized the protest, called on the government to rescind the law. "It moves us in a direction that is far more discriminatory and it limits people's freedom with something as commonplace as clothing," she said.

Protesters gathered in Norrebro, a neighborhood known for its cultural diversity, and marched through the city's streets to the Bellahoej Police station less than a mile away, shouting: "No racists in our streets."

They formed a human chain around the large police station, as several police officers protected the building.

Martin Henriksen, an MP from the Danish People's Party, which proposed the ban, said he was very pleased with the progress of the law.

"The burqua and niqab are the purest form of extremism. This is a battle again fundamentalism. As a society, we are showing what we are willing to accept," he said.

"We believe this is an important step for our country and we hope it will inspire other countries to do the same. It is irreconcilable with Danish culture and values."

He added that in the future his party also hoped to see the banning from schools of Islamic headscarves that leave the face visible.TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Catholic Charities of Terre Haute received some extra funding from the State of Indiana.

For the past decade, the State Department of Agriculture has given Catholic Charities a sizable gift to purchase food.

This year is no different.

$14,000 was donated to the non-for-profit.

All of the food will be purchased within the state.

Officials say the donation equals nearly 60,000 meals.WABASH VALLEY, Ind. (WTHI) - Police want to remind drivers to keep an eye out for school buses as the school year gets ready to start.

You will receive a big fine if you don't stop for school bus arms.

News 10 spoke with Indiana State Police Sergeant Joe Watts.

He says drivers aren't the only ones responsible for keeping students safe.

Parents can play a big role too.

"Tell them (kids) to stay away from the roadway unless the bus driver waves them across for example. Get right onto the sidewalk and so on and so forth. Parents...educate your children on what to do when they step off that school bus. The school bus drivers are there to help, but again, we need that education as well," Watts said.WASHINGTON, Ind. (WTHI) - Shirley Blazey-Waggoner's grandson was a victim of the opioid crisis.

Blazey-Waggoner says, "Suddenly I got a call at seven o'clock in the morning from his dad. That we lost Brian. And I was just in such shock. I didn't know what he was talking about."

The loss has greatly affected her family. Now she is trying to help those who still have a chance.

Blazey-Waggoner says, "We've got to lick this, so these generations. These kids don't get it. And we've got to help everyone who has it now. That has a problem."

Blazey-waggoner was one of many on hand to discuss the crisis on Tuesday morning.

Don Kelso with the Indiana Rural Health Association says, "It's typical for rural communities to think that this is not going to affect their community. In reality, it is. A lot of times its just under the radar. Then when it shows itself it's almost too late."

Members of law enforcement, the medical field, and others from the community learning how the crisis is hurting rural Indiana.

Lieutenant governor Susan Crouch says, "This is truly an epidemic. And it particularly an epidemic that hits hard in rural Indiana. Because of the lower income level and the higher prescription needs."

Officials who work with the crisis now learning how to fight it. Blazey-Waggoner says that's whats important.

Blazey-Waggoner says, "We just have to try. One step at a time. That's all we can do."TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Indiana Secretary of Career Connections and Talent Blair Milo made a stop in Terre Haute Tuesday to lead a discussion on regional workforce development.

Milo served in the U.S. Navy and was the youngest person elected mayor of Laporte, Indiana at 28-years-old. She served in the position for more than five years before Governor Eric Holcomb selected her for her current cabinet position.

Milo says it is important to encourage young people, especially girls, to participate in government.

Milo says, "I only say, girls, because we are so underrepresented from an elected official capacity. But, overall, encouraging our students to understand how important it is to engage, especially with local government."

Milo says she is passionate about public service and getting others involved.Three Russian journalists who were reportedly investigating a paramilitary organization with links to the Kremlin were killed in the Central African Republic this week in what authorities describe as an ambush.

The men were in the country to investigate the activities of Wagner, a shadowy Russian private military firm, a Russian online news outlet, the Center for Investigation Management (TsUR), said in a Facebook post. Anastasia Gorshkova, deputy editor of TsUR, confirmed the journalists were on an investigative assignment in CAR.

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Wagner has deployed mercenaries in Syria and Ukraine. The US Treasury has sanctioned the group for recruiting soldiers to fight with separatists in eastern Ukraine, and dozens of Wagner contractors were killed or injured during a firefight with US forces and their allies in Syria in February.

The journalists were identified as Orhan Dzhemal, Alexander Rastorguyev and Kirill Radchenko by documents found with their bodies, the Russian foreign ministry said Tuesday. They were killed near the city of Sibut, about 185 miles north of the capital Bangui. Sibut's mayor, Henri Depele, told Reuters the three were ambushed by armed men who opened fire on their vehicle. Depele said their driver survived.

"The Russian embassy in CAR, unfortunately, was not informed about the presence of Russian journalists in the country," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. "Employees of our diplomatic mission are now in close contact with local law enforcement agencies and government agencies to discover all the circumstances relating to the deaths of Russian citizens." Russian law enforcement have opened a criminal probe into their deaths.

Russia has relied on -- but never officially acknowledged the existence of -- mercenary firms in conflict zones in Syria and Ukraine. Wagner's activities in Africa have been the subject of recent media reports by independent investigative outlets in Russia.

The independent channel TV Rain recently published an investigation into the alleged efforts of Russian private military firms to expand into new markets and other countries, citing Yevgeny Shabaev, who has spoken in Russian-language media on behalf of mercenaries wounded in the Syria attack.

The Russian Foreign Ministry earlier this year confirmed the presence in CAR of five military and 170 civilian Russian instructors involved in training the country's military personnel. CAR has been wracked by religious and ethnic conflict for the past several years. The United Nations has deployed a peacekeeping force -- MINUSCA -- charged with protecting civilians caught up in the conflict. The presence of Russian forces sparked media speculation about Russia's military involvement in the country and the possible presence of military contractors.

"There is no sensation in the presence of Russian instructors in the CAR, no one hid anything," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a Facebook post Wednesday. "The murdered Russian journalists, based on the location of the bodies, did not move at all to the place where the instructors work. Moreover, based on information received from the local site, they ignored warnings that they are leaving the zone controlled by local law enforcement agencies. What they really were doing in the CAR, what were their goals and objectives - is a question."

Murky ties to Kremlin-linked oligarch

Wagner is led by Dmitry Utkin, a former colonel in the Russian special forces who is under US sanctions for assisting pro-Russian separatists in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Utkin was once head of security for a Russian oligarch called Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has close ties to the Kremlin. Prigozhin was indicted by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller in February for funding the Internet Research Agency, a Kremlin-linked troll group accused of interfering in the 2016 US presidential election campaign by sowing discord online.

Prigozhin controls a network of Russian companies, including Concord Management and Consulting. Company records show that someone named Dmitry Utkin, the same name as the Wagner boss, is director general of Concord.

Prigozhin and Concord have denied being linked to Wagner. Concord said last year: "We do not have any information about this organization."

Russian journalists investigating the activities of Wagner and Prigozhin say they have encountered a pattern of harassment and intimidation.

Earlier this year, Maxim Borodin, a Russian reporter known for his investigations into Russian mercenaries in Syria, died after a fall from his apartment in Yekaterinburg.

Officials said there was no sign of foul play, but Borodin's death cast a spotlight on the risks and threats sometimes faced by journalists in Russia. Borodin had been investigating Wagner's activities.

TsUR, the outlet the three slain journalists were on assignment for in CAR, is financed by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled tycoon who is a staunch opponent of the Kremlin. Khodorkovsky has also funded Dossier Center, another investigative project that is a potential irritant to the Kremlin. Its focus is investigating what the organization describes as high-level official corruption among members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova told Russian state television channel Rossiya 24 on Wednesday that the bodies of the three journalists killed in CAR will be sent back home in the coming days, and that law-enforcement agents would visit the scene of the attack. She said the journalists had entered the country as tourists.Editor's Note: The information below is a press release from MDOT.

TUPELO, Miss. (Press Release) - The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has projects underway to preserve and maintain highways and bridges in northeast Mississippi, said Commissioner Mike Tagert, Northern Transportation District.

Bridge maintenance on State Route 145 in Prentiss County

Work continues on this project to replace six bridges and a box culvert along State Route 145 in Prentiss County. The existing timber pile bridges and culvert were built in the 1940s. MDOT engineers placed weight restrictions on each of the bridges which presented safety concerns for the traveling public. The project covers four separate sites.

Site 1 includes three bridges over Twenty Mile Creek, Wolf Creek and the Wolf Creek Tributary. Two of the bridges are complete through the bridge deck. Guardrails will be installed on each bridge. The third bridge over Wolf Creek Tributary at Site 1 is being demolished. Materials for reconstruction are staged on site. New asphalt will be placed throughout the site. Completion is scheduled this summer.

Site 2 includes one bridge replacement over Osborne Creek and one box culvert extension. County Road 7090 will be realigned as part of the project. Bridge construction will begin after Site 1 is completed. A signed detour will be in place.

Site 3, north of State Route 4, will rebuild one bridge over King's Creek. Site 4, north of Thrasher Road, will replace one bridge with a new box culvert. Sites 3 and Site 4 have a construction timeline of May 2019 to July 2019. Detours will be in place.

MDOT anticipates the entire project to be complete by early summer 2020.

These bridges have been on MDOTs deficient bridge list and have become a public safety issue, Tagert said. These projects will increase safety and mobility throughout the region.

Bridge maintenance on State Route 178 in Itawamba County

Work to replace seven bridges along State Route 178 in Itawamba County is on schedule.

Traffic is moving on the new bridge over Lick Skillet Creek, Gum Creek, Cypress Creek, a relief slough bridge, Hickory Creek and Bull Mountain Creek Bridge.

At Johns Creek, a temporary detour bridge is in place while crews construct a new, permanent bridge. A second bridge over Johns Creek will be replaced with a box culvert, which is currently under construction.

The original bridges were constructed in the 1930s, and they have outlived their serviceable life spans, Tagert said. When the project is completed, it will put this section of State Route 178 back in full service.

Bridge maintenance on State Route 245 in Lee County

The existing timber pile bridge, located about two miles south of Shannon on State Route 256, was built in 1934 and has posted weight restrictions. Inspections revealed decaying piles and section loss in the steel girders.

The Tubbalubba Creek Bridge has outlived its design life and could become unsafe for the traveling public, Tagert said. The new bridge will have a design life of 75 years and will increase commerce and mobility in the area.

A detour will be in place on U.S. Highway 45 throughout the project. Traffic will be rerouted at the Shannon exit on the north end of the project and the Okolona exit on the south end.

The $2.4 million replacement project was awarded to Joe McGee Construction in Lake. The project is expected to be completed in late fall.

Four-lane expansion on State Route 15 in Pontotoc County

A $21.5 million construction project to expand State Route 15 in Pontotoc County from two lanes to four will stretch approximately eight miles from State Route 76 north to the Union County line.

Crews will begin in Ecru, where State Route 15 will be five lanes, with two travel lanes in each direction and a central turn lane when the project is completed.

From there, crews will construct two new lanes adjacent to the current highway. Earthwork for the two new lanes was completed in October 2017.

When the two new lanes are completed, traffic will be routed off the existing highway and onto the new lanes. Crews will then mill and overlay the existing lanes.

The four-lane project also includes replacement or repair of three bridges along the existing highway. On the south end of the project, the Lappatubby Creek Bridge, which was constructed in 1955, will be replaced. The Tanglefoot Trail, which was built in 1971, will be replaced, and the existing roadway will be lowered to a similar grade as the new lanes.

A third bridge in Ecru crossing the Lappatubby Creek was built in 1971 and will see several repairs and improvements.

The project was awarded to Talbot Brothers, of Nesbit, in April. The estimated completion will be summer 2020.

Pavement Preservation Projects

Mississippis roads are deteriorating at rates faster than our crews can repair them, and this trend will continue unless a stable funding solution is found, Tagert said. However, pavement preservation projects will improve safety, extend the life of the road surface and postpone costly, full-scale reconstructions.

- Thirteen miles of Interstate 22 in in Lee County through Tupelo will be repaved from U.S. Highway 45 to the Itawamba County line. The $7.9 million project includes ramps and interchanges.

- A ten-mile section of U.S. Highway 82 in Lowndes County will receive an asphalt overlay from State Route 182 to Catapala Creek. The $6.3 million project is expected to be complete in late fall.

- A $2.2 million overlay project along State Route 6 in Monroe County will begin this summer. The project will stretch approximately 10 miles from State Route 145 in Nettleton to State Route 25 in Amory.

Construction zones present new traffic patterns and configurations that can cause confusion to some motorists. For information about how to navigate highway work zones safely, visit GoMDOT.com/drivesmartms.

Workers may be present on these maintenance and construction projects, Said Melinda McGrath, P.E., MDOT executive director. MDOT encourages drivers to slow down in work zones so our crew members can make it home safe to their families.CORINTH, Miss. (WTVA) - A Corinth man has lost his attempt to have his attempted murder conviction thrown out on appeal.

Desmond Patterson, 23, is serving a 30-year sentence in connection with the beating and shooting of Kelin Edgeston in April 2016.

The court record says the two men had disagreements over time, but Patterson began to threaten to kill Edgeston.

On the day of the shooting, Patterson is accused of firing several shots and chasing Edgeston.

Court records say he found him hiding behind a car, hit him in the head with the gun and then shot at him.

Edgeston was treated at the hospital for the head injury and two injuries caused by bullets grazing his face.

Several people testified about the incident at trial and an Alcorn County Circuit Court jury found him guilty.

Patterson appealed claiming there was not enough physical evidence to support the conviction.

He also says prosecutors should not have been allowed to use his Facebook posts during the trial.

The Mississippi Court of Appeals denied his appeals today.MACON, Miss. (WTVA) - The Noxubee County School District held a meeting on Tuesday that allowed residents, parents and family members an opportunity to meet the new interim superintendent, Rodriguez Broadnax.

Residents filled the gym and had an opportunity to listen to what Broadnax had for the coming year and years to come.

"Finances, personnel, having the right pieces in the right place, making sure we meet all of our accreditation standards to make sure we continue down the right path," he said.

One mother showed her excitement for the new administration.

"Great, I feel wonderful. I can't use any words to tell you how I really feel. I'm overwhelmed," said Carolyn Andrew.

Broadnax's first day will be on August 23.Update 8/2 9 a.m. - Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton says police are now searching for three suspects in an armed robbery outside the Princess Theatre Wednesday morning. Police were able to retrieve multiple videos of the crime committed before an off-duty officer-involved shooting took place. They hope to release more information on the suspects early next week.

"We now know that we are looking for three suspects from the incident. We will also have a better description of their clothing after our analysis. We can tell you that the suspects arrived on foot from one block South of the Princess and they walked North. They then left into the same direction; going South," Shelton said.

Update at 3:01 p.m. - Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton says police are now searching for two suspects following an off-duty officer-involved shooting Wednesday morning.

Police say the two suspects were seen robbing customers for money at the Princess Theatre in downtown Columbus.

"There is a patio there at the front of the Princess Theatre. The customers were sitting there when one of the robbers came up and asked them for money. They said, 'Freeze, give me your money,'" Shelton said.

An off-duty police officer was able to intervene. The officer was able to retrieve his personal gun out of his vehicle and confronted the suspects.

Police say this resulted in an exchange of gunfire with at least one suspect. Both suspects fled and the off-duty officer tried to chase after them. Police say the officer lost sight of them after about a block.

Police say the two suspects escaped together in a gold Honda Accord. One suspect is described as a black male, wearing jeans and an orange bandana.

Police do not have a description of the other suspect.

See the original post below.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) - According to Columbus police, an off-duty officer exchanged gunfire with an armed robbery suspect Wednesday morning. Reports indicate it happened outside the Princess Theatre on Fifth Street.

Police believe no one was hit. Early reports indicate the suspect fired at the officer and the officer shot back outside the theater.

Police say the off-duty officer was at the business as a customer, legally carrying an off-duty weapon when the officer got into a foot chase with the suspect after the robbery.

Police Chief Fred Shelton says the officer will return to work on his standard schedule since the officer was off-duty at the time of the incident. Police are not naming the officer since the incident is still under investigation. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the case.

According to police, the suspect is still on the run. He is described as a black male, wearing an orange bandana over his face.

If you have any information on the suspect's whereabouts, call Crime Stoppers at (800) 530-7151.CORINTH, Miss. (WTVA) - A Corinth teen faces felony charges in connection to two separate robberies.

Tyler James Gates, 18, was arrested on Sunday, July 29 and charged with two counts of robbery and possession of a stolen firearm.

He's accused of robbing another person in the 800 block of Douglas Street.

Police say Gates ran from them when they attempted to make contact with him.

Gates was later located with the victim's money and cell phone in his possession, police say.

He was also reportedly in possession of a stolen handgun.

"The handgun matched the description of the firearm used in the robbery," police stated.

During the investigation, police say Gates admitted to being involved in another robbery on July 2 on Proper Street. In this incident, Gates is accused of using a gun to rob the victim of money.UNION COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA)- Union County schools are beefing up security in case they are targeted by shootings or threats.

Safety walls are now installed at East Union, West Union and Myrtle.

The walls will lock visitors in until they are officially checked in with the office.

Union County Assistant Superintendent Wendy Faulkner says all of four schools in the district will have laminate film, that will not shatter in case they are shot.

"Every time we turn on the TV you hear about a school shooting or something that's happened at a school," said Faulkner. "We don't want to take any chances."

Each campus will have a school resource officer and at least two trauma kits.

"If a crisis was to occur, we have the items we need until first responders can get there," added Faulkner.

The district says teachers will have access to an app called Locked Down, which would alert school officials and the sheriff's office in case of an emergency.

"I think this day and time, you have to be proactive," said Faulkner. "You have to have a plan in case of an emergency or something like that."Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 05:00:26|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The UN humanitarian affairs office said on Tuesday it is running out of funds for an emergency fuel program for 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, including 2,000 in hospitals needing electricity for life-saving devices.

"Some 4.5 million U.S. dollars is urgently needed for the operation to continue," said Eri Kaneko, associate spokeswoman for the United Nations, during a regular briefing for reporters at UN headquarters.

"The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that funding for the UN-assisted emergency fuel program for back-up generators in Gaza has been exhausted," she said. "As a result, only two-thirds of the regular 950,000 liters of fuel will be distributed to 231 critical health and water sanitation and hygiene facilities in August."

"In the absence of new funding, emergency fuel distributions will end by mid-August," Kaneko said.

"The lack of emergency fuel will severely affect the provision of basic services to 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, including over 2,000 patients in hospitals relying on electrical devices," the spokeswoman said.

Palestinians already have been hit by the United States cutting its current funding of the UN Works and Relief Agency (UNRWA). Washington is the largest single donor to some 5 million Palestinian refugees.

UNRWA's budget this year is more than 1 billion U.S. dollars.

"Overall, some 1.27 million people will be directly affected by the closure of the hospitals and reduction in provision of vital health interventions," Kaneko said, adding that the reduced functioning of water and sanitation facilities risks an increase of waterborne diseases and outbreaks."Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 05:40:34|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations said on Tuesday that it is "deeply concerned" over the 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Syria during the first half of the year and their impact on civilian hosts.

"The magnitude of ongoing displacement places significant strain on host communities, some which are overstretched to support the large numbers of people arriving," Eri Kaneko, associate spokeswoman for the Secretary-General, told reporters at a daily briefing.

"The United Nations remains deeply concerned over the reported ongoing large-scale displacement across parts of Syria and its impact on the civilian population," she said.

In the first half of 2018, nearly 1.2 million people were reportedly internally displaced, an average of over 6,500 people per day or close to 200,000 per month.

In addition, 6.3 million Syrians have fled their homeland into neighboring countries during more than seven years of war, according to figures of the UN Refugee Agency.

"The largest movement of internally displaced people occurred in Idlib in the first quarter of the year as the Syrian government offensive displaced nearly 400,000 people, and more recently in Daraa, where military operations displaced over 300,000 people," said Kaneko.

The United Nations continues to respond to those in need, particularly IDPs, she said. In June, the United Nations provided food aid to over 400,000 people in northwest Syria, many of them IDPs, and to nearly 100,000 people in the south via cross-border operations.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 05:50:35|Editor: yan

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Photo taken with a mobile phone and provided by Durango's Civil Protection Department shows rescuers working on the site where a plane crashed in Durango, Mexico, on July 31, 2018. An Aeromexico plane crashed in the northern Mexican state of Durango, local media reported on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Durango's Civil Protection Department)

MEXICO CITY, July 31 (Xinhua) -- An Aeromexico plane crashed in the northern Mexican state of Durango, local media reported on Tuesday.

"Aeromexico has learned of the accident in Durango and we are working to verify the information and obtain details," the airline said via Twitter.

Local reports said the plane, which was carrying more than 100 passengers, plummeted five minutes after taking off from the General Guadalupe Victoria International Airport in the state capital.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 06:25:42|Editor: xuxin

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by Zhang Qi

DUBLIN, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE) is an important global event that demonstrates China's intention to further open its market and to promote international trade and cooperation, said Heather Humphreys, Irish Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

The minister made the remarks in an email received by Xinhua on Tuesday while offering comments on the first edition of the CIIE which is to be held in China's eastern coastal city of Shanghai on Nov. 5-10.

"For an open, global, trading economy this offers a valuable opportunity for Irish companies to grow their appreciation for the opportunities that exist in the Chinese marketplace," she said.

"I plan to lead a significant trade mission from Ireland to China and to attend the CIIE in November. I believe this will be a valuable opportunity to further deepen Ireland's trade cooperation with China," she added.

It is learned that over 20 Irish companies have so far confirmed their participation in the upcoming CIIE in Shanghai.

Commenting on the bilateral trade between Ireland and China, the minister said that "Overall trade trends between Ireland and China are indeed very positive; two-way trade between Ireland and China doubled in the years from 2013 to 2017, reaching over 15 billion euros last year."

The 2017 Ireland-China trade statistics quoted by the minister included the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, which are higher than the official statistics announced by the Chinese side that only covered the Chinese mainland.

"Our ambition is to build upon this success in the years ahead," Heather Humphreys.

According to the minister, Enterprise Ireland, an Irish state agency responsible for the development and growth of Irish companies in world markets, intends to double its client companies' exports to China by the year 2020.

Enterprise Ireland is a government body affiliated to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation headed by Heather Humphreys. Currently Enterprise Ireland has over 300 client companies exporting to China and China is the seventh largest market for Enterprise Ireland client exports, according to Heather Humphreys.

The Chinese government attaches greater importance to innovation, greentech, research and technology in future development and these are areas where Irish companies excel and are rapidly expanding, said the minister.

"China's One Belt One Road Initiative is opening up the potential for even stronger trade links and connectivity between Ireland and China. We welcome the initiative which is complementary to much of our existing cooperation in the area of trade and investment," she said.

The minister believed that the recent commencement of direct flight services between the Irish capital Dublin and the Chinese cities of Beijing and Hong Kong will undoubtedly help to foster growing trade, tourism, education and cultural links between Ireland and China.

On June 12, China's Hainan Airlines opened a direct flight service between Beijing and Dublin shortly after the Hong Kong-registered Cathay Pacific opened a direct flight route between Hong Kong and Dublin in early June. Prior to these, there were no direct flight services between Ireland and China.

It is believed that the two direct flight routes opened between Ireland and China will greatly facilitate the economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Following the opening of the two direct flight routes, Tourism Ireland announced that it plans to increase the number of the Chinese visitors to the island of Ireland from an estimated 70,000 in 2017 to 175,000 by the year 2025.

"We are committed to sustaining and further advancing Ireland's presence in China as our relationship grows and develops in the years ahead," said Heather Humphreys.

It is learned that the Irish side is planning to launch an Ireland Night event at the upcoming expo in Shanghai to intensify the promotion of the Irish image among the Chinese customers.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 06:40:45|Editor: yan

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JOHANNESBURG, July 31 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), on Tuesday announced it will support the amendment to Section 25 of the Constitution to "explicitly" expropriate land without compensation.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said on late Tuesday night that his country faces many challenges, particularly the issue of land expropriation.

"On land reform, the ANC applauds our people, from all walks of life - including the rural poor, farm labourers, the unemployed, the landless, urban residents, farmers and traditional leaders - for expressing their views on this critical matter."

"Our people have been expressing their views on the land question openly and without any fear or favour," said Ramaphosa. It had become "patently clear that our people want the Constitution to be more explicit about expropriation of land without compensation, as demonstrated in the public hearings."

He stated that "a comprehensive land reform programme that enables equitable access to land will unlock economic growth, by bringing more land in South Africa to full use, and enable the productive participation of millions more South Africans in the economy."

Accordingly, the ANC will through the parliamentary process to finalize a proposed amendment to the Constitution that outlines more clearly the conditions under which expropriation of land without compensation can be affected.

"The intention of this proposed amendment is to promote redress, advance economic development, increase agricultural production and food security. It will also transform the unjust spatial realities in urban areas," said the president.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 07:00:50|Editor: Li Xia

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MINSK, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The Minsk City Department of Belarus' Emergencies Ministry organized an excursion for children from China, the department said on Tuesday.

A delegation from China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and children of the ministry's staff who died in

the line of duty visited the Minsk City Department on Monday.

During the visiting, Belarusian firefighters showed the children the gear and equipment which are currently in service, and told them about a fireman's day.

After that, everyone could try on firefighter uniforms and test a fire hose, the department said.

The delegation members also visited the Museum of Fire, where they got acquainted with the history of Belarusian firefighting service and examined the objects damaged by fire.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 07:00:50|Editor: Li Xia

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NEW YORK, July 31 (Xinhua) -- New Yorkers could spare a flight ticket this year to experience the unique charm of China's famous mountains as a photo exhibition is being staged at China Institute in New York City.

The Art of the Mountain: Through the Chinese Photographer's Lens, which runs until Feb. 17, 2019, features three sections of selected works from dozens of Chinese artists.

Revered Mountains of China introduces the geography, history, legends, and culture that are associated with Chinese mountains.

Landscape Aesthetics in Photography presents the images of Mount Huangshan, also known as Yellow Mountain, to reflect the renowned Chinese landscape painting aesthetic and its influence.

And New Landscape Photography includes the works in which Chinese photographers express their thoughts on the role of mountains in society.

In Chinese legend, mountains are the pillars that hold up the sky. Mountains were seen as places that nurture life. Their veneration took the form of rituals, retreat from social society, and aesthetic appreciation with a defining role in Chinese art and culture.

The exhibition, which opened in February, is curated by Willow Weilan Hai, Director, China Institute Gallery; Jerome Silbergeld, P.Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Professor of Chinese Art History at Princeton University, Emeritus; and photography critic and photographer Jiang Rong.Internally displaced girls from Deraa province look out from a hole near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in Quneitra, Syria July 11, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

UNITED NATIONS, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations said on Tuesday that it is "deeply concerned" over the 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Syria during the first half of the year and their impact on civilian hosts.

"The magnitude of ongoing displacement places significant strain on host communities, some which are overstretched to support the large numbers of people arriving," Eri Kaneko, associate spokeswoman for the Secretary-General, told reporters at a daily briefing.

"The United Nations remains deeply concerned over the reported ongoing large-scale displacement across parts of Syria and its impact on the civilian population," she said.

Internally displaced people from Deraa province arrive near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in Quneitra, Syria June 29, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

In the first half of 2018, nearly 1.2 million people were reportedly internally displaced, an average of over 6,500 people per day or close to 200,000 per month.

In addition, 6.3 million Syrians have fled their homeland into neighboring countries during more than seven years of war, according to figures of the UN Refugee Agency.

"The largest movement of internally displaced people occurred in Idlib in the first quarter of the year as the Syrian government offensive displaced nearly 400,000 people, and more recently in Daraa, where military operations displaced over 300,000 people," said Kaneko.

The United Nations continues to respond to those in need, particularly IDPs, she said. In June, the United Nations provided food aid to over 400,000 people in northwest Syria, many of them IDPs, and to nearly 100,000 people in the south via cross-border operations.A frontier guard stands on a bridge to Afghanistan across Panj river in Panji Poyon border outpost, south of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, May 31, 2008. (REUTERS PHOTO)

ASTANA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The Interior Ministry of Tajikistan on Tuesday accused the Islamic Revival Party, banned as a terrorist organization in the Central Asian country, of organizing Sunday's attack which killed four foreign tourists and injured two.

The ministry said in a statement that the detained leader of the attackers, identified as Khussein Abdusamadov, confessed that the attack was ordered by Nosirhuzha Ubaidov. Ubaidov is an activist of the Islamic Revival Party also known as Kori-Nosir, who has been on the Tajik Interior Ministry's wanted list since 2015.

Abdusamadov said that he was trained to implement sabotage operations in 2014-2015 in Iran, where he joined the Islamic Revival Party.

He said that after committing the attack, he and other participants intended to cross the border to Afghanistan and join the ranks of terrorists.

According to the Tajik Interior Ministry, a car of an armed group on Sunday rammed into a group of seven foreign tourists traveling on bicycles on a highway in the southern Danghara district.

After that, the attackers snatched knives and axes and caused deadly injuries to four tourists, among whom two were U.S. citizens, one from the Netherlands and one from Switzerland. The attackers also wounded another two Swiss citizens.

One tourist in the group, a citizen of France, was not injured, the ministry said.

The attackers jumped into their car and fled, it said.

Law enforcement officers soon found the car with the help of local citizens in a nearby village, and detained Abdusamadov.

Two other members of the group showed resistance, injuring a policeman. One of them was killed and the other was seriously wounded and taken to a hospital.

The police also detained four local residents on suspicion of being accomplices of the attackers, the ministry said.

The investigation will continue under direct supervision of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, according to the ministry.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C), Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attend a joint press conference after their summit on Syria held in Ankara, Turkey, on April 4, 2018. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

MOSCOW, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Russia, Turkey and Iran on Tuesday agreed to continue joint efforts on facilitating the work of Syria's constitutional committee and promoting the political settlement in the war-torn country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Representatives from the three Syrian ceasefire guarantor states discussed the current situation and recent developments in Syria at an international meeting held in the Russian city of Sochi on Monday and Tuesday, according to the final statement published on the ministry's website.

"The parties would continue joint efforts aimed at advancing the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process of the political settlement in order to create conditions to facilitate the beginning of the Constitutional Committee's work in Geneva as soon as possible consistent with the decisions of the Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue in Sochi and the UN Security Council resolution 2254," the statement said.

The constitutional committee dedicated to promoting a constitutional reform in Syria was created at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress held in January in Sochi.

The participants also had "useful consultations" with the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Tuesday and agreed with him to hold the next round of consultations in Geneva in September, the statement said.

The parties reaffirmed their determination to fight terrorism in Syria in order to ultimately eliminate all terrorist organizations including the Islamic States (IS) and Nusra Front and individuals associated with them.

They also called upon the international community to send more humanitarian aid to Syria and help create necessary conditions for the safe return of Syrian refugees.

The two-day international meeting, the 10th round of negotiations on the Syrian problem in the Astana format, was also attended by the Syrian government, the Syrian opposition and the United Nations.

The next high-level international meeting on Syria will be held in November, according to the statement.YANGON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar will host an international moot court competition in Yangon for the first time late this month, aimed at helping law students in the country acquire more trial experience through the moot court contest, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Wednesday.

Organized by the Asian Law Students' Association (ALSA), the international moot court competition will run a four-day simulated hearing of an international investment dispute settlement from Aug. 24 to 27.

President of ALSA Myanmar Ko Kaung Myat Arkar said the purpose of holding the event is to enable Myanmar law students to get into the habit of taking part in a simulated court or arbitration proceedings at a moot court.

Law students in other countries and districts are participating in it extensively, while Myanmar holds local mock trials only, he said, calling for more such competitions in the country so that Myanmar law students can keep abreast with international students.

A total of 20 teams from Asian countries and regions including three from Myanmar will take part in the competition in three steps which are general round, semi-final round and final round.

During the competition, arbitrators, lawyers and legal experts from home and abroad will act as moot arbitrators.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 10:11:10|Editor: Chengcheng

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- China pledged the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) to Nepal three years in a row as the Himalayan country received China's pledge of 427 million U.S. dollars in last fiscal year 2017-18 that concluded in mid-July, Nepal's Department of Industry (DoI) said on Tuesday.

FDI commitments from China stands at 84 percent of the total FDI pledges Nepal received in the last fiscal 2017-18 which stands at 505 million U.S. dollars.

China topped the chart in committing FDI to Nepal in fiscal years of 2016-17 and 2015-16 too with a commitment of 76 million U.S. dollars and 57 million U.S. dollars respectively, according to the DoI.

In the last fiscal, India came second with FDI pledge of 46 million U.S. dollars followed by the United States with nine million U.S dollars, according to the DoI.

Ma Yong, a Chinese lawyer working in Nepal representing Shanghai-based Landing Law Offices told Xinhua last week that the friendly relations between Nepal and China, a peaceful environment, and business opportunities are driving Chinese investment to Nepal.

"Nepal's laws are also generally business friendly but there are some room to improve to accelerate the approval process," he said.

Not only the Chinese investment, overall foreign investment pledged to Nepal in the last fiscal year 2017-18 multiplied by nearly four times compared to the previous fiscal year.

Information Officer at the DoI Durga Prasad Bhusal told Xinhua on Tuesday that Nepal's march towards political stability with the three-tier elections -- local, provincial and federal in 2017 and the legal reforms initiated in the past few years might have contributed to the rise in FDI pledges in the last fiscal year.

The FDI pledge largely went to energy, manufacture and tourism sectors, according to the DoI.CANBERRA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has agreed to overhaul its controversial My Health Record system amid concerns about privacy protections.

My Health Record is summary of Australians' key health information, giving patients and doctors easy access to the data via an online portal.

Concerns about the system arose in July when it was revealed that police could access the data without a warrant and patient's basic data could be held for up to 130 years even after that patient logged out of the system and asked for deleting the data.

Health Minister Greg Hunt on Wednesday announced changes to improve security after consulting with the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and College of General Practitioners.

Under the new plan, all information on a patient will be deleted after they opt-out and police and government agencies will require a court order to access the data.

"The Digital Health Agency's policy is clear and categorical -- no documents have been released in more than six years and no documents will be released without a court order," Hunt said in a statement on Wednesday.

"This will be enshrined in legislation. This change to the My Health Record Act will therefore remove any ambiguity on this matter."

Tony Bartone, president of the AMA, said "after the assurances we received last night and the commitment to strengthen the legislation, we can now move forward and have certainty around the protections to the privacy of those records that our patients expect."Maj. Gen. Kim Do-gyun (R), official of the South Korean Defense Ministry in charge of theinter-Korean military affairs, shakes hands with Lt. Gen. An Ik-san of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) during the general-level military talks at the border village of Panmunjom on July 31, 2018. (Xinhua/Joint Press Corps)

SEOUL, July 31 (Xinhua) -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DRPK) shared understanding on the trial withdrawal of guard posts from areas near the inter-Korean border, according to the South Korean joint media pool reports.

The result came after military delegations from the two sides held general-grade talks on Tuesday at the Peace House, a South Korean building in the border village of Panmunjom.

The five-member delegations from South Korea and the DPRK shared views over the pullout of guard posts inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ), a buffer zone separating the two Koreas, on a trial basis.

The two Koreas also understood the need to disarm the Joint Security Area (JSA), a jointly controlled area in Panmunjom, and to jointly excavate the remains inside the DMZ of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War.

The military delegations, however, failed to reach any agreement on the issues and to announce any joint statement.

Maj. Gen. Kim Do-gyun, a chief South Korean delegate, told reporters after the talks that the two sides agreed to continue dialogue on how and when to implement the issues through exchange of letters and working-level contacts.

The general-level military dialogue between the two Koreas came as the second of its kind after the April 27 summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.

During the summit, Moon and Kim agreed to reduce tensions near the border areas and stop all hostile acts.

During the general-level military dialogue on June 14, the two Koreas agreed to completely restore military hotlines along the eastern and western corridors across the inter-Korean border. It was the first such dialogue in more than a decade.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 10:36:28|Editor: Li Xia

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LIMA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Two trains carrying tourists to Peru's famed ancient city of Machu Picchu collided early Tuesday, leaving at least five people injured, including two critically, local media reported.

The accident along the rail route linking the nearby town of Cusco with the Inca archaeological site occurred around 10:20 a.m. local time (1520 GMT) "when a train belonging to the Inca Rail company was crashed into by another belonging to PeruRail," state news agency Andina reported on its website.

The first train had made an unscheduled stop "because a group of local tourists were protesting and blocking the rail line," according to a passenger.

"We were stopped for about an hour. Then the protest broke up, the train continued on its way and after five minutes we felt a strong impact from the back (of the train)," Valeria Lozana told the agency.

"Two of Inca Rail's train seats went flying," she added.

Images of the accident showed several train car windows had been shattered because of the collision.

The group of 30 protesters were angry about not being able to buy train tickets to the archaeological site and decided to block the rails, the agency said, citing police sources.

The two passengers who were seriously injured were to be evacuated to Cusco.

Each day, some 2,500 local and international tourists visit Machu Picchu, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site situated in southern Peru's mountainous Andean region.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 10:56:34|Editor: Chengcheng

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BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- China will open more than 600 barracks to the public to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Aug. 1, the People's Daily reported Wednesday.

Barracks of the army, navy, air force and rocket force of the PLA and the armed police at the division, brigade, regiment, battalion and company levels will be available for the public to visit, covering 31 provincial regions across the country.

Opening up the barracks will help the public understand the achievements of reform and development made by the national defense and the military, and learn from the hardworking spirit of the soldiers, the paper said.

The barracks will be opened during major festivals and days of commemoration, with activities to be held for interaction with the public.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 11:16:40|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BRASILIA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Six people staged a hunger strike on Tuesday outside the Federal Supreme Court here to demand ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva be released from prison.

The strike is one of a series of protests planned to pressure the authorities to release Lula so the two-time president and leftist leader can run for re-election in October by registering as the candidate of the Workers' Party before the deadline of Aug. 15.

The Workers' Party said Monday that it plans to confirm Lula as its candidate during the party's upcoming national congress on Aug. 4.

Among hunger strikers were members of three different movements that support Lula's candidacy, including the Landless Workers' Movement, the Small Farmers Movement and the People's Movement Central.

Lula started serving a 12-year prison sentence for alleged corruption in April. His supporters maintain his trial was politically motivated to keep him out of the presidential race.

Polls have consistently shown Lula leads the field of potential candidates with more than 30 percent of the votes.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 11:36:47|Editor: Chengcheng

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HARARE, July 31 (Xinhua) -- According to the result so far announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Tuesday night, the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party has won 36 of the 48 National Assembly seats announced.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) alliance has garnered 11 seats and the National Patriotic Front (NPF) has won one.

ZEC said it would continue to announce more results Wednesday morning as the result of 162 seats out of a total of 210 National Assembly seats has yet to be declared.

But the result of the presidential segment of the poll, in which incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa are the main contenders, will only be announced when counting throughout the country is completed, ZEC said.

Under the law, ZEC should declare all the election results no later than Saturday.

A total of 5.6 million Zimbabweans were registered to choose their president, National Assembly members and councilors on Monday in the first election since former President Robert Mugabe was removed from his position last year.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 12:01:49|Editor: xuxin

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Vehicles run past the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on July 31, 2018. Life and business activities have returned to normalcy in Cambodia after the general election over the weekend, showing people's high confidence in the country's political stability. TO GO WITH Feature: Life returns to normalcy in Cambodia after Sunday's general election. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

by Nguon Sovan

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Traffic jams have come back to the crowded Orussey Market on Wednesday in central downtown of Phnom Penh, like every common workday. Life and business activities have returned to normalcy in Cambodia after the general election over the weekend, showing people's high confidence in the country's political stability.

Tith Vathany, a traditional textile vendor at the Central Market in Phnom Penh, said business activities at the market were usual.

"Vendors here open their shops as usual, there is not any fear or concern over security and safety," she told Xinhua. "But it looks quieter than before the elections."

Sitting inside his mobile coffee and beverage kiosk along the riverfront, Thong Nora, 37, said his business ran normally, as people went to work and students went to school as usual after the holiday for the general election.

"I do not see any troubles after the election," he said. "Frankly speaking, I like such a peaceful situation after the election."

In Channy, president and chief executive officer of Acleda Bank, said the post-election situation was good, and business transactions at the bank were usual.

"The activities of depositing money at and withdrawing money from the bank are normal during this election," he told Xinhua. "It was unlike the election in 2013 when people flocked to withdraw money from the bank."

"This clearly shows the people's high confidence in Cambodia's political stability," he said.

Twenty political parties contested in Sunday's election.

According to the latest preliminary results released by the National Election Committee (NEC) on Monday, the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen won a landslide victory.

The results indicated that the CPP received 4.87 million votes, or 76.78 percent, of the total valid votes.

With the victory, Hun Sen, who has been in power for 33 years, will continue to lead the government for another five years.

Kin Phea, director general of the International Relations Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the post-election situation is calm, business activities are normal and people are likely unconcerned over any political instability.

"We see that in Sunday's election, there was not any confrontation or clash among supporters of political parties, it went smoothly with good security and safety," he told Xinhua.

"The CPP's landslide victory truly reflects the confidence of people in the party's leadership, and they believe that the party will lead Cambodia towards a prosperous country."

Joseph Matthews, a professor of the Beltei International University in Phnom Penh, said the post-poll situation seemed to be normal, as businesses opened as usual.

"On the streets, in offices, in factories and institutions, life is normal, and people are working as usual," he told Xinhua. "All the election activities have been ceased and there is no sign of any political activities on the street, anywhere in Cambodia."

Chheang Vannarith, vice-chairman of the Cambodian Institute for Strategic Studies, agreed that the post-election situation is largely peaceful and calm, as the business community is confident in expanding their investments in Cambodia.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 12:31:54|Editor: Chengcheng

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BANGKOK, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Thai Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda on Tuesday night instructed governors of all northern provinces to prepare evacuation of residents as water level in the Mekong River continues to rise.

Before noon on Tuesday, the Mekong River has burst its banks, allowing water to flow into riverside areas of Mukdahan Province.

Mukdahan Governor Paithoon Rakprathet said the water level at the Mukdahan hydrographic center was measured at 12.54 meters, four cm higher than the designated "maximum level" of 12.50 meters.

At the Indochina Market, hundreds of shops moved their goods to higher grounds.

"Aside from the monsoon floods, water discharged from Nam Ngum 5 Dam in Laos into Nong Khai Province has also increased the water mass in the river," said Paithoon, "and because of this, we had to declare the districts of Muang and Dong Luang as flood disaster zones."

Col Boonsin Padklang, commander of the military peace-keeping force in Mukdahan, has deployed soldiers to help flood victims.

Military trucks have been sent to flood stricken areas to transport residents out and into higher grounds.

Meanwhile the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department on Tuesday announced warnings that 20 Northern provinces are at risk of flood disaster due to high cumulative rainfall.

Chiang Rai and the six northeastern provinces of Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, Sakon Nakhon, Yasothon, Roi Et and Ubon Ratchathani were especially warned of flash flooding flushing in from the Mekong River as a result of continuous heavy rainfall in northern and central Laos.

On Monday night, flash floods in Chiang Rai's northernmost district of Maesai displaced 500 households, according to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

Last Saturday, a mudslide in another northern province killed a family of eight and forced more than 200 residents into temporary shelters.

In northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, flash floods submerged several communities along its banks.

Officials said the water level has risen an average of 40 to 50 cm per day.

On Monday, an officer from the national power utility said the Vajiralongkorn Dam in Kanchanaburi province was at 78 percent capacity, its highest level in 34 years.

Thailand's national weather agency said that about 70 percent of the north and northeast will see thunderstorms for the rest of the week while less rain is forecast for the rest of the country through Saturday.

Flooding usually peaks around October.

The last mega flood in Bangkok was at 2011, causing billions of baht in damage.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 12:36:55|Editor: Chengcheng

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NEW DELHI, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A top left-wing Naxalite rebel commander has surrendered in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, police said Wednesday.

"The Naxalite, identified as Brahmdev Ganjhu, who carried a reward of 300,000 rupees (4,200 U.S. dollars) on his head, gave up arms before police in the state's Latehar district Tuesday," a police official said.

Cops hope the rebel commander's surrender would encourage other Naxalites to come into the mainstream of the society and give up the path of violence.

"The continuous surrenders on behalf of Naxals makes it clear that they now feel that it's safe to surrender. He now hope that soon other Naxals will also surrender," Deputy Inspector General of Police Vipul Shukla told the media.

Jharkhand is one of the seven Indian states that are often hit by Naxalite violence.

The rebels' insurgency began in the eastern state of West Bengal in late 1960s, spreading to more than one-third of India's administrative districts.

Though major offensives by security forces in recent years have pushed the rebels back to their forest strongholds and the levels of violence have fallen, but hit-and-run attacks are still common.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 12:36:55|Editor: xuxin

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U.S. President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn heading for the Marine One in Washington D.C., the United States, on July 31, 2018. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States and Iran could meet "pretty soon." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, July 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States and Iran could meet "pretty soon."

Trump said during a rally at Tampa, Florida that "I hope it works out well. And I have a feeling they'll be talking to us pretty soon."

"And maybe not, and that's OK too," he added.

The White House host again blasted the "horrible, one-sided" Iran nuclear deal, saying "it's a horror show."

Earlier on the same day, White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley told the media that Trump "does want to meet" and "wants to come to a solution."

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert also told a briefing that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo supports Trump's latest statement on Iran.

Trump said on Monday that a meeting between U.S. and Iranian leaders is good for both sides and the world, and he is ready to meet anytime with his Iranian counterpart with "no preconditions."

U.S.-Iranian relations have been tense as the Trump administration left the historic Iran nuclear deal, delegitimized its government, vowed to re-impose sanctions on the nation and pressed other nations to cut down their purchase of Iranian oil to zero.BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Malaysian police jointly cracked a cross-border drug trafficking ring case, detaining 11 suspects and seizing 245.2 kg of crystal meth, according to the China National Narcotics Control Commission Wednesday.

The operation started from intelligence found last August by police in southwest China's Yunnan Province that a trafficking ring along its border with Myanmar had smuggled drugs to Malaysia, each batch typically weighing more than 100 kg, said a press release from the commission.

Having received intelligence from Chinese police, Malaysian police detained a suspect named Chew Aik Sim, who allegedly purchased the drugs, and confiscated 89.2 kg of meth in January, the statement said.

Following the lead of the dealer, the two countries worked together to investigate the intermediaries who supplied drugs to Chew, which led to the arrest of ten Malaysian suspects and seized 156 kg of meth in July.

Praising the case as an example of efficient bilateral and regional cooperation, the statement said China would like to advance joint law enforcement against cross-border trafficking with Malaysia.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 12:51:58|Editor: Chengcheng

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RIO DE JANEIRO, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government announced on Tuesday their intention to join international agreements on road safety in order to cut deaths in vehicular accidents by half.

According to the government, a consultation on the theme was submitted to the Congress earlier in the day in a move to mark the 20th anniversary of the Brazilian Traffic Code.

The government plans to implement the National Plan for the Reduction of Deaths and Injuries in Road Accidents (Pnatrans), which follows international guidelines for the subject and includes a series of actions, including nationwide databases about vehicular accidents.

President Michel Temer said that preserving life is a duty of the government and remarked that, even when people survive vehicle accidents, sometimes they suffer permanent injuries.

Cutting deaths and injuries in vehicular accidents by half until 2020 is one of the measures recommended by the United Nations to fulfill Goal Three of the Sustainable Development Goals -- Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Some 37,300 people died in vehicular accidents in Brazil in 2016. According to the UN, the global death toll reaches 1.5 million every year, and 3 percent of global GDP is consumed as a result of vehicular crashes.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 12:51:59|Editor: ZX

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Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Xing Haiming (R) shakes hands with Mongolian Defense Minister Nyamaa Enkhbold during a reception to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, July 31, 2018. (Xinhua/Suriya)

ULAN BATOR, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Mongolia hosted a reception here on Tuesday to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), which falls on Aug. 1.

Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Xing Haiming made a welcome speech at the reception, emphasizing the progress in China-Mongolia cooperation in a wide range of areas over the past years.

He also hailed the comprehensive strategic partnership China and Mongolia have built, adding that the two countries have witnessed frequent high-level exchanges, and continuously deepened fruitful and pragmatic cooperation.

"China follows the policy of self-defense. The PLA has established cooperation with armies of over 150 countries," Bao Yuhai, defense attache of the Chinese embassy in Mongolia, said in his speech at the reception.

Currently, the PLA deploys 2,500 servicemen in the United Nations peacekeeping operations in more than 10 countries, including Mali, South Sudan and Lebanon, according to Bao.

As for the bilateral military relations between China and Mongolia, Bao said that the two armies enjoy friendly and strong ties underpinned by mutual trust and respect.

He also said that Mongolian Defense Minister Nyamaa Enkhbold's successful visit to China in May and China's participation in Khaan Quest 2018 multinational peacekeeping exercise in Mongolia have demonstrated the close communication between the two armies.

Over 100 servicemen of Mongolia will study in Chinese military academies starting from September of this year, he added.SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's exports rose 6.2 percent from a year earlier to 51.88 billion U.S. dollars in July, topping 50 billion dollars for the fifth consecutive month, a government report showed Wednesday.

It was the second-biggest monthly amount in the country's history. The exports reduced 0.2 percent in June, data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy showed.

Imports advanced 16.2 percent over the year to 44.88 billion dollars in July, sending the trade surplus to 7.01 billion dollars. The trade balance stayed in black for 78 months in a row.

During the January-July period, the outbound shipment reached 349.1 billion dollars, up 6.4 percent compared with the same period of last year.

The daily average export was 2.22 billion dollars in the January-July period, marking the largest ever recorded by the export-driven economy.VIENTIANE, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Lao health authorities have begun to provide vaccines against typhoid, cholera, tetanus and more to flood victims to prevent the possible communicable disease outbreaks in flood-affected areas in Sanamxay district of southern Laos' Attapeu province.

Some 2,979 cases of illness from dysentery, pneumonia, athlete's foot and respiratory problems have been reported, according to local daily Vientiane Times on Wednesday.

More than 100 health staff from Laos, Vietnam, China, Thailand and South Korea are now working together to provide health promotion and vaccinations at 13 points where the displaced are being housed.

Deputy Minister of Health, Phouthone Muongpak, told Vientiane Times on Tuesday that there were efforts to ensure there was no communicable disease outbreak following the flooding.

"Water will be treated with chlorine," he said, "we will make sure the latrines at the relief center does not overfill."

Animal carcasses must be buried, and lime sprinkled to kill germs for disease control, he added.

The government is providing tents for victims for shelter and privacy purposes, reducing the risk of disease outbreaks from overcrowding. Mobile latrines provide the amenities to facilitate victims to make their stays at the evacuation camps more tolerable.

Dr Phouthone also urged authorities to closely coordinate under their responsibility to achieve the target plan. In particular, food preparation and cooking must be undertaken in line with hygiene standards. Clean water must be used to prepare meat, vegetables and other ingredients before cooking, said the official.

"If all work strictly follows the health guideline, it will reduce infection to the digestive system, such as dysentery, typhoid and cholera," Provincial Health Department Deputy Director Inpan Inthilath said health authorities would closely monitor people's health.

"We will diagnose symptoms and provide medicine for the illnesses at an early stage as a way to prevent against disease outbreaks," Inpan said. So far, Lao health authorities have found respiratory problems including the common cold to be the most common complaints. Temporary shelter centers have also reported evident mental health issues among some survivors, according to the report.

On July 23, a saddle dam of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric power project collapsed, unleashing five billion cubic meters of water from the mountain to 13 villages of Sanamxay district downstream the Xe Pian River, some 560 km southeast of Vientiane.

Six villages were almost submerged by the muddy flood with 13,000 villagers being affected. Till Tuesday, 11 people have been confirmed dead, 120 remain missing in the accident.SUVA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- All Fijians need to pay 20 cents for a plastic bag if they are buying items from the supermarkets from August 1.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had announced that the price of plastic levy would increase in the 2018-19 national budget.

This levy will increase from 10 Fijian cents (about 4.2 U.S. cents) to 20 Fijian cents (about 9.5 U.S cents) per plastic bag.

Khaiyum said, the Fijian communities need to raise their awareness on the dangers of plastic pollution and alternatives for the next two years to give every Fijian and every Fijian business more time to prepare for this transition.

The rise in the plastic bag levy should discourage the use of plastic bags and promote the use of reusable bags.

Jioji Suka, a Nasinu resident who resides 30 minutes drive from Suva city said he preferred to pack his items in cartons.

"I use cartons because I can re-use it for storage at home and even for beds for my pets instead of buying plastic bags when I know it destroys the environment," he said.

A plastic bag study conducted by the Fiji Department of Environment has revealed that the minimum number of plastic bags used annually is around 50 to 60 million for a population of more than 884,000 people, said Fiji's Minster for Environment, Parveen Bala at the launch of the National Environment Day Campaign in June.

The Fijian government is looking forward to completely ban plastics by 2020.SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea posted the second-biggest export in July on recovery of major economies, where the country ships locally-made products, a government report showed Wednesday.

Exports, which account for about half of the export-driven economy, grew 6.2 percent over the year to 51.88 billion U.S. dollars in July, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

It was the second-biggest outbound shipment ever logged by the economy, topping 50 billion dollars for the fifth consecutive month for the first time.

For the first seven months of this year, the exports hit a new high of 349.1 billion dollars, up 6.4 percent compared with the same period of last year.

The daily average export reached a record high of 2.22 billion dollars in the January-July period.

The brisk export came as major economies, on which South Korea relies for export, showed a solid recovery. China's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 6.7 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier.

The U.S. economy posted an annualized growth rate of 4.1 percent in the April-June quarter. China and the United States are South Korea's top two trading partners.

Imports advanced 16.2 percent over the year to 44.88 billion dollars in July, sending the trade surplus to 7.01 billion dollars. The trade balance stayed in black for 78 months through last month.

Major export items grew by a double digit. Semiconductor export jumped 31.6 percent to 10.38 billion dollars last month, topping 10 billion dollars for three straight months.

Chip export continued to rise for 22 months in a row, but the growth rate slowed down from 44.4 percent in May to 39 percent in June and 31.6 percent in July each amid lower memory chip price.

Computer shipment rose 10 percent in July on demand from individuals for gaming and from companies for Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud server. Computer export kept rising for 16 months in a row.

Export of general machinery gained 18.5 percent last month on building and manufacturing recoveries in the United States and China, the world's top two economies.

Petrochemical export surpassed 4 billion dollars for eight months through July on expensive crude oil. Dubai crude, South Korea's benchmark, averaged 73.1 U.S. dollars per barrel in July, up 53.7 percent from a year earlier.

Oil product export maintained an upward momentum for 21 straight months amid the higher crude oil price, while steel shipment rebounded in four months on higher product price.

Display panel shipment managed to rise 2.4 percent in July on stronger demand for OLED panels that offset lower price of LCD panels.

Auto parts export continue to grow for four months in a row on robust demand from China and the United States, while textile export gained for the fifth consecutive month on recovering clothing industry in key economies.

Export for telecommunication devices, such as smartphones, rebounded in 28 months on demand for new models released in June by local manufacturers.

Automobile export, however, shrank 13.5 percent in July from a year earlier on soft demand from the United States.

Ship export tumbled 73.4 percent, and shipment of home appliances declined 15.9 percent.

By country, export to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, advanced 27.3 percent in July on robust growth of the world's No. 2 economy.

Export to the United States was up 8.8 percent on demand for auto parts, general machinery, chip and petrochemical.

Shipment to the European Union (EU) gained for three straight months, with the figure to Vietnam turning around in five months.

Export to Japan rose for nine months in a row, while shipment to Latin American countries jumped 23.1 percent on demand for LNG carriers, display panels, steel and petrochemical.

However, shipment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) shed 1.6 percent last month amid stiffer competition for electronic products and lower ship orders.PHNOM PENH, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen inaugurated taxi boat stations here on Wednesday, marking his first public appearance since his ruling party won a landslide victory in Sunday's election.

The prime minister did not deliver a formal speech at the event, but took selfies with crowds of his supporters before taking a taxi boat ride from the Russey Keo Taxi Boat Station in northern Phnom Penh to Kandal province's Takhmao town in southern Phnom Penh in the distance of 25 km.

Briefly speaking to reporters before taking a boat ride, Hun Sen said, "This year is a big successful year in building economy, as well as democracy and peace in our country."

In a post to his Facebook page on Tuesday, the prime minister said the election was conducted smoothly without any violence and thanked the people for voting for his Cambodian People's Party (CPP).

"The siblings have showed your ideal will in using rights and freedom to vote for political parties that you like, without any oppression or intimidation," he said.

Twenty political parties contested in Sunday's general election.

The National Election Committee's preliminary results indicated that the CPP won the election, receiving 4.87 million votes, or 76.78 percent, of the total valid votes.

With the victory, Hun Sen, who has been in power for 33 years, will continue to lead the government for another five years.

Under the kingdom's constitution, the first session of the new National Assembly will be convened no later than 60 days after the election.

The Southeast Asian country holds a general election once every five years. Sunday's general election was the sixth of its kind since 1993.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 15:17:23|Editor: xuxin

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People wait to enter a federal courtroom in Alexandria, Virginia, the United States, July 31, 2018. Paul Manafort, former chairman of Donald Trump's presidential election campaign team, went on trial on charges of bank and tax fraud here Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

ALEXANDRIA, the United States, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Paul Manafort, former chairman of Donald Trump's presidential election campaign team, went on trial on charges of bank and tax fraud here Tuesday.

He became the first member of Trump's election team to face trial on charges arising from the ongoing, wide-ranging Russia probe led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Manafort, 69, has pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of bank and tax fraud associated with his lobbying work for the Ukrainian government years before Trump declared his candidacy in 2015.

Before a 12-member jury inside a federal courtroom in Alexandria, state of Virginia, prosecutor Uzo Asonye said in his opening statement that Manafort believed "the law did not apply to him -- not tax law, not banking law."

Manafort opened more than 30 bank accounts in three foreign countries to "receive and hide" income, according to Asonye.

Defense attorney Thomas Zehnle blamed it on Manafort's financial team, with his client seated in the courtroom wearing a dark suit, white shirt and tie, his wife sitting behind him.

Zehnle specifically targeted Manafort's longtime business associate Rick Gates, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiring against the United States and lying to investigators, and agreed to cooperate with the Mueller investigation.

"This case is about taxes and trust," Zehnle told the jurors. "His trust in Rick Gates was misplaced."

Besides Gates, Mueller's team has named 35 witnesses for Manafort's trial, which is expected to last several weeks. However, prosecutors have said they will not present evidence of collusion at this trial.

Manafort is facing a separate trial in Washington, D.C. scheduled for mid-September on charges of money laundering, failing to register as a foreign agent and witness tampering. He has also pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Mueller is looking into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and any potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow, among other matters that may arise from the investigation.

The special counsel has indicted or secured guilty pleas from 32 people, including several former Trump campaign aides and three companies since he began leading the probe from May 2017.

Trump has repeatedly called the probe a "hoax" and "witch hunt", while denying any campaign collusion with Russia, with attempts to distance himself and his campaign from Manafort.

Manafort joined the Trump campaign team in March 2016 and spent about two months working as campaign chairman before resigning over exposure of his Ukrainian lobbying work.KABUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan will hold its fourth presidential election since the end of Taliban rule in 2001, on April 20 next year, an official of country's election body announced on Wednesday.

"The Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) is strongly committed to ensuring transparency and integrity of the upcoming elections. The IEC will work extensively with the relevant stakeholders for holding fair, free and general elections," Sayyed Hafizullah Hashimi, an IEC commissioner and spokesman of the entity, told reporters here.

The announcement comes as the country is preparing for the upcoming parliamentary and district councils elections to be held on Oct. 20 this year, which has been delayed for a couple of times over the past years.

The war-weary Afghans expressed concerns whether Afghan security forces will be ready to provide security for the elections as Taliban insurgents and militants of Islamic State (IS) group have intensified their attacks before the polls.

However, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has assured the nation that the elections will be held on time as his tenure will expire on May 22 next year.

Over the past few months, Afghanistan has witnessed waves of terror attacks by the IS and Taliban opposing the elections.

Three parliamentary candidates lost their lives during separate attacks by the insurgents.

The voters will cast their ballots on Oct. 20 polls to elect members of the 249-seat lower house of parliament for a five-year term while they will also vote for the district councils.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 15:57:29|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Two regulations that standardize intra-Party supervision and accountability in the military, issued by China's Central Military Commission (CMC), take effect on Aug. 1.

The two regulations stipulate the responsibilities of Party governance and supervision of Party committees and discipline inspection commissions at all levels in the military, according to a statement by the CMC.

The regulations will also help improve the conduct of Party members, tighten discipline and fight corruption in the military, the statement said.

The regulation on intra-Party supervision in the military establishes a system of internal scrutiny, comprising the unified leadership of the CMC, overall supervision by Party committees, specialized supervision by discipline inspection commissions, routine supervision by grassroots Party organizations, and democratic scrutiny by Party members.

The regulation that holds Party officials accountable for poor leadership in the military improves the accountability system and mechanism, and intensifies their implementation.

The latter regulation encourages Party members to be loyal to the Party and have moral integrity and a keen sense of responsibility, the statement said.KABUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Up to 232 Afghan civilians were killed and 313 injured in July, with most of them being victimized by suicide attacks and pro-government-led airstrikes, a monitor group reported Wednesday.

"Some 232 civilians were killed and 313 others injured in 22 of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan last month," independent Civilian Protection Advocacy Group (CPAG) said in a press release.

Most of the casualties occurred in eastern Nangarhar province, where 70 civilians were killed and 50 others injured, the release read.

The group urged the armed groups to respect the rules of war and pay attention to the protection of civilians.

In June, 158 civilians lost their lives and more than 355 injured as a result of terrorist attacks and clashes across the country, according to figures of CPAG.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 16:17:33|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A total of 287 overseas institutions have received quotas amounting to 100.46 billion U.S. dollars under China's Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFII) program to move money into the country's capital account, according to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

As of July 30, the quota in the RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (RQFII) program came in at 622 billion yuan (about 91 billion U.S. dollars).

China's currency, the yuan, is convertible for trade purposes under the current account, while the capital account, which covers portfolio investment and borrowing, is largely run by the state in an effort to control capital flows in and out of the country.

To gradually open the capital account, the government introduced the QFII and RQFII programs in 2003 and 2011 respectively. They give foreign investors the right to move money into the account to encourage controlled flows.

The RQFII program is currently open to countries and regions including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Britain, Singapore, France, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Qatar, Canada, Australia and Luxembourg.

The Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor program, a scheme that allows domestic investors to access foreign assets, totalled 103.2 billion U.S. dollars.ULAN BATOR, Aug.1 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will support innovative startups with tax-exemption policies to diversify its mining-dependent economy, Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Sport Tsedenbal Tsogzolmaa said Wednesday.

Startups will be exempt from value-added tax and import tariffs on their high-end equipment, she said at a press conference after a government meeting.

"Mongolia's economy is on track to stabilize," the minister said. "So it is important to implement a multi-pillar development policy based on science, technology and innovation to ... stabilize and diversify the economy (more)."

The mining industry contributes to about a quarter of the country's GDP and more than 90 percent of its exports.

Mongolia's non-mining economy was particularly weakened between 2014 and 2016 by falling investment and declining private consumption, according to the World Bank.LOS ANGELES, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Yosemite National Park, located in the western U.S. state of California, will remain closed at least through Sunday as firefighters are battling a huge wildfire nearby, said authorities on Tuesday.

Yosemite Valley, Wawona Road, the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias, Hetch Hetchy, and other areas will remain closed to all visitors through Sunday, due to continued the impact of unhealthy smoke and ongoing firefighting operations, said the park-official in a statement, adding that officials will continue to assess conditions and reevaluate all closures on Sunday.

The destructive fire, dubbed the "Ferguson Fire," began on July 13 in the Sierra National Forest. The fire grew to 58,074 acres (around 235 square kilometers) by Tuesday afternoon with only 33 percent containment, according to the latest update from the U.S. Forest Service.

More than 3,500 personnel are battling the blaze on the scene, aided by more than 200 engines and 14 helicopters. Although only one structure has been destroyed, the blaze has claimed two firefighters' lives and injured nine others in the past weeks.

The public is reminded to stay vigilant on current fire conditions. Local residents in the area can expect increased smoke during the next few days as fire operations continue.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, lakes, glaciers, biological diversity and so on. Some 4 million visitors flock to the park each year.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 16:22:34|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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A Beijing-Tianjin high-speed intercity train departs the Beijing South Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 1, 2018. (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang)

BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Onboard the C2022 train, train attendant supervisor Xu Ying walks down the aisles to check luggage safety and sanitation conditions.

The high-speed train, running at over 300 km per hour, takes 35 minutes from Tianjin to Beijing.

Passengers read magazines, bury themselves in their phones or simply doze off, while waiting to arrive.

"Now people are used to high-speed trains, but the situation was different 10 years ago," Xu said. "Many left their seats to look here and there. Even the bathrooms became 'resorts.'"

On Aug. 1, 2008, the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed train service opened, China's first high-speed railway line.

FROM RARE TO ROUTINE

Many passengers, including those from abroad who came to watch the Beijing Olympics that year, simply wanted to experience travel by high-speed train.

"They kept staring at the display showing the train speed and watching outside to feel the train speed," Xu said.

Some passengers even excitedly asked Xu to pose for photos with them.

David Feng, a Swiss teaching at a Beijing university, wrote about his feelings onboard the fast train on that day. "Speeds maxed out at 348 km/h near the northern suburbs of Tianjin. It took me around just 30 minutes to change cities - something basically impossible to believe until that day."

The daily frequency of Beijing-Tianjin intercity trains has increased from 94 one-way services to 217, with 250 million passengers carried in the past decade, according to the Beijing railway bureau.

Njeri Kamau, from Kenya, teaches English at a kindergarten in Tianjin. She takes the high-speed train every Friday afternoon to meet her husband who works in Beijing.

"The high-speed train has made it so much easier to maintain the long distance [relationship]," she said.

QUICKER JOURNEYS

The first high-speed railway in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was completed Tuesday.

The 287-km-long railway passes the regional capital of Hohhot, the region's Ulanqab City, and Zhangjiakou City in neighboring Hebei Province. It is expected to start operation at the end of 2019 along with the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway.

The two lines will reduce the travel time between Beijing and Hohhot from the nine hours to three hours.

By then, all provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland will have high-speed trains, except the autonomous region of Tibet.

The length of high-speed railway lines in China increased from zero 10 years ago to 25,000 km by 2017, accounting for 66 percent of the world's total.

Over 4,000 bullet trains run in China, carrying 4 million passengers every day, according to the China Railway Corporation.

When Han Yonghui first left his home in Xiangfen, north China's Shanxi Province, to open a small restaurant in 1997, he had to walk for an hour to the nearest train station, wait in line overnight to buy a ticket, before boarding a packed slow train that took him to Tianjin in 18 sweltering hours.

All that changed in 2014 when high-speed trains reached Han's hometown, cutting his travel time to Beijing, where he runs his restaurant, to six hours.

"My high-school children are able to come to visit every summer vocation," said Han.

High-speed railway connecting Beijing and Guangzhou has shortened the traveling time across the 2,300-km distance to eight hours. The new Fuxing bullet trains travel at 350 km/h, going from Beijing to Shanghai in four hours and 18 minutes.

By 2020, China's high-speed rail length is expected to reach 30,000 km, covering 80 percent of major cities.

A network of eight east-west high-speed railway lines and eight north-south lines will be built, according to a railway development plan.

AN ECONOMY ON THE FAST TRACK

High-speed rail has helped with the integrated regional development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province, a national strategy initiated in 2014.

Wang Ye, from Beijing, takes the C2205 to work every morning. In 24 minutes, the train takes her to Wuqing District in Tianjin, where Wang works at Tieke Zongheng, a train part manufacturing factory.

Among the 150-plus employees in the factory, more than 20 commute from Beijing to the company every day.

"High-speed trains have made the cross-city commute possible," Wang said.

Wuqing has attracted more than 8,200 projects from Beijing over the past five years, including Tieke Zongheng. Investment in these projects has totaled 51.6 billion yuan (7.6 billion U.S. dollars), according to the district government.

The region of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province has showcased the high-speed railway economy.

High-speed rail is symbolic of the new structure of the Chinese economy, influencing all aspects of society.

By the end of 2017, China's high-speed trains had carried more than 7 billion passengers. Cargo delivery via high-speed trains started in 2016, with more than 500 cities used as pilot areas for express services.

China's high-speed railway has also gone global. In 2014, China completed the construction of its first overseas high-speed rail in Turkey. In June 2015, China and Russia inked deals for 770 km of track connecting Moscow and Kazan. In October 2015, China and Indonesia signed a joint-venture on the construction of a high-speed rail between Jakarta and Bandung.

Huang Yanghua, an associate researcher at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes high-speed rail had saved time, helped integrate the regional economy, boosted the flow of talent and information, and reshaped China's economic map.

(Video editor: Zhu Cong)Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 16:27:35|Editor: xuxin

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RIO DE JANEIRO, July 31 (Xinhua) -- With organized crime getting more globalized, a single country can't fight the phenomenon and international cooperation is necessary, Brazil's Public Security Minister Raul Jungmann said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, the minister signed an agreement with the Argentinian Government in Buenos Aires to cooperate in the fight against organized crime. The agreement involves broadening and deepening information exchange between the two countries, with the creation of a common database accessible in real time.

"Organized crime can no longer be fought in the national space; there is no chance. We must have integrated, shared intelligence actions," he said.

He and Argentina's Security Minister Patricia Bullrich agreed to have video conferences every two weeks to monitor the implementation of the agreement.

Jungmann also proposed a regional forum of all South American countries on public security. He highlighted the need for agility and organization to integrate security in South America, saying the authorities are hindered by bureaucracy while criminals manage to be agile.

"While criminals organize things in real time through WhatsApp, we are stuck in bureaucracy, rules and diplomacy," he said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 18:02:59|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tech giant Baidu posted strong revenue growth in the second quarter (Q2) of this year thanks to its continuous investment in artificial intelligence (AI).

Total revenue stood at 26 billion yuan (about 3.93 billion U.S. dollars), a 32-percent increase from Q2 2017, with mobile revenue remaining the main contributor, according to a company unaudited financial statement released Wednesday.

Online marketing revenues stood at 21.1 billion yuan, up 25 percent year on year. Net income attributable to Baidu came in at 6.4 billion yuan.

Herman Yu, Baidu CFO, attributed the acceleration of revenue growth to the company's increased investments in AI-powered businesses with strong synergies and divesture from non-core businesses.

In Q2, the company launched the Xiaodu series smart speakers and worked with King Long Motor and Neolix Technology to launch two fully autonomous L4 vehicles. The adoption of Baidu's major AI operating system DuerOS handled over 400 million queries in June 2018, almost doubling the workload over a three-month span.

The company expects to generate total revenues ranging from 27.37 billion yuan to 28.77 billion yuan for the third quarter of 2018, representing an annual increase of 23 percent to 30 percent.The exterior of the meatball restaurant Sultanahmet Koftecisi at Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, Turkey, shot on July 31, 2018. (Xinhua/Zeynep Cermen)

ISTANBUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A four-storey restaurant in Istanbul's historical peninsula has begun to get crowded for lunch at 11:30 a.m. local time (0930 GMT) on Tuesday.

The chefs were cooking the meatballs steadfast on a big grill in an open kitchen at the entrance, as tourists from all over the world started to place their orders one after another.

Founded in 1920 under the Ottoman rule, the restaurant named Sultanahmet Koftecisi, which means the one who makes meatballs, used to have long queues in front of it at Sultanahmet Square, neighboring the Hagia Sophia Museum and the Blue Mosque.

Its cheap yet delicious meatballs have been an attraction for tourists since its foundation.

Things, however, changed for the restaurants when Turkey became the target of terror attacks in 2015. Over 300 people have lost their lives in the attacks claimed by Islamic States (IS) militant group over the years.

Along with terror threat, the country has undergone a rough period over its diplomatic rows with Russia and several European countries.

The failed coup in 2016 also contributed to the reduction of tourists to Turkey.

Nearly half of the hotels and restaurants around the historic square had to close either temporarily or permanently, due to financial difficulties, recalled Timur Tezcakin, fourth generation owner of the family restaurant.

The business of the restaurant suffered a huge blow, with a decline of almost 60 percent in 2016, he noted.

"It was the darkest year in the nearly 100-year history of the restaurant," Tezcakin continued.

"We exerted too much effort not to tumble down the cliff," he said.

But the dark days have been left behind and the business is obviously recovering rapidly.

Currently, the restaurant serves around 2,500 customers per day during weekdays and 4,000 at weekends, according to Tezcakin.

Since the beginning of this year, the restaurant has fed the customers with nearly 40 tons of meatballs.

"We expect to hit the figures of our best days toward the end of this year," he noted.

The latest data also revealed that everything is going back on track rapidly for the country's tourism sector.

Turkey's tourism income soared by a year-on-year 30.1 percent to hit 7.04 billion U.S. dollars in the second quarter of 2018, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.

The country received more than 11 million tourists in the same period with an increase of 24.9 percent from last year.

Press reports noted tourism representatives expect to see some 40 million tourists by the end of 2018.

Turkey hosted more than 36 million foreigners in 2015, while the figures decreased sharply to nearly 25 million in 2016 and rose again to over 32 million in 2017.

At Sultanahmet Square, which has mainly hosted Arab tourists for the last two years, the tourist profile has also begun to diversify again, according to Tezcakin.

Along with Russian and European tourists, the number of visitors from the Far East, including China, has significantly increased, he said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 18:13:02|Editor: ZX

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BEIRUT, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun vowed Wednesday to develop the combat capabilities of the Lebanese army by arming it with the latest equipment.

The army has "a big role in protecting our south from Israel's greediness," said Aoun in his address to the army on the occasion of the 73rd Army Day.

Lebanon signed its first offshore oil and gas exploration and production agreements on two blocks at the beginning of 2018.

"We will begin the oil and gas exploration process soon," said Aoun.

According to the Lebanese president, his country will focus on the economy and the fight against corruption in the near future, in addition to securing the safe return of refugees to their homeland.

Aoun also expressed his keenness to cooperate with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on forming a national unity government with support from all political parties.

Since Hariri was tasked with forming a government in May after the general elections, he has encountered numerous hurdles, the latest of which is disputes between the Free Patriotic Movement, founded by Aoun, and the Lebanese Forces, over their ministerial shares in the next cabinet.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 18:28:05|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The renovation of a Great Wall section in Beijing has started, with the help of both governmental and social funds, according to a statement from the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation (CFCHC) on Wednesday.

The renovation project of the Jiankou section of the Great Wall in Beijing's Huairou District, co-sponsored by the CFCHC, the local township government, and Tencent's charitable foundation, is expected to be finished next June.

"This is the first time for us to work with non-government funds to renovate the Great Wall," said Li Xiaojie, director of the CFCHC, adding that the use of social platforms is expected to attract more attention towards the Great Wall and its protection.

Besides financial support, Tencent also pledged to better promote the culture of the Great Wall with its digital resources.

The Jiankou section of the Great Wall was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 18:38:06|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- An inspection team was dispatched to check the disposition of substandard DPT vaccines produced by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd. Wednesday.

The team is jointly formed by members from departments including the State Drug Administration (SDA) and National Health Commission, and led by Li Li, deputy director of the SDA.

DPT refers to a combination of vaccines for three infectious diseases: diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus.

A batch of 400,520 doses of DPT vaccines produced by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co, Ltd. was found defective due to a short-term failure in the packaging equipment last year. The finding was disclosed to the public in November 2017.

The biological company was fined, and its illegal gains were confiscated.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 18:48:10|Editor: xuxin

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Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (R) meets with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L), in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Aug. 1, 2018. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Benign Sino-Malaysian relations benefit the development of Malaysia as well as regional peace and prosperity, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Wednesday when meeting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

An increasingly stronger China means more and bigger opportunities for Malaysia, said Mahathir, adding he expects to develop closer bilateral ties with China.

The 93-year-old Malaysian leader also said he is looking forward to visiting China soon to demonstrate his administration's resolve to push forward with Sino-Malaysian relations, and learn from the experience of China's development.

Mahathir recalled the great Chinese navigator Zheng He's visits to Malaysia. During China's Ming Dynasty (14th-17th century), Zheng led his fleet to come to Malacca for five times on his seven sea voyages.

Zheng's fleet at that time brought friendship and cooperation abroad while today's China is working hard to make contributions to regional prosperity, said the prime minister.

He reiterated his support for China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, saying it is a great opportunity for the region to realize common development and prosperity.

Mahathir also expressed his hope that Chinese enterprises, especially high-tech firms can increase their investment in Malaysia.

For his part, Wang praised Mahathir as "a good friend and old friend of the Chinese people," adding it was during Mahathir's first stint as prime minister that Sino-Malaysian relations gained rapid development.

With the establishment of a new Malaysian government, Sino-Malaysian relations now stand at a new starting point. China is ready to work with Malaysia to take the opportunity of Mahathir's upcoming visit to China to make an all-round plan for future cooperation and open up new dimensions in bilateral ties, Wang said.

China also appreciates Malaysia's support of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and believes that the active participation of Malaysia in the initiative will open up even greater prospects for cooperation between the two countries, promote the development of Malaysia and contribute to Asia's prosperity, said Wang.

The two also exchanged views on the regional situation and the U.S.-China trade tensions. They shared the view that facing rising anti-globalization and protectionism, China and Malaysia should join hands with other regional nations to resolutely defend the legitimate rights and interests of emerging economies.

In his two-day visit to Malaysia, Wang also met with Malaysia's Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister of Finance Lim Guan Eng, Minister of Economic Affairs Azmin Ali, Minister of Transport Anthony Loke and had a dinner with members of the Council of Eminent Persons, led by the council's chairman Daim Zainuddin.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 19:03:12|Editor: ZX

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SHENZHEN, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Randy W. Schekman, a 2013 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine, announced Tuesday that he, along with two Chinese hospitals, would build a medical laboratory in the city of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province.

The Randy Schekman International Joint Laboratory of Medicine will be built with the Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University and Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Bao'an TCM Hospital, primarily focusing on cell-derived vesicles, bubbles of liquid in cells, the Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University said.

The laboratory will focus on biomedicine and its clinical applications as well as new drug development, and conduct R&D activities on diseases including malignant tumors and cardiovascular diseases, stem cells and traditional Chinese regenerative medicine, added the hospital.

Randy W. Schekman, James E. Rothman, and Thomas C. Sudhof were awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine "for their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells," said the Nobel Assembly in a statement.

Local authorities plan to introduce at least ten Nobel laureates in natural sciences to build laboratories in Shenzhen.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 19:08:13|Editor: xuxin

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DAMASCUS, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army on Wednesday captured the Islamic State (IS)-held town of Qusair in the northwestern countryside of Daraa Province in southern Syria, state TV reported.

With the capture of Qusair, the entire Yarmouk basin area, which was under the IS control, has been recaptured by the army.

The army forces are now hunting down remnants of IS fighters who fled the battles, said the TV.

The military progress means that the declaration of victory in Daraa near the Jordanian border is expected to be made soon.

The army launched a wide-scale military campaign in Daraa on June 19, capturing areas either through military action or Russia-backed reconciliation deals, which allow rebels, who refuse to live under the government control, to head toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

The progress also means that the army forces have secured the southwestern part of the southern region, since the army is entering areas in nearby Quneitra Province under a Russia-backed deal struck with the rebels late last month.

As the birthplace of the Syrian war that erupted in 2011, Daraa is both symbolically and militarily significant for the Syrian army because the rebels have been using the Jordanian border to bring in arms and fighters throughout the Syrian war.

Quneitra is on the border with the Golan Heights.

In order to secure the entire southern region, the Syrian army has to clear pockets controlled by the IS in the eastern countryside of Sweida in southern Syria.WELLINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters traveled to Singapore on Wednesday to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum and East Asia Summit (EAS) Ministerial Meetings.

"The Asia-Pacific region is of great importance to New Zealand," Peters, who is also deputy prime minister, said in a statement.

ASEAN is one of New Zealand's most important trading relationships, and as close neighbors, the member states are key partners in the region's security and stability, Peters said.

"The region faces some serious challenges to its security and prosperity, including in the areas of nuclear proliferation, terrorism and cyber security. These meetings are a chance to discuss how we address these challenges collectively," he said.SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A ceremony to repatriate the remains of 55 U.S. soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War was held in South Korea Wednesday afternoon.

The repatriation ceremony was held in the Osan Air Base, about 60 km south of the capital Seoul, from 5 p.m. local time (0800 GMT).

Attending the ceremony were South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo, Gen. Vincent Brooks, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), and U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris.

The ceremony came after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) returned 55 sets of remains on July 27.

Top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump to repatriate the remains of U.S. troops at the first DPRK-U.S. summit in Singapore on June 12.

Under the agreement, the two leaders agreed to commit to recovering the remains of prisoners of war (POW) and those missing in action (MIA) during the Korean War, including an immediate repatriation of those already identified.

According to a UN Command press release, an estimated 629 sets of remains have been recovered since 1990. The DPRK has reportedly identified about 200 remains, believed to be U.S. troops killed in the war.

Two U.S. C-17 Globemaster military transport planes would carry the 55 remains of the U.S. war dead to a laboratory of the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, according to the UN Command.

In the DPAA lab in Hawaii, U.S. historians and scientists would work to help with identification before the remains are returned to next-of-kin for burial.

The remains were already examined and catalogued at the Osan Air Base by the DPAA from July 27 to July 31.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 19:48:17|Editor: xuxin

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BELGRADE, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Serbian police seized two large shipments of marijuana at the border crossing with Bulgaria, Serbian interior ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.

"Members of the border police directorate of the interior ministry confiscated 590 kilograms of marijuana and arrested two people," it comfirmed.

The police operation took place at the Dimitrovgrad border crossing in southeast Serbia.

The press release added that 292 packages of the narcotic weighing around 316 kilograms were discovered in a truck with Croatian registration plates, while the 56-year-old driver is a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Moreover, in a truck registered in Serbia, driven by a 51-year old Serbian truck driver, police found another 253 packages of marijuana, weighing 274 kilograms in total.

"Due to the suspicion that they have committed the criminal offense of illicit production and marketing of narcotic drugs, the suspects will be brought to the competent prosecutor's office with criminal charges," the release concludes.

According to a recent report published by the interior ministry on July 9, in the past four years Serbian police seized 13.7 tons of narcotics.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 19:48:17|Editor: xuxin

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TIRANA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Albanian Council of Ministers has approved the agreement on mutual recognition of driving licenses with neighboring Greece.

The agreement was signed in early May this year by the foreign ministers of the two countries -- Ditmir Bushati and Niko Kotzias -- and is expected to enter into force within the next week.

According to the agreement, citizens with Albanian driving licenses will not need to undertake the procedures for obtaining a driving license in Greece, which may cost from 700 to 1,000 euros (around 800 to 1,170 U.S. dollars).

Moreover, Albanian citizens with a residence permit can be hired as a driver with their Albanian driving license in Greece and vice versa.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 19:48:18|Editor: xuxin

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German astronaut Matthias Maurer shows the way to sleep in space station, in Cologne, Germany, July 18, 2018. (Xinhua/Zhang Yirong)

by Xinhua writer Zhang Yirong

COLOGNE, Germany, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- "I would expect to do any type of work and take the same responsibility as any Chinese astronaut in CSS (China Space Station)," said Matthias Maurer, a German astronaut.

Maurer wishes he could work in CSS one day.

At the European Astronaut Center (EAC) under European Space Agency (ESA), located near the West Germany's city of Cologne, Maurer told Xinhua about his expectations for CSS.

"I want to participate in both European and non-European experiments there. Also (to) build a live video connection so that the European public can talk with the European astronauts in the CSS and see inside," Maurer said.

Before joining the ESA in 2010, Maurer has already boasted rich international experience by studying and working in various countries including Germany, France, Spain and Britain.

In 2012, Maurer took part in the cooperation program between ESA and China and started to learn Chinese because he may need to use the language if he works in China's Shenzhou spacecraft one day.

Maurer said the cooperation is a "win-win."

"We discussed what we can contribute at first and understood each other's way of work by exchange visits. Now we try to exchange every year," he said.

He also proposed that bilingual manuals in the Chinese and English language be used in China's spacecraft and space station, "in case of emergencies like fire or toxic air."

Maurer once participated in a sea survival training in waters off the coast of Yantai in east China's Shandong Province, organized by the Astronaut Center of China (ACC) last year.

Maurer described the experience of training and living with another 16 Chinese astronauts as "like being in a family."

"The shared experience of knowing each other is very important, since you may need to stay with three to six astronauts for as long as six months in the space station," he recalled.

In 2016, Chinese astronaut Ye Guangfu also joined the ESA's caving course in Italy's Sardinia to experience extreme-environments as part of an international crew.

Both activities are part of an agreement to boost collaboration between ESA and China with the goal of flying European astronauts in the Chinese space station, according to ESA.

"ESA and China also have very close relations in the area of space science, like SMILE mission and Dragon program with our Chinese partners," said Anja Albermann-Bergener, communicator of ESA.

China announced this May that all member states of the United Nations are welcome to cooperate with China to jointly utilize its future CSS.

Mauerer said China has a lot of advantages such as its own rockets, capsules and a space station.

Europe, on the other hand, has abundant experience in long-duration missions in space "which can be brought into our cooperation to make it develop more efficiently," Mauerer said.DHAKA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of students returned to the roads and streets in parts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Wednesday in protest over deaths of their pals in a tragic incident of reckless driving.

Like previous three days, the students blocked roads and streets despite the government's assurance to look into their demands including safe roads.

TV footage shows students stage demonstrations at many key road intersections chanting slogans, "We demand justice."

Two students died on the spot, while another nine of the Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College were injured and rushed to a hospital as they were run over by a bus on the highway linking Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with the center of Dhaka on Sunday afternoon.

Law enforcers already detained two drivers and their two assistants responsible for the accident which occurred due to a mad race between them.

After an emergency meeting with all relevant stakeholders including representative of transport owners and workers, Bangladeshi Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan urged the students to return to normalcy.

He said 309 road vehicles, mostly buses, were vandalized during the three days of protests since Sunday.

Public sufferings in Dhaka Wednesday mounted as a section of owners kept their buses off the streets.

Many commuters were seen to wait for hours at different stations or resort to walking to their destinations.TOKYO, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government set up a secretariat on Wednesday to prepare for the imperial succession scheduled in 2019.

The 26-member secretariat is headed by Shigetaka Yamasaki, former director general of the Cabinet Affairs Office, who is said to have good knowledge of the imperial system.

The secretariat will be responsible for overseeing the preparation and implementation of a number of rituals, including Emperor Akihito's abdication ceremony and Crown Prince Naruhito's accession to the throne, according to officials.

It will also help set up this autumn a ceremonial committee led by the prime minister to be in charge of crafting ceremonial outlines, and the ceremonial headquarters led by the Chief Cabinet Secretary to coordinate government ministries and agencies.

Japanese Emperor Akihito indicated his wish to relinquish and hand over the throne to the crown prince in a rare video message in August 2016, citing his age.

Japanese parliament enacted in June last year a law to allow Emperor Akihito to step down and pass his duties over to Crown Prince Naruhito.

The law, designed specially for the current emperor, would allow Emperor Akihito to be the first Japanese emperor to relinquish the throne in two centuries.

The Japanese government approved in March this year an ordinance on holding Emperor Akihito's abdication ceremony on April 30, 2019.

Crown Prince Naruhito is set to ascend the throne on May 1, 2019.KABUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants have claimed victory over the rival Islamic State (IS) outfit as up to 200 fighters including some senior leaders of the hardliner group gave up fighting and handed over their weapons to local authorities in Darzab district of the northern Jawzjan province on Wednesday.

According to Jawzjan provincial governor Mawlawi Lutfullah Azizi, about 200 fighters of the Islamic State group including senior leaders namely Mawlawi Habibullah, Mafti Nematullah and Mawlawi Suhbat have given up fighting and handed over their weapons to local authorities in Darzab district Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Majahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit, in contact with media claimed victory over the rival IS group and asserted, "despite US airstrikes on Mujahidin (Taliban fighters), Daesh (Islamic State) completely eradicated in Northern province of Jowzjan as 153 have been killed, over 100 wounded and 134 detained".

"Daesh (IS) leaders Hibib Rahman, Mufti Naimatullah along with 154 gunmen have taken refuge with regime," Taliban purported spokesman contended.

The surrender of IS militants to government, according to the locals, is taking place in the wake of fierce fighting between Taliban and IS group in Darzab and the neighboring Qush Tepa district which have left around 300 people dead from both sides over the past three weeks.

Locals, moreover, believe that the defeat of IS group at the hands of Taliban militants and government pressure in Jawzjan, has reduced the armed outfit's fighting ability to zero in the northern region.

Darzab district in the northern Jawzjan province with Shiberghan as its capital 390 km north of Kabul has been regarded as IS bastion in the northern provinces over the past nearly two years.

IS group which has claimed responsibility for launching deadly attacks even on the mosques, school, clinic and government departments since its emergence in Afghanistan nearly four years ago has yet to make comment on the situation in Darzab district.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 20:23:25|Editor: xuxin

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MADRID, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Two jihadist suspects were arrested on Wednesday by the Spanish Civil Guard in the eastern Spanish city of Mataro, local media reported on Wednesday.

The two suspects from Morocco are accused of recruiting people to be part of terrorist cells and sending them to conflict areas.

The first detainee is a 46-year-old man from Tetuan, while the second is 36 years old and from Tanger. They were arrested early in the morning and the Civil Guard searched their apartments.

Last year, the city of Barcelona, which is 33 km away from Mataro, and Cambrils, suffered two terrorist attacks that killed 15 people. Meanwhile, Madrid, suffered the worst terrorist attack in European history in 2004 when 10 bombs exploded in four trains, killing 191 people.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 20:28:26|Editor: ZX

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XIAMEN, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Online stickers are not only a quintessential part of everyday life in China, but a profitable business.

Lin Dongdong, CEO of Xiamen-based sticker developer Starmoly, often dreams of creating animated characters as famous as those made by Walt Disney. And it might just happen.

Rumi the panda, Moer the raccoon, and an egg named Waang are among the animated stickers created by Lin's company that have become online celebrities across China.

Stickers are groups of moving graphics used to communicate and express emotions by social media users. They generally comprise images, animated gifs, viral quotes, anime scenes, or TV and film stills.

One could say that such stickers are one of the world's most widely understood languages in the Internet age.

Lin said that users, mainly on China's leading messaging and social media app WeChat, have made over 1.4 billion downloads and sent 40 billion of Starmoly stickers to date.

Thanks to the development of smart phones and the Internet, more Chinese are using instant message services. Tencent has reported that there are over 1 billion monthly active accounts on WeChat.

Lin said there was not a clear profit model for stickers at the beginning as most of the stickers were free. Although some users gave tips to sticker creators, this was just a drop in the ocean for developers.

He started developing sticker merchandise, such as cushions, toys and ornaments, decorated with favored stickers.

Sticker dolls were one of his first products.

"Many young people like to display dolls on their office desks or beds. On December 12 last year, a shopping festival in China, we sold thousands of sticker dolls, and our online store received revenue of 300,000 yuan (around 44,000 U.S. dollars)," Lin said.

The company also yields profits from the intellectual property (IP) of its stickers.

In April, Starmoly earned 1 million yuan by authorizing the sticker IP to furniture sellers on Taobao, a leading e-commerce platform.

One month later, it allowed a dairy firm to use Starmoly's stickers on the milk packaging, earned more than 800,000 yuan via the deal.

Another sticker company Manmao in the city of Fuzhou also took the same path as Starmoly. Their stickers are printed on pillows and table lamps.

The company even turned the stickers into dolls and put them in claw machines. So far, 24 claw machine stores use such dolls in various cities, including Hangzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen and Guangzhou.

"Almost everyone uses stickers when they communicate on chat apps. Stickers have gained popularity because they help spice up user messages that are best expressed quickly, not in words but through interesting or funny images," said Hu Liwei, CEO of Manmao. "A large population of social media users are potential consumers for our derivative products."

On Taobao, there are about 400,000 items related to stickers, covering categories such as toys, furniture, clothes and digital products.

"Now we are promoting an intellectual property protection program," said Meng Xiangyuan, who is in charge of Taobao's sticker business. "We have established a platform for sticker creators, through which they can authorize sticker IP to sellers."

But Lin has bigger ambitions.

To increase the popularity of his stickers, he has organized exhibitions of stickers in museum, and plans to cooperate with eminent artists to manufacture products combining stickers and the works of artists.

"The commercial value of stickers is beyond our imagination. We should render their artistic value to help them live longer in the public eye and people's hearts," he said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 20:38:28|Editor: xuxin

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ISTANBUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The export of Turkey's defense and aviation sector is increasingly expanding with growing investments in research and development, the Turkish Defense and Aviation Industry Exporters Association (SSI) said Wednesday.

The sector achieved an export of 197 million U.S. dollars in July, up 77 percent year on year, according to an SSI report.

The export of the industry increased by 21.8 percent during the first seven months of this year to hit 1.1 billion dollars compared to the same period in 2017.

"It wouldn't be possible to produce new products which would have high added-value unless we expand our investments in innovation and research and development," Latif Aral Alis, chairman of the board of directors of the SSI, said in a press release.

Alis also highlighted the importance of using high technology as a valuable tool to increase the export of the industry.

"With this awareness, we will continue our investments in national and domestic defense and aviation industry," he added.

Also on Wednesday, the Turkish Exporters' Assembly revealed that the country's total export in the first seven months of 2018 increased 7 percent to 96.3 billion dollars, while the largest increase in July was seen in the defense and aviation sector.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 20:53:32|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Under southern China's scorching sun, marines climb high walls with their bare hands and crawl under barbed wire nets, with referees carefully timing them.

Three squads of Chinese marines won the top three positions among 13 teams from five countries in an obstacle course contest, the first event of the "Seaborne Assault" competition of the International Army Games, held in the southeastern city of Quanzhou Monday.

"Military exchanges like this will enhance and improve our training, management, and education," said Kong Jun, commander of Marine Corps of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. "We will try new ways to strengthen our exchanges with our foreign counterparts."

The marine division was added to the PLA in the 1950s and then reinstated in the 1980s.

The PLA started with about 20,000 soldiers in the eastern city of Nanchang in an armed uprising on Aug. 1, 1927, and has grown to around two million servicemen and women in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and other services.

Growing from a revolutionary army that fought against foreign invaders and for the liberation of Chinese people and the nation, the PLA is taking a "crucial leap" in the new era from being simply large to being strong.

"We will make it our mission to see that by 2035, the modernization of our national defense and our forces is basically complete; and that by the mid-21st century our people's armed forces have been fully transformed into world-class forces," said President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of Central Military Commission (CMC), in the report to the 19th CPC National Congress.

Under China's national defense policy which is defensive in nature, the PLA faces the complex task of reforming itself to be more loyal, disciplined and combat-capable in peacetime.

INSTITUTIONAL, TECHNOLOGICAL REFORM

In July this year, the PLA started recruiting "civilian personnel" to attract talent that are urgently needed.

The recruitment drive, approved by the CMC, is the first of its kind since deeper reform was introduced to the national defense and armed forces in late 2015.

Under the reform, military organizations were revamped, and the joint combat command mechanism was improved. The four military headquarters -- staff, politics, logistics, and armaments -- were reorganized into 15 agencies, while the seven military area commands were regrouped into five theater commands.

In the meantime, the percentage of land forces' personnel among the entire PLA was cut to less than half for the first time, and the new Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force were established.

The number of PLA officers was also reduced by 30 percent, and hundreds of generals switched posts.

The PLA also saw rapid technological upgrading. In the past five years, China's first domestically built aircraft carrier was launched; new transport aircraft and stealth jets were commissioned; and the latest missiles were unveiled.

In July last year, Xi reviewed a massive military parade in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, attended by more than 12,000 service personnel with advanced weapons including stealth fighters and nuclear missiles on display.

In April, he reviewed the PLA Navy in the South China Sea, the largest of its kind in the People's Republic of China since its founding in 1949. More than half of the vessels attending the review were commissioned after the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012.

"In just a few years, the PLA has been deeply transformed," said He Xiaoming, daughter of He Long, late PLA Marshal who commanded the Nanchang Uprising.

With enhanced strategic and combat capacity, the PLA not only effectively defends China's national interest but also plays an active role in international peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, contributing to regional stability and world peace.

POLITICAL, DISCIPLINARY BUILDING

Strengthening political loyalty has repeatedly been stressed over the past five years, with measures adopted to ensure the Party's leadership and nurture the faith and integrity of officers and soldiers.

After the 19th CPC National Congress in October last year, the CMC released a guideline on the deep and comprehensive implementation of the system by which the chairman of the CMC has overall responsibility for the army.

According to the guideline, China's military should use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as their guide, fully implement Xi's thinking on strengthening the military and follow the absolute leadership of the CPC.

"With the system, the Party and the country can never end up in a mess, the army can always stay united, and conspirators will never find an opening," said Zou Yan, a 103-year-old veteran.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, more than 100 PLA officers at or above the corps-level, including two former CMC vice chairmen, have been investigated and punished.

A new disciplinary commission and a commission for political and legal affairs were set up under the CMC on the orders of Xi, and more than 40 military statutes and regulations were adopted in a bid to preserve exemplary PLA conduct, strict discipline, and high morale.

Servicemen and women, including high-ranking officers, have not only been under tighter scrutiny over their integrity, but also been closely supervised regarding their competence.

On June 19, watched by over 3,600 officers and soldiers, the commanders of 13 army groups of the PLA were reviewed by the army command and experts from military academies regarding their leadership.

"Each generation of servicemen has their own missions and responsibilities. Now the historical responsibility of building a strong military falls on our shoulders," said Wang Rui, a squad leader of the 74th Army Group of the PLA.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 21:03:34|Editor: xuxin

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RABAT, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Royal Air Maroc (RAM), Morocco's flag carrier, has cancelled more than 107 flights in two weeks because of an ongoing partial strike by the airline's pilots.

On Wednesday, the airline was forced to cancel eight more flights between Morocco's largest airport in Casablanca and three French airports as well as Copenhagen airport in Denmark.

Tensions between RAM and its pilots started in mid-July after months-long bilateral talks ended up without an agreement.

The pilots association demands a rise in wages, increasing monthly holidays from four to five days like their foreign peers working for the company.

According to local media, the two sides have held several meetings to end the pilots protest, yet with no tangible results.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 21:23:38|Editor: xuxin

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CAPE TOWN, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of South Africans went to the streets across the country on Wednesday in protest against growing gender-based violence.

Protests took place in all major cities, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.

In Cape Town, hundreds of protesters gathered outside Parliament to hand over a memorandum. A moment of silence was observed in honor of children and women killed in gender-based violence, followed by the reading of the memorandum of demands.

"Today, ordinary women came together against oppression of women, femicide and economic inequality," said one of the organizers, Goapalelwe Phalaetsile.

The South African government has declared August as Women's Month and August 1 as the day of mourning for victims of gender-based violence. The Women's Month is celebrated under the theme: "100 Years of Women's Struggles: Together Fighting Gender-Based Violence."

The campaign seeks to acknowledge and highlight violent masculinity, harmful traditions and practices that help to normalize gender-based violence and impunity of perpetrators.

Minister of Women in the Presidency, Bathabile Dlamini urged both men and women to wear black clothes and form a human chain on the streets in front of their offices, homes or social places to remember women and children who are victims of violence.

"Gender-based violence affects us all and it continues to be the responsibility of all people to bring an end to this gross human rights violation," said Dlamini.

The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) pledged its unwavering support and solidarity with the campaign, organized by various organizations of civil society and progressive women's formations.

"We live in a country that is ravaged by atrocious violence against women and children, especially targeted against female black African working-class women and children, most often by people living within our apartheid-created townships or squalid squatter camps," ANCYL national spokesperson Mlondi Mkhize said.

The ANCYL was emboldened by unity of purpose demonstrated by all social forces in these nationwide protests to rid the country of being a "den or heaven" of gender-based violence, said Mkhize.

Gender-based violence has long been a headache for South Africa, where sexual offences against women increased from 31,665 in 2015/16 to 70,813 in 2016/17, an increase of 53 percent, according to official statistics.

Everyday three women die at the hands of their intimate partners in South Africa, while an average of 109.1 rapes are recorded each day during the 2016/17 period.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 21:43:41|Editor: ZX

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FUZHOU, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has opened four of its major warships for members of the public to visit in Quanzhou, east China's Fujian Province.

The event, from July 30 to Aug. 1 at Port Shihu, is the largest scale public opening of warships by the PLA Navy at the same location.

The four warships are missile destroyer Changchun, corvette Quanzhou, tank landing ship Wuyishan, and amphibious dock landing ship Jinggangshan.

The hot weather did not deter members of the public from traveling afar to take a look at the PLA Navy ships. During the first two days, 14,500 people visited the ships. The number had surpassed 20,000 by noon Wednesday.

Despite huge crowds, the visits were orderly and enabled the public to experience breathtaking close-up views of the Chinese navy ships.

Cai Kai, who will soon enter the National University of Defense Technology, visited Jinggangshan. He was delighted to discover that this amphibious dock landing ship was the same type of warship featured in the film Operation Red Sea, a Chinese anti-terrorism action film.

Jinggangshan is the second largest battleship operated by the PLA Navy.

In addition to landing operations, the vessel is capable of carrying marine corps, air forces, and medical units during non-combat military operations. Jinggangshan has taken part in Gulf of Aden escort missions and helped search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

"The Chinese navy has gone through more and more changes each year," said Wu Ying, who joined the PLA in 1978. Although retired, Wu still feels closely tied to China's armed forces.

"We have gathered powerful strength on our march to fulfill the dream of making China and the military strong," said Wu.

The predecessor of the corvette Quanzhou was built in July, 1958. During the past 60 years, it has accomplished victories in all previous combat missions and become known as the "maritime tiger."

This was the first time Quanzhou has anchored at the city it was named after.

The electronic screen on board displayed "a warm welcome to the people of Quanzhou."

Le Bo, political commissar of Quanzhou, often joined the interpreters to introduce the ship to visitors.

Le said this event will help the public know more about the national defense and showcase an open and confident navy.

This event also welcomes family members of the Chinese serving armed forces so that they better understand the daily lives of their beloved.

Huang Yating, born in the 1990's, is the first female student to graduate with honors from the PLA's naval academy in Dalian.

Inspired by her uncle and grandfather, who both served in the PLA ground forces, she has dreamed of serving in the PLA since childhood.

Huang, now a deputy observation and communications officer, has been serving aboard Jinggangshan for three years.

"Being part of the navy, our duty, life, and future are on the sea. Only through hard work can we embrace our dreams in the future," she said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 22:13:45|Editor: xuxin

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HELSINKI, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Finland's Ministry of Education is starting an experiment in August to provide free early childhood education and care to a portion of the country's five-year-olds, Finnish national broadcaster Yle reported on Wednesday.

The report said that 19 municipalities will participate in the trial of 20-hours-per-week preschool education for 12,400 five-year-olds, or one fifth of the age group in Finland.

According to the ministry, the goal of the experiment is to attract more children to take part in early education, and collect information for the possible extension of pre-school education period from one year to two years.

"Research has shown that participation in early childhood education and care is beneficial in later studies as well," Education and Culture minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen was quoted by Yle as saying.

Currently, children in Finland start school at the age of seven. One year of pre-school education, which became compulsory in August 2015, is traditionally arranged for six-year-olds in kindergartens and schools.

According to current Finnish legislation, half-day pre-school education is free of charge, and full-day child care is payable, but heavily subsidized in accordance with a parent's income. Low-income families do not need to pay any fee.

Suvi Pirnes-Toivanen, head of education and culture in the southern municipality of Mantyharju, told Yle that between 75 and 80 percent of five-year-olds currently participate in early childhood education. The reform will push the number to 90 percent.

Grahn-Laasonen said the goal in the long term is to have all five-year-olds participating in the program.

Based on the trial, the National Board of Education will draw up a report on the possible implementation of two-year pre-school education, the Ministry of Education said earlier in a press release.

According to the ministry, the present phase of the experiment will end in July 2019, and the second phase of the free trial of early childhood education will be carried out in the school year of 2019-2020 with more municipalities expected to participate.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 22:18:46|Editor: xuxin

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COPENHAGEN, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Danish ban on garments covering the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab or burqa, went into force on Wednesday.

With 75 votes in favour and 30 votes against, the Danish parliament adopted the act on May 31 this year.

The legislation says "anyone who wears a garment that hides the face in public will be punished with a fine."

The government said it is not aimed at any religion and does not ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap.

Moreover, it allows people to cover their face when there is a "recognisable purpose" such as cold weather or complying with other legal requirements, for example using motorcycle helmets under Danish traffic rules.

Violation of the law will result in a fine ranging from 1,000 Danish kroner (about 150 U.S. dollars) to 10,000 kroner (about 1,504 U.S. dollars) for repeat offenders.

France became the first European country to ban Islamic veils in public in 2011.Syrian army soldiers gesture as they hold their weapons in Quneitra, Syria July 27, 2018. (Reuters photo)

DAMASCUS, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- As the country is observing the Army Day, the Syrian army succeeded Wednesday to dislodge the Islamic State (IS) from its last stronghold in Daraa province, the birthplace of the Syrian war.

Over seven years ago, the Syrian crisis started in Daraa and from there it spread nationwide. The situation kept worsening and the Syrian war grabbed headlines around the world.

Worsening humanitarian situation was coupled with the war, pushing humanitarian organizations to brand the Syrian humanitarian crisis as the worst since World War II.

Terror groups of all kinds mushroomed across the country, which has turned into an arena for international and regional conflicts.

However, the Syrian administration of President Bashar al-Assad succeeded to retake much of the country with the help of the Russian and Iranian allies.

The latest victory is being achieved in Daraa, where the army on Wednesday defeated IS in the town of Qusair, which was the last IS stronghold in the Yarmouk basin area in the western countryside of Daraa.

With the capture of Qusair, the entire Yarmouk basin area, which was under the IS control, has been recaptured by the army.

The army forces are now hunting down remnants of IS fighters who fled the battles to the outskirts of the Yarmouk basin, according to the state TV.

The military progress means that the declaration of victory in Daraa near the Jordanian border is expected to be made soon.

A Syrian army soldier gestures as he holds a Syrian flag in Quneitra, Syria July 27, 2018. (Reuters photo)

The army launched a wide-scale military campaign in Daraa on June 19, capturing areas either through military action or Russia-backed reconciliation deals, which allow rebels, who refuse to live under the government control, to head toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

The progress also means that the army forces have secured the southwestern part of the southern region since the army is entering areas in nearby Quneitra Province under a Russia-backed deal struck with the rebels late last month.

As the birthplace of the Syrian war that erupted in 2011, Daraa is both symbolically and militarily significant for the Syrian army because the rebels have been using the Jordanian border to bring in arms and fighters throughout the Syrian war.

Quneitra is on the border with the Golan Heights.

In order to secure the entire southern region, the Syrian army has to clear pockets controlled by the IS in the eastern countryside of Sweida in southern Syria.

While Daraa is technically in the hand of the Syrian army, the country is observing the 73rd anniversary of founding the Syrian Arab Army on Wednesday.

In a speech for the army, President Assad said: "Victory will be achieved soon" across Syria as his administration has made it clear it will capture all Syrian areas.

"Your sacrifices and heroism allowed us to reach today the security and stability in most areas, and you have undermined the Zionist-American project which targets all without any exceptions," President al-Assad said, according to the state news agency SANA.

Assad said the army is "moving from one achievement to another and from one victory to another in the face of the systematic terrorism and its regional and international backers."Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 22:53:55|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn in Singapore, Aug. 1, 2018. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)

SINGAPORE, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- China and Cambodia Wednesday vowed to jointly uphold multilateralism to maintain peace and stability in the region.

When meeting with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in the current highly uncertain international circumstances, China and Cambodia, together with other countries in the region, shall utter a loud voice of supporting multilateralism, opposing unilateralism and protectionism.

China and Cambodia should jointly maintain regional peace and stability and promote common development among countries, said the Chinese official.

He said that China and Cambodia need to keep close high-level exchanges, jointly push forward the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and enhance cooperation in agricultural products, education, culture and other areas.

Wang said both China and Cambodia, as best friends and close partners, have made special and grand arrangements to celebrate this year, which marks the 60th anniversary of China-Cambodia diplomatic ties.

For his part, Prak Sokhon said Cambodia appreciated China's resolute support over the years, hoping China will continue its valuable support to Cambodia's stability and development in the future.

"Cambodia is willing to communicate with China closely, and join hands with China in maintaining multilateralism, international rules, and regional peace and stability," he added.

Wang Yi arrived in Singapore on Wednesday for the 51st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 22:58:56|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith in Singapore, Aug. 1, 2018. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)

SINGAPORE, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith Wednesday in Singapore, where he was scheduled to attend a series of foreign minister meetings.

Wang said China and Laos have excellent relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Laos in last November and Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit visited China in this May.

During the two visits, said the Chinese state councilor, both sides reached a consensus on deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperation and outlined the guidelines to build a community of shared future with strategic significance.

Wang said China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with Laos and boost the construction of key projects of the Belt and Road Initiative, including the China-Laos economic corridor and the China-Laos railway.

On the upcoming ASEAN-related foreign minister meetings, Wang said China is keen to work with Laos and other ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries to make the meetings focus on cooperation and development.

The Lao foreign minister expressed gratitude to China for promptly delivering condolence, aid workers and emergency assistance after the dam collapse disaster in southern Laos.

The Lao official said Laos is willing to implement the consensus reached during visits of President Xi Jinping and President Bounnhang Vorachit, advance the building of the Laos-China community of shared future and work together to maintain the regional peace and stability.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 23:09:01|Editor: mym

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HARARE, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday hailed the peaceful election in Zimbabwe and vowed to expand ties with the incoming government for mutual benefit of the two countries.

Head of the Chinese observer group to Zimbabwe Liu Guijin told reporters in Harare that the peaceful and credible polls will boost Chinese investments into the southern African country, which is eager to revive its economy after being in the doldrums for close to two decades.

Zimbabweans went to the polls Monday to elect a president, National Assembly members and councilors.

Results announced so far show that the ruling ZANU-PF party led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa won a parliamentary majority. Presidential election results are expected by Aug. 4.

"For Zimbabwe, this is an important moment and I hope that this election could be a new start for peace, development and prosperity," Liu said.

He said the peaceful and democratic election would send a good and strong signal to the Chinese investors.

"Definitely we could expect more investments from China, more entrepreneurs both public and private coming to invest because for any foreign investor a peaceful environment, a consistent policy and a stable government are so very important," he said.

"Chinese entrepreneurs and business people could be an effective partner of the Zimbabwe entrepreneurs and businesses. I see great potential for us to expand our cooperation," Liu said.

China, he added, had been helpful in Zimbabwe's development processes and "definitely we are going to do so with the new government of Zimbabwe and make our contributions to Zimbabwe's transition and development."

Meanwhile, Liu said a constructive opposition was essential in Zimbabwe and Africa to foster democracy and development.

He urged the opposition in Zimbabwe to desist from violence and to resolve any electoral disputes through legal channels.

The former Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe also stressed the need for people of Zimbabwe to work together regardless of political affiliation.

"The spirit of working together is highly needed in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is bestowed with rich natural resources, well educated people and a multiparty system and I think if people could work together, different political parties work together and they can make a huge difference."

The Chinese envoy spoke as running battles ensued Wednesday afternoon between police and opposition supporters in the capital Harare protesting against alleged rigging of the election.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 23:34:05|Editor: yan

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LUSAKA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said Wednesday that it would roll out a China-funded digital television project across the country following its official launch in June.

The project, part of the Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages, was officially launched by President Edgar Lungu in the eastern district of Vubwi, and will see 500 villages access satellite television services.

Dora Siliya, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said her ministry will soon start going to various parts of the country to establish sites for the project.

She told reporters during her weekly press briefing that the ministry was looking at having six sites each in various districts of the country as a way of ensuring that as many people as possible have access to satellite television services.

"I will be traveling to western and northwestern provinces to establish the sites this month while other teams from the ministry will also be departing to various parts of the country," she said.

The project is being undertaken by StarTimes Group and will be completed by the end of this year.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-01 23:59:13|Editor: yan

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LUSAKA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said on Wednesday that its intention to seek the refinancing of part of its Eurobond was not a signal that it has given up on an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package.

Talks for an IMF bailout package believed to be around 1.3 billion U.S. dollars have dragged without any conclusion, with the international lender expressing concern over Zambia's debt situation which has reached distress levels.

Zambia issued three Eurobonds between 2012 and 2014 amounting to 3 billion dollars.

Last Saturday, President Edgar Lungu during bilateral talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was on a state-visit, revealed that a Turkish firm has expressed interest in refinancing part of country's Eurobond amounting to 750 million dollars which falls due in 2022.

He said talks will commence in September, 2018.

But critics have said the move to refinance was signal that the government had no hope that it will secure the IMF bailout package.

But Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya said the decision to seek the refinancing of the Eurobond was not a sign of failed IMF talks.

She told reporters during her weekly press briefing that the move was part of government's wider agenda to seek various ways of dealing with its debt problem.

"It is within the mandate of the government to begin to talk to as many people as possible as a process to find solutions to the debt problem," she said.KABUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and four others wounded after a military helicopter collided with an electricity tower and crashed in Sorubi, a district on the eastern outskirt of Kabul on Wednesday, local media 1 TV reported.

The incident occurred near an Afghan army camp in the evening in the district, 50 km east of Kabul, the report said.

Security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures.

Further details about the incident are still forthcoming amid the absence of any official statement.

General Dawood Amin, police chief of Kabul, when approached by Xinhua, confirmed the incident, saying more details will be shared with media after an investigation.WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The human remains returned by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are "believed to be" those of U.S. service members from the Korean War (1950-53), the Pentagon said on Monday.

"The remains of U.S. #ServiceMembers believed to be from the #KoreanWar leave #OsanAirBase, #SouthKorea to return to U.S. soil," the U.S. Department of Defense tweeted.

On the same day, an "honorable carry ceremony" was held in Hawaii, attended by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and several military families, to receive the 55 boxes containing the servicemen's last remains returned by the DPRK.

"Now the work of identification begins," the Pentagon said Tuesday. The remains will be examined at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) laboratory at the Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, the largest skeletal identification laboratory in the world. After the DNA and dental tests, DPAA experts will try to identify the dead personnel.

Though the returned remains are presumed to be those of fallen U.S. soldiers, since many other nations also fought in the Korean War, it's possible that they could be those of service members from other nations.

At their historic summit in Singapore in June, DPRK leader Kim Jong Un agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump to repatriate the remains of the U.S. troops.

The 55 boxes were flown out of the DPRK aboard a U.S. military aircraft on July 27 and kept at the Osan Air Base before being taken to Hawaii.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 00:04:17|Editor: yan

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by Olatunji Saliu

ABUJA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- More key officials on Wednesday dumped Nigeria's governing All Progressive Congress (APC) party to pledge support for the country's main opposition party ahead of next year's crucial general elections.

Spokesman of the APC Bolaji Abdullahi and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of the northwestern state of Sokoto renounced their membership of the ruling party on Wednesday, the latest in the gale of defection that has hit the President Muhammadu Buhari-led party since last month.

Abdullahi, who was in June elected as the APC's spokesman, said his decision to leave the party was due to "flagrant usurpation of my role as the spokesman of the party in a manner that I consider unbefitting of a ruling party and inconsistent with my ethical standards."

"Clearly, I cannot continue to function as the spokesman of a party whose expectations of that role is incompatible with my personal principles," said the former spokesman who joined the governing party in 2014.

On his own part, Tambuwal has not yet given a clear reason for his renouncement of the party which he joined as the Speaker of the Nigerian parliament, also in 2014, few months ahead of the general election of 2015.

"I have consulted widely especially with the Sokoto people and they have confidently assured me of my next political move," Tambuwal said in a terse statement which announced his defection to the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP).

In 2015, the governing party wrested power from PDP which had earlier headed the central government and governed most of the states in Nigeria for 16 years since 1999.

It is not uncommon to see politicians hopping from party to party during election seasons in Nigeria. In a similar fashion on Tuesday, Senate President Bukola Saraki announced he has dumped the governing party for the main opposition party.

Saraki, the third-ranked political leader of the west African country after President Buhari and vice president Yemi Osinbajo, announced his decision via Twitter.

"I wish to inform Nigerians that, after extensive consultations, I have decided to take my leave of the All Progressives Congress," Saraki wrote on his verified Twitter handle.

The Senate leader said he was "forced out by forces within the party."

"While I take full responsibility for this decision, I will like to emphasize that it is a decision that has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist," he said.

Some of his loyalists and political associates had earlier left the governing party, a majority of them joining the PDP.

Also on Tuesday, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, Saraki's home state, announced his defection to the PDP. One other governor, Sam Ortom of the north-central state of Benue, also dumped the APC for PDP last week.

Ahmed is a well-known political associate of Saraki who dumped the PDP for the APC in 2014 ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Saraki was elected as Nigeria's Senate president in June 2015.

Last week, more than a dozen Nigerian senators and over two dozens of congressmen, some of them loyal to Saraki, dumped the governing APC for the main opposition party.

In addition to that, most of the lawmakers in Benue, Kwara and Sokoto states have also announced their defection to the PDP in a show of support to their political principals.

Reacting to their defection, Nigerian President Buhari said he was not bothered about the politicians, allaying fears that the gale of defection will do any harm to his political party.

Buhari has announced his interest to run for a second term of office in the presidential election next year.

Bassey Okon, a local political analyst, noted none of the defectors has so far accused Buhari of any wrongdoing, although their defection might dampen the governing party's opportunities in the coming general elections.

"Still, I think it is too early to decide where the pendulum will swing during next year's election," Okon said.

Nigeria's crucial general election will be held next February.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 00:14:24|Editor: yan

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MOSCOW, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Investigative Committee, the country's main federal probe agency, Wednesday said it is investigating the murder of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic (CAR) Monday.

Orkhan Dzhemal, Alexander Rastorguev and Kirill Radchenko were working on a film on a Russian private military company, which allegedly assists local authorities. They were ambushed and killed by unidentified men some 200 km northeast of capital Bangui, on their way to meet a local contact, Russian online news organization Investigation Control Center said Monday.

Their driver managed to escape and informed the local authorities of the attack.

However, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed doubt about the three reporters' presence in CAR, saying it is "an open question" what the reporters were actually doing in CAR. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on Facebook Wednesday that the trio had traveled to CAR on a tourist visa and had ignored warnings by the local law enforcement agencies not to leave the safety zone.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the Russian Embassy in CAR had not been informed of their presence in CAR.

It added that its staff are now in close contact with the local authorities to find out the circumstances of the deaths. They are also organizing to send the bodies back to Russia.

In the beginning of 2018, with the UN Security Council's consent, Russia sent an allocation of small arms and ammunition and five military and 170 civilian instructors to Bangui, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in April.WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the ongoing Russia probe in an escalation of attacks against the wide-ranging inquiry.

In a series of tweets, Trump said Sessions should stop the probe led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which he labeled a "Rigged Witch Hunt."

The attack came as former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, who was indicted by Mueller last fall, is facing trial for bank and tax fraud for the second day in the federal court in the state of Virginia.

Sessions recused himself from the Russia probe in March 2017.

Mueller is looking into allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and any potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow, as well as other matters that may arise from the investigation.

The special counsel has indicted or secured guilty pleas from 32 people, including several former Trump campaign aides and three companies since he began leading the probe from May 2017.

Trump repeated his attacks against the probe on Wednesday, calling it "a hoax," claiming that Mueller is "totally conflicted" and what his team is doing is "a disgrace" to the country.

The president tried again to distance himself from Manafort, who joined the Trump campaign team in March 2016 and spent about two months working as campaign chairman before resigning over exposure of his lobbying work for the Ukrainian government.

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders," Trump said in another tweet. "He worked for me for a very short time."

Manafort, 69, went on trial on charges of bank and tax fraud Tuesday, becoming the first member of Trump's election team to face trial on charges arising from Mueller's investigation.

He has pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of bank and tax fraud associated with his lobbying work for the Ukrainian government years before Trump declared his candidacy in 2015.

Manafort's trial in Virginia is expected to last several weeks but prosecutors have said they will not present evidence of collusion this time.

The veteran political operative is facing a separate trial in Washington, D.C. scheduled for mid-September on charges of money laundering, failure to register as a foreign agent and witness tampering. He has also pleaded not guilty to those charges.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 00:44:32|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Iranian police seized a considerable amount of weapons and ammunition in the central province of Kerman, Press TV reported on Wednesday.

The large arms cache had been smuggled into the country through eastern borders for terrorist purposes, Kerman Prosecutor Dadkhoda Salari said.

The arms included two anti-aircraft semi-heavy guns, 7,400 anti-aircraft bullets, 23 items of 73-mm anti-armor rockets and three motorcycles, two of which are specially designed for impassable areas, Salari was quoted as saying.

He stressed that security, intelligence and judicial officials of the country will not allow "thugs and counter-revolutionary" elements to endanger the country's security.United Nations Honor Guard members carry a box of remains thought to be of U.S. soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, returned by the Democratic People's Repulic of Korea to the United States, at the Osan Air Base in South Korea, July 27, 2018. (Xinhua/U.S. Army/ Sgt. Quince Lanford/Handout via REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The human remains returned by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are "believed to be" those of U.S. service members from the Korean War (1950-53), the Pentagon said on Monday.

"The remains of U.S. #ServiceMembers believed to be from the #KoreanWar leave #OsanAirBase, #SouthKorea to return to U.S. soil," the U.S. Department of Defense tweeted.

On the same day, an "honorable carry ceremony" was held in Hawaii, attended by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and several military families, to receive the 55 boxes containing the servicemen's last remains returned by the DPRK.

"Now the work of identification begins," the Pentagon said Tuesday. The remains will be examined at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) laboratory at the Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, the largest skeletal identification laboratory in the world. After the DNA and dental tests, DPAA experts will try to identify the dead personnel.

Though the returned remains are presumed to be those of fallen U.S. soldiers, since many other nations also fought in the Korean War, it's possible that they could be those of service members from other nations.

At their historic summit in Singapore in June, DPRK leader Kim Jong Un agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump to repatriate the remains of the U.S. troops.

The 55 boxes were flown out of the DPRK aboard a U.S. military aircraft on July 27 and kept at the Osan Air Base before being taken to Hawaii.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 00:59:34|Editor: yan

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RABAT, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's King Mohammed VI dismissed Wednesday Mohammed Boussaid from his position as minister of economy and finances, the king's office announced in a statement.

The statement said the king took this decision after consulting with Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani.

According to the statement, this decision is an implementation of the principle of accountability that the king is seeking to apply to all officials regardless of their ranking or affiliation.

Boussaid is the fifth minister to be fired by the king in less than one year.

King Mohammed VI dismissed last October four ministers over their involvement in delays of development projects in the northern city of Al Hoceima. The city was the epicenter of a mass protest movement that started in October 2016 and lasted for nearly ten months.

The dismissed were ministers of education, health, housing and a secretary of state in charge of vocational training.WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his attacks against the ongoing Russia probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller, urging Attorney General Jeff Sessions to shut down the wide-ranging inquiry.

In a series of tweets Wednesday morning, Trump said Sessions should stop the Mueller probe, which he again labelled as "Rigged Witch Hunt," in his most direct call that demands Sessions intervene.

The attack also came as former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, who was indicted by Mueller last fall, faces trial for bank and tax fraud for the second day in federal court in state of Virginia.

Sessions infuriated the president by recusing himself from the Russia investigation last March before Mueller was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who's overseeing the inquiry and has defended the special counsel.

Mueller is looking into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and any potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow, among other matters that may arise from the investigation.

The special counsel has so far indicted or secured guilty pleas from 32 people, including several former Trump campaign aides, and three Russian entities since he began leading the probe from May 2017.

The New York Times reported last month that Mueller is also investigating Trump's tweets criticizing Sessions as to whether the president has obstructed justice.

Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, blasted Trump's tweets as "an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight."

Trump repeated his attacks against the probe on Wednesday by calling it "a hoax," claiming that Mueller is "totally conflicted" and what's his team is doing is "a disgrace" to the country.

The president also tried again to distance himself from Manafort, who joined the Trump campaign team in March 2016 and spent about two months working as campaign chairman before resigning over exposure of his Ukrainian lobbying work.

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders," Trump said in another tweet. "He worked for me for a very short time."

Manafort, 69, went on trial on charges of bank and tax fraud Tuesday, becoming the first member of Trump's election team to face trial on charges arising from Mueller's investigation.

He has pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of bank and tax fraud associated with his lobbying work for the Ukrainian government years before Trump declared his candidacy in 2015.

Manafort's trial in Virginia is expected to last several weeks but prosecutors have said they will not present evidence of collusion this time.

The veteran political operative is facing a separate trial in Washington, D.C. scheduled for mid-September on charges of money laundering, failing to register as a foreign agent and witness tampering. He has also pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Legal observers said Mueller's primary aim in charging Manafort is to put pressure on him so that he would provide information about alleged Russian collusion with the Trump campaign.

As the Russia probe continues, Trump and his political allies have ratcheted up pressure on Mueller and his team in recent months.

Trump's attorney, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, made headlines on Monday by saying that "collusion is not a crime," a claim reiterated by Trump a day later.

Russia has denied allegations that it meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 01:19:37|Editor: yan

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NAIROBI, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Kenya plans to intensify fiscal consolidation in the medium term in order to reduce the risk of a public debt distress, a government official said on Wednesday.

Julius Muia, the Principal Secretary in the National Treasury, said the public debt currently stands at about 58 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is below the International Monetary Fund (IMF) threshold level of debt distress.

"In order to ensure that public debt remains sustainable, the government will continue with fiscal consolidation to contain the budget deficit within reasonable limits," Muia said.

Data from the National Treasury indicate that approximately 6.5 billion U.S. dollars was allocated for the repayment of public debt in the 2017/2018 financial year, up from 4.3 billion dollars in the previous financial year.

Muia said the government is therefore keen to reduce the quantity and ratio to GDP of the public debt in order to avoid crowding out the private sector in the credit market.

He said public debt levels have been on the increase in the past decade due to the need to bridge infrastructure deficit.

He said the bulk of the national debt has been incurred to finance infrastructure projects for the national development blue print Vision 2030.

He noted that 70 percent of the country's infrastructure projects will be financed by the private sector but the government will be required to put upfront investment in order to de-risk the infrastructure sector.

The PS said Kenya has maintained prudent macro-economic policies to ensure that public debt is used for public investment and not for consumption.

He observed that the borrowed funds have also been used to create employment opportunities as well as open up remote areas for further private sector investments.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 01:39:43|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing violence and attacks on civilian infrastructure in Hudaydah of Yemen threaten hundreds of thousands of children and their families, said the head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in a statement released on Wednesday.

"Attacks against civilian facilities and services are unacceptable, inhumane and in breach of the basic laws of war," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.

"Yet the past few days have seen an escalation in the targeting of systems and facilities that are essential to sustaining the lives of children and families," she added.

It was reported at the weekend that a UNICEF-supported warehouse containing humanitarian provisions, including hygiene and water-related supplies, was hit by two airstrikes.

On Saturday, a UNICEF-supported sanitation center in the Zabid District came under attack, damaging the facility's fuel tank. A day earlier, the al-Mina District water station was hit, which is the main source of water for the key port city.

Overall, 22 million people need some kind of assistance in Yemen after years of grinding conflict between government and Saudi-led coalition forces, who've been battling Houthi rebels for control of the country. Hudaydah is the main port for the shattered import-dependent economy, as more than 70 percent of all humanitarian supplies, commercial goods and food brought into the country, passes through the docks there.

The UNICEF chief said that the country was "already facing a severe shortage of drinking water, which is directly linked to outbreaks of cholera and acute watery diarrhea," underscoring that attacks on water infrastructure "jeopardize efforts to prevent another outbreak of cholera and acute watery diarrhea in Yemen."

Fore again called on everyone involved in fighting to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. "The war in Yemen has no winners. It is robbing Yemeni children of their futures," she noted.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 02:09:51|Editor: yan

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LUSAKA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Wednesday challenged commercial banks to partner with the government in developing the country's infrastructure projects.

Ronald Chitotela, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development, said the government has embarked on countrywide infrastructure development projects and needs the support of financial institutions.

The Zambia minister said the country was like a huge construction site which financial institutions should take advantage of and support the government because construction was a big business.

"You can create a special purpose vehicle that deals specifically with contractors under the conditions that prevail in the construction sector," he said when Leina Gabaraane, chief executive officer of Stanbic Zambia, one of the commercial banks operating in the country, paid a courtesy call on him, according to a statement released by the ministry.

According to him, commercial banks will not go wrong by providing financial services in the construction industry in view of the many infrastructure projects which government was undertaking, adding that the country was now a role model in the region in terms of infrastructure development.

Charles Mushota, permanent secretary in the same ministry, said most construction companies were not benefiting from loans provided by banks because of conditions attached to them which do not favor them.

He said there was need for commercial banks to understand how the construction sector operates so that they start providing financial support to the sector.

On his part, the bank official said the bank fully supports government's infrastructure agenda.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 02:34:54|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced Wednesday the appointment of Helen Meagher La Lime of the United States as his special representative for Haiti and head of the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti.

La Lime will succeed Susan D. Page of the United States upon taking office.

La Lime has had a distinguished career with the U.S. foreign service, including high-level diplomatic postings. She most recently served as the ambassador of the United States to Angola (2014-2017), and as director of outreach of the U.S. Africa Command in Germany (2011-2013).

From 1996 until 2011, she served in various field positions with the Department of State, including as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in South Africa (2008-2011), consul general of the Untied States in Cape Town, South Africa (2006-2008), ambassador of the Untied States to Mozambique (2003-2006).

La Lime graduated from the National Defence University in Washington D.C. and holds a bachelor's degree in languages and linguistics from Georgetown University, Washington D.C. In addition to English, La Lime is fluent in French, Spanish and Portuguese.File photo: Iranian demonstrators burn representations of the U.S. and Israeli flags in a state-organized annual rally in front of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016. (AP photo)

TEHRAN, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warned against any talks with the United States over the existing issues between the two countries, Press TV reported on Wednesday.

The Iranian nation will never allow their officials to hold talks with the "Great Satan" and will, instead, stay on the path of resistance against its pressures, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said in a reference to the recent U.S. President Donald Trump's offer of talks with Tehran.

Iran will not give a positive response to the offer for a meeting, he said, adding that "the Iranians have many differences with those nations that submit to domination, and will never allow its authorities to hold talks and meetings with the Great Satan," referring to the United States.

The senior general described Trump as an "amateurish president" who is sticking with his same old "cheap" business tactics instead of practicing professional politics.

Former U.S. presidents learnt better than Trump that Iran and its people could not be threatened, he said.

"You will take to the grave the dream of Iranian officials asking you for a meeting or getting the permission to meet you from their nation. You would never live to see that day," Jafari was quoted as saying.

U.S. President Donald Trump hinted last week that Washington was open to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran ahead of looming deadline for Washington to snap back gold and oil sanctions on Iran.

On Tuesday, Trump said he has "a feeling" the Iranians will "be talking to us pretty soon."

On Monday, Trump said that "I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet.... No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meet."

Responding to Trump's offer, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday that the U.S. should blame itself for leaving the negotiating table by unilaterally scrapping the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"Iran & U.S. had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accord - the JCPOA. It's been working. U.S. can only blame itself for pulling out & leaving the table. Threats, sanctions & PR stunts won't work. Try respect: for Iranians & for int'l commitments," Zarif tweeted.

Besides, Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the U.S. government over the enduring bilateral problems.

"The United States has proved that it is unreliable, so engagement and dialogue with the current U.S. government is impossible," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.

He added that "hostile policies of the United States, including its withdrawal from the Iranian international nuclear deal, its plans to exert sanction and economic pressures on Iran leave no chance for talks."

In the meantime, military confrontation between Iran and the United States is out of question, he said, adding that however, Tehran is prepared for any hostile move of Washington.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also responded to Trump's remarks saying that any negotiation with the United States to solve the existing mutual problems was an "obvious mistake."

"The United States seeks to restore its status in Iran as they enjoyed before the Islamic Revolution (in 1979), and they will not accept less than this," Khamenei said in a meeting with the Iranian Foreign Ministry staff in the capital Tehran last week.

"I have reiterated that we can not rely on the American words and even their signature, therefore, negotiations with them are fruitless," he said.

"The United States has basic and fundamental problem with the (Islamic) establishment," Khamenei was quoted as saying.

However, Khamenei stressed that negotiations with the Europeans should continue to secure Iran's interests from the 2015 international nuclear deal following the U.S. withdrawal from it on May 8.Soldiers take part in the multinational military drill named "Noble Partner 2018" at Vaziani base near Tbilisi, Georgia, Aug. 1, 2018. (Xinhua/Kulumbegashvili Tamuna)

TBILISI, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The 13-nation military exercise "Noble Partner 2018" kicked off in Georgia's Vaziani military base on Wednesday with over 3,000 soldiers taking part, the Georgian Defense Ministry said.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Britain, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States are participating in the drills which will end on Aug. 16.

At the opening ceremony on the outskirts of Tbilisi, Georgia's Defense Minister Levan Izoria said the goal is to make the armed forces a full-fledged contributor to international peace and security.

Soldiers take part in the multinational military drill named "Noble Partner 2018" at Vaziani base near Tbilisi, Georgia, Aug. 1, 2018. (Xinhua/Kulumbegashvili Tamuna)

The two-week joint military exercise began with an air descent operation by Georgian, U.S. and German servicemen.

The annual exercise aims to enhance participating nations' readiness and interoperability. It includes field training combined with combat shooting, as well as interaction of combat support elements in defense and attack operations.

Initiated in 2015, Noble Partner originally aimed to train Georgian soldiers and improve Georgian troops' interoperability with NATO units.WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Wednesday slapped sanctions on Turkey's justice and interior ministers citing their roles in the detention of a U.S. pastor.

The Treasury said in a statement that Turkish Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu had "played leading roles in the organizations responsible for the arrest and detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson."

"Pastor Brunson's unjust detention and continued prosecution by Turkish officials is simply unacceptable," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. "President (Donald) Trump has made it abundantly clear that the United States expects Turkey to release him immediately."

Brunson, a 50-year-old Christian pastor, was detained two years ago in Turkey on spying charges, and faces up to 35 years in prison if found guilty.

He was indicted on charges of having links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization, which Turkey accuses of being behind a coup attempt in 2016 to topple Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A Turkish court ruled last week agreeing to move Brunson from prison to house arrest over health concerns, but it still does not allow him to return to the United States.

As a result of Wednesday's sanctions, any property or interest in property of both Turkish ministers within U.S. jurisdiction is blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

On the same day, White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said at a press briefing that Trump has discussed the matter on "several occasions" with his Turkish counterpart Erdogan, and that "he's not happy with Turkey's decision not to release Pastor Brunson."

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has said that the United States will slap significant sanctions on Turkey unless it releases Brunson "immediately."

Turkey responded with a strongly worded statement. Its National Security Council said on Monday that the threatening language of the United States is "unacceptable and disrespectful."Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 03:50:18|Editor: Chengcheng

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KHARTOUM, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Sudan and South Sudan on Wednesday agreed on extending humanitarian assistance to the needy in South Sudan through Sudanese territories, said Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commissioner.

The humanitarian assistance, which was conducted by the UN through the World Food Programme (WFP), is renewed, as the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the issued is extended for six months, said Ahmed Mohamed Adam in a statement.

He said arrangements are ongoing to transport 65,000 tons of food through a number of corridors which Sudan agreed to open to deliver humanitarian assistance to South Sudan to enhance the humanitarian situation there.

The WFP is planning to send 30,000 metric tons of life-saving assistance in 2018 through Sudan to feed around 1.7 million people in South Sudan for 10 months.

The WFP could now reach three sites in South Sudan by land from Sudan including through Renk, Bentiu and Aweil towns.

In 2014, Juba and Khartoum signed a memorandum tasking the WFP with transporting the shipments of humanitarian aid from Sudan to the needy in South Sudan.

Millions of South Sudanese are facing the threat of famine due to the civil war which has erupted in the new-born state since December 2013.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 03:50:18|Editor: yan

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DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Tanzanian government senior official warned on Wednesday that punitive measures will be taken against opponents of the mega Stiegler's Gorge hydropower project in the Selous Game Reserve.

Medard Kalemani, the east African nation's Minister for Energy, said the government will not hesitate to take punitive measures against anyone who will try to block the ongoing Stiegler's Gorge power generation project.

He made the warning during a meeting that brought together 11 ministers and permanent secretaries that are responsible for the implementation of the project.

"I won't hesitate taking punitive measures against anyone who will try to block the project in one way or another. This is because right now implementation of the project is heading towards the right direction and we don't expect such a thing to happen," said Kalemani.

Kalemani said the project, which was expected to generate 2,100 megawatts of electricity, will be used to power the standard gauge railway and the rest will be used for industrial and domestic use.

The senior official said since implementation of the project would require several stages, it was important for the ministries responsible for the project to meet for discussions.

In May 2018, the government of set aside 307 million U.S. dollars for the construction of the hydropower project.

Tanzania, with a population of approximately 54 million, has just 1,500MW of installed grid capacity.

However, the Stiegler's Gorge project has been a significant concern for many years now due to its potential negative impact on the Selous Game Reserve, a world heritage site renowned for its animal populations and variety of wildlife habitats.A research team at the University of Texas Medical Branch have bioengineered lungs and transplante them into adult pigs with no medical complication. (Credit: The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- American scientists reported on Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine that they bioengineered lungs and transplanted them into adult pigs with no medical complication.

Joan Nichols and Joaquin Cortiella from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) provided details of how they bioengineered human lungs in a lab, first made in 2014, but this time going without complications in the pigs as part of standard preclinical testing.

"Our ultimate goal is to eventually provide new options for many people awaiting a transplant," said Nichols, professor of internal medicine and associate director of the Galveston National Laboratory at UTMB.

According to the study, scientists created a support scaffold using a lung from an unrelated animal that was treated using a special mixture of sugar and detergent to eliminate all cells and blood in the lung, leaving only the scaffolding proteins or skeleton of the lung behind.

The cells used to produce each bioengineered lung came from a single lung removed from each of the study animals.

The lung scaffold was placed into a tank filled with a carefully blended cocktail of nutrients and then the animals' own cells were added to the scaffold following a carefully designed protocol or recipe.

The bioengineered lungs were grown in a bioreactor for 30 days prior to transplantation.

All of the pigs that received a bioengineered lung stayed healthy. As early as two weeks post-transplant, the bioengineered lung had established the strong network of blood vessels needed for the lung to survive.

There was no signs of pulmonary edema, which is usually a sign of the vasculature not being mature enough, according to the researchers.

The study showed that the bioengineered lungs continued to develop post-transplant without any infusions of growth factors, and the body provided all of the building blocks that the new lungs needed.

The researchers said that the focus of the study was to learn how well the bioengineered lung adapted and continued to mature within a large, living body. They didn't evaluate how much the bioengineered lung provided oxygenation to the animal.

The researchers said that with enough funding, they could grow lungs to transplant into people in compassionate use circumstances within five to 10 years.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 04:15:26|Editor: ZD

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White House press secretary Sarah Sanders speaks at a press briefing at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, Aug. 1, 2018. Sarah Sanders said Wednesday that President Donald Trump's tweet earlier this morning urging Attorney General Jeff Sessions to shut down the ongoing Russia probe is an "opinion," not an "order." (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday that President Donald Trump's tweet earlier this morning urging Attorney General Jeff Sessions to shut down the ongoing Russia probe is an "opinion," not an "order."

The response came hours after Trump said in a tweet that Sessions should stop the probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller, marking an escalation of his attacks against the wide-ranging inquiry and raising speculation about his intention.

"It's not an order. It's the President's opinion." Sanders told a White House briefing Wednesday afternoon. "The President wants to - has watched this process play out. But he also wants to see it come to an end as he stated many times."

Trump's tweet is viewed as the most direct call that demands Sessions intervene to end the probe, which critics say amounts to an attempt to obstruct justice, a claim that Sanders rejected.

Sessions infuriated the president by recusing himself from the Russia investigation last March before Mueller was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who's overseeing the inquiry and has defended the special counsel.

Asked whether Trump is aware that Sessions can't stop the investigation, Sanders said, "The President's very well aware of how the process works, once again, he's stating his opinion."

Mueller is looking into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and any potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow, among other matters that may arise from the investigation.

Since beginning leading the probe from May 2017, Mueller has indicted or secured guilty pleas from 32 people, including several former Trump campaign aides.

Former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, who was indicted by Mueller last fall, is facing trial for bank and tax fraud in federal court in state of Virginia.

Legal analysts say Mueller's primary aim in charging Manafort is to put pressure on him so that he would provide information about alleged Russian collusion with the Trump campaign.

Reacting to the tweet about Sessions, Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani said the president said "should," not "must" when talking about ending the Mueller investigation, and "no presidential order was issued or will be."

The New York Times reported last month that Mueller is also investigating Trump's tweets criticizing Sessions as to whether the president has obstructed justice.

Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, blasted Trump's tweets as "an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight."

In other tweets, Trump repeated his attacks against the probe on Wednesday by calling it "a hoax," claiming that Mueller is "totally conflicted" and what' s his team is doing is "a disgrace" to the country.

As the Russia probe continues, Trump and his political allies have ratcheted up pressure on Mueller and his team in recent months.

Giuliani made headlines on Monday by saying that "collusion is not a crime," a claim reiterated by Trump a day later.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 04:50:37|Editor: yan

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BAGHDAD, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Violence across Iraq killed 71 civilians in July, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said Wednesday.

A UNAMI statement added that 82 civilians were wounded in the terror attacks and armed conflicts in Iraq in the past month.

It said the number of casualties did not include Iraqi troops and security members killed and wounded, as the Iraqi military declined to give such information.

Previous figures of security members' casualties released by the UNAMI were dismissed by the Iraqi military as "inaccurate."

July's figures showed that Iraqi capital Baghdad was the worst affected with 63 civilian casualties, as 30 people were killed and 33 others wounded.

The second was the ethnically mixed province of Kirkuk, with 42 civilian casualties, as eight people were killed and 34 wounded, according to the statement.

The security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants across the country late in 2017.

However, small groups and individuals of extremist militants melted or regrouped in urban and rugged areas and are carrying out attacks against the security forces and civilians despite operations from time to time to hunt them down.

Many blame the chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups in Iraq on the United States, which invaded the country in March 2003, under the pretext of seeking to destroy weapons of mass destruction in the country. But no such weapons were found.U.S. President Donald Trump attends a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (not in the picture) at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on July 30, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday that President Donald Trump's tweet earlier this morning urging Attorney General Jeff Sessions to shut down the ongoing Russia probe is an "opinion," not an "order."

The response came hours after Trump said in a tweet that Sessions should stop the probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller, marking an escalation of his attacks against the wide-ranging inquiry and raising speculation about his intention.

"It's not an order. It's the President's opinion." Sanders told a White House briefing Wednesday afternoon. "The President wants to - has watched this process play out. But he also wants to see it come to an end as he stated many times."

Trump's tweet is viewed as the most direct call that demands Sessions intervene to end the probe, which critics say amounts to an attempt to obstruct justice, a claim that Sanders rejected.

Sessions infuriated the president by recusing himself from the Russia investigation last March before Mueller was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who's overseeing the inquiry and has defended the special counsel.

Asked whether Trump is aware that Sessions can't stop the investigation, Sanders said, "The President's very well aware of how the process works, once again, he's stating his opinion."

Mueller is looking into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and any potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow, among other matters that may arise from the investigation.

Since beginning leading the probe from May 2017, Mueller has indicted or secured guilty pleas from 32 people, including several former Trump campaign aides.

Former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, who was indicted by Mueller last fall, is facing trial for bank and tax fraud in federal court in state of Virginia.

Legal analysts say Mueller's primary aim in charging Manafort is to put pressure on him so that he would provide information about alleged Russian collusion with the Trump campaign.

Reacting to the tweet about Sessions, Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani said the president said "should," not "must" when talking about ending the Mueller investigation, and "no presidential order was issued or will be."

The New York Times reported last month that Mueller is also investigating Trump's tweets criticizing Sessions as to whether the president has obstructed justice.

Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, blasted Trump's tweets as "an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight."

In other tweets, Trump repeated his attacks against the probe on Wednesday by calling it "a hoax," claiming that Mueller is "totally conflicted" and what' s his team is doing is "a disgrace" to the country.

As the Russia probe continues, Trump and his political allies have ratcheted up pressure on Mueller and his team in recent months.

Giuliani made headlines on Monday by saying that "collusion is not a crime," a claim reiterated by Trump a day later.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 05:45:47|Editor: mmm

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The Fields Medal winner Peter Scholze (C) of Germany is awarded during the opening ceremony of the 2018 International Congress of Mathematicians in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 1, 2018. Mathematicians from Germany, India, Iran and Italy were awarded the prestigious Fields Medal during the International Congress of Mathematicians held in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Li Ming)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Mathematicians from Germany, India, Iran and Italy were awarded the prestigious Fields Medal during the International Congress of Mathematicians held in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday.

Peter Scholze of Germany, Akshay Venkatesh of India, Caucher Birkar of Iran and Alessio Figalli of Italy received the coveted award, considered the Nobel Prize of mathematics.

The Fields Medal is awarded every four years by the International Mathematical Union (IMU).

Brazil became the first country in Latin America to host the event, which this year drew more than 2,500 mathematicians from around the world.

The Fields Medal, the highest honor a mathematician can receive, is presented to mathematicians under the age of 40 for their contributions to the field.

Scholze, 30, is a professor at the University of Bonn, where he is part of a group that works in arithmetic algebraic geometry.

Venkatesh, 36, is a professor at Stanford University in California. His area of research includes number theory.

Birkar, 40, an Iranian-Kurdish refugee, is a professor at the University of Cambridge. He received the award for his work categorizing different kinds of polynomial equations. Winners must be under 40 at the start of the year the prize is given.

Figalli, 34, whose work is focused primarily on calculus of variations and partial differential equations, won the award for his work in optimal transport. He is a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, in Zurich.

The Fields Medal was first awarded in 1936 and has been given out every four years since 1950.

The congress concludes on Aug. 9. Among the events being held at the same time as the congress is the World Meeting for Women in Mathematics, the first global gathering of women mathematicians.Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a funeral ceremony for 11-month old Bedirhan Mustafa Karakaya and his mother Nurcan Karakaya, two civilians who were killed in a roadside bomb in southeastern Hakkari province, on August 1, 2018. (Turkish Presidential Palace)

ANKARA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said he would certainly approve the death penalty law once the parliament submits it.

Erdogan said this after a deadly bomb attack allegedly made by Kurdish militants stirred up outrage across the country.

Speaking on funeral of the mother and infant who were killed by the bomb attack on Tuesday, Erdogan vowed to press ahead with the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) "until the last terrorist remains."

He also stressed that he will approve the reinstatement of death penalty if parliament submits such a proposal, responding for mourners' call for reintroducing the death penalty.

On July 31, a roadside bombing killed the wife and 11-month-old baby of a Turkish soldier in the southeastern province of Hakkari, the local governor's office said.

Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of its bid to join the European Union.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 05:50:48|Editor: yan

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HAVANA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Colombian government and National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group ended a sixth round of peace talks on Wednesday with no agreement on a bilateral ceasefire.

However, the two sides signaled they made progress in the negotiations being hosted by Cuba.

In a joint statement, both said they are working diligently to reach a new ceasefire agreement and are making progress on "the points necessary to form the foundations for a new agreement, pending consensus on others that will allow its implementation."

While the two sides weren't able to reach a ceasefire agreement in this round, "the road traveled to get there has been very significant," the two parties said.

They also said they were confident of pushing the dialogue forward.

The end of the negotiating round coincides with a transition of power in Colombia that may affect the future of the talks, as President Juan Manuel Santos concludes his term in six days.

Santos was a proponent of holding peace talks with his country's leftist rebel groups, instead of exclusively using military force, and won the Nobel Peace Prize for signing a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in November 2016.

Negotiators hope the process continues under the incoming administration of president-elect Ivan Duque, of the conservative Democratic Center party.

Duque has said he wants insurgents to declare a unilateral ceasefire, a demand the ELN doesn't seem ready to accept.

However, ELN head negotiator Pablo Beltran reaffirmed the group's willingness to continue to work toward a negotiated solution to the armed conflict, which has claimed some 220,000 lives in the past five decades and displaced millions.

Talks with the ELN officially began in 2017.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 05:50:48|Editor: yan

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BOGOTA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Colombia's ex-president Alvaro Uribe on Wednesday revoked the letter of resignation from the Senate he submitted after the Supreme Court of Justice launched a criminal investigation against him.

"I have asked Senator Ernesto Macias, leader of the Senate, to withhold my letter of resignation," Uribe said via Twitter.

This will make his case remain within the Supreme Court's jurisdiction.

Last week, Uribe said he was quitting to focus on his defense, but critics said his real intention was to stop the high court from investigating his alleged crimes, including threatening witnesses called to testify against him.

The Supreme Court is tasked with investigating elected officials. If Uribe were to renounce his Senate seat, then his case would be handled by the Prosecutor General's Office.

Addressing those accusations, Uribe said "it never crossed my mind that the Supreme Court should drop the case I have been called on to testify."

Macias has agreed to ignore the letter, saying he plans to personally return it to Uribe.

The investigation into Uribe was opened after he accused leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda of witness tampering while he researched Uribe's connections to paramilitary groups for a book.

In the process of investigating that claim, the court found evidence witnesses had been threatened and possibly killed by associates of Uribe.

On Monday, Uribe and his legal team recused the three supreme court judges that launched the investigation against him, accusing them of bias.

Uribe served as a two-term president of the South American country from 2002 to 2010. He is the political mentor of Ivan Duque of the right-wing Democratic Center party, who won Colombia's presidential election in June and would succeed President Juan Manuel Santos on Aug. 7.

Uribe is set to appear before the court in September.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 05:55:49|Editor: Chengcheng

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VIENNA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned that the Brexit process could come to a close without a deal reached by Britain and the European Union (EU), during a visit to Vienna on Wednesday.

Hunt was joined at a press conference by his Austrian counterpart Karin Kneissl following talks between the two, saying a collapse in negotiations with the EU is a distinct possibility that Britain is preparing for.

A "no deal" would have a "profound impact on the relations between Britain and EU countries for a generation," he said. In addition, it would be a "geo-strategic mistake," he added.

He said an extension of the Brexit negotiations is unlikely, however, given that neither the British parliament or the populace would likely accept this.

Kneissl said Austria too is preparing for a number of potential scenarios, and noted that the negotiations cannot be skirted around, and must be conducted as per relevant commission guidelines.

Hunt noted Austria's current key role in the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and said the good relations between the two countries should provide positive impetus in finding a workable solution.

The EU and Britain have common values and should stand shoulder-to-shoulder, he said, though noting that the time remaining for a solution is now "very short."WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday praised Pyongyang's returning of the remains of U.S. soldiers killed during the Korean War, as he headed to three Southeast Asian nations for a five-day visit starting Wednesday.

"Today, the remains of U.S. service members were repatriated to the U.S. from the #DPRK," Pompeo tweeted. "Chairman Kim is fulfilling part of his commitment to @POTUS."

The Pentagon said earlier on Wednesday that the remains returned by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are "believed to be" those of U.S. service members from the Korean War (1950-53).

On the same day, an "honorable carry ceremony" is scheduled to be held in Hawaii, attended by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and several military families, to receive the 55 boxes containing the remains.

At their historic summit in Singapore in June, DPRK leader Kim Jong Un agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump to repatriate the remains of the U.S. troops.

Pompeo was on his way to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia for visits from Aug. 1 to 5. In Singapore, he will attend a group of multilateral meetings including the ASEAN Regional Forum of which the DPRK is also a participant.

Before Pompeo's leaving, an anonymous senior State Department official told the media in a teleconference on Tuesday that the U.S. goal vis-a-vis the DPRK concerning its denuclearization remains the same, and Pompeo plans to remind all nations during these meetings to keep pressure on Pyongyang as required by UN Security Council resolutions.

The U.S. official added Pompeo is possible to meet with the DPRK officials via "potential encounters, pull-asides, bilateral meetings" during his stay in Singapore.Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-02 06:46:01|Editor: mmm

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People gather to mark the 74th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Germans during the World War II, in Warsaw, Poland, on Aug. 1, 2018. The Warsaw Uprising broke out on Aug. 1, 1944 and was the biggest resistance operation in German-occupied Europe. (Xinhua/Jaap Arriens)

WARSAW, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Poland on Wednesday marked the 74th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, the biggest underground action against the Nazi German in occupied Europe.

The main ceremonies in Poland's capital Warsaw were attended by top officials, veterans and residents. A wreath-laying ceremony at the plaque commemorating the signing of an order to start the Warsaw Uprising, attended by Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, opened the commemorative events in Warsaw.

"We remember that and we pay tribute today not only to those who fought in the Warsaw Uprising, but also to those who suffered in that uprising, who during the course of the uprising and after it were killed inhumanely by the Germans just because they were Poles," Duda said during the events.

Morawiecki pledged to double the financial support for surviving Warsaw insurgents. The prime minister also announced plans to create a list of graves of Warsaw insurgents and underground fighters in order to extend special state protection over those burial sites.

Sirens sounded throughout the city at 5 p.m. local time, the exact time of the Aug. 1, 1944 outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising against the Nazi occupants, to mark the insurrection's 74th anniversary.

As the sirens continued, traffic stopped throughout the city for a minute's silence to pay a tribute to the uprising's fighters and civilian victims.

The Warsaw Uprising was one of the biggest resistance operations in German-occupied Europe. Initially intended to last several days, it continued for over two months before it was brutally suppressed by the Nazi Germans. The uprising claimed the lives of 18,000 insurgents and around 200,000 civilians.

After the insurgents surrendered and the remaining 500,000 residents were expelled from the city, the Nazis methodically burned down and blew up Warsaw house by house. By January 1945, about 90 percent of the buildings and city infrastructure were destroyed.Peter Hoppal, the deputy head of parliaments cultural committee, and Kuan Yu, a senior official of the Chinese ministry of culture, have agreed that the Kodaly method, a comprehensive music education system developed by Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly will be spread more intensively in China.

The two officials met in Beijing to survey progress in implementing the two countries cultural work plan signed in 2016.

The lawmaker, who is a choir leader himself, attended two international choir festivals in Beijing and Lanzhou, central China, with the University Choir of the southern Hungarian city of Pecs.

Hoppal also held talks with the rector of the Tianjin Academy of Music on spreading the Kodaly method and the ways of Hungarian professional control over it.IRON RIVER, Mich. - Kurt Talsma, 52, slipped peacefully into his Savior's arms July 27, 2018, at Aspirus Iron River Hospital, Iron River.

Kurt was born March 12, 1966, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the son of John and Patricia (Spike) Talsma.

He was baptized April 17, 1966, and confirmed May 18, 1980.

Kurt attended Caledonia Public Schools and was active in the Kent County 4-H program before he moved with his family to Bruce Crossing in 1981. Kurt graduated from Ewen-Trout Creek High School in 1984, then enlisted in the U.S. Army. He completed jump school and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne. He was medically discharged in March of 1990. Kurt attended Michigan Technological University, Northwestern Lutheran College and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.

Kurt married Elizabeth Hannemann in 1991. He worked in construction in the 1990s and started his own company, Carpentry by Kurt, in East Troy, Wis.

Kurt returned to Bruce Crossing in 2000. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and acting with the Adventure Artisians. In June 2012, he sustained a traumatic brain injury that left him incapacitated and blind. He spent his last years at the Iron County Medical Care Facility in Crystal Falls, Mich.

Kurt is survived by his parents, John and Patricia Talsma, siblings Valerie Talsma, Pam (Mike) Krueger, and Craig (Melissa) Talsma; nieces and nephews Rose (Kurt) Shrader, Paul Krueger, Laura (William) King and Eli Talsma; great-niece Evelyn Shrader; aunts, uncles, numerous cousins and friends.

Visitation will take place Thursday, Aug. 2, from 6-8 p.m. at Cane Funeral Home, Bruce Crossing. Visitation will also take place on Friday, Aug. 3, from 10-11 a.m. with a memorial service to follow at 11 a.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church, Bruce Crossing. Pastor Timothy Johnson will officiate. Burial will take place in Maple Grove Cemetery, Bruce Crossing, with military rites.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of one's choice or to Bay Cliff Health Camp, P.O. Box 310, Big Bay, MI 49808.

The Cane Funeral Home of Bruce Crossing is assisting the family with arrangements.Coun Perez reiterates warning to barangay leaders involved in drugs

07 Aug 2017 Hits:37 Comments(0)

Liga ng mga Barangay President, Councilor Jerry Perez yesterday reiterated his warning to all barangay officials from using or selling drugs. Perez said he is closely monitoring the activities of all the barangay officials and vowed sanctions against erring leaders. Aqui gane na mio barangay ya quita ya iyo na puesto cunel dos barangay leaders quien mas temprano ya sale positivo na...HARARE: Automatic gunfire crackled in the streets of Harare on Wednesday as soldiers stepped in to disperse protesters who had clashed with police after the main opposition leader accused the ruling party of trying to rig the result of Zimbabwe's election.

One person was shot dead by Zimbabwean soldiers near a bus rank in central Harare, witnesses told a Reuters photographer.

European Union observers also questioned the conduct of the presidential and parliamentary poll, Zimbabwe`s first since Robert Mugabe was forced to resign following a de facto coup in November after nearly 40 years in power.

The observers expressed concern about delays in releasing the results of the presidential contest.

The leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Nelson Chamisa, said on Twitter he had won the "popular vote" in Monday`s election, in which he challenged Mugabe`s successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa from the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Mnangagwa also took to Twitter, calling for calm and urging patience before the results were announced.

Opposition supporters burnt tyres in the centre of the capital Harare, blocking some streets and engaging in running battles with police who fired water cannon to disperse the protestors.

Soldiers then arrived at the scene, jumping out of several armoured personnel carriers.

Gunfire was heard and an army helicopter flew in the skies above Harare, witnesses said.

The electral commission had said it would start announcing results for the presidential race from 10.30 GMT, but this was delayed as commissioners read out more parliamentary results.

With three seats yet to be declared, ZANU-PF had 144 seats compared to 61 for the MDC, meaning the ruling party achieved a two-thirds majority which would allow it to change the constitution at will.

Opposition leader Chamisa accused the ZANU-PF of trying to steal the election. He accused the commission of releasing the parliamentary results first to prepare Zimbabweans for a Mnangagwa victory.

"The strategy is meant to prepare Zimbabwe mentally to accept fake presidential results. We`ve more votes than ED (Emmerson Dambudzo). We won the popular vote (and) will defend it," Chamisa said on Twitter.

The EU`s Chief Observer, Elmar Brok, said he did not yet know if the shortcomings would have a material effect on its outcome, and he criticised the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for being at times "one-sided".

The EU`s assessment is critical in determining whether Zimbabwe can shed its pariah status as it could help attract investors and trigger an economic revival.

The EU did not understand why the release of the presidential result was taking so long, he said.

"The longer it lasts that the results of the presidential election is not known, the more lack of credibility it provides," Brok said.

Zimbabwe was once one of Africa`s most promising economies but under Mugabe`s rule became tainted by corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation. Its population of 13 million is struggling amid shortages of foreign currency, unemployment above 80 percent and lack of foreign investment.

Voters in Zimbabwe traditionally pick a presidential candidate based on their party affiliation and the trend in the parliamentary election was expected to continue when results for the president are announced this week.

Chamisa`s MDC won in most urban centres, where it enjoys majority support. One independent candidate and a member from a party linked to Mugabe also won one seat each.New Delhi: Bhojpuri hotcake Anjana Singh is all set to enthrall the audience in her upcoming action film 'Nagraj', which is a sequel to 2016 super hit film 'Icchadhari'. 'Nagraj' is set to release across theatres in Bihar and Jharkhand on August 3. The film stars Anjana opposite action icon Yash Kumar, who had also featured in the first installment of the series.

Emerging actress Paysi Pandit will also be seen in a pivotal role in the film.

It is to be noted that 'Nagraj' is not the first Bhojpuri film to be made on the 'naag-naagin' subject. However, it stands out from the other films on the genre because of the best technology used in the films by the makers. As per a report, the producers have taken helps from international technicians for all special effects in the film.

The trailer of the film, which was unveiled sometime back, has also garnered a positive response from the audience. 'Nagraj' has been produced by Deepak Shah and directed by Dinesh Yadav.

As per Yadav, the special effects in the film, which have been added with the help of latest technologies, will leave the audience surprised. Moreover, it is the biggest graphical film of the Bhojpuri industry till date.

Earlier, speaking about her role in 'Nagraj', Anjana said that it was no less than an adventure for her. "Playing a character of snake-woman in this 21st century is no less than a challenge," she said.New Delhi: The undisputed king of Bhojpuri film Industry Ravi Kishan is all set to play a tough cop in his upcoming flick. The actor will play the head of Ranchi crime branch in his next, sources reveal.

According to sources, the actor is busy shooting in Jharkhand these days. He will star opposite Priyanka Mandal in the film.

Ravi Kishan Shukla aka Ravi Kishan rose to fame as a Bhojpuri actor. He is popular not only in the Bhojpuri film industry but also in Bollywood. Recently, the actor signed a crime-based web series, which is a project by Ekta Kapoor's ALTBalaji.

In 2006, Ravi became a household name when he participated in Bigg Boss, the Indian version of Big Brother. He also featured in reality dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5 as a contestant in 2012.

Apart from working in Hindi and Bhojpuri film industry, Ravi has also worked in a few Kannada and Telugu films.In 2017, he made his Kannada debut in Hebbuli, alongside Kiccha Sudeep and his Tamil debut in Sketch movie with Vikram.

Ravi Kishan has as many of eight films slated to release in 2018New Delhi: Bhojpuri actress Nidhi Jha's upcoming film 'Gangster Dulhaniya' is one of the much-awaited films of the year. The film has been directed by Saurabh Suman and produced by Kumar Vivek under the banner of GR8 Films. Starring Gaurav Jha as the male lead, the film touches the subject of women empowerment.

'Gangster Dulhaniya' is set to release in 50 theatres across Jharkhand on August 3.

Recently during a press conference in Patna, Gaurav told the media that he plays the role of a police officer in the film who falls head over heels in love with Nidhi Jha, who is a noted gangster.

The much-awaited trailer of action-packed drama was unveiled by the makers only recently. The beautiful actress can be seen packing a punch and kicking some butt in this actioner. The trailer presents her in an altogether different avatar and needless to say, she does full justice to the role assigned to her.

The official trailer of the film is intriguing and we bet after watching it you will wait for the film to release soon. The lead actors can be seen doing some great action and looks like it's going to be an edgy thriller.

Check out the edgy trailer here:

This is the first time the actress will be seen performing stunts on the big screen.

The film also features Sanjay Pandey, Glory Mohanta, Kanhaya Lal, Rajkumar, Madhu Rai, Koshik Mishra Jyotirmay Mishra, Anuj Prasad, Monica Yadav, Khurshid Alam, Vedhika Singh, Balvinder Singh, Neeraj Rajput, Raju Mitra, Roshan Khan, Aditya, Abhishek Singh and Mayank Lohra in pivotal parts.

The first look poster of the film was unveiled some time back and it was a fierce one. The film is touted to be a little different from the usual Bhojpuri flicks. So, are you excited about this actioner?The National Register of Citizens has occupied a lot of time in both houses of Parliament as well as time and space in the media over the last two days. Social media has also been buzzing with posts, both for and against. I do not intend to take any position on this. However, certain facts needs to be put on public domain and certain information has to re-etched in the public memory.

Assam of 1970s and 80s

Many of my contemporaries in time and age may well recall the Assam Agitation which spread from late 1970s to the middle of 1985. As a young government staffer, I had been deputed to Assam for the 1983 elections. Spending about two weeks in Thakurbari Cantonment in Tejpur District, and conducting an election in some place near Rangapara in February 1983 are still are cherished memories of mine.

Assam Elections 1983

The people there were genuine and friendly. On the February 10, 1983, when we were being ferried in convoys to Tejpur from Guwahati Airport, there was a stoppage at Mangaldoi due to some disturbance. I had this opportunity of talking to some the locals. Only one man knew little bit of English and he conveyed that their fight was only against the government and no one else. He also conveyed in broken English that they were fighting against political leaders settling infiltrators from Bangladesh.



Assam Accord of 1985

It was good that attempts were made to assuage the concerns of the people, with then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi announcing from the Red Fort in his Independence Day address the resolution of the Assam issue by virtue of an accord being signed a day before. The accord had covered many issues which treated infiltration from Bangladesh as the core issue. Among the other issues addressed in the accord were the establishment of IIT-Guwahati, the Assam Gas Cracker project and so on. Governments over the years have also repeatedly told Parliament that they are aware of the infiltration from Bangladesh.

Citizens' initiative

Progress on this issue came in 2006, when a nationalist couple - Mr Pradip Bhuyan and his wife Mrs Banti Bhuyan - moved the Supreme Court asking for directions to implement a an oft-promised project to identify foreigners in the region. Neither the UPA government nor the Assam government only made cosmetic progress, like setting up foreigner's tribunals in 2008. In 2014, the Supreme Court ordered the updating of National Register of Citizens in a time-bound manner.

Supreme Court order

The framework was first negotiated with all the stakeholders and the process of mapping the NRC began. The contours of mapping was finalised by the Congress government Assam led by Mr Tarun Gogoi. It needs emphasis that this is not an exercise like the census. It was an exercise in revalidation of citizenship of the populace in that state, which is more complicated. Every possible opportunity was to be accorded to the applicant, every collateral and corroborative document had to be considered to ensure that no genuine citizen is actually deprived of being included in the NRC. The stakeholders to be consulted had to have a largest canvas on account of this. Further, accountability to Supreme Court was also an important element. Hence, it would be untruth to suggest that the framework was lopsided or contours of mapping was biased. Therefore, the recent furore by political parties over non-inclusion of about 40 lakhs person from the NRC is totally unfounded.

What Mamata Banerjee said in 2005

The present torch bearer against the NRC findings had said in 2005 in Parliament, "Illegal migrants from Bangladesh are also part of the voter's list in West Bengal. The state government has done nothing about it. Therefore, the issue must be discussed."

However, when then Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal disallowed her notice to raise the issue, a fuming Mamata walked towards the well of the House and thrown a sheaf of papers at the Speaker's chair and had stormed out.

Impact of illegal immigration

Former Chief Election Commissioner HS Brahma, who hailed from Assam, had predicted that by the time of the 2011 census, 11 of the 27 districts in the state would have become Muslim majority.

Lok Sabha member from Bodoland Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmuthiary has blamed illegal immigration for the violence in the state.

The issue led to widespread protests in August-September 2011. The protesters' main demand was expeditious detection and deportation of illegal infiltrators from Assam. Non-political tribal organisations held a meet soon after, with representations from Bodo, Dimasa, Tiwa, Deuri, Karbi, Garo, Rabha, Sonowal Kacharis and other tribal communities. The tribal elders said illegal immigration is threatening their existence, right to land and resources to all indigenous people of the entire state, and not just to Bodoland.

Involvement of Bangladeshis in terror attacks in India

Investigations into a number of attacks and plot have revealed the involvement of Bangladeshi nationals. Some such cases include the Mecca Masjid and Gokul Chat blasts in Hyderabad in 2008; the German Bakery blast in Pune in 2010.

Foot soldiers for crimes

It is undeniable that some political parties use Bangladeshis as foot soldiers for illegal activities. And, when the foot soldiers are caught, these politicians act as a protective shield. Naturally, these politicians and their parties are afraid they may lose their foot soldiers if NRC is extended to other parts of the country.

It is also a well-documented and acknowledged problem of the involvement of Bangladeshi nationals in crime in a number of cities ranging as far as Delhi and Bengaluru.

My take on this is that NRC should be taken forward. Having regard to the potential of spatial spread of the problem, let this be extended to whole of the country.

(RVS Mani is a former Central government officer who shot to prominence as a whistleblower in 2009, when he alleged he had been forced to sign documents that fabricated a narrative of 'Saffron Terror'. His book, 'Hindu Terror: Insider account of Ministry of Home Affairs', was released recently.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)New Delhi: Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, who are currently shooting for Ayan Mukerji's 'Brahmastra' in Bulgaria, seems to be having a gala time together. The alleged couple, if not posing with each other, of late, are seen clicking each other's photos.

On Wednesday, Alia shared a new photo of her on her Instagram account with the caption, "& into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul (amaze photographer  RK)." Though, Alia did not mention her co-star Ranbir anywhere in the caption but we assumed the photographer 'RK' here is no one else but him.

Rumoured beau Ranbir's mother Neetu, who has been routinely approving Alia's posts, commented on the picture, "Fab pic of YOU. by RK". Interestingly, the 25-year-old also chose to put the same photo as her profile picture on the photo-sharing application.

Check out the post here:

In the black and white photo, Alia can be seen wearing a denim jacket and sporting a mischevious smile on her face, Alia is looking through what appears to be an iron gate.

Alia was recently seen in a click with Karan Johar too who visited the 'Brahmastra' sets. Sharing the photo, Alia wrote, "coffee with karan..." Karan also had shared a click of Ranbir Kapoor via his Instagram stories.

Last week too, Alia had shared a picture, in which the actress is facing towards the window with her friend. Sharing the picture on Instagram, Alia wrote, "The view and her too... ??photo credit - RK. So now know what Alia calls Ranbir lovingly!

'Brahmastra' is being directed by Ayan Mukerji and also features megastra Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Tollywood star Nagarjuna. The flick will hit the big screens on August 15, 2019.New Delhi: After unveiling the first looks of each of the main leads in 'Paltan'. The makers have released the first official poster of the war drama by JP Dutta. Just like his previous outings 'Border', 'LOC Kargil', 'Refugee' and 'Umrao Jaan' etc, 'Paltan' too happens to have an ensemble star cast.

Noted film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter and shared it with fans. He wrote: #PaltanTrailer out tomorrow... Presenting the first look poster of #Paltan... Directed by JP Dutta... 7 Sept 2018 release.

#PaltanTrailer out tomorrow... Presenting the first look poster of #Paltan... Directed by JP Dutta... 7 Sept 2018 release. pic.twitter.com/paCyAu8CFW  taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) August 1, 2018

The trailer will be unveiled on August 2, 2018. 'Paltan' is based on the Nathu La military clashes of 1967 which took place along the Sikkim border. The film will showcase how Indian army battled it out with the Chinese forces at the border.

It stars Jackie Shroff, Arjun Rampal, Sonu Sood, Harshvardhan Rane, Gurmeet Choudhary, Siddhanth Kapoor to name a few. The film will hit the screens on September 7, 2018.

The war drama is an ambitious project which has been in the news for quite some time now. Earlier, Abhishek Bachchan too was set to star in the project but eventually, he could not be a part of the film and his exit did raise a few eyeballs.

So, are you excited to watch this period war film?New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday extended former Union minister P Chidambaram interim protection from arrest till September 28 in the Central Bureau of Investigation's INX Media corruption case.

The High Court has directed ED to file response in money laundering case related to INX Media within 4 weeks.

Chidambaram had in May rushed to a trial court for protection from arrest in Aircel-Maxis case before approaching the Delhi High Court in connection with the INX Media case. The HC had earlier granted him interim protection till July 3.

Chidambaram's role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Aircel-Maxis deal of Rs 35 billion and INX Media case 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 CBI 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 Karti Chidambaram 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.

With PTI InputsNEW DELHI: The alleged suicide case of Delhi-based air hostess, Anissia Batra, has been transferred to the Crime Branch of Delhi Police.

The 39-year-old air hostess jumped off the terrace. She was rushed to a nearby hospital by her husband and in-laws where she was declared dead by the doctors.

Later, it came out that Anissia, who has married for seven years, was allegedly being harassed by her husband and in-laws.

Delhi police then arrested Mayank Singhvi, the husband of the air hostess, and sent him to judicial custody.

Cops are currently probing dowry and harassment angles.New Delhi: Konkan Railway will begin work on the 103 kilometre Kolhapur-Vaibhavwadi section soon. Indian Railways will bear 50 percent of the cost and rest will be borne by the government of Maharashtra.

The decision was taken at a review meeting of Konkan railway chaired by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu on Tuesday.

It will link the coastal region of Maharashtra with Western Maharashtra, lead to development of ports and harbours in the coastal region and allow flow of goods from the hinterland to the coast, an official release said.

In the meeting, Suresh Prabhu said that the construction of this line will also facilitate the movement of petroleum from the worlds largest integrated refinery cum petrochemicals complexes being built near Vaibhavwadi in Ratnagiri district, in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. The USD 40 billion mega refinery is being built by IOC, BPCL and HPCL and is expected to be commissioned by 2022. It will have a capacity of 60 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA).

Kolhapur-Vaibhavwadi line will facilitate movement of petroleum and petrochemicals from the refinery to the coast, he said.

CMD, Konkan Railway, informed that 10 new stations are also being built along the route. The first station will be inaugurated in January 2019.Mumbai: Miss World 1994 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan celebrates love on the cover of Brides Today Magazine. The pretty actress took to her Instagram page to share a pic of the magazine cover.

Shot in Paris, the cover shoot photo shows Aishwarya looking stylish in a Ralph & Russo creation teamed up with jewellery by AMARIS.

With her hands firmly on her waist, Aishwarya looks straight into the camera. The majestic Eiffel Tower and the urban landscape of the French capital form the backdrop.

Take a look at the cover photo here:

The former beauty queen and actress is all set to make a splash on the silver screen as Baby Singh, a pop sensation in Anil Kapoor's Fanney Khan. She has a 20-minute long role in the film, and is paired with Rajkummar Rao, reports suggest.

2015 marked her comeback of sorts as she returned to the big screen after spending substantial time with daughter Aaradhya post her birth in 2011. She arrived once again with Sanjay Gupta's Jazbaa co-starring Irrfan Khan. She was then roped in by Omung Kumar for the role of Dalbir Kaur in a biopic on Sarbjit Singh. In the same year, Ash set the silver screen ablaze with her unusual but sizzling hot chemistry with Ranbir Kapoor in Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

And if the latest reports are anything to go by, Ash will share screen space with her real-life husband in a film titled Gulab Jamun.New Delhi: From winning the Miss Universe crown in 2000 to paving her way in Bollywood and now mentoring aspiring models for international beauty contests, Lara Dutta Bhupathi feels that, in India, people recognise models only after they win a crown internationally.

Lara is currently mentoring the candidates of Miss Diva, the winner of which will represent India at the Miss Universe pageant.

Citing the case of the reigning Miss World Manushi Chhillar, Lara told IANS: "Before her win, no one even knew anything about her. But when she won the title of Miss World 2017, everyone was like 'Oh my God', and started appreciating her."

According to the model-turned-actress, it is very important for people to know the candidates who are representing their country as it takes tremendous hard work to reach that position.

Lara, who was the second Indian after Sushmita Sen to win the Miss Universe crown, says that "India has been waiting far too long to bring the title back home".

"It has been 18 years since we have won the crown, now I want to pass on that crown to my successor. I was Miss Universe 2000, and since then, every year thousands of girls are undergoing a lot of pressure, hard work and training just to bring the title back. People should understand them and lend support to them," said the 40-year-old actress, who has been a part of the glamour world for almost two decades.

Also, to make people aware of what goes into the making of a beauty queen, Miss Diva Miss Universe is organising sub-contests in different cities.

Recalling her own modelling days and comparing them to the present day, Lara said: "Now everything has changed. Earlier, we had to do just a few photoshoots, but now there is social media which dictates everything. It's the social media that decides whether they accept a person or not, so now it has become tougher as girls have to do multi-tasking at each step."

While mentoring the girls, Lara is not just reliving her days, but also re-learning a lot.

"When I guide the girls, I never consider or look at myself as, 'Oh, I was the Miss Universe, I know everything'. To be honest, every day I am learning something new from these young girls. It is a give-and-take process. Be it in terms of outlook or the views, I am trying to understand these girls and their requirements," she added.

Lara finds herself "fortunate" to get an opportunity to mentor the models and prepare them for the Miss Universe contest as she feels there is no better person than her to train the girls as she has experienced it and knows what it really takes to be in that phase.

Asked about the negative social stereotyping associated with modelling, Lara, who is also a film producer, said: "Things are changing now; parents have become more liberal and are allowing their children to step into this field. And if there are still people who think that it is not a viable industry to be a part of, then I feel it is an outdated view.

"Every work comes with its own challenges, it depends on the person what choice to make and which path to follow. It is just that you have to be wise enough to decide. Also, now girls are breaking the stereotypical thinking, and are rewriting the rules."

"Today, women have more choices and have a bigger voice than earlier."A three-year-old girl fell in a 225 feet-deep borewell in Munger district of Bihar. The girl is reportedly stuck at a depth of 48 feet and rescuers have managed to get an oxygen pipe to her to ensure no breathing trouble.

The incident occurred at around 4 pm on Tuesday, following which the rescue operation was launched. The girl could be heard crying by the rescuers and officials on the site.

A team of the SDRF was called in from Bhagalpur to ensure the speediest possible rescue operation.

One L-shaped rod has been put inside the borewell while digging has been done till the depth of 32 feet. After digging the land for 16 feet more, a parallel opening will be made to rescue the girl.

Authorities are using a CCTV camera to keep an eye on the movements of the girl.New Delhi: Assam Congress chief on Wednesday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying that the latter should not provoke for a civil war. Condemning Banerjee's remark, Ripun Bora said that the state is absolutely peaceful and the move would hardly have any impact on Assam.

"Mamata Banerjee being the Chief Minister should not provoke for a civil war, we condemn this statement. It will have no impact on Assam as it is absolutely peaceful there," said Ripun Bora.

The massive Supreme Court-monitored exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam excluded over 40 lakh people from the final National Registrar of Citizens (NRC) draft list.

Soon after the release of voters' list, Banerjee launched a scathing attack and alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a 'political motive' to divide people and warned that it would lead to bloodbath and a civil war in the country.

"The NRC is being done with a political motive. We will not let this happen. They (BJP) are trying to divide the people. The situation cannot be tolerated. There will be a civil war, bloodbath in the country," Banerjee had said at a conclave.

Meanwhile, a BJP youth wing activist filed an FIR against Banerjee, accusing her of inciting 'hate and tension' among communities.

The Trinamool Congress chief, during the conclave, had also dared the BJP to try implementing NRC in West Bengal and said it can never come to power in the state. "The BJP has the audacity to say that they would implement NRC in Bengal and thinks only they and their supporters would stay in India and rest will have to leave the country," she said.NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is targetting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after she claimed that the Centre is trying to divide people and raised fears of a civil war in the country.

In a veiled attack on Mamata, BJP leader Jagdambika said that her opposition to the Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) is akin to being a traitor. Pal said, "Had a regular citizen said such a thing, there would have been a case of sedition against them, then why are the same rules not applicable to Mamata Banerjee," he asked.

He also said that she is not just opposing the NRC, but is also saying that if infiltrators, Rohingyas are made to leave the country, then there will be civil war and bloodshed. "Why should there be bloodshed if these people are from Bangladesh. If someone talks about a civil war taking place when a foreigner is asked to leave the country, that should come under the category of sedition," he said adding that she should not make such irresponsible statements as a Chief Minister.

Not just Pal, Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh also launched a scathing attack on Mamata saying that she made the civil war remark to target Muslim votes. Calling the Trinamool Congress chief an "anarchist", the BJP leader said that she must face legal action for her remark.

A day after Assam's NRC was released, Mamata on Tuesday had said that the list could lead to a bloodbath and civil war in the country. "They are trying to divide people. There will be bloodbath a civil war in the country. Only to win polls, people can't be victimised. Don't you think people who's name isn't in list will lose a part of their identity? Please understand India-Pakistan-Bangladesh were one before partition. Whoever came from Bangladesh to India till March 1971 is an Indian citizen," she had said.

Hitting back at Mamata, BJP chief Amit Shah had asked the Trinamool Congress to make its stand clear on the issue. "The threat of civil war has already once divided this country. What is she trying to say? Trinamool Congress should come forward and clear its stand. By encouraging infiltrators, how can we ensure security at the borders and internal security of the nation? I firmly believe NRC Assam is for the security of the country. We will fully implement SC's judgement on it. No one should do vote-bank politics on the matter," he had said.NEW DELHI: Amid the intense political debate over Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) and calls for a united Opposition against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee met several top political leaders in Delhi on Wednesday.

Mamata who's one four-day visit to the national capital is reaching out to political parties to forge an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) front for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Early on Wednesday, Mamata caught up veteran BJP leader L K Advani at his chamber in Parliament on Wednesday. The meeting lasted for 20 minutes.

"I know Advaniji for a very long time. I went to enquire about his health. It was a courtesy call," Banerjee said after the meeting.

#WATCH: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee meets senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani in Parliament. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/5YbkKDUXj3  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

The WB Chief Minister also met suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad, Congress leaders Gulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel, and Samajwadi Party leaders Ram Gopal Yadav and Jaya Bachchan.

"Her efforts to unite opposition leaders are commendable," Azad said after the meeting.

Speaking on Assam NRC draft, Mamata said, I have urged Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha as well to send a team to Assam to check the reality of National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Mamata is expected to meet more leaders of Opposition, including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and few NDA allies in Parliament later in the day.

The TMC chief is inviting the Opposition for a mega anti-BJP rally to be held in Kolkata on January 19 next year. The Kolkata rally is expected to help Mamata emerge as the pivot of opposition efforts to dislodge the Narendra Modi government.

Mamata Banerjee and BJP chief Amit Shah on Monday engaged in a heated exchange of words over the future of nearly 40 lakh people in the state.

"They are trying to divide people. There will be bloodbath a civil war in the country," she was quoted as saying by PTI at an event in Delhi.

"Only to win polls, people can't be victimised. Don't you think people who's name isn't in list will lose a part of their identity? Please understand India-Pakistan-Bangladesh were one before partition. Whoever came from Bangladesh to India till March 1971 is an Indian citizen."

Responding to Mamata's accusations, Shah said, "I was listening to Mamata ji before coming here. The threat of civil war has already once divided this country. What is she trying to say? Trinamool Congress should come forward and clear its stand. By encouraging infiltrators, how can we ensure security at the borders and internal security of the nation? I firmly believe NRC Assam is for the security of the country. We will fully implement SC's judgement on it. No one should do vote-bank politics on the matter."NEW DELHI: BJP chief Amit Shah, who has been under the opposition attack for his remarks regarding the issue of Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC), has vowed to visit Kolkata for his proposed rally on August 11.

Addressing a press briefing, Shah said that it does not matter to him if the West Bengal government grants him permission, he will certainly visit Kolkata as per his schedule.

The BJP national president also dared the Mamata Banerjee government to arrest him if it wants.

''It does not matter whether I get permission or not, I will definitely go to Kolkata. If the state government wants, it can arrest me, '' BJP president Amit Shahs said.

It does not matter whether I get permission or not, I will definitely go to Kolkata. If the state government wants, it can arrest me: BJP President Amit Shah (file pic) pic.twitter.com/n3V39EWSww  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

It is to be noted that Shah is scheduled to hold a rally in Kolkata on August 11. However, there was confusion over Mamata Banerjee-led state government's nod for Shah's proposed rally.

BJP's Yuva Morcha state president Debjit Sarkar had said that they have submitted a formal application to police, seeking permission for Shah's rally He also warned they will move court if police deny permission.

"We submitted an application to police on Tuesday, seeking permission for the rally. We have mentioned five venues in Kolkata for the meeting, but police are yet to give us permission. We need time to prepare for the rally," he said.

The Kolkata Police, later, cleared the air on the issue and said that the permission for the rally has already been granted.

Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice.

It is to clarify that on request permission for meeting has already been granted.  Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) August 1, 2018

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha was again adjourned till 12 noon on Wednesday, minutes after it met for the day over BJP chief Amit Shah`s remarks made in the House on Tuesday regarding the Assam NRC.

As soon as the House met, Congress members stood up to register their protest against Shah`s remarks.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma asked Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu to expunge Shah`s comments wherein he said, "you did not have the courage, but we have it to implement the NRC".

Naidu said that he would look into it and would expunge any remarks that were found uncalled for.

He then said that since Shah could not complete his speech on Tuesday, he should be given a chance to resume his speech on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) of Assam.

The opposition members objected to it. Amid the noise, Naidu adjourned the House till 12 noon.

Amit Shah had on Tuesday asked the Opposition parties to make their stand clear on the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants while asserting that National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be implemented in Assam "to the last full stop" as his party stands for national security and Indians' rights.

Dismissing criticism by parties like the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Shah said in a press conference that the process for NRC, whose mandate is to identify illegal immigrants, was started in 2005, when the UPA was in power, but the government lacked the courage "to throw out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants".

"It (NRC) will be implemented to the last full stop and comma," he said.

Taking on West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who has accused the BJP of pursuing a 'divide and rule' policy, Shah alleged that she saw a "vote bank" in illegal immigrants for win in elections while his party was looking at the security of the country and rights of its citizens.

He rejected NRC's criticism on the ground of human rights, saying people who are talking about it should also be concerned about human rights of the people of Assam.

"Do people of Assam have no human rights? NRC has been made to protect human rights of Indian citizens," he said.

''No Indian citizen should be concerned and natives of any other state living in Assam would not be meted out any injustice, Shah said, adding, NRC will be implemented firmly and fairly,'' the BJP chief said.

Shah said the NRC is the soul of the Assam accord which the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had signed and it clearly stipulates that every single illegal immigrant would be identified and his name struck off the voters list.

However, several Congress governments, which ruled at the Centre and the state, lacked the courage to implement it.

The Supreme Court later stepped in and the Narendra Modi government started the process, he said, adding that the apex court is monitoring the entire exercise.

"I want to ask the Congress why you are questioning the NRC for vote bank. The Congress started the NRC process in 2005. But you lacked the courage to throw out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants because vote bank was important for you, not national security and rights of citizens," he said.

The Congress should not put vote bank politics should above national interest, he said.

The claim by some parties that it will become an inter-state dispute is an attempt to create confusion, Shah said, condemning such statements.

He said the NRC in its initial inquiry has found that 40 lakh people living in Assam are not Indian citizens but people can file their objections and verifications will be done as per the process laid down by the apex court.

(With PTI inputs)Reporting by Kamalika Sengupta

Guwahati: Are you in that 40 lakh list? This is what residents of Assam are asking each other since Monday. Shekhar Dey General Secretary Citizen Preservation Committee Assam got the shock of his life when he couldn't find his name in NRC list.

"I have my father's NRC certificate. I am born and brought up here, how can I be a refugee. I am 66-year-old where will I go," said Shekhar's daughter Mithi Dey. "This is disgraceful. My name has come but my father's not there how can this go on we feel humiliated."

Sekhar is one among the 40 lakh people who have been left in an uncertainty following the release of the final draft of National Register for Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

Shekhar's neighbour, Pramathanath Sen, too found out that his wife has not been enlisted in the final draft of Assam's voters' list.

The District administration has, meanwhile, asked them to visit the authorities with relevant documents after August 7.Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik has written to the state and the central governments seeking strict against all shelter homes indulged in wrongdoing. The Governor has written to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of Patna High Court over the issue.

In his letter, the Governor made reference to the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case and asked for monitoring of all shelter homes in Bihar, seeking strict against those found guilty.

This comes as two shelter homes, run by the same owner, Brijesh Thakur, have comes under scanner in Muzaffarpur. While at least 34 girls have allegedly been raped in one shelter home, 11 women have gone missing from the other.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been handed over the probe into the case concerning sexual abuse of girls in Balika Grih, run by Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti.

It is alleged that officials and employees of the shelter home used to mentality, physically and sexually exploit girls residing there. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had last week issued the orders to the Chief Secretary, Principal Home Secretary and DGP to hand over the investigation into the case to the CBI.

More than 40 girls had been lodged at the shelter home and medical reports suggest that over half of them may have had sexual intercourse at some point of time. The NGO running the shelter home has been blacklisted and all the girls have been moved to shelter homes in other districts while the premises has been sealed.

Meanwhile, a fresh case has been registered against Thakur in connection with the disappearance of 11 women from the other shelter home.

According to the complaint, when a survey of the second shelter home was done by the district child protection unit in March, presence of 11 women was registered. However, when the officials visited the shelter home for another survey in June, they found the shelter home locked.A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was on Wednesday shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. The incident occurred in Gangapur area of Bahraich when armed assailants shot dead BJP booth president Virendra Mishra.

The police rushed to the spot after getting the information and launched an investigation into the case. The reason behind the attack on the BJP worker was not known immediately.

According to reports, the assailants entered the house of the BJP worker and shot him dead.

More details are awaited.NEW DELHI: The Congress Working Committee is likely to meet on August 4 at party chief Rahul Gandhi's residence, news agency ANI reported. Rahul chaired his first CWC meet as the party president on July 22, two days after a no confidence motion was moved in Lok Sabha which the Opposition lost.

Rahul's CWC has 23 regular members instead of 25 allowed by the party constitution. It has 18 permanent and eight special invitees.

In the last meeting, Rahul had said that a special group within the Congress will be set up to discuss probable alliances for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The extended CWC had authorised Rahul to forge an alliance with like-minded parties for the 2019 Lok Sabha election to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"We are setting up a group that is going to do that (alliance)," Rahul had said after the Congress Working Committee meeting. During the CWC, he said that the expansion of the party's vote base is one of the biggest tasks. "In each constituency, we have to find people who have not voted for us and develop a strategy to reach out to them and win back their trust," he said.

"In the short term, we can come together with other parties and win the coming elections. After that, the damage done by the BJP & RSS to India's institutions will have to be undone. Only the Congress can do this," Rahul said.

Thirty-five to 40 leaders spoke at the meeting where they all stressed that the Congress should play a lead role in forging an anti-BJP front. Some leaders said Rahul being the leader of the principle opposition party should be the face of the national alliance.NEW DELHI: Despite a bitter war of words between the ruling BJP and Opposition parties over the controversial Assam National Register of Citizen (NRC) draft, there is a growing demand for a similar survey across the nation.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari is among those who have demanded an Assam-like NRC survey in the state of India. Tiwari had urged the Union Home Ministry to conduct a similar survey in New Delhi citing an increase in the number of Rohingyas.

In a letter addressed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Tiwari said, "Please conduct a survey in Delhi too (like NRC) as a large number of Rohingyas and foreign intruders are residing in Delhi and many of them have also attained Aadhaar and ration cards."

The BJP Delhi chief also took to Twitter to press for his demand and action against the alleged infiltrators residing in the national capital.

"At different places in Delhi, Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living in an illegal manner should be identified and action should be taken against them," Tiwari tweeted.

Tiwari is not the only one to have made such demand.

Raj Purohit, a BJP MLA from Maharashtra, has also made a similar demand.

"If NRC can be implemented in Assam than NRC should be implemented in Mumbai and across the country. So I have written to District collector Mumbai, ACS Home, CP Mumbai, State EC to implement NRC and identify the Bangladeshis in Colaba and Mumbai," Purohit said.

However, clarifying on the issue, the BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said that the NRC draft is restricted to the state of Assam only.

Madhav's statement came after Naresh Agarwal, who recently joined the BJP, demanded that it should be extended to all states because 'illegal Bangaldeshi migrants' are living in many parts of the country.

It is to be noted that the publication of the NRC draft relating to Assam has triggered a bitter war of words with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and several Opposition parties attacking the ruling BJP and accused it of doing vote bank politics.

Mamata even said that the NRC issue will lead to a civil war  a remark which was severely criticised by the BJP and even the Congress.

The TMC leader had on Tuesday warned that the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the NRC in Assam would lead to a civil war.

Speaking at a Catholic Bishops Conference of India conclave on Love Your Neighbour, Banerjee said, You cannot just drive away people who have been staying here for 100, 200, 30 years I am shocked to see how Indians became foreigners shocked to see that even relatives of former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed have not made it to the NRC.

However, sharpening her attack again on the ruling BJP at the Centre, the West Bengal leader on Wednesday accused the saffron party of playing vote-bank politics, while also warning that the issue will "destroy" India's relationship with Bangladesh.

She said only one percent of the 40 lakh residents, whose names are missing from the draft NRC, could be infiltrators, but people are being "harassed" in the name of infiltrators.

Banerjee said that she has appealed to all opposition parties to send their delegation to Assam. The TMC chief said that she has also urged former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha to visit the state.

She claimed that India has very good relations with Bangladesh, but the NRC issue threatens to spoil that.

"The NRC will destroy the relationship between India and Bangladesh. Out of 40 lakh people whose names are not in the list of NRC, only one per cent could be illegal infiltrators. But the BJP is trying to show that all those not included (in NRC) are infiltrators," she told reporters at the Parliament.

A case against the Trinamool Congress chief was also filed with police in Assam's North Lakhimpur by the Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha activists in connection with her alleged provocative remarks on the Assam NRC draft.

The first NRC draft was published on December 31, 2017, and names of 1.9 crore people of the 3.29 crore applicants were incorporated.

The second list, released on July 30, left out nearly 40 lakh people, incorporating names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants.

(With Agency inputs)Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Giriraj Singh has attacked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying that she made the civil war remark to target Muslim votes. Calling the Trinamool Congress chief an anarchist, the BJP leader said that she must face legal action for her remark on the Assam NRC, released by the state government on Monday.

Such remark from people holding high offices of the country shows their mental condition. Does she even know what a civil war means? She is determined to ruin the country for the sake of votes. Will the country forgive her? said Giriraj Singh.

He further said that the TMC chief wouldnt have made any such remark if the illegal immigrants had been Hindus. In Bengal she targets Hindus, bans idol worship, files fake cases against Hindus. People of the state and the country will give an answer to her in the upcoming elections, he added.

The BJP leader also attacked the Congress party, calling it double faced. Referring to a video of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, which was telecast of Zee News on Tuesday, Giriraj Singh said, Indira Gandhi herself said that India cannot afford to take the burden of immigrants as it was already under pressure due to increasing population.

On Tuesday, Mamata had accused the BJP of trying to divide the people, raising fears of a civil war over Assam NRC.

"They are trying to divide people. There will be bloodbath a civil war in the country," she was quoted as saying by PTI at an event in Delhi. "Only to win polls, people can't be victimised. Don't you think people whose names arent in list will lose a part of their identity? Please understand India-Pakistan-Bangladesh were one before partition. Whoever came from Bangladesh to India till March 1971 is an Indian citizen."New Delhi: Indian Air Force (IAF) is likely to issue the request for proposal for 110 fighters around mid-2019, according to a report in The Hindu. The daily claimed that a senior defence source had told the newspaper that the IAF was in the process of studying the request for information from six global defence majors who had sent their proposals to supply the fighters.

Top fighter jet producers Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Dassault Aviation, Eurofighter, Saab and United Aircraft Corporation have envisaged interest in the mega-deal which will be worth several thousand crores. While the first two companies are from the USA, Dassault is French, Eurofighter is a UK-Germany-Italy-Spain venture, Saab is Swedish and United Aircraft Corporation is from Russia.

Boeing is offering F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin has the F-16 Fighting Falcon, Dassault Aviation is showcasing Rafale, Eurofighter has the Typhoon, Saab has come up with the Gripen and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation has the MiG-35 on the table.

"They are being evaluated after which the service quality requirements for the new fighter will be issued by the IAF," the newspaper quoted a senior defence source as saying.

The fighter selected will be produced jointly by a foreign aircraft maker in partnership with an Indian company under the strategic partnership model to ensure that state-of-art defence technology is available in India.

With the IAF registering a massive fall in the sanctioned fighter squadron strength, the need to augment its arsenal is increasing day by day as the two nuclear-armed rivals - Pakistan and China - are going ahead with the modernisation of their respective air forces at great speed.

In the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government had in September 2016, signed an Euro 7.87 billion (approx Rs 59,000 crore) deal with the French government for the purchase of 36 Rafale twin-engine fighter jets after scrapping the 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal.

With the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, too, getting ready, the government had in March 2017 sanctioned Rs 1381.04 crore to ramp up the jet's production from the existing eight fighters per year to 16 to ensure timely delivery of the aircraft to the IAF.ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which is all set to form a new government in Pakistan, on Tuesday rejected reports that it was mulling to invite foreign leaders to attend the oath-taking ceremony of its chief Imran Khan.

News agency ANI reported that ''Tehreek-e-Insaf has rebuffed reports, which claimed that the party was planning to invite foreign dignitaries to the oath-taking ceremony of Imran Khan as Pakistan's Prime Minister,'' adding that ''the decision on the same was pending''.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rebuffed reports which claimed that the party was planning to invite foreign dignitaries to the oath-taking ceremony of Imran Khan as Pakistan's Prime Minister and added that the decision on the same is pending Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/syZDZ8ljQU pic.twitter.com/9SjslkOkmM  ANI Digital (@ani_digital) July 31, 2018

PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday took to his Twitter handle and stated that his party would take the decision regarding the same after consulting with Pakistan's Foreign Office.

The clarification from the party came in the light of reports that leaders of SAARC-member states, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, may be invited to attend Imran Khan's oath-taking ceremony.

"Media speculations about international dignitaries attending PM-designate Imran Khan's oath ceremony are not correct. We have sought the advice of Foreign Office on the matter and will decide accordingly," Chaudhry tweeted.

Media speculations about international dignitaries attending PM oath ceremony are not correct. We have sought the advice of Foreign Office on the matter and will decide accordingly #PTI  Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 31, 2018

Earlier in the day, there were media reports suggesting that PTI was considering to invite leaders from the SAARC countries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to attend Imran's oath-taking ceremony scheduled to be held on August 11.

Despite emerging as the largest party, 65-year-old Khan's PTI is still short of numbers to form the government on its own. However, addressing a press brining, Khan had on Monday hinted that he would take oath as Prime Minister possibly on August 11.

In a goodwill gesture, PM Modi too called up Khan and congratulated him for his victory in the polls.

While congratulating Khan, PM Modi hoped that "Pakistan and India will work to open a new chapter in bilateral ties".

Khan, on his part, termed PM Modi's telephone call as a welcoming sign, which marked the beginning of a new chapter in relations between the two countries. This triggered speculation about PM Modi attending Khan's oath ceremony.

Khan in his victory speech had also said that better relations between Pakistan and India would be "good for all of us".

The relations between India and Pakistan have remained tense since 2014.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had travelled to Delhi to attend PM Modi's oath-taking ceremony and the Indian premier had in December 2015 made a brief stopover in Lahore to greet his counterpart on his birthday.

The India-Pakistan ties further nose-dived in recent years with no bilateral talks taking place.

The ties between the two countries had strained after the terror attacks by Pakistan-based groups in 2016 and Indian Army's surgical strikes inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The sentencing of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav to death by a military court in Pakistan in April last year dealt a major blow to bilateral ties.

The two sides have often accused each other of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control, resulting in civilian casualties.Kolkata: A special border personnel meeting between India and China was held at Nathu La on Wednesday, marking the 91st anniversary of the foundation of the Peoples' Liberation Army (PLA).

On invitation from the PLA, an Indian Army delegation comprising of officers and soldiers took part in the celebrations, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said.

The PLA troops interacted with the visiting Indian delegation and presented a cultural programme to celebrate the occasion.

The Indian side also reciprocated with traditional cultural items, as the celebrations took place in a festive environment, providing an opportunity to both sides to display their rich culture.

Such interactions between both armies have resulted in promoting mutual understanding and contributed towards achieving common goals of peace and tranquillity along the borders, the spokesperson said.NEW DELHI: The Government of India (GoI) on Wednesday welcomed the decision of the US Administration of President Donald Trump on designating three Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists and terror financiers as ''Global Terrorists.''

In response to media queries about the announcement made by the US Departments of State and Treasury on the designation of three LeT terrorists, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Official Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "India welcomes the announcements made yesterday by the US Departments of State and Treasury in which three Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists and terror financiers have been named as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDTG)."

India stated that the "announcement vindicated India's consistent stand that internationally designated terrorist groups and individuals, including LeT and its front, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) not only continued to operate from and raise financial resources with impunity in Pakistan but used territories under its control for carrying out cross-border terrorism in India and South Asia."

"The latest designations also call into question Pakistan's sincerity in taking effective action against such terrorist elements," India added.

Earlier on Tuesday, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action to disrupt Lashkar-e Tayyiba's (LeT) fundraising and support networks by designating two of the group's financial facilitators, Hameed ul Hassan and Abdul Jabbar, as Global Terrorists.

OFAC has designated Hassan and Jabbar for acting for or on behalf of LeT, a terrorist organisation based in Pakistan. All property and interests in the name of Hassan and Jabbar subjected to US jurisdiction are now blocked.

Hassan, a financial facilitator for LeT worked with Falah-e Insaniat Foundation, an alias of LeT, to collect and send funds to Syria as of late 2016. Further, during early 2016, Hassan worked with his brother, Muhammad Ijaz Safarash, and Khalid Walid to transport funds to Pakistan on behalf of LeT.

Additionally, Hassan has an active Twitter account, which identifies him as the leader of Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawah (an alias of LeT) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Jabbar, a financial facilitator managed the salary distribution for the terrorist group. He has worked in LeT's finance department since around 2000. As of mid-2016, Jabbar distributed funds on behalf of the Falah-e Insaniat Foundation.

In November 2010, the Department of State amended its designations of LeT to include the alias Falah-e Insaniat Foundation.

In March 2012, the UN amended its Sanctions List to recognise the Falah-e Insaniat Foundation as a front for LeT.

Separately, the Department of State on Tuesday put Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil on the list of 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).'

Dakhil was a long-time member of the US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Lashkar e-Toiba (LeT) and was an operational leader responsible for LeT-led attacks in India between 1997 and 2001.NEW DELHI: Those willing to join the Indian Air Force (IAF) as 'Airman' can now do so as the air force is now inviting applications from eligible and interested candidates.

According to a notification issued by the IAF, a recruitment rally is scheduled to be conducted at the Air Force Station Borjhar, Guwahati, Assam for selection of candidates as 'Airman' in Group Y (Non-Technical) category.

The selection will be done for the Automobile Technician and the Indian Air Force (Police) Trades between September 01, 2018 to September 03, 2018.

Join #IAF : Recruitment Rally is scheduled to be conducted at AF Station Borjhar, Guwahati, Assam for selection of candidates to join Indian Air Force as Airman in Group Y (Non-Technical) For Automobile Technician and Indian Air Force (Police) Trades on 01 Sep 18 and 03 Sep 18. pic.twitter.com/vl3uf9djks  Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) August 1, 2018

Age Limit: Candidates born between 14 July 1998 and 26 June 2002 (both days inclusive) are eligible to appear in the recruitment rally.

Educational Qualification: Candidate should have Passed Intermediate / 10+2 / Equivalent Examination is any stream/subjects approved by the Central/ state education boards with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate and 50% marks in English.

Group & Trades: Airman in Group Y (Non-Technical) For Automobile Technician and Indian Air Force (Police) Trades.

Time & Date: Reporting time for candidates is 6 Am on September 01, 2018 and September 03, 2018. Cut off for entry to rally venue is 10 am.

States/Districts covered: All districts of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya on September 01.

All districts of the state of Manipur on September 03, 2018.

Venue: Air Force Station Borjhar, Guwahati, Assam.

For more details, the interested candidates can also log in to the website: www.airmenselection.cdac.inNEW DELHI: India is considering the military usage of Artificial Intelligence for national security and military strategic purposes and the government is studying a report recommending the duel use of technology in aviation, naval, land systems, cyber, nuclear and biological warfare.

Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre told the Lok Sabha that the ministry has initiated the process of preparing Indian defence forces in their use of Artificial Intelligence and leveraging India's capabilities in machine learning sectors.

This, he said, has a potential to fuel technology-driven economic growth and provide military superiority.

To study the strategic implications of Artificial Intelligence on national security, a multi-stakeholder task force comprising the government, services, academia, industry, professionals and start-ups was constituted in February this year.

The group led by Natarajan Chandrasekharan, Chairman Tata Sons, was tasked to prepare a roadmap for Artificial Intelligence for national security purposes.

The Task Force submitted its report on June 30 after studying the level of Artificial Intelligence development in India in general and specifically in the context of defence needs.

The group has made recommendations relating to making India a significant power of Artificial Intelligence for both defensive and offensive needs, Bhamre said.

The group has also made recommendations for policy and institutional interventions required to regulate and encourage robust Artificial Intelligence-based technologies for the defence sector in the country.

Considering that most Artificial Intelligence work is happening in the private sector, it has also made recommendations to work with start-ups and commercial industry in the field of use of Artificial Intelligence for defence purposes.Kolkata: Followers of Matua Mahasangha on Wednesday staged 'rail roko andolan' in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district to protest against the final NRC draft in Assam.

Matua Mahasangha followers stage 'rail roko andolan' against #NRCAssam draft, in North 24 Parganas district. #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/ctFgle04vv  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

Matua Mahasangha is a religious reformation movement which originated in Bangladesh. Matua is a sect of Hindu folk religion and Matua Mahasangha is self-realisation.

Assam has come under fire following the release of the final draft of Assam's National Register of Citizens which excluded more than 40 lakh people, terming them as 'illegal immigrants'. Over 40 lakh people in Assam have been left out from the NRC li, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in the state.

Following this, the Election Commission said that the people who have been excluded from the voters' list are ineligible to vote. The publication of the complete draft of the NRC witnessed the inclusion of 2,89,83,677 people out of a total 3,29,91,384 applicants.New Delhi: West Bengal BJP leader Rupa Ganguly on Wednesday attacked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her controversial 'civil war' remark following the release of final National Registrar of Citizens (NRC) draft in Assam. The BJP leader slammed the governance and prevailing situation in Bengal, comparing them with bloodbath or civil war.

Ganguly questioned if the Chief Minister is aware of the presence of illegal migrants in West Bengal. She said, "Is she aware that there are a lot of illegal immigrants in West Bengal? As it is what is happening in West Bengal today, is it any less than bloodbath or civil war?"

She further mentioned that several incidents of BJP workers being hacked to death have been reported in the recent past, however, the Chief Minister of the state is ignorant about it.

"Doesn't she know that every other day BJP karyakartas are being killed," Ganguly added. In the latest incident, a local BJP leader from Mandir Bazar of South 24 Parganas was murdered by miscreants while he was returning home from work on July 28. The leader - identified as Shaktipada Sardar - was BJP's Mandal Committee secretary.

Rupa Ganguly's reaction came two days after Mamata Banerjee had launched a scathing attack and alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a 'political motive' to divide people and warned that it would lead to bloodbath and a civil war in the country.

"The NRC is being done with a political motive. We will not let this happen. They (BJP) are trying to divide the people. The situation cannot be tolerated. There will be a civil war, bloodbath in the country," Banerjee had said at a conclave. Over 40 lakh people in Assam have been left out from the NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in the state. Names of the applicants did not figure in the document released by NRC on Monday.

The massive Supreme Court-monitored exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam excluded over 40 lakh people from the final draft list which was released on Monday. The publication of the complete draft of the NRC witnessed the inclusion of 2,89,83,677 people out of a total 3,29,91,384 applicants.Amid debate over security of Aadhaar information, the Shiv Sena has now hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre. In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, the NDA constituent has said that while the government keeps claiming that Aadhaar cards are completely secured, its claims now stand exposed before everyone.

Citing the Aadhaar security challenge thrown by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman RS Sharma, the editorial pointed that French hacker Elliot Alderson had exposed before the world that data furnished to the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) is not secure.

Sharma had shared his Aadhaar number on microblogging site Twitter and had challenged those questioning its security to cause him any harm using the same. Soon after, the French hacker shared some personal details of the TRAI chief on the microblogging site, raising a question mark on the claims of the government.

The Shiv Sena said that it is the responsibility of the government to quash the claims made by the hacker. It further pointed that the hacker had even sent emails to Sharmas daughter with the help of the TRAI chiefs Aadhaar number and had threatened to bring sensitive documents in public domain.

The editorial says that the information released by the hacker are not sensitive in nature, it does not dilute the gravity of the matter. It said that the issue is about the constitutional rights of people and their trust on the government.

Meanwhile, the UIDAI has claimed that no data was stolen from its database and that the information released by the hacker was already available on platforms like Google. And amid these claims came another shocker as Twitter user, claiming to be an ethical hacker, deposited Re 1 in the bank account of the TRAI chief. The editorial said that the claims of the government were shaken by these developments.New Delhi: A day after a ruckus was witnessed in Rajya Sabha over the debate on NRC draft of Assam, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday lamented he was upset as "some members ran menacingly towards the Well of the house" thus taking a jibe at the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Naidu said he wouldn't name anybody but wanted the House to function properly. He hoped that such incidents would not get repeated.

"I was very upset yesterday when some members ran menacingly towards the well of the house, I hope it will not be repeated. I don't want to name anybody, the house should function smoothly, " said Venkaiah Naidu.

On Tuesday, the Rajya Sabha witnessed vociferous protests soon after BJP President Amit Shah took a jibe at the erstwhile Congress-led governments for not showing the courage to identify illegal migrants in Assam in accordance with the 1985 accord, forcing adjournment of the proceedings for the day.

Shah's remarks asking whether the Opposition wanted "to save illegal Bangladeshis in Assam", provoked the opposition members including those from the Congress and TMC who trooped into the Well demanding a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The first adjournment till noon occurred during the Zero Hour when TMC (Trinamool Congress) members created an uproar after their demand for a short debate on the NRC in Assam was not accepted by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.

Later when the House reassembled, the discussion was taken up setting aside the Question Hour. Participating in the debate, Shah said then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had signed the Assam Accord on August 14, 1985, and declared it on August 15, after the movement in the state went out of control leading to the death of some protesters.

He noted that the NRC was the spirit of this accord which sought to identify illegal migrants into Assam and prepare a list of Indian citizens.

"This was the Congress PM's initiative. He (Rajiv Gandhi) did not have the courage. We have courage and we are doing it," he informed the House.

"NRC is being conducted on the SC order. There are 40 lakh people (missing in the list) ... Whom do you want to save? You want to save illegal Bangladeshis," the BJP chief posed.

Shah's remarks provoked noisy protests by the Opposition members led by those from the Congress and the TMC. The House was adjourned for about 10 minutes.

When the House reassembled after the 10-minute break, TMC and Congress members were again in the Well raising slogans "PM jawab do" even as the Chair tried to bring order in the House.

Naidu said, "This is not the way. Every member has a right to express his views. Please go back to your seats." He also asked protesting members to have patience and tolerance towards others' views. "Is this democracy? You are supposed to show a dignified behaviour. Rajya Sabha is the House of Elders. The entire country is watching. Don't make a mockery of it."New Delhi: In a relief to senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, Delhi's Patiala House Court on Wednesday allowed him to travel abroad, weeks after travel restrictions had been imposed on him following his involvement in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death. However, the court directed him to furnish a fixed deposit receipt of Rs 2 lakh before the court which will be refunded after his return from the trip.

Tharoor had earlier sought permission from the court to go to Canada for a few days starting from August 10, 2018.

Earlier in July, Tharoor was granted an anticipatory bail by a Delhi court in the Sunanda Pushkar death case. Tharoor had restrictions imposed on him asking him not to travel abroad without prior permission of the court. The court had also directed him not to tamper with the evidence and witness of the case. The Congress leader was also asked to furnish a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh.

In a chargesheet filed by the police, they had named Tharoor as the only accused, while also alleging that he had subjected his wife to cruelty but this prompted him to term the charges as 'preposterous and baseless.

The police had filed a 3000-page chargesheet before Metropolitan Magistrate under sections 498 A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.

But Tharoor has maintained that he is innocent of the charges levelled against him but the Delhi court found 'sufficient grounds' to proceed against him.

Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel room on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple's domestic servant, Narayan Singh, was named one of the key witnesses in the case.

After Tharoor was granted an anticipatory bail, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy launched a scathing attack saying that the court putting restrictions on Tharoor's foreign travel will bar him from meeting his girlfriends in various parts of the world. "Yes, he can't go out of the country and see all his girlfriends in various parts of the world," Subramanian Swamy told news agency ANI.New Delhi: The two-day Unified Commanders' Conference for the year 2018 commenced at New Delhi on Monday, July 30. The Conference provided a platform for discussions at the Apex Level on all 'Joint Issues' amongst the three Services and Ministry of Defence and enabled stock-taking of the previous year and facilitated planning for future.

The event was attended by the Defence Minister, State Defence Minister, National Security Advisor (NSA), Dy NSA, the Service Chiefs and other senior military and civil officials of the Services and MoD.

The Defence Minister complimented the services for their performance and achievements in past year and stressed on the need for greater synergy and joint-manship amongst the Services as well as between the Services and the MoD. She assured the Services that preparedness of the Services would be a top priority for the Government.

Earlier, Chairman COSC and CNS Admiral Sunil Lanba welcomed and addressed the august audience. Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal BS Dhanoa, Chief of Army Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat, Def Secy, Shri Sanjay Mitra and Chief of Integrated Staff Lt Gen Satish Dua also addressed the conference.

During the conference, under the chairmanship of the Chief of Integrated Staff (CISC), a large number of Tri-Services issues were deliberated thoroughly and solutions to contemporary challenges were provided to facilitate future plans for an integrated robust defence preparedness.NEW DELHI: Days after several Dalit outfits led a violent protest against the alleged dilution of several provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) bill by the Supreme Court, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday agreed to reintroduce the bill in the Parliament with an aim to restore the original provisions of the Act.

News agency ANI quoted sources as saying that the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) bill will be tabled during the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament.

Cabinet approves bringing the SC/ST prevention of atrocities Bill during monsoon session of the parliament amid the deadline set by LJP(Lok Janshakti Party) and Dalit organisations: Sources  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

The decision by the Union Cabinet comes days ahead of a nationwide bandh called by several Dalit outfits over the alleged dilution of the SC/ST bill by the top court.

Dalit outfits had criticised the Supreme Court ruling of March in which it introduced several safeguards in the SC/ST Act, They alleged that the SC ruling had diluted the Act and rendered it toothless.

The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the deadline fixed by Dalit organisations and LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) to overturn the ruling of the Supreme Court in the matter.

The LJP, which is an ally of the BJP-led NDA, has also threatened to join 'Bharat Bandh' protest of August 9 called by the Dalit outfits against the ruling of the top court.

Objections were also raised on the appointment of former Supreme Court judge Justice AK Goel as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) chairman.

Goel is one of the judges who passed the judgement of diluting provisions of the SC/ST Act.

The Supreme Court in a March 20 ruling had barred immediate arrests in cases registered under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

The SC/ST Act protects the marginalised communities against discrimination and atrocities.

The verdict was widely criticised by the Dalit organisations and the Opposition parties which claimed that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crime against the backward community.

On April 2, Dalit organisations across the country staged a massive protest against the judgment of the top court.

Later, the Centre filed a review petition against the ruling, which went in vain as the top court refused to stay its order and asked all parties to submit detailed replies.

(With ANI inputs)NEW DELHI: No Islamic State-Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) terrorists are active in Jammu and Kashmir anymore, said the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday.

Appropriate action has been taken under the law against the anti-social elements who hoist the Islamic State and Pakistan flag in Jammu and Kashmir, said Minister of State, Home Affairs, Hansraj Ahir, told the Rajya Sabha.

He added that under the law, eight cases have been registered in 2015, 31 cases in 2016 and five cases in 2017.

In a major achievement, Indian security forces gunned down four ISJK terrorists, including the chief of the banned outfit, in the Khiram area of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir on June 22.

One of the militants killed was identified as Dawood Ahmed Sofi, who headed the ISIS affiliate ISJK and is believed to be involved in several cases of murder and stone pelting, said police.

The other three, also believed to be with the ISJK, were identified as Aadil Rehman Bhat, Mohammad Ashraf Itoo and Majid Manzoor Dar, said Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) Swayam Prakash Pani, who was supervising the operations.BHOPAL: A young couple was allegedly assaulted and forced to drink urine by the family members of a tribal woman for marrying against their wishes in Madhya Pradesh's Alirajjpur district, said reports on Wednesday.

The incident took place at Hardaspur village, 25 km from the Alirajpur district headquarters, on July 25.

Giving more information about the incident, Ambua Police Station in-charge Vikas Kapis said the 19-year-old woman got married to a 21-year-old man from the same village against her parents' wishes in May this year.

Since the woman's family was opposed to their marriage, the matter went to the 'jaat panchayat', which ordered the man's family to pay Rs 70,000 to the woman's family as compensation and resolved the issue.

The couple then left for Gujarat in search of a job.

The couple returned last week and stayed at the house of the husband's uncle.

''After getting to know about their presence, the woman's family members went to the house at 4 am on July 25 and forced the couple to go with them at the gunpoint,'' the police officer said.

They allegedly tied the man to a pole and thrashed him up. The woman was also half-stripped, her hair was cut and she too was beaten, Kapis said.

As if it was not enough, the accused allegedly forced the couple to drink urine, the police officer said.

#MadhyaPradesh: A married couple was allegedly beaten up, made to drink urine & hair of the woman was chopped off by her family in Alirajpur's Hardaspur village on 25 July. Husband says 'They did this as we had eloped&got married.' Case registered against 6 & 2 arrested. (31.07) pic.twitter.com/kEmuRPp9Dl  ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2018

While letting them go, the accused allegedly told the woman that this was a revenge for "hurting the family's pride".

The couple then approached the police and narrated their ordeal to them. They also filed a police complaint against the woman's father, her two uncles and three others.

District Superintendent of Police Vipul Shrivastava said that two accused have been arrested while the search for the other accused is on.MUMBAI: Voting is underway for two municipal corporations in Maharashtra, where 754 candidates are vying for 153 seats. The polling began at 7:30 am on Wednesday and will continue till 5.30 pm. Counting will be taken up on August 3.

As many as 451 candidates are in the fray for 78 seats in the SMKMC, while 303 nominees will vie for 75 seats in Jalgaon.

Polling is being held for the 78-member Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation (SMKMC) in Western Maharashtra and the 75-member Jalgaon Municipal Corporation (JMC) in North Maharashtra. The two cities have a cumulative voter population of 7,89,251.

State Election Commissioner J S Saharia informed that nearly 1,013 polling booths have been set up and 5,792 election staff has been deployed in the two cities .

Sangli has 4,24,179 eligible voters, while their number is 3,65,072 in Jalgaon. The Ruling BJP-Shiv Sena have joined hands for the JMC, while the BJP is going it alone in the SMKMC.

Polling is also taking place for ward number 97 of the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation.New Delhi: Bollywood's young and talented actress Alia Bhatt is currently shooting for 'Brahmastra' in Bulgaria. The film is produced by Karan Johar and is helmed by Ayan Mukerji. It stars Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role opposite Alia.

Well, the powerhouse performer recently took to Instagram and shared a picture with KJo and it's her caption which is reminding us of the latter's famous talk show. She simply wrote: coffee with karan..?

coffee with karan.. A post shared by Alia  (@aliaabhatt) on Jul 31, 2018 at 8:43am PDT

Karan's controversial talk show often grabs the headlines. The last season was a big hit and now all eyes are set on when the next one will be announced. Well, all of that will take time but meanwhile, it's Alia and Ranbir's new relationship which is the talk of the town.

'Brahmastra' is the first part of the trilogy announced by Karan Johar sometime back. It also stars Amitabh Bachchan in a pivotal part and television's famous face Mouni Roy will be seen playing a negative role on-screen.

The actress will also be seen in Zoya Akhtar's 'Gully Boy' opposite Ranveer Singh. Her last release 'Raazi' was a huge hit and earned her rave reviews as well. A film by Meghna Gulzar got positive word of mouth publicity which gave it a good push. It is an adaptation of Harinder Sikkas novel 'Calling Sehmat', about an Indian spy married to a Pakistani military officer during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

The film hit the screens on May 11, 2018.New Delhi: The beautiful face and expressive eyes of Meena Kumari have been captured in a Google doodle devoted to the late legendary actress Meena Kumari for her 85th birth anniversary on Wednesday.

"As shown in the doodle, Meena Kumari captivated audiences with her beautiful, expressive eyes," according to the official Google Doodle page.

Born in 1933, Meena Kumari grew up on camera, lighting up the silver screen from the age of four when she was known as Baby Meena. She became a formidable actor in Indian cinema, appearing in more than 90 films during her 38-year career.

She portrayed strong yet vulnerable women who made their own way through life, although they were often devastated by romance. This gave her the epithet 'Tragedy Queen'. She came to be known for sailing through complex emotions on-screen with ease.

Some of her memorable films include "Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam", "Pakeezah", "Mere Apne", "Aarti", "Baiju Bawra", "Parineeta", "Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai", "Foot Path", "Dil Ek Mandir" and "Kaajal".

Meena Kumari was not only an iconic star of Hindi cinema, she was also a poet of great flair and delicacy.

She died in 1972 due to liver cirrhosis.New Delhi: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana featured on her maiden cover shoot for beauty Vogue India. She has graced the cover of the fashion magazine for the month of August and looks drop dead gorgeous. The 18-year-old star daughter has opened up in the interview with Vogue about what's it really like to be Shah Rukh Khan's daughter.

She told Vogue India, Moving away at age 16 was the best decision of my life. Living in a different environment and meeting so many new people helped me gain a lot of confidence. Its about being able to do the little things, like walk on the street or take the trainstuff that was so hard to do in Mumbai. But living away also made me appreciate home so much more.

Talking about her father's superstardom, Suhana added, I realised quite early on that it was different for us. But I never really thought about my dad being famous. When I was about five, he would come and drop me to school, and people would point and stare. He wasnt being addressed as Suhanas dad, which is what I wanted. It confused me. He would want to hug me, and I would push him back in the car. I hated the attention, it made me very self-conscious.

I realised if I wanted to hug my dad, hes my dadIm just going to hug him, she added.

Proud mommy Gauri meanwhile shared the BTS (behind-the-scenes) sneak peek video of Suhana's Vogue shoot on social media.

Watch it here:

SRK in the same interview with Vogue clarified on Suhana's debut in movies. He said, Suhanas not working towards a promise of being cast, shes working towards being an actor, and she knows that. We have friends who are very well-meaning and think of my kids as their own, and theyre all happy and keen to launch her. Like Karan Johar. But I keep insisting that I dont want them designed as stars, I want them to be launched when they are good-enough actors.In a recent study, researchers have generated a model that provides a clear view of the geologic processes that occurred about 50 million years ago, when the Indian and Asian tectonic plates collided under the Tibetan plateau.

According to Xiaodong Song, a geology professor at the University of Illinois and co-author of the new study, "The continental collision between the Indian and Asian tectonic plates shaped the landscape of East Asia, producing some of the deadliest earthquakes in the world."

Song and his colleagues reveal that the upper mantle layer of the Indian tectonic plate appears to be torn into four pieces that dive under Asia -- each at a different angle and distance from the origin of the tear.

The team gathered geophysical data from various sources to generate seismic wave tomographic images of Tibet that extend roughly 160 kilometres deep.

''The presence of these tears helps give a unified explanation as to why mantle-deep earthquakes occur in some parts of southern and central Tibet and not others," Song said.

The intact regions of crust between the tears are strong enough to accumulate strain to generate earthquakes. The crustal areas above the torn regions are exposed to more of the heat from the mantle and are therefore more flexible, the researchers said.

"What was previously thought of as unusual locations for some of the intercontinental earthquakes in the southern Tibetan Plateau seem to make more sense now after looking at this model," said a graduate student and co-author Jiangtao Li.

''There is a striking correlation with the location of the earthquakes and the orientation of the fragmented Indian upper mantle," Li added.

The model also explains some of the deformation patterns seen at the surface, including a series of unusual north-south rifts.

Together, the earthquake locations and deformation patterns are evidence of a strongly coupled crust and upper mantle in southern Tibet, the researchers said.NEW DELHI: A police complaint has been filed against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for making the alleged provocative remarks regarding the Assam National Register of Citizens issue.

According to PTI, the case against the Trinamool Congress chief has been filed with police in Assam's North Lakhimpur by the Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha activists in connection with her alleged provocative remarks on the NRC.

The TMC leader had on Tuesday warned that the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the NRC in Assam would lead to a civil war.

Speaking at a Catholic Bishops Conference of India conclave on Love Your Neighbour, Banerjee said, You cannot just drive away people who have been staying here for 100, 200, 30 years I am shocked to see how Indians became foreigners shocked to see that even relatives of former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed have not made it to the NRC.

The BJP Yuva Morcha activists then approached the Naharkatia police station in Upper Assams Dibrugarh district and filed a complaint against Banerjee in this regard.

Later, BJP president Amit Shah too asked the Trinamool Congress chief to clarify her remarks and accused her of indulging in vote bank politics.

However, sharpening her attack on the ruling BJP at the Centre, the West Bengal leader on Wednesday accused the saffron party of playing vote-bank politics, while also warning that the issue will "destroy" India's relationship with Bangladesh.

She said only one percent of the 40 lakh residents, whose names are missing from the draft NRC, could be infiltrators, but people are being "harassed" in the name of infiltrators.

Banerjee said that she has appealed to all opposition parties to send their delegation to Assam.

The TMC chief said that she has also urged former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha to visit the state.

She claimed that India has very good relations with Bangladesh, but the NRC issue threatens to spoil that.

"The NRC will destroy relationship between India and Bangladesh. Out of 40 lakh people whose names are not in the list of NRC, only one per cent could be illegal infiltrators. But the BJP is trying to show that all those not included (in NRC) are infiltrators," she told reporters at the Parliament.

Mamata had on Tuesday alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a "political motive" to divide people and warned that it would lead to bloodbath and a civil war in the country.

"Bangladesh is not a terrorist country. After Independence, many people from Pakistan came to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab. From Bangladesh too, people came to Tripura, West Bengal, Bihar and many other states. They are not infiltrators or terrorists. Is it a crime that Bangladesh and we (West Bengal) share the same mother tongue? They (the Centre) think, anybody who speaks Bangla is a Bangladeshi" she said.

Her comments come in the backdrop of Assam government publishing the draft NRC on July 30.

The draft excludes 40 lakh people from the list.

(With Agency inputs)NEW DELHI: Amid intense speculations that she would be the main face of the Opposition in 2019 polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday sought to dismiss talk of her being a Prime Ministerial candidate.

The Trinamool Congress chief, instead, said that her priority was to ensure that the ruling BJP is ousted from power at the Centre for which the Opposition should unite.

"I am nobody. I am a very simple worker. Let me just continue as a commoner. I want that this government must go, this BJP government. They are doing maximum political vendetta and atrocities with the people. So we want that everybody should be united. Let us work together, don't think of Prime Ministerial candidate. Think of the country," she said in Parliament House.

Banerjee, who has upped the ante on the issue of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, said that 40 lakh people whose names were missing from the list were the family members of this country.

"They belong to various states. They are our family members. They should not tell people to go out," she said.

Asked about BJP chief Amit Shah`s statement that he would be going to West Bengal to address a rally on August 11, she said, "Let him go. Let him go all the 365 days. Bengal is for everybody. Bengal welcomes everybody. It is their party problem."

In reply to a question on Shah`s comment about infiltrators and her remarks about a bloodbath, the Trinamool Congress chief said, ''What I am saying is that what the BJP is doing will create bloodbath. They are playing with fire."

Asked about her meetings with various political parties, including BJP veteran LK Advani, she said,'' I have been a Member of Parliament for seven times. I have maintained best of relations with all. And it is a kind of courtesy meeting."

Meanwhile, a police complaint has been filed against West Bengal Chief Minister for making the alleged provocative remarks regarding the Assam National Register of Citizens issue.

According to PTI, the case against the Trinamool Congress chief has been filed with police in Assam's North Lakhimpur by the Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha activists in connection with her alleged provocative remarks on the NRC.

The TMC leader had on Tuesday warned that the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the NRC in Assam would lead to a civil war.

Speaking at a Catholic Bishops Conference of India conclave on Love Your Neighbour, Banerjee said, You cannot just drive away people who have been staying here for 100, 200, 30 years I am shocked to see how Indians became foreigners shocked to see that even relatives of former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed have not made it to the NRC.

The BJP Yuva Morcha activists then approached the Naharkatia police station in Upper Assams Dibrugarh district and filed a complaint against Banerjee in this regard.

Later, BJP president Amit Shah too asked the Trinamool Congress chief to clarify her remarks and accused her of indulging in vote bank politics.

However, sharpening her attack on the ruling BJP at the Centre, the West Bengal leader on Wednesday accused the saffron party of playing vote-bank politics, while also warning that the issue will "destroy" India's relationship with Bangladesh.

She said only one percent of the 40 lakh residents, whose names are missing from the draft NRC, could be infiltrators, but people are being "harassed" in the name of infiltrators.

Banerjee said that she has appealed to all opposition parties to send their delegation to Assam.

The TMC chief said that she has also urged former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha to visit the state.

She claimed that India has very good relations with Bangladesh, but the NRC issue threatens to spoil that.

"The NRC will destroy the relationship between India and Bangladesh. Out of 40 lakh people whose names are not in the list of NRC, only one per cent could be illegal infiltrators. But the BJP is trying to show that all those not included (in NRC) are infiltrators," she told reporters at the Parliament.

Mamata had on Tuesday alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a "political motive" to divide people and warned that it would lead to a bloodbath and a civil war in the country.

"Bangladesh is not a terrorist country. After Independence, many people from Pakistan came to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab. From Bangladesh too, people came to Tripura, West Bengal, Bihar and many other states. They are not infiltrators or terrorists. Is it a crime that Bangladesh and we (West Bengal) share the same mother tongue? They (the Centre) think anybody who speaks Bangla is a Bangladeshi" she said.

Her comments come in the backdrop of Assam government publishing the draft NRC on July 30.

The draft excludes 40 lakh people from the list.

(With Agency inputs)DARWIN: It was an unprecedented scene in Darwin, Australia.

On Monday afternoon, a 'large object' was seen falling from the sky, hours after the Operation Pitch Black started with the first wave of flights.

The city of Darwin is used to aircraft flying overhead during the annual international air force exercise.

But falling of an unknown object from the sky  now that is something!

Later a Defence spokesperson clarified that an aircraft was forced to dump its entire fuel tank over Darwin after it ran into trouble mid-air.

Later, in a statement, the spokesperson said, "A jet aircraft involved in Exercise Pitch Black reported an engine malfunction and conducted an emergency jettison of its external fuel tank into scrubland south of Darwin," as reported by various Australian media outlets.

The aircraft and pilot managed to return safely to Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Darwin.

Admitting that this was a rare occasion, the team is currently investigating the matter, said the statement.

Recalling the incident, eyewitness claim a large black object seemed to be tumbling over and over again.

This is not the first time, an aircraft run into trouble in the massive international Pitch Black event.

In 2000, a dummy missile fell from an FA18 Hornet onto a pick-up truck in Darwin.

With over 140 aircraft and 4000 personnel from 16 countries, Operation Pitch Black in Australia is one of the biggest exercises of its kinds. Officially inaugurated on Friday, the exercise will be on till August 17.

The IAF has been at the centre of the exercise as it looks to build on regional partnerships, improve interoperability between nations and promote regional stability.Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it had identified a new coordinated political influence campaign to mislead its users and sow dissension among voters ahead of November`s U.S. congressional elections. It said it had removed 32 pages and accounts from Facebook and Instagram, part of an effort to combat foreign meddling in US elections.

The company stopped short of identifying the source of the misinformation. But members of Congress who had been briefed by Facebook on the matter said the methodology of the influence campaign suggested Russian involvement.

I can say I think with pretty high confidence I think this is Russian-related, Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters at the U.S. Capitol.

Two U.S. intelligence officials told Reuters there was not sufficient evidence to conclude that Russia was behind the Facebook campaign, but one noted that the similarities, aims and methodology relative to the 2016 Russian campaign are quite striking."

A Russian propaganda arm tried to tamper in the 2016 U.S. election by posting and buying ads on Facebook, according to the company and U.S. intelligence agencies. In February, the U.S. Justice Department indicted 13 Russian nationals, and the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election.

Moscow has denied involvement.

Facebook has been on the defensive about influence activity on its site and concerns over user privacy tied to long-standing agreements with developers that allowed them access to private user data.

`ARMS RACE`

The Atlantic Councils Digital Forensics Research Lab, which was shown the suspended pages ahead of the takedown, said they showed similarities in language and approach to previously fake accounts from the Internet Research Agency, which is known as the troll factory because it stirs up public opinion on social media sites.

The lab cited consistent mistranslation, as well as an overwhelming focus on polarizing issues at the top of any given news cycle. It said, for example, the posts on the year-old, feminist Resisters page took a liberal or left-wing stance on issues around gender, race, immigration, and human rights. Other pages promoted racial pride among minority groups.

The group said the Resisters page was alarming because it was pushing for confrontation at multiple protests, including against "Unite the Right 2," with a potential for violence. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook`s chief operating officer, said on a call with reporters that the attempts to manipulate public opinion would likely become more sophisticated to evade Facebooks scrutiny, calling it an "arms race."

Dan Coats, the Trump administration`s director of national intelligence, said in a speech earlier this month that "the warning lights are blinking red again. Today, the digital infrastructure that serves this country is literally under attack."

The White House said the administration was supportive of Facebook`s actions.

"We applaud efforts by our private-sector partners to combat an array of threats that occur in cyberspace, including malign influence," said Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the National Security Council.

U.S. President Donald Trump has come under fire for discounting the threat of interference in the congressional elections.

During his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki earlier this month, Trump appeared to state that he believed Russia was no longer trying to influence the U.S. election process.

Trump later amended that, saying he was "very concerned" about Russian interference in the election. On Friday, Trump held a meeting with his national security advisers on election security.

The Senate Intelligence Committee had previously scheduled a hearing on Wednesday addressing the online threat to U.S. election security.

DIVISIVE ISSUES

Facebook identified influence activity around at least two issues, including a counter-protest to the Unite the Right 2 rally set next week in Washington. The other was the #AbolishICE social media campaign aimed at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

In an online post, Facebook said it was disclosing the influence effort now in part because of the rally. A previous event last year in Charlottesville, Virginia, led to violence by white supremacists.

Facebook said it would tell users who had expressed interest in the counter-protest what action it had taken and why.

"This kind of behavior is not allowed on Facebook because we don`t want people or organizations creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what theyre doing," the company said.

More than 290,000 accounts followed at least one of the pages and about $11,000 had been spent on about 150 ads, Facebook said. The pages had created about 30 events since May 2017.

Facebook officials on a call with reporters said one known account from Russia`s Internet Research Agency was a co-administrator of one of the fake pages for seven minutes, but the company did not believe that was enough evidence to attribute the campaign to the Russian government.

The company previously said 126 million Americans may have seen Russian-backed political content on Facebook over a two-year period, and that 16 million may have been exposed to Russian information on the Instagram photo-sharing app.

Over the past several months, the company has taken steps meant to reassure U.S. and European lawmakers that further regulation is unnecessary. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg says the company has 20,000 people working to police and protect the site.Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was undergoing treatment for serious cardiac complications at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, has now been shifted back to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi.

News agency PTI quoted sources in the PIMS as saying that various tests were performed on him, which showed a lot of improvement in his health, following which the doctors decided to shift him back to the jail.

They said Sharif also expressed willingness to go back to jail, pointing that he was not ready to go to the hospital in first place and only agreed when his jailed daughter and her husband convinced him to follow doctors' advice. Heavy security measures were taken to shift him back to jail. A convoy of 11 security vehicles escorted him to jail.

Pakistan-based Dawn News had earlier reported that no one was allowed to meet the former prime minister in hospital and the floor where he was admitted was declared a sub jail.

The report quoted PIMS executive director Raja Amjad as saying that those wanting to meet Sharif would have to take prior permission from jail authorities and the hospital administration had no say on the same.

The former prime ministers brother and Pakistan Muslim League  Nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif was also reportedly not allowed to meet him.

The decision to move Sharif to hospital was taken on Sunday after ECG and irregular blood reports.

A team of doctors had recommended that Sharif was in the need of proper medical care, citing that he had been suffering from acute pain in both his arms possibly because of inadequate blood circulation.

Sharif, daughter Maryam and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar were taken to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi soon after they landed in Lahore from London via UAE, as they were convicted in Avenfield properties case.MEXICO CITY: As many as 85 people were injured on Tuesday, two critically, when an Aeromexico-operated Embraer passenger jet crashed soon after takeoff in Mexico's state of Durango, but authorities said there were no fatalities.

The mid-sized jet was almost full, with 97 passengers and four crew members aboard, when it came down at around 4 pm local time (2100 GMT), Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, Mexico`s minister for communications and transportation, wrote on Twitter.

"The plane was taking off," Governor Jose Rosas Aispuro told Mexican television, adding that witnesses told him there was "a bang" and then without warning the plane was on the ground.

TV images showed the severely damaged body of the plane after it came to rest in scrubland and a column of smoke rose into the sky.

The plane made an emergency landing about six miles (10 km) from the airport, Alejandro Cardoza, a spokesman for the state`s civil protection agency, said on local television. Other authorities said the crash was close to the airport.

Cardoza said in an interview that around 85 people had been injured, adding that a fire resulting from the accident had been put out. The civil protection agency said 37 people were hospitalized, while the state health department said two passengers were in a critical condition.

The operator of Durango airport, Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, attributed the crash to bad weather conditions, citing preliminary reports. The plane had barely taken off when it felt like it was hit by a strong air current, one passenger told network Televisa.

"Many managed to leave the plane on foot," Cardoza said.

Aeromexico said on Twitter that flight number 2431 was an Embraer 190 bound for Mexico City when it crashed. A spokesman for the Mexican airline declined to disclose the passenger list or the nationalities of those on board.

Embraer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto wrote on Twitter that he had instructed the defence, civil protection and transportation ministries to aid in the response to the crash.Journalist Orkhan Dzhemal was one of the few Russian citizens unafraid of exposing the truth about Russias aggression against Ukraine and, especially, its treatment of the Crimean Tatars

Journalist Orkhan Dzhemal was one of the few Russian citizens unafraid of exposing the truth about Russias aggression against Ukraine and, especially, its treatment of the Crimean Tatars. He was murdered on 30 July in the Central African Republic, together with Russian filmmaker Alexander Rastorguev and cameraman Kirill Radchenko. The men had arrived just three days earlier to shoot a film about the activities of the so-called Wagner private military company. This unit with its highly-trained and well-paid mercenaries is officially private, however the fighters have been used in Russias invasion of Crimea and undeclared war in Donbas, as well as in Syria, and now appear to be side by side with Russian military personnel in CAR. The Wagner units leader Dmitry Utkin was spotted at a Kremlin reception for Heroes of the Fatherland in December 2016, and at least one of its fighters is known to have received a state award signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Although it is illegal to be a mercenary in Russia, the deployment of this supposedly private military company always closely follows Russian foreign activities.

Radio Svoboda reports that Russian military instructors, advisors and mercenaries from such PMC have been active in the Central African Republic for several months, with many sources reporting that this African project is heading by Yevgeny Prigozhin. This individual, often referred to as Putins cook, once served a long prison sentence for serious crimes, and then tried selling fast-food on the street. He is probably paying for the billions he now reportedly possesses by financing the notorious the Internet troll factory in St. Petersburg, and the Wagner unit.

In May 2018, Andrew McGregor, writing for the Jamestown Foundation, reported that Russia was displacing the French in the Struggle for Influence in the Central African Republic. Russia appeared to be willing to exchange arms and cash for access to oil, minerals, strategic bases and rare earths, McGregor wrote, with this bypassing a UN arms embargo imposed after civil war broke out in 2013. Russia is doing more than simply donating weapons, McGregor points out, noting that local reports have suggested that the Russians arriving have included disinformation experts who have started an anti-French media campaign. Of the 175 Russian trainers in the CAR, five are members of the Russian army, while most of the others are from the Wagner or similar private military companies.

The Central African Republic is in a state of turmoil and the report that the men were shot in a robbery attempt could possibly be true. Or it may not be, and there is another reason for the ambush which seems to have specifically aimed to kill the three journalists, though the driver of the vehicle did not die.

Journalist Rodion Chepel told Novaya Gazeta that the three men had gone to CAR after reports that Russian men in military uniform were being seen.

It is unlikely that Moscow would have welcomed a film exposing the manner in which Russian military and Russian supposedly illegal mercenaries work in sync with one another.

More about the Wagner units role in Donbas and Syria here:

Russians admit to killing for money  Ukrainians or Syrians, as Russia demands

Orkhan Dzhemal was 52 and a highly-experienced military journalist. Back in 2014, during the first months of the Russian-manned, armed and funded military conflict in Donbas, he provided invaluable insight into the dirty methods of information warfare being applied. It was Dzhemal, for example, who exposed the lengths to which Russia and the leaders of its proxy republics would go for some good propaganda, including sending journalists to be shot

Dzhemal also spoke the truth about Russias treatment of Crimean Tatars, even on Russian national television. In May 2016, for example, during a talk show on the Kremlin-loyal NTV, Dzhemal reminded his audience where Russian-speaking Crimeans came from. Crimean Tatars were deported in 1944, and they put NKVD [secret police] men for their services into their homes.

Alexander Rastorguev was 47 and lived in Rostov on the Don. He had faced arrest in Putins Russia back in December 2011 for protesting against falsification in advance of Putins predetermined winning of a third presidential term. His films were apparently rated highly by Ukrainian filmmaker and Kremlin hostage Oleg Sentsov.

Kirill Radchenko was just 32.

Read the original article at Human Rights in Ukraine.Read the original text at 112.ua.

Open source

Four years after the war in the east erupted, when nothing has been known about the fate of the combatants and civilians, Ukraine has finally adopted a bill on regulating the problems that have remained unresolved for all these years. July 30, the law was signed by President Poroshenko. The document should solve the acutest problems - the lack of a unified register of missing persons and problems of identifying the remains.

July 30, President Petro Poroshenko signed the law "On the legal status of missing persons." The bill regulates the gaps in the current legislation with regard to the proper regulation of the legal status of missing persons, introduces a unified system for accounting for such persons, provides for the right to obtain a pension on special terms, People's Deputy Oleksiy Ryabchyn wrote on Facebook. "The issue of missing persons has not been fully resolved since 2014. I am surprised by the position of the government because it had to resolve the issue even before the adoption of the deputy bill," he said.

Recommendations for the establishment of a mechanism that would regulate the procedure for the search for missing persons at the national level were provided by a delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) noted establishing a specialized government body tasked with coordinating the work of all state and non-governmental organizations working on the issue of missing persons; considering adopting a special law on missing persons (in particular, in Resolution 2067). The UN Monitoring Mission on Human Rights in Ukraine drew attention to a significant number of people missing in connection with the armed conflict in the territory of Ukraine. Despite this, no recommendations have been properly implemented. "The issue of missing persons does not fully belong to the competence of any of the ministries or other central executive bodies and is not coordinated at the national level. Individual events in this context are not systemic," according to the note.

Currently, the National Police, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Office of Civil-Military Cooperation of the Armed Forces within the framework of the EVACUATION-200 project (search for missing servicemen and transportation of bodies or remains from the conflict zone) are being searched for missing persons, head of Department of Investigation of the Civil-Military Cooperation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Vladyslav Kravchenko stated.

One of the most serious problems is the lack of a single register of missing persons. Each department has its own register, be it the National Police, the Ministry of Defense (with respect to the armed forces of the Armed Forces) or the United Center within the Security Service (its registry includes not only missing persons but also prisoners of war)," Kravchenko said.

The absence of a single register led to disagreements. In particular, the 19th report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the situation with human rights in Ukraine for the period from May 16 to August 15, 2017 notes that the number of missing persons since the beginning of the Donbas conflict in the public databases of National Police and the Main Directorate of the National Police in Donetsk region differed by 170 people. "Lack of effective coordination between public authorities and exchange of information between the government and armed groups, publicly available data on the number of missing persons in the conflict zone are significantly different," as said in the document.

At the end of 2017, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasily Hrytsak, said that more than 400 people had disappeared since the beginning of hostilities in Donbas. It was reported that as of the end of May, 56 children were considered missing, 33 of them are still being sought. 85 servicemen are among the missing since 2014, Kravchenko stated: "These are mostly those, who disappeared in 2014-2015 during the events in Ilovaisk, Debaltsevo."

Another problem is the lack of coordination between the departments in terms of the identification of remains found in burials. Almost half of the cases with the found remains of the servicemen are problematic. There is a coincidence in the DNA expertise, but relatives refuse to recognize that the remains really belong to the person they are looking for. In particular, despite the coincidence of the DNA expertise, which is actually the basis for the investigative bodies to stop searching for the missing person, relatives have questions about the differences in anthropology, odontology, and so on, Kravchenko adds.

The draft law "On the Legal Status of Missing Persons" provides for the creation of a Commission on the Issues of Missing Persons as a consultative and advisory body to the Cabinet of Ministers. The Commission will maintain a single electronic register, in which the submissions will include data from missing servicemen and civilians. The Commission will include representatives of the Ministry of Defense, investigative bodies of the National Security Service, the Security Service, representatives of the forensic medical examination of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (units that conduct DNA examinations), and others. "This will provide an integrated approach to solving problematic issues of families of missing persons," Kravchenko assures.

A commission of representatives from ministries and departments should be formed within a 3-month period after the bill comes into force.

However, it depends on the government whether the body would work properly in practice, the co-author of the bill, People's Deputy Oleksiy Ryabchyn notes: "The government must introduce an effective coordination between the executive authorities, create a full-fledged register of persons missing and fill it up with the corresponding data. The fact that the law is signed is the first important step, but after it, the government should perform its part of the duties."

There are certain concerns about the bill and representatives of the volunteer organizations. In particular, the NGO "Union of People's Memory" fears that the possibilities of non-state search groups for tracing missing persons will be limited due to the statutory requirement to collect information only in consultation with the National Police of Ukraine, and to establish contacts with legal and physical persons in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions will need to obtain permission of the commission. "It is not clear why the search teams should receive the approval of the National Police to collect information about missing persons. Why should one limit search groups in dealing with legal entities or individuals in the occupied territory?" Taras Borgun, the lawyer of the organization, notes.Open source

As of 6:00 p.m., August 1, the militants violated ceasefire regime four times in JFO zone. The press office of JFO reports on Facebook.

According to HQ, the militants were opening aimed fire at the defenders of Krymske and Mariinka settlements. Heavy weapons werent used during the hostilities. The militants were using grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms.

It is also noted that the separation of the forces was aborted because of the shelling of the militants near Stanytsia Luhanska.

No casualties among the Ukrainian soldiers reported.

Reportedly, the illegal armed formations opened fire 32 times at JFO positions during the last day on 26 July. Heavy weapons werent used. One Ukrainian soldier died and one wounded during the hostilities.

Ukraine news on 112.internationalSince small hours of Wednesday, the enemy attacked Krymske and Mariinka; two hostile fighters deceased

Over the past 24 hours, on July 31, Russian militants attacked Ukrainian positions 36 times; one of the Ukrainian warriors sustained wounds in combat.

According to the HQ of the Joint Forces Operation, the Russian occupant forces opened fire from RPGs, heavy machineguns and small arms; no heavy weaponry use was observed.

The enemy attacked Krymske, Svitlodarsk, Luhanske, Pivdenne, Zaitsevo, Novomykhailivka, Opytne, Krasnohorivka, Avdiivka, Mariinka, Pisky, Lebedynske, Pavlopol, Hnutove, Vodyane and Talakivka.

Since small hours of Wednesday, the enemy attacked Krymske and Mariinka; two hostile fighters deceased, another six were wounded in action, the Ukrainian military intelligence said.

As we reported, the police arrested those involved in the murder of Vitaliy Oleshko, the former fighter of Donbas volunteer battalion. Ruslan Forostyak, the counselor to the head of the local police branch posted this on Facebook.

Later that day, reporter Yuriy Butusov added that a car was stopped near Prymorske village, Zaporizhya region. There were four men inside. 'The killers tried to escape, but they took them in and already identified them. Andriy Madzharov, Vitaliy Oleshko's friend and the witness of the crime identified the murderer. So did the other witnesses', he wrote.Read the original text at 112.ua.

Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) Nazar Kholodnytsky stays on his post. As our sources in the coalition factions have previously predicted, the meeting of the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors, held on July 26 on the appeal of Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko and of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) head Artem Sytnyk, against Kholodnytsky ended with a reprimand for the latter. However, this is not the end of Kholodnytskys career on this post  SAP is undertaking ambiguous steps.

In March, the media spread the information that the cabinet of the anti-corruption prosecutor and deputy of Lutsenko is being bugged, and the corresponding equipment was found in his aquarium. According to 112.ua sources in the law enforcement agencies, the initiator of the wiretapping was the Prosecutor General's Office. As noted by Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko, his deputy is a figurant of the criminal case; that is why they have been bugging him with the participation of the NABU representatives. Lutsenko did not disclose any details. According to the media reports, the head of SAP is suspected of aiding and abetting a bribe of $ 2 million to close a criminal case. In addition, he was assisted to the defendants of certain criminal proceedings. After a short time, Lutsenko and NABU head Artem Sytnyk, based on these materials, sent a complaint to the qualification and disciplinary commission of prosecutors with a proposal to fire Kholodnytsky. At the same time, as the Prosecutor General later specified, he is not talking about bringing his deputy to criminal liability.

Kholodnytsky presented his report in the parliament, saying that for two years he had been subjected to discrediting. People's Deputy Serhiy Leshchenko asked Kholodnytsky about a person that would replace the official, and the head of SAP ironically offered his chair to the deputy.

However, Kholodnytsky refused to voluntarily leave his post. Allegedly the US Embassy in Ukraine called him and offered to voluntarily resign after the published audio recordings, but he said during the meeting that "he is now power."

Why did Kholodnytsky manage to keep his post? First, the dismissal of Kholodnytsky was not Lutsenko's original purpose. Ukraines political elites were not enthusiastic about the imposed alternative vertical of security agencies and in every possible way tried to compromise them. Let us recall the clash of detectives of NABU with representatives of one of the Departments of the Prosecutors Office, the disclosure of the NABU agents by the Prosecutor General's Office. After the investigation of the so-called amber case, one of its defendants MP Maksym Polyakov said about the compromising information on the director of the NABU. And after the promotion of the case against the son of Minister of Internal Affairs Olexandr Avakov the minister promised Sytnyk that he would pay the debt.

However, the coalition's attempt to fire the Director of the NABU Artem Sytnyk, bypassing the procedure to replace him with a more loyal leader, led to a tough reaction among the Western partners. Embassies of the G-7 and IMF countries started talking about the suspension of the visa-free regime. And therefore the authorities decided to act in a more sophisticated way.

With the ruling elite feed out, a conflict between the NABU and SAP erupted. Heads of the departments have even stopped communication, although they should act together. In such a situation, Kholodnytskys dismissal does not make sense, because now he has become a counterweight to Sytnyk. And vice versa. In addition, the journalists of the "Schemes" program in their investigations have repeatedly noted that the opposing President and the Minister of the Internal Affairs have found their own approaches to the heads of the anti-corruption bodies. Presidents Administration has found its approach to Artem Sytnyk, and Arsen Avakov  to Nazar Kholodnytsky. In the context of the conflict between the heads of the NABU and SAP, it becomes easier to control them.

According to the labor legislation, the second reprimand for Kholodnytsky would mean dismissal. At the same time, the SAP services for the "National Front"  closure of cases against Olexandr Avakov and the People's Deputy from "National Front" Denys Dzendzersky  could help the anti-corruption prosecutor remain in his office. A striking episode of the last days was a scuffle near the offices of SAP and NABU, in which the people close to Avakov took an active part, openly speaking against Sytnyk and supporting Kholodnytsky. By the way, Sytnyk was noticed at the president's house.

This situation is more than deplorable in terms of the consequences for the country. Despite many investigations into cases allegedly conducted by anti-corruption bodies, there are no court verdicts. This plays into the hands of corrupt officials close to the authorities, who thus avoid the responsibility. The plan to discredit the anti-corruption bodies has been successfully carried out, and the heads of these bodies themselves have directly or indirectly put it into practice, trying to stay in their seats.

And what about the Western embassies, who are unofficially credited with supervising over NABU and SAP? The US Embassy has publicly advised Nazar Kholodnytsky to resign voluntarily. That is, it took the side of NABU. However, according to 112.ua sources in diplomatic circles, the Wests priority is the launch of the Anti-Corruption Court, without which "effective activity of NABU and SAP is impossible." And the court is unlikely to work until the presidential elections. Most likely, such a stalemate will be resolved after the elections.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or 112.International and its owners.Ukraine has begun mass producing ammunition for 40-millimeter automatic grenade launchers, the state defense industry monopoly Ukroboronprom recently announced. This caliber is widely used by the militaries of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states; whereas, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have, thus far, utilized mainly 30-millimeter ammunition for their grenade launchers. Ukroboronprom said the new ammunition, which corresponds to NATO standards, is being manufactured jointly by the Shostka-based state-controlled Impuls plant and the Kyiv-based Kuznya na Rybalskomu (Ukroboronprom.com.ua, July 18). The latter is part of the business empire of President Petro Poroshenko.

Ukraine has been among the worlds largest arms exporters for decades, but its share of the global market has been shrinking. The Stockholm International Peace Institute (SIPRI) calculated that Ukraine was the worlds 11th arms exporter in 20132017, providing 1.7 percent of world exports, and its main client was Russia, with a 23 percent share of exports. Ukraines global share had shrunk from 2.5 percent in 20082012 (112.international, March 29). The decline was due to several factors. The war that Russia started in Ukraine in 2014 boosted domestic demand for arms and ammunition, so more is now consumed by the Ukrainian army, to the detriment of exports. Additionally, the Ukrainian government banned military sales to Russia, again because of the war, and it has been impossible to quickly find a replacement for such a big market. Finally, Ukraine used to export surplus stock inherited from the Soviet Union, which has dwindled over the years.

With NATO-standard products such as the new grenades, Ukraine could try to not only regain its position on the global market, but also to find Western customers. Thus far, it has been selling weapons mainly to developing countries and those NATO members once part of the Soviet bloc that have retained a substantial Soviet-era inventory. Also, moving away from Soviet and Russian standards will facilitate Ukraines aim of cutting dependence on hardware and technologies from Russia and its satellites, which is essential for national security at a time when Russia occupies portions of Ukrainian territory. Last but not least, the adoption of NATO standards is essential for attaining membership in the North Atlantic Allianceone of Kyivs main foreign policy goals since the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2014.

A new national security law, adopted by Ukraine this summer (see EDM, June 26), provides for the Ukrainian Armed Forces adoption of NATO principles and standards (President.gov.ua, July 5). However, a transition to Alliance standards in the defense industry officially began earlier, since 2014. In April 2015, Ukroboronprom came up with a plan, according to which the movement toward NATO industrial standards should be completed in 2020. In December 2015, when President Poroshenko visited Alliance headquarters, Ukraine and NATO signed a roadmap on defense-technical cooperation aimed at achieving interoperability with NATO forces and providing assistance to Ukraine in transitioning to the Western political-military blocs standards. The same year, Poroshenko set the extremely ambitious goal of Ukraine becoming one of the top five arms exporters of new products, rather than old stocks.

Ukroboronprom has said that weapons developed in Ukraine that fit NATO criteria have so far primarily included aviation and armored vehicles. Also, it has been participating in NATO Industrial Advisory Group research, has joined the supplier base of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, and created new battle tanks, military transport aircraft, artillery, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, as well as small arms jointly with Alliance members (Ukroboronprom.com.ua, February 21).

Armored vehicles have been one of the Ukrainian defense industrys main exports, but the models sold abroad by Ukraine tend to be upgraded versions of Soviet machinery designed in the 1970s and 1980s. As for aviation, the Kyiv-based Antonov design bureau is famous for its giant transport planesAn-124 Ruslan and An-225 Mriya. However, these were designed for specific Soviet aerospace and military needs. Only Russia and China sporadically expressed interest in reviving their production. As a result, Antonov has practically ceased to make aircraft (Hvylya.net, March 29).

Thus far, Ukraine has been trying to enter NATO markets mainly with small arms and ammunition, such as the aforementioned 40-millimeter grenade-launcher rounds. Early last year, Ukroboronprom said it would start assembling the WAC-47 assault rifle based on the famous M-16 under United States government license. This, bragged Ukroboronprom, is a real step toward Euro-Atlantic structures (Ukroboronprom.com.ua, January 10, 2017; see EDM, January 25, 2017).

However, judging by official Ukrainian statistics, not much has been achieved to date. Ukraine exported its defense industry products to only six countries in 2017, including the US. In particular, the US imported 15,830 firearms, including grenade launchers and anti-tank rifles. But those were likely bought mostly for commercial purposes rather than military needs. Ukraine exported mainly small arms last year, also to Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Jordan. Thailand and Turkey were two exceptions, with Thailand buying 16 Oplot tanks and Turkey buying 3 anti-air missile complexes (Interfax, July 20; Segodnya.ua, June 6).

The Ukrainian defense industrys efficiency has been dubious, even bearing in mind that transition to new standards cannot be an easy task for an economy as under pressure as Ukraines. Moreover, the National Anti-Corruption Agency of Ukraine has begun to investigate Ukroboronproms activities. It suspects, in particular, large-scale fraud involving transfers to bank accounts of a family member of one of the Ukrainian state arms maker and exporters top managers, as well as re-selling Soviet-era armored vehicles imported from Poland at artificially high prices. But for now, Ukroboronprom is dismissing these charges as part of part of Moscows propaganda (Foreign Policy, December 21, 2017; Gordonua.com, June 22, 2018).

Read the original text here.The Ombudsman noted that Russia forcibly treat, interrogate and put psychological pressure on the political prisoners

Open source

Lyudmyla Denisova, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament addressed Zeid Raad Al Hussein, UN Commissioner for Human Rights with a request to influence on the Russian Federation to facilitate independent medical examination of Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia, the Ombudsman claimed this on Facebook.

She recalled that Russia continues to hide information on the real health condition of the political prisoners, and force them to take Russian citizenship.

Russia continues to violate the rights and freedoms of the political prisoners, forcibly treat, interrogate and put psychological pressure on them, she said.

Despite the agreements between Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin, the ombudsman is denied to visit the detained Ukrainian citizens.

Despite this, I addressed Zeid Raad Al Hussein, UN Commissioner for Human Rights with a request to influence on the Russian Federation. So, they finally start following the main principles of humanism and respecting human rights, to fulfill obligations provided by the International agreements and to cooperate. Also, she asked to facilitate visits of the representatives of international humanitarian organizations to the Ukrainians detained on the territory of the Russian Federation and Crimea and to undertake an independent medical examination of Volodymyr Balukh, Oleg Sentsov, and Stanislav Klykh, Denisova said.

Reportedly, Lyudmila Denisova, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament sent a formal letter to Russian Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova with a proposal of exchanging 36 Russian citizens detained and convicted in Ukraine for misdemeanors against the government.

As it was reported earlier, Ukraine is ready to consider the option of exchanging 13 Russians in addition to the previously voiced 23 names for Ukrainian political prisoners release.

Iryna Herashchenko, the First Vice-Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament named 23 names of either convicted or detained Russians on the Ukrainian territory who are ready to be conveyed to Moscow in exchange for Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia and Donbas.The signature of the treaty will be scheduled after the translation of the text into Ukrainian and Hebrew

Ukraine and Israel completed working on the text of the agreement on the launch of the free trade area. The press office of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine reports.

The next stage of the preparation is translation the text of the agreement into Ukrainian and Hebrew, after that the document will be signed by the representatives of the countries.

The document totally consists of 12 sections and the number of additions, which were processed, concurs with the international practice of concluding such documents.

Reportedly, Ukraine implements PEM convention into the already active free trade zone with Georgia.The ex-leader of Donald Trump's election campaign will remain in custody until the end of the hearings in his case

Open source

Paul Manafort, the former counselor and the ex-leader of Donald Trump's election campaign, had more than 30 bank accounts in three countries across the globe. Reuters reported that, commenting on the latest developments in his case.

This was necessary 'to receive and hide his income from Ukraine, a federal prosecutor said on Tuesday', the news agency wrote.

Manafort will remain in custody until the end of the hearings in his case, which kicked off today, August 1. The official is charged with financial and tax frauds.

The U.S. Prosecutor's Office claims that Manafort was working in Ukraine during the presidential elections in 2010 and the parliamentarian elections in 2012. Also, he was consulting Ukrainian politics at the local elections and was lobbying the interests of the former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.

As it was reported earlier, Paul Manafort and his partner Rick Gates were charged with offenses under 12 counts, including the money laundry and conspiracy. Later, they were taken under house detention. The court promised that Manafort would face 305 years in prison.The two governments also consider the construction of a new railway road from Kishinev to Kharkiv

Open source

The government of Kharkiv region, northeastern Ukraine, and Moldovan ambassador Ruslan Bolbochan discussed opening an honorary consulate in Kharkiv. The Moldovan Foreign Ministry reported that on Wednesday.

'During the meetings with statesmen from Kharkiv region, we discussed issues of interregional cooperation, deepening the trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian relations. Due to the that fact, the sides expressed mutual interest in opening the Honorary Consulate in Kharkiv', reads the message.

The two governments also consider the construction of a new railway road from Kishinev to Kharkiv.

Bolbochan invited Kharkiv-based businessmen to visit the forum of GUAM member countries, which is slated for autumn in Kishinev.

Additionally, on August 1, Air Moldova airline renews the flights between Chisinau and Kyiv. It is reported that flight Kyiv-Chisinau will depart from Ukraine daily, excluding Saturday, at 17:10. Since September 22, the flights will be performed seven days a week. Airbus A319 with 134 seats and Embraer E190 with 111 seats will serve the flights. The passengers will be able to buy the tickets of the economy- and business-class seats, receive food and use the free registration. Air Moldova airline is the national air carrier of Moldova that is based in Chisinau. The fleet of the company consists of Embraer 190 and Airbus 320 and serves 28 flights in Europe and the Middle East.Multinational military drills of NATO member countries and partners of the Noble Partner 2018 alliance has started in Georgia and will last until August 15. This was reported on the website of the Georgian Defense Ministry.

The exercises will be held at Vaziani Air Base, Vaziani Military Base and at the training ground in Norio village.

3,000 soldiers from 13 NATO member countries and partner countries including Georgia, the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia will take part in the exercises. This time, the US aerial support and German armored personnel carriers will also participate in the training.

"These exercises are held in Georgia for the fourth time and are aimed at improving the defensive and offensive operations skills, increasing readiness and compatibility between the NATO member countries and partner countries and also contributing to the maintenance of a stable and secure environment in the Black Sea region," the report says.

The scenario of the drills includes command, staff and field training with live fire, maneuvers and elements of combat support in defensive and offensive operations.

As it was reported earlier, the Black Sea waters hosted a joint exercise of the NATO combat vessels and Ukrainian Navy ships. On July 23, six Alliance vessels, including frigates and minesweepers reached the seaport of Odesa, southern Ukraine. The maneuvers began on July 26. Boudewijn Boots, the Commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 said that this visit  the third one since the annexation of Crimea by Russia  clearly shows the Alliances support of Ukraine.

Earlier, we reported that a group of NATO vessels entered Odesa port. It was specified that the ships are the part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2). In particular, a frigate "De Ruyter" of the Netherlands Royal Navy, a frigate "Fatih" and mine-hunter "namur" of the Turkish Navy, Germanys support ship "Rhein", a frigate "Regele Ferdinand" and mine-hunter "Lupu Dinescu" from Romania docked in the port.

Sea Breeze 2018 drills kicked off in Odesa on July 9. This year's exercises involve 30 vessels from naval forces of 19 countries, including a Turkish submarine. An important feature of the exercise is that the multinational staff will be coordinating the actions of naval, air and ground forces from USS Mount Whitney, the flagship of the 6th U.S. Navy Fleet.His current health conditions might be grave, which is why the Russian authorities do not allow any visits, Ukrainian ombudswoman said

Father Grigoriy, the bishop of the Apostle Orthodox Church is not allwoed to visit Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov in colony where he now serves time. This was the decision by Colonel Aleksandr Novikov, the chief of the Department of the Federal Penitantiary Service in Yamalo-Nenetsky territory. Lyudmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian ombudswoman posted that on Facebook.

'I spoke to Novikov on the colony's territory. He told me he doesn't see any point in my visit and decided not to let me in. It is obvious that any reaction of the Russian Federation to attempted visits to see Sentsov is extremely one-sided - 'don't'!', she wrote.

His current health conditions might be grave, which is why the Russian authorities do not allow any visits, the Ukrainian ombudswoman said.

As is known, the native of Crimea, film director and political activist, Sentsov has been serving time in the Russian penal colony in Labytnangi since May 2014. This spring, he announced a hunger strike, demanding to release all Ukrainian political prisoners, illegally held by the Kremlin.

Oleg Sentsov was illegally detained in Crimea in 2014, then taken to Russia. They judged him and sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment at a high-security penal colony. The prosecutors charged Sentsov with preparing terrorist acts in the occupied Crimea. Sentsov denies his guilt. Ukraine's government, common citizens and the international society - politicians, artists, public figures - urge the Kremlin to release him.

Sentsov enjoys the wide support of the many in Ukraine and abroad. Rallies, where participants urge to release him, are held worldwide - in Ukraine, Russia, the EU and the U.S.Savchenko and Ruban are suspected for an organization of terrorist acts in the government district of Kyiv

Open source

Prosecutor General's office and Security Service of Ukraine have completed the investigation of the criminal proceedings against Nadiya Savchenko, MP of the Ukrainian Parliament and Volodymyr Ruban, Head of Officers Corps organization under suspicion of terrorism. Ukrainian News report this with a reference to the source in the law enforcement bodies.

The suspects and their lawyers are allowed to peruse with the case file, after, the file will be transmitted to the court for consideration on the merits, reads the message.

Reportedly, Savchenko underwent a polygraph test. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed that the psychological forensic examination with the use of the polygraph of MP Nadiya Savchenko has confirmed her intentions of the coup d'etat, particularly the commitment of the terrorist act in the governmental quarter and the Ukrainian Parliament.

Shevchenkivskyi District Court decided on preventive measures for Nadiya Savchenko, Ukrainian peoples deputy  detention on custody for two months till May 20, 2018, without a right for bailment. During her speech, she declared a hunger strike. She also noted that she wasnt going to escape Ukraine. Later, Appeal Court enhanced Savchenkos detention until July 14.

On July 13, her detention was extended and she declared an indefinite hunger strike.

Nadiya Savcheko, MP is suspected of organizing a terrorist act in the Ukrainian Parliament and in the government district of Kyiv. Yuriy Lutsenko, Prosecutor General claimed that he has proof that Savchenko planned an armed coup d'etat, which would have brought to mass civilian casualties. In particular, according to the information of Prosecutor General's office, she planned to shell Kyiv from grenade launcher. Furthermore, she together with early detained Volodymyr Ruban are suspected of an organization of assassination of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

Ruban was detained on March 8 at the Ukrainian checkpoint at the demarcation line of Donbas Conflict zone. It is stated that Ruban is suspected in the illegal handling of arms, preparation of a crime and terrorist action. Later the Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv arrested Volodymyr Ruban, the Leader of Center of POW Release 'Officer Corps' for 60 days without a right to the bail. The Court extended the arrest on May 4 to July 2.Any international activity at the temporarily occupied territories if Ukraine should take place by the agreement with the Ukrainian side

Open source

The Russian Federation blocks all attempts of the international organization to visit occupied Crimea and hold a monitoring there as Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Serhy Kyslytsia reported on Facebook.

"The Russian Federation continues to block all attempts of the international organizations, including the UN, the Council of Europe, UNESCO and OSCE to use the invitation of Ukraine and implement the decision of the governing bodies of these structures on the monitoring of occupied Crimea. Instead, Moscow cynically claims that it is open for the visits of Crimea as a part of Russia," Kyslytsia said.

According to him, such a position cannot be accepted by Ukraine and the international organization that should be guided by the norms of the international law and their own decisions made with the observance of these norms.

"The occupants should return to the compliance of the norms of the international law and international organization should strengthen the careful and persistent execution of the decisions in the occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea, particularly, using the current invitations. The Foreign Ministry stays open for the discussions with the representatives of the international organizations of all details of the visits to occupied Crimea," he added.

As we reported President Poroshenko ordered the Foreign Ministry to enhance the work on strengthening of sanctions against Russia, individuals and legal entities involved in the annexation of Crimea. Moreover, Poroshenko welcomed the EU decision to extend the sanctions against the Russian companies that participated in the construction of Kerch Strait Bridge.As 'Night Wolves', the biker gang from Russia established its base in Slovakia, the government expressed concerns over this fact. Premier Andrej Kiska and the Foreign Ministry claimed that the 'Wolves' 'create malevolent influence and spread opinions aimed at changing history'.

According to BBC, the base 'has old military vehicles and lies in Dolna Krupa, a village 70km (44 miles) from the capital Bratislava. The Russian government calls it the Night Wolves' "European headquarters".

Petr Susko, the Foreign Ministry's spokesman reminded that the bikers resort to controversial expressions, such as 'Crimea was, is and will remain Russian', 'Stalin was a great hero', 'NATO is a criminal organization' et cetera.

The Night Wolves fell under the sanctions of the U.S. and Canada due to the military assistance for Russian militants in Donbas. The bikers are being funded by the Kremlin; Russian president Putin and the gang's leader Surgeon were seen together many times - specifically, at a biker festival in Novorossiysk.Open source

The Ukrainian hackers were arrested in the US. They are suspected of committing several cyber-crimes like theft of arrays of payment card numbers and other data of American companies. Reuters reports this with a reference to their own source.

According to the information of the agency, work is proceeding on the arrests of the members of Carbanak. As the law enforcement and private cyber investigators believe, the gang is one of the most active in the world in terms of the number of cyber-crimes.

According to the information of the investigation, the gang has stolen 889 billion dollars in all this time.

Reportedly, leader of Cobalt hack gang was detained in Spain.

As it was reported earlier, Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry were outraged by the accusations of British Defense Ministry and Foreign Office of Russian involvement in cyber-attacks on Ukraine in June last year. Representatives of Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry stress that they issued a proposal to Great Britain concerning international information security. This, as Russian authorities think, could help to resist threats appearing in the info-sphere.The activists demanded to inform about the investigation regarding the attack on Kateryna Handzyuk

Protesters gathered in Kherson at the building of the regional police department and prosecutors office over the attack on Kherson mayor adviser Kateryna Handzyuk. Such video was published on Facebook page of the National Corps Political Party in Kherson.

On the morning of August 1, the representatives of various organizations gathered under the building of the police department and demanded to inform about the investigation of the attack on Handzyuk.

Later, the protesters went to the building of the Kherson regional prosecutor's office. The video shows that the guards did not let people in, but the protesters threw smoke bombs at the building of prosecutor's office. Smoke engulfed the area and fire alarms activated. Some low-intensity explosions were also heard.

"And after the smoke appeared, that prosecutor who was allegedly not there came out. He accepted the people, promised to do everything to find the attacker on Kateryna Handzyuk. After that people calmed down a little and left," the journalist Serhiy Nikitenko told to Hromadske.

As it was reported previously, the adviser to Kherson city mayor Kateryna Handzyuk was attacked in the city on July 31. Meanwhile, Kherson police asked citizens to help identify the attacker and guarantee confidentiality.

Earlier, a journalist Serhiy Nikitenko was beaten up next to a parking lot in Kherson region. Reportedly, the journalist was beaten up on May 26. The incident took place at the Svobody square downtown after the meeting organized to demand the release of Nadiya Savchenko.Yasgurs farm

Max Yasgur, the farmer who hosted woodstock, gave a speech on the third day of the concert. Its mostly about the bathrooms, but one line stuck with me:

Begging the question, once you have all those people what do you do with them? When are large groups capable of more than small groups?

In armies and assembly lines scale matters, but for certain kinds of cognitive work, more isnt immediately better. Fred Brooks mythical man month book, for example, is about this.

Evolutionary biology has concepts like superorganism and holobiont to describe the ways in which separate individuals can coordinate to achieve results beyond what any one of them could do alone. In the distant past humans were pretty good at coordination when we hunted in small bands, stamped out gears on a line, or delivered mail.

Recently our problem space has shifted from physical problems to cognitive ones, and scaleup has been iffy at best. Even as our physical problems are being left to our machines, were still applying management assumptions from the white-collar boom of the 1950s.

Flat org tools, slack in particular, are one alternative to traditional management in cognitive orgs. That means slack has somehow become the corpus callosum for the class of group mind we call the 21st century company.

What is a group mind

A mind that is disconnectable and reconnectable. A brain, for example, is fully physically connected all the time and doesnt qualify.

It doesnt need to be as conscious as a whole as the individual pieces. But at minimum, to qualify as a combined entity rather than a bucket of individuals, a group mind should be able to:

Enforce priorities (top down) that are relatively consistent over time. Update priorities (bottom up / random). You can call this creativity if you like; in a singular brain the default mode network handles it. Chunk out work so that between syncs, mental labor can be parallelized.

The goal is to:

Do cognitive work faster than any individual could, even if the speedup is less than linear

Ideally: solve in finite time problems too large for one individual given infinite time

Higher brain functions dont distribute well

Think of a brain, a lump of jelly connecting all the senses. Now think of the birds nest soup of cords connecting your TV to your VCR. Now think of a brain again.

Even if the eyes are the window to the soul, the brain is an unlikely seat. Somehow when evolution took on the task of integrating the senses, the intractable knot behind the VCR is where self-awareness took root. But it makes sense because that knot is where senses are transformed into action. Add more senses, and you need to weigh the stimuli, and now were talking about some processing power.

Higher functions come into play as that sensory integration becomes more complicated. Now you need things like arousal, attention, memory and planning to take maximum advantage of the information coming in.

How do natural group minds apply these higher functions across groups? The beehive uses its waggle dance to update gatherers with information from scouts, slaving the foraging power of the hive to the genetic destiny of the one lucky queen.

slack is something else  totally flat, every voice equally loud. Its less like a hive and more like a school of fish, a flock of birds, or most tellingly, a herd.

Herds are amazing to watch. Motion ripples through them at the speed of the senses, but whats transmitting isnt the initial information. Whatever the horse on the outside sees that makes it change direction or become frightened, its that reaction that gets transmitted, not the initial input.

Hives do a better job of distributing cognitive work than herds (not that either one is well suited for it). The herd doesnt parallelize attention. Sound familiar? It should  this is a lot like slack.

A herd is flat

The IQ of a mob is the IQ of its dumbest member divided by the number of mobsters  T. Pratchett

slack flattens companies, thats why people adopt it. In practice I think flat means that managers are no longer the information nexus for work, no longer a buffer for urgency and reassigning work, and no longer involved in prioritization and value comparison.

In brain terms, slack is a dangerous mix of white matter and adrenaline. Its communication fibers that interrupt what you were doing, without the middle layers of neurology that filter out the noise.

Bear in mind the brain is not flat  neurons are arranged hierarchically and the upper layers will silence the lower layers to keep things calm and get work done. The functional name for this is attention. Without strong attentional control, a group mind is doing its level best to have the same productivity as a singular. Everything becomes a competition won by loudness.

In brains, all that yummy cortex justifies its metabolic salary by quieting down the sensory stuff below:

Our ability to focus attention on task-relevant information and ignore distractions is reflected by differential enhancement and suppression of neural activity in sensory cortex (i.e., top-down modulation).

Such selective, goal-directed modulation of activity may be intimately related to memory, such that the focus of attention biases the likelihood of successfully maintaining relevant information by limiting interference from irrelevant stimuli.

(from Neural suppression of irrelevant information underlies optimal working memory performance)

Sein und zeit

Companies need to:

Do multiple things at once i.e. multitask

Stay on task i.e. dont multitask and dont react too quickly to change

Change projects or strategy when indicated by a change in conditions, i.e. react quickly to change

If it seems like these three goals are at odds, youre right  thats why attention and memory are so difficult even in an individual brain. Even healthy teams can at times feel totally schizophrenic.

A successful group mind would filter and meter new information to control how many workers are affected by it, to determine impact and urgency before shouting. Wait and see. Partition information through space (i.e. subgroups of workers) and time.

But slack has no memory, defined as the automatic reuse of past information to inform present action. If you want to define memory as slacks huge archive of chat, your definition will include compost heaps and landfills. I have a different word for that. And slack doesnt have spatial partitions between individuals on the same team; theyre all in the same rooms.

slack-based group minds therefore cant afford to adopt a wait and see strategy ever. On slack the choice is wait OR see. There is only the now.PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)Deadpan comedy, down-and-dirty nihilism, magical realism, corporate conspiracy and a bit of alchemical weirdness combine in AMCs oddball series Lodge 49. Described, rather accurately, by the network as uncategorizeable, the show centers on burned-out ex-surfer dude Dud (Wyatt Russell, son to Kurt and Goldie), who bums his way around Southern California, metal-detecting on the beach for donut money and crashing in the apartment he no longer rents. Following the mysterious drowning death of his beloved father, Dud is on something of a downward spiral. Fate hands him a new path in life, however, when he finds a fake gold ring with the image of a lynx on it. Its the sigil of a dusty old fraternal lodge out by the airport. Soon, Dud has joined the semi-secretive order (mostly because they have their own tavern)but also because he may be some sort of chosen one who will lead the Ancient and Benevolent Order of the Lynx back to  something or other.

Though it revolves around Dud, the show functions as more of an ensemble. In time we get to know Ernie (Brent Jennings), Duds mentor in the lodge whos dealing with his own financial problems while trying to maintain an on-again-off-again relationship with a newspaper reporter (Linda Emond). Duds twin sister (Sonya Cassidy), a waitress at a Tilted Kilt-esque bar, is on her own path of coping/non-coping with her fathers death. Shes also struggling with some serious debt, brought on by her fathers death and her brothers general vagrancy. Theres also a budding romance between Dud and an older, depressed HR employee (Jocelyn Towne)though she doesnt appear until episode three. The supporting cast is all compellingwhich is good, because our man Dud is a bit of, well, a dud. Hes a genial dunderhead, and his simple attraction to the camaraderie of the lodge feels genuine. But at the end of the day, Dud isnt the most charismatic of main characters. He feels like a lightweight, philosophy-free Xerox of The Dude from The Big Lebowski.

The story of Lodge 49, such as it is, is in no hurry to assert itself. Is there supposed to be some sort of magical X-Files-esque mystery at the heart of all this? Hard to say. The show is mostly just a leisurely hangout among mismatched friends, an hourlong sitcom with the punchlines boiled away by sadness and surreality. Despite the unusual setting and quirky characters, this is no Northern Exposure. With its repeated themes of economic uncertainty and emotional shellshock, there are far more moments of grim reality than wacky humor.

The meandering pace and ambiguous tone of Lodge 49 arent likely to hook viewers right away. Stick around for three or four episodes, though, and you might be curious enough to tough out the first season of what is most likely to be a short-lived item of cult curiosity.Dateline: Michigan

A cat won the race for mayor in Omena, Mich., last week, defeating 13 dogs, a peacock and a goat. According to Detroit Free Press, Omena is an unincorporated village with a population of about 300. The Omena Historical Society reportedly began holding elections for village council around 10 years ago. The only stipulation is that candidates must be animals currently living in the village to run in the election. This year's winner of the title of mayor was a cat named Sweet Tart. The runner-upelected vice mayorwas dog Diablo Shapiro, and puppy Punkin Anderson Harder was named second vice mayor. In what might be construed as a controversial move, the committee in charge of the election created a new title, special assistant for fowl affairs, to bestow upon a chicken named Penny and appointed a goat called Harley to the office of press secretary. The positions are reportedly ceremonial for the most part, however Mayor Sweet Tart will be expected to appear at meetings with the mayors of neighboring towns and social functions. Council members will remain in office for three-year terms. Voters were required to pay $1 to participate in the elections. Proceeds went to support the historical society. The mayor has yet to comment on the race.

Dateline: Colombia

A police drug-sniffing dog has been transferred to a new post after a drug gang placed a bounty on her head. BBC reports that Sombra, a police German shepherd who has gained notoriety for finding a record amount of drugs in her career, was moved from her usual beat in Turbo in the Uraba region of Colombiaa strategically critical area with sea accessto the country's largest airport in Bogota. Police officials say the transfer was made because the dog's life is in danger. According to reports, Colombia's most influential drug gang, the Urabenos, are offering a bounty of 200m-pesos ($70,000) for the dog's assassination. Sombra became a target of the gang after sniffing out nearly 10 tons of their cocaine earlier this year. Officials decided to move the dog to Bogota, because it is believed to be outside the gang's sphere of influence. Sombra has not been removed from active duty, but extra officers will now be patrolling with the German Shepherd and her handler to mitigate any danger. In 2012, the gang reportedly passed out leaflets offering $500 to anyone who killed a police officer. A police spokesperson told reporters the high value of Sombra's bounty reflects the damage the dog did to Urabenos' profits this year.

Dateline: United Kingdom

A retired art teacher is requesting that his neighbors stop trying to have sex with his hedge. According to the BBC, Keith Tyssen of Sheffield, England, has been maintaining a hedge sculpture of a reclining nude woman in front of his home since 2000. He told reporters that the hedge has become the target of pranksters over the years, and he is often woken up during the night to find passing revelers going through the motions of having sex with it. I've been awakened many timesmainly by men and sometimes also by women messing about with her and making a lot of hysterical noises, he said. Tyssen says he has to make regular repairs to the hedge because of the damage done to it by those he calls lowlifes. He has considered putting up a sign or installing an alarm system to discourage further incidents. The hedge has been maintained by Tyssen for nearly 40 years and has carried a number of shapes, including a monster and a Greek god.

Dateline: United States

Amazon's facial recognition software incorrectly matched 28 members of Congress with mugshots. Last week, the ACLU released the results of a test it conducted to evaluate the accuracy of Rekognition, a facial recognition AI developed by Amazon and sold to a number of law enforcement organizations. As part of the test, the group compared the photos of all 535 members of Congress to a database of 25,000 publicly available arrest photos using Rekognition's default settings. According to the results, 28 lawmakers were mistakenly identified as people who had committed a crime. Legislators who were incorrectly matched to mugshots included Republicans and Democrats, but people of color were disproportionately represented. According to the press release, people of color make up around 20 percent of Congress, but people of color made up 40 percent of those mismatched by the AI. Among those mismatched were six members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis. The ACLU is asking that Congress join it in calling for law enforcement to halt use of the software. A number of lawmakers who were misidentified by Rekognition sent letters to Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, inquiring about the software's efficacy.rabedirkwennigsen / CC0

Public outcry against a proposed plan to build a nuclear waste facility in southeastern New Mexico seemed overwhelming last week as citizens spoke at numerous public meetings held by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission across the state.

Holtec International, a Florida-based diversified energy technology company, is known for its work developing and manufacturing technologies and systems for the energy industry. Earlier this year, it applied with the NRC to build a temporary storage facility in Lea Countymeant to hold spent nuclear fuel shipped from sites across the country.

This material comes in the form of small fissionable ceramic pellets placed inside zirconium metal tubes and bundled together in fuel assemblies. The assemblies are used to power nuclear reactors. When the fuel is spent, the rods are placed in water to cool. The spent fuelwhich is still highly radioactivewill continue to generate heat for decades. After some time in these pools, the rods are moved to dry casks made of steel and concrete. Keeping these casks near reactor sites is risky, however, and Holtec is proposing the storage facility in New Mexico as a way to transport the dangerous materials away from these sites.

The proposed HI-STORE Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CIS) would be located on 1,000 acres of land owned by the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance in Lea County, between Carlsbad and Hobbs. The $2.4 billion facility would hold around 500 canisters of spent uranium fuel8,680 metric tonsfrom more than 70 US nuclear reactors. If the plan is approved, future expansion of the site could increase the number of canisters to 10,000storing approximately 120,000 metric tons of nuclear waste. Holtec has asked the NRC for an initial 40-year license, with an opportunity to extend the license to 120 years.

The facility is meant to serve as a temporary storage space for the waste, however a permanent home has yet to be found. The only site being considered for permanent storage of the spent waste is the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository in Nevada, which is not currently operational. Efforts by the Trump administration to restart the licensing process for the facility are at a standstill after funding requests included in the annual defense authorization bill were rejected by the US Senate last week.

The lack of a federal plan for permanent storage of the spent waste has raised concerns among opponents of Holtec's plan regarding the likelihood that the new facility, meant to serve as an interim storage site, could become the waste's lasting home. At a number of public meetings arranged by the NRC, residents and environmental advocacy groups spoke against the project, citing safety issues that have occurred at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and fears of contamination near sites of cultural significance.

Also of concern is the transportation method of the high-level radioactive materials. The spent waste will be shipped via train to Lea County from nuclear sites across the nation. Last month a meeting of the state Legislatures interim Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee in Hobbs heard testimonies from railroad employee union representatives who said the states rail lines are unable to safely transport the materials, and the railroad employees aren't properly trained to handle nuclear waste. It is unclear exactly which rail corridors are expected to be used for the waste's transportation, as it's not mentioned in the proposal.

Last month in an interview with KRWG, Dona Ana County Democratic Sen. Jeff Steinbornchair of the state Legislature's Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee, which is responsible for overseeing Holtec's proposalsaid a list of 57 questions concerning the safety of the proposed plan submitted to Governor Susana Martinez and 5 state agencies has been ignored for the most part. The lack of response from [the Martinez] Administration to even the most basic questions raise the troubling prospect that they have not done any analysis on the potential negative impact of bringing the countrys highest level nuclear waste into New Mexico.

Among the questions asked were whether New Mexico has the infrastructure needed to handle the volume of shipments that would be coming into the state. In the case of an accident, the letter asked if emergency preparedness procedures are in place. Concerns were raised about the possible effect on the state's gas and oil industry, since the site is located in the Permian Basin, one of the most productive oil fields in the country and a critical area for oil companies operating in the state.

The only response Steinborn said he'd received was from the New Mexico Environment Department, saying they would investigate the matter in the future.

Local governments have also acted in opposition to the facility's proposal. Resolutions against the transportation of waste have passed in Bernalillo County, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Lake Arthur and Jal.

But Holtec President Kris Singh said the facility will create new jobs and bolster the state's economy in a letter to Steinborn. He also wrote that those who stood in opposition to the plan without credible science-based facts regarding its licensing and operation will be guilty of subverting New Mexicos economic growth and undermining our national security.

John Heaton, chair of the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance, reportedly told the Carlsbad Current Argus that the site would have no interaction with nearby water tables or aquifers, and railcars can be modified to hold more weight. Representatives of Holtec have argued that the casks used to transport spent fuel rods are safe, and have been operating in the US for years without incident. They've said heavy NRC regulations have mitigated any dangers involved, and fears of accidents are unfounded.

The NRC is currently performing a study in preparation of an environmental impact statement regarding Holtec's license request. If approved, Holtec could receive their license by 2020 with a projected opening for the facility in 2021 or 2022.Corey Yazzie

Driving in my fancy-clean new motor car along a road filled with other dinosaur juice gobbling vehicles mostly made from derivatives of that same saurian oil that powers the postmodern worldon my way to a very big, cool, well-lit room stocked nearly neck high with food of every imaginable typeI once again came to the conclusion that I am living in an illusion.

For how could such an Arcadian world exist when abject poverty hovers behind every well-appointed craft brewery counter, when poverty and homelessness have become as visibly common as the privileged goodness that fills media images and our own bourgeois experience of Albuquerque?

Im sure you are reading this and wondering, What the hell, Carrillo, why arent you waxing poetic about the triumph of progressivism that came with the election of Tim Keller last November? Well, partners, for right now that sense of hopeful accountability, that march forward, has been postponed by the utter despair I felt this week, staring down poverty in our little village by the river.

As many homeless advocates have noted, the problem is a problem of access; access to affordable housing, healthcare and education would provide a means to really begin tackling a problem thats haunted Burque for decades.

Believing compassionately that the poor you will always have with you is not enough. Moving quickly and with governmental certainty to take the edge off a perennial problem in the Albuquerque metropolitan area would prove a much more effective strategy, and that should just be the starting point of a committed and years-long endeavor to conquer or at least quell something that seems implacable when finally encountered.

The Keller administration has recently undertaken initiatives to improve the quality of life for Burquenos, to provide incentives for local businesses and in general to be more accountable and transparent than its predecessors. But much more work needs to be done to find adequate shelter, healthcare and educational opportunities for the ever flowing ranks of homeless human beings stationed at most every intersection of the city, making makeshift homes out of boxes at parks and on shady sidewalks in our citys industrial zones.

As many homeless advocates have noted, the problem is a problem of access; access to affordable housing, healthcare and education would provide a means to really begin tackling a problem thats haunted Burque for decades.

This past month, Keller and his representatives traveled to our big city neighbor to the east, San Antonio in Tejas, to take a look at a homeless program called Haven for Hopewith the idea in mind that an expedition to Alamo City would yield ideas about how to ameliorate the near crisis of homelessness afflicting Duke City, New Mexico. While hizzoner told the media that the place offered some ideas and solutions to his team, he ultimately felt that the model used in the Texas city would not fit our towns needs.

Keller also reported that it also takes an attitude that says We're going to have to address homelessness not to just say that we hope it'll go away. That is a very good place to start.

Further, understanding the roots of the type of poverty that affect some of our most underprivileged and fragile citizens may be key to solving this age-old debacle. In fact, working towards solutions for the factors that shape endemic poverty may result in a stronger, more aware and progressive community where community policing and crime have all but waned as all citizens are treated with dignity and equality.

The Root of Homelessness

This morning I traveled with Alibi photographer Corey Yazzie to some of the more prominent homeless sites in Dirt City. First we stopped by ghetto Smiths on the corner of Yale Boulevard and Coal Avenue. There, at the edge of the parking lot, a homeless woman has been camping out near the bus stop. She wasnt there early Tuesday, but she had left behind a pillow, a blanket and about 14 paper bags filled with her worldly possessions.

A few yards away, a companion of hers dug donuts out of the garbage can near the store entrance. As he happily ate a trashed chocolate Bismarck, the man told me he didnt want his picture taken; he was certain I was the police, or worse yet an alien entity sent to harm him. I backed off quickly as he finished his breakfast and loped away toward the university.

So we drove on, toward Downtown. Turning onto Mountain from Broadway, I noticed each intersection was occupied by a panhandler. Further, as we approached First Street, I noticed many humans gathered at Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless. I thought about stopping there, but instead drove out to the freeway, where there is a homeless enclave near the overpass on Third Street. The dozen or so there were wary, frightened at the prospect of having their stories told, their pictures recorded. I decided to return to First Street.

In front of Healthcare for the Homeless, a large group of the organizations clients sunned themselves and waited for attention. Administrators came and went, concerned, cajoling, directly involved in trying to stop poverty in its dread tracks.

One young man, Clayton, agreed to have his picture taken. He seemed tired and disheveled but his eyes demonstrated intelligence and interest when I told him what I was about, what I was up to there.

After Clayton had his picture taken, we spoke with him a bit. He wanted to work, he wanted a place to live. He wasnt sure how he got to Albuquerque, how long he had been here.

Just then one of the site administrators came to speak with us. Anita F. Cordova is the director of development, planning and evaluation for the organization. She has been working on the problem of homelessness for 13 years, a native Burquena committed to making things in the city better for the homeless and, ultimately, for all.

She said that, This is about what happens when you dont have access to a living wage and healthcare. Asked if the homeless problem in the city has gotten worse in the past few years, Cordova offered a broad perspective on the problem, noting, It looks, visibly, like there are more people out and about, but the numbers dont seem to change. I think thats because this is a cyclical problem. People fall in and out of homelessness. It all begins with affordable housing options. Any personal vulnerability that happens to an individual can also affect a housing situation. It definitely hasnt gotten better. Homelessness continues to be a big issue in our community.

Despite these continual issues with poverty and consequently homelessness, Cordova says that recent city/county partnerships have been instrumental in increasing accessibility to essential human services for the downtrodden and dispossessed, adding Its more about access issues than it is about a lack of services. In the past two years, weve seen a real investment from the city and the county. Thats a very positive thing.

In the meantime, Cordova stresses that her organization and the city are working on plans to get more people to the services her organization provides and to find ways to make the services nimble enough to be the most effective.

It turns out that my mood brightened after what I had seen and heard on the streets of Burque on the last day of July 2018. There are huge problems confronting us now; one of them takes the form of other humans who have been ground down by the fray. They are everywhere here. But among them dwell a class of Burquenosit turns out that they are all around toothat are committed to not only bringing that issue to the light, but also to finding workable solutions to a sort of trouble that goes on and on.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MGX Minerals Inc. (MGX or the Company) (CSE: XMG / FKT: 1MG / OTC: MGXMF) is pleased to announce the engagement of Hatch Ltd. to advise MGX on the scaling of the Companys rapid lithium extraction technology in the Western United States. Hatch will provide strategic review and recommendations to implement large-scale application of the technology, including:



a. Comprehensive review of rapid lithium extraction technology including flow systematics, processes and more to further establish confidence in the scaling of technology and processes; and

b. High level project engineering scope and timeline schedule for buildout

Rapid Lithium Brine Extraction Technology

MGX has developed a rapid lithium extraction technology eliminating or greatly reducing the physical footprint and investment in large, multi-phase, lake sized, lined evaporation ponds, as well as enhancing the quality of extraction and recovery across a complex range of brines as compared with traditional solar evaporation. This technology is applicable to petrolithium (oil and gas wastewater), natural brine, and other brine sources such as lithium-rich mine and industrial plant wastewater. The technology was recently chosen as winner of the Base and Specialty Metals Industry Leadership Award at the 2018 S&P Global Platts Global Metals Awards, held in London in May (see press release dated May 18, 2018).

Qualified Person

Andris Kikauka (P. Geo.), Vice President of Exploration for MGX Minerals, has prepared, reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release. Mr. Kikauka is a non-independent Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards.

About MGX Minerals

MGX Minerals is a diversified Canadian resource company with interests in advanced material and energy assets throughout North America. Learn more at www.mgxminerals.com.

Contact Information

Jared Lazerson

President and CEO

Telephone: 1.604.681.7735

Web: www.mgxminerals.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "potentially" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various factors. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.TORONTO, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (Kirkland Lake Gold or the Company) (TSX:KL) (NYSE:KL) (ASX:KLA) today announced the Companys financial and operating results for the second quarter (Q2 2018) and first six months (YTD 2018) of 2018. Q2 2018 results include strong earnings growth, record cash flow from operations1 and a significant increase in the Companys cash position. The Company also announced improvements to full-year 2018 consolidated guidance, with production for the year now targeted at over 635,000 ounces with operating cash costs per ounce sold expected to average $400  $425. Full-year guidance for the Fosterville and Macassa mines was also improved. The Companys full financial statements and management discussion & analysis are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Companys website at www.klgold.com. All dollar amounts are in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted.



Key highlights of Q2 2018 results include:

Strong growth in net earnings : Net earnings totaled $61.5 million ($0.29 per basic share /share), 78% increase from $34.6 million ($0.17/share) in Q2 2017 and 23% higher than $50.0 million ($0.24/share) in Q1 2018.





: Net earnings totaled $61.5 million ($0.29 per basic share /share), 78% increase from $34.6 million ($0.17/share) in Q2 2017 and 23% higher than $50.0 million ($0.24/share) in Q1 2018. Adjusted net earnings: Adjusted net earnings totaled $63.4 million ($0.30/share) versus $39.3 million ($0.19/share) in Q2 2017 and $52.6 million ($0.25/share).





Adjusted net earnings totaled $63.4 million ($0.30/share) versus $39.3 million ($0.19/share) in Q2 2017 and $52.6 million ($0.25/share). Record quarterly cash flow from operations: Record cash flow from operating activities 1 of $120.9 million, 56% higher than $77.5 million in Q2 2017 and 35% increase from $89.6 million in Q1 2018.





Record cash flow from operating activities of $120.9 million, 56% higher than $77.5 million in Q2 2017 and 35% increase from $89.6 million in Q1 2018. Substantial free cash flow : Free cash flow 1,2 growth to $60.7 million, 18% increase from $51.2 million in Q2 2017 and 21% higher than $50.2 million in Q2 2018.





: Free cash flow growth to $60.7 million, 18% increase from $51.2 million in Q2 2017 and 21% higher than $50.2 million in Q2 2018. Record quarterly EBITDA: 1,2,3 Record EBITDA of $123.7 million, 30% higher than 95.1 million in Q2 2017 and 17% increase from previous quarterly record of $105.9 million in Q1 2018.





Record EBITDA of $123.7 million, 30% higher than 95.1 million in Q2 2017 and 17% increase from previous quarterly record of $105.9 million in Q1 2018. Strong cash position: Cash increased $43.1 million or 16% to $318.4 million at June 30, 2018 from $275.3 million at March 31, 2018, and $86.8 million or 37% from $231.6 million at the end of 2017.





Cash increased $43.1 million or 16% to $318.4 million at June 30, 2018 from $275.3 million at March 31, 2018, and $86.8 million or 37% from $231.6 million at the end of 2017. Low unit costs: Production costs totaled $66.5 million in Q2 2018. Operating cash costs per ounce sold 2 averaged $404, 16% improvement from $482 in Q2 2017 and 10% better than $447 in Q1 2018. All-in sustaining cost (AISC) per ounce sold 2 averaged $757 compared to $729 in Q2 2017 and $833 in Q1 2018.





Production costs totaled $66.5 million in Q2 2018. Operating cash costs per ounce sold averaged $404, 16% improvement from $482 in Q2 2017 and 10% better than $447 in Q1 2018. All-in sustaining cost (AISC) per ounce sold averaged $757 compared to $729 in Q2 2017 and $833 in Q1 2018. Production ahead of plan: Production totaled 164,685 ounces, 3% increase from 160,305 ounces in Q2 2017 and 12% higher than 147,644 ounces in Q1 2018.





Production totaled 164,685 ounces, 3% increase from 160,305 ounces in Q2 2017 and 12% higher than 147,644 ounces in Q1 2018. Capital expenditures: Sustaining capital expenditures 2 totaled $44.1 million ($86.2 million for YTD 2018), while growth capital expenditures totaled $11.1 million ($15.7 million for YTD 2018), excluding capitalized exploration expenditures. Work related to key projects to ramp up in second half of 2018.





Sustaining capital expenditures totaled $44.1 million ($86.2 million for YTD 2018), while growth capital expenditures totaled $11.1 million ($15.7 million for YTD 2018), excluding capitalized exploration expenditures. Work related to key projects to ramp up in second half of 2018. Exploration expenditures: Exploration expenditures totaled $25.3 million ($43.9 million for YTD 2018), including capitalized exploration expenditures, with recent results including the continued intersection of high-grade mineralization outside existing Mineral Resources at Macassa, as well as additional high-grade, visible-gold bearing intersections at the Swan Zone at Fosterville in support of further growth Swan Zone Mineral Reserves.





Exploration expenditures totaled $25.3 million ($43.9 million for YTD 2018), including capitalized exploration expenditures, with recent results including the continued intersection of high-grade mineralization outside existing Mineral Resources at Macassa, as well as additional high-grade, visible-gold bearing intersections at the Swan Zone at Fosterville in support of further growth Swan Zone Mineral Reserves. Quarterly dividend increased on May 2, 2018 to $0.03/share effective the second quarter 2018 quarterly dividend payment, paid on July 13, 2018 (Q1 2018 quarterly dividend of $0.02/share paid on April 13, 2018).

(1) Of continuing operations.

(2) See Non-IFRS Measures later in this press release and starting on page 32 of the Companys MD&A for the three and six months ended June 20, 2018.

(3) Refers to Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization.

Key highlights of YTD 2018 results include:

Record first-half financial results: Net earnings of $111.5 million ($0.53/share), 134% increase from $47.7 million ($0.23/share) for YTD 2017 Cash flow from operating activities of $210.5 million, 45% growth from $145.3 million for YTD 2017 Free cash flow totaling $110.9 million, 24% higher than $89.7 million for YTD 2017 EBITDA of $224.3 million, 38% increase from $162.0 million for YTD 2017.

Strong YTD production and unit cost performance versus full-year 2018 guidance Production of 312,329 ounces, 7% increase from YTD 2017. Based on YTD 2018 results, improved full-year 2018 production guidance was announced today including: Consolidated production guidance increased to over 635,000 ounces from over 620,000 ounces previously Fosterville production guidance increased to 275,000  300,000 ounces from 260,000  300,000 ounces previously (YTD 2018: 141,305 ounces) Macassa production guidance improved to 220,000  225,000 ounces from 215,000  225,000 ounces previously (YTD 2018: 114,609 ounces). Operating cash cost per ounce sold of $424, 19% better than YTD 2017. Based on YTD 2018 results, improved full-year 2018 operating cash cost per ounce guidance was announced today, including: Consolidated guidance improved to $400  $425 from $425  $450 Fosterville operating cash cost per ounce sold guidance improved to $250  $270 from $270  $290 previously (YTD 2018: $261) Macassa operating cash cost per ounce sold guidance improved to $460  $480 from $475  $500 (YTD 2018: $453). AISC per ounce sold of $793, similar to YTD 2017 and in line with guidance of $750  $800.



Tony Makuch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kirkland Lake Gold, commented: Positive grade performance at Fosterville and Macassa was a key driver of our strong second quarter performance and record first-half financial results. At Fosterville, our average grade for Q2 2018 of 20.6 grams per tonne was well ahead of expected levels, with the mine benefiting from a record month in June, producing 31,710 ounces at 30.4 grams per tonne. At Macassa, our stopes around the 5,700-foot level, the deepest mining done to date in the South Mine Complex, are high-grade stopes that have outperformed, which resulted in record quarterly production in Q2 2018 of 60,571 ounces at an average grade of 21.5 grams per tonne. Based on the strong results at both mines in the first half of the year, we have improved the full-year 2018 guidance for production and operating cash costs per ounce sold for both Fosterville and Macassa, as well as on a consolidated basis.

Turning to our growth plans, as expected, the level of work at our key projects is picking up and will continue to accelerate over the balance of the year. At Macassa, surface excavation for the #4 shaft is advancing and we are on track to commence shaft collaring, headframe construction and hoist installation during the second half of the year. We remain on track to commence full-face shaft sinking by the second quarter of 2019 and to achieve completion of phase one of the shaft project by early in 2022. At Fosterville, the rate of underground development related to our ventilation project increased during Q2 2018, while construction of our new water treatment plant continued to progress, as did the drilling of the surface holes for our new paste plant, with plant construction to commence shortly. We have also completed installation of a second gravity circuit at our Fosterville mill, with the circuit becoming operational as of the end of July. Our growth projects at Fosterville remain on track for completion on or close to the original target dates, in support of our goal to reach over 400,000 ounces of annual gold production at Fosterville by 2020.



Review of Financial and Operating Performance

The following discussion provides key summarized consolidated financial and operating information for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017. Results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 include production and costs related to the Northern Territory operations in Australia, which were placed on care and maintenance effective June 30, 2017. Also, results for Q2 and YTD 2017 have been restated to exclude discontinued operations, related to the sale of the Stawell Mine.

Table 1. Financial Highlights

(in thousands of dollars, except per share amounts) Three months ended

June 30, 2018 Three months ended

June 30, 2017

(Restated)(1) Six months ended

June 30, 2018 Six months ended

June 30, 2017

(Restated)(1) Revenue $214,653 $189,894 $412,890 $358,422 Production costs 66,494 72,926 137,977 153,535 Earnings before income taxes 90,109 56,103 161,997 84,256 Loss from discontinued operations  (3,790 )  (6,025 ) Net earnings $61,486 $34,571 $111,523 $47,704 Basic earnings per share from continuing operations $0.29 $0.18 $0.53 $0.26 Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations $0.29 $0.17 $0.52 $0.26 Total basic earnings per share $0.29 $0.17 $0.53 $0.23 Total diluted earnings per share $0.29 $0.16 $0.52 $0.23 Cash flow provided by operating activities of continuing operations $120,912 $77,471 $210,549 $145,345 Cash investment in mine development and PPE $60,260 $26,270 $99,688 $55,596

(1) To reflect the sale of Stawell in December 2017 as a discontinued operation.

Table 2. Operating Highlights

Three months ended

June 30, 2018 Three months ended

June 30, 2017

(Restated)(1) Six months ended

June 30, 2018 Six months ended

June 30, 2017

(Restated)(1) Tonnes milled 406,185 550,057 823,541 1,070,944 Grade (g/t Au) 13.1 9.5 12.3 8.8 Recovery (%) 96.4 % 95.5 % 96.3 % 95.5 % Gold produced (oz) 164,685 160,305 312,329 290,733 Gold Sold (oz) 164,305 151,208 312,068 289,109 Averaged realized price ($/oz sold)(2) 1,301 1,257 1,316 1,242 Operating cash costs per ounce ($/oz sold)(2) 404 482 424 521 AISC ($/oz sold)(2) 757 729 793 794 Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations(2) $63,441 $39,290 $116,002 $56,778 Adjusted net earnings per share from continuing operations(2) $0.30 $0.19 $0.55 $0.27

(1) To reflect the sale of Stawell in December 2017 as a discontinued operation.

(2) Non-IFRS - the definition and reconciliation of these Non-IFRS measures are included on pages 32-37 of the MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018.

Revenue

Revenue in Q2 2018 totaled $214.7 million, an increase of 13% from $189.9 million in Q2 2017. Compared to Q2 2017, higher gold sales in Q2 2018 increased revenue by $16.5 million, with a total of 164,305 ounces sold in Q2 2018 versus 151,208 ounces being sold in Q2 2017. The increase is gold sales was largely attributable to Macassa, where ounces sold grew by 35%, to 62,725 ounces, driven by record quarterly production of 60,571 ounces in Q2 2018. Gold sales at Fosterville increased 8%, to 75,100 ounces from 69,337 ounces in Q2 2017. A $44 per ounce or 4% increase in the average realized gold price per ounce, to $1,301 in Q2 2018 from $1,257 in Q2 2017, contributed $7.2 million to the growth in revenue in Q2 2018 from a year earlier, with there also being a $1.1 million favourable impact from foreign exchange rate changes.

Q2 2018 revenue increased 8% from $198.2 million in Q1 2018. An 11% increase in gold sales, from 147,763 ounces in Q1 2018, had a $22.0 million favourable impact on revenue compared to the previous quarter. This favourable impact was only partially offset by a $5.3 million negative impact on revenue from a 2% reduction in the average realized gold price per ounce ($1,301 in Q2 2018 versus $1,333 in Q1 2018), as well as a $0.3 million reduction related to changes in foreign exchange.

Revenue for YTD 2018 totaled $412.9 million, an increase of $54.5 million or 15% from $358.4 million for the same period in 2017. Of the $54.5 million increase in revenue, $28.6 million resulted from an 8% increase in gold sales, to 312,068 ounces for YTD 2018 from 289,109 ounces for YTD 2017. An additional $23.1 million of the growth in revenue related to a $74 per ounce increase in the average realized gold price per ounce, to $1,316 for YTD 2018 versus $1,242 for YTD 2017, while changes to foreign exchange rates had a $2.7 million favourable impact on YTD revenue year over year. The increase in gold sales for YTD 2018 mainly resulted from strong production growth at both Macassa and Fosterville. Production at Macassa for YTD 2018 totaled 114,609 ounces compared to 94,422 ounces for YTD 2017. At Fosterville, YTD 2018 production totaled 141,305 ounces versus 123,153 ounces for the same period in 2017. The increases in production at both Macassa and Fosterville reflected a significant improvement in average grades at both mines, reflecting the mining of higher grade stopes, as well as the benefit of favourable grade reconciliations and improved grade control practices.

Earnings from Mine Operations

Earnings from mine operations in Q2 2018 totaled $109.5 million, an increase of 45% from $75.7 million in Q2 2017 and 12% higher than $98.2 million the previous quarter. The increase from the same period in 2017 reflected strong revenue growth, as well as lower production costs, largely due to the inclusion of $15.7 million of production costs for the Northern Territory operations in Q2 2017 prior to the mine being placed on care and maintenance effective June 30, 2017. Also contributing to the year-over-year improvement in earnings from mine operations was a $3.4 million or 9% reduction in depletion and depreciation costs, as the impact of higher gold production was more than offset by a significant increase in the level of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources at the Companys operations following the release of the Companys December 31, 2017 Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates on February 20, 2018. Royalty expense in Q2 2018 totaled $6.2 million versus $5.4 million in Q2 2017, with the increase mainly reflecting higher sales volumes. The increase in earnings from mine operations from the previous quarter related to revenue growth, the impact of which was partially offset by higher levels of depletion and depreciation costs in line with greater production volumes during Q2 2018.

For YTD 2018, earnings from mine operations totaled $202.2 million, a $78.7 million or 64% increase from $123.5 million for the same period in 2017. The increase reflected revenue growth of 15%, as well as lower production costs and depletion and depreciation costs. Lower production costs for YTD 2018 reflected the inclusion of $31.5 million of production costs related to the Northern Territory operations in the first half of 2017. A $10.9 million or 15% reduction in depletion and depreciation costs resulted from the increase in Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources included in the December 31, 2017 Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates. Royalty expense for YTD 2018 totaled $12.2 million compared to $10.1 million for YTD 2017, with the increase reflecting higher sales volumes in YTD 2018.

Unit Cost Performance (See Non-IFRS measures)

Operating cash costs per ounce sold averaged $404 in Q2 2018, a 16% improvement from $482 in Q2 2017 largely reflecting a 55% improvement in the average grade at Macassa compared to the second quarter a year earlier. Operating cash costs per ounce sold at Macassa averaged $414, a 19% improvement from $512 in Q2 2017. Q2 2018 operating cash costs per ounce improved 10% from $447 in Q1 2018 mainly due to improvements of 23% and 8%, respectively, in the average grades at Fosterville and Macassa, compared to Q1 2018. AISC per ounce sold in Q2 2018 averaged $757 compared $729 in Q2 2017, with the increase related to higher levels of sustaining capital expenditures and G&A expenses in Q2 2018 versus Q2 2017 on a per ounce basis. Sustaining capital expenditures in Q2 2018 totaled $44.1 million or $268 per ounce sold, compared to sustaining capital expenditures of $26.7 million or $176 per ounce sold in Q2 2017. Q2 2018 AISC per ounce sold improved 9% from $833 in Q1 2018, mainly due to the impact of higher grades at Macassa and Fosterville on operating cash costs per ounce sold, as well as lower sustaining capital expenditures on a per ounce sold basis, with the reduction mainly at Macassa, and lower G&A expense and royalties on a per ounce sold basis. Sustaining capital expenditures in Q1 2018 totaled $42.1 million or $285 per ounce sold.

For YTD 2018, operating cash costs per ounce sold averaged $424, a 19% improvement from $521 for YTD 2017, with the improvement mainly reflecting higher average grades at Macassa and Fosterville. AISC per ounce sold for YTD 2018 averaged $793, similar to the AISC per ounce sold of $794 for YTD 2017. The favourable impact of lower operating cash costs per ounce sold was largely offset by a $76 per ounce sold increase in sustaining capital expenditures over YTD 2017, as well as higher G&A and royalty expenses on a per ounce sold basis. Sustaining capital expenditures for YTD 2018 totaled $86.2 million or $276 per ounce sold, which compared to $57.8 million or $200 per ounce sold for YTD 2017.

Additional Expenses

Exploration and evaluation expenditures in Q2 2018 were $15.8 million, 45% higher than $10.9 million in Q2 2017. The year-over-year increase reflected the Companys significant commitment to aggressive organic growth through continued exploration success. Exploration and evaluation expenditures in Q2 2018 compared to $16.7 million in Q1 2018. Exploration and evaluation expenditures for YTD 2018 totaled $32.5 million, a 66% increase from $19.6 million for YTD 2017. Exploration and evaluation expenditures in 2018 are heavily weighted to Australia, with YTD 2018 expenditures including $15.2 million in the Northern Territory and $11.7 million at Fosterville, with the remaining $5.6 million at Taylor and Macassa in Canada.

G&A expense (excluding share-based payments expense and transaction costs) totaled $5.8 million in Q2 2018, which compared to $4.1 million in Q2 2017 and $6.9 million the previous quarter. For YTD 2018, G&A expense totaled $12.8 million versus $8.5 million for the same time in 2017. The level of G&A expense for YTD 2018 largely reflected the weighting of legal and audit fees and incentive compensation expense to the first half of the year.

Share based payment expense in Q2 2018 totaled $1.7 million, compared to $1.1 million in Q2 2017 and $1.8 million the previous quarter. The level of share based payment expense in Q1 2018 reflected a higher volume of restricted-share units (RSUs) and performance-share units (PSUs) granted during the first quarter of the year. YTD 2018 share based payment expense totaled $3.6 million versus $2.5 million for YTD 2017.

Other income in Q2 2018 totaled $4.3 million compared to other income of $0.6 million in Q2 2017 and $5.4 million the previous quarter. The main factors contributing to the increase in other income (loss) from Q2 2017 were unrealized and realized foreign exchange gains of $6.5 million, which resulted largely from the Australian dollar weakening against the US dollar during the quarter, increasing the value of US-dollar cash held in Australia. These gains were only partially offset by the impact of a $2.7 million pre-tax mark-to-market loss on fair valuing the Company's common share purchase warrants. The change in other income from Q1 2018 mainly related to the loss on the fair valuing of the Company's warrants in Q2 2018, which compared to a pre-tax mark-to-market gain of $1.7 million in Q1 2018. Unrealized and realized foreign exchange gains in Q1 2018 totaled $3.9 million compared to the $6.5 million of gains recorded in Q2 2018. For YTD 2018, other income totaled $9.7 million versus $0.7 million for YTD 2017. The increase reflected $10.4 million of unrealized and realized foreign exchange gains resulting from the Australian and Canadian currencies weakening against the US dollar during the first half of 2018, which increased the value of US-dollar cash in both countries. Unrealized and realized foreign exchange gains for YTD 2017 totaled $0.1 million. Partially offsetting the favourable impact on YTD 2018 other income of unrealized and realized foreign exchange gains versus YTD 2017 were $1.1 million of other income for YTD 2017 related to recognition of deferred premium on flow through shares and a pre-tax market-to-market loss of $1.0 million related to the fair valuing of the Companys warrants in the first half of 2018.

Finance costs in Q2 2018 totaled $1.1 million versus $3.1 million in Q2 2017 and $0.8 million in Q1 2018. The change in finance costs from Q2 2017 mainly related to the maturity of two series of convertible debentures in 2017. The first series, the Companys C$56.8 million 6% unsecured convertible debentures ("6% convertible debentures"), matured and were repaid form existing cash on June 30, 2017, while the C$62.1 million 7.5% unsecured convertible debentures ("7.5% convertible debentures") matured on December 31, 2017, with over 99% of the debentures being converted into Kirkland Lake Gold common shares. The level of finance costs in Q2 2017 largely related to interest payments on both series of debentures. The increase in finance costs from the previous quarter was due to increased interest on finance leases and other bank charges.

The Company's total income tax expense in Q2 2018 increased from Q2 2017 and the previous quarter due to higher taxable income. Current income tax expense totaled $10.5 million in Q2 2018, along with deferred tax expense of $18.1 million. The deferred tax expense in Q2 2018 resulted from the utilization of $16.3 million of deferred tax assets to reduce current income tax expense. In Q2 2017, current income tax expense totaled $12.8 million, while deferred income tax expense totaled $5.0 million. For the previous quarter, the Company reported current income tax expense of $5.1 million and deferred tax expense of $18.3 million. The $18.3 million of deferred tax expense reflected the utilization of $12.4 million of deferred tax assets to reduce current income tax expense during the quarter. YTD 2018 current income tax expense totaled $15.7 million, while deferred tax expense totaled $34.8 million. Income tax expense for YTD 2017 included $19.4 million of current income tax expense and deferred income tax expense of $11.1 million.

Net Earnings in Q2 2018 total $61.5 million or $0.29 per basic share

Net earnings in Q2 2018 totaled $61.5 million ($0.29 per basic share), an increase of $26.9 million or 78% from $34.6 million ($0.17 per basic share) in Q2 2017. Net earnings in Q2 2018 were entirely from continuing operations. Net earnings in Q2 2017 included earnings from continuing operations of $38.4 million ($0.18 per basic share) and loss from discontinued operations of $3.8 million ($0.01 per basic share), related to the Companys Stawell Mine, which was placed on care and maintenance in December 2016 and sold on December 21, 2017. The 60% increase in net earnings in Q2 2018 from earnings from continuing operations in 2017 reflected the impact of a 13% increase in revenue, due to both higher gold sales and realized gold prices, lower production costs, higher levels of other income, mainly due to unrealized and realized foreign exchange gains on investments, reduced depletion and depreciation costs and lower finance costs. These favourable factors more than offset the impact of higher exploration and evaluation expenses, as well as increased G&A expenses.

Q2 2018 net earnings increased 23% from $50.0 million ($0.24 per basic share) in Q1 2018. Net earnings for both periods were entirely from continuing operations. Revenue in Q2 2018 increased 8% to $214.7 million, reflecting strong growth in gold sales quarter over quarter, which more than offset a reduction in the average selling price of gold. Other factors contributing to higher net earnings compared to Q1 2018 included improved operating cash costs per ounce sold, as well as lower G&A and exploration and evaluation expenses. The factors more than offset the impact of increased depletion and depreciation costs, reflecting higher volumes in Q2 2018, and lower other income. The reduction in other income largely reflected a loss being recorded on fair valuing the Companys warrants in Q2 2018 versus a gain in Q1 2018, with the impact partially offset by a higher level of unrealized and realized foreign exchange gains in Q2 2018.

Net earnings for YTD 2018 totaled $111.5 million ($0.53 per basic share), an increase of $67.6 million or 142% from net earnings of $47.7 million ($$0.23 per basic share) for YTD 2017. Net earnings for YTD 2018 were entirely from continuing operations, whereas net earnings for YTD 2017 included earnings from continuing operations of $53.7 million ($0.26 per basic share) and loss from discontinued operations of $6.0 million ($0.03 per basic share) related to the Companys Stawell Mine. The increase in net earnings compared to YTD 2017 earnings from continuing operations reflected a 15% increase in revenue, due to both higher volumes and realized gold prices, lower production costs, reduced depletion and depreciation expense, higher levels of other income, and lower finance costs.

Adjusted net earnings (Non-IFRS) in Q2 2018 total $63.4 million or $0.30 per basic share

The Companys adjusted net earnings from continuing operations for Q2 2018 totaled $63.4 million ($0.30 per basic share), which compared to adjusted net earnings from continuing operations of $39.3 million ($0.19 per basic share) in Q2 2017. The difference between net earnings and adjusted net earnings from continuing operations in Q2 2018 mainly reflected the exclusion of a $2.7 million pre-tax mark-to-market loss on the fair valuing the Companys warrants from adjusted net earnings from continuing operations ($2.0 million on an after-tax basis). The difference between adjusted net earnings from continuing operations and net earnings in Q2 2017 related to the exclusion from adjusted net earnings from continuing operations of $1.1 million of pre-tax severance payments made during the quarter ($0.8 million on an after-tax basis).

Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations in Q2 2018 compared adjusted net earnings from continuing operations of $52.6 million ($0.25 per basic share) in Q1 2018. The difference between adjusted net earnings from continuing operations and net earnings in Q1 2018 mainly reflected the exclusion of a $1.7 million pre-tax mark-to-market gain on the fair valuing the Companys warrants from adjusted net earnings from continuing operations during the first quarter of the year ($1.2 million on an after-tax basis).

For YTD 2018, adjusted net earnings from continuing operations totaled $116.0 million ($0.55 per basic share), which compared to adjusted net earnings from continuing operations of $56.8 million ($0.27 per basic share) for YTD 2017. The difference between adjusted net earnings from continuing operations and net earnings for YTD 2018 reflected the exclusion of the $1.0 million pre-tax mark-to-market loss ($0.7 million on an after-tax basis) on the fair valuing the Companys warrants from adjusted net earnings from continuing operations. The difference between adjusted net earnings from continuing operations for YTD 2017 and net earnings for the same period mainly related to the exclusion from adjusted net earnings from continuing operations of $2.6 million of pre-tax purchase-price allocation adjustments on inventories ($1.7 million on an after-tax basis) and $1.1 million of pre-tax severance payments ($0.8 million on an after-tax basis).

Q2 2018 cash flow from operating activities of continuing operations of $120.9 million, free cash flow from continuing operations (Non-IFRS) totals $60.7 million

Cash totaled $318.4 million at June 30, 2018 compared to $275.3 million at March 31, 2018. The $43.1 million or 16% increase in cash in Q2 2018 was largely related to strong cash flow from operating activities, the timing of capital and exploration expenditures, as well as the release of $19.8 million of previously-restricted cash (reflecting changes to security requirements related to rehabilitation performance guarantees) and the impact of utilizing tax losses on the level of cash taxes paid. These factors were partially offset by the use of $16.1 million (C$20.0 million) of cash to acquire four million common shares of Novo, $10.4 million to fund finance lease obligations and $3.3 million for dividend payments.

Cash flow from operating activities of continuing operations in Q2 2018 was a record $120.9 million, a 56% increase from $77.5 million in Q2 2017 and 35% higher than $89.6 million in Q1 2018. Free cash flow from continuing operations in Q2 2018 totaled $60.7 million, an 18% increase from $51.2 million in Q2 2018 and 20% from $50.2 million in Q1 2018.

The Companys cash position of $318.4 million at June 30, 2018 compared to total cash of $231.6 million at December 31, 2017. The 37% increase in cash over the first six months of 2018 was driven by strong cash flow from operations, the timing of capital and exploration expenditures in 2018, with growth capital expenditures expected to be weighted to the second half of the year, as well as the impact of the release of previously-restricted cash and the impact of utilizing tax losses on the level of cash taxes paid. These factors were partially offset by cash used to acquire Novo common shares as well as for financing activities such as funding finance lease obligations and making dividend payments. Cash flow from operating activities of continuing operations for YTD 2018 totaled $210.5 million, a 45% increase from $145.3 million for YTD 2017. Free cash flow from continuing operations for YTD 2018 grew 24% from YTD 2017, to $110.9 million from $89.7 million for the same period in 2017.

Table 3. Review of Financial Performance

(in thousands except per share amounts) Three months ended

June 30, 2018

Three months ended

June 30, 2017

(Restated)(1) Six months ended

June 30, 2018

Six months ended

June 30, 2017

(Restated)(1) Revenue $214,653 $189,894 $412,890 $358,422 Production costs (66,494) (72,926) (137,977) (153,535) Royalty expense (6,217) (5,409) (12,235) (10,076) Depletion and depreciation (32,484) (35,889) (60,432) (71,348) Earnings from mine operations 109,458 75,670 202,246 123,463 Expenses General and administrative(2) (7,468) (6,262) (16,228) (11,827) Transaction costs  (19)  (397) Exploration and evaluation (15,763) (10,908) (32,466) (19,632) Care and maintenance (230) (508) (1,039) (2,909) Earnings from operations $85,997 $57,973 $152,513 $88,698 Other income, net 4,290 590 9,654 714 Finance and other items Finance income 943 621 1,661 1,193 Finance costs (1,121) (3,081) (1,831) (6,349) Earnings before taxes 90,109 56,103 161,997 84,256 Current income tax expense (10,526) (12,776) (15,672) (19,382) Deferred tax expense (18,097) (4,966) (34,802) (11,145) Earnings from continuing operations $61,486 $38,361 $111,523 $53,729 Loss from discontinued operations  (3,790)  (6,025) Net earnings $61,486 $34,571 $111,523 $47,704 Basic earnings per share $0.29 $0.17 $0.53 $0.23 Diluted earnings per share $0.29 $0.16 $0.52 $0.23

(1) These figures are restated due to the sale of Stawell in December 2017.

(2) G&A expense for Q2 2018 (Q2 2017) include G&A of $5.8 million ($4.1 million in Q2 2017), severance payment of $nil ($1.1 million in Q2 2017) and share based payment expense of $1.6 million ($1.1 million in Q2 2017). G&A expense for YTD 2018 (YTD 2017) include G&A expenses of $12.8 million ($8.5 million in YTD 2017), severance payment of $nil ($1.1 million in YTD 2017) and share based payment expense of $3.5 million ($2.2 million in YTD 2017).

YTD Performance Against 2018 Guidance

In 2017, Kirkland Lake Gold achieved all of the Companys consolidated production and unit cost guidance. On January 17, 2018, the Company announced its guidance for full-year 2018, which includes increased production levels compared to 2017, improved unit costs and higher levels of capital and exploration expenditures. Following completion of the first half of 2018, the Company's full-year 2018 guidance remained unchanged. The increase in capital and exploration expenditures is in support of achieving the Companys longer-term objective of growing annual gold production over the next five to seven years to approximately a million ounces.

Table 4. 2018 Guidance (Announced January 17, 2018) 1

($ millions unless otherwise stated) Macassa Taylor Holt Fosterville Consolidated Gold production (kozs) 215 - 225 60 - 70 65 - 75 260 - 300 +620 Operating cash costs/ounce sold ($/oz) (2) 475 - 500 625 - 650 625 - 650 270 - 290 $425 - $450 AISC/ounce sold ($/oz) (2) $750 - 800 Operating cash costs (2) $260 - $270 Royalty costs $22 - $27 Sustaining capital(2) $150 - $170 Growth capital(2) $85 - $95 Exploration $75 - $90 Corporate G&A (3) $20 - $22

(1) Represents the Companys guidance for which the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 was measured against, first announced on January 17, 2018.

(2) See Non-IFRS Measures set out starting on page 32 of the MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 for further details. The most comparable IFRS Measure for operating cash costs, operating cash costs per ounce sold and AISC per ounce sold is production costs, as presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income, and total additions and construction in progress for sustaining and growth capital. Operating cash costs, operating cash cost per ounce sold and AISC per ounce sold reflect an average US$ to C$ exchange rate of 1.2983 and a US$ to A$ exchange rate of 1.3047.

(3) Includes general and administrative costs and severance payments. Excludes non-cash share-based payment expense.

Table 5. YTD 2018 Results

($ millions unless otherwise stated) Macassa Taylor Holt Fosterville Consolidated(1) Gold production (kozs) 114,609 25,995 30,387 141,305 312,329 Operating cash costs/ounce sold ($/oz) (2) $453 $760 $731 $261 $424 AISC/ounce sold ($/oz) (2) $793 Operating cash costs (2) $132.4 Royalty costs $12.2 Sustaining capital(2) $86.2 Growth capital(2) $15.7 Exploration and evaluation $43.9 Corporate G&A expense(3) $12.8

(1) Consolidated 2018 production includes 33 ounces processed from the Holloway Mine.

(2) See Non-IFRS Measures set out starting on page 32 of the MD&A for the three and six months for further details. The most comparable IFRS Measure for operating cash costs, operating cash costs per ounce sold and AISC per ounce sold is production costs, and total additions and construction in progress for sustaining and growth capital as presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income. Operating cash costs, operating cash cost per ounce sold and AISC per ounce sold reflect an average US$ to C$ exchange rate of 1.2780 and a US$ to A$ exchange rate of 1.2968.

(3) Includes general and administrative costs and severance payments. Excludes non-cash share-based payment expense.

Key Highlights of YTD 2018 Performance Compared to Guidance

Consolidated gold production of 312,329 ounces for YTD 2018 surpassed target levels for the first half of the year and compared favourably well to the Companys full-year 2018 guidance of over 620,000 ounces of gold production. Production for YTD 2018 was driven by record half-year production at both Fosterville and Macassa. The Macassa mine produced 114,609 ounces and ended the second quarter well positioned to achieve its full-year 2018 production guidance. Production at Fosterville totaled 141,305 ounces, also in line with full-year 2018 guidance. Production at both Holt and Taylor is expected to increase during the second half of 2018, with the production guidance for full-year 2018 remaining unchanged for both mines.

Production costs for YTD 2018 totaled $138.0 million. Operating cash costs for YTD 2018 of $132.4 million were in line with the Companys 2018 guidance range of $260 - $270 million, and compared to $150.6 million for YTD 2017. Operating cash costs for YTD 2017 included $31.5 million of production costs in the Northern Territory prior to the operation being place on care and maintenance effective June 30, 2017.

Operating cash costs per ounce sold for YTD 2018 of $424 were at the low end of the Company's guidance for full- year 2018 of $425 - $450. Operating cash costs per ounce sold at Fosterville for YTD 2018 averaged $261, better than the target range of $270 - $290 reflecting higher than planned grades due to increased mining activity in high-grade parts of the Eagle Zone near the contact with the Swan Zone and the impact of positive grade reconciliations. Operating cash costs per ounce sold at Macassa were also better than full-year 2018 guidance, averaging $453 versus full-year guidance of $475 - $500, mainly due to the impact of favourable grade reconciliations and improvements in grade control practices. Operating cash costs per ounce sold at the Holt and Taylor mines averaged $731 and $760, respectively, above each mines guidance for full-year 2018. Both Holt and Taylor are targeting higher levels of production and improved unit costs during the second half of 2018, with their current targets for operating cash costs per ounce sold remaining unchanged.

AISC per ounce sold of $793 for YTD 2018 was within the Companys full-year 2018 guidance of $750 - $800, with further improvement anticipated during the second half of 2018.

Royalty costs totaled $12.2 million for YTD 2018, in line with full-year 2018 guidance of $22 - $27 million.

Sustaining capital expenditures for YTD 2018 totaled $86.2 million. The Company remains on track to achieve full-year 2018 guidance of $150 - $170 million.

Growth capital expenditures for YTD 2018 totaled $15.7 million, excluding capitalized exploration expenditures. These expenditures were lower than anticipated, largely due to the timing for permitting and procurement. Included in growth capital expenditures were $7.6 million at Macassa, $6.5 million of expenditures at Fosterville, $0.9 million in the Northern Territory and $0.7 million split between the Holt and Taylor mines. Increased capital expenditures related to construction and procurement for the Macassa #4 shaft project are expected during the second half of 2018, with the project remaining on track for the commencement of full-face shaft sinking by the second quarter of 2019 and for completion of phase one of the project by the second quarter of 2022. At Fosterville, expenditures related to the mines three key growth projects, a new ventilation system, construction of a paste-fill plant and a new water treatment plant, are also expected to increase during the second half of 2018, as the rate of development advance related to the ventilation raises accelerates, surface construction of the paste fill plant commences following the completion of permitting and procurement and continued progress is achieved with the new water treatment plant. The target completion dates for the three projects remains largely unchanged. The Company continues to target full-year 2018 growth capital expenditures of $85 - $95 million.

Exploration expenditures totaled $43.9 million for YTD 2018. Included in YTD exploration expenditures were $32.5 million of expensed exploration expenditures and $11.4 million of capitalized exploration expenditures. At Fosterville, exploration work focused on infill and extension drilling at a number of in-mine targets, as well as work to evaluate district targets in close proximity to the mine. In addition, development commenced on an exploration drift at Harrier South at Fosterville Mine, where concentrations of quartz veining with a high occurrence of visible gold have been intersected similar to those found at the Lower Phoenix system near the high-grade Swan Zone. In the Northern Territory, drilling continued at both the Lantern Deposit at the Cosmo mine and below the Prospect and Crosscourse open pits at Union Reefs. Also, two exploration drifts from the existing Cosmo ramp into the Lantern Deposit were approximately 50% complete at June 30, 2018 and are expected to be completed in the third quarter. Drilling from the 920 Level drift is in progress, with drilling from the 610 Level drift to commence in early August. In Canada, underground drilling at Macassa continued to generate encouraging results in support of future growth in mineral resource and mineral reserves, while drilling at Taylor continued to target additional expansion of mineralization around the Shaft and West Porphyry deposits. The Company continues to target total exploration expenditures for full-year 2018 of $75 - $90 million.

Corporate G&A expense totaled $12.8 million for YTD 2018, reflecting a weighting of these expenditures to the early part of the year. Corporate G&A expense is expected to end the year in line with full-year guidance of $20 - $22 million.

Improvements to Full-Year 2018 Guidance

Based on the Companys performance for YTD 2018, as well as expectations for the remainder of the year, the Company has improved the full-year 2018 guidance for production and operating cash costs per ounce sold on a consolidated basis, as well as for the Fosterville and Macassa mines. Consolidated full-year production is now targeted at over 635,000 ounces, compared to the previous guidance of over 620,000 ounces. Full-year 2018 guidance for consolidated operating cash costs per ounce sold is improved to $400  $425, which compared to the previous guidance of $425  $450. At Fosterville, the Company is now targeting full-year 2018 production of 275,000  300,000 ounces, which compares to the previous guidance of 260,000 - 300,000 ounces. Guidance for operating cash costs per ounce sold at Fosterville is improved to $250 - $270 from the previous target range of $270 - $290. At Macassa, full-year 2018 guidance for production is revised to 220,000  225,000 ounces from the previous guidance of 215,000 - 225,000 ounces, while the mines full-year 2018 guidance for operating cash costs per ounce sold is improved to $460  $480 from $475 - $500 previously. Other components of the Companys full-year 2018 guidance remained unchanged from the targets first released in the Kirkland Lake Gold News Release dated January 17, 2018.

Table 6. Improved 2018 Guidance (as at August 1, 2018) 1

($ millions unless otherwise stated) Macassa Taylor Holt Fosterville Consolidated Gold production (kozs) 220  225 60 - 70 65 - 75 275 - 300 +635 Operating cash costs/ounce sold ($/oz) (2) 460  480

625 - 650 625 - 650 250 - 270 $400 - $425 AISC/ounce sold ($/oz) (2) $750 - 800 Operating cash costs (2) $260 - $270 Royalty costs $22 - $27 Sustaining capital(2) $150 - $170 Growth capital(2) $85 - $95 Exploration $75 - $90 Corporate G&A (3) $20 - $22

(1) Full-year 2018 guidance as at August 1, 2018, following improvements to consolidated production and operating cash costs per ounce sold guidance, as well as to production and operating cash costs per ounce sold guidance for Macassa and Fosterville.

(2) See Non-IFRS Measures set out starting on page 32 of the MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 for further details. The most comparable IFRS Measure for operating cash costs, operating cash costs per ounce sold and AISC per ounce sold is production costs, as presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income, and total additions and construction in progress for sustaining and growth capital. Operating cash costs, operating cash cost per ounce sold and AISC per ounce sold reflect an average US$ to C$ exchange rate of 1.28 and a US$ to A$ exchange rate of 1.31.

(3) Includes general and administrative costs and severance payments. Excludes non-cash share-based payment expense.

Q2 2018 Financial Results and Conference Call Details



A conference call to discuss the Q2 and YTD 2018 results will be held by senior management on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, at 1:30 pm ET. Call-in information is provided below. The call will also be webcast and accessible on the Companys website at www.klgold.com.

Date: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2018 Conference ID: 8986758 Time: 1:30 pm ET Toll-free number: 1 (866) 393-4306 International callers: 1 (734) 385-2616 Webcast URL: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1772072/71EDE740C03CE70A2D11FB00652CC45A

Qualified Persons

Pierre Rocque, P.Eng., Vice President, Canadian Operations and Ian Holland, FAusIMM, Vice President Australian Operations are qualified persons as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and have reviewed and approved disclosure of the technical information and data in this news release.

About Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd.

Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. is a mid-tier gold producer that in 2018 is targeting over 635,000 ounces of gold production from mines in Canada and Australia. The production profile of the company is anchored from two high-grade, low-cost operations, including the Macassa Mine located in Northeastern Ontario and the Fosterville Mine located in the state of Victoria, Australia. Kirkland Lake Gold's solid base of quality assets is complemented by district scale exploration potential, supported by a strong financial position with extensive management and operational expertise.

Non-IFRS Measures

The Company has included certain non-IFRS measures in this document, as discussed below. The Company believes that these measures, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provide investors an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. The non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore may not be comparable to other issuers. For a reconciliation of the Non-IFRS Measures described below, please see the Non-IFRS Measures section of the MD&A for three and six months ended June 30, 2018 beginning on page 32. Non-IFRS reconciliations for Q1 2018 are provided in the MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2018, beginning on page 27.

Free Cash Flow

In the gold mining industry, free cash flow is a common performance measure with no standardized meaning. Free cash flow is calculated by deducting capital cash spending (capital expenditures for the period, net of expenditures paid through finance leases) from cash flows from operations.

The Company discloses free cash flow from continuing operations as it believes the measures provide valuable assistance to investors and analysts in evaluating the Companys ability to generate cash flow. The most directly comparable measure prepared in accordance with IFRS is cash flows generated from operations and net cash used in investing activities of continuing operations.

Operating Cash Costs and Operating Cash Costs per Ounce Sold

Operating cash costs and operating cash cost per ounce sold are non-IFRS measures. In the gold mining industry, these metrics are common performance measures but do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS. Operating cash costs include mine site operating costs such as mining, processing and administration, but exclude royalty expenses, depreciation and depletion and share based payment expenses and reclamation costs. Operating cash costs per ounce sold is based on ounces sold and is calculated by dividing operating cash costs by volume of ounces sold.

The Company discloses operating cash costs and operating cash cost per ounce sold as it believes the measures provide valuable assistance to investors and analysts in evaluating the Companys operational performance and ability to generate cash flow. The most directly comparable measure prepared in accordance with IFRS is total production expenses. Operating cash costs and operating cash cost per ounce of gold sold should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with IFRS.

Sustaining and Growth Capital

Sustaining capital and growth capital are Non-IFRS measures. Sustaining capital is defined as capital required to maintain current operations at existing levels. Growth capital is defined as capital expenditures for major growth projects or enhancement capital for significant infrastructure improvements at existing operations.

AISC and AISC per Ounce Sold

AISC and AISC per ounce sold are Non-IFRS measures. These measures are intended to assist readers in evaluating the total costs of producing gold from current operations. While there is no standardized meaning across the industry for this measure, the Companys definition conforms to the definition of AISC as set out by the World Gold Council in its guidance note dated June 27, 2013.

The Company defines AISC as the sum of operating costs (as defined and calculated above), royalty expenses, sustaining capital (capital required to maintain current operations at existing levels), corporate expenses, underground exploration expenses and reclamation cost accretion related to current operations. Corporate expenses include general and administrative expenses, net of transaction related costs, severance expenses for management changes and interest income. AISC excludes growth capital, reclamation cost accretion not related to current operations, interest expense, debt repayment and taxes.

Average Realized Price per Ounce Sold

In the gold mining industry, average realized price per ounce sold is a common performance measure that does not have any standardized meaning. The most directly comparable measure prepared in accordance with IFRS is revenue from gold sales. Average realized price per ounces sold should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. The measure is intended to assist readers in evaluating the total revenues realized in a period from current operations.

Adjusted Net Earnings and Adjusted Net Earnings per Share

Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations and adjusted net earnings per share from continuing operations are used by management and investors to measure the underlying operating performance of the Company.

Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations is defined as net earnings adjusted to exclude the after-tax impact of specific items that are significant, but not reflective of the underlying operations of the Company, including transaction costs and executive severance payments, purchase price adjustments reflected in inventory, and other non-recurring items. Adjusted net earnings per share from continuing operations is calculated using the weighted average number of shares outstanding for adjusted net earnings per share from continuing operations.

Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA)

EBITDA from continuing operations represents net earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is an indicator of the Companys ability to generate liquidity by producing operating cash flow to fund working capital needs, service debt obligations, and fund capital expenditures.

Working Capital

Working capital is a Non-IFRS measure. In the gold mining industry, working capital is a common measure of liquidity but does not have any standardized meaning.

The most directly comparable measure prepared in accordance with IFRS is current assets and current liabilities. Working capital is calculated by deducting current liabilities from current assets. Working capital should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute from measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. The measure is intended to assist readers in evaluating the Companys liquidity.

Risks and Uncertainties

The exploration, development and mining of mineral deposits involves significant risks, which even a combination of careful evaluation, experience and knowledge may not eliminate. Kirkland Lake Gold is subject to several financial and operational risks that could have a significant impact on its cash flows and profitability. The most significant risks and uncertainties faced by the Company include: the price of gold; the uncertainty of production estimates, including the ability to extract anticipated tonnes and successfully realizing estimated grades; changes to operating and capital cost assumptions; the inherent risk associated with project development and permitting processes; the uncertainty of the mineral resources and their development into mineral reserves; the replacement of depleted reserves; foreign exchange risks; regulatory; tax as well as health, safety, and environmental risks. For more extensive discussion on risks and uncertainties refer to the Risks and Uncertainties section in the December 31, 2017 Annual Information Form and the Companys MD&A for the period ended December 31, 2017 filed on SEDAR.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of Kirkland Lake Gold with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions and include information regarding: (i) the amount of future production over any period; (ii) assumptions relating to revenues, operating cash flow and other revenue metrics set out in the Company's disclosure materials; and (iii) future exploration plans.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect Kirkland Lake Gold's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although Kirkland Lake Gold believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the combined company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the future development and growth potential of the Canadian and Australian operations; the future exploration activities planned at the Canadian and Australian operations and anticipated effects thereof; liquidity risk; risks related to community relations; risks relating to equity investments; risks relating to first nations and Aboriginal heritage; the availability of infrastructure, energy and other commodities; nature and climactic conditions; risks related to information technology and cybersecurity; timing and costs associated with the design, procurement and construction of the Companys various capital projects, including but not limited to the #4 Shaft project at the Macassa Mine and the ventilation and paste fill plant project at the Fosterville Mine; permitting; currency exchange rates (such as the Canadian dollar and the Australian dollar versus the United States dollar); risks associated with dilution; labour and employment matters; risks in the event of a potential conflict of interest; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; and compliance with extensive government regulation. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Kirkland Lake Gold and market conditions. This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by Kirkland Lake Gold, including its annual information form and financial statements and related MD&A for the financial year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although Kirkland Lake Gold has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Kirkland Lake Gold does not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

Anthony Makuch, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director

Phone: +1 416-840-7884

E-mail: tmakuch@klgold.comEnglish French

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE)  CAE today announced that CAE USA Mission Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of CAE USA, has acquired Alpha-Omega Change Engineering (AOCE) for approximately US$29 million, excluding post-closing adjustments.

The acquisition will enhance CAE USAs core capabilities as a training systems integrator (TSI), grow CAEs position on enduring platforms such as fighter aircraft, and expand the ability for CAE USA to pursue higher-level security programs in the United States.

AOCE, based in Williamsburg, Virginia, provides a range of aircrew training services, operational test and evaluation, and engineering support services to the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. intelligence services.

This acquisition aligns directly with CAEs strategic priorities to grow and expand our capabilities in the worlds largest defense market, said Marc Parent, CAEs President and Chief Executive Officer.

AOCE brings existing contracts as well as past performance in unmanned systems, aircrew training and courseware development for fighter and special operations aircraft, and space and missile defense, said Ray Duquette, President and General Manager, CAE USA. This will significantly enhance CAE USAs training systems integration capabilities and allow us to address broader market opportunities in the United States.

AOCE was founded in 1997, employs approximately 600 people, and has been a successful, rapidly growing business focused on providing training, engineering and consulting services. The company is currently the prime contractor on a range of programs for the U.S. Department of Defense, including: Maintenance and Aircrew Training at Kirtland/Davis-Monthan/Joint Base Andrews/Moody (KDAM) in support of the Air Force Special Operations Command Aircrew Training and Rehearsal Support (ATARS) program; U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense Command indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to provide engineering and operational support services; and U.S. Air Force contract aircrew training and courseware development for F-15, F-16, and F-22 aircrews.

CAE is a recognized global leader in training and we have first-hand knowledge of the type of company CAE is through the excellent working relationship we developed on programs such as the U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft aircrew training, said Jim Hartney, AOCEs Chairman of the Board. This acquisition and being part of CAE will open new growth opportunities for AOCE and our employees.

CAE USA also announced it has established CAE USA Mission Solutions Inc, a subsidiary of CAE USA which operates under a Proxy Agreement with the United States government. The Proxy Agreement enables Mission Solutions to pursue and execute higher-level security programs.

About CAE

CAEs Defense & Security business unit focuses on helping prepare our customers to develop and maintain the highest levels of mission readiness. We are a world-class training systems integrator offering a comprehensive portfolio of training centers, training services and simulation products across the air, land, sea and public safety market segments. We serve our global defense and security customers through regional operations in the United States/Latin America; Canada; Europe/Africa; and Asia-Pacific/Middle East, all of which leverage the full breadth of CAEs capabilities, technologies and solutions.

CAE is a global leader in training for the civil aviation, defense and security, and healthcare markets. Backed by a 70-year record of industry firsts, we continue to help define global training standards with our innovative virtual-to-live training solutions to make flying safer, maintain defense force readiness and enhance patient safety. We have the broadest global presence in the industry, with over 8,500 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. Each year, we train more than 120,000 civil and defense crewmembers and thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide. www.cae.com

Follow us on Twitter @CAE_Inc and @CAE_Defence

CAE contacts:

Helene V. Gagnon, Vice President, Public Affairs and Global Communications,

+1-514-340-5536, helene.v.gagnon@cae.com

Trade media:

Chris Stellwag, Director, Marketing Communications  Defense and Security,

+1-813-887-1242, chris.stellwag@cae.com

Investor relations:

Andrew Arnovitz, Vice President, Strategy and Investor Relations,

+1-514-734-5760, andrew.arnovitz@cae.comNovel, all-optical approach to coherent signal detection increases data throughput and makes future 5G networks more efficient | The innovative technology for signal acquisition is also intended for use in sensor networks for automated driving or in quantum communication.

Vienna (OTS) - Bernhard Schrenk, 36, has received one of the renowned ERC Starting Grants, which allocates around EUR 1.5 million, for his research on a new method for precisely synchronising independent optical signals. This new method of coherent signal detection promises significant advancements in various fields of optical signal transmission and signal processing.

For Bernhard Schrenk, this five-year grant from the European Research Council dedicated to excellent young researchers in frontier research now represents an important factor for expanding his team at the AIT Security & Communication Technologies Competence Unit. It further initiates a key momentum for further development of enabling technologies in the field of telecommunications and information processing. The renowned ERC Starting Grant is a special recognition of Schrenk's numerous years of scientific activity, which is among the very best in Europe. For his research institute, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Austria's largest non-university research facility, this European sponsorship prize is a very special distinction as an application-oriented research and technology organisation. Bernhard Schrenk has been working on photonics at the AIT Center for Digital Safety & Security since 2013. His research interests include the fields of optical telecommunications, integrated optoelectronic circuits, quantum technology and photonic sensing.

Coherent detection, which is foreseen for the reception of optical signals, has been established in radio technology decades ago. Every radio makes use of this detection method to select the station to be received. This method involves the signal generated far away and a local reference signal being on exactly the same wavelength. This allows not only filterless selection of one of several simultaneously transmitted signals, but it also provides reception sensitivities that are at least 100-times higher. More importantly, it grants access to additional signal properties. "In photonics on the other hand, the procedure of coherent signal detection is a very complex matter," Schrenk explains. His research is now seeking to discover to what extent independent optical signals can be precisely synchronised with each other. In order to master this challenge, he has received the five-year ERC excellence grant COYOTE - "Coherent Optics Everywhere: a New Dawn for Photonic Networks".

Far more efficient

The use of light as an information carrier for electrical signals allows an optical carrier frequency that is 10,000-times higher than that of an electrical carrier. As a result, an astonishing amount of up to 10 Petabits of data can be transmitted every second over a single optical fiber as thin as a human hair. However, such record values can only be obtained by using coherent signal detection, which on its own is a tremendously complex task. Despite the widespread adoption of photonic networks, which convey around 90% of worldwide data over distances of up to 10,000km, most of the applied systems are actually based on the much simpler direct signal detection. "However, direct signal detection only recognises the intensity of light and is blind to other properties, such as phase or polarisation. Direct signal detection thus represents a roadblock for an energy- and cost-efficient telecommunication infrastructure and data centers," Schrenk explains.

With his novel all-optical approach that avoids the shortcoming of electronic methods, signals can now be synchronised directly at the optical domain. It eliminates frequency mismatch even though extremely high carrier frequencies of around 190 Terahertz are used. Since the coherent transmission of information is now possible without additional signal recovery, energy-hungry digital signal processing of broadband signals can be omitted. This significantly increases the energy efficiency. Another advantage compared to direct signal detection is the beneficial use of the phase and polarisation dimensions, which safeguards continuous bandwidth scaling. As such, precious optical spectrum can be exploited in the best possible way.

Simultaneous transmission and reception

On top of this, Schrenk is taking another leap ahead and proposes photonic communication technology that is not tied to a specific transmission direction. This allows to send and receive data at the same time. "This is similar as if you could hear with your mouth at the same time - and even better than using your ears," Schrenk explains.

These pioneering innovations not only contribute to the evolution of wired and wireless telecommunication networks; Cloud data centers and high performance computing will also benefit from the disruptive implementation of coherent homodyne detection in the most simple and yet efficient way. The innovative coherent translation of signals between electrical and optical domains while preserving the signal integrity without further digital processing is also important for applications in the field of fibre-optic sensing, for instance in future traffic infrastructures. Moreover, it will also contribute to the information-theoric secure generation of keys in quantum communication.

Using an early proof-of-concept experiment within the research field of the ERC grant, Bernhard Schrenk gained widespread recognition earlier this year. He presented the world's first demonstration of a simple laser light source that can simultaneously transmit and receive a data stream at 10 Gb/s. At the OFC Conference (Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition) in San Diego, which with more than 15,000 attendees is the world's largest conference on optical telecommunications, the scientific paper was ranked within the top-3 out of a total of 800 scientific contributions as the best contribution in the conference track on opto-electriconic systems.

About:

Bernhard Schrenk, 36, is a scientist at the Center for Digital Safety & Security of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology since five years, dedicated to photonics, optoelectronics and high frequency technology. During his master's degree in 2007, he contributed to the first real-world network demonstration of a quantum key distribution system based on entangled photons as part of Professor Zeilinger's group at the University of Vienna.

Before his career at AIT he held a senior position at the National Technical University of Athens. During his professional career, Schrenk has been awarded with a number of grants and prizes, including the Marie Curie CIG Grant and the Student Innovation Award from the European Technology Platform Photonics21, at which he was later elected to the Board of Stakeholders. He holds a number of patents together with his fellow researchers. He received his master's degree from the Technische Universitat Wien (Vienna University of Technology) with distinction. He graduated cum laude from his doctorate in the field of signal theory and optical telecommunications at the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya in Barcelona (Polytechnic University of Catalonia).

About the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology

The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is Austria's largest non-university research facility, specialising in key infrastructure topics for the future. State-of-the-art information and communication technologies (ICT) and systems are being developed in the AIT Center for Digital Safety and Security in order to design critical infrastructures in a secure and reliable manner in the context of comprehensive and global networking and digitisation.

The AIT experts in the field of optical quantum technology are dedicated to developing and integrating systems for quantum cryptography and also to developing products based on technology inspired by quantum techniques. The solutions provide an important foundation for research and development in quantum optics and other applied research areas, such as the life sciences. AIT hopes to bring quantum technology out of the laboratory and to the customers using this key field. Further information can be found at: https://www.ait.ac.at/en/research-fields/physical-layer-security/optical-quantum-technologies/

Image:

The renowned ERC Starting Grant is a special recognition for AIT researcher Bernhard Schrenk's numerous years of research activity, which is among the very best in Europe.



Photo credits: AIT / Michael Murling





Enquiries:

Michael H. Hlava

Head of Corporate and Marketing Communications

Phone: +43 (0) 50550-4014, Mobile: +43 664 620 77 66

michael.h.hlava@ait.ac.at | www.ait.ac.at



Michael W. Murling

Marketing and Communications

Center for Digital Safety & Security

Phone: +43 (0)50550-4126 | Mobile: +43 664 2351747

michael.muerling@ait.ac.at | www.ait.ac.at

Nissan has contributed more than $15.5 million to Habitat nationally since 2005

2018 donation funds home builds in 12 communities where Nissan employees live and work

Nissan Canton and Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant employees recently dedicated two new Habitat homes

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nissan North America continues its long-standing partnership with Habitat for Humanity with a $1 million donation to help build affordable, homes in partnership with families in need of decent housing. Nissans contributions to Habitat for Humanity in North America amount to more than $15.5 million over the past 13 years.

There is a growing need for affordable housing across the U.S., said Nissan Vice President of Corporate Development and Social Responsibility Rebecca Vest. Nissan values its partnership with Habitat for Humanity because it helps build sustainable communities where our employees live and work. Our employees look forward to working alongside future homeowners, and their experiences affirm our corporate vision to enrich peoples lives.

The majority of Nissans 2018 donation will go toward the building costs of Habitat homes in locations where Nissan has an operational presence, for vehicle purchases for use by local Habitat organizations and sponsorship of the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project.

"Nissan's 13-year commitment to Habitat has played an important role in helping families achieve affordable homeownership," said Colleen Finn Ridenhour, the senior vice president of development at Habitat for Humanity. "We are grateful for Nissans continuous generous support and the many volunteers who have built alongside future homeowners."

Habitat Affiliates

This year, Nissan employees will volunteer to support Habitat in these U.S. locations: Arizona Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona California Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley Colorado Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver Georgia Northwest Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity Michigan Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County Mississippi Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Capital Area Tennessee Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville

Habitat for Humanity of Williamson-Maury

Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity

Highland Rim Habitat for Humanity Texas Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity Virginia Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia

Nissan Home Dedications

On July 18, Nissan Canton dedicated its 11th home built with Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Capital Area in Jackson. Nearly 100 Nissan employees volunteered to help build a house alongside the Trotter family.

Nissan Smyrna employees dedicated a new Habitat home to homeowner Elexcia and her family on July 12. This marks the 12th Nissan Habitat home constructed in Rutherford County. Nissan also presented Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity with a brand-new NV3500 cargo van, its third vehicle donation to the organization.

Nissans partnership with Habitat began in 2005 to support recovery efforts after hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged the Gulf Coast region. Nissan donated 50 trucks and mobilized employees to assist in home building. Since 2006, Nissan has donated an additional 96 vehicles and Nissans employees have logged nearly 100,000 volunteer hours with Habitat for Humanity, building 86 homes across the United States.



About Habitat for Humanity

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.infinitiusa.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and infinitinews.com.

Contact

Nakia Fowler

Habitat for Humanity International

newsroom@habitat.org

Darla Turner

Nissan Corporate Communications

darla.turner@Nissan-usa.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/68d10d3d-c627-43d4-a74e-a585832a3acf

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e9ea4e0b-2797-4786-93c4-80ae49f98a20NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- House of Sillage a leader in luxury haute parfumerie, is excited to announce its expansion into cosmetics with its limited-edition lipstick case and refill. Available exclusively at select Neiman Marcus stores and online from August 1st, each limited-edition lipstick comes in a stunning bow-shaped protective carrying case finished in black or white enamel and is encrusted with over three hundred brilliant diamond-cut Swarovski crystals. The lipstick case includes a mirror for effortless precision application.



Known as an industry trailblazer because of how the brand utilizes jewelry and fashion inspired material when cultivating extraordinary fragrance and cosmetic packaging, House of Sillage has continued to evolve this groundbreaking trend with its limited-edition lipstick collection.

Founder & CEO, Nicole Mather designed this new line and wanted to celebrate the essence and power behind the iconic symbol of the bow. We wanted to pay homage to the bows timeless inspiration towards femininity. Weve seen a bows beauty and glory across decades of popular culture and we believe weve translated the beauty of our fragrance packaging into cosmetics.

These ravishing new lipsticks are infused with the highest quality and genuine diamond powder creating a luminous aura of regal beauty. The product names are inspired by royal lineage, which matches the exclusive composition of rich opulent colors brilliantly illuminated in a range of stunning shades (14 to be exact). From Duchess, to Queen, or Countess, product users can match the color that suits their mood of the day and enjoy an ultra-creamy satine texture with a luxe-finished lip, creating the ultimate color pay-off.

HOT OFF THE PRESS

The House of Sillage Limited Edition Lipstick also won its first award this week for Product Innovation, Luxury Item at the ICMAD (Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors) City Awards, hosted at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on July 30th, 2018. An incredible achievement considering this is the brands first dive into cosmetics!

The Limited Edition Lipstick will also be available in-store at Bergdorf Goodman from September 1st, 2018.

ABOUT HOUSE OF SILLAGE

House of Sillage is based in Newport Beach, California and products are produced in France and Italy. The brand creates fragrances and cosmetics that transcend the binds of sensory expression, steeped in the craftsmanship and composition of the Perfumers savoir-faire. Under the guidance of Founder, Nicole Mather, House of Sillage is dedicated to maintaining and surpassing the true definitions of luxury.

Come visit with us at http://www.houseofsillage.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT NEIMAN MARCUS GROUP

Neiman Marcus Group LTD LLC is a luxury, multi-branded, omni-channel fashion retailer conducting integrated store and online operations under the Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Last Call, Horchow, CUSP and mytheresa brand names. For more information, https://www.neimanmarcus.com

Keep up with the latest news and events happening at Neiman Marcus by becoming a fan on Facebook, following us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat.

House of Sillage

Tel: +1.949.200.9265

sophie@houseofsillage.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ca09b8eb-9047-4c29-a677-8be04a67db40

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6914ed36-fe75-47fa-8e2a-772a382a4d6aPune, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The report provides a detailed analysis of the overall market size, sales, and forecast of the market trends. It studies the scope of the market, key segments, regional analysis, revenue comparisons, and company profiles. The report is a vital source of information for stakeholders, business analysts, and entry-level organizations.



The growth of the "global fiber laser market" is driven by increased internet usage, demand for faster communication, and need for larger bandwidth in the telecommunication. Furthermore, the -growth in digital communication has boosted the market. In addition, fiber optics provide a safe, fast, secure, and reliable transfer compared to copper wires.

Request Sample Report: https://www.progressivemarkets.com/request-sample/fiber-laser-market



This resulted in an increased adoption of fiber optics in telecommunication sector, which is another factor driving the global fiber laser market. However, there are several factors that hinder the global fiber laser market. A major factor restraining the growth of global fiber laser market is the optical nonlinear characteristics. Furthermore, the high installation cost hampers the growth of fiber laser market. Moreover, optic fibers are more fragile compared to copper wires. The growth of wireless communication has also reduced the sale of global fiber laser. However, the manufactures have developed mare enduring, low cost, and more efficient fiber laser, which created more opportunities in the market. Furthermore, the rapid growth of technological advancement in optical field has introduced several opportunities in fiber laser market, which increased the investments across the globe.



The report provides a segmentation of the global fiber laser market based on its type, application, laser power, and geography. By type, the global fiber laser market is split into continuous wave fiber laser and pulsed fiber laser. According to the research, sales of continuous wave fiber laser have increased more than the pulsed fiber laser from 2013 to 2017. The report is analyzed according to the sale generated by the regions including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA. According to the study, China is responsible for the highest market share of fiber laser with sale of over 59,667 units in 2017. The in-depth analysis of region-wise growth plays an important role in determining the opportunities in the market. The report is segmented by applications such as high power, marking, fine processing, and micro processing. It provides the statistics of the market size and its forecast. The report is fragmented depending on laser power from 100W to 8000W.

Get 20% Discount On Customization



The study offers a comprehensive analysis of the key players in the global fiber laser market. It provides a study of every manufacturer of fiber laser to determine the new opportunities and investments in the industry. In addition, the manufacturers such as IPG Photonics, Trumpf, Coherent, Raycus, Maxphotonics, nLIGHT, Lumentum Operations, Jenoptik, EO Technics, Fujikura, and JPT Opto-electronics are compared to provide a detailed analysis of sales.BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MatrixCare, the largest long-term, post-acute care (LTPAC) technology provider in the United States and perennial winner of the coveted Best in KLAS award for Long-Term Care software, has been selected as SanStone Health & Rehabilitations enterprise EHR platform partner. MatrixCare will initially be rolled out to all SanStone corporate and skilled nursing locations across its regions of operation.



SanStone Health is a leader in North Carolina and provides caring, professional and compassionate environments for people to live and rehabilitate. In addition to long-term care and rehabilitation, SanStone provides physical, occupational and speech therapy services, as well as wound, skin and nutritional care.

As a regional leader in the movement toward value-based care, SanStone determined it needed to upgrade its information technology capabilities to be able to continue its track record of success and growth as the industry shifts to fee-for-value reimbursement.

We have been aggressively searching for a technology partner to help us navigate the ever-changing post-acute/short-term rehabilitation arena for several years. MatrixCare has all the components necessary to integrate seamlessly with the various appendages of our health care platform. The data entry and reporting dashboards are phenomenal. Training, customer service and purchase value have all exceeded our expectations, said Chris Sprenger, President, SanStone Health.

SanStone Health joins the growing list of leading LTPAC providers upgrading to MatrixCare to take advantage of better interoperability, better ease of use, better analytics, better service, better long-term vendor stability, and better outcomes performance.

As the LTPAC industry continues the journey to value-based care, regional organizations with fully integrated delivery systems like SanStone are well positioned to assume and manage risk in care delivery, said John Damgaard, President and CEO of MatrixCare. SanStone is recognized as a leader in long-term health care in North Carolina, and we are honored to provide them with Best in KLAS technologies to power their continued growth in this evolving industry.

About MatrixCare

Current and multi-time winner of the prestigious Best in KLAS for Long-Term Care Software award, MatrixCare is the complete solution for growing organizations that need to successfully manage risk in care delivery across the LTPAC spectrum. Trusted by more than 13,000 facility-based care settings and more than 2,500 home care, home health and hospice organizations, MatrixCares solutions help ACOs, skilled nursing and senior living providers, life plan communities (CCRCs), and home health organizations to connect, collaborate and prosper as we migrate to a fee-for-value healthcare system. In addition to EHR components purpose-built for any LTPAC care-setting, MatrixCare also includes solutions to systematically increase clinical quality: Enterprise Analytics, robust Clinical Decision Support and the industrys first Care Coordination platform to create a true, person-centric, e-longitudinal health record and enable LTPAC providers to efficiently manage the populations under their care. Visit www.matrixcare.com and www.carecommunity.com for more information.

MatrixCare is a registered trademark of MatrixCare.

About SanStone Health & Rehabilitation

SanStone Health & Rehabilitation provides rehabilitative care in NC to residents who are transitioning from the hospital to home. SanStone has a full staff of skilled nurses, physical, occupational and speech therapists, social workers, discharge planners, activities professionals, nutritionists and more who are passionate about helping residents achieve a full recovery.

SanStone independently owns and operates 14 facilities across NC, spanning from the Asheville area to Elizabeth City in Eastern NC. Each SanStone Health facility provides residents with an exceptional level of care, as well as long-term or rehabilitative services to assist them in regaining independence. SanStone currently has commitments to add two additional facilities in June 2019 for a total of 16.

Media Contact:

Mary Beth Mohn

VP of Marketing

Ph: 952-995-9904CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and PARIS, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lysogene (FR0013233475  LYS), a pioneering biopharmaceutical company specializing in gene therapy targeting central nervous system (CNS) diseases, today reports its cash position for the second quarter 2018 and provides a business as well as a strategic update.



Cash position as of June 30, 2018

As of June 30, 2018, cash and cash equivalent amounted to 8.16 million, compared to 9.9 million on March 31, 2018. The Companys cash position allows the Company to cover its anticipated needs until November 2018, based on the company's current operational development plan. Lysogene did not generate revenues during the second quarter 2018.

Business update

Update on recent manufacturing and clinical progress with LYS-SAF302, a Phase 2/3 drug candidate for the treatment of MPS IIIA

As planned, Lysogene has made significant progress regarding the preparation of the Phase 2/3 Pivotal study with LYS-SAF302. Most recent progress include the successful production of clinical batches, with batch release activities currently on going.

All plans to activate eight clinical sites in the U.S. and Europe for this trial remain underway, in order to enable maximum patient access to the Companys novel gene therapy treatment, the first Phase 2/3 MPS IIIA drug candidate worldwide.

Update on Lysogenes second asset, LYS-GM101, drug candidate for the treatment of GM1 and recent collaboration for Fragile X syndrome

Lysogenes IND-enabling preclinical study program in GM1 Gangliosidosis is progressing and the Company intends to report long-term results in the second half of 2018.

Scientific Advice/Protocol Assistance meeting with the European Medicines Agency was held on June 11, 2018. The EMA Final Advice Letter provides valuable guidance for Lysogene on preclinical, clinical and manufacturing considerations. Most importantly, the EMA accepted the adaptive design proposal from Lysogene.

Together with the future Pre-IND meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, these regulatory interactions should enable Lysogene to further define the optimal development plan for this new innovative therapy.

The activities related to the Fragile X Syndrome gene therapy program developed in collaboration with Dr Herve Lemoine progressed.

The implementation of each of these programs will depend on the financial capabilities of the Company.

Strategic Update

Given the current cash runway of the Company, the Company has decided to focus its efforts on the conclusion of a strategic partnership or transaction, or potential sale of one or several products. The Company has retained Torreya to serve as its financial advisor in this process.

Lysogene does not have a defined timeline yet for such potential transactions and will disclose future developments, as the case may be, as soon as appropriate.

The Company is also currently working on cost containment measures in order to reduce its cash burn, and will communicate on the progress of the above in more detail in Q3 2018.

Attention of the public is drawn to the risk factors presented in the 2017 registration document (Document de reference), registered with the French Markets Authorities on June 4, 2018, under number R. 18-047, and in particular to the liquidity risk and risk associated to the dependence to a successful development of LYS-SAF 302 as set out in paragraphs 4.2.2 and 4.4.2 of the 2017 registration document (Document de reference).

About Lysogene

Lysogene is a gene therapy company focused on the treatment of orphan diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The company has built a unique capability to enable a safe and effective delivery of gene therapies to the CNS to treat lysosomal diseases and other genetic disorders of the CNS. A pivotal clinical trial in MPS IIIA and a phase 1-2 clinical trial in GM1 Gangliosidosis are in preparation, while we are currently collaborating with a major partner to define the strategy of development for the treatment of Fragile X syndrome, a genetic disease related to autism. www.lysogene.com

Contact



Julie Coulot / Emmanuel Huynh

Chris Maggos NewCap

LifeSci Advisors lysogene@newcap.eu chris@lifesciadvisors.com + 33 1 44 71 94 95 +41 79 367 6254





Stephanie Leouzon Torreya / + 44 (0) 207 451 4551 stephanie.leouzon@torreya.com

Forward looking statement

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, all statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice, (ii) factors beyond the Companys control and (iii) the financial capabilities of the Company. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as target, believe, expect, aim, intend, may, anticipate, estimate, plan, project, will, can have, likely, should, would, could and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Companys control that could cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the expected results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks can be found in the Companys regulatory filings with the French Autorite des Marches Financiers, including in the 2017 registration document (Document de reference), registered with the French Markets Authorities on June 4, 2018, under number R. 18-047, and future filings and reports by the Company. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

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 Lysogene 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.DANA POINT, CA, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacific Software, Inc. (OTC: PFSF)(Pacific Software or the Company), an emerging development technology corporation positioned for investments, mergers and acquisitions of software technologies and platforms, announced today it signed a letter of intent with Inovam Brasil, a leading nut exporter from the Brazilian State of Rondonia.



Pacific Software executed a letter of intent with Inovam Brasil to implement its Agri-Blockchain technology to augment their supply chain management processes, certification, traceability and verification of products. In addition, the Company will be developing an e-commerce platform that will facilitate Inovam Brasils global expansion through international distribution channels as well as implementing digital marketing campaigns to create brand admiration and awareness and increase global revenue generation.

Inovam Brasil is a leading exporter of certified organic Brazil nuts, Amazonian almonds, chestnuts, chestnut oil, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds and fruit mix. The Brazil nut trees are known for their towering heights and are considered some of the richest plant resources containing the mineral selenium, a powerful antioxidant. Inovam Brasil is planning on expanding their global sales distribution once the e-commerce platform is operational.

We are executing on our plan to become the dominant logistics and food industries blockchain solutions provider in Brazil by working with leading regional exporters, commented Peter Pizzino, President of Pacific Software, Inc. We are excited to work with Inovam Brasil and their fantastic leadership team to bring cutting-edge disruptive technology solutions to market.

About Pacific Software

Pacific Software, Inc. (OTC: PFSF) is an emerging development technology corporation positioned for investments, mergers and acquisitions of software technologies and platforms. The Company is a designer, developer and commercial distributor of blockchain-based systems. The Company intends to be uniquely positioned to deliver B2B and B2C blockchain solutions by utilizing IBMs Hyperledger Blockchain Backend as a Service (BaaS) Infrastructure for three key industries: Agriculture, to target farm-to-table beef exports; Cannabis, to improve Seed-to-Sale supply chain management and traceability; and Opioids/Controlled Substance Management, to create a verifiable and trusted ledger between pharmaceutical manufacturers and consumers. For additional information please visit www.pacificsoftwareinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as "continue," "will," "may," "could," "should," "expect," "expected," "plans," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Pacific Software. and are difficult to predict. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to whether the hyperledger blockchain technology solutions will be well received or utilized. Additional examples of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to (i) Pacific Software's ability (or inability) to obtain additional financing in sufficient amounts or on acceptable terms when needed; (ii) Pacific Softwares ability to maintain existing, and secure additional, contracts with users of its solutions; (iii) Pacific Softwares ability to successfully expand in existing markets and enter new markets; (iv) Pacific Softwares ability to successfully manage and integrate any acquisitions of businesses, solutions or technologies; (v) unanticipated operating costs, transaction costs and actual or contingent liabilities; (vi) the ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel; (vii) adverse effects of increased competition on Pacific Softwares business; (viii) changes in government licensing and regulation that may adversely affect Pacific Softwares business; (ix) the risk that changes in consumer behavior could adversely affect Pacific Softwares business; (x) Pacific Softwares ability to protect its intellectual property; (xi) local, industry and general business and economic conditions. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements can be found in the most recent quarterly report on filed by Pacific Software with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Pacific Software anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its plans, intentions and expectations to change. Pacific Software assumes no obligation, and it specifically disclaims any intention or obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law.



Effingham, IL, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Last week, Heartland Dental, the nations largest dental support organization, welcomed nearly 150 of its newest, incoming supported dentists to its Effingham, Ill. headquarters for the 2018 Dr. LEADS event. Dr. LEADS, which stands for Learning Elements for Achieving Dental Success, indoctrinates newly supported dentists from around the countryand the vast majority of them are recent dental school graduates.

Dr. LEADS is a very important aspect of welcoming newly supported dentists into the Heartland Dental family, said Patrick Bauer, Heartland Dental President & CEO. These dentists are still learning what it takes to run a supported practice all while being strong leaders amongst their teams. We cherish this event as the perfect time to bring them all together to start their Heartland Dental journey off on the right foot.

Dr. LEADS offers three days of valuable learning experiences in a wide variety of clinical and leadership topics. This years lineup of speakers included international speaker and author on micro-endodontics and endodontic technology, Dr. George Bruder. Attendees also learned from Dr. Mark Hodge, a nationally recognized speaker on topics including Invisalign, patient communication, and team engagement. Featured speakers also included Dr. Rick Workman, Heartland Dentals Founder and Executive Chairman, Bauer, and other Heartland Dental leaders. The event offers networking and opportunities to tour and see, firsthand, goings-on at the Effingham headquarters.

Each year, its always a pleasure to meet young dentists and impart knowledge that we believe will help shorten their learning curve, said Dr. Workman. Running a successful dental office has its rewards. But, it also comes with obstacles that a young dentist must navigate. Our sole focus is to remove obstacles so a starting dentists path is smoother. Dr. LEADS is our introduction to the things that will make them successful clinicians and leaders.

About Heartland Dental

Heartland Dental is the largest dental support organization in the United States with more than 850 supported dental offices located in 35 states. Based in Effingham, Illinois and founded by Rick Workman, DMD, Heartland Dental offers supported dentists and team members continuing professional education and leadership training, along with a variety of non-clinical administrative services including staffing, employee relations, procurement, administration, financial, marketing assistance, and information technology. For more information, visit www.Heartland.com. Follow Heartland Dental on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.English French



GLOBAL BIOENERGIES: France grants to two renewable isobutene derivatives the benefit of public support for sustainable biofuels.

Evry (France), 01 August 2018 - Bio-isobutene incorporated in the form of ETBE and isooctane is on the list of biofuels in the order related to the General Tax on Polluting Activities (TGAP) published in the Journal Officiel dated 18 July 2018 (text #8).

Thanks to public support, the road fuels consumed in France - gasoline and diesel - now contain on average nearly 7% of renewable and sustainable energy, in accordance with the environmental and social criteria adopted by the European Parliament.

With this new joint order by the Minister of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, the Minister of Food and Agriculture and the Minister of Action and Public Accounts, French road fuel distributors, especially oil companies and major retailers, are now being enticed to include these two renewable isobutene derivatives in the formulation of gasoline in addition to traditional sustainable biofuels like ethanol.

The plants to be built in the future to operate the bio-isobutene process will benefit from this order, which materializes as a favorable tax system. Bio-isobutene will be converted on-site into renewable, sustainable compounds, which will be directly usable by distributors to formulate quality gasoline, in accordance with the needs of all drivers, with no restrictions or changes to vehicles or to the distribution network.

According to Bernard Chaud, Director of Industrial Strategy at Global Bioenergies, "This decision further supports the Global Bioenergies project. With this order, we can already look forward to the large scale deployment of our renewable gasoline production process, thus fulfilling a dual promise of an improved carbon footprint by road transportation along with a reduction in particulate emissions, with a positive impact on health".

About GLOBAL BIOENERGIES

Global Bioenergies is one of the few companies worldwide, and the only one in Europe, that is developing a process to convert renewable resources into hydrocarbons through fermentation. The Company initially focused its efforts on the production of isobutene, one of the most important petrochemical building blocks that can be converted into fuels, plastics, organic glass and elastomers. Global Bioenergies continues to improve the performance of its process, to operate its demo plant in Germany, and to prepare the first full-scale plant through a joint venture with Cristal Union, named IBN-One. Global Bioenergies is listed on Euronext Growth Paris (FR0011052257 - ALGBE)

Stay informed! Subscribe to our newsfeed on

www.global-bioenergies.com

Follow us on Twitter: @GlobalBioenergi

ContactGREENSBORO, N.C., Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gilbarco Veeder-Root announced today that Passport Version 11.02 is now available to ExxonMobil branded retailers. One of the earliest adopters of Gilbarcos EMV technology to drive EMV chip transactions at the fuel island is Houston-based Landmark Industries, an owner of 240 convenience stores under various major oil brands. Landmark is currently transitioning all its ExxonMobil branded stores to enable chip card transactions at the front counter and at the fuel dispenser.



Being first to market means Gilbarco has a head start in honing the EMV transition process  further aided by Gilbarcos ability to leverage learnings from broad global EMV implementation experience. Landmark is now reaping the benefits of Gilbarcos proven EMV best practices including features that ensure no bank card is left behind by consumers.



Our efforts to rapidly upgrade as many sites as possible with this software has offered our customers peace of mind that Landmark is doing its part to reduce fraud and keep them moving down the road, said Landmark Director of Service, Steve Poncik. Were starting the rollout at our ExxonMobil sites, and are also already testing the Passport EMV release on some of our sites with other brands as well, so we can get to outdoor EMV across our network as quickly as possible.



Landmark is just one of the ExxonMobil brands eager to get up and running with chip card technology ahead of the fast-approaching 2020 deadline.



We are excited to help retailers like Landmark be able to protect their customers at the dispenser by enabling EMV acceptance. We expect to see retailers start to accept EMV payments at the dispenser quickly now, as the Point of Sale releases like this one to support EMV at the dispenser now become broadly available, said Mark Williams, VP of Gilbarco North America Marketing.



To begin the upgrade process, contact your local Gilbarco distributor. To learn more about Gilbarcos EMV software and hardware solutions, visit www.gilbarco.com.

AttachmentsAugust 6 event in Beijing will explore ways to accelerate the arrival of the AI era



SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Bottos announces that it is partnering with Microsoft for an event to explore the impact that blockchain technology can have in driving AI innovation.

The August 6 event, AI Industry Renovation and Strategy Partner Conference, will include discussions on big data, DApps, IoT, mixed reality and the latest developments in artificial intelligence.

Bottos is the first AI-dedicated public blockchain, created specifically to be a distributed artificial intelligence platform, and ultimately a new AI ecosystem. The company recently released its first DApp, Datanno, a data marketplace, which solves a huge hurdle that many small and mid-size AI companies face  the high cost of data acquisition. Datanno brings together data providers, data requesters and data service providers (data validators, data taggers and data cleaners) on the blockchain. The goal is to make data more accessible and affordable in order to help drive AI development.

Microsoft has made a huge investment in AI research, with CEO Satya Nadella recently telling investors, Its going to be AI at the edge, AI in the cloud, AI as part of SaaS applications, AI as part of in fact even infrastructure.

Bottos open sourcing allows developers around the world to build any kind of AI-related DApp on the Bottos blockchain, including model marketplaces, data storage sharing networks and computer power sharing networks.

Not only will data be more accessible via Bottos, it will also be more secure. The blockchain provides immutability, as well as traceability through the registration of original or transformed data to ensure quality and proper use. When data is hashed and placed on the blockchain, it is sliced into thousands of pieces, with each of those pieces stored in different places.

The growth of AI is expected to have a huge impact on the global economy. Research from PwC says the global GDP could grow by as much as 14 percent by 2030  thats an impact of $15.7 trillion. China could see the biggest gains, with an additional 26 percent in GDP growth in that same time frame.

AI is poised to transform a number of industries, including healthcare, automotive, financial services, logistics and retail, said Bottos co-founder Xin Song. Were looking forward to partnering with Microsoft to provide ways for businesses to incorporate AI to increase their market share as the technology continues to rapidly develop.

The August 6 event will be held at 2 p.m. CST at the Microsoft Mansion in Beijing.

For more information on Bottos, please visit www.bottos.org.

About Bottos

Bottos is building the infrastructure for AI development through blockchain technology in order to create a new decentralized AI ecosystem. The companys first DApp - Dattano, a global data marketplace - provides a way to connect artificial intelligence companies and data providers. It is also a consensus-based, one-stop platform to implement the registration, distribution and transformation of data among different participants within the broad-based artificial intelligence ecosystem. Bottos is out to build the worlds most efficient data sharing network to enhance AI innovation and competitiveness. Bottos utilizes BTO tokens and smart contracts for its blockchain-based transactions.

Media Contact

Frank Wolff

Uproar PR for Bottos

fwolff@uproarpr.com

321-236-0102 x237



Xin Song

Bottos co-founder

songxin@bottos.orgMountain View, Calif., Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Couchbase, Inc., creator of the worlds first Engagement Database, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named CEO Matt Cain to its 2018 list of Top 100 Executives, specifically among the Top 25 Innovators. This annual list recognizes leaders from the technology industry who have played an integral role in shaping todays IT channel, whether by driving huge cultural shifts, creating rich new opportunities or forging innovative routes to success.

As President and CEO, Cain plays an integral role in driving strong growth and momentum for Couchbase. After expanding its executive leadership team, launching PartnerEngage, and introducing world-class brands such as YapStone, SyncThink and Norwegian Cruise Lines to its customer base, Couchbase is paving the future of a $40+ billion database market by creating exceptional customer and employees experiences through Engagement Database technology like the Couchbase Data Platform.

Visionary and strategic leadership can make the difference between just surviving and actually excelling in this period of disruptive change for the IT channel, said Bob Skelley, CEO, The Channel Company. In order for technology suppliers and solution providers to thrive and stay ahead of the competition, they need leaders who are able to envision both the future of the channel and the role their organization needs to play in order to create that reality. CRNs 2018 Top 100 Executives embody these qualities. They are change agents who deliver unwavering guidance to their companies, always asking where are we headed and not being afraid to take the necessary steps to get there.

"Matts leadership and positive influence is felt in the office day in and day out, and we're thrilled that he has been honored as a Top 25 Innovator within CRN's Top 100 Executives listing, said Peter Finter, CMO at Couchbase. He has led Couchbase through massive growth in the past year, and we look forward to his steadfast leadership and innovative vision as we continue our journey to revolutionize digital experiences for customers and employees.

The Top 100 Executives list will be featured in the August 2018 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/top100.

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook

Follow Couchbase: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook

Tweet This:

@TheChannelCo names @Couchbase to @CRN 2018 Top 100 Executives list #CRNTop100 www.crn.com/top100

About the Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com

CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

About Couchbase

Couchbase's mission is to be the data platform that revolutionizes digital innovation. To make this possible, Couchbase created the world's first Engagement Database to help deliver ever-richer and ever more personalized customer and employee experiences. Built with the most powerful NoSQL technology, the Couchbase Data Platform was architected on top of an open source foundation for the massively interactive enterprise. Our geo-distributed Engagement Database provides unmatched developer agility and manageability, as well as unparalleled performance at any scale, from any cloud to the edge.

Couchbase has become pervasive in our everyday lives; our customers include industry leaders Amadeus, AT&T, BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), Carrefour, Cisco, Comcast, Disney, DreamWorks Animation, eBay, Marriott, Neiman Marcus, Tesco, Tommy Hilfiger, United, Verizon, Wells Fargo, as well as hundreds of other household names. For more information, visit www.couchbase.com.

www.couchbase.com.

For more information, contact:

The Channel Company Contact:

Kim Sparks

The Channel Company

(508) 416-1193

ksparks@thechannelco.com

Couchbase Contact:

Christina Rohall Knittel

Couchbase Corporate Communications

christina.knittel@couchbase.comSEATTLE, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TiE Seattle, the local chapter of one of the largest nonprofits dedicated to growing and fostering entrepreneurship in the world, has announced the appointment of global empowerment speaker, former IBM vice president and diversity proponent Shelmina Abji to its board.



As a Global Empowerment Speaker, Abji  who became one of IBMs highest ranking women of color during her tenure there - travels the world speaking on topics relating to empowering people in all areas of life, ranging from shaping ones life story to owning ones power. She is a womens advocate and diversity proponent, frequently sharing her insights on how to accelerate the success of other girls and women.

An investor to early stage startups and advisor to C-suite executives, Abji has more than 25 years of experience as an information technology senior executive, with a track record of successfully leading teams to grow profitable revenue in various client sets and multiple sectors both through direct sales and through partner ecosystem. In addition to TiE Seattle, she also serves on the boards of United Nations Girl Up and Young Women Empowered.

Shelmina brings a broad array of experience to TiE Seattle, for businesses of all sizes, including on the issues of diversity and mentoring, said Sharmilli Ghosh, president of TiE Seattle. Were pleased to have someone of Shelminas business caliber and acumen on our board.

Abji holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where she was honored as a distinguished alumni and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Poona, India. As part of IBMs top talent, she has received extensive leadership training at IBM, Harvard University and UCLA.

About TiE Seattle

TiE Seattle is the local chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a global nonprofit dedicated to growing and fostering entrepreneurship throughout the world. TiE believes in the power of ideas to change the face of entrepreneurship and growing business through the five pillars of its global mission: mentoring, networking, education, incubating and funding. TiE Seattle hosts approximately 40 events a year, across all its programs, addressing entrepreneurs, startups, mentors and investors. TiE events are sponsored by the leading VCs and enterprises in the Seattle ecosystem, including enterprises such as Amazon, law firms such as Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, K&L Gates and Fenwick & West, and leading VCs such as Madrona Venture Group.

TiE was founded in 1992 by a group of successful entrepreneurs and is currently the worlds largest entrepreneurial organization. With members across 60 chapters in 17 countries, TiE is reaching out and fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Media contacts:

Belinda Young

BYPR

206-932-3145

byoung@bypr.comYes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain.

Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.

For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here.English French

Roissy, 1st August 2018

Availability of the 2018 First Half financial report

Air France-KLM's 2018 First Half financial report was filed with the Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) on 1st August 2018.

The French version of this document is available under the regulatory conditions and may be consulted on the "results" page and in the "Regulated information" section of the Air France-KLM website (www.airfranceklm.com), as well as on the AMF website (www.amf-france.org).

The English version of the 2018 First Half financial report is available on the Air France-KLM website (www.airfranceklm.com) on the "results" page and in the "Regulated information" section.

Investors Press contact

Marie-Agnes de Peslouan Wouter van Beek

+33 1 49 89 52 59 +33 1 49 89 52 60 +33 1 41 56 56 00

madepeslouan@airfranceklm.com wouter-van.beek@airfranceklm.com

www.airfranceklm.comBARDONIA, N.Y., Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greater Hudson Bank, ("the Bank") (OTCQX:GHDS) is helping to transform a local landfill into a money-saving dynamo. The Bank has teamed up with OnForce Solar and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to finance the construction and ongoing operation of a new solar array in the Town of Monroe, NY. The system is expected to be completed by October 2018.



The Bank is pleased to partner with OnForce Solar and the local USDA office to bring sustainable sources of energy to our community, explained Anthony Pili, Senior Vice President and solar lending specialist at Greater Hudson Bank. As a local financial resource committed to local businesses, non-profits, and municipalities, it is an honor to serve a forward-thinking project such as this that will provide green energy and savings for Monroe residents for years to come.

The new array, located at 813 Lakes Road, will be a 2-megawatt DC system that will save the Town of Monroe about $5M over the life of the system. All Bright Electric of West Nyack, NY is the electrical contractor selected for the project.

Investing in renewable energy projects  like this one in Monroe  helps support home-grown energy sources, creates jobs, and continues to help our state and this community usher in a more energy secure future, said Richard Mayfield, New York State Director for USDA Rural Development.

OnForce Solar completed a similar project in Rockland County, which was awarded the New York State Society of Professional Engineers (NYSSPE) Project of the Year Award in 2015. After the success of our recent 2.4-megawatt landfill conversion in the Town of Clarkstown, we are excited to bring the same significant cost savings to the Town of Monroe and its residents, said Charles Feit, owner of OnForce.

Greater Hudson Bank, founded in 2002, is a premier N.Y. community bank which specializes in providing customized banking services, SBA loans, commercial mortgages, and business lines of credit to Hudson Valley-based businesses, non-profits, and municipal agencies. The Bank is chartered by the New York State Department of Financial Services and its deposits are insured by the FDIC. As evidence of the Banks financial strength, Greater Hudson Bank has been recognized with a superior rating by the country's leading independent bank rating and research firm, BauerFinancial, Inc. Further information can be found on the Bank's website at GreaterHudsonBank.com or by calling 844-GREAT-11.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8883bdb2-e133-4471-ae74-c44c304b755bThe competition for the 3rd and 4th editions of the Education Research in Africa Award (ERAA) is now open.

Launched in 2012, the Award aims to promote high quality education research, produced by African universities, research centers and research networks. There are four award categories: (1) emerging educational researcher, (2) accomplished educational researcher, (3) outstanding mentor of educational researchers, and (4) enabling institutional environment for education research.

The research works of candidates can focus on a wide range of thematic areas, but the following will receive special attention: technical and vocational skills development (TVSD); early childhood development and education (ECDE); information and communication technology (ICT); science, technology and innovation (STI); gender issues; special education needs; teacher training and the teaching profession. This year the Award will also give special attention to education, training or capacity building works related to the African Development Bank's five operational priorities known as High 5s: energy, food and agriculture, industrialization, continental integration and improving the quality of life for the people.

The terms and conditions of participation in the competition are available on line at http://www.adeanet.org/eraa. The organizing committee strongly encourages women to participate in the 2017/2018 Education Research in Africa Award.

Research on education is crucial for African education systems to function well. It provides decision-makers with the information they need to orient policy, conduct reform and enhance the quality, equity, relevance and efficiency of their education and training systems. Yet, education research in Africa remains limited and underused. Among the main factors explaining this, there are the inadequate institutional environment for education research and the persisting weak involvement of higher education in the policy-making process.

The objectives of the Education Research in Africa Award are:

Strengthening the link between education research and education policy-making and practice in Africa;

Encouraging and supporting Africa-based researchers and their institutions to produce and disseminate rigorous and relevant research that stimulates innovative policy-making for Africa;

Facilitating interaction between researchers and policy-makers in order to promote the systematic use of research findings in policy conceptualization, formulation, design, implementation and evaluation;

Facilitating the identification of strong researchers to provide content for the ADEA Knowledge Hub, one of the main pillars of the ADEA Strategic Plan 2018-2020.

ERAA ultimately seeks the institutionalization of a culture of quality research that contributes both to informed decision-making and to the effective implementation of promising reforms and practices.

The juries for the Award are made up of African and Africanist researchers and education specialists working in universities, research centers, research organizations and Pan African institutions, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), based in Africa and in other regions of the world.

The Award is organized by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and the African Development Institute (ECAD) of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), with financial support from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC).

For further information on ERAA, visit the website http://www.adeanet.org/eraa or contact Ms. Raky Gassama, Knowledge Management Officer, ADEA, e-mail: r.gassamacoly@afdb.orgThe African Development Bank and the South African embassy in Cote d'Ivoire have finalized preparations for a joint lecture to honour Nelson Mandela's hundredth birthday.

The lecture, which will take place on September 17, 2018 at the Bank's Headquarters, will be delivered by Dr Pali Leholhla, former South African Statistician General, and Dr Koffi N'Guessan, former Director of the Ecole Natonale Superieure de Statistiques et d'Economie Appliquee in Cote d'Ivoire (ENSEA).

Mandela, the iconic anti-Apartheid activist who became South Africa's first black President died on 5 December 2013 at the age of 95.

Speaking about the anniversary, the Bank's Communications and External Relations Director, Victor Oladokun said, "The Nelson Mandela Centenary Celebrations provide us and people around the world, a unique opportunity to reflect on his life and times and to promote his legacy.

Oladokun said the lecture would focus on the promotion of intra-African scholarship as a means to promote the production of "knowledge about Africa, in Africa, by Africans, for Africa" in line with the Bank's strategic priorities.

The event is expected to attract top dignitaries, members of the international community, policy makers from the government of Cote d'Ivoire, the Bank's board of directors and senior leadership as well as the South African community in Cote d'Ivoire, students, academicians and the media. South Africa's ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire will also attend.

The lecture will take place from 10 am to 13:00pm in the Babacar N'Diaye Auditorium.

About the Lecture Series

The public lecture is an element of a series initiated this year by the Bank to support dialogue and collaboration with the Regional Member Countries (RMCs) on knowledge harnessing and dissemination; and contribute to participative policy development. It is expected to engage the bank in making use of the substance of the discussions to shape partnerships and multiply initiatives that spur multi stakeholders' contributions to knowledge for policy development in the RMCs.AllAfrica publishes around 800 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.Nigeria: Saraki Announces He Is Leaving the Ruling APC - Statement Office of Senator Bukola Saraki, 31 July 2018 I wish to inform Nigerians that, after extensive consultations, I have decided to take my leave of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Read more 

Nigeria: What Next for Buhari's Administration After Saraki's Exit Premium Times, 1 August 2018 The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday announced that he is leaving the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing forces within the party of causing his exit. Read more 

Nigeria: Despite Defection, APC Moves to Punish Saraki Premium Times, 1 August 2018 The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives congress (APC) has accused Senate President Bukola Saraki of breaching Article 21 of the party's constitution. Read more 

Nigeria: APC Crisis Latest - Fifth Columnists Forced Us Out of APC - Saraki Vanguard, 1 August 2018 President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki yesterday announced his decision to leave the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Read more 

Nigeria: As Saraki Departs APC, Sister, Gbemi, Affirms Support for Buhari Premium Times, 1 August 2018 The defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday has awoken a dormant political rivalry within the Saraki Family that Read more 

Nigeria: After Quitting Ruling Party, Saraki Wants to Remain Senate President Premium Times, 31 July 2018 The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, is plotting to remain in office despite defecting from the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), PREMIUM TIMES has learnt. Read more 

Nigeria: Why I Quit APC - Senate President Bukola Saraki Vanguard, 31 July 2018 The Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki has given reasons why he has dumped the All Progressive Congress, APC, party for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Read more 

Nigeria: Saraki Thumbs Up Osinbajo, Oshiomhole's Reconciliation Moves Guardian, 31 July 2018 Senate President Bukola Saraki Tuesday night applauded the efforts of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and national chairman of Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress to Read more 

Nigeria: All Eyes On Saraki This Day, 1 August 2018 Considered as the arrowhead of dissident lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki is facing the biggest test of his political life. Read more 

Nigeria: Here Are 7 Reasons Saraki Dumped APC Daily Trust, 31 July 2018 The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has announced his exit from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Read more 

Nigeria: Saraki - Fifth Columnists Force Me Out of APC This Day, 31 July 2018 Senate President Bukola Saraki Tuesday formally resigned from the All Progressive Congress, APC, saying he was forced out of the party by fifth columnists. Read more 

Nigeria: PDP Speaks On Saraki, Gov Ahmed's Defection Premium Times, 31 July 2018 The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has welcomed the defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State. Read more 

Nigeria: Lawyers Speak On Legality of Saraki's Defection Premium Times, 31 July 2018 Some Nigerian lawyers have expressed their views on the legality of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki's defection from the All Progressives Party (APC) to the People's Democratic Read more 

Nigeria: Why I'm Leaving APC, Joining PDP - Saraki Premium Times, 31 July 2018 The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has provided reasons why he left Nigeria's ruling party, APC, for the main opposition party, PDP. Read more 

Nigeria: Atiku Speaks On Saraki's Defection Premium Times, 31 July 2018 A former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has welcomed the decision of Senate President Bukola Saraki to leave the All Progressives Congress, APC. Read more 

Nigeria: Saraki's Exit Won't Affect Buhari's Chances in 2019, Says Okorocha This Day, 31 July 2018 Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has said that the defection of key members of the APC, including the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, will not affect the electoral Read more 

Nigeria: Senate President Saraki Leaves Ruling APC Premium Times, 31 July 2018 The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has formally announced that he is leaving Nigeria's ruling party, APC. Read more HSINCHU, TAIWAN , Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HSINCHU, TAIWAN  August 1, 2018Andes Technology Corporation, the leading Asia-based suppliers of small gate count, low-power and high performance 32-bit embedded CPU cores, announced that Kazan Networks, an emerging contender in the enterprise networking and storage market specializing in low latency protocols, has adopted the N13 processor for their Fuji platform of products. Kazans Fuji platform offers the lowest latency available for NVMe over Fabrics applications and provides the scalability required in data center applications.

NVMe physical connection provides a direct connection between a servers microprocessors and NVMe devices, which is ideal when populating a server with one or several SSDs, said Murthy Kompella, Vice President Engineering and Co-founder of Kazan. But NVMe scalability is limited and there is little support for sharing the flash resources among multiple servers. Kazans Fuji NVMe over Fabric platform removes these limitations by enabling disaggregation of compute and storage without sacrificing performance. Kazans platform also improves this further, by implementing the entire I/O path in hardware, minimizing latency. Andes N13 core contributed to the successful completion of the Fuji NVMe over Fabric platform.

We are delighted that Kazan Networks chose our N13 for the Fuji NVMe over Fabric platform, stated Emerson Hsiao, General Manager of Andes Technology Corp. USA. As CPU core suppliers, we build solutions to meet a broad range of end applications. Kazan Networks pushed the performance envelope of Andes high-end 21st-century RISC instruction set N13 CPU core. However, with its 8-stage pipeline and clock rate over 1 GHz, the N13 delivered 2.05 DMIPS/MHz to serve the demanding computing requirements of the Fuji NVMe over Fabrics Platform.

About the NVMe Over Fabrics

"NVMe is a specification that allowed an SSD to make effective use of a high-speed PCI Express bus in a computer. That specification, albeit useful within a single computer system, does not support SSD access across networks. To address that issue, NVMe over Fabrics (NVMeoF) was created to enable low-latency NVMe SSDs to scale out to the network in the most efficient way possible, simplifying design, reducing overhead, and improving performance," according to the Hyperion Research LLC report "Flash Storage Trends and Impacts," published in April 2018.

About the NVMe Over Fabrics Market

"By 2021, International Data Corporation (IDC) expects over 50 percent of primary storage revenue to be generated by NVMe-based storage platforms, and NVMe over Fabric will be in use on most of those systems," said Eric Burgener, research vice president, storage of IDC. "It makes sense for enterprises to understand what this technology can do for them so that they can integrate it into their own environments most cost-effectively."

About the N13

The Andes Technology N13 processor is a high-performance CPU core architected for computation intensive applications running on operating systems or as a stored program. The N13 is designed to serve the demanding requirements of application processors in SoCs for consumer electronics such as HDTVs, home media servers, cable and over-the-top set top boxes, as well as SoCs for the switches and routers delivering content to these devices. Complete with Memory Management Unit, L1/L2 cache, Local Memory, DMA, FPU, Vectored Interrupt, and Branch Prediction, the N13 easily runs complex operating system such as Linux. And with an 8-stage pipeline and a clock rate over 1 GHz, the core delivers impressive performance of 2.05 DMIPS/MHz to serve the most demanding computing environments. Furthermore, the N13 AndesCore supports the latest AndeStar V3 architecture, which is accompanied with toolchain, IDE, RTOS, Linux, middleware, and platform development IP. The N13's strength, plus its ecosystem, provide designers with the competitive edge for success in their embedded system solutions.

About Kazan Networks

Kazan Networks is a privately held startup founded in Dec 2014 by storage networking veterans. The company is located in Auburn, CA, and is currently sharing details about their products to select customers and partners. Find out more about Kazan Networks at https://kazan-networks.com/ .According to lawmaker Humberto Morales, the Attorney General "must definitely step aside () for the sake of the institutions that govern the country."

For his part, legislator Edmundo del Aguila pointed out "none parliamentary or political group should support him (Chavarry)."

"If we want a real change in the justice system, he must resign as (former Judiciary Chairman) Duberli Rodriguez did at the time," he added.SafeBreach Appoints Seasoned Security Channel Director to Accelerate Partner Initiatives;

New Program Accelerates Growing Demand for Breach and Attack Simulation

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SafeBreach, the leader in Breach and Attack Simulation, today announced its Global Channel Partner Program. On the heels of a record 2017, the company also added veteran channel security executive John Bolger as head of channel sales.

SafeBreach channel initiatives to date have already achieved tremendous momentum. Partners are delivering significant value via continuous security validation of enterprise risks with Breach and Attack Simulation. Coupled with high-margin, differentiated services to prioritize and remediate issues, the SafeBreach platform is creating new opportunities for channel partners. The new global program was designed to build upon this success, and extend even greater incentives to attract, recruit and grow the channel:

Technical and sales support

SafeBreach has expanded its technical and sales product training on Breach and Attack simulation to its partners. Built on best practices learned over hundreds of customer deployments, SafeBreach partner offerings provide customized expertise and know-how needed to understand and deploy Breach and Attack Simulation to add immediate value to their customers.



SafeBreach has expanded its technical and sales product training on Breach and Attack simulation to its partners. Built on best practices learned over hundreds of customer deployments, SafeBreach partner offerings provide customized expertise and know-how needed to understand and deploy Breach and Attack Simulation to add immediate value to their customers. Competitive margins

This new program is based on a tiering system, where focused partners receive the most integrated enablement and competitive margins. This allows partners to work with SafeBreach at various levels of commitment, and to progress as expertise and customer interest demand it.

The addition of John Bolger as channel leader will expand worldwide sales initiatives by empowering partners with accelerated revenue opportunities in the Breach and Attack simulation sector. With nearly a decade of channel experience selling enterprise solutions, John Bolger has held leadership roles at some of the worlds most recognized enterprise cybersecurity companies, including Cylance and FireEye where he served as global director of channel sales. John was also recently recognized by CRN as a Channel Chief.

SafeBreach has sparked new conversations and unique opportunities within the partner community, said Bolger. Our technology is a game changer, and is uniquely helping todays enterprise anticipate attacks, identify breach scenarios and mitigate risks in advance. Im really excited to take SafeBreach to greater heights by further enabling our current partners, recruiting new resellers that have a proven track record in driving new business, and acting as true trusted advisors to our joint enterprise customers.

Today, SafeBreach partners are committed to helping their enterprise customers stay one step ahead of attackers by enabling them to shift towards an offensive mindset with SafeBreach. By implementing the Breach and Attack Simulation platform from SafeBreach, customers get a hackers view of their enterprises security posture and can proactively predict attacks, validate security controls and improve security operations center (SOC) analyst response.

Global Channel Partner Program Quotes:

The SafeBreach technology is delivering insights and value from day one, said Justin Tibbs, CSO at Red Sky Solutions a Presidio company. It is truly changing the way enterprises are validating their security and will become a standard for security teams moving forward. We are happy to be part of the SafeBreach journey and helping our customers gain the adversary perspective of how well their security controls are doing.

SafeBreach has been an outstanding partner from the very beginning, said Steve Duncan, President at Cyber Watch Systems. Instead of the current reactive approach to cybersecurity, SafeBreach offers a new offensive paradigmone that harnesses the same techniques that attackers are using to validate defenses. The Breach and Attack Simulation technology by SafeBreach has proven to be an invaluable extension to our emerging cybersecurity solutions portfoliogiving our clients an advantage over attackers by continuously identifying holes in security that may expose their business to risk.

Having SafeBreach in our information security solutions toolbox has been tremendously helpful to our clients, in that it is not just another security solution, but confirms that our monitoring and detection capabilities are working as intended, said Tim OBrien, Director of Security Operations and Defensive technology at Trace3. SafeBreach helps measure the risk plane of our customers, and challenges security assumptions from the attackers perspective. Having a data-driven approach is critical in validating the security controls you have implemented and identifying blind spots and weaknesses in your monitoring and detection capabilities. SafeBreach has proven to be a true partner as they go the extra mile with Trace3 for our customers and their information security risk management needs.

Learn more about SafeBreachs Channel Partner Program here.

About SafeBreach:

SafeBreach is the leader in Breach and Attack Simulation. The companys groundbreaking platform provides a hacker's view of an enterprises security posture to proactively predict attacks, validate security controls and improve SOC analyst response. SafeBreach automatically executes thousands of breach methods from an extensive and growing Hackers Playbook of research and real-world investigative data. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, the company is funded by Sequoia Capital, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, Draper Nexus, PayPal Ventures, Hewlett Packard Pathfinder and investor Shlomo Kramer. For more information, visit www.safebreach.com or follow on Twitter @SafeBreach.

Contact:

Kayla Armstrong

CHEN PR for SafeBreach

karmstrong@chenpr.com

781.672.3148" " The hybrid mammal (seen in the foreground), which is a cross between a rough-toothed dolphin and a melon-headed whale (see in the background), was spotted by researchers off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii, in 2017. Kimberly A. Wood/Cascadia Research

Prepare yourself, lovers of animals and science, because everything about this story is cool. Researchers from the Cascadia Research Collective were out doing some acoustic monitoring near the Pacific Missile Range Facility near Kauai, Hawaii, in August 2017. They were checking to see what kinds of marine mammals were in the neighborhood before a naval training exercise, and did they ever find some.

Sure, they found bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis), as they expected, and even a couple of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris), which sounds like a fun species. There were a few pantropical spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata), which are rare in this part of the Pacific Ocean. They also found some melon-headed whales (Delphinidae), which is merely descriptive of how they look, not an insult to their intelligence. Also, they're a kind of dolphin. Melon-headed whales could use some rebranding.

Advertisement

This is all pretty cool already. But then the researchers found what looked to be a hybrid between a rough-toothed dolphin and a melon-headed whale. How to be sure it was a hybrid, though, and not merely a weird-looking melon-headed whale? They took a genetic sample, that's how.

But convincing a marine mammal to come in close so researchers could actually get that sample is tough. The "I was a good odontocete" stickers don't exactly adhere well to their skin. So you have to take the sampling to the mammals  with a crossbow, of course.

Don't worry! This story was not written by Herman Melville. The crossbow in question shot a special dart that didn't penetrate deeply into the animal. The dart was then brought back to the researchers with a tissue sample on it, and the whale-dolphin hybrid  we're calling it "Dale," because, well, why not?  swam free. The sample confirmed that yes indeed, this was a hybrid  the first-known between these two species. Their findings were all published in a study in late July.

"Dale" is not a new species, however. Often interspecies hybrids are infertile, like mules. That means they can't reproduce. "While hybridization can at times lead to new species  see for example the Clymene dolphin  most of the time this does not happen, and with only a single hybrid documented in this species pair, it definitely does not appear to be the case here," lead researcher Robin Baird says via email. So the researchers are calling Dale Steno bredanensis for now, but it's a just placeholder.

Baird and her team intend to go back to Hawaii in August 2018, one year after discovering "Dale," for more field projects and hope to find him again. "If we were lucky enough to find the pair again, we would try to get a biopsy sample of the accompanying melon-headed whale, to see whether it might be the mother of the hybrid, as well as get underwater images of the hybrid to better assess morphological differences from the parent species," Baird says.

The researchers also noticed while they were out on the water in 2017 that there was a melon-headed whale hanging out with a pod of rough-toothed dolphins. This could be "Dale's" mom, who is proving that sometimes you have to create your own family to live your best life.

NOW THAT'S COOL Hybrids like "Dale" happen in the wild all the time. A bottlenose dolphin and a false killer whale (also a dolphin) make a wholphin. A beluga whale and a narwhal, unicorn of the sea, make a narluga. And on land, coyotes have been known to mate with dogs to create coydogs.Lucy Tan

Immigrants and expats

by Keith Taylor

From the August, 2018 issue

Immigration is one of the great American stories. Its opposite--the American expat changed by the world outside--works in many of the same ways.



Lucy Tan's first novel, What We Were Promised, is a memorable example of both. It follows the Zhen family as its members move from rural China to America to employment in international business. Along the way they become Americanized and have an American child. When the father is sent back to Shanghai as an executive for an international corporation, they find themselves in a world of luxury they never could have imagined in their childhoods.



Tan does two different things in this novel, and she does both brilliantly. First, she observes the lives of the Zhen family members. We learn about the single-mindedness of the father and his business life. The mother has maids and nannies and little to occupy her time except dwelling on the nuances of past loves. And then there is the daughter, just at the end of childhood, uncertain of her place in either America or China. The other main characters are a ne'er-do-well brother and a beautifully drawn servant, who provides the essential contrast to the isolation and wealth of the Zhens. It is through her eyes that we get to see and experience the wonders of contemporary Shanghai.



Tan's other gift is to present the whole sweep of recent Chinese history from the Cultural Revolution to the current moment, a time of massive change happening in the span of a lifetime. The children's grandfather, a college professor, was sent to the country for "reeducation" during the Cultural Revolution. He returned a resigned and mostly satisfied worker in a silk factory. His daughter married the son of a sympathetic member of the Communist Party, and they were chosen to leave for an American education. When they return to China they are changed as profoundly as the country. One servant says of them,



"The foreigners are one thing, but these Chinese

...continued below...

born ... it's sickening to watch them accumulate their handbags and their fancy cars. To clean up after their parties. They're not so much younger than us. We're all Chinese, aren't we? Our parents all grew up under Mao and Deng Xiaoping together. The entire country was poor--together. They act like they weren't raised in a place where for most people, breakfast was watered down rice, too thin even to be called porridge."Out of this conflict, Lucy Tan has fashioned a novel that is both quiet and fast-paced, both personal and historical.She reads at Literati Bookstore Wednesday, August 1. [Originally published in August, 2018.]YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan held a telephone conversation with Secretary General of the International Organization of La Francophonie Michaelle Jean ahead of the upcoming 17th La Francophonie summit to be held in Yerevan, the PMs Office told Armenpress.

During the telephone conversation a number of issues relating to the bilateral relations between the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) and Armenia were discussed. The PM and the Secretary General highlighted the unique quality of these relations and thoroughly discussed the preparation works of the upcoming summit.

The Armenian PM also discussed with the Secretary General the program of her upcoming official visit to Yerevan on September 10-13, within the frames of which Mrs. Michaelle Jean will participate in the 11th conference of International Non-Governmental Organizations.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. At least 31 foreign tourists were injured when a train struck the rear of another train near the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, a local police chief said, Reuters reported. 5 are in serious condition.

Rescuers transport the injured to hospitals.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident, which occurred along a popular tourism route from the village of Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu in southern Peru.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan invites people to meet in the Republic Square on August 17, at 18:30 to present the results of his 100-day term in office, reports Armenpress.

I will soon mark my 100 days in the position of the prime minister, and I propose to hold a great rally on August 17, at our traditional meeting place  the Republic Square. I dont know how you, but I missed you a lot. I want us to again have an opportunity to communicate with each other, the PM said live on Facebook.

He stated that a very important event is expected, and the participation of everyone is necessary. They will discuss what has happened during these 100 days of this tenure, what steps the government has taken and will take to ensure drastic development.

We will talk about the existing opportunities and challenges, how we are going to deal with them, to use the opportunities and manage the challenges. It will be a very important meeting in terms of putting the stable grounds of the future and launching Armenias development in practice. We will also talk about the problems we faced during this period, the solutions and management of which we are dealing with, the PM said.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia Ara Babloyan addressed a congratulatory message on the 100th anniversary of the first session of the parliament of the First Republic of Armenia, the Parliament told Armenpress.

The message runs as follows:

Dear compatriots of Armenia, Artsakh and Diaspora,

100 year ago this day the parliament of the First Republic of Armenia  the Council of Armenia led by Avetik Sahakyan, convened its first session. The period of state-building and lawful work, which has stopped hundreds years ago, has started since this historical day in the newly-independent country.

The work and passed path of the first Armenian parliament was difficult , but it played a unique role for the development of the national legislation, formation of judiciary and organization of state and public life in Armenia in general. The Council of Armenia started operating when the public structures were not formed yet, and it sometimes conducted also the work of the executive leadership, by not only adopting numerous laws and legal documents, but also hundreds of administrative orders and decisions which was linked with the imperative to fight hunger and epidemics, and to organize even the educational work.

At least one year later the Council of Armenia developed with a European model a democratic electoral law for the time and conditions, and organized the elections of the new parliament with a common, direct, equal and secret voting.

The Council of Armenia was really a representative body which included the representatives of all main political forces of the country, the nations, as well as Western-Armenian immigration.

Surprisingly, being non-formed parliament through elections, it has consistently created and developed the traditions of parliamentary democracy, formed the culture of political administration which played a great role for the development of the Armenian political parties and the political mind.

Dear compatriots, I once again congratulate all of us on this day, I wish we highly value our history and be proud of it.

I wish us to preserve and cherish the sovereignty of the third statehood and to do everything to make Armenia democratic, social and legal state in all respects.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. The statistical data on the number of tourists visiting Armenia in the past years are visible in the streets of Yerevan where one can meet foreigners from different countries of the world.

ARMENPRESS talked to tourists in the Republic Square and adjacent streets, by trying to understand their impressions on Armenia.

17-year-old Risha and Victoria liked Armenia very much, especially the people and fruit here. We are her for already 7 days, we visited several beautiful sites, old churches. People are very friendly, fruits are very tasty, they say, adding that they will visit Armenia again, its an ideal place for summer vacations. My mother has already talked to her friends, and we think about visiting Armenia next year during holidays. Victoria says many people must know about Armenia, but it is necessary to develop tourism for this purpose.

Vladimir, who is from Krasnodar, says he liked Yerevan very much since the air is clean here compared to the cities of Russia. Armenians are friendly, but also some financial difficulties happen: for instance we visited restaurant in Sevan and we were upset that they cheated us, he says. We toured Yerevan, visited Sevan, Garni temple, we are very impressed with the architecture. Asked whether he knows words in Armenian, he said no. Many Armenians speak Russian, frankly, I dont know Armenian words. We mostly communicate in Russian, sometimes also in English.

A citizen of the Netherlands says she visited many places in Armenia. Armenia is a beautiful country, I especially like the buildings, churches and nature. This is my first visit, if I have a chance, perhaps I will come back, she said.

A tourist from Singapore said he arrived in Armenia after visiting Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran, he heard about Armenia in Tehran. Its a wonderful country, very friendly. Its very great that its only 8 hours from the Iranian border to Yerevan.

According to the data of incoming tour-operators, no major changes have taken place in the list of most visited places of Armenia. Both foreign and Armenian tourists mostly prefer visiting Garni, Geghard, Sevan, Tatev, Khor Virap and Noravank. They also visit Tsakhkadzor, Dilijan and etc.

Statistics

685.971 tourists visited Armenia in January-June 2018, which is an increase of over 10% compared to the figure of the same period of the previous year. 1 million 494 thousand 779 tourists visited Armenia in January-December 2017, which is an increase of 18.7% compared to 2016.

Presented by Ani Nazaryan

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. A bipartisan letter, spearheaded by the Armenian Caucus, backed by the bipartisan leaders of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committees, and signed by 48 members of Congress was sent Tuesday calling on U.S. President Trump to meet with Armenias new Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, as part of a larger effort to both broaden and deepen U.S.-Armenian dialogue and bilateral cooperation, Asbarez reports citing the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

We want to thank the leaders of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues and all those who joined with them in signing this bipartisan appeal, said Aram Hamparian, ANCAs Executive Director. We join with our legislative friends in promoting high-level dialogue and concrete cooperation across a broad set of bilateral priorities, with a special focus on the growth of mutually-beneficial U.S.-Armenia economic relations.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. The second individual performance of the Armenian tank crewman was held in the Tank Biathlon race of the International Army Games on July 31, the Armenian defense ministry told Armenpress.

The Armenian tank crewmen passed all obstacles, downed 4 out of 5 targets and were 2nd to cross the line after the Kazakh tank crewmen. However, as a result of two individual races, the Armenian tank crewmen still keep their leading positions in their group.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanEnglish French

TORONTO, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osisko Mining Inc. (TSX:OSK; "Osisko" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce the filing of an independent preliminary economic assessment technical report on its Windfall project, which has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The technical report, entitled "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Windfall Lake Project, Lebel-sur-Quevillon, Quebec, Canada" and dated August 1, 2018 (effective date of July 12, 2018), has been prepared for Osisko by BBA Inc., InnovExplo Inc., Golder Associates Ltd., WSP Canada Inc. and SNC-Lavalin Stavibel Inc. (the "Windfall PEA"). The Windfall PEA is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under Osisko's issuer profile.



Osisko's news release dated July 17, 2018 (entitled "Osisko Delivers Positive PEA for Windfall project") summarized certain key results, assumptions and estimates contained in the Windfall PEA. The Corporation is pleased to report that there are no material differences between the key results, assumptions and estimates contained in the Windfall PEA and Osisko's news release dated July 17, 2018.

About Osisko Mining Inc.

Osisko is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition. exploration. and development of precious metal resource properties in Canada. Osisko holds a 100% in the high-grade Windfall gold deposit located between Val-d'Or and Chibougamau in Quebec and holds a 100% undivided interest in a large area of claims in the surrounding Urban Barry area and nearby Quevillon area (over 3,300 square kilometres), a 100% interest in the Marban project located in the heart of Quebec's prolific Abitibi gold mining district, and properties in the Larder Lake Mining Division in northeast Ontario, including the Jonpol and Garrcon deposits on the Garrison property. The Corporation also holds interests and options in a number of additional properties in northern Quebec and Ontario.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Technical information

Readers are cautioned that the Windfall PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorize as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the results, assumptions or estimates in the Windfall PEA will be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.



For further information please contact:

John Burzynski

President and Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: (416) 363-8653YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. 108 people requested asylum in Armenia in the first half of 2018, reports Armenpress.

According to the data of the National Statistical Service, asylum seekers were mostly from Iraq  44 people. Then comes Yemen  16 people, Iran  13, Syria  11, Bangladesh  7, Ukraine  6 and 11 people from other countries.

52 people were granted a refugee status in the first half of 2018.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenias ministry of agriculture joins the campaign launched by the Nature protection ministry on banning single-use plastic, reports Armenpress.

Minister of agriculture Artur Khachatryan urged the ministry staff and the organizations subject to the ministry to acquire only glass water bottles for the needs of the ministry, the ministry said in a statement.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. The attorneys of 2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan submitted the appeal against the decision to remand him into custody to the Court of Appeals, attorney Aram Orbelyan told Armenpress.

We have submitted the appeal around 3:00, he said, adding that the investigation of the appeal will launch in nearly 10 days. There is no clear date yet.

2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan has been charged on July 26 over the 2008 March 1 case. He has been remanded into custody.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, 1 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 1 August, USD exchange rate stood at 480.95 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.93 drams to 561.89 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 7.68 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.78 drams to 631.05 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 44.07 drams to 18879.43 drams. Silver price down by 0.93 drams to 238.59 drams. Platinum price up by 77.31 drams to 12849.67 drams.YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. Domestic processes in Armenia are not connected with the foreign policy of Armenia and should not cause discrepancies, ARMENPRESS reports spokesperson of the foreign ministry of Armenia Tigran Balayan said, answering the question of Arminfo news agency.

To the question The assessments of Moscow towards the recent developments caused great stir in Armenia. How would you explain to our public such a reaction by Moscow?, Balayan answered,

"We follow the international reactions related to the internal processes occurring in Armenia, conditioned by the establishment of the rule of law and independent justice, the fight against corruption, which are the domestic political priorities of the government, "the Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia Tigran Balayan said in response to a question from the correspondent of ArmInfo about relatively strong reaction in Armenia to Moscow's assessment of recent processes in Armenia.

"These processes are not connected with the foreign policy of Armenia and should not cause discrepancies. In this regard, we reaffirm that our foreign policy priorities, which are clearly enshrined in the government program approved by the parliament, are aimed at further strengthening and deepening the Armenian- Russian allied relations, enhancing the efficiency of cooperation within the CSTO and the EEU. We strictly follow the announced policy, "Balayan summed up.

To note, yesterday Russian Foregin Minister Sergey Lavrov made a statement, which reads in part: ''When there was a political crisis in Armenia in May, we noted with great satisfaction that the solution to the crisis was found through a compromise involving the leading parties. We hoped that, based on this outcome, all the political forces, primarily the new Armenian government, would continue to promote unifying approaches and attempt to consolidate national consensus.

However, recent events have clearly run counter to such a positive outlook and to the new Armenian leaders' recent statements to the effect that it does not plan to persecute its predecessors for political reasons.

As an ally, Russia has always been interested in stability in Armenia. So recent developments are a cause for concern, including from the point of view of normal operations of the CIS organisations, of which Armenia is a participant. Over the past few days we have brought our concerns to the attention of Armenia's leaders on several occasions. We expect that the situation will nevertheless follow a constructive path''.Caucher Birkar, a Cambridge University professor of Iranian Kurdish origin, on Wednesday was named one of four winners of the prestigious Fields medal, often known as the Nobel prize for mathematics. The laureates were announced at a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, which became the first Latin American city ever to host the event, staged once every four years. "I'm hoping that this news will put a smile on the faces of those 40 million people," Birkar, a 40-year-old specialist in algebraic geometry, said, referring to the Kurds. Born in the Kurdish province of Marivan near the Iran-Iraq border, Birkar graduated from Tehran University before getting British citizenship and building on his reputation as an exceptional mathematical mind, winning the 2010 Philip Leverhulme prize for most promising scholars. The other Fields winners were: -- Germany's Peter Scholze, who teaches at the University of Bonn and at just 30 is one of the world's most influential thinkers in arithmetic algebraic geometry. -- Alessio Figalli, a 34-year-old Italian mathematician at ETH Zurich who jokes that the one equation still baffling him is how to spend more time with his professor wife. "I have work for the next 30 or 40 years. But there is one problem I really hope to solve soon: that is me and my wife living in the same city," Figalli said. -- Akshay Venkatesh, an Indian-born, Australian-raised prodigy who began his undergraduate degree in mathematics and physics at the University of Western Australia when he was just 13. Now 36 and at Stanford University in the United States, Venkatesh specializes in number theory and describes his work in terms more often associated with the artistic fields. "A lot of the time, when you do math, you're stuck. But you feel privileged to work with it: you have a feeling of transcendence and feel like you've been part of something really meaningful," Venkatesh said. The Fields medal recognizes the outstanding mathematical achievements of candidates who were under 40 years old at the start of the year. At least two and preferably four people are honored at each ceremony. German mathematician Peter Scholze -- shown here in a handout picture released by the University of Bonn -- was named one of four winners of mathematics' prestigious Fields medal, often known as the Nobel prize for mathCanadian armed forces officially launched their peacekeeping mission in restive northern Mali Tuesday, marking Ottawa's return to the blue helmets after more than a decade. The contingent of 250 soldiers and six helicopters is expected to conduct medical evacuations in the north of the country from Wednesday as they take over from German troops. "My team and I are extremely proud to wear the blue beret as UN soldiers from Canada," Canadian commander Colonel Chris McKenna said at a ceremony at the UN base in Gao. "It has been several years since Canada has had a large UN footprint and the pride that we take in hoisting the United Nations flag beside our beloved red-and-white Maple Leaf should not be underestimated," he said. The Canadian troops, who are on a one-year mission, have been deployed since the start of July at Camp Castor, which also hosts German and Dutch troops. While Canada originated the concept of peacekeepers in the 1950s, it has not deployed troops on UN peacekeeping missions for more than a decade. At the start of the year, the UN had only about 50 Canadian peacekeepers. The Malian mission also marks the return of the Canadian military to Africa for the first time since the Rwandan genocide in 1994, when Ottawa lead the UN mission there. Islamist extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert in northern Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013. However large stretches of the country remain outside of the control of the Malian, French and UN forces, which are frequent targets of attacks. "It's always a risk being in a dangerous place but we take security measures to protect our military, our citizens so that the risks are minimised," Canadian ambassador Louis Verret told AFP. The UN mission, MINUSMA, deployed to Mali in 2013 in the wake of the French anti-jihadist operation and comprises some 14,000 military personnel and police. It is currently the most deadly UN peacekeeping mission, having lost about 170 members including 104 killed in hostile acts -- more than half the UN soldiers killed during this period around the world. The Canadian forces will carry out medical evacuations in the north of Mali While Canada orginated the concept of peacekeepers in the 1950s, it has not deployed troops on UN peacekeeping missions for more than a decadeA majority of the contenders to become Mali's next president said on Wednesday they will not accept election results "marred by irregularities" ahead of an official verdict expected on Friday. Major opposition figures, such as former finance minister Soumaila Cisse -- seen as the president's biggest threat in the poll, which was held Sunday -- and businessman Aliou Diallo, signed the joint declaration. "We will not accept results marred by irregularities," the group's statement, read out by candidate Modibo Kone, said. "We do not want to delegitimise the entirety of the process but there needs to be a minimum of credibility," Soumaila Cisse's campaign director, Tiebile Drame, told AFP. Both Diallo and Cisse have said they were sure to make it to a second round of voting, scheduled for August 12, against incumbent Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Keita's camp on Monday said he appeared to be "largely ahead". The disgruntled candidates lashed out at alleged corruption, vote buying and ballot stuffing during voting. There was a "village of 150 inhabitants where 3,000 people voted" for president Keita -- widely known as IBK -- Drame said. Cisse's team had warned of possible election fraud ahead of the poll, claiming that there were two electoral lists and hundreds of fake polling stations. The ministry of local authorities is expected to announce official results on Friday at the latest. Not a single ballot was cast at 716 polling stations in Sunday's first round vote in the volatile central region of Mopti and some parts of the north following threats and attacks by armed groups. There are mounting calls for the government to publish a list of polling stations where the election could not be held due to violence -- a request voiced by European observers on Tuesday and echoed by opposition candidates. There were a total of 23,000 polling stations nationwide. The polls were observed by teams from the European Union, the African Union, the regional ECOWAS grouping and the Francophonie organisation. In case of a second round, Drame said, talks of an anti-Keita alliance had begun, showing the president was "isolated." Des habitants de Bamako lisent les journaux dans l'attente des rsultats de la prsidentielle au Mali, 1er aot 2018Outgoing Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos admitted defeat on Wednesday after failing to secure a ceasefire with ELN Marxist guerrillas before handing over the reins to hardline right-wing successor Ivan Duque next week. "We hope that the next government decides to continue" negotiating with the ELN, the last recognized armed group fighting government forces in Colombia, to "start a real and verifiable ceasefire," added Santos. He said there was "very little missing" from an agreement, adding: "I would say 10 percent." Santos said the two parties had agreed on a "very well defined" plan to implement a bilateral and temporary truce during talks in Havana on Tuesday evening, but that it lacked United Nations verification. "To verify it you need protocols, very precise procedures, so that there are no misunderstandings," said Santos. He said the UN itself had insisted on the protocols as it would be monitoring the truce, alongside the Catholic Church. Santos said it would be "counterproductive to sign something that hasn't been endorsed by the new government." Duque has already promised a tougher negotiating stance towards the ELN. Santos ordered his negotiators back to Bogota on Wednesday to brief the new regime on the state of the discussions, which began in 2017. But he said negotiations were "very advanced" when his team left Cuba. Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize after signing a historic peace accord with FARC rebels in December 2016, ending a half-century of their armed struggle against the state that left hundreds of thousands dead. And the 66-year-old hoped he could make significant progress in convincing the ELN to lay down their weapons too before stepping down on August 7. Earlier this week he told AFP: "We're making progress, we'll see if we can sign a ceasefire before August 7, even if it's temporary and a framework agreement." Duque, though, has been singing from a very different hymn sheet. Upon his election in June he vowed to make "corrections" to the FARC peace deal, which he criticized for being too lenient on the former rebels. He's already announced a controversial appointment as his new defense minister, adding to the uncertainty. Guillermo Botero, a 70-year-old lawyer and entrepreneur with no experience in security matters, has been a vocal critic of the peace accord. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos says an attempt to negotiate a ceasefire with ELN rebels before he leaves office has failedOutgoing Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos admitted defeat on Wednesday after failing to secure a ceasefire with ELN Marxist guerrillas before handing over the reins to hardline right-wing successor Ivan Duque next week. Santos had made it his goal to achieve a "complete peace" to end the 50-year conflict with left-wing rebels before stepping down on August 7. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the historic accord signed with FARC guerrillas in December 2016, ending their insurgency. "We hope that the next government decides to continue" negotiating with the ELN, the last recognized armed group fighting government forces in Colombia, to "start a real and verifiable ceasefire," said Santos. More than 260,000 people have been killed, nearly 83,000 remain missing and some 7.4 million have been forced to flee their homes due to the conflict. Santos said there was "very little missing" from an agreement, adding: "I would say 10 percent." He said the two parties had agreed on a "very well-defined" plan to implement a bilateral and temporary truce during talks in Havana on Tuesday evening, but that it lacked United Nations verification. "To verify it you need protocols, very precise procedures, so that there are no misunderstandings," said Santos. He said the UN itself had insisted on the protocols as it would be monitoring the truce, alongside the Catholic Church. - 'Significant progress' - The two sides produced a joint statement saying that "although we haven't reached full agreement.... in this cycle, significant progress has been made." The ELN's delegation chief Pablo Beltran said he hoped these developments would form the "basis for work" to be carried out during Duque's administration. Duque, though, has promised a tougher negotiating stance towards the ELN. Santos said it would have been "counterproductive to sign something that hasn't been endorsed by the new government." He ordered his negotiators back to Bogota on Wednesday to brief the new regime on the state of the discussions, which began in 2017. But he said negotiations were "very advanced" when his team left Cuba. Beltran said a ceasefire was necessary to allow citizens to participate in the peace process. Santos, though, admitted that he didn't feel "totally satisfied because effectively we haven't arrived at a ceasefire agreement." It remains a political defeat for the former journalist who sacrificed his domestic popularity in the quest for a lasting resolution to the conflict. The 66-year-old had hoped he could make significant progress in convincing the ELN to lay down their weapons before stepping down on August 7. - 'There is peace' - But he baulked at suggestions that he failed to achieve "complete peace." "What we're delivering, and what all the international organizations say, is that it's a very complete peace, very deep. This agreement with FARC has no precedent in any other country," Santos told AFP earlier this week. He insisted, too, that he would be remembered more for the FARC deal -- that turned the former rebels into a political party -- than the ELN failure. "My legacy will defend itself, you can see the results," he said. "There is peace, the FARC is a political party, it's there. "It's the Colombian people that will defend peace because it's not my peace, nor that of my government, but of all Colombians." Duque, though, has been singing from a very different hymn sheet, creating uncertainty not just over potential peace with the ELN but also surrounding the existing pact's durability. Upon his election in June he vowed to make "corrections" to the FARC peace deal, which he criticized for being too lenient on the former rebels. He's already announced a controversial appointment as his new defense minister, adding to the uncertainty. Guillermo Botero, a 70-year-old lawyer and entrepreneur with no experience in security matters, has been a vocal critic of the peace accord. Ex-leftist guerrillas took up seats in Congress for the first time on July 20, although former rebel commander Ivan Marquez was not amongst them as he protested what he described as government "betrayal" over the arrest of fellow ex-FARC leader Jesus Santrich, who was likewise due to take a seat in Congress. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos says an attempt to negotiate a ceasefire with ELN rebels before he leaves office has failedBURLINGTON, Vt., Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seventh Generation, a leading household and personal care products company and pioneer in the eco-friendly products space, today announced a partnership with grassroots environmental organization the Sierra Club.



Through the partnership, Seventh Generation will help encourage cities to commit to 100 percent clean, renewable energy as part of the Sierra Clubs Ready for 100 campaign, which is working in communities nationwide to advance an equitable transition to 100 percent clean energy like wind and solar. The use of fossil fuels causes toxic pollution that harms human health and disproportionately threatens vulnerable populations, especially low-income communities, communities of color, and children. Seventh Generation and the Sierra Club will build awareness for clean energy solutions to combat these issues and drive action to support the growing Ready For 100 movement.

As part of this partnership, Seventh Generation is today launching a new digital marketing campaign with Mic.com to illustrate the benefits that a switch to renewable energy will have for human health and elevate the stories of people across the country who are leading the clean energy transition. The five-part docu-style video series, Commit to Clean, launches today on Mic.com and features the work being done in communities across the country to create positive momentum toward 100 percent clean, renewable energy.

Seventh Generation has long been an advocate for people and planet health, and the Sierras Clubs Ready for 100 movement gives us an outlet to take meaningful action and create change that can have an immediate, positive impact on the health of local communities, said Joey Bergstein, Chief Executive Officer of Seventh Generation. Rather than sit on the sidelines and wait for action at the federal level, states and cities are showing that we can move forward now. Together with the Sierra Club, were showcasing that renewable energy is an affordable and attainable solution, and one that will help create positive, lasting change for ourselves and our families, our planet and the next seven generations.

More than 70 cities across the United States have now committed to transition entirely to clean, renewable sources of energy. Just in the past month, the City of Denver became the largest city in Colorado to establish a goal of transitioning to 100 percent clean, renewable electricity. At least six cities in the U.S. are now powered by 100 percent clean energy.

There are many leaders in the growing movement to power our cities with clean and renewable energy, said Jodie Van Horn, Director of the Sierra Clubs Ready for 100 Campaign. We are excited to partner with Seventh Generation, a company that prioritizes the health of families and the planet, to help amplify community voices and inspire others to take action to move our communities towards 100% clean energy for all.

For more information on the partnership and campaign, please visit: https://www.seventhgeneration.com/fmp/Readyfor100Action-climate-change.

About Seventh Generation

For nearly 30 years, its been Seventh Generations mission to help you protect your world with our environmentally conscious and effective household products. Our products are solutions for the air, surfaces, fabrics, pets and people within your home -- and for the community and environment outside of it. Seventh Generation offers a full line of laundry, dish and household cleaners, baby products including

Free & Clear diapers, training pants and baby wipes, plus recycled paper products and recycled plastic trash bags, and feminine care products including Organic certified tampons. The company derives its name from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy that states, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." For information on Seventh Generation cleaning, paper, baby and feminine personal care products, to find store locations, and explore the company's website visit www.seventhgeneration.com. To read more about Seventh Generation's corporate responsibility, visit the Corporate Consciousness Report at: www.7genreport.com.

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is Americas largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters nationwide. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org.

Brandi Thomas

Seventh Generation

T: (802) 658-3773 x 760

bst@seventhgeneration.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/53305493-ebfe-409b-acf0-817093649ee9

A video accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/15196eda-3e7a-4327-bd2c-93ae4aef57cbDenmark's ban on the Islamic full-face veil in public spaces came into force on Wednesday, with anyone wearing a garment that hides the face in public risking a fine. Human rights campaigners have slammed the ban as a violation of women's rights, while supporters argue it enables better integration of Muslim immigrants into Danish society. Wearing a burqa, which covers the entire face, or the niqab, which shows only the eyes, in public will lead to a fine of 1,000 kroner ($156, 134 euros). The ban also targets other items that hide the face such as balaclavas and false beards. Repeated violations will be fined up to 10,000 kroner. It is not known how many women wear the niqab or burqa in Denmark. Protests against the ban were planned in the capital Copenhagen and the second-biggest city Aarhus late Wednesday, with several hundred people expected to attend -- some of them wearing the full-face veil. A spokesman for Denmark's national police said that as of 2:30 pm (1230 GMT), no violations of the ban had been registered. A 30-year-old Muslim woman interviewed in daily Berlingske, identified only as Sarah, said on Wednesday that she had "lost faith in the system". Born and raised in Denmark by parents who emigrated from Turkey, she has worn the niqab since she was 18. "I've realised that democracy doesn't work. Politicians boast of freedoms and rights when they are making fun of Muslims and when they are drawing caricatures of the prophet. But when it comes to me, they take away my right to choose how I want to dress," she said. "I have come to the realisation that Muslims don't have the same rights as others. So much of politics is hypocritical." When the government presented its proposal for the ban in February, it said the burka and niqab were not "compatible with the values and sense of community in Danish society". But Sarah said that instead of enabling Muslims to integrate Danish values, the ban risked having the opposite effect of increasing segregation. "When the mosque is one of the few places where we can (wear veils), then I think the law will mean that more people will go to the mosque." The full-face veil is a hot-button issue across Europe. Belgium, France, Germany and Austria have already imposed bans or partial bans. Wearing a burqa, which covers the entire face, or a niqab, which shows only the eyes, in public will lead to a fine of 1,000 kroner ($156, 134 euros)The North China Plain, home to nearly 400 million people, could become a life-threatening inferno during future heat waves if climate change continues apace, researchers have warned. Soaring temperatures combined with high humidity -- made worse by the region's dense irrigation network -- means the China's breadbasket faces "the greatest risk to human life from rising temperatures of any location on Earth," they said in a statement. Megacities Beijing and Tianjin both fall within the densely populated plain, along with other major urban areas. But it is tens of millions of farmers working outside that will be most at risk. Even if humanity manages to slow the pace of global warming, hot spells across the region could, by century's end, exceed the human body's ability to cope, the scientists reported this week in the journal Nature Communications. "This spot is going to be the hottest spot for deadly heatwaves in the future, especially under climate change," said lead author MIT professor Elfatih Eltahir, who has published similar assessments of the Persian Gulf region and South Asia. In China, heatwaves have become both more intense and more frequent since 1970, especially in the last 15 years. Average temperatures have gone up 1.35 degrees Celsius (2.4 degrees Fahrenheit) since 1950, nearly double the average global increase. But the human body's capacity to withstand extended bouts of heat also depends on how much moisture is in the air. So-called "wet bulb" temperatures take humidity into account, providing a better measure of potential health impacts. For perspiration to occur, air at the skin surface must be moister than the ambient air. The larger the difference, the more quickly the body can cool. - A sunburn, but inside the body - "But if the wet bulb temperature exceeds the human body's skin temperature of 35 C, perspiration no longer works as a cooling mechanism," explained Jeremy Pal, a professor at Seaver College of Science and Engineering in Los Angeles who has collaborated with Eltahir in the past but did not take part in the new study. "The body will quickly overheat, resulting in death." Experts estimate that a healthy adult may not survive outdoors at "wet bulb" 35 C for more than six hours. Humidity is key. At 55 percent relative humidity, for example, it would take a searing air temperature of 44.4 C (112 F) to reach the 35 C wet bulb threshold. But at 85 percent humidity, an outdoor temperature of 37.8 C (100 F) is sufficient to surpass the limit of human tolerance. "When it is both very hot and humid outside, heat in the body cannot be expelled," noted Camilo Mora, a professor at the University of Hawaii who developed a model last year to calculate deadly heat days under different climate change scenarios. "This creates a condition called 'heat citotoxicity' that is damaging to many organs," he told AFP at the time. "It's like a sunburn, but inside the body." Eltahir and Suchul Kang a researcher at the Center for Environmental Sensing and Modeling in Singapore, used climate models that best matched temperature records over the last three decades to forecast heatwaves. They looked at two possible futures. One -- often called the "business-as-usual" scenario -- assumes that climate change will continue unabated, while the other allows that humanity can bend down the curve of greenhouse gas emissions enough to cap warming at about 3 C, compared to mid-19th century levels. Surprisingly, they found that the North China Plain's irrigation system adds about half a degree Celsius to future warming, under either scenario. "Irrigation exacerbates the impact of climate change," Eltahir said. Unless drastic measures are taken to limit the greenhouse gas emissions warming the globe, "the North China Plain is likely to experience deadly heatwaves with wet bulb temperatures exceeding the threshold defining what Chinese farmers may tolerate," he added. The 196-nation Paris Agreement calls for capping the rise in temperature at 2 C, and 1.5 C if possible. Climate change predicted to raise temperatures and humidity bringing deadly heatwaves to the major food producing region the North China Plain.After more than 11 years abroad -- a decade of it behind bars -- former DR Congo warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba made a triumphant return home on Wednesday in front of tens of thousands supporters and police firing teargas, reflecting the country's high-voltage political mood. Bemba, throwing down the gauntlet to his rival President Joseph Kabila, has vowed to contest twice-delayed elections due to take place on December 23. He landed at Kinshasa from Belgium aboard a private plane after the International Criminal Court (ICC) acquitted him of war-crimes charges in June. "Bemba is the leader of the Congo, he knows exactly what to do for his Congolese brothers," said Jean-Bertrand Ngondo, among cheering supporters at the capital's Ndjili airport. Crowds of people, many of them chanting anti-Kabila slogans, also gathered along the city's main highway, prompting police to fire teargas to try to make a path for his open-topped Mercedes, an AFP reporter saw. The huge numbers greeting Bemba, 55, is the largest politically-related gathering in Democratic Republic of Congo in two years, after a crackdown on protests by Kabila since 2016. "With the return of Bemba, it is time for Kabila to go. He has made us suffer a lot," said Mado, a vegetable seller. Police had to cordon off a major avenue that leads directly to Kabila's presidential palace, where two of Bemba's properties are also situated nearby, which led to a temporary standoff. "I have received clear and precise instructions: Senator Bemba cannot cross this barrier," said Kinshasa police chief Sylvano Kasongo. But after negotiations, Bemba was allowed to pass the police cordon and travel to a different family property further from the presidential palace. Analysts say Bemba's return introduces even more uncertainty into an already volatile election. Candidates must submit their applications by August 8 and physically be in the country to do so. The DRC has never known a peaceful transition of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960 -- and some experts fear the current crisis may spiral into bloodshed. Two wars unfolded from 1996-97 and from 1998-2003 that sucked in other countries in central and southern Africa. Smaller, but still bloody, conflicts dog the centre and east of the vast country today. - Kabila tension - Kabila, 47, took over from his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila, after he was assassinated by a bodyguard in 2001. His regime has long had a reputation for corruption, inequality and unrest. Kabila was scheduled to stand down at the end of 2016 after his second elected term, technically the last permitted under the constitution. But he has stayed in office, invoking a constitutional clause enabling him to stay in power until a successor is elected. He has refused to spell out whether he will seek a new term. Dozens have died in anti-Kabila protests amid the mounting political uncertainty. Hostility to the incumbent was clear in Wednesday's chants, such as "Kabila, take care, your term is over," "Goodbye Kabila," and "Bemba, shave off his white beard." "The last episode in the Kabila series is unfolding today. The film's over," said a nurse who gave her name as Angelique. Another rival to Kabila -- tycoon Moise Katumbi, 53, a former governor of the mineral-rich province of Katanga -- plans to return home on Friday from self-imposed exile abroad. The third big opposition figure is Felix Tshisekedi of Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UPDS), which was headed by former prime minister Etienne Tshisekedi until his death last year. - Warlord past - Bemba was once an assistant to former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. In the late 1980s, he founded the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC) -- then a rebel group but now a political party -- with help from neighbouring Uganda. In 2003, he became vice-president under a peace deal to end the fighting. Bemba's MLC had managed to overrun the country's north. Three years later, he stood against the incumbent Kabila in presidential elections and lost the run-off. He claimed the vote was rigged. Bemba, in turn, was accused of treason when his bodyguards clashed with the army in Kinshasa and then fled in 2007, heading to Belgium, where he spent part of his youth. He was then arrested in Europe on a warrant by the ICC for war crimes committed by his private army in the neighbouring Central African Republic between 2002-3, when its then president, Ange-Felix Patasse, sought his help to repel a coup attempt. He was sentenced in The Hague in 2016 to 18 years before the conviction was overturned on appeal in June. The ICC declared Bemba could not be held responsible for crimes committed by his troops. The court is due to issue a ruling in a separate case, in which Bemba was sentenced to jail and fined 300,000 euros ($350,000) in 2017 for bribing witnesses during his main trial. But legal experts expect him to be released definitively if time spent behind bars is taken into account. Supporters of The Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) welcomed former DR Congo warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba after he arrived in Kinshasa Bemba's party, the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC), has been preparing for weeks for his return Former DR Congo warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba (R) arrived at Kinshasa airport Jean-Pierre Bemba was acquitted of war crimes by the International Criminal Court in June Map of the Democratic Republic of Congo Protests against DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila have been violently repressed by the security forces, and dozens have died Profile of Jean-Pierre Bemba who returned Wednesday to the Democratic Republic of Congo to register as a presidential candidate.The leading opposition party in Equatorial Guinea has denounced the "illegal detention" of its activists, with dozens in prison despite a pledge last month by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema that they would be released. Obiang, who has ruled the West African state since 1979, issued a decree granting what he described as a total amnesty on July 4, in a bid to smooth the way for a "national dialogue" between political leaders in the country. But the Citizens for Innovation (CI) party said dozens of "political prisoners" remain incarcerated, including about thirty of its own members. "It has been 27 days since President Teodoro Obiang Nguema declared a total amnesty... the government must know that keeping all political detainees in prison is legally interpreted as illegal detention," said CI in a statement, AFP learned Wednesday. Obiang, 76, has been widely criticised for corruption and human rights abuses during his decades in power. Since the amnesty decree, only one person -- Julian Abaga, a college professor jailed for criticising Obiang -- has been released. The CI was banned in February and 21 of its members, including the party's sole member of parliament, were subsequently sentenced to 30 years for "sedition, public disorder, attacks on authority and serious bodily harm." The move followed an attempted coup, in December, involving a group of men from Chad, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan, according to the authorities. CI says it has had no "sign of life" from activists in Evinayong prison, in the centre of the country, since July 19. Equatorial Guinea president Teodoro Obiang Nguema, pictured in 2015, issued a decree granting total amnesty to activists on July 4, 2018, but dozens of "political prisoners" are still incarceratedMetro trains resumed operating on a busy line that links several major tourist attractions in Paris, after a technical problem paralysed the network for hours, forcing the evacuation of more than 3,000 people through dark tunnels in stifling heat. The breakdown began shortly after 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Tuesday when a train on the busy Line 1, which serves the Louvre, the Champs Elysees and other tourist landmarks of the capital, suddenly halted between the Bastille and Saint Paul stops in the popular Marais district. Network operator RATP was unable to determine the cause of the incident, forcing the shutdown of the entire line. A police source told AFP on Wednesday that 3,200 to 3,800 people on at least eight trains needed to be evacuated in an operation which lasted more than two hours. The RATP said it could not confirm the number of passengers affected by what it called "an extremely rare event". After long waits in the cars as temperatures -- and tempers -- rose, about 40 rescue workers and 150 RATP agents began helping people climb down from the cars and walk out along the tracks. Five people required treatment for heat exhaustion during the evacuations, which came as France is being hit with a weeks-long heat wave. Many passengers vented their frustrations on social media, posting videos of a chaotic evacuation and complaining about a lack of information about what has happening. "No air conditioning, a real oven," tweeted Assma Maad, a journalist at Buzzfeed France. "I plan to add the French subway on Tripadvisor as Best Mixed Hammam and worst Escape Game in Paris," a Twitter user identified as Celine Tran posted. The RATP said that after 30 minutes of waiting, several alarms were pulled inside cars, resulting in power outages which cut off the air conditioning. It also said hundreds of calls to the line's control post had overloaded the passenger information systems, preventing it from updating travellers. Line 1 of the Paris metro serves the Louvre, the Champs Elysees and other tourist landmarks of the French capitalA Kazakh court on Wednesday freed a Chinese citizen who gave testimony on a secretive network of Chinese "re-education camps" during her explosive immigration trial. Sayragul Sauytbay, an ethnic Kazakh Chinese national, was detained after she entered Kazakhstan illegally in April to join her husband and two children. The 41-year-old whistleblower told the court how she had been forced to work in a camp system in China's Xinjiang region where hundreds of thousands of people are allegedly held. The case has tested Kazakhstan's ties with Beijing, which insisted Sauytbay be deported to China -- the normal outcome under Kazakh law in such cases. But the court granted her a six-month suspended sentence and spared her deportation after she insisted she would be killed if forced to return to the country. "If I go back to China all that waits for me is an execution," she said in court. Chinese authorities have denied the existence of such facilities despite mounting evidence from both official documents and testimonies from those who have escaped them. China's predominantly Muslim ethnic minority groups are believed to make up the majority of the camps' populations. Beijing has stepped up a crackdown in Xinjiang against what it calls separatist elements. Asked under oath about a so-called "camp" where she worked as an employee of the Chinese state, court spectators gasped when Sauytbay replied it held some 2,500 ethnic Kazakhs. The former Chinese state employee -- who said earlier in the trial that she was granted access to classified documents that shed light on the true nature of the camps -- will be allowed to settle with her family in Kazakhstan. She was separated from them for two years after Chinese authorities confiscated her passport, leading her to enter Kazakhstan with forged documents. Representatives of China's foreign service in Kazakhstan attended hearings on the case but refused to answer questions from journalists. China has enlisted oil-rich Kazakhstan as a partner in its trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, aimed at improving overland trade routes between Europe and Asia. The case was viewed as a test of Beijing's strongest relationship in the region. Human Rights Watch on Monday urged the Kazakh court to "reject Chinese pressure" to return Sauytbay, whom the watchdog described as a refugee. Whistleblowe Sayragul Sauytbay, an ethnic Kazakh Chinese national, was detained after she entered Kazakhstan illegally The case was viewed as a test of Beijing's strongest relationship in the regionA man has been jailed for impersonating an army general and chartering a helicopter to impress a woman.

North Carolina man Christian Desgroux, 58, will serve six months jail for wearing a three-star army generals uniform when he unexpectedly landed in a chartered helicopter at SAS, a technology company, in November, 2017.

Homeland Security Special Agent Tony Bell previously testified that Desgroux saluted the security officers and that some saluted him back. Still, the suspicious guards called local authorities who got federal agents involved.

Federal agents have said the 58-year-old hoped to impress the woman with the nearly US$3,000 chartered flight and claims he was on a mission authorised by President Donald Trump himself.

North Carolina man Christian Desgroux, 58, will serve six months jail for wearing a three-star army generals uniform when he unexpectedly landed in a chartered helicopter at SAS, a technology company, in November, 2017. Source: AAP

The woman, however, was married and not romantically interested. She was expecting him to arrive by car, but instead they went on a 30-minute helicopter ride around Raleigh, in North Carolina, authorities said.

She and the pilot appear to have been swept up in Desgrouxs strange behaviour and were not charged.

Prosecutor Barbara Kocher said Novembers incident wasnt the only time Desgroux pretended to be a general despite never serving in the US military.

She told the judge that Desgroux had convinced a now-estranged wife that he was going on fake deployments and had worn a military uniform while getting kicked out of strip clubs.

Helicopter. File pic. Source: Getty Images

He liked the sense of importance he gained by masquerading as a general, Ms Kocher said, adding that Desgroux has used this persona for years.

Federal sentencing guidelines called for no more than six months imprisonment.

US District Judge Terrence Boyle made clear how serious it is to impersonate a military officer.

You can be a danger to people, Mr Boyle said.

What made you think you could act like a general?

Desgroux apologised adding he hadnt realised what he was doing was illegal.

Story continues

So it was like Halloween every day of the week? Mr Boyle asked.

Why not wear a top hat and a tuxedo?

It was a mental issue, sir, Desgroux said. He aded he bought the uniform from a surplus store.

Desgroux had previously been ruled competent to proceed with the case, a finding his attorney didnt contest.

Federal prison officials oversaw a mental health exam that showed he had a personality disorder with narcissistic traits as well as alcoholism, Ms Kocher said, but his offense wasnt the result of psychosis.

Defence lawyer Andrew McCoppin told the judge that prior to the November arrest, his client had previous inpatient psychiatric treatment.

There definitely is a mental health component to all this that hes going to need to continue to work on, Mr McCoppin said.

With Associated PressThousands of Nicaraguans marched, prayed and danced in their capital Wednesday as they turned festivities for a Catholic holiday into a procession calling for peace in their country, gripped by deadly political unrest since April. This year's August 1 celebration of Saint Dominic, a 12th century Spaniard who founded the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of Managua, came as protesters demanding the ouster of President Daniel Ortega clashed with the government's brutal security forces. More than 300 people have died in the past three and a half months, according to rights groups. Ortega puts the toll at 195. "We want the Lord to grant us peace," said one woman, Jeanneth Sanchez, 55, as she followed the procession behind a tiny portrait of Saint Dominic. "We have a lot to ask of the saint for Nicaragua. We have suffered a lot from so many things that have happened," said another taking part, Evilina Reyes. A young man who gave his name as Heriberto said he was hoping for a "miracle" for his country. Police, unusually, were absent from the march. In previous years they monitored it. - Clinging to power - Protesters -- students and youths particularly -- say they are determined to keep up demonstrations to force Ortega's resignation, or at least to hold early elections. The United States, the Organization of American States and the Vatican all support those demands. Ortega, though, has dismissed any suggestion he leave power before the end of his mandate in early 2022, saying that to do so would invite "anarchy." Last month he ordered police, backed by armed and masked paramilitaries, to violently crush protest hubs in Managua and the nearby city of Masaya. The measure imposed a degree of calm in the streets, but deepened resentment against his rule. On Tuesday, the president said he had taken the country back from "terrorists." In a series of interviews with foreign television networks since last week Ortega insists that "the turmoil is over" and things were getting back to "normal." - Persecution - Some 1,900 people have been arrested in the protests, of whom around a quarter remain locked up. At least 98 people have been convicted of terrorism and other serious crimes carrying penalties of up to 20 years in prison, according to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights. Dozens of medical staff have been fired from state-run hospitals for treating wounded protesters. And prosecutors said this week they were investigating 10 opposition figures, including student leaders, on suspicion of supporting the protests. Some of them took part in Church-mediated dialogue with the government that has stalled since mid-June. Ortega has accused the bishops taking part of collaborating with "coup-mongers" seeking to topple his government. - Fleeing Nicaragua - The UN refugee agency is appealing for neighboring countries to take in Nicaraguans who are fleeing the persecution and instability. Nearly 23,000 Nicaraguans have sought asylum in Costa Rica since April, UNHCR said, explaining that the southern neighbor was "overwhelmed." Panama, Mexico and the United States have also seen an increase in Nicaraguan arrivals, UNHCR said. Ortega, 72, headed a left-wing Sandinista government during the Cold War, and returned to power in 2007. The United States has stepped up criticism of the repression in Nicaragua, with the White House on Tuesday saying Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, "are ultimately responsible for the pro-government parapolice that have brutalized their own people." Ortega has alleged that the United States is fomenting the violence in his country by financing opposition militias. This year's celebration of Saint Dominic, a 12th century Spaniard who is the patron saint of Managua, came as protesters demanding the ouster of President Daniel Ortega clashed with government security forcesTHIS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ethos Gold Corp. (Ethos or the Company) (TSXV:ECC) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in three vanadium projects (Pine Pass, Ursula, and Tunnel) in north eastern British Columbia.



Terms of Option Agreement

Ethos can earn a 100% interest in the three projects by (all amounts in $Canadian):

Paying the vendors $80,000 within five business days after Exchange acceptance of the agreement, $120,000 on the first anniversary of the agreement, $160,000 on the second anniversary, $240,000 on the third anniversary, and $400,000 on the fourth anniversary. The initial $80,000 is to fund work completed to date or currently underway, including funding a crew of six currently conducting a sampling and mapping program at Pine Pass and Ursula that commenced on July 30.

Issuing to the vendors 200,000 Ethos common shares within five business days after Exchange acceptance of the agreement, 400,000 shares on the first anniversary, 600,000 shares on the second anniversary, 800,000 shares on the third anniversary, and 1,000,000 shares on the fourth anniversary.

Granting the vendors a 2.0% NSR royalty on all three projects, of which half can be purchased at any time by Ethos for $1.5 million.

Delivering a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) by the 5th anniversary of the agreement.

Pine Pass Project

The Pine Pass project is located within a 2,508 Ha claim block 104 km by paved highway from MacKenzie, British Columbia. Access is excellent, with the John Hart Highway 97 passing through the southern portion of the claim area. Power, gas and rail lines also pass along this corridor. Vanadium bearing horizons within phosphatic shales of the Toad Formation were located by Canex Placer on the Pine Pass property in 1976. Sampling programs conducted by D.C. Rotherham, P.Eng. in 1987 and 1990 found concentrations of up to 0.82% V 2 O 5 within a broad 200 meter wide vanadium bearing section with an indicated true thickness of approximately 100 meters. The Pine Pass claims cover the extension of the vanadiferous horizon(s) for approximately 10 kilometers along the length of a northwesterly trending syncline. Based on the preliminary stratigraphic mapping of the syncline and very limited sampling to date of the vanadiferous horizon(s) the exploration target at Pine Pass is a near-surface resource in the range of 30 to 50 million tonnes of 0.5 to 0.7 % V 2 O 5 . The potential quantity and grade are conceptual in nature, and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. To date there has been no trenching or drilling to assess the resource potential on the property. A program of more comprehensive sampling and mapping by a crew of six geologists and prospectors commenced on July 30. Subject to results from this work a program to trench the target vanadiferous horizon(s) at Pine Pass may be conducted in September. Because of the excellent access the initial exploration work can be completed with a relatively modest budget.

Ursula Project

The Ursula claim block covers an area of 543 Ha on the north shore of Peace Reach, approximately 88 km by boat west of Hudson Hope. The claim block is accessed by a logging road that parallels Ursula Creek. The approximately 100 meter thick Ursula Creek section is vanadiferous and will be sampled and mapped in the work program currently underway.

Tunnel Project

The Tunnel project is a small claim area located 40 km west of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. A number of rock samples in a restricted staking area adjacent to the prospect area have yielded values up to 0.83% V 2 O 5. The samples are described as black shale and are located on the westerly and easterly limbs of a northwesterly trending syncline. The project is currently being reviewed for its geological prospectivity and for potential to expand the project area.

Summary

Craig Roberts, Interim President and CEO of Ethos stated: Vanadium inventories are low and prices for V 2 O 5 flake and ferro vanadium have tripled over the last two years. Black shale hosted deposits are one of the primary sources of vanadium and occur in a limited number of locations world-wide. These deposit types particularly hard to find in favourable jurisdictions with good access and infrastructure for development. While Pine Pass is at an early stage of exploration, it is the right geological environment and is well-located, and we can test the potential for an economic vanadium resource for a very modest cost. If the program is ultimately successful in defining an economic resource the project is very well located in terms of access and infrastructure for the development of a mining operation, with significant upside for value creation. Our initial $80,000 payment to the vendors will cover the initial mapping and sampling work currently underway, and we anticipate announcing results from this program by late August / early September. If we elect to trench in September we have the potential to advance the project to a drill ready stage by October of this year, and we would then work towards an initial drill program early in 2019. We are also continuing to advance the La Purisima oxide gold target in Chihuahua and anticipate results shortly from the recent sampling and mapping program. We are excited by the potential of each of these projects to deliver significant shareholder value. Since exploration expenditures over the next 12 months will be modest on each of La Purisima and Pine Pass, we continue to preserve the bulk of the companys treasury to allow us to capitalize on additional opportunities. We are continuing to actively pursue a number of additional opportunities for Ethos, from earlier stage to more advanced projects.

Mel Herdrick, a director of and consultant to the Company, is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, has read and approves this release.

For additional information please contact Craig Roberts at 604-682-4750.

Ethos Gold Corp.



Per: "Craig Roberts"

Craig Roberts P.Eng., President & CEO



Forward-Looking Statement Cautions:

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the exploration plans for the Pine Pass project, the continuing exploration work on the La Purisima project, and the costs of a future exploration and drilling programs forecast to be nominal. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include, accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, or the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances, necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes in certain of the jurisdictions where the Company carries on its business that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.The number of Gazans denied exit permits by Israel due to a close family member's alleged connection to Hamas has soared this year, a rights group said Wednesday. Those declined for having a close relative with alleged ties to Hamas have included people seeking medical care for cancer, according to Gisha, an Israeli NGO that monitors Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. Gisha along with three other NGOs based their findings on data obtained through a freedom of information request from the Israeli defence ministry. The three others are Adalah, Al Mezan and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. "In the first quarter of 2018 alone, 833 exit permit applications by residents of Gaza were denied by Israel on the grounds that the applicants? 'first-degree relative is a Hamas operative,'" Gisha said in a statement. "For comparison, the Israeli authorities refused 21 applications on these grounds throughout 2017." The Israeli defence ministry unit that oversees the permits, known as COGAT, told AFP that the 833 declined applications represented 529 people since some had applied more than once. It declined to say how many were seeking permits for medical reasons. "Denying patients access to medical treatment on the grounds that they have family relations to Hamas members is a breach of international law, and completely immoral," the NGOs said in a statement. Israel controls all access to and from the Gaza Strip apart from the Palestinian enclave's crossing with Egypt. Islamist movement Hamas, in power in the strip, has fought three wars with Israel since 2008. Under an Israeli blockade for more than 10 years, Gaza lacks infrastructure and key medical equipment. Many patients seek to travel elsewhere for treatment. The NGO said the change appeared to be the result of a decision taken by Israel's security cabinet authorising action to pressure Hamas to return the remains of two Israeli soldiers it is believed to be holding. Two Israeli civilians, both said to be mentally unstable, are also believed to have entered Gaza and to be held by Hamas. Gisha said that "importantly, some of the cancer patients who have been denied exit permits are not aware of any family relation to a Hamas member". COGAT said "the entry of Palestinians who are residents of the Gaza Strip into Israel is not a vested right, and is made possible according to existing policy and subject to security checks". "In accordance with the decision of the government, residents of the Gaza Strip who are first-degree relatives of operatives of the Hamas terror organisation are not entitled to entry permits into Israel." Gisha spokeswoman Shai Grunberg said 2017 marked the "worst year" for Israel's granting of entry and exit permits for Gaza since a 2014 war. Israel is increasingly denying exit permits for Gazans, including people seeking medical care for cancer, saying they have close relatives with alleged ties HamasThe co-founder of Cambodia's disbanded opposition has decried the landslide victory of Hun Sen's ruling party in an uncontested poll as a "terrible setback", urging a campaign of non-cooperation with the next government. A provisional count from Sunday's poll has handed the Cambodia People's Party of strongman Hun Sen, who has ruled for more than three decades, all 125 parliamentary seats -- cementing the country's status as a one-party state. The election was held without the only credible opposition, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was barred from running after it was dissolved by the Supreme Court late last year. "It's a fake victory... a fake election, with a foregone conclusion," said CNRP co-founder Sam Rainsy, who lives in self-exile in Paris to avoid a slew of convictions he contends are politically motivated. "It is a return to the old system, the one-party system, like during the Cold War, during the Communist times... it is a terrible setback for Cambodia," he told AFP in an interview given in France's southern Provence region. Hun Sen has hailed Sunday's vote as "free, fair and just", with his party saying the estimated 82 percent turnout made a mockery of CNRP calls for a boycott. On Wednesday, his first public appearance since the electoral endorsement, Cambodia's ruler since 1985 said he is eyeing "big success" this year in "building the economy... and democracy". But critics say the poll was held against a backdrop of local-level intimidation while dissenting voices in the media and civil society had been quieted in the run-up to the vote. In the last elections in 2013 the CNRP took around 44 percent of the popular vote -- threatening Hun Sen's hold on power. The CNRP's leadership has since either been jailed, pressed into leaving the country or silenced by court cases and intimidation. Rainsy urged his party's supporters to "mobilise to protest against this fake election" in a campaign of non-cooperation against any government that emerges from the landslide win. He also said the international community should "reject" the result. Cambodia and Hun Sen lent heavily on the Western world for aid and investment to rebuild the country from the ruins of decades of civil war, rule by the brutal Khmer Rouge and occupation by Vietnam. But under fire from his old allies for his increasingly authoritarian bent, Hun Sen has in recent years turned to China for no-strings soft loans, investment and diplomatic ballast. Washington and the European Union have condemned Sunday's uncontested poll, while Beijing offered its congratulations to the Cambodian people. Cambodia's strongman leader Hun Sen (C) has hailed the election as 'free, fair and just'Dozens of people were injured as an airliner crashed on takeoff during a heavy hail storm in northern Mexico, engulfing the plane in flames, officials said Tuesday. "It is confirmed that there have been no deaths from the flight #AM2431 accident," tweeted Jose Rosas, the governor of Durango, where the crash happened. Passengers said there had been "a strange movement" on takeoff and "that was when the accident happened," Rosas told the Milenio television channel. Dozens of lightly injured passengers left the plane, which was engulfed in gray smoke in a field. "Approximately 85 people are injured," Durango's civil defense spokesman Alejandro Cardoza told Milenio. The plane tried to take off in the hail storm but was forced into an emergency landing in a field around 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Durango airport. "The fire started after the emergency landing" but "fortunately no one suffered burns," said Cardoza, who added that there had been "some serious injuries" but that most people sustained "very minor... knocks." The plane carrying 97 passengers and four crew heading from Durango to the capital Mexico City, "crashed on takeoff" around 4:00 pm (2100 GMT), Transport Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said. Emergency services, the army and the Red Cross were on the scene. The first images of the crash site shared on social and Mexican media showed a plane partially immersed in flames. Aeromexico, the airliner that operated the flight, said it was "working to verify the information and gather details." "I pray that the crew and all the passengers are OK," said Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto. An Aeromexico plane, similar to the one pictured in November 2017, crashed after there was a "strange movement" during takeoffDonald Trump on Wednesday told his attorney general to end the high-profile investigation into Russian election meddling that has ensnared key members of his presidential campaign and cast a long shadow over his White House. In a series of tweets that quickly sparked accusations that Trump was publicly trying to pervert justice, the president decried the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller as "a disgrace." "This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump said. Aides rushed to limit the damage, insisting he was not issuing an order as Session's boss. "It's not an order, it's the president's opinion," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters, adding that Trump wants the probe to "come to an end." His lawyer Rudy Giuliani added: "He used a medium he uses for opinions, Twitter. One of the good things about using that, he's established a clear sort of practice now that he expresses his opinions on Twitter. "He used the word 'should,' he didn't use the word 'must.'" The president -- along with allies in conservative media -- has launched a long PR campaign against the Mueller probe, which he claims is biased and pursuing erroneous claims of collusion between his campaign team and Moscow. "Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX," the president said Wednesday. Mueller -- a respected former FBI director -- is investigating whether the Trump campaign aided or abetted an attempt by Russia to sway the 2016 presidential election, or tried to cover up the conspiracy. He has so far lodged dozens of indictments, including those of suspected Russian hackers, and secured guilty pleas from at least three Trump aides charged with conspiracy and lying to investigators. This was Trump's most direct demand yet that Sessions, who infuriated the president by recusing himself from the investigation, intervene to end the probe. "The President of the United States just called on his Attorney General to put an end to an investigation in which the President, his family and campaign may be implicated," said Democratic congressman Adam Schiff. "This is an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight. America must never accept it." Even Trump's allies questioned the demand. "I've said all along I see no evidence of collusion. But if anyone helped Russia to hack/steal they deserve justice," said Republican operative Ari Fleischer. "Let Mueller finish his job. Neither POTUS nor Sessions should interfere. After all, nothing will help Trump more than Mueller concluding there is no crime." Amid the criticism from both sides of the political aisle, Trump's personal attorneys also sought to walk back the comment, insisting the president was not ordering Sessions to do anything. "The president has issued no order or direction to the Department of Justice on this," lawyer Jay Sekulow told The Washington Post. Giuliani added the president may be within his legal rights to obstruct justice if he wishes. "Under our conclusion if the president is acting within his capacity as president and he fires someone, that can't be questioned," he said. Giuliani also told reporters the president's legal team was in the middle of ongoing negotiations with Mueller, as a report in The Washington Post said the special counsel had offered to reduce the number of questions in exchange for a sit-down interview. - In the courtroom - Trump's latest Twitter tirade came on the second day of the trial of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on bank and tax fraud charges, which stemmed from the probe but were not directly related to his time on the campaign. Trump tweeted on Wednesday that Manafort "worked for me for a very short period of time" but sought to defend his former aide's bona fides. "Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders," he said. Manafort served as Trump's campaign chief from May to August 2016 and the president asked Wednesday: "why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation." "These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!" he said. Manafort's trial opened Tuesday with prosecutors accusing him of hiding from US tax authorities millions of dollars from past lobbying work for the pro-Russia president of Ukraine, and failing to report his foreign bank accounts. In a further tweet, Trump suggested Manafort has been harshly mistreated. "Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and 'Public Enemy Number One,' or Paul Manafort," he wrote. Manafort is scheduled to go on trial in September on separate charges brought by Mueller of conspiracy, money laundering and failing to register as an agent of a foreign government. US President Donald Trump (L) calls on Attorney General Jeff Sessions (R) to stop the probe into Russia's election interference Manafort is the first defendant to go to court to fight charges stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 electionThe 106-year-old widow of French novelist Louis-Ferdinand Celine has sold their home in the Paris suburbs, her lawyer told AFP on Wednesday, reportedly to pay her debts. Lucette Destouches has lived at the house in Meudon, southwest of the capital, since she and her husband moved there in 1951, according to French weekly Le Point, which revealed the sale. The magazine said she owed back taxes as well as payroll charges for the three people who help look after her, which meant she was no longer receiving a pension. Francois Gibault, a lawyer and biographer of Celine, said that under the terms of the sale Destouches retained the right to live in the home until her death. Celine, best known for his 1932 novel "Voyage au Bout de la Nuit" ("Journey to the End of the Night"), is considered one of France's most prominent modern novelists, but also one of its most controversial. Fiercely anti-Semitic, Celine fled France after the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944 and was later convicted in his absence of collaborating with the Nazis. Earlier this year the prestigious French publishing house Gallimard suspended plans to reprint three anti-Semitic pamphlets written by Celine in the 1930s, after an outcry by critics including some historians and Jewish groups. There appear to be no plans to turn his former home into a museum, after several institutions declined Destouches' offer to sell, according to Le Point. Celine, who died in 1961, is buried at the Meudon cemetery. Celine is considered one of France's most prominent modern novelists, but also one of its most controversialDenmark's controversial ban on the Islamic full-face veil in public spaces came into force on Wednesday as women protested the new measure which fines anyone wearing the garment. Human rights campaigners have slammed the ban as a violation of women's rights, while supporters argue it enables better integration of Muslim immigrants into Danish society. Protests against the ban were planned in the capital Copenhagen and the second-biggest city Aarhus late Wednesday, with several hundred people expected to attend, some of them wearing the full-face veil. A spokesman for the Copenhagen police said they did not plan to fine the protesters who violated the ban. Wearing a burqa, which covers a person's entire face, or the niqab, which only shows the eyes, in public will lead to a fine of 1,000 kroner ($156, 134 euros). The ban also targets other accessories that hide the face such as balaclavas and false beards. Repeated violations will be fined up to 10,000 kroner. A 30-year-old Muslim woman interviewed in daily Berlingske, identified only as Sarah, said she had "lost faith in the system". Born and raised in Denmark by parents who emigrated from Turkey, she has worn the niqab since she was 18. "I've realised that democracy doesn't work. Politicians boast of freedoms and rights when they are making fun of Muslims and when they are drawing caricatures of the prophet. But when it comes to me, they take away my right to choose how I want to dress," she said. "I have come to the realisation that Muslims don't have the same rights as others. So much of politics is hypocritical." It is not known how many women wear the niqab and burqa across the country. "I don't think there are many who wear the burqa here in Denmark. But if you do, you should be punished with a fine," Justice Minister Soren Pape Poulsen was quoted as saying by Ritzau news agency in February when the government presented its proposal for the ban. It said at the time that the burqa and niqab were not "compatible with the values and sense of community in Danish society". But Sarah said that instead of enabling Muslims to integrate Danish values, the ban risked having the opposite effect of increasing segregation. "When the mosque is one of the few places where we can (wear veils), then I think the law will mean that more people will go to the mosque." - 'Mockery of freedoms' - Amnesty International on Wednesday condemned the law as a "discriminatory violation of women's rights", especially against Muslim women who choose to wear the full-face veils. "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 - making a mockery of the freedoms Denmark purports to uphold," Deputy Europe Director Fotis Filippou said in a statement. "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 women's rights to freedom of expression and religion," he added. The full-face veil is a hot-button issue across Europe. Last year, the European Court of Human Rights upheld a Belgian ban on wearing it in public. France was the first European country to ban the niqab in public places with a law that took effect in 2011. German lawmakers approved a partial ban on "covering the face" last year. Opponents have slammed the ban as a violation of women's rights, while supporters argue it enables better integration of Muslim immigrants into Danish societySign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy PolicyHaunted house attractions are fun on Halloween, but there are also actual residences that are reportedly haunted. Here are 10 in the United States.A lawsuit filed by former Playboy Playmate Shera Bechard, which seeks damages from Stormy Daniels lawyer Michael Avenatti, was unsealed by a judge in Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday. Bechard filed the suit on July 6, as AVN.com reported, after Bechard claimed that prominent Republican fundraiser and Donald Trump supporter Elliot Broidy had cut off her payments on a $1.6 million hush agreement they signed over an affair Broidy carried on with the November 2010 Playmate of the Month.

But the suit also named two other individuals as defendants: Keith Davidson and Avenatti. Davidson was the lawyer who arranged the hush money deal for Bechard, through Trumps personal fixer Michael Cohen who, the lawsuit alleges, was recruited to broker the deal by Davidson.

Though unsealed, significant portions of the lawsuit remain redacted. Read the document, including the redactions, at this link.

Bechard is now represented by Peter Stris, the lawyer who represented another former Playboy Playmate, Karen McDougal, in a suit over a hush money deal that arose from her affair with Trump. Stris settled that suit for McDougal in April. Davidson had also previously represented McDougal, and negotiated the hush money payoff through Cohen.

The lawsuit unsealed on Tuesday alleges that Avenatti received confidential information about Bechards case from Davidson, and then publicized it via his Twitter account. But the text of the lawsuit acknowledges that Bechard does not have personal knowledge that Mr. Davidson disclosed her confidential information to Mr. Avenatti.

That information came from Broidy, the lawsuit says, but Broidy also is not alleged to know for sure that Davidson gave the info to Avenatti, but Broidy insists that he did.

Avenatti responded to Stris via his Twitter account on Tuesday, after Stris posted the redacted lawsuit.

It is really big of you to release this when you should have never filed the original complaint under seal to begin with, Avenatti wrote. When I am ultimately exonerated in this case because I did nothing wrong, I am coming after you, your firm, and your client for malicious prosecution. Good luck.

Avenatti later added, I never had any duty to [Bechard] and never knew the terms were confidential. [Stris] added me purely for leverage and ultimately he and his client are going to pay a very steep price. I hold the record for a malicious prosecution settlement in California at $39 Million.

The lawsuit claims that Broidy stopped the hush-money payments to Bechard because Davidson leaked confidential details of Bechards case to Avenatti, as CBS News reported. In addition to demanding $200,000 from Broidy, the suit says that damages against Avenatti will be determined in court.

Bechard says that she became pregnant as a result of the affair with Broidy, and had an abortion as a result.

Image via Los Angeles County Superior CourtVANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Broadway Gold Mining Ltd. (TSX-V: BRD) (OTCQB: BDWYF) (Broadway or the Company) is pleased to announce that a Lock-up Agreement has been signed between Steve Hanson, Suzanne Wood, CFO, Thomas Smeenk, CEO, and Duane Parnham, Chairman (the Lock-up Shareholders).



The agreement provides management with a right of first refusal to purchase the lock-up shares. It provides for a release of the lock-up shares by unanimous consent of a block trade, or upon a change of control. Combined, the Lock-up Shareholders hold 4,432,167 shares, 2,116,167 warrants, and 1,350,000 options that are subject to Lock-up. The agreement expires on July 31, 2019.

About Broadway Gold Mining Ltd.

Broadway Gold is focused on the exploration and development of the Broadway and Madison mines and the discovery of the porphyry source of their mineralization. The Company owns a 100% interest in a four-square-mile property, which is in the Butte-Anaconda region of Montana, a porphyry-based mining district. The Company is permitted for exploration and bulk sampling. Of two underground mines, one, the Madison, is Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) compliant. While actively expanding known copper and gold zones open for development, the Companys exploration program has identified new anomalies along the two-mile contact zone, and across its extensive four-square-mile land package. The Company confirmed a Latite porphyry discovery in holes C17-24 and C17-C27 (see news release dated January 22, 2018) that appears to be of significant size with intercepts to-date measuring up to 234 meters, open in all directions.

For more information:

Thomas Smeenk, BA

President and CEO

Broadway Gold Mining Ltd.

1-800-680-0661

IR@broadwaymining.com

www.broadwaymining.com



Media:

Adam Bello

Primoris Group Inc.

+1 416.489.0092

media@primorisgroup.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release or other future plans, objectives or expectations of Broadway are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Broadway's plans or expectations include risks relating to the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuating commodity prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by Broadway with securities regulators. Broadway expressly 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 otherwise required by applicable securities legislation.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. 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.Archived Results for Wednesday, August 1st, 2018

Older Page 1Folwell wants providers to help reduce unfunded liabilities in insurance plan for state workers, retirees



Ardis Watkins, spokeswoman for the State Employees Association of North Carolina, offers remarks during a health care cost-containment roundtable called July 18 by State Treasurer Dale Folwell. (CJ photo by Dan Way)

State Treasurer Dale Folwell summoned the state's key health care players to a roundtable and instructed them to help the State Health Plan save $300 million each of the next five years."This is a serious matter," Folwell said Wednesday, July 18. The State Health Plan is saddled with $35 billion in unfunded liabilities because the General Assembly promised free future health-care benefits for retirees, but never set aside money for them."Most of what happens in health care right now is unexplainable, it's unacceptable, and financially the State Health Plan is unsustainable," Folwell said. The state spends $750 million every 30 days on health care.Reducing spending $1.5 billion over the next five years "doesn't mean we can climb out of this hole immediately," Folwell said. But the savings could be set aside to start retiring the $35 billion debt.If costs keep rising, spending cuts will be necessary in education, transportation, economic development, and other core functions of government.North Carolina is self-insured, relying on employee contributions and tax dollars. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina administers the plan. Folwell directed BCBSNC in May to cut provider rates by 15 percent this year when it renegotiates contracts, amounting to $300 million annually."If you're just here to be affirmed about something you already think, you're probably in the wrong meeting," Folwell told more than three dozen people assembled at the Treasurer's Office and listening by teleconference.Before the meeting, some of the health-care organizations told the treasurer their subsidies must continue or they would go out of business."Shame on you for saying that," Folwell said."The State Health Plan can't be looked upon as a place that will continue to subsidize other businesses," Folwell said."That is not our fiduciary responsibility to the participants of this plan and the taxpayers of our state. If you've got a problem with how you run your business, or the profitability of your business, you need to solve your problems just like we're trying to solve ours," he said.said Dee Jones, State Health Plan director.She cited an example of a doctor who prescribed an $800 foot cream when less expensive brands were available.Many of the health-care provider groups' responses were familiar. They cited a need for a central health information exchange; a lack of claims data; doctors' unwillingness to share patient medical records; sharp differences among insurance benefits; and too many billing systems to navigate - hampering efficiency and cost-cutting measures.Robin Huffman, executive director of the N.C. Psychiatric Association, said undiagnosed and untreated mental illness may be one reason State Health Plan costs increased. Mental health needs to be integrated with physical health in a collaborative care model. She cited a 2014 study updated this year estimating a potential $38 billion to $68 billion savings nationally.She said the current incentive in behavioral health care is fee-for-service payments:This model - volume versus "value" - isn't better for patients, but it pays providers more.Greg Griggs, executive vice president of the N.C. Academy of Family Physicians, said doctors need pricing transparency. Doctors might deal with up to 20 different health plans all paying different prices.One new program on the market allows doctors to make informed choices by previewing drug costs before issuing prescriptions.Timothy Reeder, vice chairman for clinical operations at Brody School of Medicine's Department of Emergency Medicine at East Carolina University, said studies show 30 percent of spending in fee-for-service models is wasted on things such as duplicative and unnecessary tests.Lack of clinical data and prices to compare is a major hurdle to cut costs. Reeder said BCBSNC and the State Health Plan should have sufficient raw data to make a comparative pricing tool.Rob Warner, a BCBSNC official in charge of provider contracts, said its claims information generally has a 30-day lag, so doctors wouldn't have immediate access for comparison.But the insurer does have 1,000 common treatments on its transparency website. On Tuesday it announced its rollout of the SmartShopper program, the only tool of its kind in the state. It provides cash incentives to insurance plan members to shop for the highest quality and most affordable doctors and hospitals delivering common procedures.Margaret Foreman, a lobbyist for the N.C. Association of Educators, said State Health Plan members should take more responsibility for their own health by being more cost-conscious. But some employees she represents work two and three jobs, and have little time to do extensive research. Easily understood educational materials and websites would help.Cody Hand, senior vice president of the N.C. Hospital Association, suggested modeling a program similar to one Greensboro-based Cone Health system developed. It noticed a high prevalence of Type 2 diabetes among its employees and developed a treatment program that saves $8,000 per patient per year.Rob Lemma, a lobbyist for the state's OB-GYN doctors, cited a successful initiative the State Health Plan could emulate. One thousand doctors in 160 programs participate in a Medicaid pregnancy medical home program providing basic risk screenings and analytics. The results: safer labor and deliveries; healthier babies; fewer premature and caesarean section births; and lower costs.State elections board must have ballot language by early August; lawmakers could face blowback by tinkering with process, analysts say

Lawmakers are galloping back to Raleigh just one month after the N.C. General Assembly closed the 2018 short session - this time to scrutinize a ballot language that may dramatically affect November elections.On Monday, July 23, House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, and Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, announced an extra session of the legislature, convening noon Tuesday, toThe broad language leaves lawmakers an open field. But constitutional amendments, party politics, and the shrinking election calendar are primary reasons for their return.Legislators this year passed six constitutional amendments spanning victims rights, expanding the legislature's appointment powers, voter identification, and hunting and fishing rights, among other things. It's now up to voters to adopt - or chop - those amendments at voting precincts Nov. 6.Republican leaders are concerned partisanship will skew how those amendments are described on ballots.Contention swirls around the Constitutional Amendments Publication Commission , established in 1983 toIn 2016, Republicans passed a law stating the commission should be in charge of writing amendment summaries includingIn the past, only a short description - written into the amendment's bill by the legislature - appeared on the ballot.This year, it's different. And timing is crucial. The commission faces a deadline - the week of Aug. 6 - to finish writing ballot language in time to print and distribute ballots for mail and in-person voting. In 2016, there were 1,422 different types and versions of ballots, show data from the Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement.In a July 22 letter to Moore, Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, said he's worried political pressure and maneuvering may push the commission to write "politicized captions" and "long sentences or negative language" that could keep the amendments from passing.Lewis wrote.he said.Voters deserve accurate descriptions ofBerger said.he told Carolina Journal.The commission comprises three state officials: Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, Attorney General Josh Stein, and Legislative Services Officer of the N.C. General Assembly Paul Coble.Marshall and Stein are Democrats. Coble is a Republican.Marshall and Stein aren't politicizing anything, said Gerry Cohen, former special counsel to the N.C. General Assembly, and a longtime registered Democrat who recently changed his registration to unaffiliated.Cohen said.The commission's website hosts a portal for public input . North Carolinians may submit suggestions until 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 25.Cohen said.The General Assembly's discomfort with the commission's ballot captions is puzzling, Cohen said, since it invented the law.CJ phoned and emailed multiple legislators, including Lewis, asking for more specifics, including why the law was enacted in the first place. Most failed to immediately respond.Rep. Jon Hardister, R-Guilford, House majority whip, said the legislation probably was an oversight on the part of Republicans.The commission wasn't a good idea in the first place, and "I support repealing it," Hardister said.The legislature isn't likely to get rid of the commission, but lawmakers may block it from writing captions this year only, Moore told reporters Monday Gov. Roy Cooper, who has said he would strike down any such legislation, will have 10 days to veto if the General Assembly remains in session. Using the full 10-day window would push a likely veto override close to the early August ballot-preparation deadline.Then there's a possibility of a lawsuit, said Cohen.Interference from the legislature will probably gum up the situation, said Andy Taylor , a professor of political science at N.C. State University.Though some Republicans may want to follow regular procedure and not interfere with the ballot commission's work, most will probably toe the party line becauseTaylor said.The slate of amendments were placed on the ballotTaylor said.Constitutional amendments can be a driver for election turnout, said Jonathan Kappler, executive director of the N.C. FreeEnterprise Foundation. But the current political environment makes this situation tricky, he said.Kappler asked.Cohen thinks so.It's probable that, instead of pulling Republicans to the polls who might have stayed home, more Democrats will show up out of protest, he said.Anything could happen, given North Carolina's ever-shifting and volatile 2018 election season, Kappler said.he said.MONCTON, New Brunswick, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Denis Larocque, President and CEO of Major Drilling Group International Inc. (TSX: MDI) today announced that Larry Pisto, VP Operations  North America, will be retiring effective August 31, 2018. Kelly Johnson, presently VP Operations  Latin America & Africa, will become Senior VP Operations  North America & Africa. Ashley Martin, presently Regional Manager  South America, will replace Mr. Johnson as VP Operations  South America.

Mr. Pisto started in the drilling industry in 1977 and has held many field and management positions with Dynatec Drilling, where he was the Operations Manager at the time of Dynatec Drillings acquisition by Major Drilling in 2005. Mr. Larocque stated, Larry certainly left his mark on the Company and the industry through his expertise and knowledge. Through the years, he has built a team that has tackled some of the most challenging drilling projects. I wish him a happy retirement.

After spending the last 8 years as VP for Latin America & Africa, Mr. Johnson returns to familiar territory having been the General Manager of Canadian Operations in the past. Kellys experiences and personal style equip him well for this new senior role, and I am confident that he will build upon the strong foundation left by Larry in North America, said Mr. Larocque.

Mr. Larocque also stated, Major Drilling is focused on developing future successors for critical roles and I am happy to announce the promotion of Ashley Martin to the role of VP Operations  South America. Through his 23 years in the industry, the last 17 with Major Drilling in various management positions, Ashley has developed strong technical expertise and leadership skills to lead a great group of people in South America.

About Major Drilling

Major Drilling Group International Inc. is one of the worlds largest drilling services companies primarily serving the mining industry. Established in 1980, Major Drilling has over 1,000 years of combined experience within its management team alone. The Company maintains field operations and offices in Canada, the United States, Mexico, South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Major Drilling provides all types of drilling services including surface and underground coring, directional, reverse circulation, sonic, geotechnical, environmental, water-well, coal-bed methane, shallow gas, underground percussive/longhole drilling, surface drill and blast, and a variety of mine services.Tom the Dancing Bug, IN WHICH a rookie ICE agent totally misunderstands his role and the system; hilarity ensues.

FOR THE KIDS IN YOUR LIFE, AND THEIR SUMMER READING: Get Ruben Bolling's hit book series for kids, The EMU Club Adventures.

"The EMU Club inhabits exactly the world I always hoped to live in when I was 12, when the answer to questions like 'Where did I put my toy' led inevitably to alien conspiracies and secret underground tunnels. A book for the curious and adventurous!" -Cory Doctorow, author of "For the Win" and "Little Brother"

"The type of non-stop action and improbably hilarious fun that only a kid could dream up.  The EMU Club's adventures perfectly capture the intersection of imagination and wonder  the crossroad that's so often found in cardboard boxes, pillow forts and backyards everywhere." -GeekDad

Get Book the First, "Alien Invasion in My Backyard," here.

Get Book the Second, "Ghostly Thief of Time," here.



RESIST!! The temptation to not join Tom the Dancing Bug's INNER HIVE!

More Tom the Dancing Bug comics on Boing Boing!Our world is dominated by mobile devices, some of which can even outperform laptops. When it comes to tablets, in particular, no one can seem to get their eyes off Apple's iPad. Whether the Mini or the Pro, iPads have long been some of the bestselling tablets to date. But as with all Apple products, READ THE RESTForty years ago, investigative journalists in Chicago hatched an audacious plan to create a fake tavern packed with hidden microphones, cameras, and reporters everywhere working as bar staff and customers. Their goal was to document local corruption. Topic has a great oral history of the project.

The ensuing 25-part expose ended up causing a huge rift in journalism over the ethical implications:

The 25-part series had immediate and lasting impact. Over a dozen officials were suspended or fired. By June 1979, 18 city electrical inspectors had been convicted of bribery. Mayor Michael A. Bilandic created an Office of Professional Review to ferret out corrupt city employees, and the Illinois Department of Revenue created a task force to uncover tax fraud dubbed the "Mirage Unit." The series, which had exposed citywide corruption with cinematic flair, was an obvious candidate for a Pulitzer, and was subsequently nominated by the Pulitzer jury in the category of Local Investigative Reporting. But when the nomination reached the board, things derailed quickly. Eugene C. Patterson, board member and editor and president of the St. Petersburg Times, declared that the nomination sparked "the most fascinating debate ever heard at Pulitzer." The Mirage story, he said, "had an element of entrapment." Benjamin C. Bradlee, executive editor of The Washington Post and also a board member, stated that, "We instruct our reporters not to misrepresent themselves, period. We felt a Sun-Times award for this entry could send journalism on a wrong course." The Pulitzer was awarded to Pennsylvania's Pottsville Republicanfor a series on coal and organized crime.

 The Story Behind the Chicago Newspaper That Bought a Bar (Topic)Robbo Mills writes, "Speaking at a press conference at the Provincial Parliament in Queen's Park on Monday, Toronto Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti said Premier Doug Ford's plan to gut Toronto City Council is a good move because it would silence 'left-leaning' voices on council.

"I live in Toronto. I live in Parkdale. I love this city. I hate these fucking wannabe tyrant jerkweed asshat corporate puppet sausages. I also hate that the for the next 4 years I'm going to be fighting a relentless parade of these dipshitscicles. I hate it. I'm old. I'm tired. But I ain't gonna never back down on shenanigans like this. Fuck them."

One city councillor and longtime Ford ally suggested Monday there may be another motive for the move.



"There's going to be less left-leaning politicians in the City of Toronto and that means it's a great thing and it's a great day for the taxpayer," Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti said in a news conference to defend the plan. While Mammoliti and a handful of likeminded councillors showed their support for the bill at the provincial legislature, their peers at city hall discussed their options to oppose the plan, which many have said was foisted on them unexpectedly after the city had already ruled against a similar proposal.





Toronto council votes to oppose Ontario bill to cut number of councillors

[Paola Loriggio and Michelle McQuigge/Canadian Press]

(Image: John Tavares, CC-BY-SA)VICTORIA, British Columbia, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Carmanah Technologies Corporation (TSX: CMH) (the Company or Carmanah) will release its second quarter 2018 financial results on Wednesday August 8th, 2018 after market close. Carmanah has scheduled a conference call for analysts at 6:00 am PST (9:00 am ET) on Thursday August 9th, 2018. To access, dial 1.866.229.4144 (Canada toll free) or +1.888.424.8151 (US toll free) approximately five to ten minutes prior to start time. When prompted for the participant PIN code, enter 9213 232#. For a current list of local and international telephone numbers, click the link below:



https://www.conferenceplus.com/AlternateNumbers/alternatenumbers.aspx?100813&t=A&o=UrZBAIYvkYBwqe

A recording of the conference call will also be available on Carmanahs corporate website within three business days of the call. For more information, visit www.carmanah.com or telephone 1.877.722.8877 (toll free in US and Canada).

About Carmanah Technologies Corporation

Carmanah designs, develops and distributes a portfolio of products focused on energy optimized LED solutions for infrastructure. Since 1996, we have earned a global reputation for delivering durable, dependable, efficient and cost-effective solutions for industrial applications that perform in some of the worlds harshest environments. We manage our business within two reportable segments: Signals and Illumination. The Signals segment serves the Airfield Ground Lighting, Aviation Obstruction, Offshore Wind, Marine, Traffic and Telematics markets. The Illumination segment provides solar powered LED outdoor lights for municipal and commercial customers.

Contact

Carmanah Technologies Corporation:

Evan Brown, (250) 380-0052

Chief Financial Officer/Corporate Secretary

investors@carmanah.com



This release may contain forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as expects, estimates, could, will or variations of such words and phrases. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things: revenues, and revenue growth, for the second quarter of 2018; order backlogs; gross margins; and estimates of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Carmanah or Sabik to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: our ability to become a worldwide leader in the marine aids to navigation industry, the potential growth of the offshore wind safety market or our ability to participate in any growth, and other general uncertainties that may impact actual outcomes. These forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations and beliefs but given the uncertainties, assumptions, and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements or information. Carmanah disclaims any obligation to update, or to publicly announce, any such statements, events, or developments except as required by law.

For additional information on these risks and uncertainties, see Carmanahs most recently filed Annual Information Form (AIF) and Annual MD&A, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Companys website at www.carmanah.com. The risk factors identified in Carmanahs AIF and MD&A are not intended to represent a complete list of factors that could affect Carmanah.Project Dragonfly is a secret Google plan to create an Android-based search tool (early versions were called "Maotai" and "Longfei") for use in China (where Google is currently blocked), in collaboration with the Chinese government, where search results related to human rights, democracy, protest, religion and other "sensitive" topics will be censored.



The app is slated for launch in the next 6-9 months. It was largely developed in the US by a team whose work was kept secret from their peers (Google's engineering workforce staged an incredibly effective protest over the company's move into military drone AI for the Pentagon, which resulted in Google canceling the project rather than risk losing top engineering talent).





In its early days, Google refused to censor its results to please the Chinese government, serving Chinese search results to users who managed to circumvent China's Great Firewall. But Yahoo's willingness to sell out of Beijing panicked Google, who, in those days, were willing to do any terrible thing provided Yahoo was already doing it.

Google's compliance with Chinese state censorship ended abruptly when the Chinese government hacked the Gmail accounts of dissidents in order to spy on them. Google's internal folklore has it that Google co-founder Sergey Brin was forced to confront the reality that his company was complicit in the kind of state oppression that his own family fled when they escaped from the USSR and he personally pulled the plug.

Since Google's departure from China, the Chinese government's surveillance and censorship requirements for tech companies have only grown more onerous, and it's unlikely that Google will be exempted from those requirements (however, Google's Project Fi mobile SIMs work in China and provide access to an uncensored internet feed, apparently with Chinese state approval), meaning that Google will be expected to "police their users and turn over user data to security agencies upon request," as Ron Diebert of Citizen Lab (previously) told the Intercept's Ryan Gallagher, who broke the news after a "source" leaked it, who "said that they had moral and ethical concerns about Google's role in the censorship, which is being planned by a handful of top executives and managers at the company with no public scrutiny."



Documents seen by The Intercept, marked "Google confidential," say that Google's Chinese search app will automatically identify and filter websites blocked by the Great Firewall. When a person carries out a search, banned websites will be removed from the first page of results, and a disclaimer will be displayed stating that "some results may have been removed due to statutory requirements." Examples cited in the documents of websites that will be subject to the censorship include those of British news broadcaster BBC and the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. The search app will also "blacklist sensitive queries" so that "no results will be shown" at all when people enter certain words or phrases, the documents state. The censorship will apply across the platform: Google's image search, automatic spell check and suggested search features will incorporate the blacklists, meaning that they will not recommend people information or photographs the government has banned.

Google Plans to Launch Censored Search Engine in China, Leaked Documents Reveal [Ryan Gallagher/The Intercept]- The Zimbabwean government warned opposition parties and candidates that they would face prosecution for releasing election results before the official announcement was made

- The warning came as the official opposition MDC party claimed it had won the election

- The Zimbabwean Electoral Commission said it would only announce the results of the presidential race once all results had been collected and verified

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Opposition parties in Zimbabwe have been warned by the government not to release election results before the official announcement was made. The government said doing so constituted a serious violation of the law and those guilty faced jail time.

The warning comes after the official opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party led by the youthful Nelson Chamisa claimed it had won Mondays election.

READ ALSO: ANC officials to receive election and propaganda training from Chinese Communist Party

The Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) has already stated it would only announce the winner of the presidential race once all of the results from across the country had been collected and verified. The ZEC has until 4 August to release the results of the election.

Briefly.co.za gathered that Zimbabwes home affairs minister Obert Mpofu said the government was concerned about reports that certain party leaders had publicly stated they would declare the results of the election regardless of what the rule of law requires.

eNCA.com reported that the countrys former finance minister Tendai Biti earlier told supporters that the MDC would not hesitate to declare the results of the election should the ZEC fail to act in a timeous manner.

Biti sensationally told media outlets that according to the MDCs own calculations based on exit polls, observations and the reports of various agents at polling stations Chamisa was now the president-elect of Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, a report filed by News24.com indicated that contrary to the MDC claim it was actually the ruling Zanu-PF led by the incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa who has taken a comfortable lead in the election.

The report indicated that the ruling party had thus far won 73 of the 102 seats in Zimbabwes Parliament. The MDC had managed 28 while the newly established NPF had bagged the remaining seat.

It should be noted these results are not official as yet and were originally reported by a state-owned newspaper.

The first early official results do, however, seem to support these figures. The ZEC released results from seven out of 210 polling stations. Zanu-PF won six while the MDC only won one.

The elections have been hailed as largely free and fair with only minor technical glitches and none of the violence and intimidation which had become hallmarks of previous elections. Voter turnout was incredibly high at well over 70%.

READ ALSO: Mother of model assualted by Grace Mugabe: 'Im proud of her'

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Source: Briefly.co.zaBusiness / Local

by Staff Reporter

Industry has lauded Zimbabweans for conducting themselves in a peaceful and mature manner during the whole campaign period until the commencement of voting yesterday and is pinning hopes for major economic turnaround after the harmonised polls.Previous poll campaign periods have been characterised by some political skirmishes that at times disrupted business operations and food shortages and price hikes were also witnessed in some cases.This election is coming at a time when the economy is emerging from the difficulties of the past two decades caused by sanctions and Zimbabweans conducted themselves in a manner that did not further complicate challenges businesses faced.Policies enunciated by Government since November last year have seen industry ramping up capacity utilisation, with some sectors such as beverages and food increasing employment levels to meet demand.The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) says manufacturers are happy with the way the campaign and voting were conducted.CZI president Mr Sifelani Jabangwe told our Harare Bureau that the peaceful environment before, during and after polls were critical."For us the key issue is that the people have been calm in the campaign period, which is expected for there to be a credible election. So we are now expecting that the conduct and post-election period will also pass in the same way, and then we can return to work. We want the elections to be credible so that the re-engagement that we have with the rest of the world continues."We are quite happy that the Government has facilitated that the elections be held under such (peaceful) circumstances and all the other parties involved also observed peace."The CEO Africa round table also said the elections are "a significant confidence booster" if all citizens "choose Zimbabwe first"."The round table calls on the (Zimbabwe) Electoral Commission to work hard to deliver free, fair and credible elections."Due to the encouraging performance of companies since January, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has been overwhelmed by applications for foreign payments as firms seek to retool and boost their operations.Government has also announced a raft of policy changes such as the amendment of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act to attract foreign investment and has since scrapped the prior need for foreign-owned investors to hold 49 percent in business ventures they initiate while locals got 51 percent save for the diamond and the platinum sectors.The Diamond Policy, which will spell out a number of issues regarding the sector is under consideration.Immediately after that, a Platinum Policy, with similar aspirations, would also be created.Statistics show investment approvals between January and June 30 this year, are over $16 billion.The indications are investment inquiries through the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) are likely to increase tremendously after this week's harmonised elections.News / National

by Staff reporter

VOTERS in Beitbridge have said they are looking forward to accelerated infrastructure and economic development in the area soon after harmonised elections.The district is divided into two constituencies - that is Beitbridge East, which also includes the town component and Beitbridge West constituency. There are 3 400 and 15 000 registered in the two respective constituencies.In separate interviews the electorate said they were very confident that the Zanu-PF 2018 elections manifesto which is modelled around fighting corruption, development, and re-engagement and jobs creation will take them to the "Promised Land."In parliamentary poll which ended on Monday, former director in the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), Albert Nguluvhe (Zanu-PF) squared off with Ms Patricia Ndlovu (MDC Alliance) and Messers Johanne Ndou (PRC) and Handsome Mbedzi (Independent) for the Beitbridge East National Assembly seat .The party's (Zanu-PF) central committee member Ruth Maboyi fought it out with Messers Enock Singo (MDC Alliance), Moffat Ndou (PRC), Ronald Ndlovu (FreeZim Congress) and Brighton Ithutheng Sibanda (MRP) for the Beitbridge West seat."We are a livestock producting district and are very hopeful that the current government, if retained in office, will increase more support to small-scale farmers through the command agriculture and livestock initiatives to improve livelihoods at household level," said Ms Pelina Nyoni of Majini area (Beitbridge West).A youth from the same constituency, Mr True Moyo of Madzivhe, said that he was looking forward to employment opportunities as the government had already facilitated the opening of both new and old companies.Ms Judith Billa of Makhado area hailed the government for improving infrastructure covering roads, schools, clinics and rural electrification."The Zanu-PF government has done a lot of work in terms of empowering women, and recently they opened the Women Bank and Youth Bank respectively which will go a long way in solving problems facing the elderly, widows and those in child-headed families," she said.Mr Artson Matshakari of Beitbridge East said he looked forward to the reviewing of border efficiency and management systems to enhance the ease of doing business.He said the border post was one of the key economic actors in the town and was confident that the future would be bright under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa who has since laid the foundation for its modernisation at a cost of $241 million.Under the modernisation programme, part of the civil works include upgrading of Beitbridge Municipality's road network, sewer and water reticulation facilities.Mr Samuel Chimere (Beitbridge East) said he expected the government, which has already started on a good footing to increase mobile network and electricity coverage in the district by 80 percent."I am impressed by the efforts being made by President Mnangagwa's administration to re-engage with both new and old international partners and investors to stimulate Zimbabwe's economic growth," he said."We must adopt new technologies and accelerate access to education and health care in rural areas."Another registered voter, Ms Rumbedzani Ribombo from Beitbridge East, said: "I am very happy with the on-going digitisation programme and if President Mnangagwa and his team are retained they will carry forward what they have started in terms of improving radio and television coverage which will benefit people here in Beitbridge."News / National

by Staff reporter

The MDC Alliance at a press conference announced themselves the winner of the elections and called on ZEC to speed up the results announcements.Speaking for the party, Tendai Biti, who is reported to have won Harare East, said that results the party had collated showed that it had won beyond reasonable doubts and that party leader Nelson Chamisa will form the next Government.Already MDC had said that it would not accept any result short of a victory.Biti also spoke about anomalies with the voters roll adding that his name could not be found on the register yesterday.He alleged that ZEC is refusing to release V11 forms for 2 000 polling stations as is required by law.Biti also claimed that there was a directive from vice president Chiwenga to assasinate Chamisa and him.In response, Government has put its security forces on high alert in Bulawayo and Harare with water canons seen patrolling the streets.News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Zanu PF former Harare East MP Terence Mukupe has described MDC Alliance principal Tendai Biti as a sick man after he claimed that the alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has won the election."Biti I reiterate is a sick man. How can he allege that General Chiwenga wants to assassinate him... Learn to lose in dignity wait for the official ZEC results for the Presidential Vote," Mukupe said.News / National

by Staff reporter

Stung by sharp criticism over its rushed decision to report MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa to the police on possible violation of the electoral law, while sparing his main rival for similar violations, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) was yesterday forced to do some serious damage control to save face.This came after Zec's acting chief elections officer, Utoile Silaigwana, told a news conference on Sunday night that the MDC Alliance presidential candidate had been reported to the police for holding an illegal press conference on Sunday at Meikles Hotel after the deadline for political campaigns.The Electoral Act decrees that political parties should wrap-up their campaigns 48 hours before polling day.Silaigwana had told the Sunday night press briefing that Chamisa had blatantly breached provisions of the Electoral Act Fourth Schedule (Section 160A, Clause 7(1)(B) but did not mention electoral infractions by President Emmerson Mnangagwa over remarks he made in response to his former boss Robert Mugabe's public declaration that he would vote for Chamisa.In a widely circulated post, Mnangagwa claimed remarks by his predecessor that Zimbabweans must vote against his administration and bring the country back to constitutionality proved that Chamisa was in an alliance with Mugabe and that "the choice is clear, you either vote for Mugabe under the guise of Chamisa or you vote for a new Zimbabwe under my leadership and the Zanu-PF".After reporting Chamisa to the police while sparing Mnangagwa, Zec came under heavy criticism from a cross-section of Zimbabweans, the international press and the local media, as well as from observers for selectively applying the law.This was also amplified by the MDC Alliance, which was quick to accuse Zec of bias.Faced by mounting controversy over the move, Zec chairperson Priscilla Chigumba claimed yesterday that both presidential candidates had been reported to the police, while staying clear of earlier pronouncements by her acting chief elections officer."On 29 July 2018 at least two of the presidential candidates published statements which were published in the media which can be interpreted as campaigning," Chigumba said."These matters have been referred to the attention of the police to investigate if in fact these candidates were in violation of the Electoral Act. All political parties have been advised to uphold what they signed in the code of conduct".Zec's volte face came amid withering grassroots public pressure from thousands of people, strongly expressed on social media, raising wider questions over the credibility of the electoral commission, plagued by allegations by bias.Reached for comment yesterday, Silaigwana was singing a different tune, saying "we never singled out anyone"."The chairperson clearly stated two hours ago that two candidates had been reported to the police. We have alerted the police," he told the Daily News.Contacted for comment yesterday, police spokesperson Charity Charamba first inquired if Chigumba had stated which department the matter was reported to, before asking for time to check details of the case.At the time of going to print, she said she had failed to get a brief from the officer commanding province (ProPol).Responding to the move by Zec to file a report against Chamisa, the MDC Alliance leader's legal advisor Thabani Mpofu said: "That's nonsense on stilts."Piers Pigou, a senior consultant at the International Crisis Group, said reporting Chamisa to the police was a desperate move by the ruling party, which controls the levers of the State, to get the 40-year-old opposition leader out of the presidential race."Seems somewhat desperate to try and have an opponent disqualified on these grounds, and patently ridiculous in the face of multiple alleged breaches by Zanu-PF as evidenced through the manipulation of State resources," Pigou said.Stephen Chan, a professor of world politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, said: "This is all last minute fire and brimstone. It will mean nothing as the big picture unfolds."News / National

by Mafu Sithabile

MDC Alliance principal and former minister of finance Tendai Biti has claimed that the MDC Alliance has received intelligence that Vice President, retired General Constantino Chiwenga has issued a directive for the assassination of MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa.Biti also said that he was the other target of the assassination order.Biti made the startling claims at a press conference at Morgan Tsvangirai House where he announced that the MDC Alliance had won the election. Said Biti,"We are also aware of the massive generation of fake news our colleagues in the former ruling party are employing. They have hired some Romanians who are at the centre of the production of fake news"."We have received a confidential report that General Chiwenga has ordered the assassination of Nelson Chamisa and myself. We will not accept that".However, Biti did not reveal further details about the assassination attempt.News / National

by AP

Dozens of angry Zimbabwe opposition supporters have gathered outside the gates of the electoral commission and have been met by a line of riot police.The country is waiting for the release of the results of Monday's peaceful presidential election, the first without longtime leader Robert Mugabe on the ballot.He led the country for 37 years marked by repression of the opposition.The electoral commission says the ruling Zanu-PF party has won a majority of seats in Parliament.The opposition has raised concerns about alleged vote-rigging, saying election results were not posted outside 21% of the country's nearly 11 000 polling stations.News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Zimbabwe Communist party secretary general Ngqabutho Mabhena has said they are condemning the actions by the Zimbabwe military in firing live ammunition in the streets of Harare against opposition protectors this afternoon."We call on the political leaders to be responsible and desist from abusing young people . Political leaders should not incite young people to cause mayhem . The call for young people to take to the streets is reckless to say the least . The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has a mandate to deliver election results as per its constitutional mandate," he said."The Zimbabwean State has a mandate to maintain law and order and the soldiers are not trained to perform such a task. We call on the Zimbabwean government to immediately remove all soldiers from the streets of Harare. If there are demonstrations in the city, the police must protect all citizens and property while soldiers are locked in barracks."He called on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to avail the remaining results to the people of Zimbabwe."As citizens, let us refrain from circulating fake news that will cause despondency in our society," he said.English French

LAVAL, Quebec, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Savaria Corporation (Savaria) (TSX: SIS), one of North Americas leaders in the accessibility industry, will release its 2018 second quarter results after market hours on August 8, 2018.



Savaria Corporation (savaria.com) is one of North Americas leaders in the accessibility industry. It provides accessibility solutions for the physically challenged to increase their comfort, their mobility and their independence. Its product line is one of the most comprehensive on the market. Savaria designs, manufactures, distributes and installs accessibility equipment, such as stairlifts for straight and curved stairs, vertical and inclined wheelchair lifts, elevators for home and commercial use, as well as ceiling lifts. It also manufactures and markets a comprehensive selection of pressure management products for the medical market, medical beds for the long-term care market, mattress overlays and foam pillows for the retail market and certain products for the industrial market. In addition, Savaria converts and adapts vehicles to be wheelchair accessible. Savaria records around 66% of its revenue outside Canada, primarily in the United States. It operates a sales network of some 400 retailers in North America and employs some 800 people. Its plants are located in Laval and Magog (Quebec), Brampton, Beamsville and Toronto (Ontario), Greenville (South Carolina), Huizhou (China) and Brisbane (Australia).



For further information:News / National

by Staff Reporter

Three people have died after today's political violence rocked Harare as MDC Alliance supporters protested against the election results.Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Chief Staff Officer - Press and Public Relations, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the sad development, saying the three are yet to be identified and are at Parirenyatwa Hospital mortuary.She warned the people against acts of hooliganism and vandalism which forced the security agents to intervene to calm things down.Senior Assistant Commissioner Charamba also said the ZRP will arrest all perpetrators."Let me warn those who were involved in setting ablaze vehicles, assaulting vendors taking their wares, damaging shops and conducting unlawful gatherings, that the ZRP will all such perpetrators of violence. Those who were involved in these acts of violence also besieged Zimbabwe Electoral Commission offices and National Results Centre as well as the Harare International Conference Centre. They caused massive destruction of property which includes shops and we are currently assessing the extent of damage," she said, warning that such acts will be met with the full wrath of the law.The ZRP also "warned political leaders who have incited their followers into committing acts of violence that the long arm of the law will certainly catch up with them."Senior Assistant Commissioner Charamba said they are keen to interview MDC Alliance member, Tendai Biti and Happison Chidziva, and they are inviting them to the CID Law and Order to assist with investigations.The police spokesperson confirmed that the ZRP Commissioner General Godwin Matanga has invoked the Public Order and Security Act (Cjapter 11.17) and approached the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to request for assistance of defence forces for suppression of the commotion and disturbances in Harare CBD."This is due to the fact that the degree of disturbances of law and order have reached a magnitude where by the regular police officers and the reserve members have been unable to cope," said Senior Assistant Commissioner Charamba.She urged members of the public to remain calm, shun violence and respect the laws of the country, while the media should report responsibly and objectively.Opinion / Columnist

In 2009, the late former Zimbabwean Vice President John Landa Nkomo became famously known for his peace exhortation, "Peace begins with me; peace begins with all of us". He saw no reasons for Zimbabweans to attack each other if they differed on a point or issue. Fast track to 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been calling for peace throughout the election season as the country headed for the just-ended elections.To demonstrate his commitment for the peace that he was preaching, President Mnangagwa went on to open the political space in the country resulting in the increase in the number of political parties from 42 to 133. As if that was not enough he promoted free campaigning in all corners of the country and the MDC Alliance for the first time tested what it felt like to campaign freely in rural areas. The Alliance would be the best witness of the opened up democratic space. Even the various observer missions who were accredited to observe the plebiscite hailed the peaceful and calm environment.As the true Statesman that he is, President Mnangagwa called for calmness. He had this to say to promote peace as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) continues to announce the election results, "Millions have voted in mutual respect and peace, Zimbabweans should wait patiently for the electoral commission to announce the results".As the parties were winding up their campaigns in line with the dictates of the Electoral Acts last Saturday, the MDC Alliance members openly declared that they were going to take to the streets if the election outcome was not in their favour. They made it loud and clear that they would start a "war" of their own. They foolishly concluded that kusiri kufa ndekupi". As the election results are trickling in and they are realising their electoral defeat, the MDC Alliance youths are calling out to the "masters of violence", Job "Wiwa" Sikhala and Youth Assembly Chairperson, Happymore "Bvondo" Chidziva to prime their violence machinery for action.Chamisa himself declared that he was not going to accept anything short of 65 percent of the Presidential vote. Wamba dia Wamba as Chamisa is affectionately called by his followers is on record promising post election violence. He was quoted saying "Hakudyiwi rinopisa muno . . . mukaita zvokutamba ndinodira jecha muupfu. Hamuridyi sadza iroro." It takes two to tango and Chamisa must be man enough to accept defeat, which is the essence of an election and democracy that he is always harping on about.The Alliance's threats of violence remind many peace-loving Zimbabweans of the terror group, Vanguard under the leadership of Shakespear Mukoyi which terrorised the hapless Dr Thokozani Khupe at the funeral of the late MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.MDC-T candidate for Harare Central Constituency, Linda Masarira posted on her twitter handle @lilomatic conceding defeat saying "Good morning. It has been a hectic journey to 2018 elections. I concede defeat with dignity in Harare Central Constituency. Like I said earlier its either I win or I learn. I have learnt a lot about political dynamics in Zimbabwe which I have fully documented".This is the type of political attitude that the country needs to take the nation forward. It contrasts sharply with the MDC Alliance's "It's either my way or the highway" kind of tin pot "democracy."Zimbabweans are a peace-loving people. They should not listen to these merchants of regime change who are bent on causing anarchy and despondency in our peaceful country.Keep calm, elections come and go, we must not lose our dignity like what Wamba dia Wamba who even want to go to an extent of announcing election results contrary to Constitutional provisions. The Electoral Act Section 66A states that "(1) No person other than an electoral officer, acting in accordance with this Act, may officially declare and announce the results of an election and (2) No office-bearer or member of a political party shall purport to declare and announce the results of any election before it has been declared officially by an electoral officer". This is all being done in an effort to provoke the authorities so that he could find a basis to cause riots. Wamba dia Wamba in his lack of wisdom on 1 August tweeted "Zec seeks to release results to buy time & reverse the people's presidential election victory. The strategy is meant to prepare Zim mentally to accept fake presidential results. We've more votes than ED. We won the popular vote & will defend it!". The dubious advocate is clearly breaking the law.However, in all this, the country's security apparatus is not resting on its laurels. Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Dr Obert Mpofu, had to convene a press conference on 31July to remind people not to go beyond the dictates of the law and commit electoral crimes such as announcing election results.Opinion / Columnist

Blood has been shed enough in Matabeleland. We can not entertain it any more. I plead with our people to refuse to take part in this Harare fight that has started. Please stay in your houses and let the people of Harare sort their mess.As I write to you now, they are singing "Gushungo" on the streets of Harare. When we told them Mugabe was a murderer they scoffed at us. When we told them Mnangagwa was a killer, they called us tribalists. Today they will want you to join their war.People of Mthwakazi, please let's save the lives of our children by not joining the Harare war.I plead with you not to allow spilling of Mthwakazi blood, even a teaspoon full, for the political cause of Harare.They don't help us to fight tribalism. They don't join us to fight PicknPay for employing people from Harare. They don't join us for demanding our king. They don't join us in fighting against marginalization.We are aware that Zanu PF has rigged these elections and we will give direction as MRP leadership to our people, as to the next move.Let's not join them in their war. This is not our war.Let's remember that uBaba uJoshua Nkomo said, the war will start in Harare and end there.Sisonke Sibambene singu Mthwakazi SizokulungisaMqondisi MoyoMthwakazi Republic Party President.Opinion / Columnist

"I repeat what I said in 2002: WHERE THE ARMY IS DEPLOYED, DON'T EXPECT A PICNIC. When the Army was deployed in 2008, it was not a picnic, it was a reversal of a poll result; and when it was deployed last Nov, it wasn't a picnic, it was a COUP!" twittered Professor Jonathan Moyo.Yes, we know OH EVIL ONE, "Devil incarnate!" as the murderous tyrant, Robert Mugabe himself once called you. When the army was deployed in 2008, you saw nothing wrong. Indeed, as the regime's minister of propaganda Professor Moyo has played his role in white-washing the corruption, vote rigging and thuggery that have taken place in the country dragging us to where we are today  standing on the edge of the abyss, hell-on-earth.We are looking up the business end of a loaded shot-gun in the hands of a madman with a twitchy finger!Let me say it here and now; this is one nightmare that this nation could and should have avoided. Former President Robert Mugabe, now President Emmerson Mnangagwa and all the other Zanu PF cronies and thugs are responsible for this nightmare. It was their insatiable greed for absolute power and the influence and wealth it brought that made them betray the revolutionary values of freedom, justice and human rights and dignity for all.Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends must share the blame for the mess we are in. MDC had the golden opportunity to end the de facto Zanu PF dictatorship during the GNU, they sold-out and failed to get even one democratic reform implemented in five years!MDC leaders were warned 100 000 times and 100 000 times again every month for the last five years not to take part in the elections without reforms but they would not listen."MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!" insisted MDC Alliance presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa. No doubt, Chamisa has already gone into hiding leaving innocent Zimbabweans to AF 47 wielding madman with the twitchy finger alone!A week ago Chamisa, Tendai Biti and all the other MDC leaders were saying they will "die for the cause". They have disappeared but will be back to claim the glory!How To Get Paid To Travel And Eat BBQ

Trending News: This Dream Gig Will Pay You To Travel And Eat American BBQ

Long Story Short

Prepare your fingers for licking.

Long Story

Texas might be famous for its big a** steaks, but there are far more places with delicious BBQ across America. And fortunately for a lucky someone (it could be you), there's a job that'll pay you to travel across the country and gobble up ALL that BBQ.

Related: Here Are The Best Tools For Grilling

Reynolds Wrap (the brand that makes your aluminum foil) announced it is hiring a "Chief Grilling Officer" who will travel across America for two weeks, eating BBQ and documenting their journey on social media, according to Thrillist.

It gets better.

Not only will Reynolds pay all your travel expenses, they'll also hand you a $10,000 cheque and allow you to bring along a friend. It doesn't say where exactly you'll be going, but who cares!?

Think you have what it takes? Here's how Reynolds describes the gig:

"[I]f you dont mind being paid to taste test some of the most delicious grilled dishes from across the country, posting envy-inducing pictures of your finds and falling asleep every night dreaming about your next meal, then you could have what it takes to be Reynolds Wraps Chief Grilling Officer."

Related: I Traveled Without A Phone For 2 Months - Here's What I Learned

To apply, simply write 100 words about why you are the perfect person for the job and include a picture of your favorite grilling recipe to be sent to [email protected] between July 31 through August 13. No resume required!

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Where is the country's best BBQ?

Drop This Fact

President Donald Trump allegedly eats his steaks well-done.Photo - Old petrol pump near Darwin

Families and community are massive in rural Australia. This participatory culture is extended to the whole community being involved in the school, the hospital and welfare groups with their various fetes and community fund raisers, dances, town functions and business gatherings.

The rural community is one place where the local Shire Councillor and Mayor may live next door to each other  or to you  and seemingly many more things get done.

Another example was Wilcannia a rural NSW town that saw its supermarket close which drew so much attention that city retires moved in and setting up house and shop, such as a cafe come gallery. Its bred new life into the town.

Rural and regional Australia is a great place for families and any migrant would be well pleased to have the opportunity to live within such a close-knit community. As they become welcomed into the community, they will bring a fresh view of other cultures, other foods, and perhaps better ways of organising community events and the whole nation can benefit as a mutual understanding develops.

These sentiments are reported first hand in the Sydney Morning Herald article ''One of the best things'', said a mother of three from Fiji, who now lives in Cooma, was that her circle of friends included a mix of Australian-born and people from many countries.

''There's no way we're moving,'' she said. ''A small country town is the best place. It's just perfect for us.''

Rural church life provides so many young Christians their chance at leading youth groups and preaching at youth services and similar roles which provide them significant training in self-confidence and self-reliance in every aspect of their lives.

Photo - Richmond Bridge, Tasmania

Other issues

The fly-in and fly-out recent dramas in Australia's mining centres continues to raise its ugly head in the face of continuing protests by rural and regional communities. I recently wrote about this dilemma which gained significant attention, titled: The Mining Industry is disparate to accommodate its work population (that includes families).

In recent years the Government has put forward proposals to require migrants to move to regional and rural Australia.

This is nothing new. Over the past century, there have been many incentives for migrants to take up life in the country, the most well-known being the construction of the Snowy Mountains hydroelectricity scheme.

Photo - Richmond Tasmania  what plant is this?

Bush employment

In 2010 there were 22,821 migrants associated with 'bush' employment live and work in regional and rural Australia. In these cases, the move was voluntary because that was where the work was, and these migrants were pleased to have the contract.

Another report indicated that many who have moved to regional areas have adapted well, both partners often find work, and once they get used to the lifestyle they make new friends and find that country life is a very good alternative, even if they do not have all the bells and whistles they are used to in the city.

I for one highly recommend anyone relocating to a rural or regional centre. It makes a bold move especially when there is no job (income) planned, but this is the spice of life. We now live in Tweed Heads, which is the southern tip over the border from the Gold Coast. Many of the old timers tell me that Tweed Heads is still a big country town. I seem to think it is too.

Photo - Old Woolstore, Hobart

Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He has written 24 books and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.

Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at

http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.htmlPhoto - Kandima Awendila, Mozambique

Press Service International runs a young writer ministry in conjunction with Christian Today to publish young people 18-30 in their own regular international column since 2009.

Press Service International runs a young writer ministry in conjunction with Christian Today to publish young people 18-30 in their own regular international column since 2009.

The issue arose when these young people began to turn 30 and sought to continue to write their column, but it was also found to be unfair for the annual awards, for an 18-year-old to have to compete with an experienced 30 plus writer.

Eventually an Awards Commission was held.

It determined a new category, that of the Over 31s who would be tagged the Emerging writers and when they got near their 40s, as senior writers.

Over 31s  emerging writers

2018 is the first year that awards are being designated for the Over 31s, the emerging writers and the task was then to ask our team of young writers who was 31 or over.

This is no easy task, asking someone their age, but we got across that hurdle as there was a willingness to come clean for this new category.

Then we realised there were three groups of Over 31s emerging writers

Australians

New Zealand

Internationals

Moreover, a fresh set of panellists was required for the Over 31s emerging writers and then a fresh statistician.

It was like setting up a completely new ministry program.

Photo - Esther Koh, Wellingon NZ

Who are the Over 31s emerging writers?

January 2018 - Australians

Jo Fuller - Sunshine Coast

Bridget Brenton - Brisbane

Tim Price - Gold Coast (in Minnesota)

Stephen Urmston - Sydney

Tim Everton - Adelaide

Leigh Clough - Gold Coast

Peter Brookshaw - Melbourne

Liana Monaghan - Adelaide

Justin Monaghan - Adelaide

Mark Flippance - Adelaide

January 2018  New Zealand

Emma McGeorge - Auckland

Esther Koh - Wellington

January 2018  Internationals

Sharma Taylor - West Indies

Rosie Robinson - England

Kandima Awendila - Mozambique

Photo - Justin Monaghan, Adelaide

Panellists and statistician

To cover these many Over 31s emerging writers we secured two panellists for each group

Australians

Tim McDonald - a former young writer (Mackay)

Peter Rope - a former young writer (Auckland)

New Zealanders / Internationals

Talia Pariss-Proby - a former young writer (Sydney)

David Luschwitz - a former young writer (Walgett)

Statistician

John Grocott came out of retirement who was the previous statistician before falling ill and returned to cover the Over 31s emerging writers.

All the same issues

We have faced all the same issues as have over the years with the 18-30 age young writer program with the Points dramas.

We have applied the Awards Commission directions for the Over 31s emerging writers. We had one Panellist travel overseas. We had another very busy with family and work. But weve managed.

John Grocott has visited me with the progression, listing which Panellist I needed to chase up, such as life as it was.

All in all, it has been a rewarding progression initiating this Over 31s emerging writers program and one development for 2019 is to slot all the Over 31s into the final week, the 5th week of each Cycle. This one move will make things a whole lot easier to track.

Photo - Peter Brookshaw, Melbourne

Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.

Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at: http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.htmlBelievers were first called Christians in Antioch, Turkey (Acts Chapter 11 verse 26). It was the appropriate place. Antioch was the home base for missionary journeys by Paul. Theologians believe Antioch was where the Gospel of Matthew was written.

It was home for the martyred Bishop Ignatius, the eloquent preacher John Chrysostom and among the teachers and prophets in the Antioch church were Simeon and Barnabas. Thats a rich pedigree.

Turkey is a key geographic location for ancient Christianity, but the faith is under growing pressure. Turkey shows signs of imposing more and more restrictions on the church.

The seven churches addressed by John in the Book of Revelation were all located in Turkey. They provide an insight for us as we discern the trends today.

Turkey is a member of NATO, once keen to be accepted into the EU. (Im not sure that looks very inviting now). There is no love lost between Turkey and Egypt. Their differences went to press recently. The Egyptian newspaper Alyoum Alsabee likened Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Adolf Hitler. They forecast Turkey will be plunged into civil war as Erdogan seeks to consolidate his position and his power.

Certainly, in January, Turkish media reported Erdogan offered as an ideal presidential system, Germany under Hitler.

Although government press releases tried to distance Erdogan from the Third Reich, his ambitions seem obvious. Simon Tisdall writing for the Guardian said: Erdogan, the founding leader of the neo-Islamist Justice and Development party (AKP), has ruled Turkey in increasingly authoritarian fashion since becoming prime minister in 2003.

Barred under party rules from seeking a fourth term, he switched to the presidency last August and has been manoeuvring to increase his executive powers ever since. (Erdogan Plan for Super-Presidency puts Turkeys democracy at Stake, Simon Tisdall, the Guardian, March 25, 2016)

After the military coup the Erdogan regime rounded up an estimated 60,000 said to be part of the failed attempt. Among the 60,000 are judges, soldiers, police, civil servants and teachers. Turkey today exists under a militant state of emergency.

Persecution

In this tense situation attacks against Christians have escalated to alarming levels Shouting Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest), a group of Islamists in Malatya stoned a Protestant church, breaking the buildings windows. Another group in Trabzon similarly attacked the Santa Maria church, breaking windows and using hammers to try to break down the door William Reed reported for the Clarion Project.

Attacks on Christians have been brutal. In 2006 a priest was murdered while kneeling in prayer in his church. The following year Christians working for a publishing house had their feet and hands tied and their throats cut by five Muslim assailants.

Last April, six churches in Diyarbakir, were seized by the government. Officials said this was for their own protection. But to the dismay of the citys handful of Christian congregations, notes a World Watch Monitor report, this includes all its Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches.

Unlike the state-funded mosques, Turkeys ancient church buildings  some of which pre-date Islam  have been managed, historically, by church foundations. The new decision has effectively made the Diyarbakir churches  one 1,700 years old, another built only in 2003  state property of Turkey, an Islamic country of 75 million.

Uzay Bulut, is a Turkish journalist based in Ankara. Her work focuses on anti-Semitism and ethnic and religious minorities in Turkey. Last April she reported on a large mosque financed by Turkey in Maryland, USA, while Christians in Turkey are waiting for the day Turkish state authorities allow them to freely build or use their churches and safely pray inside them.

In Turkey, some churches have been converted to stables or used as storehouses. Others have been completely destroyed. Sales of churches on the internet are a common practice, she wrote (Turkey Builds Mega-Mosque in U.S., Blocks Churches in Turkey  Uzay Bulut, Gladstone Institute. April 18, 2016).

Sadly, Turkey, a NATO member since 1952 and reportedly a candidate for membership in the European Union, has largely succeeded in destroying the entire Christian cultural heritage of Asia Minor. Bulut wrote.

Smyrna

"Some citizens put their cows and horses inside the church, while the inhabitants of the neighborhood complain that the church has been turned into a site of drug addicts and alcoholics," reported the newspaper Milliyet. The church mentioned here was located in the Izmir province, home of ancient Smyrna.

The Apostle John wrote to Smyrna prophetically, This message is from Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came back to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) . Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation chapter 2, verses 8-10)

Those words from so long-ago ring with relevance today. The name Smyrna means myrrh or bitterness.

The seven churches are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Each letter was addressed to a specific church for the benefit of real people who faced daily, persistent challenges. The advice these letters convey speaks powerfully to all believers.

John is told to reveal his revelation. Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. (Revelation chapter 22, verse 10)

The evidence from Turkey speaks volumes. Church buildings lay in ruins. Most are ancient sites for future research. But the message preached by Paul, Barnabas, Simeon and their peers is alive and winning hearts and souls beyond borders and boundaries.

The theme throughout the letters is clear. Judgment is real. The cares of this life and the world we live in may try with menace and manipulation to drown out the truths of faith. It is imperative we see beyond the deception and focus on the reality of the real living freedom and power.

The world system may swamp our symbols and centres of faith, but it cannot conquer a heart which is with the Lord, no matter what.

Ron Ross is a Middle East consultant for United Christian Broadcasters (Vision FM). Previously he was radio news editor for Bridges for Peace in Jerusalem, Israel.

His career started at WINTV (Email: ronandyvonne@mac.com)

Ron Ross previous articles may be viewed at

http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/ron-ross.html

2018 would be a big year for Mel Shah and Bombay Tobak as the company would launch a new brand known as MQBA. In a time when innovation is on the decline in the cigar industry, Shah and his company brought something a little different to the IPCPR Trade Show with MQBA.

MQBA is made up of four unique cigars, each consisting of 100% percent tobacco grown at the companys farm in Ventana, Ecuador. The first seeds for the tobaccos used were planted in 2009. Not only is it a single-farm project for Bombay Tobak, but it delivers an 100% Ecuadorian puro to market  something not commonly seen in the industry.

MQBA consists of four marcas: Diadem (7 x 56), Toro (6 x 52), Torpedo (6 x 52), and Nikka (6 x 44). The cigars will be presented in 24-count boxes. The MQBA Diadem will be available in 3-count gift packs while the other sizes will be available in 4-count gift packs. Pricing is set at $12.00 to $16.60.

It was a quieter year for Bombay Tobaks Gaaja brand. This is the all box-pressed line that is available in natural or maduro that incorporates tobacco from Paraguay. There were no new extensions to the line, but it was nonetheless proudly on display.





Also on display were the blends under the MBombay line. The only change in that line is the MBombay Classic Torpedo, a new size in the MBombay Classic line that was previously only available in sampler packs and will now be available in 25-count boxes.

Shah was a guest on Prime Time Special Edition #35 on the eve of the 2018 IPCPR on July 10th and talked more about his projects.

d



d

2018 Product Reports

Photo Credits: Cigar CoopWEST ST. PAUL, Manitoba, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Together with the family of Brett Yasinsky, and with the support of the Province of Manitoba and the Rural Municipality of West St. Paul, MADD Canada is unveiling the provinces first roadside memorial sign to honour victims of impaired driving today.



Brett was on his way to pick up his girlfriend on November 10, 2010. The couple had planned to go to a movie. But Brett never made it there. The 22-year-olds car was hit by an impaired driver just minutes from his home. He died at the scene.

The memorial sign will be located at the crash site, at the southwest corner of McPhillips Street (Highway 8) and Grassmere Rd. It will include Bretts name and MADD Canadas iconic red ribbon image, to honour his memory and to serve as a powerful symbol of the tragic impact of impaired driving.

This memorial highway sign is an important reminder to everyone that impaired driving kills, said Bretts uncle, Wayne Bodnarchuk. When someone you love is killed in this senseless manner, a piece of you and, in fact, your entire community dies with them.



Joining Bretts family for the sign unveiling in West St. Paul today are: Member of Parliament for Kildonan-St. Paul MaryAnn Mihychuk; Ron Schuler, Minister of Infrastructure and MLA for St. Paul; David Wright, Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General; West St. Paul Mayor Bruce Henley; Inspector Al Hofland, Officer in Charge, RCMP Selkirk Detachment; Ward Keith, Manitoba Public Insurance Vice President of Business Development & Communications; and representatives from MADD Canada.

Bretts aunt, Melody Bodnarchuk, said the sign symbolizes the tremendous loss her family continues to endure, but also reminds her of the support they received when they needed it most.



When an impaired driver killed Brett, our world fell apart, she said. MADD Canada has been with us, since day one, to help pick up the pieces. This MADD Canada roadside marker in tribute to Brett not only memorializes him forever, but also reminds us of the support that is there for us day or night going forward. They understand that this pain never goes away.

Mrs. and Mr. Bodnarchuk have both been very involved in the anti-impaired driving movement in the years since Bretts death and led the MADD Winnipeg Chapter for several years.

MADD Canada thanks Bretts family for their courage and the Government of Manitoba and the Rural Municipality of West St. Paul for their leadership in establishing a roadside memorial for victims of impaired driving.

Brett was a young man with a bright future ahead of him. But it was all taken away in an instant because someone made a decision to drive impaired, said MADD Canada Chief Executive Officer Andrew Murie. This roadside memorial sign is a way to pay tribute to an innocent life lost, and also a powerful symbol about the devastating and permanent consequences of impaired driving. We hope it motivates people to make safe, responsible decisions and never drive impaired.

MADD Canada has collaborated with governments in other provinces, including Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, to install memorial signs for victims of impaired driving.

About MADD Canada

MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in more than 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. To learn more, visit www.madd.ca.FHE Group to Open PCB Assembly Plant in Morocco Published: 01 August 2018 by Chelsey Drysdale by Chelsey Drysdale

KENITRA, MOROCCO  The Full Home Energy (FHE) Group is opening a printed circuit board assembly plant in Morocco, according to published reports.

The firm reportedly signed a contract for 5,000 m2 for some $3.5 million.

Work on the site is expected to begin in September, with completion by the end of 2019.

The plant will supply Europe and Africa with PCBs.



Register now for PCB WEST, the leading trade show for the printed circuit design and electronics manufacturing industry! Coming Sept. 11-13 to the Santa Clara Convention Center.WEDNESDAY, Aug. 1, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- As women around the world wage war against cancer, good news on the breast cancer front is tempered by predictions that lung cancer deaths could rise more than 40 percent.

Researchers in Spain reported that between 2015 and 2030, lung cancer deaths among women worldwide will likely increase 43 percent.

During that same period, however, breast cancer deaths are projected to fall 9 percent.

"While we have made great strides in reducing breast cancer mortality globally, lung cancer mortality rates among women are on the rise worldwide," said study author Jose Martinez-Sanchez. He's director of public health, epidemiology and biostatistics at the International University of Catalonia (UIC Barcelona).

For the study, researchers analyzed World Health Organization data gathered from 52 countries between 2008 and 2014. The study authors concluded that the worldwide lung cancer death rate among women will increase from just over 11 percent in 2015 to 16 percent in 2030.

The highest rates in 2030 are projected in Europe and Oceania, and the lowest rates in North America and Asia. Only Oceania is predicted to see a dip in the rate of women's lung cancer deaths -- and that's just from 17.8 percent in 2015 to 17.6 percent in 2030.

The study was published Aug. 1 in the journal Cancer Research.

"If we do not implement measures to reduce smoking behaviors in this population, lung cancer mortality will continue to increase throughout the world," Martinez-Sanchez warned in a journal news release.

Meanwhile, he said, "we are seeing an increase in breast cancer mortality in Asia because this culture is adapting a westernized lifestyle, which often leads to obesity and increased alcohol intake, both of which can lead to breast cancer."

Breast cancer is associated with many lifestyle factors, Martinez-Sanchez explained.

"On the other hand, we are witnessing a decrease in breast cancer mortality in Europe," he added. There may be greater awareness of breast cancer among Europeans, he suggested, leading to active participation in screening programs and treatment improvements.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on breast cancer.WEDNESDAY, Aug. 1, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Sunscreen washing off swimmers may pose a threat to fish and other aquatic life, a new study suggests.

Ultraviolet (UV) filters have been added to many personal care products, including sunscreens, moisturizers and makeup. And swimmers, in particular, are advised to reapply sunscreen often or risk a painful and potentially harmful sunburn.

But scientists have now begun to question how these chemicals affect sea life. And the news isn't good: Researchers in China are reporting abnormalities in the offspring of zebrafish exposed to some of these UV filters.

In Hawaii this month, Gov. David Ige signed a bill banning sunscreens containing chemicals harmful to coral reefs. As of January 2021, over-the-counter sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate can no longer be sold or distributed in the Aloha state.

That move -- the nation's first -- was based on research showing the presence of those chemicals in Hawaiian waters cause bleaching, DNA damage and death in coral.

For the Chinese study, researchers assessed levels of nine UV filters in waters off Shenzhen, China. Shenzhen has more than 20 popular recreational beaches.

The researchers found seven of the nine chemicals in surface waters such as public beaches, a harbor, a reservoir and tap water.

The researchers then fed adult zebrafish with brine shrimp that had been exposed to three of the most common UV filter chemicals, alone or in mixtures.

The adult zebrafish suffered no obvious problems, but abnormalities were found in their offspring. The defects mostly occurred with longer-term exposure (47 days) and with chemical levels higher than what's likely to occur in the environment, the scientists said.

The effects of individual UV filters and mixtures of the chemicals varied in often-unpredictable ways, concluded Kelvin Sze-Yin Leung, of Hong Kong Baptist University, and colleagues.

The study can't prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Still, the researchers suggested further studies are needed to determine how these chemicals may affect the environment.

The study was published Aug. 1 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

More information

The Natural Resources Defense Council has more on water pollution.Share this: Twitter

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Bangkok, August 1, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the detention of five Filipino journalists and the attack on at least one reporter by police and private security guards in Bulacan provinces Meycauayan City and called for an independent investigation that brings the perpetrators to justice.

Hiyasmin Saturay, Eric Tandoc, Avon Ang, Psalty Caluza, and Jon Bonifacio, all reporters with the local AlterMidya Network of independent media outfits, were detained while reporting on the dispersal of a workers strike on July 30 against NutriAsia, a food condiment producer, CNN reported.

Authorities today released the five reporters without charge after Meycauayan City Prosecutor Frederick Malapit said that NutriAsia accusations that the reporters had caused physical harm during the protests lacked probable cause, CNN reported.

The reporters still face a preliminary police investigation on alarm and scandal accusations filed by NutriAsia security guards in relation to the journalits role in the protests, the CNN report stated.

Authorities should protect, not harass, journalists while they report on newsworthy events such as labor strikes, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs Southeast Asia representative. We call on Filipino authorities to drop the investigation into the five journalists and instead scrutinize and punish the behavior of local police and private guards who obstructed their coverage and detained them arbitrarily.

While filming the strikes dispersal, Rosemarie Alcaraz, a reporter with the local radio station Radyo Natin Guimba, was hit in the head with rattan canes and pushed by NutriAsia security guards, according to local reports. A police officer also hit her Canon 70D camera while she was filming the melee, the same reports said.

They knew that Im a journalist. Im wearing my ID, Alcaraz told the local Bulatlat news website.Share this: Twitter

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New York, August 1, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned violence against journalists covering local elections in the Bangladesh city of Sylhet, and called on authorities to identify and hold the attackers to account. At least four journalists were beaten, allegedly by police and supporters of the ruling Awami League party, according to news reports.

Attacking journalists for reporting on local elections is unacceptable, especially as the country prepares for national elections in coming months, said Steven Butler, CPJs Asia program coordinator, in Washington D.C. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas government must condemn the perpetrators and the police should immediately take action.

The English-language Daily Star reported that people believed to be supporters of the ruling Awami League party and its student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), assaulted two of its correspondents on July 30 while they were covering city corporation elections in Sylhet. The attackers were wearing Awami League badges, according to the Daily Star. Masuk Hridoy, a district correspondent, was hit by a man while he was photographing the polling center and his camera lens was damaged, he told his newspaper.

Syed Ashfaqul Haque, the papers deputy executive editor, told CPJ that Hridoy received some blows to his face and his equipment was damaged, but he was not severely injured. Haque said that when other team members intervened, the papers Sylhet correspondent, Dwoha Choudhury, was hit and shoved around, but was not seriously injured. Haque said the paper reported the incident to the election commission.

On the same day, police allegedly hit Abdullah Al Bappi, a photojournalist at the Bangla newspaper Daily Naya Diganta, took his camera, and deleted his photos of voters, the Daily Star reported.

In a separate incident, people described in multiple news reports as BCL activists and police allegedly beat Prothom Alo correspondent Misbah Uddin while he filmed what appeared to be attempts at vote rigging. Uddin sustained injuries to his back and right hand and was taken to a medical college for treatment, according to Prothom Alo. The attackers took Uddins phone and returned it after deleting all videos related to vote rigging, Prothom Alo said.

Sylhet police did not immediately respond to CPJs request for comment via email. A phone call to the Sylhet police was disconnected.

The Awami League and Information Ministry did not immediately respond to CPJs request for comment via email.

The attacks come a week after CPJ condemned an assault by pro-government supporters on an editor, Mahmudur Rahman, in Kushtia.

Separately, Jibon Ahmed, a photographer for the news website Purboposhchimbd, told The Washington Post that he was beaten by other photographers and fired by the outlet after taking a photo of two people kissing in a street. Ahmed told the Post that he posted the image to social media after his editors rejected the image because they said it would provoke a negative response. Public displays of affection are considered taboo among the countrys religious conservatives. Ahmed said that on July 24 that he was roughed up by a group of photographers and that Purboposhchimbd fired him. An editor at the news website denied to the Post that Ahmed was fired over the photograph.Myanmar: Floods force more than 100,000 to flee homes

by Sam Aung Moon

August 01,2018 | Source: The Gazette

Monsoon floods in Myanmar have killed at least 11 people and forced more than 100,000 to flee their homes, government officials said on Monday, as rescue workers ferried stranded residents to safety by boat. Heavy rain has hammered southern, eastern and central parts of the country since last week, cutting off highways, destroying bridges and submerging vast swathes of land.



Nway Nway Soe, assistant director at the department for disaster management, said 11 people had been killed, including three soldiers assisting relief efforts who were reported missing over the weekend. Eleven deaths so far, she said. More than  119,000 are currently displaced. The disaster management department is providing the flood victims with rice and other dry rations such as noodles and canned fish. Three people drowned on Monday in the southern Mon state, Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye told Reuters. They were washed away in the water, he said.



The government has urged people to leave low-lying areas and move into relief shelters. We are trying to raise awareness among people who think that the flood might drop within three or four days to be more cautious, Win Myat Aye said. Torrential downpours washed away a section of a 60 meter (200 feet) concrete bridge in northern Shan state, while rice paddies and roads in the central Kayin state suffered extensive damage, state media reported.



Aerial images shared on social media showed a muddy brown deluge covering vast tracts of land and residents, including monks carrying their alms-bowls, wading through chest-deep water. The Myanmar Red Cross Society has sent workers to help ferry people to safety in small boats and hand out first-aid kits and water purification tablets. Regarding those who are stranded, we try to rescue them depending on the situation of the location and if we have the capacity, said Ye Wint Aung, deputy communications director at the Red Cross Society.



Parts of Myanmar flood annually at the peak of the monsoon season, causing frequent landslides and widespread damage to farmland and infrastructure in the Southeast Asian nation. The country experienced the worst monsoon flooding in a decade in 2015 when around 100 people reportedly died and more than 330,000 were displaced. The United Nations said in a statement on Sunday it was following developments with great concern. The UN in Myanmar is mobilizing its partners, resources and capacity and is offering to provide support to the ongoing assistance delivered to the victims of the floods by the government of Myanmar, said Knut Ostby, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator.Andhra Pradesh: North-East states convinced AP fish safe

August 01,2018 | Source: The Hans India

Relentless efforts by the state government to persuade the fish traders of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland to import fish from Andhra Pradesh is bearing fruit. These states had banned import of fish from Andhra Pradesh nearly a month ago, suspecting that its fish had traces of formalin. The fish traders and farmers of Andhra Pradesh deny the allegations.



A delegation comprising officials from various government departments visited north east states from July 13 to 16 and convinced the local traders to import fish from Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu also wrote a letter to the three states requesting the latter to import fish from Andhra Pradesh and made it clear the Andhra Pradesh fish is free from formalin and they can do tests easily.



All these efforts have begun yielding results for the past few days. A senior official in the Department of Fisheries who did not want his name to be quoted said: "The Governments of Manipur and Nagaland have lifted the ban on the import of fish from Andhra Pradesh." Consequently, every day dozens of trucks with fish loads are moving towards NE states from West Godavari and Krishna districts for the last few days. With the calling off the strike by truck operators three days ago, the fish traders resumed exports to some NE states after testing the fish for formalin by task force teams. The state government has appointed Task Force teams comprising officials from the departments of fisheries, food safety, animal husbandry and agriculture to conduct random tests with the special kits.



A senior official working in Fisheries department, Gudivada, said random formalin confirmation tests are being conducted every day. "So far not a single truck carrying fish with traces of formalin came to our notice in the region," he said, adding that the Task Force teams are doing their job very meticulously and are keeping an eye on trucks which sneak out to national highways without their stocks undergoing random check for formalin traces.



S Kumar, a well-known fish exporter in Bhimavaram said: Every day we send WhatsApp message to the importer in NE states giving details of truck number, date of starting, quantity and most importantly the seal laid by the Task Force teams, so that he could be rest assured of quality." He said that the seal cannot be opened easily since the task force teams are using special kits developed by the CIFT, Kochi, Kerala for formalin confirmation tests. "Formalin is used as a preservative for biological specimens in laboratories to prevent their decomposition. Since formalin is poisonous, it should not be used to preserve fish or any biological organism meant for human consumption," an official said.English French

Paris, 1 August 2018

Iliad response following rumours published in the press

The Group wishes to issue the following statement after publication of rumours in the press. In accordance with the announcements made in May, the Group has clearly defined its priority of increasing its Free Mobile 4G Plan subscriber base. An extremely competitive environment in the 2nd quarter led to a fall in the 0/month and 2/month Plans subscriber base, but the number of Free Mobile 4G Plan subscribers has continued to increase steadily.

About Iliad

Iliad is the parent company of Free, the inventor of the Freebox, the first multiservice box on ADSL. Free is behind numerous innovations in the Broadband and Ultra-Fast Broadband access segment (VoIP, IPTV, flat-rate calling plans to multiple destinations, etc.) and proposes straightforward and innovative offerings at the best prices. The Freebox Revolution, the 6th generation of Freebox units, includes an NAS and a Blu-RayTM drive, and the Freebox mini 4K was the first Android TVTM and 4K box on the French market. Since January 2012, Free has brought mobile phone usage within everyone's reach with straightforward, no-commitment offerings at very attractive prices. As at March 31, 2018, Free had over 20 million subscribers (6.5 million Broadband and Ultra-Fast Broadband subscribers and 13.8 million mobile subscribers). The Group has also now become the fourth mobile operator in Italy, where it launched operations on May 29, 2018 under the Iliad brand.New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Tuesday made it clear that the Sabarimala temple in Kerala cannot exclude a section of women in the age group of 10 to 50 from entering the temple by imposing discriminatory conditions.

The CJI heading a five- judge Constitution Bench told counsel V.K. Biju appearing on behalf of devotees that the temple can have rituals but by prescribing an impossible condition of 41-day ritual, a section of women are being discriminated and this amounts to exclusion.

The Bench, which also included Justices Rohinton Nariman, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud and Ms. Indu Malhotra, observed that the court couldnt be oblivious of the fact that one class of women is excluded on physiological grounds. The CJI heading a five- judge Constitution Bench told counsel V.K. Biju appearing on behalf of devotees that the temple can have rituals but by prescribing an impossible condition of 41-day ritual, a section of women are being discriminated and this amounts to exclusion.

The Bench observed that the court couldnt be oblivious of the fact that one class of women is excluded on physiological grounds. Justice Chandrachud endorsed CJIs observation and said, If Constitution is supreme then there cannot be any exclusion of a section of women as it is violative of Article 14. Ours is a progressive Constitution and if necessary we have to deal with such issues head-on. If it is an abhorrent practice, why should we not interfere with it.?

Mr. Biju argued that the policy not to allow women between the age of 10 and 50 is reflected in the rituals and practices of the temple. If these things were changed, that would amount to changing the whole nature of temple itself, which will be violative of Article 25.The UAE govt did not release specific numbers, but says thousands of people, primarily from countries like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and the Philippines, will benefit from the amnesty scheme. (Representational Image)

Dubai/New Delhi: The UAE on Wednesday launched a landmark three-month visa amnesty programme which will benefit hundreds of illegal foreign workers, including Indians, overstaying their permits by allowing them to leave the country without penalties and giving them six months to find a job.

The UAE is home to 2.8 million Indian expatriates, the largest expatriate community in the country. Professionally qualified personnel constitute about 15 to 20 per cent of the community, followed by 20 per cent white-collar non-professionals (clerical staff, shop assistants, sales men, accountants, etc) and the remainder 65 per cent comprises blue-collar workers.

The government did not release specific numbers, but says thousands of people, primarily labourers from countries like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and the Philippines, will benefit from the amnesty scheme which will facilitate their smooth return to their home countries.

As per Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA), the entity responsible for entry and residence of foreigners in the UAE, visa violators before August 1, 2018 will be able to rectify their status legally during the amnesty period, which will end on October 31.

Blacklisted and those who have legal cases against them are not eligible for amnesty.

This is the third such amnesty announced by the UAE government in just over a decade, media reports said.

Overstaying residents have the option to exit the country without paying fines or facing jail or getting banned or they can rectify their status by getting a new-sponsored valid visa.

As the amnesty period started, tens of thousands of expatriates gathered outside their respective visa outsourcing agencies in different parts of the country.

Only one Indian amnesty seeker turned up at the BLS International Centre in Abu Dhabi, the Indian Embassy's outsourced agency for consular services, Gulf News reported.

"Only one person applied for emergency certificate as of 10:45 am," the newspaper quoted a senior Indian Embassy official as saying. He said it may not be an indicator of the number of Indian residency law violators.

"It is just the first day. It is too early to talk about the trend," he said.

The official said the embassy and community organisations have intensified the awareness campaigns about the amnesty.

Several community organisations have opened help desks in their premises. Therefore, many amnesty seekers may come forward in the coming days, the official said.

Indian workers and housemaids who had previously taken outpasses from their consulate were the first to arrive at the main BLS Centre in Al Khaleej Centre in Dubai.

The workers, mainly from the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, said they could not fly home with outpasses as they had to pay fines for visa violations, the paper said.

"Then we heard about the amnesty and decided to wait till today (Wednesday). But when we went to Al Aweer amnesty centre in the morning we were told to renew the outpass as it is valid only till tomorrow (Thursday)," said Swami S, who came along with three of his former co-workers.

Lakshmi Devi Reddy, a housemaid who ran away from her employer two years ago allegedly because she was not allowed to talk to her family more than once a month, said the outpass she had got earlier expired in June.

"I got it extended for one more month. I had also paid all the fines. But I couldn't go as I didn't get police clearance. I think my sponsor has filed a case against me. I need to apply again and get the case cleared if it is there. I really hope that I can go home without any more fines."The satellite was launched on a Long March 4B rocket at 11 am (local time) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province. (Representational image)

Beijing: China on Tuesday successfully launched an optical remote sensing satellite, as part of its high-resolution Earth observation project which will also provide data for the Belt and Road Initiative, official media reported.

The Gaofen-11 satellite was launched on a Long March 4B rocket at 11 am (local time) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

It was the 282nd flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket.

The satellite can be used for land survey, urban planning, road network design, agriculture, and disaster relief. Its data will also be used for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the report said.

China had unveiled the BRI in 2013 with an aim to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.

China launched the Gaofen project in 2010.Thanks for visiting !

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Thank you for your support!Tan Cang Cat Lai had more than 8,000 TEUs of plastic waste and paper as of May 21. Photo by VnExpress/D.L.

Japan and the U.S. were the two top exporters of scrap into Vietnam in the first six months of this year.

One-fourth of the four million tons of scrap imported into Vietnam came from Japan, and the US was second with 960,000 tons, Tran Duc Hung, deputy head of Vietnam Customs Office said at a recent meeting in Hanoi to discuss ways to better control scrap imports.

Total value of imported scrap reached $1.2 billion in the first six months, higher than the total figure for the whole of 2016, which was $1 billion.

As of June, more than 5,600 containers were stuck at Vietnams four largest ports, not claimed by any business.

Most of these containers carry expired animal viscera, or plastic or metallic waste and used clothes, said a scrap importer in Ho Chi Minh City who asked not be named.

The Tan Cang Cai Mep International Terminal has said that the large quantity of plastic waste containers the port has received has caused troublesome backups and delays. The port currently has 1,132 TEUs (1 TEU equals a 39-cubic-meter container) of plastic scrap.

Tan Cang Cat Lai, one of Vietnams largest shipping terminals, had more than 8,000 TEUs of plastic waste and paper as of May 21.

Both terminals, which are operated by the Saigon Newport Corporation, are no longer accepting plastic scrap.

Scrap that causes environmental pollution or doesnt meet legal requirements will be returned to the country where it came from, said Mai Xuan Thanh, deputy general director of Vietnam Customs. It is the law that all containers are opened for customs officials to check if there is anything illegal inside them, but this is not an easy task, he said.

There is not enough space at the ports, and businesses wont put the goods back into the containers after they are checked, said Thanh.

Another challenge lies in identifying which business has been permitted to import scrap, as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has not made this data accessible online, he added.

Vietnam has become a hot destination for scrap since China said no to scrap imports from January 1 this year.

Over 900 Vietnamese firms import paper, plastic and metal scrap for use in manufacturing, according to Vietnam Customs.Vinamilk products on display at a store outside Hanoi. Photo by Reuters/Kham

Forbes Vietnam has released its third annual list of the 40 most valuable brands in Vietnam, putting their total value at $8.1 billion.

The value is 50 percent up from last year. Dairy giant Vinamilk and military-run telecom firm Viettel remain the top two as they were in the two previous years.

Forbes estimates Vinamilks brand value at $2.28 billion, much higher than the $1.7 billion last year, and Viettels at $1.39 billion.

State-owned Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) takes over third position from Vingroup, Vietnam's largest real estate company. With a value of $416 million, VNPT makes it to the list for the first time.

The other brands in the top ten are the countrys biggest brewery Sabeco ($393 million), Vinhomes, the residential property arm of Vingroup ($384 million), Vinaphone, one of Vietnams big three mobile operators and belonging to VNPT ($308 million), Vingroup ($307.2 million), food and beverages producer Masan Consumer ($238 million), JSC Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam, or Vietcombank ($177.9), and tech giant FPT ($169 million).

Vinhomes and Vinaphone are also newcomers.

Just like last year, consumer goods brands account for the majority of this year's list, followed by finance and banking and technology.

But the gap between the total value of the finance-banking and consumer goods groups has narrowed, Forbes said.

The other new entrants this year are Vincom Retail, the shopping mall subsidiary of Vingroup, top coffee firm Trung Nguyen Group, sugar, energy, real estate, and tourism conglomerate TTC Group, and Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank, or HD Bank.

Forbes compiled the list by looking at brands' incomes before and after tax based on their financial reports and data on the stock market.PV Gas is a major shareholder in the company developing the Thi Vai LNG terminal project. Photo courtesy of PV Gas

The Thi Vai LNG terminal, Vietnams first regasification facility, could begin operations in late 2020.

Construction of the terminal, which would turn liquefied natural gas (LNG) back into its gaseous state, could begin early 2019 after tenders are issued for the project in October or November this year, said Pham Van Phong, director of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Vietnam JSC, a subsidiary of the state-run PV GAS.

Phong told VnExpress International that the feasibility study and front-end engineering design (FEED) for the Thi Vai LNG terminal in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, has been completed.

We have submitted the regasification terminal proposal, valued at some $285 million, to the Ministry of Trade and Industry for approval. We plan to call Engineering, Procurement and Construction tenders for the project in October or November as prescribed in the 2013 Law on Bidding, once the project is ratified by the ministry, he said.

The terminal, with a designed capacity of one - three million metric tons (mt) per annum, is expected to begin operations in late 2020. It will serve gas-fired power plants in the southeastern region.

Another regasification project  the Son My LNG terminal in the central province of Binh Thuan  is under negotiation.

PV Gas had discussed a joint venture with US-based AES Corporation to develop the Son My terminal, according to an LNG Vietnam JSC source.

The Son My terminal may have a designed capacity of 10 million mt per annum. Project construction is set to begin in 2019-2020, Phong said.

He expected that construction of the LNG reserve and liquefaction bases, as required by overseas sellers, will help remove bottlenecks and pave the way for LNG imports.

Vietnams development plan envisages the building of four more terminals in addition to the two mentioned above. Together, the six projects need a total capital investment of more than $6 billion.

Under the revised National Power Development Plan VII, Vietnam will strive to increase its total power generation capacity to around 129,500 megawatts (MW) by 2030.

Of this 19,000 MW will come from power plants fired by gas, including LNG.

In its Q1 2018 report, the Wood Mackenzie global research and consultancy group estimates that Vietnams LNG imports can start by 2023 and go up to 2.5 mt per annum by 2030. Vietnam is among the countries that will import LNG to replace declining domestic gas production.Tran Xuan Yen (C), deputy director of Son La's education department, listens as the police announce criminal probe against him on Tuesday. Photo by VnExpress

Members of Son La Province's multiple-choice exam marking team are being probed for abuse of power, police say.

Tran Xuan Yen, deputy director of the northern province's education department and head of the exam marking team, and four members of the team were placed under criminal investigation on Tuesday for "abuse of power or position in performance of official duties." They are believed to have raised the marks for some candidates.

Police have arrested three of the suspects, while the remaining two, including Yen, have been placed under house arrest.

The probe into the actions of Yen and alleged accomplices are part of an ongoing criminal investigation into a national high school exam fraud that education inspectors had uncovered in the province. No information has been made available about probable inducements for committing the fraud.

The fraud was uncovered after the exam results of Son La's 10,300 candidates were published on July 11. Many people were surprised to find that the province had a much higher percentage of students scoring 9 or more on a scale of 10 in Math and Physics. This was unusual because the scores were higher than in municipalities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City that typically perform better in these subjects.

As the public started questioning the results and in the wake of fraudulent results discovered in nearby Ha Giang Province, the Ministry of Education and Training sent a team of inspectors to Son La.

Upon regrading 110 literature test sheets that had unusually good results, inspectors found that the original scores for 42 sheets were higher than what they should've been, 12 of them by as much as 4.5 points.

They also found that many multiple-choice answer sheets were altered prior to being scanned and submitted for grading.

In a report announced on July 23, inspectors concluded that Son La's national high school examination board had violated regulations in grading, storing and transferring the candidates' test sheets.

Specifically, the board had copied scans of the candidates' answer sheets on to a CD disc without authorization and taken it out of the designated secured area.

They also failed to properly secure the grading area and did not seal the room and boxes used for storing the candidates' physical test sheets, as well as the computer used for grading, as required.

A criminal investigation into the case was launched on July 26, just a week after one in Ha Giang Province.

The investigation in Ha Giang has so far led to the arrests of two senior education officials.

Vu Trong Luong, deputy head of the Testing and Quality Assurance unit in Ha Giang's Education Department was found to have heavily altered the results of over 330 test sheets belonging to 114 candidates to increase their scores.

Luong's direct superior Nguyen Thanh Hoai was arrested for enabling Luong to commit his crime by giving him the key to the room where candidates' test sheets were stored.Thousands of hectares of crops have been damaged in Vietnams Mekong Delta as flooding has come earlier than expected.

In An Giang Provinces Vinh Hoi Dong Commune, farmer Nguyen Van Dieu looked at his inundated 4,000-square-meter field and said: "It seems like we have lost everything since the water level is continuing to rise rapidly.

Dieu and his wife tried everything they could to keep out the waters but in vain.

He is just one of thousands of affected farmers in An Giang.

The Mekong Delta flood usually lasts between August and November and is part of the monsoon season that the locals are accustomed to. But not this time.

Water from the Laos hydroelectric power dam collapse on July 23 combined with high tides has caught the farmers unprepared.

The rushing waters from the partially constructed hydropower dam in Attapeu Province have so far killed 27 and left 131 missing besides stranding more than 3,000 people.

In Dong Thap Province, 700 kilometers (440 miles) south of the dam collapse, people living around the Tien River said flooding season came early this year and did not leave much room and time for them to fully prepare.

Le Thi Muoi, 42, said farmers did not have time to harvest their crops.

No one would buy our damaged cassava, she said.

In Long An Province, farmers in Thanh Hung Commune are trying to cover up the paddy field and save more than 1,000 hectares of rice.

Due to uncompleted flood defense, production rate has dropped by 30 percent as water was rising five to seven centimeters daily, Vo Hung Kiet, a commune official said.

Distributors pre-ordered at a great price before the flood hit, a local farmer, Nguyen Van Dong said. But since we had to harvest when the rice was yet fully grown, price has dropped VND1,000 per kilogram.

Farmers harvest crops ahead of the flood. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Nam

Locals also shared that they would not benefit much from the harvest due to the cost for flood defenses. For instance, using water pumps to save crops would add VND1 million ($42) per hectare.

According to the Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control, flood levels in the Mekong Delta are rising, especially in An Giang Province.

On July 29, the Center for Hydro - Meteorological Forecasting recorded the water level on the Tien River and Hau River at 2.87 meters and 2.38 meters respectively, but that numbers rose to 2.97 meters and 2.47 meters the next day.

Director of the Southern Irrigation Department Tran Ba Hoang explained that the Laos dam collapse has pushed more water to dams in Cambodia. As a result, these dams discharged water (combined with rain level) and caused water in the Mekong Delta to rise.

Le Khuong Binh, director of the Hydro-meteorological Station of Dong Thap, said that the floodwaters in the Mekong Delta had risen rapidly, about seven to ten centimeters per day.

It is forecast that in the next two weeks, flood could reach it peak point at 3.5 meters on Tien River, and three meters on Hau River, the two tributaries of the Mekong in Vietnam.

People need to harvest their crops early to reduce damage," Binh said.SMITHFIELD, Va., Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This back-to-school season, Smithfield is partnering with No Kid Hungry to donate enough for two million meals to students in need through the brands Most Important Meal initiative. For the second consecutive year, Smithfield is ensuring a well-balanced breakfast is at the top of every students back-to-school list by doubling its commitment from last year and encouraging people to support No Kid Hungrys in-school breakfast programs and the one in six children suffering from food insecurity in America.



From pencils and paper to binders and backpacks, families across the country prepare for an exciting year ahead, but too often breakfast is an afterthought and skipping it can lead to underperformance in school. According to a No Kid Hungry study, when students have a balanced breakfast in the morning, they are more likely to attend school and perform better on standardized tests, and Smithfields Most Important Meal campaign is ensuring everyone has access to this essential tool needed to perform successfully in school.

Now through the end of September, people everywhere can help Smithfield and No Kid Hungry reach their goal by sharing their breakfast on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using #BreakfastPower. For every breakfast shared, Smithfield will donate enough for 10 meals* to No Kid Hungry  helping more kids get access to healthy meals.

At No Kid Hungry, we found that students who eat school breakfast have been shown to achieve 17.5% higher scores on standardized math tests and attend an average of 1.5 more days of school per year, said Jill Davis, senior vice president of corporate partnerships at Share Our Strength, the national organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. Breakfast truly is powerful stuff, which is why were excited that with the help of partners like Smithfield, we can ensure breakfast is at the top of every school supply list this year.

As a food company, we know the importance of a well-balanced breakfast but find it concerning that so many kids in our country go hungry, said Michael Merritt, senior director of brand marketing for Smithfield. Smithfield is proud to partner with No Kid Hungry for a second year, doubling our donation to help support the organizations commitment to end childhood hunger and provide children with access to the most important meal of the day.

For more information on Smithfields Most Important Meal campaign and to learn how to donate, visit Smithfield.com/NoKidHungry.

*One dollar can provide up to 10 meals. This amount is based on the individual experiences of grant recipients. Contributions will be used to reach the highest number of children facing hunger in America. Share Our Strength is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Smithfield Foods will donate $1 for every social media post shared with the hashtag #BreakfastPower up to $50,000 to No Kid Hungry from July 5, 2018 to December 31, 2018. Smithfield will make a minimum donation of $200,000 to No Kid Hungry during this campaign.

About No Kid Hungry

No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 6 kids will face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.

About Smithfield

A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the Ham Capital of the World. From hand-trimmed bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfields products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com, www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand, and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield. Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathans Famous, Farmland, Armour, Farmer John, Kretschmar, John Morrell, Cooks, Gwaltney, Carando, Margherita, Curlys, Healthy Ones, Morliny, Krakus and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

Hunter PR for Smithfield

Michael Bernardini

(212) 679-6600

mbernardini@hunterpr.comFormer colonel Dinh Ngoc He, listens during the verdict session of his trial at a military court in Hanoi, Vietnam July 31, 2018. Photo by Vietnam News Agency

A Vietnamese military court on Tuesday sentenced former colonel Dinh Ngoc He to 12 years in jail.

Little Baldy, as the former colonel was known, was convicted of abusing power in the performance of official duties and using fake documents.

He was also banned from taking any government position for four years after serving his jail term.

The former colonel is the first senior military official put in jail in a nationwide corruption crackdown that has intensified over the last three years. Scores of high-profile officials and business figures have been scalped, including former Ho Chi Minh City's Party leader Dinh La Thang, then a member of the Politburo, the Party's decision-making body.

The crackdown was widened earlier this year to include the military and police force.

Dinh Ngoc He abused his position as chairman of the defense ministry's Thai Son Joint Stock Company and his military status to get contracts in key national projects, the indictment said.

He also abused his position to obtain military license plates for his company cars and submitted fake university test certificates to the Party in a bid to increase his salary, it said.

His four accomplices, all former executives at Thai Son, received up to five years in prison for neglect and abuse of power.

Among them, former colonel Bui Van Tiep, former commander of an Air Force division, received a two-year suspended sentence, while former colonel Phung Danh Tham received a two-year probation.

The defendants had violated public asset management rules, seriously affecting the prestige of the military and the police, the court said.

The sentencing follows the disciplining of two deputy ministers at the Ministry of Public Security on Saturday, both of whom were stripped of their Party credentials.

On Monday, a Hanoi court sentenced real estate tycoon Phan Van Anh Vu to nine years in prison for deliberate disclosure of state secrets.

Two former chairmen of the central city of Da Nang have been ensnared in the same case. In April, police arrested one and placed another under house arrest.A tourist sits on a cliff on top of Pha Luong Mountain in Son La Province in northern Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Meo Gia

U.S. News lists Vietnam as one of 30 best solo travel destinations alongside neighbors Singapore and Thailand.

The increasing popularity of solo travel has trained the spotlight on safe destinations. The U.S. News newspaper recommends a solo vacation in Vietnam, which it describes as a safe destination with friendly locals and outstanding cuisine.

Its best to drop into local restaurants and try signature dishes that have made Vietnamese cuisine famous, like pho - rice noodles soup with beef or chicken, bun cha - grilled pork with rice vermicelli, and fried spring roll nem.

The paper also lists Saigon and Hanoi, the countrys two largest cities, among its best attractions.

Beaver Creek in the U.S. topped the solo travel list, followed by Grand Cayman in the U.K and Paris in France. Singapore and Thailand are the other two Southeast Asian destinations in the list.

Earlier this year, TripAdvisor readers ranked Vietnam as one of the 10 best places to go in the world.

The ancient town of Hoi An last June was named among the 10 safest and most exciting places on this earth for solo travelers compiled by travel editors at Momondo, a U.K. based travel site.

Last year, the U.K. lifestyle site Good Housekeeping listed Ho Chi Minh City as one of the 10 friendliest places on earth for solo trips , based on solo bookings data from Airbnb, an accommodation service that allows people to list their homes and hotels for holiday rentals.Markets are also being pulled lower by concerns over slowing economic growth because of the trade dispute that is still ramping up between the United States and China.

Oil prices fell on Wednesday after industry data showed U.S. stockpiles of crude unexpectedly rose, and as economic growth slowed, especially in Asia, amid the escalating trade dispute between the United States and China.

Brent spot crude oil futures dropped 30 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $73.91 a barrel by 0435 GMT, adding to a 1.8 percent loss in the previous session, Reuters said.

Read alsoReuters: Oil prices drop on oversupply concerns as OPEC output increased in July

U.S. crude futures were down 38 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $68.38 a barrel, having dropped nearly 2 percent on Tuesday.

Brent fell more than 6 percent in July, while U.S. crude futures slumped about 7 percent, the biggest monthly declines for both benchmarks since July 2016.

Weighing on prices was a report by the American Petroleum Institute (API) that showed domestic crude inventories rose by 5.6 million barrels last week. A Reuters poll had forecast a fall of 2.8 million barrels.

Official data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is due later on Wednesday.

Signs that a supply disruption in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea could be resolved also weighed on prices.

Yemen's Houthi group said it was ready to halt attacks in the Red Sea to support peace efforts. Saudi Arabia suspended oil shipments through the strait last week after the Houthis attacked two Saudi oil tankers.

Prices are also falling in the physical market, where top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is expected to cut prices for all crude grades going to Asia in August, according to several market participants on Wednesday.

Markets are also being pulled lower by concerns over slowing economic growth because of the trade dispute that is still ramping up between the United States and China.Singapore interested in imports of Ukrainian poultry meat

Singapore's delegates are visiting Ukraine from July 30 to August 4.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterVehicle output in Ukraine declines by 6.4% in H1

Eurocar was the only manufacturer of passenger cars in Ukraine over the period under review.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterThe memorandum of co-operation was signed in Kyiv, Ukraine, by Mwani Qatar CEO Captain Abdulla al-Khanji and USPA head Raivis Veckagans.

Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) and Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) on Tuesday signed an agreement that aims to establish co-operation and active alliances between the two countries in the maritime works industry, the Ministry of Transport and Communications announced.

Read alsoUkraine, Qatar sign deal to avoid double taxation

Witnessed by HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti and Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan, the memorandum of co-operation was signed in Kyiv, Ukraine, by Mwani Qatar CEO Captain Abdulla al-Khanji and USPA head Raivis Veckagans, as reported by Gulf Times.

The signing ceremony was attended by the charge d'affaires of the Qatari embassy in Ukraine, Aisha Mohamed al-Ghaffari.

Before the signing, HE al-Sulaiti held a meeting with Omelyan where they discussed aspects of co-operation between Qatar and Ukraine in the fields of maritime transport and ports, exchange of expertise in the vital industry, as well as launching new navigation routes and investment opportunities in seaports.

They also discussed co-operation in the aviation industry and potential investment co-operation in the field. The two ministers also discussed a number of matters of common interest.Ukraine's Cabinet suggests three possible scenarios for gas price hikes  media

The government hopes for a solution that provides for the least increase in tariffs, that is, the option "Hub-."

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterEBRD may lend Naftogaz US$100 mln for gas purchases

The project is expected to make Ukraine's gas sector more competitive.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterAs part of its efforts to combat HIV, the United States intends to provide up to $90 million to build secondary schools across Malawi and additional funding to provide youth friendly health services.

The U.S. signed a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, with Malawi in July to expand existing secondary schools and install new secondary schools throughout Malawi.

In the MOU, the government of Malawi committed to fund training and salaries for teachers to staff the new schools, and maintenance of the new structures; to support the provision of youth friendly health services near secondary schools; to incorporate comprehensive sex education in the national curriculum to keep young people HIV-free; and to enact a phased-in reduction of secondary school tuition fees.

Malawis Minister of Education, Science and Technology Bright Msaka said, I am very excited to sign this Memorandum of Understanding on the expansion of secondary education. We are confident that this increased access to education will reduce the transmission of HIV to Malawis youth and help us break the back of the HIV epidemic.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Affairs Emmanuel Fabiano concurred, saying: This will contribute to the sustainable socio-economic development of Malawi.

Through this commitment, the United States and Malawi will ensure more adolescent girls attend secondary school, which will better keep them HIV free, said U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer.

Studies have shown that for every year a girl attends secondary school her risk of contracting HIV throughout her lifetime decreases. The first tender is out to increase the number of classrooms in urban secondary schools across Malawi. Malawis program will demonstrate the critical link between girls education and public health for the rest of Africa and the world, and provide important benefits for Malawis development.HOUSTON, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NetworkWire - Hunter Oil Corp. (OTCQX: HOILF; TSX-V: HOC) (the "Company) is pleased to announce that it has agreed to sell (the Transaction) substantially all of its oil and gas operations (the Assets) to Pacific Energy Development Corp. (Purchaser), a Nevada corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of PEDEVCO Corp. (NYSE American: PED), an arms length, California-based oil and gas company.



The aggregate purchase price for the Assets is USD $21,315,636 (the Purchase Price), being approximately CAD $27,710,000.

The Purchase Price represents approximate gross proceeds of USD $1.63 (CAD $2.12) for each issued and outstanding common share of the Company (a Share) based on the 13,070,871 Shares outstanding.

The Company intends to distribute (the Distribution) the available portion of the Purchase Price after payment of liabilities and obligations to the holders of the Companys Shares (Shareholders) as a return of capital following closing of the Transaction, as described below.

All CAD figures herein assume a USD/CAD exchange rate of 1.30.

The Transaction provides Shareholders with a significant premium to the present market valuation, payable in cash, and avoids the substantial dilution associated with raising the USD $20-30 MM management has estimated that initial field development would require. The Distribution provides Shareholders with an immediate cash distribution, while allowing Shareholders to retain their Shares.

The Transaction

The Transaction is structured as a sale of assets of the Companys holding companies, Milnesand Minerals Inc., and Chaveroo Minerals, Inc, and a sale of shares of the Companys operating companies Ridgeway Arizona Oil Corp. and EOR Operating Company. The Purchase Price is subject to certain normal course adjustments.

Closing of the Transaction is scheduled to occur on August 31, 2018. The Transaction is subject to the satisfaction of several conditions precedent including the approval of the Shareholders by special resolution (being 2/3 of the votes cast at the meeting), and the acceptance of the TSXV.

The board of directors of the Company has unanimously determined that the Transaction is in the best interests of the Company and is fair to the Shareholders and is unanimously recommending that the Shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction.

Certain directors and shareholders of the Company, who collectively own approximately 68% of the outstanding common shares of the Company, have agreed with the Purchaser to vote their shares in favour of the Transaction.

The Distribution

The Company plans to distribute substantially all of the available portion of the net proceeds of the Transaction to Shareholders as a reduction and return of capital (after payment of Transaction costs, the payment of all liabilities and obligations of the Company and retention of an amount to fund future working capital needs, estimated at USD $2,500,000). The distribution is planned to be effected as soon as practicable after closing of the Transaction.

It is anticipated that the Distribution to Shareholders subsequent to completion of the Transaction should be approximately USD $1.25 (CAN $1.625) per Share.

Other Items

Upon completion of the Transaction, the Company will not have any significant active business operations or assets other than cash. Following completion of the Transaction and the Distribution the Company plans to seek to locate, evaluate and where advisable negotiate to acquire interests in additional oil and gas properties. There is no guarantee that the Company will be able to identify suitable oil and gas prospects, or that the Company will be able to negotiate acceptable terms for any prospects that it identifies. The TSXV may transfer the Company to the NEX, a separate board of the TSXV, if the Company fails to meet the ongoing minimum listing requirements of the TSXV.

Details of the Transaction and the Distribution, and the risks and procedures associated therewith, will be disclosed in greater detail in the information circular of the Company for the Shareholder meeting which the Company currently anticipates will be mailed to the Shareholders in August 2018 for an Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders to take place August 30, 2018.

Copies of the material agreements for the Transaction will be made available under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Andrew Hromyk

Executive Chairman

(604) 689-3355

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

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain information provided in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Specifically, and without limitation, this press release contains forward-looking statements and information relating to: the anticipated benefits of the Transaction and the Distribution, estimated net proceeds remaining for distribution to Shareholders, the anticipated timing of the mailing of the information circular and the Shareholder meeting, the anticipated timing for the closing of the Transaction, and the amount and timing of Distribution. Forwardlooking information typically contains statements with words such as anticipate, believe, forecast, expect, plan, intend, estimate, propose, project, or similar words suggesting future outcomes. The Company cautions readers and prospective investors in the Companys securities not to place undue reliance on forwardlooking information as, by its nature, it is based on current expectations regarding future events that involve a number of assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company. In respect of the forward-looking statements and information set out in this new release, the Company has provided such in reliance on certain assumptions that it believes are reasonable at this time, including assumptions as to currency exchange rates, estimated working capital based on the Companys operations and revenue continuing in the normal course, settlement of obligations to Company management and the payment of transaction and retention bonuses, the time required to prepare and mail Shareholder meeting materials, the ability of the Company to receive, in a timely manner, the necessary Shareholder and stock exchange approvals, the ability of the Company to satisfy, in a timely manner, the other conditions to the closing of the Transaction, the process and timing for the Distribution, the number of Shares outstanding at the time of the Distribution, the estimated amount of the Transaction costs and the liabilities and obligations of the Company and the estimated amount of the net proceeds remaining for distribution to Shareholders. In addition to the assumptions above, the estimated net proceeds remaining for distribution to Shareholders is based on the following assumptions: the current United States dollar to Canadian dollar exchange rate and anticipated revenue and working capital until the closing of the Transaction based on operating in the normal course without any disruptions, unanticipated costs or inflation. There are many risk factors associated with the completion of the Transaction and the amount of working capital of the Company and the amount and timing of the Distribution payable to Shareholders. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties inherent in the nature of the Transaction including the failure of the Company to obtain necessary Shareholder and stock exchange approval, or to otherwise satisfy the conditions to the Transaction, in a timely manner by the closing date or at all, risks of a material adverse change to the Companys assets or revenue, risks of indemnity claims under the Agreement or other unknown liabilities that may arise, uncertainties regarding Transaction and Distribution and obligations and liabilities of the Company, natural disasters or workforce disruptions which may impact operations and revenue, change in government policies, currency fluctuations and controls, risks of high inflation and increased costs, changes in currency exchange rates, and other risks associated with the Companys operations. The forwardlooking information included herein is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. The forwardlooking information included herein is made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forwardlooking information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. Additional information relating to the Company is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

For further information, visit our website at www.hunteroil.com

Corporate Communications Contact:

NetworkNewsWire (NNW)

New York, New York

www.NetworkNewsWire.com

212.418.1217 Office

Editor@NetworkNewsWire.comAmeriabank and HSBC Armenia to provide their customers access to each others ATMs without additional fees

Ameriabank. 62.5% Growth in Taxes YOY

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans have provided 300 million AMD to overcome the infertility in Armenia

UCOM has officially launched the sale of IPHONE 13

Google Ad

Six servicemen were wounded by the attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces in Artsakh, two of them in critical condition

S&P Improved the Outlook on Ameriabank to Positive

Ararat Mirzoyan to visit to Minsk

Foreign Minister of India visits the Memorial of Armenian Genocide

1217 new cases

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

At UCOM only: Tv sets at 10% discount + 1 month free UMIX package + 4k tv channel

Ameriabanks Special Offer for New Clients of Hrazdan Branch

"Fall forward": Gurgen Khachatryan, the Co-Founder of the Galaxy Group of Companies, addressed a message to young people in Armenia

UCOM hosted interns of Russian CBOSS corporation for a month

The 20-episode Bloody bet thriller to be broadcast on Ucom's Armenia Premium TV channel

Google Ad

Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount

Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York

Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency

UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers

Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland

Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden.

"The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer

Generation A 13  your chance to be the change

President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev

"uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only

For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road

Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssionAmeriabank and HSBC Armenia to provide their customers access to each others ATMs without additional fees

Ameriabank. 62.5% Growth in Taxes YOY

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans have provided 300 million AMD to overcome the infertility in Armenia

UCOM has officially launched the sale of IPHONE 13

Six servicemen were wounded by the attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces in Artsakh, two of them in critical condition

S&P Improved the Outlook on Ameriabank to Positive

Ararat Mirzoyan to visit to Minsk

Foreign Minister of India visits the Memorial of Armenian Genocide

1217 new cases

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

At UCOM only: Tv sets at 10% discount + 1 month free UMIX package + 4k tv channel

Ameriabanks Special Offer for New Clients of Hrazdan Branch

"Fall forward": Gurgen Khachatryan, the Co-Founder of the Galaxy Group of Companies, addressed a message to young people in Armenia

UCOM hosted interns of Russian CBOSS corporation for a month

The 20-episode Bloody bet thriller to be broadcast on Ucom's Armenia Premium TV channel

Google Ad

Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount

Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York

Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency

UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers

Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland

Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden.

"The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer

Generation A 13  your chance to be the change

President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev

"uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only

For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road

Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssionArshak Sadoyan: Constitution of Armenia has been occupied by a group of people for 20 years (video)

Leader of the National Democratic Party Arshak Sadoyan welcomes the arrest of the second president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and does not consider that the arrests of the second president harm the country's security, taking into consideration that we are a warring country. Arshak Sadoyan mentions that in 2008, Robert Kocharyan overthrow the Constitutional Order, but reminds that before that, the precedent was still in 1996 when the presidential election was rigged. "Levon Ter-Petrosyan ordered that the masked members of the troops enter the parliament, and by shooting into the air they tried to disperse several thousand people," he told journalists today. According to him, the constitution of Armenia has been occupied by a group of people for 20 years, and he is surprised that many people try to compare today's Armenia with Armenia in 1937. According to him, it is just a great success that attempts are made by state officials to take responsibility for what they do. Karine Hakobyan, a former member of the Heritage Party board, does not agree with the comparison with 1937. "These days, advocates come to the press and we do not see prosecutors. This means that a lot has changed in Armenia, and at the moment we see that everything is just the opposite of 2937, the year when only the prosecutors were performing," she added.Air Moldova expects passenger traffic on the Chisinau-Kyiv-Chisinau route to be 5,000-6,000 people a month, Vice Director of Air Moldova Victor Sula has told Interfax-Ukraine.

"We are expecting around 5,000-6,000 passengers per month, which will be about 30% of point-to-point passengers and somewhere around 70% of transit. We have a good network in Italy: we fly to seven cities, and this is something that has no analogues in the Ukrainian market," he said.

Sula also informed that the airline does not plan flights to other cities of Ukraine.

"But if everything goes well, we will negotiate with UIA on the second flight to Kyiv. We had an attempt to fly from Odesa to Chisinau, but it's too close, so it does not attract traffic much," the head of Air Moldova said.

According to him, Ukraine International Airlines also flies from Kyiv to Chisinau on a daily basis.

Sula noted Ukraine is attractive for Air Moldova, in particular, because of a visa-free regime.Ex-shareholder of PrivatBank Ihor Kolomoisky has stated the need to change the jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice in London due to a lawsuit filed to the Ukrainian court for libel on the part of former head of the financial institution Oleksandr Shlapak, according to the materials of the judicial proceedings available to Interfax-Ukraine.

At the same time, Hogan Lovells law firm (Britain), representing the interests of PrivatBank in the High Court of London, drew attention to the unnaturalness of such a statement.

"The claim [which Kolomoisky refers to] is based on one statement of the ex-head of PrivatBank [Shlapak] made at a press conference in July 2017, the truth of which is not even refuted," the lawyers of Hogan Lovells noted.

Earlier, at the end of 2017, a person, named in the proceedings as Person 1, filed a suit to Kyiv's Pechersky District Court against PrivatBank. The plaintiff demanded that the following statement by Shlapak made at the press conference at Interfax-Ukraine in July 2017 be recognized as unreliable and degrading his honor, dignity and business reputation: "all 36 credits were signed by the former chairman of the board (at that time Oleksandr Dubilet) with excess of authority."

The matter concerns loans to 36 companies for UAH 133 billion, which were issued in October-November 2016 and through which the loans of 193 other borrowers of PrivatBank were repaid, while more than half of them had a rate of 12-12.5% per annum and were linked to the U.S. dollar exchange rate and real collaterals.

"The loans were granted without proper approval or due diligence processes, whilst the supply agreements were produced as a facade to enable $1.9 billion to be paid to six companies: Teamtrend Limited, Trade Point Agro Limited and Collyer Limited (all English companies), and Rossyn Investing Corp, Milbert Ventures Inc and ZAO Ukrtransitservice Ltd (all based in the British Virgin Isles). None of the companies had websites, offices, staff, warehouses, a workforce or any other public presence. The scheme was the brainchild of Kolomoisky and Boholiubov who at the time were the owners of more than 90% of the shares in the bank and sat on its supervisory board," the lawyers stated.Oak Brook, Illinois (USA), Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oak Brook, Ill., USA, July 30, 2018  Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) launched a comprehensive fundraising campaign July 3, 2018 at the annual Lions Clubs International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The most ambitious fundraising effort in LCIF history, Campaign 100: LCIF Empowering Service will span three years, with a goal of raising US$300 million by June 30, 2021. Campaign 100 will empower Lions to serve 200+ million people each year.

Campaign 100 was built to support the needs of a changing world, by expanding Lions commitment to communities, with a focus on:

Vision  LCIF will lead the global charge to eradicate blindness caused by infectious disease, reduce preventable blindness and visual impairment, and improve quality of life for those who are blind or visually impaired.

Youth  LCIF will serve youth through improved access to quality education, vital health services, inclusive social and recreational opportunities, and positive youth development.

Disaster Relief  LCIF will deeply engage in disaster relief efforts and in preparing for, and responding to, natural disasters whenever and wherever they strike.

Humanitarian Causes  LCIF will sponsor and deliver programs that address the distinct needs of at-risk and vulnerable populations such as the elderly, the disabled, orphans and others disproportionately impacted by social and economic factors.

Diabetes - LCIFs Campaign 100 will allow Lions to respond to the global epidemic of diabetes, by increasing public awareness, sponsoring diabetes screenings, emphasizing healthy lifestyles, and other comprehensive health initiatives designed to improve quality of life for those living with this disease.

Hunger  LCIF will work toward a world in which no one goes hungry, expanding resources and infrastructure needed to address food shortages worldwide.

Childhood Cancer  LCIF will help strengthen medical and social services, increasing life expectancy of children living with cancer, and enhancing quality of life for them and their families.

Environment  LCIF will protect the environmental health of our global communities, generating long-term, positive ecological impact.



A $100 Donation:



Provides immediate relief to four people in the wake of a natural disaster Provides the measles vaccination to 100 children Provides diabetes screenings for 18 at-risk individuals Gives access to clean water for 14 people Feeds 14 disabled, elderly, or low-income people Funds two cataract surgeries



Since 1968, LCIF has funded service work through personal financial gifts from Lions members and the general public.

One hundred percent of your donation to Lions Clubs International Foundation goes toward one of the following two global funds:

Empowering Service Fund, supporting all LCIF causes

Disaster Relief Fund, reserved for disaster relief

Lions Club International President, Gudrun Yngvadottir of Iceland, said I am honored to introduce this comprehensive fundraising campaign. Although the campaign will last for only three years, its impact will live for many generations to come.

About Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF)

Lions Clubs International Foundation is the grant-making body of Lions Clubs International, the worlds largest volunteer service club organization. LCIF helps Lions improve peoples lives around the world, from combating vision problems to responding to major catastrophes to providing valuable life skills to youth, and much more. Visit lcif.org/BE100 to donate, and make a difference in the lives of millions of people around the world.Military prosecutor's office refutes reports of arrest of suspects in murder of serviceman in Lozova

There are no suspects and detainees yet in the case on the murder of Kostiantyn Kazakov, a 23-year-old fighter of the Donbas-Ukraine battalion, deputy military prosecutor of the Kharkiv garrison Vladyslav Zubko has said.

"There are currently no detainees or suspects. Investigative actions are being carried out," Zubko told an Interfax-Ukraine reporter on Tuesday, July 31.

He confirmed that Kazakov disappeared a few days before his body was found in a sewage collector near a military unit in Lozova.

Zubko also said it was currently impossible to say definitely what caused the death of the soldier.

"At the moment, it's impossible to say whether this was a violent death. There was suppuration on the body and it's impossible to say unambiguously [what caused the death]. This should be established by examination," he said.

As reported, the body of a serviceman was found in a sewage collector in the town of Lozova in Kharkiv region. The police started an investigation under Part 1 of Article 115 (premeditated murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The commander of the Donbas-Ukraine battalion, Viacheslav Vlasenko, said on his Facebook page on July 31 that the perpetrators of the death of the fighter had been found.

"The killers were found in one day and arrested. The monsters who brutally killed Kostiantyn Kazakov will be severely and fairly punished," he wrote.Law enforcers have detained five suspects in the murder of Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) fighter Vitaliy Oleshko in Vasylivka (Zaporizhia region), the press service of the National Police of Ukraine has reported, citing Deputy Head of the National Police Viacheslav Abroskin.

"The police stopped a car with four suspects in the town of Vasylivka, Zaporizhia region, and another detainee was found and detained by the police in Berdiansk. All five were detained under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code," reads the statement.

Abroskin said that law enforcement officers had found in Berdiansk a ZAZ car in which they discovered and seized a sawed-off hunting rifle. In addition, following the introduction of Plan "Siren" the police stopped a suspects' car at a checkpoint in Vasylivka.

"We found that four people who were in the car were involved in the murder of a resident of Berdiansk, and another one, the fifth suspect, was detained in Berdiansk," Abroskin said.

He added that the issue of declaring them suspects in committing the specified crime was being currently decided.

"I thank police officers for the work done. I also express gratitude to our citizens who did not stand aside and actively contributed to the police in identifying the perpetrators," he added.

The pretrial investigation opened under Part 1, Article 115 (premeditated murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine is being carried out under the procedural control of the prosecutor's office. All the circumstances and motives of the murder are being clarified.First since 2013 growth in employment seen in Ukraine

Acting Head of the State Employment Service of Ukraine Valeriy Yaroshenko has said that the amount of employed population in Ukraine grew by 0.9% year-over-year.

"We are witnessing that the labor market is actually demonstrating some kind of stabilization for the first half of 2018. The growth in the employment of the population for us, according to the state statistics, occurred for the first time since 2013," he told a news conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.

According to Yaroshenko, in comparison with the corresponding period of the previous year the number of employed population in Ukraine increased by 149,000 people (by 0.9%), and the unemployment rate is 9.7%.

At the same time, he said that 21.8% of Ukrainians work in the shadows, while last year there were 22.3% of them.

"We have 304,000 people registered with the State Employment Service today," Yaroshenko said.

According to him, 47% of them have higher education, and in the cities of Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy and Lviv in employment centers from 85% to 90% of the unemployed people have higher education.

"As of July 27, compared with the same date in 2017, the number of unemployment assistance recipients in the country is 23,000, which is 8% less than it was in 2017," he said.

In addition, he said that the average amount of assistance payments is growing in the country. Thus, minimum assistance under the law is UAH 544 per month, and 25% of the unemployed receive it, and the maximum is UAH 7,048, and 5% unemployed (last year 3%) receive it.

"The number of vacancies has significantly increased over the past year, we now have about 130,000 vacancies in the database," the head of the State Employment Service said.

At the same time, he pointed out the existence of a large imbalance in the labor market between the vacancies offered and the demand of applicants.

Yaroshenko said that at the moment the employment market in Ukraine most in need of locksmiths, electric welders, turners, bakers, drivers, salesmen, cooks, waiters, nurses, tractor drivers and agricultural machinery servicemen.

"We for half a year were able to retrain and raise the qualification of 88,000 unemployed," Yaroshenko said.Ukrainians will now need to provide their biometric data for entering Canada, but on subsequent trips, biometrics will need to be provided only after 10 years, Canada's Immigration Ministry has said.

"Starting in the summer of 2018 [on July 31], when you apply for a visa for entry, study or work permit (other than U.S. citizens) or permanent residence, you will need to provide fingerprints and a photograph. Applicants for a visa for entry, study or work permit will have to give biometric data only once every 10 years," the ministry said.

The new policy applies to persons entering Canada from Europe, the Middle East or Africa.

In addition, starting from December 31, 2018, biometric data will also have to be provided by those who apply for visas from Asia, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Americas.

The ministry explained that the biometrics will not be handed over to children under 14 years old and adults over 79 years old.

The cost of a visa for one person is 85 Canadian dollars ($99), and for families who are applying for a visa at the same time, its cost will not exceed 170 Canadian dollars ($198).

Canada's Immigration Ministry said collection of biometric data allows the government of the country to effectively manage identity, facilitate the processing of applications and simplify entry for respectable travelers.

"This helps to prevent, identify and stop the entry of those who create a risk to the health and safety of Canadians," the ministry said.The Ukroboronprom State Concern has dismissed Director of Mykolaiv Armored Plant, which is part of the concern, Mykola Kistrin for delay in paying wages at the enterprise, the press service of the concern reported on Tuesday.

Today, the salary debt for two months is recorded over long-outstanding payables under contracts with the Defense Ministry.

"This resulted to the fact that the State Treasury Service does not approve payments under current contracts with the Defense Ministry," the concern said.

"The improper implementation of the state defense procurement order in the conditions, when the country is involved in the war, is inadmissible. This causes direct damage not only to the defense capability of Ukraine, but also to the enterprise itself, which remains without valuable specialists because of delays in wages. Taking into account the fact that this inefficient management of the enterprise will lead to even greater problems, I decided to release Kistrin from his post," the press service said, citing Director General of Ukroboronprom Pavlo Bukin.

State-owned enterprise Mykolaiv Armored Plant repairs and upgrades armored vehicles. The enterprise also designed some models of armored vehicles.The Verkhovna Rada's Ombudswoman's office has said the current Roma integration strategy is not working and should be revised.

"There is a need to update the action plan for the implementation of this strategy, which is not currently being implemented. Perhaps even we need to think about updating the strategy itself. Priorities need to be set. There is a need to set a time frame for implementing the strategy," Andriy Mamalyha, a representative of the ombudswoman's office for partnership with civilian institutions, said during a roundtable meeting in Kyiv on Tuesday, July 31.

In his opinion, the government, in fact, is inactive when conflict situations arise around the Roma communities in various regions of Ukraine.

"State agencies do not get involved in these processes. They did not take certain steps, and this led to the death of a Romani man in Lviv," Mamalyha said.

Natalia Borodych, the head of the Human Rights Monitoring Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, refuted the assertion.

"As for the case with Roma in Lviv, the police arrived promptly, officials also reacted to this crime, but it should be noted that some people try to use these conflicts with Roma as a way to destabilize the situation in Ukraine [...] After that there were a number of crimes against Roma, criminal proceedings were opened on all cases, "she said.

Borodych said after the incident in Lviv response groups were strengthened, a number of preventive measures were developed, local authorities intensified work with the residents and a working group on these issues began meeting regularly at her ministry.

The director of the Department of Religions and Nationalities Affairs of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, Andriy Yurash, said the government's Roma strategy should be changed.

"When developing the strategy, we should also focus on the regional aspect, as in each region the problems associated with Roma communities are very different and for each region the regional strategy should be separate. We would insist on introducing in every area where the Roma communities are large, for example, in Zakarpattia and Lviv regions, a separate official in the regional administration responsible for Roma issues," he said.Poroshenko calls for creation of interagency body to file lawsuit against Russia for damage in Donbas

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko initiates the creation of an interagency coordinating body to file a lawsuit against Russia for the damage done to Donbas by Russia.

"I have turned to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with the request to take measures for the speedy creation of a respective interagency coordinating body," Poroshenko wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday, August 1.

According to the head of state, this body is stipulated by the law on reintegration of Donbas, which was adopted in January this year, which "clearly confirms Ukraine's devotion to a peaceful settlement and reflects my ideology of peaceful reintegration of the occupied region."

"I expect from the government a detailed plan for the comprehensive development of the territories adjacent to occupied areas," the president wrote.

Poroshenko noted that Russian's ongoing armed aggression "brings new immeasurable human suffering to Ukrainian land every day, destroys infrastructure, and destroys the enterprises and economic potential of Donbas and Crimea."

"Therefore, we should not hesitate even for a minute with the formation of Ukraine's consolidated claim to Russia to compensate for the damage inflicted," he said.

The head of state also noted that the reintegration strategy had been supported by the EU leaders at the Ukraine-EU summit, who expressed their readiness to oversee the restoration of the populated localities of Donbas.

"Our fellow citizens, especially on the liberated Ukrainian lands, should feel the obvious difference between the new opportunities of Ukraine, which cares about its citizens, and the lost hopes of Russia," Poroshenko said.Arnold Schwarzenegger, an actor and ex-governor of the U.S. state of California, will arrive in Kyiv within the next two months, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has said.

"I talked to Schwarzenegger on Skype the day before yesterday. He had a birthday. I congratulated him. He told me that he will come to Kyiv in the next two months. I invited him," he said live on the Breakfast with 1+1 program on the 1+1 television channel on Wednesday morning.

"This is really a world star, a former governor of the state of California. I am convinced that he will give advice and will be able to get acquainted with one of the most beautiful cities in the world," Klitschko added.Italy's Carabinieri have uncovered an organization that recruited mercenaries to participate in Russia's hybrid invasion of Donbas and arrested six persons involved, Italy's la Repubblica newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The operation was coordinated by the Prosecutor's Office in Genoa (Liguria region). Arrests were made in Milan, as well as in the province of Avellino in southern Italy and Parma in the north of the country. The prosecutor's office issued arrest warrants on charges of "recruiting mercenaries and participating in a military conflict abroad."

Carabinieri searched belongings of another seven persons.

The publication notes that the investigation of the prosecutor's office concerns a total of 15 people. Among those arrested are a citizen of Albania and a citizen of Moldova.

Initially, the investigation involved ultra-right activists in Liguria. As a result, la Repubblica says the Carabinieri traced an organization engaged in the recruitment and financing of mercenaries, who later had to participate in the conflict in the Donbas on the side of Russia-led forces in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.

According to the Associated Press, there are three more people on the wanted list.

"Some of the suspects had ties with a commander of a neo-Nazi paramilitary unit called "Rusich," which operates in the Ukrainian Donbas region," the Associated Press said.

In early July this year, the Chief Military Prosecutor of Ukraine, Anatoly Matios, said that Kyiv had transferred to the International Criminal Court lists of all foreigners who participated in Russia's invasion of eastern Ukraine. He said then there were fighters from Serbia, Italy, Spain, Albania and other countries. The list contained 700 names.

"There are many of them, they are called companies, platoons, in total - several hundred people," Matios said.It is planned to build a new incineration plant in Kyiv within the next two or three years, according to the information department of Kyiv City State Administration, with reference to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko.

"Rubbish is the problem of not only of Kyiv, it is a problem of the whole country. Now we have one incinerator plant in the capital - Energy. We need a new incineration plant. Such a plant should be built within two or three years," Klitschko said on the air of the Snidanok z 1+1 (Breakfast with 1+1) TV program.

According to the mayor, almost 1.2 million tonnes of garbage accumulate in Kyiv every year.

He stressed that a strategic decision had already been made to abandon the practice of dumping waste and begin to process it.

"We have studied in detail the experience of other countries. The competitive commission is already working, a tender for the construction of an incineration plant has been announced," he said.

According to the mayor, the capacity of the planned plant should be more than 420,000 tonnes of waste per year. Landfill No. 5, which will be closed in future, has approximately the same capacity.

"Soon, work will begin on the reconstruction of landfill No. 5. The dams will be strengthened, the capacity of the filtrate processing equipment will be increased. We will strengthen the landfill, install a degassing system and then close it," Klitschko said.PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. announces that it has commenced an investigation of Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE:MIC) concerning possible breaches of fiduciary duty by its Board of Directors. In particular, it has been alleged that Macquarie Infrastructure officials made certain misrepresentations concerning the companys International-Matex Tank Terminals business.



To learn more about the investigation, please contact John Kehoe, Esq., (215) 792-6676, Ext. 801, jkehoe@kehoelawfirm.com, info@kehoelawfirm.com.

CONTACT:

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Kehoe Law Firm, P.C.

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(215) 792-6676, Ext. 801

NOTE: In some jurisdictions, this press release may be considered attorney advertising.Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova has sent a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein, asking for assistance in arranging visits of representatives of international humanitarian organizations to Ukrainians detained in the Russian Federation and Russian-occupied Crimea, and in conducting medical examinations of Volodymyr Balukh, Stanyslav Klykh and Oleh Sentsov.

"I have asked UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein to use all possible levers of influence on the Russian Federation so that, eventually, this state began to observe the basic principles of humanism and respect human rights, fulfill the obligations provided for by international agreements and also asked to facilitate the visits of representatives of international humanitarian organizations to the Ukrainians who are on Russian territory and in Crimea and to conduct independent medical examinations of Volodymyr Balukh, Stanyslav Klykh and Oleh Sentsov," she wrote on Facebook on Wednesday, August 1.

She also shared a copy of the letter.

Denisova expressed hope for an immediate reaction and effective cooperation with the High Commissioner.

She also stressed that the Russian side continues to hide information about the real condition of health of Balukh, Klykh and Sentsov. Russia continues detaining Ukrainians and forcibly grant them Russian citizenship. Illegal convictions of citizens of Ukraine, violation of rights and freedoms of political prisoners also take place.

In addition, Denisova says the Russian Federation continues blocking her visits to imprisoned citizens of Ukraine, despite an agreement reached between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia.Ukraine's Security and Defense Council notes priority of military and technical cooperation with China

First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Oleh Hladkovsky has attended a reception on the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

"Hladkovsky notes that military and technical cooperation with China is a priority for Ukraine, and the significant scientific and technical potential of both countries allows [us] to speak about expanding cooperation areas," the NSDC's press service reported.

Ukraine and China have launched many joint military industrial projects as of today, Hladkovsky said.LONDON/ANKARA, Aug 1(Reuters)

An English court has cleared the way to consider whether it will allow the families of some of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States to make a claim on Iranian assets in Britain.

The relatives want the English High Court to enforce a 2012 decision by a U.S. court which found there was evidence to show that Iran provided "material support and resources to al Qaeda for acts of terrorism". The militant group carried out the attacks.

The New York court awarded the plaintiffs damages of over $7 billion. Iran denies any links to Al Qaeda or any involvement in the 9/11 attacks.

If the English court agrees to enforce the ruling, it could clear the way for assets in England and Wales to be frozen or seized. Iranian assets in England include a central London building and funds held by two subsidiaries of state-owned banks. This could add to Tehran's troubles as it tries to stave off a financial crisis.

The June 8 ruling by a judge after a hearing in the English High Court removed an obstacle that was holding up the process.

The law requires the UK's Foreign Office (FCO) to formally serve the legal papers to Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) before the enforcement proceedings can begin. A British official said it was routinely difficult to deliver papers to the MFA, according to FCO correspondence seen by Reuters. An FCO official declined to comment.

The judge ruled it was sufficient to try to notify them through other communication such as email or post.

That decision has unblocked the process. The plaintiffs will now ask a judge at the High Court in the next few months to consider whether the New York ruling can be entered as a judgment in English law, said their lawyer Natasha Harrison, a partner at the London office of Boies Schiller Flexner. The judgement could then be enforced, she said. This would mean assets could be frozen or seized.

An Iranian official said: "Iran will take all the necessary measures to stop it."

An Iranian foreign ministry official said the June ruling was "fabricated" and "politically motivated".

"Such allegations against Iran are aimed at diverting attentions from regional countries that were involved in the 9/11 attacks," that official said. "We are a victim of terrorism and have always fought against terrorism."

The plaintiffs began trying to enforce the New York judgment in England in 2015. They have already got court support in Luxembourg where $1.6 billion of Iranian assets are frozen. Iran has also contested those claims.

Lee Wolosky, another partner with law firm Boies Schiller Flexner , said that the plaintiffs intend to pursue Iranian assets "wherever in the world they may be found in order to enforce these judgments".

"And we expect foreign courts to permit enforcement of valid, final U.S. judgments if they wish reciprocal treatment in U.S. courts," he said.

The plaintiffs' legal team declined to comment on what Iranian assets in Britain they would target.

(Additional reporting by William James in London and Robert-Jan Bartunek in Brussels; Editing by Anna Willard)Eighty members of the Iranian Parliament tabled a motion on August 1 to question President Hassan Rouhani about his administration's economic policy and its reactions to the country's ongoing economic crisis.

Iranian media noted that 80 MPs comprise more than a quarter of the total number of deputies in the parliament.

The call for the motion was signed by 92 MPs but 12 withdrew their request, and the presidium acknowledged the receipt of the questions on August 1, Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) quoted speaker Ali Larijani as saying.

However, Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Hosseinali Amiri said the acknowledgement was made "illegally," ISNA reported.

Amiri told reporters that the Rouhani administration had answered MP questions on three occasions in the past year and most MPs "were convinced" by the explanations given by Rouhani's aides.

He added that some of the MPs who had withdrawn their questions had repeated their questions for a fourth time and signed the motion.

The questions Rouhani has to answer within one month address the administration's failure in controlling foreign currency and goods smuggling, the failure to tackle the declining employment rate, the failure to stop banking sanctions as promised, the failure to control the economic recession that has lingered for several years, and the failure to control rising foreign exchange rates and the dramatic devaluation of Iran's national currency, according to the official news agency, IRNA.

In another development in the parliament, 193 out of 290 members called on Rouhani to start a major reshuffling of his cabinet and replace the economy, industry, and housing ministers in particular.

The MPs warned in the letter that this is the last time such a call is being made, alluding implicitly that they might impeach Rouhani over his cabinet's failure to rein in the economic crisis that has wreaked havoc on markets and gave way to protests in the streets of various Iranian cities.

The moves could further weaken the standing of Rouhani, whose foreign policy is being challenged by military commanders amid renewed U.S. sanctions.

While Rouhani could ease the economic difficulties facing the nation by accepting U.S. President Donald Trump's offer of unconditional negotiations, IRGC Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari has said the nation will not allow their leaders to enter negotiations with the United States.Protests against Irans chaotic economic situation gained momentum on August 1 in Shapoor district of Isfahan in central Iran. According to reports on social media, police used tear gas and paintball bullets to disperse the protesters.

Demonstrators chanted slogans against Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while calling on everyone to join the protests.

Have shame, Khamenei, and leave the country alone, andRemaining silent is treachery against Iran, they chanted.

Earlier, footage and images circulating on social media showed hundreds of people on July 31 in Isfahan, Irans third largest city, protesting against hardship, water and power shortages, and Irans extraterritorial military interventions.

Isfahan has witnessed numerous recent protests and demonstrations against the Islamic establishment and its mismanagement of national affairs. The videos that went viral show protesters chanting slogans against Tehrans foreign policy, including Irans role in Syria.

Forget Syria; care about us, No to Gaza; no to Lebanon; Ill give my life for Iran, hundreds of people chanted on July 31.

By referring to the founder of the Pahlavi royal dynasty, Reza Shah (1925-1941), protesters expressed nostalgia for pre-1979Iran, before the Islamic Revolution, and paid homage to the king, who died in exile.

Based on social media reports, businessmen and shopkeepers in Isfahans Shapoor-i Jadid district as well as truckers in northern parts of the city have gone on strike.

Businessmen and merchants in Isfahan, as the rest of their counterparts across the country, are mainly unhappy with the recent fluctuations in the local forex market and demand the authorities address the problem in a way that enables them to plan for business at least six months ahead, the chairman of Isfahans Guild House, Rasool Jahangiri, said on July 31.

Referring to business owners demands such as tax cuts and better insurance, Jahangiri said the foreign exchange, gold, and coins markets in Isfahan are currently inactive.

Footage and images circulated on August 1 showed protesters burning tires to neutralize tear gas canisters shot by security forces.

Gohardasht, a town on the northern outskirts of Karaj, approximately 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) west of Tehran, was also the scene of widespread protests, which continued until late on July 31 despite the heavy presence of anti-riot police and security forces.

However, no clashes between police and protesters in Isfahan and Gohardasht have been reported.

Recent protests against unprecedented fluctuations on the local foreign exchange and gold markets initially started on June 24 in Tehran and soon led to the closure of the Grand Bazaar.

A well-informed source told Radio Farda at the time that merchants of the bazaar in the city of Arak, central Iran, had also closed the market there on June 28.

Two days after the demonstrations in Tehran and Arak, Tehran Prosecutor-General Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said, A large number of people who participated in protests in Tehrans Grand Bazaar on Monday have been arrested and will likely face trial.

Close allies of Khamenei, including judicial chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, have repeatedly accused foreign enemies intelligence services of fomenting unrest among laborers, teachers, students, farmers, and merchants who recently dared to raise their voices against corruption, mismanagement, water shortages, and unemployment, as well as what they call useless foreign military interventions that waste national assets.

Speaking on May 21 in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran "will have to choose between maintaining its economy or sponsoring terrorist and insurgent groups in countries like Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen or what he called "squandering precious wealth on fights abroad." While insisting that Iran will not have the money to do both," Pompeo blamed the money that the Iranian government received after sanctions ended (during the final year of Barack Obamas presidency) as a "newfound treasure" that it used to sponsor those groups.

"We will track down Iranian operatives and their Hezbollah proxies operating around the world and crush them," Pompeo said.

Pompeo said if Iran makes "major changes," the United Stateswould be willing to lift sanctions. He did not give a timetable for when the sanctions would be imposed.MOSCOW/JERUSALEM, Aug 1 (Reuters)

Iranian forces have withdrawn their heavy weapons in Syria to a distance of 85 km (53 miles) from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, TASS quoted a Russian envoy as saying on Wednesday, but Israel deemed the pullback inadequate.

Backed by Russia, Iran, and Lebanon's Hezbollah Shi'ite militia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has retaken territory in southern-western Syria from rebels, closing in on the Golan.

Moscow has sought to reassure Israel by saying it wants only Syrian forces to deploy on or near the Syrian-held Golan. Israel, however, insists that forces controlled by Iran, its arch-foe, exit Syria entirely now the civil war there is ending.

"The Iranians withdrew and the Shi'ite formations are not there," TASS news agency quoted Alexander Lavrentiev, President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to Syria, as saying.

Lavrentiev said Iranian service personnel whom he described as advisors could be among Syrian army forces who remain closer to the Israeli border.

"But there are no units of heavy equipment and weapons that could pose a threat to Israel at a distance of 85 km from the line of demarcation", Lavrentiev said.

An Israeli official deemed such a pullback insufficient.

"What we have laid down as a red line is military intervention and entrenchment by Iran in Syria, and not necessarily on our border," Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi told Israel Radio, citing the longer-range threat posed by Iranian missiles or drones positioned in Syria.

"There'll be no compromises nor concessions on this matter."

Last week an Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Russia had offered to keep Iranian forces at least 100 km from the Golan Heights ceasefire line.

Israel rejected the offer, which was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In an apparent riposte, Russia's ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, said on Monday that Moscow could not compel Iran to leave Syria.

But Viktorov also signalled that Russia would continue to turn a blind eye to Israeli air strikes against suspected Iranian and Hezbollah arms transfers or emplacements in Syria.

Hanegbi said Israel wanted to prevent Iran and Hezbollah from effectively extending their Lebanese front against it.

"We are not ready to see a new Hezbollah front on our northern border between Israel and Syria. This is something that is dangerous. This is something that, if we don't prevent it today, when still at its outset, will a exact a heavy price of us down the line," he said.

(Reporting by Polina Nikolskaya, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky, William Maclean)Baku, Azerbaijan, August 1

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 95 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said August 1.

Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.Baku, Azerbaijan, August 1

Trend:

OSCE is expected to monitor the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops on Aug. 2, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said in a message on Aug. 1.

The monitoring will be held under the mandate of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative in the direction of Azerbaijans Fizuli district.

On the Azerbaijani side, the monitoring will be held by Ognyen Yovic and Mikhail Olaru, field assistants of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative.

On the Azerbaijani territories, occupied and controlled by Armenian armed forces, the monitoring will be held by Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office on the conflict Andrzej Kasprzyk and his field assistant Gennady Petrica.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.1

Trend:

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated President of the Swiss Confederation Alain Berset.

On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I congratulate you and your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Swiss Confederation, said the congratulatory letter.

I believe that the development of friendly relations and the deepening of the mutually fruitful cooperation between Azerbaijan and Switzerland will continue to serve best interests of our peoples, said President Aliyev.

On this remarkable day, I wish you the best of health, success in your endeavors, and the friendly people of Switzerland lasting peace and prosperity.Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.1

Trend:

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated President of the Republic of Benin Patrice Talon.

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I sincerely congratulate you and your people on the national holiday of the Republic of Benin, Independence Day, said President Aliyev.

On this remarkable day, I wish you good health, success, and your friendly nation peace and progress.From Schitt's Creek to the Staten Island Ferry, here are all the creative costumes from this year's big Halloween dog parade.Details added (first version posted on 12:17)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.1

Trend:

A ceremony has been held in Lokbatan settlement, Garadagh district, Baku, to give out apartments and cars to veterans of the Karabakh and Great wars, the Chernobyl disabled and families of martyrs.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and first lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the ceremony.

Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev informed the head of state that the ministry purchased 35 apartments from the residential building constructed by SA Inshaatchi Housing Construction Cooperative. Twenty-three of these apartments were given out to the Karabakh war disabled and 12 to the families of martyrs.

President Ilham Aliyev and first lady Mehriban Aliyeva viewed the apartments.

The head of state met with members of the families of the disabled and martyrs.

President Ilham Aliyev handed apartment documents and car keys to the owners.

A total of 136 citizens received Khazar LX cars, including 110 people who became disabled while protecting the country`s territorial integrity and independence, and 26 Great Patriotic War and Chernobyl disabled.Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 1

Trend:

On the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, Azerbaijan urges all OSCE Member States to demand in a firm and unequivocal manner from Armenia to comply with its obligations under the Helsinki Final Act and other international legal instruments, cease use of force against Azerbaijan and withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmet Hajiyev said in a statement Aug. 1.

"Helsinki Final Act was adopted on August 1, 1975 within the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). Helsinki Final Act established 10 fundamental principles (the 'Decalogue') governing especially the behavior of states towards each other and served for maintenance of peace and security in Europe. In January 1992, the Republic of Azerbaijan joined CSCE. Since then Azerbaijan remains fully committed to its obligations under the Helsinki Final Act," the statement says.

It is also noted in the statement that the principle of the non-use of force in the Helsinki Final Act implies a prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force.

"In the Helsinki Final Act, the principle of the non-use of force is explicitly linked to the inadmissibility of changing the boundaries of states through violent means and implies a prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force. For this very purpose, the Helsinki Final Act expanded Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and codified the territorial integrity, the inviolability of frontiers and the non-use of force as separate principles to emphasize the norm of territorial integrity. These principles were reaffirmed in the Helsinki Final Act in a way to emphasize that they are consequential principles generated by the foundational norm of territorial integrity," Hajiyev said.

He noted that as the OSCE member state, the Republic of Armenia in blatant violation of its commitments under the Helsinki Final Act, by use of force occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions of Azerbaijan.

"Armenia conducted notorious ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijani civilian population in the seized lands. Illegal presence of armed forces of Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is the continuation of Armenias use of force and threat of force policy against Azerbaijan. In order to disguise its illegal actions, especially use of force and threat of force against territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, attempts of annexation of Azerbaijans occupied territories and forceful expulsion of civilian Azerbaijani population from their native lands, Armenia by all means tries to distort the principles of equal rights and self-determination enshrined in Helsinki Final Act," the statement reads.

Hajiyev noted that as established in the relevant OSCE document of 1995, Helsinki Final Act along with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions constitute the basis of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs' mandate.

"In accordance with the principles of Helsinki Final Act, Azerbaijan will ensure its territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders," Hajiyev said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 1

Trend:

If Armenia wants peace, the Armenian soldiers must leave Azerbaijans lands, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.

President Aliyev made the remarks in Baku Aug. 1 at a ceremony to give out apartments and cars to the people disabled in the Karabakh war, Great Patriotic War, the Chernobyl disabled, and families of martyrs.

"As for the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, there is only one way to solve it - the territorial integrity of our country must be restored," the president said. Nagorno-Karabakh is our ancestral historical land, as evidenced by history, international law and all countries recognize and support the territorial integrity of our country.

Great support to Azerbaijan in connection with the territorial integrity, sovereignty, inviolability of the countrys borders was outlined in the document titled "Partnership Priorities", initialed between the European Union and Azerbaijan last month, the president added. This is Azerbaijans another diplomatic victory.Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.1

Trend:

A new print edition of the AZERNEWS online newspaper was released on August 1.

The new edition includes articles about European Commission to allocate 5M euros for TANAP, Iran invites to join new railway, Export of national wine increases, Azerbaijan marks 120th anniversary of national cinema, etc.

AZERNEWS is an associate member of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).

The online newspaper is available at www.azernews.azBaku, Azerbaijan, August 1

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway will have a positive impact on developing new transport routes between Central Asia, Caspian and Black Sea regions, Ambassador of Romania to Azerbaijan Dan Iancu said in an interview with Trend.

"It is important to stress that Romania and Azerbaijan share the same interests when it comes to projects with strategic relevance such as the East-West transportation corridors," said the diplomat.

Iancu noted that the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is of prime relevance not only for Azerbaijan, but for the region as well: it is a critical link on the East-West corridor, and an important contribution to strengthening the regional connectivity.

"The railway will have a positive impact on developing new transport routes between the Central Asia, Caspian and Black Sea regions  which are relevant also for my country. For these very purposes of improving the transportation links between these regions, Romania has proposed the development of a Caspian Sea-Black Sea Transportation Corridor  which basically represents the extension across the Black Sea of the East-West corridors," he said.

The official opening ceremony of the BTK railway was held in Baku Oct. 30 last year. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement.

The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.

East  West or Trans Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) is designed for freight traffic growth both from China to EU countries / Turkey and in the opposite direction. Management and development of the transport route is carried out by the consortium created by the participating countries. Member countries involved in consortium and their representatives are: China (Chinese Railways), Kazakhstan (KTZ Express), Caspian Sea (Caspian Shipping Company), Azerbaijan (ADY Express) and Georgia (Trans Caucasus Terminals).

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Ali_Mustafayev_Baku, Azerbaijan, August 1

By Leman Zeynalova Trend

Indonesias state-owned energy company, Pertamina, has approached Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Japans JX Nippon for possible partnership to upgrade the countrys Balikpapan oil refinery, said Pertamina Megaproject Director Heru Setiawan.

Wed have a majority (holding) of 51 percent at least, he added referring to the refinery upgrade project in East Kalimantan province, Reuters reported.

Earlier, Eko Rukmono, Vice-President of Exploration and Evaluation of Upstream Directorate at Pertamina told Trend that the company has invited SOCAR to take part in explorations in the Asian country.

According to Rukmono, the two companies could successfully cooperate in the exploration of oil and gas in Indonesia.

"Indonesia enjoys huge hydrocarbons reserve. The country's estimated oil reserve is over 60 billion barrels, while gas reserves are estimated at the level of 30 trillion cubic meters of gas. Indonesia has 48 oil and gas basins, where geological exploration is needed. SOCAR maybe useful for Pertamina, and we invite the Azerbaijani company to take part in the exploration in Indonesia," Rukmono said.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynBaku, Azerbaijan, Aug.1

Trend:

The prices for gold and silver bars in Azerbaijan have decreased, while the prices for other precious metals have increased August 1, according to the data published by the countrys Central Bank.

The price of gold decreased by 2.3035 manats to 2075.751 manats per ounce in the country on August 1, compared to the price on July 31.

The price of silver decreased by 0.0308 manats, to 26.2988 manats per ounce.

The price of platinum increased by 9.367 manats to 1421.1745 manats.

Meanwhile, the price of palladium increased by 1586.202 manats to 1586.202 manats in the country.

Precious metals August 1, 2018 July 31, 2018 Gold XAU 2075.751 2078.0545 Silver XAG 26.2988 26.3296 Platinium XPT 1421.1745 1411.8075 Palladium XPD 1586.202 1582.9125

The precious metals include gold, silver, platinum and metals of platinum group, such as palladium and iridium, brought to the highest fineness (999.9). The precious metals are sold in bars, coins or powders and have a quality certificate.Tehran, Iran, August 1

By A. Shirazi - Trend:

Hassan Salehi, the head of Iran Fisheries Organization, said the country has signed an agreement to export trout to Europe.

Recently, we signed an agreement with Europe over trout exports, Salehi said on August 1, according to IRNA news agency.

He added the organization is continuing to export shrimps to Europe as well like before.

The official said the returning US sanctions would not affect Irans seafood industry, noting, Eurasia, Southeast Asia, western Asia, and North African are among our major export destinations.

Salehi said more than 125,000 tons of different kinds of seafood worth $500 million were exported from Iran during the previous Iranian fiscal year.

He said this would increase by 10 percent by the end of the current year (March 20, 2019).

US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May, and Washington now plans to reimpose sanctions on Tehran next month. The first round of US sanctions on Iran goes into effect in August, followed by ones targeting Iran's oil exports in November.Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 1

Trend:

The Ministry for Development of Information Technologies and Communications of Uzbekistan held a meeting with representatives of the Saudi company Ajlan & Bros. Co. Ltd. on July 31, UzDaily reports.

The parties discussed possible cooperation in such areas as e-commerce, electronic payments, smart systems for trading platforms, and others.

General Manager of Ajlan & Bros. Mohammed Alhas noted that the company sees a huge potential in Uzbekistan for the development of mutually beneficial cooperation.

"We are looking for reliable partners for long-term and stable cooperation in order to bring our company to international markets. We see implementing projects in Uzbekistan as a priority, taking into account the existing and the additionally created favorable conditions for foreign companies in your country," Alhas said.

The parties agreed to continue the dialogue.Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 1

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

The Entrepreneurship Development Fund of Azerbaijan will be able to conduct entrepreneurial activities, as provided by the organization's charter.

President of Azerbaijan has signed a decree to improve the mechanism of state support for the development of entrepreneurship, which provides for the Fund's creation. The National Entrepreneurship Support Fund, on the other hand, which had been operating under the Ministry of the Economy since 1997, has been liquidated.

The Fund will be able to conduct business only to achieve its objectives.

Among tasks assigned to the Fund is the creation or participation in business communities. The Fund will also participate in the creation of sectoral and regional programs aimed at developing entrepreneurship and creating new vacancies.

In addition to the main objective of preferential business lending, the Fund will help entrepreneurs expand their overseas activities, provide them with consulting services, particularly, study market conditions, prepare investment projects for them, help them build market infrastructure, conduct trainings, etc.

The new Fund will operate under the Ministry of Economy. The authorized fund of the organization is set at 1.09 billion manats.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @AzadHasanli[UPDATE BELOW]

On June 29th, a settlement between the Justice Department and Defense Distributed, the organization responsible for the creation and proliferation of 3-D gun files and manuals online, effectively legalized the unlimited distribution of these files. Lawmakers and Attorneys General across the country are now scrambling to block these files from being distributed before an August 1st deadline, when Cody Wilson, the head of Defense Distributed, said he would upload many more files, including instructions for making an AR-15 style rifle.

On Monday, 20 state Attorneys Generals announced they are suing the State Department and Defense Distributed, and asking for an immediate restraining order to prevent the company from distributing these files. The lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood argues that the settlement violates the Constitution's Tenth Amendment by infringing on states rights to regulate firearms, and that it violates the Administrative Procedure Act.

"It is, simply, crazy to give criminals the tools to build untraceable, undetectable 3-D printed guns at the touch of a button. Yet that's exactly what the Trump administration is allowing, said Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood in a statement. We won't stand by as New Yorkers safety is jeopardized by this abrupt about-face by the federal government.

Today, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a cease and desist letter to Defense Distributed, and directed State Police "to issue a notice reminding New Yorkers that manufacturing assault weaponsincluding with 3D printersis illegal in New York."

In New Jersey, in response to a lawsuit by Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, Wilson agreed not to post any more files until a September hearing.

Yet these lawsuits and legislative actions may be too late, since Wilson told WIRED that he has already uploaded files for 10 entire guns, including all components for semi-automatic rifles, which have been downloaded thousands of times.

Wilson's case against the government is unique in the way it brings together both First and Second Amendment arguments. His lawyers argued that the government's ban not only infringes on his right to bear arms, but his right to freely share information. Wilson's 2015 lawsuit was not only supported by the Second Amendment Foundation, but the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, reports WIRED.

"The culture of homemade, unregulated guns it fosters could make firearms available to even those people who practically every American agrees shouldnt possess them: felons, minors, and the mentally ill," writes Andy Greenberg in WIRED.

But while the NRA has called the technology a form of "freedom and innovation," President Trump tweeted that after speaking to the NRA, he believes 3-D guns "doesn't make much sense."

For context: Remember that the NRA and 3-D printed gun group Defense Distributed aren't on the same side of this issue. The NRA wants to sell guns, not let people download and print them. https://t.co/JkeFxDhnBQ  Andy Greenberg (@a_greenberg) July 31, 2018

It's currently unclear if Trump's tweet will lead to any concrete action preventing the dissemination of 3-D guns.

Donald Trump will be totally responsible for every downloadable plastic AR-15 that will be roaming the streets of our country if he does not act today, because beginning tonight at 12:01 a.m., bad people can go on Instagram and get an insta-gun. Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, said on Capitol Hill today.

UPDATE 8/1:

A federal judge in Seattle, U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik, granted a motion filed by Attorney General Underwood and eight other Attorneys General for a nationwide temporary restraining order on the distribution of 3-D gun files.

"As we argued in the suit we filed yesterday, it is - simply - crazy to give criminals the tools to build untraceable, undetectable 3-D printed guns at the touch of a button. Yet that's exactly what the Trump administration decided to allow. We went to court to protect New Yorkers - and we will continue to do what's necessary to ensure our public safety. I'm grateful to Attorney General Ferguson and my fellow Attorneys General for our continued, successful partnership on this and so many other issues, said Underwood in a statement today.Baku, Azerbaijan, August 1

Trend:

Global Independent Agency Argus Media hosts the Argus Caspian and Black Sea Transportation Corridor 2018 international conference, which will take place on 12-13 September in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Now in its fifth year, the conference brings together representatives from oil, products, mineral fertilizers, bulk and general cargoes, transport and logistics companies, refineries, terminals as well as traders and oil buyers from different countries. This event is the leading international business platform for discussion of the key issues facing the market and for keeping abreast of the latest developments in the Caspian and Black Sea regions.

Among key topics for discussion:

Dynamics of cargo flows in the Caspian and Black Sea region: trends and opportunities

Azerbaijan and Georgia transportation corridor: transit cargo flows and development potential, prospects of oil cargo transportation

Strategic transportation corridors: the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the North-South, China-Europe transport routes

Flexibility of tariff policies and growing importance of container shipments along the TITR (Middle Corridor) from China and Central Asia to Eastern Europe

Potential of export shipments of mineral fertilizers from the Caspian and Black Sea region: a survey of infrastructure facilities in Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Among the regular participants of the conference: Batumi Oil Terminal, Batumi Sea Port, Dragon Oil, Extol Trading, Gr Logistics & Terminals, Gr Transit, Gr Transit Line, Gulf Georgia, Maddox, Petrocas Energy Group, Socar, Tofoil, Tracia Trading, Turkmen Petroleum Products Trade, Vitol, Wise Link Holdings, Georgian Railways, KMGK, Ministry of Railway Transport of Turkmenistan, MRP-Tanker, Tengizchevroil.

For more information, please contact:

+ 7 495 933 7571

[email protected]

About the Organizer

Argus Media is an independent media organisation with almost 900 staff. It is headquartered in London and has 21 offices in the worlds principal commodity trading and production centres. Companies in more than 140 countries around the world use Argus prices to index physical trade and as benchmarks in financial derivative markets as well as for analysis and planning purposes.Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 1

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

Russian carrier Ural Airlines resumes the regular Moscow (Domodedovo) - Karshi (Uzbekistan) flight on Aug. 1, the Russian company announced.

Departures from Moscow to Karshi will be carried out on Wednesdays, from Karshi to Moscow  on Thursdays. It is planned to increase flights to two times a week from October. Tickets are already on sale,  Ural Airlines noted.

The regular flight to Karshi will allow passengers to plan their business or tourist trips. The passengers may use dockings to other cities of Russia and foreign countries.

The flights are performed on comfortable Airbus airliners equipped with "Business" and "Economy" class salons.

It was earlier reported that the Ural Airlines has launched a new regular flight Sochi-Tashkent since July 18.

According to the information, flights to Uzbekistan will be carried out by Airbus A320 on Wednesdays. Return flights will be carried out on Thursdays.

The cost of the flight, taking into account all fees and charges, will be 10 661 rubles (about $168).

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Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanovBaku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 1

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

The Russian air carrier Aeroflot has increased frequency of flights on the Moscow-Tashkent-Moscow route from Aug. 1, 2018, the Russian company stated.

According to the information, the air carrier will perform two additional flights on Mondays and Saturdays.

SU 1872 flight in the Moscow-Tashkent direction will depart from Sheremetyevo at 07:55 (local time) and arrive in Tashkent at 14:05. The return flight will depart at 15:35 and arrive in Sheremetyevo at 18:30 on Mondays and at 18:15 on Saturdays.

The air carrier makes additional flights on Thursdays within the current timetable. Thus, on the most popular days of the week, the frequency of flights to the largest metropolitan area of Central Asia increases to two flights a day.

Additional flights will be carried out on capacious aircraft of the Boeing 737 family within the Summer 2018 season.

It has been also reported today that Russian carrier Ural Airlines has resumed the regular Moscow (Domodedovo) - Karshi (Uzbekistan) flight on Aug. 1, the Russian company announced.

Since July 18, Ural Airlines has also launched a new regular flight Sochi-Tashkent.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanovBaku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 1

Trend:

A special unit established under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan will be engaged in protection of tourists, Sputnik Tajikistan reports referring to the official website of the ministry.

"Police officers can be involved, if necessary, in accompaniment of tourists to their destinations," Anvarjon Alizoda, head of the Department of Ecology of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan, said at a meeting with representatives of tourism companies of Tajikistan.

The Department of Ecology of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has established a tourism sub-department, whose task is to protect public order, ensure the safety of tourists, provide them with the necessary information, protect the interests of tourists, prevent crimes among tourists and against tourists, the message says.

A car ploughed into a group of foreign tourists on July 29 in Tajikistan. Four tourists were killed. The "Islamic State" terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack on the foreign tourists.

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon instructed to strengthen security measures in the country, especially at strategic facilities.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug.1

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

Amandurdy Ishanov has been appointed Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan, according to the decree of the country's president.

Prior to this, Ishanov served as chairman of the local state commodity and raw materials exchange.

Dovran Orazmyradov, who previously served as Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, was dismissed by the presidential decree in connection with his transfer to another position.

This institution is the government body of Turkmenistan, which conducts state policy in the areas of trade, foreign economic relations and consumer cooperation.

The Ministry carries out activities to saturate the country's domestic market with goods, improve the organization of trade and public catering, provide material and technical support for the national economy, ensure compliance with state interests in the foreign market in accordance with international treaties. The institution brings together more than 200 trade, manufacturing, supplying and servicing enterprises.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 1

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

A summit of heads of the states that founded the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) is scheduled to be held on Aug. 24 in the Turkmen resort of Avaza, Altyn Asyr TV channel reported.

Turkmenistan is the chairman of the IFAS.

A concept has been formed, which includes the adoption of a new program of action for provision of assistance to the countries of the Aral Sea basin, the implementation of a regional action plan for environmental protection as a single environmental program of the Central Asian countries.

The Aral problem has affected the north of Turkmenistan. Its Dashoguz region has been adversely affected by the environmental disaster, serious problems arose there in regard with providing the population with drinking water, combating salinization of cropland. The salt dust from the Aral Sea covered Turkmenistan and reached even its capital at the end of May this year.

Regional media report that a salt sand storm came from Uzbekistan from the Aral region. Reportedly, the dust particles contained nitrogen fertilizers, which accumulated for decades at the bottom of the Aral Sea.

Established in the 1990s by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, IFAS aims to finance joint projects and programs to save the Aral Sea and improve the environmental situation in the Aral Sea region.

IFAS was granted an observer status in the UN General Assembly in December 2008. Ashgabat put forward earlier an initiative to develop a special UN program for the Aral Sea.Tehran, Iran, Aug. 1

By A. Shirazi - Trend:

Iran's Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade rejected a recent report that one of its deputy ministers had been detained over corruption allegations surrounding car import fraud.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ministrys public relations office said, A report published recently by one of the media outlets about the arrest of an Iranian deputy minister of industries, mines and trade is rejected."

It added, None of [the ministrys] deputy heads are or have been under arrest," IRIB news agency reported.

This comes after Fars news agency earlier in the day said that an unnamed Iranian deputy minister had been detained upon a judicial order and later released on bail.

Spokesman of Irans judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, had said earlier that some 18 individuals were arrested over import fraud and that the prosecutors had been ordered to speed up the probe, show no leniency to the defendants and disregard their positions.

According to Iranian media reports, vehicle imports have long been seen as monopolized by well-connected, mafia-style corporations, which have benefited from the rial's devaluation and enjoyed government privileges.The number of foreigners visiting Dubai, the Gulfs tourism hub, grew by 0.5 percent in the first half of 2018, a substantially slower rate than the 10.6 percent growth recorded a year earlier, official date showed on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

Dubai, which has spent billions building attractions including the worlds tallest tower, hosted 8.1 million international overnight tourists in the six months to June 30, the tourism department said without giving a comparative figure.

It had previously reported 8.06 million tourists for the first half of 2017 which it said constituted an increase of 10.6 percent year-on-year.

The tourism sector was worth 109 billion dirham ($29.7 billion) at the end of 2017, according to the tourism department. Dubai is seeing a slowdown in some sectors such as real estate after years of strong growth.

India remained Dubais top overseas market in 2018, with the number of visitors from there rising 3 percent to over 1 million in the first six months  compared with an increase of 21 percent in Indian visitors a year earlier.

The number of Chinese and Russian visitors grew by 9 percent to 453,000 and 74 percent to 405,000, respectively.

The United Arab Emirates, which Dubai is part of, has relaxed visa rules for Chinese and Russians in recent years in a bid to boost tourism.

Growth in passenger traffic through Dubais international airport has fallen to near zero this year, after 15 years of robust increases.Audi AG has appointed Thomas Owsianski as new head of the brands China operations as part of a planned leadership change for its China business, Audi said on Wednesday in a statement, Reuters reports.

Owsianski, 51, replaces Joachim Wedler who has served as the German luxury brands China chief since 2015 and plans to retire by the end of this year.

The appointment was effective as of Wednesday, according to Audi, a key Volkswagen Group premium car brand.

Owsianski was previously head of sales and marketing for Volkswagens operations in Brazil and also had a broader role as a member of Volkswagen Brazils management team.

A Beijing-based spokeswoman for Audi said the leadership change for the brands China operations had been planned as part of a leadership succession plan for China.The administration of the Government of Georgia says that German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Georgia in the near future, Agenda reports.

The information came after Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadzes meeting with German Ambassador to Georgia Heike Renate Peitsch today.

"The upcoming visit of the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany to Georgia, bilateral relations and key aspects of European and Euro-Atlantic integration agenda of Georgia were predominantly discussed during the meeting, the Prime Ministers press office reported.

Bakhtadze stated that the Georgian government deems the upcoming official visit of Merkel "as the most important event in developing bilateral relations.

Bakhtadze spoke about the significant role of Germany in the institutional construction of the country.

"Focus was made on trade and economic links, increasing investments from Germany to Georgia and the significance of education in ensuring sustainable economic growth and development, the press office added.

Bakhtadze and Peitsch also mentioned the upcoming presidential elections in Georgia.

Bakhtadze said that his government pledges to ensure a free, fair and transparent election environment in line with high democratic standards.This city was built on and around what is now referred to as Manhattan Schist, a tough old rock that has essentially become the backbone of the island. There are plenty of places to spot the stuff above ground, like Central Park, and below, just look out the window of your subway car. It's also highly visible in the "secret" sub-basement of Grand Central Terminal, accessed via a long staircase created with the help of dynamite long ago.

One of the more visually compelling spots to find it, however, is in Morningside Heights on 114th Street, between Broadway and Riverside Drive (map). Here you'll find a giant boulderaround 30-feet high and 100-feet longthat sits almost flush against two apartment buildings.

Some locals have called it "Rat Rock," which is also the nickname given to the giant piece of schist in Central Parkapparently rats like to congregate on and nest in these boulders.



(Scott Lynch / Gothamist)

In 2000, the NY Times called it "one of the city's most amazing natural wonders."

They also noted that, yes, "the lot and development rights are incredibly valuable, but removing the rock could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars." William Scott, then the vice president for institutional real estate at Columbia University, told the paper, "When the row houses were built around it in 1896, leaving the rock was no big deal because there were hundreds of acres to develop. But now, it's just this huge ugly rock in the middle of our neighborhood." Columbia still owns the land (and most of 114th Street), and still has no plans to remove the rock.

You can still find a large rock on Bennett Avenue between 181st and 184th Streets, too, but for a look at some previous pieces of schist that needed to be destroyed, check out this old image from 1861, of a house on 2nd Avenue near 42nd Street. The description accompanying the lithograph explains that as our city's grid was being made, "Houses were left up in the air as the streets and avenues were cut through the hills. A significant number of buildings had already been demolished to make way for the citys thoroughfares, and those that remained would soon be swept aside by what one commentator referred to as the 'leveling hand of improvement.'"



(Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York; 28.153.215)

According to the American Museum of Natural History, "New York City is primarily composed of sediments that were metamorphosed during the Taconic and Acadian orogenies roughly 500 million years ago. Garnets can be found in the rocks of the Hartland Formation and Manhattan Schist... It is in these hard rocks that the city skyscrapers have their foundations." This is also whybefore more modern technology was developedmost skyscrapers were built downtown and in Midtown, where the schist bedrock was nearer the surface and could support the buildings.

Professor Iain Stewart, a geologist at Plymouth University, told BBC that the mineral kyanite is commonly seen in the Manhattan schist: "Kyanite is a key mineral to identify, we know it only forms at very deep depths and under extensive pressure. It's like a fingerprint, revealing a wealth of information." And its presence means that the city's schist "was compressed under incredibly high pressure over 300 million years ago... formed as a result of two enormous landmasses coming together to form a supercontinent, known as Pangaea," with mountain ranges "15 times higher than the highest skyscraper on the skyline today. Being buried and compressed under such a vast mountain range has made the Manhattan schist an exceptionally hard rock."



A closer look at the Morningside Heights rock. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)

When the ancient continent split, the schist was left behind in the area that would become New York City, and this particular piece has become an odd vision on modern day West 114th Street, and a powerful artifact from an event that occurred many millions of years ago.South Koreas exports to major trading partners including China, the United States and Japan rose in July from a year earlier, government data showed on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

The trade ministry data showed exports in July to China surged 27.3 percent, thanks to increasing memory chip demand, marking 21 straight months of growth.

Shipments to the U.S. and Japan gained 8.8 percent and 17.6 percent, respectively. Automobile and steel exports to the U.S. dropped, hit by regulations, but exports of autoparts and mobile phones rose, the data showed.

The overall exports boom was boosted by newly launched products and growing demand for intermediate goods in overseas markets, the ministry said.Russian foreign and defense ministers and their Japanese counterparts on Tuesday agreed to explore further cooperation in the sphere of security, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, Xinhua reported.

The consensus was reached at the third round of the ministerial consultations between the two countries in the "2+2" format, according to a transcript of the ministry.

"Both sides expressed readiness to expand practical cooperation in the sphere of security. We are united in the fact that the situation in the Asia-Pacific region is very difficult, as in the world arena as a whole," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

In particular, the ministers confirmed the focus on cooperation in the field of combating terrorism, ensuring international information security and combating corruption, the minister said.

They also welcomed the positive developments on the Korean Peninsula and urged all parties involved to maintain the fragile peace process with restraint and flexibility.

"Russia and Japan are in favor of ensuring that the problems of the peninsula are resolved in a comprehensive manner, taking into account the interests of all states located in North-East Asia," Lavrov said.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues related to the Middle East and Syria, with special attention on humanitarian tasks including facilitating the return of refugees, aid deliveries and restoring infrastructure.

The "2+2" format was first adopted at a Russian-Japanese meeting in Tokyo in November 2013. Following the breakout of the Ukraine crisis in March 2014, Japan suspended the negotiations, which were not resumed until March 2017 when the ministers met in Tokyo.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani exchanged congratulatory telegrams on Wednesday on occasion of the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and confirmed intention to boost bilateral cooperation, the Foreign Ministry said, TASS reprots.

"The foreign ministers expressed satisfaction over the progressive development of Russian-Qatari political dialogue, growing trade and economic cooperation and humanitarian contacts. Moscow and Doha confirmed mutual aspiration to further enhance multifaceted bilateral cooperation, which meets the long-term interests of Russia and Qatar," the ministry said.

On July 24, UK Prime Minister Theresa Mays Office issued a statement after her talks with Qatars Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani noting that the sides had agreed to cooperate with Russia from the position of force and unity. However, Dohas official statement after the meeting did not mention this.

Later, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said this was part of the UKs anti-Russian campaign while Qatars diplomats rejected solidarity with it.Moscow is interested in a stable and predictable European Union after the United Kingdom leaves it, the Russian Embassy in London said on Wednesday commenting on UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunts recent statement, TASS reports.

During his visit to Paris, Hunt told the France Inter radio station on Tuesday if the Brexit scenario ended without signing a cooperation deal between London and Brussels Russian President Vladimir Putin would be "the only person rejoicing."

"The European Union is our important neighbor and a major partner in terms of political, business, cultural ties and just human contacts. We want it to be strong, stable and positively predictable," the diplomatic mission said in a statement.

The Russian Embassy expressed regret that the top British diplomat used such arguments during the negotiations.

Official talks between London and Brussels on conditions for the UK to leave the EU began on June 19, 2017 in Brussels. A year earlier, 51.9% of the UK citizens voted in favor of Brexit at a referendum.

The talks on Brexit should last until this November and then the European Parliament and Westminster should approve the deal. Brexit will take place on March 29, 2019 and then a transition period should begin and last until December 31, 2020.US Vice President Mike Pence during a speech called on the Senate to pass a measure that would establish a cybersecurity agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Sputnik reported.

"Today we call on the United States Senate to follow the lead of the House of Representatives and before the end of this year enact the legislation to create a new [cybersecurity] agency under the authority of the DHS," Pence said at a security summit in New York on Tuesday.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Tuesday that the creation of the new DHS division was motivated by the US governments growing recognition that cyberattacks could not only harm a company or industry, but cause systemic failure across society.

According to the report, the new risk management center will work with other government agencies as well as with different industries to prioritize risks to critical infrastructure.

The vice president also said at a security summit in New York he believes Russia meddled in the 2016 US election but the interference did not affect the final vote count. Pence accused former President Barack Obama of neglecting cybersecurity which led to the crisis in the first place.

Moscow has repeatedly rejected allegations of election meddling, characterizing them as attempts by US politicians and media to fuel Russophobic hysteria.By Yadana Htun, KYODO NEWS - Aug 1, 2018 - 11:53 | World, All

Myanmar will start granting visa-free entry to tourists from Japan and South Korea in October to attract more visitors from Asia.

The government will also ease visa requirements for tourist groups from China, including Hong Kong and Macau, seeing potential for growth in the number of visitors from the three Asian nations, Myo Win Nyunt, a director of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, told NNA.

Last week, the ministry sent a notification to the Union of Myanmar Travel Association to inform it of the upcoming visa relaxation, which will begin on Oct. 1 as a one-year trial.

Japanese and South Korean travelers will be allowed visa-free entry by air and land, while tourist groups from China will be able to enter with a visa on arrival at a fee of $50 per person at airports in Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyitaw.

According to the notification, tourists from the three countries will be required to possess at least $1,000 in cash. But the ministry is considering accepting credit cards or other means to check their financial standing, the director said.



(Myanmar's ancient city of Bagan)

Kyaw Min Htin, joint secretary general of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, said granting visa-free entry to Japanese visitors is well-timed and good for development of Myanmar's tourism industry as their interest in Myanmar is increasing.

"In recent months, we held travel promotion events in some cities of Japan to attract tourists to Myanmar," the joint secretary general said, adding that the federation expects 50 percent growth in the number of Japanese visitors after the visa relaxation comes into effect.

According to the ministry's data, the number of Japanese visitors to the Southeast Asian country, including those on business trip and for other purposes, has steadily increased in recent years, topping the 100,000 mark in 2016.

In 2017, nearly 101,500 Japanese visited Myanmar, up 0.7 percent year-on-year, ranking third by nationality after Thais and Chinese and accounting for 7.5 percent of the 1.36 million visitors in total. Visitors from Asian countries accounted for 70 percent of the total. (NNA/Kyodo)KYODO NEWS - Aug 1, 2018 - 05:33 | Feature, All, World

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres will travel to Nagasaki to attend the annual commemoration of the atomic bombing of the southwestern Japan city, the United Nations said Tuesday.

It will be the first time for a U.N. secretary general to attend the Aug. 9 anniversary. During his Aug. 7-9 trip to Japan, Guterres will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue and survivors of the atomic bombing.

"He is also going to Nagasaki as the first secretary general of the United Nations...to attend the ceremony to pay his respects to the victims," said Eri Kaneko, Guterres' associate spokeswoman.

(File photo)

In addition to visiting the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, he will also meet with survivors from both the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings as well as local officials "to discuss their experiences and their ideas for how to promote nuclear disarmament," she added.

In 2010, Guterres' predecessor Ban Ki Moon became the first U.N. chief to attend the Aug. 6 event marking the Hiroshima atomic bombing. At the time, Ban also traveled to Nagasaki to lay a wreath at the memorial site ahead of the actual ceremony.

Nagasaki was the second city to be targeted in 1945, only three days after Hiroshima in western Japan. The atomic bombings took place late in World War II and heralded the start of the nuclear age.

Due to his tight schedule, Guterres will not include Hiroshima on his itinerary this time.

Guterres' visit to Nagasaki for the 73rd anniversary of the bombing comes on the heels of his disarmament agenda, released in May in Geneva, in which he said scrapping nuclear, chemical and biological weapons could "save humanity."

He warned that some 15,000 nuclear weapons remain stockpiled around the world, with hundreds of them prepared for launch at a moment's notice.

"The existential threat that nuclear weapons pose to humanity must motivate us to accomplish new and decisive action leading to their total elimination," he said in the foreword of the document, called "Securing Our Common Future."

"We owe this to the Hibakusha -- the survivors of nuclear war -- and to our planet," he said, using the Japanese name for the victims of the nuclear bombs.

The visit will also come a little more than a year after the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted on July 7, 2017.

The nuclear ban treaty was passed with support from 122 U.N. members, but without backing from any of the major nuclear powers that constitute the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

"He will speak with the prime minister on a range of topics, not just disarmament, but other issues of mutual concern" including North Korea, explained Kaneko when asked about the subjects Guterres and Abe will discuss.KYODO NEWS - Aug 1, 2018 - 14:30 | All, World

The Japanese government acknowledged Wednesday it believes a new video that surfaced online recently shows captive Japanese freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda, who went missing in Syria in 2015.

Asked whether the bearded man with long hair and clad in an orange garment is Yasuda, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said in a press conference, "Regarding the matter, we believe that is the case."

The top government spokesman declined to elaborate further, citing the sensitive nature of the issue.

Speaking in Japanese on the 20-second video, the man said, "My name is Umaru and I'm South Korean." It is unknown why the man believed to be the 44-year-old Yasuda used a different name and said he is South Korean.

"Today is July 25, 2018. I am in a very severe condition. Please help me, right now," the man also said. Two gun-wielding men in black attire were seen standing behind him in the footage.

Another video thought to have been recorded in October was released last month. In it, a person resembling the man in the most recent video said in English that "I am Jumpei" and that he misses his family.

Contact with Yasuda was lost in June 2015 after he entered Syria to cover the civil war from the southern part of Turkey. It is thought he is being held by the Nusra Front, an al Qaida-linked antigovernment militant group in Syria.

In 2004, Yasuda was held by an armed group in Iraq while covering the country after the Iraq war and was released three days later.



(Yasuda in June 2015, in a photo he sent to a Kyodo News reporter just before entering Syria)KYODO NEWS - Aug 1, 2018 - 12:32 | All, Urgent, World

Russia complained Tuesday about Japan's plan to deploy U.S.-developed missile defense systems, but the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries agreed to work together toward the denuclearization of North Korea and step up security cooperation.

In response to Russia's deep-seated concern about the deployment, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said it is "purely for national defense."

(Japanese FM Taro Kono, 2nd from right, and Russian FM Sergei Lavrov, 2nd from left)

The friction over the installation of two land-based Aegis Ashore stations, which Japan sees as necessary to protect its territory from North Korean ballistic missile strikes, re-emerged as Onodera and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono met their Russian counterparts Sergei Shoigu and Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

Russia regards the two missile defense stations, possibly to be deployed around 2025 in Japan's northern and southwestern regions, as an addition to the U.S. missile shield in the Asia-Pacific region.

Speaking to reporters after the "two-plus-two" meeting, Onodera also said he has called on Russia to show restraint in building up military forces on isles off Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido.

The meeting, the first since March last year, came amid an ongoing detente on the Korean Peninsula after the historic U.S.-North Korea summit in June, with no missiles launched by Pyongyang this year, in contrast to 2017 when it repeatedly test-fired ballistic missiles and conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date.

Tokyo is hopeful that cooperation with Moscow on North Korea and the strengthening of the security dialogue will also help resolve a decades-old territorial spat over the disputed islets.

(A U.S. Aegis Ashore missile defense complex)

[File photo]

The four ministers consented to holding an annual security conference involving the two countries' foreign and defense officials at vice-ministerial level, and to arranging for a port call to be made by naval vessels of the Russian Pacific Fleet at Hakodate in Hokkaido in October.

They also agreed to realize a visit by a Japanese fact-finding mission on Aug. 16-20 to the islands controlled by Moscow but claimed by Tokyo, in a bid to work toward joint development of the disputed isles.

Kono, apparently with the territorial issue in mind, stressed the importance of mutual communication to solve bilateral problems at a press conference after the meeting, saying he wants to "develop relations between Japan and Russia in every field."

In their one-on-one session, Kono and Lavrov concurred that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Vladivostok and that the two foreign ministers will meet again in New York, both in September.

Kono told reporters he did not discuss whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will take part in an annual economic forum to be held next month in the Russian Far East city.

Abe has said he is seeking a summit with the North Korean leader but will not consider economic cooperation or normalization of ties without a resolution to the issue of Japanese abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s.

During the latest meeting, Japan again sought cooperation from Russia in settling the abduction issue at an early date, officials said.

Japan and Russia held their first two-plus-two talks in November 2013 and second in March 2017, both in Tokyo. The hiatus of over three years was due to Moscow's annexation of the Crimean region of Ukraine in March 2014.

Onodera's visit to Moscow marked the first time a Japanese defense chief has visited Russia since January 2006.

(Kunashiri Island seen in distance from Hokkaido, Japan)

The third round was set when Abe and Putin met in Moscow in May, when they agreed to make renewed efforts to sign a postwar peace treaty and accelerate bilateral economic cooperation.

One of the obstacles to signing a peace treaty is the dispute over the contested islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai group off Hokkaido.

The islands called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia were seized by the former Soviet Union after Japan's surrender in World War II in August 1945.

The following is the gist of the outcome of "two-plus-two" security talks and one-on-one meetings between foreign and defense ministers of Japan and Russia held Tuesday in Moscow.

-- Russia expresses concerns about Japan's plan to introduce two land-based Aegis Ashore missile defense systems.

-- Japan demands Russia show restraint on conducting military exercises on disputed islands off Hokkaido.

-- Japan and Russia agree to closely cooperate to realize denuclearization of North Korea.

-- Japan seeks cooperation from Russia in settling the abduction issue at an early date.

-- Japan and Russia agree to step up security cooperation.

-- Japan and Russia agree to realize a visit by a Japanese fact-finding mission on Aug. 16-20 to the islands controlled by Moscow but claimed by Tokyo.As of Wednesday, the Manhattan District Attorney's office will stop prosecuting most cases for smoking and possessing marijuana.

The change was promised in May by DA Cy Vance Jr., and is expected to reduce the number of marijuana prosecutions by around 96 percent, according to a release from his office. Last year, Vance's office oversaw 5,500 marijuana cases; after the policy is implemented, that number is supposed to drop to under 200.

Per the release, New Yorkers will continue to be prosecuted for marijuana offenses in Manhattan if they are believed to be selling it (possessing 10 individual bags or more) or in cases "where there is additional information from the NYPD or from our Office which demonstrates that the individual otherwise poses a significant threat to public safety."

Asked to explain further what that second exception meant, Vance told WNYC's Richard Hake this morning that the NYPD "will have to demonstrate why they believe this individual poses a threat of violence or public safety and at that point the decision to prosecute will have to be reviewed by a supervisor in our complaint room."

"There are areas where danger is also a nuisancesmoking next to young children who are getting out of school," Vance added.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez had previously announced a policy to decline to prosecute low-level marijuana offenses, which overwhelmingly affect Black and brown New Yorkers, and last week he issued a release claiming that the number of marijuana charges dropped by more than 90 percent between January and June of this year.

The DAs in the Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens have so far not committed to the same policies.

"I think it means that if you are going to smoke or possess marijuana that you need to do so thoughtfully and intelligently," Vance said, when asked about the discrepancies citywide.

Eliza Orlins, a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society in Manhattan, said that while the new policy is a "great big step forward," the public safety exception seemed to give a lot of latitude to the NYPD.

"As far as we know the NYPD is going to continue to make these arrests, to issue these summonses," Orlins said.

On WNYC, Vance did say that while he is calling for the New York legislature to legalize marijuana, he felt that right now, the appropriate punishment for possession and public smoking is a summons.

Those summonses, if unanswered, effectively turn into warrants, Orlins says. It is not uncommon for someone to be arrested for an unrelated charge where they would normally receive a Desk Appearance Ticket and be sent on their way. Instead, an old marijuana summons is found and so they spend the night in jail.

"We've seen Vance make these sweeping announcements in the past, but what ends up happening is that the exceptions swallow the rule," Orlins noted, pointing to an announcement Vance made this year about not asking for bail in certain misdemeanor cases. "In practice, we saw no change," she said.

Danny Frost, a spokesman for Vance's office, explained the public safety exception was a way of "giving ourselves space for the rare event when arraigning on the marijuana charge gives us leverage to investigate a separate serious offense that requires additional investigation." Frost added, "This is likely to be only a handful of cases per year."

Frost said that being included on the NYPD's gang database that reportedly includes the names of more than 40,000 New Yorkers, would not meet the DA's threshold for the public safety exception.

A spokesman for the NYPD referred us to their new policy, beginning on September 1, of issuing only summonses and not making arrests for marijuana offenses, except "if they are on parole or probation, have an open warrant, a violent criminal history or fail to show identification."

Last year, Vance, who won a third term last year after running unopposed, was criticized for dropping a fraud investigation against Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., not pressing charges against Harvey Weinstein in 2015, and for taking campaign donations from an attorney connected to Weinstein. Vance later returned some of the contributions, and earlier this year adopted a stricter set of guidelines for taking donations.KYODO NEWS - Aug 1, 2018 - 21:00 | All, World

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat agreed Wednesday to closely cooperate in maintaining maritime order based on the rule of law.

In a press conference after their meeting in Tokyo, Abe said the two leaders confirmed the importance of the issue as Malta hosts the International Maritime Law Institute aimed at training specialists in the field.

Abe said they also agreed to work together in resolving outstanding issues surrounding North Korea, including Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s.

On the economic front, Muscat, the first Maltese prime minister to visit Japan in 28 years, expressed hope for an early implementation of a free trade agreement Japan and the European Union signed last month. Malta is one of the 28 members of the regional economic bloc.

Abe and Muscat last met in Malta in May last year, when the Japanese leader stopped there on his way home from the Group of Seven nations' summit in Italy. It was the first-ever visit by a Japanese sitting prime minister to Malta.Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine said that people living downstream of Mullaperiyar need not worry in case the shutters of the dam were opened as preventive measures were already taken.A driver was killed in a freak accident on the Gowanus Expressway this morning when a tire flew off another vehicle and smashed into his car's windshield.

The driver, a civilian member of the NYPD, was heading east in the HOV lane near exit 3 when a tire somehow came loose from a private sanitation truck traveling west. According to WABC 7, "The tire struck and shattered the windshield of the Toyota RAV 4m, which then crashed into the divider" at approximately 6:30 a.m.

The driver, who was apparently a maintenance worker at 1 Police Plaza, suffered head trauma and was taken to NYU Langone, where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the sanitation truck stayed on the scene and has not been charged.Although the Indian pharmaceutical industry has played an important role in the development of generic medicines, it is not clear whether drug development, which is dominated by the private sector, is informed of the disease burden and public health priorities. An attempt is made to address this question by juxtaposing the therapeutic focus of the drugs approved for marketing and the new chemical entities in the pipeline with the disease burden across age groups.

The Indian pharmaceutical industry has played an important role in the development of generic medicines and biosimilars (Farmer 2001). However, whether patients who are heavily dependent on the public sector, benefit from this advancement made by the sector is a critical question for several reasons. First, as it is well known, the bulk of these generic drugs are exported to international markets and are inaccessible in India (Swain et al 2014). Second is the dominance of branded generics in the market, which are priced significantly higher than their corresponding generics (Mathew 2015). Third, the quality of essential generic medicines that are available in the public sector has also been under question (Bate et al 2009). Most importantly, we still do not sufficiently know whether medicine development in India is informed of the public health priorities of the country and the emerging disease burden.

Studies, hitherto, have analysed research and development (R&D) and drug development in the pharmaceutical sector from the point of view of the response of the sector to the new intellectual property rights (IPR) regime after 1995 (Abrol et al 2011), strategies and types of R&D investments (Joseph 2011), R&D innovation, performance and growth of Indian companies (Abrol and Singh 2016), relationship of export performance and R&D (Goldar 2013), therapeutic focus (Chaudhuri 2010) and the status and challenges of proprietary drug discovery in India (Differding 2017). The nature and patterns of drug development and R&D priorities of this sector in the light of disease burden are under-researched in the country. Differding (2017) has discussed this issue very briefly by examining the therapeutic areas of new chemical entities (NCEs) in the pipeline, but has not offered an in-depth analysis across disease categories and non-NCE drugs developed and marketed in India.Guardian investigation reveals numerous cases of Amazon workers being treated in ways that leave them homeless, unable to work or bereft of income after workplace accidents

Workers pack and ship customer orders at the Amazon fulfillment center Romeoville, Illinois on 1 August 2017. Photograph: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Vickie Shannon Allen, 49, started working at Amazon as a counter in a fulfillment warehouse at Haslet, Texas, in May 2017. At first, like many employees, Allen was excited by the idea of working for one of the fastest growing corporations in the world. That feeling dissipated quickly after a few months.

I noticed managers would ask you questions all the time about any bathroom breaks, performance and productivity. What they do is code your time, and they are allowed to change it at will. To me, thats how they get rid of people, Allen said.

Amazon is now the worlds most valuable retailer. Its customers are served by over 140 fulfillment centers like the one where Allen worked across the US. The revenues from these centers have made founder Jeff Bezos the worlds richest man  Bezos net worth recently crossed the $150bn, making him the wealthiest person in history, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.



In the meantime, Allen has become homeless after a workplace accident left her unable to do her job.

Nor is Allen alone. A Guardian investigation has revealed numerous cases of Amazon workers suffering from workplace accidents or injuries in its gigantic warehouse system and being treated in ways that leave them homeless, unable to work or bereft of income.

Allens story began on 24 October last year when she injured her back counting goods on a workstation that was missing a brush guard, a piece of safety equipment meant to prevent products from falling onto the floor. She used a tote bin to try to compensate for the missing brush guard, and hurt her back while counting in an awkward position. The injury was the beginning of an ongoing ordeal she is still working to amend at Amazon. Over the course of a few weeks, Amazons medical triage area gave her use of a heating pad to use on her back, while Amazon management sent her home each day without pay until Allen pushed for workers compensation.

Story continues

I tried to work again, but I couldnt stretch my right arm out and Im right-handed. So I was having a hard time keeping up. This went on for about three weeks, Allen said. Despite not getting paid, Allen was spending her own money to drive 60 miles one way to the warehouse each day just to be sent home.

Once on workers compensation, Allen started going to physical therapy. In January 2018, she returned to work and injured herself again on the same workstation that still was not fixed.

Allen went back on medical leave and took an additional two weeks of unpaid leave because she didnt have the money to drive to work. In April 2018, an MRI scan showed her back was still injured, but just five days after her diagnosis, she claims Amazons workers compensation insurer, Sedgwick, had the company doctor drop her as a patient.

By June 2018, they finally had that station fixed. It took them eight months to put one little brush guard on this station, Allen said. On 2 July, she met with management at the Amazon fulfillment center, who offered her a week of paid leave for the issues she had to deal with over the past nine months.

Theyre also going to pay me for 24 more hours for last week. They havent said anything else, Allen explained. They offered me a buyout, only for $3,500, which meant I would have to sign a non-disclosure agreement to not say anything derogatory about Amazon or my experience.

Allen said she rejected the buyout offer to speak out against Amazons treatment of her. She currently lives out of her car in the parking lot of the Amazon fulfillment center. They cost me my home, they screwed me over and over and I go days without eating.

Allens case is one of numerous reports from Amazon workers of being improperly treated after an avoidable work injury. Amazons warehouses were listed on the National Council for Occupational Safety and Healths dirty dozen list of most dangerous places to work in the United States in April 2018. The company made the list due to its pattern of unsafe working conditions and its focus on productivity and efficiency over the safety and livelihood of its employees. Amazons emphasis on fulfilling a high demand of orders has resulted in unsafe working conditions for its warehouse employees.

In April 2018, 43-year-old Bryan Hill of Seffner, Florida filed a lawsuit against Amazon, alleging managers fired him for hurting his back on the job and failed to file a workers compensation claim once his injury was reported. Its been scheduled for mediation in September, and were in a holding pattern until then, said Miguel Bouzas, the attorney representing Hill in the lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, Hill was told by a manager he was too young to have back problems, and he was fired before Amazon Human Resources would authorize a doctor visit.

At an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Pennsylvania, one former employee was fired five weeks after getting injured on the job. I was on a ladder and someone came flying into the area I was in, hit the ladder causing me to fall, and I landed on my back and left leg, said Christina Miano-Wilburn. Her back is permanently injured from the incident. They refused to give me the paperwork for workmens comp. They cut my short term disability after five weeks. I was supposed to get it for 26 weeks.



Miano-Wilburn was notified of her job termination through a letter in the mail in May 2017 after working at Amazon for two years. She lost her home shortly after being fired from Amazon.

Other Amazon employees succumb to the fatigue and exhaustion of the fulfillment center work environment and quit before getting injured. I felt they thought I was faking. I was dehydrated and dizzy, said Lindsai Florence Johnson, who was taken away in an ambulance in April during a hot day while working at an Amazon fulfillment center in San Bernardino, California. She quit in May 2018 over mistreatment after starting in June 2017. Not all people report injuries because they are scared to get taken off their job or told they cant work over there anymore. I have many times come home with bruises from work at Amazon and I experienced my first hernia there.

In many cases, Amazon workers are left to deal with the temp agency that hired them, shifting the burden of responsibility to a third party and making it more difficult for workers to receive proper treatment and compensation. For nearly three years, Michael Yevtuck has been in and out of court over a workers compensation claim against Integrity Staffing, who hired him to work in a Robbinsville, New Jersey based Amazon fulfillment center.

I was squatting full speed and going up the step ladder as many times as I could an hour to try to hit the rates. All that squatting hurt my left knee, so I favored the other one and hurt that one, said Yevtuck, who hurt his knees in November 2015.

An Amazon company doctor recommended he return to work on light duty and gave him braces for each knee. Yevtuck provided documents corroborating his medical diagnoses from Amazon company doctors and private doctors. As soon as I came back, the supervisor returned me back to a job that was full duty and I reinjured both knees.

He added Amazon told him to return to work, or work a light duty job if he signed a form stating his injuries occurred prior to working at Amazon. An MRI he received in April 2016 from a private doctor noted he tore the meniscus in his left knee, but Amazon would not pay his medical fees or accept his workers compensation filing. His next court date in his legal efforts to obtain workers compensation and medical reimbursement from Amazon is in September 2018.

Amazon meanwhile insists that ensuring the safety of its workers is a priority and that it was proud of its record.

Amazon has created over 130,000 jobs in the last year alone and now employs over 560,000 people around the world. Ensuring the safety of these associates is our number one priority, said Amazon spokesperson Melanie Etches in an email, who also pointed to the firms Safety Leadership Program as an example of being proactive on the issue.

Operational meetings, new hire orientation, process training and new process development begin with safety and have safety metrics and audits integrated within each program  While any serious incident is one too many, we learn and improve our programs working to prevent future incidents, Etches said.Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke out against President Trump's tariffs on Tuesday, saying that they ultimately harm consumers.

He says that the tariffs haven't hurt Apple yet, though the company is analyzing whether or not the latest round of proposed tariffs could have direct or indirect impacts on its business.

Read Cook's full comments below.

Apple has a dim view of the Trump Administration's proposed tariffs.

During a conference call on Tuesday, CEO Tim Cook said that he hoped "calm heads prevail" in the escalating rounds of trade restrictions between the United States and China.

"Our view on tariffs is that they show up as a tax on the consumer and end up resulting in lower economic growth," Cook said. "And sometimes can bring about significant risk of unintended consequences."

Cook said that none of the tariffs that have already been implemented have directly affected any Apple products, such as the iPhone. But Cook warned that the latest round, on $200 billion in Chinese goods  including some electronics  was still under evaluation for their impacts on the company.

"It's actually a tedious process in going through it because you not only have to analyze the revenue products, which are a bit more straightforward to analyze, but you also have to analyze the purchases that you're making through other companies that are not related to revenue," Cook said.

"Maybe they're related to data centers and that sort of thing," he continued.

Reuters previously reported that the $200 billion round of tariffs could hit the Apple Watch thanks to an obscure classification by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. That list is currently in a public comment period, which ends in the fall.

Products including wearable, smart home hubs, smart speakers, wireless earbuds, and whole home Wi-Fi devices are all under tariff threat, according to the Consumer Technology Association, a trade group. Apple makes products in several of those categories.

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Cook has met with President Donald Trump in the White House, and earlier this year, the New York Times reported that Trump told Cook that the U.S. government would not place a tariff on iPhones assembled in China.

Cook previously said that he told the President that tariffs were "not the right approach."

"I don't think that iPhone will get a tariff on it," Cook said in an interview in June.

Apple reported earnings on Tuesday of $2.34 per share on revenue of $53.3 billion on its most recent quarter ending in June. Apple is the most valuable publicly traded U.S. company.

Cook's full comments from the call are below:

Our view on tariffs is that they show up as a tax on the consumer and end up resulting in lower economic growth. And sometimes can bring about significant risk of unintended consequences.

That said, the trade relationships and agreements between the US and other major economies are very complex. It's clear that several are in need of modernizing.But we think that in the vast majority of situations that tariffs are not the approach to doing that.

We're sort of encouraging dialog and so forth. In terms of the tariffs that have been imposed or have exited the comment period, I think there's one that's exiting today, there have been three of those. Maybe I can walk through those briefly to make sure everyone is on the same page.

The first was the U.S. imposed a tariff on steel and aluminum, was, you know, many many different countries. That started, I believe, the beginning of June.

There have been two other tariffs that have totaled about $50 billion of goods from China that have either been implemented or exiting the comment period in this month. The latest one exits today.

If you look at those three tariffs, none of our products were directly affected by the tariffs. There is a fourth tariffs which includes goods valued at $200 billion, also focused on goods imported from China. That one is out for public comment, probably like everyone else, we're evaluating that one and we'll be sharing our views of it with the administration and so forth before the comment period for that one ends.

It's actually a tedious process in going through it because you not only have to analyze the revenue products, which are a bit more straightforward to analyze, but you also have to analyze the purchases that you're making through other companies that are not related to revenue. Maybe they're related to data centers and that sort of thing. So we're going through that now, and we'll be sharing our results later on those and ... public comment.

Of course the risk associated with more of a macroeconomic issue such as an economic slowdown in one or more countries or currency fluctuations that are related to tariffs is very difficult to quantify. So we're not even trying to quantify that, to be clear about it.

All of this said, we're optimistic, as I've been the whole time, that this will get sorted out. Because there is an inescapable mutuality between the US and China that sort of serves as a magnet to bring both countries together. Each country can only prosper if the other does. And of course the world needs both US and China to prosper for the world to do well.

That said, I can't predict the future. But I am optimistic that countries will get through this. And we are hoping that calm heads prevail.

NOW WATCH: How movie theaters are ruining your movie

See Also:Boy, yesterday's Trump rally in Tampa sure was full of... surprises. Or something. The President thinks you need a photo ID to buy groceries, CNN reporter Jim Acosta was called a traitor, and a bunch of people showed up wearing T-shirts with the letter Q. No, they were not fans of the hit Broadway musical (we assume) but rather conspiracy theorists who believe the establishment is out to destroy Donald Trump.

just some extremely normal people at an extremely normal political rally for an extremely normal president https://t.co/0Gxa9sa81B pic.twitter.com/9Z2pDX9zCg  Andrew Kirell (@AndrewKirell) July 31, 2018 Trump's Tampa rally shows the QAnon conspiracy is now fully mainstream https://t.co/kzPELDhx7h pic.twitter.com/e9pIgctmkF  ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) August 1, 2018 People lining up for the Trump rally in Tampa today. A lot of the chan anons might treat Q-Anon like a LARP, but by all appearances there are plenty of people who take it seriously irl. pic.twitter.com/uys7kmnAs1  Travis View (@travis_view) July 31, 2018

This Roseanne-endorsed group began on 4Chan in October of 2017, when an anonymous user named Q began posting supposedly top-secret clues. Q is a reference to a top-level security clearance.

Here is how a pro-QAnon YouTube video explains the events of the world: every president before Trump was a criminal, and they're all part of a conspiracy with the global business elites, the deep state, and pedophile rings. "If a criminal became the President, imagine what they could achieve!" the narrator in the video implores. Imagine indeed.

People like to call Qanon "Pizzagate on steroids," but it's really both emotionally and socioeconomically Pizzagate on bath salts.  Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) July 31, 2018 It is stunning to me how many ppl in this #TRUMPTAMPA crowd have QAnon signs or t-shirts. That is not a healthy sign for GOP or for America.  Adam Smith (@adamsmithtimes) July 31, 2018

Will Sommer in The Daily Beast writes "In an effort to break this cabals grip, according to Q, the military convinced Trump to run for president. Now Trump and his allies in the military are poised to arrest all these wrongdoers, shipping many of them off to Guantanamo Bay." QAnon believers call the forthcoming purge "The Storm," and claim Trump referenced it when he cryptically alluded to 'the calm before the storm' while posing for photos with military brass in October.

QAnon members also believe Trump pretended to collude with Russia so that Robert Mueller would be appointed special counsel and expose those evil Democrats for all their wrongdoings. Meanwhile, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and George Soros are planning a coordinated comeback, while John McCain and Huma Abedin secretly wear ankle tracking bracelets.

Members of QAnon comb through Trump's tweets and videos looking for hidden clues that validate Q's posts. Partly because Q's predictions are hit or miss, younger alt-right members are more skeptical of Q. Baby Boomers more often make up members of QAnon.

So what are these conspiracy theorists up to when they are not making making gold headbands and watching Gran Torino? Well, one of them drove an armored truck to the Hoover Dam to demand the release of an OIG report, that was already released (he's been charged with terrorism). Others have been targeting the lawyer of Stormy Daniels, Michael Avenatti, and hunting for child sex camps in the Arizona desert. And, surprise surprise, it looks like the group is being embraced by some local GOP organizations.Tesla is enlisting workers from all over the company in an urgent push to build batteries and cars

Tesla is lending workers from its service centers and solar business to its car plant in Fremont, California to ramp up production of the Model 3.

Current and former employees say lending workers to different departments is slowing down Tesla's service.

Electric vehicle maker Tesla TSLA is taking urgent steps to add workers to its vehicle and battery plants, including flying employees in from out of state and putting them up in hotels, and temporarily enlisting employees from unrelated divisions.

Extra hands are welcome at the factory as Tesla strives to produce 5,000 or more Model 3 sedans each week  a number the company says it must sustain to become profitable long-term. However, shifting employees to work in the factory strains budgets and other business units, according to seven current and former employees. Some of these people requested anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to press.

According to one call center worker, California Tesla owners are facing longer wait times for repairs and other appointments because so many service hands are busy at the factory. It used to take a customer in central California about two days before getting an appointment with a mechanic, this person said, but now it takes at least a week or longer just to get in the door.

Tesla acknowledged the practice, and said it has also done this in the past, especially in big production pushes near the ends of quarters. The company said the moves are "purely voluntary" for employees and said "the practice has never had a major impact on production, and employees are only put in roles that are appropriate for their skills and abilities." It also said that this practice will become less common moving forward as Tesla is smoothing out its delivery schedule throughout the quarter.

Sleeping in hotels

Former Tesla service technician James Allen told CNBC that, for years, Tesla has brought some of its most talented mechanics from nearby service centers to Fremont to help build cars and offer design input. People viewed this work as a badge of honor.

Story continues

Another former Tesla service manager said the company racked up expenses flying in service technicians and mechanics to work in Fremont around the clock during the run-up to begin selling its Model S vehicles in 2012.

But this time, it's a bit different, current and former employees say. Tesla is not only flying workers in from out of state, as it has in the past, but is also enlisting employees from its residential energy business to work on making cars in Fremont. Some were also routed to the Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada, where it manufactures batteries.

Workers have been living in hotels away from their homes for weeks, they said, to help build cars and keep factory equipment running as smoothly as possible. That wasn't something they signed up for when they took their jobs.

But workers felt like they couldn't decline the requests or they might get a bad performance review. Some said they were particularly concerned following the layoffs that Tesla announced in June .

Tesla counters this impression, and told CNBC that moving to work in the factory temporarily is purely voluntary and that declining the request would never impact a worker's performance review.

One reason Tesla needs so many hands on deck at Fremont, workers explained, is because the company introduced an all-manual, no-robot line under a tent to ramp up Model 3 production. Among other tasks, workers in the tent tear open boxes of batteries, get them out of the way fast, and then get underneath vehicles to push batteries into place and secure them. Tesla said that only about 20 percent of the Model 3s produced last quarter came off this line.

In April, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he expected the company to become profitable and cash-flow positive in the second half of this year.

On July 1, Tesla said it produced 7,000 cars in a week, including 5,000 Model 3 electric sedans to close the quarter. The feat led Musk to send a triumphant e-mail to his tens of thousands of employees saying that Tesla has finally become a "real car company."

But questions loom about Tesla's financial position. The company's long-term debt has grown from about $2.5 billion at the end of 2014 to $10.8 billion at the end of last year. Tesla ended the first quarter with a cash balance of $2.7 billion . It said then that it still expects to spend $3 billion this year.

The electric vehicle maker will likely need a cash infusion to manifest its many visions. For example, Tesla has yet to make the basic $35,000 version of its Model 3 vehicle available to reservation holders and other customers.

It isn't yet mass-manufacturing or selling its glass solar roof tiles, a product Musk touted to rationalize the acquisition of SolarCity in 2016, a deal that also contributed to Tesla's debt.

Other exciting projects like a new Model Y, a Tesla Semi truck and new factories, including one in Shanghai, should also require significant capital, as will further expansion of Tesla's charging network, service business and showrooms around the world.

On Tuesday morning, Tesla shares were trading up about 1 percent ahead of the company's Q2 earnings report on Wednesday.

Here is Tesla's full statement on the practice of enlisting workers from other parts of the company to help with vehicle production:

"We've historically encouraged employees from around the company who want to assist in delivering vehicles or helping out in the factory towards the end of the quarter. This is purely voluntary and intended to help give employees in different departments a firsthand look at what goes into building and delivering our vehicles. While this has been a good thing in the past, it has never had a major impact on production and employees are only put in roles that are appropriate for their skills and abilities. Regardless, this will likely happen less moving forward since, as we've previously announced, we're in the process of smoothing out our deliveries through the quarter."





More From CNBC

3M's (MMM) rewards to shareholders, including quarterly dividend payment and repurchase of shares worth $10 billion, are in compliance with its sound capital-allocation strategies.

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL August 1, 2018  Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: ExxonMobil XOM,Chevron CVX, Royal Dutch Shell RDS.A, TOTAL S.A. TOT and ConocoPhillips COP.

Here are highlights from Tuesdays Analyst Blog:

Oil & Gas Stock Roundup: Q2 Earnings Season Version

It was a week where both oil and natural gas finished modestly higher.

On the news front, integrated majors ExxonMobil, Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell reported second-quarter earnings that improved year over year but came under the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

Overall, it was a good week for the sector. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures edged up 0.6% to close at $68.69 per barrel, while natural gas prices rose some 0.9% to $2.782 per million Btu (MMBtu). (See the last Oil & Gas Stock Roundup here: Schlumberger, Halliburton & Baker Hughes' Q2)

The U.S. crude benchmark gained for the first time in four weeks on growing concerns about supply disruption after Saudi Arabia temporarily halted the commoditys shipments through the strategic Red Sea route following attacks on two of its tankers by Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis. The U.S. Energy Department's inventory release showing a larger-than-expected decline in crude stockpiles also buoyed oil futures.

Meanwhile, natural gas prices too moved higher last week following a smaller-than-expected increase in supplies.

Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories

1. Energy giant ExxonMobil posted lower-than-expected earnings in second-quarter 2018, thanks to a plunge in oil equivalent production. The rise in energy and feedstock cost and significant maintenance and turnaround work hurt the bottom line. This was partially offset by increased price realizations from liquids. To be precise, the company reported earnings of 92 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.26.

Story continues

Despite ramped up oil equivalent volumes in Permian and Bakken regions, total production averaged 3.647 million barrels of oil-equivalent per day (MMBOE/d), lower than 3.922 MMBOE/d in the year-ago quarter.

During the quarter under review, ExxonMobil generated cash flow of $8.1 billion from operations and asset divestments, higher than $7.1 billion in the year-ago quarter. The energy giant returned $3.5 billion to shareholders through dividends. Capital and exploration spending rose roughly 69% year over year to almost $6.6 billion. (Read more ExxonMobil Earnings Miss Estimates in Q2, Rise Y/Y)

2. Smaller rival Chevron reported weaker-than-expected second-quarter earnings, pressured by drop in profits in its downstream business, which refines crude oil into fuels like gasoline and diesel oil. The U.S. energy major reported earnings per share of $1.78, lagging the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.06. However, the bottom line improved significantly from the year-ago profit of 77 cents amid the recovery in oil prices and production gains.

Chevrons total production of crude oil and natural gas increased 1.7% compared with last years corresponding period to 2,826 thousand oil-equivalent barrels per day (MBOE/d). Apart from the shale assets in the prolific Permian Basin, the rise in output could be attributed to contributions from major capital projects  Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG developments in Australia.

Importantly, Chevron delivered a good cash flow performance this quarter  an important gauge for the oil and gas industry  with $6,855 million in cash flow from operations, up from $4,971 million a year ago. The significant cash flow allowed the company to announce a $3 billion per year share buyback program. (Read more Chevron Sets $3B Buyback Plan Even as Q2 Earnings Miss)

3. Europes largest oil company Royal Dutch Shell plc reported weaker-than-expected second-quarter earnings as lower downstream results more than offset strong contributions from the upstream and the integrated gas segment. The Hague-based Shell reported earnings per ADS (on a current cost of supplies basis, excluding items - the markets preferred measure) of $1.12, below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.41 but above the year-ago profit of 88 cents.

However, investors looking for clarity on Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) Shells promised share buybacks were in for some good news as the company will start the program to repurchase at least $25 billion in common stock in the period 2018-2020. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

During the quarter under review, Shell generated cash flow from operations of $9,500 million, returned $3,900 million to shareholders through dividends and spent $5,771 million on capital projects. Despite falling from the year-ago period, the companys resilient cash generation has helped it to cover cash dividend payments and interest.

Shell has already aborted its two-and-a half-year long scrip dividend program as cost-containment efforts and divestment strategies have paid off. Importantly, the group raked in $9,529 million in free cash flow during the second quarter. (Read more Shell's Q2 Earnings Miss, Reveals $25B Share Buyback)

4. French supermajor TOTAL S.A. reported second-quarter 2018 operating earnings of $1.31 per share (1.10 per share), lagging the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.50 by 12.7%. However, the bottom line improved 35.1% from the year-ago figure of 97 cents (0.88 per share) on operational performance, improvement in commodity prices and new project ramp ups, boosting production.

Total hydrocarbon production during the second quarter averaged 2,717 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day, up 9% year over year. The increase was due to higher contribution from Kashagan, Moho Nord, Fort Hills, Edradour-Glenlivet, Libra, Timimoun and Yamal LNG, partially offset by natural field decline, PSC price effect, and heavy seasonal maintenance.

TOTALs upstream production is expected to increase 7% in 2018, up 100 basis points from the earlier expectation, driven by higher contribution from the new assets. The company continues to undertake cost-management initiatives and expects to generate cost savings of more than $4 billion in 2018. Organic and acquisitions net of asset sales are expected within $16-$17 billion in 2018. (Read TOTAL Q2 Earnings Lag, Revenues Up on High Production)

5. ConocoPhillips reported second-quarter 2018 adjusted earnings per share of $1.09, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.06 and improving from the year-ago 14 cents. Higher oil and natural gas price realizations primarily drove the bottom line, partially negated by field declines.

Production from continuing operations averaged 1,249 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (MBOED) in the quarter, lower than 1,437 MBOED in the year-ago quarter.

Average realized price for oil was $70.55 a barrel, up from $48.16 in the year-earlier quarter. Natural gas liquids were sold at $29.94 a barrel, higher than $20.99 in the year-ago quarter. The price of natural gas was $5.18 per thousand cubic feet, up from $3.83 in second-quarter 2017.

ConocoPhillips raised its 2018 capital spending projection from $5.5 billion to $6 billion. For the July-to-September quarter of this year, the company projects production in the range of 1,215-1,255 MBOED. For 2018, the companys production projection was raised from 1,200-1,240 MBOED to 1,225-1,255 MBOED. (Read more ConocoPhillips Beats on Q2 Earnings, Lifts Output View)

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.



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Zacks Investment ResearchVANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Turquoise Hill Resources (NYSE:TRQ) (TSX:TRQ) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated.

HIGHLIGHTS

Oyu Tolgoi achieved a strong All Injury Frequency Rate of 0.19 per 200,000 hours worked for the six months ended June 30, 2018.



Underground development continued to progress during Q218 including the completion of the fully operational expanded Shaft 5 ventilation system.



Following reduced advancement during the Shaft 5 ventilation system completion, in June 2018 a record-level of equivalent underground development was achieved with 0.9 kilometres completed.



Since the restart of development, a total of 12.7 equivalent kilometres of lateral development has been completed.



During Q218, earthworks for Shafts 3 and 4 continued.



Underground expansion capital for 1H18 was $561.7 million compared to $321.1 million in 1H17, resulting in total project spend since January 1, 2016 of approximately $1.6 billion.



Production from first draw bell remains planned for mid-2020 and sustainable first production in 2021.



During Q218, Oyu Tolgoi produced 39,400 tonnes of copper and 50,000 ounces of gold an increase of 1.5% and 19.0% respectively over Q118.



Mill throughput for 2018 is now expected to be approximately 40 million tonnes, compared to the original expectation of 37 million tonnes, due to the positive impact of high intensity blasting.



Revenue of $341.7 million in Q218 increased 67.7% over Q217 reflecting significantly higher copper prices and increased concentrate sales volumes, driven by enhanced border logistics.



For Q218, Oyu Tolgois cost of sales was $2.36 per pound of copper sold, C1 cash costs were $1.72 per pound of copper produced and all-in sustaining costs were $2.42 per pound of copper produced 1 .



. Operating cash costs1 of $201.7 million in Q218 increased 23.3% over Q217 mainly due to higher royalty and freight costs as well as increased open-pit costs.

1 Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES section of this press release for further information.

FINANCIAL RESULTS

Income in Q218 was $204.4 million compared with a loss of $0.4 million in Q217. The increase is primarily due to $116.8 million of additional deferred tax assets recognized in Q218 compared to Q217 plus the impact of higher sales revenue. Cash generated from operating activities in Q218 was $48.4 million compared with $44.0 million used in operating activities in Q217. This increase was primarily driven by higher sales revenue due to higher copper prices and increased sales volumes. Capital expenditure on property, plant and equipment was $318.0 million on a cash basis in Q218 compared to $205.2 million in Q217, attributed principally to underground ($291.2 million) with the remainder related to open-pit capital activities.

Turquoise Hills cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2018 were approximately $1.5 billion.

OYU TOLGOI

The Oyu Tolgoi mine is approximately 550 kilometres south of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolias capital city, and 80 kilometres north of the Mongolia-China border. Mineralization on the property consists of porphyry-style copper, gold, silver and molybdenum contained in a linear structural trend (the Oyu Tolgoi Trend) of deposits throughout this trend. They include, from south to north, the Heruga Deposit, the Oyut deposit and the Hugo Dummett deposits (Hugo South, Hugo North and Hugo North Extension).

The Oyu Tolgoi mine was initially developed as an open-pit operation. The copper concentrator plant, with related facilities and necessary infrastructure, was originally designed to process approximately 100,000 tonnes of ore per day from the Oyut open pit. However, since 2014, the concentrator has improved operating practices and gained experience, which has helped achieve a consistent throughput of over 110,000 tonnes per day. This continued through 2017 with softer ores from the Central zone. Concentrator throughput for 2018 is now expected to be approximately 110,000 tonnes per day due to increased processing of harder ore from Phase 4 partially offset by the benefits of high intensity blasting.

In August 2013, development of the underground mine was suspended pending resolution of matters with the Government of Mongolia. Following signing of the Oyu Tolgoi Underground Mine Development and Financing Plan (Underground Plan) in May 2015 and the signing of a $4.4 billion project finance facility in December 2015, Oyu Tolgoi received formal notice to proceed approval by the boards of Turquoise Hill, Rio Tinto and Oyu Tolgoi LLC in May 2016, which was the final requirement for the re-start of underground development. Underground construction recommenced in May 2016.

Oyu Tolgoi is expected to be the worlds third-largest copper mine at peak metal production in 2025. Copper and gold production is expected to increase by more than 340% and 150% respectively between 2018 and 2025. Average copper and gold production from 2025 to 2030 is expected to be more than 550,000 tonnes of copper and over 450,000 ounces of gold per year.

At the end of Q218, Oyu Tolgoi had a total workforce, including underground project construction, of more than 15,000, of which 93% were Mongolian.

Underground development progress

The main focus of underground development for 2018 continues to be underground lateral development, the fit out of Shaft 2, support infrastructure and the convey-to-surface decline. The Company continues to expect the first draw bell in mid-2020 and sustainable first production in 2021.

Underground lateral development was reduced during the first two months of Q218 partly due to the commissioning of the new Shaft 5 permanent fans and the resulting ventilation flow transition underground. However, June subsequently achieved a record-level of equivalent underground development with 0.9 kilometres developed. Progress overall during Q218 was 2.4 equivalent kilometres with a total of 12.7 equivalent kilometres of lateral development completed since the re-start of development. During 2018, underground development is expected to advance approximately 10.0 kilometres. The following table provides a breakdown of the various components of completed lateral development since project restart:









Year Total

Equivalent

Kilometres Lateral

Development

(kilometres) Mass

Excavation

(000 metres3) 2016 1.6 1.5 3.0 Q117 1.0 0.8 5.2 Q217 1.4 0.9 9.2 Q317 1.4 1.2 8.3 Q417 2.2 1.9 8.9 2017 6.1 4.8 31.6 Q118 2.6 2.1 11.6 Q218 2.4 2.1 8.6 Total 12.7 10.5 54.8

In March 2018, the Company announced the completion of Shaft 5 sinking. During Q218, this was followed by the installation of permanent ventilation fans and commissioning of the now fully operational expanded ventilation system.

Shaft 2 sinking was completed in January 2018. During Q218, stripping and bracket installation was completed while cable and pipe work commenced. Fit out of Shaft 2 is expected to occur throughout 2018. Shaft 2 is a key part of future increases in lateral development activity.

Additionally, earthworks for Shafts 3 and 4 continued during Q218 and the sinking package was awarded in July 2018.

The following table outlines the status of shafts for underground development as of June 30, 2018.

Shaft 1

(early development

and ventilation) Shaft 2

(production and ventilation) Shaft 5

(ventilation) Shaft 3

(ventilation) Shaft 4

(ventilation) Total Depth 1,385 metres 1,284 metres 1,178 metres 1,148 metres 1,149 metres Diameter 6.7 metres 10 metres 6.7 metres 10 metres 11 metres Completion 2008 Q118 Q118 Expected 2021 Expected 2021 Remaining Complete Complete Complete Not started Not started

During Q218, advancement of the convey-to-surface decline continued to progress. The convey-to-surface system is the eventual route of the full 95,000 tonne per day underground ore delivery system to the concentrator; however, it is not a critical path item for first draw bell planned in mid-2020. Expected completion of the convey-to-surface system is 2022, which will facilitate the ramp up to full production by 2027.

Also during Q218, the Primary Crusher 1 chamber was excavated. Eventually this chamber will hold the first 4,000 tonne per hour crusher to initially feed the Shaft 2 production system up to 30,000 tonne per day in the first part of underground ramp up.

Oyu Tolgoi spent $291.2 million on underground expansion during Q218. Total underground project spend from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018 was approximately $1.6 billion. In addition, Oyu Tolgoi had further capital commitments2 of $1.2 billion as of June 30, 2018. At the end of Q218, the underground project had committed 68% of direct project contracts and procurement packages, of which 71% were to Mongolian companies. Since the restart of project development, Oyu Tolgoi has committed almost $1.7 billion to Mongolian vendors and contractors.

2 Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES section of this press release for further information.

During Q417, Rio Tinto undertook a schedule and cost review. Rio Tinto has provided Turquoise Hill with a high-level overview of the reviews outcomes, in which Rio Tinto concluded there were no material changes in project scope, cost or schedule. Following analysis of the reviews conclusions, Turquoise Hill is in agreement with the findings.

Safety performance

Safety is a major focus throughout Oyu Tolgois operations and the mines management is committed to reducing risk and injury. Oyu Tolgoi achieved a strong All Injury Frequency Rate of 0.19 per 200,000 hours worked for the six months ended June 30, 2018.

Q218 open-pit operations performance

Key financial metrics for Q218 are as follows:

Oyu Tolgoi Key Financial Metrics(1)





($ in millions, unless otherwise noted) 2Q

2017 3Q

2017 4Q

2017 1Q

2018 2Q

2018 1H

2018 1H

2017 Full Year

2017 Revenue 203.7 246.9 251.7 245.6 341.7 587.3 441.1 939.8 Revenue by metals in concentrates Copper 173.7 209.2 216.1 202.1 273.7 475.8 370.3 795.6 Gold 26.6 34.2 32.5 40.3 64.1 104.3 64.1 130.8 Silver 3.3 3.5 3.2 3.2 4.0 7.2 6.7 13.4 Cost of sales 188.9 197.8 182.7 168.9 239.6 408.5 383.2 763.8 Production and delivery costs 117.7 123.4 106.6 114.6 174.2 288.8 238.4 468.4 Depreciation and depletion 75.0 77.4 73.4 55.6 64.1 119.7 153.3 304.1 Capital expenditure on cash basis 205.2 234.0 330.4 285.7 318.0 603.8 353.0 917.5 Underground 184.7 205.6 309.0 270.5 291.2 561.7 321.1 835.7 Open pit(2) 20.5 28.4 21.4 15.2 26.8 42.0 32.0 81.8 Royalties 12.5 14.5 15.8 14.9 20.3 35.2 26.9 57.1 Operating cash costs(3) 163.6 161.9 217.7 176.6 201.7 378.4 332.0 711.6 Unit costs ($) Cost of sales (per pound of copper sold) 2.30 2.43 2.32 2.23 2.36 2.30 2.26 2.32 C1 (per pound of copper produced)(3) 1.92 1.83 2.05 1.76 1.72 1.74 1.89 1.92 All-in sustaining (per pound of copper produced)(3) 2.27 2.76 2.40 2.07 2.42 2.25 2.21 2.39

(1) Any financial information in this press release should be reviewed in conjunction with the Companys consolidated financial statements or condensed interim consolidated financial statements for the reporting periods indicated.

(2) Open-pit capital expenditure includes both sustaining and non-underground development activities.

(3) Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES section of this press release for further information.

Revenue of $341.7 million in Q218 increased 67.7% over Q217 reflecting significantly higher copper prices and increased concentrate sales volumes, driven by enhanced border logistics.

Cost of sales for Q218 was $239.6 million compared to $188.9 million in Q217 primarily reflecting higher volumes of concentrates sold and an increased cost of sales per pound of copper sold due to lower average mill head grades for copper in Q218 compared to Q217.

Capital expenditure on a cash basis for Q218 was $318.0 million compared to $205.2 million in Q217, comprising amounts attributed to the underground project and open-pit activities of $291.2 million and $26.8 million respectively.

Total operating cash costs3 at Oyu Tolgoi was $201.7 million in Q218 compared to $163.6 million in Q217 mainly due to higher royalty and freight costs associated with increased sales volumes and copper prices, increased open-pit costs and lower capitalization of production phase stripping costs. Operating cash costs include the 5% royalty payable to the Government of Mongolia and exclude deferred stripping costs.

Cost of sales was $2.36 per pound of copper sold in Q218 marginally higher than $2.30 per pound of copper sold in Q217, reflecting lower average mill head grades for copper in Q218 compared to Q217.

Oyu Tolgois C1 cash costs4 in Q218 were $1.72 per pound of copper produced, a decrease from $1.92 per pound of copper produced in Q217, due primarily to higher gold sales.

All-in sustaining costs4 in Q218 were $2.42 per pound of copper produced, compared with $2.27 per pound of copper produced in Q217, mainly due to an increase in sustaining capital and increased royalty expenses in Q218 associated with higher sales revenue.

3 Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES of this press release for further information.

4 Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES section of this press release for further information.

Key operational metrics for Q218 are as follows:

Oyu Tolgoi Production Data

All data represents full production and sales on a 100% basis

2Q

2017 3Q

2017 4Q

2017 1Q

2018 2Q

2018 1H

2018 1H

2017 Full Year

2017 Open pit material mined (000 tonnes) 25,193 27,466 28,929 23,131 22,792 45,923 49,527 105,921 Ore treated (000 tonnes) 9,637 10,615 10,838 9,561 10,164 19,725 19,724 41,177 Average mill head grades: Copper (%) 0.51 0.48 0.53 0.51 0.48 0.50 0.51 0.51 Gold (g/t) 0.16 0.18 0.20 0.25 0.26 0.25 0.15 0.17 Silver (g/t) 1.38 1.34 1.54 1.32 1.17 1.24 1.34 1.39 Concentrates produced (000 tonnes) 171.0 170.0 205.4 177.3 178.8 356.1 347.0 722.5 Average concentrate grade (% Cu) 21.8 21.7 22.0 21.9 22.0 22.0 21.7 21.8 Production of metals in concentrates: Copper (000 tonnes) 37.2 36.9 45.3 38.8 39.4 78.2 75.3 157.4 Gold (000 ounces) 24 31 35 42 50 92 49 114 Silver (000 ounces) 236 239 285 221 225 446 450 974 Concentrates sold (000 tonnes) 182.0 176.6 175.5 163.1 220.0 383.1 372.2 724.3 Sales of metals in concentrates: Copper (000 tonnes) 37.3 36.9 35.7 34.3 46.1 80.4 76.7 149.3 Gold (000 ounces) 23 29 27 31 51 82 55 111 Silver (000 ounces) 222 229 205 206 250 456 427 860 Metal recovery (%) Copper 74.6 73.5 78.0 79.5 79.7 79.6 74.7 75.4 Gold 47.7 51.2 50.5 55.0 59.8 57.6 48.3 49.7 Silver 53.9 52.8 53.0 54.6 58.4 56.4 52.9 52.9

During the second quarter, Oyu Tolgoi continued processing Phase 4A ore resulting in improved gold grades, production and recovery over Q118. This trend is expected for the remainder of the year. Mill throughput in Q218 increased 6.3% over Q118 due to higher utilization rates and the positive impact of high intensity blasting. Copper production in Q218 increased 1.5% over Q118 as a result of higher mill utilization rates offset by slightly lower grades from the depletion of Phase 6 ore. Gold production increased 19.0% over Q118 due to stronger mill utilization rates, higher grades from Phase 4A and increased recovery. Sales in Q218 benefited from improved logistics as inventory accumulated during the Q118 force majeure worked its way through the system.

Operational outlook

Oyu Tolgoi is expected to produce 125,000 to 155,000 tonnes of copper and 240,000 to 280,000 ounces of gold in concentrates for 2018. Open-pit operations mined Phase 6 in early 2018 and expects to mine Phase 4 throughout the year. In addition, stockpiled ore will be processed during 2018. The increased gold production relative to the 2016 technical report is due to splitting Phase 4 into two parts (4A and 4B) and bringing production forward from future years. Due to the positive impact of high intensity blasting, mill throughput for 2018 is expected to be approximately 40 million tonnes.

Oyu Tolgoi tax assessment

On January 16, 2018, Turquoise Hill announced that Oyu Tolgoi had received and was evaluating a tax assessment for approximately $155 million from the Mongolian Tax Authority (the MTA) relating to an audit on taxes imposed and paid by Oyu Tolgoi LLC between 2013 and 2015. In January 2018, Oyu Tolgoi paid an amount of approximately $5.0 million to settle unpaid taxes, fines and penalties for accepted items.

Following engagement with the MTA, Oyu Tolgoi was advised that the MTA could not resolve Oyu Tolgois objections to the tax assessment. Accordingly, on March 15, 2018, Oyu Tolgoi issued a notice of dispute to the Government of Mongolia under the 2009 Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement (Investment Agreement) and on April 13, 2018, Oyu Tolgoi submitted a claim to the Mongolian Administrative Court. The Administrative Court has currently suspended the processing of the case for an indefinite period based on current procedural uncertainty in relation to the tax assessment disputes. Chapter 14 of the Investment Agreement sets out a dispute resolution process. The issuance of a notice of dispute is the first step in the dispute resolution process and includes a 60-working-day negotiation period. The parties were unable to reach a resolution during the 60-working-day period; however, the parties can continue discussions in an attempt to resolve the dispute in good faith. If unsuccessful, the next step would be dispute resolution through international arbitration.

Turquoise Hill is of the opinion that Oyu Tolgoi has now paid all taxes and charges required under the Investment Agreement, the Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement (ARSHA), the Underground Plan and Mongolian law.

Oyu Tolgoi power supply

Per the Investment Agreement, Oyu Tolgoi has been exploring two domestic power options  a power plant built and operated by Oyu Tolgoi at the mine site or an independent power producer located at the Tavan Tolgoi coal field.

On May 12, 2017, Oyu Tolgoi LLC signed a new power purchase agreement (PPA) with the National Power Transmission Grid (NPTG) of Mongolia. The PPA was executed in connection with the power import arrangement between NPTG and the Inner Mongolia Power International Corporation (IMPIC). The new arrangement took effect on July 4, 2017, subsequent to the expiry of the existing IMPIC agreement, for a term of up to six years, with possibility of early cancellation after the fourth year, if a domestic power plant is commissioned earlier. The extension is essential for Oyu Tolgoi to have secure access to power while it works with the Government of Mongolia on establishing a permanent domestic power source.

On February 15, 2018, Oyu Tolgoi received notification that the Government of Mongolia (Government) had cancelled the Power Sector Cooperation Agreement (PSCA), which was signed in August 2014. The Governments cancellation, under Section 1.3 of the PSCA, indicated the Tavan Tolgoi power project was no longer a viable option. As a result of the Governments cancellation, effective February 15, 2018, long-term power for Oyu Tolgoi must be domestically sourced within four years, in accordance with the Investment Agreement. Oyu Tolgoi, Turquoise Hill and Rio Tinto are committed to fulfilling all requirements under the Investment Agreement and are continuing to evaluate all viable power options.

Subject to further agreement between the Government of Mongolia and Oyu Tolgoi, an Oyu Tolgoi-based power plant is currently the most feasible option that could deliver a domestic source of power within the shortest timeframe and continues to be progressed. A Tavan Tolgoi-based power plant remains as an important option to develop domestic power for Oyu Tolgoi. Work is underway to progress the power strategy during 2018, including further study of the Tavan Tolgoi option, while Oyu Tolgoi continues to actively engage with the Government of Mongolia in relation to this option and Oyu Tolgois long-term power requirements. A final decision on the outcome, cost and financing of a domestic power supply has not been concluded.

Oyu Tolgoi LLC has entered into agreements with three Chinese EPC contractors  China Machinery Engineering Corporation, Harbin Electric International Company Limited and Power Construction Corporation of China  as part of a competitive tender process. Each contractor has been requested to submit a bid for engineering, design and construction of a power station for Oyu Tolgoi LLC in Mongolia. The agreement entered into with each bidder provides that, where a bidder submits a conforming bid and it is not accepted by Oyu Tolgoi LLC, Oyu Tolgoi will pay $500,000 to that bidder to offset the costs of preparing that bid and the early engineering and design work packs.

Funding of Oyu Tolgoi by Turquoise Hill

In accordance with the ARSHA dated June 8, 2011, Turquoise Hill has funded Oyu Tolgois cash requirements beyond internally generated cash flows by a combination of equity investment and shareholder debt.

For amounts funded by debt, Oyu Tolgoi must repay such amounts, including accrued interest, before it can pay common share dividends. As of June 30, 2018, the aggregate outstanding balance of shareholder loans extended by subsidiaries of the Company to Oyu Tolgoi was $4.3 billion, including accrued interest of $0.5 billion. These loans bear interest at an effective annual rate of LIBOR plus 6.5%.

In accordance with the ARSHA, a subsidiary of the Company has funded the common share investments in Oyu Tolgoi on behalf of Erdenes. These funded amounts earn interest at an effective annual rate of LIBOR plus 6.5% and are repayable, by Erdenes to a subsidiary of the Company, via a pledge over Erdenes share of Oyu Tolgoi common share dividends. Erdenes also has the right to reduce the outstanding balance by making cash payments at any time. As of June 30, 2018, the cumulative amount of such funding was $1.0 billion, representing 34% of invested common share equity; unrecognized interest on the funding amounted to $0.4 billion.

Anti-Corruption Authority information requests

Oyu Tolgoi LLC has received information requests from the Mongolian Anti-Corruption Authority (ACA) for information relating to Oyu Tolgoi. The ACA has also conducted interviews in connection with its investigation. Turquoise Hill has inquired as to the status of the investigation and Oyu Tolgoi has informed the Company that the investigation appears to relate primarily to possible abuses of power by certain former Government of Mongolia officials in relation to the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement, and that Oyu Tolgoi is complying with the ACAs requests in accordance with relevant laws. To date, neither Turquoise Hill nor Oyu Tolgoi has received notice from the ACA, or indeed from any regulator, that either company or their employees are subjects of any investigation involving the Oyu Tolgoi project.

The Investment Agreement was authorized by the Mongolian Parliament, concluded after 16 months of negotiations and reviewed by numerous constituencies within the Mongolian Government. Turquoise Hill has been operating in good faith under the terms of the Investment Agreement since 2009, and we believe not only that it is a valid and binding agreement, but that it has proven to be beneficial for all parties.

Adherence to the principles of the Investment Agreement has allowed for the development of Oyu Tolgoi in a manner that has given rise to significant long-term benefits to Mongolia. Benefits from Oyu Tolgois open-pit operations and underground development include, but are not limited to, employment, royalties and taxes, local procurement, economic development and sustainability investments.

Mongolian parliamentary working group

In March 2018, the Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament appointed a Parliamentary Working Group (Working Group) that consisted of 13 Members of Parliament to review the implementation of the Investment Agreement. The Working Group established five sub-working groups consisting of representatives from government ministries, agencies, political parties, non-governmental organizations and professors, to help and support the Working Group. The Working Groups fieldwork has been completed and they were due to report to Parliament before the end of spring session in late June; however, this has been delayed. Any reporting is now expected to be in the autumn session, which starts on October 1, 2018, or in an extraordinary session before then.

CORPORATE ACTIVITIES

Letter to shareholders

On May 3, 2018, the Board of Directors of Turquoise Hill issued a letter to shareholders discussing a review undertaken by the board about matters raised by SailingStone Capital Partners LLC and provided specific actions to be taken.

Election of directors

The nominees set forth in the Companys management proxy circular dated March 28, 2018 were elected as directors of Turquoise Hill at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which took place on May 8, 2018.

Management change

On May 29, 2018, the Company announced the retirement of Turquoise Hill Chief Executive Officer Jeff Tygesen effective July 1, 2018. On June 27, 2018, Turquoise Hill announced that Chief Financial Officer Luke Colton had been appointed to the additional position of interim Chief Executive Officer effective July 1, 2018. On July 30, 2018, the Company announced the appointment of Ulf Quellmann as Chief Executive Officer effective August 1, 2018.

NON-GAAP MEASURES

The Company presents and refers to the following non-GAAP measures, which are not defined in IFRS. A description and calculation of each measure is given below and may differ from similarly named measures provided by other issuers. These measures are presented in order to provide investors and other stakeholders with additional understanding of performance and operations at Oyu Tolgoi and are not intended to be used in isolation from, or as a replacement for, measures prepared in accordance with IFRS.

Operating cash costs

The measure of operating cash costs excludes: depreciation and depletion; exploration and evaluation; charges for asset write-down (including write-down of materials and supplies inventory) and includes management services payments to Rio Tinto and management services payments to Turquoise Hill which are eliminated in the consolidated financial statements of the Company.

C1 cash costs

C1 cash costs is a metric representing the cash cost per unit of extracting and processing the Companys principal metal product, copper, to a condition in which it may be delivered to customers net of gold and silver credits from concentrates sold. It is provided in order to support peer group comparability and to provide investors and other stakeholders with additional information about the underlying cash costs of Oyu Tolgoi and the impact of gold and silver credits on the operations cost structure. C1 cash costs are relevant to understanding the Companys operating profitability and ability to generate cash flow. When calculating costs associated with producing a pound of copper, the Company deducts gold and silver revenue credits as the production cost is reduced as a result of selling these products.

All-in sustaining costs

All-in sustaining costs (AISC) is an extended cash-based cost metric providing further information on the aggregate cash, capital and overhead outlay per unit and is intended to reflect the costs of producing the Companys principal metal product, copper, in both the short term and over the life-cycle of its operations; as a result, sustaining capital expenditure on a cash basis is included rather than depreciation. As the measure seeks to present a full cost of copper production associated with sustaining current operations, development project capital is not included. AISC allows Turquoise Hill to assess the ability of Oyu Tolgoi to support sustaining capital expenditures for future production from the generation of operating cash flows.



A reconciliation of total operating cash costs, C1 cash costs and all-in sustaining costs is provided below.



Operating and unit costs (Three Months Ended) (Six Months Ended) C1 costs (Stated in $000's of dollars) June 30, 2018 March 31, 2018 June 30, 2018 June 30, 2017 Cost of sales 239,622 168,869 408,491 383,236 Cost of sales: $/lb of copper sold 2.36 2.23 2.30 2.26 Depreciation and depletion (64,086) (55,610) (119,696) (153,298) Provision against carrying value of copper-gold concentrate (1,366) 1,366 - 8,462 Change in inventory (30,207) 15,386 (14,821) (13,565) Other operating expenses 56,079 30,285 86,364 76,295 Less: - Inventory (write-down) reversal (4,693) 9,994 5,301 20,062 - Depreciation (539) (719) (1,258) (1,859) Management services payment to Turquoise Hill 6,937 7,049 13,986 12,698 Operating cash costs 201,747 176,620 378,367 332,031 Operating cash costs: $/lb of copper produced 2.32 2.06 2.19 2.00 Adjustments to operating cash costs 15,828 17,246 33,076 52,104 Less: Gold and silver revenues (67,996) (43,671) (111,667) (70,861) C1 costs ($'000) 149,579 150,195 299,776 313,274 C1 costs: $/lb of copper produced 1.72 1.76 1.74 1.89 All-in sustaining costs (Stated in $000's of dollars) Corporate administration 7,372 4,893 12,265 10,154 Asset retirement expense 1,707 1,695 3,402 3,143 Royalty expenses 20,261 14,913 35,174 26,896 Ore stockpile and stores write-down (reversal) 4,693 (9,994) (5,301) (20,062) Other expenses 211 (38) 173 1,228 Sustaining cash capital including deferred stripping 26,734 15,417 42,159 32,012 All-in sustaining costs ($'000) 210,557 177,081 387,648 366,645 All-in sustaining costs: $/lb of copper produced 2.42 2.07 2.25 2.21

(1) Adjustments to operating cash costs include: treatment, refining and freight differential charges less the 5% Government of Mongolia royalty and other expenses not applicable to the definition of C1 cost.

Working capital

Consolidated working capital comprises those components of current assets and liabilities which support and result from the Companys ongoing running of its current operations. It is provided in order to give a quantifiable indication of the Companys short-term cash generation ability and business efficiency. As a measure linked to current operations and the sustainability of the business, working capital excludes: non-trade receivables and payables; financing items; cash and cash equivalents; deferred revenue and non-current inventory.

A reconciliation of consolidated working capital to the financial statements and notes is provided below.

Working capital June 30, December 31, (Stated in $000's of dollars) 2018 2017 Inventories (current) $ 265,722 $ 274,142 Trade and other receivables 52,539 29,089 Trade and other payables: - trade payables and accrued liabilities (416,363 ) (360,697 ) - payable to related parties (44,169 ) (52,308 ) Consolidated working capital $ (142,271 ) $ (109,774 )

Contractual obligations

Section 9 of the Companys MD&A discloses contractual obligations in relation to the Companys lease, purchase and asset retirement obligations. Amounts relating to these obligations are calculated on the basis of the Company carrying out its future business activities and operations as planned at the period end. As such, contractual obligations presented in this MD&A will differ from amounts presented in the financial statements, which are prepared on the basis of minimum uncancellable commitments to pay in the event of contract termination. The MD&A presentation of contractual obligations is provided in order to give an indication of future expenditure, for the disclosed categories, arising from the Companys continuing operations and development projects.

A reconciliation of contractual obligations at June 30, 2018 to the financial statements and notes is provided below.

(Stated in $000's of dollars) Purchase

obligations Power

commitments Operating

leases Finance

leases Decommissioning

obligations Commitments (MD&A) $ 1,164,649 $ 584,293 $ 48,610 $ 12,291 $ 268,226 Cancellable obligations (897,709 ) (174,210 ) - - - (net of exit costs) Accrued capital expenditure (223,995 ) - - - - Discounting and other adjustments - - - - (140,584 ) Financial statement amount $ 42,945 $ 410,083 $ 48,610 $ 12,291 $ 127,642

QUALIFIED PERSON

Disclosure of a scientific or technical nature in this MD&A in respect of the Oyu Tolgoi mine was prepared under the supervision of Bernard Peters, Technical Director  Mining, OreWin Pty Ltd., B. Eng. (Mining), FAusIMM (201743), and Sharron Sylvester, Technical Director  Geology, OreWin Pty Ltd., BSc (Geol.), RPGeo AIG (10125). Each of these individuals is a qualified person as that term is defined in NI 43-101.

SELECTED QUARTERLY DATA





($ in millions, except per share information) Quarter Ended Jun-30 Mar-31 Dec-31 Sep-30 2018 2018 2017 2017 Revenue $ 341.7 $ 245.6 $ 251.7 $ 246.9 Income for the period $ 204.4 $ 79.7 $ 33.9 $ 47.7 Income attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill $ 171.3 $ 85.7 $ 51.1 $ 65.3 Basic and diluted income per share attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill $ 0.09 $ 0.04 $ 0.03 $ 0.03 Quarter Ended Jun-30 Mar-31 Dec-31 Sep-30 2017 2017 2016 2016 Revenue $ 203.7 $ 237.5 $ 224.6 $ 226.3 Income (loss) for the period $ (0.4) $ 29.7 $ 86.8 $ (77.8) Income (loss) attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill $ 23.8 $ 41.0 $ 93.3 $ (31.4) Basic and diluted income (loss) per share attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill $ 0.01 $ 0.02 $ 0.05 $ (0.02)





KEY STATISTICS1

2Q

2017 3Q

2017 4Q

2017 1Q

2018 2Q

2018 1H

2018 1H

2017 Full Year

2017 Operating results Open pit material mined (000 tonnes) 25,193 27,466 28,929 23,131 22,792 45,923 49,527 105,921 Ore treated (000 tonnes) 9,637 10,615 10,838 9,561 10,164 19,725 19,724 41,177 Average mill head grades: Copper (%) 0.51 0.48 0.53 0.51 0.48 0.50 0.51 0.51 Gold (g/t) 0.16 0.18 0.20 0.25 0.26 0.25 0.15 0.17 Silver (g/t) 1.38 1.34 1.54 1.32 1.17 1.24 1.34 1.39 Concentrates produced (000 tonnes) 171.0 170.0 205.4 177.3 178.8 356.1 347.0 722.5 Average concentrate grade (% Cu) 21.8 21.7 22.0 21.9 22.0 22.0 21.7 21.8 Production of metals in concentrates: Copper (000 tonnes) 37.2 36.9 45.3 38.8 39.4 78.2 75.3 157.4 Gold (000 ounces) 24 31 35 42 50 92 49 114 Silver (000 ounces) 236 239 285 221 225 446 450 974 Concentrates sold (000 tonnes) 182.0 176.6 175.5 163.1 220.0 383.1 372.2 724.3 Sales of metals in concentrates: Copper (000 tonnes) 37.3 36.9 35.7 34.3 46.1 80.4 76.7 149.3 Gold (000 ounces) 23 29 27 31 51 82 55 111 Silver (000 ounces) 222 229 205 206 250 456 427 860 Metal recovery (%) Copper 74.6 73.5 78.0 79.5 79.7 79.6 74.7 75.4 Gold 47.7 51.2 50.5 55.0 59.8 57.6 48.3 49.7 Silver 53.9 52.8 53.0 54.6 58.4 56.4 52.9 52.9 Financial results ($ in millions, unless otherwise noted) Revenue 203.7 246.9 251.7 245.6 341.7 587.3 441.1 939.8 Revenue by metals in concentrates Copper 173.7 209.2 216.1 202.1 273.7 475.8 370.3 795.6 Gold 26.6 34.2 32.5 40.3 64.1 104.3 64.1 130.8 Silver 3.3 3.5 3.2 3.2 4.0 7.2 6.7 13.4 Operating cash flow 51.5 94.7 91.1 14.7 149.6 164.3 139.9 325.8 Cost of sales 188.9 197.8 182.7 168.9 239.6 408.5 383.2 763.8 Production and delivery costs 117.7 123.4 106.6 114.6 174.2 288.8 238.4 468.4 Depreciation and depletion 75.0 77.4 73.4 55.6 64.1 119.7 153.3 304.1 Capital expenditure on cash basis 205.2 234.0 330.4 285.7 318.0 603.8 353.0 917.5 Underground 184.7 205.6 309.0 270.5 291.2 561.7 321.1 835.7 Open pit (2) 20.5 28.4 21.4 15.2 26.8 42.0 32.0 81.8 Royalties 12.5 14.5 15.8 14.9 20.3 35.2 26.9 57.1 Operating cash costs(3) 163.6 161.9 217.7 176.6 201.7 378.4 332.0 711.6 Unit costs ($) Cost of sales (per pound of copper sold) 2.30 2.43 2.32 2.23 2.36 2.30 2.26 2.32 C1 (per pound of copper produced) (3) 1.92 1.83 2.05 1.76 1.72 1.74 1.89 1.92 All-in sustaining (per pound of copper produced) (3) 2.27 2.76 2.40 2.07 2.42 2.25 2.21 2.39 Financial position Cash and cash equivalents ($000,000) 1,378.5 1,485.5 1,444.8 1,498.4 1,463.3 1,444.8

(1) Any financial information in this press release should be reviewed in conjunction with the Companys consolidated financial statements or condensed interim consolidated financial statements for the reporting periods indicated.

(2) Open-pit capital expenditure includes both sustaining and non-underground development activities.

(3) Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES section of this press release for further information.

TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD. Consolidated Statements of Income (Stated in thousands of U.S. dollars) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, Note 2018 2017 2018 2017 Revenue 4 $ 341,743 $ 203,668 $ 587,335 $ 441,134 Cost of sales 5 (239,622 ) (188,857 ) (408,491 ) (383,236 ) Gross margin 102,121 14,811 178,844 57,898 Operating expenses 6 (56,079 ) (35,638 ) (86,364 ) (76,295 ) Corporate administration expenses (7,372 ) (5,662 ) (12,265 ) (10,154 ) Other income 3,012 2,051 334 1,314 Income (loss) before finance items and taxes 41,682 (24,438 ) 80,549 (27,237 ) Finance items Finance income 7 41,395 41,478 80,290 79,384 Finance costs 7 (16,816 ) (41,195 ) (40,802 ) (85,003 ) 24,579 283 39,488 (5,619 ) Income (loss) from operations before taxes $ 66,261 $ (24,155 ) $ 120,037 $ (32,856 ) Income and other taxes 138,185 23,760 164,113 62,177 Income (loss) for the period $ 204,446 $ (395 ) $ 284,150 $ 29,321 Attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. 171,295 23,846 256,987 64,814 Attributable to owner of non-controlling interest 33,151 (24,241 ) 27,163 (35,493 ) Income (loss) for the period $ 204,446 $ (395 ) $ 284,150 $ 29,321 Basic and diluted earnings per share attributable to Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. 18 $ 0.09 $ 0.01 $ 0.13 $ 0.03 Basic weighted average number of shares outstanding (000's) 2,012,314 2,012,314 2,012,314 2,012,314 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD. Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Stated in thousands of U.S. dollars) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Income (loss) for the period $ 204,446 $ (395 ) $ 284,150 $ 29,321 Other comprehensive income (loss): Items that will not be reclassified to income: Changes in the fair value of marketable securities at FVOCI 902 (1,835 ) (2,298 ) 839 Items that have been reclassified to income: Gain on revaluation of marketable securities transferred to the statement of income - - - (39 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) for the period (a) $ 902 $ (1,835 ) $ (2,298 ) $ 800 Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period $ 205,348 $ (2,230 ) $ 281,852 $ 30,121 Attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill 172,197 22,011 254,689 65,614 Attributable to owner of non-controlling interest 33,151 (24,241 ) 27,163 (35,493 ) Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period $ 205,348 $ (2,230 ) $ 281,852 $ 30,121 (a) No tax charges and credits arose on items recognized as other comprehensive income or loss in 2018 (2017: nil). The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Stated in thousands of U.S. dollars) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, Note 2018 2017 2018 2017 Cash generated from operating activities before interest and tax 17 $ 149,647 $ 51,464 $ 164,327 $ 139,944 Interest received 20,949 14,336 39,968 26,674 Interest paid (118,586 ) (107,173 ) (130,807 ) (119,817 ) Income and other taxes paid (3,634 ) (2,592 ) (5,702 ) (4,478 ) Net cash generated from (used in) operating activities $ 48,376 $ (43,965 ) $ 67,786 $ 42,323 Cash flows from investing activities Receivable from related party: amounts withdrawn 19 230,000 240,000 550,000 270,000 Expenditures on property, plant and equipment (318,048 ) (205,166 ) (603,764 ) (353,042 ) Proceeds from sale and redemption of financial assets - - - 63 Other investing cash flows 616 173 616 173 Cash generated from (used in) investing activities $ (87,432 ) $ 35,007 $ (53,148 ) $ (82,806 ) Cash flows from financing activities Net proceeds from project finance facility 4,158 3,082 4,158 3,082 Payment of project finance fees (192 ) (1,910 ) (192 ) (1,910 ) Cash generated from financing activities $ 3,966 $ 1,172 $ 3,966 $ 1,172 Effects of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents (69 ) 10 (113 ) 66 Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents $ (35,159 ) $ (7,776 ) $ 18,491 $ (39,245 ) Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period $ 1,498,433 $ 1,386,285 $ 1,444,783 $ 1,417,754 Cash and cash equivalents - end of period 1,463,274 1,378,509 1,463,274 1,378,509 Cash and cash equivalents as presented on the balance sheets $ 1,463,274 $ 1,378,509 $ 1,463,274 $ 1,378,509 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.







TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD. Consolidated Balance Sheets (Stated in thousands of U.S. dollars) (Unaudited) June 30, December 31, Note 2018 2017 Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 8 $ 1,463,274 $ 1,444,783 Inventories 9 265,722 274,142 Trade and other receivables 52,539 29,089 Prepaid expenses and other assets 47,358 49,552 Receivable from related party 10 1,177,435 1,367,586 3,006,328 3,165,152 Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 11 8,052,610 7,346,972 Inventories 9 17,740 43,379 Deferred income tax assets 14 651,382 473,742 Receivable from related party and other financial assets 10 1,442,231 1,804,074 10,163,963 9,668,167 Total assets $ 13,170,291 $ 12,833,319 Current liabilities Trade and other payables 12 $ 469,694 $ 435,869 Deferred revenue 65,914 67,598 535,608 503,467 Non-current liabilities Borrowings and other financial liabilities 13 4,170,636 4,159,119 Deferred income tax liabilities 14 35,097 25,788 Decommissioning obligations 15 127,642 125,721 4,333,375 4,310,628 Total liabilities $ 4,868,983 $ 4,814,095 Equity Share capital $ 11,432,122 $ 11,432,122 Contributed surplus 1,558,334 1,558,102 Accumulated other comprehensive income 1,421 3,719 Deficit (3,824,521 ) (4,081,508 ) Equity attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill 9,167,356 8,912,435 Attributable to non-controlling interest 16 (866,048 ) (893,211 ) Total equity $ 8,301,308 $ 8,019,224 Total liabilities and equity $ 13,170,291 $ 12,833,319 Commitments and contingencies (Note 20) The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD. Consolidated Statements of Equity (Stated in thousands of U.S. dollars) (Unaudited) Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 Attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill Accumulated other Non-controlling Contributed comprehensive Interest Share capital surplus income (loss) Deficit Total (Note 16) Total equity Opening balance $ 11,432,122 $ 1,558,102 $ 3,719 $ (4,081,508 ) $ 8,912,435 $ (893,211 ) $ 8,019,224 Income for the period - - - 256,987 256,987 27,163 284,150 Other comprehensive loss for the period - - (2,298 ) - (2,298 ) - (2,298 ) Employee share plans - 232 - - 232 - 232 Closing balance $ 11,432,122 $ 1,558,334 $ 1,421 $ (3,824,521 ) $ 9,167,356 $ (866,048 ) $ 8,301,308 Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 Attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill Accumulated other Non-controlling Contributed comprehensive Interest Share capital surplus income (loss) Deficit Total (Note 16) Total equity Opening balance $ 11,432,122 $ 1,557,913 $ (402 ) $ (4,262,755 ) $ 8,726,878 $ (822,892 ) $ 7,903,986 Income for the period - - - 64,814 64,814 (35,493 ) 29,321 Other comprehensive income for the period - - 800 - 800 - 800 Employee share plans - 9 - - 9 - 9 Closing balance $ 11,432,122 $ 1,557,922 $ 398 $ (4,197,941 ) $ 8,792,501 $ (858,385 ) $ 7,934,116 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Contact

Investors and Media

Tony Shaffer

+ 604 648 3934

tony.shaffer@turquoisehill.com

Follow us on Twitter @TurquoiseHillRe

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements made herein, including statements relating to matters that are not historical facts and statements of the Companys beliefs, intentions and expectations about developments, results and events which will or may occur in the future, constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements and information relate to future events or future performance, reflect current expectations or beliefs regarding future events and are typically identified by words such as anticipate, could, should, expect, seek, may, intend, likely, plan, estimate, will, believe and similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. These include, but are not limited to, statements about anticipated business activities, planned expenditures, corporate strategies, and other statements that are not historical facts.

Forward-looking statements and information are made based upon certain assumptions and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements or information. There can be no assurance that such statements or information will prove to be accurate. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies, local and global economic conditions, and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of copper, gold and silver, anticipated capital and operating costs, anticipated future production and cash flows, and the status of the Companys relationship and interaction with the Government of Mongolia on the continued operation and development of Oyu Tolgoi and Oyu Tolgoi LLC internal governance. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and information include, among others, copper; gold and silver price volatility; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; development plans for processing resources; matters relating to proposed exploration or expansion; mining operational and development risks; litigation risks; regulatory restrictions (including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability); Oyu Tolgoi LLCs ability to deliver a domestic power source for the Oyu Tolgoi project within the required contractual time frame; communications with local stakeholders and community relations; activities, actions or assessments, including tax assessments, by governmental authorities; events or circumstances (including strikes, blockages or similar events outside of the Companys control) that may affect the Companys ability to deliver its products in a timely manner; currency fluctuations; the speculative nature of mineral exploration; the global economic climate; dilution; share price volatility; competition; loss of key employees; cyber security incidents; additional funding requirements, including in respect of the development or construction of a long-term domestic power supply for the Oyu Tolgoi project; capital and operating costs, including with respect to the development of additional deposits and processing facilities; and defective title to mineral claims or property. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. All such forward-looking statements and information are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Companys management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. These statements, however, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements or information.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, which contribute to the possibility that the predicted outcomes will not occur. Events or circumstances could cause the Companys actual results to differ materially from those estimated or projected and expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements are included in the Risk Factors section in the Companys Annual Information Form dated as of March 15, 2018 in respect of the year ended December 31, 2017 (the AIF).

Readers are further cautioned that the list of factors enumerated in the Risk Factors section of the AIF that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on the Companys forward-looking statements and information to make decisions with respect to the Company, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events.



Hi asifh,Im sorry to hear about how things when with your GMAT. Since you scored between 580 and 690 on practice tests, and scored 640 on the actual GMAT, your real GMAT score seems to accurately reflect your current ability level.While 640 is a solid start, as Im sure you are aware, you will need to put in a lot of effort and time to improve to a 720+ GMAT score. Thus, you probably will need to push your test back to a later date, and take the test only once you are hitting your score goal on practice exams. That being said, Im happy to provide some advice on how to improve your GMAT score.It's possible to score 640 without fully understanding some topics or refining certain skills. In order for you to score 720+, your preparation is going to have to be more complete. So, to increase your quant and verbal scores to higher levels, you have to go through GMAT quant and verbal carefully to find your exact weaknesses, fill gaps in your knowledge, and strengthen your skills. The overall process will be to find weaker areas, learn all about how to answer questions of types that you aren't that comfortable with now, and do dozens of practice questions category by category, basically driving your score up point by point.For example, if you were to find that you are not strong in answering Number Properties questions, you would carefully review the conceptual underpinnings of how to answer Number Properties questions and practice by answering 50 or more questions just from Number Properties: LCM, GCF, units digit patterns, divisibility, remainders, etc. As you do such practice, do a thorough analysis of each question that you don't get right. If you got a remainder question wrong, ask yourself why you got it wrong. Did you make a careless mistake? Did you not properly apply the remainder formula? Was there a concept you did not understand in the question? By carefully analyzing your mistakes, you will be able to efficiently fix your weaknesses and in turn improve your GMAT quant skills. Number Properties is just one example; follow this process for all quant topics.Each time you strengthen your understanding of a topic and your skill in answering questions of a particular type, you increase your odds of hitting your score goal. You know that there are types of questions that you are happy to see and types that you would rather not see and that there are types questions that take you a long time to answer correctly. Learn to more effectively answer the types of questions that you would rather not see, and make them into your favorite types. Learn to correctly answer in two minutes or less questions that currently take you five minutes to answer. By finding, say, a dozen weaker quant areas and turning them into strong areas, you will make great progress toward hitting your quant score goal. If a dozen areas turn out not to be enough, make some more areas stronger.You can work on verbal in a similar manner. Lets say you are reviewing Critical Reasoning. Be sure that you practice a large number of Critical Reasoning questions: Strengthen and Weaken the argument, Resolve the Paradox, Find the Conclusion, Must be True, etc.As you go through the questions, do a thorough analysis of each question that you don't get correct. If you missed a Weaken question, ask yourself why you didn't get it right. Did you make a careless mistake? Did you not recognize what the question was asking? Did you skip over a key detail in an answer choice? Getting GMAT verbal questions right is a matter of what you know, what you see, and what you do. So, any time that you don't get one right, you can seek to identify what, if anything, you would have needed to know in order to get the right answer, what you had to see that you didn't see, and what you could have done differently to arrive at the correct answer.When you do dozens of questions of the same type one after the other, you learn just what it takes to get questions of that type correct consistently. If you aren't getting close to 90 percent of the questions of a certain type correct, go back and seek to better understand how that type of question works, and then do more questions of that type until you get to at least around 90 percent accuracy in your training. If you get 100 percent of some sets correct, even better.So, work on accuracy and generally finding correct answers, work on specific weaker areas one by one to make them strong areas, and, when you take a practice GMAT or the real thing, take all the time per question available to do your absolute best to get right answers consistently.The GMAT is essentially a game of seeing how many right answers you can get in the time allotted. Approach the test with that conception in mind, and focus intently on the question in front of you with one goal in mind: getting a CORRECT answer.In order to follow the path described above, you may need some new verbal and quant materials, so take a look at the GMAT Club reviews for the best quant and verbal courses You also may find it helpful to read my article for more information regardingPlease reach out with further questions.Good luck!_________________As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQThis especially goes for our allies in the Middle East and Europe, people who have themselves been terrorized by violent regimes activity for decades. Pompeo added, The level of corruption and wealth among Iranian leaders shows that Iran is run by something that resembles the mafia more than a government.

The Transparency Organization ranked Iran 130th out of 180 countries, last year. It said that the regime has low transparency and high corruption.

Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, compared corruption to a seven-headed dragon, saying if you cut one head off, youre still left with another six.

I think that more than 150 thousand billion Toman of the countrys financial flows are underground. It exists outside of tax monitoring and is practically money laundering, said Pedram Soltani, vice chairman of Irans chamber of commerce. Some believe this statement to mean that hes actually accusing the Supreme Leader. Khamenei, however, appears to hold Iranian President Rouhani responsible.

On Monday, regime affiliated Keyhan Daily wrote that the parliament economic commission chairman announced, In the final months of 2017, 30 billion dollars worth of Iranian currency was taken out of the country.

The deputy chief of justice, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, arrested 13 individuals in connection with corruption. He alleged that the individuals arrested for illegal exchange, corrupt financial dealings, and illicit trading of vehicles.

An online media headline recently announced, Mighty Corruption File of the Past 25 Years, and revealed a 123 billion Toman embezzlement that occurred in the early 1970s. While this was a shock to the Iranian people, another corruption case from a few years later was also uncovered, this one for 3,000 billion Toman, which set a new record.

2013 saw a fraud involving oil shipments, that was worth 2.7 billion euro. In 2015, an oil rig went missing that was worth $124 million. Then again, in 2016, corruption was discovered from the Teachers Investment Fund and Capital Bank worth 8 thousand billion Toman.Several years ago, Iran rolled out its stealth fighter Qaher F-313 in front of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Regime said that the project was real, already able to fly, superior to the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and would soon be operational.

Now, if that sounds too good to be true, thats because it is. Defence and aerospace experts from around the world met this announcement with exactly the sort of derision it deserved, but the Regime vowed that their aircraft would show the rest of the world.

But the Qaher F-313 stealth fighter has never been unveiled to the world and hasnt been heard about in the past five years. Why? Well it was all a badly planned hoax from the start. Even the mock-ups of the Qaher F-313 appears to be little more than a propaganda stunt, designed to make the Regime look more powerful to the people, and never really intended to receive outside media attention.

The most obvious flaw is that the aircraft is far too small to hold the required amount of fuel, let alone any actual weapons. It was also doubtful that the cockpit could accommodate a fully grown pilot and there was a strong belief that the aircraft didnt have an engine, which would severely counter claims that it could already fly. The mock-up did not even contain access panels, required for routine maintenance on every aircraft, or internal weapons bays, which are needed on stealth aircraft to maintain the jets low observable signature while carrying weapons.

The aircraft mock-up has not been seen since 2013, but it is likely hidden away in the Regimes prop cupboard for the next unconvincing performance.

Defence expert Dave Majumdar wrote: Stealth aircraft design is much more involved than simply mastering the low observable shapes. There are advanced materials sciences that need to be developed for the aircrafts skin and coatings. Advanced analytical tools are needed to shape the internal bulkheads and other structures. Moreover, one has to master the man-machine interfaces so that a pilot can manage the aircrafts RCS spikes in flight. There is no evidencenow or back in 2013that suggests that Iran has mastered those technologies.

While the barefaced lies of the mullahs are nothing new, this ridiculous stunt actually shows that the Regime is incredibly unstable and weak. Why else would it feel the need to mislead its people like this? This can only mean that the fall of the Regime is near and that the Iranian people will soon know freedom.Indeed, Trump recently said: I know [Iran] will bow and will come to me with a better deal than the one the former American administration signed.

It is even possible that Trumps long transition period between announcing and enacting returning US sanctions on Iran was designed to give Iran the chance to negotiate, which they have failed to do.

One thing is certain though; Iran is the only one who can offer concessions here because the US will not budge when it comes to putting pressure on the worlds leading state-sponsor of terrorism and honestly, Iran doesnt have a lot of other options. It cant withstand economic sanctions, a domestic uprising, or a costly war for very long.

The USs plan is to acquire a better deal on Irans nuclear weapons and it seems, from Trumps tweets, that Iran may be more than ready to concede to this deal and the 12 conditions that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded earlier this year, which included more respect for human rights.

Abdulrahman al-Rashed, the former General Manager of Al Arabiya News Channel, wrote: These conditions seemed like a roadmap aimed at toppling the regime, but wrapped in talks about changing the regimes behaviour only.

So could the US help spur regime change in Iran under the guise of getting a better nuclear deal? Possibly.

There is no doubt that the Iranian Regime, like all dictatorships, will eventually fall, Indeed, the mullahs regime is one of the last in the world and its way past its expiration date. The people of Iran will soon bring about the collapse of the Iranian Regime, but the US can help quicken the pace.

Rashed wrote: Iran did not change and did not deviate one inch since the establishment of its extremist security theological regime in 1979. This regime has reached the phase of old age, and it will not be capable of controlling the domestic situation if it does not change. It will collapse in a few years without any foreign attacks on it.Since the beginning of the year, over 8,700 people have died of heart diseases in the Ukrainian capital.

Deputy head of Kyiv's Main Statistics Department Oleh Nastoyashchyi says heart diseases are among major causes behind the death of residents of Kyiv.

Read alsoAbout 2 mln people in Ukraine infected with hepatitis C virus  Health ministry

"From January to May 2018, more than 8,700 people died in Kyiv from circulatory system diseases, including cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease and other types of cardiac pathologies," he told the 44.ua local news outlet on August 1.

As was the case in the first five months of 2017, circulatory system diseases ranked first, accounting for 63.9% of the total number of deaths in Kyiv in the same period of 2018, while neoplasms accounted for 17.1%, digestive system diseases for 5%, and respiratory diseases for 2.5%. The share of deaths from accidents and violence was 4.2%.This is not by Banksy, was a response from the artists official email to an inquiry from the Kyiv Post on July 31.

facebook.com/stanislavlutskovych

Graffiti works signed with the name of Banksy, a world-known anonymous street artist, were spotted in Kyiv at the end of July. The artworks turned out to be fake.

Three street artworks signed Banksy, spotted in Kyiv at the end of July, werent done by the world-famous anonymous street artist Banksy, contrary to what Ukrainian media reported, according to the Kyiv Post.

This is not by Banksy, was a response from the artists official email to an inquiry from the Kyiv Post on July 31.

Banksy is believed to be a UK-based street artist who creates satirical graffiti focusing on political and social issues all over the world.Los Angeles Blocked Access to 3D Printers to Make Deadly Plastic Guns

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump came under heavy pressure Tuesday to block blueprints for 3D printers to make deadly plastic guns, stepping into the dispute after his administration agreed to allow plans for guns that could be easy to conceal and difficult to trace.

Trump tweeted he was looking into the issue and consulting with the National Rifle Association.

The election-year headache is a problem of the administrations own making. After a years-long court battle, the State Department in late June settled a case against a Texas company that wants to provide directions that would allow people to computer-print their own guns.

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The settlement, which took gun-control advocates by surprise, allowed Austin-based Defense Distributors to resume posting blueprints for the hard-plastic guns at the end of July.

Democrats sounded the alarm, warning about ghost guns that can avoid detection and pose a deadly hazard.

All you need is a little money and you can download a blueprint from the internet to make a gun at home, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. No background check. No criminal history check.

The companys website said downloads would begin Wednesday, but blueprints for at least one gun  a plastic pistol called the Liberator  have been posted on the site since Friday. A lawyer for the company said he didnt know how many blueprints had been downloaded since then.

Outrage over the administration decision is putting gun-control back into the election-year political debate, but with a high-tech twist.

The president seemed to express surprise. He said on Twitter he was looking into the idea of a company providing plans to the public for printing guns, and he said it doesnt seem to make much sense!

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Democrats agreed and said Trump had the power to stop it.

Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts said Trump has boasted that he alone can fix problems afflicting the country.

Well, fix this deadly mistake that once again your administration has made, Markey said.

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal went further, saying that if Trump does not block the open printing of 3D guns, Blood is going to be on his hands.

At least one Republican also expressed concern.

Even as a strong supporter of the Second Amendment  this is not right, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski tweeted, linking to a news story on the guns.

Eight states have filed suit to block the administrations decision, contending that the plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety.

The NRA said in a statement that anti-gun politicians and some members of the news media wrongly claim that 3D printing technology will allow for the production and widespread proliferation of undetectable plastic firearms.

In truth, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years, said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRAs political arm. A federal law passed in 1988 crafted with NRA support  bars the manufacture, sale or possession of an undetectable firearm.

Trump spokesman Hogan Gidley made much the same point, saying the administration supports the law against wholly plastic guns, including those made with a 3D printer.

And Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the second-ranking Republican, said, People shouldnt be under the impression they can download this and make an undetectable firearm.

But Democrats called the law weak and said gun users can get around it by using weapons with a removable metal block that the gun doesnt need in order to function.

Markey, Blumenthal and other Democrats filed legislation that would prohibit the publication of a digital file online that allows a 3D printer to manufacture a firearm. Democrats also filed a separate bill to require that all guns have at least one non-removable component made of metal.

The second measure is intended to ensure that even guns primarily made of plastic can be discovered by metal detectors.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, blocked a Democratic request to bring the bill straight to the Senate floor, citing First Amendment free speech concerns.

In a suit filed Monday in Seattle, eight Democratic attorneys general asked a judge to block the federal governments settlement with Defense Distributed.

People can use the blueprints to manufacture plastic guns using a 3D printer. But industry experts have expressed doubts that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns can cost thousands of dollars, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by.

Unlike traditional firearms that can fire thousands of rounds in a lifetime, the 3D-printed guns normally last only a few rounds before they fall apart, experts say. They usually hold a bullet or two and then must be manually loaded. And theyre not usually very accurate.

Chris Knox, communications director for The Firearms Coalition, a gun-rights group, called the Liberator handgun a very crude  zip gun and said the growing debate over 3D printed guns was an overreaction.

Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, first published downloadable designs for a 3D-printed firearm in 2013. The plans were downloaded about 100,000 times until the State Department ordered him to cease, contending the effort violated federal export laws since some of the blueprints were downloaded by people outside the United States.

The State Department reversed course last month, agreeing to allow Wilson to resume posting the blueprints.

The company filed its own suit in Texas on Sunday, asserting that its the victim of an ideologically fueled program of intimidation and harassment that violates the companys First Amendment rights.

Meanwhile, Defense Distributed agreed to block temporarily Pennsylvania residents from downloading the plans after state officials went to federal court in Philadelphia on Sunday seeking an emergency order. The company said it had also blocked access to users in New Jersey and Los Angeles.Editor's Note: A federal judge in Washington state issued a temporary restraining order late Tuesday to stop the release of 3-D gun printing plans.

President Donald Trump says he is studying whether guns made by a three-dimensional (3-D) printer should be sold in the United States.

Trump wrote on Twitter the idea doesnt seem to make much sense! He added that he spoke to the National Rifle Association (NRA) about the issue.

The NRA is the largest American organization representing the interests of gun owners.

Trumps comments come as eight states and the District of Columbia are taking legal action against his administration for permitting the release of the gun-printing plans. They say anyone following those step-by-step directions could use 3-D printer technology to create a gun out of plastic.

State attorneys general are the state officials who can bring cases against the federal government.

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson is leading the case against the Trump administration. He said the gun-printing plans are a danger to the public.

These downloadable guns are unregistered and very difficult to detect, even with metal detectors, and will be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history, he said.

The eight states and the District of Columbia argue that permitting people to make their own guns violates state controls over weapons.

Officials say that 1,000 people have already downloaded the directions for plastic guns.

Plans for printing a gun available to the public

A Texas company created the designs. They enable anyone with a 3-D printer to make the parts of a plastic gun that would cost just a few hundred dollars.

The same directions are also at the center of legal action over whether they can be made available to the public.

The State Department had ordered a gun rights activist to stop providing the directions. State Department officials said the plans violated U.S. export laws.

The activist, Cody Wilson, argued that the ban violated his rights under the U.S. constitution. In June, the Trump administration changed its position to permit publication of some instructions.

Gun experts say plastic guns may not work without some metal parts and that they could blow up in the hands of users. They add that 3-D printing technology can be very costly.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Kenneth Schwartz reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

three-dimensional adj. having length, width and height

printer  n. a device for making copies of a photograph or other object

detect  v. to discover the presence of something

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.Microsoft knows you probably dont have a Windows phone so the company has been busy releasing apps for Android and iOS in recent years. A few months ago the company also unveiled a new app that would bring new features to Windows for folks that have an iPhone or Android device and now the company says the Your Phone app will be available to members of the Windows Insider preview program soon.

The company is laying the groundwork with the release of Windows Insider preview build 17728.

So what will Your Phone be able to do?

Microsoft says its starting with a few features, including:

Android: Take a picture on your phone and it will automatically be backed up to your PC, where you can see it from the Recent Photos section of the app. Youll be able to drag and drop photos from the app into other applications including PowerPoint.

iPhone: Send web pages from your phone to your PC to pick up browsing where you left off

In the future Microsoft plans to add the ability to send text messages from your PC, view smartphone notifications, and interact with phone content in other ways without unlocking your phone or taking it out of your pocket.

In order to use Your Phone on a PC, youll need to install an app on your smartphone. Microsoft says it supports Andorid 7.0 or later. Theres no word on the minimum requirements for iOS users.

Other changes in preview build 17728 include improvements for Narrator and a bunch of bug fixes. You can find out more in Microsofts blog post.

Share this article: Share this: Facebook

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According to reports, 21 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were stranded in Iran have been found and are to be released soon. The fishermen will be sent back to Chennai in batches from August.

The effort came after Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami urged the Modi government to take a step into bringing back the 21 stranded fishermen. He had urged the PM to direct the Indian embassy in Iran to take the necessary steps.

The happy news was shared by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who tweeted, "I am happy to inform that 21 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu who were stranded at Nakhitaghi (Iran) have been released with the efforts of Indian Embassy in Iran and our Consulate at Bandar Abbas."

The fishermen were reportedly engaged in fishing for more than six months on their employers' boats. However, they were not provided with a fair wage. Their request to leave for India was also denied by the employers.The Angolan Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry plans to remove the embargo placed on exploration of forest resources on August 8 with the opening of the 2018 campaign in a ceremony to be held in the province of Moxico, said the Angolan national director of Forests, Domingos Nazare Veloso.

Nazare Veloso said that the ceremony will take place during the next advisory council of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, on August 8 and 9 in the city of Luena, capital of the province of Moxico.

The order to suspend all activities related to the exploration of forest resources was enacted in January by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, when news of illegal felling across the country was rife, with the provinces of Kwando Kubango and Moxico seen as the main areas where this was occurring.

In addition to indiscriminate felling, another concern of the authorities was the subsequent treatment of timber, from transport to sale. In this regard, the Ministries of Agriculture, of the Interior and of Transport approved a Joint Executive Order in 2016, which governs the inter-provincial transport of timber.

At the time the suspension was announced, the Ministry of Agriculture justified the measure with the need to adapt the operation of the sector to new legislation, approved in 2017, replacing laws in place since the colonial period.

Similarly to the previous law, the new legislation allows national citizens to explore forest resources but to export it requires prior presentation of the proof of payment by deposit in one of the countrys banks, or a letter of credit of the currencies corresponding to the shipment of cubic metres to be explored in a given area.

Angola has a forest area estimated at 69.3 million hectares, representing 55.6 percent of its land area, and commercial timber reserves estimated at 4.5 billion cubic metres. MDT/MacauhubAn extremist who planned a suicide attack with Molotov cocktails in Australia after he was prevented from flying to Syria to fight was sentenced by an Australian judge yesterday to 17 years in prison.

Agim Kruezi, 25, had pleaded guilty in the Queensland state Supreme Court to preparing for an incursion into a foreign state and preparing for a terrorist act.

It is illegal under Australian law for an Australian citizen to fight in a foreign country except for a state military force.

Kruezi was sentenced to 17 years and four months in prison, with a non-parole period of 13 years.

Justice Rosalyn Atkinson found he had not rejected the violent, extremist views that led him to buying materials to create Molotov cocktails to unleash an attack.

You remain a serious risk to the public, Atkinson said.

She ruled Kruezi wanted to create death or destruction in Australia and was motivated by a religious duty.

Kruezis bid to travel to Syria to fight with al-Qaida-affiliated Jabhat Al Nusrah in March 2014 was blocked by officials at Brisbane Airport.

He turned his focus to an attack on home soil after his passport was canceled.

He was arrested in a police raid at his home in Logan, south of Brisbane, in September 2014 after buying 10 liters of gasoline in a jerry can.

Prosecutor Lincoln Crowley told the court Kruezi was planning to kill random, innocent people in a public place and ultimately die as a martyr in that attack. APAn Australian minister said yesterday a new infrastructure partnership with the United States and Japan does not challenge growing Chinese investment in the Indo-Pacific region.

The U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corp., the Japan Bank for Investment Cooperation and the Australian government announced earlier this week a trilateral partnership to invest in infrastructure in the region.

The move comes amid growing concerns about an increase in Chinese influence through the countrys One Belt One Road infrastructure program.

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo denied the three-way initiative was a challenge to China, saying it only added to various regional programs already underway.

Its wrong to view these things as either/or. The fact is we can participate in and be part of all of the initiatives in the region, Ciobo told Sky News television.

All of this, this broad sweep of initiatives in the region, is all about addressing the huge unmet demand for the provision of infrastructure throughout the Indo-Pacific region, he added.

Ciobo said he did not expect a backlash from China.

The fact is that we demonstrate consistently that Australia is very focused on making sure that we can help the least-developed economies in our region to get on to a more economically sustainable footing, he said.

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China viewed the move positively and was willing to work together with relevant countries including the U.S. to boost regional economic growth, stability and prosperity.

If the U.S. and any other countries have the will to step up infrastructure investment to boost regional interconnectivity, we welcome it, Geng told reporters at a daily briefing.

Without making specific reference to China, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday the United States is seeking partners, not domination in the region.

The three partners said in a joint statement that good investments stem from transparency, open competition, sustainability, adhering to robust global standards, employing the local workforce, and avoiding unsustainable debt burdens.

We will uphold these principles as we mobilize investment in infrastructure, such as energy, transportation, tourism, and technology that will help stabilize economies, enhance connectivity, and provide lasting benefits throughout the region, the statement said.

Australia and New Zealand said last month they were set to seal a new security agreement with their Pacific island neighbors as China increases its influence in the region.

The agreement was expected to be signed at the 18-nation Pacific Islands Forum in September, New Zealands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, describing the Pacific as an increasingly contested strategic environment.

China protested in January when Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Concetta Fierravanti-Wells said Chinese aid programs in poor Pacific island countries were creating white elephants that threatened economic stability without delivering benefits. APChinas government is interested in investing in railways and urban transport in Brazil, in the case of the VLT or light railway and the metro itself, said Ambassador Li Jinzhang, who noted the good results achieved with investments in port infrastructure.

The Chinese ambassador to Brazil also told Brazilian news agency Agencia Brasil that a Chinese company, which he did not identify, has already submitted a proposal for the construction of a surface light railway to the Federal District government, where the countrys capital, Brasilia, is located.

Li Jinzhang recalled that the governments of his country and Brazil have already set out the priority areas for investments  energy, telecommunications, infrastructure, agriculture and science and technology.

Infrastructure is the most important area of bilateral cooperation. The Brazilian government expects Chinese companies to increase investment and the Chinese government will also motivate Chinese companies to deepen cooperation in this area, he said.

Jinzhang also said that the Chinese authorities are eager to find a solution to reduce or eliminate import surcharges on Brazilian products, which include chicken meat and sugar.

The issue of Chinese surcharges was one of the subjects discussed between Brazilian President Michel Temer and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during the 10th BRICS summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), which ended on 27 July in Johannesburg, South Africa. MDT/MacauhubThe Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) will organize a meeting on Saturday about the revamp and preservation of the Lai Chi Vun shipyards area. Several heritage conservation experts will speak during Saturdays meeting, which will be held at the Macau Musem of Art at 10 a.m. As recently as in the 1950s, coastal villages were thriving in Macau. Historical accounts indicate that at the time there were around 10,000 fishermen and over 30 shipyards in Macau, many of them in Lai Chi Vun. Suffering from regional competition and the surge of the gaming industry in Macau, the industry collapsed in the 1990s.

Judge suspends taxi driver

A taxi driver who is being accused of locking passengers inside a car and overcharging has had his license suspended. The Public Prosecutions Office (MP) has questioned the suspect, and a judge has ordered that, in addition to the work suspension, he must present himself to authorities on a regular basis and pay bail. A statement issued yesterday by the MP noted that several cases of taxi drivers suspect of abuse and overcharging have been recently discovered, hence the MP will establish the penal responsibility of the suspects.

Viva Macau case: We should wait calmly for the results

Commenting on the case of the subsidies paid by the Macau government to the bankrupted airline Viva Macau, the Chief Executive (CE) noted that the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong, has already forwarded his report to the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) to proceed with an investigation. Now we need to wait for the investigation that will also produce a report that will be [made] public, Chui said. According to its status, the CCAC, if there is any illicit [activity]  will for sure forward it to the Public Prosecutions Office, the CE said, not wanting to comment more on future possibilities and noting that the public should wait for the results of the investigation and final report of the CCAC.

MIMF tickets go on sale Sunday

Tickets for the 32nd Macau International Music Festival (MIMF) will be available for purchase through the Macau Ticketing Network, starting from 10 a.m. on Sunday, August 5. According to a statement from the organizer, the Cultural Affairs Bureau, queuing vouchers will be distributed from 9 a.m., for the convenience of the public. Telephone and online booking will be made available from 12 p.m. on the same day. Various types of discounts will be on offer for this edition of the MIMF, including an early bird discount (for those who acquire tickets before August 12), a 50 percent discount to holders of the Macau Senior Citizen Card or the Disability Assessment Registration Card, and several others for the owners of select bank cards. The MIMF is being held from September 28 until October 28, featuring 22 performances and 16 programs.

Govt confirms visa-on-arrival to Myanmar

The Identification Services Bureau has been notified by the Consulate General of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in Hong Kong that holders of the Macau SAR Passport can apply for visas on arrival in Myanmar for the purpose of tourism. Eligible persons can apply for visa-on-arrival at Yangon International Airport, Mandalay International Airport, and Nay Pyi Taw International Airport for a maximum stay of 30 days. The measure will take effect on October 1. At present, a total of 138 countries or territories have agreed to grant visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to the Macau SAR Passport holders. The visa relaxation was reported last week by the Times, citing Myanmar media. The country will also start granting visa-free entry to citizens of Japan and South Korea.

UM professor made criminology society chairman

Professor Liu Jianhong from the Department of Sociology at the University of Macau (UM) was elected chairman of the General Assembly of the Asian Criminological Society (ACS) during the organizations tenth annual conference held in Penang, Malaysia. Liu will serve a three-year term from 2018 to 2021. According to a statement from the UM, the professor has made significant contributions to the promotion of Asian criminology in academia. The ACS is one of the worlds most influential academic organizations in the field of criminology. It aims to promote the study of criminology and criminal justice across Asia and to enhance collaboration in the fields of criminology and criminal justice among scholars and practitioners. The ACS has held annual meetings in 10 countries and regions, including mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. In addition to his new post, Liu is currently the president of the Scientific Commission of the International Society for Criminology and editor-in-chief of the Asian Journal of Criminology.The Macau (Yat Yeun) Canidrome and Anima  Society for the Protection of Animals have jointly proposed a plan of establishing a domestic foster plan.

In order to provide immediate and proper care to the greyhounds: Domestic Foster Plan  Macao Canidrome currently has found enough houses, most of which are villas or detached houses, totaling more than 166,000 square feet, a press release issued by the Canidrome reads. It can provide about 100 square feet of activity spaces for each dog, and staff will be arranged for taking turns to take care of the dogs for all day. Furthermore, staff members along with Anima volunteers will take turns caring for the dogs all day.

The company also says that it would welcome daily inspections from the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, all in the name of its new open and transparent attitude.

The company states that the proposal is aimed at preparing a proper dwelling place that conforms to international standards of fostering greyhounds, thereby initiating a responsible adoption procedure under the supervision and management of Anima.

Last week, the Canidrime and the animal rights association announced a plan to set up an international center for the rehoming of former racing greyhounds in an area located in Pac On, Taipa.

However, it is still pending approval by the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau, who will need to decide if the land can be used for rehoming the animals.

The Chief Executive yesterday commented on the proposal from the two parties, saying, I have spoken to Secretary [for Transport and Public Works] Raimundo do Rosario even this morning, and all I can say is that until [yesterday] he has not yet received any application regarding the land plot mentioned.

Chui Sai On said that only when the government receives a request to change the land plot use can further steps can be [taken].GUANGDONG authorities are open to leasing new towns on the mainland for the purpose of housing Hong Kong residents, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) has reported.

Hailing Macaus rental of a part of Hengqin Island in Zhuhai as a success, Guangdongs housing and urban-rural development department suggested a similar arrangement might be negotiated with Hong Kong.

In a statement, the mainland department said that it was interested in studying the development of new towns in Guangdong occupied with residents of Hong Kong.

In the next step of constructing the Greater Bay Area, we would consider the housing needs of different groups and solve housing problems of those including Hong Kong people who come to work and live in the mainland, the statement said.

The pro-establishment political association, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), initially suggested the plan, offering the possibilities of leasing or buying land from mainland cities.

In the case of Macau, the strip of land in Hengqin that hosts the University of Macau is leased for a total of MOP1.2 billion over the course of 40 years.

DAB representatives said that the response from the Guangdong authorities was promising and urged the HKSAR administration to pursue the idea.

According to the SCMP, Association chairwoman Starry Lee said that setting up towns on the mainland was a win-win situation made operationally simpler by the soon-to-open infrastructure projects connecting the city to the mainland. She added that these projects would make commuting easier for those working in Hong Kong but living on the mainland.

However, Stanley Wong, chairman of Hong Kongs Housing Authority, noted that challenges might be encountered in convincing Hong Kong residents to relocate further away from Hong Kong Island. Already, he said, families were reluctant to move to the outlying parts of the special administrative region.THE government announced that Macau is set to comply with the application of the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters in the MSAR, the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance said in a statement.

The memorandum, which will soon enter into force, will make Macau compliant with the international rules regarding the exchange of tax information, which were established by entities such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Union (OECD)

The memorandum recalls that the Government of Macau, with the support of the central government of China, has concluded the Agreement on Multilateral Authorities Responsible for the Automatic Exchange of Financial Information relating to Financial Accounts.

The government also stated that with the MSARs application of the agreement, the region will be able to effectively raise the level of compliance in international tax cooperation and maintain a good international image in the areas of tax practice and cooperation. This is particularly notable as these factors contribute to its international image and credibility.Representatives of Seac Pai Van residents, along with a few lawmakers, have delivered a petition with some 7,426 signatures requesting that the draft plan of building two warehouses storing hazardous materials near the Cotai residential area be withdrawn.

A representative of the residents, Edith Mak, expressed that the neighborhood is worried and scared about the governments plan to build the dangerous-good-containing warehouses.

Mak explained that the warehouses are located less than 200 meters from residential areas, criticizing the governments draft plan for building warehouses in Concordia Industrial Park.

This is not a normal warehouse that stores harmless goods, but a warehouse that store dangerous goods. We think that it is a threat to our lives. By locating the warehouses on this site, we are very disappointed with the decision of the government, Mak told the press following the petition delivery at the government headquarters.

We want to rebut [] the statement made by Fire Services Bureau Commissioner, Leong Iok Sam. He expressed that that selected site for the warehouses are quite far from the location of infrastructure. We strongly disagree with this idea, said the Seac Pai Van resident.

Mak also lamented that the project lacked a proper public consultation process, as many residents were not informed about it.

Although the government claimed to have made a public consultation, they have only received two proposals. We want to ask how big of an impact can two proposals make and represent? These 7,000 signatures are the ones that truly represent the voices and thoughts of the residents, she said.

The proposal from the government to build new hazardous materials storage at the industrial park in Coloane had previously raised several questions from the Urban Planning Committee (CPU).

Although Leong previously mentioned that the land plots will serve only as temporary locations for storage until we can find a more suitable and definitive land plot, that should possibly be in a landfill, residents hoped that the government will locate the planned warehouses away from residential areas.

Because the site selected is wrong from the very beginning. No matter how safe this warehouse is, we wont believe it. [] We have collected related information and evidence that is backed up by data. We are not people going against the government without backed-up information, Mak added.

The Seac Pai Van residents believe that the proposal is an example of bad urban planning that lacks rationality and future-sightedness.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Sulu Sou, who was also present at the petition delivery, recalled two incidents: the explosion of an illegal warehouse at Ilha Verde in 2003 and the Tianjin Port chemical warehouse explosion in 2015.

Citizens have [requested] to remove the warehouse for many years but the government refused and did not care about those opinions, he recalled.

We dont want the residents to [hold demonstrations] on the streets every month regarding these facilities, he added, recalling the protest held last month against the governments crematorium plans.

CE: departments should better explain new projects

THE CHIEF Executive (CE) said yesterday that public departments should take a step forward and better explain the new projects to [the] population. Chui Sai On was commenting on the project for the new warehouse for the storage of hazardous products that the government plans to install temporarily in a land plot within the Concordia Industrial Park in Coloane, next to the Coloane Wastewater treatment plant. Responding to citizens concerns, the CE said that it is a concern for the government on how to create a healthy environment for the population. In the end, we have the same focus as the population, we all want to be in [a] healthy and safe environment. He noted that on this matter, he is currently available to hear opinions.The Philippines has expressed concern to China over an increasing number of Chinese radio messages warning Philippine aircraft and ships to stay away from newly fortified islands and other territories in the South China Sea claimed by both countries, officials said.

A Philippine government report seen by The Associated Press showed that in the second half of last year, Philippine military aircraft received Chinese radio warnings at least 46 times while patrolling near artificial islands built by China in the South China Seas Spratly archipelago.

The Chinese radio messages were meant to step up their tactics to our pilots conducting maritime air surveillance in the West Philippine Sea, the report said, using the Philippine name for the South China Sea.

Philippine officials have raised their concern twice over the radio transmissions, including in a meeting with Chinese counterparts in Manila earlier this year that focused on the Asian countries long-unresolved territorial disputes, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the issue publicly.

Its a new problem that emerged after China transformed seven disputed reefs into islands using dredged sand in the Spratlys, where the new islands now stand in close proximity to islands occupied by Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan. Malaysia and Brunei are the other claimants to the chain of islands and barren islets and atolls.

The messages used to originate from Chinese coast guard ships in past years but military officials suspect transmissions now are also being sent from the Beijing-held artificial islands, where far more powerful communications and surveillance equipment has been installed along with weapons such as surface-to-air missiles.

Our ships and aircraft have observed an increase in radio queries that appear to originate from new land-based facilities in the South China Sea, Commander Clay Doss, public affairs officer of the U.S. 7th Fleet, told the AP by email in response to questions about the Chinese messages.

These communications do not affect our operations, Doss said.

Although the U.S. lays no claims to the strategic waterway, its Navy has deployed ships and aircraft in operations to promote freedom of navigation and overflight, but which China protests as foreign meddling in an Asian dispute.

U.S. Navy ships and aircraft communicate routinely with regional navies, including the Chinese navy. The vast majority of these communications are professional, and when that is not the case, those issues are addressed by appropriate diplomatic and military channels, Doss said.

A Philippine air force plane on patrol near the Chinese-held islands received a particularly offensive radio message in late January when it was warned by Chinese forces that it was endangering the security of the Chinese reef. Leave immediately and keep off to avoid misunderstanding, according to the Philippine government report.

Shortly afterward, the plane received a veiled threat: Philippine military aircraft, I am warning you again, leave immediately or you will pay the possible consequences. The Filipino pilot later sighted two flare warning signals from the reef, said the report, which identified the Chinese-occupied island as Gaven Reef.

Chinese Embassy officials did not reply to requests for comment, but Beijing officials have repeatedly said they have the right to build on what they say is their territory and defend their sovereignty at all costs.

Philippine air force chief Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerard Rio Kintanar Jr. said Filipino pilots respond calmly to the Chinese radio messages and proceed with their mission as planned, adding that the higher number of reported radio challenges reflects the Philippine militarys commitment to protect the countrys territorial interests through intensified patrols.

They do that because of their claim to that area and we have a standard response and proceed with what were doing, Kintanar said.

In April last year, Chinese forces attempted by radio to drive away two Philippine military aircraft carrying the countrys defense and military chiefs, along with other top security officials and about 40 journalists, to Philippine-occupied Thitu island, which in the Philippines is called Pag-asa.

Thitu is more than 22 kilometers from Subi Reef, once a coral outcrop that now resembles a small Chinese city with a runway and skyline visible from the Philippine-held island when its lights glow at night.

China warned the Philippine planes that they were straying into its territory, and that they should turn around to avoid any mishap. The aircraft responded by saying they were flying over Philippine territory.Jim Gomez, Manila, APChinas manufacturing decelerated in July as exports and domestic demand weakened, a survey showed yesterday, adding to challenges for Beijing amid rising trade tension with Washington.

The China Federal of Logistics & Purchasing said its monthly purchasing managers index declined to 51.2 from Junes 51.5 on a 100-point scale on which numbers above 50 show activity expanding.

Measures for output and new orders declined while the export index was unchanged at 49.8 on the same 50-point scale.

Forecasters have expected Chinese industrial activity to weaken since regulators started tightening controls on bank lending last year to rein in surging debt.

Beijings trade dispute with Washington has added to concern about the impact on manufacturing.

The Trump administration raised import duties July 6 on USD34 billion of Chinese goods in a dispute over technology policy. Beijing retaliated by hiking its own tariffs on the same amount of U.S. imports.

Exports have shrunk as a share of Chinas economy and contribute less than 1 percent of annual economic growth but still support millions of manufacturing jobs.

The International Monetary Fund forecasts this years Chinese economic growth to decline from last years 6.9 percent to a still-robust 6.6 percent. Longer-term, the IMF expects growth to decline to 5.5 percent by 2023. APA poll conducted by the University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme showed that its residents regarded Macau citizens positively, but not its government.

The universitys telephone poll, carried out earlier this month, asked residents if they felt positively or negatively towards certain governments and their people.

Singapore scored most positively in the list of 14 regions, according to the polls 502 participants.

The poll also showed that 37 percent said they felt positive towards Macaus government, while 22 percent said they felt negative. Fifty-

one percent of the participants said they felt positive towards Macaus people, while 14 percent said the opposite.

The net score for Macau residents was about 50, while the MSARs government scored below 20.

Hong Kong residents showed fondness towards Singapores government, as 62.5 percent said they felt positively towards it, while only 7.4 percent said they felt negative.

Andrew Fung Ho-keung, director and CEO of the think tank Hong Kong Policy Research Institute, said that Hong Kong residents admired the Lion Citys government, as cited in a report issued by the South China Morning Post.

Singapore has always given people the impression of a very progressive, modern and efficient city. [] They have a democratic election, there is no corruption, they place importance on a diverse city, and they have affordable housing  these are all qualities and values that Hong Kong people like, Fung said.

However, Joe Chau, president of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Small and Medium Business believed that Hong Kong was a much better place than many other overseas countries, be it Singapore or the U.S.

The general public might easily get the impression that the Hong Kong government is not efficient because of news of project delays. But very often, consultation takes a long time, he said.

The poll found people in Taiwan, Japan and Singapore were regarded positively, but did not echo the same sentiments towards mainlanders, who ranked the lowest in terms of net score for its people.In the past two years, discrimination and persecution cases against LGBT people have been on the rise. This is the first of Magdalene's in-depth series documenting the issue.

 One morning two years ago, thirty-something Ferdi had the scare of his life when about 20 men descended upon his house in an upper middle-income gated housing complex in Jakarta. Led by the neighborhood unit (RT) chief, the men invited themselves in and filled his small living room  some were forced to sit on the terrace.

They came for one reason: to express their suspicion of Ferdis sexual orientation. Apparently, they had been reading the extensive media coverage on LGBT and it made them anxious. The RT Chief and some other men told him they could not accept gay people living in the neighborhood because it disturbed them.

As a gay man, Ferdi (some names in this article have been altered to protect their identities) was actually not out except to a few close friends. In his neighborhood he had always maintained a low-key life. Though his boyfriend and their gay friends would come and stay the night from time to time at the house that he bought with his hard-earned money as an office employee, he never once held a party or anything that might provoke his neighbors.

But all this happened when Indonesia was in the grip of an anti-LGBT hysteria that began in early 2016, after a poster of a university research group offering free counseling to young gay people were leaked to the media. The media coverage that followed  much of it was negative  led to the propagation of hate speech made by public figures from politicians, government officials to religious leaders. Some of these comments were outrageous  one Cabinet Minister equated LGBT rights activism to a proxy war more dangerous than a nuclear bomb; a mayor warned young mothers off instant noodles lest they grew up to be gay  as well as incendiary to most people who were generally ignorant of the concept of sexual diversity.

Ambushed at his own home, Ferdi was pushed by his neighbors to reveal his sexual orientation.

I freaked out. I denied being gay, and I told them that my friends came from time to time for work purposes, Ferdi said, adding it felt like the longest night in his life.

When the mob finally left, the terrified Ferdi moved out of the house as quickly as he could. I did not feel safe anymore in my own home, he said, sighing.



The more visible a persons gender expression is the harder it is for them to find a house to rent or a room to board. If they live as a couple, the challenge multiplies.



Ferdi had a valid reason to be fearful: his case is not unique. In fact, he is just one of the many members of the sexual and gender minorities in Indonesia who have been subjected to discrimination, persecution and violence over the past couple of years.

As the country erupted in moral panic, LGBT, the abbreviation commonly used to capture sexual and gender diversity (it stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender), became mainstream almost overnight. From a term previously only known within certain informed circles, it has, however, transformed into a buzzword that carries a sinister meaning to many Indonesians.

A crime against humanity

In a recently released survey based on media monitoring, Community Legal Aid Institution (LBH Masyarakat) found that 973 people were targeted in discrimination, persecution and violence cases across Indonesia in 2017. Almost three-fourth of the victims were transgender people, followed at 23 percent by gay men and 3 percent by lesbians. The cases range from the stifling of freedom of expression (including bans on events or discussions related to LGBT), house raids and evictions, arrests at gay clubs, to murders.

When we say victims, we mean people whose basic rights were trampled upon, or people who have been persecuted and/or discriminated, said Naila Rizqi of LBH Masyarakat.

This is the second year LBH Masyarakat conducted such study. In 2016 its survey focused on stigmas and discriminations that fueled the mass homophobia. Naila added: The difference is that in 2016, the perpetrators were mostly civil organizations and educational institutions. In 2017, a lot of the perpetrators were law enforcers.

Discrimination in housing, including forced eviction, is one of the most common forms of abuses faced by the LGBT people. The more visible a persons gender expression is the harder it is for them to find a house to rent or a room to board. If they live as a couple, the challenge multiplies.

Ray and Cindy, both in their early 20s, were kicked out of their own homes two years ago after their parents found out about their relationship. Since then, the two have been struggling to find a place to live and to make ends meet.

Cindy had to drop out of university and became the main breadwinner working at restaurants. A transman, Ray has had more difficulties finding a job. As they can only afford a single room at boarding houses, Cindy has to actively look for a room for the two of them. Ray would pretend to be visiting her, until they were reported by other tenants and got kicked out of the boarding house. So far they have been moving boarding houses five times.

At one home, the tenant in the next room was this woman who would abuse me, saying: You dirty lesbian! or You lowlife! The last time she got so violent that she banged my head against the wall, said Ray.

The incident led to Cindy being summoned by the RT Chief, who questioned her about the nature of her relationship with Ray.

I wasnt there at the time, but Cindy was interrogated. She told him that we were sisters and he didnt believe her. He gave her a warning: If I ever find out you are in a same-sex relationship, I will report you to the police, Ray recalled the episode. (Listen to the conversation in the SoundCloud file below)







While abuses and mistreatment of gay men and transgender people are often reported in the media because of their sensational nature  such as the May 2017 arrest of 141 gay and bisexual men after the raid of the Atlantis gym and sauna in Jakarta  cases involving lesbian couples often gain less media coverage.

Sri Agustine from one of the lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LBT) organizations in Jakarta said a lot of times persecution of lesbians and transmen happen in private space, mostly their homes. In many cases, the raids would be initiated by some youths from the local mosque who would pressure their sub-district chiefs and religious leaders to take action against the LGBT people in question, threatening to wreak havoc if their demands were not met.

State apparatus like the public order enforcers, police, and even military personnel would then come to pressure the people to move out. In Bogor, six lesbian couples who worked at a factory were forced to leave their boarding homes by the local police, who told the women their lives were at stake if they insisted on staying.

In its report Scared in Public and Now No Privacy: Human Rights and Public Health Impacts of Indonesias Anti-LGBT Moral Panic, Human Rights Watch recorded that in 2017 alone 300 people were apprehended by police because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, a spike from previous years and the highest such number ever recorded in Indonesia.

Riska Carolina, a researcher at the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) and a legal consultant for the LGBT advocacy group Arus Pelangi, said there is definitely an increase over the past few years in the number of cases of rights abuses against the LGBT people as well as the severity of the abuses.

She cited a case involving a lesbian with masculine gender expression who was living with her partner in North Sumatra. Having been a victim of corrective rape by an unknown person, she ended up pregnant and alone after her frightened partner left her. After giving birth, she tried to leave her baby outside someones house but was caught.

Residents in the neighborhood beat her up and had her arrested. She is now serving a 10-year jail time for child neglect, she said.

This is a crime against humanity," she added.

We were beaten, kicked, told to roll on the ground and go to prone position, said Lia. The local chief police told me to get down and when I refused, he fired a shot, which really scared me.



Aside from corrective rape, transgender people as well as women with masculine gender expression and men with feminine gender expression are often subjected to corrective expression. Transmen are forced to wear a skirt or hijab, and transwomen have their hair shorn and are forced to appear manly.

Schools are rife with this kind of abuse, with leaders and top officials on campus often leading the hate campaign and discrimination of the LGBT people. Some universities threatened to withdraw their scholarships if their beneficiaries were identified as homosexuals. Others like Andalas University in Padang, West Sumatra, stated that they do not accept gay students (though Andalas has since lifted the ban). This also means holding any discussions related to sexual and gender diversity are banned in many campuses.

Some places are even worse.

Aceh, the only Indonesian province that formally adopts the Sharia Law, has been extremely aggressive in its crackdown on the LGBT people. Early this month, the Sharia authorities flogged two men 90 times in front of a crowd of thousands after Friday prayers for allegedly having same-sex relationships. They were apprehended in a room by a vigilante group a couple of months before. This was the second public flogging held for homosexual acts in less than a year.

Because of their visibility, transwomen have been the most vulnerable, especially in Aceh. In January this year, police and the Sharia police in North Aceh jointly raided five hair salons that employed transwomen. They arrested a dozen clients and employees, forcing them to remove their clothes, cutting their hair in public and detaining them for three days.

Magdalene tracked down two Acehnese transwomen who now live in Jakarta to escape persecution. Lia owned a beauty salon in Lhoksukhon, North Aceh, before the January raid. She recalled to Magdalene her experience that night of being herded with other transwomen to a public field where they were abused and humiliated.

We were beaten, kicked, told to roll on the ground and go to prone position, said Lia. The local police chief told me to get down and when I refused, he fired a shot, which really scared me. The others were so scared that they pleaded that I just did what we were told to do so they wouldnt get in bigger trouble.

She continued: They pulled my hair, and told me to walk like a man, and they threw some kind of liquid on me twice. It hurt so much. And then they cut my hair and stripped me naked And then we were gathered again and told to stand up. The police chief slapped me and told me to shout like a man. When I did that, he said I didnt sound man enough, so I had to do it again. But this time he made one of the police officers to slap me really hard, which he did, three times. I had blood coming out of my mouth.

The police chief she was referring to was the former North Aceh Police Chief Untung Sangaji, who boasted on a video posted on YouTube that he would not tolerate these sissy garbage whom he referred to as disease. Though Sangaji later offered a lukewarm apology and was eventually transferred to another position in North Sumatra, the damage was irreversible by then. Many transwomen had since fled Aceh for safety. Those who remain in Aceh constantly fear for their lives.

Tiara, a transwoman, who used to run a bride makeover business in Aceh Besar district, said she moved to Jakarta because her family told her it was too dangerous for her to stay. She said GALA, the Acehs Anti-LGBT Movement, was behind the rise in the abuses against LGBT people.

They dont care; if you met them on the street, they would beat you up. They caught some friends of mine who were buying meals at a food stall and handed them over to public order enforcers, who shaved their head and rehabilitated them, Tiara told Magdalene in an interview.

Now everyone I know have cut their hair short to look masculine to alter their (gender) expression, she added.

Banned from working at beauty salons, many of the transwomen have been forced to go underground and do sex work for a living.





It may start with LGBT, but who will be next?



There is no national law banning homosexual relationship or transgender at the moment, and, in fact, the 1945 Constitution guarantees every citizens right to be free from discriminative treatment. But that has not stopped the police from conducting their crackdowns.

Those arrested were nabbed under various charges. The men in the Atlantis Spa arrest were allegedly performing pornographic acts, which fall under the Anti-Pornography law. Similar charges were made against the 14 men arrested in April 2017 at Hotel Oval in Surabaya, where they were said to be in possession of a flash drive that contained pornographic videos. Seven of the men were sentenced to between 18 and 30 months imprisonment. The police also informed the media that of all the 14 men who underwent tests for sexually transmitted infection, five were HIV positive.

Police said they violated the law by performing pornographic acts in public space, but they never showed evidence of the so-called performances, said Naila of LBHM, adding, They were also not very clear on the definition of public space. Arent hotel rooms private spaces?



Morality-based approach like this works in an ill society like the one we have now, said Budi Wahyuni, Commissioner at the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan).



Riska of ELSAM said what makes the trend more alarming is the widespread nature of the persecution and the states involvement in many of the cases.

Persecution is basically violence or mistreatment that denies people of their fundamental rights. Persecution can be expansive and systematic, which means it may be tied to government policies, she said. Now lets see how many state policies discriminate and suppress the gender and sexual minorities.

In 2013, she said, a United National Development Programmes study found five regional bylaws that discriminated against the LGBT people. The number has multiplied to 45 this year.

In addition, there is a growing pressure from Muslim conservative groups to criminalize adult consensual same-sex conduct under the banner of protecting family values, not unlike the anti-LGBT campaign waged by Christian conservative groups in other countries.

The most vocal among these groups is the Family Love Alliance or AILA, which argues that homosexuality is contagious and would imperil children and the young generation. In July 2016, AILA led a petition to amend specific clauses in the Criminal Code to criminalize all sex outside of marriage and all sex between persons of the same sex. The petition was eventually rejected by the Constitutional Court on the ground that it had no authority over the Criminal Code and that the effort should be done through a legislative process. (AILA did not reply to Magdalenes request for an interview for this article).

This steered the conversation to the possibility of outlawing homosexuality, with politicians and parliamentarians jumping on the bandwagon to show their opposition to LGBT people.

House of Representatives Speaker Bambang Soesatyo was quoted by Jakarta Globe as saying: What we must prioritize is the safety of the nation's future, particularly the safety of our youth from influences that go against our norms, culture and religion.

An earlier version of the draft bill of the Criminal Code Revision, which is currently being deliberated in Parliament, reflected some this bias through an article on child sexual abuse that targets only homosexuals. The article has since been revised.

Legislator Eva Kusuma Sundari of the nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle is one of the few moderate voices in Parliament. In an interview with Magdalene she warned that criminalizing LGBT people and homosexual acts would be a bad precedent as it violates the non-discrimination principles of Indonesias 1945 Constitution.

We may start with (discrimination against the) LGBT people now, but later it could be extended to certain religions, races, or ethnicities, said Eva.

Yes, we can ban people from campaigning or spreading propaganda for same-sex marriage, because it is against our Marriage Law, or spreading pornography, but we should never criminalize people for being who they are, she added.

Many attribute the escalation of the anti-LGBT sentiment to politics, particularly electoral politics. Indonesia just had a string of elections of regional government leaders across the country, and next years presidential and legislative elections are feared to be even more divisive than the 2014 elections.

We cannot deny that identity politics  in this case religious identity  plays a very crucial role in Indonesian politics today, said Irwan Hidayana, a researcher at the Center for Gender and Sexuality Study at the University of Indonesia. The perspective on LGBT subscribed by most Indonesians is based on religious teachings  that it is a sin and a deviation from the norms  which makes this a ripe political issue too.

Said Budi Wahyuni, Commissioner at the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan): For regional governments, having a clean government means being free from issues that are related to their ideas of immorality, whether prostitution or LGBT. So most politicians would look for the easy way to convince people they are doing something.

Morality-based approach like this works in an ill society like the one we have now, she told Magdalene.



Would you want to have that kind of children?

The ill society that Budi was referring to is, in fact, a society that has grown much more religiously conservative in recent years, which explains why the anti-LGBT sentiment has a strong religious slant.

The Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting released its national survey early this year that showed that an overwhelming number of Indonesians disapprove of non-heterosexual relationships. Of those surveyed who had heard of the LGBT community, almost 90 percent felt threatened by them. Half said they would not accept an LGBT person in their own family, 80 percent said they would not tolerate LGBT people as neighbors.

Irwan Hidayana compared the poll to a similar but smaller survey he conducted in three major Indonesian cities in 2012. The survey found that 40 percent of the respondents accepted gay and transgender people. Part of the cause of the shift is the proliferation of hate narratives being spread in the media, he said, but religious conservatism contributes to the increase of negative sentiment.

A lot of sermons at mosques talk about LGBT, and there is also the perception that LGBT is a western product, just like feminism, he said.



Let me ask you back: Would you want to have that kind of children? And are they the only groups that are being persecuted? Asked Sukiman, Director of Family Education Development at the Directorate General of Early Childhood Education.



Ustadzah Nur Hamidah, who teaches at the Islamic University Al-Qudwah in Depok, West Java, told Magdalene: In principle, Islam teaches the preservation of humans. LGBT is against this principle, because they cut the chain of human existence. Islam is also a preventive religion: it prevents the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and social diseases.

When asked her views on the persecution of LGBT people she said: Islam is a religion that protects the victims, not the perpetrators. The punishment for LGBT people is being ostracized and being exiled until they die. Why? Because they could infect others.

She added: LGBT is also against our culture, so I cannot blame those who persecute them because the State has to ensure there is a deterrent effect to solve this problem.

Though there are a handful of Indonesian Muslim clerics and scholars with progressive views on LGBT, Hamidah represents the perspective of most mainstream Islamic teachers.

This view has also bled into education. In April, a much-promoted panel discussion was held by the Ministry of National Education at its office entitled Safe Indonesian Children and Family from the LGBT Movement. Two of the speakers were a female medical doctor and an academic who are linked to AILA. After the event raised much objection on social media, the theme of the talk show was changed to Building a Quality Family and the two conservative female speakers were dropped at the last minute.

Interviewed by Magdalene after the discussion, one of the speakers, Director of Family Education Development at the Directorate General of Early Childhood Education Sukiman, said: We want our children to grow well and be able to resist negative influences.

Should LGBT be banned? asked Magdalenes reporter.

Let me ask you back: Would you want to have that kind of children? he responded. And are they the only groups that are being persecuted? There are many others. Women, too, are persecuted. This is the reality; its not ideal, but theyre not the only oppressed group.



Allies, join the resistance!

Religion aside, however, survey results and public statements show that much of the animosity towards gay and transgender people springs from ignorance. Most people have no basic understanding of sexual orientation and gender identities or expression. Many are unaware that homosexuality has been declassified as a mental disorder by psychiatric associations across the globe since the 1970s.



Allies role is to connect victims of persecution to support, like legal assistance. It is very important that allies do not stay quiet.

Many people readily buy into the narratives offered by conservative groups like AILA, confusing homosexuality with pedophilia and assuming that with some countries legalizing same-sex marriage, the gay communities in Indonesia would soon demand the same.

There is certainly room for education, once the outcries die down. But communication must be done strategically, including choosing the most suitable language in their advocacy (the way Indonesian womens rights activists have for decades eschewed using the word feminist in identifying themselves to avoid unnecessary hostilities and resistance).

Said Irwan: On the one hand, with more people knowing what LGBT is, it can be used as an opportunity for better knowledge. But maybe using the term LGBT is counterproductive. Perhaps we can use the term sexual diversity.

For now, it is important for allies  the non-LGBT people who support their cause  to join the fight against persecution and discrimination and defend their rights to live like other Indonesian citizens.

Said Naila: Allies role is to connect victims of persecution to support, like legal assistance. It is very important that allies do not stay quiet.

Dede Oetomo, founder of the pioneering gay advocacy group Gaya Nusantara, said this is the time for progressive and moderate religious organizations to lend their support: They talk about pluralism already, why not also talk about sexual and gender diversity?

For many LGBT activists, events in the past two years have psychologically shaken them to the core that any act of support would help. At least when allies raise their voices to say no to violence against LGBT people, we feel strengthened already, said Agustine.

As for Ferdi, even after two years and now living somewhere else, he was still deeply traumatized by the incident, so much so that he had initially refused to retell his experience for this article (though he finally changed his mind when he thought that his story might serve the greater good).

I know there are far worse cases than mine, like the persecution of transwomen in Aceh. But the incident has left me feeling paranoid, he said.

Managing Editor Hera Diani and reporters Ayunda Nurvitasari, Camely Arta, Elma Adisya, Tabayyun Pasinringi and Wulan Kusuma Wardhani contributed to this article.

*Illustration by Sarah Arifin; Photos by Elma Adisya

Find out about your heterosexual privilege and follow @dasmaran on Twitter.For specialist nurses on neurocritical care units, accompanying patients for imaging scans and other procedures has a major impact on nurse staffing ratios, reports a study in the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, official journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses.

"Patients in a neurologic critical care unit require more staffing to account for the frequent neurologic assessments, charting, and traveling," according to the workflow study by Michelle Hill, MS, RN, AGCNS-BC, CNRN, CCRN, SCRN, and Jessica DeWitt, BSN, RN, of Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. The study led to the addition of staff members, including a new "circulating nurse" position, with the goals of improving patient care and nurse retention rates.

'Are Neurocritical Care Nurses Performing 14 Hours of Work in a 12-Hour Shift?'

"Neurocritical care units are unique from other critical care areas," according to the authors. These specialist units care for patients with diagnoses like stroke and brain or spinal cord injuries, who require frequent neurological assessments and diagnostic tests.

"These imaging and diagnostic examinations are often time sensitive and may happen at any time," Hill and DeWitt write. During a period of multiple changes, the 32-bed neurocritical care unit at the authors' hospital was experiencing high nurse turnover rates. "This started us asking the question, 'Are neurocritical care nurses performing 14 hours of work on a 12-hour shift?'"

To answer this question, the authors performed a study to assess relationships between various nursing tasks: neurological assessment, documentation, and traveling with patients for diagnostic tests. The study also looked at the effects of patient acuity (severity of illness) and nurse experience.

Over 30 days, observations showed that neurocritical care nurses spent more than 226 hours traveling with patients. The main tests and procedures involved were computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans and vascular interventional radiology procedures. "Approximately 4.5 hours of a 12-hour shift were spent off the unit traveling for these tests, indicating that at least one nurse was off the unit for 38 percent of the shift," Hill and DeWitt write.

"When a nurse travels there is a patient left behind for another nurse to care for," Michelle Hill explains. "This alters the staffing and requires 'flexing up' - meaning that the nurse-patient ratio increases 33 to 50 percent during those times."

On its own, the nurses' level of experience was not significantly related to the amount of time needed to perform and document the results of neurological assessments. However, less-experienced nurses spent more time documenting the status of higher-acuity patients, compared to veteran nurses.

The study also identified an average of 2.5 high-acuity patients per day who required a dedicated one-to-one nurse assignment for procedures and recovery time. Based on their workflow analysis, the authors recommended a new "circulator" nurse position, who would travel and assist with patients, freeing primary nurses on the unit to stay with their patient. They also recommended three new "one-to-one" staff positions, allowing high-acuity patients or those with multiple diagnostic tests scheduled to be assigned to a dedicated nurse.

"Implementing additional staffing will counteract this unique characteristic of neurologic critical care patients and provide a possible tool to enhance retention," Hill and DeWitt conclude. They note previous research showing that higher nurse staffing levels can have positive effects on patient outcomesbut further studies will be needed to evaluate the impact of their changes in staffing on the neurocritical care unit.

Explore further Patient satisfaction ratings impacted by nurse staffing

More information: "Staffing Is More Than a Number: Using Workflow to Determine an Appropriate Nurse Staffing Ratio in a Tertiary Care Neurocritical Care Unit" "Staffing Is More Than a Number: Using Workflow to Determine an Appropriate Nurse Staffing Ratio in a Tertiary Care Neurocritical Care Unit" DOI: 10.1097/JNN.0000000000000387Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A study led by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health has found that letters targeting high prescribers of Seroquel (quetiapine), an antipsychotic with potentially harmful side effects in the elderly, significantly reduced the number of prescriptions for patients in Medicare. The results showed that peer comparison letters led to statistically meaningful, persistent decreases in quetiapine prescribing, with no detected negative effects on patients. The findings are online in JAMA Psychiatry.

"Compared with existing work on prescribing quality, our study provides a unique example of a large-scale, low-cost intervention yielding clinically meaningful and long-lasting effects," said Adam Sacarny, Ph.D., assistant professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health and first author. The work was conducted with the Office of Evaluation Sciences in the General Services Administration, which promotes evaluation and testing in the federal government; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which administers the Medicare program; and researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study was a randomized controlled trial targeting the 5,055 highest Seroquel-prescribing primary care physicians nationwide in the Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) program in 2013 and 2014. A random half of the doctors were assigned to the treatment arm and received 3 letters comparing their prescribing practices to their peers; the other half received placebo letters about an unrelated Medicare regulation. The treatment arm's letter stated that the physician's prescribing of quetiapine high relative to their peers was under review. The text also discussed that high quetiapine prescribing could be appropriate but was concerning for medically unjustified use. The letter encouraged primary care physicians to review their prescribing patterns.

The physicians who got the peer comparison letters dropped their overall Seroquel prescribing by 11 percent over the next 9 months and 16 percent over the next 2 years. New initiations of Seroquel dropped even more: 24 percent over 2 years.

"Our findings show that for health care organizations and clinicians aiming to improve the quality of prescribing, peer comparison messages could be useful and effective tools, particularly when they are paired with a review of previous prescribing activity," said Sacarny. "Similar messages could address over-prescribing of other drugs, like opioids, or they could target care that goes against clinical guidelines."

The researchers also followed patients who had been treated by the physicians in the study. On average, patients of the treatment group physicians received 6 percent fewer days of Seroquel from all prescribers over 2 years. Patients with a history of dementia, where guidelines discourage Seroquel prescribing, experienced a larger reduction of 8 percent fewer days of Seroquel. There was no evidence of adverse effects on patients due to the letters: use of the emergency department, hospitalizations, and mortality were similar for patients of treatment and control physicians.

Seroquel is frequently prescribed "off-label", or outside its FDA-approved indications, for patients with dementia or Alzheimer's disease despite a large body of evidence that it is associated with significant harm in these populations. Guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association and the American Geriatrics Society discourage this overuse of antipsychotics including Seroquel. This off-label use against guidelines has attracted the attention of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and federal oversight agencies.

"Overprescribing of antipsychotic drugs is a huge and persistent problem, particularly in the elderly. We think our results are striking for something as simple and cheap as sending letters," said Dr. Michael Barnett of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the second author on the study. "Beyond the benefit in reducing anti-psychotic use, the intervention could also have implications for how we can nudge physician behavior more broadly."

Sacarny and colleagues showed that with the increasing need to address the dangers of inappropriate prescribing, peer comparison letters targeted at high-risk medications provide one way to efficiently create lasting changes in prescribing patterns.

Explore further Holding mirror to docs who overprescribe addictive drugs doesn't stem prescriptionsCredit: CC0 Public Domain

First World countries have well-developed healthcare systems that employ medical regimens that have been empirically demonstrated to be effective. Despite this, many individuals in Germany and elsewhere, prefer to resort to to complementary and alternative medicine regimens, even though they may have been expressly warned against these. According to recent research, this may be associated with a potent underlying predisposition to believe in conspiracy theories, a trait known as a conspiracy mentality.

"We have identified a significant correlation," said Pia Lamberty of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). "The more pronounced the conspiracy mentality of a person, the more that individual will tend to display a positive attitude towards alternative concepts and reject the use of conventional medical treatments such as vaccination and antibiotic therapy." This factor is something that needs to be taken into account in preventive healthcare and medical intervention programs.

Psychologists consider a so-called conspiracy mentality to be a stable personality characteristic. Individuals with a strong proclivity to believe in conspiracy theories suspect that the world is actually controlled by hidden elites. This is presumably because these individuals themselves have the feeling that they have little or no control over what happens around them. Interestingly, there are numerous conspiracy theories that relate to the world of medicine, the distrust of vaccines being just one example. It is not a new phenomenon but has been apparent for some time. In the case of vaccination, the two groups of those who repudiate it and those who sanction it are in complete opposition.

Medical approaches outside the mainstream are also finding favor in other contexts. Data collected recently show that almost 26 percent of Europeans employed complementary or alternative medical remedies at least once in a particular 12-month period, whereby the most popular were homeopathic and naturopathic medications. This popularity is all the more puzzling as science has to date not verified that homeopathy, as a case in point, has any detectable therapeutic benefits apart from the placebo effect.

With this in view, Pia Lamberty and Professor Roland Imhoff of JGU's Institute of Psychology have undertaken several studies with the aim of analyzing the connection between belief in conspiracy theories and the preference for alternative forms of medicine. They asked 392 study participants in Germany and 204 in the USA about their attitudes to a total of 37 different forms of treatment, from aromatherapy, Bach flower remedies, hypnosis, and yoga through to the use of antibiotics and blood transfusion. Among other things, the subjects were required to specify how often they used the treatment in question and how effective they considered it to be. "In Germany, we found there was a clear-cut, remarkably close interdependence between a conspiracy mindset and the tendency to prefer alternative medical treatments," Lamberty pointed out. A similar correlation was identified in the USA, but there it was less well-defined.

Conspiracy mentality influences important decisions relating to health

In two further studies, this result was confirmed. Here it was also demonstrated that the psychological link between a conspiracy mentality seen in terms of a political outlook and a preference for non-conventional medicine was based on a distrust of power structures. "Anything considered to have power and influence, such as the pharmaceutical industry, is treated as being highly dubious by conspiracy theorists," explained Lamberty. In one of the studies, the participants must decide about the approval of a fictitious herbal drug against anxiety, gastritis, and mild depression. Subjects with a strong conspiracy mentality rated the fictitious drug HTP 530 as more positive and effective if it was developed by a group of patients considered powerless than by a pharmaceutical consortium.

For Pia Lamberty and Roland Imhoff, the ramification of this with regard to healthcare is that this generalized distrust of power structures can influence the way that people make decisions regarding their own medical treatments. "An individual's understanding of his or her illness and choice of treatment may thus depend on ideology-related personality traits much more than on rational considerations," the two authors wrote in their article published in Social Psychology. A conspiracy mentality can thus actually determine what patients believe to be the real cause of their disorder, what they consider to be its initial symptoms and physiological effects, and whom or what they select for their treatment.

However, the two Mainz-based psychologists stress that their results should not be interpreted to mean that, by implication, it is also the case that everyone who uses alternative therapies also believes in conspiracy theories.

Explore further Negative childhood experiences can lead people to believe in conspiracy theories

More information: Pia Lamberty et al. Powerful Pharma and Its Marginalized Alternatives?, Social Psychology (2018). Pia Lamberty et al. Powerful Pharma and Its Marginalized Alternatives?,(2018). DOI: 10.1027/1864-9335/a000347(HealthDay)Targeted steps can be taken to minimize future risks of lawsuits, according to an article published in Physicians Practice.

In order to reduce the risks of lawsuits, practices should be mindful of legal obligations and show genuine concern for patients and staff. The article recommends having a good handbook that addresses federal and state law issues, which can allow employers, physicians, and practice managers to reduce their risks of litigation resulting from human resource problems. Practices should be proactive, thinking about implementing necessary protections and promoting an appropriate workplace environment. Practices should form risk committees, and physicians and practice staff should actively participate in identifying high-risk areas.

In addition, implementing a daily huddle, where staff come together to discuss issues can be useful for spotting potential problems and providing solutions. This can help circumvent common risks and how to address them. Physicians should also try view things from the patient perspective; showing empathy and taking the time to fully answer questions can be helpful for making patients feel comfortable.

"Even as other risk areas are addressed, reducing the risk of a suit can sometimes be tricky," according to the article. "Unhappy patients and disgruntled employees are equally likely to file suit against someone they feel has wronged them, and who was vindictive or insensitive in the process."

Explore further Learning to change important for improving practice

Copyright  2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.(HealthDay)Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), particularly elderly patients, who receive the influenza vaccine have significantly lower morbidity and mortality, according to a study published in the June issue of the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.

Chun-Ming Chen, of the Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chiayi Christian Hospital in Chiayi City, Taiwan, and colleagues conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the efficacy of influenza vaccination for 3,748 RA patients aged 18 years and older who were vaccinated in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and 3,748 matched RA patients who were not vaccinated.

The researchers, after adjusting for potential confounding factors, found that RA patients who received the influenza vaccine had reduced risk of hospitalization for septicemia, bacteremia, or viremia (hazard ratio, 0.65; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.45 to 0.94), and lower risk of mortality (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.39 to 0.97). The effectiveness of the influenza vaccination was particularly significant among elderly patients with RA.

"Receiving influenza vaccine by RA patients is associated with lower risk of hospitalization for septicemia/bacteremia/viremia and mortality," the authors write. "The risk reductions in the elderly RA patients were even greater."

Copyright  2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.Potentially dangerous bacteria already resistant to antibiotics are now developing resistance to common alcohol-based hand gels, a new study reports.

A bacteria called Enterococcus faecium is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections, and it's been shrugging off antibiotics at an increasing rate, said senior researcher Timothy Stinear. He is a molecular microbiologist at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

"It's a WHO [World Health Organization] and CDC-recognized superbug," Stinear said. "In the hospital it is already resistant to nearly all classes of antibiotics."

Now E. faecium appears to be developing resistance to alcohol-based sanitizers, possibly in response to the vast use of the antimicrobial gels in hospital hand-hygiene programs, Stinear and his colleagues have found.

"E. faecium has adapted to the health-care environment," Stinear said.

E. faecium and other enterococci are bacteria found in the gut, and typically are not hostile or harmful, the researchers said in background notes.

However, these germs have emerged as a major cause of hospital-associated bacterial infections, the study authors noted. This family of bacteria account for a tenth of hospital-acquired bacterial infections worldwide, and are the fourth and fifth leading cause of blood poisoning in North America and Europe, respectively.

According to Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, "E. faecium is a highly prevalent bacterial species that is a very common cause of infections that range from bloodstream infections to urinary tract infections." Adalja was not involved with the new study but was familiar with the findings.

A brief video explaining the study by Sacha Pidot et al., with comments from authors Professor Paul Johnson from Austin Health and Professor Tim Stinear from the Doherty Institute. Credit: Video supplied by The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity

"The vancomycin [antibiotic]-resistant form of this bacteria, which the CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] estimates kills more than 1,000 people a year in the U.S., is a priority pathogen that is involved in many hospital-acquired infections," Adalja explained.

In the new study, Stinear's team collected 139 E. faecium samples between 1997 and 2015 from two Melbourne hospitals and exposed them to diluted isopropyl alcohol, to see how effectively alcohol would kill off the bugs.

Bacteria samples dating from 2009 onward were on average more resistant to alcohol, compared with bacteria collected prior to 2004.

To see whether this resistance would translate into more infections, the researchers introduced different strains of E. faecium onto the floors of mouse cages. They then wiped down the cages with isopropyl alcohol wipes, which should have effectively disinfected them.

Bacteria that had developed a resistance to alcohol sanitizers were better able to dodge disinfection and colonize the guts of mice placed in the cages, the findings showed.

Genetic analysis of alcohol-resistant bacteria found that they had developed several mutations in genes linked to cell metabolism. These mutations appear to make the cellular membranes of E. faecium more resistant to solvents like alcohol.

"We were able to identify and document the specific genetic changes that have occurred in the bacteria over the 20 years, which also helps to explain the increased tolerance," Stinear said.

These mutations have developed as hospitals have become more stringent in infection control, relying heavily on alcohol-based rubs as a way to keep harmful pathogens from spreading, he explained.

"Alcohol-based hand hygiene use has increased 10-fold over the past 20 years in Australian hospitals, so we are using a lot and the environment is changing," Stinear said.

Adalja agreed. "Bacteria like Enterococcus are very adept at evolving mechanisms to survive in the face of harsh conditions, so it is no surprise that this species is developing tolerance to alcohol-based sanitizers," he said.

Stinear said that harsher hand rubs containing higher concentrations of alcohol will be needed to overcome this resistance.

Hospitals also need to make sure that the rubs are used thoroughly by staff, making sure that all skin surfaces on the hand are covered and given enough contact time to kill the bugs, the study authors added.

"Furthermore, there also should be an enhanced focus on hospital cleaning as well as isolation of patients found to be colonized with" antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Stinear said.

Adalja suggested that a search should be made for other good antimicrobial agents that could take the place of alcohol rubs.

"As hand hygiene with alcohol-based sanitizers is a key prevention tool in hospitals, tolerance to alcohol rubs will be very problematic and may necessitate the use of alternative methods to optimally prevent its spread," Adalja said.

The new study was published Aug. 1 in Science Translational Medicine.

Explore further Supercharged antibiotics could turn tide against superbugs

More information: Sacha J. Pidot et al. Increasing tolerance of hospitalEnterococcus faeciumto handwash alcohols, Science Translational Medicine (2018). Journal information: Science Translational Medicine Sacha J. Pidot et al. Increasing tolerance of hospitalEnterococcus faeciumto handwash alcohols,(2018). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aar6115

Copyright  2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.India has ordered an immediate recall of rabies vaccines made by a scandal-hit Chinese company, India's drug regulator said Wednesday, complaining it only found out about possible problems through media reports.

S. Eswara Reddy, the drug controller general, told AFP that it has also put a temporary stop on fresh imports of the vaccine made by Changchun Changsheng after it emerged that it had fabricated records, in the latest product safety scare to rock China.

"We have stopped the import of the rabies vaccines for the time being. An investigation is going on and till then the import is prohibited," Reddy said.

"Whatever vaccines were already imported they are being recalled. As per law the import licence holder should have informed us if there was a problem with the overseas supplier but he did not inform us."

Rabies kills an estimated 20,000 people in India every year, according to the government's National Rabies Control Programme.

China's latest product-safety scandal emerged more than a week ago with news that Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology was ordered to cease production of its rabies vaccines.

The Chinese government has said the suspect vaccine did not enter the market, but there are fears the sub-standard vaccines may have been imported not only to India but also Cambodia and Egypt.

The World Health Organization's office in China said it did not have information on which countries may have imported the vaccine.

But its staff "had seen evidence that a domestic and foreign recall of the affected vaccine was initiated in mid-July", WHO said in an email reply to AFP.

The vaccine case has provoked unusually strong outrage from Chinese consumers fed up with recurring safety scandals.

Parents have vented anger online, prompting the ruling Communist Party's internet censors to swoop in and purge mention of the issue.

The anger was exacerbated by the additional revelation that Changsheng's vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) had also failed to meet quality standards, but that 250,000 doses were nonetheless sold last year.

China is regularly hit by scandals involving unsafe food, drugs or other products despite repeated official promises to root out the corruption and shoddy manufacturing that is usually blamed.

Explore further Chinese parents stage rare public protest over vaccine scare

 2018 AFPPulmonary ionocytes (orange) extend through neighboring epithelial cells in the upper respiratory tract of the mouse, to the surface of the epithelial lining. Cell nuclei in cyan. Credit: Montoro et al./Nature 2018

Researchers have identified a rare cell type in airway tissue, previously uncharacterized in the scientific literature, that appears to play a key role in the biology of cystic fibrosis. Using new technologies that enable scientists to study gene expression in thousands of individual cells, the team comprehensively analyzed the airway in mice and validated the results in human tissue.

Led by researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the molecular survey also characterized gene expression patterns for other new cell subtypes. The work expands scientific and clinical understanding of lung biology, with broad implications for all diseases of the airwayincluding asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and bronchitis.

Jayaraj Rajagopal, a physician in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit at MGH, associate member at the Broad Institute, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) faculty scholar, and Broad core institute member Aviv Regev, director of the Klarman Cell Observatory at the Broad Institute, professor of biology at MIT, and an HHMI investigator, supervised the research. Daniel Montoro, a graduate student in Rajagopal's lab, and postdoctoral fellows Adam Haber and Moshe Biton in the Regev lab are co-first authors on the paper published today in Nature.

"We have the framework now for a new cellular narrative of lung disease," said Rajagopal, who is also a professor at Harvard Medical School and a principal faculty member at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. "We've uncovered a whole distribution of cell types that seem to be functionally relevant. What's more, genes associated with complex lung diseases can now be linked to specific cells that we've characterized. The data are starting to change the way we think about lung diseases like cystic fibrosis and asthma."

"With single-cell sequencing technology, and dedicated efforts to map cell types in different tissues, we're making new discoveriesnew cells that we didn't know existed, cell subtypes that are rare or haven't been noticed before, even in systems that have been studied for decades," said Regev, who is also co-chair of the international Human Cell Atlas consortium. "And for some of these, understanding and characterizing them sheds new light immediately on what's happening inside the tissue."

Using single-cell RNA sequencing, the researchers analyzed tens of thousands of cells from the mouse airway, mapping the physical locations of cell types and creating a cellular "atlas" of the tissue. They also developed a new method called pulse-seq to monitor development of cell types from their progenitors in the mouse airway. The findings were validated in human tissue.

One extremely rare cell type, making up less than one percent of the cell population in mice and humans, appeared radically different from other known cells in the dataset. The team dubbed this cell the "pulmonary ionocyte" because its gene expression pattern was similar to ionocytesspecialized cells that regulate ion transport and hydration in fish gills and frog skin.

Newly identified, rare pulmonary ionocytes (green) dot the landscape of ciliated cells (magenta) of the mouse lung airway lining. Credit: Montoro et al./Nature 2018

Strikingly, at levels higher than any other cell type, these ionocytes expressed the gene CFTRwhich, when mutated, causes cystic fibrosis in humans. CFTR is critical for airway function, and for decades researchers and clinicians have assumed that it is frequently expressed at low levels in ciliated cells, a common cell type spread throughout the entire airway.

But according to the new data, the majority of CFTR expression occurs in only a few cells, which researchers didn't even know existed until now.

When the researchers disrupted a critical molecular process in pulmonary ionocytes in mice, they observed the onset of key features associated with cystic fibrosismost notably, the formation of dense mucus. This finding underscores how important these cells are to airway-surface regulation.

"Cystic fibrosis is an amazingly well-studied disease, and we're still discovering completely new biology that may alter the way we approach it," said Rajagopal. "At first, we couldn't believe that the majority of CFTR expression was located in these rare cells, but the graduate students and postdocs on this project really brought us along with their data."

The results may also have implications for developing targeted cystic fibrosis therapies, according to the team. For example, a gene therapy that corrects for a mutation in CFTR would need to be delivered to the right cells, and a cell atlas of the tissue could provide a reference map to guide that process.

The study further highlighted where other disease-associated genes are expressed in the airway. For example, asthma development has been previously linked with a gene that encodes a sensor for rhinoviruses, and the data now indicate that this gene is expressed by ciliated cells. Another gene linked with asthma is expressed in tuft cells, which separated into at least two groupsone that senses chemicals in the airway and one that produces inflammation. The results suggest that a whole ensemble of cells may be responsible for different aspects of asthma.

Using the pulse-seq assay, the researchers tracked how the newly characterized cells and subtypes in the mouse airway develop. They demonstrated that mature cells in the airway arise from a common progenitor: the basal cells. The team also discovered a previously undescribed cellular structure in the tissue. These structures, which the researchers called "hillocks," are unique zones of rapid cell turnover, and their function is not yet understood.

"The atlas that we've created is already starting to drastically re-shape our understanding of airway and lung biology," said Regev. "And, for this and other organ systems being studied at the single-cell level, we'll have to drape everything we know on top of this new cellular diversity to understand human health and disease."

Explore further New research finds novel method for generating airway cells from stem cells

More information: Daniel T. Montoro et al, A revised airway epithelial hierarchy includes CFTR-expressing ionocytes, Nature (2018). Daniel T. Montoro et al, A revised airway epithelial hierarchy includes CFTR-expressing ionocytes,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0393-7 Related: Lindsey W. Plasschaert et al. A single-cell atlas of the airway epithelium reveals the CFTR-rich pulmonary ionocyte, Nature (2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0394-6 Journal information: NatureIf Lauren Dungan had waited just 30 more minutes, she might be dead.

On the morning of Oct. 25, 2017, she was sitting in her Huntersville apartment living room, scrolling through Instagram and drinking a cup of coffee. Five days earlier, she had given birth to her second son, Hunter. Though still recovering, she was finally starting to feel like herself again.

Her husband, Evan, was sitting next to her. Their daughter, 2 at the time, had just been dropped off at daycare.

This is when it startedthe pressure that felt like an elephant on her chest, the classic heart attack sign.

"Something's really wrong," she recalled saying, immediately turning to Evan and sitting back into the sofa.

"What do you mean?"

She didn't know. She repeated it: I don't know, I don't know.

Lauren had never felt anything like this before, and at first, neither of them were concerned.

She brushed it off. It's low blood pressure, she thought, something she'd experienced briefly while still in the hospital. She'd also had gestational diabetes, but when she checked her glucose, it was fine.

A few minutes had passed since the initial pain. "I think we should go to the emergency room," she recalls saying, growing increasingly worried. The pain hadn't subsided like she'd hoped.

The seconds stretched. While her husband hastily woke up their son and grabbed a diaper bag and a bottle, Lauren remained glued to the couch. "We gotta hurry," she told him, unable to move and not feeling well.

NO SIGNS OF HEART DISEASE

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection, SCAD, is rare. It happens when the layers on the artery wall start to peel and separatecausing a blockage that can lead to a heart attack and, in some cases, death.

There is little known about SCAD, which has been researched and diagnosed for only the last two decades. It typically occurs in young womenLauren is 33who are often just a few days postpartum, like Lauren was.

"If she were a man, we would call what she had a widowmaker, because it usually kills young men," said Dr. Amjad AlMahameed, a cardiologist at the Novant Health Heart and Vascular Institute and Lauren's doctor.

AlMahameed has been in Charlotte for almost a year now, having spent five years on staff at the Cleveland Clinic and 11 years at Harvard Medical School. In both places, he saw many young women come in with similar issues to Laurenhaving heart attacks with no signs of heart disease, the usual cause. At first, no one really knew what the problem was.

Then doctors started talking to each other, and more reports came out about this type of condition. AlMahameed began to see it more and more, and was able to recognize it after seeing it multiple times in Cleveland and Boston.

When he first came to Charlotte, he was surprised that he didn't see any patients with the condition.

"Then, look, here comes lauren."

POSSIBILITY OF DEATH

Lauren and her husband rushed to the emergency room in Huntersville, right next to their apartment. The cardiologist there took one look at Lauren's EKG and sent the photo to AlMahameed. He didn't like the look of it.

He rushed Lauren down to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, where AlMahameed and his team were on standby.

Lauren was conscious for the drive uptown, and she remembers the whole thingthe speeding of the ambulance, the shaking of the stretcher. "I hope this isn't it," she recalls thinking.

Lauren had dissections in multiple major vessels in her heart and was living off of little blood flow. At Presbyterian hospital, they immediately placed a balloon pump in her heart for support and brought her into the operating room. Her heart function was at 20 percent.

Evan remembers this part distinctly. He was in a private waiting room holding 5-day-old Hunter.

The doctor came in to show Evan pictures of Lauren's heart. As the two walked to the lab, another doctor stopped them in the middle of the hallway and held out an authorization form for open heart surgery.

"If you don't sign this, your wife is going to die," he said.

Evan laughs recalling the incident, saying he had no intentions of not signing. But it was shocking.

"That's the part that made it real," he said.

The doctors performed a double bypass on Lauren, taking a vein from her leg and using it to create a new path for her heart to pump blood. She still has the scar on her inner thigh.

'A LOT OF LAURENS OUT THERE'

Lauren was lucky. Though she'd had a severe heart attack, her heart function is now back to normal. She'll need to have regularly scheduled follow-ups and take daily medication that makes her tired.

By the time many SCAD patients arrive at the hospital, they have sustained so much damage to the heart that it becomes permanent or results in death, AlMahameed said. Timing is everything, and because the condition primarily affects young women, it could become more common in Charlotte.

"I do believe that there are a lot of people who already live in Charlotte who might have these conditions and who aren't aware of it," he said. And as Charlotte continues to grow, he said he's not sure the health care system is ready to handle a potential influx.

Lauren sometimes still can't believe what happened, or what could've happened. She has since started a Facebook support group, SCAD Survivors North Carolina, in an effort to raise awareness.

Her advice to young women? Don't discount your symptoms. If you're having abnormal feelings, just go the hospital.

"Don't wait, don't delay," she said. "The worst they can say is, 'It's heartburn, go home.' Better safe than sorry."

Explore further 37-year-old survives heart attack on the way to her wedding

2018 The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.A new study published in Molecular Genetics and Metabolism, conducted by a Liverpool based research collaboration involving the University of Liverpool, has identified the drug that treats the extremely rare genetic disease alkaptonuria (AKU).

An observational study at the NHS-funded Robert Gregory National Alkaptonuria Centre (NAC), based at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, in collaboration with the University of Liverpool and Cambridge charity the AKU Society, has shown that a drug called nitisinone stops the progress of AKU also known as black bone disease.

AKU is an iconic genetic disorder characterised by deficiency of the enzyme homogentisate dioxygenase, resulting in accumulation of homogentisic acid (HGA). HGA deposits as black pigment in tissues, in a process called ochronosis, leading to progressive damage when untreated. The severe damage includes spine and joints, leading to repeat joint surgeries, with one patient attending the NAC having undergone nine joint replacements. Patients also develop stones (kidney, prostate, gall bladder, salivary), fractures due to osteoporosis, ruptures (tendons, ligament, muscle) as well as heart valve damage (aortic, mitral).

In the study, 39 people with AKU were given 2 mg of nitisinone each day for three years. Newly published results show that the drug stops the disease, by decreasing HGA. Further, nitisinone therapy not only arrested but also partially reversed ochronosis.

Results also show that it significantly reduces the damage caused by ochronosis, especially in joints. Patients who took nitisinone showed major health benefits. Osteoarthritis in the spine, knees and elbows was much less severe and the risk of heart disease was reduced.

Professor Lakshminarayan Ranganath, the NAC director, said: "These results bring hope to the more than 30,000 people who suffer from this disease worldwide. We knew already from earlier research that nitisinone substantially reduces HGA. We also knew that nitisinone prevented joint disease in AKU mice through research at the University of Liverpool. However, to show the benefit of nitisinone in people with AKU, for the very first time, the NAC team had to come up with innovative and pioneering approaches to study outcomes.

"I am very proud of everyone who helped us to get here."

AKU patient Duncan Batty, said: "As a patient who has suffered from the degenerative effects of AKU for nearly 30 years it is fantastic news that an effective treatment has been identified. I am at the age when heart complications should start, but thanks to nitisinone there is no evidence of any issues."

Explore further Human trials show drug success for treatment of genetic bone disease

More information: L.R. Ranganath et al, Nitisinone arrests ochronosis and decreases rate of progression of Alkaptonuria: Evaluation of the effect of nitisinone in the United Kingdom National Alkaptonuria Centre, Molecular Genetics and Metabolism (2018). Journal information: Molecular Genetics and Metabolism L.R. Ranganath et al, Nitisinone arrests ochronosis and decreases rate of progression of Alkaptonuria: Evaluation of the effect of nitisinone in the United Kingdom National Alkaptonuria Centre,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2018.07.011Polycystic Ovary by Sonography. Credit: ekem/ Wikipedia.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely than other women to have an autistic child, according to an analysis of NHS data carried out by a team at Cambridge University's Autism Research Centre. The research is published today in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

PCOS affects about one in ten women and is caused by elevated levels of the hormone testosterone. It is associated with fluid-filled sacs (called follicles) in the ovaries, and with symptoms such as delayed onset of puberty, irregular menstrual cycles, and excess bodily hair.

Autism is a condition characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication alongside unusually narrow interests, a strong preference for predictability, and difficulties adjusting to unexpected change. Some autistic people also have learning difficulties and delayed language, and many have sensory hyper-sensitivity. The signs of autism are evident in childhood even if the diagnosis is not made until later, and occurs in about 1% of the population.

The research team previously published work in 2015 which showed that before they are born, autistic children have elevated levels of 'sex steroid' hormones (including testosterone) which 'masculinise' the baby's body and brain. The discovery that prenatal sex steroid hormones are involved in the development of autism is one possible explanation for why autism is diagnosed more often in boys.

The scientists wondered where these elevated sex steroid hormones were coming from, one possible source being the mother. If she had higher levels of testosterone than usual, as is the case in women with PCOS, then some of the hormone might cross the placenta during pregnancy, exposing her unborn baby to more of this hormone, and changing the baby's brain development.

Using anonymous data from a large database of GP health records, the study looked at 8,588 women with PCOS and their first-born children, compared to a group of 41,127 women without PCOS. The team found that, even after taking into account other factors (like maternal mental health problems or complications during pregnancy), women with PCOS had a 2.3% chance of having an autistic child, compared with the 1.7% chance for mothers without PCOS.

The team stressed that the likelihood of having an autistic child is still very low, even among women with PCOSbut finding this link provides an important clue in understanding one of the multiple causal factors in autism.

The team presented their findings at the International Meeting for Autism Research in 2016, and their findings were replicated in a Swedish study in the same year, adding to the reliability of the result.

The team also conducted two other studies using the same data and found that autistic women were more likely to have PCOS, and women with PCOS were more likely to have autism themselves. This strongly suggests that these two conditions are linked, probably because they both share elevated sex steroid hormone levels.

Adriana Cherskov, the Master's student who analysed the data, and who is now studying medicine in the US, said: "This is an important piece of new evidence for the theory that autism is not only caused by genes but also by prenatal sex steroid hormones such as testosterone."

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Director of the Autism Research Centre, who supervised the research, said: "This new research is helping us understand the effects of testosterone on the developing fetal brain, and on the child's later behaviour and mind. These hormonal effects are not necessarily independent of genetic factors, as a mother or her baby may have higher levels of the hormone for genetic reasons, and testosterone can affect how genes function."

Dr. Carrie Allison who co-supervised the research, said: "We need to think about the practical steps we can put in place to support women with PCOS as they go through their pregnancies. The likelihood is statistically significant but nevertheless still small, in that most women with PCOS won't have a child with autism, but we want to be transparent with this new information."

Dr. Rupert Payne from the University of Bristol Centre for Academic Primary Care, a GP and the expert on the team in using GP health record data for this type of research, said: "Autism can have a significant impact on a person's wellbeing, and on their parents, and many autistic people have significant health, social care and educational special needs. This is an important step in trying to understand what causes autism. It is also an excellent example of the value of using anonymous routine healthcare data to answer vital medical research questions."

Explore further Women with polycystic ovary syndrome have double the risk of liver disease

More information: Adriana Cherskov et al, Polycystic ovary syndrome and autism: A test of the prenatal sex steroid theory, Translational Psychiatry (2018). Journal information: Translational Psychiatry Adriana Cherskov et al, Polycystic ovary syndrome and autism: A test of the prenatal sex steroid theory,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0186-7Thalidomide molecule. Credit: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

More than 60 years after the drug thalidomide caused birth defects in thousands of children whose mothers took the drug while pregnant, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have solved a mystery that has lingered ever since the dangers of the drug first became apparent: how did the drug produce such severe fetal harm?

The answer, published online today by the journal eLife, not only helps resolve an issue that has been the subject of scientific curiosity for two generations, but will be critical as pharmaceutical companies develop a promising new generation of anticancer drugs that share a basic chemical architecture with thalidomide, the study authors say.

Building on years of previous research, the researchers found that thalidomide acts by promoting the degradation of an unexpectedly wide range of transcription factorscell proteins that help switch genes on or offincluding one called SALL4. The result is the complete removal of SALL4 from cells.

The degradation of SALL4 interferes with limb development and other aspects of fetal growth. The result is the spectrum of complications indelibly linked to thalidomide: the deformed limbs and defective organs in children whose mothers took thalidomide during pregnancy as a treatment for morning sickness.

Support for these findings came from reports in medical literature. Individuals who carry a mutation in the gene for SALL4 are often born with missing thumbs, underdeveloped limbs, eye and ear defects, and congenital heart diseaseproblems which mirror those in children exposed to thalidomide in the womb.

Eric Fischer, PhD -- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Credit: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

"The similarities between the birth defects associated with thalidomide and those in people with a mutated SALL4 gene are striking," says the new study's senior author, Eric Fischer, Ph.D., of Dana-Farber. "They make the case even more strongly that disruption of SALL4 is at the root of the devastation produced by thalidomide in the 1950s."

The findings are apt to mark an important inflection point in the history of thalidomide, a drug more infamous than famous. Marketed and sold extensively in Europe, Australia, and some South American countriesthough never approved in the United Statesas a treatment for pregnancy-related morning sickness, it became a source of anguish when it became clear that it was responsible for birth defects in more than 10,000 children and an unknown number of miscarriages. The medical community was slow to discover the danger of thalidomide because the drug gave rise to birth defects only when taken between the fourth and eighth weeks of pregnancy. It was officially banned in 1961.

In the 1980s, thalidomide gained a second life when it was found to be a powerful anti-angiogenic drug, inhibiting the growth of blood vessels in tumors. As such, it has come into wide use as a cancer drug, primarily in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Knowing the mechanism by which thalidomide produces birth defects will be critical as drug developers devise and test new drugs that use the same structural "scaffold" as thalidomide, Fischer remarks. "As new derivatives are tested, we'll be able to explore whether they have the same potentially damaging effects as thalidomide. We know that the therapeutic effect of these drugs is based on their ability to degrade specific proteins. Our findings will help drug developers distinguish between proteins whose degradation is likely to be beneficial and whose may be harmful."

Explore further Mechanism of action of thalidomide elucidatedPutnam County, IN - A Putnam County couple and a Fountain County man are facing charges of human and sexual trafficking of minors and child molesting as result of an investigation into multiple 2016 incidents, the Putnam County Prosecutor's Office confirmed Tuesday.

The incidents are said to involve two female acquaintances under the age of 16 who were allegedly sold for sexual purposes. The incidents reportedly occurred at a Rockville area campsite, a Waveland area campground and a Montgomery County motel, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in Putnam Circuit Court.

Arrest warrants were signed by Putnam Circuit Court Judge Matthew Headley and issued Tuesday afternoon for:

-- Paul M. Crowder, 70, Covington, the man who allegedly paid as much as $750 per occasion to take the underage girls across county lines and engage in sexual activity.

-- Robert F. Glaze Jr., 57, currently incarcerated at the New Castle Correctional Facility following a 20-year sentence in a 2017 Putnam County child-molesting case in which he agreed to a plea bargain that resulted in seven of nine related charges against him being dismissed.

-- April D. Glaze, 37, now residing in Greencastle after completing a 2-1/2-year sentence in the same 2017 case in which her estranged husband Robert pleaded guilty and was sentenced.

All three defendants face identical charges of two counts of conspiracy to commit child molesting, a Class A felony punishable by 20-40 years in prison (convicted felons must serve at least 75 percent of their sentence); and two counts of the promotion of human trafficking of a minor, a Class 3 felony punishable by 3-16 years in prison.

That means Crowder and the Glazes are each looking at the possibility of 56 years in prison if found guilty on all charges.

"I've never had an allegation like this one -- human trafficking for sex -- in my 14 years here," Putnam County Prosecutor Timothy Bookwalter told the Banner Graphic after the warrants were issued shortly after 4 p.m.

Crowder, a relative of Robert Glaze, was arrested June 29 in Montgomery County on three counts of child molesting that reportedly occurred on multiple occasions in separate locations in and around Crawfordsville.

Investigators found a reported paper trail of one of the Montgomery County encounters, obtaining a receipt at the old Crawfordsville Ramada Inn (now a Super 8 motel), verifying that Crowder had paid $99 cash on Oct. 22, 2016 and checked in to the motel accompanied by a 13- to 17-year-old.

Crowder, who during a June 29 interrogation by Indiana State Police Master Trooper Troy Cobb admitted to some of the allegations of sexual encounters with the underage girls, reportedly bonded out of the Montgomery County Jail despite being held on $50,000 bond.

During that admission, he told Trooper Cobb he gave money to Robert and April Glaze on several occasions, including the nights he picked up the girls. However, Crowder claimed the money was for their truck payment, water bill, Christmas presents and groceries, the probable cause affidavit notes. He said the amount was usually $200-$300 but on one occasion was $1,000.

Meanwhile, April Glaze told investigators that Crowder gave Robert "several hundred dollars" each time (five or six times, she believed) he took the girls, later saying the amount was generally $750.

"I didn't know he (Robert) was pimping them until after it was done," she told police, according to court records.

Toward the end of the interview, as Master Trooper Cobb notes in the affidavit, "Glaze admits she and Robert needed money and they sold girls for sex."

The elements of the case against Crowder and the Glazes began to unfold last March when the alleged victims disclosed details about the reported encounters to a Department of Child Services family case manager who then informed Indiana State Police.A day after the opposition pushed the ruling party to the corner over National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday accused both Congress and the Trinamool Congress of murdering democracy by not letting its president Amit Shah speak in Parliament.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar has asked the Congress and its former president Sonia Gandhi to make their stand clear on the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the country.

Addressing a press conference, Javadekar said that the Trinamool was nervous due to growing strength of the BJP in West Bengal. Javadekar hit out at the opposition after its members began protesting when Shah rose to speak in the Rajya Sabha, forcing its adjournment for the day.

They deliberately raised objections and issues to prevent Shah from completing his speech. It is murder of democracy to prevent a member of the House from speaking, Javadekar said in New Delhi.

Javadekar said that the Assam Accord to identify illegal immigrants was inked by then prime minister and Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi, Shah only asserted that the BJP was implementing the NRC, which was the soul of the accord.

Even Indira Gandhi had said that the Bangladeshis should return to their country after the situation there normalised following the Indo-Pak war in 1971. We now want to ask about the stand of Sonia Gandhi on the NRC and on evicting infiltrators from the country, the minister said.

Javadekar also condemned TMC supremo Mamta Banerjees reported statement that exclusion of over 40 lakh people from the NRC in Assam would lead to civil war.

The saffron leader and union minister Javadekar informed that Shah would participate in a rally Kolkata on August 11, and said that the local police had not done any favour to the BJP by granting permission to it.Azerbaijani army general sentenced to ten years in jail

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Dollar gains value in Armenia

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Aliyev, Erdogan launch international airport in Artsakhs occupied Varanda-FizuliYEREVAN.- Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia Ara Babloyan addressed a congratulatory message on the 100th anniversary of the first session of the parliament of the First Republic of Armenia, the Parliament reported.

The message runs as follows:

Dear compatriots of Armenia, Artsakh and Diaspora,

100 year ago this day the parliament of the First Republic of Armenia  the Council of Armenia led by Avetik Sahakyan, convened its first session. The period of state-building and lawful work, which has stopped hundreds years ago, has started since this historical day in the newly-independent country.

The work and passed path of the first Armenian parliament was difficult , but it played a unique role for the development of the national legislation, formation of judiciary and organization of state and public life in Armenia in general. The Council of Armenia started operating when the public structures were not formed yet, and it sometimes conducted also the work of the executive leadership, by not only adopting numerous laws and legal documents, but also hundreds of administrative orders and decisions which was linked with the imperative to fight hunger and epidemics, and to organize even the educational work.

At least one year later the Council of Armenia developed with a European model a democratic electoral law for the time and conditions, and organized the elections of the new parliament with a common, direct, equal and secret voting.

The Council of Armenia was really a representative body which included the representatives of all main political forces of the country, the nations, as well as Western-Armenian immigration.

Surprisingly, being non-formed parliament through elections, it has consistently created and developed the traditions of parliamentary democracy, formed the culture of political administration which played a great role for the development of the Armenian political parties and the political mind.

Dear compatriots, I once again congratulate all of us on this day, I wish we highly value our history and be proud of it.

I wish us to preserve and cherish the sovereignty of the third statehood and to do everything to make Armenia democratic, social and legal state in all respects.Azerbaijan shows interest in purchasing ten An-178 aircraft from Ukraine, Oleksandr Donets, the president of Antonov company said that in his interview for 112.ua news agency.

According to Donets, Ukraine's state-run enterprise signed an agreement with Boeing, thanks to which it managed to renew the serial production of aircraft.

"There's demand and customers who want our hardware. There's a protocol of the latest meeting with Silk Way, authenticated on July 11. They confirmed they were interested in buying ten An-178s," he said.

The official added that most likely, these will be the planes from the NEXT production line with spare parts supplied by Aviall, the subsidiary of Boeing company.

Asked about the price, Oleksandr Donets said: "We will be able to answer this question after we determine the conditions for removing the equipment from the warehouses. At the same time, I want to draw your attention to the fact that about 60% of components of Western production are cheaper than Russian ones. "US President Donald Trump declared during a rally in Florida on Tuesday night that "polls are fake" before bragging about a poll that he claims found he is the most popular Republican president since Abraham Lincoln, The Hill reported.

Trump at the campaign-style rally first accused the news media of suppressing polls that indicate positive numbers about his presidency.

"Polls are fake, just like everything else," Trump declared during the rally in Tampa, echoing his attacks on "fake news."

He said if the "fake news" did a poll, they would report only 25 percent of Americans have 401(k) accounts, though the correct number is around 44 percent.

He paused, then launched into a tirade about the poll that he says indicates his popularity as a Republican president.

"They just came out with a poll - the most popular person in the history of the Republican Party is Trump! Can you believe that?" he said.

"So I said, does that include Honest Abe Lincoln? He was pretty good, huh?" he continued.Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has called for a rally on August 17, at 6:30pm, at Republic Squarethe heart of capital city of Yerevan, on the completion of the 100th day of his tenure as PM.

The participation of each and every one of you is very important for laying the stable foundations of the future. The formal occasion is the 100 days of my being elected Prime Minister. But in general, the occasion for our talk will be our countrys today and future, which, I believe you dont doubt that it will be glorious and triumphant, PM said.

The events, taking place in Armenia contradict the statements of the country's new leadership about the intention not to persecute their political predecessors, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told said.

Moscow, as an ally of Yerevan, has always been interested in the stability of the Armenian state, and therefore what is happening in the country must be of concern to us, he said.

Lavrov said his ministry had raised its concerns with the Armenian leadership, and he hopes for a constructive response.

A 28-year-old military serviceman was injured in a major road accident Tuesday, in Armenias Syunik Province.

At around 3pm, a car went off road on the Yerevan-Meghri motorway, turned upside down several times, and ended up in the roadside field. The driver sustained injuries and was hospitalized.

The attorneys of Robert Kocharyan, the second President of Armenia, on Wednesday submitted to the Court of Appeal their petition to appeal the court decision on remanding Kocharyan in custody.

The Armenian lawmakers have launched a signature campaign to commute the court decision on remanding Kocharyan in custody. The number of lawmakers joining the campaign has reached 42.

Attorney Aram Orbelyan stressed, however, that not solely MPs from the parliamentary faction of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), but also from other factions had joined this signature campaign; but he did not mention any names.

The US Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues leadership spearheaded a letter signed by 48 Members of Congress sent to President Donald Trump urging him to meet with newly-appointed Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, during the annual United Nations General Assembly held in New York in September.

The peaceful transition of power after the revolution is a clear indication of the will of the Armenian people, strongly demonstrating their commitment to a fairer and more democratic state, the letter to President Trump says, in part.

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney founded her educational initiative the following year to help girls from her native Lebanon realise their potential.

Amal and assessors at the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, an organisation founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide, chose 16-year-old women's rights activist Kamar Omary as the youngster who will travel to Armenia to attend the United World College Dilijan.YEREVAN.  Relations between the armies of Armenia and China have been developing steadily during the recent years, military attache of the Chinese Embassy in Armenia Zhang Fenhua said during the reception dedicated to the 91st anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army of China.

According to him, the Chinese army attaches great importance to the development of friendly cooperation with the Armenian Armed Forces, and the Chinese side will continue to strengthen friendly relations with the Armenia, to expand the spheres of cooperation and to raise bilateral relations to a higher level.

China is Armenias reliable partner, he added.

In his turn, Deputy Minister of Defense of Armenia Gabriel Balayan stressed that China is one of the most important international partners of Armenia, and the development of relations with Beijing is one of country's foreign policy priorities.

The mutual relations between the defense departments based on mutual trust and friendship have reached a high level and continue to develop dynamically. Concrete results have been achieved in the area of military-technical cooperation, education and training, he said.

The deputy minister also expressed gratitude for the annual provision of humanitarian military assistance from China, adding that by the end of this year, the delivery of military products worth 10 million yuan is expected.US has come up with a list of enterprises and individuals to be exposed to sanctions regarding the arrests of American citizens and officers of U.S. diplomatic mission in Turkey, Bloomberg reports quoting its sources.

Although negotiations on release of American pastor Andrew Branson still continue, preparation of such a list indicates the importance US gives to taking unprecedented measures against a NATO alli.

Sanctions are parallel to those imposed on Russian government and oligarchy close to Russian president Vladimir Putin. According to US and Turkey state officials familiar with the negotiations, Washington has set up a deadline for liberating Branson otherwise threatening to impose sanctions on Ankara. After US Vice President Mike Pence announced the sanctions, Turkish lira dropped by 3%. At the end of last week the rate of Turkish lira reached the lowest rate of 4.99 per dollar.

American pastor Branson is accused of spying and supporting terrorists. He may face 35 years of imprisonment. Washington considers the accusations to be of political character and demands immediate release of Branson.The United States has consistently called on the Armenian authorities to conduct a credible, serious and independent investigation into these events, State Department said in a response to the Voice of America Armenian service commenting on the developments over the second Armenian president Robert Kocharyan several days ago.

The State Department representative also said that they continue to emphasize to the Armenian colleagues that it is important to respect the internationally recognized standards of justice.

Several days later Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that events happening in Armenia contradict the statements of the country's new leadership about the refusal to persecute their political predecessor.

Lavrov said his ministry had raised its concerns with the Armenian leadership, and he was hoping for a constructive response.

The Voice of America once again sent an inquiry to the State Department to clarify U.S. attitude towards the charges brought against Robert Kocharyan and the official response of the Russian side.IS Releases New Footage of AQAP Captives in al-Bayda', Identifies 13 Fighters Killed by AQ BranchThe shockwaves of Armenias recent Velvet Revolution havent yet reached Ahnidzor, a village in the countrys Lori Province.

Press coverage of the area has irritated more than a few residents pining for the old days.

On Saturday, two young men rebuked me, arguing that my articles on local environmental issues had led to increased surveillance of the nearby forest. Residents can no longer freely enter the woods to cut down trees and use the timber as fuel.

Some residents avoided talking to me.

Katya Karyan, whos been teaching at the local school for thirty years, invited me to the confines of her house before speaking.

Before we even had a chance to sit on the sofa, Katyas phone rang. Call me later. I have a guest, she said to the person on the other end of the line. After ending the call, Katya turned to me and said it was a warning not to spill the beans about what is taking place in the village.

Katya says the Velvet Revolution hasnt arrived to Ahnidzor. Its only been televised. People want to be left alone, she tells me.

Katya accuses the local government of poorly managing funds allocated to the village. She relates the example of money being spent to build a bus shelter several years ago even though a public bus hasnt linked local communities for years.

They could have purchased a bus with the money. We would have waited anywhere for such a bus, she says.

Villagers must now walk four kilometers to catch the bus to Vanadzor, the nearest large town.

Levon Zavaryan, the mayor of Tumanyan, an administrative communityincorporating Ahnidzor and five other villages, says that he spoke with regional officials ten days ago, requesting that a bus should occasionally service the village. He hasnt received any feedback.

Zavaryan says the Regional Development Fund of Armenia (RDFA), as part of a USAID project, allocated AMD 18.6 million) to build bus shelters in Ahnidzor and adjacent villages.

Brizma-Van LLC, the company that won the contract, used 7.2 million to build shelters in five villages. The rest was used to build one shelter in Karindj.

Zavaryan says the state government has promised to allocate two Gazelle minivans to Tumanyan for inter-community service. He couldnt say when the vans would arrive.

Davit Aslanyan, who coordinates RDFA projects financed by USAID, says that the organization has allocated $330,000 since 2016 in development assistance in Tumanyan.

To date, the money has been used to purchase a garbage truck, a dump truck and an excavator, in addition to eighty trash receptacles. Tumanyans current population hovers around 1,800.

The estimated cost of each of the bus shelters was 3 million drams. Aslanyan got somewhat irritated when I pointed out that 4.5 million was spent on the Ahnidzor bus shelter. He argued that most of the money was spent to improve the site itself and make it accessible.

Aslanyan claims that no one has filed a bid to operate the two minivans.

Katya says that no one uses the trash bins.

We are not accustomed to throwing our trash in receptacles. We have our own spots. We have no garbage. We burn it all and gave the leftovers to the pigs and dogs. But we conscientiously pay 100 drams for garbage collection.

Aslanyan was aware that people in the other Tumanyan villages werent using the garbage bins.

You can ask the villagers why they live like pigs. Ahnidzor is awash in dung. Why dont they dry that dung and burn it in the winter as fuel instead of cutting down the forest? he asked.

Katya, meanwhile, presented a list of unsolved complaints. The roads are bad, there are electricity cutsIn a word, she sees no improvements.

The electric wires date to the1950s. A tree falls, hits the wires, and we have no power. No one comes to change the wires and the poles. It pains me to tell you all this, but perhaps the village will see some positive change due to your article, Katya tells me.New store will offer top quality gear, expertise and outdoor experiences with REI Outdoor School

SEATTLE - In spring 2019, outdoor co-op REI will open a new store in Grand Rapids, Michigan, offering a wide assortment of quality gear, experiences and expertise to local members in the states second-largest city. With close proximity to the Grand River, Lake Michigan and the Huron-Manistee National Forests, Grand Rapids is Western Michigans hub for outdoor recreation.



We are thrilled to be adding our fourth store in the state and our first location in Western Michigan, said Michelle Yancy, REI retail director for the Midwest district. This new location will allow us to connect nearly 10,000 active REI members in Grand Rapids to the many outdoor activities this region has to offer.



REI Grand Rapids will be located at the intersection of 28th Street Southeast and Mall Drive Southeast, just south of the Woodland Mall. The mall area is currently being upgraded and re-designed to refresh and transform the space. The co-ops new 20,000 square-foot store will carry quality gear and apparel for the most popular outdoor activities in the area, including paddling, biking and running. REI Grand Rapids joins other Michigan stores in Ann Arbor (138 miles away), Northville (133 miles away) and Troy (156 miles away).



REI Grand Rapids will offer in-store workshops to connect people to a life outdoors. A national leader in outdoor experiences, REI helped more than 375,000 people across the country to get outside through classes and events.



In addition to providing the best outdoor gear and expert advice, REI actively works with nonprofits across the country to protect wild places and invest in outdoor recreation opportunities. Since 2002, REI has invested more than $875,000 in the Michigan outdoor community. In 2018 alone, REI has already invested $85,000 in local Michigan trails through longstanding partnerships with the North County Trail Association, Huron-Clinton Metroparks Foundation and the Clinton Watershed Council.



Join the REI team

Candidates interested in joining the REI team at any local store can apply online at REI.com/jobs. Later this year, the co-op expects to hire over 40 employees at the new store in Grand Rapids. New employees will receive a variety of benefits, including generous product and service discounts, competitive pay and retirement contributions. For 21 consecutive years, REI has been recognized as one of Fortune magazines 100 Best Companies to Work For.



Store facts:On August 2, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh Republic), the OSCE Mission will conduct a planned monitoring of the ceasefire regime on the border of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, in the northeastern direction of the Hadrut region.

According to the Information and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh from the positions of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh, the monitoring will be conducted by Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and his Field Assistant Ghenadie Petrica (Moldova).

The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh have expressed their readiness to assist in conducting the monitoring and to ensure the security of the OSCE Mission members.In a significant breakthrough to deepen the reform of mortgage loans, the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) revealed that it has issued a farmland loan worth $300,000 on the blockchain in a trial.

The bank, as reported by a local news source, used a segment of agriculture land as collateral to issue the mortgage loan in one of its Guizhou province branches. It also distributed the details of the loan across other node partners, including various commercial banks, Guizhous Land and Resources Bureau, and  surprisingly  the local branch of the Peoples Bank of China.

In a broader sense, ABCs new blockchain solution  reportedly called E-Blockchain Loan  will be ideal to resolve the complexity of the loan process. The bank recognized that the current loan approval process involves intermediaries at every step. Most institutional banks still take weeks, or even months, before approving a potential borrower. Disintermediation could save thousands of dollars for ABC and other involved parties by eliminating costs incurred from legal fees to underwriting costs.

The bank stated that their E-Blockchain Loan system would also make it easier to streamline borrowers data across the banking system. It will allow the lending institutions to verify their potential borrowers, individually to check if they use the same portion of land to receive loans from different banks.

Another benefit of sharing data across multiple node partners is tamper-proofing. As each server hosts a copy of mortgage data, it would be difficult for hackers to find a single point of failure and organize an attack.

As for the borrowers, especially the farmers in China, E-Blockchain Loan system would offer quick and easy access to farmland mortgage loans. The farmers would be able to access the loaning facilities online while avoiding long queues at brick-and-mortar bank branches.

ABC confirmed that it would expand its blockchain solution to other branches after testing the output of the initial test runs. Furthermore, the banking giant plans to incorporate other loanable assets, including real estate, soon.

Story continues

At the same time, the real challenge would lie in making technologically advanced systems like blockchain simpler to adopt and understand at users end.

HyperChains Involvement in ABCs Blockchain System

HyperChain, a Hangzhou-based blockchain startup, is reported to have actively provided technical support to ABCs blockchain project. Since June, the company has been announcing a partnership with ABC on various fronts, including a consortium blockchain system that features state-complied smart contracts, nodes modification and data restoration as crucial modules.

AgBank image from Shutterstock.



The post China: Worlds Third-Largest Bank Issues Farmland Mortgage Loan on a Blockchain appeared first on CCN.

The opposition looked rather disjointed going into last weeks municipal parliamentary elections; so, unsurprisingly, it eventually emerged heavily scarred.

Polling data shows the ruling NRM swept four of the six parliamentary seats, FDC walked away empty-handed, Uganda Peoples Congress took Apac and Justice Forum (Jeema) clinched the closely contested Bugiri municipality seat.

The poor opposition showing casts a harsh spotlight on the continued infighting and the dangers that poses to the oppositions quest to get more numbers in parliament.

This result confirms an overriding trend in local politics over the years; a disjointed opposition always crumbles in the face of a dominant NRM.

The NRM was handed an extra four seats to shore up its already overwhelming majority of nearly 300 MPs in the 452-member house.

For some time now, calls have grown louder for opposition parties to unite to improve their chances of beating the ruling NRM in elections. While many opposition politicians acknowledge it is easier to win in a united formation, accomplishing the feat has proven difficult.

A workable formula had been developed, which encouraged presumably weaker opposition candidates to give way for stronger ones to boost opposition chances of beating NRM. And this worked quite well as recent by-election results will prove.

But again, this greater good pales in the face of selfish party interests. In Bugiri for instance, the stark divisions within the opposition were on full display. Two very powerful opposition personalities; Robert Kyagulanyi (MP Kyadondo East) a.k.a Bobi Wine and Col Kizza Besigye backed different horses.

The end result was very poor poll numbers for the FDC candidate who managed a paltry 928 votes.

In the aftermath of the loss, Buhweju MP Francis Mwijukye (FDC) was quick to jump to his partys defence. He said the seven municipalities in contention were carved out of NRM strongholds; so, the opposition did better than anyone could imagine.

The comprehensive defeat of FDC, the oppositions largest player in parliament, however, confirms that unity would have served the common good better. The opposition has to sit down and plan future political contests as a group, determining where to place their best candidates.

Opposition parties need to wake up to a grim new reality: if the internal squabbling and clash of egos is allowed to fester unchecked, they will continue to lose future political contests.Candida is a terrible name. it reminds me of thrush.

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-Pulp will face off against the Happy Mondays on Bargain Hunt - a show that sees amateurs try to sell antiques at a profit



This is random?? Or is this normal for UK TV. I kind of remember seeing a clip on YouTube of Nicky Wire from the Manics on a cooking show, and Alex James of Blur was hosting some documentary about fast fashion.



I liked the FB interview Jarvis did with Paul McCartney last week.

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Lots of the daytime shows have celeb editions, as far as I can tell. Celebrity come dine with me, celebrity coach trip, so I guess why not celebrity Bargain Hunt Question in my mind is if the Happy Mondays, collectively, have a single brain cell to smash together.



I will be watching though. Because... jarvis. yum.



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Ah ok. Im not super familiar with English TV shows. Thanks!

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I feel like they just wanted some past greats to get on the air again? Im not sure what the BBCs ratings are like, but this seems better than getting a D lister to do the show?

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Sure, definitely better. Its unusual to me, because in the States you don't really see cool musicians do this? (AFAIK) If that makes sense. You see the washed out one hit wonder types, or the super mainstream types. But to me Pulp and Happy Mondays have some cachet in terms of their place in music history. So I find it a little funny that theyre gonna be on a game show. 

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Jarvis Cocker is still hot af.

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Im so here for anything involving Jarvis.

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Yay @ the Happy Mondays!

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Hearing Kylie Minogue on the Underground would definitely improve my day.

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This is hilarious. Go Candida & Jarvis!

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LinkI'm dying at that tweet omg 

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I miss Julia Stiles

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I always thought the rumor was she was a hermaphrodite.

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i was just about to write this word for word... you're right

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lol mte that's what i remember it being

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Thats what I remember it being. XY Queen!

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oh shit you're right





people are so awful

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ugh i remember when everyone said ciara and lady gaga were trans. middle school was a rough period.

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Ive never heard this one but it does remind me of that ages old rumor that Eileen Davidson from Days of Our Lives and Y&R is transgender.

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You got: New love



You are going to meet someone and fall head over heels in love with them. Its going to be really INTENSE. Youre going to become one of those people who cant stop gushing about their new crush. Pretty nice, huh? This could be a problem if youre already involved with someone else



https://www.buzzfeed.com/perpetua/predict-your-love-life-8-months-from-now?origin=nofil&utm_term=.htMLQ367b#.pgOk5r6zl : New loveYou are going to meet someone and fall head over heels in love with them. Its going to be really INTENSE. Youre going to become one of those people who cant stop gushing about their new crush. Pretty nice, huh? This could be a problem if youre already involved with someone else

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You got: Everything will be the same



Is this good or bad? You tell me.







LOL!

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You got: New love

You are going to meet someone and fall head over heels in love with them. Its going to be really INTENSE. Youre going to become one of those people who cant stop gushing about their new crush. Pretty nice, huh? This could be a problem if youre already involved with someone else



I'm going to be Arianna :(

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You got: New love



You are going to meet someone and fall head over heels in love with them. Its going to be really INTENSE. Youre going to become one of those people who cant stop gushing about their new crush. Pretty nice, huh? This could be a problem if youre already involved with someone else



Bring it

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You got: You'll fall for a friend





You are going to find yourself developing feelings for someone in your social circles that you hadnt considered before. But once you see them  really see them  for the first time, youll fall hard and wonder why you didnt notice them before.



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You got: Everything will be the same

Is this good or bad? You tell me.



Haha 





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You got: New love

You are going to meet someone and fall head over heels in love with them. Its going to be really INTENSE. Youre going to become one of those people who cant stop gushing about their new crush. Pretty nice, huh? This could be a problem if youre already involved with someone else

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You got: MAJOR DRAMA!!



Youre in for some very interesting times  think love triangles, secret affairs, scandalous romances, forbidden loves. You can tell me when it's over if the high was worth the pain!





um i sure fuckin hope not

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Fall for a friend. Ha!

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You got: Major sexual connection

You are going to meet someone with whom you have an immediate and intense sexual chemistry. Itll be exciting and pleasurable, but will it last? Who know

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You got: Someone unexpected will fall for you

Someone you know and likely considered to be out of your league will develop a crush on you, and youll have to figure out how you feel about that. Its surprising and flattering but are you actually into it?

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You got: New love

You are going to meet someone and fall head over heels in love with them. Its going to be really INTENSE. Youre going to become one of those people who cant stop gushing about their new crush. Pretty nice, huh? This could be a problem if youre already involved with someone else



meh

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You got: You'll fall for a friend

You are going to find yourself developing feelings for someone in your social circles that you hadnt considered before. But once you see them  really see them  for the first time, youll fall hard and wonder why you didnt notice them before.

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[ Spoiler (click to open) ]

So we do yoga and it was hard (I <3 yoga) and I probably bended too far into things instead of trying to build up strength but the stretching felt nice...and I wanted to impress her with my ~flexibility~ (ala Jenna Maroney's my ~sexuality~). Class ended and we got our stuff together, she gave me another kiss and asked if I wanted to go to dinner. She'd told me a couple weeks ago that she was taking me out for sushi..but it was sort of an abstract thing? No date, no plan....and so she told me we were going for sushi. We got there and I changed out of my workout clothes (because I had a fucking killer dress on that day and I wanted her to see it (zebra print long sleeved wiggle dress w/a black belt at the waist) and also I had realised there was a hole in my leggings near my bum and I was self conscious. BUT when I mentioned it to her she said, "Oh, really? I didn't see it" (squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)



So we had sushi, chatted nonstop for about 2hr about anything and everything. She held my hand across the table and then she walked me to the corner where we had to go our separate ways and kissed me goodbye.



D'AWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Also we had a discussion about PDA, publicity in general...we're both quite private. She's not out as bi and poly to everyone she knows (fair play), but she is to her close friends (and they know about me [and OBVIOUSLY her partner is completely aware and happy for her to be happy]) and is cautious about PDA because there is still lots of hard core Catholics and angry people. Which is totally fair. But it wasn't anything weird? Like she was still acknowledging me and it was clear that we were a pair.



We talked about how we both wanted to start from the beginning and get to know each other, not start with sex and then try to work it out. Hopefully I'll see her on Saturday! (Also I don't want something super serious and nonstop, so being a second relationship to her primary one is exactly what I want. We still talk all day every day and see each other 2-3x a week)





YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY So she sent me a message on Monday evening asking if I'd like to go to yoga in the park with her, we both work near each other and the park is about halfway (and we both are into fitness). I said I'd love to go, did she think a towel was okay for that type of yoga in class because I didn't have a yoga mat. Then she told me she had a spare, so she'd bring one for me, so I had to come! I got there first and sort of dawdled while I waited for her to arrive, the class was getting ready so I went over, paid my fiver and hovered a bit. She arrived a couple min later, greeted me with a hug and a kiss (!!) and introduced me to the yoga teachers because they were her friends.

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Awwwww! I'm so happy for you!

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THIS IS TOO CUTE!!!!

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Aww, that sounded like a great time. :)

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this is SUPER CUTE!! congraaaaaaaats!

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get it girl!

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yayyyy!!!! im happy for u this is so cute!!!

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Glad you had fun! <3





all those kisses sound sweet :*

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We lost my cousin to her addiction yesterday at 34 years old and it's just beyond devestating.



We buried her brother 8 years ago this summer and it's like the worst case of deju vu I've ever experienced. A fucking nightmare back again to rip my aunt & uncle's lives apart.



The amount of outpouring from people I never knew about how beautiful, inside & out, she was are equally heartbreaking and comforting.



I don't wish this on ANYONE. To encounter this pain over and over again, watching an entire generation suffer and grieve. It's life-shattering.



Keep those you love close, bbs. <3

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Im so sorry bb. Love and strength to you and your family. 

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i'm sorry :(

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Oh my God, I am so so sorry. Your poor aunt and uncle. :[

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I'm so so sorry.

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Im' so so sorry. Hugs to you and your fam. It shouldn't be this way.

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Ugh, I am so sorry, that's awful. Sending love to you & your family, especially your aunt and uncle. <3 <3 <3

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I'm so sorry for you and your family. Comfort and strength, my friend, to you and yours.

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I'm sorry for your loss <3

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Oh wow. I'm sorry.

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I'm so sorry. My deepest condolences.

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i am so sorry.

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/hugs. Im so sorry for your loss ;;

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Im so sorry :(

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Im sorry for your loss. :(

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I'm so sorry bb

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Fuck addiction. I'm so sorry bb, hugs! 

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so sorry for your loss <3

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I'm so sorry.

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I'm so sorry, bb. :(





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I'm so sorry; how horrible.

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I'm so sorry.

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Im sorry for your loss. 

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thats awful. im so sorry your family is going through that again.

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hold your family tight, I am sure they are so grateful to have your support. so sorry.

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So sorry, bb. <3

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I'm so sorry :(

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Im so sorry for your loss, I have also lost cousins to addiction. It sucks.

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I'm so sorry for your loss :(

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I read an entire book in like 80 minutes last night. That's always nice to get something so quickly.

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was it good? what was it?

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Prom and Prejudice. It was just a YA modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. It was fair. Super clean...they didn't even kiss at the end. lol

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I enjoy the occasional the short and sweet book.

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Um. So I just finished Castle Rock Ep. 4, and the ending seriously had my stomach in knots.

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I want to watch this show but from what I'm reading it sounds like it centers mostly on Shawshank stuff? Does it take from his other books or what? I am struggling to find a good synopsis that's not too spoilery.

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tbh i've only read a couple of his books n i'm sure a lot of the references are passing me by but i'm still enjoying it. they don't really leave the important stuff unexplained. the central plot is about shawshank but also about the town as a whole. honestly i feel like you'll get the feel of the whole series in the first ep. side note: andre holland is amazing in it

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OMG SAME i kinda saw it coming but it was still upsetting. i really love how they're keeping thee "is it the town or is it the people" thing ambiguous

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I hear the drums echoing tonight  africa by toto bot (@africabytotobot) July 22, 2018





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this is oneof my favourite bots

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Weezers cover of this is so good. And apparently Toto is going to reciprocate and cover Hash Pipe.

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ok i love that more tbh

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I'm starting to get super anxious about whether I'm pregnant. I test in a few days (on Sunday, assuming my period doesn't come before then) and I don't want to face the heartbreak again. :[

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Let's talk about something else to get your mind off it. You need to stay calm (I know that's hard but still) and relax as much as you can.



Tell me what your favorite TV show is and why

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You are the best ever.  Dawson's Creek sis, you know this! Lol. It just shaped my teen years a lot I think. I related to Joey a lot and saw hope in getting out of what felt like a shitty situation because of her story trajectory. Also Pacey/Joey 4everrr.



What about you? 

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I hug you

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what's your favourite food? why? can you make it yourself? why/why not?



if the answer isn't reeses peanut butter cups you better explain yourself! <3 <3

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sending you good vibes, bb!

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Distracting topics! I can do this!



Tell me your top 5 dream "Jeopardy" categories, and the 3 songs you always put on a mixtape and why.

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Life is a struggle. I didn't exercise yesterday. I ate more last night. I ate more today.

I feel weak and sad and I know I'm in a full blown depressive episode.

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I feel you sis. my serotonin must be off this week because Ive been in a mood since Saturday.

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a million hugs bb. tomorrow is a new day. you can live it however you need. <3

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I can't get what I need because I don't know what that is.

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Are you me?



I promised myself I would go home and exercise over my lunch....I am not sure I will be able to do it.

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lots of love to u <3

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https://www.bustle.com/p/6-planets-will-be-in-retrograde-this-summer-all-zodiac-signs-will-feel-it-9605368 There are four planets currently in retrograde and another will join it soon. Take care of yourself, it's going to be a rocky summer.

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My sister didnt call my Mom on her birthday and now its a big deal. My sister told my Mom she wouldnt talk to her for a year and its only been 7 months. Sooo cant wait for the lack of phone call on Christmas drama.

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I need to walk to pick up my car from the shop, but it's raining and the walk is about 10 blocks.

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This will be me tonight





I really should clean tho Instead of cleaning I'm watching Criminal Minds and reading Kiss the Girls.This will be me tonightI really should clean tho

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i've started a CM rewatch too. i love the first season

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I think I stopped around the time Ponyboy killed Hotch's wife. The earlier seasons were def the best

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Clean while watching Criminal Minds!

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omfg. kiss the girls gave me my snake phobia.

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Liking men is self hate. Im done with them. #scorpio

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Shout out to my ex for buying my youngest a smart phone without consulting me :) :) :)

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ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

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Yesterday I got dismissed from serving jury duty for a 6 week trial because I take care of my disabled dad. That's the first time that's ever came in handy lol.



I think I deserve pizza for lunch after the past few very stressful days.

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I think you deserve it too

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LinkI purchased one of the lines sports bras secondhand and its nice but I need put in more of an effort to find sustainable workout gear.

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I need to find sustainable, ethical everything.

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outdoor voices is amazing and ethical

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Lol bey doesnt care. There isnt a dictator she wont perform for or a sweatshop she doesnt like.

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Im a Bey fan but it its true. She gives no fucks

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i saw some hive trying to defend bey because the conditions are slightly better than average in sri lanka. but like...when bey is held up as this woke queen it all just falls apart. though there is also a component of performative callout because it isn't even across the board and bey is the biggest black woman in the game and therefore a target for implicit attacks.



just...a lot

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That's celebrity feminism for you. Let's empower First World women and POC while exploiting cheap labor from brown women in underdeveloped countries, who cares? More profit to be made! And Beyonce/Jay Z fans won't care either.

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How is this mess still not illegal? For westerners to sell sweatshop products? Shes a drop in the ocean compared to bigger brands so I wont target her but wow. Like this needs to stop.

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I've long said that American companies who offshore their labor should be required to meet American labor standards if they want to sell it/operate here. Call centers, clothing manufacturers, appliance assembly, whatever. You can keep people in communal living if you insist, but that shit better be clean and not overly crowded, and you bet your ass everyone is at least paying minimum wage.



But we'd never do that because the whole point is to exploit people of color in underdeveloped nations.

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Lol this is why liberal feminism fails. Its still inherently capitalist.

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It's so grim! The fashion industry can't put pressure on the factories to improve but also refuse to pay higher prices... and customers don't want to pay those prices.



I think it's true that until every country in the world forces a reasonable minimum wage the exploitation will continue. Consumers are too used to the cheapness of clothes to go back 50 years to when clothes cost what they're really worth. My friend was talking about buying stuff for primark was just to use and then chuck and I was like....... fuckkkkkkkkkk we are so fucked. The waste is so depressing.

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and even then, when you're paying $50 for a shirt, that often means that $48 of those dollar still don't go to the garment workers.





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Yes. Agree with all of this.

They never ever ever should have offered those products for that low a price to begin with. That goes for many other products, as well, case in point: fucking plane tickets

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Fun Fact: 99.9% of cheap clothes are produced in this sort of place, that's the price of cheap clothes. Clothes are not easy, quick or cheap to make, if the price is low, it's because the rest of the cost is coming out of the makers wages.

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this is why when I see all these "woke" hipsters in Brooklyn wearing Ivy Park, I'm just like lol wyd.

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So gross tbh. I love Bey's music but this is some shady disingenuous shit and I always roll my eyes when I see anyone wearing Ivy Park shit (which is so basic and boring anyway?)

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I get that celebs want their products to be accessible but I'd rather see them priced higher if it means paying people a fair wage.

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Ivy Park isn't even cheap

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Capitalism at the expense of women's rights is not feminism. Beyonce uses feminism as a baseline tool for young women to buy into, she has enough power and money to make a change and educate on a bigger level, but she doesn't.

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fast fashion is disgusting full stop. don't support that shit and def don't try me if you're vegan and shop at forever 21 or whatevs. buy used clothes, shoplift underwear, bye.

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it's the easiest thing to take bc you just put in on under ur clothes

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well done on punishing the people working retail.

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Beyonce has always been a thief and she does it without a care in the world. So I dont know why we are surprised that shes cheating women out of money to sew her Lululemon knockoff clothing line. But dont worry, all will be solved once she finds another Chimamanda Adiche quote to use as a background while she does one of her many recycled choreography.

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destroy ha

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welp..



And ehh the clothing reminds me a lot of primark's activewear

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Cackling 

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lol

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damn

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LinkKuwait is pumping crude at a daily rate of 2.8 million barrels, the most since December 2016, the countrys oil minister Bakheet al-Rashidi said today as quoted by S&P Platts. This is 90,000 bpd more than Kuwaits June daily production and the figure highlights the difficulties the cartel faces in boosting production quickly enough to rein in prices: OPECs total, as estimated by analysts, only rose by 70,000 bpd in July.

As OPEC ramps up production in response to vocal disgruntlement with oil prices, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are preparing to restart production in the Neutral Zone, which could bring another half a million barrels daily to global supply. The restart will likely take place no sooner than December.

Separately, the minister said that the oil market is approaching stability. This is something the market was supposed to have done earlier this year, before it turned out those price levels were not exactly optimal for buyers.

Now, things have changed. It is clear today based on the current level of production that we are approaching a very stable stage ... whether for the consumers or the producers, Al-Rashidi said, as quoted by Reuters.

Kuwait is not stopping at current production rates, either. The foreign-investment division of the countrys state-owned oil company, Kufpec, has borrowed US$1.1 billion to develop shale oil resources abroad, notably in Canada.

Kufpecs current daily production stands at 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent, but the company aims to raise this to 119,000 in September and further to 150,000 bpd in 2020. In Canada, Kufpec pumps just 8,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily but plans to expand this significantly after the drilling of 2,000 more wells in the Alberta shale patch.

Kuwaits total production capacity currently stands at 3.15 million barrels of crude from wholly owned fields, but plans are to boost this to 4 million bpd by 2020 and 4.75 million bpd by 2040.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Its a plight that affects all international oil majors, ranging from UK-based BP, to Irving Texas-based ExxonMobil, the worlds largest publicly traded oil company, to Chinas state-owned oil and gas behemoths - their revenue and profits are largely dictated by not only cost cutting, exploration and production and the other myriad of things these companies are known to be good at - but the rise and fall of global oil prices, a dynamic that is out of their control.

Yesterday, PetroChina, the publicly listed arm of state-run oil major Sinopec, said in a filing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange it expects net profit in the first six months of this year to increase by between 13.5 billion yuan ($1.98 billion) to 15.5 billion yuan from the first half of 2017, up by 107 percent to 122 percent from the same period a year ago.

PetroChinas net profit is forecast to be 26.17 billion yuan ($3.84 billion) to 28.17 billion yuan in the first six months of 2018. Based on net profit of 12.67 billion yuan in the first half of 2017, that would mark the highest six-month profit for the company since 2015.

The company said the increased profit comes as a result of cost optimization and increased prices of natural gas, crude oil, refined oil and other products. PetroChina will formally announce its first-half results on August 31.

Oil price vulnerability

Global oil prices were up nearly 20 percent in the first half of this year, even breaching the $80 per barrel price point in May, the first time it reached that price mark since 2014. Related: The Oil And Gas Boom Sends U.S. GDP Soaring

Prices have trended down since May, in large part due to pledges from top OPEC producer Saudi Arabia and top non-OPEC producer Russia, along with other producers, to add about 1 million more barrels of oil to the market. On the other hand, continued worries about supply disruptions in Iran due to impending U.S sanctions, and continued production problems in Venezuela and Nigeria have also weighed in on. global oil prices. Bank of America Merrill Lynch projects Brent prices to be range bound through the end of the year, averaging $70 per barrel.

PetroChinas market increase in net profits shows how vulnerable oil majors are to global markets. Just two years ago, the company was swimming in red, with no end in sight. In 2016, PetroChina saw profits fall nearly 80 percent from to previous year to 7.86 billion yuan, its lowest level in five years. Its revenue for the year dropped 6.3 percent to 1.62 trillion yuan.

The companys dismal results came amid anemic global oil and gas prices. Global oil prices ended that year just above $50 per barrel, up from 2015, but still dropping nearly half from reaching over $100 per barrel in mid-2014 amid the US shale oil production boon.

Going forward, PetroChina should continue to see its net profits increase due to possible declines in the supply side of the global oil equation and increases in oil consumption. Following the downturn in global oil prices in 2015 and 2016, oil and gas companies spent less on exploration activities, thus not finding enough new oil to meet growing demand. Related: Aramcos Next Plan To Raise Billions Of Dollars

Energy consultancy Rystad Energy said that the oil industry needs to add 33 billion barrels of crude every year to satisfy anticipated demand growth, particularly as developing countries like China and India are consuming more oil. This year, new investments are set to account for an increase of just 20 billion barrels - leading to a dynamic that some analysts claim could push oil prices higher similar to 2008, when prices hit the $108 per barrel price point. Its a problem affecting both long and short-term oil sector investment.

Earlier this month, Amin Nasser, chief executive of Saudi Aramco, said rising investment into short-cycle output, which ebbs and flows faster than conventional projects, would not be enough to meet rising crude demand.

Something like shale oil . . . it is not going to really create a major dent in total global supply requirements up until 2040, Nasser said in Financial Times interview.

He added that oil companies are more concerned about meeting shareholder requirements so there has been a reluctance to invest in projects that are costly and take more time to develop but tend to last longer.

By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:In a sign that the Norwegian economy and its oil industry are doing much better at the current higher oil prices, Norways finance ministry made in June its first deposit into the huge US$1-trillion sovereign wealth fund, the worlds biggest, since early 2016.

According to the Norwegian Government Agency for Financial Management, the finance ministry deposited US$233 million (1.9 billion Norwegian crowns) into the fund in June, thus reducing this years withdrawals to US$967 million (7.9 billion crowns), Bloomberg reports.

The Norwegian fund, created in 1990 to manage the countrys huge oil revenues and support the governments long-term management of petroleum proceeds, hit the US$1-trillion value threshold last year.

In early 2016, at the height of the oil price slump, Norway tapped its fund for the first time since it was created in the 1990s, as plunging oil prices battered the economy and oil industry of Western Europes biggest oil and gas producer.

The Norwegian economy has recovered from the downturn caused by the 2014 oil price crash and is now characterized by optimism and solid growth, Norways government said in May this year when it unveiled the countrys revised budget for 2018.



Related: Was The Aramco IPO Destined To Fail?

The US$1-trillion Government Pension Fund Global recommended last year the removal of oil and gas stocksmore than US$35 billion worth of sharesfrom the funds equity benchmark index to make Norways wealth and economy less vulnerable to a permanent drop in oil and gas prices. The oil and gas sector accounts for about 4 percent of the funds investment in equities.

Earlier this year, the fundwhich is invested in more than 9,000 companies worldwide and owns 1.4 percent of listed companies around the world and 2.4 percent of all listed companies in Europewon support from top Norwegian economists and academics for its plan to dump oil and gas stocks.

This non-binding support from Norways top universities is part of the process of hearings and consultations on the proposal to divest from oil and gas stocks. It moves the fund closer to possibly implementing its plan. The Norwegian government aims to reach a final decision on the proposal in the fall of 2018.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Defense attorneys of Armenia's second president Robert Kocharyan, have filed an appeal to overturn the court decision to detain Kocharyan.

Attorney Aram Orbelyan told Hetq that they would be able to provide more information in a week. The day of the court hearing is still unknown.

Orbelyan says the ex-president is in a detention cell by himself and is busy writing a book.

Viktor Soghomonyan, who runs Kocharyans office, told Hetq earlier today that one-third of parliamentary deputies have signed a personal guarantee that Kocharyan would not flee prosecution if released from detention.1 Aug  Kris Aquino has recently revealed the first look of her character in the upcoming Hollywood film, "Crazy Rich Asians".

As reported on Rappler, the actress shared a photo from the movie of her shaking hands with lead actress Constance Wu, writing, "Here's an exclusive first-look of my scene with [Constance Wu] in the movie [Crazy Rich Asians]... My gown was created by our very own [Michael Cinco]. Please watch for this PIVOTAL scene when the movie opens in Philippine cinemas on August 22, 2018."

She also expressed hope to be given a medical clearance so that she could "proudly represent the Philippines during the red carpet walk at the Hollywood premiere", which will be held on 7 August.

"Extending my deepest gratitude to [Kevin Kwan] for recommending me to play this once in a lifetime role," she added.

Although Aquino still keeps mum about her role in the upcoming movie, the movie's IMBD revealed her character as "Princess Intan".

"Crazy Rich Asians" co-stars Michelle Yeoh, Henry Goulding, and Gemma Chan.

(Photo Source: Kris Aquino Instagram)Sri Lanka Wednesday sharply increased customs duties on imports of the top-selling Japanese hybrid car, in an apparent shift in its policy of encouraging greener vehicles. The duty on the popular Suzuki Wagon R hybrid model was raised from 825,000 rupees ($5,156) to 1.25 million rupees ($7,812) with immediate effect, finance ministry officials said. According to the latest data, out of 5,190 new cars registered in the country in April, more than half (2,619) were the small hybrid Suzuki models. Only last November the government reduced duties on electric and hybrid cars as part of its plans to phase out fossil fuel vehicles by 2040 in the island nation of 21 million people. The new announcement came as the central bank warned that car imports had inflated the trade deficit by $700 million year-on-year to $4.9 billion for the first five months of 2018. Sri Lanka's rupee has been under pressure this year with the local currency losing over four percent of its value against the dollar in the first seven months amid a surge in imports. Last year, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera announced plans to replace all state-owned vehicles with electric or hybrid models by 2025, a move that will be extended to private vehicles by 2040. Sri Lanka had joined Britain and France in announcing plans to phase out fossil fuel vehicles by 2040. India wants to make new vehicle sales all-electric by 2030. Sri Lanka had around 7.2 million vehicles, most imported from Japan and India, on its roads at the end of 2017, including over 720,000 cars.Donald Trump on Wednesday told his attorney general to end the high-profile investigation into Russian election meddling that has ensnared key members of his presidential campaign and cast a long shadow over his White House. In a series of tweets that quickly sparked accusations that Trump was publicly trying to pervert justice, the president decried the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller as "a disgrace." "This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump said. Aides rushed to limit the damage, insisting he was not issuing an order as Session's boss. "It's not an order, it's the president's opinion," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters, adding that Trump wants the probe to "come to an end." His lawyer Rudy Giuliani added: "He used a medium he uses for opinions, Twitter. One of the good things about using that, he's established a clear sort of practice now that he expresses his opinions on Twitter. "He used the word 'should,' he didn't use the word 'must.'" The president -- along with allies in conservative media -- has launched a long PR campaign against the Mueller probe, which he claims is biased and pursuing erroneous claims of collusion between his campaign team and Moscow. "Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX," the president said Wednesday. Mueller -- a respected former FBI director -- is investigating whether the Trump campaign aided or abetted an attempt by Russia to sway the 2016 presidential election, or tried to cover up the conspiracy. He has so far lodged dozens of indictments, including those of suspected Russian hackers, and secured guilty pleas from at least three Trump aides charged with conspiracy and lying to investigators. This was Trump's most direct demand yet that Sessions, who infuriated the president by recusing himself from the investigation, intervene to end the probe. "The President of the United States just called on his Attorney General to put an end to an investigation in which the President, his family and campaign may be implicated," said Democratic congressman Adam Schiff. "This is an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight. America must never accept it." Even Trump's allies questioned the demand. "I've said all along I see no evidence of collusion. But if anyone helped Russia to hack/steal they deserve justice," said Republican operative Ari Fleischer. "Let Mueller finish his job. Neither POTUS nor Sessions should interfere. After all, nothing will help Trump more than Mueller concluding there is no crime." Amid the criticism from both sides of the political aisle, Trump's personal attorneys also sought to walk back the comment, insisting the president was not ordering Sessions to do anything. "The president has issued no order or direction to the Department of Justice on this," lawyer Jay Sekulow told The Washington Post. Giuliani added the president may be within his legal rights to obstruct justice if he wishes. "Under our conclusion if the president is acting within his capacity as president and he fires someone, that can't be questioned," he said. Giuliani also told reporters the president's legal team was in the middle of ongoing negotiations with Mueller, as a report in The Washington Post said the special counsel had offered to reduce the number of questions in exchange for a sit-down interview. - In the courtroom - Trump's latest Twitter tirade came on the second day of the trial of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on bank and tax fraud charges, which stemmed from the probe but were not directly related to his time on the campaign. Trump tweeted on Wednesday that Manafort "worked for me for a very short period of time" but sought to defend his former aide's bona fides. "Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders," he said. Manafort served as Trump's campaign chief from May to August 2016 and the president asked Wednesday: "why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation." "These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!" he said. Manafort's trial opened Tuesday with prosecutors accusing him of hiding from US tax authorities millions of dollars from past lobbying work for the pro-Russia president of Ukraine, and failing to report his foreign bank accounts. In a further tweet, Trump suggested Manafort has been harshly mistreated. "Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and 'Public Enemy Number One,' or Paul Manafort," he wrote. Manafort is scheduled to go on trial in September on separate charges brought by Mueller of conspiracy, money laundering and failing to register as an agent of a foreign government.The 106-year-old widow of French novelist Louis-Ferdinand Celine has sold their home in the Paris suburbs, her lawyer told AFP on Wednesday, reportedly to pay her debts. Lucette Destouches has lived at the house in Meudon, southwest of the capital, since she and her husband moved there in 1951, according to French weekly Le Point, which revealed the sale. The magazine said she owed back taxes as well as payroll charges for the three people who help look after her, which meant she was no longer receiving a pension. Francois Gibault, a lawyer and biographer of Celine, said that under the terms of the sale Destouches retained the right to live in the home until her death. Celine, best known for his 1932 novel "Voyage au Bout de la Nuit" ("Journey to the End of the Night"), is considered one of France's most prominent modern novelists, but also one of its most controversial. Fiercely anti-Semitic, Celine fled France after the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944 and was later convicted in his absence of collaborating with the Nazis. Earlier this year the prestigious French publishing house Gallimard suspended plans to reprint three anti-Semitic pamphlets written by Celine in the 1930s, after an outcry by critics including some historians and Jewish groups. There appear to be no plans to turn his former home into a museum, after several institutions declined Destouches' offer to sell, according to Le Point. Celine, who died in 1961, is buried at the Meudon cemetery.The panic over rabies that erupted at the beginning of this year seems to have died down.

Fourteen people are dead; dozens of dogs were poisoned and thousands more died after being incarcerated in government pounds as officials across the country stumbled to stamp out the spread of the disease.

Yet absolutely nothing was done about a potentially deadly contributor to the spread of the disease: puppy factories and the sale of their product  puppies  in markets and pet shops.

There are well-run, well-meaning puppy factories in Thailand, whose operators are genuinely concerned for the welfare of the pups and look after them well. There are also families and individuals who breed their pets for a little extra income. They, too, look after the pups well.

But there are many other much darker places where the owners regard puppies solely as product, produced at the minimum possible cost in order to maximise profit.

Puppies from farms such as these are trucked all over the country for sale to pet shops or in markets.

If the pups are not sold quickly, they are simply dumped.

Why would anyone deliberately throw away product?

John Dalley, founder and leader of the Phuket-based Soi Dog Foundation, explains, In a puppy factory, the dams, or producing mothers, are kept constantly pregnant until they can no longer produce, at which point they are useless to the factory owner, who dumps or kills them.

The pups that have been taken to market but have not been sold, wont be brought back to the factory; their mother is already pregnant with a new litter and wont look after them.

If you take a purely objective lowest possible cost business approach to breeding dogs, there is no point in taking them back to the factory, where you would have to pay to feed them, because the mother will not. So, you dump them.

He says that Soi Dog also comes across litters of pups with birth defects that have been dumped. He believes that these, too, are often the products of puppy factories.

The owners dont bother to bring in new blood until the increasingly excessive inbreeding between the mother dogs and their sons results in genetic disorders. Only then may they feel they have to bring in new bloodstock.

But the defective pups have no value and are doomed to be thrown away.

In addition, pure bred dogs often suffer from diseases caused by inbreeding. Breeds that are popular in Thailand because of their cuteness, such as Shi Tzus, French bulldogs and pugs, for example, are susceptible to breathing difficulties and eye diseases.

As the veterinary bills mount, some owners may decide its better simply to get rid of the dog.

Or the dog may die. Puppy factory owners dont care, Mr Dalley says, if the cute puppies they are selling are in poor health and die after being bought. Indeed, if a cute puppy dies, the buyer may go back to the market to buy a replacement  for the vendor, thats a double sale to the same buyer.

Also, thrown away or dumped in temples around the country are perfectly healthy pups that were sold to people who did not realise that puppies pee on carpets or sofas, or chew expensive shoes. They have no idea how to train their pup not to behave in such distinctly uncute ways. So, they throw them away.

To dog lovers all of this may seem horribly distressing but others may ask, Why are you telling me this? How is it relevant to my life?

The answer is that there is an added dimension to puppy factories: the connection mentioned above between rabies and factory puppies.

Puppies need to be 12 weeks or older before they can be vaccinated against rabies.

But most factory puppies sold in markets and pet shops are much younger than that  as young as four weeks  because they are cuter and cuddlier and therefore sell more easily. But none of them are vaccinated. They are too young.

Thousands upon thousands of these very young pups are moved around the country every month, Dalley says.

And given that many of the puppy factories are all about profit, they probably dont spend money on vaccinating the mothers. If a dam contracts rabies, she will pass it on to her pups.

Rabies is endemic throughout Thailand except, according to the government, in Phuket. Some parts of the country, as we have seen, can become hotspots. Imagine if unvaccinated pups from close to a rabies hotspot are brought to a market near you.

What few people understand, he says, is that humans do not usually contract rabies from some crazed foaming-at-the-mouth monster that attacks them in the street. The majority are bitten by their own pet, or licked on an open wound  which transfers the virus just as effectively.

Particularly effective at transferring rabies are playful puppies, with their needle-sharp baby teeth. Unvaccinated puppies such as the ones from puppy farms.

There was a case 8 years ago that became a news headline when a pet shop owner of Take Care Pet Shop, located in the renowned JJ Market, in Bangkok, died of rabies after getting bitten by one of the dogs she was selling. The scare spread across the pet area of the market and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had to warn customers from Take Care Pet Shop to monitor the puppies and dogs they bought from there. (news link https://news.mthai.com/general-news/68321.html)

Dalley says, Given the rabies outbreak scare earlier this year, I am surprised that the government has done nothing to regulate and curb the trade in factory-bred puppies.

We saw they were capable of controlling the movement of livestock when the H5N1 bird flu took a grip on Thailand from 2004 to 2006.

Those Thai government actions were effective. Seventeen people died in Thailand in that period. But World Health Organisation figures show that there have been no deaths from bird flu in Thailand since then.

That unvaccinated puppies can legally be transported from rabies-endemic areas to a rabies-free area such as Phuket is madness, Dalley says.

He notes, In Thailand there are no regulations at present governing puppy factories which potentially are producing rabies-infected puppies and also adding to the stray dog problem.

We would also like to see the government insist that dogs that are flown around the country must have proof of vaccination, and that police at check points be empowered to check that litters of puppies being transported by road also have proof of vaccination.

And if you want a puppy, he adds, At Soi Dog, we have many looking for new homes. They are healthy, fully vaccinated and  best of all  they are free to a good home.The Endangered Species Act is credited with saving the Florida manatee as well as many other species/subspecies of animals and plants. Credit: USFWS

Since Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act 45 years ago, the law has been credited with rescuing many species from the threat of extinction. Among them: icons such as the bald eagle, gray wolf, grizzly bear, and humpback whale.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is "one of the strongest environmental laws ever enacted," says Michael Gerrard, an environmental law professor at Columbia's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. "It has very substantial bite, and it's been responsible for the survival and recovery of numerous species."

Yet now the ESA itself is under threat. The New York Times reports that in the past few weeks, more than two dozen pieces of legislation, policy initiatives and amendments designed to weaken the law have been introduced, voted on in Congress, or proposed by the Trump administration. Some of these proposals could have wide-ranging and long-lasting impacts on biodiversity in the U.S.

Does the Endangered Species Act Work?

Kelsey Wooddell, assistant director of Columbia's Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability, said the efficacy of the Endangered Species Act depends on who you ask. "On the one hand, since there have been over 2000 species listed and only 47 recovered, that's not a great indicator," she says. "On the other hand, only 10 have gone extinct, so that's a good sign."

While Gerrard calls the ESA "very powerful," he admits it's not perfect. And it certainly isn't universally loved. "The law has been pretty reviled across the West," says Earth Institute lecturer Lisa Dale, who used to analyze sage grouse conservation as part of Colorado's Department of Natural Resources. Habitat for endangered species is often concentrated in public lands across the western U.S., resulting in large swaths of land designated as critical habitat with limited access for logging, oil drilling, and other types of development.

Dale says that although she'd like to see some changes to the ESA, "what the U.S. government is doing now is uniquely destructive."

What Are the Proposed Changes?

Attacks on the Endangered Species Act are nothing new. "The ESA has been under relentless attack for years from the construction and real estate industries, fossil fuel extraction companies, and others," says Gerrard. The difference now, he continued, is that with a Republican-controlled Congress and an anti-environment president, "this is their best opportunity in decades to try to weaken it."

There are a few ways to weaken the Endangered Species Act. Some are through regulation and implementation; how the law gets applied is very much up to the Trump administration. For example, some proposed regulatory changes would limit the definition of an endangered species, as well as reduce protections for threatened species. Or the Department of the Interior could just slow the implementation the ESA, for example by delaying petitions to add species to the endangered species list. Such regulatory changes would be fairly easy for the next presidential administration to reverse.

Another temporary way to weaken the ESA is through riders attached to appropriations bills. Some of the proposed provisions that are getting tacked onto spending bills would prevent the Fish and Wildlife Service from listing the sage grouse as an endangered species, and would lift ESA protections for gray wolves in the Great Lakes region. These addendums are the most likely changes to get through Congress, says Gerrard, since the Republicans don't have a 60-vote majority in the Senate, but appropriations bills often pass with objectionable provisions because other parts of them are essential. And although appropriations riders expire after a year, they could have long-term consequences. "If projects get built that destroy habitat, that's permanent," Gerrard points out. "Or if a species goes extinct while its waiting to be listed, that's also permanent."

Changing the ESA through statutory lawmeaning amendments to the Act itselfcould have even further-reaching impacts. In particular, nine bills introduced by the Congressional Western Caucus could change the DNA of the Endangered Species Act and transform its character in ways that would be difficult for future administrations to undo, says Dale.

Here are some of the most impactful changes the nine bills would introduce.

Economic Considerations

Under the current law, the federal government cannot take economic impacts into consideration when deciding whether or not to list a species as threatened or endangered. "That was included for a reason," says Dale, "because the ESA's intent is to protect the species, not to put a price on the species." The proposed changes would allow economic impacts to be considered in deciding whether a species gets listed.

It can be expensive to protect a species. Not only may the protection itself cost millions or billions of dollars, but under the current legislation, development in critical habitat can be limited. This can have harsh social and economic consequences. In the Pacific Northwest, for example, the listing of the spotted owl nearly shut down the region's timber industry and played a role in leaving behind many ghost towns. Similarly, the sage grouse and American burying beetle are obstacles for oil companies that would like to drill on the lands that overlap with mapped critical habitat. The proposed changes would likely make it easier to build roads, pipelines, mines, and other developments in areas that could be essential for a species' survival.

More Power to the States

Today, as soon as a species gets put on the endangered list, the federal government assumes authority for managing that species. This has long been a point of contention for states, says Dale. State and local scientists may have spent decades studying a species and helping to conserve it, and they resent having the feds swoop in and take over their life's work. "Many of these are dedicated scientists who believe they know more about the habitat needs of the species than the people in Washington," Dale explains.

The California grizzly bear subspeciesthe symbol on the states flagdied out in the 1920s due to hunting pressures. Credit: Andre Engels via Wikimedia Commons

Two proposed bills would shift more power to the states to manage the species within their borders. One would make it official that feds must consult with states on listing decisions, which is a common but not required practice today. The other would allow the Department of Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with state and local governments; in some cases, those groups could potentially even take the lead on managing an endangered species.

Dale says that while some of these changes could be useful and appropriate, "the proposals effectively create an off-ramp for the federal government to do much less to conserve species, instead deferring to states, which may not want to preserve an imperiled species or may not have the resources to do so effectively."

Gerrard is also concerned. For states that favor fossil fuel extraction, "turning over implementation of the [ESA] to the states amounts to turning it over to the oil, gas, and coal industries," he says.

Open Data

Another of the proposed bills would mandate that decisions regarding threatened and endangered species could only be made based on publicly available data. While that may seem perfectly reasonable on the surface, says Dale, "the problem is that's not how science works."

In some cases, scientists have spent decades collecting data about a species. It could jeopardize the scientist's life work to give away that data, and potentially open the door for mis-interpretation or erroneous application. "Just like companies get proprietary data, so do scientists," says Dale.

In other cases, scientific data is kept secret to protect the species. In Colorado, for example, scientists have carefully mapped the breeding grounds, or leks, of the sage grouse. "They've mapped them to the square meter, but do not release the maps because of the sensitive nature of those locations. Curious tourists would go there. People who want to do mischief would go there," explains Dale. "But under this new proposal, that data would either need to be made public or not be considered."

What Changes Does the Endangered Species Act Actually Need?

Some of the reforms on the table involve supporting businesses and landowners who voluntarily take action to support threatened or endangered species, and Dale thinks these could be good changes.

"Ranchers, farmers, and the oil industry do a whole lot of stewardship to conserve species, but they feel they don't get enough credit for that under the ESA," she says. "One of the drum-beats you hear is that voluntary action should count for morethat we should reward homeowners for performing conservation actions."

The proposed reform would amplify Safe Harbor agreements, in which property owners agree to meet certain requirements for species protection in exchange for the promise that the government won't require any additional land management changes. The bill codifies these agreements in statute, to help protect and reward the individuals who uphold their end of the bargain.

But overall, Dale thinks the package of proposed reforms would "send us down a pretty dangerous path in terms of biodiversity It's scary to see it being gutted this way." She has other ideas for how the Endangered Species Act could be improved.

For one, she'd like to see a more aggressive delisting process. Today it's quite rare for species to come off the list, but there may be ways to make the designation less permanent. For example, she suggests defining measurable short-term goals for species recovery.

There could also be ways to get states more involved in the conservation process, says Dale. This is challenging because states can be wildly different in their capacity to manage endangered species; some are able to devote a lot of money and brainpower to ecosystem stewardship, while others cannot. Nevertheless, Dale thinks there are opportunities for the federal government to better partner with states on data collection, listing decisions, and formulating and implementing recovery plans.

Gerrard points out that the Endangered Species Act has in some cases slowed down the construction of wind and solar power facilities due to concerns about bird and bat welfare. However, these renewable power facilities are critical to meeting U.S. climate goals. "I think we need more flexibility on the implementation of the statute," he says, "to allow these environmentally essential facilities to be built."

What Happens Next?

Republicans in Congress are trying to pass these measures before the representatives elected in November's midterm elections take office, in case the Democrats take back Congress. A Democrat-led House or Senate will be less likely to pass legislation that weakens the Endangered Species Act. However, Republicans may face an uphill battle either waythe Endangered Species Act has traditionally garnered strong bipartisan support.

If the measures do pass, there may still be a lag before their full impacts are felt. In the case of the sage grouse, for example, there are some 95 federal land management plans with sage grouse amendments regulating industry access to public lands across 11 western states. It's unclear what would happen to those plans if the bills get passed, says Dale. "My guess is those land management plans will provide a backstop for at least a little while."

Explore further Trump aims to end automatic protections for some species

Provided by Earth Institute, Columbia University

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu.BioBits kits are designed so that students and teachers with no previous biological training can perform their own genetic experiments without the need for expensive and bulky lab equipment, at a fraction of the cost. Credit: Megan Beltran

As biologists have probed deeper into the molecular and genetic underpinnings of life, K-12 schools have struggled to provide a curriculum that reflects those advances. Hands-on learning is known to be more engaging and effective for teaching science to students, but even the most basic molecular and synthetic biology experiments require equipment far beyond an average classroom's budget, and often involve the use of bacteria and other substances that can be difficult to manage outside a controlled lab setting.

Now, a collaboration between the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, MIT, and Northwestern University has developed BioBits, new educational biology kits that use freeze-dried cell-free (FD-CF) reactions to enable students to perform a range of simple, hands-on biological experiments. The BioBits kits introduce molecular and synthetic biology concepts without the need for specialized lab equipment, at a fraction of the cost of current standard experimental designs. The kits are described in two papers published in Science Advances.

"The main motivation in developing these kits was to give students fun activities that allow them to actually see, smell, and touch the outcomes of the biological reactions they're doing at the molecular level," said Ally Huang, a co-first author on both papers who is an MIT graduate student in the lab of Wyss Founding Core Faculty member Jim Collins, Ph.D. "My hope is that they will inspire more kids to consider a career in STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] and, more generally, give all students a basic understanding of how biology works, because they may one day have to make personal or policy decisions based on modern science."

Synthetic and molecular biology frequently make use of the cellular machinery found in E. coli bacteria to produce a desired protein. But this system requires that the bacteria be kept alive and contained for an extended period of time, and involves several complicated preparation and processing steps. The FD-CF reactions pioneered in Collins' lab for molecular manufacturing, when combined with innovations from the lab of Michael Jewett, Ph.D. at Northwestern University, offer a solution to this problem by removing bacteria from the equation altogether.

"You can think of it like opening the hood of a car and taking the engine out: we've taken the 'engine' that drives protein production out of a bacterial cell and given it the fuel it needs, including ribosomes and amino acids, to create proteins from DNA outside of the bacteria itself," explained Jewett, who is the Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering and co-director of Northwestern's Center for Synthetic Biology, and co-corresponding author of both papers. This collection of molecular machinery is then freeze-dried into pellets so that it becomes shelf-stable at room temperature. To initiate the transcription of DNA into RNA and the translation of that RNA into a protein, a student just needs to add the desired DNA and water to the freeze-dried pellets.

BioBits kits are designed so that students and teachers with no previous biological training can perform their own genetic experiments without the need for expensive and bulky lab equipment, at a fraction of the cost. Credit: Claire Barclay

The researchers designed a range of molecular experiments that can be performed using this system, and coupled each of them to a signal that the students can easily detect with their sense of sight, smell, or touch. The first, called BioBits Bright, contains six different freeze-dried DNA templates that each encode a protein that fluoresces a different color when illuminated with blue light. To produce the proteins, students simply add these DNA templates and water to the FD-CF machinery and put the reactions in an inexpensive incubator (~$30) for several hours, and then view them with a blue light illuminator (~$15). The students can also design their own experiments to produce a desired collection of colors that they can then arrange into a visual image, a bit like using a Light Brite?. "Challenging the students to build their own in vitro synthetic programs also allows educators to start to talk about how synthetic biologists might control biology to make important products, such as medicines or chemicals," explained Jessica Stark, an NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the Jewett lab at Northwestern University who is co-first author on both papers.

An expansion of the BioBits Bright kit, called BioBits Explorer, includes experiments that engage the senses of smell and touch and allow students to probe their environment using designer synthetic biosensors. In the first experiment, the FD-CF reaction pellets contain a gene that drives the conversion of isoamyl alcohol to isoamyl acetate, a compound that produces a strong banana odor. In the second experiment, the FD-CF reactions contain a gene coding for the enzyme sortase, which recognizes and links specific segments of proteins in a liquid solution together to form a squishy, semi-solid hydrogel, which the students can touch and manipulate. The third module uses another Wyss technology, the toehold switch sensor, to identify DNA extracted from a banana or a kiwi. The sensors are hairpin-shaped RNA molecules designed such that when they bind to a "trigger" RNA, they spring open and reveal a genetic sequence that produces a fluorescent protein. When fruit DNA is added to the sensor-containing FD-CF pellets, only the sensors that are designed to open in the presence of each fruit's RNA will produce the fluorescent protein.

The researchers tested their BioBits kits in the Chicago Public School system, and demonstrated that students and teachers were able to perform the experiments in the kits with the same success as trained synthetic biology researchers. In addition to refining the kits' design so that they can one day provide them to classrooms around the world, the authors hope to create an open-source online database where teachers and students can share their results and ideas for ways to modify the kits to explore different biological questions.

"Synthetic biology is going to be one of the defining technologies of the century, and yet it has been challenging to teach the fundamental concepts of the field in K-12 classrooms given that such efforts often require expensive, complicated equipment," said Collins, who is a co-corresponding author of both papers and also the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering & Science at MIT. "We show that it is possible to use freeze-dried, cell-free extracts along with freeze-dried synthetic biology components to conduct innovative educational experiments in classrooms and other low-resource settings. The BioBits kits enable us to expose young kids, older kids, and even adults to the wonders of synthetic biology and, as a result, are poised to transform science education and society.

"All scientists are passionate about what they do, and we are frustrated by the difficulty our educational system has had in inciting a similar level of passion in young people. This BioBits project demonstrates the kind of out-of-the-box thinking and refusal to accept the status quo that we value and cultivate at the Wyss Institute, and we all hope it will stimulate young people to be intrigued by science," said Wyss Institute Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., who is also the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children's Hospital, as well as Professor of Bioengineering at Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). "It's exciting to see this project move forward and become available to biology classrooms worldwide and, hopefully some of these students will pursue a path in science because of their experience."

Explore further To produce biopharmaceuticals on demand, just add water

More information: A. Huang el al., "BioBits Explorer: A modular synthetic biology education kit," Science Advances (2018). Journal information: Science Advances A. Huang el al., "BioBits Explorer: A modular synthetic biology education kit,"(2018). advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/8/eaat5105Table 1:  SH : spin Hall angle, : conductivity,  SH : spin Hall conductivity. The figures in the bottom row are those achieved in the present study. Remarkably, the spin Hall conductivity, shown in the right-hand column, is two orders of magnitude greater than the previous record. Credit: Pham Nam Hai

A research team led by Pham Nam Hai at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) has developed the world's best-performing pure spin current source made of bismuth-antimony (BiSb) alloys, which they report as the best candidate for the first industrial application of topological insulators. The achievement represents a big step forward in the development of spin-orbit torque magnetoresistive random-access memory (SOT-MRAM) devices with the potential to replace existing memory technologies.

The team has developed thin films of BiSb for a topological insulator that simultaneously achieves a colossal spin Hall effect and high electrical conductivity. Their study, published in Nature Materials, could accelerate the development of high-density, ultra-low power, and ultra-fast non-volatile memories for Internet of Things (IoT) and other applications now becoming increasingly in demand for industrial and home use.

The BiSb thin films achieve a spin Hall angle of approximately 52, conductivity of 2.5 x 105 and spin Hall conductivity of 1.3107 at room temperature. (See Table 1 for a performance summary, including all units.) Notably, the spin Hall conductivity is two orders of magnitude greater than that of bismuth selenide (Bi 2 Se 3 ), reported in Nature in 2014.

Making SOT-MRAM a viable choice

Until now, the search for suitable spin Hall materials for next-generation SOT-MRAM devices has presented problems: First, heavy metals such as platinum, tantalum and tungsten have high electrical conductivity but a small spin Hall effect. Second, topological insulators investigated to date have a large spin Hall effect but low electrical conductivity.

The BiSb thin films satisfy both requirements at room temperature. This raises the real possibility that BiSb-based SOT-MRAM could outperform the existing spin-transfer torque (STT) MRAM technology.

"As SOT-MRAM can be switched one order of magnitude faster than STT-MRAM, the switching energy can be reduced by at least two orders of magnitude," says Pham. "Also, the writing speed could be increased 20 times and the bit density increased by a factor of ten."

The viability of such energy-efficient SOT-MRAMs has recently been demonstrated in experiments, albeit using heavy metals, conducted by IMEC, the international R&D and innovation hub headquartered in Leuven, Belgium.

If scaled up successfully, BiSb-based SOT-MRAM could drastically improve upon its heavy metal-based counterparts and even become competitive with dynamic random access memory (DRAM), the dominant technology of today.

An attractive, overlooked material

BiSb has tended to be overlooked by the research community due to its small band gap and complex surface states. However, Pham says: "From an electrical engineering perspective, BiSb is very attractive due to its high carrier mobility, which makes it easier to drive a current within the material."

"We knew that BiSb has many topological surface states, meaning we could expect a much stronger spin Hall effect. That's why we started studying this material about two years ago."

The thin films were grown using a high-precision method called molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The researchers discovered a particular surface orientation named BiSb(012), which is thought to be a key factor behind the large spin Hall effect. Pham points out that the number of Dirac cones[6]0 on the BiSb(012) surface is another important factor, which his team is now investigating.

Challenges ahead

Pham is currently collaborating with industry to test and scale up BiSb-based SOT-MRAM.

"The first step is to demonstrate manufacturability," he says. "We aim to show it's still possible to achieve a strong spin Hall effect, even when BiSb thin films are fabricated using industry-friendly technologies such as the sputtering method."

"It's been over ten years since the emergence of topological insulators, but it was not clear whether those materials could be used in realistic devices at room temperature. Our research brings topological insulators to a new level, where they hold great promise for ultra-low power SOT-MRAM."

Explore further Researchers achieve significant breakthrough in topological insulator-based devices for modern spintronic applications

More information: Nguyen Huynh Duy Khang et al, A conductive topological insulator with large spin Hall effect for ultralow power spinorbit torque switching, Nature Materials (2018). Journal information: Nature Materials , Nature Nguyen Huynh Duy Khang et al, A conductive topological insulator with large spin Hall effect for ultralow power spinorbit torque switching,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-018-0137-yCredit: Lukasz Pawel Szczepanski, Shutterstock

Male infertility tests are currently performed exclusively in labs, requiring several visits and several days to get a result. The EU-funded QS Mobile project has developed a male fertility test that can be carried out at home quickly, accurately and more cheaply than in the lab.

Male fertility testing on a smartphone

The QS Mobile system is a novel device that attaches to smartphones for male sperm analysis. To eliminate manual labour errors, it combines microfluidics technology, compact optics and advanced video image analysis to automate sperm tests. Moreover, its precision and reliability levels are comparable to labs.

Results from the device cover all three types of sperm measurements required by the WHOconcentration, different motility classes and spermatozoa morphology analysis.

Market targets

"Based on demographics and socioeconomic data we have identified key target groups for our solution for a global market," states Erik Nordquist, coordinator of the QS Mobile project and co-founder and CEO of Biophos SA, a Swiss SME. The QS Mobile device is targeted at men who are planning children, undergoing fertility treatments or who are looking to increase their chances of conception by adopting a new personal routine. It can also be used by hospitals that don't have a dedicated fertility lab.

QS Mobile has undertaken a full market feasibility study. Moreover, they have identified the demand for a new disruptive male fertility diagnostic solution and estimated the market value. "We reviewed the business to consumer (B2C) go-to-market strategy and made necessary adjustments, verifying our five key markets," states Nordquist. The rigorous testing and approval will make sure the team is better prepared for the next phase.

Sales and distribution

The QS Mobile team has put together a multiple sales and distribution proposition including cost breakdown. Moreover, they have established scientific and commercial partners in a few hand-picked markets.

With the new regulatory landscape of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in mind, the project has defined its impact. Specifically, they have outlined how current and future products need to be adapted or integrated at the latest by 2022 in accordance with the new directives relating to GDPR.

Next phase for QS Mobile

The first phase of commercialisation with business to business (B2B) customers started in January 2018. QS Mobile expects to have four selected markets covered with at least one partner in each market during 2018. In parallel with the market entry for B2B, the objective is to finalise QS Mobile development. By 2027, the company Biophos intends to serve 15-20 % of the total market with around EUR 200 million annual revenue.

QS Mobile has identified a clear sales and marketing strategy. Summing up his vision for the future, Nordquist concludes, "The goal of this project is to prepare QS Mobile for market launch by scaling up our QS Mobile prototype into a final QS Mobile solution and to prepare for market launch by creating awareness to fight the stigma of male fertility issues."

Explore further Smartphone market to stay cool this year: forecastA new study of orangethroat darters reveals that the males' ability to recognize their own and other species drives the evolution of their bright display colors. Credit: Rachel Moran

Scientists once thought that female mate choice alone accounted for the eye-catching color patterns seen in some male fish. But for orangethroat darters, male-to-male competition is the real force behind the flash, a new study finds.

The research, reported in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests that separate populations of orangethroat darters are evolving differing color patterns as a result of the males' ability to distinguish their own from other species.

Darters are small, perch-like fish living in freshwater rivers and creeks in North America, said University of Illinois graduate student Rachel Moran, who led the research with animal biology professor Becky Fuller. The males are showy, with orange and blue-green stripes and patches, but the females are brown and tan.

"The females don't choose their mates," Moran said. When fertile, they simply burrow into the gravel and wait for a mate to arrive. "Males of the same species will come up and try to mate with a female and fight off other males," she said.

Because this aggression is costly and dangerous, the males do best if they compete only with males of their own kind, Fuller said.

"To be successful, they need to distinguish between their own and other darter species," she said.

Only orangethroats that coexist with rainbow darters have developed this ability, recent studies have found. Once they learn to avoid rainbow dartersa more distantly related species of fishorangethroat males won't mate or fight with even closely related orangethroat species.

When they share habitat with rainbow darters, male orangethroat darters learn to recognize their own and other species. They ignore other fish that look even slightly different from themselves, a behavior that appears to drive the evolution of their own color patterns. Credit: Rachel Moran

In the new study, Moran raised a generation of orangethroat offspring in the lab. She obtained the parents of these lab-raised fish from different populations in the wild. The experiment revealed that the distinctive male color patterns seen in separate populations of orangethroat darters persisted from generation to generation.

"This shows that this is something that is genetically based and that those differences are not due just to the environment," she said.

She also compared color patterns in populations of orangethroat darters that do and do not share habitat with rainbow darters. Orangethroat populations that never encounter rainbow darters in the wild look very similar to one another, even when they live out their lives in complete isolation from each other, she noticed.

Separate populations of orangethroat darters whose territories overlap with rainbow darters look very different from one another, however. When individuals from these different populations are brought together in the lab, they ignore and avoid one another. They will neither mate with the females or fight with the other orangethroat darter males.

Moran said there is a possible explanation for why the two species have learned to avoid one another: Hybrid offspring have low survival.

"Natural selection has favored fish that are able to distinguish between their own and the other species," she said.

"As scientists, we often assume that female mate choice is the reason for sexual dimorphism in animal species, where females are very dull and males are flashy," Moran said. "But here, we're showing that male competition also plays an important role. We now know that male competition alone can drive divergence in this really flashy signal between species and also within species."

Explore further Fussy fruit flies can detect bad genes

More information: Rachel L. Moran et al, Agonistic character displacement of genetically based male colour patterns across darters, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2018). Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Rachel L. Moran et al, Agonistic character displacement of genetically based male colour patterns across darters,(2018). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1248Engineers at the Johns Hopkins University have created an electronic skin and aim to restore the sense of touch through the fingertips of prosthetic hands. Credit: Larry Canner/JHU

When Gyorgy Levay lost parts of all four extremities, including most of his left arm, to meningitis in 2010, he resolved to make the best of a bad situation.

He mastered his state-of-the-art prosthetic replacements. He switched the focus of his graduate studies from electrical to biomedical engineering. The native Hungarian even found it interesting how he continued to feel sensations from the hand he no longer possessed.

But like most amputees, he felt something was missing. Because his prostheses had no sense of touch, they felt to him like alien attachments.

Thanks to a team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University, he has learned what they might feel like if they were part of him. Levay was the principal volunteer subject in a two-year study at the university that endowed an artificial limb with the capacity to feel pressure and pain.

Led by Luke Osborn and Nitish Thakor, a graduate student and professor in Johns Hopkins' biomedical engineering department, the team developed a form of "electronic skin" that registers touch in much the same way the human body does.

Wearing that "skin," a fabric-and-rubber sheath laced with sensors that the team called e-dermis, on the fingertips of his prosthetic left hand, Levay picked up several small, rounded objects, then did the same with a sharply pointed object.

When picking up the rounded objects, he felt various levels of physical pressure; when holding the pointed object, he felt pain.

To Levay, it felt as though a lifeless appendagehis left hand and armwere being born again.

"Normally my 'hand' feels a bit like a hollow shell," he said in a phone interview from his hometown of Budapest. "When these electronic stimulations started happening, it felt a bit like filling a glove with water, almost as though it were filling up with life."

The experiment marked the first time an amputee could feel a range of benign physical pressures through a prosthetic deviceand the first time any has felt pain.

"For the first time, a prosthesis can provide a range of perceptions, from fine touch to noxious touch, to an amputee, and this makes it much more like a human hand," said Thakor, the co-founder of Infinite Biomedical Technologies, a small Baltimore-based company that supplied the prosthetic hardware for the study.

A paper on the study appeared in the journal Science Robotics last month.

The advances are the latest in an area of research that has expanded rapidly over the past decade and a half, thanks in no small part to work done at Johns Hopkins.

It wasn't until about four years ago, though, that researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and elsewhere began taking steps toward imbuing prosthetic devices with touch.

Those researchers achieved their results by affixing electronic sensors to prosthetic limbs. These tiny devices could register touch, translate it into electronic signals and send the signals across a set of wires to the appropriate locations in what remained of the users' limbs.

Every pioneering experiment has its limitations, and these were no exception. The process required invasive surgeryelectrodes had to be implanted in the residual limbs to receive the signals and transmit them across the nervous systemand the work provided only a narrow range of pressure sensations.

The Hopkins team set out to expand the menu of sensations provided, up to and including paina category of feeling that, while always unpleasant, serves a crucial survival function.

"Pain is a sensation we use to protect our bodies," Osborn said. "We can take it for granted, and we certainly don't always like it, but it serves as a warning system, helping us avoid harmful events."

The team, which included members from the Johns Hopkins departments of electrical engineering, computer engineering and neurology, turned to biology for its model.

The sensory receptor cells in human skin, they observed, are actually situated at various levels, with those responsible for painful sensation (nociceptors) primarily near the surface of the skin and those responsible for sensing pressure (mechanoreceptors) set deeper.

To replicate this system, they designed e-dermis to have sensors arrayed in two layers, instead of one like earlier engineers.

Then the challenge was to "teach" the sensors in each layer to generate the sensations appropriate to that layer.

Again, they turned to biology.

The team studied the frequencies, amplitudes and wavelengths of the signals the body normally sends when generating sensations of pressure and pain. Then they calibrated the sensory apparatus to mimic those variables.

Osborn elaborated on this "neuromorphic" approachthat is, the creation of technology that mimics biological patterns.

"We knew what an electrical pulse for pain looks like, as well as pulses that convey information of pressure, texture and so forth," he said. "We created similar pulses and matched them against what the subjects actually perceive."

The next challenge was to ensure that the system was spatially accuratethat is, that if contact occurs on the prosthetic index finger, the brain perceives it as coming from that spot.

They achieved this through "sensory mappingprobing every square centimeter of the subject's residual limb and noting where the subject "felt" each of those touches on his "phantom" hand.

The process allowed Osborn and company to wire the sensor on the index finger, for example, directly to the nerve in the residual limb that ordinarily would connect to the real index finger.

Hopkins research offers Pa. woman new arm, 14 years after amputation

"Those nerves that used to go to your hand are still there, they're just not connected to the hand anymore," Osborn said. "By stimulating each of those nerves, we activate the location in the brain that says 'pinky finger,' or 'index finger,' or 'thumb,' and the sensation should ideally feel as it would have before the amputation."

Having mapped the nerve patterns so precisely, the team was able to avoid requiring the invasive implantation of metal electrodes in the residual limb.

They did attach wires from the prosthesis to the appropriate locations on the limb, but they did so on the surface of the skin, a process that is far easier on the subject.

Levay said he appreciated that on many levels.

He happened to be studying biomedical engineering on a Fulbright scholarship at Johns Hopkins when Thakor and Osborn began their research in 2015.

Because he was interested on a personal and professional level, and physically nearby, he made the ideal volunteer subject for the study, which was funded by grants from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Engineering, a division of the National Institutes of Health, among other sources.

The group worked with a number of volunteer amputees during the study, but because he was consistently available over a course of months, Levay emerged as the central, unnamed subject of the paper, titled "Prosthesis with neuromorphic multilayered e-dermis perceives touch and pain."

The experiments were painful at first, Levay said with a laugh, as Osborn sought to find the right match between the shocks he delivered and the sensations Levay felt.

The longer they worked together, though, the closer the correlation became, until the only pain he felt during the sessions came when he picked up the pointy object, signaling that the experiment had achieved its goal.

That, he said, was pain he was only too happy to feel.

"E-dermis doesn't work perfectly yet," Levay said, "but it's definitely a step further in bringing sensations back to the hand."

More information: Luke E. Osborn et al. Prosthesis with neuromorphic multilayered e-dermis perceives touch and pain, Science Robotics (2018). Journal information: Science Robotics Luke E. Osborn et al. Prosthesis with neuromorphic multilayered e-dermis perceives touch and pain,(2018). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aat3818

2018 The Baltimore Sun

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.A new study investigates the habitat preferences of endangered Red Knots in their vast, remote Arctic breeding range. Credit: M. Peck

The rufa subspecies of Red Knot travels from its breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic to its winter habitat in South America and back each year, an incredible 15,000 kilometers each way. Its numbers have fallen precipitously in recent decades, and with such a broad range, determining what's behind the shorebird's decline is a huge challenge. A new study from The Condor: Ornithological Applications examines Red Knot nesting habitat preferences across the Arctic and determines that while there is plenty of breeding habitat to support today's population, climate change could pose a threat in the future.

Rutgers University's Richard Lathrop, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey's Larry Niles, and their colleagues attached radio tags to 365 knots captured while migrating through Delaware Bay in 1999-2006. To learn where and in what sort of habitat the tagged birds nested, they then conducted surveys via small airplane across the south and central Canadian Arctic, a vast study area spanning from Victoria Island in the west to Baffin Island in the east. They also carried out detailed ground-based surveys on Nunavut's Southampton Island. Across both scales, knots preferred to nest in sparsely vegetated areas on sedimentary bedrock, near but not directly adjacent to the coast or interior wetlands, to which they commute in order to forage.

The study shows that there are more than 74,000 square kilometers of suitable rufa Red Knot habitat across their Central Arctic breeding rangeenough space for at least that many breeding pairs, assuming one square kilometer of territory per nest. Since the entire population currently numbers only around 42,000 individuals, it's unlikely that a lack of available breeding habitat is contributing to the species' decline; knots' problems must lie elsewhere. However, suitable breeding conditions for a number of Arctic shorebirds, including knots, are predicted to shift and decline in coming decades due to climate change. An understanding of species-habitat relationships will be crucial for present and future conservation efforts.

"It took many person-hours over many years of intensive field surveys to find the several dozen occupied Red Knot nests that we located and documented. The area we aerially searched for radio-tagged birds spanned over 1700 km in length, the same distance as from Georgia to Maine," says Niles.

Lathrop adds, "Using the power of satellite remote sensing, data mining analysis, and geospatial modeling, we were able to extrapolate from the field and radio-telemetry surveys to map potential nesting habitat for these birds across wide expanses of the Canadian Arctic. These same tools and techniques could be applied to advance our knowledge about other Arctic-nesting shorebirds."

"Implementing effective conservation actions for long-distance migrant birds often involves the systematic elimination of insignificant factors to identify important biotic and abiotic contributors to population dynamics," according to Brad Andres, National Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Shorebird Conservation Plan, who was not involved in the study. "For the first time, Lathrop and his colleagues have described environmental conditions conducive for nesting by rufa Red Knots and provide evidence that breeding ground habitats are likely not limiting the recovery of the population. Their work also furnishes a baseline to evaluate the ability of a changing Arctic climate to provide breeding habitat for this shorebird of high conservation concern."

Explore further Study pinpoints arctic shorebird decline

More information: "Mapping and modeling the breeding habitat of the Red Knot, Calidris canutus, at landscape and regional scales" The Condor: Ornithological Applications, DOI: 10.1650/CONDOR-17-247.1 "Mapping and modeling the breeding habitat of the Red Knot, Calidris canutus, at landscape and regional scales"Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A study of firefighters in the United States breaks new ground in understanding how groups of workersespecially those in high-risk occupationsare able to take leaps of faith. The study conveys what goes into a person's ability to make critical trust-related judgments. It also has relevance and managerial implications in an era of declining trust in both people and institutions, the study's authors said.

"The Hidden Side of Trust: Supporting and Sustaining Leaps of Faith Among Firefighters" was authored by management and organizational behavior experts at Rice University, Boston College and Western Michigan University and will appear in the print version of the journal Administrative Science Quarterly later this year.

The study suggests that leaps of faith are initiated and perpetuated through two sets of dynamics: supporting and sustaining.

The authors studied firefighters who, in a high-stakes profession, have to take such leaps. Only around 4 percent of calls to a fire station are fire-related, so firefighters may not have seen their colleagues fight a fire. They may not even know them by reputation.

"We found that firefighters take a leap of faith to move from weak evidence derived from mundane tasks and behaviors at the fire station to trust in terms of entering a burning building with other firefighters," the authors wrote.

The dynamics of support begin with knowing who isor isn'ta good firefighter, the authors said. This knowledge is passed from one firefighter to another through stories that have to be clear enough to indicate a firefighter's trustworthiness. In this way, cues at the firehousehow people look, act and talkare used to determine how someone will act in a fire.

Groups also need to be sure new information doesn't cause one person to constantly upend judgments about someone else, as that could make an already dangerous job more hazardous, the authors said. Thus, firefighters also need sustaining dynamics that cut off or diminish new information and keep their judgments stable. These dynamics can also mean that firefighters who are initially categorized as untrustworthy aren't provided with many chances to prove otherwise.

The study was authored by Erik Dane, an associate professor of management in Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business; Michael Pratt, the O'Connor Family Professor at Boston College's Carroll School of Management; and Douglas Lepisto, an assistant professor of management at Western Michigan.

Past research has looked at the types of information that lead to trust, but because such information is rarely perfect or complete, trust always involves a leap of faith, the researchers said. They noted that few previous studies have looked at how people do this.

Through a multiphase study of more than 60 firefighters in the U.S.beginning with firefighters at stations in the Midwest and West Coast and narrowed to a single firefighting department in New Englandthe authors explored processes that facilitate and maintain leaps of faith. All but one of the firefighters were male, and they ranged in tenure from three months to 40 years. Nationally, firefighters are overwhelmingly male (96 percent) and white (82 percent), and 75 percent are between the ages of 32 and 50, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Through interviews, observations and surveys, they asked about different types of firefighters (for example, those "with heart" versus those "working for a paycheck"), issues of trust and how trust was assessed at the site of a fire. For example, the authors asked firefighters to describe colleagues they trusted and those they didn't, why they held those opinions and what concrete information they relied on as evidence of trustworthiness. The authors resided at the station with the firefighters so they could observe them performing daily routines, such as grocery shopping, preparing and eating meals, conducting inspections and responding to calls.

The authors said similar trust dynamics are likely to be found in occupations where there is not a lot of direct information about another person, such as bodyguards or nuclear power plant emergency operators. But because work relationships can be complex, one person might never really have all of the direct evidence needed to judge a colleague.

For example, the researchers said it may be difficult for employers to gain direct evidence that employees won't embezzle from them. One needs to take a leap of faith, the authors said.

This, they said, is likely true for most of a person's strong personal relationships as well. Leaps of faith are also important at the beginning of a relationship, when the participants don't have any direct evidence.

Managerial implications

Trust can be strongly influenced by company culture, the authors said. The stories and values in an organization shape who willand will notbe trusted. For these stories and values to be useful in strengthening trust, they need to be sustained such that employees come to see evidence that supports the story. The authors stressed that those who are or aren't trusted might not be determined by what they actually do, but by the categories that people fit others into. This means bias in trust is real, the authors said.

The authors concluded, "Trust comprises both knowledge and faith. Although we know much about the role of the former, faith has remained rather inscrutable. We shed light on the dynamics that allow members of an occupation to accept the uncertainty inherentto trust and to maintain a willingness to be vulnerable despite not knowing when or whether they will ever observe the trustee perform in the task domainand in this case, a high-risk domain. As Saint Augustine said, 'Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.' For occupational members and others needing to take a leap of faith, there may be processes in place that both support and sustain people's ability to 'see what they believe.'"

Explore further Firefighters tackle second wildfire in northern England

More information: Michael G. Pratt et al. The Hidden Side of Trust: Supporting and Sustaining Leaps of Faith among Firefighters, Administrative Science Quarterly (2018). Michael G. Pratt et al. The Hidden Side of Trust: Supporting and Sustaining Leaps of Faith among Firefighters,(2018). DOI: 10.1177/0001839218769252The word "technology," from the Greek techne, usually evokes physical technologies like artificial intelligence, swarm robots, and the like. But there's an older meaning. By Jacob Bigelow's 1829 definition, technology can describe a process that benefits society. In that sense, social institutions, like governments and healthcare systems, can be seen, and studied, as technologies.

This summer at the Santa Fe Institute, a small cadre of scientists and entrepreneurs will convene a two-week long working group to address "the growing gap between our physical and social technologies." By bringing together an eclectic forum of engineers, writers, scientists, historians, lawyers, futurists, economists, philosophers, founders, philanthropists, and policymakers, the organizers aim to confront the apparent lag between our collective social technologies (e.g., political, economic, and cultural systems) and the nascent realities being synthesized by our physical technologies.

Labor efficiency, speed of transportation, and human communication have advanced in step with physical technologies. These advancements have simultaneously exposed an unmet need for social technologies whose creation is outside the scope of the physical-technological toolkit. Thus, the working group, which will run July 30Aug. 10, will examine the two technological domains from a multidisciplinary, non-dogmatic framework in pursuit of novel solutions to these complex problems.

"I have had my eyes on the approaching tsunami of change for a long time," says the working group's lead organizer, External Professor Steen Rasmussen (University of Southern Denmark). "It is difficult to assemble the needed diverse teams so we together can understand the complex issues as well as develop and explore potential solutions."

Those solutions could include blockchain-style, citizen-centric ownership of private data, for example, to address the privacy concerns that have been exacerbated by digital technology. Developing a new school of economic thought that looks beyond the capital/labor dichotomy might be another social technology that could ameliorate the effects of technological automation on economic inequality.

Rasmussen says the transformations that could result from such solutions would change "our economy, our institutions and what it means to be human."

Explore further Energy-intensive Bitcoin transactions pose a growing environmental threatIn this file photo taken Tuesday, July 24, 2018, provided by the Center for Whale Research, a baby orca whale is being pushed by her mother after being born off the Canada coast near Victoria, British Columbia. Whale researchers are keeping close watch on an endangered orca that has spent the past week carrying and keeping her dead calf afloat in Pacific Northwest waters. The display has struck an emotional chord around the world and highlighted the plight of the declining population of southern resident killer whales that has not seen a successful birth since 2015.(Michael Weiss/Center for Whale Research via AP)

Whale researchers are keeping close watch on an endangered orca that has spent the past week keeping her dead calf afloat in Pacific Northwest waters, a display that has struck an emotional chord around the world and highlighted the plight of the declining population that has not seen a successful birth since 2015.

Researchers have observed the 20-year-old whale known as J35 pushing her dead young along and propping it up while swimming for miles in the waters of Washington state and British Columbia. The calf died July 24 shortly after it was born. Its mother was seen Tuesday night still clinging to the dead calf off British Columbia's Gulf Islands, said Jenny Atkinson, executive director of the Whale Museum on San Juan Island.

Experts say the orca and other family members traveling with her are grieving or mourning. And while it isn't uncommon for whales and dolphins mourn their young, they say, it's unusual that it has been going on for so long.

"There's evidence that cetaceans such as dolphin and whales are often attending to dead bodies. Sometimes, it's because of curiosity or exploration and not necessarily emotion. Other mother dolphins and whales have kept their calves buoyant," said Barbara King, professor emerita of anthropology at the College of William and Mary and author of "How Animals Grieve."

"What's different about J35 is her persistence," she said, but then asked: "How resilient can she be? How long can she keep this up? Is she eating? Is she taking care of herself?"

The orca and her closely knit pod of whales have been observed taking turns carrying the dead calf, Atkinson said. A crew with the museum's Soundwatch boater education program has been spending about 11 hours each day tracking J-35, also called Tahlequah, and making sure boaters give the whales distance.

Researchers have collected poop samples from the group of whales that includes the grieving mother. They are preparing to try and recover the dead calf to understand more about why it died.

Meanwhile, the images of the whale balancing the dead orca have captivated the public and garnered global attention.

"There's an optic that's more powerful than any other statistic. It's a picture of what we can assume is a heartbroken mother who herself is necessary and precious to this population," said Jason Colby, professor of environmental history at the University of Victoria and author of "Orca: How We Came to Know and Love the Ocean's Greatest Predator."

Not long ago, killer whales were shot at and later captured live for marine parks, but "now we're seeing the extraordinary spectacle that is exactly the oppositethe emotional public outpouring and sharing in this mother's grief," he said.

In this file photo taken Tuesday, July 24, 2018, provided by the Center for Whale Research, a baby orca whale is being pushed by her mother after being born off the Canada coast near Victoria, British Columbia. Whale researchers are keeping close watch on an endangered orca that has spent the past week carrying and keeping her dead calf afloat in Pacific Northwest waters. The display has struck an emotional chord around the world and highlighted the plight of the declining population of southern resident killer whales that has not seen a successful birth since 2015. (David Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research via AP,File)

The distinctive black-and-white orcas have struggled since they were listed as an endangered species in the U.S. and Canada over a decade ago. They're not getting enough of the large, fatty Chinook salmon that make up their main diet. They also face overlapping threats from toxic contamination and noise and disturbances from boats that can interfere with their ability to forage or communicate.

Female orcas have been having pregnancy problems because of nutritional stress linked to lack of salmon. A multiyear study last year by University of Washington and other researchers found that two-thirds of the orcas' pregnancies failed between 2007 and 2014.

The dead calf was the first in three years among the fish-eating southern resident killer whales that typically spend spring to fall in the inland waters of Washington state and British Columbia.

There are now only 75 whales, the lowest number in three decades, and researchers are worried about the fate of another 4-year-old female orca known as J-50 that looks thin and emaciated.

The orcas are distinct from other killer whales because they eat salmon, mostly Chinook salmon, which are also declining, rather than marine mammals. Individual whales are identified by unique markings or variations in their fin shapes, and each whale is given a number and name.

Traveling together in matrilineal groups, the orcas at times can be seen breaching around Puget Sound, even against the backdrop of the downtown Seattle skyline.

Deborah Giles, a scientist with the University of Washington's Center for Conservation Biology, has observed the grieving mother whale in recent days. At times the whale dives into the water to retrieve her calf when it sinks, retrieves it and pushes the calf back to the surface.

"Sometimes she's on her own with that calf, but a lot of time, she's with her mom and her son and another relative. Her family has been right by her," Giles said.

Giles said she worries for the mother, who must expend a lot of energy to keep the dead calf afloat.

King, the author, said one reason the story is touching such an emotional chord for people around the world is because it's a poignant example of a mother's behavior with her dead calf that's unusual and it's tied to the decline of her population.

"She's a thinking, feeling animal," King said, "but also in my mind becoming a symbol of what we're doing wrong."

Explore further Endangered Puget Sound orca found dead off Canadian coast

 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.Picture of a female New Zealand Tomtit (Petroica macrocephala) perching on a branch in South island. Its specific name, literally means big head, referring to its large head in comparison to other members of its genus. Credit: Jon Sullivan

A team of researchers from Sweden, Canada and Spain has found evidence suggesting that birds that live on islands tend to have bigger brains than their mainland cousins. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the group describes their analysis of data on over 1800 bird species and what they found.

The researchers note that there has been anecdotal evidence suggesting that birds living on islands have bigger brains than similar birds on the mainlandand two studies carried out to discover if this were true. But both studies turned out to be flawed, which meant there was no real evidence backing up such claims. To learn more, the team searched databases that contained information on 11,554 bird specimens that included brain size data on 110 species living on islands, and 1,821 living on continents. Analysis of the data showed that birds living on islands did have larger brains (relative to body size) on average than continental birds. But this finding led them to the obvious question of whether living on an island caused larger brain growth or whether larger-brained birds were more likely to make their way to an island in the first place. To find the answer to this question, the team went back to the database. This time, they compared the birds by brains size, how closely related they were, and also, of course, where they lived. In so doing, they found that birds evolving over time on an island had bigger brains than their cousins who had stayed home. The researchers claim this suggests very strongly that island life has increased brain size in birds.

Picture of a Kea (Nestor notabilis) in the mountains of the South island of New Zealand. Known for their flexible behaviours, Keas have one of the biggest brains of the order Psittaciformes. Credit: Jon Sullivan

The researchers next wondered why island living might produce birds with bigger brains, and presumably, higher intelligence. They theorized that it seemed plausible that factors such as isolation, an inability to disperse, and a need to expand their niche might cause such a change. They note that isolation would result in a different life history and also would prevent the birds from moving elsewhere should conditions become rough on occasion. They also noted that island life might be more erratic than birds on the mainland experienced, forcing them to look for new ways to find food and otherwise survive. To visualize their theory, the group built a model that depicted birds living under such circumstances. The simulation showed the outcome they expectedthe development of larger brains.

Explore further Bigger brains outsmart harsh climates

More information: Ferran Sayol et al. Predictable evolution towards larger brains in birds colonizing oceanic islands, Nature Communications (2018). Ferran Sayol et al. Predictable evolution towards larger brains in birds colonizing oceanic islands,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05280-8 Abstract

Theory and evidence suggest that some selective pressures are more common on islands than in adjacent mainland habitats, leading evolution to follow predictable trends. The existence of predictable evolutionary trends has nonetheless been difficult to demonstrate, mainly because of the challenge of separating in situ evolution from sorting processes derived from colonization events. Here we use brain size measurements of >1900 avian species to reveal the existence of one such trend: increased brain size in island dwellers. Based on sister-taxa comparisons and phylogenetic ancestral trait estimations, we show that species living on islands have relatively larger brains than their mainland relatives and that these differences mainly reflect in situ evolution rather than varying colonization success. Our findings reinforce the view that in some instances evolution may be predictable, and yield insight into why some animals evolve larger brains despite substantial energetic and developmental costs. Journal information: Nature Communications

 2018 Phys.orgCredit: Thomas Faist

A large-scale study offers important insights into the main features of youth mobility within Europe. Policy and action recommendations include migrant support initiatives at national and regional levels for cultural and labour market integration as well as enhanced public awareness.

EU-funded research teams on the YMOBILITY project delved into wide-ranging aspects of youth migration within the EU. As Professor Thomas Faist, coordinator for the project's German case study, notes, the project's "main aim was to study the role of intra-EU mobility in the transition from youth to adulthood for young mobile people." It examined the causes and effects as well as short- and long-term implications of this process, exploring also scenarios and offering policy recommendations.

A comprehensive study

A total of 840 interviews were conducted in all consortium countries with young intra-EU migrants (Sweden and United Kingdom), migrants and returnees (Germany, Ireland, Spain and Italy), and returnees (Latvia, Romania, Slovakia). The team also conducted an online experiment involving 511 individuals (262 students and 249 young employed people) in all YMOBILITY countries. Participants were asked to take fictional migration decisions based on incomplete information about the characteristics of destination countries.

Primary data and the results of secondary data analyses helped build future scenarios concerning youth mobility in European countries and regions. YMOBILITY also analysed existing migrant support policies at the EU and national levels, as well as national and regional good practice examples for migrant support.

The research considered different migrant categories with respect to skills and education, age groups (16 to 36), gender, geographic origin (9 European countries) and migration patterns (migrants, returnees, circular migrants). The findings reveal that individual outcomes of youth mobility comprise both material and non-material aspects such as human capital building, quality of life and social inclusion. The effects of youth mobility on population development, labour markets and regional development were also assessed in terms of territorial outcomes for source and destination countries.

Optimisation of opportunities for migrant youth

"The analysis of existing policies at the EU and Member State levels showed that many EU flanking policies are indeed reasonably successful in supporting intra-EU mobility," says Prof. Faist. However, these policies often represent a piecemeal approach due to low levels of coherence between EU and national-level policies. Also, "different institutions at different scales operating in different sectors in migrants' countries of origin and destination are often not well connected and also frequently not well prepared to address the particular needs of migrants and returnees."

Research results clearly hint at young intra-EU migrants' needs for greater information about their rights and access to sources of support. To redress such shortcomings, YMOBILITY policy recommendations target more efficient use of existing support measures. These are relevant to labour market and cultural integration, access to housing and improved use of social benefits. More benefits can also be gained by strengthening civil society efforts in combination with national and supra-national government policies.

Collaboration and dissemination

Project work has been presented in academic publications and newspaper articles, at conferences and workshops, and through radio and TV interviews. "Another important means of knowledge exchange was YMOBILITY's interaction with secondary school and university students," the coordinator reveals. Collaboration with civil society organisations and related projects also advanced work in the field.

Finally, YMOBILITY has published a series of 15 short movies. Titles include "My home and my family is now in Rome," "I feel discriminated when I go back home' and "Goodbye Rome, I go back to Bangladesh."

Partners have planned at least one more special issue publication and intend to continue exchanges with civil society representatives. Insights gained during YMOBILITY are also pegged to live on in a newly proposed Horizon 2020 project on the integration of migrant children in the EU.

Explore further Digital transformationchallenge and opportunity for migrant workersCosmic-ray neutron soil moisture sensor that was used to measure the average soil moisture of the entire watershed, Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico. Credit: ASU

The summer monsoon in the deserts of the southwestern U.S. is known for bringing torrents of water, often filling dry stream beds and flooding urban streets. A common misconception when observing the fast moving water generated by monsoon storms is that most of the water is swept away into large rivers, with very little of it percolating into underground aquifers.

Using a combination of field instrumentation, unmanned aerial vehicles and a hydrologic model, a team of researchers from Arizona State University and the Jornada Long Term Ecological Research Program of the National Science Foundation has been studying the fate of monsoon rainfall and its impact on groundwater recharge in the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico.

Their findings, recently published in the journal Water Resources Research, explain how a surprising amount of rainfall, nearly 25 percent, from monsoon storms is absorbed into small stream beds and percolates into the groundwater system. The researchers identified factors affecting the percolation process through the use of a numerical model that reproduced the long-term observations obtained at a highly instrumented research site.

"The results of this study show that monsoon storms serve an important role in recharging groundwater aquifers near the point of runoff generation," says ASU hydrologist Enrique Vivoni of the School of Earth and Space Exploration and the School of Sustainable Engineering and Built Environment. "This is an essential process that banks renewable surface water for future use as a ground water resource in the arid Southwest and throughout the world."

Eight Years of Field Work Leads to Novel Insights

From 2010 to 2018, the team, which included several undergraduate and graduate students from ASU and collaborators from New Mexico State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, collected data from a watershed monitoring network established at the Jornada Experimental Range in New Mexico. They focused specifically on measuring hydrologic and ecologic conditions on piedmont slopes, locally known as "bajadas," which connect mountain ranges to river valleys, but have often been ignored as sources of groundwater recharge.

Lead author, Adam Schreiner-McGraw conducting field research for this study, Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico. Credit: ASU

Adam Schreiner-McGraw, currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Riverside and lead author of the study, was a graduate student at ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration when the published research was conducted. Dr. Schreiner-McGraw visited the watershed site every three weeks for over six years to collect hydrologic data, maintain the extensive instrument network, and carry out the site sampling needed to setup and test the hydrologic model intended to gain further understanding of the field conditions.

"In hydrology," says Vivoni, "you have to wait for certain conditions to happen. In this study, we benefitted from having a sequence of wet summer monsoons deliver above-average rainfall."

During this time, the team collected high-resolution data on rainfall, streamflow, soil moisture and evapotranspiration using a variety of instruments operating in a coordinated manner. Using long-term data from these sensors, Schreiner-McGraw identified that large amounts of the incoming rainfall, especially during wet monsoons, was not being lost to the atmosphere via evapotranspiration nor from the channel system as streamflow. Instead, runoff was being lost as percolation in small channels not more than two feet in widthan unexpected finding.

Simulating Where the Water Was GoingAn Improved Hydrological Model

By tracking the fate of monsoon rainfall, the research team set out to explain how hillslopes and channels of the piedmont slope might lead to groundwater recharge. "Soils on hillslopes are very different than those in the channels," explains Schreiner-McGraw. "They are compact and do not absorb water very quickly, and they also have calcium carbonate layers about 12 to 20 inches below the surface that limit infiltration. Channels, on the other hand, have coarse and permeable sediments that can absorb water much more quickly."

This information was used to modify a hydrological model of the instrumented watershed, originally developed during Vivoni's graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Based on their field work, the research team tested the model against a suite of long-term data, including evapotranspiration, soil moisture, streamflow and percolation. "It is uncommon to have a hydrologic model tested so thoroughly," says Vivoni. "By performing iterations of field observations and model developments, we demonstrated the value of long-term research."

Flume used to measure streamflow, located at the outlet of the watershed, Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico. Credit: ASU

The research team then used the numerical model to isolate two important factors affecting the percolation process: the infiltration properties of hillslopes and of channel reaches. Simulations indicated diverging effects of these factors on the proportion of rainfall that recharges groundwater systems. These findings are applicable to arid piedmont slopes anywhere on Earth. "Understanding the groundwater recharge process in arid regions can help us sustainably manage groundwater use in these climate settings," says Schreiner-McGraw.

With water becoming an increasingly precious resource, a better understanding of how groundwater is recharged could help communities across the globe. "Groundwater is much like a bank account," explains Vivoni. "Underground aquifers can store water delivered from surface systems which can be subsequently extracted under periods of water scarcity."

Effects of Vegetation Change through the Land-Water Connection

The Chihuahuan Desert, like many areas in the southwestern U.S., has experienced a transition in vegetation communities from grasslands to shrub lands. "We have historically used large open areas of the western U.S. and northern Mexico for livestock grazing," states Vivoni. "As a result, many grasslands have disappeared and been replaced by desert shrubs." In addition, drought and fire suppression have contributed to the conversion of grasses to shrub lands.

An open question remains as to whether this transition has impacted the groundwater recharge process in piedmont slopes. "We have examined how the instrumented watershed contributes to groundwater recharge under current conditions," says Schreiner-McGraw. "The next step in the research is to determine how these contributions would be altered under different plant communities." Here, the hydrological model will be employed as a numerical laboratory to determine how vegetation changes alter groundwater recharge, for instance under a historical grassland scenario or a case with desertification and the absence of vegetation.

"The future of water resources for humans and wildlife is uncertain," adds John Schade, director of the National Science Foundation's Long-Term Ecological Research program, which funded the research. "Studies like this are essential to proper water management in the face of rapid environmental change, especially in arid lands where water is scarce. This study is an example of the critical role long-term research plays in uncovering what controls the availability of freshwater. It advances our ability to forecast how freshwater availability will change in the years and decades to come."

More information: Adam P. Schreiner-McGraw et al, On the Sensitivity of Hillslope Runoff and Channel Transmission Losses in Arid Piedmont Slopes, Water Resources Research (2018). Journal information: Water Resources Research Adam P. Schreiner-McGraw et al, On the Sensitivity of Hillslope Runoff and Channel Transmission Losses in Arid Piedmont Slopes,(2018). DOI: 10.1029/2018WR022842Elaine Howard Ecklund. Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

Muslim and Protestant scientists are more likely than other U.S. scientists to experience religious discrimination, according to new research from Rice University and West Virginia University (WVU). The study also shows that for some scientists, religious identity may fuel perceptions of discrimination.

"Perceptions of Religious Discrimination Among U.S. Scientists" will appear in an upcoming edition of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. The study examined a survey of 879 biologists and 903 physicists at schools classified as U.S. research institutions by the National Research Council. The survey was conducted for a research project known as Religion Among Scientists in International Context.

Authors Christopher Scheitle, an assistant professor of sociology at WVU, and Elaine Howard Ecklund, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, director of the Religion and Public Life Program at Rice and principal investigator for the larger project that produced the survey, found that 15 percent of scientists reported experiencing religious discrimination in their work.

The researchers also found that Muslim scientists were the most likely to experience religious discrimination, with 63.6 percent of those surveyed reporting at least a perception of discrimination on the job. Protestant scientists reported the second-highest percentage of perceived religious discrimination at 40.4 percent.

"Sociologists have evidence that U.S. Muslims are experiencing discrimination more broadly in U.S. society, but some of the dynamics our study picked up may be unique to the academy, such as the higher perception of discrimination among Protestant scientists," Scheitle said.

The researchers were also interested in knowing more about the predictors of discrimination perception. "We wanted to understand whether or not an individual's religious practice and identity as a religious person explained their perception of discrimination," Ecklund said.

After documenting self-reported religious discrimination among biologists and physicists, the researchers statistically controlled for religious practice (attending religious services, praying, etc.) among these individuals. After adjusting for religious practices, beliefs and demographics, there were no differences in perceived religious discrimination between religious and nonreligious physicists.

However, even after controlling for those other factors, the odds of Protestant biologists perceiving discrimination were almost five times greater than nonreligious biologists, the odds of Jewish biologists perceiving discrimination were seven times greater than nonreligious biologists and the odds of Muslim biologists perceiving discrimination were 30 times greater than nonreligious biologists.

Although the researchers could not find an explanation for the perception of religious discrimination among biologists, they think it may have something to do with biologists' religious identity.

"Tensions around religion and science are more concentrated in biology, with discussions of stem cells, evolution and similar issues," Scheitle said. "This profession may be one where people are very self-conscious of being religious, and we believe an individual's self-identification as a religious biologist might actually fuel their perceptions of discrimination regardless of how much they are practicing that religion."

Ecklund and Scheitle hope the research will help scientists become more self-aware about the potential dynamics of perceived discrimination.

"There is often an assumption among scientists that everyone is irreligious," Scheitle said. "While it is true that academic scientists are, on average, less religious than the general public, religious scientists do exist and they are working in an environment where they might be seen as or at least feel like outsiders."

The research was part of Religion Among Scientists in International Context, a multi-nation study aimed at understanding how scientists view religion, ethics and gender. Data collection was funded by a major grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, as well as smaller grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Rice's Religion and Public Life Program.

The researchers plan to continue to examine issues of religious discrimination and violence. They have recently received an NSF grant that will support a national survey to measure the general public's experiences with and perceptions of religious discrimination and victimization.

Explore further New book examines what religious Americans think about scienceLissachatina fulica, giant African snail. Credit: R. Rollins

A recent study by University of Hawai'i at Manoa researchers revealed that Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, is widespread in the Hawaiian Islands and its distribution may expand, especially towards higher elevations, as the climate warms.

Rat lungworm is a parasitic nematode with a complicated lifecycle, part of which requires living inside snails and slugs. Human infection by this parasite, known as angiostrongyliasis, is considered an emerging infectious disease. The range and incidence of this disease are expanding throughout the tropics and subtropics, including in the Hawaiian Islands, making this work especially timely.

Using molecular techniques to screen almost 1300 snails and slugs representing 37 species from almost 200 sites across the Hawaiian Islands, the team determined rat lungworm was present in numerous species of snails and slugs on five of the six largest islands (it may be present on all islands but just not detected). Further, rat lungworm tended to occur in warmer and rainier locations, generally, but not exclusively, windward.

Knowledge of where rat lungworm is or could be across the Hawaiian Islands, right now, is important from the perspective of prevention of human and animal infection.

"Local residents and visitors need to know what the risks are," said Robert Cowie, senior author on the study and research professor at the UH Manoa Pacific Biosciences Research Center in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). "The data will be important to the State of Hawai'i Department of Health in targeting epidemiological surveys and interventions. But it is important to remember that it is not possible to say that rat lungworm is absent from locations where we did not detect it. One can never do a totally comprehensive survey of all snails present in Hawai'i and so people must not be complacent and assume, for instance, that based on this study rat lungworm is not in their yards."

Laevicaulis alte, tropical leatherleaf slug. Credit: R. Rollins

By assessing factors affecting the parasite's distribution, the study projected its potential future distribution in Hawai'i, with implications for its global expansion. The team developed mathematical models that allowed a prediction of the likely areas across the islands where rat lungworm could occur, if it is not there already, and projected its distribution based on anticipated climate conditions in the year 2100.

Under these future climate conditions, rat lungworm was predicted to expand its range to higher elevations in Hawai'i. The findings imply that the parasite could also expand its primarily tropical and subtropical range globally to regions that are currently more temperate.

"From a global perspective, the knowledge of where rat lungworm is or could be present currently, combined with our projections of its future potential distribution have implications for the future spread of rat lungworm disease globally," said Cowie. "Rat lungworm disease has been considered globally as a neglected but emerging infectious disease."

Parmarion martensi, semi-slug. Credit: M. Medeiros

Added Jaynee Kim, lead author on the study as a UH graduate student and now a malacology researcher at Bishop Museum, "A major motivation for my research was to help people to make informed decisions. We encourage the public to buy local and support Hawai?i's economy but, at the same time, to be vigilant about washing produce, especially to inspect and wash greens leaf by leaf. Buying and planting native plants instead of non-native plants can also help keep invasive snail hosts from being introduced and spread throughout the islands."

Explore further Parasite infecting Florida snails poses health danger

More information: Jaynee R. Kim et al, Modelling the distribution in Hawaii of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm) in its gastropod hosts, Parasitology (2018). Journal information: Parasitology Jaynee R. Kim et al, Modelling the distribution in Hawaii of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm) in its gastropod hosts,(2018). DOI: 10.1017/S0031182018001026Moldovan lawmakers will vote this fall on a domestic version of the Magnitsky Act, Balkan Insight reported Tuesday. The legislation was drafted in response to a fiscal reform package approved last week that opposition leaders say would legalize fraud.

The proposed bill, drafted by a consortium of human rights and good governance NGOs, would transpose Global Magnitsky Act provisions into Moldovan law to crackdown on money laundering and impose restrictions on people who commit acts of corruption and abuses of human rights.

Moldova has suffered major losses from financial scams over the last decade, including a US$ 1 billion grand theft from three banks between 2012 and 2014. The country was also named in the Russian Laundromat scheme for having laundered some $20 billion through its corrupt judicial system.

"The transactions [in the Russian Laundromat scheme] involved companies registered in obscure jurisdictions and economic agents from Russia, said Liberal Democrat MP Tudor Deliu, according to Balkan Insight. The purpose of the bill is to create legal instruments to protect both the domestic banking and financial system from abuses."

The drafted Magnitsky bill follows the approval of controversial new tax measures that would allow Moldovans to legalize undeclared income or goods - without having to provide proof of how they acquired them - as long as they pay a three percent tax to the state.

"The fiscal amnesty law recently approved by the parliament in reality amounts to the legalization of fraudulently acquired money," Moldovan opposition leader Andrei Nastas said in in an open letter to the US and EU embassies in Chisinau, according to Radio Free Europe.

Both the EU and the US embassies in Moldova, as well as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, have criticized the approved fiscal measures and have called for their reversal.

Combined with Moldovas golden visa program, which allows foreign investors to purchase Moldovan citizenship for 100,000 to 250,000 of investments, critics say the new package risks turning the small European country into a crime haven by allowing legitimate money-laundering for anyone in the world who can buy a Moldovan passport, according to Balkan Insight.

The ruling Democratic party, however, argues that the measures are designed to shrink the size of the shadow economy in Moldova, RFE reported.

The planned new legislation is a Moldovan version of the US Magnitsky Act, named after Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who died under suspicious circumstances in a Russian prison after exposing the theft of $230 million of tax payments by high-ranking government officials and organized criminals.

occrp.orgThis undated photo provided by OpenAI shows a robotic hand holding a cube at the company's research lab in San Francisco. The hand, called Dactyl, has a single job, and that's to rotate a cube until the letter facing up matches a random selection. (Eric Louis Haines/OpenAI via AP)

How long does it take a robotic hand to learn to juggle a cube?

About 100 years, give or take.

That's how much virtual computing time it took researchers at OpenAI, the non-profit artificial intelligence lab funded by Elon Musk and others, to train its disembodied hand. The team paid Google $3,500 to run its software on thousands of computers simultaneously, crunching the actual time to 48 hours. After training the robot in a virtual environment, the team put it to a test in the real world.

The hand, called Dactyl, learned to move itself, the team of two dozen researchers disclosed this week. Its job is simply to adjust the cube so that one of its letters"O," ''P," ''E," ''N," ''A" or "I''faces upward to match a random selection.

Ken Goldberg, a University of California, Berkeley robotics professor who isn't affiliated with the project, said OpenAI's achievement is a big deal because it demonstrates how robots trained in a virtual environment can operate in the real world. His lab is trying something similar with a robot called Dex-Net, though its hand is simpler and the objects it manipulates are more complex.

This undated photo provided by OpenAI shows a robotic hand rotating a cube at the company's research lab in San Francisco. The hand, called Dactyl, has a single job, and that's to rotate a cube until the letter facing up matches a random selection. (Eric Louis Haines/OpenAI via AP)

"The key is the idea that you can make so much progress in simulation," he said. "This is a plausible path forward, when doing physical experiments is very hard."

Dactyl's real-world fingers are tracked by infrared dots and cameras. In training, every simulated movement that brought the cube closer to the goal gave Dactyl a small reward. Dropping the cube caused it to feel a penalty 20 times as big.

The process is called reinforcement learning. The robot software repeats the attempts millions of times in a simulated environment, trying over and over to get the highest reward. OpenAI used roughly the same algorithm it used to beat human players in a video game, "Dota 2."

In real life, a team of researchers worked about a year to get the mechanical hand to this point.

Why?

In this Thursday, July 26, 2018, photo, OpenAI researcher Jonas Schneider examines the research lab's robotic hand in San Francisco. The hand, called Dactyl, has a single job, and that's to rotate a cube until the letter facing up matches a random selection. (AP Photo/Ryan Nakashima)

For one, the hand in a simulated environment doesn't understand friction. So even though its real fingers are rubbery, Dactyl lacks human understanding about the best grips.

Researchers injected their simulated environment with changes to gravity, hand angle and other variables so the software learns to operate in a way that is adaptable. That helped narrow the gap between real-world results and simulated ones, which were much better.

The variations helped the hand succeed putting the right letter face up more than a dozen times in a row before dropping the cube. In simulation, the hand typically succeeded 50 times in a row before the test was stopped.

OpenAI's goal is to develop artificial general intelligence, or machines that think and learn like humans, in a way that is safe for people and widely distributed.

Musk has warned that if AI systems are developed only by for-profit companies or powerful governments, they could one day exceed human smarts and be more dangerous than nuclear war with North Korea.

Explore further All finger robots want for Christmas is a hand like Dactyl

 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.Oxygen concentrations at 1,000 meters water depth in the modern ocean. Reddish to yellow colors show regions with a high oxygen content. Blue tones depict regions with a low oxygen content that are potentially susceptible to hydrogen sulfide poisoning in a warming world. Courtesy of Uli Wortmann/University of Toronto Credit: Uli Wortmann/University of Toronto

It happened once before, and it could happen again.

That's the warning from ocean scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of California, Santa Cruz in a study published recently in Science that shows how an increase in CO2 in Earth's atmosphere more than 50 million years ago, dramatically changed the chemistry of the planet's oceans.

The researchers suggest if contemporary global carbon emissions continue to rise, the future of many fish species in our oceans could be at risk.

"Our study shows that global warming is not only about extreme weather events, or hotter summers, but it has the potential to alter the ocean structure with unknown consequences for fisheries," said Professor Uli Wortmann in the Department of Earth Sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science at U of T, and co-author of the study.

And this isn't the first time this has happened.

"We show that the last time large amounts of CO2 were injected into the atmosphere, not only did the planet get hotwhich is known as the so called Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, about 55 million year agobut it also changed the chemistry of the ocean quite markedly," said Wortmann. He was joined in the research by U of T Ph.D. student Weiqi Yao, lead author of the study, and Adina Paytan of the Institute of Marine Science at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

It is widely accepted that an increase in CO2 leads to warming, which then results in less oxygen in our oceans. Less oxygen allows sulfate-eating bacteria to thrive, which produces hydrogen sulfidea broad-spectrum toxin which is lethal in small concentrations.

"This will affect fish species that live or dive deep in the ocean," said Wortmann. "Most notably it would impact high level predators like tuna and whales, which in turn would have a ripple effect on fish species living in the commercially more relevant shallow watersup to 200 metres below sea leveland those living in the middle depth approximately 1,000 metres below the surface of the ocean.

"The middle and deep ocean are the largest and least explored part of our planet, home to giant squid and weird deep sea fish but also some commercially important fish like the Patagonian Toothfish, otherwise known as Chilean Sea Bass."

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) gets its name from the boundary between two periods in Earth's past. The amount of CO2 input into the atmosphere during the period was similar to the predicted trajectories of CO2 in the atmosphere towards the year 2100 adopted by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, if emissions continue to rise throughout the 21st century. It is viewed as a good model for the fossil fuel burning activity occurring currently and is intensely studied by scientists in the context of climate change.

In the course of exploring how ocean chemistry evolved over the last 60 million years, Yao stumbled upon some unusual datahinted at in previous low-resolution work by Paytanthat Wortmann suggests conventional wisdom would consider faulty. Upon noticing that it coincided with the PETM interval, the authors dug deeper for more data and were able to show that it was no measurement artifact, but a real signal.

"Increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations go hand in hand with oxygen loss in the ocean, and this is the first demonstration that the CO2 release from human activity could be large enough to turn parts of the ocean into a toxic brew," said Wortmann.

While the researchers cannot say how long it would take for the impact of increased CO2 levels to become evident, they say the transition would be quick.

"Our study is another piece in the puzzle," said Yao. "It highlights an often overlooked aspect of the global climate change debate: what will happen to marine fisheries in a warming world?"

The findings are described in the study "Large-scale ocean deoxygenation during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum", published this month in Science.

Explore further Researchers connect seawater chemistry with climate change, evolution

More information: Weiqi Yao et al, Large-scale ocean deoxygenation during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, Science (2018). Journal information: Science Weiqi Yao et al, Large-scale ocean deoxygenation during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum,(2018). DOI: 10.1126/science.aar8658Maize plant showing symptoms of severe phosphorus deficiency in an unfertilized soil in western Kenya. Credit: Andrew Margenot

Plants can't do without phosphorus. But there is often a 'withdrawal limit' on how much phosphorus they can get from the soil. That's because phosphorus in soils is often in forms that plants can't take up. That affects how healthy and productive the plants can be.

One influence on phosphorus availability is the soil's pH level.

If soils are too acidic, phosphorus reacts with iron and aluminum. That makes it unavailable to plants. But if soils are too alkaline, phosphorus reacts with calcium and also becomes inaccessible.

"Phosphorus is most available to plants when soil is at a 'Goldilocks' zone of acidity," says Andrew Margenot. Margenot is a researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

There are ways to make more phosphorus available to plants. For example, adding lime (calcium hydroxide) reduces soil acidity. That can unlock the phosphorus that was previously unavailable. This is a common practice. "Liming is a bread-and-butter tool for agriculture," says Margenot.

However, liming can influence other ways by which phosphorus might become available to plants. Enzymes, called phosphatases, are also known to influence the amount of phosphorus available to plants. Margenot's study looked at liming and soil management history to see if it influenced the activity of soil enzymes.

A team of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture) researchers led by Andrew Margenot assessed the effect of liming on soil fertility and crop productivity in Siava County, western Kenya. Credit: Andrew Margenot

Margenot and his colleagues conducted experiments in western Kenya, a region with acidic, weathered soils.

Researchers added varying amounts of lime to long-term experimental plots. These plots had specific fertilization treatments since 2003: One set of plots had been unfertilized. Another had received cow manure. A third set of plots had mineral nitrogen and phosphorus added.

Twenty-seven days after liming, the researchers measured phosphatase activity. They also measured how much phosphorus was available to plants.

They found no clear relationships between soil acidity levels changed by liming and phosphatase activity.

This was unexpected. "We know that phosphatases are sensitive to soil acidity levels," says Margenot. "Our findings show that it is more complicated than just soil acidity when it comes to these enzymes."

Nutrients can be locked by soil minerals if the soil pH is not correct. This affects whether the plant can use the nutrient or not. Credit: ASA/CSSA/SSSA staff

And more surprisingly, changes in phosphatase activities after liming depended on the soil's history. This suggests that the sources of these enzymes (microbes, plant roots) could have responded to different fertilization histories by changing the amount or type of phosphatases secreted.

Furthermore, in all cases, the increases in phosphorus availability were relatively small. "In the soils tested, lime alone was not enough to be meaningful to crops and thus farmers," says Margenot. "Lime needs to be combined with added phosphorus to meet crop needs in these soils."

Margenot is now working to extend this study. With colleagues from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), he'll be studying western Kenyan farms. The goal is to see if using lime at rates realistic for growers will have soil health trade-offs in these weathered soils.

This research is published in Soil Science Society of America Journal.

Explore further Phosphate rock an effective fertilizer in Kenya

More information: Andrew J. Margenot et al, Soil Phosphatase Activities across a Liming Gradient under Long-Term Managements in Kenya, Soil Science Society of America Journal (2018). Journal information: Soil Science Society of America Journal Andrew J. Margenot et al, Soil Phosphatase Activities across a Liming Gradient under Long-Term Managements in Kenya,(2018). DOI: 10.2136/sssaj2017.12.0420Three common pelage types presented in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park horses. Credit: NPS / Thom Buras

Feral horses living in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the Badlands of North Dakota likely had multiple origins, but have since become inbred, according to Igor Ovchinnikov of the University of North Dakota, and colleagues, in a study published August 1 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.

While the origins of the horse herd at Theodore Roosevelt National Park are uncertain, historians suspect that the original group was a mix of horses from Native American horse traders and free-range horses maintained on the Badlands for ranching. To determine whether these origin assumptions were correct, in the current study, researchers collected hair samples from 196 horses in the park and looked at two types of genetic markers that can indicate where the horses came from.

The researchers found that for one type of marker, some horses in the herd matched with the American Paint horse, a breed of mixed origins. Other horses had no close match, and instead had sequences with similarities to horses living in Siberia and East Asia, which is likely due to mixing of maternal lineages prior to the establishment of modern breeds. The analysis also shows that the herd is highly inbred and has less genetic diversity than other feral horse herds and domesticated breeds.

While the existing genetic data available for horses are insufficient to determine the exact origins of the horses roaming Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the findings can be used for future herd management strategies. Regardless of the ancestry of lineages, the researchers suggest that future herd management should focus on adding new members to the group to improve the genetic health of the herd.

Ovchinnikov summarizes: "Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA relationships demonstrated the distinctive nature of feral horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Maintenance of the herd as a breeding population will require adaptive management efforts focused on improving genetic diversity."

Explore further Management of feral horses an ongoing challenge in the United States

More information: Ovchinnikov IV, Dahms T, Herauf B, McCann B, Juras R, Castaneda C, et al. (2018) Genetic diversity and origin of the feral horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. PLoS ONE 13(8): e0200795. Journal information: PLoS ONE Ovchinnikov IV, Dahms T, Herauf B, McCann B, Juras R, Castaneda C, et al. (2018) Genetic diversity and origin of the feral horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.13(8): e0200795. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200795A year after the worst data breach in U.S. history to date, Atlanta-based Equifax has been chastened, but its business model is unchanged and the company churns on, virtually undamaged by legislative, regulatory or prosecutorial penalties.

It was a year ago that the company noticed the first signs of historic troublehackers had slipped through the Atlanta company's cyber defenses into the heart of the company's data.

Worse, the intrusion had apparently been going on for some time.

Worse than that, the information accessed was more personal information about more Americans than in virtually any previous major data breach: Information on more than 147 million Americans was accessedalthough the scope of the theft was not clear at first.

In fact, it took until early September for the company to reveal there had been any hacking at all.

Once the word was out, there was a firestorm of anger and investigations which have thus far led to Congressional hearings, lawsuits against the company, charges of insider trading against two former executives and the departure of some higher ranking executives.

Equifax did agree to a consent order with regulators from eight states, including Georgia, that required the company to report on how it is improving security and to submit to reviews of its practices.

But thus far, no financial punishment has been imposed on Equifax itself.

Despite contentious hearings, no Congressional action has been taken. A few months later, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau tabled action against the company.

And while the Federal Trade Commission said it opened an investigation into the Equifax breach in September, the agency has since named as chief of its consumer protection division a lawyer who has represented Equifax.

Earlier this month, Equifax asked a federal judge to reject the claims from 46 banks and credit unions for payment of damages because of the massive data breach. The companies claimed that Equifax owes them for all the costs they incurred protecting data after the breach was revealed, costs that could easily run into many millions of dollars.

But the company is certainly not unchanged.

CEO Rick Smith retired prematurely, as did several other top officials. A new CEO was named, as was a new chief information security officer, Jamil Farshchi, who told Wired magazine that the company has invested $200 million on data security infrastructure.

Meanwhile, most consumers whose data might have been stolen do not know if that information is being used against them, and many have done little to protect themselves. There is also a sizeable group of consumers who don't even know that the data breach happened.

According to LendEDU, a New Jersey-based personal finance web site, a survey showed that about 27 percent of Americans did not know about the Equifax breach. Of the majority that do know, more than one-third of them have not checked to see if they were affected.

The number of complaints against Equifax more than doubled in the year since the breach, compared to the year before, according to an analysis of the Consumer Financer Protection Bureau's data by LendEDU.

But overall, the public urge for punishment seems to have abated a little. After the breach was announced, the LendEDU survey found that 54 percent of respondents thought the company should be banned from the credit bureau business. That attitude is now held by 46 percent of respondents, said LendEDU.

Last week, Equifax reported revenue of $876.9 million during the second quarter of 2018, up 2 percent from the same quarter of last year, officials said.

Net income was $144.8 million, 12 percent lower than a year ago.

"We delivered solid results while continuing to make strong progress on our data security, IT, and consumer transformation," said Mark Begor, CEO, in a written statement.

Explore further Massive data breach has cost Equifax nearly $90 million

2018 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Ad Investing Trends New this week - 163 interested

What Investors Don't Know: Communist China Could Profit Billions From The World "Going Green."

Who controls 80% of the works lithium supply (the most important metal for building EV batteries)? China! And if you're outraged by that fact, then you'll love hearing how this western company is fighting backWhen he was murdered by an unknown assassin earlier this year, Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak was part of an international team looking into foreign drug smugglers suspected of laundering money in his country.

In the wake of his death, the team has continued reporting, uncovering more about the criminal group and how it operated.

The investigation reveals an international ring of drug traffickers with ties to the Italian mafia. Based in Belgium, with operations in the Netherlands, it could count on suppliers from Costa Rica and Colombia and secret large caches of cocaine in fruit shipments from Latin America to Western Europe.

A major Belgian law enforcement operation named Raak (the Dutch word for strike) took down part of the network  only to see its mastermind murdered before he could be brought to justice.

Its remaining parts, spread across the world, have continued to function despite the Belgian police action. And even in Belgium, cocaine traffickers were quick to resume their work.

Before his sudden murder, Silvio Aquino was a main suspect in what has been calledone of the biggest drug trials in Belgian history.

The Raak investigation into cocaine smuggling  which involved 34 defendants and the seizure of over 8 million (US$ 9 million) in cash, drugs, cars, and weapons  dragged on for over four years before finally wrapping up on Feb. 1, 2017.

Large portions of the cocaine were imported by the Aquino family through the port of Rotterdam; helping explain why the Netherlands has become known in recent years as a European gateway for South American cocaine.

But who was Silvio Aquino, the familys rising leader at the time of his death?

Born and raised by his Italian father in Maasmechelen, a quaint city of about 38,000 in Belgiums Flanders region, Aquino grew into a key figure in the global drug trade at a young age (his last known job before going totally into drug trafficking was managing a pizzeria).

By the time of the most recent investigation, he had already faced multiple convictions: Once for international drug trafficking in Belgium in 1998; again in the Netherlands in 2004 for kidnapping a man who had sold him sugar instead of cocaine; and once again in Belgium in 2014, this time for criminal organization and exporting 6.5 tons of ecstasy pills to Australia.

Bald, clean-shaved, and muscular, Silvio Aquino looked as hard as his work.

He was also a hard worker. Evidence presented in court painted a picture of a man dedicated to enriching his family, which he worshipped like a proper mafia don. Im from the street. I kidnapped people; Ive done it all my life, he was overheard telling associates. I dont want problems. I want good business. I want to make money for the family.

Silvios older brother Raf had called himself a godfather. But it was Silvio who really led the criminal organization.

His Slovak wife, Silvia Liskova, was a pillar in his life, was constantly kept informed about her husbands work  and benefited from the illicit profits. The couple lived in a luxurious villa in Maasmechelen named after Liskova. It was secured like a bunker, watched by surveillance cameras, and surrounded by a fence.

The criminal organization Aquino and his brothers set up revolved around their family, but counted on a number of associates and partners who made up a larger cartel. It was hierarchically structured, with a clear division of roles, and had been in place for a long time before the police finally caught on, according to the final verdict of the Antwerp court.

Maasmechelen turned out to be a great headquarters. Its location near the Belgian and Dutch borders made it harder for police to trace the gangs operations, which crossed back and forth. And their techniques were sophisticated, planning in person to limit traceable telephone contacts and using nicknames and code language to protect their identities. It seems to have worked. The family managed to hoard large quantities of cash and to own expensive villas while having almost no official income.

Their unofficial income was considerable. In the most recent Belgian case, prosecutors estimate that the Aquinos business imported 2,400 kilos of cocaine in just the eight months that the police were watching. At an average sales price of 27,500 ($35,000) per kilo, and subtracting what they may have paid for it, the organization would have earned at least 15 million ($19 million) over that period.

At an average price of 80 per gram (after the cocaine is cut), the street value of the drugs was at least 325 million ($418 million). It would represent about 4 percent of all the cocaine seized in Europe in 2014.

The port of Rotterdam, which the Aquino family used for its shipments, handles about 11 million containers a year. Only 50,000 (less than half a percent) are scanned by customs officials, making it a logical entry point for drugs. In fact, up to 50 percent of all the cocaine entering Europe goes through this port, according to Dutch police.

Access to the investigation files has allowed reporters to uncover for the first time how Aquinos group minimized even this small risk of inspection, sneaking their shipments past Belgian and Dutch officials using accomplices on the docks.

Accomplices on the Docks

A key element of Aquinos operation was that the cocaine was smuggled from Colombia in banana shipments. The fruit helped speed the containers movement through customs because port officials dont always have time to thoroughly inspect all such cargo without risking tons of produce going bad.

Antwerp was the containers first stop.

According to court records, the drug ring counted on two workers in the citys port: Marinus Simons and Sabine Nestor, a Belgian couple who kept Aquinos people apprised of the shipments progress.

Nestor worked as a marqueur for Belgian New Fruit Wharf, a fresh fruit importer. The position entailed monitoring incoming ships and their inventories, but authorities discovered that Nestor repeatedly marked containers filled with Aquinos drugs as inspected even if they hadnt been.

Simons, Nestors husband, was a longshoreman on the wharf where ships docked to unload. He also helped usher the drug shipments through, using his knowledge of the ships schedules.

One of his tasks was to communicate with the cartel. On March 12, 2013, police captured the following text messages between Simons and Nico Beckx, Silvios nephew:

Beckx: How are you my friend? Is everything ok?

Simons: The girls are on derway tho de hotel babe. We at tho wait for immigration. But der fine.

The girls, police soon discovered, referred to 330 kilograms of pure cocaine.

Rotterdam was its next stop.

In this case, the container reached the city two days later, on March 14. The couple on the docks, Simon and Nestor, played a crucial role in tagging the container as cleared by customs in Antwerp, allowing it to enter Rotterdam without suspicion, prosecutorial records show.

The containers were typically unloaded and picked up by a trusted Aquino associate. In all cases tracked by police, the driver was a Belgian on Aquinos payroll named Ivan Grobben.

On the morning of March 15, according to police surveillance, Grobben made the 170-kilometer journey from Opglabbeek to Rotterdam for the pickup. The container awaited him on platform seven, a dock managed by Bakker Barendrecht Transport BV, one of the Netherlands major fresh produce traders.

With the cocaine and bananas in tow, Grobben made his way through the ports huge network of roads to the exit, later being joined by a gray van. The escort, authorities say, was meant to ensure the drugs made it safely into Belgium. Near the border, a blue van also driven by Aquinos people joined the caravan.

But this time, the police were there as well.

The two escort drivers jockeyed to shield Grobbens truck from the pursuit, but to no avail. The police pulled him over, arrested him, and seized his cargo: 330 kilograms of pure cocaine.

The operation was coordinated with arrests around the country. Police raided the Simons-Nestor home and discovered luxury goods including expensive lingerie, Louis Vuitton handbags, and jewelry, as well as bills for the purchase of vehicles, furniture, and other items. The value of the haul totaled over 100,000. Police also found a lot of cell phones, a satellite phone, and documents containing a Panamanian telephone number, an unusual find for Belgian dock workers.

Three of the six Aquino brothers, including Silvio, were arrested too, along their wives and other associates.

Eight months of surveillance and investigation were over. Now the trial, lasting three years, was set to begin.The current foreign tourist tax of RM10 per room per night will stay. This tax, which came into effect under the previous government on 1 September 2017,is charged for tourists staying in hotels or registered private accommodations in Malaysia.

Earlier last month, the new Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said that the tourism tax would be reviewed to study its impact on the rate of attraction of foreign tourists to the country.

It has now been announced that the tourism tax has been duly reviewed and that its implementation will be maintained.

From the review, the implementation of the tax by advanced countries such as the US, Netherlands, Italy, Singapore, and Thailand proved that it brought positive growth to the tourism sector in the long term, said Mohamaddin, adding that Japan and Arab Saudi have also recently implemented a similar tax.

According to the minister, the tax is expected to bring positive impact to the tourism industry through continued finance to promote and upgrade tourism product infrastructure, arts, and culture.

Regarding the degree to which the tourism tax would be a burden, Mohamaddin said that the RM10 rate was minimum and would not burden foreign tourists. To date, there have been no complaints received from foreign tourists over the tax, he said.

As the tax is only applicable to foreign visitors, it has no effect on local tourists.

(Source: The Star)

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SHAREAs U.S. investment overseas surged last year by 7.6 percent, with most of it going to Europe, the biggest single chunk went to Switzerland, where the attraction is a Alps vacation from the volatility of the rest of the market.

For 2017, $63 billion in American investment money went to Switzerland, which now enjoys a total of $250 billion in U.S. money, not counting cash deposited in Swiss bank accounts.

(Click to enlarge)

Source: BEA

Oliver Hohermuth, heads the Dallas office of Swiss investment adviser Reyl Overseas, told CNN that Switzerland has been rediscovered by Americans as a good way to diversity, and to be a little bit more segregated from the high volatility that weve seen in the US market in the past few years.

Further, said Hohermuth, the rapid expansion of Swiss industrial companies in emerging markets has proved to be an attractive investment vehicle for wealthy Americans. But perhaps more importantly, the taint of Switzerland has subsided thanks to the 2010 FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act), which has injected more transparency in the venue and made some Americans more comfortable putting money there.

In other words, its not about hiding money today as much as it is about investing.

And Switzerland wasnt the only European country to see an uptick in U.S. investment money last year.

Overall, the cumulative level of U.S. direct investment abroad increased by $427.3 billion in 2017, topping over $6 trillion, up from around $5.6 trillion the previous year, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Related: Tesla To Build $5 Billion Plant In China

The increase mainly reflected a $243.6 billion increase in the position in Europe, primarily in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. By industry, affiliates in manufacturing and holding companies accounted for the largest increases, BEA said.

(Click to enlarge)

From the U.S. overseas investment standpoint, it was interesting to note that five countries accounted for more than half the total U.S. investment total at the end of last year, and the Netherlands saw the biggest share, taking in $936.7 billion. Second place went to the UK, with $747.6 billion in U.S. money, followed by Luxembourg with $676.4 billion, Ireland with $446.4 billion and Canada with $391.2 billion.

From the industry perspective of the immediate foreign affiliate, nearly half of those combined totals were in holding companies, according to BEA. At the same time, when looking at the numbers by the industry of the U.S. parent companies, manufacturing accounted for more than half of the total position, followed by finance and insurance, with much smaller shares.

Related: Is There A Correlation Between Gold And The Yuan?

On the flip side, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the U.S. also saw a similar increase, adding $260.4 billion in 2017, hitting over $4 trillionup from just under $3.8 trillion in 2016. Again, it was Europe that led the push on this, with Ireland, Switzerland and the Netherlands in the top positions, and manufacturing and wholesale trade accounting for the biggest industry increases.

The UK topped the list of ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs) in the U.S., with British UBOs holding a $614.9-billion in the U.S., followed by Canadian UBOs with $523.8 billion, Japanese with $476.9 billion, Germans with $405.6l billion and citizens of Ireland with $328.7 billion.

But what the UBO numbers showed the BEA is that much of the investment from the Netherlands and Luxembourg was ultimately owned by investors in other countries.

By Michael Scott for Safehaven.com

More Top Reads From Safehaven.comSince his election, President Trump has played a hot-and-cold game with Americas intelligence agencies, mostly rejecting their reports about Russian involvement in elections campaign and frequent attacks on U.S. infrastructure.

The back and forth as to what the White House officially thinks about Russia and meddling is enough to spin the sturdiest of heads.

After meeting with Putin in Helsinki earlier this month, Trump said he had been given an incredible offer to help American investigators in their prosecution of 13 Russian intelligence officers accused of hacking crimes during the 2016 presidential election. However, after returning to Washington, he rejected that offer. It wasnt the most popular move.

Trump also said he is very concerned about Russian meddling, despite previously stating that he didnt think Russia was still targeting the US and publicly doubting Russian interference on multiple occasions. He did, however, suggest that Russian might help the other sidethe Democrats.

(Click to enlarge)

At the same time, U.S. intelligence officials have blamed the Russian government for a campaign of cyber-attacks stretching back at least three years that targeted the U.S. power grid.

Then in February, 13 Russians were indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading an investigation being deliberately undermined by the White House.

The following month, the Trump Administration issued a series of punitive sanctions against Russia for coordinating a cyberattack on the U.S. energy grid, aviation systems, and other infrastructure.

The measures also target Moscow for meddling in the presidential elections, which put President Donald Trump in power. Critics have said the White House has been too easy on the Kremlin since the last major U.S. polls. Related: Wall Street Predicting Major Selloff

Last month, the US intelligence community warned that Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are launching daily cyber strikes on the computer networks. They pointed out huge weakness in U.S. infrastructure, saying that dams, traffic controls and power grids can be accessed by anyone.

Critical infrastructure systems are particularly at risk, as the implementation of new technology has significantly expanded the playing field for hackers.

Now, Homeland Security is giving us more details, revealing the techniques used by Russian hackers used to penetrate US critical infrastructure. And it looks like childs play.

Jonathan Homer, head of Homeland Security's industrial control system analysis says that perpetrators gained access by using the most conventional of phishing tools, tricking staffers into entering passwords.

Spear-phishing emails and watering-hole attacks tricked victims into entering their passwords and then gave hackers access to the corporate networks of suppliers, which in turn let them steal credentials and gain access to utility networks. They werent trying to cripple infrastructurethe were fishing for information.

According to Homeland Security, the hackers work for a state-sponsored group known as Dragonfly or Energetic Bear were able to get inside the networks of U.S. utilities to the point that they could have disrupted power service and caused blackouts.

Related: T-Mobile, Nokia Up Ante for 5G In $3.5B Deal

This is a situation where they went in and said this is what theyre looking for, and found weaknesses there, Homer said. He added that overall attackers goal was to learn the ins and outs of the US utility networks by posing as the people who touch these systems on a daily basis.

The department did not disclose which companies were victimized by the hacks but indicated there were hundreds affected by the breach. Officials believe the hacking campaign is likely still ongoing.

So, for anyone who might still be confused as to whether the Russians are hacking American systems, Homeland Security just removed the ambiguity.

By Michael Kern for Safehaven.com

More Top Reads From Safehaven.com" " Parabon Nanolabs These composite sketches of two men were created from crime scene DNA and used in the case of two men suspected of abducting and killing two young Tacoma girls in 1986.

At approximately 10 p.m. on Sept. 28, 1994, 42-year-old Le Bich-Thuy, whom a Washington Post account later described as a molecular biologist and a talented cello player in her spare time, got off a train at the Twinbrook Metro Station in Rockville, Maryland, a short distance from her home. Several days later, her body was found beside the residence. She had been beaten, raped and strangled.

Montgomery County, Maryland investigators recovered DNA evidence from the crime scene, which indicated that the same assailant had committed another assault and rape five years earlier, according to a police media release. But they weren't able to match the DNA with a suspect, and the case went unsolved.

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Enter DNA Phenotyping

But now, nearly a quarter-century later, Montgomery County police have turned to a tool the department has used in previous cases, in hopes of generating new leads that may lead them to the scientist's killer. They hired Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia-based technology company that has developed a technique called DNA phenotyping. Utilizing the genetic evidence, Parabon predicts the ancestry and physical appearance of an unidentified suspect, such as the likelihood that a person has a certain skin, eye or hair color, while excluding other possibilities. An artist then creates an image suggesting how the suspect might possibly look. In this case, for example, Parabon provided a possible likeness of the suspect in 1994, assuming he was age 25, and a second, age-progressed image of how the same man might look decades later.

"When people see these composites, it enables them to think back on anything that may have been unusual around the time of the murder and if we should take a look at anything specific," Sgt. Christopher Homrock, supervisor of Montgomery County's Cold Case Section, says in an email. "It also lets us reengage current and retired officers who were working in the area of the crime in an attempt to jog their memories."

" " Parabon used the DNA of volunteers such as this one to create composite profiles, which helped to confirm the validity of the process. Parabon

"We always keep in mind that the composite is an estimation of what the suspect may have looked like. We try not to focus on finding exact matches when searching for possible suspects," Homrock says. "But the composite definitely allows us to go in the right direction."

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An Investigative Tool

In recent years, scores of police departments across the U.S. have used Parabon's DNA phenotyping in an effort to crack difficult cases, according to the company's website. In Newport Beach, California, for example, police hope it will generate new leads in the 1973 sexual assault and murder of 11-year-old Linda O'Keefe, who was abducted as she walked home from summer school. Parabon's predictions about the suspect's appearance and ancestry are included at the end of #LindasStory, a string of Twitter messages that the department posted in an effort to jump-start the investigation.

Newport Beach Police Sgt. Ryan Peters says that after the images of the suspect's possible appearance were released, the department received more than 200 leads of various types, though he cautioned that not all of them might prove useful. But with a 45-year-old unsolved case, "we need to try something to keep it alive," Peters says.

Ellen McRae Greytak, Parabon's director of bioinformatics, says that Parabon first began working upon predicting appearance from DNA while vying successfully for a contract for the U.S. Department of Defense a few years ago. While other companies' proposals focused on a few traits, such as eye color, Parabon argued that with enough data, other physical characteristics could be predicted as well, she says.

To develop a basis for predictions, the company turned to approximately 15,000 to 20,000 anonymous volunteers, who provided their DNA and also filled out detailed descriptions of themselves. Some of those subjects  less than 5,000, according to Greytak  also had 3D images taken to show their facial shape as well.

The company data-mined that lode of information, and then used machine learning to figure out how to predict a person's appearance. "We take the parts of the DNA that we find are important for each trait, and put them together into a predictive model," Greytak says. "And that [model] can be applied to new data. If you put in the DNA of a new person, it will make a prediction of the traits."

When Parabon began offering the service to law enforcement agencies in 2014, it initially encountered skepticism, since the idea of predicting a person's appearance from DNA "sounds so science fiction," Greytak says. As a test, police departments sometimes sent samples of DNA from a volunteer in their offices, and asked the company to predict that person's appearance. The results were good enough to convince them to give it a try, Greytak says.

Since then, police departments across the U.S. have used Parabon's services as an investigative tool.

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Composites as Starting Point

It's important to note that the profiles only give the likelihood that a suspect has certain characteristics, and police can't actually use them to make a conclusive ID. "Phenotyping is not going to point to a single individual and it's not going to point to an arrest or a conviction," Greytak emphasizes.

But investigators can use the probability of a suspect having certain facial characteristics and ancestry to go through a large list of suspects and identify a few to prioritize, Greytak says. She notes that there's almost always a trait that can be excluded with high confidence. "We tell them to pay the most attention to high confidence-level traits and low-likelihood ones," she explains.

"Getting information based on a composite is only the first part of investigating that lead," Homrock said. "If someone remembers a name associated with that composite, we can do things like look at criminal histories, complete timelines on the individual, interview acquaintances, or interview the person. The composite only points us in a direction; it's up to the investigator to determine with more work if the person is responsible for the crime or can be eliminated as a possible suspect."

"We don't jump to conclusions based only off of a tip generated by a composite," Homrock continues. "The tip from the composite is only a small part of the investigation. The work by the investigators that comes after the tip is a much larger part. This work either confirms that the person is responsible or eliminates them as a suspect. The composite is definitely an important part, but only one of many parts of the entire investigation."

Nevertheless, in one rape-homicide case in Costa Mesa, Calif., a police lieutenant told the Los Angeles Times that there was an uncanny resemblance between the Parabon image and a suspect whom police identified separately through fingerprint evidence from the scene.

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Critics and Cautions

DNA phenotyping also has its critics. American Civil Liberties Union policy analyst Jay Stanley, who wrote this 2016 blog post about DNA phenotyping, says that he's concerned that using the images based upon predictions might alter witnesses' memories, leading them to errantly identify a person who looked like the picture.

But Newport Beach's Sgt. Peters says that such a tip wouldn't be sufficient in itself to make an arrest, and that much more proof would be needed. "Someone might say to us, there's a guy in the neighborhood who resembles that picture, but I didn't think anything of it at the time," he explained. "Frank from the neighborhood is worth looking at. But our job is still to go out and get his DNA and compare it to the DNA from the crime scene."

"This just gives us a little better sense of direction," Peters says.

Now That's Interesting As this Sacramento Bee story details, Parabon's technology also has been used in an effort to identify a long-dead "Jane Doe" whose body was burned in a fire.Aug 1 (Reuters) - Inner Mongolia Energy Engineering Co Ltd :

* INNER MONGOLIA ENERGY ENGINEERING CO LTD - CHAO KETU WAS NOMINATED AS AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VICE CHAIRMAN OF COMPANY

* INNER MONGOLIA ENERGY ENGINEERING CO LTD - LU DANGZHU, CURRENT CHAIRMAN OF COMPANY, RESIGNED AS GENERAL MANAGER AND WILL BE SUCCEEDED BY CHAO KETU Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:WeWork, the New York-based co-working giant, has expanded its real estate footprint in Australia by signing a 12-year lease for 56,510 sq ft of office space in Melbournes CBD. It will occupy four levels of a mixed-use retail and commercial tower at 222 Exhibition Street, including a 13,218 sq ft outdoor terrace area on the seventh floor. The new space will be able to house over 1,100 WeWork members.

The 29-storey building was acquired in 2015 by LaSalle Investment Management on behalf of a fund it manages. WeWorks lease agreement also includes building signage rights. The building is on a prominent corner where Melbournes theatre and Chinatown districts converge.



Artists Impression of 222 Exhibition Street, Melbourne (Picture: LaSalle Investment Management)

Diversity of locations is key to our network strategy, and the position of this site on Exhibition St was a natural fit for WeWorks community of members, both large and small, says Jonathan Kearins, senior director of real estate, WeWork Australia and New Zealand. WeWork has six open locations across Australia, and the newest WeWork at Exhibition Street is expected to open in March 2019.

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First phase of Pacific Stars Bangkok development fully sold

World Class Global completes first residential development in Melbourne

KSK Land launches second tower of KL luxury project 8 Conlay

Canary Wharfs One Park Drive to be launched in SingaporeNinety-five percent of the world's lemur population is "on the brink of extinction," making them the most endangered primates on Earth, a leading conservation group said Wednesday. The arboreal primates with pointed snouts and typically long tails are found only in Madagascar, where rainforest destruction, unregulated agriculture, logging and mining have been ruinous for lemurs, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said. "This is, without a doubt, the highest percentage of threat for any large group of mammals and for any large group of vertebrates," Russ Mittermeier of IUCN's species survival commission said in a statement. Out of a total of 111 lemur species and subspecies, 105 are under threat, IUCN said, as it released its first update on the lemur population since 2012. Among the most concerning trends is an "increase in the level of hunting of lemurs taking place, including larger-scale commercial hunting," Christoph Schwitzer, director of conservation at the Bristol Zoological Society, said in the statement. He described the hunting as "unlike anything we have seen before in Madagascar." One of the species identified as "critically endangered" is the northern sportive lemur, of which there are thought to be only 50 individuals left, IUCN said. "Lemurs are to Madagascar what giant pandas are to China -- they are the goose that laid the golden egg, attracting tourists and nature lovers," said Jonah Ratsimbazafy of the domestic primate research group known as GERP. Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse nations in the world. IUCN said it was launching "a major action plan for lemur conservation," to help preserve the endangered primates.I first published this essay here on this blog in July 2006, just over 12 years ago. Given the great controversy about 'Anti-Semitism' in the Labour Party, I thought I would republish it.

Israel is the most important foreign policy issue of our time. It also divides opinion at home, in a way which is often slightly disturbing. Yet it is a matter where strong passions are generally matched by weak understanding and limited knowledge. I thought it would be worthwhile to post some thoughts about it which I hope will help understanding of the crisis.

It is one of those issues where conventional wisdom is almost overpoweringly strong. Among newspaper and TV commentators and presenters, the following view ( which is not mine, which is why I have enclosed it in quotation marks) is almost universal:

I summarise : "Israel needs to make concessions to the Palestinians if it wants to live in peace. These concessions should take the form of land. It may be that Israel was once a small country under siege from more populous neighbours, but Israel has now taken on the role of bully and aggressor, oppressing and abusing the Palestinian people. It will forfeit its right to the support of the West unless it changes this behaviour. The pre-1967 borders of Israel are the correct borders and a withdrawal to those borders would bring about peace. Israel is responsible for the squalor and misery of the Palestinian refugee camps, a wretchedness which naturally breeds terrorism and hatred. There is a 'cycle of violence' in the region which prevents reasonable discussion. "

I shall examine this view later. But beneath lies a series of other views, some justified, some ugly and wrong. The first of these is what I call 'Judophobia'. I use this word to distinguish it from the expression 'anti-semitism', and also to annoy people who have embraced political correctness and classify others as suffering from 'homophobia' or 'xenophobia'. For Judophobia, in the form of anti-Israel prejudice, is very common among PC types.

Accusations of anti-semitism bounce off these people. Everyone these days has seen 'Schindler's List' and everyone knows that he is not like those horrible, mad Nazis. We are grown-up, enlightened, civilised people who don't suffer from irrational bigotry of this kind. Of course we don't want to send Jews to extermination camps, so we're not anti-semitic.

Well, the dislike of Jews existed before the Nazis, and was quite respectable, often among intelligent people. It is in my view impossible to pretend that Shylock in 'The Merchant of Venice' or Fagin in 'Oliver Twist' are not classic anti-Jewish caricatures. Yet these were the work of great artists, and we do not disdain Dickens or Shakespeare because they suffered from this problem. Hilaire Belloc was actively hostile to Jews, yet we still read his poems and his 'Cautionary Tales' (at least one of which has an anti-Jewish undercurrent) are still read by children. Roald Dahl is also thought by some critics to have had a deep dislike of Jews, which appears in a thinly-disguised form in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' .

There are even anti-Jewish caricatures in one of the Tintin books, 'The Shooting Star', written in Belgium under Nazi occupation and later altered to remove blatant anti-Jewish references. And let's not even mention Wagner.

Unpleasant or prejudiced references to Jews are to be found in John Buchan's thrillers and some of Somerset Maugham' s novels. Some people think Graham Greene's 'Stamboul Train' is anti-Jewish too. Before Hitler came along, this attitude was quite respectable and open. Nowadays, I think it still exists but is much more discreet. And a newspaper journalist whom I like, and whose work I admire, once suddenly confided to me that he 'just didn't like Jewish people'. I'm sure he was and is as disgusted by Auschwitz as anyone else, and doesn't connect his view with the Nazis at all. In some people this view, though seldom if ever expressed, is very deep. There are also some people who are totally irrational about this, and with whom it is quite impossible to argue. The phobia against Jews is a very strange thing, very old, deep and mysterious.

Then, in a certain British generation, there is a special bitterness on this subject. Veterans of the final years of the British Mandate in Palestine (1945-47) experienced the disgusting terrorist acts of the The Stern gang (or Lehi as it called itself) and the Irgun Zvai Leumi, the murders of Lord Moyne and of Count Bernadotte, the murders of British soldiers, the atrocious bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in which 91 people died, and body parts of the victims were plastered horrifically all over the YMCA building opposite.

This unforgiveable and inexcusable behaviour left those who experienced it - in many cases - permanently and understandably hostile towards Zionism and Israel, and perhaps Jews as a whole. Winston Churchill, a long-time convinced Zionist, was himself badly shaken in his view by the killing of his friend, Lord Moyne. This divide will remain for as long as the State of Israel fails to condemn these actions and the men who perpetrated them, who in many cases became successful political leaders later in life.

Not really comparable with this reasoned mistrust is the nasty form of Judophobia now prevalent across the Middle East - the circulating of anti-Jewish rubbish such as the long-discredited 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion', as if it were fact, the description of Jews as the offspring of pigs and monkeys, in parts of the Arabic press. For more details of this sort of thing, you can to http://www.memri.org which provides English translations of it. You may find it hard to believe that this sort of thing still goes on, but it does, and it is increasing.

This is much more like the poisonous, diseased propaganda of the German National Socialists.

And it is, in a strange way, linked to them.

For another element in all this is a rather disgraceful attempt by both Europeans and Arabs to argue that the moral debt to Jews, owed by the world because of the German massacre of Europe's Jews, and our failure to take them in or save them, has either been paid in full already or cancelled out by later events. Some also argue that this debt is simply not owed by the Arabs who played no part in this slaughter.

But this is not entirely so. The main leader of the anti-Jewish movement in the British Mandate of Palestine before World War Two was a man called Haj Amin al Husseini (Also known as Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, see the Wikipedia reference to him at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amin_al-Husayni This man was so opposed to Jewish migration to the area that he eventually threw in his lot with the Nazis (who are now suspected of having sought to foment Arab opposition to Jewish migration in the late 1930s). This of course made it far harder for Jews to get out of Germany when Hitler began his anti-Jewish measures. Al Husseini eventually went to live in Berlin and recruited Muslims to the Waffen SS. He also lobbied against the emigration of Jews from Nazi-controlled areas of Europe to Palestine. It is not known whether he realised what would happen to them if they stayed under Nazi rule. But he must have known it would not be good.

I mention this for several reasons. One, British colonial officials - who disapproved of the policy of creating a National Home for the Jews chose Husseini as Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, and therefore local Arab leader. They did this despite the fact that the Arabs of Jerusalem preferred other candidates for the job.

These officials, notably Ronald Storrs, thought the 1917 Balfour Declaration, in which Britain supported a 'National Home for the Jews' in Palestine, was a mistake. They wanted a wholly pro-Arab British policy. They and their allies spent the inter-war years trying to sabotage the 'National Home' idea and by 1939, when they achieved an almost total block on Jewish immigration there, they had pretty much succeeded. It was only the revelation of what Hitler had done to the Jews of Europe that reopened the issue in 1945.

Two, much of the propaganda against Israel dishonestly and falsely seeks to compare Israeli treatment of the Palestinians to Nazi treatment of the Jews. There is no comparison. And Palestinian spokesmen often ask " Yes, the Jews did suffer in the Holocaust, but why should the Arabs have to play such a part in compensating them?' .This is a partial answer to that.

Three, the late Yasser Arafat is said to have identified Al Husseini as his hero. And finally, Husseini originally believed that the area called 'Palestine' by the British empire (which had for centuries before been a series of unconnected provinces in the Turkish empire) should form part of a 'Greater Syria' . Actually this is almost certainly what would happen if Israel ceased to exist as a Jewish state. Husseini only later adopted the 'Palestinian' nationalism which has been such a brilliant propaganda ploy, turning Israel from David into Goliath. Set against the whole Arab world, Israel looks tiny. Set only against the Palestinian Arabs, it looks huge.

But let's go back to the issue. Alan Dershowitz, in his interesting book 'The Case for Israel', points out that Israel has done many bad things and has many faults, and deeply deserves to be criticised. But he goes on to say that these criticisms need to be kept in proportion. Yes, Israel drove many Arabs from their homes in 1948 and should be criticised for this. But no more - and no less - than the Poles and Czechs and Russians should be criticised for driving millions of German civilians from their homes after 1945; and no more - and no less - than India and Pakistan should be criticised for the horrible expulsions and massacres of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs at partition in 1947. Turkey's treatment of the Armenians in 1915, and the 'exchange of population' between Greece and Turkey after World War One were also appalling. Come to that huge numbers of Jews were cruelly expelled from Arab lands in the years after Israel was founded.

No doubt there are other episodes of this kind, several in British imperial history. If every displaced group of people on the planet had the right to demand its return home, the entire globe would be at war from New South Wales to North Dakota. But it is Israel's which is remembered longest and still kept alive as a military and diplomatic issue, and it is Israel which is subject to more condemnation than any other nation by the UN.

No doubt much of this condemnation is justified, but is it really in proportion? Arab countries oppress and kill their own people, and make war on one another. Christian Arabs face growing persecution from their Muslim neighbours. Syria's President Hafez al Assad destroyed the entire Syrian city of Hama with artillery fire (with the people in it) because they supported the Muslim Brotherhood. Gaza was under illegal Egyptian rule for 20 years and nobody cared about its cramped squalor. The West Bank of the Jordan was illegally occupied by Jordan for nearly 20 years and nobody protested about that either. Sometimes it seems as if the only people who get criticised for being cruel to Arabs, or for occupying Arab land, are Israelis.

If one person or country is condemned for doing something, while another person or country is not condemned for doing the same thing, we have to ask why. And isn't it possible that the explanation is that there is some sort of prejudice in operation? I only ask.

But of course most people don't form their opinions in this way. They pick them up, as they pick up other fashions, from what they hear around them, from the prejudices of the media, which become their prejudices by a subtle process. These, by the way, don't take the form of the BBC correspondent saying "Israel wickedly bombed civilian targets last night". You only catch it on the edge of a remark. The reporters themselves often don't know they are doing it. It is their unconscious choice of verbs and nouns, their tone of voice, the selection of pictures and the attitudes to spokesmen that you have to watch.

For instance, Palestinian and Arab spokesmen tend to be interviewed respectfully and courteously, whereas Israelis are often interrogated fiercely and aggressively (Watch out for this. I'm interested to see if any readers noticed a flagrant example of this on a well-known news programme recently).

Well, if this bias is based on racial prejudice, which I rather suspect it is, then it should stop right now. And if it is designed to appease Muslim hostility to Jews (which I am afraid to say exists, encouraged by some passages in Muslim scripture, and which - unlike Christian Judophobia - is not adequately disowned and denounced by the leaders of the religion) then that is just as bad.

And in that case, the issue is really quite simple. The Western world, under British leadership, agreed after World War One to set up a National Home for the Jews in the Middle East. After World War Two, the whole world, under American and Soviet leadership, agreed in 1948 to the existence of a Jewish State. In the years between these two events, one of the most civilised nations in the world, Germany, actually made the case for such a state, by launching the systematic, industrial massacre of Jews wherever it could get its hands on them.

Remember, just eight years before this massacre began, Germany had been a law-governed democracy, one of the most liberal in the world. France, whose authorities enthusiastically collaborated with the German round-up of Jews, had - only a year before - been a beacon of democracy, liberty and tolerance. For those who think it couldn't happen in Britain, it's worth remembering that Jews in the British Channel Islands were registered and had their identity papers stamped with a large red 'J' . Jewish businesses were forced to display yellow 'Jewish undertaking' signs, Jews were secretly denounced to the authorities, newspapers were required to publish anti-Jewish articles and cinemas to show anti-semitic films. At least one Guernsey Jew was driven mad by persecution, and another hounded to his suicide. Jews from the islands were also, I'm afraid, deported to the death camps, with the co-operation of the local police.

And this, by the way, was not a religious but a racial persecution (I mention this because people sometimes ask me 'Why should there be a special country for people who follow a particular religion?'). Jews who wanted to assimilate in Christian countries were killed as surely as those who did not. Edith Stein, a German Roman Catholic nun, was dragged from her convent to be murdered at Auschwitz - because she had Jewish grandparents. Babies and young children were included in the massacre.

During the preparations for this massacre, the other nations of the world often refused to accept Jewish refugees. When news of the massacre reached the British Foreign Office during the war, an official dismissed it as the complaint of 'wailing Jews'. And nothing was done.

With that in mind, it would be dishonourable and wrong to go back on our pledges. Nobody has yet thought of a better way of avoiding a repetition of the crimes of the 1940s. In any case, weakness and vacillation lead inevitably to defeat. And if we abandon Israel it will not just be a betrayal of our own honour but also an invitation to the West's many enemies to demand more concessions.

As for the conventional wisdom of the commentators, let me take it piece by piece: "Israel needs to make concessions to the Palestinians if it wants to live in peace. These concessions should take the form of land."

**There is no evidence that territorial concessions will bring peace. Far smaller Jewish states were proposed by the Peel Commission in 1937, and by the UN in 1947, but rejected by the Arabs. Palestinian voters recently voted for Hamas, a party which does not accept that Israel has a right to exist. They knew what they were doing.

" It may be that Israel was once a small country under siege from more populous neighbours, but Israel has now taken on the role of bully and aggressor, oppressing and abusing the Palestinian people."

**Israel remains a tiny country and it continues to face the hostility of the entire Muslim and Arab world, including oil-rich Saudi Arabia, nuclear-armed Pakistan, Iran and - despite a very cold peace treaty - Egypt. Yes, Israel is subsidised and armed by the USA, but so, to very similar levels, is Egypt. The 'Palestinian' cause certainly has some justice. The displaced refugees from 1948 ought long ago to have been resettled and compensated. But there must be a suspicion that the oil-rich Arab world - which could have achieved this easily - prefers to keep them where they are for propaganda purposes.

"Israel will forfeit its right to the support of the West unless it changes this behaviour."

**The West is entitled to criticise Israel when it does wrong things ( though Britain's participation in the Iraq war makes it hard for us to take a moral stand on the killing of civilians). But the facts are that Israel was created on our promise, and that it is by world standards a free, law-governed country which tries to abide by civilised standards. To compare Israel to Nazi Germany, or to cast it as the bully in the region, is plain false.

"The pre-1967 borders of Israel are the correct borders and a withdrawal to those borders would bring about peace. "

**Arab propagandists now say they like the 1967 borders. But they did not like them before 1967. In pre-1967 times they harked back to the 1947 borders, which were even more cramped. Actually, Israel long ago returned most of the land it conquered in 1967, in return for peace with Egypt. But while that peace is very cold and not guaranteed to last, the land is gone for good. Land for peace? That's what they said about the Munich agreement for which Neville Chamberlain is rightly reviled. Land was certainly handed over. But there was no peace.

Israel is responsible for the squalor and misery of the Palestinian refugee camps, a wretchedness which naturally breeds terrorism and hatred.

**See above. Israel is certainly to blame for its cruel expulsions in 1948. But much has happened since. That responsibility is not Israel's alone. The Arab world should constantly be asked why it does so little to help the refugees, who seem to have plenty of access to weapons, but not so much to clean water, electricity and good-quality housing."

Bad as the living conditions are in the camps, these are no excuse for terrorist murder. There is never any excuse for terrorist murder, and we in the West should be careful not to offer one. The idea that bad conditions equal desperation equals terrorist murder is a wicked falsehood, which assumes that poor and oppressed people lack consciences and can therefore be excused if they adopt criminal methods.

This is, in a way, a slander on poor Arabs - who in my experience are hospitable and generous people and who have on many occasions in recent history courageously protected Jewish neighbours from murderous attacks. I am quite sure most Arabs would not dream of using such methods and privately condemn them, though there is little free speech on this subject in the Arab Muslim world. And, as it happens, a large number of those involved in terrorist actions come from prosperous and well-educated families.

There is a 'cycle of violence' in the region which prevents reasonable discussion."

**This is simply a way of saying 'six of one and half a dozen of the other'. But Israel has from the start been willing to compromise over territory. In their speeches to their own supporters, leaders of the Palestinian movement have repeatedly made clear that any settlement would be a stage on the way to final victory, the end of the Jewish state which remains their aim. That aim remains a realistic one, as long as the West offers concessions in return for violence. It will only be abandoned if the West shows unflinching resolve to stand by its promise. And then - as should have been done long ago - the plight of the refugees can at last be addressed.BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] got the green light on Tuesday to operate in Argentina's Mendoza province when lawmakers there passed the country's first law regulating ride-hailing applications. Argentina's Senate voted 24-14 in favor of the law which specifically allows such services in the country's fifth-largest province by population, the legislature said on its website. Uber has been operating in the capital Buenos Aires for more than two years despite court rulings ordering the company to stop and internet service providers to block its platform. Uber has said that the lack of explicit regulation does not mean the service is banned, and that it obeys Argentine law, pays taxes and wants cities to pass ride-hailing regulations. Mendoza's government would likely issue regulations to put the law into effect in August, and Uber could begin operating in the province as soon as September, Mendoza newspaper Diario Uno reported. "We are very excited about the government's decision and the consensus reached by Mendoza's lawmakers," Uber's general manager for the southern cone region of South America, Mariano Otero, said in a statement. "We are convinced we can contribute, and we expect to be in the province soon to do so." A Buenos Aires court in 2016 found Uber in violation of local transportation and labor standards. While the company serves several cities in Brazil, Bolivia and Chile, it does not operate elsewhere in Argentina, according to its website. The San Francisco-based company has clashed with governments in many cities and countries. Taxi services and labor groups have been frequent opponents of the Silicon Valley startup. (Reporting by Eliana Raszewski and Luc Cohen; Editing by Ross Colvin and Richard Chang)Following a meeting with Malaysias Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop revealed that no application has been received to extradite the man convicted of murdering Mongolian translator/model Altantuya Shaariibuu, Sirul Azhar Umar.

Altantuya Shaariibuu

In June, British newspaper The Guardian erroneously reported that a deal had been struck by the two, and that Sirul would return to Malaysia within the month.

Today, Bishop confirmed that he was still being held at an Australia Immigration detention facility, and that no formal request of extradition had been filed, as Mahathir himself clarified recently.

Authorities there have been reticent to repatriate Sirul, as he faces the death penalty here for the crime.

Her murder in 2006 has become a source of local and international intrigue, with even the Mongolian government stepping in to ask that Prime Minister Mahathir reopen the case.

International press reports state that a pregnant Altantuya was the alleged lover of former Prime Minister Najibs close confidant Abdul Razak Baginda. In the weeks leading up to her death, she had been demanding money from Baginda to compensate for her work in brokering a deal to buy French submarines, of which Baginda is said to have benefited in the multi-millions via kickbacks.

Unable to contact Baginda directly after he refused to take her calls, she went to his house in October 2006. Minutes later, a van arrived at the scene, abducting the model and ultimately taking her to a Subang forest, where she was shot twice with a semi-automatic weapon.

Her lifeless body was wrapped in military-grade explosives, and she was unceremoniously blown up.

Sirul and another fellow bodyguard, Azila Hadri, were charged, tried and found guilty of the murder. They were sentenced to death in 2009, yet Sirul has maintained his innocence, saying he was only carrying out orders from superiors and that he was merely the driver to the scene of the crime.

Story continues

Out on bail, Sirul fled to Australia in 2014, managing to gain access to a country that has issues letting in muddy boots, but apparently accepts convicted murderers with relatively open arms.

Hiding out in Queensland, authorities then picked him up after Interpol issued a red alert. Hes been sitting in a Sydney detention center ever since.

Without stating the unknown but writing the obvious, it is safe to assume that Sirul knows quite a bit about what happened in the Mongolians tragic death, and his return to Malaysia has been a key point of interest for those seeking answers in a case where no motive in the murder was ever established.

Dun dun.

The post Australian Foreign Minister says no Malaysian extradition request for Sirul in Altantuya case appeared first on Coconuts.Aug 1 (Reuters) - Sirtex Medical Ltd:

* CONTINUES TO UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE IN FAVOUR OF CDH-CGP OFFER IN ABSENCE OF A SUPERIOR PROPOSAL

* SCHEME MEETING WILL BE HELD ON 10 SEPT

* FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA MADE ORDERS APPROVING DESPATCH OF SCHEME BOOKLET REGARDING PROPOSED PURCHASE OF SIRTEX

* SHAREHOLDERS TO VOTE ON SCHEME OF ARRANGEMENT FOR PROPOSED ACQUISITION BY CDH-CGP Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:Parents carry their children as they leave their home during the flood after the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam collapsed in Attapeu province, Laos July 26, 2018. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

By Khanh Vu

HANOI (Reuters) - Floods from a burst dam in Laos have inundated thousands of hectares of paddy fields in Vietnam's rice-growing Mekong Delta region, officials said on Wednesday, although the damage is limited and not expected to affect the country's export crop.

A saddle dam that was part of Laos' $1.2 billion Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project collapsed last week, sending torrents of water crashing into neighbouring villages.

At least 11 people were killed in the accident, and a further 120 people are still missing, the state-run Vientiane Times in Laos reported on Wednesday.

"The flood water is hampering the ongoing harvest of the summer-autumn rice crop in some areas, especially in Dong Thap, Long An and An Giang provinces," Tran Xuan Dinh, deputy head of the Department of Crop Production under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, told Reuters.

The Mekong Delta is the largest rice-growing area in Vietnam, which is the world's third-largest rice exporter after India and Thailand.

The water level in the Mekong Delta region has risen by 7-10 centimetres (3-4 inches) since the dam burst, Dinh said.

Although heavy rains and excess waters from the dam in Laos have damaged crops, the impact of the floods will not significantly impact rice production, said Nguyen Si Lam, deputy director of An Giang province's agricultural department.

Farmers in the delta provinces have planted more than 1.69 million hectares of rice for the summer-autumn crop, with unhusked paddy output estimated at 9.51 million tonnes, an increase of 3 percent in terms of output from a year ago, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Farmers in the Mekong Delta have brought in more than 40 percent of the summer-autumn rice crop and the harvest is expected to end in 15-20 days, Dinh said.

"The flooding season in the Mekong Delta was previously forecast to begin around August 5-7, but the water from Laos made it start sooner," he said.

(Reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by James Pearson and Tom Hogue)Canadian armed forces officially launched their peacekeeping mission in restive northern Mali Tuesday, marking Ottawa's return to the blue helmets after more than a decade. The contingent of 250 soldiers and six helicopters is expected to conduct medical evacuations in the north of the country from Wednesday as they take over from German troops. "My team and I are extremely proud to wear the blue beret as UN soldiers from Canada," Canadian commander Colonel Chris McKenna said at a ceremony at the UN base in Gao. "It has been several years since Canada has had a large UN footprint and the pride that we take in hoisting the United Nations flag beside our beloved red-and-white Maple Leaf should not be underestimated," he said. The Canadian troops, who are on a one-year mission, have been deployed since the start of July at Camp Castor, which also hosts German and Dutch troops. While Canada originated the concept of peacekeepers in the 1950s, it has not deployed troops on UN peacekeeping missions for more than a decade. At the start of the year, the UN had only about 50 Canadian peacekeepers. The Malian mission also marks the return of the Canadian military to Africa for the first time since the Rwandan genocide in 1994, when Ottawa lead the UN mission there. Islamist extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert in northern Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013. However large stretches of the country remain outside of the control of the Malian, French and UN forces, which are frequent targets of attacks. "It's always a risk being in a dangerous place but we take security measures to protect our military, our citizens so that the risks are minimised," Canadian ambassador Louis Verret told AFP. The UN mission, MINUSMA, deployed to Mali in 2013 in the wake of the French anti-jihadist operation and comprises some 14,000 military personnel and police. It is currently the most deadly UN peacekeeping mission, having lost about 170 members including 104 killed in hostile acts -- more than half the UN soldiers killed during this period around the world.In celebration of Mickey Mouses 90th anniversary and Singapores 53rd National Day, Raffles City Singapore collaborated with The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) to launch the first Mickey Go Local campaign. Part of Raffles City Singapores long-running Arts in the City programme, the month-long campaign features a host of activities, including a public exhibition of 90 Mickey Mouse figurines designed in Singapore style by individuals from different walks of life, including President Halimah Yacob, JJ Lin, Nathan Hartono and even yours truly.

Watch this video to check out some of the cool designs:

The campaign was launched today by President Halimah Yacob in the company of Mr Lim Ming Yan, President & Group CEO of CapitaLand Group and Director of CapitaLand Hope Foundation and Mr Daniel Tan, Executive Director, Marketing, The Walt Disney Company Singapore and Malaysia.

My Mickey was delivered to me earlier last month and I took a couple of weeks to complete it. Titled Shiny Red Dot, my design concept is as below:

Singapore may be a small country, but we never undermine ourselves and always strive for the best in what we do to have our presence felt globally. We are small, but we cant be ignored; just like this shiny red Mickey, with sparks radiating the full body from the five stars and a crescent moon where the heart is. From hosting the iconic Trump-Kim summit to Joseph Schooling winning an Olympic gold medal for swimming, let the little red dot continue to shine and flourish.

Heres the work in progress before the design was completed:

Click to view slideshow.

I thought of adding more graphic elements to it, but decided to keep it all bold red and shimmering so it will stand out from a sea of colourful Mickey Mouse.

Do pop by Raffles City from now till 29 August 2018 when the figurines are on display. When you are there, you can do your part for charity by simply taking a photo of yourself with the figurines and posting them to Instagram with hashtags: #RCSArtsinthecityPC, #Mickey90, #MickeyGoLocal, #CapitaLand and #CHPFC. CapitaLand Hope Foundation will donate S$10 per hashtag to Presidents Challenge.

Story continues

Mickey Go Local in Singapore

Binding generations together, Mickey Mouse reminds people of all ages the benefits of laughter, optimism and hope. The year 2018 marks 90 years since the beloved mouse made its first appearance in American animated short film Steamboat Willie on 18 November 1928. To commemorate this milestone, a series of world-wide celebrations has been lined-up.

Kicking off the celebrations in Singapore is Disneys Mickey Go Local campaign at Raffles City Singapore, which aims to connect the iconic character with Singaporeans and tourists in a surprising and fun manner. Specially-created Mickey Go Local products, including household items, fashion merchandise and accessories, feature Mickey Mouse in uniquely Singaporean settings that showcase local heritage, customs, language and delicacies. Over 80 of these products will debut at the Mickey Go Local pop-up store at Raffles City Singapore, and a larger range will be made available later at all major retailers.

Singapore through the lens of Mickey Mouse

Disneys Mickey Go Local campaign celebrates the characters 90th anniversary while paying homage to Singapores rich heritage and culture. In all, 90 pieces of 60-centimetre-tall Mickey Mouse figurines have been decorated with creative and thoughtful designs by individuals from different walks of life.

They include President Halimah Yacob; Mr Lim Ming Yan, President & Group CEO of CapitaLand Group and Director of CapitaLand Hope Foundation; Mr Amit Malhotra, Country Manager, The Walt Disney Company Singapore and Malaysia; popular artistes JJ Lin, Nathan Hartono, Kit Chan, Li Nanxing and Felicia Chin; film directors K Rajagopal, Boon Junfeng and Eric Khoo; as well as athletes, media creatives and many more. The uniquely Singapore Mickey Mouse figurines will be displayed at Raffles City Singapore from 1 to 29 August 2018.

JJ Lins design

Nathan Hartonos design

Click to view slideshow.

Giving back through art

In conjunction with the campaign, CapitaLand has pledged to donate S$300,000 through its philanthropic arm, CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF), to the Presidents Challenge 2018.

President Halimah Yacob's design

President Halimah Yacobs design

To date, CHF has committed S$10,000 for the completed artwork by President Halimah Yacob, and S$2,000 per completed artwork by notable Singaporean personalities and individuals from different walks of life as well as the top ten designs submitted by Raffles City Singapores Design Your Version of Disneys Mickey Mouse participants.

Held from 13 to 22 July 2018, the design competition was opened to all Singaporeans to style Mickey Mouse in the most quintessential local motifs, such as food, customs, heritage, architecture and language. The top 10 designs are part of the exhibition at Raffles City Singapore.

For every photo taken by members of the public with the Mickey Mouse figurines and uploaded onto Instagram with hashtags: #RCSArtsinthecityPC, #Mickey90, #MickeyGoLocal, #CapitaLand and #CHFPC, CHF will donate S$10 per hashtag to Presidents Challenge.

Raffles City: Disneys Mickey Go Local Exhibition

Date: 1 August to 29 August 2018

Time: 10am  10pm

Venue: Level 1, Raffles City Singapore, 252 North Bridge Road

Admission is free

The post Check out these 90 Singapore-themed Mickey Mouse at Raffles City designed by celebrities like JJ Lin, Nathan Hartono, President Halimah Yaacob and more appeared first on Alvinology.A message from the New Trier Republican Organization notified members of longtime Republican leader Tolbert Chisum's death last Saturday in Houston, Texas:

Tolbert was deeply committed to the GOP, having served as New Trier Township GOP Committeeman, the Chairman of NTRO, and a State Central Committeeman. Although he moved back to Texas several years ago, he remained involved in NTRO activities whenever he was in Illinois.

Tolbert served in the Marines and later attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. While living in Texas, Tolbert met and married his longtime wife, Carrie. He was a proud father and a grandfather to three grandsons.

NTRO was not the only beneficiary of Tolbert's generosity. Throughout his life he volunteered in his community and served on many boards and committees in various capacities, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, the Metropolitan Club, Village of Kenilworth, The Chicago Sunday Evening Club, SouthWest Benefits Association, Rotary Club of Beaumont, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, The Institute for Truth in Accounting and Athletes Against Drugs. He was also an active member of the Kenilworth Union Church.

Anyone who knew Tolbert will remember his booming voice and his hearty laugh. He was a man who embraced life, and he leaves behind many friends and colleagues who will miss him.

Rest in peace, Tolbert.By Helen Murphy and Luis Jaime Acosta

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who staked his legacy on ending a five-decade war with Marxist rebels, leaves office next week satisfied he oversaw a historic peace deal but frustrated he could not do more to unite the nation and reduce inequality.

Internationally lauded for negotiating peace with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Santos has been criticized by many Colombians who say he sold out to the rebels in return for a Nobel Peace Prize and made the country more dangerous.

But Santos, 66, says he sleeps soundly at night, proud of silencing FARC weapons and beginning negotiations with the National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia's remaining rebel group.

"I've got more grey hair now and I'm a grandfather, but I'm calm and very satisfied with the results," the two-term Santos told Reuters before his handover to right-wing President-elect Ivan Duque on Aug. 7.

"Politically I feel a little frustrated, I would have liked to leave the country more united. Believe me, I tried, but it wasn't possible."

The scion of one of Colombia's most prosperous families, Santos had not been expected to spearhead a peace process with the FARC, which battled a dozen governments during a conflict which killed over 220,000 people and displaced millions.

He had been one of the nation's toughest defence ministers under hard-line former President Alvaro Uribe, meting out some of the harshest blows against the group and pushing them deeper into the wilderness before bringing them to the negotiating table.

His decision took Uribe by surprise and turned him into a bitter enemy who accused his former protege of betraying FARC victims and failing to jail war criminals. Uribe charges the FARC deal opened the way for new crime gangs to set up.

The onetime allies spent years in public spats that set the powerful Uribe and his party against the peace process, almost hobbling it completely when Santos called a referendum on the final deal.

Story continues

The vote's failure became Santos' biggest political crisis and shock.

"That was a bucket of cold water that affected us all," said the former journalist, who pushed a renegotiated deal through congress in 2016.

Duque, also mentored by Uribe, has promised to make changes to the peace accords to jail former FARC commanders who committed crimes.

But Santos said it will be almost impossible to change the accords, which have been endorsed by the international community and broadly supported by the constitutional court.

"Peace can't be changed for many reasons and for ethical and moral reasons - nobody wants to go back," said Santos, who beat prostate cancer while in office.

Though peace is the most enduring part of his presidential legacy, Santos also oversaw a fall in unemployment and a decline in poverty.

"We were the Latin American country that most cut inequality, but, still, inequality here is shameful," he said.

Santos also changed the distribution of oil and mining royalties and made it possible for land seized by right-wing paramilitaries and rebels to be returned.

But his time in office has also been marked by corruption allegations, and he was forced to apologise after revelations his 2010 and 2014 campaigns took funds from disgraced Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.

Santos plans to retire completely from politics, write a book and use his Nobel Prize to travel the world on lecture tours extolling peace.

(Reporting by Helen Murphy and Luis Jaime Acosts; editing by Jonathan Oatis)Zimbabwe's government vowed Wednesday to crack down on opposition dissent after three people were killed when protests against alleged electoral fraud were met by live ammunition, denting hopes of a new era for the country. Soldiers fired on demonstrators during opposition MDC party protests in downtown Harare, AFP witnesses saw, with one man shot dead in the stomach. Monday's polls -- the first since autocratic president Robert Mugabe was forced out by a brief military takeover in November -- had been meant to turn the page on years of violence-marred elections and brutal repression of dissent. But the mood quickly descended into anger and chaos as supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition declared they were being cheated in the election count. "You said you were better than Mugabe -- you are the picture of Mugabe," shouted one young male protester wearing a white T-shirt. "We need security for the people." Official results showed that the ruling ZANU-PF party had easily won most seats in the parliamentary ballot -- strengthening President Emmerson Mnangagwa's prospects of holding onto power in the key presidential race. MDC supporters, who say their leader Nelson Chamisa won the vote, burnt tyres and pulled down street signs as protests spread from the party headquarters in the capital Harare. Police confirmed the death toll of three, and Mnangagwa issued a statement blaming the opposition for the unrest and fatalities. "We hold the opposition MDC Alliance and its whole leadership responsible for this disturbance of national peace," he said, adding the government "went out of its way" to try to ensure the elections were peaceful. Mnangagwa, 75, had promised a free and fair vote after the military ushered him to power in November when Mugabe was forced to resign. In a late-night press conference, Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu warned that the government "will not tolerate any of the actions that were witnessed today. "The opposition... have perhaps interpreted our understanding to be weak, and I think they are testing our resolve and I think they are making a big mistake." A credible and peaceful vote was meant to end Zimbabwe's international isolation and draw in foreign investment to revive the shattered economy. The MDC, which accuses the election authorities of falsifying results, said the army had opened fire "for no apparent reason" leading to the deaths of unarmed civilians. - 'Un-level playing field' - European Union observers had earlier declared they found an "un-level playing field and lack of trust" in the election process. It called for transparency in the release of results. "On many occasions -- preparation, financing, media and hopefully not in the counting -- it was advantageous for the ruling party," EU chief observer Elmar Brok told AFP. Former colonial power Britain on Wednesday called for "calm and restraint", urging "political leaders to take responsibility... at this critical moment." Under Mugabe's 37-year reign, elections were often marred by fraud and deadly violence, with European Union observers banned since 2002. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said Wednesday that of 210 parliamentary seats, 205 had been counted with ZANU-PF winning 144 and the MDC Alliance 61. "The results are biased, trying to give the impression that ZANU has won," said Lawrence Maguranyi, 21, an MDC supporter and university student protesting at the party headquarters. MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, 40, said the presidential results were fraudulent. "We have won this one together. No amount of results manipulation will alter your will," he tweeted before the army were deployed. - Delayed results? - The electoral commission warned that final results of the presidential first round may not be known until Friday or Saturday. Commission chairwoman Priscilla Chigumba, a high court judge, has flatly denied allegations of bias and strongly disputed accusations of rigging. Mugabe, 94, voted in Harare on Monday alongside his wife Grace after he stunned observers by calling for voters to reject ZANU-PF, his former party. His attempts to position Grace as his successor are widely thought to have driven the military to intervene and put their favoured candidate, Mnangagwa, in power. Mnangagwa, Mugabe's former right-hand man, was the clear election front-runner, benefitting from tacit military support and control of state resources. But Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who performed strongly on the campaign trail, sought to tap into the youth and urban vote. Mnangagwa was allegedly involved in violence and intimidation during the 2008 elections when then opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off after attacks claimed the lives of at least 200 of his supporters.Fears that embankments could burst under fresh rains mounted in flooded southeastern Myanmar, where some 150,000 people have been forced from their homes and a dozen people killed. A vast area of farmland across four provinces lies under muddy water with rescue teams trying to reach villages by boat to provide food to those who are unable or refuse to leave their homes. Above the town of Madauk in Bago region, floodwaters are only inches from the top of vulnerable embankments that are so far holding fast, but locals are afraid that fresh monsoon rains could spell disaster. "If this embankment doesn't hold firm against the next flood, many more villages will be at high risk," rescue team leader Hlaing Min Oo told AFP as he oversaw a chain of volunteers loading a boat with food destined for marooned flood victims. "For the moment, there's little chance that the water levels will go down." Evacuation orders are still in place across Bago, Karen, Mon and Taninthari provinces with 36 dams and reservoirs overflowing, according to state media. State media reported Thursday that 148,386 people are currently taking refuge in 327 camps. The Myanma Alinn newspaper said nearly 28,000 are still in their flooded homes, either unable to escape to shelters or are opting to stay in the hope that water levels will start to recede. AFP reporters travelled several hours to reach Maubin village in Shwe Kyin district with the relief boat on Wednesday, passing multiple settlements of half-submerged thatched homes, many with trapped residents looking out of upstairs windows at the inundations. A monastery run by five monks was serving as a collection point for donated rice, noodles and biscuits in Maubin, a village of 108 households. "Our house is just beside the river bank so we're trying to move somewhere higher," 54-year-old Ohn Myint said, pointing to the hills a couple of kilometres (miles) away. Farmer and fisherman Win Kyu, 40, is primarily worried about his fields that now lie completely under water. "We experienced flooding like this back in 2000 -- this year is the worst since then," he said. "If this goes on, people will struggle to make a living." Myanmar is only just entering peak monsoon season but it is not suffering alone. Particularly heavy rains this year have lashed much of the Mekong region with a dam in neighbouring Laos collapsing last week, destroying several villages and leaving scores of people missing.BAMAKO (Reuters) - Gunmen attacked a convoy carrying election materials in central Mali, triggering a shootout in which four soldiers and eight attackers were killed, a Defence Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

The spokesman said the attack occurred late on Tuesday on the road between Nampala and Coura in the south-central region of Segou, giving no further details, and declining to say whether it was carrying ballot papers.

"The convoy was transporting some youths and election materials. There were 12 killed in total, four soldiers and eight terrorists," the spokesman said by telephone.

Mali's presidential election, the second since Tuareg rebels and allied Islamists took over the north in 2012, prompting French forces to intervene the following year to push them back, has been beset by attacks at the hands of suspected Islamist militants and allied ethnic militia.

Armed attackers succeeded in shutting down 644 polling stations on Sunday, representing about 3 percent of the total. A fifth of all polling stations suffered some kind of disruption, figures from the Ministry of Territorial Administration showed.

Jihadists have rendered almost all of north and central Mali unsafe by continually targeting foreign and local interests, taking hostages and attacking security and peacekeeping forces.

(Reporting by Tim Cocks and Tiemoko Diallo; Editing by Catherine Evans and Alison Williams)Nestled in the forested hills of central Vietnam two giant concrete hands emerge from the trees, holding up a glimmering golden bridge crowded with gleeful visitors taking selfies at the country's latest eccentric tourist draw. Designed to make visitors feel like they're taking a stroll on a shimmering thread stretching across the hands of gods, the "Golden Bridge" has attracted hordes of guests since it opened in the Ba Na Hills near Danang in June. Images of the bridge have gone viral on social media, much to the surprise of the architect who had no idea it would attract so much attention. "We're proud that our product has been shared by people all over the world," principal designer and founder of TA Landscape Architecture, Vu Viet Anh, told AFP. At 150 metres long (490 feet), the bridge snakes through the forest high up in mountains first developed by French colonists as a hill station in 1919. Today the area is a major tourist attraction, boasting a cable car, replica French medieval village -- including faux castle and cathedral -- manicured gardens and a wax museum featuring statues of Lady Gaga and Michael Jordan. The only remnants of the original French occupants are the crumbling remains of their holiday homes that can still be spotted from the cable car. But visitors are mostly interested in the newly built Cau Vang, which means "Golden Bridge" in Vietnamese. "The bridge is beautiful with an amazing architectural style, from here we can see Danang City, it's so nice," Nguyen Trung Phuc told AFP. Another visitor, Nguyen Hien Trang, said: "I have travelled quite a lot but I've never seen any bridges as beautiful as this one." The Ba Na Hills project was built by Sun Group, which has divided opinion with audacious projects elsewhere in Vietnam. In 2016 it opened a cable car on Vietnam's tallest mountain Fansipan in the tourist hotpot Sapa, prompting complaints from locals who felt it spoiled the landscape and took business away from trekking guides. Vietnam is no stranger to off-the-wall attractions. A "crystal cloud" installation of 58,000 shimmering Swarovski beads in the rice-terraced hills of northern Vietnam opened earlier this year, while the surreal "Crazy House" hotel in central Da Lat, designed to look a trippy treehouse, has long attracted legions of curious visitors. The communist country has long sought to boost visitor numbers and position itself as a must-see destination in Southeast Asia. It clocked 13 million foreign visitors last year, mostly from China -- a far cry from the 35 million international visitors to Thailand in 2017. Golden Bridge designer Anh said he already has another project in the works: a silver bridge made to look like a god's strand of hair that will connect to his existing structure in the Ba Na Hills.The Illinois pension systems are woefully underfunded, yet cost 23% of our entire state budget in 2018, Mazzochi said. Medical spending is the largest line item in the state budget. Pensions and medical together is over half of our state budget . Lawmakers need to be mindful of this before adding to that burden.

Math doesnt lie," Mazzochi said. "Lets take our own fingers out of the pie to show we are serious about getting our fiscal house in order. By rejecting a pension, I am showing my commitment to address the pension crisis without any conflict of interest. Our residents want the state to stop digging itself into a bigger hole and start focusing on real reform.

Illinois underfunded pension system has been identified as the worst in the nation. Today GARS is only funded at 14.9 percent, the lowest of Illinois five state retirement systems. Pensions and pension debt is crowing out other essential areas of the budget to a point where critical service areas are not receiving the levels of funding they need, Mazzochi said. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and with stakeholders to find a fair and Constitutionally-sound solution to this critical problem.Hong Kong man accused of conning almost HK$1 million out of two women denied bail

A Hong Kong man accused of swindling HK$960,000 (US$122,310) out of two women was remanded in custody by a court on Wednesday.

I dont need bail, Lam Wai-ching, 24, told magistrate Merinda Chow Yin-chu, minutes after walking into the courtroom, for his first appearance at Kwun Tong Court.

The Tai Po resident was charged with two counts of obtaining property by deception, one of fraud and another one of theft.

Prosecutors alleged that between December 2017 and April this year, Lam dishonestly obtained HK$700,000 from Lo Kam-lan, with the intent of permanently depriving the woman of the property by deception.

Lam was said to have similarly cheated Lau Lee-shan out of HK$260,000 between March and April this year.

Prosecutors also accused Lam of stealing a black wallet, which contained a Hong Kong driving licence, an Octopus card, an MCL Club membership card and a Denon Club membership card, from So Ka-wah in May.

He was further accused of inducing the hotel Dorsett Tsuen Wan Hong Kong, by deceit and with the intent to defraud, to provide hospitality service that benefited him on July 27.

Understood, Lam said after the allegations were read out. No plea was taken.

Lam revealed he had seen the duty lawyers but said he does not need them, nor any private lawyer.

Prosecutors have objected to his bail.

The case will return to the same court on August 29, pending identity parade and further enquiries that included gathering the bank records.

This article Hong Kong man accused of conning almost HK$1 million out of two women denied bail first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.Honor, Huaweis budget smartphone maker, has unveiled a new mid-priced model which comes equipped with an extra-large screen and is aimed at building on the brands recent streak of success in China.

Honors latest flagship phone, the Note 10, uses Huawei Technologies own Kirin 970 AI chipset and has a 6.95-inch sized screen  the largest ever made by the company  and a 5,000 mAh battery.

The Honor Note 10, starting from 2,799 yuan (US$410), is smaller in overall size than the Honor Note 8 due to its bezel-less and notch-free screen design, which allows consumers to hold the phone more comfortably, Zhao Ming, Honors president, said during the launch ceremony in Beijing on Tuesday.

The Note 10 launch comes one week after global industry research firm Canalys said Huawei had extended its lead in Chinas smartphone market, with more than half of its handset sales coming from the Honor brand. Huaweis two smartphone brands expanded their combined market share to a record 27 per cent in the three months to June, up from 21 per cent during the same period a year ago, marking the biggest share of any smartphone vendor in China since the second quarter of 2011, according to Canalys.

Honor contributed 55 per cent of the groups entire shipments in the past quarter, up from 33 per cent a year ago, according to the report. Honor, which tends to focus its marketing on the younger generation, competes with other Chinese brands such as Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi in the 1,000-3,000 yuan handset price segment.

Huawei tops Q2 China handset sales, while Xiaomi dials wrong number

In the first six months of 2018, Honor sold a total of 26.1 million handsets, outstripping Xiaomis 24.6 million, according to Zhao, adding that 76 per cent of Honor users are below 35 years old. The competition between Honor and Xiaomi is over. Were squarely focused on becoming a top three smartphone vendor in China now, said Zhao Ming on Tuesday.



The new Note 10 further blurs the line between smartphones and tablets, according to Zaker Li, a senior industry analyst with IHS Markit. Apples iPad mini 4, which has a 7.9-inch screen, sells for 3,259 yuan with 128GB of memory and Wi-fi across official channels in China. However, a large screen will not necessarily boost sales as some consumers may find it too heavy or too big to carry, Li said.

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Huawei, Chinas leading smartphone brand and also the worlds largest telecom equipment vendor, is on track to ship 200 million handsets to both domestic and global markets in 2018, bringing it within reach of Apple as the second-largest vendor globally behind Samsung, said mobile segment chief Richard Yu Chengdong in mid-July. Huawei shipped 100 million phones as of July 18, the fastest pace of shipments in years, said the executive.

Honor will launch the new handset in overseas markets in coming months and will be looking to extend its global reach, after booking overseas sales growth of 150 per cent in the first six months this year, said Zhao, without disclosing more detailed sales numbers.

Huaweis revenue growth levels off despite smartphone surge

Smartphone sales in India, UK and Spain expanded 300 per cent, 200 per cent and 500 per cent respectively in the first half of 2018, and Honor became the second-largest smartphone vendor in Russia in the second quarter, overtaking Apple, said Zhao.

In June, Huawei also unveiled a new turbocharged graphics processing technology that it said would put it ahead of other Android-based phones when it comes to mobile gaming. The GPU Turbo technology, which is used in the Honor Note 10 series, is able to improve graphics processing efficiency by 60 per cent while reducing energy consumption by 30 per cent, giving it an edge in mobile gaming over competitors including the iPhone X, said the company.

This article Honor bids to extend winning streak in China with new Note 10 phone which has tablet-sized screen first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.LONDON (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday the U.S. withdrawal from a nuclear deal was "illegal" and it was up to Europe to preserve the landmark accord with Tehran.

In May, the United States pulled out of the 2015 deal between world powers and Tehran under which international sanctions were lifted in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would be willing to meet Irans leader without preconditions to discuss how to improve ties.

Iran and other signatories, especially European powers, have been working to find a way to salvage the nuclear agreement despite the withdrawal of the United States.

"After the U.S. illegal withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the ball is in Europe's court now," Rouhani was quoted as saying by his official website in a meeting with British Ambassador to Tehran Rob Macaire.

"The Islamic Republic has never sought tension in the region and does not want any trouble in global waterways, but it will not easily give up on its rights to export oil, Rouhani said.

Rouhani and some senior military commanders have threatened to disrupt oil shipments from Gulf countries through the Strait of Hormuz if Washington tries to strangle Tehrans oil exports.

(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; editing by John Stonestreet, Editing by William Maclean)Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock hit an attacking 87 to guide South Africa to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second one-day international in Dambulla on Wednesday. Chasing 245 for victory, the visitors rode on a 91-run opening partnership between de Kock and Hashim Amla, who scored 43, to achieve their target with more than seven overs to spare. South Africa take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Skipper Faf du Plessis contributed with a valuable 49 after Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya led the bowling charge to give the visitors some tough moments in their chase. The Proteas bowlers also played their part earlier as pacemen Lungi Ngidi and Andile Phehlukwayo claimed three wickets each to restrict Sri Lanka to 244-8 in 50 overs. Skipper Angelo Mathews made 79 off 111 balls while Niroshan Dickwella scored 69 to give the Sri Lankan total some respectability after they elected to bat first. "Excellent bowling performance, seemed like Sri Lanka would get 280-300 but we kept getting wickets," an elated du Plessis said after the win. "We kept pulling it back even with them having a set batsman. Plans were good and the execution was great," he added. South Africa began their innings with a big first-wicket partnership as de Kock hit bowlers to all parts of the ground during his 78-ball knock, laced with 13 fours and 1 six. Dananjaya took two wickets after South Africa's quick start but the rest of the bowling and some sloppy fielding let the home team down. Dananjaya had Amla caught and bowled and then snapped up Aiden Markram for three. He later denied du Plessis his half-century with another caught and bowled effort. De Kock, who made 47 in his team's first win on Sunday, registered his 16th ODI fifty but missed out on a ton after becoming debutant paceman Kasun Rajitha's first ODI victim. - Lakmal's 100 - Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal gave Sri Lanka hope of a turnaround after getting his 100th ODI wicket in David Miller, out for three, as South Africa wobbled at 198-5. But Jean-Paul Duminy hit 32 and Willem Mulder kept calm with his unbeaten 19 to give their team a second straight win, after having been swept aside in the two-match Test series. Earlier for Sri Lanka, Mathews and Dickwella showed grit in front of a persistent bowling attack that took regular wickets. Ngidi struck twice in his very first over -- the second of the innings -- to reduce Sri Lanka to 13-2. He had Upul Tharanga caught behind for nine and then trapped Kusal Mendis lbw for nought. Dickwella, Sri Lanka's wicketkeeper-batsman, then got going with several valuable partnerships including a crucial 67-run fourth wicket stand with Mathews. "We give away too many wickets upfront and were always playing catch up since then. Never got going at all with the bat," said Mathews. "Unfortunately, we didn't hold onto the catches as well because you need to take those when you are defending such a score. The bowlers did fairly well but we didn't field properly. "Need to put it aside and move forward ... There are some positives and we can still stay alive in the series if we win the next game." The third match is scheduled for Sunday in Kandy.Soumaila Cisse, leader of opposition party URD walks with Aliou Diallo, leader of the Democratic Alliance for Peace party, after attending a joint news conference of opposition candidates in Mali's presidential election in Bamako Soumaila Cisse, leader of opposition party URD (Union for the Republic and Democracy), walks with Aliou Diallo, leader of the Democratic Alliance for Peace (Alliance Democratique pour la Paix, or ADP-MALIBA) party, after attending a joint news conference of opposition candidates in Mali's presidential election in Bamako, Mali August 1, 2018. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

By By Tim Cocks and Tiemoko Diallo

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Fifteen Malian opposition candidates demanded on Wednesday that the government investigate what they said was fraud in Sunday's presidential election, which was beset by armed attacks and problems with the distribution of voting cards.

No election results have yet been published by Mali's Ministry of Territorial Administration, the only body that can legally do so. But two rivals of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita already claim to have made it into a second round.

Keita's allies say he is well ahead in the poll, which two dozen people contested, but have not ruled out the possibility of a run-off if he does not get the required 51 percent.

Soumaila Cisse, seen as the strongest challenger, and Aliou Diallo both say they have enough votes to face Keita in round two.

A statement from 16 candidates -- from which one later dissociated himself -- complained of a huge number of electoral cards being picked up the wrong people, open vote buying, ballot box stuffing, fraudulent use of voter cards that were never picked up and unfair use of state media for Keita's campaign.

This was Mali's second presidential election since a 2012 coup enabled Tuareg rebels and allied Islamist fighters to take over the north, prompting French forces to intervene the following year to push them back.

Suspected Islamist gunmen have relentlessly tried to disrupt the poll in the parts of north and central Mali where they hold sway. Armed attackers shut down 644 polling stations, representing about 3 percent of the total, on the day. A fifth of all polling stations suffered some kind of disruption, figures from the Ministry of Territorial Administration showed.

Gunmen attacked a convoy carrying election materials in central Mali late on Tuesday and four soldiers and eight of the assailants were killed, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

European Union observers have raised issues about pour training of electoral officials and failure to follow the law in handing out ID cards. African observer missions have declared the electoral process satisfactory so far.

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Among opposition demands -- mirroring a similar call from the EU -- was that the government publish the names of all the polling stations in which insecurity prevented the vote from happening at all.

The jihadists have targetted foreign and local interests in Mali, taken hostages and attacked security and peacekeeping forces over the past several years.

That unrest is in the forefront of foreign policy concerns for France -- the former colonial power and still a leading business partner -- as well as a worry to other Western nations and Mali's neighbours.

(Editing by Angus MacSwan)Morocco's King Mohammed VI has sacked the country's economy minister, his office said Wednesday, after the monarch demanded "urgent action" on social issues in the North African nation hit by unrest over unemployment and graft. The king decided to dismiss Mohamed Boussaid after "consulting with the head of the government", read a royal statement carried by official agency MAP. The decision comes amid a drive to enforce the "principle of accountability that the king is anxious to apply to all officials, regardless of their rank", the statement said. In a major speech on Sunday the king called for "urgent action" to address key issues, in particular health and education. The speech was delivered in the northern city of Al-Hoceima which was the epicentre of the "Hirak" protest movement that rocked the country in 2016 and 2017. The social unrest began in October 2016 after the death of a fishmonger and spiralled into a wave of demonstrations demanding more development in the neglected Rif region. Morocco is marked by glaring social and territorial inequalities, against a backdrop of high unemployment among young people. In 2017, it was ranked 123 out of 188 countries on the UN's Human Development Index.Thousands of Nicaraguans marched, prayed and danced in their capital Wednesday as they turned festivities for a Catholic holiday into a procession calling for peace in their country, gripped by deadly political unrest since April. This year's August 1 celebration of Saint Dominic, a 12th century Spaniard who founded the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of Managua, came as protesters demanding the ouster of President Daniel Ortega clashed with the government's brutal security forces. More than 300 people have died in the past three and a half months, according to rights groups. Ortega puts the toll at 195. "We want the Lord to grant us peace," said one woman, Jeanneth Sanchez, 55, as she followed the procession behind a tiny portrait of Saint Dominic. "We have a lot to ask of the saint for Nicaragua. We have suffered a lot from so many things that have happened," said another taking part, Evilina Reyes. A young man who gave his name as Heriberto said he was hoping for a "miracle" for his country. Police, unusually, were absent from the march. In previous years they monitored it. - Clinging to power - Protesters -- students and youths particularly -- say they are determined to keep up demonstrations to force Ortega's resignation, or at least to hold early elections. The United States, the Organization of American States and the Vatican all support those demands. Ortega, though, has dismissed any suggestion he leave power before the end of his mandate in early 2022, saying that to do so would invite "anarchy." Last month he ordered police, backed by armed and masked paramilitaries, to violently crush protest hubs in Managua and the nearby city of Masaya. The measure imposed a degree of calm in the streets, but deepened resentment against his rule. On Tuesday, the president said he had taken the country back from "terrorists." In a series of interviews with foreign television networks since last week Ortega insists that "the turmoil is over" and things were getting back to "normal." - Persecution - Some 1,900 people have been arrested in the protests, of whom around a quarter remain locked up. At least 98 people have been convicted of terrorism and other serious crimes carrying penalties of up to 20 years in prison, according to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights. Dozens of medical staff have been fired from state-run hospitals for treating wounded protesters. And prosecutors said this week they were investigating 10 opposition figures, including student leaders, on suspicion of supporting the protests. Some of them took part in Church-mediated dialogue with the government that has stalled since mid-June. Ortega has accused the bishops taking part of collaborating with "coup-mongers" seeking to topple his government. - Fleeing Nicaragua - The UN refugee agency is appealing for neighboring countries to take in Nicaraguans who are fleeing the persecution and instability. Nearly 23,000 Nicaraguans have sought asylum in Costa Rica since April, UNHCR said, explaining that the southern neighbor was "overwhelmed." Panama, Mexico and the United States have also seen an increase in Nicaraguan arrivals, UNHCR said. Ortega, 72, headed a left-wing Sandinista government during the Cold War, and returned to power in 2007. The United States has stepped up criticism of the repression in Nicaragua, with the White House on Tuesday saying Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, "are ultimately responsible for the pro-government parapolice that have brutalized their own people." Ortega has alleged that the United States is fomenting the violence in his country by financing opposition militias.The French NGO that was at the heart of a major European diplomatic row over migration said Wednesday that nothing would stop it from rescuing migrants from the Mediterranean as its ship prepared to resume its mission off the Libyan coast. The Aquarius, chartered by French aid group SOS Mediterranee, was due to leave the southern port of Marseille later Wednesday nearly two months after Italy and Malta refused to let it dock with 630 migrants onboard, sparking a bitter international row who would take them in. "Nothing except a threat to the security of our ship... will make us give up our triple mission: saving, protecting, bearing witness," the NGO's chief Francis Vallat told a press conference. The ship has been docked for a month for maintenance work following the row, which saw Italy's populist government insist it had had enough of NGOs dropping rescued migrants on its shores. After being stranded at sea for days, the migrants onboard the Aquarius were eventually allowed to dock in Spain. The crisis prompted EU leaders to seek a compromise deal at a summit meeting in late June, which could lead to "disembarkation platforms" outside the bloc, most likely in north Africa, to discourage migrants boarding EU-bound smuggler boats. SOS Mediterranee says it has a humanitarian duty to prevent migrants -- mostly sub-Saharan Africans -- from drowning as they attempt the perilous Mediterranean crossing in rickety boats. The group has picked up nearly 30,000 people since it launched its rescue operations in February 2016. Over the past four years, at least 15,000 people have drowned trying to make the journey, it said in a statement. While docked, the ship has re-stocked with food and improved its sanitary facilities, including better waste treatment to prevent diseases spreading onboard. In recent weeks Spain has overtaken Italy as the top European destination for migrant crossings, with close to 23,000 arrivals this year. The European Commission is set to give Spain tens of millions of euros in emergency aid to cope with the influx from Morocco, a European source told AFP on Wednesday.The co-founder of Cambodia's disbanded opposition has decried the landslide victory of Hun Sen's ruling party in an uncontested poll as a "terrible setback", urging a campaign of non-cooperation with the next government. A provisional count from Sunday's poll has handed the Cambodia People's Party of strongman Hun Sen, who has ruled for more than three decades, all 125 parliamentary seats -- cementing the country's status as a one-party state. The election was held without the only credible opposition, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was barred from running after it was dissolved by the Supreme Court late last year. "It's a fake victory... a fake election, with a foregone conclusion," said CNRP co-founder Sam Rainsy, who lives in self-exile in Paris to avoid a slew of convictions he contends are politically motivated. "It is a return to the old system, the one-party system, like during the Cold War, during the Communist times... it is a terrible setback for Cambodia," he told AFP in an interview given in France's southern Provence region. Hun Sen has hailed Sunday's vote as "free, fair and just", with his party saying the estimated 82 percent turnout made a mockery of CNRP calls for a boycott. On Wednesday, his first public appearance since the electoral endorsement, Cambodia's ruler since 1985 said he is eyeing "big success" this year in "building the economy... and democracy". But critics say the poll was held against a backdrop of local-level intimidation while dissenting voices in the media and civil society had been quieted in the run-up to the vote. In the last elections in 2013 the CNRP took around 44 percent of the popular vote -- threatening Hun Sen's hold on power. The CNRP's leadership has since either been jailed, pressed into leaving the country or silenced by court cases and intimidation. Rainsy urged his party's supporters to "mobilise to protest against this fake election" in a campaign of non-cooperation against any government that emerges from the landslide win. He also said the international community should "reject" the result. Cambodia and Hun Sen lent heavily on the Western world for aid and investment to rebuild the country from the ruins of decades of civil war, rule by the brutal Khmer Rouge and occupation by Vietnam. But under fire from his old allies for his increasingly authoritarian bent, Hun Sen has in recent years turned to China for no-strings soft loans, investment and diplomatic ballast. Washington and the European Union have condemned Sunday's uncontested poll, while Beijing offered its congratulations to the Cambodian people.As soon as the allegations were made public in POLITICO, Sen. Melinda Bush, a Democrat that co-chairs the Joint Task Force on Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Awareness and Prevention and serves on the Anti-Harassment, Equality and Access panel formed earlier this year, called for Sauer to step down.

"The allegations that have come forth against Representative Nick Sauer are troubling," Durkin said. He will be resigning from office today. We should allow the proper authorities to conduct their investigations."

BARRINGTON - Republican House Leader Jim Durkin response to State Rep. Nick Sauer's ex-girlfriend's accusations that the state lawmaker posted nude photos of her online without her consent was immediate. Durkin announced Sauer would be resigning Wednesday.

Democrat or Republican - this behavior is inappropriate and unbecoming of someone elected to serve the public. I applaud the Illinois Republican Party for calling for Rep. Sauers resignation; I hope he will do the right thing and step down immediately," CapitolFax reported Bush said.

When asked, Governor Rauner, who has been a big supporter of Sauer, agreed the freshman legislator should step down.

State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) emphasized the climate of sexual harassment that has been allowed to grow in Springfield over the years.

"Representative Sauer did the right thing by resigning today. Sexual misconduct and abuse has no place in the work place or any place for that matter," Ives said in an issued statement. "Mr. Sauer's resignation is not, however, the ending of this difficult chapter in the Illinois legislature.

"In October, over 300 women working in Springfield signed a #MeToo letter detailing the toxic culture in the capitol. For three years, leaders left the position of Legislative Inspector General vacant," she said. "Today, we only have an interim LIG. This is not how people who are serious about reform and accountability operate. The position of LIG must be kept independent and made permanent. And a transparent process must be put in place for complainants. Whether or not more women come forward, we know that many have been hurt by our elected officials - professionally and otherwise. It is a disgrace. If we are to change that culture, we must change out Illinois' political leadership. As I have stated, we cannot hope to have a good and virtuous government without good and virtuous men and women to lead it."

More developing ...Return of Mahathir Mohamad to Asean may put a third power in the picture  Japan

When the top diplomats from 10 Southeast Asian countries gather in Singapore later this week for their annual meeting, rivalry between China and the United States will again be in the spotlight.

But this year, the return of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has put a third power in the picture  Japan, a nation increasingly seen in the region as a more reliable partner as competition between Beijing and Washington intensifies.

Japan doesnt speak about its soft power much, but among all the major powers in the region  such as the US, China and India  Japan consistently has the best image in Malaysia, said Ngeow Chow Bing, deputy director of the Institute of China Studies at the University of Malaya.

The Malaysian leader, who has long been close to Japan and seen the country as an inspiration for achieving economic success in his own country, chose Tokyo for his first foreign visit after his opposition alliance swept to victory in the May election.

During the trip in June, Mahathir met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, pledging to strengthen Malaysias ties with Japan. He also indicated a determination to reduce the countrys indebtedness to China and made a pitch for more investment from Japan.

While the US is set to unveil funding plans to boost infrastructure, technology and energy development for the region, Japan is positioning itself as a reliable middle power and is expected to take a larger role.

Tokyo has invested about US$230 billion in the region since the 2000s, or about US$75 billion more than Beijing, according to data from BMI Research.

Japan has a lot of investments in Southeast Asia but they never impose their culture on us. In fact we are very receptive to their investment and their culture, said an official from an Asean country, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A US official also said that after years of working behind the scenes, Japan could emerge to help balance the bitter rivalry between China and America.

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Bringing Japan into the picture would balance the pool so that countries wont feel like they have to choose one or the other, said the US official, who also declined to be named.

Vietnam would also welcome Japan playing a bigger role in the region, according to Huong Le Thu, a senior analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Japan is very important and is one of the most trusted partners of Vietnam, she said. There is a lot of room, and anticipation that there will be more cooperation between maritime Southeast Asia and Japan.

In the Philippines, where Chinas promise for economic development has yet to materialise, Japan has been the biggest supporter of Rodrigo Dutertes infrastructure programme dubbed Build, Build, Build, and enjoys a favourability rating among Filipinos that is on par with that of the US.

That itself is astonishing given Japans history in the Philippines, particularly during the second world war  comfort women are still alive in the Philippines, said Richard Heydarian, a Manila-based geopolitical analyst.

Japan has also been increasingly active with sending navy ships to the Philippines, and was an observer during this years Balikatan exercises, an annual military drill between the Philippines and the US, along with Australia.

Japan has the advantages that China doesnt have in Southeast Asia, said Zhang Mingliang, a specialist on Southeast Asian affairs at Jinan University. They have worked diligently and are deeply involved in the regions economic landscape. The countrys image is much more positive than Chinas.

But analysts said Japan had been held back by its pacifist constitution and a lack of strategic confidence and that it also lacked the ability to act as an independent power.

Jakarta, which recently agreed with Tokyo to boost maritime cooperation around six of Indonesias outer islands, also put forward the idea of Japan developing resorts on its resource-rich Natuna archipelago.

But the idea, according to an official who is familiar with the discussions, failed to gain momentum because the Japanese side was unwilling to invest in projects that are not commercially viable  a different approach from Chinese state-owned firms which tend to focus less on revenue and more on political significance.

Ngeow from the University of Malaya gave the example of a regional free-trade zone proposed by Mahathir in the 1990s as another example of Japans lack of strategic confidence. Japan refused to back the East Asia Economic Caucus, fearing at the time that teaming up with Malaysia would upset the United States, which was not part of the plan and saw it as a threat to its influence in the region.

There is a sense within the strategic community in Malaysia that Japan has been less bold, and generally acted in a more cautious and conservative fashion, Ngeow said. While enabled by its alliance relationship with the US, [Japan] is at the same time constrained by it.

This article Return of Mahathir Mohamad to Asean may put a third power in the picture  Japan first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.Morocco's 21-year-old World Cup midfielder Amine Harit has been handed a four-month suspended sentence and 8,600 dirham ($900) fine over a fatal traffic accident, Moroccan media reported late Tuesday. Harit, who plays for Bundesliga club Schalke 04, was involved in a traffic accident in Marrakesh in late June that caused the death of a pedestrian. The accident occurred while Harit was on holiday in the tourist city after playing in the World Cup in Russia. He was part of the Morocco side that were eliminated after losing two and drawing one of their first-round matches. Harit was voted man-of-the match in Morocco's game against Iran even though his side lost. Born in France to Moroccan parents, Harit made his professional debut in 2012 with FC Nantes, before joining Schalke 04 for four years last summer.Thailand has extradited a Mozambican fugitive wanted for a string of kidnaps for ransom and murders, police said Wednesday, as a crackdown deepens on foreign gangsters using the Southeast Asian country as a bolt-hole. Momade Assif Abdul Satar entered Thailand three years ago shortly after being freed on parole from a Mozambique jail for the 2000 gangland-style murder of an investigative journalist in the capital Maputo. Interpol issued a "red notice", or a non-binding arrest warrant, after allegations Satar continued to run a ransom-kidnap business across Mozambique and South Africa from overseas. The gang snatched wealthy executives and charged up to $3 million for their release. Media reports in Mozambique and South Africa say a number of those kidnapped were later murdered. Satar, who was arrested in Bangkok last week, may have entered Thailand on a fake passport and then set up a front company to obtain a visa, the Deputy Commissioner of Thailand's tourist police told AFP. "He was extradited at midnight (Tuesday) on a flight to Kenya," for onward travel to Mozambique, Police Major-General Surachate Hakparn said. "We will not allow foreign criminals to use Thailand as base for their operations," Surachate added. Satar is the latest in a mounting tally of foreign criminals found hiding out in Thailand, a country trying to banish its reputation as a bolt-hole for bad guys. Surachate, popularly known by his nickname "Big Joke", has launched a high-profile clean-up campaign called Operation X-Ray Outlaw. In near-nightly round-ups around 2,000 foreigners have been arrested -- including drug dealers and prostitutes as well as visa overstayers in Thailand's tourist hotspots. Tourism is a cornerstone of the Thai economy and the kingdom expects to welcome over 36 million people this year. But with borders to several neighbouring countries it struggles to keep tabs on the volume of people coming in and out, including people posing as tourists who then overstay. Police concede there are gaps in the system, exploited by organised crime networks including human traffickers and drug gangs who have long used the kingdom as a base. But Thai authorities are tightening up border security and plan to introduce new face and iris scanning technology at its borders in the coming months. "Once we do that suspects will not come here," Surachate added.Top Chinese official in charge of immunisation in critical condition after suicide attempt

A senior official in charge of the immunisation programme in Shandong has attempted suicide amid a public outcry after 210,000 children in the province were given faulty vaccines, local media reported on Tuesday.

Song Lizhi, director of the Immunisation Management Department with the Shandong Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, is in critical condition after injecting himself with a large dose of insulin, according to China Times, a newspaper affiliated with the China Disabled Persons Federation.

But a report by Science and Technology Daily said Song was being treated in hospital for diabetes, though it was deleted from the newspapers social media account soon after it was published.

The Shandong Centre for Disease Control and Prevention did not respond to a request for comment.

The report came after revelations that children in the eastern province had been given ineffective vaccines supposed to protect them against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus, produced by Changchun Changsheng Bio-technology.

Chinas drug regulator has also accused the company of fabricating production and inspection records relating to a rabies vaccine regularly given to infants.

As head of the immunisation department, Song had approved the companys vaccines for use in the province.

Shandong stopped administering the faulty vaccine in November after the regulator revealed a substandard lot number, but it was only when the scandal was recently revealed that the province came up with a plan to give affected children new jabs.

Chinas cabinet on Monday vowed tough penalties and fines for firms and individuals involved in the vaccine scandal.

Beijing has already ordered the arrest of 18 people at Changsheng Bio-tech, the vaccine maker at the heart of the scandal, including its chairwoman Gao Junfang.

A meeting of the State Council chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Monday said enterprises and individuals should be severely punished and banned from the pharmaceutical industry for life.

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It ordered further investigations to determine the criminal responsibility of other serious offenders involved in the Changsheng Bio-tech case.

It also called for a full investigation into any potential regulatory failings in the case, including possible dereliction of duty by officials, and said a long-term mechanism should be established to ensure public safety.

A special cabinet investigation team said on Friday that Changsheng Bio-tech had systematically falsified production and testing records to avoid regulatory scrutiny, and had also sold 252,600 doses of ineffective DPT vaccines to inoculate children against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus.

In a report on Tuesday, Fitch Ratings said the scandal highlighted the risks facing Chinas pharmaceutical companies, which focus primarily on the bulk production of a small number of products, making them vulnerable to safety incidents.

Concentration on low-quality generic drugs, high product concentration and heightened regulatory risks will continue to constrain most Chinese drug makers business profiles to non-investment grade levels, it said.

Additional reporting by Reuters

This article Top Chinese official in charge of immunisation in critical condition after suicide attempt first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.Trade wars tariffs may spur relocation of some Chinese textile factories to other Asian nations

Beijings retaliatory tariffs on US cotton will accelerate the offshoring of cotton spinning and lower-end textile and apparel manufacturing to South and Southeast Asia, and Chinese businesses are bracing for possible US tariffs on their finished goods if the trade war intensifies, industry executives have said.

But for now, at least, fallout from Sino-US hostilities has been limited because Chinese manufacturers have ways to get around the added duties, said Stanley Szeto, chairman of the Hong Kong Textile Council.

So far the cotton tariff has had a very small impact on the Chinese textile industry because there are various ways to avoid it, Szeto said, referring to the 25 per cent additional tariff on US products, including cotton, that took effect on July 6.

The Trump administrations tentative 10 per cent tariff  pending a public hearing next month  on US$200 billion of Chinese merchandise has so far not touched the vast majority of China-made textiles and garments, except for fur and leather apparel and accessories like hats, gloves and handbags.

The tit-for-tat trade war and possible coverage expansion of trade barriers will, however, see Chinese firms look more closely at relocating their manufacturing capacity across the supply chain to countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh, he said.

Basically if the same product quality and delivery reliability can be attained in these nations at a 10 per cent cost advantage, they would have moved.

Szeto  chairman of 62-year-old Hong Kong-based fashion producer Lever Style, which works with designer brands such as Paul Smith and J Crew  said his firm made only about half its output in China, down from 100 per cent eight years ago.

Before the recently added 25 per cent duty, most US cotton sent to China had been exempt from import tariffs, which range from 1 to 40 per cent, depending on volume and prices.

Watch: Escalating trade war affects Trump merchandise



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This so-called processing trade  in which cotton is imported by factories, some of which is located in bonded supervision areas, and used to make products that are exported from China  is exempt from tariffs.

According to the China Cotton Association, normal imports that did not fall under the processing trade, bonded supervision areas and other special customs categories  which are tariff-exempt provided no imported cotton is consumed in China  accounted for only 21 per cent of total imports last year.

This is despite the processing trades being subject to supervision and quotas set by local governments, which are reducing low-value-adding and pollution-prone manufacturing to drive the creation of more skilled jobs and improve the environment.

There is uncertainty about whether Chinese authorities will allow more processing trade quotas even as Beijing announced a substantial increase in cotton imports last month, said Bosco Law Ching-kit of Lawsgroup, a Hong Kong-based textile manufacturer with more than 20,000 workers in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Myanmar.

US trade war to plant seeds of change in Chinas cotton industry



In view of the Sino-US trade war, whether [more] processing trade is acceptable by the Chinese government is in doubt, said Law, the firms chief executive.

Meanwhile, industry executives expect the tariffs to accelerate the relocation of Chinese cotton-spinning operations to Southeast Asia.

Law said that regardless of tariffs, supply-chain adjustments were an ongoing exercise for Chinese producers given rising costs.

We are facing cost pressure all the time, not just because of tariffs but also labour and logistics costs, he said. Keeping operations efficient, sourcing materials with competitive pricing around the globe is the norm for all industrialists.

This article Trade wars tariffs may spur relocation of some Chinese textile factories to other Asian nations first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.

More from South China Morning Post:The Turkish lira on Wednesday slumped to record lows of 5.0 against the dollar as the US hit Turkey's justice and interior ministers with sanctions over the case of an American pastor on trial for terror-related charges. The lira lost over 1.6 percent of its value against the greenback following Washington's move in response to Turkey keeping Pastor Andrew Brunson under house arrest. Before his move home last week, Brunson, who led a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir, had spent nearly two years in jail. After reports that the US would sanction individuals over the case, the lira hit a record low of 5.01 against the dollar, before rallying slightly to 4.9. It then hit 5.0 again after the official announcement from the White House. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Brunson was a "victim of unfair and unjust attention by the government of Turkey" as she announced sanctions. "At the president's direction, the Department of the Treasury is sanctioning Turkey's minister of justice and minister of interior, both of whom played leading roles in the arrest and detention of Pastor Brunson," she told journalists. The sanctions freeze any property or assets on US soil held by the two ministers, and bar US citizens from doing business with them. US President Donald Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence had threatened Turkey with "large sanctions" last week if Brunson was not immediately released. His lawyer's appeal for his release was rejected this week. Brunson faces up to 35 years in jail on charges of carrying out activities on behalf of two terror organisations -- the group led by US-based Fethullah Gulen blamed for the July 2016 failed coup and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The pastor denies the charges while US officials have publicly insisted that Brunson is innocent and should be freed.FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon is seen in this aerial photo from the Air Force One in Washington, DC, U.S., March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate passed a $716 billion defence policy bill on Wednesday, backing President Donald Trump's call for a bigger, stronger military and sidestepping a potential battle with the White House over technology from major Chinese firms.

The Senate voted 87-10 for the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA. The annual act authorizes U.S. military spending but is used as a vehicle for a broad range of policy matters as it has passed annually for more than 50 years.

Since it cleared the House of Representatives last week, the bill now goes to Trump, who is expected to sign it into law.

While the measure puts controls on U.S. government contracts with China's ZTE Corp <000063.SZ> and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL] because of national security concerns, the restrictions are weaker than in earlier versions of the bill.

This angered some lawmakers, who wanted to reinstate tough sanctions on ZTE to punish the company for illegally shipping products to Iran and North Korea.

In another action largely targeting China, the NDAA strengthens the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which reviews proposed foreign investments to weigh whether they threaten national security.

Lawmakers from both parties have been at odds with the Republican Trump over his decision to lift his earlier ban on U.S. companies selling to ZTE, allowing China's second-largest telecommunications equipment maker to resume business.

But with his fellow Republicans controlling both the Senate and House, provisions of the NDAA intended to strike back at Beijing and opposed by the White House were softened before Congress' final votes on the bill.

Separately, the NDAA authorizes spending $7.6 billion for 77 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, made by Lockheed Martin Corp <LMT.N>.

And it would prohibit delivery of the advanced aircraft to fellow NATO member Turkey at least until after the production of report, another measure that was stricter in earlier versions of the bill.

Story continues

U.S. officials have warned Ankara that a Russian missile defence system Turkey plans to buy cannot be integrated into the NATO air and missile defence system. They are also unhappy about Turkey's detention of an American pastor.

The fiscal 2019 NDAA was named to honour McCain, the Armed Services Committee chairman, war hero, long-time senator and former Republican presidential nominee, who has been undergoing treatment for brain cancer.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, additional reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by James Dalgleish and David Gregorio)CHICAGO - Most property taxpayers grin and bear tax hikes, thinking they're paying for municipality services or better taxpayer-funded schools for the kids. Illinois Policy Institute released a new study Wednesday stripping away the confusion about property taxes, how they've hiked in Illinois over the last decade and how they were spent.

Analysis of state and local government records over the last two decades reveals most of the property tax increase between 1996 and 2016 was caused by:

State education funds being diverted to teachers pensions

Growth in local government employee pensions and benefits

Expanded local government spending  which includes additional payroll, increased salaries and added services

"Traditionally, residents expect property taxes to fund services that improve neighborhoods and raise home values," Illinois Policy Institute writes. "Instead, this report finds that less than half of every additional dollar levied in property taxes since 1996 went to the delivery of services that improve home values."The US will urge the international community to keep up sanctions pressure against North Korea at a security forum in Singapore this week, as concerns mount that Pyongyang has made little progress towards denuclearisation. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart will attend the gathering in the city-state where US President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un held their historic summit two months ago. Pompeo and top diplomats from other countries involved in trying to curtail Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions will scrutinise whether the North has taken concrete steps towards abandoning its nuclear weapons. At his landmark talks with Trump in June, Kim signed up to a vague commitment to "denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" -- a far cry from long-standing US demands for complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament. While there have been small signs of progress, news reports indicate Pyongyang is continuing to build rockets, and there are mounting concerns that the enforcement of United Nations sanctions on the North is being relaxed by some member states. A US official said Washington was "concerned" by North Korean violations of UN-approved sanctions, including illegal shipments of oil by sea. Gatherings like Saturday's ASEAN Regional Forum are "an opportunity to remind all countries of their obligations in adherence" of UN Security Council resolutions, the official said. - 'Lasting peace, stability' - The annual forum, hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), brings together top diplomats from 26 countries and the European Union for talks on political and security issues in Asia-Pacific. The foreign ministers from all nations involved in stalled "six-party" negotiations with North Korea aimed at reining in Pyongyang's nuclear programme will be at the gathering: the US, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea. Cutting off oil and fuel to the North would require enforcement primarily by China, which supplies most of North Korea's energy needs, but also by Russia, which delivers some oil to Pyongyang. Despite the concerns about the North's progress toward abandoning its nuclear weapons, ministers at the forum are expected to strike an upbeat note about the agreement between Trump and Kim. They will encourage the US and Pyongyang "to continue working towards the realisation of lasting peace and stability on a denuclearised Korean Peninsula", according to a draft copy of the chairman's statement obtained by AFP. US officials have not said if Pompeo will meet his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, on the sidelines of the forum. But even if he does, Sung-Yoon Lee, a Korea expert at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, was sceptical that there would be any fresh signs of progress when it came to denuclearisation. "Pompeo shall gain nothing substantive other than North Korea's amenability to further talks about talks," he said. - 'Free and open' - The US secretary of state will also focus on another major regional flashpoint at the forum -- rival claims in the South China Sea and China's growing presence there. China claims nearly all the strategically vital sea, including waters approaching the coasts of ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Beijing has in recent years expanded its presence in the sea by building artificial islands capable of holding military bases. Ahead of his trip to Southeast Asia, which will also take him to Malaysia and Indonesia, Pompeo called for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region and will expand on the theme at the Singapore meeting, according to the State Department. The disputed waters will be in focus when the 10 ASEAN foreign ministers hold talks among themselves during a working dinner on Wednesday, with the regional bloc and China expected to announce some progress in long-running talks aimed at coming up with a code of conduct for the sea. They are expected to announce that they have agreed on a single draft text that reflects the starting negotiating positions of countries towards a code. Analysts however stressed it would be another small step coming over 15 years after negotiations began. Hoang Thi Ha, an analyst at the ASEAN Studies Centre in Singapore, said the development represented "some initial progress" but noted that drawing up the code "will continue to be a painstaking and painfully slow process".A Brazilian presidential frontrunner, former army captain Jair Bolsonaro, says the country should not feel guilty about having been the world's biggest slave importer. The right-winger, a surprise leader in opinion polls after the imprisoned former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said Brazil "owes no debt" to blacks. "What historic debt are you talking about? I didn't send anyone into slavery," he said late Monday in an interview with TV Cultura. Brazil, a former Portuguese colony, only abolished slavery in 1888, two decades after the United States and last of all western countries. A decade of leftist rule under presidents Lula and Dilma Rousseff, ending in 2016, saw Brazil introduce widespread quotas for blacks in higher education and public sector jobs -- part of historic measures to reduce inequality in Latin America's biggest country. Bolsonaro said he would push to roll back that policy. "The blacks are not better than me and I'm not better than them," he said. While the quotas can only be voted in or out by Congress, Bolsonaro said he would "propose to reduce them." According to Bolsonaro, Portuguese traders were not to blame for the huge influx of slaves across the Atlantic, insisting that "blacks themselves handed over the slaves." Despite limited national airtime, the longtime congressman has launched an impressively effective presidential campaign using social media and capitalizing on his image as someone ready to respond to widespread disenchantment with the elite. As a former military officer, Bolsonaro is also casting himself as the candidate who would bring a tough response to crime and corruption. In the television interview he yet again defended the record of the 1964-1985 military dictatorship, which started with a coup against the leftwing president, amid fears of rising communist influence. "There was no military coup," he said. "A coup d'etat is when you kick in a door to take out the president. But the Congress declared the presidency void -- that was the law at the time." He also returned to his controversial previous support for an army colonel who oversaw torture of leftist guerrillas and dissidents. According to Bolsonaro, people reporting having been tortured under the regime sometimes "say they were torture victims to get compensation, or votes or pity or power." "We always only hear one side of history. If we'd lost, today Brazil would be Cuba," he said.Yemen's Huthi rebels announced a two-week pause in Red Sea operations Wednesday, after attacks against Saudi tankers last week prompted Riyadh to suspend oil shipments through a key waterway. "The unilateral suspension of our naval operations is for a limited period," the rebels said in a statement released by their defence ministry. The Huthis' Twitter and Facebook accounts said the suspension will last two weeks. But "it can be renewed and expanded to other fronts if this initiative is well-received and reciprocated", the statement said. The Huthis are fighting a Saudi-led military coalition that backs Yemen's government. A spokesman for the coalition did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on the Huthis' unilateral truce. On July 26, Saudi Arabia said it was temporarily suspending oil shipments through the Bab al-Mandab Strait -- one of the world's busiest shipping lanes -- after two oil tankers operated by Saudi shipping group Bahri were attacked, slightly damaging one vessel. The pro-Huthi Al-Masirah television said at the time that the rebels had targeted a Saudi warship named Al-Dammam, without providing further details. The Huthis, allied with Saudi Arabia's regional arch-rival Iran, control Yemen's capital Sanaa and Hodeida port, the entry point for around three quarters of the impoverished country's imports. The coalition on July 1 paused a ground offensive against Hodeida, in what coalition partner the UAE has described as a bid to give United Nations-led peace efforts a chance. The head of the rebels' revolutionary council, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said Wednesday's offer of a temporary maritime truce came as "support for UN mediation and peace efforts". UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths has been pushing for a deal which envisions the rebels ceding control of Hodeida port to a UN-supervised committee. Saudi Arabia and its allies joined Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's fight against the Huthis in 2015. Yemen's war has killed nearly 10,000 people and triggered what the UN calls the world's largest single humanitarian crisis, with more than eight million Yemenis at risk of starvation.DC Shoes presents The Taking, London, which will see a cash for tricks jam, demos and an exhibition at the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane on Saturday the 4th of August. This event is the culmination of their recent UK tour which, despite some weather issues, looks like it has gone off  head down from 1pm onward to see Wes Kremer, Tiago Lemos, Madars Apse, Tristan Funkhouser, Jaakko Ojanen, Josef Scott Jatta, Thaynan Costa and John Shanahan alongside the UK team, filmer Chris Ray and photographer Mike Blabac.

Any excuse  get some of this down your necks

DC THE TAKING LONDON

ELYS YARD  OLD TRUMAN BREWERY

SHOREDITCH, LONDON  E1 6QL

Saturday 4th August 2018

1pm  late

DCs awesome ten day UK skate tour will culminate on Saturday, 4th August with a full on invasion of the Old Truman Brewery for THE TAKING, London. In conjunction with the Yours for the Taking campaign, DC will be creating a one-off park setup focused around a massive black-cab-gap which will be open all day to local skaters, with demos from the pros and a classic skate jam plus Cash for Tricks comp. DC will also have a unique exhibition at Unit G4, Dray Walk which will explore the history of the brands skate and streetwear fashion heritage  back to the days of Droors Clothing and the OG Lynx.

All the action will conclude in an epic DC Afterparty at Jujus Bar, with the chance to grab a drink with the DC Pros and catch an exclusive gig from Mancunian hip hop artists, Levelz!

DCUKs own skaters will be joined by Wes Kremer, Tiago Lemos, Tristan Funkhouser, Thaynan Costa, Madars Apse, John Shanahan, Jaakko Ojanen and Josef Scott, as well as renowned photographer and videographer, Mike Blabac and Chris Ray.

EXCLUSIVE Early Global Release of New LYNX OG at SLAM CITY EAST  11.30AM to 12.30PM

+

DC Exhibition  Unit G4, Dray Walk  1PM to 8PM +

DC Team Skate Demo  2PM to 3PM

Skate Jam  3PM to 4PM

Cash For Tricks  4.30PM to 5.30PM

Team Signing  6PM to 7PM

+

DC Taking Afterparty  Jujus Bar  7PM to Late Performance by Levelz  Jujus Bar  8PM



Coming full circle: from study to comedy sketch to study

Posted on 1 August 2018 by BaerbelW , David Kirtley

Over five years ago, our team published "Quantifying the consensus on anthropogenic global warming in the scientific literature" (Cook et al. 2013) which caused quite a stir - and that, even though it wasn't the first peer-reviewed paper to find a 97% consensus on human-caused global warming. In 2014 we learned, that our study had been voted ERL's best article of 2013 and as of right now it has been downloaded a whopping 829,000+ times.

Last Week Tonight: Climate Change Debate

One of the best and arguably funniest treatments our study received, was a sketch put together in 2014 for John Oliver's HBO show "Last Week Tonight". In the segment, John Oliver illustrated to great comic effect what a statistically representative climate change debate would look like. You can view it below (warning: the video includes some profane language).

From sketch to study

As of this writing, the video has been viewed 7.8+ million times. With this many views, it's not too surprising that some researchers got curious and wanted to find out if a comedy sketch like this could have an impact on how people think about human-caused climate change. And this is exactly what Paul R. Brewer from the Center for Political Communication at the University of Delaware and Jessica McKnight of the School of Communication at Ohio State University set out to do at the end of 2014. Their study "A Statistically Representative Climate Change Debate: Satirical Television News, Scientific Consensus, and Public Perceptions of Global Warming" was published in the Atlantic Journal of Communication on June 30, 2017.

Here is the study's abstract:

Satirical television news programs provide the public with potential sources of information about climate change. This study uses a segment from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver as a test case for exploring how coverage from such programs that features consensus messaging may influence viewers perceptions of global warming. The segment presents a statistically representative climate change debate to affirm the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change and satirize television news coverage balancing this consensus with skeptics arguments. Results from a randomized experiment demonstrate that watching the segment increased viewers own belief in global warming, as well as viewers perceptions that most scientists believe in global warming. The latter effect was stronger among participants with low interest in the environment and global warming than among those with high interest. The segments impact on perceptions of scientists views may have mediated its effects on viewers own beliefs about global warming.

For the study, students in a course at a mid-Atlantic public university were each responsible for recruiting at least 20 participants. In all, 288 participants completed the survey and of the participants, 45% were students at the researchers university, 26% were students at another university, and 29% were not students. With a median age of 21 the participants were fairly young - not really suprising considering the method used to recruit them. The authors are aware that the sampling method can be considered a shortcoming and discuss this in their paper as it raises the question how much the results can be generalized.

The participants in the study were divided into a control group (150 people) and a treatment group (138 people). The control group watched a "Last Week Tonight" video clip unrelated to climate change, while the treatment group watched the "Last Week Tonight" clip shown above. After the viewing, each participant answered questions to gauge their views on climate change, their perceptions of scientists' views on climate change, their interest in the environment and global warming, and their political party identification.

Some important take-aways from the paper

1) Brewer and McKnight's study builds on the idea of "gateway beliefs" where it says:

Here, the present study builds on the gateway belief model, which posits that messages highlighting the scientific consensus surrounding climate change can promote belief in human-caused climate change by fostering perceptions of scientific agreement on the topic (van der Linden et al., 2015).

Simply put, when people realize that there is an overwhelming consensus among climate scientists that climate change is real and human-caused, they too accept that climate change is real and human-caused. Brewer and McKnight point to a 2014 study (van der Linden, et al. 2014) which "found that the message, '97% of climate scientists have concluded that human-caused climate change is happening'  the same central message illustrated by Olivers staged debate  influenced public perceptions of the scientific consensus when presented in the form of text, metaphors, or a pie chart." Of these three, the pie chart had the greatest impact among Republicans.

This portion of the paper, describing a snippet of the Oliver sketch, gets to the key point that the usual depiction of the 50:50 "debate" in the media is very powerful misinformation, but Oliver's "statistically representative" debate with 97 vs 3, completely skewers the 50:50 misinformation:

[Oliver says,] "I think I know why people still think this issue is open to debate, because on TV it is, and its always one person for and one person against, and its usually the same person for. Here, the segment cuts to a montage of video clips from cable television news programs, each of which features a debate between a climate change skeptic and Bill Nye, the Science Guy (the former host of a popular childrens science television program). Oliver comments, Yeah, thats right, more often than not its Bill Nye the Science Guy versus some dude, and when you look at the screen, its 50-50, which is inherently misleading.

A visual depiction of "the 97%", like a pie chart, is a simple, clear way to communicate; the visual depiction of 97 scientists on a stage versus 3 deniers, as in the Oliver sketch, is an even more striking representation, which is why it is so effective.

2) For participants who were disinterested in the environment or global warming  the "disengaged" the study's "treatment" had the greatest impact. And the greatest impact was on participants' perception of scientists' views about global warming:

Put another way, watching Last Week Tonights coverage of climate change narrowed a belief gap between those with high levels of interest in the topic and those with low levels of interest.

People with high levels of interest in climate change have, most likely, already encountered "the 97%" statistic. But for disinterested people, this statistic may be brand-new information; and seeing the statistic in such a dramatic fashion, as in the Oliver clip, has an even greater impact.

And this is obviously good news as it shows or at least hints at an effective way to reach the "undecided" / "disinterested".

3) Humor may be able to counteract partisan motivated reasoning!

[T]he results yielded no evidence that partisanship moderated the impact of the segment on viewers. This finding suggests that viewers did not engage in motivated reasoning in response to satirical consensus messaging, a result that is consistent with previous research on nonsatirical consensus messaging.

Everyone has biases, often unconscious, which color their view of information. This "motivated reasoning" (as opposed to totally open-minded reasoning) is often difficult to overcome. If someone reads about "the 97%" in a news article/blog from a newspaper they deem to be "liberal" or "conservative" then their own view of the information may be skewed based on whether they self-identify as "liberal" or "conservative". Brewer and McKnight found that the humorous treatment of "the 97%" in the Oliver sketch may have offset the participants' motivated reasoning.

More good news for science communicators: don't be afraid to "make 'em laugh".

Last but not least, the authors' conclusion contains this important take-away:

[...]Oliver may have led viewers to express greater belief in anthropogenic climate change by leading them to believe that an over whelming majority of scientists agreed on the topic. This result, which extends van der Linden et al.s (2015) gateway belief model to the context of satirical television news, reinforces the argument that consensus messaging can be an effective tool at fostering belief in global warming.

We'd like to thank Paul Brewer and Jessica McKnight for conducting and publishing their study as we think that it provides some interesting and encouraging results. What could be better than having a situation where people can actually learn something while watching a fun and enjoyable comedy sketch? And this is as good an excuse as any to highlight John Oliver's statistically representative climate change debate yet again via this blog post!

Reference

Brewer & McKnight (2017). A Statistically Representative Climate Change Debate: Satirical Television News, Scientific Consensus, and Public Perceptions of Global Warming. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 25(3), 166-180. Link to abstractBetter Life Lab is a partnership of Slate and New America.

In the United States, depending on which state youre in, you can lose access to welfare for a variety of reasonsnot getting a job quickly enough, living with someone with a criminal background, or failing a drug test. In the Netherlands, while people usually dont lose welfare altogether, they could still be finedin some cases, for not looking or smelling good enough to be employable. And one Dutch researcher who studied the impact of this policy in its first two years says its leading to some arbitrary and sexist fines.

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The act that governs welfare in the Netherlands was updated in 2015 to include many new restrictions, including a policy that says that those who hurt their chances of employment through the way they dress, groom, and behavefor example, ragged clothing, strong body odor, or irrational behaviorcould be fined, sometimes hundreds of euros a month for several months, if the welfare worker he or she encounters isnt satisfied.

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Although welfare is becoming more conditional on many factors in other countries, rules about appearancethe idea that recipients should look worthy of this moneyarent usually formalized. Its less and less a right and is more and more where you have to perform certain behaviors and practices. But as far as we know, the Netherlands is the only country where they made it into written law, says Marguerite van den Berg, a social researcher at the University of Amsterdam who studies dress and presentation in the labor market and how this affects women, and recently how this code is being carried out in practice.

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The aesthetic code update to the Netherlands welfare policy was a small piece of a larger restructuring. The revision shifts responsibility to the municipalities instead of the central government, and it restructures welfare so its tied more closely to an individuals employment journey, a way to hold him or her over while finding a new job and getting off welfare. But even with an aesthetic condition, the Netherlands still has an all-encompassing safety net, which is much more robust than the United States. Before people end up on welfare, they first get unemployment benefits for up to 38 months. (Unemployment is capped at 26 weeks in the U.S.) Moreover, it is actually unknown how many people are actually fined for inappropriate dress or behavior. The law is quite extreme, but at the same time its not as if people left and right are getting sanctions for the way they look, said van den Berg. This law is, however, used as a threat to have people change their appearance.

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The aesthetic code is just one change among many making the Netherlands policy look more and more like the U.S. (and restrictions here continue to multiply).

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Certain parts of these reforms, such as teaching people about appropriate professional attire, provide guidance people might not get elsewhere that could help them find work. But according to van den Bergs March 2018 study, welfare recipients were subjected to caseworker decisions that often seemed random. For example, one man was fined for showing up to an interview for a construction-industry job dressed in a suit.

Poverty, the very force putting people on welfare, is a gendered issue.

The policy, van den Berg found, also has sexist implications. It seems especially destined to hurt women, who get judged more on the way they look and already spend more time on nearly all aspects of their appearance than men do. Moreover, when women wear the same thing every day, theyre likely to be scrutinized and criticized for not caring about their appearance, so they have to do this work again and again. Van den Berg and her colleagues note that caseworkers paid special attention to womens cleavage, emphasizing to female welfare recipients that the perception of them is changed when theyre not covered up. The researchers describe the caseworkers approach: Sometimes you see a photo on a CV and you see too much of a womans cleavage. Then, in interaction with the client, I try to show her: Look, do you see the difference between when I put my hand over your cleavage in the photo and when you can see the cleavage? This is how you learn how you come across.  Van den Berg calls this pressure aesthetic labor, which she defines as the everyday (and usually unpaid) labor of presenting the way required by society. Theres much more ambiguity for women when it comes to dressing, and thats not only the case for working women, but all around.  Is my dress too short? Can I show my shoulders? Are sandals OK? says van den Berg.

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Poverty, the very force putting people on welfare, is a gendered issue. Most of the worlds poor are women, and women are more likely to rely on welfare than men. In the Netherlands, the number of female-headed households in poverty began rising rapidly in the late 1980s, with more than 60 percent of households with long-term low income headed by a woman. They were more likely to be the sole caregiver for small children, so any money they get is spread thinner and it is more difficult for them to participate in the paid labor market. This means women are more likely to need welfare and then more likely to be judged and fined for the way they look.

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And by putting the focus on participants dress, the reforms take the focus off structural causes of unemployment and poverty and place it onto superficial issuesincluding teaching welfare recipients to deal with uncertain economic situations by practicing optimism and positive thinking and telling them to following their dreams, according to a February 2018 study by van den Berg. And of course, the policy furthers the notion that people are on welfare because they havent been making the right choices or navigating the job market the way they should be.

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Over the past few decades, but especially after the Great Recession, personal responsibility has become a crucial part of welfare systems around the world, and a country like the Netherlands moving in that direction is particularly concerning. Its important that we have welfare. But when you use that welfare, its expected of you that you do what you can do to reduce your reliance on welfare. Its a two-way street, says Rotterdam Vice Mayor Maarten Struijvenberg, of the right-wing party Leefbaar Rotterdam (Livable Rotterdam), who is responsible for the citys economic affairs.

And if thats the case, the changes dont look good. Especially for women.Did President Trump ask FBI Director James Comey, in a February 2017 meeting, not to pursue a Trump adviser who had misled investigators about conversations with Russians? If Trump made that request, it could be evidence of obstruction of justice, particularly in light of Comeys subsequent firing. Trump denies it, but Trumps lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, seems to think that it may have happened. In a series of confused interviews on Monday, Giuliani alternated between positing that Trump made the request, stipulating that Trump denies it, and defending the request as a routine plea to a law enforcement official.

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The dispute revolves around Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser. In an FBI interview on Jan. 24, 2017, Flynn falsely denied that he had talked with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about lifting sanctions on Russia. Flynns falsehoods were exposed, and on Feb. 13 he resigned. The next day, Trump met with Comey in the Oval Office.

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As far as we know, the meeting wasnt recorded. But immediately afterward, Comey documented its contents in a memo, which he shared with FBI colleagues, thereby committing himself to a clear account of what had transpired. Comey wrote that as a prior meeting was wrapping up, Trump asked everyone else to leave so that the two men could be alone. According to Comey, once they were alone, Trump told him: I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.

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Trump fired Comey on May 9, after months of frustration with the FBIs Russia investigation. A month later, in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey was asked to say more about what Trump had meant in the Feb. 14 meeting. Comey replied that as he understood it, What he wanted me to do was drop any investigation connected to Flynns account of his conversations with the Russians.

External evidence has always supported Comeys account. A rigorous Justice Department review of Comeys conduct in the Hillary Clinton email investigation found no evidence that he had ever spoken dishonestly. People who were in the Oval Office prior to the Feb. 14 meeting have confirmed that Trump asked everyone but Comey to leave. And according to the Washington Post, Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, has told colleagues that a month after the Feb. 14 meeting, Trumpagain after clearing the room of nearly all witnessesasked Coats to intervene with  Comey to get the bureau to back off its focus on Flynn.

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Trump has attacked Comeys story, calling him a liar. When Comeys memo was first reported on May 16, 2017, the White House declared, This is not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation. The White House statement said Trump never asked Mr. Comey or anyone else to end any investigation, including any investigation involving General Flynn. The next day, Peter Baker of the New York Times asked Trump: Did you at any time urge former FBI Director James Comey in any way, shape, or form to close or to back down the investigation into Michael Flynn? Twice, Trump replied, No.

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Trumps categorical denial ruled out the possibility that Comey had misunderstood him. It forced Comey to acknowledge that their stories couldnt be reconciled. At the June 8 Senate hearing, Sen. Angus King told Comey: In his press conference [on] May 18, the president responded, quote, No, no, when asked about asking you to stop the investigation into Gen. Flynn. Is that a true statement? Comey replied: I dont believe it is.

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Giulianis musings dont square with Trumps position.

Trump escalated his assault. His personal lawyer at the time, Marc Kasowitz, responded to Comeys testimony by declaring that Trump never, in form or substance, directed or suggested that Mr. Comey stop investigating anyone, including suggesting that Mr. Comey let Flynn go. The next day, June 9, Trump repeated what Kasowitz had said, specifically denying the phrase let go. Jonathan Karl of ABC News reminded Trump that according to Comey, You told him to let the Flynnyou said you hoped the Flynn investigation, he could let go. Trump cut off the question, insisting, I didnt say that.

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Trump didnt address the subject again until early December, when Flynn pleaded guilty to misleading the FBI. Trump tweeted: I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie! In a memo to special counsel Robert Mueller on Jan. 29, 2018, Trumps lawyers asserted that the White House had refuted that the President said these words to Mr. Comey.

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That wall of denial stood until July 8, when Trumps new lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, began to speak of Comeys account as credible. In an ABC News interview, George Stephanopoulos asked Giuliani about Comeys report that Trump had asked him to let the Michael Flynn investigation go. Giuliani replied: He didnt direct him to do that. What he said to him was, Can youcan you  At that point, Stephanopoulos interjected, Comey says he took it as direction. And Giuliani responded, Well, thats OK.  As a prosecutor, I was told that many timesCan you give the man a break?either by his lawyers, by his relatives, by friends.

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On Monday, in an interview on Fox & Friends, Giuliani brought up the Feb. 14, 2017 meeting himself. Trump had a right to say to Comey, Give Flynn a break,  Giuliani argued. He didnt tell him, Dont investigate him, dont prosecute him. He asked him to exercise his prosecutorial discretion, because [Flynn] was a good man with a great war record. Ive been asked that, as a prosecutor, many times: Take the mans whole life into consideration. Either go easy on him, or maybe this one, can you pass on.

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In another Monday morning interview, this time on CNN, Giuliani took an If I Did It approach to Comeys account. The president says that conversation didnt take place, said Giuliani. Comey said it took place. If it took place, I could live with that. You could say that the president wasnt obstructing, just saying, you know, Be good to him, go easy on him.  However, the president didnt say it.

Later on Monday, Giuliani told BuzzFeed News that he had been paraphrasing Comeys account, not endorsing it. But even as he repeated Trumps denial, Giuliani hinted that he didnt buy it. The president has denied it. I cant admit it for the president if hes denied it, said Giuliani. And in an interview with Sean Hannity on Monday night, Giuliani worried that Trumps rigid denial could put him in a perjury trap: He said about Flynn, I never had that conversation. Comey said he did have the conversation. So why do you call him to the grand jury for that? Because you want to rap him with a perjury charge.

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Giulianis musings dont square with Trumps position. Its not just that Trump says one thing and Comey says another. Its that Trump is adamant, while Giuliani is agnostic. Trump calls Comeys story a lie. He specifically denies using the phrase let go. He insists that he never asked Comey in any way, shape, or form to back down from pursuing Flynn. In fact, according to Giuliani, Trump has told his attorneys that he and Comey never had that conversation.

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Giuliani seems skeptical. His comment to Buzzfeed NewsI cant admit it for the president if hes denied itsounds like the plea of a lawyer trapped by his clients intransigence. In his interviews on Fox, ABC, and CNN, Giuliani appears to have blurted out what he really thinks. In his own words, not Comeys, he has said that Trump asked Comey to give the man a break, go easy on him, and exercise his prosecutorial discretion.

Maybe Giuliani says these things because he knows Comeys story is the one that makes sense and matches the public record. Or maybe Giuliani knows something we donta piece of evidence, or something his client has said in privateand thats why he worries that Trump will be nailed for perjury if he answers Muellers questions about the Feb. 14 meeting. For some reason, the presidents lawyer doesnt trust the presidents story. Some day, Lordy willing, well find out why.A federal judge stepped in and temporarily blocked the publishing of blueprints for 3D-printed guns hours before the Aug. 1 deadline when they were set to be uploaded and distributed online. The nationwide injunction puts a halt to the posting of instructions on how to produce the untraceable, plastic firearms by Cody Wilson of Defense Distributed. Attorneys general from eight states filed suit to stop the publishing of the how-to manuals, which was set to go forward Wednesday after the Trump administration settled a dispute with the Texas-based nonprofit Defense Distributed, which had challenged a previous government ban on the grounds it was an unconstitutional restriction on free speech and the right to bear arms.

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U.S. District Court Judge Robert S. Lasnik said in his order that the states had sufficiently established that there was a likelihood of irreparable harm and that the merits of the legal objection were such that it could be successful. State Department officials in the Obama administration blocked the company in 2013 from distributing the downloadable designs for the firearm, saying it violated export laws that ban the distribution of firearms to other countries, the New York Times reports. But last month, the State Department reversed course and said it would allow the company to post the plans after concluding that publication of the schematics does not violate the defense export controls designed to keep sensitive military technology out of the hands of the countrys enemies.

A court-approved settlement then effectively gave Wilson the go-ahead to distribute the schematics of the homemade weapons. This is a huge free speech case. Its the Pentagon Papers all over again, Josh Blackman, a lawyer representing Wilson said of the ruling.Donald Trump lashed out at the Koch brothers on Tuesday, calling the billionaire industrialists a total joke in real Republican circles and their network of wealthy conservative donors overrated. The presidential tantrum-by-tweet came after Charles Koch and his top lieutenants spent the past few days complaining publicly about Trumps trade and immigration policies, and a few hours before Steve Bannon issued his own vague threat of punishment for any GOP candidate who takes Koch money.

Theres a lot to unpack here, but the most important fact is that this is not a new dynamic, and that despite the considerable attention the headline-ready intraparty feud has already garnered, it doesnt fundamentally change the conservative political landscape.

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The Kochs and their libertarian-leaning groups have long opposed Trumps America First agenda on immigration and trade, and they withheld their full support from him during the 2016 campaign. And within the GOP, youd be hard pressed to find two bold-faced names who are significantly further apart than Charles Koch and Steve Bannon. (Charles brother David recently left the family business due to declining health.) Trump is far less ideologically consistent, to put it kindly, but one of his foundational principals is that he lets no slight go unnoticed or unpunished. His executive time airing of grievances can hardly be a surprise.

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If Bannon, with or without Trumps help, were to somehow follow through on his promise to marshal unnamed right-wing forces against Republican candidates backed by the Koch network, it would be a major development. But given the way the Kochs dark-money machine works, its not clear Bannon could do so even if he really wanted to. And given that he and the Kochsand Trumpshare so many other goals, its doubtful Bannon would do so, even if he actually could. Likewise, the Kochs may hate Trumps tariffs, but not nearly as much as they love the GOPs tax cuts, which the Koch network spent $20 million pushing and which by some counts will personally save the brothers more than $1 billion a year.

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Overshadowed by the war of words was the related news that the Koch network is currently withholding its support from a trio of Republicans who are crucial to the GOPs bid to keep control of the Senate: Rep. Kevin Cramer, who is hoping to unseat Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota; Mike Braun, who is challenging Sen. Joe Donnelly in Indiana; and Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, who is the most vulnerable Republican senator up for re-election this fall.

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Those snubs should not be interpreted as a sign the Kochs dont care about the fate of the Senate, simply that theyd prefer Republicans think twice before siding with Trump on spending and trade issues. Team Koch says it still plans to spend $400 million on the midterms, and every dollar it doesnt spend in North Dakota or Indiana is a dollar it can spend in other battleground states like Missouri, Tennessee, and Florida, where its groups are already rallying around GOP Senate candidates.

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Its no surprise why the Kochs are dedicated to preserving Republican power in the upper chamber. Along with the tax cuts, they also can thank Trumps GOP for massive business deregulation and stacking the courts with conservative judges, both top priorities on the Koch networks wish list. Even when the Kochs make a show of giving nominal support to someone like Heitkamp, whom they publicly thanked earlier this year for helping to loosen some key provisions of Dodd-Frank banking rules, its clear where their partisan allegiance lies. In that context, Charles Koch, Steve Bannon, and Donald Trump are all the same side.The Chinese government this week urged the U.S. not to allow Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to stop over in the U.S. on her way to Belize and Paraguay this month as she has on previous trips to Latin America. Its Beijings latest gambit in an ongoing campaign to wipe Taiwan off the map as an independent political entity. This campaign is forcing everyone from national governments and NGOs to airlines and clothing companies to take a stance on the contentious issue of Taiwans status.

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Hostility between Beijing and Taipei has been growing since the 2016 election of Tsai, a nationalist who Chinese leaders suspect wants to declare formal independence. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinpings government has been moving to assert Chinas sovereignty over disputed territories elsewhere, like the Chinese-Indian border and the South China Sea as well as places with ambiguous political status, like Hong Kong.

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Taiwan is probably the most important of these territories. It has been de facto independent since 1949, but China considers the island part of its territory and has long pressured other countries to see it that way as well. As Chinas economic and political might has grown, its become harder for Taiwan to keep allies. Only 18 countries still have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, mostly small countries in the Pacific and Latin America, including Belize and Paraguaythe two places Tsai is visiting on her trip this month. The Dominican Republic and Burkina Faso were the most recent governments to cut ties with Taiwan in May, bowing to what the Dominican government called socioeconomic reality. Consequences can be serious for countries that hold out. The tiny Pacific island nation of Palau, which still has relations with Taiwan, last month asked the U.S. and Japan for economic assistance after China apparently barred tourists from traveling there, forcing one airline out of business.

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Its not just governments that are feeling the heat. Chinese pressure also led to the cancellation of the 2019 East Asian Youth Games, a multimillion-dollar sporting event that was to be held in the Taiwanese city of Taichung next year. Taiwanese LGBTQ rights activists have accused China of pressuring the organizers of next months Gay Games in Paris to ban the Taiwanese national flag from the competition.

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Beijing set a deadline last week for 44 international airlines to drop all references to Taiwan from their websites and other materials and refer to cities like Taipei and Kaohsiung as part of China. While the consequences of ignoring the demand were never specified, all have now complieda testament to the importance of the Chinese market. (A few have just dropped all references to countries.)

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After an uproar in May, the Gap was forced to apologize for selling a T-shirt showing a map of China that did not include Taiwan, issuing a statement on microblogging site Sina Weibo affirming that it respects the integrity of Chinas sovereignty and territory.

The White House has, rightly, denounced Chinas pressure campaign against private companies as Orwellian nonsense. Under whats known as the One China Policy, the U.S. does not formally recognize Taiwan but is nonetheless one of its most important allies and its sole foreign arms supplier. The U.S. somewhat awkwardly maintains ties to Taipei through an unofficial embassythe American Institute of Taiwan. The U.S. opened a new $256 million office in Taipei for the AIT last month, prompting protests from the mainland.

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President Trump controversially took a phone call from Tsai during the presidential transition and briefly suggested he might reverse the One China Policy, before quickly backing down. National security adviser John Bolton is also a longtime critic of the One China Policy who advocated, before joining the Trump administration, for the U.S. to play the Taiwan card against China, and there have been rumors that he was planning to visit the island, which would make him the highest-ranking U.S. official to do so since Washington withdrew diplomatic recognition in 1979.

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While Chinas request for the U.S. to shun Tsai might seem fairly petty, the long-term stakes of the Taiwan dispute couldnt be higher. The Chinese military held a live-fire drill in the East China Sea last month to simulate combat against Taiwan. The prospect of an eventual annexation of Taiwanor reunification, as Beijing puts itis a major driver of Chinas recent military buildup. Its also one of the scariest scenarios in terms of risking military conflict between the United States and China.

For now, the best the U.S. can probably do is work to maintain the status quopush back against pressure on American companies, maintain unofficial diplomatic relations, and allow Tsai to have her stopoverwithout unnecessarily escalating tensions. While frustrating and hypocritical, the ambiguity around Taiwans status has served the U.S. well, allowing Washington to continue de facto support for a democratic ally while continuing to do business with Beijing. But its not clear how much longer China will allow that ambiguity to continue.In his first explicit plea for the attorney general to take action about the special counsel investigation, Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further.

Even for Trump, who has broken with tradition by criticizing ongoing DOJ investigations, including, repeatedly and vociferously, the Mueller investigation, this pressure on the nations top law enforcement officer to call off the investigation was a first.

..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

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In the past, Trump has been publicly critical of Sessions, suggesting that the attorney generals decision to recuse himself from overseeing the investigation amounted to a betrayal.

Democrats soon condemned Trumps words Wednesday as an attempt to obstruct justice, and Republican Sen. Susan Collins called Trumps tweet inappropriate and intemperate, arguing that only Rod Rosenstein, and not Sessions, had the authority to end the investigation regardless.

But the presidents allies quickly attempted to walk back his statements. Trumps lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said that people were misinterpreting the presidents language: The President was expressing his opinion on his favored medium for asserting his First Amendment right of free speech. He said should not must, and no Presidential order was issued or will be.

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In July, the New York Times reported that Mueller is examining Trumps tweets about Sessions and former FBI director James Comey as part of an inquiry into possible obstruction of justice by the president.

Trumps Twitter ranta common form of lashing out by the president at times when he feels under attackcame on the second day of the trial of Paul Manafort for charges stemming from the special counsel investigation. Trump also tweeted his frustration about FBI agent Peter Strzok and called the Russia investigation a TOTAL HOAX.

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

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Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to begin the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

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Setting aside the strangeness of the phrase his lover, the lovely Lisa Page for a moment, its worth noting the Steele dossier did not prompt the opening of the Russia investigation. And while Democrats did partially fund the dossier, it was a conservative website that first hired the firm to start digging up dirt on Trump.

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The president capped off his tweetstorm with two tweets about the Democrats funding of the Steele dossier (he deleted the first after misspelling smoking) and a question for his followers:Why not: The Republican Party acts with a galling level of impunity, writes Osita Nwanevu in the wake of news that the Trump administration is considering enacting another tax cut for the rich, this time without consulting Congress. That just shows how poorly our democracy is faring.

Helpless: China is definitely making moves toward annexing Taiwan, Josh Keating writes. The United States, and other nations that might be supportive of Taiwan, are in a tight spot, with little room to maneuver.

Bad men and their data: How might evidence of scientists abusiveness color the way we regard their work? Dan Engber thinks through a tough #MeToo problem.

For fun: Pondering a blueberry Earth.

This scientist, for one, seems delightful,

RebeccaA federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that the Trump administrations executive order that threatened to withhold funds for sanctuary cities is unconstitutional, according to the Associated Press.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an earlier district judges ruling that the president had exceeded his authority, but it removed that judges nationwide injunction, ruling that there was not enough evidence of the executive order having an impact on the rest of the country outside California to justify a nationwide injunction, according to the Los Angeles Times. Instead, the appeals court left the injunction intact only in California, where, it ruled, individual counties and the state itself appeared to be more directly targeted by the executive order.

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That rationale was based on language Trump and others in his administration used to criticize Californias immigration policies and attitudes and those of individual California cities and counties. The attorneys for the government had unsuccessfully argued that the judge should ignore comments by the president when ruling on the executive order.

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Trump issued the executive order just five days after taking office. The order vowed to ensure that jurisdictions that fail to comply with applicable Federal law do not receive Federal funds, except as mandated by law, but it was its section making sanctuary jurisdictions ineligible to receive federal grants that formed the crux of the constitutional debate.

Trump was following through on campaign promises, and he had in his earlier rhetoric positioned California as his enemy in the immigration debate. The administration has also sued California over other laws passed to protect undocumented immigrants.

In response to his executive order, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties sued the administration. U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick in San Francisco ruled in their favor, finding that the executive order had been too broad and had unconstitutionally placed conditions on federal fundingsomething only Congress can do. Wednesdays decision, with a 21 ruling, agreed with this assessment.Around midday Tuesday, the cathedral of the Swedish town of Strangnas, not far from Stockholm, was hosting a event for the public in one of its side chapels. The main cathedral was open to any visitors who wanted to take a look inside the 13th-century building.

That building also happened to be where some of Swedens most priceless royal jewels were held: a golden orb and two crowns, each dripping in pearls and precious stones, from the funeral regalia of the 17th-century monarchs Karl IX and Kristina the Elder. And it is now the location one of its most high-profile jewel heists.

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According to the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, during the lunchtime event, two thieves smashed the protective cases covering the jewelswhich would have triggered alarms, according to the BBCand fled with their loot toward the nearby but vast Lake Malaren, which is dotted with hundreds of islands. There, a witness saw the men jump into a small motorboat and speed off.

Quickly, police launched a manhunt, with helicopters and boats, but they found no trace of the two men.

The score is 1-0 for them right now, the police spokesman said, according to DW.

Fortunately for any Swedes concerned about national pride in the wake of the heist, police have said that the jewels are a little too priceless to sell. What usually happens with this type of object is that they are recovered sooner or later, because there are very few people who are prepared to handle such items, the police spokesman said.This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy.

When it comes to the security of our elections, we have a battle on two fronts. On the first, Russia has attacked our election infrastructure and our intelligence community believes Russia, and others, will do so again. On another front, we have a battle in Congress over funding and even the need for a more robust response to the threat to our electoral integrity. To win the first, we should end the second, and soon.

It is a tactic of war chronicled by Sun Tzu: When confronted by an enemy of overwhelming might, sow confusion and dissension in its ranks. Though comparatively weak nearly 30 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia remains our adversary. And our top intelligence officials have said that the danger of Russian cyberattacks today is similar to the warnings the U.S. had before 9/11. The warning lights are blinking red again, said Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence. Today, the digital infrastructure that serves this country is literally under attack.

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One set of attacks was described in the indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers for meddling in the 2016 election. The goals and methods of that attack were made clear. Federal agencies, most recently officials from the Department of Homeland Security in congressional testimony last week, have made clear that the Russians are using a 21st-century version of Sun Tzus ancient playbook, and we are called upon to respond.

Potential vulnerabilities are not limited to the strategies laid out in the Mueller indictment.

The attackers famously worked to use our political and social divisions against us. Russian hackers stole or created identities of conservative and progressive activists to sow misinformation and aggravate mistrust. As if the misinformation campaign were not enough, just before the election, Russian intelligence targeted election systems in at least 21 states. In a hearing before the House Oversight Committee last week, it became clear that more states may have been attacked, but they were flying blind, lacking the technology needed to detect an attack. The indictment against the GRU operatives alleged that the assailants breached the firewalls in at least one state, Illinois, where Russians gained access to information related to the records of about 500,000 voters. Although theres no evidence vote tallies were changed, the number of records breached would have been sufficient to swing either Florida, Ohio, or Pennsylvania from Trump to Clinton. Significantly, the hackers were instructed to focus on purple states.

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On Aug. 6, 2001, President George W. Bushs daily intelligence briefing reported that Bin Ladin  has wanted to conduct terrorist attacks in the US, and FBI information  indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings. ThenCIA Director George Tenet said, The system was blinking red. Unfortunately for the nation, the response was inadequate. After 9/11, a staffer at the National Security Council apologized for not doing enough in response to those warnings. In 2001, only a handful of people had access to the information that should have prompted a vigorous response. Today, we all know so much more about the nature and direction of the next attacks. We all must do more.

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Potential vulnerabilities are not limited to the strategies laid out in the Mueller indictment. Last week, the FBI informed Maryland state officials that in 2015, a Russian oligarch alleged to be close to Vladimir Putin purchased ByteGrid, the company that hosts the statewide voter-registration, candidacy, and election-management system as well as the online voter-registration system, online ballot-delivery system, and unofficial election nightresults website. (The FBI informed the officials that there was no evidence that the election had been compromised.) This incident highlighted just how creative we must be in imagining potential threats. Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland has introduced the Election Vendor Security Act as an example of the forward thinking necessary to avoid doing little more than fighting the last war.

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With the intelligence community warning of ongoing attacks and the Mueller investigation documenting the goals and methods of the previous one, there is only one reasonable course of action: act aggressively both to protect our institutions from assault and to bridge the divisions that the Russians sought to foment.

So, our next line of defense must come on three fronts:

Establish a bipartisan commission on the 2016 election. The Senate Intelligence Committee, led by conservative North Carolina Republican Richard Burr, recently issued bipartisan findings that made clear the reasons for such a panel: that Vladimir Putin himself authorized meddling in the last election, that the meddling was designed to help elect President Trump, and that Russian agents attacked our election infrastructure and the Democratic National Committee in order to pursue those ends. The Senate should build on that work and create a bipartisan commission that would find the facts so needed in a public debate that has been debased by alternative facts. It would also help to bridge the bitter partisan divide that the Russians have continued to exploit by committing leadership of both parties to protecting the sanctity of the franchise for all of us. After 9/11, the nation established a bipartisan commission in which Republicans and Democrats were effectively co-leaders. We would do well to learn the lessons of that commission and apply them in the face of these attacks.

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Recognize that the states are a new battleground for assaults on our national security. Individual states, counties, and municipalities manage and protect the bulk of our election infrastructure. As Coats made clear in his speech, a successful attack in just one state could cast doubt on the midterm elections or on the next presidential election. There is no doubt that both will be hotly contested and both targets are too tempting for the Russians to ignore. Indeed, the weak presidential response to the Russians may embolden others to meddle as well. There is not enough time before the next elections to replace all vulnerable voting systems, but a lot can be done in the more than 100 days remaining. Where vulnerable machines are not replaced, each state should develop a set of counterresponses that will ensure elections can go forward securely. First and foremost, every voting machine should leave a paper trail so that the actual votes cast are the votes that are actually counted. Now that we know better, we must do better.

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Adequately fund needed updates to our voting system. It has been more than 15 years since President George W. Bush signed the Help America Vote Act. That measure required states to reform their voting systems and infrastructure by, among other things, updating and upgrading their voting information, voting equipment, and voter-registration databases. He knew full well the danger of assuming office after an election marred by outmoded voting mechanisms. And that was without our nation being under assault. Although Congress appropriated $380 million in additional HAVA grants this fiscal year, that funding level is simply inadequate to counter the threat. And as the National Association of Counties testified last week, the funding stream going forward must be consistent and reliable. As of 2016, a majority of districts in an overwhelming majority of states were using voting machines that were at least a decade olda time frame that is close to the end of, or exceeds, their projected lifespan.

At the hearing last week, members of the House Oversight Committee expressed skepticism about the need for more funding and even raised the long-debunked threat of voter fraud as the primary assault on our system. The system is blinking red. Our foreign adversaries are attacking American institutions. We have the capacity to push back. More importantly, it is our duty to do so.

More From Just Security:

Who Says Collusion Is a Crime: the Justice Department



The Trial of Paul Manafort: What to ExpectEarlier this week, an activist named Emma Best published more than 11,000 Twitter direct messages between Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and 10 of his supporters. The document dump comes after long-standing accusations that the organization, whose mission is to hold the powerful accountable, is itself quite secretive about its own finances and political motivations.

When a large leak like this happens, its only right that we hear about the most pertinent and most telling tidbits first. In this case, the messages provided us a window into how Assange and his supporters talk about journalists and other people they dont like. (There is one passing mention of a Slate article.) We also learn about their baseless conspiracy theories, like that the Peace Corps is just front for the CIA, and their feelings about Hillary Clinton, who they described as a sadistic sociopath.

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But what can also be illuminating, and even more entertaining, is the more mundane. I mean, who didnt get a kick out of learning Hillary Clinton doesnt know how to use a fax machine (as we learned from a frantic email exchange between her and her aide, Huma Abedin) from one of the many probes of her emails.

In that spirit, we found one exchange particularly funny. Since 2012, Assange has lived under asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. In the past six years, he hasnt been able to leave the embassy at all, and barring a few exceptions, we dont really know what life has been like for him. But Slates Daniel Engber found an interesting tidbit after he did a CTRL-F search for the word science: an exchange between who we believe is Assange and some his supporters, in which they liken his life in the embassy to living in Biosphere 2. (The transcript is a little confusing, we admit. Weve cut some non-Biosphere 2 chatter.)

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[2015-09-02 15:35:28] [noll] re report & medias either sympathetic or sensationalist take on life w/i embassy, worth mentioning Biosphere 2 project & Jane Poynters honest documenting of the challenges: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Human-Experiment-Minutes-Biosphere/dp/156025775Xhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6929010 [2015-09-02 17:25:29] [M] Ive been out to Biosphere 2  it is quite extraordinary. [2015-09-02 19:15:29] [noll] M, would do just about anything to see that place, followed by: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle%27s_Lagoon [2015-09-02 19:16:12] [noll] not great quality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QesWw3Zz0Ms  [2015-09-03 00:13:04] [voidiss] Wow! Never heard of Biosphere 2, its an amazing project, really fascinating from a scientific point of view to see how they manage to keep alive six different biomes in a restricted place like that. Science is so interesting. [2015-09-03 00:13:17] [voidiss] And the experiment is quite representative sealed into a closed environment. Its so sad if compared with the Embassy, that crew was there voluntarily, not detained inside. Its so bad. Ill read the book, anyway.  [2015-09-03 07:07:11] [LibertarianLibrarian] The Biosphere is really neat. I toured it once, several years ago, with my father. It was fascinating. Tucsons well worth a visit, not just for the Biosphere. The Desert Museum is amazing and you can go up into the Canyons and hike  unbelievably gorgeous.

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If you arent familiar, Biosphere 2 is a closed ecological system or vivarium (filled with various plants and animals) that was built in Arizona in 1991, with the intention to test if an entirely artificially controlled environment could sustain life, with the intention to be able to replicate it in say, in outer space. Its only been tested twice, unfortunately, both times failing, which may serve as a metaphor what life is like for Assange. But LibertarianLibrarians suggestion that Tucsons well worth a visit isnt a great idea. If Assange ever were to step foot in the U.S., its likely he would be arrested immediately.Greetings, Future Tensers,

On Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily prevented the uploading and online distribution blueprints for 3D-printed gunsjust hours before the Texas-based group Defense Distributed was expected to publish a DIY guide to printing an untraceable firearm. This injunction came despite President Trumps contention, Aaron Mak reports, that the selling of the so-called ghost guns doesnt seem to make much sense! Meanwhile, the founder and director of Defense Distributed, Cody Wilson, outlined his vision of a WikiLeaks for guns with Slates April Glaser and Will Oremus on If Then in March. He maintains that he doesnt sell guns, he simply publish[es] the plans for free into the public domain.

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Also on Tuesday, Facebook announced that it removed 32 pages and accounts from Facebook and Instagram related to a coordinated disinformation campaign, April Glaser reports. And while theres not yet a definitive link between the removed accounts and Russian disinformation operations, Facebook says its well-aware that the 2018 midterms are the perfect occasion for Russians and other bad actors to abuse its platform.

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And speaking of preparing for the worst, companies selling cyberinsurance policies say they are a must-have for financial institutions. But, Josephine Wolff writes, there are questions about what those cyberinsurance policies actually coverand if the experience of Virginias National Bank of Blacksburg is any indicator, the answers may be shockingly disappointing. After the bank lost an estimated $2.4 million from two data breaches, its insurer wrote a check for only $50,000. Now the bank is suing, and its lawsuit illuminates the consequences of what Wolff calls an industry rife with ambiguous, overlapping policies that customers can barely understand until its too late.

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Other things we read while visiting the Ecuadorian Embassy (or was it Biosphere 2?):

Ethical A.I.: The United Kingdom wants to lead the world in crafting ethical policies surrounding artificial intelligence. Joelle Renstrom examines whether thats actually possible.

Lengthening learning: As automation and artificial intelligence change the job market, argues Jeffrey Selingo, on-demand education can help ensure lower-skilled workers arent left behind.

Shadow scoop: President Trump tweeted last week that he would investigate shadow banning on Twitter, calling the practice discriminatory and illegal. Amy Pollard explains what you should know about the platforms most recent content-filtering kerfuffle.

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Banning bind: Facebooks 30-day ban of Alex Jones will empower the far-right conspiracy theorist and amplify his cries of conservative bias, writes April Glaser.

Mismatched mugs: Bias in facial recognition tools got personal for 28 members of Congress last week, Aaron Mak reports. Now, some are calling for increased oversight of the nascent tech.

Finally, were all thinking about those affected by the deadly fires currently raging across the Western U.S. Heres how to track those tragic fires, and how you can retrieve your contacts if you lose your phone in the blaze or another emergency.

Definitely an emotional Jenga tower,

Mia Armstrong

For Future Tense

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University.In 2013, an algorithm determined Eric Loomis six-year prison sentence in Wisconsin for attempting to flee a traffic officer and operating a motor vehicle without the owners consent. No one knew how the software, Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions, or COMPAS, workednot even the judge who delivered the sentence. Analyses conducted by ProPublica later found the predictive artificial intelligence used in this case, which attempts to gauge the likelihood of an offender committing another crime, to be racially biased: A two-year study involving 10,000 defendants found that the A.I. routinely overestimated the likelihood of recidivism among black defendants and underestimated it among whites. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Eric Loomis case, so the sentence stands.

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Increasingly, A.I. has the power to alter the course of peoples lives. Its becoming part of decisions about who gets hired, who gets fired, who goes to prison, which students schools pursue, and how doctors treat patients. Its going to affect foreign affairs, the economy (particularly through job automation), transportation, and infrastructure. Each new application represents an economic opportunity, which is part of the reason why the rush to develop has been dubbed the new space race. The current front-runners are China, with billions of dollars in investments and an ambitious national plan for establishing global dominance over the industry, and the U.S., where advancements come primarily from the private sector and academia. Other countries are trying to figure out how they can keep up, even if they cant compete with the U.S. or China in A.I. funding and development.

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The U.K. has settled on another path to become a leader in the A.I. game. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May announced her countrys goal to become a world leader in ethical A.I. Three months later, the U.K. unveiled its A.I. Sector Deal, a comprehensive policy that establishes a partnership between government, academia, and industry to address residents and businesses goals and concerns with respect to A.I.

And theres lots to be concerned about, like technological unemployment, a homogeneous A.I. workforce creating products that have very human biases, the dissemination of misinformation, military applications, and a widening wealth gap. Crime-prediction software focuses on nonwhite neighborhoods, perpetuating profiling, resentment, and potential due process violations. LinkedIns search algorithms make it easier to find prospective male employees than female ones. Chinas facial-recognition programs threaten privacy and suppress freedom. (Chinas willingness to bypass data-protection concerns may be an advantage in the A.I. race.) Due to backlash, Google recently opted out of a contract to work on A.I. for weapons, though it will continue to do military work.

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The U.K. deal is designed to address many of these worries. If it succeeds in balancing economic growth with concerns about privacy, trust, and access, it could demonstrate that ethical behavior is good for business. That in turn could influence policies in the European Union (regardless of what happens with Brexit) and around the world.

At a roundtable discussion at the British Consulate in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in May, Matthew Gould, U.K. director general for digital and media, said the goal is to have researchers consider ethics every step of the way, rather than relegate it to an afterthought. That sounds wonderful. But it is also abstract and seems destined to become overwhelming, even Sisyphean, given the industrys size and growth. What does it mean to bake in ethics? Is it even possible?

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The 21-page deal establishes the beginning of [the] partnership among business, academia, and government by responding to recommendations about how the government and industry can work together on skills, infrastructure and implement a longterm strategy for AI in the UK. Its key policies revolve around research and development, skills and digital literacy of human workers, infrastructure, and the business environment. The four grand challenges noted in the deal address the A.I. and data economy, clean growth, future mobility of goods and services, and the needs of an aging society. The deal covers many significant aspects and implications of A.I., all of which require attention to ethics. A revolution in AI technology is already emerging, reads the deal. If we act now, we can lead it from the front.

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Much of the ethical discussion comes down to the role played by datahow A.I. uses it and how its collected. Data sets contain information that can be isolated by specific variablessuch as age, gender, race, or educationor organized and analyzed by A.I. in a way that provides insight and identifies trends. Theyre also used in training A.I. to better perform these tasks. Data sets gathered by private companies or researchers often contain far more information (medical records, bank information, purchase histories), which could go unused by A.I. in other sectors, thus impeding disease research, algorithm programming and implementation, understanding of financial trends, and insight into other far-reaching issues. Worse, data can also be misused. Imagine the Cambridge Analytica scandal with far more powerful technology.

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Since 2010, the British government has granted open access to its public data sets and mandated other public bodies to do the same. The U.K. deal advocates for the use of data trusts (also called data collaboratives)frameworks that facilitate mutually beneficial data-sharing between the government and other sectors. The idea is to provide access to new data, incentives to share data, and assurance that such data are being used for the public good. For example, a data trust could provide invaluable geographical, health, demographic, political, and other information about migration trends to various researchers, companies, and the government to help shape policies. Any data strategy must comply with the recently passed EU General Data Protection Regulation (the U.K. has its own similar Data Protection Act, which it recently strengthened) as well as maintain consumer trust.

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"The likelihood that the ethics focus will survive is slim."  Kentaro Toyama

Maintaining trust also includes taking on the problem of programmer homogeneity, which contributes to cases such as Eric Loomis. A diverse group of programmers reduces the risk of bias embedding into the algorithm and enables a fairer and higher quality output, computer science professor Dame Wendy Hall and industry expert Jerome Pesenti wrote in the recommendations they passed on to the U.K. government. Currently, the workforce is not representative of the wider population. In the past, gender and ethnic exclusion have been shown to affect the equitability of results from technology processes. If UK AI cannot improve the diversity of its workforce, the capability and credibility of the sector will be undermined. A report from the Chartered Institute for IT found that the vast majority of IT specialists in the U.K. are male, able-bodied, and under 50 years old. Seventeen percent are female, 21 percent are older than 50, and 8 percent are disabled. Digital, media, and creative sectors have similarly disproportionate demographics. Ultimately, according to Hall, this creates a pervasive problem: bias in, bias out. While some U.S. companies have managed to increase diversity, theyve only made a tiny dent: As of 2017, black workers filled only 3.1 percent of jobs in the eight largest American tech companies.

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Thus, the U.K. deal aims to create a more heterogeneous workforce. The newly established Ada Lovelace Institute will work with the government to promote diversity, and the Alan Turing Institutes new fellowship program will offer 1,000 government-supported A.I.-related Ph.D. placements. The U.K. will also double the number of Tier 1 exceptional talent visas and make it easier for visa holders to apply for long-term settlement. Diversity in programmers and researchers leads to products and services for different demographics, as well as algorithms that account for skin color and gender.

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Investing in education for both children and adults also helps make opportunities in A.I. available to more people. The U.K. will spend 406 million pounds (about $533 million) to boost STEM education, train up to 8,000 computer science teachers, and create the National Centre of Computing Education. Adults can participate in the National Retraining Scheme, which will put 36 million pounds (roughly $47 million) toward digital-skills training and 40 million pounds (about $52 million) toward construction traininga savvy combination for workers and for national infrastructure. The U.K. is already experiencing housing shortages, and jobs such as bricklaying and roofing are predicted to be particularly hard hit by technological unemployment.

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The deal also addresses concerns about A.I. supplanting human workers, particularly lower-skilled ones. Gould said theyre confident new jobs will materialize, but much debate remains about whether that will happen, how many and what types of new positions A.I. might create, and who will be qualified for those jobs. New jobs dont always go to those whove lost them, Gould acknowledged. Were trying to avoid a haves and have-nots situation. That wealth gap already exists. Income inequality isnt quite as bad in the U.K. as it is in the U.S., but its getting worse. Perhaps it can be narrowed, or at least not exacerbated, by improved access. The U.K. is moving forward with 5G and fiber networks, as well as plans to provide high-speed broadband access to everyone. (Currently, 95 percent of U.K. residents have access.) Internet connectivity delivered at 10 megabits per second or more will be a legal right in the U.K. by 2020.

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Crafting ethical policies regarding A.I. also requires addressing the notoriously complicated issue of liability, especially in the event of a malfunction or an autonomous A.I. decision or action. Areiel Wolanow, managing director of Finserv Experts, a consulting firm that customizes A.I. for businesses, attended evidence sessionsmeetings in which committees of experts provide relevant data and perspectives to various governmental departmentsthat helped guide the deal. The moral of those sessions was that accountability is the most important aspect of A.I. regulations.

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Slow progress on legal standards means laws and precedents must perpetually play catch-up with A.I. advancements. Many laws dont have specific provisions for A.I., especially advanced A.I. capable of making autonomous decisions. However, A.I. doesnt get people around existing laws, Wolanow said. As an example, he mentioned airlines dynamic pricing, which uses personal information to individualize fares. Germanys Federal Cartel Office investigated Lufthansas 2017 2530 percent ticket price hike just after the shuttering of rival Air Berlin and rejected Lufthansas explanation that its prices are generated by algorithms, which arent responsible for following the law. Although the FCO ultimately didnt open a formal case, the company that owns the A.I. makes the decision to declare themselves accountable, even if the A.I. makes unethical decisions autonomously, Wolanow said. In other words, Spider-Mans first lesson applies.

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While A.I.and those who use itcant circumvent existing regulations, a lack of guidelines raises significant challenges. Who makes the rules that apply to technology so nascent and powerful that we dont understand all it can do? Governments and industries set the standards for technologies used for health care, medical devices, and banking procedures, but that hasnt happened yet with A.I.: Even if you have something ethical, you cant get it approved for use because there were no standards to develop it, said Wolanow, who is in a group working to develop those standards. This critical step dictates the pace at which companies can roll out A.I.; its similar to private companies twiddling their thumbs for years while the FAA devised commercial drone regulations. Certification for use is more time consuming and expensive than building A.I. solutions, Wolanow said. Without standards, IT architects who ensure the functionality, safety, and compliance of technological systems cant really say an A.I. solution is safe for use. Wolanow cited Bank of Americas security blockchain, which took 18 months to advance from prototype to pilot program because it lacked a basis for approval.

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To address these problems, the deal calls for the creation of an A.I. Global Governance Commission, which recently met for its first planning and strategy session. The commission will provide a point of auditability against which existing solutions can be measured, said Wolanow. All guidance published by the commission will be testable: A.I. developers will be able to assess and verify that their solutions follow the guidelines, speeding up the process by which solutions can be implemented.

Promoting a diverse workforce, setting standards and a procedure for regulation, addressing the impact of technological unemployment, providing broadband access to all residents, protecting private data, incentivizing research and development, and fortifying the economythe deal ticks many boxes when it comes to the concerns about and implications of A.I. In fact, its enough boxes that it seems too good to be true. Can ethical practice coexist with rampant capitalism in the worlds most lucrative and dynamic industry?

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Kentaro Toyama, associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Information and author of Geek Heresy: Rescuing Social Change from the Cult of Technology, said the ethical focus sounds great in theory  [but] when policies start off well-intentioned, the good intentions tend to erode under the constant efforts of lobbyists and less-than-noble politicians. Certainly, the deal warrants skepticism. Its not difficult to imagine companies seeking ways to exploit or circumvent the system. The likelihood that the ethics focus will survive is slim, Toyama said.

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Optimism about the deal seems as naive as it is reassuring. The ethical pieces could get jettisoned over time, and perhaps the reality wont match the vision, but as Gould put it, the deal is a declaration of intent, a crucial first step. The American government isnt talking about ethical A.I., and in an interview in Wired, Michael Kratsios, the presidents deputy assistant for technology policy, indicated that the Trump administration plans to intervene as little as possible in the development of A.I. so as not to inhibit its growth. The U.S. Office of Science and Technology now has only 45 employees, compared with 135 under President Barack Obama, which slows down policy implementation and, more worryingly, inhibits the administrations ability to understand and act on trends in science and technology, as well as their implications. Ignoring the ethical questions and consequences of A.I. could lead to a future most of us would rather avoid. We in the United States should be equally up in arms about these issues, Toyama said, but apart from a few voices, many of which are appropriated by large tech companies, little is being done.

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Given that the U.S. has practically abdicated its moral responsibility here, and China doesnt seem terribly interested either, it seems that we should be rooting for the U.K. to succeed. Fusing ethics and economic growth seems both obvious and ingenious because it doesnt matter which holds more sway. Some people switch to solar power because its cheaper, not because they care about the environment, but the outcome is the same. Perhaps after it becomes evident that combining ethics and economics amounts to a win-win, well see more of that.

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Knowing what we know now about the implications of A.I., maybe wed make different decisions around data protections, social media, and privacy if we could go back in time. But since each generation of technology gives rise to the next and irrevocably affects society, moving backward when it comes to A.I. is next to impossible. We decide what happens and how, which includes figuring out how to develop and use A.I. for the good of everyone and to accept responsibility for our mistakes. The U.K. has the opportunity to lead the next generation of tech corporations, research, and governmental policies. Heres hoping the deal gets it right.For most social issues that the Supreme Court decides, arguing tends to die down after a couple of years. Weve seen this even when the initial level of disagreement was intense at the time of the decision, as it was with, say, interracial marriage and school segregation. With other issues, such as gay marriage or the legalization of contraception, millions of people had already changed their minds long before the court announced its decision, and so previously unthinkable policies quickly became widely accepted actions, smoothed over by widespread grassroots support. But almost half a century after Roe v. Wade, abortion remains a hot-button issue in American politics.

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It factors heavily into presidential elections, including the most recent. During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump promised the landmark Supreme Court decision would automatically be repealed if he was elected president and got to appoint justices to the high court. The exit polls found that a presidents appointments to the Supreme Court were the most important factor in the decision for more than 1 in 5 votersand voters who felt that way supported Trump over Hillary Clinton, 57 to 40 percent. This helps explain why evangelicals could vote for the twice-divorced Republican candidate (though the reasons go well beyond his position on abortion). Trumps subsequent successful nomination of Neil Gorsuch is seen by his supporters as one of the clearest evidences that he has kept his campaign promises, and now, with Justice Anthony Kennedys retirement, hes gotten the chance to propose a second justice. And Brett Kavanaugh seems ready to cast the deciding vote in overturning Roe.

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The intensity and tenacity of the abortion debate makes it unique in recent American political history. Despite the bitterness of the debate, Americans opinions on the abortion issue have barely budged in more than four decades. In 1976, 75 percent of Americans believed abortion should be legal under at least some circumstances and 22 percent believed that it should be illegal under any circumstances. In 2018, the figures were 79 percent and 18 percent respectively.

The very characteristics that lead people to become conservative lead them to oppose the availability of abortions.

On the surface, the stalemate is the consequence of the issues obvious moral implications (killing a human being on the one side, the human rights of the mother on the other). It also reflects disparate religious beliefs and deeply rooted and opposing reactions to the rise of feminism and changes in the status of women. Each side seems increasingly immune to the counterarguments to its own case.

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And yet, the fact that the numbers have not strayed suggests a larger truth about the state of the abortion issue in America today. Its not just the way the issue intersects with the idea of morality. The partisan positions on abortion are tightly linked to their adherents general political positions. Support for the right to life and the right to choose align closely with overall political beliefs: 71 percent of conservative Republicans say abortion should be illegal in most or all cases, while 91 percent of liberal Democrats say it should be legal in most or all circumstances.

Why do conservatives generally oppose and liberals generally support abortion rights? Because the very characteristics that lead people to become conservative lead them to oppose the availability of abortions, and the very characteristics that lead people to become liberal lead them to demand the right to choose. Both opposing political views and the conflicting views of abortion directly or indirectly reflect deeply rooted psychological, psychosexual, and moral differences between their proponents, factors that will provide adequate fuel to any argument. And this makes the whole complicated situation even more intractable.

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Start with the differing psychological and moral needs of the two sides. A large body of research shows that conservatives and liberals tend to differ in personality and in moral values. These are not absolute differences, of course, but on average the political differences are associated with differences in personality and patterns of moral reasoning.

With respect to personality traits, for example, many people, more typically on the right politically, are intolerant of ambiguity and experience change itself as a threat. They feel discomfort in a world in which there is moral ambiguity and a need to make choices. To people for whom choice itself is the issue, the right to choose has little appeal as an argument.

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Conservatives also tend to show higher levels of dogmatism and cognitive rigidity than liberals. The belief that compromising with political opponents puts one on a slippery slope leading to betrayal of ones own side comes easily. And conservatives tend to perceive the world as more dangerous than liberals do. They are more likely to accept arguments that abortion is dangerous to the physical or mental health of women, despite the fact that the overwhelming weight of the evidence is that the claim has no merit.

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As for the differing bases for making moral judgment, Jonathan Haidt and his collaborators have argued that there are five distinct psychologically based foundations for making moral judgments. We detect and react emotionally to issues related to (a) not doing harm and providing care; (b) ensuring fairness and reciprocity; (c) maintaining loyalty; (d) respecting authority and tradition; and (e) maintaining purity and sanctity (i.e., not violating the sense of what is sacred and what is morally abhorrent).

Haidt has found that political liberals primarily rely on the first two foundations in making moral judgments, while political conservatives generally rely upon all five. As a result, the two groups have different grounds for deciding whether a particular behavior is immoral. The liberal moral argument for abortion rights is based on the importance of not doing harm (e.g., protecting womens health and well-being) and on fairness (i.e., protecting womens rights). The persuasiveness of these arguments to conservatives is lessened by the latters insistence on also using tradition and purity as bases for judgment. Conversely, the conservative argument against abortion, primarily rooted in a morality that is based on respecting tradition and maintaining purity, makes little sense to liberals.

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Yet another personality difference between conservatives and liberals is in patterns of thinking. Conservatives tend to show higher levels of dogmatism and dichotomous (black-and-white) thinking. Thus, the idea of a fetus that both is and is not a person is problematic, and the necessity for an individual to make choices about the life or death of a fetus is unbearable.

Proponents and opponents of abortion rights also have different perspectives on sexuality. Both left and right alike have long understood that sex and lust and love can be personally and socially disruptive forces. At an individual level, easy access to abortion (like access to contraception) makes it easier for women to express their own sexuality without fear of pregnancy. This has the potential to disrupt traditional family relationships and is a direct assault on conservative traditionalism and respect for (male) authority.

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Almost by definition, conservatives, who value tradition and stability, fear such disruption, while liberals are more open to it. Thus, for conservatives, anything that seems to promote freer sexual behaviors becomes a major source of anxiety, to be rejected. Abortion seems to open the door to promiscuity and moral decay, and perhaps to political upheaval, as well.

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By contrast, even long before the emergence of modern feminism, for many on the left the traditional family has been seen as a source of oppression for women. Equally, a rigid sexual morality, partly rooted in Christianity, has been seen as a central element in maintaining repressive social arrangements in general. Sex radicalism has been an integral part of movements for womens emancipation and freedom since the French Revolution. To much of the left, from Wilhelm Reich in the 1930s to the New Left of the 60s and the womens liberation movement and gay movements of the 70s, liberating sex from repressive social and psychological forces has been seen as central to human liberation, to be welcomed, not feared.

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The differing reactions to sexual behaviors has a racial dimension, as well. Lower status groupsgays and lesbian, blacks, Jews, immigrants, the poorhave often been seen as hypersexual or carnal by higher-status groups. Fears that immigrants were out-reproducing white people drove the eugenics movement of the years before World War II. Even today, the alt-right denounces the carnality of Jews.

In the Jim Crow South, lynchings were defended as preventing rape. Strom Thurmond, in his 1948 campaign for president, argued that miscegenation would undercut the separation of the races needed for the protection of the racial integrity of the white and Negro races alike, and White Citizens Councils in the 1950s blamed anti-segregation activity on negroes of mixed blood.

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In recent years, poor women of color have been the overwhelmingly disproportionate users of abortion services. This appears to be especially the case in the red states. It is less socially acceptable to openly express racial and ethnic prejudice, today. Opposing abortion may serve as a more acceptable stand-in.

The rigidity of anti-abortion sentiments may also reflect sexual anxiety experienced at the individual level. Recall that strong anti-abortion beliefs are correlated with political conservatism. Conservative men show higher levels of sexual repression, reflected, for instance, in their greater preoccupation with sexual content in private internet activity despite their greater religiosity and in their greater conservatism with respect to sexual behaviors. For instance, conservatism is associated with a preference for traditional sex behaviors (e.g., missionary position sex), older age of first intercourse and fewer sex partners, fewer adventurous sexual behaviors (e.g., use of sex toys), and fewer risky-sex behaviors (e.g., sex with a stranger).

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The intensity of the abortion debate is often seen as the result of its injection into partisan politics. But the argument is just as strong if we reverse it. American politics have become intensely partisan because of the links between political ideology and position with respect to abortion. It is impossible to separate the histories of contemporary conservatism and liberalism from the history of the abortion debate. Opposition to abortion has become an identifier of conservatism and of conservative identity, and conversely, support for reproductive rights has become an identifier of liberalism. To be conservative is to be against abortion; to be liberal is to be for womens right to choose.

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The commitment to these ideals might actually be getting stronger, not weaker. The move of anti-abortion religious conservativesevangelical and born-again Protestants and conservative Catholicsinto the Republican Party since the late 70s is the central element in the history of modern conservatism. And over the past five decades, as Americans have become more conservative and liberals have become disempowered, liberals have had to cling harder to their beliefs. To compromise on issues such as abortion rights would be to give up one of the last vestiges of the beliefs that constituted them as liberals.

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The intensity of the abortion debate is often seen as the result of its injection into partisan politics. But the argument is just as strong if we reverse it.

Political views reflect perceived self-interest and strengthen bonds with family, friends, and community. But they also reflect psychological characteristics and needs. A central link between personality and political views is right-wing authoritarianism. RWA is defined by authoritarian submission (submissiveness to authorities who are seen as legitimate in the society in which one lives), authoritarian aggression (general aggressiveness directed against deviants and out-groups), and conventionalism (adherence to the traditions and generally accepted social norms and a belief that others should be required to adhere to these norms). Both conservatism and anti-abortion attitudes have common roots in high RWA. (Both RWA and conservatism are also correlated with prejudice toward out-groups, e.g., blacks, Jews, immigrant, non-traditional women; support for conventional gender and family roles; narrow definitions of male/female roles; misogyny and devaluing women; conservative social mores; and anti-feminist attitudes, and a tendency to have punitive attitudes toward women who have had abortions. Conversely, both liberal politics and liberal views on abortion have common roots in low RWA.)

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Both experiments and cross-national observations suggest that a sense of threat increases RWA in individuals. And over the past five decades, there has been a rise in social anxieties, reflecting changes in the status and roles of women and racial minorities, globalization and technological change, growing inequality and wage stagnation, and the direct and indirect impacts of neo-liberal governmental policies. These anxieties, via their impact on levels of RWA, explain the shift to the right, political polarization, and ultimately, the rise of Donald Trump, and why people hold on to anti-abortion views so strongly.

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One counterpart to right-wing authoritarianism is liberals abiding faith in the values of the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment. For liberals, finding facts, pursuing knowledge, and trusting science are part of their moral system itself. Liberals view human nature as essentially good and believe that human history is a story of increasing freedom. As Martin Luther King Jr. famously put it, echoing the words of abolitionist and reformer Theodore Parker 100 years earlier, The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.

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Conservatives, by contrast, tend to have a usually unspoken distrust of empiricism and reason themselves and, conversely, tend to embrace a system of knowledge and belief based on intuition and faith, and trust in revealed truth. (This distinction is at the heart of the partisan reactions to Kellyanne Conways celebrated notion of alternative facts). The mistrust of reason and facts has been embraced by todays conservative movement.

The anti-abortion camp roots its understanding of truth in faith; the pro-choice camp roots its arguments in reason. But in a time when rationality, truth, and Enlightenment-derived ideas of human rights are under attack, the impact of these arguments on the former group is weak. Abortion remains a hot-button issue because it is deeply embedded into the very nature of both conservatives and liberals. When they speak to each other about it, theyre barely talking the same language. No wonder the debate has gone nowhere.Three-centuries-old temple lures tourists

Built without using a single nail.

More information about travelling in Slovakia

Please see our Please see our Spectacular Slovakia travel guide

A dominant feature of the village of Ulicske Krive (in the Snina district in eastern Slovakia) is a 300-year-old wooden temple of Saint Archangel Michael. The wooden temple, also a national cultural monument, consists of three parts.

The first is the entrance, the second the nave and the third is the sanctuary divided from the second part by 18th century iconostatis, said curator of the temple Jan Kelemeca, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

The temple was built without using a single nail and it was reconstructed in 1980s. Besides believers, it is accessible for tourists.

Tourists from the furthest places were from the Philippines and Jamaica, Kelemeca noted, as cited by TASR.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/sRmQLJAwOYA

1. Aug 2018 at 13:27 | Compiled by Spectator staffAustria is going to test higher speeds on highways; Slovakia is not considering this

This is a test project so far.

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After Germany and Poland, drivers will be able to step on the gas in one more country. Austria will join the club: from the August, it will increase the maximum speed on two highway sections from the original 130 kilometres an hour to 140 kilometres.

The Austrian Transport Ministry has decided on this step not only due to safer and faster highways in the country, but due to newer cars. So far, this is just a trial effective for one year.

The Slovak Transport Ministry does not plan to be inspired by its Austrian counterpart. The state considered this in the past, however.

There are sections where a 160-kilometre-an-hour speed would be acceptable, former Interior Minister Robert Kalinak of Smer said back in 2007. He did not specify what sections he meant.

Maximum: 130 kilometres

Unlike in the past, the Interior Ministry is not commenting on the issue of increasing the maximum speed on highways, and refers to the Transport Ministry as the responsible body. The latter claims, however, that we cannot increase the speed, as sections in the country are designed for just up to 130 kilometres/hour.

In many sections, the existing highway route leads through rugged ground, and increasing the speed would require a total re-building, said Transport Ministry spokesperson, Karolina Ducka.

If the state wanted to level up the speed to 160 kilometres an hour for example, it would have to, according to the ministry, extend the exit and entry lanes, adapt bridges or change the very angle of the roadway. This may cost dozens of millions of euros.

The study failed to convince

This is the result stemming from a study the ministry ordered a few years ago. The ministry evaluated the impact of increasing the speed on the D1 highway sections between Vrtizer and Bytca in the Povazie (Vah river) area, and between Luka  Rakoluby near the town of Nove Mesto nad Vahom.

Speeds - Austrians will test a higher speed limit between the municipalities of Melk and Oed, and Haid and Sattledt; - drivers can drive 140 km/h in Poland, and on new highways in Bulgaria; - in Germany, the speed is not limited; in most countries, the limit is 130 kms an hour; - in Belgium, Finland and Spain, the limit is a mere 120 km/hr.; - in the first six months, police detected speeding in 121,299 cases; - in 2017, it was 231,032, in 2016, 253,698 and in 2015, 294,366 transgressions.

If we talk about increasing the maximum allowed driving speed, for example, to 140 kilometres an hour, it is not a dramatic increase and it is possible in most sections of the D1 and D2 highways in Slovakia, opines Martin Bakos of the designer firm Amberg Engineerig Slovakia.

1. Aug 2018 at 16:38 | Compiled by Spectator staff , Marek PorackyWhat you need to do to register with the Financial Administrations system?

People registered as self-employed in Slovakia should prick up their ears: as of July 1, 2018 they need to submit their tax returns only electronically. The aim is mostly to simplify the communication and save both the time and money of taxpayers.

But the Slovak reality is much more complicated, Ondrej Kvetko, self-employed from Revuca, who has been communicating with the Financial Administration since 2012, told The Slovak Spectator. On one hand, it is more comfortable to send the documents from my own computer, but on the other hand, it is a yearly torture to fill in the tax return.

He considers the system poorly arranged, chaotic and not user-friendly.

I had to use the call centre each time I was submitting my tax return and had to be navigated through a maze of links, Kvetko continued, adding that it is hard to remember the steps if you use the system only once a year.

Even though Financial Administration has adopted certain modifications to the system and plans to make it more user-friendly, it might not be enough.

How to register?

1. Aug 2018 at 16:48 | Radka MinarechovaLast Week in Slovakia: BMW picked Hungary over Slovakia

Last week's news in four minutes.

Top storiesKalinak: The Vietnamese may have abused our generosity

Slovakia has done everything it can to help the abduction investigation, says former Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kalinak.

Sme: How do you think Slovakia should have reacted to Germanys suspicions in connection to the abduction of Vietnamese businessman and ex-politician, Trinh Xuan Thanh?

Robert Kalinak (RK): We have already expressed our indignation over this. In the meantime, no new information has arrived. Slovakia could not have had knowledge about that. Secondly, it happened on German territory. So I have one question: If he was wanted, why was he not included in the Schengen information system where wanted or missing persons are registered.

Sme: So you think measures made by Slovakia so far are sufficient?

RK: There's nothing more to do than what we have already done.

Read also:

Read also: Kiska: Vietnamese abduction is an international scandal Read more

Sme: Wouldnt it be appropriate then for Slovakia to launch an investigation as well?

RK: Well, you know, dear colleague, our Criminal Law speaks clearly: we cannot investigate a crime that happened in Germany, we cannot investigate German issues. This is being investigated in Germany, and thats why we have been rendering all cooperation  even beyond what is usually done. We gave all information on the diplomatic meeting which, as you surely know, is normally kept secret. We clearly said that we believe that our hospitability was not abused.

Sme: But you surely know that three vans in which another Vietnamese citizen, identified as Long N. H., kidnapped Thanh, were located  according to GPS  in front of the Borik hotel in Bratislava during your meeting with the Vietnamese delegation.

RK: Yes. They have the information that these cars were in Slovakia. We gave all photos of those cars; thanks to this information from us, they know their specific movements during that time.

Read also:

Read also: German media: Vietnam kidnapping throughout Slovakia Read more

Sme: Did you know when you were having lunch with the Vietnamese in the Borik hotel that there are some vans in front of it?

RK: No, I didnt. When a representative of a big Asian country is here, they often have all kinds of minions from neighbouring countries to greet and shake hands with. This is nothing exceptional. Even if there were any vans there, it would arouse no attention. After all, it was a publicly-known event. If you wanted to be there, you could have been there and taken pictures.

Sme: Was Slovakia tricked by the Vietnamese when they were hospitable and welcoming towards them?

RK: There was nothing to be tricked about. They asked us for a favour and we obliged. Our generosity may have been abused. I cannot imagine that the minister would personally be engaged in such a mess.

Sme: So you dont think that you could have asked your Vietnamese colleague to explain in more detail what he needed the plane for?

RK: I'll explain again that he missed his flight, or something like that, and he asked me whether we could fly them to Moscow. There was no reason to doubt him.

Read also:

Read also: Vietnamese ambassador should offer an explanation of the alleged abduction Read more

Sme. And what did he tell you? What did he need the plane for?

RK: Well, to get to Moscow. We picked him and flew him from Prague, as he was supposed to land in Vienna. The whole schedule was changed, and thus delayed. It seemed okay. If it was true what the Germans say, that there was a handcuffed or otherwise constrained person, we would have surely mentioned it very quickly. The reaction would have been clear. But there was no such person. Moreover, the Germans interrogated all airport employees, crews and staffers of Borik hotel. I keep saying one thing: this is between Germany and Vietnam, and something is fishy.

Sme: What is fishy?

RK: They didnt report him as wanted or missing to the Schengen information system.

Sme

2. Aug 2018 at 0:03 | Jan KrempaskyOne of the real joys in reading the Build-Outs of Summer that come our way each year is seeing how new cafes are repurposing old buildings. Sure, a ground-up build is also exciting, but getting to see coffee shops get creative within limitations while preserving sometimes 100-year-old historical structures is always satisfying. You get to see new spaces retain and add to the character of a place.

Our next stop is doing just that. Ironclad Coffee Roasters in Richmond, Virginia is taking over a 130-year-old fire station that has since been decommissioned since the 1950s. In the process of their build-out, they made sure to keep much of the original character of the building in the historic Shockoe Bottom neighborhood and have done so to a dramatic effect. They have breathed new life into those old bones, but made sure the history remained.

As told to Sprudge by Ryan ORourke.

For those who arent familiar, will you tell us about your company?

We began roasting coffee, primarily for wholesale, in February of 2016. Our founder, Ryan ORourke, had just returned to the USA after living in Ireland for five years. During that time, he was fortunate enough to enjoy coffee from some excellent European roasting companies. This shaped his vision for Ironclad. We strive to offer coffees of outstanding quality with an attitude of approachability and fun.

The new Ironclad cafe is our opportunity to showcase the coffees that motivate us to get out of bed every morning and to present them in our own unique manner. Mostly, we want people to enjoy delicious beverages and tasty treats in a beautiful and welcoming environment.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

The building was constructed in 1884 as the station for the No. 2 Hook and Ladder Company of the Richmond Fire Department. It was decommissioned as a fire house in 1952.

In remodeling the space as a cafe, we wanted to highlight the manifold original features and highlight the history. We also want it to highlight the beauty and uniqueness of Richmond as a city. The building sits in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood, arguably the most historic section of one of the most historic cities in the USA.

Whats your approach to coffee?

A commitment to quality in a fun and approachable manner. We endeavor to be a place where anyone can enjoy their time with top-quality food and beverage in a comfortable environment. Life is, indeed, too short for both bad coffee AND mean people.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

Three-group Victoria Arduino Black Eagle Gravitech

Nuova Simonelli Mythos One Clima Pro grinders for espresso

Mahlkonig EK-43 for pour overs and batch brew

Ground Control for our batch brew (this thing is incredible)

Yama drip cold brew tower

Whats your hopeful target opening date/month?

Grand Opening on July 13th

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that youd like to mention?

CB Chandler Construction

Lustre Home (designers)

Thank you!

Youre welcome! :-)

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.Can you believe it? We are now entering August and this also means the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is inbound! Revealing soon on 9 August 2018 in New York City, someone in South Korea managed to get a shot of their region's official release date which is 25 August 2018, as well as the pre-order date on 10 August 2018.

Of course, pre-ordering the phablet will definitely have some freebies included. For South Korea, the customers will get some new protective casing, car charger, grip ring, power bank, wireless pad and others. That's a pretty generous offer by Samsung but we have to keep in mind that not all regions will get the same freebies. For instance, we reported that Indonesians who pre-order it will get a free Samsung Smart TV. In addition to that, our local distributor Senheng has put up the link up on their Facebook page for Malaysian customers who are interested, but only asking for their email address, mobile number, full name and whether if they are a Senheng PlusOne member or not.

With Senheng already setting up the registration page, they probably know something that we don't or maybe they just want to see the headcount. Anyway, the Galaxy Note 9 is coming soon with rumoured 4000mAh battery, up to 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, a Bluetooth S-Pen and more. Stay tuned for more Samsung news at TechNave.com.Spyware Targets Amnesty International and Saudi Dissident

"NSO Group is known to only sell its spyware to governments. We, therefore, believe that this was a deliberate attempt to infiltrate Amnesty International by a government hostile to our human rights work," said Joshua Franco, Amnesty International's Head of Technology and Human Rights.

"The potent state hacking tools manufactured by NSO Group allow for an extraordinarily invasive form of surveillance. A smartphone infected with Pegasus is essentially controlled by the attacker  it can relay phone calls, photos, messages and more directly to the operator. This chilling attack on Amnesty International highlights the grave risk posed to activists around the world with this kind of surveillance technology."

Total 175 People Across the World Targeted by NSO Spyware

"At the time of writing, various reports indicate that up to 175 individuals may have been inappropriately targeted with NSO Group's spyware in violation of their internationally-recognized human rights," the researchers say.

"It seems clear that NSO Group is unable or unwilling to prevent its customers from misusing its powerful spyware tools."

Amnesty International, one of the most prominent non-profit human rights organizations in the world, claims one of its staff members has been targeted by a sophisticated surveillance tool made by Israel's NSO Group. The NSO Group is an Israeli firm that's mostly known for selling high-tech spyware and surveillance malware capable of remotely cracking into Apple's iPhones and Google's Android devices to intelligence apparatuses, militaries, and law enforcement around the world.The company's most powerful spyware called Pegasus for iPhone Android , and other mobile devices has previously been used to target human rights activists and journalists, from Mexico to the United Arab Emirates.Pegasus has been designed to hack mobile phones remotely, allowing an attacker to access an incredible amount of data on a target victim, including text messages, emails, WhatsApp messages , user's location, microphone, and camera all without the victim's knowledge.Now, the nasty spyware was used against one of the Amnesty International staffers in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, alongside another Saudi human rights defender based abroad, according to a new report published today.Amnesty says that one of its researchers focused on Saudi Arabia received a suspicious WhatsApp message in early June this year, details about a protest outside the Saudi embassy in Washington that supported "brothers" detained during Ramadan.The message also included a link purporting to be from an Arabic news website about the protest, but the London-based human rights organization traced the link to a site that it believes are linked to infrastructure used by NSO Group.A Saudi human rights defender also received a suspicious SMS message, which also carried malicious links to domains identified as part of that same network infrastructure used by NSO Group.Since Amnesty was unable to figure out exactly what the links were designed to deliver, the organization shared the text messages with the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, which has been tracking NSO spyware for over two years.After analyzing the messages, Citizen Lab said other similar malicious words have widely been shared across people in the Gulf region in WhatsApp groups and on Twitter at the beginning of June 2018.According to the research group, clicking on these links potentially infects the targets' phones with NSO Group's Pegasus spyware.Once infected, as I said above, Pegasus can do almost anything on an iPhone or Android device, including silently stealing messages, spying on phone calls, looking through the webcam and listening using the device microphone.Fortunately, the Amnesty staffer and the Saudi activist, whose names have not been revealed to protect their safety, avoided the infection by not responding to those messages.Citizen Lab said it had so far counted as many as 174 publicly-reported cases of individuals worldwide "abusively targeted" with NSO spyware, including 150 targets in Panama identified as part of a massive domestic espionage scandal across its former president.Amnesty's cybersecurity research team and Citizen Lab were also able to develop a "fingerprint" of NSO's attacks by rerouting targets from malicious links in messages to websites where attacks would launch, and found over 600 domains connected to NSO Group.Those 600 websites Amnesty identified are used to bait and spy on activists in different countries including Zambia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and Hungary, in addition to the Gulf.Project Dragonfly  Censored Google Search Engine

"Documents seen by The Intercept, marked 'Google confidential,' say that Google's Chinese search app will automatically identify and filter websites blocked by the Great Firewall," Intercept's journalist Ryan Gallagher said.

"The source said that they had moral and ethical concerns about Google's role in the censorship, which is being planned by a handful of top executives and managers at the company with no public scrutiny," Ryan said.

Found this article interesting? Follow THN on Facebook Twitter  and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.

After an eight-year-long absence from the most populated country in the world, Google search is going to dramatically make a comeback in China.Google is reportedly planning to launch a censored version of its search engine in China that is going to blacklist certain websites and search terms to comply with Chinese government's attempts to censor the Internet, a whistleblower revealed.According to leaked documents obtained by The Intercept, CEO Sundar Pichai met with a Chinese government official in December 2017 to re-enter the world's largest market for internet users.Since spring last year Google engineers have been secretly working on a project, dubbed "," which currently includes two Android mobile apps namedMaotai and Longfeione of which will get launched by the end of this year after Chinese officials approve it.The censored version of Google search engine in the form of a mobile app reportedly aims to "blacklist sensitive queries" and filter out all websites (news, human rights, democracy, religion) blocked by the Chinese government, including Wikipedia, BBC News, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Besides this, Google will also blacklist words like human rights, democracy, religion and peaceful protests in Chinese of its search engine app.The censorship will also be embedded in Google's image search, spell check, and suggested search features, which eventually means the search engine will not display Chinese users potentially "sensitive" terms or images banned by their government.Some 200 Google employees are working on the Dragonfly project, one of them spoke to the publication because he/she was "against large companies and governments collaborating in the oppression of their people."The whistleblower also expressed concern that "what is done in China will become a template for many other nations," as well and it will be "a big disaster for the information age."The news about Google's new move comes less than a month after Apple's Chinese data center partner transferred iCloud data , belonging to 130 million Chinese users, to a cloud storage service managed by a state-owned mobile telecom provider.To comply with Chinese law and work in the mainland China, Apple moved the encryption keys and data of its Chinese iCloud users from its US servers to local servers on Chinese soil earlier this year, despite concerns from human rights activists.Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.Multi-talented instrumentalist, Maxine Bender discusses his upcoming projects as well as detailing how his love for music has shaped his life.

Part of a new-wave of 'the young jazz generation', the Saxophonist showcases just why he, and his band, are at the forefront of Luxembourg's Music Scene. Copyright RTL/Crossfire 2018.Bet on Everton and get a deposit bonus with bet365 at TheFreeBetGuide.comLascelles emerges as fresh alternative to Mina

| Wednesday, 01 August 2018



The club have solid interest in Yerry Mina but have reportedly been frustrated in their attempts to sign him, with the Colombian international thought to be holding out for other offers, most notably from Manchester United who were looking at higher priority targets of their own.

In addition to Marcos Rojo and Ben Gibson, Everton are now being linked with Lascelles who is widely regarded as one of the best up-and-coming young defenders in the Premier League.

While the Magpies have been unwilling to spend any significant cash since they were promoted back to the top flight, they are likely to demand a steep price for one of their prized assets, with figures in the region of 35m to 40m mooted in the media.

Any sale of Lascelles is likely to ignite fresh protests against Mike Ashley and the Newcastle board, however, decreasing the likelihood that they would let him leave.

About these ads

 ToffeeWebMountain Shadows in Wayanad is just the place for a dreamy vacationProduction companies including Bunya Productions (Mystery Road), Tamarind Tree Pictures (Croker Island Exodus) and Inkey Media (Grace Beside Me) are amongst a range of Screen Australia funding announcements as part of the Indigenous Departments 25th anniversary celebrations.

20 recipients include two web series, eight short films, seven enterprises, a documentary project also received production funding and a web series. Amongst the names are Hunter Page-Lochard, Tony Briggs & Leah Purcell.

Supporting Indigenous screen story tellers is as vital as supporting the Indigenous businesses behind them. This funding is being distributed across a diverse group of strong Indigenous production companies who will use the financial support to strengthen Indigenous business planning as well as assist slate development through the employment of key business personnel, said Penny Smallacombe, Head of Indigenous at Screen Australia.

For 25 years the Indigenous Department has put our people in control of their own stories. The funding model has been incredibly successful and has even inspired other countries to do the same for their Indigenous creators. It is our key focus to ensure Indigenous people continue to be seen and heard across a variety of storytelling platforms, and most importantly that Indigenous screen businesses are being invested in to continue producing such significant work.

You can read more on this here.8 part UK action / espionage drama Deep State begins on SBS later this month.

The series about a former MI6 agent recruited back for one last job is set in the UK, USA, Iran, Lebanon and France with Aussie Robert Connolly (Balibo, Paper Planes, The Slap, Barracuda) directing the first 4 episodes.

It recently screened at the Sydney Film Festival and Series Mania festival.

SBS Director of TV and Online Content, Marshall Heald said: SBS has a proud heritage of bringing Australians the very best contemporary international drama from across the world and this original series from home-grown director Robert Connolly also feels incredibly relevant to the era were living in.

Deep State explores geopolitics, espionage and the dark excesses of government and global corporate power and is a gripping human drama.

Deep State is a gritty, intense and highly addictive espionage thriller that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats, questioning every scenario, every action and every motive. The eight-part drama premieres Wednesday 22 August on SBS and SBS On Demand.

Featuring the masterful direction of Australias Robert Connelly (Balibo, Paper Planes, The Slap, Barracuda), Deep State features a stellar ensemble cast including the Olivier Award-winning and BAFTA/Tony nominated actor Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Zero Dark Thirty), Joe Dempsie (Game of Thrones, Skins), Karima McAdams (Vikings), Alistair Petrie (The Night Manager, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Anastasia Griffith (Damages, Once Upon a Time) and Lyne Renee (Split).

Set in Britain, The U.S., Iran, Lebanon and France; the spy drama shows the merciless reality of the world of espionage, in which an increasingly rare conscience can get you, and the ones you love, killed.

The story centres around Max Easton (Mark Strong), an ex-spy whose past comes back to haunt him as he returns to the field to avenge the death of his son Harry (Joe Dempsie). Max soon discovers there is much more at stake, as he finds himself at the heart of a covert intelligence war and immersed in a widespread conspiracy to profit from the spread of chaos in the Middle East. Max enters into a very dangerous game, as powerful corporations show that they are willing to do anything to preserve their reputation and bury their secrets.

Wednesday 22 August, 9.30pm on SBS.On Sunday ABC screens Wrong Kind Of Black a docudrama on 1970s Indigenous DJ Monty Pryor, nicknamed, The Black Superman and his brother Paul, caught up in a world of cops, crocs and blood-spattered dance floors.

From the cops and the crocs of 1960s Palm Island to blood-spattered dance floors in 1970s Melbourne nightclubs, the story of afro bearing, flare wearing DJ Monty Pryor (Clarence Ryan) and his brother Paul (Aaron McGrath), is based on their real life experiences and brings a rare perspective to a tumultuous era in Australias history that resonates just as strongly today.

Monty, a Birra Gubba and Kunggandji man from Townsville, is working as a DJ in Melbourne at the height of the 70s disco inferno. Nicknamed The Black Superman, Monty spins tunes at the Albion Charles hotel, where he and his younger brother Paul rub shoulders with a motley crew of Russian mobsters and Aussie yobbos alike.

One night, a game of Russian roulette escalates into an accidental shooting and brings Monty face-to-face with an angry police officer. The all-too-familiar scenario transports Monty back to his childhood on Palm Island, where he and Paul learn for the first time that their culture is not tolerated and that the price of its preservation could be deadly. When a traditional celebration is stormed by armed police, Monty runs for cover into croc-infested water, praying to old Gods and new.

Its safer to face the crocs than risk the cops  and the lesson still holds true more than a decade later.

Production details:

Director: Catriona McKenzie; Executive Producer: Emma Fitzsimons; Producers: Andrea Denholm Kelly West, Melanie Brunt; ABC Executive Producers: Rick Kalowski, Andrew Gregory.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this program contains images and voices of people who have died.

9.25pm Sunday on ABC (4 x shorts will be available on iview from Sunday morning).Rake producers have confirmed the upcoming 5th season of Rake will be the last.

The ABC drama featuring Richard Roxburgh as Cleaver Greene as an independent senator, begins later this month.

In truth this marks the third time the show has indicated a last-ever season.

In 2012 when the second season was premiering Richard Roxburgh told me, our vision is that we should only do three and then that story will be done. Its certainly what we feel. You certainly dont want to be flogging a dead thing.

In 2014 ahead of the third season he said, We want to leave a good-looking corpse and leave something beautifully, so that there is no sense ever that weve tried to string it out and it gets watered down.

ABC sources assure this time it is the real deal, which should guarantee a rollicking season.

One year on from taking up residency in Canberra as a Senator in Federal Parliament, Cleaver (Richard Roxburgh) has old foes and new: Cleaver has a new nemesis in the formidable and right wing Senator Penny Evans (Jane Turner) and a new comrade in his COMCAR driver Jakub (Jacek Koman).

Nicole Vargas (Kate Box) is now Cleavers Chief of Staff, and Jack (Tasma Walton) lurks in the Parliamentary shadows, ready to make or break careers. David Potter (Matt Day) has made the transition to a Senator for the Greens and Cals arch rival and half-brother Joe (Mark Mitchinson) is the Leader of the Government in the Senate who, with Minister for Homeland Security Gareth Morrow (William McInnes), runs the government with an iron fist  or so he thinks.

Wendy (Caroline Brazier) is encouraged to set up her practice in the Capital, whilst Missy (Adrienne Pickering) somehow becomes Cleavers Press Secretary and, with Fuzz (Keegan Joyce) missing in action in Silicon Valley, she (and their daughter Winsome) move in with Cleaver. Cal (Damien Garvey) is fighting his own battles both at home with Jane (Sonia Todd), and at work with the appointment of Caitlin Farquhar (Sara Wiseman) as co-host of his show, until opportunity knocks and he is given both a seat and a ministerial portfolio, with the promise of something more.

With a suspected terrorist gas attack on New Parliament House, an unfortunate incident during a visit by US Defence Secretary Linus Potemkin (Anthony LaPaglia), calling for a banking boycott whilst dressed as a zebra, an assassination attempt, a defamation case, the fight to maintain an Aussie ice cream icon, and the ever-rotating Prime Ministers and BuzzStay guests  none of Cleavers ensuing chaos has abated  but will he step up to help Australia keep calm and carry on  in this the final season of Rake?

Written by Peter Duncan and Andrew Knight

Produced by Ian Collie, Peter Duncan, and Richard Roxburgh

Directed by Rowan Woods, Jennifer Leacey, Shannon Murphy and Matthew Saville

Filmed in Sydney and Canberra

Easy Tiger and Blow by Blow production for ABC produced in association with Create NSW.

8:30pm Sunday August 19 on ABC.The company of celebrity chef Adriano Zumbo has been placed in voluntary administration, according to a report.

Fairfaxs Good Food reported that administrators held a creditors meeting with Zumbo in Sydney on Wednesday.

Attendees at the meeting  who included a smattering of landlords and trade creditors  were told debts could reach as high as $10 million, Good Food said. But that could be offset by assets, including equipment and company-owned property, to the tune of $8 million.

The administrators confirmed that Zumbo stores will remain open and continue to trade.

In May 5 employees told A Current Affair they were owed thousands of dollars in unpaid overtime and superannuation,

Zumbo, who has fronted series for Seven and SBS, and appeared this week on MasterChef, will next judge for an upcoming Netflix series.

Source: SBSSeven CEO Tim Worner has floated the idea of banning Overnight ratings, as Free to Air viewing continues to fragment.

I dont believe we should provide overnight numbers, Worner told a ThinkTV forum this week.

I think we should provide overnight shares and then once we actually know what the total audience for a show is, thats when we should provide a number. Not before, when were actually providing a number thats misleading because its not the total audience of the show. You could know what a total is after seven days, after 28 days.

Dramas in particular are seeing big lifts as viewers watch them on their own schedules, while shows such as Love Island are attracting big numbers anywhere other than traditional broadcast.

The US has added Live+3 Day ratings to address similar concerns while Australia has 7 and 28 day data.

But 28 days in lieu of Overnights may make for difficult press reportage and could impact audiences being emotionally invested in their performance.

A 28 day limit would, in theory, mean this week reporting numbers for the Logie Awards, Buying Blind and Back in Time for Dinner. Would anybody still care?

This week networks backed a plan for a VOZ Total TV measurement in 2019 to track broadcast viewing on TV sets and connected devices. It will be in addition to existing overnight ratings and Video Play Measurement data.

Long-held calls to dispense with metro ratings in favour of a single national number are yet to be backed, along with questions about strategic coding of shows.

OzTAM is collectively owned by Seven, Nine and TEN.

Source: Australian Financial ReviewThis story sounds like something out of Oceans Eleven or a similar action movie. However, in this case, no one is rooting for the baddies. A couple of thieves snatched up Swedens priceless crown jewels from the cathedral in Strangnas in southeastern Sweden. The thieves then escaped the scene in a motorboat at around lunchtime on Tuesday.

Among the items stolen were King Karl IX and Queen Kristinas royal crowns, along with a precious orb. As reported by The Local in Sweden, the items had been on public display in the cathedral.

Robbers escape the scene of the crime in a motorboat

The Telegraph cites the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet as quoting a witness to the incident. The interview was in English and can be heard below. The man said one of his friends had seen two people running from the cathedral. He then spotted a little white boat with an outboard motor on the back. The two men quickly jumped on board the boat. The witness said he and his friends contacted the police, who told them the two men had stolen something from the cathedral.

According to Thomas Agnevik, a police spokesman, a police hunt was launched, using motorboats and helicopters. The spokesman said the stolen items were priceless. Speaking to Aftonbladet Agnevik said it was 1-0 to the thieves right now.

Agnevik said he had spoken to an employee at the county administrative board who told him it is impossible to place an economic value on the lost royal crowns and orb, as they are priceless and are also invaluable objects of national interest in the country.

Stolen items part of national cultural heritage

The dean of the Strangnas Cathedral, Christofer Lundgren, said the items were part of the countrys national cultural heritage and that this was a theft from Swedish society itself.

The Telegraph reports that the king and queens crowns date from the reign of King Karl IX, who ruled over the country from 1604 to 1611. The kings wife, Queen Kristina, was made Queen Regent when he died in October 1611. Queen Kristina didnt hold the crown for very long as two years later, her son reached legal age and became King Gustav II Adolf.

Swedish crown jewels stolen by thieves who got away on amotorboathttps://t.co/WcOsthlMoT  TIME (@TIME) July 31, 2018

As reported by The Local, their recent history relates to the crowns forming a part of the funeral regalia of King Charles IX, Gustavs son who was buried in the Strangnas Cathedral. Both crowns are made from solid gold and the kings crown was also decorated with silver, pearls and jewels. Both are considered priceless. The items had been locked in a display cabinet with an alarm. Police are asking any members of the public who have information about the theft to come forward.

This isnt the first time priceless royal treasures have been stolen in Sweden. Back in 2013 thieves stole the funerary crown and scepter of King Johan III in the city of Vasteras. However, police got lucky in that case, as the treasures were eventually discovered in two rubbish bags on the side of a highway after police received a tip-off.A poster of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) is seen at Koh Pich island in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 31, 2018. REUTERS/Samrang Pring

Thomson Reuters

By Prak Chan Thul

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) will form a new government within 60 days, its spokesman said on Tuesday, two days after a general election that critics called neither free nor fair, after the main opposition was disbanded last year.

King Norodom Sihamoni will invite all of parliament's new members-elect to a meeting to be held within 60 days of the July 29 vote, said ruling party spokesman Sok Eysan.

"After the meeting, a government will then be formed ... there will be a new cabinet," Sok Eysan told Reuters.

"It will be between September 25th and 26th."

Exiled former opposition leader Sam Rainsy called Sunday's election a farce.

"It was a farce, a sham election, it doesn't represent the will of the people," Sam Rainsy told Reuters during an interview at his Paris apartment.

The CPP has said it won all 125 parliamentary seats up for grabs in an election heavily criticized by rights groups, the United States and other Western countries.

As Western nations cool ties with Cambodia, regional powerhouse China remains a close ally. By far the biggest investor in Cambodia, it is also its biggest trade partner and has voiced support for the general election.

China's foreign ministry on Monday said it hoped the international community would remain supportive of Cambodia.

Referring to Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power for more than three decades, Sam Rainsy said China was the "only backer of such a totalitarian regime".

Critics call the election a step backward for democracy, following last year's dissolution of the main opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and the jailing of its leader, Kem Sokha, on treason charges.

"The lack of genuine electoral competition and the absence of an inclusive political process mean that the 29 July election is not representative of the democratic will of the Cambodian electorate, and therefore its outcome lacks credibility," the European Union said in a statement.

Story continues

Opposition members had urged voters to boycott the election. Invalid and spoiled ballots accounted for 8.4 percent of the 7.64 million cast, representing a protest against the election, the opposition and an analyst have said.

The White House said it would consider steps, such as an expansion of visa restrictions placed on some government members, in response to the "flawed" elections.

The United States has imposed visa curbs on some Cambodian officials over the crackdown and levied sanctions in June on a high-ranking official close to Hun Sen.

Still, the government appeared unruffled on Tuesday.

It will work to ensure economic growth and fight corruption, said its spokesman, Phay Siphan.

"Good governance, keeping high economic growth and peace and social stability are the goals for the new government," he told Reuters.

(Additional reporting by Michaela Cabrera in PARIS; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Clarence Fernandez)

See Also:iran bitcoin

Irans national currency has crashed to its record low against the U.S. Dollar as the country prepares to face economic sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.

The Iranian Rial, which was just beginning to gain momentum after years of depreciation, set a new low on Monday, trading on an average at 100,000 Rials on the black market. Many Iranians are now agitated that their economy will collapse. The sentiment has furthered because of Iranian authorities decision to impose restrictions on foreign currency transactions. The authorities have also started a crackdown on those attempting to circumvent restrictions by purchasing gold coins in the black market.

Stuck between a depreciating national currency and strict law enforcement agencies, some Iranians are reportedly turning to bitcoin and similar decentralized assets to elude sanctions. Since May 2018, when the U.S. announced its sanctions against Tehran, bitcoin trading volume within the country has experienced a marked uptick, though it is still far below the all-time high it set last December. Around the same time, local media had claimed that Iranians had sent over $2.5 billion out of their land to purchase bitcoin and other digital currencies.

localbitcoins iran volume

One Iranian, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that she has been purchasing some bitcoins every month out of her salary as a protective measure against U.S. sanctions.

I started purchasing Bitcoin, and even Ethereum, thinking Iranian central bank will not be able to resolve the poor economic situation, she told CCN. I had read many reports about Chinese and Venezuelan people doing the same at the time of their economic crisis.

She has also confirmed that Rial price dropped heavily against bitcoin in the underground market, stating she was asked the equivalent of as much as $20,000 to purchase 1 BTC by the same dealer who was selling it for $10,000 only the last month.

In international markets, the bitcoin price against USD is around $8,130 at press time.

Story continues

National Cryptocurrency a Solution?

Iran, despite banning bitcoin and similar digital currencies in April this year, had announced that it will launch its own national cryptocurrency. Just very recently, the Iranian government confirmed that they have created a national encryption key which would employ blockchain technology.

Nevertheless, U.S. believes that efforts to bypass their sanctions will be in vain, for they apply to people and organizations, not assets. The Trump administration has made clear that those who would form business ties with Iran would be enmeshed by sanctions.

A similar attempt made by Venezuela by launching an oil- and mineral reserves-backed cryptocurrency, the Petro, has not gone too well. It has dropped from its initial sale price of $60 to the current price of $16.50, with minimal demand from global markets.

Featured Image from Shutterstock



The post Irans Bitcoin Volume Soars as Rial Value Enters Death Spiral appeared first on CCN.

FILE PHOTO - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses parliamentarians from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey July 24, 2018. Cem Oksuz/Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS

Thomson Reuters

ANKARA (Reuters) - The threatening language of the United States will not benefit anyone, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, as relations between the NATO allies soured over the case of a U.S. pastor jailed in Turkey on terrorism charges.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey would not make compromises regarding the independence of the judiciary, and said the remarks of the "evangelist, zionist mentality" in the United States was unacceptable.

He also said his foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, would hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Singapore.

(Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Tuvan Gumrukcu)

See Also:An Alaska Airlines plane at a terminal. (Photo: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images)

Alaska Airlines is being accused of separating a gay couple so a straight couple could sit together.

David Cooley wrote on Facebook that while flying from New Yorks JFK Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, a flight attendant asked his partner to give up his premium seat for one in coach to accommodate a same-sex couples request to be next to each other. After Cooley, who is the CEO and founder of the iconic gay bar The Abbey in West Hollywood, Calif., explained that they were a couple and wanted to sit together too, the flight attendant reportedly said that Cooleys partner could move or get off the plane.

I have never been so discriminated against while traveling before, Cooley shared.

We could not bear the feeling of humiliation for an entire cross-country flight and left the plane, Cooley wrote. The flight time from JFK to LAX is roughly five-and-a-half hours. The couple ultimately took a Delta Airlines flight to reach their destination.

Cooley added that he would never again fly Alaska Airlines, or Virgin Airlines, which Alaska recently purchased. He also urged others to travel with LGBT-friendly airlines like Delta.

Many on Twitter shared their support for Cooley and vowed to take their business elsewhere.

I am a straight person, but I will be spending my travel dollars with airlines that don't discriminate against LGBT people. Shame on Alaska Airlines. Thank you for letting us know what happened so we can ALL make the right choice.  murly1054 (@murly1054) July 29, 2018

Making note and will not book on Alaska air  Jen (@onthetracksjen) July 30, 2018

How horrible to be treated this way. I will remember this and will not fly Alaska Air.  Julia Rose (@julepeace) July 30, 2018

According to a statement from Alaska Airlines released to Fox News, the incident was the result of a seating mistake and not prejudice.

Story continues

The full statement read: When boarding flight 1407 from JFK to LAX, a couple was mistakenly assigned the same seats as another couple in Premium Class. We reseated one of the guests from Premium class in the main cabin. We are deeply sorry for the situation, and are investigating the details while communicating directly with the guests involved to try and make this right. Alaska Airlines has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind, and our employees value inclusion for our guests and each other.

Cooley and Alaska Airlines did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyles requests for comment.

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Every person on board a Mexican plane that crashed after taking off in a blustery story managed to escape before fire engulfed the aircraft.

The Aeromexico jetliner smashed down into a field in Durango state after a gust of wind hit flight AM2431 as it took off from Mexico City.

The pilot of the plant was forced to abort take-off just as the plane left the tarmac.

Passengers said they heard a loud noise as the planes left wing banged to the ground, and both engines tore loose.

However, the plane stayed upright and the escape slides activated.

Red Cross workers and rescue workers carry an injured person on a stretcher as airline workers walk away from the crash site (AP)

Passengers expressed gratitude to be alive, but many were extremely shaken after the crash on Tuesday afternoon.

Lorenzo Nunez, a passenger from Chicago who fled the plane with his two sons and wife, said: It was really, really ugly.

It burned in a question of seconds.

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Survivors said the Embraer 190 plane smashed down into a nearby field but skidded to a stop virtually intact before bursting into flames.

Jaquelin Flores told El Sol: We felt the flames coming quickly there was a lot of smoke.

Romulo Campuzano, head of a political party in Durango state who was on the plane, told Foro TV that both wings were on fire as he bolted from the aircraft.

The Aeromexico jetliner smashed down into a field in Durango state (AP)

Durango state governor Jose Aispuro said it was too soon to speculate on the cause of the crash.

Mechanical failure and human error are said to be possible factors, while strong wind and heavy rain with marble-sized hail lashed Durango city, even damaging hangars at the airport.

Mr Aispuro said: The most important thing in the seriousness that is an accident of this nature is that there were no deaths  thats what is most encouraging for us.

After the accident, several passengers walked away from the plane before first responders arrived.

After the accident, several passengers walked away from the plane before first responders arrived (AP)

Some sought medical help, while others rushed home to loved ones. Officials spent much of the afternoon tracking down survivors to ensure that everyone was accounted for.

Story continues

Officials said 49 people had been taken to hospital  most with minor injuries. The pilot suffered the most serious injury, a cervical lesion that required surgery.

Durango state Health Ministry spokesman Fernando Ros said some people had burns on a quarter of their bodies.

Mr Aispuro said all were expected to live.

Aeromexico chief executive officer Andres Conesa described the day as very difficult and credited the timely reaction of crew and passengers for the lack of fatalities.

Officials said 49 people had been taken to hospital  most with minor injuries (AP)

He said: Our heart is with those affected and their families.

Mr Conesa said the passengers included 88 adults, nine children and two babies and the crew consisted of two flight attendants and two pilots.

He said the jetliner had been sent for maintenance in February and the crew was well-rested, having started their work day in Durango.

The web site Planespotters.net said the Brazilian-made medium-range jet was about 10 years old and had seen service with two other airlines before joining the Aeromexico fleet.

Operations were suspended at Durango citys Guadalupe Victoria airport after the crash.Europe could see its hottest temperatures ever this week (Rex)

Parts of Europe could reach as high as 48C this week  the hottest temperatures for the continent EVER.

Much of Spain is on alert as the countrys weather agency warns that temperatures could surpass 40C due to a hot air mass moving northwards from the African continent.

The Met Office has warned that the sizzling temperatures could reach as high as 48C in Spain and Portugal over the next few days.

Temperatures could reach as high as 48C, according to the Met Office (Met Office)

Iberia is not the only place seeing high temperatures, in fact much of Europe will see a rise in temperatures by Friday pic.twitter.com/Uj6yY0Nl6K  Met Office (@metoffice) July 31, 2018

They tweeted: Temperatures across Iberia could beat the all time continental European record of 48C.

Spains Meteorological Agency says eight provinces in the southern Andalusia region and around Madrid are under high risk because of the heat wave hitting the country starting on Wednesday.

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Two dozen more provinces are also on a lower level of alert, with the agency saying that the mercury could hit 44C in three major river valleys on Thursday and Friday.

Authorities are warning against venturing outdoors during the peak sunny hours of the day and advising citizens to drink water and keep houses and vehicles as cool as possible.

Nearly 11,000 voluntary firefighters, police and soldiers are on standby in Portugal in case wildfires break out.

Southwest France will also face soaring temperatures, while the UK is also set to see temperatures in the low 30s before the weekend, after a brief respite of cooler weather.

The UK is also set to get scorching again before the weekend (Met Office)

The Met Office added: Summer looks set to return to all parts through the next few days with a steady rise in temperatures.

Story continues

However, temperatures are expected to cool down again by Sunday.



Transense Technologies told investors on Wednesday that it had topped its performance from a year earlier thanks to solid rental income growth throughout the last reporting period.

The AIM-listed firm revealed that results in the second half of its financial year were in line with the first half and that full-year revenues were slightly ahead of the prior year and over 40% ahead of the prior year when excluding the revenue collected from the licensing of its Surface Acoustic Wave technology to General Electric in 2017.

Transense will enter the new financial year with a monthly recurring operating lease rental revenue more than 200% higher than at 1 July 2017 as a result of a pick-up in large mining haul trucks using its iTrack tyre monitoring system.

The firm closed the year with cash of 1.6m and no debt.

Graham Storey, Transense's chief executive, said, "We have continued to make good progress with both the rental stream from iTrack II and sales of Translogik's tyre probes."

"SAWSense revenue has fallen during the period, however, the level of activity remains positive," Storey added.

As of 1120 BST, Transense shares had dipped 1.41% to 35p.UK negotiators warned Brussels that about 7,000 European-based investment funds could be under threat if the bloc refuses to change its position on the City of London after Britains exit from the European Union.

The implicit threat to the EUs interests was made by a delegation to Brussels led by Katharine Braddick, the Treasurys director-general for financial services to the European Commissions negotiators last week, the Guardian reported.

The UK requests that all sectors of the City of London continue to operate after Brexit as they do today or European investment funds could face similar obstacles in the British market.

Currently, the EU proposes an equivalence regime which is applied to US financial services. The British government argues that the system does not cover enough sectors to provide assurances to UK-based banks and fund managers.

Stephen Jones, the chief executive of UK Finance, said: It is encouraging to see both sides making progress on discussions over future market access and agreeing on the need for close regulatory co-operation, which is crucial for our shared financial stability.

If the UK follow the EUs model and does not grant the 7,000 EEA-domiciled funds easy access to the British market, there could be a three-year buffer to allow them to make necessary changes to their operations under current plans.

A government source told the Times: This was not intended as a threat. Rather, we wanted to set out what both sides could lose if we dont get a good deal, and it was received in that spirit.Rightmove 's fees are likely to come under pressure as struggling estate agents become unwilling to swallow price increases, Berenberg analysts said.

Berenberg cut its rating on Rightmove shares to 'buy' from 'hold' and cut its price target to 4,100p from 4,150p.

Rightmove's customers are estate agents that pay to display properties on the site. Those agents are feeling the heat from a stagnant housing market and pressure on margins from hybrid competitors and an oversupply of agents.

A new letting fee ban from 2019 will add to their woes. The government's estimate of a 10,000 annual cost per agent is about the same as a Rightmove subscription, the Berenberg team, led by Robert Berg, said.

All this is happening as Rightmove tries to shift its revenue growth towards price increases for its estate agent customers  a risky plan, Berenberg said.

"We have for some time been of the view that a business model so reliant on price increases is ripe for disruption," the analysts said.

"Clearly, Rightmove has built a position whereby it has strong pricing power and highly recurring revenues  However, with traditional agents margins under pressure from a whole host of structural factors, macro uncertainties and increasing competitive pressures we believe the current share price and consensus estimates fail to appropriately reflect reality."

Elsewhere, Berenberg upgraded its rating of 4imprint from 'sell' to 'hold' citing the direct marketing outfit's "momentum", despite recent short-term supply chain issues.

The promotional products specialist reported a declining return on marketing investment for the first half of the year and lower gross margins, which fitted in with Berenberg's previous 'sell' thesis apart from the fact that the issues were not related to competition.

Instead, supply chain issues arose from major suppliers struggled to cope with 4imprints step-change in growth as a result of recent market investment, meaning the company had to resort to paying four to five times more for secondary air freight suppliers.

However, with the supply chain issues now resolved during the second half of the year and revenue higher than expected, Berenberg analysts see the FTSE Small Cap-listed firm as having good "momentum" for the rest of the year.

As such, analysts upgraded the target price for shares of 4imprint from 1,400p per share to 1,925p.

"Following the company's FY17A results, we were apprehensive about its ability to deliver comparable returns on incremental marketing spend on new television and radio campaigns. Through highly selective and local campaigns, however, 4imprint has been able to achieve this," said Berenberg's broker note.

The analysts stated that the approach is "clearly paying off" as new customer orders are up by 13% year on year and organic revenue growth is up by 17%.

European asset managers are facing better conditions in the second half of the year, UBS said on Wednesday, suggesting UK funds Schroders and Ashmore would benefit most.

UBS claimed that 2018 has emerged as "a positive year" for active equity fund managers, which have topped their benchmark by a weighted average of 22 basis points, bang on the 44bp annualized average annual outperformance.

On the other side of things, UBS highlighted that passive funds had generated an average underperformance of nine basis points, weaker than the 14bp of average relative annual underperformance over the past five years.

Research by the Swiss bank's Quant Team highlights the fundamental reasons why a higher volatility environment should be expected that will lead to an increasing dispersion of returns: "In an environment where the dispersion of single stock returns increases, data show active managers outperform their benchmarks (as a group), after fees. While improving relative performance amongst active fund managers is unlikely to reverse the trend of fund flows into passive strategies, we do think that it may serve to mitigate/slow the shift to passive funds."

The broker believes Schroders has been "well positioned" to generate long-term, over-the-cycle shareholder value for its investors and that Ashmore's exposure to emerging markets debt will continue to drive higher client inflows across the second half of the year.

UBS reiterated 'buy' ratings on both UK fund managers with a target price of 3,113p for Schroders and 362p for Ashmore.

Examining the performance of more than 7,500 equity investment funds sold into Europe in the first half of 2018, UBS felt confident the "positive start" to the year would continue throughout the second half.Sterling was little changed on Wednesday as traders sat on their hands ahead of the string of key risk-events that they had lined-up before them for over the next few days.

Those included the US central bank's policy announcement later in the same session, the Monetary Policy Committee's decision on rates the next day and the monthly US jobs report, on Friday.

Similarly too, traders in the other main currency pairs typically played it safe ahead of the release of the US non-farm payrolls report each month.

Against that backdrop, as of 1800 BST the pound was drifting 0.08% lower against the US dollar to 1.31128, seemingly brushing-off a report in the Financial Times that the EU was ready to 'fudge' an agreement with London on the terms of Brexit.

The pound was however higher versus the US dollar, adding 0.13% to 1.1242.

Traders were also unfazed by a dip in IHS Markit's manufacturing sector Purchasing Managers' Index for July, which printed at 54.0, which was down from a reading of 54.3 for the month before.

Indeed, analysts at both Barclays Research and Pantheon Macroeconomics appeared to be confident that it would not be enough to sway the MPC from deciding on a rate hike the next day.

Furthermore, and as Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics pointed out, the BoE had never failed to meet market expectations for a hike when it was almost fully priced-in, as at present, and certainly not without top officials having come out beforehand in an attempt to re-set expectations.

At present, the market-implied odds of a 25 basis point hike in Bank Rate, on Thursday, stood at 90%.

As for the other main currency pairs, euro/dollar was down 0.22% to 1.16650 and dollar/yen off by 0.10% to 111.694.

The US dollar spot index meanwhile was gaining 0.10% to 94.64, with the Greenback strengthening on the back of reports that the White House might be set to ratchet-up the pressure on Beijing regarding trade, possibly before the end of the week.The Tesla ex-technician who was sued by the company in June for allegedly sabotaging the firm and making potential threats has countersued the company on claims of defamation.

"Whistleblower" Martin Tripp said Elon Musk defamed him when he told the media Tripp had threatened a mass shooting.

Tripp was sued by the company in June 2018, just days after Musk sent an e-mail saying an employee had engaged in damaging sabotage against the computer systems.

In the lawsuit, Tesla accused Tripp of hacking, theft, and making false claims to the media about punctured battery cells and excess scrap material for the Model 3 vehicle. Tripp answered back saying he was not a saboteur but a whistleblower.

Musk then told the media that Tripp had also threatened the company with a mass shooting. Although the local sheriffs department had said on the following day that "there was no credible threat".

The counterclaim was filed in a federal court in Nevada on Tuesday and Tripp is seeking at least $1.0m and punitive damages for claims of defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The whistleblower complained he has experienced health problems such as anxiety and nausea and has trouble sleeping as a result of the company's actions.

The claim reasserts Tripps concerns over "high levels of waste and scrap", "unnerving, dangerous and wasteful business practices" and "punctured battery modules". It also alleges that Tesla never received a call saying Tripp would carry out a shooting.

"Our client, Martin Tripp, has been wronged by Tesla in more ways than one," said Robert D. Mitchell, an attorney representing Tripp.The UK government is ready to act alone against tax evasion by digital giants such as Google and Facebook if attempts at a global solution fail, the UK Treasury said on Wednesday.

Currently, the government is working with the EU and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development which advises on international taxation to establish a global system that would reduce tax evasion.

The financial secretary to the Treasury, Mel Stride, said the UK is ready to introduce a digital revenue level in the case that global solutions on tax avoidance fail.

Stride was speaking in the wake of figures from the "Google tax" introduced in 2015 showing that the system put in place to crack down on multinational companies' tax avoidance had brought in 388m last year, up from 31m three years ago.

"We have a strong preference for moving multilaterally in that space but we have said that in the event that that doesnt move fast enough for us then that this is something we could consider doing unilaterally, or perhaps with a smaller group of other tax authorities," he told The Guardian.

He also stressed that action might be taken in spite of the US' increasingly protectionist policies against foreign countries targeting their Silicon Valley firms.

The new tax could open up the companies' UK sales to HMRC whereas they currently only paid tax on profits. In Googles case, it paid around 50m in corporation tax on its UK profits this year of just over 200m, but its annual sales in the country stand at around 5.7bn.America has ratcheted up the pressure on China even as representatives for the US Secretary of the Treasury and Chinese vice-premier Liu He are reportedly holding contacts aimed at trying to restart trade talks.

Overnight, Bloomberg reported that Donald Trump had instructed the US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, a 'trade-hawk', to raise the proposed tariff on a further $200-bn-worth of Chinese-made goods from 10% to 25%, citing people familiar with the discussions within the US administration.

The public comment period for those levies was scheduled to end on 30 August and might not go through afterwards, the same people reportedly said.

Public hearings were scheduled for 20-23 August.

That was on top of the 25% tariff on $16bn-worth of Chinese goods that could go into effect as soon as Wednesday, after the public comment period for that expired at midnight on Tuesday, and the 25% tariff on $36bn-worth of goods which had already been implemented in early July.

Nevertheless, it was possible that the $16bn-worth of tariffs might be delayed for weeks as the US decided exactly which exports would be targeted.

In fact, Bloomberg reported that if China agreed to the concessions being asked of it then the White House might back-off from further tariffs.European Union heads of state or government will meet with many of their Asian counterparts in mid-October, the European Council announced.

In a statement, the Council said the 12th bi-yearly Asia-Europe Meeting would be held in Brussels on 18-19, October, and would focus on trade and investment, connectivity, sustainable development and climate, and security issues including terrorism and non-proliferation.

According to the EU, the 30 European countries and their 23 counterparts from the Far East accounted for 55% of global trade and 60% of the world's economy and population.European bourses were enjoying mixed fortunes on the first morning in August, as manufacturing data disappointed and US trade tensions were revived.

The Stoxx 600 benchmark was down 0.15% to 391.03 after almost two hours of trading on Wednesday, as the DAX declined 0.1% to 12,788.62, Italy's FTSE MIB fell 0.6% and Spain's Ibex 35 dipped 0.2%.

France's CAC 40 was the only major European index not in the red, up 0.14% to 5519.0 as its was the only manufacturing sector to surprise on the upside in IHS Markit's latest set of purchasing managers' index surveys.

Germany and the eurozone also saw July manufacturing PMIs increase, but Spain's fell to a 10-month low and Italy's dropped substantially, significantly more than expected by markets, although at 51.5 remained above the 50 mark that is supposed to indicate growth.

Germanys manufacturing PMI flash release for July was revised down to 56.9 from 57.3, but that still leaves it higher than June's 55.9.

France's PMI index was revised up 53.3 for July from the flash reading of 53.1, rebounding from a slow second quarter and up from June's 52.5. Output and new orders growth both accelerated for the French manufacturing sector, with business confidence also improving.

The one blip for France was a drop in export orders amid

global trade tensions.

International trade was making headlines again as the White House ratcheted up the pressure on Beijing following the midnight expiry for the US to decide whether or not to impose tariffs on a further $16bn-worth of Chinese imports.

The Trump administration said it was considering levying tariffs of 25% on an additional $200bn-worth of goods from China, instead of the 10% tax that had previously been threatened.

The announcement does comes fresh on the back of private discussions reportedly taking place between the US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who are apparently seeking ways to re-engage on trade.

According to one person familiar with the decision-making process in the US, Washington was said to be attempting to secure "certain concessions" and if China agreed then it was possible that it would back off from further tariffs, Bloomberg reported.

Following PMI surveys for most of Europe, including five Russia, Turkey, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, emerging Europe economist Liam Carson at Capita Economics said the manufacturing data suggested these economies made a soft start to the third quarter and provide "evidence that price pressures are building across most of the region".

In company news, Volkswagen was lower despite confirming its 2018 guidance and beating expectations for second-quarter profits, with management warning about growing protectionism and a "volatile second half" due to new emissions regulations. The German car manufacturing colossus reported an increase in net profit to 3.23bn from 3.04bn a year earlier on revenues up 3.4%, beating the consensus analyst forecast of 3.21bn compiled by FactSet.

New chief executive Herbert Diess, who settled into the driving seat in April, said "great challenges lie ahead of us in the coming quarters" - especially regarding the transition to the new Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle test procedure, which comes into effect on 1 September in Europe and could affect availability of certain models, sales and earnings.

"We need to prepare a volatile second half of the year, particularly due to the WLTP," said chief financial officer Frank Witter.

ThyssenKrupp shares fell after it issued a profit warning late the day before. The German industrial giant, which saw its chief executive and chairman resign earlier in July after several years of restructuring and pressure from activist shareholders, said it now expects adjusted operating profit at the bottom of its earlier guidance range of 1.8bn to 2bn.

BNP Paribas, France's largest listed bank, rose initially but dropped into the red despite second-quarter net profit and revenue beating forecasts. Net profit rose to 2.39bn from 2.4bn a year earlier thanks to strong gains from international financial-services division offsetting weaker results at its investment banking arm.

Wolters Kluwer, the Dutch information-services provider, tumbled even though first-half profit rose 32% but revenue fell 6.9%. Profits were boosted by the disposal of a number of assets.Fresh trade threats from the US administration against Beijing and a weaker-than-expected reading for a key survey on Chinese manufacturing are offsetting the positive news out of US tech giant Apple , sending London-listed stocks sharply lower.

Also lost among the trade headlines was a report in the Financial Times that Brussels was now willing to 'fudge' the Brexit negotiations in order to help Prime Minister Theresa May avoid a 'no-deal' outcome and to obtain approval in Parliament.

May was set to meet with her opposite number in France, Emmanuele Macron, on Friday.

Overnight, and citing three persons familiar with the deliberations taking place on the Potomac, Bloomberg reported that Donald Trump was pushing for the US to levy tariffs of 25% on an additional $200bn-worth of goods from the Asian giant, instead of the 10% tax previously proposed.

The aim was to secure "certain concessions" and if China agreed then it was possible that the Trump administration would back off from further tariffs.

Be that as it may, as of 0905 BST the FTSE 100 was giving back 51.68 points or 0.67% and trading at 7,697.08.

Also weighing on sentiment, Caixin's China factory sector purchasing managers' index printed at 50.8 for July, which was down from 51.0 for June (consensus: 51.0).

On a more positive note, in after-hours trading in New York on Tuesday, shares of Apple tacked on another 4%, pushing them to a fresh 52-week high and closer to a market capitalisation of $1.0trn.

The manufacturer of the iconic iPhone reported better-than-expected quarterly results and soundly beat analysts' prediction for an average selling price for its iPhones of $693, flogging them at $724 per unit instead.

Back in UK news, on Wednesday morning Nationwide reported that house price gains accelerated from a 2.0% clip for June to a 2.5% pace in July (consensus: 1.8%).

That came alongside news from BRC-Nielsen that shop price deflation in Britain eased last month to -0.3% from -0.5% in June, as food prices rose more quickly.

Still ahead on Wednesday evening was the US Federal Reserve's policy announcement, at 1900 BST, although no changes in policy were anticipated given that no press conference was scheduled for after the release of the policy statement.

In the words of analysts at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch: "The August FOMC meeting is likely to be a non-event for the rates market as well, with virtually no chance of an August rate increase but close to a 95% likelihood of a 25bp hike in September."

Paul Donovan at UBS was in a similar frame of mind, telling clients: "The US Federal Reserve is next in the list of major central banks offering policy pronouncements. The Fed's policy is painfully transparent to the point of being boring. The Fed says what it will do, slowly and clearly, and then does it. This is not the meeting to raise rates. The comments on the longer term outlook offer the only hope of excitement."

Of more immediate concern, in the early part of the session the market spotlight will be on the result of IHS Markit's key UK manufacturing sector purchasing managers' index, at 0930 BST.

Later in the session, the focus will shift to consultancy ADP's monthly private sector payrolls report in the States, at 1215 BST, followed by the ISM manufacturing sector survey, also in the US, at 1500 BST.

Rio Tinto shares largesse with shareholders

Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto said first half profits rose 12% as it announced a massive $7.2bn (5.49bn) in shareholder returns from buybacks and asset sales. Underlying profit for the first six months was $4.42bn as the the interim dividend was lifted by 15% to $1.27 a share.

Smurfit Kappas first-half profit jumped by almost half after the corrugated packaging company fought off an attempted takeover by International Paper of the US. Operating profit before exceptional items for the six months to the end of June rose 48% to 529m (471m) as revenue rose 5% to 4.4bn. Pre-tax profit rose 70% to 416m while earnings before interest, tax and other items increased 27% to 724m.

Trading at Next slowed more than expected in the second quarter as the high street clothing group's online and overseas sales was not enough to totally offset the persistent decline from its stores. For the 26 weeks to 28 July, full price sales rose 4.5% with online sales growing 15.5% and retail sales down 5.3%. Full year guidance was maintained.

Lloyds Banking Groups first half profit jumped 23% as the bill for payment protection insurance and other compensation costs almost halved. Pre-tax profit for the six months to the end of June rose to 3.1bn from 2.5bn a year earlier as income rose 2% to 9.5bn. The cost of PPI and other remediation programmes fell to 807m from 1.59bn.

Direct Line saw gross written premiums slip 5% in the first half, it said on Tuesday, to 1.61bn, while direct own brand premiums grew 3.3%, driven primarily by continued growth in motor. The FTSE 100 company said that, normalised for weather, operating profit was up slightly, with the first half also including 49m of benefit from revised Ogden reserve releases. It said a headline decline in operating profit of 56.6m over last year was driven by higher weather-related claims.

Market Movers

FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,705.44 -0.56%

FTSE 250 (MCX) 20,798.13 -0.38%

techMARK (TASX) 3,582.84 -0.13%

FTSE 100 - Risers

Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) 3,206.00p 2.43%

Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 63.75p 2.20%

Shire Plc (SHP) 4,405.00p 1.24%

Smith (DS) (SMDS) 509.40p 1.07%

Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 257.20p 0.70%

Scottish Mortgage Inv Trust (SMT) 537.89p 0.63%

SSE (SSE) 1,255.50p 0.44%

Taylor Wimpey (TW.) 175.55p 0.34%

Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) (CCH) 2,741.00p 0.26%

Kingfisher (KGF) 297.40p 0.24%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Next (NXT) 5,622.00p -5.29%

Rio Tinto (RIO) 4,049.50p -3.50%

Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 332.80p -3.23%

Rightmove (RMV) 4,744.00p -2.61%

Micro Focus International (MCRO) 1,218.50p -2.52%

Glencore (GLEN) 326.47p -2.40%

BHP Billiton (BLT) 1,716.60p -2.17%

Fresnillo (FRES) 1,017.50p -2.07%

Rentokil Initial (RTO) 333.10p -1.83%

St James's Place (STJ) 1,183.50p -1.82%

FTSE 250 - Risers

Aggreko (AGK) 825.40p 11.06%

Man Group (EMG) 180.10p 3.80%

Sirius Minerals (SXX) 37.38p 2.75%

Virgin Money Holdings (UK) (VM.) 405.70p 2.32%

Ted Baker (TED) 2,244.00p 1.72%

Entertainment One Limited (ETO) 364.40p 1.67%

On The Beach Group (OTB) 450.00p 1.47%

CYBG (CYBG) 350.60p 1.45%

IG Group Holdings (IGG) 933.00p 1.36%

Provident Financial (PFG) 679.00p 1.34%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

BBA Aviation (BBA) 304.40p -13.03%

Capita (CPI) 145.60p -10.12%

Contour Global (GLO) 218.00p -4.39%

Kaz Minerals (KAZ) 813.80p -3.85%

Games Workshop Group (GAW) 2,908.60p -2.88%

Centamin (DI) (CEY) 115.60p -2.86%

Energean Oil & Gas (ENOG) 510.00p -2.67%

Thomas Cook Group (TCG) 93.55p -2.45%

Weir Group (WEIR) 1,904.00p -2.28%

IMI (IMI) 1,214.00p -2.25%BAE Systems reported an order backlog of 39.7bn at the end of its first half, with 9.7bn of orders in the first half - down from 10.65bn year-on-year.

The FTSE 100 company said the backlog did not yet include the initial contract on the SEA 5000 programme, or the contract for the supply of Typhoon and Hawk aircraft to Qatar, both of which were expected in the second half of the year.

Sales stood at 8.8bn for the period - down 3% on a constant currency basis, which the board said was a result of reduced Typhoon production activity.

Underlying EBITA was 874m, down 6% on a constant currency basis, but marginally better than the consensus forecast of 845m despite around 60m of charges.

Underlying earnings per share were off 2% to 19.8p, or up 2% on a constant currency basis. BAE said it expects 2018 underlying EPS to be in line with 2017's 42.1p assuming a sterling-dollar rate of $1.35.

The group said its effective tax rate for the first half of the year was 16.5%, compared to a rate of 23% in the same period last year.

On an IFRS basis, BAE said revenue decreased 5% at constant currency to 8.2bn, while operating profit dropped 11% to 792m, or 7% on a constant currency basis.

Basic earnings per share were off 17% to 14.8p.

The group said its share of the pre-tax accounting net pension deficit reduced to 3.0bn, from 3.9bn at the end of December.

BAEs board declared an interim dividend of 9.0p per share - up 2% year-on-year.

On the operational front, BAE noted that in March, the UK government signed a memorandum of intent with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a bid to finalise discussions for the purchase of 48 Typhoon aircraft.

In March, contracts worth AUD 1.0bn (0.6bn) were agreed for the upgrade and sustainment of the Jindalee Operational Radar Network upgrade programme in Australia.

Following that, in June the Commonwealth of Australia selected BAE Systems as the preferred tenderer for the design and build of nine ships for the Future Frigate programme for the Royal Australian Navy.

In July, the UK government announced its Combat Air Strategy, under which the UK government and industry would jointly invest in next-generation combat air systems.

BAE Systems said it and the Government of the State of Qatar signed a contract in December for the supply of 24 Typhoon aircraft to the Qatar Emiri Air Force, along with a bespoke support and training package, which was extended to include nine Hawk aircraft, along with an initial support package.

That contract was subject to financing conditions and receipt by the company of first payment.

Discussions have progressed and a number of milestones achieved, including the issuing of a Royal Decree relating to Qatar's financing of the contract, the BAE board said on Wednesday.

Financing discussions are in progress and, when successfully concluded, it is anticipated first payment would be received in the third quarter of 2018.

In the maritime division, BAE said Andrew Wolstenholme had been appointed to lead the business with a focus on programme schedule and cost performance.

The group secured the full 1.5bn contract in March for delivery of the seventh Astute Class submarine, and a further 0.9bn of funding on the Dreadnought programme from the Ministry of Defence.

It said the first of the five Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), HMS Forth, completed sea trials in December.

BAE did note that short-term performance issues on the programme were being addressed, which were expected to result in cost growth, with a loss provision of 15m being recognised in the first half.

Maritime performance was also impacted by more conservative margin trading on the aircraft carrier programme.

In electronic systems, BAE said it secured further awards for APKWS laser-guided rockets, worth $399m.

Demand for its products in the electronic systems business was said to be growing, with the portfolio well aligned with the new US National Defense Strategy published earlier this year and its customer requirements.

The business had a record order backlog at 30 June of $7.1bn (5.3bn).

For platforms and services, BAE said that in June a contract worth $198m was secured for the US Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle programme, with options for a total of 204 vehicles worth up to $1.2bn.

The US Ship Repair business received orders totalling $607m in the first half of 2018.

A further charge had been taken in the first half of the year on the final commercial ship, the board noted.

The group has taken the decision not to pursue new contracts for the Mobile, Alabama, shipyard, resulting in non-recurring impairment and other charges of $45m in the first half of the year.

Challenges with a subcontractor on the Radford facilities programme also required a charge to be taken in the first half of the year.

Other than for that item and the commercial shipbuilding charges, return on sales performance for the platforms and services US business would have been in line with the 2017 half year for the segment, the board claimed.

Finally, in its applied intelligence business, BAE said the restructuring actions taken to return the business to profitability were taking hold, and the business achieved a much improved first half performance.

We have made good progress in the first half strengthening the outlook through significant wins on the Australian SEA 5000 and US Amphibious Combat Vehicle programmes, said chief executive Charles Woodburn.

These, combined with the launch of the UK Combat Air Strategy, provide good momentum into the second half and beyond.

Woodburn said that operationally, there had been some notably strong performances in BAEs electronic systems and air sectors, but also some disappointments on certain long-standing programmes in maritime and platforms and services, where the firm had now taken steps to strengthen management and improve programme execution.

In this transition earnings year, our group earnings guidance is maintained and, with a large order book and a positive outlook for defence budgets in a number of key markets, we have a strong foundation to deliver growth and sustainable cash flow.Bank of Georgia Group announced on Wednesday that its bank subsidiary, JSC Bank of Georgia , had attracted more GEL-denominated funding as it signed a GEL 160m loan agreement with Dutch development bank, Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij Voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO), with a tenor of five years.

The FTSE 250 company said the local currency loan facility would reinforce the growth of the bank's local currency-denominated loan portfolio, which underlined its commitment to support further de-dollarisation of Georgia's economy.

FMO raised the local currency funds through a public placement of GEL-denominated bonds on the Georgian Stock Exchange arranged by Galt & Taggart - Bank of Georgias wholly owned brokerage arm.

I am very pleased that Bank of Georgia and FMO have resumed their long-term co-operation and successfully arranged a local currency facility, said Bank of Georgia chief executive officer Kaha Kiknavelidze.

We continue to direct our resources at raising GEL-denominated funding for our customers and strengthen our long-term partnerships with development financial institutions in the process.

I would like to congratulate FMO on issuing their first GEL-denominated bonds in Georgia and sincerely thank them for choosing Bank of Georgia as their trusted counterparty in the local currency transaction.

Linda Broekhuizen, FMO's chief investment officer, added that the groundbreaking local currency facility marked the first time that FMO nhad issued a GEL-denominated bond in Georgia.

We are proud to partner with Bank of Georgia in this local currency transaction which supports the desired de-dollarisation process in Georgia, stimulating the local economy and capital market development.Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto said first half profits rose 12% as it announced a massive $7.2bn (5.49bn) in shareholder returns from buybacks and asset sales.

Underlying profit for the first six months was $4.42bn as the the interim dividend was lifted by 15% to $1.27 a share.

The returns to shareholders include $3.2bn from operations, and $4bn from asset sales.

Consolidated sales revenue was $19.9bn, up $0.6bn year-on-year, with increased volumes of iron ore, bauxite and copper and higher prices for aluminium and copper, offsetting the impact of lower iron ore prices and the divestment of Coal & Allied.

Rio said it shipped 88.5m tonnes of iron ore in the second quarter of the year, up year on year, due to improved productivity and better weather.

It added that it saw additional cumulative free cash flow of $5bn from the start of 2017 to the end of 2021 from mine-to-market productivity improvements, including $400m in the second half of 2018.

Capital expenditure was expected to remain at around $5.5bn in 2018 and around $6bn in 2019. Capex for 2020 was revised to around $6.5bn from $6bn.Cyclicals were at the bottom of the pile on Wednesday, with Miners and interest rate sensitive utilities seeing the steepest falls.

Stoking selling in the former group, overnight Bloomberg reported that the US President had instructed his country's trade representative to raise the proposed tariff that Washington was readying on another $200bn-worth of Chinese goods from 10% to 25% with an announcement possible in the next few days.

Those tariffs were not yet a given but nevertheless led to a swift response from China, where officials warned the White House against "bullying".

Company-specific news was also impacting on the sector, with Rio Tinto's share price caving-in after the miner unveiled a record interim dividend of $2.2bn, even as it topped-up its share repurchase programme with another $1.0bn in funds.

To take note of, together with higher outlays on capital expenditures, that meant net debt was set to jump from $3.85bn in the comparable year-ago period to $5.23bn.

Gold-digger Centamin was also faring poorly.

Sentiment towards the Egypt-focused miner had soured of late, as reflected in the build-up in short positions in the 'yellow metal' of late to reach record highs.

However, analysts at UBS had a somewhat constructive view on the metal underlying Centamin's fortunes.

"Gold net positioning has fallen to the lowest level since January 2016 and now looks very lean at 13% of the all-time high. This should ultimately be supportive for gold, allowing ample space for positions to be rebuilt ahead. But for now, there is a clear lack of buying interest amid limited catalysts from the macro space for now," the Swiss broker told clients.

"The gold market needs a stronger signal and/or signs of a response from physical markets amid cheaper prices  either is unlikely until after the typical summer holiday lull. Comex volumes dipped noticeably in the first half of July, and although there's been a pick-up of late, we would expect subdued activity to resume over the next few weeks."

As for utilities, they were coming under pressure as 10-year Treasury note yields in the US hit 3.0% again.

Meanwhile, stock in Next was dragging on General Retailers after the fashion retailer said that recent hot weather had simply brought forward spending on merchandise usually purchased in August.

In Industrial Transportation, it was BBA Aviation that was on the move after the company reported an 11% fall in interim pre-tax profits to $76.2m (58.7m) citing higher exceptional charges.

Underlying profit rose 4.5% to $140.2m as revenue increased 14% to $1.02bn and the interim dividend was lifted 5% to 4 cents a share. Free cash inflow was $57.9m higher at $114.5m.

Top performing sectors so far today

Forestry & Paper 23,843.38 +1.00%

Financial Services 10,865.05 +0.64%

General Industrials 6,951.30 +0.39%

Chemicals 16,798.66 +0.11%

Beverages 22,480.95 +0.09%

Bottom performing sectors so far today

Industrial Transportation 3,187.37 -4.64%

Mining 18,138.30 -2.65%

Gas, Water & Multiutilities 4,763.69 -2.45%

Leisure Goods 7,295.46 -2.34%

General Retailers 2,445.87 -2.17%Amber Portwood and her boyfriend, Andrew Glennon, have been dating for an entire year. After meeting on the set of "Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars Family Edition" last summer as Portwood attempted to repair her past relationship with ex-fiance Matt Baier and Glennon worked behind the scenes, Portwood and Glennon began their whirlwind romance and quickly announced that they were expecting their first child together.

While it was widely reported at the time that the "Teen Mom OG" star had begun dating Glennon before her romance with Baier officially ended, she always denied any such thing and her latest anniversary post seems to confirm her previous statements.

"One year from yesterday I met this amazing man and it is truly a dream! Happy 1 year Anniversary baby," she wrote on August 1 on her Instagram page from Glennon's home in Malibu, California.

When did Amber and Andrew confirm their romance publicly?

As fans of the longtime reality star may recall, Portwood and Glennon wasted no time going public with their romance and on August 27, 2017, the couple made their red carpet debut at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles. Before that, Portwood and Glennon made their relationship social media official with a romantic post on Portwood's Instagram page on August 17.

Although Amber Portwood was fresh off of a breakup from Matt Baier after years of dating, she wasted no time getting serious with the Malibu-based cinematographer and in September of last year, just weeks after going public, she learned she was expecting her second child, the first for Glennon, during a getaway in Hawaii that was filmed for the seventh season of "Teen Mom OG."

Amber and Andrew welcomed a son in May

After confirming their baby news in late 2017, Portwood and Glennon became mom and dad to a healthy baby boy named James and since his arrival, they've both been sharing plenty of photos of him on their social media pages.

As fans of "Teen Mom OG" well know, Portwood is also mom to nine-year-old Leah Shirley, who she shares with her former partner Gary Shirley.

Amber Portwood, Andrew Glennon, and their co-stars (including Bristol Palin, Maci Bookout, and Catelynn Lowell) are expected to return to MTV this fall for "Teen Mom OG" season eight. When the show returns, fans of the long-running series will meet baby James for the very first time and see plenty more of Portwood and Glennon's romance.After the Singapore summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, the hermit kingdom had begun dismantling portions of its nuclear facility located at Sohae satellite launching station. However, it seems North Korea is also working simultaneously to build two more ICBMs at Sanumdong, on the outskirts of Pyongyang. This is a different location as informed by US Intelligence officials.

Daily Mail UK reports that the setup that is building these new intercontinental ballistic missiles is the same that had built North Koreas first rocket that could reach America.

Subsequent to the summit, Donald Trump was confident that he had been able to convince Kim Jong-un to abandon his nuclear ambitions. He had gone to the extent of announcing that Pyongyang was no longer a nuclear threat, and its work on building new missiles goes against the spirit of the Trump-Kim agreements.

Trump makes all the best deals.https://t.co/anojN3pTll via @nbcnews  David Berkson (@DavidBerkson) August 1, 2018

The two Koreas want to ease tensions

Officials from North Korea have met their counterparts from South Korea to ease tension along the borders. This was the second meeting since June at Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone (DMZ). It is believed to have been a part of follow-up action as decided in the inter-Korean summit of April.

The ICBM that is being built is the liquid-fueled Hwasong-15. This information is based on various images that are available with U.S. Intelligence and pertain to the movement of vehicles and people in the vicinity of the facility. The White House has not commented on this, but U.S. and South Korean intelligence agencies are investigating the matter.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

At the Singapore summit, Kim Jong-un had committed to work towards denuclearization.

Of course, satellite images have revealed that North Korea has initiated work to dismantle the missile setup at Sohae satellite launching station. This site is believed to have contributed towards building the Norths ICBM program. This is according to 38North, which has released the recent satellite images taken on July 20 and July 22.

Intentions of North Korea are not clear

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un had met in Singapore, they discussed denuclearization ain, at the end, Trump made the announcement that Pyongyang was no longer a Nuclear Threat. However, the country has still not disclosed its plans to ensure fulfillment of its commitment.

According to the Washington Post, latest reports appears to indicate that North Korea is still involved in work related to its nuclear and missile facilities. This does not suggest an expansion of the its capabilities but does show that work has not been abandoned. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has acknowledged during a recent Senate testimony that factories in the North continue to produce fissile material used in making nuclear weapons.Zimbabwe parliamentary election results were declared free and fair by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. The Hindustan Times reported that "the ruling Zanu-PF party had won a majority of seats in Parliament." The Movement for Democratic Change supporters were enraged and believed the results were not fair. They began protesting in the main streets of Harare. The military was called in. eNCA News reported that shots could be heard from the downtown area. Now, there are photos and reports of people shot dead, or injured emerging from the opposition members and activists for change.

The bright new hopes of Zimbabwe elections see blood in the streets

The hope of so many people for a bright future were shattered, as pictures emerged on Twitter of people lying bleeding in the streets. Those people in opposition to ZANU-PF and current President Ed Mnangagwa are critical, saying that this is what people should expect from a government who used the military to take over in a coup.

Sky News Australia confirmed people were taking cover in the streets as ammunition was used to dispel the protesters. While they did not confirm if they used live bullets or rubber bullets, the people were shouting to each other to lie down, get down and not stand up as they were caught in the crossfire.

The video below shows the mayhem in the streets as people of all colors huddled behind whatever cover they could find.

#BREAKING: Civilians were forced to take cover after multiple shots were heard as supporters of Zimbabwe's main opposition party marched through Harare to protest the country's election result.



MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK #pmlive pic.twitter.com/DWwF79Y4HU  Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) August 1, 2018

Mnangagwa called for peace on Twitter

In the meantime, President Mnangagwa took to his Twitter, calling for people "to desist from provocative declarations and statements.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

We must all demonstrate patience and maturity, and act in a way that puts our people and their safety first. Now is the time for responsibility and above all, peace."

At this crucial time, I call on everyone to desist from provocative declarations and statements. We must all demonstrate patience and maturity, and act in a way that puts our people and their safety first. Now is the time for responsibility and above all, peace  President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) August 1, 2018

But activists for change and general people in the public felt deeply angry that the Zimbabwe elections have resulted in blood in the streets and complain that the military should not have been involved.

Some of the people injured by Zim soldiers after protest over election results in Harare CBD #ElectionsZW #Zimbabwe #ZimDecides2018 #ZimElections2018 pic.twitter.com/yysQVOyZ1I  Povo Zim (@povozim) August 1, 2018

Activist says on Twitter that as many as five people may be dead

Patson Dzamara, a leading activist, and the brother of Itai Dzamara who was abducted and disappeared under the ZANU-PF Mugabe Regime said as many as five people may be dead. It's not possible to confirm it but he did post up some disturbing photos.

I am told that so far 5 people have been killed by the army in Harare CBD.

So sad. pic.twitter.com/W6CIRxx6Zw  Patson Dzamara (@PatsonDzamara) August 1, 2018

Some people slammed the MCD for protesting

There were some angry people who slammed the MDC for taking protest action in the streets.

They alleged that the protesters had gotten out of hand by looting and setting fire to cars in the streets.

Rigged or not, leaders cautioned premature optimism

During the elections, responsible activists did tweet out that people should not be prematurely optimistic that the MDC would win the parliamentary votes. But people with a history of poverty and political oppression didn't want to wait. As the counts came in, they wanted to believe they were done with ZANU-PF. That probably accounted for the bitter disappointment that followed.

Meanwhile, there is still hope that Nelson Chamisa, the MDC front-runner will get the popular vote as president.

Whatever the outcome, today is a sad day as the police who usually deal with protests were called back and the army was sent in.

Situation turned violent when Zim police were asked to stand down & army took over.



Why send army with guns & tankers to deal with a protest by unarmed civilians#ElectionsZW #Zimbabwe #ZimDecides2018 #ZimElections2018 pic.twitter.com/aQsUn5KEEE  Povo Zim (@povozim) August 1, 2018

It was wrong to burn things and damage property, but as one tweeter said, the people simply have no faith in taking things through the proper channels.

I don't think burning down things is the way to go - but after 20+ years of being civil and trying to challenge through the courts, just how many alternatives are there *really*?



Don't talk to me about "proper channels" bc we all know those don't exist in Zimbabwe.  boasy brazy. (@__Bheki) August 1, 2018

The way forward is going to be difficult, no matter who becomes the president

The electoral commission is still sifting through and checking the presidential election votes and it was reported that announcing the results will be delayed. Nevertheless, whoever wins will be taking the helm in Zimbabwe under difficult circumstances. There is blood in the street, distrust and anger before the dawn of a new day has even begun in Zimbabwe.Rusty Rouillier held up a plastic bottle filled with orange-tinted water.

Imagine waking up in the morning, turning on the water faucet to brush your teeth, and seeing this liquid pouring out, she asked a group of people gathered inside Room F in the Graduate Life Center.

I wouldnt drink this, said Rouillier, a rising Virginia Tech senior and civil engineering major, referring to the bottle filled with iron water. Her example was based on research that she conducted for 10 weeks this summer about the use and effectiveness of household water filters.

She is one of seven students who spent the past few months doing research at Virginia Tech as part of a new research scholarship initiative, the Clare Boothe Luce Program. Earlier this year, the program, which is part of the Henry Luce Foundation, gave $300,000 to the university to fund research for female undergraduates in science and engineering for the next three years.

Its purpose is to encourage women to pursue academic and professional careers in science, math, and engineering.

The first-ever cohort of Clare Boothe Luce Research Scholars presented the results of their summer work on July 27 during Virginia Techs Multicultural Academic Opportunities Programs Research Symposium. For the past 26 years, this program, which administers the Luce grant, has offered 10-week summer sessions for diverse students from colleges and universities across the country. The students conduct research with Virginia Tech professors and learn how to navigate the graduate school application process. Forty students in all presented their summer research projects on July 27.

The Clare Boothe Luce Research Scholars plan to continue their research work beyond this summer.



For the past few months, Rouillier worked in a university lab run by Marc Edwards, the Virginia Tech professor who exposed the 2015 water crisis in Flint, Michigan. She used different water solutions to test filters and studied everything from the cost to the convenience of installing certain filters.

It was the first time that she has had complete ownership of a lab project from its beginning. In past lab work at Virginia Tech, she mainly worked on projects that were assigned to her.

Rouillier has a personal connection to water quality research. When she was in third grade, her family relocated to Virginia from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina destroyed their home. The experience led her to study civil engineering in college, and she said she hopes to eventually become a research professor, focusing on water quality.

The gist of civil engineering is serving others, she said, adding that shed like to move back to New Orleans one day to work in water quality.

For Jordan Pritchard, another Virginia Tech student who received Clare Boothe Luce Research funding, this past summer was her first time diving into an in-depth lab project. Pritchard, a geology major in the Department of Geosciences in the College of Science, researched the loss of oxygen in parts of the ocean by looking at past episodes and studying sediment samples.

This research has caused me to be more interested in graduate school, said Pritchard, a rising junior who came to Virginia Tech with plans to become a geologist. I now know that I enjoy lab work.

Written by Jenny Kincaid BooneA new Monmouth University poll indicates another competitive special election is coming up next Tuesday, this time in Ohio's 12th congressional district. The Republican nominee, State Senator Troy Balderson leads by just one point over Democratic nominee Danny O'Connor, who is the Franklin County Recorder. Monmouth's prior poll of the race had Balderson up by 10%. Other recent polling has also shown a close race, although

The seat has been vacant since January, when former Rep. Pat Tiberi resigned his seat. This Central Ohio district leans Republican - Tiberi won reelection by 36% in 2016, while Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by 11%. It has not elected a Democrat since 1980.

Regardless of who wins on Tuesday, these two will meet again in the November general election for a full two-year term in the 116th Congress that begins in January.Joanna Biggs in The New Yorker:

You look at a dark immigrant in that long line at JFK, Kailash, the protagonist of Amitava Kumars new nonfiction novel, Immigrant, Montana (Knopf), says of his fellow New Yorkers. You look at him and think that he wants your job and not that he just wants to get laid. In 1990, Kailash arrives in New York City from the eastern-Indian city of Ara to study literature; sex for him has gone only as far as a fleeting topless shot at the movies before the censors cut. John Donne, in To His Mistress Going to Bed, imagined his lovers body as his America, awaiting discovery; Kailash is hopeful that America the beautiful can be explored through its womens bodies.

Getting laid has always been a way that outsiders have attempted to conquer (and to write about) the big city, from Tom Jones to Frederic Moreau to Alexander Portnoy. Kumar himself arrived at Syracuse University in the late eighties from Delhi via Ara; he is now a professor at Vassar and has written six books of nonfiction, one of poetry, and a previous novel. The new book falls between genres. Its aim is not to tell a story, exactly, but to create a portrait of a mind moving uneasily between a new, chosen culture and the one left behind. Kailashs journey toward sexual integration in the West is cast (to quote the authors note) as a work of fiction as well as nonfiction, an in-between novel by an in-between writer, complete with multiple epigraphs, pictures, footnotes academic and digressive, and both pop-cultural and literary-theoretical references. So the form of Immigrant, Montana calls to mind works by Teju Cole (to whom the book is dedicated), Sheila Heti, and Ben Lerner. Can we believe in the immigrant who happens to write in the hippest, Brooklyniest form going? What sort of outsider knows the rules so preternaturally well?

More here.Tim Requarth in Slate:

If you consider yourself to have even a passing familiarity with science, you likely find yourself in a state of disbelief as the president of the United States calls climate scientists hoaxsters and pushes conspiracy theories about vaccines. The Trump administration seems practically allergic to evidence. And its not just Trumpplenty of people across the political spectrum hold bizarre and inaccurate ideas about science, from climate change and vaccines to guns and genetically modified organisms.

If you are a scientist, this disregard for evidence probably drives you crazy. So what do you do about it?

It seems many scientists would take matters into their own hands by learning how to better communicate their subject to the masses. Ive taught science communication at Columbia University and New York University, and Ive run an international network of workshops for scientists and writers for nearly a decade. Ive always had a handful of intrepid graduate students, but now, fueled by the Trump administrations Etch A Sketch relationship to facts, record numbers of scientists are setting aside the pipette for the pen. Across the country, science communication and advocacy groups report upticks in interest. Many scientists hope that by doing a better job of explaining science, they can move the needle toward scientific consensus on politically charged issues. As recent studies from Michigan State University found, scientists top reason for engaging the public is to inform and defend science from misinformation.

Its an admirable goal, but almost certainly destined to fail.

More here.First defined only in 1821 by a French physician, menopause had historically been treated with everything from opium to acupuncture. Then, in 1942, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals introduced an estrogen pill called Premarin, whose name was derived from its primary ingredient: pregnant-mare urine.

Premarin sales soared until the 1970s, when it was linked to an increased risk of endometrial cancer. When, however, it was combined with a second hormone, progestin, estrogen treatment was deemed to be safe and effective. Backed by a 1984 National Institutes of Health assertion that estrogen was the most effective means to prevent bone loss, the hormone again became the drug of choice to help ease hot flashes, night sweats and a host of other menopausal symptoms.

By the 1990s the American Heart Association, the American College of Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists all agreed that estrogen was an effective shield against both osteoporosis and heart disease in older women. In 1992, Premarin became the best-selling drug in the country, and it maintained its popularity through the end of the century, with about a third of those prescriptions written for women who were well past menopause.

As estrogen therapy grew in popularity, further studies seemed to confirm its safety and efficacy, and HRT reigned as the gold standard for menopause management  until July 2002. Thats when a bombshell hit the medical establishment. Initial results from the Womens Health Initiative (WHI)  a study of some 17,000 postmenopausal women between ages 50 and 79  revealed that a certain combination and dosage of estrogen and progestin was riskier to womens health than anyone had understood. On this particular regimen, significantly more women were dying of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and breast and ovarian cancer. This was a complete turnaround from what doctors had believed for more than a half-century.

Suddenly, women were scared and confused, says JoAnn Manson, chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. In addition to her thriving practice in internal medicine, Manson was a WHI investigator and was as surprised as everyone else by the studys results. Like every other clinician in this country, I was inundated with calls and visits from patients. Almost overnight, some 80 percent of American women who had been using hormones stopped cold turkey. Sales of Prempro, the estrogen-and-progestin combination used in the trial, plummeted. Once touted as a treatment that helped maintain or restore youthful exuberance to a womans body, mind and sex drive, HRT was now considered deadly.

But according to Manson, a few years after the initial WHI results were announced, investigators began to realize that those early interpretations had been wrong, at least partially. Yes, women 60 and older who started hormones more than a decade into their menopause had a higher incidence of death and disease. Thats in part because many women who are over 60 already suffer from the very conditions that HRT might preempt. But this is not necessarily true for women under 60 or for women who entered menopause less than 10 years before beginning treatment.

In fact, an 18-year follow-up look at the WHI study, published last year in JAMA, reported that women ages 50 to 59 who took HRT had a lower mortality rate than was found among those in the control group, who were not taking hormones. Across the board, the HRT participants in their 50s were less likely to die of heart disease, cancer or any other cause than were those in the no-HRT control group.



Over the past several years, a series of studies have also revealed that abruptly halting HRT, especially for younger users, can be harmful to womens health. Researchers from the University of Southern California looked at women 60 and older who had been prescribed HRT prior to the release of the WHI study. They found that those who stopped taking HRT after the study came out had a 55 percent higher risk of hip fracture than those who continued treatment. Another study, from Yale, extrapolates that more than 91,000 women ages 50 to 59 who had hysterectomies and were not prescribed estrogen died prematurely from cardiovascular disease between 2002 and 2012.

Ongoing research seems to confirm that, when properly applied for an appropriate period of time (as determined by a patients personal medical history), hormone replacement therapy can have wide-ranging benefits. A Queen Mary University of London study, published in March, indicates that postmenopausal women on HRT for an average of eight years had better cardiac health and improved blood flow through their heart chambers than did those not receiving the therapy. Once people get an idea in their minds that something is not good, its very difficult to change, even with evidence, says Philip M. Sarrel, professor emeritus of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive services, and of psychiatry, at the Yale School of Medicine.

The new window for HRT  and its limits

The current thinking of many experts is that HRT should be used primarily as a short-term solution for symptoms of menopause  and, furthermore, only when necessary. And based on the evidence of a link between breast or ovarian cancer and HRT in some forms of usage, doctors in most cases will look for alternatives if a patient has a family history of either of those cancers.

Estrogen is the best treatment for symptoms, says epidemiologist Deborah Grady, interim director of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. But going back to the pre-2002 days, when estrogen was given as a matter of course to aging women, would be a mistake, she adds.



At the time of the WHI trials, Grady notes, women were being put on estrogen for prevention of heart disease and fracture, and left on treatment for life. I believe that when vasomotor symptoms [such as hot flashes] resolve, HRT should be stopped. She recommends that women who use HRT discontinue treatment each year, under the supervision of a doctor, to see if their symptoms can be managed without the medicine.



Many professional medical societies, such as the American Heart Association, agree that the blanket use of estrogen is a mistake. In December 2017 the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against hormone replacement for the prevention of chronic disease in menopausal women. We found that, overall, in the balance of benefits and harms, this has more harm than benefit, says David Grossman, a Seattle pediatrician who chairs the task force. We want to make clear to the public and to primary care clinicians that the long-term use of these drugs is harmful.



Even Manson, who advocates hormone use when appropriate, warns of its risks in older women if they are not evaluated thoroughly for safety. And despite studies that show that HRT, when started early, has been helpful in staving off chronic disease, Manson reiterates that it should not be used for the exclusive purpose of trying to prevent heart disease, cognitive decline and other chronic diseases of aging. But despite those caveats, Manson asserts that there is an array of treatment options available for women who would otherwise benefit if it werent for the general lack of education around HRT in the medical community. There is a whole generation of women not getting answers about the benefits and risks of different treatments, she says.



Take, for example, products such as Estring or Vagifem, localized estrogen treatments for urogenital atrophy, which can cause a dry, itchy vagina, painful sex, and incontinence. Although these specific medications were not tested in the WHI and are formulaically much different from the estrogen used in the trial, they continue to carry physician warning labels that cite the increased risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer that was originally associated with that study. It really does a disservice to have that on there, says Carolyn Wilson, a gynecologist at the Midlife Health Center at the University of Virginia.

People think, its gonna cause heart attack, stroke, blood clots, breast cancer, and they dont take it, says Wilson, who in November testified before the Food and Drug Administration to lobby for new labeling for localized estrogen. And while just 25 percent of women with vaginal atrophy get treated for it, taking topical estrogen could in fact bring multiple health benefits: When researchers reviewed the records of nearly 46,000 women in the WHI who did not take oral estrogen, they found that those who instead used vaginal estrogen experienced a 61 percent lower risk of heart disease and a 60 percent reduction in hip fractures than did those who used nothing.

Menopause treatments that work for you

Oral estrogen has been the standard since the 1950s, but doctors have a number of other options to offer:



Transdermal estrogen. Absorbed through the skin, transdermal estrogen plunges directly into the bloodstream, so it requires less medication than when taken in pill form.

Localized estrogen. This is the safest and most effective treatment for genitourinary symptoms. Proponents claim that it has very little risk, despite carrying a warning label.

SSRIs. You dont have to be depressed to get benefits from an antidepressant. If hot flashes are constantly hijacking your thoughts, you might find relief from a low-dose mood enhancer such as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.Prosecutors have dropped the case against a Curry County jail officer accused of raping an inmate in 2016.

Christopher Riviers was charged with two counts of criminal sexual penetration and one count of voyeurism in August 2016.

A New Mexico State Police spokeswoman said at the time that the victim reported the rape once she was transferred out of the Curry County Detention Center.

Riviers was arrested and the court case proceeded for nearly two years, according to online court records.

All the charges were dropped in May of this year after prosecutors couldnt get in touch with the victim, according to court records.Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

SAN FELIPE PUEBLO  The top housing official in President Donald Trumps administration toured a low-income housing subdivision about 30 minutes north of Albuquerque on Tuesday  his first extensive opportunity to visit a tribal reservation since taking office.

In meetings closed to the press, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson toured a 30-unit development built with help from low-income housing tax credits, and he met with about a dozen tribal leaders from throughout New Mexico at San Felipe Pueblo Day School.

He joked about the lack of grass and heard from the pueblo governor about a shortage of housing.

San Felipe Pueblo Gov. Anthony Ortiz said the tour and meeting were a chance to educate Carson and others about the need for funding and services.

The subdivision they toured, Ortiz said, isnt big enough for the number of people in need.

It really concerns me  alarms me  when theres multiple families living in one home, Ortiz said.

He and Carson met briefly with reporters after the tour. U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, the Republican candidate for governor, also attended.

Carson said it was his first really extensive opportunity to visit a reservation since taking office, though he said hed visited a tribal area in Montana earlier.

The administration, he said, is working on finding ways to get more people trained and get more people real skills, so they can be involved in the building of their own homes, their own neighborhoods  but acquire the kind of skills that give them the independence to basically be self-sufficient in all areas of life.

Carson said it was important for him to hear firsthand from tribal leaders about their most pressing problems and how the federal government can help.

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 but withdrew from the race in March of that year.

He joined the Trump administration about a year later as secretary of housing and urban development.

Pearce said Tuesday that he is sponsoring efforts to reauthorize a federal program that provides block grants to tribes to address housing needs. The program has passed the U.S. House twice in recent years, he said, but failed in the Senate.

If we can find more funding, Pearce said, the number of people needing homes on reservations is pretty dramatic.

Marg Elliston, chairwoman of the state Democratic Party, accused the Trump administration of using government resources to put on a fake congressional event, miles outside of Pearces district.

Pearce is competing with U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, in the race for governor.It took the intervention of a U.S. congressman from New Mexico to get the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District to clean out a long-neglected South Valley drainage ditch  even though the MRGCD claims it has been providing regular maintenance on the ditch twice a year.

At a Monday news conference in the South Valley, adjacent to the Isleta Drain, Theresa Baca, president of the Atrisco Viejo Neighborhood Association, and Patricio Dominguez, association vice president, thanked Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., for getting the project done, even though the area is not in Pearces district.

I heard a very simple request from people who live in the South Valley and wanted the ditch cleaned up, Pearce said. I asked if they tried to meet with the conservancy district and they said theyd been trying.

Pearce said he contacted the conservancy district and was told the ditch was no longer used for irrigation and agriculture, and was primarily now a flood control ditch.

They said they were going to turn the ditch over to the local flood control board (Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority). I said, You havent done that yet, its still yours, so lets get it cleaned up.'

The just completed cleanup took nearly a month and involved about 15 MRGCD employees using excavators, mowers and trucks working from Central Avenue to Blake SW, a distance of about three miles. The debris included large household appliances and furniture.

Within the 120-foot wide easements, the ditch itself is about 30- feet wide and about 12-feet deep in most places. Water flows through it year round and it is home to fish and turtles, and attracts ducks and other birds, said Jerry De Lara, a supervisor for the MRGCD in the South Valley.

De Lara said many tons of debris were removed from the ditch, though he didnt have an exact number, and that conservancy district employees clean, mow and perform maintenance on it twice a year.

Baca, however, said the Isleta Drain has been mostly ignored and poorly maintained for decades.

The neighborhood association called upon Pearce for help because Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., in whose district the ditch lies, was unresponsive to invitations to attend a June gubernatorial candidate forum where South Valley issues were discussed. Dominguez said he sent the invitations to both Lujan Grishams congressional office as well as her campaign office.

She would have been aware that the ditch cleanup was a South Valley priority if she was present or even sent a representative, he said.

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, and Pearce, a Republican, are their parties nominees in the New Mexico race for governor.

Its unfortunate that this group did not reach out to the congressional office for assistance regarding this matter, said James Hallinan, communications director with New Mexicans for Michelle. Had they done so the congresswoman and her staff would have been able to assist them.

Lujan Grisham has participated in more than 1,700 constituent meetings, and her congressional office has handled more than 6,000 constituent cases and responded to 350,000 contacts, he said. On the day of the forum, the congresswoman was visiting a Red Cross victim site in Eagle Nest in connection with the Ute Fire, Hallinan said.CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect that an arrest warrant has been filed for Omar Cordero but the teen is not currently in police custody.

Police say three teenagers orchestrated an attempted robbery-turned-homicide that unfolded in a southwest Albuquerque cul-de-sac last April and claimed the life of a 20-year-old man.

Gabriel Martinez, 15, and Omar Cordero, 16, are facing charges in connection to the April 20 shooting death of Clifford Patterson in what police are calling a drug deal gone wrong.

Martinez was booked into the juvenile detention center on an open count of murder and detectives filed an arrest warrant for Cordero, who is charged with attempted robbery.

Albuquerque police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said detectives are still looking for a third suspect, possibly named Damian, but did not elaborate further. Gallegos did not say why the two teenagers face different charges and the complaint does not clearly state who police believe actually shot Patterson.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, officers responded to the shooting around 4 p.m. on the 9700 block of Gemstone SW, near 98th and Central.

Police say a man called 911 to report his friend, Patterson, had been shot in the head. Patterson died at the scene.

The man told police he and Patterson had agreed to sell a quarter-pound of marijuana to Martinez through Facebook messenger and arranged to meet in the cul-de-sac.

Police say when Patterson and his friend drove up, Martinez, Cordero and another teen got into the back seat.

Pattersons friend told police they had just showed them the marijuana when one of them reached into his pocket, pulled out a gun and shot Patterson in the back of the head.

Police say Pattersons friend was able to grab the gun from the teen and jump out of the car but the teens were stuck in the backseat because the child locks were on.

According to the complaint, one of the teens broke out a window and crawled out of the car while the others shot at Pattersons friend from the backseat.

Police say Pattersons friend returned firehitting Martinez twice in the legsuntil the gun jammed and the three fled the scene.

Pattersons friend told police he chased the teens but they jumped a wall and got away, so he threw the gun under a bus bench and went to try to revive Patterson.

Police say Martinez showed up to the hospital with two gunshot wounds, one to each leg, soon after.

After the hospital, Martinez was taken to the police station where he told officers he, Cordero and another teen named Damian had been planning to rob someone for a few weeks and they were just supposed to rob them, not kill anyone.

Police say Martinez denied shooting anyone or even being armed and that after he heard a shot the driver jumped out of the car and began shooting into the backseat.

Martinez told police he escaped and was picked up by two women, who drove him to the hospital.

On May 1, a resource officer at Atrisco Heritage High School called police to say Martinez and Cordero had been overheard by an employee talking about the shooting during in-school suspension.

The employee told police he heard Cordero say he saw (Pattersons) brain splatter during the slaying, that Martinez also got shot and Corderos father told him not to say anything about the incident.

Afterwards, police obtained search warrants for Martinez and Pattersons Facebook accounts, finding messages from Martinez to others asking to borrow a gun to rob someone before asking for help committing the robbery.

In one message, police say Martinez wrote we gunna(sic) shoot him bro and take everything followed by a laughing face emoji.

The conversation continued, indicating that Martinez thought the robbery was fun, an officer wrote.Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

Leaving the sounds of bombing and an ongoing war behind, Mahdi Hossainis family vacated his birthplace of Ghazni, Afghanistan, about six years ago.

Albuquerques landscape isnt too dissimilar from Ghazni  from what Hossaini can remember.

The 15-year-old, who speaks four languages, including English, and is currently learning a fifth, knows what it means to be a refugee in the Albuquerque Public Schools system, telling the Journal he has seen firsthand refugee students being pushed to the next grade without actually having achieved a grade-level education.

But the Highland High School junior doesnt feel like he has a voice at the table with the district.

And when he tried to offer input to APS on its pilot newcomer program  an extra class that caters to students who dont speak English or Spanish, specifically languages spoken by refugees, according to APS  he didnt feel heard. The program, which was years in the making, is slated to launch this fall at La Mesa Elementary School.

His message was what half a dozen other speakers and a crowd of supporters were aiming to get across Monday night.

In solidarity with Mondays call to action, Immigrant and Refugee Resource Village of Albuquerques Nkazi Sinandile, who left South Africa in 1981, stood outside of APS headquarters Tuesday morning at a daylong protest and hunger strike, saying she plans to be at the offices until 8 p.m.

Im hoping to let (APS) know we want a peaceful dialogue, she said, adding she wants the district to listen to the families and children who would be utilizing the newcomer program.

She was joined by up to 15 others throughout the day including six APS students, who were refugees from Africa. The kids are members of the Matunda Ya Yesu African Choir and sang outside APS headquarters as part of the protest.

At the Partnership for Community Action building Monday night, New Mexico Asian Family Center, Global 505 and other immigration and refugee support organizations called for a voice in the program that would directly affect their communities. APS Board of Education members Barbara Petersen and Candelaria Candy Patterson were also in attendance.

The program is open to all students to apply, but it is geared toward students who dont speak English or Spanish, aiming to build a linguistic foundation and help establish a formal education culture, explained Kris Meurer, executive director for APS Student Family Community Support Division.

In its pilot stages, the newcomer initiative was modeled after a Denver program and a U.S. Department of Education guide for refugee students, Meurer said, highlighting research, site visits to Denver and extensive meetings that went into the program.

But Tammy WilkersonHill-Fisher, with Immigrant and Refugee Resource Village of Albuquerque, said her organization has had meetings with APS, too, giving insight on what immigrant and refugee students needed  such as more accessible translators in the schools, transportation or resources for high school students  but she said her input wasnt implemented. Instead, she said the district moved forward with a kindergarten through sixth-grade program, saying APS gave the community what they thought they needed instead of executing stakeholders thoughts.

Sinandile emphasized high school students need to be the focus because their time in APS is dwindling. She added that their access to free education is about to expire as graduation approaches and they will soon enter the workforce. And she noted learning English is more of a challenge for that age group than it is for young children.

Meurer told the Journal that Van Buren Middle School is also participating in the program on a smaller scale and the goal is to get the program into other middle schools and high schools as soon as possible, adding its still in the early stages and can be tweaked. She also noted the program is voluntary.RE: Abuse tracking system a dinosaur, legislators told (July 18)

We reacted with a knowing nod, mixed with deep frustration, reading about the dinosaur child abuse tracking system of CYFD. We are intimately aware of the systems shortcomings, having worked in the CYFD Research, Assessment and Data Bureau  the unit for analyzing the data that was meant to inform all field work and central office. Not only was the data system referred to by staff as held together by duct tape and Band-Aids, but it is a deeply flawed system that could at any moment crash and lose vital information impacting our states most vulnerable children and families.

We want to stress to lawmakers who always seem to be asked to fund yet another system or upgrade, to put a hold on that request. Its not that a new system is not urgently needed  it is and needed yesterday  but this data system is part of a much larger and more systemic problem  CYFD is not run in a data-driven manner.

While very good-hearted employees work earnestly to make sure kids are safe, the culture of CYFD is one of reaction and in many cases, making decisions based on hunches, opinions and politics. It is not a system that is capable of data-driven decision-making in a real way.

In order to address both the software and decision-making challenges, we advocate for a very different type of child welfare system  one we called in our book Anna, Age Eight: The data-driven prevention of childhood trauma and maltreatment, Child Welfare-version 2.0.

Child Welfare 2.0 is a new way of thinking about how the challenging work of child protective services can be done in a data-driven, technology-infused work environment  a place where collaboration meets data analysis with a focus on prevention. We believe its time for a radically new version of Child Welfare in New Mexico.

Again, as former employees, we wish to stress how much we respect our former coworkers and bosses for doing one of the hardest jobs in the world  and we wish to strengthen their work with a state-of-the-art data system, technology and empowerment  working in partnership with lawmakers on every level and a public deeply interested in problem solving so every child is healthy and every family is supported to succeed.

The dinosaur data system is on the verge of extinction. It is time for an upgrade. Our kids cannot wait.

Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dominic Cappello are advocates for data-driven and collaborative solutions in government and the co-authors of Anna, Age Eight: The data-driven prevention of childhood trauma and maltreatment. Ortega Courtney works for the Santa Fe Community Foundation, a philanthropic nonprofit organization, and Cappello works for Safety and Success, a nonprofit advocacy organization.Chile is a source of good food and cultural pride for people in the Land of Enchantment. Whether red or green, there are few things New Mexicans cherish more than chile. July was National Culinary Arts Month, and even though we are blessed to enjoy our cultural foods every day, we should take this opportunity at the beginning of harvest season to reflect upon the role they play in defining our heritage, and how new advances in digital technology and e-commerce continue to expand their influence to kitchens and serving tables the world over.

Chile peppers have been cultivated in New Mexico for centuries. Considered our states signature crop, chile peppers serve as the basis of a highly complex industry. Today, the crop ranks sixth in the state for cash receipts from agricultural commodities, and the chile pepper industry employs thousands of workers from Santa Fe to the Hatch and Rio Grande valleys.

It wasnt long ago that skeptics predicted the end of the chile industry in New Mexico. Their predictions proved to be ill-fated as chile production has remained healthy in recent years. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 8,100 acres of chile were planted in 2017. In all, some 7,600 acres of that was actually harvested. The value of New Mexico red and green chile production in 2017 was also estimated at $44.6 million, an increase from the $41 million value in 2015.

My great, great grandparents founded (a) commercial green chile farm in New Mexicos Hatch Valley nearly 80 years ago. Our extended family currently farms over 1,000 acres of prime farmland in the Hatch Valley and has been in the produce business for more than 100 years. Our history dates back over five generations to Joseph Franzoy, the first farmer to grow chile there.

In 2005, while still a young teen, I launched The Hatch Chile Store with the understanding that Hatch chile peppers were famous because of where theyre grown. After purchasing my grandparents share in the business, I grew The Hatch Chile Store into one of the largest online retailers of fresh chiles and salsas in the United States.

Today, because of  the internet, we are fortunate to provide certified chile peppers grown right in the Hatch Valley to consumers all over the globe.

Despite the storied history of our harvests, the Hatch Chile Store has always turned to 21st-century innovation to heat up our contributions to culinary cuisine across America.  This has led our peppers to be sold at more than 150 retail locations nationwide. All told, more than 50,000 customers will enjoy our harvest in 2018.

The Hatch Chile Store takes great pride in being able to continue our familys legacy of sharing our famous produce with chile aficionados, chefs and culinary masters in more than a dozen countries. Our fans enjoy our chile and are passionate about New Mexico. The internet is allowing us to do that. Not only during this harvest season and Culinary Arts Month, but throughout the year, as well. Thats a cultural lesson the whole world can enjoy.WASHINGTON  Hes been lying all week, hes been lying for years.  I dont see how he has any credibility.

Exactly. Rudy Giuliani, the presidents current lawyer, was talking about Michael Cohen, the presidents former lawyer. But if Cohen is so sleazy, and I dont disagree, why did Donald Trump keep the self-described fixer around for so long?

As recently as April, Trump was calling Cohen a good man. In May, Giuliani called Cohen an honest, honorable lawyer. Cohens character didnt change. The damage he could inflict on Trump did.

And heres the bigger problem with Giulianis argument against Cohen: It applies to his own client. Trump lies  constantly, provably. You might think that a smart lawyer, capable of seeing around a looming corner, would think twice before labeling someone else a pathological liar.

Especially since Trumps lies include the very subject on which Giuliani now claims that Cohens alleged account should be discounted and Trumps credited. If Cohen tells you the sky is blue, check the color. In a swearing contest between Cohen and Trump about the Trump Tower meeting, Cohens word alone isnt reliable. Still, if there are motives to lie on both sides, whose is bigger? Id wager the one whose presidency may hinge on the outcome.

And the one who has the longer track record of prevarication on this topic. Trump is implicated in  he is the architect of  the original lie, about the contents of the Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer. It was adoption, sure! Trump and his lackeys then lied about the lie, denying Trumps involvement in writing the initial misleading statement about it.

I do want to be clear that the president was not involved in the drafting of the statement, Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said last July. That untruth was quickly overtaken by misleading spin from White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders: The president weighed in, as any father would. Any father with zero fealty to the truth. Any father with political  and perhaps criminal  exposure of his own.

It is no stretch, then, to imagine Trump lying about whether he knew in advance about the meeting he then lied about. In fact, that would be perfectly in character. Sometimes it is hard to understand why Trump bothers to lie, when the truth is so provable and obvious. But often Trumps lies simply reflect the primitive instinct of the cornered toddler with chocolate smeared on his face, insisting that he had not just raided the cookie jar.

Deny first, with accompanying, if not convincing indignance. Deal with the consequences later.

We saw this on display with Trumps handling of the Cohen-facilitated payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Asked in April about whether he was aware of the $130,000 to ensure Daniels silence, Trump denied any knowledge. Youll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. The next month found Giuliani and Trump himself acknowledging that Trump had reimbursed Cohen for the payment he had just denied knowing about.

Now comes Trump, on Twitter, doubling down on his denials about the Trump Tower meeting. I did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don jr.

A smart prosecutor will seek corroborating witnesses  Cohen reportedly says they exist  and other indicia of truthfulness. In this case, what were the blocked numbers to which Donald Trump Jr. placed calls at key moments before and after the meeting? What motivated Trump to announce plans, the very day on which the meeting was arranged, for a major speech, never given, about all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons?

What would it mean if Trump knew about and approved of the meeting with a Russian government attorney, as Natalia Veselnitskaya was described? It would show that Trump, like his son (If its what you say I love it), was eager to obtain dirt on an opponent being peddled by a foreign agent.

The dangled dirt was not forthcoming. That doesnt excuse a presidential candidate for seeking to procure it. Nor does it excuse a president for lying to the country for months about his role in this sordid transaction.OK, Albuquerque city councilors and Mayor Tim Keller. Its time to act.

U.S. District Judge James Browning has ruled the citys vehicle-seizure program in its current incarnation is unconstitutional. City leaders should take that ruling as their cue to revamp the controversial  but necessary  ordinance to bring it into legal compliance.

And that work should begin immediately.

Currently, the city ordinance allows police to confiscate vehicles driven by people arrested on suspicion of a second or subsequent DWI or by anyone caught driving with a suspended or revoked license due to a DWI. And owners who were not driving would be faced with fines, fees and administrative hearings to get their cars back. The city often would agree to release the vehicle for thousands of dollars and a boot agreement.

In his 105-page opinion, Browning noted its unconstitutional for the city to make vehicle owners prove their innocence when their cars are seized after being driven by someone else.

The forfeiture program  violates procedural due process, because owners have to prove that their cars are not subject to civil forfeiture, Browning wrote.

He also ruled it was improper that the money the city collected from the program  which has been around in various forms since at least 1996  was used to pay the salaries of employees who work in the program. He said the funds should go to the citys general fund, then be appropriated for seizure program operations.

Robert Everett Johnson, an attorney for the Institute for Justice, which worked on the case, says Brownings ruling could affect municipalities around the country that run vehicle seizure programs similar to the one in Albuquerque.

This ruling doesnt come as much of a surprise to city officials since Browning had previously expressed concerns with the ordinance. Alicia Manzano, a spokeswoman for the Mayors Office, said in a statement this ruling confirms our concerns with the past approach and the need to protect the constitutional rights of people in our community.

Blueprint already in the works

The Keller administration earlier this year rolled out a policy proposal that called for the city to continue seizing cars from suspected drunken drivers picked up for a repeat DWI arrest. But, under the proposal, the city wouldnt actually take ownership of the car and sell it unless the driver was convicted. The administrations proposal would also give more protections to vehicle owners who were not the ones driving by shifting the burden of proof from the owner to the city before imposing fines and fees.

Couple those changes with a requirement that money generated by the vehicle seizure program be deposited into the general fund, and the City Council has a good blueprint for how to get the vehicle seizure ordinance back on track.

This ordinance is critical because of the death and destruction that results from drunken driving.

In 2017 alone, there were 146 alcohol-related crash fatalities in New Mexico  37 of those in Bernalillo County. In 2016, there were 171 fatalities in this state due to crashes involving alcohol  51 of those in Bernalillo County.

The benefit of Albuquerques DWI vehicle-seizure program is that it puts repeat drunken drivers on notice that, if caught, they risk losing something tangible  the vehicle theyre driving. The consequence is felt immediately  not months down the road when their criminal case is adjudicated  and thats what makes it so effective. Keller and the City Council need to come together to rewrite this important ordinance so that it continues to be a deterrent for repeat drunken drivers while also adhering to the letter and spirit of the law and the constitution.

And they should move quickly, because the program is needed to cut down on the carnage.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Caballeros de Vargas, the organization that has staged Santa Fes annual Entrada pageant, has finally spoken out on the decision to end the controversial re-enactment and is promising a new event with a focus on a locally revered image of the Virgin Mary.

We hope that the retirement of the Entrada will allow for the healing of our brothers and sisters and lead to further unification of all cultures, the Caballeros said in a statement.

Weve always wanted to focus on the true meaning of Fiesta, which is Our Lady, said Caballeros President Thomas Baca-Gutierrez. (Were) trying to continue to do that and keep it more focused on her.

I think its going to be a very beautiful thing, he said.

A nearly yearlong negotiation over the Entrada  a re-enactment of the Spanish reoccupation of Santa Fe, led by Don Diego de Vargas 12 years after the 1680 Pueblo revolt  resulted in an announcement last week that the pageant would not take place again.

Native American protests of the Entrada as a whitewashed celebration of violent conquest had grown in size and force over the past three years. Eight protesters were arrested at last Septembers event amid a heavy police presence.

City officials, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and local pueblo leaders were part of the private negotiations about the events future.

Leaders of the Caballeros and the annual Fiesta de Santa Fe, which the Entrada has been part of for more than a century, hadnt commented on the demise of the re-enactment until Tuesday. They previously defended the Entrada as the commemoration of a moment of peace between the Spanish and the pueblo people and of the roots of northern New Mexicos diverse cultures.

The Caballeros statement Tuesday said: The decision to retire the Entrada celebration came with a lot of friendly and continual dialogue, but ultimately it was determined to retire it for the sake that all cultures be united, in honor of the peace that was achieved through Our Lady of Peace, La Conquistadora, the conqueror of hearts on that September day in 1692.

De Vargas credited La Conquistadora with his success after his soldiers re-occupied Santa Fe and returned the 29-inch carved wooden statue to Santa Fe.

The statue was first brought to New Mexico in 1625 and is considered the oldest representation of the Virgin Mary in the United States. It is installed in a side chapel at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis a block off Santa Fe Plaza and has always played a key role in the Entrada pageant.

Conquistadora, in Spanish, is the feminine version of conquistador, or conqueror. In 1992, then-Archbishop Robert Sanchez gave the statue the new name, Our Lady of Peace. Both names have been used since then.

Elena Ortiz, a prominent Entrada protest leader and a member of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, said a celebration of a Catholic icon like the Virgin Mary would not be an issue as long as its not associated with the glorification of colonization or reconquest. She said the statue should no longer be called La Conquistadora.

Anyone with first-year Spanish knows that doesnt translate to Our Lady of Peace, she said

She added that if any new event holds de Vargas in high esteem, it would not be accepted by those whove protested the Entrada.

The Caballeros acknowledged in Tuesdays statement that in 1693 and for some years after, hostility and resentment between the Native and Spanish cultures followed the Spanish re-occupation.

However, since the late 1690s there has been reconciliation with our Native brothers and sisters, the news release goes on to say. We commemorate the distinct day where peace began and what the Fiesta has evolved into today.

Fiesta Council President Melissa Mascarenas said she would sign a resolution that makes the Entrada a thing of the past.

We have deviated from the original intent of honoring Nuestra Senora de la Paz, she said. We regret the suffering, trauma and pain the Pueblo people endured.

Baca-Gutierrez said he expects both positive and negative reaction to ending the Entrada. He said one of the main concerns was community safety.

It was never intended to be offensive to anybody, he said. But since its coming to this point, misunderstanding by others have gotten us to this point, we have to make a change.

Specifics of the replacement event havent been worked out and its unknown if it will feature actors playing de Vargas or others or include the Fiesta Court, which is led by a man playing de Vargas and a woman as Fiesta reina, or queen.

Baca-Gutierrez said Fiesta is not dropping the court or the de Vargas character.

Support for change

There was an outpouring of support from church and city leaders Tuesday for the Caballeros agreement to leave the Entrada behind.

Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber called the Caballeros decision courageous and historic.

Here in Santa Fe we are choosing peace, reconciliation, respect, and unity, he said. To make that choice takes vision, leadership, and courage  and for that I salute the Caballeros and the others who have come together to make todays announcement possible.

Archbishop John Wester said, We pray this historic step will allow for healing, and lead to further solidarity with our brothers and sisters of all cultures.

Six Santa Fe city councilors also issued supportive statements.

Councilor Mike Harris said, Ours is a city of contradictions, and conflicting perspectives often sow divisions that can result in friction. We have seen that during the annual Entrada, and anything we can do to acknowledge and deal with these contradictions openly and respectfully will accrue to the citys benefit.

Former mayors Javier Gonzales and David Coss said in a joint statement, We hope all residents will recognize this courageous act and support the Caballeros in their mission of peace and reconciliation.Federal food safety inspectors are urging consumers to check their refrigerators for packaged salads and wraps that may be contaminated with cyclospora parasites.

The beef, pork and poultry salads and wraps were distributed by Caito Foods of Indianapolis and sold by Walgreens, Trader Joes and Kroger, owner of Ralphs supermarkets, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service.

All of the items had best by dates of July 18 to 23, the agency said.

The warning stems from a recall of chopped romaine lettuce supplied to Caito from Fresh Express, a Salinas produce grower. In a recording on its consumer hotline, Fresh Express said the lettuce, now past its expiration date, was sold only to food service companies, not directly to retail outlets.

Infection with the parasite can cause severe and frequent bouts of diarrhea, cramps, bloating, nausea, fever, and loss of appetite and weight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The parasites are specific to humans and tend to spread through poorly processed sewage that may find its way into irrigation sources.

In mid-July, McDonalds halted sales of its salads at 3,000 franchises in the Midwest after authorities in Illinois and Iowa reported an outbreak of illness attributed to cyclospora. Federal authorities have not linked the outbreaks.

In June, salad trays sold by Del Monte Fresh Produce were recalled after 227 people fell ill from cyclospora after eating vegetable-and-dip trays bought in convenience stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan, according to the CDC.

The agency last year reported a sharp increase in illnesses linked to the parasite  more than 1,065 reported cases in 40 states. There were 384 cases reported during a similar period in 2016, compared with 546 in 2015 and 304 in 2014, according to the CDC.

Last month, Caito Foods also recalled fruit salads with pre-cut melons that have been linked to a Salmonella outbreak that sickened 77 people in nine states.

The recalls and warnings come as the produce industry is recovering from a 36-state outbreak of illnesses linked to E. coli bacteria in romaine lettuce, which killed five people and sickened more than 200 others, about half of whom had to be hospitalized, according to the CDC.

The E. coli strain was traced to an irrigation canal in the lettuce-growing region around Yuma, Ariz. The outbreak, which began in April, was declared over June 28.



2018 Los Angeles Times

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

-

PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194):HARARE, Zimbabwe  Soldiers and police fired live rounds, water cannons and tear gas at furious protesters who threw rocks and burned vehicles Wednesday in Zimbabwes capital, dashing the optimism of an election that the country hoped would set it on a new course after decades of Robert Mugabes rule. At least three people were reported killed.

Violence swept through central Harare after an official announcement that the ruling ZANU-PF party had won most of the seats in Parliament, an outcome that enraged opposition supporters who believe they have been cheated of victory.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commissions decision to delay announcing the results of the presidential race at least until Thursday  three days after the vote  seemed certain to bring more opposition anger if President Emmerson Mnangagwa is declared the winner. Alternatively, many Zimbabweans wonder whether the ruling establishment, including the military, would accept a win for the main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa.

Mondays upbeat spectacle of millions of Zimbabweans voting peacefully was eclipsed 48 hours later by scenes of tanks and other military vehicles speeding through debris-strewn streets and soldiers beating protesters who had blocked main roads and set bonfires. Some journalists also were attacked.

Gunfire was heard downtown throughout the afternoon, including near the ruling party headquarters where protesters had gathered. Police fired tear gas and grabbed more canisters from an officer carrying them in a crate.

Three people were killed, state broadcaster ZBC said. Associated Press journalists saw two bodies and another person who had been shot in the leg. There were pools and trails of blood on the streets.

The riots surged up to the fence of the Rainbow Towers Hotel & and Conference Centre, where the electoral commission has been announcing results and many international election observers are staying. Inside the main gate, a water cannon mounted on a police vehicle blasted protesters who hurled rocks that bounced off its armored plating.

They are trying to protest so they can get fair results, said Elisha Pfigu, a 31-year-old street vendor who warily watched soldiers at an intersection.

Pfigu said he was optimistic on election day for the countrys first vote without Mugabe, who ruled for nearly four decades, on the ballot.

Now its different. Its totally different he said. People were happy on Monday. Now they are not happy. We are not going to rest.

Authorities invoked Zimbabwes Public Order and Security Act, which allows police to ban public meetings or gatherings. The police can also ask the military for help in cases of public disturbances. Under Mugabe, the law was used routinely to ban anti-government meetings and demonstrations since its enactment in 2002.

Mnangagwa, a former deputy president who succeeded Mugabe after a military takeover in November, blamed the opposition for the violence and said it was meant to disrupt the electoral process, the state broadcaster reported.

The opposition, in turn, said security forces acted in a disproportionate and unjustified way, and it questioned why the military had been deployed.

Are we in war? Are civilians the enemy of the state? said Nkululeko Sibanda, spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change, the main opposition party.

United Nations deputy spokesman Farhan Haq appealed to Zimbabwe to exercise restraint and reject any form of violence while awaiting resolution of the disputes and announcement of the election results.

International monitors gave their first assessments of the election, saying it was conducted in a relatively free environment and was a big improvement over past votes marred by violence and irregularities, although they noted significant problems.

European Union observers said a truly level playing field was not achieved in the election, pointing out the misuse of state resources, instances of coercion and intimidation, partisan behavior by traditional leaders and overt bias in state media.

Elmar Brok, head of the EU observer mission, said there were many shortcomings in the election, but it was unclear whether they influenced the results.

The opposition alleged irregularities, saying results were not posted outside one-fifth of polling stations as required by law. MDC leader Chamisa has said outright that his own count shows he won the election, drawing government accusations of inciting violence.

After first indicating it would release presidential vote totals on Wednesday, the electoral commission said it would wait until Thursday, adding that agents for the more than 20 candidates must verify them first.

The more the presidential vote is delayed, the more it calls into question the populations confidence in the election process, said former Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the lead observer of a U.S. monitoring mission.

While the electoral commission legally has five days from the end of the election to announce results, Western observer groups urged the release of the presidential results as soon as possible. The EU mission questioned why presidential votes were counted first but were being announced last.

Many Zimbabweans looked to the vote as a launching pad for a return to the kind of international acceptance and relative prosperity that the country enjoyed in the first part of the rule of Mugabe, who took office after independence from white minority rule in 1980.

But the violence in Harare seemed to put those aspirations on hold. It was the first time the military was back in the streets since Mugabes ouster  at that time, they were welcomed by residents as liberators. On Wednesday, they came to enforce a crackdown.

At Harares Parirenyatwa Hospital, a family wept in an emergency room where a man who had been fatally shot lay on a stretcher. At one point, the relatives blocked hospital staff from wheeling the body to the mortuary and demanded a police explanation; a plainclothes officer said they could return Thursday to pick up the body after a police investigation.

Jack Mufambi, a resident walking near the ruling party headquarters, said he was scared to go outdoors on Thursday. He said he had seen the body of someone cut down by gunfire.

His eyes were open, Mufambi said. He was dead.

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_AfricaThe nations trade fight has come to New Mexicos dairy industry, which is watching prices for its products decline and purchase orders getting delayed or canceled.

And while cheese and whey are a big worry, theres also concern about New Mexicos steel and aluminum products, mattresses, cotton and salsa.

On the horizon is the threat to the states biggest nut export  the pecan  once farmers harvest this years crop and start selling it, said Jeff Witte, who heads the New Mexico Agriculture Department.

The largest market for U.S. pecans is China, especially popular for Chinese new year celebrations. Tariffs on the nut have gone from 7 percent to 47 percent, affecting the $426,000 worth of pecans New Mexico sells to China.

All told, more than $75.6 million worth of New Mexicos exports to China, Mexico, Canada and the European Union are threatened by retaliatory tariffs those countries have levied against U.S. products, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The tariffs are a response to those announced earlier this year by the Trump administration, which levied the charges on billions of dollars worth of goods.

Our ag folks, if you talk to any of them, what we wanted and what we need is fair  and equitable treatement on trade all across the commodities, Witte said. And thats where we hope all this will come down. There may be some short-term pain (but)  I hope its not that long.

The biggest hit New Mexico is looking at is its exports of cheese to Mexico, according to figures from the state and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

New Mexico producers sent more than $13 million worth of cheese to its southern neighbor last year, with no tariff levied under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Now, the tariff on cheese is set at 20 to 25 percent as the trade pact undergoes renegotiation.

The impact on the average New Mexico dairy is estimated at a loss of $660,000 per year, the Dairy Producers of New Mexico says.

Given the already low prices for milk, these are cash losses that will erode farm equity and, in all likelihood, place some farms at risk of economic failure, according to Executive Director Beverly Idsinga.

When it comes to trade with Canada, mattresses are the biggest product targeted for tariffs at about $9 million worth.

The figures dont list specific companies, but Tempur-Pedic operates one of the largest mattress plants in the world on Albuquerques West Side.

Randy Trask, manager of the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Trade Alliance, said New Mexico is not getting hit as hard as other states because U.S. trading partners are targeting areas that voted for Donald Trump or that are represented by senior Republican lawmakers who might be swayed by harm to their constituents.

But, he added, If it progresses to an all-out trade war, which is apparently escalating globally, then it is inevitable it will start affecting more industry sectors. What people seem to forget is that with increases in tariffs, those are just taxes passed to the consumer.

While the Trump administration has agreed to $12 billion in aid to farmers nationwide, Witte said it was too soon to know how much of that will be coming to New Mexico.

Idsinga noted that federal officials have said farmers will not be made whole by the aid package.GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.  CSG Systems International Inc. (CSGS) on Wednesday reported second-quarter profit of $15.1 million.

The Greenwood Village, Colorado-based company said it had profit of 46 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for stock option expense and restructuring costs, came to 73 cents per share.

The provider of support services for the communications industry posted revenue of $213 million in the period.

CSG Systems expects full-year earnings in the range of $2.81 to $2.93 per share, with revenue in the range of $845 million to $865 million.

CSG Systems shares have fallen slightly more than 7 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Wednesday, shares hit $40.63, a fall of nearly 3 percent in the last 12 months.

_____

This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on CSGS at https://www.zacks.com/ap/CSGSCAIRO  Egypt witnessed a new political storm following reports of a recent meeting between Israel's ambassador to Cairo, David Govrin, and prominent Egyptian sociologist and director of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, at the latters house.

Although Egypt and Israel signed a peace deal in 1978 and the two countries' security forces cooperate in the Sinai, there are minimal people-to-people relations and ties with Israel remain a touchy topic among the Egyptian public.

According to an unnamed official speaking to local media July 20, Ibrahim was asked to help limit Egyptian media outlets' attacks on Israel. Egyptian media often refers to Israel as an enemy, and Israel's controversial new Jewish Nationality Law has been severely criticized in Egyptian newspapers as discriminatory against Palestinians.

The source added that Ibrahim was also consulted on how to strengthen diplomatic ties and relations between Egypt and Israel. The meeting also reportedly involved a discussion of the idea of extending a railway between the two countries and sending Egyptian students to Israel.

In a phone conversation with Al-Monitor, Ibrahim talked about the topics tackled at the meeting with Govrin without mentioning the meeting place and date.

He said, I discussed with the Israeli ambassador how the Israeli public believes the relations between the people of Israel and Egypt have not been as hoped since the peace agreement between the two sides. Many in Israel are calling for more coordination with Egypt. This should not be limited to daily security coordination to preserve security in the Sinai but should also cover travel, cultural and commercial activities. This is why the Israeli ambassador proposed at our meeting the idea of a railway connecting Egypt to Israel.

Ibrahim added, The Israeli ambassador talked about an old railway line that may be reactivated. It extends from Jerusalem to inside the Egyptian territories. After 1947 and the creation of Israel, the line was suspended and the commercial exchanges that were carried out through it were halted.

Govrins proposal of reviving the old railway lines with Egypt comes in conjunction with the Israeli government's plans for a railway project linking it with Arab countries. The Israeli budget for 2019 approved by the Knesset in mid-January had allocated 15 million shekels ($4 million) for the planning of these railways.

The rail plan, called Tracks for Regional Peace, would begin in Israel and go to Saudi Arabia, across the Jordanian border and the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank. Benjamin Netanyahus administration is aiming to turn Israel into a connection point between the Middle East with the world.

This would improve Israels economy, strengthen its regional influence and bring it closer to the Arab states. According to Israeli media, Tel Aviv is mobilizing regional and international support through the US administration in order to complete this project.

Ibrahim continued, In response to the proposals raised at the meeting with Ambassador Govrin, I asserted that the Palestine cause still prevents Egypt from reversing its conservative stance toward [further] normalization with Israel.

The buzz was not limited to the sharp criticism leveled against Ibrahim because of his insistence on normalization with Israel  popularly rejected and frowned upon in Cairo. On July 22, a complaint was filed with the Egyptian attorney general against Ibrahim on charges of spying for Israel. The complaint was filed before the Egyptian Court of Cassation and Supreme Constitutional Court by lawyer Tarek Mahmoud.

Al-Monitor talked to Hazem Abu Shanab, a member of the revolutionary office of the Fatah movement. These Israeli scenarios on the extension of railway lines across the Arab region are a reproduction of the so-called New Middle East project coined by former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres. He explained that Peres had sought to achieve a Middle East where Israel is fully integrated with the Arab world.

In turn, political analyst and expert in Israeli affairs Munir Mahmoud noted that the Israeli ambassadors talk in Cairo at this time about a railway with Egypt could be linked to Egypts plan of establishing a railway with Sudan and Ethiopia. An Israeli Gulf-European railway network would greatly benefit from a railway with Egypt, as this would facilitate access into Africa, he told Al-Monitor.

On Feb. 15, Egyptian Transport Minister Hisham Arafat had announced the start of cooperation with the London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for conducting an economic feasibility study for a railway extending from the Cairo suburb of 6th of October City to Sudan and Ethiopia. The project was approved by the leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia at the tripartite summit that brought them together in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Jan. 29.

Former chairman of the Egyptian syndicate of engineers Tariq al-Nabrawi told Al-Monitor that all engineers in Egypt refuse the idea of a railway with Israel in line with the position taken by all Egyptian trade unions against normalization. Our refusal of this project is not based on technical or engineering reasons. This is rather a political position against cooperation with an occupying entity.

Meanwhile, Yahya Kadwani, the undersecretary of the parliamentary Defense and National Security Committee, does not believe the meeting between Ibrahim and Govrin is worth this buzz. It was held between the ambassador and an Egyptian figure with no official status and discussed matters relating to Egyptian sovereignty, he told Al-Monitor. Israel must demonstrate good intentions and achieve progress on the Palestinian cause. This is how it would gain the confidence of the Arab peoples and get them to accept it.

The Israeli ambition to open up to the Arab, European and African world at the same time through a railway network is a smart plan. Yet several impediments hinder this plan. The red lines policy seems to prevail when it comes to normalization with Israel at the Arab and Egyptian levels in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.On July 27, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman brought the members of his Knesset faction on a visit to the kibbutzim surrounding the Gaza Strip. At Kibbutz Or HaNer, the Yisrael Beitenu chairman met with local residents who are frustrated after many long weeks of flaming kites destroying their fields and ruining their childrens summer vacations.

Liberman sent the message that he is not afraid of taking the conflict with Hamas up a notch, making statements like, If we get Code Red sirens here, itll get deep red in Gaza."

Liberman and his staff have been making many such comments online and to journalists. During their visit to the south, the faction also held a private meeting in the restaurant on Kibbutz Bror Hayil. That evening, the News Company reported on a clash between Liberman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a Cabinet meeting a few days earlier. Liberman wanted to deal a harsh military blow to Gaza, but Netanyahu blocked it.

According to the report, Liberman used the faction meeting to give his own account of the tension between himself and Netanyahu. He has a reputation for creating crises for his own political ends, so it is certainly safe to assume that the current one is another example. Liberman wants to present himself as taking a much more aggressive stance against Hamas than Netanyahu is, particularly since voters currently give the government low marks on this issue. According to a July 24 poll by the News Company, 70% of the public is unhappy with the way the flaming kites from Gaza are being handled by the government.

Liberman may sit in the Defense Ministry, but most people still do not consider him an authority on security matters. He is therefore trying to use the Gaza crisis to boost his standing. He will continue fighting with Netanyahu on this issue as long as it serves his interests.

Meanwhile, all signs on the ground seem to indicate that Liberman is preparing for early Knesset elections, as are all the other key players. His highly publicized clash with Netanyahu  the first of its kind since he became defense minister in May 2016  is further evidence. Officially, the prime ministers office denies any dispute, but a source close to Netanyahu has been quoted in the Israeli press as saying, Liberman is a big talker but his actions are very much the opposite.

All this happened one week after the Knesset began its summer recess July 22. While the coalition is still intact, there are still a lot of unresolved tension and conflicts that could come to a head when the Knesset begins its winter session Oct. 15. Then, many believe, some excuse will be found to dissolve the Knesset and the country will head to early elections. Since none of the major players want to be caught off guard, they launched their 2019 campaigns last week, even if unofficially.

Kulanu's chairman, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, was the quickest and also the most direct. Last week he hosted a festive inauguration of his election headquarters in Tel Aviv and plastered the streets with campaign posters.

But that was just the beginning. On July 29, hundreds of thousands of readers of Yisrael HaYom, the free newspaper owned by Sheldon Adelson and usually identified with Netanyahu, came across a very unusual headline. It was actually a huge ad in disguise that took up the entire front page. It contained a long list of achievements attributed to Kahlon, drawn from every imaginable field: security, healthy and education. Kahlon's boasting about achievements far beyond his own finance domain infuriated the other ministers, who claimed that he was taking credit for things that he did not do. He always complains that Netanyahu does that to him, but now that he is facing election pressure, he is doing the exact same thing, one Likud minister told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.

Kahlon isnt too worried. In talks with his associates he expressed his belief that sometime in October, Netanyahu will find an excuse to hold an election before any recommendation to indict him is made.

What will be the excuse for dissolving the government? Netanyahu has several options. In any case, he is acting as though he is preparing for early elections. He refuses to change the controversial recently adopted nationality law despite growing protests among the Druze community, because the new law is popular with Likud voters and Netanyahu believes that it will be a banner issue in his upcoming campaign. As he prepares to face off against HaBayit HaYehudi leader Naftali Bennett, with whom he will be competing for the right-wing vote, Netanyahu will try to resolve the problem with the Druze protests through dialogue, economic incentives and point-specific legislation, but he will not back down from the law. On the contrary, the Likud leader is already marketing the new law aggressively. A new video he posted online goes so far as to accuse the left of disseminating lies about it.

Then there are the LGBT protests over the last few weeks over the amended surrogacy law, which discriminates against gay men. Here, too, Netanyahu is not expected to surprise anyone with an about-face on policy. With elections in the offing, Netanyahu will not risk his alliance with the ultra-Orthodox parties, which he will need to put together his next government. Netanyahu will need to be fully confident that the ultra-Orthodox parties will continue be his partners if he forms his fifth government.

If any more evidence is needed to prove that elections are on the way, a quick glance at the Zionist Camp should suffice. While it is now the main opposition party, polls give it just 15 seats on a good day, and its nervous members are squabbling among themselves.

On July 30, Zionist Camp Knesset member Eitan Broshi announced that he will sue the party's chairman, Avi Gabbay, for slander. Gabbay recently called Broshi a sex offender in relation to a Channel 10 news report about a sexual assault that allegedly occurred 15 years ago. Broshi got into trouble again this week, facing allegations that he touched the rear end of a female Knesset member from his party. Nevertheless, he believes that his political rivals are behind the reports in an attempt to destroy his career.

The announcement by Zionist Camp Arab Knesset member Zouheir Bahloul that he will leave the parliament to protest the nationality law can also be seen as a warning to the party, which did not do enough to prevent the law from passing. Each of these developments have colored the mood in the party and the Knesset at large. Everyone is wary of everybody else, and everything seems to be falling apart.On July 19, the Knesset adopted the controversial Nationality Law, codifying the Jewish character of the State of Israel. Since then, Israeli Druze, Arabs and Jewish members of the opposition have been protesting it. Two weeks on, the protests continue, with those by the Druze expanding, including to the Holy of Holies of Israeli society  the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

As of Aug. 1, three Druze officers had resigned their commissions and announced that they would be leaving the IDF to protest the law's passage. Another officer, Capt. Amir Jamal, posted a scathing response to the law on Facebook, earning him an IDF suspension. The IDF is still deciding how to deal with another Druze officer who responded similarly to the law. The military prohibits members from expressing themselves on political issues, which is why it is having a hard time dealing with reactions to the law.

This sensitive and volatile situation forced IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot to rush to a meeting July 31 with the spiritual leader of Israel's Druze community, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif. Eizenkot also released a statement calling on everyone to keep the political debate out of the army. Sheikh Tarif joined Eizenkot in his statement and called on young Druze not to refuse to serve, not to leave the army, and not to harm what is called the covenant of blood between the Druze and the Jews, an alliance that began even before Israel's founding.

As a major demonstration on Aug. 4 approaches, it seems as if their calls have failed to lower the temperature. What before the law's passage was considered a possible, but fleeting, tactical problem is turning out to be a major strategic issue. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already met twice with the leader of the Druze community and even created a special team to address their concerns and demands. He has, nevertheless, shown no signs of regret.

Confronting Israels 140,000 Druze citizens is a stack of polls being conducted by the prime minister on an almost daily basis. They show that the cynical passing of the Nationality Law is giving Netanyahu electoral momentum. Israelis are unaware of the intricacies of the law or of the sense of affront and outrage felt by Israels Druze, Bedouins and liberals.

In response to the simple question Are you for or against a law that establishes Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people? the overwhelming majority support the law. This was Netanyahus motivation from the beginning. If somewhere along the way, the delicate relationship between Israel and its Druze, Bedouin or Arab populations begins to unravel, so be it. What matters most is winning the next election.

The problem that Netanyahu failed to foresee is the determination of the Druze community and the consensus of Israeli society, even on the right, that the Druze have made enormous contributions to Israels security. As Danny Zaken wrote July 29 in Al-Monitor, no other community has sacrificed and continues to sacrifice the lives of more of its young than the Druze, who enlist en masse and volunteer in droves for combat units. The Druze are also firm believers in the idea of Israel as a Jewish state. They forged an alliance with the Jewish population during the British Mandate and then tied their fate to it because they shared a common narrative: Both Jews and Druze were minorities no matter where they lived. Sometimes they were even persecuted minorities.

Seventy years ago, when the Jews established a state of their own, the Druze remained a minority. It is now becoming clear that the Jews have forgotten what it feels like to be a small group living among another people and all the concerns and fears that come with it. The Druze have not, however, forgotten.

The Druze struggle is being run by the elders and other leaders of the community, but standing at the forefront are senior IDF officers, and there is no shortage of them among the Druze community. These include major generals, brigadier generals, colonels, the war wounded and the parents and siblings of fallen soldiers. They are all stepping before the cameras to express their personal, anguished response to the law. One particular point stands out: The term conspicuously absent from the Nationality Law is equality.

Its a slippery slope, Brig. Gen. (res.) Hason Hason, one of the most decorated and celebrated heroes of the Druze community, told Al-Monitor. Hason spent 37 years in the IDF, serving in some of the most dangerous positions. He participated in the riskiest and most secretive missions imaginable, rising through the ranks to become one of the most senior officers in Military Intelligence. He ended his career as a military aide to presidents Shimon Peres and Reuven Rivlin. Now Hason is trying to calm the current outburst of emotion, calling on young members of his community not to leave the army, not to refuse orders and not to burn down the clubhouse.

The Druze are the biggest miracle to happen to the Jews, and the Jews are the biggest miracle to happen to the Druze, Hason said. We must protest, and we must replace this law with a much simpler one: the Basic Law of the Declaration of Independence [i.e., turning it into a constitutional law]. The Declaration of Independence has everything. It even defines Israel as a Jewish state. But it also includes the value of equality, which we consider sacred and should be considered sacred by anyone who cherishes Israeli democracy and the delicate balance between Israels diverse communities.

With the issue of the law still atop the medias agenda, Druze are not the only people expected at the upcoming demonstration. Supporting the Druze are almost all the former IDF chiefs of staff  and if he could, the current chief of staff would likely speak out against the law too and support the Druze protests  almost every major general, brigadier general and other senior officer, the directors of Mossad and Shin Bet, and other key members of the defense establishment across generations. Even former police commissioners and chiefs of police have joined the struggle. Authors, artists and other cultural figures have signed a petition, while Rivlin himself announced that if he signs the law  the presidents signature is necessary to ratify the law  he will do so in Arabic to protest the laws downgrading of Arabic from an official language.

The forcefulness of the demonstration will determine the fate of this social and political struggle. Netanyahu is still enormously popular, and the polls show that when it comes to the Nationality Law, the people are still with him. The chances that the demonstration and the growing protest will change the current situation are slim, but they exist.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu is riding this wave, hoping that it will take him to the election next year. In the 2015 election, he had his infamous video clip of himself warning, Arab voters are coming in droves to the ballot boxes. Now he has the Nationality Law declaring that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. Since this was settled over 70 years ago, it takes a political genius like Netanyahu to reinvent it now.MOSCOW  Russias Syria envoy has made assurances that a large-scale operation in Syrias Idlib is not on the table.

"Id rather refrain from speaking about the citys storming or a pending operation. There are too many rumors and they are unfounded. Any large-scale operation in Idlib is out of the question," Russias TASS news agency quoted Alexander Lavrentiev as saying July 31, following the 10th gathering of the Astana group in the southern Russian city of Sochi.

We still hope that both the moderate opposition and our Turkish partners who assumed commitments on stabilizing this area will eventually manage this, Lavrentiev added.

In recent weeks, concerns about an imminent massive fight over Idlib have been rising in light of the bellicose rhetoric coming from Damascus and ongoing military preparations. Out of the four de-escalation zones, Idlib is the last one that remains outside of Syrian President Bashar al-Assads control. Under the Astana agreements, Turkey was entitled to provide security for the area, and it has already erected at least 12 observation points.

In his comments to the Russian newspaper Kommersant on July 31, Syrias UN envoy Bashar al-Jafaari, who led the Syrian government delegation in Sochi, bashed Turkey for violating its Astana commitments by compromising Syrian sovereignty. He stressed that the stalemate on Idlib may be solved via military means if opposition groups dont come to terms with Damascus. Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned such an attack could completely destroy the Astana accord.

Multiple evacuations of various opposition groups from around the rest of Syria to Idlib long ago turned the city into a virtual dumping ground of all elements that Assad, as well as Iran and Russia, have been fighting against. The evacuations were deemed a temporary fix that would ultimately demand a more feasible solution; Idlib was left to the future because of the higher operational urgency that other fronts demanded. But Idlib's moment appears to have come now that the balance on those other fronts has been tipped in favor of the government forces.

Russia has recently been extremely preoccupied with yet another big regional standoff between Israel and Iran; Moscow has come up with a possible solution involving the Golan Heights that at least in the short term may cool off the heat in Syrias south should the parties comply with the proposal. Now that northern Syria has come to the forefront, Russia faces the task of managing that region with Turkey; this, to a large degree, has bigger stakes for Russias own interests as opposed to just those of Assad.

Moscow and Ankara have accumulated a mixed bag of failures and successes in Syria, and Idlib indeed is a litmus test for what the two have learned about each others interests and behavior throughout this time.

As Al-Monitor previously reported, for Moscow, Idlib is vital primarily because the majority of all the anti-Russia Northern Caucasus fighters in Syria have assembled there. This is also becoming a zone from where combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fly toward Russias Khmeimim air base, posing a danger to Russian military personnel. The security demand to settle accounts with these homegrown enemies away from home territory has been one of President Vladimir Putins initial drivers for the Syria campaign, and he is determined to bring that goal to a close. Yet the way through which it can be done is negotiable, and this is where Moscow would want to see Ankaras collaboration. Prior to the Sochi meeting, Lavrentiev  accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin and Defense Ministry officials  visited Lebanon and Turkey. In Ankara, the Russian delegation met with Turkish diplomats and military and intelligence authorities to discuss available options for Idlib.

The visit came as yet another sign that a nuclear option vis-a-vis the city is not Russias priority at this point. Such an attack would be fraught with far too many complications in relations with Turkey itself and would trigger a new humanitarian crisis and stem into a massive refugee outflow. This, in turn, would undermine Russias brainchild initiative on the return of refugees, where Turkey is also seen as a critical partner.

A certain level of understanding has been reached with Turkey that there should be no offensive on Idlib in the immediate term. We took into account the concerns our Turkish partners have regarding a possible outburst of refugees. Based on earlier discussions and talks in Sochi, well be cooperating in fighting terrorists there and will see what happens, a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry with knowledge of details told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.

The diplomat was referring to the first point of the final statement released by Russia, Iran and Turkey following the Sochi meeting.

The parties reaffirmed their determination to fight against terrorism in Syria in order to ultimately eliminate DAESH/ISIL [the Islamic State], Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with al-Qaeda or DAESH/ISIL as designated by the UN Security Council, the statement reads.

A separate task for Russia will be to restrain Assads fever to take advantage of the momentum his army is having and storm Idlib with force. This isnt easy from a political and diplomatic perspective, but Damascus simply cannot go on the offensive of such a populated settlement with dozens of heavily armed opposition militants without Moscows military support. This, however, neither excludes occasional skirmishes nor means the Syrian army wont seek to chip off certain neighborhoods from the opposition while trying to avoid unintended clashes with the Turkish military.

Syria may likely employ a behavior pattern similar to that of the Israel Defense Forces: For one missile from Idlib-based militants, it will retaliate with dozens, said the Russian diplomat who spoke with Al-Monitor anonymously.

Richard Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, once said, Turkey may be an ally [of the United States], but its not a partner. For Russia, the duality in the relationship with Turkey is the reverse: Turkey may not be an ally, but its a partner.

This is a reminder for Moscow to always stay alert in its relations with Ankara, but also to always seek engagement for the sake of mutually beneficial partnership. The temporary agreement between Russia and Turkey on Idlib may not have settled the conflict of interests between the two or satisfied the immediate demands of Damascus, but thus far it has been exemplary of this duality  which may eventually bring solutions to the long-term challenges Turkey and Russia each face in that area.As Turkeys relations with the West have been deteriorating, it has been trying to deepen its ties with Russia. Yet Ankara is about to suffer a major setback as the five Caspian littoral states (Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan) are getting ready to conclude their 27-year dispute.

The 14th article of the Caspian Sea convention that will be signed on Aug. 12 at a summit in Aktau, Kazakhstan, gives littoral states a say on the pipeline that will traverse their territorial waters.

Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan insisted the pipeline should be regulated by countries whose territorial waters are used, but Russia and Iran insisted on approval from all of the five states. Russian and Iran voiced their environmental concerns citing the decline in sturgeon and caviar production in recent years.

The accord that was agreed on in the previous 50 meetings appears to be removing barriers on the energy lines that will start from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan and reach Europe through Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Ankara was hoping the European Union, which has been trying to reduce energy dependence on Russia, would make Turkey an energy corridor. But the Environmental Impact Assessment Protocol that will be signed as an annex of the convention makes all five littoral states equal partners, thus casting doubts on the strategic calculations of the EU and Turkey.

On July 20, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan signed the protocol in Moscow. The protocol constitutes the basis of the 2003 Tehran Convention. Countries that stand to be affected by the project will have the opportunity to voice their concerns. They will also be entitled to receive an explanation as to how their concerns were taken into account. If they are unhappy with the outcome, they will have the right to go to international arbitration. This means Russia and Iran could delay the Trans-Caspian Project that will carry Turkmen gas and Kazakh oil to Europe in the following years.

According to Russian newspaper Kommersant, the Caspian pipeline project requires approval by all the littoral states. The newspaper noted that Russia and Iran will be able to delay the construction of the natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan. Turkish experts agree with this assessment.

The status of the Caspian pipeline has been one of the most controversial topics of energy since the collapse of the USSR. The 1921 and 1940 agreements  Russo-Persian Treaty of Friendship  between the USSR and Iran are no longer adequate to meet the needs of the new littoral states. Russia and Iran are the two countries with the least energy resources in the Caspian, and they are not willing to give strategic advantages to others, so they are downgrading the importance of the Trans Caspian pipeline. Meanwhile, the other three littoral states that share the Caspian Seas rich natural resources are complaining of ambiguities.

With 17.5 trillion cubic meters in reserve, Turkmenistan is the fourth richest natural gas country in the world after Iran, Russia and Qatar. The Kashagan oil reserve in Kazakhstan has 13 billion barrels, and Kazakhstan extracts 570,000 barrels of oil daily from its Tengiz oil field.

Azerbaijan is experiencing serious problems with Turkmenistan and Iran on the exploration of oil and natural gas sources. Iran, which has 12% of Caspian resources, wants the sea to be divided into five equal shares of 20%, as it was in the Soviet era. Azerbaijan cannot refuse Irans demand if it wants to continue to operate in the Araz-Alov-Sharg oil basin. Azerbaijan is also having problems with Turkmenistan at the Serdar/Kapaz oil and gas field and Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil fields. Azerbaijan believes that with the new agreement, the joint basin problems will be solved, relations with the littoral neighbors will improve and Azerbaijans position as a transit country will be reinforced.

Kazakhstan also has problems with Russia in several fields, but because of their economic cooperation, they opted to stand by Russia during the discussions of the deal.

Russia and Irans giving up the condition of getting approval of the five states for the pipelines appears to be an important concession. It is important to know what motivates Russia to take that step back. One reason is the advantage it gained with Iran from the Environmental Impact Assessment Protocol. Another is Russias belief that it wont be possible for Turkmenistans gas to reach Europe in the short term. According to current arrangements, two-thirds of Turkmenistans gas already goes to Russia. China is the buyer for the remaining one-third. At the moment, Turkmenistan cannot fulfill the amount it pledged to Beijing. The Central Asia-China line must have a 35 billion cubic meter capacity by 2020. Because of its existing commitments and low production capacity, it will be difficult for Turkmenistan to meet the Chinese demand and then pump gas to Europe.

A former senior official of BOTAS, Turkey's state gas importer, said that Russia has opted to reconcile in the Caspian to avoid the objections from the United States and EU to the Northern Stream project that goes to Germany via the Baltic Sea. The source said Russia can also deny access to alternative sources that would diminish the dependence of Russian natural gas.

What is important at this point is how all this will affect Turkeys plans to be an energy corridor. This strategy that Iran supports is delivering blows to Turkeys plans to become a transit route for energy routes from the Caspian and the Middle East. The twin lines, which would carry Turkmen gas and Kazakh oil together, was a project that would lower the dependence on Russia and enhance Turkeys strategic standing, the source told Al-Monitor, adding, Now Russia and Iran by making use of the Protocol can delay these projects at least for 10 years. Of course the strategies to be followed will change according to what international agreement the littoral countries are parties to and which international mechanism they rely on to solve their disagreements.

Turkeys aspiration to be an energy corridor depends on the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project, which will bring gas from Azerbaijans Shah Deniz gas field to Turkey, the Turkish Stream, which was developed as a Russian move against the EU, a possible Israeli natural gas pipeline, Iran and Iraq. TANAP will carry to Europe 10 billion cubic meters to start with and later 25 billion cubic meters.

When we look 10 years ahead, we see that our Caspian strategy has lost relevance, Iran doesnt want us to be an energy corridor. We cannot get what want from Iraq, the former BOTAS official said.

We were hoping to be the East-West Energy Corridor, and we are confined only to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan plays a double game. It has become expensive for it to produce gas and its capacity plummeted. They can meet only half of the 31 billion cubic meters of the TANAP capacity. Azerbaijan thinks it will take another 10 years for the Turkmen gas to be delivered, and in the meanwhile, it can find investors for its own fields. At the end, while we were dreaming of being an energy corridor, we became a country with increasing dependence on Russia, he added.

Isnt there anything Turkey and the Western camp can do? The official suggests using the US-EU solution plan for the Caspian as a deterrent to give the Russians a message: If you inhibit Turkmen gas and Kazakh oil, we can then impede Northern Stream in the Baltic and Black seas.

Countries that could best remind Russia of the Caspian model could be Ukraine and Denmark. It is interesting to note that despite the improvement of its strategic position, Turkey is choosing to keep silent. This silence could be attributed to Ankaras reluctance to endanger the Turkish Stream and other important projects. Perhaps the Turkish Stream 1 that was started in 2016 with its underwater part now completed and now in the stage of land construction will not be endangered, but Turkish Stream 2 could be at risk.

If the international atmosphere changes with anti-Russia US-EU pressure, Turkey may find it easier to work together with the Western alliance. Ankara may use the Western pressure to bargain with Russia for joint projects.

Despite all, Russia has always managed to be several steps ahead in the energy war. Following the crisis with Kiev, Russia used the 50 billion cubic meter capacity Northern Stream 1 from the Baltic Sea to Germany to reduce the Russian gas sent via Ukraine by 80%.

With the 55 billion cubic meter Northern Stream 2 entering service, Ukraine will be totally sidelined. The Turkish Streams 32 billion cubic meter capacity was developed after Bulgaria withdrew from the South Stream project under EU pressure, and Russia has been able to make the Trans Balkan line from Ukraine and Moldova to Bulgaria idle and thus deny Bulgaria the transit fees it could have earned.Like most other toddlers his age, John Isaac Segrest can be "ornery," says his mother, Lara Segrest of Huntsville.

But unlike most other toddlers, John Isaac's sweet face is going to be projected onto a giant screen in Times Square on Sept. 15, in an hour-long video celebrating people of all ages with Down syndrome. The annual video presentation kicks off Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and precedes the 24th annual flagship Buddy Walk in New York City.

Lara submitted John Isaac's photo earlier this year in response to a worldwide call for photos of children, teens and adults with Down syndrome to be included in the National Down Syndrome Society's video. Of more than 2,400 submissions, 500 were selected. She had sent her son's picture twice before, but the third time was the charm.

"I just kept submitting," she says. "He's a cute kid. And this year, we got picked."

John Isaac's photo was taken last November by Madison photographer Mary Grier with Mary Colleen Photo. The family photo shoot took place at a Trim-a-Tree Farm in Athens, Ala. Lara was hoping for a cute one to use for a Christmas card. The winning photo features John Isaac by himself, decked out in Christmas colors with some fall leaves on the ground around him.

"He's very determined," Lara says of her almost 2-1/2-year-old son. "It took him a little longer to walk, and it took him a little longer to do other things, but he does not give up at all. He loves books, puzzles, music and his sisters."

John Isaac has two older sisters, 6-year-old identical twins Charlie and Livvy.

The family will participate in the 16th annual Rocket City Buddy Walk, hosted by Bringing Up Down Syndrome (BUDS) in Huntsville, on Oct. 6. Buddy Walks are held in more than 275 American cities. "It's a great community event," Lara says, with inflatables, face painting, a cupcake walk and more.

But in New York, she says, "they go big." She and the rest of the family hope to see John Isaac's picture on the giant screen in Times Square, if he's feeling well enough to travel.

During a recent vacation in Philadelphia, he ended up spending a week in the hospital with pneumonia. "If he so much as sneezes," his mom says, they'll just watch it live on Facebook.

"It's going to be such a fun experience for us," she says.

For more information about the Buddy Walk program, visit www.buddywalk.org.It's been nearly two years since three masked men burst into a north Birmingham apartment and opened fire during an apparent robbery, killing one man and wounding another.

When the gunfire ended, 31-year-old Roger Cheatham was dead inside his 31st Avenue North apartment. His two children - ages 7 and 4 - as well as his 15-year-old stepson were asleep when the bullets started flying. The two older kids, after hearing the commotion, looked to see what was happening and then took cover in a closet.

Cheatham's mother, Angela Cheatham, said the streets talk and she has an idea who may have fired the deadly shots. Birmingham police, however, need witnesses and evidence, something they hope they will get with a new development in the 2016 unsolved case.

The office of Gov. Kay Ivey has issued a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Roger Cheatham's death. That reward money will be added to the existing Crime Stoppers reward, which is up to $5,000.

His family hopes the newest reward will bring clues needed to close the case. "It would mean a whole lot,'' his mother said. "I just want to ask them, 'Why? Why did they kill him?' He didn't deserve. He really didn't, and I just want to know why."

Roger Cheatham was killed in 2016. His sister, Jessica Starks, left, and his mother, Angela Cheatham, right, are begging for anyone with information to come forward.

It was about 10:15 p.m. on Aug. 16, 2016 when Angela Cheatham got off the phone with her son. "I had just hung up the phone and I got the call at 10:30 that night from my grandkids' mother saying Roger had been shot. It was just really hard to believe because I had just gotten off the phone with him,'' she said.

Soon more phone calls came in delivering the news. "No one told me that he was bad. I'm just thinking maybe he got shot in the leg or whatever,'' Angela Cheatham said. "When I got to the hospital it was really bad."

The shooting happened at Roger Cheatham's apartment in 2100 block of 31st Avenue North. Police at the time said they were to the area on reports of two people shot. When they arrived on the scene, they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds.

Both men were rushed to UAB Hospital. Cheatham died the following day. The other victim, whose name was not ever released, recovered.

Police said a witness told investigators they were inside the house when three black males forced their way in. Once inside, they held everyone at gunpoint and began to search the residence for unknown items. Once the trio found what they were looking for, both men were shot. All three suspects fled the scene in a purple Nissan Altima.

Angela Cheatham said her son's 15-year-old stepson heard the commotion and woke up the 7-year-old. "They were basically peeking around the coroner to see what going on and then they went and hid in the closet,'' she said.

She says she doesn't' know why her son was killed. "He was actually a good son. He wasn't perfect, but he was a good child and he didn't deserve that,'' she said. "He always had his kids. He was a good father. I never had any trouble out of Roger. Even if they would have robbed him, he wouldn't have gone after them. He wasn't a violent person."

Two years later, the pain and the questions remain. Angela Cheatham said she is still in counseling dealing with her son's death, as are her grandchildren. The son who hid in the closet, now age 9, has especially been affected by the trauma.

"My grandson is afraid,'' she said. "He thinks everybody's out to hurt him."

Angela Cheatham is pleading for someone to come forward. "I know someone knows something,'' she said. "I know they're probably afraid what might happen to them but I'm still begging them to come forward."

Asked what she would say to the shooter or shooters, this was her reply: "I'm trying to keep praying to forgive them,'' she said, "but I'd rather not say what I'd say."

Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham police homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.A 21-year-old man was shot to death Tuesday night in Opelika.

Opelika police were dispatched at 11:43 p.m. to Hickory Haven Mobile Home Park on Crawford Road, said Lee County Coroner Bill Harris. Once officers were on the scene, they found Octavious Bennett unresponsive.

Harris said it appears Bennett suffered a single gunshot wound, and he was pronounced dead on the scene.

Bennett was inside a home when someone fire shots through the outside wall of the mobile home, striking Bennett. His body was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for an autopsy.

No arrests have been announced. Anyone with information is asked to call the Opelika Police Department's Detective Division at 334-705-5220, the Secret Witness Hotline at 334-745-8665 or the Lee County Coroner's Secret Witness Hotline at 334-745-8686.Two activists are calling for the resignation of the president of the Birmingham chapter of the National Association Advancement of Colored People.

Carlos Chaverst and Ladarius Hilliard held a press conference outside of the Birmingham NAACP office on 4th Avenue North to voice their concerns about Hezekiah Jackson, the head of the local group, and ask him to step down.

"It's time for poor people to have a voice in this city," Chaverst said.

Earlier this month, there were more calls for Jackson to step down after testimony in the bribery trial involving former state Rep. Oliver Robinson, where Robinson said he paid Jackson $4,000 to convince north Birmingham residents not to get their soil tested for high levels of poison.

Chaverst and Hilliard shared emails-- which were shown in court-- between Jackson and Robinson's daughter Amanda, where the two discussed community outreach efforts in Inglenook. Inglenook was one of the areas, along with Tarrant, that the Environmental Protection Agency wanted to add to the north Birmingham Superfund site and prioritize its cleanup. Drummond was identified by the EPA as a potentially responsible party, meaning they could have had to pay for the costly cleanup.

Hilliard said the emails show proof Jackson was involved in a scheme to "deceive poor black people." He said Jackson should be held accountable for a "moral and ethical crime," even though he hasn't faced any legal charges pertaining to the Superfund issue.

Chaverst and Hilliard said Jackson's encouragement to north Birmingham residents to not have their soil tested aided in residents getting sick from long-term diseases and dying. They said Jackson's actions were "detrimental to lives."

"Nobody is standing up for those people over there," Chaverst said. "These issues have been going on for decades."

The two said if Jackson does not step down, they will implement a plan to either bring in new members to the NAACP and vote Jackson out, or start a new NAACP chapter. They also said they plan to help north Birmingham residents file a civil lawsuit against Drummond and possibly the NAACP.

"It really hurts my heart," Chaverst said. "It's not fair at all."

"This is a sad moment for the city of Birmingham," Hilliard added, saying Jackson also owes the city an apology.

Jackson, who worked as Robinson's campaign manager in 1998, has previously denied any wrongdoing and said Robinson was giving false testimony.

Following a four-week federal trial, a vice president at Drummond Company and one attorney with Balch & Bingham were convicted on six charges each. Robinson pleaded guilty to several charges prior to the trial, and testified for the government.

Jackson made a statement Wednesday afternoon. He said Chaverst and Hilliard have "no legal basis" to call upon his resignation. "They began the first press conference with an emphatic claim of my being paid to take a position, which they now say they cannot prove. They now have some of my emails that restate my long standing position of not being a fan of the way the EPA has done business in the black community, which is normally not favorable. My position was not crafted by anyone and was established long before the Oliver Robinson saga. I did consider Amanda Robinson like a niece and tried to support what I thought was an educational project unrelated to her father to help the black community."

He said he will continue his volunteer service, which he has been involved in for more than 20 years. "I will not resign based on their claims of morality where I have played a role in any sickness or fatalities, which is not true and they have no evidence/proof otherwise."

Updated at 7:24 p.m. with Jackson's statementA convicted child molester is now accused of similar crimes in another Alabama county.

Timothy Guy Laggy, a 47-year-old Ashville man, was booked into the Shelby County Jail on Monday, according to jail records. Court records made public Wednesday show he is charged with two counts of sex abuse of a child under the age of 12 and two counts of first degree sodomy.

The alleged crimes happened between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2008. Additional details were not made available.

Laggy last year pleaded guilty in St. Clair County to sodomy and child sex abuse charges after he inappropriately touched a 13-year-old girl on her breasts and genital area. That crime happened in 2014.

Laggy was sentenced to 20 years in prison and is an inmate at the Bibb County Correctional Facility. He was transferred from the state prison to the Shelby County Jail where he is being held on $30,000 bond.This is an opinion column.

It's clear Gov. Kay Ivey doesn't want to debate.

Take what she said on (checks notes) Friday.

"There are only two people who ever bring up the subject of debates -- y'all in the media and my opponent," she said. "And he's all over the map. He can't figure out where he stands on any of the important issues like the Supreme Court or abortion or even gun rights. When he finishes debating himself, we can talk."

Or what she said on (checks notes again) Monday.

"The only two people who ever bring that up is y'all in the media and my opponent," she said. "So (when) my opponent finally makes up his mind where he stands on issues, we'll talk about having a debate."

The Campbell's Soup company can't make canned answers like that. If Ivey keeps it up, we might have to bring Andy Warhol back from the dead just to paint her picture.

So far Ivey has proved that she's good at one thing and one thing only -- delivering lines somebody else likely gave her.

And that's a problem.

Voters deserve to know who's really making the decisions at the top of our state government. Alabama has a right to know whether its governor can think on her feet. And frankly, we have a right to know whether the person who holds the state's highest office can stand on stage for an hour or more and speak coherently, without someone else's canned lines.

These aren't high expectations. In fact, it's hard to come up with expectations much lower.

And I'll be quite frank: I don't think the governor could do it if she wanted to.

If that's seems ugly or offensive, consider what's coming from Ivey.

She -- or whoever's canning her words for her -- doesn't think you care, and if you do, she doesn't care what you think.

That's what should offend you.

At least Marie Antoinette's contempt came with a dessert option.

There are things about Walt Maddox that makeme unsure about him. I don't like how he's hidden campaign expenses behind a loophole in our campaign finance laws.

And when the Tuscaloosa News asked him to release traffic camera data showing whether those cameras made traffic safer, he refused to turn over what should be public information.

But at least he's not afraid to stand on a stage and contrast his ideas with his opponents' beliefs -- in the primary or the general election.

And despite what Ivey's handlers prepped her to say, Maddox is a lot more consistent than the governor.

Remember, this is the governor who said she believed the women who accused Roy Moore of sexual assault, and then she said she would vote for Moore, anyway.

This is the woman who has said in campaign commercials that she had only three hours to prepare to be governor, even though she said a week before Robert Bentley resigned the office that she had prepared for a transition.

This is the governor who claims to have cleaned up Montgomery but signed a bill into law to exempt economic developers from the state's ethics laws.

This is a candidate who said earlier this year that she didn't have time in her schedule to debate her Republican challengers -- including one debate she skipped to throw out a pitch a a Birmingham Barons game.

This is a candidate who called those GOP debates political stunts and said her schedule wouldn't be dictated by others -- even though we at AL.com gave her the chance to pick a day and time for a debate and offered to consider other conditions, such as using chairs -- a courtesy we didn't extend to the other candidates. Perhaps that was unfair to them, but they didn't complain. Only she did.

And this is the same Kay Ivey who, the first time she ever ran for office, slammed her opponent for refusing to debate her.

And now, when she's running scared, she blames her cowardice on her opponent -- who she says is inconsistent.

If that were true, it should be easy for her to rip him apart on stage.

Instead, she has to give canned answers -- the same on Monday as she said on Friday.

On that, at least, she's consistent.

Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group.

Want access to the best analysis and in-depth reporting about Alabama each week? Sign up for the weekly Reckon Report newsletter and follow Reckon on Facebook and Twitter.The mother of a 17-year-old anti-gun violence activist who was wounded by a stray bullet while asleep in his Fairfield home is praying new reward money will lead to justice for her son.

The shooting happened in the early-morning hours of Friday, July 20 at the family's home in the 4200 block of Lloyd Noland Parkway in Fairfield. Authorities said the shot came through the window. Fairfield Police Chief Nick Dyer said the victim - Zo Shauku - was not the intended target and was injured by a stray bullet.

Family said Zo loves to serve people and, after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, joined with other teens to work with Iron City Generation Now which focuses on combating gun violence.

The teen spent days in the ICU at UAB Hospital but has since been released and continues to recover at home. "He has begun the long road to recovery,'' his mother said. "He is expected to physically heal in a year."

Keiah Shauku said it is crucial there is an arrest in her son's shooting.

"We need justice for Zo because we as a community need justice,'' she said. "An arrest would allow us to sleep a little better at night--and possibly return to our home."

"It would mean that we have not suffered this in vain,'' she said. "It would also mean that we have not become a community that accepts a world where children can be shot while sleeping."

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, which is assisting Fairfield police with the investigation, on Tuesday announced a $5,000 reward for information in the case.

"I cannot express enough my deep appreciation for Sheriff Mike Hale and the Jefferson County Sherif's Office,'' she said. "I am heartened by the sheriff's leadership and his willingness to take ownership of this case.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Metro Area Crime Center at 205-582-6800 or the Fairfield Police Department at 205-786-4111. Information may also be called in to Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.A man serving a 15-year sentence for robbery has been recaptured after escaping prison work release, authorities said early this morning.

Gregory Devonta Ivey, 26, was recaptured in Huntsville by U.S. Marshals and the Alabama Department of Corrections, said Bob Horton, an ADOC spokesman. Ivey walked away from a work-release site in nearby Athens on Tuesday night, authorities said. He was housed at the Limestone Correctional prison.

Ivey was sentenced in May 2016 to 15 years in prison for two robbery convictions.

He surrendered to authorities late Tuesday, Horton said.A search is underway after an inmate walked off his Athens job site Tuesday night, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.

Gregory Devonta Ivey walked off the job site around 5:30 p.m., officials said.

Ivey is a 26-year-old black male with black hair and brown eyes. He stands 5-feet-5-inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, white painters pants, a red cap and black or blue shoes.

A Madison County judge sentenced Ivey to serve 15 years on a second-degree robbery conviction in May 2016.

Anyone with information about Ivey's whereabouts should call 911 or call the Alabama Department of Corrections at 1-800-831-8825.

Further details were not immediately available.Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill called ex-Brighton Mayor Brandon Dean a "criminal" during a fiery Twitter exchange on Tuesday despite Dean never being indicted, let alone convicted, of a crime. Dean claims the term carries racial overtones.

Brandon Dean

In an interview with AL.com, Merrill defended his use of the word, citing an ongoing investigation into absentee voter fraud that resulted in Dean's election being overturned last year and a state Ethics Commission finding that Dean improperly used a city police vehicle.

"This is what we know: We know Brandon Dean is a criminal, and we know that because Brandon Dean took a squad car that was owned by the city of Brighton to Atlanta on Thanksgiving for personal use," Merrill said.

Dean chose to get a job at a Washington, D.C., nonprofit focused on ballot access issues instead of running in the city's runoff election. A retired Jefferson County judge overturned the election after deciding that Dean's margin of victory came from improper absentee ballots.

He said Merrill's tweets constituted "veiled bigotry."

"To call [me] a criminal in that platform, then that says a great deal about maturity and understanding that this person has of their role," Dean said. "It's important that voters of the state of Alabama recognize what this man's principles are."

Dean initiated the Twitter exchange, criticizing Merrill's investigation into potential absentee voter fraud in the Black Belt as a form of voter intimidation and suppression.

"You clearly have an issue with poor black people casting votes. Deplorable and bullish are your tactics," he wrote. "Stay out of my hometown and stop harassing voters for how they decide to cast a ballot. If you want to know what happened see me don't harass my people."

In a phone interview, Dean said the investigations were part of "the modern-day effort that represents Black Codes and all the legal methods that were used to force poor people off the ballot."

But Merrill said the cases he's looking at all stemmed from local residents' complaints.

"African Americans in Wilcox and Perry counties and Bullock County reached out to us and asked us to investigate the issues related to the election process in those counties. I'm the only person thats involved in the investigation that's white. I'm excited about helping our citizens that want to help themselves," he said. "I don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican and I don't care if you're black or white, we're going to treat everybody the same. [In these cases,] they're all African Americans and they're all begging for help."

Merrill said his office turned over all relevant material to state Attorney General Steve Marshall in the Brighton case.

"We really want this turned over to a grand jury because we believe when we do there will be multiple indictments, and when that happens it'll be a great day for America."

Of Brighton residents, Merrill said his office doesn't "hear much from them now because the cancer's been removed" -- a reference to Dean. "But chemotherapy is still coming."A Dollar General store manager from Lawrence County is accused of stealing the store's money bag and blaming the theft on a hoax robber, authorities said.

Kimber Flatt Foster, a 44-year-old Danville woman, is charged with felony theft and misdemeanor false reporting, according to the Lawrence County sheriff's office. She was arrested Friday and released on $10,500 bail.

Deputies were called to a reported robbery at the Langtown Dollar General store on Alabama 33. The call came in the morning of July 23. Foster told lawmen she was walking out of the store with the money bag when a man robbed her.

Foster told authorities the robber was a white man who came up behind her, grabbed the money and ran into the woods behind the store, Sheriff Gene Mitchell said. But, investigators found inconsistencies with Foster's story, the sheriff said.

Christopher Shane Nix

Today, deputies arrested Foster's accused accomplice, said sheriff's Capt. Randall Parker said in a news release. Christopher Shane Nix, a 38-year-old Trinity man, is jailed on a second-degree theft charge. Bail is set at $10,000.

If convicted, Foster and Nix face up to 10 years in prison.

Investigators said their probe is ongoing.

Updated at 4:52 p.m. to add criminal charges against Nix, the accused accomplice.A former substitute teacher accused of having sexual contact with a Florence High School student has been indicted on a felony charge, authorities said.

Kayla D. Safford, 24, was booked into the Lauderdale County jail this morning, records show. She has been released on $10,000 bail.

Safford was a contract substitute teacher when she had off-campus sex with an 18-year-old student, said Florence police Capt. Brad Holmes in a news release.

"...evidence obtained in this case shows that the relationship with the student occurred as a result of her employment in the school system," Holmes said. "Irrespective of age, the law is clear and aims to protect students from sexual contact with those entrusted with teaching our children. Ms. Safford violated that trust."

Safford's attorney Tim Case said he and his client "adamantly deny that she committed any wrongdoing."

Any school employee who has sexual contact with a student younger than 19 can be convicted of a felony and required to register as a sex offender, according to Alabama law. Consent isn't a defense -- even if the student has reached Alabama's age of consent, which is 16.

Case said he plans to challenge the indictment and Alabama's teacher-student sex law. The law has been deemed unconstitutional by a Morgan County judge, but the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals reversed that decision. The constitutionality question is being appealed to the state supreme court.

Detectives began investigating Safford in March, Holmes said. The case was presented to a grand jury last week.

"The Florence City School System was made aware of the allegations early on in the investigation and administrators have cooperated fully in our investigation," Holmes said.

Updated at 3:37 p.m. with comments from Safford's lawyer.A scandal rattling the Alabama State House grew last week when a third state legislator was accused in an alleged conspiracy concerning three now closed diabetes treatment clinics.

Prosecutors outlined how they say the scheme unfolded in a second indictment issued by a federal grand jury last week.

The timeline below is the prosecutors' version of events. No one has been convicted and several have denied wrongdoing. One of the accused participants, former Rep. Micky Hammon, served a three-month prison sentence in a separate federal case and is not charged in this case.

A few of the alleged actions described below are out of chronological order for clarity or because that's the way they were listed in the 57-page indictment.

December 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services determines that Medicare won't cover outpatient intravenous insulin infusion therapy (OIVIT) because of a lack of evidence that it helps patients. Private insurance plans generally follow the Medicare determinations.

August 2014, a clinic opens in Foley to provide "artificial pancreas treatment," which the indictment say is a form of OIVIT. The clinic is affiliated with Trina Health, a California company founded by G. Ford Gilbert, who is one of those charged. Patients spend three hours receiving insulin infusions. Trina Health says the therapy can treat diabetes, neuropathy, hypoglycemia, hypertension, chronic fatigue, wounds and erectile dysfunction. A Texas company called CP Homes enters a license agreement with Trina Health to open the Foley clinic.

February 2015, CP Homes opens a second Trina Health-affiliated clinic in Fairhope.

May 2014, Rep. Micky Hammon, R-Decatur, majority leader in the Alabama House of Representatives, is asked to help recruit investors for Trina Health-affiliated clinics in Alabama. The request comes from "C.B." a Georgia resident and "longtime acquaintance" of Trina Health CEO Gilbert. Hammon tells Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne, about the opportunity. C.B. tells Hammon and Davis he will give a 5 percent ownership interest to any person who recruits an investor.

February 2015, Hammon, Davis and C.B. tour the Fairhope clinic and meet Gilbert, who shows them how artificial pancreas treatment works and assures them that a clinic in north Alabama would perform a public service and be profitable.

March to May 2015, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama determines that the Trina Health-affiliated clinic in Foley improperly coded claims for OIVIT, resulting in Blue Cross Blue Shield wrongly making payments on the "artificial pancreas treatment." Blue Cross Blue Shield notifies the clinic of its findings and requests refunds. A few months later, Blue Cross and Blue Shield would request refunds from the Fairhope clinic.

May 2015, Hammon recruits four investors for a Trina Health-affiliated clinic in the Birmingham area. The investors wire $390,000 into the bank account of a company established by C.B. for the clinic. C.B.'s company pays Hammon $12,500 and offers to give Hammon 5 percent ownership of the clinic. Hammon accepts a 4 percent stake instead. The state ethics law would have required him to disclose ownership of 5 percent or more.

May to September 2015, Hammon finds a location for the Birmingham-area clinic in Hoover, oversees renovations and helps hire a doctor to be the "medical director." C.B.'s company pays Hammon another $16,000.

June 2015, Davis sends an email to Hammon saying he met with Gov. Robert Bentley and two potential investors in the clinics.

June to August 2015, Gilbert appeals Blue Cross Blue Shield's requests for refunds on the clinics' claims. Gilbert argues, in part, that his company's "artificial pancreas treatment" is not a form of OIVIT. Blue Cross Blue Shield says the treatment does not meet its medical criteria for coverage and is "investigational." The first-level appeal is denied.

August to September 2015, Gilbert tells Hammon, C.B., and the Hoover clinic investors about Blue Cross Blue Shield's position. Gilbert says he is confident that Blue Cross Blue Shield will reconsider.

September 2015, Hammon sells half of his interest in the Hoover clinic to an investor from Albertville and receives $35,320.

September 15, 2015, Gov. Robert Bentley attends a grand opening for the Trina Health-affiliated clinic in Hoover.

October 2015, CP Homes, the company that opened the Trina-Health affiliated clinics in Fairhope and Foley, issues a press release saying, "Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama denies life-changing coverage to diabetics."

October 2015, Hammon contacts "State Senator A," identified in the indictment as representing Jefferson and Shelby counties and being perceived by other lawmakers as influential to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. At Hammon's request, "State Senator A" contacts "Lobbyist A," identified as the vice president of governmental affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield, about Trina Health.

October 2015, Trina Health CEO Gilbert unveils a public relations plan against Blue Cross Blue Shield that he calls "BlueGate." It includes advocating for a state law to require insurers to cover "artificial pancreas treatment." To avoid public scrutiny, Gilbert agrees to begin referring to Hammon as "Bill Johnson" in written communications.

November 2015, Hammon persuades "State Representative A" to visit the Trina Health-affiliated clinic in Fairhope for a consultation. The indictment identifies "State Representative A" as a Baldwin County lawmaker with diabetes. State Representative A accepts a publicly available offer of four free treatments in exchange for signing a petition asking Blue Cross Blue Shield to start covering the treatment.

(Rep. Joe Faust, R-Fairhope, who is State Representative A, says he paid for his treatments, a co-pay on the first two and a full payment on others. Faust said the treatments helped him and said that's what he told a legislative committee. Faust is not accused of wrongdoing.)

November 2015, Davis asks "State Representative C" to contact Blue Cross Blue Shield about reversing its position. State Representative C asks whether Davis' purpose is to help Hammon. Davis says he is only trying to help diabetic patients in his district.

January 2016, the clinics in Fairhope and Foley pay the refunds requested by Blue Cross Blue Shield, a total of about $42,000.

February 2016, Trina Health CEO Gilbert receives formal notification from Blue Cross Blue Shield that it denied his appeal of its decision that it would not cover the treatments. Gilbert drafts a letter in response, and at Hammon's suggestion, writes that the Blue Cross Blue Shield decision contradicts the company's slogan, "We cover what matters."

February 2016, Hammon informs Gilbert that he is not able to pay a debt of $242,000 to Regions Bank. Gilbert contacts Regions and indicates that Trina Health would pay Hammon's debt when the clinics become profitable. Regions grants Hammon an extension.

February 2016, Trina Health CEO Gilbert asks Hammon to sponsor a bill requiring insurance coverage of artificial pancreas treatment. Hammon refuses.

February 2016, CP Homes, owner of the Trina Health-affiliated clinics in Fairhope and Foley, hires lobbyist Marty Connors to lobby for a bill.

February 2016, Davis meets with Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, and asks him to support a bill to require insurance companies to cover "artificial pancreas treatment." Williams understands that it would benefit a company connected to Hammon and agrees to support such a bill.

February 2016, Trina Health CEO Gilbert, and C.B., head of the company that owned the Hoover clinic, meet Williams for dinner at a Birmingham restaurant. Williams tells Gilbert he will get the bill assigned to the House Commerce and Small Business Committee, which Williams chairs, and would hold a public hearing on the bill.

March 2016, Lobbyist Connors notifies Trina Health CEO Gilbert about House Bill 86, which concerned insurance coverage of cancer drugs. Connors suggests the bill could be amended to include the artificial pancreas treatment.

March 2016, Trina Health CEO Gilbert sends lobbyist Connors a proposed addition to House Bill 86. Connors forwards it to Davis and Williams. Davis asks the sponsor of House Bill 86, Rep. Ron Johnson, R-Sylacauga, whether he would be willing to add it to his bill. Johnson says proponents of House Bill 86 would not support that. Johnson offers to sponsor a stand-alone bill backed by Trina Health. (Johnson is not charged or named in the indictment but is identified as State Representative B.)

March 2016, Trina Health CEO Gilbert sends lobbyist Connors a proposed bill to require insurers to cover artificial pancreas treatment. Connors sends it to the Legislative Reference Service, the agency that drafts bills, and requests that it draft the bill on behalf of Williams and Johnson. Johnson later introduces it as House Bill 415. At Williams' request, it is assigned to the Commerce and Small Business Committee.

April 2016, lobbyists opposed to House Bill 415 request a public hearing. Williams presides over the public hearing on April 13. Trina Health CEO Gilbert, Rep. Davis and Faust testify in support of the bill. A Blue Cross Blue Shield physician testifies against it.

April 19, 2016, the Commerce and Small Business Committee is scheduled to vote on House Bill 415. But shortly before the meeting, Williams pulls it from the agenda. The bill dies.

February 2017, Hammon resigns from his position as majority leader in the House of Representatives, a position he had held since 2010.

July 2017, Hammon announces he will not seek reelection.

September 2017, Hammon pleads guilty to one count of mail fraud in federal court. Prosecutors said he converted campaign funds for personal use. Prosecutors said they uncovered the crime during an unrelated investigation. The conviction removes Hammon from office.

February 2018, Hammon is sentenced to three months in prison and ordered to pay $50,657 restitution for the mail fraud conviction.

April 2018, Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills; lobbyist and former state Republican Party chairman Marty Connors; Trina Health CEO G. Ford Gilbert are indicted by a federal grand jury in an alleged bribery conspiracy. They plead not guilty.

July 2018, a federal grand jury indicts Connors, Gilbert and Rep. Randy Davis in a superseding indictment in the alleged Trina Health bribery scheme. Arraignment is scheduled for August 8.The GulfQuest National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico is welcoming a new tenant to its distinctive building on the Mobile waterfront: The University of Alabama.

The university announced Tuesday that it plans to lease some office space inside the facility. The new office "will serve as a nexus for research and programmatic initiatives that will benefit the region, primarily in the area of transportation."

Marietta Urquhart, vice chairman of the GulfQuest board, said it's a win for the museum. "It won't affect exhibit space at all," she said. "They will offer an enhancement for the museum."

"GulfQuest is thrilled to have the University of Alabama as a part of this spectacular property and project for Mobile, and is another very positive step in developing our waterfront," said board chair Mike Lee. He said the space had only been used "sparingly" for storage during the search for a "complementary tenant."

The focus on transportation is no coincidence: GulfQuest was built in part with federal grants tied specifically to transportation. The museum focuses on the history of the Gulf of Mexico and the shipping industry that uses it, and early plans also called for it to serve as a transportation hub.

The museum opened in September 2015 but was closed in Nov. 2016 amid lower-than projected attendance and a financial shortfall that Mayor Sandy Stimpson said the city could not afford to make up. It eventually reopened on a limited schedule, working with a skeleton staff while the city searched for long-term solutions. That was complicated by the transportation grants: If the city doesn't keep the focus on transportation, there's concern it could have to pay back millions.

Laura Byrne, a spokeswoman for Stimpson, said the university was renting about 3,600 square feet. John Higganbotham, UA's interim vice president for research and economic development, said that it'll be office space that previously was empty, and the UA presence likely won't be very visible to the public. It's not foreseen as a classroom environment, he said.

"We already have people down there that do various project," he said, "and this will be a convenient place for them to land."

"We are pleased and proud to welcome The University of Alabama to downtown Mobile," Stimpson said in a statement released by the university. "This partnership with the Alabama Transportation Institute is significant because of the incredible growth we are experiencing as a region, placing unprecedented demand on our infrastructure."

"Mobile is the center of a multimodal transportation system that includes aviation, roads and interstate highways, rail, ports, harbors and inland waterways," said Shashi Nambisan, executive director of UA's Alabama Transportation Institute. "These support significant engineering, maintenance, manufacturing and technical training activities for transportation as well as activities in the financial, tourism and service sectors."

The University announcement also included enthusiastic comment from U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, Alabama State Port Authority CEO and Director Jimmy Lyons and Mobile Airport Authority Executive Director Chris Curry.

"We look forward to a collaborative partnership that will explore new avenues to enhance our logistical network," Curry said in the UA news release.Sweating under the July sun on the deck of a boat on the Mobile River, Fred Hiebert, chief archaeologist for the National Geographic Society, said he is living a life he never imagined as an 18-year-old kid coming out of high school.

Hiebert was in Alabama as part of the ongoing expedition to find the wreck of the Clotilda, the last U.S. slave ship.

While his southern sojourn might seem out of step with his two most recent blockbuster National Geographic expeditions -- namely the search for hidden rooms in King Tut's tomb, and the restoration of the tomb of Jesus Christ - Hiebert said his trip to Alabama

fits perfectly alongside those ancient world adventures.

At first blush, it is hard to reconcile the exotic locales with a swamp in Alabama, (Egypt's Valley of the Kings and the Old City quarter of Jerusalem are a long way from 12 Mile Island a few miles north of Mobile, Alabama where the remains of the Clotilda are thought to lie). The truth is the same sun beats down on all three. That is, all three locations lie roughly along the same latitude, the 30th parallel. The sun baking the Sahara and Judaean deserts of the Middle East shines with precisely the same ferocity in southern Alabama as it does on the places featured in the Bible.

More to the point, Hiebert's adventures in all three locations, "are about telling human stories that no one knows," which he called the essence of archaeology.

"Here we are in the Mobile River, trying to find one of the great untold stories of American history. We're so excited to be here in Alabama," Hiebert said. "It's my first time in Alabama and I love it. It's beautiful, and the people are beautiful. The history is beautiful too."

When Hiebert talks about history, both discovering it and teaching it to others, his face lights up with the glow of someone lucky enough to have found their natural calling.

But it wasn't always so. Hiebert did not grow up pretending to unearth ancient treasures in his sandbox. Instead of a career as one of the world's most prestigious archaeologists, Hiebert originally imagined himself as an artist. In fact, straight out of high school, he moved to Paris and spent a cold and lonely winter trying to get hired by one of the famous Parisian art houses.

"They looked at my portfolio and explained that people like me paid to get to work with them, not the other way 'round," Hiebert said, chuckling. Before long, after a few months in an unheated bedsit in Paris, he contracted pneumonia and found himself back in the United States, worried that his dreams of a life as an artist were over.

In the end, it was his love of art that made him an archaeologist.

"I came out of high school, an 18 year old rebel, thinking I'm so great, I'm going to go out and get a job in an art studio," Hiebert said. Back home after his Parisian dream turned out to be a bust, "I got a job drawing for archaeologists. It was really more drafting than drawing, but I loved it. And they loved me, so they took me into the field. I basically became what is known in the field as a field bum. Basically, I would work for an airplane ticket and food. It was great. That's how I got into archaeology."

Hiebert's journey included a PhD. from Harvard, a professorship at the University of Pennsylvania, and digs in Afghanistan and Turkmenistan that revealed previously unknown civilizations and what appears to be one of the earliest examples of a written language. The archaeological papers associated with those finds include Hiebert's drawings.

Even today, in the age of digital photography and animation, the field of archaeological illustration still exists, and is even preferred by most archaeologists for recording their finds. An archaeological drawing is a neat and tidy thing, usually rendered in pencil, then perhaps ink on white paper. There will be simple renderings of the object being discussed, often from several angles, but always with the light source in the upper left corner above the object. Accompanying the drawing will be notes, often written right on the page, that point out distinguishing details. Despite decades in the field with teams of archaeologists working on his projects, Hiebert still does all of his own archaeological drawings.

"I always loved to draw," he says. "I'd draw anything."

His archaeological renderings fill his book, Origins of the Bronze Age Oasis Civilization in Central Asia, written when he was a curator for Old World Archaeology at Harvard University's Peabody Museum. The drawings are precise, but graceful, with shading accomplished by the stippling of tiny dots. A note in the text reports "all photos and artwork by author."

In Mobile, Hiebert was doing a different sort of archaeology than he had in the past. This involved modern technology, more precisely a machine called a sub-bottom profiler, that could see through the mud on the bottom of the Mobile River and perhaps reveal the location of the long-lost slave ship.

"Even with all these modern tools, it is still a search for our past," Hiebert said. "The modern tools we have, they have reinvigorated archaeology. We are finding all sorts of amazing things we couldn't have found any other way."

What follows is the transcript of an interview with Hiebert conducted under the canvas top of my boat, anchored downstream of a wreck that just may be the Clotilda.

HIEBERT: I am Fred Hiebert, I am the archaeologist-in-residence at the National Geographic Society. I've been there for 16 years. I came in as the archaeology fellow. Finally, I was there long enough that they changed my title to archaeologist-in-residence. You know, Survivor, Season 16, right. I made it. But it's cool. Every day I wake up and say, Gosh, I can't believe I'm at National Geographic. It's really a fantastic place.

AL.com: How soon out of school did you end up there?

HIEBERT: Actually, I had a normal career as an archaeologist. I graduated in a field of Central Asian archaeology. My specialty was the border area, the trade along the Silk Road, and I focused on the area between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. I suppose it's a normal career. I got a university job teaching. Then, 2001, 9/11 happened and I felt like, you know in 2001 and 2002, we started sending thousands, tens of thousands, of young American men to Afghanistan. (In previous interviews in other publications, Hiebert expressed dismay that many of his university archaeology students were unable to find Iraq and Afghanistan on maps, despite the fact that their country was actively prosecuting wars in each nation.)

I felt like I needed to talk to a bigger audience than just the university. In 2003, thanks to my public speaking about Afghanistan, I was given an opportunity to go to Afghanistan with National Geographic, and it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

So, I left the university and came to National Geographic. I have been really happy since then with many millions of students, instead of just a handful at the university. I loved the university, but the opportunity to have National Geographic as the pulpit was an unbelievable opportunity.

AL.com: What is it you love about archaeology and preaching the gospel so to speak?

Hiebert: Archaeology is the unwritten record of human history. Believe it or not, a lot of human history is not written down. There is an old phrase, history is written by the winners, right. Well archaeology gives the whole story. I find that there are still so many stories, and histories of civilizations that haven't been told, and that we can tell through archaeology.

My goal as an archaeologist is to make the text books go out of date as soon as possible. History text books go out of date, rewrite them all, turn a new page. I was very inspired at National Geographic to start working with high technology. That's how I got to work with people like James Delgado. (Delgado is one of the leaders of the expedition to find the Clotilda.) I've worked with Robert Ballard, the discoverer of the Titanic. I get to work with incredible scholars and incredible technicians. With these new tools, like side scan sonar, which we can use to discover human history, or Lidar scanning which we can use to preserve monuments, actually down to millimeter level.

At National Geographic we say the 21st century is the new age of discovery, the new age of exploration, because of these tools. Here we are in the Mobile River, trying to find one of the great untold stories of American history. We're so excited to be here in Alabama. It's my first time in Alabama and I love it. It's beautiful, and the people are beautiful. The history is beautiful too.

We are trying to do a level of scientific survey, which is impressive for me no matter where we would be in the entire world, working with Jim Delgado and his team, doing a multi-faceted survey of a small part of the Mobile River that's never really been surveyed before. We look under the mud with something called a sub-bottom profiler. We can sort of make a Rand McNally map of the river with side scan sonar. We can pick up any sort of metallic objects with something called a magnetometer.

Put all those together on a single map and it's really, it is like CSI history.

AL.com: Some of your big expeditions, you were just in Christ's tomb, and King Tut's tomb, and the pyramids. Tell me how the technology interface there worked?

Hiebert: In 2016, I was really very, very happy working on a hypothesis that King Tut's tomb was a reused tomb, and there may be some hidden walls and hidden rooms behind the walls, which is not unusual in Egypt. In the Valley of the Kings, all the tombs are built underground to hide them from looters. So it was not at all unusual for them to try to hide a room by plastering over it. We just didn't know how to do it in a place like the Valley of the Kings. We started working there in 2016 with all sorts of technology. That's where the technology came in. We could see through walls, see the voids.

While I was working on King Tut's tomb, I got a voicemail from a man who said he was a Greek Orthodox priest and that Jesus's tomb was going to be opened for the first time in more than a century and that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The message was short and just said I needed to make sure I was there when they opened the tomb. It was so strange to get it. So I called and the next thing I know, I am on a plane to Jerusalem, where I've never been. And then I'm in Jerusalem, in this ancient city. I had to ask someone in the old part of town how to get to Jesus's tomb.

(The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which sits atop an ancient tomb believed to have been the spot Jesus was laid to rest, is controlled by three religious groups. Those groups must agree on any work done inside the church, and they are famously disagreeable. For that reason, no significant work had been done inside the church for more than two centuries. The Edicule, a small building within the church built directly over the tomb site, was in danger of falling over, despite an iron cage built by the British to hold it up long ago. In 2016, the three religious orders had agreed to a major renovation of the church interior. That work ultimately included the first ever glimpse at a slab where Jesus's body was believed to have been placed before the resurrection.)

I was embedded with a group of Greek conservators who had figured out how to conserve the shrine to the tomb of Jesus without ever closing the doors to the shrine, keeping it open all the time. So all those thousands and thousands of pilgrims were allowed into the shrine while we were working. If you've ever renovated your kitchen, you know you basically can't be in your kitchen while that renovation is going on, right. Well, they were renovating the kitchen but you had to keep your oven and your refrigerator and your stove and silverware all available at the same time. Almost impossible task.

They did it in a similar way to how archaeologists are making all these great discoveries, through ground penetrating radar, through making 3-d lidar models, through scanning the entire building with thermography. Believe it or not, in the 200 years since the building had last been touched, it had been completely covered with black soot from pilgrims' candles. There were inscriptions and frescoes that no one had ever seen in modern days. It gave them a roadmap to conserve the structure in ten months. It was amazing. It was a race against time, and it was amazing to watch and record it for National Geographic.

For me, it was a personally important project. It was also one of our most interesting and widely viewed stories we ever had. It was our biggest digital story ever, when the conservators had to put a moisture barrier inside of the tomb of Christ. They opened it and put the moisture barrier. Biggest digital story we've ever had. It impacted a lot of people around the world. We followed that up with a virtual reality expedition so that everyone can experience what it was like to be in there.

We hope people either have a chance to come to Washington or to Google it and experience it on the internet. That was a great project and we're always looking for projects like that.

AL.com: With the frescoes, you were looking at the wall temperatures. So, the walls were different temperatures based on what was behind the soot?

Hiebert: Yeah, so there is a technique called thermography. Basically, these soot covered walls, if you heat them up, a little tiny bit, like with a lightbulb, the pigments will radiate back, and it is as if you are all of a sudden seeing through the soot. These were images and inscriptions that were 200 years old. There are no photographs of them, no record of them. So, it was an incredible discovery just using that one tool. Those are cleaned now, so everyone can see them. They're incredible, and no one knew they were there.

The pilgrims, actually we were worried that they were going to be annoyed by having worklights, or guys in hardhats there, in the church. Didn't really bother them at all. They were there for faith reasons. It didn't matter to them that we were there working.

There are 50 monks who live in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we were worried it would bother them. No, we became pretty good buddies. Drank a lot of tea together. They were really interested in the computer technology. It was like community building. It was a great experience.

AL.com: How did you end up as an archaeologist. (A National Geographic press person) mentioned they describe you as their Indiana Jones.

Hiebert: It's actually not that easy to go from being a little baby wearing a hat and a whip. No, I had two musically talented brothers, an older brother and a younger brother. They ended up going to a special art school because they were so talented. Because I was the middle brother, I had to go too, even though I had no musical talent whatsoever. That was high school. But I ended up becoming interested in art and drawing. I came out of high school, an 18 year old rebel, thinking I'm so great, I'm going to go out and get a job in an art studio. So I got a job drawing for archaeologists. It was really more drafting than drawing, but I loved it. And they loved me, so they took me into the field. I basically became what is known in the field as a field bum. Basically, I would work for an airplane ticket and food. It was great. That's how I got into archaeology.

I've done a lot of presentation of the artifacts that we find. I've done a presentation on the great treasures of Greece, on Peru. Now in February of 2019, we are going to have a big presentation on the queens of Egypt. That is my favorite way of telling the story of archaeology.

One of the great things about being an archaeologist is we get to tell the untold story. This is why National Geographic is interested in the epic story of Africatown and Clotilda. It is a story that needs to be told on a national and international scale. It's a story that everybody is going to be interested in. I hope it will now be included in the pages of text books. Most high school and middle school text books don't have the story. Even here in Alabama.

If there's anything we can do with the people of Africatown, the people of Mobile, the people of Alabama, it is get this interesting story into the pages of history books. It's a good lesson.A 21-year-old man has been indicted on charges of electronic solicitation of a child, Montgomery County court records show.

Noah Zachary Bracaloni was indicted on the charge by a Montgomery County grand jury in June. The indictment accused him of using electronic communications to solicit sexual contact from a child.

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Capt. Trent Beasley told WSFA News 12 the victim is 14 years old.

A warrant for his arrest was issued and Bracaloni was taken into custody Monday, records show.

He was being held in Montgomery County Jail with bail set at $10,000. Further details about the investigation were not immediately available.

Electronic solicitation of a child is a Class B felony and punishable by up to 20 years in prison upon conviction, according to Alabama law.Nearly four decades after Nicaraguas revolution, former Sandinista commanders believe President Daniel Ortega has become the new Anastasio Somoza.

Nicaragua is a small, poor country that until very recently was off most of the worlds radar. Compared with neighbouring Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, it has been an oasis of calm in a Central America plagued by drug traffickers, gang warfare and the worlds highest murder rates.

But it was not always that way.

I first came to Nicaragua in 1983 when it was a tropical staging ground for the Cold War.

Like many journalists, I was fascinated by the Sandinista Revolution. In 1979, it had put an end to the brutal Somoza dictatorship with the help of several Latin American countries and, to a lesser extent, US President Jimmy Carter.

The rebel army of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) took over as part of a broad coalition, representing the political centre to the left, in a Junta of National Reconstruction.

Unlike Cuba, the Sandinistas represented a revolution that would respect private property, political pluralism and free speech. For a time, much of the world was dazzled by its promise.

But the Sandinistas cosy relationship with communist Cuba and support for regional Marxist rebel groups won it the wrath of the Reagan administration. Soon, Nicaragua was back at war. This time, it was against the Contras, a counter-revolutionary force of Nicaraguans who were trained, armed and financed by Washington.

Cuba and the Soviet Union rushed to the Sandinistas aid.

Thats when I moved to Managua as a fledgeling correspondent, to cover a region ravaged by civil wars and gruesome human rights violations.

In El Salvador and Guatemala, people were often afraid of being taken away in the middle of the night by right-wing death squads. But in Nicaragua, there was more tolerance, even for the most critical foreign media.

Mystic of the Revolution

In the five years I lived there, I got to know Daniel Ortega fairly well.

He was not the most charismatic or articulate of the FSLN National Directorate but was nevertheless chosen to be the first among equals, perhaps because he was seen as the least personally ambitious. He was almost shy in person and uncomfortable speaking in public.

Despite abuses committed by the Sandinistas, the Contras had a far worse reputation for human rights abuses, and the mystique of the Revolution was still strong. So, in the middle of the war in 1985, Ortega ran for president and was elected for the first time.

Even though Nicaragua was at war, there were no Sandinista paramilitary groups roaming the streets. Opposition politicians and entrepreneurs openly defied the government. The influential Catholic Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo was regarded as the spiritual leader of the Contras, but he was never beaten up, nor were churches attacked and shot up by armed pro-government thugs, as we see today.

The war raged on, the Sandinistas began forcibly recruiting minors into the army and the US imposed an economic embargo that finished destroying the economy. Nicaraguans did not want their children killing each other any more.

The war ended in 1989 with a peace agreement and a promise to bring forward free and transparent elections. To everyones surprise, the Sandinistas lost. I remember the moment Ortega accepted defeat, vowing to pick up the pieces and return to power.

What he did not say was that he intended to return to stay.

A different Ortega

A very different Daniel Ortega was elected in 2007. He made pacts with all of his former enemies, including the Catholic Church, the small, wealthy private sector and the most corrupt conservative political parties in the country.

He purged the FSLN of its historical leaders and took control of democratic institutions, from the electoral council to the judiciary. After changing the constitution yet again to allow himself to run for a third term in 2016, he arranged for his main contender to be taken off the ballot. The Sandinista Renovation Movement, made up of dissident Sandinistas, had already been barred as a political party.

Today practically all of the original Sandinistas, including Ortegas comrades in arms like commander Dora Maria Tellez, commander Monica Baltodano, Henry Ruiz and countless more, accuse him of having usurped the name of the Sandinista party.

All but one of the Sandinistas that I knew in the 1980s are now his staunchest opponents. Among them is his former Vice President Sergio Ramirez, a prestigious poet and novelist.

The thirst for power has a way of changing people, he says. Todays Ortega has nothing to do with the ideals that so many Nicaraguans fought and died for.

Pure capitalist

To give credit where it is due, for a time  with the help of billions of dollars from former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez  Ortega at least paved roads, built parks and gave away chickens and zinc roofing to impoverished Nicaraguans.

That was more than the corrupt conservative governments had done. Now, that money has dried up.

Even the aesthetics of the original Revolution have been changed by the new Ortega. Inspired by the esoteric tastes of his wife and now vice president, Rosario Murillo, the revolutionary black and red colours of the FSLN have taken a backseat, replaced by shocking pink posters of the presidential couple and enormous, brightly coloured metal trees that decorate the capital. The propaganda evokes love, reconciliation and social justice.

Yet todays Ortega is a pure capitalist, who defends corporate interests, using his party to control trade unions. The once modest Ortega family is now wealthy, while Nicaragua is now in first place as the poorest country in Central America.

Ortega has become the new Somoza. We fought a revolution to rid Nicaragua of a corrupt dynasty, just to end up with another one, laments former Sandinista commander Dora Maria Tellez.

During the 2016 presidential elections, which were declared a sham by Ortegas opponents, I saw that Nicaraguans were becoming more angry and disenchanted.

Theres no point in voting since we already know who controls everything, including the outcome, a woman who sold tortillas at Managuas Oriental Market had said.

But I also understood why Nicaraguans were reluctant to revolt. The memory of two wars and the 50,000 people who died was still too fresh.

All-out uprising

When the police and pro-Ortega thugs killed two people during a student protest in April, pent-up anger exploded into an all-out uprising that I would never have predicted.

Nor could I have imagined the brutality with which the regime responded: hundreds of deaths, thousands injured and thousands more fleeing into exile in less than 100 days of conflict.

The young men and women who had set up barricades and blocked roads in Nicaraguas main cities were no match for the snipers and paramilitary groups armed with assault rifles who were sent out to crush them.

Unlike in the 1980s, Ortega is not fighting against an army but against civilians who at best are armed with extra large firecrackers. Despite being called mortars, they are not lethal and are typically used during religious processions and other celebrations.

On Sunday, two weeks after the government succeeded in taking control of the streets, I continued to see heavily armed masked paramilitary groups patrolling in plain daylight in the Masaya neighbourhood of Monimbo, where people say they are going from house to house searching for so-called terrorists.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of students and other members of the resistance are now in hiding or have asked for political asylum in neighbouring Costa Rica.

Many of the medical school students I met in May, who had set up a makeshift clinic at the Polytechnic University to tend to the wounded, have fled for fear of being arrested and tried under a new anti-terrorism law.

Anyone who gave food, water or any other type of support to the opposition groups at roadblocks, could now be considered an accomplice to terrorism. Doctors who expressed their opposition to the government and attended to the wounded are being summarily sacked from public hospitals.

None of this happened when Ortega was facing a real war.

Ortega seems to believe that he has learned his lesson, that respecting certain democratic principles made him lose power in the 1980s. This time, he doesnt want to repeat the same mistake, a former close ally who prefers to remain anonymous for safety reasons said.AMLOs campaign promises of amnesty fall short of the reality of the country he is about to take the helm of.

On July 1, by electing Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) as their new president, the Mexican people did not only speak, they shouted: No more copycat politicians, no more failed promises, no more violence and no more Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

PRI candidates had dominated Mexican presidential elections since its founding in 1929, with the exception of the twelve year period from 2000 to 2012 in which the National Action Party (PAN) candidates Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderon held office.

The shift from right of centre (PAN) and center-right (PRI) to the far-left presidency of AMLO was a massive change, albeit a risky one. But Mexico desperately needed change.

2017 was the deadliest year in Mexico in two decades, with over 23,000 homicides. The country has been convulsing from a wave of violence linked to drug trafficking that has left almost 200,000 dead since December 2006, when former President Felipe Calderons government launched a controversial military anti-drug operation. Clearly, the government is not winning the so-called war on drugs.

Moreover, corruption is on the rise and the income gap is widening. Local politicians unapologetically flaunt their wealth in the faces of their struggling constituents. Historically, apathy combined with the need for the money politicians pay for votes was enough to keep corrupt individuals in office. But not this year  this year the people had enough.

The victory of AMLO, a far-left populist and a somewhat volatile and potentially autocratic political figure, has left many corrupt local politicians concerned for their political future.

And concerned they should be  two of AMLOs loftiest campaign promises have been to broker an amnesty deal with organised criminal organisations, in order to put an end to the violence, and to investigate and prosecute corrupt politicians, many of whom are in business with the cartels. The public is split on the plan for peace and reconciliation. Moreover, the details of the plan and how the president-elect intends to pardon the narco-cartels without pardoning the politicians that are in cahoots with them is not yet clear.

The promise of amnesty

So, what would an amnesty in Mexico look like and could it work? One country that can possibly provide an example is Colombia  in November of 2016, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos headed up the countrys famous Peace Agreement which granted amnesty to members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in exchange for their weapons, much to the horror of the Colombian right. While the civilian death toll has fallen since the amnesty, it hasnt yet done much to ameliorate the situation of the nearly eight million Colombians who have been internally displaced due to the five-decade long conflict. Moreover, cocaine production is at a record high in the country and violence is rising once again with dissident rebels and drug gangs seeking to take over in areas formerly under the control of FARC fighters.

But the albeit modest success of the amnesty in Colombia should not be seen as a clear sign that a similar deal with narco-cartels in Mexico could also succeed, as there are important differences between the Mexican drug cartels and the Colombian FARC. For instance, the FARC had a Marxist-Leninist ideology behind it, and it joined with drug cartels in order to finance its resistance operations. But, at least originally, making money wasnt the fighters main objective. With the Mexican narco-cartels, however, money is clearly the main objective and there is no redeeming ideology. Also in Mexico, there is no specific leader to negotiate with, as there was with the FARC. And perhaps most importantly, the amnesty negotiations between the Colombian State and the FARC were mutually agreed upon: many FARC members wanted to put down their weapons and lead relatively normal civilian lives, something that members of major organised criminal networks in Mexico have not shown an inclination for as of yet.

There is another major problem facing AMLOs proposed amnesty that Santos did not have to deal with in his own country: the logistics of it. Over 125 million people live in Mexico, and hundreds of thousands are believed to be participants in the drug trade to varying degrees. AMLOs proposal has been relatively ambiguous in terms of how or who would be given amnesty, under what terms and when. This ambiguity signals that the president elect does not fully comprehend just how convoluted the situation is in Mexico. An amnesty in a country as large, populous and corrupt as Mexico would involve potentially tens of thousands of people, sometimes entire families and even entire towns implicated in some way or another in the drug trade  a move that is logistically hard to conceptualise.

A reality check

Another obstacle in the way of AMLOs efforts is the fact that the drug war cannot be won in or by Mexico, alone. Any significant decrease in the drug violence in Mexico is directly dependent on a parallel decrease in the demand for narcotics in the US, and to a lesser extent, in Europe.

So, if AMLO wants to end his countrys devastating drug wars, he will either have to convince the US and European governments to find some way to get their populations to stop using illicit drugs, or hes going to have to convince those countries to decriminalise such narcotics and eventually legalise access to them  thereby substantially weakening the black-market demand for narcotics. This is a long shot for even the most persuasive of presidents.

Of course, diminishing or even eliminating the black market demand for narcotics in the US and Europe would not guarantee the end of organised criminal activity and the violence that accompanies it in Mexico.

The narco-cartels are, like most organised criminal groups around the world, able to adapt and expand into other markets. Take for example the mafia in Sicily, which found a way to make an illicit profit off of the most benign of markets  tomato production. With the wrong kind of motivation, the opportunities for finding creative ways to make illegal profits are endless.

In short, AMLOs campaign promises of amnesty fall short of the reality of the country he is about to take the helm of. While the president-elects promises were good enough to convince people to vote for him, he will now need to put pen to paper and come up with a real plan to end narco-crime and violence in the country. Hopefully, he will be smart enough to surround himself with people who know more than he does about the violence in Mexico, and wise enough to listen to what they have to say. Otherwise, Mexicans can look forward to another six years of unprecedented violence and economic uncertainty.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.Three years into his presidency, Rodrigo Duterte signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law, previously known as the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

It marked a historic step towards the creation of a Muslim-majority sub-state entity within the Catholic-majority Philippines. It also represented, to this date, Dutertes biggest legislative achievement.

The path ahead, however, remains bumpy and uncertain. Residents of Muslim-populated regions in Mindanao are yet to approve the creation of a Bangsamoro (nation of Moros) in a plebiscite later this year.

Lurking over the horizon are the dark clouds of tribal-ethnic divisions, poor basic infrastructure, and an overall climate of insecurity. Yet, to many people and experts, this is the Philippines best chance at staunching the wounds of a religious divide, which has haunted the fertile and beautiful island of Mindanao for centuries.

A personal legacy

As the first Filipino president hailing from Mindanao, Duterte has fulfilled his earlier promise to nudge the troubled southern island towards peace and prosperity.

Ahead of his election as the Philippines most powerful man, Duterte billed himself as a unifying force, the first president of the Moro people, and an unremitting advocate for Mindanaos interests.

Against this unique backdrop, Duterte has pushed for greater autonomy and respect for the Muslim minority in the Philippines, who are among his most loyal constituents.

The final approval of the controversial Bangsamoro law served as a testament to the political will and enduring popularity of the Filipino president.

For years, the proposed creation of a Bangsamoro faced stiff opposition among the political establishment as well as the wider public, especially after the Mamasapano massacre in 2015, when rebel groups killed dozens of Filipino Special Forces during a botched counter-terror operation.

Throughout much of his two years in office, Duterte himself shunned the BBL issue, partly concerned about lack of political support. Back in May, however, he finally certified the proposed law as an urgent bill, mobilising his allies in both houses of the Congress to approve it.

In his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), Duterte placed the Bangsamoro issue front and centre. He underscored his solemn commitment to ensure his administration will never deny our Muslim brothers and sisters the basic legal tools to chart their own destiny within the Constitutional framework of our country.

Describing Mindanao as a land of promise approaching a crossroads of history, Duterte implored his countrymen for loads of understanding and patience to endure and overcome the birth pangs or pains of the new beginning.

There was a sense of urgency. He signed the Bangsamoro law less than a year after militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group laid a months-long and destructive siege on the Muslim-majority city of Marawi.

Through granting greater political autonomy, Duterte hopes, the government will address the roots of extremism and terror that have hounded his country. He argued that the Filipino people owe it to our fallen soldiers and police officers during the liberation of Marawi to put an end to the bloodshed and seek the path of true peace for generations to come.

The tough road ahead

The new law provides for the demobilisation of tens of thousands of Moro rebels, as both sides hope to end a war economy that has ravaged Mindanao. Under a 75-25 wealth-sharing arrangement between the national government and the proposed Bangsamoro entity, only a quarter of locally-generated taxes will be remitted back to the national government.

The Bangsamoro will also be guaranteed an annual block grant of up to a five percent share of the entire national revenue, amounting to just over $1bn (P59 billion) annually. The region will also have its own unique domestic legislation, likely a parliament, and a plethora of distinct administrative systems, including the creation of Islamic law courts.

After a decades-long liberation struggle, led initially by the Tausug-dominated Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and later the Maguindanao-dominated Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Moros are now the closest theyve been to achieving their long-sought autonomy, though still within the framework of the Philippine constitution.

Yet, the proposed Bangsamoro, a product of a 2014 peace agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF, has been met with reticence if not derision by some leaders of the MNLF, who may fear a loss of power and prestige to their rivals under the new regime.

After all, the Bangsamoro will replace the MNLF-led Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a largely failed earlier experiment at granting autonomy to relatively few Muslim-majority regions.

Duterte has promised to personally mediate among competing ethnic-tribal groups to unify the Moros under the new political entity. The other challenge is the willingness of more prosperous and diverse provinces, especially in Cotabato but also in Lanao del Norte and elsewhere, to join the MILF-dominated Bangsamoro.

After all, some Moro warlords and political dynasties may prefer to duke it out under the established rule of distant Imperial Manila rather than a more uncertain one under proximate rivals in Mindanao.

Surveys also show that the broader Filipino public is largely neutral with almost equal numbers of people expressing support and opposition to the creation of a larger Muslim-majority political entity. Many Mindanao residents are either sceptical or perplexed about its implications.

There is even a chance that some critics will question its constitutionality at the Supreme Court on the grounds that this will undermine the countrys internal coherence and territorial integrity.

Above all, however, the biggest challenge is for the MILF and other regional leaders to transition from weary rebels into a competent and progressive ruling class capable of addressing the most fundamental needs of the Moro peoples.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.US President Donald Trumps tweet in all capitals, warning Iranian President Hassan Rouhani of a catastrophic war and to BE CAUTIOUS!, was, some would say, typical Trumpian bluster, and not dissimilar to his first salvos against North Korean President Kim Jong-un, which eventually led to a friendly summit.

And indeed, just days after putting Iran on notice that it must NEVER EVER THREATEN the UNITED STATES, the US president did an about-face in what is becoming a pattern in the Trumpian foreign policy game, and offered to meet Rouhani, without conditions.

Yet the US-Iranian war of words is different from what happened between Kim and Trump. Firstly, it has been voluble and toxic for years, ever since 1979, when the Islamic Republic assumed power after the fall of the Shah and held Americans hostage. Secondly, unlike any of his other foreign policy stances, Trump has been consistent towards Iran, steadily ratcheting up the rhetoric as he condemned the nuclear deal (the JCPOA) as no better than the paper it was written on, and withdrew from it in May, slapping new sanctions on Iran. Importantly, unlike in the case of the North Korea Rocket Man tweets, his salvos have been backed by strong statements by both his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his National Security Director John Bolton, indicating theres a strategy behind the bombast.

What is the strategy?

Initially, Trump talked of negotiating a better deal, a tactic designed as much to deny President Obamas legacy as to denounce Iran for undercutting the spirit of the deal. Irans response was mild and as Trump pulled out of the JCPOA, it stayed the course, relishing the unexpected windfall of being viewed by the other signatories as the victim of unreliable American action.

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As Trump drew closer to Saudi Arabia and Israel, he raised the temperature of the insults and accusations against Iran, referring less often to a new deal. The mounting pressure, at last, galvanised Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to respond in kind with threats to close the Hormuz Straits and warnings not to play with the lions tail, rhetoric designed as much to counter the US as to save face within the complex layers of Iranian politics that differ so markedly from the one-man rule of North Korea. Though some viewed Rouhanis speech defining peace with Iran as the mother of all peace and war with Iran the mother of all wars as an invitation to sit down with Washington, Trump made it clear he did not read it that way. His strategy was not containment, but confrontation, with the intent to cause regime change, either by forcing the clerics to change regime behaviour, or destabilising the country so the people themselves change the regime. This was Trump following the strategy of his advisers, who have devised long lists of preconditions that if unmet, mean bombing rather than deal-making.

Does this mean a US-led war is possible? Probably not. Trumps America is too alone. The reasons are three: Europe, Russia, and Syria.

The US can no longer rely on Europe

During the Bush Jr years, and even for a time Obamas, war was an option on the table. But that was before the 2015 nuclear deal, which changed everything. It recognised sanctions were not sufficient, and rehabilitated the Islamic Republic, committing the signatories to a partnership with the regime as long as it complied with the JCPOA. The US withdrawal from the deal destabilised its relationship with its European allies, which has only deteriorated with Trumps threats of a trade war and his handling of NATO.

Not surprisingly, in the face of Trumps offer to meet, a suspicious Rouhani has turned to the Europeans, calling on them to proclaim the US as having illegally withdrawn from the deal, and stating the ball is in their court.

The US, therefore, can no longer rely on its old partners in Europe to make the strategy of confronting Iran work. Instead, the Trump administration is looking to Saudi Arabia and Israel  its closest friends today  and hoping for a little help from Moscow.

Russia has no interest in a war south of its border

But Russia is in the ascendency, and in no mood to play Washingtons game, as was illustrated by the Helsinki meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Trump. As the latter was being assailed at home for selling out to Russia, Putin sent a high-level emissary to Tehran to confirm publicly that Irans presence in Syria was legal, and distinct from the illegal militias Russia had previously insisted must leave. Cooperation between the two nations in fighting terrorism there, he noted, would continue. Further, Russias ambassador to Iran, Levan Dzhagaryan, issued a warning to Washington, saying Work with Iranians can only be done through persuasion, and pressure on Iran will get you the opposite result.

Russia has no interest in seeing war south of its extensive border with Iran. It has a long legacy of diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic and knows that any conflict in the Gulf will detract rather than contribute to its own power in the region. On the Korean Peninsula, South Korea is the intermediary manoeuvring between the two sides, while in the negotiations with Iran, Russia takes on that role  a vastly more powerful and engaged actor with military presence and hard-bitten alliances, and its own increasingly successful agenda of containing American actions and influence everywhere in the Middle East outside the southern Gulf and Israel.

Trump is dependent on Russia in Syria

Whats more, Helsinki revealed how dependent Trump is on Russia as he shifts strategy in Syria from containing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group to containing Iran. Unable to himself fulfil a key Israeli request, Trump petitioned Putin to ensure the Iranians would pull back from the south and away from the Golan Heights, so they could not establish an uninterrupted land bridge between Hezbollahs Lebanon and Iran. Showing off his unfettered control over the Syria situation, Putin did so within 24 hours of the summit, confirming him as a reliable statesman concerned for the security of all players in the Syrian theatre, including Israel. Indeed, by hearkening to Israels cause, he has compromised Washingtons dominance in Israel and defanged its position vis-a-vis Iran. He is also the one calling the shots on Syrias reconstruction, placing the American role on a par with the Europeans.

Dangerous noise





This does not mean the war of words between Washington and Tehran cant escalate, despite the offer of a meeting without preconditions. Trumps new flock of advisers are long-term anti-Iran hawks, and his regional allies Saudi Arabia and Israel have themselves intensified threats to destabilise Iran from within, so as to hasten regime change.

Yet Trumps own interest is in deal-making and self-promotional media marketing. His possible goal of a Nobel Prize would disappear if a war of words turned into war. Hes skilled in pivoting towards engagement after volleys of name-calling. Hes shown several times how he can turn dangerous noise into successful summits with tricky interlocutors such as Kim Jong Il and, most recently, the EUs Jean-Claude Junker, emerging with agreements and smiles. There is every reason to think Trump feels he can pull off the same miracle with Iran.

The danger here is that the legacy of toxicity runs too deep. Iran too has preconditions. And the opportunities for conflict are multiple. Irans own rhetorical prowess and ability to withstand American economic and political pressure over the years makes it a different kind of adversary altogether than the others Trump has, however superficially, done his deals with. Whats more the regions razor-edge politics are as mercurial as Trumps own. One has only to look at the recent Houthi attack on Saudi tankers in the Straits of Bab al Mandab, which has raised the possibility of outside intervention, to recognise how easily war could erupt through Yemens back door. Though Trump may perceive himself as leading the charge against Iran, he would be wise to take his own advice: BE CAUTIOUS!

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article mistakenly named the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group as the Islamic Republic of Iraq and the Levant. This mistake has now been corrected.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.The sea was the only escape for many running for their lives as fires raged. Egyptian fisherman rushed to help.

Nea Makri, Greece  Mahmoud al-Sayed Mousa was relaxing on his couch when his phone rang at 6:30pm on July 23.

Wildfires had gripped the coastal village of Mati, and people were desperately wading into the sea to escape.

Come quick, said Kostas, his boss.

The 46-year-old Egyptian fisherman rushed out of his home and climbed onto his bicycle.

He could see plumes of smoke shifting above the far-off shores, and pedalled as fast as he could.

Within moments, he arrived at the port in Nea Makri, where they dock their fishing vessel. They set sail.

We heard that 150 people were trapped between the fire and the sea, he tells Al Jazeera.

Forceful waves swayed the boat. The wind carried the thick black smog out to sea, but they carried on, coughing more and more the closer they got to Matis shores.

Red rescue helicopters hovered above.

If we entered the smoke, we could die. If we didn't enter, the people wouldn't be saved. Mahmoud al-Sayed Mousa, Egyptian fisherman

He filmed much of it on his mobile phone, posting live video clips on his Facebook feed. One showed the white fishing boat speeding in the direction of the smoke.

We are going to save the people [fleeing] the fire, Mousa says in the clip.

Debris was scattered in the water below. Kostas and Mousa reached a dense cloud that blocked their view of the flame-engulfed village in the distance.

You couldnt see in front of you, and you couldnt breathe, he recalls.

It was the hardest moment, he says, resting his work-scarred hands on his lap. Tears well in his tired eyes. If we entered the smoke, we could die. If we didnt enter, the people wouldnt be saved.

News of scattered wildfires was trickling in. Some spread in Kineta, and others popped up on the outskirts of Rafina, the port town adjacent to Mati, among other areas.

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By early evening, Mati, a popular vacation destination for Greeks and tourists, was an inferno. Flames lashed the village, coiling around homes and vehicles.

With the fire encroaching, frantic people poured out of their homes to escape.

Many were unable to find a route out of the village and were forced to abandon their vehicles in the streets and head for the sea. Little by little, reports of deaths emerged.

It was nothing

Mousa is one of thousands of Egyptian fishermen in Greece.

He was 16 years old when he left his hometown Ezbet El Borg, a northern coastal city with a large fishing industry.

In his 30 years here, he says he has never witnessed anything as frightening as the wildfires.

Back on the boat, the smell of burned wood overwhelmed Mousa. Through the hazy fog, he heard the muffled cries of women and children.

He covered his mouth and nose with a cloth to try and limit the fumes he was inhaling.

They steered the boat into the dark, unsure of what to expect.

We either bring them back with us or we die with them, God willing, Mousa told Kostas.

In the past, Egyptian fishermen were victims of racist violence by the criminal party Golden Dawn. But humanity doesn't differentiate between nationalities, and there is no difference between Greeks and Egyptians. Naim Elghandour, Egyptian-born president of the Muslim Association of Greece

As the sound of people pleading for help grew closer, Mousa knotted a rope and flung it into the sea. Someone grabbed on. He pulled a man in and lifted him up onto the vessel.

Daylight was fading as the sun dipped behind the hills. They scoured the waters around them, locating and pulling up each person they found.

We scooped them up like when were fishing, Mousa remembers. People were crying and shaking while they hugged us.

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By the time it was over, they had saved 23 Greeks and four dogs, he estimates.

Mousa and Kostas brought the survivors back to dry land in Nea Marki.

It was nothing, Mousa told the grateful survivors.

Our duty to help

The efforts of rescue teams, the coastguard and others resulted in upwards of 700 people being saved.

At least 91 people died; they either burned alive, drowned or succumbed to smoke inhalation.

Twenty-six bodies, among them children, were found the next day huddled together near a steep cliff overlooking the jagged coastline.

They had tried to find an escape route, but unfortunately these people and their kids didnt make it in time, Nikos Economopoulos, the head of Greeces Red Cross, told the local Skai TV last Tuesday. Instinctively, seeing the end nearing, they embraced.

Rescue workers are still searching for at least 25 missing people [Nick Paleologos/SOOC/Al Jazeera]

Greek authorities say 25 people are still missing.

More than 1,000 homes were destroyed.

The wildfires scorched 6,879 hectares of forest and residential land.

Several other Egyptian fishermen answered the coastguards call for assistance, and Pakistani and Afghan migrant groups sent volunteers to Mati to help in the cleanup effort.

Naim Elghandour, the Egyptian-born president of the Muslim Association of Greece, describes the efforts of Muslim refugees and migrants during the fires and after as heroic.

In the past, Egyptian fishermen were victims of racist violence by the criminal party Golden Dawn, he tells Al Jazeera, referring to the neo-fascist party with 16 seats in the Hellenic Parliament.

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But humanity doesnt differentiate between nationalities, and there is no difference between Greeks and Egyptians.

Although rattled by the tragedy, Mousa says: Im happy I was part of the reason those people were saved  It was our duty to help.Congolese leader whose war crimes convictions were overturned in June returns to take part in presidential election.

Former Democratic Republic of the Congo Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba on Wednesday arrived in the capital Kinshasa for the first time in a decade to take part in the upcoming presidential elections.

Bemba returned weeks after the International Criminal Court (ICC) overturned his war crimes convictions to submit his credentials to the electoral commission.

He had been in custody in The Hague for 10 years and was convicted in 2016 for having failed to prevent the armed group that he led from committing crimes in the Central African Republic (CAR) that included murder, rape, and pillaging. He had been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

A week in advance of the deadline to file applications for the much-delayed presidential election, scheduled to be held in December, another prominent opposition leader also announced his return to participate in the political process  a development seen as altering the political calculations in this African nation.

Exiled opposition leader Moise Katumbi announced his plans to return to the country, two years after he fled the country, to seek his partys ticket for presidential election.

Both Bemba and Katumbi, who lead in the opinion polls, stand the risk of being barred from standing for election due to criminal convictions.

Katumbi, a businessman and former governor of Katanga region, fled the DRC in 2016 after he was accused of moving against President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power since 2001.

Lambert Mende, the Congolese minister of information and communication, told Al Jazeera that the government is not concerned about Bembas return.

Congo is his home and it is his right to come back home, Mende said.

Opposition leader Moise Katumbi is also expected to return to the DRC this week [Reuters]

Party candidates

The Congolese electoral commission has set an August 8 deadline for all political parties to submit applications for their candidates.

The opposition Movement for the Liberation of Congo party has already declared Bemba as their candidate.

Bemba told Al Jazeera that he will be in the country to fulfil his political obligation despite concerns raised about the conduct of the election.

I never heard from himself [Kabila] that he will hold elections, but I have also never heard that he will not hold elections  I hope that he will respect the constitution, Bemba said.

President Kabila is an adversary in politics. The most important to me is what the people of Congo want. If I am doing politics, its to solve the problems for the people of Congo 

Of course, I understand that some people may worry about it but they should not. I am just someone trying to find solutions for his country and for the people of his country, he added.

Christopher Harvin, a partner at Sanitas International and cofounder of Vanguard Africa, told Al Jazeera that Bembas return rejigs the countrys political space.

Bembas return provides the people of DRC hope for change and everyone is eager to see the impact of his return and how it influences the opposition, Harvin said.

On his part, Katumbi  who launched in South Africa the Ensemble [Together] platform to overthrow Kabila  is set to formally begin his campaign process.

Katumbi, seen as the oppositions leading candidate in the election, wants to join forces with other groups.

He was sentenced in absentia to three years in prison for real estate fraud. He denies any wrongdoing, saying the charges were politically motivated.

A constitutional court, manned by two loyalists of Kabila, is expected to rule on their eligibility once they turn in their political credentials to the electoral commission.

President Joseph Kabila has not clearly stated whether he will respect the constitution and step down [Reuters]

To stand or not

Civil society groups and leaders, including the influential Catholic bishops, have called for Kabila to hold elections and step aside.

His second term officially ended in 2016 and he is constitutionally ineligible to seek re-election in Decembers poll, prompting rivals to accuse him of wanting to stay in power.

Kabila has not clearly stated whether he will step down despite appeals from the international community.

Kabila and his allies are looking for options and so far they dont have a clear path to stay or leave that is justified by the judicial system, agreed upon by the international community or which provides a safe and secure transition for the DRCs current president, Hansen said.

Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala in June said Kabila will not seek a third mandate in the countrys delayed elections, but his ruling coalition has not publicly said he will not stand for re-election.

We shall choose one  We are on consultation and since you are not a member of the party I will not inform you, Mende, the Congolese minister, told Al Jazeera.

We shall reach a decision before 8th August.

Public opinion

A public opinion poll released on Tuesday revealed that the two opposition leaders, Katumbi and Bemba, lead a race to replace Kabila as the DRC president.

The poll conducted by the Congo Research Group at New York University and Congolese polling firm, BERCI, shows that 62 percent of people do not trust the electoral commission to conduct a free and fair election.

Harvin said that it is important for the opposition to close ranks to succeed in their quest for leadership change.

While the opposition has tried to unify many political parties under one band, the opposition is not without significant problems and rivalries. They must continue to overcome their differences in unity to work together for the good of the people and future of DRC, he said.Election body says security and funding will present the biggest challenge to the poll to be held on April 20, 2019.

The Afghan government says it will hold presidential elections on April 20, 2019, for the fourth time since the Taliban were toppled from power in 2001, however, officials have warned much work needs to happen to meet that timeline.

During a televised news conference on Wednesday, election officials said the vote would take place six months after parliamentary and local elections scheduled for October 20, polls which have been marred by technical and organisational issues.

Afghanistans Independent Election Commission (IEC) said security and funding, as well as the short timeframe between elections, would present the biggest challenges to the poll.

Security is an issue that we hope will be solved by then, IEC spokesman Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi said.

Almost 14 percent, or 56 of more than 400 districts, are fully controlled by the Taliban while another 30 percent are contested, according to figures published by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

The IEC said it hoped as many as 15 million people will register for the polls, but the election commissioner admitted registration turnout so far had been low.

The last time Afghans went to the ballot box was in 2014, which produced no clear winner between the two main candidates, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah.

Both candidates accused each other of massive voter fraud, leading to months of arguments.

Eventually, the United States brokered a deal, crafting a government of national unity, with Ghani becoming president and Abdullah taking the position of the newly created position of chief executive.

Peace with the Taliban?

In recent months, incumbent President Ghani has attempted to start peace talks with the Taliban, proposing a ceasefire and prisoner release.

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As part of the deal, Ghani has also suggested the Taliban take part in the official elections.

The Taliban, which has been fighting against the government since it was removed from power in 2001 by US-led forces, has demanded the withdrawal of foreign forces as a pre-condition for those peace talks.

The capital, which has been the site of relative calm, has seen an increase in bombings and other attacks since the Taliban announced the beginning of their spring offensive on April 25.

Fighting traditionally picks up in Afghanistan as warmer weather melts snow in mountain passes, allowing fighters to move around more easily.

Earlier this year both the Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group killed dozens of people in an attempt to derail the elections.

Both groups have attacked several voter registration centres, including bombing and burning them.

According to the UN, a total of 1,692 people have been killed in the first half of 2018, with another 3,430 people wounded  the highest figure since it began keeping records in 2009.Human rights group says there was an attempt to hack the phone of one its staff members by a hostile government.

Amnesty International says one of its employees was targeted with Israeli-made surveillance software as part of a deliberate attempt to spy on the human rights group by a government hostile to its work.

In a 20-page report released on Wednesday, Amnesty said one of its staff members was baited with a suspicious WhatsApp message in early June about a protest in front of the Saudi Embassy in Washington.

The Arabic message read: Can you please cover [the protest] for your brothers detained in Saudi Arabia in front of the Saudi embassy in Washington. My brother was detained in Ramadan and I am on a scholarship here so please do not link me to this. [LINK]. Cover the protest now it will start in less than an hour. We need your support please.

The link, if clicked, would have installed Pegasus, a sophisticated surveillance tool developed by the Israel-based company NSO Group, which infects the users smartphone and steals all the phones information, including: every contact name and phone number, text message, email, Facebook message, everything from Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat and Telegram.

NSO Group is known to only sell its spyware to governments. We, therefore, believe that this was a deliberate attempt to infiltrate Amnesty International by a government hostile to our human rights work. Joshua Franco, Amnesty's head of technology and human rights

The London-based human rights organisation said it traced the malicious link to a network of sites tied to the NSO Group.

NSO said in a written statement that its product was intended to be used exclusively for the investigation and prevention of crime and terrorism and that allegations of wrongdoing would be investigated.

The company has previously admitted charging customers $650,000 to hack 10 devices, on top of a $500,000 installation fee.

Digital risk to activists

Joshua Franco, Amnesty Internationals head of technology and human rights, said the latest hacking attempt was emblematic of the increased digital risk activists faced.

This chilling attack on Amnesty International highlights the grave risk posed to activists around the world.

NSO Group is known to only sell its spyware to governments. We, therefore, believe that this was a deliberate attempt to infiltrate Amnesty International by a government hostile to our human rights work, Franco said.

We are working with human rights activists to help them protect themselves against similar cowardly attacks, and ensure that abusive governments cannot use technology to silence them.

NSO has been implicated in a series of digital break-in attempts, including a campaign against journalists, human-rights activists and lawyers looking into murders and corruption in Mexico; and an effort to hack into an Arab dissidents phone that prompted an update to Apples operating system.

In 2016, Toronto-based research group Citizen Lab reported that the United Arab Emirates employed Pegasus against award-winning human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, one of the few openly critical voices in the UAE.

Mansoor received a text message reading: New secrets about torture of Emiratis in state prisons, which was accompanied by a suspicious link.

The human rights defender, who had already been the victim of government hackers, sent the message to Citizen Lab who subsequently called it one of the most sophisticated pieces of cyberespionage software weve ever seen.

Citizen Lab did not directly accuse UAE officials of being behind the attempted hack, but it said similar attacks on critics of the regime had been connected to the government.

Mansoor was arrested in March 2017 and held in solitary confinement for one year before being sentenced to 10 years in prison earlier this year.Israels intelligence community was struck dumb for two days amid fears Trump may seek to mend ties with Tehran.

President Donald Trumps offer to hold talks with Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani has taken Israels intelligence community by surprise, Israels debkafile news website said.

Israels diplomatic and intelligence services were struck dumb for two days, after Trump announced on Monday his readiness to meet Rouhani with no set preconditions.

The report notes that Israeli officials reacted on Tuesday with an anonymous source offering a terse comment on recent developments.

Senior US officials conveyed to Israel that there is no change in the tough policy against Iran.

US and Iranian emissaries have been holding exploratory talks since early June through Omans good offices without Israels knowledge.

According to the website, this raises a number of questions, not least of which is whether the Trump administration has truly kept Israel informed of its change in policy.

In effect, the mere announcement of Trumps openness to holding talks with Rouhani suggests a pivot in Trumps approach to Tehran, the report said.

Israels diplomatic and intelligence eyes and ears missed what was going on because they took it for granted that the Trump administration would not embrace an initiative as far-reaching as this without letting Jerusalem know.

Negotiations inevitably lead the parties concerned into policy changes for the sake of reaching common ground. So what will the American side cede for an accord?

At the same time, Trumps inclination to meeting with Americas adversaries, notably North Korea and Russia, did not result in any lifting of sanctions, much less a shift in Washingtons policy.Jordans economic woes pile pressure on new PM

With Jordan still suffering from a deep economic crisis, Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz will have to pay attention to the needs of disgruntled Jordanians while attempting to balance the countrys budget.Any division of Kosovo, which seceded from Serbia 10 years ago, would be unacceptable, President Hashim Thaci says.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has ruled out a partition deal proposed by neighbouring Serbia as part of negotiations aimed at ending a long-running dispute between the two countries.

Thaci said on Tuesday that any division of Kosovo, which seceded from Serbia 10 years ago, would be unacceptable.

I want to assure the people of Kosovo that there will be no force that will make Kosovo discuss and  agree to partition, he told a press conference.

An agreement on mutual recognition between Serbia and Kosovo must be reached as soon as possible, Thaci added on Wednesday, and may include a correction of borders.

Demarcation proposal

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Thacis comments followed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucics call earlier this week for a demarcation agreement between the two countries, who are embroiled in a long-running dispute which has hindered both sides ambitions to join the European Union.

Vucic suggested North Kosovo, which is mainly populated by Serbs, could be handed over to Serbia as part of the agreement, with the region surrounding the southern Serbian town of Presevo, which has a majority-Albanian population, transferred to Kosovo in exchange.

Earlier this month Vucic and Thaci met Frederica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, as part of ongoing talks aimed at establishing a legally binding agreement between the two countries.

Independence dispute

Serbia lost control of what is now Kosovo in 1999 after a NATO bombing campaign aimed at halting the violent repression of ethnic Albanian separatists.

Though it lost control over the territory, Belgrade continues to claim sovereignty over Kosovo and Serbian leaders, backed by Russia, have vowed never to recognise the countrys independence.

Since its declaration of independence in 2008, Kosovo has, however, been recognised by more than 100 states, including the United States and the majority of the EUs 28-member bloc.Former US Secretary of State reportedly prevented Saudi troops from attacking its Gulf neighbour, The Intercept reports.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates planned to launch a military operation against Qatar at the beginning of a diplomatic crisis that erupted in June last year but were stopped by former US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in an act that may have played a key role in his dismissal.

According to the investigative news website The Intercept, the plan involved Saudi ground troops crossing the land border into Qatar, and with military support from the UAE, advancing 100km inland and seizing the Qatari capital.

Based on information it said it received from a current member of the US intelligence community and two former Department of State officials, The Intercept said the coup, which was largely devised by Saudi Arabia and the UAEs crown princes, was likely some weeks away from being implemented.

It said the attack against Qatars emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, would have involved Saudi forces circumventing the Al Udeid Air Base, which is home of the US Air Force Central Command and some 10,000 American troops, and seizing Doha.





Al Udeid serves as one of the US most important overseas military bases and carries out operations throughout the Middle East.

However, after Tillerson was notified of the plan by Qatari intelligence officials, he reportedly urged Saudi Arabias King Salman not to carry out the attack and also encouraged Defense Secretary James Mattis to explain the dangers of such an invasion to his counterparts in the kingdom, it said.

Pressure from Tillerson caused Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, to back down, who was concerned that the invasion would damage Saudi Arabias long-term relationship with the US.

Long-standing rivalry

However, Tillersons intervention reportedly enraged Mohammed bin Zayed, also known as MBZ, with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and de facto ruler of the UAE, subsequently lobbying the White House for Tillersons removal.

MBZ has had a long-running rivalry with Qatar and supported a failed coup against the Qatari government in 1996 when he served as chief of staff of the UAE armed forces.

The Intercept said none of the current or former officials interviewed by The Intercept had direct insight into why Trump decided to fire Tillerson, but one source said that the timing  a week before the Saudi crown prince arrived in Washington for a much-publicised visit  was significant.

Tillerson, a former executive for the energy company Exxon, had repeatedly criticised the blockading countries for the crisis before his dismissal, and in October last year, accused them of heightening tensions.

There seems to be a real unwillingness on the part of some of the parties to want to engage, Tillerson said at the time.

Its up to the leadership of the quartet when they want to engage with Qatar because Qatar has been very clear  theyre ready to engage.

Emirati influence over Trump

Tillerson has not given any interviews since he was replaced with Mike Pompeo, but is believed to have disagreed on a number of issues with President Donald Trump, including the blockade of Qatar.

According to one news report, Tillerson was frustrated with Trump for endorsing the blockade, with his aides suspecting that a line in the presidents speech where Qatar was accused of funding terrorism at a very high level had been written by the UAEs ambassador, Yousef al-Otaiba.

Otaiba is a well-known figure in US national security circles, and according to Politico maintains almost constant phone and email contact with Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The Intercept also reported that four of the sources it interviewed pointed to an ongoing campaign by the UAE to try to provoke Qatar into escalating the crisis.

The UAE has made it illegal for people to express sympathy with Qatar on social media, meanwhile Emirati officials, with close links to its leadership, repeatedly hurl insults against Qatari women.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, along with Egypt and Bahrain severed diplomatic and trade links with Qatar on June 5, accusing Doha of supporting extremism and terrorism and cosying up to Iran.

Qatar has vehemently denied all allegations.

The quartet subsequently ordered Qatari nationals to leave their countries, and also urged their citizens to return to their respective nations, disrupting the lives of thousands in the region and restricting their freedom of movement.

According to several media reports, the four countries want Qatar to join a regional alliance against Iran and normalise relations with Israel.

Qatars emir has denounced all of the attempts to infringe on the Gulf nations sovereignty and rejected all of their demands.The White House says it will sanction Turkeys ministers of justice and interior over detention of an American pastor.

The White House is announcing that the Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on two Turkish officials over a detained American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the Trump administration would sanction Turkeys minister of justice and minister of interior over the holding of 50-year-old Andrew Craig Brunson.

The administration says Turkeys Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu both played leading roles in the organisations responsible for Brunsons arrest and detention.

Andrew Brunson, who led a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir, is at the centre of one of the most bitter diplomatic spats between the NATO allies in years that risks escalating further.

Brunson was last week put under house arrest after nearly two years in jail. But the crisis has since escalated rather than being defused, with US officials furious he has not been allowed to leave Turkey.

Earlier on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government wont back down and may go its own way if the US imposes sanctions.

We will not give any credit to this type of threatening language, Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.

It is not possible for us to accept that America gets up, especially with an evangelist, Zionist mentality, and uses this kind of threat-filled language, Erdogan added.

Erdogans comments come after senior figures from Turkeys religious minorities issued a joint statement on Wednesday denying that there was pressure against their followers.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, Turkey Armenian Deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram Atesyan and Turkeys Chief Rabbi Ishak Haleva signed the declaration among other minority leaders, Hurriyet daily reported.

We practise our faiths and worship according to our traditions freely, it said.

Vice President Mike Pence said last week that Brunson was a victim of religious persecution but Erdogan insisted that Turkey did not have the slightest problem against religious minorities.

Both Pence and Brunson are evangelical Christians. Brunsons Izmir church is affiliated to the Orlando-based Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).

Brunson faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted on charges of acting on behalf of two groups deemed by Turkey to be terrorists  the movement led by US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara says was behind the 2016 coup bid and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

He is also accused of espionage for political or military purposes. Brunson rejects all the claims against him while US officials insist he is innocent of all the charges.

A court on Tuesday rejected a petition filed by Brunsons lawyer asking for his client to be freed. The next hearing in his case is on October 12.The arrests, which took place over the past two days, are the latest in a government crackdown on peaceful dissent.

Saudi Arabia has arrested two prominent womens rights activists, the latest to be swept up in a government crackdown on activists, scholars and journalists, an international rights group said on Wednesday.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said authorities arrested Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah, who campaigned for womens right to drive and the lifting of the male guardianship system, in the past two days.

The arrests of Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah signal that the Saudi authorities see any peaceful dissent, whether past or present, as a threat to their autocratic rule, said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement.

More than a dozen womens rights activists have been targeted since May. Most campaigned for the right to drive and an end to the kingdoms male guardianship system, which requires women to obtain the consent of a male relative for major decisions.

Badawi has received the United States International Women of Courage Award in 2012 for challenging the guardianship system, and was among the first women who signed a petition calling on the government to allow women to drive, vote and run in local elections.

She is also the sister of Raif Badawi, a prominent human rights campaigner, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2014 on charges of insulting Islam on his blog.

Sadah, from the restive Shia-majority Qatif province, has also campaigned to abolish the guardianship system and the right to drive. She was a candidate in the 2015 local elections which saw women run in elections for the first.

Her name was ultimately removed by authorities, the rights group said.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has courted Western allies to support his economic reform plan, offering billions of dollars of arms sales and promising to fight radicalism in the kingdom.

Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments were discussed during his trips to the United States and Europe.

In May, authorities arrested 10 womens rights activists, including Eman al-Nafjan, Loujain al-Hathloul, Aziza al-Yousef, Aisha al-Manea, Ibrahim Modeimigh and Mohammed al-Rabea.

Officials said seven people had been arrested for suspicious contacts with foreign entities and offering financial support to enemies overseas, and that further arrests could be carried out as the investigation proceeded.

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In June, the government ended a decades-old ban on women driving cars as part of a bid to diversify the economy away from oil and open up Saudis cloistered lifestyles.South Africa moving to expropriate white farmers land

Countrys president says ruling party to push ahead with plans to redistribute land, without compensation for white farmers, widening concerns.Nationwide rallies kick-off with women demanding state action for victims of rape, sexual violence in South Africa.

Thousands of women and gender non-conformists are expected to lead 19 marches in South Africa, as the country inaugurates Womens Month, demanding government action against abuse.

The intersectional womens march against gender-based violence is part of a wider movement, known as the #TotalShutdown movement, which is seeking to change the countrys policies regarding violence against women.

Protesters will march to union buildings in the countrys main cities and across all of South Africas provinces.





Organisers of the march plan to hand over a memorandum of 24 key demands to the president at the union buildings, the speaker of parliament in Cape Town, and to the Supreme Court of Appeals in Bloemfontein.

The list calls for a higher level of protection for victims of gender-based violence.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Lesley Ncube, spokeswoman of the #TotalShutdown movement, said that the high number of women exposed to rape and sexual violence in the country can be attributed to the emotional trauma that people have carried over from the apartheid government.

We hadnt done any reconciliation in terms of emotional and psychological trauma of people  We live in a highly toxic, patriarchal society where men feel entitled to our (female) bodies, Ncube said from Pretoria in advance of the march.

Its toxic masculinity that breeds this violence within our communities, she said.

The 24 demands represent the 24 years of post-democratic South Africa, Ncube noted. A key demand is requiring the president to commit to a day and time, where organisers, stakeholders, and state officials could meet to establish a practical and efficient plan to eradicate gender-based violence.

In 2016, students protested in several universities across the country, igniting a social media campaign that called for justice for women who were raped or killed.

Reporting from Johannesburg, Al Jazeeras Malcolm Webb, said South Africa has some of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world.

According to activists, only one out of 10 rape cases results in a conviction, Webb reported.UK farmers call for summit over drought crisis

As the heatwave in northern Europe continues, farmers in Britain have called an emergency drought summit to address the effect the heat is having on food security.Yemen war: Fears of new cholera outbreak as violence escalates

Aid groups fear escalation in fighting could cause a shutdown of vital port of Hodeidah, further exacerbating what is already worlds worst humanitarian crisis.At least three people died on Wednesday after opposition protest against election results turned violent.

Harare, Zimbabwe  The government of Zimbabwe has warned protesters against violence after three people died in the capital Harare in post-election clashes as the country awaits the results from Mondays presidential election.

Soldiers on Wednesday opened fire to disperse stone-throwing opposition supporters who accused the ruling ZANU-PF party of rigging the elections, witnesses told Al Jazeera.

Opposition alliance Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) called the states response disproportionate and unjustified.

Today we saw the deployment of military tanks and the firing of live ammunition on civilians for no apparent reason, MDC spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda told reporters.

We condemn in the strongest sense the action that was taken today. There is no justification whatsoever for the brutality we experienced.

In a video statement, President Emmanuel Mnangagwa blamed the violence on supporters of the opposition and urged the MDC leadership to remove its violent supporters from the street.

We hold the opposition MDC Alliance and its whole leadership responsible for this disturbance of national peace, which was meant to disrupt the electoral process, Mnangagwa said.

Equally, we hold the party and its leadership responsible for any loss of life, injury or damage of property that arise from these acts of political violence which they have aided and abetted.

Protests started early on Wednesday after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) released results showing that ZANU-PF won most seats in parliament.

Police fired tear gas and water cannon at demonstrators, mostly young men, who lit fires and threw stones at the gates of the countrys vote tallying centre.

ZANU-PF, which has been in power since the southern African country gained independence in 1980, won 145 seats in the 210-seat parliament, the commission said.

MDC picked up 60 seats.

The National Patriotic Front (NPF) won one seat while an independent candidate also picked up a seat.

Results for three constituencies in Harare are yet to be released.

With these results, ZANU-PF has won a two-thirds majority that would allow it to change the Constitution at will.

Accusations of rigging

MDC and its supporters accused the ruling party of rigging the election.

The results are a gimmick to try and prepare Zimbabwe for a rigged election. If President Chamisa wins this election then the people of Zimbabwe will have their government, Nkululeko Sibanda, an MDC alliance spokesman, told Al Jazeera.

Outside the opposition party headquarters, MDC supporters burned tyres and engaged police in running battles.

MDC supporters gathered outside of the vote tallying centre in Harare, Zimbabwe [Hamza Mohamed/Al Jazeera]





Im feeling angry at what ZEC and ZANU-PF are doing, opposition supporter Tongai Chinodyatold Al Jazeera.

They are conniving together to steal our votes. We are here to defend our vote. We are not going anywhere. The soldiers were shooting at us with live bullets. We are saying to ZANU-PF and ZEC enough is enough, Chinodya said.

The ruling party denied any election rigging and said the vote was free and fair.

There was no rigging and the opposition will come to realise this once emotions settle down. This was a free expression of the peoples will, Nick Mangwana, ZANU-PF spokesman, told Al Jazeera.

EU criticism

Meanwhile, observers from the European Union criticised the poll, the first vote since long-time leader Robert Mugabe stepped down in November 2017.

The EU mission said there was un-level playing field and intimidation of voters.

These elections were seen as a critical test of Zimbabwes reform process, Elmar Brok, the EU missions chief observer, said.

In some senses, up to this point, the conduct of the polls has had a number of positive features, but in other senses, serious concerns remain.

Now, we hope for a transparent results process, Brok added.

The presidential vote results are yet to be announced. The electoral body has until Saturday to release the official results.

Twenty-three candidates, 19 men and 4 women, contested for the countrys top seat. All candidates were first-time contenders.

Follow Hamza Mohamed on Twitter: @Hamza_AfricaIsrael deems such a pullback to be insufficient as it insists forces controlled by Iran should leave Syria entirely.

Iran-backed forces have withdrawn their heavy weapons in Syria to a distance of 85km from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, but Israel has deemed the pullback inadequate.

The Iranians withdrew and the [Shia] formations are not there, TASS Russian news agency quoted Alexander Lavrentiev, President Vladimir Putins special envoy to Syria as saying on Wednesday.

Lavrentiev said Iranian service personnel whom he described as advisors could be among Syrian army forces who remain closer to the Israeli border.

But there are no units of heavy equipment and weapons that could pose a threat to Israel at a distance of 85km from the line of demarcation, Lavrentiev said.

He did not elaborate on when the agreement was forged or for how long.

The agreement is still in effect. Iranian forces have actually been withdrawn from [the southern de-escalation zone in Syria] in order not to irritate the Israeli administration, which has increased the number of attacks on Iranian sites in this territory, Lavrentyev said.

Russia has sought to reassure Israel by saying it wants only Syrian forces to deploy on or near the Syrian-held Golan. Israel, however, insists that forces controlled by Iran, which Israel deems its primary rival, exit Syria entirely now the civil war there is ending.





Russian-backed Syrian forces regained full control of the frontier on Monday after a six-week offensive in the area that expelled Syrian armed opposition and an affiliate of ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIS) that had been deployed along the frontier with the Golan.

Israel has escalated its attacks against targets inside Syria suspected of being linked to Iran, insisting that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence near the frontier.

No compromises nor concessions

An Israeli official deemed such a pullback to be insufficient.

What we have laid down as a red line is military intervention and entrenchment by Iran in Syria, and not necessarily on our border, Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi told Israel Radio, citing the longer-range threat posed by Iranian missiles or drones positioned in Syria.

Therell be no compromises nor concessions on this matter.

Last week an Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Russia had offered to keep Iranian forces at least 100km from the Golan Heights ceasefire line.

Israel rejected the offer, which was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

In an apparent riposte, Russias ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, said on Monday that Moscow could not compel Iran to leave Syria.





But Viktorov also signalled that Russia would continue to turn a blind eye to Israeli air raids against suspected Iranian and Hezbollah arms transfers or emplacements in Syria.

Hanegbi said Israel wanted to prevent Iran and Hezbollah from effectively extending their Lebanese front against it.

We are not ready to see a new Hezbollah front on our northern border between Israel and Syria. This is something that is dangerous. This is something that, if we dont prevent it today, when still at its outset, will exact a heavy price of us down the line, he said.

Iran has military advisers in Syria and backs Shia militias fighting alongside Syrian troops, including Lebanons Hezbollah.

Israel occupied the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war. The frontier was quiet for decades following a 1974 disengagement agreement.

With the start of Syrias war in 2011, fighting erupted along the frontier, bringing rebels to the area.

In 2014, a UN peacekeeping force deployed along the disengagement lines withdrew when rebels took control of the frontier.The majority of Democratic voters are victims of a deliberate conspiracy by the leftist media, academia, and the Deep State to mislead them through lies of omission and commission.

A recent Pew survey shows that leftists are much more likely not to want to associate with people who don't share their political views than are conservatives. Furthermore, leftists are more likely not to know any conservatives.

Look at the electoral map from 2016  the blue areas are all tiny and tightly grouped.

Essentially, most leftist voters live in an intellectual bubble where the fake news media provide the propaganda, and their friends repeat, hence reinforce, the lies, making them seem credible. This even impacts the fake news reporters themselves.

On Twitter, for example, a leftist said the recently released FISA warrant application showed that the FBI had told the judge that Hillary was the one who paid for the Steele dossier, but that's not the case. The application for the warrant said:

Source #1 who now owns a foreign business/financial intelligence firm, was approached by an identified US. person, who indicated to Source #1 that a U.S.-based law firm had hired the identified US. person to conduct research regarding Candidate #1s ties to Russia (the identified U.S. person and Source #1 have a long-standing business relationship). The identified US. person hired Source #1 to conduct this research. The identified US. person never advised Source #1 as to the motivation. behind the research into Candidate #1s ties to Russia. The FBI speculates that the identified US. person was likely looking for information that could be used to discredit Candidate #1's campaign.

There are a number of problems with this, including:

The FBI knew that Hillary had funded the dossier but does not say so.

The FBI does not mention that Source #1 is a former spy and British national.

The FBI says the U.S. person was "likely" looking for dirt on Trump when the FBI knew for a fact that that was the intent.

The FBI relied on the word of the people involved that Source #1 wasn't told that the purpose of collecting dirt on Trump was to use that dirt against Trump.

The FBI failed to mention that Source #1 was highly biased against Trump.

For people who live in the left-wing bubble, the problems listed above are never mentioned. Instead, they're merely told that the application revealed that someone who was opposed to Trump funded the dossier.

What we're seeing is that neo-fascists on the left are channeling Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's chief propagandist, by using the Big Lie. Goebbels said:

If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.

Just replace "State" with leftist media-Democrat-Deep State alliance, and it becomes the clear mission statement of the left today. They know that the truth, ranging from the scientific fact that life begins at conception to the fact that the Iranian mullahs aren't trustworthy, must be concealed at all costs, because most Democratic voters won't vote Democratic when they learn the truth.

The Big Lie works because regular people are rarely willing to tell a big lie. Sure, we lie about little things, but few people will say they saw their neighbor using drugs when they didn't actually see that.

Because real people don't tell big lies, they assume that others won't, either. Hence, when Hitler, or the WaPo, repeats big lies over and over, people tend to end up believing them so long as they don't hear any contradictory voices.

That's why so many Americans think abortion is legal only in the first trimester or for the hard cases when in fact it's legal for any reason at any time during a pregnancy.

That's why so many Americans think Trump somehow colluded with Russia even though there is not a shred of evidence to indicate that.

That's why so few Americans know that Carter Page, the supposed Russian spy targeted by the FISA warrant, helped the FBI sting to capture Russian spies in 2013. Clearly, the media have to work hard to hide that from the bubble people they're trying to fool.

That's why few Democratic voters know that the NYT has armed guards to protect its newsroom even as it says making it harder for average citizens to have guns is a good thing.

If leftists were more uniformly distributed in America, they'd be exposed to nice people who have different information and hence different views. But as the Pew survey shows, they're not.

The problem, then, is how do we change this? We don't want, or need, a new civil war, but unless we can get the truth to Democratic voters, we are on a path to a very bad place.

Unless you're rich enough to buy a TV network, the answer is by talking truth to everyone you meet.

Don't be pushy, and don't bring up contentious topics out of nowhere, but when the issues come up, don't go silent because you'll be disparaged for supporting conservative perspectives.

For example, if someone asks how a Christian could support Trump because of his affairs, respond by wondering how anyone could trust Hillary, who openly attacked the women her husband sexually harassed.

If someone mentions Trump colluding with Russia, ask him what evidence there is of that. If he mentions the Steele dossier, point out that Steele himself said in a deposition to a British court that the contents are unverified.

If someone talks about the horror of Trump separating children from their families, point out that if the parents had legally applied for asylum at any point of entry or at any one of ten sites in Mexico instead of trying to sneak into America, they wouldn't have been separated from their children. Further, note that Trump has signed an order ending the practice. And mention that if an American citizen is arrested for a crime, he's separated from his children, too.

If someone talks about how conservatives don't care about the poor, point out to him that when Maine added work requirements to the food stamp program for healthy single childless individuals, 80% of them dropped out of the program. Clearly, they didn't need welfare. It's that sort of misuse of welfare that conservatives oppose. No one wants people starving or freezing; even Reagan talked about a necessary safety net. But Democrats want to ensnare people into welfare so that those people will be dependent on the government and hence will vote for Democrats.

It may not seem like much but the reality is that most Americans, even those who vote Democratic, are decent people. But they've never heard the truth on a wide spectrum of issues.

As the Bible says, the truth will set you free, so exposing basically good people to the truth has a good chance of starting them on the path to rejecting the Democratic party and its lies.

You can read more of Tom's rants at his blog, Conversations about the obvious, and feel free to follow him on Twitter.Every now and then, I come across a prominently posted commentary that combines virtue-signaling with the appearance of weighty scholarship. A perfect illustration is "Trumpism and the Philosophy of World Order," a polemic produced by Mark S. Weiner, who is a Fulbright recipient and visiting professor in American studies at the University of Uppsala (Sweden). Weiner does not rule out "incompetence" and "mental instability" in accounting for the unwelcome behavior of an American leader whom he and his friends ostentatiously despise. But, he insists, "[t]here is a deeper and even more troubling explanation of the US president's behavior." Weiner sees this in, among other situations, Trump's immigration positions and how he appears on TV standing next to Vladimir Putin. Although the American president "is no philosopher," somehow "there is one thinker whom Trump seems to channel most  and who can help make sense of his behavior, especially his widely-held moral equivalence toward Russia  it is the German legal philosopher Carl Schmitt."

Weiner has obviously read the legal philosopher in whose shoes Trump is now supposedly reeling, and he even provides a brief survey of Schmitt's critique of liberalism. For example: Law for Schmitt sprang from the ancestral and "from a community's nomos, a sense of itself that grows from its geography." Further: "In place of normativity and universalism, Schmitt offers a theory of political ideology based on a principle that Trump doubtless appreciates deeply from his pre-political career, land." This last statement is baffling, since the land Trump had in mind was real estate, whereas Schmitt wrote about settled European territories in which ethnic nations took shape.

Significantly, most of those policies Weiner ascribes to Trump and which are cited as illustrating his Schmittian anti-liberalism can be traced back to Barack Obama. Trying to de-escalate tensions with Russia was certainly as characteristic of Obama's presidency as it is of the current one. In fact, unlike Obama, Trump has inflicted sanctions on Putin's Russia for its annexation of Crimea and for meddling in Ukrainian affairs. Unlike the Obama administration, moreover, American troops have fired on and killed Russian troops in Syria. The view of Trump as a lackey of Putin is hardly a demonstrated fact, and attributing this hypothetical condition to the influence of Schmitt renders the charge even more ridiculous. The reference to "Schmitt's disdain for liberalism's universal aspirations" as an explanation for Trump's immigration politics likewise seems unduly partisan. Obama also separated children from parents who were illegally crossing our southern border. Perhaps Weiner should quote Schmitt in offering reasons for Obama's onetime treatment of illegals. (Only kidding!)

Aside from these simplistic generalizations about his performance, we are never told how Trump came to assimilate Schmitt's ideas as interpreted by Weiner. Why is "Schmitt's critique of liberalism evident in the passion of Trump and his supporters for building a wall on America's southern border"? And why must we assume that "Schmitt's Trumpian politics were apparent in his behavior toward America's traditional allies"? Having immersed myself in Schmitt's tracts and correspondence for decades, I would never have arrived at this connection without Weiner's help. Am I to think Trump was gobbling up Schmitt's writings in the Big Apple between his philandering and real estate deals and then decided to base his presidency on this dead German's dismissal of liberalism?

According to Weiner, Schmitt is "best known for his critique of modern liberalism." But the liberalism this thinker (who lived ninety-seven years, between 1888 and 1985) assailed was classical liberalism. What he attacked was closer to the libertarian vision of a world of voluntary economic transactions with minimal state interference than it is to modern multiculturalists. Schmitt was targeting the liberal predecessors of Ron and Rand Paul. He would have found our own self-described liberals, a group to which Weiner plainly belongs, at least as strange as Martians.

Also, Schmitt produced his critiques at different times in different circumstances. Although he opportunistically joined the Nazi Party in May 1933, after urging leaders of the Weimar Republic to outlaw Hitler's party, most of his early criticism of parliamentary liberalism was made in the context of trying to save the German republic from both the Nazis and the communists. In the 1920s, Schmitt was also the chief legal authority of the Catholic Center Party. What he wrote in this capacity has to be viewed independently of what Weiner attributes to him as a forerunner of The Donald. The same is true for Nomos der Erde, a long legal work that Schmitt published after World War II  to which Weiner alludes in his strained efforts to link Trump to Schmitt. A study of the legal development of the European state system and an examination of the decline of just war theory, this work wouldn't provide (or so one might hope) much grist for Weiner's mill.

I would also note that Schmitt's general observations were often defensible even if they don't coincide with the world that Weiner would like us to live in. The permanence of friend-enemy relations as a criterion of the political, the profound influence of theology on political ideologies, the appeal to "human rights" as a mask for hegemonic ambitions, and the view that the nation-state is one of the great achievements of Western civilization are all Schmittian views that seem to me almost self-evident. If Trump stumbled on such wisdom, he is a deeper thinker than I imagined. But it's highly doubtful that our president extracted these ideas from the horse's mouth.Stanford college student Hamzeh Daoud, overwrought that the Israeli Knesset enacted the "Nation-State" Basic Law, made a Facebook posting:

I'm gonna physically fight Zionists on campus next year if someone comes at me with their 'Israel is a democracy' b. And after I abolish your a I'll go ahead and work every day for the rest of my life to abolish your petty a ethno-supremacist, settler-colonial state.

The Stanford College Republicans dared to condemn Daoud's posting and egregiously preserved it on its own Facebook page, sparking controversy amongst the Stanford campus community.

Feeling the heat, Daoud did emend his posting to read "intellectually fight" instead of "physically fight," reportedly proffering the Stanford Daily the explanation or excuse that the initial posting was a "spur-of-the-moment emotional reaction" to the Knesset's legislation.

The controversy at Stanford went global. There are now calls to pressure the Stanford administration to remove Daoud from his slated position as a residential assistant, a position that allows him much discretion, which, if improvidently (or maliciously) exercised, can adversely impact the safety, well-being, and lives of the students for whom he will be responsible. It is a position of trust that demands objectivity in the conduct of his duties.

Never mind the double standard now being applied to Israel's "Nation-State" law as compared to those of other countries that have similar laws (including but not limited to Spain, Lithuania, and Greece). And never mind that Israel's "Nation-State" law has provisions that accommodate minorities to a greater extent than even imaginable in most other nations (and greater than some accommodations that have already been demonstrated in the United States).

I have not affixed my signature to the petitions imploring Stanford to take action against Daoud because I do not know him personally, have not corresponded with him, and have no basis by which to evaluate the sincerity of his explanation for his ill advised postings. The Stanford administration is positioned far better to invoke its due process and ascertain the relevant facts and circumstances.

It is Stanford that must weigh all relevant factors, including but not limited to Daoud's behavioral history, confidence on the part of students (and their parents) that they will not be abused by any of Daoud's impulsive or high-handed tactics, and Stanford's need to keep order on its campus. Also relevant would be an evaluation by Stanford's Office of Risk Management of the probability and expected values associated with prospects of becoming mired in litigation for negligent hiring if his episode of demonstrated intemperance proves to be more than a fluke.

Exit question: Which of the people who accept Daoud's "spur-of-the-moment emotional reaction" excuse also support Pennsylvania state senator Larry Farnese's initiative to ban the so-called "gay panic" defense in homicide prosecutions?

Kenneth H. Ryesky, a freelance writer currently based in Israel, has taught business law and taxation at Queens College CUNY.The play by Stephen Karam, currently on stage at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, has already made its mark in Chicago and New York.

CRITICS' PICK "A haunting, beautifully realized play, quite possibly the finest we will see all season... Blisteringly funny and altogether wonderful. " Charles Isherwood, The New York Times "Absolutely, relentlessly gripping... Rackingly funny even as it pummels the heart and scares the bejesus out of you." Jesse Green, New York Magazine CRITICS' PICK, FIVE STARS "Gorgeous. Stephen Karam boldly forces us into a world beyond the familiar." Adam Feldman, Time Out New York "Breaking with tradition, Erik Blake has brought his Pennsylvania family to celebrate Thanksgiving at his daughter's apartment in lower Manhattan. As darkness falls outside the ramshackle pre-war duplex, eerie things start to go bump in the night. Soon, family tensions reach a boiling point and the hilarity, heart and horrors of the Blake clan are exposed." (From the program notes)

Such are the rave reviews of a well and truly miserable play. Thankfully, it is one act, one hundred minutes in length. Any longer, and most normal men in the audience would be likely ready to commit hara-kiri. The play is a hundred minutes of misery, sadness, disappointment, anger, rage, consequences of poor choices, generational conflict, and belief in nothing. In short, the playwright has packed every possible aspect of human anguish into those one hundred minutes.

A sane person should want to run screaming from the theater, so banal is this play. This is not to suggest that pain and unhappiness are not worthy subjects for the theater. This one, however, has dreamt up a passel of miseries and inflicted them all on one group of five characters. Who is to say what passes as a normal family, but Karam makes this family suffer a middle-class American version of the trials of Job. Each character is suffering one painful thing or another, physical or mental, one emotional wound or another, one painful memory or another.

There are a few humorous lines, only a few. They are so welcome that they get huge laughs. But the bulk of the play is one long testament to disillusion. Life is a trial, a torment. This, like most plays these days, is what passes for great theater. What a shame. No longer is there such a thing as happiness on the stage. No more happy endings. Happy endings would probably qualify as a trigger warning; that would not be fair to unhappy people.

Perhaps the reason such plays have become the staple of the theater is that theater folk are so unhappy themselves that they assume that all people are as despondent as they are. Their plays depict so much of their own gloom and doom that sitting through them just might make their audiences leave the theater happier, no matter how difficult their own lives may be. "Thank God I'm not a member of that family," they might think with relief.

The play is not "blisteringly funny." Nor is it "altogether wonderful." It is not gripping, rackingly funny, or scary. It is not "beyond familiar"; it is tediously boring. While people may identify with one or two or three of the seeming difficulties depicted, this family's collective basket of problems will resonate with few. But it will make play-goers glad it's not their family.

The program notes include an interview with Karam. He admits to including "everything that keeps people awake at night." So he threw the whole wad of little tragedies and disappointments at one sad little family. But not one of them had much to say, to contribute. Not one of them seemed to think much at all about anything but himself. Not one of them was connected to the outside world by anything but their shared distress.

All of this said, this play won four Tonys! Misery sells, and its buyers pretend it's art. The theater of our past, Lerner and Lowe, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Neil Simon, brought anyone who saw those productions exhilaration and pleasure. Humans brings to its audiences nothing but angst and sorrow. One day soon, perhaps, with the shared optimism beginning to bloom along with a great economy and radically decreased unemployment, those who choose which plays to produce will lighten up and bring us some joy. Let us all look forward to that day.We're within 100 days of election day, and there are a lot of predictions. I agree with my friend Barry Casselman:

Most pundit predictions now are being made on the basis of a plethora of contradictory and premature polls, many of which are mostly hype. Fundraising for the primary season does not yet tell us fundraising capability in a general election. Finally, and I have repeated this many times, individual candidates matter a great deal, especially in competitive contests. I don't think anything useful will be evident until well after Labor Day. Prior to that, it's almost all wishful thinking.

Wishful thinking, indeed, and both ways!

Nevertheless, we must keep in mind that 2018 will be determined by two factors, or wild cards:

1. The first one is the U.S. economy. So far the news is good for President Trump and the GOP. No Democrat can take credit for the recovery they voted against, especially those red-state Senate Democrats fighting for re-election. Of course, the flip-side is also true. In other words, if the U.S. economy slows down or we get a bad report in October, then all bets are off. My guess is that the U.S. economy will continue to grow.

2. President Trump is the other wild card. He demonstrated in 2016 that he will campaign for every vote, as he did in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, et al. He has shown a talent for getting large crowds, and more and more Republicans are siding with him.

President Trump must be all in to save the House and spend the next 100 days going from here to there campaigning for GOP candidates.

If he does, and the U.S. economy continues to do well, then there is a very good chance that President Trump will defy the experts again.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.The WSJ, including even its editorial page, is getting more worthless every day.

This week, one of its top editorials said President Trump's threat to shut down the government over Congress's failure to finance a border wall is the way to lose the House. The story is titled "Trump's Lose-the-House Strategy."

Actually, they have it bass-ackwards. If Trump gives in to House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, and the WSJ itself in its longtime open-borders stance on immigration, that is the real way to lose the House.

In the article, the Journal makes one of the most condescending statements right here: "It's always risky to use the word 'strategy' about Trump because he's so impulsive and capricious."

I believe that a lot of us can understand Trump's strategies on many subjects. He does things with the aim of achieving results, whether directly or by confusing his adversaries. That's a strategy. What a shame that the WSJ writers don't seem to have the ability to analyze or independently think about this, and recognize the man's work by his results.

On immigration, Trump's policy is to follow the immigration laws that Congress passed. Most Democrats voted in 2006 for a border fence, and Trump wants them to finally fund it.

In the past, Democrats, including Durbin, have been in favor of ending chain migration and the stupid lottery system for immigrants. Trump is trying to make them actually do it.

If Trump doesn't hold career politicians' the feet to the fire in both parties, he will never get the border enforced. Meanwhile, polls show that the public is against sanctuary cities and is all in for legal immigration. It just doesn't want to reward illegal immigration.

Trump's strategy on foreign policy is for America to be strong instead of appease. He is finally getting NATO countries to pay. He is defending Ukraine, and I believe that North Korea now knows we have a serious leader. Somehow, North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong-un, stopped testing missiles last November. If Kim reneges on his commitment, Trump will change his strategy Is that capricious? Should Trump do what previous experts and presidents did? (Since it worked so well?)

On Iran, Trump is trying to get the dangerous country to collapse in the same way Ronald Reagan got the Soviet Union to collapse. Was it better to pay the Iranians ransom and give them hundreds of billions of dollars, all for a pretend, non-binding deal so they could continue their terrorism policy?

On trade, Trump's strategy is to get other countries to get rid of their tariffs and taxes after we have let the problem compound for decades. Did talking to other countries nicely help or compound the problem? Trump's strategy is obviously working and working quickly when we look at what the E.U. gave in to. Yet every day, we get garbage articles in the WSJ about how bad Trump's policy is on trade.

On the economy, Trump is moving as fast as he can to remove barriers and lower taxes to give the power and purse back to the people, where they belong. Career politicians from both parties, lobbyists, and bureaucrats (the swamp) are fighting Trump and seeking to destroy him every day. They are getting a tremendous amount of help from the media, including the WSJ. The swamp has amassed a lot of power over the years, and it doesn't want to give it up. For eight years, Obama sought to increase the power and money that the government confiscated from the people, and he was helped greatly by complaisant journalists.

President Trump appears to be working on a hundred things at the same time in an attempt to reverse all the harm that Obama and other bureaucrats did over eight years and longer. Obama wanted to remake America, and Trump wants to make America great again. There is a heck of a lot of difference between those two poles, yet somehow the WSJ derides his fantastic progress with the quote "Trump is impulsive and capricious."

Trump had better keep hammering to fix the immigration system, because otherwise, the Democrats, with the help of the media, will walk all over him and weaken him.

Trump has made gigantic progress in 500 days, and Obama did little in eight years other than transfer power to himself and the government. Obama also gave in a lot on foreign policy, including to Russia. I'll take Trump, who knows how to change directions when something doesn't work, versus those who always have done things the same way no matter how much of a failure the policies are and who are too stubborn to admit they don't know what they are doing.

Maybe the WSJ writers should actually observe and study, and then maybe they will spot the strategy.Democratic senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii is "confused" about why illegals get detained by lawmen.

No, really. Apparently, Democrats have skidded so far downhill that they don't even understand that illegals are here illegally. As the word says.

Yesterday's lovely exchange between a lawyerly Immigration and Customs Enforcement official and Hirono was the proof of it. After the ICE official had to take the time to school her in basic immigration law, all she could respond with was, "I'm confused."

Take a gander:

Or you can see it here. "FRC," by the way, is ICE-speak for "Family Residential Center."

Hirono was busy trying to make political hay for Democrats out of the issue of family separations of illegal border-crossers as somehow being especially inhuman. Never mind that family separations occur pretty much any time anyone is hauled in by the law, whether for bank robberies, muggings, drunk driving, or another crime. Getting hauled in is precisely why people with kids shouldn't want to break the law at all, but we know that some still do.

She rapidly got off track by her presumption that border enforcement is a matter of President Trump's whims, rather than Trump's mere allowance of border enforcement agents to enforce the actual laws on the books, which is their job. That's where she ran into her "I'm confused" trouble. Apparently, she decided that President Obama's capricious approach to enforcing only the laws he liked was actually how the law is supposed to be done.

This shows she's got the blinders on and can no longer distinguish solid law from Obama's world of decrees, which in fact excused and encouraged a lot of illegality in the name of political advantage.

It's weird stuff, and it highlights the Democrats' sharp swing to the left and its lunatic visions of laws not being laws, or laws being only what Obama says they are. It's an unusually sorry thing to see in an actual lawmaker.

Shouldn't she be advocating for the people of Hawaii? Where is she, given that a third of the housing stock of the Big Island has been trashed by a volcano, and the tourism industry that keeps her state economically going is totally wrecked, quite possibly because there are no hotels for tourists to go to, what with the available space now filled with volcano refugees? Where is she now that Lloyd's of London is denying payouts to people who bought volcano insurance, even as Hawaii's governor has encouraged volcano residents to consult their insurance policies instead of the state? These were people trying to do the right thing by buying the only volcano insurance out there  it's not in the state regulatory apparatus  and Hirono hasn't said anything. Is she saying anything about the questionable permitting process for housing in the lava zone that was not disclosed to buyers of the homes? What about some aid for those displaced residents now living with great mind-wearing uncertainty as months go by, while the political elites, including Hirono, do nothing? Hirono so far has visited the volcano zone twice (enjoying the lava tourism, no doubt) and gotten some money for a centralized volcano-monitoring system as well as aid for the tiny number of farms affected, which frankly is a meager record for a large visible event from her state.

Yet there she goes, fascinated with helping illegals she knows nothing about, under the guise of "compassion," and "confused" about what U.S. immigration law is to boot. Where's her compassion for her own state's neglected residents?

What we are seeing here is nothing but a political hack, in perfect line with the Democratic Party priorities, yet not quite understanding what is going on, given that she's a pretty "confused" one. Obviously, she's a hack who's been at it so long she can no longer distinguish fantasy from reality. Among Democrats, Nancy Pelosi, apparently, isn't the only one with this problem.Huawei saw an increase in the number of shipped smartphones during Q2, 2018 which has resulted in the company overtaking Apple by moving into second place in the overall rankings, behind Samsung. This is based on the latest data from the International Data Corporation (IDC).

While the data is preliminary data, the IDC suggests that in total 342 million units were shipped during Q2, 2018 which in turn represented a 1.8-percent decline compared to Q2, 2017 when 348.2 million units were shipped. In spite of this overall decline, however, Huawei bucked the general trend by seeing a significant year-over-year increase resulting in what the IDC describes as a record high market share of 15.8-percent for the company. For example, in Q2, 2017 Huawei shipped 38.5 million units and this number rose to 54.2 million in Q2, 2018. At the same time, Apple did not technically see a year-over-year decline, but the iPhone-maker only managed to ship 41.3 million units during the quarter, representing a marginal year-over-year change. It is therefore the level of shipment growth that Huawei has experienced over the last year that has leapfrogged the company into the second spot.

In spite of the change to second place, not much has changed at the top with Samsung managing to retain the top spot once again. Although, unlike Huawei and Apple, Samsung did not see any growth year-on-year, with the company registering 71.5 million shipped units in Q2, 2018, compared to the 79.8 million noted for the second quarter of the year before. One of the reasons for this Samsung-specific decline is likely to be the less than expected interest in the Galaxy S9 lineup, with Samsung recently explaining how a lack of Galaxy S9 sales had contributed to a decline in revenue for the company during the same quarter. Completing the top five vendors for Q2, 2018 is Xiaomi and OPPO, respectively. Both of which saw respectable year-over-year increases with Xiaomis shipped units coming in at 31.9 million and OPPOs at 29.4 million. Based on these numbers, Xiaomi was technically closer to Apple in the second quarter of 2018, than Apple was to Huawei  due to Xiaomi year-over-year change being the greatest of the lot, including Huaweis.Facebook discovered a new coordinated attempt at U.S. election interference and removed 32 pages and profiles from its flagship social network and Instagram as a result of its findings, the company announced Tuesday. The Menlo Park, California-based firm said its still trying to determine who was behind the accounts and pages seeking to influence the mid-term elections scheduled to take place in the United States on November 6, with the entity behind the effort going to much greater lengths to conceal its identity than the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) did in 2016 while it was meddling in the last presidential race. While Facebook found no Russian IP addresses as part of its ongoing investigation so far, it discovered that a now-disabled IRA-owned account previously shared an event created by one of the misleading pages, whereas another IRA-linked profile was briefly listed among its administrators.

The worlds largest social media network shared some of the posts created by the fake pages that can be seen in the gallery below. The most popular pages found to have engaged in surreptitious activity were Black Elevation, Aztlan Warriors, Resisters, and Mindful Bein. Over 290,000 profiles followed at least one of the removed pages, with the effort creating more than 9,500 Facebook posts, including events. While the accounts werent particularly active on Instagram, they advertised on both platforms, paying some $11,000 for approximately 150 ads over an unspecified period. The efforts meant to obscure the true identities of individuals behind the coordinated misinformation campaign included the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) which hid their identities, whereas the ads they paid for were ordered through third parties.

As the pages in question were organizing protest events on both sides of the political spectrum, presumably with the goal of polarizing the American public, Facebook already notified administrators of legitimate pages who were misled into supporting their efforts of the development. The company said it cannot guarantee it will ever be able to identify the actor or group behind the uncovered meddling attempt. To date, Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 25 individuals and three entities from Russia over their attempts to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2018, and it seems like its release date has just been revealed by a leaked poster. If you take a look at the provided image down below, you will be able to see the aforementioned poster, and on it, youll notice August 24 is noted as a release date for the device. This poster surfaced in South Korea, so its possible that a global release date will be slightly different.

In addition to the phones release date, this poster also lists some pre-order gifts that will be available, including cases, wireless pads, car chargers, and so on. It remains to be seen if customers in the US and Europe will get incentives via pre-order gifts, well just have to wait and see. Samsung is actually expected to kick off Galaxy Note 9 pre-orders on August 10, as the device itself will become official on August 9 in New York. The Galaxy Note 9 has been leaking out like crazy over the last couple of weeks, weve exclusively shared some images and info when it comes to the phone, while a number of other rumors / leaks surfaced along with that. All things considered, it seems like the Galaxy Note 9 will resemble its predecessor, the Galaxy Note 8, and it will ship with a new and improved S Pen stylus, as expected.

The Galaxy Note 9 will be made out of metal and glass, while it will ship with really thin bezels, and a curved QHD+ Super AMOLED display. The device will include two horizontally-aligned cameras on the back, along with a fingerprint scanner, while it will be available in two SoC variants, depending on in which market you purchase the device. The Exynos 9810-powered variant of the phone will be available in Europe, for example, while the Snapdragon 845-powered model will hit the US. The device will ship with 6GB of RAM, and a rather large battery, probably a 4,000mAh battery pack, but well see.Qualcomm and Apple have been embroiled in a high-profile dispute over patent royalties for several years now and while the Cupertino-based tech giant is now said to be prepared to ditch the chipmakers modems with the next iPhone generation and replace them with Intel-made modules, the duo is likely to eventually bury the hatchet, sources from Taiwans mobile component supply chains claim. DigiTimes reports that the general industry consensus on the matter is that Apple wont risk relying on non-Qualcomm 5G modems due to major concerns about production yield rates, as well as the fact that Qualcomms first-generation 5G chips are believed to be the most versatile solutions of their kind, capable of communicating with virtually every planned implementation of the new wireless technology.

At least the first several generations of 5G-ready handsets will have to be fully compatible with 4G LTE networks as 5G coverage is likely to be inconsistent, and with Qualcomm already holding a vast amount of patents in both segments, Apple would be hard-pressed to completely circumvent the San Diego, California-based technology giant without risking its ability to deliver tens of millions of new iPhones to consumers around the globe on a quarterly basis. Due to that state of affairs, the firm is unlikely to completely end its relationship with Qualcomm in the long term, insiders argue. Even if Apple was to attempt being completely reliant on Intel or MediaTek, it would still have to cooperate with Qualcomm on optimizations as the semiconductor juggernaut is deeply entrenched in the 5G R&D through numerous partnerships with network operators.

Qualcomm itself previously said its expecting to make peace with Apple at some point in the future but the two firms are still in the process of resolving their differences in the court of law. The iPhone maker remains adamant that Qualcomms patent licensing practices are unfair and allow the firm to charge for innovations it had nothing to do with, whereas the chipmaker is dismissive of that notion and argues that Apple repeatedly broke valid contracts, both by refusing to pay its royalties and via other means.According to a new report, the Gray / Silver color variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 seems to be canceled. The source claims that it is canceled, even though the information may not be 100-percent accurate. All in all, this rumor seems to be rather vague, but well see what happens in about a week, as the Galaxy Note 9 will become official on August 9, Samsung had scheduled a press event in New York.

Needless to say, the Galaxy Note 9 is one of the most anticipating handsets this year, as were its predecessors before it. Weve already seen a ton of rumors and leaks when it comes to the Galaxy Note 9, and have also exclusively shared some content with you a while back. At the end of last month, weve shared images of the Galaxy Note 9 in Black, Blue, and Brown colors, which are most certainly coming, even though they may be market-specific, in other words, not all of those color variants may be available in every region the Galaxy Note 9 is coming to. The Galaxy Note 9 will be made out of metal and glass, and it will sport really thin bezels, and a curved display all in all, it will resemble its predecessor in terms of the design quite a bit. The phones dual camera on the back will be horizontally-aligned, while a fingerprint scanner will be located right below them, and it seems like it will be smaller than last year. Dedicated Bixby button will be a part of the package, as will the companys S Pen stylus.

The Galaxy Note 9 will arrive in two SoC variants, the Exynos 9810-powered model will hit Europe along with some other markets, while the Snapdragon 845-powered variant will ship to the US and a number of other markets. The device will probably ship with a 4,000mAh battery, which will not be removable, and it will support wireless charging. The Galaxy Note 9 will, if rumors are to be believed, feature 6GB of RAM, and it will be available in more than one storage variant. Read more about what to expect from the Galaxy Note 9 by clicking here.Verizon has now filed an official response to claims leveled against the company by the Rural Wireless Association (RWA), stating that its Mobility Fund coverage map is exaggerated in the Oklahoma panhandle region. The maps are a central component in the FCCs proposed 4G LTE expansion and maintenance plan, which will provide around $435 million toward that goal annually for 10 years. The RWA contests that Verizons maps dont comply with the standard mapping specifications set by the government organization. Those claims were based, at least partially, on tests performed by Panhandle Telecommunication Systems (PTSI) but Verizon says that the results and claims are completely unfounded. Moreover, the carrier suggests that the complaints were leveled out of fear that universal service support would be lost for participating RWA members since Verizon carries areas served by those. Many of those are subsidized by the government funding which could be at risk if Verizon is shown to have solid connections in the disputed coverage area.

Addressing each claim directly, the nations largest service provider says that RWA consultants were incorrect in their assumption that it used only a single model to map its coverage. In fact, it says it made use of more than 2,500 models and that all of those were optimized for the various terrain in which the company mapped its coverage. Moreover, contrary to RWA claims, Verizon indicates that the models were calibrated regularly for environmental changes and that clutter height was separately calibrated. Finally, the carrier asserts that its fade margin settings were set to the standard 6 dB deviation, which goes beyond the 5.85 dB deviation that would have been required for the region in question  based on its own propagation model data.

Verizons response to the RWAs may be understandable since the accusation is that the carrier is deliberately attempting to funnel funds away from smaller mobile service providers in the area. Furthermore, it says it has invested tens of millions of dollars in the models it uses in order to map its coverage. Bearing that in mind, there is no way to verify the statements of either the RWA or Verizon and the FCC has yet to officially respond in the matter.The White House named artificial intelligence and advanced wireless technologies as one of its R&D priorities for the 2020 fiscal year. The Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget co-authored a memo outlining that strategy on Tuesday, having also named national security, agricultural solutions, modern medicine, and energy as other fields in which the government is planning to invest moving forward. The plan is in line with research and development ambitions that have been pursued by a number of U.S. administrations, including the one headed by President Trump. The 2020 fiscal year starts on October 1, 2019.

The federal agencies whose purview encompasses any one of the areas outlined above may hence have their budgets increased by Congress moving forward, or at least thats what the White House will push for once the 2020 budget is on the legislators immediate agenda. Washington is also looking to help basic research in those fields through deregulation, having also encouraged its agencies to do the same, i.e. eliminate as much administrative red tape to tech R&D as possible. The White House is also supportive of the idea of government agencies partnering with private companies on such efforts, the memo indicates. The same document argues in favor of extra commitments to the creation of new cybersecurity technologies and the improvement of existing solutions in the sector, while also pushing for new investments in border surveillance.

The Trump administration recently became more proactive in the technology segment, having started discussing the possibility of new regulations meant to protect user privacy. While a U.S. version of the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation is unlikely due to the fundamental differences in the political landscapes of the two Western allies, a less strict legislative framework regulating big tech in the country might still end up being enacted in the near future. Washingtons tech policy may also be affected by the outcome of the November mid-terms which could see the Republican party lose its majority in both Congress houses.Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.BarcelonaCatalan president Quim Torra wanted to send a very clear message to King Felipe after it transpired last Monday that the Spanish monarch might be willing to meet Catalonias pro-independence leaders. In an interview with CNA, president Torra recalled the Kings deeds and words about Catalonia since last October and he emphasised that it is never too late to apologise to the Catalans. Nevertheless, Torra was adamant that Felipe is no longer King of the Catalans, even if he now says he concurs with the Spanish government and agrees to open up a dialogue. I approve of his gesture, although it remains to be seen what will come out of it, but our position on the king is very clear, said Torra. He insisted that the Catalan government will not invite Felipe to any official event held by Torras administration and no representatives of the Catalan government will accept invitations from Spains royal household.

Still, the Catalan president believes that it was a good idea to request an interview with the monarch just before the Mediterranean Games held in Tarragona. In fact, Torra insisted that he would ask again and would be glad to meet him, if he wished to come to Palau de la Generalitat. I would like him to meet me so that I could explain to him the extremely serious situation we have in Catalonia, with political prisoners, exiles, thousands of Catalans who being prosecuted and the right to self-determination being criminalised. I would like to tell him all that, but I havent been given a chance, he remarked during the interview. Quim Torra insisted that he is willing to explain the extremely serious situation we have in Catalonia to anybody, even to the King of Spain.

Giving the king the same welcome Arrimadas had in Tortosa

On the controversy over the hypothetical presence of King Felipe at the events to commemorate the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils on August 17 and 18 last year, the Catalan leader stated that this is a relatively important issue. While he admitted that it is not for me to tell the public what to do if the king eventually visits Catalonia, he did hint that Catalans who are upset about the royal visit ought to ignore him altogether. To be honest, the other day someone visited the city of Tortosa and people set an example. I felt what the people of Tortosa did was brilliant when [Ciudadanos leader] Ines Arrimada visited the city and I would suggest that this might be an avenue that is worth pursuing. Torra implied that it would be a good idea to give the Spanish king the same cold-shoulder welcome that opposition leader Ines Arrimadas got in Tortosa from local independence supporters.

Nevertheless, Torra remarked that freedom of expression must prevail and he is convinced that the Catalan people will find a way to honour the victims and pay tribute to the first respondents who acted in such a professional manner on those days. It should be a day of mourning, reflection and hope for having pulled through.Since its first flight to New York from Dubai on 1 August 2008, the Emirates A380 has carried more than 105 million passengers, clocking in more than 1.5 billion kilometres on 115,000 flights, equivalent to 39,000 trips around the globe. Watch the Emirates A380 10 year journey here



Emirates is the world largest operator of the A380 aircraft, with 104 double-decker aircraft flying to 49 cities on 6 continents on scheduled services with more than 80 daily departures from Dubai, the airlines hub. In addition to its 104-strong fleet, the airline has a further 58 A380s on order. Today, Emirates also operates the worlds shortest A380 route from Dubai to Kuwait and the worlds longest A380 non-stop route from Dubai to Auckland. The airline has also grown its scheduled services to major airports and has also successfully grown demand at regional airports such as Manchester, Brisbane, Kuala Lumpur, Houston, Prague, Kuwait, Mauritius, Johannesburg and Sao Paulo.



Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: Its been 10 extraordinary years since the first Emirates A380 flight took to the skies, and today it has become one of the most recognisable and admired aircraft in the world. Passengers love to fly it because of its spaciousness which provides more comfort across all classes, and its iconic products like the OnBoard Lounge, Shower Spa and First Class suites have redefined air travel. We remain committed to providing the best experience for our customers aboard our flagship aircraft, and introducing new innovations that will continue to wow them every time they fly with us.



The Emirates A380 has also had a significant impact on the aerospace industry and its high-value supply chains, fuelling hundreds of thousands of jobs for skilled workers, and creating significant economic benefits in countries which have A380 production facilities. The aircraft continues to boost tourism and trade wherever it flies by stimulating further traffic and demand, and we hope that it continues to play an important role in the economies and societies that it serves in the years to come.



Analyst Saj Ahmad commented: There's no question that the A380 has been a big money-spinner for Emirates and that the airline exploits it's Dubai hub with this behemoth to great effect.

Aside from providing Airbus with thousands of jobs, Emirates' commitment to the A380 underscores how the airline has utilised it's organic growth strategy to capture traffic in large numbers, which has in turn propelled Dubai International as the world's busiest international airport.



That said, Emirates is also planning it's future beyond the A380 too. No airplane lasts forever and its reality that as it ages, new and more efficient inductees in 777X and the 787 will start to form the backbone of Emirates' long haul fleet for the next decade and beyond.



Ahmad added: The A380 as a programme has been a financial choker for Airbus and with Singapore Airlines already jettisoning five early build A380s after just ten years demonstrates that the airplane has a fixed shelf life and will struggle to be remarketed elsewhere.



Emirates' plans to induct up to 200 777X's will primarily replace today's 777s, but by the time it takes its 200th 777X delivery, the A380 fleet will be operationally expensive and economically inefficient - so it stands to reason that they'll procure more 777Xs and 787s going forward.



For the hear and now - Emirates is enjoying it's dominance thanks to the allure of the A380 for its passengers and there's no denying that the airline has harmonised it's growth and pricing in tandem with the economies of scale that it has with its huge widebody fleet.COP26 may be a cop-out in the making COP26 is just about a month away. Delayed for a year by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference has built up even more expectations and momentum during the intervening monthsLaw school applications have increased and long-term legal jobs have decreased in the US, according to new data.

There were 60,401 law school applicants this fall, up 8.7% from 55,580 in 2018, data from Law.com revealed.

Kellye Testy, president of the Law School Admissions Counsel, recommends job placement for new lawyers. She also said that some schools are surpassing their yield rates in previous years and are facing the prospect of larger class sizes than they are targeting.Following the official unveiling of the new modernized jeepney last June, Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) now turn to dispatching their new utility vehicles for public use. On July 31st, IPC have turned over an initial batch of 15 units to Metro Express Connect, a company in charge of plying routes in Iloilo City.

The formal turnover ceremony, attended by Mr. Hajime Koso (President of Isuzu Phils Corp), Engr. Ric Pallesco (General Manager and President of Metro Express Connect, Inc.), DOTr Asec. Mark de Leon, LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra and Villar Group founder Mr. Manny Villar, marks a significant milestone for the visayas province as this signals the official start of the governments Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

The modernized PUVs were assembled using the Isuzu QKR77 platform with the rear body being designed and manufactured by Almazora Motors Corp. All units are air-conditioned Class 2 PUVs with a side-facing seat configuration. While assembled locally, the QKR77 is equipped with Euro IV-compliant 4JH1-TC Diesel Engine that promises to deliver excellent fuel economy.

Isuzus new PUV body is compliant with Philippine National Standards (PNS2126:2017). The passenger cabin floor-to-ceiling height and gangway width are 1,780 mm and 830 mm respectively, giving more space for passengers to move easily inside. The passenger door is safely situated on the right-hand side facing the sidewalk. Other design features of the body include panoramic windows and windshields, full-body insulation with GeneQ shield, automatic door closer, and provisions for persons with disabilities.

The fruitful collaboration between IPC and the wholly Filipino-owned Almazora Motors Corp ensures that Iloilo Citys commuters ride only in world-class public utility vehicles that also take into careful consideration passenger safety, comfort, and the particular localitys needs IPC president Hajime Koso explained.

The initial batch of 15 units provided to Metro Express Connect represent half of the total 30 units ordered by the transport company. The PUVMP is expected to replace some 200,000 jeepneys nationwide (which 15 years or older) with new, safe, and environmentally friendly public utility vehicles.Image: EAA

This years EAA AirVenture was about as close as one could imagine to perfect, EAA Chairman Jack Pelton said this week, in a news release summarizing this years data from the show. Attendance set a new record, EAA said, with about 601,000 visitors, nearly 2 percent more than last years record crowd. Pelton credited the combination of outstanding programs, aircraft variety, a robust economy and good weather, plus the efforts of EAA staff and 5,000 volunteers, who created a show that was upbeat and exciting. More than 10,000 aircraft flew in to local airports for the show, and Wittman Fields intrepid controllers managed 19,588 aircraft operations over the 11 days from July 20 to 30, for an average of about 134 takeoffs or landings per hour.

Planning is already underway for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019, which will run from July 22 to 28.We are celebrating our 50th consecutive year in Oshkosh during 2019, Pelton said. The show originated in Rockford, Illinois, but moved to Oshkosh in 1970. Well be looking back on a half-century of unforgettable highlights at Wittman Regional Airport, Pelton said, and planning activities that involve EAAs hometown and its unique place in aviation history. While 2018 is barely in the record books, were talking to many groups and individuals with intriguing new ideas for aircraft, innovations, exhibits and events. Were looking forward to announcing features and attractions very soon.On November 8, 2007, a G1000 equipped Cessna T182T collided with terrain in the vicinity of Mount Potosi (8,514 feet MSL) on a clear but dark night, 21 miles southwest of the departure airport, North Las Vegas Airport (KVGT), Nevada. The Cessna was flying on a VFR flight plan to L00 (Rosamond Skypark Airport in California), approximately 168 miles southwest of KVGT.

At the time of this now well publicized accident, the crew was in radio and radar contact with Las Vegas Departure Control and was instructed to stay clear of the Class B airspace. There are many lessons to be learned from this and other accidents that have involved glass displays.

Situational Awareness

While the weather was clear, the surrounding terrain had no lighted roads or structures that could have provided some ground reference. While legally, VFR is defined by visibility of three miles or greater; the flight in such conditions was in fact, flying in IMC given the lack of outside visual cues.

The G1000 can display topographic data on its MFD (multi-function display), but due to extensive thermal damage resulting from the crash, the NTSB was not able to determine if the pilots were seeing this information. Nevertheless, Garmins Pilot Guide states: CAUTION: Use of terrain proximity information for primary terrain avoidance is prohibited. It is the pilots responsibility to provide terrain avoidance at all times.

The NTSBs probable cause of this CFIT accident was not surprising: failure to maintain an adequate terrain clearance/altitude during climb to cruise. Contributing to the accident were rising mountainous terrain, the dark nighttime lighting condition, the pilots loss of situational awareness

Pilot Experience Factors

There were two highly experienced pilots on board. The left seat pilot held ATP with several type ratings and CFI certificates with over 25,000 hours. The right seat pilot also held ATP and CFI certificates and had amassed over 28,000 hours. It was not clear who was acting as the PIC. Both pilots were experienced with the G1000 and the Cessna T182T.

There might have been other factors such as having two highly experienced pilots with no clear authority of responsibility for flight safety. Or could the G1000 have played a role? This naturally leads to the question: do glass cockpits increase safety?

TAA vs. Glass Cockpits

Some pilots equate technically advanced aircraft (TAA) with glass cockpits. However, not all TAA have glass cockpits. A TAA (generation I) needs to have a moving map display, an IFR approved GPS and integrated autopilot. These aircraft could have round gauges. TAA generation II have glass cockpits such as the G1000. For simplicity, the term glass cockpit will be used here rather than TAA generation II.

Correlation vs. Causation

Before addressing the question of the impact of glass cockpits on safety, lets review the concepts of correlation and causation. This is not just applicable to aviation but also to other disciplines: medicine, economics, marketing research, law, etc.

Correlation simply means that there is a mathematical relationship between two variables or factors. Both factors move in the same direction or in opposite directions. The statistical measure of correlation is called Pearson Correlation Coefficient.

The first issue with correlation is spurious correlationmathematically it exists but just by chance.

The second issue is that we might have correlation between two variables but no cause and effect between the variables. However, there might be cause and effect if a third variable exists. For example, hypothetically, the tire pressure of an airplane is positively correlated to the number of seats, no cause and effect relationship. Both are related to aircraft gross weight. There are cause and effect relationships between number of seats and GW and tire pressure and GW.

Lets suppose we can be definitive that correlation exists; then the question becomes: is there a cause and effect relationship? Incidentally, one cannot have causation without correlation. And if causation does exist, what is the cause and what is the effect?

Causation is much harder to prove as it cannot be proven mathematically but through a profound understanding of the situation. All this preamble is to state up front that to have a definitive conclusion that glass cockpits are safer, we need to prove both correlation and causation. A difficult goal.

NTSB Study

The NTSB conducted a rather extensive study on the Introduction of Glass Cockpit Avionics in Light Aircraft and issued a lengthy 91-page report in 2010.

Obviously with the passing of time, the statistics may have changed, but given that this is only extensive available study, lets start here. The question is: Have glass cockpits improved safety?

The study used a three-prong approach. 1) Review of accident statistics comparing conventionally equipped airplanes to those with glass cockpits; 2) Current glass cockpit training to identify potential areas of improvement in training and; 3) Identification of emerging issues.

The overall conclusion based on the accident analysis is: The results of this study suggest that, for the aircraft and time period studied, the introduction of glass cockpit PFDs has not yet resulted in the anticipated improvement in safety when compared to similar aircraft with conventional instruments.

A key set of data seems to indicate that when a fatal accident occurs, glass cockpits have a higher incidence. The conclusion appears to contradict the dataglass cockpits have worsened safety levels. This can be in part explained that neither correlation nor causation have been proven.

Additionally, when compared to VMC and IMC, the glass cockpit equipped airplanes when flown in IMC, the incidence of fatal accidents is also higher.

Where do we go from here? The bottom line is that the study could not determine correlation and much less causation. This is not negative comment regarding the study but rather a common situation whenever we are trying to prove cause and effect especially when we have multiple factors involved. The best we can do is to state a broad conclusion that can tangentially be supported by the data: has not yet resulted in the anticipated improvement in safety. We can go into all the details of the study. We could also discuss weaknesses in the methodology that have been pointed out by aviation safety experts. But given the available data, no matter how artful we are in slicing and dicing the data, we probably will not come out with other conclusions that would withstand the sniff test.

The Reality

Based on my experience and what I have observed, my conclusion regarding glass cockpit safety is rather simplistic: an airplane is as safe as the pilot. However, the equipment might also enhance safety, but we cannot simply conclude that advanced avionics automatically result in more safety.

Some other points to consider. Glass cockpit airplanes are typically flown with the autopilot on. This allows the hands and mind to focus on other (hopefully) higher-level attentions. Perhaps they are flown more in IMC and for longer distances. We can also identify other potentially contributing factors that could contribute to a higher perceived risk.

While we may or may not agree with the NTSB conclusions, if you accept my simplistic explanation related to its the pilot not the technology that is at the crux of the matter, the six NTSB recommendations allude to training and additional information that pilots need.

Based on the study findings, the NTSB Press Office summarized the six recommendations in the table to the right (source NTSB press office).

I have gone a step further and summarized my thoughts in the table below on how to increase the safety and value of glass cockpits. As usual, I look forward to comments from fellow subscribers.

Additionally, I have been flying a C182T with the new G1000 NXi. It is a great piece of avionics but it still has many buttons, knobs of different sizes and shapes and soft keys.

Some G1000 NXi installations like in the Mooney Ovation Ultra also have a mechanical keyboard located below the throttle quadrant that requires substantial heads down.

In G1000 installations, I tend to look down more often because of the ergonomics of the controls. Im going out on a limb, I predict that the next generation of the G1000 will be touchscreen like the GTNs and the new G500/600 TXis. Touch screens require less heads down and more intuitive controls vs. scroll/twist/push knobs and assorted buttons in G1000s.

Luca Bencini-Tibo, ATP/CFII, is a FAASTeam Lead Rep, aircraft owner and is a graduate of MIT and Harvard Business School.

This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue ofIFR Refreshermagazine.

For more great content like this, subscribe toIFR Refresher!Amid an intense global race to develop artificial intelligence, Canada  home to some of the field's pioneers, and among the most aggressive nations in the contest  is running a boot camp for students this week to beef up its chances to share in the AI future.

What's going on: More than 250 students and researchers from 20 countries are in Toronto, where Canada is attempting to attract as much of the world's best AI talent it can by showcasing itself as a first-rate center for research.

Canada has set a goal of recruiting 25 world class AI researchers from outside the country to chair academic programs, according to Elissa Strome of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. The country is specifically looking to lead in the responsible use and social impact of AI:

"Being a moral leader is very important especially as democracy seems to be threatened on many fronts and AI could be used for good and bad," says Yoshua Bengio, a pioneer of deep and reinforcement learning and a professor at the Artificial Intelligence Institute in Montreal.

Bengio says he is also starting a professional AI master's degree program in Montreal that he hopes will make it easier to fill the enormous demand for talent faster.

starting a professional AI master's degree program in Montreal that he hopes will make it easier to fill the enormous demand for talent faster. This is all part of Canada's Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which includes three AI institutes, the AI summer school, and a number of other initiatives.

The scene: The attendees at the summer school  run for more than 10 consecutive years  are largely students and some industry and academic researchers, who come from computer science, neuroscience, quantum computing and medical fields.

They attend lectures on topics in deep and reinforcement learning, AI methods underlying advances in gameplaying and speech and image recognition.

"The diversity in the room is quite fascinating," Katya Kudashkina, a PhD candidate at the Vector Institute and the University of Guelph, tells Axios.

The big picture: There is high demand for AI experts as countries clamber for a top position in the global race. Training and retaining a highly skilled AI talent pool will be key to winning, according to a study by the Center for a New American Security.

Canada isn't a big spender on the global AI stage  the national strategy is a $125 million government investment over five years versus, say, the $885 million the U.S. Department of Defense is putting behind AI initiatives.

But researchers in Canada have been on the field's scientific edge  including Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton at the Vector Institute and Richard Sutton at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute.

Last year, Toronto added more tech jobs than the San Francisco Bay area, Seattle and Washington, D.C., combined, per Bloomberg.

The even bigger picture: Annual entry-level salaries in AI at large tech companies can top $300,000, according to the NYT.

"Hopefully as we train more people, salaries will become more normal," says Bengio. "[Right now] it makes it hard for small companies to compete with larger ones."

Summer schools and programs are cropping up to try to hook students who are underrepresented in the field right now, and address the demand for AI experts.

In May, Carnegie Mellon University announced an undergraduate AI program  the first at a U.S. university  beginning this fall.

What's next: Bengio says future summer schools and education in the field should include philosophers, lawyers, economists and social scientists, all of them discussing how AI should be used. And, he says, "government and funding agencies need to make sure scholars in social sciences and the humanities are involved and funded."The Chinese government's response to the Trump administration's new threat to hike a proposed tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports from 10% to 25%.

"U.S. pressure and blackmail won't have an effect. If the United States takes further escalatory steps, China will inevitably take countermeasures and we will resolutely protect our legitimate rights."

 Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang to reporters

The backdrop: China has responded the same way to every threat from the Trump administration, indicating that Beijing is not shying away from an escalating trade war. This latest threat comes as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese President Xi Jinping's economic adviser Liu He are reportedly restarting talks to reach a trade deal, per Bloomberg.

Go deeper: There's a growing threat of a full blown China trade warA new post at UPenn's Kleinman Center for Energy Policy breaks down the deal between the White House and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker that's aimed at bolstering U.S. liquefied natural gas exports to Europe.

Why it matters: In recent weeks, Trump has talked up the possibility of expanding gas shipments to Europe, but a number of analysts have cautioned that Europe is unlikely to absorb huge amounts of U.S. LNG.

The big picture: Anna Mikulska's analysis nicely explains the reasons why "neither person making the promises has much influence on fulfilling them," although there are ways to encourage it.

Companies, not the U.S. government, dictate the export destinations of U.S. cargoes.

The cost advantage of piped Russian gas and new Russian pipelines including Nord Stream 2.

"The EU cannot force its members to import U.S. LNG, but it can motivate or make it possible through investment in and financing of LNG infrastructure."

It's not even clear that building more LNG import facilities would bring U.S. shipments, thanks to closer LNG suppliers.

U.S. companies are doing lots of business with Asia, partly due to attractive prices the LNG fetches there.

Yes, but: The prospect of more U.S. exports still has important strategic and commercial implications for Europe and its dependence on Russian gas. Mikulska, who is also affiliated with Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, writes:

"Strategically placed ... new terminals could impact Russian pipeline gas deliveries  if not in volume, then at least in price  while dulling the geopolitical benefits Russia is deriving from its dominant supplier position."Facebook said Tuesday it has identified a coordinated campaign of disinformation, with some content linked to contentious social issues, as the midterm elections approach.

Why it matters: Online interference in the 2016 election by Russian operatives wasnt an isolated incident. Just three months ahead of mid-term elections, social networks and policymakers are trying to contain disinformation campaigns meant to divide and sway the American electorate, regardless of where it comes from.

The details: "About two weeks ago we identified the first of eight Pages and 17 profiles on Facebook, as well as seven Instagram accounts, that violate our ban on coordinated inauthentic behavior," said Nathaniel Gleicher, the company's head of cybersecurity policy, in a blog post. Those pages and accounts have been removed.

"In total, more than 290,000 accounts followed at least one of these Pages, the earliest of which was created in March 2017," Gleicher said. "The latest was created in May 2018."

The New York Times was the first to report that the company had identified the operation.

What they're saying: Gleicher said Facebook has not attributed the campaign to a specific actor like Russia's Internet Research Agency, which was behind the 2016 campaign.

There are some similarities to what they say before and after the 2016 elections, and Facebook found evidence of some connections between recent accounts and IRA accounts that were disabled last year.

But there are also differences: "For example, while IP addresses are easy to spoof, the IRA accounts we disabled last year sometimes used Russian IP addresses. We havent seen those here," Gleicher said.

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg told reporters that the company is still investigating: "This is an early stage for us to be sharing this information because we dont have perfect information."

The content included several related to divisive political issues.

One post released by Facebook was posted by a page called "Resisters" and featured an image of President Trump with the text: "If Trump wants to beat Barack Obama's Twitter record for most liked tweet he only needs to tweet 2 words 'I resign.'"

The same page also created an event for a counter-protest to the upcoming "Unite the Right rally in Washington. "Inauthentic admins of the 'Resisters' Page connected with admins from five legitimate Pages to co-host the event," said Gleicher.

Though the company released some sample posts from the pages, Facebook officials said on a call with reporters that it would not get into the broad details of the content  beyond what it had released publicly  but were working with researchers to evaluate it.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) blamed the campaign on Russia. "Todays disclosure is further evidence that the Kremlin continues to exploit platforms like Facebook to sow division and spread disinformation, and I am glad that Facebook is taking some steps to pinpoint and address this activity," he said in a statement.Facebook's discovery of a new political disinformation campaign  without publicly placing blame on a specific culprit  drew a line between what it can reasonably do to spot these operations and the government's role in determining their motives.

Why it matters: It ended up being a decent day for Facebook, which just dealt with a grueling week of negative press after its earnings face-plant. Facebook managed to avoid a fierce political battle over the disinformation campaign's motive while also getting credit for shutting it down.

How we got here: It's the federal intelligence community's responsibility to identify broad national security threats. Facebook and its social media peers, however, have taken much of the blame for allowing ads and propaganda placed by groups that they now realize had suspicious qualities  such as bot-like behaviors or using Russian currencies to pay for ads.

Yes, but: In a press call following its announcement, Facebook executives including Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, made it clear that assigning blame for the disinformation campaign falls to Washington. "We briefed law enforcement, and we briefed the intelligence committee, so that they can sort of make those sorts of assessments," said Nathaniel Gleicher, the company's head of cybersecurity policy.

Facebook's Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos laid out why:

"Companies like ours don't have the necessary information to evaluate the relationship between political motivations that we infer about an adversary and the political goals of a nation state. As a result, we don't think it's appropriate for Facebook to give public commentary about the public motivations of a nation state."

 Alex Stamos

Facebook shared information about the accounts and pages with the Atlantic Council, a think tank, which published an analysis Tuesday evening of the content they produced but not their origins.

The other coast: Facebook would have walked into a political trap by assigning attribution to the root of the disinformation operation. Democratic lawmakers, joined by some Republicans, immediately said Russia was at fault, after Trump and his supporters have tried to cast doubt on the idea the Russians meddled in the 2016 election. (The intelligence community has found they did.)

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner immediately blamed the "Kremlin" for the campaign.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said that Facebook's announcement confirms intelligence agencies' findings "that Russia is actively utilizing social media in a coordinated effort to sow discord among the American people and undermine our democracy."

President Trump's allies, meanwhile, were quick to paint the campaign as an effort to take him down.

Because some of the ads released as a part of the announcement seemed to be left-leaning, conservative social media personality Mike Cernovich immediately tweeted, "Those pages were all far left wing Mother Jones fans. Yall are the ones being propped up by Russia."

The conservative Daily Caller wrote an article saying, "Facebook Says It Has Identified A Political Influence Campaign Aimed At Creating Left-Wing Resistance."

The big picture: This was the first announcement from any social platform about signs of a new coordinated disinformation campaign ahead of the 2018 elections. It was mostly well-received.

"We got a heads up they were going to take this action  we commend their leaning forward on this," said Christopher Krebs, undersecretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security, speaking to reporters at a security summit in New York Tuesday.

Krebs declined to attribute the campaign to specific actors, deferring to intelligence agencies. "What we work with social media companies on is broader trend analysis, not specific content," he added.

I am glad to see that Facebook is taking a much-needed step toward limiting the use of their platform by foreign influence campaigns," said Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr.

Our thought bubble: If Facebook says its platform is being abused, it wouldn't be surprising if other platforms are being manipulated or facing threats, too.

Releasing information about its findings quickly also allowed Facebook to get out ahead of its competitors who were also entangled in the campaigns aimed at influencing the 2016 election.

Facebook, which has gotten the brunt of the heat for how Russian actors used its platform, now has the benefit of being seen as forthcoming and transparent  even without giving a full picture of who's behind the campaign it discovered.

Twitter declined to comment and Google didn't respond to requests for comment when asked if they had found similar suspicious activity on their platforms.

Go deeper:Google plans to build a censored search engine for the Chinese market, reports the Intercept, citing leaked documents with records of the plans.

Reality check: Even if Google is building a such a tool, it doesn't mean it's getting into China anytime soon. U.S. tech giants are willing to spend time and money to crack China's massive market, but winning government approval is difficult. Facebook was reportedly also working on a censorship tool in 2016, but the company hasn't been able to move into China since them.

The details, per the Intercept:

The search engine would "blacklist websites and search terms about human rights, democracy, religion, and peaceful protest."

The project is code-named "Dragonfly" and has been in the works since the spring of 2017, but progress accelerated after a December 2017 meeting between Google CEO Sundar Pichai and a top Chinese official.

Google developers have reportedly built an Android app with the censorship tool. It has been shown to the Chinese government, and "the finalized version could be launched in the next six to nine months, pending approval from Chinese officials."

A spokesperson for Google reached by Axios declined to comment on future plans in China.

The backdrop: Google's search engine has been banned in China for nearly a decade. The company shut down search engine operations in 2010 because of Chinese censorship laws.

Go deeper:Senior Israeli officials have promised Trump administration officials the controversial "Jewish Nation State" law passed two weeks ago by the Israeli Knesset will not lead to discrimination against any minority groups based on race, religion or gender, a source with direct knowledge tells me.

Why it matters: Senior U.S. officials asked senior officials in the Israeli Prime Minister's office for clarification over the law, which is mostly symbolic but highly offensive to Israel's Arab citizens, who see it as another step by the government to prevent them from being treated equally. In the medium and long-term, it could be used as a legal basis for discrimination against non-Jewish citizens in Israel.

The Israeli Prime Minister's office confirmed the issue was raised during a meeting between Netanyahu's chief of staff, Yoav Horowitz, and U.S. ambassador David Friedman. Netanyahu's office added that the issue was discussed as part of an update on domestic issues and there was no criticism or request for clarification from the U.S. side.

One of the clauses in the law which raised questions among U.S. officials had to do with "Jewish settlement". According to this clause, "The state views the development of Jewish settlement as a national value and will act to encourage and promote its establishment and consolidation." The Trump administration was unsure what the practical meaning of this clause might be, and whether it would lead to discrimination against minority groups.

which raised questions among U.S. officials had to do with "Jewish settlement". According to this clause, "The state views the development of Jewish settlement as a national value and will act to encourage and promote its establishment and consolidation." The Trump administration was unsure what the practical meaning of this clause might be, and whether it would lead to discrimination against minority groups. At this stage, the U.S. accepts the clarifications from Netanyahu's office. Nevertheless the U.S. is following the protests in Israel against the bill, and criticism about it in the Jewish community in America. One of the critics of the law was Alan Dershowitz, who is perceived as being close to President Trump. Dershowitz spoke publicly against the law in an interview to I24 news channel and said it gives ammunition to Israel's enemies.

The Trump administration discussed the law with Israel in private without issuing any public statement. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert dodged questions about the law last week.

"We hesitate to respond - or to answer questions about other country's legislation, much like we don't comment on pending legislation. We are certainly aware of that new law. I'd have to refer you to the Government of Israel for the specifics of that law and their position on that. But I can tell as a general matter, and as it pertains to this, that we believe in equality of all persons before the law."

 Nauert

Since the law passed there has been widespread protest against it among the Druze minority in Israel, which serves in the Israeli Defense Forces, unlike most other elements of the Arab community in Israel.The Department of Justice is investigating claims from a lawsuit that five big drug and medical device companies operating in Iraq provided free medicine and supplies to the government while knowing they "would be used to underwrite terrorist attacks on American troops." the New York Times reports.

The details: The lawsuit  filed on behalf of American troops who sustained injuries or were killed between 2005 and 2009  targets Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Roche Holding A.G., the Times reports. It alleges the free goods provided by the companies to the Iraqi Ministry of Health were sold "on Iraq's black market to fund" attacks on U.S. forces. The plaintiffs have also alleged the defendants made cash payments through their use of local scientific bureaus.Lawmakers acknowledged Wednesday they are still trying to figure out what to do about foreign governments using online disinformation campaigns to disrupt the American electorate less than 100 days before the midterm elections.

Why it matters: A Senate Intelligence Committee hearing into foreign influence campaigns came one day after Facebook announced it had identified efforts aimed at dividing Americans ahead of the midterms. "The takeaway here has to be that this is an enormous, if not impossible, thing, said Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) during the hearing.

The big picture: It's not just Russia. The Oxford Internet Institute reported in July that there are 48 countries with "formally organized social media manipulation campaigns." That's 20 more than there were last year, according to OII.

Since 2010, over $500 million has been spent by governments and political arms on disinformation efforts through social media. Some of this is attributed to counter extremism, but most of it comes from spreading misinformation.

Five countries  Russia, China, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States  have "high cyber troop capacity," which are working around the clock to "[shape] the information space."

What theyre saying:

Lawmakers of both parties agreed that online influence campaigns are an urgent problem. "They were doing it in 2016, said Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner of Russian operatives. "They are still doing it today.

agreed that online influence campaigns are an urgent problem. "They were doing it in 2016, said Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner of Russian operatives. "They are still doing it today. "The time is running out , frankly, and I think we have to move legislatively to set in motion a framework of disclosure," said Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI).

, frankly, and I think we have to move legislatively to set in motion a framework of disclosure," said Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI). "Im optimistic that we're started on that pathway to a solution," said committee Chairman Richard Burr (NC).

Yes, but: Lawmakers haven't reached a consensus on how to tackle this issue.

They floated a wide range of possible solutions to the issue of disinformation online, including more transparency into bot accounts, boosting media literacy and updating the way the American military and intelligence communities approach information warfare.

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) said that solutions are available and "we just need to make it a priority."

Some lawmakers are wary of overstepping. Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), a member of Republican leadership, said that they should "demonstrate a little of humility when we begin to approach this from a public policy perspective."

Some lawmakers continued to ask basic question about the scope and tactics behind Russian election interference and spent part of their time looking back at the 2016 election, despite having heard testimony earlier this year on both. "The Russian government came into the house of the American family and manipulated us, said Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.).

What's next: The committee will host social media executives in a hearing next month.Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is set to begin his trial today in Alexandria, Va., where he faces charges of tax and bank fraud related to the laundering of $30 million worth of income.

Why it matters: This is the first trial of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the Trump campaign and its possible ties to Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mueller's team is not expected to make any reference to the words "Russians" or "collusion," per ABC News, but will instead focus on Manafort's alleged financial crimes, including those related to his political work as a lobbyist in Ukraine.

The details:

In his indictment, Mueller alleges that Manafort acted as an unregistered agent of a foreign government from at least 2006 to 2015 while representing the pro-Putin government of Ukraine.

Mueller alleges that Manafort acted as an unregistered agent of a foreign government from at least 2006 to 2015 while representing the pro-Putin government of Ukraine. Manafort and his associate Rick Gates, who reached a plea bargain with Mueller in February, allegedly engaged in a scheme to hide tens of millions of dollars in income through offshore accounts in order to avoid paying taxes.

who reached a plea bargain with Mueller in February, allegedly engaged in a scheme to hide tens of millions of dollars in income through offshore accounts in order to avoid paying taxes. When the money from Ukraine dried up, Manafort defrauded several U.S. banks in order to secure loans of more than $20 million and continue living "a lavish lifestyle" in the U.S, where he spent money on things like custom-made suits, Range Rovers, and Persian rugs.

dried up, Manafort defrauded several U.S. banks in order to secure loans of more than $20 million and continue living "a lavish lifestyle" in the U.S, where he spent money on things like custom-made suits, Range Rovers, and Persian rugs. Mueller's prosecutors plan to call 35 witnesses over the course of the three-week trial, many of whom will reportedly attest to Manafort's luxury spending habits, per NPR.

What they're saying: Manafort's team has argued, among other things, that an investigation into his possible financial crimes exceeds the scope of Mueller's authority as special counsel. The judge overseeing the trial ultimately decided that Mueller was within scope because he had "followed the money paid by pro-Russian officials, but had this to say to prosecutors, per the NYTimes:

"You dont really care about Mr. Manaforts bank fraud. You really care about what information Mr. Manafort can give you that would reflect on Mr. Trump or lead to his prosecution or impeachment or whatever.

 Judge T.S. Ellis III

The big picture: Manafort is 69 and faces the very real possibility of life in prison if he's convicted, and yet he has refused to plead guilty or cooperate with the special counsel. In June, President Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani did not rule out the possibility of issuing a pardon for Manafort once the investigation was over. Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, recently told Vox that Manafort basically only has two real options at this point: prison or pardon.

"The man is facing charges in two different jurisdictions, a variety of federal charges carrying very substantial penalties, but for whatever reason, he has decided not to plead guilty, not to flip. My speculation would be thats because hes hoping for a pardon or expecting a pardon, and if youre expecting a pardon at the end, theres no real downside in going to trial, as long as you feel confident youll get a pardon eventually."Three Russian journalists investigating a private military contractor called Wagner Group were ambushed and killed in the Central African Republic, reports BBC News.

The big picture: Those responsible for the ambush have not been identified. Wagner Group is a Russian paramilitary organization with contractors involved in conflicts all over the world, including the Syrian Civil War. Believed to have ties to the Russian oligarch known as "Putin's Chef," Wagner's mercenaries were involved in a February attack on U.S. troops in Syria that was the deadliest U.S.-Russia clash since the Cold War, according to WashPost.Earlier this week, the Trump administration outlined its initiative to counter China's growing economic influence in the Indo-Pacific, announcing a plan to provide $113.5 million in seed funding and push the U.S. private sector to invest in the region. Already, it's clear that the plan is insufficient to match the scale of Chinese investment in the region.

The big picture: Another key challenge for the Trump administration will be how to reconcile its Indo-Pacific strategy with its approach to foreign adversaries. India is central to this challenge, with its close historical ties to both Russia and Iran. As the U.S. pursues punitive measures against those countries, it also risks undermining significant progress in the U.S.India relationship made over the last 15 years.

The background: Under Prime Minister Modi, India has expanded its leadership in the Indo-Pacific and strengthened its trade, military and diplomatic relationships with the U.S. Yet even as successive governments have grown closer to Washington, significant friction remains when it comes to Iran and Russia.

The U.S. has tried to for years to secure Indian support in stopping Iran's nuclear program, but Iran provides India with strategic access to Afghanistan and alternative trade and transportation routes necessitated by its fraught relationship with Pakistan. These tensions eased under President Obamas nuclear deal, which allowed India to increase its oil trade with Iran, but Trump's more aggressive approach has kicked off another debate in India about the perils of getting too close to an erratic U.S.

India also enjoys a defense relationship with Russia that dates back to the Cold War, so Russian sanctions imposed last year through the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) could be similarly alienating, threatening the U.S.India defense relationship if the Trump administration were to fully implement them.

What to watch: Congress is moving through the National Defense Authorization Act to grant the Trump administration the ability to factor such strategic considerations into its implementation of CAATSA. If the administration is serious about its Indo-Pacific strategy, it will need to take care not to undermine New Delhi even as it attempts to isolate the Iranian and Russian economies.

Jamie Fly is senior fellow and director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the U.S.Have you ever ordered your morning cup of coffee delivered to your office? I asked 28 colleagues  all based in the U.S. Just two said "yes," and two others that said they might. Twenty-four basically told me to get lost.

Not so in China, where a delivered cup of steaming-hot coffee, brought by motorbike, is the new new thing.

The big picture: Tea is still king in Chinese offices. For those who have switched, coffee is an inconvenient luxury  few offices have brewing machines, and it can take ages to walk to a cafe on the packed streets.

But the other thing about China is a mania for on-demand delivery  Chinese want what they want, and they want it now.

Hence the opening for delivered coffee, including a reported new venture between Starbucks and Alibaba.

The latest: The partnership between Starbucks and Ele.me, Alibaba's food delivery arm, is to be announced Thursday, report the WSJ's Xiao Xiao and Liza Lin. "Alibaba and Starbucks are always exploring new ways to deepen our long-term partnership in China," an Alibaba spokesman said. Starbucks didn't respond to an email.

The backdrop:

Starbucks has had incredible success in China, capturing 80% of the coffee market in 2017, per Euromonitor International.

in China, capturing 80% of the coffee market in 2017, per Euromonitor International. But there's a new competitor . Luckin Coffee, a Beijing startup that launched in October, has already opened 660 Chinese stores.

. Luckin Coffee, a Beijing startup that launched in October, has already opened 660 Chinese stores. Luckin's strategy? Super-fast coffee delivery via scooters  and if your coffee is more than 30 minutes late, it's free.

The bottom line: "Chinese culture is less relaxed that American culture," says Hans Tung, managing partner at GGV Capital, a VC firm that works in China. So even the mid-morning coffee run is an indulgence. "People say, 'Why should I go out there? I just want my coffee now.'"President Trump called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to put a stop to the Mueller investigation in a tweet Wednesday morning.

'This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

Between the lines, from Axios' Jonathan Swan: This isn't a directive to Sessions, based on my last conversation with Rudy Giuliani. If Trump wanted to end the Mueller investigation, he could. He knows Congress would rise up against him.

More likely, this is just part of the broader effort to beat up on Mueller, trying to smear him and erode his credibility and use Trumps superpowers over his base to move them against the probe.

Why it matters: Trump has repeatedly pressured Sessions to end the investigation on at least four occasions, Swan reported in May. The NYTimes reported last week that Mueller is scrutinizing the president's tweets as part of a wide-ranging obstruction of justice inquiry.Four Armenian army officers are participating in U.S.-led military exercises in Georgia that began on Wednesday.

The two-week exercises called Noble Partner 2018 are taking place at the Vaziani military base near Tbilisi. They involve 3,000 soldiers from Georgia, the United States and a dozen other nations, including Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The Georgian Defense Ministry said in June that the annual exercises are meant to increase interoperability between the armed forces of participating countries and contribute to security of the Black Sea region.

Confirming Armenias participation in the drills on Monday, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry in Yerevan, Artsrun Hovannisian, stressed that they are not organized by NATO and that the Armenian officers will take part in them at Georgias invitation.

In the same exercise held in [August] 2017 the Armenian Armed Forces participated with a field hospital having 40-strong personnel, said Hovannisian.

The Armenian military dropped out of other U.S.-led wargames which were hosted by Georgia in September 2017. Armenian officials denied at the time any pressure from Russia, Armenia main military ally.

Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin criticized in July 2017 exercises frequently organized by NATO and the U.S. in Georgia, saying that they undermine regional security.By Rashid Shirinov

Two big news stunned Armenia last weekend  the countrys judicial power issued a decision to arrest the former president Robert Kocharyan and Yuri Khachaturov, the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

Kocharyan was charged with overthrowing the constitutional system in preliminary collusion with other persons. He had previously been summoned as a witness to the Special Investigation Service of Armenia for questioning in the case concerning the bloody events in Yerevan streets on March 1, 2008, when 10 people were killed in mass protests after the presidential election of that year. Khachaturov, who at that time was the head of Yerevan garrison, was also called for questioning as a witness in the case, and then was accused of the same charge. Although the CSTO secretary general was arrested, he was later released on bail of $10,400.

Meanwhile, the actions of the investigative bodies of Armenia raise doubts and suspicions among Armenian experts. Many of them believe that the new authorities attitude towards Kocharyan is a vendetta and a political order.

This case was facilitated by political circumstances. This phenomenon is called selective justice  selective application of the law, Armenian political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan told Armenian media commenting on the issue.

He added that the new power follows the legalistic way  people are persecuted by law,  but these people are political players, important ones in the political sense. It should be assumed that the motivation here is largely political, Iskandaryan said.

It is noteworthy that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who ordered to investigate the events of March 1, is concerned for his rule in the first place, and only then for justice. If this were not the case, he would not release the members of the Sasna Tsrer extremist group, which committed an armed attack and killed three police officers in Yerevan. Having made a deal with Sasna Tsrer, Pashinyan secured his power from the threat posed by the group.

Kocharyan is also a potential threat for Pashinyans rule in the country. Obviously, the prime minister wants to solve this problem immediately, without waiting for the parliamentary election, when he may completely lose his high reputation in the Armenian society.

It is also noteworthy that ten years ago, the Republican Party of Armenia in the person of Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan brutally cracked down the opposition in the person of Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Pashinyan. Thus, the current prime minister of Armenia had to wait ten long years and even to spend some time in prison before he eventually came to power.

At the same time, one may wonder why Kocharyans companion, former president Sargsyan was not yet summoned to the Special Investigation Service. Obviously, that is because he stepped down peacefully  thus he received a guarantee of his security from Pashinyan.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan calls on all OSCE member states to strongly and unequivocally demand that Armenia comply with all its obligations under the Helsinki Final Act, put an end to the use of force against Azerbaijan and withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev said in a statement on August 1.

He made the remarks in connection with the 43rd anniversary of the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act.

The Helsinki Final Act was adopted on August 1, 1975, at the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). The Helsinki Final Act established ten fundamental principles governing, in particular, the conduct of states towards each other and serving for the maintenance of peace and security in Europe, Hajiyev noted.

He said that in January 1992, Azerbaijan joined the CSCE, and since then, the country remains fully committed to its obligations under the Helsinki Final Act.

The spokesman also mentioned that the Helsinki Final Act prohibits the acquisition of territory by force.

According to the document, the principle of non-use of force is directly related to the inadmissibility of changing the borders of states by violent means. To this end, in order to emphasize the rule of territorial integrity, the Helsinki Final Act expanded article 2(4) of the UN Charter and codified territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and non-use of force as separate principles, Hajiyev said, noting that ultimately, in the Helsinki Final Act, they are defined as consistent principles arising from the fundamental norms of territorial integrity.

The spokesman stressed that Armenia, as an OSCE member state, grossly violating its obligations under the Helsinki Final Act, through the use of force occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven other adjacent regions of Azerbaijan.

Armenia carried out the infamous ethnic cleansing against the Azerbaijani civilian population in the occupied lands. The illegal presence of the Armenian armed forces in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is Armenias continuation of the policy of use of force and threat of force against Azerbaijan, Hajiyev mentioned.

He added that in order to somehow disguise its illegal actions, including the use of force and threat of force against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, the attempts to annex Azerbaijans occupied territories and the forced expulsion of the civilian Azerbaijani population from their native lands, Armenia strongly distorts the principles of equal rights and self-determination of peoples enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act.

The spokesman noted that as established in the relevant OSCE document of 1995, the Helsinki Final Act, along with the UN Security Council resolutions, form the basis of the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

Azerbaijan, in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, will ensure its territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders, Hajiyev added.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Sara Israfilbayova

The State Committee on Property Issues of Azerbaijan will hold next auction on privatization of state property on August 7, where 44 state objects will be put up for sale.

The auction will offer 17 joint-stock companies, 12 small state enterprises and 15 non-residential areas.

The State Committee on Property Issues has held 114 auctions since the beginning of the year, during which 350 state properties were privatized.

The portal for privatization  privatization.az, launched in July 2016, reflects all necessary information about the facilities, their addresses, location, and even initial cost and aims at facilitation of the process. The website is available in two languages - Azerbaijani and English. Why Azerbaijan is special section available on the website explains the reasons and advantages of investing in the country.

The privatization process is designed to attract both foreign and local investors, as well as develop the business environment of Azerbaijan.

Moreover, the State Committee on Property Issues held the first electronic auction on July 4.

The electronic auction service, which is available on the website privatization.az, combines the privatization procedure of vehicles and equipment. In the future, it will be possible to privatize small state enterprises and facilities, joint-stock companies through electronic auction. Now, the corresponding work in programming is being implemented.

---

Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Azerbaijan would like to believe that Robert Kocharyan and Yuri Khachaturov will answer for the crimes they have committed against the Azerbaijanis, MP Aydin Mirzazade told Trend July 31.

"Everybody in Azerbaijan knows Robert Kocharyan and Yuri Khachaturov, he said. Kocharyan was the president of Armenia for 10 years, while Khachaturov was the head of the General Staff of the Armenian armed forces for 10 years.

But we know them not for their positions they held once, but for a special role in the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, the expulsion of our compatriots from their native lands and murdering them, the Khojaly genocide, Mirzazade said. Unfortunately, they have not yet been punished for these crimes, but I would like to believe they will answer for them."

He stressed that Kocharyan has already been arrested, while Khachaturov is expected to be arrested.

"They are accused of forcibly overthrowing the constitutional order in Armenia in 2008," Mirzazade said. Nothing is mentioned about the crimes committed in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, but the issue related to Kocharyan and Khachaturov shows that those who have committed crimes against other people will never be able to bring happiness to their own people."

"A criminal always remains a criminal," he said. "History once again proved that those who committed crimes against humanity do not go unpunished."

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Rashid Shirinov

Italy will make every effort for a peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Italian President Sergio Mattarella said on July 31.

He made the remarks at a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Mattarella noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot have a military solution and the settlement must be only political.

He stressed that Italy will continue a balanced policy on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including during its OSCE chairmanship, and will make every effort to achieve an exclusively peaceful settlement within its co-chairmanship in the OSCE Minsk Group.

It it noteworthy that the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, through the work of the OSCE Minsk Group and the efforts of its three co-chairs, was included into priorities list of the Italian OSCE chairmanship this year.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with signing a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

Meanwhile, the OSCE Minsk Group, created in 1990s to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, is still working on the issue. It is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation, and the United States. It is also noteworthy that Italy, chairing the OSCE this year, is one of the permanent members of the Minsk Group.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated President of the Republic of Benin Patrice Talon.

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I sincerely congratulate you and your people on the national holiday of the Republic of Benin, Independence Day, said President Aliyev.

On this remarkable day, I wish you good health, success, and your friendly nation peace and progress.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

A ceremony has been held in Lokbatan settlement, Garadagh district, Baku, to give out apartments and cars to veterans of the Karabakh and Great wars, the Chernobyl disabled and families of martyrs.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the ceremony.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree improving the mechanism of state support for the development of entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan.

According to the decree, the National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support has been liquidated to improve the mechanism of support for the development of entrepreneurship, create new industrial, processing and infrastructure enterprises in the non-oil sector, based on innovative technologies, finance export operations, accelerate the process of investment in the real sector, and expand opportunities for access to financial resources for economic entities operating in the private sector.

Also, the public legal entity Entrepreneurship Development Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been established under the Ministry of Economy.

The Charter and the Procedure for Using the Fund's Resources are also approved.

A supervisory board consisting of nine people is established for general management and control over the work of the Fund.

The Ministry of Economy appoints five members of the supervisory board. One member is appointed by the Ministry of Finance, one member by the Ministry of Taxes, one member by the Ministry of Labor and the Social Protection of Population, and one member by the Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FIMSA).

The chairman of the supervisory board shall be appointed and dismissed by the minister of economy.

The minister of economy appoints and dismisses members of the board, as well as terminates their powers.

The authorized fund of the Entrepreneurship Development Fund is 1,094,254,581 manats and is formed from the property allocated to it as well as the funds allocated from the state budget.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Sara Israfilbayova

Indonesias state-owned energy company, Pertamina, has approached Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Japans JX Nippon for possible partnership to upgrade the countrys Balikpapan oil refinery.

Pertamina Megaproject Director Heru Setiawan told reporters at an industry conference that they are inviting JX Nippon to see if they are interested or not.

Wed have a majority (holding) of 51 percent at least, he added referring to the refinery upgrade project in East Kalimantan province, Reuters reported.

Pertamina had earlier a partnership with JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp for the Balikpapan upgrade, but cancelled the partnership in January 2016 amid cost concerns and a longer-than-expected project timeline.

Earlier, Eko Rukmono, Vice-President of Exploration and Evaluation of Upstream Directorate at Pertamina told Trend that the company has invited SOCAR to take part in explorations in the Asian country.

The two companies could successfully cooperate in the exploration of oil and gas in Indonesia, according to Rukmono.

Indonesia enjoys huge hydrocarbons reserve. The countrys estimated oil reserve is over 60 billion barrels, while gas reserves are estimated at the level of 30 trillion cubic meters of gas. Indonesia has 48 oil and gas basins, where geological exploration is needed. SOCAR may be useful for Pertamina, and we invite the Azerbaijani company to take part in the exploration in Indonesia, Rukmono said.

PT Pertamina (Persero) or Pertamina is an Indonesian state-owned oil and natural gas corporation based in Jakarta.

It was created in August 1968 by the merger of Pertamin and Permina. The firm is currently (2013) the second-largest crude oil producer in Indonesia behind the US-based Chevron Pacific Indonesia.

SOCAR is a wholly state-owned national oil company headquartered in Baku, Azerbaijan. The company produces oil and natural gas from onshore and offshore fields in the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea.

The company includes three production associations, one oil refining and gas processing enterprise, an oil flotilla, a deep-water base plant, two trusts, one institute, and 23 structures.

SOCAR established joint companies (including Georgia and Turkey) alliances, operating in various sectors of oil and gas spheres. It has representative offices in Georgia, the U.S., Turkey, Romania, Austria, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, Iran, Germany, Ukraine, Belgium and Canada.

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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Sara Israfilbayova

World oil prices decline on August 1, investors negatively apprehended data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) about the unexpected increase in oil reserves in the U.S. over the past week.

Brent crude oil futures were at $74.03 per barrel, down 0.24 percent, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 0.51percent, at $68.41 a barrel, according to RIA Novosti.

The API reported that for the week of July 28 commercial oil reserves in the U.S. climbed 5.6 million barrels, or 1.4 percent, to 410.5 million barrels. At the same time, gasoline reserves fell by 791,000 barrels, distillates - increased by 2.9 million barrels. Stocks of raw materials at the countrys largest terminal in Cushing declined over the period by 930,000 barrels, according to the API.

Analysts believe that stocks fell by 2.8 million barrels, or by 0.7 percent, to 402.1 million barrels.

Signs that the supply of oil through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea may resume also affected prices.

Yemeni group Houthi stated that it is ready to unilaterally stop attacks in the Red Sea in support of peaceful efforts.

Saudi Arabia suspended oil supplies across the strait last week after Houthis attacked two Saudi oil tankers.

OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached an agreement in December 2016 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1.

Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 barrels per day starting from January 1, 2017.

OPEC and its partners decided to extend its production cuts till the end of 2018 in Vienna on November 30, as the oil cartel and its allies step up their attempt to end a three-year supply glut that has savaged crude prices and the global energy industry.

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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Single Accumulative Pension Fund of Kazakhstan JSC has resigned as a shareholder of SAT & Company JSC, a message posted on the website of the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) says.

The composition of the shareholders of SAT & Company JSC was changed on July 13, the message says.

The shareholders of SAT & Company JSC were Kenes Rakishev with a share of 77.72 percent and Single Accumulative Pension Fund of Kazakhstan JSC with a share of 17.3 percent.

SAT & Company JSC is Kazakhstans industrial holding, which represents more than 30 companies operating in such areas as ferroalloys, chromium, nickel and other projects in various regions both in Kazakhstan and abroad.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Kamila Aliyeva

The Tajik air carrier, Somon Air, has resumed flights en route Dushanbe-Tashkent-Dushanbe on July 28, Tajik media outlets reported.

The flight time is 45 minutes, according to the airline. Flights on the route will be carried out on the fifth days of the week. From the Uzbek side, Uzbekistan Airlines performs the flight on this route.

The company's statement says that this was done to develop and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the field of air transportation.

In August, Somon Air plans to start flights on the Dushanbe-Bukhara-Dushanbe route.

In 2018, Central Asian nations of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan resumed air connection between the two capital cities after 25 years of halt.

The first technical flight from Dushanbe to Tashkent was performed on February 10. It delivered a delegation of Tajik aviation authorities, journalists and 14 passengers to the capital of Uzbekistan.

The official opening of regular flights was to be held on February 20, but the Tashkent airport refused to accept the Tajik aircraft. Uzbekistan explained its position by the fact that the Tajik carrier did not provide the necessary documentation in time for the scheduled flight on February 20.

Meanwhile, visa regime currently operates between the two Central Asian countries. Flights between the two countries were terminated in the autumn of 1992, and in 2000, Uzbekistan introduced a visa regime for travel to Tajikistan.

The air traffic was interrupted with the beginning of civil war in Tajikistan, there were virtually no commercial, economic and political ties. The relations began to restore in 2016.

In autumn 2016, a protocol on cooperation was signed between the civil aviation authorities of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the air transport sector. Under the signed Protocol, the Dushanbe Tashkent  Dushanbe flight is operated by Somon Air and Uzbekistan Airways.

Somon Air is the national carrier in Tajikistan with an office headquartered in Dushanbe. The airline operations are based at Dushanbe International Airport. The airline started operating on February 5, 2008 with regular flights to Moscow.

Today, Somon Air successfully carries out flights from Tajikistan to Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China, Russia and Kazakhstan. The fleet park of the airline includes aircrafts Boeing 737-300, -800 and -900.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Kamila Aliyeva

The prices for cars of GM Uzbekistan are not changed, the press service of Uzavtosanoat reported on August 1.

The company noted that it, in cooperation with relevant organizations and experts, is comprehensively studying the issues of prices for cars produced by GM Uzbekistan, taking into account the positive and negative aspects of this issue.

Uzavtosanoat JSC noted that information on prices for cars and the price list, widespread in social networks, is unreliable.

Chairman of the Board of Uzavtosanoat Shavkat Umurzakov said on July 30, 2018 that GM Uzbekistan will increase the prices for cars by an average of 14 percent from August 1, 2018.

He went on to say that the production capacity of the Asaka plant is 290,000 cars per year, but only 160,000 cars is being produced.

Due to the fact that the plant only operates at 50 percent of its capacity, the cost of machinery becomes high. This affects the buyers' pocket and negatively affects the export potential of the enterprise, he said.

GM Uzbekistan, formerly known as UzDaewooAuto, was created in 1996 on a parity basis by Uzbekistan and South Korean Daewoo Motors.

In 2005, Uzbekistan acquired Daewoo's shares in UzDaewooAuto. Two years later Uzavtoprom (Uzbek Association of Automotive Industry Enterprises) and the U.S.-based General Motors signed an agreement to establish the GM Uzbekistan with an authorized capital of $266.7 million.

GM had previously held a 25 percent stake in the joint venture. Previously, it became known that Uzavtosanoat bought the 15 percent of shares.

Currently, 10 Chevrolet and Ravon car models are being produced at three production sites of the company.

The production of cars by General Motors Uzbekistan Ltd decreased by 7.4 percent in 2017 and amounted to more than 82,000, whereas in 2016, the production decreased by 52.5 percent, and in 2015  by 24.5 percent.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Kamila Aliyeva

A forum of business circles of Uzbekistan and Japan was held in Tashkent on July 31, UzA reported.

The event was attended by heads of ministries and departments, companies and concerns of the two countries responsible for such areas as foreign economic relations, trade, investment, oil and gas, energy, tourism, automotive, construction, geology, chemistry, light industry, textiles, production of electronic products, pharmaceuticals, information technology and telecommunications, small business and private entrepreneurship, healthcare.

More than 50 companies and private entrepreneurs from Japan, including heads of such large companies as Marubeni Corporation, Shimizu Corporation, Japan Tobacco, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Sakai Heavy Industries participated in the event.

The work of the Uzbek-Japanese forum was opened by Manabu Shimoyashiro, Director General of the JETRO Representative Office (Japan Foreign Trade Organization) in Uzbekistan.

It is noted that since 2000, JETRO has been actively working on the territory of the republic in order to expand cooperation and exchange of advanced technologies between the leading enterprises of Japan and Uzbekistan, facilitates attraction of direct investments of Japanese companies to the economy of the country, organizes measures to improve the skills of specialists.

During the forum, Japanese entrepreneurs got acquainted with the economic potential of Uzbekistan, opportunities for cooperation in the spheres of oil, gas, chemical industry, electrical engineering, information and communication technologies.

The sides exchanged views on the prospective directions of investing in the country, the implementation of joint projects in free economic and small industrial zones, customs and tax incentives.

An agreement on arranging business visits, holding joint events to expand cooperation in various fields, and links between business representatives of the two countries was reached following the negotiations.

Currently, there are 10 enterprises with participation of Japanese investments in the territory of Uzbekistan, including one with 100 Japanese capital. Representatives of 15 companies and companies of Japan are accredited. The main areas of their activities are oil and gas, petrochemical and chemical industries, the production of power equipment, machine-building and engineering products, the provision of transport and logistics services, trade operations, tourism and others.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Arzu Abdullayeva

Guba, one of the most beautiful and landscape region of Azerbaijan, is located in 168 kilometers from Baku. Well-known for its carpets, mesmerizing scenery, ancient history, and delicious cuisine, especially sweets, the city is very popular among tourists. Beautiful architectural and historical monuments can be found in this mesmerizing city.

Guba hamam is a unique place to visit. Celebrated French author, Alexandre Dumas, himself visited the old hamam when he was traveling through the region. The hamam is no longer in use but it offers an interesting stop on any tour.

The city is well-known for cultivating the most delicious apples in Azerbaijan and is often called the "apple orchard" for 40 different varieties of apples that grow only here. In the autumn, the best varieties of apples are carefully collected in boxes and sent not only to the domestic market, but also exported to the nearest countries. Azerbaijani farmers collect more than 100,000 tons of apples annually.

Apples became symbol of the city, it is dedicated to the sculpture at the entrance to the city, and an annual festival is also hold in honour of it, which attracts both local and foreign tourists. At the festival, miscellaneous varieties of apples are presented, fruits can be tasted and bought. The apples are taken home with baskets. Farmers are even ready to give their products to guests. Despite the fact that the area receives tourists all year round, most visitors come just in the harvest season of apples.

Guba carpets of intricate designs are also worth for a trip. All are notable for their vivid colors. When it comes to patterns, nature and geometric patterns are essential feature of these carpets. As the carpets represent any citys or countrys ancient cultural life, in order to draw attention back to the art of carpet weaving, carpet workshops are being held in the city.

There are a number of mosques in the city. Juma Mosque, for instance, is one of the ancient ones in the city. The Mosque was erected in the 19th century. Inside the mosque there is a big hall crowned with a huge 16 m diameter dome. Another ancient mosque, Sakina-Khanum Mosque was built in 1864 by the widow of Abbasgulu Bakikhanov. The mosque amazes with its monumentalism. It was built from red bricks and is similar to faceted cylinder. From top this building is crowded with a big white metal dome in the shape of a multi-faceted helmet.

Khinaliq, being 2,350 m above sea level, is the highest village in Azerbaijan. Interesting fact about the village is that it was isolated from the rest of the world almost for its entire history. This occurrence led to unique stone buildings and a language spoken nowhere else. Khinaliq makes up a large part of the cultural milieu in the citys history. With history of over 5,000 years, the village is among the most ancient places in the world. Due to the high altitude, it managed to survive many invasions. The place can be considered as one of the birthplaces of civilization.

Afurca Waterfall is surely becoming one of the most visited destinations both by local and foreign tourists in recent years. Afurca Waterfall is located in the south part of Guba. The height of the fall is about 75 m. The waterfall is regarded by many as one of the most beautiful monuments have ever been created by nature. Its spectacular view is a privilege to have.Sandcastle Contest, Birdwatch Programs Bring Sparkle to Central Oregon Coast's Lincoln City

Published 07/31/2018 at 12:18 AM PDT - Updated 07/31/2018 at 12:55 AM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff





(Lincoln City, Oregon)  Things heat up on the central Oregon coast in the skies and the sands of Lincoln City, as the town brings back its Sandcastle Contest and provides a full roster of free birdwatching clinics through the rest of the year.

The fun begins on August 11 as Lincoln City hosts its 41st annual Sandcastle Contest on Siletz Bay.

The Bay Area Merchants Association (BAMA) once again brings this annual Lincoln City summer tradition that dates back several decades. Downtown Manager Susan Wahlke reflects back on the history of the event.

The contest is a long tradition in Lincoln City, said Walhke. For as long as I can remember, the event has drawn large crowds. The beach is always packed with smiling faces of all ages.

It all starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. The sandcastle contest is open to competitors of all ages and skill levels. Categories include groups or families, pairs, individuals (over 12 years old) and kids (12 years and younger). Entry location on the beach is determined by category. Specialized categories such as Best Squid, Best Sea Creature and Best Sandcastle and others will also be available.

Entries must be built using only sand, water, shells and other natural beach material found that day. Hand tools and forms may be used in the construction process but may not support the structure. Power tools are not allowed. This is an amateur competition; professional Sand Artists are disqualified from winning prizes.

Prizes in the form of cash will be awarded to each category winner. The kids category will have first, second and third place winners, each taking home a Beach Bucket Surprise. Judging takes place at 2 p.m., with winners to be announced shortly after. Listen to live music from local talent while you wait for the winners to be unveiled.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. on the dock just outside Mos Restaurant in the Taft District of Lincoln City. All participants must register at the registration booth on the day of the event before beginning. There is a fee of one can or more of food per entrant, which will be donated to the Lincoln City Food Pantry.

For more information about the Sandcastle Contest, visit ExploreLincolnCity.com.

A host of bird watching clinics take flight in this part of the central Oregon coast over the summer. They started this month and will continue around Lincoln City until the end of the year.

Lincoln City is partnering with the Audubon Society to offer free Bird Watching Clinics. Oregons youngest Audubon chapter is the Lincoln City chapter, and yetl for years it has been educating people about birds, wildlife and their habitats along the central Oregon coast. Each clinic starts with a brief on-site introduction followed by a guided walk. Clinics start at 9 a.m. and last for about two hours. You are encouraged to ask questions and give feedback.

Clinics are complimentary and pre-registration is not required. Check ExploreLincolnCity for directions to the meeting location and for more clinic details. Locations vary by date. For questions on the day of the clinic, Call 541-992-9720.

What should you bring? Lincoln City officials say youll want to keep the weather in mind (whether its hot or cool these days  or rainy). Footwear made for heavy walking is highly recommended. Binoculars and guidebooks will be available.

On August 10 the clinic happens at The Knoll Open Space. September 8 its the Alder Island Nature Trail; September 22 its at Devils Lake State Park. In October, the 12th starts at SW 51st Street and on the 27th its at the Friends of Wildwood Trail. November 10 is at Cascade Head Scenic Area and December 1 is at the Salishan Nature Trail.

More at ExploreLincolnCity.com. Lodgings in Lincoln City - Where to eat - Maps and Virtual Tours













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All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permittedShortly after reports emerged detailing numerous shortcomings with IBM's Watson for Oncology platform, the company is modifying the artificial intelligence-powered software, STAT reports.

Here are 10 things to know:

1. IBM initially touted the success of Watson for Oncology for its work with the prestigious Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

2. A July 25 STAT investigation revealed Watson for Oncology, a clinical decision support platform that spits out cancer treatment advice using AI trained by physicians at MSK, used only hypothetical patient information to train the system, although IBM repeatedly claimed it used real patient data to derive its recommendations. Internal documents reviewed by STAT from a year ago identified "multiple examples of unsafe and incorrect treatment recommendations."

3. On top of these concerns, physicians using the Watson for Oncology software in countries outside the U.S. have complained the software offers irrelevant or inaccurate treatment recommendations based on American bias.

4. A top IBM executive told Watson Health employees at an internal meeting the day STAT published its report that the Watson for Oncology software would start to incorporate localized treatment advice and, for the first time, real patient data, according to a recording of the meeting obtained by STAT. The software will still be based on MSK physicians' advice, but the company will reportedly work to better understand regional differences in treatment preferences and patient populations.

5. Lisa Rometty, IBM Watson Health vice president and general manager for oncology, life sciences and personal health, told employees at the meeting the company's cancer-related products weren't generating as much revenue as the company hoped. "We did forecast that we would not meet the oncology revenue, and we didn't," Ms. Rometty said. "And even though I want nothing more than to meet our targets, I think equally important though is that you have to be predictable."

6. In a statement to STAT, IBM contrasted Ms. Rometty's point, saying: "We've also doubled revenue for Watson for Oncology and Watson Genomics each year since we launched this new business for IBM." The company did not disclose revenue from the two products in its statement, but it posted second quarter revenue of $20 billion, up 4 percent year-over-year, marking the company's the third consecutive quarter of revenue growth after five straight years of declining profits.

7. Highlighting the importance of regional differences in cancer treatment recommendations at the meeting, Ms. Rometty said: "We're really focused, as an example, on understanding what we need to do to ensure that, at the point of care in China, [the software is] where physician needs [it] to be to effectively provide recommendations to them on how to treat their patients in China  That's going to differ from what a physician needs to have at the point of care in the United States."

8. This shift contrasts IBM's previous stance that international physicians sought out advice from Watson for Oncology because of its MSK-backed recommendations. However, it aligns with advice from former Watson Health Deputy Chief Health Officer Andrew Norden, MD, who suggested last year that the "foundation" of the program should use national treatment guidelines.

9. A new version of Watson for Oncology that includes suggestions based on treatment guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network in the U.S., which are used worldwide, is reportedly in the works, a hospital official in Thailand told STAT. And, IBM plans to add real patient data to the software, but it is unclear how that data will be used to offer advice.

10. Ms. Rometty pointed to IBM's collaboration with Cota, a data-driven healthcare technology company where Dr. Norden now serves as CMO, as evidence of the company's successful cancer work with real patient data. As part of the collaboration, IBM and Cota completed a pilot project at Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health, combining their capabilities. According to Dr. Norden, the pilot "went well" and the companies are "taking the pilot and scaling it up."

Earlier this year, IBM laid off an undisclosed number of employees from its Watson Health division and three acquired companies  Phytel, Truven and Explorys. Those employees told various media outlets of the company's disorganization and mismanagement, which they alleged sparked questions of its success with AI.

For the complete STAT report, click here.The HHS Office of Inspector General fined eClinicalWorks $132,550 for violating a 2017 agreement with the Justice Department, which had required the vendor to report patient safety issues with its EHR in a timely manner.

Nearly one year ago, eClinicalWorks paid $155 million to the federal government as part of a settlement to resolve allegations it falsified its EHR certification standards.

Part of that settlement included signing a five-year corporate integrity agreement requiring eClinicalWorks to notify regulators of reportable events  defined as issues that affect patient safety or "any identified instance of actual or suspected patient harm related to the EHR software"  within a specific timeframe. Should the issue result in a patient death, injury or readmission, the company would have 48 hours to notify OIG.

Failure to comply with the agreement would result in a $2,500 penalty that "shall begin to accrue on the day after the date the obligation became due for each day eClinicalWorks fails to establish and effectively implement" reporting of patient safety issues.

It is not immediately clear whether eClinicalWorks failed to report patient safety events altogether, if it failed to report the events in a timely matter or a combination of the two.Although area residents, union members and community activists spoke out against the project, the Pittsburgh City Council approved Pittsburgh-based UPMC's proposal for a $400 million expansion, according to a Tribune Review report.

Thirty-seven people spoke in opposition of UPMC's plan to expand its Mercy complex in Pittsburgh during a discordant meeting July 31 that lasted more than five hours. The critics demanded the hospital giant allow employees to unionize, pay more in wages and accept all patients, including ones without insurance.

Despite objection, the city council approved the project in a 7-2 vote after a councilman negotiated with the hospital giant. In the negotiations, UPMC agreed to provide an addiction clinic, mental health services and job opportunities for minorities as it moves forward with its construction plans.

The $400 million project is part of a $2 billion systemwide expansion UPMC announced last year. Plans for UPMC Mercy hospital call for a vision and rehabilitation hospital that has a specialty research and treatment center for eye ailments.

"We look forward to moving ahead with construction of the UPMC Vision and Rehabilitation Hospital at UPMC Mercy and continuing our work on initiatives to benefit the Uptown and Hill District neighborhoods and residents," Paul Wood, a UPMC spokesperson told the Tribune Review.Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital in Green Valley, Ariz., previously Green Valley (Ariz.) Hospital, laid off 60 employees July 31, less than a week after it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to Green Valley News.

The hospital entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2017. At that time, the 49-bed hospital's liabilities totaled $88 million. In February, the bankruptcy court approved the sale of the hospital to Lateral GV, part of equity firm Lateral Investment Management.

The hospital emerged from bankruptcy about a week ago, but it is still experiencing financial troubles, according to layoff notices given to employees July 31.

Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital CEO Kelly Adams told Green Valley News the layoffs will not affect patient services. Once the layoffs are completed, the hospital will have between 250 and 260 employees, Mr. Adams said.

More articles on healthcare finance:

Independent monitor to oversee New Jersey hospital's finances after 4-notch downgrade by Fitch

Texas health system files for bankruptcy

CMS terminates Idaho hospital's Medicare contractMemorial Hospital at Gulfport (Miss.) President and CEO Gary Marchand revealed plans to retire, effective Aug. 1. The announcement comes less than one week after the hospital's CFO notified officials of his retirement, according to WLOX News.

The 303-bed hospital confirmed Mr. Marchand's retirement in a July 31 statement.

Memorial Hospital at Gulfport Board of Trustees Chairman David White told WLOX Mr. Marchand's decision did not come as a surprise to officials and is not connected to CFO Jeff Steiner's retirement less than one week prior.

"This day was coming; it's not just something that just popped out of the blue," he said. "A lot of people would love to think, 'Oh, there's a scandal going on with Memorial Hospital.' There is no such thing."

Mr. Marchand reiterated the sentiment to the publication, stating: "There's nothing from the federal agencies going on, nothing from any state agencies going on. This is two elder statesmen on the administrative team that are exercising their right to retire."

Hospital officials said COO Kent Nicaud will take over as president and CEO of the institution. He reportedly signed a one-year contract for the position, the report states.The CMO of 75-bed Sonoma (Calif.) Valley Hospital, part of the Sonoma Valley Hospital District, responded to concerns over the hospital's decision to close its obstetrics department in an op-ed published in the Sonoma Index-Tribune July 30.

The hospital's board approved plans to end its obstetrics services by Oct. 31. Women scheduled to give birth at the hospital have been notified of the decision, and staff is working with them to find alternative options. Officials have also notified surrounding hospitals and arranged transfer agreements in some cases.

Sonoma Valley Hospital CMO Sabrina Kidd, MD, discussed the hospital's plans to ensure patients undergo a smooth transition in an op-ed for the publication. She noted hospitals nationwide have cut services, such as their OB department, but kept their emergency department, allowing patients in need of emergency obstetrics services to obtain care.

"Many small and large hospitals locally and nationally have ER services but not obstetrics. Fortunately, the scenario of precipitous ER delivery is actually quite rare, and the experience of other institutions has demonstrated that we are unlikely to see an increase in complications or precipitous deliveries in our ER as a result of this closure," she wrote. "Handling an emergency delivery is a required part of every ER physician's training and something our emergency physicians and nurses are already trained to handle."

To aid in the transition, Dr. Kidd wrote all of the hospital's medical staff and physicians will be provided additional obstetrics education during the next three months to ensure a smooth transition. For example, the ER nursing staff will have refresher training in labor and delivery, and newborn care.

Dr. Kidd said the hospital ER will also house emergency neonatal equipment should staff need to provide emergency obstetrics services.

To access Dr. Kidd's op-ed, click here.Kindbody, a new women's healthcare company, opened a pop-up fertility clinic in New York City Aug. 1 as part of its nationwide launch.

The team behind Kindbody  led by the company's co-founder Gina Bartasi, the former CEO of fertility benefits startup Progyny  is building a national network of boutique-style women's healthcare clinics. The startup will initially focus on fertility care and egg freezing, before expanding into mental health, nutrition and gynecology services.

"Healthcare is bifurcated and siloed, but it doesn't have to be," Ms. Bartasi said in a company news release. "Our objective is to reinvent the existing healthcare delivery model by providing a continuum of care  a true vertical integration of all women's healthcare needs."

To launch Kindbody, Ms. Bartasi tapped an expert team of former executives from Google, health insurance startup Oscar Health, oncology EHR vendor Flatiron Health, primary care practice One Medical and Mount Sinai Health System in New York City.

"Women's health is interconnected," said Fahimeh Sasan, DO, co-founder and founding physician of Kindbody and a former assistant clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at Mount Sinai. "Your mental and physical health directly affect your reproductive health."

Dr. Sasan added Kindbody will prioritize integrating patient-facing technologies, such as online scheduling, as part of its care model.

"We know there's demand for innovation and more cost-effective treatment," she said. "We believe in the consumerization of healthcare and bringing care directly to the patient is imperative."

At the pop-up clinic Aug. 1, physician partners from Kindbody offered patients complimentary fertility tests. The free service will continue at a second pop-up clinic in Southampton, N.Y., Aug. 5 during a wellness event hosted by model Christie Brinkley.

Kindbody will open its first brick-and-mortar location in New York City later in August.In this special Speaker Series, Becker's Healthcare caught up with Mike Morris, president of Xtend Healthcare, a medical billing service based in Tennessee.

Mr. Morris will speak on a panel during the Becker's Hospital Review 4th Annual Health IT + Revenue Cycle Conference titled "Transforming Revenue Cycle Culture with Analytics, Automation and Training Working Together," at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19. Learn more about the event and register to attend in Chicago.

Question: What do you see as the most vulnerable part of a hospital's business?

Mike Morris: Unfortunately, hospitals and health systems constantly face a host of challenges on an ongoing and routine basis. Changes in technology, external and internal pressure to operate more efficiently  driven by reimbursement changes from government and non-government payer sources  and uncertain future legislation come to mind when I think about the challenges and vulnerabilities facing us today. Unfortunately, as you know, influence over these challenges can be limited for any individual facility, and it's unlikely any of them will go away soon. So, it's essential to foster a culture that prepares for vulnerabilities, routinely scrutinizes processes and reduces red tape whenever possible. Lastly, creating a culture of innovation allows forward-thinking organizations to reduce exposure and risk to these vulnerabilities that are here to stay.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about health IT?

MM: One common misconception is that high-quality, cost-efficient operations can be achieved through technology alone. While I agree that technology is one of the predominant ways that organizations are improving quality and reducing costs, technology solutions and IT departments alone struggle to move the needle toward a cost-efficient, high-quality care model. IT professionals are often not healthcare experts, [but,] lowering costs and improving care are problems for everyone to solve. We have the best chance of success when we view challenges as an organization-wide problem and create cross-functional teams to tackle them. Additionally, embracing concepts such as Agile and DevOps provides greater transparency to all parts of the organization  executive, clinical and technical. This increased transparency is where important conversations and decisions can be made that ultimately lead to a more cost-effective, high-quality and data-driven healthcare environment.

Q: How do you promote innovation within your organization?

MM: Innovation is the pillar of successful companies in the healthcare space. Fostering creativity is challenging. If organizations aren't careful, bureaucracy and firefighting become mainstays. Innovation is one of our corporate values, so it's in our DNA. Here are just some of the ways we promote innovation at Xtend Healthcare:Boston-based Steward Health Care and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island reached a settlement over a lawsuit claiming the health insurer obstructed Steward's attempted $40 million takeover of a Rhode Island hospital, according to WPRI.

Here are three things to know about the case:



1. In April, a federal judge denied BCBS' motion for summary judgment in an antitrust suit filed by Steward in 2013. In May, the judge denied the insurer's request to immediately appeal the April ruling.

2. Instead of going to trial, BCBS and Steward asked U.S. District Judge William Smith to dismiss the suit in a joint court filing. The terms of the settlement were not released, according to WPRI.

3. In its original lawsuit, Steward alleged BCBS "purposely thwarted Steward's acquisition and planned revitalization" of Woonsocket, R.I.-based Landmark Medical Center by refusing to negotiate in good faith for reasonable reimbursement rates for Landmark and actively conspiring with Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan and Woonsocket-based Thundermist Health Center to help block the deal.

Ayla Ellison contributed to this article.



More articles on legal and regulatory issues:

Medicare hospice flaws, recommendations highlighted in inspector general report

New York hospital orders employees to undergo drug testing after vials of narcotics go missing

Ex-MetroHealth COO found guilty of fraud, accepting bribesA 29-year-old man reportedly jumped to his death from the roof of Gwinnett Medical Center-Lawrenceville (Ga.) July 28, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Police arrived at the hospital campus shortly after 7:45 p.m. after receiving multiple reports of a man scaling the building, according to a police report obtained by the Gwinnett Daily Post.

An officer cited in the report stated that upon arrival, they "witnessed a man falling from the [hospital] building  and strike the sidewalk." Police then attempted to gain entry to the area where the victim stood before he jumped, but could not access it.

Several witnesses who alerted police said they saw the man climb the building. One witness reported seeing the man sit on the edge of the building before jumping off.

Hospital staff reportedly told police the victim had taken an elevator from the lobby to the sixth floor, but were unsure how he climbed the building from there, the report states.

Beth Hardy, public relations and community affairs manager for Gwinnett Medical Center, told Becker's Hospital Review Aug. 1 the individual was not a patient at the hospital at the time of his death.

"An individual who was on the Gwinnett Medical Center-Lawrenceville campus for unknown reasons died after jumping off the North Tower Saturday night. The individual's death was confirmed late Saturday evening by the proper authorities. Our hospital community is shocked and saddened by this unexpected tragic event and grieves along with the family during this difficult time," Ms. Hardy said.

"Gwinnett Medical Center is cooperating with the Lawrenceville Police Department. We will continue to provide our support as they conduct their investigation," she added.

A spokesperson for the sheriff's office told AccessWDUN the unidentified victim was released on bond from jail July 27. He was arrested in connection with the theft of a church van that had been reported stolen in Florida.

To access the full report, click here.

Editor's note: This report was updated at 5 p.m. Aug. 1 to include additional information.Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina will eliminate a health plan affiliated with Durham, N.C.-based Duke Health and WakeMed Health & Hospitals in Raleigh, N.C., according to WRAL.

BCBS is dropping the plan in an effort to cut premiums for policyholders who purchase coverage on the ACA individual market. However, in the process, BCBS will transfer about 50,000 members who previously had in-network access to Duke Health and WakeMed to a plan that is part of a new contract with Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health Alliance. The alliance is a physician-led network including UNC Health and independent providers.



BCBS said shifting members to the UNC Health Alliance network will offer lower premiums while maintaining similar health benefits for members who currently access Duke Health and WakeMed at in-network rates. The transition will take place at the end of the year, after which BCBS ACA plan members will have to pay higher costs to access Duke Health and WakeMed.

WakeMed CFO and Executive Vice President Rick Carrico told WRAL the health system is "incredibly disappointed" with BCBS' decision. He added WakeMed offered substantial discounts to the health insurer. Duke Health did not comment.

"We are working closely with Blue Cross NC to minimize the impact on our patients and to ensure those with certain ongoing, acute, chronic or terminal conditions (including pregnancy) can continue to receive the care they need without interruption after Jan. 1," Mr. Carrico said in a statement. "Our leadership team is working closely with another national insurance carrier that offers health exchange products across the country to provide a competitive ACA exchange option that includes WakeMed and Duke. We hope to share details about this plan very soon."



BCBS told WRAL it is "committed to working with our current Blue Local customers to help them find a new in-network provider and to make sure they continue getting the care they need throughout this transition."



The network change only affects ACA exchange plans, not BCBS' other business lines.



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Kaiser ends Medicaid coverage for 2.5K patients in ColoradoBayer is fighting back against accusations that emerged about its controversial birth control device Essure in a Netflix documentary highlighting the devastating complications of many FDA-approved medical devices.

The documentary, The Bleeding Edge, premiered July 27. It explores personal stories of patients and medical professionals who have suffered severe complications from the devices, examines the $400 billion medical device industry and questions the FDA's approval process. Much of the film centers on Bayer's Essure, a nonincisional contraceptive approved by the FDA in 2002. The birth control is inserted into a woman's fallopian tubes and produces scar tissue that blocks sperm from fertilizing her eggs.

In a statement released July 27, Bayer said the documentary lacks scientific support and cherry-picked facts to inaccurately portray the safety of Essure. It refuted the film's claim that medical device manufacturers and the FDA placed profits before patient safety.

According to Bayer the film ignores "the full body of scientific evidence that supports the FDA determination that Essure's benefits outweigh its risks" and disregards "the appropriate warnings that accompany the device."

The FDA restricted the sale and distribution of Essure April 9 to ensure women are well-informed before choosing this contraceptive.

Citing a decline in sales, Bayer announced July 20 it would stop selling its permanent birth control implant in the U.S. on Dec. 31.

Bayer faces thousands of lawsuits related to Essure from women who claim the implants caused severe complications resulting in hysterectomies, hair loss, unwanted pregnancies and abnormal uterine bleeding.Physicians continue to feel burned out and overworked, which is affecting their mental health, according to a study from locumstory.com.

For the study, locumstory, an online physician staffing resource, surveyed more than 3,700 U.S. physicians in various specialties this year.

Seven survey findings:

1. Seventy-four percent of physicians reported frequently seeing symptoms of burnout in their colleagues, and 52 percent regularly feel burned out themselves. Surgeons were the least likely to report feeling burned out themselves, compared to physicians in emergency medicine, OB-GYN, primary care and psychiatry.

2. More than half of physicians (52 percent) said burnout has affected their work performance.

3. Physicians cited "irritability toward co-workers" and "apathy toward patients/job" as the most common symptoms of their burnout.

4. Forty-two percent of physicians said their workload "somewhat negatively" affects their mental health, while 40 percent said, "neither positively or negatively." Six percent said, "very negatively."

5. Seventeen percent of physicians said they have met with a mental health professional, and 16 percent have considered it. Sixty-seven percent said they have never met with a mental health professional.

6. More than half of physicians (53 percent) agreed that mental health is a taboo subject.

7. Six percent of physicians said they have thought about suicide because of their job demands, and more than 10 percent said they take medicine for anxiety or depression.

Read more about the study and results here.

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Community Health Network first system in Indiana to recruit by text messagePittsburgh-based UPMC has agreed to provide an addiction clinic, mental health services and job opportunities for minorities as it moves forward with its plans to build a vision and rehabilitation hospital at UPMC Mercy, according to a Tribune-Review report.

UPMC announced its plans to invest $2 billion to build three digitally centered specialty hospitals in Pittsburgh, including the vision and rehabilitation hospital, in November 2017. It also plans to build the UPMC Heart and Transplant Hospital on the Presbyterian hospital campus UPMC Hillman Cancer Hospital at the Shadyside hospital campus.

As part of the Mercy project, UPMC agreed to various initiatives, such as providing social services and potential minority jobs, according to the report.

The Pittsburgh City Council was scheduled to vote on the vision and rehabilitation hospital plan July 24, but the vote was postponed while the council and hospital reached a community benefits agreement. The council voted 7-2 in favor of the Mercy project plan on July 31.

"We look forward to moving ahead with construction of the UPMC Vision and Rehabilitation Hospital at UPMC Mercy and continuing our work on initiatives to benefit the Uptown and Hill District neighborhoods and residents," Paul Wood, vice president and chief communications officer at UPMC, told Becker's Hospital Review after the vote.

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UnitedHealth Group has the most work-from-anywhere positions, according to FlexJobsOrthopedic surgeon Donald Ozumba, MD, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting an elderly patient, according to NBCDFW.com.

Here are four things to know:

1. The Texas Medical Board accused Dr. Ozumba of sexually assaulting nine patients and engaging in inappropriate sexual behavior with four others. Six other sexual assault cases are pending against Dr. Ozumba.

2. The Texas Medical Board suspended Dr. Ozumba's license within a week of his 2017 arrest.

3. In the criminal trial, a 73-year-old woman testified Dr. Ozumba assaulted her during a 2016 office visit in McKinney, Texas.

4. Three other women testified that Dr. Ozumba sexually assaulted them under the guise of medical treatment.Food delivery service Deliveroo has added 25 new takeaways to its service in Belfast, the company has announced.

Marketplace+ will mean restaurants who do their own deliveries will now be available on the Deliveroo app and website for the first time. They pay a "signing on" fee of an undisclosed sum to join the service.

Deliveroo said it had signed up over 25 traditional takeaway-style restaurants to the new service, including the Lisburn Road's Monte Carlo and Stranmillis student favourite, kebab shop the Sphinx.

But it said the new takeaways would be able to continue using their own drivers and would not be under an obligation to use Deliveroo cyclists, known as "riders".

However, they will have the option of using Deliveroo cyclists if their own delivery staff are not available.

A Deliveroo spokesman said: "There is a small signing on fee like with all restaurants that wish to join Deliveroo."

Their usual system of paying commission to restaurants for using their service did not apply in full, the spokesman added.

"There is a commission structure but as they use their own riders it is lower than the traditional structure level."

He said the takeaways would get the added exposure of being on the Deliveroo app, thus garnering a greater customer base.

"From a customer's perspective, the service expansion in Belfast will work exactly the same as Deliveroo's core offering with orders being delivered by a rider 30 minutes after the order was placed," the company said.

Last month the company said it was expanding in the north and south of Belfast, adding the Ormeau and Ardoyne areas to locations served by its cyclists.

A spokeswoman confirmed it has 160 riders in Belfast at the moment but could not say by how much the numbers would increase.

She said: "Deliveroo is constantly expanding and developing in line with customer demand."

The company delivers food for a number of chain and independent restaurants around the city, including Mexican food chain Boojum, noodle restaurant Wagamama and independent Cafe Fish.

The spokeswoman added that most drivers are paid per delivery instead of per hour, with the pay working out at an average of 12 per hour.

Earlier this year East Antrim DUP MP Sammy Wilson said even greater expansion was on the cards by Deliveroo, with riders now to deliver in Craigavon, Lisburn and Londonderry.

Deliveroo has become one of the biggest enterprises operating in the so-called 'gig economy', which allows individuals to earn money or supplement their income by carrying out services such as food delivery or letting out their properties.

Also this year, fast-food giant McDonald's announced its new McDelivery scheme, using UberEats - affiliated to taxi app service Uber - as a partner.

McDelivery is available to anyone within one-and-a-half miles of Belfast's Westwood, Boucher Road, Donegall Place, Shore Road and Connswater McDonald's restaurants.Three business lobby groups from Northern Ireland are to bring their concerns directly to Westminster within weeks.

Retail NI, Hospitality Ulster and Manufacturing NI will host a joint business and economy event in London on September 5. Secretary of State, Karen Bradley, will be among those who will address the event on the terrace at the House of Commons. In a statement, the three bodies said: "Between our three groups, we represent businesses which provide most of the private sector jobs in Northern Ireland.

"We intend this to be the biggest ever Northern Ireland business and economy focused event at Westminster, highlighting our world-class products and promoting the region as one of the best locations in these islands to shop, socialise and to start and locate a business."

Glyn Roberts of Retail NI, added: "This will be a unique opportunity for the local business community to network with key decision-makers at Westminster. Despite our political difficulties and having no Government in place, our three organisations have a key role in promoting Northern Ireland as a fantastic place to do business."Direct Line boss Paul Geddes is to leave the insurance giant next summer after 10 years at the helm (PA)

Direct Line boss Paul Geddes is to leave the insurance giant next summer after 10 years at the helm.

My Geddes said he had been privileged to lead the firm, with a tenure that saw him oversee Direct Lines split from Royal Bank of Scotland and its stock market flotation.

The announcement came as Churchill owner Direct Line reported a 13.9% fall in pre-tax profits to 293.8 million for the first six months of 2018 after taking a 75 million weather hit after the Beast from the East freeze sent claims soaring.

Chairman Mike Biggs said the group had a well-developed succession plan in place and aimed to have a new chief executive in position by the time Mr Geddes leaves next summer.

Mr Geddes said: As I approach my 10th anniversary, it is right to put a successor in place to lead the company in the years ahead.

In the meantime, we have a very busy and exciting agenda, which I look forward to delivering.

Mr Biggs paid tribute to the huge contribution made by Mr Geddes.

He added: The company is deeply indebted to him for his strong leadership.

During his tenure, Paul has been leading the management team which very successfully separated the business from the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, floated it on the London Stock Exchange and turned it into a successful FTSE 100 company.

Expand Close Chief executive Paul Geddes will leave Direct Line in summer 2019. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Chief executive Paul Geddes will leave Direct Line in summer 2019.

But shares in Direct Line fell 3% after news of his departure and its half-year results.

Insurance analyst Paul DeAth said: Mr Geddes has driven the business for nearly 10 years and has done an exceptional job for shareholders over that time so news of his departure is likely to be another negative for the shares.

Interim results showed the impact of freezing temperatures in March and April, with the 75 million in large weather claims far higher than the 9 million bill seen a year earlier.

Operating profits dropped 15.7% to 303.1 million, while gross written premiums fell 5% to 1.6 billion over the half-year, dragged lowed by a plunge in its home insurance partnerships sales after ending tie-ups with Nationwide and Sainsburys.

Stripping this out, its own-brand written premiums rose 3.3% to 1.1 billion.

Its motor insurance division saw premiums rise 1.9% to 839.8 million despite a market-wide easing off of premium rates.

Home insurance gross written premiums tumbled 25.1% after the Nationwide and Sainsburys hit, although own-brand premiums grew 0.6%.What a busy week last week turned out to be. Since my surgery, I've felt that the weeks have really passed like lightning, yet as Monday morning dawned, I knew this week would be completely different.

Alongside my usual review appointment at the Renal Unit, we also had a very special ceremony to attend at Queen's University, Belfast. You will remember mum and I getting involved as part of the dedicated team which ultimately ensured that the Erskine House Tree - situated just outside the Cancer Centre - won the Woodland Trust's Tree of the Year for Northern Ireland.

Well this week, and all thanks to the hard work and dedication of Professor Gerry Gormley, we were back under its green leaves and broad branches alongside fellow transplant recipients, donors and donor families to plant some flowers and shrubs, as well as a take part in a ceremony commemorating organ donation.

Mum had been asked to speak in her role as Kidney Care UK ambassador and we were also treated to poetry from advocacy officer William Johnston and some specially-composed, moving music from Dr Ian Walsh, entitled The Gift. It was lovely to be back at the tree among those who worked so hard to bring it to the public's attention, alongside highlighting organ donation.

Well done to Prof Gormley - Mr Erskine House Tree - as well as Dr James Douglas and Patrick Craig, from the Woodland Trust, for their continued dedication to a cause which we hold so close to our hearts. Your efforts are rooted strongly in love and I know that they will endure as we seek to make this celebration an annual event.

Another annual event which is taking place this week involves transplant patients from across Northern Ireland taking part, just as I did when they were held in Northern Ireland in 2011, in the British Transplant Games.

This year, they are being held in Birmingham and I want to give a special shout out to everyone travelling over from Northern Ireland, but especially to the eight children who have received a kidney transplant and are being helped to attend by Kidney Care UK.

As I found out, it's all about the taking part, and not the winning, so please enjoy yourselves and have a ball!

On Thursday, mum and I had the privilege of meeting a very special little 'Heart Hero' - 20-month-old Daithi Mac Gabhann - and his parents, Mairtin and Seph. Mum was on the Nolan Show last Monday morning, taking part in the first section about organ donation, which included an interview with Daithi's parents about his journey and fight for a heart transplant.

It was lovely to meet them all and to share our experiences of the Children's Hospital and what it's like to be waiting on a life-saving transplant. Daithi is truly the life and soul of the party and I really wanted to give his story, which has also been covered here in the Belfast Telegraph, another shout out in my column because it highlights the importance of organ donation and how it affects families who have a loved one waiting on a transplant to save their life.

I hope to catch up with them all again soon as we continue our crusade to promote the organ donation message.

Finally, this week marks a sad anniversary in my transplant journey. On August 1, this day last year, I was wheeled to theatre at the Belfast City Hospital, where my consultant (Super Surgeon), Tim Brown, would undertake the surgery to remove my transplanted kidney.

I will never forget the feelings that came over me as I thought about the family who made the decision to donate their loved one's organs back in 2009 - I received a kidney which gave me eight and half healthy years of as normal a life as possible and will always honour the date which I received that transplant (February 5) and the date upon which it was removed (August 1).

Remembering and honouring come as second nature for transplant recipients. It's important we always live our lives to honour our donors, making sure we remember that at some point during their lives, they took the selfless decision to become a life-saver. That decision has helped thousands upon thousands of people, just like me, to begin a new life and enables us to always hold onto that eternal flame of hope which burns in our hearts that humanity can overcome whatever challenges are placed in our way.

When there's an organ donor, life springs from death, sorrow turns to hope and a terrible loss becomes an everlasting gift.

But, crucially, without the organ donor there is no story, no transplant and no hope. Please think about organ donation and have that all-important conversation - every one of us has it within us to be a life-saver.'On average, only 59% of eligible residents here are taking advantage of the free screening programme, which can detect the disease at the most crucial stage before symptoms become visible' (stock picture)

Almost half of all older people in Northern Ireland are snubbing the chance to take a life-saving screening test for bowel cancer, research claims.

Statistics show that four in 10 of those aged over 60 are missing out on the opportunity to spot the early signs of the fourth most common cancer and second biggest killer in the UK.

On average, only 59% of eligible residents here are taking advantage of the free screening programme, which can detect the disease at the most crucial stage before symptoms become visible.

Bernie McGarry, senior Northern Ireland health promotion and training officer for Bowel Cancer UK, appealed for everyone who is eligible to take the test. "It's quite simple, bowel cancer screening saves lives," she said.

"I would encourage everyone who's over 60 to take the test, and for those who are younger to encourage their loved ones over 60 to complete it.

"It could save your or your loved one's life."

Uptake rates for the screening, which can make treatment easier and significantly increase a person's chance of survival, vary between different health trusts, but are relatively low in all catchment areas.

The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust has the highest rate, with 64% of people taking the test, compared to the Belfast Trust, which sees only 55% take the easy screening.

In the Southern Trust the rate of patients taking the test is 57%, compared to 59% in the Western Trust and 63% in the Northern Trust.

Everyone who is registered with a GP and aged between 60 and 74 receives a home testing kit which analyses stools for hidden blood every two years.

But the cancer still kills 400 people here every year despite the fact that it is curable if diagnosed early.

Bowel Cancer UK, which merged with Beating Bowel Cancer earlier this year, is now seeking to raise awareness of the disease, which is diagnosed every 15 minutes.

As part of its ambitious aim to create a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer, the charity is also giving away free wristbands online.

"We're determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by the disease," Ms McGarry said.

"Taking part in screening is the best way to get diagnosed early when treatment is more likely to be successful. Early diagnosis really does save lives."

The screening test can also detect benign growths called polyps which have the potential to turn malignant.

Polyps can be removed easily in order to significantly lower the risk of developing the disease.

Around 268,000 people in the UK are currently living with bowel cancer and 42,000 people are diagnosed each year - 1,100 of those diagnoses are made in Northern Ireland.

Symptoms can include bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in stools; a persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit; unexplained weight loss; extreme tiredness for no obvious reason; or a pain or lump in your tummy.The burnt out van on Ballysillan Avenue, in Belfast

The burnt out van on Ballysillan Avenue, in Belfast

Cars have been set alight and property damaged in a suspected intimidation incidents in north Belfast.

Police have appealed for witnesses, and said they are increasing patrols in the area.

Speaking about the attacks, PUP councillor Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston said the people of north Belfast rejected the behaviour, and "stand with the victims of your cruel and callous intimidation".

The attacks have taken place over the past two weeks, with the most recent report coming just after 11pm on Tuesday night, when a window was smashed and a van parked on Ballysillan Avenue set on fire.

In previous attacks a car was set on fire and the windows of two properties were smashed.

Police attended the scene along with members of Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

It is believed the fire was started deliberately.

Inspector Laura Kelly said: "While thankfully we have not received reports of any injuries in relation to these incidents, damaging properties and setting fire to vehicles is not only incredibly dangerous but is also creating fear in the local community. This is unacceptable.

We have increased patrolling in the area and are liaising with the local community, partner agencies and local representatives.

We are currently investigating each of these incidents to determine if they are linked and are following a number of lines of enquiry. We are appealing to anyone with information about any of these incidents to contact us on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1532 of 31/07/18."

The public can also contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.A Belfast man who "exploded" into punching and trailing his ex-wife by the hair has been handed a four-month suspended jail term.

Gerrard Clarke also wrecked a bed frame and several household items after turning up at the woman's west Belfast home in the middle of the night.

A judge told the 36-year-old it was among the worst domestic violence cases he had encountered.

Clarke, of Whitecliff Drive in the city, was convicted of common assault and criminal damage.

Belfast Magistrates' Court heard he arrived at the property drunk in the early hours of May 3 and launched an attack.

A prosecution lawyer said he slapped his ex-wife three or four times about the head before punching her to the face.

Clarke then grabbed the woman by the hair and pulled her across the room.

Several items in the house were damaged during the outburst of violence.

Defence counsel Sean O'Hare insisted there had been no previous bad blood between his client and the victim.

Instead, the barrister submitted Clarke was a man suffering from his own personal issues.

Providing the court with documents on the accused's background, Mr O'Hare added: "He can't explain what he was doing, just this was the tipping point of pressures in his own life."

Deputy District Judge Peter Prenter described it as a "nasty, violent offence".

He stressed: "Whatever was happening to him personally, it's as bad a domestic assault as I have come across.

"But I have to take on board your circumstances, this is clearly something which has exploded in you."

Imposing a four-month prison sentence, Mr Prenter decided to suspend the term for 18 months.Cash-strapped health bosses paid out more than 600,000 for advice from management consultants in just two years, it has emerged.

According to official figures, the Belfast Health Trust paid 7,100 to a private management consultant for 15 days of support in relation to the damning hyponatraemia report.

Meanwhile, it has also tasked another private management consultant to help with work around the ongoing recall of more than 3,000 neurology patients in the Belfast Trust.

The work is expected to take 30 days to complete, at a cost of 15,000.

The information has been released by the Business Services Organisation (BSO), which revealed that the HSC Leadership Centre (HSCLC) provided consultancy services to the Belfast Trust at a cost of 630,701 between 2016 and 2018.

It comes as the health service in Northern Ireland faces unprecedented financial pressures.

Health trusts are becoming increasingly reliant on cash injections from the likes of in-year monitoring rounds and the DUP-Conservative confidence and supply deal just to make ends meet.

In January, the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) released a report warning that Northern Ireland's health service could have a funding gap of up to 540m a year.

However, the figures released by the BSO reveal that while thousands of patients spend up to five years waiting in agony for operations for painful and debilitating conditions, the HSCLC is paying private consultants 500 a day for their services.

Alliance MLA, Paula Bradshaw, said she was surprised and concerned to learn the private consultants had been engaged at such a cost to the public purse.

She continued: "In my opinion, the role of the health service is to support patients and their carers at times when health needs arise; and the funding that is allocated to the Department of Health for the provision of care and treatment to meet these needs is finite and in fierce demand right across the sector, and so I will be following this up to find out why the consultants were engaged.

"Having supported a number of individuals and families affected by the neurology recall process and the Hyponatraemia Inquiry, I am particularly curious to learn more about the nature of this commissioned work and sincerely hope that it is not for the purpose of crisis management."

The HSCLC, which comes under the BSO, provides a range of services to health and social care organisations in Northern Ireland, including consultancy services.

These include leadership development programmes, support for improvement, team development and other support, including investigations.

The HSCLC currently has a pool of about 90 private consultants, known as associate consultants, that can be drawn upon as and when required.

A spokeswoman for the Belfast Trust said it has used the resources of the HSCLC for two specific pieces of work "through normal business arrangements".

She continued: "Firstly, to provide additional support to the trust in the implementation of the 96 recommendations of the findings of the inquiry into hyponatraemia-related deaths which was published on January 31 this year and which are actively being addressed within the trust and as part of the departmental framework.

"Secondly, in preparation for the independent inquiry panel as a result of the recall of neurology patients, we have secured additional assistance to support us in providing the inquiry with all relevant, extensive, and detailed documentation in a timely way."

The Belfast Trust was criticised by the chair of the Hyponatraemia Report, John O'Hara, in his report which was published in January.

The inquiry, which examined the deaths of five children, found that four of the deaths were avoidable.

Meanwhile, work is ongoing to identify whether any patients seen by consultant neurologist, Michael Watt, have come to any harm.

The Belfast Trust has been forced to find additional resources to hold clinics to see more than 3,500 patients and ensure they are receiving the best treatment possible.Talks aimed at restoring power-sharing in Northern Ireland should be held in the autumn, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

The Stormont Executive collapsed 18 months ago and repeated rounds of negotiations have failed to restore it.

Mr Varadkar suggested the prospect of talks between the main parties in Belfast and the British and Irish Governments depended on clear answers around the Brexit debate.

He said: "We would intend, in the autumn some time, trying again to get the parties in Northern Ireland together."

The Taoiseach told a media briefing in Dublin: "I think the absence of any clarity around Brexit makes that very difficult but if we can have that in October, I think there is an opportunity, certainly before the end of the year, to get the Assembly and Executive up and running."

Stormont crashed in January 2017 amid a row about the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), the botched green energy scheme.

It later widened to take in issues such as the Irish language, LGBT rights and the legacy of the Troubles.

The last bid to resurrect the troubled institutions failed in February when the DUP pulled the plug.

Sinn Fein insisted a draft deal had been signed off with the DUP at that point, and accused the party of getting cold feet in the face of an internal revolt from grassroots members angry about potential concessions in the dispute over the Irish language.

The DUP denied the claim, insisting that it had exchanged numerous papers with Sinn Fein during the negotiation process but none amounted to a draft agreement.

Last week Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley said the Government would "take the steps it needs to take" to ensure good governance in Northern Ireland.

Yesterday a Government spokesperson said: "The Secretary of State and UK Government's top priority remains the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland.

"She (Karen Bradley) will continue to work with all the Northern Ireland parties - and with the Irish Government within the three-stranded approach - to remove the barriers to restoring the Executive and a fully-functioning Assembly."The vehicle which was set on fire on Manor Street in Belfast

A car has been destroyed in an overnight attack - yards from where a woman was forced to leave her home.

The Volkswagen Touran was set alight in the early hours of yesterday morning on Manor Street in north Belfast.

On Sunday a mother mourning her son, who lives close by, was ordered to leave her property.

Police do not believe the two attacks are linked in any way.

In a statement issued on behalf of the family, the DUP said that the disabled owner had been left "deeply shocked and disgusted" by the arson attack.

The PSNI has appealed for witnesses to come forward.The funeral of a man killed after a car collapsed on him in south Belfast will take place on Friday.

Dominic (Don) Murray, who was 67, died in the accident on Monday afternoon.

The tragedy took place at Cadogan Park, a quiet residential area between the Malone Road and the Lisburn Road.

Mr Murray was originally from west Belfast and had lived in England. His funeral will take place at St Agnes's Church in Belfast on Friday.

A family friend said they were shocked by the tragedy, adding that Mr Murray was very popular.

A PSNI spokesperson had said the sudden death is "not being treated as suspicious".

The Ambulance Service also attended the scene but were unable to save Mr Murray.

Speaking on Monday, South Belfast SDLP MLA Claire Hanna shared her condolences with his family.

"This sounds like an utterly tragic accident," she said.

"The family are dealing with the shock of such a disturbing incident. My thoughts are with them."

SDLP councillor for the area Donal Lyons said it was an "awful tragedy".

And the Alliance councillor Kate Nicholl added: "It's horrific. All our thoughts are with the family."'Mr McKeown, who appeared with Stephen Reel of Brian Berrills Solicitors, told the court that the side-on accident happened at the Boa Island T-Junction on the Kesh to Pettigo road in Co Donegal' (stock photo)

Three young Co Fermanagh children injured when Canadian holidaymakers in a hire vehicle collided with the family car have each been awarded 20,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court in Dublin.

Barrister Tony McKeown told Judge Karen Fergus that the children had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as well as bruising and other injuries consistent with a neck and shoulders whiplash.

Mr McKeown, who appeared with Stephen Reel of Brian Berrills Solicitors, told the court that the side-on accident happened at the Boa Island T-Junction on the Kesh to Pettigo road in Co Donegal.

Two Canadians in the hire car had been holidaying in Northern Ireland at the time and were touring in Co Donegal.

Fionn Hamilton (5), who was restrained in a child's seat in the rear of the Hamilton car, suffered bruising in the July 2016 accident.

His sister Lauren (11) suffered an abrasion to the side of her face when the airbags blew.

She had also suffered injuries to her neck and shoulders.

Mr McKeown said a brother, Oisin Hamilton (7), had suffered shoulder and back injuries.

He told Judge Fergus that the three children had been diagnosed with PTSD following the accident but were now fully recovered.

The children, through their mother Sara Naomh Hamilton, of 22 Mantlin Park, Kesh, Co Fermanagh, had sued Executive Trust Limited, trading as Europcar Ireland, of Santry, Dublin.

Mr McKeown said the defendant had made a settlement offer of 20,000 to each of the children and he was recommending the court accepted the offers.

Judge Fergus approved the settlements, which she told Mr McKeown were very good.The DUP has used a special 'call-in' procedure to block the flying of rainbow flags on Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council's civic buildings for this weekend's Pride events.

The council had been set to make history by becoming the first in Northern Ireland to fly the Pride flag above its three main civic buildings on Saturday.

The chief executive of the council now has 48 hours to seek legal advice which must then be presented to a full council. However, no meeting is scheduled before Saturday's parade. Calls have now been made for a special meeting of the council on Friday. If that does not happen, then the flags will not fly.

The 'call-in' move comes after a notice of motion brought by Sinn Fein on flying the flags narrowly passed 12-11 at a full council meeting last Monday evening. DUP councillors voted against the motion while the Ulster Unionists abstained after their amendment recommending that council buildings be lit in the pride colours instead was rejected.

A council spokesperson confirmed the 'call in' had been received.

Sinn Fein group leader on the council Darren McNally slammed the DUP for trying to prevent the flying of the Rainbow flag.

"The move by the DUP to call-in Sinn Fein's motion to fly the rainbow flag at civic buildings across the area is disgraceful and disrespectful to our LGBTQ+ community," he said. "This call-in came in the final hour - and is an effort to run down the clock on gaining legal advice and securing a special meeting of the council before Saturday."

Mayor of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Julie Flaherty confirmed: "The call-in was received on Tuesday morning and it's now in the hands of the Chief Executive. That's where we're at as things stand."

Meanwhile, in a separate development, Barnardo's has become the first children's charity in Northern Ireland to publicly voice support for the recognition of same-sex marriage.

It made the announcement to coincide with Belfast Pride's Coming Out for Change campaign, and just days before the city's Pride parade.

Barnardo's has in the past supported marriage equality campaigns in other areas of the UK and in the Republic of Ireland.

The director of Barnardo's NI Lynda Wilson said it hoped to see marriage equality extended to Northern Ireland.

"We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and believe marriage equality is an extension of that," she said.DUP leader Arlene Foster has said her party would never accept an Irish language act, dampening hopes ahead of a proposed resumption of power-sharing negotiations in the autumn.

It comes after comments from Taoiseach Leo Varakdar that talks to restore devolution would resume in October. Speaking on Radio Ulster on Wednesday morning, Mrs Foster said the issue of an Irish language act was "non-negotiable" for her party.

"That has been told to Sinn Fein on a number of occasions," she said.

"And yet they continue to insist, while holding the rest of Northern Ireland to ransom. The rest of Northern Ireland wants a devolved administration to deal with all the issues I have mentioned. And yet Sinn Fein continue to hold us out from having and administration."

Reacting to comments from Sinn Fein that a return to a deal on the table during negotiations in February would be the starting point in a resumption of negotiations, Mrs Foster said: "It wasn't a sensible or a balanced deal back in February, so I can't see how it would be a sensible or a balanced deal today."

The DUP leader said despite the comments from Leo Varadkar, she was unaware of plans for the resumption of power-sharing talks in the autumn.

"All we've had are comments from the Irish government," she said, adding that this was a concern.

Also appearing on the programme was Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, who hit out at the DUP for holding up a return to power-sharing.

"The fact, and let's call a spade a spade here, the fact is the DUP crashed the last round of talks rather spectacularly," said Mrs McDonald.

"They have gone into hiding at Westminster. The fact is they have applied all of their political energies to assisting Theresa May's Brexit agenda rather than defending the rights of workers and families and communities and farmers right across the north."

"We can talk from here to eternity, what we need is delivery," she added.

On Tuesday, a Government spokesperson said the restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland remains a priority.

In February, it was believed an agreement had been reached between Sinn Fein and the DUP on an accommodation to restore power-sharing, something which would have ended a negotiation process which at that point had dragged on for thirteen months.

Documents leaked following the collapse of the agreement appeared to show an agreement had been reached to introduce a raft of language legislation, part of which would have been a standalone Irish language act.A Northern Ireland man allegedly doused his sister in Buckfast tonic wine before inflicting multiple facial fractures on her, the High Court in Belfast heard today.

Prosecutors claimed Stephen Magee, 37, carried out the attack which resulted in the woman undergoing surgery to have plates and screws inserted.

Magee, of Burren Meadow in Newcastle, Co Down, denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent and making threats to kill her.

Refusing bail, a judge described his application as being close to "hopeless".

The accused's sister told police he turned violent after they had been drinking with friends at her home in the Craigavon area on June 13.

She alleged that Magee appeared in her bedroom and dragged her out of bed onto the floor.

Crown lawyer Kate McKay told the court: "She said he poured Buckfast wine over her hair and face, and told her he was going to kill her."

Magee then punched his sister to the face and head-butted her, it was claimed.

"She stated that she remembers her nose bursting and blood flowing, which caused her to choke," Mrs McKay continued.

"The next thing she remembers is waking up in hospital and a doctor saying she had been knocked unconscious."

The court heard the woman sustained multiple fractures to her cheekbone and eye socket, along with bruising and swelling down to her neck.

She claimed Magee was still there when she returned home, telling her: "I can't look at you - look what I've done to your face."

Later that month the woman underwent facial surgery at the Ulster Hospital.

"She had to have plates and screws fitted to fix the damage caused by the assault," Mrs McKay added.

Following his arrest on June 27, Magee provided police with a prepared statement accusing his sister of making a malicious complaint.

Defence counsel said his client believes the allegations against him were "dreamt up" after he provided information to social services about the woman's children.

"He denies being in the house, and denies the comments allegedly made two days later," the barrister told the court.

But denying the application, Mr Justice McCloskey ruled there was a risk of re-offending which could have the "gravest consequences imaginable".

The judge added: "As a general rule there's no entirely hopeless case, but this one comes very close indeed."Mario Dacruz was arrested at George Best Belfast City Airport after arriving on a flight on Monday. (stock photo)

Mario Dacruz was arrested at George Best Belfast City Airport after arriving on a flight on Monday.

The 52-year-old, with an address at Rua Armando Lucena in Lisbon, allegedly had a quantity of cocaine in his possession.

He appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court charged with attempting to import the Class A drug.

An investigating detective said he could connect Dacruz to the alleged offence.

No further details were disclosed, and bail was not sought during the brief hearing.

Defence solicitor John McAtamney confirmed: "He has no ties to Northern Ireland."

Dacruz was remanded into custody to appear again by video-link on August 29.Its official - Emily and James were the most popular first names given to baby girls and baby boys in Northern Ireland, for births registered in 2017.

This is one of the findings of the Baby Names 2017 statistics published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

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Emily has been the most popular girls name in each of the past five years, albeit jointly with Grace in 2013, whereas James has been the most popular boys names in each of the past three years.

In terms of boys names, Jack (which held the top spot for 12 consecutive years between 2003 and 2014) comes a close second to James in popularity with Noah in third place. Hunter climbed the greatest number of places to join the top 100 names for boys, rising from rank 207 in 2016 to rank 98 in 2017. Logan joined the boys top 10 for the first time in 2017.

While the popularity of boys names has varied over the years, James, Jack, Daniel and Thomas have all stood the test of time featuring in both the 2017 top 10 and the top 10 a decade previously. Zeplin, Blaise, Maverick, Ace and Jupiter on the other hand, were some of the less common names given to baby boys in 2017.

In terms of girls names, Grace has once again taken second place in the top 10, whilst Olivia comes a close third. Roise climbed the greatest number of places to join the top 100 names for girls, moving from rank 151 in 2016 to rank 90 in 2017. Isla and Charlotte both joined the girls top 10 for the first time in 2017.

Compared with boys, a greater number of girls names have held the top spot since the reporting of first names began in 1997. Some of the less common names given to baby girls in 2017 were Lady, Divine, Rio, Star and Vogue.

Almost 1,000 new baby names were registered in 2017 that had not been registered since the reporting of baby names began in 1997. Blockbuster movies, popular television series, current celebrities and memorable places continue to appear to be influencing factors for some parents.

Of those registrations containing details of the father, almost 500 boys were given their fathers name as a first or additional name. However fewer than 100 girls were given their mothers name.

More generally, the statistics published today highlight that the popularity of baby names in 2017 (both boys and girls) varied, for example, by District Council, age of mother, country of birth of mother and month of registration.

Top 10 baby names in Northern Ireland, 2017

Boys:

James  243 Babies

Jack  226 Babies

Noah  189 Babies

Charlie  185 Babies

Jacob  180 Babies

Harry  169 Babies

Thomas  158 Babies

Daniel  147 Babies

Oliver  143 Babies

Logan  125 Babies

Girls:

Emily  216 Babies

Grace  202 Babies

Olivia  179 Babies

Isla  153 Babies

Anna  142 Babies

Sophie  132 Babies

Ella  128 Babies

Amelia  127 Babies

Charlotte  124 Babies

Sophia  121 BabiesMourners at the funeral of Brian Phelan in Bessbrook

Mourners at the funeral of stab victim Brian Phelan heard yesterday that the father-of-two was a "wonderful and compassionate" person who will be greatly missed by his loved ones.

Mr Phelan's heartbroken family attended Requiem Mass, held in the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Bessbrook, Co Armagh, yesterday morning.

Mr Phelan - who was the victim of a fatal stabbing - was found dead on a rural spot along the Carrivekeeney Road on the outskirts of Newry last Thursday.

For the service a number of people chose to wear flat caps in honour of the 33-year-old, who was originally from Bessbrook and was known for wearing the head attire.

The Very Reverend Father Sean Larkin, who conducted the Mass, said the "appalling" death of Mr Phelan had "saddened and shocked us all", and had "sent shockwaves throughout the community".

And its impact locally had been shown by the number of people who had visited the family in the wake of the Co Armagh man's tragic death, the priest told mourners.

At the start of the service, Mr Phelan's young children, six-year-old daughter Georgia and three-year-old son Brian, laid a flat cap - along with a trowel in a nod to Mr Phelan's profession as a bricklayer - close to a photograph of their late father.

The little ones were helped by Mr Phelan's nieces and nephews as the mother of the deceased's children, Amanda O'Riordan, looked on in tears.

During the homily Fr Larkin spoke movingly on behalf of Mr Phelan's loved ones - including his tearful sisters, Ashling and Michelle who described their "beloved brother" as a "big friendly giant who always had the biggest smile on his face. He was our rock. He was so happy in life. He had a big heart and he adored his nieces and nephews," they said.

They added that their sibling was a "big-hearted family man" who lived for his children. "He was full of character and always had time to help everyone who knew," explained the sisters.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Mourners at the funeral of Brian Phelan in Bessbrook Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Brian Phelan takes place in Bessbrook on July 31st 2018 (Photo by Belfast Telegraph) Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Brian Phelan takes place in Bessbrook on July 31st 2018 (Photo by Belfast Telegraph) Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Brian Phelan takes place in Bessbrook on July 31st 2018 (Photo by Belfast Telegraph) Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Brian Phelan takes place in Bessbrook on July 31st 2018 (Photo by Belfast Telegraph) Belfast Telegraph / Facebook

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"He always protected us. Our hearts are broken. We love you always, our beloved brother Brian."

In his spare time Mr Phelan was also a passionate motor enthusiast, particularly cars and quad bikes. And in tribute to his love for "anything he could drive", the funeral hearse was flanked by motorbikes as it made its way through Bessbrook to the church for the 11am service.

Mr Phelan's mother Angela - who was comforted throughout the service by her daughter Michelle - and his father Paddy, had said their only son was a caring and compassionate person.

"He had the most wonderful smile which always lit up the room," explained Fr Larkin.

His parents added that their son - who had been a protective brother and a devoted father - was "our life, our soul, our rock".

Poignantly, the cleric said Mr Phelan's doting children Georgia and Brian had been left with a loving legacy, as he read out their emotional tribute on the little ones' behalf.

"You have given us the most precious gift of all: time," he read. "You showed us what laughter really means. We love you daddy."

Following the service, Mr Phelan was laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Daniel Carroll, from Edward Street in Portadown, remains in custody after being charged with Mr Phelan's murder following an emotionally-charged magistrate's hearing in Newry last Saturday.Fianna Fail TD Declan Breathnach says he will break from the party line and not support Michael D Higgins in his bid to be re-elected as president.

Mr Breathnach told LMFM on Wednesday he will be campaigning for businessman Gavin Duffy.

The Louth TD said Mr Duffy and his wife Orlaith would bring a new dynamic to the Aras.

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Fianna Fail voted to back the current president and will not field a candidate in the election, but some in the party were unhappy about the decision.

Mr Duffy, an Irish Dragons Den entrepreneur, made his first political speech to councillors at Waterford City & County Council on Tuesday.

He is seeking the backing of four local councils before he can enter his name on the ballot paper

He added that he and his wife will be stepping away from their consultancy business if he is successful.

Asked if he was breaking rank, Mr Breathnach said: Absolutely, Im entitled to vote for who I believe in.Arlene Foster has accused the Irish premier of interfering in Northern Ireland affairs, questioning his claim that new talks to break the Stormont deadlock are set for the autumn.

The Democratic Unionist leader responded in robust terms to Leo Varadkars assertion that the UK and Irish governments would try to reconvene negotiations between local parties, potentially in October.

The former first minister said she was not aware of any such proposal and had not been informed of any by the London Government.

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We havent heard from our own Government in relation to this, all weve had is comments from the Irish Republics Government, she said.

That does cause me concern because in the last round of talks the Irish Government tried to interfere in Strand One issues (issues related to Northern Irelands internal government).

We had to push back a number times and say to them that, in relation to the internal matters of Northern Ireland, those are matters for the United Kingdom Government and the parties in Northern Ireland.

In an interview with BBC Radio Ulster, she added: As I understand it there isnt a proposal at the moment, there are just comments made by the Irish Government.

The ministerial executive at Stormont collapsed 19 months ago and repeated rounds of negotiations have failed to restore it.

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On Tuesday, Taoiseach Mr Varadkar told a media briefing in Dublin: We would intend, in the autumn some time, trying again to get the parties in Northern Ireland together.

I think the absence of any clarity around Brexit makes that very difficult but if we can have that in October, I think there is an opportunity, certainly before the end of the year, to get the assembly and executive up and running.

Stormont crashed in January 2017 amid a row about a botched green energy scheme. It later widened to take in issues such as the Irish language, LGBT rights and the legacy of the Troubles.

The last bid to resurrect the troubled institutions failed in February when the DUP pulled the plug on talks with Sinn Fein.

Sinn Fein insisted a draft deal had been signed off with the DUP at that point, and accused the party of getting cold feet in the face of an internal revolt from grassroots members angry about potential concessions in the dispute over the Irish language.

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The DUP denied the claim, insisting it exchanged numerous papers with Sinn Fein during the negotiation process but none amounted to a draft agreement.

The main logjam relates to Sinn Feins insistence on a free-standing piece of legislation to protect Irish language speakers. The DUP will legislate to protect Irish, but only as part of wider legislation that takes in other cultures, such as the Ulster Scots tradition.

On Wednesday, Mrs Foster made clear that her opposition to a standalone Irish language act was non-negotiable.

On Monday, in an interview with the Press Association, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said the partys stance in February remained its bottom line going into any fresh negotiations.

On Wednesday, she told Radio Ulster: We can talk from here to eternity, what we need is delivery, we need delivery on agreement, we need delivery on peoples rights.

I think constructive politics, grown-up politics, responsible politics, recognises that the days of prevarication and allowing the DUP to hold back change are over and any set of talks needs to be premised on that very, very clear understanding.

In response to Mr Varadkars comments on Tuesday, the UK Government said: The Secretary of State (Karen Bradley) and UK Governments top priority remains the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland.

She will continue to work with all the Northern Ireland parties  and with the Irish Government within the three-stranded approach  to remove the barriers to restoring the executive and a fully functioning assembly.A food industry boss has called for a meeting with the Government as he warned that Brexit is becoming the stuff of nightmares.

Food and Drink Federation (FDF) chief executive Ian Wright urged ministers to explain the implications of a no-deal Brexit to businesses in the industry.

He told the i newspaper: Brexit is shaping up to be the stuff of nightmares and its essential the Government begins to explain a) to businesses and b) the public exactly what the implications of a no-deal Brexit are.

Mr Wright added that, despite Government plans to issue notices to advise shoppers and businesses about the arrangements and difficulties of Brexit, ministers would be better informed if they sought the expertise of industry workers.

Speculation around stockpiling has been mounting in recent days following suggestions from ministers that it would be a sensible thing for the Government to do.

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Mr Wright last week called for a meeting with Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab at the earliest opportunity in response to comments he made to the Brexit Select Committee, where he suggested it would be up to suppliers to stockpile food in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Raab said it would be wrong to suggest that the Government would be responsible for amassing large amounts of supplies.

But he said it would take steps to ensure adequate food supply.

An FDF spokesman said Mr Raab had not yet responded to Mr Wright.

It emerged on Tuesday that plans for a permanent solution to Operation Stack, which is activated at the port of Dover to ease cross-channel traffic, is unlikely to be in place for many years.

A report from Dover District Council said an interim temporary traffic management system, named Operation Brock, will be in place for some time.

The plan will see a 13-mile stretch of the M20 turned into a temporary lorry park to ease congestion in parts of Kent.

The report also suggested that the port town could be surrounded by a gridlock as a result of potential regulatory and tariff barriers between the UK and the EU.

This would have a domino effect on the supply chain and the shelf-life of perishable foods in the event of increased waiting times, the report added.

Another industry boss this week warned that a no-deal Brexit would limit supplies to shoppers.

Jim Winship, director of the British Sandwich & Food to Go Association, told BBC Newsnight on Monday: We live in a just-in-time world. We dont stockpile ingredients.

There are probably going to be shortages of ingredients, particularly like tomatoes, which we buy in quite a lot from Spain and Europe generally, lettuce.

Prime Minister Theresa May and Government ministers last week suggested that stockpiling food supplies could be a sensible part of contingency plans.

Mrs May told 5 News: That concept, what it is, is about making sure that we will be able to continue to do the things that are necessary once we have left the European Union, if we leave without a deal.

A Government spokeswoman denied stockpiling plans and said: We will consider any meeting requests received and respond in the usual way.

The UK has an excellent level of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from third countries. This will continue to be the case as we leave the EU.

While we are making sensible preparations for all eventualities as we leave the EU, there are no plans to stockpile food. Whether we negotiate a deal or not, this will not be necessary.

The Government has well established ways of working with the food industry to prevent disruption  and we will be using these to support preparations for leaving the EU. Consumers will continue to have access to a range of different products.Emergency vehicles that attended the scene will be examined (Yui Mok/PA)

Detectives investigating the Novichok poisonings of Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturgess are to undertake precautionary testing of the ambulances used to treat the pair.

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance, the ambulance station, emergency vehicles and the kit worn by the first medical staff to respond to the 999 alert will be examined by experts.

Mr Rowley, 45, and Ms Sturgess, 44, fell ill in Amesbury, near Salisbury, on June 30 after being contaminated by the nerve agent.

Ms Sturgess, a mother-of-three, died eight days later having never gained consciousness. Her funeral was held on Monday.

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Mr Rowley has said the nerve agent took just 15 minutes to poison Ms Sturgess after she sprayed the oily substance on to her wrists believing it was perfume he had given her as a gift.

It was the second nerve agent incident in four months following the case of Sergei Skripal, 67, and his daughter Yulia, 33, who were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury in March.

Wiltshire Police said the highly precautionary process was designed to ensure that no onward contamination has taken place.

The force said that to allow specialists to carry out their work the ambulance station at Semington will be closed temporarily and the air ambulance will also be tested and be unable to fly.

This highly precautionary activity is focused on ensuring that we take all steps necessary to consider any remediation activity which may be necessary in the longer term to further reduce any residual riskWiltshire Police deputy chief constable Paul Mills

While the helicopter is out of action, the charitys paramedics and doctors will instead respond to emergencies in rapid response cars.

Wiltshire Police deputy chief constable Paul Mills, who is leading the multi-agency response to the incident, said: We are very aware that this news might cause some concern to our communities.

The work we are undertaking forms part of the wider ongoing response to the incident and is the next logical precautionary step in the process.

This highly precautionary activity is focused on ensuring that we take all steps necessary to consider any remediation activity which may be necessary in the longer term to further reduce any residual risk.

David Philpott, chief executive of Wiltshire Air Ambulance, said: As is normal procedure when our helicopter is unable to fly, our paramedics and doctors will respond to emergencies in rapid response cars, providing critical care to patients.

We are incredibly proud to provide a lifesaving service in Wiltshire and surrounding counties and thank everyone, including our colleagues at neighbouring air ambulances, who will offer support in the short term.

Police and crime commissioner Angus Macpherson added: All agencies are working closely together and are working incredibly hard to ensure the safety of staff and of course of the public.

Its right that action is taken to rigorously and thoroughly test where the scientific advice dictates its appropriate to do so.

Public safety must remain the number one priority and I am confident this is at the absolute forefront of any action taken.Former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson is facing a fresh hearing over an allegation that he committed contempt of court by filming people in a criminal trial and broadcasting footage on social media.

Three leading judges in London quashed a contempt finding made at Leeds Crown Court in May, and granted Robinson conditional bail from a 13-month jail sentence pending new proceedings at the Old Bailey.

Robinson was not present on Wednesday when the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, Mr Justice Turner and Mrs Justice McGowan announced their decision  which was greeted with a round of applause by supporters in the packed courtroom.

The judges said that a fresh hearing should be held as soon as reasonably possible.

They said they were satisfied that the decision at Leeds to proceed to committal to prison so promptly, and without due regard to rules governing the procedure to be followed when a Crown Court deals with the conduct of a person alleged to have acted in contempt of court, gave rise to unfairness.

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Lord Burnett announced: We allow the appeal and remit the matter to be heard by a different judge. There is no requirement that it be heard in Leeds

We invite the Attorney General to nominate an advocate to appear at the fresh hearing.

It is important that the case is presented by someone other than a judge, having taken proper steps to set out the offending conduct, by reference to the video in question.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Pacemaker 09/06/2018 A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Credit: Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 Counter protesters at A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 Counter protesters at A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker Pacemaker 09/06/2018 A rally at Belfast City hall on Saturday in support of Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, who was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds crown court. Pic Pacemaker / Facebook

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He said: The appellant will be granted bail pending the rehearing. That bail will be conditional.

We order that he is not to approach within 400 metres of Leeds Crown Court.

Lord Burnett added that the rehearing will be conducted by the Recorder of London at the Old Bailey as soon as reasonably possible.

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The judges had been urged to overturn two contempt of court findings against Robinson, 35, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon  the one made at Leeds Crown Court and an earlier finding at Canterbury Crown Court.

At a hearing in July, his QC Jeremy Dein argued that procedural deficiencies had given rise to prejudice.

Mr Dein also submitted that the sentence was manifestly excessive and that insufficient regard had been given to personal mitigation.

Robinson was jailed in May after he filmed people involved in a criminal trial and broadcast the footage on social media.

The footage, lasting around an hour, was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted on Facebook.

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The far-right activist was given 10 months for contempt of court, which he admitted, and a further three months for breaching a previous suspended sentence.

Robinson was detained outside Leeds Crown Court after using social media to broadcast details of a trial which is subject to blanket reporting restrictions.

In May last year he had faced contempt proceedings over footage he filmed during the trial of four men who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl.

A judge at Canterbury Crown Court gave him a three-month suspended sentence and told him his punishment was not about freedom of speech or freedom of the press but about justice and ensuring that a trial can be carried out justly and fairly.

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Mr Dein argued during the recent appeal proceedings that the findings of contempt of court on each occasion should be quashed as a conglomeration of procedural deficiencies had given rise to prejudice.

The QC said the proceedings in Leeds had been unnecessarily and unjustifiably rushed.

He told the judges: We maintain it is of particular importance that right from the outset the appellant, albeit in a very stressful and difficult situation, offered to have the live stream taken down and contact people who could do so.

There had been no intention to disrupt the trial or to breach any order, Mr Dein said.

Lord Burnett, giving reasons for the courts decision relating to the Leeds Crown Court allegation, said that once Robinson had removed the video from Facebook there was no longer sufficient urgency to justify immediate proceedings.

The judge at Leeds should not have commenced contempt proceedings that day.

Lord Burnett said no particulars of the contempt were formulated or put to the appellant, and there was a muddle over the nature of the contempt being considered.

He added: Where a custodial term of considerable length is being imposed, it should not usually occur so quickly after the conduct which is complained of; a sentence of committal to immediate custody had been pronounced within five hours of the conduct taking place.

The judges announced they had dismissed Robinsons appeal in respect of the contempt finding at Canterbury Crown Court.

A group of about 30 anti-fascist protesters gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice after the ruling, shouting chants including Nazi scum, off our streets and refugees are welcome here.Former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson has been freed on bail by leading judges after winning his challenge against a contempt of court finding.

Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and two other judges in London quashed a finding of contempt made against Robinson at Leeds Crown Court in May when he was sentenced to 13 months in jail.

Announcing the decision on Wednesday, Lord Burnett said the court was allowing his appeal in respect of the committal for contempt at Leeds Crown Court.

He added: The appellant is granted bail and the matter of contempt at Leeds Crown Court is remitted to be heard again.

The judges had been urged to overturn two contempt of court findings against Robinson, 35, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon  made at Leeds Crown Court and earlier at Canterbury Crown Court.

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At a hearing in July, his QC Jeremy Dein argued that procedural deficiencies had given rise to prejudice.

Mr Dein also submitted that the sentence was manifestly excessive and that insufficient regard had been given to personal mitigation.

Robinson was jailed in May after he filmed people involved in a criminal trial and broadcast the footage on social media.

The footage, lasting around an hour, was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted on Facebook.

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The far-right activist was given 10 months for contempt of court, which he admitted, and a further three months for breaching a previous suspended sentence.

Robinson was detained outside Leeds Crown Court after using social media to broadcast details of a trial which is subject to blanket reporting restrictions.

In May last year he narrowly avoided jail over footage he filmed during the trial of four men who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl.

A judge at Canterbury Crown Court gave him a three-month suspended sentence and told him his punishment was not about freedom of speech or freedom of the press but about justice and ensuring that a trial can be carried out justly and fairly.

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Mr Dein argued during the recent appeal proceedings that the findings of contempt of court on each occasion should be quashed as a conglomeration of procedural deficiencies had given rise to prejudice.

The QC said the proceedings in Leeds had been unnecessarily and unjustifiably rushed.

He told the judges: We maintain it is of particular importance that right from the outset the appellant, albeit in a very stressful and difficult situation, offered to have the live stream taken down and contact people who could do so.

There had been no intention to disrupt the trial or to breach any order, Mr Dein said.

Lord Burnett, giving reasons for the courts decision relating to the Leeds Crown Court allegation, said that once Robinson had removed the video from Facebook there was no longer sufficient urgency to justify immediate proceedings.

The judge at Leeds should not have commenced contempt proceedings that day.

Lord Burnett said no particulars of the contempt were formulated or put to the appellant, and there was a muddle over the nature of the contempt being considered.

He added: Where a custodial term of considerable length is being imposed, it should not usually occur so quickly after the conduct which is complained of; a sentence of committal to immediate custody had been pronounced within five hours of the conduct taking place.

Robinson was not present for the decision and is expected to be released later from prison.

The judges announced they were dismissing Robinsons appeal in respect of the contempt finding at Canterbury Crown Court.

A group of about 30 anti-fascist protestors gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice after the ruling, shouting chants including Nazi scum, off our streets and refugees are welcome here.

In court, his supporters broke into a round of applause when the appeal judges announced their decision.Online auction features 100 Desna toilet rolls being sold in packs of 12 for 255 in the 41-lot auction (S847/Getty Images)

The US Embassy in London has relocated to a new facility in Battersea and is auctioning off unwanted items  including a second-hand Volvo, a printer and 1,200 toilet rolls.

The online auction, which began on Monday, features 100 Desna toilet rolls being sold in packs of 12 for 255 as part of a 41-lot auction.

An embassy spokeswoman said: Our new building has different toilet paper dispensers than our previous building.

So we had excess supply from our old building that we are no longer able to use.

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The US embassy recently located from Grosvenor Square in Mayfair to the new 762m new Nine Elms facility in Battersea.

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The spokeswoman added: Our embassies around the world host auctions on a periodic basis as a way of disposing excess property that is no longer needed.

We have guidelines set as to how those auctions are held and where the funds that are raised from this auction go. Essentially, they go back to the Treasury.

Other lots in the auction include a Bosch circular saw, a ceramic lamp without a shade (120), an HP laptop (181), five Dyson vacuum cleaners (priced between 34-50), 22 plastic stacking chairs with wheels (102) and a 2007 Volvo (6,494).

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The spokeswoman added: Its not uncommon for us to auction off old embassy vehicles in this way.

Other US embassies currently having clear-outs include the ones located in Turkey, Armenia and Ukraine with auctions planned for the sites in Portugal, Serbia and Sweden.Officers arrived at the scene after getting a call from the pool owner (Township of Hamilton Police Department)

Its hot, its humid and all we want to do is take a nice cold dip to cool us down.

And no-one knows this more than the deer in New Jersey, US, who attempted to do just that.

The animal tried to beat the summer heat by jumping into a local backyard pool.

The Hamilton Police Department arrived at the scene after getting a call from the pool owner.

They found the deer had been doing laps in the pool  obviously getting in shape to start preparing for the cold winter weather.

The cops wrote in a Facebook post: This morning, officers from the Township of Hamilton Police Department responded to the 2000 block of Skip Morgan Drive for exactly that!

This little cutie decided that it was a bit too humid out today and was looking for some relief!

Officers Thumhart, Bakker and McCarthy were able to use the deer rescue training they learned in the academy (not really) to safely remove the deer from the pool.

It then decided to take in some sun and relax for a few minutes, before running back into the woods to spread the word!Facebook said more than 290,000 accounts followed at least one of the fake pages (PA)

Facebook set off a firestorm on Tuesday, announcing that it had uncovered sophisticated efforts, possibly linked to Russia, to manipulate US politics and by extension the upcoming midterm elections.

The company was careful to hedge its announcement; it did not connect the effort directly to Russia or to the midterms, now less than a hundred days away.

Its findings were limited to 32 apparently fake accounts on Facebook and Instagram, which the company removed because they were involved in coordinated and inauthentic political behaviour.

But official Washington went ballistic anyway, not least because the reported activity so closely mirrored Russian influence efforts during the 2016 presidential election.

Nearly 300,000 people followed at least one of the newly banned accounts and thousands expressed interest in events they promoted.

This is an absolute attack on our democracy, said Virginia Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee and one of several politicians Facebook had briefed in advance.

He expressed pretty high confidence that Russia was behind the assault.

A spokesman for Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said Facebook had informed his office that that a limited group of Russian actors has attempted to spread disinformation using its platform and that the affected groups are affiliated with the political left.

The identified accounts sought to promote divisions and set Americans against one another, wrote Ben Nimmo and Graham Brookie of the Atlantic Councils Digital Forensic Research Lab in a blog post Tuesday.

The non-profit is working with Facebook to find and analyse abuse on its service.

The perpetrators, Facebook noted, have been more careful to cover their tracks than in 2016, in part because of steps Facebook has taken to prevent abuse over the past year.

For example, they used virtual private networks and internet phone services to mask their locations, and paid third parties to run ads on their behalf.

After it became clear that Russia-linked actors used social media to try to influence the 2016 US election, Facebook has escalated countermeasures intended to prevent a repeat.

It has cracked down on fake accounts and tried to slow the spread of fake news and misinformation through outside fact-checkers.

The company has also announced new guidelines around political advertisements, requiring disclosure of who paid for them and keeping a database.

I am glad to see that Facebook is taking a much-needed step toward limiting the use of their platform by foreign influence campaigns. The goal of these operations is to sow discord, distrust, and division. https://t.co/Fzwr1QFfG0  Richard Burr (@SenatorBurr) July 31, 2018

Facebook has ramped up spending on these and other measures, so much so that it finally spooked investors with a forecast of lower profitability last Wednesday.

Facebooks shares promptly dropped almost 20% and have not recovered.

While the company would not say who is behind the efforts, Facebook said it uncovered links between the accounts it just deleted and those created by Russias Internet Research Agency in the 2016 influence effort.

For example, the Atlantic Councils researchers noted language patterns that indicate non-native English and consistent mistranslation, as well as an overwhelming focus on polarising issues.

The accounts seemed focused on building up an online audience and moving it to offline events, such as protests.

The earliest page was created in March 2017.

Facebook said more than 290,000 accounts followed at least one of the fake pages.

The most followed Facebook pages had names such as Aztlan Warriors, Black Elevation, Mindful Being, and Resisters.

Facebook did not provide detailed descriptions of those pages. But their names parallel those of 2016 groups established by Russian agents to manipulate Americans with particular ethnic, cultural or political identities. That effort targeted people with both liberal and conservative leanings.

This time, though, the pages Facebook found focused exclusively at engaging and influencing the left end of the American political spectrum, according to the Atlantic Council researchers.

Facebook says the pages ran about 150 ads for 11,000 dollars on Facebook and Instagram, paid for in US and Canadian dollars. The first ad was created in April 2017; the last was created in June 2018.

On a Tuesday conference call, Facebook executives declined to say much more, including whether the pages spanned a range of political opinion and whether the accounts mentioned specific candidates or politicians.

Its clear much more work needs to be done before the midterms to harden our defenses, because foreign bad actors are using the exact same playbook they used in 2016  dividing us along political and ideological lines.



As Dan Coats said, the warning lights are blinking red. https://t.co/ifev077BHe  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) July 31, 2018

California Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said more work needs to be done before the midterm elections.

Foreign bad actors are using the exact same playbook they used in 2016, he said. They are dividing us along political and ideological lines, to the detriment of our cherished democratic system.

The intelligence panel is planning to hold a hearing in early September with Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey and an executive from Google.

President Donald Trump has offered mixed messages on Russian interference, at times even calling it a hoax.

After appearing to question whether the Russians would try again to interfere earlier this month, he acknowledged last week in a tweet that the midterms were a likely target. But he said that Democrats, not his fellow Republicans, would be the ones supported by Russia.

On Tuesday, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said that Mr Trump has made it clear his administration will not tolerate foreign interference in our electoral process from any nation state or other malicious actors.The airliner crashed in a field near the airport of Durango, Mexico (Civil Defence Office of Durango Photo via AP)

An Aeromexico plane carrying 103 people has crashed after taking off in a blustery storm, with all the people aboard able to escape before fire engulfed the aircraft.

Passengers expressed gratitude to be alive, but many were extremely shaken after the crash on Tuesday afternoon.

It was really, really ugly, said Lorenzo Nunez, a passenger from Chicago who fled the plane with his two sons and wife.

It burned in a question of seconds, he told reporters.

Survivors said the Embraer 190 plane smashed down into a nearby field but skidded to a stop virtually intact before bursting into flames.

We felt the flames coming quickly  there was a lot of smoke, Jaquelin Flores told the newspaper El Sol.

Romulo Campuzano, head of a political party in Durango state who was on the plane, told Foro TV that both wings were on fire as he bolted from the aircraft.

Durango state governor Jose Aispuro said a gust of wind hit flight AM2431 heading from the city of Durango to Mexico City just as it was lifting off the tarmac, forcing the pilot to abort take-off.

Passengers said they heard a loud noise as the planes left wing banged to the ground, and both engines tore loose. The plane stayed upright, though, and the escape slides activated.

Mr Aispuro said it was too soon to speculate on the cause of the crash.

Mechanical failure and human error could be factors, but certainly the weather was not favourable.

Strong wind and heavy rain with marble-sized hail lashed Durango city, even damaging hangars at the airport.

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The most important thing in the seriousness that is an accident of this nature is that there were no deaths  thats what is most encouraging for us, Mr Aispuro said at a news conference.

After the accident, several passengers walked away from the plane before first responders arrived.

Some sought medical help, while others rushed home to loved ones. Officials spent much of the afternoon tracking down survivors to ensure that everyone was accounted for.

Officials said 49 people had been taken to hospital  most with minor injuries. The pilot suffered the most serious injury, a cervical lesion that required surgery.

Some people had burns on a quarter of their bodies, said Durango state Health Ministry spokesman Fernando Ros.

Mr Aispuro said all were expected to live.

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Aeromexico chief executive officer Andres Conesa described the day as very difficult and credited the timely reaction of crew and passengers for the lack of fatalities.

Our heart is with those affected and their families, he said at an evening news conference.

Mr Conesa said the passengers included 88 adults, nine children and two babies and the crew consisted of two flight attendants and two pilots.

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He said the plane had been sent for maintenance in February and the crew was well-rested, having started their work day in Durango.

The web site Planespotters.net said the Brazilian-made medium-range jet was about 10 years old and had seen service with two other airlines before joining the Aeromexico fleet.

Operations were suspended at Durango citys Guadalupe Victoria airport after the crash.A sketch of the courtroom during the trial of Paul Manafort (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

Paul Manafort orchestrated a multi-million-dollar conspiracy to evade US tax and banking laws, leaving behind a trail of lies as he lived a lavish lifestyle, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

During his opening statement in the case against the former Trump campaign chairman, assistant US attorney Uzo Asonye told a jury that Manafort considered himself above the law as he funnelled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts.

That secret income was used to pay for personal expenses such as a 21,000 dollar (16,000) watch, a 15,000 dollar (11,400) jacket made of ostrich and more than 6 million dollars (4.5 million) worth of real estate paid for in cash, Mr Asonye said.

A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him  not tax law, not banking law, Mr Asonye said as he sketched out the evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Muellers team in Manaforts bank fraud and tax evasion trial.

It is the first trial arising from Mr Muellers investigation into potential ties between Donald Trumps presidential campaign and Russia. Mr Mueller was not present in the courtroom.

A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him  not tax law, not banking lawUzo Asonye

Defence lawyer Thomas Zehnle said in his opening statement that Manafort trusted others to keep track of the millions of dollars he was earning from his Ukrainian political work.

He made clear that undermining the credibility of Rick Gates, his former business associate and the governments star witness, was central to the defence strategy.

Mr Zehnle said Manafort, earning millions as a political consultant helping officials in other parts of the world, relied on Gates and others  including a professional accounting firm  to keep watch over the money.

Moneys coming in fast. Its a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it, Mr Zehnle said. Thats what Rick Gates was being paid to do.

He warned jurors that Gates could not be trusted and was the type of witness who would say anything he could to save himself from a lengthy prison sentence and a crippling financial penalty.

Gates, who spent years working for Manafort in Ukraine and is also accused of helping him falsify paperwork used to obtain the bank loans, cut a plea deal with Mr Mueller earlier this year. Gates also worked as an aide on Mr Trumps campaign.

Manafort, who has been jailed for nearly two months, wore a black suit and appeared fully engaged in his defence, whispering with his lawyers during jury selection and scribbling notes as the prosecution began its opening statement.

Before the start of jury selection on Tuesday, prosecutors filed an expanded list of its evidence exhibits, including several email chains between Manafort and Stephen Calk, a Chicago bank chairman. The added evidence also appeared to include documents related to bank accounts in Cyprus.

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The government intends to show that Manafort funnelled more than 60 million dollars (45 million) in proceeds from his Ukrainian political consulting through offshore accounts and hid a significant portion of it from the IRS.

Mr Asonye said Manafort created bogus loans, falsified documents and lied to his tax preparer and bookkeeper to conceal the money, which he obtained from Ukrainian oligarchs through a series of shell company transfers and later from fraudulently obtained bank loans in the US.

But Mr Zehnle disputed prosecutors account that Manafort was trying to conceal his earnings by storing money in bank accounts in Cyprus. He said that arrangement was not Manaforts doing but was instead the preferred method of payment of the supporters of the pro-Russia Ukrainian political party who were paying his consulting fees.

Defence lawyers also sought to address head-on Manaforts wealth and the images of a gaudy lifestyle that jurors are expected to see during the trial.

Paul Manafort travelled in circles that most people will never know and hes gotten handsomely rewarded for it, Mr Zehnle said. We do not dispute that.

The judge even interrupted the prosecutor during his opening statements to caution him against suggesting there was something criminal about being a multi-millionaire.

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Prosecutors made no reference to Mr Trump in their opening statement nor discussed in any way Manaforts leadership of the Trump campaign, or the ongoing investigation into potential collusion between Russia and the presidents associates. Despite that, Manaforts case is widely viewed as a test to the legitimacy of Mr Muellers ongoing probe, which Mr Trump has dismissed as a witch hunt.

The trial is expected to last several weeks.

Manafort has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the US government.Have women let the side down in Northern Ireland? Women politicians, I mean. Some years ago, when women in local politics were a rarity (and we still have some way to go) I wrote articles bemoaning this dearth and arguing for a more balanced gender representation at the polls.

I didn't think women politicians would necessarily be better than their male counterparts.

But I did think they'd bring something a bit different to the party. Or, in this case, parties.

More common sense. A more grounded feel for what used to be called the bread and butter issues.

Yes, women also understood the importance of flags and emblems (who here doesn't?), but back then I also truly - naively - believed, more female representatives would inject a bit of down-to-earth realism, compassion even, into local politics.

And just look at how well that has panned out, sisters.

At no time in the history of this place have more women held more power.

Yet Stormont is currently in abeyance, the Assembly is unassembled and nobody's speaking.

Michelle isn't speaking to Arlene who isn't speaking to Naomi who has no time for Theresa who sent us Karen who appears to think the best way to deal with all this is just sit back and let it fester.

Meanwhile, Mary Lou in Dublin is on her high horse about Brexit, yet won't dispatch to Westminster the Sinn Fein MPs who could actually make a difference.

Which might be a pointer as to how much she/they really care.

It's inaction and impasse all round. Sitting back and gurning. But not actually doing anything about any of it.

This week, the only flutter of movement on Stormont's cardiac monitor was another downward blip.

Citing the absence of the Assembly as a contributory factor in his decision, Steven Agnew announced he will be stepping down as leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland. He will remain as an MLA, though.

While Steven is honest enough to point out that, with two young children, his own priorities may have changed, he describes how he is also all too well aware of public disgust over what he calls the Stormont "betrayal".

He recounts how when he would go into his local - Fealty's in Bangor - people used to say to him: "What are you having to drink, Steven?"

Now it's more likely to be: "Are you still getting paid?"

They say it with a smile, he notes. I imagine Mr Agnew is clever enough to know that behind his back the smiling is more likely to be sneering. Sneering, not at him personally perhaps, but at a local political system that has entirely betrayed us all.

He adds: "I am angry that we have two parties that are putting their needs as parties ahead of the needs of the people of Northern Ireland.

"I don't think anyone could say this period of suspension... is good for Northern Ireland."

And there you have a politician who speaks for us all.

That said, it's unlikely we'll have a Green First Minister any time soon. Come election-time, most voters here are likely to plump, as they always do, for one of the Big Two.

Which is what the Big Two count on. It's what's made them arrogant. It's what's made them complacent. Why should they even bother to make the effort to get along with each other? Stalemate, stand-off, stubbornness, suits them just fine.

We can't blame female politicians entirely for this state of affairs.

I just would have thought female political leaders might have done more to tackle it.

And I suppose it's sexist of me to admit I once really truly believed that more women in politics would have shaken things up - in a positive way.

That they would have been more focused on the everyday needs of those who'd voted for them. Less on the flags and emblems stuff, more concerned about hospitals, schools, workers' pay packets...

As it turns out... more fool me.The DUP have a massive problem with managing the fallout from Ian Paisley MP's exclusion from the House of Commons for 30 sitting days. This heavy sanction - unprecedented in modern times - reflected the gravity with which the Standards Committee and the House of Commons unanimously viewed his non-declaration of two luxury holidays, paid for by a foreign government, namely Sri Lanka.

The monetary value of these holidays was not determined, but was at least 50,000 and maybe as high as 100,000.

In accepting such dubious hospitality, Ian Paisley should surely have realised that this had to be disclosed to the House of Commons, fully and timely. But he did not.

The Sri Lankan government had a heavy shadow hanging over it, due to the extremely serious allegations levelled at it by international human rights bodies and the United Nations over the manner in which its armed forces brought the long-running civil war in that country to an end.

Reputable international bodies have expressed deep concern at the way in which Sri Lanka's armed forces successfully, but ruthlessly, suppressed the remnants of the Tamil Tiger rebels, who had started a rebellion over 26 years previously.

In order to finally suppress the rebellion in 2009, it is alleged that the army attacked the rebels without any regard for the safety of the civilian population of men, women and children living and sheltering in the affected rebel-controlled areas.

Thousands of ordinary civilians were killed, or injured, and forced from their homes. The Sri Lankan army has been widely blamed for the carnage.

It was on behalf of this same Sri Lankan government that Ian Paisley lobbied the British Government to actively oppose a proposed United Nations resolution to hold an international investigation into the many allegations of human rights abuses.

It is hard to believe that any MP - let alone the DUP member for North Antrim - would oppose such a highly warranted and necessary international investigation.

Lobbying on behalf of the Sri Lankan government in such circumstances hardly inspires much confidence in Ian Paisley's concern for human rights for the victims of political violence in a post-conflict situation, such as we have here.

On foot of the House of Commons exclusion, the DUP have suspended Ian Paisley from membership of the party, "pending further investigation into his conduct".

This rather cryptic phraseology suggests that there might be even more matters to be addressed, over and above the Sri Lankan luxury holidays.

But although the DUP are deeply embarrassed by this affair, they also have two further major problems arising out of Paisley's serious breach of parliamentary rules and standards.

The first is that he cannot vote on crucial Brexit-related matters, probably right up to December, given the vagaries of the parliamentary timetable.

This means that the DUP support for Theresa May has been weakened down to nine members and, given the closeness of recent Brexit-related votes, could put some of her proposals in jeopardy. This is a significant embarrassment for the DUP leadership at such an important time.

But, worse still, under new rules, an MP found to have seriously contravened the rules of the House of Commons could be forced to give up his seat, as a result of a recall procedure enacted by 10% of the constituency's electorate.

There are clearly enough Sinn Fein, SDLP, TUV and UUP voters in North Antrim to achieve that recall with relative ease and bring about a by-election.

While it well might be that Ian Paisley is favourite to be elected in that by-election, there can be no certainty of that in these current circumstances.

Undoubtedly, Paisley has greatly benefited over the years from his father's legendary status.

However, Ian Paisley Snr had a reputation for open and plain living.

Many ordinary DUP voters will be aghast, disappointed and even angry at the self-indulgence of Ian Paisley and his family and in his secretly accepting such over-the-top hospitality from a dubious foreign government.

In North Antrim, Jim Allister MLA is an extraordinary and formidable political rival and might persuade that strongly pro-Brexit constituency to swap loyalties and send the militantly pro-Brexit advocate to Westminster.

The unionist electorate of North Antrim knows that only a unionist can be elected and they might want to teach Paisley and the increasingly scandal-ridden DUP a harsh lesson.

If Peter Robinson MP could, in 2010, lose his safe East Belfast seat, Jim Allister should not be ruled out of contention in North Antrim in 2018.

What a bitter irony if Ian Paisley's brashness and self-indulgence allows the ex-MEP and bitter rival Jim Allister to triumph at the polls and be catapulted into Brexit-dominated Westminster.It must rank as one of the fastest U-turns in Irish politics. One moment Sinn Fein's new leader Mary Lou McDonald, insists that the time is not right for a border poll. Within hours she does a complete switcheroo and declares that one should be held "as soon as possible".

Unlike Margaret Thatcher in that famous Tory conference speech, it seems this particular lady is for turning.

One can only speculate as to the hullabaloo that must have erupted in republican inner circles in order to prompt such a speedy and humiliating climbdown.

Suffice to say that her ears must be burning from the backlash.

As for what hand a certain bearded former leader might have played in her dramatic change of mind, only Mary Lou can reveal, and, being a loyal party lady, she surely won't tell.

Mary Lou duly got back on-message yesterday by insisting that the risks of a disorderly Brexit showed the "utter failure of partition" and heightened, rather than diminished, the need for people north and south to have a say on their constitutional future.

Crisis averted. But republicans must be scratching their heads in bafflement as to why she said what she did in the first place.

It could be that Mary Lou is a diligent student of Napoleon.

The French Emperor believed you should never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake.

With the UK headed for the increasing likelihood of a "no deal" exit from the EU, McDonald may feel that the long-term prospect of Irish unity will be enhanced by letting that process play itself out and seeing how the land lies afterwards, rather than forcing the issue while everything's still up in the air.

And, to be fair, she might be right about that.

As the respected political analyst Danny Dyer recently pointed out, Brexit is a "mad riddle" and no one really knows what's going to happen next. It could well be that adopting a "wait-and-see" attitude is the wisest course of action.

It's still jaw-dropping to hear an Irish republican leader declare a "strong preference" for putting off a vote on Irish unity.

A united Ireland is not just one policy among others; it's integral to what it means to be a republican at all. "England's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity" is the first rule of Sinn Fein's ancient Fight Club.

For Mary Lou to put all that to one side, for whatever cunning tactical reasons, is akin to Donald Trump suddenly announcing that he doesn't think America is that great anyway.

They may have disagreed about the right way to attain unity, but no previous Irish republican leader would ever have made the rookie error of dismissing the removal of the border as a "simplistic" answer to complex questions - even if that's exactly what it is.

It's all the more surprising that Mary Lou did fall into this hole when there's little chance of the Secretary of State agreeing to a border poll in any case, so demanding one on a regular basis is a fairly risk-free strategy for Sinn Fein.

Republicans have always enjoyed the political benefits of pushing for an island-wide referendum on unity, even if privately they think it's not the right time to have one.

Why on Earth would Mary Lou give up the advantages of both having her cake and eating it?

She may, in her ham-fisted way, simply have been trying to make a gesture to match former First Minister Peter Robinson's words at the MacGill Summer School in Co Donegal. His advice during a Q&A after a speech there for unionists to start making preparations for a united Ireland set the cat among the unionist pigeons.

If she really does think there's a game-changing conversation going on in pro-Union circles as to the benefits of Irish unity, she might have concluded that slow and steady wins the race, and that it's best to let such a debate take its natural course without scaring away potential allies with the imminent threat of a change in the constitutional status.

If so, she's likely to be disappointed, but it wouldn't be an unreasonable position for the Sinn Fein leader to adopt.

Whatever the real reason, Mary Lou's unilateral shift on the issue of a border poll can only confirm suspicions among the party's northern supporters that her eyes are fixed on the main prize of government in the Republic, probably alongside the ruling Fine Gael party.

The Republic's Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney flirts with old school nationalist oratory, but his horror at the idea of a border poll is entirely genuine. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has also said the time isn't right.

Mary Lou's original remarks were, surely, intended to demonstrate to future coalition partners that she is ready for responsible, grown-up government rather than protest politics.

Republican hardliners always feared this might happen if they had a leader without the same roots in the "struggle", especially one who didn't even start out in the ranks of Sinn Fein, but shifted over from Fianna Fail.

They bristled when she uttered the dreaded word "Londonderry". Now this.

Whisper it gently, but Mary Lou may just be discovering that she's out of her depth and has no clue how to balance the competing demands of being leader of a party with two distinct, sometimes conflicting, interests and identities.

North of the border she has to play up the tough, anti-partitionist rhetoric in an effort to appeal to grassroots activists weaned on conflict.

South of the border she needs to be seen as a safe pair of hands to get into government after the next election. Mary Lou simply has no idea how to bring those strands together in a coherent political philosophy.

Probably because they can't easily be reconciled.

She's forced instead to oscillate wildly between the two impulses.

What must now be obvious to more traditional republicans is which of these rival demands commands her greatest personal sympathy.

The statements which Mary Lou made opposing a border poll in that Press Association interview were not some off-the-cuff asides, after all. They were part of a long and thoughtful discussion about the future.

She couldn't have said what she did on the video, in the careful and detailed way that she did, unless she absolutely meant every word. Even if, as a dutiful republican, she recognises the opportunities in a little post-Brexit chaos, her deeper desire for economic and social stability won out.

She was unceremoniously yanked back into line, but clearly the moderate Fianna Fail-er in her has not been entirely erased by the mask of the populist Sinn Feiner.

If hardliners suspect the party's aim under Mary Lou McDonald's leadership will be to tinker with the finer points of partition rather than prioritise getting rid of it altogether, who can now tell them that they're wrong?For decades a British withdrawal and establishment of a 32-county socialist republic was the foundation stone of Sinn Fein policy.

But that traditional republican demand increasingly took a back seat with the peace process. A border poll as soon as possible became the party's new cry. It's one increasingly heard since the UK voted to leave the European Union, which is entirely understandable.

The anger that leaving the EU has caused among Catholics who previously weren't bothered about a united Ireland is considerable. The nationalist middle-class seems more sympathetic to that goal than at any time since partition.

If her party is serious about Irish unity, it makes no sense whatsoever for Mary Lou McDonald to say she would prefer not to hold a border poll in the context of a "crash or very hard Brexit" which would be the wrong "climate" for the debate.

That is when the chances of winning a referendum would be greatest. Mary Lou would be expected to shout "Bring it on!", not "Put it off!"

The economic uncertainty facing Northern Ireland and the political chaos created would give a stronger hand than ever before to those campaigning for reunification.

A referendum isn't just won or lost on cold, hard facts. Emotion plays a part, and it seems odd that the Sinn Fein president would wish to wait for political calm to descend first. That is completely in line with Leo Varadkar's position, but then Fine Gael has hardly been chomping at the bit for a united Ireland down through the years.

Speculation will surround Ms McDonald's speedy U-turn and her new message that Brexit must not delay a vote on Irish unity.

Sinn Fein critics will see the turnaround as the hand of those who still wield enormous power in the party behind the scenes.

But the reality is that Ms McDonald's statement on Monday was out of sync not just with the old guard, but with her deputy Michelle O'Neill. Just three months ago the Sinn Fein vice-president argued that the threshold for a border poll had been met and Theresa May should call one.

That has been the Sinn Fein script for two years. Votes weren't even counted in the 2016 Brexit referendum when Declan Kearney said the decision to leave the EU would have huge ramifications here and his party would keep pressing vigorously for a border poll. Similar sentiments were echoed by Martin McGuinness.

Ms McDonald clearly went off script, for whatever reason, on Monday and then corrected herself. She had voiced her personal view in a party which isn't tolerant of such deviation.

It's her first slip-up in what has been a flawless performance since becoming Sinn Fein president.Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, holds a copy of a statement as he speaks to reporters in Putrajaya, Malaysia, April 11, 2016.

A day after a safety investigation teams report pointed to air traffic control errors when Malaysia Airlines flight 370 disappeared in March 2014, the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) on Tuesday announced his resignation.

Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the 495-page report from the Flight 370 Safety Investigation team did not suggest that air traffic controllers caused the crash, but found they did not comply with standard operating procedures when the Boeing 777 disappeared while traveling with 12 crew and 227 passengers from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Azharuddin said he would leave the office in 14 days.

Over the past four years, I have tried my level best to assist in the search for MH370 and I am ever resolute in finding answers we all seek towards this unfortunate tragedy as we owe it to the families and loved ones. I am saddened to have to leave under these circumstances, he said in a statement.

Aviation has been a core part of my life since childhood and it will remain so for the rest of my life.

Shortly after Azharuddin stepped down, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said an internal committee would be set up to decide the fate of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport air traffic controllers who were on duty that night.

I did not state that there was an offense, but he decided to resign to take responsibility, Loke told reporters in Parliament, referring to Azharuddin.

The MH370 report stated that there was a breach of standard operating procedures, so action must be taken, he said, according to The Star.

He told reporters the ministry would wait for the committees recommendations before taking action.

In an earlier speech to parliament, Loke said the government was reviewing all proposed air safety improvements submitted by the special investigative team. In addition, the government would investigate any misconduct disclosed in the investigating team's report.

Report details

Releasing the report on Monday, probe leader Kok Soo Chon said his team did not believe pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah or first officer Fariq Abdul Hamid caused the plane to fly off course, instead pointing to the possibility of interference from someone on board the plane. No one, including terror organizations, has ever claimed responsibility for the crash.

Traveling northeast to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, Flight 370 turned and traveled southwest before disappearing and apparently crashing in the Indian Ocean. Over the years, debris from the plane has washed ashore on Indian Ocean islands and along the east coast of Africa.

Mondays report said that as Flight 370 was changing its path, it flew for almost 20 minutes unmonitored by air traffic centers as it crossed between Malaysian and Vietnamese airspace.

Kuala Lumpur air traffic control failed to initiate the required emergency phases and contact the Royal Malaysian Air Force in a timely manner after realizing something amiss, the report also said.Hasanah Abdul Hamid, former director-general of the Malaysian External Intelligence Organization, (left) leaves the Travers police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, July 31, 2018.

A former chief of Malaysias spy agency asked police on Tuesday to trace the leak of a secret letter she wrote to the CIA appealing for Washingtons support for the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak days before it was ousted in the May polls.

Hasanah Abdul Hamid, who wrote the letter to the director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Gina Haspel when she was head of the Malaysian External Intelligence Organization (MEIO), lodged a police report calling for the investigation.

MEIO, officially known as the research division of the Prime Minister's office, is a covert intelligence agency set up in the 1960s.

The letter, dated May 4  five days before the landmark election  was classified as official secret, Hasanah said in her complaint to police.

She called for a probe to track down those who had violated the Official Secrets Act by leaking it to the public, according to her lawyer, Shaharudin Ali, who accompanied his client to the police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur where she lodged the report.

Hasanah confirmed in her police report, a copy of which was seen by BenarNews, that she wrote the letter.

Shaharudin told a news conference that his client was worried about her safety and those of other field operatives as a result of the leak.

The leak could also jeopardize other intelligence agencies, he said.

If found guilty, violators of the law that protects official secrets face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Hasanah, who has since been removed from her post, was not present at the press conference due to concerns over her safety, Shaharudin said.

Copies of the controversial letter began circulating on social media earlier this month.

The three-page letter called for U.S. support for Najibs government even if we win the election by a simple majority or just one seat, saying Najib would be a stronger ally to Washington compared with Mahathir Mohamad, who became prime minister after his opposition coalition surprisingly won the election.

The letter described Mahathir as anti-West and anti-Semite.

Najib has denied any knowledge of the letter, saying not all government letters went through him when he was prime minister. He, however, added that intelligence matters should remain secret.



Officials in Mahathirs government had called for a probe into why such a letter was sent to the CIA, saying the action may have violated Malaysia's sovereignty.

Correspondence between two friendly top-level intelligence agencies are operational matters, which include an exchange of opinion and these are not matters that require the attention of the prime minister, Shaharudin said.

He dismissed allegations that Najib had ordered the letter to be written.

It was drafted by Hasanah and 10 top senior officers of the MEIO, he said.



Last week, the National Patriots Organization (Patriot), composed of former Malaysian military personnel, filed a separate police report against Hasanah, claiming that she had abused her power and infringed on Malaysias sovereignty.

I believe it is wrong for her to write that letter inviting foreign power to intervene in our democratic process, the groups president, Arshad Raji, told BenarNews.Investigators search for evidence near a huge crater left behind by a car bomb that killed 10 people in Lamitan town, on the southern Philippine island of Basilan, Aug. 1, 2018.

Philippine military and police investigators on Wednesday sifted through a deep crater left by a car bomb that killed 10 people on the southern Philippine island of Basilan, a day after the attack that analysts said was aimed at causing instability amid a resurgent militancy problem.

The attack occurred Tuesday when a van loaded with explosives blew up at a checkpoint in the periphery of Basilans Lamitan town. The vehicle was driven by a man described by the U.S.-based website SITE Intelligence Group as a Moroccan operative of the Islamic State (IS).

The military, however, said there was no indication of involvement by IS, and blamed the Abu Sayyaf, a brutal extremist group accused of a series of kidnappings and militant attacks in the south.

Ten people were killed, including the driver, who was obliterated by the blast, which created a crater 10 feet wide and four feet deep. Among those killed were a soldier, four members of a pro-government militia unit, and civilians, including a mother and a child, officials said.

The military had earlier reported that 11 people had died, including the bomber, but this was corrected to 10 on Wednesday.

Lamitan town as target

The explosives were meant for targets inside Lamitan, a mixed Muslim-Christian city, where security has been tight since 2001, when an Abu Sayyaf unit took over a Christian church and a hospital and held several people hostage, the military said.

Among clues recovered Tuesday from the blast site were parts of the destroyed vehicle and fragments of a drum with traces of ammonium nitrate.

The military has successfully foiled what could have been a major terrorism attack in Lamitan city, terrorism analyst Rommel Banlaoi of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research told BenarNews. But this came at the expense of state security personnel and several civilians.

Citing military intelligence, he said the attack was planned by Abu Sayyaf sub-commander Mike Lijal, who is also known as Abu Fati, with the help of some foreign jihadists.

The Abu Sayyaf unit may have intended to explode the bomb during a parade of school children scheduled on Tuesday morning in Lamitan, Banlaoi said.

A previous government intelligence report has indicated that as early as July 2018, Abu Fati and four others were planning to conduct bombing operations in Lamitan at an opportune time, Banlaoi said.

Little is known about Lijal. Intelligence sources said he was one of Abu Sayyaf Basilan leader Furuji Indamas trusted aides.

Indama took the reins of the Abu Sayyaf from Isnilon Hapilon, who was the Islamic States commander in the Philippines when he led a combat force that included fighters from Southeast Asia and the Middle East in laying siege to the southern city of Marawi last year.

Philippine security forces, backed by aerial reconnaissance by the United States and Australia, pounded the militants with bombs dropped by fighter jets in five months of vicious fighting that left more than 1,200 people dead, including Hapilon.

Foreign fighters arrested

Hours after the early morning attack, IS claimed responsibility by issuing a statement through its Amaq News Agency, according to SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S.-based consultancy that monitors online communications among Islamic militant groups worldwide.

An IS statement translated by SITE analysts mentioned the attackers name as Abu Kathir al-Maghribi and identified him as a Moroccan.

Banlaoi noted that several foreigners had been arrested in recent months, including a Spanish suspect named Abdelhakim Labidi Adib, 20, who was nabbed in January by the police while trying to sneak through a road block with an Abu Sayyaf militant in Basilan.

The claim is entirely possible, Banlaoi said, referring to the IS statement. Remember there are foreign fighters in Mindanao, months after the Marawi siege.

He said the attack, which took place days after President Duterte signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and days after he had invited the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf to the negotiating table, was clearly meant to agitate other groups.

This was just one of the many intended consequences of the BOL, Banlaoi said.

The BOL was signed last week, four years after a peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the main separatist group that gave up its fight for independence to settle for autonomy in the impoverished south.

The MILF has been helping the government go after IS-linked groups in Mindanao, including in areas that the military could not penetrate. It has, however, admitted to losing some of its younger, more hardline fighters to Abu Sayyaf and other groups.

Professor Ramon Beleno III, head of the political science and history department of Ateneo de Davao University, said Tuesdays attack was meant to derail the implementation of the autonomy law, which would give some four million Muslims in Mindanao a chance to govern themselves through a parliament.

I do not think it will have immediate effects as of now, he told BenarNews. It is a possible attempt to derail the implementation of the BOL especially that the government is already preparing for the very important plebiscite.

Condemnation from western governments

The attack occurred months after the U.S. Embassy in Manila warned its citizens against travelling to south, citing threats from terrorist and insurgent groups.

Separatist and terrorist groups continue to attack and kidnap civilians, foreigners, political leaders and Philippine security forces in Mindanao, it said, without specifying the exact nature of the possible attacks.

France, which has seen a rise in terrorism attacks since 2012, on Wednesday strongly condemned the Basilan attack and said it stood in solidarity with the Philippine government.

France sends its condolences to the families of the victims and expresses its sympathy to the injured, and stands alongside local authorities and the Filipino people in the fight against terrorism, the French embassy in Manila said in a statement.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had visited the military hospital where some of those injured were taken.

We are saddened by this incident and condole with the families of those who were killed. Civilians must never be targeted, said Piotr Dregiel, ICRC head in the southern city of Zamboanga, just across the strait from Basilan. They are not part of the fighting and are protected under international humanitarian law.

Military spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo told reporters in Manila that the attack could have been a response to the growing number of Abu Sayyaf gunmen voluntarily surrendering to the government.

"As of yesterday, thats the indication we saw. The involvement of Abu Sayyaf, he said. This group of Furuji Indama is swiftly losing ground. That is why they are resorting to these desperate moves in order to disrupt the mass surrender of Abu Sayyaf members in Basilan and in Sulu.

While the IS has claimed responsibility for the attack, Arevalo said the government was not easily swayed.

As of now, there is no indication that the attack was perpetrated by the ISIS, he said, using another name for the Islamic State.

The bomb attack prompted authorities all over Mindanao to tighten security, with police mobilizing volunteers and asking civilians to report suspicious-looking personalities within their areas.

In Davao City, local police spokeswoman Theresita Gaspan, told reporters that all security units were placed on full alert as they tightened their inspection on incoming and outgoing vehicles in the city.

In September 2016, at least 15 people were killed and 70 others were injured when a bomb went off at a night market in Davao, as Duterte was visiting his hometown.



Jeoffrey Maitem in Cotabato City, Dennis Jay Santos in Davao City and Richel V. Umel in Iligan City contributed to this report.The brightly painted, traditional fishing boats of southern Thailand may soon be seen only in museums, as small-scale fishing declines and interest in the art wanes, one boat builder says.

Designs painted on Kolek fishing boats combine Malay, Javanese and Thai influences in stunning patterns, but younger Thais are not interested in learning the techniques, according to Abdullah Mading, a boat artist in Bang Nara district of Narathiwat province.

Youngsters are not interested because people change jobs and there are not many fishermen. The Kolek boat may start to decline in number in the next decade because no members of the younger generation want to learn to build and paint. You may have to go to the museum to see them in the future, Abdullah told BenarNews.

He painted his first boat at the age of 9, and received 1,500 baht ($45) that he used to buy snacks. He is now 30 and loves the job. Abdullah said it takes him one month to paint a boat.

About 1,000 Koleks can be found in Narathiwat and Pattani provinces in Thailands Deep South, but only about 40 percent go out to sea.

A fully painted kolek boat is constructed of hopea wood and can cost as much as 1 million baht (U.S. $30,180) while the regions fishermen earn about 400 to 500 baht ($12 to $15) a day.Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, the loss of religion in America.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesWednesday, August 01, 2018 Campaign Kerfuffles: Carson Visit Has Dems Calling Out Pearce While MLG Partying In Puerto Rico Draws R Ire, Plus: Needles And CYFD Pearce and Carson at San Felipe The jousting between the camps of Michael Lujan Grisham and Steve Pearce is getting more intense as each passing day takes us closer to the November 6 election.



On Tuesday campaign kerfuffles broke out between the duo over a visit by a Trump cabinet secretary and the release of photos of Lujan Grisham partying in Puerto Rico at a luxury hotel while on a two day congressional



The cabinet secretary in question is Ben Carson, head of HUD, who Pearce trotted out



Pearce did enjoy the pics that showed him with the African-American cabinet secretary taken amid the San Felipe community, groups that this GOP nominee believes he can appeal to more than those of the past.



MLG in Puerto Rico Meanwhile, the R's acted like their summer lemonade was spiked with Puerto Rican rum as they relished



While the pics were innocuous (the campaign says she had one drink and paid for it herself) the R's felt they scored on the optics--MLG partying on an island gripped in a humanitarian crisis that Congress has oversight over isn't exactly what you would call a campaign photo op.



Ironically, R operatives were saying that MLG reminds them of outgoing and unpopular Governor Susana Martinez whose holiday pizza and drinking party a couple of years ago started her long downward polling descent. But Dems cackled that rather than a political hurricane, this was a tempest in the teapot. Former ABQ mayor Chavez weighed in on Facebook about MLG's trip which was also attended by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi:



Let's see, the day of work was done and she went downstairs for a drink with her colleague and someone asked her to dance. Not much of a scandal. The real scandal is Steve Pearce's slavish loyalty to Trump and his absolute disregard for the well-being of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the horrific hurricane. Nothing funny about that.



All of this is the prelude to the main event when the negative TV ads will start raining down like a nonstop monsoon, probably later this month. As Mayor Chavez might, say--nothing funny about that.



NOSTAGLIA CORNER



Call us nostalgic but ABQ today often seems like a city we



Mayor Keller unveiled a plan to clean up improperly disposed needles and syringes around the city. The new program, called SHARP  Safe Handling and Routing of Paraphernalia  is a coordinated effort among several city departments, along with Bernalillo County, to cut down on the number of improperly disposed sharps in public spaces.



And then the drugs lead to cases such as this over and over and



An Albuquerque mother and her boyfriend who are facing child abuse charges in a case that left a 1-year-old boy in a medically induced coma will not await trial in jail, a judge ruled. Dahn Leidy, 24, and Florencio Mendoza, 35, were arrested last week on suspicion of child abuse resulting in great bodily harm and tampering with evidence. They will now be released with certain conditions they will have to follow.



And, of course, once again CYFD:



The state Children, Youth and Families Department was investigating Leidy and her son at the time of alleged beating, Cabinet Secretary Monique Jacobson told the Journal last week. Police had been called to the home in early July when the child was found walking alone and without shoes, pants or a shirt at Leidys apartment complex.



Heaven help us if MLG or Pearce puts another political appointee in charge of the agency. Or we should say Heaven help the scores of endangered New Mexico kids.



FAST TRACK



After slowing down the decision making process for the state's sixth and final racino the state racing commission has quickly put it back on



The state Racing Commission, reversing a decision made just 11 days earlier, voted at a hastily called meeting Monday to restart the process of licensing a new horse track.The commission met in secret before setting a new deadline of Aug. 17 for applications for the racing license. We did this because the commission decided to, plain and simple, Commissioner Chairman Ray Willis told an attorney for four tracks when the lawyer asked why the commission was changing course.



You gotta love that line "because the commission decided to." This racino selection is up to a horse's neck in politics, with Gov. Martinez's administration appearing to want to make this decision before her term expires at the end of the year. All the groups that have applied for the racino have political connections to Martinez (primarily campaign contributions) so if she is trying to wire this deal (like the Downs at ABQ racino lease at the start of her term) she may have to make some friends mad.



Meanwhile,



The Fulton family decided not to seek a license for another track so it could focus on running the Sunland Park racino, said Rick Baugh, general manager of the track and casino. The family wants. . . to make the racino a destination resort, Baugh said.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.







Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.



( c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2018 The jousting between the camps of Michael Lujan Grisham and Steve Pearce is getting more intense as each passing day takes us closer to the November 6 election.On Tuesday campaign kerfuffles broke out between the duo over a visit by a Trump cabinet secretary and the release of photos of Lujan Grisham partying in Puerto Rico at a luxury hotel while on a two day congressional fact finding tour last week to assess hurricane damage there.The cabinet secretary in question is Ben Carson, head of HUD, who Pearce trotted out for a visit to San Felipe Pueblo to inspect low income housing and learn about pueblo culture, but the Dems called it a fake visit" and demanded to know why taxpayers dollars were being spent spent on what they asserted was an obvious campaign event.Pearce did enjoy the pics that showed him with the African-American cabinet secretary taken amid the San Felipe community, groups that this GOP nominee believes he can appeal to more than those of the past.Meanwhile, the R's acted like their summer lemonade was spiked with Puerto Rican rum as they relished photos of MLG having a drink with a fellow lawmaker and enjoying some dancing with with New York Representative Adriano Espaillait While the pics were innocuous (the campaign says she had one drink and paid for it herself) the R's felt they scored on the optics--MLG partying on an island gripped in a humanitarian crisis that Congress has oversight over isn't exactly what you would call a campaign photo op.Ironically, R operatives were saying that MLG reminds them of outgoing and unpopular Governor Susana Martinez whose holiday pizza and drinking party a couple of years ago started her long downward polling descent. But Dems cackled that rather than a political hurricane, this was a tempest in the teapot. Former ABQ mayor Chavez weighed in on Facebook about MLG's trip which was also attended by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi:All of this is the prelude to the main event when the negative TV ads will start raining down like a nonstop monsoon, probably later this month. As Mayor Chavez might, say--nothing funny about that.Call us nostalgic but ABQ today often seems like a city we don't recognize And then the drugs lead to cases such as this over and over and over again And, of course, once again CYFD:Heaven help us if MLG or Pearce puts another political appointee in charge of the agency. Or we should say Heaven help the scores of endangered New Mexico kids.After slowing down the decision making process for the state's sixth and final racino the state racing commission has quickly put it back on the fast-track You gotta love that line "because the commission decided to." This racino selection is up to a horse's neck in politics, with Gov. Martinez's administration appearing to want to make this decision before her term expires at the end of the year. All the groups that have applied for the racino have political connections to Martinez (primarily campaign contributions) so if she is trying to wire this deal (like the Downs at ABQ racino lease at the start of her term) she may have to make some friends mad.This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com)For Immediate Release, August 1, 2018 Contact: Josh Laughlin, Cascadia Wildlands, (541) 844-8182

Micah Meskel, Audubon Society of Portland, (503) 481-5715

Noah Greenwald, Center for Biological Diversity, (503) 484-7495

Daniel Kruse, Attorney, (541) 337-5829 Oregon Court Rules Sale of Elliott State Forest Tract Illegal Old-growth Forest East of Coos Bay Will be Retained in Public Ownership SALEM, Ore. The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled today that the 2014 sale of the 788-acre East Hakki Ridge tract on the 93,000-acre Elliott State Forest east of Coos Bay was illegal. The ruling, which overturns the sale of the public land to a private timber company, marks a major win for the states public lands. This is a huge victory for public lands enthusiasts who were locked out of the forest after the state of Oregon recklessly sold this tract to the timber industry, said Josh Laughlin, executive director of Cascadia Wildlands and an individual plaintiff in the case. Privatizing public land would have been a disaster for imperiled salmon and wildlife that rely on clean water and old forests to survive. Cascadia Wildlands, Audubon Society of Portland and Center for Biological Diversity brought the lawsuit under an Oregon law, ORS 530.450, which states that it is illegal to sell the Elliott State Forest. State officials defended their decision to dispose of the parcel in court saying the State Land Board should not be required to follow the law. The decision by the state to sell off portions off the Elliott State Forest and avoid its legal obligations to protect imperiled marbled murrelets and the forests in which they depend was fundamentally flawed from the start, said Bob Sallinger, conservation director for Portland Audubon. It is now time for the state to step up and manage this amazing forest in a way that truly protects murrelets, spotted owls, coho salmon and other species that depend on our older forests. The states privatization scheme was in direct response to a successful 2012 case brought by the same conservation organizations, which halted dozens of old-growth timber sales on the Elliott, Clatsop and Tillamook state forests, where threatened marbled murrelets were nesting. The imperiled seabird is unique, flying upwards of 40 miles inland to lay a single egg on a wide mossy limb in the regions remaining older rainforests. Clearcutting of its habitat is the birds primary threat. The state should never have sold these public lands in the first place, said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. The Elliott State Forest is a treasure to all Oregonians, providing critical habitat to coho salmon, marbled murrelets and people alike. ORS 530.450 withdraws from sale any lands on the Elliott State Forest that were originally part of the Siuslaw National Forest. The East Hakki Ridge parcel, located just south of the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area on Highway 38, fell within this category. The Elliott State Forest is one of the few places left in the Oregon Coast Range that has not been completely mowed over, said attorney Daniel Kruse. It is such a beautiful and important place, and todays decision confirms that it cannot be sold off to the highest bidder for a quick dollar. Sold to Seneca Jones Timber Company, the East Hakki Ridge parcel was one of a handful of forested tracts the state sold to the timber industry in 2014. Another parcel, the 355-acre Benson Ridge tract, was sold to Scott Timber Company and is also currently subject to litigation. The different state sales were looked at as test cases to sell off the entire Elliott State Forest to the timber industry. The State Land Board, made up of the governor, secretary of state and treasurer, oversees management of the Forest and was ready to sell the entire forest in 2017. After significant grassroots organizing and legal campaigns by concerned Oregonians, the Land Board, led by Gov. Kate Brown, reversed course and opted to keep the treasured forest in public ownership. The 2017 Oregon Legislature later allocated $100 million in bonding revenue to help keep the forest public for the diversity of values it offers, like clean water, old-growth forests, salmon and wildlife habitat, carbon storage and recreation opportunities. The plaintiffs were represented by attorneys Daniel Kruse of Eugene and Nicolas Cady with Cascadia Wildlands.

For Immediate Release, August 1, 2018 Contact: Nathan Donley, (971) 717-6406, ndonley@biologicaldiversity.org California Study: Four Widely Used Neonicotinoid Pesticides Harm Bees SACRAMENTO, Calif. Four commonly used neonicotinoid pesticides can harm bees and other pollinators, according to a new analysis by Californias Department of Pesticide Regulation. The study found that current approved uses of the neonics on crops like tomatoes, berries, almonds, corn and oranges exposes bees to levels of the pesticides known to cause harm. The more we learn about the toxicity of neonics, the more apparent it is that pretty much any plant with nectar or pollen sprayed with these poisons is unsafe for bees, said Nathan Donley, a senior scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity. This important analysis is further proof that its time to ban all outdoor use of these harmful pesticides on crops. Recent analyses by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified harms to bees and pollinators from neonics used on cotton, citrus and several other fruits. But Californias analysis indicates neonics can cause much broader harm, including to pollinators commonly found on many types of vegetables, cereal grains, tree nuts, fruits and tobacco. One of the most important findings of the new California analysis is the discovery of the high risk to bees posed by use of two neonicotinoids, thiamethoxam and clothianidin, on cereal grains like corn, wheat, rice and barley. Late last year the U.S. EPA announced it would consider an application from Syngenta to spray thiamethoxam directly on 165 million acres of wheat, barley, corn, sorghum, alfalfa, rice and potato. Earlier this year California announced that it would no longer consider any applications by pesticide companies that would expand the use of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides in the state. At the same time California is wisely prohibiting new uses of neonics, the U.S. EPA is considering approving the spraying of a neonic known to be harmful to pollinators on an area nearly the size of Texas, said Donley. Its dangerous and it doesnt make any sense. Background

Earlier this year, the European Union banned neonicotinoids for outdoor uses in agriculture. Europes decision came after Canadas pesticide regulatory agency recommended banning imidacloprid, the most widely used neonicotinoid, based on demonstrated harms to aquatic ecosystems. As other developed nations further restrict the use of these poisons, the U.S. EPA has largely ignored the risks. Last year a rule that would have placed limited restrictions on neonics when commercial honeybees were present in fields was changed from mandatory to voluntary. The U.S. EPA is currently in the process of reanalyzing neonic impacts to humans and the environment and is expected to re-approve the pesticides by the end of 2018. Californias pesticide office is in the process of identifying mitigation measures to reduce the risk of neonics to bees, which the agency says will be finalized in the next two years.For Immediate Release, August 1, 2018 Contacts: Tanya Sanerib, Center for Biological Diversity, (206) 379-7363, tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org

Charisma Troiano, Democracy Forward, (202) 701-1781, ctroiano@democracyforward.org

Kirsten Peek, Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, (202) 744-3875, kpeek@humanesociety.org

Lisa Caruso, Natural Resources Defense Council, (202) 717-8286, lcaruso@nrdc.org Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration's Trophy Hunting Council Interior Secretary Zinke Illegally Stacked Panel With Insiders Who Profit From Hunting Imperiled Animals WASHINGTON Conservation and animal protection groups sued the Trump administration today for illegally establishing the International Wildlife Conservation Council, an advisory panel stacked with people who have personal or financial interests in killing or importing rare or endangered animals from overseas. Federal law requires government advisory panels to be balanced and not improperly influenced by special interests. Todays lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court by Democracy Forward on behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International. It asserts that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service flagrantly violated federal law by appointing a council packed with trophy hunters, firearm executives and representatives of businesses with close ties to the Trump administration. Elephants, rhinos, and lions face enough threats without the U.S. government giving the cover of credibility to trophy hunters peddling the self-serving notion that killing endangered species constitutes a legitimate strategy for conserving them, said Natural Resources Defense Council senior attorney Zak Smith. If we have to sue to get our government to listen to wildlife conservation experts, were happy to do so. Smith is also director of NRDCs Wildlife Trade Initiative. The IWCC is designed to promote the removal of barriers to trophy imports. Zinke has refused to include conservation experts on the council, instead selecting trophy hunters and representatives of financially conflicted business interests. Four of the 17 council members had signed on to host a Camouflage and Cufflinks inaugural ball last year, soliciting millions of dollars in campaign contributions. Zinkes thrill-kill council is unethical and illegal, and apparently thats just fine with him, said Tanya Sanerib, international program legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. These people kill imperiled animals for fun. They have no business making policy decisions about wildlife imports and were hopeful that the courts will agree. Trump called big game hunting a horror show in 2017, just weeks after his Fish and Wildlife Service abandoned an Obama-era ban on importing elephant trophies and sanctioned the hunting of lions in several countries. According to a Humane Society International report, trophy hunting has caused the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals since 2005. The publics interest is not served by using taxpayer dollars to host meetings of wealthy trophy hunters to hatch plans to minimize governmental oversight of their unethical hobby, said Anna Frostic, managing wildlife attorney for the Humane Society of the United States. The Department of the Interior has failed to provide a rational justification for establishing the IWCC, and we are asking the federal court to revoke the councils charter. By establishing a council with the sole purpose of promoting the overseas hobby of trophy hunting, Secretary Zinke is breaking the law, said Democracy Forward executive director Anne Harkavy. Contrary to the committees own name, Secretary Zinke has failed to include any conservation biologists or others with expertise in advising on wildlife conservation policy.J P Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Law and Justice & Information Technology presided over the MoU signing ceremony.

National Health Agency (NHA), the apex body for the implementation of Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide information and eligibility validation services to beneficiaries, especially in remote areas.

J P Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Law and Justice & Information Technology presided over the MoU signing ceremony. As the benefits under AB-NHPM are based on entitlement and not on enrolment, over 3 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) spread across the rural India can become the key point of information for potential beneficiaries and help in validating their entitlement.

The MoU was signed by Dr. Indu Bhushan, CEO, National Health Agency (NHA) and Dr. Dinesh Tyagi, CEO, CSC-SPV.The company has said in a statement that the clinical research business will begin contributing to the topline in the last quarter of the current financial year. The company is projecting to add revenue of Rs. 250 crore in the fifth year through clinical research services.

Hyderabad-based Vanta Bioscience which provides pre-clinical services has announced its foray into clinical research.

Further to this, the Board of Vanta Bioscience has approved incorporation of a 100% subsidiary in the name of Vanta Clinical Research at Hyderabad. Additionally, the Board has also approved incorporation of a 51% step down subsidiary of the above mentioned company in the name of Vanta Research Solutions at Hyderabad.

The company has said in a statement that the clinical research business will begin contributing to the topline in the last quarter of the current financial year. The company is projecting to add revenue of Rs. 250 crore in the fifth year through clinical research services.

Vanta Bioscience is an emerging, full service preclinical contract research organization, headquartered in the USA and operating out of Chennai, India. Vanta Bioscience is established as a center of excellence for GLP toxicology and safety assessment. It is housed in a new, 56,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility specifically designed for compliance with GLP and AAALAC international guidelines for humane care and use of small animal species involved in Vanta Bioscience studies. The facility is registered with the CPCSEA, Govt. of India and has acquired the OECD GLP Accreditation from the National GLP Monitoring Authority of India, in addition to the AAALAC International Accreditation, joining an elite group of facilities in India. AAALAC certification is valued as the gold standard for animal care and use.Maternal sepsis is recognised by The World Health Organization (WHO) as a major cause of maternal mortality, accounting for over 10% of maternal deaths worldwide.

Dr David Lissauer leads a research group at the University of Birmingham, tackling the problem. Maternal sepsis can be difficult to recognise in pregnant mothers. But it is vital to be aware of the signs, as patients can deteriorate rapidly. Management of maternal sepsis has been improved in the UK through raising awareness amongst patients and health care workers and introducing a sepsis care bundle but the aim of our work now is to find a similar solution for countries with limited resources.

Vera We dont have a timer or wall clocks that are working for respiratory rate so we have to use our phones. But our phones dont have a timer so we have to wait for the beginning of the minute to start. There is only one wall clock in all departments that is working so we complained that but then Laura came and gave us timers so we can now check respirations without any problem.

Dr David Lissauer talks about global maternal health

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign is the gold standard for sepsis management in high income countries. At its core are a bundle that simplifies the complex processes of the care of patients with sepsis - a selected set of initial elements of care that, must be done rapidly and when implemented as a group, have an effect on outcomes beyond implementing the individual elements alone.

While sepsis bundles have been a real success story with robust evidence supporting their implementation, they are not yet fit for purpose across the globe in resource poor settings. That is the aim of this research.

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The bundle is born

We had already been working on the AIMS trial in Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Pakistan investigating the benefit of using antibiotics immediately prior to miscarriage surgery with a view to reducing the risk of infection. But what about when we arent successful at preventing the infection? It was clear we also needed better approaches for when serious infections did occur, says Dr Lissauer.

We needed to develop a care bundle that could be effective in locations with significant challenges; be it a lack of training or infrastructure. There are many community hospitals in low income countries with no access to running water, so we knew that we had to adapt the UK model to something that could be both effective and achievable in this environment.

Securing concensus Several rounds of consultation were undertaken to gain consensus on the bundle components, including online questionnaires and in-person meetings. The process involved 143 healthcare practitioners from around the world and eleven members of an expert panel. The World Health Organisations maternal sepsis technical working group were also consulted.

Much of the study centres on the introduction of clear and consistent processes. As such, the outcome was the development of a treatment bundle known as FAST-M, an acronym that outlines the consideration of the key treatment components: Fluids, Antibiotics, Source Control, Transport, Monitoring (of mother and newborn).

The team is now conducting a pilot feasibility study of the introduction of the bundle at fifteen sites in Malawi.

Healthcare workers now routinely take patients observations and chart them on a specially adapted Modified Early Obstetric Warning Score (MEOWS) chart. Abnormal observations on this chart prompt the healthcare workers to use the FAST-M decision tool, which then guides the healthcare worker as to whether the patient has maternal sepsis.

A year of ups and downs

Around a year into the pilot study, the team are pleased to see the bundle having a positive impact on the ground.

Laura Munthali, an in-country study coordinator and former senior midwife (or nursing officer) in Malawi, explained how FAST-M has been received.

Most health care providers have verbalised the importance of the tools introduced. At Kamuzu Central Hospital, outside of our network, we even have doctors asking why FAST-M has not been introduced there yet.

The MEOWS chart for early observation that compliments the bundle has been a great aid to hospitals and patient attendants.

It is now much easier to track progress once a mother has been admitted until discharge. Most facilities have agreed to have patient attendants record vital signs at 6am and 2pm, and where there are shortages, some attendants from quieter wards are able to help the maternity department. It is telling how committed the teams are to the process.

By selecting FAST-M champions in each of the participating sites we have helped to build relationships with the facilities and improved our ability to communicate important information from the study. The champions have been an essential part of helping their facility to adopt the tools that are essential for monitoring, diagnosing and treating patients.

Despite having been welcomed by local healthcare workers, the research team has found a number of obstacles to the implementation of the bundle. Some are perhaps predictable; poor filing systems, staff shortages, an absence of basic infrastructure, inconsistent workforce, equipment shortages, and the congestion of maternity departments.

The solution to these problems are far from simple. But there have been notable successes. One key aspect has been empowering local health care workers to share tasks more effectively. With lower cadre health workers, after the right training and support, helping take on some of the tasks from the midwives. This has ensured key basic actions such as routinely measuring patient vital signs is not disrupted by the staff shortages.

But in order to implement such an intervention more widely, there are further challenges to address. In particular understanding how to fully embed the new tools and ensure improvements in care are sustained in the long-term. There also remain key problems in infection prevention, with running water not provided reliably across the sites, and in our last survey only two in ten workers on maternal wards were able to wash their hands regularly.

Expanding the horizons

Although there are challenges, Dr Lissauer remains optimistic about the FAST-M project. We know that there is plenty of work to do. What we have seen already is that it is feasible to implement the FAST-M bundle, even in very challenging health environments, and this really has the potential to save lives. The next step is for us to build on those foundations. The qualitative data we are collecting allow us to understand the nuances of each hospital, and the barriers and facilitators to implementation from many perspectives. This will help shape the development of a bundle that is optimised for Malawi as a whole, and for resource poor settings across the world.

We are working with the World Health Organisation and our partners in Malawi, Kenya, India, South Africa and South America, with the goal of testing the bundle at scale and developing robust evidence of its clinical and cost effectiveness.

The team have also now expanded the programme to better address the critical aspects of infection prevention. Including hand-washing and infection prevention strategies on the wards and in the operating theatre.

Dr David Lissauer Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research Dr David Lissauer is a clinical lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He combining his aca-demic work with clinical duties as an Obstetrics and Gynaecology registrar at Birmingham Womens Hospital NHS Trust. Davids research interests are in the field of maternal infection and immunity, the problem of recurrent miscarriage and global maternal health. David's profileSrinagar, Aug 01: Body of an unidentified militant, who it turned out was a man from Barzalla believed by his family to be working in Dubai at the time of his death, was exhumed Tuesday in Kupwara and handed over to his family for last rites, more than a month since he was killed by soldiers in an encounter.

On June 29, army claimed to have killed an identified militant in a brief encounter in the forested area of Trehgam in northern Kupwara district.

The identity of the slain militant would have remained a mystery had an unknown biker not dropped a piece of paper at his Barzalla home in Srinagar.

The piece of paper had a message written on it saying, Mudasir Ahmed Bhat, alias Abu Abullah, of Lashkar-e-Toiba killed at Kupwara encounter. The startling message descended a pall of glodd on the entire old Barzalla neighbourhood.

It sent Bhats family into a tizzy and scurrying for facts about their son who they until then believed was working in Dubai and would occasionally also remain in touch over phone.

Mourners from the area started swarming Bhats house as the news and its mysterious announcement was delivered at his home.

Bhat was buried in Jamgund graveyard of Kupwara, but his father Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, a retired government employee along with several of his close relations, decided to fight for the body of his slain son.

We knew it was an uphill task and something impossible, but we accepted this challenge and decided not to sit idle, a close relation of slain Bhat said.

After 30 days of rigor, hard work and running between pillar and post, senior Bhat finally succeeded in his efforts as the body of his son was exhumed and handed over to his family for last rites.

Bhat will now be laid to rest at martyrs graveyard barely a few hundred meters from his house in home.

It was a fight for justice which I won. I have hardly slept over the past one month, says Bhat, the slain militants father.

I had full faith in Almighty and always kept thinking that of the unknown biker. I had taken a pledge to fight hard to see my dead son one last time and to show his face to his mother, brother and sisters.

Bhat was shown a photograph at police station Kralpora, Kupwara and he at once recognised his son and passed off.

Along with his relatives the senior Bhat met with top officials of police at least five times, travelled to Kupwara six times, and also knocked the doors of the high court doors to seek justice.

Barzulla area also witnessed violent protests against the delay in handing over body of slain militant to his family.

Bhat also had to plead before the police officials to ensure timely report of DNA samples collected from him.

Things were getting delayed for no reason, one of Bhats cousins said.

The High Court had directed police to expedite the process of procuring the DNA report and to handover the body if the samples matched.

On Tuesday, the day his sons body was finally exhumed from the Tamgund graveyard, Bhat had to travel to Kupwara to collect it. He had to walk by foot over a hillock to reach the graveyard where his son was buried.

Thank God, I succeeded in my struggle. My son is in my arms, he said while travelling back from Kupwara.

Back home Bhats mother, brother and sisters were waiting to have a last glimpse.

Inspector general of police Kashmir range, Swayam Prakash Pani said DNA samples of slain militant matched with his father and his body has been handed over to the family.

Meanwhile, heavy deployment of forces was made in Barzulla area to prevent protests.Srinagar: Washington Posts India bureau chief Annie Gowen has been denied permission to report on Kashmir, she tweeted on Tuesday.

The Government of India recently asked foreign correspondents to seek permission in writing for travelling anywhere in Jammu and Kashmir, a move reminiscent of the early 1990s when the Indian government made it impossible for foreign journalists to report from the valley.

Gowen said she had applied for permission on June 22 and called the delay unacceptable.

I am in Kashmir for a day to attend a friends wedding. I am not reporting here because @MEAIndia and @HMOIndia have not granted the special permit now required for foreign correspondents. I applied June 22. Unacceptable delay. @rcfp @CJR @hrw @RSF_en, she wrote on her twitter page.

Gowen has tagged Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Columbia Journalism Review.

National conference spokesman Tanvir Sadiq was among many Kashmiris who expressed their dissatisfaction over the move to deny Gowen permission to report Kashmir.

Welcome to Kashmir! Only if New Delhi and its proxies had not mishandled Kashmir, things wouldnt have come to this pass. Enjoy, Sadiq replied to Gowans tweet.

She also wrote on Twitter that the Foreign Correspondents Club in New Delhi will be holding a meeting with the ministry of external affairs to discuss restrictions on reporting in Kashmir.

The @FCCNewDelhi is meeting with @MEAIndia to discuss the restrictions on reporting in Kashmir for foreign correspondents tomorrow Im told,

On June22, the central government issued an advisory for foreign correspondents working in India, asking them not to visit Jammu and Kashmir without prior permission.

It has come to the notice of the ministry of external affairs that some foreign journalists based in India, while discharging their journalistic activities or for tourism purposes, have travelled to places which come under restricted/protected areas that require prior permission/special permit, said the MEA letter .Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado

Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION

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Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi.Another group of Nepali women rescued from Delhi

In yet another rescue operation, a joint team of Nepali Embassy and Indian Police on Tuesday rescued a group of Nepali women from Saket, Igno Road in New Delhi.Bill amendments filed in line with Dr KCs concerns

A week after forging an agreement with Dr Govinda KC, the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Tuesday registered amendments to the National Medical Education Bill. The government and Dr KC on July 25 sealed a nine-point agreement, before the agitating doctor ended his fast on the 27th day.BJP leader says Look South Policy could give Nepal access to sea

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Ram Madhav on Tuesday said Nepal could consider adopting Look South Policy since it is landlocked with no direct access to sea.Bridge project stalls following border dispute

A boundary dispute between Nepal and India in Dhanusha has halted the bridge construction project at Mukhiyapatti Masuraniya Rural Municipality-6.Call for turning Ratna Mandir into museum

The residents of Pokhara have long been demanding the government to convert Ratna Mandir into a museum and open it for public, but they say their requests have fallen on deaf ear.Central bank gives green signal to margin trading

The Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) is preparing to allow margin trading through stock brokering firms as Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has given the green signal. Investors will now be able to buy shares by borrowing money from their brokers using stock as collateral.The creative minds behind RAW:almond are bringing their famous pop-up restaurant to Riding Mountain National Park this fall.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/8/2018 (1183 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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The creative minds behind RAW:almond are bringing their famous pop-up restaurant to Riding Mountain National Park this fall.

Done in partnership with Parks Canada and Clear Lake Country, RAW:almond has crafted a new 20-course meal, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage pairings, which will be featured on the shores of Clear Lake from Sept. 29 to Oct. 14.

RAW:almond co-founder and chef Mandel Hitzer (Deer + Almond)

RAW:almond gained nationwide attention after placing a pop-up restaurant on the frozen Assiniboine River in Winnipeg.

"Being connected to the land and focusing on Manitoba ... has been a huge inspiration for me this past year," said RAW:almond co-founder and chef Mandel Hitzer in a news release.

"Our menu is designed to take us out of our comfort zone and push us into exploring new flavours, new techniques and new ideas about Manitoba ingredients."

RAW:almonds award-winning designer Joe Kalturnyk will lead the architectural design of the restaurant using repurposed wood from the region.

"We have so much respect for nature and the environment we create. Our entire RAW:almond concept depends on it," he said.

"Focusing on the time and place is where I drew my inspiration for the Wasagaming project. Im excited to use natural materials in the area with a mission to leave as small an impact as possible."

The restaurant will be located at Camp Kippechewin on the west end of Clear Lake.

Guests will meet in Wasagaming before taking a boat ride from the marina to the shore of the campsite. From there they will take a short hike to the restaurant.

For Karly McRae, owner of the Lake House hotel in Wasagaming and chair of Clear Lake Countries, bringing RAW:almond to the park has been a year-long venture.

"Its super exciting and its monumental for Riding Mountain National Park because weve never hosted an event of this scale or size or that has (the) international rapport that RAW does," she said.

"Were really excited that theyve chosen to come and set up in Riding Mountain this fall."

McRae said both Mandel and Kalturnyk came to visit Riding Mountain in early spring, where they scouted a few locations before landing on Camp Kippechewin.

With efforts being made in recent years to reinvigorate Wasagaming as a tourist destination, McRae said Riding Mountain seemed to be the next logical spot for RAW:almonds next pop-up restaurant.

"Its been recognized across Canada as being the premiere culinary event in the country, so to me that was like, OK, if we can get RAW:almond to come here, then were doing something right, and hopefully it will open the door to attracting future events."

Tickets for RAW:Wasagaming are on sale now.

 mlee@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @mtaylorleeFamily murdered by close relatives

A family in Saptari was murdered by their close relatives to grab their property.Police said Surya Narayan Sah, his pregnant wife Bechani Devi and their two-year-old daughter Pratibha of Rajbiraj Municipality-15 were murdered in June.Hearing panel may put Joshees fate to vote

With members of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee representing the ruling and opposition parties divided over the choice of chief justice nominee Deepak Raj Joshee, chances of the panel taking a unanimous decision are slim.Cork Airport is set for its busiest weekend of the year this weekend as more than 44,000 passengers will travel through the terminal over the bank holiday.

Saturday will see peak traffic at Ireland's second busiest airport.By Geoff Percival

Greencore shares fell by over 5% as a better-than-expected trading update and talk of a recovery in its US operations failed to impress investors.

The Dublin-based convenience food groups share price has suffered a torrid 12 months on the back of problems in its US division. Chief executive Patrick Coveneys admission  at the groups AGM in January  that more effort was needed to build investor confidence around Greencores US growth potential was followed, two months later, by a profit warning which sent its shares tumbling 30%, wiping 340m off the groups market value in the process.

The profit warning was based on the need for a restructuring of Greencores US network of facilities following its 2016 takeover of American company Peacock Foods and resulted in Mr Coveney spending more time there to help solve the problem.

Production at a loss-making plant in Rhode Island was ceased only three years after it opened, while sites in Minneapolis and Jacksonville are set to be incorporated into the existing Peacock facilities network.

Greencore is targeting the branded food partner channel with its US strategy. In its latest trading update covering the third quarter of its financial year; the 13 weeks to the end of June  the group said new business development continues to progress well in the US. Quarterly revenues, there, fell by 0.8% year-on-year to 263.7m (296m). On a pro-forma basis, US third quarter revenues rose 8.6%, driven by the former Peacock Foods business. In the first nine months of the year, Greencores US revenues are up nearly 30%, to 767.2m.

New business development continues to progress well. In the third quarter, several new product launches were successfully executed. In addition, future growth opportunities with key branded food partner customers are progressing to plan, the group said of the US.

It also announced Anton Vincent as the new chief executive of its US operations.

Overall, Greencore said group revenues rose by 0.5%  on a reported basis  in its third quarter, to 639.6m, with a 14% rise for the year to date noted to just short of 1.9bn. The groups core UK and Ireland convenience food division reported revenue growth of 1.4% to 375.9m for the third quarter, driven by growth in the food-to-go business. The group also maintained its full-year outlook for adjusted earnings per share of 14.7p-15.7p and said cash generation should improve in the remainder of the year.

The group is also restructuring its UK operations by consolidating ready meal manufacturing facilities and appointing its former UK chief operating officer Peter Haden as chief executive of Greencore UK.

At the time of its March profit warning, one UK-based analyst suggested investors had lost patience in Greencore. Yesterdays 5.2% share price drop, despite the upbeat outlook on the US, seemed to suggest they are still in need of convincing.

But, Irish analysts were more upbeat, yesterday. Goodbody hailed the US recruitment of Mr Vincent as a strong appointment. Darren McKinley, at Merrion, said the better than expected trading update should support upside in Greencores share price and maintained his target price of 2.35.

It currently trades at around 1.77.Latest: Ryanair passengers are facing even more disruption after pilots in Belgium announced that thye will hold a strike on August 10.

It is the same day as Swedish pilots hold their strike and makes it the fourth country where pilots are taking industrial action.

The German pilots union VC has also backed strike action, while Irish pilots are set to hold their fourth day of strikes on Friday.

Yesterday, pilots based in the Netherlands voted by almost 96% to back strike action.

Earlier: Ryanair pilots in Sweden to hold strike on August 10

Ryanair pilots in Sweden have announced they will strike on August 10, the Swedish Pilot Association (SPF) says.

The 24-hour strike will be held due to disagreement between the union and the airline over collective agreements and pilot contracts, which are currently on an individual contract basis.

According to Swedish newspaper Expressen, the strike will apply to about 80% of Ryanair's pilots in Sweden which equates to more than 40 union members.

"We of course hope this means Ryanair come to the negotiating table. Should it not have any effect we will consider further action," SPF chairman Martin Lindgren told news agency TT.

Mr Lindgren told Expressen: "But Ryanair has consistently refused to meet the SPF with the representatives of the association we choose.

"There have been restrictions on who can participate in the negotiations from our side, and of course we can not accept that," he said.

Ryanair said in a statement: We have written to each of these pilot unions in recent days and invited them to meet with us in the coming days to make further progress in concluding Union Recognition and Collective Labour Agreements in each of these markets.

"In the interim, we have requested these pilot unions to give us 7 days notice of any planned strike action so that we can minimise the disruption to our customers by cancelling flights in advance and offering them alternative flights or refunds.

Meanwhile, Irish pilots will hold their fourth day of strikes on Friday, August 3.

In a statement this morning, Ryanair called on the FORSA union to respond to its latest invitation to meet after the airline agreed to nine of the 11 requirements.

They said they wanted to meet union representatives to "get down to the serious work of resolving this dispute".

Regarding Friday's upcoming strike, 20 out of 300 Irish flights have already been cancelled and 3,500 passengers have been re-accommodated but Ryanair says "the damage has been done by this strike and cannot be reversed".

Ryanair calls on FORSA to respond to latest invitation to meet (sent Monday) and avoid further strike action after Ryanair agrees to 9 of 11 requirements: pic.twitter.com/LMJjpGXF7V  Ryanair (@Ryanair) August 1, 2018

There was further cause for headache among Ryanair bosses yesterday when pilots based in the Netherlands voted by almost 96% to back strike action.

There were also delays to 55 flights this morning as a result of shortages of German and Spanish air traffic controllers.

According to Ryanair, 13% of their 440 first wave of flight departures were affected.

"We sincerely regret these unjustified delays and are doing our utmost to limit their impact on flights throughout the rest of today," Ryanair said in a statement.

Digital DeskBy Padraig Hoare

There was a significant fall-off in Irish holidaymakers booking sunshine getaways during the summer as the good weather and threat of European strikes kept many at home, according to the boss of the Irish Travel Agents Association.

Chief executive Pat Dawson said there is renewed hope of a late summer surge into August and September as the unseasonably warm weather begins to return to normal and consumers seek last-minute deals for the likes of Spain and Portugal.

There is no doubt we saw a slowdown because of the good weather because people put off booking and stayed at home, he said.

While that is great for the local economy, it has a far-reaching effect on the overall economy, not just travel agents.

It means there is less spend in the airports, newsagents, and city centre shops where people will spend significant sums preparing for their holidays. It all adds up to millions of euro across many industries.

As well as the good weather, business travel gets very quiet in August, while air traffic control and other strikes in Europe have taken their toll. Many people didnt book like they normally would.

However it has begun to pick up again and we are seeing a resurgence for the next few weeks as consumers look for good deals.

British travel company Thomas Cook said the summer heatwave kept holidaymakers from booking last-minute trips overseas and warned that annual profit would come in at the lower end of expectations.

Thomas Cook makes all its profit in the summer when its customers in northern Europe, including Britain, Germany, and Scandinavia go on holiday, mainly to warmer destinations in southern Europe, such as Spain, Turkey, and Greece.

The heatwave has affected the companys ability to extract higher margins from late bookings.

Chief executive Peter Fankhauser said: Because of the weather, we have now in the market more capacity to sell for the late business.

Thomas Cook said that as a result, full-year underlying operating profit would now be at the lower end of market expectations, in a range of 323m to 355m (361m to 398m).

In its last financial year, the 12 months to September 2017, it made 330m.

Shares in Thomas Cook fell around 1% and are down more than 20% over the last three months due to worries about the warm weather, compared with the mid-cap index FTMC which has risen 3% in the period.

Thomas Cooks bigger rival, TUI Group, is due to report its third-quarter results on August 9.

Additional reporting ReutersBy Chris Hughes

A weak share price, a massive debt-fuelled acquisition, and an impending switch to an unproven chief executive.

Vodafone has the characteristics of a large, slow-moving target for shareholder activism.

Little wonder investors took seriously Mondays reports that the British telecom group had attracted the interest of ubiquitous corporate agitator Elliott Management.

Whatever Vodafone and outgoing chief executive Vittorio Colao have achieved lately, it hasnt been a success for investors.

The stock is among the worst performers in the Ftse-100 over the last five years. True, this is not an easy sector. Shares in peer BT have done worse. In the Euro Stoxx 600, Telefonica has done just as poorly.

Despite this, Vodafone is still hardly cheap on a forward price-earnings ratio valuation. The only support for the stock is its chunky 7% dividend yield.

Vodafone has a plan. In May it agreed to an 18.4bn deal for a bunch of European assets owned by Liberty Global. Mr Colao is off, to be replaced by chief financial officer Nick Read from October.

But these moves have only worsened Vodafones share price performance this year.

Could killing the Liberty transaction be the magic fix? The deal will take five years to earn returns exceeding the acquired assets cost of capital.

Borrowings will rise and its a big management challenge for Mr Read. But the wait for the payback is worth it, given the strategic benefits, chiefly the creation of a powerful number two player in Germany.

Mr Reads existing experience in the company offers some comfort. Higher leverage can only exacerbate fears that Vodafones balance sheet is already overstretched.

However, the deal financing has been cleverly constructed.

Vodafone plans to maintain a solid investment-grade credit rating by effectively renting equity and net borrowings will stay within three times Ebitda. The acquisition merits the strain.

The reality is that the Liberty deal is hard for an activist to torpedo. Its not subject to a shareholder vote.

While the 250m break-fee payable in certain circumstances is small, its not clear if these scenarios include Vodafone changing its mind, rather than regulators saying no.

Unilaterally walking away would have serious consequences. Mr Read, as a co-architect of the transaction, would have to leave; Vodafone would struggle to gain trust in future M&A negotiations. The present strategic opportunity would disappear.

There are many other levers to pull on to improve things. Accelerating cost-cutting is one. Pursuing asset sales would signal action and would assuage market concerns about leverage.

The economics of selling some of its towers are a no-brainer in view of the prices private equity is paying for such assets, according to research by Berenberg.

No chief executive welcomes the disclosure that Elliott has taken a stake, whether through shares or indirectly through derivatives.

But if Elliott has landed, Mr Read should see this as an opportunity. He needs to come out from Mr Colaos shadow.

The mere threat of an activist gives him the cover to be something other than the continuity candidate.

BloombergUpdate - 4.45pm: It has been revealed Pope Francis will be driven through Dublin city centre when he visits at the end of the month.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to line the streets to catch a glimpse of him in his Popemobile.

The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, expects it to be an extremely popular moment during the Pope's stay.

Archbishop Martin said: "There will be opportunities for people, the Pope will drive through Dublin city at least on one occasion, where people will be able to see him on the streets.

"Gardai tell me that on a normal Saturday about 400,000 people walk through the streets of Dublin, so you will also have a very large number of people on the streets that morning in addition to the other events."

1.06pm: Archbishop Martin: Pope needs to meet with survivors of clerical abuse during visit

The Archbishop of Dublin says Pope Francis needs to meet with survivors of clerical sex abuse when he comes to Ireland.

Diarmuid Martin has previously said Pope Francis should tackle the issue of abuse during his upcoming trip to Ireland.

He now believes that should mean making time for the victims.

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin.

Organisers of the World Meeting of Families say it is unlikely that Pope Francis will come to Ireland without addressing the issue of abuse.

There are just over three weeks until Pope Francis makes a two-day visit here.

Concerns have been raised that Dublin's infrastructure will not be able to cope if all 500,000 people going to the Phoenix Park event drive.

The World Meeting of Families says as many people as possible should get public transport to make sure that does not happen.

Spokesperson Brenda Drumm also suggested she was confident the Pontiff would address important issues.

She said: "I hope that he will come to address the issues that are of concern to people in the church and to people who are no longer part of the church.

"He can't come to Ireland without addressing the issue of abuse."

- Digital DeskA cash in transit employee has been stabbed during a botched raid at the Luas stop in Dublin.

Gardai with the armed support unit were called to the scene.

The robbery took place at the Bluebell Luas stop at 12.40 yesterday afternoon.

A cash in transit van servicing the ticket machines was held up by two men.

They threatened an employee who was escorting the cash box before stabbing him in the neck with a screwdriver.

He was rushed to St James' Hospital but it is understood his injury is not life-threatening.

The cash box was taken but subsequently recovered by Gardai.

No arrests have been made and investigations are continuing.

- Digital DeskI am a Flag-Waving Everyman, also known as a patriot. I believe in freedom, apple pie, rooting for America at all times, and that God gave us a two-day weekend so we could enjoy football and NASCAR.Man held for swindling Rs 8.8 million from foreign job aspirants

A man has been arrested on the charge of swindling millions of rupees from youths aspiring for foreign jobs with fake assurances of sending them to Cambodia for lucrative jobs.The cost of hotel accommodation is on the up - with the average room rate rising to 111 last year.

Figures from accountancy firm Crowe show a 7% rise in prices last year - well ahead of inflation.By Tom Tuite

An employee in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is facing trial accused of leaking confidential information in connection with murder trials.

Jonathan Lennon, aged 34, from Clonee, Dublin 15 is accused of breaking the Official Secrets Act in relation to criminal proceedings resulting from the murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly.

Butterly was shot dead outside The Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, Co Meath, in 2013.

Mr Lennon appeared before Judge Gerard Jones at a district court in Dublin and was ordered to appear again in September when he will have to say how he will plead.

The father of three is accused of four offences contrary to Section Four and 13 of the Official Secrets Act 1963, as amended by Section 48 of the Freedom of Information Act 1997.

A State solicitor told Judge Jones the prosecution has made disclosure of evidence and the case would have to be adjourned.

The prosecution also said it was a complicated case and it would be a lengthy hearing.

CCTV evidence along with DVDs of interviews had to be handed over to the defence.

The charges related to breaches of the Official Secrets Act, the prosecution solicitor said, adding, it is a serious matter, four alleged offences.

The court heard the case involved alleged communications over two days.

Judge Jones agreed to make minor amendments to the charges in relation to the dates of the offences. He also made an order for full disclosure of evidence.

Dressed in blue jeans, a grey blazer and a white shirt, the accused remained silent during the hearing. Mr Lennon was informed by the judge that he will have to indicate how he intended to plead at the next hearing.

Anne FitzGibbon, defending, asked for legal aid to be granted to her client whom she said worked for the DPP but has been suspended from his job and was getting 400 a week.

He had a family and a mortgage, the solicitor submitted.

Legal aid was granted by the judge.

It is alleged that on Sept. 7, 2017 and the following day, at a place unknown in Dublin, without authorisation, he communicated with another person official information within the possession, custody or control of the DPP, a holder of public office, relating to the prosecution of individuals arising from the murder of Peter Butterly on March 6, 2013.

The late Peter Butterly

His case will resume next month at Blanchardstown District Court.

On Tuesday at the Special Criminal Court, Dean Evans, 27, of Grange Park Rise, Raheny, Dublin, was given a mandatory life sentence for the murder of 35-year-old father of three Peter Butterly who was from Dunleer, Co. Louth.

Evans was extradited from Spain earlier this year after he spent 18 months on the run.

Two other men are already serving life sentences for the murder, after being found guilty in March this year. Edward McGrath, 35, of Land Dale Lawns, Springfield, Tallaght and Sharif Kelly, 47, of Pinewood Green Road, Balbriggan had both denied the murder.

Three other men are due to go on trial later this year on the same murder charge.Update 3.28pm:Facebook has been accused of betraying its own standards.

The company is defending how it moderates offensive material on its platform to the Oireachtas Communications Committee.

It is addressing issues highlighted in a Channel 4 documentary that was broadcast in July and actions that have been implemented in response to the programme.

Facebook is denying they turn a blind eye to disturbing material claiming it would damage their revenue through advertising, and they have clear community standards.

However, Deputy Timmy Dooley says the company's Vice President's motto in a 2016 memo entitled "the ugly" sets out why anything that achieves growth for Facebook is defacto good.

Mr Dooley said: "Material - even if it is ugly and it's disturbing, and it's bullying and it's death and destruction and bullying of children - it's de facto good because, effectively, it's the cocaine which attracts users to this material.

"And you, in one of these paragraphs, suggest that that material would be off-putting to people and that would be damaging to you. I put it to you that it is quite the opposite."

A senior staff member of Facebook has apologised to the committee after disturbing content was allowed to remain on the social media giant.

Niamh Sweeney, head of public policy of Facebook Ireland, has told the committee that Facebook has removed the content including a video of a toddler being assaulted by an adult.

Two senior Facebook staff members are appearing before the committee to answer questions about the content moderation policy of violent and harmful content.

Deputy Timmy Dooley.

A documentary on Channel 4's Dispatches programme, Inside Facebook, used hidden camera footage to show how content moderation practices are taught and applied within the company's operations in Dublin.

It emerged in the undercover investigation that Facebook moderators were instructed not to remove extreme, abusive or graphic content from the platform even when it violated the company's guidelines.

This included violent videos involving assaults on children, racially charged hate speech and images of self-harm among under-age users.

Ms Sweeney said she and her colleagues were "upset" by what came to light in the programme.

She said: "Dispatches identified some areas where we have failed, and Siobhan (Cummiskey, head of content policy of Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and I are here to reiterate our apology for those failings.

"We should not be in this position and we want to reassure you that whenever failings are brought to our attention, we are committed to taking them seriously, addressing them in as swift and comprehensive a manner as possible."

Committee chair Hildegard Naughton said it was essential for lawmakers to question Facebook following the July 17 broadcast of a documentary.

While nudity is almost always removed, violent videos involving assaults on children, racially charged hate speech and images of self-harm among under-age users remained on Facebook despite being reported by users and reviewed by the moderators.

An undercover reporter worked at CPL Resources in Dublin, Facebook's largest centre for Ireland and UK content.

For six weeks the reporter attended training sessions and filmed conversations in the offices.

One video showed a man punching or stamping on a screaming toddler.

The moderators marked it as disturbing and allowed it to remain online and used it as an example of acceptable content.

"If you start censoring too much then people stop using the platform. It's all about money at the end of the day," one moderator was filmed saying.

Ms Sweeney also admitted that disturbing content of violent assaults and racially-charged hate speech that was allowed to remain on its platform was a betrayal of Facebook's own standards.

She said that the social media giant was not aware that a video of a young toddler being assaulted by an adult was being used to show the type of content that was allowed to remain on its site.

Ms Sweeney went on to tell the committee that a claim made in Channel 4 programme which suggested that the social media giant turns a blind eye to disturbing content was "categorically untrue".

"We are in the process of an internal investigation to understand why some actions taken by CPL were not reflective of our policies and the underlying values on which they are based," she said.

"Creating a safe environment where people from all over the world can share content is core to our business model."

Update 1.20pm: Facebook answering questions on how they moderate offensive material online

Facebook is answering questions about how they moderate offensive material on their platform.

The company is outlining a number of actions that have been taken to the Oireachtas Communications Committee.

It is after a Channel 4 documentary raised important questions about the social media giant's policies and processes.

Last month Channel 4 went undercover with workers who decide what can and can not be posted on Facebook.

The Dispatches crew used hidden camera footage to show how Facebook deals with abusive content, racist images and messages.

Today the social media giant is appearing before the communications committee to respond to issues around how they moderate 'violent and harmful' content.

In their opening statement to the committee, the company described action that is being taken in three key areas; restricting access for under 13s, non-sexual child abuse and increased training and quality control for content moderators.

Niamh Sweeney, Head of Public Policy, said user safety is their top priority.

She said: "One of the claims made in the programme - that it is in our interest to turn a blind eye to controversial or disturbing content on our platform - is categorically untrue.

Creating a safe environment where people all over the world can share and connect is core to our business model. If our services are not safe, people won't share with each other and over time will stop using them.

Facebook confirmed they are investing heavily in new technology to help them deal with problematic content and have doubled the number of people working on their safety and security teams to 20,000.

They have also started a consultation process with external child safety organisations and law enforcement including An Garda Siochana to review their policy regarding leaving videos online.

Update 11.35am: Facebook bosses due before Communications Committee to answer questions over handling of violent content

Representatives from Facebook are due before a Dail Communications Committee shortly, to explain why the company failed to take down offensive material from its platform.

It follows the airing of a Channel 4 documentary, which showed secret footage of moderators being instructed not to remove abusive or graphic content from the website.

Committee Member Timmy Dooley says Facebook has a responsibility to maintain standards.

Facebook, Google and these digital platforms are extremely powerful, have a phenomenal reach and by and large they have been beneficial to society but that is not to suggest that there shouldn't be some level of regulation, he said.

Earlier: Facebook bosses to be questioned by Communications Committee over handling of violent content

The Oireachtas Communications Committee is set to discuss Facebook's handling of violent and harmful content today.

It will grill the social media site's executives after revelations from the Channel 4 documentary 'Inside Facebook'.

It used hidden camera footage to show how content moderation practices are taught and applied within the company's operations in Dublin.

Communications Committee Chairperson Deputy Hildegarde Naughton says members are worried about how Facebook deals with harmful content.

She said:

There is a lot of concern among members of our committee in relation to the procedures in place and particularly, how moderators within Facebook were trained in relation to leaving this very harmful content online in order to generate revenue for Facebook.

She also says all social media needs to be better regulated: "I think we need to look at social media right across the board, not just Facebook. It is the one area that has no regulation. They have been let self-regulate for many years, it is obviously not working. It does have an impact on our democracy and on the workings of different countries, freedom of speech."

Committee Member Timmy Dooley says the TV programme clearly illustrated unacceptable behaviour on Facebook's behalf.

He said:

What we say was material being used to train the moderators. So you had somebody from CPL who was working on behalf of Facebook saying 'this video, of an adult beating a child senselessly' saying 'this kind of material is ok, so long as there isn't a tagline on it that says this is fun, you can do this.' Well I don't think that's acceptable.

- Digital DeskGardai in Co. Leitrim have seized around 140,000 worth of cannabis resin and a large amount of money.

Officers in Carrick-on-Shannon stopped a car yesterday at around 7.30pm last night in the Townspark area.Update 3.47pm: An organisation supporting stay-at-home parents has criticised proposals that would see grandparents paid for looking after their grandchildren.

The Independent Alliance raised the issue with the Finance Minister in a pre-budget meeting yesterday.

Pascal Donohoe says there are big questions to be answered around the suggestion.

Pauline O'Reilly of the Stay at Home Parents Association says a direct payment to families would provide parents with a choice around childcare options.

Ms O'Reilly said: "If you look at a model like Finland where creches are heavily subsidised, but also if a family decides not to se3nd their child to a creche, they will get a subsidy directly to their family.

"And they can use that to either forego a salary themselves, which is a very expensive option, to stay at home and care for their children, or to use it for grandparents or for another relative as a childminder."

12.10pm: Paschal Donohoe to consider proposal for 'granny grant' in budget

The Finance Minister says he will consider proposals for a childcare payment for grandparents in the budget.

The Independent Alliance submitted the idea in its pre-budget plan yesterday.

The self-assessed payment would be available to all grandparents who help out with childcare for more than 10 hours a week.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohue says this idea has been floated before.

He said: "The Independent Alliance shared this idea with me yesterday, they have done so on other budgets. I think it is fair to say there are really big questions in relation to this proposal that would need to be answered but first and foremost, I need to work with Minister Zappone in relation to childcare policy.

Fianna Fail's Seanad Spokesperson on Justice, Children and Youth Affairs has dismissed the proposal.

Lorraine Clifford-Lee said that "a grant to grandparents caring for grandchildren wont address the crisis in Irelands childcare sector" and has described it as "mere immature kite flying."

Lorraine Clifford-Lee.

She said: "This so-called 'Grandparent and Grandchild Expenses Reimbursement Scheme' is a rather pathetic attempt to resolve Ireland's ongoing crisis in childcare provision.

Rather than put forward a well-thought-out policy to increase the availability of affordable childcare, the Independent Alliance has thrown out what can only be described as an insult to the hundreds of thousands of parents and grandparents who are caring for children.

An annual payment of 1,000 will give the princely sum of 19.20 per week to grandparents; hardly an appropriate recognition of the sacrifice and dedication involved in caring for children.

Neither will it in any way reduce childcare costs for struggling families, who are burdened with astronomical childcare costs, often thousands of euro each month.

The shortage of childcare places has become a major issue in many parts of Ireland, my own included. Parents across the country are already being told that they cannot avail of their child's ECCE entitlement, owing to the lack of spaces in creches.

This proposal would do absolutely nothing to address this deficit.

Relying on grandparents who have likely worked all of their lives to sort out childcare is a last resort for parents and adds stress to family relationships.

"Families in Ireland deserve a well-funded childcare sector that is easily accessible and affordable for all, she concluded.

Earlier: Grandparents who look after their grandchildren could be in line for 1,000 annual payment

Grandparents who help mind their grandchildren could be in line for a 1,000 annual payment under new budget proposals.

The Independent Alliance called for the 'Grandparent and Grandchild Reimbursement Scheme' in their pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister, Paschal Donohoe.

The self-assessed payment would be available to all grandparents who help out with childcare for more than 10 hours a week.

Applications for the grant would be made through the Department of Social Protection.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.

Paschal Donohoe says there are 'big questions' to be answered and that the plan would also need to consider other family members and friends who also help out with childcare.

He said:

"If you think of all the other members of family, and friends, who also perform duties looking after young children and do so on a voluntary basis, I think they would be asking me in particular - what about them?"

Reacting to the proposal of a 'Granny Grant,' Pauline O'Reilly spokesperson for Stay-At-Home Parents Association said:

All families are struggling and deserve support regardless of their childcare choice. We would support amending this proposal to bring parents who care for children at home into the net.

"Families where a parent stays at home to care for children pay as much if not more in childcare costs as those who use creches. This is because they forgo a salary as well as paying higher taxes.

"What families really want is flexibility and therefore to receive the subsidy directly themselves. They are best placed to make the choice as to who cares for their children.

Speaking about the costs, she added: "A family where one person earns 50,000 can pay 4000 more in tax than a family where two parents jointly earn 50,000 This is on top of the reality that families with a parent at home lose a salary, which makes the decision to care for children at home extremely difficult".

- Digital DeskPresident Michael D Higgins made his annual trip to Ballybrit for the Galway Plate and he had more than one race on his mind.

Of course, the President is an honorary Galway man, Hes among friends west of the Shannon.

He has always been a regular visitor to Ballybrit and is a big racing fan but this year he has a race of another kind on his mind.

That is the one that will decide whether or not he gets to reside in the lovely big house in the Phoenix Park for another seven years.

Irony of ironies, one of his potential other main rivals is another man with a few fans in Galway  Eamon O Cuiv.

There was no sign of a showdown at Ballybrit, however, as Mr O Cuiv wasnt in attendance.

The President, as always, was in Galway to present the Galway Plate to the winner, but us poor media folks struggled to get a word out of him.

However, in the parade ring it was clear he had his eye on more than one race.

He said with a smile: Oh, I always enter races in a very fit condition.

One horse in very fit condition was Clarcam who took the big race of the week the Galway Plate at 33/1.

The favourites were well beaten in the race in what was a huge win for jockey Mark Enright and trainer Gordon Elliot.

Another man spotted racing and who sat in a powerful office for a few years was none other than former taoiseach Brian Cowen.

One thing is for sure, he has absolutely no interest in ever running for the Aras.

Absolutely not. We are talking in the realms of way beyond 66/1 and carrying 12st 7lb, he said.

The former Fianna Fail leader had an early winner in the races but had no insight into who would win the race for the presidency.

Obviously, he is the incumbent and he is the favourite. Hes in the gate and hes going again. Theres going to be a race.

"I dont think it reflects on the dignity of the office whether its contested or not as long as the person thats there is of sufficient stature to fill the job and I think thats always been the case down the years, to be honest, whether there have been elections or not, he said.

The President might still be the favourite to hang onto the gig in the Aras, but, according to Paddy Power, he had drifted significantly in the betting to serve a second term.

Up until now, he had been a nailed-on certainty to retain his role.

It seems Dragons Den star Gavin Duffy, who announced he would throw his hat into the ring earlier this week has shaken things up.

President Higgins was a 1/8 odds-on shot, and although still top of the pops in the betting, he now sits at a decidedly less favourable price of 1/5 according to the bookie.

We havent taken a single bet on President Michael D Higgins since Gavin Duffys announcement," said a Paddy Power spokesperson.

He entered the betting at 8/1 and the early money is on the Dragon to breathe some fire down the throats of his rivals.

We can forget about the racing tomorrow. It plays second fiddle to fashion.

The real madness in Galway is for Ladies Day. It will be the most competitive day of the week.Puzzles hub



Visit our brain gym where you will find simple and cryptic crosswords, sudoku puzzles and much more. Updated at midnight every day. PS ... We would love to hear your feedback on the section right HERE.





PlayNACs A330 to make maiden flight today

Nepal Airlines Corporations (NAC) Airbus A330 jet, the first wide-body in its fleet, will be taking off on its maiden passenger flight on Kathmandu-Doha sector on Wednesday, carrying around 250 passengers onboard. The jet will be returning with 240 passengers.There are calls this morning for the vulture fund which bought 1.3bn in distressed mortgages from Permanent TSB to be held to account.

Fianna Fail wants Start Mortgages to appear before the finance committee to explain how it will handle almost 11,000 non-performing loans.

The majority are mortgages on family homes that have fallen into arrears.

The firm's parent company has so far refused to appear before the Finance Committee.

Fianna Fail Finance spokesperson Michael McGrath wants that to change.

He said: "That they would come before the Finance Committee, that they would answer questions in relation to their strategy, their approach for dealing with these loans and will they now enter into restructuring options that up until now they have not been making available.

"That for me is a key question which the Minister should insist the Start Mortgages are answering."

- Digital DeskSarah Slater

A teenager who will become the first Irish person to receive groundbreaking treatment in her cancer battle flew out to the US this morning thanks to public donations.

Never in her wildest dreams did Bernadette Dornan Smyth expect that her emotional outpouring over her failing attempts to raise 326,000 for her daughter Robyns medical treatment, actually help and spur the public to donate.

The 13-year-old, from Whitehall in Dublin, has been fighting aggressive cancer, neuroblastoma, since the age of three and has already undergone extensive treatment.

Robyn and Bernadette flew out to New York on an early morning flight.

We cant believe we are actually going out to New York and at last we are getting on this dreamed for flight. Its been a real battle financially but this treatment will mean so much for Robyns health.

Im so nervous travelling out here more than ever but also so relieved and cant thank the public for all their financial help which we will always need. The next few days out here will be intense but it has to be that way.

Robyn was accepted on to the new trial treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York several months ago following two good scans while attending the Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital in Michigan.

Robyn Smyth.

But not having enough money to pay for the treatment meant that it could not go ahead until now and as a result, Robyns health has started to deteriorate.

We reached the magic mark of having enough money to pay for the groundbreaking trial treatment last weekend and all of the family cant put into words how grateful and relieved we are.

My head was spinning at the thought of getting Robyn this far and not being able to get her on the trial that could potentially put an end to this monster. We don't know what the future holds. But Id fly around the world a million times to ensure Robyn was well.

We are all so relieved but worried too. After we make the upfront payment to the hospital then there will be no money left.

So Im pleading with people to keep donating as there will be non stop flight and living costs while in the US. Obviously, we will be using up as much as our personal finances as well."

Up until last month, fundraising had stalled and just 70,000 had been raised. The plea led to Erin McGregor, sister of UFC king Conor, starting a floss dance challenge in a desperate bid to help save Robyns life whom she has been secretly helping.

The brave teenager was given just a 30% chance of surviving when she was first diagnosed with cancer at Our Ladys Hospital in Crumlin.

It was when the Dublin girls chances of survival dropped to five per cent, three years ago and was told by Irish doctors to bring her home to die, that her family decided to fundraise to take her to US-based Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital in Michigan three years ago.

In between her visits to the US, of which she has been on more than 80 flights since 2015, Robyn continues to take chemotherapy tablets and has blood tests and other related treatment at Our Ladys Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.

Donations can be made on Robyn's websiteiDonate and Go Fund Me pages.Shots were fired at a house in Tallaght, Dublin overnight.

It follows the stabbing of a man one street away last week.

The gun attack happened at around 1am on Brookview Close in Tallaght.

Shots were fired at the house with a number of people inside.

Nobody was injured and Gardai say their investigations are continuing.

It is not known whether the attack is linked to the recent stabbing of a man around the corner on Brookview Drive.

Just over a week ago, a man in his 20s was rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

- Digital DeskThree Labour councillors have called for a leadership contest within the party.

Tralee politician Terry O'Brien has followed Dublin councillor, Mick Duff, today in reiterating the call made by Noel Tuohy that party leader Brendan Howlin should step down.

Councillor O'Brien told Radio Kerry Deputy Howlin has not clicked with people.

He said: "He just hasn't done it, he just hasn't clicked with the electorate obviously. We need to soul search, we need to do something fairly quickly before the next general or local elections."

Earlier, Councillor Duff made his feelings known on the issue on Facebook.

Supporting Councillor Tuohy's move, Mr Duff said: "I fully support my colleague, Cllr Noel Tuohys call for Brendan Howlin to stand aside and to arrange for an immediate leadership election to take place.

"I have been very concerned for months about the direction our Party is heading and the latest poll result of 3% further highlights this reality.

"While Brendan Howlin has been a fine parliamentarian, Minister and local TD, I do not have confidence in his ability to lead the rebuild of our Party."

- Digital DeskNepal has to stay focused on its national interest: Teplitz

Looking back at her three eventful years in Nepal, outgoing US ambassador Alaina Teplitz said her tenure offered her the opportunity to witness some very important changes in the countrys history.Royal commissioner Kenneth Hayne has admonished financial service giant IOOF for impeding the work of the banking royal commission.

Commissioner Haynes dressing down of IOOF came after the group tried to keep secret its communications with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and super regulator the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority about IOOFs subsidiary Questor Financial Services.

Commissioner Hayne is a retired High Court judge. Credit:Eddie Jim

IOOFs Questor had also tried to claim legal privilege over certain governance and compliance issues detailed in documents it tendered to the royal commission.

The ruling on IOOFs claim for legal privilege comes as the royal commission prepares to hear two weeks of evidence about misconduct within the trillion dollar superannuation sector from Monday.You are now a Logie winner. How has that changed your life?

I'm not sure how it's changed it, but it's been very exciting. I genuinely didn't think I had a chance of winning, like the nomination was a win in itself. Then all of a sudden people were talking about me as the favourite, and I started to go 'what do they know that I don't?' To be honest it's quite lovely, such a cool little thing to get, and it's not something I ever planned  you know, it's not what we get into stand-up comedy for. What's lovely is that I'm in Sri Lanka now, and even three weeks after the Logies, my family is still celebrating here. It's like I'm on a Logies celebration tour.

Most popular new talent winner Dilruk Jayasinha.

Has winning a Logie given you a real sense of how much better than you are than everyone else?

(Extended laughter) Absolutely not! I'm going to sound really cheesy, but it's quite a humbling experience, because it's the audience who voted for it, and it's made me feel a lot more gratitude and appreciation than I've had in the past. I've always been pretty good at being grateful, but this was huge for me.Facebook and Instagram have some unexpected news: they want you to use their apps less.

The social media companies announced a suite of new features on Wednesday that aim to allow users to limit the amount of time they spend on the apps.

Facebook and Instagram are introducing timers so people can track their use. Credit:Stocksy

The upgrade will allow users to set a timer on their daily usage, which will send them a notification when that time is exceeded. A graph showing the amount of time someone has spent on the app over the past week will also be accessible.

Users can also mute push notifications from the app for a set time period so they can ignore social media while doing other things.Elizabeth Trotter and her family moved into a townhouse in Dee Why four years ago because it was a low-density residential neighbourhood.

However, Ms Trotter fears a proposed 122-room boarding house will tower over their properties, robbing her family of privacy and sunlight.

Elizabeth Trotter and her neighbours are concerned that a proposed boarding house will strain local infrastructure. Credit:James Brickwood

The lack of privacy from the building's height would mean that my childrens bedrooms, bathroom and our living room would be completely visible to the occupants of the boarding house, she said. We would also lose all privacy in living areas and back yard.

Ms Trotter questioned how a boarding house could be built in a low-density residential area  a concern shared by Michael Regan, the mayor of the Northern Beaches Council, who criticised the NSW governments affordable housing rules.Queensland's July rainfall was more than 70 per cent below the long-term average and the driest since 2014, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

Despite it being the middle of winter, July was a month with an average temperature nearly 2 degrees higher than the long-term average.

Cold nights for Brisbane, thanks to clear skies and low rainfall across July 2018. Credit:Fairfax Media - Bradley Kanaris

In the second half of the month, some locations reported their highest temperatures on record, including Gatton, Amberley and Archerfield airport.

While the south-east, south and west of Queensland saw very little rain, the northern interior and coast recorded above-average rain.After election results my best advice is to pause to take a deep breath to avoid getting caught up in hype, blame and spin. Many people, including commentators, pollsters and party spokespeople got it wrong beforehand so it is best not to repeat the mistakes. I was not alone in suggesting that the most probable result was that Labor would lose one seat, probably Longman in Queensland rather than Braddon in Tasmania. Both parties predicted that the result would be very close and probably wouldnt be known for days. Some government spokespeople exuded confidence, giving the impression they thought they would win at least one seat, while some Labor people were worried. If you doubt any of this go back and look at last Friday and Saturdays media.

Sobering result: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Credit:Brook Mitchell

There seems to me to be two main problems with interpreting the so-called Super Saturday byelections. The first is establishing just where the goal posts were. The government always had the fall-back position that governments almost never win byelections from oppositions (not for 98 years and then in extraordinary circumstances). That has been their face-saving mantra since the results became known.

But there is no doubt that during the deliberately long campaign the government upped the ante. They tried to make these by-elections a test of Bill Shortens leadership. In brief, they attempted to kill Bill. In doing so they hoped to transform the dynamics of the party contest by at least crippling the Opposition leader. While they didnt create the doubts about Shortens leadership, because the public opinion polls did that for them, and some within Labor held similar doubts, the government did attempt to make Turnbull versus Shorten the main issue.

The government now cant have it both ways. In trying to do so they have added to the sense in the community that the big parties cant be trusted to tell the truth. Australians arent fools when it comes to sniffing spin. The government should stick with Turnbulls initial response, which was an honest reaction. That is, that the results were nothing to crow about and that the government would look at them in a spirit of humility. That should have been the end of the story.News from the jungle

Tiger conservation cannot be achieved by hiding the results of the tiger surveySarah* felt a hot anger bubbling away inside as she fought with other students in the school yard.

It surged up as she hit and screamed at her distraught mother, Cheryl*. And the anger was there - rough and ugly - when she tried pull a knife on one of her younger siblings in their home.

Social worker Korrina Glen talks to Cheryl and her 13-year-old daughter Sarah, who was violent towards her classmates and family. Credit:kate Healy/Ballarat Courier

Her mother felt trapped. The last thing Cheryl wanted was to call police on her unhappy teen and trigger an inevitable collision with the courts or child protection. I wasnt too worried about myself but I was worried that she was going to hurt the other children in a way we couldnt come back from, she says.

The parents of young people who use violence are unwilling to contact police and try to protect their children, according to research on teenage family violence from Monash University.Trains will run every six and a half minutes at Greensborough in Melbournes north-east, with the Andrews government promising to duplicate single sections of track running through marginal seats if it wins the November election.

For $530 million, Labor has promised to rebuild Greensborough station and add three kilometres of extra track between Greensborough and Montmorency. Read more.A man who worked with a McDonald's store manager in order to rob the fast food outlet has been sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment.

Kyle John Cox, 28, fronted the Supreme Court of Western Australia last Thursday and was found guilty of conducting an inside job at a McDonald's restaurant in Beldon.

The man was sentenced in WA's Supreme Court last week. Credit:Glen Hunt

Justice Bruno Fiannaca said Cox and store manager Patrick Francis Egan conspired to rob the outlet, with the co-accused staff member handing over a map of the premises and information about night shift employees.

You both agreed to commit the offence to steal a substantial sum of cash that you expected would be on the premises, and you did so using Mr Egan's inside knowledge, Justice Fiannaca said.Treasurer Scott Morrison has warned one byelection result should not be enough to undo the Turnbull governments signature economic policy, hours after Peter Dutton became the first cabinet minister to reportedly question whether the company tax cuts should be taken to the next election.

Mr Duttons electorate of Dickson borders Longman where the government suffered a 9.4 per cent swing against it on first preferences on Saturday.

Griffith University election analysts have warned the Home Affairs Minister has a real problem on his hands trying to hold onto the outer-suburban seat.

Treasurer Scott Morrison Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

He holds it by a margin of only 1.6 per cent.Deputy Premier John Barilaro told his party he would quit as leader if it insisted on running a NSW Nationals candidate in Wagga Wagga, senior sources have confirmed.

Senior National Party sources have told the Herald that Mr Barilaro warned the executive of the party that he would stand down if his pleas for Coalition unity were ignored.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro threatened to quit as Nationals leader if the party ran in the Wagga Wagga byelection. Credit:Jay Cronan

A byelection will be held in the seat once disgraced MP Daryl Maguire resigns from Parliament.

Mr Maguire has packed up his office, and is on leave, but is still being paid by the taxpayer.Hardware chain Bunnings has put VicForests on notice that it must reduce its impact on Victorias native forests or risk losing its custom, after the state-owned forestry company failed in its bid to achieve green certification.

VicForests unsuccessfully sought to improve its environmental credentials. Credit:Penny Stephens

VicForests harvests about 150,000 cubic metres of timber a year, mostly from native forests in Victorias central highlands and in Gippsland, but is under pressure from green groups who want to see an end to large-scale logging in old-growth forests.

It is also under rising pressure from several smaller timber mills across the state which say they have been starved of high-grade hardwood since the Andrews government bought out the states biggest native timber mill, in Heyfield, last year for $62 million.

But a move by VicForests to demonstrate its green credentials and satisfy Bunnings, perhaps its highest-profile customer, has backfired.Other less damning criticisms, petitions and jibes about Xi's policies have also spread, often shared through WeChat, a popular social media service. But this long, erudite jeremiad from a prestigious professor has carried more weight. "Xu has written a challenge from the cultural heart of China to the political heart of the Communist Party," said Geremie Barme, an Australian scholar of China who is translating Xu's essay. "Its content and culturally powerful style will resonate deeply throughout the Chinese party-state system, as well as in the society more broadly." Loading Over recent months, China has been grappling with a growing trade dispute with the United States. Some Chinese foreign policy experts have suggested that the trade fights with the Trump administration could have been contained if Beijing had been more flexible and moved faster to douse triumphalist statements about its goals. A man walks by posters featuring drawings of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his quotes, on display for sale at a market in Beijing. Credit:AP

"China should adopt a lower profile in dealing with international issues," Jia Qingguo, a professor of international relations at Peking University, said at a recent forum in Beijing. "Don't create this atmosphere that we're about to supplant the American model." Revelations about faulty vaccines given to hundreds of thousands of children have ignited public anger and protests, especially because the government promised to clean up after similar previous scandals. On Tuesday, Xi convened a meeting of the Politburo  a 25-member party leadership council  that warned of economic tests while promising to keep growth steady. The economy was sound but "faces some new issues and challenges, and the external environment has undergone clear changes," the meeting concluded, according to an official summary from Xinhua, the state-run news agency. People look at a building covered in posters of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Shanghai. Credit:AP/File

The undercurrent of discontent does not pose any immediate threat to Xi's hold on power. He and the Communist Party remain firmly in control. And many Chinese people endorse his tough campaign against corruption and his vows to build China into a great power that will not compromise over territorial disputes. But party insiders and foreign experts said misgivings about Xi's hardline policies appeared to be building among intellectuals, liberal-minded former officials and middle-class people after the recent misfires. A former official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that many former colleagues had shared Xu's essay. Over time, he and others said, such criticism could coalesce into deeper disaffection that erodes Xi's authority and gives other senior officials more courage to question his decisions. "In recent weeks, the signs of a nascent pushback against Xi's absolute power have started to emerge," Richard McGregor, a former journalist in China who is now a senior fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, wrote recently. "The harder question then becomes what that actually means in practice," McGregor said. "If it means heightened infighting in elite politics, it might result in policy paralysis and instability, rather than just a freer and more open debate."

As things continue in this direction, the question arises whether reform ... will come to a halt and totalitarian rule will return. Xu Zhangrun, law professor, Tsinghua University In his essay, Xu challenged another political taboo, urging the government to overturn its condemnation of the pro-democracy, anti-corruption protests that erupted in Chinese cities in 1989 and ended after the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Next year is the 30th anniversary of that bloody upheaval and promises to be a tense time for the government. XU Zhangrun, professor of jurisprudence and constitutional law, Tsinghua university, Beijing. "As things continue in this direction, the question arises whether reform and opening up will come to a halt and totalitarian rule will return," Xu said in the essay, written in a densely classical style speckled with recondite phrases and historical allusions. "At this time, no other anxiety weighs most heavily on most people." Xu did not answer messages and phone calls, and he is listed as being a visiting scholar in Japan. He may face censure back in Beijing. Some opponents of Xi have been detained and imprisoned for online protests, but the authorities may act more cautiously against an academic from a major university.

Intellectuals and ex-officials skeptical of Xi's agenda are also likely to seize on the 40th anniversary of a party meeting in 1978 that is now seen as inaugurating Deng Xiaoping's era of "reform and opening up." Party leaders still revere Deng, even though Xi has jettisoned some of his pragmatic policies. But more liberal-minded former officials have also embraced Deng as an icon, casting him as a more moderate leader to highlight the swaggering overreach they say Xi has brought. "Even though the reality is much more complex, Deng's popular image often boils down to one word: reform," said Julian Gewirtz, a scholar at the Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs at Harvard University who is studying China's changes in the 1980s. "Today Xi is clearly parting ways with elements of what Deng supported, such as more open intellectual debate, greater separation of party and state, and 'biding time' in international relations," he said. "And for critics of Xi, Deng may be a useful symbolic weapon because of his stature as a particular type of reformer." Some signs suggest that the trade tensions and domestic criticisms may have already prompted Xi's government to cool the public tone. A series of articles in The People's Daily scornfully mocked Chinese scholars and pundits who have claimed that China has surpassed the United States as a technological power and warned the news media to curb cocky boasting.

"It's too soon to see if this type of criticism could constrain the leadership, but it is interesting that there has been some recalibration of the foreign policy rhetoric," said Susan Shirk, the chairwoman of the 21st Century China Centre at the University of California, San Diego, and a former deputy assistant secretary of state. That, she said, "suggests that there is some ability to self-correct, at least on the rhetorical level." Others see signs that the Communist Party has been cooling its glorification of Xi. In his essay, Xu said that the propaganda echoed the cult of personality that surrounded Mao Zedong, and he called for "slamming on the brakes". "The propaganda system has been put on the defensive for contributing to the cult and also messing up the messaging concerning the US-China trade conflict," said Dali Yang, a political scientist at the University of Chicago who studies Chinese politics. But speculation shared among some of Xi's critics in Beijing and on the internet that unhappy party officials and elders had forced a full-scale retreat from the adulation appears to be unfounded. Xi's name has appeared on the front page of the People's Daily as often as ever; the frequency of appearances in July was not markedly down, according to counts made by Qian Gang, a media expert at the University of Hong Kong. As well, a party campaign to study Xi's years as a youth in Liangjiahe Village in north-west China has continued to inspire rhapsodic reports.Washington: US President Donald Trump has called on Attorney-General Jeff Sessions to end a federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and any cooperation by his campaign with Moscow.

The Republican President, who has long complained about the criminal probe into his White House victory, said the idea that his campaign worked with Moscow was a "TOTAL HOAX" in a series of tweets aimed at undermining the integrity of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

In what appeared to be his most direct call for shutting down the probe, Trump wrote on Twitter: "This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further.

"Bob Mueller is totally conflicted," Trump continued. He provided no evidence that the team led by Mueller, a Republican appointed by Republicans, is biased against him.Latest News Lend extends broker ability with help from Semper Other companies also join in to broaden Lend's stable of working capital and asset finance

NAB hikes fixed interest rates while lowering variable The last Big Four fixed hold out has gone, but flagship variable slashed

Aussie Oxenford mortgage broker Adam Hall, will join 15 other walkers to complete a gruelling five-day, 110 kilometre trek across some of the most rugged terrain in the Northern Territory, in support of OzHarvest.

OzHarvest collects quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivers it directly to more than 1,000 charities supporting people in need across the country. It was founded in 2004 by Ronni Kahn, who will join Hall and the other trekkers.

The group will walk along some of the most spectacular sections of the Larapinta Trail and the trek includes climbing Mount Sonder, one of the Northern Territorys highest peaks.

The trail is said to be one of the countrys most challenging, as it involves up to seven hours walking each day over rugged terrain with some steep ascents and descents.

According to the firm, Hall has been training daily for the past few months, often with a heavy backpack to acclimatise to the conditions he will encounter. One thing I have discovered during my training and fundraising is the power of community and the enthusiasm of people to support each other, especially those in need, Hall said.

The mortgage broker originally planned to raise, $4,000 but was so encouraged by the support to date he has increased his target to $5,000. One thing I have discovered during my training and fundraising is the power of community and the enthusiasm of people to support each other, especially those in need, he said.

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CEOs sleep rough for homelessnessNo country for women

The number of reported rape cases has jumped 256 percent in the past decadeSign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

84th Precinct

Brooklyn HeightsDUMBOBoerum HillDowntown

Tough guy

Cops cuffed a guy who they say assaulted a man and stole his phone and cash from his pockets on Lawrence Street on July 23.

The 37-year-old victim told police he was walking with his girlfriend near Fulton Street at about 8 pm when the suspect and four other goons came up to them and demanded she hand over cash.

The victim told the five suspects to get lost, but they followed the couple, according to police. The victim called 911 and the suspects started assaulting him, pushed him to the ground, and grabbed his Samsung, $180, and a key out of his pockets, officials said. Police arrested one 33-year-old in connection to the crime.

Long-distance call

Police arrested a guy for allegedly punching a man and stealing his phone on a subway near Willoughby Street on July 28.

The 25-year-old victim told cops he was riding a Brooklyn-bound A train near Jay Street at about 11:15 am when he dropped his Samsung Galaxy. The victim asked the suspect for it back, but he punched him in the face, according to authorities. The suspect then hurled the phone across the street and fled, officials said.

Snake in the subway

A wretch threatened a guy with a knife inside a subway station near Willoughby Street on July 24, police said.

The 49-year-old victim was walking down the stairs inside the station near Jay Street at about 5 pm when he made eye contact with the creep, who said, Why are you watching me? police said.

The rogue then pulled out a knife, scratched the victim on his right bicep, and fled the station, according to authorities.

Caught

Cops arrested a guy for allegedly smashing a person with a pole on Lawrence Street on July 25.

The suspect struck the victim in the head with a metal pole near Fulton Street at about 11 am, according to authorities. Paramedics took the victim to Brooklyn Hospital, officials said.

Keys please!

Some malefactor swiped a guys set of keys and packages from his State Street building on July 28, police said.

The 55-year-old victim told cops on July 25 that the crook entered the lobby of his building near Flatbush Avenue at about 6:30 pm and ran out with his keys. The baddie then came back about half an hour later and stole five Amazon packages from the mailroom, according to authorities.

Dude, wheres my car?

A knave stole a womans car parked on Sands Street sometime overnight on July 23, police said.

The 26-year-old victim told cops she had parked her 2009 BMW with New York plates near Gold Street at about 3 pm, and when she went back to get it the next day at about 5 pm, it was gone, according to authorities.

 Julianne CubaSign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

Police arrested two teens on Monday for shooting three men, killing one of them, inside a Bushwick playground the week before.

The trio of victims were hanging out in the green space near Knickerbocker Avenue and Madison Street on Thursday, when one of the 18-year-old suspects opened fire at about 6:30 pm, fatally hitting 21-year-old Hamler Cabrera-De Jesus in the back.

The bullets also struck one 20-year-old in the back and elbow, and grazed anothers arm, according to authorities.

Paramedics rushed Cabrera-De Jesus to Wyckoff Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead, and took the two 20-year-olds to Brookdale Hospital in stable condition, officers said.

Investigators found three shell casings at the scene, according to a spokesman for New Yorks Finest, who said the two suspects were spotted fleeing the scene down Woodbine Street.

But police caught the two suspects on Monday  they slapped the 18-year-old who had opened fire on the victims with murder, and charged his 19-year-old accomplice with criminal possession of a weapon.Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

A mid-morning sidewalk argument erupted in gunfire on the edge of MetroTech Commons Downtown on Aug. 1, forcing workers in the office and education complex to take shelter as police swarmed the area in a futile search for a lone gunman.

Cops said the incident occurred about 11:15 am near the New York University Tandon School of Engineering near the northeastern edge of the plaza. Responding cops cordoned off an area on Jay Street between Myrtle Avenue and Johnson Place, where investigators recovered a bullet on the pavement, according to an officer at the scene. Police later told The Brooklyn Paper that no one was injured.

One witness who was walking past the scene on her way to work said she heard a heated argument, followed suddenly by the sound of a single gunshot.

I just heard people arguing, and I looked over and saw a guy take out a gun and I heard a really loud bang, said the woman, who declined to give her name.

Another witness described someone he believed to be the gunmans would-be target cowering, and desperately begging him not to open fire.

They were in this position, prone position, and whoever it was hollered Dont shoot!  said Flatbush resident Barry Katz, who said he was standing in line to buy theater tickets at a nearby TKTS kiosk when the gunman opened fire.

A gun enthusiast who witnessed the attack said the shooter was brandishing a 9mm Glock handgun and, after firing the shot briefly hid behind a row of nearby building pillars before running off.

I noticed from my building [the shooter] was behind a pole near the district office, then he took off on foot, said Anthony Garguilo, who works in the district office of the utility National Grid, located at 1 MetroTech Center on Jay Street, steps away from where the shot was fired.

After he fled to safety inside the National Grid lobby, Garguilo urged security there to take measures to lock down the building to keep occupants from leaving or intruders from entering until the danger had passed. Soon afterward, workers inside were instructed via intercom to shelter in place.

I ran into my building, and told them to lock it down, he said.

Fortunately, Garguilo said, the gunmans single shot went wide, and there did not appear to be any injuries. He described the shooter as a middle-aged man, about 5-foot-9-inches tall, and wearing a blue shirt with a logo on it.

The NYPD Office of Public Information confirmed that a single shot had been fired, and that there were no reported injuries, no arrests, and an investigation was continuing.

This is the second shooting in a month to occur within walking distance of the Metrotech Center, and a 19-year-old man was arrested for allegedly opening fire at Fulton Mall and Gallatin Place on Friday, July 13, striking three people.

Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixs on@cn gloca l.com or by calling (718) 260-4505.Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

A video of a man attacking a livery driver with a blade in the middle of a Greenpoint street last Tuesday has helped police nab the suspect a few days later, according to a spokeswoman for New Yorks Finest.

Other police officers recognized him and picked up him, said Det. Sophia Mason.

A passerby recorded a video of the tussle, which shows the 46-year-old suspect from Queens  who now faces up to 25 years behind bars, according to the District Attorneys office  swipe at the driver with his weapon in the middle of the road as other motorists honked around them, and police circulated the footage via social media the next day in an attempt to track the man down.

This viral video might be key in helping us catch his violent suspect, officers from Patrol Borough Brooklyn North wrote on Facebook.

Cops say they spotted the suspect strolling down Meserole Avenue near Lorimer Street on Friday, and hauled him to the 94th Precinct station house, Mason said.

The suspect, driving a white Hyundai with Florida plates, allegedly tailgated the 24-year-old ride-hail driver on McGuinness Boulevard near Norman Avenue, and when traffic stopped for a red light around 1:30 pm, he jumped out of his car and started screaming the victim cut him off, according to Mason.

Police allege the suspect then pulled out a box cutter on the driver, at which point the video shows a good Samaritan triying to intervene as he lunged at and chased the victim in the street, dancing around his black sedan with Taxi and Limousine Commission plates.

And as the suspect rounded the drivers vehicle, he also pulled open its front passenger-side door and grabbed the keys from its ignition before hopping back into his ride and hitting the gas  pinning the victim against another truck as he sped off, the footage shows.

Paramedics took the victim to Woodhull Hospital, where doctors treated him for bruises and cuts, according to Mason.Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

78th Precinct

Park Slope

Fight night

A thief ran off with a womans phone she dropped amid a fight outside an Atlantic Avenue arena on July 16.

The victim told police that she was caught up in a brawl outside the stadium near Flatbush Avenue at 11:05 pm, causing her to fumble her iPhone 7, which was quickly recovered off the ground by a nearby opportunist in a white T-shirt, who subsequently outran the 31-year-old woman.

Police have failed to arrest any suspects, and the case has been closed, cops said.

She said, he bled

A 21-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly beating up her 18-year-old boyfriend and threatening him with a knife following an argument inside their Third Avenue apartment on July 18.

The victim told police that sharp words became sharp actions after his beau turned her nails on him, leaving him with scratches on his torso and back inside their home between Wyckoff and Baltic streets at 4 am.

The suspect then snatched up a kitchen knife and said she would stab her bloodied boyfriend, but the woman eventually cooled off and laid the blade back down, cops said.

New Yorks Finest arrived later that night, and arrested the woman on misdemeanor assault charges, according to police.

Wrangler

A thief stole a womans stereo from her Jeep Wrangler she parked on Eighth Avenue on July 15.

The victim told police that she left her canvas-topped four-wheeler between Sixth and Seventh streets at 11 am, and returned two days later to find some crook had unzipped her plastic windows and made off with her music box, along with a pair of headphones and a battery charger.

Police have failed to arrest any suspects, and the case has been closed, cops said.

Roadside intervention

Police busted a 29-year-old woman accused of driving drunk on Third Avenue on July 19.

The arresting officer claims he spotted the woman breeze through a red light near Carroll Street from behind the wheel of her 2017 Honda Accord at 4:37 am, and, after stopping her, discovered that she reeked of booze, and exhibited other telltale signs of a fun night.

Tests later showed the woman had a blood alcohol content of .098, just over the states legal limit of .08, and the officer cuffed her for the misdemeanor offense, cops said.

Debt collector

Some jerk sucker-punched a guy over money on Ninth Street on July 22.

The victim told police his buddy clocked him between Fourth and Fifth avenues at 6:50 pm in response to an outstanding debt, leading him to topple over and suffer a rough landing on his hip.

The victim was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment to the hip, according to police.

No suspect has been arrested, and the case has been closed, cops said.

 Colin MixsonPHC fails to take decision on Joshee yet again

A meeting of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee (PHC) has ended inconclusively on Wednesday.Tourism industry unhappy after Casino Bill dropped

The governments decision to attach casino-related laws in the Tourism Act instead of passing a separate Casino Act has disappointed tourism entrepreneurs as the country will lose out on benefits from authorized commercial gaming that is expected to attract massive foreign investment and tourist arrivals.Dear Reader,

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Digital EditorBiotechnology major Biocon is aiming to register a 66 per cent growth in its biologics business this fiscal, which the company hopes will help it clock a revenue of $200 million on the back of emerging markets growth. Its current revenue from the biosimilars market is around $120 million.

In the last six months, the company (along with its partner Mylan) has made significant progress on the regulatory front in the US and EU markets and has built a biosimilars pipeline. However, it is still some time away for these markets to drive growth. The company feels that developed markets ...State-run telecom company has narrowed its loss to Rs 47.85 billion during 2017-18, even as its income declined to Rs 278.18 billion as against the previous fiscal, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

posted a loss of Rs 48.59 billion in 2015-16, Rs 47.86 billion in 2016-17 and Rs 47.85 billion (provisional and unaudited) in 2017-18, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

The company's income stood at Rs 324.11 billion (FY16), Rs 315.33 billion (FY17) and Rs 278.18 billion in FY18 (provisional and unaudited), he added.

Since has incurred losses consecutively for the last three years, it has been declared as 'Incipient Sick' as per the guidelines of Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), the minister said.

Accordingly, action has been initiated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for preparation of revival/restructuring plan of BSNL, he added.

MTNL, another state-run telecom firm, reported a loss of Rs 29.71 billion in FY18. This was against a similar amount in FY17 and Rs 20.06 billion in FY16.

The company, which has operations in Delhi and Mumbai, saw its income declining to Rs 31.16 billion in 2017-18 from Rs 35.52 billion in 2016-17 and Rs 35.13 billion in 2015-16.

Sinha said at present, there is no proposal for merger of BSNL and MTNL.

"For merger of BSNL and MTNL, there are various challenges/issues related to their employees, debt, properties, government share holding in MTNL etc," he added.A month after an abnormal growth of 37 per cent (owing to a low base effect of June 2017), the domestic is expected to report a decline in July on a high-base effect of corresponding month last year. Countrys largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, has reported a drop of 0.6 per cent in July passenger vehicle sales.

If Maruti Suzukis numbers are any indication, it is almost certain that the industry will report a decline in July passenger vehicle (cars, utility vehicles and vans) sales to dealerships. The industry had reported a growth of about 15 per cent in July 2017. Such a double-digit growth is unusual for July, a month of low demand.





ALSO READ: Maruti Suzuki's July sales fall marginally on weak exports, domestic growth

However, last year, July was a month of strong growth since companies had regulated dispatches in June to ensure minimum inventory at dealer level owing to transition to GST, which was implemented from July 2017. The industry had declined about 11 per cent in June 2017.





Maruti Suzuki, which sells a car every second in the country, dispatched 152,427 units of passenger vehicles to dealerships last month against 153,298 units in July last year. Except for the compact segment, which has vehicles like Swift, Dzire and Baleno, all other segments posted a decline. The compact segment, biggest for the company, grew 18 per cent to 74,373 units. Reacting to the announcement, the carmakers stock slipped almost 2 per cent on the BSE and was trading at Rs 9,338 at 12.55 pm after opening in the green.





ALSO READ: Maruti Suzuki's profit climbs 27% in Q1, but skids on expectations

R S Kalsi, Senior Executive Director, marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki, said July volumes must be seen together with June sales. If we see the companys June-July volume it gives us a growth of 17 per cent. We have sold more cars in July than June but there is no growth due to high-base effect, he added. Maruti Suzuki sold 134,036 units in June but owing to a low base, the growth was 44 per cent. Though July volume is much higher at 152,427 units there is no growth owing to the high base of last year.

Kalsi said it will be a flat month or a month of decline for the industry as well even though absolute numbers are going to be higher month-on-month. M&M, the third biggest player in the domestic passenger vehicle market, has reported a 6 per cent drop in July sales to 19,781 units. The auto industry has been subject to certain uncertainties with the truckers strike and sluggishness on the retail front which has impacted the passenger vehicle segment, said Rajan Wadhera, president (automotive sector) at M&M.





ALSO READ: Maruti Suzuki dips 4% post Q1 results

Ford has reported a decline of 7 per cent in July domestic sales at 7,816 units. The transport strike impacted both the production as well as shipment of Ford vehicles in July, said Anurag Mehrotra, president and managing director at Ford India.Towards a stronger partnership

On the 63rd year of friendship, China renews its commitment to partnership with NepalDelhi High Court has asked brothers Malvinder and Shivinder Singh to personally appear in the court on August 10 to explain the reasons for discrepancies in their statements over holdings in Fortis Healthcare. This would be the first time the Singh brothers have been summoned to court in this matter.

This summons was in response to a plea filed by Daiichi Sankyo against the Fortis-IHH Healthcare deal. In course of the arguments, the judge observed that things are getting out of hand. In a strong message to the brothers, the judge noted that the Singhs will have to ...The government is likely to appeal against a ruling by an international tribunal that rejected its $1.55 billion claim against and its partners for allegedly syphoning gas from deposits they had no right to exploit.

A three-member international arbitration tribunal by a majority vote held that Reliance could contractually produce and sell any gas that might have migrated from adjoining fields of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) into its area and that it was not obligated to seek prior permission of the government for doing so.

With one member dissenting, the panel held that the production sharing contract for eastern offshore KG-D6 fields "does not prohibit but permits" Reliance "to produce and sell gas which migrated into the sub-sea reservoir lying within (its) Contract Area from a source outside the Contract Area".

And so "there is no question of 'unjust enrichment'," it held. Reliance "has not been and will not be unjustly enriched by any production of migrated gas as a result of Petroleum Operations conducted within its Contract Area".

A senior government official said the oil ministry is studying the arbitration award and would go in for an appeal.

"To my mind, the arbitration award is flawed and one-sided and only remedy left is to go in for an appeal," he said.

In his dissent note, G S Singhvi said that the PSC prohibits the Reliance and its partners from producing and selling gas which migrated into their sub-sea reservoir from Contract Area of ONGC.

He held that Reliance "unjustly enriched itself by the sale of migrated gas, which did not belong to it and, therefore, it is bound to restore those benefits to the Government".

In the 107-page order, the arbitration tribunal headed by Singapore-based arbitrator Lawrence G S Boo stated that although Reliance had always accepted that there could be channel continuity between its KG-D6 block and ONGC's adjoining KG-D5 and IG block, its conduct is consistent with its position that 'reservoir connectivity' has not been proven.

Bernard Eder, a former UK High court judge nominated by Reliance, was the other judge who concurred with Boo. Singhvi, a former Supreme Court judge and the government nominee on the panel, wrote a long dissent note.

"The Claimant (Reliance) requires no further express permission to produce and sell any migrated gas that could have come into (its) Contract Area," the majority judgment held.

On the company not informing the government of a report commissioned by its partner Niko Resources indicating connectivity between KG-D6 and neighbouring blocks of ONGC, the tribunal said "the alleged failure to furnish information if so proven would at best be a breach of the contractual terms of the PSC or at worst attract penal sanctions under the Petroleum and Natural Gas (PNG) Rules".

"There is no logical nexus between such breach or non-compliance with the claimant's right to extract gas which might include gas which could have migrated from an area outside the Contract Area. These are distinct and discreet issues," it said.

The tribunal said though Reliance's "production of gas would have included gas which had migrated into the reservoir from a source outside the Contract Area", it is "entitled to all rights granted to it under the PSC and shall be entitled to retain and recover cost petroleum and profit petroleum from the gas so extracted, produced and sold".

The panel also awarded $8.3 million compensation to the three partners.

Reliance is the operator of KG-D6 block with 60 per cent interest, while BP plc of UK holds 30 per cent and Niko Resources of Canada the remaining 10 per cent.



In his dissent note, Singhvi said Reliance was required to obtain explicit permission to produce migrated gas.

"It is crystal clear that the claimant (Reliance) does not have any rights to the gas which has migrated from ONGC's blocks," he wrote. "There can be no doubt that the retention of the benefit of migrated gas would be 'against the fundamental principles of justice or equity and good conscience' thereby falling squarely within the ambit of the doctrine of unjust enrichment".

He also held that quantification of migrated gas determined in D&M report of 2015 was conclusive.

Stating that Reliance should have disclosed the 2003 report of its partner Niko Resources, he said it may not have conclusively established reservoir connectivity, but it strongly suggested the same.

"It is held that the claimant's failure to comply with its obligation to disclose November 2003 D&M report to the Government constitute a breach of the terms of the PSC and the 1959 Rules," he wrote.

"Under the PSC, if a reservoir extends beyond block boundaries, the contractor may either seek permission to enlarge its Development Area, or jointly develop the area with the contractor of the adjoining block, or relinquish its rights to such reservoir," he said. "There can be no effective lease or enjoyment of an area covered by a reservoir, if such reservoir is being drained by a different person on its block boundary."



The ministry had on November 4, 2016, slapped a demand notice on Reliance-BP-Niko combine for producing in seven years ending March 31, 2016 about 338.332 million British thermal units of gas that had seeped or migrated from ONGC's blocks into their adjoining KG-D6 in the Bay of Bengal.

Reliance on November 11, 2016, slapped an arbitration notice disputing the claim.

The government's compensation claim flowed from the report of the Justice (retd) A P Shah Committee.

The Shah panel, in its August 28, 2016, report, concluded that there has been "unjust enrichment" to the contractor of the block KG-DWN-98/3 (KG-D6) due to the production of the migrated gas from ONGC's blocks KG-DWN-98/2 and Godavari PML.

It relied on a report produced by petroleum industry consultant DeGolyer and MacNaughton which concluded that gas had migrated from ONGC-controlled parts of the sea floor and the geological formations beneath it into areas controlled by the private But Reliance had at that time stated that the methods were flawed.Successful entrepreneurs looking for their next venture are flocking towards Kerala as they look to make most of the relatively lower cost of operations and skilled manpower available in the southern state that has an evolving startup ecosystem with focus on latest technology.

At least 20 companies would have returned to Kerala in the last six months, according to Saji Gopinath, CEO of Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), the government wing which takes initiatives to build up a pipeline of startups in the state. "It is either Keralites coming back to the state after starting in ...was re-appointed as a Non-Executive Director on the board of the country's largest mortgage lender HDFC but nearly 23 per cent of the shareholders voted against his continuation.

Results of the voting at the company's annual general meeting held here on Monday showed that 22.64 per cent of the shareholders were not in favour of the continuation of Parekh.

As many as 77.36 per cent of the shareholders voted for Parekh's continuation as a Non-Executive Director, according to the voting results submitted by HDFC to the stock exchanges.

A prominent voice of the industry and HDFC Chairman, Parekh has been at the helm of the mortgage lender for close to three decades.

The proposals to re-appoint J J Irani and Keki Mistry as directors on the HDFC board were also approved by the shareholders.

According to reports, some US proxy advisories had asked investors to vote against Parekh over his directorship and independence of company's board.

The voting results are surprising, Indian proxy advisory firm IiAS Founder Amit Tandon said.

It could be on the advice of some proxy advisory firm but it is not clear what was the real reason for the opposition to Parekh's re-appointment, he noted.

As per the Act, votes cast in favour of a special resolution should be not less than three times the number of the votes, if any, cast against the resolution.

HDFC had to come out with special resolution for re-appointment of Parekh as he would cross the age of 75 years in October 2019.

The mortgage lender had sought approval for continuation of directorship of J J Irani who has attained the age of 75 years, up to the expiry of his present term as an Independent Director (July 20,2019).

As many as 94.58 per cent of the shareholders voted in favour of Irani.

Keki Mistry's re-appointment as Managing Director -- designated as Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer -- for a period of three years.

Mistry got 99.51 per cent votes of shareholders and his re-appointment was through an ordinary resolution.

Upendra Kumar Sinha and Jalaj Ashwin Dani were appointed as Independent Directors at the annual general meeting.

In the latest June quarter, HDFC reported a 54 per cent increase in standalone net profit at Rs 2,190 crore, mainly due to Rs 511 crore dividend it received from

Shares of HDFC closed at Rs 1,994.75, down 1.64 per cent on the BSE today.Apparently, the government has informed the company that it cannot roll out the payment services until the company set up an office and have a team in India, according to a news report in the Economic Times. Responding to the development, WhatsApp told the Economic times that the company is looking to hire two senior profiles  India Head and Head of Policy  as setting up a team in India has become a priority ...

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Digital EditorNot everyone is lauding the Srikrishna panels recommendations for data localisation and criminal provisions for violations of privacy. In a conversation with Mayank Jain, CEO, Data Security Council of India, Rama Vedashree and a member of the panel, spoke about her contentions with the report and expanded on her dissent note, which was included in the report.

Edited excerpts: What are the major points of dissent that you have shared with the Srikrishna Panel? One is the broad localisation of all personal data, which I feel is something that is not really required. Second ...Vehicle imports via Sirsiya ICD surge 31pc

Imports of four-wheeler passenger vehicles (jeep, car, van) through the Sirsiya Inland Container Depot (ICD) surged 31 percent to hit Rs373.3 million in fiscal year 2017-18, up from Rs284.1 million in 2016-17.Amid an ongoing between the US and China, Apple CEO said tariffs can bring about "significant risk of unintended consequences" and hoped that "calm heads prevail" as the two giant economies sort out their trade tensions.

The US imposed a tariff on steel and aluminium and other tariffs totalling about $50 billion of goods from China.

Cook said none of Apple's products were directly affected by those tariffs.

The plans to propose slapping a 25-per cent tariff on $200 billion of imported Chinese goods after initially setting them at 10 per cent. Cook said Apple is evaluating this tariff and will be sharing its views of it with the administration.

"Our view on tariffs is that they show up as a tax on the consumer and wind up resulting in lower economic growth and sometimes can bring about significant risk of unintended consequences," Cook said yesterday during Apple's third-quarter earnings call.

Replying to a question on tariffs, Cook said trade relationships and agreements between the US and other major economies are "very complex" and some in need of "modernising", but added that in the vast majority of situations tariffs are not the approach to achieving and encouraged "dialogue" to address trade concerns.

Cook expressed optimism that the trade issues between the US and China will get sorted out because there is an "inescapable mutuality" between the two countries that "sort of serves as a magnet to bring both countries together, that each country can only prosper if the other does and of course the world needs both US and China to prosper for the world to do well."



Reiterating his optimism that the countries will get through this, Cook said we are hoping that calm heads prevail.

"It's actually a tedious process in going through it because you not only have to analyze the revenue products, which are a bit more straightforward to analyze, but you also have to analyze the purchases that you're making through other companies that are not related to revenue, he said.

Cook added that the risk associated with more of a macroeconomic issue such as an economic slowdown in one or more countries or currency fluctuations that are related to tariffs is very difficult to quantify.

Announcing the results for fiscal 2018 third quarter ended June 30, Cook said Apple had the best June quarter ever, posting quarterly revenue of $53.3 billion, an increase of 17 per cent from the year-ago quarter. sales accounted for 60 per cent of the quarter's revenue. However revenue was down 13 per cent from the 61.1 billion dollars clocked in the second quarter of 2018.

We're thrilled to report Apple's best June quarter ever, and our fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit revenue growth, Cook said adding that the third quarter results were driven by continued strong sales of iPhone, Services and Wearables.

Apple's Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri said the company saw great momentum in sales of the Mac in many emerging markets, with growth well into double digits. We established new June quarter records for Mac sales in India, Turkey, Chile and Central and Eastern Europe, he said.

iPhone too had a very strong quarter and revenue from the phone's sales was up 20% year-over-year, the company said. The company sold 41.3 million iPhones in the third quarter, a 21 per cent decline from the 52.2 million units sold in the second quarter of the year.The Trump administration plans to propose slapping a 25-per cent tariff on $200 billion of imported Chinese goods after initially setting them at 10 per cent, a source familiar with the plan said on Tuesday. President Donald Trump's administration said on July 10 it would seek to impose the 10-per cent tariffs on thousands of Chinese imports, ranging from food products and furniture to chemicals, steel and aluminium. While the tariffs would not be imposed until after a period of public comment, raising the proposed level to 25 per cent could escalate the trade dispute between ...By Moses Kyeyune.

Parliament last evening failed to block the ban on airtime scratch card.

The ban by the Uganda Communications Commission takes effect today the 1st of August 2018 and no sale of airtime on scratch cards will be entertained going forward.

The minister of Information and Communications Technology Frank Tumwebaze assured the House that nothing can stop the ban, amidst protest from members.

The Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has agreed with the minister that there should be an engagement meeting between MPs and Service Providers for the lawmakers to appreciate the ban.

The matter calling for an extension was brought by Busiki County MP Paul Akamba last week.Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday urged members to let the House function smoothly. His appeal came following yesterday's disruptions that led to adjournment of the House for the day when the Congress MPs walked up to the well in protest.

Naidu said, "I was very upset yesterday when some members ran menacingly towards the well of the House. I hope it will not be repeated. I don't want to name anybody, House should function smoothly."

On Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, in his speech during the discussion on the Assam Register of Citizens (NRC) draft list, dragged former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's name in connection to the Assam Accord. No sooner did he mention the name, the Congress MPs walked up to the well of the House in protest causing a din.

Shah had said, "Rajiv Gandhi signed the Assam Accord in 1985, which was similar to NRC. They did not have courage to implement it, we did."

Today, there was once again uproar in the upper house today when Naidu asked Shah to conclude his statement from yesterday on the issue. The House had to be adjourned till 12 O'clock.

The Opposition has been all out to attack the ruling party following the release of the second and the final NRC draft list. The first draft was published on December 31, 2017, and names of 1.9 crore of the 3.29 crore applicants were incorporated.

The final list, released on Monday, left out nearly 40 lakh people, incorporating names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had said, "There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state. Clearly, after spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis."

However, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has already given a statement urging political parties not to politicise such a sensitive issue.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, the Home Minister had said, "I want to ask the Opposition, what is the Centre's role in this? It is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Such sensitive issues should not be politicised.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) on Tuesday confirmed that it had arrived at an agreement with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to form a coalition government in Balochistan.

The BAP also stated that they would join hands with the PTI to form government at the Centre, as reported by the Dawn.

Addressing a joint presser with PTI leaders in Islamabad, BAP chief Jam Kamal said, "We would like to run Balochistan through a system and complete coordination with the centre. We are here today with our four MPAs to join PTI in the centre. We are doing this without any conditions."

Meanwhile, PTI leader Jahangir Tehreen confirmed Kamal's nomination as the Chief Minister of Pakistan's largest province.

"BAP won 15 provincial seats in Balochistan and since then, 4 independent candidates have joined them, bringing their seat count in the province to 19. We (PTI) have five seats and together our count has gone up to 24," said Tehreen.

"BAP has the majority in the province and it has the right to choose the chief minister. The party has nominated Jam Kamal sahib and the PTI fully supports him as the candidate for Balochistan CM," Tehreen added.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi, PTI's vice-chairman, praised BAP for their siding with his party, saying it was for the "greater good of Balochistan."

"We know that there are forces out there that do not want Balochistan to prosper. After today's discussions, for the first time, I am seeing a (Balochistan) government that does want to work with the centre and not create an air of confrontation," Qureshi said.

Qureshi also stated that the Prime Minister-in-waiting, Imran Khan, will soon decide upon the Chief Ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) and Punjab.

Also, the former KP CM and PTI leader, Pervez Khattak swatted away rumours of tensions within the party regarding the candidate for the CM of the province, saying that, "all of us will accept the decision that Khan sahib will make."

Speaking to media persons, Tehreen later confirmed that 18 independent candidates in Punjab had already sided with the PTI, with more expected to be roped in soon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)After Register of Citizen (NRC) draft was released in Assam earlier this week, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoj Tiwari urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday to conduct a similar survey in New Delhi citing an increase in the number of Rohingyas.

Tiwari in a letter to the Home Minister said, "Please conduct a survey in Delhi too (like NRC) as a large number of Rohingyas and foreign intruders are residing in Delhi and many of them have also attained Aadhaar and ration cards."

The BJP Delhi president also took to Twitter demanding action against the alleged infiltrators residing in the capital.

"At different in Delhi, Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living in an illegal manner should be identified and action should be taken against them," he tweeted.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Maharashtra Raj Purohit also made a similar demand.

"If NRC can be implemented in Assam than NRC should be implemented in Mumbai and across the country. So I have written to District collector Mumbai, ACS Home, CP Mumbai, State EC to implement NRC and identify the Bangladeshis in Colaba and Mumbai,"said Purohit.

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) general secretary Ram Madhav told exclusively to ANI that the NRC draft is restricted to the state of Assam only.

Madhav's statement came after Naresh Agarwal, who recently joined the BJP demanded that it should be extended to all states because 'illegal Bangaldeshi migrants' are living in many parts of the country.

The first draft was published on December 31, 2017, and names of 1.9 crore of the 3.29 crore applicants were incorporated.

The another list, released on July 30, left out nearly 40 lakh people, incorporating names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants.

Following the release of the list, the Opposition has been all out to attack the ruling party following the release of the second and the final NRC draft list.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prof. Fauzia Arshi is a phenomenal filmmaker in the Indian Film Industry. She is the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Daily Multimedia Limited and has been one of the leading ambassadors of women empowerment, a pioneer in generating employment opportunities for the youth, providing resources for their training and entrepreneurial development.

She has successfully accomplished remarkable outcome towards the evolution of women hailing from the economically weaker sections of the society by providing for their education, training and skill development, helping them in creating an individual identity and live a dignified life.

Prof. Fauzia Arshi, an inspirational leader, has been honoured by the British Parliament for her commendable social work and her valuable efforts in the field of education and employment generation.

Prof. Fauzia Arshi stepped into filmmaking with the production of 'Bhaiyyaji Superhitt' and laid her hands on the direction of 'Hogaya Dimaagh Ka Dahi', a successful production by Daily Multimedia Ltd. Apart from adding many accolades to her esteemed self, she received 'Exceptional Woman of Excellence' award.

Prof. Fauzia Arshi was honoured in the British Parliament by Virendra Sharma, a member of parliament of the United Kingdom in the presence of Nachiket Joshi, Director of Law Enforcement IHRA.

Prof. Fauzia Arshi was appreciated for her unmatched efforts in the training and development of the young generation and making significant contribution towards social reforms of the society.

Nachiket Joshi, Director of Law Enforcement at International Human Rights Association (IHRA), was also present in the gathering where Prof. Fauzia Arshi was honoured, Prof. Fauzia Arshi and Nachiket Joshi, along with other Public Figures from different parts of the globe, visited the British Parliament to participate in the programme as a part of the delegation and discussed the prevailing, suggesting the remedies.

Speaking about the menace of human trafficking and proposing steps to fight this social evil, Prof. Fauzia Arshi said, "The governments need to emphasize on serious issues such as human trafficking and violence against women, if the governments really have the will to act, such evil activities towards the female section would be eradicated from the society."

Prof. Fauzia Arshi also praised Britain as one of the best democracies in the world, stating that democracy in the UK has been for nearly 600 years. She asked the leaders from all across the world to join hands against such atrocities and work together to curb human trafficking, and encourage women empowerment.

She further held an opinion that every country should focus on creating numerous employment opportunities for youth and the minor sections of the society in their personal capacity because poverty and unemployment are the root causes of human trafficking.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Delhi Police's Crime Branch will probe the air hostess suicide case after the matter was transferred from the jurisdiction of the Delhi Police.

The case pertains to the death of an air hostess, Anissia Batra, who jumped off the terrace of her house on July 13 after a heated argument with her husband.

Before her death, the air hostess had allegedly sent a message to her friend on WhatsApp, stating that she was locked up in a room by her husband, Mayank Singhvi. She had also asked her friend to inform the police of the same.

Soon after the incident, Batra's husband was arrested and sent to 14-days judicial custody.

An anticipatory bail plea was filed by Singhvi's parents but was subsequently rejected by Delhi's Saket Court on July 20.

Last week, the Delhi High Court had granted interim protection from arrest to Batra's in-laws and sought a status report from the Delhi Police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)While there has been a lot of talk in tinsel town about Priyanka Chopra and beau Nick Jonas' engagement, there hasn't been any official confirmation from either of the two, just yet.

But now, the 'Queen' of Bollywood, Kangana Ranaut, has finally revealed that the 'Baywatch' star is "extremely excited and happy" post the engagement.

At the recently held Vogue Beauty Awards 2018, Kangana was asked if she was looking forward to the 36-year-old's wedding, to which she replied, "I spoke to Priyanka the other day and I congratulated her. She seems excited and very happy."

"If such an event is taking place, I would love to celebrate with her because she is lovely and deserves all the happiness. She is a very close and a dear friend. I get very happy and excited about weddings and engagements," added the 'Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi' star.

The news of the couple's engagement came after Bollywood director Ali Abbas Zafar said that Priyanka opted out from his upcoming flick 'Bharat' in the 'Nick' of time, owing to a very "special reason".

Priyanka and Nick, who reportedly dated for two months, were first spotted together at the 2017 Met Gala.

The speculation about their relationship brewed after the pair met each other's family.

First, Chopra met Jonas' family at his cousin's wedding in New Jersey, after which Nick travelled to India to meet Chopra's mother.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has congratulated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan on winning the recently-held general elections.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) took to their official Twitter handle and wrote in urdu that the Turkish President has extended his hearty congratulations to Imran for emerging victorious, reported Geo News.

"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a telephone conversation with Chairman of Tehreek-e-insaf. Winning the election presented a heartfelt greeting. Chairman of the Tribunal, and good wishes for the future, Tehreek-e-insaf, and expression. Relations between Pakistan and Turkey agree at the start of a new era. @ImranKhanPTI @RT_Erdogan #GE18," the PTI tweeted.

The PTI further said that Imran and Erdogan have also agreed to work towards building a new era of Pak-Turk relations.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan heaped praise on the Turkish President by describing his leadership as "an example for the Islamic world," reported Anadolu Agency.

According to figures provided by the Election Commission of Pakistan, the PTI emerged as the single largest party with 115 seats after the Election Commission of Pakistan on Saturday released the complete preliminary results for 270 of 272 National Assembly constituencies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan is expected to move into the Ministers' Enclave after authorities revealed the plan to declare a house for Khan in the Enclave, reported the Dawn.

Earlier in his speech, Khan had said that he would not shift to the official Prime Minister's House, and would decide about his official residence after consulting his partymen.

Imran Khan was extended VVIP protocol and security by the capital police and the district administration shortly after his victory in the recently-concluded Pakistan general elections.

Security was deployed around Khan and at his residence in Banigala.

Soon after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged victorious in the polls, senior police officers including Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Waqar Ahmed Chohan, visited Khan's Banigala residence.

The police officials said even though there was no standard procedure for the Prime Miniter-in-waiting, necessary measures were still taken since it is a foregone conclusion now that Imran Khan would be the country's prime minister.

Forces of Islamabad traffic police were also deployed around his residence in Banigala and the road leading to it with Rangers were also put on duty on the nearby mountains.

Islamabad's Chief Commissioner Joudat Ayaz, Inspector General of Police Jan Mohammad along with a couple of other senior officers also visited Banigala to discuss security issues with PTI leader Naeemul Haq as well as the chief security officer of the residence.

The official residence of the prime minister-in-waiting was also a part of the discussion. Senior officers also briefed Imran Khan about security and protocol.

During the meeting, the district administration officials informed Khan about threats pertaining to his Banigala residence since foolproof security was difficult to provide as the area was open.

After exploring a few options, Khan accepted an accommodation at the Ministers' Enclave. He, however, asked for the lowest category house at the enclave which was turned down by authorities since implementation of the standard operating procedure was difficult there.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India on Wednesday welcomed the decision of the US on designating three Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) terrorists and terror financiers as global terrorists.

In response to media queries about the announcement made by the US Departments of State and Treasury on the designation of three LeT terrorists, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Official Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "India welcomes the announcements made yesterday by the US Departments of State and Treasury in which three Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) terrorists and terror financiers have been named as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDTG)."

India stated that the "announcement vindicated India's consistent stand that internationally designated terrorist groups and individuals, including LeT and its front, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) not only continued to operate from and raise financial resources with impunity in Pakistan, but used territories under its control for carrying out cross-border terrorism in India and South Asia."

"The latest designations also call into question Pakistan's sincerity in taking effective action against such terrorist elements," India added.

Earlier on Tuesday, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action to disrupt Lashkar-e Tayyiba's (LeT) fundraising and support networks by designating two of the group's financial facilitators, Hameed ul Hassan and Abdul Jabbar, as Global Terrorists.

OFAC has designated Hassan and Jabbar for acting for or on behalf of LeT, a terrorist organisation based in Pakistan. All property and interests in the name of Hassan and Jabbar subjected to US jurisdiction are now blocked.

Hassan, a financial facilitator for LeT worked with Falah-e Insaniat Foundation, an alias of LeT, to collect and send funds to Syria as of late 2016. Further, during early 2016, Hassan worked with his brother, Muhammad Ijaz Safarash, and Khalid Walid to transport funds to Pakistan on behalf of LeT.

Additionally, Hassan has an active Twitter account, which identifies him as the leader of Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawah (an alias of LeT) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Jabbar, a financial facilitator managed salary distribution for the terrorist group. He has worked in LeT's finance department since around 2000. As of mid-2016, Jabbar distributed funds on behalf of the Falah-e Insaniat Foundation.

In November 2010, the Department of State amended its designations of LeT to include the alias Falah-e Insaniat Foundation.

In March 2012, the UN amended its Sanctions List to recognise the Falah-e Insaniat Foundation as a front for LeT.

Separately, the Department of State on Tuesday put Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil on the list of 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).'

Dakhil was a longtime member of the US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT) and was an operational leader responsible for LeT-led attacks in India between 1997 and 2001.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court on Wednesday extended the interim protection from arrest given to former finance minister P Chidambaram till September 28, in connection with the INX Media Case.

An anticipatory bail plea was filed by Chidambaram seeking protection from arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Chidambaram and his son, Karti, have been under the scanner of the CBI and ED in connection with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to INX Media, a venture promoted by former media baron Peter Mukerjea and his wife, Indrani Mukerjea.

The alleged irregularities took place in 2007 when Chidambaram was the finance minister under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

In February, Karti was arrested for his alleged role in the case. The Delhi High Court, however, granted him bail in March.

Karti allegedly took service charges for facilitating the clearance granted to INX Media for receiving funds from abroad worth Rs 305 crore.

The father-son duo is also being probed for their alleged involvement in the Aircel-Maxis case, pertaining to an FIPB clearance granted to M/S Global Communication Holding Services Ltd for an investment in Aircel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The kidnapping occurred during the series of terrorist attacks last week. Originally the kidnapped were 20 women and 16 children. Four women managed to escape; two are dead. Druze dignitaries are trying to negotiate their release.

Damascus (AsiaNews) - The Islamic State (IS) has abducted about thirty women and children from the Druze minority in southwest Syria, in Suweida. Last week, the radical Islamic group launched a series of coordinated attacks against the city and some neighboring villages, including suicide bombings, which killed more than 250 people.

Local sources withdrawing from the areas under the attack of Syrian government troops told the Syrian Human Rights Observatory the IS had kidnapped 36 women and children, 20 women and 16 children. Later, "four women managed to escape and two died". The local Sweda24 agency revealed that women and children were taken from the village of Chabke, in the eastern part of the province of Suweida, traditionally inhabited by the Druze minority. The Druze religion is considered a derivation from Shiism, but there are also some Gnostic elements.

Also according to Sweda24 some Druze religious dignitaries have already begun attempts to negotiate to free the abductees. The kidnappers would like the release of the Isis prisoners in the hands of the Syrian regime and the end of the army offensive in the Deraa region. So far, the IS has not released any video or information regarding this abduction on its usual sites.Since last one year, a group of Income Tax officers from Bhopal have been donating a part of their salaries for the of the students of the Shaskiya Prathamik Primary School in Shahpura area.

The officers have apparently taken a pledge to visit the school regularly and makes sure that the basic needs of the students were met. Not only this, they also provide the kids with basic necessities like shoes, books, pen, and pencils.

Rohit, a student at the school, told ANI: "Officers from Income Tax Department came and provided us with books, shoes and other facilities. They also read stories and poetries for us."

A teacher at the school said that the respective officers have been doing this since last one year.

"The Income Tax officers have been doing this work since the past one year. Apart from providing the kids with necessities, the officers also organise big events that help the students to enjoy extracurricular activities," said Aruna Dubey, who is a teacher at the Shaskiya Prathmik Primary School.

"The Income Tax society is near our school. While passing through the school the officers realised that our students need cleanliness and environment-friendly place to study. Hence, they organised a big program regarding this on June 28 last year. After that, they also adopted the school and decided to improvise the facilities of the school as well as help the student with necessary amenities," Dubey added.

The officers believe that the students of this institution should get all the amenities they require.

Senior Income Tax officer R.K Paliwal said, "The Indian Revenue Service (IRS) association in Chattisgarh decided to do something for the society apart from their regular job. The IRS association and income tax colony in Bharat Nagar, Bhopal has a primary school nearby. The school accommodated underprivileged kids. Moreover, the condition of the school was also very petty with no proper facilities. So we decided to organise a health and cleanliness program with the help of the authorities."

Paliwal hopes that the people of the society too lend a helping hand in improving the future of these underprivileged children.

"Mahatma Gandhiji used to say work according to the needs of the people. Our department works on this principle. The people of our department also requested the locals to get associated with any school of their choice to help them progress. I have personally selected a school in Suhagpur district which is 125 km away. We believe and hope that more and more workers will join our association," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)American actor and comedian Marc Maron is all set to join in an upcoming stand-alone movie based on DC Comics' villain 'Joker'.

Currently, the 'Glow' star is in talks to join Joaquin Phoenix alongside Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy in the movie, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The movie will focus on the origin story of Joker, an arch-rival of Batman.

Todd Phillips of 'The Hangover' fame is directing the movie. The stand-alone movie is set in early 1980s Gotham City. It is set to be darker than most DC movies.

On the work front, Maron was last seen in a Netflix series 'Easy' and his comedy special 'Marc Maron: Too Real'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday summoned former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in connection to a money laundering case on August 4.

It has slapped notices to the brother-sister duo and ordered them to appear before a joint investigation team.

On July 28, Zardari and Talpur failed to appear before the FIA's joint investigation team. The sibling duo was summoned to the FIA office by 11 am (local time) to record their statements. However, their lawyers appeared on their behalf and submitted replies to the joint investigation team, Samaa TV reported.

Meanwhile, Talpur filed a petition asking for more time to appear before the joint investigation team.

Last week, Zardari and Faryal were declared as absconders by the FIA in connection with the aforementioned case. A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar, took suo motu notice of the FIA's investigation into the money-laundering scam.

At least 20 others, including Zardari's close aide Anwar Majeed and his son, were also declared as absconders by the FIA.

In January this year, the FIA inquiry began when the State Bank of Pakistan's financial monitoring unit issued a "suspicious transaction report" on ten bank accounts. Transactions worth billions were made over the years when over 20 'benami' accounts were opened at a private bank.

At least 32 people are under legal scanner by the FIA for laundering money from fictitious accounts. Zardari, however, has denied such allegations.

On July 6, the FIA had arrested Stock Exchange of Pakistan chairman Hussain Lawai, who is considered to be Zardari's close aide.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A minister-level official of North Korea is slated to address the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York on September 29.

The official will deliver the keynote address at the general debate of the U.N. General Assembly for the fourth time, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing Radio Free Asia.

The report also quoted a provisional list of speakers filed by the U.N. Public Information Department, speculating that North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho might address the UN General Assembly.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is also expected to travel to New York to address the congregation, provided talks on denuclearisation of the North Korean peninsula and the establishment of a peaceful regime here proceed positively.

According to reports, United States President Donald Trump will address the gathering on the first day of the general debate, on September 25.

Around 195 countries are expected to come together at the UN General Assembly 2018.

109 head of states will join the general debate and deliver keynote addresses at the gathering.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Opposition political parties in Pakistan are likely to hold an all-party conference on Thursday afternoon. The venue is being decided.

The all-party meeting will comprise leaders from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Qaumi Watan Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Awami National Party, Balochistan National Party-Mengal and other parties.

Quoting sources, Geo News reported that the Opposition would finalise names of candidates for the posts of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Prime Minister respectively. They would also discuss a strategy for the oath-taking of the elected members of the National Assembly (NA).

A call on a strategy to protest outside the Pakistan Parliament by the opposition parties would also be discussed, sources added.

They are also expected to finalise a consensus candidate for the post of the opposition leader in the NA.

Sources told Geo News that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto is expected to reach Islamabad today and will meet with the leaders of the opposition parties. Bilawal has taken up the job of making or breaking coalitions.

Sources further said that the Bhutto scion is expected to chair the all-party meeting.

The PTI emerged as the single largest party with 116 seats, after the Election Commission of Pakistan on July 28 released the complete preliminary results for 270 of 272 National Assembly (NA) constituencies. The PML-N which won 64 seats came second, while the PPP bagged 43 seats and finished third.

Pakistan went to polls on July 25 and the counting of votes began soon thereafter in the evening, which was marred by tedious counting and allegations of rigging by major political parties, including the PML-N and PPP.

Soon after the results were announced, an all-party meeting was called by the PML-N to prepare a strategy over the alleged rigging of the general elections.

Chaired by PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif and MMA president Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the all-party meeting rejected the poll results and demanded a transparent re-election in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The presidential elections in Pakistan are likely to take place in the first week of September. Incumbent Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain's five-year term is due to end on September 8.

Geo News quoted sources saying that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has started preparations for the same.

As per the Constitution of Pakistan, the indirect election for the post of president should be held no earlier than 60 days and no later than 30 days before the incumbent president's term expires.

Also, the presidential elections are to be held within 30 days after the general elections to the National Assembly (NA) has been conducted, as per the report.

The presidential polls were supposed to take place on August 8, but the Electoral College could not be finalised. Geo News quoted ECP sources saying that until August 10, the new assemblies would not be functional.

Sources said that ECP will announce the final schedule for the presidential elections after completing the electoral rolls.

The members who have been elected to the national and provincial assemblies will exercise their franchise in the elections.

Pakistan recently held the general elections to the NA on July 25, during which the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged as the single largest party with 116 seats.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) which won 64 seats came second, while the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) bagged 43 seats and finished third.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor-politician Rajinikanth on Tuesday night paid a visit to the Kauvery Hospital to inquire about the health of ailing Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M. Karunanidhi.

"I came to inquire about the country's most senior leader. He was sleeping. I inquired about his health from his family members. I pray to the almighty for his speedy recovery," Rajinikanth told media after meeting Karunanidhi's family members.

Rajinikanth also met DMK leader MK Alagiri at the hospital.

The Kauvery Hospital earlier on Tuesday said that Karunanidhi's vital signs have gradually normalised, but he will continue to remain under observation.

In a statement, Executive Director of Kauvery Hospital, Dr Aravindaran Selvaraj said, "There has been a resolution of the condition which led to his hospital admission, an extended period of hospitalization will be necessary due to age-related overall decline in Karunanidhi's general health, altered liver functions and haematological parameters. He continues to maintain his vital signs with active medical support."

On July 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi enquired about the ill health of Karunanidhi and prayed for his quick recovery. The Prime Minister also spoke to Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin and daughter Kanimozhi regarding the same.

Karunanidhi was admitted to the hospital following a drop in his blood pressure last week. The DMK chief, who is on intravenous antibiotics, was earlier undergoing treatment at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday criticised the Congress party for making Madhya Pradesh an "ailing state" during its regime.

He said after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came into power, the state got more electricity and better roads, which are no less than the roads of the United States.

"Madhya Pradesh is my temple and people living here are my god. I am the priest of the state people. However, people in Congress say that they don't need to go to people to seek blessings as the people will themselves come to them. Congress should not humiliate the people as there is nobody above them," Chouhan said while addressing a rally Shahdol as part of his 'Jan Ashirvad Yatra'.

"I want to ask you all whether Congress did during its regime what BJP has done in Shahdol? Did they make such high class roads? Did they give you schools and colleges? Congress has broken the heart of Shahdol. During the Congress regime people used to call Madhya Pradesh as a 'bemaru' (ailing) state because there was no electricity or roads earlier. But when I went to United States and said, 'Dear Americans, you must have made roads, but we have made better roads than you.' However, Congress criticised me for saying this. I want to say again that our roads are no less than US," he added.

In October 2017, Chouhan had raised eyebrows when he said roads in Madhya Pradesh were far better than those he had seen in the United States.

"When I got down at the Washington Airport and travelled on roads, I felt the roads in Madhya Pradesh are better than the United States," the Chief Minister had said while speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.

During his rally on Wednesday, the Chief Minister went on to take a pot shot at the Congress party and said that today "under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime no nation has the power to neglect India".

"We have made 1.5 lakh kilometer roads in Madhya Pradesh. Congress gave 1,900 MW electricity, but today we are giving 18,000 MW electricity. Madhya Pradesh has become power surplus state today," he said.

"For years Congress kept saying 'Garibi Hatao'. Indira Gandhi kept saying that, Rajiv Gandhi kept saying that but tell me, did Congress eliminate poverty? I have to eliminate poverty and change the lives of people of Madhya Pradesh," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah has been granted permission for a public rally in Kolkata on August 11.

The Kolkata Police on Wednesday refuted speculations that Shah was denied permission for the rally.

The State Police tweeted, "Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice. It is to clarify that on request, permission for meeting has already been granted."

The clarification came following speculations in the media that the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government had denied permission to the BJP to hold Shah's rally. It was further speculated that the BJP was looking for an alternative venue to organise the rally.

Earlier, in reaction to such speculative reports, Shah had made it clear in Delhi that he would not only go to Kolkata but was even prepared to get arrested. Shah said, "It does not matter whether I get permission or not, I will definitely go to Kolkata. If the state government wants, it can arrest me."

Media reports further speculated that the so-called permission had been turned down due to the ongoing confrontation between the BJP and the Opposition over the release of the Register of Citizens (NRC) draft list in Assam on July 30, which has left out nearly 40 lakh people in Assam while incorporating names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants.

Banerjee has been consistently disapproving the latest NRC draft. Accusing the BJP of vendetta politics, she had said that the party was targeting people in the wake of general elections scheduled in 2019. She has also accused the BJP of conspiracy against minorities.

The opposition parties, including, the Congress have been vociferous against the draft. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, yesterday, took to Twitter to criticise the draft, and said the "execution of the critical and highly sensitive exercise is tardy".

The first draft was published on December 31, 2017, and names of 1.9 crore of the 3.29 crore applicants were incorporated.

The NRC draft features the names, addresses and photographs of all Indian citizens, who have been residing in the northeastern state before March 25, 1971.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Syrian Ambassador to India Dr. Riad Abbas on Wednesday appealed to the Indian companies to come forward to help the Syrian government to rebuild the war-torn country.

Addressing media here, Abbas invited Indian investors and business companies to invest in Syria.

He said, "Our priority is that Indian companies come and help us rebuild Syria and we are open for Indian investors and businesses. The gates to Syria are open for Indian companies and all facilities will be provided there."

Abbas informed that a high-level Indian business delegation, along with government officials would be visiting Syria in the first week of September.

Asserting that the "gameplan" against Syria was over, Abbas asserted, "Syria was able to defeat terrorists and all the conspiracies against Syria. Now we are planning to rebuild Syria and we are looking for help from our friends especially India."

Thanking the Indian government for standing with Syria during the conflict, he added, "The Syrian government appreciates India's stand on Syria. We are thankful to the Indian government for providing help during the crisis, especially in providing medical aids and food. We distributed all of them to the needy."

Furthermore, he invited the Indian companies and investors to participate in the forthcoming 60th Damascus International Trade Fair.

Abbas continued, "There will be chances of signing more agreements for ensuring stability in Syria. We will start giving incentives to Indian and international companies for participating in the fair. I invite all to come and cover the fair."

The Syrian envoy also appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative of providing scholarships to 1,000 Syrian students to study in India.

Delving into the bloody eight-year-old conflict, Abbas said that Syria was "now more open than never before" after eight years, while adding that government forces and Syrian Army collectively defeated the terrorists.

Claiming that the Arab Spring was an attempt to destabilise Syria, Abbas said, "This was done to safeguard the security of Israel, control natural resources in Syria, extend pipelines from Qatar to Syria to Europe."

He also recalled the commitment made by US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in their meeting at Helsinki last month, wherein the two leaders decided that the people of Syria should play a role in ending the crisis in the war-ravaged country.

Clearing the air over Syrian President Bashar-al Assad's ouster by the international community, Abbas said that he will remain in power.

He rejected claims of US' remarks on Syria training, supporting, arming and financing terrorists in Syria.

Abbas noted that the southern part of Syria was liberated and now the focus was on freeing other places occupied by terrorists and foreign armies by whole means.

The Syrian envoy also rebuffed "fake reports" of the White Helmets, a voluntary aide group accusing Syria of carrying out chemical attacks in its territory, and called it a "fake play."

Hitting out at Turkey for not honouring the commitment of ensuring stability in Syria, Abbas further said, "They sent their own troops for their own objectives and are based where the terrorists are present. They are forcing Syrian people to use Turkish currency in our own territory."

Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. The war further aggravated by the entry of Islamic State (IS) capturing territories in the war-torn country and nearby Iraq.

Subsequently, the US-led coalition started launching airstrikes against the terror group in the war-ravaged country since 2014, killing thousands of civilians and displacing several others.

Although the IS has been driven out from various parts of Syria, it still holds a sizeable presence in remote parts of the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday said that the United States (US) could only blame itself for pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Taking to his Twitter account Zarif said, the JCPOA was "a unique multilateral accord" that was produced after two years of talks with the US and along with China, Russia, and the E3, the group of European Union countries (France, Germany and the United Kingdom) that were involved in the negotiations.

He further stated that the US could only blame themselves for pulling out of the deal, adding that threats, sanctions and PR stunts will not help them and that they should be respectful towards Iranians and the US' International commitments.

"Iran & US had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accord-the JCPOA. It's been working. US can only blame itself for pulling out & leaving the table. Threats, sanctions & PR stunts won't work. Try respect: for Iranians & for int'l commitments," Zarif tweeted.

This follows a war of words between himself and US President Donald Trump on Twitter following the latter's decision to pull out of the JCPOA.

Trump directed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to "NEVER EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN," otherwise there will consequences, "THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE."

In reply, Zarif warned Trump to "be cautious", saying that they have been around for millennia and have seen the fall of several empires, including their own, which lasted more than the life of some countries.

Trump had announced the US' withdrawal from the JCPOA in May, calling the accord as an "embarrassment" that was "defective at its core", and warned of severe consequences if Iran resumed its nuclear programme.

However, on July 25, Trump stated that the US was ready to make a "real deal" with Iran, saying that Iran was not the same country as before.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The total domestic consumption of cotton in the country during 2017-18, as estimated by Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) in its meeting held on 16.6.2018, is 315.50 lakh bales. The Government has been implementing Cotton Development Programme with a focus on cropping system approach under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in major cotton growing states since 2014-15 to enhance production and productivity. Thrust has been given on transfer of technology through frontline demonstrations and training in order to extend benefits to farmers. In addition, States can support Cotton Development Programme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna.

Further to provide remunerative prices to cotton cultivators in the country, Government has fixed the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Cotton for 2018-19 season at Rs. 5150/- per quintal for medium staple and at Rs. 5450/- per quintal for long staple. This provides margin of 50 percent over all India paid out cost including family labour.

As a result of various initiatives taken by the Government, India has become a major cotton producer in the world and is also a net cotton surplus country. The total cotton production and consumption in the country during the current crop year i.e. 2018-19 is not available. However, State-wise estimated production of cotton, as per the Third Advance Estimates for the year 2017-18 is 348.62 lakh bales.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Key benchmark indices were trading higher in early trade on positive global cues. At 9:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 21.86 points or 0.06% at 37,628.44. The Nifty 50 index was up 6.35 points or 0.06% at 11,362.85.

Among secondary barometers,the BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.50%. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.39%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On BSE, 769 shares rose and 302 shares fell. A total of 43 shares were unchanged.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will conclude its two-day monetary policy meeting today, 1 August 2018. The resolution of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will be unveiled at 14:30 IST today, 1 August 2018. RBI raised its benchmark policy repo rate by 0.25% to 6.25% in its second bi-monthly monetary policy for 2018-2019 on 6 June 2018.

Overseas, most Asian stocks edged higher, taking cues from the positive session seen in the US market following news that the US and China may restart official talks about their months-long trade dispute.

US stocks closed higher Tuesday, as investors continued to digest an onslaught of quarterly earnings reports, with the vast majority beating expectations. But headline news on trade continued to drive markets.

According to media reports, representatives of US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He are in private talks to resume negotiations on trade matters in a bid to avoid a trade war.

Investors will be watching data from around the Asian region, including manufacturing activity numbers from China, for indications of the outlook for the global economy.

Policy meetings of the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday, 1 August 2018, and the Bank of England on Thursday, 2 August 2018, will also keep some investors on the sidelines, although the US central bank is expected to keep rates unchanged.

On the US data front, consumer spending rose a solid 0.4% in June. Meanwhile, the employment cost index rose 0.6% in the second quarter. The S&P/Case-Shiller national index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4% and was up 6.4% for the year in May. A measure of regional manufacturing activity in Chicago came in at the highest in six months. Chicago PMI rose 1.4 points to 65.5 in July, MNI Indicators said. Any reading above 50 indicates improving conditions. Separately, a reading of consumer confidence came in at 127.4 in July, compared with 126.5 in the previous month.

Back home, Tata Motors was down 3.41%. On a consolidated basis, Tata Motors reported net loss of Rs 1862.57 crore in Q1 June 2018 as compared to net profit of Rs 3199.93 crore in Q1 June 2017. Total income rose 8.09% to Rs 67306.06 crore in Q1 June 2018 over Q1 June 2017. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 31 July 2018.

Vedanta was up 2.18%. On a consolidated basis, Vedanta reported 0.67% rise in net profit to Rs 2248 crore on 16.78% rise in total income to Rs 22624 crore in Q1 June 2018 over Q1 June 2017. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 31 July 2018.

Power Grid Corporation of India was up 0.30%. The company reported 9.17% rise in net profit to Rs 2240.54 crore on 15.79% rise in total income to Rs 8637.04 crore in Q1 June 2018 over Q1 June 2017. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 31 July 2018.

Mahanagar Gas was up 2.71%. The company reported 3.22% rise in net profit to Rs 128.33 crore on 16.87% rise in total income to Rs 634.68 crore in Q1 June 2018 over Q1 June 2017. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 31 July 2018.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 20.50 points at the opening bell on positive global cues.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will conclude its two-day monetary policy meeting today, 1 August 2018. The resolution of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will be unveiled at 14:30 IST today, 1 August 2018. RBI raised its benchmark policy repo rate by 0.25% to 6.25% in its second bi-monthly monetary policy for 2018-2019 on 6 June 2018.

Overseas, Asian stocks edged higher, taking cues from the positive session seen in the US market following news that the US and China may restart official talks about their months-long trade dispute.

US stocks closed higher Tuesday, as investors continued to digest an onslaught of quarterly earnings reports, with the vast majority beating expectations. But headline news on trade continued to drive markets.

According to media reports, representatives of US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He are in private talks to resume negotiations on trade matters in a bid to avoid a trade war.

Investors will be watching data from around the Asian region, including manufacturing activity numbers from China, for indications of the outlook for the global economy.

Policy meetings of the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday, 1 August 2018, and the Bank of England on Thursday, 2 August 2018, will also keep some investors on the sidelines, although the US central bank is expected to keep rates unchanged.

On the US data front, consumer spending rose a solid 0.4% in June. Meanwhile, the employment cost index rose 0.6% in the second quarter. The S&P/Case-Shiller national index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4% and was up 6.4% for the year in May. A measure of regional manufacturing activity in Chicago came in at the highest in six months. Chicago PMI rose 1.4 points to 65.5 in July, MNI Indicators said. Any reading above 50 indicates improving conditions. Separately, a reading of consumer confidence came in at 127.4 in July, compared with 126.5 in the previous month.

Closer home, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 572.21 crore yesterday, 31 July 2018, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 290.87 crore yesterday, 31 July 2018, as per provisional data.

Domestic stocks extended their recent record-setting spree yesterday, 31 July 2018, on buying demand in index pivotals. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, rose 112.18 points or 0.30% to settle at 37,606.58. The Nifty 50 index rose 36.95 points or 0.33% to settle at 11,356.50. Both the Sensex and the Nifty hit record high on intraday as well as closing basis.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Key barometers reversed trend and hit fresh intraday low in mid-morning trade. At 11:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 43.22 points or 0.11% at 37,563.36. The Nifty 50 index was down 2.60 points or 0.02% at 11,353.90.

The market opened higher and hit fresh intraday high in early trade. Selling emerged at higher levels, which dragged the market lower in mid-morning trade. The Sensex rose 105.29 points, or 0.28% at the day's high of 37,711.87 in early trade. The index fell 51.52 points, or 0.14% at the day's low of 37,555.06 in mid-morning trade. The Nifty rose 34.05 points, or 0.30% at the day's high of 11,390.55 in early trade. The index fell 5.80 points, or 0.05% at the day's low of 11,350.70 in mid-morning trade.

Broader market bucked negative market trend. Among secondary barometers, the BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.37%. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.27%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On BSE, 1,271 shares rose and 1,006 shares fell. A total of 120 shares were unchanged.

Car major Maruti Suzuki India was down 1.72% after the company said that its total sales fell 0.6% to 164,369 lakh units in July 2018 over July 2017. The announcement was made today, 1 August 2018.

IT shares were mixed. MphasiS (up 2.15%), MindTree (up 1.81%), TCS (up 1.48%), HCL Technologies (up 0.33%) and Hexaware Technologies (up 0.13%), edged higher. Persistent Systems (down 0.14%), Tech Mahindra (down 0.18%), Wipro (down 0.49%), Infosys (down 0.68%) and Oracle Financial Services Software (down 0.76%), edged lower.

Most pharmaceutical shares rose. Lupin (up 2.05%), Divi's Laboratories (up 1.88%), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (up 1.36%), Wockhardt (up 1.28%), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (up 0.86%), Aurobindo Pharma (up 0.76%), Strides Shasun (up 0.74%), Alkem Laboratories (up 0.68%), IPCA Laboratories (up 0.6%), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (up 0.25%) and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (up 0.2%), edged higher. Piramal Enterprises (down 0.19%) and Cipla (down 0.55%), edged lower.

Cadila Healthcare was down 1.18%. The company announced during trading hours today, 1 August 2018, that it received the final approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market Azithromycin for Oral Suspension USP (US RLD - Zithromax), 100 mg/5 mL and 200 mg/5 mL. This medication contains Azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic that fights bacteria. It is used to treat different types of bacterial infections such as respiratory infections, skin infections, ear infections and sexually transmitted diseases. This medication will not work for Viral infections such as common cold, flu etc. The drug will be manufactured at the group's formulations manufacturing facility at Baddi. In line with this, the group now has 213 approvals and has so far filed over 330 ANDAs since the commencement ofthe filing process in FY 2003-04.

On the macro front, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will conclude its two-day monetary policy meeting today, 1 August 2018. The resolution of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will be unveiled at 14:30 IST today, 1 August 2018. RBI raised its benchmark policy repo rate by 0.25% to 6.25% in its second bi-monthly monetary policy for 2018-2019 on 6 June 2018.

Overseas, most Asian stocks edged higher, taking cues from the positive session seen in the US market following news that the US and China may restart official talks about their months-long trade dispute.

US stocks closed higher Tuesday, as investors continued to digest an onslaught of quarterly earnings reports, with the vast majority beating expectations. But headline news on trade continued to drive markets.

According to media reports, representatives of US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He are in private talks to resume negotiations on trade matters in a bid to avoid a trade war.

Investors will be watching data from around the Asian region, including manufacturing activity numbers from China, for indications of the outlook for the global economy.

Policy meetings of the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday, 1 August 2018, and the Bank of England on Thursday, 2 August 2018, will also keep some investors on the sidelines, although the US central bank is expected to keep rates unchanged.

On the US data front, consumer spending rose a solid 0.4% in June. Meanwhile, the employment cost index rose 0.6% in the second quarter. The S&P/Case-Shiller national index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4% and was up 6.4% for the year in May. A measure of regional manufacturing activity in Chicago came in at the highest in six months. Chicago PMI rose 1.4 points to 65.5 in July, MNI Indicators said. Any reading above 50 indicates improving conditions. Separately, a reading of consumer confidence came in at 127.4 in July, compared with 126.5 in the previous month.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Key indices pared gains in morning trade after hitting fresh intraday high in early trade. At 10:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 53.06 points or 0.14% at 37,659.64. The Nifty 50 index was up 24.90 points or 0.22% at 11,381.40.

Trading was volatile. The Sensex rose 105.29 points, or 0.28% at the day's high of 37,711.87 in early trade. The index fell 9.34 points, or 0.02% at the day's low of 37,597.24 in early trade. The Nifty rose 34.05 points, or 0.30% at the day's high of 11,390.55 in early trade. The index fell 2.15 points, or 0.02% at the day's low of 11,358.65 in early trade.

Broader market was trading firm. Among secondary barometers, the BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.52%. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.51%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On BSE, 1288 shares rose and 776 shares fell. A total of 104 shares were unchanged.

Metal shares rose. Hindustan Copper (up 4.66%), NMDC (up 1.99%), National Aluminium Company (up 1.55%), Jindal Steel & Power (up 0.95%), Steel Authority of India (up 0.77%), Vedanta (up 0.70%), Hindustan Zinc (up 0.16%) and Tata Steel (up 0.05%), edged higher. JSW Steel (down 0.08%) and Hindalco Industries (down 0.59%), edged lower.

FMCG shares rose. Dabur India (up 2.44%), Tata Global Beverages (up 1.28%), Bajaj Corp (up 1.20%), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care (up 1.09%), GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (up 0.85%), Marico (up 0.52%), Colgate Palmolive (India) (up 0.50%), Nestle India (up 0.50%), Britannia Industries (up 0.33%), Godrej Consumer Products (up 0.14%) and Hindustan Unilever (up 0.05%), edged higher. Jyothy Laboratories was down 0.45%.

On the macro front, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will conclude its two-day monetary policy meeting today, 1 August 2018. The resolution of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will be unveiled at 14:30 IST today, 1 August 2018. RBI raised its benchmark policy repo rate by 0.25% to 6.25% in its second bi-monthly monetary policy for 2018-2019 on 6 June 2018.

Overseas, most Asian stocks edged higher, taking cues from the positive session seen in the US market following news that the US and China may restart official talks about their months-long trade dispute.

US stocks closed higher Tuesday, as investors continued to digest an onslaught of quarterly earnings reports, with the vast majority beating expectations. But headline news on trade continued to drive markets.

According to media reports, representatives of US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He are in private talks to resume negotiations on trade matters in a bid to avoid a trade war.

Investors will be watching data from around the Asian region, including manufacturing activity numbers from China, for indications of the outlook for the global economy.

Policy meetings of the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday, 1 August 2018, and the Bank of England on Thursday, 2 August 2018, will also keep some investors on the sidelines, although the US central bank is expected to keep rates unchanged.

On the US data front, consumer spending rose a solid 0.4% in June. Meanwhile, the employment cost index rose 0.6% in the second quarter. The S&P/Case-Shiller national index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4% and was up 6.4% for the year in May. A measure of regional manufacturing activity in Chicago came in at the highest in six months. Chicago PMI rose 1.4 points to 65.5 in July, MNI Indicators said. Any reading above 50 indicates improving conditions. Separately, a reading of consumer confidence came in at 127.4 in July, compared with 126.5 in the previous month.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sells 51,896 units

In July 2018, the auto industry faced challenges with the new axle load limits regulation, followed by transporters strike which continued for 8 days. Despite these challenges, Tata Motors sales in the domestic market in July 2018, grew by 21%, at 51,896 units compared to 42,775 units over previous year. On cumulative basis (April-July 2018), Tata Motors registered a strong growth of 51 % at 216,475 units, compared to 142,916 units over previous year due to the continued robust month-on-month sales performance of its Commercial and Passenger Vehicles Businesses in the domestic market. While Tata Motors will maintain cautious optimism in the market, it will continue to focus on its turnaround 2.0 journey, with 3 clear objectives viz. 'Win Decisively in CV', 'Win Sustainably in PV' and embed the turnaround culture within the organisation.

The Company's sales from exports (from CV and PV) in July 2018 was at an impressive 4,971 units compared to 3,441 units last year, a growth of 44%. On the commercial vehicles front, our international markets continue to show strong growth in FY19, with overall exports in July 2018 growing 48% and M&HCV exports growing 117% compared to July 2017.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Veteran actor Manoj Pahwa, known for his comical acting in various films, says "Mulk" has given him a chance to play a very different character.

He credits director Anubhav Sinha for giving him the confidence to experiment with his image.

Manoj told IANS here: "I think I know Anubhav for almost 23 years now and though people offered me comedy roles the most, Anubhav always says that he sees a grey character in me. Isn't it interesting? However, I must say that the character I am playing in 'Mulk' is very different and he only gave me the confidence and challenge to experiment."

According to the actor, the director came up with the character of Bilaal to him saying though he was eager to offer that serious role to Manoj, he was also initially apprehensive.

"Anubhav was a little worried that what if my strong image of a comedy actor affects the character in the film because the story is emotional and my character Bilaal is serious. I said, 'That would be challenging for me as an actor and that is why I would love to do it'," said the "Office Office" fame actor.

In "Mulk", Manoj plays father to a young boy who becomes a terrorist and gets involved in a huge terrorist attack in the city they live.

Sharing an insight into the character, Manoj said: " I felt for my character Bilaal who is actually a simple man, never had a job, education and only followed the footsteps of his elder brother Murad Ali (played by Rishi Kapoor).

"He does not know what is going on in the life of his son. He is living in his bubble, doesn't even know what the philosophy of Jihad and terrorism is all about. And one day suddenly things go wrong and he along with his whole family get dragged into the involvement in terrorism and in the killing of innocent lives.

"The fact is, he is an innocent man... Like those people who are killed in terrorist activity."

As Manoj has worked with two generations of actors in this film, he believes the young generation is smarter than artistes of his time.

"When we were young, we did not have such vast knowledge of world cinema that these kids have and that perhaps gives them an extra mile towards natural acting. We had to learn it the hard way -- from theatre, cinema, workshops," said the actor, who is keeping himself busy with projects like "Abhi Toh Party Shuru hui hai", "Housefull 4" and British TV series "Beecham House" among others.

"Mulk" is releasing on Friday.

--IANS

aru/rb/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, on Wednesday lashed out at BJP President Amit Shah for his statement in the Rajya Sabha that all the 40 lakh people left out of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam are "inflitrators".

Stating that Shah had made a false assertion in the august House by terming all 40 lakh people as infiltrators, Saikia urged all members of the Rajya Sabha to bring a Breach of Privilege motion against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President.

Saikia said that Shah deliberately ignored widespread reports about the final draft of the NRC not containing the names of the descendants and relatives of 19th century freedom fighter Bahadur Gaonburah, former President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, first Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly (1937-1946) Maulavi Muhammad Amiruddin, freedom fighters Pramod Bhattacharjee, Dibesh Purkayastha and Gauri Shankar Roy, and a host of other famous personalities of the state.

Saikia said that Shah was wrong in accusing the Congress of lacking the courage to complete the NRC because the genesis of the NRC process lay in the Assam Accord which was masterminded by Rajiv Gandhi in 1985, and was followed by the signing of a tripartite agreement in 2005 when the Congress was in power both at the Centre and the state.

"In fact, the government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had released Rs 489 crore in 2013 and 80 per cent of the NRC work was already complete when the BJP-led alliance came to power in Assam in 2016.

"On the other hand, the then NDA government had released a meagre amount of Rs 5 lakh for NRC work in 1999 out of a promised sum of Rs 20 lakh, and the BJP's present ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which was in power in the state at the time, had failed to put even that to any use," Saikia said.

Saikia said that Shah should change his one-track divisive mentality and take into account the fact that the 40 lakh names in question include a huge number of Indian nationals from states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, who have been residing in Assam due to marital ties or for remunerative occupation.

In this context, the Congress leader said that it was negligence and failure of coordination on the part of the Central government that resulted in many of the relevant states not responding to verification requests sent by the State NRC Authority in connection with those residents of Assam who had come here from other parts of India.

He also termed West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's allegation about NRC as uncalled for and said that no political party or social organisation of the state would approve of such a divisive stance.

He urged Banerjee to admit her mistake and apologise to the people of Assam.

"Instead of wasting her energies in fomenting distrust and division, Banerjee should ensure that the verification documents of reportedly more than five lakh people, which are gathering dust in various offices of the West Bengal government, are duly processed and sent back to the state NRC Authority," Saikia added.

--IANS

ah/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The President went on to note that members of the Assembly talk about Kazakhstan abroad, familiarize foreign guests with the culture of the Kazakh people, calling for the continuation of such work.The ongoing violence and attacks on civilian infrastructure in Hudaydah of Yemen threaten hundreds of thousands of children and their families, said the head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in a statement released on Wednesday.

"Attacks against civilian facilities and services are unacceptable, inhumane and in breach of the basic laws of war," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, Xinhua reported.

"Yet the past few days have seen an escalation in the targeting of systems and facilities that are essential to sustaining the lives of children and families," she added.

It was reported at the weekend that a UNICEF-supported warehouse containing humanitarian provisions, including hygiene and water-related supplies, was hit by two airstrikes.

On Saturday, a UNICEF-supported sanitation center in the Zabid District came under attack, damaging the facility's fuel tank. A day earlier, the al-Mina District water station was hit, which is the main source of water for the key port city.

Overall, 22 million people need some kind of assistance in Yemen after years of grinding conflict between government and Saudi-led coalition forces, who've been battling Houthi rebels for control of the country. Hudaydah is the main port for the shattered import-dependent economy, as more than 70 percent of all humanitarian supplies, commercial goods and food brought into the country, passes through the docks there.

The UNICEF chief said that the country was "already facing a severe shortage of drinking water, which is directly linked to outbreaks of cholera and acute watery diarrhea," underscoring that attacks on water infrastructure "jeopardize efforts to prevent another outbreak of cholera and acute watery diarrhea in Yemen."

Fore again called on everyone involved in fighting to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. "The war in Yemen has no winners. It is robbing Yemeni children of their futures," she noted.

--IANS

ahm/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Melbourne court on Wednesday committed a Bangladeshi student to stand trial in the Supreme Court during a brief hearing.

Momena Shoma, 24, appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court in connection with the stabbing of her landlord Roger Singaravelu, 54, in the neck on February 9 while he was sleeping alongside his young daughter.

Singaravelu and his wife also attended the hearing, Efe news reported.

Shoma was charged with attempted murder and engaging in an act of terrorism, according to local media reports. The magistrate entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf.

Singaravelu was hosting the Bangladeshi woman at his home as part of a university homestay programme.

Investigations into the incident allegedly revealed that Shoma was trying to carry out an Islamic State terror group-inspired attack.

Australian police have charged 85 people with terrorism offences since the country raised the security alert on September 12, 2014.

In November, the Australian authorities arrested a man who was allegedly planning to shoot at people coming to Federation Square in downtown in Melbourne for New Year celebrations.

In 2014, Iranian national Man Haron Monis laid siege to a cafe in Sydney for 17 hours, in which two were killed.

--IANS

soni/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a policy framework for hydrocarbons' exploration, permitting private companies to exploit unconventional hydrocarbons, including shale gas and coal bed methane (CBM), from their existing acreages.

Under the extant policy, while producers are not allowed to explore and exploit CBM, shale gas and other unconventional hydrocarbons from their allotted licensed area, CBM contractors are not permitted to extract any other hydrocarbons apart from CBM.

"This policy will enable the realisation of prospective hydrocarbon reserves in the existing contract areas which otherwise would remain unexplored and unexploited," a Petroleum Ministry statement said following the cabinet meeting.

An additional 10 per cent profit petroleum will be levied for new CBM discoveries, while state-run oil companies will be allowed to explore and exploit unconventional hydrocarbons under the existing fiscal and contractual terms of exploration or lease license, it said.

"An area of 72,027 sq.km held under PSCs (production sharing contracts) of pre-New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP)/NELP regime and 5,269 sq. km area under CBM contracts has been opened up for simultaneous exploration and exploitation of conventional or unconventional hydrocarbons," it added.

Briefing reporters here, acting Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said that with the approval of this policy, there will be a complete shift from "One hydrocarbon Resource Type" to the "Uniform Licensing Policy" which is presently applicable in the new Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) and Discovered Small Field (DSF) Policy.

Last month, the Petroleum Ministry had amended the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules to include shale in the definition of petroleum.

India currently has around 100-200 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of shale gas reserves in five sedimentary basins and there is a strong possibility of such reserves in the Cambay, Krishna-Godavari (KG) and Cauvery basins among others, 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.)California firefighters and emergency services continued trying to contain about a dozen fires still active in the state which have devastated over 100,000 hectares, according to official data.

At least eight people have died in the fires, which swept through California due to its hot and dry climate.

State authorities on Tuesday said that they were mainly concerned about the Carr fire, which destroyed more than 45,600 hectares (112,888 acres) and was 30 per cent contained, according to the latest report from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Efe news reported.

The fire, which gutted 1,236 buildings, broke out on July 23 near the city of Redding, with a population of about 92,000, and still remains active in Shasta and Trinity counties north of San Francisco.

About 10,000 out of 38,000 people who were evacuated from the area as a precautionary measure were able to return to their homes.

Meanwhile, several parts of Yosemite National Park, one of the country's most popular nature reserves, remained closed due to the Ferguson fire, raging in Mariposa County for 19 days and destroying some 23,400 hectares of the area.

In Mendocino county, authorities managed to contain about 12 and 10 per cent of the River and Ranch fires, respectively. The two fires razed over 32,500 hectares of the area.

--IANS

anp/soni/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Despite facing sexual abuse allegations, Leslie Moonves will remain as CBS CEO till the matter is investigated properly by an outside counsel.

"Its Board of Directors is in the process of selecting outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation.

"No other action was taken on this matter at today's board meeting. Additionally, the Board determined to postpone CBS Corporation's 2018 annual meeting of stockholders that was previously scheduled to be held on August 10, 2018," the company said in a statement, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The media conglomerate met following sexual misconduct claims made by six women in Ronan Farrow's expose in The New Yorker, which was published on July 27.

In a statement, Moonves said: "I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. Those were mistakes and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected -- and abided by the principle -- that 'no' means 'no', and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone's career."

On July 27, the CBS board of directors said that it would take the claims "seriously" and investigate the allegations of misconduct against Moonves.

--IANS

sim/nv/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Mumbai Congress on Wednesday demanded stringent legal action against civic chief Ajoy Mehta and others after the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recently lost a prime plot worth Rs 500 crore to a private party.

A delegation led by Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam met Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone I, Abhishek Trimukhe and handed over a formal two-page complaint seeking action against the BMC Commissioner and other senior officials.

"The BMC Commissioner himself, along with some senior officials, is responsible for this land scam. We have requested the police to treat Mehta and these officials from the Development Plan Department as accused," Nirupam told mediapersons after submitting his complaint.

He said the Congress has also demanded a proper police investigation to ascertain whether a BMC peon named Valmiki, who was handling the file pertaining to this particular case, died an accidental death after falling from a running train or it was a murder.

The plot, measuring around 13,000 square metre, or nearly 3.20 acre, is situated in Jogeshwari and had been under acquisition by the BMC after it was reserved for a hospital and housing for homeless people.

Giving a background of the case, Nirupam said that the original owner of the land, Gyanprakash Shukla, had approached the Bombay High Court in 2014 after the BMC failed to claim the land for 10 years, after the statutory acquisition period ended.

In the high court, the BMC remained unrepresented, and consequently lost the case, after which Mehta reportedly stated that the civic body "shouldn't challenge" the matter in the Supreme Court.

Shockingly, he added that the BMC was not represented even in the Supreme Court, which dismissed the case and the civic body forfeited the plot of land worth around Rs 500 crore.

"Thereafter, the BMC Commissioner sought to pin the entire blame on the legal department, accusing them of altering his notings on the file -- from 'should challenge' to 'shouldn't challenge'. This was not an issue of 'mishandling', but a clear conspiracy by him and senior officials," Nirupam alleged.

He added that given the high stakes involved, the Commissioner should have personally monitored the case, and since his role is "highly suspect", he needs to be probed.

The Congress demanded that the police file an FIR against Mehta and others, to which DCP Trimukhe sought a month's time to investigate the entire case.

--IANS

qn/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A city court has convicted Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Tughlakabad, Sahi Ram Pahalwan, in a case related to assault on a youth in September 2016.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal convicted Pahalwan and his associates, Subhash and Lalit, under Section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by sharp object), Section 341 (wrongfully restrain) and Section 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code.

The court has listed the matter for hearing arguments on the quantum of sentence on August 7.

Relying on the testimony of the complainant Yogender Bidhur, the court said: "The complainant has proved assault upon him with a sharp object in which he received simple injuries.

"He was going to purchase some medicine, when he was wrongfully restrained," the court said in Tuesday's order.

The complainant has alleged that on September 20 the legislator with his associates had assaulted him.

The police had said the MLA had opposed and threatened the supervisor who was supervising the construction of a cemented road in a lane outside complainant's house in Tekhand on the intervening night of September 18-19, 2016.

When the complainant came to know that MLA had threatened the supervisor, he called Pahalwan and asked him why he had stopped the construction work.

Pahalwan threatened the complainant with dire consequences, the police said.

--IANS

akk/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday urged the Union government to devise a comprehensive policy for developing the border belts into industrial hubs to counter the Chinese economic threat in the form of cheap Chinese goods being dumped in smaller towns and rural areas.

Reiterating his demand for a special package for the border states of Punjab and Rajasthan, the Chief Minister said he had taken up the issue of establishing industrial corridors in border areas, especially from Pathankot till the Pakistan border, with the Prime Minister last month and was hopeful of a positive response.

Addressing an interactive session with industry captains, organised by Confederation of Indian Industry and Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion in New Delhi on Wednesday, Amarinder assured the industry that their investments would be safe in Punjab and his government would extend all possible support to them.

Pointing out that more than Rs 10,000 crore of investment had come into the state in the last one year, the Chief Minister said his government was targeting to triple the amount annually.

"Our government is there to facilitate industry, whose interests would be kept in mind while formulating policies," Amarinder said, adding that the work culture in Punjab was highly conducive to promoting industry which will generate employment and revenue.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Eight Maoist guerrillas were arrested in Jharkhand's Khuti district on Wednesday, police said.

The eight, from the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), were arrested in a joint operation of the police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) from a jungle near Kulburu village, said Khuti Superintendent of Police Ashwani Kumar.

Kumar told reporters that an FIR had been lodged against the Maoists. Police seized two guns and a mobile phone from them.

Maoist guerrillas are active in 18 of the 24 districts of the state.

--IANS

ns/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India started its process of expanding its diplomatic and economic presence in Africa by naming a new envoy to Rwanda on Wednesday.

In a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said that Oscar Kerketta, Additional Secretary in the Foreign Service Institute here, has been appointed as India's new High Commissioner to Rwanda.

"He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the statement said.

The announcement comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement last month that India will open 18 new diplomatic missions in Africa this year with the first being a High Commission in Rwanda.

Till now, the Indian High Commissioner based in Kampala, Uganda, had concurrent responsibility for Rwanda.

Addressing the media along with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali on July 24, Modi highlighted the fact that Rwanda would house the first of the 18 new resident Indian missions to be opened in Africa in 2018 and that this underlined the importance attached by India to its relations with that East African nation.

Rwanda is emerging as a key nation for India's engagement with Africa.

Addressing an India-Rwanda Business Forum in Kigali, Modi called for boosting economic ties between India and Rwanda while describing that country as the gateway to the whole of Africa.

"When you have come to Rwanda, don't think that you are confined within its boundaries," Modi told the gathering.

"You will find the gateway to the whole of Africa here," he said.

The country is home to around 3,000 people of Indian origin.

Rwanda hosted the Assembly of the African Union in March this year where the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA) establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area was signed. Forty-four members of the African Union signed the Agreement.

When ratified, the Agreement would be the largest free trade area in terms of participating countries since the formation of the World Trade Organisation.

--IANS

ab/qd/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Goa government has not quantified the financial impact of the closure of the state's mining industry following a ban by the Supreme Court in February this year, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Goa Assembly on Wednesday.

"So far, the exact financial impact of mining industry closure on the State's revenue is not quantified, as the same depends upon the rate of mineral at given month as declared by Indian Bureau of Mines, a department under Ministry of Mines, Government of India," Parrikar said in a written reply tabled during the ongoing monsoon session of the assembly.

Parrikar also said, that the state government was making all efforts to ensure early resumption of mining in Goa.

The mining issue has been hanging fire in Goa, ever since the apex court banned extraction and transportation of iron ore from 88 mining leases from March, while also directing the state to re-issue mining leases.

This is the second time in less than a decade that all mining in the state has come to standstill.

The Goa Chief Minister is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this month, in a bid to resolve the crisis and restart mining in the coastal state.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) stadium here is all set to host one of the most technologically advanced, Broadway style theatrical shows in the world, Geronimo Stilton LIVE, based on their best-selling series that features Geronimo Stilton, the mouse reporter.

A phenomenon in the children's books category, Geronimo Stilton series has sold a massive 130 million copies worldwide.

Although the series credits the title character as the author, the idea was originally thought of by the Italian children's books author Elisabetta Dami.

The show has been brought to Delhi by Scholastic India, one of the leading multinational publisher of books for children, and will be be staged from August 3 to 5.

"Kids absolutely love Geronimo Stilton books. The series has enjoyed a very loyal following over the years and it is only fair that its readers get to experience something more.

"With a fully international cast and crew, Geronimo Stilton LIVE is a visual spectacle that children in Delhi will never forget," said Neeraj Jain, Managing Director, Scholastic India.

In India, Geronimo is rated as the second most popular author by the Nielsen Report, right after Chetan Bhagat, known for his commercial novels.

Some of the most popular books in the series include "The Dragon Crown", in which Geronimo's cousin is captured by the king of the dragons and the protagonist is required to deliver the Crown of the Seven Rubies for his release;

"No Time To Lose", in which readers are introduced to a new mouse city, which is itself in danger; and the adrenaline-fuelled tale of a golden staircase in the protagonistas attic, beyond which lay what the title promises -- "The Kingdom of Fantasy".

Geronimo Stilton LIVE will be staged at Weightlifting Auditorium of JLN Stadium here and the tickets are up for grabs currently at www.bookmyshow.com

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Unidentified gunmen on Wednesday attempted to loot a bank in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district.

Police sources said the gunmen entered the Qaimoh branch of the State Bank of India with an intention to loot cash.

"People inside the bank raised a hue and cry after which the gunmen fired in the air and left," an officer said.

--IANS

sq/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Superstar Aamir Khan says he takes a higher cut in films' profits because he risks his time on projects. But he does so only after the cost of each film is recovered in every aspect.

The actor-producer gave out the information on the inaugural day of the fifth Indian Screenwriters Conference here on Wednesday.

During an interactive session on the topic 'Writers VS Producers: Can they never be allies?', Aamir was asked: "There is a worrying trend that now the star has started taking about 80 per cent of the film, not profit but actually as his fees. Even though he is letting his fees go, it ultimately comes to the actor taking away 80 per cent. In 20 per cent how are we going to make a successful film?"

The actor replied: "My first rupee comes to me when the film's cost is recovered in every aspect, after the producer's and everybody else's money is recovered. That's the model I work with, and certainly, I take a higher cut in the percentage because I am risking my time on that, and I think producers are happy with that too."

Explaining the model, he shared: "The model that I work on is that, say a film costs Rs 100 crore to make. It consists of everything - cast, crew, production cost, post-production cost and everything comes in that. I don't take any money in that. I take nothing.

"So, when the film releases, I get zero money. And as it starts earning money, that money goes into P and A (Promotions and Advertising), which is over and above Rs 100 crore. Say P and A is Rs 25 crore, it then goes into recovering that.

"Once P and A is recovered, the producer has recovered his money, and everybody has got their fees...then I go into the percentage of profits. This way, there is no way that the producer can lose any money. And if for some reason, the film has not recovered the money, that it didn't do well, then I don't get any money," he said.

Being part of some of the iconic films like "Dangal", "PK", "3 Idiots" and "Lagaan", Aamir believes that the script plays an important role in the success of a film.

"I think the script is the foundation (of a film) and I make sure that once I love the story and the film is in the making, people who are investing money should not be in loss. I don't allow the producer to shoulder the responsibility alone," he said.

He believes that sharing the responsibility of making the film commercially successful also secures his career and builds trust with the producers and financiers of films.

"I think this is the best business model for film and our business because in most of my films, if producer is not losing money, it is but obvious that he will sign me for the next film. That is why I always ensure that if I am signed in a film, there is no loss," he said.

Citing the example of the 2001 film "Lagaan", Aamir said: "Since that film was one of the expensive films of that time and was breaking a lot of rules of mainstream Indian cinema and that is why I felt the importance of taking the responsibility.

"That apart, I know when I come on board, producers and financiers do not question me on the subject I chose for a film because they trust me, they have faith in me. That is why I want to ensure the profit."

--IANS

aru/nn/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India is considering the military usage of Artificial Intelligence for national security and military strategic purposes and the government is studying a report recommending the duel use of technology in aviation, naval, land systems, cyber, nuclear and biological warfare.

Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre told the Lok Sabha that the ministry has initiated the process of preparing Indian defence forces in their use of Artificial Intelligence and leveraging India's capabilities in machine learning sectors.

This, he said, has a potential to fuel technology driven economic growth and provide military superiority.

To study the strategic implications of Artificial Intelligence on national security, a multi-stakeholder task force comprising the government, services, academia, industry, professionals and start-ups was constituted in February this year.

The group led by Natarajan Chandrasekharan, Chairman Tata Sons, was tasked to prepare a road map for Artificial Intelligence for national security purposes.

The Task Force submitted its report on June 30 after studying the level of Artificial Intelligence development in India in general and specifically in the context of defence needs.

The group has made recommendations relating to making India a significant power of Artificial Intelligence for both defensive and offensive needs, Bhamre said.

The group has also made recommendations for policy and institutional interventions required to regulate and encourage robust Artificial Intelligence-based technologies for the defence sector in the country.

Considering that most Artificial Intelligence work is happening in the private sector, it has also made recommendations to work with start-ups and commercial industry in the field of use of Artificial Intelligence for defence purposes.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kolkata Police on Wednesday said it has already allowed Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah's rally to be held in the city on August 11, refuting the saffron outfit's allegation that the permission process was being deliberately delayed.

"Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice. It is to clarify that on request permission for meeting has already been granted," the city police department wrote on Twitter.

Shah's rally will be held in a central Kolkata's Mayo road on that day. A

Earlier in the day, Yuba Morcha (youth wing) of BJP's Bengal unit, alleged that the they have not received any official permission for Shah's rally despite a formal application days ago.

Amid speculation over his proposed Kolkata rally, Shah has said he does not need the Bengal government's permission to come to Kolkata and dared the state administration to arrest him.

"It does not matter whether I get permission or not, I will definitely go to Kolkata. If the state government wants, it can arrest me," Shah said in Delhi.

This would be Shah's second visit to Bengal within 45 days after he came here on a two-day visit on June 27 and met the families of BJP activists allegedly killed in post panchayat poll violence in the state's Purulia district.

--IANS

mgr/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Aiming to reach out to 10 million Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) by 2020, global PC and smart devices brand Lenovo and global chip giant Intel on Wednesday announced a partnership with Paytm Mall.

Under the partnership, Paytm Mall, which is owned by Paytm Ecommerce Pvt Ltd., will host a unique Lenovo brand store on its platform to drive discovery and instant purchases of the SMB range of laptops.

"While SMBs are driving tremendous innovation, they still face challenges when it comes to adoption of the right IT infrastructure to gain operational efficiencies. With this association, we look forward to empower our customers with the right range of products and services," Ashish Sikka, Head of SMB, Lenovo India, said in a statement.

According to Lenovo, the brand store will enable the customers to make instant purchases and also avail of cashback offers.

"This initiative is in line with Intel India's effort to engage with growing business to establish the relevance of technology in general, and PCs in specific," said Rahul Malhotra, Director-Retail, Intel India.

There will be an option to purchase laptops on interest-free EMIs. The platform is also offering low-cost extended warranty and purchase offers to SMBs.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seeking to rally opposition parties, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and leaders of several other parties and declared that her priority is to defeat BJP in the Lok Sabha elections next year with the issue of prime ministership to be settled collectively later.

She also kept up her attack on the BJP over the exclusion of 40 lakh names from the National Register of Citizens for Assam, saying they were playing with fire and were using offensive language against those excluded.

Banerjee personally invited Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders for the January 19 mega rally she has planned in Kolkota.

The Kolkata rally is expected to help Banerjee emerge as the pivot of opposition efforts to dislodge the Narendra Modi government in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"There will be collective face. Ours is a collective family. Priority is to defeat BJP. If, to defeat BJP, we can fight collectively inside Parliament then why can we not outside...I haven't come to talk about my state," Banerjee said after her meeting with Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

The meeting with the Gandhis capped a day of hectic activities in Parliament House where Banerjee met leaders of various parties including Shiv Sena, AIADMK, Samajwadi Party, TDP, YSCRP, DMK, RJD, Kerala Congress-Mani. She also called on JD-S leader and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in Karnataka Bhavan and senior BJP leader L. K. Advani in his chamber in Parliament.

While Shiv Sena is a constituent of the the BJP-led NDA, AIADMK is friendly towards it.

"Whenever I come to Delhi I meet Soniaji as I have very old relation with Rajivji. We have discussed political matters also. How we can fight together," she said, indicating that Congress would be part of anti-BJP front.

"I don't want to interfere in Congress matter or what Congress will decide... Wherever, whoever is strong should fight," she said in reply to a question whether TMC will ally with Congress in West Bengal.

Attacking the BJP, she said the BJP "is nervous politically, tense politically."

"The reason why it says whatever these days, because it knows it is not going to come back to power in 2019. If it talks with responsibility then we will talk to them. Not if they abuse us. I can fight against 500 parties in my state... We are all for all, everybody is everybody. PM will be decided later, first fight the election first," she said.

Banerjee said she briefed Sonia Gandhi also on the problems of those excluded from the National Register of Citizens in Assam.

"We discussed the fate of 40 lakh voters who have been decided to be deported, these people are from Bihar, Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP, TN. If these people are deported, what does the BJP want? Does it want peace or civil war," she said.

Earlier in her media interactions in Parliament House complex she sought to downplay questions about who will be the prime ministerial candidate of the Opposition.

"I am nobody. I am a very simple worker. Let me just continue as a commoner. I want that this BJP government must go. So we want that everybody should be united. Let us work together, don't think of Prime Ministerial candidate. Think of the country," she said.

Banerjee alleged that BJP was "doing maximum political vendetta" and atrocities with the people.

She said NRC is "a global issue and not just an issue of Assam or India".

"They have deleted names of about 20-25 per cent of the total population. They are calling all of them Bangaldeshi infiltrators. Is Bangladesh a terrorist country? By saying this they are insulting both Bangladesh and India. They should not level baseless allegations against Bangladesh that they are sending infiltrators."

Banerjee said if states say they will not accept people from other states, there will "be a civil war" and "bloodbath".

"There is panic within people. Only one per cent will be illegal migrants," she said.

Banerjee also said that if there was infiltration, it is government's failure.

She said while Home Minister Rajnath Singh had assured that there will be no harassment of people excluded from NRC, BJP chief Amit Shah made remarks against those whose names have been excluded.

Banerjee met Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai, Kerala Congress-Mani leader Jose K. Mani, suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad, Shiv Sena member Sanjay Raut,'DMK's Tiruchi Siva, Vijay Sai Reddy of YSRC Party, Misa Bharti and Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav of RJD. She also met TDP MPs.

Former Law Minister and Congress leader Ashwani Kumar also met Banerjee.

Banerjee arrived in Delhi on Monday and met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday. She also met dissident BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha and former union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Ram Jethmalani.

She had visited the national capital in March also and met opposition leaders.

--IANS

sid-vn-ps/vsc/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Digital platform giant Netflix will not be streaming a controversial documentary about Louis Farrakhan, the black nationalist leader who heads the African American political and religious movement Nation of Islam.

Farrakhan has also been branded as anti-Semitic by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

A Netflix company spokesperson on Tuesday said reports that the streaming service would add the documentary "My Life's Journey Through Music" next month were a result of a communication error, reports variety.com.

"This film will not be released on Netflix. Due to an internal miscommunication, it appeared to be scheduled for release on Netflix, but it is not. We apologise for any confusion this has caused," the spokesperson said.

Farrakhan announced on Twitter on Monday that the film, which he helped make, would be coming to the service in August.

"On August 1, watch the premiere of my music documentary 'My Life's Journey Through Music' on Netflix," the Nation of Islam leader wrote.

The film was also included last week on a list published by British site The Independent of movies coming to the UK version of Netflix in August.

Twitter last month removed Farrakhan's verified status after he posted a video with the caption "thoroughly and completely unmasking the Satanic Jew and the Synagogue of Satan".

--IANS

dc/rb/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)There has been no change in the status quo at the site of the military face-off with China in Doklam and the issue was resolved with diplomatic maturity, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday.

Replying to queries of Trinamool Congress member Sugata Bose in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj said the informal Wuhan summit in April between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had led to "solid achievements".

She said India had a clear policy on South China Sea that there should be freedom of navigation.

"As far as Doklam issue is concerned, I am saying with full responsibility it has been solved with diplomatic maturity. There is status quo at the face-off site and there is not an inch of change," she said.

Bose had asked if the Doklam issue had figured during Modi's interactions with the Chinese President.

The 73-day standoff at Doklam plateau in the Sikkim sector of the border ended in August last year after India and China agreed to disengage their troops.

The two sides were locked in a face-off after the Indian troops stopped the building of a road in the disputed tri-junction by the Chinese Army.

Sushma Swaraj said the understanding reached at Wuhan also had a bearing on the situation in Doklam as the two leaders directed their armed forces to resolve misunderstandings and differences at the local level and not let them escalate.

She said the Chinese Defence Minister was coming to India as a result of improvement in ties following the Wuhan summit.

The Minister said it was also decided during the Wuhan Summit to increase people-to-people relations between the two countries and China's Foreign Minister would come to India towards the year end. "So, there have been solid achievements."

Sushma Swaraj said she visited China for a preparatory meeting ahead of the Wuhan summit and it was decided not to constrain the leaders with a specific agenda so that they talk freely.

As there was no fixed agenda, there was no question of Doklam finding a mention.

The Minister said the Summit had three purposes -- to increase comfort level between the two leaders, mutual understanding and enhancing mutual trust. "I can say it with full responsibility that we succeeded on these three purposes."

Bose and other members from the opposition insisted that Modi, who was in the House, should answer their queries on Doklam and other issues pertaining to China.

However, Sushma Swaraj said she was fully capable of answering the questions.

Bose also raised the issue of China ramping up its presence in the Indian Ocean region, setting up military base at Djibouti, getting lease rights of Hambantota port in Sri Lanka and building ports at other countries in India's neighbourhood. He asked if Modi had talked about India's irreducible interest in its oceanic territory with the Chinese leadership.

Sushma Swaraj said: "It is our policy that in the international maritime routes, freedom of navigation is the right of every country whose territory and maritime zone falls under it. On South China sea, we have a very clear policy that there should be freedom of navigation."

She said all disputes should be settled according to the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). China, she said, was aware of India's position.

--IANS

rak/ps/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Idaho

The pertinent portion of Idaho's postconviction DNA testing statute, Idaho Statutes Section 19-4902(d) , provides in relevant part that:

A petitioner who pleaded guilty in the underlying case may file a petition [for postconviction DNA testing] under subsection (b) of this section

So, where does that leave pleading defendants?

As the language of the statute makes clear, pleading defendants can seek postconviction DNA testing in Idaho.

-CM

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/evidenceprof/2018/08/project-dna-idaho.htmlMaking clear the government stance on the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said those who are not Indian citizens should be afraid of the law and system.

"People who have been left out must get their documents in place to prove their Indian citizenship. If somebody is not Indian, then that person should be scared of the system and the laws. If somebody is living illegally in this country, why should they be comfortable?" Rijiju said on the draft National Regster of Citizens which was released by the Assam government earlier this week.

The minister also criticised Opposition leaders such as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and MIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, asking them to make their stand clear on illegal migrants.

"Why is the Opposition raising an issue? Why is there a need to spread fear psychosis among people? Everybody must cooperate in this case. This is an exercise in national interest. In this case, Mamata Banerjee's statements are very unbecoming of a chief minister," Rijiju said.

He said 'genuine Indians have nothing to fear' and expressed the hope that the NRC process would be completed before the 2019 elections.

--IANS

som/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said that it was not the job of the Supreme Court and the High Courts to govern through public interest litigations and said that law-making better be left to Parliament.

Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Prasad said: "I want to state that only those elected by the people and answerable to the house have the right to govern and to make laws."

Stressing that the government was committed to judicial independence, he said: "I want to say this with humility that it is not the job of the High Courts and the Supreme Court to govern through PILs."

"The Constitution has given this right to selected group of people," he added.

Prasad said that he supported PILs if they were used against the corrupt but these should not be used to make laws.

As for the cases pending in various courts at different levels, the Minister said: "The government's job is to ensure infrastructure for the courts, but ultimately the judgments have to to be given by judges only."

He also said that he had written to the judiciary to suggest that five-year-old criminal cases and 10-year-old civil cases should be cleared on priority.

--IANS

sid/tsb

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Odisha government has brought 62 blocks of 12 districts under the millet mission to enhance farmers' income in the state.

The Odisha Millets Mission was being implemented in 30 blocks across seven districts.

At a review meeting on the mission, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said the millet cultivation would add to nutritional security and result in improving the farmers' income significantly.

He directed the collectors to finalize the action plan and register the millet farmers for field demonstration activities.

Earlier, the state government had announced it would spend Rs 100 crore for the millets mission for the benefit of around five lakh small and marginal farmers.

The government will procure millets and utilise these in various schemes.

Development Commissioner R. Balakrishnan told the officials to identify in advance the storage and procurement points for millets in the districts.

The review revealed that last year, 30 blocks in seven districts were included in the millet mission.

The mission has extended its activities to other 25 blocks of 4 districts namely Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Bolangir and Ganjam. Seven blocks in Keonjhar district have also been brought under its orbit through initiatives of district administration.

The proposal for further extension of the programme to some blocks of Bargarh and Nabarangpur districts was also discussed in the meeting, said an official.

--IANS

cd/prs/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Wednesday said it had cancelled the press accreditation of Brajesh Kumar Thakur, the main accused in the Muzaffarnagar shelter home rapes case.

The PIB also requested Ministries and Departments concerned to withdraw facilities provided to Thakur on the basis of his PIB card, that is, Central Government Health Scheme facility, government accomodation and railway pass.

"It has been decided, with approval of the competent authority, to cancel the PIB Press Accreditation card number 2275 issued to Brajesh Kumar, Correspondent, Pratah Kamal, Hindi daily, with immediate effect in view of his involvement in alleged criminal activities," a PIB statement said here.

Thakur is lodged in jail after his arrest in the case, which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken up for probe.

As many as 34 minor girls were sexually assaulted in Balika Grih, a short-stay girls' shelter home run by an NGO of Thakur in Bihar's Muzaffarpur.

The shelter home has been sealed after the crime came out during a social audit by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

--IANS

aks/tsb/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The domestic equity indices retreated from their record levels on Wednesday to settle in the red after the Reserve Bank of India increased its key lending rate.

The RBI has raised its key benchmark lending rate by 25 basis point to 6.5 per cent in its third monetary policy review of 2018-19.

Besides the RBI rate hike, a decline in the manufacturing sector macro-economic data -- Nikkei India Manufacturing PMI -- also dampened investors' sentiments.

According to market analysts, heavy selling pressure was witnessed in auto and banking stocks.

At 3.30 p.m., the wider Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange provisionally closed at 11,346.20 points, lower by 10.30 or 0.09 per cent from its previous close. It had touched an all-time high of 11,390.55 points earlier in the day.

The barometer S&P BSE Sensex which had opened at 37,643.87 points, closed at 37,521.62 points, lower by 84.96 points or 0.23 per cent from its previous close of 37,606.58 points. It touched a fresh intra-day high of 37,711.87 points and a low of 37,432.91 points.

The top gainers on the BSE were Coal India, Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharma, ITC and Power Grid while Vedanta, Maruti Suzuki, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank and Tata Steel lost the most.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Top writers and poets on Wednesday expressed concern about the threat to Goa's award winning writer Damodar Mauzo in a letter to the Sahitya Akdemi, the country's national academy of letters.

Mauzo has been provided police security, following threat to his life by the alleged killers of Bengaluru-based journalist Gauri Lankesh.

"We expect the Akademi to condemn this crude assault by lumpen elements against the person and dignity of writers, thinkers and artists and their families. The Akademi needs to extend all possible support to Damodar Mauzo, S. Hareesh, and all writers being victimised in the name of religion, ideology or under any other pretext," said the letter signed by litterateurs Keki Daruwalla, Nayantara Sahgal, Githa Hariharan, K. Satchidanandan, Shashi Deshpande, Manohar Shetty, among others to the Akademi's president Chandrasekhara Kambara.

The letter states, that the writer community was feeling considerable anxiety and dismay about the spate of death threats and trolling of writers, including the Goa-based Mauzo.

"It is inconceivable that a gentle, soft spoken man like Prof. Mauzo should earn the ire of anyone, leave alone the vicious lobby which is trolling him," the letter states.

Asking the Akademi to take a "brave stand", the letter has requested Kambara to "condemn this crude assault by lumpen elements against the person and dignity of writers, thinkers and artists and their families".

"The Akademi needs to extend all possible support to Damodar Mauzo, S. Hareesh (short story writer from Kerala), and all writers being victimised in the name of religion, ideology or under any other pretext," the letter also states.

--IANS

maya/pgh/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Wednesday commenced hearing on a plea that challenged the constitutional validity of a legal provision on the prosecution of a man involved in an adulterous relationship with a married woman but lets her go scot-free.

At the outset of the hearing by a five-Judge Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra, the question arose as to whether the matter should be referred to a seven-Judge bench since the issue was considered by a five-Judge Constitution Bench in 1954.

It was contended that since the issue had already been considered by the five-Judge Constitution Bench, it can't be reconsidered by another bench of the similar strength.

However, petitioner Joseph Shine's counsel Kaleeswaram Raj said that the matter could be heard by the five-Judge bench since the issue before the bench in 1954 was different, involving abetment whereas the present petition had challenged the validity of Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code on the ground that it was discriminatory.

This stand was supported by senior counsel Meenakshi Arora, appearing for one of the respondents.

The top court, by its 1954 and then 1985 orders by benches of four Judges and three Judges respectively, had upheld the validity of the IPC Section.

The apex court held that these judgments needed to reconsidered and by its January 5 order referred the matter to the five-Judge Constitution Bench. It said that when there is societal progress and gender equality and gender sensitivity comes into play, there has to be a different kind of focus on the affirmative rights conferred on women.

The Centre has opposed the plea, contending in its affidavit dated July 11 that decriminalising adultery by striking down Section 497 of the IPC, which penalises only men found engaging in adultery.

"The provisions of law under challenge have been specifically created by the legislature in its wisdom to protect and safeguard the sanctity of marriage, keeping in mind the unique structure and culture of the Indian society."

The Centre asserted that Section 497 "supports safeguards and protects the institution of marriage".

"It is submitted that striking down Section 497 of the IPC and Section 198(2) the Code of Criminal Procedure will prove to be detrimental to the intrinsic Indian ethos which gives paramount importance to the institution and sanctity of marriage," the affidavit said.

Petitioner Joseph Shine -- an expatriate living in Italy -- contended that Section 497 was "unconstitutional" since it discriminates against men, adding that "when sexual intercourse takes place with the consent of both the parties, there is no good reason for excluding one party from the liability".

The petitioner also challenged Section 198 of the CrPC that allows the aggrieved husband of the married woman involved in an adulterous relation to file a complaint and not the aggrieved wife of the man in such relationship.

Shine said these Sections were violative of the Indian Constitution's Articles 14 (equality before law), 15 (prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth) and 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty).

--IANS

pk/tsb/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress on Wednesday said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swarajs remarks in the Lok Sabha about status quo on Doklam was "a dubious ploy" to make headlines and it "hides more than it reveals."

In a statement, Congress communications incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala said the "denials, half-truths and doublespeak" on Doklam were endangering India's national security and strategic interests.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make a statement in Parliament placing all facts and tell his government's policy on de-militarising the Doklam plateau.

The Congress leader said Sushma Swaraj's statement on Doklam is covered with a "sheet of misleading opaqueness" and fails to provide the larger picture of Chinese presence in South Doklam.

Surjewala said China was staring at the "Siliguri Corridor - the Gateway to India's northeast" -- and Modi government was almost "ducking the Doklam question."

Sushma Swaraj had said that there has been no change in the status quo at the site of the military face-off with China in Doklam and the issue was resolved with diplomatic maturity in August last year.

"Modi government and Sushma Swaraj were conspicuously silent on the Chinese military buildup and new road construction in the south Doklam region, overlooking the Siliguri corridor," Surjewala said.

Surjewala said Modi had met Chinese President Xi Jinping thrice during the last four months but there is "no conclusive reaction" from his government to the reports about the Chinese military build-up in the region.

He said no word on Doklam emanated during visits of Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to China in April this year.

"Sushma Swaraj's vacuous statement on Doklam in Parliament today speaks volumes about the Modi government's uncertain foreign policy and continuous flip-flops to the Chinese misadventure in Doklam which is harming India's strategic interests," he said.

Surjewala said that External Affairs Ministry statement of August 28 last year had said that both India and China have agreed on "expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site at Doklam" but the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement had said that the "it shall continue to patrol the Doklam area through its Armed Forces".

The Congress leader said that the party had pointed to heavy Chinese military presence in Doklam in January this year based on satellite images, the External Affairs Ministry had issued a vague statement that initially denied the Chinese military presence in the region.

He said media reports and satellite imagery had suggested that the Chinese Army has not only built a full-fledged Chinese Military Complex in Doklam but also occupied the entire Doklam plateau right upto 10m from Indian Army post.

The images had shown concrete posts, seven helipads, new trenches and several dozen armoured vehicles close to the point where the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops were locked in a 73-day confrontation last year, he said.

Surjewala said Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the veracity of these satellite images and Sitharaman had belatedly accepted in parliament that PLA had "constructed sentry posts, trenches and helipads in Doklam area to maintain troops during winter".

He also referred to visit of Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou to Bhutan in July and said he had discussed Doklam issue.

Sushma Swaraj had told the Lok Sabha that there was dispute between China and Bhutan about north Doklam and it was for not India to comment.

"The BJP is utterly consumed in managing headlines for domestic expansion and has completely forgotten the Chinese presence in north and south Doklam," he said.

--IANS

ps-sid/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police in Sweden were intensifying a manhunt on Wednesday for at least two thieves who swiped priceless crown jewels from a 13th century cathedral in a sleepy town outside Stockholm before making a getaway aboard a speedboat.

The suspects staged the heist at Stragnas cathedral, one of the oldest diocese in Sweden, at around noon on Tuesday while the cathedral was open to visitors and a lunch fair was being held nearby, according to the Guardian.

The local news channel Aftonbladet reported that the thieves stole two crowns and an orb, adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls that come from the funeral regalia of Charles IX and Kristina the Elder, dating back to the early 1600s.

"I knew immediately that they were burglars because of the way they were behaving," said eyewitness Tom Roswell, who happened to be having lunch with his friends in the area at the time of the robbery and is scheduled to get married at the cathedral at the coming weekend.

He said he saw two men run from the cathedral towards a white motorboat that was used as a getaway vessel across Lake Malar, which is the third-largest freshwater lake in Sweden and is replete with thousands of tiny islands and inlets.

"It's despicable that people would steal from a holy building and a historical building," Roswell added.

Swedish Police cordoned off Strangnas cathedral and were treating it as a crime scene. Efforts to locate and arrest the suspects were unsuccessful despite a huge manhunt in the region.

Speaking to local media, police spokesperson Thomas Agnevik said it was difficult to attach a value to the missing royal objects due to their uniqueness.

The two crowns, encrusted with precious stones, and the golden orb, were originally buried alongside Charles IX and Kristina the Elder in the early 17th century but were since recovered and put on public display.

Catharina Frojd, who works at the cathedral, called the theft "an enormous loss in cultural value and economic value".

Maria Ellior of the Swedish police's National Operations Department told Sweden's TT news agency the items would be "impossible to sell".

--IANS

soni/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Election Commission on Wednesday made it clear that those who have been excluded from the draft National Register of Citizens in Assam can vote if they qualify under electoral laws even if the NRC is not finalized before the Lok Sabha polls next year.

"Why not. Suppose I am not in NRC but if I fulfil the criteria under the Representation of People Act -- that is I am a citizen of India, 18 years of age and ordinarily resident of that area -- I can be a voter," Chief Election Commission O.P. Rawat told the media.

He said the voter enrollment process is not connected to the NRC although the poll panel was closely coordinating in Assam to ensure that no one is left out and eligible persons are included in the electoral roll for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"Election Commission (EC) voter enrollment exercise is independent of NRC though they are working in synchronization. The final electoral roll to be published on January 4, 2019, will be used for general elections," Rawat said.

"The Election Commision of India with its objective of 'no voter to be left behind' has asked Chief Electoral Officer in Assam to coordinate closely with state coordinator NRC so as to ensure that all eligible persons are included in electoral roll. This way a final electoral roll will be published on January 4, 2019 to be used for general elections 2019."

He said it was a draft NRC and in the next one month all these 40 lakh individuals, who have not been included, will be informed about the reasons for their exclusion.

Rawat was speaking amid apprehensions that those who have been dropped out of the NRC list would not be eligible to vote.

--IANS

som-mak/anp/sar/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BangkokThailand has extradited a Mozambican fugitive wanted for a string of kidnaps for ransom and murders, police said Wednesday, as a crackdown deepens on foreign gangsters using the Southeast Asian country as a bolt-hole. Momade Assif Abdul Satar entered Thailand three years ago shortly after being freed on parole from a Mozambique jail for the 2000 gangland-style murder of an investigative journalist in the capital Maputo. Interpol issued a red notice, or a non-binding arrest warrant, after allegations Satar continued to run a ransom-kidnap business across Mozambique and South Africa from overseas. The gang snatched wealthy executives and charged up to $3 million for their release. Media reports in Mozambique and South Africa say a number of those kidnapped were later murdered.Satar, who was arrested in Bangkok last week, may have entered Thailand on a fake passport and then set up a front company to obtain a visa, the Deputy Commissioner of Thailands tourist police told AFP. He was extradited at midnight [Tuesday] on a flight to Kenya, for onward travel to Mozambique, Police Major-General Surachate Hakparn said. We will not allow foreign criminals to use Thailand as base for their operations, Surachate added. Satar is the latest in a mounting tally of foreign criminals found hiding out in Thailand, a country trying to banish its reputation as a bolt-hole for bad guys.The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed vociferous protests by Trinamool Congress (TMC) members over the Assam NRC issue, forcing house Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the house for the day.

Due to disruptions, Home Minister Rajnath Singh could not make a statement and was forced to table it instead whereas BJP President Amit Shah could not conclude his speech that he started on Tuesday.

As the upper house of Parliament reassembled at 2 p.m., Naidu asked Shah to resume his speech related to the discussion on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam that he could not complete due to pandemonium on Tuesday.

At this, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sukhendu Shekhar Roy raised a point of order and said that as per the rules of conduct of the upper house, a member cannot speak twice on the same issue if he fails to complete his speech in the first instance.

But his point was rejected by the Chairman.

Naidu said that he had given Shah permission to complete his speech and asked him to continue.

As the point of order was rejected, the TMC members trooped near the Chairman's podium and started raising slogans, asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come to the house and make a statement on the issue.

Naidu urged the TMC members to go back to their seats and allow Shah to continue, but the Trinamool members did not relent.

"It seems a conspiracy... not letting the house function by creating a controversy... You are doing something which is not acceptable in parliamentary system," Naidu said.

As they continued with their protest and sloganeering, Naidu appealed to Roy to ask his party members to return to their seats.

"You create disorder and you raise point of order... there must be some patience to hear the reply," he said.

"Are we at the mercy of one party?... this is unbecoming of Parliament members," Naidu said as he requested the agitating MPs to go back to their seats.

Amid the din, Shah rose from his seat but couldn't continue with his speech. He requested the Chair amid the din to go ahead with the Home Minister's reply and sat down.

On Tuesday, Shah's remarks that the earlier governments did not have the courage to implement the Assam Accord signed in 1985 had provoked the opposition to protest.

Naidu then called Rajnath Singh to give his reply and asked the members to restore order. However, as the sloganeering continued, the Home Minister tabled his reply amid the din.

As Naidu's appeals went unheeded by agitating TMC members, he said: "This seems to be a system that you spoke, you had your say and now (you) come and disturb the proceedings. You don't want to hear the reply."

"As some of the members are not willing to hear the Home Minister and as they are not ready to relent, I am adjourning the house for the day," Naidu said before adjourning the upper house.

Earlier, when the house met for the day, it was adjourned till noon as the Congress members stood up to register their protest against Shah's remarks.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma asked Chairman Naidu to expunge Shah's comments wherein he said "you did not have the courage, but we have it to implement the NRC".

Naidu said that he would look into the issue and expunge any remarks found uncalled for.

The opposition members objected. Amid the noise, Naidu adjourned the house till noon.

--IANS

bns/tsb/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Different tribal-based political parties in Tripura, including the ruling BJP's junior partner Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), are demanding a NRC in the state.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, however, said that everyone in the border state had valid documents and there was no demand for a National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Besides IPFT, the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and the National Conference of Tripura (NCT), all tribal-based political parties, have undertaken protests demanding a citizen's register on the lines of the NRC in Assam.

"We had earlier organised rallies in Tripura demanding initiation of NRC in the state. On August 23 the IPFT will hold a mega rally in (the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council headquarters) Khumulwng," IPFT Vice-President Ananta Debbarma told the media on Wednesday.

The IPFT, which has eight members in the 60-member Tripura Assembly, has two ministers in the 9-member council of ministry headed by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.

He said NRC was necessary for the protection of the indigenous tribals and genuine citizens of India.

INPT General Secretary Jagadhish Debbarma told the media on Wednesday that a sit-in-demonstration was planned last month but the Bharatiya-Janata Party (BJP)-IPFT alliance government did not give permission for the protest.

"We have filed a case in the Tripura High Court against the Tripura government's rejection of permission for holding the demonstration," the INPT leader said.

NCT General Secretary Animesh Debbarma said: "His party is also strongly demanding commencement of NRC in Tripura involving all stakeholders, not unilaterally. on NRC must be stopped. We should protect our future generations."

The INPT, IPFT and NCT have also been demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, which is currently under review by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), headed by BJP MP Rajendra Agrawal.

The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in July 2016 to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955.

It seeks to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for citizenship and relax requirements of naturalisation for them.

These parties are also demanding introduction of an innerline permit to protect indigenous tribals, restoration of alienated tribal lands and inclusion of tribals' Kokborok language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

According to media reports, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said everyone in the Tripura had valid papers and there was no demand for a citizen's register on the lines of the NRC in Assam.

Deb, also the Tripura Pradesh President of BJP, expressed confidence that Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal would be able to handle the situation after the final draft of NRC was published on July 30.

Deb, who visited Nagpur on Tuesday and met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, said: "Everything is in order in Tripura and everyone has valid papers. Hence, it is not an issue in Tripura."

--IANS

sc/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation immediately, escalating his attacks on the inquiry.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump tweeted.

"Bob Mueller is totally conflicted and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

The tweet came as Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort, who was earlier indicted by the special counsel, faces trial for the second day in federal court in Virginia.

Sessions, however, already recused himself last year -- handing off oversight to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. So he is unlikely to act, CNBC reported.

The President has criticized Sessions for his recusal. In June, Trump said on Twitter that Mueller was continuing to investigate "all because Jeff Sessions didn't tell me he was going to recuse himself".

"I would have quickly picked someone else. So much time and money wasted, so many lives ruined...and Sessions knew better than most that there was No Collusion."

The Justice Department and the office of the special counsel did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for elaboration on the President's comments.

Mueller was investigating Trump's tweets criticizing Sessions as part of a wider inquiry into whether the President has obstructed justice, the New York Times earlier reported.

Trump's attacks on Mueller have escalated in recent weeks. The President's attorney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, made headlines on Monday saying that "collusion is not a crime".

--IANS

soni/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two girls were rescued by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in Srinagar after they were abducted by unknown persons in Anantnag district earlier on Wednesday.

According to the police, two minor Sikh girls boarded a car in Mattan, mistaking it for a taxi, around 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Local residents blocked the Srinagar-Jammu highway, protesting against the abductors.

The two girls were found in an unconscious state at Aloochi Bagh in Srinagar at around 2 p.m.

A medical examination ruled out any sexual assault, police said, adding that a case has been registered and a search has been launched to nab the culprits.

--IANS

sq/qd/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A US federal judge has blocked the public availability of blueprints that provide instructions for making guns using 3-D printers, just hours before the documents were expected to be published online by a Texas group that had reached an agreement with the Donald Trump administration to do so.

US District Court Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle granted a temporary restraining order on Tuesday night barring a trove of downloadable information about creating the do-it-yourself weapons, according to the Washington Post.

The Defence Distributed group had reached a settlement with the Trump administration in June to allow it to legally publish the plans. But eight states and the District of Columbia sued the government earlier this week to block the deal, arguing the untraceable guns were a safety risk.

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Tuesday also issued a cease-and-desist order against the man who was scheduled to post them online.

The judge said that the publication of the manuals by Texas-based Defence Distributed creates "the probability of irreparable harm". He scheduled another hearing for August 10.

Although Defence Distributed had been expected to publish the blueprints on Wednesday, it uploaded files for nine types of gun to its website last week. Between Friday and Sunday, more than 1,000 people downloaded the files for building a gun apparently modelled on the AR-15 rifle -- the gun used in many of the mass shootings in the US.

The lawsuit was filed in Seattle, Washington, by the state's Attorney General Bob Ferguson. New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland in addition to the District of Columbia were also involved.

Earlier on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said that the 3D printing of plastic guns "doesn't seem to make much sense" after his administration reached the legal agreement with the group promoting the activity.

"I am looking into 3-D Plastic guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!" said Trump in a Twitter post, referring to the National Rifle Association, the powerful US pro-gun organization and lobbying group.

The battle over the blueprints started in 2013, when Defence Distributed's founder Cody Wilson made the first fully 3-D-printed pistol and posted the design files online. The federal government alleged that violated federal law. Uploading the files, it argued, was tantamount to an illegal export of firearms.

Wilson sued, and the federal government shocked all involved by reversing its position last month. It settled with Wilson, agreeing to pay $40,000 in legal fees and exempting the company from the regulations, allowing it to post the blueprints online.

But Judge Lasnik found the government didn't follow procedure when agreeing to the settlement.

Speaking outside the court, the Washington Attorney General called the judge's decision a "complete, total victory".

"Everything we asked for we got from Judge Lasnik," he said, and called on Trump to make it "unlawful for anyone to make this information available for anyone".

--IANS

soni/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday wondered if the situation in Jammu and Kashmir had deteriorated so badly that the government was afraid of allowing foreign correspondents to report freely from the state.

Annie Gowen, the India bureau chief of Washington Post, tweeted on Tuesday that she was in Kashmir for a friend's wedding.

But she said she was not reporting because the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs had not granted the special permit now required for foreign correspondents. She said she applied for it on June 22. "Unacceptable delay."

The National Conference leader took exception to the denial of permission to Gowen.

"Has the situation in Kashmir deteriorated to such an extent that we are now afraid to let foreign correspondents report freely from Kashmir? Another crowning achievement of BJP's Kashmir policy ably assisted by its partner in crime the PDP."

In the early 1990s too, foreign journalists had to seek permission from the Home Ministry to report from Jammu and Kashmir.

--IANS

sq/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)There is a clear advantage for India from the scrap between US President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, President of the Peoples Republic of China, on trade.

From March 23, when the US administration imposed new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from its trade partners that included Chinese companies, through the summer, and to its peak in July, the trade war has become costlier every month. It has costs for both countries though Trump has claimed it would benefit the USA more than hurt it.' The costs on the USA notwithstanding, the massively rising costs for China could ...The Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is reportedly considering a proposal to allow its 60 million subscribers the choice of investing in equity beyond the 15 per cent of fresh subscriptions  the limit that has been set by its Trustees.

If implemented, this will be a tremendous boost for the equity markets in India. Despite all the work done on financial literacy and the record level of participation by retail investors in the equity markets through systematic investment plans of equity mutual funds, the penetration of equity investments still has a long way to go in ...With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah claiming that the NRC was the soul of the Assam Accord signed by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985, which the Congress was afraid to implement, no one is left in doubt about his partys likely contours of campaign strategy for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

The party campaigners would whip up an artificial wave of nationalism to polarise the voters by portraying those excluded from the list as anti-nationals. Unlike the BJP president of West Bengal, who promised such an exercise would be undertaken in West Bengal ...Seventy Democrat members of the House of Representatives have urged Trumps administration to restore part of its aid to the UN Relief agency noting the money is necessary to alleviate suffering in the Gaza Strip.

The initiative came from the left-wing Middle East advocacy group J Street, The Times of Israel reports.

In a letter sent to Secretary of States Mike Pompeo and Trumps National Security Advisor John Bolton, the lawmakers criticized the administrations decision early this year to withhold $65 million of aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) following Palestinians refusal to adhere to US alleged deal of the century. The deal, according to Trump, will end the decades-long conflict between Palestinians and Israeli, but takes Jerusalem off the table.

Palestinians protested Trumps decision to unilaterally recognize the old city as capital of Israel and to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Palestinians hope to proclaim the eastern part of the holy city the capital of the future state.

Trumps blasted the Palestinian protest as lack of respect.

We pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect, he tweeted on January 3.

The authors of the letter, Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, California Rep. Barbara Lee, Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Kentucky Rep. John Yarmuth argued that the cuts of the budget was exacerbating an already-deteriorating situation that poses long-term security risks to Israel, the Israeli media reports.

We urge you to immediately restore funding for humanitarian aid in Gaza because it plays a critical role in the larger US strategy to secure peace and stability in the region, they said.

The Democrats urged the Trump administration to lobby Israel and Egypt to end blockades imposed on the Gaza Strip. They also called on the White House to help increase electricity supply to the enclave after Israel reduced provision following refusal by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to foot bills of electricity consummation by over 2 million people living in what aid agencies called world largest open prison.

We believe the US should encourage all parties to increase access to electricity flow in Gaza to meet the critical need for reliable energy, the letter says.

We should also push our partners to ease the blockade on the movement of goods, equipment and people in and out of the territory, especially for materials and supplies related to critical projects like medicine, hospital supplies and water treatment.

Israel in 2007 imposed a blockade on the enclave after Gaza-ruler Hamas movement fought out its rival Fatah, which dominates the PA.

Egypt since 2013 has also tightened the passage at Rafah border with Gaza on security grounds. Cairo has accused Hamas of harboring members of Islamic State group (ISIS) in the Sinai.Over the weekend, Ram Sewak Sharma, chairman, Telecom and Regulatory Authority of India(Trai), created quite a flutter on Twitter when he gave out his Aadhaar number and challenged anyone to harm him.

Within the next few days, many Twitter users posted his email, phone number, date of birth and someone even tried to deposit Rs 1 in his bank account. While the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has claimed that its servers have not been hacked to get such information, on Tuesday, it issued an advisory asking individuals not to reveal their Aadhaar ...A 10-year-old boy and his sister drowned in a pond near their house in Dhemarpura village today, police said.

Sahil and his eight-year-old sister Roshani accidentally fell into the pond while they were playing near the water body, said Dhanraj Singh Hada, the SHO at Bapcha police station.

The incident took place around 4 pm.

According to the police, seeing Roshani drowning his brother jumped into the pond to rescue her. However, since the boy did not know how to swim he too drowned in the water body.

Their bodies were handed over to family members after postmortem. A case under Section 174 of the CrPC was registered, the SHO said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two persons have been arrested after a video, purportedly showing them assaulting traffic police personnel went viral on social media, police said today.

A video went viral purportedly showing Scooter-borne men assaulting traffic police party at Polo View here while the traffic police personnel were discharging their duties professional, a police spokesman said.

He said cognisance was taken by Kothibagh police and a case was registered.

During the course of the investigation, one accused Mir Nauman, a resident of B K Pora area Nowgam here, was identified and subsequently arrested, the spokesman said.

He said in continuation with the investigation of the case, one more accused Mir Hanan also a resident of B K Pora area - was also arrested.

The spokesman said the police have hailed the cooperation of the public.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least 20 families were rendered homeless and 35 shops were reduced to ashes in a fire which broke out Roing township in Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh, officials in the district said today.

However, no casualty has been reported.

The fire was spotted at around 8.15 pm yesterday at Middle Market Line and at least five fire tenders fought for several hours to douse the flame, the sources said.

Altogether 51 members of 11 such families were given shelter at the government Circuit House and the Anchal Samiti hall at Roing and food and relief materials provided to them.

Immediate monetary relief as relief has been provided to all the families by the administration as per norms, the officials said.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed grief and concern over the fire incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a major setback to PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif, over 20 elected party members of the Punjab Assembly skipped a meeting called by him to discuss the future strategy about the government formation in Pakistan's most populous province, a media report said today.

As the meeting had been called by Shahbaz, all the PML-N members elected from Punjab were told to ensure their presence, The reported.

However, only 106 out of 129 PML-N MPAs-elect attended the meeting, the paper said, citing sources.

At least 23 elected PML-N members skipped the meeting despite strict directives from party president Sharif, the paper said.

The majority of the absent members excused themselves on the pretext of health issues and/or unavoidable engagement, it said, quoting sources.

Their absence was not taken well by the party president, who is striving to get the required numbers to form the Punjab government, for which the PML-N has been approaching the independents and smaller parties.

"These independents and the probable alliance options for the PML-N had asked to first ensure that the party had a firm hold on all of its own 129 members who won the election. That's why this meeting was being considered by many as an exercise to exhibit that strength," the paper said.

The meeting, chaired by Shahbaz, was scheduled to start at 6:00 pm; however, it began over an hour late.

During the meeting, a visibly upset Sharif said the real character of a person was tested not at the time of convenience but when one had to stand against the tide.

Those attending the meeting pledged their unconditional support to Sharif in the testing times the party is going through.

Notable PML-N MPAs in the waiting who did not attend the meeting included Khawaja Saad Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir and Khawaja Salman Rafique who held key ministries in the previous PML-N government.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which ruled the province of over 100 million population for the last two terms from 2008-2018, has won 129 seats while Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf bagged 123 seats and its ally PML-Q got seven. As many as 29 seats have gone to independent candidates.

In the 297-member House, 149 seats are required to form the government.

The PTI claimed that it has support of 180 MPAs-elect in Punjab and the party will form the government in the province.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A mother-son duo were among the three persons killed when they were run over by a state-run bus in western Uttar Pradesh's Badaun district this evening, police said.

The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) bus was going from Badaun to Delhi. The three were reaching towards their motorcycle after visiting a temple on the Badaun-Agra road when the incident happened, a police official said.

"The deceased have been identified as Devendra (25), his mother Krishna Devi (56) and his maternal aunt, Kaila Devi (50). All them died on the spot," said Jitendra Kumar Srivastava, superintendent of police (city).

The bus and its driver have been detained and the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least 39 Nepalese women were "rescued" from a hotel in Paharganj, the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) claimed today.

The Delhi Police, however, said the women were staying in the hotel on their own volition, and they had come to Delhi in search of employment, leading to a war of words between the DCW and the force.

"From their medical examination, statements & enquiry conducted so far it has come out that they were staying in hotel on their own volition and they had come to Delhi in search of employment opportunity.They have not indicated any cognizable offense committed against them," Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa tweeted.

According to the DCW, the anti-trafficking operation started at 1 am and continued till 6 am.

The women panel's chairperson, Swati Maliwal, took to Twitter to provide details about the operation.

"DCW received tip off and rescued 39 Nepali girls from Hotel Hriday Inn, Paharganj. Raid lasted the entire night and assistance was provided by Delhi Police. Entire hotel had only trafficked Nepali girls who were being sent to Gulf countries. Huge trafficking racket busted!," she said.

Randhawa said police were informed around 12.15 am by the DCW helpline about some trafficked women staying at a hotel in Paharganj.

A team from the Paharganj police station went there but nothing suspicious was found. Around 1.45 am, Maliwal came there and told the police personnel that she had received information about another hotel.

"We give full support whenever there are issues related to women safety. She said there is a hotel where Nepali girls have been kept and our staff accompanied her there," the DCP said.

Some woman were found there and during investigation, it was found that they had Nepalese citizenship cards. The hotel register records were intact.

The women were sent for medical examination but some of them refused it.

Sixteen of the women agreed to the medical examination, police said, adding that their medical examination did not show any signs of assault.

The DCW retaliated, saying the complaints of some of the women received during the raid last night by the DCW clearly reveal trafficking.

"Instead of registering an FIR on the basis of these complaints, SHO Paharganj has made a mockery of law. He has detained girls in police station entire day and even beyond sunset. Pressurised and instilled fear in them to not reveal anything. Till now, no arrest, no FIR and girls continue to be detained in PS," the DCW said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attacked Lt Governor Anil Baijal and the BJP for not taking any action in the matter.

"Complete breakdown of law and order in Delhi. Is it possible at such a large scale without collusion at the top? BJP, LG and Rajnath ji ought to respond. People of Delhi feeling very unsafe," he said in a tweet.

"Are police helping the accused for free? Till where the money is reaching? Why LG Sahab and BJP are not doing anything (in the matter)?" he tweeted in Hindi.

Randhawa said further investigation is underway and statements of the women are being taken but no trafficking angle has emerged so far. Police are also contacting the Nepal Embassy.

Another police official, privy to the matter, said while some of the women had come in search of jobs, others were staying with relatives.

The women are being sent to the Nirmal Chhaya shelter home.

Maliwal later claimed in another tweet that the women were being again taken to hospital for medical examination. They had undergone a medical examination this morning.

Maliwal urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to take cognisance of the matter.

The DCW claimed that this was the third such operation since July 25.

With the help of police, the DCW had rescued 16 women, who were allegedly trafficked from Nepal and were about to be taken to Gulf countries, from southwest Delhi's Munirka area on July 25.

On July 30, the Delhi and Varanasi Police had rescued 18 women, including 16 from Nepal, from the clutches of an international prostitution racket in Vasant Vihar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Works on 4,804 kms roads of 7,600 kms have been completed uptil now, Maharashtra Rural Development Pankaja Munde said here today.

She said the rest of works are underway.

The minister was speaking to reporters after chairing a review meeting on the Chief Minister Rural Roads Scheme (CMRRS) at Sahyadri guesthouse here.

"Work on the remaining 1794 kms of roads is in progress. Similarly, inspection of roads through a private agency has revealed that the work of 96.33 per cent of the roads was of good quality," the minister said.

She said the contractors have been instructed to improve the condition of 2.67 per cent of the roads where quality of work was not up to the mark.

Munde directed executive engineers to use plastic waste in these road works and plant trees on either sides of the roads.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nearly 5,600 gelatin sticks and other explosive items allegedly meant to be smuggled to Sri Lanka were seized today from the Serankottai coast near here, and six people were arrested in this connection, police said.

Acting on a tip off, a police team reached the spot and seized the gelatin sticks, they said.

All the six people, hailing from Ramanathapuram district, were taken to a police station.

The seizure has raised fears that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam might be trying to revive its fight against the Sri Lankan government, otherwise there was no reason for such a large quantity of explosives to be smuggled to the island nation, intelligence officials said.

The Sri Lankan government had in May 2009 declared an end to the 25-year civil war after the army took control of the entire island and killed the leader of the Tamil Tigers.

On June 25, more than 50 boxes of abandoned ammunition, 41 light machine guns, 22 machine guns and five land mines were unearthed near the Thangachimadam area in the district.

Police had said the explosives and ammunition could have been buried 35 years ago by the Lankan militant organisations that had training camps here.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (Kufpec) Tuesday announced it reached agreement with five international banks for $1.1-billion loan earmarked for the expansion of oil and gas operations.

According the companys CEO Sheikh Nawaf al-Sabah, with the financial support, the Kupec aims to boost its output to 150,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) by 2020 from 119,000 boed now, Reuters reports.

Japans Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), First Abu Dhabi Bank, French Societe Generale, Japans Mizuho and Scotiabank will lend the money to the subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) controlled by the state.

Sheikh Nawaf al-Sabah, speaking at a news conference in capital Kuwait City reportedly announced that the company was currently studying new future oil and gas acquisitions abroad. He did not disclose any further details.Eight members of the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a Maoist outfit, were arrested today from Khunti district, police said.

A joint team comprising police and CRPF personnel captured the eight from Kulburu jungle under Arki police station area and seized arms and ammunition.

After noticing the raiding security personnel, the Maoists tried to flee but were chased and nabbed, district SP Ashwini Kumar Sinha told newsmen here.

Their chief, area commander Deet Nag, had been there but left the spot along with a woman friend before the arrival of the force.

The security personnel recovered a country-made carbine machine gun, a double barrelled gun, two cartridges of 12 bore, seven ammunition of 9 mm pistol, five mobile phones and other articles, Sinha said.

A jungle boot was also found from the spot, he said adding that the arrested men said it belonged to another Area Commander Noel Sandi Purty.

Purty was an accused in the Kochang gang rape case.

Five women working with an NGO had gone to Kochang village under Arki police station area to raise awareness on migration and human trafficking on June 19, when they were abducted later gang-raped at gunpoint.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Aeromexico flight crashed on takeoff during a heavy hail storm in northern Mexico, engulfing the plane in flames and injuring 97 people, officials said.

The Embraer 190 aircraft, which was operating between Durango and Mexico City and crashed around 3:00 pm local time (20:00 GMT), was carrying "88 adults, nine minors, two infants, two pilots and two flight attendants," the airline's director general Andres Conesa told a conference yesterday.

"It is confirmed that there have been no deaths from the flight #AM2431 accident," tweeted Jose Rosas, the governor of Durango state where the crash occurred.

The accident did cause two series injuries: a pilot had to undergo a spinal operation, and a young girl suffered burns on 25 per cent of her body, the governor said.

A total of 97 people were admitted for treatment following the crash, most of them for "very light" injuries, according to Durango civil defense spokesman Alejandro Cardoza.

Cardoza said the plane was caught in a heavy hailstorm and the pilots tried to make an emergency landing, after which the fire broke out.

Conesa thanked the crew "for their professionalism" and said that the aircraft "was perfectly maintained", but did not provide details on the circumstances of the accident.

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer announced the dispatch of a team to investigate the crash.

Dozens of lightly injured passengers were seen leaving the plane, which was engulfed in gray smoke in a field.

An image taken using a drone and obtained by AFP shows the aircraft immobilised in a field at the end of the runway.

"We were on the runway when the visibility grew worse," 47-year-old Jacqueline Flores, who was traveling with her 16-year-old daughter, told AFP.

"When we were already aloft, up high, it felt like the plane was going to level out but just then is when it plunged to the ground. I think we fell back on the runway because it was a hard surface, then we skidded on the ground until it stopped," added the Durango native, a housewife who was on a journey back to Colombia where she lives.

With the plane on the ground amid some bushes and brush, Flores said luggage began sliding down the aisle and she started to smell smoke.

"I undid my seatbelt and saw flames, and realized we had to jump. There was a hole right next to us and the plane had broken up, I told my girl 'We have to jump over here' and we jumped," she added.

According to Rosas, the passengers helped each other quickly evacuate the aircraft through the openings in the cabin caused by the accident.

In July 1981, an Aeromexico flight crashed on landing in northern Chihuahua due to bad weather, killing 32.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha moved the Delhi High Court today challenging the formation of police complaints authority (PCA) to look into allegations of serious misconduct against erring policemen in the national capital.

The AAP MLA in his plea has contended that the body constituted by the Lieutenant Governor (LG) has been formed without consulting representatives of the AAP government.

The matter is likely to come up for hearing on August 3.

As per the notification, the authority shall enquire into allegations of serious misconduct against police personnel, either on its own or on a complaint received from a victim, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), LG, chief secretary or principal secretary (Home) of the Delhi government.

The PCA of National Capital Territory of Delhi would be headed by a chairperson and would have three members, one of whom would be a woman.

While the chairperson would be a retired high court judge, the other members either be "a person of repute and stature from civil society; a retired civil servant of minimum of scale of secretary to government of Delhi with experience in public administration; and a retired police officer of minimum of scale of joint commissioner/inspector general of police or corresponding rank".

"The authority has been set up for redressing the grievances of residents against police officials pertaining to death in police custody, grievous hurt as defined in the Indian Penal Code Section 320, rape or attempt to rape, arrest or detention without due process of law, extortion, land/house grabbing or any incident involving serious abuse of authority," an official spokesperson had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police have registered a case against unnamed officials of NAFED and GUJCOT after groundnuts procured by a state agency and stored at a warehouse in the district were found to be adulterated with stones and soil.

Some traders had refused to take the delivery of groundnuts they had purchased from a warehouse at Gondal, complaining of adulteration.

The groundnuts were procured by the Gujarat State Co-Operative Cotton Federation (GUJCOT) on behalf of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India(NAFED).

The godown is privately-owned.

Rajkot Rural Superintendent of Police Balram Meena said an FIR was registered today at Gondal police station against unnamed officials of NAFED, GUJCOT, Gujarat State Warehousing Corporation and a private firm involved in quality survey.

The case was registered under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating), he added.

"We are conducting a probe to find out how soil and stones found their way into groundnut bags. We will probe whether the stones and soil were mixed before packing the bags or later," the SP said.

Rajkot collector Rahul Gupta said that six teams, each having a deputy mamlatdar (a revenue officer), a police official and a cameraman, have been set up for the probe.

Around 30,000 sacks, each with 35 kg of groundnuts, are stored at the Gondal godown.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A two-day Indo- Military Cooperation Meeting began today as a prelude to 2 plus 2 Dialogue between the two countries scheduled next month.

The meeting was co-chaired by Lt Gen Satish Dua, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) and Lt Gen Bryan Fenton, Deputy Commander, Indo-Pacific Command.

"The 2-day 17th Indo- Military Cooperation Meeting co-chaired by Lt Gen Satish Dua, CISC & Lt Gen Bryan Fenton, Dy Cdr, Indo Pacific Comd has begun today as a prelude to # between the two countries scheduled next month," @HQ_IDS_India, the official handle of the Integrated Defence Staff, tweeted.





External Minister and Defence Minister would meet their counterparts in 2 plus 2 meeting next month, a first such initiative between the two countries that will focus on strengthening defence and strategic ties.

and the US were also working to have a joint drill of all the three armed forces of the two countries.Congress secretaries in charge of Maharashtra are on a six-day visit to the state to interact with district party chiefs and office-bearers to take stock of the political situation.

In June, the Congress had appointed Sampath Kumar from Telangana, Sonal Patel from Gujarat and Ashish Dua from Haryana as All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretaries for Maharashtra.

The trio yesterday met district unit chiefs and office-bearers from Ratnagiri, Raigad and Sindhudurg at Tilak Bhavan, the state unit headquarters in central Mumbai. Today, they have meetings with Mira Bhayander, Vasai-Virar, Thane city, Bhiwandi and Ulhasnagar district committees.

Meeting with the party leaders in Mumbai is also scheduled at the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) office in south Mumbai.

Rajan Bhosale, MPCC general secretary in charge of Konkan said the AICC secretaries discussed the prevailing political situation in Konkan.

"They sought suggestions on strengthening the party base in the region. The secretaries were told that Ratnagiri- Sindhudurg districts, which form a Lok Sabha seat was given to Narayan Rane's son.

"(Narayan) Rane was the final word for the party in these two districts. Now that he has defected, he has taken away whatever little the party had in these areas," Bhosale said.

"State and central leaders should devote more time to Konkan region and all appointments on the district committees should be made on time," he added.

Bhosale said Konkan region includes Mumbai as well has 12 Lok Sabha and 78 assembly seats. "Out of this, Congress has only six MLAs. Out of the six MLAs, two -Nitesh Rane and Kalidas Kolambkar- are with Narayan Rane," he said.

In October last year, Rane had floated a new party called 'Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksh', days after quitting the Congress.

Talking to PTI, Ratnakar Mahajan, state Congress vice-president said the AICC secretaries would cover all the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies and 288 Assembly constituencies district-wise by August 5.

"After getting feedback on the party's organisational preparedness, the agenda regarding negotiations with like-minded parties would be finalised. North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha will be covered in the next four days," he said.

In 2014, the party had given its worst performance by winning only 2 Lok Sabha and 42 Assembly seats.

The state Congress has conveyed to the high command that it was interested in forming a "grand alliance" with like-minded parties to prevent division of votes while taking on the ruling BJP-Sena.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Air Marshal Balakrishnan Suresh today took over as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Air Command.

The Air Marshal, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram, is a graduate of the 'Rashtriya Indian Military College', Dehradun and 'National Defence Academy', Kharakvasla.

He was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force on December 13, 1980.

An impressive Guard of Honour was presented to him at the Command on his taking over, an official release said



The immaculately turned out air warriors accorded a warm welcome to their AOC-in-C, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav today instructed the party office-bearers and workers to help people stranded in the flood-affected areas.

"The Samajwadi Party has always been at the forefront to help people during a crisis. There should be no laxity in helping the families by providing them food, clothes and shelter," Yadav said here in a statement.

Attacking the state's ruling BJP, Akhilesh said, "It is sad that the BJP government did not take any preventive measures in time which resulted in inundation of several villages."



"Crops were also damaged. The water level in many of the rivers is rising. In the past one week, a large number of rain-related deaths have been reported and normal life has been thrown out of gear," he added.

According to officials, at least 92 people have been killed and 91 injured in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh since last week.

The SP also blamed the water-logging in the state capital on the BJP.

"There has been huge laxity in cleaning of drains, construction of drains and roads. Most of the sewerage lines are choked and waste disposal system is in shambles, and it is on this waste material and garbage that the chief minister wants to lay the foundation of smart cities," SP general secretary Rajendra Chaudhary said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seeking directions for a thorough probe, capital market regulator Sebi has told the Calcutta High Court that Alchemist Group's chairman K D Singh was allegedly trying to siphon off around USD 100 million from the money deposited by gullible investors to tax havens, including for buying strip clubs and vacation homes abroad.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) today approached a division bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Joymalyo Bagchi with a plea that it was not legally competent to conduct such a probe and the court should direct competed agencies to investigate the matter.

The regulator alleged that Singh was trying to siphon off investors' deposits worth hundreds of crores of rupees from Alchemist group, which has been under Sebi's scanner for garnering funds from public investors in violation of rules.

In its application, Sebi said that "K D Singh is in the process of siphoning off around USD 100 million, earned by way of duping the innocent public in the guise of fake deposit scheme, in buying companies abroad via tax havens."



It also prayed for an order by the bench directing competent agencies to recover the money from Singh and hand over to a one-man committee as directed by the high court on December 21, 2017.

The bench decided to hear the matter further on August 6.

Sebi further said that the one-man committee of Justice (retd) S P Talukdar has started making payments to investors from July 2.

The regulator said that Singh was allegedly trying to siphon off the money in association with the business head of a Mumbai-based family owned group with international presence, whose name it would disclose during hearings.

Sebi alleged that Singh, through this business man, has entered into a deal with a Greek business owner whereby a new entity is being created in Cyprus and 10 million euro has been kept in an escrow account till the Greek company's ownership is transferred to Cyprus.

The regulator also alleged that Singh was is in process of buying real estate in Mykonos Island of Greece to construct 'safe' vacation homes and was also acquiring pubs, restaurants and strip clubs in Athens which he is planning to combine with his vacation homes to create a 'private party' club worth 5 million euro.

The Sebi application further stated that shares of a Kolkata-based private company were recently acquired as benami from one minority shareholder and process of acquiring shares of another minority shareholder worth Rs 250 crore is on through a similar route.

"Also, in December, a benami property was sold in India and funds were received in the UAE as an operating income from a customer on fake invoices," Sebi said.

It also said around 10 entities located in various jurisdictions are being used for moving funds around through different banks.

Sebi said it has been informed of all these assets and the nature of their dealings, but "it (the regulator) is neither authorised nor legally competent to make investigation in this regard and also not competent to recover assets as it involves flow of funds abroad and assets in foreign jurisdictions, if the information is correct."



It said that the volume of assets of the company as enumerated is such that the amount if received from it could possibly satisfy the claim of a substantial portion of depositors of the Alchemist Group.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former SP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh today kept alive speculation over his joining the BJP, pointedly praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hinting that he was open to the possibility.

"I am not making any attempt (to join the BJP). I like Modiji and I am standing in support of him, he told PTI when asked about his chances of joining the ruling party.

Earlier also, during the Vidhan Sabha elections I had openly supported the BJP, but did not join it. It's not in my hands whether to join the BJP or not, the one-time loyalist of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav said.

But he indicated that he supported Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and not the "bua" (BSP supreme Mayawati) or the babua (SP chief Akhilesh Yadav).

His recent remarks, suggesting that he wasn't averse to the idea of joining the BJP, and his participation at an event where Modi mentioned him had added to the speculation.

Singh, however, denied reports that he may be joining a BJP ally, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), in the near future.

When asked about his reported talks with SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar and his chances of contesting elections from Azamgarh on that party's ticket, Singh said, "I did not have any such talk with Rajbhar.

I have four years of my tenure left (as Rajya Sabha MP). I don't want to get engaged in one area. I want to visit entire UP and if possible the entire country, and speak wherever I can.

"I am not a big leader, but I have an identity in the country. If I can utilise it, it will be in support of Modiji," he said over the phone.

He backed the BJP stand on the release of the draft National Register of Citizens in Assam, from which 40 lakh applicants have been left out.

"No leader is saying that it is the last list. The Assam chief minister is saying no one will be asked to leave (the country). What the BJP is doing today the Congress should have done earlier," he said.

Singh was expelled from the now Akhilesh Yadav-led SP last year.

He recently created ripples when he attended the groundbreaking in Lucknow for investment projects worth Rs 60,000 crore, addressed by the prime minister.

During his speech, Modi had accused rival politicians of meeting industrialists behind the scenes, and not in public like him.

"Amar Singh is sitting here and he can give you all the details," he had said.

Later that day, Singh attended the flagging-off of electric buses by Yogi Adityanath at his official residence.

Amar Singh had also met Adityanath on July 23.

Last month, Singh said he was not averse to joining the BJP but hadn't got an invite from the party, nor had he applied to it.

"The BJP is a very big political party. I won't say that I will not join the BJP if I get a chance, but who is giving me the chance? I haven't sent them any request letter either," he had said.

Some BJP leaders claim Singh is helping the Adityanath government attract investment to the state, making use of his closeness to top industrialists.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Egyptian interior ministry announced Tuesday its forces killed five alleged members of militant Hasm group, in a shootout in Qalyubiya province, north of capital Cairo.

The five alleged militants, according to the interior ministry, were instructed by the group leaders abroad to conduct terrorist operations aimed at destabilizing the country.

Hasm group, birthed in 2016, did not issue a statement on the alleged shootout.

Egyptian authorities have linked the group to outlawed Muslim Brotherhood removed from power in 2013 in a military coup led by then Defense Minister AbdelFattah al-Sissi who toppled the first democratically elected President of the country, Mohamed Morsi.

Hasm has rejected any connection with the banned movement. The group has staged several urban attacks against security forces.

The Interior ministry indicated that five other suspected militants were rounded up in a separate operation in al-Salam, a neighborhood of Cairo. Security forces seized weapons in a third location, which was not disclosed.

Egyptian forces have been facing blistering insurgency in the Sinai province where the Islamic State group (ISIS) has been protesting against Morsis removal.

The army and security forces launched in February an all-out offensive to get rid of the group with a mandate to use brute force.

Over 300 fighters have been killed in the operation while more than 30 forces have been reported dead according to state figures.Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain's show "Parts Unknown" is set to return for its twelfth and final season this autumn.

The award-winning CNN original series was in production when the 61-year-old TV personality committed suicide in his hotel room while shooting in France in early June.

According to LA Times, the seven-episode season does not have a premiere date yet.

One episode had been shot before his death - a trip to Kenya with W Kamau Bell, host of CNN's United Shades of America - and will be the final episode with Bourdain as narrator.

The remaining episodes will include travels to Manhattan's Lower East Side, the Big Ben area of Texas, the US-Mexico border, the Asturias region of Spain and Indonesia.

These episodes will be completed by the directors who filmed them for Zero Point Zero, Bourdain's production company, and will feature Bourdain's audio that had been gathered while shooting on location.

"Each one will feel slightly different depending on what's gathered in the field. They will have the full presence of Tony (Bourdain) because you'll see him, you'll hear him, you'll watch him.

"That layer of his narration will be missing, but it will be replaced by other voices of people who are in the episodes," Amy Entelis, the executive vice president of talent and content at CNN who launched Parts Unknown in 2013, said.

Entelis said the penultimate episode will see the cast and crew going behind the scenes to discuss the making of the series and that the finale will focus on "how Tony affected the world".

There are no plans to use show archives other than the final two episodes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Armies of India and China today held a meeting at Nathu La in Sikkim sector with an aim to strengthen peace and tranquility along the Sino-India border.

The Special Border Personnel meeting took place as part of celebrations to commemorate the 91st anniversary of foundation of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), the Army said here.

The Indian delegation, comprising several officers and soldiers of the Army, attended the celebration following an invitation by the PLA.

"The PLA troops interacted with the visiting Indian delegation and presented a cultural programme comprising several events to celebrate the occasion," the Army said.

"As a gesture of goodwill, the Indian side also reciprocated with traditional cultural events to mark the occasion. Celebrations took place in a very festive environment and provided an opportunity to both sides to display their rich culture," it said.

The meeting between the two armies took place three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an informal summit in Wuhan in China with an aim to bolster bilateral ties which nosedived in the wake of the Doklam standoff.

"Such interactions between both armies have resulted in promoting mutual understanding and contributed towards achieving common goals of peace and tranquillity along the borders," the Army said.

In their informal summit, Modi and Xi had decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communication and build trust and understanding between the border guarding forces of the two countries.

Troops of India and China were locked in the 73-day standoff in Doklam since June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the construction of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The face-off ended on August 28.

The two sides hold Border Personnel Meetings at five points -- Daulat Beg Oldie in northern Ladakh, Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Chusul in Ladakh, Bum-La near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and Nathu-La in Sikkim.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Army chief General Bipin Rawat met his Bangladeshi counterpart General Aziz Ahmed today, a statement said.

The Army chiefs also exchanged mementos, it added.

Army personnel of India and Bangladesh took part in a joint training exercise 'Sampriti-7' in Meghalaya and Mizoram in November last year, which was the seventh edition of such drill between the two sides.

In a bilateral exercise that concluded last month, the navies of India and Bangladesh launched the first joint coordinated patrol (CORPAT) along their maritime boundaries against terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, smuggling and illegal fishing.

The two sides also stepped their defence cooperation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi Police dismissed the station house officer (SHO) of Saket today, a day after he was arrested along with an advocate of a real estate firm by the CBI on bribery charges.

Yesterday, the CBI carried out a raid following inputs and allegedly found advocate Neeraj Walia paying Rs 2 lakh as bribe to SHO Neeraj Kumar on behalf of Unitech Ltd.

Kumar was placed under suspension yesterday and an inquiry was ordered against him.

On the basis of the inquiry, he was dismissed from service today, a senior police officer said.

It is alleged that the Saket district court had referred 47 cases related to Unitech to the Saket police station for a probe. The firm was allegedly making regular payments to the SHO to "manage" these cases, officials had said.

The central probe agency also booked Unitech Ltd founder Ramesh Chandra, in the case and registered FIR against nine accused -- eight individuals and company Unitech Ltd.

The anti-terrorism officer of Hauz Khas police station was sent to district line after he was allegedly found connected with the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra took up with the Chief of the Air Staff Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa today the issue of recruitment of the state's youth in the Indian Air Force, an official communique here said.

The governor also took up the issue of Dullungmukh Air Force firing range, it said.

Mishra met Dhanoa in Delhi and urged him for assistance through Pay back to society group (PBSG) of serving armed forces officers from the state, it said.

The governor said that at present out of the 33 officers from the state in the armed forces four of them are Air Force officers from Arunachal Pradesh, including Group Captain R D Musabi.

He asked Dhanoa to allow the officers to come to the state for visits to various schools and colleges to motivate the youth to join the Indian Armed Forces.

He emphasised a holistic approach in regard to the firing range with top priority for the safety of the local population without disrupting the battle worthiness of the IAF fighter squadrons and the Air warriors.

The Chief of the Air Staff assured to address the issues placed by the governor, the communique said.

Mishra, who is on a official tour to the national capital, also met the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and discussed with him security issues, including border area dDevelopment, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Australia's foreign minister today defended her country's ties with Malaysia's former graft-ridden government after Canberra was accused of being complicit in alleged corruption by harbouring a fugitive.

Political heavyweight Anwar Ibrahim, who was imprisoned under Prime Minister Najib Razak until his shock defeat in May elections, has slammed Canberra's "tainted" policy towards the former government.

Anwar cited the case of a policeman, now in Australian custody, who fled Malaysia in 2015 after being sentenced to hang for the killing of a Mongolian woman linked to a bribery scandal involving Najib's government.

Anwar, who was released from jail after Najib's defeat and is now presumptive successor to 93-year-old Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has called for the policeman to be sent home to face a new trial.

During a visit to Malaysia, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia had not received an extradition request for the officer, Sirul Azhar Umar.

Asked about Anwar's comments, she said Canberra in the past had simply "worked with the government of Malaysia of the day".

"In the past 61 years it has been the same government," said Bishop, following talks with Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Anwar's wife and now deputy prime minister. "If we were waiting for a new government, we will be waiting for 61 years... that is patently ridiculous."



Australia's policy of not extraditing people to countries where they may face the death penalty is seen as a barrier to getting Sirul sent back to Malaysia.

Mahathir has said that his death sentence may be commuted to allow his return to Malaysia.

The policeman maintains he was ordered by "important people" to murder the Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, in 2006.

Altantuya was killed and her body blown up with military-grade explosives.

Her murder was the most shocking aspect of a scandal involving allegations that an associate of Najib arranged huge kickbacks for the purchase of French submarines in 2002.

Anwar, who was a leading member of the opposition when Najib was in power, was jailed in 2015 on sodomy charges that critics say were politically motivated.

Since his election defeat Najib has been arrested and charged over a scandal at state fund 1MDB.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three shepherds were mauled to death and another one was seriously injured by a pack of bears today in a forest in Anuppur district, a Forest officer said.

The bears also killed 12 goats.

The incident occurred when four shepherds were camping in the forest adjoining Lahsuna village, the officer said.

They were returning from Chhattisgarh along with herds of goats, camels and sheep, he said.

When they were resting, the bears attacked them in the wee hours today, he said.

The sheep and camels ran away in the forest, however, the goats got killed, as they were tied to a tree, according to the officer.

The deceased are identified as Mera (35), Chela Rabbani (48) and his wife Naki (45), the officer said, adding that the deceased hailed from Bhuj in Gujarat.

The injured person is identified as Raga Rabbani (40), he said.

The incident came to light this morning, when some villagers spotted Raga lying injured along the roadside, the officer said.

Raga was admitted in a hospital in Bilaspur in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

The bodies of the deceased were in bad shape, the officer said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)After remaining closed for three months, the Bhitarkanika National Park here reopened for tourists today, a senior forest official said.

The national park was closed for visitors from May 1 to July 31 in view of the annual nesting of estuarine crocodiles, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, Bimal Prasanna Acharya said.

The crocodiles often turn violent and attack intruders during their breeding period and the objective behind the three-month-long prohibition on the entry of tourists to the national park was to ensure the safety of the visitors and provide a congenial to the crocodiles for breeding, the DFO said.

"We receive about 50,000 tourists in a year. Our emphasis is to ensure a safe and comfortable sojourn of visitors, who throng here in large numbers to savour the warmth of the eco-system and unique environs of its wetlands," he said.

The park authorities have improved the accommodation facilities for tourists by setting up eight well-furnished suites at Dangmal forest bungalow inside the core area of the national park, he said.

The jetty at Gupti has also been refurbished, he said.

"It has been made mandatory for the visitors to submit a proof of identity to seek entry permit into the national park," the official said.

Boat journey along the mangrove-covered water bodies is a major attraction for tourists here. On any given day, 350 to 400 tourists tour the water bodies by boats.

Stating that the forest department will not compromise on the safety of the tourists, the official said, private boats, devoid of life jackets and other safety gadgets for tourists, are barred from operating in the water bodies, he said.

Boats and vessels that are owned by the forest department are all endowed with safety equipment, they said.

Bhitarkanika houses 70 per cent of the country's estuarine crocodiles or saltwater crocodiles and the crocodile conservation programme in Bhitarkanika had begun in 1975.

The population of estuarine or saltwater crocodiles is estimated to be 1,698 as per the latest crocodile census.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 3-year-old girl who had fallen into a 165 ft-deep borewell was rescued tonight after a 30-hour long operation in Bihar's Munger district, officials said.

Sanno had fallen into the shaft and got stuck at a spot around 45 feet below the surface at about 4 pm yesterday.

She was taken out, smeared with mud, at 9.45 pm today, Munger Superintendent of Police Gaurav Mangla told reporters.

The girl, accompanied by her parents Nachiketa Sao and Sudha Devi, was taken to the Sadar hospital in an ambulance.

Local people who were consoling the distraught parents since the incident took place, shouted slogans applauding the local administration, the Army, the NDRF and the SDRF for their concerted effort to rescue Sanno.

Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pal and DIG Jitendra Mishra were also present at the spot.

Sanno had come to her maternal grandparents' place at Murgiyachak locality of the town and she fell into the borewell while playing, Munger Superintendent of Police Gaurav Mangla told reporters.

Some of her family members were a few yards away and they raised an alarm, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik shot off letters to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today, terming the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur as "heart-rending" and suggested measures for preventing recurrence of such incidents in the future.

According to highly-placed sources, the governor has called for trial of cases relating to harassment of girls, boys and women living in such state-funded homes by fast track courts.

Malik has also written to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of the Patna High Court Rajendra Menon in this regard.

The governor has, however, praised the state government for its quick action in the Muzaffarpur incident and its decision to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the sources said.

The case relates to mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls residing at Balika Grih, Muzaffarpur.

In his second letter to the chief minister, Malik has called for immediate and intensive probe into reports of mismanagement of other such short stay homes that have appeared in the media of late and a mechanism for their continued monitoring, they said.

Malik has also stressed the need for developing an institutional mechanism which ensures that social audit, by competent institutions, of these shelter homes takes place on a permanent basis, the sources said.

He has also called for implementation of recommendations of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai in this regard, they said.

The governor has asked the chief minister, whom he called an "efficient administrator" and a popular leader known for taking initiative in such matters, to invite suggestions from the intelligentsia, the sources added.

The matter had come to light earlier this year when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by TISS.

The audit report stated that many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. A special investigation team was formed to probe the complaints.

The NGO running the shelter home in Muzaffarpur was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Malaria claims nearly a half-million lives worldwide each year, yet scientists still know little about the immunology of the disease that has plagued humanity for thousands of years.

There were 216 million cases in 2016, according to the World Health Organization. Sub-Saharan Africa carries 80 percent of the global burden of this mosquito-borne infectious disease, which devastates families, disrupts education and promotes the cycle of poverty.

It is particularly brutal to pregnant women, who are three times more likely to suffer from a severe form of the disease, leading to lower birthweight among their children and higher rates of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth.

Pregnant women and their unborn children are more susceptible to the adverse consequences of malaria, so we are working to investigate new strategies and even lay the foundation for a vaccine to prevent malaria in pregnancy, said Prasanna Jagannathan, MD, an assistant professor of medicine and this years recipient of the Dr. George Rosenkranz Prize for Health Care Research in Developing Countries.

The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Stanford Health Policy give the $100,000 prize each year to a young Stanford researcher who is trying to improve health care in underserved countries. It was established in 2009 by the family of George Rosenkranz, PhD, a chemist who first synthesized cortisone in 1951, and later progesterone, the active ingredient in birth control pills.

Jagannathan, an infectious disease specialist who is also a member of Stanfords Child Health Research Institute, said the prize will allow his lab members to ramp up their research in Uganda. His team is particularly interested in how strategies that prevent malaria might actually alter the development of natural immunity to malaria.

With support from the Rosenkranz Prize, we hope to identify maternal immune characteristics and immunologic targets that are associated with protection of malaria in pregnancy and infancy, Jagannathan said.

Goal: Vaccine for pregnant women

Jagannathan and his collaborators at the University of California-San Francisco and in Uganda are currently conducting a randomized controlled trial of 782 Ugandan women who are receiving intermittent preventive treatment with a fixed dose of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, or IPTp-DP, a medication that has dramatically reduced the risk of maternal parasitemia, anemia and placental malaria. Their preliminary data suggests that among 684 infants born to these women, maternal receipt of IPTp-DP may lead to a reduced incidence of malaria in the first year of life.

Having the discretionary support of the Rosenkranz Prize will allow us to generate some preliminary ideas from this trial that could lead to larger studies to push this agenda further along, Jagannathan said.

That agenda is to create a vaccine that prevents malaria in pregnant women and by extension, their infants, giving them a better start in life.The Press Information Bureau (PIB) today cancelled the accreditation of Brajesh Kumar, who is the prime accused in the Bihar shelter home sex scandal case.

Kumar owned a newspaper each in Hindi, English and Urdu but it is alleged that circulation figures were inflated to gain greater slice of government advertisement revenue.

In an order, PIB, which comes under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said, "It has been decided with the approval of the competent authority to cancel the PIB press accreditation of card number 2275 issued to Brajesh Kumar, correspondent, Pratah Kamal Hindi daily with immediate effect in view of his involvement in alleged criminal activities."



The PIB also asked all ministries and departments concerned to withdraw the facilities provided to him on the basis of his accreditation which include health facilities, government accommodation, railway pass and other benefits.

The Bihar government's information and public relation department (IPRD) cancelled his press accreditation card after an FIR was lodged against him on May 31. It has began investigation on the media house to find out whether he and his colleagues ever misused facilities accorded to accredited journalists.

Kumar was allotted a government accommodation under the PIB-accredited journalist quota in a posh locality of the National Capital Region (NCR), where he had his Delhi office, officials said.

A fresh FIR was registered against Kumar yesterday following the "disappearance" of 11 women from the premises of a self-help group run by his NGO.

The probe of the shelter home sex scandal case has been taken over by the CBI and Kumar is currently in judicial custody. The case relates to mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls residing at Balika Grih, Muzaffarpur.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP allies and the party's Dalit leaders hailed today Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Union Cabinet gave its nod to a bill to overturn a Supreme Court order on a law on atrocities against Dalits with LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan terming the decision "historic".

RLSP chief and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha said the bill underlined Modi's commitment to giving justice to the deprived and exploited sections of society.

It is a big decision, he said.

Chirag Paswan, LJP chief's son, who had said his party's workers may join nation-wide protests called by Dalit groups on August 9, expressed his thanks to the prime minister.

BJP allies like the Lok Janshakti Party and the RLSP had demanded a bill to overturn the March 20 order of the apex court which, they said, had diluted the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and rendered it toothless.

Briefing reporters about the Cabinet's decision, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said it is a "historic" decision and showed the pro-Dalit credentials of the Modi government.

Asked about another demand of his party that National Green Tribunal Chairman Justice A K Goel, who was one of the two judges who had given the verdict, be sacked, he said "all issues are closed" now as bringing the bill was the main demand.

BJP MP and Dalit leader Udit Raj said it was a welcome decision.

The Union Cabinet today approved Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill to restore original provisions of the atrocities law, a move seen as a reach-out by the BJP-led NDA government to Dalits days ahead of their proposed August 9 nationwide protest with this key demand.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Attacking the Centre on the NRC issue, TMC chief Mamta Banerjee today said the government could even brand her an "infiltrator" as her parents did not have papers to prove that they were born in India.

Banerjee said that even genuine voters were not included in the final draft National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"My father or even my mother never had birth certificates to show that they were born here.

"Luckily, I have my documents, but on the ground that my parents do not have proper documents, the BJP government could have branded me infiltrator," the West Bengal chief minister told reporters here.

Lashing out at the BJP, the TMC chief said the ruling party cannot dictate terms and decide who is the real citizen of the country.

"The BJP cannot stop me. I am not their servant," she said.

Her comments come against the backdrop of the Assam government publishing the draft NRC on July 30.

The names of over 40 lakh people did not figure in the list.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former union minister and BJP MP Bandaru Dattatreya today met Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh and urged him to speed up the process of setting up an integrated steel plant in Telangana, an issue mentioned in the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act.

During the meeting, the Union Minister explained the initiatives taken by his Ministry to speed up the process of setting up steel plants at Bayyaram in Khammam district of Telangana and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, Dattatreya said in a release here.

He said the Minister told him that the Telangana government was yet clarify on some queries raised by the ministry.

The queries included cost of land, distance from power source, power cost, water source cost, cost of rail connectivity to the proposed site and reimbursement of rate of fixed power cost for initial five years, the release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today sharpened her attack on the BJP over the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, accusing the party of playing vote-bank politics, while also warning that the issue will "destroy" India's relationship with Bangladesh.

She said only one per cent of the 40 lakh residents, whose names are missing from the draft NRC, could be infiltrators, but people are being "harassed" in the name of infiltrators.

She said she has appealed to all opposition parties to send their delegation to Assam. The TMC chief said she has also urged former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha to visit the state.

She said India has very good relations with Bangladesh.

"The NRC will destroy relationship between India and Bangladesh. Out of 40 lakh people whose names are not in the list of NRC, only one per cent could be illegal infiltrators. But the BJP is trying to show that all those not included (in NRC) are infiltrators," she told reporters at the Parliament.

Yesterday, she had alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a "political motive" to divide people and warned that it would lead to bloodbath and a civil war in the country.

"Bangladesh is not a terrorist country. After Independence, many people from Pakistan came to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab. From Bangladesh too, people came to Tripura, West Bengal, Bihar and many other states. They are not infiltrators or terrorists. Is it a crime that Bangladesh and we (West Bengal) share the same mother tongue? They (the Centre) think, anybody who speaks Bangla is a Bangladeshi" she said.

Her comments come in the backdrop of Assam government publishing the draft NRC on July 30. The draft excludes 40 lakh people from the list.

"The BJP is playing vote bank The NRC will affect the whole world. Managing the borders is a responsibility of the Centre," she said.

"Central forces see how many infiltrators are crossing into the country. But in the name of infiltrators, they (the Centre) are harassing people. I have appealed to all opposition parties to send their delegation to Assam. I have also urged Yashwant Sinha to go to Assam," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A BJP leader was shot dead by his nephew in Babaganj village in Rupaideeha area here over a monetary dispute, the police said today.

Virendra Mishra, a booth level office bearer of the ruling BJP was shot yesterday night by his nephew Pravesh Kumar, Superintendent of Police Sabharaj said.

He said the accused has been arrested.

The incident was described as a fallout of a monetary dispute between them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Union Cabinet today approved raising funds up to Rs 15,000 as Extra Budgetery Resources (EBR) for Swachh Bharat Mission during the financial year 2018-19.

Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet's decision would benefit around 1.5 crore rural households eligible for incentives under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) and also gram panchayats for Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM).

"...Raising funds up to Rs 15,000 crore as Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) (Gol Fully Serviced Bonds) for Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) (SBMG) during the financial year 2018-19 through NABARD," the government said in a statement.

The Cabinet also approved expansion of the scope of work of International Centre for Drinking Water Quality to authorise it for receiving EBR funds for SBM(G), disbursement of the same to the states/UTs implementing agencies, and its repayment, it said.

It also approved renaming of the International Centre for Drinking Water Quality as National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation and Quality (NCDWS & Q).

The funds would be utilised to achieve and sustain Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in the villages across the country.

The loan amount of Rs 15,000 crore would be repaid to NABARD as single bullet payment at the end of 10th year from the date of loan disbursement as per the agreed terms and conditions, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Union Cabinet today approved a bill to restore original provisions of a law on prevention of atrocities against people of scheduled castes and tribes, a move seen as a reach-out by the BJP-led NDA government to Dalits days ahead of their proposed August 9 nationwide protest with this key demand.

The bill rules out any provision for an anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against SC/STs, notwithstanding any court order, while it also provides that no preliminary enquiry will be required for registering a criminal case and an arrest under this law would not be subject to any approval.

Dalit groups have been asking the government to overturn a Supreme Court ruling of March 20, saying it had "diluted" and rendered "toothless" the law against atrocities faced by the weakest sections of the society by putting additional safeguards against arrest of the accused.

Their nationwide protest on April 20 had turned violent in several states, leaving at least 12 dead, while call has been given for another 'Bharat Bandh' on August 19 with several opposition parties also offering their support this time.

With several Dalit leaders from within the BJP and some of the NDA allies also voicing their support for necessary steps to 'overturn' the apex court ruling, the government now hopes to table the bill in Parliament during the ongoing session itself for passage.

Terming the bill "historic", union minister and BJP ally Ram Vilas Paswan told reporters that a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill and it is likely to be tabled in Parliament during the ongoing session.

The bill says a preliminary enquiry will not be required for registration of a criminal case (FIR) under this law and any arrest if necessary will not be subject to any approval.

It also rules our any provision for anticipatory bail for the accused "notwithstanding any judgement or order of any court," he said.

The Supreme Court in an order on March 20 had introduced safeguards like prior enquiry and provision for anticipatory bail for accused, sparking massive protests from Dalit groups who said it made the law "toothless".

The BJP hopes that the government's decision will defuse the anger among Dalits and tribals, while boosting its efforts to win over a major section of them as it gears up for assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajsthan, Chhattisgarh later this year and then the Lok Sabha election next year, leaders said.

Paswan had emerged as a key voice within the government seeking a new law to overturn the court's order, leaving many to wonder if his Lok Janshakti Party was drifting away from the BJP over Dalit issues ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

The LJP president, however, today asserted that "all issues are closed" now and heaped praise on Modi for his several pro-Dalit measures and said his party's planned protests on August 9, when Dalit groups have called for 'Bharat Bandh', will now turn into celebrations.

It was not immediately clear whether other Dalit groups would go ahead with the nationwide protest planned for August 9.

Modi said in the Cabinet meeting that if needed the law will be made more stringent, Paswan said.

The bill is a "tight slap" on faces of opposition parties which had been projecting the government as "anti-Dalit", the senior union minister said.

The issue has exposed all parties as ruling party leaders like him made protests and invited "suspicion" over their intentions but opposition leaders like Congress president Rahul Gandhi did not make their stand clear on it, Paswan said.

Using the occasion to take potshots at rivals, Paswan said the "self-proclaimed" Dalit leaders like BSP supremo Mayawati should seek apology as she, as the then Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 2007, had relaxed the law's provisions, while the Modi government has taken so many measures for Dalits.

The government has already stopped implementation of a UGC directive, which resulted in a fall in the number of reserved seats in universities and colleges, and move the Supreme Court to get quota in promotion of SCs and STs government officials started, he said.

Several BJP leaders, especially its Dalit MPs, had also been asking the government to take measures to over-ride the apex court's order.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police today said that CCTV footage was being gathered from cameras in the area where a cash van was looted and its gunner was killed in a sensational daylight robbery here two days ago.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Lucknow East) Sarvesh Mishra said investigations were underway in the case and the suspect was yet to be identified.

"His photo in CCTV footage is blurred. Footage from other cameras in the area is being gathered. Once the suspect is identified, we will nab him. Sixteen teams have been deployed in the entire district. We are also taking help of social media. Even police constables have been informed," he said.

A police spokesperson said, "The police is also searching for the youngster who made a video of Monday's loot to get a significant lead in the case."



Yesterday, Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani said, "The escape route has been found through CCTV footage, and around 50 suspects have been shortlisted."



"The photograph of a suspicious person pertaining to the loot has been released. SSP Lucknow has appealed to the people to help the police in catching this person. Information regarding this can be given on 9454401502," the police said in a message shared on WhatsApp.

A cash reward of Rs 50,000 has also been announced.

On July 30, the gunner of the cash van was shot dead and a bag containing around Rs 7 lakh was snatched away by an unidentified miscreant only a couple of kilometres away from the Raj Bhavan in the high-security VVIP zone.

The daring robbery took place at a distance of about a couple of kilometres from the official residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the state Assembly, a day after the successful conclusion of a mega business event, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present.

The police said the incident took place at around 3.30 pm on the service lane adjacent to the Raj Bhavan colony on Mahatma Gandhi Marg and opposite Axis Bank.

"The people in the van were going to the bank after collecting cash (in a bag) from different branches. The deceased was identified as Indramohan. The driver of the van and the custodian have also been seriously injured in the incident," Mishra said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Government today said that it is trying to come out with a policy on having joint ventures between state and central governments to promote air connectivity under the UDAN scheme.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu also said that there have been some operational problems in implementing the second phase of UDAN scheme as state government are unable to provide infrastructure and develop airports in states and some airlines have backed out after getting contracts.

"We are trying to come out with a policy and it is in advanced stage of discussion, as to how we can work with state governments to have joint ventures with them," the minister said while replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha.

He said many state governments are coming out with proposals as air travel is becoming popular and more and more people want to travel by it and every state is trying to promote it.

"We are trying to work on a policy wherein state and central government will sit down and find out if there is any viability gap and who will fund the viability gap. Either the central tourism ministry or the state governments can fund it and we are trying to identify this area," he told members.

On why the scheme has not been implemented, Prabhu said the government has faced some problems in Phase 2 as some airlines have backed out after getting contracts and now the government is trying to find other airlines for the task.

He also said that for the UDAN scheme to be successful, some state governments have not been able to develop airports and "we are trying to sort this out".

To another question, the minister said the state government has to provide infrastructure for creation of helipads in Himachal Pradesh to enable the government to start helicopter services in the hill state.

He agreed with another member that Odisha is blessed with a lot of tourism potential and air connectivity will be one of the means for achieving this and the government will work with state government to move forward on it.

In his written reply, the minister said the Ministry of Civil Aviation has already launched the regional connectivity scheme (RCS- UDAN version 2) on August 24.

"Airport Authority of India, the implementing agency has awarded 88 (65 with fixed wing and 23 with helicopter) RCS networks to 15 selected airline operators for commencing RCS flight operations including in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Of these 88 proposals, 23 proposals are related to helicopter operations," he said.

The minister said under UDAN 2 scheme, priority areas have been included, which are states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, north eastern region of India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep islands.

"In second round of bidding under RCS-UDAN, 17 proposals for fixed wing and 23 proposals for helicopters have been awarded for RCS flight operations in priority areas," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As protests continue, Chinese authorities arrest 18 Changsheng Biotech employees, including chairwoman Gao Junfang. In addition to corruption and poor quality controls, experts see protectionism as one of the causes of the low quality of medial drugs. Red tape keeps foreign suppliers out.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Eighteen employees in a major Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer have been arrested, including chairwoman Gao Junfang.

Based in Jilin, Changchun Changsheng Biotech has come under close scrutiny for its alleged involvement in producing and selling substandard vaccines for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) as well as rabies.

For his part, the director of the Immunisation Management Department with the Shandong Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Song Lizhi, has attempted suicide. He is currently in critical condition after injecting himself with a large dose of insulin.

After a meeting of the State Council (cabinet) chaired by Prime Minister Li Keqiang on Monday, the Council announced that enterprises and individuals will be severely punished and banned from the sector for life.

It also ordered further investigations to determine the responsibility of government officials involved in the Changsheng Biotech case.

Online, ordinary Chinese continue to vent their anger. On Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter, many users expressed their outrage at how the situation was handled.

I just want to ask whether there will be any official taking responsibility and resigning or being punished for this, one user asked, wondering Why was our regulatory authority cleared of responsibility when such a thing happened?

In light of the latest scandal, consumers trust in pharmaceuticals has collapsed. Many Chinese parents now want to take their children to Hong Kong or Japan for vaccinations.

The Changsheng Biotech affair has also raised several questions about Beijings protectionist measures against foreign vaccines.

Economist Wang Fuzhong has called on the government to open the door wider to imported vaccines in the wake of the scandal, writing on his blog that this would activate market competition.

Wang added that a competitive and efficient market would improve safety in the industry, noting that a closed market leads to inefficiency, corruption and health risks.

The already tiny share of imported vaccines in the Chinese market has gone down from 5 per cent in 2012 to 2.5 per cent last year.

Of the vaccines available in China, nearly 80 per cent are category 1 products and are included in the mandatory government immunisation programme and must be supplied almost exclusively by Chinese companies.

The remaining 20 per cent are category 2 products that are open to competition from foreign suppliers.

The China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) is the body that grants licence for products approved for sale in China. Licences must be renewed every five years, but the CFDA can decide not to renew them without giving a reason, which is what happened to US-based Pfizer.

In 2015, the CFDA refused to renew the import licence for Prevenar 7, a Pfizer vaccine that protects infants from pneumonia, with no explanation.

It took 18 months for the company to get approval to sell an upgraded version of the vaccine, Prevenar 13, in China. That left mainland Chinese with no access to Prevenar products for that period.

George Kuo, chairman of privately-run Shanghai American-Sino Obstetrics and Gynaecology Service, brought in 13,000 doses of 11 types of vaccines without a licence. He was eventually convicted of selling fake drugs by a Shanghai court and sentenced to seven years in jail.

A case similar to that of Pfizer involved Sanofi Pasteur, which retreated from China after Beijing changed its standards in 2010. This left the field open to Changseng Biotech, which is now embroiled in a major legal case.

Thanks to Sanofi Pasteurs withdrawal, the Jilin-based company became the second biggest rabies vaccine supplier in the country last year, with a 23 per cent market share.Nigerias Senate President Bukola Saraki has announced his resignation from the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC) for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

Sarakis decision comes barely a week after a mass resignation of APC Senators that enabled the main opposition PDP to take the majority in the Senate.

In a statement posted on his Twitter handle, Saraki said he was taking his leave from the APC after extensive consultations.

Buhari had earlier on Tuesday stated during a meeting with the Nigerian community in Togo that he was not bothered by the defections of members of his party to the PDP.

Last week, at least 15 Nigerian senators and 36 members of the House of Representatives quitted the ruling APC, snatching away the APCs majority, and signaling a turbulent political climate ahead of presidential and parliamentary polls early next year in Africas most populous nation.

The senators officially wrote a letter to the Senate leadership to declare allegiance to the opposition.

Relations between Buhari, the legislature and some members of his own party have been strained for months with fissures emerging in public over the last few weeks. Buhari, a 75-year-old former military ruler, said in April that he would seek another term.The challenge before advocates of secularism as a constitutional value today is to focus on its "contradictions and frailties" and improve its framework, former vice president Hamid Ansari said.

He was addressing a gathering during an interactive session on the recently-launched book 'Secular States, Religious Politics: India, Turkey, and the Future of Secularism' by Sumantra Bose at the India International Centre here today.

Ansari, who read out from a prepared text, said it was an "unusual book" and a study of two States, their systems of governance, not in terms of institutions but their ideologies and their underpinning.

He also quoted the opinion of the author as expressed in the book, on the idea of secularism in both the countries.

"On India's track record, the author observes that -- 'Indian secular state has been most compromised and damaged not by any widespread rejection among the ordinary Indians, of deeply-rooted and well pragmatic everyday ethics of tolerance which will respect co-existence of faith, but it has been comprised by the elites and leaders who have sworn by the principles of secularism'," he said.

The author also gives examples of 'compromises' and opines that the future of secularism in India rests on 'capacity of Indian secularists' to address the 'contradictions and frailties' that have emerged in practice and have 'benefitted the proponents of Hindutva despite their limited number', Ansari said, quoting the book.

"The challenge before advocates of secularism as a constitutional value today, is to focus on its contradictions and frailties and improve it framework... The alternative of a non-secular state would impinge on both equality and fraternity, and thereby on the very idea of justice as a primary social virtue," he said.

The book, published by the Cambridge University Press, is a pioneering comparative study of the two major attempts to build secular states - where the state's constitutional identity and fundamental character are not based on or derived from any religious faith - in the non-Western world.

Ansari said the book traces the "origins and impulses" that propelled the two States which opted for secularism as an intrinsic form of governance.

In the book, Bose, a professor of London School of Economics and Political Science, explains the origins, evolution and latterly the "decline of secularism as a core principle" of the state in India and Turkey.

"Turkish state-secularism took a culturally deracinated and harshly authoritarian form that led to its failure, whereas India's secular state - though flawed in practice - followed a culturally rooted and democratic path that makes secularism indispensable to India's future," Bose said.

On Turkey, the author describes the 'challenges' in society and polity as they develop over decades, intertwined with political changes involving 'democracy, dictatorship and authoritarianism', Ansari said.

There are similarities and there are differences between the two states -- India and Turkey, Ansari said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A woman died and atleast 149 others, including children, took ill after eating food at a post-funeral reception in a village in Rajnandgaon district, officials said today.

However, most of the people have been discharged since July 30 while 46 still remain admitted in two hospitals. The incident occurred on July 28.

People from Pandetola village in Chhuriya development block of the district had complained of vomiting and diarrhoea on July 30 following which a health camp was set up there, an official said.

Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Mithilesh Chaudhary said that villagers had claimed that they ate food on July 28 afterthe completion of the last rites of a villager belonging to the family of local Sarpanch.

The guests who had arrived from nearby villages to the Sarpanch's home to attend the programme were also among those who fell sick, he said.

On July 30, 89 villagers got admitted at the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Rajnandgaon, and a health centre in Chhuriya, he said.

"A total of 60 villagers were admitted in the hospital on July 31 and August 1," the CMHO said.

He said 113 patients were discharged after their condition improved.

"As of today, 22 patients are availing treatment in Chhuriya hospital while 24 in Rajnandgaon hospital," he said, adding that they were doing well.

The medical team today came to know that one Duggi Bai (45), hailing from Badratola village who was among the guests who ate food, died last night due to complications, he said.

"As per the information, Duggi Bai fell ill on July 30, but she left for her village without availing medical treatment," he said.

However, exact cause of her death is not known.

The stool samples of the patients and the drinking water samples from the village have been sent for the examination to ascertain the cause of the illness, the CMHO said.

Rajanandgaon Collector Bhim Singh today visited the health camp in the village and the hospitals where patients are admitted, and issued necessary instructions, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)accounted for about 89 per cent of India's total imports of solar cells, including photocells, in 2017-18, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

In 2017-18, import of these cells from were worth Rs 224.02 billion, while the country's total imports stood at Rs 252.09 billion in the fiscal.

The cost of Chinese solar PV (photo voltaic) panels is lower than the cost of Indian panels, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry C R Chaudhary said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

He said that industry has reported that some of the major reasons for poor manufacturing capacity of solar panels in India are high cost of land/ electricity, low capacity utilisation, high cost of financing.

"Addressing such issues can help India achieve economies of scale in production of solar panels," he added.

This week, India has imposed safeguard duty on imports for two years to protect domestic players from steep rise in the inbound shipments of the product.

On the other hand, India's exported these cells worth only Rs 9.37 billion in 2017-18.

In a separate reply, he said single brand retail trading sector has received $1.04 billion FDI during 2006-18.

"From 2006 till March 29 this year, 112 brands have obtained the approval of government in this regard," he said.Telangana Chief Minister K Chadrasekhar Rao today launched a drive to plant 1,00,116 saplings in his assembly constituency of Gajwel near here as part of the state government's green campaign 'Haritha Haram'.

Rao planted a sapling at Gajwel and a siren was blown to begin the plantation drive in the town.

Though planting of 1,00,116 saplings was proposed, 1,36,588 were planted, covering all areas within the municipal limits of Gajwel, official sources said.

Earlier, on his way to Gajwel, Rao visited the Singayapalli reserve forest area and went around the place.

He asked forest department officials to form 'green battalions' for protection of greenery and forests in Telangana, an official release said.

The Chief Minister suggested that help from the state police be taken for the purpose, it said.

Appreciating the steps taken for protecting the forest area, he said a visit to the place by MLAs should be arranged.

The 'Haritha Haram' (green necklace) campaign was launched with the aim of increasing green cover in the state from the present 24 per cent to 33 per cent.

Under the programme, which began in 2015-16, 81.60 crore saplings had been planted in three phases till 2017-18.

The target is to plant 40 crore saplings in the fourth phase (2018-19).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre plans to execute two coastal highway projects in Odisha at an estimated cost of Rs 7,500 crore post the state government's nod.

"Two coastal highway projects of 415 km length are planned in the state of Odisha with an investment of about Rs 7500 core...NHAI has already finalised the alignment of these projects last year," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement here.

It said of the total project cost, Rs 6,000 crore has been earmarked for construction, while the remaining Rs 1,500 crore is kept aside for land acquisition.

"Approval from Odisha government is awaited for both the projects," the statement said.

The 252 km long Gopalpur-Ratanpur stretch via Chatrapur-Satapada-Konark-Astrang-Naugaon-Paradip-Ratanpur is in DPR (detailed project report) preparation stage, the statement said.

Preliminary alignment has been approved and modifications are under discussion, it said.

The over 162-km long Ratanpur-Digha stretch via Basudevpur-Chandipur-Chandaneswar is also in DPR preparation stage, it added.

"After submission of final feasibility report, alignment has been finalised. Both the above projects are to be taken up under Bharatmala," the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A controversial 'compulsory guru pada puja', held at a government aided girls school in Thrissur district recently, has triggered a controversy with political parties coming out against it and a child rights panel seeking a report from authorities.

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights today sought a report from the Director of Public Instructions (DPI), District Director of (DDE) and the principal of the school on the matter besides registering a case.

The report should be submitted within 15 days, the Commission said in a release here.

The 'guru pada puja', organised at CNN Girls Higher Secondary School in Cherppu in Thrissur as part of the 'gurupoornima celebrations on July 27, ran into controversy after Muslim Youth League came out against it.

They demanded an explanation from the government on whether the programme was conducted with official permission.

Congress legislator V T Balram also hit out at the ritual after the photos of students paying respect to teachers by touching their feet had gone viral on social media.

Following the row, the state department had come out with a clarification that the ritual was organised without their consent.

K V Mohankumar, the DPI, said in a statement that the permission was given to a private outfit to organise a programme at the school on the significance of providing care to elderly people.

The additional DPI had granted permission for the programme titled "Guru vandanam" and wanted it to be organised without affecting academic activities, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Odisha PCC demanded a CBI probe today into the alleged corruption in the construction of Gurupriya bridge which connects the cut-off area in Malkangiri district.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on July 26 had inagurated the bridge that provided communication to at least 151 villages in the cut-off area under Chitrakonda block in Malkangiri district.

The bridge was constructed at a cost of Rs 187 crore, officials had said.

OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, however, claimed that Rs 74 crore has been paid in excess to the contractor firm fraudulently. "This fraud has come to the fore after the Principal Accountant General (PAG) pointed it (about excess payment to contractor) out," Patnaik said.

"In this scenario the real picture of the state government is open to the public. When the state government is time and again propagating that it is perusing everything in a transparent way, it now has no way to escape after PAG report," Patnaik said in a statement.

Alleging that the sate government has misused the public money for the benefit of the contractor company, he deamnded that a CBI probe "must be ordered".

"The reason why the state government was in a hurry to inaugurate Gurupriya bridge is now known in the PAGs report," he said.

Patnaik pointed out that though the draft note written by the PAG (Economic and Revenue Sector Audit) Economic Sector-II, Puri branch clearly shows how the state government has paid Rs 74 crore in excess to the construction company, the executive engineer at Malkangiri says that everything has been done in a transparent way and legally.

Patnaik also claimed that Deputy PAG M Sridhar has written to the secretary to the state works department on July 16 that the Odisha PWD norms has been violated during preparation of the estimate for construction of the bridge.

The opposition BJP too criticised the state governemnt over the PAG's report on Gurupriya bridge construction.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress today attacked the government in the Lok Sabha over the issue of Assam's National Register of Citizens, accusing it of attempting to polarise people and forcing them out of their land.

Arpita Ghosh of the TMC referred to George Orwell's novel "1984" to snipe at the government, accusing it of carrying out surveillance of citizens through Aadhaar and now using the NRC to force people out of their lands.

"It should be stopped," she said.

"1984" is a dystopian novel set in the year 1984 when most of the world population has become victim of war and government surveillance.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress said the NRC has created an atmosphere of uncertainty.

He said different kind of statements are being made on the NRC issue. While BJP president Amit Shah said the government had the courage to execute the NRC, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi claimed the NRC was his baby, Chowdhury pointed out.

"Attempts to polarise people is being made," he charged.

Raising other issues, Sher Singh Ghubaya of the Akali Dal voiced concern over spread of cancer in Punjab, especially in the Malwa region, and asked the government to provide financial assistance to patients.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress is likely to evolve its strategy on key issues of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Rafale deal at a meeting of the party's working committee on August 4.

Sources said Congress president Rahul Gandhi has called the meeting of the CWC, the party's highest decision-making body.

Top party leaders will discuss and evolve a strategy on current political and economic situation, especially the issue of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the controversial Rafale deal, they said.

According to sources, the meeting is likely to take a call on the party's strategy moving forward on the contentious NRC issue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The United States Congress has passed the National Defense Authorisation Act-2019 (NDAA-19) which capped its security-related aid to Pakistan to USD 150 million, significantly below the historic level of more than USD one billion to USD 750 million per year.

This year's defense legislation, however, removes certain conditions like action against Haqqani network or Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) -- as was the case in the past few years for disbursement of US aid to Pakistan.

The Senate passed the conference report on NDAA-19 by 87 to 10 votes yesterday afternoon. The House of Representatives had passed the conference report last week. It now heads to the White House for President Donald Trump's assent.

"The legislation reduces the total amount of funds provided for reimbursement to Pakistan to USD 150 million. This is a significant reduction from the USD 700 million that was authorised through Coalition Support Fund (CSF) last year," Anish Goel, who was part of Barack Obama's White House National Security Council, told PTI.

However, in doing so, the legislation gets rid of the certification requirements for Pakistan's action against the Haqqani Network and it also gets rid of the authority to reimburse Pakistan for counter-terrorism, he said.

"Hence, the Pentagon no longer has any tools to put pressure on Pakistan to undertake counter-terrorism activities or action against the Haqqani Network," Goel, who till recently was a senior staffer in the Senate Armed Services Committee, said.

Joshua White, who was also a part of Obama's White House National Security Council team and worked on Pakistan, said this year's defense legislation significantly reduces the amount of security assistance that Pakistan can theoretically receive outside of traditional Foreign Military Financing.

"It makes Pakistan ineligible for Coalition Support Funds (CSF), but adds Pakistan to a list of countries that can receive a related form of assistance designed to help partner nations bolster border security," White told PTI and observed, "This legislation is a mixed blessing for Pakistan."



"On one hand, these new border security funds will be capped at USD 150 million per year, significantly below historical levels of CSF. On the other hand, the legislation does away with the onerous reporting requirements and certifications that have, in practice, made it difficult for Pakistan to receive such funds," he said.

The former White House official noted that it is important to consider this legislation in the current political context.

"The Trump administration has effectively frozen security assistance to Pakistan, and this new legislation will do nothing in the short-term to change that," he said.

"It does, however, mean that if the administration decides to resume some form of modest security assistance in the future, it will be authorised by the Congress to do so without having to produce detailed reports and make difficult certifications regarding Pakistan's support vis-a-vis the Haqqani network and other threats to the United States," White said.

"Over the longer term, that could prove to be a win for Pakistan," he said, while noting that in theory, the new funding authority does not permit counter-terrorism assistance, but only assistance related to border security.

"In practice, these terms are so malleable that I do not expect that the Pentagon would find itself very limited as to the kind of support it could provide," White said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congolese opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba arrives in Kinshasa on Wednesday to submit his presidential candidacy after a decade in prison in The Hague.

The president of the Mouvement de Liberation du Congo (MLC) has declared his intention to run for president, shaking up Congolese politics ahead of a long-delayed election in the Central African mineral-rich nation.

Bemba, who was sentenced in 2016 to 18 years in prison, has maintained his innocence. He still awaits a final sentencing at the ICC in another case in which he was convicted of interfering with witnesses.

Bemba said he wants Congos opposition to rally around a single challenger to Kabila and vowed to give all his support to that challenger.

Millionaire businessman Moise Katumbi, a former governor of the countrys copper-producing region, is also expected to return from a two-year exile on Friday.

International pressure on Kabila, who succeeded his assassinated father in 2001, to leave office has grown since a November 2016 election was postponed. The United States and France as well as other countries including neighboring Angola have expressed fears that a Kabila candidacy could plunge the country into chaos.

Kabila is barred by term limits from standing for a fresh term in the election but has yet to publicly commit to step down. The deadline to declare candidacies is Aug. 8.Controversial novel 'Meesha' today hit the stands, days after Malayalam writer S Hareesh withdrew its serialization in a Malayalam weekly after being allegedly threatened by some right-wing elements on social media.

The 328-page novel has been broght out by DC Books.

The Sahitya Academy award winner had earlier decided to withdraw serialization of his novel after publishing just three chapters in the 'Mathrubhumi' following attacks against him and his family, allegedly by a group of pro-Hindutva activists, on social media.

After DC Books decided to publish the work, personal attacks were made by some persons against Ravi Deecee, CEO, following which he had filed a police complaint.

In a statement, the publishers said if 'Meesha' is not published now, it would be difficult to print a novel or story in future."



"To publish the works of Basheer, VKN, Changampuzha and VT or that of today's writers, we may have to seek permission of several persons. So we are publishing the novel 'Meesha' and we seek the support of all," the statement said.

Hareesh had been targeted on social media for allegedly denouncing women who go to temples.

Right-wing supporters have taken offence to a conversation between two characters in the novel.

"S Hareesh withdraws his novel 'Meesha', literature is being mob lynched, darkest day in Kerala's cultural history, lightless days to follow," Kamalram Sajeev, the editor of Mathrubhumi, had tweeted.

A group of people, suspected to be Hindu Aikya Vedi activists, had also disrupted a book exhibition of the Mathrubhumi group held at Thripunithura in Kochi as a mark of protest against the novel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Deputy Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly and BJP legislator Michael Lobo today demanded in the House that the erstwhile central jail at Aguada near Panaji should be converted into a museum.

The jail, which was constructed during the Portuguese era has been shut since May 30, 2015 ever since the state commissioned a new facility at Colvale, 20 kms away from here.

Speaking in the Assembly, Lobo demanded that the erstwhile jail, which overlooks the Arabian Sea, should be converted into a museum.

"The excess artifacts at Goa State Museum can be shifted to this place which has a rich heritage," he said.

Lobo said operating museums have become a business internationally with the governments abroad charging fees from the visitors.

"I think if a museum is properly developed, tourists won't mind paying fees up to Rs 500 to see it," he said.

The legislator also said that the state-run Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has already got Rs 25 crore sanctioned for the development of the erstwhile Aguada jail, which can be utilised for setting up the museum.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court has held AAP MLA from Tughlakabad Sahi Ram Pahalwan guilty of assaulting a youth in September 2016.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal relied upon the testimony of the complainant -- Yogender Bidhur -- and held that the prosecution was able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt against the Delhi legislature and his two aides -- Subhash and Lalit.

"The complainant has proved assault upon him with a sharp object in which he received simple injuries. He was going to purchase some medicine, when he was wrongfully restrained," the court said.

The court convicted all three for the offence punishable under sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by sharp object), 341 (wrongfully restrain) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code and posted the matter for August 7 for hearing arguments on the quantum of sentence.

The accused may get a maximum of three years jail.

The accused had denied the allegations levelled against them, saying that they were falsely implicated in the case.

They had claimed that they had not beaten the complainant and that they were not even present at the spot at the time of the alleged incident.

The complainant had earlier told the Delhi Police that a cemented road was being constructed in a lane outside his house in Tekhand. He had alleged that the MLA had "threatened" the supervisor who was observing the construction to stop work on the intervening night of September 18 and 19, 2016.

He had claimed that he called the MLA and tried to know why he was opposing the construction of the road after which the legislator "threatened" him with "dire consequences".

He had alleged that he had gone to to get medicines with a relative when the MLA along with his accomplices allegedly beat him up.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The opposition CPI(M) today alleged that the police department has abruptly reduced the number of personal security provided to the MLAs, MPs and party leaders to restrict their movement in a bid to refrain them from their political and organizational works.

A five member delegation of CPI(M) MLAs led by Deputy Leader of the opposition, Badal Chowdhury yesterday submitted a memorandum to the Director General of Police (DGP), Akhil Shukla and demanded enhancement of securities.

Stating that the ruling BJP workers have let loose a "reign of terror" in the state, Chowdhury said, four promising party workers were murdered after the BJP-IPFT government took oath of office on March 9 last and added thousands of party workers were forced to flee from their houses and took shelter elsewhere.

BJP ended 25-years rule of the CPI(M) in Tripura in March this year.

He alleged that hundreds of party offices were either damaged or ransacked and supporters and activists of the party were often attacked by the ruling BJP workers.

Chowdhury alleged that recently movement of CPI-M legislature team led by leader of the opposition and former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar was prevented at Gaandacherra in Longtorai value sub-division in Dhalai district by the BJP workers.

He further alleged that when Sarkar goes outside Tripura, no security persons accompany him, what is a matter of concern.

Sudhan Das, a CPI-M legislator was attacked in his own constituency at Rajnagar in South Tripura district by the ruling party supporters and activists after the new government came to power, Chowdhury claimed.

He demanded more securities to the MLAs, MPs and former MLAs and former MPs so that they could move freely and without fear and continue their organizational works.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) jawanwas todayinjuredin the blast of an improvised explosive device (IED) triggered by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said.

The incident took place late this evening in a forest under the limits of Basaguda police station when a team of CoBRA battalion -- an elite unit of the CRPF -- was out on a 'search-cum-area domination' operation, a local police official told PTI.

The team had set out from Sarkeguda. The IED went off when it was cordoning off a jungle in the area, causing a minor injury to constable Amit Dagar, he said.

Anti-Naxal operation was still underway in the area, the police official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two men were arrested today for allegedly duping as many as 1,800 people of Rs 30 crore by forming a fake crypto-currency company here, police said.

Acting on a complaint by around 50 investors, Gaurav Aneja, a native of Sahibabad city in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district, and Nelson Lobo from Mumbai were nabbed in Vasundhara area, said Akash Tomar, superintendent of police (city).

They confessed that they had formed a fake US-based crypto-currency company, Ripple Future, which promised depositors to triple their deposits in 250 days. They were also running daily-and-weekly payment schemes, Tomar said. Such companies are banned in India.

The accused had allegedly cheated around 1,800 investors of 30 crore rupees. One accomplice is still at large, the SP said.

The data base of the company has been seized to probe the case. An FIR has been lodged under Section 420 (cheating) and Section 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A deputy chief veterinary officer was allegedly denied drinking water in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi district because of her Dalit identity, officials said today.

The incident happened yesterday in Ambawa Poorab village in Manjhanpur block, 167 km from Lucknow.The officer, Dr Seema, said today that she had gone to the village on the directions of the district panchayat raj officer to review developmental works.

As there was no water in her bottle, Seema had asked the village pradhan, Shiv Sampat Pasi, and village development officer, Ravi Dutt Mishra, for water. She alleged that both of them refused to give her water as she was a Dalit.

She added that when she sought water from the villagers, the two allegedly gestured them not to give water to her.

When contacted, District Magistrate Manish Verma said, "We have taken cognizance of the incident after the officer lodged a written complaint. Superintendent of police has been asked to probe the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Dalit delegation today submitted a memorandum to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal containing a set of demands that include not employing them as manual scavengers.

Around 150 members of the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch (DSMM) gathered at the ITO and demanded equal rights for the community. Woman activist and CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat supported the protest and said there was discrimination on the basis of caste even in a city like New Delhi.

Nathu Prasad, the all-India secretary of DSMM, said they have submitted the memorandum to Kejriwal. "They (Dalits) should not be employed as manual scavengers and machines should be used for it. In case they die in any accident, appropriate compensation should be given to them," he said.

Prasad said they want the Delhi government to fill up the vacant posts for the reserved category. "The memorandum also included the demand for providing scholarships to Dalit students and allocating separate funds for the development of Dalits in the budget," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari today demanded that the AAP government should identify and evict Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally in the national capital, saying they were depriving the poor in India of their rights.

The Delhi BJP has written a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the issue, he told reporters here.

He said the BJP has already made the demand to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and now the Delhi government must act to ensure eviction of illegal migrants.

"The Delhi government should identify and ensure action against Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally in different parts of Delhi," he said.

Illegal migrants were depriving India's poors of their rights and were also found to be involved in criminal activities sometimes, he said.

Tiwari's remark came after the Asaam government published the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a list of its citizens, on July 30. The draft has 2.9 crore names out of 3.29 crore applications, leaving out over 40 lakh applicants.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Mumbai BJP MLA today demanded that the Bangladeshi nationals staying illegally in the city be identified and deported on the pattern of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise carried out in Assam.

The Colaba MLA Raj Purohit has written a letter to the district collector (city) Shivaji Jondhale in this regard.

He stated that Bangladeshi nationals could settle in Mumbai illegally due to "blessings" of local politicians.

Purohit, the chief whip of the BJP in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, alleged the politicians have protected the Bangladeshi "infiltrators" by recommending their names for ration card, Aadhar card, voter ID and other documents.

He said the Bangladeshi nationals pose threat to Mumbai's law and order.

"Hence, you should, with the help of the Election Commission and police officials, chalk out a time-bound programme to identify and deport the Bangladeshi nationals to their home country from Colaba and Mumbai in line with the (draft) NRC," Purohit stated.

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the list of Indian citizens of Assam.

The draft NRC, which was released on August 30, has triggered a political firestorm over exclusion of over 40 lakh residents of the north-eastern state.

The Opposition Congress and TMC are accusing the BJP of making Indian citizens refugees in their own country while the saffron party has defended the document, saying the NDA governments in the Centre and Assam have the courage to weed out illegal Bangladeshis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Togo and Guinea Bissau have topped the agenda of the 53rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government held in Lome, Togo on Tuesday.

The summit, which was attended by all of the Heads of State of the regional bloc, was dominated by the political and security situations in Guinea Bissau, Mali and Togo; institutional reforms of the ECOWAS Commission to enhance its effectiveness; illegal migration of Africans to Europe; and the worrisome violent clashes between herders and farmers, among other issues.

On the situation in Guinea Bissau, the Authority welcomed the significant progress in resolving the political impasse. It urged all political stakeholders and civil society in Guinea Bissau to continue to demonstrate their commitment to the roadmap, particularly holding the legislative election of 18 November 2018.

On the socio-political situation in Togo, the ECOWAS leaders considered the report submitted by the facilitators, pursuant to the mandate entrusted to them by the Authority on 14 April 2018.

The summit congratulated the facilitators and noted with satisfaction the progress and achievements made. The Authority also welcomed the commitment by stakeholders to maintain a spirit of consultation and dialogue for a lasting solution to the crisis by pursing efforts to adopt constitutional reforms.

It further called on the government to carry out a comprehensive revision of the voters register, with a view to holding legislative elections on 20 December 2018.

At the end of the Summit, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was announced as the new chairman of the regional bloc. He took over from President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo.

In his acceptance speech, Buhari pledged to take ECOWAS to greater heights and bring peace to the West African region.The Opposition Congress today alleged that there were irregularities in the use of District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds in Chhattisgarh, which were being diverted for unintended purposes.

Citing a report of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel said guidelines were violated and benefits did not reach mine-affected people, for whom the funds are meant.

As per the report, the DMF collection in Chhattisgarh is Rs 2,746 crore as of April 2018.

Baghel said the fund should be used for welfare of mining-affected people, but in many cases the money was used for infrastructure construction, ignoring needs in the areas of health and education.

Not even one per cent amount reached those who live in mining-affected areas, the Congress leader alleged.

Mining-affected people have no representation on DMFs, he said.

The BJP government also diverted DMF money for the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwalascheme eyeing the coming elections, he alleged.

DMF are trusts set up in the districts affected by mining, meant to be used for the welfare of local population. Mining firms contribute to these non-profit bodies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)DR Congo today reported an outbreak of Ebola in its conflict-torn east, killing 20 people, barely a week after it declared the end to an epidemic in the northwest of the vast country.

The eastern province of North Kivu notified the health ministry of "26 cases of fever with haemorrhagic indications, of which 20 were fatal," Health Minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga said in a statement.

The outbreak has occurred in the Beni region of North Kivu -- the stronghold of a notorious Ugandan-linked Islamist militia called the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

"At this point, there is no indication that these two epidemics, which are more than 2,500 kilometres apart, are connected," he said.

Six samples taken from hospitalised patients arrived in Kinshasa yesterday for analysis by the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), he said.

Of the six, four tested positive for Ebola virus disease.

Twelve health ministry experts will arrive in Beni tomorrow, Ilunga added.

On July 24, Ilunga himself had declared the end to a 10-week outbreak that struck the northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo, claiming 33 lives and prompting international concern.

Cases emerged in the northwestern city of Mbandaka, a city and transport hub on the Congo River with a population of more than a million.

For many experts, that ranked among worst-case scenarios -- contagious disease in an urban setting is far harder to contain than in the countryside, especially in a poor country with a fragile health system.

The epidemic was fought with help from the World Health Organization (WHO), which rushed emergency aid, including protective gear, and unlocked $2 million (1.71 million euros) in fast-track financing.

The WHO provided a vaccine called rVSV-ZEBOV which had proved to be highly effective in trials during the West African pandemic, when it was tested as the outbreak was waning. The unlicensed vaccine was given to frontline workers in the DRC.

The latest outbreak is the 10th in the DRC since 1976, when it was discovered in the north of the country, then called Zaire, and named after a river nearby.

One of the world's most feared diseases, Ebola is a virus-caused haemorrhagic fever that in extreme cases causes fatal bleeding from internal organs, the mouth, eyes or ears.

It has a natural reservoir in a species of tropical African fruit bats, from which it is believed to leap to humans who kill and butcher the animals for food.

Transmission among humans then typically spreads through close contact with the blood, body fluids, secretions or organs of someone who is sick with Ebola or has recently died.

The average fatality rate is around 50 percent, varying from 25 percent to 90 percent, according to the WHO.

In the worst outbreak of Ebola, the disease struck the West African states of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2013-15, killing more than 11,300 people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bangalore-based eMudhra today said it has partnered with Ghana based Safety Insurance Brokers (SIBL) to offer integrated insurance to enterprises in Africa.

Under this partnership, eMudhra will help companies in Africa achieve secure digital transformation, a release said.

eMudhra's integrated insurance service is based on emSigner that enables insurance companies to go paperless.

******************* Cleartrip ties up with Haryana Tourism as booking partner *



Travel and leisure platform Cleartrip today said it has tied up with Haryana Tourism as its exclusive online booking partner for tours and activities in the state.

Cleartrip will now enable its users to book a variety of experiences, including visits to museums, amusement parks and kids gaming zones, recreational activities like boating trips, day outings to Haryana Tourism's resorts among others, a release said.

******************* Future Generali India launches new consumer app *



Future Generali India Insurance Company (FGII) today launched its consumer app FG Insure - through which customers can now manage, buy and renew insurance policies, upload required documents and initiate claims.

The app consists of all the general insurance policies FGII has to offer, a release said.

******************* Eureka Forbes appoints Sameer Wanchoo as CMO *



Shapoorji Pallonji Group firm Eureka Forbes today said it has appointed Sameer Wanchoo as chief marketing officer.

He will be responsible for leading all the marketing activities across categories, accelerating the company's growth and strengthening the brand's overall leadership position, the company said in a statement.

In the internal realignment, Shashank Sinha, a veteran at Eureka Forbes, earlier responsible for the marketing function moves into the role of chief transformation officer leading business transformation, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Haryana Police has decided to give an enhanced compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the next-of-kin of those personnel of the state's Special Task Force (STF) who lose their lives in the line of duty.

Besides this, the children of those Haryana police officers who die in any riots/action will also get school fee reimbursement of Rs 1 lakh per annum up to four years subject to a maximum limit of Rs 4 lakh.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Haryana Police and the HDFC Bank Limited in the presence of Director General (headquarters) K K Mishra at Panchkula today.

Speaking on this occasion, Mishra said as part of the agreement inked with the bank, the police personnel who suffer permanent disability would be given Rs 30 lakh as compensation and those who bear partial disability would get Rs 5 lakh.

Similarly, the insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh being given to the next-of-kin of police personnel on their natural death has also been enhanced to Rs 2.5 lakh.

All police officers would get Rs 30 lakh in case of an accidental death and Rs 2.5 lakh in case of a natural death. The bank is also providing various free services such as zero balance bank account, free ATM withdrawal, balance enquiry and issuance of demand draft.

The STF was set up in January this year to deal with the menace of organised crime.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CPI(M) today demanded that all the complaints regarding non-inclusion in Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) must be thoroughly examined and no Indian should be excluded from the list.

In a statement, the Left party also accused BJP president Amit Shah of causing "widespread apprehension" among the people on the NRC issue.

"All the complaints regarding non-inclusion must be thoroughly and seriously examined and corrected. The time limit for claims on inclusion of names must be extended to allow people to file their complaints. Only then the final NRC should be published. No Indian should be excluded," the statement said.

Pointing out that a large number of women have been left out despite the fact that the Supreme Court declared panchayat certificate as a valid document, the party alleged that there were a lot of anomalies in the preparation of the draft.

In some cases, ration cards, as support document have been reportedly rejected and "strangely", in a single family, some members are included while others are excluded, the party said.

The CPI(M) also appealed to the people to maintain peace and tranquillity.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An executive engineer of Rural Engineering Service (RES) department here was caught allegedly taking a bribe of Rs three lakh from a contractor today, Lokayukta police said.

The engineer, identified as Virendra Singh Verma, had demanded a bribe of Rs eight lakh from the contractor for releasing his firm's Fixed Deposit Receipts (FDR) and clearing bills amounting to Rs 10 lakh, Lokayukta Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Jabalpur, H P Choudhari said.

"Based on the complaint, a trap was laid and an employee of the contractor firm was sent with Rs three lakh cash as the first instalment at Verma's official residence. As soon as the money changed hands, Lokayukta team caught him red-handed," the DSP said.

Verma was booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis today ordered that experts should be hired to speed up purchase of medical equipment and medicines for government hospitals.

The chief minister held a review meeting of the public health department, which has annual procurement budget of Rs 1,000 crore.

Facing flak for delays in purchase of medicines and machinery, the government today asked the officials to streamline and expedite the procurement.

Some officials pointed out during today's meeting that there was a lack of "technical expertise" needed for this.

Fadnavis then ordered that experts should be hired immediately, said a senior official from the public health department.

"The medicine procurement is generally carried out by Haffkin Corporation, but they do not have sufficient staff. The public health department has so far sent a demand for Rs 300-crore worth medicines but they could float tenders for only Rs 128 crore," the official said.

At present, the department has a stock of medicine which is sufficient for next three months, he said.

There are over 75 government hospitals in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi today said fines imposed on students by banks for not maintaining minimum balance in their scholarship accounts would be reimbursed.

The Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry had asked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to probe a complaint that a student in Maharashtra was fined over non-maintenance of minimum balance.

According to the complaint, lodged by a zila parishad member in Maharashtra, Rs 467 was charged as fine by the State Bank of India (SBI). The scholarship account had Rs 400, a NCPCR official said.

The commission wrote to SBI and the Union Bank of India, asking them to follow the directions of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the official said.

The RBI had advised banks to ensure that accounts of all student beneficiaries under various central and state government scholarship schemes are free from restrictions of "minimum balance" and "total credit limit", the NCPCR said quoting a RBI circular.

Following the direction, SBI said it would reimburse the amount charged as fine, the minister said.

"During the inquiry, SBI informed that they will reimburse all the amount deducted from the accounts of such children who were maintaining a DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) account," Gandhi said.

The NCPCR has also directed SBI to designate nodal officers to ensure refund of fines.

"If deducted from the account of children, who are beneficiaries of the RTE (Right to Education) Act, 2009. Chief secretaries have also been roped in to expedite the matter," Gandhi said.

The NCPCR official said the child rights body has also written to the RBI, asking them to ensure that apart from SBI and UBI other banks are also issued direction to not fine students over non-maintenance of minimum balance in scholarship accounts.

The minimum balance amount is varies from bank to bank, a official said.

Gandhi also urged students who are fined for non-maintenance of minimum balance in scholarship account to contact the ministry at min-wcd@nic.in.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Four days after they reportedly went missing, bodies of four members of a family were today found stacked on top of each other and buried in a pit in the backyard of their house in the district.

The bodies bore injury marks, police said.

Police identified the deceased as Krishnan (52), his wife Susheela (50), their daughter Arsha (21) and son Arjun (19).

Neighbours said they had not seen the family for the past four days.

Police said they could have been killed after July 29.

The deceased lived in a secluded place in a rubber estate at Mundanmudi.

Neighbours and some relatives went to the house this morning and found blood stains on the floor and walls and immediately informed police.

Police said a search in the backyard revealed loose soil and when they removed it, the four bodies, with injuries, were found dumped on top of each other.

The bodies have been shifted to Kottayam medical college for post-mortem.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): The Kerala government today decided to supply 'Onam kits' with food articles to 5.95 lakh families under the 'Antyodaya Anna Yojana scheme.

A decision to this effect was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here.

The kits would be distributed throgh the State Civil Supply Corporation.

An amount of Rs 6.91 crore has been earmarked for this, an official release said.

It was also decided to distribute one kg sugar at a rate of Rs 22 to 81 lakh ration card holders in the state.

An amount of Rs 14.72 crore would be spent for this purpose, it said.

The Cabinet also decided to recommendto the Governor to promulgate an ordinance for a Bill, seeking constitution of a Welfare Fund Board for madrasa teachers.

The Board would ensure speedy disbursement of pension, treatment allowances, financial assistance for the marriage of daughters of madrasa teachers and maternity benefits for women members, the release said.

Madrasa teachers who become Board members have to pay Rs 50 every month as premium, the release said.

On other decisions, the release said the cabinet gave approvalto a Bill to regulate fish auction and sale. It would also would have provisions to ensure the quality of fish sold.

At present, there was no regulation for auctioning fish at the fish landing centre, harbour and market, resulting in auctioneers playing the role of middlemen and charging exorbitant commissions from fish workers, the release said.

A mechanism also would be put in place to ensure fishermen get reasonable price for their catch, the release said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A fresh batch of 670 pilgrims left for the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas today.

The 60-day yatra, which commenced from the twin routes of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on June 28, has crossed the 2 lakh mark so far.

However, the number of pilgrims undertaking the yatra has marked a sharp dip over the past week due to early melting of the naturally formed ice-Shivling at the sanctum sanctorum.

The pilgrims, which included 410 males, 213 women and 47 sadhus, left in a fleet of 17 vehicles under tight security arrangements early morning today, the officials said, adding they are expected to reach their destination later in the day.

While 352 pilgrims, including 137 women, have opted the shorter 12-km Baltal route, 318 others, including 76 women and 47 Sadhus, are undertaking the yatra from the traditional 36-km Pahalgam route, he said.

The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 26coinciding with 'Raksha Bandhan' festival.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Goa Electricity department had fielded more than 1.20 lakh calls over power outage during January-March this year, the Legislative Assembly was told today.

All the calls were attended to within stipulated time and power supply was restored, state power ministry stated in a written reply.

A question was tabled by Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar.

Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar remains admitted in a Mumbai hospital after suffering brain stroke.

"The department had received 1,20,976 calls from the customers about power failures and outages during the first three months of this year. All the calls were attended to within the stipulated time and power supply restored," stated the reply.

Maximum calls (39,840) were received by the Mapusa sub-division, followed by Ponda (15,219) and Margao sub-divisions (15,215) calls.

The department has identified 508 power theft cases since April 2012, and penalties were imposed as per Electricity Act, 2003.

"No loss is caused to the department," it stated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Goa Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai today refuted allegations that the state government was favouring the construction industry by allowing uncontrolled conversion of land.

The minister said the growth in the construction industry is usually reflected in the collection of the infrastructure tax, which is collected by the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department.

The collection figures for the last three financial years are showing a downward trend, he said.

"The TCP department had collected Rs 72 crore in the infrastructure tax in fiscal 2016-17 and Rs 39 crore in FY 2017-18. In the current financial year, we have collected Rs 15 crore in infrastructure tax," he said.

This could be because of implementation of RERA or due to "over activism", he said, adding that the construction industry is "on the rocks" in the state.

The minister said the confidence of investors in Goa is going down due to various factors, which should not happen.

"Goans should not be seen as thieves who promise certain things, make a contract and then change their mind," he said.

He also took a dig at the Congress for criticising the Manohar Parrikar-led government over the Regional Plan 2021.

"The RP 2021 was the baby of the (erstwhile) Congress (government)," he said.

"We speak about the Regional Plan 2021. It is not me, but you all have created the RP. It was your wish to operationalise the land use plan. But now you are speaking in different tone," he said targetting the Congress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Cabinet today approved proposal to provide Rs 1,257.82 crore interest free loan to Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Ltd's three fertiliser revival projects.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the fertilizer department's proposal to grant interest free loan (IFL) equivalent to the interest during construction component of Rs 422.28 crore, Rs 415.77 crore and Rs 419.77 crore for Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Sindri (Jharkhand) and Barauni (Bihar) projects, respectively, to Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Limited's (HURL) fertilizer projects, according to an official statement.

The total value of the IFL will be Rs 1,257.82 crore, it said, adding that the IFL shall cover only the interest accrued during the scheduled period of construction and any escalation due to time or cost overrun will be borne by the JV company.

According to the statement, the IFL will be disbursed in the first three years during construction.

The repayment will be spread over a period of 11 years with a moratorium period of three years of disbursement period during construction and the repayment phased over the next eight years, it added.

Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan, a joint venture company of National Thermal Power Corporation, Indian Oil Company, Coal India and Fertilizer Corporation of India / Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation was incorporated in June 2016 to implement the fertilizer revival projects at Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni.

Interest free loan will result in savings in the project cost expenditure and improvement in the project IRR and viability ratios, particularly the minimum debt service coverage ratio, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government today permitted simultaneous exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbon resources like coal-bed methane (CBM) and shale and conventional oil and natural gas to boost domestic output and spur investments by firms like Essar and ONGC.

This permission would, however, be subject to payment of an additional 10 per cent profit petroleum or production level payment.

Currently, a permit for exploration and production of conventional crude oil and natural gas does not allow exploitation of shale oil and gas and CBM. The vice versa is also true.

The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the policy to permit exploration and exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbons, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters here.

"This policy will enable the realisation of prospective hydrocarbon reserves in the existing Contract Areas which otherwise would remain unexplored and unexploited," he said.

With this policy dispensation, new investment in exploration and production (E&P) activities and chances of finding new hydrocarbon and resultant increased domestic production thereof is expected.

Commenting on the decision, Vilas Tawde, Director & CEO, Essar Oil & Gas Exploration and Production, said this will open up hereto untapped hydrocarbon resources and boost domestic output to meet energy needs of the world's fastest growing economy.

Essar, he said has as much as 7 trillion cubic feet of shale reserves in its Raniganj CBM block in West Bengal. Of this 1.5 Tcf is recoverable. Similarly, its Mehsana block has 0.5 Tcf of recoverable CBM resources. "These resources can now be produced," he said.

As per existing contractual regime of Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs), existing contractors are not allowed to explore and exploit CBM or other unconventional hydrocarbons in already allotted licensed/leased area. Similarly, CBM contractors are not allowed to exploit any other hydrocarbon except CBM.

Acreages held at present by various contractors in PSCs and CBM blocks and national oil companies (NOCs) like ONGC in nomination regime constitute a significant part of India's sedimentary basin.

"In preliminary studies, in-place probable shale gas resources in the range of 100-200 Tcf in 5 Indian sedimentary basins have been assessed by various international agencies," an official statement issued after the Cabinet meeting said.

Presence of shale oil/gas has a strong possibility in basins such as Cambay, Krishna Godavari (KG) and Cauvery where mature organic-rich Shale exist.

"An area of 72,027 square kilometers held under PSCs of pre-NELP (New Exploration Licensing Policy)/NELP regime and 5269 sq km area under CBM contracts has been opened up for simultaneous exploration and exploitation of conventional or unconventional hydrocarbons.

"With the approval of this policy, there will be a complete shift from 'One hydrocarbon Resource Type' to 'Uniform Licensing Policy' which is presently applicable in Hydrocarbon Exploration & Licensing Policy (HELP) and Discovered Small Field (DSF) Policy," the statement said.

Exploration and exploitation of additional hydrocarbon resources is expected to spur new investment, the impetus to economic activities and generate additional employment.

"Additional 10 per cent rate of Profit Petroleum/ Production Level Payment (PLP) in case of CBM contract, over and above the existing rate of Profit Petroleum/PLP is to be shared with Government on new discoveries. For nomination blocks, NOCs will be allowed to explore and exploit unconventional hydrocarbons under the existing fiscal and contractual terms of exploration/lease license," the statement said.

Tawde said Essar would expedite the exploration and development of 0.5 Tcf of recoverable CBM prospects in Mehsana block.

"We heartily welcome the move since it will open up exploration of all unconventional hydrocarbon resources in existing fields to meet the energy needs of the economy," he said. "Essar is looking forward to expediting the potential of 2 Tcf of recoverable CBM/Shale gas from its operational Mehsana and Raniganj blocks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government today inducted corporate bigwigs Kumar Mangalam Birla and Y C Deveshwar into the board of Air India, a day after seeking Parliament's approval for supplementary grant for equity infusion in the loss-making national carrier.

The appointment of Birla, head of an over USD 44 billion conglomerate, and Deveshwar, chairman of FMCG giant ITC, is for three years, according to a Personnel Ministry order issued late in the evening.

The government had yesterday sought Parliament's approval for grant of Rs 980 crore as part of equity infusion into Air India under the turnaround plan.

These appointments were cleared by a Cabinet committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had earlier said in an interview to a magazine that though a decision for privatisation of Air India was taken, its execution would be taken in accordance with market condition.

Besides Air India, the government also appointed private sector executives to four other public sector enterprises.

Shyamvir Saini and Gurmohinder Singh will be non-official independent directors in National Seeds Corporation Ltd and Bharat Earth Movers Limited respectively.

Arun Tandon has been appointed non-official director in Balmer Lawrie and Co Ltd, the order said without citing any details about these people.

Tapan Kumar Mandal has been named non-official independent directors in Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, it said.

The Cabinet had earlier decided to privatise Air India by divesting government's 76 per cent stake in the loss making entity.

Air India, which has more than Rs 52,000 crore debt burden, is surviving on a Rs 30,000-crore bailout package extended by the previous UPA government in 2012.

Government think-tank NITI Aayog has recommended to the Prime Minister's Office a "complete" privatisation of the airline.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A prominent Gujjar activist has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, the police said today.

Talib Hussain was arrested following a complaint lodged yesterday by a woman who is his relative, a police official said.

In her complaint, the woman alleged that she was raped by Hussain a month-and-a half ago in Chadwa forest, he said.

Hussain, armed with a knife, intercepted the woman when she had gone to the forest for grazing cattle and also thrashed her, the complaint said.

The complainant said she remained silent for so long as Hussain had threatened to kill her and that she told her husband about the rape yesterday only, the police official said.

He said the activist had also been booked under the Arms Act and an probe had been launched in the case.

Hussain shot into prominence after being at the forefront of a campaign to seek justice for an eight-year-old girl who was abducted, raped and murdered in Kathua district in January this year.

In June, Hussain's estranged wife registered a case against him for allegedly torturing her and demanding dowry, a charge, the activist said, "aimed at maligning him for raising his voice to seek justice for the Kathua rape and murder victim.

He was granted anticipatory bail by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in the case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a defence public sector undertaking, imported content worth Rs 19,085 crore to build different platforms in the last three years, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha today.

In a written response to a question in the Lower House, Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State in the Defence Ministry, said 54 AoN (acceptance of necessity) have been accorded for the Army by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) since April, 2014.

"From April 1, 2014 till date, 128 AoNs worth



Rs 4,47,025.381 crore have been accorded by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)," he said.

"In the last three years, the value of import content of HAL in manufactured platforms has been Rs 19,085 crore," the minister said.

Replying to another question, Bhamre said in the last three years, 62 contracts have been signed with foreign vendors, including those from Russia, Israel, US and France for procurement of defence equipment for armed forces.

He said the government has not cancelled the S-400 missile deal with Russia.

Responding to a question on defence budget allocation, the MoS said in 2017-18, the budget expenditure was



Rs 69,473.41 crore while the expenditure wasRs 72,732.28 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hanan, a college student whose story of selling fish to raise money made her a national sensation, today met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and described herself a "daughter of the government" who wants to be protected by her parents.

The 21-year-old was viciously trolled and faced cyber bully after the story of her struggle to fund her studies and take care of her family was widely shared on social media.

She came to thank the government for the support it has extended to her, the chief minister said in a Facebook post after meeting Hanan at his office here.

The student had suffered "harsh cyber bullying" after her story of struggle to live and study by doing a job came out, Vijayan said, adding that the government has assured all protection to her and the culprit was arrested.

He also shared a photo of him standing besides a smiling Hanan, clad in jeans and shirt.

"Hanan came to meet after the cabinet meeting. Felt happy seeing smile on her face," the chief minister said in the post.

She came to thank the government for this. "I have assured all support and asked her to go ahead with courage", he said.

Instructions had been given to officials to ensure adequate protection to the student, he said.

Hanan later told reporters that she thanked the chief minister for the support and that she was assured all protection.

"A daughter always wishes for the protection of parents. And the chief minister has assured me all the protection. I am the daughter of the government," she said.

A B.Sc student at a private college at Thodupuzha in Idukki district, Hanan's story had become viral last week after a Malayalam daily reported about her struggles.

Her touching story was widely shared on social media by several people, including film artistes and politicians.

But, a section of social media users expressed doubts about her story and termed it "fake".

Vijayan had directed the police to initiate action against the cyber bullies following which a man had been arrested under various sections of the IT Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Madras High Court today directed the Tuticorin district collector to cancel his order detaining an anti-Sterlite protester under the National Security Act (NSA), and cautioned him against merely accepting police request for such detentions.

Justices C T Selvam and A M Basheer Ahamed of the Madurai Bench gave the order when collector Sandeep Nanduri appeared before it complying with its yesterday's order, which was given during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition (HCP) filed by the wife of the protester Hari Raghavan.

"Any person who did not commit a crime should not be punished. The collector should not accept whatever the police say and sign (on detention orders). Your signature could affect the freedom of an individual. Do not act like this in future and respect the judicial orders," the bench cautioned.

Taking a stern view of the detention of Raghavan under the National Security Act despite the court having granted him conditional bail, the division bench had asked the collector to be present in the court and give an explanation today.

Raghavan is a functionary of Left-wing outfit 'Makkal Athigaram'. He has been slapped with 92 cases for allegedly instigating the agitation demanding closure of Sterlite's copper plant in Tuticorin. He was granted bail on July 24.

The agitation had turned violent on its 100th day, leading to police firing in which 13 people were killed on



May 22 and 23.

During the hearing of the HCP, filed for seeking production of people illegally detained, the judges said it was not proper on part of the police to use the NSA against Raghavan after the court had given him conditional bail.

"This is democratic Tamil Nadu or a Police Raj state?" they had asked yesterday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus .Kravchenko meets the delegation of the federal state of Saxony (Germany)

01-08-2018

On August 1, 2018 the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Oleg Kravchenko, met with the Delegation of the Parliamentary Forum for Central and Eastern Europe of the federal state of Saxony (Germany).

The delegation headed by the State Minister of Justice of Saxony, the Chair of the Parliamentary Forum, Sebastian Gemkov, included more than 10 MPs of the Landtag (Land Parliament) of Saxony, representatives of business circles and educational institutions.

The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to the Republic of Belarus, Peter Dettmar.

During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for further development of the Belarusian-German cooperation, including its parliamentary and economic dimensions, expansion of cooperation between Belarus and Saxony, main priorities of the foreign policy of the Republic of Belarus, as well as topical issues on the regional agenda.

The program of the visit of the Saxon delegation also includes meetings with the Chair of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, Mikhail Myasnikovich, the Minister of Education, Igor Karpenko, Heads of a number of standing commissions of the House of Representatives, officials of the Minsk City Executive Committee and Belarusian State University, visits to Grodno and Nesvizh.

   

print versionA 19-year-old Hindu boy has been arrested for allegedly posting blasphemous content on social media in Pakistan's southern Sindh province, a media report said today.

The teenager was arrested from Mirpur Khas' Mirwah Gorchani area in the province yesterday after local prayer leader Mohammad Anwar Soomro filed a complaint against him, Dawn newspaper reported.

Soomro alleged that the suspect had hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims by posting 'highly controversial' posts on his Facebook account starting July 30.

A case was filed against the boy under Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code on the orders of Mirpurkhas Senior Superintendent Police Abid Ali Baloch, the paper said.

The Section 295-A deals with the deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting a religion or religious beliefs. If found guilty, a person can be jailed up to 10 years.

The suspect was sent on a 14-day judicial remand, soon after his arrest.

Advocate Kashif Bajeer, a human rights activist in the area, demanded a thorough probe into the matter.

The residents of Mirwah Gorchani claimed that the suspect had been upset after his teenage sister had embraced Islam a few days ago.

Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.

According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.

Majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim fellows.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least 39 Nepalese women were rescued from a hotel in Paharganj by a joint team of the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) and the city police in the early hours today, the women's panel said.

However, the police said the women were staying at the hotel out of their own will and the medical examination of some of the women did not indicate any signs of assault, Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa said.

According to the DCW, the anti-trafficking operation started at 1 am and continued till 6 am.

The women panel's chairperson, Swati Maliwal, took to Twitter to provide details about the operation.

"DCW received tip off and rescued 39 Nepali girls from Hotel Hriday Inn, Paharganj. Raid lasted the entire night and assistance was provided by Delhi Police. Entire hotel had only trafficked Nepali girls who were being sent to Gulf countries. Huge trafficking racket busted!," she said.

Randhawa said the police were informed around 12.15 by the DCW women's helpline about some trafficked girls staying at a hotel in Paharganj.

A team from Paharganj police station went there but no such thing was found. Around 1.45 am, DCW chief Swati Maliwal came there and she told them that she had received information about another hotel.

"We give full support whenever there are issues related to women safety. She said there is a hotel where Nepali girls have been kept and our staff accompanied her there," the DCP said.

Some woman were found staying there and during investigation, it was found that they had Nepalese citizenship cards. The hotel register had all the records intact.

The women were sent for medical examination and some of them refused to get examined.

Sixteen of the women agreed for the medical examination, the police said, adding that their medical examination did not show any signs of assault.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attacked Lt Governor Anil Baijal and the BJP for not taking any action in the matter.

"Are police helping the accused for free? Till where the money is reaching? Why LG Sahab and BJP are not doing anything (in the matter)?," he tweeted in Hindi.

Randhawa said further investigation is underway and statements from the women are being taken but so far no trafficking angle has emerged. Police are also contacting the Nepal embassy.

Another police official, privy to the matter, said while some of the women had come in search of jobs, others were staying with relatives.

The women are being sent to the Nirmal Chhaya shelter home.

Maliwal accused the police of trying to cover up the matter and alleged that they were not filing an FIR.

She later claimed in another tweet that the women were being again taken to hospital for medical examination. They had undergone a medical examination this morning.

Maliwal urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to take a cognisance in the matter.

The DCW claimed that this was the third such operation since July 25.

With the help of police, the DCW had rescued 16 women, who were allegedly trafficked from Nepal and were about to be taken to Gulf countries, from southwest Delhi's Munirka area on July 25.

On July 30, the Delhi and Varanasi Police had rescued 18 women, including 16 from Nepal, from the clutches of an international prostitution racket in Vasant Vihar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least 39 Nepali girls were rescued from a hotel in Paharganj by a joint team of the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) and the city police in the early hours today, the women's panel said.

According to the DCW, the anti-trafficking operation started at 1 am and continued till 6 am.

The women panel's chairperson, Swati Maliwal, took to Twitter to provide details about the operation.

"DCW received tip off and rescued 39 Nepali girls from Hotel Hriday Inn, Paharganj. Raid lasted the entire night and assistance was provided by Delhi Police. Entire hotel had only trafficked Nepali girls who were being sent to Gulf countries. Huge trafficking racket busted!" she tweeted.

This was the third such operation since July 25.

With the help of police, the DCW had rescued 16 women, who were allegedly trafficked from Nepal and were about to be taken to Gulf countries, from southwest Delhi's Munirka area on July 25.

On July 30, the Delhi and Varanasi Police had rescued 18 women, including 16 from Nepal, from the clutches of an international prostitution racket in Vasant Vihar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shares of IDBI Bank today surged nearly 6 per cent after the Cabinet cleared the purchase of 51 per cent controlling stake in the bank by state-run insurer Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).

The stock soared 5.61 per cent to end at Rs 62.15 on the BSE. Intra-day, it jumped 6.96 per cent to Rs 62.95.

On the NSE, shares of the company surged 5.60 per cent to close at Rs 62.15.

In terms of equity volume, 48.57 lakh shares of the company were traded on the BSE and over 3.9 crore shares changed hands on the NSE during the day.

The Cabinet today cleared the purchase of 51 per cent controlling stake in IDBI Bank by LIC, sources said.

LIC already has 7-7.5 per cent stake in the bank and will acquire the remaining for majority holding.

Although, the proposed acquisition by LIC would not bring any money to the government, the bank would get capital support between Rs 10,000 crore and Rs 13,000 crore, depending on the share price of the bank.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)"Impractical Jokers" star James Murray is all set to visit India this November.

The 42-year-old actor-producer says he is looking forward to his "first-ever visit" to the country, which has been on his 'To do list' for some time now.

"I'm coming to India this November. It will be my first-ever visit. I'm really looking forward to it as I always wanted to come here. I'm really going to have a lot of fun. I am really excited," Murray told PTI in an telephonic interview from Florida.

The improv comic says there are lots of special things he would like to do when he flies to India, which also includes throwing "a big party" for all his "Impractical Jokers" fans.

"I will also release my book ('Awakened') in India," he added.

Murray has co-written "Awakened" with Darren Wearmouth, which released in June.

"Impractical Jokers" airs on Comedy Central and Comedy Central HD in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India has ordered an immediate withdrawal of rabies vaccines, manufactured by a Chinese company that allegedly fabricated records, from the market and has also banned its imports, a government official said today.

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has also issued a show cause notice to the Indian company, which imports the vaccine, seeking an explanation why it didn't inform the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) that the drugs production has already been stopped by China's drug controller.

The DCGI, in its show cause notice, has asked why the licence of the company which procures the medicine should not be cancelled as it has violated the law.

"We have ordered an immediate withdrawal of rabies vaccines manufactured by a Chinese firm for the time being till the investigation in the matter is completed. As per our inputs the China's Drug controller has issued an order to stop its manufacturing," he said.

"As per law, the importer should have informed us if there was any problem with the overseas supplier but he did not inform us," the official said.

According to the National Rabies Control Programme, Rabies kills an estimated 20,000 people in the country each year. Rabies is spread when an infected animal scratches or bites another animal or human. Globally, the disease is most commonly caused by dog bites.

The officials at CDSCO are compiling a detailed report on the import and distribution of the vaccine.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Akshay Venkatesh, a renowned Indian-Australian mathematician, is one of four winners of mathematics' prestigious Fields medal, known as the for math.

The Fields medals are awarded every four years to the most promising mathematicians under the age of 40.

New Delhi-born Venkatesh, 36, who is currently teaching at Stanford University, has won the for his profound contributions to an exceptionally broad range of subjects in mathematics.

The citation for his medal awarded on Wednesday at the Congress of Mathematicians in Rio de Janeiro highlights his profound contributions to an exceptionally broad range of subjects in mathematics and his strikingly far-reaching conjectures.

The other three winners are: -- Caucher Birkar, a Cambridge University professor of Iranian Kurdish origin; Germany's Peter Scholze, who teaches at the University of Bonn and Alessio Figalli, an Italian mathematician at ETH Zurich.

Each winner receives a 15,000 Canadian-dollar cash prize.

At least two, and preferably four people, are always honoured in the award ceremony.

The prize was inaugurated in 1932 at the request of Canadian mathematician John Charles Fields, who ran the 1924 Mathematics Congress in Toronto.

From being a child prodigy to becoming one of the most renowned researchers in the field of mathematics, Venkatesh's journey has been full of achievements and accolades.

He moved to Perth, Australia, with his parents when he was 2.

He participated in physics and math Olympiads the premier competitions for high school students and won medals in the two subjects at ages 11 and 12, respectively.

He finished high school when he was 13 and went to the University of Western Australia, graduating with first class honours in mathematics in 1997, at the age of 16.

In 2002, he earned his PhD at the age of 20. Since then, he has gone from holding a post-doctoral position at to becoming a Clay Research Fellow and, now a professor at Stanford University.

Venkatesh has worked at the highest level in number theory, arithmetic geometry, topology, automorphic forms and ergodic theory.

His research has been recognized with many awards, including the Ostrowski Prize, the Infosys Prize, the Salem Prize and Sastra Ramanujan Prize.Indian travellers are preferring domestic destinations over the international ones, with 68 per cent hotel searches made for cities within the country, a report by travel search engine Kayak said today.

International destinations, on the other hand, got just 32 per cent share in hotel searches, it added.

Puducherry was found to be the most preferred domestic destination, with a 250 per cent year-on-year increase in hotel searches.

Calangute in Goa is close behind, with a 201 per cent increase, while other trending destinations include Coorg in Karnataka and Munnar in Kerala.

New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru were the most popular hotel destinations for short stays (one-three days), it said.

The report is based on searches conducted on Kayak platform between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017, for travel between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017.

Meanwhile, the most popular region for Indians when searching for hotels is Asia, with as many as 80 per cent of all hotel searches being for destinations within the region, according to the report.

"This is probably a reflection of the relative ease of access from India, with many destinations in Asia offering an economical choice while not requiring an advance visa for Indian travellers," it said.

Further, the report revealed that three-star hotels are the most-popular hotel category amongst Indian travellers, with 38 per cent of searches made in this category.

However, 24 per cent of searches are also made for luxury five-star hotels, showing that many Indian travellers are willing to splurge on their stay, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The on Wednesday extended till September 28 the interim protection from arrest granted to senior Congress leader on his pleas seeking anticipatory bail in the

The matter was mentioned before Justice A K Pathak, who asked the (ED) to file a reply within four weeks.

During the hearing, the CBI told the court that it has already filed its reply in the case.

Senior advocates Dayan Krishnan, Pramod Kumar Dubey, Ramesh Gupta and Mohit Mathur appeared for Chidambaram. The matter will be heard on September 28.

The court had on May 31 granted interim protection from arrest to the former Union minister and had directed the ED not to take any coercive step against him in the INX Media case till today.

The high court had also extended the interim protection against arrest granted to Chidambaram in the CBI case.

The senior Congress leader's role had come under the scanner of the investigating agencies in the Rs 35 billion Aircel-Maxis deal and the Rs 3.05 billion

It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-1 government that clearances from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) were given 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, alleging irregularities in the clearance to the media group for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 3.05 billion in 2007.

Thereafter, the ED had lodged a case in this regard.The Delhi High Court today extended till September 28 the interim protection from arrest granted to senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on his pleas seeking anticipatory bail in the INX Media case lodged by the ED and the CBI.

The matter was mentioned before Justice A K Pathak, who asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file a reply within four weeks.

During the hearing, the CBI told the court that it has already filed its reply in the case and requested for a shorter date saying that it was an important matter.

However, Justice Pathak, who initially was not inclined for shorter date, later agreed by making it clear that longer dates were given as workload was more due to shortage of judges.

"Aap pehle appointments to karaiye (First get appointments done). There are more than 60 cases on the board which have to heard," Justice Pathak observed.

Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, appearing for Chidambaram, seconded the view and said the government was not making appointments which has over-burdened the judges.

Senior advocates Dayan Krishnan, Mohit Mathur and advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey also appeared for Chidambaram.

On July 25, the high court had granted interim protection to Chidambaram from arrest and directed the ED not to take any coercive step till August 1 against him in the INX Media money laundering case.

It had directed Chidambaram to cooperate with the ED's investigation as and when required and not leave the country without the court's prior permission.

The senior Congress leader's role had come under the scanner of various investigating agencies in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case involving Rs 305 crore.

It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-1 government that clearances from the FIPB were given to the two ventures.

In the INX Media case, the CBI had registered an FIR on May 15 last year, alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance to the media group for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister.

Thereafter, the ED had last year lodged the money laundering case in this regard.

A trial court here had also granted protection from arrest till August 7 to Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case in which he and his son Karti were named in the charge sheet filed by the CBI recently.

Chidambaram's petition had said though no summons had ever been served on him by the ED in this case, he had an apprehension of arrest in view of the summons issued to him by the CBI, which was investigating the scheduled offence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala supports universal access to health care but remains heavily invested in one of the countrys largest for-profit health insurers.

A newly filed financial disclosure shows that Shalala, a leading Democrat in the campaign to replace U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in Congress, continues to hold as much as $1.1 million in stocks and options in UnitedHealth Group. Shalala took a seat on the corporate board after leaving President Bill Clintons cabinet and was compensated in part through company shares before stepping down in 2007.

Though her relationship with UnitedHealth is well-known, the extent of Shalalas continued investment in the company  and her sale of more than $100,000 in UnitedHealth stock last year  was detailed for the first time Friday when she filed her federally required financial disclosure. The form, which requires candidates to disclose their assets and income in ranges, placed her net worth somewhere between $4.6 million and $13.5 million.

Shalala is running in the Democratic primary against Matt Haggman, Michael Hepburn, David Richardson and Kristen Rosen Gonzalez. After seeing Shalalas disclosure, Richardson suggested shes reluctant to back a Medicare-for-all bill filed in Congress due to her stake in the industry.

It is now clear that Donna Shalala has refused to support the Medicare for All bill in Congress because it takes profits out of our healthcare system, said Richardson, whos run commercials casting Shalala as a flip-flopper on universal healthcare.

Shalala bristled Tuesday when asked if her financial stake in the industry influenced her public positions.

She has said she doesnt support the bill Richardson mentioned because it lacks provisions for nursing-home care and home healthcare and other forms of long-term care. She supports a public healthcare option over Medicare for All, she says, because she wants to ensure people wont be forced to give up private health plans in order to adopt less comprehensive public insurance.

Shalala told the Miami Herald that her position on health care has been consistent dating back to when she oversaw Hunter College in the 1980s, and said her stake in UnitedHealth has never swayed her politics.

It doesnt. It never has. Ive never changed my position on universal healthcare from the time Ive been working on the issue. Literally from the time Ive been working on the issue, she said. Ive been working in healthcare a long time and Ive been teaching the politics and economics of health care for 30 years. So Im considered an expert on the policy issues.

Click here to read the rest.More than 150 Islamic State fighters surrendered in Afghanistan today, Afghan officials said, a move which they and the Taliban hailed as the end of the extremist group in the northern part of the country.

The apparent IS capitulation comes after weeks of intense fighting with the Taliban in Jowzjan province in the north, and ongoing pressure from Afghan and US forces.

"Their fighters have surrendered in the past, but this time it is more important because the Daesh leader and deputy surrendered with more than 150 fighters all at once," Mohammad Hanif Rezaee, spokesman for the 209 army corps in the north, told AFP.

Rezaee said 30 women and children had also handed themselves in to Afghan authorities.

"With this the Daesh chapter is going to be closed in the north," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

IS has a relatively small but potent presence in Afghanistan, mainly in the eastern province of Nangarhar, but more recently in Jowzjan.

The group has fought turf wars with the much larger Taliban since emerging in in Afghanistan in 2014. Estimates on their numbers in the country run as high as around 2,000.

Until a few weeks ago there had been around 500 IS fighters in Darzab and Qush Tepa districts of Jowzjan, provincial governor Lutfullah Azizi has said.

But the Taliban stepped up fighting with the group there after an IS attack on their fighters last month killed at least 15 people, Azizi said.

The Taliban took credit for the surrender announced by Afghan officials today, saying it had "cleared" the north of IS fighters.

It claimed it had captured 130, wounded more than 100, and killed 153.

The development comes as the Afghan army took over security in the eastern city of Jalalabad in IS's main stronghold of Nangarhar province after a spate of attacks, mostly claimed by the group.

More checkpoints have also been set up and special forces are conducting operations after militants stormed a government office in the city yesterday, killing 15 people.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but IS is widely suspected of carrying it out.

"To provide better security for the people, the national army is leading the security in the city," Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, told AFP.

"Police and other security forces are supporting them." Under the new security plan, the army would lead efforts "to contain the emergency situation" for a week, Khogyani said, declining to provide details.

Eventually, police and soldiers "will join hands to secure the city", he added.

"IS has come under intense pressure from the government and the Taliban. They have lost a lot of men," former general Hadi Khalid, now a military analyst, told AFP.

"The only strategy that can keep them going is to attack soft targets and that is what they have been doing recently.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Afghan officials say more than 150 Islamic State fighters have surrendered to government forces in the face of an onslaught by the Taliban in the northern Jawzjan province.

Gen Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani, the provincial police chief, said 152 fighters surrendered today, including Habib-ul Rahman, their commander.

Abdul Hai Hayat, the head of the provincial council, said they surrendered after the Taliban flooded reinforcements into two districts in recent weeks.

The Taliban and IS are both battling to overthrow the Western-backed government and impose a harsh form of Islamic rule, but are fiercely divided over leadership, ideology and tactics.

The Taliban said in a statement that they had killed dozens of IS fighters and captured more than 130 in Jawzjan, adding that 17 Taliban militants were killed and 13 wounded.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Newly-appointed Vice Chancellor of University of Jammu Manoj K Dhar has asked the varsity officials to work towards attaining A++ rank of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

Dhar held his maiden interaction with the university community here, yesterday. He called upon all varsity stakeholders to contribute wholeheartedly to enhance academic standing of the varsity institutions.

"We should impart quality and focus on research. These are the two crucial factors for achieving institutional excellence", Dhar told the varsity officials.

At the beginning of the interaction, university registrar Dr Meenakshi Kilam welcomed the new vice chancellor.

The gathering included university deans, directors, heads of departments, faculty members, officers, representatives of students and scholars.

Over the years, challenges have increased manifold, especially in the wake of the recent ranking and grading. Expectations are high," the vice chancellor said.

Dhar stressed on the need to implement 17x17initiatives of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Every effort will be made to improve the working of the varsity, said Dhar.

The vice chancellor urged the heads of departments to focus on promoting research and innovation to prepare the younger generations to efficiently meet the requirements of the present and future markets.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Jay Shree Tea and Industries, a part of the B K Birla group, is planning to consolidate the African operations besides raising production this year.

CFO of Jay Shree Tea R K Ganeriwala said the company has tea estates in Rwanda and Uganda and would make an expenditure of Rs 25 crore for revamping operations there.

The African estates yield a production of 6.59 million kilograms. The funding would be done from internal accruals, he said.

The Indian estates' production was 21.91 million kilograms, he said, adding that the target for overall production for the year was 30 million kilograms, Ganeriwala said.

Regarding the sugar business, he said the company would make an investment of Rs 85 crore for setting up a ethanol producing distillery in Bihar, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress demanded today a probe against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner after the civic body lost the court case of a plot worth Rs 500 crore in a suburb here.

It also sought an investigation into the 'mysterious' death of a BMC worker associated with the case.

The civic body, however, rejected the charges, saying all due processes were followed to acquire the plot despite the fact that the purchase notice was not served through a proper channel.

A delegation of Congress corporators, led by Mumbai party unit chief Sanjay Nirupam, met Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Abhishek Trimukhe and filed a complaint against BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta.

The BMC had earlier tried to acquire the 3.3 acre plot in Jogeshwari for setting up a recreational ground but failed to do so in time and subsequently lost the case in the Bombay High Court and also the land.

It wanted to appeal in the Supreme Court when the municipal commissioner's remark on an office file was allegedly tampered with, the BMC had earlier said.

"This is a land scam worth Rs 500 crore under the nose of none other than the BMC commissioner who has been already involved in several other scams," Nirupam alleged while talking to reporters here.

A BMC worker associated with the case had lost his life under mysterious circumstances last month, Nirupam said, alleging that he was "killed".

"Therefore, I demand that the Mumbai Police book Ajoy Mehta and initiate criminal action be taken against him," he said.

After the alleged tampering of Mehta's remarks came to light, the BMC had filed an FIR with the Mumbai Police against two unidentified persons under IPC sections including 420 (cheating) on May 25.

The civic body had alleged that Mehta's remark -- (the land matter) "should be challenged in the Supreme Court" -- was changed to "shouldn't be challenged in the Supreme Court", which led to the BMC losing the case and the land.

Yesterday, corporators across party lines had slammed the BMC for losing the Jogeshwari plot which was reserved for public utility.

Nirupam said they want the FIR's scope to be widened, by including Mehta and other officials for their alleged acts of omission and commission.

The circumstances under which a peon of the civic body died under mysterious circumstances in an accident should also be investigated, the Congress leader said.

"The BMC commissioner's role is under suspicion. We also suspect that there has been a huge payout and collusion between private owners of the land and Mehta and therefore, his (Mehta's) name should be added in the FIR," he said.

The BMC, however, denied the charges.

It said the proposal to acquire the plot was submitted to the collector after approval of the BMC on November 16, 2017, a senior civic official said.

He said the BMC commissioner had on December 12, 2017 made his remark in the file saying, "This is a serious matter and the same should be challenged in the Supreme Court."



After noting that the commissioner's remark was tampered, the BMC filed an FIR at the Azad Maidan police station, he said.

However, the civic body's legal department has shown a careless attitude in handling the case and action will be taken accordingly, the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor Kiersey Clemons is in negotiations to join the cast of Disney's live-action/CG hybrid remake of 1955 classic "Lady and the Tramp".

If the deal goes through, the 24-year-old actor will join Justin Theroux and Ashley Jensen in the project.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Clemons would play one of the film's live-action roles, Darling, the owner of Lady.

The 1955 classic followed two dogs, an upper-middle-class American cocker spaniel named Lady and a a street smart, downtown stray mongrel called the Tramp, as they embark on many romantic adventures.

Theroux recently came aboard the film and he will be voicing Tramp. Jensen will be providing the voice for Scottish Terrier Jackie.

The studio has hired Charlie Bean to helm the live-action/CG hybrid remake with a script by Andrew Bujalski.

Brigham Taylor will produce the project, which will be available exclusively on Disneys own digital streaming service scheduled to be launched late next year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Kolkata Police today granted permission for BJP president Amit Shah's proposed rally here on August 11, police said.

The development came hours after the BJP Yuva Morcha alleged that they are yet to receive any communication from the Kolkata Police regarding permission for Shah's rally.

The ruling Trinamool Congress took a swipe at the BJP and Shah, claiming that they had become nervous and wished them "happy journey to the land of peace and harmony".

"Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice. It is to clarify that on request permission for meeting has already been granted," the Kolkata Police said in a tweet.

State BJP Yuva Morcha chief Debjit Sarkar said he has been informed by the police that the permission has been given to hold the rally at Mayo Road in the heart of the city.

Sarkar had earlier told PTI that the organisation has submitted a formal application to the police, seeking permission for Shah's rally.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and the BJP have been locked in a bitter war of words amid attempts by the saffron party to make inroads in the TMC stronghold.

The latest flashpoint has been the issues of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Shah is aiming to win 22 of its 42 Lok Sabha seats in the next elections. It had won two in 2014. The TMC had bagged 34.

"BJP & its national President have become nervous, tense. Their programme for Aug 3 in Kolkata was promptly granted permission. For their Aug 11 program, they only just sent a letter & permission granted" (sic), TMC chief national spokesperson Derek O'Brien said in a statement.

"Happy journey to the land of peace and harmony #Bangla Love Your Neighbour", he said in a tweet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP Yuva Morcha today said they are yet to receive any communication from the Kolkata Police regarding permission for BJP President Amit Shah's proposed rally here on August 11.

Yuva Morcha state president Debjit Sarkar told PTI that they have submitted a formal application to police, seeking permission for Shah's rally.

He said they will move court if police deny permission.

"We submitted an application to police yesterday, seeking permission for the rally. We have mentioned five venues in Kolkata for the meeting, but police are yet to give us permission. We need time to prepare for the rally," he said.

Police's reaction was not available immediately.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 28-year-old man was arrested in Nashik district for allegedly stabbing to death a 21-year-old woman after she refused to marry him, a police official said today.

Suraj Chavan, a resident of Kasbe-Sukene village in Niphad taluka, surrendered to the police after the incident yesterday, he said.

He had earlier proposed to the woman but she refused to marry him, he said.

Enraged over the woman turning down his proposal, Chavan rushed to her house and allegedly attacked her with a sharp weapon, the official said.

The woman received injuries to her back, neck and hands and died on the spot, he said.

Her father also got injured while trying to save her. He is undergoing treatment at a government hospital, he said.

Later, Chavan surrendered at the Ojhar police station and was arrested, the official said, adding that a case was registered against him under relevant sections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today directed that various district medical facilities be mapped to ascertain the shortcomings.

He told officials to take help of consultants in implementing required measures to strengthen these facilities.

Fadnavis gave these directives during a Health department review meeting here.

The chief minister directed to map various district medical facilities with the help of consultants to ascertain the shortcomings and required measures to strengthen these facilities, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement.

Fadnavis also directed the officials to ensure smooth implementation of the Ayushman Bharat and Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MPJAY), it stated.

Further, Fadnavis said the emergency medicine purchase limit must be increased for deans of Medical Colleges from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

"To avoid shortage of medicines, the CM also instructed to increase local purchase limit to 25 per cent from 10 per cent and strengthening of Haffkine Corporation," the CM said.

"Ayushman Bharat" is a national health protection scheme, which is aimed to cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) by providing coverage upto Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.

The MPJAY, earlier known as the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana (RGJAY), is a flagship health insurance scheme of the Maharashtra government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)@alextdaugherty

Sen. Marco Rubio joined a small minority of the most liberal and conservative members of the U.S. Senate to vote against a massive defense spending bill named after ailing Sen. John McCain on Wednesday after Republican leaders declined to punish Chinese telecom giant ZTE, a company that ran afoul of U.S. sanctions against North Korea and Iran.

Rubio voted against the yearly defense spending package along with nine other senators, eight of them Democrats including potential presidential hopefuls like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders who will likely use their opposition to military spending as a campaign issue in a future Democratic primary.

It's the first time that Rubio has voted against a defense spending bill since joining the U.S. Senate. He missed a vote on the package in 2015 while running for president.

"We got a lot of good things in it that we fought for, but the ZTE, the threat that China poses in my mind, overrides everything," Rubio said.

In June, the Trump administration announced that Chinese telecom giant ZTE will pay a $1 billion fine and fund an in-house compliance team staffed by U.S. experts after the company was caught shipping communications equipment to North Korea and Iran, and lied to U.S. investigators about it. The ZTE deal came after the Commerce Department announced a seven-year ban on ZTE buying American parts, an action that President Trump said would lead to "too many jobs in China lost."

Trump then instructed Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to cut a deal, over the objections of Rubio and most lawmakers on Capitol Hill from both parties.

But Republican leaders recently took out a provision in the military spending bill that would have prevented ZTE from buying American technology in a rebuke to Trump. The decision was met with derision by some Republicans and Democrats, though it wasn't enough to sway most senator's votes. Instead, the bill includes a provision that limits government purchases of ZTE technology such as cell phones and handsets.

"Sadly we failed this chin check," Rubio tweeted a few hours before the vote. "The U.S. saved # ZTE as a goodwill gesture to Xi. And # China responded to this overly generous gesture of goodwill by blocking Qualcomm purchase of NXP Semiconductors NV even after @ Treasury asked them for it in return. Learn the lesson!"

Rubio said he's not worried about voting against a bill the the president pitches as a win for the military, saying service members and veterans understand why it was important to send a symbolic rebuke to China.West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress President Mamata Banerjee met veteran BJP leader L K Advani at his chamber in Parliament today and termed it a "courtesy call".

Their meeting lasted 20 minutes.

"I know Advaniji for a very long time. I went to enquire about his health. It was a courtesy call," Banerjee said after the meeting.

Suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad also came to meet her at the TMC office in Parliament, followed by Congress leaders Gulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel, and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav.

"He efforts to unite opposition leaders are commendable," Azad said after the meeting.

The West Bengal chief minister is expected to meet leaders of 14 opposition parties and some NDA allies in Parliament today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Assam government said today that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's opposition to the Supreme Court-monitored NRC in the north eastern state amounted to "contempt of court" and she is not above the apex court.

Banerjee's allegations against the National Register of Citizens, whose final draft was published on July 30, are "baseless", Assam government spokesman Chandra Mohan Patowary, who is also the state's parliamentary affairs minister, told newsmen here.

Asked if the Assam government will file a contempt of court case against Banerjee, Patowary said, "We will see at the appropriate time since she is speaking against the Supreme Court."



"She (Banerjee) does not have the right to remark as the NRC is a legal process," the minister told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting here.

"As a chief minister Mamata Banerjee should have the basic knowledge that when she opposes a matter (NRC) monitored by the honourable Supreme Court it will amount to contempt of court. She is not above the Supreme Court," he added.

Banerjee has opposed the NRC in Assam, saying it will lead to "civil war and bloodbath in the country" as over 40 lakh applicants have been excluded in the final draft of the citizen's register.

"Everyone here condemns Mamata Banerjee's instigating speeches and rejects them... People of Assam have condemned and rejected her conspiracy to bring division in Assam.

"It will never be allowed by the people here. They want an error-free NRC should be brought out and so peace continues to reign in the state," he added.

Banerjee, he asserted, has violated the direction of the Supreme Court to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam and as chief minister she should know that an order by it should not be dishonoured.

"Mamata Banerjee has made the statements keeping in view the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and with a political motive. People of Assam have rejected her attempts and she cannot bring division in Assamese society as all here are united that we should have an NRC in the state," Patowary said.

The government spokesman said that ensuring publication of the NRC is the duty of every Indian citizen. Every resident in Assam irrespective of religion, caste or language has peacefully cooperated for publication of the complete draft NRC and thanked all those involved in publishing it.

On the proposed visit of a team of the Banerjee's Trinamool Congress to Assam tomorrow, Patowary said as a political party it has the right to do so.

"But if through their instigational speeches the team members try to disturb the peaceful situation in Assam and create division among the people, our government will not remain a mute spectator," he added.

The Assam government will be with the people as every citizen here wants the NRC. "So Mamata Banerjee's group of MPs or her other leaders visiting Assam will have no impact in the state and people here will remain alert", Patowary said.

Referring to her allegations, Assam Speaker Hiten Goswami said, "We want India to be for Indian nationals and not for foreigners... The 40 lakh people (excluded from the NRC) are not foreigners. Both Assam and Central governments are working as per the directions of the Supreme Court".

Earlier in the day, a police complaint was registered against Banerjee at Lakhimpur by a youth leader over her alleged provocative remarks on the NRC draft.

Sudipta Hazarika, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Parishad, filed the complaint at the North Lakhimpur Sadar police station.

"Going against the Supreme Court Mamata Banerjee is making all efforts to halt the NRC process by meeting the Union home minister. There is apprehension that an uncalled for situation may be created anytime," Hazarika said in the complaint said.

The police are yet to file an FIR.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a soul-stirring act, a 28-year old man went live on social networking site Facebook while hanging himself to death from a ceiling fan at his residence near here following a fight with his wife, the police said today.

Even the police came to know of the incident only after the "disturbing suicide video" went viral, said Gurgaon Police spokesperson Subhash Boken.

Boken said Amit, a resident of Haily Mandi near Pataudi, took the extreme step after his wife left for her parents' house after the fight between them on Monday.

"As his wife prepared to leave her marital home, Amit even told her not to go, or else, he would commit suicide," said the police spokesperson, adding that the woman, upset over the fight, however, did not take the threat seriously and asked him to "go on."



"An upset Amit later hanged himself to death, while live-streaming his extreme step on Facebook," said Boken.

Amit's family subsequently cremated his body without informing the police, said Boken, adding that the police have launched a probe into the incident.

The victim also often faced bouts of depression, for which he was undergoing treatment at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) at Rohtak for the last couple of months, Boken added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A CBI court has sentenced an associate of land mafia kingpin Moti Goel to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for grabbing government land in a village in the Sahibabad area here.

Special CBI Judge Rajesh Chaudhary held Sanjiv Tiwari guilty of grabbing 52 hectares of government land in Arthla village and sentenced him to 10 years' RI, public prosecutor Kuldeep Pushkar said



The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Tiwari, who is an associate of land mafia kingpin Moti Goel, who was shot dead in Noida in April.

Pushkar said Goel and his accomplices had connived with some officials to grab the piece of land.

In 2005, administration officials had valued it at Rs 520 crore. At present, the land is worth Rs 2,000 crore,he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Chhattisgarh police today said the Maoists have acknowledged losing 247 of their cadres in encounters with security forces over the last two years.

The figure is 39 more than that with the state police, according to Special Director General (anti-naxal operations) D M Awasthi.

Addressing a press conference here, Awasthi said the naxal casualty figure has been given out in a "press release" issued by the banned CPI(Maoist).

However, he did not share with the media the press release he was quoting from.

"According to a press release issued by the South Sub-Regional Bureau of Maoists, 247 ultras were killed between August 2016 and July 2018 in Chhattisgarh," he said.

The police officer said the press release was issued by the ultras on the occasion of the "martyrs' week" from July 28.

The police records showed that bodies of 208 ultras were recovered between August 2016 and July 2018, he said, adding the press release suggests that 39 more had died and their bodies had been retrieved by the naxals from the encounter sites.

Awasthi said the Maoists have also acknowledged that their top-ranking cadres were gunned down in at least 400 encounters with security forces in the last two years.

"It's a record that 247 naxals were killed in the state in just two years. The credit goes to intelligence-based offensive operations conducted by the security forces in the core areas of naxals," the Special DG said.

"We changed our strategy two years ago and decided to hit ultras in their core bastion. The state forces in coordination with the Central forces have conducted successful offensive operations in cores areas of Maoists based on the inputs provides by state's Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) and the intelligence Bureau (IB)," he said.

Security forces recovered 678 weapons, including a Light Machine Gun (LMG), nine AK-47 rifles, 20 Insas rifles and 12 SLR rifles, from the arrested as well as surrendered ultras and from 518 encounters since January 2016, he said.

He said a total of 137 security personnel were killed in the "naxal incidents" during the last two-and-a-half years.

Awasthi said as many as 2834 naxals were arrested while 1852 surrendered before the police in the above period.

"Besides, 692 Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) were recovered in the last two-and-a-half years," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor Marc Maron is in negotiations to join the cast of Warner Bros' The Joker origin movie.

The film, titled "Joker", will feature Joaquin Phoenix as the title character who is considered one of the most notorious DC supervillains and an arch-nemesis of The Batman.

If finalised, Maron, best known for starring in Netflix's "Glow" series, will Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy in the project, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Todd Phillips is directing the film, which the studio describes as being an "exploration of a man disregarded by society that is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale".

Phillips co-wrote the script with Scott Silver. The shooting is set to begin in September in New York.

Warner Bros has announced October 4, 2019, as the release date of the currently untitled film.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The country's largest car maker India on Wednesday reported a marginal decline in sales at 1,64,369 units in July.

The company had sold 1,65,346 units in July last year, India (MSI) said in a statement.

Domestic sales were up marginally at 1,54,150 units last month as against 1,54,001 units in the year-ago month, it added.

Sales of mini cars comprising Alto and WagonR were at 37,710 units as compared to 42,310 units in July last year, down 10.9 per cent.

However, sales of compact segment, including models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire, were up 17.8 per cent at 74,373 units as against 63,116 units in July last year, the company said.

Mid-sized sedan Ciaz sold just 48 units as compared to 6,377 units in the same month a year ago.

Utility vehicles, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga were down 4.9 per cent at 24,505 units as compared to 25,781 units in the year-ago month, MSI said.

Exports in July were also down by 9.9 per cent at 10,219 units as against 11,345 units in the corresponding month last year, the company said.BSP president Mayawati today flayed the BJP government for the rise in LPG price, saying it will only benefit the rich.

"Instead of extending relief to the poor, the BJP government is only concerned about the wealthy for whose benefit the prices of petroleum products are being constantly hiked," Mayawati said in a press release here.

Describing the price hike as an anti-people move, the BSP chief said, "People who had been troubled by rising petrol and diesel prices now have been further burdened with a hike in LPG price. This will adversely hit the poor and common people."



Referring to the recent incident of a temple being cleaned with 'ganga jal' after a woman MLA, Manisha Anuragi, visited it, and the report of a Dalit female officer being denied water, Mayawati alleged that there has been a spurt in number of casteist cases under the BJP government.

Such incidents and the desecration of statues of great persons born in backward communities have exposed the BJP government, she claimed.

The BSP president also lashed out at the BJP leadership for leaving out 40 lakh people from the draft National Register of Citizens in Assam.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BSP president Mayawati today flayed the BJP government over the rise in price of subsidised cooking gas (LPG), saying it will only benefit the rich.

"Instead of extending relief to the poor, the BJP government is only concerned about the wealthy for whose benefit the prices of petroleum products are being constantly hiked," she said in a press release here.

Reacting to the charges, UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey said the BSP supremo's concern for the poor was "laughable".

Describing the price hike as an anti-people move, Mayawati said, "People who had been troubled by rising petrol and diesel prices now have been further burdened with a hike in LPG price. This will adversely hit the poor and common people".

She also referred to recent incidents of a temple been cleaned with 'Ganga jal' (water from Ganga River) after a woman MLA, Manisha Anuragi, visited the place, and a Dalit female officer denied water.

Mayawati alleged that there had been a spurt in number of casteist cases under the BJP government.

Such incidents and the desecration of statues of great persons born in backward communities have exposed the BJP government, she said in the statement.

The BSP president also lashed out at the BJP leadership for leaving out 40 lakh people from Assam's draft National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Hitting out at the BSP leader, Pandey said in a statement, "Those who are deeply concerned about their family while sitting in closed rooms and busy knitting opportunistic alliances, their concern for the poor seems to be laughable".

"The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is integrating the backwards, deprived, Dalits and poor with the mainstream. Through the 'Ujjwala Yojana', crores of women have got rid of smoke (emanating from 'chullahs' in kitchens), paving way for their self-respect and good health," he said.

The UP BJP chief added that Mayawati was "unable" to see the welfare schemes started by the government for the poor as she has "always been worried about wealth and done politics in the name of poor and Dalits".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The White House has alleged that the media routinely reports on classified information and government secrets that put lives in danger and risk valuable national security tools, while reiterating that it supports freedom of press.

The comment came after a correspondent of a national news network was heckled at a Trump rally in Florida on Tuesday.

To a question on increasing attack on the media in the US, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday said, "We fully support a free press, but there also comes a high level of responsibility with that. The media routinely reports on classified information and government secrets that put lives in danger and risk valuable national security tools. This has happened both in our administration and in past administrations."



"One of the worst cases was the reporting on the US ability to listen to Osama bin Laden's satellite phone in the late '90s. Because of that reporting, he stopped using that phone and the country lost valuable intelligence," she told reporters at her daily news conference.

"Unfortunately, it's now standard to abandon common sense and ethical practices. This is a two-way street. We certainly support a free press, we certainly condemn violence against anybody, but we also ask that people act responsibly and report accurately and fairly," Sanders said.

The president does not support violence against anyone and or anything, she said.

"The president condemns and denounces any group that would incite violence against another individual, and certainly doesn't support groups that would promote that type of behaviour. We have been clear about that a number of times since the beginning of the administration," Sanders said.

"We have been very clear every single time we've been asked about that. When it comes to the media, the president does think that the media holds a responsibility," the White House press secretary said, adding, "While we certainly support freedom of the press, we also support freedom of speech, and we think that those things go hand in hand.A case of medical negligence was registered against a prominent private hospital in the city following the direction from a local court here, police said today.

The case was registered against Fortis Hospital under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including murder, Sub-Inspector posted at the Jawahar Circle police station, Munshi Lal Sharma said.

The court directed police to register an FIR in the death of 53-year-old Praveen Tiwari. He died at the hospital in May last year, he said.

Sharma said earlier hospital authorities did not cooperate in the investigation.

Praveen's family members had lodged a complaint, but had to move court last month to get an FIR registered in the matter.

"My father was admitted at the hospital in January last year owing to cardiac problem. He was admitted for over four months and he died on May 21.

"The hospital served a Rs 50 lakh medical bill, including Rs 4.5 lakh for hand gloves. Visits of doctors who were abroad were included in the bills, Praveen's daughter Kanika Tiwari said.

She said we have paid over Rs 25 lakh to the hospital after which the body was released by the hospital administration.

However, the hospital administration said the doctors and their team did their best in treating the patient.

"Doctors and their team did their best in treating the patient. The matter is now under police investigation. We will see what needs to be done, Director of Fortis Hospital Pratim Tamboli said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Suspected militants allegedly looted cash from a private bank in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir today, a police official said.

The incident took place this afternoon at Qaimoh in Kulgam district of south Kashmir, he said.

The exact amount of the cash looted has not been ascertained yet, the official said, adding that a probe into the matter is underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Mob lynching is a complete failure of rule of law, former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur today said as he cautioned that a judiciary which measures up to some political ideology will not be able to protect the Constitution.

He also said that it is the judiciary that ensures rule of law in the country and makes sure that it is not governed by any autocrat.

Justice Thakur, while speaking at the release of a book "The Wheel of Justice" penned by former law minister M Veerappa Moily, said that a person who committed an offence has to be prosecuted under the rule of law.

He said that even Ajmal Kasab, the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks convict, got a fair trial right up to the Supreme Court and he was not left to be lynched on the streets.

"Mob lynching is a complete failure of rule of law. If a mob can take law into its hands and administer sundry justice, what kind of rule of law is that? If somebody has committed an offence, the law requires him to be prosecuted.

"Even Kasab, a murderer who came to kill innocent people, got a fair trial. Got a trial right up to the Supreme Court. His mercy petition was considered. You all know that the apex court sat at midnight to examine whether there was any injustice in his trial. Because we believe in rule of law. He could have been left to be lynched in the streets of Mumbai by a mob but it would be the negation of rule of law. If that had happened, our heads would have hanged in shame before civilised countries," Thakur said in the presence of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

He said independence of judiciary has been a point of discussion in public domain for past few months.

"Independent judiciary looks after not only the Constitution but also ensures that we are governed by rule of law. That we are not governed by any autocrat and we are governed by rule of law. For the survival of judiciary, survival of democracy, it is necessary that we have an independent judiciary.

"A judiciary which is subjugated to powers, that measures up to some political ideology, a judiciary that succumbs to pressures will not be able to protect the constitution or protect the rule of law," Thakur said.

He further said judges themselves have come out and expressed apprehensions about the judiciary remaining independent and had raised questions which went unanswered.

Justice A K Sikri of Supreme Court, who spoke at the event was all praise for the efforts taken by Moily in bringing out books of public interest.

Talking about the book, Manmohan Singh said various conceptions of justice differ drastically from one school of thought to another and often, even within the broader umbrella of an ideology.

"Evidently, in the various schools of thought -- libertarianism, transcendental institutionalism, the realisation-focussed comparative approach -- the manner in which social institutions and therefore, nation states ought to exist and function differ significantly," he said.

However, Moily proposes that considering the ubiquitous nature of poverty and deprivation, perhaps the problem lies not in the gulf between nation states, but in the manner in which they are administered, Singh noted.

The evolution of India's conception of the rule of law does evince an increasing focus on the poor and the disadvantaged, at least institutionally -- the system of public interest litigations, the Lok Adalat, the increasing focus on access to justice through legal aid -- all demonstrate the direction of socio-political thought in India, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Madhya Pradesh unit of Congress today expelled six workers for allegedly manhandling the party's general secretary in-charge of the state, Deepak Babaria.

"The party has expelled six workers for indiscipline during Babaria's visit to Rewa," said state Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi.

The action was taken against party workers Rajesh Singh, Bhaskar Singh Monu, Rahul Singh, Sandip Singh, Dharmendra Tiwari and Manvendra Singh, he said.

Babaria was allegedly assaulted by some Congress workers at the Circuit House in Rewa on July 29 when he was speaking to reporters.

He was asked by a reporter who was the party's probable candidate for chief minister's job. He replied that it would be either Jyotiraditya Scindia or Kamal Nath.

When someone asked if the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajay Singh would also be considered, Babaria said "whatever you understand," and went back into his room.

Some Congress workers who were present followed him into his room and roughed him up.

State Congress leaders had claimed that the workers who attacked Babaria did not belong to the party.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered a probe after media reports alleged that answer sheets of a BA exam conducted by the Barkatullah University (BU) here were checked by students of a college in Sagar district, an official said today.

According to the media reports, the answer sheets of BA Hindi literature fourth semester exam conducted by the university were allegedly being checked by first year students of a college on behalf of their professor.

Madhya Pradesh Higher Minister Jaibhan Singh Pavaiyya ordered the Lokpal of the BU yesterday to probe the matter, the official said.

"The directive to get the matter investigated by the Lokpal was issued by the minister yesterday while chairing a high-level meeting of officials," a public relations official of the state government said.

The minister sought a report on the matter within two weeks, the official said.

"The minister said the issue is linked to the future of the students and whosoever is responsible for it will be dealt with sternly," he said.

Pavaiyya also directed the authorities to ensure that the future of the students does not get affected in any way and the department takes action against the employees if they are found involved, the official said.

During the meeting, the minister also asked the authorities to send the report to the state governor.

As per the media reports, journalists in Sagar district captured videos of students evaluating the exam papers.

The answer sheets were sent by the BU authorities to a professor of Government's Arts and Commerce College. The professor, however, allegedly handed over the papers to the students for checking.

"The BU Lokpal has already initiated a probe into the incident following the directives given by the minister," the government official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar today termed as "BJP sponsored" the call for north Karnataka bandh tomorrow given by various outfits demanding separate statehood for the region.

"Uttara Karnataka bandh is sponsored by BJP...where did the issue start? Who have spoken? They are the ones who are dividing the state," Shivakumar said.

"At any cost this government and Congressparty will take Akhanda Karnataka (United Karnataka) forward; we will not allow any injustice to happen to any part of this state..we will treat every one equally," he said.

A day-long bandh has been called in 13 districts of north Karnataka tomorrow, alleging discrimination by successive governments towards the region.

'Uttara Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti' (North Karnataka Separate Statehood Protest Committee) has allegeddiscrimination in allocation towards the region in the budgetpresented by Kumaraswamy on July 5, and also inadequate representation in the cabinet.

Samiti representatives had yesterday met Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who sought to mollify them by expressing his government's strong commitment for the region's development.

He also said the state government was mulling shifting certain government offices to the 'Suvarna Vidhana Soudha' inthe region, in an attempt to address alleged discrimination.

Following the meeting with Kumaraswamy, Samiti president Somashekar Kotambari had yesterday said a decision on continuing with the bandh would be taken only after discussion with other organisations that supported the bandh.

While some groups and organisations have said they will go ahead with the bandh, others have decided not to support it.

BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa has blamed Kumaraswamy for giving room to the demand for statehood for North Karnatka.

He, however, did not support dividing Karnataka and said whatever shortcomings were there could be set right.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal today allowed all three bidders for debt-ridden Bhushan Power & Steel -- Tata Steel, Liberty House and JSW -- to file revised offers by August 6, a day after lenders picked the Tata Group company as the highest bidder.

Passing an interim order, the appellate tribunal said that all the three contenders could upgrade their offer.

The NCLAT was hearing a plea filed by Tata Steel challenging the revision of bid by JSW Steel on July 27 ahead of the meeting of the Committee of Creditors (CoC) to finalise vote on offers for the debt-ridden company.

The CoC in its meeting yesterday selected Tata Steel as the highest bidder (H1) for Bhushan Power & Steel (BPSL).

Meanwhile, the NCLAT today directed the Committee of Creditors (CoC) to take a decision over the revised bids and keep it in a sealed cover.

"All resolution applicants can submit their revised offer by Monday, said a NCLAT bench headed by Chairman Justice S J Mukhopadhaya.

The bench said that the bidders can only change the financial part of the bid.

The NCLAT has directed the matter to be listed on August 17 for next hearing.

During the proceedings, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Tata Steel submitted that the CoC has selected it as H1 in a meeting held yesterday and lenders should be allowed to proceed to vote over the existing proposals.

However, this was objected by other parties.

The NCLAT last month had vacated its stay and asked the CoC to consider resolution plans submitted by three firms -- Tata Steel, Liberty House and JSW Steel. The tribunal on July 20 gave a go-ahead to the CoC meeting, directing it to finalise a bid for the company.

However, JSW Steel revised up its offer from Rs 11,000 crore to Rs 18,000 crore ahead of the CoC meeting.

Tata Steel put in a bid of Rs 17,000 crore.

Following the CoC picking Tata Steel as H1 bidder, UK-based Liberty House in a letter to the creditors panel and resolution professional alleged that CoC has not been fair to the UK-based firm while evaluating its bid for BPSL, sources said.

Liberty House alleged that "despite Liberty House bid provided superior recovery to the financial lenders and submitted firm financial commitment letters, CoC scored the company not fairly", a source privy to the development said.

A Liberty House spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

Resolution Professional (RP) Mahender Kumar Khandelwal said he had no comments to offer as the matter was subjudice.

Bhushan Power and Steel owes about Rs 45,000 crore to its lenders. It was among the 12 non-performing accounts referred by the RBI for NCLT proceedings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): Japanese automobile major Nissan has launched the 'Roots of Design' programme in India, aimed at encouraging students to take up careers in arts, design and creativity.

Alfonso Albaisa, Senior Vice-President, Global Design, Nissan Motor Company, launched the initiative at the Chennai Public School recently.

"The programme is aimed at encouraging the next generation of creators and developing a different perspective towards design and creativity to solve problems faced in the automotive industry", a company statement said.

"The world around us is changing fast and so is the auto industry. The cities we live are becoming smarter and more connected. This in turn is affecting how consumers engage with objects around them", Albaisa said in the statement.

Designers would play a key role, not just in the auto industry, but across technology, infrastructure, electronics and consumer durables, he said.

"Through the Roots of Design programme, we are opening the doors to the world of design and numerous opportunities it offers for aspiring students across globe", he said.

The auto major has launched the programme for students in countries like Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore and Beijing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar concluded a two-day brainstorming sessions with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, his cabinet colleagues and top officials here today to design blueprint for "new Meghalaya 2022" when the national games will be held here.

The Meghalaya government and Niti Aayog will work as partners to achieve this, Kumar told reporters.

He said wherever they find any difficulty they can contact us.

Kumar said the meeting further discussed about constraints and bottlenecks the state is facing in terms of education, connectivity and power issues.

We spoke about several constrains and bottlenecks the state is facing for example in terms of education sector, lack of trained teachers, lack of electricity connections in the schools, lack of proper mobile connectivity in border areas, the Niti Aayog official said.

He added Niti Aayog will take up the matter with the concerned departments of the central government.

The Central planning body has also suggested the state government to look for private investments in tourism sector.

Meanwhile, chief minister Conrad K Sangma said, Kumar has assured complete support to resolve the issues that are there and the challenges that we are facing.

Elaborating on the blueprint for new Meghalaya, the Chief Minister said, this blue print will allow us to see all the departments separately, see the challenges associated to them and work in time bound manner and target based manner.

In the meeting the chief minister also sought Niti Aayogs help in several pending projects in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump has received an invitation to visit India, but no decision has been taken yet, the White House said today.

"I know that the invitation has been extended, but I do not believe that a final decision has been made," the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters when asked about reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Trump to be the Chief Guest at the next year's Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.

She said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis would be headed to New Delhi soon for the first India-US 2+2 Dialogue with their Indian counterparts External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

"The 2+2 dialogue would begin discussion on the process of a presidential visit next year," Sanders said at daily press conference.

The United States and India have a deep and strategic partnership and "we are going to continue to build on that partnership" and advance co-operation.

"I think, you will see that in the meeting that would take place in September," Sanders said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP today accused the Congress and the Trinamool Congress of "murdering democracy" by not letting its president Amit Shah speak in Parliament on the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam with their noisy protests.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar also asked the Congress and its former president Sonia Gandhi to make their stand clear on the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the country.

The TMC, he told a press conference, was nervous due to growing strength of the BJP in West Bengal.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was a new low for parliamentary democracy that opposition members did not allow Shah to speak. "This is a new precedent and a new low," he told reporters.

Javadekar hit out at the opposition after its members began protesting when Shah rose to speak in the Rajya Sabha, forcing its adjournment for the day.

They had created a ruckus yesterday as well when Shah said that the BJP government had to the courage to implement the Supreme Court's decision on the NRC while the previous Congress dispensations lacked it.

"They deliberately raised objections to prevent Shah from completing his speech. It is murder of democracy to prevent a member of the House from speaking," Javadekar told reporters.

The Assam Accord to identify illegal immigrants was designed by then prime minister and Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi, he said, adding that Shah only asserted that the BJP was implementing the NRC, which was the "soul" of the accord.

Javadeka claimed even Indira Gandhi had said that the Bangladeshis should return to their country after the situation there normalised following the Indo-Pak war in 1971.

"We now want to ask about the stand of Sonia Gandhi on the NRC and on evicting infiltrators from the country," the minister said.

Javadekar also condemned TMC supremo Mamta Banerjee's reported statement that exclusion of over 40 lakh people from the NRC in Assam would lead to "civil war".

He also asserted that Shah would participate in a Kolkata rally on August 11, saying the local police had not done any favour to the BJP by granting permission to it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress in Tripura has alleged that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Assam were involved in a "pre-planned conspiracy" to exclude 40 lakh people in the state from the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"Genuine citizens with valid documents have been excluded only to drive them out of Assam. It's a pre-planned conspiracy of the Centre and Assam government. Those whose names do not figure in the draft NRC are mostly Bengali Muslims, Bengali Hindus and Manipuris," Tripura Pradesh Congress chief Birajit Sinha told reporters here yesterday.

Many residents of Tripura have matrimonial links with the people of Assam. They are also in trouble, the Congress leader said.

Nearly one lakh people have migrated to Assam from Tripura in search of livelihood. Despite having valid documents, they were left out, he said.

Unlike the NDA, the Congress wanted to find an amicable solution to the exclusion of people from the NRC list, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The police today resorted to baton charging and used water cannons to foil an attempt by activists of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), students' wing of the Congress, to gherao Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's residence over rising unemployment and various other issues.

The march began from the NSUI headquarters and the protesters were stopped at a barricade erected by the police at the Jai Singh Highway.

NSUI national president Firoz Khan and state president Abhimanyu Singh were among the 54 protesters who were detained, SHO of Bani Park police station Sanjay Kumar Arya said.

They were later released, the police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government today informed the Rajya Sabha that only 133 infiltration attempts have been made through Indo-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir up to June this year, as against 406 in 2017.

Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said till June this year, as many as 14 terrorists have been killed on the Pakistan border and only one security personnel has been killed and two injured during such infiltrations.

Giving figures, he said last year, as many as 59 terrorists and seven securitymen were killed and 18 injured during such infiltrations.

The minister also informed the members during Question Hour that 64 incidents of infiltration have taken place along the Indo-Myanmar border in which 3 insurgents were killed and 66 terrorists/insurgents were caught till July 28 this year.

Against this, during 2017 he said there were 99 such infiltrations along the Myanmar border in which 9 terrorists/ infiltrators were killed and 130 of them were caught alive.

The minister also said that except along the Indo-Pak border in J and K, there were only 4 incidents of infiltrations till July 28, as against 10 reported in 2017 in which two terrorists/insurgents were killed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kerala DGP Loknath Behera today reviewed the progress of the probe into the rape charge levelled by a nun against a Jalandhar-based bishop of the Roman Catholic church and said a special team would visit the city in Punjab and other places as part of the investigation.

The Director General of Police said he had given permission to the team headed by Vaikom Deputy Superintendent of Police K Subhash to leave for Jalandhar, New Delhi and other places for further investigation.

However, the team would interrogate Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused of sexual assault by the nun, only after gathering more evidences from those connected with the case in these cities, he said.

"The team will be able to move ahead only after correctly verifying the things. We haven't done it so far. Today, I have given permission to the team to go outside the state to probe the case. It will go not only to Jalandhar, but many other places also," the DGP told reporters here.

Ernakulam Range IG Vijay Sakhare, Kottayam district Superintendent of Police Hari Sankar and DySP Subhash besides other members of the special team attended the review meeting.

In her complaint to the Kottayam district police chief, the nun had accused Mulakkal of raping her and having unnatural sex multiple times at a small town near Kottayam between 2014 and 2016.

However, Mulakkal has claimed he was innocent and said the truth would come out in the investigation.

Clergymen supporting Mulakkal had claimed the nun made the charge against him after a priest, also an official of the Jalandhar diocese, filed a complaint against her relatives for allegedly threatening the bishop.

In his complaint, the priest has alleged that the nun's relatives threatened to kill Mulakkal after he ordered a probe against her on the basis of the complaint received by the Mother Superior of her congregation.

The team is carrying out simultaneous probe into this complaint also.

The nun had also complained to the National Commission for Women (NCW) that the Kerala Police was "not working" in the case as the accused is a "highly-linked" person.

NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma had said the commission would extend all possible help to the nun in the case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government today said any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan can only be held in an atmosphere free from terror and asserted that the onus was on Islamabad to create such a conducive atmosphere.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said continued cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan remains a core concern for India.

India has repeatedly called upon Pakistan to abide by its commitment not to allow any territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India in any manner, Singh said in response to a question on whether Indo-Pak relations have been very tense in the last three years.

"Pakistan has also been asked to take effective actions to end terrorism and dismantle terrorist sanctuaries and infrastructure on the territory under its control. Until such time, India will continue to take firm and decisive steps to respond to cross-border terrorism," he said.

The government desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan and is committed to addressing all outstanding issues bilaterally and peacefully in accordance with the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration, he said.

"However, any meaningful dialogue can be held only in an atmosphere free from terror, hostility and violence. The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere," Singh said.

To another question on whether neighbouring countries have illegally encroached upon Indian territories, Singh said Pakistan has been in illegal occupation of approximately 78,000 sq km of Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir.

China has been in illegal occupation of approximately 38,000 sq km in Jammu and Kashmir, since 1962. In addition, under the so-called China-Pakistan 'Boundary Agreement' signed between China and Pakistan on March 2, 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq km of Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to China, he said.

"There is no commonly delineated Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the border areas between India and China. From time to time, on account of the differences in the perception of the LAC, situations have arisen on the ground that could have been avoided if we had a common perception of the LAC," Singh said.

The government regularly takes up any transgression along the LAC with the Chinese side through established mechanisms, including border personnel meetings, flag meetings, meetings of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs, as well as through diplomatic channels, he said.

To a question on Indian fishermen in Pakistan's custody, Singh said that according to available information, presently there are 418 fishermen, who are Indian and believed-to-be Indian in Pakistan's custody.

On a question whether the government's aggressive foreign policy had resulted in the suspension of US security aid to Pakistan pending decisive action against terror outfits, Singh said India has consistently conveyed its concerns and sensitivities to the US government regarding American security assistance to Pakistan.

"India and the US share similar concerns over the threat posed by terrorism and extremism to peace and security in the region," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Claiming that multiplex owners are still preventing the people from carrying outside food inside the halls, the MNS today warned of fresh protests.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Sena (MNCS) today appealed to the multiplexes to comply with the state government's order allowing the people to carry outside eatables within two days or face protests.

MNCS is the cinema wing of the Raj Thackeray-led party.

In a statement issued here today, MNCS president Ameya Khopkar claimed that many theatres and multiplexes are not implementing the government order to this effect, which came into force from August 1.

In the recently-concluded monsoon session of the state legislature, Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Ravindra Chavan had clarified that there is no ban on bringing outside eatables inside cinema halls and places like food courts under the Maharashtra Cinemas (Regulations) Rules 1966.

Thereafter, the state government had issued a directive stating that there will be no ban on bringing outside eatables in the cinema halls and multiplexes.

A group of MNS workers had assaulted an assistant manager of a multiplex theatre in Pune in June over high prices of food items sold inside the complex.

The Bombay High Court had asked the Maharashtra government why it could not regulate the prices of food items being sold at exorbitant rates in multiplexes across the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan's top army brass today reviewed the geo-strategic environment, regional peace and internal security situation of the country.

Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa chaired the 212th Corps Commanders' Conference held at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

It reviewed geo-strategic environment, regional peace and internal security situation of the country and the COAS directed commanders to continue consolidating the gains of efforts against terrorism and militancy, an Army statement said.

"The forum expressed satisfaction on the progress of military level engagements with Afghanistan for regional peace especially through Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace & Stability (APAPPS)," the statement said.

The APAPPS was launched in February by Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve relations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Twelve religious parties, including Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-backed Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek, which contested the general elections in Pakistan saw a decline in their vote share when compared with the 2013 polls, securing just over 9 per cent of the total votes polled across the country.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the highest number of votes for religious parties was cast in Punjab (2,704,856 votes) but that contributed to only 7.98 per cent of the province's overall vote bank the lowest among all other provinces in Pakistan, The Dawn reported.

The far-right groups managed to secure only 5,203,285 (9.58 per cent) of the total 54,319,922 votes polled across the country as most of them saw a decline in their vote bank when compared to the 2013 general election, the preliminary results showed.

As compared with Punjab, their performance was better in Sindh where the religious parties received 1,116,644 votes (10.57 per cent of the total votes polled), it said.

Hafiz Saeed-backed Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek (AAT) had fielded 265 candidates including 13 women countrywide.

Apart from Hafiz Waleed, the other prominent AAT candidate was Saeed's son Talha Saeed who was in the run for a National Assembly seat from Sargodha. The party did not win any seat.

However, religiously-motivated groups dominated the electoral space in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where nine parties collectively secured 18.84 per cent of the votes polled, followed by Balochistan 16.78 per cent, The Dawn reported.

The recently revived Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) an alliance of various religious parties managed to secure 12 seats with 2.5 million votes for the National Assembly, it said.

Earlier in 2002, the MMA had emerged as the country's third largest party with 3.1 million votes and 59 of its candidates had won.

Similarly, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Nazryati-Pakistan just received 34,170 votes as compared with 1,030,98 votes in 2013.

Another religious party that did not leave an impact on the electoral battleground was Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (Noorani) that only got 22,918 votes in contrast to 67,966 votes in 2013, according to the ECP.

The Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen which received 41,520 votes last time got only 19,597 votes this time.

The Sunni Ittehad Council also witnessed a significant drop in its popularity as it received 5,939 votes only as compared to 37,732 votes in 2013.

On an unexpected front, the newly formed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) led by clerics of the Barelvi sect emerged as the top fifth party which received 2,234,138 votes for the National Assembly, outranking major parties like the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Awami National Party among others.

Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf emerged as the single largest party in the general elections held on July 25, winning 116 National Assembly seats out of the contested 270 parliamentary constituencies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan's top anti-graft body today decided to



file a corruption case against former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and several former top officials of the Ministry of Information Technology.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at its headquarters in Islamabad.

Gillani and others are accused of misusing their authority to illegally grant an advertising contract in contravention of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules, Dawn reported.

The act is reported to have cost the national treasury Rs 129.07 million.

Gillani served as 19th prime minister from March 25, 2008 until his disqualification and ouster by the Supreme Court on April 26, 2012.

The meeting also granted approval for the launch of investigations in four different cases against former president Asif Ali Zardari's foster brother, Owais Muzaffar alias Tappi, who was the Sindh local bodies' minister, the paper said.

Other Sindh government officials named in connection with the same investigations include former Sindh chief secretary Raja Muhammad Abbas, and the Sindh Land Utilisation Department's former secretaries Ghulam Mustafa Phul and Ghulam Abbas Soomro, it added.

These individuals are said to have abused their authority to illegally allot several hundred acres of land by the Malir river, which has reportedly cost the national treasury Rs 33 billion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan's Supreme Court today asked the government how it allowed former army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif and ex-ISI boss Lt. Gen. Shuja Pasha to take up jobs abroad despite a law barring officers from accepting employment for two years post-retirement, according to media reports.

Hearing a case of dual nationalities of Pakistan government employees, a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, observed that former army chief General (retd) Sharif and Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General (retd) Pasha found employment abroad within two-years after retirement, the Express Tribune reported.

After retirement in 2016, Gen. Sharif left for Riyadh to head a military alliance of Muslim countries led by Saudi Arabia.

According to Pakistani media reports, after retirement in 2012, the former ISI chief worked with a multinational firm based in the UAE. He now serves as group chief adviser to a Lahore-based firm owned by a Pakistani politician.

"According to the law, government officers cannot sign an employment contract abroad for two years after their retirement. Generals Pasha and Sharif, both, found employment abroad. Is the law not applicable to army officers?" chief justice Nisar asked.

The powerful military -- which has ruled Pakistan for roughly half its 70 year history -- remains the country's most powerful institution.

Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Zamir-ul-Hassan Shah informed the apex court that both retired officers had obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) prior to leaving the country for employment.

In response, the chief justice noted that those who serve the country at top positions are privy to sensitive information.

"Individuals who have headed sensitive departments should, in fact, be provided security," the report quoted Justice Nisar as saying.

The defence secretary then informed the apex court that the federal government had permitted both generals to sign foreign employment contracts.

However, Shah, who served in the army as the adjutant general, admitted he was unsure of the rules barring government servants from obtaining foreign employment till two years after their retirement.

The chief justice observed that it is to be seen how this permission was granted.

"We will see how the permission was granted, and what is its nature and duration. These individuals should have obtained the cabinet's permission [prior to their departure]," noted Justice Nisar.

On the issue of dual citizenship, the defence secretary said the armed forces do not recruit dual citizens and any dual citizen accepted by the army has to give up their foreign nationality.

The top judge also ordered the defence secretary to ensure that dual citizens were not presently employed by the Pakistani armed forces.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan's Supreme Court today asked the government how it allowed two former top army generals to take up jobs abroad despite a law barring officers from accepting employment for two years post-retirement, according to a media report.

Hearing a case of dual nationalities of Pakistan government employees, Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Saqib Nisar, observed that former army chief General (retd) Raheel Sharif and Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General (retd) Shuja Pasha had found employment abroad within two-years after retirement, Geo reported.

After retirement in 2016, Gen. Sharif left for Riyadh to head a military alliance of Muslim countries led by Saudi Arabia.

According to Pakistani media reports, after retirement in 2012, the former ISI chief worked with a multinational firm based in the UAE. He now serves as group chief adviser to a Lahore-based firm owned by a Pakistani politician.

"According to the law, government officers cannot sign an employment contract abroad for two years after their retirement. Generals Pasha and Sharif, both, found employment abroad. Is the law not applicable to army officers?" the chief justice asked.

The powerful military -- which has ruled Pakistan for roughly half its 70 year history -- remains the country's most powerful institution.

Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Zamir-ul-Hassan Shah informed the apex court that both retired officers had obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) prior to leaving the country for employment.

In response, the chief justice noted that those who serve the country at top positions are privy to sensitive information.

"Individuals who have headed sensitive departments should, in fact, be provided security," the report quoted Justice Nisar as saying.

The defence secretary then informed the apex court that the federal government had permitted both generals to sign foreign employment contracts.

However, Shah, who served in the army as the adjutant general, admitted he was unsure of the rules barring government servants from obtaining foreign employment till two years after their retirement.

The chief justice observed that it is to be seen how this permission was granted.

"We will see how the permission was granted, and what is its nature and duration. These individuals should have obtained the cabinet's permission [prior to their departure]," noted Justice Nisar.

On the issue of dual citizenship, the defence secretary said the armed forces do not recruit dual citizens and any dual citizen accepted by the army has to give up their foreign nationality.

The top judge also ordered the defence secretary to ensure that dual citizens were not presently employed by the Pakistani armed forces.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Pakistani national was apprehended by the Gujarat police after he crossed over to the Indian side of the international border near Vav in Banaskantha district.

The man, who identified himself as Kohara Bhil (24) crossed over near pillar number 995 on the border and walked some 20 km into India last evening, sub-inspector H I Bhati of Vav police station today said.

On reaching a temple in a village near the border, he asked for water. The local people grew suspicious and alerted the police who detained him, Bhati said.

Bhil told police that he lived in Badin district of Sindh province of Pakistan, and his purpose in crossing the border was to find a job in India.

Police recovered a mobile phone, a voter ID of his mother and a photocopy of his identity card from him. Further probe was on, Bhati said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi today suggested that people with "heinous" criminal cases against them should be debarred from fighting elections.

Quraishi, who was the CEC from 2010-12, said it was high time that long-pending electoral reforms were carried out in the country.

There were 40 pending proposals for electoral reforms, he said while speaking during a panel discussion at the launch of Congress leader and former Union minister M Veerappa Moily's book 'The Wheel of Justice'.

Quraishi, while talking about three such reforms, said criminalisation of politics must be dealt with strongly.

He said there had been a proposal that people who had criminal cases pending against them should be debarred from fighting polls, but a concern that was raised was that there may be false cases and political cases.

"The answer is that only heinous cases such as rape, dacoity, murder and kidnapping which will lead to five year imprisonment and where a court of law has framed the charges (should be the benchmark for debarring a person)," he said



This was enough safeguard against political and motivated cases, he said, arguing that there were so many undertrials in jails with some of their fundamental rights taken away, then why couldn't the right to contest temporarily be taken away from those with criminal cases.

The second issue he raised was that of finance and corruption in polls. Quraishi suggested that state funding of political parties should be considered.

He also slammed the government's initiative of electoral bonds, saying it has made the process of funding of parties less transparent.

The third reform he raised was of the appointment of election commissioner.

"The most powerful commission in the world which the Election Commission of India is, has the most defective system of appointment," Quraishi said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An animal rights body has asked the Environment Ministry to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 to include "bestiality" as a cognisable offence and introduce stronger penalties for cruelty to animals.

Bestiality refers to sexual intercourse between a person and an animal.

The demand by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India comes in the backdrop of recent reports which claimed that eight men gang raped a pregnant goat to death in Mewat town of Nuh in Haryana.

PETA India has shot off a letter to Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, asking him to amend the PCA Act, 1960 to include bestiality as a cognisable offence.

It has also urged the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Law to retain criminalisation of bestiality sexual assault of an animal by a human being under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) while amending the current wording to decriminalise sexual acts between same-sex partners and between other consenting adults.

Recently, PETA India had worked with Nuh Superintendent of Police and Nagina police station's Station House Officer to get an FIR registered against the eight men.

"The fear and pain this goat must have felt during this horrific, depraved assault is hard to comprehend. According to the mental health and law enforcement authorities, people who commit acts of cruelty to animals often move on to hurting humans.

"PETA India is demanding that animals remain protected from sexual assault for their sake and for the sake of the community at large," said PETA India CEO Manilal Valliyate.

In the letter, the animal rights body said many recent cases of sexual abuse of animals by humans for which the accused were charged under Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the IPC signified the need for harsher penalties under the PCA Act, 1960.

It said the recent cases include arrest of a man in West Bengal for allegedly dragging a stray dog into his house and raping it, a security guard caught for regularly raping a resident female stray dog in a washroom, a video footage of a murder accused committing sexual assault on a goat and a carpenter arrested by police sexually abusing a dog in Kerala.

It said in Madhya Pradesh in separate incidents two men, aged 25 years and 50 years, were arrested and charged for raping a cow, and an 18-year-old boy from Delhi was charged for committing bestiality with a calf.

In a study of domestic violence victims, 60 per cent of the women said their abusive partners had harmed or killed their dogs or other animals, the PETA India added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "definition" of disruption is that the opposition should not raise anything with which the government disagrees.

Congress spokesperson and senior leader A M Singhvi, when asked for his comments on the prime minister's remarks about disruptions in Parliament, said the whole nation knows that the Houses were running perfectly without interruption.

Modi, while speaking at an event at the central hall of Parliament, said, "Sadly, when there is noise and chaos in the House, MPs are not able to speak and the loss is of the entire nation."



"Government has the least to lose due to din in Parliament. It is the country which loses the most," the prime minister said.

The Congress leader said, "Indeed, last time in the last session, the sabotage and the interruption came from the government when the no-confidence was to be moved. This time there was absolutely no disruption, but the prime minister's definition of disruption is that the opposition should not raise anything with which the government disagrees."



"We are raising the issue, not of NRC (Assam's National Register of Citizens), but of exclusion of genuine Indian citizens, Hindus and Muslims alike. Now, if you don't like that issue you cannot say why the House is disrupted...you did not allow proper discussion," Singhvi told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.

He said the Congress was "very much for" genuine Indian citizens to be included and "non-genuine non-citizens" to be excluded in Assam's NRC, but that does not mean that "there is arbitrary exclusion".

Names of over 40 lakh people in Assam do not figure in the draft NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in the state. The second draft of the NRC was published in Guwahati earlier this week.

Opposition Congress and TMC has stalled the functioning of the Rajya Sabha for two days over the issue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress today demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in Parliament on the Chinese presence in Dokalam and also take the nation into confidence on his government's policy on demilitarisation in the trijunction.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the government of "managing headlines" and claimed that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's statement on Dokalam in Parliament "hides more than it reveals".

"In national interest, the Congress demands that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement and take the nation into confidence by placing the entire spectrum of facts on the floor of Parliament. The PM must tell his government's policy on demilitarising the Doklam plateau," he said.

In a statement, he alleged that the government's "denials, half-truths and doublespeak" on Doklam were endangering India's national security and strategic interests.

Surjewala said Swaraj's statement on Doklam was covered with "misleading opaqueness" and failed to provide the larger picture of Chinese presence in South Doklam.

He alleged that as China stares at the Siliguri Corridor, the Gateway to India's North East, the BJP government nearly ducks the Doklam question.

"The Modi government hid behind a sheet of misleading opaqueness on Doklam today. The external affairs minister claimed in Parliament that the 73 day standoff in Doklam has been resolved with diplomatic maturity without losing any ground and there is no change in the status quo (on the ground). The face off at sight has been resolved on August 28, 2017," he said.

He alleged that the government and Swaraj were "conspicuously silent" on the Chinese military buildup and new road construction in the South Doklam region, overlooking the Chicken's Neck.

"Swaraj said nothing about the creation of a full-fledged Chinese military complex at Doklam right upto 10 metres from Indian Army Post, reflected in the satellite imagery released earlier by the Congress, besides media reports," he said.

Surjewala said the prime minister had met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on July 26 on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa, the third bilateral meeting of Modi with his Chinese counterpart in the past four months.

"Disappointingly, the Modi government could not give a conclusive reaction to the numerous media reports and developments regarding the Doklam stand-off that have compromised India's national security and endangered its strategic interests," he said.

Surjewala alleged that during the No Confidence motion debate in Parliament, the PM spewed false political rhetoric but could not provide any clarity on the status of Chinese military and infrastructure build up at North and South Doklam.

He said both Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Swaraj had visited China from April 20-24, but not a word on Doklam came out of those "agenda-less" visits.

"The foreign minister's vacuous statement on Doklam in Parliament speaks volumes about the government's uncertain foreign policy and continuous flip-flops to the Chinese misadventure in Doklam which is harming India's strategic interests," he claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police have foiled three bids to smuggle bovines and rescued 33 animals in Doda, Ramban and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said today.

Acting on a tip-off, a police party intercepted a bovine smuggler, identified as Mohd Qasim, and rescued 14 animals at Manjmi-Dessa belt of Doda district, the official said.

But Qasim managed to escape from the spot, he said.

In another case, a police party intercepted a vehicle at Dharamkund belt of Ramban district last night and rescued eight bovines, the official said, adding that the driver of the vehicle was taken into custody.

Similarly, police rescued 11 bovines from a truck in Lakhanpur belt of Kathua district but the driver of the vehicle managed to escape from the spot, he said.

Three separate cases were registered in this regard, the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police are on the lookout for a DMK worker in connection with an alleged assault on the employees of a restaurant here after it declined to serve him food since it had closed for the day.

A video of the incident that happened on Sunday night went viral on social media today, where a couple of persons are seen thrashing the employees of the restaurant after talking to them for a while.

A senior police official said the accused Yuvaraj was a DMK member and that a case has been registered against him and some of his accomplices in connection with the assault.

The incident happened at Virugambakkam.

They are absconding, the official added.

According to the hotel staff, the group demanded that they be served food but were told that the restaurant had closed for the day.

Following this, they got angry and suddenly started assaulting some staff members, the employees said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Puducherry Assembly today passed the crucial Appropriation Bill with three nominated MLAs being allowed to attend the proceedings of the house, meeting the condition laid down by Lt Governor Kiran Bedi while clearing it.

The standoff between Bedi and the Congress government ended as the nominated MLAs took part in the assembly proceedings today.

The nominated legislators, V Saminathan, K G Shankar and S Selvaganapthy attended the session after Speaker V Vaithilingam gave them permission through separate letters yesterday.

After the House passed the Appropriation bill tabled by the Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, the government whip raised a point of order and tabled a resolution stating that the nominated legislators had no right to vote on any matter in the House.

R K R Anandaraman said nominated MLAs had no right to exercise their franchise anywhere in the country in the presidential elections as per Article 55 of the Constitution.

To this,AINRC MLAs Ashok Anand and N S J Jayabalrose in revolt against the resolution and staged a walk out.

The AIADMK members also registered their protest against the resolution.

The Congress government had opposed the appointment of the three BJP functionaries as MLAs by the Centre on the ground it was not consulted.

Though Bedi had inducted them as MLAs on July 4 last year in the Raj Nivas, Speaker Vaithilingam refused to recognise them as legislators, saying they were not nominated by the competent authority.

The Supreme Court, while refusing to stay a Madras High Court order upholding their nomination, had on July 19 asked the Assembly speaker to allow the three nominated BJP leaders to function as MLAs.

Earlier, when Narayanasamy tabled the bill, AIADMK MLA A Anbalagan intervened and said the Congress government had displayed its "weakness" by not being able to present the Appropriation Bill on July 18 when it was scheduled to be tabled for adoption.

He also charged the Lt Governor with 'delaying' her consent to the introduction of the Bill on July 18 and making a 'mockery' of the Assembly.

"The turf warbetween the Lt Governor and the government has cast a slur on the Assembly and crippled routine working of the government," he alleged.

Responding to the MLA's criticism, the Chief Minister said as per the earlier plan, the Assembly session was slated to be held till July 27.

But the session adjourned sine die on July 19, as all the legislators had planned to proceed to Delhi to persuade the Centre to grant statehood for Puducherry.

The House had before adjourning sine die passed all the demands for grants and the Finance Bill was sent to Lt Governor for her consent for introduction before the session ended.

However, the the Bill was retained in Bedi's office without being cleared till July 19, he said.

Narayanasamy further said he had received a letter on July 21 from Bedi conveying her approval with the condition that the three MLAs be permitted to attend the proceedings as per the interim order of the Supreme court.

Claiming that Bedi has no authority whatsoever to lay down any condition while forwarding her approval for introduction of the Bill, the Chief Minister said he had forwarded to the Union Home Ministry, the copy of the letter he had written to the Lt Governor in this regard.

After Narayanasamy's reply, the Speaker put the Bill to voice vote and announced that it was passed with majority of the members supporting it.

The session was reconvened today to introduce and adopt the Appropriation Bill 2018, which meant adoption of the Rs 7,635 crore budget the Chief Minister had placed on the table of the House on July 2.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)This will happen if we do not take ownership of REDD and make it the centre-piece of the agenda for APEC in Port Moresby come November.

But theres a story here thats even closer to PNG  the story of REDD and APEC and how PNG may miss out on its share of the US$11 billion Green Climate Fund.

That is, the reduction of climate harmful emissions that increase as a result of the deforestation and degradation of forests and other elements in the biosphere.

WEWAK  REDD is an abbreviation that all of us in Papua New Guinea need to know. It stands for Reduction of Emission from Deforestation and Degradation.

REDD is a story that needs to be told. It is a good story and its a story of something positive coming out of Papua New Guinea.

In 2012 then deputy prime minister and minister for forests, Belden Namah, announced through the National Executive Council the approval of the April-Salume REDD+ Project located in the remote Hunstein range soaring above the the mighty Sepik River.

The idea of REDD+ originated here in Wewak and it was an idea that captured the imagination of the world with its promise of a cash strapped third world country lifting its people from poverty, disease and ignorance while at the same time contributing to the great issue of our generation  taking action on climate change to keep our planet safe.

It all started in Wewak in 1994 when Malaysian timber barons, having exhausted the timber resources of Sabah and Sarawak, started looking at PNG as the next target for industrial scale logging operations.

With over 37 million hectares of forest, PNG has the third largest pristine forest cover in the world, with only the Congo and the Amazon having larger forest cover.

In 1994, a Singaporean forestry hit man, Justine Ong, arrived in Wewak with a war chest of US$5million courtesy of the Malaysian timber conglomerate Invest Malaysia. His mission: to secure the 600,000 hectare April-Salome forest management area for a logging operation.

On 4 July 1994, the company Hunstein Range Holdings Ltd (HRHL) was incorporated, funded through Justin Ong, to represent the interests of some 129 incorporated land groups, comprising customary landowning units, such as clan groups.

HRHL was to later enter into a forest management agreement with the PNG government for a 50 year lease over the April Salume project area. For the purpose of efficient landowner representation, HRHL created four landowner companies that represented the major language groups within the forest management agreement area.

On 20 December 1996, another forest management area was declared over Hunstein Range, making it available for industrial commercial logging. Soon after, approval to begin logging operations was given not to Invest Malaysia but to a competitor company, Taiwanese, Roads Timber Ltd.

Also in 1996, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) arrived on the scene at the April-Salume project area and effectively campaigned against logging there, successfully securing the support of then environment minister to have April-Salome declared a wild life protection and management area.

In a brief to the PNG government in 2013, chairman of Hunstein Range Holdings, Januarius Sami, provided the following background to the project:

Having being denied economic opportunity through logging in the April- Salome Project Area, HRHL became aware of the efforts of a young Sepik born and raised American associate professor at Columbia University, Mr Kevin Conrad, who had proposed to the government of Sir Michael Somare who had come back to power in 2002 an alternative to Industrial Logging.

The story is told that Kevin Conrad was walking with Somare on the beautiful white Windjammer beach one afternoon in Wewak in 2003 looking for ideas for an executive MBA thesis for Columbia.

He asked Somare why he had allowed increased logging activity upon resuming office as prime minister. Somare told Conrad that if he could think of a way to get the world to pay the timber resource owners in PNG not to log their forests he would immediately ban industrial logging.

The idea got Conrad thinking and became the subject of his MBA thesis which proposed a cutting edge solution in the fight to lower the temperature of our planet by one degree by getting industrialised nations to pay people and countries like PNG with vast forest cover not to log their pristine forests.

The Kevin Conrad story and his contribution to REDD can be read here in full in this article published by the Pulitzer Centre on Crisis Reporting in Washington DC

From the REDD perspective Hunstein Range Holdings were controversial from the start - when the carbon cowboys first entered the scene in 2008.

April Salume is a PNG REDD+ pilot project that has withstood the tests of time. But it still aims to answer the fundamental question of whether forest resource owners in PNG can be monetised by industrialised countries including China to preserve our pristine forest?

With PNG hosting APEC this year, PNG leaders must take up the challenge to put the REDD question to the worlds great economies and to elicit a response directly from them of whether or not carbon credits from the April-Salume and similar PNG projects such as Komulo-Doso and Mt Giliwe will be purchased for the good of the planet.Les lunettes de marque ne sont pas ce qui manque dans les commerces. Il y en a de toutes les sortes dont les lunettes de []Southeast Asian nations are expected to welcome an initial negotiating draft of a nonaggression pact with China on the South China Sea, but critics warn that the protracted talks provide a diplomatic cover for Beijing's tenacious aggression in the disputed waters.

Top diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will also praise the rapprochement between the Koreas, along with that of President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, when they gather for four days of annual summitry in Singapore starting today.

Currently led by Singapore, the 10-nation bloc will host on Saturday Asia's largest security forum, including the key players involved in the Korean Peninsula's disarmament efforts, which will provide a chance for them to talk on the summit's sidelines.

Concern over rising extremism in the region and the plight of minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state will also be under the spotlight.

Myanmar is to brief the ASEAN foreign ministers on the situation in Rakhine during a lunch "retreat," an informal gathering where ministers raise contentious issues that normally are a taboo in their staid plenary meetings.

Founded in 1967 in the Cold War era as a bulwark against communism, ASEAN has a bedrock principle of non-interference in each other's domestic affairs and decides by consensus, meaning even one member state can doom any proposal it deems offensive.

Those cardinal principles have drastically slowed decision-making and have been used by authoritarian leaders to dodge outside criticism, causing the diplomatic collective to be labelled by skeptics as a "club of dictators" and human rights violators.

But its principles have allowed ASEAN to maintain diverse national identities, from rambunctious democracies to martial law regimes, for half a century.

The bloc has also been an acceptable broker for talks for all sorts of conflicts.

In the South China Sea disputes, which have pitted China, Taiwan and four ASEAN member states --Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam-- the group is expected to announce an agreement with Beijing on an initial negotiating draft of a so-called "code of conduct," a proposed set of regional norms and rules aimed at preventing the long-seething disputes from degenerating into a shooting war.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said yesterday before flying to Singapore that talks on the code could be concluded this year or next. Other Asian diplomats have not been as optimistic.

The ministers will welcome "the improving cooperation between ASEAN and China and were encouraged by the progress of the substantive negotiations towards the early conclusion of an effective code of conduct in the South China Sea on a mutually agreed timeline,"according to a draft of a joint post-summit communique by the ministers which was obtained by The Associated Press.

Some of the ministers would repeat their concerns over China's transformation of seven disputed reefs into islands, including three with runways, which now resemble small cities armed with weapons, including surface-to-air missiles.

China has come under intense criticisms for the aggressive action but it has said it has the right to build on its territory and defend them at all costs.

The ministers "took note of the concerns expressed by some countries on the land reclamations in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region," the draft communique said without naming China and reflecting the internal divisions over the touchy issue.

ASEAN member states Cambodia and Laos, which are known China allies, have opposed the use of strong language against Beijing over the disputes.

Greg Poling, director of the U.S.-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, which monitors developments in the South China Sea, said highlighting the draft code of conduct in the summit will be "more political theater than substance at this point" given the lack of agreement on areas it will cover and whether the pact should be legally binding after more than 15 years of talks.

Without any major concessions, especially from China, Poling said the talks would drag further while China presses actions to reinforce its vast territorial claims "without paying much price because the code of conduct process offers diplomatic cover to claim it is seeking a peaceful and fair settlement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Vociferous protests by members of the Trinamool Congress today forced the adjournment of the Rajya Sabha for the day, as it failed to complete a discussion on Assam's National register of Citizens and the reply to it by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The House had witnessed an adjournment in the morning



When the House reconvened at 2 PM after the lunch break, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy of the Trinamool Congress stood up and raised a point of order as BJP President Amit Shah was asked to conclude his speech he had started yesterday.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu responded to the point of order, saying he has allowed Shah to complete his speech which could not be completed yesterday due to continued disruptions.

Roy said "if any member who is so called upon does not speak, he shall not be entitled except with the permission of the Chair. Here, in this case, one honourable member has already spoken. How can he speak twice? There is no provision in the rules."



Soon thereafter, Trinamool Congress members stormed the Well of the House raising slogans, with Naidu asking them to go back to their seats, saying he has allowed Shah to conclude his speech.

Congress member Bhubaneshwar Kalita said his party members from Assam have not spoken on the NRC and should be given an opportunity to do so.

With disruptions continuing, Naidu said: "Are we at the mercy of one party? Why have your people (from Assam) have not spoken (when) an opportunity came to your party. Your party should have first given the opportunity to Assam members."



"You create disorder and raise a point of order," Naidu said, and asked Shah to speak.

However, the BJP chief was unable to speak amidst the slogan shouting and disruption.

Naidu then said that the conduct of the protestors was unbecoming of Parliamentarians.

"There seems to be a system, that you spoke, you had your say, it has gone on record, now you come and disrupt the House. So you don't want to hear the reply," Naidu said, asking Shah again to speak.

However the BJP President said if his speaking caused "so much fear, he can let go of the opportunity" to enable Naidu to run the House.

"I know why they (opposition) do not want me to speak," requesting Naidu to ask the Home Minister to make a statement.

Then Naidu asked the Home Minister to reply to the debate.

However, the TMC members who were shouting slogans from the Well remained unrelenting.

Amid the unabated slogan shouting and disruption, Rajnath Singh sought the Chair's permission to table his entire speech, saying that some members did not wish to hear the reply to the discussion on the NRC.

"As some of the members do not want the debate to continue and are not willing to hear the reply of the Home Minister, I would like to thank the Home Minister for continuously coming here for three days," Naidu said and then adjourned the House for the day.

The Rajya Sabha was earlier adjourned till noon as Congress members created an uproar, insisting on removal from House records certain remarks made by BJP MP Amit Shah in connection with the Assam National Register of Citizens.

Soon after scheduled papers were laid, senior Congress MP Anand Sharma raised a point of order and insisted on removal of certain comments made by Shah yesterday in the Upper House.

Several other Congress members were on their feet to support Sharma.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The issue of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) today rocked the Rajya Sabha, amid vociferous protests by TMC members, as the House failed to complete a discussion on the issue and a reply on it by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Trinamool Congress members forced an adjournment of the Rajya Sabha for the day just after 2 PM, amid strong protests by them over the issue. The House had witnessed an adjournment in the morning too.

Soon after listed papers were laid after the House assembled in the morning, Congress members created an uproar insisting on removal from the records certain remarks made by BJP chief Amit Shah during the debate on the NRC yesterday.

Senior Congress MP Anand Sharma raised a point of order and insisted on removal of Shah's comments. Several other Congress members were also on their feet to support Sharma.

Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad too said that the record of proceedings of the House must be looked into.

Sharma said Shah, during his speech on the NRC debate, had termed all prime ministers in office after late Rajiv Gandhi as "bujhdil' (coward).

In an apparent jibe on the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party, he said one of the Prime Ministers, Atal Bihari Vajpayee belonged to the BJP.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu assured Sharma that he would go through the records and asked Shah to resume his statement, which he had not been able to complete yesterday as the House was adjourned midway due to uproar.

As Shah rose to continue his statement, there were protests from Congress and some other opposition MPs too joined them.

Naidu said it seemed some members were "not interested" in the discussion and warned Sharma that he would be named. He also advised members to maintain decorum and cooperate for orderly function of the House.

The Congress MP said he would go out of the House. To this, Naidu said, "You go". However, Sharma stood up only to resume his seat.

As some opposition members were still on their feet, Naidu adjourned the House till noon.

The House reassmbled at noon and took up the Question Hour, which went on virtually without any hitch till the lunch break.

When the House reconvened at 2 PM after the lunch break, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy of the Trinamool Congress stood up and raised a point of order as BJP President Amit Shah was asked to conclude his speech.

Naidu responded to the point of order, saying he has allowed Shah to complete his speech.

Roy said "if any member who is so called upon does not speak, he shall not be entitled except with the permission of the Chair. Here, in this case, one honourable member has already spoken. How can he speak twice? There is no provision in the rules."



Soon thereafter, Trinamool Congress members stormed the Well of the House raising slogans, with Naidu asking them to go back to their seats, saying he has allowed Shah to conclude his speech.

However, the BJP chief was unable to speak amidst the slogan shouting and disruption.

Naidu then said that the conduct of the protestors was unbecoming of Parliamentarians.

"There seems to be a system, that you spoke, you had your say, it has gone on record, now you come and disrupt the House. So you don't want to hear the reply," Naidu said, asking Shah again to speak.

But the BJP leader said if his speaking caused "so much fear, he can let go of the opportunity" to enable Naidu to run the House.

"I know why they (opposition) do not want me to speak," requesting Naidu to ask the Home Minister to make a statement.

Then Naidu asked the Home Minister to reply to the debate.

However, the TMC members who were shouting slogans from the Well remained unrelenting.

Amid the unabated slogan shouting and disruption, Rajnath Singh sought the Chair's permission to table his entire speech, saying that some members did not wish to hear the reply to the discussion on the NRC.

"As some of the members do not want the debate to continue and are not willing to hear the reply of the Home Minister, I would like to thank the Home Minister for continuously coming here for three days," Naidu said and then adjourned the House for the day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje approved today a proposal to set up 55 courts under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in the state.

Each district would have at least one such court to deal with cases of crime against children, especially rape and to ensure that accused are convicted at the earliest, Raje said in a statement.

One such court is already operational in the state capital, the statement said.

Total 660 new posts would be created and filled in these courts.

The POCSO courts would be set up in Bikaner, Balotara, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Churu, Dausa, Dholpur, Dungarpur, Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Jalore, Jaisalmer, Jhunjhunu, Karauli, Merta, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Swai Madhopur, Sikar, Sirohi, Jodhpur and Tonk, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat will unfurl the national flag on Independence Dayat Ghamshali village, which is adjacent to Barahoti near the Indo-China border in Chamoli district.

The chief minister will go to Ghamshali village after hoisting the national flag at the main programme to be held at Parade ground in Dehradun, an official release said.

Badrinath legislator Mahender Bhatt had requested the Rawat to hoist the tricolor at the Independence Day function at Ghamshali, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The remains of US servicemen killed in North Korea decades ago left for home today after a solemn ceremony at an American military base in South Korea.

Two US military aircraft took the 55 sets of remains to Hawaii, where historians and scientists will begin a long and complex process of identification.

Pyongyang last week returned the remains from the 1950-53 Korean War, in line with an agreement between US President Donald Trump and its leader Kim Jong Un at their historic summit in Singapore in June.

Trump has praised Kim for "keeping his word" about the handover and said Vice President Mike Pence would meet families when the remains arrive back in the US.

The process of identification could take years, according to experts.

But John Byrd, director of scientific analysis at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), said preliminary findings suggested that "they are likely to be American remains".

"The remains are consistent with remains we have recovered in North Korea... in the past," Byrd told reporters at Osan US Air Base in South Korea. The cases had been kept there since Friday, awaiting their repatriation to Hawaii for further forensic analysis.

"There's no reason at this point to doubt that they do relate to Korean War losses," he added.

Around 500 officials from the United Nations Command (UNC), the United States and South Korea attended the formal repatriation ceremony at the airbase today.

The cases, each draped with a white and blue UN flag, were lined up in rows as the ceremony got under way.

"This is a solemn reminder that our work is not complete until all have been accounted for, no matter how long it takes to do so," said General Vincent Brooks, the Commander of the UNC and of United States Forces Korea.

After the ceremony uniformed soldiers carefully deposited each case into two C-17 cargo planes, which later took off for Hawaii.

Byrd told reporters that "there was a single dog tag (US soldier's identity tag) provided with the remains".

"The family of that individual has been notified," he said.

"But I would caution... that it's not necessarily the case that the dog tag goes with the remains... in the box," he added, underscoring the challenges of identifying the recovered remains.

The returned material also included military hardware and uniforms, including helmets, water bottles and boots, he said.

Former DPAA official Jeong Yang-seung, who previously worked on identifying US remains from the North, said it was unusual to locate dog tags during the search and recovery process.

"It's once in a blue moon that dog tags are recovered," Jeong, now professor of forensic anthropology at the Middle Tennessee State University, told AFP.

"I don't think North Korea is refusing to give dog tags when it has more but it probably doesn't have dog tags lying around," he said.

"So when... only one dog tag was provided, it's probably not to tease the US but rather that it was sent because it could offer clues to the remains." DNA analysis, skeletal studies of bones, dental records and details of where the remains were found play a key role in such investigations, he said.

"It's a very thorough process with many, many procedures so it takes a long time," he said.

"If it's identified quickly, it would be around five to six months, but if not, it could take decades." More than 35,000 Americans were killed on the Korean Peninsula during the war and around 7,700 of them are still considered missing, including 5,300 in North Korea alone.

Between 1990 and 2005 229 sets of remains from the North were repatriated, but those operations were suspended when ties worsened over Pyongyang's banned nuclear weapons programme.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is checking the possibility of oil leakage from its underground pipelines here, after people complained ofa leak.

The residents expressed fear over the leaked oil mixing with the Phalguni river water.

In a statement today, MRPL said during a routine pipeline corridor inspection from MRPL to New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), MRPLofficials had noticed oil traces on the surface near AdaniWilmar on SEZ road.

The source of the oil was yet to be established, it said, adding that waste material was being illegally dumped inthe vicinity of MRPL pipeline corridor.

The possibility of dumping of waste oil by unknown persons in the vicinity of thepipelines could not be ruled out, it said.

"To eliminate the possibility of leak from MRPL's underground pipelines, the company has started excavation of the area. So far no leak from the pipeline has been observed," the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A revenue official was arrested for allegedly molesting a widow inside his office chamber in the outskirts of the city here, police said today.

Naib-Tehsildar Hans Raj was arrested after the victim lodged a written complaint against him at the Khour police station yesterday, a police official said.

The woman alleged that the officer allegedly molested her when she visited his office on Monday for settlement of her case for appointment on compassionate grounds, he said.

An FIR under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Ranbir Penal Code was registered against the man, the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)RK Group today announced its foray into the retail housing finance business with the launch of Wonder Home Finance Limited.

The company will offer home loans and financial assistance for repair and renovation of homes as well as MSME business loans.

A company official said it has already opened 9 branches in Jaipur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Chittorgarh and Rajsamand.

"We are setting up 29 branches in Rajasthan, covering approximately 70 per cent households in the state by recruiting over 400 people for this specific market in the first year of operation.

"By the end of current fiscal year, we expect to begin our services in other states including Gujarat, Maharashtra and MP," Sanjay Singh Rajawat,director and CEO of Wonder Home Finance Ltd, said here.

Ashok Patni, chairman of the Ajmer-headquartered RK Group, said the company aims to deliver unified financial services to people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Rajya Sabha today took up 12 of the 15 starred questions listed for the day during the Question Hour, with members earning praise from Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.

This is a second time since the Winter Session sitting on January 2 this year that 80 per cent or more questions listed for the day were taken up by the Upper House and oral answers were given by ministers during Question Hour.

During the last Winter Session of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha took up all the 15 listed starred questions for oral replies on January 2, 2018.

The total number of Starred Questions for oral answers listed for a day is 15. A member who asks the starred question is allowed to ask two supplementaries and three more members are allowed to ask one supplementary each.

In the past, five to six questions could be covered each day and their answers given orally by ministers. For remainder of the questions, written replies are laid on the table.

The highlight of the day's proceedings in the Rajya Sabha was the Question Hour which went smoothly, even though there were disruptions during Zero Hour preceding it.

The House was adjourned for the day after uproar created by TMC members when it met post lunch and the issue of NRC was taken up.

Naidu expressed happiness over the House transacting 12 questions during the Question Hour and complimented the members for the same.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ryanair's Irish pilots are preparing to strike again on Friday at the start of a new wave of industrial action against the no-frills carrier across Europe.

The strike is the fourth in Ireland for Europe's second biggest airline, and will affect 20 out of 300 flights in and out of the country that day.

In a statement today, the airline offered to meet the Irish pilots on Saturday or next week "so we can get down to the serious work of resolving this dispute".

The Swedish pilots union Svensk Pilotforening (SPF) also on Wednesday said its members intended to strike on August 10.

The union said Ryanair "had consistently refused to meet with and negotiate with representatives of SPF", accusing the Irish airline of wanting to choose its own negotiating team from the union.

The SPF said around 40 pilots at Skavsta airport, 100 kilometres (62 miles) southwest of Stockholm, would go on strike. Pilot unions in Belgium called on their members to join in industrial action on August 10.

Dutch and German pilots have also voted to strike unless they reach a deal with management.

"Ryanair needs a wake-up call and a strike in the Netherlands might be the only solution," the Dutch Airline Pilots Association said in a statement. The union said that Dutch law should be applied to Ryanair contracts and there should be "no more bogus self-employment and a sufficient sick pay and pension".

The German union Vereinigung Cockpit gave Ryanair until August 6 to submit a proposal for negotiation, noting that talks last Friday had broken down with no agreement.

"Since the start of our negotiations in January, Ryanair has been playing for time and even if Ryanair is not taking this ballot seriously, industrial action like in other European countries seems unavoidable in Germany as well," the union said.

Ryanair said it remained open to further talks with pilot representatives to discuss union recognition and collective labour agreements.

"In the interim, we have requested these pilot unions to give us seven days' notice of any planned strike action so that we can minimise the disruption to our customers by cancelling flights in advance and offering them alternative flights or refunds," a company statement said.

Ryanair, which flies in 37 countries and carried 130 million passengers last year, averted widespread strikes before Christmas by agreeing to recognise trade unions for the first time in its 32-year history.

But it has since struggled to reach agreement on terms with several of them.

The airline was hit by a round of strikes last week affecting 600 flights in Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

It said the 100,000 affected passengers had all been put on alternative flights or would receive refunds.

Unions want the airline to give contractors the same work conditions as staff employees.

They are also seeking that Ryanair staff be employed according to the national legislation of the country they work in, rather than that of Ireland as is currently the case, which blocks the workers' access to state benefits. The Irish pilots' strike is focused on working arrangements, including annual leave and promotions.

Ryanair argues that since its planes fly under the Irish flag and most of its employees work onboard planes, its staff are covered by Irish law. Ryanair is Europe's biggest budget airline by passenger numbers, and the second biggest overall behind Germany's Lufthansa.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Kerala government today told the Supreme Court that the custom of barring entry of women between the age group of 10 to 50 years into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala is not permissible under the Constitution.

It said that celibate status of deity cannot be a ground for barring entry of women as it is a Hindu temple and not a temple of a particular denomination.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas challenging the ban on entry of females between the age group of 10 to 50 years into the 800-year-old shrine after hearing the matter for eight days.

"We will pass orders. Judgment reserved. Hearing concluded. Advocate on Record of both the sides will collect written submissions and compile it and submit before the court in seven days," the bench also comprising justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra said.

Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing for Kerala government, said that the custom of barring women between the age group of 10 to 50 years is not permissible under the Constitution.

"Sabarimala temple cannot claim to be a distinct denomination to claim a custom which bars entry of women of 10-50 year age group to temple. It is not a temple of a particular denomination but a Hindu temple," he said.

Gupta, referring to the arguments of the petitioners who had challenge the ban on entry of women into the temple, said that they pointed out that Kerala high court had held that it is a denominational temple.

"It is my submissions, that it is not a denominational temple and the religious rights are not protected", he said.

Citing an example of Lord Jagannath Puri temple, Gupta said that it is also not a temple of particular denomination while on the other hand temple of Ramakrishna Paramhans is of a particular denomination as he is being worshipped by a particular sect.

He said that even Dakshineswar temple in Kolkata, where Shri Ramakrishna Paramhans himself worshipped, is not a temple of any particular denomination.

"Dakshineswar temple is a Hindu temple where goddess Kali is worshipped," he said and added that "the celibate status of deity cannot be a ground to bar women's entry into the Sabarimala temple".

"There were many devotees of Shankaracharya who were celibate," he said and added that the Constitutional provisions have to be interpreted broadly as the right of State to make laws under Article 25(2)(b) not just applies to social aspects but also religious aspects.

The senior lawyer told the bench, that there is no need to strike down Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965 (which bars women from entering the temple).

"The Rule can be read in such a manner to the effect that women cannot be excluded," he said.

To this, Justice Nariman remarked, "Very difficult. Very difficult".

He concluded his rejoinder saying "our Constitution is reformist and if we keep going back to the period of holy antiquity then there wont be any reforms".

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for petitioners challenging the ban, said the court had always struck down laws, customs, practices or tradition which prevented Harijans from going to temple.

"Similarly, now the court can struck down such laws, practies or customs which deny women the right to enter temple", she said and added that if court recognises a custom, then it will have force of law.

She said that this discrimination between men and women on allowing entry to temple is on the basis of sex and court cannot avoid this question and it has always struck down such discriminations.

"It is a case of discrimination on the basis of menstruation alone and is like creating sub-classification even among women. It is not only discrimination between men and women but also women and women," she said.

The bench, also heard the rejoinder arguments of two amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran, K Ramamurthy and counsel appearing for parties and reserved its verdict.

The court was hearing a batch of pleas filed by petitioners including Indian Young Lawyers Association and others challenging the ban on entry of women between 10-50 years of age group.

The apex court had yesterday said that the constitutional scheme prohibiting exclusion has "some value" in a "vibrant democracy".

The Kerala government, which has been changing its stand on the contentious issue of women of a particular age group entering the Sabarimala temple, had on July 18 told the apex court that it favours their entry.

The apex court had on October 13 last year referred the issue to a Constitution bench after framing five "significant" questions including whether the practice of banning entry of women into the temple amounted to discrimination and violated their fundamental rights under the Constitution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has spent Rs 18,832 crore on expansion and modernisation of its Bhilai plant in Chhattisgarh till June, 2018, Parliament was informed today.

At present, BSP, a unit of SAIL, is one of the operational integrated steel plants in Chhattisgarh, Minister of State for Steel Vishnu Deo Sai said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

SAIL has undertaken the modernisation and expansion of Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) under which major facilities like coke oven battery, sinter machine, new blast furnace, steel melting shop etc have been installed, the minister said.

"An expenditure of Rs 18,832 crore (on gross basis) has been incurred till June, 2018," Sai added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Goa Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai is in favour of holding beauty contests in paddy fields if that serves the purpose of attracting the youth to farming.

The minister was responding to the Demands for Grants for Agriculture department in the Legislative Assembly today.

He said all attempts should be made to make agriculture an attractive profession.

"Today agriculture does not appeal the young generation. They feel that it is a profession of the old people. The need of the hour is to incentivise agriculture," he said.

Stressing his point, the minister said, "If you want, you can even host beauty contests in paddy fields. Let the youth come. You can do that. Do everything possible to get the young generation to the fields".

Sardesai had recently appealed to the farmers to chant a Vedic mantra in their fields and adopt "cosmic farming" techniques to increase the yield.

He said one should adopt traditional methods of farming. "This is required for the food safety," he said.

Underlining the importance of community farming, Sardesai said, "The Goa government will remain the guarantor of land to ensure that no one will grab the land in question once it is brought under the contract farming scheme," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court pulled up the Group for "defrauding investors" and playing "dirty games" with the court and ordered attachment of all and movable properties of 40 firms belonging to the major.

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit directed the Group of companies to place before it details of all its from 2008 till today and ordered freezing of of all the directors of its 40 firms.

The apex court summoned secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and chairman, National Buildings Construction Corporation India Ltd, for proceeding with matters of the group without its approval.

On May 17, the apex court had given its nod to three co-developers to complete the 12 stalled projects of the embattled Group in the next six months to 48 months time period.

The top court had asked the to deposit Rs 2.5 billion in four weeks in an escrow account to be paid to the co-developers on completion of the projects.

The six projects will cater to 27,000 to 28,000 hassled homebuyers.

The apex court had on May 10 spotted diversion of funds to the tune of over Rs 27 billion by the and sought details of financial transactions made by the company and its statement of accounts.

Observing that homebuyers "cannot be just thrown to a frying pan", the apex court, on April 25, had said it would like to be assured of the financial standing and credentials of a company which is willing to take over some of the projects of the

The group had then given the details of its ongoing housing projects, stages of work and the likely time to complete construction.

The company had earlier told the top court in an affidavit that it was not in a position to complete the projects and hand over possession of flats to over 42,000 homebuyers in a time-bound manner.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court today cracked the whip on Amrapali Group of companies for playing "fraud" and "dirty games" with the court and ordered attachment of all bank accounts and movable properties of 40 firms of the real estate major.

The apex court also directed Amrapali Group of companies, which are yet to hand over possession of flats to around 42,000 hassled home buyers, to place before it details of all its bank accounts from 2008 till today and ordered freezing of bank accounts of all the directors of its 40 firms besides attaching their personal properties.

While taking note of alleged diversion of Rs 2,765 crore funds collected from the investors by the group, a bench of justices Arun Mishra and U U Lalit said it prima facie amounted to criminal breach of trust and it would deal with the issue after hearing the parties.

The court said that the group companies shall not be entitled to deal with either the bank accounts or the movable properties in any manner whatsoever without its permission.

The bench also took umbrage as to how the National Buildings Construction Corporation (India) Ltd has issued advertisement inviting co-developers for doing the work related to Amrapali group without taking approval of the apex court.

The apex court summoned the chairman of NBCC (India) Ltd and the secretary of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for tomorrow to explain their stand on the issue observing that the "unfair" move by the corporation was apparently to "scuttle" the court's order.

It directed Amrapali Group to place before it the names of chartered accountants (CAs), both external and internal, who were handling the accounts of these 40 firms.

At the outset, the bench expressed its displeasure as to how the NBCC could proceed with the matter and issue such advertisement without its approval when the apex court was seized of the matter.

"This is not the way. It is sheer contempt of court. It is not fair. Totally unfair things are going on," the bench said, adding, "Are they law to themselves? When we are seized of the matter then propriety demands that they should first come before us."



"They feel that they can run a parallel sort of legal proceedings? It is not only contempt but it is a serious kind of fraud on the investors and the court," the bench said while asking how could NBCC "intermingle" with the court's order.

The apex court said that it wanted to know who has issued the advertisement and under what circumstances the process was initiated.

The bench also pulled up Amrapali Group for "flouting" its orders and said that its directions have not been complied with and the firm was not only "defrauding" the court but also playing "dirty games" with it.

It also said that despite its order, the group has not placed before it the bank account details from April 2008.

"We are literally shocked as to what has happened," it said.

Senior advocate P S Patwalia, appearing for the group, handed over some documents to the court but the bench, after perusing them, said it was only like a balance sheet and details of bank accounts from 2008 was not there.

"They (Amrapali group) want to play hide and seek with the court," the bench said, adding, "Does your client (Amrapali) feel that they are above everybody?".

"They are defrauding the poor people," it said.

"Till tomorrow, we want all bank accounts details of Amrapali group. If there is non-disclosure, we will haul everyone for contempt," it said.

The bench wondered as to how Rs 2,765 crore received from the investors was diverted for completion of other projects of the group and questioned as to how the CAs had certified it.

It said the group has also not deposited Rs 250 crore as directed earlier and observed that "serious contempt has already been committed".

The bench said that the real estate firm has "misguided" the court in the matter and it was "too much".

Patwalia, while saying that he would not appear for the group in the matter from now onwards, said that three projects of the group at Bareilly and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Muzaffarpur in Bihar was complete and if sold, it would fetch around Rs 300 crore.

The bench told Anil Kumar Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director of the group, who was present in the court, to furnish details of the 40 firms as well as their directors and account details.

The court was earlier told that a high-level committee has been constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to redress the issues of home-buyers and affected parties of incomplete or stalled housing projects at Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway, under the chairmanship of secretary of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

The group had said that it was in talks with the Centre for construction of its pending, unsold and future projects by NBCC and had already submitted a proposal in this regard.

The company had earlier told the court in an affidavit that it was not in a position to complete the projects and hand over possession of flats to over 42,000 home buyers in a time-bound manner.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court will examine whether its 12-year-old verdict that had dealt with the issue of 'creamy layer' for reservations to SC and ST categories in government job promotions needs to be re-visited by a seven-judge bench.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Kurian Joseph, R F Nariman, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Indu Malhotra will hear the issue on August 3.

The apex court had on July 11 refused to pass any interim order against its 2006 verdict and said that a five-judge bench would first see whether it needs to be examined by a seven-judge bench or not.

The apex court had said it cannot hear the matter only for the purpose of interim relief as a reference has already been made to the Constitution bench.

The M Nagaraj verdict of 2006 had held that the 'creamy layer' concept cannot be applied to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for promotions in government jobs, like two earlier verdicts of 1992 Indra Sawhney and others versus Union of India (popularly called Mandal Commission verdict) and 2005 E V Chinnaiah versus State of Andhra Pradesh which had dealt with creamy layer in Other Backward Classes category.

The Centre had submitted that the matter required urgent consideration by a seven-judge Constitution bench as lakhs of jobs in Railways and the services were stuck due to confusion over various judicial pronouncements.

On June 5, in a major relief to the Centre, the apex court had allowed it to go ahead with reservations in promotion for SC/ST employees in accordance with law.

The top court had took into account the Centre's submissions that the entire process of promotions had come to a "standstill" due to the orders of various high courts and the top court had also ordered "status quo" in a similar matter in 2015. It had said the Centre was not "debarred" from making promotions.

The government had said there were separate verdicts by the high courts of Delhi, Bombay and Punjab and Haryana on the issue of reservation in promotion to SC/ST employees and the apex court had also passed different orders on appeals filed against those judgement.

On November 15 last year, the top court had said a five-judge constitution bench will examine the limited issue of whether the 2006 verdict delivered in M Nagaraj and other versus Union of India was required to be re-looked at or not.

The two-judge bench in its reference order had said that clarity was required on the applications in creamy layer in a situation of competing claims within the same races, communities or groups.

It had sought clarification on Articles 16(4), 16(4A) and 16(4B) of the Constitution which dealt with the power of state government to make provisions for reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which was not adequately represented in the services under the state.

The Nagaraj verdict had reiterated that the ceiling-limit of 50 per cent, the concept of the creamy layer and the compelling reasons like backwardness, inadequacy of representation and overall administrative efficiency were all constitutional requirements, without which the structure of equality of opportunity in Article 16 would collapse.

It had also said the state was not bound to make reservation for SC/ST in matter of promotions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A private school here was forced to tender an apology today after angry parents confronted it for punishing some of the girl students for wearing 'mehendi' (henna), and the local BJP MLA intervened in the dispute.

The incident took place at Queen of Angel's Convent School at Vadadala on the outskirts of Bharuch city.

According to BJP MLA Dushyant Patel, the school principal made around 25 girls stand outside for four hours as a punishment for wearing henna designs on their hands yesterday.

Girls traditionally wear henna during the week-long fast for 'Gauri Vrat' which ended two days ago, he claimed.

Enraged by the punishment, many parents today arrived at the school and questioned the management.

Patel, who rushed to the spot after learning about the row, met the school management.

Members of the management later came out and apologised before the media and parents, assuring that such an incident will not recur in future.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Markets regulator Sebi today said it has granted recognition to Multi Commodity Exchange Clearing Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MCX, for a period of one year.

The period of recognition is from July 31, 2018 till July 30, 2019, according to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).

"Sebi has granted recognition to Multi Commodity Exchange Clearing Corporation Ltd (MCXCCL) for a period of one year commencing on the July 31, 2018 and ending on the July 30, 2019," the regulator said in a statement.

Separately, leading exchange BSE said the India International Exchange (India INX) has been notified as a 'recognised stock exchange' by the central government.

India INX is based in the International Financial Services Centre at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seven people, including three women, waiting at a bus stop in the city were killed and three others seriously injured when a speeding car mowed them down today, police said.

The driver of the SUV lost control over it and ploughed into the crowd, they said.

He was said to be under the influence of alcohol was caught by the public and later handed over to the police.

The injured have been admitted to a hospital, police said, adding that



investigation was underway.

A few vehicles and an electric pole were also damaged in the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Upping the ante on the issue of alleged presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in West Bengal, BJP president Amit Shah will take the battle to Chief Minister Manata Banerjee's turf with a rally in Kolkata on August 11 amid indications from his party leaders that they will make it a poll issue and seek an Assam-like NRC there.

With Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee holding talks in the national capital with opposition leaders to take on the BJP over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, Shah's proposed rally underscores his intention to build the issue as a major poll plank in her state as Lok Sabha elections are barely eight months away, leaders said.

A combative Shah earlier told reporters that he would definitely go to Kolkata on August 11 and dared the state government to arrest him after his party leaders claimed that the local police had yet not given permission to his event.

However, Kolkata police later said it had granted the permission, setting the stage for a showdown between the Trinamool Congress, the dominant political force in the state, and the BJP, which has emerged in recent polls as the main challenger to it, though as a distant second.

BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya told reporters that there could be over one crore illegal immigrants in West Bengal and suggested that the NRC (National Register of Citizens) should be adopted in border states to identify them.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh had also earlier said that an NRC will be published, on the lines of the one in Assam, if the saffron party was voted to power in West Bengal.

Shah has targeted to win at least 22 of 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the next Lok Sabha polls. In 2014, the TMC had won 34 seats while the BJP could get only two.

The prevailing sense in the BJP is that it could project Banerjee as an "anti-Hindu" leader driven by her "appeasement politics" for minority votes over her strident opposition to the NRC, according to the party sources.

Shah will address a rally organised by BJP's youth wing, Yuva Morcha.

Earlier, BJP Yuva Morcha alleged that they are yet to receive any communication from the Kolkata Police regarding permission for Shah's rally.

The BJP president and Banerjee were involved in a bitter war of words yesterday on the NRC issue with Shah asserting that the process will be implemented to the last full stop and comma as it was a matter of national security, and the TMC chief warning that this may lead to "civil war" and "blood bath".

The TMC today took a swipe at the BJP, claiming that it has become nervous and wished Shah a "happy journey to the land of peace and harmony".

"BJP & its national President have become nervous, tense. Their programme for Aug 3 in Kolkata was promptly granted permission. For their Aug 11 program, they only just sent a letter & permission granted" (sic), TMC chief national spokesperson Derek O'Brien tweeted.

Rejecting BJP leaders' claim that it was not giving permission for Shah's rally, Kolkata Police tweeted, "Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice. It is to clarify that on request permission for meeting has already been granted."



State BJP Yuva Morcha chief Debjit Sarkar said he has been informed by the police that the permission has been given to hold the rally at Mayo Road in the heart of the city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The DMK today said 21 of its party workers have died unable to bear the "shock" of the illness and hospitalisation of party chief M Karunanidhi.

The party also appealed to the cadres not to take any extreme step in view of the 94-year-old former chief minister's health.

"I am deeply depressed to learn that 21 party workers have died unable to bear the shock of party president Kalaignar's illness (and hospitalisation)," DMK Working President M K Stalin said.

As Karunanidhi continues to be under intensive care for the fifth consecutive day today at the Kauvery Hospital here, the party top leader said he was grieved by such deaths and conveyed his condolences to the next of the kin of the affected families.

The identity of the deceased has, however, not been disclosed by him.

Quoting a statement from the hospital, Stalin said health condition of the party patriarch was "normalising," and a team of doctors was constantly monitoring him.

"It is a good and giving us confidence," he said, adding that the emotional cries (Thalaiva Va / 'Leader Come') of cadres urging their leader to make a come back did not go in vain.

Stalin, who is also Karunanidhi's son and his successor in the DMK, asked cadres to realise that he cannot bear the loss of even a single party worker's life.

The principle of "duty, dignity and discipline should be followed making Anna (party founder) and Kalaignar proud," he said. "No one should take any extreme step that may result in loss of their lives."



Meanwhile, Tamil actor Vijay visited the hospital and enquired about the health of the ailing leader.

"Although there has been resolution of the condition which led to his hospital admission, an extended period of hospitalisation will be necessary due to age-related overall decline in his general health, altered liver function and haematological parameters," hospital's Executive Director Dr Aravindan Selvaraj had said in a press release yesterday.

Karunanidhi was admitted to the hospital on July 28 following a dip in his blood pressure.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said today that he has accepted the invitation extended by Imran Khan for attending his swearing-in ceremony as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

"It is (a) great honour, I accept the invitation. Men of genius are admired, men of power are feared, but men of character are trusted. Khan Sahab is a man of character. He can be trusted. Sportsmen build bridges, break barriers, unite people," Sidhu said in a statement issued here.

Sidhu was among other personalities who had reportedly been invited by Khan to attend his oath-taking ceremony.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Solar Charkha Mission, with a budget of Rs 550 crore for the initial two years, will generate direct employment for nearly one lakh persons, Parliament was informed today.

"Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched the Mission Solar Charkha for implementation of 50 Solar Charkha Clusters across the country with a budget of Rs 550 crore for the year 2018-19 and 2019-20. The scheme will generate direct employment to nearly one lakh persons," MSME Minister Giriraj Singh said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Solar charkha units have been classified as village industries. The mission was launched by President Ram Nath Kovind on 27 June, 2018 on the occasion of UN SME Day.

Besides, Singh said the ministry is also implementing a project to establish 15 new Tool Rooms and Technology Development Centres and upgrade the existing 18 centres in the country, at an estimated cost of Rs 2,200 crore, which includes World Bank loan of USD 200 Million.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The first batch of students of Tomo Riba Institute of Medical Sciences, the sole medical college of Arunachal Pradesh, was inducted today.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu handed over seat allocation letters to the first batch of 39 students at a function marking the beginning of the academic session.

"Many doctors have been recruited by APPSC which would be posted across the state as part of streamlining and decentralisation process of health sector," Khandu said.

"It is a dream come true," Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said adding it is a tribute Tomo Riba, former chief minister of the state after whom the hospital and medical college has been named.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Some states have not implemented the policy of 33 per cent reservation for women in their police forces which was a reason for lack of their deployment in the police stations, the Centre said today.

Responding to supplementaries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued three advisories to state governments to increase women's representation to 33 per cent of the total strength of police personnel.

He said the states have also been requested to create additional posts of women Constables/Sub-Inspectors by converting the vacant posts of male constables.

"The aim is that each police station should have at least three women Sub-Inspectors and 10 women police Constables," he said.

"But some states have not implemented the advisory and that is why there are not enough women police personnel in police stations," he said.

The minister said all Union Territories have 33 pc reservation for women and some states like Bihar and Andhra Pradesh have 38 per cent reservation for women.

"The Central Government on 20.03.2015 approved 33 pc reservation for women horizontally and in each category (SC, ST, OBC and others) in direct recruitment of non-gazetted posts from Constable to Sub-Inspector in police forces of all the Union Territories," Ahir said in his written reply.

Citing data received from the Bureau of Police Research and Development, he said that as on January 1 last year, the percentage of reservation for women in States Police ranges in Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana to 33.33 per cent.

The reservation for women in other states ranges from nil to 30 pc, he said, without naming these states.

Ahir said police was a state subject falling in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. "It is the responsibility of the State Governments to provide reservation to women in direct recruitment in police force," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Khasi Students' Union (KSU) today petitioned to the Meghalaya government to conduct an NRC-like exercise in the state to segregate genuine and ensure survival of the tribal indigenous communities.

Migrants from different parts of the country besides Bangladesh and Nepal had made the state their home reducing the indigenous communities to a minority in several pockets in the state, KSU president L Marngar said.

An NRC-type exercise will contribute immensely to the continuous survival of the indigenous communities in the state, he told reporters after a KSU delegation met Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong to put forth their demand.

"We proposed the state government to conduct an NRC-like exercise in the entire state of Meghalaya with 1971 as the cut-off year to segregate the genuine and non-genuine residents of the state," he told reporters after the meeting.

The complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was released on July 30 in neighbouring Assam leaving out the names of over 40 lakh applicants.

The KSU chief also expressed apprehension that many of those 40 lakh people would try to infiltrate to Meghalaya that shares a 900 km long border with Assam.

He claimed that the KSU activists set up infiltration check gates and, in the past 24 hours, detected and sent back to Assam over 1500 people whose names did not feature in the complete NRC draft.

The deputy chief minister said the government would examine the petition and make a decision.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court today allowed Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, accused in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death in a luxury hotel here, to travel abroad.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal allowed Tharoor's application seeking permission for eight visits to five countries, including the US, Canada and Germany, till December.

The court placed several conditions on Tharoor, while noting that there was nothing on record to suggest that he may flee justice.

"He (Tharoor) has cooperated with the investigation. He had appeared before court on the first date in pursuance of the summons issued to him. There is nothing on record to presume that he may flee justice," it said.

The court directed the Congress MP to furnish a fixed deposit of Rs 2 lakh, which will be refunded after his return.

It asked him to inform the investigating officer and the court about the travel details and his arrival in the country.

The court also directed him not to tamper with the evidence or influence the witnesses.

While opposing Tharoor's plea, moved through advocate Gaurav Gupta, police said it wanted to check the veracity of the invitations received by the politician and that he should have applied separately for permission for every visit.

Gupta, however, said his client was ready to file certificates to authenticate the computer printouts of the invitations.

He added that separate applications will consume more time of the court as well the prosecuting agency and will hamper the speed of the trial.

The court had earlier granted exemption to Tharoor from personal appearance for a day after he said that he was unable to come to court since Parliament was in session.

Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel, as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time.

The court also directed the Delhi Police to hand over various documents filed along with the charge sheet, including statements of witnesses, to Tharoor on a plea moved by him.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP was granted regular bail on July 7.

The court had on June 5 summoned Tharoor, observing there was sufficient ground to proceed against him.

Tharoor has been charged under sections 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but has not been arrested in the case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Sundarbans forest, which is the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world and home to several endangered species, is being threatened by "heedless industrialisation, according to a UN rights expert who called on the Government of Bangladesh to halt the process.

Stretching along the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans is considered one of the natural wonders of the world. However, despite objections from the World Heritage Committee of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the Government of Bangladesh has approved more than 320 industrial projects in the area, including a massive coal-fired power plant. The process bypassed requirements for public participation and an environmental impact assessment.

"The accelerating industrialisation of the Sundarbans threatens not only this unique ecosystem which hosts Bengal tigers, Ganges river dolphins and other endangered species but also poses serious risks to the human rights of the 6.5 million people whose lives, health, housing, food and cultural activities depend directly on a safe, healthy and sustainable Sundarbans forest," said John Knox, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the

Last year, the High Court of Bangladesh directed the Government not to approve any industrial development within the 10-kilometre buffer zone of the reserved forest, but according to UNESCO, approvals continue to be given.

"The threat posed by untrammelled industrialisation of the Sundarbans is emblematic of the threats facing the around the world," the Special Rapporteur said, adding that "of course, the people of Bangladesh, like people around the world, need to improve their economic well-being".

Knox stressed that "pursuing short-term economic gain in disregard of environmental costs" was simply unsustainable.

The Human Rights Council-appointed independent human rights expert explained that mangrove forests provide "benefits for clean air and water that extend far beyond their immediate location".

He called on the Government of Bangladesh to halt the industrialisation. "Pursuing short-term economic gain in disregard of environmental costs is chasing fools' gold. Without a healthy environment, economic gains are unsustainable," Knox added.

"To have truly sustainable development, it is critical to protect the And to ensure that environmental concerns are taken into account, governments must listen to the voices of those who are most affected by proposed industrial projects."



"Too often, the people who raise questions about development projects are ignored or even treated as enemies of the state. But really, they should be treated as the champions of sustainable development," the independent expert said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd (SMIPL) today reported 47.1 per cent increase in total sales at 58,805 units in July as against 39,976 units in the same month last year.

Domestic sales grew by 56.6 per cent at 53,321 units last month as compared to 34,038 units in July 2017, SMIPL said in a statement.

SMIPL Executive Vice-President Sajeev Rajasekharan said, "The positive customer sentiments and healthy demand in urban and semi-urban areas have spurred the growth momentum. This augers well for us ahead of the festive season."



He said the company has already dispatched 10,000 units of the newly launched Burgman Street scooter within the first month.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will embark on a four-day visit tomorrow to three Central Asian nations, reflecting India's pursuit of enhanced engagement with the region, the External Affairs Ministry said today.

Swaraj will be in Kazakhstan on August and 2-3, in the Kyrgyzstan on August 30-4 and Uzbekistan from August 4-5, a statement said.

During her visit to Astana, Swaraj will hold a bilateral meeting with her Kazakh counterpart Kairat Abdrakhmanov. She will call on the leadership of the country and interact with Indian community in Kazakhstan, it said.

India and Kazakhstan have a close strategic partnership and multi-faceted relations. The central Asian country is one of the nations from whom India imports uranium for powering its atomic reactors.

The bilateral relations between India and Kazakhstan got fillip by the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kazakhstan in 2015 and by his visit for SCO Summit in June 2017 when he had a productive meeting with the president of Kazakhstan, the statement said.

There have also been meetings between the leaders on the margins of SCO and Nuclear Security Summits keeping up the momentum in the growth of bilateral relations.

The next leg of the visit would take Swaraj to Kyrgyzstan where she would interact with Erlan Abdyldaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyzstan. She will also call on the leadership of the Kyrgyzstan, the statement said.

India and Kyrgyzstan share multi-dimensional relations including political, parliamentary, defence, science and technology and health.

Modi's visit to the Kyrgyz Republic in July 2015 and of the then president of the Kyrgyz Republic to India in December 2016, as also interactions on the margins of SCO Summits, have consolidated the traditionally cordial and close ties between the two countries, providing impetus to further strengthening of bilateral ties, it added.

Swaraj had earlier interacted with Foreign Minister Abdyldaev on a number of occasions including on the margins of United Nations General Assembly.

In the last segment of her three nation Central Asian tour, Swaraj would arrive in Tashkent on August 4.

She would hold in-depth discussions with Abdulaziz Kamilov, Minister of Foreign Affairs. She will also call on the leadership of Uzbekistan, it said.

Her visit will include interaction with indologists and members of the Indian community. She will also offer floral tributes at the memorial of former prime minister late Lal Bahadur Shastri.

India and Uzbekistan enjoy a close strategic partnership.

Bilateral relations between India and Uzbekistan have been strengthened by regular high level interactions. Modi visited Uzbekistan in July 2015 and for SCO Summit in June 2016. Recently, Swaraj had received Foreign Minister Kamilov for bilateral visits in 2017 and 2018 and also met him on the margins of SCO in April.

Swaraj's visit to the three central Asian countries is her first visit to these countries as External Affairs Minister.

"The visit is in pursuit of India's objective of enhanced engagement with this region which is India's extended neighbourhood. It will provide an opportunity to hold in-depth discussions with the political leadership on a wide range of global, regional and bilateral issues and will advance India's growing engagement with the Central Asian region," the statement added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tata Global Beverages, which sells tea brands like Tata Tea and Tetley, today posted 6.55 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 133.60 crore in the June quarter, on the back of certain exceptional items including some restructuring cost.

The company had reported a net profit of Rs 142.97 crore in the year-ago period, it said in a release.

"Profit after tax is lower because of exceptional items. In the previous we had profit from our exit in the China venture. In the current year we have restructuring and redundancy cost," Tata Global Beverages chief financial officer L Krishnakumar told PTI.

"We have changed the organisation structure and moved more activities to India, in terms of back office and technology related work. It is a one-time cost which would spread over the next one year; so that is creating an adverse impact on PAT line," he added.

The company has shown a loss of Rs 18.18 crore in exceptional items during the reporting quarter.

Its total income rose to Rs 1,831.11 crore, compared with Rs 1,718.76 crore in the year-ago period.

The firm's sales growth stood at 6 per cent in the quarter, according to Krishnakumar.

"Tata Coffee turnover was lower, which is affecting the growth rate, but notwithstanding that the sales growth has been much higher than what we have achieved in the recent past," he said, adding, "We are seeing an improving trend in sale and expect its growth to be better going forward."



The revenue from branded business increased by 7 per cent year-on-year in the reporting quarter, and after excluding the impact of business restructuring and at constant currency, the increase is 8 per cent, Krishnakumar said, adding, "However, non-branded sales were lower than the corresponding quarter of previous year."



Its total expenses were at Rs 1,595.88 crore, against Rs 1,500.36 crore, up 6.36 per cent.

Revenue from the tea segment was up 5.51 per cent at Rs 1,314.31 crore, compared with Rs 1,245.66 crore last year, while earnings from the coffee segment rose 16.73 per cent at Rs 291.66 crore, from Rs 249.85 crore.

On the capex for FY19, Krishnakumar said, "In terms of normal capex, we spend around Rs 140-150 crore a year on a consolidated basis for all markets. So, we expect to be in that line."



"In addition, we are hoping to commission the Vietnam project for Tata Coffee, which is a capex of Rs 300-350 crore. That should come on line around the end of the financial year," he added.

In India, which contributes 45 per cent of business, it had a good volume growth of 8 per cent during the first quarter and the company expects to clock a volume growth of 10-12 per cent in the next quarter.

Asked if the company would be looking to merge with the salt and lentils business of Tata Chemicals, while also entering the dairy business, as per media reports, he said, "Any restructuring is speculation at this point in time."



"We are looking at entry into new categories and I am not commenting on it. Hopefully during the course of year we will make announcement. But yes, the intention is to broaden our portfolio," he added.

Krishnakumar said the company will also be looking at more opportunities in the health and wellness space and will be launching more products in this category, similar to its Chakra Gold Active Plus which is a combination of kokum and amla with regional teas.

Tata Global Beverages, which has launched Tetley Cold Infusions and Super Squash in the UK market, said it would look at launching these products in India as well over a period of time.

On the exit from China, Russia and Sri Lanka he said, "It has helped to improve profitability but has had an impact on the topline till we catch up the turnover through other growth measure."



The company's share closed 4.49 per cent lower at Rs 235.90 apiece on the BSE today, against 0.23 per cent decrease in the benchmark.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three people including a Nigerian national were arrested today from west Delhi's Uttam Nagar and over five kilogram high-grade heroin was seized from them, the police said.

A total of 5.250 kg of high-grade heroin worth Rs 21 crore in the international market has been recovered from the trio, they said.

The three smuggled heroin to Haryana, Punjab and Delhi-NCR from Afghanistan, the police said.

A case has been registered by the police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three allegedly notorious robbers wanted in several robberies were arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi district today, the police said.

A police team led by the SHO of Bazar Shukul police station SK Pandey nabbed three robbers near Harakhmau village on the Raniganj-Bazar Shukul Highway under suspicious circumstances, Additional SP BC Dubey told reporters.

They were identified as Ajay Kumar of Shahpur, Sunil Giri of Tendua and Raj Karan of village Mangrauli under police station Bazar Shukul, he said.

Later, they confessed to their involvement in several incidents of robbery, he added.

The police recovered 10 cell phones, four motorcycles, a country-made pistol, some live cartridges and cash worth over Rs 2,000 from the possession of the three men.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three members of a notorious inter-state gang of burglars from Gujarat were today arrested here and gold weighing 100 gms and 1 kg silver ornaments recovered from them, police said.

Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat told reporters here that in the wake of a series of offences committed by the notorious "Chaddi" gang in January this year, special teams were formed and police visited five states including, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

The trio was nabbed when they were seated suspiciously in Adibatla area.

During interrogation, they confessed that they were members of the gang and had come to Hyderabad to again commit property offences, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rescue operations are in full swing here for a three-year-old girl who slipped and fell into a borewell shaft, said to be more than 100 feet deep, last evening, officials said today.

The child - Sanno -had come to her maternal grandparents' home in Murgiyachak locality of the town. Yesterday she was playing near the borewell shaft in the courtyard of the house and fell into it, Munger Superintendent of Police Gaurav Mangla told reporters.

"Rescue operations have been on and we are confident that she will be rescued later in the day", the SP said.

He also said "the girl is stuck inside the shaft at a depth of about 45 feet. A team of doctors has been pressed into service and adequate oxygen supply is being ensured with the help of cylinders and pipes".

The SDRF has been here since yesterday and they will soon be joined by a team of the NDRF which is reaching here by a helicopter, the SP said adding that a horizontal access was being dug out to reach the spot.

State disaster management minister Dinesh Chandra Yadav told a channel "the administrative machinery has been instructed to ensure that the girl is rescued safely. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is personally monitoring the development".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amid a heated debate over the NRC exercise in Assam, chief of Delhi BJP Manoj Tiwari has requested Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for a similar action against foreign infiltrators living in the national capital.

Tiwari also demanded that AAP government in Delhi identify and evict Rohingyas and Bangladeshi living illegally in the national capital.

In a letter written to the Union Home Minister, Tiwari claimed that thousands of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis were living illegally in Delhi and some had even obtained Aadhaar and ration cards in collusion with administrative officials.

"This requires a probe. Their presence in the national capital has many times come to light as a serious threat to law and order. I request you for a similar action against such foreign infiltrators as is being done in some states of the country," he wrote to Singh.

He alleged such illegal immigrants in the country are depriving poor Indians of their rights and were also sometimes found to be involved in criminal activities.

"Delhi government should identify and ensure action against Rohingyas and Bangladeshi living illegally in different parts of Delhi," he said.

The demand has already been made by the BJP with Home Minister Rajnath Singh and now it's time that the Delhi government acted to ensure eviction of illegal immigrants, he said.

The BJP has defended the National Register of Citizen(NRC) exercise in Assam with its president Amit Shah asserting that it will be implemented "to the last full stop". He has also asked all political parties to clarify their stand on the issue of illegal immigrants.

The party leaders have also demanded the NRC exercise in Assam to be extended to other states for eviction of illegal immigrants.

Names of over 40 lakh people in Assam were excluded from the draft NRC list, prepared following a long-drawn process to identify illegal Bangladeshis living in the state.

The complete draft NRC has 2.9 crore names out of the 3.29 crore applications leaving out the names of over 40 lakh applicants.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In its largest ever spectrum sale, regulator Trai today recommended an auction of 8,096.45 Mhz of telecom frequencies at a cumulative base price of Rs 4.79 lakh crore, which is 15 per cent lower than that for the previous sale.

"Entire available spectrum should be put to auction in the forthcoming auction," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said in its recommendation on the auction of spectrum.

The Department of Telecom in its reference to Trai had informed the regulator about the availability of 8,096.45 Mhz of spectrum across nine bands.

The recommendation, if approved by the government, will lead to the country's biggest spectrum auction in terms of quantum of frequencies and over three-fold the size of spectrum that was put for sale in 2016 at a cumulative base price of Rs 5.63 lakh crore.

Trai has suggested a steep cut of 43 per cent in the base price at around Rs 6,568 crore per Mhz for the premium 700Mhz band frequencies which failed to attract bidders in the last auction.

For the next-generation services, the watchdog recommended a pan-India base price of Rs 492 crore per megahertz unpaired spectrum for proposed 5G spectrum (3300-3600Mhz). The price is about a third of that set for 2G (1800 MHz) frequencies during the 2012 sale.

The government had fixed a pan-India base price at around Rs 2,800 crore per Mhz for 2G spectrum -- both uplink and downlink, translating into Rs 1,400 crore per Mhz for unpaired spectrum.

Telecom operators bidding in the next round of auctions for the spectrum to provide next generation of mobile services will have to shell out a minimum of Rs 9,840 crore on pan-India basis to buy spectrum in 3300-3600 Mhz band as Trai has suggested that it "should be put to auction in the block size of 20 MHz".

The proposed reduction in base prices received a thumbs-up by the telecom industry.

"For now, we are glad that the government has decided to bring down the price of spectrum, especially for the 700 MHz band," Rajan S Mathews, the Director General of industry body COAI, said in a statement.

Based on Trai recommendations submitted to the government, the base prices and timing for the next round of auctions will be finalised.

Trai has recommended the auction of entire spectrum available in various bands barring the specific locations or districts where ISRO is using the 25 MHz (3400 MHz - 3425 MHz) of the spectrum.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has suggested a base price of Rs 3,285 per megahertz for paired spectrum in 1800 Mhz band.

For the premium 700 Mhz band, Trai has said that its "reserve price...should be equal to 2 times of reserve price of 1800 MHz spectrum band", resulting in about 43 per cent reduction in the price of this band to Rs 6,568 crore per Mhz for paired spectrum.

In 2016, the government had fixed the base price of 700 Mhz band at Rs 11,485 crore per Mhz, which was around four times the price of 1800 Mhz band. Operators were required to buy radiowaves worth Rs 57,425 crore to provide mobile service in this band.

The cost of providing 2G, 3G and 4G mobile services through 700Mhz band is estimated to be around one-third of that incurred in 1800 Mhz band.

In the previous 2016 auction, a total of 2,354.55 megahertz of mobile airwaves were put for sale but nearly 60 per cent of the radio waves, including premium Rs 4 lakh crore worth spectrum in 700 Mhz band, remained unsold.

If Trai recommendations are approved by the government, then telecom operators in the next round will have shell out a minimum of Rs 32,840 crore for providing services in the 700 Mhz band on pan India basis.

"Considering the current financial stress the industry is going through, lowering the spectrum prices alone doesn't fix anything. Until and unless the SUC(spectrum usage charges), licence fees and other levies are lowered as well, the industry may not be able to cope with the requirements for state-of-the-art infrastructure needed for new technologies and early roll-out of 5G," Mathews said.

Trai has recommended base price of Rs 4,651 crore for paired spectrum in 800 Mhz band covering 19 circles, Rs 1,622 crore per Mhz for 900 Mhz band covering seven circles, Rs 3,399 crore per Mhz of in 2100 Mhz covering 21 circles and Rs 821 crore per Mhz in 2500 Mhz band covering 12 circles.

The regulator has recommended Rs 960 crore per Mhz for unpaired spectrum in 2300 Mhz band on a pan-India basis.

To avoid monopolisation of suggested 5G spectrum band, Trai has recommended a limit of 100 MHz per bidder and also "the lock-in period for spectrum in this band for becoming eligible for spectrum trading should be 5 years" instead of 2 years applicable for other bands.

It has suggested no time bound network roll out obligation for buyers of the potential 5G spectrum but for other sets of spectrum norms mentioned in the earlier auction should apply.

The regulator has recommended that in case a company has closed 2G GSM or CDMA services, it cannot hold the administratively (without auction) assigned spectrum for which it has not paid the market-determined price.

"Any such spectrum lying with TSPs (telecom service providers) should be taken back and put to auction in the forthcoming auction," Trai said.

Its has reiterated need for an urgent audit of all allocated spectrum -- commercial as well as the one given to various public sector units and government organizations through an independent agency on a regular basis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress in Tripura has alleged that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Assam were involved in a "pre-planned conspiracy" to exclude 40 lakh people from the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The ruling BJP in Tripura, however, refuted the charges as "baseless", saying the process of updating the NRC started on the direction of the Supreme Court.

"Genuine citizens with valid documents have been excluded only to drive them out of Assam. It's a pre-planned conspiracy of the Centre and Assam government. Those whose names do not figure in the draft NRC are mostly Bengali Muslims, Bengali Hindus and Manipuris," Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee chief Birajit Sinha said.

Many residents of Tripura have matrimonial links with the people of Assam. They are also in trouble, the Congress leader told reporters here yesterday.

Nearly one lakh people have migrated to Assam from Tripura in search of livelihood. Despite having valid documents, they were left out, he claimed.

Unlike the BJP-led NDA, the Congress wanted to find an amicable solution to the exclusion of people from the NRC list, he added.

Reacting to it, BJP vice-president Pratima Bhowmik said, "It is a baseless charge because the BJP government in Assam had nothing to do with the exclusion of names in the NRC. The entire process of updating the NRC started on the directive of the Supreme Court."



It is only a draft and it would be finalised in December, Bhowmik told PTI.

She said the Assam Accord was signed by then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on August 14, 1985 and later there was a student movement for driving out people with no valid papers.

In 2005, when the Congress was in power in Assam, it also asserted that illegal migrants should be driven out, the BJP leader alleged.

She said the CPI-M and Congress are now on the same page on the issue and TPCC president Birajit Sinha brought such 'fictitious' charges without knowing facts.

The people of Tripura has nothing to worry about the NRC as there is no proposal to revise the citizens list in the state, Bhowmik said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump today expressed his frustration over the ongoing probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections and asked his Attorney General Jeff Sessions to stop the "witch-hunt", a day after his former campaign chairman went on trial.

Mueller, a former FBI director, is investigating whether the Trump camgain aided or abetted an attempt by Russia to sway the 2016 presidential election, or tried to cover up the conspiracy.

In a series of tweets, the US President asserted that neither he nor his campaign had any collusion with the Russians, and allegations in this regard was a total hoax.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further.

"Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!" Trump tweeted.

"Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to begin the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!" he said.

Yesterday was the first day of his former campaign head Paul Manafort's trial on charges of tax evasion and bank fraud which were brought by Mueller's team.

The charges stemmed from Manafort's consulting work from Ukraine for which he allegedly received millions which he did not report to the US government.

"Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and "Public Enemy Number One," or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement - although convicted of nothing? Where is the Russian Collusion?" he asked.

"We already have a smoking gun about a campaign getting dirt on their opponent, it was Hillary Clinton. How is it OK for Hillary Clinton to proactively seek dirt from the Russians but the Trump campaign met at the Russians request and that is bad?" Marc Thiessen, Washington Post," he tweeted.

He said that FBI Agent Peter Strzok (on the Mueller team) should have recused himself on day one.

"He was out to STOP THE ELECTION OF DONALD TRUMP. He needed an insurance policy. Those are illegal, improper goals, trying to influence the Election," said the president.

"He should never, ever been allowed to remain in the FBI while he himself was being investigated. This is a real issue. It won't go into a Mueller Report because Mueller is going to protect these guys. Mueller has an interest in creating the illusion of objectivity around his investigation," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump today called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 US elections, calling it "a disgrace to USA."



The president's latest tweet on the probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller came on the second day of a trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on unrelated bank and tax fraud charges.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump said, calling Mueller's probe "a disgrace to USA.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The tweet of President Donald Trump in which he called on his Attorney General Jeff Sessions to stop the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Muller into allegations of Russian interference in 2016 elections, is an opinion and not an order, the White House has said.

"It's not an order. It's the president's opinion, and it's ridiculous that all of the corruption and dishonesty that's gone on with the launching of the witch-hunt the president has watched this process play out, but he also wants to see it come to an end as he stated many times and I we look forward to that," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily conference yesterday.

By making such a tweet, Sanders argued that Trump is not indulging in obstruction of justice.

"The president is not obstructing; he's fighting back. The president is stating his opinion, he's stating it clearly, and he's certainly expressing the frustration that he has with the level of corruption that we've seen from people like Jim Comey, Peter Strzok, Andrew McCabe," she said.

"There's a reason that the president's angry and, frankly, most of America is angry as well, and there's no reason he shouldn't be able to voice that opinion," Sanders said in response to a question.

"We certainly think it should be completed. We'd like it to be completed sooner rather than later. It's gone on for an extensive amount of time. They've still come up with nothing in regards to the president. We'd like to see it come to a close," she said.

The entire investigation is based on "a dirty, discredited dossier" that was paid for by an opposing campaign, and had a lot of corruption within the entity which was overseeing it, which was Strzok, Comey and McCabe, she alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The UK High Court today ruled that an Islamic faith marriage does fall within the purview of English matrimonial law as it granted a woman a decree to nullify her bond with her estranged husband.

The Pakistani-origin couple, Nasreen Akhter and Mohammed Shabaz Khan - both 46, had got married in an Islamic wedding ceremony under Sharia law in a restaurant in Southall, west London, in 1998. The nikaah ceremony had been conducted by an imam before hundreds of guests.

Akhter, a solicitor, wanted to divorce her businessman husband Khan, who had blocked her application on the basis that they are not legally married under English law but only under Sharia law.

Justice Williams ruled that the marriage falls within the scope of the UK's 1973 Matrimonial Causes Act. He, however, noted that the marriage was "entered into in disregard of certain requirements as to the formation of marriage" and is therefore "void", which means Akhter is entitled to a "decree of nullity".

"I conclude that this marriage falls within the scope of Section 11 and was a marriage entered into in disregard of certain requirements as to the formation of marriage. It is, therefore, a void marriage and the wife is entitled to a decree of nullity," Justice Williams notes in his judgment.

Barrister Paula Rhone-Adrien, who led Khan's legal team, had told the court during the trial earlier in the year that the case could have implications for people of a number of faiths.

"If the High Court decides that the parties were married, then that means potentially all Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs could seek for their religious ceremonies to be recognised as legally binding," she had said.

The judge analysed the dispute presented at the Family Division of the High Court in London and announced his decision in a written ruling this week.

Earlier this year, as part of a UK government review into Sharia law, a panel of experts comprising academics and lawyers had concluded that Muslim couples should be required to undergo civil marriages in addition to Muslim ceremonies to bring Islamic marriage legally in line with other faith marriages.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The UN children's agency warned today of the potential for another cholera outbreak in war-torn Yemen after airstrikes hit water facilities and other civilian infrastructure in the port city of Hodeida.

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement the airstrikes earlier this week damaged a sanitation facility and a station that supplies most of the city's water.

Impoverished Yemen has been devastated by a stalemated three-year civil war that has left around two-thirds of Yemen's population of 27 million relying on aid, and over 8 million at risk of starving.

"Two days ago, we received reports that a UNICEF-supported warehouse containing humanitarian provisions, including hygiene and water-related supplies, was hit by two airstrikes," Fore said.

She said a UNICEF-supported sanitation center in the district of Zabid in Hodeida came under attack on July 28, damaging the facility's fuel tank. A day earlier, she said, the water station in the district of al-Mina, which provides Hodeida with most of its water, was hit.

"Attacks on water infrastructure jeopardize efforts to prevent another outbreak of cholera and acute watery diarrhea in Yemen," Fore said.

A previous cholera outbreak, which began in in October 2016 and escalated in April 2017, has killed more than 2,000 people, according to the Red Cross.

Yemeni government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have been advancing in Hodeida province in recent weeks as they battle Iran-allied rebels known as Houthis.

They are trying to retake the port city of Hodeida, the main entry point for food in a country teetering on the brink of famine.

Meanwhile, President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi arrived Wednesday in the country's easternmost province of al-Mahra to try to calm protests against the coalition, Yemeni officials said.

The officials said dozens of people have been protesting for days in al-Ghaydah, the main city in the province, against the presence of troops from Saudi Arabia.

The protesters want the troops to leave the city and hand control of the al-Ghaydah airport and the border crossing with Oman to civil authorities in al-Mahra, activist Mohamed Amin, 38, said.

Yemen's official agency SABA said Hadi and Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al Jaber also kicked off the rebuilding of the airport as well as the Nashton port in al-Mahra.

But Amin, the activist, said such moves do not meet the protesters' demands. "We want all security and civil institutions to be under control of al-Mahra people," he said.

In the northern province of Saada, Yemeni security officials said a roadside bombing killed a cameraman, Issa el-Nami, while he was covering heavy fighting between government forces and the rebels.

The officials said government forces backed by airstrikes from the Saudi-led coalition have been advancing in the area of Bakem in Saada in the past days. They said the fighting killed more than 150 people from both sides in the past four days.

The Yemeni officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief media.

The Houthis seized control of Sanaa in September 2014, and later pushed south toward the port city of Aden. The Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict in March 2015 and has faced criticism for a campaign of airstrikes that has killed civilians and destroyed hospitals and markets.

The Houthis, meanwhile, have laid land mines, killing and wounding civilians.

They have also targeted religious minorities and imprisoned opponents. The stalemated war has killed more than 10,000 people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A company based in Uttar Pradesh has allegedly been found illegally supplying two ayurvedic medicines containing a drug commonly used in Viagra, according to the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Aurangabad division of the FDA seized stocks worth Rs 16,000 during a raid on a supplier recently, a senior official of the FDA said.

The stock had come from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh and had been supplied by a company named Naman India, S S Kale, joint commissioner of Aurangabad divsion of the FDA, told PTI.

Tests revealed that each ayurvedic capsule contained 49.5 mg of Viagra, he said.

Among the consignment was an ayurvedic cream which had a significant amount of lignocaine hydrochloride, though only the herbal components were mentioned in the packing material, Kale added.

Viagra, used for erectile dysfunction, is supposed to be taken strictly under medical supervision.

However, in case of its use without any medical prescription, the drug can have serious side effects, according to experts.

The FDA officials are investigating the case.

"We will lodge an FIR against Naman India, based at Moradabad in UP, who had been circulating objectionable advertising and selling these drugs in the name of herbal medicine to consumers in Aurangabad and Nagpur in Maharashtra," Kale said.

"We have already issued circulars to other cities across Maharashtra to search and seize these drugs. Since this drug originated from Uttar Pradesh, we fear that it may have been distributed in other states too," the official added.

The seized container of both the ayurvedic medicines didn't mention the allopathic components sildenafil and anaesthetic drug (lignocaine hydrochloride), giving rise to fear of serious health consequences in consumers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The United States Congress has passed the conference report on National Defense Authorization Act-2019 (NDAA-19), which paves the way for waiver to India from punitive Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA, under which sanctions kick off on countries that purchase significant military equipment from Russia.

The Senate passed the John McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA) by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote of 87 to 10.

Passed by the House last week, the bill, named after Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, would provide USD 716 billion support in funding for national defense for fiscal year 2019.

The bill, which now moves to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign it into law, among other things, provides a modified waiver to section 231 of CAATSA.

Unlike the existing version of the act, the proposed modified waiver requires presidential certifications designed to protect US alliances, military operations and sensitive technology.

"The CAATSA waiver that the Congress has made available to India in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act should provide ample flexibility for New Delhi to proceed with the purchase of the Russian S-400 system," Joshua White, a former senior official of the National Security Council in the White House, told PTI.

"The legislative language is designed to look very tough, as though the Congress is tightening its secondary sanctions on countries that procure Russian equipment. In reality, the language contains multiple loopholes that benefit India," he said.

"The most significant (such) loophole allows the President to certify that a country is "cooperating with the United States Government on other matters that are critical to United States strategic national security interests". As certifications go, this one is relatively easy to justify in the case of India," White said.

At the same time, it is important to remember that even "easy" waivers can have unpredictable political effects, he cautioned, adding this legislation will require that the administration track and report the degree to which India "is taking or will take steps" to reduce its inventory of Russian equipment.

"This means that neither Washington nor New Delhi can simply point to a long term, historical decline in India's inventory of Russian equipment, but have to identify specific and forward-looking efforts to do so. These kind of reporting requirements can become political irritants and can be used by future legislators to exert leverage in unexpected ways," White said.

Anish Goel, a former senior administration official in Barack Obama's White House, and till recently a senior professional staff member in the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the Congress should be commended for providing the CAATSA waiver authority for strategic partners such as India.

"By doing so, the Congress has avoided putting serious strain on the bilateral relationship, put additional pressure on the Russian defense industry, and fulfilled the original objective of the CAATSA legislation. The waiver authority is a strong signal that the United States greatly values its partnership with India," Goel told PTI.

The John McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which authorises funding for the Department of Defense and the national security programmes of the Department of Energy, encourages US allies and partners to reduce inventory of Russian-produced major defence equipment and advanced conventional weapons.

At the same time, it excludes the possibility of waivers for Russian intelligence agencies and other entities engaged in cyber-attacks.

Last month, US Defense Secretary James Mattis, in a letter, asked the Congress to give the Secretary of State the waiver authority.

Doing so allows nations to build a closer security relationship with the US as they continue to transition from reliance on Russian military equipment, he had said.

"The fundamental question we must ask ourselves is do we wish to strengthen our partners in key regions or leave them with no other option than to turn to Russia, thereby undermining an once in a generation opportunity to more closely align nations with the US vision for global security and stability," Mattis had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A US judge has temporarily blocked the online publication of blueprints for 3D-printed firearms, in a last-ditch effort to stop a settlement President Donald Trump's administration had reached with the company releasing the digital documents.

Eight states and the District of Columbia, which houses the capital Washington, had filed a lawsuit against the federal government, calling its settlement with Texas-based Defense Distributed "arbitrary and capricious".

The Trump administration had settled a five-year legal fight by permitting the company to publish its website Defcad -- which founder Cody Wilson envisioned as a WikiLeaks for homemade firearms called "ghost guns".

Those weapons can be manufactured using 3D printers or personal steel mills, and lack traceable serial numbers. At least one of the guns can also be made from plastic, which is virtually invisible to metal detectors.

US District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle, Washington granted the plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order blocking the release of the digital plans, and scheduled a hearing for August 10.

In a written statement, New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, one of plaintiffs, called the ruling "a major victory for common sense and public safety."



"As we argued in the suit we filed yesterday, it is -- simply -- crazy to give criminals the tools to build untraceable, undetectable 3D printed guns at the touch of a button. Yet that's exactly what the Trump administration decided to allow."



As uproar mounted yesterday, the White House expressed skepticism over the legality of Wilson's efforts, even though the administration had green-lighted the project.

Trump weighed in on Twitter, revealing that he had spoken to America's main pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, about the topic. "I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public," the president said.

"Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!" White House spokesman Hogan Gidley expanded on the president's comments yesterday night, telling reporters: "It is currently illegal to own or make a wholly plastic gun of any kind -- including those made on a 3D printer. The administration supports this nearly two-decade old law."



Twenty-three Democratic senators later introduced a bill designed to block the publication of 3D printable firearm blueprints.

Wilson remained defiant and vowed to fight in court. He told Wired magazine that he is facing legal action from "at least 21 state attorneys general" who have cited a risk to public safety.

"I intend to litigate," he told the magazine. "Americans have the unquestionable right to share this information."



The self-proclaimed "crypto-anarchist" also made the digital blueprints available online earlier than today's launch date he had previously announced.

AFP was able to download two files from the website yesterday, though it had some technical glitches and was difficult to access.

The site had 10 firearms and weapons components with downloadable digital files. Wilson, a law school dropout who has taken up the cause of allowing unfettered information online without government interference, contends that the US Constitution's Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms, should extend to a person's right to make their own guns.

His legal team has argued that any move to prevent the distribution of the blueprints would run counter to the "foundational principles of free speech".

But federal courts have disagreed. Before the settlement with the Trump administration, Wilson had lost in both district and appellate court.

The US Supreme Court had declined to take up his case. Politicians, gun control advocates and law enforcement had expressed concerns that Defcad's files would allow anyone -- from a teen to a convicted felon -- to make dangerous weapons.

But while Wilson has somehow become the public face of homemade weapons technology, the phenomenon of "ghost guns" is bigger than his website alone.

Earlier in July, Los Angeles police showcased an arsenal of such weapons seized from gang members during a six-month undercover operation.

The firearms, including AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles, were fashioned from kits purchased online, according to police. Wilson's website also features blueprints for the AR-15.

Over the last five years, Wilson's Defense Distributed has grown to 15 employees inside a non-descript warehouse in the Texas state capital Austin.

They have created a plastic 3D-printable handgun called the "Liberator," a machine called the "Ghost Gunner" with which homemade metal gun parts can be constructed, and amassed other digital gun files.

Jonathan Lowy of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence told AFP that if Wilson's website is ultimately allowed to publish, the consequences could be even greater outside of the US.

"It's certainly a huge international problem, particularly given that many other countries have much stronger gun laws than in America," Lowy said.

"So, in those countries, there are many people who shouldn't have guns and could not get them unless they can get their hands on a 3D-printed gun.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sixty-five years after the Korean War ended, the remains of dozens of American soldiers killed during the brutal conflict are finally coming home.

Yesterday's repatriation marks an important step after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a summit, during which Kim agreed to send home the war dead.

Trump, who has faced criticism over the pace of progress since the June meeting, praised Kim for "keeping his word," and Vice President Mike Pence is set to meet families when the remains arrive back in the US at a ceremony in Hawaii.

Caskets carrying the 55 sets of remains were draped in the blue-and-white flag of the United Nations. Many nations fought in the Korean War, but most of the cases are thought to contain US troops.

More than 35,000 Americans were killed on the Korean peninsula during the 1950-1953 war, with 7,700 of these US troops still listed as missing in action -- most of them in North Korea.

It could take scientists and historians years to make final identifications.

John Byrd, director of scientific analysis at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which has a large laboratory in Pearl Harbor, said preliminary findings suggest the remains are likely American.

They "are consistent with remains we have recovered in North Korea... in the past," Byrd told reporters at Osan US Air Base in South Korea.

The cases had been kept there since Friday, awaiting their repatriation to Hawaii for further forensic analysis.

"There's no reason at this point to doubt that they do relate to Korean War losses," Byrd added.

Around 500 officials from the United Nations Command (UNC), the United States and South Korea attended a formal repatriation ceremony at Osan yesterday.

"This is a solemn reminder that our work is not complete until all have been accounted for, no matter how long it takes to do so," said General Vincent Brooks, commander of the UNC and United States Forces Korea.

After the ceremony, uniformed soldiers carefully loaded each case into two C-17 cargo planes, which later took off for Hawaii.

Byrd told reporters that "there was a single dog tag (US soldier's identity tag) provided with the remains."



"The family of that individual has been notified," he said, though he cautioned that the tag is not necessarily associated with the remains in the box.

The returned material also included military hardware and uniforms, including helmets, water bottles and boots.

Former DPAA official Jeong Yang-seung, who previously worked on identifying US remains from the North, said it was unusual to locate dog tags during the search and recovery process.

"It's once in a blue moon that dog tags are recovered," Jeong, now professor of forensic anthropology at the Middle Tennessee State University, told AFP.

"I don't think North Korea is refusing to give dog tags when it has more but it probably doesn't have dog tags lying around," he said.

"So when... only one dog tag was provided, it's probably not to tease the US but rather that it was sent because it could offer clues to the remains." DNA analysis, skeletal studies of bones, dental records and details of where the remains were found play a key role in such investigations.

"If it's identified quickly, it would be around five to six months, but if not, it could take decades," he said.

Between 1990 and 2005, North Korea allowed 229 sets of remains to be repatriated, but those operations were suspended when ties worsened over Pyongyang's banned nuclear weapons program.

Following the June summit, Trump had declared that Pyongyang was "no longer a Nuclear Threat," but Kim did not publicly promise to end work at the country's nuclear and missile facilities.

Instead, he spoke of committing to "work toward" eventual denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. He did not make any commitment to unilaterally disarm. Still, experts see North Korea's return of the remains as an important gesture.

"It's a sign that they want to improve relations with us... and certainly for the families it's significant," Joel Wit, founder of the respected 38 North organization that monitors North Korea, told AFP.

Additionally, new satellite imagery from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station on North Korea's west coast suggests workers are dismantling an engine test stand, in line with a promise made to Trump.

Abraham Denmark, director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center, cautioned not to read too much into the repatriation.

"It is not a signal about Pyongyang's willingness to denuclearize or even reform its ways, and policymakers should not be fooled or distracted from the primary source of tension -- North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Indian-origin scientist has agreed to settle charges that he engaged in insider trading after learning that his company was about to acquire a life sciences company.

Anup Madan, 52, of Washington was a principal scientist with LabCorp's Covance Genomics Laboratory.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission's complaint alleges that Madan learned of the pending acquisition by LabCorp of Sequenom, a Delaware corporation headquartered in San Diego that provides molecular diagnostic testing services, with an emphasis on noninvasive prenatal testing.

Without admitting or denying the allegations, Madan agreed to the entry of a final judgment permanently enjoining him from future violations of the Securities Exchange Act rules. Madan will disgorge his ill-gotten gains and pay a penalty of USD 14,023, which is equal to the disgorgement amount.

Madan learned of the acquisition when he conducted a due diligence related site visit to Sequenom's San Diego facilities.

Over the next two trading days, Madan purchased 9,300 shares of Sequenom stock despite having signed a company insider trading policy that prohibited trading based upon confidential information that he acquired in the course of performing his job duties.

On the date of the public announcement, Sequenom's stock price increased 176%, allowing Madan to sell his shares that same day for a profit of over USD 14,000.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The US Treasury Department today hit Turkey's justice and interior ministers with sanctions over the case of an American pastor being tried on terror charges.

"We believe he's a victim of unfair and unjust attention by the government of Turkey," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told journalists, referring to Andrew Brunson, an American pastor at the center of a bitter diplomatic spat between NATO allies.

Brunson, who led a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir, was placed under house arrest last week after nearly two years in jail.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shifting over to the use of thorium as a nuclear fuel will not end the dependence on imports of nuclear fuel, the Union government told the Lok Sabha today.

Natural uranium, which is imported, contains fissile isotopes (U-235) that undergoes nuclear fission in a reactor to produce energy. It is not possible to build a nuclear reactor using thorium (Th-232) alone, since it has to be converted to U-233 in a reactor before it can be used as fuel, Jitendra Singh, the minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), said while replying to a question in the Lower House.

"Shifting over to the use of thorium as a nuclear fuel would not end the dependence on imports of nuclear fuel," Singh said.

India has vast quantities of thorium, a weakly-radioactive metallic chemical element. Due to this, Dr Homi Bhabha, the father of Indian nuclear programme, envisaged a three-stage nuclear programme.

The Indian nuclear programme is at the first stage. It is expected to move on to the second stage soon by introducing fast-breeder reactors. Use of thorium has been envisaged under the third stage.

The country currently imports uranium from Kazakhstan, Russia and Canada for its pressurised heavy-water reactors (PHWR) and two boiling-water reactors.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Anti-graft Vigilance sleuths of Odisha Police have raided six more places as part of their probe to unearth any possible nexus between government officials and a gangster, who is now behind bars.

The search operations, carried out yesterday were aimed at to unearth undue favour shown to Titto alias Syed Usaman Ali, by officials abusing their official position, causing wrongful loss to government and gain to Titto, his family members and associates, vigilance officials said today.

In course of enquiry, six teams of officers visited and verified records at municipality office, district police office, offices of assistant fire officer and civil supply officer Office and two tahasil offices at Mahakalpada in Kendrapara district and Darpan of Jajpur district, they said.

The officers with the help of revenue inspectors of Kendrapara tahasil and municipality, demarcated the lease land for approach road to the petrol pump allotted in favour of Benazir Bibi, wife of Titto at Kendrapara.

It was revealed from the demarcation report of revenue inspector of Kendrapara Town, that 4 decimal of government land has been encroached, a vigilance statement said.

It was also ascertained from the executive officer of Kendrapara municipality that no holding tax assessment has been made in respect of filling station in the name of Benazir Bibi, located at Badahat Mouza in Kendrapara, the statement said.

The vigilance team visiting Tahasil offices at Mahakalpada under Kendrapada district and Darpan under Jajpur district were verifying the relevant files relating to sand sairats and morrum quarries allegedly allotted in favour of the associates of Titto alias Syed Usaman Ali, it said adding the enquiry was in progress.

Earlier, the vigilance sleuths had on July 25 conducted search in half-a-dozen places as part of their probe into possible nexus between Titto and government officials.

The operations come after state Vigilance launched a probe to ascertain the role, involvement and connivance, if any, of government officials in extending undue favour to Titto of Kendrapada district, an accused in many criminal cases, his family members and associates.

Officers of Vigilance Cell have already visited the office of the Special Task Force (STF) of state crime branch in Bhubaneswar which is currently investigating a number of criminal cases against Titto. They have discussed with STF officials and collected the relevant documents and records.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) last month had sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into alleged irregularities in allotment of two retail outlets in Odisha to the family of Titto.

Several members of Tittos gang are believed to have gone underground after he was arrested following an encounter in Jajpur district on June 30. The gangster, who was arrested several times earlier, faces many criminal cases involving murder, attempt to murder and extortion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Instead of saline water, "water conforming to prescribed specifications" is being used by engineers for concreting work pertaining to the bullet train project, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain told the Lok Sabha today.

The ambitious Rs 1.08-lakh-crore Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed 508 km line is scheduled to be commissioned in 2022.

Being implemented by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) it is being built with an 80 per cent loan from Japan.

Responding to a query on whether the civil engineers of Japanese team working on the project have refused to use saline water in construction activities and instead opted for RO water, Gohain said the engineers were using water according to specified norms.

"Supervision consultants comprising both Japanese and Indian engineers have permitted use of water conforming to prescribed specifications. The specifications do not allow use of saline water in concreting," he said.

Officials said that the Japanese engineers had insisted on RO water as they feared that salty water could compromise the strength of the structure and even shorten its life span.

In fact, RO water has been used in many places in the Delhi metro rail route as well, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal was the biggest defaulter in the NRC verification process pertaining to people who belong to a different state but reside in Assam due to various reasons, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Sailesh said today.

Sailesh, who oversaw the entire exercise of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), also said that he had deputed his own staff to help the West Bengal government in collecting the documents sought by the NRC authorities but the efforts were not fruitful.

"The largest number of documents that we have not received among all states was from West Bengal. We had to struggle. We had to follow up. But we have not received substantial number of documents from West Bengal. The response (of West Bengal) in terms of results was not satisfactory," he told PTI here.

The draft NRC, a list of Assam's citizens, was published on July 30 that excluded 40 lakh residents of Assam. Most of the names were excluded due to lack of proper documents proving Indian citizenship.

Sailesh also said that there was a meeting through video conference between the officials of the West Bengal government and the NRC authorities during which a request was made to send the responses.

"West Bengal was the only state where we made an exception by deputing my own staff to assist the state government. But we have not received all required documents for the draft NRC," he said.

Asked about the number of documents that the West Bengal did not provide, Sailesh said it would be a "substantial number".

The comments bears significance as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee continues to attack the BJP and the central government over the draft NRC in Assam, accusing the party of playing vote-bank politics, while also warning that the issue will "destroy" India's relationship with Bangladesh.

She said only one per cent of the 40 lakh residents, whose names are missing from the draft NRC, could be infiltrators, but people are being "harassed" in the name of infiltrators.

Yesterday she had alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a "political motive" to divide people and warned that it would lead to bloodbath and a civil war in the country.

Official sources said that according to an estimate West Bengal returned only about 6 per cent of the 1.14 lakh documents that were sent to it by the NRC authorities.

Other big defaulters were Bihar, Chandigarh, Manipur and Meghalaya which returned just 2 to 7 per cent of the documents after verification.

The names of at least five lakh people could not be included in the final draft of the NRC because other states and central organisations failed to check and send back the results of the verification of citizenship claims made by these people, sources said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court has asked authorities to tell it what was being constructed behind "big walls" at the India Gate Circle.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said every building site shows a picture of what is being constructed, but the construction at the India Gate roundabout in the Lutyens' zone is being carried out in a secret manner behind "big walls".

"What are you hiding behind those big walls. Why so secrecy is being maintained. Do the people of Delhi do not have the right to know. We also want to rejoice in it. Are we not entitled to know? " the bench observed while asking the lawyer appearing for the Delhi government about the construction.

The standing counsel for the Delhi government replied that the Ministry of Defence was building a National War Memorial at India Gate to honour those who have laid down their lives for the country since Independence.

The bench then asked what was the point of being secretive when CCTV cameras around the India Gate roundabout were not functional.

The observation came while adjudicating a PIL that the court had initiated on its own after receiving a letter from an AIIMS physiotherapist who claimed that CCTV cameras at the India Gate Circle area were not functioning on June 28 night.

The physiotherapist had claimed that on June 28 a speeding vehicle came towards his car from the opposite direction near the forcing him to stop.

Thereafter, the driver of the other vehicle assaulted him and sped away from the site, the letter said.

It also said when he went to the police station to lodge a complaint, he was told that the other vehicle could not be traced as there were no functional CCTV cameras in the area.

Terming the incident as "unfortunate", the high court had said if the cameras were functional then instances of "road rage would come to an end".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Jammu and Kashmir government today told the Supreme Court that it would take a decision within four weeks on the issue of rehabilitating mule owners operating along the track between Katra and Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu.

A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta was told that a state advisory council would be set up within two days and they would consider the rehabilitation plan prepared last October in its totality along with all other stakeholders, including representatives of mule owners.

The bench observed that mules have to be phased out to the extent possible and wondered as to why the rehabilitation plan prepared by the state in consultation with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and other stakeholders was not yet finalised.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Singh and advocate Shoeb Alam, appearing for Jammu and Kashmir, said that a decision in this regard would be taken within three weeks from the date of constitution of the state advisory council.

During the hearing, the bench expressed concern that mule dung was lying on the track to the shrine and asked the shrine board to ensure that the path was kept clean.

The counsel appearing for activist Gauri Maulekhi, who had filed a plea in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking removal of horses and mules from the path to the shrine, placed some photographs before the court and said that mule dung was lying all over the place and it was clogging the sewer causing environmental degradation.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the shrine board, countered the submissions and said around 4,600 mules were operating there and the board was ensuring cleaning of the track.

"If you (board) want to keep the shrine dirty, please say that. If the answer is no, then you do not need to contradict him (petitioner) in everything. You cannot say that I want to keep the place clean but I will not do anything," the bench said.

Rohatgi told the court that cleaning of track was done twice a day by around 1,000 staffs of the board and it was not possible to put "basket behind every mule".

The ASG told the bench that there was nothing "sinister" if mules were operated there and they would ensure that the pollution level was under control.

"If we can manage the pollution level then why should they (mule) stop? We will take more steps for controlling pollution," he told the bench.

The petitioner's counsel told the bench that authorities do not want phasing out of mules from there due to "political compulsion" and the board, which has a corpus of around Rs 500 crore, want more and more people to come to the shrine so that they could earn more.

"They (board) do not force people to go there. People go there out of their religious belief. The board do not invite people there," the bench said.

The bench asked the board about the number of battery-operated vehicles being used there for ferrying pilgrims to the shrine.

One of the officials of the board told the court that there were 26 such vehicles and each one of them makes three trips a day and passengers were charged around Rs 500 for one way.

Rohatgi told the bench that no mules were operating on the new track to the shrine and more battery-operated vehicles could hinder movement of pedestrians who walk to the shrine.

"Fact of the matter is that mules have to be stopped to the extent possible," the bench observed, adding, "There has to be a solution."



The court, which posted the matter for hearing on August 30, said that all stakeholders should sit together and chalk out a plan about rehabilitation of mule owners.

The apex court had earlier taken note of the problem of pollution at Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and the surrounding areas and had made it clear that Jammu and Kashmir government and shrine board would have to "protect and preserve" both.

The NGT had earlier capped the number of visitors to the shrine at 50,000 per day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A woman has been arrested by the police in neighbouring Palghar district for allegedly hacking her own son to death.

A case of murder was registered against Jaya Tarela (46), resident of Nalla Sopara, at Waliv police station yesterday, an official said.

The victim was identified as Santosh Tarela (27).

Santosh often drank liquor and harassed his mother, the police officer said.

As per the complaint filed by the woman's husband, Santosh came home drunk on the night of July 30 and picked up a quarrel with his mother.

In a fit of anger, Jaya got hold of an axe and hacked him to death on the spot, the complaint said.

She was arrested yesterday. Further probe is underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A woman in Singapore was sentenced to four weeks' jail by a court today for bludgeoning to death her step-daughter's parrot.

The 38-year-old Vietnamese-origin step-mother, Tran Thi Thuy Hang, lost her cool when the parrot 'Lucky' flew from her step-daughter's shoulder to bit her on the right cheek on October 27 last year.

The manicurist, a permanent resident here, ran into her room and complained to her 60-year old husband, Yu Ching Meng, demanding that the parrot be removed from the apartment they lived in.

Lucky was on the shoulder of her step-daughter Yu Mei Ling, 26, in the living room of the apartment. As Tran walked past, the parrot flew towards her and bit her right cheek, according to a Channel Asia report today.

"In anger, (Tran) demanded that the parrot be removed from the house immediately, failing which she would kill the parrot," Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority prosecutor Yap Teck Chuan told the court.

The next day, after Yu and his daughter left the apartment at in the morning for breakfast outside the house, Tran took a bamboo laundry pole, opened the parrot's cage and hit it several times until it died.

When Yu returned home from his breakfast, Tran showed her husband the bird carcass and told him what she had done. She had then dumped the bird carcass and its cage down the central rubbish chute outside their apartment.

In his sentencing, District Judge Adam Nakhoda said that Tran's actions were cruel, calculated and deliberate.

She had pleaded guilty last month to ill-treating Lucky.

For animal cruelty, Tran could have been jailed for up to 18 months and fined up to SGD15,000.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 45-year-old woman allegedly tried to immolate herself in front of the state secretariat here today, the latest such incident at the building in last several months, a police official said.

Radhabai Salunke, hailing from Beed district in Marathwada region, came to the secretariat, also called as 'Mantralaya', this morning and poured kerosene on herself.

She was about to set herself ablaze when the police nabbed her, the official said.

The woman had came to the secretariat to seek justice in a land dispute case, Deputy Commissioner of Police Prashant Khaire said.

She was detained and handed over to the Marine Drive police, he said.

Earlier in June, a man hailing from Dhule in north Maharashtra, had attempted suicide at the entrance of Mantralaya while seeking probe in a scheduled caste recruitment drive.

In March, a 56-year-old labourer from Beed district had tried to end his life outside the building, after a "police patil" in his village allegedly tried to usurp his land.

In February, a 45-year-old man had committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of Mantralaya, after which the BJP-led state government set up a safety net covering the open space on the first floor of the seven-storey building.

On January 22, an 84-year-old farmer from Dhule had consumed poison in the Mantralaya premises, demanding adequate compensation for his land, which was acquired by the government for a solar power project.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Work on the 103-kilometre Kolhapur-Vaibhavwadi section of Konkan Railway will begin soon, a line which would link the coastal region of Maharashtra with the western area of the state and help development of ports and harbours, the commerce ministry today said.

This decision regarding this was taken at a review meeting of Konkan Railway chaired by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu here yesterday.

In the meeting, Prabhu stated that the construction of this line will facilitate movement of petroleum from the world's largest integrated refinery and petrochemical complexes being built near Vaibhavwadi in Ratnagiri district.

The ministry said that the USD 40-billion mega refinery is being built by IOC, BPCL and HPCL; and is expected to be commissioned by 2022.

"Kolhapur-Vaibhavwadi line will facilitate movement of petroleum and petrochemicals from the refinery to the coast. The future economic growth of Maharashtra depends on connectivity of its coastal areas with the rest of the state and the country," the ministry statement said quoting Prabhu.

Indian Railways will bear 50 per cent of the cost and rest will be borne by the state government.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman, Railway Board, CMD, Konkan Railway and other senior officials.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The administration of Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district has asked people not to panic as the Yamuna river was flowing below the danger mark today.

District Magistrate Sarvagya Ram Mishra said there was nothing to panic as the rising water level of Yamuna, owing to the discharge of more than three lakh cusec of water from Hathnikund barrage last Saturday, was gradual. Mishra reviewed the arrangements in Mathura, Vrindavan and other low-lying areas, along with the senior superintendent of police (SSP).

Twenty-three flood-relief camps, 33 flood outposts and 148 boats have been requisitioned and kept on stand-by, Mishra said.

Public announcements have been made to the people living in the the low-lying areas to go to safer place. Police have been instructed to evacuate them to flood outposts or any alternate place if the situation turns worse, the DM said, adding that the people had been advised to contact the control room for any help.

Meanwhile, Additional District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said the water released from the Hathni Kund barrage had virtually not affected the life of people so far, as the Yamuna was flowing 55 cm below the danger mark today.

The water level recorded today was 165.45 metres, while the danger level in Mathura is 166 metres, he said, denouncing the claim of a national daily that the river had crossed the danger mark.

The teams of revenue, health and irrigation departments have been deployed at the flood outposts. Eatables and fodder arrangement for cattle has also been made, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)By Arno SchuetzeFRANKFURT (Reuters) - Activist investors Cevian and Elliott have renewed calls for structural changes at ThyssenKrupp after the German industrial conglomerate cut its earnings guidance late on Tuesday.The German maker of steel, elevators and car parts, is under interim leadership after a public feud with activist investors prompted the resignation of the chief executive officer and the non-executive chairman.Thyssenkrupp's lower earnings forecast, citing cost overruns and sluggish orders at its plant engineering and ship building division, sent its shares down on Wednesday and ...BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday it will retaliate if the United States takes further steps hindering trade, after a source said the Trump administration proposes slapping 25 percent tariffs on $200 billion of imported Chinese goods.Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing in Beijing that U.S. pressure on trade won't work, and that Beijing has always upheld using dialogue to resolve trade issues. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Writing by Michael Martina; Editing by Nick Macfie)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated ...By Hyunjoo JinPANGYO, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korea's Cosmax Inc, the world's biggest cosmetics manufacturer, rejected buyout offers from two large local conglomerates in the past year and has no interest in selling as it expects continued revenue growth propelled by Asian demand, its chairman and chief executive told Reuters.The company's North Korean-born founder, Lee Kyung-soo, also said North Korea's cosmetics market has great potential for growth and he would like to build a cosmetics factory there should South Korea and the United States guarantee business activity in the isolated ...Higher output and stronger new orders led to faster growth in Germany's manufacturing sector in July, a survey showed on Wednesday.Markit's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for manufacturing, which accounts for about a fifth of the economy, rose to 56.9 from 55.9 in June. July matched May's reading and was well above the 50 line that separates growth from contraction.The figure was lower than a flash reading of 57.3, however."The beginning of the second half of the year brought a faster rise in manufacturing growth among German manufacturers. Following a dip in overall performance in June, ...By Sijia Jiang and Lee Chyen YeeHONG KONG/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - China's Huawei Technologies overtook Apple Inc to become the world's second-biggest smartphone seller in the June quarter, data from market research firms showed, as it gained ground in Europe and expanded its lead back home.The estimated rise in market share comes as a slowdown in the world's biggest smartphone market, China, eased. Huawei has also managed to get ahead of rivals by selling more feature-packed phones, analysts said."Huawei is shifting to more value-added models, by launching new flagship smartphones with the ...By Naveen ThukralMELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's exports of farm products to India have taken a hit because of new tariffs and free trade negotiations between the two countries have stalled, trade minister Steven Ciobo said on Wednesday."Australian farm exporters to India have been whacked with a range of new trade distortions over the past year," Ciobo told a grains industry conference in Melbourne."This has included higher tariffs on chickpeas, wheat and lentils, quantitative restrictions on mung beans and yellow peas and what we consider export subsidies on sugar."Pulses imports to ...By Edward Taylor and Jan SchwartzWOLFSBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Volkswagen warned that a shortage of engineers is hampering efforts to get its cars to meet new anti-pollution rules, clouding its sales outlook and overshadowing a forecast-beating 23 percent rise in underlying operating profit.VW has seen a raft of engine experts depart since admitting to systematic emissions cheating in Sept. 2015. That has left the carmaker short of engineers now needed to work on models complying with stricter emissions tests, Chief Executive Herbert Diess said on Wednesday."Engine development expertise has ...By Anshuman Daga and Aradhana Aravindan(Reuters) - Southeast Asian ride-hailing company Grab is set to announce that it has secured new investment of $1 billion that will help it grow its payments business, a source familiar with the matter said.The funding will come from parties including U.S. investors and strategic backers, said the person, who declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak to media. Grab declined to comment.The funding comes after Toyota Motor Corp agreed in June to buy a $1 billion stake in Grab as the lead investor in a financing round launched after Grab ...(Reuters) - Tesla Inc is planning to invest $5 billion to build a factory in China, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing a source.Tesla is considering raising funds in China to finance at least a portion of the investment for the factory, the report said. (Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Reliance Industries (RIL) won a significant victory against the government in a 20-month-long gas migration dispute yesterday. The case pertained to the Indian government's claim of a $1.55 billion penalty against RIL and its partners, UK-based BP Plc and Canada's Niko Resources, for allegedly syphoning gas from state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp's (ONGC) block in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin in the Bay of Bengal.

An international arbitration tribunal, headed by Singapore-based arbitrator Lawrence Boo, rejected the government's claim by a majority of two votes to one. "All the contentions of the Consortium [RIL, BP & Niko] have been upheld by the majority with a finding that the Consortium was entitled to produce all gas from its contract area and all claims made by the Government of India have been rejected. The Consortium is not liable to pay any amount to the Government of India," RIL said in a regulatory filing yesterday, adding, "The Tribunal also awarded costs of $8.3 million (Rs 56.44 crore) to be paid by the Government of India to the Consortium".

On November 4, 2016, the oil ministry had slapped a demand of $1.47 billion on the RIL-BP-Niko consortium for "unfairly" producing natural gas belonging to ONGC. The government had claimed that the consortium had produced about 338.332 million British thermal units of gas that had seeped or migrated from adjoining ONGC's blocks into their KG-D6 block over seven years ending March 31, 2016. The Mukesh Ambani-led behemoth is the operator of the KG-D6 block with 60 per cent interest while BP holds 30 per cent and the remaining 10 per cent is with Niko.

After deducting $71.71 million royalty paid on the gas produced and charging interest at the rate of LIBOR (London Inter-bank Offered Rate) plus 2 per cent - amounting to $149.86 million - a total demand of $1.55 billion was made on the consortium.

The government's compensation claim for "the unjust benefit received and unfairly retained" flowed from the findings of the Justice (retd) AP Shah Committee. The one-man committee had been set up to look into the issue after ONGC first sued RIL for drawing gas that seeped from its block back in May 2015. The committee's report, submitted in August 2016, concluded that there has been "unjust enrichment" to the contractor of the block KG-DWN-98/3 (KG-D6) - i.e. RIL and its partners - due to the production of the migrated gas from ONGC's blocks KG-DWN-98/2 (KG-D5) and Godavari PML.

RIL, in turn, disputed the government's demand as being based on a "misreading and misinterpretation of key elements of the PSC [Production Sharing Contract ", and claimed that such a demand was without precedent in the oil and gas industry. A week later, the consortium issued an arbitration notice.

Without wasting any time, the three-member arbitration panel was constituted last February. Boo, the head of the Singapore-based Arbitration Chambers, was appointed as president of the tribunal by its two other members -former Supreme Court Judge GS Singhvi, who was the government's arbitrator, and RIL-appointed arbitrator former English High Court Justice Bernard Eder.

While this is a major victory for RIL - and its stock has celebrated by touching a fresh lifetime high of Rs 1202.95 apiece on the BSE in intraday trade - the company may not be able to enjoy it for long. A top government functionary told Mint that the government intends to challenge the arbitration tribunal's decision. "We will challenge it. Whatever is the process after arbitration we will follow it," said the source. In a similar vein, a senior ONGC executive told the daily that "In all probability, the arbitration's decision will be challenged".

RIL's troubles don't end there. The government is reportedly also pressing the company to cough up $174.9 million of additional profit petroleum after certain costs were disallowed after the output from the KG-D6 block was lower than the target.

Profit petroleum refers to profits from gas production after recovering costs that is available for sharing between the contractors and the government. Significantly, disallowing cost recovery will result in the government's profit share rising. The cost recovery issue is reportedly being arbitrated separately.The first draft of the national e-commerce policy which bats for equal footing for domestic and international players has reportedly sent alarm bells ringing among the foreign-owned companies operating in India - Amazon and Walmart.

A lion's share of the Indian e-commerce market - over 70 per cent - has been cornered by Amazon and homegrown rival Flipkart, which is in the process of being acquired by Walmart. Citing industry executives in the know, The Economic Times reported that these US-headquartered behemoths feel the draft ecommerce policy is "heavily tilted" against foreign firms. So they are likely to ask the United States government to reach out to Indian policymakers in case the final policy is "not moderated", the two sources added.

US President Donald Trump has previously used the Harley-Davidson brand to lash out against India's high import duties, so nobody will be surprised if he chooses to make an example of Walmart and Amazon as well to push for fair play. "We expect a barrage of letters to be exchanged between US authorities and the Indian government, in case the policy doesn't become more even-handed," a source told the daily.

The report added that while the draft proposal contains a number of proposals that have left foreign players in the sector worried about an "uneven playing field", the proposed ecommerce regulator has been cited as "the biggest concern". The fear is that introducing a regulator may slow down decision-making and impede business operations.

Meanwhile, the proposal to bar foreign-owned ecommerce companies from holding inventories has officials drawing parallels with China. The draft recommends that Indian-owned and Indian-managed marketplaces be allowed the option of holding inventories, provided the goods sold are entirely domestically produced.

Another key aspect hugely impacted by the draft policy is discounts - a strategy that has been instrumental in steering people away from offline retailers to ecommerce sites. In an attempt to boost Indian online enterprises, the government has proposed that deep-rooted discounts be stopped from a particular date as part of the e-commerce policy draft.

Significantly, the draft mentions that bulk purchases of branded goods like mobile phones, white goods, fashion items "by related party sellers which lead to price distortions in a marketplace" will be prohibited. If this is accepted in the final policy, it may seriously affect the sale strategies of the ecommerce biggies.

Both Amazon and Walmart are looking at making big investments in India. Amazon has pledged to invest about $5 billion and Walmart has agreed on a $16 billion deal to buy a 77 per cent stake in Flipkart.The government on Tuesday sought the approval of parliament to inject Rs 980 crore in ailing national carrier Air India during the current financial year, after attempts to find a buyer for its 76 per cent stake in the airline failed to take off. The government has "sought funds for infusion of equity in Air India under its turnaround plan," a statement tabled in the Lok Sabha said.

To fund the capital infusion in Air India and other sectors, the government has sought parliament's approval for an additional net spending of Rs 5,951 crore, on top of the budgeted Rs 24.42 lakh crore for 2018-19.

The government last month was forced to shelve its plan to sell a majority stake in the beleaguered airline due to lack of interest from bidders, in the latest setback in its efforts to rescue the loss-making carrier that has been kept afloat for years using taxpayer funds.

The sale was also key to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans to help keep the fiscal deficit at 3.3 per cent of GDP, a goal already under pressure from giveaways to farmers and other welfare benefits ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

An Air India source told Reuters on Monday that it had sought Rs 2,121 crore of additional equity from the government for 2018-19 to make pending payments to its vendors. The airline is also reeling under a crushing debt burden of around Rs 48,781 crore as of March 31, 2017.

Air India, which employs some 27,000 staff, had in June this year sought proposals for short-term loans worth Rs 1,000 crore to meet urgent working capital requirements. It also borrowed Rs 6,250 crore from various banks between September last year and January this year for immediate requirements and other needs.

Recently, Air India asked the government to restore the equity infusion after its strategic disinvestment bid failed to take off in May.

In April 2012, Congress-led UPA regime had approved a turnaround plan as well as a financial restructuring plan for Air India. Under the turnaround plan, Air India is to receive a total equity infusion worth Rs 30,231 crore up to 2021.

So far, the airline has received Rs 27,195.21 crore worth equity infusion.

The carrier had been receiving about Rs 3,000-4,000 crore equity infusion on an average per fiscal from the government till 2013-14. However, after that the amount was gradually reduced.

For 2018-19, the airline has been allocated Rs 650 crore.Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has cleared the Life Insurance Corporation's acquisition of 51 per cent stake in the debt-ridden IDBI Bank. The approval of the deal means LIC will raise its stake in the bank from the current 8 per cent to 51 per cent, which makes makes it a majority holder. As per the proposal, IDBI Bank will issue preferential shares to LIC to raise money.

The LIC stake buy will help the bank get capital support of Rs 10,000-13,000 crore. With the acquisition of a majority stake, LIC is expected to appoint at least four members on the bank's board.

Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said the deal would be a win-win for all -- the government, LIC and the IDBI Bank. "The government has taken many steps to make Indian banks stronger since August 2015. The asset quality review of evergreen loans and restructuring, which led to a jump in the NPA figure, revealed that most of them were issued before 2014. Because of this, the government has infused capital in these banks. Of these NPA-hit banks, IDBI has been infused with around Rs 16,000 crore as it held 25 per cent gross NPAs when its asset quality review was done. Now the bank is standing firm. To make it stronger, it has been connected with LIC, which can spread its reach to all corners of the country," said Piyush Goyal.

He added the deal was important as it would make IDBI Bank stronger, its capital adequacy would improve, and it could soon get out of prompt corrective action. "With the help of around 11 lakh agents across the country, LIC could get low-cost funds. In addition to this, LIC would provide a big market for IDBI for spread its business," said Goyal.

According to the takeover plan approved by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), the state-owned insurance company would not have any management control over the state-owned bank. Also, LIC would present a comprehensive plan to reduce its stake to 15 per cent over a period of the seven years.

The government, with 86 per cent stake in IDBI, wanted to privatise IDBI by ceding control for long. However, its plan did not succeed due to the bank's deteriorating financial condition.

The IDBI Bank has the highest gross non-performing assets (27.95 per cent) as a percentage of total loans among all public sector banks. It has accumulated losses of over Rs 17,000 crore. Out of its total outstanding loans of Rs 1.99-lakh crore, it already has recognised gross NPAs worth Rs 55,588 crore while it has already provisioned for NPAs worth Rs 26,902 crore. The public lender has reported losses of Rs 8,237.92 crore in FY 18, Rs 5,158.14 crore in FY 17, and Rs 3,664.80 crore FY16.

Besides, IDBI Bank is already under banking regulator RBI's prompt corrective action (PCA), which restricts the bank's ability to expand loan business; requires it to shed non-core business and focus on returning to profitability by cutting expenses.

(Edited by Manoj Sharma)It's been two years since Narendra Modi announced demonetisation with the objective to fight black money, corruption and terror funding. Today, Finance Minister Arun Jately in a Facebook post described the note ban as a "key step in a chain of important decisions taken by the government to formalize the economy".

One of the key poll promises of Narendra Modi-led BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections was bringing back the black money. Before he became Prime Minister, Modi vowed to bring all illicit money stashed away in foreign countries, and promised that poor people in the country would get Rs 15 lakh each. "I will bring back every rupee stored away in foreign banks and ensure it is used for the rehabilitation of the poor," said Modi.

However, after the BJP came to power, Amit Shah in an interview in 2015 said: "Modi ji's statement was just a jumla. Everybody knows black money won't be deposited in bank accounts of people." Instead, it would be used to fund different government schemes for the poor, Shah clarified.

A few months before the country goes to polls again, it's time to find out if the Modi government has kept its promise. Here are the numbers.

Demonetisation

Demonetisation has been largely considered a failure in curbing black money, but led to increased domestic MF investments and CASA deposits.

Demonetisation of high-value currency notes -- Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes -- that constituted 86.4 per cent of the money in circulation in November 2016 was a step taken to bring back money that was out of the banking system. The government initially expected currency only worth Rs 10 lakh crore to be returned to banks. However, the government and the RBI faced criticism because most of the currency in circulation was recovered, and only 1.04 per cent was not returned. The total value of invalidated Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes at the time of demonetisation was Rs 15.44 lakh crore, out of which only Rs 16,000 crore was not returned to the RBI. As per the final numbers disclosed by the RBI in August 2018, Rs 15.31 lakh crore returned to the banking regulator which was far higher than the government expectation of recovering only Rs 10 lakh crore. In essence, demonetisation has not met the government's goal of wiping out black money from the Indian economy.

The central bank spent Rs 21,000 crore in handling the mechanics of demonetisation, including printing of notes. This reduced RBI's profits which resulted in lesser dividend being paid to the cenral government.

Pre-DeMo, RBI transferred a dividend of Rs 65,876 crore to the government in 2015-16.

Post-DeMo, RBI's dividend declined by more than half. In 2016-17 RBI paid a dividend of Rs 30,659 crore. It went up again in 2017-18 but did not touch the mark of 2015-16. The RBI paid Rs 50,000 crore as dividend to the government earlier this year.

However, demonitisation had some positive impact on the economy as well which reflected through increase in AUM (assets under management) of mutual fund industry. Sizeable expansion in the collections of debt/income-oriented mutual funds occurred after demonetisation i.e., during November 2016 to March 2017. The AUM by mutual funds increased from about Rs 16 lakh crore to Rs 21 lakh crore between end-October 2016 and end-October 2017. AUM today stands at 24.31 lakh crore, as per AMFI data.

As per RBI, seven specific accounts, namely Basic Saving Bank Deposit Accounts, PMJDY Accounts, KCC, dormant or inoperative accounts, co-operative banks' accounts with scheduled commercial banks, bullion trader/jewellers' accounts, and loan accounts, witnessed a steep rise in deposits. The total cash deposits in these seven types of accounts during November-December 2016 with 52 banks were estimated at Rs 4.35 lakh crore. Cash deposits in these accounts during September-October 2016 were Rs 2.70 lakh crore. The difference of Rs 1.65 lakh crore is increase in cash deposits under these accounts due to demonetisation. The estimated cash deposits in such accounts with 52 banks amounted to Rs 3.06 lakh crore during November-December 2015.

This is further strengthened by the trend growth rate of last five years which displayed a negative growth of 9.2 per cent in net deposits during November-December.

Fake currency

RBI report says that detection of fake Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes decreased by 59.7 and 59.6 per cent respectively after demonetisation.

The RBI says, "Compared to the previous year, there was an increase of 35 per cent in counterfeit notes detected in the denomination of Rs 100, while there was a noticeable increase of 154.3 per cent in counterfeit notes detected in the denomination of Rs 50."

Black Money and Imposition of Tax Act

In total, Rs 69,350 core was recovered under Income Declaration Scheme and Black Money and Imposition of Tax Act, and another Rs 5,000 crore under PMGKY.

In 2015, the Narendra Modi government enacted Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act. The government provided a one-time window for compliance -- from July 1 to September 30 in 2015 -- to those who had undisclosed foreign assets. Around 650 people declared deposits worth Rs 4,100 crore deposited in foreign banks. Thereafter, two more compliance windows were provided by the government - first, under the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS) in 2016. Under this scheme, anyone who had not disclosed their income or assets honestly in the previous assessment year got a chance to disclose it. In turn, they would have to pay a tax of flat 45 per cent.

The other option was the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) launched in December 2016, which provided an opportunity to declare unaccounted wealth and black money in a confidential manner and avoid prosecution after paying a fine of 50 per cent on the undisclosed income. It also offered an option of investing an additional 25 per cent of the undisclosed income in the scheme, which would be refunded after four years, without any interest. According to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, total 64,275 people disclosed Rs 65,250 crore under the IDS while assets worth Rs 5,000 crore were declared under the PMGKY.

Amendment in Benami Act

Provisional attachments made in transactions involving Benami properties valued more than Rs 4,300 crore.

The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act of 1988 was amended in 2016 with the aim to clamp down on benami transactions. The amendment fast-tracks procedure in dealing with Benami properties and ensures stringent punishment for offenders. The Income Tax Department had set up 24 dedicated Benami Prohibition Units across India. According to Minister of State for Finance, Shiv Pratap Shukla: "As on June 30, 2018, provisional attachments have been made in more than 1,600 Benami transactions involving Benami properties valued at over Rs 4,300 crore."

Blocking the Mauritan route

Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) allowed Indian government to prevent money laundering.

Several foreign policy measures were also taken to keep a check on fraudulent transactions. Prominent among these were the implementation of the General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) that came into force on April 1, 2017. GAAR seeks to prevent companies from routing transactions through other countries to avoid taxes. The Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Mauritius was amended on May 10, 2016. The government could now levy a tax on the capital gains from sale or transfer of shares of an Indian company acquired by a Mauritian tax resident. It was an effective step towards blocking the Mauritius route of money laundering and black money generation.

Pact with Swiss banks

Swiss National Bank has agreed to share account details of Indians depositors with the Indian government from September 2019.

On November 22, 2016, a pact was signed with the Swiss National Bank that would enable the government to receive information on Indian account holders in Swiss banks from September 2019 onwards. The information that could be exchanged under this framework would include account number, name, address, date of birth, tax identification number, interest, dividend, receipts from insurance policies, credit balance in accounts and proceeds from sale of financial assets. However, two following developments have raised suspicion as well as confusion over the amount of money Indians have stashed away in Swiss banks.

First came the news that total liabilities of Swiss Banks towards Indians had increased 50 per cent in 2017 to 1.01 billion Swiss Francs vis a vis 2016. After this, data had surfaced quoting Swiss National Bank that non-bank loans and deposits by individuals and corporate in Swiss bank accounts have gone down by 35 per cent in 2017 compared to the previous year. Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, who was filling in for Arun Jaitley then, had even claimed that since the Modi government came to power in 2014, the figure has dropped by 80 per cent. As a result, the non-bank deposits have declined from $800 million in 2016 to $524 million in 2017; these deposits were $2.23 billion in 2014. A fall in such deposits is good but the big question is if it's not going to Swiss banks, where is it going? Indians surely haven't stopped parking funds abroad just yet.

Increase in taxpayers

As tax net widened, number of tax payers doubled while tax collection saw close to 50 per cent increase during the last four years.

Due to the measures taken by the Modi government to boost tax compliance in the past four years, there has been a notable increase in the number of income tax payers and tax collection rate. In 2013-14, there were only 3.79 crore taxpayers in India, which increased to 4.07 crore in 2015-16 and 6.84 crore in 2017-18. The gross tax revenue has also seen an uptrend from Rs 12.44 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs 14.60 lakh crore in 2015-16 and Rs 17.15 lakh crore in 2016-17. The budget estimates for 2017-18 stood at Rs 19.11 lakh crore, and for the current year the budget estimate stood at Rs 22.71 lakh crore.

Surge in Indirect Tax

Indirect tax collection till November 30, 2017 was at Rs 7.35 lakh crore as compared to full year target of Rs 9.27 lakh crore.

In FY15, total indirect tax collection was Rs 5.46 lakh crore, which rose to Rs 7.11 lakh crore in FY16. In FY17 indirect tax collection stood at Rs 8.63 lakh crore, which was 22 per cent higher than the actual Revenue Receipts in FY 2015-16. Till November 30, 2017, Rs 7.35 lakh crore was collected as indirect tax by the government as compared to full year target of Rs 9.27 lakh crore.

Increase in direct tax buoyancy

Since demonetisation, direct tax buoyancy has more than doubled from 0.6 times in FY16 to 1.3 times in FY17 and 1.7 times in FY18.

Tax buoyancy is a measure of the responsiveness of tax receipts to economic growth and reflects an increase or decrease in government income. The direct tax buoyancy from FY08 to FY14 hovered around 0.5 and 1.1 times, while in FY15 and FY16 it fell to 0.8 times and 0.6 times. Ever since the note ban, the direct tax buoyancy has more than doubled from 0.6 times in FY16 to 1.3 times in FY17 and 1.7 times in FY18.

Swift action by I-T Department

The I-T Department detected undisclosed income worth Rs 35,460 crore since 2014.

From April 2014 to December 2014, Rs 11,442 crore worth of undisclosed income has been identified by Income Tax department in search and survey operations while Rs 582 crore were seized by I-T officials.

An amendment was made in the Income Tax Act in 2017 which made it easier for I-T officers to conduct a search and survey operation. They were not required to disclose their 'reason to believe' or 'reason to suspect' before conducting the raid. As a result of the amendment, total 12,526 surveys were conducted by the I-T Department in FY17, detecting Rs 13,736 crore. The number of surveys was mere 4,428 in FY16 detecting Rs 9,700 crore.

Verdict:

PM Modi's promise to bring back black money may not have been fulfilled, but his policies have definitely made an impact. Measures like IDS and PMGKY instilled fear in the minds of unscrupulous businessmen, which resulted in the declaration of Rs 70,250 crore undeclared income. This income was taxed at upwards of 45 per cent, raising the government's revenue.

Meanwhile, tax compliance has seen a definite boost under PM Modi. The government managed to widen its tax base causing an uptrend in the tax revenue estimates for the current years at Rs 22.71 lakh crore. While indirect tax collection reached Rs 7.35 lakh crore till November 30, 2017, the Income Tax Department detected undisclosed income worth Rs 13,376 crore.

Amendments to Benami Act in 2016 saw provisional attachments involving Benami transactions worth Rs 4,100 crore.

Demonetisation, however, attracted huge backlash from opposition as well as the Supreme Court. Its planning and execution were questioned. While the government expected most of the demonetised currency, which would be black money, would not be returned after the note ban, only 1.04 per cent or Rs 16,000 crore did not came back to the banks. Also, the RBI has not declared the actual cost of demonetisation on the Indian economy yet as they are are still being processed.

The monetary impact of foreign policy measures like GAAR and DTAA are yet to be ascertained. Moreover, significant decline in illegal deposits by Indians in Swiss banks since the Modi government assumed power does not mean that we have stopped parking funds abroad, which begs the question of where are Indians hiding their black money now.

The Modi government has so far unlocked black money worth around Rs 1,14,110 crore. This includes money disclosed under the government's income disclosure scheme (Rs 74,350), benami transactions (Rs 4,300 crore) and income tax raids (Rs 35,460 crore). Also, a drop in money stashed by Indians in Swiss banks since 2014 is close to $1.77 billion (Rs 12,139 crore).

However, the parallel black economy of India is estimated to be around half of India's current GDP of $2.60 trillion (in 2017). The big question is whether detection of Rs 1,14,110 crore as black money is enough.01 Aug 2018, 10:58 AM

NewsReliance Industries overtakes TCS as India's most-valued company

Reliance Industries headed by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani has just snatched back the tag of the country's most valued company in terms of market capitalisation. As of 1 pm yesterday, the m-cap of Reliance Industries (RIL) stood at Rs 7.47 lakh crore, overtaking Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), becoming India's first 7.5 lakh crore company in stock market history. The IT bellwether had first replaced RIL as the most valued firm more than five years ago. And, in the bargain, Ambani's net worth has also shot up, since he holds a 44.5 per cent stake in the company. According to Bloomberg data, he is now worth $45.9 billion, $1.6 billion richer in less than three weeks

Call drop: Trai sets new call quality parameters for 4G networks

Telecom regulator yesterday released new parameters for assessing call quality on the 4G network with a view to checking problems like voice mute faced by customers. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has decided to measure call quality on the 4G network in terms of data packets -- a parameter different from benchmarks used for assessing call drops on 2G and 3G networks. The regulator has mandated telecom operators to ensure that not more than or equal to 2 per cent of total data packets transmitted during uplink and downlink of calls should be lost so that customers get to experience better call quality. New norms would be applicable from October 1.

Social media platform Twitter tries to measure 'healthy conversations'

Twitter is working with academics to start measuring 'healthy conversations' on its platform. The conversations will be judged on the basis of 'openness and civility' as it disclosed in a blog post. It is in process to develop a measurement framework. "Partnering with outside experts who can provide thoughtful analysis, external perspective, and rigorous review is the best way to measure our work and stay accountable to those who use Twitter," it explained in its blog. Twitter and Facebook are currently facing a backlash over their impact on popular culture and politics.

Govt ready to inject Rs 980 cr to keep ailing Air India alive

The government has sought approval of parliament to inject Rs 980 crore in ailing national carrier Air India during the current financial year, after attempts to find a buyer for its 76 per cent stake in the airline failed to take off. The government has "sought funds for infusion of equity in Air India under its turnaround plan," a statement tabled in the Lok Sabha said. The government last month was forced to shelve its plan to sell a majority stake in the beleaguered airline due to lack of interest from bidders, in the latest setback in its efforts to rescue the loss-making carrier that has been kept afloat for years using taxpayer funds.

UIDAI tells people to refrain from posting Aadhaar numbers on social media

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has issued an advisory, asking people to refrain from posting their Aadhaar numbers on the internet or social media sites, and posing challenges to others. Indiscriminate and unwanted publication of any personally sensitive information, whether Aadhaar or any other, may render the person concerned vulnerable and, therefore, should be avoided, cautioned UIDAI. The UIDAI advisory comes two days after TRAI Chairman RS Sharma courted controversy for posting his Aadhaar number on Twitter as a challenge.

Vijay Mallya's bail extended; UK court asks India to submit video of Mumbai jail

Ahead of the closing arguments in his extradition trial, embattled tycoon Vijay Mallya on Tuesday said that he was not guilty, and that the question of money laundering was completely false. Meanwhile, the Westminster court asked the Indian authorities to submit a video of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail and extended Mallya's bail till September 12. Vijay Mallya is fighting extradition to India on the charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to around Rs 9,000 crore. If extradited, he could be kept in the Arthur Road jail. However, the defense counsel has cited poor conditions of the Indian jails as a reason for not to extradite Mallya.India's Tata Motors Ltd reported its first quarterly loss in nearly three years on Tuesday, as its UK subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover sold fewer of its luxury cars to dealerships in China, while raw material costs rose. The automaker said its first-quarter net loss was Rs 1,862 crore, compared with a profit of Rs 3,182 crore a year earlier that included a Rs 3,609 crore gain from changes to the way JLR's pension payments are calculated.

Dealers in China delayed purchases to benefit from an import duty cut that came into effect after the end of the reporting quarter, the automaker said, adding that planned dealer stock reduction in other markets also weighed on its business. That resulted in a 6.7 per cent drop in quarterly revenue for JLR, the company added.

Total consolidated revenue from operations, however, rose to Rs 67,081.29 crore as compared with Rs 59,818.22 crore in the year ago period, Tata Motors said in a regulatory filing.

Total expenses during April-June rose about 17 per cent to Rs 69,890 crore.

JLR had said in April it would cut around 1,000 jobs and production at two of its English factories due to a fall in sales caused by uncertainty around Brexit and confusion over diesel policy in UK and Europe.

On a standalone basis, Tata Motors reported a net profit of Rs 1,187.65 crore. It had reported a net loss of Rs 463.14 crore in the first quarter last fiscal. Standalone total revenue from operations grew to Rs 16,803.11 crore during the quarter compared to Rs 10,366.19 crore in the same period of 2017-18.

Standalone volume rose 59 per cent to 1,76,868 units driven by robust sales of commercial and passenger vehicles in the Indian market.

Commenting on the domestic business, Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said the company continues to gain market share, while strongly improving profitability in both commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles.

"With regards to JLR, we faced multiple challenges, including temporary issues like China duty impact as well as the market issues like diesel concerns in the UK and Europe, he added. Despite these challenges, the company remains committed to delivering the plan it outlined earlier this year," Chandrasekaran said.

Tata Motors CEO and MD Guenter Butschek said there could be a few challenges in the short term particularly in commercial vehicles as the new regulations on axle loads come into effect. "But, we remain positive on the long term potential of the Indian market and I am confident that Tata Motors is taking the right steps to drive competitive, consistent, cash accretive growth," he added.After disrupting the telecom sector, Reliance Jio is now looking to create ripples in the broadband market with its JioGigaFiber. Since its announcement at Reliance Industries' 41st annual general meeting, speculations have been rife that the tariffs for JioGigaFiber are likely to be as aggressive as Jio's. Now an expected price list has appeared ahead of JioGigaFiber's rollout.

JioGigaFiber is a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband service announced by Reliance Jio earlier this year. The service will extend high speed internet services to homes, offices and shops via an optical fibre network with speeds reaching as high as 1 Gbps. Registrations for the fibre-based broadband service are scheduled to begin from August 15. The broadband service will also include a JioGigaTV set top box for 4K enabled media connectivity and streaming services on a television.

Reliance Jio is currently running beta trials for JioGigaFiber in several cities in the run-up to its launch. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has claimed that the FTTH broadband network will connect as much as 50 million homes across India. In its first phase, Reliance Jio will introduce JioGigaFiber in 1,100 cities.

A report by Trak shows that the plans under JioGigaFiber broadband service will begin for as low as Rs 500. However the Reliance Jio has not confirmed this price list. Below are the expected prices for the JioGigaFiber service:

Rs 500 JioGigaFiber Plan

This will be first package under JioGigaFiber which will come with unlimited data up to 300GB per month at 50Mbps. The speed will be reduced past the FUP limit of 300GB.

Rs 750 JioGigaFiber Plan

The next plan is expected to be priced at Rs 750 and will offer unlimited data up to 450GB at 50Mbps. This plan is also likely to come with a validity of 30 days.

Rs 999 JioGigaFiber Plan

The Rs 999 JioGigaFiber plan will come with unlimited data up to 600GB data at 100Mbps. The validity for the plan is expected to be 30 days.

Rs 1,299 JioGigaFiber Plan

This expected plan will offer unlimited data at 100Mbps for 30 days with a FUP limit of 750GB. The speed will be throttled past the FUP limit.

Rs 1,599 JioGigaFiber Plan

The highest plan in the bunch will come with 900GB of high speed data at 150Mbps. The validity of plan is likely to be 30 days, where users will see reduction in speed once the FUP limit is exhausted.

Where to register for JioGigaFiber

Reliance Jio will open registrations for the JioGigaFiber broadband services from August 15. Registrations will be accepted via Jio's official website or the My Jio mobile application. While the company plans to launch JioGigaFiber in 1,100 cities in the first phase, the locations with higher number of registrations will be the first to get it.

Edited by Vivek PunjChinese smartphone maker OnePlus aims to expand its retail store presence in India, a company executive said on Tuesday, as the firm plans to make the world's No.2 smartphone market its second headquarters by end 2018.

Shenzhen-headquartered OnePlus, which sells a bulk of its phones through Amazon.com's India unit, plans to have 10 retail stores by the second half of 2018, Vikas Agarwal, General Manager, OnePlus India told Reuters in an interview.

The company, which currently operates five retail stores in India, will also start a research and development unit in a market which accounts for one third of its revenue.

"We've already upgraded to local production of the components and will continue to look at further plans as the government announces the next wave of localisation," Agarwal said, adding that all OnePlus phones sold in India were made locally.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship "Make in India" drive has pushed smartphone vendors to assemble their devices locally. Earlier this month, South Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics unveiled the world's biggest mobile phone factory on the outskirts of capital New Delhi.

Sales of OnePlus' latest phone have helped it become the top smartphone brand in India's premium - above 30,000 rupees ($438) - segment in the quarter to June, ahead of bigger rivals Samsung and Apple Inc, according to tech researcher Counterpoint.WhatsApp's Payment service is supposed to pilot in India but a new demand from the government will further extend the official launch date of the new feature. According to a report from The Economic Times, WhatsApp will have to set up an office in India to get a green signal for the Payments service. WhatsApp received this intimation from Indian government earlier last month when the company's chief operating officer, Matt Idema met officials from the ministry of electronics and IT (MeitY).

As a response, WhatsApp is looking forward to build a team in India. Currently, the brand is actively looking to fill the top positions in the new team which includes, India Head and Head of Policy.

The company has been asked to take this step mainly to satisfy MeitY's demand to have a physical presence within the country before launching a payments service for over 220 million subscribers.

The Indian officials claimed that since WhatsApp is launching this new feature as a pilot project in India, there's a need to set up a team to build confidence in this unprecedented service.

Earlier, the company was facing problems with WhatsApp's data storage method of financially sensitive information. The payment method was also under the scanner for bypassing the two-factor authentication made mandatory by Reserve Bank of India. As a response, the company announced a 24-hour customer support to address various issues related to Payments. The services can be access via e-mail and a toll-free number.

The company chief Mark Zuckerberg used the launch of this pilot program during the earnings call last month. "We've been testing payments on WhatsApp in India," Zuckerberg said on an earnings call with investors and analysts on Wednesday, after the company announced its second quarter financial results. "Of the people who have tested this, feedback and usage have been very strong. All signs point to a lot of people wanting to use this when the government gives us the green light," he added.

Edited by Danny D'CruzeCrowe, formerly known as Crowe Horwath, the accountancy practice and advisors to the Irish hotel sector, has today launched the 23rd edition of Irelands most comprehensive annual analysis of the Irish hotel sector.



The Crowe Ireland Hotel Survey, compiled from an analysis of Irish hotels 2017 accounts, shows that key performance metrics have enjoyed a period of sustained improvement with a seventh consecutive year of growth in turnover. Record profit levels, room occupancy levels and average room rates have been recorded in all regions.

Notwithstanding such a strong performance in the sector, Crowe say the levels of profitability recorded are necessary to provide a sustainable business model to allow for a 1.5 billion investment required to deliver an additional 11,000 rooms which are required within the next seven years. According to Crowe, failure to deliver this capacity will impact on competitiveness and Irelands ability to maximise revenue from the tourism sector.



The survey shows that hotel room rates have increased in all regions, up 6.86% on average rates achieved in 2017 when compared with 2016. Rooms in Dublin hotels had an average rate of 136.96 in 2017 some 6.78% higher than the price achieved in 2016. During 2017, the South West and Western Seaboard regions were the strongest performing areas, with average room rates for both regions rising to 100.67 and 87.49 respectively, a growth of 7.96% in the South West and 9.67% in the Western Seaboard area.



During 2017, average room rates in Dublin increased at half the rate achieved in 2016 showing some moderation in growth even though very little new capacity came on stream as only 237 new rooms were added during the year according to the Failte Ireland hotel register. For the first time since 2011 average room rate growth in regions outside Dublin was higher than the capital pointing to a broader, more balanced recovery in the sector across the country.

Profitability in the capital too increased at a lower rate when compared with other regions. Dublin hotels increased their profits on average by 12% whereas the largest increase in profitability was achieved in the South West at 17.43% growth with Western Seaboard at 17.01% and Midlands and East at 13.89%.



Of all classifications, Luxury hotels saw the biggest increase in room occupancy in 2017, with a 2.7 percentage point increase on 2016 figures. Their average room rate rose to 218.02, an increase of 6.23% on last years record level of 205.24. While First Class (four-star) hotels have the highest level of room occupancy at 76.2%, economy hotels saw the biggest growth in the average room rate, growing to 68.43 and an 11.84% increase on 2016 figures.



Commenting on the findings of the Crowe Report, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin said, "The findings of this survey show that there is continued improved performance in hotels nationwide across all key performance indicators. It is great to see the improved viability of the sector, as it is a large employer and now again has the potential to support the expansion in capacity that our growing tourism industry requires."

He added, "It is important, however, that Ireland remains competitive in all markets and that we continue to offer our visitors good quality products and services. In particular, it is crucial that we avoid any reputational damage in the area of value for money."

Source: www.businessworld.ieIrish bank permanent tsb (PTSB) said on Tuesday it had agreed to sell a portfolio of non-performing loans to Lone Star Fund's Start Mortgages for 1.3 billion euros, reducing its overall non-performing loans ratio to around 16% from 25%.

The portfolio, known as Project Glas, comprises loans linked to around 10,700 properties, of which around 3,300 are buy-to-let properties and around 7,400 are private dwellings.

"Reducing NPLs is a necessary step for us to take to complete the rebuilding of PTSB as a viable, competitive lender," Jeremy Masding, Chief Executive of PTSB, Ireland's third-largest bank, said in a statement.

The gross balance sheet value of the loans is around 2.1 billion euros.

The disposal will boost PTSB's common equity tier 1 ratio by 2%. The average arrears time in the portfolio is 3.5 years and the average arrears value is 28,800 euros.

PTSB had planned to sell loans with a balance sheet value of around 3.7 billion euros but conceded to political pressure earlier this year to remove 4,300 split loans -- soured loans that are restructured by putting repayments on part of a loan on ice until a future date -- from the portfolio.

Masding sought to reassure homeowners subject to the sale that the protections that currently exist transfer with a loan when it is sold.

"Customers will continue to be afforded the protection of existing regulatory protections after the transfer", he said.

Irish banks are under pressure from the European Central Bank to reduce bad loans which ballooned after Ireland's property crash. PTSB is 75% state-owned. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ieBritish foreign minister Jeremy Hunt denied on Wednesday that warnings about fallout from a disorderly exit from the European Union were an attempt to scare opponents of the government's preferred Brexit plan into supporting it.

With less than eight months until Britain leaves the EU, the government has yet to agree an exit deal with Brussels and has begun talking more publicly about the prospect of leaving the bloc without any formal agreement on what happens next.

That has spooked businesses, which warn of chaotic disruption to supply chains and for consumers.

Ministers will begin publishing advice later this month on how to cope with a 'No Deal' Brexit - prompting accusations of scaremongering from those who say leaving the EU will benefit Britain.

"This is not project fear, this is project reality," Hunt told a news conference in Vienna, when asked whether Britain was using scare tactics.

"We have to make a decision on Britains future relationship with the EU by the end of this year and we have to be very honest with ourselves about the choices that we face."

In the run-up to the referendum in mid-2016 when Britons voted by 52 to 48 percent to exit the EU, the government's predictions of dire economic consequences in the event of a 'leave' vote - which have not materialised - were criticised as 'Project Fear'.

Prime Minister Theresa May's ministers have fanned out across Europe during the summer break from parliament, trying to win support for a Brexit plan that would see Britain maintain closer ties with the bloc than some had anticipated.

"We need to have these frank discussions because time is very, very short and we are clear that what we want is a friendship," Hunt said, speaking alongside his Austrian counterpart Karin Kneissl.

Parts of May's plan have been rejected by Brussels, and it has split opinion in her government, her party, and among voters. That leaves May with an uphill struggle to maintain unity while steering Britain through its most significant upheaval in decades.

"Britain will prosper and succeed whatever the outcome of these talks because were that kind of country," Hunt said.

"But we would much rather a future when we look at all the instability in the world, all the pressures, all the unpredictability ... where people who share values are standing together shoulder to shoulder." (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ieIndustry analysts expect the initial public offering of Sinochem Energy Co. Ltd. to raise about $2 billion. Photo: VCG

A major trading, refining and retail unit of state-owned chemical and energy giant Sinochem Group filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as it looks to fund further research and development.

Sinochem Energy Co. Ltd. made the filing on Tuesday. While it did not reveal how many shares will be offered, industry analysts expect the placement to generate about $2 billion.

The company, wholly owned by subsidiaries of Sinochem Group, is responsible for corporate technology, and the trading, refining, storage and distribution of its parents oil petroleum products, according to its prospectus.

Sinochem Energy has launched several online oil trading information portals such as mycrudeoil.net, which it intends to use to further open domestic and foreign petroleum markets, the prospectus says. The company aims to use funds raised through the IPO to develop these products and other technical upgrades across its business. Its prize asset is a petrochemicals refinery in the Fujian province city of Quanzhou, which is one of Chinas top three such facilities, according to the prospectus.

The listing comes as parent Sinochem Group prepares for its merger with Chinas other leading state-owned chemical company, China National Chemical Corp. (ChemChina), in a move that will create an industry titan with operations spanning the globe with annual revenues exceeding $100 billion.

ChemChina announced its $49 billion takeover of Swiss agrichemicals giant Syngenta AG last year. It is thought ChemChinas merger with Sinochem Group will help bolster the formers balance sheet, while the Sinochem Energy listing is likely motivated by a similar need to secure external funding.

The listing also drives forward the governments ambition of experimenting with mixed-ownership reform in the state sector, as it looks to encourage competition and innovation without relinquishing its grip on strategically important industries.

While experimentation has been relatively limited so far, the recent appointment of President Xi Jinpings key economic adviser, Liu He, as head of the governments SOE reform working group may lead to more listings in the near future. This week, China Tower Corp. Ltd., operator of the cellular base stations used by Chinas three wireless carries, also announced plans for a Hong Kong IPO in a move expected to raise $8.7 billion.

Sinochem Energy reported a profit of 1.2 billion yuan ($176 million) in 2017, down from 2.24 billion yuan in 2016 and 5.2 billion yuan a year earlier, according to the companys prospectus.

Morgan Stanley, CLSA and BOC International are the joint sponsors of the deal.

Contact reporter Ke Dawei (daweike@caixin.com)Exploring Psychic Abilities: Channeling

Overtaken by Spirit

Theres more to a psychic reading than just gaining insight about the futureand not all readings (or psychics!) are alike. Psychics specialize in particular abilities, like channeling. Channeling is an insightful, and even life-changing practice you might experience when you read with a psychic. Understanding this psychic ability can give you important insight when it comes to choosing the right guide for you. Read on to learn more about this psychic ability, what it is, and how it can enhance your next reading.

Our deceased loved ones psychics can connect you with your departed loved ones. What messages are waiting for you?

What is Channeling?

When channeling, a psychic or Medium allows their body to be overtaken by a spirit or otherworldly being. This being could be someone who has crossed over to the other side or a life form from a higher plane. When a psychic channels, they are literally becoming the channel for the being who wishes to speak to you.

During a reading, your psychic will go into a state of altered consciousness. At this point, the being can enter their body and use it to communicate with you. As a channel, your psychic may take on the voice, cadence, language, and even mannerisms of the being coming through. In fact, your psychic may not even remember what happened during your reading.

What Are the Origins of Channeling?

Channeling seems to have been around since the dawn of the early civilizations. The ancient Egyptians, known for their reverence of the dead and the afterlife, documented how they communicated with the spirits of those who had passed on. A number of ancient Greek oracles also used it, as their culture believed that the spirits of the dead escaped their bodies and lived on among the living. (Its also been said that Pythagoras used a Ouija board of sorts to communicate with the dead. However, this claim is tough to substantiate as theres no clear written proof.) The ancient Chinese also participated, calling channels wu and using a device called a chi to record the messages relayed through mediums from beings on another plane.

Why is Channeling a Psychic Ability?

Psychics use channeling to give people direct access to someone they wish to contact, whether its a relative who has passed or some kind of higher being they seek guidance from. Our psychics can use it in two ways: One is through trance channeling, where a being takes over the psychics whole body and the psychic remains in a trancelike state with a little-to-no recollection of the session after it concludes. This is the type commonly practiced by the ancient cultures listed above. The other is through conscious channeling, in which the psychic is able to separate, or even somewhat edit, the content of the being thats moving through him or her.

How Does Channeling Enhance Your California Psychics Reading?

Its one thing to talk about your past or future when getting a psychic reading. However, its quite another to get to speak to and communicate with someone important to you who resides in another plane. If youre harboring guilt, regret, longing or any other emotion when it comes to someone who is no longer in the living world, channeling gives you an opportunity to lay your thoughts to rest and get some of the comfort and closure you seekstraight from the source.

Now that you know more about channeling, will you read with a channeling psychic?

Want to connect with someone who has crossed over or with a divine being? A channeling psychic can help you. All you need to do is call for a channeling psychic reading to get started.

Find a channeling psychic or learn more about channeling psychic readings.

About California Psychics

California Psychics is the most trusted source of psychic readings. We have delivered over 6 million discreet and confidential psychic readings by phone since 1995. More than a prediction, we are your guide for lifes journey. Serenity, happiness, and success are just a phone call away. With over 400 psychics online to choose from, youre sure to find the best psychics for you. Call one of our trusted and accurate psychics today! Confidential and secure, real psychics, accurate predictions, 100% guaranteed.news, latest-news

Her emails went unanswered. So did the phone number listed on the website. Eventually, she told strangers on Facebook what happened. She had been sexually assaulted and she needed help. This is the story of just one survivor at the Australian National University. But, a year on from the landmark report into sexual violence that sent shockwaves through Australian universities, student associations and advocates warn many still face barriers to reporting. On August 1, 2017, the ANU's vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt became the first university head in Australia to apologise for sexual violence on campus. He was visibly shaken. A survey of more than 30,000 students by the Australian Human Rights Commission had just named the ANU as among the worst institutions for sexual assault in the country, with 116 students reporting being assaulted in 2016, 52 of them while on campus. That was double the national rate which saw one in ten female students report sexual assault and about half say they were sexually harassed in the previous two years. Sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins says that, while students had long been calling for action on the problem, releasing data in the #MeToo era was a game-changer. "All universities took part, some more willingly than others, but universities like clear, verifiable evidence and this gave them no place to turn," she told Fairfax Media. "In my experience since, they haven't [avoided] responsibility." The latest audit by the commission, released on Wednesday, found almost all universities reported they had begun work on the nine recommendations set down by the report. But leading victims' advocate Sharna Bremner of End Rape on Campus Australia said ticking boxes was not the same as creating lasting change. "We've seen some positive outcomes but it's been incredibly slow, students are more frustrated now than they were a year ago," she said, echoing sentiments from Canberra student associations. "After August 1, people thought things would be different ... we're still getting students saying their reports are being ignored by universities, we even had a university admit they decided not to investigate an assault." Ms Jenkins said she remained hopeful, as momentum on the issue continued to build, but agreed it was no time to become complacent. "It is absolutely desperate, we are desperate for action." She noted just 29 of Australia's 39 universities had committed to reviewing their residential halls, long known for horror stories of hazing and binge-drinking. Institutions with high numbers of students living on campus, such as the ANU, tended to report higher rates of violence, Ms Jenkins said. A year on from the survey, Canberra universities have rolled out training in both consent and assault disclosures for students and staff, and counselling and security services have been beefed up across campuses The University of Canberra, which had slightly lower rates of sexual violence than the national average, is still waiting on the final report of a university-wide review, headed by Ms Jenkin's own predecessor at the commission, Elizabeth Broderick. That review is now behind schedule but will include residential halls, which are the subject of a separate and ongoing audit at the ANU. A spokesman said the University of Canberra had already committed to implementing recommendations from the Broderick report, due back next month. At the ANU, pro-vice-chancellor Richard Baker said reforms were mostly on track, including the recent creation of a dedicated 'Respectful Relationships Unit' to oversee policy and education. About 500 students and staff have now gone through online disclosure training and another 300 have taken part in face-to-face sessions, he said. But in a report released Wednesday, the ANU's two student associations have slammed Chancellory for delivering "surveys not services" and focussing its efforts on the appearance of reform. Students welcomed the addition of sexual misconduct under the university's discipline rule, but said enforcement remained vague and informal complaints were sometimes withheld from formal investigations. "This raises severe concerns that [university] offices, where students are directed to seek support and information concerning their options, are functioning to protect predators who have a clear and documented history of concerning behaviour," students said. Professor Baker acknowledges the university still has a long way to go. Putting up posters is not the same as changing culture. But while spear-heading the ANU response has been challenging, confronting work, he has heard good things too, from students proud of the university's strong strance against victim-blaming. Peak body Universities Australia has joined students in for calling online reporting tools, but the ANU has so far resisted the idea, citing concerns anonymous reporting would leave people without the right connections to support, even if it does open up more avenues for disclosure. Professor Baker said the ANU was speaking with the ACT government about ways it could work with Crime Stoppers. He will sit down with UNSW this month to discuss the university's own widely-praised online reporting portal. At the University of Canberra, survivors can already report incidents online but are limited to just 300 characters to detail their assault. A disclaimer warns incidents related to injuries must be reported within 12 hours. "That's wildly unacceptable," Ms Bremner says. "It's basically the length of a tweet. A lot of university reporting portals are...pretty grim...but it's so important we get it right." The University of Canberra plans to overhaul its reporting processes in the coming months. On Wednesday, Universities Australia released new guidelines banning romantic relationships between academics and students they are directly supervising. Chief executive Catriona Jackson said the principles, which were backed by student associations and designed alongside the national teritary union, acknowledged the power supervisors have over their students. "A sexual or romantic relationship that develops in that context also raises questions about capacity for consent and academic integrity," she said. As reforms continue, Ms Jenkins said the real test for universities would be the next national survey, due to kick off in September 2019. "I'm hoping to see some improvement then....but we don't expect anyone to pat themselves on the back quite yet." If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 02 6247 2525. Nationally, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In an emergency contact 000.

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Narrabundah residents will face difficulties accessing medical appointments, including drug support programs, in Woden under new bus routes. Old Narrabundah Community Council chair John Keeley said the government should be trying to help the lower socio-economic people living around Narrabundah, Symonston and Fyshwick. "You've got to look after the people that are in need," Mr Keeley said. "My clientele base is the frail and the disadvantaged, I'm not interested in those who have got two cars parked in their garage. "I think our government members have been sold a lemon by whoever has put forward the proposal." The government is proposing cutting bus routes 80 and 88 in the Narrabundah area in 2019, which would mean from 2019 buses would no longer service the Alexander Maconochie Centre, Geoscience Australia or other Symonston stops which take residents directly into Woden. The government has already cut the route five bus from Narrabundah, which travelled directly to Woden. Residents in Red Hill or Narrabundah have to catch a route four bus to another stop to then swap on to a rapid route six bus into Woden. "There are swathes through the Red Hill area that are being shafted. There's Symonston. The socially disadvantaged in Narrabundah Lane are being shafted," Mr Keeley said. He said a lot of people in the area needed easy access to Woden so they could get to the hospital, undergo their rehabilitation programs, methadone programs, day surgery or other medical appointments. "If they want to use a bus, and a lot of them are now choosing not to, they have to now hop on a bus, go about a kilometre, wait in the cold and get on a rapid," Mr Keeley said. Residents can travel direct to the city from the route four bus, but Mr Keeley said a lot of their preferred services were in Woden. In Gordon, Suzanne Millar said changes to the local bus routes has added 20 minutes extra commute time to workers travelling from Tuggeranong to Belconnen. "They seem to be putting all these new buses on for Gungahlin, we're just getting shafted out in the southside," Ms Millar said. Ms Millar said her husband currently commutes on the 718 bus to Civic, before changing to another bus into Belconnen, taking about an hour. However, the government is set to cut the 718, with changes indicating Ms Millar's husband would have to change three times to travel to Belconnen. The government was contacted about changes to the buses servicing the Narrabundah area and said the network was being redesigned from the ground up to focus on more frequent, rapid services. "Transport Canberra is also proposing demand responsive services, including to service the correctional facility," a transport spokesman said. The government also recommended the elderly or people with mobility issues make use of the flexi bus, a free community shuttle. The flexi bus requires users to book two days in advance and only operates weekdays between 9.30am and 1.30pm.

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Australian Federal Police officers took an alleged international drug trafficker on a sightseeing tour of Paris during a mid-extradition stopover on the trip home from Serbia. At one point during the seven-hour stopover, an unrestrained Rohan Arnold says he took happy snaps of five Australian officials near the Eiffel Tower, using one of their mobile phones. The AFP confirmed it is currently investigating the claims, outlined in court documents in support of a bail bid by Mr Arnold. Mr Arnold  along with Tristan Waters, 34, and David Campbell, 48  was dramatically arrested by Serbian authorities over the importation of 1280 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated $500 million, into Australia. The trio were allegedly handing over a bag containing a gun and $1 million in cash at a Belgrade hotel in January. Police seized 2576 individual blocks of cocaine, which had been secreted inside prefabricated hollow steel on a Chinese container boat in Sydney last April. Mr Waters is fighting his extradition and remains behind bars in Serbia, while Mr Campbell returned to Australia on Tuesday and is locked up in NSW. Mr Arnold  who did not oppose his extradition and has been behind bars since he arrived back in Australia in March  is set to seek bail in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday. The prominent Canberra-region businessman has been charged with five counts of importing drugs. The maximum penalty for each charge is life imprisonment. He has pleaded not guilty. Documents filed by the accused's lawyer, Ben Aulich, include details of the unorthodox extradition from Serbia to Australia, where an unrestrained Mr Arnold accompanied his minders on a tour of the city of light during a seven-hour stopover between connecting flights. Mr Arnold says the group were dropped off near the Eiffel Tower after a 40-minute taxi ride from Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport. A taxpayer-funded credit card was then used to pay for a $300 breakfast at a cafe near the iconic landmark. Mr Arnold  who had spent a week in Paris only 18 months earlier  acted as tour guide as the party then strolled to the Eiffel Tower, before he led the expedition on foot to the Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. The prisoner also guided the group back to where they had been dropped off  a journey of 30 minutes, which included a search in an underground train station for a bathroom  where they caught a taxi back to the airport. At the airport, French officials were upset to hear Mr Arnold had been taken out of the airport and into Paris. Documents claim Mr Arnold could have easily escaped police custody in Paris as he had been unrestrained, was familiar with the area around Eiffel Tower, and the precinct had been swarming with tourists at the time. Mr Arnold also is said to have declined an offer to challenge his detention in Serbia, instead telling his lawyers to get him home as soon as possible. The AFP said Mr Arnold had been escorted at "all times by four sworn Australian Federal Police officers" during the March 21 extradition. "It is not appropriate for the AFP to comment on security procedures during extradition processes," an AFP spokesman said. "The AFP is currently assessing the veracity of these claims." The defence submissions argue Mr Arnold should be granted bail as he has no criminal history, has strong links, active business interests, and faces a long wait for trial as one of his co-accused, Mr Waters, is still in Serbia. Defence counsel, Jack Pappas, in his submissions, argued the court's only concern on freeing Mr Arnold on bail would be that he posed a flight risk. "[This] concern must be significantly eroded by the circumstances in which the applicant was brought back to Australia from Serbia under what could only be described as lax security, consistent with no real fear of him absconding," Mr Pappas wrote. Mr Arnold has offered to abide by 13 strict bail conditions if released, including wearing an electronic tracking bracelet, reporting to police daily, surrendering his passport, not contacting his co-accused, and a surety.

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A fake body and blood at a Brisbane unit complex prompted a full-scale police investigation, but what was initially investigated as a potential abduction or homicide turned out to be an elaborate prank. Queensland Police Service Crime and Intelligence Co-ordinator for Brisbane region Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming said an Uber driver contacted police on Tuesday evening after they had been called to a property on Oxley Road, Sherwood, and their passenger tried to place what looked like a body into the boot of their car. The Uber driver was naturally quite concerned about this and he fled the scene, Superintendent Fleming said. A little while later he contacted police and naturally an investigation was commenced as a result of that. An investigation was commenced to identify firstly if someone had been hurt, whether someone had been abducted or if someone had been killed. Significant police resources were sent immediately to the scene, including scenes of crime, scientific and homicide detectives who worked into Wednesday. Superintendent Fleming said on Wednesday the police located a 27-year-old man who police believed was responsible for the matter. As a result of this investigation that was undertaken we have identified the fact this was a prank, he said. This is not the first time such a prank has been pulled in Brisbane; about two or three weeks ago a similar prank occurred on the south side of Brisbane, but it is understood those involved quickly made the Uber driver aware it was a prank. Superintendent Fleming warned the community, particularly students, to not pull pranks. I get that some people might see this as funny  self-evidently, we dont, he said. Its not that we dont have a sense of humour but today, as a consequence of what happened last night, we have had very significant resources tied up investigating if we had had someone abducted or had been killed. Police are investigating if the male person involved breached the law in terms of false representation being made to cause a police investigation.

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The Turnbull government's ordinary showing in the Super Saturday byelections looks like triggering a new round of leadership speculation. The pressure for the moment is off Bill Shorten. Instead it is Malcolm Turnbull who is again seen as being vulnerable and exposed. Media commentators are already re-energised by the prospect of a fresh outbreak of instability. They include Professor of politics at University of Western Australia Peter van Onselen, who in the wake of the byelections has published an article in which in passing he sums up the possible alternative leaders of the federal Liberal Party. The good news for Turnbull is that each alternative leader is found to have a serious flaw. Tony Abbott, for example, "is well and truly yesterday's man". The list of flawed contenders also includes Finance Minister Mathias Cormann. Being a Senator he is, van Onselen suggests, "in the wrong chamber". But is this truly an objection? A possible Mathias Cormann ascension from the Senate, were it to occur, would not be unprecedented. It would mirror events which happened exactly half a century ago this year. At the end of January 1968, Australia had a brand new prime minister in Senator John Gorton. Gorton had become leader of the federal Liberal Party following the disappearance before Christmas of his predecessor Harold Holt. Prime Ministers can come from the upper house but they cannot sit in it. So on February 1, 1968, Gorton resigned from the Senate. In a byelection held on February 24 he filled the vacancy in the House of Representatives caused by Holt's disappearance. The parallels between then and now are striking. Harold Holt was the Malcolm Turnbull of his day. Together with his wife Zara he offered the promise of a fresh start after the aged Sir Robert Menzies retired in 1966 just as Malcolm and Lucy once embodied the prospect of an exhilarating era of innovation following Tony Abbott's stint as PM. Holt won a khaki election at the end of 1966 but he did poorly in a half Senate election held towards the end of 1967. Against a backdrop of government despondency the Canberra media corps began to detect leadership murmurs. The angst continued after Holt drowned at Cheviot Beach. Like Turnbull today, Holt seemed to have no clear successor as Prime Minister. There was no other Liberal Party member in the House of Representatives who came across as a viable replacement. Faced with this situation the Liberals simply bypassed the House of Representatives. On January 9, 1968, they elected John Gorton, a cabinet minister who was government leader in the Senate, as their new leader. There is nothing to prevent today's crop of Liberals from following the Gorton scenario. Turnbull is chronically hapless but, like Holt before him, he is not seen as having a viable successor. As commentators such as Peter van Onselen freely acknowledge, his lower house colleagues who may have leadership ambitions  Abbott, Bishop, Morrison, Dutton - turn out to be unacceptable to either their party colleagues or to the wider public. But that still leaves the Senate and Mathias Cormann. He can do a Gorton on his colleagues. There is no doubting Cormann's credentials for the top job. For almost five years as Finance Minister he has been involved at the highest level in the federal budgetary process and in government decision making. He is leader of the Government in the Senate and has served as Acting Prime Minister. Cormann is skilled and respected as a negotiator and deal maker. His work ethic is prodigious. As a foreign-born person he can draw on themes of diversity and resilience in developing the grand narrative that a good Prime Minister has to command. Cormann, along with Peter Dutton, currently forms a Praetorian Guard protecting Turnbull against a final leadership meltdown. But in imperial Rome, in the days of its decadence, it sometimes fell to the Praetorian Guard to slay the Emperor. Turnbull would immediately resign as federal member for Wentworth should he lose the Liberal leadership and yet the Gorton precedent suggests that this is not an inhibiting factor at all. John Gorton had no connection at all with Holt's old seat of Higgins in Melbourne and yet victory in the resulting byelection was no problem for him. In a similar way, Cormann, who would need to move to the House of Representatives, could be slotted into the seat of Wentworth as Turnbull's replacement. Fixed boundaries mean little to him. He comes from a region of Europe that has been swapped between Belgium and Germany according to the fortunes of war. He studied in England before migrating to, and flourishing in, Perth. Every time Cormann moves to a new city he fits in with the local lingo and mores. Sydney's eastern suburbs would be no exception. He would speedily shake off the dreaded tag of being a blow-in. He would be an entirely credible candidate and member for Wentworth. Leaving the Senate would remove the only serious objection to his becoming our next prime minister. And so after 50 years the Gorton precedent is suddenly very much alive again. It is certainly worthy of consideration. Stephen Holt is a Canberra writer.

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/75037165-f2a4-40dd-bed1-ecb1989b948c/r0_246_4759_2935_w1200_h678_fmax.jpgThe Wildlife and Tourism Ministry has all the 20 horns from the 10 rhinos that died last month in a calamitous relocation project, CS Balala has said.

While appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on Tuesday, the Cabinet Secretary moved to allay fears and reports from some sections that the horns have since gone missing.

CS Balala also apologised for losing his cool when he told those calling for his job to go to hell.

I regret I did that outburst, it was out of pain that I am being let down by my system, said Balala.

Im sorry, I responded to individuals, not the Parliamentary committee or the general public.

Balala further regretted dragging the Presidents name into the matter and said he has lots of respect for Kenyans.

Im answerable to the people of Kenya through its leadership in Parliament, he said.

The former Mvita MP said he understood people needed an explanation for the deaths of the rhinos during the botched transfer to Tsavo National Park on June 26.

Im in pain over the unfortunate loss of the rhinos, he said.

Balala also faulted the system saying it did not act promptly to stop one of the greatest disasters in Kenyan conservation history.

I have done my best in all the portfolios I have held. In this one, I am going to put in my heart, soul, knowledge and experience to change the sector, he said.The autonomous organisation under the HRD Ministry, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), has released the University Grants Commission (UGC) National Eligibility Test (NET) 2018 results.

Candidates who have appeared for UGC NET 2018 can visit the official website to check their results. CBSE has conducted the eligibility test on July 8 in 84 subjects across 91 selected cities in the country. Over 11 lakh candidates have appeared for the examination.

How To Check UGC NET Results 2018

Step 1: Visit the CBSE UGC NET official website

Step 2: Click on the ''CBSE - UGC NET Examination Result - July 2018''

Step 3: Enter the login credentials

Step 4: Click on submit to view the results

Step 5: Take a printout of your result for future use.

Click here to check the UGC NET results

Usually, CBSE takes more than two months to release the UGC NET results. The board has decided to release the results much earlier because of various reasons. The most important one is replacing the apex higher education regulator body, University Grants Commission (UGC), with the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI).

As per the report published by the HRD Ministry, the responsibility of conducting the UGC NET examination has been transferred to the newly formed National Testing Agency (NTA). Hence, this is the last UGC NET examination conducted by CBSE.

According to the HRD Ministry, the next edition of the UGC NET will be conducted by NTA in the month of December. The submission of the online applications will take between September 1 and 30, 2018. The examinations will be conducted between December 2 and 16, 2018. However, results will be declared during the last week of January 2019.

UGC NET, which is held twice a year, is conducted to select candidates for the Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) posts in Indian universities and colleges. Candidates who qualify in JRF have to pursue research in their respective postgraduate subject.

What You Need To Know About National Testing Agency (NTA) And The Examinations AheadBangalore, which is home to premier educational institutes in the country such as Indian Institute of Science (IISc), is leading the country in terms of education. This cosmopolitan city is even a hub for hundreds of MNCs, which is the reason why many students aspire to pursue their studies in the capital of Karnataka.

Taking up a part-time job while studying has become more common in the recent past. So, we have decided to make a series of articles on part-time jobs for the benefit of students. Earlier, we have come up with the "Top 10 Part-time Jobs Where College Students Can Work From Home." This article is targeted at the students specifically pursuing an education in Bangalore.

If you are a student searching for a part-time job in Bangalore, you shouldn't miss the best ones mentioned below. Explore the best part-time jobs that are fetching hefty money.

Home Tuitions

If you ask us which is the best amongst the part-time jobs available in Bangalore, we will say home tuitions because of its benefits. It will help you learn and hone your skills such as communication skills, presentation skills, public speaking skills, analytical skills, logical thinking skills and others.

One can take up home tuitions starting from class 1 to an undergraduate level. Candidates who feel they are good at teaching can start searching for home tutoring opportunities. Though the pay depends on the class and number of students, one can earn at least INR 5,000 per month.

Data Entry Operator

We often see pamphlets related to the requirement of data entry operators, both full-time and part-time ones. There is a huge demand for data entry operators where a candidate needs to enter or upload data into the computer.

The money you earn will be based on the target you reach in time. Candidates who are good at typing can take up this job which will fetch you more than INR 10,000 per month for working 3 to 4 hours daily. Most of the times, money will be given to you based on how accurately you've typed the content.

Hospitality Jobs

The jobs available in the hospitality industry not only provide handsome money but also makes you learn about etiquettes. There are many jobs available in this industry. Some of the best are bartender, hotel concierge, housekeeping and restaurant worker.

The salary of the jobs in this field varies from one to another. On an average, a candidate can draw at least INR 7,000 per month by working for 3 to 4 hours daily. However, one can even get tips which will not be less than INR 1500 per month.

Delivery Boy

Bangalore is a hub for the e-commerce industry in the country. Starting from Flipkart to Amazon, everyone has their own warehouse in the city and there is a need for human resource to deliver the products. One can also work part-time as a delivery boy for apps such as Swiggy, Zomato and Foodpanda.

Usually, the salary depends on the trips and deliveries. However, one can earn more than INR 7,000 per month.

Tattooist

Compared to people in other metro cities, Bangaloreans are fond of tattoos. One who is in Bangalore will find tattoo stores in every corner of the city. Most of the times, the part-time jobs are available for students to assist the artists. The pay varies from one to another. If you are placed as a tattooist in a reputed parlour, you will earn more than INR 20,000 per month.

Disk Jockey (DJ)

The city has thousands of restaurants and pubs. If you are good at mixing, one can take this up as a part-time job. Mostly, the job will start late in the evening which means one can complete their college and come down to work. Though the pay varies, one will not get less than INR 8,000 per month.

How To Optimally Benefit From The Advantages Of Work From HomeFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org

HARARE, ZIMBABWE  The Carter Center expresses grave concern about post-election tensions and the violent clashes that occurred today between armed security forces and protestors in Harare, which resulted in multiple casualties. The Center calls on Zimbabwes political leaders to set an example by refraining from inflammatory rhetoric, which could incite further violence. Security forces should protect citizens and avoid disproportionate use of force.

The Carter Center stands with Zimbabwe in its commitment to peace and democracy, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said. I urge political actors to demonstrate responsible leadership, Zimbabweans to exercise their political rights peacefully, and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to finalize detailed election results as transparently and expeditiously as possible.

While citizens expressed their preferences at the ballot box, the electoral process is still ongoing as the ZEC continues to tabulate and finalize results. Until official results for the presidential contest and remaining parliamentary races are announced, it is critical for everyone to demonstrate patience and to avoid making premature declarations about the results.

Although the legal deadline for announcing electoral results is Aug. 4, The Carter Center calls on the ZEC to publish the results expeditiously and in a transparent manner, including at the polling-station level to allow political parties to verify the integrity of the results and to increase public confidence.

This election marks a critical juncture in Zimbabwes history, as it seeks greater democracy, freedom, and prosperity. The Center shares the Zimbabwean peoples commitment to these ideals.

The Carter Center deployed an expert mission to observe the 2018 harmonized elections. The Center conducted a pre-election assessment in March 2018 and established a presence in May 2018 to assess the electoral process. The teams work is limited in nature and includes an analysis of Zimbabwes legal and electoral framework, election administration, political and electoral environment, campaign period, womens participation, civil society engagement, and electoral dispute resolution. The Center did not conduct election day observation in a systematic and comprehensive manner. The expert mission will remain in Zimbabwe through Aug. 12 and will issue a final report on its findings.

###

"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.Photo: TheJourneyPhoto.com

The Downtown Kelowna Association will ask its 1,238 members for 25 per cent more in Business Improvement Area fees over the next three years.

In 2018, the overall BIA levy was $887,000. That will jump by 12.6 per cent to just under $1 million in 2019, and rise another 9.2 per cent in 2020 and 3.2 per cent in 2021.

The five-year plan calls for an increase of one per cent over the final two years.

"Key areas of focus over the next five years include our on-street services, to maintain a clean and safe, welcoming downtown through programs and relationships," said DKA operations manager and interim executive director Layla Miller.

"Two of the DKA's most valued programs are our security ambassadors, Downtown on Call, and our Clean Team. We look to build on the current success through expansion of staff and replacing aging equipment."

Miller says much of the investment over the first three years will be to improve those services, while the final two years will focus on new initiatives. She says more of the DKA's budget has shifted to safety and cleanliness the past few years.

"There has been a trend. It's not just due to current social issues. It's to do with development and densification. You have more people, you have more mess.

"Our members value our on-street services more. That's what they want us to spend as much of our money and attention on as we can. We want to allocate more to safety and cleanliness, and a little less, relatively speaking on business promotion, at least for the time being."Photo: Stock photo - Pixabay It's a good idea to be prepared when camping in remote locations.

A Penticton couple spent four days stranded in the woods, trying everything from SOS signs to lighting a fire to be discovered.

Princeton RCMP were alerted by Penticton RCMP on Monday that the couple had failed to return when expected from a camping trip in a nearby secluded area.

"One of our members ended up trying to go out there and learned that the road was washed out," RCMP Cpl. Chad Parsons said.

It turned out the couple, 51 and 57 years old, had gotten stranded a few kilometres away from the washout in heavy backcountry. They were discovered by the officer hiking out of the area, disheveled and with quite a story to tell.

"What they have told us is that after a few days up there, getting somewhat desperate and not seeing anyone around, they lit a fire and put a tire on it to make the smoke black," Parsons said.

No aircraft noticed the blaze, though, and luckily, it didn't spread. The two had also placed some rocks on a tarp spelling out SOS in case a helicopter or plane did come by.

Parsons said there are more ideal ways to signal for help if campers do get lost, even when it isn't wildfire season.

"I think it just comes down to being prepared, and if you're going out that far into the wilderness you can get yourself a spot device which works through a satellite," he said. "If you find yourself in a situation where you are in distress, it's always connected."

The devices send GPS coordinates via text message to allow help to come.

"That would have been the preferred method," Parsons said.

The couple were prepared with food and water so were not in danger of dehydration or hunger, but they did have a rather frightening experience with some local wildlife.

"One night after sleeping in their truck they woke up and saw that a cougar had been propped up against the car at some point overnight, they saw the paw prints on the windshield," Parsons said.

The whole ordeal lasted four days, and the couple are unharmed.Lucky Cement earns PKR12.20bn after-tax profit in FY18

ICR Newsroom By 01 August 2018

Lucky Cement earned after-tax profit of PKR12.2bn (US$98.4m) in FY18 as compared to PKR13.69bn in the same period last year, said the company filing to PSX.



Experts comment that Lucky Cement's net sales grew by only 4.1 per cent YoY to PKR47.54bn despite a 9.3 per cent YoY increase in dispatches, largely due to lower retention prices during the year. Cost of sales grew by 25 per cent YoY PKR30.59bn, mainly on account of elevated coal and fuel oil prices on the international market, the devaluation of the rupee against the greenback and higher dispatches made during the year.



According to Lucky Cement, it achieved an overall growth of 9.3 per cent, reporting a total sales volume of 7.82Mt during the current fiscal year as compared to 7.15Mt sold last year. While local cement sales quantities registered a growth of 14.8 per cent to reach 6.63Mt as compared to 5.77Mt last year, local clinker sales volumes declined by 80.1 per cent to 0.06Mt during the current fiscal year as compared to 0.30Mt last year. As a result, the cement producer reported an overall local sales growth of 10.2 per cent to 6.69Mt during the fiscal year, as compared to 6.07Mt in FY17.



The exports sales volume increased by 4.6 per cent to 1.13Mt during FY18 from 1.08Mt the previous year.

In terms of projects, Lucky Cement achieved the financial close of its 660MW Lucky Electric Power company. At Pezu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, construction work started on the 2.6Mta, while at Kia Lucky Motors construction work continued and is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2019. Meanwhile, negotiations are underway for a 1.2Mta clinker line in Iraq with a financial close expected in the third quarter of 2018.

Published underTaiwan Cement to list GDRs on Luxembourg stock exchange

01 August 2018

Taiwan Cement Corp said Tuesday that it has issued US$549m-worth of global depositary receipts (GDRs). The GDRs, issued a day earlier, are scheduled to list on the Luxembourg stock exchange on 3 August, according to Taiwan Cement.



The proceeds from the GDR sale will be used to invest in the company's subsidiaries overseas, which will help them repay part of their loans, while the funds will also be used to improve the company's financial structure, which is expected to lower its borrowing costs in the future.



It is the first time Taiwan Cement has sold GDRs since it launched a listing on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in February 1962. Taiwan Cement said the GDR sale was the largest in value for any Taiwanese firm to raise funds overseas over the past five years, and also the largest by any Taiwanese cement maker since 2010.



Taiwan Cement said it issued 87.50m GDRs, which represent 437.5m common shares. Each GDR is priced at US$6.27, an equivalent of TWD38.4 (US$1.25) per common share.



The GDR sale is part of Taiwan Cement's fund-raising activity, worth up to TWD40bn (U$1.3m) for 2018, announced by the company in June. In addition to the GDR sale, financial experts suggest Taiwan Cement is also likely to sell company bonds overseas or issue new shares in the local market.





Published underThe Darushifa Rehabilitation Centre in Nairobis Eastleigh area has been closed, director of the National Authority for the Campaign Against alcohol Drug Abuse (Nacada) Vincent Muasya aka Chipukeezy has said.

This after an investigative feature by BBC Africa dubbed Rehab Nightmare: Drugs, Chains, and Canes exposed shocking practices undertaken in several rehabilitation centres in Nairobis Eastleigh estate.

The expose by reporter Jamal Osman focused on Islamic rehab centres that offer help to drug addicts and mental patients. The documentary featured shocking footage of supposed patients being tortured, whipped and forced to drink a toxic liquid known as harmala.

The graphic videos were taken by an employee of Darushifa Centre who volunteered to expose the inhumane conditions the patients are subjected to.

Furthermore, several women were filmed at the institution claiming that they were locked for leaving their husbands and walking away from abusive relationships.

Surprisingly, police were also seen dropping off some men in handcuffs at the facility, which NACADA says has been operating illegally.

Following up on its earlier statement acknowledging the damning expose, NACADA last night said the facility has been closed and those responsible arrested.

Just to inform you that Darufisha Center in Eastleigh has been closed and the perpetrators arrested.

The centre has been operating illegally and I would like to reitarate that we cannot support patients being abused physically or psychologically, Chipukeezy said.

The owner of Darushifa has strongly condemned the accusations saying all his clients were taken to the centre by family and denied any use of herbal medicine.The day we have all been waiting for is less than a week away as Kenyan Afropop band Elani plots a mega comeback.

The vastly talented trio of lawyers Brian Chweya, Maureen Kunga, and actuarial scientist Wambui Ngugi, who have been on hiatus for the longest time after getting into a war of words with Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) over royalties, have officially confirmed their return on their socials.

Ladies and gentlemen, Im glad to announce that we are back, says Wambui in an Instagram video.

Elani, who made their entry into the Kenyan showbiz in 2013 when they released club banger Jana Usiku, will be making their comeback on August, 8 when they shall release the first single off their second album titled, Colours of Love.

Its a beautiful piece, says Brian, with Wambui adding: Im so proud of the work that we have all put in. Im really excited for you guys to hear what is in the album.

Maureen adds that after the first release, a few singles will follow in quick succession.



The highly anticipated project will be their second album after the successful Barua ya Dunia which featured hits like Jana Usiku, Milele, and Kookoo.The future JS Maya was launched on July 30th from the Japan Marine United Shipyard in Yokohamas Isogo ward. The ship, the first of its class of improved Atago Aegis destroyers, is the seventh of eight planned Aegis ships to be fielded by the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF).

By Ben Rimland

The future JS Maya was launched on July 30th from the Japan Marine United Shipyard in Yokohamas Isogo ward. The ship, the first of its class of improved Atago Aegis destroyers, is the seventh of eight planned Aegis ships to be fielded by the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF).

The future JS Maya was launched on July 30th from the Japan Marine United Shipyard in Yokohama. Picture by our Japanese ship spotter colleague (and twitter user)  @phantom2navy



The new destroyer class is 170 meters long, displaces 8200 tons, will operate with a crew of 310 sailors, and features a combined diesel electric and gas (COGLAG) propulsion system. Maya will also be equipped with Japans next generation ship-to-ship missile based on the current truck-launched Type 12. The Maya class is particularly noteworthy given that it is the first of Japans Aegis destroyers ready for ballistic missile defense operations (BMD) from the time of commissioning, and is also the first of Japans Aegis fleet to be equipped with Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) from the start. CEC allows a ships Aegis combat suite to receive targeting information from other assets, be they ships or aircraft. In Japans case, this information can now be provided either by American or Australian ships also equipped with CEC, or American and Japanese E-2D Advanced Hawkeye AWACS aircraft. The high fidelity of the system means that a CEC-equipped Maya class could fire on targets beyond the detection envelope of its onboard radar, relying instead on tracking information supplied by a faraway seer.

The future JS Maya was launched on July 30th from the Japan Marine United Shipyard in Yokohama. Picture by our Japanese ship spotter colleague (and twitter user)  @phantom2navy

The Sankei Shimbun quoted former MSDF destroyer fleet commander and Kure district commander Admiral Tokuhiro Ikeda as saying that the Maya class will be a symbol of Japan as military superpower. The report further quoted Admiral Ikeda as explaining that the effect of the Maya class on Japans BMD capabilities would be profound.

Indeed, the report further explained how the move from six to eight Aegis BMD ships would affect the MSDFs rotational schedule for these vessels. BMD ships currently follow a rotation of repair, training, and deployment. With a necessity to maintain a rapid response capability, adding two additional Aegis ships will allow the MSDF to cut down on training time for individual crews and increase on-station time.



Ben Rimland is an independent researcher on Asia-Pacific security issues. His academic research pertains to Japanese defense policy and American security policy in Asia. He can be found on twitter at @JPNsecuritywonk.

Additional comment by Navy Recognition:

Japan first announced its intent to procure two more Aegis destroyers in 2014. The 27DDG destroyer project started in 2015 and the first ship of the class had its keel laid in April 2017. The new Maya-class features growth space for advanced naval weapon systems that are currently under development in Japan. These next generation weapons (such as railgun and directed energy/laser) mght be incrementally added to the ships' arsenal as they are developed.

The future JS Maya was launched on July 30th from the Japan Marine United Shipyard in Yokohama. Picture by our Japanese ship spotter colleague (and twitter user)  @phantom2navyPublic safety, street repairs and growth priorities for Pueblo budget

Sales tax and economic activity in a growing city contributed to the largest proposed budget in the City of Pueblo's history.Travel with a China tour company to unlock the real China. Travel with a China tour company to unlock the real China.

If you planning a China trip and would like the help of a tour company, should you choose a Chinese or a foreign operator? This page should help in making the right choice for you.

Here we ask, "Is a Chinese or foreign company best for a China trip" from several aspects: communication, China knowledge, product design, authentic China experiences, flexibility/customizing, value for money, and problem solving (during the trip).

1. Communication

A tour operator in your country will have the same language and culture as you, so communication will be easier, and they'll know you better. They'll have a website designed specifically for your perusal. Their service will on your wavelength, and in terms you can easily understand.

Our guides are well-selected and well-trained. It is no problem for them to communicate with you. Our guides are well-selected and well-trained. It is no problem for them to communicate with you.

Chinese or China-based tour companies often struggle to bridge the gap into the English-speaking market, they may lose to their foreign competitors in communication.

The more-experienced and larger China companies like China Highlights are more proficient in English (some have foreign staff for English consultancy like the author of this article), so communication is passable, or as close to native English as possible.

A benefit of communicating with a Chinese travel agent is that you are getting a China experience even before you leave your country!

2. China Knowledge

Travel with China Highlights for expert private tour service.

Foreign tour companies know you well; China not so well. It's a lot like going to foreign China with (knowledgeable) foreign companions.

Foreign tour companies are on the outside looking in: introducing similar people to a foreign country.

A China-based tour company will be introducing you to their home country from your first contact with them, and the best ones take a particular pride in doing it well. A China-based tour operator knows China and its tourism better.

Chinese tour companies are working from the inside out: introducing their country to foreign people.

However, not all Chinese companies exploit their specialist local knowledge in their tours, preferring to offer low-input, low-cost itineraries. If you really want to get to know China, go with a Chinese agency who use their wealth of knowledge to create a tour that satisfies your China interests.

3. Tour Design

Travel with us to enjoy a private tour to a tea plantation in Hangzhou. Travel with us to enjoy a private tour to a tea plantation in Hangzhou.

Foreign tour companies have the same cultural background as you, and their tour designs will reflect that (if they have invested time in designing their own China tours). Expect products that will give you a familiar tour experience to what you are used to, and winning formulas that have been used to introduce other countries.

There are basically three types of foreign tour companies, who design three types of tours:

a) The "Safari-Operator"

These companies design their own brand of foreign-experience or adventure small group tours (for several countries) through actually going there, e.g. Intrepid, Peregrine, Contiki: the safari-operators.

b) The "Middle-Men"

Then there are those who just sell on traditional Chinese group tours through a foreign platform: the middle-men.

These foreign companies are re-packaging tours designed and even owned by Chinese operators, with an added cost for their selling it to you. If there is little China knowledge demonstrated by the staff or website, then middle-men is probably what they are.

c) The "Explorer-Guides"

Lastly, there are the (usually small) foreign companies who arrange private tailor-made tours through their own limited China knowledge and contacts: the explorer-guides. These are particularly useful if you are after a specialism like photography or mountaineering.

Chinese Tour Operators  Two Types

For a tour design thats uniquely Chinese, go with a Chinese company In China, there are basically two sorts of tour operator offering two travel styles: the traditional large group tour and the private small group tour.

Most of Chinas large group tour outfits show little originality in tour design and have been herding tourists round the same places for decades. This is lowest-possible-cost tourism for the masses. Foreign middle-men sell on these mundane products at a markup.

Chinas private travel enterprises are far more innovative and competitive. Chinese private tour companies typically invest far more in tour design, every year refining and developing their itineraries and options to give customers an ever-better China experience. See what we have New This Year.

4. Authentic China Experiences

This family is learning how to make bamboo rice in a village in Guilin, while traveling with us. This family is learning how to make bamboo rice in a village in Guilin, while traveling with us.

Generally with a local tour company you can get more in touch with China.

Although foreign tour companies, especially those that are adventure-trip-orientated, do arrange many local experiences through exploration visits and local outfits, the range is usually limited compared to what a local company with more local contacts can do.

Foreign companies who design their own small group tours often espouse greater concern for responsible travel, tourism ethics, and eco-tourism. This is also catching on with some Chinese operators, but more slowly. It is something that China Highlights are actively investing in. See more on How to Travel Ethically in China .

5. Flexibility/Customizing

Visit the Great Wall at your own pace. Visit the Great Wall at your own pace.

Most foreign companies dont offer any option to change the tour schedule or content, providing fixed-itinerary, fixed-start-date group tours. You join the tour like a railcar joining a train!

Many Chinese agents also just offer traditional large group tours with no flexibility, however they will at least be able to offer more of them. Where a foreign company may only have a tour departing once a week, a Chinese company may have several fixed tours starting every day to choose from. Middle-men foreign companies sell on these inflexible China-agent group tours.

Foreign companies who tailor private tours for their customers have more limited knowledge and resources than a comparable Chinese travel agency. While they could book a different hotel for you, or even something different on the itinerary, it would have to be somewhere theyre familiar with, and could arrange with their local agent.

The most flexibility and customizing ability is found with Chinese companies who have at their disposal a vast range of tourist industry contacts and experience in tailor-making tours.

Large or locally-based Chinese companies are familiar with a greater range of hotels, restaurants, sights, activities, etc., and can advise and book according to your needs/interests.

6. Value for Money (overheads + what you want)

You can do what you want to do on a private tour. You can do what you want to do on a private tour.

A China-based tour operator has lower overhead costs than a company based in the West, meaning you will usually have the same essential service for less with a Chinese company.

Foreign tour companies necessarily use Chinese agents, and some just resell Chinese tour company tours, with less control over them than a Chinese company. In this case, the foreign "middle-man markup option is definitely less value for money.

While a small group tour designed by a foreign company will probably be more your style than a traditional Chinese large group tour, it will cost more for doing many of the same things. Probably it will be better value for money, maybe not.

However, the recommended way to find value for money in China is to have your tour tailor-made by a local expert. Then you will only do what you want, how you want, without paying for all the standardized group tour inclusions. See Why Your China Trip Should Be a Private Tour Not a Group Tour .

Apart from a few small, often specialist, foreign outfits, Chinese companies like ourselves are the place to come for customized private tours.

7. Problem Solving (during your trip)

Your private guide is always at your service. Your private guide is always at your service.

What if all does not go according to plan on your trip? What if you become ill or injured? What if you lose something important, or are the victim of crime? What if your transport is delayed, or the weather disrupts plans? What if a hotel isnt to your liking or the tour isnt up to expectations?

What if youd just like to do something different on the spur of the moment?

Foreign companies arent as much help.

If you experience problems during your trip and contact a foreign company, they will be comparatively slow to no help at all.

The typical response will be: Were sorry you are experiencing this issue. However, there isnt anything we can do about it. Have you tried contacting your local tour leader? We will contact the local agent as soon as possible (when an English speaker is available in China, i.e. youre on your own now).

China-based companies can often fix problems on the spot.

Usually a China-based company will be able to solve on-tour problems quicker.

Some China tour companies (like ourselves) offer a 24/7 helpline for while you are traveling. You can speak to a Chinese travel expert, who can immediately address a situation. A China tour operator has the advantage of language and familiarity with China and Chinese establishments.

If we cant solve your on-tour problems on the spot, we will stand with you through any adjustments to make your tour the best it can be.

China Highlights - A local Chinese Tour Company

Enjoy a private tour with a top Chinese travel company and discover China your way. Enjoy a private tour with a top Chinese travel company and

We are in China. We only do China, and do it well. We specialize in authentic Chinese experiences and tailor-made trips.

Unlike those foreign travel companies, who only resell tours, we create unique China experiences. Visit our China tour pages to see samples of how we do.

Or let us know your interests and requirements for a unique tailor-made China tour .

You Might Like to ReadAs wildfires spread through Northern Carolina, Bethel Church in Redding, California is asking for prayers for their home.

According to CBN News, many of the church leaders have had to evacuate.

Right now, we're inviting the global community to join us in praying for Redding, for Northern California, and for California overall. Here are some specific prayer targets: Peace to our state and to those near fire, wisdom and safety for firefighters and officials, rain and the ceasing of wind, the smoke to clear for full visibility, no lightning strikes, and for total and complete containment, Bethel Church posted on social media.

God, we invite You to come and bring healing and divine intervention to this situation, and to the fires burning throughout California. You are faithful, and You are sovereign over the weather. Bring restoring rains, and protect this land.

Bethel Music and Bethel Media CEO Joel Taylor also posted on Instagram that his family had to evacuate, but he said the family is relying on God through this time.

"Our Bethel leadership team is scattered all over the state, but doing an incredible job to catalyze relief efforts and make sure our employees and their families are taken care of during this time of crisis. We've been through many trials and tribulations together and one thing I'm certain of: VICTORY. If God be for us, who can be against us!"

Other Christian leaders are also asking for prayers for the Northern California area.

Havilah Cunnington told followers on social media that the Redding community needs prayers and donations. Her own family drove to the town this weekend to set up a food truck for evacuees.

Christian author Lisa Bevere told Cunnington her family is praying as well.

"Got off the phone with my friend @lisabevere who called me all the way from Sweden to give spiritual strategy during this time. She said, 'Havilah, pray. We did this with our family & we saw God do a miracle right in front of our eyes! We can either write about our spiritual history, we can make it!' So, that's what we're doing over here. Join with us!!!"

Publication Date: August 1, 2018

Photo Courtesy: Bethel Church, Redding/Facebook/Jesse MaitlandMore than 8,000 churches throughout Rwanda have been closed by the government as part of an alleged crackdown on unsafe structures, although religious liberty advocates say the government is closing congregations that should be considered acceptable.

Christians in the country fear the movement is a cover for the governments drive toward secularism.

Pastors are now required by the government to have degrees from accredited institutions. Bible schools are mandated to teach science and technology in order to teach theology. Among the other rules, access roads to churches must be paved and inside walls and ceilings must be plastered and painted, according to World Watch Monitor.

On checking which churches were included, we learned that all churches are suffering the same fate, and that even churches considered luxurious for local standards have had to close, one local source told World Watch Monitor.

One church was closed during a wedding, with the guests told to leave the church during the service, World Watch Monitor reported.

Churches have only 15 days to make the required changes upon being reported by the government. The Rwandan source said in some instances, even house meetings are banned.

It seems that the local authorities in the different districts initially had some freedom about the degree to which they could enforce the new requirements, the source told World Watch Monitor. However, it now seems that those who were more lenient have been rebuked and have become stricter. In one district authorities banned all meetings of a closed church, and congregants are not even allowed to meet in home groups.

Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com

Publication Date: August 1, 2018

Photo Courtesy: UnsplashEmail Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The prophet Isaiah was a towering figure in his day. He was not only a prophet of God but a tremendous statesman. A consultant to Kings Ahaz and Hezekiah of Judah, Isaiah displayed a remarkable understanding of the international affairs of his day. Sometimes his wise counsel was heeded and other times not.

Chapter 28 of the Book of Isaiah is a fascinating passage about a nation on the brink of collapse. It reads:

"And these also have wandered through wine, and by means of strong drink have strayed; the priest and the prophet have wandered by means of strong drink; they have been swallowed down by wine; they have strayed by means of strong drink; they have wandered in vision; they have staggered in judgment: for all their tables are full of vomit and filth; not one place is clean" (Is. 28:7-8).

The text concerns the people of Judah as distinguished from the people of Israel, who had separated from Judah. (Incidentally, the ten tribes are referenced as Ephraim in verses 1 and 3 of the same chapter and a similar charge is made against them.) The period cited is likely to be the dark time which followed the ephemeral splendors of Hezekiah's reign.

The drunkenness mentioned in the passage should be interpreted both literally and spiritually. The physical effects of inebriation are made to portray Judah's moral unsteadiness. The irregularity of the movements of an individual who is consumed by alcohol  unable to walk straight  unable to see matters clearly - unable to navigate directly to a precise point - is demonstrative of the nation's erratic spiritual and moral behaviors. Add to this the filthy way the drunkard discerns life, the filthy language used, and the filthy displays of impropriety so that everything is made unclean. The country's character, says the prophet, is like its drinking.

Sir Angus Watson once wrote, "The three rocks on which frail humanity most often makes shipwreck are drink, gambling, and immorality, which are intimately related, and of these three drink by far is the most common."

As it was with Judah, the widespread use and overindulgence of alcohol is historically a common thread among cultures in decline.

Freedom had her birth among the hills of Greece. Her writings are still studied by intellectuals today; military leaders admire the exploits of her Grecian officers; students of structural engineering and architecture dig among her ruins. But little is known about the rigid abstinence from alcohol which helped produce the mental and political giants who made ancient Greece.

By the time of the Apostle Paul, when he gave his sermon on Mars Hill, the priests of the many gods of the land were leading worshippers into the lewdest forms of debauchery. After the Panhellenic Empire came into power, the idolatry took on even greater forms of perversion and degeneracy. Within time, the Free States would lose their authority and influence. Local autonomous political units faded, and large population groups moved from the rural and small-town settings and into the urban centers where the consumption of wine increased by colossal proportions. Consequentially, the circumstances which produced the mighty heroes of Greece disappeared, and she was perfectly conditioned to fall to Rome.

Rome would also get caught in the mesh of wine before its fall. After the conquest of the Mediterranean basin, heavy drinking and degeneracy would replace the traditional values of temperance.

The Romans had methods that gave aid and assistance to excessive drinking. They would drink on an empty stomach to get drunk faster, vomit, then eat food, drink more wine, and play drinking games. Mark Antony, the Roman politician and General, was well-known for taking pride in destructive drinking behavior. The once great and mighty Rome would eventually turn aside from the kind of character suitable to defend itself against invaders from the North.

The point made here is not that alcohol was the sole reason for the destruction of these civilizations, but instead to argue that a culture's easy acceptance, widespread and excessive use of alcohol, is unquestionably an accelerant for every form of decadence, dissipation, and dissolution. Such is symptomatic of a people treacherously sliding downward.

Someone once used this illustration: If a man riding a spirited horse loosens the reigns, the horse may go faster, not because the horse has been excited, but because the restraint has been taken off. The man who imbibes an alcoholic beverage is like a rider who loosens his lines or throws them away. This principle is not only true for the individual who drinks, but also for a nation that celebrates alcohol and other recreational drugs.

Today in America, even the prophet and priest have wandered on this issue. Its rare to hear a sermon about alcohol use from the pulpit anymore, much less a message faithful to the Bible's teaching on the subject. Rarely do clergy engage in the policy debates about the need for alcohol's regulation and control.

All the while, this nation reels in a morally drunken stupor, seemingly unable to walk a straight line in its political endeavors, suffering blurred vision, and unable to set the course for a bright future. Corruption, obscenity, and licentiousness have contaminated everything. Our national character is very much like our drinking with all of its associated problems.

Our nation must literally and spiritually sober up, lest it fade into obscurity as other great civilizations before it.Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

It's said that a fool and his money are soon parted. I might add the same goes for yours truly at a book sale.

The other day I found myself at a book sale, and before I knew it, I'd walked out of there with an armload of interesting volumes. One was "Uncle Tom's Cabin," the best-selling novel of the 19th century, credited with laying the foundation for the American Civil War.

Recently on BreakPoint, I told you how Harriet Beecher Stowe met a man named Josiah Henson, who had escaped slavery. The result was "Uncle Tom's Cabin," maybe the most overtly Christian book of its kind I've ever read. I can't think of any other fiction that comes close. The impact of this one little volume on the culture was amazing, and so is its enduring message of basic human dignity.

I also walked out with a copy of "The Island of Doctor Moreau," by H.G Wells. This classic work of early science fiction powerfully illustrates that we can't escape the bounds laid down by the Creator, and we wreak misery when we try (just think about today's transgender movement).

Folks, these are great books. And they reminded me of a quote by Moody Bible Institute's Dr. Rosalie de Rosset, who said, "the difference between a good book and a bad book is that a good book takes you deeper into life and a bad book distracts you from life."

So to help you get deeper into life this summer, I asked my colleagues at the Colson Center to suggest a few good books for you.

Warren Smith, our Vice-President of Mission Advancement, recommends "All the King's Men," by another WarrenRobert Penn Warren. He calls it "the greatest political novel ever written." Warren adds that it "takes seriously the doctrine of original sin, and it offers deep insights into populist politics, a form of politics that rears its head in American political life every generation or so."

BreakPoint Editor David Carlson, meanwhile, recommends "A Guest for the Night," by Pulitzer Prize-winning Israeli author S. Y. Agnon. It's a hauntingly beautiful and melancholy story set in Poland after World War I. The main character, a middle-aged Jewish man, returns from Palestine to his hometown to find the Jewish community devastated by the war. "What makes the book so compelling for Christians," David says, "is the character's profound love for God, the Torah, and his longing for the coming of 'King Messiah'." "For us," David adds, "it raises the question: Do those of us who know that King Messiah has come love God and His Word as much as this man?"

Shane Morris, BreakPoint's assistant editor, recommends "The Four Loves," by C.S. Lewis. "Quite simply," Shane says, "it will change the way you think about every relationship in your life. 'The Four Loves' is one of the most spiritually practical books you're likely to read, because it forces you to begin thinking precisely about a subject which is kept regrettably mushy by the limits of our language."

Timothy Padgett, our new managing editor at BreakPoint.org, says you should consider "A Morbid Taste for Bones," the first in the "Brother Cadfael" series, by Ellis Peters. "The author deftly puts you in 12th-century England," he says, "with all the political and religious factions and gives you a sense of the everyday life of the time." "Reading these fictional tales," Tim adds, "reminds us that struggling to live out our faith in divisive times is not unique to our age."

And Roberto Rivera, a senior fellow at the Colson Center, recommends the "Barker and Llewelyn" series, by Will Thomas. Roberto says that the protagonist, Cyrus Barker, is the original "most interesting man in the world." The son of missionaries to China and master of the martial arts, Cyrus is a "private enquiry agent"not a spy! and is the most dangerous man in Britain. He's also a good friend of Charles Spurgeon, who pops up in the novels from time to time. How great is that?

These books aren't the only good ones you can pick up this summer, of course, but they are ones that we heartily recommend for your reading pleasure and edificationand to help you go deeper into life.

Happy reading, and I'll see you at the next book sale!

Originally posted at Breakpoint.home Faith Leprosy survivor from India makes pilgrimage to Cambridge's 12th century Leper Chapel

An extraordinary encounter in Cambridge has seen a visitor from India bridge the 12th and the 21st centuries across 900 years of history.

Ganesh Muthusamy, 32, was diagnosed and treated for leprosy while still at school, by which time he had already lost sensation in his right foot which developed ulcers and became badly damaged. Through corrective surgery and protective footwear from a Leprosy Mission Hospital in India he is now able to walk again.

Ganesh is known as a 'leprosy champion' in India where the ancient stigma surrounding leprosy is still rife. And yesterday he visited Cambridge's 12th-century Leper Chapel, the oldest complete building in the city, erected to care for English people with leprosy nearly 900 years ago.

Prof Helen Weinstein of Clare Hall, Cambridge, told an audience from the local community at the Leper Chapel that there was a high number of leprosy cases in Cambridge in the Middle Ages.

While people affected by leprosy in Cambridge had to wear special outfits and even shout out 'unclean' to warn people to stay clear, there was kindness and compassion for people affected by leprosy, she said. The hospital and chapel were funded by philanthropists through the nearby Barnwell Priory with monks ministering to patients at the chapel.

Ganesh said his visit to the Leper Chapel was like 'coming home'.

'I'm very happy to be here because people who had leprosy in England prayed in this building for people like me,' he said.

And now I'm praying for the next generation to not be disabled by leprosy. Being here feels very emotional and almost like coming home.'

Ganesh travelled to the UK to attend the Global Disability Summit hosted at Olympic Park on Tuesday. While leprosy is a disease of the past in the UK with our last indigenous case diagnosed in 1798, the disease is a 21st-century problem globally with a quarter of a million cases diagnosed each year, more than half of which are in India.

Ganesh said: 'When I was first diagnosed with leprosy I was worried people would isolate me. I did not tell anyone that I was diagnosed, except my family, because of the fear surrounding the disease. So I guess that's self-stigma as well.

'One member of my family did, in fact, want me to leave the family but thankfully is ok with the situation now.

'I find it hard to work because I can't stand or walk for long because, although I have had reconstructive surgery to correct foot drop, leprosy has left me with a numb right foot.

'It is difficult for people with a disability to work in India but people affected by leprosy would not be included in the disability group a they segregate us.

'You see this in India which still has 850 leprosy colonies a inclusion isn't happening which is affecting our fundamental rights.

"I'm still not finding a proper job when leprosy is a curable disease that anyone can get in India. People need to know about it as if it is treated early then they will not develop disabilities.'

Ganesh is one of 500 'leprosy champions' in India reaching out to 10,000 people affected by leprosy and disabilities as part of international Christian charity The Leprosy Mission's CREATE project, which seeks justice for people mistreated because of leprosy. The European Union has given more than 1m to support the project.

Source: Christian TodayMost US Protestants believe God wants them to be rich, study says

Most American Protestants believe God wants them to prosper financially, according to a new study from LifeWay Research.

The report into the 'prosperity gospel' found a third of Protestants said their church teaches God will bless them if they donate money, while two-thirds say God wants them to prosper.

One in four say they have to do something for God in order to receive material blessings from him.

LifeWay found 38 per cent of Protestant churchgoers agree with the statement, 'My church teaches that if I give more money to my church and charities, God will bless me in return.' Fifty-seven per cent disagree, including 40 per cent who strongly disagree.

Pentecostal and Assemblies of God churchgoers (53 per cent) are most likely to agree.

The research also found the more people go to church, the more likely they are to think God wants to bless them financially. Among weekly attenders, 71 per cent hold this view.

LifeWay executive director Scott McConnell said: 'A significant group of churches seem to teach that donations trigger a financial response from God.'

He added that evangelicals appear to be the most eager to believe in the prosperity gospel. 'A number of high-profile evangelical leaders have condemned the prosperity gospel,' he said. 'But more than a few people in the pews have embraced it.'

Among its leading exponents in the US are teachers such as Kenneth Copeland and Joel Osteen. Orthodox Christian theology is strongly opposed to prosperity preaching. As well as internal Protestant critiques of the doctrine, a Vatican-approved journal last month launched a stinging critique badging it as a fundamentally flawed ideology.Pray for Zimbabwe, urge churches as tensions rise before election announcement

Christians in Zimbabwe are calling for prayer in advance of the results of the presidential election.

The country's election commission has declared the Zanu-PF party, in power for 40 years, the victor in the parliamentary election. However, there are rising tensions over the result of the competition for the presidency between Zanu-PF's Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Movement for Democratic Change's Nelson Chamisa.

The Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) had election monitors at polling stations throughout the country.

Rev Dr Andrew Williams participated as an international observer in the elections, representing the World Council of Churches and joining participants from the Church of Sweden, the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), and South Africa.

'In visiting polling stations on election day, the process seemed to run smoothly and be conducted carefully according to the rules,' he said. 'We saw no violence, but rather people who were willing to come out early and sometimes wait for a considerable time to exercise their right to vote.'

However, he added: 'Not everyone will accept the results. The ZCC continues to ask for prayers for Zimbabwe, to call for peace and calm and to look for a coordinated platform for solutions to the political problems that the country will face in the coming days. Please keep Zimbabwe in your prayers.'

Adebayo Anthony Kehinde, a member of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, said Zimbabweans themselves believed in the election process, evidenced by the large turnout in many polling stations.

'The enthusiasm of the people and the role played by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches with accompaniment of other ecumenical actors has helped greatly in building more credibility into the electoral process,' he said.

'As a witness to the final rallies of the two main political parties, both offered great hope to the population. However, we still need to keep Zimbabwe in our prayers as we await the final results.'

Earlier this month, bishops and pastors from ZCC member churches led an ecumenical service at the Anglican Cathedral of St Mary and All Saints in Harare to pray for election observers.

On the eve of the election, the ZCC issued a pastoral pronouncement that said, in part: 'The words of our Lord Jesus Christ  "Let not your hearts be troubled" give assurance to an anxious nation. Some are anxious whether the peace we have enjoyed in this pre-election period will hold. Others are worried if their voice will be heard through the ballot. Still some wonder if the nation will find each other after so much divisive campaign period.'When Queer Eye takes us to church

'It is because of God's amazing grace that we stand here,' declares Tammye (who insists that you call her Momma Tammye) as she stands in the newly designed church community hall in her town in Georgia, USA. 'Even before you were formed in your mother's womb, he knew you,' she says to the team that assembled the hall.

There is one twist about this team of church renovators; they are not a team of local churchgoers or Christians on a mission trip to Georgia, they are five gay men who are the stars of Netflix's hit show Queer Eye.

Queer Eye centres around these men  the Fab Five  who are tasked with making over someone who has got into bad habits about their clothing, food, apartment and usually their sense of self. While this show fits the typical makeover show format it always packs an emotional punch, tackling unhealthy stereotypes of masculinity, encouraging emotional expression and focusing on the person's sense of self and authenticity.

Momma Tammye is not only unusual in being the first woman to be made over but she is also a devout Christian with a gay son. What ensues in this episode is amazing love and acceptance between LGBT+ people and the Christian community: something that is rarely seen, on or off screen.

Two people help us navigate the tensions and difficulties between these two communities: Myles, Momma Tammye's gay son, and Bobby, one of the Fab Five who grew up in a deeply religious community.

When the Fab Five arrive at Momma Tammye's church, they explore it with glee and fascination  all of them, that is, except for Bobby, who sits outside.

Bobby tells us that growing up, [Christianity] was my life' and that every Sunday he would beg 'to God to not make me gay. Once everyone found out who I was, they turned their backs on me.'

His words sting. They sting because many LGBT+ people, unfortunately, will know this rejection and those who grew up in the church may still walk around with that pain; the pain that makes Bobby promise himself that he 'wouldn't step foot in the church... [because] I was so hurt'.

And yet, while this rejection and alienation is so deeply rooted, it is a powerful testimony to the LGBT+ community that they are willing to reach out and take part in the redesigning of this church community centre, or as Bobby puts it, 'a 50-year dream being built by a bunch of gays'.

An equally powerful testimony to the Christian community is the way Momma Tammye recounts asking her son for forgiveness for not loving him unconditionally when he came out. Antoni of the Fab Five is visibly moved by the story of forgiveness, how her son had already forgiven her for the hurt caused and talks about how despite thinking her faith told her to judge gay people, 'she saw the individual and she saw the person who her son is  and she changed her mind'.

Momma Tammye, who by the end of the show has now labelled herself 'Foxy Momma', displays the grace of God in how she throws open her home to five gay men  again, something rarely seen in our churches or on TV  and while the Fab Five are tasked with encouraging her, she takes her opportunity at the end of the episode to encourage them.

She tells each of them to continue to use the gifts God gave them for good and confers honour and dignity on them.

At this point, I admit, I had to pause it  I broke because I wish that was more LGBT+ people's experience with the church; I broke because I have never seen a group of five gay men be told that they were part of God's plan, that they were known in their mother's womb before they were born. To see a Christian quoting scripture at LGBT+ people to build them up, not tear them down is a powerful vision of the redemption we can live out.

The episode ends with Momma Tammye speaking at her church and puts it better than I ever could:

'This week we worked with the Fab Five for the community centre. These are five gifted men who are gay and through the course of the week we were able to build some relationships. That's what it's about: building relationships. They share with me how they have been just torn down and rejected in the church that has turned their backs on them.

'How can I say I love God when I cannot love the ones who are right there next to me?'

Momma Tammye's journey and the compassion of the Fab Five remind us that Christianity is more than the warm feelings even a feel-good show like Queer Eye can display. It is a call to true love  love for our enemies and love for the stranger  because at the end of the day we were once strangers from God and have been welcomed back in through the grace of the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, his son.

Recently it was Pride  a celebration of the LGBT+ community's identity in the face of continued rejection and persecution  and I hope Momma Tammye's words stand as a challenge to reach out to your LGBT+ friends and listen to their stories, do some reading (or watching of Queer Eye) and love those who are right there next to you.

Donnchadh Greene is a human rights legal adviser in London.Zimbabwe's ruling party wins majority in parliament, opposition questions poll

The presidential candidate for Zimbabwe's main opposition accused the ruling ZANU-PF of trying to steal the general election on Wednesday after official figures gave President Emmerson Mnangagwa's party a majority in parliament.

Nelson Chamisa, 40, and the 75-year-old Mnangagwa were the main contenders in Monday's vote, the first since Robert Mugabe was forced to resign after a de facto coup in November after nearly 40 years in power.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's results showed Mnangagwa's ZANU-PF cruising to a big majority after picking up 109 seats against 41 for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Another 58 seats are yet to be declared.

Results of the presidential poll are expected by Saturday.

On his official Twitter feed, Chamisa accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of releasing the parliamentary results first to prepare Zimbabweans for a Mnangagwa victory.

'The strategy is meant to prepare Zimbabwe mentally to accept fake presidential results. We've more votes than ED (Emmerson Dambudzo). We won the popular vote (and) will defend it,' Chamisa said.

On Wednesday, foreign observers, including the European Union, who have been monitoring the elections for the first time since 2002, will issue their verdict on Monday's vote.

Zimbabwe was once one of Africa's most promising economies but under Mugabe's rule became tainted by corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation. Its population of 13 million is struggling amid shortages of foreign currency, unemployment above 80 percent and lack of foreign investment.

In the capital Harare many people went about their usual routine, including queuing up for scarce cash outside banks.

The House of Assembly of Parliament has 210 seats and ZANU-PF would need to win 30 more to have a two-thirds majority that would allow it to change the constitution at will.

Voters in Zimbabwe traditionally pick a presidential candidate based on their party affiliation and the trend in the parliamentary election was expected to continue when results for the president are announced this week.

Chamisa's MDC won in most urban centres, where it enjoys majority support. One independent candidate and a member from a party linked to Mugabe also won one seat each.

On Tuesday Former Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) finance minister Tendai Biti and ZESN, the main domestic election monitor, said one in five polling stations  more than 2,000 in all  had not physically posted tallies on their doors, as required by law.

That omission gave room for the ZEC, which ZESN and the opposition have accused of bias, to manipulate the results in favour of Mnangagwa and the ruling ZANU-PF party, Biti said.

Even though the election passed off peacefully, several water cannon trucks patrolled outside the central Harare headquarters of the MDC as its red-shirted supporters danced in the streets.Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan answered questions about branch closures, product innovation and the bank's "Re-Established" campaign during a town hall meeting with Houston employees on Tuesday.

The bank holds this meeting every other month in different U.S. cities. It's an opportunity for Sloan, who took over as CEO in October 2016 after John Stumpf retired amid the bank's scandal of opening millions of unauthorized accounts, to address employees and field their questions.

RELATED: Fed investigation into Wells Fargo broadens

Sloan told the Houston Chronicle that Wells Fargo continues to move forward from its account scandal, having hired new employees, created a new incentive structure, and introduced new products and services. Customer experience and loyalty scores continue to increase, and Wells Fargo has seen growth in primary checking accounts as well as debit and credit card activity.

"It's about continuing to focus on our operations," he said. "To the extent we make mistakes, we'll make it right by customers. But it's also about moving forward in terms of providing better customer service and products on a very innovative basis."

New products and services include real time balance alerts, an online wealth management platform and an online mortgage capability that pre-fills much of a customer's mortgage application.

Sloan also told the Chronicle that employees in the town hall wanted to know about the traits of a successful leader. And they wanted to know how the bank's plans to close some 1,000 branches over the next several years would affect Houston. The bank is closing branches as more customers interact with Wells Fargo online or from their mobile devices.

Employees also asked about Wells Fargo's "Re-Established" marketing campaign launched in May. With a tagline of "Established 1852, Re-established 2018," this campaign features ads on television, newspapers and digital platforms.

And Sloan praised employees who helped customers access their finances in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The bank gave some $3.3 million and thousands of volunteer hours to the Houston region last year.

"You really learn about people," he said, "and you learn about the culture of a company in a period of stress."

Check HoustonChronicle.com and Thursday's paper for the full Q&AMarcus Gillaspia had lived in his house in the Prestonwood Forest neighborhood of northwest Houston for two weeks before he discovered he had an 80-acre park across the street.

An avid mountain biker, Gillaspia said he chose his subdivision because of its close proximity to the wooded, well-maintained, off-road trails along Cypress Creek. He was exploring those paths when he cycled past Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve, which he learned connected to his street by way of a pedestrian bridge.

I was just blown away, he said. I thought, This is like a state park right in my neighborhood. 

Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve opened in April 2017. The forested park, which is maintained by Harris County, is home to 40-acre Marshall Lake, two fishing piers, a canoe launch, restrooms and 1.7 miles of paved hike and bike trails.

This summer, in an effort to engage neighbors like Gillaspia who may not be familiar with its offerings, the park has increased its community programs. This includes free canoeing, which Gillaspia has participated in with his daughter Micah, 3, who also likes to play in the parks sand area.

Were still kind of a hidden gem, said Rose Belzung Holmes, director of Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve. While long-time area residents are familiar with the green space  which is visible from Highway 249 and was once owned by Hewlett-Packard  she said, many havent visited it since its been revitalized as a public park.

Increased community outreach includes free chances to fish and camp, too. And city slickers need not worry  equipment is provided.

On Aug. 11, the park will host its second Youth Fishing Derby for ages 6 to 16. No prior experience is needed, Holmes said, and poles and bait will be on hand for free use. The staff will hand out certificates to participants and have prizes for the winners.

More Information Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve When: 7 a.m. to dusk daily Where: 20215 Chasewood Park Dr. Details: hcp4.net/kmp Note: From 5-8 p.m. Aug. 15 and Sept. 19, the park will loan canoes, kayaks, life jackets, fishing poles and bait for free use. See More Collapse

Another new park initiative is Family Fish Camp. The next one takes place Sept. 22. Families spend the morning rotating through stations to learn about tackle box equipment, how to use a rod and reel and tie a knot and get tips on fish identification and fishing ethics.

After a break for a picnic lunch, theyll see what they can catch. The lake is stocked seasonally. Depending on the time of year, species include largemouth bass, crappies, rainbow trout and catfish. Most are catch-and-release.

And, on the night of Sept 15, the park will offer free camping. When families sign up online, they can request free loaner tents and cooking equipment if they dont have their own. During the overnight adventure, park staff will teach how to set up tents and cook outdoors. After dark, theyll lead a night hike. The next morning, families can fish.

Holmes said the preserve is a good spot for first-time campers. Its still pretty urban, she said, explaining that campers are more likely to hear cicadas and airplanes than the unsettling howls of wild animals, though the preserve is home to some coyotes, in addition to deer, owls and alligators that live in the lake.

Swimming isnt allowed for this reason.

Outside of community events, fishing equipment and bait, canoes, and kayaks are available for free loan on designated evenings. And the park will soon add to its fleet of canoes.

On his daily rides through Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve, Gillaspia said hes observed park improvements and new amenities, like coolers of ice water for public use that were recently installed. When Micah gets a little older, he said they may add fishing or camping to their familys weekend routine.

Its a beautiful place, he said. Kind of like a mini getaway.

Allison Bagley is a writer in Houston.Dear Heloise:

Many of the foods we eat and enjoy are laden with fat or grease. To help prevent a clogged drain, I put chicken grease, fats, oils, butter, etc., in a plastic bag (used bread wrappers are excellent!), tie a tight knot in it and place it in my trash can.

John J., chemical engineer in Irvine, Calif.

John, city water-treatment plants advise this as well. Keeping grease out of the sewer system will help protect it.

Other items to keep out of the sewer system? So-called flushable wipes, cigarette butts and cat litter, among other things. Log on to your citys website for more information, or dial 311.

Heloise

Dear Heloise:

I had several hand soaps that I didnt like. I poured all of them into an empty laundry soap bottle and labeled it Mixed Soaps. Ill use it to wash rugs or other items.

Also, shampoos that I cant use on my hair I use to wash out hairbrushes and combs; I fill the sink with hot water and let them soak.

Barb in Humble

Dear Heloise:

The cooking time on many microwavable items is based on the wattage of the microwave.

However, nowhere on my oven is this printed. How can I determine the wattage?

Nancy P., Newport, N.H.

Hi, Nancy! The wattage of your microwave should be found in your owners manual, or sometimes it is printed on the back of the unit. It typically is not found inside the door, which can be frustrating.

What is a watt? A watt is, basically, a unit of power. A microwave with a wattage of around 1,000 should serve most people well; foods should heat up quickly and evenly.

Heloise

Dear Heloise:

When I visit the fast-food drive-thru window, Ill occasionally ask the window person if I can pay for my meal and also for the car behind me.

This works particularly well at breakfast time  it gets that persons day off to a great start!

Michelle R. in San Antonio

A Heloise high-five to you, Michelle!

Heloise

Dear Heloise:

A hint about salad dressing: I use it instead of plain mayonnaise for making tuna salad. No need to add extra seasoning!

A comment on baking soda: Because it picks up odors, the baking soda that you use for baking should be kept in a closed plastic container.

Judythe S., via email

Dear Heloise:

When using toilet tissue in public areas, I always pull out (and leave dangling) a little extra so its hanging free for the next person.

Just four to five sheets saves nails and skin from being hurt if you have to reach into the dispenser to get more tissue.

Hi from your friends in The Villages, Fla.

Andrew S., via email

Heloise@heloise.com

Heloise

P.O. Box 795000

San Antonio, TX 78279

King Features SyndicateElizabeth Chambers is only in Houston for 24 hours, and she's on a tight schedule.

The San Antonio native and BIRD Bakery founder flew in on a Saturday morning  "It was 82 degrees at 8 a.m.!"  to deliver Create & Cultivate's keynote address during its third annual, women-only Style Summit at the Galleria.

Come Sunday, she'll touch down in New York for another one-night-only stay. That's where her husband, actor Armie Hammer, is preparing for his role in Young Jean Lee's inaugural Broadway play, "Straight White Men." Opening night is Monday, which Chambers will unfortunately miss because she's off to sail the Mediterranean with some girlfriends; the high-profile group includes the Tot founder Nasiba Adilova, Man Repeller blogger Leandra Medine and fashion designer Rebecca de Ravenel.

COCKTAIL RECEPTION: Houstonians fete Aspen for 20th annual MD Anderson party

But first, Whataburger.

"It's always my first stop," Chambers says, almost apologetically, of her Bayou City must-do. At one point, her dad purchased a home near River Oaks, so she knows her way around. "I've also got to get some Tex-Mex and barbecue while I'm here. And a margarita."

It's a tall order considering her itinerary. Tucked away inside the acclaimed restaurant Nobu before business hours, she's a stone's throw from her Westin Galleria hotel room and the revamped Saks Fifth Avenue wing where some 300 aspiring entrepreneurs eagerly await Chambers' remarks. It's hard to imagine her escaping the mall without causing a commotion.

At 5'10" with a cascading brunette ponytail, the former model is impossible to miss - especially in her striped one-shoulder mini-dress, which cuts a striking figure in a sea of shorts and flip flops. During a pre-speech photo shoot, Chambers worries that the cut of her Zimmermann frock is too loose, and asks if there's time for an outfit change before her big talk.

With nearly 200,000 Instagram followers double-tapping her every move, and a sold-out Houston crowd ready to Facebook Live her every word, for mere mortals, the weight of expectation would be stifling.

But Chambers is unruffled. Despite being a seasoned celebrity wife, she's also a "Texas girl," and likes to keep it real.

"My makeup artist had her work cut out for me," Chambers confides, whipping out her iPhone to reveal evidence of a facial gone wrong. "The only thing that covers me up is Cle de Peau concealer."

For more of Elizabeth Chambers' beauty tricks and business tips, read her full interview on HoustonChronicle.com.Galveston County deputies arrested disgraced former Judge Christopher Dupuy near Austin on Monday morning on outstanding warrants from both Galveston and Harris County.

Dupuy, who served as a Galveston County judge from 2010 to 2013, faces two charges of online impersonation stemming from a 2015 arrest and was being held on a $400,000 in bond in Galveston County jail, Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset said.

WEBSTER: Ex-HPD officer charged in stalking, "revenge porn" case

Harris County also issued a warrant for a stalking charge against Dupuy in May, which carries an $888,888 bond, after a woman filed a stalking complaint alleging Dupuy had followed and threatened to kill her.

Trochesset said deputies from the Galveston County Sheriff's warrant division traveled to the Austin area to find Dupuy. With the help of U.S. Marshals and Austin Police Department officers, they executed a search warrant at a residence south of Austin on Monday morning.

"At the time when they walked in, (Dupuy) was pulling the attic door down like he was making an attempt to climb into the attic to hide," Trochesset said.

Dupuy was arrested and booked in Hays County jail on Monday, where he appeared before a magistrate judge. He was then transferred to Galveston County jail on Tuesday.

Dupuy was arrested in League City in July 2015 on two felony counts of online impersonation.

Court records claim Dupuy created fake escort ads to take revenge on two of his ex-girlfriends. He allegedly took pictures from the women's facebook's accounts and one texted to him during a previous dating relationship and purchased fake escort ads on Backpage.com promising sex. The ads reportedly included the victims' personal phone numbers.

Investigators were able to track down a fake name Dupuy allegedly used to purchase the ads: Don Tequila. And although software was used that masked his computer's IP address, investigators obtained a search warrant and were reportedly able to locate evidence that showed Dupuy was the person behind the fake ads.

A visiting judge in the 405th District Court in June 2016 dismissed two counts of online harassment, arguing the state's online impersonation statute was unconstitutional. The 14th Court of Appeals reversed the judge's decision.

The Harris County warrant for Dupuy was issued May 24 after a woman filed a complaint that Dupuy had called her about 200 times beginning at 11 p.m. the night before threatening to kill her.

The woman told Harris County deputies Dupuy had represented her former husband in their divorce.

Dupuy resigned from the bench in 2013 after being charged with multiple counts of lying under oath and abuse of office, including retaliation against the attorney representing his wife in a divorce case.

Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.comPolice in League City have identified two suspects in a string of car burglaries in the area, the League City Police Department stated Tuesday in a news release.

The names of the suspects, both juveniles, were not released. One suspect was arrested Tuesday, and the other "has been interviewed" and will be charged, police stated.

The pair's alleged crime spree began over the weekend with a string of car burglaries in the South Shore gated community and the Meadow Bend subdivision.

DETAILS EMERGE: What we know about the suspect in the Houston doctor slaying

In at least one case, the suspects also stole a car itself, police stated. Surveillance video showed one suspect carrying a gun, which detectives "were able to confirm" came from a car in the Bay Colony subdivision.

One suspect was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. The second suspect "will face the same charges," police stated.

The suspects "are expected to face additional charges" as police continue their investigation, according to the news release.

It's unclear if any charges were added Wednesday or if the second suspect has been charged yet. The League City Police Department did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.

In the news release, police implored residents to "always lock their cars," saying that would-be criminals can "find more vehicles unlocked in League City compared to surrounding cities."WASHINGTON - Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told the Senate Wednesday he was working to implement President Donald Trump's move to rollback environmental regulation "posthaste."

"The combination of regulatory relief and the President's historic tax cuts continues to spur economic growth across the country," he said. "We have made historic progress at EPA since President Trump took office. But we have more work to do."

Wheeler testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, his first appearance on Capitol Hill since taking over the agency following the resignation of Scott Pruitt. And he was quickly asked how he would handle hot button issues like the ethanol mandate and vehicle efficiency standards.

RELATED STORY: As EPA head promises transparency, Senate beckons

Ethanol

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., asked Wheeler what the EPA planned to do to help corn farmers who are losing out under the administration's decision to grant waivers to oil refineries from the requirement they blend ethanol into the nation's fuel supply.

Wheeler acknowledged it was a problem, pointing out he had helped write the ethanol blending law while a staffer on the committee and wished, "we had taken more time on the details."

"We're working to see what we can do to make up the difference when we have to grant a waiver," Wheeler said. "You have the problem the waivers are being requested and granted after the numbers have already been set."

Rounds urged Wheeler to look into allowing the year round sale of fuel with a concentration of 15 percent ethanol - currently disallowed during the summer months.

"You've taken care of the smaller refineries" he said. "What about the small farmers?"

Vehicle Efficiency Standards

With the agency preparing to release new fuel efficiency standards, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., pointed out the largest source of U.S. air pollution is cars and trucks.

Wheeler described the document, to be released later this week, as a "proposal." He said the agency was considering options ranging from keeping the standard at its current level to allowing it to increase through 2025 as ordered by former president Barack Obama.

Were the administration to keep efficiency standards at their current level, it would set off a legal fight with environmentalists and states like California, which has long set its own efficiency standards. Wheeler said would "welcome" a compromise, he also said such a deal must avoid making cars less safe, as the administration argues the standard set by Obama would.

"The proposal will save 1,000 lives per year and I think it's important we maintain that," Wheeler said.

Ethics violations?

Off the bat, Wheeler was asked by Sen. John Barraso, R-Wyo, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, about media reports he had met with former clients from his time working a Washington lobbyist, a potential violation of federal ethics rules.

The hearing comes as Wheeler seeks to resurrect the image of an agency that was at the center of controversy during the Trump administration. Pruitt resigned while the subject of multiple congressional ethics probes into actions that included renting an apartment from the wife of a prominent lobbyist and enlisting staff to help his wife find a job.

Wheeler said he had no meetings that violated ethics regulations, although he added that he gave speech during which a former client was in attendance.

"I can't control the people who attend a public speech," Wheeler said.

Transparency

In a memo this week, Wheeler ordered staff to make the agency more transparent to media, including making his own appointment calendar available online.

He reiterated that commitment to the Senate Wednesday, saying he was hiring more staff to handle the flood of public information requests the agency is handling. To close out his opening statement, Wheeler pledged to make the EPA "transparent, open and accountable."

"Our success as an agency depends on it," he testified.Two men from Marshall, Texas, were arrested in Splendora early Wednesday morning, accused of allegedly transporting 12 bottles of Promethazine with Codeine cough syrup, Xanax and Loracet with Hydrocodone.

Roy Hale Richardson Jr., 38, and Bruce Edward Powell III, 25, were arrested by the Splendora Police Department and remain in the Montgomery County Jail on charges of felony manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance. Bail was set at $100,000 each.Christopher Robin

Director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace, Machine Gun Preacher) moves in a more family-friendly direction with this Disney take on the Winnie the Pooh universe. Ewan McGregor plays a grown-up Christopher Robin who needs a visit from Winnie to rediscover the joys of life. Hayley Atwell co-stars.

Rated PG. Playing throughout Houston.

The Darkest Minds

Based on the popular dystopian novel by Alexandra Bracken, this movie paints a world where teenagers are declared a threat and one group of kids decides to fight back. Bradley Whitford and Mandy Moore star, and its directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (the second and third Kung Fu Pandas). Producing are some of the people behind Stranger Things and Arrival.

Rated PG-13. Playing throughout Houston.

Death of a Nation

Controversial conservative writer/filmmaker Dinesh DSouza returns with his latest political documentary, this one drawing parallels between the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and Donald Trump.

Rated PG-13. Playing throughout Houston.

Dog Days

Vanessa Hudgens, Eva Langoria, Finn Wolfhard, Adam Pally, Nina Dobrev and Rob Corddry are featured in this rom-com about a group of interconnected couples who meet through their love of dogs. Ken Marino (How to Be a Latin Lover) directs.

Rated PG. Playing throughout Houston beginning Aug. 8.

Generation Wealth

Documentarian Laura Greenfield turned her lens on a family building that was to be the countrys most lavish house in the celebrated 2012 film The Queen of Versailles. In Generation Wealth, she pulls back for a wide shot at the entire idea of money and consumption and why so many these days crave them at the expense of everything else. Its also an extremely personal look at her life and what motivates her.

Rated R. Playing at AMC Houston 8.

The Guardians

French director Xavier Beauvois (Of Gods and Men) sets his latest film during WWI among women who have to take over working their farms while the men are in battle. In French with English subtitles.

Rated R. Playing at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

In the Last Days of the City

Tamer El Saids story of a Cairo documentary filmmaker on the eve of the Arab Spring is a fascinating day-in-the-life portrait of a city and country on the edge of change. Its slow-moving and not much happens, but the portent of what is about to happen gives it emotional heft. In Arabic with English subtitles.

Unrated. Playing Friday and Aug. 17 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

The Incantation

Dean Cain, who once upon a time was Superman on TV, stars in this horror-thriller about a young American girl, visiting family in France, who discovers long-buried secrets. Unrated. Playing through streaming services and on DVD and Blu-ray.

The Spy Who Dumped Me

This comedy stars Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon as friends who stumble into the world of spycraft after discovering that one of their boyfriends, played by Justin Theroux, is an agent.

Rated R. Playing throughout Houston.Its kind of like the end of Rome, says a commentator near the beginning of Generation Wealth, a documentary about the wretched excess of consumerism and greed in todays America. The film has its flaws, but after watching its catalog of shifty hedge-fund types, Kardashians, plastic surgery addicts, bling-laden rappers and children of Hollywood royalty, you cant help but agree.

The director is photographer and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield, and Generation Wealth can be viewed as a meditation on themes she raised in her admirable 2012 documentary The Queen of Versailles. That movie detailed the (failed) efforts of Jackie and David Siegel, who made oceans of money in the time-share business, to build an unbelievably lavish mansion based on the palace at Versailles.

The new films assertion, as Greenfield points out in her narration, is that there has been a shift in the meaning of the American dream. A lot of what we see resembles the dregs of reality TV and supermarket tabloids  we watch hip-hoppers raining handfuls of paper currency onto the near-naked bodies of women, and see 24-karat gold toilets in the mansions of Chinese billionaires (just a reminder that avarice is not limited to the United States).

As to political analysis, not a lot is evident in Generation Wealth, suggesting that perhaps Greenfield, who seems to have a liberal outlook, wanted to avoid taking sides in these highly contentious times. If so, it weakens the film, and gives it an air of tut-tutting.

Another questionable decision is that Greenfield essentially turns the camera on herself and her husband and kids in the movies second half. In a confessional tone, she allows the possibility that she has been a workaholic, which runs in her high-achieving family and has had an unhappy impact on her home life. She seems to equate this with the same loss of traditional values we have seen in the films gaudier sequences.

The most intriguing of the films rogues gallery is one Florian Homm, a flamboyant, German-born mega-capitalist and financier who was charged in 2011 with financial shenanigans that cost investors hundreds of millions of dollars. He avoided extradition to the United States by returning to Germany. Homm is something of a charmer, and its grimly amusing to hear his recollections. While he offers what may be crocodile tears about the malign effects of his crimes and his alienation from his family, we do get a more distanced and realistic perspective from his adult son.

Then theres the ghastly spectacle of the 6-year-old beauty queen, with a mountain of hair and her dreams of endless wealth. Like much else in the film, its very sad. But after a while, Generation Wealth feels like its all over the place, and that, if most of its subjects are lacking in depth, the movie itself is open to the same criticism.

waddiego@sfchronicle.comThe Texas Department of Transportation will begin the bid process for the expansion of Loop 494 from two to four lanes in Kingwood this fall.

Emily Black, TxDOTs Houston Districts public information officer, said construction should begin early in 2019 for the roadway expansion, which spans from Sorters McClellan Road past Kingwood Drive to Northpark Plaza Drive.

The 1.835-mile project is estimated to cost about $15 million. Meanwhile, TxDOT plans to open the project for bids starting Aug.7.

TxDOT has been preparing the design plans since November 2003. However construction funds were not made available until recently.

Black noted the road improvements were required on Loop 494 due to rapid population growth in the area.

There were two public meetings held in 2007 and 2010 about the expansion.

In the past few months, we have been out to speak with businesses who could be impacted to ensure they are all aware of the project and its scope before construction begins, Black said.

TxDOT expects the project to have a two-year timetable and be completed by mid 2021.

Loop 494 used to be part of US 59 but was realigned in the Kingwood area in the late 70s, she said.

kaila.contreras@chron.comChina and Nigeria have agreed to further strengthen their military and security partnership and cooperation under the principle of Mutual Assistance.



Col. Liu Yongxuan, Defence Attach of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria said this at an occasion to mark the 91st anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Abuja on Tuesday.



Liu said both countries shared similarities in contributing to global peace and security.



He further described the military exchange and cooperation between both countries as fruitful.



"China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor of world development and an upholder of international order.



"Nigeria has dispatched military personnel to participate in UN peacekeeping operations since its independence and the total number is up to 100,000, one of the largest among African countries.



"This year, Chinese Naval warship for the first time participated in the joint maritime exercises hosted by Nigerian Navy and has given impetus to the call by the Nigerian Government for a combined maritime force in the Gulf of Guinea.



He also expressed confidence in increased cooperation between both countries in areas of common interest through the promotion of the "One Belt and One Road" initiative.



The initiative is known as a foreign policy and economic strategy of the Chinese Government to create a network of infrastructure to economically link China to Europe, other parts of Asia, Africa and Oceania.



It aims to develop the largest global platform for economic cooperation and more than 60 countries and international organisations have reportedly signed up for the infrastructure project.



In his remarks, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar commended the efforts of the PLA in promoting world peace and global order.



Abubakar, who was represented by Chief of Aircraft Engineering, Air Vice Marshal Abdulganiyu Olabisi, said that military cooperation between both countries "was growing".



"One thing I can take away from their development is I see hope for Nigeria and other African countries, looking at the humble beginnings of the People's Liberation Army.



"There are also examples of your collaboration with other countries across the world and on that note, I want to say that the military bilateral relations between China and Nigeria have been growing especially in the past decade.



"We do appreciate your invaluable contributions to our counterinsurgency operations. We are hopeful that this relationship will be strengthened for the mutual benefit of our countries."









NANWith the city of Houstons official approval, the San Jacinto River Authority will begin the temporary seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe on Wednesday as flood mitigation strategy.

SJRA board members first voted in April for a proposed plan that would call for lowering Lake Conroe on a temporary basis in the spring and fall.

As the majority water-right holder of Lake Conroe, owning two-thirds of the water rights, and the city of Houston had to make the final decision which was announced on Monday.

LIBERTY COUNTY: How Hurricane Harvey changed the Trinity River

This is a temporary plan for the lowering of Lake Conroe that is year-to-year, SJRA General Manager Jace Houston said in a previous article in the Courier. Every year, this plan will be reviewed and must be approved by a vote of the board members. This is a short-term flood mitigation plan, while long-term plans such as dredging along the West Fork of the San Jacinto River are developed and put into action. The ultimate goal is to develop a joint operating strategy involving both Lake Conroe and Lake Houston.

Lake Conroe lowering

According to information provided by the city of Houston, Lake Conroe is located upstream from Lake Houston and pre-releases before a storm run the risk of pushing water into Lake Houston, which is not desirable.

Lake Conroe has a normal water level of 201 feet which means from April 1 until May 31, the lake will be reduced and maintained at 200 feet then restored to normal pool level after that date. Then again, from Aug. 1 until Sept. 30, Lake Conroe will be reduced and maintained at 199 feet then restored after that time period.

Starting Wednesday, SJRA will gradually reduce the level of Lake Conroe with a goal of reaching 200 msl (one foot below normal pool) by Aug. 15. After Aug. 15, SJRA will continue gradually lowering the level of Lake Conroe with a goal of reaching (and maintaining) 199 msl (two feet below normal pool) by Aug. 31, SJRA representatives stated in a separate release.

The good news is Lake Conroe is currently at 200.55 feet due to evaporation so we dont have much to release to reach the goal level, SJRA Public Relations Manager Ronda Trow said. If the lake level has already dropped to the target elevation just due to evaporation, no releases would be made.

Additionally, if a storm enters the forecast while seasonal releases are being made to lower the lake level, releases would be stopped to allow for the river to drain out until rainfall is out of the forecast.

Lake Houston flood mitigation

Hurricane Harvey deposited tremendous amounts of silt in the West Fork of the San Jacinto River causing flood issues even with small amounts of rainfall. This created the need for a significant dredging project to restore the rivers capacity.

The Galveston District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will oversee the dredging project. Under the contract terms, the dredging company awarded the contract has 270 days to remove 1.8 million yards of sediment from a 2-mile stretch of the river above the Lake Houston dam.

With the city of Houston, they will continue to pre-release water on Lake Houston with impending rainfall but this is not the case for Lake Conroe since the water flows into the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston potentially exacerbating downstream flooding.

Staff from the City of Houston, the Coastal Water Authority and the Harris County Flood Control District have expressed their desire to not pre-fill the river and Lake Houston prior to a storm with water released from Lake Conroe, Trow added.

In regards to Lake Houston, as the lowest lake on the river system, it will be operated using a pre-release approach managed by the Coastal Water Authority. Lake Houston has a normal pool elevation of 42.5 feet.

If the National Weather Service predicts greater than 3 inches of rain within the San Jacinto River basin in a 48-hour period, Coastal Water Authority will lower Lake Houston to 41.5 feet, the city of Houston representatives stated.

When asked the significance of the dates, SJRA General Manager Jace Houston stated they are based upon weather patterns since April and May are typically rainier and the area experiences more severe storms and hurricanes in the August and September months.

The Response

Throughout this process, the Lake Conroe Association has been vocal about disagreeing with this plan while numerous Kingwood residents have attended SJRA board meetings to share their sentiments regarding the plan and to say, thanks.

The LCA accepted working with lake level reductions through May 3, 2019, (dredging contract completion date) given the practical purpose of holding back water releases during the necessary San Jacinto River West Fork dredging project for the benefit of Lake Houston area residents, LCA President Mike Bleier said. The city of Houston (not SJRA) press release announcing lake level reductions for three years serves no purpose other than pandering to voters for our governor, the city of Houston Mayor and a state senator representing Kingwood. They don't care about Lake Conroe residents and businesses and prefer to gain election votes from the larger voting base of Houston. It's a sad day in Montgomery County to realize politics (not practicality) drives decisions and that our quality of life here is secondary to winning elections.

Kingwood and Lake Conroe resident Dennis Albrecht understands both sides of the coin when it comes to the lake lowering proposal, thanking board members during the SJRA May board meeting for developing a proposal to help control flooding like his family experienced in the Kingwood area during Hurricane Harvey.

We have the experience of being on both sides, Albrecht said during the meeting. We understand the concerns, but Im here to thank the board for approving the proposal to temporarily lower Lake Conroe; we have experienced tremendous damage and concern about the future. We know there are many puzzle pieces that come together to prevent flooding and lowering Lake Conroe is not the long-term solution but its going to help us in the short-term.

jennifer.summer@hcnonline.comAfter nearly 20 years at the helm as the Oak Ridge North Police Chief, Andrew Walters announced he plans to retire at the end of the year.

Walters made the official announced via the Oak Ridge North city website and through the social app, Nixle, stating, Ive always been proud to be associated with the folks who work here. Your officers are the best. I would put them against any officer anywhere, in any department. Ive had the honor of serving them, but even more, Ive had the honor of serving and protecting yall, your families, your homes, your businesses.

Walters added to the statement, saying, I just think its time, on why he decided to retire.

As a police officer for a total of 40 years including time at a few other agencies, Walters first started working for the Oak Ridge North Police Department part-time in 1988 before going full-time in 1990. In 1999, Walters was promoted to chief and has made a mark on the city ever since.

For a short period of time, I had a construction business, but I was injured in an explosion, Walters said. I had just started part-time at Oak Ridge North PD and couldnt continue with construction so came here permanently

For five total officers, the Oak Ridge North PD has grown under Walters leadership to now include 16 officers.

We have 11 assigned to patrol, one that works environmental offenses for DD6, one that works warrants and bailiffs for our court, two that work investigations and one is in charge of the property room as well as information technology, evidence handling and processing and records management, Walters said. We take over 2,000 reports a year now.

According to Walters, they have a clearance rate of more than 80 percent versus the national average of around 10 percent, they issue approximately 5,400 tickets per year, have a very low traffic accident rate and arrest around 600 or so people per year for everything from aggravated robbery to simple traffic warrants.

Before his retirement date around Dec. 31, 2018, Walters plans to travel with his wife, Cora, and plan to move to Oklahoma after he officially retires.

Im Potawatomi Indian so we will move to the reservation there, Walters said. I am active in the Tribe, so there will be plenty to do, lots of projects to work on and maybe an opportunity to serve there. But be assured, my heart will always be here with yall.

A replacement for Walters has not been named.Fort Bend County Fair / Fort Bend County Fair

Wine tasting, shopping, and discovering Historic Downtown Rosenberg is all a part of the 5th Annual Downtown Stomp. Experience a top selection of wines as you stroll the different businesses and explore Historic Downtown Rosenberg.

Wine aficionados and novices are invited to enjoy wine tasting and after-hours shopping and dining. Many of the downtown shops will have extended hours on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018, from 5 to 9 p.m. Enjoy dining, desserts, antique shopping, fashion boutiques, hand-crafted custom furniture, and unique items throughout the charm of Downtown Rosenberg. Over twenty-two businesses will be participating with seventeen shops being official wine tasting venues.Two construction workers received minor injuries during a small fire inside a River Oaks home Tuesday afternoon.

The fire appeared to be confined to a small upstairs room inside the home in the 2100 block of Looscan Lane, near Denman Road.

Houston firefighters received the call about the fire around 2:30 p.m. and rushed to the scene to tap the fire out. When they arrived, firefighters encountered small flames throughout the room, according to Houston Fire Department District Chief Stephen Whitehead.

Firefighters quickly put out the rest of the fire but were still on scene cleaning up and putting out hot spots as of 3:30 p.m.

Two construction workers inside the home received minor injuries, including small burns and a laceration, Whitehead said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.comGoogle has reinstated the YouTube channel of Houston rapper William James Dennisbetter known as Willie D and a founding member of the Geto Boysafter it was possibly taken down by mistake.

The channel Willie D Live, which features a mix of social commentary, court footage, and videos of police, was taken down by YouTube on July 26. Dennis said at a news conference Monday that he believes it was his July 2 video titled "Maxine Waters responds to death threats: 'If you shoot at me, you better shoot straight'" which resulted in YouTube taking down his account.

The video, which has more than 38,000 views, features Dennis discussing Rep. Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, who cancelled speaking events because of threats made against her after calling for President Donald Trump's impeachment.

Rapper Willie D to Donald Trump: You've gone too far

"If you shoot me, you better shoot straight," Water said at a rally in Los Angeles in late June. "There's nothing like a wounded animal."

Google declined to comment on the specific reason Dennis' YouTube channel was taken down, but emailed a statement to the Houston Chronicle explaining that because there is more than 400 hours of video uploaded every minute to YouTube, the company relies on community and machine learning technology to flag content that may violate its community guidelines for human review.

Dennis' YouTube account was reinstated about 1 p.m. Tuesday, roughly two hours following the Houston Chronicle's Google inquiry.

"With the volume of videos on our platform, sometimes we make mistakes and when this is brought to our attention we reinstate the videos or channels," the company's statement continued. "We also give uploaders the ability to appeal these decisions and we will re-review the content."

As of Wednesday morning, Dennis' YouTube channel has netted more than 71 million views from the more than 1,5oo videos he's posted since Sept. 19, 2011.

Fernando Alfonso III covers everything from crime to weird internet trends. Read him on the breaking news site chron.com and the subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | fernando.alfonso@chron.comThe man charged in the death of a missing Houston woman whose dismembered body was probably found in Greens Bayou Tuesday had dated her for about a month before the slaying, Harris County Sheriff's Office officials said Wednesday.

Jeffrey Andre McDonald, 46, was arrested just after midnight on Wednesday, said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. He was charged with murder in the death of Rebecca Suhrheinrich, court records show.

Suhrheinrich, 58, has been missing since Friday, when coworkers said she didn't show up for work. A human resource manager at Tejas Tubular Products, where Suhrheinrich worked, first reported her missing, authorities said.

Gonzalez said investigators found her north Harris County apartment in disarray with "obvious" signs of foul play, including blood on the floors, wall and furnishings. The scene was "consistent with the dismemberment of a human being," according to a criminal complaint.

20-YEAR GRUDGE ALLEGED: Arrest warrant issued for suspect in slaying of Houston doctor

"It was a very heinous crime," Gonzalez said at a news conference Wednesday morning. "Were just glad we were able to bring closure to this."

McDonald's sister, Rashawnda Henry-Carroway, said she received a call early last Saturday from a friend telling her that McDonald needed to be picked up from a park near where Suhrheinrich's apparent body was found, according to the criminal complaint filed against McDonald.

Henry-Carroway said McDonald appeared "aggitated" [sic] and that he was "starting to scare her with his behavior."

He asked her for cleaning supplies, including chlorox and latex gloves, the complaint stated.

Authorities accused McDonald of spreading hot sauce, vinegar, wine and lotions around the apartment "in an apparent attempt to cover up the presence of DNA evidence."

The victim's torso was found wrapped in a white bed sheet along the north bank of Greens Bayou, according to the complaint.

While authorities are operating under the premise that the body found in the bayou under West Hardy Road on Tuesday was that of Suhrheinrich, the identity won't be known until the Harris County medical examiner gives an official confirmation.

Suhrheinrich and McDonald struck up a dating relationship after McDonald met her while visiting someone else at her apartment complex, said Lt. Christopher Sandoval with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Residents at her complex said the two had been dating for about a month and that they had seen McDonald there, Sandoval said.

"We can put him there, we have linkage with him being there, knowing her and having this relationship with her," Sandoval said.

A neighbor who lives directly below Suhrheinrich's apartment later told authorities that on Thursday night she heard a woman scream, "Help me," followed by two to three minutes of loud banging.

It sounded like "a body being thrown against the wall," the neighbor said, according to the complaint. After that, the apartment was quiet.

On Friday morning, the neighbor said, she saw a man drive off Suhrheinrich's black Ford Escape. Her car was towed from a nearby apartment complex and later recovered by authorities, who found blood in it.

McDonald was arrested early Wednesday after police found him standing in the roadway on Lockwood. He was in an excited state, removing his clothes, and was apparently under the influence of drugs, Sandoval said. He was taken to the hospital and will be interviewed later, the lieutenant said.

When police checked McDonald's ID, there was already a warrant out for McDonald's arrest in the murder of Suhrheinrich, Sandoval said.

"It's one more incident of family violence here, domestic violence, that led to murder," Gonzalez said. "These situations happen way too often so we remind the public that if they're caught up in a situation like that to please reach out."

However, authorities said they do not have a motive in Suhrheinrich's death.

DETECTIVES MUM: Police search SW Houston home in connection with homicide investigation

McDonald's latest charges, both misdemeanors, came in 2003 for evading detention and unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to the district clerk.

McDonald also served time for felony charges of possession of a controlled substance, PCP, in 1998 and delivery of cocaine in 1994. He was previously convicted on felony charges of cocaine possession with an intent to deliver in 1992.

He has multiple misdemeanor charges filed against him, including assault causing bodily injury, possession of marijuana and theft.

Houston police and Harris County authorities had information leading to the general location, Gonzalez said. The body showed obvious signs of trauma, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.



Samantha.ketterer@chron.comThe number of deaths caused by child abuse and neglect in Texas dropped by 22.5 percent last year, the latest state data shows.

The figures indicate a decrease from 222 fatalities in 2016 to 172 last year, according to the latest Texas Department of Family and Protective Services report.Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman is stressing the need for gun safety after a 14-year old boy was shot in Tomball on Tuesday.

The teenage boy is currently in critical condition being shot in the Three Lakes East subdivision around noon.

He was shot in the neck and severed an artery, so he was bleeding out. Hopefully, hes going to recover, Herman said.

The teenager was taken to Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital for surgery and is currently in intensive care at Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Deputies are still investigating the incident, which was initially believed to be accidentally self-inflicted.

Initially, it was reported to us that he accidentally shot himself. Once we got out there, other kids that were there were saying, No, he was shot by another kid, Herman said.

The gun recovered from the incident was stolen during a car burglary on Monday night, he said.

Deputies arrested a suspect and are still determining if the shooting was accidental or deliberate.

Several accidental shootings in the Houston area have been reported in recent months.

In July, a teenage girl died after being accidentally shot while taking a selfie with a loaded gun in Conroe.

In southeast Houston, a 2-year old boy managed to grab a gun and shot himself in May. The boys father, Ali Parvez Masoom, was charged with a misdemeanor of making a firearm accessible to a child.

In northwest Harris County, accidental shooting have been sporadic, Herman said.

Educating children about how to gun safety is necessary to help prevent serious or fatal shootings, he said.

Storing guns in gun safes, with a gun lock or simply keep firearms away from children would help decrease accidents, Herman said.

One way the Precinct 4 Constables Office is helping is by offering free gun locks to firearm owners to help prevent a someone from getting shot.

The Precinct 4 Constables Office is located at 6831 Cypresswood Drive, in Spring.

We try to encourage folks to keep your guns at home secured, especially when kids are out and possibly have access. There were no adults at this house yesterday. It was all teenage kids there, he said.

mayra.cruz@chron.comWhen Laurie Conrad was a firefighter with the Katy Fire Department, students from Katy Independent School District rode with her in an ambulance as part of their Career and Technical Education clinical rotations.

Now shes a first-year emergency medical technician instructor at the districts Miller Career & Technology Center and works with students on the rest of that curriculum.

Course coordinator David Watson has been teaching emergency medical technology to students for 12 years in the Katy ISD and also has an EMS/firefighting background like Conrad.

To be part of the 14-year-old program, a student has to be 17 by the start of September and must submit two applications: one for the Miller center and the other for the EMT program. The program is open to seniors at every district high school.

We have about 80 slots, said Watson, who explained the screening process looks at a students attendance, grade-point average and any discipline infractions.

This is a rigorous course program, said Watson. We dont want to set up kids for failure.

Requirements include 36 hours of ambulance clinical and 12 hours of emergency room clinical. The state minimum is 180 didactic hours, said Watson. We far exceed them with 338 didactic hours and 48 clinical hours. Students earn two high school credits for the class and are required to pass a skills test that tests 15 areas.

We (career technology) are here to help students who want the first taste of a career theyre interested in or may be interested in, said Watson. It gives an ability to those students who may not go to college or a university the opportunity to jump-start a career and go onto trade school. We know that all kids arent going to college. Thats OK. We need people who arent going to college. We need EMTs who get certification.

When students are riding on an ambulance with area fire departments, Watson and Conrad want to make sure that the student interacts well with real patients. Applying students also must submit a letter of intent on why they want to enter the EMT program. Besides the Katy department, students also do rotations with the Community Volunteer Fire and the Westlake Fire departments.

They are hands-on and part of the crew, said Conrad.

Russell Wilson, who became Katy fire chief in 2016, said the program predates his appointment, but calls it a good partnership.

We do it every year. The city renewed its affiliation agreement with the school district EMS education program for education and training purposes on June 25.

The program is in addition to their regular curriculum. Watson and Conrad said the program helps students understand why the core courses theyre required to take are important.

This is why you need to know physics to know what happens to a body when it falls 20 feet out a window, Conrad said.

Watson, who took an EMT course in high school, said he understands how difficult it can be to juggle core courses with extracurricular courses.

It really starts to teach them priorities and time management, he said. What do I need to do to be successful.

Conrad attended Katy High School.

We didnt have anything like this then. I did not get into EMS until I was in my 30s. I wasted so much time before I figured out this was my passion, she said.

Because students apply to be part of the program, Conrad said its something that theyre interested in.

They work harder. They have goals to become a professional in that area of expertize. They do really get engaged in what were teaching.

Watson said, Were offering them a chance to get certification.

Upon graduation and receiving their certificate, they can begin to work.

Its a good starting place for a career. Its an opportunity to work their way through college, said Watson, which is what he did. He earned a A.A.S. in emergency medical technology and fire science from San Jacinto College.

Through social media, Watson keeps tabs on where students are after they graduate. A lot of them are in the medical field. They work as EMTs or paramedics at area fire departments or LifeFlight, as nurses, physicians and military medics. Sometimes the course serves to let students know that this isnt what they want to do at all.

Students must buy a uniform and a cardiopulmonary resuscitation card which amount to less than $60. Essentially, they are taking an EMT course for free, said Watson, comparing that to $2,000 in tuition at a local community college.

As long as students meet program requirements, the district will pay for their first attempt to pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Conrad said this is the same course that she and Watson took to get certification. Our experience and expertise in the field translates to the students.

There are changes, too. When both took the course terrorism wasnt a chapter in the textbook like it is now. And students have a state of the art lab with mannequins and a built-in ambulance to set up scenarios and practice their skills in a safe place before they do hands-on patient care.

The lab was on Watsons wish list. Its great. It shows were focusing on things that our community needs and thats EMTs.

Katy ISD has been great in giving us the tools we need to teach these kids, said Watson. Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security is one of 13 career clusters offered through the districts Career and Technical Education.

Our goal is to keep expanding this program, said Watson who remembered having eight EMT students when he started 12 years ago. And before locating at Miller, EMT students studied at either Morton Ranch or Seven Lakes high schools.

Conrad is a Texas certified paramedic, firefighter, telecommunicator and EMS instruction. She was introduced to EMS about 15 years ago. Watson has been in EMS and firefighting for 27 years having worked for Clear Lake EMS and the Friendswood Fire Department.

This class will open students eyes to what the world is like, said Watson. You see the bad and good and you may see it all on one shift. You have a call and its someone stabbed someone and someone overdosed on drugs and the next call is delivering a baby. Theyre going to see it all.

Karen.Zurawski@chron.comAbout 15 tourists have been injured near Machu Picchu in Peru after two passenger trains collided on Tuesday, local authorities say.



The trains, owned by rival companies, crashed en route to the country's most visited tourist attraction - the ancient Inca citadel.



It is still not clear what caused the collision. Police said investigations were under way.



Machu Picchu attracts more than a million visitors a year.



The passenger trains belonged to competing local operators, Peru Rail and Inca Rail.



Peru Rail confirmed the collision on Twitter and released a statement in Spanish saying that emergency protocol had been followed to evacuate those affected.



One of the passengers on the Inca Rail train told local media that the accident occurred due to a protest on the tracks that forced the train to halt for an hour.



Police and the train operators are yet to confirm this allegation.



The citadel of Machu Picchu, located 2,500m (8,200ft) above sea level, is the most famous monument of the Inca empire, which ruled Peru until the 15th-Century Spanish conquest.



Often referred to as the "lost city of the Incas", the World Heritage Site is thought to have been built around 1450 AD









BBC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  A Kansas City-area woman has been charged with letting men rape her 2-year-old daughter.

Twenty-five-year-old Azzie Watson, of Independence, was charged Tuesday with child abuse and endangerment. Bond is set at $75,000. No attorney is listed for her in online court records.

WDAF-TV reports that court documents say Watson's boyfriend recorded Watson talking about repeatedly taking her daughter to a house where her daughter was raped about five times. She says on the recording that she watched.

Police were given the recording last month while responding to a rape report at a hospital. Court documents say Watson told detectives that what she said in the recording was a lie because she was scared of her boyfriend. Watson also said she didn't know how her daughter contracted a sexually transmitted disease.

According to court documents obtained by USA Today, the "2-year-old girl tested positive for chlamydia and had meth in her system."SEATTLE (AP)  A federal judge on Tuesday stopped the release of blueprints to make untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns as President Donald Trump questioned whether his administration should have agreed to allow the plans to be posted online.

The company behind the plans, Austin, Texas-based Defense Distributed, had reached a settlement with the federal government in June allowing it to make the plans for the guns available for download on Wednesday.

The restraining order from U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle puts that plan on hold for now. "There is a possibility of irreparable harm because of the way these guns can be made," he said.

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson called the ruling "a complete, total victory."

"We were asking for a nationwide temporary restraining order putting a halt to this outrageous decision by the federal government to allow these 3D downloadable guns to be available around our country and around the world. He granted that relief," Ferguson said at a news conference after the hearing. "That is significant."

Eight Democratic attorneys general had filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the settlement. They also sought the restraining order, arguing the 3D guns would be a safety risk.

Congressional Democrats have urged President Donald Trump to reverse the decision to publish the plans. At a news conference Tuesday, Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that if Trump does not block sale, "Blood is going to be on his hands."

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Trump said Tuesday that he's "looking into" the idea, saying making 3D plastic guns available to the public "doesn't seem to make much sense!"

Trump tweeted that he has already spoken with the National Rifle Association about the downloadable directions a Texas company wants to provide for people to make 3D-printed guns. The guns are made of a hard plastic and are simple to assemble, easy to conceal and difficult to trace.

"We don't agree with President Trump very much," Washington state Assistant Attorney General Jeff Rupert told Lasnik, "but when he tweeted 'this doesn't make much sense,' that's something we agree with."

After a yearslong court battle, the State Department in late June settled the case against Defense Distributed.

The settlement, which took gun-control advocates by surprise, allowed the company to resume posting blueprints for the hard-plastic guns at the end of July. Those plans were put on hold by the Seattle judge's decision.

During the hearing in Seattle, Eric Soskin, a lawyer for the U.S. Justice Department, said they reached the settlement to allow the company to post the material online because the regulations were designed to restrict weapons that could be used in war, and the online guns were no different from the weapons that could be bought in a store.

Since the weapons "did not create a military advantage," he told the judge, "how could the government justify regulating the data?"

But Rupert said a restraining order would keep the plans away from people who have learned about the technology and want to use it to get around gun laws.

Hours before the restraining order was issued, Democrats sounded the alarm, warning about "ghost guns" that can avoid detection and pose a deadly hazard.

The company's website had said downloads would begin Wednesday, but blueprints for at least one gun  a plastic pistol called the Liberator  have been posted on the site since Friday. A lawyer for the company said he didn't know how many blueprints had been downloaded since then.

Outrage over the administration decision is putting gun control back into the election-year political debate, but with a high-tech twist.

The president seemed to express surprise. He said on Twitter he was looking into the idea of a company providing plans to the public for printing guns, and he said it "doesn't seem to make much sense!"

Democrats agreed and said Trump had the power to stop it.

Some Republicans also expressed concern.

"Even as a strong supporter of the Second Amendment  this is not right," Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski tweeted, linking to a news story on the guns.

The NRA said in a statement that "anti-gun politicians" and some members of the news media wrongly claim that 3D printing technology "will allow for the production and widespread proliferation of undetectable plastic firearms."

In truth, "undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years," said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA's political arm. A federal law passed in 1988  crafted with NRA support  bars the manufacture, sale or possession of an undetectable firearm.

Trump spokesman Hogan Gidley made much the same point, saying the administration supports the law against wholly plastic guns, including those made with a 3D printer.

But Democrats called the law weak and said gun users can get around it by using weapons with a removable metal block that the gun doesn't need in order to function.

Democrats filed legislation that would prohibit the publication of a digital file online that allows a 3D printer to manufacture a firearm. Democrats also filed a separate bill to require that all guns have at least one non-removable component made of metal so they can be discovered by metal detectors.

People can use the blueprints to manufacture plastic guns using a 3D printer. But industry experts have expressed doubts that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns can cost thousands of dollars, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by.

___

Associated Press writers Catherine Lucey in Washington and Lisa Marie Pane in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this story.The U.S. imposed sanctions on two Turkish ministers over the continued detention of an American pastor who President Donald Trump has said should be released, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

The sanctions target Turkey's Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu, both of whom "played leading roles in the organizations responsible for the arrest and detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson," the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement Wednesday.

"We've seen no evidence that Pastor Brunson has done anything wrong and we believe he is a victim of unfair and unjust detention by the government of Turkey," Sanders said. She added that the sanctions were imposed "at the president's direction."

The sanctions against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government highlight the disconnect between Washington and Ankara as they try to negotiate a way out of the deadlock. The move is the first since Trump hinted at the penalties last week in a tweet, drawing a public rebuke from Turkey, a NATO ally which hosts a base the U.S. relies on to fight terrorists in Syria.

The sanctions are being issued under the Global Magnitsky Act of 2016, which allows the U.S. government to target individuals, companies or other entities involved in corruption or human-rights abuses anywhere in the world. Under the sanctions, all assets in the U.S. belonging to the two ministers are blocked, and U.S. entities are prohibited from doing business with them.

The lira slumped to a record low Wednesday as the U.S. imposed the penalties.

"The United States will impose large sanctions on Turkey for their long time detainment of Pastor Andrew Brunson, a great Christian, family man and wonderful human being," Trump tweeted on July 26. "He is suffering greatly. This innocent man of faith should be released immediately!"

Ibrahim Kalin, Erdogan's spokesman, said Tuesday that Turkey would retaliate to any U.S. sanctions imposed over Brunson's case.

Brunson, who was first detained in 2016, was moved into house arrest last month. He faces trial on charges of involvement in a July 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan's government.

Within the State Department, Brunson and other prisoners including NASA scientist Serkan Golge and three Turkish employees of the U.S. mission to Turkey are referred to as "hostages." The U.S. says they're innocent and being held by Turkey for the sole purpose of extracting concessions on other points of tension in the U.S.-relationship.

The two countries have quarreled over a panoply of foreign policy issues that have driven the onetime allies to outright hostility. Foremost among them are differences over policy in Syria and Iran, Turkish suspicions about the U.S. response to a 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan, and the Turkish leader's budding friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The U.S. is also considering a hefty fine on state-run lender Turkiye Halk Bankasi for its role in evading U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's nuclear program, and it would impose sanctions on Turkey when it receives delivery of a missile defense system from Russia, expected in 2019.

From Turkey's side, the U.S. has also done little to extradite an Islamic cleric and former Erdogan ally, Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania.

As of last week, the Americans thought they had a deal that would bring Brunson home, according to accounts by officials on both sides of the matter. In return for the release of the evangelical pastor, the U.S. administration would recommend a lenient fine on Halkbank. The U.S. also offered to send Mehmet Hakan Atilla, a former executive at the bank who's been jailed in the U.S., back to Turkey to serve out the rest of his term.3 1 of 3 Google Maps Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Google Maps Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Houston police are investigating the death of a man who was found Wednesday morning under the Gulf Freeway, according to a press release.

The discovery happened at 8100 Park Place Boulevard around 10:40 a.m., according to a release from the Houston Police Department. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences is still working to confirm the victim's identity and cause of death of the male victim, who is thought to be 29.A Houston real estate agent and former deputy constable suspected in the daytime shooting of a cardiologist in the Texas Medical Center last month apparently tried selling a cache of weapons and ammunition online days after the killing.

A seller using the same phone number as the alleged killer posted listings for two tactical vests, a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver, a $4,500 semi-automatic FN rifle, two sets of ballistic door panels for a Crown Victoria and a box of ammunition - items totaling thousands of dollars.

It's unclear whether the guns listed for sale included the weapon used in the doctor's fatal shooting.

Authorities on Wednesday identified Joseph James Pappas as the man behind the killing of renowned Houston cardiologist Dr. Mark Hausknecht, who was shot to death in as he rode to work to work on his bicycle the morning of July 20. Previously, police said the killing appeared to be a targeted attack - but it wasn't until late Wednesday that they offered a possible motive: a 20-year-old grudge.

THINGS TO KNOW: Everything we know about Joseph James Pappas

In the 1990s, Pappas' mother died in surgery under Hausknecht's care, Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said. It's not clear why he apparently waited two decades to seek revenge, and police did not clarify what evidence they'd recovered linking him to the slaying.

"We believe that this man is absolutely the killer," Acevedo said at a press conference. When police got a search warrant and went to pick up the suspect at his Westbury home, they found he wasn't there. He hasn't been seen in at least 36 hours and police said he may be suicidal.

During the July 20 morning rush hour, Hausknecht was biking near the intersection of Main and Holcombe when the gunman passed him from behind. Two blocks later, the shooter turned around on his 10-speed Schwinn bike and fired at least twice. The doctor went down immediately, and the shooter rode off northbound.

The listing for the sale of the weapons went online five days later.

Police have not released information on the murder weapon, but did say that Pappas had numerous guns after searching his residence on Wednesday.

Though the seller doesn't identify himself on the site, the phone number is the same listed on his real estate license and matches other public records. A call to that number late Wednesday went straight to voicemail.

An earlier listing on another site back in January lists the seller's name as "Joe," notes a southwest Houston location, and offers a variety of ammunition reloading equipment.

When asked for comment, a Houston Police Department spokesman said investigators would look into the listings.With fall quickly closing in, the Texas State Fair is gearing up to kick off its 2018 season.

On top of the live music, rides, shopping and other exhibits, the high-anticipated Lone Star event always features a wide array of carnival food that rarely disappoints.

READY TO PARTY: Texas State Fair announces star-studded 2018 lineup

In 2005 the State Fair launched the Big Tex Choice Awards contest, which according to the website, "solidified the State Fair of Texas as the top fair for great food creations."

"Each year, State Fair concessionaires fry up tasty and unique foods for a chance to become a finalist in the annual Big Tex Choice Awards competition," read the website. " Everything from Fried Beer to Fried Peaches and Cream has made the cut to become a part of the exclusive club of fried food creations."

The official 2018 semi-finalists were announced on Tuesday, July, 31, and some of the foods are bolder and wilder than ever.

Among the semi-finalists for savory foods are deep fried ranch, fried Kool-Aid pickles, deep fried pico de gallo, and corn dog ale.

The semi-finalists for the sweet food included items like the cotton candy taco, deep fried M&M's, supra stuffed mini sopapillas, and a Kool-Aid pickle-dilly sangria.

According to KXXV, the top 10 finalists will be selected in mid-August, and on Aug. 26 they will compete for the titles of Best Taste - Sweet, Best Taste - Savory, and Most Creative.

Visit the Texas State Fair website for tickets to the event and a full list of the semi-finalists. The 2018 festivities are scheduled to kick off on Friday, Sept. 28 and go through Oct. 21.

Take a look through the gallery above to see how to make some of your favorite state fair food at home (including the Kool-Aid pickles).

Daniela Sternitzky- Di Napoli is a digital producer covering Texas news and pop culture. | Daniela.DiNapoli@chron.com | @Dani_DiNapoli

A multimillion-dollar nonprofit seeking to open a facility east of downtown Houston to house migrant children who illegally cross the countrys southern border says it has all but one of the permits it needs to do so.

Houston city officials Wednesday disputed that characterization from Southwest Key Programs, however, saying two permits the group obtained in June were granted based on incomplete information that did not adequately describe the proposed use of the building. The Austin-based nonprofit, the officials said, must restart the permitting process from the beginning.

Southwest Key, which runs more than two dozen such migrant child care facilities in Texas, Arizona and California, found itself at the center of a national firestorm in June when it emerged that the group proposed to hold 240 immigrant children between the ages of 0 to 17 at the Houston site.

Advocates at the time said the facility, at 419 Emancipation Ave., would have been the nations first residential center slated to house small immigrant children without their guardians for an extended period. Usually, such young children in federal custody are quickly placed with foster parents or released to relatives, but advocates said the Trump administrations practice of separating families at the border necessitated a center that could provide longer-term care. Separated children may not have other relatives here.

Under Trumps so-called zero tolerance policy, parents were prosecuted for the misdemeanor crime of illegal entry and served a few days in prison before being transferred to immigrant detention centers. Their children were placed in federal foster shelters run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is responsible for unaccompanied immigrant minors.

The president since has rescinded that policy, and a federal judge in San Diego ordered the reunification of more than 2,600 separated children with their parents. More than 430 parents have been deported without their children, the government reported last week.

Though that policy has ended, the number of children crossing the border without their parents has not slowed, and federal officials are scrambling to find enough room to detain them all. The Defense Department this week completed legal and environmental requirements to create housing for unaccompanied children at Goodfellow Air Force Base near San Angelo.

In June, more than 5,100 unaccompanied children were apprehended at the southern border, a 20 percent decrease from May, but more than any month since the beginning of the fiscal year last October, according to the latest federal statistics.

When news of the proposed Emancipation Avenue facility became public at the height of the furor over family separations at the border, Mayor Sylvester Turner rallied numerous nonprofit, religious and political leaders to denounce the unjust and immoral policy, and indicated he would be happy to slow-walk the city permits required to open the facility.

The issue was revived in earnest this week when state Sen. Sylvia Garcia, a Houston Democrat, tweeted Tuesday that Southwest Key representatives had told her that they could open within days if they received a necessary state license.

Southwest Key officials have confirmed that account, saying they lack only a city permit for a commercial kitchen, which they could operate without.

Fire Chief Sam Pena and Houston Public Works Director Carol Haddock disputed that view Wednesday, saying information Southwest Key has submitted to the city shows the facility is most appropriately categorized as a custodial care facility, an institutional use, rather than a shelter, which is considered residential, in large part because the site will house children as young as 3, who will need to be separated by gender and age.

There are certain requirements for egress, certain requirements for compartmentalization, certain requirements for other safety issues that need to be in place, especially because the occupants are not going to be free to enter and exit as they wish, Pena said. Theyre under a supervised environment, so that changes the code requirement.

As a result, Pena said, a city fire permit issued for the site on June 16 for a shelter is, essentially, void. Haddock said a similar building permit  a certificate of occupancy  from early June that envisioned a residential use, comparable to a hotel, also was void.

Southwest Key must start the application process over, Pena and Haddock said, by securing a building permit from Houston Public Works, then scheduling various fire inspections. A visit from city health inspectors also will be needed for the nonprofit to serve food to the children in its care. Neither gave a projected timeline for that process.

They cannot occupy the building under the intended use using the current certificate of occupancy and using the current safety survey thats in place, Pena said.

In conversations with the city, Haddock said, Southwest Key officials have referenced state licensing language that labels their application a residential use, but she said the fact that state and city rules both use the same word does not mean the nonprofits interpretation of its requirements under city building and fire codes is correct.

Jeff Eller, a Southwest Key spokesman, said the company is reviewing the comments from city officials. He said the nonprofit operates two other shelters for unaccompanied minors in Houston, both which have residential, not institutional permits, and together are licensed by the state to hold up to 152 children.

The two, however, are licensed for children who are older than those the Emancipation facility is proposed to house. The youngest to be allowed at those two other facilities would be age 10.

A third Southwest Key facility in Houston, Casa Quetzal, can hold up to 261 children between the ages of 10 and 17 and has an institutional license because it is a re-purposed hospital, Eller said. Its original permits were institutional, and he said the organization decided not to change them.

John Reynolds, a spokesman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees licensing for child care facilities, said Southwest Keys application is pending.

The agency accepted the application as complete on June 26, and had 21 days to finish an inspection, though it can require follow-up inspections if it finds deficiencies, Reynolds said in an email. He declined to reveal specifics about any issues at the facility until the process is complete.

The agency has two months beyond that initial deadline to issue or deny a permit.

We are still in the stage where we are evaluating the facilitys compliance with state licensing standards, Reynolds said. We may deny an application for a permit if the operation fails to comply with Minimum Standards, administrative rules or law.

mike.morris@chron.com

lomi.kriel@chron.comArt meets science in the spider lab

What does it take to understand spiders? False eyelashes, capes and face paint.

Read the story here.The vast majority of Houston-area school districts will be eligible for academic accountability waivers this year due to Hurricane Harvey, meaning they will be labeled not rated unless they score an A grade for excellence, the Texas Education Agency announced Wednesday.

The list of waiver-eligible districts includes 19 of the regions 25 largest school districts. The six exceptions: Conroe, Klein, Pearland, Tomball, New Caney and Magnolia independent school districts. About 110 school districts were deemed eligible for waivers statewide, stretching from Port Aransas to Houston to Beaumont.

TEA officials on Wednesday also released the full list of roughly 1,200 Houston-area schools that will be eligible for campus-level accountability waivers, which will preclude them from receiving an improvement required label this year. The list, as expected, includes six Houston ISD campuses that would have triggered major state sanctions had any one received an improvement required rating this year. Four other HISD schools that could trigger sanctions this year are not among the waiver-eligible campuses.

Academic accountability ratings often are used as a metric for gauging the quality of districts and schools. The TEA also uses the ratings as the basis for intervening in underperforming regions. TEA leaders previously had released the criteria for determining whether districts and campuses were eligible for Harvey-related waivers, but they had not named those receiving exemptions.

Most Houston-area districts likely will not receive a letter grade for academic performance in 2018, the first year of the states new A-through-F accountability system, after qualifying for waivers. In previous years, districts were labeled met standard or improvement required. Campuses still will receive those two ratings in 2018, with the A-through-F system extending to schools in 2019.

In some districts, including those closed for 10 days or more due to Harvey, every campus also will be exempt from receiving an improvement required rating. Those districts include Alief, Fort Bend, Katy, Pasadena and Spring.

In other areas, the district and some  but not all  campuses will be eligible for accountability waivers. In Houston ISD, for example, 185 out of 285 campuses are waiver-eligible.

Linda Macias, Cypress-Fairbanks ISDs associate superintendent for curriculum, instruction and accountability, said a preliminary analysis of accountability data showed the district would have received a B rating this year. She said the district has not protested potentially receiving a not rated label, in part because the underlying scores that contributed to the B rating still will be publicly available.

We didnt focus on the waiver because we didnt know if it was going to happen or not, Macias said. What we focused on was making sure we provided quality instruction and we were monitoring and assessing any gaps our students might have had because they missed nine days of instruction.

Nearly half of Cypress-Fairbanks ISDs 84 schools are eligible for a campus waiver, but Macias said the district expects all of its schools to meet standard this year.

To receive a district waiver, all schools within the district had to be eligible for a campus-level waiver or at least 10 percent of students must have attended schools eligible for a waiver.

To get a campus waiver, the school must have met one of four criteria tied to days of instruction missed, relocation of the campus, the percentage of displaced students and percentage of teachers made homeless by Harvey.

Klein ISD Superintendent Bret Champion said he believed any district that lost instructional time due to Harvey should receive an exemption. Klein ISD closed for seven days after Harvey, with one of its 53 campuses shuttered for the entire school year due to storm damage.

There wasnt a soul who wasnt impacted by Harvey is some way, shape or form, Champion said.

In an interview in June, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said the waiver criteria mirrored the threshold set after Hurricane Ike in 2008, with some additional factors added.

"I think that given the totality of the impact of the storm, we had to set a threshold that was fairly low in terms of the degree of impact," Morath said then.

jacob.carpenter@chron.com

twitter.com/ChronJacobThe suspect accused of fatally shooting a beloved local physician was a former Harris County constable who, according to one former acquaintance, shied away from talking about his past.

Joseph James Pappas, 62, was identified Wednesday as the suspect who shot and killed Houston physician Dr. Mark Hausknecht two weeks ago.

Police Chief Art Acevedo said in a news conference Wednesday that Pappas's mother had been a patient of Hausknecht more than 20 years ago when she died in surgery.

SEARCHING: Arrest warrant out for suspect in slaying of Houston doctor

Acevedo said there had been a 20-year grudge between the suspect and the doctor.

"There was a lot of planning that went into this and, sadly, some skill," Acevedo said. "The shots that he took took some skill."

Pappas served in the Harris County Constable's Office in precinct 2 and precinct 7 for about 30 years, according to records from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

He is believed to be suicidal, armed and dangerous, Acevedo said. He recently sent someone a text message saying he wanted to kill himself. He also has not been seen for around 36 hours.

Acevedo did not go into specifics about the physical evidence that ties Pappas to the crime. However, he said police believe he is in possession of multiple firearms.

He was also known to ride a 10-speed bicycle as his primary mode of transportation.

Pappas lives in the Westbury neighborhood. His neighbors said they believed he was retired and that he lived alone in the home that was his parents.

RECENT CONTACT: Ohio woman reveals recent conversations with suspect

A former acquaintance, Yvonne Shaw, said she had been homeless around 2000 when Pappas let her stay with him at his apartment in Houston for about two weeks. He told her he worked as an undercover police officer, but she said he didn't like to talk about his job or his past.

"I couldn't figure anything out, and I didn't want to ask him too much because I hardly knew him," Shaw said, later adding, "I thought he was a little secretive about that stuff."

She also described him as caring. At one point during her brief stay, she said Pappas let her three children stay in his apartment. Shaw, now a truck driver in Alabama, said he also gave her money to travel to Georgia to be with her mother.

AT HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Slain Houston doctor remembered at memorial service

She said they lost contact when she left Texas, and she hasn't heard from him.

"To me, he was a very nice person," she said. "He cared about people. He didn't seem like someone who would hurt anybody."

Shaw said he never talked about his family or his relationship with his mother. However, she said he frequently rode a 10-speed bicycle.

"He always had it inside so no one would steal it," Shaw said.

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.comAUSTIN  Two new polls on Wednesday affirmed that incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is in a tight race with Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke, either that Cruz continues to hold a slight lead or remains in a virtual dead heat with the El Paso congressman.

While summer polls sometimes look on challengers more favorably than polls closer to the November election, Wednesday's status updates by the non-partisan Texas Lyceum Poll and the Quinnipiac University Poll underscored what other surveys have been saying for months  that the top-of-the-ticket campaign remains too close to call.

Not so much in the statewide race for governor, which both polls found a double-digit lead for incumbent Republican Greg Abbott over longshot Democratic challenger Lupe Valdez, the former Dallas County sheriff.

On Wednesday morning, the Lyceum poll reported Cruz maintains a two-point lead  41 to 39 percent  over O'Rourke among likely voters, essentially a tie since the margin of error for the poll is 2.8 percent. Twenty-seven percent of those Texans polled said they were undecided, and 3 percent said they supported Libertartian Neil Dikeman.

IN THE MONEY: Beto ORourke sets fundraising records in Texas

Hours later, the Quinnipiac University Poll said Cruz holds a six-point lead over O'Rourke  49 to 43 percent, less than an 11-point lead Cruz held in a May poll it also conducted. The poll's margin of error is about 3.5 percent.

"Cruz has a slight, by no means overwhelming lead," said Peter Brown, the poll's assistant director. "With three months until Election Day, (O'Rourke) is clearly in contention . . . Sen. Cruz has good favorability overall and is the much better known of the two men."

In fact, that new poll shows that 43 percent of Texans surveyed have not made a decision on who they will vote for.

Lyceum Poll research director Josh Blank echoed Brown's sentiment: "If this race looks different than the rest, that's probably because it is a strong Democratic challenger raising prolific sums of money and tons of earned media."

The Lyceum poll attributed the closeness of the race to O'Rourke's fundraising prowess in recent months, and his near-constant campaigning during the spring and summer months that has raised his statewide visibility. O'Rourke raised more than $10.4 million in the second quarter of 2018, recent campaign-finance disclosure filings show.

At HoustonChronicle.com: Texas elections should be loud and proud. [Editorial]

In both polls, Abbott held a comfortable lead over Valdez, who is making her first run for statewide office. The Lyceum survey has Abbott ahead by 16 points, and the Quinnipiac poll shows him ahead by 13  margins that could be difficult for Valdez to overcome with less than 100 days left in the campaign.

The Lyceum poll found incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick leads challenger Mike Collier, a retired Kingwood accountant and businessman, by 10 points among likely voters, and incumbent GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton leads Democratic challenger Justin Nelson by 10 points. The Quinnipiac poll did not survey those races.

Despite the political buzz generated by the two polls on Wednesday, as each campaign tried to spin the results, political scientists who track polling suggested they are just summer snapshot taken at a time when most Texans are little interested in politics or are checked out on vacation.

In the governor's race four years ago, summer polls suggested Democrat Wendy Davis was within single-digits of then-Attorney General Greg Abbott. Abbott won the race by about 20 points.

A Democrat has not been elected to a statewide office in Texas since 1994.

"Summertime is just far enough away from the election when even likely voters are focused more on water slides and hot dogs than on who they will vote for months ahead," said Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston political scientist. "In the summer polls, a lot of people tend to identify themselves as more independent than they will in the fall when the election is closer. The fact is that it's tough to move public opinion much at all, on candidates or issues, unless there's some new wrinkle or big issue that comes up."

For months, political observers have suggested that new wrinkle could be President Trump  who Democrats are trying to make a campaign issue in Texas races, and who Republicans continue to watch with caution as he sets off new controversies with Twitter messages or official actions.

Both polls showed Wednesday that Texans continue to be split on Trump, with Republicans overwhelmingly supporting him and Democrats mostly giving him a thumbs-down. Fifty-two percent of likely voters who answered the Lyceum Poll said they disapprove of Trump's performance so far, as did 49 percent in the Quinnipiac poll.

By contrast, 54 percent of the Texans surveyed in the Lyceum poll applauded Abbott's performance, while 28 percent disapproved. Eighty percent of Republicans said Abbott was doing a good job, and 50 percent of Democrats said he was not.

The telephone survey of Texas adults for the Lyceum Poll was conducted July 9-26, and 1,178 people were questioned. The overall margin of error for the poll is +/- 2.86 percentage points. The margin of error for the registered voters is +/- 3.45 percentage points. The margin of error for likely voters is +/- 4.67 percentage points.

The Quinnipiac Poll surveyed 1,118 Texas voters between July 26-31, with a margin of error of +/-3.5 percentage points.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed the percentage that Democratic challenger Mike Collier trails Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in the Texas Lyceum Poll. It is 10 percent.

Mike Ward covers Texas politics, the governor and executive branch, criminal justice and ethics issues, and investigations for the Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and other Hearst Texas news organizations. He also co-hosts the leading Texas Take politics podcast. Reach him at Mike.Ward@Chron.com and follow him @ChronicleMike on Twitter.Hype surrounding any subject can be either positive, or negative; and at this point in the tech sphere nothing exemplifies this idea more than blockchain. On a positive note, the hype surrounding the decentralized technology is for the most part positive and exciting, being as the tech is considered revolutionary and applicable to virtually all genres of business, from traveling to gambling. However, the hype surrounding blockchain is simultaneously heading towards some disappointment since it is building such a hugely unrealistic expectation as a wonder-kin and a universal fix to some of techs biggest problems. Can blockchain really revolutionize every type of business? No. And yet, can blockchain have a huge impact and disrupt certain aspects across different business sectors? Absolutely.

One such area that has the possibility to truly be transformed, in part thanks to blockchain, is in the way that information security between and within companies is handled. Especially in todays business world when hacking and the sharing of secure information is such a prevalent threat, companies are looking for ways to protect their own information as well as their clients information. There are three ways in which blockchain has the opportunity to impact the storing and securing of information in companies throughout the world.

No central entry

When secure information is in one central location, it is easier for hackers to, well, hack. Think of it is as similar to keeping valuables in your house. It would be unwise to keep all of your valuables in one location, because if you were to be robbed, the thieves would only need to go to one that one room to get everything they needed, and not through your entire home. Same goes with information that a company needs to keep secure. Having information stored in one location gives hackers easy access to all of the information you wish to keep private, while distributing information creates a bigger hurdle to hacking.

For Dan Shani, the CTO of WatermelonBlock, it is the complete essence of blockchain that is keeping company information more secure. As an Australian company that produces sentiment analysis and focuses on information sharing, Shani claims that it is because of the distributed ledger that information is more secure. From the companys experience, when sharing secure information, with a decentralized format, the blockchain provides no central entry point for hackers or attacks and therefore ensures an impenetrable level of security that guards the ledgers information. So, unlike conventional storage on centralized databases, a blockchain ledger is distributed transparently to be viewed and stored by all relevant parties involved.

The ability to always check

The transparency that can be viewed and stored by all parties within the blockchain also serves another important purpose, and that is in the area of documentation. Even at a young age in math class we learn that it is best to show work, so that we can always check back through all stages to make sure that no mistakes were made. A similar concept should also be taken with securing information.

The decentralization aspect of blockchain technology makes information more secure since nothing can be deleted or changed. Dr. Omri Ross, the CEO of Firmo, believes that because companies can have access to all of the data and have the ability to track through all transactions, the blockchain can make private information more secure. Additionally, there are certain businesses that will find the blockchain as a more reliable source for their security information. He goes on to say that auditors, law firms, journalists and public and legal institutions can especially be transformed by blockchain technology because they can ensure that the data on which they rely on is not being tampered with.

Regulation

While being able to track all information at all times is a good step in securing information, for Aleksei Antonov, Co-Founder of SONM, a fog computing platform with a global and decentralized marketplace, the biggest impact that blockchain technology has on information security in companies is its ability to regulate the permissions to access the information. With blockchain technology, companies can securely limit the amount and type of data that employees can access, reducing the risk of leakage or unauthorized access. What is most important is that the change history will be also tracked in an immutable way to reduce fraud attempts.

In the end, however, even Antonov himself notes that obviously the blockchain is not a magic pill and due to the developing stage of technology itself, we are only at the beginning. It takes time for things of this magnitude, that soared so quickly to worldwide popularity, to truly work out all of its kinks. Mistakes are bound to be made here and there, that hopefully, over time, will lessen. So while it seems that the hype around the blockchain having the ability to transform information security is on the right track, it might still be premature.Speaking Monday to New Yorks powerful health-care union, SEIU 1199, Governor Andrew Cuomo declared his intention to preserve, protect, and defend the Affordable Care Act at all costs. Joining other Democratic governors, Cuomo announced his intention to replicate Obamacare at the state level, thus circumventing the federal governments attempts to reform the law. More significantly, Cuomo announced that he is directing the Department of Financial Services (DFS), which oversees New Yorks insurance rates, to reject any proposed premium increases submitted by insurers participating on the state health-care exchange. According to Cuomo, the proposed rate hikesan average 24 percent across the statewould result in an increase of $1,500 per policyholder and provide a bonanza to the private insurance companies. Echoing a common refrain, Cuomo attributes these premium increases to the Trump administrations alleged sabotage of Obamacare.

But Cuomos posturing not only mischaracterizes efforts to reform the Affordable Care Act; the governor also ignores whats really driving up premiums in New York, and what may push insurers out of the market altogether. Obamacare proponents have long argued that the individual mandate is necessary to fund comprehensive, guaranteed health coverage for low-income individuals. Without the mandate, they say, younger and healthier people will drop out of the market and insurers will be forced to raise premiums to cover the sicker, more expensive patients left behind. Cuomo is borrowing this logic, saying that he wont allow insurers to profit off the repeal of the mandate by raising premiums (which theyre doing in part because of the cost of New Yorks inordinate coverage requirements).

The problem with Cuomos argument is that the individual mandate doesnt work that way. As Manhattan Institute senior fellow Chris Pope has shown, the individual mandate as implemented is both unnecessary and unfair, since Obamacares guarantee of coverage is due entirely to the laws generous subsidies, which expand automatically in response to insurer-driven premium changes. The structure of these subsidies can yield strange results, as during this past year, when many who qualified for subsidies found that it would be cheaper to buy a more expensive gold plan, as opposed to the mid-tier silver plan. Meanwhile, 79 percent of households that pay the mandate penalty have annual incomes of less than $50,000.

Despite predictions that the health-insurance market would collapse without the individual mandate, 2019 promises to be the first year since Obamacare went into effect that a mass insurer exodus isnt in the offing. In fact, insurers are planning to expand their presence in Obamacare markets. Premiums increased an average 32 percent in 2018; next year, they are projected to rise only 15 percent. This renewed participation is driven primarily by the fact that, after years of raising premiums in the face of uncertainty, insurers finally understand how to navigate the exchanges and feel confident that they can enter the individual market without sustaining heavy losses.

Given this growing confidence and stability, why are insurers in New York proposing to increase premiums so sharply? Last year, the Department of Financial Services instructed insurers to file their proposed hikes as if Obamacare would remain on the books in 2018, even as the possibility of a full repeal seemed likely, thereby preventing them from adjusting for uncertainty. This is a common theme in New York, where a 2010 prior approval law gives DFS the power to approve, reject, or adjust premiums in the individual market. For years, DFS has used this prerogative to suppress premiums artificially in the individual market. Each year that DFS pushes premiums down, it guarantees that insurers will come back next year with a higher rate hike.

This brings us back to the governors gambit. By instructing DFS to reject requests for premium increases, Cuomo is not only perpetuating this vicious cycle of price suppressionhes also playing a dangerous game of chicken with the insurance companies. DFS may have the last word on setting premiums, but by refusing to negotiate, Cuomo may wind up pushing insurers out of the individual market altogether, leaving New Yorkers to face higher premiums along with fewer choices. Insurer exits would be particularly nasty, thanks to the executive order that Cuomo signed last year, which prohibits any insurer who exits the individual market from participating in other marketplace plans, including Medicaid and Child Health Plus. Clearly, the governor is betting that insurers would rather bow to his demands than give up their place in such a large market. He shouldnt take that bet.

Instead, Cuomo should focus on substantive efforts to keep premiums low, as Alaska did in 2017. Left with only one exchange insurer and facing a 42 percent increase in premiums, Alaska established a reinsurance fund that would subsidize the most expensive claims, reducing insurer costs. In the end, premiums rose just 7 percent, and Washington agreed to reimburse the state for what it spent on the reinsurance fund, since it saved the feds nearly $48 million in 2018 alone.

Governor Cuomo has made it clear that he intends to put politics before policy when it comes to health care. He should reconsider: in the long run, he can score more political points by working with the insurers than by dictating terms that could destroy the states insurance market.

Photo: New York Governor's OfficeIn New York City, street co-namingsin which a thoroughfare takes on an additional, ceremonial name in honor of a distinguished figurerarely generate much fuss, and their approval is typically pro forma. But yesterday, a city council committee voted to co-name a street in Brooklyn after Jean-Jacques Dessalines, emperor of Haiti after the island won its independence from France in 1804.

The councils designation of a two-mile stretch of Rogers Avenue in Brooklyn as Jean-Jacques Dessalines Boulevard sparked some controversy because Dessalines was an enthusiastic advocate of racial murder. Following the defeat of Napoleons forces and their retreat from Hispaniola, Dessalines named himself Governor-General-for-Life and decided to wipe the slate clean. Heeding the words of his personal secretary Louis Boisrond-Tonnerre, framer of the Haitian Act of Independence, who declaimed, we should use the skin of a white man as a parchment, his skull as an inkwell, his blood for ink, and a bayonet for a pen, Dessalines ordered the murder of virtually every white man, followed soon afterward by all white women and children, in the new nation. Between 3,000 and 5,000 people were butchered in a few months.

This barbarism came as a coda to a vicious revolutionary war, one attended by savage acts against a slave population fighting for its liberty. So it is perhaps not for us to condemn the early Haitian leaders. But do we need to celebrate them?

In almost every case, New York City street co-namings are reserved for deceased locals who have made a mark on the community. Civic leaders, business people, clergy, firefighters who died on 9/11the designations are small honoraria marking a place where someone who mattered once passed by. Every year, explains the city council website, Council Members pass bills to co-name streets in honor of residents and organizations that have had an impact on our Citys cultural, political, and economic life. In 2017, for instance, there were 148 co-namings. EMT Yadira Arroyo Way at the corner of East 168th Street and the Boston Post Road in the Bronx memorializes an emergency worker killed when a deranged man stole her ambulance and ran her over; Annie Beveridge Way in Staten Island memorializes a beloved science teacher and zookeeper. The co-named street list includes no known warlords, self-proclaimed emperors, or foreign genocidaires.

The Dessalines episode is rooted in the ongoing national debate about monuments for historical personages whose records, in light of todays standards, are mixed. Calls have resounded in recent yearsand especially last summerfor a cull of American historical statues, lest the past offend the present. Some local politicians have demanded that the names of slaveholders (Cortelyou, Stuyvesant, Lefferts, among others), be removed from streets and schools, and that the Columbus Circle monument be taken down.

By Governor Cuomos decree, New York City has removed its few Confederate monuments: busts of Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee were taken from their places of honor in the Stanford White-designed colonnade at the once-famous Hall of Fame for Great Americans in the Bronx. A small plaque affixed to a maple tree planted by Lee in Bay Ridge was removed, too. A public design commission, named to review monuments and toponyms across the city, recommended only that a statue of J. Marion Sims be removed from its seat in Central Park, across from the New York Academy of Medicine. Sims was a revolutionary gynecologist who pioneered surgical techniques to repair vaginal fistulas, but he used slave women as experimental subjects, without giving them anesthesia. His statue was relocated to the Brooklyn cemetery where he is buried.

Rodneyse Bichotte, a Brooklyn member of the state assembly who claims direct descent from Dessalines, defended the excesses of the Haitian revolutionaries as a legitimate response to oppression, and said that Dessalines sought to stop those who were evil. She also made pointed reference to George Washington, the first President of this great mighty state, who sold slaves for a keg of molasses, and our beloved Abraham Lincoln, who expressed opposition to racial equality. Jumaane Williams, the council member who sponsored the co-naming legislation, said that most of the world owes a debt to Haiti that has never been repaid. Considering the insulting remarks toward Haiti made by the orange bigot in the White House, he said, the co-naming of Rogers Avenue is the least we can do.

One Republican member of the council who voted in favor of the co-naming indicated that he sees the act as a form of insurance to protect Columbuss status. But the Left doesnt seek compromises. Now that the city council has conceded to honor Dessalines, theres no telling what other monsters of history might emerge, demanding their version of justice.The British Heart Foundation has opened its first pop-up department store in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey.

The shop, which was opened yesterday morning by local Mayor Thay Thayalan, is expected to be in Kingston for two years ahead of a planned regeneration of the local shopping area.

At 17,000 square foot, it will be one of the charities largest stores and will stock furniture, homeware, clothing, accessories and books.

The store, located at 10 Alderman Judge Mall, will also offer shoppers heart health information and run CPR training sessions on site.

Rachel Andrew, BHF area manager, said: We are so excited to have this new and innovative space in Kingston, which we hope will become a valued addition to the town centre.

If you are having a clear out in the next few weeks, we would love to receive any good quality furniture, home accessories, clothes, shoes, bags and books."

She said it was also recruiting for volunteers for the Kingston shop.

BHF is the largest chain of charity shops in the UK, according to the latest Charity Shops Survey, with 724 stores in 2017. Some 170 of these are furniture and electrical stores.

Despite recording a net closure of 11 stores in 2016/17, the charity has its sights set on expansion with an aim for everyone in the UK to have a local British Heart Foundation shop.On the eve of its annual convention, the National Association of Black Journalists, the nations largest minority journalism organization, has named a new executive director, thereby, perhaps, dodging another bullet.

For the fifth time in eight years, the association has a new executive director. Drew Berry was named to direct daily operations, days before the start of the groups annual convention this week in Detroit, expected to attract some 3,000 journalists and guests. Berrys appointment follows a bruising controversy involving the previous director, a feud that is almost certain to linger in Detroit this week.

RELATED: Why a collaboration between journalists of color collapsed

Berrys predecessor, Sharon Toomer, was named amid much fanfare last September. She resignedofficiallyless than a year later following a blistering memo she wrote in April criticizing NABJs leadership.

Toomer accused NABJ leaders of being arrogant, meddlesome, and unprofessional, and suggested that the bodys board of directors needed outside help to facilitate the necessary organizational turnaround. Such charges are not new and have been made repeatedly by members and leaders in the past. (Disclosure: I should know. I have been affiliated with NABJ since its founding in 1975 and involved in many of its activities.)

Toomer wrote that since assuming the top job, I have witnessed and observed conduct toward staff, members and even fellow board members that are disruptive, destructive and a disservice to the mission, necessity and value to this nonprofit organization, adding that undermining tactics and backbiting create an environment where a lack of trust is pervasive, effectively compromising systems and infrastructure integrity throughout all organizational operations.

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And, she aimed this zinger at board members whom she accused of failing to address the problems: It is my assessment based on first-hand experience and observation, that the board is not self-aware enough to recognize its own flaws or its contribution to perpetuating a profoundly troubled culture. Or, as bad, the board may recognize the cultural deficiency and not think it is an albatross around progress, or they are either intimidated by an individual board members authority and dont want to poke that authority for fear of retaliation in whatever it takes.

Her memo set off a firestorm. There was immediate blowback from past leaders, led by Vanessa Williams, a former NABJ president and a reporter at The Washington Post. In an email to founders and other past presidents, she accused Toomer of acting in a cowardly way to undermine leadership, concluding that her actions were the absolute wrong way to address the very real issues with the governance structure of our organization.

DeWayne Wickham, another former NABJ president and dean of the Morgan State University School of Global Journalism, wrote that staff should not be led by a rogue executive director who has sought to heap public humiliation on our organization. Alternatively, in an appeal for calm, founder Joe Davidson, a Washington Post columnist, called on members to Please chill. Dial it down. Whats happening is not a mess. Its a process. Time to grow up, people. Do your job. Stay in your lane. . . The back-and-forth continued for weeks, until Toomers departure on June 22.

Though Berry has been portrayed as a rescuerand indeed he has been called upon several times in the past to help lift NABJ out of other crises or near-criseshe, too, has criticized the groups leaders. Last year, Berry sent a four-page letter criticizing NABJs operating procedures after he was passed over for the executive directors position, for which he had applied twice.

Berry noted that he had problems with some board members and he knocked NABJ politics, but emphasized that his work had left the organization with a record-breaking almost $1.3-million surplus. Eventually, he left because I was not going to risk losing the other opportunity because of a politically charged process.

From the beginning, the group founded to fight racism in journalism has suffered from infighting. The current dustup is only the most recent following years, even decades, of internal problems the minority journalism organization faced, and overcame. Indeed, NABJ was formed in 1975 after several futile attempts by the few black journalists who had integrated the newsrooms of the nations white daily media companies, along with those in the always-beleaguered black press. In the decades since, NABJ has survived serious funding and financial crises and frequent staff changes and turnover, often as a result of board interference that sometimes bordered on harassment.

Over the years, the organization has been run by journalists, but eased regulations eventually allowed people from other professions to become associate members. The membership has changed significantly, from the veterans of the beginning to young aspiring professionals more attuned to the fast pace of new mediato the consternation of some older leaders concerned about the negative impact of the changes on the craft. Founder Joel Dreyfuss, whose career included stints at the New York Post and The Washington Post, now retired and living in Paris, lamented the altered atmosphere. He says NABJ grew out of efforts to support Earl Caldwell, the New York Times reporter who fought attempts to force him to turn over his notes on coverage of the Black Panthers at a trial of the groups leaders, and to assist the Congressional Black Caucuss hearings on racism in the media.

Unfortunately, the initial militancy of NABJ was compromised once we began to depend on mainstream news organizations to finance our conventions, he says via e-mail. It was hard to critique the hand that feeds you. The conventions also became the raison detre of NABJ, with a focus on jobs and flashy programming.

However, he concludes, I have toned down my criticisms since then, realizing that the growth and de-politicization was probably inevitable. However, I miss the analysis and the pressure on publishers and broadcasters to do better.

ICYMI: Diversity in newsrooms has been bad for decades and it probably wont get better: study

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Paul Delaney is an award-winning reporter, editor, and journalism educator. He worked for 23 years at The New York Times, and was a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists.The memory of what happened during the 2016 election is likely still fresh for Mark Zuckerberghow he failed to take action against a Russian troll network running a misinformation campaign aimed at influencing the election, and was ordered to appear before Congress for a dressing down. This time around, the Facebook CEO is doing his best to crack down on similar behavior before it becomes a problem in the current political season: The company said Tuesday it has shut down more than 30 accounts and pages that were exhibiting behavior similar to that of the former Russian troll farm known as the Internet Research Agency.

In its blog post announcing the move, Facebook said it couldnt confirm whether the disinformation tactics it identified (which it called coordinated inauthentic behavior) came from Russian sources. According to Facebook, the accounts in question were more careful to cover their tracks than the Internet Research Agency was, by using virtual private networks to disguise their location, or paying third parties to run ads. As weve told law enforcement and Congress, we still dont have firm evidence to say with certainty whos behind this effort,  Facebook said. The company admitted, however, that some of the activity although not explicitly political in naturewas consistent with what they saw during the election, and that there was some evidence of a connection between the latest group of accounts and the Internet Research Agency accounts disabled last year.

ICYMI: NYT reporters tweet sparks controversy among journalists

But some observers appear to have already jumped to that conclusion. Democratic Senator Mark Warner, vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a prepared statement and on Twitter that he believes the campaign was also the work of Russian intelligence agencies. More evidence the Kremlin continues to exploit platforms like Facebook to sow division and spread disinformation, Warner said. (Warners own proposal to regulate social media was leaked earlier this week.)

Facebooks head of cybersecurity said the company first identified suspicious activity on Facebook and Instagram two weeks ago, and ultimately came up with eight pages and 17 profiles on Facebook and seven accounts on Instagram that appeared to be part of a coordinated troll network. The earliest was created in March of 2017, and close to 300,000 users followed at least one of the pages. Facebook says it shared the information with US law enforcement as well as Congress, other unnamed technology companies, and the Atlantic Councils Digital Forensic Research Lab.

Facebooks analysis appears to show that the amount of influence these fake accounts had was relatively small: They created a total of 9,500 organic posts (i.e., not ads) and ran about 150 ads that cost about $11,000, which they paid for in Canadian and US dollars. They created 30 events, but about half of these had fewer than 100 accounts who said they were interested in attending. But the company clearly doesnt want to take any chances this time around, especially with the midterm elections so close.

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Heres more on Facebooks ongoing war against misinformation and inauthentic behavior.

A tangled web : Facebooks head of cybersecurity described some of the suspicious accounts, which included pages with names like Black Elevation and Mindful Being. In one case, a page run by the Internet Research Agency and later disabled by Facebook shared an event created by a group called Resistersa group that was recently involved in planning a sequel to the Unite the Right march in Charlottesville, Virginia.

: Facebooks head of cybersecurity described some of the suspicious accounts, which included pages with names like Black Elevation and Mindful Being. In one case, a page run by the Internet Research Agency and later disabled by Facebook shared an event created by a group called Resistersa group that was recently involved in planning a sequel to the Unite the Right march in Charlottesville, Virginia. Sowing discord : Earlier this year, special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russian individuals and three Russian companies for using social-media messages, fake personas and staged rallies with the strategic goal to sow discord in the U.S. political system. President Trump has said the Russian government did not intervene in the US election, despite the fact that Mueller and most intelligence agencies believe it did.

: Earlier this year, special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russian individuals and three Russian companies for using social-media messages, fake personas and staged rallies with the strategic goal to sow discord in the U.S. political system. President Trump has said the Russian government did not intervene in the US election, despite the fact that Mueller and most intelligence agencies believe it did. The Troll Farm : Adrian Chen of The New York Times visited the Russian headquarters of the Internet Research Agency in 2015 and wrote one of the first in-depth accounts of the troll farm and its activities. Russias information war might be thought of as the biggest trolling operation in history, Chen wrote. And its target is nothing less than the utility of the Internet as a democratic space.

: Adrian Chen of visited the Russian headquarters of the Internet Research Agency in 2015 and wrote one of the first in-depth accounts of the troll farm and its activities. Russias information war might be thought of as the biggest trolling operation in history, Chen wrote. And its target is nothing less than the utility of the Internet as a democratic space. A futile crackdown? Some argue that the latest trolling behavior shows how futile Facebooks recent crackdown on political advertising is, since the inauthentic accounts in question didnt purchase obviously political ads (which are now segregated by Facebook in a special database), didnt contain messages in support of any specific candidate, and didnt pay in Russian currency or use Russian addresses.

Some argue that the latest trolling behavior shows how futile Facebooks recent crackdown on political advertising is, since the inauthentic accounts in question didnt purchase obviously political ads (which are now segregated by Facebook in a special database), didnt contain messages in support of any specific candidate, and didnt pay in Russian currency or use Russian addresses. No smoking gun: Alex Stamos, chief security officer at Facebook, was said to have clashed with other Facebook executives over a previous report on malicious activity leading up to the 2016 election, and whether to link the bad actors to Russia or not. The latest report doesnt do that either, but Stamos says in a blog post that this is because identifying who exactly is behind such an attack is very difficult.

Other notable stories:

Vanity Fair media writer Joe Pompeo says The New York Times has thrown a monkey wrench into plans for who might succeed Dean Baquet as executive editor (Baquet is turning 62 and Times editors typically retire at 65). Managing editor Joe Kahn and editorial page editor James Bennet were said to be the top candidates, but sources say newly appointed metro editor Clifford Levy is now also in the running.

media writer Joe Pompeo says has thrown a monkey wrench into plans for who might succeed Dean Baquet as executive editor (Baquet is turning 62 and editors typically retire at 65). Managing editor Joe Kahn and editorial page editor James Bennet were said to be the top candidates, but sources say newly appointed metro editor Clifford Levy is now also in the running. The founders of The Colorado Sun, a digital journalism startup staffed by former Denver Post journalists who were laid off by their hedge-fund owner, talked to Poynter about their plans to cover the state and their fundraising efforts, which include a grant from blockchain-journalism startup Civil and $161,000 raised from 2,600 donors during a recent Kickstarter campaign.

journalists who were laid off by their hedge-fund owner, talked to Poynter about their plans to cover the state and their fundraising efforts, which include a grant from blockchain-journalism startup Civil and $161,000 raised from 2,600 donors during a recent Kickstarter campaign. Photographer Tom Starkweather uses pictures to tell a story for CJR about New Yorks honor boxes, the iconic newspaper-stuffed containers that used to sit on every street corner but have become increasingly rare in the digital age.

Axios says that Yahoo is going to launch a streaming video service for its financial hub by the end of the year. The service is expected to include eight hours a day of live market and global financial news updates, which could make it a competitor for traditional financial networks such as CNBC, Fox Business and Bloomberg News, as well as for digital startups such as Cheddar.

Emma Best, a freedom of information activist, has published a searchable database of more than 11,000 direct messages sent by WikiLeaks to its supporters and advisers via Twitter. The messages appear to show WikiLeaks coordinating attacks and smear campaigns aimed at its media critics as well as prominent politicians, and also contain what some allege are anti-Semitic sentiments.

Christine Schmidt writes for NiemanLab about new research that shows low-income individuals tend to get lower quality news and information, and talks with researchers Fiona Morgan and Jay Hamilton about what the industry can do to try and redress that balance. Its a known but not discussed issue for journalists, that you know there are always stories that arent getting told, says Morgan.

ICYMI: We spoke with writers, journalists, and novelists about writing on the web. One writer and one article was mentioned over and over again

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg.Facebook has put on what amounts to a full-court press over the past several days, a move that appears to be aimed at convincing Congress it is working hard to crack down on misinformation ahead of the upcoming US midterm elections. But is it really? Tuesdays announcement that the company shut down 32 accounts for what it calls inauthentic behavior sounded impressive, and the blog post describing the move was filled with colorful details. On closer examination, however, the shutdown looks like fairly small potatoes, which makes the whole thing feel more like a PR campaign than anything substantive.

For a social network that has 2 billion users uploading billions of status updates, links, and other content every day, 30 pages amount to a tiny molecule in a vast ocean of information. Even the most engaged-with event created by the entire network only got about 1,400 people saying they would attend, and most of the content the pages posted had little or nothing to do with politics.

Facebook made a point of saying that it wanted to be as transparent as possible about the steps it was taking, noting that it had shared details with Congress and with other tech companies, as well as with researchers such as the Digital Forensic Research Lab, and publishing a series of blog posts written by senior executives. And yet, this is the same company that has been repeatedly criticized by the UK government for not sharing enough information about its connections to Cambridge Analytica and that companys use of private data. In a recent report, the UKs commission on disinformation said:

What we found, time and again, during the course of our inquiry, was the failure on occasions of Facebook and other tech companies, to provide us with the information that we sought. We undertook fifteen exchanges of correspondence with Facebook, and two oral evidence sessions, in an attempt to elicit some of the information that they held, including information regarding users data, foreign interference and details of the so-called dark ads that had reached Facebook users. Facebook consistently responded to questions by giving the minimal amount of information possible, and routinely failed to offer information relevant to the inquiry.

Its easy to see why the social network would want to at least give the impression it is hard at work fighting misinformation and malicious behavior. The federal grilling in the aftermath of the 2016 election about the activities of the Internet Research Agency, a Russian-operated troll farm, forced CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other senior executives to embark on the 2018 Facebook Apology Tour, during which dozens of Senators and congressmen and women took turns admonishing them for allowing their platform to be used in an attempt to destabilize American democracy.

This experience was more than just embarrassing. It raised the possibility that Congress could decide to regulate the social network in a variety of unpleasant ways, up to and including limiting the protection it currently enjoys under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Thats the clause which effectively gives Facebook and other social platforms immunity from prosecution for anything posted by their users.

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A recent discussion paper circulated among members of Congress and the tech community by Democratic Senator Mark Warner raises that as one of a number of potential movesalong with forcing the platforms to label automated accounts, requiring them to put a price tag on the user data they collect, and implementing a privacy framework similar to the EUs General Data Protection Regulation. The proposals have no real regulatory weight, but they are still signposts that indicate where some politicians would like to go. And Facebook would very much like to avoid some or all of those avenues if it possibly can.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg.Route 285 is the formal designation for one of the main roads used to carry supplies to and from the oilfields of West Texas. Locals call it something else: Death Highway.

Last year, 93 people died in accidents involving trucks just on the Texas-side of the Permian Basin, or 43 percent more than in 2012. Want to know how many fatalities to expect moving forward? Keep an eye on the price of oil.

The number of traffic deaths involving big trucks shrank in 2015, when oil prices started to collapse. They surged last year as crude rallied, boosting the need for more and more truckers to manhandle the huge 18-wheelers that can carry anything from water and sand, to steel pipes and fuel.

Route 285, which runs through Pecos, Texas, and Carlsbad, New Mexico, may be the deadliest highway in the United States, said Ralph McIngvale, a partner at Permian Lodging, which builds and runs so-called man camps in the region. Youve got to be very defensive. Youve got to look as much in your rear-view window as your front windshield.

Drivers are so in demand in the basin that one can easily rake in $120,000 a year, Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter said in an interview. But that comes with its problems.

Some of them are speeding, some of them are too tired to be driving, but theyre making money, he said. Some of these guys are just trying to make as much money as they can.

James Whiskey Stroup, 57, is an experienced trucker. He pilots sand trucks now, but in the past hes also worked as a trainer of new drivers. He knows to get the rest he needs, he said, but not everyone does.

When youve been in the oilfield for ten to 11 days, working 14 hours a day, you just become so tired that youre not thinking straight, he said in an interview. Youre just brain dead, because youre living off four to six hours of sleep.

While Stroups a veteran, a great many of the drivers are young, fearless and generally inexperienced. Thats why oilfield service companies look to trainers like Jeffrey Walker, coordinator of transportation training at New Mexico Junior College, to whip drivers into shape. Walkers program gives three-week long sessions, after which drivers take a three-part test to get their Commercial Drivers License.

The pool of drivers with at least two to three years of oilfield experience with the big rigs has dwindled to nothing, Walker said. Companies now are substituting formal training for experience.

The worst of the driving stems from over-sized trucks being on roads that werent designed for the amount of traffic theyre now carrying, Walker said in an interview.

In New Mexico, where Walker lives, drivers hit sinkholes that can run several feet wide, a phenomenon many people blame on fracking, Walker said. And finding funds to repair the road is a never-ending battle, he said.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is tackling the problem, Sergeant Oscar Villarreal said in an interview. Speed limits that were as high as 75 miles per hour have been lowered and the department has more troopers to monitor roads. But with the number of drivers growing so rapidly, he said, theres only so much they can do.

Texas cant build new roads or widen roads overnight, Villarreal said. Those things take time. Weve had significant growth in the area and the roads dont have time to keep up.

At the same time, the trucks used to carry oilfield supplies arent always properly maintained, according to Walker. The upkeep on an oilfield truck is a lot more than an on-the-road truck, Walker said. Little things end up turning into big things.

Local drivers are very aware of the risks, according to Angie Sims, a business development manager for Airswift, a workforce services company. We travel on some very busy oilfield roads, she said in an interview. Thats the most dangerous part of our jobs.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.Twin wildfires tearing through vineyards and brushy hills threatened some 10,000 homes in Northern California Tuesday  yet another front in the seemingly endless summer of wildfires that have ravaged some of the most scenic areas of the state.

The two fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties had burned seven homes by Monday night along with some 107 square miles (277 square kilometers) of rural land.

About 100 miles (160 kilometers) north, the so-called Carr Fire that has burned more than 800 homes and killed six people has become the ninth most destructive wildfire in California history, said Scott McLean, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

In Lake County, evacuation orders were in effect for the 4,700-resident town of Lakeport along with some smaller communities and a section of Mendocino National Forest. In all, some 10,000 people have been warned to flee, fire officials said.

Lakeport, north of San Francisco, is the county seat and a popular destination for bass anglers and boaters on the shores of Clear Lake. But by Monday night it was a ghost town, the main streets deserted.

A few miles away embers, ash and smoke swirled through vineyards where at least one home had gone up in flames. Firefighters set blazes at the bottom of hills in order to burn up the tinder-dry brush before flames cresting the ridge tops could feed on it and surge downhill. A fleet of aircraft made continuous water and fire retardant drops on the blaze, filling the air with the roar of their engines.

But not everyone heeded orders issued Sunday and Monday to evacuate.

Derick Hughes II remained behind at his property in Nice, California, where he ran sprinklers on his roof and removed yard plants that could catch fire.

The 32-year-old Marine Corps veteran sent his wife and two daughters to safety along with three carloads of belongings. But he said he had too much at stake to leave himself. He bought his three-bedroom house last year using a loan from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This is everything I bled for, and Ive worked really hard to get to where I am, and Im just not willing to give it up so easily, he said over the phone.Some people may think thats selfish of me, and I have insurance. But the way things go, Id rather not start over.

Farther north, police said five people were arrested on suspicion of entering areas evacuated due to the explosive wildfire around Redding.

The blaze, which killed two firefighters and four civilians including two children, has now destroyed 818 homes and 311 outbuildings and damaged 165 homes, McLean said.

More than 27,000 people remained evacuated from their homes although another 10,000 were allowed to return Monday as fire crews reinforced lines on the western end of Carr Fire.

Some 12,000 firefighters were battling the blaze. Fire officials were hopeful that they could make progress containing the blaze, which was 23 percent contained.

The fires northwestern corner continued to be active.

Its still putting up a fight, McLean said.

Those fires were among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit.

In Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, an arson fire that destroyed seven homes last week was 82 percent contained Monday.

Fire crews also have battled numerous small brushfires this summer, most charring only a few acres but still threatening homes in built-up areas along parched foothills. A 10-acre fire damaged 13 homes and apartments Monday in Santa Clarita, northwest of Los Angeles, county fire officials said.

McLean, the state fire spokesman, said there was no guarantee of safety in a state that has been ravaged by years of drought that has turned trees and brush to tinder.

Anything could happen anywhere. Thats the nature of the beast for all of these fires, he said. The vegetation is so dry all it takes is a spark to get it going.

(Thnawala reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Lorin Eleni Gill and Olga Rodriguez also contributed to this report.)

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.AKRON, Ohio - Mayor Dan Horrigan said Tuesday he will resort to a citywide petition in his bid to move Akron's primary elections from September to May, given that legislation to put the issue on the November ballot has stalled in City Council.

Horrigan said in an interview with cleveland.com he will seek the signatures necessary to place the proposed charter amendment on the November ballot. His decision comes after City Council tabled legislation to place the issue before voters.

"It's not a radical change of government," Horrigan said. "We can argue about it, we can say we don't like it. You can stand up as loud as you want and say I don't like this. But we have to let the voters decide. I plan on leading on the issue, not following."

What's at issue

Local primary elections are held in May unless a city's charter provides otherwise. Of 88 counties in Ohio, only Summit, Cuyahoga and Lucas have cities with September primaries.

Arguments for moving the primary to May include reducing election costs, increasing voter turnout and bringing the Board of Elections into compliance with state law.

Election costs are divided between participating municipalities, based on number of precincts. In September there are fewer cities to divide the costs among.

The last few May primaries have averaged a turnout that is 46 percentage points higher than turnout in September, the city said.

"One of the biggest things is participation in the political process," Horrigan said. "Every vote matters. We should be worried about everybody."

At issue for the elections board is compliance, according to board Chairman Bill Rich. State law mandates the board provide military and overseas voters with ballots 45 days before any election.

The primary and general elections are now 56 days apart. It takes 11 days to certify a race and recounts take longer. That means complete ballots can't be sent overseas in time to meet the 45-day requirement for the general election. Those voters receive partial ballots until races are certified. Complete ballots are then mailed to them, which often confuses voters, many of whom don't send complete ballots back, Rich said.

"For me, this is really all about the Board of Election's ability to comply with 45-day deadline," Rich said. "Currently we can't do that, it's not possible."

The issue is also before legislators in five other Summit County cities -- Cuyahoga Falls, Tallmadge, New Franklin, Green, Norton and Barberton. If all the cities pass the measure, all Summit County cities will hold their primaries in May.

Who is opposed to the change?

Five council members oppose the move to May: Bruce Kilby, Ward 2; Russell Neal Jr., Ward 4; Zack Milkovich, Ward 10, Linda Omobien, at-large; and Veronica Sims, at-large.

And those five votes are enough to keep the issue on council's agenda indefinitely, said city spokeswoman Ellen Lander-Nischt.

Neal and Omobien, who are black, have argued that the move to May puts minority candidates at a disadvantage. With less money to spend on marketing, they rely on campaigning door-to-door and community events in the summer to get their messages out.

But Chief of Staff James Hardy has said research on several Ohio cities shows otherwise.

"The opposite is true," Hardy said at Monday's council meeting. "Cities that have May primaries have higher African American voter turnout and more diversity on their councils and more diverse mayors."

Hardy also pointed out that candidates can begin campaigning at any time before an election. And City Council has the ability to raise campaign contribution limits, beginning with its rules committee.

Neal, Sims and Omobien have argued against letting voters make the call.

"The typical voter, as well intended as they are, and I have no problem saying this, they will tell you they look to us to give them information about how to vote and to understand the issues that are put before them," Omobien said Monday night. " They look to us as those leaders who are more educated about the issues than they are, and many times they ask me questions to help them understand issues."

Kilby said he feels strongly about continuing the tradition of having summer campaigns for primary elections.

"We're the ones elected to represent the interest of the people, and they can vote us out of office too," he said.

What's next?

Horrigan will need to collect valid signatures from 4,213 registered city voters, the equivalent of 10 percent of voters who cast ballots in the last general municipal election.

The city will need to gather many more than the required number, because some signers will not be registered and will be invalidated. The signatures must be validated at least 60 days before the Nov. 6 election, Rich said.

"Leave it up to the voters," said Donnie Kammer, Ward 7. "That's why I live in this county. That's why we live in a great country."

Hardy voiced the same idea several times.

"In my civics class you protect the constituents by letting their voice be heard one way or another," he said.

Neal suggested eliminating primary elections and having all elected officials run in the general elections. Hardy told Neal to have the issue put on the ballot for the voters to decide.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through FridayAKRON, Ohio - Akronites looking to enjoy time in nature can head over Friday to the Innerbelt National Forest, a new green space just outside downtown.

An opening reception for the long-awaited forest, winner of the Knight Foundation 2017 Cities Challenge, will run 6-8 p.m. at the intersection of Ash and Quaker streets behind Cascade Plaza. The event is open to the public and will include children's activities, live music by Akron performers, local food vendors and remarks by community leaders.

In addition to 86 planted and potted trees, the Innerbelt National Forest offers trails, a kids area, an outdoor museum on the history of the Innerbelt, a stage and an outdoor space for art workshops, church services and other collaborative activities.

For two years, Mayor Dan Horrigan's administration has been eying long-term redevelopment of the northernmost 31 acres of the Innerbelt freeway now closed to traffic. Officials have said the city will eventually consider proposals for parkland, housing and recreational amenities. Horrigan has said he would like a central park for the city, and possibly a water feature there.

In 2016, the north end of the Innerbelt was closed to traffic so crews could begin removing thousands of tons of concrete and clear the way for redevelopment.

With 31 acres of the Innerbelt freeway being cleared for redevelopment, the city plans to eventually consider proposals for mixed-use development, which could include parkland.

In 2017, the League of Creative Interventionists was awarded the $214,420 Knight grant to create a temporary green space on the freeway, but ongoing construction hindered the project.

So the city provided the league with land next to the freeway to propose different ideas. The result is the temporary Innerbelt National Forest, which will remain up through September. While the city would like green space to be part of any permanent development there, no plans are yet in place.

The idea for the forest was sparked in 2015, when the league hosted a "500 Plates" a community meal on the Innerbelt to talk about the future of the area. At the event, 87 percent of the 500 attendees said they wanted space for nature and connection with neighbors, said League of Creative Interventionists Founder Hunter Franks in a news release.

"We are thrilled to see this inquiry into re-imagining this space that began in 2015 come to life this summer," Franks said in the release. "Creating this temporary forest next to the freeway will allow residents to come together in a unique space while also creating a discussion around the long-term future of the freeway."

Akronite Ace Epps will lead Story Circles featuring the stories of residents who were uprooted or affected by the Innerbelt when it was built in the 1970s. An article published in 1977 by The Ohio Journal of Science reported that the Innerbelt cut a "model cities neighborhood in half," positioning black residents on the north side of Interstate 77 where a portion of the Innerbelt cut through, and white residents on the south side.

Once the current project ends, the trees will be given new homes, Franks said.

For more information, about the Innerbelt National Forest, visit the website.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.AKRON, Ohio -- Police are searching for three men who tried to force their way into a man's home and rob him.

A shot was fired about midnight during the incident that happened on Wingerter Street near Kenmore Boulevard, Akron police said in a statement. No one was injured.

A 39-year-old man told police he heard a knock, opened his door and three men tried to get inside, police said. He fought with the men.

One man carried a shotgun and another had a handgun, police said.

The man with the shotgun fired a shot into the air while they fought with the homeowner, police said. The men ran away without getting anything.

One of the men has a beard, wore a white shirt and had the shotgun, police said. The second man wore a white and black hooded sweatshirt and had the handgun. Police did not have a description on the third man.

Anyone with information is asked to call Akron police at 330-375-2552.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments section.CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- City Council's unanimous passage of a two-year, $140,000 agreement to form a Community Development Corporation with the Future Heights organization was met with a round of applause Monday.

That included members of the nonprofit's board and Executive Director Deanna Bremer Fisher, who said the first task will be to hire a real estate development specialist.

"Our focus will be housing rehab and infill development," Fisher said, noting that the organization approached the city more than two years ago with a proposal to run the CDC.

Fisher pointed out that in the most recent Cuyahoga County appraisals, housing values in Cleveland Heights have actually gone up on a citywide basis.

"But we're still recovering from the mortgage foreclosure crisis and there's a lot of work yet to be done -- especially along the border with East Cleveland which still shows the biggest decline in housing values at 25 percent," Fisher added.

Future Heights originally sought about $139,000 annually to set up the economic development arm on the city's behalf. As of last week, the city administration was proposing $100,000 over two years.

Council finally signed off on a development services agreement for $70,000 a year to fund one position as opposed to three, and Future Heights agreed to focus specifically on residential housing stock.

That does not rule out the possibility of additional funding and an expanded role and activities down the road, including commercial development and working in business districts, officials noted.



"I hope this is the beginning of a great relationship," Councilman Mike Ungar said. "I have been vocal about this for some time and I'm thrilled."

Ungar said that he looks forward to seeing a return on the city's investment.

"I think we are lucky to have a group like Future Heights as our partners and I look forward to working with them," Ungar added.

Councilwoman Mary Dunbar said in attending their meetings, she has been "impressed by the ambition and accomplishments" of Future Heights.

Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow adding that she was very glad to see the CDC coming to fruition.

Councilwoman Cheryl Stephens said she was "delighted" with the agreement.

"By having an agency like Future Heights step up and work with us, their partnership will mean good things," Stephens said. "Specifically, they will help us get more done and we will have more economic impact in this community."

Councilman Kahlil Seren mentioned the possibility funding requests for of "seed capital" rather than personnel and staffing down the road after a "ramp-up" period, when the city sees a course of development it wants to pursue.

In recent years, Future Heights has been receiving about $30,000 a year through the city's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to fund neighborhood engagement initiatives.

Future Heights is also conducting fundraising efforts on its own including a benefit on Friday at a restored home on Harcourt Drive. With its CDC status already in place, the organization can also apply for grants for which the city does not qualify.

In other business at Monday's meeting, council formally requested hearings before the Ohio Liquor Control Division on permit renewals for two Coventry establishments: the B-Side Liquor Lounge & Arcade, as well as City & East Hookah Bar.

At last week's Committee-of-the-Whole meeting, Police Chief Annette Mecklenburg outlined some of the ongoing problems in and around the Coventry courtyard and Harvey Pekar Park.

The number of calls to City & East Hookah Bar roughly doubled from 2014-15 to 90 in 2016 and 80 in 2017. This year appears to be right on pace with 45 calls so far.

"The overwhelming majority of those are disturbances, fights, disorderly conduct with customers," Mecklenburg said.

Although there is some underage drinking, Mecklenburg noted that City & East does have effective scanners to help detect fake I.D.'s, and has discussed additional security and possibly cameras.

"I would argue that they could do more," Mecklenburg said.

Flip to the B-Side, with 70 police calls in 2016 and 85 last year, including 42 disturbances combined and 15 "suspicious activity" reports last year.

The most serious recent incident at the B-Side came at 1:43 a.m. on June 22 when police received a report of a disturbance involving a patron carrying a firearm in his waistband.

Although found to have a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon (CCW) police noted that he was holding a drink in his hand and appeared to be intoxicated.

He was also charged with carrying a weapon in a liquor establishment, "due to the signs inside the bar prohibiting concealed weapons."

Mecklenburg added that neighboring businesses have complained about people out on the balconies smoking marijuana.

And while the B-Side has cut out "Hip-Hop Sundays," Mecklenburg said there has been an uptick in calls over the summer.

Many problems appear to stem from the late teens to early 20's age group and tend to manifest when the bars close at 2-to-2:30 a.m., Mecklenburg added.

Back on July 23, Councilwoman Mary Dunbar asked why the bars couldn't agree to close earlier, like midnight.

"That probably wouldn't hurt, but I don't think they would go for that," Mecklenburg said.

Law Director Jim Juliano noted that a liquor permit allows for how late a bar can stay open.

"And if the state grants a hearing, that will give us another chance to negotiate," City Manager Tanisha Briley said.

City officials also reminded the public about the upcoming fifth annual City Safety Forces Night from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday (Aug. 7) at the Cleveland Heights Community Center.

People will have the opportunity to meet police officers and firefighters, as well as "take an interactive look at the tools and equipment both departments use."

Information on personal and fire safety will be available, along with information and literature about the Citizens Police Academy.

There will also be complimentary hot dogs, chips, pop, water, sno-cones and while supplies last, t-shirts.

In addition to a caricature artist, a balloon twister for the kids, and a bicycle raffle, city residents can also bring their bicycles to get bike licenses free of charge.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cuyahoga County judge ordered a convicted robber's mouth taped shut during his sentencing on Tuesday.

Judge John Russo imposed the gag order because Franklyn Williams engaged in multiple outbursts in the courtroom, according to a docket entry.

Russo eventually sentenced the 32-year-old Williams to 24 years in prison.

Video shot by WJW Channel 8 shows Williams surrounded by deputies with his mouth covered with red tape.

A jury convicted Williams in December after he cut off his ankle monitor and left Ohio in the middle of his trial, according to prosecutors. He was arrested in Nebraska earlier this month and brought back to Cleveland to be sentenced.

Williams originally pleaded guilty to robbery charges in 2016 in the case and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He appealed his sentence and argued that, because his attorney wrongly told him at the time that he would be eligible for early release after he served just seven years when he actually had to serve his entire sentence, he did not fully understand what he was pleading to.

The 8th District Court of Appeals sided with Williams and threw out his plea and sentence and ordered the second trial.

To comment on this story, please visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments page.PARMA, Ohio -- It was about 78 degrees on Saturday afternoon when Richard Hill was leaving the Walmart in Parma. When he saw two dogs locked in a car, he did what he thought was right -- and what might be protected by Ohio law.

Hill, a home improvement contractor, grabbed a hammer from his work van and broke a car window in an attempt to save the dogs inside. Moments later, police arrived in response to a 911 call about the dogs in the car.

Police cited Hill for criminal damages.

Surveillance video showed dogs were left in the car for about six minutes. Security camera footage shows the dog owner pull into the Ridgewood Drive parking lot at 4:05 p.m. and enter the Walmart one minute later.

Bystanders called 911 at 4:08 p.m. to report the dogs in a hot car and were told that officers are on the way. Hill smashed the car window at 4:12 p.m. as Parma police were pulling up.

Police say the dogs' owner, Carly Hartman, returned to her car after about 14 minutes. She was not cited.

"The big dog was moving around in the backseat, but the small puppy was not even moving, sitting up or anything," Hill said. "I didn't know if he was passed out, just exhausted or what."

Senate Bill 215, also known as Ohio's "Hot Car" legislation, protects Good Samaritans who find a child or pet in a hot vehicle. The law allows people to intervene by forcibly entering the vehicle prior to emergency personnel responding without the fear of litigation.

Sergeant Dan Ciryak said he wasn't sure this incident was "a matter of life and death," especially since the dog owner's sunroof was open and the rear windows were cracked open. Hill disagrees, saying the sunroof was only cracked open and all the windows were closed.

Ciryak added that it only took four minutes for police to arrive after they received a call.

"We believe his heart may have been in the right place, but he should have waited a little more," Ciryak said. "He knew the police were coming. I don't know what his sense of urgency was."

However, Ohio's "Hot Car" law says nothing about a Samaritan waiting until police arrive. It only specifies that the person must call 911, check to see if the door is unlocked and if they feel it is an emergency.

Hill says he thinks he did all the necessary actions before breaking the window.

"I didn't know how long it was going to be for [police] to get here, and I truly felt that the puppy needed out," Hill said. "I've had to wait for police before and know that it can take 15, 20 minutes, or more than half an hour."

He plans to fight the charges. His court date is set for Aug. 15.

To comment on this story, visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments page.WILLOUGHBY HILLS, Ohio -- Police are investigating the deaths of a husband and wife found inside a Willoughby Hills home.

Willoughby Hills police identified the couple as Robert M. Weber, 59, and Betty Weber, 51.

Officers about 9:40 p.m. went to the couple's home in the 31000 block of Chardon Road to conduct a welfare check.

The officers noticed there were no lights on in the house, so they investigated. They noticed a lifeless man through a basement window, a report says.

Police checked to confirm that all doors and windows were locked before breaking the glass on a rear sliding door. They found a woman dead on the living room floor.

The Lake County Coroner's Officer and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation were called in to assist in the investigation. No further details were available.

To comment on this story, please visit Wednesday's crime and courts comment section.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A movie in the works about disgraced former Fox News chief Roger Ailes will star Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly and Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson.

The news comes from Variety, which reports the film will be about the sexual harassment scandal that ended the Ailes' 20-year career at Fox News in 2016. Margot Robbie ("I Tonya") is in talks to play a Fox News producer, according to Deadline.

No word yet who will play Ailes, who died in 2017. Characters based on TV hosts Greta Van Susteren and Bill O'Reilly and media mogul Rupert Murdoch are expected to be in the film as well, the Hollywood Reporter notes.

The project boasts some heavy hitters behind the camera as well. Jay Roach ("Austin Powers") is on board to direct a script by Charles Randolph ("The Big Short").

The movie will tell the story of the ensemble of women who took on the toxic male culture of Fox News and helped depose its chief architect, the film's logline reads.

Kelly and Carlson were among the numerous women who accused Ailes of sexual harassment during their time at Fox News. Kelly is now working at NBC. Carlson, who got her start in Cleveland at WOIO Channel 19, currently heads the Miss America organization.COLUMBUS, Ohio -State troopers and contract security guards did not show "unprofessional conduct or bias" toward Rep. Emilia Sykes when they stopped her as she entered state buildings, an investigation concluded.

However, two highway patrol lieutenants received training on policies as a result of the probe, released Wednesday.

Sykes, an Akron Democrat, had requested that the Ohio Highway Patrol investigate three interactions she's had with officers and contract security guards dating to 2016. She believes she's stopped more often because she's a black woman.

A video released with the investigation shows Sykes after she had used her state ID to get into the secured part of the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts.

Sykes said she's disappointed.

"That's what happens when you investigate yourself," she said.

She has had a chance to review some parts of the investigation, which consisted mostly of interviews. Sykes thinks there should have been an analysis explaining how the words of highway patrol troopers and security guards were given more weight than her words.

Sykes has also filed complaints with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission over the incidents against the highway patrol, the Ohio House of Representatives, the Ohio Department of Administrative Services and the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board.

She said she would prefer to resolve the issue through mediation, but she hasn't heard back about whether the other parties are interested. If they decline mediation, then a commission investigator will begin a probe. She's hopeful that investigation will be more rigorous and independent, she said.

"No part of (the highway patrol probe) felt correct, but I asked for the investigation, so I was going to go through the process," she said.

Video

In the May 30 video, Sykes is seen walking to an elevator bank on the third floor of the Riffe. She uses her state ID to open gates leading to the elevators.

The highway patrol investigation said before she got to the elevator bank, a security officer requested to see her badge "two or more times."

'Counseling'

In February 2016, Sykes complained to the Sergeant-at-Arms, an employee of the House speaker, that security searched her bag and she was told she looked too young to be a legislator.

The highway patrol's investigation stated that a trooper who was on duty that day instructed security to allow Sykes to go through a checkpoint because he recognized her. The trooper recalled saying something to the effect that the security guards were new, that they didn't know her yet, and she was rather young-looking.

However, the highway patrol investigation found a problem with the lack of follow-up to Sykes' complaint at the time.

The Sergeant-at-Arms and the highway patrol knew of Sykes' complaint but didn't talk to Sykes or launch an investigation.

Lt. Robert Sellers, a highway patrol spokesman, said the Sergeant-at-Arms and the highway patrol may each have thought the other was following up.

"Bottom line: Nothing got done," he said.

Two highway patrol officers - Lts. Timothy Karwatske and Edward Mejia -- were issued Wednesday what's called "counseling" for failing to properly handle a complaint.

"It's individualized training, reviewing a very specific topic to make sure whatever happened prior does not happen again," Sellers said.

Sellers said that counseling does go on their records and is considered discipline.

"In the end it's discipline, right? Because it says you failed to properly do something," he said.

If behavior repeats, officers who have had counseling could face more discipline, he said.

Card reader issue

Sykes' badge did not work in the Ohio Statehouse, when it was supposed to open a turnstile and let her into a secure area. The timing is not clear on when it occurred, but the highway patrol investigation found she was diverted to a magnetometer and bag inspection area in September 2017.

Sykes said that in trying to sort out the problem, an officer told her badges deactivated if not used every few weeks. But Sykes said she had been in the Statehouse frequently during that time and the officer said in response, "The computer doesn't lie," according to House Democrats' records.

The highway patrol reviewed ID records and found she used the badge on July 6, and 47 days later tried to get in and it had been deactivated.After insulting and calling the EU a "foe," President Trump further weakened the NATO alliance that has long defended democracy and the rule of law by tweeting: "our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!"

That was just a prelude a shameful "summit" with Vladimir Putin, where he refused to:

* Confront Russia's undeniable election interference.

* Demand the extradition of the 12 agents indicted for aiding Russia's attack on our election.

* Insist that Russia withdraw from Crimea and stop destabilizing Georgia and Ukraine.

* Condemn the chemical attack on a former Russian spy in Britain that later caused the death of a British citizen.

The president and every member of Congress swore an oath to defend our country. Trump and those refusing to confront him are betraying that oath!

Confronting him should include demands to:

* Listen to the intelligence community.

* Increase sanctions against Russia.

* Stop attacking the FBI, Justice Department and Mueller.

* Permit his national security team to testify before Congress about preparations for the summit with Putin.

* Pressure Putin to extradite the 12 indicted intelligence.



Steve Gehlert,

Cuyahoga FallsLYNDHURST, Ohio -- The elderly, military veterans and those seeking love are some of the people online and phone scammers most frequently prey upon.

While Lyndhurst Police Chief Rick Porrello said he weekly gets reports about such criminal actions, scammers continue to thrive on their victims.

On Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Postal Inspector Ian Ortega spoke at the Lyndhurst Community Center to a group of senior citizens, letting them know of the warning signs of scams and fraud, and sharing tips on how to keep from becoming a victim.

Basically, Ortega said, it all boils down to the old adage, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Tuesday's session was arranged by U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-14, who was present at the event, in conjunction with the Community Partnership on Aging and Lyndhurst Mayor Patrick Ward.

Ortega explained that seniors are often targeted because many have saved their entire lives and have access to funds, because they're often home and answer the phone during the daytime hours, they are sometimes isolated, and for one other reason.

"You guys are polite," he said to the approximately 40 seniors gathered. "(Scammers) want to use that. It's OK to hang up on them."

Indeed, many seniors field phone calls nearly every day from would-be scammers.

"I just got a call today," said one Meadow Wood Boulevard (Lyndhurst) woman who did not want to reveal her name. "I was threatened. I didn't answer the phone, I heard it on voicemail. He threatened to arrest me if I didn't call him."

Ortega let all know that no one is going to come and arrest them, especially because most of these calls come from other countries.

Said another Meadow Wood woman: "I've gotten calls from people with foreign accents. I don't bother answering. I'm not going to fall for that stuff."

Some people, however, do believe what callers tell them.

"(Scammers) build a relationship with (their victims), sometimes over many months," Ortega said. The scammers will learn as much as possible about a victim and work months to earn their trust, often attempting to isolate them from friends and family.

"Sometimes, (scammers) can even change your phone number without you knowing it so that they're the only ones you talk with," he said.

Another method used, Ortega said, is to require a victim to make a quick decision about sending money.

Incidents included in Lyndhurst's police reports often tell of scams perpetrated on the unsuspecting.

On July 12, the manager at PNC Bank, 5055 Mayfield Road, called police when a woman attempted to withdraw $9,000 in cash. The woman, police later learned, was almost the victim of a common scam in which a caller says money is needed to bail a grandson out of jail.

The grandson is not actually in jail, but as Ortega explained, scammers will learn as much as possible about a victim, via social media or by other means, to know names and places, and what will tug on a victim's heartstrings.

In the PNC Bank matter, the bank and police prevented the elderly woman from losing any money.

Said Ward of the incident, "Her daughter told me, 'My mother is a smart person, but her heart took over and her concern for her grandson took over.'"

It is this concern and sense of caring that scammers rely on. Sometimes, scammers can prey on people's desire to make money.

There are sweepstakes scams, in which victims receive a check they are told to deposit, then send an amount of money less than the check's value back to the scammer. The check the victim is sent ends up bouncing, and the victim is out their money.

"There is no purchase or entry fee for any legitimate sweepstakes," Ortega said, adding that even Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes can be forged by the unscrupulous.

Ortega further said, "If you think about it, who would just want to send you money?"

There are also foreign lottery scams. Said Ortega of these, "There are no legal lotteries except for the state-run lottery. All others are illegal."

Seniors, Ortega said, aren't alone in becoming victims.

"Military veterans are targeted twice as much as others," Ortega said. "(Scammers) feed off that military bond."

In terms of finding love online, Ortega told of a case in which a military veteran corresponded online with a Malaysian woman for a lengthy period of time, then eventually sent $1,500 to her so she could get a passport and come to the United States. Ortega eventually had to tell the man that there really was no Malaysian woman on the other end of his emails.

Ortega advised his audience not to send money to people they have never seen. He further told the seniors that the IRS will not just call and demand money, and warned that work-at-home offers are most often scams.

Ortega noted that many scammers' calls originate from Jamaica, Nigeria and Turkey. He warned seniors that if a call comes from the 876 area code, it is coming from Jamaica and it is best not to answer. But, he added, scam and fraud calls can come from other area codes, as well.

During his career, Ortega said he has been yelled at by victims who have built a relationship with the scammer and don't want to believe they have been fooled, by those who are embarrassed by falling victim, or by those who believe Ortega has put a stop to a plan that will truly bring them money.

Joyce, a former Geauga County prosecutor, said, "Unfortunately, these are people who make it their livelihood to go after you every single day."

Police Chief Porrello said he speaks to his mother, 89, to occasionally warn her about the threat of scams and frauds, and suggests that people do the same with their elderly parents and acquaintances.

Anyone with questions about a possible scam or fraud can call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 and select option 4. AARP also has a fraud watch network, which can be reached at 1-877-908-3360.LYNDHURST, Ohio -- Theft, Cedar Road: At 12:55 p.m. July 28, police arrested a Cleveland woman, 53, for stealing several items from Nordstrom Rack, 25149 Cedar Road at Legacy Village.

Stolen were a toy, clothes and children's shoes worth a total of $195. With the woman were her two grandchildren, boys ages 5 and 8.

It was also discovered that the woman was wanted on two warrants issued by police in Mayfield Heights, and individual warrants issued by police in Cleveland Heights and South Euclid.

After being charged with the Lyndhurst theft, the woman was picked up by South Euclid police on that department's warrant.

Driving under suspension, Mayfield Road: At 2:35 p.m. July 28, police stopped a car driven by a Cleveland woman, 34, for making an illegal turn at a red light.

It was subsequently learned that the woman was wanted on Warrensville Heights and Maple Heights police warrants. The woman was arrested and her car towed.

Domestic violence, Acacia Park: At 11:35 p.m. July 27, a caller reported that a man and woman were fighting in the apartment above her.

Officers arrived to find the man's elbow cut. The woman had departed before police arrived. Both are 31 and both live in the apartment.

Police made contact with the woman and she arranged to turn herself in, which she did at 1:05 a.m. at the police station.

The woman was charged with domestic violence, as she allegedly threw a glass at the man and punched and scratched him.

Motor vehicle accident, Cedar Road: At 3:05 p.m. July 27, Beachwood police reported that a cement truck had fallen on its side at Cedar and Brainard roads.

The cement mix tipped inside the vehicle, causing it to fall. The driver, a Maple Heights man, 47, had a bleeding cut on his arm and was taken to Hillcrest Hospital.

More than five yards of cement had spread onto the roadway. Cedar Road westbound and the northbound Interstate 271 exit ramp were closed until 6:30 p.m.

Assisting police were officers from Mayfield Heights, Pepper Pike and Beachwood.

Assault, Cedar Road: At 11:30 a.m. July 26, a caller reported that she was assaulted by a co-worker at the Hyatt Place hotel, 24665 Cedar Road.

The two women, both of Cleveland Heights, are 26 and 25 years old. No charges were filed, but both women were fired and left the premises.

Vandalism, Alvey Road: At 7:10 a.m. July 26, it was reported that a window was broken on one of the buses at The Kiddie Company, 1111 Alvey Road, and a fire extinguisher discharged inside the vehicle.

Theft, Cedar Road: At 5:35 p.m. July 23, police arrested a Geneva woman, 28, for stealing $55 worth of goods from Giant Eagle, 25105 Cedar Road at Legacy Village.

The woman was charged with theft and issued a criminal trespass warning.

Theft, Cedar Road: At 4:50 p.m. July 23, police arrested a man and woman for stealing groceries at Giant Eagle.

The woman, 35, of Cleveland, stole $233 worth of goods, and the man, 65, of Bedford Heights, $163 worth of merchandise.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.WASHINGTON, D.C. -The U.S. Senate on Wednesday signed off on a 2019 funding bill that would provide $300 million for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative programs that President Donald Trump had suggested cutting down to $30 million earlier this year.

Because the U.S. House of Representatives' version of the funding bill, which passed last month, also gave $300 million to the program that protects Lake Erie, that amount will likely be in any compromise reached between the two legislative bodies.

A budget proposal that Trump presented to Congress in February suggested the lower amount for the program, and Trump's 2018 budget proposal would have zeroed it out entirely. Instead, Congress gave the program $298 million in 2018.

"As the world's largest freshwater body, the Great Lakes provide drinking water for 40 million people, contribute $10 billion in tourism each year, and support hundreds of thousands of jobs across the region," said a statement that Republican Sen. Rob Portman released after the vote. "I have long championed this program, and I will continue to do everything I can to protect and preserve Lake Erie and all the Great Lakes."

Earlier this year, Portman and Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown were among a group that wrote a letter asking Senate budgeters to fully fund the program. It said that since the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was funded in 2010, $1.6 billion has been used to fund over 3,000 projects to combat the greatest threats to the Great Lakes, including invasive species, harmful algal blooms and loss of fish and wildlife habitats.CLEVELAND, Ohio-- A 34-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint late Tuesday outside a bar in the West Bank of the Flats.

The robbery happened about 3:30 a.m. outside of McKinley's Downtown bar on Main Avenue, police reports say.

The man told police he got off work from the bar and left to drive a co-worker to a different bar. The co-worker asked if he could get a ride back to McKinley's later in the night, police reports say.

The man pulled into a parking space and two men-- one wearing a black bandanna, the other a green bandanna-- walked up to the car, pointed a gun at both men and demanded "everything," police reports say.

The robbers stole $300, a cellphone and keys to his house and Jeep, according to police reports.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments section.CLEVELAND, Ohio - Where do you stand your ground on guns? Here's where I stand.

I believe that self-defense is a constitutional right as well as personal responsibility.

I believe that armed law-abiding citizens should have the right to own and carry guns after they have passed all applicable federal background checks.

I believe that armed law-abiding citizens should have the right to defend their property with a gun when facing an active threat from criminals.

I believe that armed law-abiding citizens should have the right to defend their lives or the lives of others when facing a dangerous criminal threat.

That being clear, the stand your ground laws are where I draw a big red line. These reckless self-defense laws are dangerous for America. Stand your ground laws, now active in nearly two dozen states, exempt gun holders from a requirement to attempt to retreat from escalating violence before resorting to deadly force.

Why are these laws dangerous? Simple. As an increasing number of states jump on the stand your ground bandwagon, more violent provocateurs, bigots, cowards or haters of any stripe are now reasonably emboldened to use the cover of law to spark dangerous encounters and engage in violence.

Such a scenario is now playing out in Florida. Michael Drejka, a 47-year-old Florida man, shot and killed Markeis McGlockton, 26, after the two engaged in a brief confrontation in a Clearwater convenient store parking lot last month.

Drejka initiated the conflict. He aggressively approached McGlockton's partner, who sat in a car with two of the couple's children, while McGlockton and a third child went into the store. Drejka angrily approached the woman's car and profanely demanded that she move the vehicle from a parking space reserved for disabled motorists.

According to the store's owner, Drejka routinely took it upon himself to cruise that particular parking lot and to self-police the disabled parking spot.

When McGlockton noticed the confrontation involving his girlfriend, he hurriedly left the store, approached Drejka and forcibly pushed the older man to the ground. He then tried to take a step back to assess the situation.

It was too late. His execution was already underway. In the time it takes to draw a gun and aim, Drejka shot McGlockton in the chest, fatally wounding him in front of his family. The father of three died before he could be transported to a hospital.

The next day, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said that there would be no charges brought against Drejka. He said the shooting was ruled justifiable under Florida's stand your ground law.

It didn't matter that Drejka had initiated the confrontation. It didn't matter that McGlockton only engaged Drejka after it was clear that the man had frightened McGlockton's girlfriend and their children. The only factor that appeared to matter in this stunning prelude to a homicide was that Drejka feared for his life.

"The law on 'stand your ground' is clear," said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.

"The Florida legislature has created a standard, that is a largely subjective standard. This is not an objective 'what I would do, what you would do, what the public would do, what somebody else would do?' This is more of a subjective standard, and the person's subjective determination of the circumstances they were in."

The NRA and the Republican lawmakers who drafted Florida's stand your ground law strongly disagreed with Gualtieri's interpretation of the law.

"'Stand your ground' uses a reasonable-person standard. It's not that you were just afraid. It's an objective standard, " said State Sen. Dennis Baxley, who sponsored the law in 2005.

That's the problem with stand your ground laws. What is a reasonable person? What is a reasonable person when it comes to guns, fears and possible racial animus?

Ohio lawmakers are considering adding Ohio to the growing list of states that have adopted stand your ground laws. Legislators should proceed with extreme caution, while keeping a close eye on what just happened in Florida.

A wanna-be parking lot vigilante killed a man because of a fight started over a parking space. The maximum fine that Florida charges for illegal parking in a handicap space is $250.

Drejka made it an instant death sentence.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- President Donald Trump is gearing up for a visit to Central Ohio in the final days before next Tuesday's special congressional election is held there, four Republican sources told cleveland.com.

Trump's political operation is planning for a visit to Delaware County on Saturday afternoon in an effort to boost State Sen. Troy Balderson, the Republican candidate running for Ohio's 12th Congressional District. One source said the Delaware County Fairgrounds is the planned location, but details remain unconfirmed.

Balderson is running against Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor, a Democrat, in a race that has the appearances of being surprisingly competitive. The seat was vacated earlier this year by Republican Rep. Pat Tiberi, who took a job with a business group in Columbus. The district runs from Mansfield south to north Columbus before turning left into Licking County and Zanesville. In 2016, Trump won the district, a mix of affluent suburbs, farmland and some rural communities, by 11 points.

Outside groups have been pouring money into the race in the past week, federal elections filings show, including two new filings on Tuesday showing six-figure investments from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Republican National Committee. There's been a lack of public polling in the race, but O'Connor's campaign has released internal polling showing a tight contest.

Vice President Mike Pence visited Newark, east of Columbus, in a effort to boost Balderson on Monday.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- On his week's episode of Buckeye Talk, Doug, Bill and Tim preview Ohio State fall camp, talk with ESPN's Adam Rittenberg about the Buckeyes and the Big Ten, discuss Doug's column on Jim Harbaugh and Michigan, update Zach Harrison's recruitment and answer your questions.

You can always submit questions via Twitter to the @BuckeyeTalkPod account. You can also now submit questions, comments and complaints via email to BuckeyeTalkPod@gmail.com.

Before listening to the podcast below, make sure to subscribe to Buckeye Talk at any of these places:

* Buckeye Talk on iTunes

* Buckeye Talk on Google Play

* Buckeye Talk on Stitcher

* Buckeye Talk on SpotifySHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Fire-displaced students from Fernway Elementary School will remain in the district when classes resume Aug. 22 through a "shared space plan" with three other schools.

Under the proposal unveiled at a Shaker Heights school board work session Tuesday evening, more than 300 Fernway students will be relocated to the following buildings:

-- Kindergartners will report to Onaway Elementary

-- First-graders will attend Boulevard Elementary

-- Second-, third- and fourth-graders and special education classes will be at Woodbury Elementary.

Those arrangements will remain in place for the foreseeable future, with interim Superintendent Stephen Wilkins reporting that crews are still several weeks away from removing all debris from the Fernway roof, where the July 10 fire started.

From there, the assessment has to be made on the logistics and cost of a temporary roof, if it is officially determined that the building is not a total loss.

Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction David Glasner called it a "silver lining" that the Fernway students will remain in Shaker, in district buildings and "part of the community."

"There may be tweaks to this plan, but the broad strokes will remain as is," Glasner told the school board and about 100 people in attendance Tuesday night.

A Fernway community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 1) in the Shaker High School Upper Cafeteria.

"Ultimately, the decision was made that our own facilities would be our best bet, and it's still a work in progress," said Fernway Principal Chris Hayward.

Hayward will be assigned to Woodbury, along with most of his school's displaced student body.

A handout provided at Tuesday's meeting explained that rooms for Fernway students were made available by:

-- Relocating intervention specialists at the host schools, as well as other student support service providers, who will "push into" classrooms and work in other building space

-- Relocating single-subject teachers at the host schools, such as world language, music, art and computer design teachers, who will operate out of multiple classrooms

-- Replacing desktop computer labs with Chromebook carts

-- Moving instruction that is typically provided in flexible learning spaces -- such as computer labs, science labs and learning labs -- to classrooms.

The first half-hour of Tuesday's work session was devoted to a discussion of the district's insurance coverage with attorney Bob Rutter, who reviewed the district's insurance plan.

"It looks to be a perfectly adequate policy," Rutter said of the $11 million-plus package.

That includes $9 million for building damage, $2 million for personal property, as well as limited additional coverage for debris removal and $1 million for "extra" expenses.

"Those extra expenses are anything the district spends as a result of a 'loss' that otherwise would not be spent," Rutter said, pointing to costs such as extra buses.

There is also additional building, computer and musical instrument coverage.



"How do you estimate the value on a historic building?" school board President Jeffrey Isaacs asked, to which Rutter replied that these are just some of the "troublesome buckets" that can be encountered.

District Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Bryan Christman said that the insurance company has already given the district a $975,000 advance.

While no cause has been released, Rutter said that the district's insurance carrier will continue to look at any potential negligence leading up to the fire, including by contractors.

In the meantime, Assistant Superintendent Terri L. Breeden said, "we need to be like Queen Elizabeth -- 'keep calm and carry on.'"



First up will be parent-student ice cream socials and classroom tours at the host schools on Aug. 20.CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio -- Country music fans with tickets to Thursday night's Zac Brown Band concert at Blossom Music Center can look forward to a perfect night, with it-can't-get-much-better weather.

The concert is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., when temperatures are still going to be toasty warm around 80 degrees. However, as the sun sets, expect quite a cooldown. By 11 p.m., temperatures will drop to the low 70s. But at least very light winds won't create a cooler breeze.

And for further good news: fans can bring their cowboy boots and leave the rain boots at home. Rain chances are less than 10 percent throughout the concert, and skies will be mostly cloudy.

Keep checking cleveland.com/weather for daily weather updates for Northeast Ohio, and don't forget to submit any weather questions you may have!

Kelly Reardon is cleveland.com's meteorologist. Please follow me on Facebook, Twitter @KellyRWeather and Instagram.Pfizer topped Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit on Tuesday, driven by higher sales of its cholesterol and arthritis drugs, but the biggest U.S. drugmaker lowered its full-year revenue forecast due to a stronger dollar.

The company's rheumatoid arthritis drug, Xeljanz, reported sales of $463 million for the second quarter, beating consensus estimates of $432 million, according to brokerage SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Sales of cholesterol-lowering medicine Lipitor came in at $521 million, easily topping estimate of $466 million.

Earlier this month, Pfizer said it would defer price hikes on around 40 of its drugs for no more than six months, after Chief Executive Officer Ian Read spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Since then, other major drugmakers, including Merck & Co , Eli Lilly and Novartis, have made similar announcements.

On Tuesday, Pfizer said it now expects 2018 revenue of between $53 billion and $55 billion, compared with a prior forecast of $53.5 billion to $55.5 billion.

The company is the latest U.S. drugmaker to trim its annual revenue forecast due to a strengthening dollar. Johnson & Johnson also slightly lowered its full-year sales forecast, citing the strong currency.

Pfizer has said it would reorganize itself and create a separate consumer healthcare unit, a business the New York-based company has been trying to sell since last year.

Net income rose 26 percent to $3.87 billion, or 65 cents per share, in the second quarter.

Excluding special items, Pfizer earned 81 cents per share, beating analysts' average estimate of 74 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue rose 4.4 percent to $13.47 billion, ahead of expectations of $13.31 billion.

The company raised its full-year adjusted earnings per share forecast to between $2.95 and $3.05, from $2.90 to $3.00 earlier.

Pfizer said the new forecast reflects $6.1 billion worth of share repurchases already completed in 2018.

Shares of the New York-based company fell slightly to $38.45 in premarket trading.Private payrolls in the U.S. increased by more than expected last month as companies get a boost from lower corporate taxes, ADP and Moody's Analytics said Wednesday. Jobs in the U.S. increased by 219,000 in July, while economists polled by Reuters expected a gain of 185,000. July's job gains were the best since February, when 241,000 jobs were added. Jobs growth for the previous month was also revised up to 181,000 from 177,000. "The job market is booming, impacted by the deficit-financed tax cuts and increases in government spending," said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, in a statement. "Tariffs have yet to materially impact jobs, but the multinational companies shed jobs last month, signaling the threat."

Medium-sized businesses, which employ 50 to 499 people, added the most payrolls in July as they created 119,000. Larger businesses, meanwhile, expanded their payrolls by 48,000. Small businesses, which employ one to 49 people, say payrolls grow by 52,000. Service-providing companies expanded their payrolls by 177,000, led by gains in education and health services as well as professional services. Education and health services payrolls grew by 48,000 last month, while professional services created 47,000 jobs. Information technology, however, lost 1,000 payrolls in July. Meanwhile, the goods-producing sector saw payrolls increase by 42,000, led by a 23,000 gain in manufacturing jobs and 17,000 additions in construction. "The labor market is on a roll with no signs of a slowdown in sight," said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute. "Nearly every industry posted strong gains and small business hiring picked up." The job gains come as Corporate America enjoys lower taxes compared to last year. In December, the Trump administration slashed the federal corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent.Amazon's cloud service is locking its customers into bigger and longer-term contracts, signaling a deeper commitment from its already market-leading user-base.

Amazon disclosed in its latest quarterly report that it had $16 billion in backlog revenue for Amazon Web Services, up from the previous quarter's $12.4 billion. The average length of those remaining contracts also extended from 3.2 years to 3.5 years in its latest quarter.

Backlog revenue is a non-balance sheet item that represents the total value of future contract obligations. Amazon describes it as "commitments in customer contracts for future services that have not yet been recognized." The remaining balance gets recognized as revenue once the service is billed and delivered.

In AWS's case, it means at least $16 billion worth of contracts will likely get recognized over the next 3.5 years. By way of comparison, Microsoft's "contracted not recognized revenue" was $61 billion as of the end of March, 60 percent of which it expects to recognize over the next 12 months. Salesforce said it had $20 billion worth of "performance obligations" under contract in May.

The growth in AWS' backlog revenue and average contract length is the latest indication of a major shift in Amazon's cloud business. As opposed to a pay-as-you-go model largely catering to startups, AWS is now signing up a growing number of multi-year contracts that are preferred by big enterprise customers. Amazon started disclosing its backlog revenue for the first time in April.

"It suggests AWS is getting big customers to lock-in for longer," Menlo Ventures' Matt Murphy told CNBC. "That's a strong statement about their leadership in the market."

AWS is the largest cloud provider, accounting for roughly a third of the market, according to Synergy research Group. The majority of its revenue still comes from users that pay by the hour, based on their actual usage. But the growth in backlog revenue signals more companies are committing to long-term contracts  giving AWS a more predictable base revenue every quarter.

When asked about the growth in backlog revenue during Amazon's earnings call, CFO Brian Olsavsky said he's "very happy" with the results, saying it's in part driven by more customers "branching out" to other AWS products, including software in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and database.

"They start small and then they continue to build and shift their businesses to us, and a large number have gone all-in on AWS," Olsavsky said.California Governor Jerry Brown Getty Images

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday called the wildfire situation in the state part of "the new normal." He said California has the money to fight fires today, but cautioned things could get tighter in coming years due to a likely downturn. More than a dozen major wildfires are burning in the state, including the monster Carr fire in Northern California that has already destroyed more than 1,000 homes and killed six people. Seventeen large fires have burned more than 250,000 acres and thousands of residents still are evacuated. "So far, this fire activity is a small part of our very large budget but it is a growing part and will continue to grow as we adapt to the changing weather," Brown said during a news conference about wildfires at the State Operations Center in Mather, California. Through last Friday, California had already spent $115 million on emergency firefighting since the start of the July 1 fiscal year, or about one-fourth of the state's $442.8 million annual so-called e-fund budget. However, if the state's fire costs exceed its e-fund budget in fiscal 2018-19, California can tap into its traditional budget reserves. "There's money in this year's budget," Brown said, noting that the state is experiencing its ninth year of recovery. "We have a rainy day fund. We're not down to our last dollar at this point." However, the governor conceded that the state will at some point experience a downturn in the economy that likely will change its fiscal situation. When that happens, he said the state could resort to borrowing if needed.

More destructive fires and more billions spent

"Things will get much tighter in the next five years as the business cycle turns negative and as the fires continue," Brown said. "Maybe the fires will pause for a year or two, but over a decade or so we will have more fire, more destructive fire, more billions will have to be spent on it." Still, even when the state's fiscal situation gets "tough," he said, "there's always available borrowings" the state can tap to get funds. More than 13,000 firefighters currently are on the lines battling the large wildfires across California, state officials said Wednesday. They also said California has reached out to other states as far away as Maine and to other countries for fire assistance. "There's a tremendous effort fighting these fires," Brown told reporters. He also called the fire situation "the new normal that we have to face." The Democratic governor, a critic of President Donald Trump, was asked if he's had contact with anyone in the administration about the fire situation. Brown said he was in contact this past week with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to discuss the wildfires. "It's always pleasant when I talk to her," Brown said. "She's a very congenial interlocutor." As for the Carr fire, crews have been making progress on the blaze about 220 miles north of San Francisco. The fire in Shasta and Trinity counties has already charred more than 115,000 acres and was 35 percent contained Wednesday morning. Other large wildfires in Northern California include two blazes in and around the Mendocino National Forest. Together, the two Mendocino region fires have burned nearly 91,000 acres and burned homes in the Scotts Valley area of Lake County. There's also the Ferguson fire now in its 20th day burning near the Yosemite National Park as well as the arson-caused Cranston fire in Southern California. It was listed as 89 percent contained Wednesday.

Big air tankers could make a big differenceThings keep getting worse for Chipotle Mexican Grill.

An Ohio man sued Chipotle on Tuesday as state health officials investigate a "possible foodborne illness outbreak" stemming from one of the burrito chain's locations in Powell, Ohio, according to the lawsuit obtained by CNBC. Local health officials have received more than 500 calls so far  reporting nausea, diarrhea and fever, among other symptoms, after eating at the restaurant.

Plaintiff Filip Syzller is asking for $25,000 after he purchased three chicken tacos on July 29 from Chipotle and then started experiencing nausea, headaches and hot flashes, according to the lawsuit filed in Delaware County in Ohio. He was undergoing medical treatment, the lawsuit says.

"The health and safety of our customers and employees is our number one priority," Chipotle said in a statement to CNBC when asked for a comment on the suit. "We have been working with local officials to investigate and will continue to do so."

The company had told CNBC on Tuesday morning that the local health department received just two illness complaints. On Wednesday, the Delaware General Health District said it received 518 inquiries related to the outbreak and had delivered 33 stool sample kits to people who reported they were ill.As refreshed trade-related concerns drove stocks lower on Wednesday, all CNBC's could see were "endless buying opportunities."

"We saw the banks get slaughtered when rates were going lower," the "Mad Money" host said. "Now rates are going higher again  and the Fed signaled today that they're going to keep rising  the banks are superb investments."

The retail stocks also became somewhat "hated" on Wednesday as sellers took to the sector on worries that business isn't as strong as it seems.

But, as illustrated by his comments on Tuesday, Cramer wasn't buying it.

"I think the last three months are the least important months of the year for retail, and I do believe that back-to-school will be quite robust," he told investors. "That means you'll have a lot places to win."

Cramer added that he thought the retailers would remain safe investments despite the Trump administration's announcement that it is considering a 25 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports.

"I know there are concerns about the new tariffs if they're put in place. Won't they hurt retailers? I'm not as worried as many others because I see them moving private-label apparel business out of the People's Republic for manufacturing into other countries," he said. "I suggest you use this weakness to buy those stocks."

And when it comes to the industrial stocks, many of which have undergone drastic swings on every conflicting piece of tariff news, the "Mad Money" host advised that only hardened investors should take on the volatility.

"All I can say is that you shouldn't own these industrials unless you think that we're going to win the trade war relatively soon," he said. "I think we will, as long as people remember that winning doesn't necessarily mean that China has to lose. I think it just means that we get to win as much as they do."

All things considered, investors who can't handle volatility  or stay focused enough to use weakness as a chance to buy  should probably stay away from stock-picking for the time being, Cramer said.

"If you can't deal with the volatility, if you can't use the panic attacks to buy, go all index funds, will ya? Because the moves will only be exacerbated until the Chinese blink, and then you'll catch a move that could be extraordinarily bullish," he concluded. "But until that happens, the forecast remains delicious pleasure followed by maximum pain."European bourses closed lower on Wednesday as optimism over earnings failed to offset concerns over trade tensions.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed provisionally down 0.45 percent with the different sectors moving mostly lower. Automotive stocks led the losses, down 2.37 percent, and basic resources were among the worst performers, off by 1.61 percent, after reports that the Trump administration could slap a 25 percent tariff on $200 billion of imported Chinese goods.

Looking across the benchmark, Telenet Group rose 6.61 percent, after proposing a gross dividend of about 5.2 euros per share. Air France-KLM also jumped 4.17 percent after posting results above expectations despite several workers' strikes during the quarter.

BBA Aviation was near the bottom of the index, off by 11.429 percent, after reporting a drop of 11 percent on pretax profit.

Stateside, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose Wednesday as shares of Apple soared on strong quarterly results. Traders are speculating whether Apple could be the first big tech giant to reach a $1 trillion market cap. The U.S. Federal Reserve is to release its decision on interests rates for the world's largest economy at 2 p.m. E.D.T.Ferrari shares dropped about 10 percent on Wednesday after its new CEO said its financial targets to 2022 are "aspirational."

Louis Camilleri made this remark in a conference call with analysts to discuss second-quarter earnings results, released Wednesday before the bell. The company announced in February that it would double core earnings to 2 billion euros by 2022.

Before the conference call, the company's stock rose slightly before paring gains following Ferrari's strong second-quarter results. The automaker reported 84 euro cents in adjusted diluted earnings per share, up 17 percent from last year's numbers. Although revenues were down 1.6 percent from last year's second quarter, the company said in its release that the 906 million euros in sales for its second quarter was actually up 1.4 percent if currency fluctuations were eliminated.

Ferrari named Camilleri, former chairman and CEO of Philip Morris International and a Ferrari board member, as CEO in July. This was his first time presenting earnings for the Italian company.

Camilleri was named CEO after Sergio Marchionne suffered complications following a surgery. Marchionne, who was also CEO of Fiat Chrysler, died on July 25.

Ferrari shares are now on pace for its worst day since February 2016. The company will announce its plan and initiatives to achieve its 2022 targets on Sept. 17 and 18.Last summer, I had one of those "$400 emergencies," except in my case it could have been a four-figure emergency, and a potentially life-threatening one to boot. A primary care physician found a lump and sent me to a specialist, who sent me to a cancer specialist, who thought I might have a tumor. "You need an MRI," he told me. My immediate reaction wasn't just to worry about a malignancy. I also worried about the bills. Living in a big city with small children, my husband and I work hard to pay for the costs of daily life while also saving enough for retirement, college and the unknown. We're acutely aware that one of the biggest bombs that can get thrown into your budget these days is a medical bill. Even with a family health insurance plan for which we pay a steep premium each month, we know we're only partially protected. That's because, like , we have an even steeper annual deductible to cover before coverage kicks in, plus coinsurance and copays. So I set out to get a better deal. I found out what the MRI I needed would cost me at the hospital to which the cancer specialist referred me, and then I did some research, found cheaper alternatives and booked the scan at one of those instead. It may sound straightforward  what's more American than shopping around?  but almost no one does it, new research from the National Bureau of Economic Research finds: "Despite significant out-of-pocket cost exposure, patients often received care in high-priced locations when lower priced options were available. Fewer than 1 percent of individuals used a price transparency tool to search for the price of their services in advance of care."

Why comparing prices for health care matters

The hospital where I was sent to get my MRI could charge $2,000 or even $3,000 for the scan. I had no way to know. The average cost in the U.S. is $1,119, according to a 2014 survey by the International Federation of Health Plans, and everything in New York City is notoriously expensive. (By contrast, the scan costs only $130, on average, in Spain and $215 in Australia.) No one said anything to me about price when scheduling the scan. And yet, because of my cost-sharing responsibilities as the patient, I would be responsible for a significant amount of whatever the bill turned out to be. Indeed, the cost of health care is now Americans' top financial concern, Gallup reports. In 2016, 40 percent of Americans with employer-based coverage had something that qualified as a high-deductible health plan, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's up from 24 percent in 2011. That means millions of people are materially affected by the prices of scans like MRIs, and, assuming the trend continues, millions more will have to start caring very soon.

Fewer than 1 percent of individuals used a price transparency tool to search for the price of their services in advance of care. NBER report

But the problem is not just that health care is expensive in America. As Sarah Kliff reports for Vox, the prices are also secret. That makes it very difficult to shop around and try to find reasonable care at a price you can afford. Given that more than half of Americans, 57 percent, , one expensive scan could wipe them out. That's why impassioned activists like Clear Health Costs' founder and CEO, Jeanne Pinder, have been trying for years to make prices more transparent  and perhaps even bring them down. Pinder recently wrote about a Louisiana woman who saved nearly $4,000 on an MRI by using CHC data, much of which is crowdsourced. Not surprisingly, prices in New York City also vary a lot. If I hadn't gone comparison shopping, I discovered, I would have ended up getting soaked.

How to find a better price

Using CHC, I looked for a list of local MRI providers. The cheapest scan I found was about $400  but it was exclusively for patients who were willing to bypass insurance altogether and pay cash. That's common, according to Pinder: Data show that getting insurance companies involved often "raises rates." America's for-profit health insurance system is part of the reason why people in the U.S. pay $3.4 trillion a year for medical care and, unfortunately, don't get impressive results. (Per capita health care spending is Canada is $4,500, or half of what it is in the U.S., and citizens there have better outcomes as well as longer life expectancy.) Being willing to cut out the middleman and pay directly can get you a better deal on your health care, "especially if you have a high deductible," Pinder says. The difference in cost effectively amounts to "a penalty for having insurance." Still, since it made sense for me to pay down my family's deductible, I tried to find a place that would charge my insurance company a reasonable fee. It wasn't easy. As Pinder puts it, usually "if you call someone and ask how much an MRI is, they'll hang up on you."Participants at Intel's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Day stand in front of a poster during the event in the Indian city of Bangalore on April 4, 2017. Manjunath Kiran | AFP | Getty Images

When people think of artificial intelligence (AI), scenes of android killers and computers-gone-rogue often come to mind. Hollywood films like "Blade Runner" and "The Terminator" franchise have instilled in us a sense of dread at the thought of an AI going against its programming and turning on humans. For an industry that could generate over $1 trillion in business value this year, and almost $4 trillion by 2022, any major doubts over its ethical implications could hold significant consequences. AI is a buzzword that gets tossed around often in the business world and in the media, but it is already having tangible effects for a slew of industries  not least those that rely on a significant amount of manual labor. As AI comes increasingly closer to maturity, and businesses continue to ramp up investments in it, some worry that not enough attention is being paid to the broader social and moral implications of the technology. CNBC spoke with some experts to see what they think are the five scariest potential future scenarios for AI.

A worker assembles railroad crossing signals at the Siemens Rail Automation manufacturing facility in Louisville, Kentucky. Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Mass unemployment

A common fear among analysts, and indeed workers, is the likelihood that AI will result in mass global unemployment as jobs increasingly become automated and human labor is no longer required. "Job losses are probably the biggest worry," said Alan Bundy, a professor at the University of Edinburgh's school of informatics. According to Bundy, job losses are the primary reason for the rise of populism around the world  he cites the election of President Donald Trump and the U.K.'s decision to withdraw from the European Union as examples. "There will be a need for humans to orchestrate a collection of narrow-focused apps, and to spot the edge cases that none of them can deal with, but this will not replace the expected mass unemployment  at least not for a very long time," he added. Proponents of AI say that the technology will lead to the creation of new kinds of jobs. The need for engineers will be heightened, as the sophistication of new technology requires the right talent to develop it. Humans will also have to use AI, advocates say, in order to perform new functions in their day-to-day roles. Research firm Gartner predicts that AI will create 2.3 million jobs and eliminate 1.8 million  a net increase of 500,000 jobs  by 2020. That doesn't throw out the fact that it would result in steep layoffs around the world. A frequently referenced 2013 study by Oxford University points out that some of the most replaceable jobs include brokerage clerks, bank tellers, insurance underwriters and tax preparers  critical, though less skilled, occupations that keep the financial industry in motion. Although it is possible to minimize the damage to the labor market from AI through upskilling and the invention of new jobs  and perhaps even introducing a universal basic income  it's clear the issue of job losses will not go away anytime soon.

A robot distributes promotional literature calling for a ban on fully autonomous weapons in Parliament Square. Oli Scarff | Getty Images

War

The advent of so-called "killer robots" and other uses of AI in military applications has experts worried the technology could end up resulting in war. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, known for his outspoken views on AI, warned last year that the technology could result in World War III. Though known for his hyperbole, Musk's comment channeled a very real fear for experts. Some analysts and campaigners contend that the development of lethal autonomous weapons and the use of AI in military decision-making creates a multitude of ethical dilemmas, and opens the possibility of AI-enhanced  or AI-led  wars. There's even a group of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) dedicated to banning such machines. The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, set up in 2013, calls on governments to prevent the development of AI-powered drones and other vehicles. Frank van Harmelen, an AI researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, said that although he did not believe using the word "scary" to describe AI was entirely accurate, the use of these weapons should scare anyone. "The only area where I genuinely think the word 'scary' applies is autonomous weapon systems... systems that may or may not look like a robot," Harmelen said. "Any computer system, AI or not, that automatically decides on matters of life and death  for example, by launching a missile  is a really scary idea." Earlier this year, the U.S. defense think-tank Rand Corporation warned in a study that the use of AI in military applications could give rise to a nuclear war by 2040. The thinking behind that bold prediction was that the chance of a military AI system making a mistake in its analysis of a situation could lead nations to take rash and potentially catastrophic decisions. Those worries arose from an infamous incident in 1983, when former Soviet military officer Stanislav Petrov noticed that Russian computers had incorrectly put out a warning that the U.S. had launched nuclear missiles, averting nuclear war.

Robo doctors

While experts are mostly in agreement about the benefits AI will provide medical practitioners  such as diagnosing illnesses very early on and speeding up the overall healthcare experience  some doctors and academics are wary we could be headed in the direction of data-driven medical practices too fast. One fear among academics is that people are expecting too much of AI, assuming it can form the kind of general intelligence that humans possess to solve a broad range of tasks. "All the successful AI applications to date are incredibly successful, but in a very narrow range of application," said the University of Edinburgh's Bundy. According to Bundy, these expectations could have potentially dire consequences for an industry like healthcare. "A medical diagnosis app, which is excellent at heart problems, might diagnose a cancer patient with some rare kind of heart problem, with potentially fatal results," he said. Just last week, a report by health-focused publication Stat cited internal IBM documents showing that the tech giant's Watson supercomputer had made multiple "unsafe and incorrect" cancer treatment recommendations. According to the article, the software was trained only to deal with a small number of cases and hypothetical scenarios rather than actual patient data. "We created Watson Health three years ago to bring AI to some of the biggest challenges in healthcare, and we are pleased with the progress we're making," an IBM spokesperson told CNBC. "Our oncology and genomics offerings are used by 230 hospitals around the world and have supported care for more than 84,000 patients, which is almost double the number of patients as of the end of 2017." The spokesperson added: "At the same time, we have learned and improved Watson Health based on continuous feedback from clients, new scientific evidence and new cancers and treatment alternatives. This includes 11 software releases for even better functionality during the past year, including national guidelines for cancers ranging from colon to liver cancer." Another concern is that the volume of data gobbled up by computers and shared about  as well as the data-driven algorithms that automate applications by using that data  could hold ethical implications over the privacy of patients. The dawn of big data, now a multi-billion dollar industry covering everything from trading to hospitality, means that the amount of personal information that can be collected by machines has ballooned to an unfathomable size. The phenomenon is being touted as a breakthrough for the mapping out of various diseases, predicting the likelihood of someone getting seriously ill and examining treatment ahead of time. But concerns over how much data is stored and where it is being shared are proving problematic. Take DeepMind, for example. The Google-owned AI firm signed a deal with the U.K.'s National Health Service in 2015, giving it access to the health data of 1.6 million British patients. The scheme meant that patients handed their data over to the company in order to improve its programs' ability to detect illnesses. It led to the creation of an app called Streams, aimed at monitoring patients with kidney diseases and alerting clinicians when a patient's condition deteriorates. But last year, U.K. privacy watchdog the Information Commissioner's Office ruled that the contract between the NHS and DeepMind "failed to comply with data protection law." The ICO said that London's Royal Free Hospital, which worked with DeepMind as part of the agreement, was not transparent about the way patients' data would be used.

The object detection and tracking technology developed by SenseTime is displayed on a screen at the Artificial Intelligence Exhibition & Conference in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, April 4, 2018. Bloomberg | Getty Images

Mass surveillance

Experts also fear that AI could be used for mass surveillance. In China, that fear appears to be becoming a reality. In various Chinese municipalities, the combination of facial recognition technology and AI is being used to the benefit of authorities to clamp down on crime. The world superpower is known for its social authoritarianism, with the late Chairman Mao Zedong's cult of personality still being very much pervasive throughout the land, four decades after his death. And critics say that the nation's push toward total surveillance is nothing short of an Orwellian nightmare. China is currently home to an estimated 200 million surveillance cameras, according to a New York Times report published earlier this month. It is also the only country in the world rolling out a "social credit system" that tracks the activities of citizens to rank them with scores that can determine whether they can barred from accessing everything from plane flights to certain online dating services. China, which is vying to be the global leader in AI by 2030, wants to boost the value of its AI sector to 1 trillion yuan ($146.6 billion). The country is pouring billions into the sector to help push this ambition. One company leading the amalgamation of AI and facial recognition tech is SenseTime. Thought to be the world's most valuable AI start-up, with a valuation of $4.5 billion, Alibaba-backed SenseTime provides authorities in Guangzhou and the province of Yunnan with AI-powered facial identification. SenseTime says on its website that Guangzhou's public security bureau has identified more than 2,000 crime suspects since 2017 with the help of the technology. Toby Walsh, professor of AI at the University of New South Wales, said that surveillance was "high up" on his list of the frightening ramifications arising from AI.

Twitter

Discrimination

Some readers may remember Tay, an AI chatbot created by Microsoft that caused a stir two years ago. The bot was given a Twitter account, and it took less than a day for users to train it to post offensive tweets supporting Adolf Hitler and white supremacy. The problem here was the fact that the chatbot was trained to mimic users interacting with it online. Considering the oftentimes dark nature of some corners of the internet, it could be said the offending tweets were unsurprising. The blunder forced Microsoft to pull the account. Although the incident proved somewhat humorous, it ignited serious debate about the potential for AI to become prejudiced. Walsh said that discrimination was one of a number of "unexpected consequences" to expect from the technology. "We're seeing this with unintended bias in algorithms, especially machine-learning that threatens to bake in racial, sexual, and other biases that we've spent the last 50-plus years trying to remove from our society," he said. The issue, experts say, relates to the feasibility of making AI an objective, rational thinker, void of bias in favor of one particular race, gender or sexuality. It's something researchers and developers have been thinking about seriously, examining things like the way facial recognition technology appears better at discerning white faces than black ones, and how language-processing AI systems can exhibit bias, associating certain genders and races with stereotypical roles. IBM even has researchers dedicated to tackling discrimination in AI, and earlier this year said it would release two datasets containing a diverse range of faces with different skin tones and other facial attributes to reduce bias in AI-powered facial recognition systems.

WATCH: This is how smart home devices actually workMichael Avenatti is free to to keep talking.

A federal judge has rejected a request by former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to issue a gag order on porn star Stormy Daniel's attorney.

Daniels is suing Trump and Cohen over a nondisclosure agreement related to her alleged affair in 2006 with the president. Judge S. James Otero's ruling means Avenatti, who is one of the most visible and vocal foes of Trump and Cohen, will get to keep up a blistering fusillade of criticism in what is now a multifront legal war against the president and his former attorney.

Tweet

The ruling came Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, where Daniels is seeking to be released from her hush-money deal with Cohen and Trump. She is also suing Trump for allegedly defaming her. The president called her claim that she was threatened by someone who mentioned Trump a "con job."

Cohen's lawyers had argued that Avenatti's more than 170 TV appearances and 439 public tweets about the facts and circumstances of the case created a risk of prejudice against Trump's former personal attorney.

Cohen had paid Daniels $130,000 on the eve of the 2016 presidential election for her agreement to keep mum about Trump.

Otero said he shared concerns expressed by another judge "about the extent and manner of Mr. Avenatti's publicity tour." But he also said Cohen had failed to describe how publicity sought by Avenatti "would affect his right to a fair trial in this action," where no trial date has even been set yet.

"It is far from clear that the publicity in this case would affect the outcome of a trial that may happen, if at all, months down the road," the judge wrote.

Otero also noted that the Supreme Court "has made clear that prior restraints" on a person's free speech "are the most serious and least tolerable infringement on First Amendment rights."

The judge also noted that Cohen was seeking a gag order against only Avenatti, which would "plausibly" bar Avenatti "from commenting on matters that are not substantially likely to have a materially prejudicial effect on these proceedings."

Avenatti told CNBC on Wednesday that, "We are pleased that the court saw the request for what it was  an attempt to silence me and prevent me from speaking the truth to the public."

Cohen's lawyer Brent Blakely declined to comment.

The White House has denied that Trump had sex with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. The White House likewise has denied that Trump had an affair with another woman, Playboy model Karen McDougal. McDougal received a payment in 2016 from the publisher of The National Enquirer for her story about the alleged trysts, but the tabloid never ran an article about her claims.

The payments to both women are being eyed by federal prosecutors in New York who are investigating the 51-year-old Cohen. Evidence related to both payments were seized from Cohen's files in April during a raid on his residences and office by the FBI.

Prosecutors are looking at the question of whether the payments to Daniels and McDougal violated federal election law. Cohen has not been charged in that case.

Avenatti, meanwhile, has used court hearings related to the probe, as well as another events linked to the investigation, as opportunities to blast Trump and Cohen.

In June, New York federal Judge Kimba Wood, who is overseeing matters related to the items seized from Cohen, told Avenatti that if she admitted him to argue at further court proceedings in the case "you would have to stop doing some of the things you have been doing."

"If you participate here, you would not be able to declare your opinion on Mr. Cohen's guilt, which you did. You would would not be able to give publicity to documents that are not public," Wood said. "It would change your conduct."

Avenatti, in the face of those comments, withdrew his request to be admitted into the case.Italy's top insurer Assicurazioni Generali said on Wednesday its net profit in the first half rose 8.8 percent to beat expectations, boosted by disposals.

Europe's third largest insurer said it expected to raise more than 1.5 billion euros ($1.75 billion) from asset disposals carried out, above a target of 1.0 billion euros.

Net profits in the period came in at 1.329 billion euros, above an analyst forecast provided by the company of 1.286 billion euros.If the U.S.-China trade war escalates, investors should be betting on domestic-focused U.S. stocks, according to Goldman Sachs.

If the tensions ease, however, China-exposed companies would likely outperform, the bank said in a report released Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs analysis highlighted S&P 500 companies that have notable levels of revenue or asset exposure to the China.

"If trade tensions continue to rise and new tariffs are proposed and implemented, stocks with the highest domestic sales exposure should outperform," said the report, which was authored by Goldman chief U.S. equity strategist David Kostin and others from the bank.

If tensions moderate, then investors should look at stocks with over 10 percent revenue or asset exposure to Greater China, Goldman said. Those companies with significant Chinese sales are "at risk from continued escalation of the trade war," and most are concentrated in the information technology sector, specifically semiconductors and related equipment, the bank said.

In 2017, companies in the S&P 500 index derived 30 percent of their revenues from international sources  including 8 percent of the total from Asia Pacific and 10 percent from Europe. The information technology sector has the highest international revenue exposure at 60 percent, followed by the materials sector at 49 percent, the report said.

According to Goldman, some of the companies with the highest sales exposure to Greater China include:

"Top-line growth for these firms will likely come under pressure if China imposes retaliatory tariffs. Such tariffs would drive up the price paid by consumers in Greater China," the report said, referring to the region that includes mainland China, Taiwan, and special administrative regions like Hong Kong.

For investors looking out for S&P stocks with the highest domestic revenue exposure, those would be mostly in the telecommunications, consumer, financials and health-care sectors, according to the report.

Those include:

"The most domestic-facing stocks typically outperform as US growth strengthens relative to the rest of the world. The recent trend of stronger US GDP growth has helped domestic-facing stocks outperform foreign-facing stocks," the report added.

On July 6, U.S. tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese products took effect, and China retaliated with duties on the same value of American goods. Following this, the Trump administration said it was preparing possible tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods.From chop suey to pizza and sushi to curry, ordering takeout is one of lifes small pleasures.

Today, technological advances are transforming the way we order and pay for food in a number of ways. Rather than call a restaurant up to place an order over the phone, consumers can now select and purchase their favourite dish in a matter of seconds using smartphones, tablets and computers.



One business that has been at the forefront of this technological shift is Just Eat, which started in a Danish basement in 2001 but now boasts 24 million customers globally and more than 3,300 employees.



The core of Just Eats business model is relatively simple: it offers an online platform that allows restaurants to upload their menus. Consumers log on to the site, browse whats on offer close to where they live, and then order and pay online or in cash. The food is delivered to their door, with the restaurant paying Just Eat a commission.



We have a consumer app which is where the user goes and orders, Fernando Fanton, the companys chief product and technology officer, told CNBCs Juliet Mann. We make it very easy for you to find all the restaurants that are available, and also all the dishes.

Fanton added that restaurants on its platform received customers orders via an Orderpad  essentially a tablet  and then prepared dishes for delivery.



He outlined one space that the business was keen to focus on. One platform we have today and we believe might grow quite a bit is voice, whether its with (Amazons) Alexa (or) all the other devices that are coming out.

The vision is really to use voice to almost be that kind of advisor in the middle, suggesting options that you could have for that day, he said. If these types of devices knew what a users interests were, it would make things even easier, he added.



Artificial intelligence (AI) is another area the business is looking at. The predictive capability of AI comes in very handy because it allows you to know two days before, lets say, if its raining or depending on the weather how much demand youre going to have and therefore make sure that you have enough drivers to fulfil that demand.



Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.Richard Yu, chief executive officer of Huawei Technologies Co., holds the Mate 10 Pro smartphone while speaking during the company's keynote event at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Apple reported strong results for its fiscal third quarter on Tuesday but the iPhone-maker lost its position as the world's number-two smartphone vendor, according to multiple analyses. Research firms International Data Corporation (IDC), Counterpoint Research, IHS Markit and Canalys all reported that Chinese smartphone maker Huawei leapfrogged Apple to second place, based on the number of devices both firms shipped in the quarter that ended on June 30. According to preliminary IDC data, Huawei shipped about 54.2 million handsets for the quarter, registering a 40.9 percent on-year growth. Meanwhile, Apple shipped about 41.3 million units for 0.7 percent growth against the comparable year-ago period. The iPhone-maker missed Wall Street's estimate of 41.79 million devices for the quarter.

Those numbers put Huawei with 15.8 percent share of the market and Apple with 12.1 percent, according to IDC. Analysts said that Huawei was adding more top-end features into its flagship smartphones. For example, the company added three cameras on its P20 Pro device. As a result, Huawei is getting "increasing brand recognition in Europe and Asia" that is allowing the company to challenge the likes of Samsung in many price tiers, according to Gerrit Schneemann, senior research analyst for smartphones at IHS Markit.

Research firm Canalys also attributed Huawei's performance for the quarter to strong sales of the P20, as well as the success of its Honor brand. The company said Huawei shipped close to 4 million Honor-branded smartphones outside of China for the quarter, representing a 150 percent increase from the same period last year. "Despite its failure to strike a U.S. carrier partnership earlier this year, (Huawei) has turned around quickly, moving away from its drive for profitability and focusing instead on finding volume growth at the low end," said Mo Jia, a Shanghai-based analyst at Canalys. "Honor, which has long been a major brand in China but relatively small overseas, has taken a pivotal role in this strategy." The smartphone maker, which also makes telecommunication network equipment, has been trying to enter the U.S. market, first through a partnership with AT&T that was ultimately called off. A top Huawei executive raged against American carriers, accusing them of depriving customers of choice. Reports said U.S. lawmakers urged AT&T to pull out of the deal. Earlier this year, top U.S. intelligence officials said they would not advise Americans to use products or services from Huawei, implying that it may have ties to the Chinese government that posed cybersecurity risks to the United States. The company responded by saying it posed no greater cybersecurity risk than any other tech vendor. More recently, the company said it does not see itself becoming the target of U.S. sanctions and will keep buying U.S. chips this year.

Samsung still in the lead

Samsung remained the market leader with 20.9 percent market share after shipping out 71.5 million devices for the quarter, according to IDC data. That said, the South Korean tech giant saw a 10.4 percent annual decline in its smartphone shipments and will likely face difficulties in its mobile business in the coming quarters. IDC noted that it was the first time Apple had not been the number-one or number-two smartphone company in terms of market share since the second quarter of 2010. "It is worth noting that Apple moved into the top position each of the last two holiday quarters following its product refresh, so it's likely we'll see continued movement among the top ranked companies in 2018 and beyond," said Ryan Reith, program vice president at IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers. Overall, the smartphone market saw a 1.8 percent annual decline for the June quarter, according to IDC figures.

WATCH: A look inside smartphone maker Huawei's headquartersThe Indian government has detected tax evasion worth almost half a billion dollars from its landmark sales levy system, the Times of India has reported.

From July 2017 to June 2018, a total of 32,060,000,000 ($441,000,000) had been lost through a total of 1,205 cases, India's Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla told parliament on Tuesday.

The news comes as India's landmark sales tax system, the Goods and Services Tax (GST), turned one year old on July 1. The GST, a major economic reform implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, established a unified sales tax structure across all of India's 29 states in an attempt to curb malpractice and more easily facilitate business flows.

The cases of evasion include misdeclaration on tax returns and tax declared but not paid, among other strategies, Shukla is quoted as saying in the English language Times of India.

Around 4 percent of registered tax payers in India contribute to roughly 80 percent of the total tax collected, the newspaper detailed.

Separately, Shukla said that over 3,630 kilograms of gold worth $157,000,000 had also been seized since the GST was implemented.

For more on this story, see this Times of India report.Amazon is a highly sought after company to work for, and today has well over 500,000 employees.

But in the company's early days  when Amazon's headquarters had only just moved from Jeff Bezos' garage into a downtown Seattle office near a heroin-needle exchange and a porn shop  there were far fewer employees. Amazon was only a team of 10 in 1995, and Bezos was still driving packages to the post office himself.

To ensure that the company would retain high standards as it grew, Bezos outlined a simple, three-question test for hiring new employees in his 1998 letter to shareholders, a year after the online bookseller went public.

"It would be impossible to produce results in an environment as dynamic as the Internet without extraordinary people," Bezos wrote of Amazon's workforce, which in three years had ballooned to 2,100 people. "Setting the bar high in our approach to hiring has been, and will continue to be, the single most important element of Amazon.com's success."

Although written 20 years ago, a representative for Amazon confirmed to CNBC Make It that Bezos' thinking is still a part of the company's framework for hiring today.

Here are his three guiding questions for bringing on new talent, according to the 1998 shareholder letter.

1. "Will you admire this person?"

First, Bezos encourages Amazon recruiters to think about their personal opinion of the candidate.

"I've always tried hard to work only with people I admire, and I encourage folks here to be just as demanding," Bezos writes. "If you think about the people you've admired in your life, they are probably people you've been able to learn from or take an example from."

Bezos isn't alone in his thinking. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also advocates for hiring people whom you respect. "I always tell people that you should only hire people to be on your team if you would work for them," Zuckerberg recently told Recode. Of his own high-ranking employees, like Sheryl Sandberg or Chris Cox, Zuckerberg says, "in an alternate universe, I would be honored to work for any of these people."

2. "Will this person raise the average level of effectiveness of the group they're entering?"

With this question, Bezos is aiming to get a sense of a person's capacity for innovation.

"We want to fight entropy," Bezos writes in the 1998 shareholder letter. "The bar has to continuously go up. I ask people to visualize the company 5 years from now. At that point, each of us should look around and say, 'The standards are so high now  boy, I'm glad I got in when I did!'"

Amazon is known as a demanding work environment, and high standards remain at the core of the company that has made Bezos the richest man in the world.

"Leaders have relentlessly high standards," according to Amazon's statement of its 14 driving principles. "Many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and drive their teams to deliver high quality products, services and processes."

To ensure that it is hiring the best and brightest, Amazon even appoints a group of its current employees as "bar raisers." On top of their day jobs in various sectors of the company, these employees are tasked with providing additional perspective on new hires around culture fit and talent.

3. "Along what dimension might this person be a superstar?"

It's equally important to consider a candidate's individual talents, according to Bezos.

"Many people have unique skills, interests, and perspectives that enrich the work environment for all of us. It's often something that's not even related to their jobs," he writes in the 1998 letter, citing at the time his excitement about having hired a National Spelling Bee champion.

"I suspect it doesn't help her in her everyday work, but it does make working here more fun if you can occasionally snag her in the hall with a quick challenge: 'onomatopoeia!,'" he writes.

Bringing a unique perspective to work is another of Amazon's 14 principles. "Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results," according to the company. "They think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers."

For young people hoping to score a job at Amazon, the company's Worldwide Operations Talent Acquisition Director Sean Kelley tells CNBC Make It that familiarity with those 14 principles is key for getting hired.

"The leadership principles are the playbook," says Kelley. "It's super straightforward All you really have to do is tell us stories that align with those principles and help us help you."

As for Bezos' questions, even beyond Amazon, the list could be a helpful tool to use before any interview. Adora Cheung, a partner at prestigious Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator, says she reflects on the letter before hiring anyone.

Tweet

"It's a great, simple rubric," she says.Charles Koch Patrick T. Fallon | The Washington Post | Getty Images

President Donald Trump is in a war of words with the conservative billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch over their attacks on some key administration policies. Yet, while the Koch brothers and their organization's leaders are willing to fight back against the president when their priorities collide, Koch network donors appear divided on how far they should go to take on Trump. The divisions come at an especially crucial time for conservatives and Republicans. There are under 100 days before this November's midterm elections, and Democrats have broadened the battleground in their pursuit for majorities in the House and Senate.

Trade war blues

Trade is one of the biggest sticking points between Trump and the Koch's, who traditionally support Republican candidates. At a Koch summit in Colorado Springs over the past weekend, many donors griped about the Trump administration's tariffs and the negative impact they could have on the U.S. economy. Still, they generally didn't appear to want to go as far as pledging to support Democratic candidates this fall. On the other hand, Americans for Prosperity, one of the key groups in the larger Koch political organization, has suggested it could do just that. At a Sunday reception for donors attending the summit, Chris Wright, CEO of Denver based Liberty Oilfield Services, and his wife Liz, agreed that Republican candidates should lose support of the network if they back Trump's tariffs. But they laughed off the idea of Democrats taking over the House of Representatives. "Liz has pointed out humorously recently the one good thing about all of this is how Democrats have become pro free trade," Chris Wright said. "But do we think Democrats taking control of the House is going to help the advance of free trade?" he asked. "Absolutely not," Liz Wright interjected. Art Pope, the CEO of privately held Variety Wholesalers and a longtime seminar attendee, claimed the administration's trade policies have left him "less personally satisfied with President Trump" compared with a year ago. But he said he disagrees with recent Senate legislation that would curb the president's authority over trade policy. The groups within the Koch political network, on the other hand, wrote a letter in June calling on congressional lawmakers to support a bill introduced by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, that would scale back Trump's trade authority. "I would rather persuade President Trump that his policies aren't going to accomplish his goals," Pope said when he was asked about the bill.

Pushing for divided government

Others within the network's donor circle took a more combative stance against the president. Real estate executive Paul Jost said he is supporting Democratic candidates this year because he is frustrated with Trump and the Republican Party. "We support a divided government. We think Tip O'Neil and Ronald Reagan worked well together. We think Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich worked well together," he said. "It's time for a change. The country needs to reverse course. Federal Election Commission records for this year show that Jost has backed Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa.; Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala.; and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. But Jost knows he's in the minority in the Koch network, and he said he doesn't think the organization will start backing Democrats because "they might have a revolt from their donors."

Pro-Trump donors

Then there are the donors who are largely pro-Trump, particularly when it comes to his trade policies. They disagree with the network's tactics. Doug Deason, the president of brokerage firm Deason Capital Services, cheered on Trump's tariffs by calling them a "negotiating ploy." "He's a business man and he's negotiating. The problem is when networks like this and Republican politicians so imminently question him, they undermine the negotiating process," Deason said. He later noted he doesn't always agree with the president. Still, the finance executive criticized how the network handled the release of a recent digital ad thanking Sen. Heidi Heitkamp D-N.D., for co-sponsoring a bill that eased Dodd-Frank financial regulations. "They should've sent out a warning ahead of time at least to the big donors, and we would have been fine with that," Deason said. "A lot of people are still pissed off about that, and some people didn't come because they were so pissed off." When confronted with Deason's claim that some donors did not show up because of the roll out of the Heitkamp ad, a spokesman for the network said the summit had record attendance. "We've had the largest summer seminar attendance ever," James Davis said. Later he said he was not aware of donors boycotting the event. The gathering drew 500 financiers to the Colorado Springs event. Each was expected to pony up $100,000 to enter.

New priorities for the KochsNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the defense detachment on Jangjae Islet in this undated picture released by the country's official news agency on May 5, 2017.

The U.S. State Department expects North Korea to continue its march toward denuclearization, a promise made by the rogue regime in June to U.S. President Donald Trump.

"What we are going on is the commitment that Chairman Kim (Jong Un) made to our president, and that is the commitment to denuclearize. That is something that we certainly anticipate that he will hold up his end of the bargain," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters on Tuesday.

The comments come on the heels of a Washington Post report that cited U.S. intelligence officials claiming North Korea has yet to stop producing new ballistic missiles. The report also showed satellite imagery suggesting Pyongyang was continuing to develop develop intercontinental ballistic missiles despite Kim's commitment to Trump in Singapore.

Arms control experts confirmed to NBC News that both satellite photos and U.S. intelligence assessments show that the rogue regime is sprinting to add more missiles to its budding arsenal. The State Department and the Pentagon declined to comment on the intelligence assessments regarding North Korea's missile program.

The Washington Post report comes less than two months after Trump tweeted that North Korea no long posed a nuclear threat.

"There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!," Trump wrote a day after meeting with Kim in Singapore.

TWEET: Just landed - a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged in Senate testimony last week that North Korea is still making fissile material that is used in making nuclear weapons.

"Yes, they [North Korea] continue to produce fissile material, yes," he said, adding that he could not elaborate further on the matter publicly due to the sensitive nature of the matter.

Read more: A timeline of North Korea's defiant rocket launches in 2017

Meanwhile, the top U.S. military commander on the Korean Peninsula said in July that the material needed for North Korea to make nuclear bombs is still intact, even after the historic summit in Singapore aimed at denuclearizing Pyongyang.

North Korea's nuclear "production capability is still intact," Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, the commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, told the recent Aspen Security Forum via teleconference. "We haven't seen a complete shutdown of production yet. We have not seen a removal of fuel rods."

Under Kim, the reclusive state has conducted its most powerful nuclear test, launched its first-ever intercontinental ballistic missile, and threatened to send missiles into the waters near Guam.

Since 2011, North Korea has fired more than 85 missiles and conducted four nuclear weapons tests  which is more than what his father, Kim Jong Il, and grandfather, Kim Il Sung, launched over a period of 27 years.

North Korea remains the only nation to have tested nuclear weapons this century.Rick Gates, former deputy campaign manager for Donald Trump, exits Federal Court in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Feb. 23, 2018.

A federal prosecutor sparked speculation Wednesday that Rick Gates, the "star witness" expected to testify at the trial of former Trump campaign boss Paul Manafort would not actually take the witness stand against his longtime business associate.

Also Wednesday, prosecutors presented detailed evidence about Manafort's ultra-expensive tastes in clothing, silk rugs and watches, even as the trial judge pushed back hard on such tactics, saying prosecutors should not try to convict someone just "because they wear nice suits."

Judge T.S. Ellis III repeatedly prodded prosecutors to speed up the pace of their case, which is only in its second day. Toward the end of the day, a prosecutor told Ellis, "We fully anticipate resting our case in chief next week."

It was one such admonition by Ellis to accelerate the trial that led to an exchange about Gates, a former Trump campaign official himself who is considered crucial to the case being brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. Gates was Manafort's right-hand man in his consulting business.

"He may testify in this case, your honor, he may not," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.

Hearing that, several reporters went scurrying "out of [the courtroom] like rats on a sinking ship," quipped Ellis, to notify their readers of the potential bombshell in the case.

Asonye quickly tried to walk back his remark.

"It's not to suggest that we're not calling him," he said.

The prosecution's possibly flip remark about Gates came a day after Manafort's lawyer in opening statements blamed the allegations against Manafort on "one man: Rick Gates."

Thomas Zehnle said Manafort had put "his trust in the wrong person," referring to Gates who pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy and making false statements.

Later, the prosecution called a custom suit maker and a menswear retailer to the witness stand, where each testified that Manafort was among their most important clients.

Manfort had spent more than $900,000 over a five-year span at the retailer's store, and paid for his purchases with transfers from overseas bank accounts  not by check.

FBI agent Matthew Mikuska earlier testified that Manafort had "closets full" of suits, and prosecutors showed jurors two invoices revealing a $66,000 purchase by Manafort for bespoke suits, and other invoices for silk rugs costing $160,000.

Ellis, showing his impatience at the drift of case, refused to let prosecutor Greg Andres ask the witness to total the annual invoices for those five years for the jurors' benefit.

"They can add," Ellis said.

He had also griped that prosecutors should limit their evidence to material that relates to Manafort's alleged crimes and not his expensive tastes.

Ellis didn't allow jurors to see photos of the suits, and had a tough time pronouncing the names of Manafort's tailors at Alan Couture. "If it doesn't say Men's Wearhouse, I don't buy it," Ellis sniped.

While the trial was going on just miles away, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Wednesday that "the president's been clear. He thinks Paul Manfort's been treated unfairly."

President Donald Trump earlier had tweeted that Manafort was being treated worse than legendary mobster Al Capone by prosecutors.

But Sanders would not answer whether Trump believes Manafort is innocent of his alleged crimes.

Manafort, 69, is accused of bank fraud and tax crimes in the Virginia case, the first of two planned federal trials on charges related to his consulting work from 2005 through 2014 for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine.

Manafort, who has pleaded not guilty, is not accused of any involvement with Russians who allegedly tried to influence the 2016 presidential election.

However, the case against him has been brought by Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the election, and possible collusion by Trump campaign officials in that effort.

Ellis, started Wednesday's session in court by admonishing prosecutors and defense lawyers not to use the term "oligarchs" in referring to people mentioned in testimony.

He said oligarch is a pejorative term that means someone who wields despotic power.

"Principals in high schools are oligarchs in that sense," Ellis said. "Mr. [George] Soros would then be an oligarch by that definition."

"So would Mr. Koch," the judge added, referring to one, or both, of the conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

Manafort has known ties to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian aluminum magnate who is routinely referred to in the media as an oligarch. The FBI has said tax returns show that a company controlled by Manafort and his wife got a $10 million loan from Deripaska.

The FBI also has previously said that Deripaska funded Manafort's consulting work in Ukraine when it first began.

 Dan Mangan reported from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and Kevin Breuninger reported from Alexandria, Virginia.Mexican fast food chain Qdoba called out Chipotle Mexican Grill on Tuesday, mocking the fast casual burrito chain for its "Free Guac Day" promotion before delivering truckloads of avocados to a number of Chipotle restaurants in Denver, Colorado.

On National Avocado Day, Chipotle offered up free guacamole to customers that purchased an entree on the company's website or mobile app.

Rival Qdoba used the day as an opportunity to point out that it always offers free guacamole to customers when they purchase an entree.

The competition took to Twitter starting in late July to mock Chipotle's promotion, saying that guac should always be free. Qdoba took that sentiment a step further on Tuesday, shipping large crates of avocados to several Chipotle stores near its headquarters in Denver. Qdoba is also based there.

Accompanying the avocados were large orange signs that said, "Hey Chipotle! Heard you are giving away free guac with an entree today! From the people who have been doing that for a while now, we worry you have underestimated what it takes. Happy smashing!"

It's unclear if Chipotle used any of the avocados or will respond to Qdoba's stunt. Laurie Schalow, a spokeswoman for Chipotle, declined to comment.

Chipotle said it used almost 700,000 avocados to meet consumer demand, 200,000 more than an average day. The promotion was ill-timed. National Avocado Day fell on Tuesday fell as news broke that Ohio health officials were investigating a possible foodborne illness outbreak stemming from one of its restaurants there.

Chipotle extended their free guacamole promotion through Wednesday after technical issues with its online ordering services on Tuesday prevented customers from getting their free guac.

Even so, the promotion drove digital sales up nearly 60 percent and generated more app downloads than any other single day, Chipotle said.

"We believe the free guacamole promotion that Chipotle ran yesterday should help offset some of the negative publicity the company received following the Ohio food safety incident," Peter Saleh, analyst at BTIG, wrote in a research note Wednesday. "While we don't want to minimize food safety incidents given Chipotle's recent history, we believe the sales impact from these events is moderating."

Last week, Chipotle said that digital sales account for 10.3 percent of total sale and that, on average, online orders are $16 to $17 while in-restaurant checks average around $12.President Donald Trump looks on Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who is running for U.S. Senate, speaks during a rally at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, May 29, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. Getty Images

Women are running for office in record numbers this year. Democrats are fueling that trend nationwide, particularly as several prominent Republican women leave office. But in the traditionally GOP-leaning Tennessee, which holds primary elections Thursday, Republican women are on the verge of making history. Tennessee's two marquee races this year  for U.S. senator and governor  feature GOP women who have a good shot to win this fall in a state that has never had a woman serve in the Senate or in the governor's office. In one race, Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn is running to fill GOP Sen. Bob Corker's seat, since he opted not to pursue re-election. In the other key race, Blackburn's congressional colleague Rep. Diane Black is running for governor in a tight GOP primary contest. While an eventual win by either Blackburn or Black would break barriers, neither woman has made gender a key part of their campaigns. In conservative Tennessee, some experts argue, they might not need to. Here, female GOP candidates tout their support for President Donald Trump, and not necessarily their experience as women in a male-dominated political arena. "These two women don't talk about gender because that's who they are. They are tied to conservative politics," Kelly Dittmar, a political science professor at Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics, said of Blackburn and Black. "They're not strategically sitting at home and saying, 'Let's not talk about gender.' These women have been explicit in that they don't root politics in their gender."

Blackburn and 'the gender issue'

When Blackburn first announced her run for Senate, she called herself a "hard-core, card-carrying Tennessee conservative." "I'm politically incorrect and proud of it," she said in her campaign video. Blackburn, who grew up in Mississippi, broke into politics when she moved to Tennessee. In 2002, she became the first Tennessee woman elected to Congress who hadn't followed her husband in the position. But Blackburn didn't want to dwell on that historic achievement. "I don't campaign on the gender issue," she said in an interview, adding that she is the most qualified candidate. Yet, when she jumped into the race to fill Corker's seat, her campaign accused critics of misogyny  particularly when there was an effort to push Corker back into the race. "Anyone who thinks Marsha Blackburn can't win a general election is just a plain sexist pig," Andrea Bozek, a spokeswoman for Blackburn's Senate campaign, told CNBC in February. "She's the best fundraiser in the country and is beating Phil Bredesen in several polls. We aren't worried about these ego-driven, tired old men."

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Getty Images

When it comes to policy, however, Blackburn emphasizes her dedication to the conservative agenda. Trump won the state by 26 points in 2016, and Blackburn's positions line up well with the president's. She takes a hard line on immigration, pushes for gun-ownership rights and wants to dismantle Obamacare. Corker, who has called the White House "an adult day care center" and suggested that the president was setting the nation on course to World War III, has said he would donate to Blackburn. And while he has said he will not campaign against her Democratic opponent, he has publicly praised him. Blackburn's loyalty to Trump puts her at odds with many female voters unhappy with Trump. Female aversion to Trump, particularly in the suburbs and key House districts, is seen as a key factor for control of Congress nationwide. In Tennessee, a Vanderbilt University poll in May showed that only 48 percent of female voters in the state approved of Trump, versus approval of 59 percent of male voters. The poll revealed an even bigger warning sign for Blackburn: 46 percent of women viewed her favorably, while 72 percent of women approved of her likely Democratic rival this fall, former Gov. Phil Bredesen. But some politics experts think neither Blackburn nor gubernatorial candidate Black have to depend on the female vote to win. "Gender is something they don't talk about," said Vanderbilt political science professor Josh Clinton. "They have higher approval ratings among men than women, and their gender certainly is not driving female voters to support them."

Two women called 'congressman'

Blackburn has said she prefers to go by congressman instead of congresswoman because she thinks it's more gender neutral. She has stated that the term congresswoman is "grammatically incorrect," as it is not a gender-specific job. Black also goes by congressman. The gubernatorial candidate is more apt than her fellow representative to express pride in her status as "first female" in key political positions. Black was the first female caucus chair in the state Senate and the first woman to serve as budget chair in the House of Representatives. Yet she contends she is running for governor solely on her credentials, background and experience. "She doesn't believe people should vote for her because she's a woman; she believes people should vote for her because she's the most qualified person to lead the state of Tennessee," Black's spokesperson Chris Hartline told CNBC. Black is also running on a fairly hard-line conservative platform. She touts anti-abortion and pro-gun ownership positions. She also supports Trump's aggressive border policy and has introduced legislation in Congress to allow for private contributions for the president's proposed border wall.

Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn. Tom Williams | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

"I don't think that this is a decision that someone will make on gender," she recently told Nashville Public Radio. "You know, what I tell young women is, rather than just worrying about your gender, what I want you to be is the smartest person in the room. And if you are, you're always going to rise to the top." She was long seen as the front runner in the primary, but businessman Bill Lee has made headway in recent weeks. Black isn't the only woman in the race. Republican Beth Harwell, who became the first female speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2011, is seen as lagging behind the other contenders in the primary.

Trailblazers, but maybe at a costAfter nine years of losing out on the title of the world's best airline, Singapore Airlines is back on top.

More than 20 million passengers participated in a survey commissioned by London-based aviation consultancy Skytrax to vote the carrier for the prestigious award.

Last year's winner, Qatar Airways, took second place while Japan-based All Nippon Airways (ANA) clinched third.

This is the fourth time that Singapore Airlines has won the coveted award and is its first win since 2008.

The recognition is especially sweet as the airline has battled challenging conditions in the aviation industry and intense competition, particularly from deep-pocketed Middle Eastern carriers.

On the financial front, the last few years have been turbulent for the airline. Its profitability came into sharp public focus when it posted a surprise loss last year  its first quarterly loss in five years.

The net loss of $99 million (S$138 million) prompted the company to embark on a three-year transformation program to review its entire business.

The review included new ways of managing costs efficiently with fresh pricing policies such as charging some travelers for selecting seats in advance.

While the seat selection policy stirred debate among travelers used to Singapore Airlines' premium perks, the transformation appears to have borne fruit.Fears of a widespread tech wreck have been greatly exaggerated, says BTIG's chief equity and derivatives strategist Julian Emanuel.

Even as Facebook, Twitter, Netflix and Intel were taken to the cleaners after recent earnings reports, Emanuel says one area of the market suggests the selling has reached its peak.

"The options market among other things is telling us that the fear is probably overdone at this point," Emanuel told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Tuesday.

"Coming into earnings season, in the QQQ specifically, there was really an outsize bid to put protection, certainly relative to call protection," Emanuel said. "People were correctly anticipating the earnings reactions of a number of these names, which we got."

The FANG stocks  Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google parent Alphabet  have seen some of the biggest postearnings moves. Facebook had a historic sell-off on Thursday, when it fell $119 billion in market cap in the biggest one-day loss for a single stock.

The volatility difference between puts and calls has decreased on the tech-heavy QQQ ETF since those big earnings events, says Emanuel. The broader index resisted a bigger drop in the face of high-profile tech sell-offs, a positive sign for the sector, he adds. Since Netflix reported on July 16, the XLK technology ETF has posted a nearly 2 percent decline.

"People were taking protection out in the index in general and the index really has barely budged," said Emanuel. "The underlying message is the horse is out of the barn with some of the FANG names in particular, but at the broader index level, technology still looks selectively attractive to us."

There could also be a divergence in some of the most popular tech stocks, he adds.

"There's a potential for bifurcation in the technology space," said Emanuel. "There are elements of FANG that are trading over 100 times next year's projected earnings and there are a number  trading below 25 and even 20 times earnings and, to us, that likely represents value at some point in here."

Apple, sometimes grouped in the expanded FAANG category, trades at below 15 times forward earnings. At the opposite end, Netflix trades at a 91 times multiple.

Even including recent tech sell-offs, the sector has been one of the best performers this year. The XLK is up 11 percent in 2018, double the gains on the .

Emanuel and BTIG have a neutral weighting on technology. He is overweight financials and energy.Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Minnesota and Massachusetts rounded out the top six states with the highest average amount of undergraduate student debt: Recent grads in these states carry over $31,500 on average.

The report, published annually, breaks down both the percentage of students carrying undergraduate student loan debt, and the average amount each graduate owed in every state (with the exception of North Dakota, where there was insufficient data). TICAS's report used the most up-to-date data based on the Class of 2016.

Students in the Northeast have the heaviest burdens. Nearly 75 percent of college graduates in New Hampshire have outstanding student loans and they owe an average of $36,367  that's the highest rate in the country, according to the Institute for College Access and Success's 12th Annual Student Debt report .

Student loan debt in the U.S. now totals more than $1.5 trillion , but students in some states are getting hit harder than others.

It makes sense that the Northeast states are carrying higher student loan debt, according to Adam Minksy a lawyer specializing in student loan law. "Certain states have less robust, affordable state education systems," Minsky tells CNBC Make It.

States like California and Florida have major state universities that are both affordable and prestigious, so many students end up going to these institutions and taking on less debt, Minsky says. However, states such as New Hampshire and Massachusetts host Ivy League schools  including Dartmouth College and Harvard University  as well as private universities that may be less affordable. And while several Ivy League schools offer generous financial aid packages, other elite, expensive private universities don't always offer the same level of support.

Utah has the lowest average rate of student loan debt in the U.S., $19.975, and the state's most popular colleges are public schools with in-state tuition of less than $6,000: Utah State University, Weber State University and Utah Valley University. New Mexico, California, Arizona, Nevada and Florida round out the states with the lowest levels of student loan debt, all with average levels under $25,000. This is well below the average debt of $32,731 owed by graduates of the Class of 2016.

More and more, high school students and their families are getting very practical when it comes to picking a college. "I was told by everyone to go to the best school you can get into, even if it's more expensive, it will be a good investment," Minsky says. "Now we're starting to see a shift toward making responsible financial choices about college."

Don't miss: A 28-year-old went on a game show to pay off $41,000 in student loansand won $24,000

Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube!With a pledge of future profitability and an apology for past bad manners, Tesla CEO Elon Musk was upbeat in his conversation with analysts during a second-quarter conference call Wednesday.

Tesla shares soared as much as 11 percent in after-hours trading. The stock has been under pressure for some time as investors have worried about the cash the company was burning and whether it would be able to sustain its profitability.

The electric car maker's second-quarter loss was wider than analysts expected, but the company backed its prior forecast that calls for profitable third and fourth quarters.

"From an operating plant standpoint, from onwards I really want to emphasize our goal is to be profitable and cash flow positive for every quarter going forward," Musk said on the call. He added that recessions, or force majeure events could derail the plan but the goal is to be achieving positive GAAP income and cash flow "every quarter from here on out."

Increased rates of production, improving margins, and cost cutting is helping Tesla hit its goal.

Here's how the company did compared with what Wall Street expected:

Losses: $3.06 per share vs. $2.92 per share forecast by Thomson Reuters

Revenue: $4.00 billion vs. $3.92 billion forecast by Thomson Reuters

One big step it made was completing its major cost restructuring plan in the second quarter, the company said. Tesla had $2.2 billion in cash on hand at the end of the quarter, and expects its cash reserves to grow in the second half of the year. It also now expects to spend less that $2.5 billion in capital expenditures in 2018, far below the $3.4 billion it spent in 2017.

This quarterly update is a crucial one for Tesla. Investors have growing concerns about Tesla's ability to be consistently profitable, reported quality problems with its cars, and overall demand for the Model 3, which is the company's biggest bet by far.

Tesla said it produced 53,339 vehicles in the second quarter and delivered 22,319 Model S and Model X vehicles and 18,449 Model 3 vehicles, totaling 40,768 deliveries.

The company said in July it was able to repeatedly hit its target of producing 5,000 Model 3 vehicles per week.

Production, though, is many months behind schedule and the company has resorted to setting up assembly lines in temporary tent structures.Federal prosecutors are investigating former lobbyist Tony Podesta, former Rep. Vin Weber, R-Minn., and former Obama White House Counsel Greg Craig, NBC News confirmed, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.

CNN first reported the existence of the investigation.

Prosecutors for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York opened the investigation following a referral from the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, the sources told NBC.

NBC previously reported that Mueller had been looking into Podesta and his Democratic-leaning lobbying firm as part of its broader investigation into the finances of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Tony Podesta is the chairman of the Podesta Group. His brother, John Podesta, was the campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton and is not currently affiliated with the lobbying firm. He is also not part of the investigation.

A representative for Tony Podesta declined to comment to CNBC.President Donald Trump on Wednesday complained on Twitter that the government hadn't told him that his former campaign chief Paul Manafort "was under investigation."

Trump's tweet, which came as Manafort entered the second day of his federal criminal trial, also said the "old charges" Manafort now faces "have nothing to do with" suspicions that members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russians trying to interfere with the 2016 election.

Tweet

The tweet seemed to suggest that unnamed people in the government should have warned Trump about hiring Manafort before he did in 2016.

Trump's angry tweet about Manafort's case came on the heels of a series of tweets blasting special counsel Robert Mueller, who brought charges against Manafort and is investing possible collusion by the Trump campaign with Russia.

Trump tweeted that Attorney General Jeff Sessions "should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now before it continues to stain our country any further."

He followed up his tweet about Manafort with another one in which he raged: "Russian Collusion with the Trump campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX."

Trump tweet 2

The charges against Manafort are related to work the long-time Republican consultant and lobbyist did on behalf of pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine from 2005 through 2014. That work predates his tenure as head of the Trump presidential campaign in 2016.

Manafort is charged with bank fraud and tax crimes in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia. Mueller's prosecutors said Manafort hid up to $60 million of income in offshore accounts. They also accuse him of duping lenders with phony financial documents in an effort to maintain his luxurious lifestyle after Ukraine stopped being a source of income.

The charges do not accuse him of working with Russians or any other foreign entity to affect the outcome of the 2016 election.

But there is widespread belief, particularly in Trump's camp, that Mueller is using that case against Manafort, and another criminal case against him in Washington federal court, as leverage to get him to cooperate with prosecutors in the Russia probe.President Donald Trump has told his top trade official to consider raising proposed tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25 percent from the 10 percent rate his administration is currently mulling, the administration announced Wednesday.

The president's direction to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer comes as the White House tries to use duties, among other tools, to push China to abandon alleged unfair practices and reach a potential new trade deal. Trump aims to balance a desire to force Beijing to the negotiating table with efforts to avoid escalation in a potentially devastating trade war.

No particular Chinese action led to the president's recommendation, said a senior administration official, who declined to be named, on a conference call with reporters. Reports leading up the announcement suggested the U.S. could take the action in part because the value of China's currency has fallen, thereby making its exports more competitive.

Asking Lighthizer to consider hiking the tariff rate is part of the administration's ongoing push to get China to open up its markets, increase competition and abandon retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods levied in response to the duties imposed by Trump, an official said.

"This week, the President has directed that I consider increasing the proposed level of the additional duty from 10 percent to 25 percent. The 25 percent duty would be applied to the proposed list of products previously announced on July 10," Lighthizer said in a statement. "The Trump Administration continues to urge China to stop its unfair practices, open its market, and engage in true market competition. We have been very clear about the specific changes China should undertake. Regrettably, instead of changing its harmful behavior, China has illegally retaliated against U.S. workers, farmers, ranchers and businesses."

The administration will extend the public comment period on the tariff proposal to Sept. 5, from the currently planned Aug. 30, to allow feedback on what tariff rate the White House should impose. The trade representative has not made a final decision on whether to impose the duties.

U.S. trade officials are still engaged with their Chinese counterparts on a potential agreement to avoid a tariff back-and-forth that could wreak havoc on some American businesses and consumers.

The White House's original move last month to target $200 billion in Chinese goods came just days after Beijing retaliated against the administration's imposition of 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion in goods. The Trump administration is currently considering whether to put duties on an additional $16 billion in goods, but that review is ongoing, an official said Wednesday.

Trump, in an interview with CNBC, threatened to impose tariffs on all $505 billion in Chinese goods imported to the United States if Beijing does not make trade concessions.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have shown concerns about possible escalation of a trade conflict with China. The U.S. agricultural industry has also voiced fears about damage wrought by an escalation.President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort  on trial on federal bank fraud and tax charges  is being treated "worse" than "Public Enemy Number One" Al Capone.

Trump's comparison of the treatment of Manafort and the notorious gangster, part of tweet storm attacking special counsel prosecutor Robert Mueller, is a sharp departure from longstanding practice by presidents of not weighing in on a criminal case because of the risk of swaying a jury or causing a mistrial.

"It's inappropriate ... for the president of the United States to be making comments like this on Twitter on an ongoing trial," said Richard Serafini, a former federal prosecutor now in private defense practice in Florida. "It's just another violation of a norm, a longstanding norm," Serafini said. "I mean, it's just not done."

In that same online diatribe, Trump questioned why the "government" hadn't told him when he hired Manafort in 2016 to run his campaign that the longtime Republican strategist was under investigation.

Tweet

Tweet

Manafort was sent to jail in June, when a judge revoked his bond after allegations he tried to tamper with witnesses. He's been held in solitary confinement since then.

Mueller is investigating possible collusion by Trump campaign officials with Russians trying to interfere with the 2016 election. But the charges against Manafort, to which he has pleaded not guilty, are unrelated to that issue. Instead he is charged with crimes related to income earned for consulting work performed in Ukraine from 2005 to 2014.President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe immediately, escalating his attacks on the inquiry.

"Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now," the president wrote in a post on Twitter. "Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

Trump tweet

Trump's tweet came before the trial of ex-campaign chief Paul Manafort entered its second day in federal court in Virginia. Manafort is being tried by Mueller's team.

The president's lawyer Rudy Giuliani said in a statement to NBC News Wednesday afternoon that the president "was expressing his opinion" and that "no Presidential order was issued or will be."

"The president is not obstructing, he is fighting back," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said during a briefing with reporters later in the day.

Later Wednesday, ABC News, citing sources said that Trump's tweetstorm was sparked by the president learning within the past day or so that Mueller's office wants to question him about obstruction of justice. ABC said Mueller "will limit the scope of questioning and would like to ask questions both orally and written for the President to respond to."

Sessions, who endorsed Trump's presidential bid during the 2016 campaign, recused himself from the Russia investigation last March, before Mueller was appointed as special counsel to investigate both foreign interference in the presidential election, and possible collusion with Russians with the Trump campaign. The investigation is being overseen by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who has defended Mueller against critics in Congress.President Donald Trump is using the phrase "witch hunt" to describe the special counsel's Russia probe more frequently, as the investigation grinds on and Trump's former campaign boss goes on trial.

The most recent came Wednesday, as the president the fired off multiple tweets targeting special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election hacking and potential links between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," the president wrote.

He used the phrase in a second tweet Wednesday.

Since Trump's inauguration, "witch hunt" has become the president's preferred description for investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. In May 2017, Trump declared the Russia probe "the single greatest single witch hunt of a politician in American history."

But over the past two months, as Mueller's probe marked its first anniversary and the trial of former campaign manager Paul Manafort approached, the frequency of Trump's "witch hunt" complaints have picked up sharply. He mentioned the phrase as many as nine times a week in late June.[The stream is slated to start at 1 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.]

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is scheduled to brief reporters Wednesday, shortly after President Donald Trump unleashed a flurry of tweets calling for an end to special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

The president's morning venting raised questions about whether he is trying to influence the ongoing probe into Moscow's efforts to affect the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia.

In one explosive tweet Wednesday, Trump contended that "Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further."

He also cried foul about the treatment of his former campaign chief Paul Manafort, who faces the second day of a criminal trial related to work he did for pro-Russia Ukrainian politicians before he worked for the Trump campaign. Trump complained Wednesday that the government did not "tell me that he was under investigation."US pastor Andrew Craig Brunson escorted by Turkish plain clothes police officers arrives at his house on July 25, 2018 in Izmir.

The Department of the Treasury will sanction Turkey's ministers of Justice and Interior for the arrest and detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson.

"We've seen no evidence that pastor Brunson has done anything wrong and we believe he is a victim of unfair and unjust attention by the government of Turkey," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday.

"As a result, any property or interest in property of both ministers within U.S. jurisdiction is blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them," Sanders added referring further questions to the Treasury Department.

In October 2016, Turkey detained American pastor Andrew Brunson on accusations of spying and attempting to overthrow the government. Brunson has denied all charges.

Tensions between the U.S. and Turkey have intensified over Brunson's trial and his continued detainment. Ankara recently transferred the American citizen to house arrest. Last week, President Donald Trump threatened to slap "large sanctions" on Turkey unless it freed Brunson.

"The United States will impose large sanctions on Turkey for their long time detainment of Pastor Andrew Brunson, a great Christian, family man and wonderful human being," Trump wrote in a tweet. "He is suffering greatly. This innocent man of faith should be released immediately!"

TWEET

Vice President Mike Pence doubled down on Trump's tweet Thursday issuing a similar threat.

"To President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan and the Turkish government, I have a message on behalf of the president of the United States of America: release Pastor Andrew Brunson now or be prepared to face the consequences," Pence told a religious freedom conference hosted by the State Department.

At the time, neither Trump nor Pence elaborated on what kind of sanctions they could impose.

The tweets prompted an angry response from Ankara and further escalated tensions between the two NATO allies. A spokesman for Turkish President Erdogan said Tuesday that Ankara will retaliate against any U.S. sanctions.

Meanwhile, all of this comes as Congress is inching closer to blocking the transfer of two F-35 jets to Turkey.Taiwan's state-owned CPC Corp has proposed to invest $6.6 billion in petrochemical projects in Paradip in Odisha using feedstock from IOC, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said today. A Taiwanese delegation today discussed investment in the petrochemical cracker and downstream units.

"Met with a delegation led by President of Taiwan's state-owned petrochemical company, CPC Corporation. They propose to invest $ 6.6 billion in petrochemical projects in Paradip using feedstock from IOC," Pradhan tweeted.

He did not elaborate.

The delegation led by Shun-Chin Lee, President of CPC Corporation "had detailed discussions with the Minister and senior officials of the Ministry and the oil industry on the proposed investment and identified the East Coast of India, and Odisha in particular, for the location of the cracker and downstream units," and Indian Oil Corp (IOC) statement said.

During the discussions, IOC's 15-million tonnes per annum Paradip Refinery has emerged as a suitable location for investment in a greenfield cracker and downstream units at an estimated investment of $6.6 billion, it said.

The delegation will be going to Odisha for a site visit to Paradip refinery and Paradip Port and for discussions with IOC and State Government officials.

"The proposed cracker, based on different streams of feedstock, will have several downstream units for production of a diverse spectrum of petrochemical intermediates and end-products," the statement added. REFINITIV 15   Corbyn embroiled deeper in Labours antisemitism scandal

Labour leader issues personal apology as row boils over  Daily Telegraph

Fury as Willsman, who hinted row is a conspiracy, is let off  The Sun

Watson says activist disgusts him  Daily Mail

Willsman, the antisemitism denier who advised Corbyn  The Times

Corbyn silent amidst calls for allys expulsion  Daily Mail

Fife councillor suspended by Labour in antisemitism row  The Scotsman

as he prepares to pass yet more power to activists

Labours anti-Semitism scandal deepened last night after it emerged Jeremy Corbyn had hosted an event comparing the Israeli government to the Nazis. On Holocaust Memorial Day in 2010, the Labour leader spoke at the meeting at the House of Commons. The disclosure that Mr Corbyn attended the event led him to issue an extraordinary apology last night. During the event a speech was delivered by Hajo Meyer, a Jewish survivor of Auschwitz who became a passionate anti-Zionist. Mr Meyer, who died in 2014, repeatedly made the comparison between the Nazi regime and Israeli policy, the Times reported. The event was part of a UK tour called Never Again for Anyone  Auschwitz to Gaza. Last night Mr Corbyn issued an apology for in the past attending events attended by people whose views he now rejects.  Daily Mail

Labour is planning to introduce electronic voting for annual conferences, local constituency ballots and decisions over policy, a review of internal democracy has concluded. As part of Jeremy Corbyns plan to give power back to members, they would be able to participate remotely without having to attend meetings in person or vote on paper. The development is part of a package of measures approved by the ruling national executive committee (NEC), which is expected to approve the changes in September before the party conference in Liverpool votes on the recommendations later that month. Led by the Corbyn aide Katy Clark and the NEC member Claudia Webbe, the e-vote proposal means grassroots activists would be able to have a say on controversial national policies such as the renewal of Trident, which is backed by the big unions but opposed by many peace activists including Corbyn.  The Guardian

Willsmans rant points to a Labour party still blind to antisemitism  Gaby Hinsliff, The Guardian

A hard-left zealot who embarrasses his own side  Andrew Pierce, Daily Mail

The greatest threat facing Corbyn is McDonnell  Sebastian Payne, FT

Editorial:

Corbyn must be held to account  The Sun

Johnson leads our next Tory leader survey

per cent. Supporters of Mr Johnson suggested that the figures justified his decision to resign over his opposition to the Chequers deal.  The Times

Nearly half of members want the Prime Minister to quit  Daily Mail

How ministeral flop Javid became favourite to succeed May  FT

Boris Johnson has re-emerged as the Conservative faithfuls favourite to succeed Theresa May since his resignation over the governments Brexit plans. In a marked reversal of fortunes, the former foreign secretary is now supported by nearly a third of party members as the next leader. A month ago, when he was still in government, he was backed by only 8 per cent of members, according to a monthly poll of more than 1,000 Tories by the website ConservativeHome. He is nearly ten points ahead of his nearest rival, Sajid Javid, the home secretary, while the biggest loser is his fellow Brexiteer Michael Gove. Mr Goves failure to quit in the aftermath of Mrs Mays Chequers plan has led to his poll ratings slumping to 7

Analysis:

The Conservative Party is abandoning Theresa May  Patrick Maguire, New Statesman

>Today: ToryDiary: Our Survey. Next Tory Leader. Johnson more than triples his score to come top  for the first time since 2016

Paul Goodman: The challenges he would face were he to succeed the Prime Minister

So Mr Johnson becomes Conservative leader and prime minister. But what would he do then? His Brexit policy would presumably be to junk the Chequers plan and champion a Canada-type deal. Remainer Tory MPs would revolt. And there doesnt seem to be a majority for any plan at all in the Commons. Mr Johnson would be stalemated before he had started. There would be only one practicable solution, whatever the Fixed-term Parliaments Act might say: a general election. But Tory MPs  Remainer and Leaver alike  are scarred by last summers experience. They fear that a poll would cost them seats and result in a Marxist government. This elemental terror, plus the effect that a leadership election would have on the Brexit negotiations, helps to explain why Mrs May is still in place.  The Times

>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Our survey finds a record fall of confidence in May. Over two in five Party members want her out now.

May to interrupt her holiday to try to sell Chequers to Macron

France growing isolated over its hardline stance  The Sun

Why the Prime Ministers plan isnt quite dead yet  Daily Telegraph

Japan backs UK joining trans-Pacific trade group  Daily Mail

Merkel ally backs second referendum  Daily Telegraph

May must push for even softer Brexit, urges think-tank  The Guardian

Emmanuel Macron today invited Theresa May to his holiday home in the south of France in a fresh attempt to end the Brexit deadlock. The French Presidents surprise invitation emerged just hours after Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt held talks on Brexit in Paris. An Elysee Palace source said Mr Macron and Mrs May would meet at Fort Bregancon near Toulon on Friday evening. The meeting will be followed by a private dinner between Macron and his wife Brigitte and May and her husband Philip The leaders will focus on Mrs Mays Brexit blueprint agreed by the Cabinet at Chequers earlier this month. The controversial plan almost brought down her Government as Boris Johnson and David Davis both resigned in protest. Mrs May make the stop in France on her way home from her holiday in Italy.  Daily Mail

as she overrules Javid to insist on UK-only passport lanes

Theresa May is to overrule her Home Secretary to insist there must be special lanes for British passport holders in airports after Brexit. Sajid Javid has torn up plans for UK-only channels in arrivals lounges to insist Brits will still have to queue alongside EU visitors. His order came after Home Office research found separate lines would cost too much and could also create longer waiting times. But The Sun can reveal that the PM will intervene to insist on them to produce another visual symbol of Brexit in practice. The big footing move risks deepening the already tense relationship between Mrs May and Mr Javid, who is now seen as her most likely successor Research by the Home Office concluded that while UK-only lines would be popular, they would come at considerable additional cost as extra border staff would be needed to check passports. It was also discovered that as the overwhelming number of people coming in are Brits, the UK only queue at peak periods in the day would be longer than all the others put together.  The Sun

Hunt pleads with France and Germany to overrule the EU  Daily Mail

Finally, our Foreign Secretary is talking tough  Daily Express

Raab runs low on credibility over stockpiling  FT

More:

Britains EU budget bill rises again  Daily Mail

Temporary no deal lorry park could last four years  The Sun

>Today: James Arnell in Comment: No Deal 3) Contingency planning

>Yesterday: James Arnell in Comment: No Deal 2) Trade and regulations

and warns MPs that Labour could block Brexit

Mays proposal is the best route to Brexit  Martin Sandbu, FT

Brexit Britain remains divided as ever  Ian Montagu, Times Red Box

Time to demand to take back control of Brexit  Gina Miller, The Guardian

Remain lost, deal with it  Brian Monteith, The Scotsman

We should ban political ads on social media  William Hague, Daily Telegraph

Ministers 1) Mundell says SNP need to pull together to make most of Brexit

Theresa May has reportedly warned Tories of a Labour plot to stop Brexit if MPs vote down the deal she gets back from Brussels with an ancient Parliamentary procedure. Ministers say Number 10 have instructed them to warn colleagues the opposition plan to use a humble address in the Commons. This would block the UK leaving without a deal, thereby tying the UK to bloc if the Prime Minister cannot get her agreement with the EU approved. The warning, reported in the FT, is intended to pressure Eurosceptic Tory MPs to support Mrs Mays Chequers compromise. It has been blasted as the latest aspect of a new version of Project Fear  the dire warnings the Government under David Cameron put out about voting to the leave the EU  and labelled scaremongering by Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg Labour has twice used the archaic procedure in the past few months in an attempt to embarrass the Government.  The Sun

David Mundell is to warn that Scotland will miss out on Brexits trade opportunities unless SNP and Tory ministers stop fighting and pull together. Speaking on a trade mission to New Zealand, the Scottish Secretary is expected to say the UK Government wants to deliver a fundamental and transformative step-change in trade policy. But he will argue that the Scottish and UK governments need to start working together following a series of high-profile rows that have seen their relations hit rock bottom. Mr Mundell will state that UK-wide frameworks are needed for some powers being repatriated from Brussels to safeguard the Governments ability to sign trade deals. Ministers fear that allowing SNP ministers to set different rules and standards north of the Border in some areas would make signing deals more difficult.  Daily Telegraph

Nationalist health minister under pressure over cancer detection rates  Daily Telegraph

Ministers 2) Hammond orders Whitehall to prepare for more cuts

for the following four years, in a comprehensive review after next spring.  The Times

Mays envoy has tough task rebuilding bridges with the City  FT

Philip Hammond has told Whitehall to plan for another round of cuts before next years spending review, putting him on a collision course with some cabinet colleagues who want tax rises instead of austerity. The chancellor wants ministries without protected budgets, including public health, further education, local government and transport, to work with the Treasury in the summer to identify potential areas for savings. Some departments believe that these budgets could be cut by as much as 5 per cent. The letter calling for work to start on the savings, sent by Liz Truss, the chief secretary to the Treasury, last week, does not contain a specific target. Spending totals have been set until the spring of 2020. Mr Hammond will allocate individual budgets, traditionally

Comment:

Carneys go for it message may have come too late  Jeremy Warner, Daily Telegraph

>Today:

Ministers 3) Hinds wants more middle class pupils taking apprenticeships

More middle-class pupils should consider shunning university for alternatives such as high-quality apprenticeships, says the Education Secretary. Damian Hinds said youngsters  including the most affluent  should think twice about whether a traditional degree is the right option for them. He said he is determined to make technical routes as prestigious as academic ones so that they are no longer seen as second best. And he said the Governments new T-levels and degree apprenticeships in jobs such as engineering and accounting will provide fast-track routes to highly-skilled work. His comments come amid growing debate over whether studying for a non-vocational degree really is the best option for people who just want to get stuck into a career.  Daily Mail

Education Secretary reveals social mobility gap  The Sun

Elite universities must improve access, says Hinds  The Guardian

Ministers 4) Gove tells water companies to do more to fix leaks

Davidson and Mundell pay tribute to MSP

Water companies have promised to do more to fix leaks this summer and cut the three billion litres they lose each day. Chief executives and directors of eight companies that have missed their targets for repairing leaks or have very high leakage rates met Michael Gove, the environment secretary, yesterday. They included Steve Mogford, chief executive of United Utilities, which is planning to impose a hosepipe ban in northwest England from Sunday. Only Thames Water lost more water than United Utilities last year Mr Gove told the companies that they needed to take more action to cope with extreme weather such as this summers heatwave and lack of rain because such events could become more frequent with climate change. He said: We all agreed water companies must do more to adapt and prepare for changing weather patterns.  The Times

Tributes have been paid across the political spectrum following the death of Sir Alex Fergusson, the Scottish Parliaments third presiding officer and a universally-respected former Tory MSP. Sir Alex, 69, died at home after a short illness, surrounded by his family. He served as an MSP between 1999 and 2016, latterly representing the constituency of Galloway and West Dumfries. The farmer, who was educated at Eton College and the Scottish Agricultural College, served as Holyroods presiding officer between 2007 and 2011. He returned to the Tory benches at Holyrood following the 2011 election and retired in 2016. Sir Alex was knighted in that years Queens birthday honours for services to politics, the Scottish Parliamentary process and public life in Scotland. Ruth Davidson and David Mundell, the Scottish Secretary, led tributes to their party colleague and Holyroods flags were lowered to half mast.  Daily Telegraph

Politicians from across the political spectrum remember former Presiding Officer  The Scotsman

Field warns that Universal Credit threatens womens equality

Committee calls for men and women to have independent income  The Sun

The UK governments flagship social security reform, universal credit, is reversing decades of hard-won equality for women, according to Frank Field, who chairs the Commons work and pensions committee. The committee published a report on Wednesday warning that the way universal credit is paid out to most recipients  in a single payment made to one member of the family  risked exacerbating domestic abuse. The committee said the system could give an abusive partner control over a large monthly sum that was some families only source of income. Universal credit, which merges six previous benefits, was intended to improve the incentives for welfare recipients to work. But the rollout of the benefit has been bedevilled by long delays and sharp criticisms. In June, the National Audit Office said the system was costing more to deliver than the benefits it replaced, concluding it was uncertain whether the system would ever represent value for money.  FT

More:

McDonnell says Labour could trial universal basic income  Daily Express

International Development Committee savages aid sector over Oxfam abuse

The aid sector was accused of complacency verging on complicity today after a damning report into the Oxfam scandal was published three years after the Charity Commission was first told. The International Development committee said only superficial action was taken to tackle abuse carried out by Oxfam staff in disaster zones. The limited actions were despite it now being public knowledge reports were passed to the charities watchdog as early as 2015. The scandal burst into public view earlier this year after an expose on Roland van Hauwermeiren, head of the Oxfams Haiti mission, who was accused of paying teenage girls between 70 and 140 a time for sex at his hilltop villa known as the Eagles Nest. Committee chairman Stephen Twigg has set out how abuse remains endemic and the sector deluded in its denial of the horror of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA).  Daily Mail

Charities more concerned about reputations than victims  The Times

Foster warns Sinn Fein against Ulster referendum

Adonis Brexit claims about Northern Ireland branded delusional and arrogant  News Letter

News in Brief:

Councils are playing a risky property game with taxpayers money  Ben Ramanauskas, CapX

Labours anti-Semitism problem is really Corbyns  Alastair Benn, Reaction

Why Boris Johnson is now the favourite to succeed Theresa May  Katy Balls, The Spectator

Could Macron prove more dangerous than Trump?  John Lichfield, UnHerd

Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster has accused Sinn Fein of rowing back on suggesting an Irish unity poll should not be held during Brexit uncertainty. Mrs Fosters was speaking after Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald insisted her party wanted a referendum as soon as possible, claiming the chaos of the Tory Brexit should not delay a vote on Northern Irelands constitutional status. Mrs McDonalds remarks came less than 24 hours after she said she would prefer not to hold a unity vote in the context of a crash or very hard Brexit, arguing it would be the wrong climate for such a debate. Claiming the republican party had changed stance overnight, Mrs Foster insisted people in Northern Ireland were more interested in seeing powersharing restored than participating in a referendum on reunification.  The ScotsmanTony Devenish is the London Assembly Member for Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, and the City of Westminster.

I turned on the TV news this week to be met with a Conservative Party councillor, calling for national tax rises. I appreciate the summer media silly season  is here but the dedicated public servants at the Local Government Association can do much better. Yes we need a long term sustainable solution on care. The 2010 Dilnot Commission through to that Manifesto of 2017 and the so-called Dementia tax  makes that statement a no-brainer. We all recognise this both as elected councillors and in our own lives. My mother is 88 and Surrey County Council and NHS are in my prayers.

But it is always the easy option to shout more money. We have at least four major political parties: Labour, Lib Dem, SNP, and Plaid Cymru who do little else. Not to mention the BBC. I appreciate the LGA is cross-party but surely we Conservatives can do better than join the usual suspects in attempting to burden the public with yet more tax rises. Please wait for the Government proposal (yes delayed) until the autumn.

I know myself, as a Westminster City councillor, that local government has made more efficiencies since 2010 than all other part of the public sector put together. Who says were all in this together? However, at the LGA Conference in Birmingham last month, most councillors and local government officers would privately admit that there was far more still to be done in terms of driving better value for money at the coal face of local democracy.

While some councils have driven procurement efficiencies, merged back offices, and even merged councils and got rid of layers of staff, others have not. If the LGA wishes to ask Government for billions of pounds more, and there is no doubt by the 2030s more money will be needed for adult care, a grown up argument must involve some component of part match funding. The Treasury is not Santa Claus.

Certainly there is unease across local government (and the rest of the public sector) that the NHS has it easy with more funding increases. I will never forget, when I became the first Cabinet Member for Public Health on Westminster City Council, the looks on my council officers faces when they studied the pay, holiday conditions, and gold plated pensions which those NHS staff transferring to the Council received. Far more generous than the not ungenerous local authority equivalent.

One major component to drive such potential part match funding is self-evident in most but not all local authorities. Walk into most council offices during the summer months (or much of the rest of the year , especially Fridays) and what will strike you first is the under-used office space. Land banking is also still rife. Many councils own land handed over from parts of the public sector which are long gone, remember the Inner London Education Authority? Much of their land is still not built on. Sir Oliver Letwin MP has explored the huge scale of state land banking.

Im sorry to be blunt  but councils must continue to take the lead in solving social care like all our other challenges. Acting like a trade union is neither an effective way to behave nor will it win the argument with Government. Keeping going on efficiency measures including town hall building redevelopments will also drive both our jobs and homes agendas  local authorities most pressing priorities after our social care worries.James Arnell is a partner at Charterhouse. He writes in a personal capacity.

In this continuation of my series of articles on planning for a no deal Brexit, I will cover contingency planning, including both the methodology I would use to flush out the various issues, and the specific approaches we might take to some of the issues already identified.

Before beginning, there is one important change that I would propose to Government policy to facilitate handling these vital transitional issues: the role of the ECJ.

I agree with the Government wholeheartedly that the ECJ should have no role in the domestic legal system of the UK. In most areas, the UK courts are absolutely the right forum in which to hear disputes. An EU citizen coming to live in the UK, for example, should accept that his or her rights will be protected through the UK courts, and the same vice-versa should apply to UK citizens moving to the EU.

However, there are some areas where continued jurisdiction for the ECJ is defensible and may, pragmatically, be the best route forward.

These areas are those in which there are major and legitimate cross-border interests. Examples include:

Radioactive materials and the nuclear industry, where Chernobyl serves as a clear reminder that the consequences of nuclear incidents go across borders.

Network interconnection, where the robustness of the European energy grid is supported by linkages and where the electricity flows need to be managed between domestic networks (allowing much more use of renewables and thinner safety margins on generation capacity).

And aviation, where a plane falling out of the sky does the same harm no matter where it is from, and so on. My personal view is that allowing a limited role for the ECJ in these areas should be considered, and that this would make the resolution of some of these cross-border issues easier in the timeframe available. While, technically, this assumes a deal, I think we would be pushing at an open door, and that the EU would see the acceptance of ECJ jurisdiction as a major concession.

Moving on to contingency planning more generally, the EU Repeal Bill and the proposed importation of the EU acquis into UK law, serves as the ideal framework for the development of contingency plans.

Each department of state should (have already) set up a team to review the EU legislation coming into UK law which applies to its activities. They should also have a clear understanding of what financial flows come from the EU in their areas of activity. Finally, they should know the leading figures outside their department in their areas of activity. Using these three sources, each department should already have a detailed grasp of any threats to the immediate continuity of service and supply which may arise on Brexit.

(UPDATE: DEXEU has confirmed in a 30th April 2018 letter to the Public Accounts Committee, that there are 325 active Brexit workstreams in progress across the government departments. DEXEU has been cagey around the details of these workstreams, but it is clear that they include nuclear materials (BEIS), aviation (DOT), medicines (DOHSC), power interconnection (BEIS). The government has also announced that it will be releasing guidance on contingency plans through the summer.)

To date, all of the papers emanating from government on various Brexit issues have contained platitudes and expressions of the preference to reach a sensible agreement with the EU. I hope and trust that, behind closed doors, there is another set of papers dealing with the specific threats which arise if no such sensible agreement is possible. (UPDATE: this is, one assumes, what the 325 workstreams are covering.)

If the time comes (in December?) for the Government to accept that a FTA is not going to be possible and that a no deal Brexit is therefore the likely outcome, government departments will need to be ready to publish their crisis management plans immediately, to avoid the risk of panic.

(UPDATE: it seems likely that there is a fallback plan, in which the government will offer the EU a free trade agreement composed of the most favourable terms the EU has offered to other third parties (Fraser Nelson, Gulf News, July 20th). This has apparently been prepared by Linklaters, the City law firm, and is ready to go if the talks reach an impasse.

Given that this is unlikely to be offered up until after October, and unlikely to be accepted until the last moment by Brussels and the EU member states, we are likely to face a prolonged period, between October and March, where there will be a real sense of panic. It is all the more important that contingency plans are published in detail, and visible preparations made, to reassure markets, businesses and citizens during the standoff period.)

Every department must have a crisis management plan, and it must have been pre-tested with key figures in the relevant fields to ensure that it is exhaustive and deliverable. The last thing we will need is a media frenzy pointing out all the things which have not been properly considered.

(UPDATE: there is little evidence that these plans have been road tested with the business community, although there are signs that the government is testing new IT systems in some areas. A more transparent testing process would be advisable. Preparation must not only be done, it must be seen to be done.)

The key test for any action proposed in these plans must be: can this be done without any cooperation from the EU?

A very healthy dose of pragmatism will be required, and the solutions may be uncomfortable in some cases. But it is essential to get departmental staff into this mindset. It must become a mantra.

In many cases, this unilateral action will prove to be unnecessary, particularly if the breakdown in discussions about trade and money is not unnecessarily acrimonious. Even if we cannot agree a Brexit deal, the EU and the UK will need to cooperate to some extent to avoid unnecessary and serious complications for their citizens. But, nevertheless, having the unilateral backup plan is vital.

In some areas, there has already been speculation about problems:

Nuclear materials.

Aviation.

Medicines.

Power interconnection and supply.

(UPDATE: the other very substantial preoccupations which have emerged are around the capacity of ports and around data protection rules and data sharing. I address these later.)

Taking each of these in turn:

Nuclear materials

These are currently under the purview of Euratom, from which we have announced that we will leave, simultaneously with leaving the EU (Article 50 triggers departure from both). The Government has been firm in its assertion that leaving Euratom will not threaten security of supply of nuclear materials for medicine and the power industry. If this is correct, so be it.

However, if there are doubts, then remaining within Euratom, at least for the moment, does not seem to me to be an unreasonable interim step. The ECJ jurisdiction related to this treaty is limited, and scope exists for our immigration rules to create specific carve-outs to allow movement related to this activity. It may be sensible to accept this as part of a broader package of cross-border security cooperation. It takes one issue off the table.

Aviation

The UK is a member of the ECAA, which is policed by the ECJ. If we leave the ECAA, our airlines will need to do some contortions to allow them to continue to operate between the UK and the EU, but it looks to be manageable. Easyjet has created an EU airline based in Vienna as a contingency, and IAG (BA) has its Iberia subsidiary.

Issues will instead arise on flights between the UK and other markets outside the EU which are currently permitted because there are arrangements between the ECAA and those markets. The counterparties for crisis plans for aviation are therefore outside the EU, which complicates matters and again argues for early discussions. Clearly, it is in the interests of the EU to maintain flows of UK tourists and business travellers into the EU, and it is in their interests to maintain rights for their airlines within the UK, so sense should prevail in discussions with the EU.

But here again, our determination to accept no jurisdiction for the ECJ seems to me to be misplaced. Air transport again seems to me to be an area where ECJ jurisdiction is defensible. So, my approach would be to seek continued membership of ECAA, with continuation of rights to fly to those non-EU markets. My fallback plan would be to seek to agree a memorandum of understanding with the US protecting existing traffic rights, with a view to renegotiating that deal over a defined timeframe, and perhaps as part of a wider UK-US trade deal. I think it unlikely that the US carriers would want to lose access to the UK, so such an MOU should be achievable quickly.

Medicines

The European Medicines Agency is leaving the UK after Brexit. The system whereby drugs produced under a license from any member state will be accepted in any other member state will no longer apply. The EMA has issued guidance to companies, stating that they will have to relocate their licenses to entities within the EU, relocate their quality management resources, relocate their batch preparation facilities and so on. The cost of these changes has been estimated by the pharmaceutical industry to amount to about 500 million.

On the face of it, therefore, there is a substantial problem. However, the UK imports 18 billion of pharmaceutical products from the EU, while we export 11.5 billion to the EU. Neither the UK nor the EU are in the business of poisoning their citizens. A pragmatic solution should therefore be possible, whereby the EMA accepts products from the UK and the UK accepts products from the EU, at least for an interim period, to avoid disruption to supply.

If this is not possible, then safety stocks will need to be built up on the EU side of the Channel by our exporters. On our own side, I would propose that we continue to recognise drugs which have come from the EU, to reduce unnecessary costs and to ensure continuity of supply.

Going forward, the UK and EUs regulatory systems around medicines may well diverge, and therefore there will be additional costs for companies (and therefore health systems) in future as a result of these changes. Making drug development cheaper and speedier in the UK, giving an incentive for drugs companies to develop the UK market as a stepping stone to other markets, seems to me to be an opportunity which will more than outweigh these additional costs.

Power Interconnection and Supply

The UKs membership of the EU gives it membership of the IEM (the Internal Energy Market). This regulates the energy markets of countries within the UK and seeks to harmonise them. One particularly important aspect of this for the UK is interconnection: the import and export of electricity through interconnectors. These are important between the UK and continental EU but also between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Integration of the grids allows real-time management of flows to ensure that electricity is moving when needed in each direction and allows cost and carbon efficiency to be improved. There is no inherent threat to interconnector access but, in the absence of integration, power flows will no longer be optimised and this will lead to an increase in cost for UK consumers (and EU consumers).

It should be possible to agree bilateral arrangements and to continue to coordinate energy policy via associate membership of various EU bodies (ACER, ENTSO-e) without remaining part of the IEM. Given the UKs wind asset, which will represent an important source of renewable power deliverable to Europe when the UK is in surplus, and given Hinkley Point, it should make sense for the EU to agree specific arrangements for interconnection, and we may well decide to maintain harmonisation in other respects. At least, there does not appear to be a serious short term issue here.

(UPDATE:

Ports

There has been considerable speculation around the capacity of our ports (and those of our neighbours) to absorb the extra customs work required if there is a WTO Brexit. In my previous article, I suggested changes to our tariff regimes to reduce the range of goods on which tariffs are paid, which will reduce the load increase on tariff processing systems. The need for physical checks will remain.

In the short term, a pragmatic approach on our side is simply to check a lower proportion of shipments, to allow things to keep moving. We will, in other words, wave the lorries through. As for EU ports, I suggested in my previous article that the government should be seeking to agree capacity expansion in the Dutch ports NOW, and if necessary helping to fund it.

Those who fear long tailbacks of lorries in the UK seeking to enter Europe should consider several factors: first, most road transport is provided by non-UK EU drivers. Extensive delays will hurt EU-based haulage businesses. They will lobby to prevent this. The governments of countries and regions neighbouring the UK do not want their economies to be devastated by a halt in EU-UK goods flows. Xavier Bertrand, president of Hauts-de-France has been lobbying the French government to break with the EU negotiating rules and deal urgently with Dover-Calais issues because he fears for his regions economy. The Dutch and Belgian ports have announced increases in capacity and will seek to grab market share of UK trade if the French ports lock up. And, within the UK, there is scope for substantial displacement of traffic from Dover to other ports.

In short, it does not seem likely that there will be a catastrophic problem, but further investment in resources on both sides of the border do need to be expedited now.

Data protection rules and data sharing

We have now implemented GDPR in the UK, and it might therefore be thought that our data protection regime would easily qualify as an adequate third party regime, allowing EU and UK companies to share data. However, this requires a finding of adequacy by the EU, which might not be forthcoming, particularly given the extensive investigatory powers our government has (similar powers in the US have been found to be in breach of EU principles).

We may therefore need to accept a watering down of the Governments investigatory powers in the short term, in order to achieve the status of adequacy under EU law. Many privacy campaigners would no doubt welcome this but it does represent a trade off between national security and national economic interest.)

I expect plenty of comments to this article to point out that, with so many areas of cooperation, we should not be leaving in the first place. It is inevitable that an article on the issues arising from Brexit will focus on those areas where we are most closely tied in to the EU. There are indeed many areas where, had we not joined the EU, we would have sought to negotiate bilateral agreements. We should seek to do this on a pragmatic basis even if we cannot agree a FTA, but we should also face the reality that this may not be possible or may take too long, and plan accordingly.Joe Carlebach was the Leader of the Conservative Group on Hammersmith and Fulham Council.

I was astonished to read the comments of Peter Willsman at a recent Labour Party NEC meeting, relating to the continuing saga of Labour and its problem with antisemitism  comments that were also recorded and released last night which I can only describe as offensive and bizarre.

He is clearly heard saying (shouting) in a tirade that he blamed Jewish Trump fanatics for false claims of antisemitism in the Labour Party, and actually asking his fellow members of Labours ruling body to raise their hands if they had seen antisemitism in Labour!

Apart from the obvious abhorrence, these comments are significant as they represent the latest manifestation of the Labour Partys on going struggle with antisemitism.

These are not the comments of a junior staffer or known crack pot. They are the comments of a full member of Labours National Executive, its most senior body. The comments were apparently made in the presence of the Leader of the Labour Party, with seemingly no indication of any attempt by him to intervene. There also seems to be no appetite to discipline Willsman on the part of the Labour Party because he wrote an apology to Jennie Formby, Labours General Secretary .

Contrast this to the reaction of the Labour establishment to Margaret Hodges emotional confrontation with Jeremy Corbyn where she called him an anti-Semite and a racist. For her troubles she is now the subject of a Labour Party disciplinary investigation. The incredible speed with which the Labour Party acted in this case makes an interesting comparison with the incredible slowness of its response to many of those accused of antisemitism.

(For the record we have also learnt that there are apparently now 252 Labour Party members being investigated for comments they have made about and to Margaret Hodge on line since this incident.)

On the face of it, many will dismiss this as yet another example of Labours inability to confront and address its growing problem with antisemitism. Some might even say: big deal, why are you surprised, what did you expect.

In 2016 I wrote an article for this site entitled Labours slowness to act on anti-Semitism is disgracing it. At that time I was sure that the surfacing of this form of racism was an anomaly, that it would be good enough to call it out and that it would be dealt with.

As a committed Conservative I have absolutely no love for the Labour Party and its mad cap left wing philosophy. However, as a great party of state and Her Majestys Official Opposition, I felt sure that the matter would be dealt with. I wrote then:

The Labour Party leadership needs to get a grip on this situation. It needs to sign up to a zero tolerance policy for any and all forms of racism including anti-Semitism, and ensure that this is enforced, well understood and adhered to throughout its membership and party apparatus. It needs to do this now.

Over two years later we find not only has this issue not been dealt with, it has spread untreated like the pernicious disease it is.

Let us remember that we are not talking about a small fringe party of little relevance. Labour could form a government in the coming years. As such they will control the great organs of state and determine the future of our nation.

For me, this is a watershed. It shows clearly that Labour have proved themselves incapable of dealing with prejudice and bigotry. This is not just the Labour leader but, I regret to say, the Party in its entirety. Many in Labour have come out saying the right things about the evils of antisemitism, but they have patently failed to actually do or change anything.

The time has passed for words, now is the time for action. No more soft excuses. No more procrastination. It is time for solid, implementable plans with defined actions to finally address the issue of racism in Labours ranks.

This issue should concern everybody in Britain, not just the Jewish community, because a party that seemingly tolerates such behaviour is frankly capable of much else besides. The future tolerance and moral fabric of our nation is therefore at risk, and that is something about which everyone should be deeply troubled.We have analogue electoral law in a digital age. The furore over the role of the internet in political campaigning is fueled by a mix of genuine fears, honest misunderstandings, partisan loyalties, and naked opportunism. There are some dangers in untrammelled panic, too.

The first is that the UK might forget, and thereby fail to capitalise on, the huge democratic opportunities of modern technology, and the uplift in human knowledge and popular engagement which it offers.

The second is that we might indulge in overkill, and end up harming fundamental liberties like free expression as well as hobbling the potential for tech-driven economic growth. Harmful at home, that would be deadly abroad, handing an instant excuse to tyrants the world over to ignore criticisms of online censorship.

And the third, somewhat ironically, is that the ensuing fluster offers an additional opportunity for hostile actors  domestic extremists, foreign powers who wish us ill  to undermine our institutions, principles, and faith in one another as fellow citizens of a democracy.

The latter risk was all too visible yesterday, when The Observers Carole Cadwalladr somehow ended up sharing a conspiracy theory that the Labour racism scandal is being driven by bots & trolls fabricating Labour anti-semitic messages to fan this dispute  itself apparently an instance of fake news.

These dangers might not matter too much if electoral law was completely up to date and up to the job. But it is not. Legislation which was outdated even when introduced has become more so with the development of new media, and as campaigners adapt their tactics to make the most of the playing field which legislation marks out for them.

The difficulty the Electoral Commission has in addressing even quite well-documented real-world scandals like that in Tower Hamlets is all-too clear. The development of new and severe threats to our democracy requires not simply that the Commission get better at its job, but that the rules for which it is responsible also be updated. Otherwise it risks becoming a suit of armour in the age of the machine gun  worse than useless.

Properly updating electoral law would be a huge undertaking, attracting a great deal of debate and also efforts by some to try to bake in a partisan advantage. Readers will no doubt be relieved to hear that I dont propose to present a single solution to the whole issue in this article, but to identify and explore some of the key areas that debate will cover.

Fake News

What, exactly, is it? Even the DDCMS Select Committees report on the topic this week struggled to produce a clear and consistent definition. The fact that the term was made famous when Donald Trump used it to denounce legitimate reporting that he disliked ought to strike a note of caution when people dish out cheap pledges to ban fake news. How would attempts to do so avoid becoming a tool of partisan censorship? If, like Frodo Baggins, I convince myself I can handle such power without corruption, does that make it wise to legitimise it for others to use? As well see below, is it even possible to distinguish any longer between different rules for news and campaigning, when every campaigner makes their own news and news outlets now campaign?

Campaign lies

There is obvious overlap between this concept and fake news, but it deserves its own distinct category, covering the allegation political campaigns themselves tell lies beyond what fake news outlets might report. This has become a furious obsession for various people in conflicting corners of British politics, though it is hardly a new phenomenon. We may well see efforts to enshrine a requirement for truth in law  but again the question must be asked: who will be the arbiter of such truth? The whole of politics exists because people have conflicting ideas around what is true about the country, the world, human nature, economics, history, and so on and so on. As it stands, the law forbids any false statement of fact in relation to [a] candidates personal character or conduct (as Phil Woolas discovered), but also exempts political communication from the usual tests of Advertising Standards law. Is that an effective balance, forbidding damaging falsehoods about people, but keeping state quangos and the law out of the invidious position of having to arbitrate the truth of one position or another? How can be arbitrate between pressure to do something about claimed lies and concerns that regulating political truth is nigh-on impossible, or the impact on free expression? The modern world is full of accepted truths that, when first proposed, were denounced as falsehoods and loathed for breaching taboos. Expanding or even automating fact-checking presents its own issues: who fact-checks the fact-checkers? Are algorithms truly unbiased, or are they prone to simply automate bias built into them by their creators, knowingly or unknowingly?

Micro-targeting

Oddly, Damian Collins report bundled the tactic of micro-targeting messaging in with fake news, further confusing it with the question of false commercial endorsements for some reason. As ConservativeHome has reported, in the UK as well as in all other developed countries all sides have sought to harness the potential of digital campaigning to better focus what they say and to whom online. Any new development deserves scrutiny and study, and micro-targeting suffers from a mix of technical illiteracy on the part of many in politics, deliberate obscurantism and over-claiming on the part of techy practitioners, and plenty of hyperbole about the mythical power of dark ads. How can the issue be explored in a way that overcomes those conflicting obstacles? Is this really a wholly new field, or is it a new method of the age-old essence of campaigning, namely finding out what might change someones mind then talking to them about it? Is the method illegitimate in itself, or is it neutral  like the concept of the leaflet or a canvassing call? What of the democratic cost of forbidding campaigners from using a tool to engage an insufficiently engaged electorate?

Data rights

Obviously, being able to micro-target online requires the targeter to know things about the audience. Such operations are hugely data-hungry  thats why Labour runs endless data-gathering petitions through its own platforms, and why the Conservative Party did a Love Island themed giveaway this week. Is that unethical, even if currently legal? Are people aware of the value and uses of the data that they give away? Do they have sufficient legal powers to control their data? We know from the Cambridge Analytica/Facebook scandal that data is now such a valuable commodity that some are willing to go to nefarious lengths to obtain and misuse it, and that social media platforms, among other new innovations, offer unparalleled opportunities to do both. What new responsibilities for companies, powers for regulators (information or electoral commissions), and rights for individuals, might obstruct such illegitimate uses of peoples data for political purposes? Unchecked assurances evidently arent up to the job. At the same time, cab such obstructions be targeted to disrupt activities we dont want (like data theft) without blocking ones we do (like mass medical research)?

Attributing online material

Every leaflet, poster and so on must have an imprint declaring who produced it and for which campaign, normally in tiny font in a corner. That law is sometimes broken, but broadly obeyed. The system is different for online campaigning, and understanding is even more haphazard  its routine to see imprints on websites and email footers, but not on social media. At one time there were suggestions that individual tweets might need an imprint  something which would be impractical even under longer character limits. Some candidates squeeze imprints into their Twitter or Facebook bios, others link to them, and some dont include them at all. Carole Cadwalladr appears to have wrongly believed Facebook adverts need imprints, which Dominic Cummings has pointed out to her is incorrect. There is a reasonable question about who is behind the creation of, and promotion of, online adverts. As Cummings argues, the content of any advert or promoted post has an owner  the person or page who originated the content. That informs voters when the originator is legitimate. But is such information enough, given there have been cases in the US of pages posing as American campaigns which are actually run from Russia? For that matter, given an advertiser can promote content posted by others, what protection is there against the content of a genuinely British campaign being artificially boosted by other, anonymous and potentially hostile actors? Some have proposed compulsory disclosure of the location of those behind pages, posts and adverts  but a) its obviously possible to get around such a simple rule, and b) that in itself could invite unintended consequences. For example, if someone wished to discredit their legitimate opponents, how easy it would be to spend 10 getting their material promoted via an IP in Russia  pose as a false friend and let the new transparency mechanisms demolish your opponent. When dealing with clever people and high stakes, unintended consequences of new regulation require careful thought and testing.

Who is a campaigner?

Underlying many of these issues is the fact that social media has led to a vast extension and fundamental change in who has a significant and influential voice in our politics. Individuals, formal and informal pressure groups, sites like ConservativeHome, journalists, activists, academics  all these and more have greater political and media clout, often to sizeable audiences. Can electoral law continue to try to draw distinctions between media and political campaigns? Is a comedian posting an online rant to millions for or against a politician acting as a publisher, a lobbyist, a participant in electoral campaigning, a media outlet, or just, well, a comedian? Can a candidate really be held responsible for the decision of someone they have never met to expend resources supporting them  and should Facebooks advertising department have compliance responsibilities akin to those imposed on a candidates agent? To what degree is a candidate responsible for third-party groups whom they know and encourage to work in their support? At what point does a company or charity or university professor arguing for or against a change in the law find that they have become political in the eyes of the regulator? Can they know this beforehand, or does it apply retroactively if they go viral? Are massively funded legal cases with political aims and accompanying media coverage a form of campaign, or not? Is a political campaign allowed to say things under the exemption from advertising standards that other actors would not be allowed to say about the same topic? Even relatively new legislation gets all this into a clumsy muddle  the Lobbying Act infamously cast its net so widely, so vaguely and so outdatedly that it potentially restricts the right of sites like this one, clearly a media outlet, to publish things that would be completely fine if done by a hard-copy newspaper. The Act needs to be revisited, and a consistent definition of campaigning must be found and applied, or else the law will be ineffective against activities it ought to restrain and overly restrictive of activities it ought to facilitate.

Foreign donations

The UK has long had strict rules against foreign donors being able to finance politics, and for good reason. But they, too, risk being outmanoeuvred. The above questions about who or what constitutes a political campaign matters a great deal  if we are worried about influence being exerted beyond the traditional channels of parties, where the rules are quite tight, to what extent should there be oversight of money flowing to campaigning charities and pressure groups, for example? Is it still enough to impose tight oversight of registered campaign participants during election time, or should rules apply in peacetime, too? Is blanket transparency desirable or practical, or would it chill debate and even place people in danger? New technology provokes new questions, too  I wrote last year about the loophole by which a foreign donor could finance a cause in the UK anonymously and without any checks, so long as they divide their cash into chunks below 499 and spread it across technically distinct but practically allied organisations. There are also questions about more old-school attempts to get round the law. As long as donors have been regulated, there have been efforts to channel money via people who look permissible  foreign citizens giving to parties via family members or even employees, who thereby appear on the register as legitimate when the money hasnt truly originated from them. Such allegations are rearing their head again, including about Russia allegedly seeking to exert influence via favourable business dealings with some of its own expats and citizens of the nations that it wishes to target. Can transparency rules on donors be beefed up? To what extent is it really possible to trace back cash to a single origin? Are we sufficiently armoured against effective financial infiltration of our politics? Again, how do we make restrictions effective but proportionate  should our system simply ban donations from Brits who do business in particular countries, for example?

A cap on donations

This site has been writing for a long time about the possibility and desirability of some form of upper limit on donations. Paul Goodman has argued that the Conservative Party should get out ahead of the regulators and voluntarily impose a 50,000 donation cap on itself. When we last tested it in 2015, just under 40 per cent of Party members thought such a rule ought to be introduced in law. In addition to the question of who donates, how much they donate is inevitably and justifiably up for debate. Is it healthy to have a reliance on a small number of very large donors? Is it a breach of property rights to forbid people from using their money as they wish? Is there simply a smell test by which big donations harm faith in our democracy? How would such a cap work in an age of crowdfunding  would an organisation that raised 100,000 from 50,000 donors not be allowed to give the money, as it would have become a lump sum? If that was allowed, would a union, pressure group, or pension fund be deemed to be giving lump sums as one entity, or a collection of small donations on behalf of its members? If large donations were to be restricted, are there other changes that could be made at the bottom end of the donor scale to encourage the parties to raise more from a wider base of smaller donors. Or should our politics just get by at a lower cost?

Better watchdogs

Lastly, as Ive written before, in an age of foreign and domestic threats to our democratic process, we need to look at how to give our watchdogs better eye-sight and a sharper bite. Cultural and personnel change at the Electoral Commission, to make it a more effective and impressive body, might take time, but there are other practical changes that might be pursued. In addition to all the above questions, here are a few more: How severe should fines and other penalties for electoral offences be? What measure is there to ensure the punishment is proportionate to the crime? How should legal culpability flow through organisations to individuals, and even across borders? What responsibilities do platforms have to prevent crimes being committed in the digital space they provide? Is the system of election courts fit for purpose? How can the police be better educated and informed about the laws which are intended to protect democracy? Who ought to have oversight of the Commission and its work, and who could be trusted to use such power fairly and responsibly? What underpinning guarantees are there to preserve fundamental rights like freedom of expression?Our Survey. Next Tory Leader. Johnson more than triples his score to come top  for the first time since 2016

It would be remarkable were it not predictable  or perhaps it is both at once.

From the moment he resigned over Theresa Mays new Brexit policy, Boris Johnson was always going to get an uplift in our Next Tory Leader poll.

A month ago, before the Chequers Cabinet meeting and the Brexit White Paper, he was Foreign Secretary  tied to a policy which he clearly didnt believe in, and having failed to quit over Heathrow expansion. He was fifth in the survey, languishing on eight per cent.

Now, his rating has almost quadrupled, and he is top of the poll. He last led as long ago as March 2016  in the aftermath of his decision to come out for Leave. Again, his total soared.

Our reading is that most panel members believe that David Davis is now too old to lead the Party, even as a stopgap, and that Johnson, with his Daily Telegraph column, his national projection and reach, and his publicity-mongering over the best part of 30 years, is best placed to make the case for an authentic Brexit to the voters.

But would MPs put his name as one of two for the members to choose from, in the event of a leadership contest? Theres a good chance that one of them would be the man who comes second in our survey this month  Sajid Javid.

The Home Secretary topped the poll last month with 22 per cent, and remains competitive on 19 per cent. Those who want a fresh face seem to be rallying round him at present. Jacob Rees-Mogg moves down a point to 13 per cent. Otherwise, it is much of a muchness.

Please note that support for the Chequers policy from pro-Leave ministers is a minus in this poll. Michael Gove was second last month, on 17 per cent. Now he is fifth on seven per cent, down ten points.

In the Times today, I argue that it is hard to see the gain for the Conservative Party, or anyone else, from a new leader in the same Commons. A Prime Minister Johnson would need a mandate from the voters in order to get a new policy through Parliament.

That would presumably be Canada Plus Plus Plus, or the variant that Davis calls the reserve parachute. But Dominic Grieve and his group of former Remainers would be unlikely to support it.

Or it could just conceivably be the EEA port-in-a-storm option  but most Brexiteer MPs fear that once in it, wed never come out of it, and that it is anyway wide of the referendum mandate.

And Tory MPs of all dispositions view a general election as hazardous, in any event.Whats included in the fares consumers pay for airline tickets has become a can of worms over the last few years. What presents itself to the consumer as a $100 fare can easily wind up as $140 by the time "additional fees and taxes" are tagged on.

Then, if you want a certain seat, to carry on a bag, or board the plane in the first group, you could easily run that $140 charge up to $200 or more.

Theres no doubt that the ecosystem of running an airline is complex. Theres fuel, regulations, maintenance, ticketing, and layers upon layers of people trying to make customers happy and the planes get from point A to point B.

Theres also picking out the routes that will create the most return on investment (ROI) and making sure the airline has the deal everyone wants.

What airline has the most add-on fees?

In its annual ancillary revenue rankings, the IdeaWorksCompany found the top 10 most expensive carriers based on average fees charged per passenger were as follows:

Spirit: $51 per passenger WOW Air: $49 per passenger Allegiant: $49 per passenger Frontier: $48 per passenger Jet2.com: $43 per passenger Qantas Airways: $43 per passenger United: $39 per passenger AirAsia X: $33 per passenger HK Express: $33 per passenger Wizz Air: $31 per passenger

Scanning that list, you probably noticed that most of those airlines are small, regional, no-frills types.

"Consumers in the US enjoy far lower fares courtesy of the presence of Spirit, Frontier, and Sun Country, Jay Sorensen, President of Product, Partnership and Marketing Practice for IdeaWorksCompany told ConsumerAffairs.

"These low fare airlines rely upon two revenue streams - fares and ancillary revenue. Now to be certain, the latter must be provided using transparent and fair methods. There have certainly been abuses in terms of transparency and fairness by LCCs. But I confess, if you complete the booking process at the Spirit Airlines website and are surprised by bag fees being charged at the airport for large carry-ons well, you are intellectually challenged."

So, ancillary revenue is a good thing?

IdeaWorksCompany further defines ancillary revenue using these categories: 1) a la carte features, 2) commission-based products, 3) frequent flyer activities, 4) miscellaneous sources such as advertising, and 5) the a la carte components associated with a fare or product bundle.

If you take a close look at IdeaWorks report, your eyes might widen when you see that United, Delta, and American all took in more than $5 billion in ancillary revenue last year in the way of a la carte features, commission-based products, and frequent flyer activities.

But, in the long run, that extra revenue stream can be a good thing for the customer.

If an airline can keep its fares competitive and pick up enough money from its side hustles -- baggage fees, seat assignments, and the like -- then its on the consumer to decide how much the perks are worth and if they really need that extra four inches of legroom.

Do the homework

When looking for a fare, think about what you want versus what you need. Is it a free checked bag? If so, then Southwest may be your answer. Need a seat toward the front of the plane? United has a new plan you may want to try out.

"If you can survive with a smaller bag as a carry-on -- you can save that expense," said Sorensen. "Ditto for seat assignments. Consumers are usually best served by applying for the carrier's co-branded credit card and relying on the customary offer of a free checked bag."

Is the government on the consumers side?

Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called on Congress in 2017 to pass legislation to ground exorbitant airline fees in light of a newly-released Government Accountability Office (GAO) report confirming that many airlines do not consider the costs of the services provided when pricing their airline fees.

"This report confirms what countless passengers across the country already know to be true  that airlines are nickel and diming captive passengers to line their pockets, not to cover the costs of the services provided," said Senator Markey.

"GAOs findings show that many airlines are actually emboldened to increase their fees to match their competitors and actively seek to deceive passengers by offering artificially low fares and then charging exorbitant fees on the back end. Its time to put a stop to this fee gouging and restore sanity to the skies. Its time to pass the FAIR Fees Act."

Unless Markey and Blumenthal can get their bill all the way through and signed, theres not much hope. While the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration take their jobs seriously in protecting the safety of fliers, those agencies have decided to stay out of the ring when it comes to things like ticket prices and baggage fees.

Before the Obama administration left office, it proposed a requirement that airlines list their baggage fees at the start of the booking process, a measure intended to make shopping for tickets easier and more transparent for consumers. However, when Donald Trump moved into the Oval Office, he scrapped that proposal.Global technical trends and the best application approaches for industrial internet were among topics at the 4th China Industrial Internet Conference (CIIC), June 6, sponsored by Control Engineering China. The event, at the Wuhan International Conference Center, gave direction for industrial users about in-depth applications of industrial internet technology and how to realize more intelligent, high-efficiency, and flexible operations and production. The theme was: "Connect industrial intelligence; find out the value of interconnection."

Industrial internet development

At the conference, Jiang Xinhao, senior engineer of China Information Communication Research Institute Informatization and Industrialization Integration Institute, said the industrial internet is the key network infrastructure that can meet the demand for industrial intelligence, with low time delay, high reliability, and extensive coverage.

Jiang Xinhao said this emerging business and applications are formed through deep integration of a new generation of information communication technology and advanced manufacturing industry. Industrial internet is divided into three systems.

1. The network system is the foundation.

2. The platform system is the core.

3. The safety system is the guarantee.

Wang Bing, manager of the competitiveness center, the intelligent manufacturing business department, Schneider Electric industry business department, pointed out Chinese manufacturing enterprises are confronted with difficult situations and challenges including excess production capacity, rather high energy costs, serious homogeneous competition, very slow market response speed, and others.

At present, China is a market where crises and opportunities coexist. In the next five years, Chinas manufacturing industry is projected to average 25% growth; in 2025, the expected output value of the intelligent manufacturing industry will reach 3 trillion Yuan ($448.28 billion).

The 4th industrial revolution uses transparent intelligence throughout production and manufacturing, from sensor to big data, to realize data management and services from the equipment level, control level, operation level, and enterprise level.

Focus: Industrial network safety

Industrial network safety can help protect the industrial control system (ICS), according to Zhang Hanyi, the manager of the application engineering team of Belden Hirschmann APAC. He said the frequency and focus of network ICS attacks has "continuously increased, and its complexity is also continuously improved." A great deal of relevant ICS knowledge is available on the internet.

Zhang Hanyi stressed insiders may attack more easily than external specialized hackers. The greatest threat comes from incorrect human operations or equipment failure. Focus should extend beyond hackers to mean time between failures and factory reliability. Its not enough to deploy a fireproof wall at the boundary of network; zones of protection are required for deeper protection. He said network safety is a journey; not a destination.

Data is the basis of everything

Deputy manager of Beijing NE-net Technology Co. Ltd., Chen Qiang, said, "Only the combination of intelligent factory and industrial internet can realize intelligent manufacturing; in this process, data collection is the basis for everything." Data modeling is the core of data processing to ensure data time-stamping in context. Consider a flexible topological structure, Ethernet bus technology, time synchronization and distribution methods, and dual-channel technology for greater data collection effectiveness.

OPC UA and IEEE TSN

Zhou Shenyang, expert in the Industrial Internet of Things Group of B&R Automation (China) Co. Ltd., said, "Enterprises should put efficiency first to realize intelligent manufacturing. End users need to carry out predictive asset management; production simulation; minimize operation risk; maximize asset utilization ratio; minimize unplanned crash; improve the manufacturing, planning and debugging of new factories; and adjust production according to customer demands."

Because of different media, bus technology protocols, and different application layers of Ethernet technology, there is no way to realize interoperability of bus technology and transmission of cyclical and non-cyclical data in one channel among Ethernet protocols. This challenges real-time internet connections. Using OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) with IEEE TSN (Time Sensitive Network) can solve that challenge. Combing both can make cyclical data transmission and non-temporal harsh data available for transmission in the same physical layer. Since modern production line networks increasingly depend on a gigabit network or higher, this combination resolves network bandwidth bottlenecks (including conventional fieldbus and megabit Ethernet).

Aileen Jin is editor-in-chief of Control Engineering China. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com.100%

Website arlsura.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: Boostrap and Php. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 174606 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 103449 bytes (101.02 kb uncompressed) and 21581 bytes (21.08 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-09-29, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.Yellowbrick Data emerged from stealth this week, unveiling its all-flash analytics and data warehouse appliance that the startup says is magnitudes smaller and faster than current data warehouse systems.

The company also disclosed that it received $44 million in Series A funding from DFJ, Google Ventures, Samsung Ventures, Menlo Ventures and Third Point Ventures.

Many businesses today are struggling to gain value from the huge volumes and variety of data they are collecting, seeking ways to tap into that data for making both strategic and day-to-day operational decisions.

[Related: The 2018 Big Data 100]

"We are 100 percent-focused on providing a data warehouse to run business-critical workloads," said Neil Carson, Yellowbrick Data's CEO and co-founder, in an interview with CRN.

The data warehouse market includes system companies like Teradata, Oracle and IBM, as well as software vendors like Microsoft and SAP. Data warehouse projects have traditionally been costly and highly complex, leading to the rise of cloud-based data warehouse services such as Snowflake Computing and Amazon Web Services' Redshift.

Yellowbrick Data, founded in 2014, has developed a system architecture that's based on flash memory hardware and software developed to handle native flash memory queries. The appliance includes integrated CPU, storage and networking with data moving directly from flash memory to the CPU. The system's modular design can scale up to handle petabytes of data by adding analytic nodes.

The system includes an analytic database designed for flash memory, able to handle high-volume data ingestion and processing, and capable of running mixed workloads of ad hoc queries, large batch queries, reporting, ETL (extract, transform and load) processes and ODBC inserts.

The company says its system operates 140 times faster than conventional data warehouse systems for such tasks as retail and advertising analytics, security analysis and fraud detection, financial trading analysis, electronic health records processing and other applications.

The Yellowbrick Data Warehouse appliance occupies as little as 3 percent of the physical space of a legacy data warehouse, according to the company. It runs on premise, but also supports hybrid and private cloud environments, co-location and edge-computing networks.

"It has a massive price-performance advantage over anything out there," said Carson, who before founding the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company, was CTO at flash storage system pioneer Fusion-io.

Cloud data warehouse systems like Snowflake and AWS Redshift have been getting a lot of attention lately. But Carson argued that if a data warehouse system is running 24 hours a day, "the economics of public cloud just doesn't work."

So while he says Yellowbrick Data will likely have a public cloud offering in the future, the company's focus for now is co-location, private cloud and hybrid cloud environments. "The world will be hybrid at the end of the day," he said.

Yellowbrick Data has actually been selling its system to select customers, including Overstock.com and TEOCO Corp., for nearly a year.

The company is now in the process of developing a partner program and Carson described the Yellowbrick Data Warehouse as "a very channel friendly product."

The company will be recruiting solution provider partners with deep data warehousing expertise. Carson specifically mentioned solution providers who work with data warehouse appliances from IBM, originally developed by Netezza, which IBM acquired in 2010.

Yellowbrick Data is eyeing the same kind of go-to-market channel strategy as used by vendors like hyper-converged system maker Nutanix and secondary storage system vendor Cohesity, said chief marketing officer Gary Orenstein, in the interview with CRN.

Much of the venture funding is being used for developing go-to-market plans, including the channel, and expanding the company's sales operations, the CMO said.

The company is targeting "greenfield" opportunities among larger businesses that need data warehouse systems for new applications or are looking to replace legacy data warehouse systems, Carson said.Government solution provider ManTech International Corp. has found this year to be a good one for government contracting, but sees potential headwinds if there are delays in determining the next federal budget.

Kevin Phillips, ManTech president and CEO, told investors on Wednesday during the Fairfax, Va.-based solution provider's second quarter 2018 earnings conference call that his company saw exceptional performance during the quarter, which ended June 30.

"We maintained an impressive pace of organic growth, and were awarded a number of new contracts that put us in a solid position for continued growth," Phillips said.

[Related: Pentagon Unleashes $10B JEDI Cloud RFP With Single Award In Mind]

ManTech, which has a strong focus on mission-critical federal government IT requirements, including contracts with the Department of Defense, was pleased to see the U.S. Congress making meaningful headway on fiscal year 2019 defense appropriations, with draft markets generally in line with President Donald Trump's budget requests, Phillips said.

"However, there's a potential for fiscal 2019 to begin under a continuing resolution, which could have a slight impact on the timing of new contract awards for the industry," he said.

Overall, Phillips said, ManTech's portfolios, capabilities, and customers continue to be in line with budget priorities.

"We are seeing customers apply strong focus within the space and cyber domains with both policy and execution," he said. "These efforts feed more broadly towards supporting both national security and national defense strategies.

To support continued growth, ManTech's strategy in the past quarter was to make significant investments in improving the company's infrastructure, including investments in business development, engineering, and strategic acquisitions, as well as in systems and in personnel, Phillips said.

"I am pleased to say that our performance in the quarter, particularly around winning new contracts at scale in the enterprise IT and systems modernization area, is a result of that focused strategy," he said. "This is the continuation of a multi-year trend that we are experiencing across our business."

ManTech started it third fiscal quarter with the awarding of a new contract for worldwide enterprise IT support for an unnamed Department of Defense agency, with a value of $959 million over 10 years, Philips said. This followed the awarding of several smaller new contracts in the second quarter, he said.

Phillips, responding to an analyst's question about labor, said his company has been very successful in the last three quarters in hiring the people it needs for contract work, as well as being able to add new people to meet the requirements of new and existing contracts over time.

"That said, the market for the higher-end labor continues to be very tight," he said. "The timeline on [government agency] clearances is beginning to show some improvement. I'd say it's not material, but it's an improvement. And also note that our federal customers are very focused on this, and are doing some heavy lifting to make sure we have the ability to recruit talent to meet national security missions."

For the second fiscal quarter of 2018, ManTech reported revenue of $491 million, up from the $413.7 million the company reported for the second fiscal 2017 quarter.

The company also reported net income on a GAAP basis of $19.9 million, or 50 cents per share, up from last year's $15.6 million, or 40 cents per share.

The results beat analyst expectations on revenue, but were about 1 cent below analyst expectations for earnings, according to Seeking Alpha.

Looking forward, Chief Financial Officer Judith Bjornaas said ManTech increased and narrowed its range of revenue expectations, with revenue for all of fiscal 2018 expected to be in the range of $1.92 billion and $1.96 billion. Net income is expected to be in the range of $79.5 million and $82.6 million, while earnings per share is expected to be in the range of $1.99 and $2.07, Bjornaas said.AppDynamics is pushing its application performance monitoring platform into the midmarket with an exclusive new program element designed for smaller, regional solution providers, and based on the successful large enterprise-focused Titan partner program.



The Pioneer designation launched today is AppDynamics' response to the success of its Titan enterprise program launched last August, just months after the company was acquired by Cisco. Pioneer will eventually include about 45 regional solution providers with deep expertise in cloud, solid understanding of business applications and a track record of selling complementary technology, said Ghazal Asif, AppDynamics vice president of worldwide channels.



Solution providers that become Pioneer partners get 15 percent guaranteed margins on the resale of AppDynamics licenses, and are also encouraged to sell implementation services that can bring margins between 40 and 60 percent, and take advantage of expansion and consulting opportunities.



[Related: Cisco Throws Down Multi-Cloud Gauntlet With Kubernetes Support For CloudCenter, AppDynamics]



"If I wasn't working at AppDynamics, I'd have my own partner because they are extremely rich margins," Asif said. "AppDynamics is a very good way for partners to grow their Cisco business and add a ton of value for their customers."

AppDynamics has already recruited almost 30 partners into the Pioneer program and is keeping the remaining 15 or so slots open this month to partners that may want to apply.



Since the acquisition, Asif said, AppDynamics R&D spending is up 80 percent. Annual recurring revenue growth has accelerated, and deals in which Cisco is involved have closed 50 percent faster, and some partners say the company is swiftly distinguishing itself from the application performance monitoring market's other major players, including Riverbed, CA and Dynatrace.



"It's great for our partners too," Asif said. "Partners can take this full, end-to-end solution stack story to market, from hardware all the way up to the software layer. It's a huge, huge value-add."



Partners that enter the Pioneer tier are considered "Titans in the making," Asif said, and get a slate of benefits similar to those afforded their larger colleagues. Those benefits include dedicated, hands-on sales and engineering support; enablement content; certifications around services, and help with business planning.



Unlike Titan partners, Pioneer partners won't be required to meet strict revenue requirements in the first year, Asif said. AppDynamics is more interested, at least for the time being, in partners' capabilities and customer profile. Being a Cisco partner is a prerequisite.



"What we're looking for is the profile of the partner," Asif said. "What we've found is that as soon as you put in revenue requirements, it filters out partners that could be really great for our customers, and ultimately we want to help our customers become as great as they can be. Instead, we're looking at technical competencies that partners have, the customers they're speaking to, what kind of problems are they trying to solve, and what are the complementary technologies they're working with today? In year one, we're not asking them to commit to a hard goal."



The Pioneer designation is generating excitement already.



Vinod Muthuswamy, president of Dallas, Texas, solution provider General Datatech, is one of the nearly 30 solution providers who have already become AppDynamics Pioneer partners. AppDynamics makes up only a low single-digit proportion of GDT's business today, but Muthuswamy said he expects that number to hit double digits in the next two years.



The margins on offer to Pioneer partners make developing a deeper relationship with AppDynamics a no-brainer for GDT, Muthuswamy said.



"We're very excited about the margins," he said. "If you really look at the margin profile of solution providers playing in infrastructure space, they are not used to large double-digit margins. When you see an opportunity to create more value, it makes sense and there's no reason why you wouldn't bet on it."



Jumping in with AppDynamics also allows GDT to seize opportunities with customers that are hungry to use the data their businesses produce to make impactful improvements to the way they operate, Muthuswamy said.



"There's a revolution to go all things digital," Muthuswamy said. "Customers want to know how to collect data from aspects of the business that can now generate data, and now they're using that information to make intelligent decisions, to react to the market faster, to improve the customer experience, or the employee experience. They expect you to understand the business and come up with a strategy in a way that allows them to make decisions on a much more aggressive timeline."



"AppD looks at the end-to-end enterprise and maps out where information is flowing and how it impacts the business," Muthuswamy said. "It gives us a platform where we can create our own value. We can create unique insights customers are looking for. Our goal isn't to create the product from the ground up. The data sits on infrastructure, on the app layer, comes in from IoT layer. It's a holistic view of everything digital. You have access to data, and you're using that data to transform the business."



For Joe Wrzosek, practice lead for enterprise monitoring and analytics at Ahead, a Chicago-based VAR and AppDynamics Titan partner, AppDynamics and its partners are in the right place at the right time.



"It's becoming clear to the market that with the complexity of applications, and the speed that development is moving toward taking core business functions and exposing them digitally across the internet to their customers, that tools in the APM space are critical," Wrzosek said.



"You're doing away with day- or week-long war rooms where everyone is pointing fingers at each other," Wrzosek said. "That's not productive anymore. For customers, if it takes more than 10 seconds to load, they're moving on to the next vendor. Now, they can resolve issues quickly and generate a better experience for their customers."Almost one year since VMware Cloud on AWS hit the market, a channel has gelled around the hybrid cloud service, with partners finally seeing clear indicators of customer demand and the associated business opportunity.

VMware introduced a formal solutions competency in March, and some 125 partners that have earned that accreditation are bringing the first wave of enterprises into production on the platform, Frank Rauch, VMware's vice president for Americas Partner Organization, told CRN.

Use cases driving adoption are diverse, Rauch said, but almost all revolve around the speed and ease VMware Cloud on AWS provides in shifting legacy workloads at scale into the cloud, Rauch and several channel partners told CRN.

[Related: 10 Things Solution Providers Need To Know About VMware Cloud On AWS]

"It's fun right now," Rauch told CRN. "There's a tremendous amount of momentum. And great support from the AWS team."

Most early entrants into the VMware Cloud on AWS channel have been traditional MSPs, he said, but many global systems integrators have also dived into developing practices,.

Not only are longtime VMware partners extending data center practices through the offering, Rauch said, but several born-in-the-cloud solution providers are for the first time familiarizing themselves with VMware, often through introductions made by AWS channel leaders.

"Our two brands are bringing a product and solution to market that's very channel-ready and channel-accepted," Rauch said.

Rauch's counterpart at AWS, Vice President for Global Alliances Terry Wise, told CRN that partner momentum around the hybrid service has exceeded his expectations.

There's a high bar to earning the competency, Wise said, with requirements for joint training in sales, technical know-how and service delivery.

"It's a big investment for them," Wise said. "But they're all in."

Those partners are seeing the potential for selling recurring managed and value-added services by integrating native AWS features like machine learning, data lakes, IoT and edge computing.

At Relus Cloud, an AWS partner based near Atlanta, "for the last four years, when somebody mentioned VMware, we would shake our heads and talk to them about how there's a better solution now, how they need to be innovative, and there's the cloud and specifically AWS," the company's CEO, Mark Metz, told CRN.

Relus didn't have an offering around the dominant player in on-premises infrastructure software.

"We always tried to position our solutions and consulting on moving from that environment to moving to a more elastic, pay-as-you-go consumption model," Metz said.

But with VMware and AWS joining forces, and the two companies adding features, availability zones, and certifications around health care, finance and government, "it's becoming a pretty interesting solution."

A half-year ago, Relus shifted gears and educated six of its salespeople around the hybrid service. And in the past three months the company started talking about hybrid cloud with customers, Metz said.

Eight companiesmost of them large enterprises with years of investments in on-premises environments and large IT staffs comfortable with VMwarehave shown interest, Metz said.

They want to move applications to the cloud "without trying something that's new and scary and all those people having to learn a new skill set," he told CRN.

Applications designed to run well on VMware will run just as well on VMware Cloud on AWS, he said. That makes the service "somewhat of an easy button to move existing applications into an environment they know with AWS."

Then, an AWS expert like Relus can help those customers "start leveraging all the other AWS services as they see fit. Whether databases like Aurora, or IoT or security, or other storage solutions."

That "rich portfolio of ancillary services" is the opportunity that turns on the lightbulb in the heads of partners contemplating bringing the solution to market, Metz said.

"It gets these customers into the AWS platform, and allows us as an AWS partner to leverage the rest of the platform," Metz said.

Faction, a Denver-based private cloud provider with eight data centers in the U.S. and U.K., came to VMware Cloud on AWS from a completely different starting point than Relus Cloud.

Since its founding in 2006, the company's core business has been offering VMware-virtualized environments, John Drake, Faction's vice president of strategic alliances, told CRN.

But Faction has been expanding into multi-cloud managed services, and now is putting a "strong emphasis on VMware Cloud on AWS," Drake said

"We're starting to see the use cases," he told CRN, and the power of marrying the familiar VMware hypervisor with back-end AWS infrastructure and services.

The ability to spin up a complete environment on bare-metal servers in 75 minutes is groundbreaking, Drake said.

Faction recently started running clients in production after early proofs of concept and testing.

"We're starting to see more people get excited about it," he said, because of the "dynamic nature and proximity of AWS, [which provides] much more scalable back-end infrastructure than the other VMware clouds are going to be able to provide."

There's so much organic demand that Faction hasn't had to evangelize the technology, Drake said. Instead of selling the vision, Faction is focused on helping customers implement it.

"VMware Cloud on AWS can provide a way to make that migration into AWS a lot simpler. That tends to be where we see the movement, for workloads on that cusp," Drake told CRN.

The public cloud nexus is "breathing new life into the VMware side of the house," Drake said. And Faction complements those capabilities with its own portfolio of migration, storage and disaster recovery capabilities.

Presidio, a New York-based solution provider, has long been a VMware and AWS partner, delivering multi-cloud solutions to a roster of large customers across the country.

Before VMware Cloud on AWS came to fruition, the company was helping customers move workloads from on-premises VMs to AWS instances, which involved a difficult conversion process, Vinu Thomas, Presidio's CTO, told CRN.

The joint service makes the migration easy, and customers are eager to take advantage of that, Thomas said.

Presidio has closed deals for VMware Cloud on AWS with a half-dozen customers, and several more are on the ramp, he said.

Many of those customers were already using both VMware and AWS.

"It was two different use cases," Thomas told CRN. VMware was predominantly deployed by IT operations teams; AWS by DevOps, test/dev and QA.

"There's a lot of demand because you can bring both together," Thomas said, putting IT admins back in control of the complete enterprise IT environment.

Presidio has seen customers that want to shut down data centers entirely without making substantial back-end changes. Others want greater disaster recovery capabilities implemented in time for hurricane season. Large media companies have expressed interest in more capacity without expanding their physical footprints.

And with NSX, VMware's virtual networking solution that's a component of the hybrid cloud service, partners can better fulfill those use cases by stretching networks across environments and shuttling workloads back and forth, Thomas said.

Mark Vaughn, director of Presidio's data center group, said VMware and Amazon have essentially redefined what is meant by hybrid cloudinstead of joining different environments, they're creating the same environment in different places.

Rauch, of VMware, said the service is notching wins from companies large and small, and across industries including education, pharmaceutical, financial services, utilities, health care and government.

Interest in the channel is ramping up as well, he said. VMware has even seen partners that do business in areas where the service isn't available investing in the VMware Cloud on AWS Solution Competency.

"I was surprised by the intuitive acceptance of the solution," Rauch said. "People really got it."

Amazon's Wise said he's been particularly surprised by demand from the public sector and enterprises that work with the government.

To that end, Amazon and VMware have already brought the hybrid service into the AWS GovCloud region. But customers are clamoring for acceleration of compliance efforts, especially around health care and European data sovereignty regulations, he said.

The service will be global by the end of the year, Wise said.NetApp on Wednesday expanded its on-premises to cloud capabilities with the introduction of a new artificial intelligence architecture that combines its flagship all-NVMe flash storage array with Nvidia's DGX GPU technology.

The new NetApp Ontap AI proven architecture is an integrated offering that allows customers to deploy artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning technology from the edge to the core to the cloud, said Octavian Tanase, senior vice president for Ontap at the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based storage vendor.

NetApp Ontap AI combines NetApp's new AFF A800 all-flash storage array with end-to-end NVMe performance, Nvidia's DGX GPU nodes, and 100-Gbit Ethernet switches from Cisco into a system that solution providers can integrate in the field based on reference architecture the vendors provide, Tanase told CRN.

[Related: Pure Storage, Nvidia Jointly Develop Channel-Only AI-Ready System]

The new offering fits well with NetApp's Data Fabric architecture, which allows data to be easily migrated and managed between on-premises data centers, private clouds, public clouds, and hybrid clouds, he said.

"Data is the new gold of the 21st Century," he said. "A lot of companies are looking to leverage data to make faster and better decisions. And a lot of data is increasingly created at the edge or in the cloud. So they need new ways to move data to where it can be used. And our Data Fabric is perfect for edge to core to cloud deployment."

By bringing together NetApp storage, Nvidia GPU technology, and high-speed Cisco networking, the companies are bringing customers a simple, pre-designed system from which all the guesswork was taken out, Tanase said. NetApp Ontap AI also offers seamless scalability for managing large data lakes stretching from data centers to the cloud, he said.

Integration of the NetApp Ontap AI is done in the field, with over 80 percent of deployments expected to be handled by NetApp's channel partners, Tanase said.

While NetApp is publishing reference architectures for NetApp Ontap AI, solution providers will have to send purchase orders to NetApp, Nvidia, and Cisco, he said. The offering includes script for configuration with customers' software.

"There are no special certifications needed," he said. "But channel partners will need expertise to deploy the whole data pipeline."

NetApp isn't the first storage vendor to work with Nvidia to develop integrated artificial intelligence offerings.

Rival all-flash storage vendor Pure Storage in March combined its FlashBlade all-flash storage array with Nvidia GPU nodes and Arista Networks networking to introduce AIRI, or Artificial Intelligence Ready Infrastructure.

Mountain View, Calif.-based Pure Storage followed up in May with AIRI Mini, a more entry-level version that comes with a choice of Arista or Cisco networking.

Tanase said that the NetApp Ontap AI is more compatible with edge to core to cloud deployments than is Pure Storage's AIRI given its ability to be deployed with NetApp's Data Fabric architecture.

The partnership between NetApp and Nvidia makes sense on a number of levels, said John Woodall, vice president of engineering at Integrated Archive Systems, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based solution provider and long-time NetApp partner that also works with Nvidia.

The Nvidia DGX GPU is a real supercomputer in a box, Woodall told CRN.

"If you are doing that level of compute, having fast storage is critical," he said. "NetApp's A800 is the first end-to-end NVMe array, so it makes sense."

Customers are looking to do things with artificial intelligence such as test algorithms or data in the cloud before deploying it in production, and that is where NetApp among all its competitors really shines, Woodall said.

"NetApp Cloud Volumes work on all three hyperscalers: Amazon, Azure, and Google," he said. "Also, customers' data often lives in the cloud, and it doesn't always make sense to haul it to somewhere else to use. NetApp's data lake takes care of that."

The NetApp Ontap AI really shows the power of NetApp's Data Fabric architecture, and in particular shows how future-proof it is, Woodall said.

"Data Fabric is the consistent part of the story," he said. "This new artificial intelligence architecture speaks to an important tenet of Data Fabric: It's future-proof. If we were talking about Data Fabric three or four years ago, we would be thinking about it with artificial intelligence. Yet here we are."

The fact that everything is tied together with 100-Gbit Ethernet is important when dealing with high-performance all-flash storage and GPU technologies, Woodall said.

"With 100-Gbit Ethernet, we finally find ourselves with the compute, the storage, and the networking performance to deploy infrastructures for artificial intelligence and machine learning," he said. "And with NetApp's focus on the cloud, customers get choice of where to tie with the data."Siemens wants to boost adoption of its industrial Internet of Things platform by making application development faster and easier with a new acquisition.

The German industrial giant announced on Wednesday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Mendix, a Boston-based provider of low-code application development software. Siemens said the deal was valued at 628 million Euros, which amounts to roughly $730 million in U.S. dollars. The company expects the acquisition to close in the first quarter of Siemen's 2019 fiscal year.

Klaus Helmrich, a Siemens AG board member, said the acquisition is meant to extend the company's "leading position in digitalizing the industrial world."

"Mendix is a leader in the rapidly expanding low-code segment and their platform will help our customers to adopt [Siemens' IoT operating system] MindSphere even faster by accelerating cloud-based application development for the industrial Internet of Things," he said in a statement.

[Related: GE Looking To Sell Digital Assets: Report]

When the acquisition closes, Mendix will become part of the software business of Siemens' Digital Factory Division, though the company is also expecting to use the platform across other divisions. Derek Roos, co-founder and CEO of Mendix, will retain his position and join the Siemens PLM Software senior leadership team.

Siemens said it will invest in Mendix's independent product roadmap and while continuing to support the platform's wide range of verticals and customers. The company said it expects Mendix to accelerate Siemens' current cloud, IoT and digital enterprise software capabilities.

Founded in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and headquartered in Boston, Mendix has more than 400 employees and raised at least $38 million in capital from investors, including Battery Ventures. Most recently, the company was listed in Gartner's 2018 Magic Quadrant for Mobile App Development Platforms. It was also among CRN's 20 coolest cloud platform vendors of the 2018 Cloud 100.

The acquisition announcement comes after Siemens launched a partner program for its MindSphere industrial IoT platform last fall, which targets systems integrators, app developers, consultants and other groups.

Shawn Sandoval, president of KAASM, a Seattle-based solution provider that primarily sells Siemens software, told CRN that his company has been evaluating whether to switch to MindSphere for building its own IoT apps and said the Mendix news was encouraging.

"It sounds like they made an acquisition to ease the development burden," he said.

One of Siemens' challenges with MindSphere adoption, Sandoval said, is that systems integrators generally don't have as much coding experience as "type A" developers.

"Just knowing the challenges that are there, I think it's a smart move trying to remove that disparity between the two," he said.

With a number of competing IoT platforms out there, including PTC's Thingworx, Mendix is a way Siemens can further differentiate itself, according to Sandoval.

"The problem with those platforms is you're fighting for developers," he said, "and to pull them away you have to make a really compelling argument."Albatros Expeditions has gone from tour operator status in the 1980s to having a full year-round cruise program in 2019 with the Ocean Atlantic.

Having started with seasonal sailings in Greenland, the company will have a full summer program in the Arctic next year, and up Antarctica capacity 40 percent this coming season, 2018-2019, having come off a successful first year operation in 2017-2018, according to Gorm Pedersen, managing director.

We are building our team with strong resources and finding our position in the market. Its an exciting time, the industry is in growth mode, he said, in an interview in the 2018 Expedition Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

Ocean Atlantic

Having first launched into service in 1985, the Ocean Atlantic is fresh off a refit and was rebuilt extensively in 2010.

The ship offers five cabin categories, a number of lecture areas and a restaurant serving a four-star food and beverage product, according to Pedersen.

He said that guests rated the food and beverage at 98 percent over the course of the recent Antarctica season.

We offer a sense of coziness with a strong food and beverage concept, Pedersen said. We have strong lecturers with worldwide knowledge, that is what we do.

The vessel carries 20 zodiacs, giving it plenty of supply to land passengers or run zodiac cruises.

Planning

Having planned the companys first Antarctica season for years, Pedersen said passenger demographics saw 60 percent of the guests come from Asian markets.

Next year, the Ocean Atlantic will venture into Ireland and Scotland early in the summer season.

Looking ahead, Pedersen said he expected to announce the companys 2020 program by June. In April, Albatros had its expedition leaders gather for a meeting to reflect on the inaugural Antarctica season and also plan for the future.

Opening deployment nearly two years ahead of time, the company is responding to demand from North America, which Pedersen said is six months ahead of other markets.

Hes not worried about the projected growth in polar cruising.

Travel is moving fast globally. We see new segments popping up, he said, adding that while some markets are stable in outbound travel to Antarctica, like North America, there is growth coming from India, Japan and China.

"To build up a brand and vessel in the market it takes years, and is not something you can do in 18 months. Im not worried.

Excerpt from the 2018 Expedition Market Report.

--

About the Expedition Market Report:

The 2018 Cruise Industry News Expedition Market Report presents a complete 127-page overview of the entire expedition market, including capacity projections through 2027, and profiles of 30+ major players, with exclusive interviews and insight, along with trends, original data, operational coverage and much more. Original reporting, analysis and research.

Report Preview | Table of Contents | Download NowThe European cruise brands will go from carrying just over 8 million cruise guests in 2018 to over 14 million by 2027, according to the 2019 European Regional Report by Cruise Industry News.

The estimates take into account all European cruise brands, known ship orders and announced deployment plans.

An infographic of the data is available for download here.

Its a major but continued growth trend, as the European brands carried 4.6 million cruise guests in 2008.

On a berth basis, an estimated 198,919 berths among the European cruise lines will grow to over 300,000 berths by 2026.

This year MSC has the lions share of the market, with a 25.9 percent market share among the European brands. The family-owned brand leads a trio of Carnival Corporation owned brands, starting with Costa, which has a 22.2 percent share, with AIDA third in line with 12.1 percent, ahead of P&O UK , TUI, and Pullmantur.

The 2019 European Regional Report by Cruise Industry News projects market share based on capacity by year and by brand from 2018 through 2027.Pullmantur Cruceros has announced that during the Monarchs recent weekly call in Puerto Colon, more than 30 students from the Panama International Hotel School took part in a training day on customer service and food preparation, hosted by Pullmantur and Diageo Global Brands.

The students were members of Learning for Life, a program developed by Diageo, which the company said is designed to equip them with valuable life skills and to provide students from modest backgrounds with training in four key employment areas, including cocktail-making, the service industry, sales techniques and the entrepreneurial spirit.

View a video here.

During the course, the hotel director on the Monarch, Renato Debeuc, explained how the hotel department on the Monarch is organized, the various jobs and duties and the importance of providing guests with customer service. They also learned how the galley is organized on board, in terms of both staffing and logistics.

The students also watched a cooking demonstration by Executive Chef Estanislao L. Canapi and Pastry Chef BorguraUppalaiah. They were also treated to a cocktail demonstration by Felix Cuevas, winner of the WorldClass Panama 2015 prize, who is a graduate from the Learning for Life program, and is now a teacher at the International Hotel School.

This event was part of an effort in getting well-known companies involved in providing field trips for the Learning for Life students, according to Pullmantur and Diageo. They said the program has so far provided support to more than 100,000 people from 35 countries, allowing them to learn about the importance of responsibility and the qualities and aptitudes demanded in competitive, high-level workplaces so that they opt for both national and international experiences.Another new expedition cruise brand is eyeing start-up operations as Arctic Cruise Line has a ship design ready to go, and hopes to be in service by 2021, according to Gert Brask, CEO.

The serial entrepreneur has a long history in the fishing business, and is taking that knowledge to expedition operations, where he hopes to soon finish a financing package on the first of two 200-guest polar-class vessels.

We have the drawings and general arrangement done, and now we are talking to shipyards, investors and other partners, Brask told Cruise Industry News in an exclusive interview. There are some good yards out there with availabilities.

Brask explained he was targeting a two-ship order to begin with, but could see his fleet growing quickly, to five ships in a matter of a couple of years.

Offering a premium level product, Brask said his company would do things differently and explore new areas of the Arctic, relying on his life-long experience living in Greenland.

We can offer sailings eight months of the year in the Arctic, he added.

We want to offer so many things and be different from the other operators up there, from heli-sking to fishing.

Brask said he aims to work with a vessel management firm, and is targeting sourcing a worldwide passenger base. The company currently has offices in Greenland and Denmark.

The cruise market is growing in Greenland and the Arctic, and passengers are coming from everywhere, he said.

I have so many things we will do differently; starting with taking the ship to places no one else has been.Technology firm Pitney Bowes recorded its fourth-straight quarter of year-over-year revenues growth, as it continued to benefit from a recent acquisition, according to its latest earnings report released Wednesday.

Second-quarter revenues for the Stamford-based company reached $861 million, up 18 percent from the same period in 2017. Profits totaled about $48 million, down 1 percent from a year ago.

The second quarter was a step forward, but its nowhere near as good as it can be, Pitney CEO and President Marc Lautenbach said on an earnings call Wednesday. Theres more in front of us, but were pleased with the progress so far.

Among other key indicators, commerce services revenues rocketed 70 percent to $362 million. The $475 million acquisition last October of parcel-logistics specialist Newgistics drove the increase.

We knew the Newgistics acquisition would be terrific, and it is, Lautenbach said.

Small- and medium-sized business solutions revenues dipped 7 percent to $408 million, as the division saw declines in equipment sales and recurring revenue streams.

Software solutions revenues rose 13 percent to $92 million, powered by growth in data, customer-information management and location intelligence services.

Among recent milestones, Pitney last month completed the sale of its Danbury-based Document Messaging Technologies production-mail business and supporting software for $361 million to investment firm Platinum Equity. The company will use most of the sale proceeds to pay down debt.

In recent months, Pitney officials have considered a range of options to spur growth after sluggish earnings in recent years. The firm announced in March it would not pursue a sale of the entire company.

In addition to its Stamford headquarters at 3001 Summer St., Pitney maintains offices in Shelton.

Pitney sahres closed at $8.07, down 7.56 percent from their Tuesday finish.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; Twitter: @paulschottHundreds of Sikorsky employees in Florida are out of a job.

The Stratford-based company, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, announced plans to lay off 500 workers at its plant in Jupiter, Florida, with more expected to come company wide.

Its too early to know how any individual site will be impacted, said Sikorsky spokesperson Paul Jackson in a press release.

Sikorsky notified Florida employees Tuesday that the company would be consolidating operations due to lower aircraft demand from the U.S. Government. As a result, the aircraft manufacturers opted out of renewing its lease at the Florida Assembly and Flight Operations property with plans to leave the building by the end of the year.

The Development Flight Center will remain on the property.

Sikorsky is expected to cut another 150 salaried employees throughout the company. No word has been given on where additional job cuts will happen, but Jackson said it will not impact Connecticuts production of a new heavy lift helicopter.

Jordan.grice@hearstmediact.comBRIDGEPORT  After a recent pursuit in the city, which briefly ventured into Stratford, two Bridgeport residents were charged and a gun was seized.

Giovanni Candelario, 25, of Ezra Street in Bridgeport, was charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, assault on a public safety officer, criminal possession of a firearm, first-degree reckless endangerment and possession of a controlled substance.

Candelario was also charged with failure to carry registration/insurance card, illegal operation of a motor vehicle under suspension, reckless driving, engaging police in a pursuit, evading responsibility, failure to drive right, failure to obey traffic control signals, failure to obey stop sign and operating a motor vehicle without a license. He was also given a littering violation.

A 17-year-old, of Connecticut Avenue in Bridgeport, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal possession of weapons in a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.

Police Chief Armando Perez said a guy from Newtown told Bridgeport police on July 25 that someone stole a gun out of his car. But when police checked out video surveillance in the departments Fusion Center, they saw the truth of the story that the man withheld.

He was trying to sell the gun, Perez said. It was taken from him and they pushed him away and left with the gun.

Perez said the man was not legally selling the weapon. He said the man was likely trying to trade the gun for drugs.

After police got a description of the car the suspects drove off in after the theft, a pick up and hold order was released on the police departments radio waves. A BOLO, which was issued around 3:50 pm., described the car the suspects fled in to be a red Toyota Camry.

Police reports showed that officers were told there was a stolen gun in the car.

Around 7:40 p.m., an officer spotted a car matching the description and tried to get the driver, later identified as Candelario, to pull over. Instead, he led police on a pursuit with the 17-year-old in the front passenger seat.

The pursuit went throughout the East End, made its way into Stratford and then returned to the East End, where Candelario crashed into a porch attached to a home at the intersection of Newfield Avenue and Smith Street, police said.

No one inside the home was injured. Candelario and the juvenile tried to run from the site of the crash.

Police took Candelario into custody after a K9 handler helped apprehend him. He was treated at Bridgeport Hospital before he was taken to booking to be processed. The juvenile was arrested after a brief struggle.

A gun wasnt found in the car, but it was found soon after.

Someone called police and said they think they saw a gun near a gas station, Perez said.

Stratford police immediately responded and talked to a gas station employee who said he watched a woman put the gun into a garbage near one of the gas pumps before leaving in her car.

The employee said he didnt speak to the woman, but said other patrons told him she said she saw the passenger in the car being pursued by police toss the gun out of the car and threw it out.

Police found the frame of a black 9mm Smith and Wesson in the trash can, a police report said. here were seven 9mm rounds loaded in the frame. The slide and barrel of the gun were found near the sidewalk on the grass, police said.

Police got an arrest warrant for the Newtown man, Perez said.

From his home, police seized an AR-15, a bulletproof vest and three other high-powered shotguns from his house, Perez said. The mans name and charges were not immediately available Wednesday.NEW HAVEN  Ned Lamont and Tim Herbst agree on something: that educating children extends beyond the school day and it should include the arts.

Im as surprised as you are, Herbst told an audience of about 150 arts and culture advocates.

Its not a revolutionary idea. But that Lamont, the endorsed Democratic candidate for governor, and Herbst, arguably the most conservative Republican running for the same office, could find common ground was the result of a forum that forced five candidates to go off script from their usual talking points.

The forum, hosted by the Connecticut Arts Alliance and the Connecticut Alliance for Arts Education and held Tuesday in New Haven, included Lamont and Herbst as well as Democrat Joe Ganim, Republican David Stemerman and Independent candidate Oz Griebel, all running for governor.

Candidates still answered questions on the states economic crisis, and turned the conversation toward pension reform and infrastructure improvements, but all was done, for the first time, through the lens of arts, culture and tourism.

When you invest in the arts and when you invest in tourism, the return on that investment that you get helps to grow our economy, Herbst said. But the next governor needs to recognize that if were going to invest in the arts, we have to dig out of this hole.

None of the candidates promised more resources for the arts, arts education or tourism  not that anyone was expecting them to  but they agreed organizations in those areas can better serve communities when they at least know what their resources are going to be and all of them promised, at the very least, on-time budgets.

Its long overdue that weve had a forum about arts and culture, Lamont said. The problem isnt the arts, but the arts will be part of the solution. Education and investment in education is so key to our future. Arts is a big piece of that.

Even with the general cordial nature of the forum  and the shock of agreement between Herbst and Lamont  partisan politics made their way into the discussion.

When you talk about partisan politics, unfortunately its always been the Democrats that support the arts, Ganim said. Some of the candidates on this stage have given Trump an A. He plans to gut the National Endowment for the Arts.

Funding for the arts has been under siege nationally since the 2016 election, when the Trump administration announced it planned to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts, which provides funding to local arts and culture organizations but only makes up .004 percent of the total federal budget. In Connecticut, Republicans have criticized state spending on the arts, arguing that dollars would be better spent elsewhere.

Stemerman defended Republicans while saying hes been horrified by the cuts to arts, culture and tourism across the state.

Its quite telling that the first question about the arts is really about economics, Stemerman said. As I think about the arts, they are typically aligned with one party and people think of that as the only party that looks after them. But thats not true. If you want to support the arts as I do, if you want to have a rich life, to not only work, but to live in Connecticut, you have to solve the states economic problems.

Griebel, who is still working to collect signatures to earn a spot on the November general election ballot, called the state venue rich. The state needs to better utilize what it already has, he said.

How do we take advantage of what is ultimately a finite resource and bring the private funders in, he said. Thats the question we need to answer.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasseltConnecticut does not have a state law that explicitly forbids ownership of plastic, untraceable ghost guns, but in the light of a recent federal settlement that could allow blueprints for 3-D printed guns to go online, Democrats are renewing calls to pass such a ban.

A federal judge Tuesday night issued a temporary national injunction preventing a man from posting download-able blueprints for 3-D printing a gun on the internet.

Democratic endorsed candidates Ned Lamont, running for governor, William Tong, running for attorney general, and Shawn Wooden, running for treasurer, stood next to a 3-D printer in Hartford Public Library Wednesday and urged the state legislature to prevent the machine from becoming a weapons manufacturer.

What were seeing now with ghost guns and 3-D printing is the way were trying to enforce our existing laws and make them relevant to the 21st century, said Lamont. This is an enormous end run around what were trying to do in terms of protecting our streets.

Meanwhile Lamonts opponent in this months Democratic gubernatorial primary, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, held his own press conference Wednesday to pledge that his city would pursue a local ghost gun ban until state legislators take action.

The invisibility of it, the undetectability of it  is of grave concern, said Ganim, flanked by a small group of state legislators, City Council members and police personnel.

The General Assemblys Judiciary Committee considered a bill this spring that would have prohibited people from creating or assembling a gun  whether by a DIY gun kit or 3-D printing  without obtaining a serial number for it, regulated the amount of metal required in such a gun and forbade the transfer such a gun to others.

That bill passed the Judiciary Committee, but was never called to the House floor, where Democrats have a majority.

Were all here calling for immediate action as soon as the legislature goes back into session, Tong, a state representative from Stamford and Judiciary Committee co-chairman, said in Hartford Wednesday. We cant wait for the court.

.

Meanwhile in Bridgeport, Ganims staff handed out a draft municipal ordinance that the City Council is expected to take up in the coming weeks that would essentially make it illegal to assemble, possess or sell ghost guns within city limits.

The Ganim administration is relying on a state statute that allows municipal governments to pass local laws addressing public nuisances, health and safety.

But enforcement of the anti-ghost gun ordinance, if passed, would be limited to allowing police to confiscate the equipment and impose $100 daily civil fines.

You cant be arrested for it, noted Tom Gaudett, a Ganim aide.

Councilwoman Eneida Martinez, a co-chairman of the ordinance committee, pledged to move quickly on the proposal, calling it critical and very important.

Ganim also urged the man he wants to succeed, retiring Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, to call a special session for the legislature to immediately pass anti-ghost gun legislation this summer.

Connecticut has been a leader in common sense gun laws, Ganim said.

emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunsonContributed Photo / Department of Justice / Contributed Photo

STRATFORD  A town man will be behind bars for two and a half years for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.

Matthew Petrovitch, 38, of Stratford, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for having guns and ammunition as a convicted felon, the agency said. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon on May 8.STRATFORD  Its official  Tavern Rock is safe.

The 1.6-acre triangular parcel at the corner of Huntington and Tavern Rock roads has been sold by Town Hall for $200,000 to Thomas Dugas, who intends to keep the land in its natural state.

In early 2017, Dugas, whose farm abuts the Tavern Rock site, asked the Town Council to sell the property to him instead of to a developer who wanted the build two or three houses there.

Town Hall had earlier agreed to sell the parcel to a company called VG Development, but Dugas argued that the bidding process was flawed and that he was prepared to outbid the developer.

Northenders were also unhappy about the prospect of seeing houses go up on property thats been wooded for as long as anyone could remember. About 250 residents signed a petition urging to keep the land as open space.

The push to sell the property came in 2014 after town officials expressed a desire to sell most of the small parcels that the town had acquired over the years. Most of the parcels were taken over because of unpaid taxes, but it this case, the parcel appeared to be unclaimed land.

Mayor Laura Hoydick said Wednesday that the parcel will never be developed because theres a deed restriction that requires it to remain in its natural state.

It will forever be open space, the mayor said.

Tom Dugas purchase of this open space property now guarantees that it will never be developed and will remain so forever, said Kurt Ahlberg the lawyer representing Dugas. This benefits not only the neighborhood but also the hundreds of people who travel Huntington Road, Tavern Rock Road and Hawley Lane every day

Officials said that Dugas paid $130,000 more than what was offered by VG. Dugas, and as with any other property owner in town, will be paying taxes on the Tavern Rock parcel.

Although the Town Council agreed to sell the land to Dugas months ago, the sale was delayed because a new mayor and council took office in December 2017, two months after the parcel was properly surveyed.

The land has an intricate history  parts of it were owned by the state of Connecticut as part of the Merritt Parkway acquisition.

It also includes an abandoned street called Old Tavern Rock Road. The configurations of Tavern Rock Road and Huntington Road have changed over the years, too.

Whether Tavern Rock is an historical treasure or just a big boulder in the woods depends on your point of view. The Stratford Historical Society has said that theres no record showing that the rock has any tangible significance.

Lore has it that Tavern Rock got its name from travelers on Huntington Road; the rock would serve as a reminder that a tavern was close by. Its not known whether that tavern was in Huntington, Stratford or someplace else.

To find the rock, head north on Huntington Road. As you approach the intersection with Hawley Lane and Tavern Rock Road, youll see a sign on the right warning of the low Merritt Parkway bridge ahead. Tavern Rock is in the woods a few yards to the east of the sign.

About the only mention of Tavern Rock appears on a fanciful map published in 1939 as a pull-out supplement to the book "The Who's Who Directory of Stratford." The map hangs in the reference room of the Stratford Library.

jburgeson@ctpost.comBRIDGEPORT  Persistence has definitely paid off for Michael DeFilippo.

He had to win three Democratic primaries between last September and this April before finally being elected to help represent the North End on the City Council.

And two-and-a-half years after a Superior Court Judge shuttered Vitros, DeFilippos package store, DeFilippo on Monday won a lengthy battle to change Bridgeports booze laws, paving the way for his business to reopen.

Specifically, the zoning commission voted to revise the rules for opening a new liquor store, including putting in place more detailed criteria for applicants to meet. But commission members also halved the required 1,500-foot distance from schools, day-care facilities, hospitals and houses of worship to 750 feet  the specific change DeFilippo spent months and months pursuing.

My client is absolutely ecstatic, DeFilippos attorney, Charles Willinger, said Tuesday. And we intend to immediately apply for a certificate of approval of location in order to reopen his package store.

DeFilippo, who could not be reached for comment, will also have to get a new liquor license from the state liquor control division. That agency on Tuesday confirmed that the license he received in 2015 for Vitros expired in 2016.

Meanwhile Joel Green, an attorney representing competing liquor stores, on Tuesday said he will likely file an appeal of the zoning commissions changes in court.

Lynn Haig, the citys director of planning, who last year got involved in the battle over the alcohol regulations and sought to find a compromise, was pleased with the results: They (zoning officials) have new tools (for reviewing applications) and that makes me happy.

Not tapped out

Unlike prior zoning commission meetings, where critics of reducing the 1,500 foot distance, including school officials, clergy and some city council members, turned out in force, Mondays  held mid-summer  was quiet.

The liquor changes regularly appeared on the zoning commissions agenda. Sometimes they were discussed, with those meetings getting heated and running late. Other times opponents turned out, only to learn discussion had been put off for a month.

I didnt even know it was on the agenda, admitted Councilwoman Eneida Martinez, who had previously fought the proposal, on Monday. She said she believes the commission waited until the public lost track of or interest in the issue to finally vote: I thought that was what the case was going to be. Prolong it and then approve it.

It all started in early 2016 when a judge tossed out the zoning variance DeFilippo, who tends bar at Democratic Town Chairman Mario Testas restaurant, received to open Vitros. DeFilippo had needed the variance because his store at 1044 Brooklawn Ave. is within 1,500 feet of houses of worship and a day care, although none of those entities had opposed Vitros opening.

So Willinger and DeFilippo, rather than go back to court to file an appeal, instead began their attempts to convince zoning commissioners to alter that 1,500 foot rule.

Haig got involved in early 2017. She at the time argued Bridgeports liquor restrictions were too restrictive, but also sought to be sensitive to community concerns about allowing more booze to be sold in Connecticuts largest city.

Technically, Bridgeport has room for more package stores. The liquor control division offers a limited number of licenses to municipalities based on population. Forty licenses have been issued in Bridgeport, with 17 available.

Anyone who wants one of those 17, DeFilippo included, under the new regulations adopted Monday needs to convince the zoning commission their proposed liquor store would be compatible with the citys master plan, not impair future development, not impact property values, and generally be a good fit for the neighborhood.

And those new rules for the first time also apply to grocery stores that sell alcohol.

Haig had unsuccessfully also urged the zoning commission to require package stores that go through a change in ownership to have to comply. Instead existing establishments are grandfathered.

Primaries and package stores

Anne Pappas Phillips, a zoning commissioner, was not present for Mondays vote. But she said she was glad the new liquor rules were passed  even though Pappas Phillips had lost to DeFilippo in the three City Council primaries in the 133rd District.

There were three Democratic primaries because Pappas-Phillips and her running mate kept going to court successfully alleging voting improprieties on the part of DeFilippo and Testa that resulted in court-ordered primary do-overs. The original was held last September, with a second primary in November and the final in April, followed by a delayed general election in June that easily DeFilippo won.

Pappas-Phillips said she understands DeFilippos critics have a problem with his political connections. But, she said, You have to separate the personal animosity from what is best for the city. The state has allowed 57 liquor licenses (in Bridgeport). It (the revised liquor rules) sends a message the city is open to new, small retail businesses.

Green argued the zoning commission has, instead, hurt existing package store owners. He added there has not been a public outcry in Bridgeport for more liquor stores.

It appears the (changes) are politically motivated to benefit a single property owner in the city, Green said.

Willinger said DeFilippo should never have had to wage this lengthy fight in the first place: For a young businessman who opened a business that did not harm anyone to go through the cost and delays he has incurred on this issue is an outrage.Andrea Mitchell, 71, had to borrow "TV clothes" from another newswoman the first time she reported on television. She lives with husband Alan Greenspan in Washington.

- - -

Q: What makes a great interview? No pressure.

A: I think the best interviews are when you really listen to the answers. It's something I learned from Tim Russert. He said, "Always listen in between the seams of someone's answer."

Q: Forty years in television news! How did you make that happen?

A: It doesn't seem like a long career, like decades of reporting, because you always get excited about the next story on the horizon.

Q: In 2005 you were dragged out of a press conference by security for asking the Sudanese president about genocide. Is that the awesomest and most badass thing you've ever done?

A: There was a moment where I was literally carried out of a similar photo opportunity with Bashar Assad's father [Hafez Assad].

Q: You were carried?

A: Carried by his security officers. It was a photo opportunity with Bill Clinton, 1993, I think, in Damascus at the presidential palace. I was asking a question about his support for terrorists. The frustrating thing was they started carrying me out -

Q: How did they pick you up?

A: Under the arms. Two big guys came up and picked me up and carried me out. My feet were dangling. I didn't want to louse up the photo opportunity because it was the only chance to get the picture we all wanted, Clinton and Assad. So I didn't say anything because I didn't want my protests to interfere with the moment for the pool.

Q: So you're silent as they're picking you up.

A: And I'm watching Bill Clinton, who looked, I have to say, amused. Because he'd had enough, I'm sure, of all of our questions at photo opportunities.

Q: I hear you bring a box [to stand on] to scrums so people will see you first.

A: The really perilous thing is if you're on the rope line and you're covering the presidential campaign - with the [Hillary] Clinton campaign for months at a time it was the only way to really talk to her - sometimes you'd be ducking under barriers and standing on folding chairs. Folding chairs are very dangerous. They collapse. So you have to develop a strategy. We have these camera boxes, light boxes. Packing boxes that we travel with. I'm short.

Q: I'll write that down.

A: I feel like I am a tall person. In my next incarnation I will be a tall person. But I'm 5-3. I can't peer over the camera, but I can crawl under.

Q: Is there anything you don't want me to ask about?

A: Eating, sleeping habits. I'm a bad influence on anyone who cares about a healthy life. It's always awkward when someone asks about my personal time, because none of us have a life since the beginning of the 2016 campaign.

Q: What is Alan Greenspan's most annoying personal habit?

A: Talking about differential equations when I want to talk about food and fashion.BRIDGEPORT - Jennifer Valiante, accused of helping her boyfriend, Kyle Navin in the fatal shooting of his Easton parents and burying their bodies in a friends yard, was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison.

You could have stopped the madness, Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin told Valiante as she stood before him, a slightly bemused expression on her face. You really could have. The real regret to me and I hope to you is that you did not take the opportunity to stop it because you really could have.

Valiante told the judge she had nothing to say.

Both Senior Assistant States Attorney Michael DeJoseph and Valiantes lawyer, Norman Pattis, stressed during the sentencing hearing that Valiante never considered testifying against Navin, who on the eve of his trial agreed to plead guilty to two counts of murder and was sentenced to 55 years in prison.

DeJoseph told the judge they had overwhelming evidence against Navin and didnt need any testimony from Valiante while Pattis contended several times that his client was only present during the crimes and helped her boyfriend clean up afterwards.

The Navin family werent so keen on the plea deal.

I spent a fairly significant amount of time with the Navin family explaining the evidence and the law and how this deal gives a certainty of punishment that a trial would not, DeJoseph explained to the judge.

I know the family objected to the sentence as being too light, but this avoided a trial that could have gone either way, Pattis said.

Valiante, 31, previously pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine before Devlin to conspiracy to commit murder and hindering prosecution in the case.

A plea made under the Alford Doctrine means Valiante doesnt admit her guilt but concedes she could be found guilty of the crime if she went to trial. The judge then found her guilty.

The judge sentenced her on Wednesday to 16 years, suspended after she serves eight years in prison and followed by five years of probation. He also ordered her to undergo drug evaluation and treatment.

The operations manager of his fathers Easton garbage collection company, Navin was accused of separately shooting his parents to death and later hiding their bodies under debris in a friends yard in Weston.

Valiante met Navin at the dump in Westport where she had been working at the time.

Jeffrey Navin, 56, the president of J & J Refuse in Easton, and his wife, Jeanette Navin, 55, a Weston Intermediate School library paraprofessional, disappeared from their Easton home Aug. 4, 2015. Their bodies were found buried beneath debris in Weston on Oct. 29 that year.

Police said Kyle Navin, who has a drug habit, killed his parents with his girlfriend's help to get their money after he found out he was being disinherited.

Two weeks before her disappearance, Jeanette Navin tearfully told a friend she was at wits' end with her eldest son, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. She and her husband were cutting Kyle out of their will, she told the friend, and selling their garbage business.

Kyle will be on his own without any financial support from the family, the affidavit states that she said.

The warrant affidavit also reveals the alarming texts between Kyle Navin and his girlfriend, weeks before his parents vanished.

We need to figure out what the best way to take them down ... get some money out of them somehow, Navin texted Valiante, according to the affidavit. And later: It would solve every single problem and give us a wealthy amazing life.

The warrant states police found two bullet holes in the front passenger seat of Kyle Navin's blue 2000 pickup truck. The portion of the seat belt that would go over the chest of the passenger also had a bullet hole in it, and Jeannette Navin's blood was found on the seat, police said.

Blood stains were also found on the basement floor of Kyle Navin's house. They matched his father's blood, the affidavit states.

Police said that following the murders Valente went to Home Depot where she purchased the materials to clean up and dispose of the Navins bodies.In contrast to every predecessor, President Donald Trump has demonstrated abject hostility toward democratic norms and constitutional governance - from attacks on the courts and free speech, to attempts to interfere with an ongoing Justice Department investigation, to overt expressions of racism. He might have expected the constant turmoil and chaos, the incessant lies, to wear down voters, and indeed, Americans to some extent do suffer from Trump-driven angst, exhaustion and disgust. Nevertheless, we have argued that in response to Trump, we are experiencing a revival of participatory democracy, a new surge of active citizenship.

The latest Pew Research poll points to one compelling piece of evidence to substantiate that view:

"Americans appear to be more engaged with this year's midterm elections than they typically are. Not only do about half of registered voters report being more enthusiastic than usual about voting, up from 40% in 2014, but turnout has surged in the 31 states that already have held their congressional primaries - particularly among Democrats.

"In those states, nearly 13.6 million people - or 10.1% of registered voters - have voted in Democratic primaries for the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of state election returns. By this point in the 2014 midterm election cycle, fewer than 7.4 million people - or 6% of registered voters - had cast ballots in Democratic House primaries. (The same 31 states have held primaries as by this date in 2014.)"

Even more dramatically, "the total number of votes cast in Democratic House primaries so far this year is 84% higher than the total for the equivalent point in 2014." Democrats are running candidates in places they used to concede, and a slew of first-time candidates (further evidence of a democratic awakening) are running.

At the risk of being overly simplistic: If you have competitive races, voters will show up. Pew found that "340 House primaries have been contested by at least two candidates, versus 251 in 2014. Most of that increase has been on the Democratic side, with 81 more contested Democratic House primaries this year (203) than in 2014 (122). By contrast, there have been only eight more contested Republican House primaries so far this year (137) than at this point in 2014 (129)." Once people have shown up in the primaries, they're much more likely to turn out in the general election.

The same turnout phenomenon is seen in races for the U.S. Senate and for governorships:

"So far this year, around 16.8 million people have voted in 17 states' regular Senate primaries, or 20.8% of those states' registered voters. By this point in 2014, 9.7 million people had voted in 19 Senate primaries. (Comparisons are difficult because different sets of states voted in Senate races in 2014 and 2018, a consequence of senators' staggered terms.)

"Direct comparisons are easier in the 36 states that are choosing governors this year, because the same states did so four years ago. (Governors serve four-year terms in all states except Vermont and New Hampshire, where they serve for two years.) So far, total turnout in the 20 states that have held gubernatorial primaries is 22.7 million (24.8% of these states' registered voters), up from 14.9 million (18.4%) in 2014."

Several other factors bode well for Democrats.

First, Democratic primary losers (e.g. Rep. Joseph Crowley of New York) have quickly closed ranks to support the winner. If this is a "civil war," it is the most cordial one I've ever seen.

Second, Democrats are benefiting from a surge in the number of female candidates ("Data from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University shows that more women have filed to run for Congress than at any point since at least 1992 - and by a wide margin. That year, 298 women ran for the House of Representatives. This year, 476 have - most of them Democrats"); those female candidates have brought to the forefront a set of new female donors ("44 percent of contributions to Democratic women running for Congress came from women, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, the highest share yet and a five-point jump from 2014"). The gender gap may be the defining feature of the election, and the success of female candidates, female donors and female activists might provide an institutional advantage for the Democrats among women for years to come. Talk about political karma: Trump and the #MeToo movement, which Trump in part spurred, may be the downfall of the GOP in this cycle.

Third, Democrats stand to pick up a large number of governorships. Democrats winning at the top of the ticket will help Democrats down-ballot, including state representatives. And gains in state legislatures, coupled with pickups in governorships, mean a favorable lineup for redistricting efforts and for legislation (e.g. automatic registration) that will permanently increase voter participation.

Finally, Democrats have litigated and complained for years about voter-ID rules and other GOP efforts that depressed turnout among voters, including minorities and the poor, who are more likely to cast Democratic ballots. However, with strong candidates, competitive races, voter registration pushes and mass marches (which promote voting), Democratic turnout could swamp whatever barriers to voting Republicans throw up.

In sum, Democrats have a lot going their way, but more important, there is plenty of evidence that democracy itself is alive and well. And the cure to an illiberal democratic ruler is mass turnout among voters who care about democratic institutions and norms. In other words, go vote.The Republican candidates vying for their partys nomination for governor are embracing embattled President Donald Trump, adopting his themes and proudly giving him an A for performance.

In doing so, the GOP is betting on a base devoted to the president  a sharp rightward turn for a party that once gave this blue state moderate Republican governors such as M. Jodi Rell and John Rowland.

It surprised me that all five gave Trump an A, said Ronald Schurin, a University of Connecticut political science professor.

I thought that there would be a constituency that would be more dubious of Trump and there would be an opening for one of them, Schurin said. They probably all agree that the majority of the [August primary] turnout will be pro Trump.

All five Republicans vying for the nomination support securing the borders, advocate changing collective bargaining rules, oppose gun control and offer doomsday assessments of the states fiscal condition.

Mark Boughton, the Republican Party backed candidate and Danburys mayor, has even resurrected repealing  or at least rolling back  the states personal income tax adopted decades ago.

David Steeves, owner of Steeves Construction in Oxford and a solid Trump supporter, said hes not following the primary closely but he thinks Trump voters and Connecticut Republicans are one and the same.

The Trump voter is the working class, Steeves said. Thats what I am. Oxford is a blue collar town and the majority are Republicans.

Rose Shaw, a Trump supporter from Oxford, also said shes not surprised GOP candidates echo Trump.

I think more people support him than people realize, Shaw said of the president.

Im not poor or rich, Shaw said. I think everyone should work; Ive worked all my life. We bargain buy. Democrats just want to [attack] him no matter what.

David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report told the political website Axios that never-Trump Republicans have all but disappeared.

If youre a Trump-skeptical Republican, you have 3 options if you speak your mind publicly: Retire; be forced into retirement in your next primary; or become a CNN/MSNBC commentator, Wasserman said.

Into bankruptcy

Alex Plitsas, vice chairman of the Fairfield Republican Town Committee, said the GOP is confident heading into the fall elections and isnt worried about the party reflecting Trump.

Where is the Republican party headed? If I had one word its up, Plitsas said. Connecticut is the richest state in the nation, yet its been run into bankruptcy.

Plitasa added The issues facing Connecticut arent new and transcend everyday politics and the political divide. We believe that Connecticut voters are smarter than talking heads or those that got us in this mess. They will deliver us from this legacy of failure.

The Republican primary candidates  Boughton, Tim Herbst, Steve Obsitnik, David Stemerman and Bob Stefanowski  have eagerly brought Trump themes into the primary race.

Boughton once claimed he voted for his dog for president in 2016  an obvious shot at Trump  but now regularly praises the president.

Stemerman wants to cut the ranks of state employees, privatize state services and force employees and retirees to accept smaller pensions  all positions that could have been voiced by Trump.

In fact, ending pensions for new state employees and shifting to defined contribution retirement accounts is a cornerstone of every GOP candidates platform. Obsitnik has questioned whether pensions still exist outside of government.

Herbst has been outspoken in supporting gun owners rights and believes gun issues could help decide the states next governor. He recently announced opposition to early prison release programs, taking a tough-on-crime approach that echoes Trump.

All five candidates support Trumps crackdown on immigration, although they dont favor separating children from their parents.

Whos extreme?

J.R. Romano, chairman of the state Republican Party, said its the Democrats who have changed, not the GOP.

They have become anti-American and a party that believes in lawlessness, Romano said. There are [state] elected officials who want to abolish ICE. Thats extreme  10 times more extreme than anything GOP candidates have said.

Romano said support for Trump is not surprising considering the president is more popular in Connecticut than outgoing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a Democrat with the second lowest approval rating in the nation who opted not to seek re-election.

Scott McLean, a political science professor at Quinnipiac University, said the election will ultimately hinge on two people who are not even on the ballot: Malloy and Trump.

Primary voters are strong partisans, who habitually vote and are mad as hell at Trump and Malloy, depending on the party, McLean said.

But McLean said that creates a problem for Republicans, whose nominee will have to pivot to the center to win unaffiliated votes in the general election.

Can he do it? McLean said. Maybe, if he can link Malloys eight years to his Democratic opponent.

Meanwhile, Steeves is not worried about GOP gubernatorial candidates supporting the president or following his lead.

You have to support him, Steeves said.

Hes the leader of the party, Steeves added. I believe [Trump] is accomplishing what he said he was going to accomplish. Hes not a politician. I never followed elections before, but I threw my support behind him and Im still supporting him.

bcummings@ctpost.comAs small niche financial institutions, it is imperative that we dont lose sight of who we serve. It is essential to your credit unions survival to be highly focused on your niche and to customize and personalize your credit unions solutions. One of the most essential ingredients in this process is connecting with your members. Now, what do I mean by connecting?

Connecting is about being highly relevant and memorable at multiple levels. This starts at the aggregate credit union brand, moves to the products & services, and ends with the individual member. At the end of the day, if you can create continuity between all three levels you will have members that love you. This is the goal. Members who love your credit union then tell your story and bring their friends to you.

There are three things that can help you better connect with your membership.

Utilize video. Video is becoming highly important in todays digital world. In the next few years it is anticipated that more than 80% of all content consumed online will be in video. Your credit unions website, member interactions, and content should all be heavily reliant on video first. Every website should have biography team videos, a video on the problems you solve for members, video member testimonials, and at least one video on EVERY page. All these videos wont happen overnight, but list out all the videos you need, prioritize, and start tackling the videos one at a time. Rome wasnt built in a day, but it is time to get working on the foundation! Start a blog. Now I know what many of you may be thinking, blogs are stupid and no one reads them. Not true! A blog is simply a more frequent newsletter that allows you to maintain consistent communication with your members. It is also a key way to train Google on the problems your credit union solves and the community you serve. Your blog should not be an in your face marketing channel. Members will not click on and read your blog regularly if it is sales pitch after sales pitch. Your blog should be simple quick articles, community news, and things that are relevant to your members. Dont forget to optimize your posts for keywords and Google. Use data and machine learning and other available tools to hyper personalize. Amazon is an example of a company that is a rock star at this. If you and I both pulled up Amazon on our computers right now, we would see different things based on our historical purchases and what Amazon believes might be interesting to us. However, your credit union website looks the same to everyone who pulls it up. The offers on your website are note personalized to the member. To stand out and be relevant, credit unions should be using analytics, machine learning, marketing automation, and website design to highly personalize every interaction with a member.

Ultimately, connecting with members is what it is all about. Seeing the difference your credit union makes for each and every member is highly rewarding. Smart use of video, blogging, and data will allow your credit union to enhance those connections and make you highly relevant to your membership.Sharing many ideas put forward by NAFCU, the Treasury Department on Tuesday released a report detailing ways that Congress and regulators could aid the growth of fintech companies. Also yesterday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced that it will move ahead on special-purpose national bank charters for fintech firms, which addresses many of NAFCUs recommendations regarding fintech supervision.

How fintechs operate in the financial services marketplace is a critical issue for credit unions, both now and into the future, said NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger. We thank the Treasury Department for taking into consideration many of NAFCUs policy recommendations relating to small-dollar lending, TCPA and data breach notifications. While many credit unions partner with fintechs to deliver valued products and services, we believe it to be in the best interest of agencies to balance the desire for regulatory flexibility with concern for overall marketplace stability. We support Treasurys effort to promote financial innovation and better the lives of American consumers.

The Treasury report also touched on the OCCs charter consideration. We support the concept of a special-purpose national bank charter for fintech companies, said Berger. NAFCU believes that fintech companies require a minimum level of regulation and supervision to ensure a level playing field. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

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 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research.Anadarko Petroleum Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of oil and gas properties. It operates through three segments: Exploration and Production, WES Midstream, and Other Midstream. The company explores for and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). It is also involved in gathering, processing, treating, and transporting oil, natural-gas, and NGLs production, as well as the gathering and disposal of produced water. The company's oil and natural gas properties are located in the United States onshore and deepwater Gulf of Mexico; and Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Colombia, Peru, and other countries. As of December 31, 2018, it had approximately 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.

Read More2 hours ago

Logitech Is Still A Logical Choice For Dividend-Growth Portfolios

Logitech Invests In The Future Logitech (NASDAQ: LOGI) is one of the more appealing post-pandemic plays to us for many reasons. Not only is the company benefiting from COVID-related trends but it is also benefiting from strong secular trends, sustaining YOY growth in the face of double-digit comp, paying a very safe dividend, and investing in the future.

Read ArticleCEMEX SAB de CV engages in the production, distribution, marketing, and sale of cement, ready-mix concrete, and aggregates. It operates though the following geographical segments: Mexico; United States; Europe; South, Central America and the Caribbean (SCA&C); Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA); and Others. The Europe segment covers United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Czech Republic, Poland and Latvia, as well as trading activities in Scandinavia, and Finland. The SCA&C segment includes Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Caribbean TCL, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Jamaica, the Caribbean, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The EMEA segment comprises of Egypt, Israel, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates. The Others segment refers to the cement trade maritime operations, information technology solutions business, and other corporate entities as well as other minor subsidiaries with different lines of business. The company was founded by Lorenzo Zambrano Gutierrez in 1906 and is headquartered in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico.

Read MoreConocoPhillips engages in the exploration, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquefied natural gas on a worldwide basis. It operates through the following geographical segments: Alaska; Lower 48; Canada; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Other International. The Alaska segment primarily explores for produces, transports and markets crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Lower 48 segment consists of operations in the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment is comprised of oil sands development in the Athabasca Region of northeastern Alberta and a liquids-rich unconventional play in western Canada. The Europe, Middle East and North Africa segment consists of operations and exploration activities in Norway, the United Kingdom and Libya. The Asia Pacific segment has explorations and product operations in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. The Other International segment handles exploration activities in Columbia and Argentina. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

Read MoreWall Street analysts have given Dividend 15 Split Corp. II a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Dividend 15 Split Corp. II wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.Eagle Materials, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of heavy construction materials, light building materials, and materials used for oil and natural gas extraction. It operates through the following segments: Cement, Concrete and Aggregates, Gypsum Wallboard, Recycled Paperboard, and Oil and Gas Proppants. The Cement segment deals with the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of portland cement. The Concrete and Aggregates segment involves mixing cement, sand, gravel, or crushed stone and water to form concrete, which is then sold and distributed to construction contractors. The Gypsum Wallboard segment mines and extracts natural gypsum rock, which is used in the manufacture of gypsum wallboard. The Recycled Paperboard segment processes paper fiber, water, and paper chemicals to form recycled paperboards, then sell them to gypsum wallboard manufacturers. The Oil and Gas Proppants segment produces frac sand used in oil and natural gas exploration, and provides transloading and storage for well servicing companies. The company was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Eastman Chemical: BP - Aviation Turbine Oil Business, CP Films Vertriebs GmbH, Commonwealth Laminating & Coating (Hong Kong) Limited, Commonwealth Laminating & Coating Inc, Crown Operations International LLC, Dynaloy, Eastman Administracion S.A. de C.V., Eastman Chemical (Barbados) SRL, Eastman Chemical (China) Co. Ltd., Eastman Chemical (China) Co. Ltd. - Guangzhou Branch, Eastman Chemical (China) Co. Ltd. - JingAn Branch, Eastman Chemical (Gibraltar) Limited, Eastman Chemical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Eastman Chemical (PPU) Pte. Ltd., Eastman Chemical AMI GmbH, Eastman Chemical AMI LLC, Eastman Chemical AP Holdings B.V., Eastman Chemical Adhesives (Hong Kong) Limited, Eastman Chemical Advanced Materials B.V., Eastman Chemical Argentina S.R.L., Eastman Chemical Asia Pacific Pte Ltd-Indonesia Rep Office, Eastman Chemical Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Eastman Chemical Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. - Vietnam Representative Office, Eastman Chemical Australia Pty LTD - New Zealand Branch, Eastman Chemical Australia Pty. Ltd., Eastman Chemical B.V., Eastman Chemical B.V. - Czech Republic Representative Office, Eastman Chemical B.V. - Denmark Branch, Eastman Chemical B.V. - Filiale Italiana, Eastman Chemical B.V. - France Branch, Eastman Chemical B.V. - Hungarian Commercial Representative Office, Eastman Chemical B.V. - Poland Representative Office, Eastman Chemical B.V. - South Africa Representative Office, Eastman Chemical B.V. Taiwan Branch, Eastman Chemical B.V. The Hague Zug Branch, Eastman Chemical Canada Inc., Eastman Chemical Company Investments Inc., Eastman Chemical EMEA B.V., Eastman Chemical Europe Middle East and Africa LLC, Eastman Chemical Europe S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical Fibers IP GmbH, Eastman Chemical Fibers IP LLC, Eastman Chemical Finance B.V., Eastman Chemical Finance CN S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical Finance EUR S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical Finance GBP S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical Finance SGD S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical Finance USD S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical Financial Corporation, Eastman Chemical GDL S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical Germany Holdings GmbH & Co. KG, Eastman Chemical Germany Management GmbH & Co. KG, Eastman Chemical Germany Verwaltungs-GmbH, Eastman Chemical Global Holdings LLC, Eastman Chemical Global Holdings S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical GmbH, Eastman Chemical HK Limited, Eastman Chemical Holdings do Brasil Ltda., Eastman Chemical Hong Kong B.V., Eastman Chemical Iberica S.L., Eastman Chemical India Private Limited, Eastman Chemical Intermediates (Hong Kong) Limited, Eastman Chemical International GmbH, Eastman Chemical International Holdings B.V., Eastman Chemical International LP LLC, Eastman Chemical Japan Ltd., Eastman Chemical Korea B.V., Eastman Chemical Korea Ltd., Eastman Chemical Latin America Inc., Eastman Chemical Ltd., Eastman Chemical Ltd. - Australia Branch, Eastman Chemical Ltd. - Singapore Branch, Eastman Chemical Ltd. - Taiwan Branch, Eastman Chemical Luxembourg Finance S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical Luxembourg Holdings 1 LLC, Eastman Chemical Luxembourg Holdings 1 S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical Luxembourg Holdings 2 S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Eastman Chemical Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Eastman Chemical Malaysia B.V., Eastman Chemical Middelburg B.V., Eastman Chemical Netherlands Limited, Eastman Chemical Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., Eastman Chemical Regional UK, Eastman Chemical Resins Inc., Eastman Chemical S.C.S., Eastman Chemical Singapore Pte. Ltd., Eastman Chemical Switzerland GmbH, Eastman Chemical Technology BVBA, Eastman Chemical Texas City Inc., Eastman Chemical US Finance LLC, Eastman Chemical Uruapan S.A. de C.V., Eastman Chemical Workington Limited, Eastman Chemical do Brasil Ltda., Eastman Cogen Management L.L.C., Eastman Cogeneration L.P., Eastman Company UK Limited, Eastman Fibers Korea Limited, Eastman Fibers Singapore Pte. Ltd., Eastman Foundation, Eastman Global Holdings Inc., Eastman International Holdings LLC, Eastman International Management Company, Eastman Italia S.r.l., Eastman Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Eastman LAR Distribucion S. de R.L. de C.V., Eastman Mazzucchelli Hong Kong Limited, Eastman Mazzucchelli Plastics (Shenzhen) Company Limited, Eastman Servicios Corporativos S.A. de C.V., Eastman Spain L.L.C., Eastman Specialties Corporation, Eastman Specialties Holdings Corporation, Eastman Specialties OU, Eastman Specialties S.a.r.l., Eastman Specialties Wuhan Youji Chemical Co. Ltd, Eastman de Argentina SRL, Ecuataminco S.A., Flexsys America L.P., Flexsys America LLC, Flexsys Chemicals (M) Sdn Bhd, Flexsys K.K., Flexsys Rubber Chemicals Limited, Flexsys Verkauf GmbH, Flexsys Verkauf GmbH - France Branch, Flexsys Verwaltungs- und Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Genovique Specialties Corporation, HDK Industries Inc., Holston Defense Corporation, Huper Optik (GP) L.L.C., Huper Optik International Pte. Ltd., Huper Optik U.S.A. L.P., Industriepark Nienburg GmbH, Kingsport Hotel L.L.C., Knowlton Technologies LLC, Monchem International LLC, Mustang Pipeline Company, Nanjing Yangzi Eastman Chemical Ltd, Novomatrix Inc., Novomatrix International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Qilu Eastman Specialty Chemicals Ltd, S E Investment LLC, Sakra Hyco Pte. Ltd., Sakra Island Carbon Dioxide Pte Ltd, Scandiflex do Brasil Ltda., Solchem LLC, Solchem Netherlands C.V., Solutia (Thailand) Ltd., Solutia Brasil Ltda., Solutia Canada Inc., Solutia Chemicals France S.a.r.l., Solutia Chemicals India Private Limited, Solutia Chemicals India Private Limited - Branch, Solutia Deutschland GmbH, Solutia Europe BVBA - Portugal Representative Office, Solutia Europe BVBA - Russia Representative Office, Solutia Europe SPRL/BVBA, Solutia Greater China LLC, Solutia Hong Kong Limited, Solutia Inc., Solutia International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Solutia Italia S.r.l., Solutia Japan Limited, Solutia Performance Products (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Solutia Performance Products Solutions Ltd., Solutia Singapore Pte. Ltd., Solutia Solar GmbH, Solutia Therminol Co. Ltd. Suzhou, Solutia Tlaxcala S.A. de C.V., Solutia UK Holdings Limited, Solutia UK Investments Limited, Solutia UK Limited, Solutia Venezuela S.R.L., Southwall Europe GmbH, Southwall Insulating Glass LLC, Southwall Technologies Inc., St. Gabriel CC Company LLC, Sterling Chemicals Inc, SunTek Australia Pty. Ltd., SunTek Films Canada Inc., SunTek UK Limited, TX Energy LLC, Taminco Argentina S.A., Taminco BVBA, Taminco BVBA - France Rep Office, Taminco BVBA - Hungarian Commercial Representative Office, Taminco BVBA - Oficina de Representacion en Espana, Taminco BVBA - The Philippines, Taminco Chile S.p.A, Taminco Choline Chloride (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Taminco Corporation, Taminco Finland Oy, Taminco Germany GmbH, Taminco Global Chemical LLC, Taminco Group BVBA, Taminco Group Holdings S.a.r.l., Taminco Holding Netherlands B.V., Taminco Intermediate LLC, Taminco Italia S.r.l., Taminco Limitada, Taminco Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Taminco US LLC, Taminco Uruguay S.A., Taminco de Guatemala S.A., Taminco de Honduras S.A. de C.V., Taminco do Brasil Comercio e Industria de Aminas Ltda., Taminco do Brasil Produtos Quimicos Ltda., Te An Ling Tian (Nanjing) Fine Chemical Co. Ltd., TetraVitae Bioscience, V-Kool International Pte. Ltd., and Yixing Taminco Feed Additives Co. Ltd..Wall Street analysts have given El Paso Electric a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but El Paso Electric wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Australia ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Australia ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.The following companies are subsidiares of ENI: Adriaplin Podjetje za distribucijo, Agenzia Giornalistica Italia SpA, Agip Caspian Sea BV, Agip Energy and Natural, Agip Karachaganak BV, Agip Petroli, Aldro Energy, Banque Eni SA, Burren Energy (Bermuda) Ltd(1), Burren Energy (Egypt) Ltd, Burren Energy Congo Ltd, Burren Energy India Ltd, Burren Energy Plc, Burren Shakti Ltd, D-Service Media Srl, D-Share SpA, D-Share USA Corp., Dhamma Energy Group, Dunastyr Polisztirolgyarto Zartkoruen, Ecofuel SpA, Eni AEP Ltd, Eni Abu Dhabi BV, Eni Abu Dhabi Refining & Trading BV, Eni Abu Dhabi Refining & Trading Services BV, Eni Albania BV, Eni Algeria Exploration BV, Eni Algeria Ltd Sarl, Eni Algeria Production BV, Eni Ambalat Ltd, Eni America Ltd, Eni Angola Exploration BV, Eni Angola Production BV, Eni Angola SpA, Eni Argentina Exploracion, Eni Arguni I Ltd, Eni Australia BV, Eni Australia Ltd, Eni Austria GmbH, Eni BB Petroleum Inc, Eni BTC Ltd, Eni Bahrain BV, Eni Benelux BV, Eni Bukat Ltd, Eni CBM Ltd, Eni Canada Holding Ltd, Eni China BV, Eni Congo SA, Eni Corporate University SpA, Eni Cyprus Ltd, Eni Cote dIvoire Ltd, Eni Denmark BV, Eni Deutschland GmbH, Eni East Ganal Ltd, Eni East Sepinggan Ltd, Eni Ecuador SA, Eni Elgin/Franklin Ltd, Eni Energy Russia BV, Eni Exploration & Production Holding BV, Eni Finance International SA, Eni Finance USA Inc, Eni France Sarl, Eni Fuel SpA, Eni G&P Trading BV, Eni Gabon SA, Eni Ganal Ltd, Eni Gas & Power France SA, Eni Gas & Power LNG Australia BV, Eni Gas Transport Services Srl, Eni Ghana Exploration and Production Ltd, Eni Hewett Ltd, Eni Hydrocarbons Venezuela Ltd, Eni Iberia SLU, Eni India Ltd, Eni Indonesia Ltd, Eni Indonesia Ots 1 Ltd, Eni Insurance DAC, Eni International BV, Eni International NA NV Sarl, Eni International Resources Ltd, Eni Investments Plc, Eni Iran BV, Eni Iraq BV, Eni Ireland BV, Eni Isatay BV, Eni JPDA 03-13 Ltd, Eni JPDA 06-105 Pty Ltd, Eni JPDA 11-106 BV, Eni Kenya BV, Eni Krueng Mane Ltd, Eni LNS Ltd, Eni Lasmo Plc, Eni Lebanon BV, Eni Liberia BV, Eni Liverpool Bay Operating Co Ltd, Eni Lubricants Trading (Shangai) Co Ltd, Eni Marketing Austria GmbH, Eni Marketing Inc, Eni Maroc BV, Eni Mediterranea Idrocarburi SpA, Eni Middle East Ltd, Eni Mineralolhandel GmbH, Eni Montenegro BV, Eni Mozambico SpA, Eni Mozambique Engineering Ltd, Eni Mozambique LNG Holding BV, Eni Muara Bakau BV, Eni Myanmar BV, Eni Mexico S. de RL de CV, Eni Next Llc, Eni North Africa BV, Eni North Ganal Ltd, Eni Oil & Gas Inc, Eni Oil Algeria Ltd, Eni Oil Holdings BV, Eni Oman BV, Eni Pakistan (M) Ltd Sarl, Eni Pakistan Ltd, Eni Petroleum Co Inc, Eni Petroleum US Llc, Eni Portugal BV, Eni RAK BV, Eni RD Congo SA, Eni Rapak Ltd, Eni Rovuma Basin BV, Eni Schmiertechnik GmbH, Eni Sharjah BV, Eni South Africa BV, Eni South China Sea Ltd Sarl, Eni Suisse SA, Eni TNS Ltd, Eni Timor Leste SpA, Eni Trading & Shipping Inc, Eni Trading & Shipping SpA, Eni Transporte y Suministro Mexico , Eni Tunisia BV, Eni Turkmenistan Ltd, Eni UHL Ltd, Eni UK Holding Plc, Eni UK Ltd, Eni UKCS Ltd, Eni ULT Ltd, Eni ULX Ltd, Eni US Operating Co Inc, Eni USA Gas Marketing Llc, Eni USA Inc, Eni USA R&M Co Inc, Eni Ukraine Holdings BV, Eni Ukraine Llc, Eni Ukraine Shallow Waters BV, Eni Venezuela BV, Eni Venezuela E&P Holding SA, Eni Vietnam BV, Eni West Africa SpA, Eni West Ganal Ltd, Eni West Timor Ltd, Eni Yemen Ltd, Eni do Brasil Investimentos em Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo Ltda, Eni gas e luce SpA, EniPower Mantova SpA, EniProgetti Egypt Ltd, EniProgetti SpA, EniServizi SpA, Esacontrol SA, Esain SA, Eurl Eni Algerie, FRI-EL Group, First Calgary Petroleums LP, First Calgary Petroleums Partner Co ULC, First Calgary Petroliums, Floaters SpA, Gas Supply Company Thessaloniki - Thessalia SA, Gazoduc Transtunisien SA - Scogat SA, Ieoc Exploration BV, Ieoc Production BV, Ieoc SpA, LNG Shipping SpA, Lasmo Sanga Sanga Ltd, Liverpool Bay Ltd, Mizamtec Operating Company, Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Nigerian Agip CPFA Ltd, Nigerian Agip Exploration Ltd, Nigerian Agip Oil Co Ltd, OOO Eni Energhia, OOO Eni-Nefto, Oleoduc du Rhone SA, Petroven Srl, Raffineria di Gela SpA, Resources (Nigeria) Ltd, S. de RL de CV, SEA SpA, SeaPad SpA, Serfactoring SpA, Servizi Aerei SpA, Servizi Fondo Bombole Metano SpA, Societa Petrolifera Italiana SpA, Societe de Service du Gazoduc, Societe pour la Construction du, Tecnoesa SA, Trans Tunisian Pipeline Co SpA, Transtunisien SA - Sergaz SA, Versalis Americas Inc, Versalis Congo Sarlu, Versalis Deutschland GmbH, Versalis France SAS, Versalis International SA, Versalis Kimya Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Versalis Mexico S. de R.L. de CV, Versalis Pacific (India) Private Ltd, Versalis Pacific Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, Versalis Singapore Pte Ltd, Versalis SpA, Versalis UK Ltd, Zetah Congo Ltd, Zetah Kouilou Ltd, and zemeljskega plina doo Ljubljana.Unum Group is engaged in providing financial protection benefits. It operates through the following segments: Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, Closed Block and Corporate. The Unum US segment comprises of group long-term and short-term disability insurance, group life and accidental death and dismemberment products, and supplemental and voluntary lines of business. The Unum International segment engages in the operations of UK business, which includes insurance for group long-term disability, group life, and supplemental lines of business that include dental, individual disability, and critical illness products; Poland business primarily includes insurance for individual and group life with accident and health riders. The Colonial Life segment includes insurance for accident, sickness, disability products, life products, and cancer and critical illness products. The Closed Block segment consists of individual disability, group and individual long-term care, and other insurance products no longer actively marketed. The Corporate segment refers to investment income on corporate assets and other corporate income and expenses not allocated to a line of business; and interest

Read MoreWall Street analysts have given Centennial Mining a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Centennial Mining wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.Medtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiac and Vascular Group; Minimally Invasive Technologies Group; Restorative Therapies Group; and Diabetes Group. The Cardiac and Vascular Group segment consists of products for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease. The Minimally Invasive Technologies Group segment focuses on respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, renal system, lungs, pelvic region, kidneys, and obesity diseases. The Restorative Therapies Group segment comprises of neurostimulation therapies and drug delivery systems for the treatment of chronic pain, as well as areas of the spine and brain, along with pelvic health and conditions of the ear, nose, and throat. The Diabetes Group segment offers insulin pumps, coninuous glucose monitoring systems, and insulin pump consumables. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Moody's: Administracion de Calificadoras S.A. de C.V., BlackBox Logic, Bureau van Dijk EP DMCC, Bureau van Dijk Editions Electroniques S.A.S., Bureau van Dijk Editions Electroniques SRL, Bureau van Dijk Editions Electroniques Sarl, Bureau van Dijk Edizioni Elettroniche S.p.a, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing AB, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing ApS, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing B.V., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Beijing Co. Ltd., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing GmbH, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Hong Kong Limited, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Inc., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing K.K., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing LLC, Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Ltd., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Pte. Ltd., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Pty. Ltd., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing S.A. de C.V., Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Unipessoal Lda., Bureau van Dijk Electroniq Publishing S.A. (Pty) Ltd, Bureau van Dijk Publicaciones Electronicas S.A., Bureau van Dijk Publicacao Eletronica Ltda., DVBS Inc., Equilibrium (Chile) Holding SpA, Ethical Investment Research Services (EIRIS) Limited, Fermat International SA, Four Twenty Seven, Four Twenty Seven France SAS, Four Twenty Seven Inc., GGYAXIS Inc., Gilliland Gold Young Consulting Inc., ICRA Lanka Limited, ICRA Limited, ICRA Nepal Limited, ICRA Online Limited, KIS Pricing Inc., Korea Investors Service, Korea Investors Service Inc., Lewtan Technologies Inc., MIS Asset Holdings Inc., MIS Quality Management Corp., MIS Support Center Private Limited, MIS Support Services CR Sociedad de Responsabilidad Ltda., Midroog Ltd., Moody's (China) Limited, Moody's (Japan) K.K., Moody's (UK) Limited, Moody's America Latina Ltda., Moody's Analytics (DIFC) Limited, Moody's Analytics (India) Private Limited, Moody's Analytics (Malaysia) Sdn.Bhd., Moody's Analytics (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Moody's Analytics Australia Pty. Ltd., Moody's Analytics Canada Inc., Moody's Analytics Czech Republic s.r.o., Moody's Analytics Deutschland GmbH, Moody's Analytics Global Education (Canada) Inc., Moody's Analytics Holdings (UK) Limited, Moody's Analytics Hong Kong Ltd., Moody's Analytics International Licensing Gmbh, Moody's Analytics Ireland Limited, Moody's Analytics Japan K.K., Moody's Analytics Knowledge Services (Jersey) Limited, Moody's Analytics Knowledge Services (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Moody's Analytics Knowledge Services Holdings (Mauritius) Limited, Moody's Analytics Knowledge Services Research (Mauritius) Limited, Moody's Analytics Korea Co. Ltd, Moody's Analytics SAS, Moody's Analytics Singapore Pte Ltd., Moody's Analytics Technical Services (Hong Kong) Ltd., Moody's Analytics Technical Services (UK) Limited, Moody's Analytics UK Limited, Moody's Analytics do Brazil Solucoes para Gerenciamento de Risco de Credito Ltda, Moody's Asia Pacific Limited, Moody's Asia-Pacific Group (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Moody's Canada Inc., Moody's Canada LP, Moody's China (B.V.I.) Limited, Moody's Company Holdings (BVI) I Limited, Moody's Company Hong Kong Limited, Moody's Credit Ratings (China) Limited, Moody's Deutschland GmbH, Moody's EMEA Financing (Cyprus) Limited, Moody's EMEA Holdings Limited, Moody's Eastern Europe LLC, Moody's Equilibrium I (BVI) Holding Corporation, Moody's Equilibrium II (BVI) Holding Corporation, Moody's Finance (BVI) Limited, Moody's Financing (BVI) Limited, Moody's Financing (Cyprus) Limited, Moody's France SAS, Moody's Group (BVI) Limited, Moody's Group (Holdings) Unlimited, Moody's Group Australia Pty Ltd, Moody's Group Cyprus Limited, Moody's Group Deutschland GmbH, Moody's Group Finance Limited, Moody's Group France SAS, Moody's Group Holdings (BVI) Limited, Moody's Group Japan G.K., Moody's Group NL B.V., Moody's Group UK Limited, Moody's Holdings (B.V.I.) Limited, Moody's Holdings Limited, Moody's Holdings NL B.V., Moody's Indonesia (B.V.I) Limited, Moody's Information Consulting (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Moody's International (UK) Limited, Moody's International Holdings (Cyprus) Limited, Moody's Investment Company India Private Limited, Moody's Investors Service (BVI) Limited, Moody's Investors Service (Beijing) Ltd., Moody's Investors Service (Korea) Inc., Moody's Investors Service (Nordics) AB, Moody's Investors Service Cyprus Limited, Moody's Investors Service EMEA Limited, Moody's Investors Service Espana S.A., Moody's Investors Service Hong Kong Limited, Moody's Investors Service India Private Limited, Moody's Investors Service Limited, Moody's Investors Service Middle East Limited, Moody's Investors Service Pty Limited, Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd., Moody's Investors Service South Africa (Pty) Limited, Moody's Israel Holdings Inc., Moody's Italia S.r.l., Moody's Latin America Agente de Calificacion de Riesgo S.A., Moody's Latin America Holding Corp., Moody's Lithuania UAB, Moody's Local PA Calificadora de Riesgo S.A., Moody's Local PE Clasificadora de Riesgo S.A, Moody's Mauritius Holdings Limited, Moody's Risk Assessments Limited, Moody's SF Japan K.K., Moody's Shared Services India Private Limited, Moody's Shared Services UK Limited, Moody's Singapore Pte Ltd, Moody's South Africa (B.V.I.) Ltd., Moody's de Mexico S.A. de C.V. I.C.V, Moodys Advisors Inc., Moodys Analytics Inc., Moodys Analytics Knowledge Services Solutions (US) Inc., Moodys Analytics Solutions LLC, Moodys Assurance Company Inc., Moodys Assureco Inc., Moodys Capital Markets Research Inc., Moodys Group Holdings Inc., Moodys Holdings LLC, Moodys International LLC, Moodys Investors Service Inc., Moodys Overseas Holdings Inc., Moodys Risk Assessments Holdings LLC, Moodys Risk Assessments Inc., Moodys Shared Services Inc., Nile 1 Limited, Nile 2 Limited, Nile 3 Limited, Nile 4 Limited, Nile 5 Limited, Omega Performance, Omega Performance Corp./S.C.C. A Rendement Omega, Omega Performance Corporation, Omega Performance Corporation Pty. Limited, Omega Performance NZ Limited, Omega Performance Pte. Ltd., PT ICRA Indonesia, Pragati Development Consulting Services Limited, RBA International, Reis, Reis Inc., Reis Services LLC, Risk First (Holdings) Limited, Risk First (IP) Limited, Risk First Enterprise Limited, Risk First Group Limited, Risk First Inc., Risk First Limited, Risk First Management Services Limited, Skyval Holdings LLP, Skyval Limited, The Moodys Foundation, Vigeo, Vigeo Belgium NV, Vigeo Eiris, Vigeo Eiris Canada Inc., Vigeo Eiris Chile SpA, Vigeo Eiris Hong Kong Limited, Vigeo Eiris USA LLC, Vigeo Group, Vigeo Italia S.r.l, Yellow Maple Holding B.V., Yellow Maple I B.V., Yellow Maple II B.V., and Zephus Ltd..The Southern pays an annual dividend of $2.64 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.20%. SO has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The Southern has been increasing its dividend for 20 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio of The Southern is 81.23%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, The Southern will have a dividend payout ratio of 74.37% next year. This indicates that The Southern will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

View The Southern's dividend history.VeriFone Systems, Inc. provides payments and commerce solutions at the point of sale (POS) worldwide. It offers countertop solutions that accept payment options, including contactless, NFC, mobile wallets, and EMV; PIN pads that support credit and debit card, EBT, EMV, and other PIN-based transactions; and multilane consumer facing commerce devices. It also provides portable payment devices, including small, portable, and handheld devices that enable merchants to accept electronic payments wherever wireless connectivity is available; and mobile solutions that attach to and interface with iOS or Android based smartphones and tablets. In addition, it offers integrated electronic payment systems that combine electronic payment processing, fuel dispensing, and ECR functions, as well as secure payment systems for integration with petroleum pump controllers; unattended and self-service payment solutions designed to enable payment transactions in self-service, high-transaction volume, and public transportation environments; and network access solutions. Further, it provides installation, deployment, training, and application development and delivery solutions; project management, client education program, and consulting services; helpdesk support, equipment repair and maintenance, and software post-contract support services; and application libraries and development tools. Additionally, it offers omnichannel commerce, terminal management, and security solutions; and cloud-based managed, transaction payment, and other value added services. It sells its products directly; and through third party and channel partners. It serves financial institutions, payment processors, government organizations, and retailers; petroleum, transportation, and healthcare companies; and quick service restaurants. The company was formerly known as VeriFone Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to VeriFone Systems, Inc. in May 2010. VeriFone Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.

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 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research.The following companies are subsidiares of EnerSys: ABSL Power Solutions Inc., ABSL Power Solutions Ltd., Acumuladores Industriales EnerSys SA, Alpha Alternative Energy Inc., Alpha Broadband Services Inc., Alpha Innovations Industria e Comercio de Produtos Eletronicos Ltda., Alpha Innovations Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Alpha Mexico Network Power S.A. de C.V., Alpha Tech Energy Solutions India Private Limited, Alpha Technical Services Ltd., Alpha Technologies Ltd., Alpha Technologies Pty. Ltd., Alpha Technologies Services Inc., Alphatec Technologies (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Argus Research Ltd., Batterias Hawker de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Battery Power International Pte Ltd., Coppervale Enterprises Inc., DCPM Engineering Sdn Bhd, EH Batterien AG, EH Europe GmbH, EH Global Holdings GmbH, EH Swiss Holdings GmbH, ENAS Industrial Batteries Morocco Sarl, EnerSys (Chaozhou) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (China) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (Chongqing) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (Jiangsu) Huada Batteries Company Limited (94.7%) *, EnerSys (Luxembourg) Finance Sarl, EnerSys (Yangzhou) Huada Batteries Co. Ltd., EnerSys A/S, EnerSys AB, EnerSys AD, EnerSys AE, EnerSys AS, EnerSys Advanced Systems Inc., EnerSys Argentina S.A., EnerSys Asia Limited, EnerSys Australia Pty Ltd., EnerSys BV, EnerSys BVBA, EnerSys Battery Private Limited, EnerSys Brasil Ltda., EnerSys Bulgaria EOOD, EnerSys Canada Inc., EnerSys Capital Inc., EnerSys Cayman Euro L.P., EnerSys Cayman Holdings L.P., EnerSys Cayman Inc., EnerSys Delaware Inc., EnerSys Delaware LLC I, EnerSys Delaware LLC II, EnerSys Delaware LLC III, EnerSys Delaware LLC IV, EnerSys Delaware LLC V, EnerSys Energy Products Inc., EnerSys Europe Oy, EnerSys European Holding Co., EnerSys GmbH, EnerSys Holdings (Luxembourg) Sarl, EnerSys Holdings UK Ltd., EnerSys Hungaria Kft., EnerSys India Batteries Private Ltd., EnerSys JSC, EnerSys LLC, EnerSys Ltd., EnerSys Malaysia Sdn Bhd, EnerSys Mexico Holdings LLC, EnerSys Mexico Management LLC, EnerSys Participacoes Ltda., EnerSys Reserve Power Pte. Ltd., EnerSys S.r.l., EnerSys SARL, EnerSys SNC, EnerSys South East Asia Pte. Ltd., EnerSys de Mexico II S de R.L. de CV, EnerSys de Mexico S de R.L. de CV, EnerSys s.r.o., EnerSys sp. z o.o., EnerSystem Chile Ltda., Enersys Aku Sanaya Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Esfinco LLC, Hawker GmbH, Hawker Power Systems Inc., Hawker Powersource Inc., Hawker Systems GmbH & Co. KG., ICS Industries Pty Ltd, ICS Industries Pty Ltd., ICS Sheet Metal Pty Ltd., Industrial Battery Holding Ltda., International Communication Shelters Australasia Pty Ltd., Lancord Pty Ltd., Lenmic Pty Ltd., MIB Energy Sdn Bhd, N Holding AB, National Infrastructure Pty Ltd., National Infrastructure Services Pty Ltd., NaviSemi Energy Pte Ltd., NaviSemi Inc., New Pacifico Realty Inc., NorthStar Battery Company LLC, NorthStar Battery Company LLC, NorthStar Battery DMCC, Outback Power Technologies Inc., Powercom (NSW) Pty Ltd., Powersonic S de R.L. de CV, Purcell Systems, Purcell Systems Inc., Purcell Systems International AB, Quallion LLC, Riverfront Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., Shenzhen Huada Power Supply Mechanical & Electrical Co. Ltd. , SiteTel Shanghai Co Ltd., SiteTel Sweden AB, Telecomponents & Supply (Hong Kong) Ltd., The Enser Corporation, UTS Holdings Sdn Bhd, UTS Technology (JB) Sdn Bhd, UTS Technology (PG) Sdn Bhd, YCI Inc., and Yecoltd S. de R.L. de CV.GlaxoSmithKline Plc is a healthcare company, which engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceuticals; Pharmaceuticals R&D; Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. The Pharmaceuticals segment focuses on developing medicines in respiratory and infectious diseases, oncology, and immuno-inflammation. The Pharmaceuticals R&D segment focuses on science related to the immune system, the use of human genetics and advanced technologies, and is driven by the multiplier effect of Science x Technology x Culture. The Vaccines segment produces pediatric and adult vaccines to prevent a range of infectious diseases including, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, typhoid, influenza, and bacterial meningitis. The Consumer Healthcare segment develops and markets brands in the oral health, pain relief, respiratory, nutrition and gastro intestinal, and skin health categories. The company was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Lithia Motors: 797 Valley Street LLC, Albany CJD Fiat, Baierl Auto Group, Baierl Auto Parts LLC, Baierl Automotive Corporation, Baierl Chevrolet Inc., Baierl Holding LLC, Broadway Ford, Buhler Ford Inc, Cadillac of Portland Lloyd Center LLC, Camp Automotive Inc., Carbone Auto Body LLC, Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat of Morgantown, Cranberry Automotive Inc., Crater Lake Ford Lincoln, Crater Lake Mazda, DCH (Oxnard) Inc., DCH Auto Group, DCH Bloomfield LLC, DCH CA LLC, DCH Calabasas-A LLC, DCH California Investments LLC, DCH California Motors Inc., DCH DMS NJ LLC, DCH Del Norte Inc., DCH Essex Inc., DCH Financial NJ LLC, DCH Freehold - V LLC, DCH Freehold LLC, DCH Holdings LLC, DCH Investments Inc. (New Jersey), DCH Investments Inc. (New York), DCH Korean Imports LLC, DCH Mamaroneck LLC, DCH Mission Valley LLC, DCH Monmouth LLC, DCH Montclair LLC, DCH Motors LLC, DCH NY Motors LLC, DCH Nanuet LLC, DCH North America Inc., DCH Oxnard 1521 Imports Inc., DCH Riverside-S Inc., DCH Simi Valley Inc., DCH Support Services LLC, DCH TL Holdings LLC, DCH TL NY Holdings LLC, DCH Temecula Imports LLC, DCH Temecula Motors LLC, DCH Thousand Oaks-F Inc., DCH Torrance Imports Inc., Dah Chong Hong CA Trading LLC, Dah Chong Hong Trading Corporation, Daron Motors LLC, Day Auto Group, Downtown LA, Driveway Motors LLC, Elizabeth Collision LLC, Florida SS LLC, Ford Lincoln of Morgantown, Freehold Nissan LLC, Fuse Auto Sales LLC, Hamilton Honda, Hazleton Honda, Hutchins Eugene Nissan Inc., Hutchins Imported Motors Inc., Jaguar Landrover Mission Viejo, LA Motors Holding LLC, LAD Advertising Inc., LAD Carson-N LLC, LAD Mission Viejo-JLR Inc., LAD Mobu Inc., LAD-AU LLC, LAD-MB LLC, LAD-N LLC, LAD-P LLC, LAD-T LLC, LAD-V LLC, LBMP LLC, LFKF LLC, LGPAC Inc., LLL Sales Co LLC, LMBB LLC, LMBP LLC, LMOP LLC, LSTAR LLC, Lithia AcDM Inc., Lithia Aircraft Inc., Lithia Anchorage-C LLC, Lithia Anchorage-H LLC, Lithia Armory Garage LLC, Lithia Auction & Recon LLC, Lithia Auto Services Inc., Lithia Automotive Inc., Lithia BA Holding Inc., Lithia BNM Inc. (nonoperating), Lithia Baierl-S LLC, Lithia Bryan Texas Inc., Lithia Buffalo-A LLC, Lithia CCTF Inc., Lithia CDH Inc., Lithia CIMR Inc., Lithia CJDO Inc., Lithia CJDSA Inc., Lithia CJDSF Inc., Lithia CM Inc., Lithia CO Inc., Lithia CSA Inc., Lithia Community Development Company Inc., Lithia Crater Lake-F Inc., Lithia Crater Lake-M Inc., Lithia DE Inc., Lithia DM Inc., Lithia DMID Inc., Lithia Des Moines-VW LLC, Lithia Dodge of Tri-Cities Inc., Lithia Eatontown-F LLC, Lithia FLCC LLC, Lithia FMF Inc., Lithia Financial Corporation (previously Lithia Leasing Inc. and Lithia Credit Inc.), Lithia Florida Holding Inc., Lithia Ford of Boise Inc., Lithia Fresno Inc., Lithia HDM Inc., Lithia HGF Inc., Lithia HMID Inc., Lithia HPI Inc. (nonoperating), Lithia Hamilton-H LLC, Lithia Hazleton-H LLC, Lithia Idaho Falls-F Inc., Lithia Imports of Anchorage Inc., Lithia JEF Inc., Lithia Klamath Inc., Lithia Klamath-T Inc., Lithia LBGGF Inc., Lithia LHGF Inc., Lithia LSGF Inc., Lithia MBDM Inc., Lithia MMF Inc., Lithia MTLM Inc., Lithia McMurray-C LLC, Lithia Medford HON Inc., Lithia Middletown-L LLC, Lithia Monroeville-A LLC, Lithia Monroeville-C LLC, Lithia Monroeville-F LLC, Lithia Monroeville-V LLC, Lithia Moon-S LLC, Lithia Moon-V LLC, Lithia Morgantown-CJD LLC, Lithia Morgantown-F LLC, Lithia Morgantown-S LLC, Lithia Motors Support Services Inc., Lithia NA Inc., Lithia NC Inc., Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #1, Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #3, Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #4, Lithia NDM Inc., Lithia NF Inc., Lithia NSA Inc., Lithia Northeast Real Estate LLC, Lithia Orchard Park-H LLC, Lithia Paramus-M LLC, Lithia Pittsburgh-S LLC, Lithia Ramsey-B LLC, Lithia Ramsey-L LLC, Lithia Ramsey-M LLC, Lithia Ramsey-T LLC, Lithia Real Estate Inc., Lithia Reno Sub-HYUN Inc., Lithia Reno-CJ LLC, Lithia Reno-VW LLC, Lithia Rose-FT Inc., Lithia SOC Inc., Lithia SSP LLC, Lithia Salmir Inc., Lithia Sea P Inc., Lithia Seaside Inc., Lithia Spokane-B LLC, Lithia Spokane-S LLC, Lithia TA Inc., Lithia TO Inc., Lithia TR Inc., Lithia Uniontown-C LLC, Lithia VAuDM Inc., Lithia VF Inc., Lithia Wexford-H LLC, Lithia of Abilene Inc., Lithia of Anchorage Inc., Lithia of Bend #1 LLC, Lithia of Bend #2 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 1 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 2 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 3 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 4 LLC, Lithia of Billings II LLC, Lithia of Billings Inc., Lithia of Casper LLC, Lithia of Clear Lake LLC, Lithia of Concord I Inc., Lithia of Concord II Inc., Lithia of Corpus Christi Inc., Lithia of Des Moines Inc., Lithia of Eureka Inc., Lithia of Fairbanks Inc., Lithia of Great Falls Inc., Lithia of Helena Inc., Lithia of Honolulu-A Inc., Lithia of Honolulu-BGMCC LLC, Lithia of Honolulu-F LLC, Lithia of Honolulu-V LLC, Lithia of Killeen LLC, Lithia of Lodi Inc., Lithia of Maui-H LLC, Lithia of Missoula II LLC, Lithia of Missoula III Inc., Lithia of Missoula Inc., Lithia of Pocatello Inc., Lithia of Portland I LLC, Lithia of Portland LLC, Lithia of Robstown LLC, Lithia of Roseburg Inc., Lithia of Santa Rosa Inc., Lithia of Seattle Inc., Lithia of South Central AK Inc., Lithia of Spokane II Inc., Lithia of Spokane Inc., Lithia of Stockton Inc., Lithia of Stockton-V Inc., Lithia of TF Inc., Lithia of Troy LLC, Lithia of Utica - 1 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 2 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 3 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 4 LLC, Lithia of Walnut Creek Inc., Lithia of Wasilla LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 1 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 2 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 3 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 4 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 5 LLC, Medford Insurance LLC, Milford DCH Inc., Northland Ford Inc., PA Real Estate LLC, PA Support Services LLC, Paramus Collision LLC, Paramus World Motors LLC, Personalized Marketing LLC, Prestige Auto Group, RFA Holdings LLC, Ray Laks Acura, Ray Laks Honda, Sacramento-L Inc., Salem-B LLC, Salem-H LLC, Salem-V LLC, Sharlene Realty LLC, Shift Portland LLC, Southern Cascades Finance Corporation, Subaru of Morgantown, Tampa-H LLC, Tustin Motors Inc., Wesley Chapel-H LLC, Wesley Chapel-T LLC, Zelienople Real Estate I L.P., and Zelienople Real Estate L.L.C..Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. provides various financial products and services primarily in Italy. It operates through Banca dei Territori, IMI Corporate & Investment Banking, International Subsidiary Banks, Asset Management, Private Banking, and Insurance segments. The company offers lending and deposit products; corporate, investment banking, and public finance services; industrial credit, factoring, and leasing services; asset management solutions; life and non-life insurance products; and bancassurance and pension fund, and fiduciary services. It also provides consumer credit, e-money, and payment systems; wealth management and private banking services. The company serves individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, non-profit entities, corporates and financial institutions, private clients and high net worth individuals, institutional counterparties, and other customers. The company is headquartered in Turin, Italy.

Read MoreWall Street analysts have given LINE a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but LINE wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.Facebook announced on Tuesday that it eliminated 32 accounts for what the company described as "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" ahead of the mid-term U.S. congressional elections in November.

Facebook logo is seen at a start-up companies gathering at Paris' Station F in Paris, France on January 17, 2017.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, said on a call with reporters that the attempts to manipulate public opinion would likely become more sophisticated to evade Facebook's scrutiny, calling it an "arms race".

"In total, more than 290,000 accounts followed at least one of these pages, the earliest of which was created in March 2017", said Facebook.

It has been unable to tie the accounts to Russian Federation, whose Internet Research Agency was at the center of an indictment earlier this year for interfering in the 2016 election, but company officials told Capitol Hill that Russian Federation was possibly involved, according to two of the officials.

The company says it removed 32 accounts from Facebook and Instagram because they were involved in "coordinated" behaviour and appeared to be fake.

The company has hired thousands of new security staff, partnered with research organizations, and improved its artificial intelligence tools for detecting disinformation.

Facebook has sought guidance from USA intelligence agencies in its attempt to prevent a repeat of 2016, when its platform was used to meddle in US politics and society. The largest had approximately 4,700 accounts interested in attending, and 1,400 users said that they would attend. However, company officials told Capitol Hill that Russian Federation was possibly involved, reports The Times.

Among the deleted pages was one called "Resisters", which had created a Facebook Event - "No Unite the Right 2-DC" - a counterdemonstration to Unite the Right 2-DC, which had been called by the ultraright for August 12 in Washington. The discovery comes amid primaries for midterm elections across the country.

Washington imposed punitive sanctions on Russia following US intelligence agency conclusions that Moscow interfered to undermine the 2016 US elections, one of the reasons US-Russian relations are at a post-Cold War low. The "No United the Right 2 -DC" event was meant to be a counter-protest to a rally planned by right-wing groups as a follow-up to last year's deadly "United the Right" protests in Charlottesville, Va. The other was the #AbolishICE social media campaign aimed at the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. AP White House correspondent Ken Thomas contributed to this story from Air Force One.

In its blog post, Facebook warned that it faces "determined, well-funded adversaries who will never give up" and who are "constantly changing tactics". A previous event past year in Charlottesville, Virginia, led to violence by white supremacists.

The company previously said 126 million Americans may have seen Russian-backed political content on Facebook over a two-year period, and that 16 million may have been exposed to Russian information on the Instagram photo-sharing app.

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee who has exerted intense pressure on the social media companies, praised Facebook on Tuesday for bringing the activity into the public, but asked for its cooperation in updating laws to prevent influence campaigns. And they're also pointing to this idea that there were a lot of different events that were taking place while these pages were happening.KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreLloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance and Wealth. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings accounts, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, credit cards, and other financial services to personal and small business customers. The Commercial Banking segment provides lending, transactional banking, working capital management, risk management, and debt capital market services to small and medium-sized entities, corporates, and financial institutions. The Insurance and Wealth segment offers life, home, and car insurance products; and pension, investment, and wealth management products and services. It also provides digital and mobile banking, and telephone services, as well as advisory services for savings, investments, and planning for retirement. The company offers its products and services under the Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows, MBNA, Schroders Personal Wealth, Black Horse, Lex Autolease, Birmingham Midshires, LDC, IWeb, and Agricultural Mortgage Corporation brands. Lloyds Banking Group plc was founded in 1695 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of NRG Energy: 3279405 Nova Scotia Company, 3283764 Nova Scotia Company, 7549709 Canada Inc., 7644868 Canada Inc., 7711565 Canada Inc., AC Solar Holdings LLC, Ace Energy Inc., Agua Caliente Borrower 1 LLC, Agua Caliente Solar Holdings LLC, Agua Caliente Solar LLC, Allied Home Warranty GP LLC, Allied Warranty LLC, Arthur Kill Gas Turbines LLC, Arthur Kill Power LLC, Astoria Gas Turbine Power LLC, Bayou Cove Peaking Power LLC, Beheer-en Beleggingsmaatschappij Plogema B.V., Berrians I Gas Turbine Power LLC, BidURenergy Inc., Big Cajun I Peaking Power LLC, Bluewater Wind Delaware LLC, Bluewater Wind Maryland LLC, Bluewater Wind New Jersey Energy LLC, Boquillas Wind LLC, Cabrillo Power I LLC, Cabrillo Power II LLC, Camino Energy LLC, Carbon Management Solutions LLC, Carlsbad Energy Center LLC, Carlsbad Energy Holdings LLC, Chester Energy LLC, Chickahominy River Energy Corp., Cirro Energy Services Inc., Cirro Group Inc., Citizens Power Holdings One LLC, Commonwealth Atlantic Power LLC, Connecticut Jet Power LLC, Cottonwood Development LLC, Cottonwood Energy Company LP, Cottonwood Generating Partners I LLC, Cottonwood Generating Partners II LLC, Cottonwood Generating Partners III LLC, Cottonwood Technology Partners LP, Delaware Power Development LLC, Devon Power LLC, Doga Enerji Uretim Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Doga Isi Satis Hizmetleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Doga Isletme ve Bakim Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Dunkirk Gas Corporation, Dunkirk Power LLC, EHI Development Fund LLC, EME Eastern Holdings LLC, EVgo Services LLC, Eastern Sierra Energy Company LLC, Ecokap Power LLC, El Segundo Energy Center II LLC, El Segundo Power II LLC, El Segundo Power LLC, Elkhorn Ridge Wind II LLC, Energy Alternatives Wholesale LLC, Energy Choice Solutions LLC, Energy Curtailment Specialists, Energy Plus Holdings LLC, Energy Plus Natural Gas LLC, Energy Protection Insurance Company, Everything Energy LLC, Forward Home Security LLC, GCP Funding Company LLC, GenOn Energy, Geostellar Inc., Gladstone Power Station Joint Venture, Goal Zero, Goal Zero Europe GmbH, Goal Zero LLC, Granite II Holding LLC, Granite Power Partners II L.P., Green Mountain Energy, Green Mountain Energy Company, Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, Gregory Partners LLC, Gregory Power Partners LLC, Hanover Energy Company, Huntley IGCC LLC, Huntley Power LLC, Independence Energy Alliance LLC, Independence Energy Group LLC, Independence Energy Natural Gas LLC, Indian River Operations Inc., Indian River Power LLC, Intellastar LLC, Ivanpah Master Holdings LLC, Ivanpah Project I Holdings LLC, Ivanpah Project II Holdings LLC, Ivanpah Project III Holdings LLC, James River Power LLC, Kaufman Cogen LP, LSP-Nelson Energy LLC, Long Beach Generation LLC, Long Beach Peakers LLC, Long Beach Power LLC, Louisiana Generating LLC, MEC Esenyurt B.V., MEC San Pascual B.V., Maplekey UK Finance Limited, Maplekey UK Limited, Meriden Gas Turbines LLC, Middletown Power LLC, Midway-Sunset Cogeneration Company, Midwest Finance Company LLC, Midwest Generation EME LLC, Midwest Generation Holdings I LLC, Midwest Generation Holdings II LLC, Midwest Generation LLC, Midwest Generation Procurement Services LLC, Midwest Peaker Holdings LLC, Mission Bingham Lake Wind LLC, Mission Del Cielo LLC, Mission Energy Construction Services LLC, Mission Energy Holdings International LLC, Mission Energy Wales LLC, Mission Funding Zeta LLC, Mission Midway-Sunset Holdings LLC, Mission Midwest Coal LLC, Mission Minnesota Wind LLC, Mission Watson Holdings LLC, Mission Wind Boquillas LLC, Mission Wind New Mexico II LLC, Mission Wind Owaissa LLC, Mission Wind Pinnacle LLC, Mission del Sol LLC, Montville IGCC LLC, Montville Power LLC, NEO Chester-Gen LLC, NEO Corporation, NRG Acquisition Holdings Inc., NRG Advisory Services LLC, NRG Affiliate Services Inc., NRG Alexandria LLC, NRG Arroyo Nogales LLC, NRG Arthur Kill Operations Inc., NRG Asia-Pacific Ltd., NRG Astoria Gas Turbine Operations Inc., NRG Astoria Power LLC, NRG Audrain Generating LLC, NRG Audrain Holding LLC, NRG Bayou Cove LLC, NRG Berrians East Development LLC, NRG Bluewater Holdings LLC, NRG Bluewater Wind Massachusetts LLC, NRG Bourbonnais Equipment LLC, NRG Bourbonnais LLC, NRG Brazoria Energy LLC, NRG Business Services LLC, NRG CTA Holdings LLC, NRG Cabrillo Power Operations Inc., NRG Cadillac Inc., NRG Cadillac Operations Inc., NRG California Peaker Operations LLC, NRG Capital II LLC, NRG Carbon 360 LLC, NRG Cedar Bayou Development Company LLC, NRG Chalk Point CT LLC, NRG CleanTech Investments LLC, NRG Coal Development Company LLC, NRG ComLease LLC, NRG Common Stock Finance I LLC, NRG Common Stock Finance II LLC, NRG Connected Home LLC, NRG Connecticut Affiliate Services Inc., NRG Connecticut Peaking Development LLC, NRG Construction LLC, NRG Cottonwood Tenant LLC, NRG Curtailment Solutions Canada Inc., NRG Curtailment Solutions Inc., NRG DG Development LLC, NRG Development Company Inc., NRG Devon Operations Inc., NRG Dispatch Services LLC, NRG Distributed Energy Resources Holdings LLC, NRG Distributed Generation PR LLC, NRG Dunkirk Operations Inc., NRG ECOKAP Holdings LLC, NRG ESA Joint Development LLC, NRG El Segundo Operations Inc., NRG Energy Center Eagles LLC, NRG Energy Center Oxnard LLC, NRG Energy Fuel LLC, NRG Energy Fuel Services LLC, NRG Energy Gas & Wind Holdings Inc., NRG Energy Holdings II Inc., NRG Energy Holdings Inc., NRG Energy Inc., NRG Energy Labor Services LLC, NRG Energy Petroleum LLC, NRG Energy Services Group LLC, NRG Energy Services International Inc., NRG Energy Services LLC, NRG Equipment Company LLC, NRG Fuel Cell CA1 LLC, NRG Fuel Resources LLC, NRG Fuel Transportation LLC, NRG GTL Holdings LLC, NRG Gas Development Company LLC, NRG Generation Holdings Inc., NRG Gladstone Operating Services Pty Ltd, NRG Granite Acquisition LLC, NRG Greenco LLC, NRG HQ DG LLC, NRG Holding Leasing Vehicle 7 LLC, NRG Home & Business Solutions LLC, NRG Home Services LLC, NRG Home Solutions LLC, NRG Home Solutions Product LLC, NRG Homer City Services LLC, NRG Huntley Operations Inc., NRG Identity Protect LLC, NRG Ilion LP LLC, NRG Ilion Limited Partnership, NRG Independence Solar LLC, NRG International LLC, NRG Kaufman LLC, NRG Latin America Inc., NRG Lease Co LLC, NRG Lease Development LLC, NRG Limestone 3 LLC, NRG Maintenance Services LLC, NRG Mesquite LLC, NRG Mextrans Inc., NRG MidAtlantic Affiliate Services Inc., NRG MidCon Development LLC, NRG Middletown Operations Inc., NRG Middletown Repowering LLC, NRG Midwest Holdings LLC, NRG Midwest II LLC, NRG Montville Operations Inc., NRG NE Development LLC, NRG Nelson Turbines LLC, NRG New Roads Holdings LLC, NRG NewGen LLC, NRG North Central Operations Inc., NRG Northeast Affiliate Services Inc., NRG Norwalk Harbor Operations Inc., NRG Ohio Pipeline Company LLC, NRG Operating Services Inc., NRG Oswego Harbor Power Operations Inc., NRG Oxbow Holdings LLC, NRG PacGen Inc., NRG Peaker Finance Company LLC, NRG Portable Power LLC, NRG Potrero Development LLC, NRG Power Marketing LLC, NRG Procurement Company LLC, NRG Project Company LLC, NRG Reliability Solutions LLC, NRG Renter's Protection LLC, NRG Repowering Holdings LLC, NRG Residential Solar Solutions LLC, NRG Residential Solar Solutions Leasing II LLC, NRG Retail LLC, NRG Retail Northeast LLC, NRG Rockford Acquisition LLC, NRG Rockford Equipment II LLC, NRG Rockford Equipment LLC, NRG Saguaro Operations Inc., NRG Security LLC, NRG Services Corporation, NRG Sherbino LLC, NRG SimplySmart Solutions LLC, NRG Solar Arrowhead LLC, NRG Solar CVSR Holdings 2 LLC, NRG Solar Dandan LLC, NRG Solar Guam LLC, NRG Solar Ivanpah LLC, NRG Solar Ring LLC, NRG Solar SC Stadium LLC, NRG Solar Sunrise LLC, NRG South Central Affiliate Services Inc., NRG South Central Generating LLC, NRG South Central Operations Inc., NRG South Texas LP, NRG Sterlington Power LLC, NRG Storage Fabrication & Delivery LLC, NRG Storage on Demand NY LLC, NRG SunCap Leasing I LLC, NRG Telogia Power LLC, NRG Texas C&I Supply LLC, NRG Texas Gregory LLC, NRG Texas Holding Inc., NRG Texas LLC, NRG Texas Power LLC, NRG Texas Retail LLC, NRG Trading Advisors LLC, NRG Transmission Holdings LLC, NRG ULC Parent Inc., NRG Victoria I Pty Ltd, NRG Warranty Services LLC, NRG West Coast LLC, NRG Western Affiliate Services Inc., NRG Wind Development Company LLC, NRG Wind Force LLC, NRG Wind LLC, NRG dGen Advisory Services LLC, NRGenerating German Holdings GmbH, NRGenerating International B.V., NRGenerating Luxembourg (No. 1) S.a.r.l., NRGenerating Luxembourg (No. 2) S.a.r.l., New Genco GP LLC, New Jersey Power Development LLC, Norwalk Power LLC, O'Brien Cogeneration Inc. 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LLC, XOOM Ontario Holdings LLC, XOOM Solar LLC, and eV2g LLC.Senior Iranian officials and military commanders on Tuesday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's offer of talks without preconditions as worthless and "a dream", saying his words contradicted his action of reimposing sanctions on Tehran.

On Monday he said he would be willing to meet with Iran's leaders "any time they want", with "no preconditions".

Hours before Trump's remarks, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said the US president's policies regarding Iran  including the withdrawal in May from the Iran nuclear deal and the reimposition of sanctions  undermined any chance of engagement between the two nations.

Only last week, Trump fired off an all-caps tirade at his counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Twitter, warning of untold "suffering" if Iran continued to threaten the United States.

"If this negotiation (is) carried out in any form, then it will be considered a surrender and the Iranian nation will not surrender", Kavakebian said. He has vowed to ramp up sanctions until Iran radically changes its policies, including its support for the Syrian government and regional militant groups, something the country's leaders have long refused to do.

This sentiment was echoed by the head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), who stated Iran would not buckle to requests for negotiations like North Korea.

In a speech back in May, Pompeo listed 12 specific conditions that would need to be met for the U.S. to hold talks with Iran after Trump's controversial decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.

He added, "The Islamic Republic has never sought tension in the region and does not want any trouble in global waterways, but it will not easily give up on its rights to export oil".

Iran's goal at such a meeting would be to obtain economic relief in exchange for nuclear concessions - a better nuclear deal for America, as Trump puts it.

"This relief is only possible if there are tangible, demonstrated, and sustained shifts in Tehran's policies", said Garrett Marquis, spokesman for the National Security Council.

Moderate Iranian politicians, including President Rouhani, have also taken an increasingly hard-line stance in response to the US's reimplementation of sanctions, which have caused economic damage to the country.

"I don't know what the President hopes to achieve with that meeting", he said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room".

Kenyon says there will be some pressure on Iran to negotiate with the USA - but he puts that in perspective. Washington ramped up political pressure on Tehran and vowed to re-impose sanctions on the nation.

"It seems that Trump is in love with setting up meetings just to meet, with not much paying attention to the outcomes and his inconsistent remarks", Kamal Kharrazi noted, Mehr reported.

The Trump administration says it is engaged in a "maximum pressure campaign" created to force Iran into a new deal that goes beyond limiting its nuclear programme and includes curbs to its regional behaviour and missile programme. "How can we trust this country when it withdraws unilaterally from the nuclear deal?"The following companies are subsidiares of Zimmer Biomet: Abbott Spine, Beijing Montagne Medical Device Co. Ltd., Beijing Montagne Medical Device Co. Ltd., BioMet, Biomet 3i Australia Pty. Ltd., Biomet 3i Belgium N.V., Biomet 3i Benelux Holdings N.V., Biomet 3i Dental Iberica SL, Biomet 3i LLC, Biomet 3i Mexico S.A. de C.V., Biomet 3i Netherlands B.V., Biomet 3i Nordic AB, Biomet 3i Portugal Lda, Biomet 3i Switzerland GmbH, Biomet 3i Turkey, Biomet 3i UK Ltd., Biomet 3i do Brasil Comercio de Aparelhos Medicos Ltda., Biomet Acquisitions (Unlimited), Biomet Argentina SA, Biomet Australia Pty. 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As for the Apollo business, we teamed up with King Long and Neolix Technology and launched two L4 autonomous commercial vehicles. These powerful businesses demonstrated that we have the capability to focus on and implement our strategy to reinforce Baidu's foundation in mobility area and lead the AI era, said Robin Li, chairman and CEO of Baidu.

Apollo has garnered 119 OEMs, Tier 1 parts suppliers and other partners, adding recently Jaguar Land Rover, Byton, Valeo, ADI, Flextronics, Suning, and Lionbridge, etc.

At Baidu Create 2018 on July 4, Robin Li announced that the world's first mass-produced L4 autonomous mini bus Apolong developed by Baidu Apollo in collaboration with King Long had already rolled off the production line at its manufacturing facility in Xiamen. The company said the Apolong mass-produced buses will be sent to several Chinese cities for commercial use, including Beijing, Xiongan New Area, Shenzhen, Pingtan and Wuhan, etc. Besides, Baidu has joined hands with King Long and SB Drive, the autonomous driving subsidiary of Japan's SoftBank Group, to export Apolong autonomous mini buses to Japan in early 2019. Moreover, the Apollo-powered L4 micro-car for cargo delivery launched by Neolix Technology has already been put into mass production.

During Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Germany last month, Baidu and German premium automaker BMW Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 10, under which the BMW Group will join the Apollo as a board member. Under the MoU, both companies will join forces to provide safe, convenient and smart mobility services for consumers in China. Previously, BMW China and Baidu had signed an agreement at the CES Asia 2018 to cooperate in home-to-vehicle field and explore the new-generation human-vehicle interaction modes.

The latest agreement signed with Daimler AG to cement their cooperation in autonomous driving and connectivity domains caught the eye of both Internet and automotive industries. In accordance with the newly signed agreement, both companies will continue to improve scenarios complexity both on approved public roads and dedicated designated grounds, making safety a priority. In addition, the two parties also planned to launch a new joint project in vehicle connectivity, integrating further Baidu connectivity services into Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX), the intelligent human-machine interaction system.

During the process to speed up the mass production of autonomous driving products, Baidu has not ignored the significance of safety. On April 19, Baidu joined hands with China Automotive Technology & Research Center and the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology to set up the Apollo Vehicle Cybersecurity Lab. On July 4, Baidu released the Apollo Pilot Safety Report, China's first safety report on autonomous driving for volume production, which serves to help define the safety framework for the industry.

The Apollo has been executing the trial operations of its autonomous vehicles around China. On May 14, Baidu started road tests for fully autonomous L4 vehicles in Xiongan New Area, Hebei Province. What's more, the Internet giant and Panda Auto, an EV rental operator under the Chongqing-based automaker Lifan Group, jointly launched the China's first shared autonomous vehicle pilot program in Chongqing on May 24.It was initiated in 1951 along with the very first census in independent India. They (BJP) are trying to divide the people. These records were handled by local government officers but, later, law enforcement bureaus were was given the responsibility of managing them.

The process of NRC update was being meticulously carried out in an objective and transparent manner. Those who are not enlisted are automatically deemed "illegal citizens". This exercise to differentiate between legal and illegal citizens has kicked off panic in some parts of the state. BJP regards Bangladeshis as illegal immigrants and infiltrators who are increasing the population of Muslims in India to the overall detriment of Hindus which the BJP claims to represent.

Names of over 40 lakh residents have not been included in the NRC that was released by the Assam government on Monday. Its roots lie in the politics of the 1980s. The BJP will not confine its movement to Assam. It went up by another whopping 35% during the next 10 years. Individuals who entered illegally after 1971 would be deported.

He further said, "If a politician or (Amit) Shah says that 40 lakh people living outside the NRC draft are illegal immigrants, then the Supreme Court should take cognizance of such a unusual statement, because it is contempt of court".

The Centre told the Supreme Court that it is contemplating taking biometrics details of over 40 lakh people, whose names did not figure in the final NRC draft in Assam, to avoid their influx to other states on false identity. Approximately 40 lakh individuals have been left out of the register. "Also, we want to request to the people to not believe in any rumour and have full faith in the judiciary", Congress leader Apurbo Bhattacharya had said yesterday. Cachar and Karimganj border Bangladesh its along northeastern tip.

Thousands of federal security forces have reportedly been deployed to Assam to prevent anticipated unrest over the draft list.

So what has been decided so far on the issue? "This is a very sensitive issue and it should not be politicized", said Singh. "Will we see concentration camps?" asked Mander.

"If the government has made a decision to brand us foreigners what can we do?" said the 60-year-old. "If something needs to be done, we will do it", Gogoi said, adding that their "silence is agreement nor rejection nor assurance".

National Register of Citizens (NRC) officials check the names of the residents in the final list at a NRC Sewa Kendra (NSK).

Meanwhile, the reaction from various quarters of the opposition has been unforgiving.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be chairing a high-level meeting today to solve the ongoing stand-off between the Centre and the Opposition regarding the National Registry of Citizens (NRC).

The exclusion of four million people from the draft list or National Register of Citizens (NRC) of Assam in a drive against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh has sparked a massive political controversy.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Monday.

Suban said both he and his father were born in Assam, and showed Reuters a soiled yellow document that showed his father's name in the list of voters in Assam for 1965, before the cut-off date.

Sonowal said that they would be given a chance to prove their claim of citizenship, that none of the 4 million would be sent to a detention camp, and that "no one will be treated as a foreigner".

"Adequate and ample scope will be given to people for making objections".The following companies are subsidiares of The Travelers Companies: 10762962 Canada Inc., 350 Market Street LLC, 8527512 Canada Inc., Aetna Life and Casualty Co, American Equity Insurance Company, American Equity Specialty Insurance Company, Aprilgrange Limited, Arch Street North LLC, Auto Hartford Investments LLC, Bayhill Restaurant II Associates, Camperdown Corporation, Constitution State Services LLC, Discover Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Discover Specialty Insurance Company, F&G UK Underwriters Limited, Farmington Casualty Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Underwriters Inc., First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Company, Gulf Underwriters Insurance Company, IHP Capital Partners Fund VIII L.P., Northbrook Holdings Inc., Northfield Insurance Company, Northland Casualty Company, Northland Insurance Company, Phoenix UK Investments LLC, SPC Insurance Agency Inc., Select Insurance Company, Simply Business Holdings Inc., Simply Business Inc., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, St. Paul Guardian Insurance Company, St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company, St. Paul Protective Insurance Company, St. Paul Surplus Lines Insurance Company, Standard Fire Properties LLC, Standard Fire UK Investments LLC, TCI Global Services Inc., TPC Investments Inc., TPC U.K. Investments LLC, The Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford Connecticut, The Charter Oak Fire Insurance Company, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, The Family Business Institute LLC, The Phoenix Insurance Company, The St. Paul Companies Inc., The Standard Fire Insurance Company, The Travelers Casualty Company, The Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company of America, The Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, The Travelers Lloyds Insurance Company, TravCo Insurance Company, Travelers (Bermuda) Limited, Travelers Brazil Acquisition LLC, Travelers Brazil Holding LLC, Travelers Casualty Company of Connecticut, Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America, Travelers Casualty UK Investments LLC, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of Europe Limited, Travelers Commercial Casualty Company, Travelers Commercial Insurance Company, Travelers Constitution State Insurance Company, Travelers Distribution Alliance Inc., Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Company, Travelers Global Inc., Travelers Indemnity U.K. Investments LLC, Travelers Insurance Company Limited, Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company, Travelers Insurance Group Holdings Inc., Travelers Lloyds of Texas Insurance Company, Travelers London Limited, Travelers MGA Inc., Travelers Management Limited, Travelers Marine LLC, Travelers Participacoes em Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Personal Insurance Company, Travelers Personal Security Insurance Company, Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, Travelers Property Casualty Corp., Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Company, Travelers Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Syndicate Management Limited, Travelers Texas MGA Inc., Travelers Underwriting Agency Limited, Ultramar Travel Management, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Xbridge Limited, Zensurance Brokers Inc., and Zensurance Inc..Wall Street analysts have given United States Oil Fund a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but United States Oil Fund wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.The following companies are subsidiares of WESCO International: 1502218 Alberta Ltd., ALLNET Technologies Pty. Ltd., AXE Distribution Solutions Trinidad Ltd., Accu-Tech Corporation, Anixter (Barbados) SRL, Anixter (CIS) LLC, Anixter (Switzerland) Sarl, Anixter (U.K.) Limited, Anixter Argentina S.A., Anixter Asia Holdings Limited, Anixter Australia Pty. Ltd., Anixter Austria GmbH, Anixter Bahamas Limited, Anixter Belgium B.V.B.A., Anixter Cables y Manufacturas S.A. de C.V., Anixter Canada Inc., Anixter Canadian Holdings ULC, Anixter Chile S.A., Anixter Colombia S.A.S., Anixter Communications (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Anixter Communications (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Anixter Costa Rica S.A., Anixter Czech a.s., Anixter Danmark A/S, Anixter Deutschland GmbH, Anixter Distribuidor de Soluciones Empresariales e Industriales S.A., Anixter Distribution Ireland Limited, Anixter Dominicana SRL, Anixter Egypt LLC, Anixter Espana S.L., Anixter Eurotwo Holdings B.V., Anixter Fasteners Deutschland GmbH, Anixter Financial Inc., Anixter France SARL, Anixter Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Anixter Holdings Inc., Anixter Holdings Mexico LLC, Anixter Hong Kong Limited, Anixter Iletisim Sistemleri Pazarlama ve Ticaret A.S., Anixter Inc., Anixter India Private Limited, Anixter Information Systems LLC, Anixter International, Anixter Italia S.r.l., Anixter Jamaica Limited, Anixter Japan KK, Anixter Jorvex S.A.C., Anixter Limited, Anixter Logistica do Brasil LTDA, Anixter Logistica y Servicios S.A. de C.V., Anixter Magyarorszag Elektronikus Halozati Rendszer Kereskedelmi es Szolgaltato Kft, Anixter Mid Holdings B.V., Anixter Middle East FZE, Anixter Morocco SARL AU, Anixter Nederland B.V., Anixter New Zealand Limited, Anixter Norge A.N.S., Anixter Operaciones y Logistica s De RL De CV, Anixter Panama S.A., Anixter Pension Scheme Trustees Limited, Anixter Pension Trustees Limited, Anixter Peru S.A.C., Anixter Philippines Inc., Anixter Poland Sp.z.o.o., Anixter Portugal S.A., Anixter Power Solutions Canada Inc., Anixter Power Solutions Inc., Anixter Procurement Corporation, Anixter Puerto Rico Inc., Anixter Real-Estate LLC, Anixter Receivables Corporation, Anixter Saudi Arabia Limited, Anixter Singapore Pte. Ltd., Anixter Slovakia s.r.o., Anixter Sub Holdings B.V, Anixter Sverige AB, Anixter Thailand Inc., Anixter U.S. LLC, Anixter Venezuela Inc., Anixter de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Anixter do Brasil Ltda, Atlanta Electrical Distributors, Atlanta Electrical Distributors LLC, Atlas Gentech (NZ) Limited, Avon Electrical Supplies, B.E.L. Corporation, Brews Supply, Brown Wholesale Electric, Bruckner Supply, CBC LP Holdings LLC, CDW Holdco LLC, Calvert Wire & Cable Corporation, Carlton-Bates Company, Carlton-Bates Company (CBC), Carlton-Bates Company de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Carlton-Bates Company of Texas GP Inc, Central Security Distribution Pty. Ltd, Communication Cables LLC, Communications Supply Corporation, Conney Investment Holdings LLC, Conney Safety Products, Conney Safety Products LLC, Distribuidora Materiales Electricos E-Supply Limitada, EECOL Electric, EECOL Electric Bolivia Ltda, EECOL Electric Corp., EECOL Electric Peru S.A.C, EECOL Industrial Electric (SudAmerica) Limitada, EECOL Industrial Electric Ecuador Limitada, EECOL Industrial Electric Limitada, EECOL Power S.A., EECOL Properties Corp, Eurinvest B.V., Eurinvest Cooperatief U.A., Fastec Industrial, HMH Pension Trustees Limited, Hazmasters, Hazmasters Inc., Herning Underground Supply, Hi-Line Utility Supply, Hi-Line Utility Supply Company LLC, Hill Country Electric Supply, Hill Country Electric Supply L.P., ICV GP Inc., Infast Group Limited, Inner Range Pty. Ltd, Itel Container Ventures Inc., Itel Corporation, Itel Rail Holdings Corporation, J-Mark Inc., LaPrairie, Liberty Wire & Cable Inc., Monti Electric Supply, Needham Electric Supply, Needham Electric Supply LLC, Obras Y Servicios Sunpark S.A.C., PT Anixter Indonesia, Potelcom Supply, Pro Canadian Holdings I ULC, RECO LLC, RS Electronics, Reily Electrical Supply, SASK Alta Holdings S.A., Services Voice Video and Data Distribution de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios Anixter S.A. de C.V., Signal Capital Corporation, Signal Capital Projects Inc., Stone Eagle Electrical Supply GP Inc., Stone Eagle Electrical Supply Limited Partnership, TVC Communications, TVC Communications L.L.C., TVC Espana Distribucion y Venta De Equipos S.L., TVC International Holding L.L.C., TVC UK Holdings Limited, Tri-Ed Puerto Rico Ltd. Inc., Trydor Industries, Voice Video and Data Distribution de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., WDC Holding Inc., WDCH LP, WDCH US LP, WDI USVI LLC, WDI-Angola LDA, WDINESCO B.V., WDINESCO II B.V., WDINESCO III B.V., WEAS Company S. de R.L., WESCO (Suzhou) Trading Co. Ltd., WESCO Australia Pty Ltd, WESCO Canada GP Inc., WESCO Canada I LP, WESCO DC Holding I LP, WESCO DC Holding II LP, WESCO DC Holding III LP, WESCO DC Holding IV LP, WESCO Distribution Canada Co., WESCO Distribution Canada LP, WESCO Distribution HK Limited, WESCO Distribution II ULC, WESCO Distribution III ULC, WESCO Distribution IV Inc., WESCO Distribution Inc., WESCO Distribution Ireland Limited, WESCO Distribution NL B.V., WESCO Distribution Pte. Ltd., WESCO Distribution de Mexico S. de R.L., WESCO Distribution-International Limited, WESCO Enterprises Inc., WESCO Equity Corporation, WESCO Holdings LLC, WESCO Integrated Supply Inc., WESCO Integrated Supply Polska Spolka z o.o., WESCO Netherlands B.V., WESCO Nevada Ltd., WESCO Nigeria Inc., WESCO Procurement Canada ULC, WESCO Real Estate I LLC, WESCO Real Estate II LLC, WESCO Real Estate III LLC, WESCO Real Estate IV LLC, WESCO Receivables Corp., WESCO Services LLC, WESCO TLD Holdings Co. Ltd., WND Nigeria Limited, WireXpress Ltd., Xpress Connect Supply Hong Kong Limited, XpressConnect Holdings B.V., XpressConnect International B.V., XpressConnect Supply B.V.B.A., XpressConnect Supply Colombia S.A.S., XpressConnect Supply Inc., XpressConnect Supply Mexico S.A. de C.V., and XpressConnect Supply do Brasil Ltda.Prosecutors say the word "Russia" isn't likely to come up in this trial, which will center on Manafort's Ukrainian consulting work and only briefly touch on his involvement with the president's campaign.

Manafort lived an extravagant lifestyle, snapping up expensive homes and cars, and spending more than half a million dollars on "fancy clothes" and $21,000 for a watch, a prosecutor said in the government's opening statement at the trial in a Virginia federal court.

The indictment was brought by special counsel Robert Mueller, the former Federal Bureau of Investigation director who is looking into Russian meddling in the presidential election, but the charges are not connected to Manafort's time as Trump's campaign chairman.

Manafort has remained defiant, vowing to fight the charges.

"His trust in Rick Gates was misplaced", Zehnle said, alleging that Gates had embezzled millions of dollars from Manafort.

In a filing Monday, prosecutors responded that those details are necessary to prove how much money Manafort made and did not pay taxes on; that he knew he was paid through unreported foreign bank accounts; and that in 2014, he began committing bank fraud to make up for lost income from Ukraine.

He warned jurors not to believe Gates when he testifies against Manafort. "Not tax, not banking law".

Mr Mueller was not present in the courtroom on Tuesday.

Defence attorney Zehnle asked Manafort to stand up and face the jury, calling him "a good man" and a talented political consultant.

Asonye said Manafort didn't just lie to the Internal Revenue Service.

Defense lawyers also sought to address head-on Manafort's wealth and the images of a gaudy lifestyle that jurors are expected to see.

The tax and bank fraud trial represents the first test of Mueller's ability to win a conviction of a former Trump aide.

The trial marks the first court test for special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Trump campaign ties to Russian Federation and related matters, and whose team is prosecuting Manafort. Prosecutors will also argue that Manafort fraudulently obtained millions more in bank loans, including during his time on the campaign.

Manafort's trial is the first arising from Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russian Federation.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis made several jokes during the jury selection process, including about the quality of the lunches jurors will be provided. Asonye added that Manafort signed papers and wrote emails - making it clear that he was the one who controlled the 30 accounts - and used some of the money for "purely personal" expenses, including the ostrich coat. He was actively involved in the jury selection, conferring with his attorneys and passing notes. Another man brought a John Grisham novel into the courtroom.

Trump has vacillated between showing sympathy for Manafort and trying to distance himself.

And they plan to introduce evidence that a chairman of one of the banks allowed Manafort to file inaccurate loan information in exchange for a role on the Republican campaign and the promise of a job in the Trump administration that never materialized.

Manafort, the lone American charged by Mueller who has opted to stand trial instead of cooperate with prosecutors, was described by his defense lawyer as a hugely successful global political consultant who left the details of his finances to others. An acquittal would support efforts by Trump and his allies to portray the investigation as a "witch hunt". Mr Trump tweeted early on Tuesday.Swedish police have mobilized their land, sea and air forces to catch two men who stole 17th century royal crowns and an orb from a church in broad daylight on Tuesday before making a daring escape in a motor boat.

The heist, in which the suspects took two crowns and a golden orb, happened around noon local time on Tuesday, at the Strangnas Cathedral, located west of Sweden's capital of Stockholm.

The stolen crowns were the funeral crowns of Karl IV and his wife Queen Kristina from 1611, Swedish police said in a press release.

The jewels were kept in a locked and alarmed glass display, and it remains unclear how exactly the thieves broke into it.

Police have been searching for the culprits with a helicopter and boats, but no arrests have been made.

Tourist Tom Roswell said he saw the gang jump into a little white boat and race off into Lake Malaren, one of the largest in the country.

They are now calling for any witnesses to come forward and help with the search for the perpetrators.

He told the Swedish television channel, SVT: "I have talked to a person at the county administrative board that says that it is not possible to put an economic value on this, these are invaluable objects of national interest".

Strangnas is a small, quiet town with a population of about 13,000.

The cathedral was closed Wednesday, and a grassy area by the jetty was cordoned off as police inspected the ground for clues.

Sweden's crown jewels haven't been worn since the early 20th century and are mainly used just for display purposes these days.

"It's despicable that people would steal from a holy building", he said.A suspected bomber, a soldier, five paramilitary troopers and four civilians, including a mother and her child, were killed and seven people were wounded in the blast, an army spokesman said.

The incident report said a "white van" was detonated at a military checkpoint in Colonia village in Lamitan City.

The blast killed at least one soldier and several militia troops.

A van driven by a foreign-looking suspect was stopped at a military checkpoint early Tuesday, but it later blew up, raising suspicion that it was a case of suicide bombing.

Authorities said the group, which was set up in the 1990s, is thought to be holding a number of hostages which they keep in the jungles of Basilan and Sulu, their stronghold.

The country's south remains under martial law, which Duterte declared past year to deal with a five-month siege by Islamic State group-linked militants in southern Marawi city that left more than 1,200 mostly militants dead, displaced hundreds of thousands of villagers and sparked fears that the Islamic State group was gaining a foothold in Southeast Asia amid its battle defeats in Syria and Iraq. "That's their death wish - the more, the merrier".

In a statement carried by its Amaq news agency, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing attack, which it called "a martyrdom operation".

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque condemned the bombing as a "war crime", calling it "an illegal use of force, even in times of armed conflict".

The blast took place on Basilan, the island stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf group notorious for kidnapping and banditry, which was the home of the former "emir" of Islamic State in Southeast Asia, killed previous year by Philippine troops.

In a progress report, Col. Fernando Reyeg, commander of Joint Task Force Basilan, said the military personnel were killed while inspecting the suspicious vehicle when it exploded.

Duterte also suggested last week that he might be willing to talk to Abu Sayyaf. The militant cell has pledged allegiance to Islamic State and helped plan the capture of the city of Marawi in a bid to create an Islamic caliphate in Southeast.This was a comment of ANC national executive member (NEC) Ronald Lamola who was speaking at the ANC's post-lekgotla media briefing, where the party resolved to go ahead and amend the Constitution to allow for expropriation of land without compensation.

"The ANC will through the parliamentary process finalize the proposed amendment to the constitution that outlines more clearly the conditions under which expropriation of land without compensation can be effected", Ramaphosa, a prominent trade union leader and a close associate of Nelson Mandela, said in a televised address on Tuesday.

South Africa's ruling party has made a decision to complete a proposed amendment to the nation's constitution to make it clearer under what conditions land can be expropriated without compensation.

ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule said the party is convinced South Africans have voiced their opinion that Section 25 of the Constitution must be amended to expropriate land without compensation.

"We support land reform that makes South Africans owners and participants in a growing, thriving economy".

Since white-minority rule ended in 1994, the ANC policy has been "willing-seller, willing-buyer", whereby the government buys white-owned farms for redistribution to blacks.

He said the reform was "of critical importance" to the economy.

In the video, Mr Ramaphosa said that a "proper reading" of the constitution allowed expropriation of land without compensation "in the public interest".

The country's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who took office after Jacob Zuma resigned earlier this year says the ruling African National Congress (ANC) will push to get the move through parliament.

The objective of the amendment is to promote redress, advance economic development, increase agricultural production and food security, the ANC in an emailed statement after after a meeting of its National Executive Committee in Pretoria, the capital. This, the party explained, was because many believed Section 25 in its current form allowed expropriation of land without compensation.

"There is no reason for anyone of us to panic and start beating war drums", he said at the time, noting that nothing should prevent farming activities from continuing as normal. Cilliers said that he expected the rand to test the R13.40 level over the course of the day.

Two-thirds of lawmakers would have to assent to change the constitution.

- Prof Lesiba Tefo, Political analystThe question is have we done that and failed?The U.S. president noted the U.S. trade deficit with Italy, a member of the European Union, and said he was certain "we'll straighten that out pretty quickly".

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are sticking with their strategy of completing full-year funding bills for most agencies before the October 1 start of the next financial year.

"Sanctions on Russian Federation will remain, as-is", Trump said.

Trump - who has pursued a "zero tolerance" policy at the U.S. border, a crackdown that led to hundreds of children being separated from parents who crossed into the country from Mexico without papers - praised Conte's approach on the issue. They're intent on avoiding a shutdown just before voters go to the polls in November. "The president made it very clear to the leadership that a fight was coming and he's done putting it off", the administration official said.

Conte meanwhile spoke of the Italian government's "innovative approach" to "try to resolve the phenomenon of immigration" which he said was "in line with the position of President Trump".

"I would be willing to "shut down" government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!"

He continued, "Border Security is National Security, and National Security is the long-term viability of our Country". The president tweeted Tuesday that he did not care about the "political ramifications", adding that "a Government Shutdown is a very small price to pay for a safe and Prosperous America!"

Mr. Trump is fighting for major policy changes, including eliminating the yearly visa lottery that doles out immigration passes by chance, and curtailing the chain of family migration that allows immigrants to sponsor people outside the nuclear family.

He also wants more than $20 billion to complete his plans for hundreds of miles of new and replacement fencing on the border.

Trump on Tuesday escalated his public threats of a government shutdown, even as he has told aides privately that he won't make any move until after the midterm elections.

But this year numerous bills are moving quickly in both the House and Senate, signaling Congress could at least fund part of the government normally before the deadline - leaving only a few areas in danger of shutting down. "The base of the Republican Party", Limbaugh said.

Trump welcomed the prime minister to the White House for the first time since the Italian leader came to power in June, bringing together two outsider leaders who have emerged from populist waves within their countries.

"We are going to discuss economic aspects, but also social aspects: the need for protection of civil rights; the problem of constitutional process - of issuing and passing laws so as to enable Libya, in particular, to get to democratic elections in a condition of the utmost stability", Conte said."In the interest of the safety of ships and their crews and to avoid the risk of oil spill, Saudi Aramco has temporarily halted all oil shipments through Bab el-Mandeb with immediate effect", it said in a statement.

"The unilateral suspension of our naval operations is for a limited period", the rebels said in a statement released by their defence ministry.

Early Wednesday, al-Houthi tweeted again, saying they have halted naval operations for two weeks.

The Emirati armed forces say Houthi rebels used these Iranian-made anti-tank missiles, seen on June 19, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, in Yemen in battles against the coalition forces led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

An unladen Saudi-owned VLCC crossed the key Bab el-Mandeb strait over the weekend, a few days after the kingdom temporarily halted all its oil shipments through the southern tip of the Red Sea after an attack by Yemeni Houthi militants.

The Houthis' Al Masirah TV had said on Twitter that they had targeted a warship named, the Dammam, off the western coast of Yemen in what the group later said was a missile attack.

Yemeni forces regularly target positions inside Saudi Arabia and fire rockets at the coalition's battleships in retaliatory attacks against the Riyadh-led military operation on Yemen.

An estimated 4.8 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined petroleum products flowed through the Bab al-Mandeb strait in 2016 towards Europe, the United States and Asia, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

While the Houthis have rejected the notion of a unilateral withdrawal from Al-Hudaydah, they have nevertheless voiced their readiness to accept a supervisory role by the United Nations over the seaport.

In the report's words: "The panel believes that Iran might now be willing to play a constructive role in finding a peaceful solution for Yemen, as evident in the country's, ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to broker a cease-fire for the holy month of Ramadan together with some European nations".

One of the coalition's main justifications for intervening in Yemen's war in 2015 was to protect shipping routes such as the Red Sea.

The government, however, has previously said it would not negotiate with the rebel group until the latter surrendered the strategic Red Sea port of Al-Hudaydah. Initial reports of the attacks only mentioned one tanker targeted by the Houthis, but later it became clear that two Very Large Crude Carriers had been targeted, one of which sustained minor damage.

A spokesman for Bahri was not immediately available for comment on Monday.Tommy Robinson's conviction for contempt of court has been overturned after a court ruled that the process leading to the conviction of the former leader of the English Defence League 'was flawed'.

Lord Burnett said a suspended sentence Robinson, also known as Stephen Yaxley Lennon, was given for concept of court relating to a trial at Canterbury Crown Court in May 2017 should stand.

Robinson, 35, was jailed for 13 months in May after he broadcast a live stream on Facebook outside Leeds Crown Court during a trial.

He added: "The appellant is granted bail and the matter of contempt at Leeds Crown Court is remitted to be heard again".

He was jailed for 10 months in May after pleading guilty to contempt of court for a Facebook Live webcast he conducted while a rape trial was taking place at Leeds Crown Court. The two groups exchanged chants, but were separated by police to avoid violence.

He was arrested in late May outside a courthouse in Leeds, England, while making video recordings about a trial related to child molestation.

British law allows judges to impose restrictions on reporting of details around ongoing court cases to prevent jurors from being influenced by material they might come across outside the courtroom.

Robinson was given ten months for contempt of court, which he admitted, and a further three months for...

Pursuing immediate proceedings against Robinson, the judge in the Leeds trial, Geoffrey Marson, "explained that he was conducting the second of three trials involving a total of 28 Asian men", Burnett said. A date for a new hearing has yet to be announced.Fake accounts contacted administrators of five other legitimate Facebook groups to help plan the counterprotest. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Washington: Facebook has removed 32 fake accounts and pages that it says were involved in "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" and political influence campaign to manipulate voters ahead of the November mid-term elections in the US.

Though the world's biggest social media network has not yet attributed the accounts to any group, it says the campaign does bear some resemblance to the propaganda campaign allegedly run by Russia's Internet Research Agency (IRA) in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election.

Facebook has been grappling with continuing public backlash for being slow to recognise Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, along with widespread concerns over its past data-sharing practices.

The company's stock has plunged more than 20 per cent since last week, after it reported slower user growth and rising costs for security and safety programs to crack down on abuse of its platform.

"This kind of behaviour is not allowed on Facebook because we don't want people or organisations creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what they're doing," it said.

Noting that Facebook is still in the very early stages of its investigation and does not have all the facts - including who may be behind this, the company executives warned that they were dealing with increasingly sophisticated political operatives, who are finding new ways to abuse Facebook's platforms.

"We've made it harder for inauthentic actors to operate on Facebook," said Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg.

"Yet we face determined, well-funded adversaries who won't give up and who are constantly changing tactics."

"At this point in our investigation, we do not have enough technical evidence to state definitively who is behind this," said Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy.

However, Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the US Senate Intelligence Committee, issued a statement tying the latest Facebook activity directly to Russia. After its latest discovery, Facebook said it had removed 17 profiles and eight pages, along with seven accounts on Instagram, the Facebook-owned photo-sharing app.

The earliest was created in March of last year, while the most recent was created this May. More than 290,000 accounts followed at least one of the suspect pages, which had names like Aztlan Warriors, Black Elevation, Mindful Being and Resisters, the company said.

The organisers behind the accounts went to great lengths to conceal their identities including using virtual private networks  software that masks the geographic location of computers  and Internet-based phone numbers, company officials said. They also used third parties to publish paid advertisements on Facebook, in violation of the social-media firm's policies banning foreign entities from buying US political ads.

The accounts spent USD 11,000 to run 150 ads on both Facebook and Instagram between April 2017 and June of this year. Facebook previously said roughly 470 fake accounts had spent USD 100,000 on more than 3,500 ads surrounding the 2016 election.

Facebook said it all started two weeks ago when it identified the first of eight pages and 17 profiles. The pages created about 30 events since May 2017. About half had fewer than 100 accounts interested in attending. The largest had approximately 4,700 accounts interested in attending, and 1,400 users said that they would attend, it said.

One fake page called 'Resisters' was involved in co-ordinating a protest in Washington between August 10-12. The 'No Unite the Right 2  DC' event was meant to be a counter-protest to a rally planned by right-wing groups as a follow-up to last year's deadly 'Unite the Right' protests in Charlottesville.

Fake accounts contacted administrators of five other legitimate Facebook groups to help plan the counterprotest, including offering support for transportation and logistics, and posting ads to hire an event co-ordinator.

Facebook said it had disabled the event and was in the process of contacting nearly 2,600 people who had said they were interested in attending.

"These bad actors have been more careful to cover their tracks, in part due to the actions we've taken to prevent abuse over the past year," Facebook said.

For example, they used virtual private networks (VPNs) and internet phone services, and paid third parties to run ads on their behalf.

"We have found evidence of some connections between these accounts and IRA accounts we disabled last year, which is covered below. But there are differences, too. For example, while IP addresses are easy to spoof, the IRA accounts we disabled last year sometimes used Russian IP addresses. We haven't seen those here," it said.

After being caught flat-footed by the IRA's efforts ahead of the 2016 presidential election, Facebook has expanded its security team, hired counterterrorism experts and recruited workers with government security clearances.

Facebook has deployed technology tools like artificial intelligence and thousands of people to work on security as the company's "major focus" this year is to protect the integrity of upcoming elections in several countries, including India, on its platform, its founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg had said earlier.What started out as a hobby during high school, soon turned out to be a full-time profession for this city girl. She has so far acted in several tele-ventures including ones in Telugu and Tamil apart from Kannada, and also has a few movies to her credit. The Bengaluru hudugi who is busy with projects in other languages, makes a comeback to Kannada television with Sarva Mangala Mangalye on Star Suvarna. Actress Aishwarya Pisse speaks to Bengaluru Chronicle about her tele-journey, and much more.

It was my mother who wanted to take up acting as a profession in her younger days, but was unable to realise those dreams. For me, it was just a hobby when I joined the theatre group Vijayanagar Bimba. Initially, it was like any other class a tenth standard girl joins. I started doing roles which soon paved a way for better opportunities. However, I did not accept any until I finished my pre university, says Aishwarya.

It was Kulvadhu, in which she made her television debut and later Punar Vivaha which earned her recognition and immense popularity.

After a couple of supporting roles including the one in Punar Vivaha where I essayed the role of Meghana, the audience started recognising my work. In fact, all my loved ones and fans who adore my work know me as Meghana kulli, she adds.

In between, she even acted in a couple of star-studded movies like Santhu Straight Forward where she portrayed the role of Rocking Star Yashs sister on the silver screen. In Srikanta, she was paired opposite Vijay Raghavendra in the multi-starrer that was helmed by Century Star Shivarajkumar.

Following Girija Kalyana, a Kannada serial produced by Arka Media better known for their Bahubali series, she took up series in Telugu and Tamil serials too.

I recently finished my BBM from Maharani College. I also plan to finish my masters in business management and work at a corporate in the future. Working in other languages was a learning experience. Now, I am back to portray a role which I had been doing in other languages. This particular role is of a girl who stands for justice. She is innocent, and it also has a cute love story attached to it, with a guy who is orthodox that is the twist to tale, she says.

Working around the clock has also meant that she is unable to take up films. As I am working in three different languages, all my dates are booked at present. I havent even taken break for myself (for so long). It is only when shooting is cancelled for a day or two due to technical reasons that I get to relax, the actress reveals. She has also essayed a lead role in the Kannada movie Muttu Mavutha. She plays a village girl in a film that revolves around a mahout who trains elephants.A member of staff attempted to confront the group but was unable to stop the suspect. (Photo: Pixabay)

In a shocking incident of robbery, three thieves managed to steal a shark from a Texas aquarium by removing it from a tank and disguising it as a baby in a pushchair.

Police have now appealed for information about two men and a woman caught on CCTV lifting it from a pool where visitors are allowed to stroke some species of fish.

Footage from the place showed one of the men grabbing the horn shark, Miss Helen, by its tail before wrapping it in a wet blanket and placing it in a bucket in the child's buggy.

A member of staff attempted to confront the group but was unable to stop the suspect.

Several tips from the public allowed police to identify the truck used to steal the animal and two people later confessed.

According to ABC News affiliate KSAT12, police arrested a 38-year-old man.

Local police chief Joseph Salvaggio said his officers at first thought it was a hoax as the US has been celebrating "shark week".

San Antonio Aquarium, from where the 18in-long shark was taken, feared it would be unable to survive.

But Miss Helen was safely recovered and taken back to the aquarium.

According to Salvaggio, the individual had some knowledge on how to deal with these types of animals since when the got into the garage and into the house, it looked like almost a mockup of (the aquarium).The safety and effectiveness of energy-based medical devices to perform these procedures has not been established. (Photo: Pixabay)

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against the use of devices that promise 'vaginal rejuvenation', stating that it can cause serious effects.

As per CNN, FDA in a statement said, "We are aware that certain device manufacturers may be marketing their energy-based medical device for vaginal 'rejuvenation' and/or cosmetic vaginal procedures. The safety and effectiveness of energy-based medical devices to perform these procedures has not been established."

The lasers or radiofrequency waves used by these devices, according to the FDA, can be only used by licensed gynecologists to treat pre-cancerous tissues and genital warts. These have not been approved by FDA to treat vaginal dryness, itching, laxity or sexual dysfunction like decreased sexual sensation or pain during intercourse or urination.

"The treatment of these symptoms or conditions by applying energy-based therapies to the vagina may lead to serious adverse events, including vaginal burns, scarring, pain during sexual intercourse, and recurring/chronic pain," FDA said.

FDA has sent a 30-day-notice to Alma Lasers, BTL Aesthetics, BTL Industries, InMode, Cynosure, ThermiGen and Sciton, for the inappropriate marketing of their devices for 'vaginal rejuvenation' procedures. The administration says if the companies fail to address the issue within the notice period, it will take "potential enforcement actions."

Hologic, Inc., owner of Cynosure, replied to this with an email saying they have "a strong track record of rooting our products in science and clinical evidence so, we take the contents of this letter seriously. We are evaluating the letter in full and will collaborate with the agency to ensure all product communications adhere to regulatory requirements."

Opening up about this issue, a woman who used the "Thermiva" device from ThermiGen to treat her urinary incontinence said, "I was in so much pain... went to my OBGyn and she then informed me that I had bruising and she looked on the FDA website and told me that the product is not approved from FDA. So how can they sell it?"

In another such incident, a woman who used a device by Cynosure called 'Mona Lisa Touch' said, "Two days after the procedure, I developed severe and debilitating bladder/urethral pain."

Meanwhile, FDA requested women to stop using these devices and encouraged them to discuss any of their sexual dysfunction problems and their treatments with their doctors.In the last one week, Maliwal said a total of 73 girls who were trafficked have been rescued from various areas in the national capital, following raids that were conducted by the DCW. (Photo: twitter | @DCWDelhi)

New Delhi: At least 39 Nepali girls were rescued from a hotel in Paharganj by a joint team of the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) and the city police in the early hours on Wednesday, the women's panel said.

According to the Delhi Commission For Women, the anti-trafficking operation started at 1 am and continued till 6 am.

The women panel's chairperson, Swati Maliwal, took to Twitter to provide details about the operation.

"DCW received tip off and rescued 39 Nepali girls from Hotel Hriday Inn, Paharganj. Raid lasted the entire night and assistance was provided by Delhi Police. Entire hotel had only trafficked Nepali girls who were being sent to Gulf countries. Huge trafficking racket busted!" she tweeted.

"Some girls have already been sent to Sri Lanka and we're not able to contact them," Maliwal told news agency ANI.

This was the third such operation since July 25.

With the help of police, the DCW had rescued 16 women, who were allegedly trafficked from Nepal and were about to be taken to Gulf countries, from southwest Delhi's Munirka area on July 25.

On July 30, the Delhi and Varanasi Police had rescued 18 women, including 16 from Nepal, from the clutches of an international prostitution racket in Vasant Vihar.

The DCW chief also requested Home Minister Rajnath Singh to take cognisance of this and chair a meeting in the presence of Delhi Lieutenant Governor and the Commissioner of Police.

"He should also give instructions to the Delhi police to stop all rackets of human trafficking" she added.Jamshedpur Superintendent of Police Anoop Birtharay said in the release that three persons were arrested and sent to judicial custody while a probe is on into the alleged involvement of the two police officers into the crime. (Representational Image)

Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Tuesday ordered a CID probe into the allegations by a minor girl that she was raped by some people, including two police officers, and then blackmailed by them, an official release said in Ranchi.

The direction for the CID probe came during the 'Sidhi Baat' programme of the chief minister when the girl, a resident of Jamshedpur, complained to him that she was raped by the accused who also made a video to blackmail her.

She accused three people along with MGM police station in-charge and a deputy superintendent of police rank officer of rape, the release said.

Jamshedpur Superintendent of Police Anoop Birtharay said in the release that three people were arrested and sent to judicial custody while a probe is on into the alleged involvement of the two police officers into the crime.

Following this, the chief minister assured the girl of justice and ordered the CID probe, it said.Parliamentary results early on Wednesday showed Mr Mnangagwa's Zanu PF party cruising to a big majority after picking up 109 seats against 41 for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The Zimbabwean army refused to allow journalists to treat the man and attempted to arrest them.

After burning tyres in the streets, scores of his supporters attacked riot police near the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) headquarters.

"Election...represents a political watershed in Zimbabwe's history as they may open a new chapter building towards socio-economic recovery and consolidation of democracy", the regional SADC bloc said in a statement.

The country's commission said Thursday could be the day the results are announced and that a majority of the presidential results are at its national centre. Why are the army here beating us? "Shooting us? This is not an election, it is a disgrace on our country".

A spokesman said: "We are seriously meant to wonder that this means". You've got to sift through them and decide whether or not we actually agree with the tally that's been done.

Another AFRIC member Rishabh Sethi from India said: "I want to thank the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for conducting elections in a very successful manner".

Police with shields and batons initially contained the protesters but as the situation turned violent they began chasing people through the streets. The commission said two seats were won by smaller parties and 58 seats had yet to be declared.

Analysts have said it was unclear whether the country's generals, who ousted Mugabe and ushered Mnangagwa into office, would accept a win by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). "More worrying is the delay in announcing the popular vote where Chamisa thumped Mnangagwa", added Chimhutu.

More than five million people were registered to vote, and there was a high turnout of 70%.

It was reported that the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) said this was due to the fact that candidates had to be afforded an opportunity to verify the outcomes and follow certain processes.

The EU mission has criticised the delay in announcing the presidential results.

Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who took control of the MDC after the death of its founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai in February, said on Tuesday that based on his party's own count of unofficial results from more than 90% of the 10 985 polling stations, the MDC was "winning resoundingly" and ready to form the next government.

The EU assessment is critical in determining whether Zimbabwe can fix its image and attract the foreign investors needed for an economic revival.

Mnangagwa's government has accused Chamisa and his supporters of inciting violence by declaring he had won.

Zimbabwe was once one of Africa's most promising economies but became descended into corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation in the latter stages of Mugabe's administration.

The assessments of Western and other observers, many who returned to Zimbabwe after being barred for almost two decades, are crucial in the possible lifting of worldwide sanctions on this southern African nation.The five accused have been remanded to judicial custody and the juveniles were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, said the police. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: A gang of seven persons including two juveniles have been apprehended by the Uppal police for robbing a lorry driver who was travelling from Kaleshwaram to the city at Uppal metro station in June.

According to the Uppal police, a robbery case was booked on June 12, where Sahara Lingaiah, 25, of Nalgonda district, who was transporting sand to the city from Kaleshwaram was attacked by three persons, who stole his mobile phone and some cash from his pockets.

The accused trio told the lorry driver that he had hit their bikes and took the money. They also threatened to lodge a complaint with the police, said the police.

During the probe, the accused persons have been identified as Chanulla Pavan Kumar, 24, Deshetty Venkatesh alias Chintu, 19, Nampally Bhanu Prakash, 23, Katepaga Sai Kumar, 23, and Gundala Hari Shankar, 43, besides two juveniles. All of them were caught on Wednesday morning.

Two bikes (TS 11 EL 6702 and TS 11 EM 5176) and 16 mobile phones have also been recovered from them.

The five accused have been remanded to judicial custody and the juveniles were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, said the police.Hyderabad: Three people, including the leader of one of the four criminal gangs hailing from Gujarat, have been arrested by the Meerpet police on Wednesday. The six-month effort to trace the accused involved in a burglary at Meerpet resulted in the arrest of the accused and puts an end to the rumours of Chaddi gang on the prowl in the state, said the police.

In September 2017, the house of one Aruna, wife of a techie living at Sri Sai Balaji Homes apartment, was looted by the members of Chaddi gang. Since then, the police was untiringly pursuing the case in order to nab the suspects, based on the evidence available with them, including footage of CCTV cameras, fingerprints and previous cases.

While the probe was underway, a member of the Chaddi gang was nabbed in an old case in which the culprits had adopted a similar modus operandi.

The interrogation of the arrested gave the police team some leads. The team, including three inspectors, visited Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Gujarat for about six months. It finally ended up in the arrest of three persons from Sahada village in Gujarat.

The police said that the arrested have been identified as Parmar Kishan Badhiya, Parmar Ravoji Badhiya and Ganava Bharath Singh, who are natives of Sahada village. Kishan leads one of the four gangs that operates in the Telugu states, said the police. Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said on Wednesday that the gang committed a total of 28 offences including eight at Rachakonda, four at Cyberabad, one in Hyderabad and 15 in Andhra Pradesh.

Three members of the gang were earlier arrested in Bowenpally in 2012, Medipally in 2014 and Saroornagar in 2016, but the investigators did not realise that they belonged to the Chaddi gang.

With the arrest of the gang members, we assure the public that they are safe and can claim that no gang can escape arrest after committing offences. The public need not fear anymore about these gangs, said the commissioner.

The police teams recovered 100 gm gold, one kg silver, Rs 3,000 in cash, two bows, five arrows and two axes from the gang members who have been remanded.The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and the BJP have been locked in a bitter war of words amid attempts by the saffron party to make inroads in the TMC stronghold. (Photo: File)

Kolkata: The Kolkata Police on Wednesday granted permission for BJP president Amit Shah's proposed rally here on August 11, police said.

The development came hours after the BJP Yuva Morcha alleged that they are yet to receive any communication from the Kolkata Police regarding permission for Shah's rally.

Earlier Shah also challenged the West Bengal government and said, "It does not matter whether I get permission or not, I will definitely go to Kolkata. If the state government wants, it can arrest me."

The ruling Trinamool Congress took a swipe at the BJP and Shah, claiming that they had become nervous and wished them "happy journey to the land of peace and harmony".

"Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice. It is to clarify that on request, permission for meeting has already been granted," the Kolkata Police said in a tweet.

Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice.

It is to clarify that on request permission for meeting has already been granted.  Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) August 1, 2018

State BJP Yuva Morcha chief Debjit Sarkar said he has been informed by the police that the permission has been given to hold the rally at Mayo Road in the heart of the city.

Sarkar had earlier told PTI that the organisation has submitted a formal application to the police, seeking permission for Shah's rally.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and the BJP have been locked in a bitter war of words amid attempts by the saffron party to make inroads in the TMC stronghold.

The latest flashpoint has been the issues of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

Shah is aiming to win 22 of its 42 Lok Sabha seats in the next elections. It had won two in 2014. The TMC had bagged 34.

"BJP & its national President have become nervous, tense. Their programme for Aug 3 in Kolkata was promptly granted permission. For their Aug 11 program, they only just sent a letter & permission granted" (sic), TMC chief national spokesperson Derek O'Brien said in a statement.

"Happy journey to the land of peace and harmony #Bangla Love Your Neighbour", he said in a tweet.A delegation of six students led by AISA DU President Kawalpreet Kaur, including Prasenjit Kumar, AISA DU VP Abhishek Yadav, Poornima Soni, Vikash Raj and Ayush Pandey met Delhi Chief Minister. (Photo: Kawalpreet Kaur | Facebook)

Mumbai/New Delhi: After protesting for six hours outside the Delhi Chief Ministers residence, Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday finally ordered the Transport Ministry to speed up the process of making the student pass valid in air-conditioned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses.

Directed Transport Minister to expedite the proposal to allow student pass in AC buses also.  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 31, 2018

The six-hour sit-in was organised by left-wing All India Students Association (AISA).

Students from various colleges of the Delhi University joined the protest but later a delegation of six students was allowed to meet the Delhi CM.

Heres the timeline of the protest:

02:00 pm: Students from various colleges gathered and protested outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals residence.

02:30 pm: A delegation of six students led by AISA DU President Kawalpreet Kaur, including Prasenjit Kumar, AISA DU VP Abhishek Yadav, Poornima Soni, Vikash Raj and Ayush Pandey went inside the CMs residence.

The delegation kept requesting to meet CM but they were denied a meeting.

05:00 pm: Delhi police used force to evict the delegations outside the CMs residence.

A police officer kicked Ayush, a student of Hansraj College, who was a part of the delegation.

06:00 pm: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called in to inform that he would be meeting the delegation in an hour.

07:00 pm: Arvind Kejriwal met the students. He said he will ensure that the entire process for the validation of the students bus pass in AC buses will be completed within a month and from September 1, 2018, students can avail the facility.

Vikash Raj, a student of Dyal Singh College said, We are not demanding AC bus pass because we want luxurious travel. Around 70 per cent of DTC buses are AC buses. We are left to travel in the remaining 30 per cent buses. Around 1.5 lakh students study in Delhi University and they get to ride only on the remaining 30 per cent buses with their bus passes. We in fact miss our morning classes waiting for the non-AC buses.

One of the students at the protest, Meghna Mehra said The non-AC buses are so crowded that female students become an easy target of eve-teasing and molestation. The number of buses needs to be increased and our bus passes need to be made valid in AC buses too to ease out the crowd.

In January 2018, when the Delhi government doubled the metro fare, the student body requested to make their bus passes valid in AC buses as the increase of metro fare burnt hole in students pockets. It has been six months since Delhi CM promised but didnt fulfil it. Students had to go again and remind Kejriwal of his promise. CM was forced to set this new September deadline for fulfilling the demand of AC bus pass following the students protest.

AISA, a student representative body have now decided to take their demand of concessional metro passes for students to Hardeep Puri, Housing and Urban Minister on August 3.The move was taken to enable better assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of a school, which in turn will help the authorities to devise ways to improve educational standards. (Representational Image)

Bastar: A few government schools in Chhattisgarh's Bastar have complained that the tablets given to them by the government to track the attendance of teachers and students online show obscene photographs on the screen when the devices are started.

"Since last few days, we had received complaints from different schools regarding the malfunction of the tablets given to them by the government. While checking it was found that tablets show obscene photographs whenever somebody tries to log in. Similar incidents have happened in other schools also in the state. We are working on this and the problem will be rectified soon. Till then, we have asked the schools to work offline," Garun Mishra, Cluster Resource Coordinator, told ANI.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development had earlier distributed tablets in schools across Chhattisgarh to help teachers to record routine details.

The move was taken to enable better assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of a school, which in turn will help the authorities to devise ways to improve educational standards.A toxic gas leaked from a pesticide factory of Union Carbide in Bhopal on the night of December 2-3, 1984 killed about 3,000 people immediately. (Photo: File)

Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday quashed a lower court order to register a case against two former officers for allegedly helping Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson escape India after the Bhopal gas tragedy.

The order by Justice S K Palo came on petitions filed by the then Bhopal superintendent of police Swaraj Puri and then collector Moti Singh, their lawyer A P Singh said.

Anderson, the main accused in the deadly 1984 gas leak case, had obtained bail from a court, and the bail conditions did not state that he was not to leave the country, advocate Singh contended before the judge.

Puri and Singh took him to the airport safely as part of their duty and thus committed no crime, the lawyer said.

The high court noted that the CJM court took cognisance of the petition seeking to make Puri and Singh accused 26 years after the incident, and quashed the lower court's order, he added.

The plea before the lower court was filed in 2010.

Activist Abdul Jabbar had filed a petition in the CJM court, demanding criminal action against the two former officers for allegedly helping Anderson escape from India.

Anderson, the prime accused in the gas leak case, never returned to face trial. He died in the US in 2013.

On November 19, 2016, the CJM ordered registration of a case against Moti Singh and Swaraj Puri under IPC sections 212 (harbouring offender) and 217 (public servant disobeying the direction of law with intent to save a person from punishment).

A toxic gas leaked from a pesticide factory of Union Carbide in Bhopal on the night of December 2-3, 1984 killed about 3,000 people immediately. Besides, thousands of others suffered adverse health effects.Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik shot off letters to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as well as Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of the Patna High Court Rajendra Menon in this regard. (Photo: File)

Patna: Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik shot off letters to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday, terming the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur as "heart-rending" and suggested measures for preventing recurrence of such incidents in the future.

According to highly-placed sources, the governor has called for trial of cases relating to harassment of girls, boys and women living in such state-funded homes by fast track courts.

Malik has also written to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of the Patna High Court Rajendra Menon in this regard.

The governor has, however, praised the state government for its quick action in the Muzaffarpur incident and its decision to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the sources said.

The case relates to mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls residing at Balika Grih, Muzaffarpur.

In his second letter to the chief minister, Malik has called for an immediate and intensive probe into reports of mismanagement of other such short stay homes that have appeared in the media off late and a mechanism for their continued monitoring, they said.

Malik has also stressed the need for developing an institutional mechanism which ensures that social audit, by competent institutions, of these shelter homes takes place on a permanent basis, the sources said.

He has also called for implementation of recommendations of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai in this regard, they said.

The governor has asked the chief minister, whom he called an "efficient administrator" and a popular leader known for taking initiative in such matters, to invite suggestions from the intelligentsia, the sources added.

The matter had come to light earlier this year when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by TISS.

The audit report stated that many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. A special investigation team was formed to probe the complaints.

The NGO running the shelter home in Muzaffarpur was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani.The car reportedly belongs to the owner of Raththinam College in Coimbatore. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

Mumbai: Six people were killed and at least one was injured after a speeding car went out of control and hit people waiting at a bus stop before ramming into an autorickshaw parked on a side of a road in Sundarpuram near Tamil Nadus Coimbatore.

According to reports, the driver of a white Audi that was coming from Pollachi to Coimbatore lost control near Periyar bus stop at 9:30 am on Wednesday leading to the accident.

The victims have been identified as Somu (55), Suresh (43), Amsaveni (30), Subhashini (20), Srirangadas (75) and Kuppammal (60), a report in The News Minute said.

Those injured were rushed to a nearby hospital.

The Tamil Nadu police is investigating the incident.

Meanwhile, the driver has been arrested by the police, news agency ANI reported.

This is an unfortunate incident. The police has taken blood sample of the driver to check if he was drunk when he was driving, Coimbatore District Collector Hariharan was quoted by TNM as saying.

The car reportedly belongs to the owner of Raththinam College in Coimbatore.Hubballi: The dharna by seers and members of various organisations in front of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi ended in high drama with several activists displaying the North Karnataka flag despite stiff opposition. While the seers said they were not for statehood but wanted development of the region, the activists were all for a North Karnataka state. The police detained several activists and released them later after taking the flag into their possession. BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa also expressed his annoyance over the display of the flag when he visited the venue to persuade the protesters to withdraw their strike.

Fifty seers were unequivocal in their stand that they will not support the demand for North Karnataka state and urged the government to take up up overall development of the region which has been neglected for decades. Expressing support for their protest, Yeddyurappa assured them that the BJP will fight for their cause both in the Legislature session as well as outside. Asserting that his party is against dividing the state, he said he will not support the bandh call given by a few organisations in 13 districts of North Karnataka on August 2. Finally, the seers postponed their dharna by submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner and urging the government to shift offices of various departments to Suvarna Vidhana Soudha with immediate effect.

The protesters said that the special package of Rs 15,000 crore has not been released for five years to the region as recommended by Dr D.M. Nanjundappa Committee. They sought adequate funds for Upper Krishna Project, development of tourist and spiritual destinations, setting up of major industries including those in the IT, BT sector and measures for early settlement of dues of sugarcane growers by factories. They urged the government to turn Suvarna Vidhana Soudha into a power house by shifting secretary level offices to the building.

People from south Karnataka have not extended their support to the agitations for early implementation of various projects including Kalasa Banduri. All governments are responsible for neglect of the region. Therefore, the government will face consequences if it continues to provide step-motherly treatment, Chandrashekar Shivacharya Swamiji of Hukkeri Hiremath said. Siddarama Swamiji of Naganur Rudrakshi Matha, Panchalinga Swamiji of Nidasoshi Matha, Gurusiddeshwar Swamiji of Karanjimatha took part in the dharna.Bengaluru: South Koreas Consul General for South India Hyung Tae Kim has expressed hope that the two countries would emerge as ideal partners in near future as leaders of both the countries have shown keenness in strengthening bilateral relations.

Addressing delegates of the two-day Indo-Korean Utsav organised at Christ (Deemed-to-be-university), Kim said that Koreas New Southern Policy and Act East Policy read along with both countries agreeing to work towards fostering a future-oriented partnership for people, prosperity and peace is a positive development.

The tie, at present, has been made stronger with South Korean President Moon Jae-in visiting India to further discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their shared vision for the prosperity and peace of both the countries is a pragmatic development, he said.

He remarked it was heartening to see that every fifth car running on Indian roads is of a Korean company. Highlighting similarities with south Indians he said both South Koreans and South Indians consume rice as staple food, respect elders, and cherish family relationships, also giving importance to education.

The Utsav was held as part of the ongoing Golden Jubilee celebrations of the institution. An international seminar on India- East Asia Relations: A South Korean Perspective organised by the Department of International Studies & History and Innovation Centre of the varsity was held along with the event.

Experts and scholars from various disciplines presented research work and their insights into India-East Asia economic relations, politico-security relationship and technology as a factor in foreign relations, among the major topics.

One among them, Dr. Paul C. Hong, professor at University of Toledo, USA spoke on Prospects of Koreas Re-Unification: Implications for India during the inaugural ceremony held on Monday.

Woo Seop Song, President of Korean Association in Bengaluru was also present for the event which also staged various Indo  Korean cultural programmes and exhibitions put up by the students.

We were delighted to see the Consul General receiving the abstracts of the seminar held at the event promising us to take a look into matters presented at the event. The collective efforts of the students in organising the event at such a large scale and trying to learn maximum from the experts is also something commendable, said Dr Madhumati Deshpande, Co-ordinator for Department of International Studies and History, Christ.We further urge the Defense Forces of Zimbabwe to use restraint in dispersing protestors.

Mnangagwa also took to Twitter, calling for calm and urging patience before the results were announced.

European Union poll monitors have expressed concern over the length of time it is taking to declare the presidential result.

Zimbabwe's ruling party has won a majority of seats in Parliament, the electoral commission announced Wednesday, as the country braced for the first official results of the presidential election.

When Mugabe resigned last November, bowing to pressure from his former ally Mnangagwa and the military, observers both at home and overseas heralded Monday's general elections - which will decide presidential, parliamentary and local seats - as an opportunity for a clean slate.

It's understood a journalist has also been injured. Full results from the elections - presidential, parliamentary and local - are due by Saturday.

The turmoil started soon after opposition leader Nelson Chamisa claimed he had won the popular vote.

In a tweet early Wednesday, Mr. Chamisa said that the electoral commission was delaying the release of the vote's outcome "to buy time & reverse the people's presidential election victory".

News agency AFP reported several beatings at the hands of soldiers as shots were fired on the protesters, with an AFP photographer confirming a man had died after bullets hit him in the stomach.

President Mnangagwa had said Zimbabwe was committed to a peaceful election and on Monday when he casted his vote at Sherwood Primary School he thanked people for observing peace.

Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the army had been called in to ensure "peace and tranquillity".

The EU's assessment is critical in determining whether Zimbabwe can fix its image and attract the foreign investors needed for an economic revival. Final results must be released by August 4. He accused the commission of releasing the parliamentary results first to prepare Zimbabweans for a Mnangagwa victory.

"We however encourage al students and youth to go and vote, but when the clarion call of defense has been raised, lets all do so in the interests of nation building and self cleansing from despotism", said Bassopo.

"The longer it lasts that the results of the presidential election is not known, the more lack of credibility it provides", Brok said.

The ruling ZANU-PF won 109 seats while the main opposition MDC party had 41 in the country's 210-seat House of Assembly.

"What they have done is intimidate people in the rural areas saying, "we will kill you if you vote MDC" and so on and then the worldwide observers say this election was free and fair".

Zimbabwe was once one of Africa's most promising economies but became descended into corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation in the latter stages of Mugabe's administration.

More than 5.5 million people were registered to vote in an election featuring a record number of more than 20 presidential candidates and almost 130 political parties vying for parliamentary seats.The goats owner named Aslu approached the police and accused eight people of stealing and raping his goat. (Photo: ANI/File)

New Delhi: Haryana police on Tuesday said that a major manhunt was underway for eight men accused of having sex with a pregnant goat that later died.

The suspects face prosecution under the colonial era Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that outlaws "intercourse against the order of nature" -- the same provision that also criminalises gay sex.

Police raids were being conducted in the Mewat region of Haryana state, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Delhi, to look for the men.

"We have identified three of the eight accused and the police teams are out on raids to arrest them as soon as possible," police official Naazneen Bhasin told AFP.

Also Read: Pregnant goat gangraped by 8 men in Haryana village, animal dies from abuse

The case was launched after the owner of the goat saw three men sexually assaulting the animal late at night last week.

"He initially raised the alarm fearing goat thieves but was shocked at what he saw," local police inspector Vipin, who only goes by one name, told AFP.

The goat died after the alleged incident. A vet has taken samples for forensic analysis. The accused are also wanted under the animal cruelty act.The major demand of the protestors include Maratha reservation, all cases against protestors to be withdrawn, strict action to be taken officers for firing and lathi charge during the July 25 protest. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: The Maratha outfits today blocked Pune-Solapur highway after deciding to intensify their protests from Wednesday

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said his governments promise to grant reservation to the Maratha community and denied all the allegations against the BJP-led administration of delaying the process.

On Tuesday, the Maratha group had announced Jail Bharo Andolan from Wednesday at Mumbais Azad Maidan.

The major demand of the protestors include Maratha reservation, all cases against protestors to be withdrawn, strict action to be taken officers for firing and lathi charge during the July 25 protest. They have also demanded the resignation or sacking of ministers and MLAs who gave statements against the community, complete loan waiver, solution to unemployment for their community.

Their new demand includes compensation for the people who were injured and killed during the July 25 violent protest.

Mumbai police claimed that they have ample security arrangements to tackle todays agitation, and to maintain law and order. Police has issued an alert in other parts of the states as well for any sudden violence or protest.

According to a report, Maharashtra CM said, Some people have suggested that we issue an ordinance for reservation. We can do that, but such an ordinance will not last even a single day in the courts. Our government is working towards a reservation that can withstand legal scrutiny and get implemented. For that, we have to follow a specific legal procedure as laid down by the apex court in its 1992 order.

According to 1992 Supreme Court order, if reservation quota is to be hiked over 50 per cent, extraordinary circumstances and evidence of social backwardness of the community must be shown by appointing a backward class commission.

If we look at reservations only from an emotive angle, then we will succeed only in fanning anger in the community. But, if we have to ensure reservation to the community, then we must understand its legal aspects. Our stance is that reservation must sustain and be legally sound, Fadnavis added.

Fadnavis ensured that his government has set up a commission to ensure the reservation is granted to Marathas.

Shantaram Kunjir, one of the coordinators of Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) said the protestors will meet their respective legislators and MPs with their demands and request them to raise the issue. The community members will stage a sit-in outside lawmakers house and would go on for eight days.

Another coordinator representing MKM, Sanjeev Bhor said that they have been getting assurance from the governments but have never been implemented. The government wants them to withdraw the protest but he questioned the governments intent. The violence during the previous agitation is the result of the mishandling of unrest by the government.

Apart from todays agitation, on August 9, a Maratha Kranti Janandolan will take place in which protesters will take to the streets with their cattle and farming devices. The community also announced about a non-cooperation movement in which Marathas have been asked not to pay any utility bills and taxes from August 9.

So far, five people have reportedly taken their lives demanding reservations for Marathas, while one, who also attempted suicide, is being treated at a local hospital.The opposition party took a serious view of the matter and suspended two persons following the incident. (Photo: Twitter screengrab)

Chennai: Police are on the lookout for a DMK worker in connection with an alleged assault on the employees of a restaurant here after it declined to serve him food since it had closed for the day.

The opposition party took a serious view of the matter and suspended two persons following the incident, even as DMK working president MK Stalin warned such kind of indiscipline will not be tolerated.

A video of the incident that happened on Sunday night went viral on social media on Wednesday, where a couple of persons are seen thrashing the employees of the restaurant after talking to them for a while.

A senior police official said the accused Yuvaraj was a DMK member and that a case has been registered against him and some of his accomplices in connection with the assault. The incident happened at Virugambakkam.

They are absconding, the official added.

According to the hotel staff, the group demanded that they be served food but were told that the restaurant had closed for the day. Following this, they got angry and suddenly started assaulting some staff members, the employees said.

Meanwhile, DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan announced the 'suspension' of Yuvaraj and another person, Divakar, for "violating the party discipline and "bringing disrepute" to it.

They were being suspended from the party's primary membership, he said in a statement. Stalin took exception to the incident involving his partymen, saying it was "strongly condemnable."

"Strong action will be taken against anyone bringing disrepute to the party," he said in a tweet.The Supreme Court said If the doctors are also included in the offences under the POCSO Act, knowingly or unknowingly, it would set a wrong precedent. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday orally observed that instances of some priests in Kerala being involved in rape cases are shocking. It is disturbing that cases of rape and sexual assault come from churches in Kerala recently, the court said.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan made these observations during the hearing of a case involving rape of a minor in a church by a Father in Kotiyoor in Malabar district of Kerala in 2016. The minor girl gave birth to a child in 2017 and immediately the child was handed over to a foundling home.

As a lawyer, I have seen these cases of teenage pregnancies, Justice Sikri added.

The Kerala police registered a case against the Father, doctors who did the surgery of the minor girl and the administrators of the foundling home. The Father is in custody and the case is on trial in a lower court in Kerala.

The state of Kerala through senior counsel K N Balagopal and Vipin Nair argued that the accused number 3, Gynaecologist (Dr Sr Tessy Jose), accused number 4 Paediatrician (Hyder Ali) and accused number 5 administrator (Ancy Mathew) were also directly involved in the trafficking of the infant because they knew from the beginning that Father Robin (accused number 1) has raped the victim when she was a minor and hence after the infant was born, the hospital wanted to cover it up for the accused number 1.

It was also argued that as per the charge sheet, the aforesaid accused had this knowledge, as there were telephonic conversations between the doctors and the other accused persons. It was also asserted that the doctors had directed the victims mother not to reveal the details of the offence to anyone.

Senior counsel R Basant, who appeared for the two doctors and the administrator sought for the discharge of the three accused from the trial under the POCSO Act. He argued that these three accused had no direct link with the offence and that they should be discharged.

Agreeing with Basant, the bench observed that there is no direct link or chain of events that could be directed towards the doctors to be prosecuted within the provisions of section 19 of the POCSO Act.

The court said it was also considering the larger issue. If the doctors are also included in the offences under the POCSO Act, knowingly or unknowingly, it would set a wrong precedent and could create a situation where they dont provide timely medical assistance. Therefore, the bench said it could not find a prima facie evidence, which would seriously raise doubt over the conduct of accused number 3, 4 and 5 as far as POCSO is concerned and dropped the proceedings against them.

The court however refused to discharge the two other accused Father Thomas Therakan A9 (Chairman, Child Welfare Committee) and Sister Betty Jose A10 (Member) after the state pointed out that they had knowledge that the baby was kept in the Foundling Home and had not taken any steps to surrender the child under the Juvenile Justice Act and also permitted the accused number 8 to illegally keep the child away from his mother from February 7, 2017, to February 19, 2017.

Kerala said when the news regarding the offence by accused number 1 was out the accused number 9 and 10 prepared the surrender deed. Thereby they committed the offence punishable under sections 201, 120 B, 166 A, 118, 119 r/w section 34 of the IPC, section 19(1) r/w section 21(1), section 16 r/w section 17 of POCSO Act and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

The court observed that there exists a serious doubt on the conduct of the accused number 9 and 10 because the facts also complimented the charges against these accused.

The court dismissed their appeal.Rajya Sabha speaker M Venkaiah Naidu said, 'I was very upset yesterday when some members ran menacingly towards the well of the House. I hope it will not be repeated. I don't want to name anybody, House should function smoothly.' (Photo: PTI | File)

New Delhi: It was a no business day in the Rajya Sabha again on Wednesday as the protests by Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other opposition parties continued for the second day over National Register of Citizen in Assam forcing the Speaker to adjourn the house.

As soon as parliament was convened on Wednesday, Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu urged members to let the House function smoothly.

His appeal came following Tuesdays disruptions that led to adjournment of the House for the day when the Congress MPs walked up to the well in protest.

Venkaiah Naidu said, "I was very upset yesterday when some members ran menacingly towards the well of the House. I hope it will not be repeated. I don't want to name anybody, House should function smoothly."

On Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, in his speech during the discussion on the Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft list, dragged former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's name in connection to the Assam Accord. No sooner did he mention the name, the Congress MPs walked up to the well of the House in protest causing a din.

Amit Shah had said, "Rajiv Gandhi signed the Assam Accord in 1985, which was similar to NRC. They did not have courage to implement it, we did."

Read: Uproar in RS after Amit Shah says Cong didn't have courage to implement NRC

Today, there was once again uproar in the upper house today when Naidu asked Shah to conclude his statement from Tuesday on the issue. The House had to be adjourned till noon.

The Opposition has been all out to attack the ruling party following the release of the second and the final NRC draft list. The first draft was published on December 31, 2017, and names of 1.9 crore of the 3.29 crore applicants were incorporated.

The final list, released on Monday, left out nearly 40 lakh people, incorporating names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants.

Also Read: 40 lakh left out of draft list of NRC in Assam, no threat of deportation

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had said, "There are reports pouring in from all corners of Assam of Indian citizens finding their names missing in the draft NRC, creating massive insecurity in the state. Clearly, after spending close to Rs 1,200 crore, the execution of this critical and highly sensitive exercise has been tardy. The government must move swiftly to resolve this crisis."

However, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has already given a statement urging political parties not to politicise such a sensitive issue.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, the Home Minister had said, "I want to ask the Opposition, what is the Centre's role in this? It is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Such sensitive issues should not be politicised.The court placed several conditions on Shashi Tharoor while noting that there was nothing on record to suggest that he may flee justice. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday allowed Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, accused in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death in a luxury hotel, to travel abroad.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal allowed Tharoor's application seeking permission for eight visits to five countries, including the US, Canada and Germany, till December.

The court placed several conditions on Tharoor while noting that there was nothing on record to suggest that he may flee justice.

"He (Tharoor) has cooperated with the investigation. He had appeared before court on the first date in pursuance of the summons issued to him. There is nothing on record to presume that he may flee justice," it said.

The court directed the Congress MP to furnish a fixed deposit of Rs 2 lakh, which will be refunded after his return. It asked him to inform the investigating officer and the court about the travel details and his arrival in the country.

The court also directed him not to tamper with the evidence or influence the witnesses.

While opposing Tharoor's plea, moved through advocate Gaurav Gupta, police said it wanted to check the veracity of the invitations received by the politician and that he should have applied separately for permission for every visit.

Gupta, however, said his client was ready to file certificates to authenticate the computer printouts of the invitations. He added that separate applications will consume more time of the court as well the prosecuting agency and will hamper the speed of the trial.

The court had earlier granted exemption to Tharoor from personal appearance for a day after he said that he was unable to come to court since Parliament was in session. Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014.

The couple was staying in the hotel, as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time.

The court also directed the Delhi Police to hand over various documents filed along with the charge sheet, including statements of witnesses, to Tharoor on a plea moved by him.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP was granted regular bail on July 7.

The court had on June 5 summoned Tharoor, observing there was sufficient ground to proceed against him. Tharoor has been charged under sections 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but has not been arrested in the case.A final draft of a list of citizens in Assam was released on Monday, leaving some 4 million people on edge to prove their Indian nationality. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: With political parties disrupting parliament and Opposition blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the Centre over the fiasco surrounding the Assam National Register of Citizen or NRC draft list, the Chief Election Commissioner of India today assured that those left out of it need not worry for now.

Talking to NDTV, Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said people who have been left out can vote if their name is on the electoral rolls.

The new list NRC excluded 4 million people from Assam in a drive against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The ruling BJP has been accused of targeting these people for vote bank politics.

Those left out of the Assam citizen's list can vote if their names are in the voter's list. The Election Commission will publish a voter list in January and will not wait for the final NRC," CEC OP Rawat told NDTV.

Political blame games have begun soon after the list was released on Monday. With the Assam NRC draft list, opposition has got more teeth to hit out at the Centre ahead of a number of state polls and 2019 general elections.

Condemning the statement of the West Bengal Chief Minister, Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora said Mamata Banerjee as the CM should not provoke for a civil war. It will have no impact on Assam as it is absolutely peaceful there, Bora added.

Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday warned against "civil war and bloodbath" surrounding the draft list.

Also Read: Mamata Banerjee faces FIR for saying NRC will lead to civil war, bloodbath

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also condemned Mamata Banerjee's statement and said, "It is the duty of the CM to maintain law and order in the state and not incite violence. Her remark on civil war is condemnable."Dr R Chidambaram DAE-Homi Bhabha Professor, Bhabha Atomic Reaearch Center, Mumbai, gives away certificates to students during the graduation day of the College of Engineering Guindy, Madras Institute of Technology, on Wednesday. Vice-Chancellor of Anna University Professor M. K. Surappa is also seen. (Photo: DC)

Chennai: To avert the major floods like in 2015, Chennai will soon have an artificial intelligence (AI) system for flood forecasting and management in urban areas, R. Chidambaram, former Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India, said. According to him, this should help the city avert major floods like the one of 2015.

Speaking at the 14th graduation day of Anna Universitys four departments here on Wednesday he said, The expert system has features for flood forecasting along with flood inundation maps and possible means of managing it through appropriate interventions to deal with any future events.

Prestigious institutions like Isro, IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, IISc Bangalore, Anna University and ministry of earth sciences are involved in the project funded by the principal scientific advisors office.

The design of the system involves the coupling of regional weather forecast model, tidal flood model, urban overland flow model and storm water drainage model, each handling enormous amount of data, he explained.

The real-time operational system will be set up at The Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management with coordination from Tamil Nadu government. It is expected to be put in place very soon.

After completion of this project, similar expert systems can be taken up in other urban areas like Mumbai. Such expert systems with machine learning capabilities, can be considered an AI system, Chidambaram said.

Anna University Vice-Chancellor M.K. Surappa, Registrar S.Ganesan and others participated in the event.

In all 4,127 students from four campuses  College of Engineering, Guindy, Madras Institute of Technology, Chrompet, Alagappa College of Technology and School of Architecture and Planning  received their degree certificates at the event.Coimbatore: As many as six persons, including a college student, were killed and four others suffered injuries in a road mishap near Sundarapuram on the suburbs of Coimbatore on Wednesday morning. Police said the accident took place at around 9.55 am when a speeding Audi car heading towards city went out of control and knocked down people waiting at Iyer hospital bus stop near Periyar statue on Pollachi-Coimbatore road.

The car also rammed into a nearby auto stand, damaging an auto and stopped after hitting an electrical post, killing four women and two men on the spot. They were identified as Amsaveni, 35, of Sundrapuram selling flowers at a roadside petty shop, Subashini, 18, of Sundarapuram studying second year B.Sc-IT in a private college near Peelamedu and waiting at the bus stop, Kuppathal, 70, Rukmani. 65, Sri Rangadas, 65, and Narayanan, 70 of the Kurichi area.

Jagadhesan, 35, working as a driver for the chairman of a private educational institution near Echanari was driving the car. People on the spot thrashed him badly. Police rescued him and sent him to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for his minor injuries.

Somasundaram, 65, of Kurichi and Jagadesan, 35, of Coonoor were admitted to CMCH and Suresh, 30, of Kurichi and Natarajan, 65, of Sundarapuram were admitted to a nearby private hospital.

Police sources said that the driver was made to undergo a test at CMCH and confirmed that he was not drunk during the incident. He had driven the car all the way from Bengaluru to Coimbatore after dropping the chairman's daughter there on Tuesday evening. Without rest he was deployed on duty on Wednesday morning too. Police suspect that his drowsiness made him to lose concentration. A complaint has been lodged and further investigations are on.Chennai: In a shocking incident, a group of inebriated DMK men attacked employees of a restaurant in Virugambakkam after they told them they were closed for the day. The police arrested a person in connection with the attack.

According to police, the incident happened on July 29 and the action has been taken after the CCTV footage of the attack went viral on Wednesday and Virugambakkam police arrested Rudrakumar.

However main accused K.L. Yuvaraj, a DMK functionary, who is seen punching the hotel staff in their faces several times injuring them severely, was in RSS and Tamil Manila Congress earlier. Soon after the incident came to light on Wednesday, DMK working president M.K. Stalin suspended Yuvaraj and another party member Diwakar for attacking the hotel staff and cautioned the cadre of stern action on Twitter if their actions bring disrepute to the party.

The police said that the incident happened at Salem RR Biriyani restaurant on Kamarajar Salai in Virugambakkam. "A group of men led by Yuvaraj entered the restaurant and demanded food for about 30 party members who have camped outside the Kauvery hospital, where DMK leader M. Karunanidhi has been admitted. When the manager Prakash told them that they were closed for the day, Yuvaraj got into an argument with him and started attacking him," the police said.

He was soon joined by his other men who were waiting at the doorstep and a few other waiters of the restaurant were also attacked. Anbu, the owner of the biriyani shop, has told police that Yuvaraj has the previous enmity with him after an argument over parking his vehicle in front of the shop.

DMK suspends biriyani boxer for attacking staff

Upset at not getting biriyani at a hotel, a burly DMK functionary along with his musclemen brutally beat up the staff of a biriyani hotel at Virugambakkam here on Sunday. With the CCTV visuals of the rowdyism going viral and lapped up by the TV channels, DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan suspended the gang leader, Yuvraj, said to be the secretary of the party's thondar-ani (volunteers' wing), as well as one of his associates named Dhivakar, from the primary membership as both "behaved in a manner that is not in line with the party discipline and brought disrepute to the party".

DMK working president M.K.Stalin tweeted his deep anger at the party members' unruly conduct. "The attack on the shop staff in Virugambakkam is highly condemnable. We have removed the men who violated the principles of our party. Strict action will be taken against those who act in a manner that brings disrepute to the party", he tweeted.

While the DMK's action in merely suspending the two men from the party and not sacking them outright received much flak on the social media, party leaders took pains to explain to the media that the DMK constitution does not allow expulsion from the party right away without first giving the delinquent a notice seeking explanation and slapping suspension on the person awaiting his reply.

Yuvraj and his gang members bashed up the hotel staff when the latter told them that the hotel had run out biriyani and they were about to down the shutters.

"They seemed drunk. We pleaded that our stock of biriyani got over and there was no more food available. They started punching us, causing bleeding injuries as they were wearing metal bangles. Some of the staff needed stitches", said a hotel staff still not recovered from the brutal attack.

CCTV footage showed Yuvraj jumping up and down like a boxer to deliver his fast punches at the hapless hotel cashier and his staff. The other members of the rowdy gang joined their leader in delivering their own share of hard blows at the quivering workers in the eatery. The gang pulled down the hotel shutter after the attack and walked away. Police arrested one of them much later, while the rest of the gang, including Yuvraj, remained untraceable.Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Hangzhou authorities recently issued the Hangzhou Regulations on Intelligent and Connected Vehicles Road Testing (Trial) (hereinafter referred to as the Hangzhou Regulations), which will officially come into effect on August 20. The road sections to be used for ICV tests will be open to the public in the near future, according to local media.

To execute the Hangzhou Regulations, local government plans to set up an expert panel and authorize a third party institute to evaluate test applications, examine tested vehicles and issue the road testing number plates.

The Hangzhou Regulations require that the applicant should be an independent legal entity registered in China, such as complete vehicle maker, refitted vehicle manufacturing firm, Internet company, scientific research institution, college, transportation company. Meanwhile, the test applicant should have certain capabilities relating to autonomous driving, such as vehicle and technology R&D, manufacturing of vehicles and components, operation of autonomous driving businesses.

Similar to the regulations released by other Chinese cities, the Hangzhou Regulations also specify strict requirements on test drivers who will handle emergencies in case of malfunction. For instance, a test driver should have no record of accumulating 12 demerit points within the latest three consecutive point periods prior to the vehicle test and no record of drunken driving.

Besides, the Regulations require the test driver to have more than 50 hours of self-driving operation experience. Meanwhile, test drivers should be liable for any traffic law violation and traffic accidents caused.King Mohammed VI has sacked Minister of Economy and Finance Mohammed Boussaid.

In accordance with the provisions of Article 47 of the Constitution, King Mohammed VI, after consulting the Head of Government, has decided to dismiss Mr. Mohammed Boussaid, as Minister of Economy and Finance, a statement from the Royal Office said Wednesday.

The royal decision comes in application of the principle of accountability that the Monarch is so keen to apply to all officials regardless of their rank or their membership, said the statement.

In several of his speeches, particularly in 2017, King Mohammed VI had voiced sharp criticism against officials who do not perform their professional or national duties properly, warning that the situation commands greater firmness in order to put an end to complacency and to disregard for citizens.

In his State of the Nation speech of July 2017, the Monarch had actually said: To all those concerned I say: Enough is enough! Fear God in what you are perpetrating against your homeland. Either discharge your obligations fully or withdraw from public life. There are plenty of honest men and women in Morocco.

This situation can no longer be tolerated because the homelands interests and those of the citizens are at stake. I am choosing my words carefully here, and I know what I am saying because it comes after deep reflection, warned the King.

Less than three months later, on October 13, opening the Fall session of the Parliament, King Mohammed VI said as the guarantor and custodian of the rule of law, and the first person to respect it, I have never hesitated to hold to account anyone who has patently underperformed while carrying out his or her professional or national duties.

The Sovereign had then stressed the need for a continuous monitoring of the progress made in the implementation of social and development programs and for a systematic, impartial assessment of the phases carried out.

As members of Parliament, public servants and elected officials, You are accountable before God, the people and the King for the situation prevailing in the country, he had said.

And the King was not just walking the talk. As he warned all government and public officials that the impunity era was bygone and in compliance with the constitutional accountability principle, about ten days after his speech before the Parliament, King Mohammed VI sacked four ministers and several other senior officials following delays in development programs in the countrys northern region.

The Minister of Education and former minister of the Interior Mohamed Hassad, the Minister of Health Hussein El Ouardi and the Minister of Housing Nabil Benabdallah, as well as a secretary of State of professional training were fired after the King received a report by the accounting office on Al Hoceima: Manarat Al Moutawassit project.

The sacking of the Finance Minister Mohammed Boussaid Mohammed Boussaid, who is member of the RNI party, led by Aziz Akhannounch, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, evidences that there is no turning back on the strict application of the accountability principle.Hyderabad: Two children who had a staple pin and a piece of metal wire embedded in their teeth were brought to a private medical college in the city for medical attention.

The cases have been recorded in the International Journal of Applied Basic Medical Research.

Senior dentist Dr Jawla Chaitanya explained, Such instances of foreign objects like pencil lead, darning needles, metal screws, beads, staple pins and toothpicks being stuck inside or half broken inside are sometimes found in permanent teeth. In primary teeth or milk teeth, these are rare. Children have primary teeth from the age group of six months to 13 years and to have such objects stuck in those set of teeth can lead to complications.

The cases included an eight-year-old child who had a metal wire measuring 7 mm and four non-metallic objects measuring 5 mm in the milk teeth. The removed portion of the wire was corroded and also covered with food and bacterial growth. The child had been complaining of pain for six months but only when the pain became unbearable did the parents take the child to a hospital.

In another case, a seven-year-old child had been complaining of pain in the upper left tooth which was treated with medicines. When the pain subsided there was no follow-up. But after five months, the child developed a habit of inserting objects in the open chamber of the tooth where the milk teeth had fallen out. This led to a lot of pain and swelling in the upper cavity of the mouth. The child was diagnosed by a dentist and there was a small black patch in the open chamber. The doctors operated and removed a staple pin measuring 5.5 mm covered with food particles. The gums in the upper cavity were swollen. The parents were not aware of how the pin found its way into the childs mouth.

A professor at Government Dental College and Hospital, Dr Jagdeesh S explained, Cases of foreign objects being stuck in teeth are 3 per cent in India. In a lot of cases, people come to the hospital immediately if it cannot be removed at home. There is a delay only in those cases where the person is dependent on others like a child or there is no proper diagnosis.Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday pulled up the authorities of the Telangana Urdu Academy for justifying issuing the notification for recruitment of Urdu Officers without following the roster system stating that it was small mistake.

Justice P. Naveen Rao while dealing with two petitions questioning the notification said that without notifying the vacancies indicating roster wise reserved posts was not a small mistake, it was a blunder.

The judge reminded that as there was a prima facie in the case, the court directed the petitioners to implead the selected candidates as parties to the case.

The counsel appearing for the Urdu Academy said that not following the roster system was a small mistake. Mohd Muttabi Ali Khan moved the court seeking to declare the action of the secretary to Minority Welfare department of Telangana in not conducting the recruitment of Urdu Officers Grade I and Grade II through the notifications issued on March 28, 2018 in a fair and transparent manner as illegal.

Ms Valdimeer Khatoon, counsel for the petitioners told the court that the respondent authorities have made the recruitment contrary to the Rule 22 of the Service rules without implanting the roster system.Hyderabad: Double trouble for Musi project. After Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has also blatantly rejected a proposal put up by the Musi River Musi River-front Development Corporation. The MRDC had asked the Water Board to construct sewerage treatment plants across Musi River and look after their maintenance.

The MRDC had asked the Water Board to construct three STPs at three locations 70 MLD (million litres per day) at Attapur, 30 MLD at Hydershahkote behind Golconda fort and 6 MLD at Miralam. Besides this, it had also asked for the construction of 72 check dams to minimise the contamination.

However, the HMWS&SB official claimed that the Water Board has been already burdened with current projects, regular operation and maintenance works.

Besides staff crunch, the HMWS&SB officials said that the Water Board does not have the financial stability to take up the STP construction and look after their maintenance.

A senior Water Board official said that it HMWS&SB cannot take up the STPs and check dams construction for the Musi project until and unless additional staff was recruited and financial assurance was given by the State government. He said that due to financial crunch the Water Board has already handed over the maintenance of four STPs to Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.

He said that out of total 24 STPS, the Water Board was current maintaining 20 STPS which treat 750 million litres a day (MLD) from total 1,483 MLD sewerage produced in the city.New Delhi/kerala: The Supreme Court on Wednesday orally observed that some priests in Kerala being involved in rape cases is shocking. It is disturbing that cases of rape and sexual assault have come from churches in Kerala recently, the court said.

A Bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan made these observations during the hearing of a case involving the rape of a minor in a church by Father Rabin in Kotiyoor in Malabar district of Kerala in 2016. The minor girl gave birth to child in 2017 and immediately the baby was handed over to a foundling home.

The Kerala Police registered a case against the Father, doctors who did the surgery of the minor girl and the administrators of the foundling home. The Father is in custody and the case is on trial in a lower court in Kerala.

Senior counsel R. Basant, who appeared for the two doctors, who assisted in the delivery of the minors child, and the administrator sought for discharge of the three accused from the trial under the Pocso Act. He argued that these three accused had no direct link with the offence and that they should be discharged.

Agreeing with Mr Basant, the Bench said there is no direct link or chain of events that could be directed towards the doctors to be prosecuted within the provisions of Section 19 of the Pocso Act.

In Kerala HC, a PIL filed on Wednesday said that Compulsory confession as a condition for fulfilling other spiritual and temporal needs of the laity prevalent in many churches must be declared unconstitutional.

In his petition, C.S. Chacko submitted that imposing implied or expressed compulsion on a member of a church to confess sins before a priest or any other person for that purpose was nothing but an infringement of the Right to Privacy.Telangana private junior colleges managements have demanded that the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) should immediately release the names of the colleges that did not get affiliation for the benefit of students and their parents. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: Sixty-three corporate junior colleges, which are housed in buildings that are higher than 15 metres, failed to get government affiliation as they lack fire safety clearances. Of these, 35 belong to Narayana Group of Institutions and 28 are from Chaitanya Junior College.

Out of 1,465 junior colleges in the state, 1,380 have got affiliation and admission logins. Telangana private junior colleges managements have demanded that the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) should immediately release the names of the colleges that did not get affiliation for the benefit of students and their parents.

Mr Gouri Satish, Honorary president of Telangana Private Junior Colleges, said, We have demanded TS Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) to release the names of the corporate colleges which have not got affiliations so far for the academic year 2018-2019. Many students have taken admissions in those colleges as they are not aware of the status of their colleges. Releasing the list of such colleges will help the students and their parents to identify the affiliated colleges.

Mr Madhusudhan Reddy, Intermediate Joint Action Committee (JAC), said, Sixty-three corporate junior colleges are not given affiliations because as per the existing norms if the college buildings height is more than 15 metres, they have to get a fire safety certificate from the Fire Safety Authority. Corporate junior colleges have fixed some equipments due to which various other norms have not been adhered to. So the fire safety department is not giving the fire safety certificate in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts.

As per fire safety rules, any building or apartment should be accessible to the fire engine to go around the building. But none of these buildings where these 63 colleges are set up, are accessible to the fire engine, leading to the denial of the fire safety certificate.

Last year, when they fixed the fire safety equipment, these colleges got the affiliations. So there is a possibility that these colleges may also get the affiliations within two or three months if they comply with a few conditions as it would be difficult to shift the students from so many colleges. Out of 63 corporate junior colleges, 35 colleges are Narayana colleges and rest of the 28 colleges are Chaitanya junior colleges.The officials from TSBIE were not available to comment.The parents caught them and brought them to the headmistress of the school, demanding action against the students.

Chennai: Police arrested five plus-2 students for selling ganja packets near their school on Wednesday. According to police sources, the students were caught red-handed by a few parents and handed over to the Kancheepuram taluk police.

Incidents of students selling ganja in Kancheepuram district are on the rise. Peddlers are particularly targeting the Government Higher Secondary School in Iyengarkulam, 8 km away from Kanc-heepuram. Due to this, a few parents keep an eye on school students during the lunch hour, sources said.

On Wednesday afternoon, parents saw 5 students  2 in school uniforms, 2 in uniforms of another government-aided school, and one student without uniform, peddling ganja packets.

The parents caught them and brought them to the headmistress of the school, demanding action against the students.

However, the HM told the parents to report the incident to police as she had already been pulled up by villagers for taking action against erring students. She was locked inside her room two months ago, demanding the expunging of suspension orders of some students, sources said.

The student clad in civil dress was dismissed earlier from the school for his behaviour.

The parents took the students to Kancheepuram taluk police station where police searched them and found nearly 50 grams of unknown

substances in their possession.

Police are interrogating the students on where they sourced the contraband. We have sent the seized substance to the lab to verify whether it is ganja or not. We have also warned the students and sent them home after getting undertakings from them, police said.

Meanwhile, Chief Education officer of Kancheepuram, Angela Iruthayasamy said that the department would conduct counselling sessions for students to prevent them from criminal activity. As teachers are equally responsible for the

students behaviour, counselling will be given to the teachers too, the CEO said.New Delhi: The BJP is all set to take the National Register of Citizen (NRC) battle to the home turf of Trinamul supremo, Mamata Banerjee. After charging the Trinamul chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Banerjee of playing votebank politics over the NRC issue after she warned that it could lead to blood bath and civil war, Mr Shah will address his partys youth wing rally in Kolkata on August 11, for which the permission was finally granted by the state authorities.

The BJP president is likely to expose how Ms Banerjee is trying to play appeasement politics over an issue, which would weed out illegal migrants from Assam, who are using resources meant for Indians and could also pose a security threat to the country. Mr Shah, in his speech in Parliament on Tuesday had said that the NRC was the essence of the Illegal migrants in border states is a major political issue for both the regional and national parties.

Mr Shah was in West Bengal in June after two BJP workers were killed allegedly by Trinamul supporters. The Supreme Court monitored NRC exercise in Assam has left out more than 40 lakh people from the final draft and war of words had ensued after the BJP claimed that a similar exercise would be implemented in West Bengal also.

West Bengal is one of the few states where the BJPs organisational strength is yet to pace up. While the BJP had been accusing the Trinamul of resorting to blatant appeasement politics, the later accuses the saffron party of trying to divide people on religious ground.

Meanwhile, Union minister Arun Jaitley said that countrys sovereignty is not a play thing and that sovereignty and citizenship are the soul of India, imported vote banks are not.

No automatic removal of Assam voters

With 40 lakh people failing to get their names on the draft National Register for Citizens in Assam, the poll panel on Wednesday said an exclusion from this list would not automatically result in their removal from the electoral rolls as registration of voters is decided by the election laws.

Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat said people excluded from the NRC would not be automatically removed from the electoral rolls of Assam as registration as a voter governed by 3 criteria as under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The CEC said the chief electoral officer of Assam will give a report soon.

Mamata links NRC draft to Bangla ties

The Trinamul Congress on Wednesday continued its rant over Assams draft National Register of Citizens inside and outside Parliament, with party chief Mamata Banerjee alleging the draft NRCs publication will destroy Indias relationship with neighbouring Bangladesh.

Both Houses of Parliament saw uproarious scenes on Wednesday over the NRC issue. Protests by Trinamul members yet again forced the adjournment of the Rajya Sabha for the day, as it failed to complete a discussion on Assams NRC and the and the reply to it by home minister Rajnath Singh.

The Bangladesh government has made it clear that the entire NRC issue is an internal matter of India, giving a clear signal that there is no question of any deportation of these people to Bangladesh in future.

Its information minister Hasanul Haq Inu told TV channels the illegal immigration issue had nothing to do with Bangladesh.] In the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Sushmita Dev created a scene as she entered the Well of the House claiming that some Bengalis were beaten up along the Assam-Meghalaya border after the draft NRC was published and sought their safety.

The Trinamul members demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi come to the House and give members an assurance in this regard. Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma raised a point of order and insisted on the removal of BJP president Amit Shahs comments on NRC controversy on Tuesday.

Mr Sharma said that Mr Shah, during his speech on the NRC debate, had termed all Prime Ministers in office after the late Rajiv Gandhi as buzdil (cowards).

The Congress later decided to call a full CWC meeting to evolve a proper response on the draft NRC. It will be held on August 4 in New Delhi.Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said the BJP wants to keep the Assamese identity intact at the cost of sacrificing the identity of 40 lakh people.

In Kashmir the BJP wants Article 35 to be scrapped to dilute Kashmiri identity. BJP is playing politics of convenience and identity where it suits them politically, but the Supreme Court too is monitoring, Mr Owaisi said.

The top court was more sympathetic to the Chakmas who were Buddhist residents of Chittagong Hill Tracts and Mymensingh districts of former East Pakistan and todays Bangladesh, he added.Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (second from right) at the launch of the fourth phase of Telangana Ku Haritha Haram in Gajwel on Wednesday. (Photo:DC)

Hyderabad: Chief Minister Mr K Chandrashekhar Rao launched the fourth phase of the plantation programme, Telangana Ku Haritha Haram, on Wednesday from Gajwel.

In the fourth phase, the government aims to plant some 100 crore saplings across the State. In the last year, about 82 crore saplings were planted. There are 12,751 gram panchayats and the Government is also planning to develop nurseries at each gram panchayat.

If we protect nature, it protects us. If nature exhibits its anger, then the existence of human beings becomes difficult. That is the reason why our elders educated us on worshipping nature, so that the rain god bestows his blessing on us, the Chief Minister said on the occasion.

Later, the Chief Minister extensively toured Gajwel constituency and participated in many plantation programs. The CM also participated in Medchal district, and planted saplings. He also went to Turkapalli, Mulugu, and Prajnapur in Shameerpet Mandal and participated in plantation.

In the program 1,778 employees have participated, and some 1,300 workers are engaged in the program in various activities. About 12,000 households, and about 45,000 other people are involved in the program. Ministers Jogu Ramanna, Harish Rao, Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy, MPs Santosh Kumar, Prabhakar Reddy, Malla Reddy and Chief Secretary SK Joshi participated.Hyderabad: IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday accused Congress Party of trying to divide Seemandhra people living in Telangana by terming them as settlers. He supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks on the Congress, who termed it as 'bailgaadi', with reference to senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

While the TRS is calling all people living in Telangana state as Telanganites, the Congress is dividing them by calling them settlers for selfish political gains in 2019 elections. They are trying to divide people and rake up regional emotions to secure few seats in 2019 elections, Rao remarked.

During a talk with media persons, Rama Rao said TPCC Chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has been openly giving statements that the Congress will offer tickets to settlers within GHMC limits for 2019 polls and by doing so, they are dividing people living in Hyderabad.

During Telangana statehood agitation days, they carried a vicious campaign against TRS saying that if Telangana state is formed, there will be no security to lives and properties of Seemandhra people in Hyderabad. However, we have proved it wrong in these four years of TRS rule. In fact, they feel more secure and are living happily in Telangana. With 2019 elections approaching, the Congress is again trying to rake up regional emotions with settlers issue.

There are no settlers here. For TRS, all those living in Hyderabad or elsewhere in Telangana are Telanganites. I urge Seemandhra people to remain cautious against such disruptive forces, Rao added.

Referring to Congress threat that they will send the CM and his family members to jail for corruption, after they come to power in 2019, Rao said: "This will be decided by the courts and not by Uttam or Kodandaram."

He ridiculed Uttam's claims that the Congress will bag 75 Assembly seats out of 119 and form government in Telangana. "Maybe, he is referring to Congress winning 75 Lok Sabha seats in the entire country. They could not win even 20 LS seats in any state."

Rao said except Uttam and Jana Reddy, everyone in Congress is trying to join TRS if they offer tickets but TRS has been refusing because it can't accommodate all of them.

"Congress leaders cannot do a single thing on their own. Even to go to bathroom, they have to take high command's permission," he snubbed.

He mocked at Congress saying that the party's own newspaper National Herald published Rafale scam as 'another Bofors' and this shows how foolish they are.

Uttam may grow a beard, but TRS will retain power

Minister for IT, municipal administration and urban development K. Taraka Rama Rao on Wednesday came down heavily on opposition parties and said TPCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy was growing his beard thinking that it would scare the TRS government, but in vain. TRS will remain in the power with the blessings of people, the minister said. He (Mr Uttam) may look like a sanyasi with a long beard, but the TRS will continue to be in power, he said.

Mr Rama Rao said the Congress was responsible for the backwardness in the country and its leaders lost their credibility among people. He said the opposition parties were always trying to oust Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao from the post. They want to oust TRS government for its successful governance, Kaleshwaram project, financial aid and insurance for farmers and other flagship programmes, the IT minister said.

Mr Rama Rao said senior Congress leaders except Mr K. Jana Reddy and Mr Uttam are showing an interest to join the TRS. We are not encouraging them to join in our party, he said, adding that Mr Uttams claim of 75 seats may be that of Congresss total MP seats in the country.

The IT minister also said that IT exports have reached `1 lakh crore in Telangana state. In 2013-14 financial year, the exports were Rs 56,000 crore and the state had targeted to raise it to Rs 1.20 lakh crore, he said.

We will reach the target by next financial year he said, adding that the TRS government was planning to extend the IT services to Tier-II cities in the state.

Mr Rama Rao said this after he, along with MP K. Kavitha and Nizamabad Urban MLA Bigala Ganesh Gupta, set the foundation stone for a `50 crore IT Hub, here on Wednesday.

Speaking at the public meeting here at Government Polytechnic ground, the minister said that the IT industry will be extended to Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam districts for the growth of state.The Government is getting mobilized to implement the social and economic roadmap outlined by King Mohammed VI in the Throne Day speech he delivered on Sunday (July 29) and wherein he urged the Government and all the stakeholders concerned to undertake an in-depth, thorough restructuring of national social welfare programs and policies.

In this connection, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit held Wednesday in the Northern city of Tetuan a working meeting with Walis of regions and governors of provinces and prefectures, Chiefs of security agencies, and several other senior officials.

The Interior Minister announced that his department will accelerate the setting up of the National Social Register to identify families that truly deserve to benefit from social assistance programs.

In his Sunday speech, the King described the register as a strategic and ambitious social project which concerns large segments of the Moroccan population and said it is a promising start for the gradual improvement of social welfare programs over the short and medium terms.

Laftit also announced the launch of the third phase of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), unveiled by King Mohammed VI in 2005. This program, meant to improve the living conditions of underprivileged layers of the society, has achieved some of its objectives, but much remains to be done.

We need to launch the third phase of the National Initiative for Human Development by building on achievements, refocusing programs to promote human resource development and serve the coming generations, supporting groups in difficult situations and starting a new generation of income-generating activities that create jobs, the monarch recommended in the Throne day speech.

The meeting examined the means and mechanisms to carry out three other major projects mentioned in the Royal speech, namely implementation of administrative devolution, speeding up the adoption of the new investment charter, implementing the reform of regional investment centers, and grouping all investment commissions into a single regional investment commission.

Discussion of these projects will be furthered with the various departments concerned, in a logic of complementarity and convergence.

The Monarch made it clear in his speech that a proper, modern social system cannot be set up without a qualitative leap in investment, and without support for the nations productive sector.

The cabinet members who took part in a meeting chaired Sunday evening by King Mohammed VI in Al Hoceima on ways to implement the priority measures in the economic and social areas outlined in the Throne Day speech held working sessions with the senior officials of their respective departments Tuesday and Wednesday.

The sessions focused on the need to speed up the implementation of the royal orientations that set a number of top-priority issues. These include the restructuring of national social welfare programs and policies; the acceleration of the reform of the investment framework and support for businesses, particularly with a view to creating more jobs; and finally, the development of the 2025 action plan in the field of water.

Local daily Al Massae commented that the Royal speech has accelerated the governments action. The Government is taking out of the drawers a number of draft bills, including the one on administrative devolution, whose adoption was delayed because of the slow pace of the cabinets work and the number of proposed amendments and counter-amendments, the paper noted.

The daily also said it is almost certain that El Othmani government has finalized the text on the reform of the Regional Investment Centers. The bill, which also provides for the creation of unified Regional Investment Commissions, will be adopted by the Cabinet Council Thursday, August 2, Al Massae said.The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018, that was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday, seeks to replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance which was promulgated in April this year after reports of a number of rapes of minor girls hit the headlines, including the infamous rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua who was abducted, confined and gangraped for days before being brutally murdered; and the case in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh where a BJP legislator has been accused of raping a minor girl.

Not just the gruesome brutality of the incidents, but what followed was more shocking! As attempts were made to give a religious colour to the rape and murder of a minor girl and the supporters of the ruling party at the Centre indulged in whatabouteries in shrill TV debates, the entire nation was enraged and shamed  it is perhaps for the first time in the history of any civilised nation that some people, including lawyers, leaders and supporters of the ruling party, actually held meetings and took out rallies in support of the rape accused and tried to obstruct the course of justice.

Throughout the country, there were spontaneous outbursts of fury by ordinary citizens, including a large number of women who took to the streets to demand justice for the rape victims, as well as measures to stop increasing incidents of violence against women. Under tremendous pressure, the Central government, in a knee-jerk reaction, promulgated the ordinance providing for harsher punishment for rape convicts.

The hastily-drafted ordinance had several shortcomings which have been pointed out by activists. The experience throughout the world indicate that it is not merely the severity but the certainty of punishment which is more of a deterrent to a crime as offensive as rape. The delay in delivering justice is a major impediment in putting the fear of the law in the minds of people. A proposal has been made to set up fast-track courts. But given the history of long pendency of such cases and the inability of the government to fill up the massive existing vacancies of judges at all levels of the judiciary, one can only hope that the proposal doesnt remain confined merely to the files. It has been pointed out that the death sentence provision will perhaps endanger the life of the victim even more. A majority of sexual offences, including rape, especially in the case of minor victims, happen within the family or by someone known to the family. With the death sentence provision, there is a very valid fear of under-reporting of such cases.

One of the major flaws of the ordinance, which the activists hoped the government would correct in the bill, was that it didnt address the issue of sexual abuse of boys, including minors. The POCSO law is gender-neutral as it had same punishment for the sexual abuse of children irrespective of gender. While enacting the ordinance, the severity of the punishment was aimed at the perpetrators committing crimes against girl children, prescribing the death penalty specifically for those convicted of the rape of a girl child below 12 years of age. Sexual abuse and violence towards boys was completely overlooked. The lack of gender neutrality in the bill will result in disparate punishment to convicts for similar offences.

While the infamous Nirbhaya incident of December 2012 brought rape and sexual violence against women into the forefront of public consciousness, there is very little discourse on the sexual abuse faced by young boys. The last study on it in 2007 by the ministry of women and child development reports that 53 per cent of children facing sexual abuse are boys. In Delhi, this figure was 60 per cent. That means a much larger number of minor boys are subjected to sexual abuse than girls. The silence of the government, and society at large, on the suffering of such a large number of children is profoundly alarming.

The gender stereotypes and mores of a patriarchal society that refuses to acknowledge vulnerabilities of its male members, including young boys, is perhaps the strongest reason for the silence on the plight of sexually abused boys. There is enormous under-reporting of male sexual abuse. The ministry of women and child development told Parliament that only 467 male child abuse cases were lodged with the police out of 36,321 such reported incidents in 2016.

The stigma attached to homosexuality is also a reason for under-reporting. The victim fears that he would be charged with being a willing accomplice in the act, or would be shamed for not being able to protect himself, which would hurt the image of his masculinity. The response of the families doesnt help either. In the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, the case study of a minor boy who was raped reports a shocking response from his father: He is a boy; he neither lost a hymen, nor will get pregnant. He should behave like a man, not a sissy. In another instance, the father of another boy complained that his son was abused in a school, but the school refused to accept the crime. If he was a four-year-old girl, raped by two older boys, the school would be afraid of a scandal, but because he is a boy no one cares or accepts the crime. The police apathy towards lodging rape cases is well known. When the rape victim is a male, the fear of indifference and ridicule of the victim and his family from the police would keep away many from reporting. The victims are thus disadvantaged both at the family and at the institutional levels.

The first step towards solving any problem is to admit and acknowledge that it exists. Many victims suffer in silence. The scars could be deep, as it is usually never discussed, fearing derision from family, friends and society. The silence of the victim emboldens the perpetrator; secure in his perception that his crime would not be reported. Its high time to break the taboo. Its the responsibility of the government and society to protect everyone, especially children  be they female, male or third gender.

H10Sylvia Vatuk says that Darul Qazas follow a procedure similar to a civil court of receiving applications in writing, giving notice to the other side, recording evidence of parties and their witnesses and pronounce the verdict as per Quranic principles.

Television channels had a field day following the announcement by the secretary of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) regarding setting up of Darul Qazas in every district, with not just the BJP and RSS, but even some Congress members criticising the announcement as an attempt to set up a parallel judicial system. Headlines in some right-wing newspapers blared: India rejects Shariah brutality and injustice through kangaroo courts like Darul Qaza. The shrill voices condemning this move by the board did not come as a surprise since we are living in an era where everything concerning the Muslim community turns controversial, and all debates get polarised.

But I kept wondering whether any of those shouting hoarse are familiar with what goes on in a Darul Qaza. To strike home their point, some referred to a fatwa obtained by a journalist in the Imrana case in 2005 from Darul Uloom Deoband (Islamic seminary), stating that Imrana is forbidden to live with her husband. No one had bothered to comment on the agency of the 28-year-old woman who had dared to file a case against her own father-in-law for raping her, and had followed the case systematically and had secured conviction. I dont know of any parallel among the Hindu community, where a sexually abused daughter-in-law had ventured into a similar process. Further, Imrana was not rattled by the fatwa and had continued to live with her husband in her native village. The fatwa was neither sought by her nor was she bound by it. There seems to be a deliberate amnesia regarding this crucial fact regarding a Muslim womans agency in the entire debate.

Yet another stranger, Vishwa Lochan Madan, a Delhi-based lawyer, carried the controversy forward by filing a PIL with a plea to ban all Sharia courts as they are unjust to women. In its 2014 verdict, the Supreme Court had refrained from doing so, but had issued certain directions regarding the issuance of fatwas. The court clarified that fatwas are not verdicts but merely opinions, and that no one was bound by them, but the fatwa-giving authority should refrain from issuing fatwas of a generic nature. Further, referring to the manner in which a total stranger had sought a fatwa in the Imrana case to fuel controversy, had issued guidelines that only a person who is directly affected can seek a fatwa.

Despite this, the judgment is quoted totally out of contest to buttress the arguments of those opposing the Darul Qaza. Some Islamic scholars have clarified that the fatwa-issuing authority  Darul Ifta  is different from a Darul Qaza, which are mediation centres to resolve civil, primarily family, disputes. But op-eds and talk shows projected matters as though the aim of this move was to undermine the impact of the constitutional bench ruling in the Shayara Bano case, which had declared triple talaq invalid last August. Perhaps it needs to be mentioned that Imarat-e-Sharia in Patna, which has a well-oiled alternate dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism, was set up in 1920 and has a broad network of Darul Qazas across many north Indian states. At that time, there was no controversy around setting up of this institution. But then it was not an era of demonising Islam.

It is interesting to see who uses these ADR mechanisms. Those who have attacked the boards decision have not commented on this crucial question. A recent study (2017) titled, Womens Access to Justice in Darul Qaza by Nalsar Law University, Hyderabad, stated that 75 of 150 Darul Qazas had responded to their questionnaire. Of these, 12 Darul Qazas mentioned that 90 per cent or more of those who approach them are women, 20 stated that 80 per cent are women and 26 stated that 70 per cent are women.

An earlier study by an American anthropologist, Sylvia Vatuk, who had studied cases involving Muslim women filed in the family court in Chennai and in two Darul Qazas in Hyderabad also confirmed that more women approach the Darul Qaza for dissolving their marriage than men. This research was conducted between 1999 and 2001.

After going through the case records in both these spaces, she concludes that Darul Qazas follow a procedure similar to a civil court of receiving applications in writing, giving notice to the other side, recording evidence of parties and their witnesses and pronounce the verdict as per Quranic principles. However, the entire process is much faster and cheaper than a civil court. Women preferred a khula (a process initiated by the wife under Islamic law) in a Darul Qaza rather than filing a petition in a family court under the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act.

A more recent study by sociologists from IIT Kanpur, Anindita Chakrabarty and Suchandra Ghosh, published in the Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) in December 2017 (Judicial Reform vs Adjudication of Personal Laws) also came out with a similar finding that 95 of the 100 cases they had studied in the Darul Qaza in a Muslim ghetto in Kanpur were brought by women who wanted either maintenance and, if that was not possible, a dissolution of marriage either through khula or fasq (judicial divorce where consent of husband is not required). The scholars in both cases had interviewed women and none of them had stated that the procedures or verdicts were gender unjust.

My own preliminary enquiry conducted in six Darul Qazas in and around Mumbai also confirms this. All of them are not affiliated to the AIMPLB, in fact, the board does not have a monopoly over setting up of Darul Qazas. The most popular among them, Mahkama-e-Shareiyyah (where five muftis preside), has nothing to do with the board.

Three Darul Qazas mentioned that over 95 per cent of the cases are brought by women, two said that 80 per cent of their cases are of women and one said that around 70 per cent are brought by women. This Darul Qaza also takes up property disputes, disputes between brothers and between neighbours, while the others take up only matrimonial disputes. Hence the difference in percentages.

But the muftis emphasised that they take up cases of husbands only when he approaches them for reconciliation in the event of desertion by the wife.

Preliminary efforts are made to reconcile the marriage as per the Quranic mandate. The marriage is dissolved only when differences cannot be reconciled.

The family courts follow a similar procedure, except that it comes with a hefty price tag. While Darul Qazas charge Rs 2,000 and waive the amount if the woman is poor, the lawyers fee runs into thousands or even lakhs of rupees, depending upon the status of the parties and the reputation of the lawyer. There is no ceiling here. The legal aid is virtually non-functioning and most women facing domestic violence do not trust legal aid lawyers due to the fear of collusion.

The mufti at the Darul Qaza at Nagpada, Mumbai, which is affiliated to the board and was set up in 2013, stated that only in two cases out of 850, the verdicts were challenged in court, in both cases by husbands. Another mufti mentioned that when a wife of an affluent businessman approached him and he had sent a notice to the husband, he promptly filed a case against the wife for restitution of conjugal rights (RCR) in the family court and threatened the mufti with criminal consequences.

What will be the outcome of this case filed in the family court since a decree of RCR cannot be executed even if obtained after several years of contested litigation? And who will gain through this litigation, except the lawyers appearing for both sides? Worded differently, who will gain if Darul Qazas are banned? But more importantly, who will suffer? When one visits the Darul Qaza situated above a dilapidated mosque in a cramped Muslim ghetto in Govandi, in the central suburbs of Mumbai, the abject poverty of the community is palpable.

While I can understand the protests by the Hindutva brigade, whose primary aim is to demonise Islam, I fail to grasp why a group which calls itself Muslims for Secular Democracy jumped on to this bandwagon. Theirs seems to be a case of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.

H11Regulators are increasing their scrutiny of the cryptocurrency sector. (Photo: Coinbase)

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has hired finance executive Jeff Horowitz as chief compliance officer, to help it navigate regulations for virtual currency companies, the company said on Tuesday.

For the past three years Horowitz has served as global head of compliance for Pershing LLC, a subsidiary of Bank of New York Mellon Corp. Pershing handles approximately $1.8 trillion in client assets.

Coinbase, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges based in the United States, said the hire reflected its commitment to compliance, as well as its recognition that companies require seasoned teams to deal with regulatory requirements in different countries.

Regulators are increasing their scrutiny of the cryptocurrency sector, following an explosion in trading of virtual coins such as bitcoin and ether.

This has led some companies in the sector to pay closer attention to their compliance procedures.

As Coinbase - along with the cryptocurrency space as a whole - grows and matures, continued regulatory compliance across all the varying jurisdictions globally will be critical, Asiff Hirji, Coinbase president and chief operating officer, said in a blog post.

Coinbase, which counts New York Stock Exchange owner Intercontinental Exchange Inc as an investor, has also been seeking to attract more business from institutional investors.

To do so it is planning to offer services such as a sophisticated matching engine and secure storage of cryptocurrencies.

Prior to Pershing, Horowitz worked at Citigroup Inc, Goldman Sachs, and U.S. bank regulator the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Coinbase said. He has also served as a member of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Networks Bank Secrecy Act Advisory Group.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.Gun control proponents are concerned the weapons made from 3-D printers are untraceable. (Representational photo: Pixabay)

A US judge on Tuesday blocked the planned release of 3-D printed gun blueprints hours before they were set to hit the internet, siding with states that sued to halt publication of designs to make weapons that security screening may not detect.

US District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle said the blueprints publication could cause irreparable harm to US citizens. The decision blocked a settlement President Donald Trumps administration had reached with a Texas-based company, which initially said it planned to put files online on Wednesday.

Gun control proponents are concerned the weapons made from 3-D printers are untraceable, undetectable ghost firearms that pose a threat to global security. Some gun rights groups say the technology is expensive, the guns are unreliable and the threat is being overblown.

Josh Blackman, a lawyer for the company Defense Distributed, said during Tuesdays hearing that blueprints had already been uploaded to the firms website on Friday.

The publication of those files is now illegal under federal law, Lasnik said.

There are 3-D printers in public colleges and public spaces and there is the likelihood of potentially irreparable harm, Lasnik said at the end of a one-hour hearing on the lawsuit.

Defense Distributed and its founder Cody Wilson, a self-declared anarchist, argued that access to the online blueprints is guaranteed under First and Second Amendment rights, respectively to free speech and to bear arms.

Lasnik said First Amendment issues had to be looked at closely and set another hearing in the case for Aug. 10. In a comment apparently directed at Wilson, the judge said breaking the law was something anarchists do all the time.

Blackman said in an interview he was disappointed in the courts ruling and the judges comment.

Mr Wilson scrupulously obeys all court orders, Blackman said, adding that he was awaiting the judges written order before deciding on further legal action.

Eight states and the District of Columbia on Monday filed a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing it acted arbitrarily in reaching the June settlement.

The states said online blueprints would allow criminals easy access to weapons. They said the Trump administration had failed to explain why it settled the case and that its decision violated their ability to regulate firearms and keep citizens safe.

Eric Soskin, a lawyer for the US State Department, told the judge on Tuesday that the governments role in the case was that of a bystander.

As part of this decision, the United States has determined that the kind of guns you can go and buy in any store are not a threat to national security, Soskin said of the settlement.

Defense Distributeds files include 3-D printable blueprints for components that would go into the making of a version of the AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle, a weapon that has been used in many US mass shootings.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump raised concerns about the sale of plastic guns made with 3-D printers and said on Twitter he had talked with the powerful National Rifle Association lobbying group about the weapons.

I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public, he said. Already spoke to NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley later told reporters its illegal to own or make a wholly plastic gun of any kind, including those made on a 3-D printer.

The NRA followed suit.

Regardless of what a person may be able to publish on the Internet, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years, Chris Cox, executive director of the NRAs Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.Islamabad: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan believes he has the required numbers to form the government. The PTI has an open support of 168 and needs 172 to win a simple majority.

After getting massive support from independent members-elect in Punjab, PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry claimed to have secured majority at centre and announced to form government.

Mr Chaudhry said that PTI has got support of as many as 168 lawmakers in National Assembly and 180 lawmakers in Punjab Assembly.

Earlier, Pakistan Mus-lim League Quaids (PML-Q) leaders Chaudhry Shujat Hussain and Pervez Elahi called on PM-in-waiting Imran Khan at his residence in Bani Gala and pledged support to him in Punjab.

Mr Elahi said that he will retain his seat in Punjab Assembly while relinquishing both seats of NA. He overtly rejected the stance that Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) enjoys majority in the province. He said he had never practiced politics of blackmailing and would never do so in the future.

The PTI had won 116 of the 270 National Asse-mbly seats, emerging as the largest political party in the country. The PML-N grabbed 64 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was in third place with 43 NA seats.India's second largest IT services company Infosys expects retail segment to contribute more in its revenues in India in the coming days.

The retail vertical's share in the company's total revenues during the first quarter of current fiscal stood at 16.6% as against 15.9% in the March quarter of previous fiscal. The total revenues were Rs 19,128 crore during the first quarter ended June.

"In retail, we have had some success in India, based on our global work. Other than BFSI, I would say retail is where we have seen some success," U B Pravin Rao, the company's COO told DH in an exclusive interview.

Banking, Financial services and Insurance (BFSI) vertical contributes the highest portion of its revenues and accounts for 31.8% of the company's revenues.

Retail segment witnessed the highest revenue growth among all its business verticals for the just concluded quarter at 5%, whereas BFSI revenues declined by 1.5%.

Change in focus

Infosys has decided to go slow on the government projects in India. Domestic business contributed 2.6% of the company's revenues for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. Rao attributed the move to the volatility in the government business in India.

BFSI business of the company has been a success in India, owing to the Finacle, which is used by most of the banks in India -- both public and private banks. Several major customers of Finacle include State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of India, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab National Bank and J&K Bank, among others.

"We have now started penetrating the insurance sector. We have McCamish platform that we use to gain traction. We haven't seen much growth in manufacturing, healthcare and life sciences," Rao said.

To address attrition

Commenting on attrition rate, Rao said it was much higher than their expectations during the first quarter. The company had seen attrition jumping to 20.6% in the first quarter, from 16.6% in the last quarter of 2017-18. While the company had hired 17,709 employees during the quarter, it saw 11,911 of its employees leave the company, thereby leaving with a net addition of 5,798 employees.

"It's a bit worrying factor, but at the same time we believe that we will fix it in the next quarter. It was bit surprising. We have done many things in the recent past probably better than what we have done earlier. For instance, we have given 100% of the variable pay. We have not done a good job in terms of articulating to the people. It's just about intervention, and whatever deficiency we will be correcting it," he added.More than 500 hikers and their guides have been successfully evacuated from an Indonesian volcano after a deadly earthquake triggered landslides that trapped them on the mountain, officials said today.

Tonnes of rock and mud were dislodged on Mount Rinjani in the 6.4-magnitude quake, which struck early Sunday and was followed by scores of aftershocks, blocking the hiking routes that crisscross the mountain.

An estimated 560 stranded trekkers were thought to have included citizens from the United States, France, the Netherlands, Thailand and Germany, as well as many other countries, according to search and rescue officials.

"543 hikers have been evacuated -- they arrived last night," national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told AFP.

"There are now six people left... They are all healthy and safe." Hikers were able to start descending the mountain Monday after guides discovered an alternate route that was unaffected by the landslides.

Most of the trekkers reached the base of the mountain by late Monday evening, according to I Gusti Lanang Wiswananda, a spokesman for Mataram search and rescue agency.

"They were all tired, but in good condition and were checked by our medical teams on the ground upon arrival," he told AFP.

Hundreds of other hikers managed to get off the mountain on Sunday, according to officials.

At least 16 people were killed in the earthquake across affected areas of Lombok, while hundreds of buildings were destroyed including a health clinic.

The quake created panic on the holiday island and sent locals and tourists running outside their homes and hotels.

Helicopters and search teams were deployed to scour the volcano's slopes and drop food supplies for those stranded on the mountain.DMK cadre indulged in arson at a restaurant in Chennai after they were not allegedly served 'biriyani' free of cost.

On Sunday, DMK youth wing secretary Yuvaraj and his supporters head out to Kauvery Hospital, but they wanted to eat something before reaching there.

In CCTV recordings, Yuvaraj is shown entering into an argument with the cashier of the restaurant in Virugambakkam area after the latter refused to servee 'biryani' without paying for it. Enraged at the cashier's act, Yuvaraj slapped him and pushed away stacks of bills kept on the counter.

Two waiters who tried to save their cashier were also attacked and are seen falling on the ground.

This was captured in a CCTV camera in Salem RR Biriyani shop in Virugambakkam in Chennai on 29th July. According to hotel staff, the goons had said that they were going to the hospital where DMK president M Karunanidhi was hospitalised.

As the video went viral on social media, DMK working president M K Stalin said they have been suspended from the party and warned cadre of strict action if they indulge in arson.Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not raise the Doklam issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his meeting at Wuhan as the matter was already resolved in August last year through "mature diplomatic" efforts, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday.

"There was no fixed agenda for Wuhan ... and Doklam was already resolved through mature diplomacy and without losing any ground on August 28, last year," Sushma informed the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.

Responding to supplementary questions, Sushma made it clear that no specific topic was discussed during the Wuhan meeting between Xi and Modi. "Since there was no fixed agenda, how can Doklam be discussed," Sushma said, adding that there has been no change in the status quo at Doklam since August 28, 2017.

The minister said the main objective of the Wuhan summit was to create a conducive environment for the two leaders to talk freely, ensure a certain comfort level and an atmosphere of mutual understanding and mutual trust. "On all the three aspects, we have achieved success," Sushma said. Opposition parties led by the Congress have been attacking Modi for failing to raise the Doklam issue during the Wuhan summit.

Participating in the debate on the no-confidence motion against the government in the Lok Sabha, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had accused Modi of "buckling under Chinese pressure" while the Indian Army stood their ground in Doklam.

"After the standoff Modi ji went to China with 'no agenda'. But actually, it was China's agenda. He decides to concede to China's demands. The soldiers stood their ground, but the prime minister could not. He buckled under pressure from China," Rahul had said on July 20.

Sushma said as a follow up to the Wuhan summit, the defence minister and foreign minister of China will be visiting India later this year to enhance cooperation between the two countries. In response to another question, the minister said as per the "strategic guidance" given by the two leaders, it has been made clear to the two militaries that issues should be resolved at the local level and not allowed to fester.

Sushma said the dispute in the northern part of Doklam was between China and Bhutan and India could not comment on the matter. "Our concern was related only to the tri-junction area," she said.The BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress and the Trinamool Congress of "murdering democracy" by not letting its president Amit Shah speak in Parliament on the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam with their noisy protests.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar also asked the Congress and its former president Sonia Gandhi to make their stand clear on the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the country.

The TMC, he told a press conference, was nervous due to growing strength of the BJP in West Bengal.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was a new low for parliamentary democracy that opposition members did not allow Shah to speak. "This is a new precedent and a new low," he told reporters.

Javadekar hit out at the opposition after its members began protesting when Shah rose to speak in the Rajya Sabha, forcing its adjournment for the day.

They had created a ruckus yesterday as well when Shah said that the BJP government had to the courage to implement the Supreme Court's decision on the NRC while the previous Congress dispensations lacked it.

"They deliberately raised objections to prevent Shah from completing his speech. It is a murder of democracy to prevent a member of the House from speaking," Javadekar told reporters.

The Assam Accord to identify illegal immigrants was designed by then prime minister and Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi, he said, adding that Shah only asserted that the BJP was implementing the NRC, which was the "soul" of the accord.

Javadeka claimed even Indira Gandhi had said that the Bangladeshis should return to their country after the situation there normalised following the Indo-Pak war in 1971.

"We now want to ask about the stand of Sonia Gandhi on the NRC and on evicting infiltrators from the country," the minister said.

Javadekar also condemned TMC supremo Mamta Banerjee's reported statement that exclusion of over 40 lakh people from the NRC in Assam would lead to "civil war".

He also asserted that Shah would participate in a Kolkata rally on August 11, saying the local police had not done any favour to the BJP by granting permission to it.Alex Jones arrives in court last year. Now hes back. Photo: Tamir Kalifa/AP

Its not enough that Alex Jones has accused the parents of Noah Pozner, a 6-year-old killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, of being actors. Its not enough that hes exposed them to death threats and harassment that has led them to move homes seven times. And its not enough that hes made tons of money in the process.

Now the founder of Infowars is asking a Texas judge to throw out a defamation suit filed by Pozners parents and trying to get the family to pay more than $100,000 for his court costs.

Jones was an early doubter of the official story that came out of Newtown, Connecticut, in December of 2012. Shortly after the shooting, in which 20 children and six adults were killed, he called it staged. By 2014, hed fleshed out the theory a bit more. Jones claimed no one died at Sandy Hook and called the shooting a giant hoax. The following year, he said, Sandy Hook is a synthetic, completely fake, with actors, in my view, manufactured.

In 2016, Noah Pozners father Lenny told New York that the story Jones is peddling threatens to erase his sons memory. Conspiracy theorists erase the human aspect of history, he said. My child  who lived, who was a real person  is basically going to be erased.

In 2016 the danger of Joness words became more tangible when one of his acolytes was arrested for threatening the lives of the Pozner parents. Lucy Richards of Florida had become so convinced that the shooting was a false flag that she sent threats to Lenny Pozner that said you gonna die, death is coming to you real soon and LOOK BEHIND YOU IT IS DEATH. According to court documents, as a condition of her parole, Richards was ordered to never again watch, read, or listen to content from Infowars.Taking a jibe at the opposition, Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday termed the call for north Karnataka bandh on Thursday demanding separate statehood for the region as "BJP sponsored".

"Uttara Karnataka bandh is sponsored by BJP...where did the issue start? Who has spoken? They are the ones who are dividing the state," Shivakumar said.

"At any cost, this government and Congress party will take Akhanda Karnataka (United Karnataka) forward; we will not allow any injustice to happen to any part of this state..we will treat everyone equally," he said.

A day-long bandh has been called in 13 districts of north Karnataka on Thursday, alleging discrimination by successive governments towards the region.

'Uttara Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti' (North Karnataka Separate Statehood Protest Committee) has alleged discrimination in allocation towards the region in the budget presented by Kumaraswamy on July 5, and also inadequate representation in the cabinet.

Samiti representatives had on Tuesday met Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who sought to mollify them by expressing his government's strong commitment for the region's development.

He also said the state government was mulling shifting certain government offices to the 'Suvarna Vidhana Soudha' in the region, in an attempt to address alleged discrimination.

Following the meeting with Kumaraswamy, Samiti president Somashekar Kotambari had on Tuesday said a decision on continuing with the bandh would be taken only after discussion with other organisations that supported the bandh.

While some groups and organisations have said they will go ahead with the bandh, others have decided not to support it.

BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa has blamed Kumaraswamy for giving room to the demand for statehood for North Karnataka. He, however, did not support dividing Karnataka and said whatever shortcomings were there could be set right.The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Overseas Citizens of India cannot be allowed admission to MBBS and BDS courses on seats other than those meant for the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in medical colleges of Karnataka.

The top court issued notice to a group of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) on a petition filed by the Karnataka government challenging validity of a judgement by the high court, allowing them admission to MBBS and BDS courses in various categories.

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and S Abdul Nazeer passed an interim order, while seeking response within four weeks from Soundarya Muthukumari and others, as the state government, represented by senior advocate Basava Prabhu Patil, challenged the legality of the judgement delivered on July 7, 2017.

Patil contended the OCI candidates were to be treated on a par with the NRIs and they cant be allowed admission to other category of seats like private seats.

Meanwhile, Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Union government, submitted that OCIs are on a par with the NRIs and they are entitled for admission to MBBS and BDS courses on seats meant for the NRIs. The OCIs cannot be allowed admission on government seats in government or private colleges as those are meant only for Indian citizens, he said.

The counsel, appearing for some of OCIs candidates, preferred to withdraw their separate petitions, that had challenged the Karnataka government rules, debarring them from competing for 85% state quota seats for admission to MBBS and other professional courses in colleges of Karnataka by appearing in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test.Country

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Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of ZimbabweSALT LAKE CITY  More than two decades after her daughter was murdered, Lewine Tapia wants to know more about a man who she says dropped the 6-year-old girl off at home the night before she disappeared.

"He brought Rosie home that evening. We don't know who he is, what's his name," Tapia said Tuesday, sitting near poster-size school pictures of the smiling young girl. The mother and members of the Utah Cold Case Coalition at a news conference released a sketch of a man wearing sunglasses and a ball cap.

The group on Tuesday announced it will offer a $3,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction or solves any of the roughly 200 unsolved homicide and missing persons cases on its list.

It also celebrated a 2018 Utah measure named for Tapia's daughter that took effect earlier in July. "Rosie's law" requires public safety managers to create a centralized state database designed to help investigators compare cases in detail. The coalition is helping to design the system.

"It's a good thing because it helps my daughter's case, but it helps everyone else, too, who has a cold case," Lewine Tapia said of the database. A $30,000 reward already is offered in the mystery of her daughter's death, but Tapia said she hopes the additional reward money announced Tuesday will help resolve questions around other deaths and disappearances.

Rosie was taken from her bedroom at the old Hartland Apartments, 1616 W. Snow Queen Place (1675 South), early on the morning of Aug. 13, 1995. She was assaulted and her body left in a nearby canal, police said. In the 23 years since, there has never been a suspect named or an arrest made in the case.

Private investigator Jason Jensen, one of the coalition's co-founders, said the man believed to have brought Rosie home was previously considered a good Samaritan and was never a suspect, but had also denied dropping the girl home in August 1995. Jensen and Tapia's family members asked for any details the public may have and said the man lived near 1700 South and 1700 West in Salt Lake City in the 1990s.

Family members of others who have died or disappeared without explanation also attended. Among them was Ina Rodriguez, whose son Cody was shot and killed in 2008 in Salt Lake City, according to the group. The death initially was called a suicide, but coalition members said a trail of blood and a weapon that had been cleaned after use suggested the 20-year-old Rodriguez did not kill himself.

"It's been a long, long road," his mother said, saying she believes the new reward may lead someone who knows what happened to her son to come forward. "There's people out there that know about it. They're being silenced. They know what happened to my son and they're not coming forward."

Ogden Police Capt. Danielle Croyle said the cases are time-consuming, draining on resources and difficult to solve, but officers in Utah have received some grants to work on the cases.

"We need resources. We need information from the community. We need to have support networks so we can make sure families continue to get closure," Croyle said.

Attorney Karra Porter added that solving the mysteries can be a matter of money and manpower.

"We have a very solid lead on the location of a body that has been buried" in a rural part of northern Utah, she said, but police there have told her they do not have the resources to recover it. Porter has sought to hire private companies who use ground-penetrating radar to determine what is below the dirt, but the businesses have declined to use the technology to such an end, she said. Porter now is considering other ways of recovering the possible remains, including asking a team of archaeologists.

"We are willing to pay as if we were a construction site," she said. She declined to name the location or the deceased person she believes is there.

Porter and other co-founders said they are seeking donations to grow the rewards available and emphasized that they have a 24-hour tipline: 385-CLUE-313.

They also urged Utahns and those out-of-state to submit their DNA to the site gedmatch.com, noting that a genetic link led police to California's Golden State Killer earlier this year.UTAH STATE PRISON  Even after 25 years, Rodney Lund says there isn't a day that goes by that his family doesn't think about his oldest son, Utah Highway Patrol trooper Dennis "Dee" Lund.

"It hurts everyday. We cry a lot, as we do today," he told Utah Board of Pardons and Parole member Angela Micklos on Tuesday.

On June 16, 1993, trooper Dennis Lund was shot and killed while involved in a high speed chase with two teenagers from Indiana on I-70 in Emery County.

Jason Scott Pearson, who was 18, was convicted of aggravated murder and sentenced to up to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The boy he was with, 16-year-old George Kennedy, was convicted of murder. He has since been paroled from prison.

Pearson's first parole hearing was held in 1998. But he declined to attend and the hearing was held without him. On Tuesday, a re-hearing was held at the Utah State Prison. Pearson did attend, marking the first time members of the parole board have had the chance to hear directly from him about his crimes.

Pearson, now 43, nervously played with his fingernails and tapped his fingers on the table in front of him as he answered Micklos' questions and recalled what happened that day.

He said the day before Lund's murder, he and Kennedy had gotten into a confrontation with another group of teens in Indiana and Kennedy fired a handgun in the air as they ran away. Police were at the boys' homes later that night. That's when Pearson said they made a plan to take a car belonging to Kennedy's mother and drive to California.

"We were trying to run from responsibility," he said.

Among the items they took with them were Pearson's shotgun and a .22-caliber hunting rifle.

The next day, the two put gas in their car in Utah and drove off without paying. A short time later, a UHP trooper had tracked them down and attempted to pull them over.

Pearson, who was driving, said he was in the process of pulling over when, "without thought, without conversation," he decided to flee.

"Fear came over me," he said. "I just wanted to get away from the situation."

Several times on Tuesday, Pearson told the parole board that the only thing going through his head at that time was, "Get away, get away. I was just trying to get away."

He admitted he had the opportunity multiple times to pull over and end the chase, but he lacked the courage and responsibility at that age to do it.

"I was a coward and couldn't do the right thing or make the right decision," Pearson said, holding back tears near the end of the hearing. "I'm so sorry I was a coward that day."

Eventually, Pearson grabbed the loaded shotgun from the back seat and, while driving, fired at the trooper who had pulled up beside him. That trooper sped ahead of the fleeing car and pulled off to the side of the road. That's when Pearson handed the weapon to Kennedy and told him to shoot at the trooper again as they drove by, he said.

As the chase continued, Pearson grabbed the .22-caliber rifle from the back seat, put the car on cruise control, had Kennedy steer, and hung out the window  physically turning his body so he was looking at the pursuing officers behind  and then fired.

"I saw the vehicles and I knew they were police vehicles I was firing at," he told Micklos. "I was acting selfish in my actions because my concern was to get away."

Now, the full parole board faces the very difficult decision of balancing justice with giving a young man a second chance at being a contributing member of society.

Support for both Lund and Pearson was strong on both sides at Tuesday's hearing. The small room used for parole hearings was filled to capacity and many were forced to wait in an auxiliary room.

For Lund, family members, friends and many law enforcement officials attended the hearing, including Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Rapich, and Lund's brother, Clark Lund, a former UHP trooper with more than 35 years of law enforcement experience in both Utah and Idaho.

On Pearson's side, a large number of his friends and family attended the hearing. In addition, many letters of support were submitted to the board.

Lund's family urged Micklos and the parole board to make Pearson serve all of his life in prison.

"As a family, we want the max for him. I hate to say that. He's probably making a lot of progress. But that doesnt help my family make progress. We still suffer. I dont say he should suffer. But we just want him to pay his maximum sentence like it's designed," Rodney Lund, the 87-year-old patriarch of the Lund family, said.

Micklos noted that Pearson has not had any disciplinary violations since 2005 and has made the best of his time while incarcerated, including earning a bachelor's degree from Utah State University, in addition to other vocational training and life skills classes.

She also believed his remorse on Tuesday was sincere.

But the decision to grant parole or have Pearson come back in several years for another parole hearing, she said, will not be easy.

After the hearing, a man who had just sat with the Pearson family but declined to give his name, said he believes Pearson is a different man today than he was 25 years ago.

"I know Jason. I know his character.  And I've seen the last 25 years of his life being dedicated to show to other people that he is a different person than the person who committed that crime," the man said. "You ask anyone whos 18 years old who is now in the their mid-40s if theyre the same person now as when they were 18, if they make the same kind of decisions, if they have the same thought processes. And I think everyone would agree we change signficantly and mature.

"I know there's going to be a lot of pressure from law enforcement to keep Jason incarcerated. My question that I ask myself and other people is: When is the time that is appropriate for Jason to be out? Is it the 25 years that he's done? Is it 35? If it is 35, what's going to change in 10 years?" he said.

"I dont see any reason for him to be in here any longer. I know it will upset some of trooper Lund's family and relatives and the people theyve impacted. Hopefully theyll be able to find forgiveness and understand this is a young man in prison at 18 that made a dumb decision."

Pearson thanked his family and friends for their support, and also the Utah Department of Corrections for treating him with respect while incarcerated despite what he did, as well as giving him the opportunity to better his life through education. He also told Micklos that he could be a trusted and respectful individual if he is released.

"I've taken great efforts to understand my thought process at the time," he said on having 25 years to reflect on his actions. "I never stop evaluating myself.

"I'm sorry. I'll always be sorry."SALT LAKE CITY  While Amazon.com has opened the gates on hiring some 1,500 to staff its sprawling new Salt Lake distribution center, a closer look at those openings reveal most new employees will barely earn a living wage from the online giant.

State officials celebrated an announcement early last summer of Amazon's plans to build and staff an 850,000-square-foot distribution center in Salt Lake City's northwest quadrant, and even offered the company an eight-year, $5.7 million tax incentive. Gov. Gary Herbert said at the time that luring one of the world's most valuable retailers to Utah was a coup.

"To have a company like Amazon, as big as they are, choose Utah for a fulfillment center is a great win for us," Herbert said. "It's a big shot in the arm for Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County and the state."

While the company made a $200 million capital investment in the facility, which will rely heavily on robotics and automation to augment the efforts of human workers to fulfill and ship orders, who exactly is getting a shot in the arm is somewhat selective.

Amazon's online job posting for new "warehouse fulfillment associates," the positions that represent the majority of the new hiring in Salt Lake City according to an Amazon spokeswoman, advertises a starting wage of $12.50 per hour. That's an earning rate that falls far short of the state's median wage of just over $17 per hour and, for a worker that puts in a year's labor, will earn them a flat $26,000  over $20,000 shy of Utah's $46,460 median annual wage.

A June report on housing affordability noted the minimum hourly wage for a full-time worker to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Salt Lake City is $18.85 per hour. A living wage calculator, developed by Amy K. Glasmeier at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, determined $11.48 per hour is the bottom line for a single adult resident living in Salt Lake County.

But add one child dependent to the mix, and that minimum living wage jumps to just over $24 per hour. Utah affordable housing experts noted at these rates, workers and their families are just one unexpected bill or unplanned expense away from disaster.

While the overwhelming majority of the new Amazon jobs will hover near the low level, a portion of them will exceed the average Salt Lake County annual earnings of $50,537 or about $24.30 per hour.

Last June, the Governor's Office of Economic Development announced it had awarded Amazon a post-performance tax incentive package for its plans to pay 130 of its new Salt Lake employees 110 percent or more of the county average wage. Those positions will generate just over $28 million in corporate, payroll and sales taxes over the next eight years and for that, Amazon will be eligible for a 20 percent rebate worth about $5.7 million over that time period.

Amazon spokeswoman Lauren Lynch said the starting wage for the company's Salt Lake City facility was calculated based on prevailing wages in the local market. She also noted that while many employees will begin at that rate, some new hires with additional skills will begin at higher hourly earnings.

Also, Lynch said that employees hired at the $12.50 per hour rate will quickly move up the pay scale, as the company typically grants wage increases for new hires "every few months, even in the first year."

Lynch also reeled off the benefits that come with working for Amazon, some of which stand out as unusually generous, particularly for relatively low-wage positions. Those include eligibility for 20 weeks of paid maternal/paternal leave, health insurance, 401(k) and Amazon stock options, all of which enact immediately upon the start of employment.

Upon reaching the one-year mark, employees become eligible for the company's Career Choice program, which provides up to 95 percent, prepaid tuition compensation for vocational or technical training or pursuit of associate-level degrees for "in-demand" jobs. Those include aerospace, information technology, computer science, health care and others and do not require a commitment to stay with Amazon on completion.

Lynch said even at the base rate of $12.50, the fully loaded compensation for new Amazon warehouse associates comes in at around $15 per hour.

Even while Amazon's starting salaries lag well behind median wages in Utah and most other U.S. cities, the depth and breadth of the company's economic impacts are enormous.

Amazon is one of three U.S. tech firms on the verge of becoming the first commercial endeavor to reach a $1 trillion valuation. At the end of regular trading Tuesday, Amazon stock was trading at nearly $1,800 a share, earning the company a valuation of over $876 billion.

Apple is currently ahead of Amazon in that race, at a $956 billion valuation on Tuesday, with Google not far behind in the race at about $885 billion. Forbes reports Amazon founder/CEO Jeff Bezos is personally worth more than $146 billion as of Tuesday, making him not just the current richest individual in the world, but richest person ever.

Lynch said Amazon has spent over $160 billion in capital investments and wages in the U.S. over the past seven years, with those expenditures generating an additional $100 billion in gross domestic product via economic "ripple effects." She noted the company has created some 300,000 U.S. jobs since it was founded in 1994.

Lynch said people interested in applying for positions at the new Amazon facility, which is scheduled to open late this summer, can do so via online application, or at in-person hiring events at which on-the-spot job offers will be made.

Hiring events

Aug. 1-6, 9 a.m to 4 p.m., Vivint Smart Home Arena, 301 S. West Temple

Aug. 7-16, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Hilton Salt Lake City Center, 255 S. West TempleLOGAN  A former northern Utah jail guard who pleaded guilty to a stalking charge after tracking down female inmates online has been sentenced to 30 days behind bars.

The Herald Journal newspaper in Logan reports one woman said Tuesday that messages from 36-year-old James Joshua Woytko were particularly disturbing because he'd apparently accessed jail records systems to get her information, including intimate knowledge of her appearance.

Defense attorney Ryan Holdaway says the onetime guard didn't fully realize how he had affected the women until charges were filed, and takes full responsibility.

Holdaway asked for probation, but Judge Brian Cannell said he imposed jail time because Woytko was a law enforcement officer who violated the public trust.

Woytko worked at the Cache County Jail from 2011 through 2017.Stunning beaches, exotic wildlife, glimmering oceans, rich history, vibrant culture, sumptuous cuisine and a sportsman haven are just some of the things that you must see and experience as you make your way in the Bahamian paradise. Here, the sun, blue sky, and crystal clear ocean come together to create a one of the most stylish vacations you are likely to experience. If youre looking for the perfect place to spend your entire dream vacation, there are numerous houses for rent in the Bahamas that will truly give you the ultimate relaxation that youve been asking for. Leave everything from the hustle and bustle of city life and free yourself in this captivating tropical world.

Wherever you want to spend your vacation, the islands of the Bahamas always have something in store for you that will truly make your trip an unforgettable one. Lets get started.

Read more after the jump:



What to wear

The weather is hot all year round in the Bahamas and averages between 75F and 84F (24C-29C). This is warm and very nice, so you definitely need to make some smart fashion choices while on the islands. The point here is that you wont be needing a big coat, a pullover or a light jacket would be perfect for those cooler nights, but even then, it probably wont be necessary.

For men, some crisp lightweight chinos or shorts matched with some good quality t-shirts or more relaxed cut shirts (long or short is fine) are perfect for this kind of weather. Sandals and some more slipper like formal shoes, are also a nice option, especially if you are heading out to dinner and want to dress up a little.

For women, long and lightweight dresses are always a great option, mixed with some open toed footwear, like sandals. These dresses will keep you protected from the sun and keep you cool. Just like for the guys, shorts and some breezy and relaxed cut shirts are also a great option too.

One of the most important things to bring along is definitely something to swim in, because I am sure you will be doing a lot of it! If you are in doubt, there are a plethora of shopping options in the Bahamas, so if you need something, you can always buy it there too. Sunglasses and hats are also something that will make you look great and protect you from the sun too!

The Out Islands Experience

If you really want the authentic Bahamian experience, explore in the string of islands known as the Out Islands. In total, there are 700 pristine tropical Out Islands that make up 84% of the Bahamas land mass. Only 14 of them are inhabited. This is where the countrys most picturesque and unspoiled beaches lie. Getting there by boat is one of the best things to in the area or if you want, you can soar effortlessly over the strings of islands and be astonished of the picturesque view it offers from above.

Looking for a beach without the crowd? You made the right choice of visiting the area. There are numerous deserted islands that allow you to enjoy peace between the thrill of exploring the other island either by boat or plane.

Bahamas Beaches

Pristine beaches may be the first thing that comes to your mind when youre thinking of a spending your vacation in the Bahamas. Exploring of this tropical paradise allows you to be mesmerized of its distinctive features, from the crystal clear water lapping at the pristine beaches and having a tropical vegetation as its backdrop is indeed the epitome of a one of a kind vacation imagery.

Here are some of the best beaches that you may want to visit on each of the Out Islands:

 Abaco Beaches: Guana Cay, Treasure Cay, Tahiti Beach

 Andros Beaches: Tiamo Beach, Small Hope Bay Beach, Andros Lighthouse Beach

 Bimini Beaches: Radio Beach, Bimini Bay Beach

 Cat Island Beaches: Fernandez Bay Beach

 Eleuthera Beaches: Surfers Beach

 Exuma Beaches: Hamburger Beach, Coco Plum Beach, Three Sisters Beach

 Harbour Island Beach: Pink Sand Beaches

 Long Island Beaches: The Love Beaches

Diving

Being a destination that is surrounded by magnificent turquoise waters, it is bound to have truly idyllic diving sites. The Bahamas has been voted as one of the worlds top destination when it comes to diving activities. For those who dont use scuba gear, Deans Hole on the Long Island is the place that you should visit. Be stunned as you explore the vibrant reefs and diverse range of marine life. In addition, heres a list of some of the popular diving sites in the area:

 Custom Aquatics  Nassau & Paradise Island

 Lucayan National Park Cavern Dive & Hike  Freeport

 Wreck of the HMS Conqueror  Rum Cay: It is Britains first propeller driver warship. It lies in 30 feet of the water off Rum Cay. It is also preserved as the Underwater Museum of The Bahamas.

 Etheridge Wreck  Freeport: This is for intermediate level. It used to be an operating car ferry in the Carolinas. It also served as the setting for the movie in the Halloween series.

 Bahama Divers Ltd.  Nassau & Paradise Island

Harbour Island & Pink Sands Beach

Harbor Island is part of the Out Islands and is one of the most beautiful and well-equipped among others. It is known for its pink sand beach which created a worldwide buzz due to its incredible and unusual color. Tons of microscopic mollusk shells and the sand in the area were mixed together. When wet, the shells create an impressive red color that when being mixed with the white sand grains enable to display a lovely pink hue.

Live the James Bond Lifestyle in Staniel Cay

Staniel Cay and the activities that it offers will make you feel as if youve fallen right into a James Bond film. If you want to feel that vibes, then you better head straight to Staniel Cay. Exploring along the turquoise water onboard a speedboat as you visit the surrounding islands will surely offer you an incredible experience wherein every turn is truly a surprise. See the colorful world under as you snorkel in Thunderball Grotto and admire the beauty of its incredible watery cave.

Schooner Cays

Schooner Cays is located near Cape Eleuthera distinctively on the Southern tip of Eleuthera. It is a huge deserted tropical island which features a long stretch of pristine beaches. Astronauts have concluded that the Bahamas is one the most beautiful place on Earth viewed from space. Here, youll be stunned on to how the powdery white sand complements with the turquoise water and creates an unparalleled beauty one will genuinely admire. It is truly an ideal place to discover the natural beauty of the underwater marine life.

Pigs in the Bahamas

As you immerse in the limitless offering of the Bahamian paradise, dont forget to visit Staniel Cay and take an Exuma Pigs tour. Swimming with the charming Exuma pigs is one the must-try activities when visiting the island. These unique pigs enjoy a tropical beach life and even learn how to swim.

Be mesmerized as you get in the area wherein a number of pigs will definitely swim out to meet you. They are indeed friendly. They will swim closer towards the speedboat with their snouts raised above water, hoping for some tasty morsel to eat. The sight of these adorable pigs paddling through the crystal clear waters is entertaining.

Christopher Columbus discovered the Bahamas

The Bahamas is really known for its stunning beaches and countless activities it may offer to anyone who would like to visit this tropical paradise. However, for those who would like to know a glimpse of the Bahamians rich history, this is for you. Christopher Columbus, the man who circumnavigated the world, plays a big role in the Bahamas past. He actually gave birth to the name Bahamas. Youll also find interesting historical sites in San Salvador Island. Youll see a commemorative cross known as the Columbus Monument.

Nassau: the Cultural Heart of the Bahamas

Nassau is said to be the most active area of the Bahamas. It is originally known as Charles Town and was only renamed Nassau in 1695. It is also the capital city of the Bahamas. Youll witness here fantastic colonial architecture that is evident all around the city such as buildings which serves now as an excellent tourist museum.

If you want to know more of the rich history of this place, head to Old Town in Nassau. Here youll be transported to the historical center. There are museums in the area that will give you rich information about this destination in the past.

Junkanoo is the cultural side of the Bahamas. There is a famous annual event known as Junkanoo festivals wherein color, music and dance flood the streets of Nassau. It celebrates color and life. Groups of locals make their way to showcase their vibrant costumes, playing live music and even rallying the crowds as they cheer and dance their heart out.

Food and Drink

Seafood is probably the first thing that comes to your mind when thinking of the sumptuous cuisine in the Bahamas. Fresh and delectable seafood is being offered throughout the entire Bahamian archipelago. Dont forget to try the Fish Fry, lobster and the popular Conch fritters. You can also grab a local Kalik beer and pair it to the sumptuous seafood meal before hitting the beach.

Grab your bags and lets fly to the Bahamian paradise.

Images by Sally & Emily for Design SCENEMTN has stalled its plans to invest $750 million in Iran in the face of possible US sanctions on the market.

According to Bloomberg, the South African group has for at least a year been planning to build out fibre connectivity to a number of Iranian cities. The group is due to announce its H1 2018 results on 8th August, and will brief shareholders on its plans at this time.

Last year, MTN announced plans to acquire a stake in Iranian state-owned broadband firm Iranian Net and extend loans to the firm, which was formed in 2011. However, these plans have been stymied by a lack of funding from the countrys government, which is attempting to prop up Irans economy in the wake of a currency slump.

The USAs recent decision to withdraw from a global nuclear agreement with Iran has been deeply troublesome for a number of international firms operating in the market  particularly as the move was followed by further plans to reinstate a trade embargo on the energy and finance sectors.

While MTN CEO Rob Shuter has stated that the firm will attempt to exit problematic markets  it recently shuttered its operations in Cyprus  MTN has a large-scale operation in Iran with 43 million subscribers at the end of 2017, meaning a full market exit is unlikely. Iran is MTNs second largest market after Nigeria.

MTN entered the Iranian market in 2013, but its time operating in the Middle Eastern country has been marred by a longstanding legal dispute with Turkcell. The Turkish firm alleges that MTN won the tender process by committing unlawful acts, and is claiming damages of $4.2 billion after it missed out on the licence.Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski are still officially undecided on the Kavanaugh confirmation, but are helping their party smooth his path. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

With Rand Paul onboard the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation train, Democratic hopes for Senate Republican defections now depend on occasional party heretics Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. Aside from showing an intermittent willingness to throw off the party yoke, these two lawmakers also happen to be that rarest of phenomena: pro-choice Republicans. So youd think theyd be at least theoretically open to the possibility of blocking Kavanaugh as a likely fifth vote on the Supreme Court to reverse or significantly modify Roe v. Wade.

Collins and Murkowski remain officially undecided on Kavanaugh, but they sent a pretty strong signal of party loyalty by supporting their partys efforts to restrict the amount of documentation the judge will be required to supply prior to his confirmation hearings, as the Los Angeles Times reports:

Republican senators expected to hold key votes on President Trumps nomination to the Supreme Court are showing subtle signs of support for the effort to put Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the bench.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine said Tuesday that they were satisfied with the GOP plan to limit the scope of documents to be released regarding Kavanaughs record, despite Democrats call for a fuller review of the candidates work in Washington, particularly his years as staff secretary in the George W. Bush White House.

In effect, these senators are saying: Dont tell me anything I dont want to know.

Perhaps not coincidentally, over the weekend the Washington Post reported that Collins and Murkowski werent exactly feeling a lot of heat from back home to oppose Kavanaugh, as compared to the furor over health care that led both to oppose last years highly partisan effort to repeal and replace Obamacare:

In separate interviews, Collins and Murkowski said constituents view the health-care debate and the Supreme Court very differently. The protests are similar, the media campaign is more aggressive this time, but the constituent involvement is less. And I think thats because health care is so personal and affects everybody, Collins said.

A different level of intensity, a different level of intensity. What I was hearing at home were very personal stories, Murkowski recalled of last summers interactions with constituents. Literally people in tears. The level of just emotional outpouring that made it just  intense is the best word  is different than it is now.

Its true that the threat to reproductive rights posed by Kavanaugh is at this point hypothetical, while the other reactionary positions he is likely to take on the Court are complex and remote to the rather large majority of Americans who did not choose to spend three years in law school. But to the extent that Collins and Murkowski find it convenient to stick with their party and its anti-abortion base on one of the most crucial votes they may ever cast, people in Maine and Alaska who have reason to send up alarms about Kavanaugh may regret giving their senators a pass.Youve certainly noticed the largely increased numbers of SUVs going around you, no matter where you go. The entire world, with India among the leaders, have gone SUV-crazy for a while now, and while that may not bode well for sedan-lovers like me, there is no denying the prospect of value, utility and sensibility that these cars flaunt. Hyundai probably read between the lines when it first introduced the Creta in India, aiming to strike a balance between the butch-like form of SUVs and the car-like elegant driveability of sedans.

Quite some time down the line, the Hyundai Creta has been a solid success for Indias second-largest car company. Despite stiff competition, the Hyundai Creta has held its ground. That itself is no mean feat - the Creta has had to deal with the compact Ford EcoSport, the burly eight-seater Tata Hexa, and a stunning surprise package in the Jeep Compass. The segment itself is quite vast, being among one of the highest selling in India after the ultra-affordable compact hatchbacks.

Naturally, expectations were quite high when the 2018 Hyundai Creta was unveiled. On the face of it, there are not too many changes - the front grille has been upgraded, the new skid plates add a touch of durability, and has the Swachh Can inside - an in-car dustbin that the Korean car giant very notably flew brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan in to unveil at the 2018 Auto Expo. While it does tidy things up a bit (excuse the pun), how do all these changes reflect with the car itself?

Whats changed

Heres a point-wise breakdown of everything thats new in the 2018 Hyundai Creta:

A broader front grille that adds more road presence to the Creta, and adds more credibility to the Cretas SUV moniker. The edges have broader chrome trims, the slats are slimmer, and the cascading hexagonal design is more prominent and taller.

The front bumper has been redesigned, with bigger and more fluent creases around the front fog lamps, and shows smoother integration with the front grille to give a more visually appealing front facade.

The shape of both the front headlamps and the fog lamps have been slightly altered. This had led to a headlamp cluster that is integrated with the chrome of the front grille. It doesnt create a whole world of difference to be honest, but looks smart anyway.

The sides are exactly the same, but now features the new, 17-inch machine-cut alloy wheels.

The only two changes to the rear are the slightly taut rear bumper with a more prominent skid plate, and the new design on the tail lamps. The overall arrangement of the LEDs have been altered. Theres nothing good or bad here - just a new design to keep things fresh. It isnt a largely prominent change either, so doesnt exactly make that big a difference.

Inside, the list of new features strewn across multiple variants include the sunroof (most prominently), the Hyundai Swachh Can (which actually is more useful than it may get credit for), cruise control, six-way power-adjustable driver seat, day-night adaptive IRVM, an integrated wireless smartphone charger and Hyundais new Smart Key Band. More on this band later.

Technology and electronics

Beginning the Hyundai Cretas technology package is the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system running on Hyundais proprietary infotainment firmware. As always, the system is fairly smooth, although many may feel that Hyundai could have added a bit more of a premium touch to it. After all, theres a sizeable difference of Rs. 2 lac between the Creta and the mid-size sedan, Verna.

That, though, isnt reason for penalising since that added cost accounts for completely different classes of cars. The infotainment system offers integrated navigation with voice read-out, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Arkamys sound modes to improve the performance of the default speakers. The firmware is the same as we have seen in every Hyundai car, and the list of features is exactly the same as what Hyundai provides in the Elantra and the new Verna. Using the system is fairly easy, with clearly marked features.

Touch response is fairly fluid, although swiping around the map shows a slight amount of stutters. The display also supports splitscreen mode, which allows you to see the map and still have access to music controls at the same time. The colour scheme is not the most interesting, though, seeing how the likes of Jeep and Honda equip their cars with more interesting infotainment firmware. It is functional, but not the most engaging per se. That said, the native system itself is more than good enough for every function, and that reduces Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to optional elements that you can avoid using. Android Auto still makes sense since it integrates most instant messaging services, the Google Assistant and Google Maps within its ecosystem, and that makes it easy for you to access important messages on the move, if you must. Apple CarPlay, however, provides no navigation service in India so far, and has only recently included support for WhatsApp.

In the instrument cluster, while the backlit LED behind the analogue dials look decent, this particular layout is starting to look a little aged, and we hope that by the time the next generation comes by, instrument clusters in India will start becoming digital. The centrally-placed multi-information display panel shows the standard tripmeter, odometer, alerts and notifications, but somehow doesnt let you access call lists and recently played tracks, like in the Verna and Elantra. The panel is also monochrome, which may make it seem a bit dull on overall terms.

In terms of ports, the Creta includes the usual range of input sources, including two USB ports, an SD card slot (which houses the navigation maps), an aux port, Bluetooth and wireless charging for compatible smartphones. For other electronics, the Creta does not get the cooled seats like the Verna and Elantra, but the ORVMs are auto-folding. There are no automatic headlamps either, although these are ancillary features that you do not really miss unless you are really used to driving cars that have these features. The drivers seat gets six-way electronic seat adjusters and an auto-winding window, while the front passenger seat has manual adjusters, while the rest of the windows are manually-operable electronic ones. This new Creta also gets a sunroof, an increasingly popular choice even though India is not the strictly ideal country for top-down summertime cruising.

Talking of cruising, the 2018 Hyundai Creta now has cruise control, which coupled with the sunroof, the Arkamys sound mode and fairly impressive noise refinement, makes it a very enjoyable highway cruiser. Hyundai has put emphasis on making the Creta an easier car to live with, adding small but important features like the auto-dimming day/night IRVM, which really helps bespectacled individuals. The pick of the pack, though, is the Hyundai H-Band. A smart band very similar to the prototype that Tata showed with the Nexon, it is essentially a replacement for the key fob. The Hyundai smart band looks almost identical to the Fitbit Charge lineup of smart fitness bands, and charges via the provided proprietary adapter. The range of functions that you can carry out with the Hyundai H-Band include locking/unlocking, tailgate opening, engine start/stop, time display, vibration-based alarm and call alert, and in combination with a smartphone app called H-Band (available on Android and iOS), even record sleep cycles, show total/average calories burnt, steps taken and distance travelled.

It is this that is the stand-out element of the Hyundai Cretas technology package. While it isnt the natural course of action, I did get used to it fairly early, and once I did, it was really evident how such bands and other keyless options will be the way forward. While the Hyundai H-Band doesnt look particularly impressive, it is functional, and I actually left behind my wristwatch out of sheer convenience. That said, it still needs improving in terms of overall quality of build and reliability of showing time. After one full week, the H-Band still had 25 percent charge left, so battery life and frequent charging should be of no great inconvenience.

Design: Interiors and exteriors

As mentioned before, the Creta has remained largely unchanged in this facelift. Hyundai recognised that even after nearly three years of being in the market, the Creta is still popular among SUV buyers, and felt no need to alter that. They did, however, tweak around a few things to make the facelifted Creta worthy of being called a facelift. Lets begin with the exteriors.

Theres literally no difference on the side profile - the silhouette is exactly as the previous Creta. That, though, is a good thing, since the Creta already had a very proportionate design. It is an interesting offset from the rest of Hyundais cars in India (Grand i10, Verna, Tucson, Elantra) in terms of the design language - while the other cars follow distinct curves and smooth-flowing lines, the Creta has a slightly boxier approach, although even that has more gentle slopes and an elegant overall design. The more chrome-infused front grille now looks bolder and more refined, and has been made bigger to give the car a more imposing nose. It still isnt imposing per se, but certainly looks better. The slightly larger wheels with new, diamond-cut alloys look smart and suave, but arent particularly groundbreaking.

The new front grille looks impressive, but you will need to look closely to notice the change. It is bigger, broader and has better presence, making the Creta look more SUV-like. The alterations to the front and rear bumpers, too, have a likewise impact on the overall design  nothing too remarkable, but definitely an aesthetic impact that makes the Creta more of an SUV. On the inside, the overall layout of the dash is the same as the pre-facelift version. The notable upgrades here include a cruise control button on the steering wheel, electrically-adjustable drivers seat, a small dustbin with a blue cap on top, and the sunroof.

The entire layout, including that of all the controls and the central touchscreen are ergonomic, and we didnt really have much to complain about. The overall quality of plastics is decent, albeit a bit hard and scratchy in certain places. What we really like about the Creta is its roomy, airy cabin, thanks to the large windows and now the sunroof. The all-black interiors in combination with the grey accents, however, do make things look slightly dull. The overall design and layout is also quite smart, and to sum it up, the 2018 Hyundai Creta largely continues with the same design, quality and ergonomics as the one before, while making small additions. These small additions may not spell magic, but they do refine the car by a margin. I personally feel that Hyundai could have done much more with the Creta, and this facelift feels a bit too similar to the outgoing one. This works against the Creta, but only when you compare it with the older one. Evaluate it on standalone terms, and the 2018 Hyundai Creta has all the bells and whistles that you would want, need and expect from a car of its stature.

Drive and ride quality

Before we get down to analysing the drive and ride quality, heres a bit of a strange product decision by Hyundai  if you want the top-trim Hyundai Creta with the dual-tone interior and the sunroof, you cannot have it with an automatic gearbox. Im not entirely sure how that makes solid sense, since I personally love having an automatic car to drive when out in the city, and a sunroof as an option when Im out for a cruise down the Pune intercity highway on bright days. Its not a major, major deterrent, but many may frown upon this decision.

Nevertheless, we ditched the automatic gearbox in favour of having all the gizmos with us in the Creta. This variant we drove was powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 126 bhp and 260 Nm torque, and is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. This is the same engine that we drove and liked in the Verna, and the characteristics of it remain the same in the Creta as well. There is a bit of lag in the initial revs, but as you go beyond 1500 rpm and the car picks up pace, the engine evens out to deliver linear power. What this translates into is smooth acceleration, and a refined drive that allows you to go about the city without any fuss, and cruise down highways at good speeds.

The levels of noise, vibration and harshness are well-refined, and the Creta feels like a solid, stable car at any speed. I particularly love how easy it is to handle, although the steering wheel could have done with a bit more feedback. As for the ride quality, the Creta does get a bit surprisingly unsettled. Apart from this, the ride is fairly pliant, albeit a bit stiff. Still, rear seating for three worked perfectly fine, and while beige interiors may have worked better to brighten it up, I didnt find myself complaining much through the horrid Mumbai roads. That alone makes the Creta a winner.The Huawei Nova 3 packs all the features that are in demand this year. It particularly excels in the design. The dual tone glass back looks simply stunning. But the good looks inside is marred by an ugly EMUI interface. The performance of the phone also isnt at par with the competition, and the AI features are a hit or miss. The camera on the Nova 3 is good, but quite inconsistent. Overall, this is a device that will work best under ideal conditions, but a little out of the comfort zone, and the shortfalls start showing.

Huawei Nova 3 detailed review

The high-end segment has been seeing a lot of action, even more than the flagship segment for that matter. Most of the Snapdragon 845 phones that launched this year belongs to that flagship killer category carved out by OnePlus. The Huawei Nova 3 aims to beat OnePlus at its own game. With four-cameras, a stunning glass design and a lot of AI-backed features, the Nova 3 isnt taking any chances. But with top-of-the-line hardware now available even under Rs 20,000, can the Huawei Nova 3 priced at Rs 34,999 a good choice to go for? We find out.





Design

Youll stop and gaze at the Huawei Nova 3 before picking it up. Its that good looking. Where most phones go for solid colours in the design, the Nova 3 offers a gradient of colours. The phones colour changes shade from a deep purple to a chrome blue as you go upwards. The gradient change is also visible when you hold it in different angles creating vertical streaks of light. It takes the dual tone design from the Honor 10 and the Huawei P20 Pro and takes it up a notch, without going all gaudy and tacky. Needless to say, the phone will make heads turn.

But the fact remains that using glass automatically brings down the durability of the phone. Huawei didnt specify whether there is Gorilla Glass protection. The phone does have a solid metal frame holding the glass at the front and the back together with no flex whatsoever. Thats a respite. The phone also has a slim profile. I had no problem using it with one hand. The glass back adds a bit of heft but it also adds to the grip.

The colourful back panel houses the dual camera unit which has a slight bump and a fingerprint sensor. While the bump is just too subtle to take away from the good looks of the phone, it does tend to attract a lot of dust. Huawei provides a transparent case inside the box that keeps the glass back smudge-free. The endangered 3.5mm headphone jack remains and the phone is charged via a USB-Type C port.

The Huawei Nova 3 is all screen up front. While its not exactly bezel-less, its dangerously close to being one. Huawei manages to increase the screen real estate by putting a notch on the display. The notch houses dual cameras and an IR-sensor that is used to unlock the phone in the dark, apart from other sensors and the earpiece. The notch is much larger than the one on the OnePlus 6 or the Honor 10. The notch, as we have stated before, is a stopgap solution, in my opinion that is acceptable simply for the fact that it provides extra space to house the status bar icons. This leaves the rest of the space (that would be there without the notch) all for content. Huawei does offer the option to hide the notch, but even when you do, the icons continue to occupy the notched area keeping the rest of the screen free for everything else.

The Nova 3s design is one of the compelling factors to buy this phone. Its easy to hold, looks good and manages to make good use of the notch. However, there is no water and dust resistance, which calls for cautious use.

Display

Thanks to the notch on top, the display of the Huawei Nova 3 takes up most of the real estate up front. The minimal bezels makes the screen quite immersive and if youre in the dark with the screen on, it looks truly bezel-less. The Nova 3s screen stretches to 6.23-inches diagonally. Its an IPS LCD panel with FullHD+ resolution, which means the effective pixel density is around 409 ppi. Thats quite standard in notched displays. Its also not that wide allowing my tiny hands to reach the other end without much effort. As a result, the panel on the Nova 3 is quite functional. Huawei gives the option to dial down the screen resolution to HD+ so as to save some power.

Relatively speaking, the brightness levels on the Nova 3 arent all that high. In our tests, the display clocked a brightness of 634 lux, which is nowhere close to the OnePlus 6 which has an AMOLED panel and a rating of around 900 lux. That means you might have to strain your eyes to read content outdoors on a bright, sunny day. The display also has a strong blueish tint on top and the colour temperature is on the cooler side. It becomes apparent when youre reading text on a white background. Huawei does provide a blue-light filter. You can also tweak the text size and the font.

I watched a couple of episodes of Sacred Games on the phone and the experience was quite enjoyable. I was able to hold the phone easily as the palm rejection works quite well. Netflix also upscaled the video to fit the screen (without including the notched area). Other apps like YouTube and Amazon Prime Video also scale up automatically. In case an app doesnt, Huawei gives the option to run it in full-screen mode in the Settings menu.

Overall, the panel on the Huawei Nova 3 is functional to say the least. Its not as much as a head-turner as the design of the phone.

Performance

The Huawei Nova 3 is pitched as a flagship performer at a not-so-flagship price. The company essentially replicates the same strategy that made OnePlus devices popular. It is powered by the flagship HiSilicon Kirin 970 SoC thats designed in-house by Huawei. The Kirin 970 Soc has an octa-core setup with four Cortex A73 cores clocked at 2.4GHz and four Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. Theres also a co-processor inside to handle AI workloads. Based on the chipset alone, its clear that it cant match the performance of a Snapdragon 845-powered device. While on paper the Kirin 970 chipset can't work as fast as the Snapdragon 845, the two SoCs do deliver performance that is unhindered and butter smooth for the most part.

You also get 6GB LPDDR4 RAM and 128GB of UFS storage. Theres also expandable storage support via microSD cards up to 256GB, which isnt there in its closest competitor, the OnePlus 6. Although, you have to decide between a second SIM and a memory card, as it has a hybrid slot. If you choose two SIM cards, theres dual VoLTE that lets you get 4G connectivity from two networks.

Benchmark results show the Nova 3 isnt going head to head with the latest Qualcomm flagship chipset. It scored 207396 in AnTuTu while on Geekbench Single Core and Multi Core tests, it scored 1922 and 6616 respectively. It closest competition, the OnePlus 6 beats the Nova 3s test results by miles. But that doesnt really reflect in the real world usage though.

In real world usage, the Huawei Nova 3 is quite breezy and fluid. I saw no instances of the phone freezing or taking time to launch apps. Games like PubG Mobile loaded quite smooth, while Facebook, Instagram and the likes also had a lag-free experience. Even while gaming, the phone doesnt heat up by much. Switching between apps also doesnt stress the phone much. The software of the phone, however, is quite heavy. A flick through the Settings app will tell you the number of features it packs. Features like scanning a QR code to connect another device to the Wi-Fi network, dual instances of apps, battery usage broken down into hardware and software (very useful!), app lock and much much more. You wont find most of these features in stock Android phones. However, the UI could do with some polishing. The big, ugly icons seem like a cheap imitation of iOS. A strong clash with the aesthetics of material design in Google apps and EMUIs interface is very evident across the operating system. There is also two folders worth of bloatware here, out of which some can be uninstalled. This isnt your best designed UI to be frank.

Furthermore, Huawei uses an aggressive resource allocation algorithm that often kills background apps, including those that are essential. Facebook Messenger, as a result, didnt work correctly. I would often get messages once I turned on the phone. Notifications would be delayed. In fact, the problem has led to apps like VLC Player to blacklist Huawei devices.

Camera

The primary feature of the Huawei Nova 3 is its camera prowess. The phone offers not one, not two, but four cameras on its body. Two on the back, two up front. At the back is a 16MP primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture along with a 24MP secondary camera that shoots only in monochrome again with f/1.8 aperture. Both have PDAF and thanks to AI trickery, the Nova 3 can enhance the details of the photos taken by the hardware. Up front is a 24MP sensor coupled with a 2MP depth sensor for selfies. The camera is also not just for taking photos this time. Huawei has tied up with Amazon to offer an AR-based shopping experience. And then there are fun things to do like making 3D Qmojis which is Huaweis take on animojis.

The camera app of the Huawei Nova 3 is both intuitive and cumbersome at the same time. While the most used options are within the reach of the fingers, going to the Pro mode requires a few more swipes. A good thing is that you can turn off the AI-fication of photos. Theres also hardware-level HDR according to Huawei. Since there is a lot happening with the Nova 3s camera, weve broken it up into smaller sections for clarity.

AI Cameras

The four cameras on the body of the Nova 3 is infused with machine learning thanks to the NPU in the Kirin 970 SoC. The NPU aids the rear camera to detect around 22 different scenes that includes food, sunrise, blue skies, beach, etc. The front camera too can recognise up to eight different scenes. After understanding what youre shooting, Huawei goes ahead and applies more filters to make photos appear prettier. The results are a hit or miss. When it works, it looks really good, and when it doesnt, it becomes an eyesore.

Below are two photos taken at the same time. One with AI turned on and another with AI turned off. Theres a noticeable difference in the way the photos turn out. The photo taken normally is quite bland even though the sky ahead had all sorts of colours. The AI recognised Im shooting a sunrise and made the darker parts of the photos (near the buildings) brighter to increase the dynamic range. However, if you pixel peep the enhanced photo, you will notice a severe lack of details.

AI turned off

AI turned on

The second photo is also taken at the same time, but look between the buildings. You will notice a soft shadow of what would be other buildings far away. The AI simply ghosts them out and casts that ugly shadow in the photo.

HDR Pro

The Nova 3 rear cameras boast of hardware-level HDR capability where the phone takes multiple photos with multiple exposure points and fuses them together to improve the dynamic range. Its mostly good, although nothing close to what the Pixel 2 can do with its software-based HDR. Check out the sample below:

Low light

This when the HDR Pro mode is useful. In the photo below, I was focusing inside the restaurant where there was a lot of light. Most other phones I took the same photo from couldnt light up the Big Chill name properly. It was all dark and shadowy. The Nova 3, on the other hand, managed to light up the frame evenly. The insides are adequately exposed, not going too high. The details are visible. Thanks to the HDR Pro capability, even the outside of the photo was evenly exposed. However, truth be told, the OnePlus 6 also managed to do the same. There wasnt much of a difference between the photos taken by the two.

Shot from Huawei Nova 3

Shot from OnePlus 6

Using the AI mode in low-light isnt a good idea though. While you will get rich, saturated colours (with ample noise), ghosting around the edges of objects is more prominent. The photo below will demonstrate that.

Aperture Mode

The Huawei Nova 3 has separate categories of shooting bokeh shots and portrait shots. The former is called the Aperture mode here where you can simulate the aperture size from f/16 to all the way down to f/0.95 (!!). The aperture adjustment is of course software based and uses the secondary camera and machine learning to simulate the bokeh. The results are fairly consistent with the edges uniformly blurred. You can also see the amount of background blur in real-time while adjusting the aperture. It does not, however, look natural. You can make out this is the software doing the blurring and not an actual wide aperture as it lacks the circular highlights characteristics. .

Portrait Mode

The portrait mode in the Huawei Nova 3 is for shooting portraits. Huawei gives you the option of using 3D lighting effects like the iPhone 8 Plus has. The implementation is nowhere close to Apples though and you will look like a cutout poster when using it. Theres also a beauty filter that seems to be an advert for a fairness cream. In other words, I would refrain from using this mode to take portrait shots. Instead, using the pro mode or even the default photo mode is much better.

Monochrome

Over the years, Huawei has made a name for itself for its monochrome shooting capabilities. While there is no Leica branding on the Nova 3, it can also take detailed, rich monochrome shots using the 24MP B/W sensor. Take a look at the photo below.

AR Shopping

As a first, the Nova 3 also provides AR-based shopping experience powered by Amazon. The idea is to take a photo of an object and find it on the e-commerce portal to purchase. You can also scan bar-codes. But it doesnt always work. I used the feature on smartphones which was a hit or miss. The phone couldnt recognise the OnePlus 6 with its distinct Iron Man cover. I used it on my backpack and got results of other backpacks. It did recognise barcodes correctly though and redirected me to the product on Amazon. Its mostly a gimmick for now and will need more accuracy to become a reliable feature.

Front Camera

The dual front camera of the phone is also one of the highlights. The 24MP primary sensor is accompanied by the 2MP depth sensor. Theres also AI, HDR Pro and 3D lighting up front, along with bokeh mode and beautification. Feature wise, this is as packed as a selfie-centric phone can get. Selfies also turn out quite good, although a 1:1 crop will reveal a severe lack of details in the AI mode. The HDR Pro mode works well here to light up the face against a harsh source of light. The 3D lighting, however is better left unused.

Battery

The Huawei Nova 3 has a 3,750mAh battery that is quite adequate for the package. For the time I used the phone, it easily lasted me a full day. I mostly used the phone to take photos, browse social media and play PubG Mobile. While gaming for long drains the battery quickly, a one-time session wont require much juice. Furthermore, you get a fast-charging adapter that tops up the battery in around an hour.

Bottomline

The Huawei Nova 3 comes off as an impressive device. Its a 2018 smartphone through and through. The gradient-tone glass design, the taller display, AI cameras, are all features highly in demand this year and the Nova 3 ticks all the boxes. However, the implementation of the features are somewhat inconsistent, especially the AI enhancements. The design, while it looks stunning, isnt durable and you will have to put a case at the back which is counterproductive. While the processor is adequately powerful, it wont be able to outpace the Snapdragon 845-powered smartphones. Then theres the software which isnt the best out there. The Huawei Nova 3 at Rs 34,999 is a direct competition to the base variant of the OnePlus 6. Its a good alternative if you dont want to go for the OnePlus 6, but not the perfect substitute. Between the two, I prefer the UI of the OnePlus 6 and it definitely feels faster than the Nova 3. The camera on the OnePlus 6 isnt the benchmark by all means, but at least its consistent. The Nova 3 is wildly inconsistent and has some inherent issues like ghosting and lack of details that could be a dealbreaker if you tend to rely on your smartphone for your photos. In case you want to experience the power of AI in smartphones, a more affordable is there in the form of the Asus Zenfone 5z which takes on the OnePlus 6 on the spec-sheet and then some.Motorola is expected to unveil some new smartphones at its Chicago HQ event on August 2. One of the devices is speculated to be the Motorola One, which has popped up on TENAA, soon after the Motorola One Power made an appearance on the Chinese certification website. The listing gives a peek into the smartphones design and also gives a hint at what hardware it could come with. The images are in line with some previous reports as the Motorola One is seen featuring a glass rear panel. On the other hand, Motorola One Power is speculated to feature a metal rear panel.

Coming to the specifications, the TENAA listing hints at a 6.18-inch notch display with a 1080x2246p resolution and a taller 19:9 aspect ratio. It could be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 platform and could come in 3GB/32GB, 4GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB of internal storage options and it should come with a microSD card expansion slot as well. In terms of optics, the device could be equipped with a 16MP + 5 MP dual rear camera setup and come with a 12MP front-facing sensor. It is expected to be launched running on Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box and come in Black, Silver and Gold colour models. It could be backed by a 2,820 mAh battery.

As mentioned earlier, the Moto One Power was also recently listed on the TENAA website. Both the smartphones were earlier leaked in renders, comparing them side by side. Going by the image, the two phones look quite similar in terms of design and come with a similar notch screen with an edge-to-edge display. Both the phones are seen featuring an Android One logo branding at the bottom.

In terms of specifications, the Moto One Power could feature a 6.2-inch Full HD+ display with a 2280 x 1080 pixel resolution. Running on Qualcomms Snapdragon 636 SoC, the device is expected to come with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It is expected to be a part of the Android One programme with stock Android 8.1 Oreo onboard. The device could be backed by a 3780mAh battery. In the camera department, the phone might sport a 12MP + 5MP dual rear camera with f/1.8 and f/2.0 aperture lens respectively. On the front, it could feature an 8MP sensor with a f/2.2 aperture. You can learn more about the smartphones here.For the first time ever, OnePlus has leapfrogged Samsung and Apple to gain the top spot in the Indian premium smartphone segment in the second quarter of 2018, market research firm Counterpoint Research has said. The Chinese smartphone brand captured 40 percent of the market driven by record shipments of its OnePlus 6 as compared to its previous flagships. OnePlus was also the fastest growing brand in the premium segment registering a 446 percent growth, while shipments for Apple and Samsung declined year-on-year (YoY).

Samsung captured 34 percent share in the premium segment and its shipments declined a massive 25 percent YoY due to a downward spiral in shipments of Galaxy S9 as compared to Galaxy S8. Apples share in the premium segment reached its lowest ever at 14 percent due to decline in shipments for its iPhone 8 and iPhone X devices.

Counterpoint predicts that since OnePlus has now launched its offline and exclusive stores across key cities in the country, the brand will be able to reach out to a larger user base. As far as Samsung is concerned, the promotions related to S9 series helped to push sales in both offline as well as online channels towards the end of the quarter. For Apple, the research firm said that the increase in the import duty and absence of local manufacturing impacted the Tim Cook-led companys pricing strategy in India.

In terms of best selling models, OnePlus 6 was the best-selling model in premium segment in India followed by the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus and OnePlus 5T. The S9 series sales remain skewed in favour of S9 plus as users didnt mind spending extra for the larger screen.

Overall Indian premium smartphone market segment

According to Counterpoint Research, the premium smartphone segment grew 19 percent annually and 10 percent sequentially during the second quarter as more consumers upgraded to the flagship launches. The uptick in consumer demand in the premium segment was driven by increasing offers around new launches as compared to a year ago. These offers comprised of cashbacks, EMI, data bundling and trade-ins. Moreover, although the Indian premium smartphone market grew, the demand was skewed towards sub-Rs 40,000 devices due to aggressive offering such as OnePlus and that through online segment.

The top three brands Samsung, OnePlus and Apple contributed to 88 percent of the overall premium market as compared to 95 percent a quarter ago. The reason for this is the entry of new players in the segment led by Huawei (P20), Vivo (X21), Nokia HMD (Nokia 8 Sirocco) and LG (V30 Plus). This is a new trend where affordable ultra-premium is wooing aspiring rich and young consumers away from more expensive offerings from likes of Samsung and Apple. With likes of OPPO, Huawei, vivo and Google looking to be aggressive in Rs 40,000-Rs 60,000 segment in coming quarters, pressure on likes of Apple and Samsung will be even higher, Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, said.

Global smartphone market

When we see the bigger picture, global smartphone shipments declined two percent annually in the second quarter of 2018. The top 10 players now capture 79 percent of the market leaving over 600 brands to compete for the remaining 21 percent of the market. According to Counterpoints Market Monitor service, the weak smartphone demand is due to a slow-down in developed markets like China, US and Western Europe where smartphone replacement cycles are lengthening. Huawei became the top brand in a declining China market and captured the second spot in the global smartphone shipment rankings for the first time in a single quarter.

Huawei had a good second quarter in 2018 as it shipped more smartphones than Apple to capture the second spot in the global smartphone rankings, after seven years of Apple-Samsung dominance. Huawei achieved this by launching smartphones in the premium segment and capturing the mid-tier segment with its fast-growing Honor sub-brand. Huawei with its Honor brand is offering a broad and refreshed portfolio at affordable price which is driving growth in the overseas market. Honor, which is already strong in the e-commerce segment, is now adopting a multi-channel strategy through branded stores in the South East Asia market. We expect store counts to increase in the future, Pathak said.

Nokia HMD, OnePlus, Tecno, Xiaomi, Infinix and Huawei were the key fast-growing brands for the quarter. Lenovo, Gionee, Micromax and Sony registered the highest shipment volume declines in the quarter. Tecno entered the top 10 smartphone market for the first time. Together the three smartphone brands of Transsion holdings (Tecno, iTel and Infinix) accounted for over 9.4 million smartphones shipped during the quarter.

Major Chinese brands like OPPO, vivo, Huawei are now focusing on increasing their ASPs through gradually upgrading their portfolio to higher price bands by bringing in features like Artificial Intelligence, bezel-less displays, dual cameras and with innovative industrial design and colors, materials and finishes in the affordable premium segment. Brands in the mid-tier segment now launch multiple variants of the same smartphone with different storage capacities, tempting customers to spend more on a higher specd device. This also helps drive sales by increasing the portfolio breadth as well increased margins by selling devices with a higher price point, added Research Analyst Shobhit Srivastava.

Samsung led the smartphone market globally by volume with a market share of 20 percent. Huawei surpassed Apple to become the second largest brand globally with a 41 percent annual growth in shipments. The company managed to be the fastest growing (21 percent) smartphone brand in China and grew 71 percent overseas. The Chinese brand registered a 75 percent growth in Europe , 67 percent in Middle East and Africa and in India it clocked a whopping 188 percent growth. The third spot went to Apple which shipped 41.3 million iPhones, up just one percent compared to the same quarter last year. iPhone X remains the top seller for Apple during the quarter. Xiaomi shipped 33 million smartphones, capturing only nine percent of the global market share.Chinese conglomerate Huawei, and smartphone-maker OnePlus have already cleared their stances on 5G phones. Both the companies have already said that they look forward to launching their 5G-ready smartphones in 2019. It seems they have a competitor with Lenovo in the fray. The company's Vice President, Chang Cheng has claimed on Chinese micro-blogging website Weibo that the worlds first 5G phone will be from Lenovo and it will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset.

Cheng did not reveal any information other than this, but the claims suggest that Lenovo is ahead of the curve when it comes to launching the first 5G phone in the world. The mention of Snapdragon 855 is somewhat peculiar because there are not much details about the chipset available. A report had earlier claimed that Samsung, not Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), will be manufacturing the SoC on the 7nm process. Reportedly, Samsungs facilities are ready six months ahead of schedule, and are likely to manufacture the 5G modem chips for Qualcomm using their EUV fabrication process.

Previous reports have suggested that Huawei plans to launch its first 5G smartphone in the second half of 2019. The company presented a slideshow at the companys global analyst summit in Shenzhen which had details of companys plans related to 5G technology next year. Reportedly, Huawei will launch the first 5G mobile hotspot in Q2 of 2019 before it launches the smartphone. Huawei has also been conducting 5G trials in India, in partnership with Airtel.

On the similar lines, Founder and CEO of OnePlus Peter Lau said at the Mobile World Congress, Shanghai, that the company could launch a 5G-ready OnePlus device next year. The executive, however, did not confirm the name of the phone getting 5G capabilities.

Earlier this year, US market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) predicted that consumers will start seeing 5G on their smartphones sometime in the second half of 2019, with a steady rise in regional availability all the way till 2020. The firm claimed that nearly seven percent of all smartphones will be 5G-enabled by 2020.Foldable display smartphones are going to be the next big thing. Samsung has been working on a foldable smartphone for years, and it is rumoured to launch sometime next year. Huawei too has reportedly entered the race and intends to beat Samsung to the punch. Now, a new report from South Korea-based ET News states Xiaomi and Oppo are also planning to enter the race.

The report states that the two major Chinese manufacturers are looking for display manufactures to supply foldable displays to them. Theres a limited number of choices for the two  BOE, Visionox and LG Display. Huawei is relying on BOE to supply them flexible panels. They will also need other materials and components for a foldable smartphone. The phones are due to launch in 2019.

Xiaomi also doesnt intend to follow, but to lead. The company that recently became publicly listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange intends to begin production immediately after the announcement in 2019. Xiaomi will stick to the Chinese market for now and will aim to undercut its rival in terms of pricing.

Oppo too has acquired a patent for a foldable smartphone design which shows device that can double up as a tablet.

Samsungs foldable smartphone is likely to retail for US$ 1788 to US$ 2,652 (Rs 1,22612 to Rs 1,81,000 roughly) while Xiaomi plans to bring a foldable phone in China from US$ 890 to US$ 1,339 (roughly Rs 61,000 to Rs 91,820).At its 41st Annual General Meeting, Reliance Jio finally announced that registrations for its JioGigaFiber services will commence from August 15. However, it seems that the company is facing difficulties in the last-mile rollout due to unforeseen weather conditions. LiveMint, via someone who is close to the development, states The process of laying fibre outside has been stopped due to unfavourable weather as the government does not give permission to dig during rains. We have also confirmed of the same from our own sources within Jio. The company is reportedly ready to coordinate with local cable operators for tackling the problem.

Jio's Head of Strategy and Planning, Anshuman Thakur previously said that the companys FTTH network will cover 99 percent of the country and they will soon be ready to roll out the JioGigaFiber services. However, it seems that even after covering most areas of the country, the company is facing issues with a broader launch. It does not look like the company will be able to go for a mass-scale launch, LiveMint's source said. Rights of way is a huge problem at the municipality level. To overcome this, Reliance Jio has appointed one liaisoning officer for every state to ensure the roll-out is not delayed.

Jio had announced the commercial rollout of its JioGigaFiber plans early last month. With speeds of up to 1Gbps, the service is said to first rollout to 1100 cities across India after August 15, 2018, when the registrations for the service begin. The company has urged users to express their interest in JioGigaFiber through the Jio website or the My Jio app once the registration goes live. Regions with the largest number of registrations will get JioGigaFiber connectivity first, but the company is yet to announce the pricing of its plans.

While Jio is racing ahead for launching its services pan India, other telecom and broadband providers have also upped the ante. BSNL has reportedly revised four of its FTTH plans to offer additional data than the earlier set FUP and at higher speeds. The company has revised its FTTH plans priced at Rs 3,999, Rs 5,999, Rs 9,999, and Rs 16,999, and is offering 500GB, 1000GB, 2TB and 3TB of data per month respectively. You can learn more about the revamped broadband offerings here.See his vest, see his vest, made from real ostrich chest. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

After being delayed by six days, Paul Manaforts trial got off to a swift start in Alexandria, Virginia on Tuesday. Jury selection was completed just before 2 p.m., leaving time for both sides to offer their opening statements, and prosecutors to call their first witness.

Though this is the first trial stemming from Robert Muellers investigation (the second will come in September, when Manafort is tried for more explosive crimes in D.C.) no one mentioned the special counsel, Russia, or President Trump. Instead, jurors were presented with two portraits of Manafort: Prosecutors described him as a habitual liar who willfully avoided paying taxes to fund his lavish lifestyle, while the defense painted him as a gifted political strategist duped by his devious deputy, Rick Gates. There were also guest appearances from Bernie Sanderss former chief strategist and a $15,000 jacket made from an ostrich. Here are all the new revelations.

The jury

The jury consists of six men and six women, with three men and one woman serving as alternates.

Manafort jury pool so far: Largely white, appears to be well-educated, and have gov connections -- not surprising for Northern Virginia. Attorneys, software developers and other government workers in mix.  justin jouvenal (@jjouvenal) July 31, 2018

The jurors were selected from a pool of about 60 jurors from Northern Virginia. When Judge T.S. Ellis III asked if anyone had a connection to the Justice Department, nine people raised their hands. Oh, my goodness, he joked. Im not going to ask that question again.

Judge Ellis repeatedly reminded jurors not to discuss the case with anyone, or do any outside research. He said he hoped they will not hurry to slit your wrists, joking, There is a positive side to this. The court will supply your lunch every day.

As the trial got underway, Manafort tried to make eye contact with the jury. The Washington Post reports, He smiled wanly. The jurors did not smile back.

Prosecutors: Manafort believed the law did not apply to him

Manafort stands accused of hiding millions of dollars he earned from political consulting in Ukraine from 2008 to 2014, then engaging in bank fraud to keep himself afloat when those funds dried up. It seems the central question of the trial, which is expected to last three weeks, is whether these financial schemes were directed by Manafort or Gates. Manaforts longtime business partner, who also worked under him on the Trump campaign, was charged with similar crimes, but took a plea deal and is now the Mueller teams star witness.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye started the prosecutions opening statement with a bang. A man in the courtroom believed the law did not apply to him, not the tax laws, not the banking laws, Asonye said. That man is the defendant, Paul Manafort  Paul Manafort placed himself and his money over the law.

But Judge Ellis interrupted Asonye twice in the first minute of his presentation, first warning him to stick with what the evidence would show rather than making broad assertions, and then cutting off his description of Manaforts lavish purchases. It isnt a crime to be profligate in your spending, Ellis said.

Asonye quickly recovered, describing Manafort as someone who regularly lied about his business and income, and who directed staffers to file false tax returns to deceive the U.S. government. He said former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was Manaforts golden goose and that Manafort was paid handsomely by the oligarchs funding the campaign, who transferred money to Manaforts 30-plus foreign bank accounts.

The evidence will show that [Manafort] didnt want to pay income tax on all of that income  So, he didnt, Asonye said. Paul Manafort did not just forget about one account with a few thousand dollars in it. He had millions in those accounts every single year.

Asonye listed evidence of the extravagant lifestyle Manafort was trying to maintain: seven homes paid for in cash, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, several $5 million rugs, a $21,000 watch, and a $15,000 jacket made from an ostrich. He got whatever he wanted, Asonye said. His homes, his renovations, his jewelry, his clothing.

Defense: Manafort was duped by his deputy

While jurors seemed engaged during Asonyes 26-minute opening statement, according to the Post, they appeared visibly deflated during defense attorney Thomas Zehnles opening statement, and several who had been jotting down notes stopped writing.

Zehnle described Gates as a busy political consultant who essentially failed to check a box on government forms, and whose biggest mistake was putting his trust in the wrong person, Rick Gates. He said Gatess job was to coordinate with Manaforts bookkeepers and tax preparers, and for the first time accused his clients deputy of stealing money from him.

He embezzled millions of dollars from his longtime employer. He abused his position of trust, Zehnle said. Rick Gates hid his hand in the cookie jar and he could not take the chance his gig would be found out.

Zehnle said Gates only flipped to save himself from prosecution, and noted that hed pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in financial fraud and lying to authorities, yet the government is going to ask you to trust him.

In an effort to counter the prosecutions portrait of Manafort as a man who routinely deceived his country to continue enjoying bizarre luxury goods, Zehnle emphasized that Manafort is a second-generation immigrant, first in his family to go to college, and claimed the focus of his work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine was to bring the country closer to Western democracy.

And sure, items like ostrich jackets sound weird to the average American, but Zehnle said thats the world Manafort lived in.

Paul Manafort travels in circles that most people would never know, he said. He lived a lifestyle that most people can only dream of.

The first witness: Bernies former strategist

Following opening statements, the prosecution called its first witness: Democratic strategist Tad Devine, who was Bernie Sanderss chief strategist during the 2016 campaign. Devine worked with Manafort on Yanukovychs campaign, and said he was impressed by the professional operation he set up.

However, Devine undermined several claims made by the defense. While Manaforts attorneys said he was only paid via bank accounts in Cyprus because thats how his Ukrainian clients wanted it, Devine said he did not have any accounts in the country. He also said that while Manafort and Gates were technically business partners, its was clear who the boss was.

Paul was in charge, Devine said. Rick worked for Paul.

Prosecutors did not bring up the Sanders connection, but the defense noted that he has worked for the senator and other top Democrats including Al Gore and John Kerry. Prosecutors objected to this apparent attempt to suggest Devine is biased, as the judge ordered that political references be kept out of the trial. But Devine agreed when a defense attorney said he isnt often on Manaforts side politically, replying, Thats fair to say.

Devine would not comment on the case outside the courtroom, saying only, Paul deserves a fair trial.RIL wins arbitration against government's $1.7-bn gas siphoning claim

An international arbitration tribunal has rejected the Indian government's claim of $1.55-billion against Reliance Industries and its partners for allegedly siphoning gas deposits from nearby fields belonging to stare-run explorer Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

The three-member arbitration panel in Singapore instead awarded $8.3 million in costs to RIL and its two partners, the company stated in a regulatory filing.

"An international arbitration panel has issued an award in favour of Reliance, BP & Niko (Consortium) rejecting completely the claims of the government of India against the consortium in respect of migrated gas, by a majority of 2 to 1," it said.

The government and ONGC had claimed that the consortium led by Reliance Industries Ltd has been siphoning gas from ONGCs fields in the Krishna-Godavari basin off the eastern coast, and had demanded $1.7 billion in compensation.

The tribunal rejected the claim and ordered the government to pay the consortium, comprising BP Plc and Niko Resources, $8.3 million (Rs56.44 crore), according to RILs exchange filing.

The arbitration panel contended that the RIL consortium is entitled to produce all the gas from its contract area and that there is no basis for the claim made by ONGC and the Government of India.

The dispute arose in November 2016 when the government issued a letter to the contractor group of the D6 block in the Krishna-Godavari basin claiming migration of gas from neighbouring blocks. Reliance Industries, which was the operator of the D6 block, invoked the dispute resolution mechanism in the production sharing contract and issued an arbitration notice to the government.Assam NRC: Amit Shah asks opposition whether Indians have no rights

Amidst opposition outcry against the non-inclusion of immigrants from Bangladesh and elsewhere in the updated draft of Assams National Register of Citizens released on Monday, BJP president Amit Shah asked the opposition whether they have any concern for the rights if Indian citizens who are getting sidelined in the votebank politics.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha about Assams Nation Register of Citizens, Amit Shah on Tuesday accused opposition parties of votebank politics over Assams citizenship list, asking them to clear their view on illegal immigrants.

If you talk about human rights, what about the rights of people of Assam? Their rights of education, jobs were being taken away, Shah said later at a press conference.

This step (NRC) has been taken for protecting the rights of the people of India, Shah said.

We want Rahul Gandhi (Congress president) to clear his stand on illegal immigrants. When in power, they delay the matter and when in opposition, they oppose it. Vote bank politics should not be above national interest, he said, following up on his Rajya Sabha speech about the issue.

Dont genuine citizens of this country have human rights? NRC is for security of this country. Opposition should clear stand on Bangladeshi infiltrators, he said, accusing West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also of votebank politics.

Amit Shah termed the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as a filter to keep out illegal Bangla migrants  saying Bharat ke koi bhi nagarik ko chinta karne ki zaroorat nahin hai (No citizen of India has any reason to be concerned).

Mamata Banerjee has been vociferous in her opposition to the NRC draft and called for Modi governments ouster. She also spoke of civil war over the NRC list.

Amit Shah gets nod for Kolkata rally amid war of words with Mamata Banerjee.

In a state where history and geography have created multiple identities intertwined over the years, the NRC has cleaved open more than one fault line: cutting across ethnicity, language, religion. On the ground, however, its not so simple.

Over 4 million non-citizens  Hindu and Muslim  find themselves among the uncounted. Parents, sisters and brothers, and children have failed to find a place in the draft.

The government, however, says the draft is not final and those who were left out for no fault of theirs will be brought back to the register.Paytm Payments Bank stops adding customers as RBI faults its KYC process

Paytm Payments Bank has stopped enrolment of new customers on its platform following the Reserve Bank of Indias observation that its process of acquiring new customers has not been not in conformity with the know-your-customer (KYC) guidelines.

Paytm is reported to have stopped enrolling new customers on 20 June, after an RBI audit found that the process of enrollment the company did not adhere to KYC norms in acquiring new customers.

RBI has directed Paytm Payments Bank to stop onboarding of new customers with immediate effect, reports quoting sources familiar with the matter said.

Another person, a company executive, said that Paytm is modifying its account opening process to introduce current accounts due to which new account creation process has been paused.

RBI is also reported to have raised objections about Paytms chief executive Renu Satti as it considered her unsuitable for leading a banking services firm. RBI requires a banker at the helm of a payments bank.

Paytm, however, held that Renu Sattis appointment was made on 19 May 2017 after an official approval from the central bank.

In a statement on Friday, Paytm said Satti had stepped down from her position as Paytm Payments Bank CEO to take on a new role within the company. She will be leading the new retail business at Paytm as its chief operating officer.

Paytm is yet to fill the position of the payment banks CEO. The spokesperson did not comment on whether Paytm has been told to stop enrolling new customers.

RBI also observed that Paytm should have better security mechanisms to store customer data and asked Paytm Payments Bank to have an office separate from that of One97 Communications Ltd.

The company recently moved its Paytm Payments team to a new facility in Noida amidst a surge in adoption of digital payments in tier-II and tier-III cities, which now account for half of its total user base.

Paytim, meanwhile, has achieved an annual run rate of five billion transactions and $50 billion in gross transaction value (GTV) - a sharp rise from June 2017 when the companys GTV was $1 billion.

These include mobile phone recharges, bill payments via Unified Payments Interface (UPI), wallet transactions and all purchases made via the Paytm Mall platform or the Paytm payment gateway. It does not include National Electronic Funds Transfer, or debit and credit card transactions.

The payments bank business has been under the scrutiny of authorities, including the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which had in December temporarily barred Bharti Airtel Ltd and Airtel Payments Bank Ltd from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using eKYC (electronic know your customer) process as well as e-KYC of payments bank clients.

Paytm Payments Bank is a separate entity, with 51 per cent owned by Vijay Shekhar Sharma and the rest held by One97 Communications.

One97 Communications, the parent of Paytm, has raised over $2 billion since its inception, and is currently valued at over $10 billion.

Paytm competes with wallet players such as MobiKwik, FreeCharge and PhonePe. The number of mobile wallet users in India is expected to grow from the current 200-250 million to around 500 million in the next couple of years.

The entire user data in the Paytm app goes into a data lake, and a team in Canada uses it to formulate the rules of the risk engine and other software.US court blocks online posting of blueprints for 3D-printed plastic guns

In a major setback to the gun lobby in America, a federal judge in Seattle on Tuesday stopped the release of blueprints to make untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns.

The temporary block on the release of the blueprints is a setback to President Donald Trump, who has backed the move to make such guns available for download.

US district judge Robert Lasnik warned that there was the possibility of irreparable harm because of the way in which the guns could be made. Eight attorneys general, representing states ruled by the Democrats, had filed the lawsuit seeking to block the settlement between the US government and Defense Distributed, a Texas-based company that had come out with the gun.

We were asking for a nationwide temporary restraining order putting a halt to this outrageous decision by the federal government to allow these 3D downloadable guns to be available around our country and around the world, said Bob Ferguson, attorney-general of Washington state.

Democrats had urged Trump not to allow the company to offer its designs to make the guns online. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal told the media on Tuesday that by not blocking the sale of the guns, blood would be on Trumps hands.

The Justice Department claimed the government reached a settlement with the Texas company to post details online as the restrictions were applicable only for weapons that could be used in wars.

The weapons designed by Defense Distributed did not provide any military advantage, so the government could not regulate the data that was being provided online, it argued.It's official, the Mercedes-Benz X-Class V6 is the most expensive dual-cab ute in Australia.

Consisting of two models that mirror the current X250d  entry-level Progressive and top-spec Power  the only rival to the V6-powered Volkswagen Amarok will start from $73,720 plus on-road costs when arrives later this year, $17,730 more than the most affordable V6 ute from its German rival.

But it will be the most expensive mid-size dual-cab ute on the market, eclipsing the recently revealed Ford Ranger Raptor, with the top-level Power priced from $79,415 plus on-road costs.

While $4425 more than the desert busting Ranger Raptor, the Mercedes produces more power and torque and records a quicker 0-100km/h run of 7.5 seconds. It also features a coil-spring rear-end like the Nissan Navara its based on for a softer ride.Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Trumps midmorning tweet that said Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now was not an order, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders explained Wednesday. It was his opinion, she said, and therefore, it wasnt obstruction of justice.

The president is not obstructing, hes fighting back, Sanders said, seeming to contradict herself in the span of eight words.

Sarah Sanders on Trumps tweet calling for Jeff Sessions to end the Russia investigation: The president is not obstructing, he's fighting back pic.twitter.com/ZkFbfszx7m  BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) August 1, 2018

Sanderss attempt to explain away Trumps tweet comes after his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, told the Times that reading it as an attempt at obstruction is bizarre and idiotic.

Its also pretty easy to do, since the tweet marked the first time Trump has directly appealed to Sessions to end the probe. Sessions recused himself from the Russia probe last year, so Trump seems to want him to un-recuse himself and fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

Trumps lawyers have emphasized that he was careful to use the word should in the tweet so it did not read as a command. Still, theres little doubt that a printout of this one will find its way into Muellers files as he investigates possible obstruction-by-tweet.

Sanders made other noteworthy comments Wednesday, including a bizarre defense of Trumps apparent unfamiliarity with grocery shopping. At a rally Tuesday night, Trump referenced the requirement to show ID when buying groceries, which doesnt exist. Sanders suggested that Trump, who is 72 and doesnt drink, was talking about having to show ID when buying booze.Local councillor Joanna Byrne has called on the countys chief fire officer to halt the alarming decline in retained firefighter numbers in Co Louth.

Louths Chief Fire Officer Eamonn Woulfe attended the most recent sitting of the Housing Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) on Monday at the request of the Chairperson Sinn Fein Councillor Joanna Byrne.

Mr. Woulfe gave an informative presentation to the SPC on the recently published report reviewing Fire Safety in Ireland giving Councillors, PPN reps and Union delegates the opportunity to discuss the changes and recommendations suggested.

The report, comprised in the aftermath of Grenfell, initiated a broader review of fire safety legislation and policy, with many recommendations including a focus on high-rise buildings, multi-unit social housing blocks, Community Fire Safety, Integrated Risk Management and legislative responsibility among others.

Cllr Byrne said: a major area of concern is the current issue of Recruitment and Job Retention among the retained ranks of Firefighters in Louth and the impact on the implementation of the recommendations in the report given that the numbers, especially in Drogheda, are depleting at an alarming rate.

Cllr Byrne added: The retained crew in Drogheda is massively under-resourced, by a third in fact and deteriorating by the week. A major investment needs to be put into recruitment for this particular area and incentives made available to retain current firefighters. We cannot continue to stand idly by and watch these deeply valued public servants leave the service, in particular from the retained ranks who are a solid support to the full-time crew.

Cllr Byrne called on the Chief Fire Officer to review a multitude of things which she believes are essential and of the utmost importance, including a major recruitment drive supported by a Social Media campaign, plus an overall review of the retained/full-time structures within the county and to work with the Director of Services for Housing to establish suitable housing structures in the vicinity of the Fire Station to accommodate retained firefighters.

Cllr Joanna Byrne said: it is no longer enough expressing our appreciation of this valuable frontline service, its time to support them properly and put investment where it is needed.According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, nearly three million Australians live with depression and anxiety  affecting their wellbeing, personal relationships, career and productivity. As a past sufferer, and the CEO of Bloom College, I believe we need to proactively deal with the problem of stress in the workplace rather than avoid it and simply hope the issue will fix itself.

We need to allow sufferers to share their pain and ask for help. Hopefully, this will result in them feeling happier in their lives, which will naturally spill over into their work productivity.

Lets discuss how employers can identify stress related symptoms in their employees and provide unusual and creative methods of team building which can help alleviate the suffering.

Acknowledge the signs

Anxiety is oftentimes a precursor to depression. In this regard, it can be used positively as an early warning sign. Once it comes up, its essential to check in and dive deep to uncover whats under the surface of it. Essentially, it can be helpful in letting you know when youre starting to steer off course.

Employees can be taught to identify the signs and act accordingly. Implement a strategy where they can feel at ease calling a meeting or simply checking in with their team leader to let them know whats going on and ask for help to identify why. Follow up the conversation with your employee later and see where changes can be made to their work environment to improve their situation.

Are they in the right job?

Lack of fulfillment breeds anxiety so ensure your employees are well-aligned to their roles. Their values need to match up with the tasks they are set. For example, if an employee holds variety as one of their highest personal needs they will be forever dissatisfied in a role that requires the same tasks be performed day in and day out. Keep in mind that sometimes a person is perfectly suited to the business but not the role.

Create a healthy environment

Here are eight things you can do to create a mentally healthy workplace environment:

Ask staff to check emails at specific times of the day, not as they arrive in the inbox, and get them to switch off notifications. Not knowing what may arrive at any given time leads to an anxious state and lowers productivity. Your inbox should not act as a to-do list which takes you off task and into the tasks of others. Make a top three list rather than a to-do list. A top three list is a list of key tasks to achieve that day. The items on the list must reflect the goals of the role in your business and must be clear and achievable. For example, they shouldnt be the title of a project but rather an item within a project. Create a no reading emails after hours policy. Home time is designated for home, friends and family! Thirty years ago clients could not connect with employees after hours. Lack of natural sunlight is having a large impact on employees. Sunlight hitting the retina of the eyes is required to produce serotonin, and low serotonin levels is linked to depression. Keep blinds open and encourage outdoor breaks. Designated break time should be sacred and ideally taken outside. Fresh air and exposure to the sun helps rejuvenate the mind. It can be particularly helpful in the winter months when the days are shorter and you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. Allow for privacy as certain personality types crave alone time. Many workplaces are open plan these days, but if space allows for it offer a relaxation spot or time out zone. Offer fresh fruit, organic if possible! Remove any chocolate or refined sugar sweets that can increase mood disorders. The science behind good gut health and mental health is overwhelming and I can personally attest to it. Offer tasks that include contribution. For example, NAB offer a program to their staff where they can have two days per year paid working for a not-for-profit. You might like to offer help to your local community. Get your staff onboard to help you choose a charity that will align with them and your clients.

The secret to living is giving. When we are focused on others its almost impossible to feel anxious or depressed. In the workplace, providing tangible, accessible and therapeutic ways of dealing with employee stress in a supportive and non-competitive environment will achieve greater results for your business and employees mental health.

By Yvette Timmins, Founder & CEO of Bloom College, Award Winning Florist, Speaker & Mental Health Advocate.Starting a small business is equal parts liberating and downright daunting. Its a giant leap of faith and one that doesnt always leave you standing on solid ground. Odette Barry, the media, digital marketing and communications expert behind Odette & Co, has been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. When she launched the business back in 2016, she did so with the intention of achieving two things: to offer unparalleled social media, digital marketing, PR and content creation services; and to lead a more balanced, beachside life with her young family.

Two years on and shes ready to share some home truths about starting a small business that no one tells you.

The good news

It opens up a world of opportunity  for you, and your family

Before taking the leap to launch Odette & Co, Odette led a successful marketing career for more than 10 years, working for the likes of TAFE NSW and the Australian Physiotherapy Association. But truth be told, stepping away from full-time employment opened up a world of opportunity not just for her personally, but for her family.

This is what fuels my soul, she says. Being my own boss gives me the ability to be there for my son and spend my mornings on the beach with my dog, watching the sunrise. And while theres a lot to be said for the security that comes with working for someone else, I wouldnt trade this in for anything. Its been truly liberating and I get such a buzz from finding solutions for my clients many marketing and communications challenges.

It means you can mould your own team

Having the flexibility to do away with the more traditional structures that come with big corporate gigs has also been a buzz. When youre the one running the show, rigid hiring strategies simply dont apply  you can be flexible, agile, when it comes to building your own team. This is particularly useful when youre in the early stages of business and need to make the most of your resources. The result? Odette has built roles around the key skills displayed by her existing team members, and its working.

Its so hard to know the tipping point in small business, that moment when you can really afford to grow, so having the opportunity to really pinpoint the key strengths that lie within your team and moulding roles around those core capabilities is crucial, says Odette. Were literally growing something from the ground up, and it feels good.

It will fuel friendships

Small teams are tight knit  no matter where they are in the world. Since Odette regularly draws on expertise from freelance folk dotted across the country, she knows that distance means nothing to a strong working relationship, and friendship.

This digital world has opened up so many opportunities for me and my business  the connections Ive made have led to some long-lasting friendships with people Ive only ever spoken to on the phone or over FaceTime/Skype, says Odette. Its a wonderful thing, being able to draw on the expertise of people outside of your business immediate footprint. And what Ive found along the way is that kindness is such an under utilised commodity. We need to remember that more often in business.

The not so good news

It can be difficult switch off

Yes, being her own boss has been good on so many levels for Odette  were talking dogs and cats in the office, time out with her son and even the odd day spa visit. But having that flexibility doesnt mean her mind ever really switches off from Odette & Co.

Im not going to lie, there have been times where Ive felt chained to my desk until 2am, she says. It comes with the territory and it still completely fills my cup  but you need to establish some boundaries and try your best to stick to them. This can be particularly tough in the digital media landscape when both your work and social lives are intertwined on social media platforms. Thats where a self-imposed social media detox has to be scheduled, every now and then, for my own sanity and for the sake of the business.

For Odette this means leaving the screens behind, even just for a few hours. She minds in this time that her attention span increases, creativity soars and her memory and focus improves.

Youll be present in the moment and youll communicate better. So leave your phone in your bag whenever you can, dont have it sat in front of you on your desk. Leave it at home when you go for a walk and use airplane mode when you need some mental space. Need additional motivation? Delete social media apps after hours.

It will see you question your self worth

Its next to impossible to extract your sense of worth from your pricing strategy  particularly when youre starting out. The best lesson Ive learned is to separate the emotions and become friends with a little hardnosedness when it comes to pricing. You dont need to discount, if you are asked to, perhaps think about if the client is really worth it.

Its a steep learning curve

People who launch their own business obviously know their immediate field inside out and back to front  serve that up with a healthy dose of courage and theyre ready to take the leap. But that doesnt mean there wont be steep learning curves along the way, something Odette particularly found to be true when it came to understanding a business legal requirements.

Ill put my hand up to that one  I didnt know much, but thats where you need to seek out professional help, says Odette. Ive since outsourced not only my legal admin work, but my accounting too, and its been one of the best decisions Ive ever made. I know my business is ticking all the right boxes and it frees me up to focus on what I do best. Still, I do believe the next generation should be better educated on these kinds of topics  mandatory entrepreneurial subjects at school would be a massive bonus.

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The U.S. Department of Defense has decided to bet on the cloud for much of its future information technology operations -- presenting significant opportunities for cloud service providers (CSPs) and related IT suppliers.

However, DoD's latest foray into cloud technology has stimulated significant criticism from a large swath of the IT and CSP sectors. DoD released its final request for proposal for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud program last week. The program, dubbed "JEDI," could reach a total contract value of US$10 billion over 10 years, DoD said.

Potential contractors must submit bids by Sept. 19.

Yet the structure of the contract will deny opportunities for multiple IT and CSP providers to gain a share of the JEDI program -- and the RFP actually may favor one provider, critics have contended.

As DoD circulated drafts of the proposal earlier this year, industry groups such as the IT Alliance for Public Sector (ITAPS) and the Professional Services Council cautioned the Defense Department about the structure of the contract. Now that the proposal is official, those concerns could spur legal actions.

In essence, the JEDI program represents an approach to managing DoD's IT infrastructure with a particular emphasis on fully exploiting cloud technology as a key element, and perhaps eventually the core element -- of the department's IT operations. The rationale for JEDI was framed more as a remedial effort to overcome current deficiencies than a positive goal going forward.

DoD's "lack of a coordinated enterprise-level approach to cloud infrastructure makes it virtually impossible for our warfighters and leaders to make critical data-driven decisions at 'mission-speed,' negatively affecting outcomes," says the JEDI draft statement of objectives. The JEDI cloud program "will provide enterprise-level, commercial cloud services as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS)" for more than 40 components of DoD, including all the major military services.

IT Provider Challenges

While industry groups generally agree that DoD could improve IT management significantly, and that cloud technology is central that effort, these groups still take issue with the specific contract terms of the proposed JEDI project.

A key objection is that DoD has insisted on using a "single award" concept for JEDI. Although Secretary of Defense James Mattis told Congress this spring that JEDI would feature "full and open" competition and avoid a sole source, the RFP language frustrates that objective, according to industry groups.

The preliminary drafts of the proposal were designed to "facilitate the deployment of a single cloud under this program," said Trey Hodgkins, senior vice president at the IT Alliance for Public Sector (ITAPS), which represents major IT providers.

"Deployment of a single cloud conflicts with established best practices and industry trends in the commercial marketplace, as well as current law and regulation, which calls for the award of multiple task or delivery order contracts to the maximum extent practicable," Hodgkins wrote in an April letter to Congress. "Further, the speed of adoption of innovative commercial solutions, like cloud, is facilitated by the use of these best practices."

Yet the final RFP again emphasizes the single-award concept and includes a contractual "determination" for such using such a vehicle. That may not quiet the critics.

Industry sources this spring challenged various DoD positions in a response to a Defense Department report to Congress that defended the JEDI contract terms.

DoD Faulted on Best Practice Claim

Single source arrangements would lead to more efficient management and more responsive acquisition, according to DoD, by avoiding more time-consuming administration of a multivendor mechanism in which in a roster of providers are qualified to bid on subsequent task orders.

Such contracts are common in government IT acquisition and can involve more than 10 providers, along with subcontracting potential.

Based on DoD market research, "migration to a single cloud is consistent with industry best practice," the department states in its May 2018 report to Congress on the JEDI program.

However, the private sector has routinely managed complex, multicloud environments, industry representatives have contended, and the department's need to integrate JEDI into a multisystem environment would require it to confront the same issues it seeks to avoid by using a single vendor.

In addition to management issues, the single-award concept could put the award recipient in a position to dominate future cloud contracting, critics of the DoD proposal have objected.

Vendor lock-in is still a major concern within the industry, despite DoD's statement to Congress this spring.

"Technology changes, and the RFP as drafted would discourage innovation," noted John Weiler, vice-chair of the IT Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public-private partnership focusing on federal IT issues.

"Providers have different capabilities which the government should tap, rather than make it difficult to obtain multicloud resources," he told the E-Commerce Times.

"The DoD approach appears to pave the way for JEDI to be the Department's all-encompassing cloud facility, which raises concerns about the future of the current DoD milCloud capability and the Defense Information Systems Agency, and the impact on current providers," Weiler said.

A further worry about the single-award strategy is that the RFP terms likely could favor one potential vendor: Amazon Web Services. The company has contracted to provide IT and cloud capabilities for the Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, and other federal agencies.

"We are concerned that the department may have engendered a sort of institutional bias" when it comes to Amazon, Weiler said. "I would not be surprised to see that the RFP will be protested," he added.

Broader Approach Indicated

The RFP itself discusses JEDI in the context of a broad panoply of cloud solutions, even though DoD selected the single-award strategy.

"This is a full and open competition that will result in a single-award contract," said Defense Department spokesperson Heather Babb.

"While JEDI cloud is an initial step toward a department-wide cloud solution, DoD will continue to operate in a multicloud environment due to diverse mission needs," she told the E-Commerce Times.

"If there was an effort to centralize all cloud approaches under the JEDI program, then current efforts probably would not still be under way. Navy is about to award an enterprise-wide commercial cloud services contract. The Army just added a dozen vendors to its ACCENT cloud services contract vehicle," said Alex Rossino, senior analyst at Deltek.

"Defense agencies have been directed to move all of their cloud-ready systems to milCloud 2.0. I suspect none of this would be going on if JEDI was intended to be the one cloud to rule them all," he told the E-Commerce Times.

Nor does the single-award strategy preclude competition, Rossino noted, because multiple teams have the capabilities to meet DoD's requirements.

However, "vendor lockin is a different story," he said. "DoD could get around that by awarding multiple contracts to build a single cloud infrastructure. This might sound like it's not efficient, but requiring multiple contractors to develop an interoperable cloud infrastructure would satisfy concern among industry, Congress and the DoD."

While the RFP's release constitutes the final invitation to bid, DoD said it would take questions and comments through Aug. 16, via a special format within the RFP.

John K. Higgins has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2009. His main areas of focus are U.S. government technology issues such as IT contracting, cybersecurity, privacy, cloud technology, big data and e-commerce regulation. As a freelance journalist and career business writer, he has written for numerous publications, including The Corps Report and Business Week. Email John.

Deadly heat waves are breaking records and making headlines around the world this summer, but they have nothing on the heat waves that the North China Plain is likely to see in the future if we don't act now to combat climate change.

A study published in Nature Communications Tuesday found that if we do nothing to curb emissions, China's most populous and agriculturally important region could see heat waves deadly even for healthy people by 2100.

"China is currently the largest contributor to the emissions of greenhouse gases, with potentially serious implications to its own population: Continuation of the current pattern of global emissions may limit habitability of the most populous region of the most populous country on Earth," study authors Elfatih A. B. Eltahir of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Suchul Kang of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology wrote.

The researchers looked at something called wet bulb temperature, which is measured by wrapping a wet cloth around the bulb of a thermometer, according to MIT.

As the water evaporates, the bulb is cooled, but at 100 percent humidity, no evaporation is possible and the cloth has no impact on the thermometer's read.

The measure is important for assessing the joint impact of heat and humidity on health, since humans can only cool themselves through sweat and cannot do so if it is both too hot and too humid.

At a wet bulb temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, research suggests that even healthy humans cannot survive outside for more than six hours. The researchers found that "wet bulb" days surpassing 35 degrees would become more common in the North China Plain from 2070 to 2100 if no action is taken to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

"This spot is just going to be the hottest spot for deadly heat waves in the future, especially under climate change," Eltahir said in an MIT release.

This is a problem because the North China Plain is the country's most important growing region, and many of its inhabitants are farmers with no choice but to work outdoors, The Guardian reported.

Eltahir and Kang have done research into the potential for climate change to lead to similarly deadly heat waves in the Persian Gulf and in Southeast Asia. Those studies also predicted an increase in these events in some places, but none of their previous research has turned up potential impacts this dire.

The most extreme temperatures in the Persian Gulf region were also expected to occur over the water, not over population centers. This is not the case for China.

"This is where people live," Eltahir said in the MIT release.

The research also showed that irrigation in the region made the problem worse, adding half a degree of Celsius of warming to the area because it increased humidity. Water vapor can also act as a greenhouse gas.

"Irrigation exacerbates the impact of climate change," Eltahir said in the release.A record-breaking near 19 months into his first term, President Donald Trump is finally set to name a science adviser in meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier, Science Magazine reported Tuesday.

If the Senate confirms his nomination, fellow-scientists say Droegemeier could be a much-needed voice of reason on climate change and the importance of research funding in an administration hostile to both.

"He's a very good pick," Harvard environmental policy expert and science adviser to former President Barack Obama John Holdren told Science. "He has experience speaking science to power. I expect he'll be energetic in defending the R&D budget and climate change research in particular."

Droegemeier is an expert in extreme weather events and has worked to develop the use of supercomputers in atmospheric models as part of his research career. He would be the first non-physicist to hold the position, Nature reported.

Droegemeier has also worked in policy before, serving on the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation, under both Obama and former President George W. Bush. He has also served as the vice president for research at the University of Oklahoma in Norman since 2009.

If confirmed, he will officially be in charge of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where he will inherit a much-reduced staff. During the Obama years, the OSTP swelled to around 135 staffers, and was a key part of budget and policy decisions, particularly around climate, according to Science. When Trump took office, the number of staffers fell to around 35, but has climbed up to around 60 since.

Droegemeier's career suggests he could be an important advocate for science.

In an opinion piece co-written for the Des Moines Register and reported by Nature, he urged the White House and Congress to continue to fund scientific research in the 2018 budget.

"Though the benefits of short-term savings in the yearly federal budgets may be appealing, they result in insidious, long-term consequences. Due to underfunding, we risk losing an entire generation of researchers," he wrote.

Colleagues think he would also stand up for climate science specifically.

"He always has. I see no reason why he wouldn't now," Massachusetts Institute of Technology vice president for research Maria Zuber told Science.

Rosina Bierbaum, who is an environmental policy expert at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and worked with Droegemeier on climate change for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, agreed.

"I'm certain he believes in mainstream climate science," she told Nature.

However, former OSTP assistant director Kei Koizumi cautioned that Droegemeier's success isn't entirely up to him.

"Kelvin will be a good science advisor, but so much of what makes an effective science advisor depends not on the person, but on the president and the White House," Koizumi told Nature.

Under Trump, the OSTP has focused on technological development, from enabling cities and states to work with manufacturers to test drones to gathering the leaders of 34 major U.S. tech companies to discuss policy that would lead to better robots and artificial intelligence, The Washington Post reported.

As the OSTP's leader, Droegemeier might also be tasked with developing more effective cybersecurity measures, including ones designed to stop Russia from spreading false information on social media, experts told The Washington Post.Sundar Pichai. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images

Thirsty for Chinese users, Google is planning on reviving its search engine within the Great Firewall. For about a decade, Googles search engine has not operated in China, due to significant censorship restrictions put in place by the government, which would limit certain sources and results from appearing in search.

According to internal documents obtained by the Intercept, The project  code-named Dragonfly  has been underway since spring of last year, and accelerated following a December 2017 meeting between Googles CEO Sundar Pichai and a top Chinese government official. It concerns a custom Android app that will allow the search engine to operate in the country in compliance with government regulations. It has already been demoed to officials and could be finalized in the next six to nine months.

According to the Intercept:

Googles Chinese search app will automatically identify and filter websites blocked by the Great Firewall. When a person carries out a search, banned websites will be removed from the first page of results, and a disclaimer will be displayed stating that some results may have been removed due to statutory requirements.



The search app will also blacklist sensitive queries so that no results will be shown at all when people enter certain words or phrases, the documents state. The censorship will apply across the platform: Googles image search, automatic spell check and suggested search features will incorporate the blacklists, meaning that they will not recommend people information or photographs the government has banned.

The Chinese government, for example, blocks websites about the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, and on social media sites, blocks reference to books like 1984, which is not particularly complimentary of authoritarianism.

In broad strokes, Google is developing a system for suppressing information at the direct request of the government in exchange for financial gain. And it is developing a system that, from the Intercepts description, sounds portable, meaning that Google can take its locked-down version of its search engine and bring it to any other country that requires it. Its a slippery-slope scenario, in that now Google can no longer assert that itd rather not be in the business of strong censorship on behalf of authoritarian governments.As teachers, we tend to buckle down, do the tough work, and ask for little recognition in return. This quiet dedication is often overlooked in lieu of flashier (and sadly negative) narratives that blame teachers for low test scores and call for hunting down and firing those who are deemed ineffective.

But unfortunately, the narrative that sometimes hurts the most is one that seems positive at first glance: the notion of the superhero or martyr teacher who single-handedly, tirelessly, and miraculously transforms an entire group of studentsto the detriment of his or her health, personal life, and well-being.

Many of us have seen and even idolized the teachers in biographical movies like Stand and Deliver, Freedom Writers, and The Ron Clark Story. Too often, however, martyr teachers like these are heralded as the community standard of what all teachers should be. While I greatly admire the work and dedication of these teachersJaime Escalante, Erin Gruwell, and Ron Clarkits time for the unhealthy narrative of the martyr teacher to die. This expectation does a disservice to the entire profession.

The notion of the martyr teacher often suggests that great teachers must live a life of imbalance, poverty, and continual self-sacrifice. In Freedom Writers, Gruwells characters singular dedication to her students puts stress on her marriage, and she gets divorced. The teachers in Stand and Deliver and The Ron Clark Story are both hospitalized due to overwork.

But teachers need not be martyrs to transform the lives of their students. Valuing ourselves doesnt mean we love kids any less. As professionals, its time for us to shift unrealistic perceptions and demand more respect and compensation for the life-changing work that we do.

As a 16-year public school educator, I have personally struggled with teacher martyrdom, but Im ready for changeand I hope you are, too. Here are five ways educators can make the teaching profession better and shake off the expectations of martyrdom:

1. Say no and set stronger boundaries. We need to ditch the do it for the kids mentality that so often overrides our natural and reasonable boundaries. Our inability to say no not only burdens our coworkers (who feel compelled to say yes because they dont want to be seen as the one teacher who does not care about the kids), but it creates a massive imbalance in our homes and personal lives when we prioritize our work in the name of helping children. One of the most important things that we can do is to set aside non-negotiable blocks of time to spend with loved ones, pursue passion projects, or work on our physical health.

2. Lay down our superhero capes. We need to give ourselves room for flaws so that our students can see realistic models of successful but imperfect adults. A wise woman once told me, The definition of excellence is doing the best you can with what you have at the time. Ever since, I have made it my mission to bring that definition of excellence to my classroom each day.

I suffer from the chronic condition of being human (and I bet you do, too). I mess up. Sometimes, Im less patient, less understanding, and less prepared than I would like to be ... and sometimes I just feel like less, in the classroom and out. However, I am learning to forgive myself, like I forgive my students, and start each day brand new. The same way in which we believe in our students, we need to believe in ourselves. We deserve forgiveness, too.

3. Ask for fair compensation. Yes, teaching is a calling, but I wish we would collectively stop giving praise to harmful, but well-intentioned rhetoric that says our financial compensation is not importanti.e., Teachers dont teach for the income. Teachers teach for the outcome. Although many of us enter the teaching profession for philanthropic reasons, being a great teacher does not mean taking a vow of poverty. It does not diminish our altruism to ask for fair compensation for our time, effort, and skills.

Given how little teaching pays, is it any wonder so many students aspire to become pop stars and athletes instead of honing their intellect? Recently, I have been exhilarated to see so many educators challenging this detrimental paradigm through protests and demands for reform .

4. Invest in ourselves. While it is so easy to spend our wealth in our classrooms, are we planning for the future? Are we taking care of our health (mental and physical)? Are we financially preparing for retirement? I dont know about you, but Im terrible at investing in myself. This school year, Im planning to improve my physical health and spend a little less money on the classroom so that I can fund my retirement properly.

5. Play politics. One of the most common teacher complaints is that while we tend to the business of teaching, those who are ill-equipped and less-informed become the regulators of our profession. While I know its scary to leave our traditional classrooms, lets branch out and educate our community in the name of self-advocacy.

Im proud that more teachers are inserting themselves in the national fray of politics, because it means we are finally rejecting the false paradigm that our work is apolitical. Lets step out of our of comfort zones by running for political office , serving on policy boards , and becoming education lobbyists. By redefining the role of teacher to make it include teaching those in our community and across the nation the value of what educators bring to the table, we can begin to leverage our expertise for the greater good of both teachers and students.Racewalker awarded Sword of Honour

A Manx racewalker has been awarded the President's Sword of Honour by the Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association.

Erika Kelly finished ninth in the women's 20km race walk at the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast earlier this year, just three years after taking up the sport.

The 25-year-old, who has a genetic eye disease which has left her visually impaired, has been included on the Isle of Man Sport Aid's Tokyo Target programme for the 2020 Olympics.

The sword is presented to the individual or individuals judged to have made an outstanding contribution to the Island's Commonwealth Games team.Manx Utilities issues water saving advice

Manx Utilities are urging the public to use water wisely ahead of the hosepipe ban.

The Authority wants Manx residents to consider ways to use less water, such as taking short showers instead of baths, not running the tap while brushing teeth and using the shortest cycles on the washing machine.

The organisation also advises locals to reuse water from sinks, baths and dehumidifiers to water plants.

The hosepipe ban will be in force from Friday - those who breach the ban could face a fine of up to 1000.OFT warns Manx residents of condom recall

The Isle of Man Office of Fair Trading is urging Manx residents to check batch numbers on condoms after a product recall from Durex.

Durex has recalled specific batches of non-latex Durex Real Feel and Durex Latex Free condoms due to concerns over burst pressure towards the end of the condom's shelf life.

The affected batches are all due to expire between December 2020 and February 2021.

A full list of batch numbers affected can be found on the OFT's website.

Those who find they have condoms from the recalled batches should take them back to where they bought them for a refund.

More information can be found on Durex's website.A multidrug-resistant bacterial species that can cause infections in hospitals is becoming increasingly tolerant to the alcohols used in handwash disinfectants, a new study finds. The analysis of bacterial samples taken from two Australian hospitals over 19 years suggests that the species Enterococcus faecium is adapting to a mainstay of infection control used in healthcare facilities worldwide. Treatment-resistant bacterial species such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus have become an increasing source of concern for hospital workers over the past several decades. Hospitals have therefore adopted stringent hygienic procedures to keep dangerous microbes from infecting patients; these procedures often involve the use of hand rubs and washes that contain disinfectants based on isopropyl or ethyl alcohol. However, drug-resistant E. faecium infections have increased despite the use of alcohol disinfectants, and currently represent a leading cause of infections acquired in hospitals. This alarming development prompted Sacha Pidot and colleagues to investigate whether E. faecium could be developing resistance to the alcohols used in hand rubs. They screened 139 E. faecium isolates - or isolated bacterial samples - previously collected between 1997 and 2015 from two hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, and studied how well each isolate survived when exposed to diluted isopropyl alcohol. The isolates gathered after 2009 were on average more tolerant to the alcohol compared to bacteria taken from before 2004. The authors then seeded different E. faecium isolates onto the floors of mouse cages and found that the alcohol-tolerant isolates better colonized the guts of mice that were housed in the cages after the cages were cleaned with isopropyl alcohol wipes. Analysis of the bacterial genome revealed that the tolerant isolates harbored several mutations in genes involved in metabolism that conferred increased alcohol resistance. The authors say that examination of isolates from hospitals in other geographical regions is necessary before any major conclusions can be drawn. However, the results indicate that global efforts to mitigate bacterial resistance should consider how microbes can adapt not only to drugs but also to alcohols and other ingredients used in disinfectants.

###For most people, a trip to the beach involves slathering on a thick layer of sunscreen to protect against sunburn and skin cancer. However, savvy beachgoers know to reapply sunscreen every few hours because it eventually washes off. Now researchers, reporting in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology, have detected high levels of sunscreen chemicals in the waters of Shenzhen, China, and they also show that the products can affect zebrafish embryo development.

A painful sunburn can ruin a vacation, and too much sun can also lead to more serious problems like premature skin aging and melanoma. Therefore, manufacturers have added ultraviolet (UV) filters to many personal care products, including sunscreens, moisturizers and makeup. Scientists have detected these substances in the environment, but most studies have concluded that individual sunscreen chemicals are not present at high-enough levels to harm people or animals. Kelvin Sze-Yin Leung wondered if combinations of UV filters may be more harmful than individual compounds, and whether these chemicals could have long-term effects that previous studies hadn't considered.

Leung and his team began by analyzing the levels of nine common UV filters in surface waters of Shenzhen, China --- a rapidly growing city with more than 20 popular recreational beaches. They found seven of the nine chemicals in Shenzhen waters, including public beaches, a harbor and, surprisingly, a reservoir and tap water. Next, the researchers moved to the lab where they fed zebrafish, a common model organism, brine shrimp that had been exposed to three of the most prevalent chemicals, alone or in mixtures. Although the adult fish had no visible problems, their offspring showed abnormalities. These outcomes were mostly observed for longer-term exposures (47 days) and elevated levels of the chemicals (higher than what is likely to occur in the environment.) The effects of different UV filters and mixtures of these substances varied in often-unpredictable ways, suggesting that further studies are needed to determine how these chemicals impact living systems.

###

The authors acknowledge funding from the Shenzhen Science, Technology and Innovation Commission, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Hong Kong Baptist University.

The paper's abstract will be available on August 1, 2018, at 8 a.m. Eastern time here: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.8b02418

The American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

For more research news, journalists and public information officers are encouraged to apply for complimentary press registration for the American Chemical Society's 256th National Meeting & Exposition, Aug. 19-23 in Boston.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Follow us: Twitter | FacebookLeather car seats were once synonymous with luxury, but these days, synthetic suede is becoming the material of choice for high-end automobiles. With increased affluence worldwide, and the growing popularity of car-sharing and luxury-driving services, business is booming for manufacturers of synthetic suede. Among these companies, Japanese firms sit snugly in the driver's seat, reports an article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society.

Japanese textile companies have combined manufacturing excellence, a willingness to invest in research and development and the ability to form relationships with car makers to develop high-quality seat materials, writes Senior Correspondent Jean-Fran?ois Tremblay. Toray Industries invented high-end artificial suede---which is two-thirds polyester and one-third polyurethane---back in the 1970s. The material was initially popular in the apparel sector, but as fashion trends changed, Toray and its Italian subsidiary, Alcantara, found a new market for the material in luxury cars. Now, increased demand for synthetic suede has prompted the companies to expand their facilities and ramp up production.

Other Japanese manufacturers of synthetic suede and leather are also doing well. Asahi Kasei is increasing its capacity by 50 percent in Japan for its Lamous brand of synthetic suede, which is already used in about 100 models of luxury cars worldwide. Seiren offers a new type of synthetic leather branded Quole, made from polyurethane and polyester fabric. According to the manufacturers, the synthetic materials offer advantages over natural leather and suede, such as lightness, weather- and stain-resistance and a wide range of colors and properties.

###

The article, "The unexpected source of that luxury feel in car interiors," is freely available here.

The American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Follow us on Twitter | FacebookLubricity measures the reduction in mechanical friction and wear by a lubricant. These are the main causes of component failure and energy loss in mechanical and electromechanical systems. For example, one-third of the fuel-based energy in vehicles is expended in overcoming friction. So superlubricity -- the state of ultra-low friction and wear -- holds great promise for the reduction of frictional wear in mechanical and automatic devices.

A new joint Tel Aviv University/Tsinghua University study finds that robust structural superlubricity can be achieved between dissimilar, microscale-layered materials under high external loads and ambient conditions. The researchers found that microscale interfaces between graphite and hexagonal boron nitride exhibit ultra-low friction and wear. This is an important milestone for future technological applications in space, automotive, electronics and medical industries.

The research is the product of a collaboration between Prof. Oded Hod and Prof. Michael Urbakh of TAU's School of Chemistry; and Prof. Ming Ma and Prof. Quanshui Zheng of Tsinghua University's Department of Mechanical Engineering and their colleagues. It was conducted under the auspices of the joint TAU-Tsinghua collaborative XIN Center and was published in Nature Materials on July 30. The paper can be found at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-018-0144-z.

Enormous implications for computer and other devices

The new interface is six orders of magnitude larger in surface area than earlier nanoscale measurements and exhibits robust superlubricity in all interfacial orientations and under ambient conditions.

"Superlubricity is a highly intriguing physical phenomenon, a state of practically zero or ultra-low friction between two contacting surfaces," says Prof. Hod. "The practical implications of achieving robust superlubricity in macroscopic dimensions are enormous. The expected energy savings and wear prevention are huge."

"This discovery may lead to a new generation of computer hard discs with a higher density of stored information and enhanced speed of information transfer, for example," adds Prof. Urbakh. "This can be also used in a new generation of ball bearing to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. Their energy losses and wear will be significantly lower than in existing devices."

The experimental part of the research was performed using atomic force microscopes at Tsinghua and the fully atomistic computer simulations were completed at TAU. The researchers also characterized the degree of crystallinity of the graphitic surfaces by conducting spectroscopy measurements.

Close collaboration

The study arose from an earlier prediction by theoretical and computational groups at TAU that robust structural superlubricity could be achieved by forming interfaces between the materials graphene and hexagonal boron nitride. "These two materials are currently in the news following the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics, which was awarded for groundbreaking experiments with the two-dimensional material graphene. Superlubricity is one of their most promising practical applications," says Prof. Hod.

"Our study is a tight collaboration between TAU theoretical and computational groups and Tsinghua's experimental group," says Prof. Urbakh. "There is a synergic cooperation between the groups. Theory and computation feed laboratory experiments that, in turn, provide important realizations and valuable results that can be rationalized via the computational studies to refine the theory."

The research groups are continuing to collaborate in this field studying the fundamentals of superlubricity, its extensive applications and its effect in ever larger interfaces.

###

American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel's most influential, comprehensive and sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University (TAU). TAU is recognized and celebrated internationally for creating an innovative, entrepreneurial culture on campus that generates inventions, startups and economic development in Israel. TAU is ranked ninth in the world, and first in Israel, for producing start-up founders of billion-dollar companies, an achievement that surpassed several Ivy League universities. To date, 2,500 US patents have been filed by Tel Aviv University researchers -- ranking TAU #1 in Israel, #10 outside of the US and #43 in the world.Photo: DEFCAD

Today was supposed to mark the moment America officially entered the age of the downloadable gun.

Until a last-minute block by a Washington State federal judge last night, Austin-based 3-D-printable firearm manufacturer Defense Distributed was set to legally post blueprints for 3-D-printed firearms and parts on its website. Those include digital downloads of parts for a Beretta M1911 a Ruger 10/22, and yes, even an AR-15.

Ultimately, U.S. District Court Judge Robert S. Lasnik found that the lawyer bringing the suit against Defense Distributed had established a likelihood of irreparable harm. A follow-up hearing in Seattle is slated for August 10.

Lasniks ruling was the culmination of several days of heated debate across the country over printable firearm technology. On Monday, 21 state attorneys general sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, urging them to withdraw an earlier federal settlement with Defense Distributed that had opened up the possibility of selling gun blueprints. In the letter, they noted the key concerns surrounding the technology: untraceability, the bypassing of federal background checks, an ability to undermine basic security like metal detectors (3-D-printed guns can be made completely out of plastic), and ease of access for those looking to deal death.

In addition to helping arm terrorists and transnational criminals, the settlement and proposed rules would provide another path to gun ownership for people who are prohibited by federal and state law from possessing firearms, the letter reads. Illegal trafficking of these guns across state and national borders could also increase, and self-made, unregistered, and untraceable firearms could easily wind up in the hands of (or simply be produced directly by) dangerous individuals.

Even President Trump, whose campaign thrived off of anti-gun-control rhetoric and NRA funding, signaled uncertainty over 3-D-printed firearms this week. I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Trump tweeted. Already spoke to the NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense!

The NRA did not respond to Select Alls request for comment when asked to clarify its position on 3-D-printed technology.

I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018

Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson pushed back via a series of Tweets on Tuesday against the multiple state attempts to block the blueprints. Several hours after the ruling, however, Wilson posted one final, defeated post.

By order of a federal judge in the Western District of Washington, DEFCAD.com is going dark, Wilson Tweeted.

By order of a federal judge in the Western District of Washington, https://t.co/ZEOYuTOs4a is going dark.  Cody R. Wilson (@Radomysisky) August 1, 2018

DEFCAD.com, the website Defense Distributed expected to use to share its blueprints no longer listed firearm blueprints. Instead, visitors to the site see this text:

This site, after legally committing its files to the public domain through a license from the U.S. Department of State, has been ordered shut down by a federal judge in the Western District of Washington.

Though the block, however short-term, represents a significant win for gun-control advocates, you shouldnt expect the prospect of 3-D-printed firearms to go away anytime soon. According to CNN, over 1,000 people already had access to the blueprints as of Monday. Select All also found several Reddit forums distributing some of Defense Distributeds firearm blueprints through mirrored links. The block means that the distribution of these links are indeed illegal, but as Motherboard writes, the recent headline-grabbing debate over the technology means the demand for 3-D-printed firearms are at an all-time high. Besides, when has the threat of illegality ever stopped products from reaching the internet?

How Did We Get Here?

This new domain of silicon weaponry owes its moment to a lawsuit filed by Defense Distributed against the State Department three years ago, which also centered around the dissemination of blueprints on its site. The Obama-administration State Department demanded that Defense Distributed remove the gun blueprints from its website, accusing the company of violating the International Trade in Arms Regulations, which prevents the distribution of firearms and military equipment across borders. (Since the company posted these blueprints online, anyone around the world with an internet connection, a 3-D printer, and a firearms fetish could theoretically print out a gun.)

The companys suit, which was settled last month, centered around the argument that forcing the company to remove the code for the blueprints was a violation of the First Amendment guarantees for freedom of speech. While relying on a free-speech claim for near-unfettered distribution of weapons may seem like a stretch, the argument was enough to convince the government, and has the support of digital-free-speech heavyweights like the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The EFF, which focuses on digital rights and free speech and often supports traditionally liberal causes, backed Wilsons case in a 2015 amicus brief.

In an email to Select All, EFF staff attorney Kit Walsh said that despite the amounting backlash over Wilson and Defense Distributed, they still stand by their decision and ultimate argument prioritizing free speech. We still believe that it wasnt appropriate for the government to restrict online speech under a regime that had no objective legal standards, no judicial oversight and no deadlines for a decision, Walsh said. Even if you dislike Defense Distributeds publication of weapons designs, the system in place had severe constitutional problems.

The freedom-of-speech arguments offered by the EFF and other Defense Distributed defenders are compelling. Compelling enough, in fact, that in his ruling yesterday, Lasnik made it a point to acknowledge that there were serious First Amendment issues.

Wilson opened a Pandoras box when he created the Liberator, the worlds first fully 3-D-printed gun. Photo: Robert MacPherson/AFP/Getty Images

Ultimately, Wilson, Defense Distributeds 30-year-old founder and self proclaimed crypto anarchist, opened what Wired called a Pandoras box of do-it-yourself firearms when he pulled the trigger on his first printed handgun five years ago. The Liberator, as its called, broke often, could only fire a single round, and appeared to more closely resemble an ill-crafted kids Super Soaker than the menacing armada of precision tactical weapons you might imagine in a sci-fi novel.

Since then, though, copycat makers around the globe have evolved Wilsons design, first with an all-metal 3-D-printed handgun, followed by several plastic variants capable of firing multiple rounds without fracturing. Initially, the radical libertarian pipe dream of completely independent, totally unregulated firearms was just that, due to the limited access and exorbitant price tag entwined with 3-D printing.

Those barriers are shrinking. With each subsequent minor advancement in 3-D-printed firearms, the accessibility of 3-D printers has expanded, and the costs continue to decline. Now, in 2018, anyone with a decent printer and moderate tech wherewithal can potentially download and manufacture untraceable, unregistered AR-15 lower receivers, and fully printed semi-automatic plastic handguns and firearms capable of evading detection and usurping metal detectors.

For his part, Wilson has reportedly reaped millions from Ghost Gunner  a computer-assisted gun mill that allows owners to carve blueprinted weapons out of stronger material like aluminum  but he insists that hes not motivated by money. Instead, his libertarian position follows a not-uncommon theme among radical tech disruptors and hackers: Information wants to be free.The rufa subspecies of Red Knot travels from its breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic to its winter habitat in South America and back each year, an incredible 15,000 kilometers each way. Its numbers have fallen precipitously in recent decades, and with such a broad range, determining what's behind the shorebird's decline is a huge challenge. A new study from The Condor: Ornithological Applications examines Red Knot nesting habitat preferences across the Arctic and determines that while there is plenty of breeding habitat to support today's population, climate change could pose a threat in the future.

Rutgers University's Richard Lathrop, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey's Larry Niles, and their colleagues attached radio tags to 365 knots captured while migrating through Delaware Bay in 1999-2006. To learn where and in what sort of habitat the tagged birds nested, they then conducted surveys via small airplane across the south and central Canadian Arctic, a vast study area spanning from Victoria Island in the west to Baffin Island in the east. They also carried out detailed ground-based surveys on Nunavut's Southampton Island. Across both scales, knots preferred to nest in sparsely vegetated areas on sedimentary bedrock, near but not directly adjacent to the coast or interior wetlands, to which they commute in order to forage.

The study shows that there are more than 74,000 square kilometers of suitable rufa Red Knot habitat across their Central Arctic breeding range--enough space for at least that many breeding pairs, assuming one square kilometer of territory per nest. Since the entire population currently numbers only around 42,000 individuals, it's unlikely that a lack of available breeding habitat is contributing to the species' decline; knots' problems must lie elsewhere. However, suitable breeding conditions for a number of Arctic shorebirds, including knots, are predicted to shift and decline in coming decades due to climate change. An understanding of species-habitat relationships will be crucial for present and future conservation efforts.

"It took many person-hours over many years of intensive field surveys to find the several dozen occupied Red Knot nests that we located and documented. The area we aerially searched for radio-tagged birds spanned over 1700 km in length, the same distance as from Georgia to Maine," says Niles.

Lathrop adds, "Using the power of satellite remote sensing, data mining analysis, and geospatial modeling, we were able to extrapolate from the field and radio-telemetry surveys to map potential nesting habitat for these birds across wide expanses of the Canadian Arctic. These same tools and techniques could be applied to advance our knowledge about other Arctic-nesting shorebirds."

"Implementing effective conservation actions for long-distance migrant birds often involves the systematic elimination of insignificant factors to identify important biotic and abiotic contributors to population dynamics," according to Brad Andres, National Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Shorebird Conservation Plan, who was not involved in the study. "For the first time, Lathrop and his colleagues have described environmental conditions conducive for nesting by rufa Red Knots and provide evidence that breeding ground habitats are likely not limiting the recovery of the population. Their work also furnishes a baseline to evaluate the ability of a changing Arctic climate to provide breeding habitat for this shorebird of high conservation concern."

###

"Mapping and modeling the breeding habitat of the Red Knot, Calidris canutus, at landscape and regional scales" will be available August 1, 2018, at http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1650/CONDOR-17-247.1 (issue URL http://www.bioone.org/toc/cond/120/3).

About the journal: The Condor: Ornithological Applications is a peer-reviewed, international journal of ornithology, published by the American Ornithological Society. For the past two years, The Condor has had the number one impact factor among 27 ornithology journals.BOSTON - Current research demonstrates that patients' exposure to opioids following medical care has contributed to the nationwide addiction epidemic. An estimated 2.1 million Americans are reported to have an opioid use disorder associated with prescription medications - the source that accounts for half of all opioid-related deaths in the United States. These sobering numbers are of special concern for surgeons, who must balance the need for postoperative pain management against patients' risk of opioid dependence for the estimated 234 million patients who undergo major surgeries each year.

Researchers and clinicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have performed the first meta-analysis to pool the effects of risk factors that place patients at an increased chance of prolonged opioid use, defined as use for longer than two months. Published today in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, the analysis reveals that certain prescribing patterns, surgical procedures and patient characteristics increase patients' risk of long-term opioid use following surgery or trauma.

"Approximately four percent of the general population will use prescribed opioids for an extended time after surgery, but, among patients with a history of prescription opioid use, nearly a quarter of patients will continue to use prescribed opioids for an extended time period after surgery," said Ara Nazarian, PhD, a principal investigator in the Center for Advanced Orthopaedic Studies at BIDMC and Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. "Understanding the pooled effect of risk factors can help physicians develop effective and individualized pain management strategies with a lower risk of prolonged opioid use."

After combing through the medical literature for case control and cohort studies of adult opioid use in surgical and trauma settings, Nazarian and colleagues analyzed findings from 37 studies with nearly 2 million participants. The overall rate of prolonged opioid use among participants was less than five percent. By pooling the data, Nazarian and colleagues demonstrated that prior use of prescribed opioids or benzodiazepines, depression and back pain were among the most important patient-related factors predicting which patients would continue to use prescription opioids beyond two months.

While depression and chronic pain were significant risk factors, the use of antidepressants or non-narcotic pain killers did not appear to increase the patients' prolonged use of opioids.

"Depression is also highly correlated with chronic post-surgical pain," corresponding author Amin Mohamadi, MD, MPH, a post-doctoral research fellow in the Nazarian lab, stated. "Our findings suggest that addressing concurrent mental health problems and managing postsurgical pain using multiple modalities including non-narcotic analgesics could mitigate the risk of prolonged use of opioids associated with depression or pain."

Nazarian and colleagues also note that physicians' prescribing practices can influence the incidence of prolonged opioid use; long-term opioid use is significantly higher among patients treated by high-intensity prescribers than among those treated by low-intensity prescribers. Physicians also tend to prescribe opioids to women more often than men. Doctors may also avoid the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen in patients with cardiovascular concerns, opting for opioid analgesics instead. These prescribing practices may explain why gender and cardiovascular health are significant risk factors for prolonged opioid use.

"On the other hand, physician behavior may also mitigate the occurrence of prescribed opioid dependence," Mohamadi said. "Providing patients with adequate pain relief, involving patients in pain management planning with realistic goal-setting and providing them with comprehensible information about the risks of opioid use, tapering opioid use prior to hospital discharge and using more uniform prescribing protocols could reduce the overall burden of long-term opioid use following surgery or trauma."

"Four percent may not seem like much; however, hospitals have reduced the rate of surgical infections - another unwanted potential side effect of surgery - far below four percent," said Mohamadi. "That demonstrates what's possible with a concerted effort. Our data suggests much more effort is needed in order to mitigate the problem of prolonged opioid use."

###

In addition to Nazarian and Mohamadi, co-investigators included Casey L. Wright; Arden M. Marin; Edward K. Rodriguez, MD/PhD; and co-senior author Arvind von Keudell, MD, of BIDMC; Jimmy J. Chan, MD, and Jayson Lian of Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding.

BIDMC is in the community with Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth, Anna Jaques Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Lawrence General Hospital, MetroWest Medical Center, Signature Healthcare, Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, Community Care Alliance and Atrius Health. BIDMC is also clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the Jackson Laboratory. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit http://www.bidmc.org.Researchers have identified a rare cell type in airway tissue, previously uncharacterized in the scientific literature, that appears to play a key role in the biology of cystic fibrosis. Using new technologies that enable scientists to study gene expression in thousands of individual cells, the team comprehensively analyzed the airway in mice and validated the results in human tissue.

Led by researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the molecular survey also characterized gene expression patterns for other new cell subtypes. The work expands scientific and clinical understanding of lung biology, with broad implications for all diseases of the airway -- including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and bronchitis.

Jayaraj Rajagopal, a physician in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit at MGH, associate member at the Broad Institute, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) faculty scholar, and Broad core institute member Aviv Regev, director of the Klarman Cell Observatory at the Broad Institute, professor of biology at MIT, and an HHMI investigator, supervised the research. Daniel Montoro, a graduate student in Rajagopal's lab, and postdoctoral fellows Adam Haber and Moshe Biton in the Regev lab are co-first authors on the paper published today in Nature.

"We have the framework now for a new cellular narrative of lung disease," said Rajagopal, who is also a professor at Harvard Medical School and a principal faculty member at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. "We've uncovered a whole distribution of cell types that seem to be functionally relevant. What's more, genes associated with complex lung diseases can now be linked to specific cells that we've characterized. The data are starting to change the way we think about lung diseases like cystic fibrosis and asthma."

"With single-cell sequencing technology, and dedicated efforts to map cell types in different tissues, we're making new discoveries -- new cells that we didn't know existed, cell subtypes that are rare or haven't been noticed before, even in systems that have been studied for decades," said Regev, who is also co-chair of the international Human Cell Atlas consortium. "And for some of these, understanding and characterizing them sheds new light immediately on what's happening inside the tissue."

Using single-cell RNA sequencing, the researchers analyzed tens of thousands of cells from the mouse airway, mapping the physical locations of cell types and creating a cellular "atlas" of the tissue. They also developed a new method called pulse-seq to monitor development of cell types from their progenitors in the mouse airway. The findings were validated in human tissue.

One extremely rare cell type, making up less than one percent of the cell population in mice and humans, appeared radically different from other known cells in the dataset. The team dubbed this cell the "pulmonary ionocyte" because its gene expression pattern was similar to ionocytes -- specialized cells that regulate ion transport and hydration in fish gills and frog skin.

Strikingly, at levels higher than any other cell type, these ionocytes expressed the gene CFTR -- which, when mutated, causes cystic fibrosis in humans. CFTR is critical for airway function, and for decades researchers and clinicians have assumed that it is frequently expressed at low levels in ciliated cells, a common cell type spread throughout the entire airway.

But according to the new data, the majority of CFTR expression occurs in only a few cells, which researchers didn't even know existed until now.

When the researchers disrupted a critical molecular process in pulmonary ionocytes in mice, they observed the onset of key features associated with cystic fibrosis -- most notably, the formation of dense mucus. This finding underscores how important these cells are to airway-surface regulation.

"Cystic fibrosis is an amazingly well-studied disease, and we're still discovering completely new biology that may alter the way we approach it," said Rajagopal. "At first, we couldn't believe that the majority of CFTR expression was located in these rare cells, but the graduate students and postdocs on this project really brought us along with their data."

The results may also have implications for developing targeted cystic fibrosis therapies, according to the team. For example, a gene therapy that corrects for a mutation in CFTR would need to be delivered to the right cells, and a cell atlas of the tissue could provide a reference map to guide that process.

The study further highlighted where other disease-associated genes are expressed in the airway. For example, asthma development has been previously linked with a gene that encodes a sensor for rhinoviruses, and the data now indicate that this gene is expressed by ciliated cells. Another gene linked with asthma is expressed in tuft cells, which separated into at least two groups -- one that senses chemicals in the airway and one that produces inflammation. The results suggest that a whole ensemble of cells may be responsible for different aspects of asthma.

Using the pulse-seq assay, the researchers tracked how the newly characterized cells and subtypes in the mouse airway develop. They demonstrated that mature cells in the airway arise from a common progenitor: the basal cells. The team also discovered a previously undescribed cellular structure in the tissue. These structures, which the researchers called "hillocks," are unique zones of rapid cell turnover, and their function is not yet understood.

"The atlas that we've created is already starting to drastically re-shape our understanding of airway and lung biology," said Regev. "And, for this and other organ systems being studied at the single-cell level, we'll have to drape everything we know on top of this new cellular diversity to understand human health and disease."

###

Paper cited:

Montoro DT, Haber AL, Biton M et al. A revised airway epithelial hierarchy includes CFTR-expressing ionocytes. Nature. Online August 1, 2018. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0393-7

About the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard:

Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard was launched in 2004 to empower this generation of creative scientists to transform medicine. The Broad Institute seeks to describe all the molecular components of life and their connections; discover the molecular basis of major human diseases; develop effective new approaches to diagnostics and therapeutics; and disseminate discoveries, tools, methods, and data openly to the entire scientific community. Founded by MIT, Harvard, Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and the visionary Los Angeles philanthropists Eli and Edythe L. Broad, the Broad Institute includes faculty, professional staff, and students from throughout the MIT and Harvard biomedical research communities and beyond, with collaborations spanning over a hundred private and public institutions in more than 40 countries worldwide. For further information about the Broad Institute, go to http://www.broadinstitute.org.

About Massachusetts General Hospital:

Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with an annual research budget of more than $900 million and major research centers in HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, genomic medicine, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, photomedicine and transplantation biology. The MGH topped the 2015 Nature Index list of health care organizations publishing in leading scientific journals and earned the prestigious 2015 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service. In August 2017 the MGH was once again named to the Honor Roll in the U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Hospitals."It's a popular idea in books and movies that blind people develop super sensitive hearing to help navigate the world around them. But a study, published August 1 in the journal iScience, shows that, in at least one situation, blind people have more trouble discerning the location of sounds than do people who can see.

Researchers in Italy found blind people needed additional timing cues to accurately judge the relative location of sounds played from a line of speakers. However, people who aren't visually impaired (but were blindfolded for the study) could judge the relative location of sounds independently from timing cues.

"This work teaches us that our audio-space representation is mediated by our visual experience," says first author Monica Gori of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. "In absence of vision, auditory spatial skills are not always enhanced - and in some cases, such as in the space bisection task studied here, these can be impaired."

Gori and colleagues recruited 17 blind people and 17 age-matched sighted people for the study. All participants were blindfolded before entering a room and sat before a horizontal line of 23 speakers. From left to right, three of the speakers played a beep and participants were asked to judge whether the second beep originated from a speaker closer to the first beep or the third beep.

The exercise resembles a situation in which a blind person is seated opposite three people along a large table and wants to figure out where people are sitting by listening to them speak.

In the first round of the experiment, a uniform time delay of 750 milliseconds followed each beep before another beep was played. In the next two rounds, delays between the beeps were timed to be either directly proportional to the distance between the speakers playing the beeps or indirectly proportional. The study participants didn't know the timing of the beeps was manipulated in this way. While the beeps always moved from left to right along the line of speakers, an algorithm randomly selected which three speakers would play the beeps. Researchers also performed a control experiment in which participants were not asked about location, but whether the second beep played closer in time to the first or last beep.

Sighted people in the study could generally judge the relative position of the beeps no matter how the beeps were timed (and despite being blindfolded). However, timing greatly influenced the judgement of the blind participants.

Blind participants could most accurately judge the position of the beeps when the delay between beeps was proportional to the physical distance between the speakers. But blind individuals had more trouble judging the position when there was a uniform delay between the beeps. And when the time delay was mismatched and inversely proportional to the beeps, blind participants were more likely to mismatch the location of the beeps. For example, blind participants assumed a longer delay between beeps was associated with a longer distance between beep locations, even when the reverse was true.

"This result suggests that blind individuals assume a constant velocity of objects in space and use the temporal cue to infer a sense of space," says Gori.

Gori and her colleagues have preliminary data showing that young children use timing cues to judge spatial distance between sounds. This may mean that the brain uses cross-sensory interactions during development to build spatial representations.

"I would like to study how this spatial and temporal interaction emerges in blind children and to study the brain mechanisms associated with this," says Gori.

###

This study was supported by the weDRAW EU project.

iScience, Gori et al.: "Time attracts space for visually impaired individuals." https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(18)30091-9

iScience (@iScience_CP) is a new open-access, interdisciplinary journal from Cell Press that provides a platform for original research in the life, physical, and earth sciences. The primary criterion for publication in iScience is a significant contribution to a relevant field combined with robust results and underlying methodology. Visit: http://www.cell.com/iscience. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.Genetic signatures trace origin of infection and its potential path through populations, allowing state health departments to track the disease

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., August 1, 2018 -- In a recently published study in the journal Nature Microbiology, researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory show that computer simulations can accurately predict the transmission of HIV across populations, which could aid in preventing the disease.

The simulations were consistent with actual DNA data obtained from a global public HIV database, developed and maintained by Los Alamos. The archive has more than 840,000 published HIV sequences for scientific research.

"We looked for special genetic patterns that we had seen in the simulations, and we can confirm that these patterns also hold for real data covering the entire epidemic," said Thomas Leitner, a computational biologist at Los Alamos and lead author of the study.

HIV is particularly interesting to study in this manner, Leitner noted, as the virus mutates rapidly and constantly within each infected individual. The changing "genetic signatures" of its code provide a path that researchers can follow in determining the origin and time frame of an infection, and the computer simulations are now proven to be successful in tracking and predicting the virus's movements through populations.

The rapid mutational capability of the virus is useful for the epidemiological sleuthing, but also is one of the features that makes it so difficult to tackle with a vaccine.

Leitner and Ethan Romero-Severson, the study's co-author and a Los Alamos theoretical biologist, used phylogenetic methods, examining evolutionary relationships in the virus's genetic code to evaluate how HIV is transmitted. They found that certain phylogenetic "family tree" patterns correlated to the DNA data from 955 pairs of people, in which the transmitter and recipient of the virus were known.

"These HIV transmissions had known linkage based on epidemiological information such as partner studies, mother-to-child transmission, pairs identified by contact tracing, and criminal cases," the authors write.

The robust results from the study have led to a collaboration with Colorado and Michigan state health agencies. The researchers plan to develop public health computational tools to help the agencies to track the disease and allocate resources for targeted prevention campaigns. "We hope these tools will help to hinder new infections in the future," said Leitner.

Leitner said the cutting-edge modeling tools can also be used to predict the patterns of other rapidly evolving infectious diseases.

Los Alamos has a strong history in genetic data analysis, having been the site of the original GenBank project in 1979, known at the time as the Los Alamos Sequence Database and established by Walter Goad of the Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group.

###

Publication: Phylogenetic patterns recover known HIV epidemiological relationships and reveal Common transmission of multiple variants, in Nature Microbiology.

Authors Thomas K. Leitner and Ethan Romero-Severson.

Funding: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded the study.

About Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, BWX Technologies, Inc. and URS Corporation for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and global security concerns.Hollow molecular structures known as COFs (covalent organic frameworks), which could serve as selective filters or containers for other substances and have many other potential uses, also tend to suffer from an inherent problem: It's difficult to keep a network of COFs connected in harsh chemical environments.

The conventional chemistry for linking building blocks into 2D COF sheets or 3D COF frameworks is reversible. This reversibility makes the connections within COFs weak and unstable in some chemical environments, limiting the practical applications of these COF materials.

Now, a team at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has used a chemical process discovered decades ago to make the linkages between COFs much more sturdy, and to give the COFs new characteristics that could expand their applications.

"It's like a 'weaving' and welding approach," said Yi Liu, a staff scientist at Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry. Liu led a team that found out how to strengthen the weakest links binding COFs.

This one simple chemical approach targets a chemical reaction to the area of these weak links, forming resilient bonds that were shown to hold up - like a strong weld - to harsh chemical environments during experiments.

The team's findings are detailed in a study, reported Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, that details how the technique works.

"Here we show that these bonds are exceptionally stable to a variety of chemicals. We've tried harsh conditions and it still sustains these bonds," Liu said. "This beats everything reported in the literature."

The chemical transformation, he noted, makes the bonds between COFs more useful by changing their electronic and optical (light-based) properties, for example. "They can transfer electrons more easily after the reaction," he said, so that 2D layers of these strongly bound COFs behave more like graphene, another exotic 2D material that exhibits special electronic and optical properties.

Xinle Li, a postdoctoral fellow at the Molecular Foundry and the study's lead author, said, "We gave that reaction process, first reported in the 1960s, a new life. We applied it to COFs for the first time."

COFs have been heavily studied because they are highly tunable and can be composed entirely of light elements like carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen - unlike structures known as MOFs (metal-organic frameworks) that contain heavier elements. Scientists can make COFs with different pore sizes that can impact their function, changing what can pass through them or what can be contained within these pores.

This could make the COF-based materials useful in systems that filter unwanted chemicals from water, for example, reduce carbon dioxide into other value-added chemical forms, or serve as highly efficient facilitators for other types of chemical processes.

An important aspect of the study was the use of advanced imaging techniques, such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) at the Molecular Foundry to see the structure of the bound COFs, Liu and Li said.

The researchers said the images obtained, which clearly show the honeycomb-like lattice of 2D COFs, are among the best images yet of COFs, confirming the chemical changes in the COFs down to a fraction of a nanometer (a nanometer is 1 billionth of a meter).

"Before and after the reaction, the pore size changes by about 0.3 nanometer, Liu said. "You can see these differences before and after the reaction."

To carry out the chemical modification reaction, the researchers placed the COFs in a liquid solution that was heated to about 230 degrees Fahrenheit, and then stirred it up.

Researchers said it should be possible to scale up the amount of the COF-based materials, and the team has already experimented with using COF sheets with other material layers to customize the function of the combined material.

The team plans to test how to better automate the production of these COF materials, and will also pursue ways to make the reaction process more efficient. The team will explore theories to help understand and improve upon the COF-altering chemistry.

"We want to make this chemical modification process even faster and better," Li said. "We hope we can make the reaction conditions milder, and further increase the chemical stability and functionality of COFs."

The team's work is one of the first published efforts of a new program at the Molecular Foundry aiming to advance "combinatorial nanoscience" that is focused on using high throughput processes, in combination with theory and imaging technology, to create and study nanostructures that are components in new materials with enhanced properties.

###

The Molecular Foundry is a DOE Office of Science User Facility.

The study is co-authored by other Molecular Foundry researchers, and also had participation from Molecular Foundry users from South China Normal University and Zhejiang University in China. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences and the National Nature Science Foundation of China.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov.

DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit the Office of Science website at science.energy.gov.More than 60 years after the drug thalidomide caused birth defects in thousands of children whose mothers took the drug while pregnant, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have solved a mystery that has lingered ever since the dangers of the drug first became apparent: how did the drug produce such severe fetal harm?

The answer, published online today by the journal eLife, not only helps resolve an issue that has been the subject of scientific curiosity for two generations, but will be critical as pharmaceutical companies develop a promising new generation of anticancer drugs that share a basic chemical architecture with thalidomide, the study authors say.

Building on years of previous research, the researchers found that thalidomide acts by promoting the degradation of an unexpectedly wide range of transcription factors - cell proteins that help switch genes on or off - including one called SALL4. The result is the complete removal of SALL4 from cells.

The degradation of SALL4 interferes with limb development and other aspects of fetal growth. The result is the spectrum of complications indelibly linked to thalidomide: the deformed limbs and defective organs in children whose mothers took thalidomide during pregnancy as a treatment for morning sickness.

Support for these findings came from reports in medical literature. Individuals who carry a mutation in the gene for SALL4 are often born with missing thumbs, underdeveloped limbs, eye and ear defects, and congenital heart disease - problems which mirror those in children exposed to thalidomide in the womb.

"The similarities between the birth defects associated with thalidomide and those in people with a mutated SALL4 gene are striking," says the new study's senior author, Eric Fischer, PhD, of Dana-Farber. "They make the case even more strongly that disruption of SALL4 is at the root of the devastation produced by thalidomide in the 1950s."

The findings are apt to mark an important inflection point in the history of thalidomide, a drug more infamous than famous. Marketed and sold extensively in Europe, Australia, and some South American countries - though never approved in the United States - as a treatment for pregnancy-related morning sickness, it became a source of anguish when it became clear that it was responsible for birth defects in more than 10,000 children and an unknown number of miscarriages. The medical community was slow to discover the danger of thalidomide because the drug gave rise to birth defects only when taken between the fourth and eighth weeks of pregnancy. It was officially banned in 1961.

In the 1980s, thalidomide gained a second life when it was found to be a powerful anti-angiogenic drug, inhibiting the growth of blood vessels in tumors. As such, it has come into wide use as a cancer drug, primarily in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Knowing the mechanism by which thalidomide produces birth defects will be critical as drug developers devise and test new drugs that use the same structural "scaffold" as thalidomide, Fischer remarks. "As new derivatives are tested, we'll be able to explore whether they have the same potentially damaging effects as thalidomide. We know that the therapeutic effect of these drugs is based on their ability to degrade specific proteins. Our findings will help drug developers distinguish between proteins whose degradation is likely to be beneficial and whose may be harmful."

###

The lead author of the eLife study is Katherine A. Donovan, of Dana-Farber. Co-authors are Jian An, PhD, Radoslaw P. Nowak, Jingting C. Yuan, of Dana-Farber; and Emma C. Fink, Bethany Berry, Benjamin L. Ebert, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber and Brigham and women's Hospital.

Financial support for the research was provided by the National Institutes of Health (grant NCI R01CA214608), the Novartis/Dana-Farber Drug Discovery Program, the Friends of Dana-Farber, and the Linde Family Foundation.Water--Contagious conservation

A team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory has discovered that residents living in arid environments share a desire for water security, which can ultimately benefit entire neighborhoods. Las Vegas, Nevada's water utility was the first utility in the United States to implement a water conservation program in which homeowners receive cash incentives for replacing water-hungry grass with plants better suited to an arid climate. Researchers analyzed 15 years of data across 16 neighborhoods to determine whether one home's participation in the program had a measurable effect on their neighbors' likelihood of also participating. "The water agencies' thinking is: if one person's participation induces conservation behavior in some of their neighbors, then everybody wins," ORNL's Christa Brelsford, lead coauthor of the study, said. This work, the third in a series, was published in the journal Networks and Spatial Economics. [Contact: Sara Shoemaker, (865) 576-9219; shoemakerms@ornl.gov]

Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/news/images/01%20-%20PeerEffectsMap.png

Caption: Researchers analyzed 15 years of data across 16 neighborhoods, shown in orange, in the Las Vegas Valley Water District to determine whether one home's participation in the utility's water conservation program had a measurable effect on their neighbors' likelihood of also participating. Credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Buildings--3D printing molds

The construction industry may soon benefit from 3D printed molds to make concrete facades, promising lower cost and production time. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are evaluating the performance of 3D printed molds used to precast concrete facades in a 42-story building. Molds are typically handmade from wood and fiberglass coatings, and they must be resurfaced after 20 to 30 pours. A 3D printed mold could potentially cast up to 200 pieces. "With 3D printed molds, architects can create complex designs for cornices and columns that they have not previously explored," said ORNL's Diana Hun. The research team used large-scale additive manufacturing technology to produce the molds, which are about as large as a queen size mattress. Industry partners were Gate Precast and Precast Concrete Institute. [Contact: Jennifer Burke, (865) 576-3212; burkejj@ornl.gov]

Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/news/images/02%20-%203D-printed_precast_concrete_molds.gif

Caption: Researchers 3D printed molds for precasting concrete using the Big Area Additive Manufacturing, or BAAM, system at DOE's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL. Complex, durable mold designs can be produced in less time than traditional wood or fiberglass molds. Credit: Jason Richards/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Materials--Engineering nanopore edges

An Oak Ridge National Laboratory-led team has learned how to engineer tiny pores embellished with distinct edge structures inside atomically-thin two-dimensional, or 2D, crystals. The 2D crystals are envisioned as stackable building blocks for ultrathin electronics and other advanced devices, but their edges and pores are especially reactive for catalysis, sensing or separations functions. Their formation and structure had not been well understood to date. Using a heating microchip inside a scanning transmission electron microscopy at ORNL's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, the scientists induced changes in the local chemical environment of a 2D material to reveal the atomic rearrangements leading to the formation of different nanopore edges. Theorists' predictions from thermodynamics explained the four stable configurations that formed most often. "Before, we had to take whatever we got from a materials' synthesis," said ORNL's Xiahan Sang. "Now we can be proactive at creating edges." The work was published in Nature Communications. [Contact: Dawn Levy, (865) 576-6448; levyd@ornl.gov]

Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/news/images/03%20-%20MoWSe2%20StoryTip%20Fig_PRINT%20r1_0.jpg

Caption: An ORNL-led team used scanning transmission electron microscopy to observed atomic transformations on the edges of pores in a two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide. The controlled production of nanopores with stable atomic edge structures may enable new functional applications. Credit: Xiahan Sang/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Nuclear--Little runaways

Fusion scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory are studying the behavior of high-energy electrons when the plasma that generates nuclear fusion energy suddenly cools during a magnetic disruption. Fusion energy is created when hydrogen isotopes are heated to millions of degrees. A sudden cool down, or thermal quench, produces runaway electrons that could veer off and seriously damage the inner wall of the fusion reactor. Using a recently developed simulation tool, the Kinetic Orbit Runaway electron Code, or KORC, scientists calculated the particle dynamics and radiation in the plasma's electric and magnetic fields. "Runaway electrons are a serious potential threat to fusion reactors," said ORNL's Diego del-Castillo-Negrete. "With a better understanding of the relativistic dynamics of these particles, we can develop strategies to mitigate or avoid them." The team's findings were published in the journal Physics of Plasmas. [Contact: Sara Shoemaker, (865) 576-9219; shoemakerms@ornl.gov]

Image 1: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/Fusion_plasma_simulation.gif

Image 2: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/04a%20-%20Cross-section_fusion_simulation_runaways_1.gif

Caption: The KORC simulation of runaway electrons in the experimental tokamak at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility at General Atomics shows examples of particle orbits and the synchrotron radiation emission pattern at a cross section of the device. Credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Hydropower--A river of data

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has created new tools to better understand the nation's waterways and identify potential sites to generate hydropower--a domestic renewable energy resource. The tools allow users such as scientists, resource agencies and industry to access information about the natural features and ecological characteristics of streams and to assess potential sites to install low-cost, small-footprint hydropower technologies. "The stream classification tool gives stakeholders shared insights into the essential nature of millions of American streams," said Brennan Smith, manager of ORNL's water power technologies program. "The siting tool simplifies and clarifies site evaluation by matching advanced standardized modular hydropower technology to this essential nature of streams." Analytics from the stream classification and siting capabilities build on the rich hydropower data generated by the laboratory. [Contact: Kim Askey, (865) 576-2841; askeyka@ornl.gov]

Image 1: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/05a%20-%20Alternate_site_assessment_1.png

Caption: The ORNL-developed site assessment tool, dubbed SMH Explorer, provides a platform to develop small modular hydropower technologies by identifying common physical and environmental characteristics in stream segments across the nation. Credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Image 2: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/05b%20-%20Stream%20classification2_0.PNG

Caption: The U.S. stream classification tool allows users to select streams that share similar properties and functions to serve as reference sites or ecological case studies. Credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Magnets--Print, power, repeat

Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have improved a mixture of materials used to 3D print permanent magnets with increased density, which could yield longer lasting, better performing magnets for electric motors, sensors and vehicle applications. Building on previous research, they combined thermoplastic nylon polymer with neodymium-iron-boron magnet powders into pellets of feedstock materials. Using innovative additive manufacturing techniques allows the team to print permanent magnets into complex shapes without wasting material. Plus, the resulting magnets can be converted back to a feedstock and reprinted as new magnets if needed. "This is especially important considering magnets of this caliber are typically made with critical rare earth elements, which are in short supply and difficult to acquire," said ORNL's Parans Paranthaman. The scientists demonstrated the performance of the 3D printed magnets against sintered ferrite magnets in a small, direct-current motor. They published their results in Additive Manufacturing and the Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials. [Contact: Sara Shoemaker, (865) 576-9219; shoemakerms@ornl.gov]

Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/news/images/06%20-%203D-printed_permament_magnet_0.jpg

Caption: 3D-printed permanent magnets with increased density were made from an improved mixture of materials, which could lead to longer lasting, better performing magnets for electric motors, sensors and vehicle applications. Credit: Jason Richards/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

###This is a great honour for Alessio Figalli, a mathematics professor at ETH Zurich since 2016. The International Mathematical Union (IMU) awarded the Fields Medal to the Italian citizen today at the International Congress of Mathematicians 2018 (ICM 2018) in Rio de Janeiro. The Fields Medal is the most prestigious award in the field of mathematics.

Optimal transport - even in nature

The IMU conferred the award on Alessio Figalli for his contributions to the theory of optimal transport and its applications in partial differential equations, metric geometry, and probability. Amongst several contributions, he solved a problem dating back over 20 years involving the so-called Monge-Ampere equation, a famous partial differential equation that was introduced in the 19th century and is now applied in many different areas, including urban planning, imaging and meteorology.

The rationale behind the equation is that total transport costs need to be kept as low as possible. This also applies to many change processes in nature: for example soap bubbles and crystals attain their attractive geometric shape by minimising surface energy. Alessio Figalli has mathematically proven that the abrupt changes in cloud formations in major weather fronts can be broken down into optimal transport equations. When the clouds change shape, the particles move in an optimal, energy-efficient way from their initial state to another. Mathematics is creative

At just 34 years of age, the mathematician already has a distinguished CV. He completed his doctorate in 2007 after just one year. He was appointed Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin at the age of 25, and promoted to Full Professor at the age of 27. Then he joined ETH Zurich as Full Professor when he was 32. He has also received numerous awards and distinctions and the Fields Medal represents the high point of his career to date.

Alessio Figalli is naturally delighted: "Receiving the Fields Medal is a great honour. The medal expresses great recognition not only for my research but also for the entire scientific community of analysis. Personally, I feel a deep satisfaction that motivates me even more to get involved in top-level research."

He is convinced that creativity is the key to devising new tools and techniques to solve mathematical questions. "It's great to be the first to prove something that has occupied many mathematicians for years", says Alessio Figalli, "I'd like to show young talented people how creative and exciting mathematics really is. The vibrant and dynamic setting I have here at ETH Zurich is the perfect place to do that."

An ambassador for mathematics

"It fills me with pride that a researcher at ETH Zurich has been awarded one of the highest honours in academia. I have come to know Alessio Figalli as an extremely creative mathematician and an open, communicative person", says ETH President Lino Guzzella, "I am convinced that he is a major asset to our teaching and research at ETH Zurich and for Switzerland as a research centre. He can also make an impact as an ambassador for mathematics."

###Many important processes in nature depend on catalysts, which are atoms or molecules that facilitate a reaction, but emerge from it themselves unchanged. One example is photosynthesis in plants, which is only possible with the help of a protein complex comprising four manganese atom sites at its centre. Redox reactions, as they are referred to, often play a pivotal role in these types of processes. The reactants are reduced through uptake of electrons, or oxidized through their release. Catalytic redox processes in nature and industry often only succeed thanks to suitable catalysts, where transition metals supply an important function.

Soft x-rays at BESSY II

These transition metals and in particular their redox or oxidation state can be examined particularly well using soft X-rays, because electronic states can be precisely measured using X-ray spectroscopy. In what is known as L-edge absorption spectroscopy, electrons from the 2p shell of the transition metal are excited so that they occupy free d-orbitals. An energy difference can be determined from the X-ray absorption spectrum that reflects the oxidation state of the molecule or the catalyst in a known way. However, exactly where the electrons are absorbed or released by the catalyst during a redox reaction, i.e. exactly how the charge density in the catalyst varies with oxidation state, was previously difficult to verify. This was mainly due to the lack of reliable methods for the theoretical description of charge densities in catalyst molecules in ground and excited states, and to the difficulty in obtaining reliable experimental data. If the transition metals are located in larger complex organic molecule complexes, as they typically are for real redox catalysts, their study becomes extremely difficult because the X-rays lead to damage in the sample.

Sample in solution examined in different oxidation states

Now for the first time, an international team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Uppsala University (Sweden), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley (USA), Manchester University (Great Britain), and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University (USA) has succeeded in studying manganese atoms in different oxidation states - i.e. during different stages of oxidation - in various compounds through in operando measurements at BESSY II. To accomplish this, Philippe Wernet and his team introduced the samples into various solvents, examined jets of these liquids using X-rays, and compared their data against novel calculations from Marcus Lundberg's group at Uppsala University. "We succeeded in determining how - and above all why - the X-ray absorption spectra shift with the oxidation states", says theoretician Marcus Lundberg. PhD students Markus Kubin (HZB) with his experimental expertise and Meiyuan Guo (Uppsala University) with his theoretical expertise reflect the interdisciplinary approach of the study and they contributed equally as first authors of the paper.

Breakthrough through a combination of theory and experiment

"We combined a novel experimental setup with quantum chemical calculations. In our opinion, we have achieved a breakthrough in the understanding of organometallic catalysts", says Wernet. "For the first time, we were able to empirically test and validate calculations for oxidation and reduction that do not take place locally on the metal, but instead on the entire molecule." "These findings are a cornerstone for future work in more complex systems, like the tetra manganese cluster in photosynthesis. They will facilitate new understanding of redox processes for the manganese catalyst in the Photosystem II protein complex", says Junko Yano, Senior Scientist of Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (MBIB) and the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who is conducting detailed research of photosynthesis.

###Photo: Dia Dipasupil/WireImage

The pursuit of bigger lips is not a new trend, but you can credit the Kardashians for the recent resurgence in lip enhancers. While injectable lip fillers have been a medical option for decades, theres also emerged a category of topical, noninvasive lip plumpers that promise the bee-stung look without needles. And with a new class of lip plumpers cropping up based on the power of hyaluronic acid, you might wonder, What actually works and how?

Every dermatologist that I spoke to for this story said that topical lip plumpers can produce a notable increase in lip volume for up to a few hours, but it really depends on whats in them. Traditionally, lip plumpers have relied on irritants  peppermint oil, wintergreen, capicum (a derivative of chile peppers), and cinnamon  or inflammatory ingredients like bee venom and niacin to swell the lips. Hooman Khorasani, the chief of the division of Dermatologic and Cosmetic Surgery at Mount Sinais Icahn School of Medicine, explains that these arent stimulating an allergic reaction (though that is a risk). Instead, theyre causing a mild irritation that increases blood flow, inducing temporary tingling and swelling as a result. And all of the experts agreed that irritants, though potentially harmful for skin, do actually work.

That conventional approach is very different to that of plumpers that contain hyaluronic acid, which claim to boost lip size through absorbing hydrating molecules through the skin. Joshua Zeichner, the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, explains that hyaluronic-acid lip plumpers pull hydration to the surface of the skin. Just as it is used in skin-care products, hyaluronic acid can enhance hydration and plumpness of lips. He says that theyre a better alternative to irritants because they do offer moisturizing benefits which make the lips feel better.

If your main goal is bigger lips, though, theyre probably not your best option. Zeichner admits that they may not be as dramatically plumping, and Khorasani says the science behind them is not super convincing either. Its very hard for hyaluronic acid to penetrate the corneal layer, so its questionable how much can be absorbed. Ditto for lip plumpers that advertise collagen-producing peptides, which dont penetrate the skin very well either.

And while skin irritation might be a bigger issue if youre especially reactive to irritants  allergic reactions and prolonged irritation or dryness are potential problems  there are definitely fewer risks involved with plumpers than with invasive procedures. Unlike lip fillers, which can last up to a year, lip-plumping products are relatively inexpensive, relatively painless to put on besides a little stinging, and you dont have to worry about getting a bruise, says Khorasani. Here, the experts suggest which lip plumpers are actually worth your while.

Replenix Plumping Lip Treatment $36 Photo: Zachary Goulko/Zachary Goulko If you want something thats stimulating without a particularly strong stinging effect, dermatologist Howard Sobel of Sobel Skin  a fixture on our annual Best Doctors of New York list  suggests Replenix Lip Plumper, which relies on peppermint oil as an active ingredient. Its one he carries in his office: I recommend a product with peppermint usually. This one also contains menthol to hold in the lips moisture, and most importantly, contains a sunscreen. $36 at Dermstore Buy

SkinMedica HA5 Smooth and Plump Lip System $68 now 15% off $58 If you have dry, eczema-prone, or sensitive skin and are concerned about skin irritation, Zeichner suggests sticking to options that contain hyaluronic acid for a subtle boost. Specifically, he recommends the Skinmedica HA5 lip plumper, which he says contains a maximum of five different molecular weight forms of hyaluronic acid to give hydration and lip-rejuvenation properties. $58 at Dermstore Buy

Too Faced Lip Injection Lip Gloss $22 Heres a best-selling option from Too Faced that contains a powerful irritant called capsicum frutescens resin, a species of chile pepper thats very popular in lip plumpers, so expect some stinging to occur. $22 at Ulta Beauty Buy

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Game-changing study on treatment of latent Tuberculosis shows a novel, short therapy is safer and more effective in children and adults than standard therapy

Montreal, Aug. 1, 2018 - Treatment of latent tuberculosis is set to transform after a pair of studies from the Research-Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) revealed that a shorter treatment was safer and more effective in children and adults compared to the current standard. These findings are published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Led by Dr. Dick Menzies, the study followed 850 children and 6,800 adults with latent TB, a dormant version of the disease that does not cause symptoms but may lead to serious illness if treatment is not provided. This study in children is one of the largest for a pediatric clinical trial related to TB.

Dr. Menzies' team compared results among latent TB patients who underwent the current standard treatment of nine months of isoniazid (INH) or a four-month treatment with rifampin. Over 85 per cent of children completed rifampin without developing active TB compared to 76 per cent of children who completed isoniazid, with two developing active TB. Results were similar in adults; acceptance and completion of rifampin therapy was much better with significantly fewer serious side effects, particularly drug induced hepatitis (INH can cause serious liver toxicity which can prove fatal or require a liver transplant).

In addition to being a much shorter treatment, the rates of development of active TB were slightly lower with rifampin, indicating that it is at least as effective as the nine-month treatment of INH in preventing TB.

"This four-month therapy is a fundamental game-changer in TB prevention," says Dr. Menzies, who is a respirologist with the MUHC and a professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McGill University. "The four month treatment was as effective in preventing TB, safer and more acceptable. We believe this four month rifampin treatment should replace the nine months on INH for most people who need therapy for latent TB."

With patients who originated from nine different countries (Australia, Benin, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and South Korea) in a study supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Dr. Menzies expects the findings to have a major impact on shaping future global guidelines related to treating latent TB.

"These discoveries will fuel a new look at global practices," says Dr. Menzies, who has acted as an advisor to the Public Health Agency of Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Centres for Disease Control (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) on TB. "We expect this discovery to have a substantial impact on TB, which remains the number one infectious disease killer globally, causing more deaths than AIDS, malaria, diarrhoeal diseases, or other tropical illnesses."

Treatment of latent TB infection is a key part of the End TB strategy & TB-elimination plans in high-income countries from the WHO. One-quarter of the global population is infected with latent TB and 10 per cent of these will develop active TB.

###

About the Study

The study 'Safety and Side Effects of Rifampin versus Isoniazid in Children' was authored by Dr. Dick Menzies, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1714284. The study 'Four Months of Rifampin versus Nine Months Isoniazid for Latent TB in Adults' was authored by Dr. Dick Menzies, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1714283.

Links to the studies:

Children: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1714284

The study 'Safety and Side Effects of Rifampin versus Isoniazid in Children' was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; the Brazilian portion of the study was supported by a grant from the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa in Brazil. The study 'Four Months of Rifampin or Nine Months of Isoniazid for Latent Tuberculosis in Adults' was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Australian portion was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

About the Research Institute of the MUHC

The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and healthcare research centre. The Institute, which is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, is the research arm of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) - an academic health centre located in Montreal, Canada, that has a mandate to focus on complex care within its community. The RI-MUHC supports over 420 researchers and close to 1,200 research trainees devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental, clinical and health outcomes research at the Glen and the Montreal General Hospital sites of the MUHC. Its research facilities offer a dynamic multidisciplinary environment that fosters collaboration and leverages discovery aimed at improving the health of individual patients across their lifespan. The RI-MUHC is supported in part by the Fonds de recherche du Quebec - Sante (FRQS). http://www.rimuhc.ca.

To arrange media interviews with Dr. Menzies, please contact:

Paul Logothetis

Communications Officer

McGill University Health Centre

514-210-6376

Paul.Logothetis@muhc.mcgill.caIn an article published July 17, 2018 by Nature Communications, a highly collaborative team of researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Ohio State University report that normal breast cells can prevent successful radiation treatment of breast cancer due to dysregulation between tumor suppressors and oncogenes. Tumor suppressors act like brakes that stop cells from undergoing uncontrolled growth, while oncogenes are the gas pedal. The tumor suppressor gene of interest in this study is PTEN, which is often mutated in human cancer cells.

An initial surprising observation that the stroma, or supportive connective tissue, in some women without cancer had abnormally low PTEN fueled this study.

"The results suggest that PTEN loss in normal cells may be a biomarker for identifying breast cancer patients who would benefit from adding specific inhibitors in combination with the standard radiation therapy," says Michael C. Ostrowski, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at MUSC, a member of the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, and senior author on the article.

The cancer research field did not previously know that early PTEN-focused events in the breast stroma are capable of triggering malignant development in the breast.

In human breast cancer, expression of the tumor suppressor PTEN and the cell growth promoter active protein kinase B (AKT) are inversely correlated. In other words, when PTEN is reduced, AKT is significantly increased. However, researchers knew neither why this occurs nor how it could be useful clinically.

To address this specific question, the team developed a mouse model to look at what occurs when PTEN is not expressed specifically in the breast stroma. This special model revealed that the absence of PTEN tumor suppressor in the breast stroma leads to larger mammary (breast) tumors.

Digging deeper, the MUSC researchers wanted to understand how stromal cells without PTEN could lead to such rapid growth of cancer cells. Surprisingly, connective stromal cells that do not have PTEN release more of soluble factors called EGF ligands. The EGF ligands promote abnormal growth in neighboring epithelial cells, which line the surfaces of internal organs including in breast tissue.

Radiation therapy is a mainstream treatment for breast cancers as radiation causes cell death in the targeted cells. When the PTEN level is low in the breast cancer connective tissue cells, the tumor cells have a high degree of genetic instability. Genetically unstable cells do not follow the normal growth checkpoints, meaning that the cells ignore cell death signals. The finding of the connection between low PTEN levels and reduced response to radiation therapy.

"This allows for a multi-pronged attack on the tumor, by predicting who will respond the best to radiation therapy in combination with chemotherapy and other targeted treatments" says Ostrowski.

The team of researchers was able to progress quickly from initial observation to preclinical findings because they could draw on the skill sets of oncologists, biostatisticians, pathologists, and researchers available via the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Translational Core. Development of this core will enable vital cancer research, such as that reported in this work, to move from pre-clinical studies to clinical trial.

The research is moving quickly. Another publication looking at the PTEN mechanism even more in depth will soon be published. A small clinical trial to investigate the correlation between reduction in stromal PTEN and radiation resistance would be game-changing to the field. One option is to use the PTEN data to divide the patients into groups, leading to more personalized medicine. Using this tool, physicians could decide which breast cancer patients would benefit the most from radiation and spare the patients who are not likely to respond from the costs and side effects of the treatment.

By discovering that normal connective tissue cells might be predisposing epithelial cells to cancerous changes, the research team may have pinpointed a vulnerability in cancer cells.

"We may have found an Achilles heel for cancer cells, because the stromal cells and PTEN pathways can be targeted," says Ostrowski.

###

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $2.2 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (a National Cancer Institute designated center) Level I Trauma Center, and Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/musc/">musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit muschealth.org.

About MUSC Hollings Cancer Center

The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and the largest academic-based cancer research program in South Carolina. The cancer center comprises more than 120 faculty cancer scientists with an annual research funding portfolio of $44 million and a dedication to reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina. Hollings offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques within multidisciplinary clinics that include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and other specialists equipped for the full range of cancer care, including more than 200 clinical trials. For more information, visit http://www.hollingscancercenter.orgBy mapping the heat escaping from below the Greenland Ice Sheet, a NASA scientist has sharpened our understanding of the dynamics that dominate and shape terrestrial planets.

Dr. Yasmina M. Martos, a planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, mined publicly available magnetic field, gravity and other geologic information for clues about the amount and distribution of heat beneath the portion of the North American continent that is Greenland.

Her resulting heat map exposed a thermal track beneath Greenland that records the movement of a continent through Earth's history.

Greenland is thought to have slowly moved over a mantle plume, a source of great heat, which left a diagonal scar of warm, dense rock below the surface as the tectonic plate shifted. Greenland moved from a more southern latitude toward the Arctic over 100 million years, a period when the supercontinent Pangaea was breaking up into the drifting continents of today. Eventually, the plume is thought to have formed Iceland above the surface of the ocean through countless volcanic eruptions -- a visible trace of the plume's existence, in contrast to Greenland's hidden scar.

"I don't think there is any other place on Earth where a plume history has been recorded by a piece of continent that hasn't been affected by it at the surface," Martos said. "But it's there, so we can use thermal heat to understand the history of the region."

Tracking these geodynamics of planets helps scientists understand their evolution. But more immediately, the heat information feeds sea-level-change models on Earth by helping scientists predict the behavior of ice. This is particularly important for the surface of land that, in the case of Greenland, is buried below kilometers of ice and so is hard to get to. More than 80 percent of the Greenland is covered by ice.

Where there's heat, there might be a plume

In an Aug. 1 Geophysical Research Letters paper, Martos and her team mapped the geothermal heat flux, or rate of heat escape, in Greenland. Their models, surprisingly, showed regional variations, plus a path of heat along a peculiar route from the northwest to the southeast of the island.

"We would expect Greenland to have a more uniform signal of geothermal heat flow in its interior, but that's not the case," said Martos, the lead author on the paper.

Other authors include Tom A. Jordan and David G. Vaughan from the British Antarctic Survey; Manuel Catalan from the Royal Institute and Observatory of the Spanish Navy; Thomas M. Jordan from Stanford University and University of Bristol, and Jonathan L. Bamber, also from the University of Bristol.

The team suggests the scar was created as the tectonic plate, which includes Greenland, moved through the millennia over a mantle plume that is active below the lithosphere. The lithosphere is Earth's outer layer; it includes the crust and upper part of the mantle. This plume is a channel of hot rock that starts hundreds of kilometers below the surface. It rises through the mantle and reaches the bottom of the lithosphere. The heat is then transported up through the lithosphere and alters its chemical composition, which thickens the crust.

Because the northwest region of Greenland moved off the plume earlier it appears in Martos' models to be significantly cooler than the southeast. Though the southern region is slowly cooling off.

"The nice thing is that the heat is recorded there now, but probably in a hundred million years we're not going to see that anymore," Martos said.

A similar plume formed the Hawaiian Islands and is currently fueling the K?lauea volcano eruptions. The Hawaiian chain of islands and seamounts that were created when the Pacific Plate moved over the plume in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is a visible representation of the type of scar that Martos found beneath Greenland.

The heat beneath Earth's surface

Plumes are one of several geothermal heat-transporting phenomena on Earth; their number is uncertain, but scientists think there could be as many as 20. Otherwise, the inner planet is heated evenly throughout by decaying radioactive elements in Earth's top layers. There's also primordial warmth left over from the formation of our planet 4.5 billion years ago, and from the meteorites that pummeled it. The team considered these heat sources, Martos said, but ruled out their role in producing the scar because they would have formed a uniform heat pattern across Greenland.

Another factor that can increase heat in a specific location is tectonic activity. This activity includes rifting -- or the breaking apart of continental plates, which creates space for warmer mantle to bubble to the surface -- and volcanic eruptions. But these phenomena also didn't square with the team's findings, said Martos, given that Greenland is a craton, or an ancient piece of continent with no major tectonic events on record there.

Measuring heat without touching the surface

Because Greenland is covered by an ice sheet that is up to 1.8 miles (3 kilometers) thick in the center, getting physical samples from the ground below the ice is nearly as difficult as getting them from the Moon. Remotely sensed data offers virtually the only window to Greenland's subsurface dynamics.

Martos's team decided to look at magnetic field information collected by magnetometers, instruments flown by airplanes that measure the strength of the magnetic field of Earth. The data revealed anomalies in the magnetism of rocks below Greenland.

Magnetism is related to temperature, thus rocks heated to certain temperatures lose their magnetism. This typically happens deep inside Earth. Because magnetite is the most abundant magnetic mineral in the lower part of the crust, the researchers studied that mineral exclusively. Magnetite loses its ferromagnetic properties, or magnetism, when heated to 1,076 degrees Fahrenheit (580 degrees Celsius), a point known as the Curie temperature. Accounting for this temperature's effect on magnetite allowed the team to find the base of magnetism in the crust of Greenland. From there, they observed the depth variations of the location of the Curie temperature for magnetite to map the heat released all over the island.

Along the plume's path, the team found that the Curie temperature occurred closer to the surface. This offered evidence that the plume had heated the bottom of the lithosphere, and that the heat was still there.

The team also used gravity data to model the features of the lithosphere and confirm the plume's effect on crustal thickness.

In the central part of the island, the team estimated geothermal heat flux values around 60 to 70 milliwatts per meter squared, or up to 50 percent higher than the heat escaping parts of the island not affected by the plume. This is a tiny amount; a 100-watt light bulb, by comparison, generates three orders of magnitude - or 1,000 times - more heat.

Still, said Martos and her co-authors, the heat they found can melt ice at the base of the Greenland Ice Sheet. It does not, however, contribute to the accelerated melting of Greenland's glaciers. Because the geothermal heat declines over such huge periods of time -- tens of millions of years - there has likely been no change in heat flux since the ice fully formed on Greenland about 3 million years ago.

Martos' modeling tools will help scientists better understand the effect of below-surface heat on things like melt or breakage at the base of ice sheets and glaciers on Earth. It will also help them study remote locations on Earth and other rocky bodies in our solar system.

Martos began this research while she was a Marie Curie fellow of the European Union at the British Antarctic Survey.

###HOUSTON - (Aug. 1, 2018) - Muslim and Protestant scientists are more likely than other U.S. scientists to experience religious discrimination, according to new research from Rice University and West Virginia University (WVU). The study also shows that for some scientists, religious identity may fuel perceptions of discrimination.

"Perceptions of Religious Discrimination Among U.S. Scientists" will appear in an upcoming edition of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. The study examined a survey of 879 biologists and 903 physicists at schools classified as U.S. research institutions by the National Research Council. The survey was conducted for a research project known as Religion Among Scientists in International Context.

Authors Christopher Scheitle, an assistant professor of sociology at WVU, and Elaine Howard Ecklund, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, director of the Religion and Public Life Program at Rice and principal investigator for the larger project that produced the survey, found that 15 percent of scientists reported experiencing religious discrimination in their work.

The researchers also found that Muslim scientists were the most likely to experience religious discrimination, with 63.6 percent of those surveyed reporting at least a perception of discrimination on the job. Protestant scientists reported the second-highest percentage of perceived religious discrimination at 40.4 percent.

"Sociologists have evidence that U.S. Muslims are experiencing discrimination more broadly in U.S. society, but some of the dynamics our study picked up may be unique to the academy, such as the higher perception of discrimination among Protestant scientists," Scheitle said.

The researchers were also interested in knowing more about the predictors of discrimination perception. "We wanted to understand whether or not an individual's religious practice and identity as a religious person explained their perception of discrimination," Ecklund said.

After documenting self-reported religious discrimination among biologists and physicists, the researchers statistically controlled for religious practice (attending religious services, praying, etc.) among these individuals. After adjusting for religious practices, beliefs and demographics, there were no differences in perceived religious discrimination between religious and nonreligious physicists.

However, even after controlling for those other factors, the odds of Protestant biologists perceiving discrimination were almost five times greater than nonreligious biologists, the odds of Jewish biologists perceiving discrimination were seven times greater than nonreligious biologists and the odds of Muslim biologists perceiving discrimination were 30 times greater than nonreligious biologists.

Although the researchers could not find an explanation for the perception of religious discrimination among biologists, they think it may have something to do with biologists' religious identity.

"Tensions around religion and science are more concentrated in biology, with discussions of stem cells, evolution and similar issues," Scheitle said. "This profession may be one where people are very self-conscious of being religious, and we believe an individual's self-identification as a religious biologist might actually fuel their perceptions of discrimination regardless of how much they are practicing that religion."

Ecklund and Scheitle hope the research will help scientists become more self-aware about the potential dynamics of perceived discrimination.

"There is often an assumption among scientists that everyone is irreligious," Scheitle said. "While it is true that academic scientists are, on average, less religious than the general public, religious scientists do exist and they are working in an environment where they might be seen as or at least feel like outsiders."

The research was part of Religion Among Scientists in International Context, a multi-nation study aimed at understanding how scientists view religion, ethics and gender. Data collection was funded by a major grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, as well as smaller grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Rice's Religion and Public Life Program.

The researchers plan to continue to examine issues of religious discrimination and violence. They have recently received an NSF grant that will support a national survey to measure the general public's experiences with and perceptions of religious discrimination and victimization.

###

The paper is available online at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jssr.12503.

For more information, contact Amy McCaig, senior media relations specialist at Rice, at 713-348-6777 or amym@rice.edu.

This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/.

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Related Materials:

Elaine Howard Ecklund website: http://www.elainehowardecklund.com/

Religion and Public Life Program website: https://rplp.rice.edu

Photo link: http://news.rice.edu/files/2014/09/0915_ECKLUND-b.jpg

Photo credit: Jeff Fitlow.

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,970 undergraduates and 2,934 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for quality of life and for lots of race/class interaction and No. 2 for happiest students by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/RiceUniversityoverview.

If you do not wish to receive news releases from Rice University, reply to this email and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. Office of News and Media Relations - MS 300, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005

Rice University

Office of Public Affairs / News & Media Relations

David Ruth

713-348-6327

david@rice.edu

Amy McCaig

713-348-6777

amym@rice.eduA research team from SFU's School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) has come up with a way to replace the use of 'blurring' faces in news reports when anonymity is needed. The team's method uses artificial intelligence (AI) techniques that aim to improve visuals while amplifying emotions tied to the story.

SIAT professors Steve DiPaola and Kate Hennessy, together with Taylor Owen from UBC's journalism school, received a Google/Knight Foundation grant to carry out the research. They presented the work to international journalists at a Journalism 360 demo event honoring grantees in New York on July 24, and the next day at a full conference held across the street from the New York Times headquarters.

"Our goal is to create a working technique that would be much better at conveying emotional and knowledge information than current anonymization techniques," says DiPaola, a pioneer in AI/VR facial recognition processes.

Based on its research, the team has created an updated pixelating technique using an AI "painting" approach to anonymization.

"When artists paint a portrait, they try to convey the subject's outer and inner resemblance," says DiPaola, who heads SFU's Interactive Visualization Lab. "With our AI, which learns from more than 1,000 years of artistic technique, we have taught the system to lower the outer resemblance and keep as high as possible the subject's inner resemblance - in other words, what they are conveying and how they are feeling.

"Our system uses five levels of AI processing to simulate a smart painter, using art abstraction to repaint the video as if an artist was painting every frame. The result is more engaging, especially since not everyone listens to stories - so the art component becomes more relevant."

The system doesn't change the pixels of the video frames as Adobe-like systems can, but instead produces a painting-style result of every frame, DiPaola notes. "It's actually an open and dynamic process that allows levels of control throughout. We eventually want to the subject or producer to be able to customize the final result based on their needs."

DiPaola says the tool's effectiveness at anonymizing while retaining a strong degree of emotional connection or resonance should result in better final product for anonymized video, especially in 360 or VR. The team plans to put the technology to work in a variety of projects.

While at the conference DiPaola's team garnished interest from several major media companies looking to explore new media approaches, including the New York Times, Washington Post and the BBC.

###

For more on the research see http://www.AIpaint360.org.

Contact:

Steve DiPaola, Faculty of Communication, Arts and Technology, 604-719-6579; sdipaola@sfu.ca About Simon Fraser University:

As Canada's engaged university, SFU is defined by its dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting-edge research and far-reaching community engagement. SFU was founded more than 50 years ago with a mission to be a different kind of university--to bring an interdisciplinary approach to learning, embrace bold initiatives, and engage with communities near and far. Today, SFU is Canada's leading comprehensive research university and is ranked one of the top universities in the world. With campuses in British Columbia's three largest cities - Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey - SFU has eight faculties, delivers almost 150 programs to over 35,000 students, and boasts more than 150,000 alumni in 130 countries around the world.A project led by Prof. Jin-Guang Teng of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has been awarded a grant of more than HK$47.2 million to develop a new type of concrete structures for marine infrastructure. The amount of funding is the largest among the five projects selected in the eighth round of Research Grants Council (RGC) Theme-based Research Scheme 2018/19.

In addition to the funding from the RGC, the local participating universities in the project will provide over HK$5.2 million as matching funding, bringing the total budget of the project to more than HK$52.4 million.

Entitled "Sustainable Marine Infrastructure Enabled by the Innovative Use of Seawater Sea-Sand Concrete and Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Composites," the project targets to address the severe deterioration problem of marine infrastructure caused by steel corrosion by replacing steel with fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) as the reinforcing material. This replacement then will allow the direct use of seawater and sea-sand in making the concrete (i.e., seawater-sea-sand concrete or SSC in short). Eventually marine infrastructure will enjoy a longer life span, while energy consumption and environmental pollution will be less in the construction process.

Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, Chair Professor of CEE, PolyU, said, "PolyU is very pleased to learn the funding results and is very happy to be able to lead such a significant and impactful research project. With the use of the new type of structures (FRP-SSC structures) in marine infrastructure, great environmental and economic benefits can be derived not only for Hong Kong but also for the nation and the whole world. "

Typically, steel corrosion costs an economy around 3% of its gross domestic product (GDP). In the case of Hong Kong, 3% of the GDP in 2017 amounts to over HK$79.8 billion. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimated in 2013 that US$3.6 trillion (equivalent to over HK$28.2 trillion) would be needed in the following eight years to maintain a state of good repair for the US infrastructure.

The research project will include the development of innovative steel-free structural forms as well as new methods for the design, construction and performance monitoring of FRP-SSC structures. A key scientific challenge for the team is the establishment of a multi-scale, multi-physics approach for predicting the long-term performance of FRP-SSC structures in a marine environment over a service life of more than 50 or even 100 years. Results obtained with this method will assist greatly in the formulation of safe and economical design methods for FRP/SSC structures.

Co-principal investigators include: Prof. Christopher K.Y. Leung from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Prof. Zong-Jin Li from the University of Macau; Prof. Yi-Qing Ni and Prof. Chi-sun Poon from PolyU CEE; Dr Florence Sanchez from Vanderbilt University in the US; Prof. Tong Sun from City, University of London; Mr Sheng-Nian Wang from the CCCC Fourth Harbour Engineering Institute Co. Ltd. in the mainland China; and Prof. Li-Min Zhou from PolyU's Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The project will take five years to complete (i.e. by December 2023), with partial results becoming available at various stages of the project.

###(New York, NY - August 1, 2018) -- Mount Sinai researchers have discovered that certain drug cocktails help targeted therapies attack cancer more efficiently while lessening common side effects, according to a study published today in Cancer Research.

The cocktails could also help stave off cancer's ability to become resistant to drugs, by attacking from multiple angles the cancer's ability to grow. The cocktails, which include chemotherapy, anti-tumor antibiotics, and chemical compounds, are given at low doses that would normally not give a therapeutic benefit on their own. Instead, they bolster a patient's response to a separate targeted therapy drug, which blocks enzymes that help cancer cells grow.

Researchers discovered this novel way to enhance targeted cancer drugs by testing the drug cocktails on human cancer cell lines, fruit flies, and mice. They believe the cocktails can be used with a targeted therapy drug or after a failed attempt with a targeted therapy drug. The researchers found that some of these drugs can be paired together in cocktails in multiple cancer types, potentially providing a treatment option for a wide variety of cancer patients.

"Targeted therapies have revolutionized cancer treatment by targeting fewer components within a human cell, thereby promising better efficacy and lower side effects compared to chemotherapy," said Tirtha K. Das, PhD, Assistant Professor of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology at The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Yet clinical trials show that targeted therapies still elicit side effects, and in many cases cancer cells develop resistance mechanisms to these therapies, eventually leading to disease progression in patients. Our work addresses the central question faced by physicians who treat cancer patients: how do targeted therapies both promote resistance in cancer cells and evoke toxic side effects in patients?"

###

This study, which created drug cocktails from targets found in genetic and drug screening, provides an innovative way to bolster current efforts at using targeted therapies to treat patients. Dr. Das and colleagues' theory could prove useful with different drug cocktails that attack cancer growth from many angles, ultimately increasing the success of other targeted therapies in patients. Ross Cagan, PhD, Senior Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professor of Oncological Sciences and Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology at The Tisch Cancer Institute of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, played a significant role in this project and served as a research advisor with Dr. Das. This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01-CA170495 and R01-CA109730, Department of Defense grant W81XWH-15-1-0111 and American Cancer Society grants 120616-RSGM-11-018-01-CDD and 120886-PFM-11-137-01-DDC.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest integrated delivery system encompassing seven hospital campuses, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The System includes approximately 6,600 primary and specialty care physicians; 10 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. The Icahn School of Medicine is one of three medical schools that have earned distinction by multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report's "Best Medical Schools", aligned with a U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" Hospital, No. 13 in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding, and among the top 10 most innovative research institutions as ranked by the journal Nature in its Nature Innovation Index. This reflects a special level of excellence in education, clinical practice, and research. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 18 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Nephrology, and Neurology/Neurosurgery, and in the top 50 in four other specialties in the 2017-2018 "Best Hospitals" issue. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked in six out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology and 50th for Ear, Nose, and Throat, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai West are ranked regionally. For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.Family caregivers perceive their sleep as poor, but researchers measured the quality of their rest and found the reality far worse

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- More than 90 percent of people caring for a family member with dementia experience poor sleep, according to new research by the University at Buffalo School of Nursing.

The study found that most participants got less than six hours of sleep each night, accompanied by frequent awakenings as often as four times per hour.

These disruptions can lead to chronic sleep deprivation and place caregivers at risk for depression, weight gain, heart disease and premature death, says lead author Yu-Ping Chang, PhD, Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Endowed Professor in the UB School of Nursing.

"Though memory loss is the best-known symptom of dementia, more than 80 percent of people with dementia will also experience sleep disturbances, anxiety and wandering" says Chang, also the associate dean for research and scholarship in the School of Nursing.

"These disruptions have negative effects on caregivers' health, which in turn will diminish their ability to provide optimal care."

Nearly 6 million people are living with Alzheimer's disease. However, the effects are felt by the more than 16 million people, often family members, providing unpaid care, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

Past research has found that between 50 and 70 percent of caregivers have sleep complaints, but the data used in those studies was self-reported. Few researchers have taken objective measurements to gain a more accurate picture of caregiver sleep quality, says Chang.

The study, published in July in Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, analyzed the sleep of 43 people serving as the primary caregiver for a family member with dementia. All participants were over the age of 50 and lived in the Western New York region.

Participants were given an actigraphy watch (a sensor worn on the wrist) to measure sleep time, efficiency, and awakenings in their home over seven days.

Caregivers were also required to complete a sleep diary for themselves and their care recipients, and self-assessments on depression, burden of care, sleep quality and sleep hygiene -- behaviors that may interfere with sleep such as daytime naps, exercise and watching television before bed.

The researchers found that nearly 92 percent of participants experienced poor sleep quality, awoke frequently and slept less than six hours per night -- below the recommended total of seven or eight hours per night.

Poor sleep hygiene was found to increase sleep latency, or the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. Although caregivers self-reported taking an average of 30 minutes to fall asleep, data collected from the actigraphy watches showed a longer sleep latency of 40 minutes.

The results, says Chang, highlight the gap between caregivers' subjective perception and objective measurements of their sleep quality.

"Understanding how well caregivers are sleeping and the variables that affect them is an important first step toward the development of tailored and effective treatment," says Chang. "This would help the millions of caregivers receive the optimum sleep needed to protect their health and continue to provide quality care."

###

Additional investigators include Rebecca Lorenz, PhD, associate professor in the UB School of Nursing; and Hsi?Ling Peng, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Nursing at Cardinal Tien College of Healthcare and Management in Taiwan.Peter Scholze is only the second German to have received the Fields Medal in over 80 years. The first German prize winner was Professor Dr. Gerd Faltings in 1986. He is currently director at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn and board member of the University of Bonn's Hausdorff Center for Mathematics.

The award is the culmination of a multitude of awards and accolades received by Peter Scholze in recent years. His scientific achievements have been recognized by the Clay Foundation's Clay Fellowship, the Prix Peccot awarded by College de France, the Clay Research Award, the Cole Prize for Algebra from the American Mathematical Society, and the Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation. He has also been accepted into four renowned scientific academies.

Mathematics at the Intersection of Number Theory and Geometry

Peter Scholze has fundamentally expanded the range of methods used at the intersection of number theory and geometry, so-called Arithmetic Geometry, through his discovery of perfectoid spaces. These new structures make it possible to interpret integers better than before as geometric entities, in which geometry can also be pursued in an environment of primes - via so-called p-adic numbers. Conversely, new, unexpected conclusions about open number-theoretical questions are made possible.

This award for Peter Scholze is another milestone in the long tradition of mathematics in Bonn, which undoubtedly is one of the biggest and most important centers for mathematical teaching and research in Germany and worldwide. Intertwined in its history are great scholars such as Julius Plucker, Felix Klein, Rudolf Lipschitz, Felix Hausdorff and Otto Toeplitz. Friedrich Hirzebruch made Bonn an international center for mathematics in the 20th century and founded the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn. For decades, the University of Bonn has systematically and sustainably supported and promoted mathematics. Thus, mathematical research forms one of its six key profile areas. Since 2006, the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics has been funded within the framework of the Excellence Initiative by the German federal and state governments as a Cluster of Excellence. This helped make it possible to successfully fund and promote highly talented junior researchers, and to further develop the outstanding environment for mathematical research and teaching at the University of Bonn.

This environment was the decisive reason for Peter Scholze, who comes from Berlin, to choose the University of Bonn as his place of study. Already as a student, he drew attention to his mathematical talent with three gold medals and one silver medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad. The brilliance of the young researcher was recognized worldwide during his doctorate, supervised by academic teacher and mentor, Leibniz award winner Professor Dr. Michael Rapoport. In 2012, the University of Bonn decided to take an extraordinary step. Funded by resources from the Excellence Initiative, the 24-year-old became the youngest W3 professor in Germany and was appointed to a renowned Hausdorff Chair at the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics at the University of Bonn. Since then, he has been courted by the best universities worldwide.

Great significance for the University of Bonn

The Rector of the University of Bonn, Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Hoch, emphasizes: "The award and the personal achievement for Peter Scholze is also of great significance to the University of Bonn. Our goal was and is to win the best minds, also and above all outstanding young talents, in respective disciplines for Bonn and to offer them optimal conditions for conducting their research. The exceptional mathematician Peter Scholze is an impressive example of this. Without any doubt, he will continue to shape mathematical research in the future."

Peter Scholze will continue his research in Bonn: "The conditions here in Bonn are excellent and the international atmosphere is very inspiring," explains the mathematician. In addition to his Hausdorff Chair at the University's Mathematical Institute, he was recently appointed as Scientific Director of Bonn's Max Planck Institute for Mathematics.

###

The Hausdorff Center for Mathematics (HCM) is a Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn, funded by the German Research Foundation within the framework of the Excellence Initiative. It is the only excellence cluster for mathematics in Germany. At HCM, German and international scientists conduct research on numerous mathematical problems and their applications. HCM applies the highest international standards in training junior scientists and actively fosters early independence of young mathematicians. The cluster was founded in 2006 and was renewed in 2012 for a second funding period.

Note to the media: On Tuesday, August 7, a press conference with Peter Scholze will take place at 10 am at the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics (HCM), Endenicher Allee 60, 53115 Bonn, Germany.

Further information and photos:

http://www.hcm.uni-bonn.de/scholze-background

Contacts for the media,

in Bonn:

Klaus Herkenrath

Press Office for the University of Bonn

Phone: +49 (0)228 73-7647

E-Mail: klaus.herkenrath@uni-bonn.de

currently in Rio de Janeiro:

Stefan Hartmann

Hausdorff Center for Mathematics

University of Bonn

phone: 0151-70021872

E-mail: stefan.hartmann@hcm.uni-bonn.deThe deportation and forced separation of immigrants has negative effects that extend beyond individuals and families to entire communities in the United States, according to a division of the American Psychological Association, which has issued a policy statement calling for changes to U.S. policy.

Based on a review of the effects of three decades of U.S. immigration policy, the policy statement details the psychosocial and economic impacts of deportation on children and families, as well as broader community consequences that unfold as immigrants fearful of being targeted withdraw from civic engagement.

"This policy brief is a thorough examination of the research," said Regina Langhout, professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and lead author of the brief by the APA's Society for Community Research and Action; the policy statement will appear in the upcoming edition of the American Journal of Community Psychology, which is available online now.

"U.S. immigration and deportation policies have negative effects for everybody--not just in immigrant communities, but for everybody," said Langhout. "When families are torn apart without their consent, it has very negative outcomes for everyone."

Langhout and her coauthors underscore the psychological trauma and material hardship experienced by U.S.-born children of immigrants, and the number of people impacted by current deportation policies, before recommending changes to federal and local policy. Among their conclusions:

Studies reveal that children who lose a parent to sudden, forced deportation experience anxiety, anger, aggression, withdrawal, a heightened sense of fear, eating and sleeping disturbances, isolation, trauma, and depression.

Children also experience housing instability, academic withdrawal, and family dissolution; older children often need to take on jobs to help support the family.

Ten percent of U.S. families with children have at least one family member who lacks citizenship.

5.9 million children have at least one caregiver who lacks authorization to live in the country.

Changes to U.S. immigration policy over the last 30 years have resulted in a massive increase in deportations--and a marked shift away from post-World War II-era policies that focused on family reunification, the authors found.

From 1900 to 1990, approximately 20,000 people were deported each year. In the mid-1990s, the rate increased by 800 percent to 180,000 a year--and has since more than doubled to 340,000 deportations in 2017.

Immigration raids and deportations generate fear and mistrust that have ripple effects, according to the authors. Fearful of being targeted, community members become less likely to participate in churches, schools, health clinics, cultural activities, and social services.

"As a scholar and social psychologist, my job is to figure out what creates healthy, strong, vibrant communities, and to share research findings in an attempt to influence public policy," said Langhout. "We can be a barometer of this, because we know the research."

Deportations become a public health issue as feelings of belonging and connection are broken down, she said. "When a group feels terrorized, being able to connect breaks down," said Langhout. "Those targeted stop participating in public life, and that breaks down the entire community."

The effects are sufficiently widespread and dire that Langhout and her coauthors outline several national and local-level policy recommendations to alleviate suffering among U.S.-born children, beginning with comprehensive immigration reform that would end the threat of deportation by providing permanent protection for 11 million people who lack authorization to remain in the United States. Their "child-first" recommendations also include:

No forcible separation of families

Modify laws to allow extended family caregivers, such as grandparents, to qualify for exemption from deportation

Take a public health perspective on deportation, recognizing the direct and indirect impacts on community members

Create a human rights framework in U.S. immigration policy

Local jurisdictions should declare themselves sanctuary cities to enhance the protection of unauthorized immigrants and their families, and they should not detain or deport people solely for immigration violations.

Local school districts should communicate with their communities and prioritize safety and inclusion for all immigrant families, including building a protocol for responding to federal immigration activity near schools and educating school personnel on the effects of immigration enforcement.

Schools, places of worship, and community organizations must build supportive social networks that create a sense of belonging among families that are coping with the effects of deportation.

"If we're going to have neighborhoods and towns and schools and places where people of all different backgrounds interact, it's imperative for public health that everybody feels a sense of belonging and connection, a sense of attachment," said Langhout.

###

Langhout's coauthors on the "Statement on the Effects of Deportation and Forced Separation on Immigrants, their Families, and Communities," are Sara L. Buckingham, University of Alaska at Anchorage; Ashmeet Kaur Oberoi, University of Miami; Noe Ruben Chavez, City of Hope Medical Center; Dana Rusch, University of Illinois at Chicago; Francesca Esposito, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada--Instituto Universitario, and Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, University of Illinois at Chicago.India's burgeoning unicorn club has a new member: Freshworks. The global leader in customer engagement software announced yesterday that it has secured $100 million (around Rs 685 crore) in its latest funding round, which values the company at about $1.5 billion. The Series G round was co-led by Accel Partners and Sequoia Capital, with participation from Alphabet's CapitalG, formerly Google Capital. Significantly, Chennai-based Freshworks is one of the first pure-play India-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies to bag the unicorn tag.

"When we started Freshworks in 2010, we were a single-product company with a goal of offering better, easier-to-use customer service software than what was in the market. We've since scaled our company to $100M in annual recurring revenue and built a full SaaS platform where all of our products work together seamlessly, without requiring additional integration resources or consultants to make the software simply work," Girish Mathrubootham, the co-founder and CEO of Freshworks, said in a statement.

According to the company, the latest cash infusion will be used to further expand its global footprint and continue investment in its integrated SaaS platform. "Being a SaaS company, geography has never been a limiting factor. At this time, we are expanding in the US, Australia and New Zealand, EMEA, APAC and Europe markets," Mathrubootham told The Economic Times.

Citing industry sources, the daily added that this round is likely to be Freshworks' last private raise before a potential public listing. The company has so far picked up nearly $250 million in investor funding.

In another announcement made yesterday, Freshworks said that it has hired Suresh Seshadri, former AppDynamics Vice President of Finance & Treasury, as its chief financial officer. Seshadri had helped AppDynamics prepare for its IPO before the company was acquired by Cisco in 2017.

"With the addition of Suresh leading our financial management and strategy toward a path of free cash flow break-even and our latest - and likely last - private funding round in place, we believe we have a unique opportunity to attract customers from around the globe who have been let down by legacy solutions," said Mathrubootham, adding, "We will eventually need [Seshadri's] expertise in IPO processes when we do go public".

The nearly eight-year-old company boasts more than 150,000 businesses and organisations as clients worldwide, including Honda, Rightmove, Hugo Boss, NHS, Toshiba and Cisco. The company previously told the daily that close to 36 per cent of its revenues come from its larger customers while the remaining come from small and medium businesses.

"Sequoia first backed Freshworks in 2016 and didn't hesitate for a moment to double down on the investment," Mohit Bhatnagar, the managing director of Sequoia Capital India Advisors, said in a statement. "Girish and his team have worked relentlessly to build Freshworks into a leading SaaS company from India - one that is truly global with customers across 126 countries," he added.

The report added that Freshworks crossed the $100-million mark in annual recurring revenue in June, helped by growth in the company's flagship customer support product - Freshdesk - and the growing revenues of its IT services management product, Freshservice, as well as its customer relationship management product, Freshsales.

Since its previous funding round, Freshworks has made several technology acquisitions to bolster its product offerings. Several of these technologies were featured in its recently announced cloud bundle, Freshworks 360, which brings together sales, marketing and support applications to provide users with a full, easy-to-use customer engagement experience.

While Mathrubootham is underplaying his achievement saying "This [the unicorn status] does not change the way we look at ourselves in any way", there is no denying the fact that Freshworks is a flag bearer. However, as Klaas Oskam, managing director of DCS Advisory, pointed out to the daily, a broader group of India-based SaaS companies are now starting to see meaningful scale.

Consider Capillary Technologies, for instance. The cloud-based software solutions company has reportedly raised around $20 million over the past year. Then there is Chennai-based Chargebee, another company in the SaaS space, which recently secured $18.5 million in a Series-C round from New York-based Insight Venture Partners. Mumbai and US-based web testing platform BrowserStack also closed $50 million in a Series-A round from Accel Partners earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the unicorn club is getting pretty crowded of late, with Swiggy, Byju's, Policybazaar, Paytm Mall and now Freshworks all joining it in quick succession. The daily reports that at least seven more companies are poised to gain the coveted title this year, doubling size of the desi unicorn club to about 20 members in the bargain.FINDINGS

A UCLA-led study found that many people with heart failure do not receive the medications recommended for them under guidelines set by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association and Heart Failure Society of America.

The research also found that doctors frequently prescribe medications at doses lower than those recommended by the guidelines, especially for older people, those with kidney disease, those with worsening symptoms or those who were recently hospitalized for heart failure. Further study is needed to determine why people in those four groups specifically were prescribed lower-than-recommended doses.

The study, which looked at the three categories of heart failure medications, found that between 27 percent and 67 percent of patients were not prescribed the recommended drugs. And when patients did receive the medications, they were generally at a lower-than-recommended dose. Less than 25 percent of patients simultaneously received all three medication types, and only 1 percent received the target doses of all three medication types.

BACKGROUND

About 5.7 million people in the United States have heart failure, according to a 2016 report by the American Heart Association. Heart failure is associated with a lower quality of life and frequent hospitalizations, and it contributes to more than 300,000 deaths each year in the U.S. In half of people with heart failure, the disease is caused by a weak heart muscle that prevents the heart from ejecting a normal amount of blood with each heartbeat, a condition called reduced ejection fraction.

Several medications have been proven in large clinical trials to help people with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction live longer and feel better. Research conducted between 2007 and 2009 showed that many patients were not receiving the recommended doses of these medications. The new study sought to determine if there have been improvements in prescribing practice as well as which patients are most likely to receive less medication than recommended.

METHOD

The study included 3,518 patients from 150 primary care and cardiology practices who were enrolled in the Change the Management of Patients with Heart Failure registry, or CHAMP-HF, a study of adult outpatients who were diagnosed with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

IMPACT

The results suggest that use and dosing of heart failure medications has not improved over the past decade. The report says new strategies are needed to more effectively achieve and maintain recommended doses of heart failure medications and that there is a substantial opportunity to improve dosing of heart failure medications, which would improve the care and outcomes for people with heart failure.

###

AUTHORS

The study's senior author is Dr. Gregg Fonarow of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The first author is Dr. Stephen Greene of Duke University. Other authors are listed in the journal article.

JOURNAL

The study appears in the July 24 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

FUNDING

The study was supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Greene has received funding from Novartis. Fonarow has consulted for Amgen, Bayer and Novartis. (Amgen, Bayer and Novartis either market heart failure medications or are developing such drugs.) Other authors' disclosures are listed in the journal article.A team of engineers and physicians in San Diego have developed a device that diffuses potent disinfectants for airborne delivery. Notably, the device works on a range of disinfectants that have never been atomized before, such as Triethylene glycol, or TEG.

In a study published in the August issue of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, the team used the device to atomize disinfectants onto environmental surfaces contaminated with bacteria and showed that it effectively eliminated 100 percent of bacteria that commonly cause hospital-acquired infections. In addition, atomized bleach solution, ethanol and TEG completely eliminated highly multi-drug resistant strains of bacteria including K. pneumoniae.

"Cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces in healthcare facilities is a critical infection prevention and control practice," said Dr. Monika Kumaraswamy, a physician scientist at the University of California San Diego, hospital epidemiologist at the VA San Diego Healthcare System and corresponding author on the paper. "This device will make it much easier to keep hospital rooms clean."

Researchers point out that one in 25 patients who checked into hospitals in 2011 (the last year for which data was available) had to prolong their stay because of healthcare-related infections developed within the hospital.

The technology has broader potential applications too. It could be used to deliver a whole new class of medicines to patients via inhalers.

"Our goal is to make injectable treatments inhalable," said James Friend, a professor of mechanical engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and one of the paper's authors.

Researchers built the device using off-the-shelf smartphone components that produce acoustic waves. In phones, these parts are used mainly to filter wireless cellular signals and identify and filter voice and data information.

In this study, researchers used the smartphone components to generate sound waves at extremely high frequencies--ranging from 100 million to 10 billion hertz -- in order to create fluid capillary waves, which in turn emit droplets and generate mist. This process is called atomization.

Currently, fluids can be atomized by mechanical means like in perfume and cologne sprayers, or by using ultrasound. But these methods either don't work well with viscous fluids, require too much power, or break down some of the fluids' active ingredients. They also require expensive equipment.

The technology used in this paper doesn't have these drawbacks. That's because the smart phone components use Lithium Niobate, or LN, a material that produces more energy efficient and more reliable ultrasonic vibrations. As a result, the device can atomize even the most viscous fluids into a fine mist that can drift in the air for more than an hour.

The device was built by Friend's research group and tested in the laboratory of Dr. Victor Nizet at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, in experiments led by Kumaraswamy.

Although the device worked well on pneumonia-causing bacteria and on various multi-drug resistant strains of other pathogens, atomized TEG did not eliminate MRSA, much to the researchers' surprise. "People told us TEG kills everything," Friend said. "Well that's just not true: in atomized droplet form, it was not all that effective at doing away with MRSA."

Researchers are now working on building an updated prototype to use in a hospital setting, a process that they expect to take one or two years. The device also could be used in airports, airplanes and in public transportation during flu season, for example.

###

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research and the Belmay Corporation.

Decontaminating Surfaces with Atomized Disinfectants Generated by a Novel Thickness-Mode Lithium Niobate Device

Dr. Monika Kumaraswamy, 1,2; Sean Collignon, 3; Carter Do, 4; Janie Kim, 4; Dr. Victor Nizet, 4,5; and James Friend, 3.

1 Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA;

2 Infectious Diseases Section, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA;

3 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA;

4 Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA;

5 Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA

Video: https://youtu.be/w9F16bFUURQWomen with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely than other women to have an autistic child, according to an analysis of NHS data carried out by a team at Cambridge University's Autism Research Centre. The research is published today in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

PCOS affects about one in ten women and is caused by elevated levels of the hormone testosterone. It is associated with fluid-filled sacs (called follicles) in the ovaries, and with symptoms such as delayed onset of puberty, irregular menstrual cycles, and excess bodily hair.

Autism is a condition characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication alongside unusually narrow interests, a strong preference for predictability, and difficulties adjusting to unexpected change. Some autistic people also have learning difficulties and delayed language, and many have sensory hyper-sensitivity. The signs of autism are evident in childhood even if the diagnosis is not made until later, and occurs in about 1% of the population.

The research team previously published work in 2015 which showed that before they are born, autistic children have elevated levels of 'sex steroid' hormones (including testosterone) which 'masculinise' the baby's body and brain. The discovery that prenatal sex steroid hormones are involved in the development of autism is one possible explanation for why autism is diagnosed more often in boys.

The scientists wondered where these elevated sex steroid hormones were coming from, one possible source being the mother. If she had higher levels of testosterone than usual, as is the case in women with PCOS, then some of the hormone might cross the placenta during pregnancy, exposing her unborn baby to more of this hormone, and changing the baby's brain development.

Using anonymous data from a large database of GP health records, the study looked at 8,588 women with PCOS and their first-born children, compared to a group of 41,127 women without PCOS. The team found that, even after taking into account other factors (like maternal mental health problems or complications during pregnancy), women with PCOS had a 2.3% chance of having an autistic child, compared with the 1.7% chance for mothers without PCOS.

The team stressed that the likelihood of having an autistic child is still very low, even among women with PCOS - but finding this link provides an important clue in understanding one of the multiple causal factors in autism.

The team presented their findings at the International Meeting for Autism Research in 2016, and their findings were replicated in a Swedish study in the same year, adding to the reliability of the result.

The team also conducted two other studies using the same data and found that autistic women were more likely to have PCOS, and women with PCOS were more likely to have autism themselves. This strongly suggests that these two conditions are linked, probably because they both share elevated sex steroid hormone levels.

Adriana Cherskov, the Master's student who analysed the data, and who is now studying medicine in the US, said: "This is an important piece of new evidence for the theory that autism is not only caused by genes but also by prenatal sex steroid hormones such as testosterone."

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Director of the Autism Research Centre, who supervised the research, said: "This new research is helping us understand the effects of testosterone on the developing fetal brain, and on the child's later behaviour and mind. These hormonal effects are not necessarily independent of genetic factors, as a mother or her baby may have higher levels of the hormone for genetic reasons, and testosterone can affect how genes function."

Dr Carrie Allison who co-supervised the research, said: "We need to think about the practical steps we can put in place to support women with PCOS as they go through their pregnancies. The likelihood is statistically significant but nevertheless still small, in that most women with PCOS won't have a child with autism, but we want to be transparent with this new information."

Dr Rupert Payne from the University of Bristol Centre for Academic Primary Care, a GP and the expert on the team in using GP health record data for this type of research, said: "Autism can have a significant impact on a person's wellbeing, and on their parents, and many autistic people have significant health, social care and educational special needs. This is an important step in trying to understand what causes autism. It is also an excellent example of the value of using anonymous routine healthcare data to answer vital medical research questions."

###

The study was supported by the Autism Research Trust, the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, a Gates Cambridge Trust Scholarship and Rouse Ball/Eddington Research Fund Award at Trinity College.

Reference

Cherskov, A., Pohl, A Allison, C, Zhang, H, Payne, R, and Baron-Cohen, S. Polycystic ovary syndrome and autism: A test of the prenatal sex steroid theory. Translational Psychiatry; 1 Aug 2018; DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0186-7A UCF physicist has discovered a new material that has the potential to become a building block in the new era of quantum materials, those that are composed of microscopically condensed matter and expected to change our development of technology.

Researchers are entering the Quantum Age, and instead of using silicon to advance technology they are finding new quantum materials, conductors that have the ability to use and store energy at the subatomic level.

Assistant Professor Madhab Neupane has spent his career learning about the quantum realm and looking for these new materials, which are expected to become the foundation of the technology to develop quantum computers and long-lasting memory devices. These new devices will increase computing power for big data and greatly reduce the amount of energy required to power electronics.

Big companies recognize the potential and they are investing in research. Microsoft has invested in its Station Q, a lab dedicated solely to studying the field of topological quantum computing. Google has teamed up with NASA on a Quantum AI Lab that studies how quantum computing and artificial intelligence can mesh. Once the quantum phenomena are well understood and can be engineered, the new technologies are expected to change the world, much like electronics did at the end of the 20th century.

Neupane's discovery, published today in Nature Communications is a big step in making that reality happen.

"Our discovery takes us one step closer to the application of quantum materials and helps us gain a deeper understanding of the interactions between various quantum phases," Neupane said.

The material Neupane and his team discovered, Hf2Te2P - chemically composed of hafnium, tellurium and phosphorus -- is the first material that has multiple quantum properties, meaning there is more than one electron pattern that develops within the electronic structure, giving it a range of quantum properties.

Neupane's research group is using its specialized equipment for advanced-spectroscopic characterization of quantum materials to develop their work further.

"With the discovery of such an incredible material, we are at the brink of having a deeper understanding of the interplay of topological phases and developing the foundation for a new model from which all technology will be based off, essentially the silicon of a new era," Neupane said.

###

This study was funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and was conducted in collaboration with Tomasz Durakiewicz from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Raman Sankar and Fangcheng Chou from National Taiwan University in Taiwan, Peter Oppeneer from Uppsala University in Sweden, and Dariusz Kaczorowski from Polish Academy of Science in Poland. Neupane led the team of researchers that included UCF graduate students M. Mofazzel Hosen, Gyanendra Dhakal, Firoza Kabir, and Christopher Sims, and undergraduate student Klauss Dimitri.

Neupane came to UCF in 2016 after completing postdoctoral studies at Princeton University and Los Alamos National Laboratory. He has been part of the frontier of quantum materials research since 2011.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. Founded in 1963 with a commitment to expanding opportunity and demanding excellence, the University of Central Florida develops the talent needed to advance the prosperity and welfare of our society.

With more than 66,000 students, UCF is one of the nation's largest universities, offering more than 200 degree programs at its main campus in Orlando and more than a dozen other locations in Central Florida and online.

UCF was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the nation's top 25 most innovative universities along with Harvard, Stanford and Duke, and has been described by The Washington Post as "part of a vanguard that is demolishing the popular belief that exclusivity is a virtue in higher education." For more information, visit ucf.edu.In "The Politics of Selecting the Bench from the Bar: The Legal Profession and Partisan Incentives to Introduce Ideology into Judicial Selection," published in the Journal of Law and Economics, Adam Bonica and Maya Sen analyze how and why American courts become politicized. The authors present a theory of strategic selection in which politicians appoint judges with specific ideological backgrounds in order to advance political agendas.

Instead of simply determining whether partisanship influences the composition of the courts, the authors aim to understand the ideological demographics of the legal profession--the population from which judges are chosen--and the judiciary. "This is the first study to provide a direct ideological comparison across tiers of the judiciary and between judges and lawyers," say Bonica and Sen, "and also the first to document how--and why--American courts become politicized."

Using a newly collected data set from the Martindale-Hubbell legal directory and the Database on Ideology, Money in Politics, and Elections (DIME) that captures the ideological positioning of nearly half a million judges and lawyers who have made campaign contributions, the authors show that the higher the court, the more conservative and more polarized it becomes, in contrast with the broader population of attorneys, who tend to be liberal. Because higher level courts are more likely to shape national and state policy, politicians who prioritize certain selection methods over others can aim to restructure the judiciary toward their own ideologies.

Bonica and Sen argue that this political motivation leads political actors to favor judicial selection systems relying on gubernatorial or legislative appointments rather than nominations based on merit or nonpartisan elections. Their analysis demonstrates that partisan elections and appointments allow politicians to choose individuals with preferred ideological backgrounds in order to facilitate desired policy shifts. Their findings suggest that political actors take opportunities to use ideology in the selection of judges but that they strategically prioritize higher courts.

"Left to a judicial selection process devoid of ideological considerations," say Bonica and Sen, "America's courts should, after controlling for relevant demographic characteristics, closely resemble the population of attorneys in the jurisdiction from which they are drawn. However, as ideology becomes an increasingly important consideration in judicial selection, the ideological profile of the courts will deviate from that of attorneys and start to look more like that of the relevant political actors."

###

This study was made available online and in print in May 2018.TORONTO, ON (Canada) - It happened once before, and it could happen again.

That's the warning from ocean scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of California, Santa Cruz in a study published recently in Science that shows how an increase in CO2 in Earth's atmosphere more than 50 million years ago, dramatically changed the chemistry of the planet's oceans.

The researchers suggest if contemporary global carbon emissions continue to rise, the future of many fish species in our oceans could be at risk.

"Our study shows that global warming is not only about extreme weather events, or hotter summers, but it has the potential to alter the ocean structure with unknown consequences for fisheries," said Professor Uli Wortmann in the Department of Earth Sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science at U of T, and co-author of the study.

And this isn't the first time this has happened.

"We show that the last time large amounts of CO2 were injected into the atmosphere, not only did the planet get hot -- which is known as the so called Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, about 55 million year ago -- but it also changed the chemistry of the ocean quite markedly," said Wortmann. He was joined in the research by U of T PhD student Weiqi Yao, lead author of the study, and Adina Paytan of the Institute of Marine Science at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

It is widely accepted that an increase in CO2 leads to warming, which then results in less oxygen in our oceans. Less oxygen allows sulfate-eating bacteria to thrive, which produces hydrogen sulfide -- a broad-spectrum toxin which is lethal in small concentrations.

"This will affect fish species that live or dive deep in the ocean," said Wortmann. "Most notably it would impact high level predators like tuna and whales, which in turn would have a ripple effect on fish species living in the commercially more relevant shallow waters -- up to 200 metres below sea level - and those living in the middle depth approximately 1,000 metres below the surface of the ocean.

"The middle and deep ocean are the largest and least explored part of our planet, home to giant squid and weird deep sea fish but also some commercially important fish like the Patagonian Toothfish, otherwise known as Chilean Sea Bass."

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) gets its name from the boundary between two periods in Earth's past. The amount of CO2 input into the atmosphere during the period was similar to the predicted trajectories of CO2 in the atmosphere towards the year 2100 adopted by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, if emissions continue to rise throughout the 21st century. It is viewed as a good model for the fossil fuel burning activity occurring currently and is intensely studied by scientists in the context of climate change.

In the course of exploring how ocean chemistry evolved over the last 60 million years, Yao stumbled upon some unusual data - hinted at in previous low-resolution work by Paytan - that Wortmann suggests conventional wisdom would consider faulty. Upon noticing that it coincided with the PETM interval, the authors dug deeper for more data and were able to show that it was no measurement artifact, but a real signal.

"Increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations go hand in hand with oxygen loss in the ocean, and this is the first demonstration that the CO2 release from human activity could be large enough to turn parts of the ocean into a toxic brew," said Wortmann.

While the researchers cannot say how long it would take for the impact of increased CO2 levels to become evident, they say the transition would be quick.

"Our study is another piece in the puzzle," said Yao. "It highlights an often overlooked aspect of the global climate change debate: what will happen to marine fisheries in a warming world?"

###

The findings are described in the study "Large-scale ocean deoxygenation during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum", published this month in Science. Support for the research was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the National Science Foundation.

Note to editors:

1) Visit http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2018/07/18/science.aar8658 to download the full research paper described here.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Weiqi Yao, PhD Candidate

Department of Earth Sciences

University of Toronto

+1 647 975 8477

weiqi.yao@mail.utoronto.ca

Uli Wortmann

Department of Earth Sciences

University of Toronto

+1 416 978 7084

uli.wortmann@utoronto.ca

Adina Paytan

Institute of Marine Sciences

University of California Santa Cruz

+1 650 274 6084

apaytan@ucsc.edu

Sean Bettam

Communications, Faculty of Arts & Science

University of Toronto, Canada

+1 416 946 7950

s.bettam@utoronto.caAugust 1, 2018 - For specialist nurses on neurocritical care units, accompanying patients for imaging scans and other procedures has a major impact on nurse staffing ratios, reports a study in the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, official journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

"Patients in a neurologic critical care unit require more staffing to account for the frequent neurologic assessments, charting, and traveling," according to the workflow study by Michelle Hill, MS, RN, AGCNS-BC, CNRN, CCRN, SCRN, and Jessica DeWitt, BSN, RN, of Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. The study led to the addition of staff members, including a new "circulating nurse" position, with the goals of improving patient care and nurse retention rates.

'Are Neurocritical Care Nurses Performing 14 Hours of Work in a 12-Hour Shift?'

"Neurocritical care units are unique from other critical care areas," according to the authors. These specialist units care for patients with diagnoses like stroke and brain or spinal cord injuries, who require frequent neurological assessments and diagnostic tests.

"These imaging and diagnostic examinations are often time sensitive and may happen at any time," Hill and DeWitt write. During a period of multiple changes, the 32-bed neurocritical care unit at the authors' hospital was experiencing high nurse turnover rates. "This started us asking the question, 'Are neurocritical care nurses performing 14 hours of work on a 12-hour shift?'"

To answer this question, the authors performed a study to assess relationships between various nursing tasks: neurological assessment, documentation, and traveling with patients for diagnostic tests. The study also looked at the effects of patient acuity (severity of illness) and nurse experience.

Over 30 days, observations showed that neurocritical care nurses spent more than 226 hours traveling with patients. The main tests and procedures involved were computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans and vascular interventional radiology procedures. "Approximately 4.5 hours of a 12-hour shift were spent off the unit traveling for these tests, indicating that at least one nurse was off the unit for 38 percent of the shift," Hill and DeWitt write.

"When a nurse travels there is a patient left behind for another nurse to care for," Michelle Hill explains. "This alters the staffing and requires 'flexing up' - meaning that the nurse-patient ratio increases 33 to 50 percent during those times."

On its own, the nurses' level of experience was not significantly related to the amount of time needed to perform and document the results of neurological assessments. However, less-experienced nurses spent more time documenting the status of higher-acuity patients, compared to veteran nurses.

The study also identified an average of 2.5 high-acuity patients per day who required a dedicated one-to-one nurse assignment for procedures and recovery time. Based on their workflow analysis, the authors recommended a new "circulator" nurse position, who would travel and assist with patients, freeing primary nurses on the unit to stay with their patient. They also recommended three new "one-to-one" staff positions, allowing high-acuity patients or those with multiple diagnostic tests scheduled to be assigned to a dedicated nurse.

"Implementing additional staffing will counteract this unique characteristic of neurologic critical care patients and provide a possible tool to enhance retention," Hill and DeWitt conclude. They note previous research showing that higher nurse staffing levels can have positive effects on patient outcomes - but further studies will be needed to evaluate the impact of their changes in staffing on the neurocritical care unit.

###

Click here to read "Staffing Is More Than a Number: Using Workflow to Determine an Appropriate Nurse Staffing Ratio in a Tertiary Care Neurocritical Care Unit"

DOI: 10.1097/JNN.0000000000000387

About the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing (JNN)

The Journal of Neuroscience Nursing (JNN), the official journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, contains original articles on advances in neurosurgical and neurological techniques as they affect nursing care, theory and research, as well as commentary on the roles of the neuroscience nurse in the health care team.

The journal provides information to nurses and health care professionals working in diverse areas of neuroscience patient care. The information is applicable to professionals working in clinical, research, administrative, and educational settings.

About the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses

Founded in 1968, the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) is an organization of more than 5,200 nurses and healthcare professionals worldwide. These professionals work in clinical, research, administrative, and educational settings, covering diverse areas of neuroscience patient care such as multispecialty and neuroscience intensive care units, general neuroscience units, combination units, rehabilitation units, medical-surgical units, pediatric units, emergency and trauma departments, and surgery.

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the health, tax & accounting, finance, risk & compliance, and legal sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer, headquartered in the Netherlands, reported 2017 annual revenues of 4.4 billion. The company serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide.

Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit http://healthclarity.wolterskluwer.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth.Privacy Settings

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NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.Just World Education

Peter Ford, who was Britains ambassador to Syria 2003-2006, gave a scathing assessment of the work of Syrias Western-backed White Helmets organization and other aspects of Western countries regime-change project in Syria in an audio interview published on JWEs podcast series on July 27.

The White Helmets are jihadi auxiliaries, he told JWE president Helena Cobban at the very start of the 30-minute interview. They are not, as claimed by themselves and by their supporters simple rescuers. They are not volunteers. They are paid professionals of disinformation.

He proceeded to note the huge size of the organizations press department, saying,

This gives us an idea what the priority is for this very dubious organization All their activities are directed at mobilizing Western opinion behind the jihadis with whom they associate. They co-locate their centers with the Al-Qaeda organization known as Al-Nusra and with other militant groups such as Jaish al-Islam. They have in the past been shown associating with and waving the flags of ISIS.

Ford voiced these (and other) criticisms of the White Helmets less than two days after a large of WH employees and their families were evacuated from Southern Syria by Israeli troops stationed on the Israeli-occupied portion of Syria in the Golan Heights, from where the Israeli military bussed them to Jordan, where they await relocation to the United Kingdom and other Western countries.

His analysis of the WH was just one of numerous intriguing judgments and analyses about Syria and Palestine Ford shared during the 30-minute interview, all of which is worth listening to.

In 2006, when Fords ambassadorial service in Damascus ended, he retired from the Foreign Office and then served the next eight years as the chief representative of the head of the UN agency UNRWA to the Arab world. For that period, he was based in Amman, Jordan and traveled throughout the Arab world, including on a number of occasions to Syria, which is host to more than 500,000 UNRWA-registered Palestinian refugees living in nine longstanding refugee camps as well as scattered everywhere else throughout the country.

In many of these areas including the very large Yarmouk refugee camp, Syrias Palestinian residents have been very badly impacted by the conflict that has wracked the country since 2011. Ford was one of the few outside observers able to track their situation. In the interview, he noted that Yarmouk was taken over by jihadist armed groups including ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and Jaish al-Islam, but it was a very confused situation.

He noted that in some of the Palestinian camps, Hamas fighters who had long been present there fought heroically against ISIS, but were put to the sword by them.

Ford shared some intriguing memories of his earlier time as UK ambassador in Syria, noting that that had coincided with a period of tentative political liberalization in the country. He recalled that as ambassador, he had met and hosted a number of Syrian opposition figures, whom he described as brave, but reckless. He said he tried to provide them with some diplomatic protection, noting that at that time, the opposition members visible and active in Damascus were all secularists of one kind or another, either communists or liberals.

That period of tentative liberalization did not last long, he noted. It was brought to an abrupt end after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which heightened fears that after Washington had pacified that country it would next turn its attention to attempting regime change in Syria, and also by the anti-Syrian agitation that erupted in Lebanon after the early-2005 assassination of that countrys former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, which was widely blamed on Syria and its allies.

Ford also provided his analyses of the situations in Palestine (where he saw neither a two-state nor a one-state situation coming any time soon) and regarding Israeli-Syrian relations. Regarding the long-unresolved conflict actually, still formally a state of war between Syria and Israel, which has occupied Syrias Golan Heights area continuously since 1967, Ford said that recent developments had brought the Golan issue back to the top of the international agenda, for the first time in decades.

He noted that for many, many years the biannual renewal of the mandate of the UNs Disengagement Observer Force on Golan (UNDOF) had occurred almost automatically, without the Syrian government or any other party seeking to have any discussion at the U.N. Security Council of the resolutions underlying UNDOFs mandate, especially resolutions 242 of 1967 and 338 of December 1973, both of which reaffirm the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force and call on Israel therefore to withdraw from Golan.

In 1981, the Israeli Knesset annexed Golan to Israel, but that act of Anschluss, like the parallel one applied to occupied East Jerusalem, has never been recognized as valid by the United Nations or most of the governments of the world.

Ford recalled that back when he was the U.K.s ambassador to Syria, it seemed that Damascus was always very eager to do nothing that might provoke any Israeli bombing of their country (such as Israel often showed itself quite happy to do against, for example, Lebanon or Gaza.). But amidst the very complex conflict that has wracked Syria since 2011, Israel has bombed Syria more than 100 times so psychologically and militarily this changed the situation in Syria, he said.

In. the interview, Ford also warned that the White Helmets were already preparing another staged chemical weapon incident in Idlib, the portion of northwestern Syria where, under partial Turkish protection, the last remnants of all the countrys jihadi fighting groups have been gathering.

As noted above, however, the whole of the 30-minute interview is well worth listening to.Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel.

Instant News WireSan Antonios Alamo Botanicals promotes wellness through the sale of hemp-based products, but all is not well at the company.

In a lawsuit filed last Thursday, two Alamo Botanicals owners allege the chief executive has essentially hijacked the company and is using its resources to start a competing venture.

The same day the complaint was filed, state District Judge Solomon Casseb III issued a temporary restraining order that prevents Chief Executive Manager Charles Rodkey Jr. from starting another business with Alamo Botanicals revenue and directs him to turn over its books and bank records to co-owners Aaron Luckey and David Burrow.

Casseb set a hearing for Friday on Luckey and Burrows request to convert the TRO to a temporary injunction.

Nathan Cace, a San Antonio lawyer who represents Rodkey and investor Chris Bain, declined to comment on the litigation.

Lamont Jefferson, a San Antonio attorney for Luckey and Burrow, said his clients took steps to terminate Rodkey but Rodkey disputes thats he been fired. The parties are now working on a temporary operating agreement to keep the business moving forward while the dispute is being resolved, Jefferson said.

It seems to me that these business partners are destined for a breakup, and so its a question of how to amicably accomplish that, Jefferson said. Regardless of what happens between the partners, the business needs to be preserved.

On Twitter, Alamo Botanicals calls itself the first full-line hemp dispensary in the state. The business, started about a year ago, has stores at 19141 Stone Oak Parkway and, in New Braunfels, at 645 Floral Ave.

In Texas, cannabidiol, or hemp-based, products are legal as long as they contain less than the 0.3 percent THC threshold mandated by state law, Luckey and Burrows lawsuit says. THC is the chemical compound in cannabis responsible for causing a euphoric high.

Hemp-based products have been found to have significant positive effects on numerous ailments and on a persons well-being, the suit says. The business has been well-received and has resulted in a successful enterprise, it adds.

Luckey and Burrow, who also is Alamo Botanicals vice president of operations, say in their lawsuit that Rodkey has denied them access to the businesss financial records despite repeated requests.

The hostility among the owners erupted several months ago when Rodkey insisted on putting his wife, Maggie Rodkey, on the Alamo Botanicals payroll, the lawsuit alleges. She was supposed to be paid $454 a month, but Burrow says in a declaration filed with the suit that he recently discovered that she was receiving $1,200 every two weeks.

Burrow says a heated argument ensued when he confronted Rodkey on July 18.

Rodkey told me that he was going to shut down Alamo Botanicals, that he was going to smash the company, and that he was going to start his own company in competition with Alamo Botanicals, Burrow says. Rodkey also contacted Luckey to say that he wanted to exclude Burrow from the business, Burrow adds in his declaration.

Burrow alleges Rodkey has been secreting company assets and using them for his personal benefit, and/or the benefit of DCCA Holdings, which Rodkey started in March.

Luckey, concerned about his $40,000 investment in the business, sent text messages to the other owners in an effort to set up a meeting July 24, the suit says.

But Cace, the lawyer for Rodkey and Bain, sent Burrow a cease-and-desist letter days before the planned meeting.

In his letter, Cace noted a special meeting was called for last Friday to address Alamo Botanicals ongoing and future business operations and its possible dissolution. Luckey and Burrow included the letter with their lawsuit.

Cace warned in his letter he would file a lawsuit against Burrow if he interfered with Rodkeys authority or manufactured any products on Alamo Botanicals behalf, as Rodkey has alleged.

To me, thats a red flag that something is very amiss if your business partner goes and hires a lawyer to send you a cease-and-desist letter, said Jefferson, the lawyer for Luckey and Burrow. Thats why this letter is so bizarre. Its cutting out a business partner (Burrow) from doing something that everybody agreed that he would do: run the company and sell product.

Luckey and Burrow headed to the courthouse first and obtained the TRO ex parte  meaning Cace wasnt given notice of the hearing so he wasnt there to oppose the TRO.

Rodkey and Burrow each own 35 percent of Alamo Botanicals parent company. Luckey owns 20 percent and Bain, Rodkeys brother-in-law, owns 10 percent, the suit says.

Patrick Danner is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPDTexas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller  who most recently tangled with the states barbecue joints  has a new beef: the way ranchers fight the potentially deadly fever tick.

Miller incited a controversy on Monday during a visit to a ranch near Raymondville, where he shut down 16 fever tick spray box operations, saying producers were complaining of cattle deaths from overuse of Co-Ral, a Texas Department of Agriculture-regulated pesticide manufactured by Bayer-Monsanto.

Ranchers had complained to me about their cattle dying from these spray boxes, so I went to South Texas to check it out, Miller said in a news release. From my personal observation, the insecticide was being used in violation of the label, so I shut them down. I also gave state and federal authorities lawful alternatives for applying this insecticide, but they refused to implement these alternatives.

But Robert McKnight, a Fort Davis rancher who is president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said there have been no reports of cattle deaths and Miller doesnt know what hes talking about.

The spray boxes utilized by the Texas Animal Health Commission and U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service are not known to have caused any cattle deaths due to toxicity, McKnight said. Commissioner Millers efforts are actually detrimental to cattle raisers who rely on the use of spray boxes to eradicate cattle fever ticks from their operations.

Related: U.S. announces $12B bailout for farmers hurt in trade war

The fever tick carries a disease known as bovine babesiosis, which destroys red blood cells resulting in cattle anemia, fever and death. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, it spread north with longhorn cattle drives and nearly wiped out the U.S. cattle herd.

The pest was declared eradicated from the U.S. in 1943, save for a narrow quarantine zone hugging the Texas-Mexico border as the ticks have been known to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico. But in recent years the tick has increasingly been making its way into the Texas interior, forcing the cattle industry to double down on efforts to contain it. According to the cattle raisers association, there are now nearly 1.4 million acres under some level of quarantine, compared to what had been 226,803 acres in the permanent quarantine area.

The now controversial spray boxes are portable chambers that can be toted to ranchers who might otherwise have to round up and transport the animals to distant dipping vats.

Miller, a former champion rodeo cowboy who took office in 2015, has drawn headlines for controversies such as a taxpayer-funded trip to Oklahoma for a pain killing Jesus shot (he has since repaid the state), a thwarted attempt to use the blood thinner Warfarin as a poison against feral hogs in what he touted as a feral hog apocalypse, and the recent BBQ Bill, which had restaurants across the state smoking mad over what they said were burdensome new requirements for weighing brisket, sausage and other meats.

The spray box method that has incensed Miller has been in use since the 1970s, when the Environmental Protection Agency registered Co-Ral for use in spray boxes and dipping vats, said Texas Animal Health Commission spokeswoman Callie Ward by email. She said that because they are mobile, the animal health commission since September 2016 been able to take them to 919 herds in 82 counties.

Over the decades TAHC has sprayed and assisted federal personnel in spraying thousands of cattle to prevent the spread of cattle fever ticks and the deadly disease they can carry, and has no indication the operation of spray boxes has directly led to cattle deaths, she said.

Since Texas is the nations leading state in cattle production, the ramifications of a babesiosis outbreak could be huge. U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, has said even a small outbreak outside the quarantine zone could cost about $120 million in the first year alone. According to the USDA, an extended tick outbreak could cost U.S. ranchers and the broader economy more than $1.2 billion in extermination expenses and lost revenue from diseased animals. The U.S. cattle industry is currently valued at about $81 billion.

Related: Trade spats 'new norm' for sorghum growers, nail biter for Texas manufacturers

The problem is so serious that U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat who sits on the House Committee on Appropriations Committee, last July secured $96.5 million in the 2018 agriculture appropriations bill to help stop the spread. Cuellar in May announced an additional $1 million in federal funding for 2019.

Our cattle producers contribute greatly to the economy and way of life in South Texas, Cuellar said. They deserve our assistance in the face of threats to their vitality.

Miller in a phone interview Tuesday stood by his actions, even when told ranchers represented by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association said there were no reports of cattle deaths and the shutdowns were detrimental.

Weve got affidavits from ranchers, he said. Their immediate past president said it was like putting them in a gas chamber, so youre hearing from a minority.

Former TSCRA President Richard Thorpe, though, in a text message said he had never seen the boxes but had been told they are safe by both the TAHC and USDA.

I told Miller on the phone after he was describing them to me that it sounded like a gas chamber, Thorpe said. He took that out of context and unfortunately made a misquote.

Miller said that after hearing complaints from ranchers that Texas Animal Health Commission officials were forcing them to endanger cattle, he reached out to the agency to see if we could resolve the issue.

It was very evident what we were doing was off-label, he said. The label on Co-Ral specifically says do not use in a non-ventilated area.

Theyre afraid, he said of the ranchers. They said, If we go against (U.S.D.As Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) or the Animal Health Commission well never get out of quarantine.

Related: Texas A&M scientists doing research on cotton, weeds

He added that only Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service personnel could use Co-Ral at full strength.

Texas animal health department cannot, and they were the ones there, he said. There was nobody from APHIS there.

Miller said he offered Texas Animal Health Commission options, including an injectable called Dectomax that lasts 30 days, dipping vats, hand sprayers, or even using the boxes but keeping the animals head outside the box so it doesnt breathe the fumes.

He said the animal health commission refused.

Theyve got to use it by label, they cant just do whatever the hell they want, he said. Its just a power struggle, I think.

lbrezosky@express-news.netWhat Texas cravings does Elizabeth Chambers the San Antonio native, Bird Bakery founder and wife of movie star Armie Hammer, have when shes jetting around the world? Chambers flew in to Houston Saturday morning  It was 82 degrees at 8 a.m.!  to deliver Create & Cultivates keynote address during its third annual, women-only Style Summit at the Galleria and she dished about that, her style secrets and more.

First, Whataburger.

Its always my first stop, Chambers says, almost apologetically. Ive also got to get some Tex-Mex and barbecue while Im here. And a margarita.

With nearly 200,000 Instagram followers double-tapping her every move, and a sold-out crowd ready to Facebook Live her every word, for mere mortals, the weight of expectation would be stifling.

But Chambers is unruffled. Despite being a seasoned celebrity wife, shes also a Texas girl, and likes to keep it real.

My makeup artist had her work cut out for her, Chambers confides, whipping out her iPhone to reveal evidence of a facial gone wrong. The only thing that covers me up is Cle de Peau concealer.

She glides easily between topics, sharing her favorite beauty products (cold fusion cream and Juroliques foaming face wash), accessories (gold coins, gold hoops and stackable bracelets) and what Hammer adores most about the Lone Star State (the open road  he grew up in Dallas and loves a Texas roadtrip) with equal enthusiasm.

Related: Former childcare facility on San Antonio's Northeast Side will become H-Que Ice House, a spacious beer and barbecue facility

Chambers candor is refreshing. Ask her about starting a business, and shell shoot it straight.

Its the most difficult thing Ive ever done, she says with a good-natured eye roll. There are a million reasons to quit and only one to keep going. So many tears and challenges in the beginning. Now nothing surprises me anymore.

She always wanted to open a bakery. Growing up, her mother and grandmother each had brick-and-mortar stores in San Antonio.

Then later, as an adult and self-professed sugar addict, Chambers struggled to find a fresh, local bakery to satisfy her sweet-tooth cravings when she visited her hometown.

I needed a cupcake with real buttercream that was made this morning, she recalls. My dad was like, We dont have that here.

So Chambers and Hammer took matters into their own hands. Their premier Bird Bakery location opened its doors in 2012 on Broadway, right down the street from the spot where Chambers grandmother had run her catering company.

In fact, a number of Bird Bakery menu items, including two popular Pimento cheese dishes, are her grandmothers recipes.

Related: Sound the alarms: Hatch chiles are here in San Antonio

Seeing customers enjoy the recipes I grew up on is the most rewarding part, she says. Its important that it all feels organic. My brand is me, and I think of the Bird Bakery culture like editing a magazine. What do I want my publication to look like?

For the couples second store in Dallas Highland Park Village, nailing the right aesthetic meant installing well-lit vignettes for bloggers  and an Instagram wall.

Chambers says her next move is expansion.

My goal is to be on food shelves, she says. Whether thats a direct-to-consumer service or stores on every corner. You cant ship a cake, but can you ship the mix and icing with some instructions.

Chambers can sort the details later. Right now, she needs a solution to her wardrobe malfunction. Her public relations handler offers to pin down the offending sleeve, to which Chambers encourages, Go for it!

The clock is ticking. Shes got a speech to deliver and Tex-Mex to scout.

amber.elliott@chron.comWhen Leon Valley police got a call over the weekend that someone had stolen a shark from the San Antonio Aquarium, they initially thought it was a hoax. After all, it was Shark Week.

Youd never think (of) something like that, Leon Valley Police Chief Joseph Salvaggio said.

But the theft was no joke. Now, a man accused of stealing the shark is facing a state felony theft charge and possibly federal charges.

Salvaggio said Antone Shannon, 38, has admitted taking Miss Helen, a small gray horn shark. Shannon was released on bond Tuesday afternoon.

Police said Shannon, working with a woman and another man, snatched Miss Helen out of her tank, wrapped her in a blanket and pushed her out of the aquarium in a baby carriage. In the process, Salvaggio said, Shannon dumped a bucket of a bleach solution into a water filtration system and used the bucket to help move the shark.

Now Playing: Leon Valley police recover stolen San Antonio Aquarium's shark and make arrest, July 31, 2018. Video: Jacob Beltran

Our marine husbandry team was able to counter that in time for it to not do any damage to the other exhibits, said Jenny Spellman, general manager of the aquarium.

As the thieves started to leave the aquarium, Salvaggio said staff noticed water dripping from the carriage, prompting them to follow the trio.

In the parking lot, Shannon brushed off requests to look inside the carriage, saying they were heading out to get their baby medication (because) it was sick, said Spellman, one of the staffers who went after the thieves.

After the three left, she said staff reviewed security footage and confirmed a theft had occurred before calling the police.

Salvaggio said the other man and the woman have been identified and admitted their roles, but charges havent been filed yet. The trio consists of a married couple and a neighbor, Salvaggio said.

We will be filing on them at large and letting the District Attorneys Office issue warrants for them if they deem so, Salvaggio said.

After smuggling the shark out of the aquarium, police say Shannon drove her to his house, where he had a personal aquarium. But authorities tracked down the license plate of the pickup that Shannon drove away in and contacted its owner  one of the other two suspects  which led them to Shannon, Salvaggio said.

Initially, (Shannon) wasnt giving up information, Salvaggio said. But when we released the information through the media, we got calls and he knew it was done. Once he saw the pictures of himself, he knew we knew and he decided to cooperate.

Over the phone, Salvaggio said, officers gave Shannon a choice: Let them into the house willingly, or theyd come in with a search warrant. When Shannon chose the first option, Salvaggio added, police went to his house and he took them directly to the shark.

After first showing the officers a doctored receipt for the shark, Shannon confessed to the theft, according to police. An arrest warrant was not issued, Salvaggio said  instead, Shannon was filed on that night  based on his confession.

Authorities say Shannon told them he was trying to replace a pet horn shark that had died, adding that evidence suggests this is the truth. Salvaggio said there was no evidence of an attempt to sell the shark, and Spellman said the primary market is for marine life enthusiasts like Shannon anyways.

Miss Helen, for her part, is doing fine.

Shes still doing well, Spellman said. She hasnt eaten today, but thats not out of the ordinary after shes been through such stressful events.

The theft seems to have involved lots of preparation. Salvaggio said Shannon previously visited the aquarium under the guise of a quality control tester, allowing him to test the salinity of the sharks water tank so he could replicate it in his setup at home.

One of the employees confirmed that it was the same person, Spellman said. So I dont know if he actually works for the company or not, but he was able to get in and kind of look around the back areas that way.

Shannon also visited the aquarium multiple times in the weeks leading up to the heist, Salvaggio said.

Shannon now faces a state felony charge for theft of property valued at between $2,500 and $30,000. Although the shark previously has been valued at $2,000, Salvaggio says the aquariums investment puts the value at around $3,000.

In addition to the state theft charge, Salvaggio said Shannon could also be facing federal charges for other animals found in his home aquarium. Texas Parks and Wildlife and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been notified, Salvaggio said, and the Leon Valley Police Department has requested that an investigation be started.

Theres some animals (in there) that they shouldnt have, Salvaggio said  including more sharks.

According to online court records, Shannon has a lengthy criminal history in Bexar County. He's been convicted of at least six charges, including vehicle theft, drug possession and evading arrest.

Brian Contreras is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. | brian.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @_B_Contreras_It was a bittersweet time Tuesday, just before dawn at Kelly Field Airport, for medical care technician Michael Belmarus.

Belmarus had to say goodbye to a chow mix named Aisling that hed fostered for the past six weeks.

Hed grown attached to the dog, who was born blind. But Belmarus knows the dogs best chance for a permanent home awaits her at the end of the flight, sponsored by the transportation organization Dog is My CoPilot (DIMC).

On Tuesday, Belmarus was one of the San Antonio Pets Alive! members who gathered to put more than 40 dogs on a flight bound for Boise, Idaho, where canines are in high demand for adoption.

Along with several volunteers, the bearded technician lugged different-sized kennels across the runway, behind Atlantic Aviation, and placed them in the Cessna 208B. Pilot and DIMC co-founder Dr. Peter Rork, carefully placed his cargo, from largest to smallest, inside of the planes hold.

I need the tinies, Rork said, reaching for kennels bearing the littlest passengers.

Belmarus saved the dog hed fostered for last. As volunteers set kennels in open spaces, he patted the dog with the Irish name that means dream or vision, one last time.

It was more tear-jerking this time, Belmarus said.

The large adult dogs 1,645 mile trip to the Northwest was part of Headin Home, SAPA!s transport program that ferries local strays to animal shelters in other states, where most are adopted within two weeks. The nonprofit also provides monthly ground transport for strays to rescue organizations in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and East Coast.

Rebecca Mayberry, director of philosophy, said SAPA! saved more than 40,000 cats and dogs in the last six years. She said the nonprofit partnered with Animal Care Services to pull animals off euthanasia lists from the city shelter.

This was our second summer of air transporting dogs to different states across the country that do not have an overpopulation of large dogs, she said, but they do have adopters readily available for them.

SAPA! programs also include caring for neonatal kittens and puppies with medical needs.

Dwight Randolph, Atlantic Aviation general manager, said this was their fifth time working with DIMC. The fixed-based operation caters to general aviation people who fly on private jets.

Its a good thing, Randolph said. Theyve got it down to a science.

Outside, Rork walked around the airplane for a pre-flight check before the 10-hour trip. The early start was meant to keep his passengers more comfortable from the heat.

Recent flights have differed from his first transport in 2006, when he flew a patients pet from Driggs, Idaho, to Burns Oregon in an older, smaller aircraft. In 2012, Rork co-founded the nonprofit, based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with lawyer Judy Zimet.

Animal rescues and animal shelters in 15 states west of Louisiana work with DIMC to arrange flights for shelter pets. Flights are paid through public donations and grants.

You can get any kind of breed  pure breed or mixed breed  but adopt, dont shop, he said, as the canines barked incessantly in their kennels. These dogs are rescues and are more grateful. They know they got the golden ticket and can only look forward to happy times ahead.

Rork, a retired orthopedic surgeon, said once in the air, the barking usually subsides. SAPA! staff and volunteers watched the plane taxi across the runway and take off overhead into the dusky morning.

The group waved goodbye to the dogs, snug in the cargo hold of the plane nicknamed Big Dog.I am a direct descendant of David Crockett. He was my great-great-great-great-grandfather through his second wife, Elizabeth Patton.

My ancestor came to Texas and quickly got involved in the fight to free it from the tyrant Santa Anna. He believed it was the right thing to do. Despite his worldwide fame and his career in Congress, when he arrived at the Alamo he humbly insisted on being just a private in the Texian and Tejano forces. He was the best shot among the defenders, so he volunteered to defend the forts weakest point  the palisade on the compounds southern side. And though he was a newly minted Texian, he gave his life on March 6, 1836. He was 49 years old.

This was the Crockett both of legend and history, the Crockett my family knows: a born leader who did his duty and spurred those around him to do theirs.

In a reunion back in June, more than 160 of Davids descendants and extended family and friends from all over the country stood where he stood and walked where he walked. We have followed, with great interest, the planning and controversy that have surrounded the Alamo for decades because we believe that the Alamo is a sacred and unique site that spans three centuries of history. While we appreciate that there is still an Alamo of some semblance to visit and pay our respects to, we also believe that it has the potential to be so much more than it is today.

For all the awe we feel when we enter the church and see the artifacts  including one of Davids rifles  in the Long Barrack, the fact is, the Alamo as a whole is mistreated and has been for a long time. The battlefield is barely recognizable as it has been covered by buildings and active streets. Visitors struggle to understand the immense amount of physical change that has taken place since the fall of the Alamo in 1836. Protesters and street preachers are allowed to destroy the experience of visiting the place where the defenders fought and died. We are long overdue a commonsense approach to the historical presentation of one of our countrys most renowned spaces.

The state of Texas, through the General Land Office, and the city of San Antonio are working on a historic plan that aims to provide that commonsense approach, and I believe it succeeds in doing so. Although there can never be a plan that is perfectly agreeable to everyone concerned, this plan will restore reverence to the Alamo as a whole. One thing we must agree on is that we cannot fail to save the Alamo.

The plan calls for closing Alamo Street directly across from the Alamo. This will improve safety for visitors, help preserve the Alamo itself, and stop the daily desecration of the battlefield. It will delineate much of Alamo Plazas original footprint through excavation, as well as create structures throughout the site to provide historical interpretation and spaces for re-enactments that will finally provide visitors with a much-needed understanding of what the Alamo was like during the mission and fort periods. The plan also calls for building the museum that the Alamo deserves.

Discussion of relocating the Cenotaph is intensely emotional for some. I appreciate the resistance to the removal of historical monuments, and I am against their destruction and desecration. Fortunately, the plan for the Alamo calls for restoring and relocating the Cenotaph from the middle of the battlefield to just south of it. This relocation makes sense because it places the Cenotaph near the original main gate of the Alamo and makes a clear statement that the Alamo is a place of both importance and reverence, and it will enable amazing new possibilities and programs on the battlefield itself.

For me, it comes down to a simple question: If you intended to travel to a distant location to visit a 300-year-old historic site, what would you hope to see when you get there? The Alamo, which represents the beginning of the city of San Antonio and is also located along El Camino Real, a nationally recognized historic trail, is just such a site. Yet this history is not currently represented in downtown San Antonio the way so many have hoped it would be. It is time to allow the Alamo to meet our expectations as a unique and powerful connection to Texas history. As David Crockett said, Be always sure you are right, then go ahead. This plan is right. Lets go ahead and get it done.

Errol Flannery resides in Granbury with his family.At the summit with North Korea, Donald J. Trump, the president of the Divided States of America, was photographed and filmed saluting a North Korean general in full dress uniform.

What an affront to every member of our armed services!

What kind of president insults a true American hero such as John McCain, and then salutes a general of one of our enemies?

And now, in one of his most recent efforts to make America great again, Trump has resorted to ripping babies from the arms of their mothers just so he can try to force the American taxpayer to pay for his wall.

Another disgrace! Another embarrassment!

Hey, Donald, what happened to your pledge to the American people that if they voted for you, the wall would be built and it would be paid for by Mexico?

Remember that? I do. Oh, thats right. I guess thats one reason nearly 3 million more Americans voted for Hillary Clinton than voted for you. (Yeah, I remember that, too.)

President Pence is sounding a whole lot better with each passing day. (And that, my friends, is a completely different sad state of affairs, to be discussed at a later date.)

Stay tuned.

Patrick Molina

Hurry, Mueller

Re: Reporter barred at White House event, World & Nation, Thursday:

So is this the way it is now? Since when did the White House become the Ministry of Truth?

Sounds a lot like George Orwells 1984 to me. After a week of Donald Trump threatening to remove the security credentials of those who have spoken out against his outrageous behaviors, he is now going after the press for asking questions he doesnt like.

I, for one, cant wait for Robert Mueller to finish his work so we can get back to being a democracy!

Carolyn Pinc

Save Koehler House

As Silver Ventures continues its award-winning transformation of The Pearl and gets a fifth star for its Hotel Emma, you cant help but wonder about Emmas mansion in Tobin Hill.

The Koehler House is in a very sad state. The front door has been blocked with caution tape for three years because the limestone is falling off the gorgeous facade, and the grand fence surrounding the property is just as tragic as the grounds. It gives the appearance of abandonment.

San Antonio College was bequeathed the house by Emma Koehler years ago and seems unable to afford its upkeep or simply doesnt care. Im stunned at the condition of arguably the most beautiful house in San Antonio and one that is steeped in history.

I dont understand why the Historic and Design Review Commission doesnt seem concerned about this seminal mansion deteriorating at an alarming rate. Why is there no call to arms to preserve this house? Im sure Temple Beth-El and Monte Vista are not thrilled at the condition of this home either. The house has the appearance of Miss Havishams Satis House in Great Expectations  you half expect Pip to walk out holding Estellas hand as Miss Havisham lurks in her ruin in the background.

Surely something can be done to save this house from neglect. I call on Silver Ventures, Temple Beth-El, Monte Vista and the HDRC to work with San Antonio College to transform this ruin into a testament to Emma Koehler. Lets transform her mansion in the same way The Pearl was transformed. Lets not let it deteriorate any longer; time is of the essence.

Shannon DeasonNEWS FLASH

Skopje Airport handled 193.007 passengers in June, representing a strong increase of 27.9% on the same month last year. During the first half of 2018, Macedonia's busiest airport welcomed 976.851 travellers through its doors, up 21.7%. It managed to add over 170.000 passengers on last year. Skopje Airport anticipates handling over two million travellers in 2018.Independents still joining PTI: Fawad Chaudhry

Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday said that two more independent candidates will join the party. While speaking to media recently, PTIs Fawad Chaudhry added that fifteen independent elected candidates have already joined.



He further said that PTI has 182 seats in the Punjab Assembly now and that it has the majority in national assembly with 165 seats.



Punjab Assembly has a total of 371 seats, while the NA has 342 including reserved seats.



According to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), PTI won 123 seats while PML-N got 129 in the Punjab Assembly. It seems like Imran Khans PTI is in a position to form a coalition government not only in the federation but also in three provinces of the country.GREENWICH  A woman tried to swallow drugs while she was handcuffed and under arrest for narcotics possession at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Old Greenwich Tuesday morning, according to Greenwich police, and another suspect apprehended by officers at the hotel was charged with a drug-related felony.

Officers responded to the hotel on a report of an altercation around 10:45 a.m.

Alexander Edell, 36, of Valley Road, Cos Cob, was accused of breaking down a door between two adjoining rooms he was paying for, according to the arrest report. He has a background in law enforcement as a younger man, as well as a prison record.

Melanie Arias, 22, of Hoyt Avenue, Brooklyn, was attempting to call 911, and he blocked her from completing the call, the arrest report stated.

Police arrived and said a substantial quantity of drugs and paraphernalia were found in both rooms, including marijuana, Xanax and Ketamine. Drugs were found in Arias purse according to the arrest report. While handcuffed, Arias lunged her body at narcotics that officers were about to take pictures of for evidential purposes, the arrest report stated. She began to ingest an unknown amount of narcotics.

Officers made sure she spit out the pills, the report stated.

Arias was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest and tampering with evidence.

Arias told police she was was physically assaulted, according to the report.

Edell was charged with operation of a drug factory, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, assault, criminal mischief and interfering with a 911 call. Bail was initially set at $500,000, then lowered to $100,000 in court.

Edell has a previous criminal record, under a different name. According to public records, including a voter registration data base, Edell changed his surname from Wendorf.

Wendorf was a judicial marshal in Norwalk for seven months in 2002. In 2010, then living in Stamford, he posed as a police officer and abducted a female student at Norwalk Community College, where he had taken classes, according to court records. Authorities said at the time that Wendorf injected a dose of cocaine during the abduction. The woman opened the door and jumped out of the car that she had been lured into, suffering injuries and scratches.

Wendorf pleaded guilty to second-degree kidnapping, first-degree criminal restraint and impersonating an officer, and he was given four years in prison.

At his court appearance Wednesday, bail was lowered to $100,000. If Edell is able to post a bond, he will be required to wear an electronic monitor.

Arias was released on a promise to return.

Attorney Phil Russell, who was representing Edell on the bond issue, said drug abuse was the main issue with the detainee.

Both suspects were ordered to return to court Sept. 7.

 With Staff Reporter John Nickerson.Deutsche Lufthansa AG operates as an aviation company in Germany and internationally. The company's Network Airlines segment offers passenger services through a route network of 273 destinations in 86 countries. Its Eurowings segment provides passenger services through a route network of more than 210 destinations in 60 countries. The company's Logistics Business segment offers transport services for various cargoes, including living animals, valuable cargo, post and dangerous goods, and temperature-sensitive goods serving approximately 300 destinations in 100 countries. Its Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Services (MRO) segment provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for civilian commercial aircraft serving original equipment manufacturers and aircraft leasing companies, operators of VIP jets, and airlines, as well as develops and manufactures cabin and digital products. The company's Catering Business segment engages in-flight sales and entertainment, in-flight service equipment, and the associated logistics services, as well as consulting services; and operates airport lounges. As of December 31, 2020, it had a fleet of 757 aircraft. Deutsche Lufthansa AG was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Cologne, Germany.

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 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research.PTI to form govt in Balochistan with BAP 01 August, 2018



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Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry

Woke Bingo The Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) have agreed to form a coalition government in Balochistan. BAP chief Jam Kamal will be the candidate for the chief ministers office.



The announcements were made a joint press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday.



Speaking on the occasion, PTI leader Jahangir Tareen said, BAP has won 15 provincial seats in Balochistan and since then, four independent candidates have joined them. We [the PTI] have five seats and together our count has gone up to 24.



On Jam Kamals name as the chief minister, Tareen said that it was BAPs right to pick the CM since it was the majority party in the House. BAP has the majority in the province and it has the right to choose the chief minister. The party has nominated Jam Kamal sahib and the PTI fully supports him as the candidate for Balochistan CM, Tareen said.



BAP leader Jam Kamal said that his party had offered unconditional support to the PTI, adding that the two parties would work together in Centre and the province.



Open all constituencies before forming govt, Fazl asks PTI



Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman said on Tuesday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan should follow through on the promise made in his victory speech, and ensure investigation of rigging claims in all constituencies.



Speaking to the media after a session of the MMA leadership, Fazl said that the government should be formed in the Centre only after a thorough probe of rigging claims across the country.



Among other things, he said the verification of thumb impressions on the various forms maintained by the polling staff on the Election Day should also be ensured.



The PTI has emerged as the largest political party as a result of rigging. It should refrain from forming a cabinet before the prime minister is elected because it still does not have the required majority, he said, When PTI does not have the majority, other parties have the right to attempt to form the government.



Rahman accused the PTI of engaging in worst horse trading in countrys history. Revising his earlier stance about the boycott of the Parliament, Fazl said that his party would discuss Jamaat-i-Islamis (JI) suggestion that elected MMA members should sit in the NA in the second round of talks at the forum of the All Parties Conference (APC). He urged workers of MMA parties to continue their protests against rigging, adding that a call for a nation-wide protest campaign would be given after the next APC.



Responding to the ECPs press talk, Fazl said that the commission should accept that it had been unable to perform its constitutional duty. He categorically dismissed the commissions claim that July 25 elections were free and transparent.



The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) has demanded the formation of an independent commission to investigate allegations of rigging.



The demand was made by BNP-M chief Akhtar Jan Mengal at a press briefing in Quetta on Tuesday.



He said that the partys mandate was stolen through rigging on the polling day in at least 12 constituencies of Balochistan.



Mengal maintained that there were serious question marks over the transparency of the July 25 polls, adding that the latest election was similar to the general elections of 1970



The election results were delayed for 72 hours. Such a delay has never been witnessed in the past despite the fact that election commissions used to lack resources back then. Delaying tactics create doubts over the transparency of the electoral process, he said. Our mandate was stolen from at least 12 constituencies. The ECP has failed in its duty to guide the voters.



Mengal, the former Balochistan chief minister, claimed that there was a deliberate effort to prevent BNP from forming a government in the province. He said the party had yet to take a decision on whether to sit on treasury or opposition benches, and added that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafs (PTI) had so far invited it for dialogue.



Mengal said that separate committees had been formed by the party to deliberate on the affairs in the province and the Centre. He said that in the Assembly his party would pay particular attention to equitable distribution of dividends from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and the ownership of oil and gas resources. One of our demand will be to build a cancer hospital in the province.



According to media reports on Tuesday, the PTI communicated to the Q-League that it would name a candidate for the chief ministers office from among the MPAs-elect on the partys ticket. The party asked the Q-League leader and former Puinjab chief ministerm, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, to consider the office of the speaker instead of the CM. It said that a strong and experienced personality was needed to run the house and Elahi would fit the role very well. If Elahi agreed to the suggestion, however, the PTI would be faced with a problem in the Centre where the two seats won by the former would be deduced from the number of MPAs-elect expected to support Khan in the race for the prime minister.by Alex Johnson | Cardinals Correspondent | Tue, Jul 31st 1:01pm EDT

Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks has looked good in his return from achilles injury. (Philly.com)

Fantasy Impact:

Hicks missed most of 2017 after he tore his achilles on October 23 against Washington. Hes back healthy now and working with the first-team defense, taking snaps at both middle and outside linebacker in base 4-3. Hicks is hoping his health holds up in 2018 after finishing two of his first three seasons on injured reserve. In his one full season (2016), Hicks recorded 85 tackles, 11 pass breakups and five interceptions, while starting all 16 games. Hes a playmaker when healthy, so as long as he can stay on the field, he will have a major impact on the Eagles defense.Aldi has teamed up with the Princes Countryside Fund in a three-year partnership to give support to remote upland farmers in the UK.

The supermarket has pledged its support to the Funds Resilience Programme, which is designed to help family-farm businesses improve their prospects.

Aldi will support upland beef and lamb family farms to improve their skills and knowledge of business management.

This will be delivered through a series of workshops hosted by consultants on a day-to-day management of their business, with topics including record keeping, succession planning, and understanding finance and accounts.

The programme also brings disconnected and remotely-located farmers together to share best practice and build local networks. Participating farms will have one-to-one on farm advice on their specific situations and implementing improvements.

Launched in July 2016, and now entering its third year, the programme is designed to offer free business support for more than 1,300 family farms by 2020, improving their confidence and ability to run long-term and sustainable businesses.

It is the only scheme of its kind intended to help vulnerable family farms in the UK.

Fritz Walleczek, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK said: Supporting British farming is something we have always done at Aldi. Teaming up with The Princes Countryside Fund to support the vital work of its Farm Resilience Programme is a natural extension of that.

By working directly with family-run farms across the UK, Aldi and The Princes Countryside Fund not only helps famers to do better business but also to safeguard the future sustainability of the British farming industry.The farming industry is calling for regulations to relax during the drought to help mitigate the impact of the ongoing heatwave.

The prolonged, bitterly cold and wet winter at the start of the year followed by a short, late spring and baking-hot, arid conditions over the summer, has presented the farming community with an unprecedented set of difficulties.

The impacts of this years conditions are likely to be felt for some time to come.

Farming leaders and stakeholders met today (1 August) at the agricultural drought summit hosted by the NFU and attended by Defra Secretary Michael Gove, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).

The organisations discussed the impacts of the hot and dry weather at the specially convened roundtable.

Following the summit, the Environment Agency (EA) has issued guidance to farmers detailing options to flex abstraction licences in serious cases.

The arrangements will allow farmers to trade water allowances - as set out in their abstraction licence - on a short-term basis, without the need to change their licence.

The EA will fast-track the process to enable farmers to act quickly and arrangements will be agreed locally where the EA is satisfied that there will not be any adverse effects on the environment or the rights of other lawful water users.

The EA also monitors river flow and will maximise access to water when it is available, such as following heavy rain.

In severe cases where there is a real or imminent threat to crops and livestock, the EA may temporarily allow additional, emergency abstraction.

Each case will be assessed to minimise impacts to the environment or the rights of other water users.

'Very concerned'

CLA President, Tim Breitmeyer said farmers and landowners are "very concerned" by the current extreme weather conditions which are having "serious consequences" across most farming sectors and affecting food production.

It is vital to relax the rules and allow farmers and land managers flexibility to abstract water without penalties and to consider early payments from the RPA to assist with cash-flow issues during this heatwave, mr Breitmeyer said.

One solution to ease this drought situation which could potentially increase year-on-year due to climate change, is to focus on long-term water management.

He added: We need investment now to secure future water supplies so that the impact of such extreme weather does not have a detrimental effect on food production and the environment over the next 50 years and more.

'Difficulties'

Areas of concern for the farming industry include short and long-term challenges including the availability of forage for livestock and dairy farmers, meaning producers are being forced to eat into winter fodder supplies.

Available water resources for irrigated crops and abstraction restrictions for some farmers is also a concern, and growing conditions for cereals and rain-fed crops, and a risk of standing crop fires.

Tenant Farmers' Association (TFA) Chief Executive, George Dunn said that livestock and dairy farmers are in "some of the most vulnerable positions" with little by way of grass and fodder available for feeding now, and too little stored up for the winter months having eaten into previous stocks earlier in the year.

Everybody in the supply chain needs to work constructively to overcome these difficulties, Mr Dunn said.

Domestic retailers and food service operations must continue to do their bit by sourcing UK product where possible, and must not seek to profit unduly by raising consumer prices given the strong margins they are able to secure in normal circumstances, said Mr Dunn.

The Government must act by being flexible within the regulatory environment, and to ensure that payments due to the farming community through agricultural and environmental schemes arrive on time.

Budgets and cash flows are already under pressure, and this must not be compounded by poor scheme administration by the Rural Payments Agency and Natural England, said Mr Dunn.Changes to farming practices in the UK didnt cause a crash in the number of Bewicks swans, according to new research.

The Bewicks swan population fell by nearly 40 per cent between 1995 and 2010, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) said.

The birds have to leave the UK in peak condition to survive their gruelling migration to Russia and arrive ready to breed and rear cygnets during the brief Arctic summer.

The swans largely feed in farmers fields during the winter in the UK, raising concerns that intensification and mechanisation of agriculture was preventing them getting enough food.

But WWT compared the body condition of swans it has caught over 50 years to investigate whether farming was the issue or not.

Their study found no evidence to suggest swans had been prevented from getting enough food during the winter months from year to year.

WWT and partner organisations throughout the Bewicks swans migratory range are still continuing to research all the possible reasons for the species decline, including illegal hunting, poisoning, collisions and habitat loss.

WWT Principal Research Officer, Dr Kevin Wood said the organisation has "eliminated" farming as a possible reason.

Although the British countryside has changed considerably over the last half century, theres no evidence that the swans are anything other than well fed while theyre here, Dr Wood said.

Its good news, and weve eliminated one line of enquiry, which will allow us to now focus on other issues that might be affecting the swans.

Were currently working with researchers across the swans range to investigate possible causes of the population decline, which saw numbers fall by almost 40% between 1995 and 2010.Farmers and landowners have said that the proposed "green watchdog" must not add extra complexity to "already confusing" environmental rules post-Brexit.

The new environmental watchdog will be designed to make sure protections will not be weakened as the UK leaves the EU.

The body will provide scrutiny and advice, and would be able to hold government to account on environmental legislation.

The government has been urged to create the watchdog to enshrine biodiversity and soil quality targets after the UK leaves the EU.

But the CLA, a rural organisation representing farmers and landowners, has criticised the potential watchdog as "adding confusion and complexity" to environmental policy.

The CLA made the comments in a Defra consultation on environmental principles and governance after the UK leaves the EU.

In its response, the group said it supports the governments strong environmental ambitions and the idea of a green watchdog with enough bite to hold the government to account.

However, the organisation warns that a new oversight body must not overlap with any existing green powers so that continued protection of the environment is not damaged through Brexit and beyond.

CLA Director of Policy and Advice, Christopher Price said: We are not against a green watchdog in principle as long as it scrutinises and penalises the Government sufficiently so that environmental targets are met. We are, however, concerned it could mean significant cost, complexity and bureaucracy which would damage the better delivery of environmental policy by focussing on process instead of achieving outcomes.

Mr Price added that existing EU environment laws and support must be maintained post-Brexit.

He said: The UK has some of the highest environmental standards and principles in the world which land managers are rightly proud of. It is vital these are transferred into domestic law to ensure they are maintained and adequately funded through Brexit and beyond.

We have called on the Government to look at how the voices of land managers, environmental policy experts and members of the public will be involved in future consultations to ensure strong protection and cost-effective delivery.YFCs offered new support to upgrade club buildings

Clubs will also be offered help with new buildsPriyanka Chopra's marriage has become one hot topic of discussion! Last night, Kangana Ranaut reacted to PeeCee's engagement and said, "I spoke to Priyanka the other day and I congratulated her. She responded in a very... She seems excited and very happy. If such an event is taking place, I'd love to celebrate with her because she is lovely and she deserves all the happiness. She is a very dear friend. I get very happy and excited with weddings and engagements."

Why Is Suhana On The Vogue Cover? Fans Troll SRK's Daughter

Just like Kangana, Shahrukh Khan was also asked to react on Priyanka's marriage and the actor rather gave a surprising reply. "Even I am getting married. I will send you an invite. My card will come to the reception and also, do come for the Mehendi."

There were speculations that Priyanka, who has never spoken about her relationship with Nick, got engaged to the popstar on her birthday and would tie the knot this year. Rumours of Priyanka and Nick's engagement started coming in after the actor pulled out of Salman Khan's forthcoming film Bharat.

On a related note, SRK also talked about the Vogue cover, graced by his daughter Suhana Khan and said, "I hope it is not taken as an entitlement because she happens to be Shah Rukh Khan's daughter but I hope it is seen as a responsibility that Suhana now has."

He also added, "And I think this is going to remove some of the entitlement she has because she happens to be my daughter. Insha Allah, she will work hard towards it."

Meanwhile, on the work front, Shahrukh will be next seen in Aanand L Rai's Zero. The film also casts Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles.

On the other side, Priyanka will be next seen in Shonali Bose's The Sky Is Pink. The film also casts Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim in the lead roles.We export all types of hardwood charcoal from Nigeria to any part of the world.Bigg Boss Malayalam has already gained a widespread attention with the show having set up a dedicated fan base of its own. Meanwhile, the sixth week of Bigg Boss Malayalam had commenced with the new nomination procedures for the next eliminations, upon which 5 contestants entered the eviction list. The previous episode also had a luxury budget task, which was indeed an interesting one.

Now, one of the promos for the next episode of Bigg Boss Malayalam suggests that it has some touching and emotional moments in the offing. It seems like Aditi Rai, who is one among the 12 contestants in the house, got a real special gift on the day of her birthday.

Image Courtesy: Hotstar

The promo suggests that Aditi Rai got a big gift in the form of a video, in which her mother is seen wishing her a very happy birthday. Aditi Rai could be seen becoming emotional upon watching the surprise video and, at the same time, the other inmates of the houses like Ranjini Haridas, Pearle Maaney, Shiyas, etc., could also be seen becoming emotional. Let us wait for episode 39 and to get a complete picture about the series of events. At the same time, here is the Facebook post of Asianet, which has given a short preview of today's episode.The Kamal Haasan-hosted Bigg Boss Tamil Season 2 is arguably one of the most popular and controversial shows on TV today. Just like the highly successful first season, the current one too features several wild twists and a host of interesting participants. However, the action seems to be a lot more unpredictable this time around. In fact, during the opening week, we saw a lip-lock between Janani and Aishwarya Dutta, which set the screen on fire. Now, it seems that the mania surrounding the show is going to reach heights.

The latest promo for the August 1, 2018, episode of Bigg Boss Tamil Season 2 has been released and it is quite intense. In it, Aishwarya can be seen arguing with Sendrayan and giving him some 'instructions'. Judging by the promo, it seems that the fight started when the Bengali lady asked her fellow housemates to refrain from drinking tea. And, not surprisingly, it turned ugly in no time, as they began using strong language against each other. It will be worth watching on what happens in tonight's episode.

Interestingly, Aishwarya is no stranger to controversy. On the July 31, 2018, episode of Bigg Boss Tamil Season 2, she got into a heated argument with Balaji and dumped garbage on him. During the same episode, she used a racial slur while talking about Rhythvika. And, as expected, this ruffled a few feathers. Similarly, last month, she had grabbed plenty of attention when she played the 'outsider' card and accused the housemates of not appreciating her for speaking Tamil, despite not being too fluent in the language.

As it so happens, when Aishwarya first entered the show, most fans felt that she would be an absolute sweetheart. However, her recent behaviour indicates that the viewers were wrong about her. She is slowly but surely becoming a 'drama queen'. Enough said!

Bigg Boss Tamil Season 2 July 31 Preview: Aishwarya And Thadi Balaji's Argument Unnerves MahatQueue for three hours. See a doctor for three minutes. This Chinese internet quote encapsulates some of the difficulties involved in accessing healthcare services. But in reality, in China, the situation can be even more challenging.

For Wang, a 71-year old widower living alone in Wuzhen, a small rural town in eastern Chinas Zhejiang province, it actually takes over five hours to meet a doctor given the time too spent commuting between his home and the hospital.

Worse still, he has to do it every day as a long-term diabetes patient, Wang has no choice. Literally, he spends nearly half of his time awake on accessing...Protects users against email threats including BEC scams and advanced malware using an AI system with machine learning capability that can assess Arabic emails

SINGAPORE, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Receive GUARD, an email security solution designed for oil and trade companies who transact using large amounts of money with parties all around the world, has recently been launched in Singapore. Built on an AI-based platform, Receive GUARD is capable of learning from and analyzingArabic-language emails to effectively block business email compromise (BEC) scams and new malware for companies in the Middle East.

With the emergence of BEC scams and new types of ransomware, Global firms and oil companies based in Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates, have become major targets of hackers due to the large business transactions they make, highlighting the need for effective email security solutions such as Receive GUARD.

Receive GUARD was introduced as a next-generation email security solution in November 2017 at an information security seminar in Muscat, Oman. It attracted the attention of Middle Eastern companies by demonstrating the capability to learn from and analyse emails.

With its AI-based machine learning capability, Receive GUARD is able to distinguish between hackers and normal users. It was praised as an innovative solution, especially because its AI can identify threats posed by business email compromise (BEC) scams even in the absence of detectable viruses.

In addition, Receive GUARD pre-opens emails attachments and links in a virtual environment to detect any abnormal behavior. When a malicious link is detected, the AI will convert the email text body into an image to enable users to read the email without the risk of unintentionally clicking on these links.

Connectivity Global Pte. Ltd., the Singaporean firm that developed Receive Guard cloud solution which is hosted on Microsoft Azure,held an official launch ceremony on July 12 with Innovix, a Microsoft distributor. The Receive GUARD service is expected to be available in the Middle East within the next few months.

Connectivity Global is a joint venture formed by security experts in Singapore with over 15 years of experience and Kiwontech, a Korean security solution company and a member of the K-ICT Born2Global Centre.

An official of Connectivity Global remarked, "As many companies in the Middle East make large business transactions, they have become the targets of hackers and BEC scams, resulting in substantial financial losses. Receive GUARD will be the solution to their problems." He also added, "We plan to launch Receive Guard in the Middle Eastwithin the next few months."

For more detailed information on Connectivity Global, visit www.c-globe.com

CONTACT

Eugene Lee

Business Development Director of Connectivity Global Pte. Ltd.

info@c-globe.com

Jina Lee

PR Manager of Born2Global

jlee@born2global.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/724769/Connectivity_Global.jpgPRESS RELEASE

1 August 2018

WENTWORTH RESOURCES LIMITED

("Wentworth" or the "Company")

Payment update



Wentworth, the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE: WRL) and AIM (AIM: WRL) listed independent, East Africa-focused oil & gas company, today provides an update to shareholders.

The Company is pleased to inform shareholders that payments received during July 2018 for gas sales generated from the Mnazi Bay Concession in Tanzania totalled $3.7 million net to Wentworth. Payments were received from both Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation ("TPDC") and Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited ("Tanesco") for one month's gas sales to TPDC and one month's gas sales to TANESCO.

The Company is also pleased to report that gross production volumes during July 2018 from the Mnazi Bay gas field averaged 90 MMscf/d.

-Ends-

Enquiries:

Wentworth Bob McBean,

Executive Chairman







Eskil Jersing,

Chief Executive Officer







Katherine Roe,

Chief Financial Officer rpm@wentworthresources.com (mailto:rpm@wentworthresources.com)







eskil.jersing@wentworthresources.com (mailto:eskil.jersing@wentworthresources.com)

+44 7717 847623







katherine.roe@wentworthresources.com (mailto:katherine.roe@wentworthresources.com)

+44 7841 087 230

Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited AIM Nominated Adviser and Broker (UK)

Callum Stewart

Ashton Clanfield +44 (0) 20 7710 7600





GMP FirstEnergy





Broker (UK)

Hugh Sanderson

Jonathan Wright





+44 (0) 20 7448 0200





Peel Hunt LLP





Broker (UK)

Richard Crichton

Ross Allister





+44 (0) 20 7418 8900 FTI Consulting Investor Relations Adviser (UK)

Sara Powell

Kim Camilleri wentworth@fticonsulting.com (mailto:wentworth@fticonsulting.com)

+44 (0) 20 3727 1000





About Wentworth Resources

Wentworth Resources is a publicly traded (OSE: WRL, AIM: WRL), independent oil & gas company with: natural gas production; exploration and appraisal opportunities; and large-scale gas monetisation initiatives, all in the Rovuma Delta Basin of coastal southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique.

Inside Information

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by Wentworth to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) no. 596/2014 ("MAR"). On the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service ("RIS"), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This press release may contain certain forward-looking information. The words "expect", "anticipate", believe", "estimate", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "forecast", "plan", and similar expressions are used to identify forward looking information.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made in light of management's experience, current conditions and expected future development in the areas in which Wentworth is currently active and other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Wentworth undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predicted outcome will not occur, including some of which are beyond Wentworth's control. These assumptions and risks include, but are not limited to: the risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general such as operational risks in exploration, development and production, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures, the imprecision of resource and reserve estimates, assumptions regarding the timing and costs relating to production and development as well as the availability and price of labour and equipment, volatility of and assumptions regarding commodity prices and exchange rates, marketing and transportation risks, environmental risks, competition, the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources and changes in applicable law. Additionally, there are economic, political, social and other risks inherent in carrying on business in Tanzania and Mozambique. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could vary or differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. See Wentworth's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2017, available on Wentworth's website, for further description of the risks and uncertainties associated with Wentworth's business.

Notice



Neither the Oslo Stock Exchange nor the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange has reviewed this press release and neither accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

180801 Press Release Payment Update (http://hugin.info/136496/R/2208402/859043.pdf)



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: Wentworth Resources Limited via Globenewswire

PRESS RELEASE

1 August 2018

WENTWORTH RESOURCES LIMITED

("Wentworth" or the "Company")

Shareholder Update and Conference Call

Wentworth, the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE: WRL) and AIM (AIM: WRL) listed independent, East Africa-focused oil & gas company, will be hosting an investor meeting which will be held at the offices of SpareBank 1 Markets AS, Olav V's Gate 5 - 0161 Oslo, Norway) at 1:00pm CEST / 12:00pm BST on Wednesday 8 August 2018.

This meeting will provide investors with an opportunity to meet the Company's new CEO Eskil Jersing, Chairman Bob McBean and CFO Katherine Roe, and for the Company to answer any questions from Norwegian shareholders in regards to the Companies activities and planned delisting from the Oslo Stock Exchange. Representatives from the Company's legal counsel, Thommessen AS, and the Company's Registrar, Nordea Bank AB, will also be in attendance at the meeting to help assist with any queries.

Ahead of the meeting, the Company has provided some further details for Norwegian shareholders regarding the future trading of their shares which can be found appended to this announcement and also published on the Frequently Asked Questions page under the Investors section of the corporate website, later today.



Please register your interest to attend by Monday 6 August 2018 by emailing the Company at wentworth@fticonsulting.com (mailto:wentworth@fticonsulting.com). Those investors, who are unable to attend in-person, will be able to dial into the meeting and ask questions using the details provided below. If you would like to register any questions ahead of the meeting, please send them in an email to the address above.

Dial in details for the shareholder meeting:

Participant dial-in: Norway (toll-free) 800 621 96 Norway +47 23500243 UK (toll-free) 0800 358 9473 UK +44 333 300 0804 Participant Pin: 54691872#

-Ends-

Enquiries:

Wentworth Bob McBean,

Executive Chairman



rpm@wentworthresources.com (mailto:rpm@wentworthresources.com)



Eskil Jersing,

Chief Executive Officer



eskil.jersing@wentworthresources.com (mailto:eskil.jersing@wentworthresources.com)

+44 7717 847623



Katherine Roe,

Chief Financial Officer



katherine.roe@wentworthresources.com (mailto:katherine.roe@wentworthresources.com)

+44 7841 087 230



Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited AIM Nominated Adviser and Broker (UK)

Callum Stewart

Ashton Clanfield +44 (0) 20 7710 7600





GMP FirstEnergy





Broker (UK)

Hugh Sanderson

Jonathan Wright





+44 (0) 20 7448 0200





Peel Hunt LLP





Broker (UK)

Richard Crichton

Ross Allister





+44 (0) 20 7418 8900









FTI Consulting





Communications Adviser (UK)

Sara Powell

Molly Stewart









wentworth@fticonsulting.com (mailto:wentworth@fticonsulting.com)

+44 (0) 20 3727 1000

About Wentworth Resources

Wentworth Resources is a publicly traded (OSE: WRL, AIM: WRL), independent oil & gas company with: natural gas production; exploration and appraisal opportunities; and large-scale gas monetisation initiatives, all in the Rovuma Delta Basin of coastal southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique.

Inside Information

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by Wentworth to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) no. 596/2014 ("MAR"). On the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service ("RIS"), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This press release may contain certain forward-looking information. The words "expect", "anticipate", believe", "estimate", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "forecast", "plan", and similar expressions are used to identify forward looking information.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made in light of management's experience, current conditions and expected future development in the areas in which Wentworth is currently active and other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Wentworth undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predicted outcome will not occur, including some of which are beyond Wentworth's control. These assumptions and risks include, but are not limited to: the risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general such as operational risks in exploration, development and production, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures, the imprecision of resource and reserve estimates, assumptions regarding the timing and costs relating to production and development as well as the availability and price of labour and equipment, volatility of and assumptions regarding commodity prices and exchange rates, marketing and transportation risks, environmental risks, competition, the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources and changes in applicable law. Additionally, there are economic, political, social and other risks inherent in carrying on business in Tanzania and Mozambique. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could vary or differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. See Wentworth's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2017, available on Wentworth's website, for further description of the risks and uncertainties associated with Wentworth's business.

Notice



Neither the Oslo Stock Exchange nor the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange has reviewed this press release and neither accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

180801 Press Release Shareholder Update (http://hugin.info/136496/R/2208405/859055.pdf)

180801 FAQ (http://hugin.info/136496/R/2208405/859056.pdf)



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: Wentworth Resources Limited via Globenewswire

TORONTO, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Purchase expands Avison Young's U.K. footprint and adds eight Principals

Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, the world's fastest-growing, private and Principal-led, global commercial real estate services firm, announced today that it has acquired market-leading U.K. firm Wilkinson Williams LLP and opened a new office in London's West End.

Since its inception in 1991, Wilkinson Williams has been the leading advisory specialist firm acting in the U.K.'s out-of-town retail market. Wilkinson Williams represents many leading landlords and tenants across the U.K., providing expert advice on all aspects of their respective retail warehousing and food-store property needs. The business has focused solely on the out-of-town retail sector within the U.K. and prides itself on its deep market knowledge, which is underpinned by a genuinely integrated approach involving investment, agency and lease advisory services.

"The acquisition of Wilkinson Williams represents another significant milestone in the growth of Avison Young and further underlines our progress towards becoming a market-leading real estate advisory business across all sectors and disciplines in the U.K.," comments Rose. "This acquisition is another example of how our Principal-led partnership structure and collaborative culture allow us to attract and deliver talent of the highest calibre. Furthermore, the addition of 16 members, including eight principals, will greatly strengthen our existing high-performing U.K. team."

For the past eight years, Wilkinson Williams was named the No. 1 retail warehouse property leasing agent in research firm Trevor Wood Associates' Definitive Guide to Retail and Leisure Parks publication. Wilkinson Williams is currently instructed on more than 21.5 million square feet (msf) (or 2 million square metres) of accommodation. In 2017, the firm advised clients on investment transactions with a combined value of approximately 580 million.

Effective immediately, Wilkinson Williams is rebranded as Avison Young and 16 members join from Wilkinson Williams. Miles Marten,Paul Wilkinson, James Potter, Grant Imlah, Mark Phelps, David Marsden, Paul Simpson and Peter Phillips become Principals of Avison Young. Marten and Wilkinson will focus on investment advice; Potter, Imlah, Phelps and Marsden will focus on agency leasing; and Simpson and Phillips will concentrate on lease advisory services.

Also joining Avison Young from Wilkinson Williams are: Ellie Kirkby and Andrew Cherry as Directors; George Stratton and Jack Lloyd as Associates; and Jo Monaghan, Adele Colley, Donna Roberts and Jon Gilmore as office administrators.

Rose continues: "The Wilkinson Williams team will provide clients with fully integrated services in the retail sector, including investment consultancy, occupational and asset management advice, rent review and lease-renewal advisory services. This acquisition will ensure that we have a market-leading capability in the retail service line, providing us with intelligent insight and market knowledge on a national level. The new Principals are well-respected leaders within the retail industry, and their combined experience and approach to the delivery of client projects will be extremely beneficial to Avison Young as we continue to execute our strategic growth plan throughout the U.K."

Jason Sibthorpe, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the firm's U.K. region, will co-ordinate the new London West End office's day-to-day operations in conjunction with the firm's U.K. growth strategy.

"We look forward to adding Wilkinson Williams' retail expertise to our comprehensive U.K. business-line coverage," states Sibthorpe. "The new team prides itself on being the retail market leader in its space and has developed incredibly close relationships with clients - many of whom have relied upon the firm since its inception. Retail is, perhaps, the most challenged real estate sector, and it is crucial that we are able to provide our clients with intelligent and integrated advice that responds to disruption and technological challenges with innovation and educated foresight. Our clients rightly demand and expect informed advice that clearly demonstrates added value and holistic solutions."

Sibthorpe adds: "Wilkinson Williams has been leading the way for many years in the retail sector and will add fantastic gravitas, capability and coverage to our rapidly growing U.K. and global operations."

Effective immediately, Avison Young's newest London West End office is located at Heathcoat House, Savile Row, London, W1 in the Mayfair area.

The new office represents Avison Young's second office in London's West End, fifth office in the U.K., 11th office in Europe, and an additional step in the firm's ongoing aggressive growth and expansion strategy.

Over the past nine and a half years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 84 offices in 75 markets, and from 300 to more than 2,600 real estate professionals in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Europe.

"This acquisition of Wilkinson Williams establishes another benchmark in the expansion of our rapidly growing international operations," says Hiren Thakar, Avison Young Principal and COO, International Operations. "By opening a second London West End office, we continue the trend of rapid growth in the U.K. through high-end services for clients. The new Principals are not only high achievers, but great partners. Their addition offers us another opportunity to provide clients with additional services in the U.K., Europe and globally as we widen our retail platform by providing expanded services for occupiers, investors and asset managers alike."

Avison Young entered the U.K. market in April 2014 when it acquired London-based commercial real estate services firm Haywards LLP and opened offices in London's West End and Thames Valley. The firm widened its U.K. footprint in January 2016 by expanding to the Midlands with the opening of an office in Coventry through the acquisition of North Rae Sanders. In August 2017, Avison Young acquired WHR Property Consultants LLP and opened an office in Manchester.

"Avison Young has provided us with a unique opportunity to integrate our business with a like-minded firm that concentrates on providing high-quality advice to clients," says Marten. "The approach of Avison Young as a business owned and managed by its Principals is almost unique in a market dominated by large corporations - and was a major attraction to us. We look forward to continuing to grow our business throughout the U.K. with the support of a larger company with international reach and to be part of its continued expansion. We also believe this move will provide an exciting environment for our talented younger members - and one where they will be able to share in the success and growth of Avison Young."

The U.K. has a well-developed out-of-town retail market, currently providing a total of approximately 185 msf of accommodation within a range of single-unit, cluster and large retail/shopping park destinations. In a rapidly evolving retail world, the U.K. has one of the most developed markets, with the sector showing that its attributes of convenience and accessibility are proving attractive to consumers and are allowing retailers to fulfill their omnichannel objectives. The sector also represents an important subsector within the U.K. market, accounting for an average of approximately 3 billion per annum of capital-investment transactions over the last five years.

Today's announcement comes on the heels of Avison Young announcing on July 16, 2018 that Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers, has made a $250-million preferred equity investment to accelerate Avison Young's strategic growth plan.

"Today's acquisition of Wilkinson Williams represents the first scheduled investment under our new strategic partnership with CDPQ," says Rose. "We're looking forward to making more acquisitions in the U.K. and globally as we accelerate our strategic growth plan on the strength of the private-equity investment funds provided by CDPQ."

Terms of the Wilkinson Williams transaction were not disclosed.

Biographies

Miles Marten

Miles Marten joined Wilkinson Williams in 1995 when the firm was in its early days of growth; he was previously an investment agent in the retail warehouse sector. During his career, he has specialized in providing investment advice in terms of strategies, acquisitions and disposals to a wide range of clients. In particular, he specializes in large strategic acquisitions and development opportunities throughout the U.K. Marten has been involved in some of the U.K.'s most significant retail property investment transactions, including advising on the acquisition of Fosse Park, Leicester for 345 million on behalf of a joint-venture between The Crown Estate and Gingko Tree Investment. He has close relationships with a number of large owners of retail parks in the U.K., including The Crown Estate, Aviva Investors, LaSalle Investment Management and LondonMetric plc.

Marten was appointed Managing Partner of Wilkinson Williams in 2007 and has been instrumental in developing the business and employing a number of market-leading junior brokers. He holds a first-class Bachelor of Science degree in estate management from the London South Bank University and is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). In the community, he serves as a governor of Brambletye Preparatory School in Sussex.

Paul Wilkinson

Paul Wilkinson has more than 30 years of real estate experience, most recently as the chair of Wilkinson Williams, which he co-founded in 1991. Before co-founding Wilkinson Williams, he gained experience first as a principal at the Coal Pension Scheme and then as an investment agent at a national firm of surveyors. Wilkinson has developed a wide network of long-standing fund and property-company clients in the retail warehouse and food-store markets, including the likes of Legal & General, British Land, Aberdeen Standard Investments, Paloma Capital and Columbia Threadneedle. He remains one of the most active investment agents in the sector across a wide range of lot sizes. Wilkinson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in urban estate management from Liverpool John Moores University. He is a member of the RICS, the Investment Property Forum and the Property Week Investment Panel.

James Potter

James Potter has 25 years of commercial real estate industry experience, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams. Prior to joining Wilkinson Williams in 1997, he was an associate with Cushman & Wakefield. During his career, he has become a leading agency advisor in the U.K.'s out-of-town retail market. He acts for the majority of landlords who own major out-of-town retail destinations in the U.K., including British Land, The Crown Estate, Hammerson, TH Real Estate, Landsec, LaSalle Investment Management, LondonMetric, Legal & General and USS.

Potter's expert knowledge and attention to detail make him one of the most sought-after retail agents in the U.K. He acts on behalf of some of the largest and most prestigious retail parks in the country, including Teesside Shopping Park, Stockton on Tees (British Land), Fosse Park, Leicester (The Crown Estate/Gingko Tree Investment), Gallagher Shopping Park, Wednesbury (Quadrant) and Lakeside Retail Park, Thurrock (Landsec). Potter also represents a number of national retailers, including Dixons Carphone and the JD Group. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in urban land economics from Reading University and is a member of the RICS.

Grant Imlah

Grant Imlah has 29 years of commercial property brokerage experience exclusively in the out-of-town market, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams. Prior to joining Wilkinson Williams in 1994, he was with Cushman & Wakefield and then an associate at Knight Frank. He ranks as one of the most experienced brokers operating in the U.K. retail warehouse market and has represented many institutional clients and developers. Major landlords for whom Imlah has acted include The Crown Estate, Aviva Investors, Orchard Street and M&G. Imlah also has a long tradition of acting for a range of occupiers and currently is retained by such firms as Hobbycraft and Carpetright. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in land management from Reading University and is a member of the RICS.

Mark Phelps

Mark Phelps has more than 25 years of out-of-town retail property market experience, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams, which he joined in 1999 from Jones Lang Wootton. He has been a key member of the Wilkinson Williams' agency team in terms of growing both its landlord and retailer instructions. He has built strong relationships with such notable clients as Aberdeen Standard and Legal & General. He also has close connections with retailers, having acted on acquisitions and dispositions for such firms as Carpetright, Hobbycraft and Dixons Carphone. He is a member of the RICS.

David Marsden

David Marsden has more than 20 years of experience in the out-of-town property sector, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams, which he joined in 2002. Prior to joining Wilkinson Williams, he spent four years as a surveyor at Dixons Stores Group. During his career, he has advised occupiers and landlords throughout the U.K. market, serving such major owners as Aviva Investors, Royal London and The Crown Estate. In addition, he has represented several retail clients over the years and currently advises Dreams. Marsden is active in the industry as an executive board member with Accessible Retail, the industry body representing the interests of retail warehouse owners and occupiers. He is also a RICS member.

Paul Simpson

Paul Simpson has more than 30 years of experience in the U.K.'s out-of-town retail property market, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams. Prior to joining Wilkinson Williams in 1996, he was a salaried partner of Cushman & Wakefield. He is now responsible for all aspects of lease advisory work, along with asset management and agency services for a wide range of landlord clients in the increasingly important area of lease renewals and rent reviews. Simpson's current clients include Hammerson, Aviva Investors and Aberdeen Standard. Simpson is authorized by the RICS to act as an arbitrator or independent expert in rental disputes across England and Wales. He is also a fellow of the RICS.

Peter Phillips

Peter Phillips has more than 30 years of commercial property experience, most recently as a partner with Wilkinson Williams. Prior to joining Wilkinson Williams in 2001, he was an associate director with Jones Lang LaSalle. During his career, he has focused on landlord and tenant representation, specializing in the food-store and out-of-town retail sector. His major clients include Aberdeen Standard, Columbia Threadneedle, TH Real Estate and USS. Phillips sits on the RICS Panel of Arbitrators and Independent Experts and is also a member of Arbrix and Index. He is also a RICS member.

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing, principal-led commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 2,600 real estate professionals in 84 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial, multi-family and hospitality properties.

For further information/comment/photos:

Sherry Quan , Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations,

Avison Young: 604.647.5098; mobile: 604.726.0959

, Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: mobile: Mark Rose , Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028

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, Principal and COO, International Operations, Jason Sibthorpe , Principal and Managing Director, U.K., Avison Young : + 44 (0)7786 337 016

, Principal and Managing Director, U.K., : + Miles Marten , Principal, Avison Young: +44 (0)7770 748 290

Avison Young's new London West End - Mayfair office is located at Heathcoat House, Savile Row, London, W1 in the Mayfair area.

http://www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young is a 2018 winner of the Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation, having retained its Best Managed designation for seven consecutive years.

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Editors/Reporters

Please click on links to view and download photos of Miles Marten , Paul Wilkinson , James Potter , Grant Imlah , Mark Phelps , David Marsden , Paul Simpson and Peter Phillips

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Media Contact: Sherry Quan, +1-604.647-5098 or +1-604.726.0959, email: sherry.quan@avisonyoung.comDUSSELDORF and AACHEN, Germany, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Life sciences startup LenioBio GmbH and the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME announced today the signing of an exclusive license agreement that allows LenioBio to utilize Fraunhofer's proprietary vector solution and technology for the cryopreservation of cell lysates. In March 2018, LenioBio obtained an exclusive license from Dow AgroSciences LLC to commercialize its proprietary eukaryotic cell-free protein expression technology. The optimized vector solution and cryopreservation technology from Fraunhofer IME has been specifically developed to meet the wide application areas LenioBio is targeting. With the addition of the Fraunhofer IME license, LenioBio is extending the patent family covering this innovative cell-free system and will soon launch its expression kit under the brand name ALiCE, targeting novel protein developers.

The development of ALiCE was a collaborative effort between Dow AgroSciences LLC and Fraunhofer IME under a long-standing strategic alliance, and the system has been used by where Fraunhofer IME contributed some of the unique materials that made the system best-in-class among all cell-free protein expression systems. Fraunhofer IME has applied this system for the expression of many different protein classes, including those that are known to be difficult to express, such as human growth factors and full-size antibodies.

Professor Stefan Schillberg, Ph.D., a member of the Institute Management (provisional) and Head of Division Molecular Biotechnology at Fraunhofer IME, stated, "Cell-free biosynthesis allows the rapid screening and production of even difficult-to-produce proteins. In addition, the high productivity of ALiCE opens new fields of applications for cell-free technology that we will develop further together with LenioBio."

Dr. Remberto Martis, CEO of LenioBio, added that "ALiCE is a unique and innovative platform for the expression of proteins for all kinds of applications. It has proven to be able to overcome several deficiencies of conventional expression systems currently used in the biotech field. In addition to delivering higher amounts of proteins than any other systems of its kind, ALiCE has the capability to express a broad range of proteins while remaining cost effective". The ease of use of ALiCE will vastly simplify the work of our customers. We will launch the ALiCE platform this quarter initially as an expression kit, which yields on average higher amounts of proteins compared to other cell-free protein expression kits.

Dr. Martis also noted that "Going forward, we anticipate launching the unique "Enterprise Kit", that will allow biotech companies to develop and produce larger amounts of their protein candidates in-house."

About LenioBio

LenioBio GmbH is a life sciences start-up company committed to the advancement of transformative technology platforms for the development and synthesis of 'difficult-to-produce' proteins across all industries, including biomedical, industrial, and agricultural. LenioBio was established in September 2016 with offices in Dusseldorf and Bocholt and R&D and production facilities in Aachen. For more information about LenioBio, please visit our website at www.leniobio.com.

About Fraunhofer IME

The Fraunhofer IME conducts research in the field of applied life sciences from the molecular level to entire ecosystems. Our interdisciplinary organization and laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment, including GMP facilities and complex facilities for environmental simulations, allow a wide spectrum of research and development services in the divisions "Molecular Biotechnology", "Applied Ecology and Bioresources", and "Translational Medicine". The strength of Fraunhofer IME lies in this broad spectrum of scientific and methodological expertise, enabling us to develop innovative and comprehensive solutions to the enormous challenges confronting society in areas such as sustainable agriculture, health, and the bioeconomy. Fraunhofer has over 500 employees working at the locations in Schmallenberg, Aachen, Munster, Gieen, Frankfurt/Main, and Hamburg. For more information about Fraunhofer IME, please visit our website at www.ime.fraunhofer.de.

Contacts:

LenioBio GmbH

Dr. Hakon Birgisson

info@leniobio.com



Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME

Prof. Dr. Stefan Schillberg

Stefan.Schillberg@ime.fraunhofer.de

LONDON, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Supports CybSafe's transition from direct to indirect business modeland promotes human cyber security

Cloud Distribution, the 'Cloud First' value-added distributor specialising in cyber security, networking and datacentre solutions, has partnered with CybSafe, the cloud-based cyber security awareness platform combining AI and data analytics with behavioural science. The partnership arms the channel with end-to-end cyber security protection to offer businesses in the fight against data breaches - a rising concern in the data-rich, post-GDPR world.

Informed by cyberpsychology and educational theory, CybSafe addresses the human component of cyber security by improving awareness, behaviour and culture. It makes tangible changes to employee behaviour to combat threats related to phishing, social media, public WiFi, malware, identity, passwords and many others. These easily digestible modules evolve over time with the support of machine learning technology. With its analytical engine, the award-winning software solution lets businesses see the type and location of risk, and what they can do to mitigate these risks.

Adam Davison, sales and marketing director, Cloud Distribution said: "Human error is involved in the majority of security breaches, and these casual mistakes can cost organisations their reputation and considerable amounts of money. But companies often aren't effectively grappling with this, and human cyber security has traditionally been viewed as a tick-box exercise. Companies often use unwieldy training manuals with the unreasonable expectation that staff will act on information, simply because they have read it. Others use unengaging online training programmes that merely make the business 'compliant'. Ultimately, training that doesn't take into account the way people learn and behave is never going to work. It's one thing to train staff; it's quite another thing for staff to act on that training. CybSafe is there to fix that disconnect."

Davison added: "For resellers, CybSafe's product comes at exactly the right time, considering the rising threat of cybercrime and the potential problems presented by data protection legislation. With the human element now front of mind for customers, partners have been crying out for a modern, high-margin cyber security solution that tackles this. We believe CybSafe is what they've been looking for. CybSafe provides strong differentiation and upselling opportunity, and offers the chance to unlock budgets beyond security, such as legal and compliance, and human resources."

Both CybSafe and Cloud Distribution have resources to enable a quick go-to-market strategy, including WebEx, demo, and customer engagement support. Furthermore, there is a full schedule of joint marketing campaigns available to help stimulate interest and opportunities within the channel.

CybSafe accommodates flexible and remote working practices, with everything accessible via an internet portal or app on Windows, iOS and Android operating systems on desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone. CybSafe content is GCHQ-certified and IISP-accredited. The company is endorsed by the Law Society and is a RegTech partner of the FCA. CybSafe is headquartered at the prestigious London tech community, Level39, in Canary Wharf.

Cloud Distribution will be providing an overview of CybSafe and the opportunities it offers in a webinar on 22nd August. Register here to secure your place: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7578416172744086017

About Cloud Distribution

Cloud Distribution is a Cloud First value-added distributor of disruptive next generation cyber security, networking and datacentre solutions that VARs can take to market quickly and easily. Cloud Distribution currently distributes, Acronis, Actifio, Aerohive, Arista Networks, AVI Networks, BlackBerry, CheckPoint Software, Cloud4Wi, Cyren Security, Exinda, Ignitenet, Peplink, Pivot3, Vectra Networks.

Cloud's portfolio of disruptive security and networking solutions helps resellers to differentiate themselves from the competition and create new markets to sell in. The company was founded in 2009 by senior executives with a wealth of experience in the security, networking and optimisation space. Its philosophy is to take innovative, cutting-edge vendors into the UK market by recruiting and working together with skilled, reputable, market making partners. For further information, please visit https://www.Cloud-distribution.com/ or follow us on Twitter @Cloudtweeters

About CybSafe

CybSafe is a cloud-based cyber security software platform that leverages advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to measure and improve cyber security awareness, behaviour and culture.

CybSafe's intelligent software harnesses collective lessons across the cyber security community in a low cost per-user subscription to help businesses of all sizes improve cyber security behaviour and reduce cyber risk both internally and within its supply chain.

The GCHQ-accredited software helps business to mitigate cyber risk with greater certainty, greater impact, and more cost effectively.

CybSafe is a British cyber security technology company. It is headquartered at Level39, the prestigious technology community based in Canary Wharf, London.

Press contact

Seb Goodman

seb@brightbee.co.uk

+44(0)203-7356944

Adam Davison

adam.davison@Cloud-distribution.com

+44(0)1635-800410NEWS RELEASE - TSX: EDV

All amounts in US$

ENDEAVOUR REPORTS Q2 RESULTS;

ON-TRACK TO MEET FULL-YEAR GUIDANCE

OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

NB: Following a strategic assessment of Tabakoto, the mine was deemed to be non-core and a sale process was therefore launched, in-line with Endeavour's portfolio management and capital allocation strategy. The asset was classified as held-for-sale, included as part of the Company's discontinued operations.

Production from continuing operations of 147koz in Q2 and 299koz for H1-2018,

well on-track to meet FY-2018 guidance of 555-590koz

AISC from continuing operations of $780/oz in Q2 and $732/oz for H1-2018,

well on-track to meet FY-2018 guidance of $760-810/oz

All-In Margin of $48m for Q2 totalling $116m for H1-2018, up 81% over H1-2017

Operating Cash Flow per share (before non-cash working capital) of $0.64 for Q2 totalling $1.52 for

H1-2018, up 34% over H1-2017

Adjusted EPS from continuing operations of $0.09 in Q2 and $0.31 in H1-2018, up from $0.02 in H1-2017

Net Debt of $410m at quarter-end, up from $335m at end of Q1 due to Ity CIL construction

Well positioned to finance remaining Ity CIL construction cash outflow of ~$190m with $339m in available sources of financing and liquidity in addition to cash flow being generated from operations

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Ity CIL construction progressing on-budget and on-time with first gold pour expected by mid-2019;

SAG and Ball mills arrived at site 3 months early

Kalana drilling program was completed and the updated resource is expected to be published in Q3-2018

View News Release in PDF Format (http://hugin.info/171882/R/2208440/859076.pdf)

View Presentation in PDF Format (http://hugin.info/171882/R/2208440/859077.pdf)

George Town, August 1, 2018 - Endeavour Mining (TSX:EDV) (OTCQX:EDVMF) is pleased to announce its financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2018, with highlights provided in the table below.

Table 1: Key Operational and Financial Highlights

QUARTER ENDED SIX MONTHS ENDED Jun. 30,

2018 Mar. 31,

2018 Jun. 30,

2017 Jun. 30,

2018 Jun. 30,

2017 Var. H1-18

vs. H1-17 PRODUCTION AND AISC HIGHLIGHTS (from continuing operations only) Gold Production, koz 147 152 84 299 173 +72% Realized Gold Price2, $/oz 1,257 1,293 1,188 1,275 1,176 +8% All-in Sustaining Cost1, $/oz 780 685 791 732 824 (11%) All-in Sustaining Margin1,3, $/oz 478 608 397 543 352 +54% CASH FLOW HIGHLIGHTS (includes discontinued operations) 1 All-in Sustaining Margin4, $m 72 94 34 165 61 +170% All-in Margin5, $m 48 68 35 116 64 +81% Operating Cash Flow Before Non-Cash Working Capital, $m 69 95 55 163 107 +53% Operating Cash Flow Before Non-Cash Working Capital, $/share 0.64 0.88 0.57 1.52 1.13 +34% PROFITABILITY HIGHLIGHTS (from continuing operations only) Revenues, $m 190 199 101 388 205 +90% Adjusted EBITDA1, $m 68 92 36 160 64 +151% Adjusted EBITDA Margin1,6, % 36% 46% 36% 41% 31% +32% Adjusted Net Earnings Attr. to Shareholders1, $m 9 24 7 34 2 n.a. Adjusted Net Earnings1, $/share 0.09 0.23 0.07 0.31 0.02 n.a. BALANCE SHEET HIGHLIGHTS1 Net Debt, $m 410 335 183 410 183 +125%

1This is a non-GAAP measure. Refer to the non-GAAP measure section of the MD&A. 2Realized Gold Price inclusive of Karma stream; 3Realized Gold Price less AISC per ounce; 4Net revenue less All-in Sustaining Cost; 5Net revenue less All-in Sustaining Costs and Non-Sustaining capital; 6Adjusted EBITDA divided by Revenues.

Sebastien de Montessus, President & CEO, stated: "As we reflect on the first half of 2018, Endeavour is tracking well against all of its key performance metrics, most notably production and All-In Sustaining Costs, and we remain on-track to meet our full year guidance.

Construction progress at the Ity CIL project remains on time and on budget and we continue to anticipate the first gold pour by mid-2019. This is an important project for Endeavour, which, along with Hounde, has the potential to deliver step-change improvements across key metrics.

We also continued to deliver strong exploration success, notably with the announced discoveries at Houndein the Kari area where we anticipate a maiden resource for the Kari Pump target by year-end. We have significantly progressed our stand-alone greenfield exploration targets where we expect to start generating maiden resources later this year.

Lastly, our strategic assessment of Tabakoto demonstrated the potential to reduce its AISC, mainly through capital investment to renew the underground fleet. These investments, however, do not meet our capital allocation criteria and therefore we have launched a sale process, as we ultimately believe that the asset is better suited to the portfolio of another company with an alternative strategy, as we continue to focus on lower-cost and long-life assets.

We believe that we are very well positioned to meet our 2019 strategic objective of achieving an annual production of more than 800koz at AISC of below $800/oz and with a visibility of more than 10 years, as set in early 2016. This confidence is due to the important strategic milestones both already achieved - which include: the start-up of Hounde, the sale of non-core Youga and Nzema mines, the purchase of the Karma mine and Kalana project, and the important exploration success achieved notably at Ity - and upcoming milestones which include the sale of Tabakoto, start-up of Ity CIL and delineating the significant recent discoveries made at Hounde."

PRODUCTION & AISC ON-TRACK TO MEET GUIDANCE

Group production from continuing operations totaled 147koz in Q2-2018 and 299koz for H1-2018, well on track to meet full year guidance of 555-590koz. Production from continuing operations significantly increased in Q2-2018 compared to Q2-2017 due to the addition of the Hounde mine and an increase at the Ity mine (due to higher grades) which more than offset the expected declines at Agbaou (due to temporary lower grades as mining focused on waste capitalization) and Karma (due to a temporary change in ore type). The Tabakoto strategic assessment completed in Q2 demonstrated the potential to reduce its AISC, mainly through capital investment to renew the underground fleet. These investments, however, do not meet Endeavour's capital allocation criteria and therefore a sale process has been launched and non-binding offers have been received. As at June 30, the Tabakoto mine has been classified as an asset held for sale. Inclusive of Tabakoto, group production amounted to 174koz in Q2-2018 and 358koz for H1-2018, also on-track to meet full year guidance of 670-720koz

Group AISC from continuing operations amounted to $780/oz in Q2 and $732/oz for H1-2018, on track to meet full year guidance of $760-810/oz. AISC from continuing operations decreased significantly in Q2-2018 compared to Q2-2017 mainly due to the addition of Hounde and a decrease at Ity (due to better grades) which more than offset the anticipated increases at Agbaou (due to a harder ore mix and lower grade), and Karma (due to temporary lower grade and lower recovery). Group AISC inclusive of Tabakoto amounted to $878/oz in Q1-2018 and $825/oz for H1-2018, also on track to meet full year guidance of $840-890/oz.



Table 2: Group Production

(All amounts in koz, on a 100% basis) QUARTER ENDED SIX MONTHS ENDED 2018 FULL-YEAR

GUIDANCE Jun. 30, Mar. 31, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, 2018 2018 2017 2018 2017 Agbaou 34 32 45 66 87 140 - 150 Ity 25 18 14 43 30 60 - 65 Karma 21 28 24 49 56 105 - 115 Hounde 67 74 - 141 - 250 - 260 PRODUCTION FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS 147 152 84 299 173 555 - 590 Tabakoto (asset held for sale) 27 32 41 59 84 115 - 130 Nzema (divested in December 2017) - - 27 - 53 n.a. - n.a. TOTAL PRODUCTION 174 185 152 358 311 670 - 720

Table 3: Group All-In Sustaining Costs

(in US$ million) QUARTER ENDED SIX MONTHS ENDED 2018 FULL-YEAR

GUIDANCE Jun. 30, Mar. 31, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, 2018 2018 2017 2018 2017 Agbaou 818 752 606 786 631 860 - 900 Ity 713 829 780 759 838 790 - 850 Karma 885 869 755 875 751 780 - 830 Hounde 617 433 - 521 - 580 - 630 Corporate G&A 41 42 75 41 71 30 - 30 Sustaining Exploration 21 15 42 10 48 10 - 10 GROUP AISC FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS 780 685 791 732 824 760 - 810 Tabakoto (asset held for sale) 1,397 1,208 1,054 1,298 1,013 1,200 - 1,250 Nzema (divested in December 2017) - - 985 - 967 n.a. - n.a GROUP AISC 878 774 896 825 900 840 - 890

HOUNDE MINE

Q2-2018 vs Q1-2018 Insights

Production decreased mainly due to an expected decrease in the average head grade fed to the plant. However, the operation continued to perform ahead of expectations as plant throughput increased from 20% to 30% above nameplate capacity. Tonnes of ore mined remained steady as mining activities continued to perform with a decrease in the strip ratio. Transitional and fresh ore from the Vindaloo Main deposit continued to be the ore source, supplemented by oxide ore from the Vindaloo North deposit where mining began in late Q1-2018, and from the Vindaloo Central deposit where mining began ahead of schedule in Q2-2018. Tonnes milled increased while the ore blend continued to be primarily transitional/fresh ore with oxide ore, representing 25% of the mill feed. The average grade milled decreased slightly due to the anticipated mine sequence. Recovery rates remained steady at 95%.

AISC increased mainly due to the lower processed grades, as well as higher unit costs and increased sustaining capital spend. Mining unit costs increased from $1.58 to $2.00 per tonne due to the volume effect of lower tonnes mined, slightly higher fuel prices, as well as additional blasting requirements. Processing unit costs increased from $10.91 to $11.41 per tonne milled mainly due to the transition to fresh ore. Sustaining capital spend increased by $3.3 million from $0 due to waste capitalisation.

Non-sustaining capital increased by $1.1 million to $2.7 million due to pre-stripping activities in the Vindaloo pit.

H1-2018 vs H1-2017 Insights

Commercial production began in Q3-2017.

Table 4: Hounde Quarterly Performance Indicators

For the Quarter Ended Q2-2018 Q1-2018 Q2-2017 Tonnes ore mined, kt 1,312 1,361 n.a. Strip ratio (incl. waste cap) 6.13 6.57 n.a. Tonnes milled, kt 982 898 n.a. Grade, g/t 2.20 2.59 n.a. Recovery rate, % 95% 95% n.a. PRODUCTION, KOZ 67 74 n.a. Cash cost/oz 484 340 n.a. AISC/OZ 617 433 n.a.

Table 5: Hounde Half Year Performance Indicators

For the Half Year Ended H1-2018 H1-2017 Tonnes ore mined, kt 2,673 n.a. Strip ratio (incl. waste cap) 6.36 n.a. Tonnes milled, kt 1,880 n.a. Grade, g/t 2.39 n.a. Recovery rate, % 95% n.a. PRODUCTION, KOZ 141 n.a. Cash cost/oz 409 n.a. AISC/OZ 521 n.a.

H2-2018 Outlook

Hounde is well on track to meet full-year 2018 guidance of 250-260koz at an AISC of $580-630/oz.

Production is expected to decline slightly and AISC to increase to the guided range due to the rainy season, lower expected grades, and an increase in the strip ratio.

Relocation activities at the higher grade Bouere deposit are progressing well. To minimize Hounde's non-sustaining capital spend while building the Ity CIL project, pre-stripping is expected to occur in early 2019.

Exploration Activities

Hounde is the strongest exploration focus for Endeavour in 2018 with more than 121,000 meters already drilled in H1-2018, mainly focused on the Kari anomaly.

As announced in May, the Kari mineralized zone has been significantly extended to a large area now measuring 4km long and 3km wide with three discoveries made and approximately 20% of the gold-in-soil anomaly remaining to be drilled.

A further 60,000-meter drilling campaign is underway to delineate the two latest discoveries, with in-fill drilling ongoing on the Kari Pump target where a maiden resource is expected by year-end.

AGBAOU MINE

Q2-2018 vs Q1-2018 Insights

Production slightly increased due to the higher grades of material milled as low-grade stockpiles continued to supplement the mine feed to allow waste capitalisation activities to progress. Tonnes of ore mined decreased as greater emphasis was given to waste mining, thereby increasing the total strip ratio from 10.7 to 11.8 (operating strip ratio increased from 6.6 to 9.4) while total tonnes moved remained fairly flat at 7.8Mt. Mill throughput was unchanged, however remaining at a high level as the proportion of fresh ore processed decreased slightly to 28% from 31%. Average processed grades increased mainly due to higher grade stockpiles supplementing the mine feed, while mined grades remained fairly constant. Recovery rates slightly decreased to 92%.

All-in sustaining costs increased mainly due to the aforementioned increase in operating strip ratio which was partially offset by lower mining and processing costs as well as lower sustaining costs Mining unit costs decreased from $2.88 to $2.65 per tonne as higher elevations of the West pit were mined. Processing unit costs decreased from $7.80 to $7.54 per tonne mainly due to continued cost savings realised on reagents following the implementation of a group procurement strategy. Sustaining capital costs decreased by $0.6 million to $1.8 million due to a reduction in the capitalised waste.

Non-sustaining capital decreased by $5.1 million to $2.9 million as lower pre-stripping at West pit 5.

H1-2018 vs H1-2017 Insights

As guided, production decreased and AISC increased as low-grade stockpiles supplemented the mine feed to allow waste capitalisation activities to progress more quickly.

Table 6: Agbaou Quarterly Performance Indicators

For the Quarter Ended Q2-2018 Q1-2018 Q2-2017 Tonnes ore mined, kt 611 682 709 Strip ratio (incl. waste cap) 11.77 10.66 8.81 Tonnes milled, kt 727 726 693 Grade, g/t 1.60 1.43 2.23 Recovery rate, % 92% 93% 94% PRODUCTION, KOZ 34 32 45 Cash cost/oz 720 629 528 AISC/OZ 818 752 606

Table 7: Agbaou Half Year Performance Indicators

For the Half Year Ended H1-2018 H1-2017 Tonnes ore mined, kt 1,293 1,333 Strip ratio (incl. waste cap) 11.18 8.98 Tonnes milled, kt 1,453 1,376 Grade, g/t 1.52 2.16 Recovery rate, % 93% 94% PRODUCTION, KOZ 66 87 Cash cost/oz 675 538 AISC/OZ 786 631

H2-2018 Outlook

Agbaou is on track to meet full-year 2018 guidance of 140-150koz at an AISC of $860-$900/oz.

2018 is expected to be a transitional year for Agbaou with a focus on waste capitalisation activities that are expected to provide future access to high grade areas.

Production is expected to increase in the latter portion of the year as waste capitalization activities provide access to higher grade areas, while costs are expected to continue trending towards the guided range as the hard ore blend and strip ratio increase.

Exploration Activities

In H1-2018 more than 26,000 meters were drilled with the majority occurring in Q2.

A total of more than 20,000 meters, representing most of the drilling, was focused on open pit targets located along extensions of known deposits and on parallel trends. Mineralization was confirmed at the extensions of several deposits including the MPN, North Pit Satellite 3, West Pit 5 and Beta, with 5,000 meters of follow-up drilling planned in H2-2018.

The at-depth potential of the North pit was tested and mineralization was confirmed. However, as a potential resource in this area may not be suitable for open pit operations, the focus was directed to the abovementioned open pit targets.

KARMA MINE

Q2-2018 vs Q1-2018 Insights

Production decreased due to lower stacked tonnage despite an increase in grades and recovery rate. Tonnes mined increased as expected as mining activity ramped up in anticipation of the rainy season in Q3-2018 and to expose higher grade ore to be mined in future periods. Mining at the GG2 pit was completed during the quarter and mining increased at the Kao pit where mining began in late Q1-2018. Stacking decreased due to a change in ore characteristics and ore flow through the leach pad conveying and stacking circuit. Stacked grade increased due to transition to the higher-grade area of the Kao pit. As expected, recovery rates increased due to mining activities focusing mainly on oxide ore from the Kao deposit.

AISC increased mainly due to higher processing unit costs associated with lower tonnes stacked. Mining unit costs decreased from $2.51 to $2.08 per tonne due to the volume effect of more waste mined which has resulted in lower drill and blast costs at the Kao deposit. Processing unit costs increased from $7.84 to $10.50 per tonne due to lower tonnes stacked. Sustaining capital costs decreased by $0.1 million to $0.5 million mainly due to a decrease in capital stripping costs.

Non-sustaining capital spend increased by $2.3 million to $5.5 million mainly due to pre-stripping at the Kao deposit.

H1-2018 vs H1-2017 Insights

Production decreased and AISC increased due to the lower recovery rate associated with treating the GG2 transitional ore in H1-2018, while H1-2017 benefited from higher recovery rates associated with oxide ore and high-grade ore from the Rambo deposit.

Table 8: Karma Quarterly Performance Indicators

For the Quarter Ended Q2-2018 Q1-2018 Q2-2017 Tonnes ore mined, kt 1,636 1,536 1,035 Strip ratio (incl. waste cap) 2.02 1.48 2.49 Tonnes stacked, kt 838 1,241 852 Grade, g/t 0.93 0.88 1.24 Recovery rate, % 78% 74% 83% PRODUCTION, KOZ 21 28 24 Cash cost/oz 782 757 657 AISC/OZ 885 869 755

Table 9: Karma Half Year Performance Indicators

For the Half Year Ended H1-2018 H1-2017 Tonnes ore mined, kt 3,172 2,085 Strip ratio (incl. waste cap) 1.76 2.82 Tonnes stacked, kt 2,079 1,806 Grade, g/t 0.90 1.15 Recovery rate, % 76% 85% PRODUCTION, KOZ 49 56 Cash cost/oz 768 659 AISC/OZ 875 751

H2-2018 Outlook

Karma is on track to meet full-year 2018 guidance of 105-115koz at an AISC of $780-830/oz as the second half of the year is expected to benefit from oxide ore from the Kao deposit. This is expected to have higher grades, higher recovery rates and lower unit costs.

Exploration Activities

In H1-2018, more than 23,000 meters were drilled, mainly focused on the Eastern extension of the North Kao deposit, on Yabonsgo and on Rambo West where indicated resources are expected to be delineated by year-end. In addition, auger drilling and soil geochemical sampling was conducted on earlier stage targets such as Rounga and Zanna.

A further 5,000 meters of drilling are expected to be completed in H2-2018.

ITY MINE: HEAP LEACH OPERATION

Q2-2018 vs Q1-2018 Insights

Production increased significantly due to higher grades stacked as mining activities at Bakatouo has produced higher grades as well an increased recovery rate. Tonnes of ore mined decreased to match stacking capacity. Fewer tonnes were mined at the Ity and Zia North East pits as mining ramped-up at the Bakatouo pit following its start in Q1-2018. Ore stacked slightly decreased due to the focus on stacking the high-grade Bakatouo ore. The stacked grade increased significantly also due to the focus on Bakatouo ore. Recovery rates increased significantly due to the improved leach kinetics associated with changes in ore type as well as reagent optimisation.

AISC decreased mainly due to an increase in ounces sold and lower sustaining capital costs, which were partially offset by increased unit mining and stacking costs. Mining unit costs increased from $4.98 to $7.72 per tonne mainly due to longer haul distances and costs associated with fleet rentals. Processing unit costs increased from $14.67 to $16.81 per tonne due to lower tonnes stacked and greater reagent consumption associated with the increase in recovery rates. Sustaining capital costs stayed flat at $0.8 million mainly due to the decrease in waste capitalisation.

There was no non-sustaining capital spend in the quarter.

H1-2018 vs H1-2017 Insights

Production increased and AISC decreased mainly due to increased stacked tonnage and higher grades from the Bakatouo pit, which more than compensated for lower recovery rates.

Table 10: Ity Quarterly Performance Indicators

For the Quarter Ended Q2-2018 Q1-2018 Q2-2017 Tonnes ore mined, kt 304 370 374 Strip ratio (incl. waste cap) 2.61 3.25 4.32 Tonnes stacked, kt 308 357 243 Grade, g/t 2.81 2.17 2.15 Recovery rate, % 88% 73% 84% PRODUCTION, KOZ 25 18 14 Cash cost/oz 639 728 625 AISC/OZ 713 829 780

Table 11: Ity Half Year Performance Indicators

For the Half Year Ended H1-2018 H1-2017 Tonnes ore mined, kt 674 703 Strip ratio (incl. waste cap) 2.96 4.37 Tonnes stacked, kt 665 510 Grade, g/t 2.46 2.02 Recovery rate, % 82% 91% PRODUCTION, KOZ 43 30 Cash cost/oz 675 697 AISC/OZ 759 838

H2-2018 Outlook

Ity is on track to meet full-year 2018 guidance of 60-65koz at an AISC of $790-$850/oz.

As guided, 2018 is expected to be a transitional year for the heap leach operation with greater priority given to the CIL construction activities. Open pit mining activities for the heap leach operation are expected to continue until the end of Q3-2018. The aim is to create a stockpile sufficient to feed stacking requirements for the latter portion of the year. Short mining campaigns may then be opportunistically conducted based on equipment availability and progression of the Ity CIL mining activities.

Exploration Activities

A $3 million exploration campaign has been planned in 2018 to further explore near-mill targets (including testing of extensions at the Mont Ity, Bakatouo, Daapleu, and Le Plaque deposits) with the aim of delineating additional resources for the CIL project.

In H1-2018, more than 35,000 meters have been drilled, mainly focused on: The Le Plaque target where additional resources are expected to be delineated in H1-2019. The Daapleu deposit where mineralization was confirmed at-depth. In addition, a deep hole was drilled below the heap leach pad which confirmed the occurrence of mineralization 200 meters southwest of the Bakatouo deposit. In H2-2018, the focus is expected to be the Le Plaque target, with over 10,000 meters of drilling planned.



TABAKOTO MINE (ASSET HELD-FOR-SALE)

Strategic assessment update

The strategic assessment completed in Q2 demonstrated the potential to reduce the mine's AISC mainly through capital investment to renew the underground fleet.

These investments, however, do not meet Endeavour's capital allocation criteria and therefore a sale process has been launched and non-binding offers were received.

As at June 30, the Tabakoto mine has been classified as an asset held for sale

Q2-2018 vs Q1-2018 Insights

Production decreased mainly due to lower average head grades and slightly lower throughput and recovery rates. Open pit ore mined decreased as the Kofi B pit approached its end of life while extraction of the oxide portion at the Tabakoto North pit was ongoing. Underground tonnes mined decreased as lower equipment availability slowed production. Processing activities continued to perform well, with throughput remaining steady. The average gold grade milled decreased as lower-grade stockpiles were used to supplement the plant feed. The recovery rate decreased due to the change in ore fed to the plant associated with milling the low-grade stockpile.

AISC increased due to increased sustaining capital and higher mining unit costs which were partially offset by lower processing and underground mining costs. Open pit mining costs increased from $2.65 to $3.45 per tonne due to additional blasting requirements at Kofi B. Underground mining unit costs decreased from $71.38 to $68.32 due to lower costs associated with the cement rock fill at Tabakoto underground. Processing unit costs decreased from $18.41 to $17.76 per tonne as cyanide and lime consumption was reduced to interact with the characteristics of the ore blend processed. Sustaining capital costs increased by $1.3 million to $7.6 million mainly due to increased spending on underground development.

There was no non-sustaining capital spending in the quarter.

H1-2018 vs H1-2017 Insights

Production decreased and AISC increased mainly due to a decrease in processed grades following the completion of the high-grade Kofi C pit in 2017. In addition, lower grade stockpiles supplemented the plant feed in H1-2018 to compensate for lower underground tonnage mined following decreased equipment availability.

Table 12: Tabakoto Quarterly Performance Indicators

For the Quarter Ended Q2-2018 Q1-2018 Q2-2017 OP Tonnes ore mined, kt 109 209 157 OP Strip ratio (incl. waste cap) 10.89 7.80 8.87 UG tonnes ore mined, kt 143 151 184 Tonnes milled, kt 423 441 407 Grade, g/t 2.11 2.51 3.32 Recovery rate, % 92% 93% 94% PRODUCTION, KOZ 27 32 41 Cash cost/oz 1,054 930 802 AISC/OZ 1,397 1,208 1,054

Table 13: Tabakoto Half Year Performance Indicators

For the Half Year Ended H1-2018 H1-2017 OP Tonnes ore mined, kt 318 374 OP Strip ratio (incl. waste cap) 8.86 8.19 UG tonnes ore mined, kt 294 420 Tonnes milled, kt 864 812 Grade, g/t 2.32 3.41 Recovery rate, % 92% 94% PRODUCTION, KOZ 59 84 Cash cost/oz 989 786 AISC/OZ 1,298 1,013

H2-2018 Outlook

Tabakoto is on track to meet its full-year 2018 guidance of 115-130koz. The AISC however is expected to be above the guided $1,200-$1,250/oz due to increased sustaining capital development work planned.

H2-2018 is expected to benefit from increased underground equipment availability following the arrival of new equipment.

Exploration Activities

During H1-2018 nearly 5,000 meters were drilled on open pit targets while more than 13,000 meters were drilled in the underground mines with the aim of replenishing depletion.

For H2-2018, a further 12,000 meters are expected to be drilled on both open-pit targets and in the underground mines.

ITY CIL PROJECT CONSTRUCTION: ON-TIME AND ON-BUDGET

Construction is progressing well and remains on-time and on-budget with the first gold pour expected by mid-2019.

The main milestones achieved to date include: More than 3.1 million man-hours worked with zero lost-time injuries. Overall project completion stands at over 50%, tracking well against schedule. Over 85% of the total capital cost of $412 million has already been committed. As at June 30, 2018, the remaining project spend amounted to $211 million, with the expected remaining cash outflow amounting to circa $191 million as an additional $30 million of equipment financing is expected to be drawn. The Ball and SAG mills have arrived on site, three months earlier than initially planned. Plant construction is progressing with all eight bolted CIL tanks installed with four already hydro tested. Tailings storage facility (TSF) earthworks are progressing well against schedule with over 60% already completed prior to the start of the rainy season. Camp construction progressed well with all 312 rooms completed and available for occupation. The 90kv transmission line and power station construction are progressing well against schedule with over 60% already completed. The land compensation process and resettlement activities are progressing well. More than 2,100 personnel, including contractors, are currently employed on-site, 95% of which are locals.

The main upcoming milestones are presented in Figure 1 below:

Figure 1: Ity CIL Construction Milestones (http://hugin.info/171882/R/2208440/859078.jpg)

Picture 1: Construction of Processing Plant (http://hugin.info/171882/R/2208440/859079.jpg)

KALANA PROJECT UPDATE

An intensive exploration program, consisting of 48,000 meters of drilling, was finalized in early Q2-2018 on the Kalana and Kalanako deposits.

At the Kalana deposit: Drilling confirmed the overall geological model and in-fill drilling is expected to convert a portion of the previously classified inferred resources in the North Eastern part of the deposit. The remaining results from the last leachwell gold assays are expected to be received in the coming weeks following bottlenecks encountered in the labs. Endeavour is rebuilding the geological model based on both the drilling done by the previous owners and that which was completed this quarter, while using a more conservative top-cut assumption and an ordinary kriging geostatistical approach. In total, more than 2,200 holes and more than 221,000 assays (including over 103,000 leachwell assays) will be used to build the geological model which will form the basis of the updated feasibility study. An updated resource is expected to be published in late Q3-2018.

At the Kalanako deposit, drilling has confirmed the continuation of the mineralization and is expected to convert a portion of the previously classified inferred resources.

In parallel with completion of the resource model, initial work has commenced for the updated feasibility study which is expected to be published in Q1-2019.

EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES

Exploration continued to be a strong focus in Q2-2018 with a company-wide exploration spend of $15 million, for 98,000 meters drilled, with details by asset provided in the above mine sections.

More than 292,700 meters were drilled across the group in H1-2018, focusing mainly on the Kari discovery made at Hounde last year, with results published on May 24, 2018; on Kalana where an updated resource is expected to be published in late Q3-2018; and on the Le Plaque deposit where a global update of resources is planned for H1-2019. Initial work has also progressed on greenfield targets such as Kofi North, Fetekro, Randgold JV and in Greater Ity area.



Table 14: Exploration Guidance

(in US$ million) Q2-2018 EXPENDITURES Q1-2018 EXPENDITURES H1-2018

EXPENDITURES 2018 BUDGET ALLOCATION Agbaou 2.2 1.4 3.6 4 8% Tabakoto and greenfield Kofi areas 0.8 1.9 2.7 7 15% Ity and greenfield areas on its 100km trend 4.2 5.0 9.2 8 18% Karma 2.3 - 2.3 2 4% Kalana 1.4 5.2 6.6 6 13% Hounde 2.9 3.6 6.5 9 21% Other greenfield properties 2.3 2.7 5.0 10 22% TOTAL EXPLORATION EXPENDITURES* 16.1 19.8 35.9 40-45 100%

*Includes expensed, sustaining, and non-sustaining exploration expenditures

INCREASED CASH FLOW GENERATION

H1-2018 gold sales from continuing operations totalled 305koz, up from 174koz in H1-2017, mainly due to the increased production from Hounde.

The H1-2018 realized gold price was $1,275/oz (net of the impact of the Karma stream) compared to $1,176/oz in H1-2017. H1-2018 benefited from the revenue protection program, based on a collar with a floor at $1,300/oz and a ceiling of $1,500/oz, which generated a gain of $5.5m, representing an $18/oz in addition to the realized gold price.

The Group's H1-2018 All-In Sustaining Margin (inclusive of discontinued operations) increased by 68% from $99 million to $166 million due the inclusion of Hounde, higher realized gold prices, and an increase in gold sold at Ity, which offset the decrease in revenue generated by Agbaou.

Non-sustaining capital spending increased by $6 million in H1-2018 over H1-2017 mainly due to an increase at Agbaou for waste capitalization activities, while non-sustaining exploration efforts increased by $10 million, in line with the Group's strategic focus on exploration.

The All-In Margin increased by 81% in H1-2018 compared to H1-2017, amounting to $116 million, as the increased production at a lower AISC cost and higher realized gold price more than outweighed the increase in non-sustaining expenditures.

The working capital variation outflow increased from $23 million in H1-2017 to $55 million in H1-2018 mainly due to an increase in stockpiles at Hounde and Karma, prepayments for reagents at Hounde as well as an outflow due to trade and other receivables driven by gold sales received at Hounde.

Interest and financing fees paid increased from $7 million in H1-2017 to $22 million in H1-2018 due to the increase in debt outstanding related to the construction of Hounde and Ity CIL.

H1-2018 had a net cash variation of negative $161 million mainly due to $163 million spent on growth projects (comprised of $153 million on the Ity CIL project inclusive of its associated working capital, $5 million on a new group IT system, $5 million on Kalana construction).

$280 million was repaid on the revolving credit facility ("RCF") in Q1-2018 following the reception of $330 million from the convertible notes issuance. In Q2-2018, $70 million was then redrawn on the RCF to fund the Ity CIL construction.

Table 15: Simplified Cash Flow Statement

SIX MONTHS ENDED, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, (in US$ million) 2018 2017 GOLD SOLD FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS, koz 305 174 Gold Price, $/oz 1,275 1,176 REVENUE FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS 388 205 Total cash costs (172) (105) Royalties (22) (9) Corporate costs (13) (12) Sustaining capex (10) (8) Sustaining exploration (5) (8) ALL-IN SUSTAINING MARGIN FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS 165 61 All-In-Sustaining Margin from discontinued operations 1 37 ALL-IN SUSTAINING MARGIN FROM ALL OPERATIONS 166 99 Less: Non-sustaining capital (25) (19) Less: Non-sustaining exploration (25) (16) ALL-IN MARGIN FROM ALL OPERATIONS 116 64 Working capital (55) (23) Changes in long-term inventories (10) 0 Taxes paid (8) (11) Interest paid and financing fees (22) (7) Cash settlements on hedge programs and gold collar premiums (2) (4) NET FREE CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS 18 19 Growth project capital (163) (128) Greenfield exploration expense (5) (4) M&A activities (1) (55) Cash paid on settlement of share appreciation rights, DSUs and PSUs (4) (1) Net equity proceeds 1 52 Restructuring costs 0 (1) Other (foreign exchange gains/losses and other) (7) (1) NET CASH/(NET DEBT) VARIATION (161) (119) Convertible senior bond 330 0 Proceeds (repayment) of long-term debt (210) 80 CASH INFLOW (OUTFLOW) FOR THE PERIOD (41) (39)

Certain line items in the table above are NON-GAAP measures. For more information and notes, please consult the Company's MD&A.

NET CASHFLOW, NET DEBT AND LIQUIDITY SOURCES

Net cash flow from operating activities during Q2-2018 was $60 million, up $12 million over Q1-2018, despite slightly lower revenues, as Q2-2018 benefited from a lower negative working capital variation.

Net cash used in investing activities during Q2-2018 was $127 million, which included $87 million of growth project capital, $16 million of sustaining and non-sustaining mine capital expenditures, and $1.4 million of sustaining and non-sustaining mine exploration.

Net cash generated in financing activities during Q2-2018 was $56 million, which was mainly due to $70 million drawn down on the RCF which was partially offset by $7 million of financing fees and $6 million of finance lease repayments.

Equipment lease financing decreased by $10 million from March 31, 2018 to $69 million as at June 30, 2018 due to a $6 million repayment of current period obligations and $4 million following the removal of Tabakoto leases.

As anticipated, net debt increased from $335 million as at March 31, 2018 to $410 million as at June 30, 2018, mainly due to growth project spending.

At quarter-end, Endeavour's available sources of financing and liquidity remained strong at $339 million which included its $79 million cash position and $260 million undrawn on the RCF. In addition to these liquidity sources, Endeavour also has strong cash flow generation, upcoming second half of Ity CIL equipment financing, and the remaining proceeds from the Nzema sale.

Table 16: Cash Flow and Net Debt Position

THREE MONTHS ENDED Jun. 30, Mar. 31, Dec. 31, (in US$ million unless stated otherwise) 2018 2018 2017 Net cash from (used in), as per cash flow statement: Operating activities 60 48 83 Investing activities (127) (119) (123) Financing activities 56 42 34 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash 0 (0) 3 INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN CASH (12) (29) (2) Cash position at beginning of period 94 123 125 Cash position at discontinued operation (3) - - CASH POSITION AT END OF PERIOD AT CONTINUING OPERATIONS 79 94 123 Equipment financing (69) (79) (54) Convertible senior bond (330) (330) - Drawn portion of revolving credit facility (90) (20) (300) NET DEBT POSITION 410 335 232 Net Debt / Adjusted EBITDA (LTM) ratio 1.49 1.24 1.05

Net Debt and Adjusted EBITDA are NON-GAAP measures. For a discussion regarding the company's use of NON-GAAP Measures, please see "note regarding certain measures of performance" in the MD&A.

OPERATING CASH FLOW PER SHARE

Due to the start-up of Hounde, operating cash flow per share (before non-cash working capital) for H1-2018 increased by 34% over H1-2017 to $1.52.

Table 17: Operating Cash Flow Per Share

(in US$ million unless stated otherwise) THREE MONTHS ENDED SIX MONTHS ENDED Jun. 30, Mar. 31, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, 2018 2018 2017 2018 2017 CASH GENERATED FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 60 48 27 108 84 Add back changes in non-cash working capital (9) (46) (28) (55) (23) OPERATING CASH FLOW BEFORE NON-CASH WORKING CAPITAL 69 95 55 163 107 Divided by weighted average number of O/S shares, in millions 108 108 96 108 95 OPERATING CASH FLOW BEFORE NON-CASH WORKING CAPITAL PER SHARE 0.64 0.88 0.57 1.52 1.13

Operating Cash Flow Per Share is a NON-GAAP measure. For a discussion regarding the company's use of NON-GAAP Measures, please see "note regarding certain measures of performance" in the MD&A.

ADJUSTED NET EARNINGS PER SHARE

H1-2018 adjusted net earnings per share from continuing operations amounted to $0.31, up from $0.02 in H1-2017.

H1-2018 total adjustments of $40 million were primarily related to losses from discontinued operations, deferred income tax recovery, gains on financial instruments, and stock-based expenses.

Table 18: Net Earnings and Adjusted Net Earnings

THREE MONTHS ENDED SIX MONTHS ENDED (in US$ million unless stated otherwise) Jun. 30, Mar. 31, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, 2018 2018 2017 2018 2017 TOTAL NET EARNINGS (15) 28 17 12 15 Less adjustments (see MD&A) 30 11 (10) 40 (1) ADJUSTED NET EARNINGS FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS 15 38 8 53 14 Less portion attributable to non-controlling interests 6 14 1 19 13 ATTRIBUTABLE TO SHAREHOLDERS 9 24 7 34 2 Divided by weighted average number of O/S shares 108 108 96 108 95 ADJUSTED NET EARNINGS PER SHARE (BASIC) 0.09 0.23 0.07 0.31 0.02 FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS

Adjusted Net Earnings is a NON-GAAP measure. For a discussion regarding the company's use of NON-GAAP Measures, please see "Note Regarding Certain Measures of Performance" in the MD&A.

CONFERENCE CALL AND LIVE WEBCAST

Management will host a conference call and live webcast on Wednesday August 1st at 8:30am Toronto time (EST) to discuss the Company's financial results.

The conference call and live webcast are scheduled at:

5:30am in Vancouver

8:30am in Toronto and New York

1:30pm in London

8:30pm in Hong Kong and Perth

The live webcast can be accessed through the following link:

https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/72g4g9mx (https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/72g4g9mx)

Analysts and investors are also invited to participate and ask questions using the dial-in numbers below:

International: +1 929 477 0402

North American toll-free: 800 289 0438

UK toll-free: 0800 279 7204

Confirmation code: 9762888

The conference call and webcast will be available for playback on Endeavour's website (https://www.endeavourmining.com/Home/default.aspx).

Access the live and On-Demand version of the webcast from mobile devices running iOS and Android:

QUALIFIED PERSONS

Jeremy Langford, Endeavour's Chief Operating Officer - Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy - FAusIMM, is a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Martino De Ciccio



VP - Strategy & Investor Relations

+44 203 640 8665

mdeciccio@endeavourmining.com (mailto:mdeciccio@endeavourmining.com) Brunswick Group LLP in London



Carole Cable, Partner

+44 7974 982 458

ccable@brunswickgroup.com (mailto:ccable@brunswickgroup.com)

ABOUT ENDEAVOUR MINING CORPORATION

Endeavour Mining is a TSX listed intermediate African gold producer with a solid track record of operational excellence, project development and exploration in the highly prospective Birimian greenstone belt in West Africa. Endeavour is focused on offering both near-term and long-term growth opportunities with its project pipeline and its exploration strategy, while generating immediate cash flow from its operations.

Endeavour operates 5 mines across Cote d'Ivoire (Agbaou and Ity), Burkina Faso (Hounde, Karma), and Mali (Tabakoto)which are expected to produce 670-720koz in 2018 at an AISC of $840-890/oz. Endeavour's high-quality development projects (recently commissioned Hounde, Ity CIL and Kalana) have the combined potential to deliver an additional 600koz per year at an AISC well below $700/oz between 2018 and 2020. In addition, its exploration program aims to discover 10-15Moz of gold between 2017 and 2021 which represents more than twice the reserve depletion during the period.

For more information, please visit www.endeavourmining.com (http://www.endeavourmining.com).

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND NON-GAAP MEASURES

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" including but not limited to, statements with respect to Endeavour's plans and operating performance, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of future production, future capital expenditures, and the success of exploration activities. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "expected", "budgeted", "forecasts", and "anticipates". Forward-looking statements, while based on management's best estimates and assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks related to the successful integration of acquisitions; risks related to international operations; risks related to general economic conditions and credit availability, actual results of current exploration activities, unanticipated reclamation expenses; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; fluctuations in prices of metals including gold; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, increases in market prices of mining consumables, possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry; delays in the completion of development or construction activities, changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax rules and regulations, and political and economic developments in countries in which Endeavour operates. Although Endeavour has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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. Please refer to Endeavour's most recent Annual Information Form filed under its profile at www.sedar.com (http://www.sedar.com) for further information respecting the risks affecting Endeavour and its business. AISC, all-in sustaining costs at the mine level, cash costs, operating EBITDA, all-in sustaining margin, free cash flow, net free cash flow, free cash flow per share, net debt, and adjusted earnings are non-GAAP financial performance measures with no standard meaning under IFRS, further discussed in the section Non-GAAP Measures in the most recently filed Management Discussion and Analysis.

Corporate Office: 5 Young St, Kensington, London W8 5EH, UK

Figure 1: Ity CIL Construction Milestones (http://hugin.info/171882/R/2208440/859078.jpg)

View Presentation in PDF Format (http://hugin.info/171882/R/2208440/859077.pdf)

Production and AISC by Mine (http://hugin.info/171882/R/2208440/859080.pdf)

View News Release in PDF Format (http://hugin.info/171882/R/2208440/859076.pdf)

Picture 1: Construction of Processing Plant (http://hugin.info/171882/R/2208440/859079.jpg)

Financial Statement Extracts (http://hugin.info/171882/R/2208440/859082.pdf)



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: Endeavour Mining Corporation via Globenewswire

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 17, 2019) - Canadian Silver Hunter Inc. (TSXV: AGH) (the "Company") announces today that the non-binding letter of intent dated July 6, 2018 with a privately held company, MariGrow Inc., has automatically terminated in accordance with its terms.

Cautionary Statements

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information, please contact:

Canadian Silver Hunter Inc.:

Jeffrey Hunter

President and Chief Executive Officer

(416) 707 4230

jhunter@cshi.caDETROIT, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Automotive Composite Suspension Components Market by Component Type (Leaf Spring, Coil Spring, Suspension Arm, Stabilizer Bar, and Others), by Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Light Commercial Vehicle, Medium & Heavy Duty Commercial Vehicle, and Others), by Manufacturing Process Type (Compression Molding, HP-RTM, Prepreg Layup, and Others), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660595/Stratview_Research_Logo.jpg )

This market report, from Stratview Research, studies the composite suspension components market in the global automotive industry over the trend period of 2012 to 2017 and forecast period of 2018 to 2023. The report provides detailed insights on the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market.

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Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.

Emerging trends.

Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.

Key success factors.

This report studies the global automotive composite suspension components market and has segmented the market in four ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. The following are the four ways in which the market is segmented:

Automotive Composite Suspension Components Market by Component Type:

Coil Springs (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Leaf Springs (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Stabilizer Bar (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Suspension Arm (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Automotive Composite Suspension Components Market by Vehicle Type:

Passenger Car (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Light Commercial Vehicle (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Medium- & Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicle (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Automotive Composite Suspension Components Market by Manufacturing Process Type:

Compression Molding Process (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

HP-RTM Process (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Prepreg Layup Process (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Other Processes (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Automotive Composite Suspension Components Market by Region:

North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico )

Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , Sweden , Italy , Russia , and Rest of Europe )

Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China , South Korea , India , and Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Brazil and Others)

Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the automotive industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports:

Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Automotive Industry

Related premium market reports in the automotive industryare:

Automotive Composite Leaf Springs Market by Vehicle Type, by Installation Type, by Location Type, by Manufacturing Process, and by Region, Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018 - 2023

Global Automotive Suspension Market by Vehicle Type, by System Type, by Architecture Type, by Damping Type, by Component Type, and by Region, Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2016 - 2021

About Stratview Research

Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas.

We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies.

Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making.

For enquiries,contact:

Stratview Research

E-mail: sales@stratviewresearch.com

Direct: +1-313-307-4176

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 1, 2018 / MGX Minerals Inc. ("MGX" or the "Company") (CSE: XMG / FWB: 1MG / OTC: MGXMF) is pleased to announce the engagement of Hatch Ltd. to advise MGX on the scaling of the Company's rapid lithium extraction technology in the Western United States. Hatch will provide strategic review and recommendations to implement large-scale application of the technology, including:

Comprehensive review of rapid lithium extraction technology including flow systematics, processes and more to further establish confidence in the scaling of technology and processes; and High level project engineering scope and timeline schedule for buildout

Rapid Lithium Brine Extraction Technology

MGX has developed a rapid lithium extraction technology eliminating or greatly reducing the physical footprint and investment in large, multi-phase, lake sized, lined evaporation ponds, as well as enhancing the quality of extraction and recovery across a complex range of brines as compared with traditional solar evaporation. This technology is applicable to petrolithium (oil and gas wastewater), natural brine, and other brine sources such as lithium-rich mine and industrial plant wastewater. The technology was recently chosen as winner of the Base and Specialty Metals Industry Leadership Award at the 2018 S&P Global Platts Global Metals Awards, held in London in May (see press release dated May 18, 2018).

Qualified Person

Andris Kikauka (P. Geo.), Vice President of Exploration for MGX Minerals, has prepared, reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release. Mr. Kikauka is a non-independent Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards.

About MGX Minerals

MGX Minerals is a diversified Canadian resource company with interests in advanced material and energy assets throughout North America. Learn more at www.mgxminerals.com .

Contact Information

Jared Lazerson

President and CEO

Telephone: 1.604.681.7735

Web: www.mgxminerals.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "potentially" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various factors. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.



SOURCE: MGX MineralsComcast Business has leveraged its broad product and service portfolios, flexible connectivity options, and cost savings to address the specific pain points of small businesses

SANTA CLARA, California, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the North American voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services market for the small- and medium-sized business (SMB) segment, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Comcast Business with the 2018 North American Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership Award. Comcast Business was one of the first providers in North America to launch hosted IP telephony services, and continues to stay ahead of the curve through constant solution enhancements, offer of new services, and unwavering commitment to meeting the needs of the SMB segment. It has achieved higher-than-market average growth rates on the strength of its effective strategy execution, high price/performance value, and excellent solution ownership experiences.

Acknowledging the expanding opportunity in the next-generation services space, Comcast Business intensified its product development and sales efforts. It now boasts six clearly differentiated solutions that serve organizations across the migration spectrum, from businesses looking to adopt end-to-end cloud communications solutions to businesses moving only certain communications capabilities to a hosted network. The solutions include Business VoiceEdge, Business VoiceEdge Select, Business Voice Mobility, Business Voice, Business VoiceEdge Primary Rate Interface (PRI), and Business VoiceEdge SIP.

"Comcast Business continues to consistently win market share among businesses with fewer than 100 users, while competitors focus on larger accounts," said Elka Popova, Vice President. "Each solution is aimed at a specific end-user segment, such as mobile-only micro-businesses, or SMBs with a mix of desk-bound and mobile workers. Business VoiceEdge SIP and PRI enable Comcast to better address the needs of SMBs with more sophisticated premises-based infrastructure and even penetrate larger and/or distributed organizations."

Comcast VoIP solutions can be highly complementary in a mixed communications environment. For example, Business Voice customers can employ the Business Voice Mobility option and use many of the capabilities of the cloud-based mobile solution, even while retaining their on-premises voice platforms. For multi-site businesses in particular, it offers either a value-added capability that can be shared between Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) and on-premises users and provides an intermediate set of capabilities while a customer is in transition.

"All of Comcast Business voice services are configured and provisioned on a customer-by-customer basis, so the provider takes a consultative approach when working with customers to design these services. Furthermore, Comcast VoIP solutions can be managed through convenient customer portals that can be accessed on any Internet device," noted Popova. "Overall, Comcast VoIP services provide a compelling value proposition to small businesses looking for flexible, feature-rich, and cost-effective alternatives to premises-based systems and legacy voice services."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has leveraged competitive intelligence to successfully execute a strategy that results in stronger market share, competitive brand positioning, and customer satisfaction.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Comcast Business

Comcast Business offers Ethernet, Internet, Wi-Fi, Voice, TV and Managed Enterprise Solutions to help organizations of all sizes transform their business. Powered by an advanced network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is one of the largest contributors to the growth of Comcast Cable. Comcast Business is the nation's largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and has emerged as a force in the Enterprise market; recognized over the last two years by leading industry associations as one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services.

For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social.

Contact:

Matt Helmke

215.286.8666

matt_helmke@comcast.com

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector, and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Ana Arriaga

P: 210.247.3823

F: 210.348.1003

E: ana.arriaga@frost.comWerbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.DUBLIN - August 1, 2018 - Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), the global leader in medical technology, today announced Paurvi Bhatt as the new President of the Medtronic Foundation and Vice President of Medtronic Philanthropy. Effective immediately, Bhatt will oversee all Medtronic Foundation and Medtronic Philanthropy operations, which aim to expand access to healthcare in underserved communities around the world and support healthy communities where Medtronic's 86,000 employees live and give.

Bhatt succeeds Dr. Jacob Gayle in this leadership role, following Dr. Gayle's transition to his new position as Vice President of Social Impact for Medtronic. Dr. Gayle will continue to serve as a member of the Medtronic Foundation Board of Directors.

As the new head of the Medtronic Foundation, Bhatt will focus on ensuring the organization is a high impact, high performance philanthropy team that delivers measurable impact for the underserved.

Bhatt has been with the Medtronic Foundation for five years, and most recently served as leader of the Global Health and Community Well-Being portfolios. Bhatt has deep experience in global health, philanthropy, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Prior to joining Medtronic, Bhatt served in global health and CSR roles at Levi Strauss & Company and Abbott. Earlier in her career, Bhatt led portfolios in Economics and HIV/AIDS at USAID and served as Deputy Director of Health for CARE where she led primary care globally and shaped disaster relief efforts in reproductive health.

She holds a Master's of Public Health from Yale University and bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Northwestern University.

Medtronic is committed to making the world a healthier place and strengthening communities around the world, having donated more than $1 billion throughout the years to support philanthropic efforts. In fiscal year 2018, the Medtronic Foundation awarded $42 million in grants globally.

About Medtronic and Medtronic Foundation

Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com (http://www.medtronic.com)), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world's largest medical technology, services and solutions companies - alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 86,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in more than 150 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together. The Medtronic Foundation focuses on supporting health and health access initiatives in communities where Medtronic employees live and give.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

-end-

Contacts:

Allison Frailich

Public Relations

+1-763-505-3068



Ryan Weispfenning

Investor Relations

+1-763-505-4626





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: Medtronic plc via Globenewswire

PUNE, India, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report"Law Enforcement Software Market by Component, Solution (Computer-Aided Dispatch, Case Management, and Incident Response), Service (Implementation, Consulting, and Training and Support), Deployment Type, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market size is expected to grow from USD 11.64 billion in 2018 to USD 18.13 billion by 2023, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.3% during the forecast period. An increased focus on community-oriented policing and increasing adoption of social media platforms for law enforcement are the factors driving the growth of Law Enforcement Software Market.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg )

Browse 48 market data Tables and 38 Figures spread through 133 Pages and in-depth TOC on"Law Enforcement Software Market"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/law-enforcement-software-market-8292078.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

Solutions segment to account for the largest market size during the forecast period

Law enforcement software solutions help agencies to identify, prevent, respond, and prepare for criminal incidents. Law enforcement solutions enable law enforcement organizations to manage crucial information, such as crime database and records, for crime analysis. Through these technologically advanced law enforcement solutions, law enforcers can access the information anytime and from anywhere. Moreover, they help improve the operational performance of law enforcement agencies by automating the overall investigation processes and reducing the data entry efforts through workflow automation. They allow law enforcers to upload criminal data and exchange the information with other departments or agencies digitally. Modern law enforcement software solutions are integrated with safety devices and advanced technologies, which help law enforcement agencies to manage criminal activities or emergencies in real-time based on the evidence captured by digital devices, such as surveillance cameras and location tracking devices.

On-premises deployment type to account for a larger market size during the forecast period

On-premises solutions are delivered on a one-time license fee, along with a service agreement. As this type of deployment requires huge infrastructure and a personal data center, only those organizations that can afford the costs usually deploy on-premises solutions. Usually, large enterprises prefer the on-premises deployment type, due to the availability of adequate capital and good infrastructure. Furthermore, large enterprises can expand their IT resources for the management of on-premises solutions. The on-premises deployment type helps in securing the sensitive data of the organizations and provides real-time access to documents.

Ask For PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=8292078

North America to account for the largest market size during the forecast period

North America is expected to be the largest contributor to the Law Enforcement Software Market in terms of regional revenue. This region comprises developed countries: the US and Canada. North America is an early adopter and a host to innovative initiatives for advanced security solutions and practices. Many agencies are adopting various law enforcement solutions in North America, due to an increased focus on public safety.

Major vendors in the Law Enforcement Software Market include IBM (US), Accenture (Ireland), Oracle (US), Motorola Solutions (US), Axon (US), CyberTech (India), Nuance Communications (US), Esri (US), Palantir Technologies (US), eFORCE Software (US), Wynyard Group (US), DFLABS (Italy), ARMS (US), PTS Solutions (US), Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure (US), CODY Systems (US), Column Technologies (US), Cyrun (US), Incident Response Technologies (US), Numerica Corporation (US), Diverse Computing (US), Omnigo Software (US), Alert Public Safety Solutions (US), CAPERS (US), and BlueLine Grid (US).

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Shelly Singh

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com





Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/law-enforcement-software-market.asp

Connect with us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarketsPUNE, India, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report 'Autoinjectors Market by Therapy (Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Anaphylaxis, Cardiovascular diseases, Psoriasis, Migraine), Type (Disposable, and Reusable), End Users (Homecare, and Hospitals) - Global Forecast to 2023', published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market is projected to reach USD 85.31 billion by 2023 from an estimated USD 28.91 billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 24.2% during the forecast period (2018-2023).

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg )



Browse 66 market data Tables and 36 Figures spread through 133 Pages and in-depth TOC on 'Autoinjectors Market'

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/autoinjector-market-173991724.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

The key factors driving the growth of this market include the growing prevalence of targeted therapies such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, rising incidence of anaphylaxis, and increasing number of regulatory approvals.

By therapy, the rheumatoid arthritis segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market in 2018

On the basis of therapy, the Autoinjectors Market is segmented into rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, anaphylaxis, and other therapies such as migraines, cardiovascular diseases, psoriasis, and anemia. In 2018, the rheumatoid arthritis segment is expected to account for the largest share of the global market. The large share of this segment can be primarily attributed to the high prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis across the globe.

By type, the disposable autoinjectors segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market in 2018

On the basis of type, the Autoinjectors Market is segmented into disposable and reusable autoinjectors. In 2018, the disposable autoinjectors segment is expected to account for the largest share of the global market. The large share of this segment can be primarily attributed to their ease of use and minimal risk of infection.

By end user, the home care settings segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market in 2018

On the basis of end user, the Autoinjectors Market is segmented into home care settings and hospitals & clinics. In 2018, home care settings segment is expected to account for the largest share of the global market. A majority of autoinjectors are used for self-administration of drugs and are rarely recommended for hospital use to avoid the risk of infection due to use on multiple patients. This is a major factor driving market growth. Other factors such as the growing prevalence of chronic diseases and technological advancements are also supporting growth in this market segment.

Ask for PDF Brochure:https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=173991724

North America to dominate the market in 2018

In 2018, North America is expected to account for the largest share of the Autoinjectors Market, followed by Europe. Factors such as increasing geriatric population in Canada, increasing FDA approvals, rising prevalence of anaphylaxis in the US, and rising prevalence of autoimmune and chronic diseases in the US and Canada are contributing to the large share of North America.

The key players in the global Autoinjectors Market are Abbvie (US), Amgen (US), Teva (Israel), Biogen (US), Eli Lilly (US), and Mylan (US). The other prominent players in the market are J&J (US), Novartis (Switzerland), Bayer (Germany), Merck (Germany), Biogen (US), Ypsomed (Switzerland), SHL Group (Taiwan) Becton, Dickinson and Company (US), Owen Mumford (UK), Novartis (Switzerland), and Haselmeier (Switzerland).

Know more about the Autoinjectors Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/autoinjector-market-173991724.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the 'Growth Engagement Model - GEM'. The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write 'Attack, avoid and defend' strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, 'Knowledge Store' connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Shelly Singh

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com



Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/autoinjector-market.asp

Connect with us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarketsEuropa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc / Index: AIM / Epic: EOG / Sector: Oil & Gas

1 August 2018

Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc ('Europa' or 'the Company')

Update on Wressle, North Lincolnshire

Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc, the UK and Ireland focussed oil and gas exploration, development and production company, notes today's update from Egdon Resources ('Egdon') which advises that its application to North Lincolnshire Council ('NLC') to extend planning consent for the Wressle site on PEDL 180 in the East Midlands ('the Application') was refused.

Europa notes that the board of Egdon intends to appeal this decision without delay and will begin preparing documentation on receipt of the Committee's decision notice.

Europa has a 30% working interest in Wressle alongside Egdon (operator, 30%), Union Jack Oil (27.5%), and Humber Oil & Gas Limited (12.5%) ('the Joint Venture partners'). Egdon's full RNS including Notes is reproduced at the end of this release.

Europa's CEO, Hugh Mackay, said: "It is disappointing to note today's decision by the NLC, particularly when considering that this application had received support from North Lincolnshire County Council's planning officers. The board of Egdon has been forthright in its intention to appeal this decision and we will stand by for further updates in due course.

"Bringing Wressle on-stream would augment our current net daily production to approximately 250 bopd and generate a valuable revenue stream for reinvestment across our multi-stage portfolio of licences onshore UK and offshore Ireland. With this in mind, we remain hopeful of a resolution to the outstanding issues to ensure a satisfactory outcome for all parties."

Egdon's RNS published today is as follows:

Egdon Resources plc (AIM:EDR) advises that its application to extend planning consent for the Wressle site to 1 August 2019 was refused at today's meeting of the North Lincolnshire Council Planning Committee ("the Committee"). The application had been recommended for approval by North Lincolnshire County Council's planning officers.

Mark Abbott, Managing Director of Egdon Resources plc, said:

"The decision of the Committee is clearly disappointing given that the application had been recommended for approval by North Lincolnshire Council's own professional planning officers, that an appeal for a previous refusal of such an application had been successful and that we have recently submitted a new application for the development of the Wressle oil field which we strongly believe comprehensively addresses the reasons for the refusal of the original planning applications and the subsequent appeals.

"We intend to appeal this decision without delay and will begin preparing documentation on receipt of the Committee's decision notice."

Notes to Editors:

Planning history:

On 11 January 2017, North Lincolnshire Council refused planning consent for the original application for the development of the Wressle Oil Field at Lodge Farm, Wressle, North Lincolnshire.

On 7 February 2017, Egdon announced that it would both appeal the decision of 11 January 2017 and in parallel submit a new Planning Application for the Wressle development which would include even more detailed information to address the specific concerns outlined by North Lincolnshire Council in their refusal.

On 11 April 2017, Egdon submitted an appeal against North Lincolnshire Council's decision to refuse planning consent.

On 28 April 2017, Egdon submitted a new application for the Wressle Development including additional detailed information to address the specific concerns raised by North Lincolnshire Council in its 11 January 2017 decision to refuse the original application for the development of the Wressle Oil Field.

On 19 May 2017, Egdon announced the issue by the Environment Agency of the variation to the Mining Waste Permit for the planned Wressle field development and associated operations.

On 3 July 2017, the new planning application was also refused. The variation of the existing planning for the site requesting a twelve month extension was also refused at the same meeting.

During November 2017, a planning inquiry was held to consider the two appeals for development approval and the appeal of the variation of the existing planning for the site. On 5 January 2018, we announced that the Inspector had rejected the appeals by Egdon against the two planning refusals by North Lincolnshire County Council's Planning Committee. However, the Planning Inspectorate did uphold Egdon's appeal against the decision to refuse the application to retain the existing planning for the well site, which is was retained until the 28 April 2018.

A new application to extend the current planning consent was submitted on 13 April 2018 and refused 8 August 2018 and the company announced its intention to appeal the decision

On 5 July we announced the submission to North Lincolnshire Council of a new planning application for the development of the Wressle oil field.

Egdon Resources plc (LSE: EDR) is an established UK-based exploration and production company focused on onshore exploration and production in the hydrocarbon-producing basins of the UK.

Egdon holds interests in 44 licences in the UK and has an active programme of exploration, appraisal and development within its portfolio of oil and gas assets. Egdon is an approved operator in the UK.

Egdon was formed in 1997 and listed on AIM in December 2004.

In accordance with the AIM Rules - Note for Mining and Oil and Gas Companies, the information contained in this announcement has been reviewed and signed off by the Managing Director of Egdon Resources plc Mark Abbott, a Geoscientist with over 26 years' experience.

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 ("MAR"). Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service ("RIS"), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

* * ENDS * *

For further information please visit www.europaoil.com or contact:

Hugh Mackay Europa + 44 (0) 20 7224 3770 Phil Greenhalgh Europa + 44 (0) 20 7224 3770 Matt Goode finnCap Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7220 0500 Simon Hicks finnCap Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7220 0500 Frank Buhagiar St Brides Partners Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7236 1177 Susie Geliher St Brides Partners Ltd + 44 (0) 20 7236 1177

Notes

Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc has a diversified portfolio of multi-stage hydrocarbon assets that includes production, exploration and development interests, in countries that are politically stable, have transparent licensing processes, and offer attractive terms. In 2017 Europa produced 113 boepd. Its highly prospective exploration projects include the Wressle development in the UK (targeting production start-up in 2018 at 500 bopd gross) and six licences offshore Ireland with the potential to host gross mean un-risked prospective resources of 6.2 billion barrels oil equivalent and 2.5 tcf undiscovered GIIP across all six licences.

Qualified Person Review

This release has been reviewed by Hugh Mackay, Chief Executive of Europa, who is a petroleum geologist with 30 years' experience in petroleum exploration and a member of the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain, American Association of Petroleum Geologists and Fellow of the Geological Society. Mr Mackay has consented to the inclusion of the technical information in this release in the form and context in which it appears.Integration connects enterprises of all sizes to WhatsApp's Business solution, making business-to-customer communications feel as natural as communicating with family and friends

SAN FRANCISCO and AMSTERDAM, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MessageBird, the Amsterdam-based cloud communications platform company, today announced the integration of WhatsApp for Business API into the MessageBird communications platform. WhatsApp Business Solution enables enterprises to connect with the over 1.5 billion WhatsApp users in 180 countries. As a verified WhatsApp for Business Solution provider, MessageBird provides enterprises full support connecting WhatsApp Business Solution into their customer communications strategies. To sign up for early access, visit www.messagebird.com/en/whatsapp

"Today's consumer wants on-the-go access to businesses and they want it from wherever in the world they happen to be," said Robert Vis, MessageBird CEO. "Today's announcement of WhatsApp Business Solution enables enterprise of any size to connect with the vast WhatsApp global audience through the fast, simple, and convenient messaging app that they prefer. MessageBird is pleased to support enterprises in their integration of WhatsApp Business Solution and in bringing their relationships with customers to the next level."

Once customers have opted in to communications via WhatsApp, businesses can easily share rich media such as geolocations, images, and audio recordings as well as receive videos to gain context and provide better support to customers. The integration with MessageBird enables business to provide SMS fallback for urgent messages to ensure customers receive the intended communication regardless of internet access.

With today's announcement, enterprises can easily add capabilities such as:

Alerts

Support customer service by providing urgent updates such as travel itinerary changes, system outages as well as location-targeted alerts.

Notifications

Easily integrate information regarding orders, deliveries, appointment reminders, payment processing on a platform customers check multiple times per day.

Customer Support

Enable customers to initiate in-depth conversations with rich media capacity so support agents can improve troubleshooting and improve customer service.

The integration of WhatsApp Business Solution into the MessageBird communications platform also provides direct access to Zendesk support for performance tracking and analytics.

ABOUT MESSAGEBIRD

Founded in 2011, MessageBird is the Amsterdam-based cloud communications provider offering SMS, Voice and Chat solutions that enable developers and enterprises to communicate with customers in virtually any corner of the planet.

Bootstrapped and profitable, MessageBird closed the largest investment into a European software business with it Series A funding in late 2017 with $60 Million in capital from US based Accel Ventures and UK based Atomico.

The company currently serves over 15.000 customers from rapidly growing startups such as Uber, and Hello Fresh to innovative enterprises including Lufthansa Airlines, SAP and Heineken.

The company has offices in Amsterdam, San Francisco, London, Hamburg, Sydney, Shanghai and Singapore.

CONTACT:

Caitlin Matalone

caitlin@messagebird.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/725320/messagebird_Logo.jpg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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 1, 2018 / Ultrain , the next generation public-blockchain technology venture that was supported by Morningside, Bluerun Ventures, Aplus Capital and DraperDragon, announced that it has again raised a $20 million at 200 million USD valuation from global top venture capital firms and crypto funds, including Danhua Capital (DHVC), Sky9 Capital, FBG Capital, Ceyuan Venture, 8 Decimal Capital, ANMI, NGC Capital, Arrington XPR Capital, CPC Capital, Noris Capital, Du Capital, DFG, OK Gang Fund (OK Exchange Strategy Partner), Evolution Capital, Bixin Capital, Chain PE ,Consensus lab, Mix Capital, CryptoSA Capital, Sailor Capital, Norther Capital, Bitblock Capital, Spark Digital Capital, CDC Capital and more.



Founded in 2017, Ultrain is committed to resolving blockchain bottlenecks both from the consensus layer and the smart contract layer, to support tangible and real business applications as a trust computing infrastructure. It has a dominant founding team with 3 very complementary members from the technology and business side; the co-founder and CEO Ray Guo, former Director of Alibaba Security Unit in charge of data security strategy and previously 10 years at IBM GBS team; Emma Liao, Co-founder and CSO, former Managing Director of Golden Brick Capital, head of IOT investment of QIHU360 and head of China of a leading European investment bank goetzpartners GmbH focusing on cross-border M&As; and William Li, Co-founder and CTO, the former Technical Director and Chief Architect of Ant Financial Blockchain team. Recently, the team has officially invited world-renowned economist, Dr. Jin Keyu to join Ultrain as an advisor to design and build a sustainable token economy. Dr. Jin is the youngest tenured professor of the London School of Economics and Political Science and a board member of the global top Luxury group, Richemont Group.

Ultrain demonstrated its capability of generating advanced innovative theory, as well as capable engineering capacity and proficient global operation, through its recent announcement of "R-PoS consensus mechanism," "Robin Developer Framework" and the establishment of 15 local community hubs around the world. Together, innovative theory, engineering experience, and business operation ability form the competitive edge of Ultrain and a barrier to entry in the Blockchain industry.

Ultrain resolves the performance limitation with its breakthrough approach in cryptography to push the boundary of the "impossible triangle" - namely security, decentralization, and performance. Based on its R-POS consensus mechanism, performance and efficiency can be significantly improved through limited numbers of voting nodes and proposers, while random selection assures a secure environment within the decentralization network, the near target of TPS can be up to 20,000. Ultrain has achieved more than 3,000 TPS with a confirmation time less than ten seconds in it's earlier product launching this month, and there is still room for significant enhancements.

The current public chains have other significant limitations on the smart contract layer that is not often discussed, however, a major bottleneck for supporting developers and applications. Ultrain has already launched a user-friendly, efficient and compatible smart contract framework- Robin Framework, which operates on TypeScript, one of the most user-friendly language, and will be supporting the end developers and enterprise users with no limitations of code length nor complex logic. Besides, Robin Framework utilized the concept of Operating System Design; the codes will be run under multi-layer processes and cross consensus. This breakthrough is the key for any public chain to support concrete and complex business applications, and its realization by Ultrain is soundproof for its mission - creating a programmable business society.

Last but not least, Ultrain's global financial and business resources and capabilities are much needed and rare to find in other similar projects. One of the founders, Emma Liao, as Ultrain's Chief Strategy Officer, completes that part beautifully via her previous achievements in the US, Europe, Israel, and Asia, Ultrain was able to quickly install 15 international community hubs in New York, Silicon Valley, Munich, etc. All hubs are supported by top business influencers of that local market, both in the traditional world and the crypto space. It helped Ultrain with its quick recognition in the market by both investors and ecosystem candidates. Moreover, it has a unique angle to be a perfect bridge between the conventional business world to the decentralized, blockchain world with their reputation and top network in the space, to expand the scope and scale of the market to unlimited space for lots of imaginations.

Among the bearish market where dozens of projects have failed to reach their hard cap, the success of Ultrain's fundraise is a positive signal and a strong indication that the market and the investors are still supporting real top quality projects. Needless to say, a three-dimensional project with Ultrain's organic innovative theses and know-hows, top engineering capability in massive traffic and complex industrial environments, and its solid global business development skills and with strong previously successful track records, and a founding team shares entrepreneurial spirit and good value, is hard to find in today's market.

Managing Director of DHVC Kevin Ding pointed, "The founding team of Ultrain includes key members from Alibaba and Ant Financial, which demonstrates its ability on in-depth research and practical experience in the core technology of Blockchain. Meanwhile, Ultrain has an experienced co-founder handling the business operations with the top ability to established a truly global community. We are looking forward to all the positive surprises along the way."

The founder of FBG Vincent Zhou commented, " Ultrain supports a variety of potentially large-scale business applications through an innovative consensus mechanism coupled with a developer friendly and efficient smart contract engine. At the same time, its capital and business resources on the global scale can well support the future application of blockchain. We really like and trust this team and will continue to support its future developments."

The key to any technology infrastructure is to create a thriving ecosystem on top. Ultrain with the mission of creating a programmable business society - solved the most bottleneck issues from the technology side - is likely to be the most viable option to support concrete business scenarios by installing the complete and usable blockchain infrastructure.

Website: http://ultrain.io

Telegram Group: https://t.me/ultrainchain

Media Contact: blocktopian@ultrain.io

Investors That Participated in The Latest Round of Financing

SOURCE: Ultrain-Expands Executive, Engineering, Development, Accounting, Regulatory, Technical and Operating

-Teams Headquarters Moved to Houston, Texas

HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 1, 2018 / PEDEVCO Corp. d/b/a Pacific Energy Development (NYSE American: PED) (the "Company") reported today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire over 23,000 net leasehold acres, all operated production, and all related existing infrastructure and certain operating companies from certain U.S. subsidiaries of Hunter Oil Corp. (OTCQX: HOILF; TSX-V: HOC), with closing scheduled to occur on or about August 31, 2018, subject to satisfaction of closing conditions. These assets are located in the prolific San Andres play in the Permian Basin situated in west Texas and eastern New Mexico, with all acreage and production 100% operated and substantially all acreage held by production.

In addition, effective August 1, 2018, the Company acquired 100% ownership of Condor Energy Technology LLC, which owns and operates 4 horizontal wells producing from the Niobrara formation, and approximately 2,340 net acres held by production, all located in the D-J Basin in Weld and Morgan Counties, Colorado, and represents "bolt-on" acreage to the Company's existing operations in the D-J Basin.

Also effective August 1, 2018, Mr. J. Douglas Schick, an oil and gas executive with over 20 years' experience in the industry, joined the Company as its new President, with responsibility over the Company's exploration and production and mergers and acquisition functions, reporting directly to Company CEO Simon Kukes. In addition, effective August 1, 2018, the Company hired four additional employees with expertise in oil and gas development, operations, engineering, accounting and regulatory matters, and relocated its headquarters to Houston, Texas. Current Company Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Gregory Overholtzer, and current Company Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Mr. Clark R. Moore, remain in office in their current roles, with Mr. Moore assuming the additional responsibility and oversight over all Company human resource matters.

Dr. Simon Kukes, the CEO of the Company, commented, "Consistent with our business plan to acquire accretive assets and focus on long-term growth, we have acquired the additional D-J Basin assets, and plan to close on the acquisition of the Permian Basin assets by the end of the month. I have also further directly funded the Company to acquire these assets. With the additional team members now in place, and Company headquarters relocated to Houston, I believe we are positioned to continue growing the Company through additional acquisitions and development of our assets."

Announcement of Date of Annual Meeting

The Company has scheduled its 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. local time at PEDEVCO Corp.'s corporate office located at 1250 Wood Branch Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77079. The record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, and any adjournment thereof, is planned to be set on or around the close of business on August 9, 2018. More information regarding the Company's 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders will be disclosed in the Company's proxy statement which the Company plans to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission shortly after the record date.

To be timely, pursuant to the company's Bylaws, as amended, and Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, any notice of business or nominations with respect to the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders must be received by the Company at its principal executive offices at 1250 Wood Branch Park Drive, Suite 400, Houston, Texas, Attention: Corporate Secretary by no later than 5:00 p.m., Central Time, on August 11, 2018. Any such stockholder proposal must be submitted and must comply with the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Company's Bylaws, as amended.

About Pacific Energy Development (PEDEVCO Corp.)

PEDEVCO Corp, d/b/a Pacific Energy Development (NYSE American: PED), is a publicly-traded energy company engaged in the acquisition and development of strategic, high growth energy projects, including shale oil and gas assets, in the United States. The Company's principal assets are its D-J Basin Asset located in the D-J Basin in Weld and Morgan Counties, Colorado, and the Permian Basin assets located in west Texas and eastern New Mexico scheduled to be acquired in late August 2018. Pacific Energy Development is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

All statements in this press release that are not based on historical fact are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Acts"). In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "estimates," "believes," "hopes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act, and are subject to the safe harbor created by the Act. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. While management has based any forward-looking statements contained herein on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company's control, that could cause actual results to materially differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, those set forth under Item 1A "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the heading "Risk Factors". The Company operates in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment, thus new or unforeseen risks may arise. Accordingly, investors should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law, and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by the Company. Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider the other various disclosures in the Company's public filings with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).

Contacts

Pacific Energy Development

1-855-733-3826

PR@pacificenergydevelopment.com

SOURCE: Pacific Energy DevelopmentCIMIC Groupsmineral processing company, Sedgman has been awarded US$310 million in mineral processing contracts in South Africa.The design, engineering procurement and construction contract with Ledjadja Coal will generate revenue of US$210 million to Sedgman over 26 months.While the operations and maintenance contract at the Boikarabelo Coal Handling and Preparation Plant will generate revenue of US$100 million over the four year period post completion of the facility.The company says the contract is a valued addition to its mineral processing portfolio. Reflecting Sedgmens world-leading expertise in the coal sector.Shares in CIMIC Groupis trading 0.86 per cent higher to $48.75.Vinod Nambiar, an alumnus of IIM Calcutta, was appointed as a Non-Executive Director & Chairman of Colgate-Palmolive India in 2015

New Delhi: FMCG major Colgate-Palmolive India (CPIL) on Wednesday said that its Chairman Vinod Nambiar has resigned from the company.

Nambiar, who had joined CPIL in 1998, has cited personal reasons for the resignation, the company said in a regulatory filing.

"Vinod Nambiar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Colgate-Palmolive (India) has informed the company of his decision to resign from the office of Director and Chairman of the Board due to his taking a leave of absence from Colgate Palmolive for personal reasons," the company said.

It further added that Nambiar will cease to be a Director with effect from 1 September, 2018.

Nambiar, an alumnus of IIM Calcutta, was appointed as a Non-Executive Director & Chairman of CPIL in 2015.According to reports, some US proxy advisories had asked investors to vote against Deepak Parekh over his directorship and independence of the company's board.

Mumbai: Deepak Parekh was re-appointed as a Non-Executive Director on the board of the country's largest mortgage lender HDFC but nearly 23 percent of the shareholders voted against his continuation.

Results of the voting at the company's annual general meeting held here on Monday showed that 22.64 percent of the shareholders were not in favour of the continuation of Parekh.

As many as 77.36 percent of the shareholders voted for Parekh's continuation as a Non-Executive Director, according to the voting results submitted by HDFC to the stock exchanges.

A prominent voice of the industry and HDFC Chairman, Parekh has been at the helm of the mortgage lender for close to three decades.

The proposals to re-appoint J J Irani and Keki Mistry as directors on the HDFC board were also approved by the shareholders.

According to reports, some US proxy advisories had asked investors to vote against Parekh over his directorship and independence of the company's board.

The voting results are surprising, Indian proxy advisory firm IiAS Founder Amit Tandon said.

It could be on the advice of some proxy advisory firm but it is not clear what was the real reason for the opposition to Parekh's re-appointment, he noted.

As per the Companies Act, votes cast in favour of a special resolution should be not less than three times the number of the votes, if any, cast against the resolution.

HDFC had to come out with a special resolution for re-appointment of Parekh as he would cross the age of 75 years in October 2019.

The mortgage lender had sought approval for continuation of directorship of J J Irani who has attained the age of 75 years, up to the expiry of his present term as an Independent Director (20 July, 2019).

As many as 94.58 percent of the shareholders voted in favour of Irani.

Keki Mistry's re-appointment as Managing Director -- designated as Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer -- for a period of three years.

Mistry got 99.51 percent votes of shareholders and his re-appointment was through an ordinary resolution.

Upendra Kumar Sinha and Jalaj Ashwin Dani were appointed as Independent Directors at the annual general meeting.

In the latest June quarter, HDFC reported a 54 percent increase in standalone net profit at Rs 2,190 crore, mainly due to Rs 511 crore dividend it received from HDFC Bank.

Shares of HDFC closed at Rs 1,994.75, down 1.64 percent on the BSE on Tuesday.While cautioning the public not to fall prey to the claims, the RBI said such incidences should be reported to the investigating authorities

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)cautioned the public not to fall prey to persons using it to market 'rice puller', purportedly a device that said to have magical properties.

In a statement, the RBI said that it has been brought to its notice that "some unscrupulous persons" are marketing a device termed 'rice puller' made up of copper/iridium, that is claimed to possess magical properties of attracting grains of rice towards it.

"The persons associated have been reportedly misrepresenting the Government Securities auction circulars/Notifications issued by RBI/GoI as proof of RBI sourcing funds for such activities on behalf of the sellers of these articles," said the statement titled 'Cautionary advice on Rice pulling Scam'.

While cautioning the public not to fall prey to the claims, the RBI said such incidences should be reported to the investigating authorities.

"It is reiterated that associating with such unscrupulous persons can result in direct financial losses and the public in their own interest should refrain from responding to such offers in any manner," the central bank added.If Vijay Mallya indeed returns now, it will be a big political victory for the Narendra Modi government ahead of crucial state elections and 2019 general elections.

Early this month, even as the Indian Parliament was preparing to pass the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, there was a dramatic change in Vijay Mallyas approach to the Kingfisher loan default case. The liquor king finally seemed to say goodbye to his defiant self in the battle with banks and Indian investigators and appeared more cooperative.

Mallya sent feelers indicating his willingness to return to his homeland and face the law and settle with banks. Remember, this was the same man who openly challenged the investigators saying By taking my passport or arresting me, they are not getting any money.

Of course, the reason for this change wasnt hard to understand, Mallya knows that his options are now limited with the new legislation coming to effect, which will ostracise an offender from any civil rights to make his case legally and gives the power to local authorities to attach his assets and initiate proceedings. Mallya has high chances of being declared as an economic offender.

On Tuesday, just before a UK court extended his bail and set the next hearing on 12 September, Mallya once again made clear his willingness to settle with banks.

I have made a comprehensive settlement with the Karnataka court. There are over Rs 14,000 crore assets placed before the court. I have requested the court to sell these assets under judicial supervision. Pay all the banks, creditors so that everyone is happy, Mallya said.

Mallya owes an estimated Rs 13,000 crore to different banks, if one takes into account the accrued interest on the principal loan amount.

In June, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai had summoned Mallya to appear before it on 27 August, on the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea seeking action against him under the fugitive economic offender's ordinance in an over Rs 9,000 crore bank fraud case. It was the first time that action was initiated under the ordinance promulgated by the Narendra Modi government. If Mallya does not appear before the court, he risks being declared a fugitive economic offender, and properties linked to him will be confiscated.

Mallya left India in March 2016 just before a clutch of banks moved the Supreme Court to seek his detention after close to Rs 9,000 crore loans were given to erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines (which was grounded on 20 October 2012). Since then, Mallya has been fighting a bitter legal battle with Indian authorities and investigative agencies after his passport was revoked and multiple courts in India issued summons to Mallya.

If Mallya indeed returns now, it will be a big political victory for the Narendra Modi government ahead of crucial state elections and 2019 general elections. Modi can claim this as a victory for the government in the war against large loan defaulters.

Mallya has so far defended his position saying an Indian-government sponsored witch-hunt is targeting him and continued to play the victim-card from the UK, but a recent court ruling in the UK permitting Indian banks to attach his assets there came as a blow to the fugitive liquor baron. From being a poster boy of the Indian civil aviation sector to the poster boy of bad loans, Mallyas rise and fall is a good case study of all that is wrong with the Indian banking sector today.

The Vijay Mallya case is a classic example where banks acted carelessly in the credit assessment process and, certainly, too late in sensing the loan default and initiate the recovery process. Mallya was far ahead of the lenders in the whole episode including his meticulous timing to leave the country just before the banks moved the Supreme Court seeking his detention.

With Mallya now showing his willingness to settle all his dues, banks shouldnt miss the opportunity for a second time. This is the right time for banks to push with all their might for the asset sales (what Mallya has offered to pledge) and collect the dues; the recoveries will help the state-run lenders, stuck in the case for at least six years, to recover at least part of their money. Mallyas return from the UK and his prosecution in Indian courts still isnt a near possibility, but banks now certainly have a chance to get their money back.

(A part of this piece was published earlier on Firstpost)As per the norms, banks are required to shore up their capital adequacy ratios and maintain equity capital at 7 percent of risk-weighted assets.

New Delhi: Kotak Mahindra Bank will raise up to Rs 500 crore by issuing preference shares on a private placement basis.

The Non-Convertible Preference Shares (NCPS) Issuance Committee of the board of directors of the bank on Wednesday resolved to approved the issue of perpetual non-cumulative preference shares (PNCPS) on a private placement basis aggregating to an issue size of up to Rs 500 crore, Kotak Mahindra Bank said in a regulatory filing.

The PNCPS will offer the allottees a fixed dividend of 8.10 percent.

The funds are to be utilised to boost the capital under Basel III norms which are to be adopted fully by Indian banks by March 2019.

As per the norms, banks are required to shore up their capital adequacy ratios and maintain equity capital at 7 percent of risk-weighted assets.

Being implemented in phases since April 1, 2013, India is expected to fully implement Basel III standards by March 2019, three months later than the globally accepted deadline.

Although banks in India have a higher capital adequacy ratio than the minimum total capital requirement under Basel III, their Tier-I or equity capital needs to be shored up to meet the norm.

The stock of Kotak Mahindra Bank closed 0.39 percent up at Rs 1,314.40 on BSE on Wednesday.LIC already has 7-7.5 percent stake in the IDBI Bank and will acquire the remaining for majority holding.

New Delhi: The Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the purchase of 51 percent controlling stake in IDBI Bank by state-run insurer Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), sources said.

As per the proposal, the debt-laden bank will issue preferential shares to Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) to raise capital.

The LIC-IDBI deal has been approved, a source said after the meeting of Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

LIC already has 7-7.5 percent stake in the bank and will acquire the remaining for majority holding.

Although, the proposed acquisition by LIC would not bring any money to the government, the bank would get capital support between Rs 10,000 crore and Rs 13,000 crore, depending on the share price of the bank.Maruti Suzuki's exports in July were also down by 9.9% at 10,219 units as against 11,345 units in the corresponding month last year.

New Delhi: The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India today reported a marginal decline in sales at 1,64,369 units in July.

The company had sold 1,65,346 units in July last year, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a statement.

Domestic sales were up marginally at 1,54,150 units last month as against 1,54,001 units in the year-ago month, it added.

Sales of minicars comprising Alto and WagonR were at 37,710 units as compared to 42,310 units in July last year, down 10.9 percent.

However, sales of compact segment, including models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire, were up 17.8 percent at 74,373 units as against 63,116 units in July last year, the company said.

Mid-sized sedan Ciaz sold just 48 units as compared to 6,377 units in the same month a year ago.

Utility vehicles, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga were down 4.9 percent at 24,505 units as compared to 25,781 units in the year-ago month, MSI said.

Exports in July were also down by 9.9 percent at 10,219 units as against 11,345 units in the corresponding month last year, the company said.Adhia, who is also the Finance Secretary, had written that the items were delivered to his house in his absence and therefore, 'he could not even refuse them'.

New Delhi: The government today said no enquiry was initiated in the matter of "precious" gifts sent to Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia as the officer did not accept the items and deposited them in Toshakhana.

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said that a letter dated 4 November 2016, was received in the Cabinet Secretariat from Adhia informing that certain gifts were sent to him which were "precious in nature" and could not be accepted by him as per Conduct Rules.

Adhia, who is also the Finance Secretary, had written that the items were delivered to his house in his absence and therefore, "he could not even refuse them".

Goyal further said Adhia has informed the government that he lives alone at his official residence and only his domestic help was there at home when the items were delivered.

"He had therefore requested Cabinet Secretary to ask Toshakhana of the Ministry of External Affairs to accept these items," the Minister said in the reply.

The gift items were deposited in Toshakhana and an acknowledgment was issued, he added.

"In the instant case, no enquiry was initiated as the officer had not accepted the gift as per Conduct Rules and surrendered the same to the Toshakhana," Goyal said.By Andres Guerra Luz NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Tuesday, closing out the largest monthly decline in two years on supply worries after OPEC output reached a 2018 high in July, overshadowing reports that the United States and China might reopen trade talks that could boost demand. October Brent crude futures fell $1.34 to settle at $74.21 a barrel

By Andres Guerra Luz

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Tuesday, closing out the largest monthly decline in two years on supply worries after OPEC output reached a 2018 high in July, overshadowing reports that the United States and China might reopen trade talks that could boost demand.

October Brent crude futures fell $1.34 to settle at $74.21 a barrel. The September contract , which expires later on Tuesday, settled at $74.25. U.S. crude futures fell $1.37, or nearly 2 percent, to settle at $68.76.

Brent lost more than 6 percent in July, while U.S. crude futures slumped about 7 percent, the biggest monthly decline for both benchmarks since July 2016.

Oil prices extended losses in post-settlement trade, with U.S. crude at $68.32 a barrel, after data from the American Petroleum Institute showed domestic crude inventories rose 5.6 million barrels last week.

A Reuters poll forecast stocks fell 2.8 million barrels. The U.S. Energy Information Administration data is due on Wednesday.

Signs that a supply disruption in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea could be resolved weighed on prices throughout the trading session, said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital Management in New York.

Yemen's Houthi group said it was ready to unilaterally halt attacks in the Red Sea to support peace efforts. Saudi Arabia suspended oil shipments through the strait last week after the Houthis attacked two Saudi oil tankers.

Russia and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries boosted output in July, according to a Reuters production survey on Monday. It showed OPEC members boosted output in July by 70,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 32.64 million bpd, a high for the year.

"We're seeing some more production come online, so that weighs on prices," said Phil Flynn, analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago.

A Reuters poll showed that oil prices are likely to hold fairly steady this year and next as increased output from OPEC and the United States meets growing demand led by Asia and helps to offset supply disruptions.

OPEC has pledged to offset the loss of supply from Iran, the group's No. 3 producer. Looming U.S. sanctions have already started to cut Iranian exports.

Iran said U.S. President Donald Trump was mistaken to expect Saudi Arabia and other oil producers to compensate for supply losses caused by U.S. sanctions.

The market largely overlooked reports that U.S. and China may restart negotiations to defuse the trade war between the two countries. An end to the ongoing trade dispute could boost overall oil-market demand.

(Additional reporting by Amanda Cooper in LONDON, Aaron Sheldrick in TOKYO; editing by David Gregorio and Marguerita Choy)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.At 9,940, Odisha accounting for the highest number of villages without mobile phone connectivity

New Delhi: Over 43,000 inhabited villages in India do not have mobile phone services, with Odisha accounting for the highest number of such villages at 9,940, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

The number of inhabited villages without mobile services stood at 43,088 as on 27 July, 2018 (based on 2018 Survey) out of 5,97,618 inhabited villages in the country as per census 2011, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Odisha had 9,940 villages without mobile services, while 6,117 villages in Maharashtra and 5,558 villages in Madhya Pradesh did not have mobile services, the data showed.

Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Kerala and Puducherry did not have any village without mobile services, it added.

"Wireless technologies inter-alia include 2G, 3G and 4G technology. 2G mobile network covers 97 percent of population, while 3G, as well as 4G mobile networks, cover at least 88 percent of population of the country," Sinha said.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, there were 145.82 million Internet connections in rural areas at the end of March 2018.The BCPL is currently suffering due to an inadequate supply of feedstock, especially natural gas and naphtha.

New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel on Monday asked the Centre to give top priority in ensuring more reliable feedstock supply to the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Ltd (BCPL), which is implementing the Assam Gas Cracker project.

The panel also asked the government to release balance amount of capital subsidy of Rs 449.45 crore that would help BCPL improve its financial condition.

"The committee do hope that all stakeholders will put in their best efforts to address the issue of adequate supply of feedstock," the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Petrochemicals said in a report placed in the Lok Sabha.

The feedstock for BCPL project is natural gas and naphtha. BCPL's plant took nearly eight months for stabilisation after commission in January 2016.

The committee found that the capacity utilisation of BCPL in 2016-17 was 37 percent and it rose to nearly 78 percent in 2017-18. "However, the plant got affected due to inadequate availability of natural gas, naphtha and also Butene-1," the panel said.

The BCPL is currently suffering due to an inadequate supply of feedstock, especially natural gas and naphtha. Oil India Ltd and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd have expressed their inability to arrange higher quantity of feedstock to BCPL, it said.

The land-locked location of the project is also another hurdle for easy availability of arranging feedstock for the plant, it added.

The panel suggested the government come out with a solution in a time-bound manner to enable BCPL to attain full utilisation and stabilisation with the feedstock of 68 percent gas and 32 percent naphtha so as to ensure sustainability and viability of the project.

BCPL has been set up with an investment of Rs 9,965 crore. The funding pattern consisted of capital subsidy of Rs 5239.45 crore, a debt of Rs 3,307.88 crore and equity of Rs 1,417.67 crore.

The company has received Rs 4,808.95 crore amount of capital subsidy so far and the balance Rs 449.45 crore is yet to be sanctioned, according to the report.'Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has apprised that it did not forward any complaint to the Registrar of Companies either on 26 July, 2016 or 29 July, 2016,' Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

New Delhi: The Registrar of Companies (RoC) has not received any complaint forwarded by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) regarding the fraud in the state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB), Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

PNB in February this year unearthed a fraud of over Rs 11,000 crore at one of its Mumbai branches allegedly carried out by fugitive billionaire diamond jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi by fraudulently getting Letters of Credit (LoC) in connivance with a few bank officials.

The fraud amount has subsequently inflated to over Rs 14,300 crore as on date.

"Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has apprised that it did not forward any complaint to the Registrar of Companies either on 26 July, 2016 or 29 July, 2016," Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

An online petition received on 26 July, 2016 as forwarded to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs through the centralised public grievances redress and monitoring system on 27 July, 2016, he said further.

He was replying to a question whether the complaint connected to the PNB fraud received by PMO in July 2016 was sent to the RoC during that time.

The scam-hit lender posted a loss of Rs 13,416.91 crore for the last quarter of 2017-18, the biggest ever by any domestic lender, as bad loans surged.

With gross NPAs hitting over 18 percent of gross advances by end of March 2018, the bank had bad loans at Rs 86,620 crore. Net NPA were Rs 48,684.29 crore (11.24 percent of net advances).

For the full fiscal 2017-18, the bank posted a standalone loss of Rs 12,282.82 crore against a profit of Rs 1,324.80 crore in 2016-17.

A multi-agency probe is already on to nab Modi and Choksi, who have fled the country to evade arrests and subjected to further investigation.When asked about ICICI Bank's systemic importance as a too-big-to-fail bank, RBI's deputy governor NS Vishwanathan said these are global standards which are being followed in our country as well

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday refused to comment on the corporate governance issues plaguing ICICI Bank whose MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar was asked to proceed on leave till an external enquiry into her alleged malafide actions favouring Videocon group and the companies of her husband Deepak Kochhar was completed.

Replying to a question whether the regulator is engaged with the bank and also if there is a bigger issue of governance at private sector banks, RBI's deputy governor NS Vishwanathan said, "We are alive to what is happening in the banking system and we are dealing with those situations as they are emerging, but I cannot say what we are doing with a specific bank."

"I think it is not appropriate for us to discuss any specific bank," Vishwanathan, who is in charge of the banking regulations department, said without naming ICICI Bank.

When asked about ICICI Bank's systemic importance as a too-big-to-fail bank, he said these are global standards which are being followed in our country as well.

It can be noted that a whistleblower had written to the PMO alleging that Kochhar twisted the bank's lending norms to extend Rs 3,250 crore loan to the Videocon group in 2010, which is now has become a dud asset. The letter also alleged that the now-bankrupt group has then offered a quid pro quo to her husband Deepak.

As the controversy grabbed headlines, the board had in early June asked Kochhar to proceed on leave till an external enquiry panel headed by retired Supreme Court judge BN Srikrishna was complete.

The board also appointed ICICI group veteran Sandeep Bakhshi as the chief operating officer, who reports directly to the board.

For the June quarter, the bank reported its first loss since 2001 has it provided more for bad loans and also due to treasury losses. On a standalone basis, the bank reported Rs 120 crore of net loss for the June quarter, against net profit of 2,049 crore a year ago.

This was the first time that the bank has reported losses from its domestic operations.With a view to strengthening the internal grievance redressal mechanism at banks, select banks were advised in May 2015 to appoint Internal Ombudsman as the apex authority

Mumbai: RBI has decided to strengthen grievance redressal mechanism of banks by giving more autonomy to Internal Ombudsman (IO), appointed by banks to resolve customer complaints.

"Revised instructions in this regard will be issued by the end of September 2018," RBI said in its statement on developmental and regulatory policies.

With a view to strengthening the internal grievance redressal mechanism at banks, select banks were advised in May 2015 to appoint IO as the apex authority for redressal of customer complaints, it said.

"Based on a review, it has been decided to enhance the independence of the IO while simultaneously strengthening the monitoring system over the functioning of the IO mechanism," it said.

To provide the much-needed competitive edge for credit to the priority sector, it has been decided that all scheduled commercial banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks and Small Finance Banks) may co-originate loans with Non-Banking Financial Companies - Non-Deposit taking- Systemically Important (NBFC-ND-SIs), for the creation of eligible priority sector assets, it said.

"The co-origination arrangement should entail joint contribution of credit by both lenders at the facility level. It should also involve the sharing of risks and rewards between the banks and the NBFCs for ensuring appropriate alignment of respective business objectives, as per their mutual agreement. Guidelines in this regard will be issued by the end of September 2018," it said.

In order to bring further efficiency in price discovery mechanism and as a step towards harmonisation of regulations for Urban and Rural Co-operative Banks, it has been decided to permit Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks to undertake eligible transactions for acquisition or sale of non-SLR investment in secondary market with mutual funds, pension or provident funds, and insurance companies.

"This is in addition to undertaking eligible transactions with Scheduled Commercial Banks and Primary Dealers. Detailed guidelines will be issued by the end of September 2018," it said.Reliance is the operator of the KG-D6 block with 60 percent interest while BP holds 30 percent. The remaining 10 percent is with Niko Resources.

New Delhi: An international arbitration tribunal has rejected the Indian government's claim of $1.55 billion against Reliance Industries and its partners for allegedly syphoning gas from deposits they had no right to exploit.

The three-member panel by a majority of 2-1 also awarded $8.3 million compensation to the three partners, Reliance said in a regulatory filing.

"An international arbitration panel has issued an award in favour of Reliance, BP and Niko (Consortium) rejecting completely the claims of the Government of India against the Consortium in respect of migrated gas, by a majority of 2 to 1," it said.

All the contentions of the Consortium have been upheld by the majority with a finding that the Consortium was entitled to produce all gas from its contract area and all claims made by the Government of India have been rejected, it said, adding the Consortium is not liable to pay any amount to the Government of India.

"The Tribunal also awarded costs of $8.3 million (Rs. 56.44 crore) to be paid by the Government of India to the Consortium," Reliance said.

The panel headed by Singapore-based arbitrator Lawrence Boo rejected the government's demand that Reliance and its partners BP plc of UK and Canada's Niko Resources pay for "unfairly" producing natural gas belonging to state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC).

Boo, a professor at universities in China, Australia and Singapore, and head of the Singapore-based Arbitration Chambers, was last year appointed as president of the tribunal by its two other members -- government's arbitrator and former Supreme Court Judge G S Singhvi and Reliance-appointed arbitrator, former English High Court Justice Bernard Eder.

The Oil Ministry on 4 November 2016, slapped a demand of $1.47 billion on Reliance-BP-Niko combine for producing in seven years ending 31 March 2016 about 338.332 million British thermal units of gas that had seeped or migrated from ONGC's blocks into their adjoining KG-D6 in the Bay of Bengal.

After deducting $71.71 million royalty paid on the gas produced and adding an interest at the rate of LIBOR plus 2 percent, totalling $149.86 million, a total demand of $1.55 billion was made on Reliance, BP and Niko.

At the time, Reliance disputed the government's demand as being based on a "misreading and misinterpretation of key elements of the PSC," and it said that such a demand was without precedent in the oil and gas industry. It on 11 November 2016, slapped an arbitration notice.

Reliance is the operator of the KG-D6 block with 60 percent interest while BP holds 30 percent. The remaining 10 percent is with Niko Resources.

The government's compensation claim flowed from the report of the Justice (retd) A P Shah Committee.

The Shah panel, in its 28 August 2016, report, concluded that there has been "unjust enrichment" to the contractor of the block KG-DWN-98/3 (KG-D6) due to the production of the migrated gas from ONGC's blocks KG-DWN-98/2 and Godavari PML.

It relied on a report produced by petroleum industry consultant DeGolyer and MacNaughton which concluded that gas had migrated from ONGC-controlled parts of the sea floor and the geological formations beneath it into areas controlled by the private companies. But Reliance had at that time stated that the methods were flawed.

The government, sources said, accepted the recommendations of the committee and consequently, decided to claim restitution from Reliance-BP-Niko for "the unjust benefit received and unfairly retained".

So, a notice was sent, they said, adding that the government is also pressing Reliance to pay $174.9 million of additional profit petroleum after certain costs were disallowed because of KG-D6 output being lower than the target.

The cost recovery issue is being arbitrated separately.

Originally, ONGC had sued Reliance for producing gas that had migrated from its blocks KG-DWN-98/2 (KG-D5) and Godavari PML in the KG basin to adjoining KG-D6 block of Reliance.

Under the direction of the Delhi High Court, the government had appointed a one-man committee under retired Justice A P Shah to go into the issue. Shah, however, said the compensation should go to the government as it is the owner of all unproduced natural resources.

(Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd)The regulator has recommended base price of Rs 3,285 crore per megahertz for 1800 Mhz band on pan India basis

New Delhi: Telecom regulator TRAI on Wednesday recommended rules and prices for the next round of spectrum auction which will include radiowaves for 5G mobile services.

The regulator has recommended that base price for bidding should be higher of the two figures  80 percent of the average valuation of spectrum band in the licensed service area or the price realised in the October 2016 auction.

The government is yet to finalise the timing of the next round of auction.

The regulator has recommended base price of Rs 3,285 crore per megahertz for 1800 Mhz band on pan India basis.

In a relief to industry, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has suggested that the "reserve price of 700 MHz band should be equal to 2 times of reserve price of 1800 MHz spectrum band" resulting in about 42 percent reduction in the price of this band at Rs 6,568 crore per Mhz.

For 2016 auction, the government had fixed base price of 700 Mhz band at Rs 11,485 crore per Mhz.

The price of spectrum in premium 700 megahertz band was fixed at four times the price of 1800 Mhz band -- a frequency range which was famous as2 2G spectrum earlier.

In 2016, spectrum worth about Rs 4 lakh crore was put up for auction but there were no takers for this band due to its high price.

The regulator has recommended a reduction of price in telecom circles where spectrum remained unsold in the last auction of 2016.

Besides, it has issued recommendations for the proposed 5G spectrum in 3300-3600 Mhz band and suggested that "reserve price of 3300-3600 MHz band should be equal 30 percent of the reserve price of 1800 MHz FDD band".

It has suggested that spectrum in 3300-3600 MHz band should be put up for auction in the block size of 20 MHz.

"To avoid monopolisation of this band, there should be limit of 100 MHz per bidder. Since the TSPs are allowed to trade their partial or complete spectrum holding to another TSP, the limit of 100 MHz spectrum in 3300-3600 MHz band, shall also apply for spectrum trading," TRAI said.The SOPs are not clearly laid down for collection and monitoring such huge data on public movement and activity through a mesh of CCTVs

A circular prison campus with cells all around its periphery, and a tall tower at its heart; a one-way mirror separates the two at every inch. The prisoners can't see who the gunman is pointing at, yet the permanence of the feeling of being watched shall keep them in check. This was the panopticon gaze, a prison cell design created by English social reformer and jurist Jeremy Bentham to maximise the efficacy of a disciplinary institution using the power of surveillance. Long after his death, French social theorist and historian of ideas Michel Foucault analysed and highlighted the pervasiveness and obscurity the panopticon inserts into the broader dynamic of discipline and punishment.

Foucault wrote that the structure of the panopticon was coercive and subjugated the prisoners merely through its own existence because the structure is designed in a way that it utilises the mechanism of invisible power. It would be brazen reductionism to draw up an analogy between panopticon prisons and the cities of today where close circuit cameras are tied to nooks and corners and perched atop poles in marketplaces. However, it is who sits in that tower collecting hours and hours of data on public movement is a question that a democratically elected government needs to answer. A module that is imposed on the public to ensure 'transparency', cannot be left ambiguous and opaque at the other end.

Taking the case of New Delhi, the split between the Aam Aadmi Party-led government and the police forces controlled by the Luetinent Governor is a visible one. Three days ago, addressing a huge gathering of representatives of Resident Welfare Associations (RWA), market associations, and non-profit groups at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tore up a report by a panel set up by Lt Governor Anil Baijal to work out the guidelines for installation and monitoring of surveillance cameras.

"For last three years, we have been trying to get CCTVs installed in the city. We also initiated the files, but the L-G, other officers and BJP did not let us work," the chief minister alleged. As of today, the existing CCTV networks fall under the purview of various public and private authorities such as the Delhi Police, Delhi Metro, the three municipal corporations and other commercial establishments. For instance, in markets like Palika Bazar, the CCTV footage is monitored by market associations and in RWAs, MLALAD fund is used to monitor the data.

However, the Standard Operating Procedures are not clearly laid down for collection and monitoring of such huge data on public movement and activity.

Days after the Supreme Courts judgement in the tussle between AAP and the L-G's office, a committee formed by Baijal recommended that the Delhi Police will be the custodian of the CCTV cameras installed in public areas in the national capital. This would include the new CCTV cameras that shall be installed by the AAP government. The Delhi Rules for Regulation of CCTV Systems in NCT of Delhi, 2018 made by a committee appointed by the L-G acknowledge the need 'to strike a balance between the right to privacy and right to life and property by regulation of the processing, obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of information obtained through CCTVs by the civic bodies and individuals.

The rules state that 'public space' means any space which the general public has access to and which has been notified by the appropriate authority. It also states that 'appropriate authority' would refer to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Licensing), Delhi Police. One of the contentions behind tearing up the report was that the AAP government doesn't want to give license charge to the police and says that the control should rest with the market associations and RWAs.

But there is another problem here.

In the New Delhi constituency, portable cabins are being installed in government colonies in Sarojini Nagar, Mandir Marg and Gol Market where the RWAs will supervise the exercise. Watching over the footage are most likely security guards who are attached to private agencies. In the Delhi Secretariat, PWD is in-charge of watching over the footage. The standard operating framework must bind all agencies in control of public data and ensure they are trained to operate machines. The AAP-led government has an ambitious plan to cover the capital in a complex mesh of lenses.

Here's what AAP's CCTV plan entails:

The cameras shall be equipped with 4 megapixel IR with day/night vision. A localised view at each colony can be taken through a mobile app, and the cameras will be connected to servers through 4G/3G/2G/GPRS. There are going to be approximately 2,000 cameras per Assembly constituency in all the 70 constituencies of the capital. The footage will be recorded in a Network Video Recorder (NVR) at camera location for 30 days and the video storage shall be provided by the contractor to the police or the court as and when a demand for it is made. All NVR's will have a SIM card and SMS/email facility will be available to send an alarm to five designated persons: the RWA president, the secretary, the local police, the PWD engineer and the agency dealing with power failure, hard disk failure, dysfunctional cameras that aren't not recording footage, and any kind of vandalism.

This system, the government stated in a press release, has evolved from the experience of issues which the state government had received in the traditional system. The NVR box is to be placed to connect one to four cameras around a location. Power supply to UPS and NVR box will come from any of the residents nearer to the unit. Delhi government will bear the monthly electricity charges. The NVR box will store 30 days of recording at full High Definition (HD) of all cameras connected to it.

Deriving full impact from complex technologies requires training, especially because the people operating them come from diverse backgrounds. The AAP government is also seeking suggestions from civil society on the same and is expected to submit new draft rules in the coming weeks. Now, at the heart of a clash between two camps that have been continuously accusing each other of disrupting governance, is the argument that countless hours of public data can be at risk.

"The police and the state governments need to work hand-in-hand to control crime. CCTV footage is evidentiary support later but also a strong preventive mechanism, for it directs the police to the scene where violence could take place. For surveillance to be effective, live feed should reach the police and the forces should be trained in interpreting and operating cameras and juggling a couple of hundred screens and a whole lot of technicalities," said SBS Tyagi, former DCP, Crime Branch, Delhi.

Udayaditya Banerjee, who assisted Shyam Divan, a senior advocate in the Aadhaar matter, told Firstpost that CCTVs in a public place won't interfere with the right to privacy since the purpose is public security on a constitutional premise. Last August, the Supreme Court declared Right to Privacy a Fundamental Right. The Puttaswamy judgement cited the case of Malak Singh vs State of Punjab and Haryana that dealt with the provisions of Section 23 of the Punjab Police Rules under which a surveillance register was to be maintained. Justice O Chinnappa Reddy recognized the need for surveillance on habitual and potential offenders. The court did not consider it unlawful for the police to conduct surveillance so long as it was for the purpose of preventing crime and was confined to the limits prescribed by Rule 23.7 of the Punjab Police Rules which prescribes the mode of surveillance permits a close watch over movements of the person under surveillance but without any illegal interference. In the right to privacy judgement, the Supreme Court stated that the legitimate aims of the state would include protecting national security, preventing and investigating crime.

On principle, CCTVs are installed for the public good. But a whole host of complications must be factored in. Jayna Kothari, lawyer and founder of Centre for Internet and Society stresses on the lack of a law for monitoring footage. "If we dont know who is in control of the footage, then theres a big problem. What if the video footage is tempered with? Who will be held liable?" she asked. "If the footage is casually cut from anywhere and handed over to the police, then on what basis can the suspect in the video challenge its authenticity?"

CCTV footage is admissible evidence. The court gives importance to electronic evidence, for instance, in case of the attack on Parliament in 2001. It's a procedural law under section 65B of the Evidences Act that states that electronic records need to be certified by a person occupying a responsible official position for being admissible as evidence in any court proceedings. "The problem is that of reliability. After electronic evidence is picked up, a chain of custody has to be seen to ensure it isn't tampered with. For instance, if a CCTV camera shows random strangers talking to each other without an audio, a parallel construction can take place," explained Dibyanshu Pandey, a lawyer practising in the Supreme Court.

Pavan Duggal, an advocate who specializes in the field of Cyberlaw and E-Commerce law, told Firstpost that the prime problem with the mushrooming of CCTVs is the lack of a regulatory framework. "There's only one mother legislation for the electronic format, the IT Act 2000 which was amended in 2008 and CCTV were not brought in specifically," he said, adding that a detailed legal framework for governing the output of CCTV cameras must be put in place, which should detail where the footage is being stored and how the security of the output is being preserved.

Cameras put up by private entities may capture the private lives of others. But, Duggal highlights two important issues: the first is that CCTV cameras are highly unsecured and breaching footage is easy. Second is that a lot of CCTV cameras flooding the Indian market are Chinese so a lot of data output could land in China. If not monitored correctly, data from CCTVs can turn into ammunition in hands of state and non-state actors. In May 2018, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken had accused the AAP government of compromising national security by engaging a Chinese company in its mammoth CCTV project to which AAP had responded by saying that the project was outsourced to Bharat Electronics Limited which in turn roped in a Chinese vendor.

The installation of about 1.5 lakh CCTV cameras across the city was one of the AAP's poll-promise. A nuanced framework needs to be put in place in order to insert deterrence into the collective psyche, and a pre-requisite to that is a relationship of trust and accord between agencies of the state.In the run-up to the final draft of the NRC 2018 being released on 30 July, memes in Assam fanned sentiments of regionalism under the guise of ironic humour

"(The) Mia we want vs Mia we get" says the meme posted on a Facebook page that claims to promote satire from Assam. The images accompanying the caption depict adult actress Mia Khalifa  and a group of (presumably) illegal immigrants crossing the border from Bangladesh into India.

The meme is just one among the many that have been doing the rounds in Assam, ever since the National Register of Citizens (NRC) of India updation drive kicked off in the state. The memes have ratcheted up even as the final draft of the NRC 2018 was released on Monday, 30 July.

The memes have captured (and fed?) the heightened tension in the state over the NRC and its recognition of 'legitimate' citizens. Exclusion and inclusion, it would seem, is not the sole provenance of the NRC  pages dedicated to memes have been doing the same thing. And what is visible to the casual sharer/observer is only the tip of the iceberg.

What the memes look like

The memes in Assam grapple with multiple questions of identity. Several use stereotypical gender 'traits' as their focal point. Most of them are grammatically incorrect, racist, sexist, and are blatant about provoking regionalist aggression in this context. The speed with which these memes disseminate also allows dominant ideas of race, sex and gender to percolate in a space that is already riddled with social inequalities.

An example of the gendered memes are those modelled on the 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus' format, which also use a sort of hipster sexist humour. A term coined by Quart (2012) in The Age of Hipster Sexism, it suggests that literary devices such as mockery, quotation marks, and paradox are used as a kind of distancing mechanism, lifting this ironic sexism away from classic sexism. A specific example of this is the 'starter pack' meme, which pitches "wannabe girl riders" against male bikers. The female biking enthusiast is painted as inauthentic, while the man's genuineness is affirmed.

The dialogue that is generated around these memes is often polarised, or worse, is hidden under the guise of laughter. Quart noted that this kind of ironic sexism is so explicitly sexist that it isn't meant to be taken seriously. On closer examination, however, this is actually more dangerous than classic sexism because it somehow normalises misogyny. The administrators of groups/pages where these memes are shared may apologise for the sexist content  you'll often see disclaimers like this page is meant solely for humour  but this often ends up as a licence for cracking more insensitive 'jokes'.

Memes that 'object'ify

A particularly interesting case is that of the 'gamusa'  the traditional Assamese hand towel that typically has a floral pattern.

In recent times, the gamusa has become the accessory of choice for political leaders looking to make a statement. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have sported the gamusa not just at political events, but even otherwise. Some Assamese spoke of this as a #proudmoment for the gamusa, as it was 'going places'. Yet, some years ago, the humble cloth had been an object of some hilarity online when a model was shown wearing a tube top fashioned from a gamusa. A row ensued over how the cloth has been ripped from its traditional roots. In the wake of the NRC drive, memes using the gamusa provoke/rouse regional sentiments: as a tool to inappropriately distinguish between locals and immigrants, or to disparage serious issues, like floods. Amid the ridicule and regionalism, what is passing unremarked is the gamusas increasing use as a prop.

The danger of memes

The connection may not be immediately evident, but the laughter generated in the online space by memes also ushers in a kind of selective public amnesia. Memes about the musician Papon forcing a kiss on a minor reality show contestant illuminate this point particularly well. Some memes depicted Papon's gesture as a new-age method of collecting 'guru dakshina'. Others dwelt on how those involved in the incident  the child contestant, the lawyer who filed a petition against Papon, the musician, and news anchor Arnab Goswami who debated the row on prime time  hailed from Assam, and yet were engaged in a 'civil war'. The context of the action  Papon kissing a child on the mouth  and its problematic nature, was entirely stripped in the memes.

Limor Shifman writes in Memes in Digital Culture (2013) that ironic (humour) can be potentially more difficult to challenge and contest than explicit forms (of it), with the critic open to being positioned as having an unsophisticated sense of humour or, worse still, no sense of humour at all. It is also important to note that once these patterns of humour are established, they do leave their imprint on the way regionalism is constructed. While monitoring the content of these memes may prove challenging, the way they make light of offensive issues must be further analysed. Else, the joke will be on us.The aim and scope of NRC in 2018 is the same as it was in 1951: To purge illegal immigration. There could be a debate on legacy data and its accuracy, but politics overshadowing the entire exercise may not further the State's interest

New Delhi: On the eve of first census and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 1951, the message from the then Union home minister C Rajagopalachari to the officers was simple: "We need to prepare a record of basic facts relating to the life and livelihood of all citizens and families in our Republic."

Similar sentiments were echoed in the communication from BR Medhi, then chief minister of Assam, who told 18,850 officers involved in the complex task in the state that these records will help the government formulate policies to overcome the problems of poverty, illiteracy and backwardness.

Widespread communal disturbances in Cachar, Goalpara, Kamrup, Nowgong and Darrang  followed by a heavy influx of refugees in February-March 1950  was clearly weighing heavily on the minds of the two leaders, and their aim must have been to stop the growing burden on the state's resources.

As per the Jawaharlal Nehru government's estimate in 1951, around 5 Lakh refugees had entered Assam, but the number actually recorded in the first NRC, which is part of legacy data now, was only 274,000. A file in the home ministry, which has been kept under lock and key, observed that the discrepancy in numbers was primarily because the refugees were constantly on the move from one place to another.

The aim and scope of NRC in 2018 is the same as it was in 1951: To purge illegal immigration. There could be a debate on legacy data and its accuracy, and rightly so, but politics overshadowing the entire exercise may not further the State's interest, and the blame game may end up denying the obvious truth. Just like the Nehru government, the NDA too is trying to allay the fears, assuring the 40 lakh persons not in the NRC draft list that they will get an opportunity to claim citizenship, and that no coercive action will be taken against them.

But the task was much easier for Nehru's government; 67 years have turned the DNA of politics around, and despite statements made by the state and central governments regarding the possibility of amendments to legacy data, political parties still continue to add fuel to the fire.

Then there are questions like what will happen to the people figuring in the final list. Will those identified as Bangladeshi be sent back? The answer is in the government's written reply to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, whereby it clearly stated that deportation of Bangladeshi nationals is a contentious process, and in 2016-17, a total of 39 nationals were deported from detention camps in Assam.

The home ministry also said that Dhaka verified 53 Bangladeshi nationals from Assam recently and issued travel documents for them. But the numbers in the present case will be huge. A home ministry official said various options are available with the government. "During the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime, when a 'Multi-Purpose Identity Card' was conceptualised to identify the citizens, a proposal was discussed not to deport the illegal immigrants living in the country for the last two generations. The idea was that they would be identified and provided with work permits, which would ensure they don't enjoy the benefits of full citizenship until it's legally granted through due process. A similar approach could be adopted in the present circumstances, but the government needs to have a final list first. The process is not over yet," the officer said.

There is also the criticism that genuine citizens were left out of the draft NRC. The home ministry officer said 1951 legacy data is bound to have some issues as it was purely a statistical exercise. He also said that in early 2014, a central team comprising officials from the Registrar General of India (RGI) had visited Assam, randomly picked up a district to check whether the 1951 NRC register was tampered or not.

"This was done for Kamrup district and only few records were found to be tampered with, minuscule in comparison of records. A few names were found to have been added in some records, but the ink used to insert this betrayed the altering of data that took place. Overall, however, the records were found to be intact," the officer said, further adding that nowhere was the schedule for NRC and census based on religion, while these have been primarily looking at identifying illegal immigrants.

In 1951, the NRC cost the Centre and the state of Assam close to Rs 36,974, while Rs 1,200 crore has already been spent on the ongoing exercise, which was slammed by the Opposition for being badly implemented.

Of course, any exercise at such a large scale would leave much to be desired and changes have to be done to accommodate genuine citizens as well, but the government must not lose focus of illegal immigration. Even in 1951, the officers involved in the NRC weren't fully satisfied, and admitted to lapses in records. A deputy superintendent of Jorhat said in May 1951: "I fully realise the difficulties, but the handicaps in one form or another are bound to recur in an ad hoc arrangement on such a large scale, and the future superintendent and his deputies will have to remember with patience that a 'bad workman quarrels with his tools'."'Genuine citizens with valid documents have been excluded only to drive them out of Assam. It's a pre-planned conspiracy of the Centre and Assam government. Those whose names do not figure in the draft NRC are mostly Bengali Muslims, Bengali Hindus and Manipuris,' Tripura Pradesh Congress chief Birajit Sinha said

Agartala: The Congress in Tripura has alleged that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Assam were involved in a "pre-planned conspiracy" to exclude 40 lakh people in the state from the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"Genuine citizens with valid documents have been excluded only to drive them out of Assam. It's a pre-planned conspiracy of the Centre and Assam government. Those whose names do not figure in the draft NRC are mostly Bengali Muslims, Bengali Hindus and Manipuris," Tripura Pradesh Congress chief Birajit Sinha told reporters in Agartala on Tuesday.

Many residents of Tripura have matrimonial links with the people of Assam. They are also in trouble, the Congress leader said. Nearly one lakh people have migrated to Assam from Tripura in search of livelihood. Despite having valid documents, they were left out, he said. Unlike the NDA, the Congress wanted to find an amicable solution to the exclusion of people from the NRC list, he added.Savitri Bai Phule, who has been critical of her own party over incidents of atrocities against the Dalits, presented a 15 point charter of demands at a press meet in Delhi

New Delhi: BJP MP and Dalit leader Savitri Bai Phule demanded a debate in Parliament to strengthen the SC/ST Act which, according to her, had been made "ineffectual" by the Supreme Court judgement and asserted that only a pro-Dalit party will form the next government at the Centre.

Phule, who has been critical of her own party over incidents of atrocities against the Dalits, presented a 15 point charter of demands at a press meet in Delhi, and appealed for withdrawal of cases against Dalits who were arrested during a country-wide protest on 2 April after the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act.

The order of the Apex Court on 20 March had put safeguards on the provisions for immediate arrest of a person accused of insulting a SC/ST member or misusing the Act, triggering a country-wide protest.

Phule said despite giving notice in Lok Sabha, the House has failed to take up discussion on the matter, and called upon Dalit MPs to unite on the issue and raise the matter in Parliament. She represents the Bahraich Lok Sabha reserved constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

Asked if she was unhappy with the Modi government over its handling of the Dalit issues, Phule remained evasive, but said that as a "responsible" Dalit leader, it was her duty to highlight issues of atrocities in the country before the government.

"Today atrocities are being committed across the country against the SC/ST, OBC and Dalits. Our responsibility is to apprise the government and ask why it is failing to stop such incidents," she said.

When asked if the Opposition parties move to project Mayawati as a prime ministerial candidate will hamper the prospects of the ruling dispensation, Phule said "only a party which will work for the Dalits will form the next government at the centre".

She demanded the government immediately implement reservation in promotions for SC and ST employees after the Apex Court judgment on the matter and placed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. "Besides, provisions of reservation should be made in the private sector," she added.

The lawmaker stressed on holding an ethnic-based census in the country to identify those groups and communities that are still deprived of education and exercising their political rights.Eleven girls were rescued from a brothel in Yadagarigutta, a temple town located 60 kilometres from Hyderabad on Sunday

"I was lured with chocolate at a railway station," says the girl, "This happened four years ago."

But beyond this detail, the child who must be around eight years old, had no recollection of the railway station in question, what was she doing there and all that happened soon after. This girl is among the 11 girls  four of whom are under the age of seven, while the others are between eight and 10 years of age  who were rescued from a brothel in Yadagarigutta, a temple town located 60 kilometres from Hyderabad on Sunday.

Another girl told a social activist who was part of the rescue team that when she was lost in a crowded place, she was picked up by a man and sold to another person. It is after two more men resold her that she landed at the brothel.

Two girls were dressed in school uniform when a police team reached them. In order to guard against suspicion, the kingpins of the racket used to send the children to a private school nearby, pretending they were their offspring. Eight traffickers  two men and six women  were arrested.

In a shocking case of child-trafficking, the Rachakonda Police stumbled upon this prostitution racket that was being planned in the temple town, that is being ambitiously developed on the lines of Tirumala-Tirupati. The police claims a doctor's services had been enlisted to inject hormones to trigger early menstruation and this person, a certain Dr Swamy reportedly charged Rs 25,000 from the racketeers for the injections.

While the police claims none of the girls had been pushed into prostitution yet, activists say, medical tests will be necessary to establish the veracity of this claim. Eyewitnesses say the older girls understood what they were trapped in and were visibly traumatised.

The kingpins are members of the Dommara community. While this community in Maharashtra engages minors in street acrobatics, it indulges in the illegal activity of prostitution in Telangana. Girls born in the community are pushed into prostitution while the males act as pimps. These brothels were inside homes in Ganesh Nagar which is a colony where members of the community live, ensuring no one else is privy to the nefarious activity going on.

"It is not uncommon for extremely young children to be pushed into prostitution. The youngest I have rescued was three years old," says Sunitha Krishnan of the NGO Prajwala, "For the Dommaras, prostitution is a way of life but in recent times, they have reduced pushing their own daughters into the sex trade and have instead started buying."

In this case, nine of the 11 children are not from the community. Investigations so far have revealed that they were purchased from other agents for Rs one to two lakh each, the understanding being that the younger the girl, the higher price she will fetch. All the children, from what has been gleaned so far, came from poor or broken families."The whole thing was revealed when one of the pimps called Kalyani bit a child to punish her. Our child helpline got the information through another source and we mobilised our women police teams as well as the district welfare officers," says Mahesh Bhagwat, Commissioner of Rachakonda Police.

Ironically, this case has come to light just days after the Lok Sabha passed the landmark Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill 2018. The Yadagarigutta expose also highlights the data provided by the National Crime Records Bureau that points out that in 2016, 15,379 victims were trafficked for exploitative purposes. Among those, 6,345 were children. In fact, over 63,000 children went missing in 2016. Child activists estimate between 24 lakh and 36 lakh minors are trapped in commercial sex trade.

"One huge gap is the near-absence of village-level children protection committees, who can identify vulnerability, keep an eye on parents pushing their children into labour or prostitution and report them to the authorities," says Isidore Phillips, child rights activist, "Governments have failed miserably in investing in such committees. This is what has resulted in the commodification of children."

The children have been sent to a Child Welfare Committee-monitored rescue home where they will undergo counselling. On Wednesday, over a thousand college students will undertake a pledge at the Charminar in Hyderabad that they will not buy sex and activists plan to showcase this group as 'real men'. A small step towards making sure terms like demand and supply and market economics are not used to justify use of children like birds inside cages in a poultry farm.Mamata Banerjee alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a 'political motive' to divide people and warned that it would lead to bloodbath and a civil war in the country.

A police complaint has been filed against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for making provocative remarks regarding the Assam NRC issue.

Sudipta Hazarika, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Parishad, filed the complaint at the North Lakhimpur Sadar police station over Mamata's remarks on Tuesday that the NRC in Assam could lead to a "bloodbath and a civil war in the country", the police said.

"Going against the Supreme Court, Mamata Banerjee is making all efforts to halt the NRC process by meeting the Union home minister. There is apprehension that an uncalled for situation may be created anytime. Therefore, I appeal to you (officer-in-charge) to file a case against Mamata Banerjee and take necessary action," Hazarika said in the complaint. The police are yet to file an FIR.

Mamata has been critical on the NRC draft. She alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a "political motive" to divide people and warned that it would lead to bloodbath and a civil war in the country. Attacking the BJP, she said the party is trying to divide the country and asserted this will not be tolerated.

On Wednesday, she accused BJP of playing vote-bank politics, while also warning that the issue will "destroy" India's relationship with Bangladesh.

Mamata claimed that Bengalis and Biharis living in Assam were being targeted, and said that they are "Indians, not Rohingya". "How can they send women and children to detention centres? Aren't people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states living in Bengal? Bengalis living in Assam are being targeted. They are not Rohingyas, they are Indians," she said.

BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday hit out at the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other political parties speaking against the NRC for 'not clarifying their stand on Bangladeshi infiltrators'. He said the Congress did not have the courage to oust the infiltrators, but the BJP's priority is to safeguard India's borders.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking in Parliament on Monday, appealed to the Opposition not to politicise the matter as the list has been published on the directives of the Supreme Court and the Centre has "no role" in it.

The names of 40 lakh applicants did not find a place in the historic document, which was published in Assam on Monday. According to the Registrar General of India Sailesh, 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants were published. The first draft of the NRC was published during the intervening night of 31 December and 1 January and contained 1.9 crore names.

With inputs from PTIThe Congress leader said Swaraj's statement on Doka La is covered with a 'sheet of misleading opaqueness' and fails to provide the larger picture of Chinese presence in South Doka La.

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's remarks in the Lok Sabha about status quo on Doka La was "a dubious ploy" to make headlines and it "hides more than it reveals."

In a statement, Congress communications incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala said the "denials, half-truths and doublespeak" on Doklam were endangering India's national security and strategic interests.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make a statement in Parliament placing all facts and tell his government's policy on de-militarising the Doka La plateau.

The Congress leader said Swaraj's statement on Doka La is covered with a "sheet of misleading opaqueness" and fails to provide the larger picture of Chinese presence in South Doka La.

Surjewala said China was staring at the "Siliguri Corridor  the Gateway to India's northeast"  and Modi government was almost "ducking the Doka La question."

Swaraj had said that there has been no change in the status quo at the site of the military face-off with China in Doklam and the issue was resolved with diplomatic maturity in August last year.

"Modi government and Sushma Swaraj were conspicuously silent on the Chinese military buildup and new road construction in the south Doklam region, overlooking the Siliguri corridor," Surjewala said.

Surjewala said Modi had met Chinese president Xi Jinping thrice during the last four months but there is "no conclusive reaction" from his government to the reports about the Chinese military build-up in the region.

He said no word on Doka La emanated during visits of Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to China in April this year.

"Sushma Swaraj's vacuous statement on Doka La in Parliament today speaks volumes about the Modi government's uncertain foreign policy and continuous flip-flops to the Chinese misadventure in Doklam which is harming India's strategic interests," he said.

Surjewala said that External Affairs Ministry statement of 28 August last year had said that both India and China have agreed on "expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site at Doklam" but the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement had said that the "it shall continue to patrol the Doklam area through its Armed Forces".

The Congress leader said that the party had pointed to heavy Chinese military presence in Doklam in January this year based on satellite images, the External Affairs Ministry had issued a vague statement that initially denied the Chinese military presence in the region.

He said media reports and satellite imagery had suggested that the Chinese Army has not only built a full-fledged Chinese Military Complex in Doklam but also occupied the entire Doklam plateau right up to 10 metres from Indian Army post.

The images had shown concrete posts, seven helipads, new trenches and several dozen armoured vehicles close to the point where the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops were locked in a 73-day confrontation last year, he said.

Surjewala said Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the veracity of these satellite images and Sitharaman had belatedly accepted in parliament that PLA had "constructed sentry posts, trenches and helipads in Doklam area to maintain troops during winter".

He also referred to visit of Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou to Bhutan in July and said he had discussed Doka La issue.

Swaraj had told the Lok Sabha that there was a dispute between China and Bhutan about north Doka La and it was not for India to comment.

"The BJP is utterly consumed in managing headlines for domestic expansion and has completely forgotten the Chinese presence in north and south Doka La," he said.Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Wednesday demanded that the AAP government should identify and evict Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally in the national capital

New Delhi: Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Wednesday demanded that the AAP government should identify and evict Rohingya and Bangladeshis living illegally in the national capital, saying they were depriving the poor in India of their rights.

The Delhi BJP has written a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the issue, he told reporters. He said the BJP has already made the demand to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and now the Delhi government must act to ensure eviction of illegal migrants.

"The Delhi government should identify and ensure action against Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally in different parts of Delhi," he said. Illegal migrants were depriving India's poors of their rights and were also found to be involved in criminal activities sometimes, he said.

Tiwari's remark came after the Asaam government published the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a list of its citizens, on 30 July. The draft has 2.9 crore names out of 3.29 crore applications, leaving out over 40 lakh applicants.Many elderly people in Bastar believe that there continues to be a trust deficit between a large section of the tribal population and the establishment.

Editor's Note: In April this year, Union Home Ministry removed 44 districts from the list of those affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), indicating a shrinking of the area of Maoist influence in the country. This is the result of a multi-pronged strategy that includes an offensive security and sustained development to wean away the locals from Maoist ideology. However, this is not the end of Maoist supremacy in the Red Corridor. The danger is very much lurking in the jungles, beaten, bruised and ready for retaliation. The bigger challenge for the administration is to enter the Maoist stronghold and carry out development right under the nose of the extremists. So, what exactly is the situation on the ground? Debobrat Ghose of Firstpost takes a trip through the Dandakaranya forests in the Maoist-hotbed of Bastar division of Chhattisgarh  one of the most badly affected regions by LWE and site of some of the deadliest attacks on the state by Maoists  to see the changes that have reached some villages, how willing are the villagers in embracing those changes, the immense risk state administration and security forces personnel undertake daily to effect those changes, all in the shadow of the Maoists who are far from finished.

On 25 March, 1966, Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo, the 20th ruler of the erstwhile Bastar state (todays Bastar division) was brutally killed by the administration under the then Congress government of undivided Madhya Pradesh, allegedly for fighting for the rights of his subjects  the tribal people.

It was alleged that Pravir Chandra, a scion of the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal, who was also an MLA from Jagdalpur Vidhan Sabha constituency and immensely popular among his people, had waged war against the state. He was shot dead by the police inside his royal palace, at the age of 36.

By killing a popular leader who is revered to this day by the people of Bastar, the establishment sowed the seeds of discontent among the tribal population, and provided a fertile ground for the Naxals  the PWG cadre who came to Bastar from Andhra Pradesh in the mid 1980s seeking a safe hideout  to win over the tribals to their cause. Over the years, the seed germinated and proliferated into a carcinogenic menace called Left Wing Extremism (LWE).

The slaying of Pravir Chand Bhanj Deo proved to be the flashpoint that turned Bastar firmly towards LWE.

Many elderly people in Bastar and experts believe that there continues to be a trust deficit between a large section of the tribal population and the establishment.

Its a classic Catch-22 situation.

A large number of innocent tribal people, especially in the remotest parts of the country, are caught between the government and the Maoists. They dont know which side they have to belong to, and who to believe. They strongly feel that four decades ago, they were much better off  living their own way of life in the jungles. There were no Naxals and the government in those days hardly made any effort to reach out to them.

Of late, the government has done a lot on infrastructure development, which is appreciable. But, over the years, consecutive governments in the state have failed to win the trust of adivasis in Chhattisgarh. Theres tremendous suppressed anger among tribals, as they are victims of crossfire between the Maoists and security forces. As we are fighting for our rights within the constitutional framework, we cant be dubbed as rebels, BPS Netam, president, Chhattisgarh Sarv Adivasi Samaj told Firstpost.

Is development the only silver bullet?

Despite large-scale development in Bastar, there are several grievances amongst villagers, especially in the remote ones. They lack access to safe drinking water, medical facilities and basic education.

There is a disconnect between the ongoing development and rehabilitation issues in the tribal belt of Bastar. Roads have been built across Bastar division, but tribals living in interior villages fail to get access to medical facilities and safe drinking water even today. Theres a lot of corruption in PDS and in the wage payments under MNREGA, alleged CPM state secretary Sanjay Parate.

Under the Forest Rights Act, a large number of tribals are unable to get their land deed (Patta). Many of them, who had patta in the past, have now been deprived of it. If the government succeeds in improving the functioning of forest, revenue and police departments, the Naxal problem will end. Over the years, the officials of these departments have been exploiting tribal villagers, he added.

Social activists have complained about the misuse of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds in Bastar. They feel that if these funds had been used for improving the living conditions of tribals, the situation would have been different. Activists also alleged that villagers living near Bailadila mines raised the issues of pollution, effluents and red oxide mixed water, and their effects on health, but the complaints remained unheard.

Tribal rights activist Soni Sori alleged, Development has taken place in areas close to highways or roads connecting one district with other, or one village with another. But, the villages adjoining Bailadila mines still face the problem of effluents and red water (due to red oxide), and agricultural fields have turned into barren land. This has been going on for years. Even cattle cannot consume water in those villages.

However, divisional commissioner of Bastar, Dilip Wasnikar told Firstpost, There were such issues near Bailadila mines in the past, but now, the government has installed water filtration plants to get rid of this red water menace. Several other measures are in the pipeline. Were also mapping areas that are inaccessible to drinking water. In many places where water cant be supplied through pipelines, the administration will provide bore wells. The process has begun.

On the other hand, Rohit Singh Arya, Aam Aadmi Party leader in Bastar, said, In Bastar, almost the entire CSR fund has been used in building infrastructure, rather than being used for improving living conditions of the poor. The fund is meant to bring change in the social life of people, and is for their betterment. The CSR fund is also being used to beautify government offices and buildings.

Education facilities in interior villages continue to be poor, as teachers are not available in schools. However, in some cases, teachers have reasons to avoid going to schools. On many occasions, Maoists have burnt schools, and fear exists in such areas.

The Dantewada district administration created a school cluster at Palnar village to accommodate schools from nearby villages, the buildings of which were damaged by Naxals.

What the government needs to do

From social activists to experts on LWE, all believe that guns alone wont help in solving the Naxal problem, which has assumed gigantic proportions now.

-First and foremost, the government needs to win the trust of the tribal community.

-Provide a safe environment to tribals, as they are often victims of crossfire between the Maoists and administration.

-Once a region becomes free from the influence of Naxals, facilities in the form of health services, education, regular supply of ration, etc should be provided.

-The government must take the adivasi population in Bastar into confidence by making them stakeholders in the planning and dialogue process. The voices of adivasis need to be heard.

-The grievance redressal mechanism needs to be strengthened by creating an appropriate ecosystem.

-The government needs to create a positive perception amongst tribals by ensuring them that no police excesses, harassment by administration, fake arrests, surrenders and encounters will take place.

-Proper implementation of Forest Rights

and Tribal Rights.

Prakash Singh, former director general, Border Security Force and ex-DGP UP Police told Firstpost, The government is doing a lot on the development front, but redressal of grievances of tribals is far more important than just building infrastructure. The government has to show empathy towards the tribal population, which is already living under fear due to Maoists on one hand and security forces on the other. They dont have faith in the local administration and police. This needs rectification and faith needs to be restored.

Singh, who is also an author and and expert of LWE, says, The Naxal problem can be solved by bringing reforms, having a proper rehabilitation policy in place, adhering to Forest Rights Act and redressing grievances of the people.

Salwa Judums dark phase still haunts tribals

The Salwa Judum, which was initiated by Congress leader Mahendra Karma, who was later killed by the Maoists at Jhirum Ghati, was a counter-insurgency catastrophe. In 2011, the Supreme Court banned Salwa Judum because the members of the group, along with the police, allegedly killed ordinary people in the name of fighting Maoists, burnt villages and created havoc.

The incidents of atrocities and rapes during Salwa Judum and thereafter by special police officers (SPOs) have left villagers completely shattered. The tribals face the wrath of Maoists as well as of the police. They have nowhere to go, remarked tribal rights activist Soni Sori.

Despite the Supreme Courts order, attempts were made to revive Salwa Judum between 2014 and 2016, by setting up different outfits like Jan Jagran Abhiyan, Vikas Sangharsh Samiti, Nagrik Ekta Manch, Samajik Ekta Manch etc in various districts of Bastar.

Some activists, local journalists, bureaucrats and police officials said on the condition of anonymity that the concerted effort to revive the Salwa Judum was a blunder.

It gave a bad name both to the government and the police. Cases of police excesses surfaced during the tenure of former Bastar IG SRP Kalluri, a senior bureaucrat said.

After I took over as head of anti-Naxal operations, I issued instructions that no fake encounters, arrests and surrenders should be made. Strict action will be taken against the guilty. In the last one-and-a-half years, we didnt receive a single complaint, special director general (Anti-Naxal Ops), Chhattisgarh, DM Awasthi told Firstpost in an interview.

Police excesses have given Maoists a handle to win villagers to their side on the pretext of giving protection from brutal security forces. They dub the blacktop roads built to connect villages as a means to provide passage to the corporates by the government to exploit natural resources of Bastar.

Even as development activities are being initiated, its equally important for the government and all its agencies to win over the people. They must create the confidence in them that the government is sensitive about their problems, and that it will solve them, summed up PV Ramana, a research fellow at Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) and an expert on LWE.

The series concludes with this article.

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Bastar development offensive: Healthcare, education thrive as tech-savvy Dantewada collector seeks to counter Maoist doctrine

Bastar development offensive: Maoist ideology of bringing change through revolution a lie, says former cadre

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'No links between Chhattisgarh Maoists, Islamist militants': Anti-Naxal ops chief on offensive against insurgentsChief Election Commissioner O P Rawat said that this NRC is only a draft. All these 40 lakh individuals will be informed why their names were not included.

New Delhi: With 40 lakh people failing to get their names on the draft National Register for Citizens (NRC) in Assam, the poll panel said on Wednesday that an exclusion from this list would not automatically result in their removal from the electoral rolls as registration of voters is decided by the election laws.

Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat told PTI here that the NRC and electoral rolls are "very different". He said the NRC is just one element that affects the electoral roll and quoted provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 to say that anybody can register as an elector if that person is a citizen of India, is above 18 years of age on 1 January of the year of enrolment, and is ordinarily a resident of the constituency in which enrolment as a voter is sought.

"These three conditions have to be fulfilled with documentary evidence and that person can be enrolled in electoral roll," he said.

Giving an example, Rawat said there can be a person who has not applied for the NRC in Assam but may be living there for a few years for job or for studies.

"He is a citizen of India working in Delhi and is transferred to Assam where he is now living for the past two years and has applied with documents to be included in the electoral roll. The electoral registration officer, after checking the veracity of the document, includes his name because he is an Indian citizen, though he is not in the NRC," he explained.

"This is a draft NRC. After this, in the next one month, all these 40 lakh individuals will be informed about the reasons why their names were not included. Thereafter they can file their claims and objections and after a decision on the claims, the final list of NRC will be published," Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat told PTI.

The CEC said the chief electoral officer of Assam will give a factual report in the coming week on various aspects arising out of the publication of the final draft NRC. He said that people excluded from the NRC would not be automatically removed from the electoral rolls of Assam as registration as a voter governed by three criteria as under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

First, they need to be a citizen of India; second, they should be above 18 years of age as of 1 January of the year of enrolment; and third, they should ordinarily be a resident of the legislative assembly constituency in which enrolment as a voter is sought. People will have to satisfy the electoral registration officers that they are citizens of India to be part of the voter list, and they can use documents available with them to support their claim.

The EC voter enrolment exercise is independent of the NRC, though authorities responsible for the two lists are working in sync. "The EC, with its objective of 'no voter to be left behind', has asked CEO Assam to coordinate closely with State Coordinator NRC, so as to ensure that all eligible persons are included in Electoral Roll during Summary Revision 2019. This way a final Electoral Roll will be published on 4 January, 2019 to be used for the general elections," Rawat had said on Tuesday.

People will have to satisfy the electoral registration officers that they are citizens of India to be part of the voter list and they can use documents available with them to support their claim, he added.

The complete draft of the NRC, published earlier this week, in Assam has included 2,89,83,677 people out of a total 3,29,91,384 applicants. Names of around 40.07 lakh applicants did not figure in the document. At the time of last assembly elections in 2016, Assam had about 1.99 crore voters, out of which about 1.69 crore (84.72 percent) cast their votes, as per the information available with the state's chief electoral officer.The BJP, without a doubt, is fanning flames in Assam. The point, of course, is whether Mamata's incendiary statement is dangerous and whether it can be justified even if it is not. On the face of it, on principle no responsible leader should make public statements predicting bloodshed and civil war.

On Tuesday, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee made an explosive entry into the debate over the updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam at a Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI)-hosted symposium, where she was the chief guest. But there is a context.

Through the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition traded barbs over the issue. In the Rajya Sabha, BJP president Amit Shah started it off. He claimed that the process of updating the NRC was in accord with the spirit of the Assam Accord, which the previoud Congress governments "did not have the courage" to do; it had been left to his party and the National Democratic Alliance government to complete the job.

Sounding rhetorical more than anything else, Shah asked how many of the 40 lakh people missing from the NRC draft were Bangladeshi intruders and why did the opposition want to protect them? There is a definitional issue involved here. It all depends on whom you want to call an intruder and whom you see as a refugee; who is entitled to citizenship by the mere fact of many decades of residence, an almost universal criterion for granting citizenship. In India, 12 years of residence is specified to grant citizenship to immigrants, which the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2016, wants to reduce to six years for illegal Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Parsi and Sikh immigrants.

The authorities have specified 24 March, 1971 as the cut-off mark, which effectively means that people living in Assam for almost half a century, and their children and their children, have not been deemed worthy of the grant of citizenship status, which, many could say with some justification, is absurd and unconscionable.

Inside the House, Opposition leaders, including those from the Trinamool Congress and the Congress, protested vociferously. Derek OBrien and Ghulam Nabi Azad wanted the business of the day set aside to discuss the NRC issue, failing which there was enough of a melee for its proceedings to be adjourned.

Mamata's bombshell was exploded later on Tuesday. She began on a sedate note, however, saying that an atmosphere had to be created in which we could love our neighbours. She also expressed shock that relatives of former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, who had been from Assam and had been a minister in provincial and (later) state governments, had been excluded from the NRC.

Then she ratcheted up the rhetoric. She said the BJPs politics of divide and rule would lead to a civil war. There will be a bloodbath. The civil war has already started. Section 144 has been imposed in all districts of Assam. How can you let your own people die? There are so many poor people who have been living in India for generations who are being asked to leave. What will be the fate of this nation (if your own people are being told to leave this country)? she asked.

Referring to statements which said that what had started in Assam, would be taken to West Bengal as well, Mamata said she would never allow it. She also noted that people were being lynched in Jharkhand and elsewhere and Christians, Dalits and Muslims were being marginalised. She signed off with a question no less rhetorical than Shahs: "How can I tell those killers: I love you? I am not that liberal."

The point, of course, is whether Mamata's incendiary statement is dangerous and whether it can be justified even if it is not. On the face of it, on principle no responsible leader should make public statements predicting bloodshed and civil war. In practical terms, it is, to say the least, unwise. It would be all too easy for political antagonists to point the finger at Mamata and accusing her of inciting and fomenting hatred. Such incendiarism is best left for private conversations.

On the other hand, it could be argued that Mamata was merely anticipating a situation that must be met in advance, particularly because the ramifications of what is happening in Assam could singe West Bengal, her state. Even if something like that were to happen, it is certain that Bengal will have to deal with the fallout of several lakh people being rendered illegal. It is not a huge stretch to anticipate that many of these people will wend their ways towards Bengal, where they can blend in with the local people and acquire the documents that will enable them to stay on in India. Bengals creaky infrastructure will be stretched as it has been many a time in the past, especially after the Partition and the Bangladesh war in 1971.

It is also necessary to point out that from a rational, humanitarian point of view, the majority of those sought to be evicted as illegals can justifiably lay claim to citizenship. What prevents that is the long-standing hostility towards Bengalis, in general, and Muslim Bengalis, in particular in Assam. The grievances may be thought of in some sense as legitimate, but actually is similar to the hostility of the Marathi-speaking people to people from the Hindi heartland and earlier some people from the southern states, which the Shiv Sena fanned to build a constituency.

The BJP, without a doubt, is fanning these flames in Assam. And it is following a xenophobic policy that will burn legitimate residents of Assam, whether they are Bengalis or Bangladeshis who have been living in Assam for decades or were born there and know of no other home. And it is doing it for the same reason: to consolidate its own constituency, not just in Assam, but countrywide, with an eye to impending elections.

In other words, if what Mamata said was both unfortunate and impolitic, what the BJP is doing is dangerous and perhaps beyond the pale, even after conceding that politicians and political parties very often do or say things that are prejudicial to the general good to gain political advantage. It is to be hoped that the Supreme Court will continue to keep a close eye on the proceedings in Assam.By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin has created a new directorate inside the Russian army to promote patriotism, evoking memories of a Soviet practice that once saw soldiers taught the precepts of Marxism and Leninism by political commissars. The move, approved by Putin in a presidential decree published on Monday, will affect Russia's around 1 million active military service people and appears designed to ensure soldiers' loyalty at a time when Moscow is locked in a geopolitical standoff with the West. 'In conditions of a global information and psychological confrontation (with the West) the role of political and moral unity within the army and society drastically grows,' Alexander Kanshin, who sits on a civilian body that shapes military policy, told Interfax news agency in February.

By Andrew Osborn

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin has created a new directorate inside the Russian army to promote patriotism, evoking memories of a Soviet practice that once saw soldiers taught the precepts of Marxism and Leninism by political commissars.

The move, approved by Putin in a presidential decree published on Monday, will affect Russia's around 1 million active military service people and appears designed to ensure soldiers' loyalty at a time when Moscow is locked in a geopolitical standoff with the West.

"In conditions of a global information and psychological confrontation (with the West) the role of political and moral unity within the army and society drastically grows," Alexander Kanshin, who sits on a civilian body that shapes military policy, told Interfax news agency in February.

In the Soviet Union, a similar directorate worked to ensure that the army stayed loyal to the then ruling Communist party.

Putin, commander-in-chief of Russia's armed forces, ran as an independent candidate when re-elected to a new term in March, but is supported by the ruling United Russia Party.

His decree said the new directorate would be responsible for "military-patriotic" work and, in a separate decree, Putin made Colonel-General Andrei Kartapolov, a veteran of Russia's conflict in Syria, its new head and a deputy defence minister.

The defence ministry did not release details of the new directorate, but an unnamed military source told the Kommersant daily that Kartapolov would also be responsible for the activities of the Yunarmiya, a patriotic military youth organisation sponsored by the ministry.

After Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea, seen by the Kremlin as a big success, the military has grown increasingly influential in domestic and foreign policy, especially in Syria.

The Bolsheviks, wary of the army's loyalty, introduced political commissars in 1918. In the late Soviet period, political officers, known as zampolity, tried to ensure soldiers knew their communist doctrine and where their loyalties lay.

Vladimir Scherbakov, a military specialist at the Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily, said Putin's decision to resurrect a version of the Soviet-era directorate raised questions.

"The main question is this. In the Soviet era, the directorate in practice worked in the interests of the Communist Party's central committee. It's not completely clear what military-political work the resurrected directorate will do and more importantly in the interests of which political party."

Others wondered whether the creation of the new directorate was the start of a wider renaissance in ideological education that would draw in schools and colleges, and whether the new instrument would be used to root out young soldiers deemed as too pro-Western.

"All of this is reminiscent of a gradual return to the USSR," wrote Dmitry Drize, Kommersant's deputy editor.

(Editing by Richard Balmforth)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.The US designated three Pakistanis linked to the LeT, the outfit responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack, as global terrorists to shut down the militant group's financial network and curtail its ability to raise funds to carry out violent terrorist attacks.

New Delhi: India welcomed the US's announcement to name three Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists as 'specially designated global terrorists' and said the move vindicates its stand that terror groups continue to operate from the neighbouring country with "impunity".

Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Raveesh Kumar said the latest designations also call into question Pakistan's sincerity in taking effective action against such terrorist elements.

"India welcomes the announcements made yesterday by the US Departments of State and Treasury in which three Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) terrorists and terror financiers have been named as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT)," Kumar said.

He said the US announcement vindicates India's consistent stand that internationally designated terrorist groups and individuals, including LeT and its front, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), continue to "operate from and raise financial resources with impunity in Pakistan".

Kumar said the terror groups continue to use territories under Pakistan's control for carrying out cross-border terrorism in India and elsewhere in South Asia.

The US designated three Pakistanis linked to the LeT, the outfit responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack, as global terrorists to shut down the militant group's financial network and curtail its ability to raise funds to carry out violent terrorist attacks.

The US designated LeT commander Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil as SDGT. It also took action to disrupt the LeT's fundraising and support networks by designating two of the group's financial facilitators, Hameed ul Hassan and Abdul Jabbar, as SDGT.

A longtime member of the US designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Lashkar e-Taiba (LeT), Dakhil was an operational leader for LeT's attacks in India between 1997 and 2001.

In 2004, Dakhil was captured in Iraq by British forces, then held in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan until his transfer to Pakistan in 2014. After his release from Pakistani custody, Dakhil returned to work for the LeT.Kashmir governor NN Vohra is likely to be replaced after 15 August due to differences with the Centre over the revocation of Article 35A of the Indian Constitution, which bars outsiders from owning property or getting jobs.

Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra is likely to be replaced after 15 August due to differences with the Centre over the revocation of Article 35A of the Indian Constitution, which bars outsiders from owning property or getting jobs.

Vohra has put the BJP at the Centre in tight spot after the state government  which has been under Governor's Rule since 20 June  decided to file a memorandum in the Supreme Court to seek the deferment of the case. The BJP has been looking to do away with the special status and is in favour of settling outsiders in Jammu and Kashmir.

Vohra met state Advocate General DC Raina and discussed several matters pending in different courts as well as the legal defence that could be mounted by the state to defend Article 35A. Raina said Vohra was of the view that the case should be deferred and a memo will be filed before the apex court in this regard. A memo will be moved before the court before the case is heard, Raina said. State government has continued with the previous team of lawyers to defend the case. Fali S Nariman, the country's top lawyer, will argue the case. It is also learnt that Vohra has also conveyed his disagreement over the issue to Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

However, Deputy Secretary Hitesh Gupta said that he was not aware whether Vohra has taken up the matter with the Centre. An official said New Delhi has not extended Vohra's tenure and that he could be replaced after 15 August. The state government and the security establishment are on the edge as separatists have given a shutdown call over the Article 35A and threatened mass agitation.

Separatists have also received support from mainstream political parties, who believe that Article 35-A is an established law which was made part of the Indian Constitution through an order issued by the president in 1954, in an affirmation that the state will be empowered to frame state subject laws. The revocation could ensure that people from other states are settled in Jammu and Kashmir and that the states constitution and the identity  by way of a separate flag  is removed.

As per the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, those who had been living in the state before 14 May, 1954, and their descendants are subjects of the state. The law also treats those who are living in the part of Kashmir which is administered by Pakistan as state subjects. Any amendment in the permanent resident law will have to done by a two-third majority of state Assembly.

Article 35A was further seen as a commitment by New Delhi that it will not make laws other than in the matters of defence, communication and external affairs for the state. Jammu and Kashmir acceded to the Indian Union on the basis of that commitment. That promise was recognised through Article 370, which also laid down the procedure that could be adopted to extend central laws to the state.

Even separatists are defending Article 35A as they see its possible removal as an attempt to change the demography of the state by allowing Hindus from outside to settle here and tilt the vote in favour India in the event of any referendum. Mainstream parties defend Article 35A to secure the rights of people in government jobs and scholarships.

After the BJP earlier pulled support from Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti and toppled her government, it is now locked in a confrontation with Vohra. Former deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said the BJP would wait for the verdict of Supreme Court.

However, he added, The BJP was for complete integration of the state with Indian Union. The sovereignty and integrity of the nation is paramount to us.

Although the BJP earlier, in the agenda of alliance with the PDP, promised that the constitutional position of the state with respect to Indian Union would remain intact, it said the party didnt give up its stance on the revocation of Article 370 or 35-A.Jammu and Kashmir may soon have a new governor as the Centre has decided not to continue with NN Vohra who has served the state for almost a decade, media reports said.

Jammu and Kashmir may soon have a new governor as the Centre has reportedly decided not to continue with NN Vohra who has served the state for over a decade, media reports said. According to The Statesman, former bureaucrat Rajiv Mehrishi is one of the likely contenders for the post of the new governor and is expected to be appointed within a few days after the Amarnath Yatra concludes.

A home ministry official told The Telegraph that the government is expected to announce the name of the new Jammu and Kashmir governor latest by Thursday. The government has already prepared a list of potential candidates, including retired army officers and former bureaucrats and has been taken to the prime minister's office for final approval, the official added.

Sources informed NDTV that there has been some rift between the Centre and the governor who have not been able to reach a common ground where the formation of a state government in Jammu and Kashmir is concerned. The Centre wants a new government but the governor is not agreeable to it after having seen the state go through similar difficult periods for over a decade. Sources have also suggested that a former army chief's name has also been doing the rounds.

A day after the PDP-BJP government collapsed following the BJP breaking off its three-year-old alliance with the regional party, President Ram Nath Kovind approved the imposition of Governor's Rule in Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect on 20 July. Vohra, who is 82-years-old, has handled the state on three separate occasions in the past 10 years. He was known as the crisis manager in 2008 when Governor's Rule was promulgated in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the Amarnath land row.

With inputs from PTIThere is a world of difference between cases of women's religious subjugation like the practice genital mutilation, and NCW's demand to ban confession.

By Aashika Ravi

"Father, forgive me for I have sinned" The familiar words accompanied by the wooden booth with its grille and curtain are instantly associated with the Catholic sacrament of confession. But did you know that the box, called Borromeo's box, was invented by Cardinal Charles Borromeo in the 1570s to stop sexual exploitation of children by priests during confession?

In The Dark Box (2014), British journalist John Cornwell traces the history of the practice of confession through the ages and the many layers of sexual abuse and coercion it is steeped in. Cornwell himself was propositioned by a priest during confession. The book delves into the sexual exploitation and paedophilia intertwined with the evolution of confession as a practice through the ages. The Church and confession, in particular, has always had a complex relationship with sexual abuse, arising from a gross power imbalance and a culture of protecting sexual predators.

In India, few cases of sexual abuse and paedophilia from within the church have surfaced and even when they do, they have been hushed up and forgotten swiftly. Maybe this is why the case of five priests of Malankara Orthodox Church in Thiruvalla, Kerala who sexually exploited a married woman, by blackmailing her using her confession, has sparked nationwide outrage. The woman's husband complained to the church, after which the five priests were finally suspended on 26 June. An audio clip was apparently circulated on social media with a conversation between the husband and another individual.

"When I confronted her," the husband allegedly says in the recording, "she said that she was being blackmailed by one of the orthodox priests into having a sexual relationship with him. Many years ago, before we got married, a priest had sexually abused her and was blackmailing her since then. During my daughter's baptism, she was mentally upset about what was happening and so she confessed her ordeal to another priest, who threatened that he'll tell this to me. Threatening her so, he demanded sexual favours from her. He even took pictures of them together and shared those pictures with a third priest. He too later started abusing my wife. They kept circulating the videos and now around 5-8 priests are involved."

Alongside some of the sensible outrage about this incident was also National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma, who called on 26 July for the abolition of Christian confession altogether. "The priests pressure women into telling their secrets and we have one such case in front of us, there must be many more such cases and what we have right now is just a tip of the iceberg."

Sharma's absurd demand fits into the recent wave of overzealousness to eradicate any religious practices people find threatening. Angry responses poured in from all corners of the country, including the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council, who called the recommendation "unconstitutional", and Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam, who has asked the prime minister and home minister to reject the demand.

When the Supreme Court struck down triple talaq as "unconstitutional" last year, people across the country rejoiced. And in the recent PIL to review the constitutionality of female genital cutting in the Dawoodi Bohra community, the triple talaq verdict was cited as precedent that harmful cultural practices could be struck down if they were in violation of the Constitution. Similarly, the Supreme Court has also been hearing the Sabarimala case of excluding women from the temple.

However, there is a world of difference between these cases of women's religious subjugation being argued in front of the apex court and Sharma's demand. The call for state intervention in cultural and religious practices is justified only when the call comes through a strong debate from within the respective community itself.

Shalini Mulackam, former president of the Indian Theological Association, explains the principle behind confession. "We have seven Sacraments which means seven ways that we encounter God. One among these Sacraments is Confession. When a person feels estranged from God or has committed a sin, he/she has to return to God or reconcile with Him. The priest who sits there is on behalf of God, and if he tells us that God has forgiven you, you repent, the person who confesses can feel that God has accepted me back, and has forgiven my sins, and the person feels very light-hearted."

The power of confession, according to her, lies precisely in the physical act of confessing in church.

Sharon (name changed) goes to confession once in three months but wishes she could go more often. "For me, it helps to reconcile myself with God. Its an outlet of grace through which my sins are forgiven by God, acting through the priest. Its basically a way for me to come closer to God, she says.

Oshin Tresa Francis, a Syro-Malabar Roman Catholic, also claims that the act of confession carries great meaning for her. "Confession is one thing we believe can help us achieve salvation. Confession, for me, is something that no one else in the world is going to know except that one priest."

The confidentiality that Francis refers to has actually been codified in many countries as a priest-penitent privilege. Priests are not allowed to divulge the information they learn in confession, even in court, or they are excommunicated from the church. (There are no specific provisions to address priest-penitent privilege in Indian law.)

Of course, the five priests of Thiruvalla did much more than just violate the priest-penitent privilege. This is also not a lone incident. In March last year, the Kerala Christian Reformation Movement (KCRM) staged a protest in Kochi, demanding that nuns be allowed to hear confessions. One of the reasons for this demand was reportedly the fact that male priests had asked for "more details in cases of sexual 'sins'." We too examined the possibility of having nuns listen to confession and whether that would actually be as beneficial as people assumed.

Despite the severity of the Thiruvalla priests' crimes, the solution to Sharma's 'iceberg' cannot be the abolishment of confession unless the demand comes from within the respective community, and especially from the women there. Mulackam similarly cites the example of Asaram Bapu, a godman who raped women in his ashram and threatened and murdered witnesses. "We cannot ban the Hindu sanyasa way of life, or throw the entire institution out, because one godman did something he shouldnt have done."

Legally, too, the precedent set by the Supreme Court in the triple talaq case indicates that the only grounds on which cultural and religious practices can be banned are if they are found to be unconstitutional, whereas confession remains a voluntary practice and banning it could amount to a violation of a citizen's Freedom of Expression (Article 19 (a)).

So where does confession fit into the current legal interventions in religious and cultural practices? Senior lawyer Rebecca John says, "I feel that there is a movement for religious practices and groups to self-introspect and self-regulate. We are noticing, with respect to several incidents that have come out of Kerala, and even globally, where the church is guilty of going slow on issues relating to sexual exploitation of women." She adds that Sharma's statement is "random" and not worth taking seriously, but her larger point is that no religious practice should be above question.

"If there is a vast majority of women complaining of a crime, I don't think religious institutions should be allowed to plead Fundamental Rights with respect to Freedom of Religious customs. I think those should and can be questioned. It's important for more religious institutions, including the church, to look at these things positively. Not everything is an attack on freedom to propagate their own religious practice. Some of it comes from within. Members of their own community are complaining, why should that not be looked into?" she argues.

In the bigger picture, it's imperative for religious institutions like the church to reform regressive or oppressive practices. If the Supreme Courts verdict on triple talaq and its recent statements on female genital cutting say anything about the zeitgeist, it's that freedom of religious practice is not untouchable, and these cases may well come as a reckoning for those who think it is.

The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online women's magazine delivering fresh and witty perspectives on politics, culture, health, sex, work and everything in between.The Maratha Kranti Morcha has been staging protests, demanding reservation for the community in jobs and educational institutes in Maharashtra.

On the face of it, it looks like reservation for the Maratha community in Maharashtra is a done deal. No political party opposes it, with all of them tacitly backing the Maratha Kranti Morcha's demand. Even the Shiv Sena, which has always opposed caste-based reservations, has now expressed support for quota for the Marathas, demanding a special session of the Maharashtra Assembly.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is officially committed to the cause. But being the party in power, it cannot afford to take any chances by promulgating an Ordinance granting the quota as a court-ordered survey of the community is on. The commission, though, has been exceedingly slow with the process, slow enough for the Marathas to get edgy.

The Marathas, as represented by the morcha, have been trying to keep the issue out of covert politics. Leaders of the community had disowned the meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had called a few days ago and questioned its purpose, saying there was nothing to discuss. Politicians, however, did attend it because sooner or later, there are brownie points to bag. This makes it evident that efforts are being made to play a smoke-and-mirrors game.

No doubt, the entire approach to secure the demand has changed  MLAs have resigned for the political mileage it offers, though nearly all are merely gestures that may not end up with them ceasing to be members of the legislature; some supporters have even killed themselves; and the morcha itself is trying to maintain its non-political facade.

Fadnavis has to remain positive amid the agitation for Maratha quota. He could also try to buy time by saying that if the government does decide to promulgate an ordinance, it had better be foolproof to avoid legal entanglements and the ire of the community. He would be right, too, for the court has sought numbers, and it would be inadvisable to fiddle with a matter that is sub judice.

While this is one aspect of the situation, the chief minister cannot be seen procrastinating on the reservation demand either. He also faces the possibility of the Opposition getting more aggressive and escalating the matter to a level where electoral dividends can be extracted out of the issue, with the Assembly polls next year. One can assume that this is why the Shiv Sena has had a change of heart in its philosophy on reservations, where the criterion should be only economic.

This explains why Fadnavis has announced that district-level committees, comprising government officials and representatives from the Maratha group, will be formed to examine what the community currently has. When faced with a difficult choice, set up a committee  this is the path the government usually takes, notwithstanding that committees take their time to even start functioning.

It is not a coincidence that the ratio of the Maratha community in government jobs and other parastatal organisations has already crossed 13 percent, including in jobs in educational institutes. This could be an attempt to blunt the edge of the Maratha reservation demand, at least till the court works out something that is acceptable to them. What is needed now is a press conference for Fadnavis to clear the air, or at least covert measures to avoid being seen as partisan.

While the morcha maintains that Marathas make up only 8 percent of the workforce, not 13 percent, this means that the community is not without jobs. However, the conundrum here is that the figure may not be proportional to the size of the community. The data the government submitted to the commission on the community's current status could be why Marathas feel backward despite holding significant power in Maharashtra.

The reservation dispute is not entirely unwelcome as politicians revel in them. As an issue develops, it gives the government time to make concrete the steps it may already have in mind to resolve the matter. This is perhaps why the issue of the Maratha quota demand could be in the news for a while.Mamata Banerjee visited the national capital to invite opposition leaders to attend her rally on 19 January in Kolkata

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday and the two leaders are believed to have discussed political strategies to counter the BJP in the 2019 general elections.

The two leaders, however, did not speak to the media after the meeting that lasted for around 35 minutes.

The Trinamool Congress supremo visited the national capital to invite opposition leaders to attend her rally on 19 January in Kolkata. TMC sources said the two chief ministers discussed political strategies to counter the BJP in the 2019 general elections.

Banerjee has been at the forefront of efforts to rally opposition parties for an anti-BJP front. She spent the second day of her Delhi visit meeting leaders of various parties, including United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Besides leaders from the Congress, TDP, YSR (Congress), DMK, RJD, SP and JD(S), Banerjee also met with BJP veteran LK Advani, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and other dissident BJP leaders.

Banerjee has spoken in favour of Kejriwal over his government's differences with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

Banerjee's counterpart from Andhra Pradesh (N Chandrababu Naidu), Kerala (Pinarayi Vijayan), and Karnataka (HD Kumaraswamy) have also supported the AAP leader in his tussle with the Centre.Mamata Banerjee said out of the 40 lakh people in the final draft of Assam NRC, only one percent could be infiltrators, but the BJP is trying to project as if all of them are infiltrators

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the publication of draft National Register of Citizens in Assam will destroy India's relationship with neighbouring Bangladesh.

"Out of 40 lakh people, who don't find themselves in the final draft of the NRC published on 30 July, only one percent could be infiltrators, but the BJP is trying to project as if all of them are infiltrators. NRC will destroy India's relationship with Bangladesh," she told reporters outside Parliament.

She also said that 833 people from her state, mainly from Murshidabad district, are in Assam jails.

"The BJP is playing vote bank politics. The NRC will affect the whole world. Managing borders is a responsibility of the Centre. Central forces see how many infiltrators are crossing into the country. But in the name of infiltrators, they are harassing people," she alleged.

She also said she has appealed to all opposition parties to send their delegation to Assam.

"I have also urged Yashwant Sinha (former BJP leader and a Union minister) to go to Assam," she said.Protesters have blocked Pune-Solapur highway demanding reservation in government jobs.

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The outfit is demanding a decision on the Maratha quota at the earliest, asking the government to take back all cases against Maratha protesters, action against the officers responsible for firing and lathi charge during July 25 protest, resignation or sacking of ministers MLAs who gave irresponsible statements against Maratha community.

The Maharashtra government has decided to stand guarantor for loans to be disbursed to youth from the Maratha community under a scheme to extend financial assistance to backward communities. The decision was taken at the cabinet sub-committee chaired by revenue minister Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday. The committee has been set up to take steps for the welfare of the Maratha community, which has been agitating over its demand for reservation in government jobs and education. The panel had received complaints that banks were not approving loans of people from the community and asking for counter-guarantee.

Maharashtra govt to stand guarantor for loans to be disbursed to youth

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said his government was working on the demand for reservations to the Maratha community, but that the legal process could not be curtailed.

On Tuesday, CM Devendra Fadnavis assured people that his govt was working on Maratha demands

In Maharashtra, the OBC has 19 percent reservation, SC has 13 percent, ST has 7 percent while the Nomadic Tribe (C) has 3.5 percent, Nomadic Tribe (D) has 2 percent and Special Backward Class has around two percent reservation. It makes up to 52 percent reservations in jobs and 50 percent in education. The Marathas have been demanding 16 percent quota in education and employment. On Wednesday, about 150 members of the community will stage the protest, ensuring that there is no intrusion by outsiders.

Protesters to ensure that there is no intrusion by outsiders

Police will trace the "anti-social" elements who Maratha bodies claimed had infiltrated the protests in Chakan in Pune district on Tuesday, Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Deepak Kesarkar said on Tuesday. Kesarkar visited the violence-hit industrial hub, located 40 kilometres away from Pune, on Tuesday to take stock of the situation, a day after buses and vehicles were set on fire during the protests for Maratha reservation.- PTI

The protesters at Azad Maidan are organising a silent protest and while the government has invited the members of the morcha for a dialogue, the protesters said that they do not want to interact with the government as they keep promising but never implement those promises of reservation. The protesters have not reached the venue yet.

No one from the Maratha Kranti Morcha is ready to speak to govt

The outfit is demanding a decision on the Maratha quota at the earliest, asking the government to take back all cases against Maratha protesters, action against the officers responsible for firing and lathi charge during July 25 protest, resignation or sacking of ministers MLAs who gave irresponsible statements against Maratha community.

The Maharashtra government has decided to stand guarantor for loans to be disbursed to youth from the Maratha community under a scheme to extend financial assistance to backward communities. The decision was taken at the cabinet sub-committee chaired by revenue minister Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday. The committee has been set up to take steps for the welfare of the Maratha community, which has been agitating over its demand for reservation in government jobs and education. The panel had received complaints that banks were not approving loans of people from the community and asking for counter-guarantee.

Maharashtra govt to stand guarantor for loans to be disbursed to youth

We are working for #Maratha reservation very honestly and seriously. We want this reservation to sustain and so completing all the legal formalities. Simultaneously,we took decisions for educational fees,hostels. We are giving loans to make our youth job givers:CM @Dev_Fadnavis pic.twitter.com/VCKpJ1fmIZ

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said his government was working on the demand for reservations to the Maratha community, but that the legal process could not be curtailed.

On Tuesday, CM Devendra Fadnavis assured people that his govt was working on Maratha demands

In Maharashtra, the OBC has 19 percent reservation, SC has 13 percent, ST has 7 percent while the Nomadic Tribe (C) has 3.5 percent, Nomadic Tribe (D) has 2 percent and Special Backward Class has around two percent reservation. It makes up to 52 percent reservations in jobs and 50 percent in education. The Marathas have been demanding 16 percent quota in education and employment. On Wednesday, about 150 members of the community will stage the protest, ensuring that there is no intrusion by outsiders.

Protesters to ensure that there is no intrusion by outsiders

Police will trace the "anti-social" elements who Maratha bodies claimed had infiltrated the protests in Chakan in Pune district on Tuesday, Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Deepak Kesarkar said on Tuesday. Kesarkar visited the violence-hit industrial hub, located 40 kilometres away from Pune, on Tuesday to take stock of the situation, a day after buses and vehicles were set on fire during the protests for Maratha reservation.- PTI

The protesters at Azad Maidan are organising a silent protest and while the government has invited the members of the morcha for a dialogue, the protesters said that they do not want to interact with the government as they keep promising but never implement those promises of reservation. The protesters have not reached the venue yet.

No one from the Maratha Kranti Morcha is ready to speak to govt

Maratha quota protest latest updates: Protesters have blocked Pune-Solapur highway demanding reservation in government jobs. Maratha outfit Maratha Kranti Morcha, which has been demanding reservations in government jobs and education for the community, will begin another phase of their agitation on Wednesday.

The Congress on Tuesday suggested no concrete decision was expected over Maratha quota from the Maharashtra government for at least three months despite its claims to resolve the issue.

The Opposition party claimed that Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC), which is preparing a report on socio-economic backwardness of the community, has told its leaders that it would take three months to prepare the document.

The MSBCC's report is to be submitted to the state government before it is presented to the Bombay High Court, which is hearing the quota case.

Marathas, a politically-influential community constituting around 30 percent of the state's population, have been agitating to press their demand for reservation in jobs and education.

Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan also charged the government with putting out statements on the issue which are "contradicting" the facts.

A delegation of state ministers had recently met the Commission's chairman Justice (retired) MG Gaikwad requesting the panel to expedite compilation of the report.

"The commission chairman was appointed only in December last year. That means the actual work began then. So, we don't see anything happening within three months," Chavan said in a video message.

He said, "There is a contradiction in what is being told on behalf of the government to the media and the reality".

Meanwhile, speaking at an event on Tuesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government was working "sincerely" towards granting quota to the Marathas and appealed to the community to understand that the legal process needs to be completed.

The government had said it would convene a special session of state legislature to discuss Maratha reservation after receiving the MSBCC report.Maratha outfit Maratha Kranti morcha who have been demanding reservations in government jobs and education for the community, will kick off another phase of their agitation on Wednesday.

Maratha outfit Maratha Kranti Morcha, which has been demanding reservations in government jobs and education for the community, will kick off another phase of their agitation on Wednesday. According to a press note issued by the Maratha Kranti Morcha, the community is organising a Jail Bharo Andolan for their major demands on Wednesday. The protest will take place at Azad Maidan in Mumbai.

According to The Free press journal, Maratha Kranti Morcha leader Amol Jadhavarao has said that the government has accepted of some of their demands verbally after the all-party meet, but there has been no official written order issued in this regard yet. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said his government was working on the demand for reservations to the Maratha community, but that the legal process could not be curtailed. The major demands of the community are reservation on the Maratha quota at the earliest, all cases against Maratha protesters should be taken back, action must be taken against the officers who were responsible for firing and lathi charge during 25 July protest and sacking of MLAs who made irresponsible statements against the Maratha community.

Wednesday's protest is also specifically against Fadnavis for not withdrawing cases against Maratha agitators, India Today reported.

We are working for #Maratha reservation very honestly and seriously.

We want this reservation to sustain and so completing all the legal formalities.

Simultaneously,we took decisions for educational fees,hostels.

We are giving loans to make our youth job givers:CM @Dev_Fadnavis pic.twitter.com/VCKpJ1fmIZ  CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) July 31, 2018

On Tuesday, the spate of suicides spurred by the Maratha quota agitation rose to six as a labourer and a student ended their lives, while eight protesters attempted suicide in Maharashtra, police said. A 17-year-old student died after jumping into a well at Vadodbazar village in Fulambri teshil of Aurangabad district, police said.

Pradip Hari Mhaske, who had secured 75 percent marks in the 10th standard exam, failed to secure admission in a junior college and a technical training institute in absence of a Maratha quota in these institutions, an official said.

Mhaske's suicide triggered a fresh set of protests with Maratha community members staging a 'rasta roko' protest on the Aurangabad-Jalgaon road. Abhijeet Deshmukh, 35, a farm labourer in Veed village in Beed district in Marathwada region hanged himself from a tree near his house on Tuesday. Among the other reasons Deshmukh mentioned in his suicide note were unemployment and unpaid bank loan, a police official said.

The Maratha reservation issue has witnessed arson and stone-pelting in parts of Pune, a day after which, the police on Tuesday booked "4,000 to 5,000 people" and said the violent protests caused loss of property to the tune Rs 10 crore. Over 60 vehicles, including public transport buses, were vandalised and torched by protesters during violence in Chakan, an industrial hub 40 kilometres from Pune, where life is slowing signs of returning to normal.

On 29 July, a 38-year-old man allegedly committed suicide in Nanded district over the Maratha quota demand, police said. Kacharu Kalyane hanged himself from the ceiling at his home in Dhanbad village of Nanded district when his family members were out for some work. His suicide note mentioned that he was ending his life over the Maratha community's demand for reservation, a police official said.

Earlier on 28 July, bowing to demands by the Maratha community and Opposition parties, Fadnavis on Saturday said that a special session of Maharashtra Legislature would be convened soon to resolve the Maratha reservation issue.

With inputs from agenciesMungantiwar said the legal framework for providing reservation has to be strong so that it cannot be challenged in court. 'The government does not want to fool the community by giving them a few days of happiness with a hasty decision, which will then get entangled in legal battles,' he said.

Mumbai: Amid the raging Maratha quota row, Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Wednesday said the government does not want to 'fool' the community with a hurried decision which may end up in a long court battle.

Speaking to reporters here, Mungantiwar said Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was making all efforts to give reservation to the community and emphasis was being laid on following of all due processes. The politically influential Maratha community, which constitutes around 30 percent of the state's population, has been agitating for reservation in jobs and education sector.

Mungantiwar said the legal framework for providing reservation has to be strong so that it cannot be challenged in court. "The government does not want to fool the community by giving them a few days of happiness with a hasty decision, which will then get entangled in legal battles," he said. He said the reservation protesters should realise that the government is sincerely working out a plan and that they should not pose a hindrance in the way of agitations. "Maharashtra follows the ideology of BR Ambedkar and Jyotirao Phule. Their way of thinking should be upheld by those protesting," he said.

In a democracy, people have the freedom to protest, but it should be done peacefully, he said. "When expressing their 'mann ki baat' (inner voice), people should not resort to violence or damage property as it is a loss of the taxpayers' hard-earned money," he told reporters here. "When the state government last time came out with an ordinance, the Bombay High Court stayed it. When we approached the Supreme Court, it too upheld the HC's decision," he said.

An all-party meet had earlier been called by the chief minister to ensure consensus on the issue, he said. Fadnavis had yesterday said his government was 'sincerely' working towards granting quota to the Maratha community. The government had earlier said that it would convene a special session of the state legislature to discuss Maratha reservation after receiving report of the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission.

Marathas have been demanding 16 percent reservation in government jobs and education. The community had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands. However, their latest round of agitations have taken an extreme turn.The spate of suicides spurred by the Maratha quota agitation rose to six on Tuesday as a labourer and a student ended their lives, while eight protesters attempted suicide on in Maharashtra, police said.

The spate of suicides spurred by the Maratha quota agitation rose to six on Tuesday as a labourer and a student ended their lives, while eight protesters attempted self-immolation in Maharashtra.

The 17-year-old student died after jumping into a well at Vadodbazar village in Fulambri teshil of Aurangabad district, police said.

Pradip Hari Mhaske, who secured 75 percent marks in the 10th standard exam, failed to secure admission in a junior college and a technical training institute in absence of any Maratha quota in these institutions, an official said.

Mhaskes suicide triggered a fresh set of protests, with Maratha community members staging a 'rasta roko' protest on the Aurangabad-Jalgaon road.

His family members demanded immediate grant of quota for Marathas, financial compensation and also action against the college which denied him admission, he said.

Abhijeet Deshmukh (35), a farm labourer in Veeda village in Beed district in Marathwada region hanged himself from a tree near his house on Tuesday, police said.

Among the other reasons Deshmukh mentioned in his suicide note were unemployment and an unpaid bank loan, a police official said.

"We found a suicide note in which Deshmukh mentioned that he is taking this extreme step in support of Maratha reservation demand," Beed Superintendent of Police (SP) G Shridhar told PTI.

This is the fifth suicide in the state over Maratha reservation issue.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described as lamentable the incidents of violence and alleged suicides for the quota demand reported during the ongoing agitation by Maratha organisations.

"If sentiments are aroused, there will be unrest in the community. The legal process needs to be completed and our government will do that in a time-bound manner," he added.

The BJP-led government in the state enacted a law to provide reservation in jobs and education to the community within a year of coming to power, Fadnavis noted.

"But the High Court stayed the decision and the Supreme Court upheld the high court order. There is a 1992 Supreme Court judgement that reservations should not exceed 50 per cent. To increase them (beyond 50 per cent) there should be extraordinary circumstances and these (circumstances) must be put forth through the State Backward Class Commission (before the court)," Fadnavis pointed out.

His government formed the commission and the process of surveys and public hearings had started, he said. "But the commission chairman passed away. Now new chairman has been appointed and the process has restarted.

After its report is submitted, we will call an assembly session to take the reservation demand to its logical conclusion," he said. A 38-year-old man allegedly committed suicide on 29 July in the Nanded district over the Maratha quota demand, police said.

Kacharu Kalyane hanged himself from the ceiling at his home in Dhabad village of Nanded district when his family members were out for some work. His suicide note mentioned that he was ending his life over the Maratha community's demand for reservation, a police official said.

A 35-year-old man had allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train in Aurangabad on 29 July over the Maratha quota demand, police said. Last week, two men in Aurangabad district committed suicide over demand for the quota, while another protester, injured in the Maratha stir violence in Navi Mumbai, died at a Mumbai hospital on 26 July.

Eight protesters attempted self-immolation by pouring kerosene in support of Maratha reservation in Latur district, also in Marathwada region, police said.

In the self-immolation attempt, held outside the tehsildar office at Ausa in Latur district, eight protesters poured kerosene on themselves and attempted suicide but police intervened before they could do so, Latur SP Shivaji Rathod said.

The protesters were taken into custody. "After convincing them to take up their demands with the government, we allowed them to go," he added. In Mumbai on Wednesday, Maratha community members will hold a protest against the BJP-led state government's "failure" to withdraw criminal cases against the protesters.

Maratha community members will hold a jail bharo protest in Mumbai on Wednesday, Sakal Maratha Morcha leader Praveen Patil said. "The state government, despite its assurance of withdrawing criminal charges of vandalism and damaging public property against some protesters, has not taken any action and that is why we are holding the protest Mumbai tomorrow," Patil said.

He also sought an apology from Fadnavis, Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil and BJP MLA Ram Kadam for "defaming" Maratha quota agitation and its leaders.

Fadnavis said that people need to understand that to ensure that reservations stand legal scrutiny, the 1992 Supreme Court judgement must be followed.

"We have to give reservations to the Marathas without tampering with the SC-ST-OBC quota," he added. "We are being asked to issue an ordinance. It can be done, but it will not stand (scrutiny) in the court. Do we want to fool people or grant reservations genuinely?" he asked.

The politically influential Maratha community, constituting around 30 percent of the state's population, has been agitating to press its demand for reservation in jobs and education. The community had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominently for reservation.

However, their latest round of agitation has taken a violent turn. Protesters indulged in violence and arson at separate places in Maharashtra on Monday.

Four police officials were injured in stone pelting, and around 70 vehicles, including state-run buses and police vans, were damaged or torched during the violence in Chakan near Pune on Monday.

Amid the continuing agitation, the Opposition Congress and the NCP on Monday approached state Governor Vidyasagar Rao, requesting him to direct the Devendra Fadnavis government to announce a decision on the reservation issue immediately.

Maratha outfits have announced that a mega rally will be held in Mumbai on 9 August in support of their quota demand.Satya Pal Malik has also written to Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Patna High Court chief justice in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of minors at a Muzaffarpur shelter home.

Patna: Bihar governor Satya Pal Malik has shot off letters to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, terming the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur as "heart-rending" and suggested measures for preventing recurrence of such incidents in the future.

According to highly-placed sources, the governor has called for trial of cases relating to harassment of girls, boys and women living in such state-funded homes by fast track courts.

Malik has also written to Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of the Patna High Court Rajendra Menon in this regard.

The governor has, however, praised the state government for its quick action in the Muzaffarpur incident and its decision to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the sources said.

The case relates to mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls residing at Balika Grih, Muzaffarpur.

In his second letter to the chief minister, Malik has called for immediate and intensive probe into reports of mismanagement of other such short stay homes that have appeared in the media of late and a mechanism for their continued monitoring, they said.

Malik has also stressed the need for developing an institutional mechanism which ensures that social audit, by competent institutions, of these shelter homes takes place on a permanent basis, the sources said.

He has also called for implementation of recommendations of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai in this regard, they said.

The governor has asked the chief minister, whom he called an "efficient administrator" and a popular leader known for taking initiative in such matters, to invite suggestions from the intelligentsia, the sources added.

The matter had come to light earlier in 2018 when the Bihar social welfare department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by TISS.

The audit report stated that many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. A special investigation team was formed to probe the complaints.

The NGO running the shelter home in Muzaffarpur was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani.Manoj Sinha said in the Loka Sabha the India Post Payments Bank will have 1.55 lakh access points, of which 1.30 lakh will be in rural areas, and will work like a bank

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon inaugurate India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) operations with 650 branches across the country, Communications Minister Manoj Sinha said Wednesday.

"The India Post Payments Bank will have 1.55 lakh access points, of which 1.30 lakh will be in rural areas, and will work like a bank," he said in the Lok Sabha.

"Prime Minister will launch the India Post Payments Bank. The date of launch would be decided in a day or two," Sinha said during Question Hour.

Payments banks can accept deposits up to Rs 1 lakh per account from individuals and small businesses. Sinha also said the government has decided that every Lok Sabha constituency should have one Passport Seva Kendras.

There are about 251 Passport Seva Kendras across the country and it has been decided that there should be at least one kendra within a 50 km radius, he added.Systems at 2,200 public authorities and central government departments have been aligned to receive, process and reply to online RTIs from applicants.

New Delhi: Nearly 24,000 complaints and second appeals are pending with transparency watchdog Central Information Commission (CIC), the government said on Wednesday. Systems at 2,200 public authorities or central government departments have been aligned to receive, process and reply to online RTIs from applicants, it said.

"The Cental Information COmmission has informed that 23,978 complaints and second appeals are pending as of 26 July, 2018," Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. No such data is maintained in respect to state information commissions, he said.

"State governments have been advised to explore the feasibility of implementing online RTI portal in their states. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been advised to provide technical support to the states desirous of replicating the web portal of the department of personnel and training for online filing of RTI applications," the minister said.

The Right to Information (RTI) Act allows citizens to seek a time-bound response to their plea seeking information on governance matters from the government departments. They can file a second appeal and complaint under the law in case they are aggrieved over the response by government departments concerned.Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra has amended the Public Safety Act (PSA) to allow the government to detain people in jails outside the state, which is seen as a tough measure to regulate the protests in favour of freedom in Kashmir

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra has amended the Public Safety Act (PSA) to allow the government to detain people in jails outside the state, which is seen as a tough measure to regulate the protests in favour of freedom in Kashmir. The move, which is being termed as a measure that would put prisoners through "harsh conditions", has drawn censure in the state. As per the notification issued by Law Secretary Abdul Majid Bhat, the governor has amended the PSA through an Act as per which the provision relating to the keeping of prisoners under Section 10 has been deleted.

The notification reads that, "amendment has been made in section 10 Act VI of 1978 and in Section 10 of Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978, the proviso thereto shall be omitted". Section 10 of the PSA reads, "Any person in respect of whom a detention order has been made under Section 8 shall be liable to detained at such place" which the government may decide "provided the detainees who are permanent residents of the state" are not lodged in jails outside the state.

Bhat however said that the matter pertains to the state's home department that regulates the prisoners and their detention in the state. The PSA has been seen as an abusive and "dictatorial" act, which before the militancy was largely used for detaining timber-smugglers. It has however been now used to book stonepelters and to regulate the presence of foreign militants in the state before the orders of their deportation come from Pakistan. The orders of detention are issued by the deputy commissioners rather than the courts and despite the high court revoking the PSA orders in the case of many prisoners, they are being again booked under the Act through an "administrative order".

As per the notification of the law department, the governor amended the PSA through Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Amendment Act, 2018. "In exercise of the powers vested under proclamation No P-1/18 of 2018 dated 20 June, the governor is pleased to enact the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Amendment Act 2018, and it shall come into force at once."

Deputy Inspector-General of Prisons MS Lone, said that the enforcement of the law will "ensure that some of the prisoners are shifted to jails outside". He however said that he was not aware of any amendment to the PSA being made by the governor. "As of now, the prisoners of Kashmir were at the most being lodged in the jails in Jammu and not outside the state. That could change now." he said. Human rights activist, Mohammad Ehsan Untoo, said that he sees the new regulation "as both draconian and dictatorial".

"Those who are detained under the PSA are convicts in the eyes of the state and there is an Indian Supreme Court ruling that the convicts should be kept near their homes and not far away. This law will put both an emotional and financial toll on the families in the state who will have to incur greater expenses to see their members in prisons outside the state," he said. Many in the state see this new law in the state as another iron-fisted measure by the authorities to control the crowds in support of militants at different encounters.

But even as Vohra issued the new law on 13 July, incidents of stone pelting have considerably come down. More than the regular armed groups, it was the street protesters who engaged the "forces" in Kashmir. Many officials also presume that this could be a lull before the storm or even believe that there was anger against the PDP-BJP government. State government officials said that the governor has chosen to enforce his legislative power in a draconian manner as his rule was meant to brief and temporary.

Locals have taken to social networking sites to take a swipe at Vohra, who heads the state in the absence of government after the fall of PDP-BJP alliance in June this year.

Under the PSA and two years after the uprising over the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, hundreds of people were detained under the orders of the deputy commissioners for incidents of stone-pelting as the courts have been setting aside criminal cases against them. The state has been maintaining that the PSA was being invoked in "rare cases", where the local criminal laws dont dissuade the youth from engaging in incidents of stone-pelting against the forces.The NRC is one of the most hotly debated national issues. But there is a lot of deliberate misinformation and half-truths being floated to muddy the waters, and hamper the process.

Every story has a beginning. The story of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) began with the Assam Agitation: A time in my states history when the entire population rallied behind young students who struggled for 6 gruelling years to protect the interests of the indigenous people of Assam. They demanded the identification and deportation of all illegal Bangladeshi migrants from the state. Those were turbulent years, marked by strikes, ethnic violence, protests, demonstrations, and unstable governments. Thousands of young people sacrificed their careers and lives, and Assam lost an entire generation in their prime.

My aita (grandmother) used to tell us, her eyes blazing with passion, how students would march on the streets and chant: Aah oi aah, ulai aah (come, o, come. Come out). Hearing the rallying cry, young and old, from all walks of life, would drop whatever they were doing, and come out of their houses to join their boys. The strong sentiments of the people and their unwavering demand for justice compelled the Government of India, under Rajiv Gandhi, to sign the Assam Accord on 15 August, 1985. It was a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed between the Government of India, the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad. The NRC originated from the Assam Accord.

Once the papers were signed, successive governments dragged their feet in fulfilling the commitment. The United Progressive Alliance government finally initiated the NRC in 2005. Then they lost political will and abandoned the issue due to various pressures. The National Democratic Alliance government took over the matter when it assumed power in 2014. Under the supervision of the Supreme Court of India, which set strict timelines for implementation, the process has now reached the final stages.

Today, the NRC is one of the most hotly debated national issues. But there is a lot of deliberate misinformation and half-truths are being floated to muddy the waters, and hamper the process. In the following sections, I will discuss the basic details of the NRC, and what it means for Assam and India.

The goal of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is to identify Indians living in Assam. It entailed a mammoth and intricate administrative exercise. To explain the scale of the operation, let me share just a few figures: The NRC draft involved the verification of 3.29 crore people. In order to do that, the Assam government had to sift through around 6.6 crore documents submitted by applicants. Of these, 5.5 lakh documents were sent to different states for verification. The entire process was directed and monitored by the Supreme Court of India.

The first draft was released on 1 January, 2018. It contained names of 1.9 crore people, from a total of 3.29 crore applicants. The names of my kin were not on the first list and this caused some anxiety. This was followed by a second NRC draft list, which was released on 30 July, 2018. This included 2.89 crore eligible people. Forty lakh names still remain to be verified.

In order to understand the necessity of this exercise, one has to have a sense of the geography of Assam. The state shares a 4,096-kilometre long border with Bangladesh, following the boundary of the five border states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal. The porous borders of the northeastern states make it easy for the immigrants to sneak into India.

As a result of large-scale illegal immigration, the demographics of the northeastern states are changing, and are endangering their culture, land and jobs. In many areas it is causing grave security threats. Thus, while Assam is dominating the national conversation right now, the problem persists in many other northeastern states.

The regular influx of immigrants from Bangladesh reached a crisis level during the Bangladesh war of liberation. It is estimated that millions of Bangladeshi refugees entered India by crossing the porous border into Assam and Meghalaya. The locals were sympathetic to the fact there was a humanitarian crisis brought on by the genocide in Bangladesh.

However, this did not mean that the welcome was extended to all, in perpetuity. That was the beginning of an illegal population invasion, and it continues unabated. The NRC exercise is extremely valuable in identifying those illegal immigrants who have entered Assam after the cut-off date of 24 March, 1971.

The NRC process is clearly chalked out. A person is eligible to enroll in the NRC, if he/she can prove that his/her ancestors were living in Assam, or were citizens of India before the aforementioned cut-off date. They have to provide supporting documents to prove their case. Once the documents are verified, they are added to the list.

The NRC list published on 30 July is merely a draft, and there is ample time provided for the submission of claims and objections. Those missing from the citizen's list will receive a letter, and be given a fair chance to produce proof of their citizenship. The final NRC will be published only after the disposal of all the claims and objections. This has been repeatedly emphasised by the government and the Supreme Court. Even after the final NRC is listed, every person will get an opportunity to approach the Foreigners Tribunal to appeal. Thus, the process is fair and impartial.

One cannot stress the sensitive nature of this issue, and its ramifications on the rest of the country. It is unfortunate that many political parties and vested lobbies are trying to create unrest through malicious propaganda. Some parties outside Assam are even threatening civil war! I dont expect anything better from them since their raison d'etre is divisive politics and expedience.

However, I expect support from my compatriots. As an Assamese and an Indian, I appeal to you all: Please stand by your people in Assam as they navigate through these turbulent times. Read, research and understand the need for this massive effort, undertaken to sift out the illegal immigrants from our region. Remember, India is a sum total of her parts. For the whole to be safe and secure, the parts need to be safeguarded.Sushma Swaraj said the Wuhan informal summit was held without any agenda and without having any objectives to discuss any specific issue. Before the summit, the foreign ministers of the two countries decided that the leaders should not be restricted to any specific issue, she said.

New Delhi: The India-China face-off over Doklam was resolved through "diplomatic maturity without losing any ground" and status quo has been maintained, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday.

Swaraj told the Lok Sabha that the main objective of the informal summit between prime minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinpin at Wuhan was to ensure mutual comfort, mutual understanding and mutual trust between the two leaders and all the three objectives have been achived. "We have resolved the Doklam issue with diplomatic maturity without losing any ground. There is no change in the status quo (on the ground). There is not an iota of change.

The face-off at sight has been resolved on 28 August 2017," she said during Question Hour. The External Affairs Minister said the Wuhan informal summit was held without any agenda and without having any objectives to discuss any specific issue. Before the summit, the foreign ministers of the two countries decided that the leaders should not be restricted to any specific issue, she said.

"The decision to host Wuhan was taken not to resolve any issue but to create a conducive environment. Three main objectives were to ensure mutual comfort, mutual understanding and mutual trust. In all the three objectives, we have achieved success," she said.

Swaraj said as a follow up to the Wuhan summit, the Chinese Defence Minister is coming to enhance military cooperation while the Foreign Minister will arrive later this year as part of efforts to enhance the people-to-people contact. The first informal summit between Modi and Jinping was held at the Chinese city of Wuhan on 27-28 April.

India and China were locked in a face-off in the Doka La area of the Sikkim sector for over 50 days after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area. China claimed it was constructing the road within their territory which India had objected saying the territory does not belong to China.

To another query, Swaraj also made it clear that the boundary dispute between Bhutan and China was continuing and it was a matter between those two countries.

"Our concern was related only to the tri-junction area (India-Bhutan-China)," she said. Trinamool Congress member Sugata Bose said that since the external affairs minister was not present in Wuhan and prime minister Narendra Modi was present in the House, he should make an intervention and disclose what had happened in his informal summit with the Chinese leader.

Swaraj dismissed the suggestion, saying she was capable of answering all questions relating to the Wuhan summit as she was fully abreast of it. "I am capable to answer all the questions, irrespective of whether I was present there or not. I am fully aware of what was happening there," she said.

Replying to a question regarding the South-China sea dispute, Swaraj said India believed that the international sea route should be free for navigation. "There should be freedom of navigation. Our stand on South China sea is clear that there should be freedom of navigation and all international laws should be adhered to," she said. Regarding the Wuhan summit, Swaraj said as an innovative format for leadership-level diplomatic engagement, it enabled the two leaders to hold direct, free and candid exchange of views on issues of over-arching, long-term and strategic significance, without the constraints of protocol and pre-agenda.

She said it was not meant to discuss specific topics but to strengthen mutual trust and understanding between the two leaders in order to forge a common understanding on the future direction of India-China relations and to create the appropriate conditions for the two sides to deal with their differences constructively.

President Jinping has accepted the Prime Minister's invitation for visiting India for the second informal summit at a mutually convenient time in 2019, Swaraj said.Chitramu became the first village in Khunti block of the district to pull down the pathalgadi plaque on 19 July.

Editor's note: Pathalgadi are stone slabs bearing inscriptions that villagers in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have, over the past year, appropriated to declare their "independence" from the state and central government, and as signposts to mark tribal agitation. This has led to state action against the rebellion. Firstpost will run a series of reported pieces from the region to understand the concerns of locals and the government's position.

Read all parts of the series here

Chitramu (Khunti), Jharkhand: On the morning of 19 July, Arjun Mundas sleep was disturbed by the revving of engines of buses and light-armoured vehicles of security forces, who had blocked the only way to Chitramu village in Jharkhands Khunti block. He lives just a kilometre away, in Latarjang, a sleepy hamlet of around 40 predominantly Munda households.

Chitramu became the first village in Khunti block of the district to pull down the pathalgadi plaque on 19 July, put up a year ago, on the same day as neighbouring Barudih, Ganeor and others, after sustained efforts by district administration, directed by BJP-led state government to contain the movement. In fact, Amit Shah, who toured Jharkhand on 11 July, held prolonged meetings with top BJP and tribal leaders to placate the community's anger towards controversial decisions like attempt to amend CNT & SPT act and Land Acquisition Act.

We came to know in the evening that Pathalgadi installations in Chitramu had been demolished. No one was allowed to enter the village. We also heard that Khunti SP Ashwani Kumar Sinha and deputy commissioner Suraj Kumar were present, says 20-year-old Arjun, a history graduate from Ranchis Doranda College.

Apparently, the gram sabha of Chitramu itself removed the stone slab inscribed with the constitutional rights of tribals guaranteed under Fifth Schedule of Indian Constitution. The plaques mark the Pathalgadi movement raging across Indias tribal belt, aiming to empower the villages in scheduled areas, and in Jharkhand, challenging the Raghubar Das government.

New dawn for the tribals?

Enter Arjuns village of Latarjang and one is still greeted with inscriptions on walls talking about the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution that deals with the administration of scheduled areas. Some also mention land revenue rules and slogans such as        (outsiders, get out).

The government will have to give back the decision-making power to our gram sabhas. We simply cannot let corrupt machinery go on looting the money promised for development, says Shanti Munda, a village elder.

Similar views were being echoed for the past one year at the gram sabha meetings in Chitramu  but the scene is markedly different today.

Labourers drawn from the village pool can be seen digging for new borewells sanctioned by commissioner Kumar. Construction work on a new dam to irrigate fields has also commenced.

Pathalgadi has only brought outsiders and trouble, Madhur Suwasi, a para-teacher in Chitramu, says cautiously. Ever since Pathalgadi work began, government officials were finding it difficult to visit and sanction development work. The administration has promised us jobs, solar lights and a new borewell. We are confident this would be a new dawn.

Yet, Chitramu is situated amid villages which are not quite willing to take the road to development through government sops.

Interestingly, while the population of other villages in Khunti block mainly comprises Munda tribals who have been practising Pathalgadi for ages, Chitramu also has a sizable population of Suwasi, Lohra and Mirdhas who are categorised as scheduled castes and dont subscribe to the tradition.

The block hasnt got any sizeable population of tribals converted to Christianity  a group that has been blamed by right-wing organisations for fanning the Pathalgadi movement across the state.

The Sarna tribals are dominant here. Though we have seen outsiders (referring to self-appointed Pathalgadi leader Yusuf Purti and others) passing through, that is it. We have been demanding empowerment of gram sabhas but the government is interested in vote-bank politics, says resident Simone Munda.

The crackdown

Otherwise a peaceful movement, Pathalgadi earned a bad name after the gangrape of five social activists in Kochang on 19 June. The police blamed the incident on Pathalgadi masterminds and arrested John Jonas Tidu, Balram Samad, Krishna Hansda and Purti  leaving the movement rudderless.

Also arrested was Laxman Munda, headman of Latarjang gram sabha. While the police accused him of instigating naive villagers towards anti-national activities, locals tell another story.

Installing Pathalgadi slabs was the gram sabhas decision. Laxman was arrested for resisting corruption. Recently, an irrigation project was awarded but the gram sabha was not informed. The contractor brought labourers from outside, stealing villagers jobs. Laxman was implicated for resisting this nexus, not because of Pathalgadi, Arjun Munda said.

Social activists blame the crisis on the lack of understanding between the state and the people.

The Mundas have always been an autonomous tribe but were denied the rights for which Birsa Munda fought. Granted under the Fifth Schedule and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, these rights were never implemented fully in Jharkhand even after having three tribal CMs, says Vasvi Kido, tribal scholar and former member of Jharkhand State Womens Commission. Instead of the PESA Act, governments have taken interest in empowering a parallel electoral system that has pitted tribal headmen against elected gram pradhans.

Ratan Tirkey, of the tribal advisory committee, also alleged that the BJP government was targeting Christians by giving Pathalgadi a communal angle after the gangrape, in which the administration is yet to produce conclusive evidence.

He pointed out that the Christian community has been providing health and education facilities in Khunti, Simdega and Seraikela regions for decades.

Referring to dikus (outsiders) not being allowed clause on the Pathalgadi slabs, Tirkey explained that Khunti has become a hotbed for human trafficking. What is the harm in tribals enquiring the purpose of outsiders visit then? he asks.

Police take heart

The police are upbeat after the removal of Pathalgadi slabs in Chitramu, and have reportedly drawn up a list of 22 other villages where this can be repeated.

We know for a fact that villagers were being misled by anti-national elements. Now that they have begun to understand the plot, they are willing to remove the plaques on their own, says commissioner Kumar.

The alleged leadership of Pathalgadi is now behind bars or on the run, and many think the autonomy movement is finally losing steam. Arjun Munda, is however, defiant.

Pathalgadi was carried out by the mandate of our gram sabha and is there to stay. Weve had enough of promises by the administration. They may arrest me too but I want to tell them that I'm not afraid, he says.

(Manmohan Singh is a Lucknow-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)Radhabai Salunke hailing from Beed district in Maharashtra was detained by police as she tried to pour kerosene on herself outside Mantralaya in Mumbai.

Mumbai: A 45-year-old woman allegedly tried to immolate herself in front of the state secretariat here today, the latest such incident at the building in last several months, a police official said.

Radhabai Salunke, hailing from Beed district in Marathwada region, came to the secretariat, also called as 'Mantralaya', on Wednesday and poured kerosene on herself.

She was about to set herself ablaze when the police nabbed her, the official said. The woman had came to the secretariat to seek justice in a land dispute case, Deputy Commissioner of Police Prashant Khaire said. She was detained and handed over to the Marine Drive police, he added.

Earlier in June, a man hailing from Dhule in north Maharashtra, had attempted suicide at the entrance of Mantralaya while seeking probe in a scheduled caste recruitment drive.

In March, a 56-year-old labourer from Beed district had tried to end his life outside the building, after a "police patil" in his village allegedly tried to usurp his land.

In February, a 45-year-old man had committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of Mantralaya, after which the BJP-led state government set up a safety net covering the open space on the first floor of the seven-storey building.

On 22 January, an 84-year-old farmer from Dhule had consumed poison in the Mantralaya premises, demanding adequate compensation for his land, which was acquired by the government for a solar power project.Polling began on Wednesday for Sangli, Jalgaon municipal corporations in Maharashtra where 754 candidates are vying for for 153 seats

Mumbai: Polling began at 7.30 am on Wednesday for elections to two municipal corporations in Maharashtra, where 754 candidates are vying for 153 seats.

Polling is being held for the 78-member Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation (SMKMC) in Western Maharashtra and the 75-member Jalgaon Municipal Corporation (JMC) in North Maharashtra.

The two cities have a cumulative voter population of 7,89,251.

As many as 1,013 polling booths have been set up and 5,792 election staff deployed on duty in the two cities, according to State Election Commissioner J S Saharia.

Polling is also taking place for ward number 97 of the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation.

The voting will continue 5.30 pm and the counting will be taken up on 3 August.

As many as 451 candidates are in fray for 78 seats in the SMKMC, while 303 nominees will vie for 75 seats in Jalgaon.

Sangli has 4,24,179 eligible voters, while their number is 3,65,072 in Jalgaon.

The Ruling BJP-Shiv Sena have joined hands for the JMC, while the BJP is going it alone in the SMKMC.All-India Matua Mahasangha, an organisation of backward classes, today resorted to rail blockade at different railway stations in Eastern Railway's Sealdah section claiming that the complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will leave many people homeless

Kolkata: All-India Matua Mahasangha, an organisation of backward classes, today resorted to rail blockade at different railway stations in Eastern Railway's Sealdah section claiming that the complete draft of the NRC will leave many people homeless.

Protesting the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the complete draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, the All India Matua Mahasangha blocked train movement at different stations during peak office hours. An Eastern Railway spokesperson said train movement in the Sealdah north section has been blocked by the agitators at different stations since 8.30 am, hampering services in Sealdah-Hasnabad, Sealdah-Naihati lines.

"Train movement has been affected by blockades owing to non-railway issue. We are requesting and trying to convince the agitators to lift the blockades," ER spokesperson RN Mahapatra said. Blockades were also reported at Thakurnagar, Sandalia, Palta and some other stations. The complete draft of the NRC in Assam was published on 30 July 30.As part of his campaign in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Congress president Rahul Gandhi will cover four Lok Sabha constituencies in the first three phases.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will kickstart his election campaigning for poll-bound Madhya Pradesh from the holy town of Omkareshwar in the first week of September.

After giving his piece of advice to the Congress leaders from Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday to show a strength of unity ahead of the Assembly election scheduled for end of this year, Rahul finalised his campaigning plan.

According to the plan, Rahul will first visit Omkareshwar temple  one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines in India dedicated to Lord Shiva  which is in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.

After the manhandling episode of Madhya Pradesh Congress in-charge Deepak Babaria in Rewa, allegedly by a group of party workers on 29 July, Rahul called for an emergency meeting at his 12 Tughlak Lane residence on Tuesday to discuss the issue. The meeting was attended by Babaria, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Kamal Nath, campaign committee chairman Jyotiraditya Scindia, Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Ajay Singh, former PCC president Arun Yadav, and senior leaders like Digvijaya Singh, Arun Pachauri and Vivek Tankha.

Against the backdrop of grievance redressal, the Congress president had a detailed discussion with the leaders on planning and campaigning strategy in the state and the constituencies to be covered.

PCC president has informed that Rahul ji will begin his campaigning for Madhya Pradesh election from Omkareshwar, which is in my constituency, during the first week of September, former Union minister Arun Yadav told Firstpost.

As part of his election campaign, the Congress president will cover four Lok Sabha constituencies in the first three phases.

Yesterday's (Tuesday) meeting with Congress president primarily focussed on planning and the campaign strategy for the upcoming election in Madhya Pradesh. Besides his tour plan, Rahul ji took stock of the ground situation in the state, about the issues and how the party would proceed ahead of the election, he added.

According to the plan, Rahul will cover Neemarh-Mandwa-Dhar region of Madhya Pradesh in the first phase. He will cover 22 Assembly seats. Even during Gujarat and Karnataka Assembly polls, Rahul had visited temples as part of his campaigning strategy, and the move was termed as soft Hindutva by his political rivals.

Congress president visits temple not to play any 'soft Hindutva' card. Even before Gujarat and Karnataka polls, he had visited temples during the Uttar Pradesh election. But as it remained out of media watch, no one talked about it. Besides Omkareshwar, he may visit temples in other districts as well, a Congress source from Madhya Pradesh said.

Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan  the three poll bound BJP-ruled states  are seen as big challenges for the Congress.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP has been in power in Madhya Pradesh for the last 15 years. After the end of a decade-long Congress rule under Digvijaya Singh in 2003, the party failed to strengthen itself in the state to pose a tough challenge to ruling BJP.

Since then, the grand old party of India has been grappling with factionalism and infighting in the state. It faced embarrassment and criticism after oblique comments were made by some of its leaders in the state. Babaria episode was the latest one to happen.

After taking over as Congress president, Rahul had asked party leaders to bury any kind of factionalism, and contest elections in poll-bound states unitedly. The central leadership initiated changes in the states organisational structure. Veteran leader and Chhindwara MP Kamal Nath, and comparatively younger Guna MP Scindia have been given key responsibilities this year in Madhya Pradesh, which is to boost partys winning prospects. The PCC has also prepared plans to amplify the pitch of poll campaigning using social media and other options.

Congress is also contemplating on whether to share seats with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the state.Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said social media platforms should weed out circulation of fake news and that the government will not tolerate abuse of data by companies for influencing elections in India.

New Delhi: Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said social media platforms should weed out circulation of fake news and that the government will not tolerate abuse of data by companies for influencing elections in India. He said the government has ordered a CBI investigation into alleged misuse of data of Indian Facebook users by British political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica.

"Any foreign entity, Facebook or Cambridge Analytica, cannot abuse the data of Indians to influence elections of India. India's elections are very transparent, sanctified," Prasad in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour. The government has told social media platforms that fake news or abusive news cannot be circulated and re-circulated to "create crimes" in India, Prasad said, adding, "that will not be acceptable".

"Therefore the origin of those news should also be technologically answered. I have conveyed to them in very clear observation that it does not need rocket science to identify lakhs of messages being circulated on a particular day, in a particular area of a particular state.You must have technological solutions," Prasad said. The minister's comments come within days of rumours on social media platform Whatsapp triggering lynching incidents in the country.

Prasad said while Facebook has apologised to the Government of India and said data was pilfered by other agencies, Cambridge Analytica gave just one reply and did not follow up the other reply. "Therefore, because of these diversions and since the reply was not adequately convincing, I have referred the matter to the CBI," Prasad said.

The Minister said Facebook in its response has said that about 5.62 lakh Indians may have been potentially affected in the Cambridge Analytica case. "However, Cambridge Analytica responded that they do not have any Facebook data on Indian citizens. To a second notice, Facebook informed that Cambridge Analytica had violated Facebook's policy. Cambridge Analytica has not responded to the second notice," he said.

He said the government has asked social media platforms to appoint a grievance officer in India before whom complaints can be made and comply with the requirements of Indian law. "We respect privacy. But privacy cannot be used to shield terrorists and corrupt," he added.The bill to restore the original provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will be brought in Parliament, he said. The Supreme Court in a ruling in March had introduced safeguards which, Dalit leaders and organisations said, diluted the Act and rendered it toothless.

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill to restore original provisions of a law on prevention of atrocities against people of scheduled castes and tribes, a move seen as a reach-out by the BJP-led NDA government to Dalits days ahead of their proposed 9 August nationwide protest with this key demand.

The bill rules out any provision for an anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SC)/Scheduled Tribes (ST), notwithstanding any court order, while it also provides that no preliminary enquiry will be required for registering a criminal case and an arrest under this law would not be subject to any approval.

Dalit groups have been asking the government to overturn a Supreme Court ruling of 20 March, saying it had "diluted" and rendered "toothless" the law against atrocities faced by the weakest sections of the society by putting additional safeguards against arrest of the accused.

Their nationwide protest on 20 April had turned violent in several states, leaving at least 12 dead, while call has been given for another 'Bharat Bandh' on 9 August with several Opposition parties also offering their support this time.

With several Dalit leaders from within the BJP and some of the NDA allies also voicing their support for necessary steps to 'overturn' the apex court ruling, the government now hopes to table the bill in Parliament during the ongoing session itself for passage.

Terming the bill "historic", Union minister and BJP ally Ram Vilas Paswan told reporters that a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill and it is likely to be tabled in Parliament during the ongoing session.

The bill says a preliminary enquiry will not be required for registration of a criminal case (FIR) under this law and any arrest if necessary will not be subject to any approval.

It also rules our any provision for anticipatory bail for the accused "notwithstanding any judgement or order of any court," he said.

The Supreme Court in an order on 20 March had introduced safeguards like prior enquiry and provision for anticipatory bail for accused, sparking massive protests from Dalit groups who said it made the law "toothless".

The BJP hopes that the government's decision will defuse the anger among Dalits and tribals, while boosting its efforts to win over a major section of them as it gears up for assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajsthan, Chhattisgarh later this year and then the Lok Sabha election next year, leaders said.

Paswan had emerged as a key voice within the government seeking a new law to overturn the court's order, leaving many to wonder if his Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) was drifting away from the BJP over Dalit issues ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

The LJP president, however, today asserted that "all issues are closed" now and heaped praise on

Modi for his several pro-Dalit measures and said his party's planned protests on August 9, when Dalit groups have called for 'Bharat Bandh', will now turn into celebrations.

It was not immediately clear whether other Dalit groups would go ahead with the nationwide protest planned for 9 August.

Modi said in the Cabinet meeting that if needed the law will be made more stringent, Paswan said.

The Bill is a "tight slap" on faces of opposition parties which had been projecting the government as "anti-Dalit", the senior union minister said.

The issue has exposed all parties as ruling party leaders like him made protests and invited "suspicion" over their intentions but Opposition leaders like Congress president Rahul Gandhi did not make their stand clear on it, Paswan said.

Using the occasion to take potshots at rivals, Paswan said the "self-proclaimed" Dalit leaders like BSP supremo Mayawati should seek apology as she, as the then Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 2007, had relaxed the law's provisions, while the Modi government has taken so many measures for Dalits.

The government has already stopped implementation of a UGC directive, which resulted in a fall in the number of reserved seats in universities and colleges, and move the Supreme Court to get quota in promotion of SCs and STs government officials started, he said.

Several BJP leaders, especially its Dalit MPs, had also been asking the government to take measures to over-ride the apex court's order.Delhi's Patiala House court on Wednesday allowed Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, accused in his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death case, to travel abroad.

Delhi's Patiala House court on Wednesday allowed Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, accused in the case of his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death, to travel abroad. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal allowed Tharoor's application seeking permission to travel to Canada for a few days. Tharoor is scheduled to leave for Canada on 10 August.

While granting him permission to travel abroad, the court directed him to furnish a fixed deposit receipt of Rs 2 lakh before it, which shall be refunded after his return.

"Tharoor has cooperated with the investigation. He had appeared before court on the first date in pursuance of the summons issued to him. There is nothing on record to presume that he may flee justice," the court order said.

The court had earlier granted exemption to Tharoor from personal appearance for a day after he said that he was unable to come to court since Parliament was in session.

Earlier in July, the Patiala House court had granted bail to the Congress leader on conditions that he will not tamper with the evidence and shall not leave India without permission. Prior to this, the Delhi police had objected to Tharoor's bail saying that he is an influential person and can hamper the investigation.

The court had on 5 June summoned Tharoor, observing there was sufficient ground to proceed against him. Tharoor has been charged under sections 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but has not been arrested in the case yet.

Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a five-star hotel in Delhi on 17 January, 2014.

With inputs from PTIDespite UNESCO objections, the Bangladesh government has approved more than 320 industrial projects in the area, including a massive coal-fired power plant.

United Nations: The Sundarbans forest, which is the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world and home to several endangered species, is being threatened by "heedless industrialisation, according to a UN rights expert, who called on the Government of Bangladesh to halt the process.

Stretching along the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans is considered one of the natural wonders of the world. However, despite objections from the World Heritage Committee of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the Bangladesh government has approved more than 320 industrial projects in the area, including a massive coal-fired power plant. The process bypassed requirements for public participation and an environmental impact assessment.

"The accelerating industrialisation of the Sundarbans threatens not only this unique ecosystem  which hosts Bengal tigers, Ganges river dolphins and other endangered species  but also poses serious risks to the human rights of the 6.5 million people whose lives, health, housing, food and cultural activities depend directly on a safe, healthy and sustainable Sundarbans forest," said John Knox, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment.

Last year, the High Court of Bangladesh directed the government not to approve any industrial development within the 10 kilometres of the reserved forest, but according to UNESCO, approvals continue to be given. "The threat posed by untrammelled industrialisation of the Sundarbans is emblematic of the threats facing the environment around the world," the Special Rapporteur said, adding that "of course, the people of Bangladesh, like people around the world, need to improve their economic well-being". Knox stressed that "pursuing short-term economic gain in disregard of environmental costs" was simply unsustainable.

Knox, who is an independent human rights expert appointed by the Human Rights Council, explained that mangrove forests provide "benefits for clean air and water that extend far beyond their immediate location". He called on the Government of Bangladesh to halt the industrialisation. "Pursuing short-term economic gain in disregard of environmental costs is chasing fools' gold. Without a healthy environment, economic gains are unsustainable," Knox added. "To have truly sustainable development, it is critical to protect the environment. And to ensure that environmental concerns are taken into account, governments must listen to the voices of those who are most affected by proposed industrial projects."

"Too often, the people who raise questions about development projects are ignored or even treated as enemies of the state. But really, they should be treated as the champions of sustainable development," the expert said.It remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will acknowledge the presence of nepotism in appointment of judges and initiate timely reforms.

In 2013, the collegium of the Punjab and Haryana High Court  comprising the then chief justice (now Supreme Court judge) AK Sikri and justices Jasbir Singh and SK Mittal  had recommended the names of eight advocates to be promoted to the high court. The lawyers recommended for elevation were Manisha Gandhi (daughter of former chief justice of India AS Anand), Girish Agnihotri (son of former justice MR Agnihotri), Vinod Ghai and BS Rana (former juniors of Justice SK Mittal), Gurminder Singh and Raj Karan Singh Brar (former juniors of Justice Jasbir Singh), Arun Palli (son of former justice PK Palli) and HS Sidhu (additional advocate-general in Punjab).

Soon after the collegium cleared these names, around a thousand advocates sent in a signed memorandum to the then President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, the prime minister as well as the Chief Justice of India (CJI), raising serious questions about it.

The memorandum read: "The independence and integrity of the Indian judiciary has been put at stake by the collegium of the Punjab and Haryana High Court while recommending the names of advocates for elevation as judges. The reason for recommending such names puts a big question mark on the decision of the collegium, which seems to have based it on considerations rather than the merit and integrity of the candidates It has now become a matter of practice and convenience to recommend the names of advocates who are the sons, daughters, relatives and juniors of former judges and chief justices."

The letter also pointed out serious deficiencies in the selections, as in the case of Manisha Gandhi "whose sole qualification is that she is the daughter of former CJI AS Anand". The memorandum highlighted that she had appeared in only 36 cases in 2012. "Among them, two were CRMs (criminal miscellaneous petitions), eight were CWPs (civil writ petitions) and 26 were company appeals," the memorandum added. "In 2013, she appeared only in seven company appeals... Recently, she was appointed the additional advocate-general of the Punjab and Haryana High Court so she could be considered for elevation by the collegium."

Also, the fact that Justice Mittal was part of the high court collegium and still recommended advocates with direct links to him highlighted a serious conflict of interest and issues with propriety.

After outrage by some thousand advocates, the Supreme Court rejected six of the eight recommendations, asking the high court to reconsider the names of Palli and Sidhu.

This case highlighted one of the most significant problems with the current method of judicial appointments  the perpetuation of what may be called "judicial dynasties", or collegiums appointing relatives, friends, former colleagues and juniors in high positions. In spite of all the criticism and clear cases of names being recommended and appointments being made because of personal equations, this practice has only flourished the past few decades, as the fear of contempt dissuades people from highlighting examples of nepotism.

However, the Narendra Modi government seems to be intent on curbing this trend, which became evident first in June 2016, when the Centre had put on hold the appointment of 44 judges at the Allahabad High Court. Seven of the 44 advocates recommended by the high court collegium were related to serving or retired former judges of the court.

As reported by The Times of India on Wednesday, it has come to light that once again, the Centre has pointed out that at least 11 of the 33 names recommended for elevations by the Allahabad High Court collegium in February were advocates with links to sitting and retired judges.

While arguing that one cannot be barred from a judicial office merely because his or her family member happens to be a judge, various constitutional experts and legal luminaries have stressed on the need for more transparency in the process followed to make the recommendations to build confidence in the system. However, the higher ranks of the judiciary have done little on this front despite extensive talks on reforms.

In an interaction with Firstpost in 2016, Anupam Gupta, a senior advocate at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, had made a valid point  he had highlighted that the Supreme Court had ignored the problem of nepotism in judicial appointments in its judgment in the 2015 case of the National Judicial Appointments Commission. The bench, however, had noted the "conflict of interest" in the executive's participation in the process, saying it was "far beyond any known jurisprudential boundaries".

By openly pointing out the names of judges' relatives in the list sent by the Allahabad High Court collegium, the Centre has shone the floodlights on the proverbial elephant in the room. It now remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will acknowledge its presence and initiate timely reforms.Vikram Sood's The Unending Game covers some of the most exciting aspects of Indian intelligence's failures and successes

There are few who can resist spy stories, or the escapades of the never-say-die Mr Bond. Nor can any of us resist a peek into the world of intelligence, when it is offered up in the form of a book by an author who has not just headed the countrys external intelligence agency, but also spent some 31 years in its dark innards. The Unending Game by Vikram Sood is a book to be read with care. The most delicious parts are hidden across its 269 pages, which cover some of the most exciting aspects of intelligence failures and successes. Speed reading in not recommended. Get a highlighter instead.

The value of the book is that it combines the virtues of a textbook with the human interest of a novel. In terms of the former, it begins with a chapter on How spies work and thereafter deals with the many difficulties that spy masters grapple with. This includes the risks and difficulties in creating a good agent  with the stress on creation in almost every way  the how to of getting of a source in an enemy country or embassy, and advice on developing that fine sense on how much to pay an intelligence source (paying less is niggardly and unworthy; pay too much, and the source will quite literally manufacture more of the same for your edification). The section outlining the ideal attributes of an intelligence officer are fascinating. One of them is deception, not in terms of stringing a lot of lies together, but the ability to be different persons to different people, not an easy task for the unimaginative or unperceptive. Master spy Kim Philby remained British to the core, even while spying successfully for the Soviets for decades. Vasili Nikitich Mitrokhin patiently copied out 25,000 pages of documents (to hand over to the British), while working quietly in the Soviet Archives department. The most successful are obviously those who were never found out.

The book is surprisingly nimble in covering not only intelligence lessons from the 1940s to the present, but a phalanx of intelligence agencies of different countries. Thus there is an invaluable chapter on Chinese intelligence, which is so often overlooked in India, in favour of the ubiquitous ISI. The fact that one may merge into the other seems not to have concerned anyone in the government very much. There is an equally fascinating account of Five Eyes  an intelligence collaboration between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US  which remained top secret from 1946 till 2010 when the full text of the agreement was published. The Big Five spied on everyone else, and pooled their intelligence in an operation that even the Australian Prime Minister was unaware of. The group spied on people who ranged from John Lennon, Nelson Mandela and US presidential hopefuls. The author notes (almost in a sly aside) that it was the British who first uncovered the Trump- Soviet angle, making this intelligence quintuplet a creature that worked both outwards and inwards. Nobody was spared.

For many of us, the most fascinating sections are likely to be those to do with India and its neighbours. There is a sparkling account of the Pakistan during the time of Zulfikar Bhutto  described as Uriah Heep in one moment and an arrogant Sindhi feudal lord the next  and the search for the nuclear bomb. An account of the Abdul Qadir Khan nuclear network follows, and the revelation that a lot of Pakistanis were making a quick buck by selling nuclear technology to countries like Iran and North Korea. There is also the surprising fact that Prime Minister Morarji Desai actually told General Zia that India was well aware of Pakistans nuclear ambitions. This led the startled general to clamp down on security, probably leading to a migraine at R&AW. Political leaders are not known to be the most adept at using intelligence, and Desai must rank among the worst.

Then are the anecdotes about Indian intelligence  restricted naturally to those already in the public sphere, or almost. That Chinese intelligence had entrapped a mid-level Indian diplomat some years ago, and that Soviets had at one time so much access into India (particularly the media, such that the phrase Press Tass of India became a joke among skeptics), is revealed in the book. More recently, former CIA agent Edward Snowden, who leaked 1.7 million classified files relating to massive US surveillance, was refused asylum in India with the then External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid actually defending the US  despite India being the fifth most scrutinised country in the hierarchy. Either it was sheer ignorance of the extent of the problem, or high diplomacy  or both. Another gem is how US intelligence money  now routed through the National Endowment for Democracy  finally found its way (all $4,00,000 of it) to an NGO called Kabir, run by Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia.

As one of the largest or the most well funded agencies in the world, the CIA gets its share of attention. Many an intelligence head has previously called it the worst intelligence agency in the world, home to some of the worst assessments. The CIAs inability to predict when the Soviets would first nuclearise, the later debacle in Iraq, and its unstable cooperation with the Pakistanis all rate a caustic mention. Bitterness is however evident in the assessment that India-US intelligence cooperation remains high on rhetoric and low on delivery. The late B Raman, who had also served at senior levels in R&AW, would often bemoan the number of times the US was served with stark evidence of Pakistani treachery, and how it was ignored or derided. It took 9/11 to change that perception. Now, the US is everywhere in India. The doors seem to have been flung open. But thats a political decision.

As befitting an intelligence chief, the author is obviously conversant with the pitfalls and opportunities of discussing intelligence with the leadership. The author observes the political penchant for instant coffee intelligence rather than sober, long term effort. One cant really blame political leaders for this. After all, like the flying ants that come after the rain, they have a definite shelf life. However one can and must blame the bureaucrats who often blur the issue due to a poor or non-existent knowledge of the exigencies of intelligence gathering, and what actually constitutes national security. Unlike Pakistan, which has clear and continuous clarity on India as enemy, our national security priorities tend to vacillate, and with it, the problems of short term intelligence operations. While the author is understandably cautious on this aspect, one can recollect a certain high-ranking official trashing a 20-year evaluation of India-Pakistan strategy by asking irritably whether the evaluation could be rectified into a three-year assessment. Yet, intelligence-political consultation is an absolute prerequisite, even if it often requires a degree of hard-headedness on the part of the intelligence chief on exactly what he thinks a head of state needs to know. To say thats difficult is the understatement of the century.

This is a book for the student, for the intelligence skeptic, and for those talking heads on television who pronounce judgement without ever having asked the right questions. It is also for the political leadership, who often fail to see intelligence activity for what it is  continuous, hard, unrelenting work, lit sometimes with an exhilaration that comes from having unearthed that right link, input and assessment. There is no switching on of the stage lights when this happens, but there is a hounding by anyone at all, really anyone, when there is a failure. Intelligence agencies are staffed by those who can make mistakes, and do. But finally, it is an instrument of the state that can be used as well or as badly as the state decides. This book gives you a nice readable opportunity to do just the former, with a nice plate of chips on the side.

The author, who was formerly in the National Security Council Secretariat, tweets @karthataraPolice said 'the girl is stuck inside the shaft at a depth of about 45 feet. A team of doctors has been pressed into service and adequate oxygen supply is being ensured with the help of cylinders and pipes'.

Munger: Rescue operations are in full swing here for a three-year-old girl who slipped and fell into a borewell shaft, said to be more than 100 feet deep, last evening, officials said on Wednesday.

The child - Sanno -had come to her maternal grandparents' home in Murgiyachak locality of the town. On Tuesday she was playing near the borewell shaft in the courtyard of the house and fell into it, Munger Superintendent of Police Gaurav Mangla told reporters. "Rescue operations have been on and we are confident that she will be rescued later in the day", the SP said.

He also said "the girl is stuck inside the shaft at a depth of about 45 feet. A team of doctors has been pressed into service and adequate oxygen supply is being ensured with the help of cylinders and pipes".

The SDRF has been here since Tuesday and they will soon be joined by a team of the NDRF which is reaching here by helicopter, the SP said adding that a horizontal access was being dug out to reach the spot.

State disaster management minister Dinesh Chandra Yadav told a news channel "the administrative machinery has been instructed to ensure that the girl is rescued safely. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is personally monitoring the development".The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the team of rescue officials on Wednesday, just hours before the success of the operation.

A three-year-old girl, who fell into a 110-feet deep borewell on Tuesday in Bihar's Munger, was successfully rescued by officials on Wednesday.

According to Times Now, the intense rescue efforts went on for 23 hours before the girl named Sana was safely rescued. The doctors were worried because the officials could manage to send only water to the girl since Wednesday morning and had sent some chocolates for her on Tuesday. Munger Superintendent of Police Gaurav Mangla told reporters that Sana smeared with mud when she was taken out of the borewell at 9.45 pm, according to PTI. After the rescue, the girl, accompanied by her parents Nachiketa Sao and Sudha Devi, was taken to a hospital in an ambulance. She had been trapped in the borewell for around 31 hours.

INDIA TODAY EXCLUSIVE: FIRST IMAGES OF RESCUED SANA Munger, Bihar: NDRF team rescued 3-year-old Sana from borewell, child rushed to a hospital#NewsToday Live at: https://t.co/4fqxBVUizL pic.twitter.com/ccVNsedG7A  India Today (@IndiaToday) August 1, 2018

#Bihar: 3-year-old girl who was rescued after being trapped in a 110 feet deep borewell since yesterday, has been admitted to Sadar hospital in Munger. pic.twitter.com/w6H1u6WQDF  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

The child  who had come to her maternal grandparents' home in Murgiyachak locality of the town  was playing near the borewell shaft on Tuesday when she slipped and fell into it, Mangla had told reporters. Some of her family members were a few yards away and they raised an alarm, Mangla said. "Rescue work began almost instantly. A trench parallel to the shaft was dug, a little over 45 feet deep the level at which the girl was estimated to be trapped. She was provided oxygen with the help of cylinders and pipes which were being handled by doctors who were pressed into service," the Munger SP said. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the team of rescue officials on Wednesday, just hours before the success of the rescue operation. "We sent our team by the state government's helicopter. They did primarily two things. First, they helped the girl's mother talk to the girl inside with the help of a device. Second, a horizontal axis was carved into the trench so that the girl could be pulled out safely," Commandant, 9th Battalion NDRF Vijay Sinha, told PTI. As it began to drizzle in the evening, tarpaulin sheets were placed above the trench to prevent water from seeping as it could have jeopardised the rescue operation. Minister of State for Human Resource Development Upendra Kushwaha took to Twitter to hail the efforts of the rescue team.

Fearless, courageous #SANA come out of borewell after hard work and successful joint operation by #ARMY & #SDRF Team with the help of local administration. Kudos to #SANA and rescue team.#PrayForSanno #PrayForSana https://t.co/Brzyt5CdO2  Upendra Kushwaha (@UpendraRLSP) August 1, 2018

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar expressed delight over the girl's rescue and congratulated all those involved in the operation. He also issued instructions for her proper treatment of the girl and prayed for her speedy recovery.

With inputs from PTICBI opposed the discharge plea of Gujarat IPS officer Vipul Aggarwal in the Tulsiram Prajapati 'fake' encounter case in Bombay High Court

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed the discharge plea of Gujarat IPS officer Vipul Aggarwal in the Tulsiram Prajapati 'fake' encounter case in the Bombay High Court on Wednesday.

"The role played by Aggarwal in the conspiracy was different from that (allegedly) played by Gujarat ATS chief DG Vanzara, who has been discharged," the CBI lawyer said.

Aggarwal was facing trial on the charges of destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy. His discharge application was dismissed by the trial court in November 2017.

CBI's lawyer Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told Justice AM Badar that Aggarwal's and former Gujarat (ATS) chief Vanzara's case were not similar.

The CBI charged Vanzara and several other senior officials of Gujarat and Rajasthan police for abducting and killing gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh and his wife Kausar Bi in November 2005, and Shaikh's aide and an alleged eyewitness of the killings, Prajapati, in December 2006.

Aggarwal is an accused only in the Prajapati case. As per the charge sheet, while Gujarat ATS officer, Ashish Pandya, actually shot Prajapati dead in a fake encounter, Aggarwal ensured that Pandya's leave records were destroyed and a fake FIR was registered to show that Prajapati had escaped from police custody.

The trial court had noted that on the face of it Aggarwal, at Vanzara's behest, had summoned Ashish Pandya, who was on leave to carry out the fake encounter.

Aggarwal's lawyer argued in the high court that he was merely doing his official duty by following Vanzara's orders, and thus, he must be granted the same relief as Vanzara on the ground of "parity".

Guatam Tiwari, the lawyer of Sohrabuddin's brother Rubabuddin Shaikh, opposed the plea. Aggarwal's official duty was to "uphold the rule of law," and not to "oblige his superior officers", Tiwari said.

In July, Justice Badar concluded the hearing and reserved his verdict on petitions filed by Rubabuddin and the CBI opposing the discharge granted to Vanzara and some other police officers, some of them now retired. Arguments on Aggarwal's plea are likely to continue Thursday.The meaning behind Shah referring to Rajiv and the Assam Accord as the soul of the NRC is that Rahul, as Congress president, is opposing what his father agreed to, with sign and seal. Surely, such a narrative is unhealthy for the Congress' prospects.

Towards the end of the short debate on the second and final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu called on BJP president Amit Shah as the next speaker. The BJP chiefs decision to step up and address the House on this sensitive issue is indicative of his and the Modi governments intent to take a clear stand and convey a strong message to all concerned that it is not going to bow to any pressure tactics from the Opposition parties or of so-called human rights groups.

The sense of unease in the Opposition benches in the Upper House was clear. It was apparently taken by surprise. In these short debates, the ruling party does not usually field its top guns. It is left to the minister concerned to respond. Even before Shah could rise, objections from the Opposition came in form of a 'point of order' by a Trinamool Congress member. As soon as he began to speak, Congress leader Anand Sharma objected, and pointed to the watch. But Shah continued, and said he would finish within the stipulated time.

Incidentally, this was also the first time since Naidu took over as Rajya Sabha Chairman that he allowed Question Hour to be suspended and had a short debate on a subject which the Opposition insisted was an issue of 'urgent national importance'.

But as the irony would have it, Shah, the last speaker on the list, was not allowed to talk properly. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was to respond, was also not allowed to speak. Singh, who had been trying to make a statement and respond to members' concerns and queries was not allowed to speak despite repeated requests from the Chairman.

Shah barely spoke for two minutes before his speech was interrupted. But he managed to convey the central thrust of his message: That the Rajiv Gandhi government signed the Assam Accord in August 1985 with All Jharkhand Students Union (AAJSU), and conceded to the protesters' demands for identification and deportation of illegal immigrants (Bangladeshis or foreigners) and that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the soul of the Assam Accord.

The mere mention of Rajivs name caused an uproar in the Congress ranks. The meaning behind Shah referring to Rajiv and the Assam Accord as the soul of the NRC is that Rahul, as Congress president, is opposing what his father agreed to, with sign and seal. Surely, such a narrative is unhealthy for the Congress' prospects.

Amid the din, Shah managed to speak two more sentences: Who are to trying to save?you are trying to save Bangladeshis. Shah made his point: at least in terms of building public narrative for his party.

Later, Shah tweeted:

NRC is the soul of same Assam accord signed by former PM Rajiv Gandhi in 1985. Congress did not have the courage to implement it and now Modi government is doing what Congress could not. pic.twitter.com/7bKXAFhjN8  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 31, 2018

The way the entire debate in both Houses of Parliament was shaped by the Opposition gave one the sense that it is trying to give a communal colour to this Supreme Court-mandated exercise. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who on Monday said that she was ready to offer shelter to over 40 lakh illegal residents of Assam in West Bengal, on Tuesday claimed the NRC would unleash a civil war in the country. Her contention: The BJP is doing it with an eye on the next election. Incidentally, Mamata is in Delhi.

Minutes after her speech, Shah addressed a press conference, and said Mamata needed to enhance her general knowledge. The BJP never changed its position on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, he added. The BJP demanded their identification and disenfranchisement when in Opposition and maintains same stand when it is in power today, he further said.

The NRC has sharpened conflict between Congress, its partners and the ruling BJP. The problem for the Opposition is that it has, so far, been unable to come out with a coherent argument against the Assam NRC which was mandated by the Supreme Court.Supreme Court has reserved its judgement ont he Sabarimala temple entry case after arguments concluded on the eight day of hearing.

The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on a clutch of petitions challenging restriction on the entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 into Kerala's Sabarimala temple. Arguments for the case concluded on Wednesday.

Amicus curiae K Ramamurthy argued that the apex court should steer clear of interfering with the religious practises which have been in vogue for centuries, reported CNN News18. Rejoinders were then submitted by lawyers RP Gupta and Indira Jaisingh. Towards the end of the hearing, lawyer Jaideep Gupta concluded his arguments on the note that the Constitution is reformist and going back to antiquity will not result in reform. The hearing for the eighth day concluded and the bench reserved its judgment.

During the hearing, the bench heard arguments about the celibate nature of the temple's deity. The court has to decide validity of the custom that bars entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 years. Women of menstruating age are restricted from entering the temple as its deity, Lord Ayyappa, is considered to be celibate.

The Sabarimala temple entry case is being heard by a Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra along with justices Rohinton Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra.

Amicus curaie K Ramamurthy earlier stated that this is a matter of religious practise protected under Article 25 of the Constitution of India and this cannot be tested on any judicial parameters. So the Supreme Court should not be deliberating on an issue which connotes religious practise, customs which have been practised by a religious denomination for centuries, he argued.

Ramamurthy said the State can interfere with the secular affairs of temple, not into religious aspects and that higher things have to be debated before the court but not this, reported Bar and Bench.

Senior advocate Raju Ramchandran, another amicus curiae appointed in the case, has taken a contrary view. He argued that this is an issue about violations of Fundamental Rights of women. According to Ramchandran, this restriction violates women's Right to Equality and is discriminatory. Hence, the apex court should step in and do away with this practise, he argued.

With inputs from PTIBushra Ateeq is perturbed that very little is known about mutations and alterations carried by people within the Indian subcontinent. This is the scenario that her team wants to change.

Editor's note: The Life of Science and Firstpost bring you this series profiling Indian women in Science. The challenges in Indian scientific life are many  more so for women taking up this path. This series honours those who beat the odds and serve as inspirations for the next generation of Indian science  a generation that is slowly and surely on its way to becoming gender equal.

***

By Ipsita Herlekar

Bushra Ateeq | Cancer biologist | Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

Clean, gleaming benches lined Bushra Ateeqs laboratory and I watched curiously as her students worked diligently with the high-tech equipment that occupied the space. Picking up on my interest, Bushra unveiled her prized possession  an inverted fluorescent microscope. In my Masters and PhD days, I had to go to other departments to use their fluorescent microscopes. Now my lab has one of its own, she said proudly.

An Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, one of Indias first IITs, Bushra focuses on cancers of the prostate, breast and the colon. The whole idea for me is to fill the bench-to-bedside gap," she said, referring to the typically long waits involved in translating research to treatments available in the hospitals.

Our lab wants to discover anti-cancer therapeutic targets, she began. These targets are genetic biomarkers that can help detect cancer in its early stages. This is crucial because early detection drastically improves the chances of a cancer patient recovering completely. Bushra emphasised that a persons susceptibility to cancer varies with ethnicity and age. For example, Asians are thought to be less susceptible as compared to Caucasians or Africans, in whom certain cancer-linked genetic mutations and alterations are more common. However, Bushra is perturbed that very little is known about mutations and alterations carried by people within the Indian subcontinent. This is the scenario that her team wants to change.

A cure to cancer may seem elusive. This is mostly because it is highly unlikely that a single medical procedure or drug can treat all types. Cancer occurs due to multiple factors that not only vary in terms of their type, but also from one person to another depending on their genetic makeup. Cancer is a heterogeneous disease and is characterised by multiple genetic alterations. For example, the alterations and mutations responsible for prostate cancer in one person may be different from another. Therefore, cancer therapy research today is orienting towards developing more customised drugs and therapies for patients. This is a good move, but for Bushra what matters the most is that the advances made are translated into procedures that would help improve the lives of cancer patients.

Biomarkers for early detection

Prostate cancer, the focus of much of Bushras current work, is the cancer of the prostate gland, a walnut-sized and spherical gland located below the urinary bladder in men. Its function is to secrete seminal fluids, the healthy medium through which sperm is transported. The cancer cells Bushra performs her experiments on, are from American Type Cell Culture Collection  a cell culture repository and supplier of standardised quality cancer cells. First, Bushra genetically modifies the cells in many ways. Her objective is to identify modifications that minimise or completely stop the growth and spread of cancer.

In addition, Bushra also wants to identify the patterns of gene alterations that occur in the Indian population. For this, she associates with hospitals and medical centres, namely Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College (GSVM) in Kanpur, King Georges Medical University in Lucknow and All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. These hospitals provide her with samples of human cancer tissues that come from biopsies and surgeries conducted on patients suffering from breast and prostate cancers.

Genetic alterations occur when genes get rearranged in some way. Sometimes the region between two genes gets deleted due to reasons that could be both genetic or environmental. As a result, the two genes are fused together. For example, an active gene can fuse with a silent gene, as a result, activating it. If a silent oncogene (cancer-causing gene) gets activated in this fashion, then this could be bad news. Once such alterations are identified, treatments can be devised to block the functioning of such genes.

The IIT Kanpur team is specifically examining the cancer-causing mechanism of a protein called SPINK1 (short for Serine Protease Inhibitor Kazal-type 1). Higher levels of SPINK1 are present in prostate cancer patients, who often happen to be negative for genetic alteration. SPINK1 is also thought to play a role in breast and colon cancers. Among the prostate cancer samples tested by Bushras team, 15 percent tested positive for SPINK1. The team also identified the presence of other genetic alterations and gene fusions linked to prostate cancer. They discovered that one such alteration, called RAF gene fusion, was more than twice as common among Indian prostate cancer patients (~5 percent of Indian patients as compared to only ~2 percent of Caucasian patients).

In a first-of-its-kind attempt in the Indian sub-continent, Bushra and her team have tested nearly 121 prostate cancer tissue samples and identified several significant genetic alterations. These discoveries have the potential to be translated into effective therapies and treatments. This was one of the first such discovery from India. It was like a rough check of the prostate cancer cohort in India, Bushra said. She is confident that the USA Food and Drug Association-approved RAF gene inhibitors that have been widely used to treat melanoma (skin cancer) in Western countries can be used in the treatment of prostate cancer patients in India.

Cancer calling

The number of prostate cancer cases in India is escalating. Currently, nine in 1,00,000 men are affected, and it is the second-most common form of cancer after oral cancer to affect men in India. The Indian National Cancer Registry in its report predicts the number of prostate cancer patients to double by 2020. Bushra attributes this to the increase in life expectancy of humans today  which is around 76 years for men. With age, the chances of prostate cancer rise. Its more of an old age cancer.

Bushra plans to continue shedding light on the mutational landscape of the Indian population through gene sequencing. Apart from this, she is also working towards developing a non-invasive technique to identify prostate cancer-specific biomarkers through urine tests. The method that is currently used to conduct a biopsy of the prostate gland involves making up to 12 punctures in the prostate gland using thick needles. This is how tissue samples are extracted for testing.Watching a biopsy take place is so painful, it makes you feel you should come up with some alternative system of maybe a blood-based or urine-based diagnosis. I personally feel urine-based diagnosis is better as it is totally non-invasive, and being the cancer of the prostate gland makes it easier to get a biomarker in the urine, she explained.

Cancer biology was not always on the cards for Bushra during her research education. Her PhD thesis leaned more towards environmental genetics. She recalled how her interest in cancer biology was triggered while examining catfish chromosomes. The chromosomal aberrations that occur in catfish after exposure to chemicals commonly used in farmlands got Bushra thinking. Could there be similarly disastrous effects of these herbicides on humans as well? I wanted to look at the effects of these chemicals on people using them in agriculture, she said. Looking at chromosomal breakages, the one disease that comes in your mind is cancer.

So upon finishing her PhD, Bushra began closely working with cancer. She did her post-doctoral research in AIIMS and the National Institute of Immunology (NII) in New Delhi and followed it up with fellowships in Canada and the USA to train herself in advanced techniques in cancer research. Armed with this knowledge and expertise, Bushra returned to India in 2013 to set-up her own lab at IIT Kanpur.

Red tape and overburdened hospital workers

In her five years of doing cancer research in India, Bushra has realised that a major part of the inconveniences faced by scientists here is a result of the red tape in academia. Funding agencies take long to process grant applications and the delivery of lab supplies get delayed due to lengthy clearance procedures at customs offices  such hiccups can keep scientists like Bushra in a limbo.

However, more serious for Bushra is the difficulty in sourcing human cancer tissues from local hospitals and clinics. This involves getting ethical clearances, and sometimes the process for this is tedious for her. As per protocol, patients have to sign consent forms informing them of why, how and where their tissue samples would be used. However, Bushra has noticed that hospital staff and clinicians tend to see this as an extra burden and therefore hesitate to discuss the topic with their patients. Applications for ethical clearances, hence, tend to involve large amounts of paperwork and often result in dead-ends. My students end up waiting for hours outside a hospitals operation theatre to get tissue samples from surgeries and biopsies, Bushra lamented. According to her, this problematic system is why she has not been successful in procuring cancer tissue samples representing a wider geographical area.

Another hurdle for researchers like Bushra is the lack of medical data on cancer patients. In the West, they have proper follow-up records of patients. For example, when did they drop the treatment, how did they respond to medicines, and MRI information... She rues that India lacks the systematic way of recording and filing information related to the patients treatment and their subsequent response to it. This is especially challenging, she is aware, because of the mobility of patients. Patients come from far corners of the country for surgeries, chemotherapy or radiation treatment available in large hospitals, and return to their homes as soon as the course is completed. Follow-ups are often not done and information on whether the patient survived or how long they survived after the treatment is therefore unavailable. Databases in hospitals need to be modernised, emphasised Bushra. Her experience has made it clear that updates from patients tremendously accelerates research and allows cancer researchers in India to new treatments accordingly.

A healthy atmosphere for all scientists

Bushra praises IIT Kanpurs unconventionally non-bureaucratic environment for giving her the freedom to conduct research and forge collaborations without any interferences. This, she believes, is most important for a scientist. It's the best place to be in India, she said. The environment is very friendly. I can walk to the deans office with a problem, and they will try their best to resolve the issue. I can approach even the director and they are always ready to help.

I think I am just a scientist, stated Bushra, expressing her distaste for the label woman scientist. She recalled no instances either at home or at work, where she felt disadvantaged as a woman. For this, she credits the liberal upbringing she received from her parents and the support of her friends and colleagues. However, she later recalled an unpleasant incident that occurred during her days as a graduate student at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). During a conversation about career plans post-PhD, a male friend and colleague suggested, to Bushras surprise, that she would be better suited to take up a teaching position at a local undergraduate girls college, whereas he was a more suitable candidate for a research position at the university. The mindset was such that the university set-up is more research-oriented and therefore more suitable for men, whereas it is more appropriate for a woman to go to a womens college and do the undergraduate teaching. Obviously, Bushra paid no notice to this. She advises young girls and women to remain focused on their goals, remain persistent and not let criticism get in the way of success.

Read more from the 'Women in Science' series here.

THELIFEOFSCIENCE.COM is a feminist science media project on a mission to make Indian women scientists more visible and investigate the gender gap in Indian academiaDo you know that apple trees need to sleep  and that too about 1,000 hours a year? If they get their quota of undisturbed sleep, we have ripe apples, probably the best in all of Uttarakhand, said Mohan Singh Rana, answering my question on indicators of a changing local climate. Apple trees get their best sleep when it snows; the additional weight of snow helps them, almost like the heavy warm blankets that work for us. But recent times have witnessed untimely, prolonged and destructive hail storms. Hail not only disrupts the apple trees sleep, but also harms it physically. Mohan Singh Rana is a resident of Sukkhi village that lies in the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), on the edge of the Gangotri National Park. An ex-serviceman with the Indian Army, he is one of a group of villagers raising their voices against the design of the proposed Char Dham Highway Development Project that threatens to worsen the region's ecological problems.

An unexpected and harsh hail storm at Sukkhi Village. Photo courtesy Mohan Singh Rana

In the ecologically sensitive state of Uttarakhand, there has been a continuing effort to make the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage (covering Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath) more convenient and there has been substantial success on that front. The same Kedarnath valley that was devastated in 2013 by cloudbursts and ravaging floods, today witnesses 300 helicopter sorties daily, taking two hours to transport pilgrims to and fro from the shrine, all blessings and tickets for salvation received. This evolution of comfort has been in tandem with the degradation of the local environment. The Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojana or the Char Dham Highway Development Project is a 900-km-long two-lane highway, that will improve connectivity to these shrines on completion. The stated objectives of the project are to mitigate risk, reduce travel time and increase comfort for pilgrims. One of the BJP's major pre-poll promises in Uttarakhand, the Char Dham Highway Development Project has been steamrolled through bureaucratic corridors. A pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and one of the major pre-poll promises of the BJP in the state, it has been steamrolled through bureaucratic corridors and is being treated as top priority. However, it is interesting to note what has ensued in the process of this acceleration. The 900 km project has been broken down into 53 segments, all less than 100 km in length. This has allowed it to silently slip between the rules requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)  mandatory for road projects over 100 km in length. In the stretch along Sukkhi village, a bypass was proposed through the opposite mountain, making the current road that passes through the village redundant. This new proposed path is currently covered by a dense virgin forest that will have to be axed to make way for the highway. Villagers do not want the forest to be harmed, citing environmental reasons, and are hoping that the highway project just expands the existing road. Documents related to the road widening project, procured through an RTI by activists, and responses from the DFO office in Uttarkashi, mention the clearing of 3,595 trees for the project in the Dharasu-Gangotri stretch. Thereafter, in the Birendra Singh Matura vs MoEFCC, MoRTH, NHIDCL, BRO and the State of Uttarakhand case, petitioners contested this number and submitted proof that tree markings in just the 15 km Bhaironghati to Jhala stretch crossed over 6,000 (within the the Bhagirathi Eco Sensitive Zone), not including the unmarked trees and shrubs falling within this same area that were slated to be cut.

Trees at Bhaironghati (near the confluence of Jad Ganga with Bhagirathi) marked to be cut down. They fall within the Bhagirathi Eco Sensitive Zone and Gangotri National Park. Photo courtesy Siddharth Agarwal

Surveys done over time, including those by the Geological Survey of India, indicate that these slopes are extremely fragile and fall under seismic zones IV and V. New trees and shrubs had been planted here for the purpose of slope stabilisation by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), as part of an existing undertaking for this area. But the new road project involves the cutting of some of these newly planted trees and shrubs, potentially further destabilising these slopes, creating a rather adverse situation for what aims to be an all-weather road. Work within the Bhagirathi ESZ has been currently put on hold, until a new Zonal Master Plan (ZMP) is created and approved. In the ongoing case in the National Green Tribunal between the Citizens for Green Dehradun and the authorities involved in the project, the court has pointed out that adequate measures have not been taken and indiscriminate dumping of muck continues on riverbanks and mountain slopes. However, there has still not been any action on this illegal activity that threatens more than just road safety. Mallika Bhanot, an environmental activist from the state, shares that landslides have also substantially increased in the under construction areas because of unmindful cutting of the mountain at odd angles, improper treatment and excessive felling of trees. Recent pictures sent by her show that muck dumping continues on the slopes of the mountains. It is in one such spot, Naalupani, that a bus fell into the gorge on 19 July.

The effect of indiscriminate dumping along NH 94: Entire slopes have been destroyed and the debris is affecting the river. The spot at Naalupani where a bus fell into a gorge recently. Photo courtesy Mallika Bhanot

This unmindful dumping of muck raises the river bed height, muddies the water and increases the frequency of cloudbursts, making it dangerous in case of flooding. Having witnessed the role played by heavy sediments in the flash floods of 2013 that resulted in huge destruction across the state, one would expect the authorities to be extra careful. Midway through the 2018 monsoon, there have already been about a dozen cloudburst events across the state of Uttarakhand, according to a report compiled by South Asia Network on Dams Rivers and People (SANDRP). This includes a massive cloudburst in Yamunotri, at a time when the state has received 13 percent less rainfall than normal. Is it possible to navigate through this increase in unstable climatic events on an all-weather road without addressing the reasons that are creating these situations and will continue to in the future?

It is a shame that there seems to be no indication of understanding from the state on the aspect of ecology, where development will have inevitably have cascading effects. A clear example of this is the tourism driven construction boom in Uttarakhand that has severely stressed out local resources. The case of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh is a clear example of where things are heading if they continue to be unregulated. Even new tourism plans being developed by the state do not offer any hope. Figures released by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board are available through a document on the MoEFCC website, which cites a study on the carrying capacity of one of the Char Dham locations  Gangotri. Instead of discussing carrying capacity through a combined understanding of ecology and infrastructure, the interim report merely uses number of beds available as a yardstick for arriving at final numbers. The Draft Tourism Policy 2017 by Uttarakhand Tourism predicts that numbers of visitors to the state will grow to about 50 million or five crores by 2025. Of this, over two crore tourists are expected to be visiting for religious purposes.

View of the dense forest opposite Sukkhi village that is threatened in the original design of the Char Dham Highway Development Project. Photo courtesy Siddharth Agarwal

These parts of the state are extremely prone to landslides and climate events. When I visited in 2017, leftovers from past incidents of landslides had still not been cleared. Treatment for landslides of some of these spots was still overdue, making the situation fragile and exposing both locals and pilgrims to risk. Anthropogenic activities across the world have resulted in an increase in global temperatures. The world today recognises climate change as one of the biggest threats to modern day society and human survival. These factors are affecting our glaciers, with changes clearly visible in glaciers in all our river basins. One study suggests that the Gangotri Ggacier shrank by 4.4  2.7 km2 (0.11  0.07 km2 a1) between 1968 and 2006, attributing it to climate change effects. All other glaciers in the region display similar trends of retreat. Our best defense in the face of such climate change effects is to preserve our old forests, allocate newer areas for forest growth and introduce regulation on consumption and construction.

Frontal area images of the Gangotri glacier: (a) Corona image (27 September 1968) with same-year glacier outline, (b) Cartosat-1 image (11 October 2006) with glacier outline of 1968 and 2006. Image: Glacier changes in the Garhwal Himalaya, India, from 1968 to 2006 based on remote sensing. Image courtesy Journal of Glaciology

The combined results of unmindful work on the Char Dham Highway Development Project, unregulated tourism and the related construction boom will further impact what is already a severely stressed geography. In an attempt to accelerate work by bypassing norms and creating what is being pitched as an all-weather road, it appears that were driving full speed towards a cloudburst on an unstable hill road, forgetting to even honk or slow down on the blind corners. Siddharth Agarwal has been walking across India, along rivers, trying to document and bring marginalised stories of people and the environment into the mainstream. He tweets @sidagarwal. You can see more of his work at www.veditum.orgMamata alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a 'political motive' to divide people and warned that it would lead to bloodbath and a civil war in the country

A day after Mamata Banerjee expressed shock at the fact that even former president of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmeds family members names did not find mention on the NRC list released in Assam, the West Bengal chief minister is all set to address Parliament on Wednesday. Monsoon Session of Parliament is underway, and both Houses on Tuesday witnessed a tumultuous session with multiple adjournments over the NRC issue.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, in Parliament, appealed to the opposition not to politicise the "sensitive" matter as the list has been published on the directives of the Supreme Court and the Centre has "no role" in it. He asserted that no "coercive" action will be taken against those whose names were excluded from the NRC draft list.

Mamata alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a "political motive" to divide people and warned that it would lead to bloodbath and a civil war in the country. Attacking the BJP, she said the saffron party is trying to divide the country and asserted this will not be tolerated.

"The NRC is being done with a political motive. We will not let this happen. They (BJP) are trying to divide the people. The situation cannot be tolerated. There will be a civil war, blood bath in the country," Mamata said. She said that even the names of family members of former president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed have not been included in the NRC.

The Trinamool Congress also dared the BJP to try implementing NRC in West Bengal and said it can never come to power in the state. "The BJP has the audacity to say that they would implement NRC in Bengal and thinks only they and their supporters would stay in India and rest will have to leave the country," she said.

Asserting that the present situation cannot go on, Banerjee said she would continue voicing her opposition against the ruling party. She appealed to the all communities to build up a momentum against the decision of the government.

"No one can give us direction. This is not the politics of India. Indian politics is about tolerance," she said. The massive Supreme Court-monitored exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam excluded over 40 lakh people from the final draft list.

Reports claimed that a police complaint has been registered against Mamata by the BJP's youth wing in Assam's Dibrugarh district. The FIR accuses Mamata of inciting 'hate and tension' among the co-existing communities with the intention of derailing the citizen's charter process. The case was filed by three workers of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha or BJYM.

Mamata met Rajnath

The West Bengal chief minister met with Rajnath at his residence and claimed she had submitted a list of 40 lakh people who had been left out of NRC in the final draft released on Monday. Mamata asked Rajnath to clarify whether the Centre intends to carry out an exercise similar to NRC-Assam in her state.

"I came here to talk on NRC. Submitted a list of 40 lakh people who had been left out. I have told him that his leadership is claiming that next NRC would be in Bengal. Who has given them that authority?," Banerjee told reporters after meeting Singh. Terming the decision of bringing in NRC as "disaster", the TMC chief has also urged the Union Home Minister to bring in amendments to end the problems being faced by the people in Assam.

Later, the Home Minister issued a statement stating that the draft NRC had been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Assam Accord and under the monitoring of the Supreme Court. "I told her that the draft NRC had been published in accordance with the provisions of Assam Accord and as per decisions taken in a tripartite meeting on February 05, 2005 between the Centre, State Government of Assam and All Assam Students Union to update NRC, 1951," Singh said in the statement.

BJP retorts

Addressing a press conference, BJP chief Amit Shah also condemned Banerjee for her warning that there could be civil war and bloodbath, saying the country was divided once in the name of civil war. "She should clarify what kind of civil war she is talking about," he said.

Asked about a demand of West Bengal BJP leaders for an NRC in the state, Shah said the NRC, which aims to identify illegal immigrants, is presently confined to Assam and the party will take a stand on such issues at an appropriate time.Last month, Amar Singh had said he was not averse to joining the BJP, but had not got an invite from the party, nor had he applied to it.

Lucknow: Former Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh on Wednesday kept alive speculation over his joining the BJP, pointedly praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hinting that he was open to the possibility.

"I am not making any attempt (to join the BJP). I like Modiji and I am standing in support of him," he said when asked about his chances of joining the ruling party. "Earlier also, during the Vidhan Sabha elections, I had openly supported the BJP, but did not join it. It's not in my hands whether to join the BJP or not, said the one-time loyalist of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.

However, Singh indicated that he supported Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and not the "bua", referring to Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, or the "babua", referring to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

His recent remarks, suggesting that he wasn't averse to the idea of joining the BJP, and his participation at an event where Modi mentioned him added to the speculation. Singh, however, denied reports that he may be joining a BJP ally, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), in the near future. When asked about his reported talks with SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar and his chances of contesting the elections from Azamgarh on that party's ticket, Singh said, "I did not have any such talk with Rajbhar."

"I have four years of my tenure left (as a Rajya Sabha MP). I don't want to get engaged in one area. I want to visit the whole of Uttar Pradesh and if possible, the entire country, and speak wherever I can... I am not a big leader, but I have an identity in the country. If I can utilise it, it will be in support of Modiji."

He also backed the BJP stand on the release of the draft National Register of Citizens in Assam, from which over 40 lakh applicants have been left out. "No leader is saying that it is the last list. The Assam chief minister is saying no one will be asked to leave (the country). What the BJP is doing today, the Congress should have done earlier," he said.

Singh was expelled from the now Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party last year. He recently created ripples when he attended the ground-breaking of investment projects worth Rs 60,000 crore in Lucknow, addressed by the prime minister.

During his speech, Modi had accused rival politicians of meeting industrialists behind the scenes and not in the public like him. "Amar Singh is sitting here and he can give you all the details," he had said.

Later that day, Singh had attended the event at which Yogi Adityanath had flagged off electric buses at his official residence. Singh had also met Adityanath on 23 July.

Last month, Singh had said he was not averse to joining the BJP, but had not got an invite from the party, nor had he applied to it. "The BJP is a very big political party. I won't say that I will not join the BJP if I get a chance, but who is giving me the chance? I haven't sent them any request letter either," he had said.

A few BJP leaders claim that Singh is helping the Adityanath government attract investment to the state, making use of his closeness to top industrialists.BJP chief Amit Shah was not wrong when he said that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the soul of the Assam Accord signed by Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.

BJP chief Amit Shah was not wrong when he said that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the soul of the Assam Accord signed by Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.

The four-page document signed on 15 August, 1985, in presence of the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, home secretary RD Pradhan, Assam government chief secretary PP Trivedi, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and Bhrigu Phukan (from All Assam Students' Union) and Biraj Sharma of All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad, does not mention the word NRC but clearly gives a sense that such documentation would be required to complete the process of detection and deletion of foreigners' names, those who came to the state after 1 January, 1966 from the electoral rolls.

The Accord also put it on record that dialogue with AASU was initiated by Indira Gandhi in 1980 and continued after Rajiv's death. The question remains: Why is the Congress not letting Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh speak in Upper House of Parliament? That too, when Congress and rest of the Opposition are in strong numbers in that House and thus are in position to counter, if need be, to an argument advanced by top leaders on treasury benches.

Its ironic that 33 years later, the Congress doesnt like to take credit for the NRC. With Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia at the helm, the grand old party could have presented the NRC as one of the biggest tributes to Rajiv's memory. Its rather intriguing as to why the Congress is demanding an apology from Shah for his remarks on Rajiv and disrupted the House for the second consecutive day. For the Congress, it seemingly does not matter that Rajiv's role and what was inked in the 1985 Assam Accord is a matter of recorded history.

On Tuesday, around 1 pm, the Congress disrupted the House immediately after Shah finished a sentence recalling Rajiv and the Assam Accord. Congress didnt allow Shah to resume his speech on Wednesday: Either in the morning or in the afternoon. It should be noted that while Rajiv clearly mentioned the word foreigner for detection and deletion, none of the Congress leaders in their statements and speeches  inside and outside of Parliament for past three days  used the words foreigner, illegal immigrants or Bangladeshis. Their senior-most leaders such as Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge are making all possible noises, including raising the specter of "humanitarian issues", to subvert NRC.

Recalling Rajiv and 1985 raises another fear for Congress brass: Of Rahul taking a diametrically opposite position on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Assam than his grandmother Indira and father Rajiv. The Congress can ill afford the charge that it digressed from the position of Indira and Rajiv. And Congress has yet another problem: Its three-time Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has taken a stand different to the other Congress leaders even as he makes no mention of Rajiv.

In an interview to Firstpost, Gogoi said, Etu mor idea asil (This was my idea). The NRC is my brainchild. There was no such demand in the state, there was nothing even in the Assam Accord about the setting up of the NRC. During the Congress regime, there were objections that multiple illegitimate people were given the right to vote, which is why the NRC was set up. To distinguish between genuine Indian citizens and foreigners who could illegitimately vote in our elections.

In Congress, Gogoi holds the record of being chief minister for 15 consecutive years (so was Sheila Dixit, but then Delhi is not a full state). Gogoi is aware of the popular sentiment in Assam and even if his days in active politics are at an end, he still wants Congress to retain whatever goodwill is left. Congress' confused positioning on this critical issue will further reduce its social support base. The central party leadership apparently is no longer listening to Gogoi.

The Congress high command is unmindful of the fact that the massive mandate BJP received in Assam in 2016 was a referendum against Congress decades long appeasement policy towards illegal immigrants. In Assam, the BJP jumped from 26 seats in the 126-member Assembly in 2011 to 86 seats in 2016. Meanwhile, the Congress shrank from 79 seats to 26 seats in that same period. The other problem for Rahul and Congress is that impulsive statements by its potential allies such as Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, Lalu Yadav's RJD, Akhilesh Yadavs SP, CPM, CPI, DMK, NCP and some others injected a communal colour into the NRC debate.

If the Congress has to play a role of the central pole in the formation of an anti-Modi coalition for 2019 and Rahul has to be the prime ministerial candidate, then he cant break ranks with the Opposition.BJP president Amit Shah is set to visit West Bengal on 11 August, amid the uproar over updating Assam NRC and Mamata Banerjee's scathing criticism of the government step.

BJP president Amit Shah is set to visit West Bengal on 11 August, ANI reported, even as politicians continued to spar over the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's scathing criticism of the BJP leadership came on Tuesday when she said that the saffron party is attempting to start a 'civil war' of sorts by not accounting for 40 lakh people in Assam who were missing from the NRC list.

On Tuesday, the BJP and Opposition engaged in a war of words over the NRC issue in Parliament. In the Rajya Sabha, Shah claimed that the process of updating the NRC was in accord with the spirit of the Assam Accord, which the previous Congress governments "did not have the courage" to do; it had been left to his party and the NDA government to complete the job.

In response, Opposition leaders, including those from the Trinamool Congress and the Congress, protested vociferously. Derek OBrien and Ghulam Nabi Azad demanded that the agenda for the day in the Upper House of Parliament be set aside to discuss the NRC issue.

Later on Tuesday, Mamata said, "The NRC is being done with a political motive. We will not let this happen. They (BJP) are trying to divide the people. The situation cannot be tolerated. There will be a civil war, blood bath in the country." She said that even the names of family members of former president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed have not been included in the NRC.

The Trinamool Congress also dared the BJP to try implementing NRC in West Bengal and said it can never come to power in the state. "The BJP has the audacity to say that they would implement NRC in Bengal and thinks only they and their supporters would stay in India and rest will have to leave the country," she said.

Referring to statements which said that what had started in Assam, would be taken to West Bengal as well, Mamata said she would never allow it.

Asserting that the present situation cannot go on, Mamata said she would continue voicing her opposition against the ruling party. She appealed to the all communities to build up a momentum against the decision of the government.

"No one can give us direction. This is not the politics of India. Indian politics is about tolerance," she said. The massive Supreme Court-monitored exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam excluded over 40 lakh people from the final draft list.

On Monday, with the release of the much-anticipated second and final draft of the NRC, Banerjee had claimed that Bengalis and Biharis living in Assam were being targeted, and said that they are "Indians, not Rohingya". "How can they send women and children to detention centres? Aren't people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states living in Bengal? Bengalis living in Assam are being targetted. They are not Rohingyas, they are Indians?" she said.

Amit Shah responded on Tuesday saying that Mamata Banerjee is the one who is playing vote bank politics and she should make her stand clear on the immigrant issue. "The Congress had earlier agreed that Bangladeshi immigrants need to be sent back. I want to tell Mamata Banerjee that it is she who is trying to play vote bank politics," he said.

With inputs from agenciesBJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday cornered the Congress with its own narrative over the Assam NRC.

BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday cornered the Congress with its own narrative by reminding the party that detection of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants was the decision of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. The move is likely to leave Congress, known for its pro-minority stand, red-faced in front of its core voter base and the Assamese people, who are a linguistic majority in Assam.

The BJP chief was responding to the Congress' objection on the ongoing updation process of the National Register of Citizens.

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, the BJP chief in Rajya Sabha said, The NRC is the soul of the Assam Accord which the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had signed and it clearly stipulates that every single illegal immigrant would be identified and his name struck off the voters list.

Shah's remarks certainly upset the Congress' attempt to raise concern that the names of many citizens would be left out.

Congress leader Anand Sharma had earlier said during a debate in Rajya Sabha, It was important for the Opposition to register its concern with regard to disenfranchising our own citizens, who have been from other states or from Assam as indigenous people should be rendered refugees in our country. This is a humanitarian aspect.

Significantly, the very idea of identification of illegal migrants from Bangladesh living in Assam emerged from the demand of All Assam Students Union and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad, the organisations which led the six-year-long historic Assam Movement that culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985.

The Assam Accord, which was signed between agitating parties and the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on behalf of the Government of India, agreed that the illegal migrants should be identified and sent back to Bangladesh.

Section 5.8 of the accord clearly mentions, Foreigners who came to Assam on or after March 25 1971 shall continue to be detected deleted and expelled in accordance with law. Immediate and practical steps to be taken to expel such foreigners (sic).

The ongoing NRC updation process is seen as well within the guidelines set by the Assam Accord. But the Congress, along with its allies, was creating ruckus even after the Centre and the state governments repeated assurance that no genuine citizen would be left out from the final NRC.

The BJP chief was prompt enough to sense the public mood in Assam and hence maintained, Congress could not summon the courage to implement the Assam Accord because of its vote bank politics and its indifference towards national security and interests of Indian citizens.

The Assam Accord has all along been seen as a crisis management measure rather than a promise meant to be kept. There was hardly any convincingly sincere effort during the Congress regime to implement it.

Though the Accord was signed in 1985, the Centre took a formal decision to update the NRC only in 1999 during the NDA regime led by the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Centre then also granted a sum of Rs 20 lakh, out of which Rs 5 lakh was released to the state government, to proceed with the procedure of NRC updation. But it remained unutilised.

An article published in The Sentinel says that in 2004, the AASU gave a boycott call to the then prime minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Assam during the Indo-ASEAN car rally, protesting the Centres reluctance to update the NRC. This forced the government to hold a tripartite talk with AASU. But nothing progressed beyond talks.

On July 2009, Assam Public Works filed a case in the Supreme Court, demanding updation of NRC.

In 2010, the Union Home Secretary decided in a tripartite talk to hold pilot projects of NRC updation to areas namely Chaygaon and Barpeta. But violence erupted in Barpeta district in protest against it which claimed four lives and the project was shelved.

It was only after the Supreme Court intervened that the NRC updation process resumed in full swing in 2015.

The flip-flop of the Congress regime in implementing the NRC process is seen as its reluctance to implement the NRC updation in accordance with its politics of minority appeasement.

Many times, former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had maintained that there was no Bangladeshi infiltrator in Assam. But this cost the Congress dear.

The BJP wooed the majority Assamese with a convincing poll pitch to identify and deport Bangladeshis in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and 2016 Assembly poll.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP unprecedentedly secured 7 seats out of 14 in Assam. In the Assembly polls later, it formed the first BJP government in the state, leaving the Congress frantically fishing for Assamese votes.

Reminding the Congress that it was a Congress government which agreed to update NRC but finally backed out of it for political gains, the BJP supremo only cornered the Congress in its home turf.Both the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) and the Lokayukta have given clean-chit to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for charges of corruption filed against him by former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Kapil Mishra.

Both the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) and the Lokayukta have given a clean chit to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for charges of corruption filed against him by former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Kapil Mishra.

Mishra had alleged that he had seen Kejriwal accepting Rs two crore in cash from Satyendra Kumar Jain, another AAP leader. Mishra was suspended from the party on 6 May, 2017 and the next day gave a statement to the media stating that Jain had handed over Rs two crore Kejriwal on 5 May at the chief minister's residence.

Mishra had alleged that he had informed the Delhi government's anti-corruption branch and then filed a complaint with the CBI and the Lokyaukta. He had even recorded his statement with the Lokayukta but didn't submit any evidence. Thus, the CBI citing lack of evidence and on finding no merit in Mishra's allegations, didnt launch a formal probe. Following which, the Lokayukta too closed the case against Kejriwal, according to a Times of India report.

Mishra  the erstwhile minister for water, and art and culture  was was sacked due to "mismanagement in water supply and billing".

The AAP on Tuesday said that the "sacked" leader's claims that Kejriwal took money have been busted. Addressing the media, AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said,"Mishra's lies were exposed when the AAP asked him about the exact time of the day when he visited the chief minister's residence and refused to answer, saying that he only answered to the CBI."

"Mishra confidently claimed that he was an eyewitness to the alleged corrupt activity at the chief minister's residence. But when AAP asked him the exact time, his lie was revealed," Bhardwaj said, adding that "the CCTV at the chief minister's house is evidence that Mishra did not even go there on 5 May, 2017". Bhardwaj further said that it is now duty of the media to "question Kapil Mishra about the basis of his allegations".

With inputs from agenciesThough Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi took a particular position in 1972 and 1985 for the deletion and deportation of foreigners, Rahul Gandhi takes a contrarian position and his party turns turtle.

Territory and citizens are the two most important aspects of a sovereign state. The principal duty of any government is to defend the borders of the country, prevent any trespass and make the life of its citizens safe and secure. Independent India has faced a major challenge to protect its sovereignty in Jammu and Kashmir. At the time of Independence and Partition of India, Assam was also a sore issue for Pakistan. They resented the fact that like Kashmir, Assam became a part of Independent India. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, in his book Myth of Independence wrote:

"It would be wrong that Kashmir is the only issue that divides India and Pakistan, though undoubtedly the most significant. One at least is nearly as important as the Kashmir dispute, is that of Assam and some districts of India adjoining East Pakistan. To these Pakistan has very good claims."

Similarly, in the pre-1971 era, till he became more favourably inclined to India, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the then East Pakistan leader, in his book Eastern Pakistan, its Population and Economics had observed: "Because Eastern Pakistan must have sufficient land for its expansion and because Assam has abundant forest and mineral resources, coal, petroleum etc, Eastern Pakistan must include Assam to be financially and economically strong."

Ever since Independence, we had a significant influx of illegal migrants from East Pakistan. Because of ethnic and linguistic similarity and religious commonality, it was possible for these people together to avoid detection and find a shelter in Assam.

Who are citizens of India?

The citizenship of India is recognized from Articles 5 to 11 of the Constitution of India. No citizenship can be granted in violation of these provisions. The law relating to citizenship which regulates the grant of citizenship by birth, by registration, descent and naturalisation. Section 6(A) deals with the special provisions of citizenship covered by 1985 Assam Accord.

Consequences of illegal migration

Twenty-one years ago, on 6th May, 1997, the then home minister Indrajit Gupta, told Parliament that there were over 10 million illegal immigrants residing in India, of which 5.4 million were in West Bengal and 4 million in Assam. Needless to say that this figure has increased ever since. The consequence of this was analysed by the Honble Supreme Court in a case filed by the present Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal vs UOI (2005), where the court held:

"The dangerous consequences of large scale illegal migration from Bangladesh, both for the people of Assam and more for the Nation as a whole, need to be emphatically stressed. No misconceived and mistaken notions of secularism should be allowed to come in the way of doing so. As a result of population movement from Bangladesh, the spectre looms large of the indigenous people of Assam being reduced to a minority in their home State. Their cultural survival will be in jeopardy, their political control will be weakened and their employment opportunities will be undermined. The silent and invidious demographic invasion of Assam may result in the loss of geostrategically vital districts of lower Assam. The influx of these illegal migrants is turning these districts into a Muslim majority region. It will then be a matter of time when a demand for their merger with Bangladesh may be made. The rapid growth of international Islamic fundamentalism may provide for driving force for this demand. In this context, it is pertinent that Bangladesh has long discarded secularism and has chosen to become an Islamic State. Loss of lower Assam will sever the entire land mass of North-East, from the rest of India and the rich natural resources of that region will be lost to the Nation."

Nobody could have put it better.

The two accords by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi

Subsequent to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, the Indian and the Bangladeshi prime ministers entered into an arrangement in February, 1972. The Government of India, on 30th September, 1972, set out a circular that those Bangladeshi nationals who had come to India before 25th March, 1971 were to be detected but those who entered India in or after the said date were to be repatriated. This is what Indira Gandhis commitment to India and the people of this nation was.

Under the Assam Accord signed on 15th August, 1984, the Rajeev Gandhi Government committed to three categories. Those who came prior to 1 January 1966 will continue to be on India's electoral rolls and they would be regularised. Foreigners who came to Assam after 1 January 1966 but before 24 March 1971 would be dealt with under the provisions of the Foreigners Act and Foreigners Tribunal Order 1964. If detected, their name would be deleted from the electoral rolls and they would have to register themselves as foreigners. Those who came on or after 25 March 1971 were to be detected, deleted and expelled in accordance with law.

"Immediate and practical steps should be taken to expel such foreigners".

Thus historically, both Indira and Rajeev, through the Congress government that they headed, committed to this nation that post 25th March, 1971 migrants would be detected, identified and deported.

Under the Foreigners Act, the onus of proof lies on the persons claiming to be a citizen. It would otherwise be impossible for the State to establish when the person surreptitiously entered the Indian territory. However, the Congress government legislated the IMDT Act which remained silent on the issue of burden of proof. This virtually made detection, deletion and deportation impossible. The Supreme Court, on 12th July, 2005 struck down the IMDT Act as unconstitutional and, therefore, decided that the detection would be under the Foreigners Act and the rules made thereunder. It is, thereafter, that tribunals for preparing the register of members have been functioning in the districts of Assam.

West Bengal is not far behind

To put it in the words of the Trinamool Congress leader and the West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee has stated in the Lok Sabha on 4 August 2005:

"The infiltration in Bengal has become a disaster now. You can see the Bangladeshi as well as the Indian names in the list. I have both the Bangladeshi and the Indian voters list. This is a very serious matter. I would like to know when would it be discussed in the House?"

India's sovereignty is paying a heavy price because of the quality of its political discourse. Though Indira and Rajiv took a particular position in 1972 and 1985 for the deletion and deportation of foreigners, Rahul Gandhi takes a contrarian position and his party turns turtle. Similarly, the BJP ally of 2005, Mamata, took a particular position. As a federal front leader, she now talks to the contrary. Can Indias sovereignty be decided by such fickle minds and fragile hands?

The result of this has been that in the 50 years between 1961 and 2011, the majority community in Assam has grown 2.4 times; the minority has grown 3.9 times. This has caused a major demographic impact.

Difference between a citizen, refugee and an illegal migrant

There is a fundamental difference between a citizen and a refugee. Citizenship is regulated by the Constitution. Those who are compelled on account of certain circumstances to leave their country and take refuge in another country for fear of persecution are refugees. The receiving nation can, on humanitarian ground, be considerate to these refugees in terms of providing them the basics of life. Refugees are not conferred citizenship. The refugees dont become a voter. Some pre-1971 migrants may have moved for reasons of persecution, the same is not true of all post 1971 migrants who have illegally entered India. There is a third category who are neither citizens nor refugees, who come for reasons of economic opportunities. These are illegal migrants. Their entry is silent invasion in the country to which they move. One of the world's most celebrated liberal judges, Lord Denning, in his book The Due Process of Law has written as introduction to part 5 Entrances and Exits where the opening paragraph reads:

"In recent times England has been invaded not by enemies nor by friends but by those who see England as a haven. In their own countries, there is poverty, disease and no homes. In England, there is social security, a national health service and guaranteed housing. All to be had for the asking without payment and without working for it. Once here, each seeks to bring his relatives to join him: so they multiply exceedingly."

Ironically even Lord Denning calls it an invasion. It must be remembered that citizenship does not accrue by illegal migration. It comes under the conditions prescribed in the Constitution and the Citizenship Act.

Difference between fundamental rights under Article 19 and 21

A desperate argument has been given that this is a human rights cause. A refugee on account of persecution may have a humanitarian consideration. Illegal migration does not have it. There is no fundamental right to any person to do so. The wise men who framed Indias Constitution made a clear distinction in the phraseology of Article 19 which guarantees the right to move freely throughout the territory of India and to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India. It is a right available only to a citizen.

However, the right to life and liberty and a protection against its deprivation under Article 21 is available to any person  citizen and non-citizen alike.

A right of a citizen or a non-citizen to life and liberty can be taken away only by due process of law. That is a right available to him under Indias constitution. That is his human right. But the framers of the Constitution did not confer on a non-citizen the right to move throughout the territory of India or to reside or settle in any part or territory in India. While the constitution framers make Article 19 applicable to a 'citizen' only, the rights under Article 21 were made available to a 'person'.

There is a method in this distinction.

I reiterate what I have stated earlier. The Congress was the mainstream party on Indian politics. It has increasingly started taking fringe position. Siding with the Tukde Tukde gang was one such illustration. It is now compromising the sovereignty of India. Leaders like Rahul and Mamata must realise that India's sovereignty is not a plaything. Sovereignty and citizenship are the soul of India. Imported vote banks are not.

This article first appeared on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's official Facebook page.Mamata Banerjee said her first priority was to bring all Opposition parties together to take on the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and senior party leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday to discuss the National Register of Citizens (NRC) of Assam and the possibility of Opposition parties fighting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections together against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Speaking to reporters after the meeting in New Delhi, Mamata criticised the BJP for the lakhs of names excluded from the Assam NRC. She said: "My concern is that the over 40 lakh people missing from the list belong to other states in the country. What does the BJP want? Peace or civil war? Some people have been living there (in Assam) for generations. How has this happened to our genuine voters?"

The final draft of the NRC was published in Assam with 2.9 crore names on Monday. After the list was released, the BJP had said there should be a similar effort to "identify illegal migrants from Bangladesh in West Bengal".

Mamata claimed that the BJP was "politically nervous" and "tensed" because it knows it won't be coming to power in 2019. She said: "If they only make statements with abuses, we won't respond in their tone. It is in our culture to respond peacefully. Our aim is to oust the BJP. All parties that want this will come together... Rabindranath Tagore wrote a song about everybody being there for everybody. What is wrong with us following that?"

The West Bengal chief minister said the meeting with Rahul and Sonia focussed on ousting the BJP at the Centre, and that no state was discussed in particular. She added that her first priority was to bring all Opposition parties together to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.

Besides the Congress leaders, the TMC chief, who has been trying to consolidate Opposition unity ahead of the 2019 polls, spent the second day of her trip to Delhi meeting leaders of various other parties, including leaders from the Telugu Desam Party, the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress (YSR Congress), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party and Janata Dal (Secular). She invited them to her "federal front" rally on 19 January in Kolkata.

Surprisingly, Mamata also met veteran BJP leader LK Advani at his chamber, stating that her relations with him went back many years. "I went to meet him and inquire about his health," she said.

Before meeting Sonia and Rahul, the TMC chief told reporters that she was not vying for the post of prime minister, and that the candidate for the top post would be chosen collectively by all Opposition parties. "I am not for any post. I am interested in seeing that all parties work together. All political parties will sit together and decide (the prime ministerial candidate)," she said.

The TMC office in Parliament was abuzz after Mamata arrived there on Wednesday, and Opposition leaders made a beeline to meet her. She also spoke to senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel and also met JD(S) chief Deve Gowda and invited them to the rally.

Interestingly, Mamata has also extended an invitation to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray through party leader Sanjay Raut. Although a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance, the Sena has been openly critical of the Narendra Modi government.

Suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad praised her as a great leader and said that her efforts to consolidate all Opposition parties are "commendable".

In addition to inviting Opposition leaders to her rally on the "federal front", the West Bengal chief minister has appealed to the Opposition to send delegations to Assam to pressure the government. A delegation of TMC leaders is scheduled to visit Assam on Thursday.

With inputs from PTIMamata Banerjee's words now are in stark contrast to her sentiments from 2005, when she had aggressively raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigration in the Lok Sabha.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly spoken out against the central government's National Register of Citizens (NRC) project in Assam, accusing New Delhi of playing politics ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The state Assembly also passed a motion against the final draft of the NRC on Tuesday, adopting a unanimous proposal condemning it. The motion was moved under Rule 185 by West Bengal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee.

On Tuesday, Mamata, once again, warned that the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the Assam NRC could lead to a "bloodbath" and a "civil war" in the country. The Trinamool Congress chief asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to clarify whether the Centre intends to carry out an exercise similar to Assam NRC in her state.

This came a day after she addressed a press conference in Kolkata, where she accused the BJP of resorting to "votebank politics". "This divide-and-rule policy will finish the country," she said, alleging that it was a "game plan" to isolate and throw out Assam's Bengali-speaking people and Biharis. She also claimed that the names of people who have passports and Aadhaar and voter ID cards had also been excluded from the final draft.

The BJP, meanwhile, stoked the fire even further, with West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh saying the NRC exercise would be carried out in West Bengal as well if the party formed government in the state in the next Assembly elections in 2021.

"If we (BJP) are voted to power in Bengal, then we too will implement the NRC in the state. We will send back the illegal immigrants to Bangladesh. Tough days are ahead. We will not tolerate any illegal immigrants in Bengal," Ghosh told reporters, after which Mamata said she would travel to Assam if the situation called for it. "I am sending a team of party MPs to Assam and if necessary, I will go there too," she added.

Change in stance

However, Mamata's words now are in stark contrast to the sentiments she had expressed 13 years ago, when she was in the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and also in the Lok Sabha, where her current ally  the Congress  was in power.

Even back then, the issue of illegal voters in West Bengal was foremost on Mamata's mind, though she had displayed much different sentiments on the matter at the time. As reported by The Telegraph on 5 August, 2005, Mamata had demanded a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the subject of illegal Bangladeshi migration, and leaders of her party had claimed that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was using these voters to destabilise democracy.

"Illegal migrants from Bangladesh are also part of the voters' list in West Bengal. The state government has done nothing about it. Therefore, the issue must be discussed," she had said.

She had accused the Speaker  another parliamentarian from West Bengal, Somnath Chatterjee  of being politically biased. "Whenever I want to raise an issue, I am not allowed to speak. As a member of this House, I also have the right to raise issues of concern to my people," she had said, attributing motives to the Speaker.

Mamata had then said she would resign if she was not given a chance to speak in the House, a resignation Chatterjee later rejected. The Trinamool chief had even flung a bunch of papers at the deputy speaker, who was running the House then, after being denied a chance to speak.

Her protests in the Lok Sabha and comments against Bangladeshi immigrants were expunged in 2005, but the aggression with which she had taken up the matter in the House will be remembered in the history of Parliament.

Today, this memory from 2005 prompts this question: Why the 180 on Bangladeshi immigrants? What brought about this change of heart for Mamata Banerjee?With her stand on the Assam NRC, Mamata Banerjee is pitching herself as the secular alternative to Narendra Modi ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In the closing week of the Monsoon Session of Parliament in 2005, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee had shocked parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha and surprised the rest of the country with her actions. The current West Bengal chief minister, in the Opposition that year, had marched down the aisle of House and hurled a sheaf of papers at the Speaker's chair.

Mamata was angry because the then deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, who was chairing the session, had not allowed her to raise a concern close to her heart  the matter of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in West Bengal and their existence in the state voters' list. Atwal had argued that the subject had been debated at length in the Lok Sabha only a few days ago, when she was not present in the House, and that the subject would not be discussed as per the convenience of one member alone. After expressing her anger at the deputy Speaker, Mamata had walked back to her seat, cried for a while and then announced that she was resigning as a Lok Sabha MP, not wanting to be part of a House where she was not given a chance to speak.

It's a different matter though that the then Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chaterjee, had rejected her resignation as it was not submitted in the correct format. As a senior member in the House, Mamata would very well have known that a resignation letter addressed to the Speaker ought to be submitted in only a specific format.

In 2005, West Bengal was ruled by the Left Front led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance-1 had come to power at the Centre the previous year. Mamata was then an aspiring chief minister and would everything in her power to take on CPM. At that time, the TMC believed that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in West Bengal were part of the Left Front's vote bank.

Mamata was the railway minister in the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. After she resigned from the post, she quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to fight the 2001 West Bengal elections in alliance with the Congress, but the alliance had lost the polls to the Left Front. By January 2004, she had made another political somersault, rejoined the NDA and once again, become a minister in the Vajpayee government. Even though the NDA had lost the 2004 parliamentary elections and the TMC's numbers in the Lok Sabha had plunged to a measly two, it didn't deter the fighter in Mamata from vying for the chief minister's post.

Thirteen years later, the equations have changed and how. In West Bengal, Mamata decimated the Left and has ruled the state for two consecutive terms, and the BJP-led NDA is in power at the Centre but under a completely different leadership, with Narendra Modi and Amit Shah at the helm. The Congress, which had control of the central government and over a dozen states under its rule, has now been reduced to the status of a practically insignificant national rival to the Modi regime.

As an MP in 2005, Mamata had chief ministerial ambitions. Now, when she is the chief minister of West Bengal, the TMC chief is nursing prime ministerial ambitions and is not very coy about it. In the past four years, especially since the Centre announced its demonetisation decision on 8 November, 2016, she has publicly vowed to overthrow the Modi government a number of times so a "suitable" leader could take over.

Mamata seems to believe the adage on the public's short-lived memory in letter and spirit. But she doesn't realise that in the age of digitisation, it is not difficult to run a quick search of records and make that knowledge public to expose an individual's doublespeak or embarrassing U-turn on subjects of critical national importance. Mamata's actions from 4 August, 2005, in the Lok Sabha and her outrage at not being allowed to speak in Parliament on the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants has come back to haunt her.

The TMC chief is now projecting herself as the biggest votary for Bangladeshi immigrants. She said that the over 40 lakh people who were excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) of Assam were welcome in West Bengal, and that she was willing to play the good host. If this does happen, these 40 lakh plus people could serve as her biggest vote bank, but this is only conjecture.

By taking this extreme stand on the Assam NRC, Mamata is pitching herself as the secular alternative to Modi ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. She has also turned the matter into an issue of communal divide.

Mamata reached Delhi on Monday to voice her concerns on the subject and ensure that she is heard with prominence. Her TMC is leading the charge in both Houses of Parliament on the NRC debate  in the Rajya Sabha, TMC leaders, along with the Congress, did not allow BJP chief Amit Shah to finish his speech, neither did they let Home Minister Rajnath Singh speak at a debate.

On Wednesday, she visited the Parliament House and also drove to 10 Janpath to meet Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. This was her first meeting with the Congress leaders after Rahul's informal interaction with female journalists, at which he had said he was willing to step back for other Opposition leaders such as Mamata and Bahujan Samaj party chief Mayawati to take up the prime minister's post after the 2019 elections. He had also alluded to Mamata's Congress-like beliefs.

The TMC chief has been making her intent to take lead in the Opposition clear. Recently, she had used Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's protest at the lieutenant-governor's home-cum-office as a pretext to claim the pole position against Modi and the BJP.

But there is one problem. As chief minister, Mamata is bound by the Constitution and a constitutional set up. Yet, she not only ridiculed the Supreme Court-mandated and monitored NRC process in Assam, but also said that excluding over 40 lakh people from the list put the country at a risk of a "civil war" and a "blood bath".In Lok Sabha, while debating the Commercial Division Bill, Ravi Shankar Prasad says, 'We want to showcase the world that even small dispute, the legal system is available to fast-track the cases.'

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MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has given zero hour notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the NRC Assam draft. Mamata is scheduled to speak in Lok Sabha today.

Whether Rajnath will be able to address Rajya Sabha today, is left to be seen.

Given the Opposition and Centre's unending debate over the NRC issue in the Upper House on Tuesday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh was not allowed to give his statement on the NRC issue. Chairman Venkaiah Naidu, in fact, called Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad to his chambers after several adjournments and asked him to ensure that MPs allow the House to function.

National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017 Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017 National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities (Amendment) Bill, 2018 Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018

Discussion on the situation arising out of the delay in the release of Socio-Economic Caste Census data in the public domain

Pendency of cases across courts in India has increased in the last decade

As Rajya Sabha reconvened at 11 am today, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu got up from his chair after Congress Anand Sharma raised objection to Amit Shah's speech on NRC draft. Naidu said, "It is ironic that I have to give away the best parliamentarian award function today. I was so upset yesterday, when MPs menacingly approached the Well. Many of you raised slogans, but I don't want to name anyone. The Chair has power to adjourn the House as per the situation because it is responsible to run the House in a dignified manner."

Naidu rose from his chair when Congress leader Anand Sharma raised objection to Amit Shah's speech over NRC issue in Assam. "The Chair has power to adjourn the House (as many times) as per the situation because it is responsible to run the House in a dignified manner." Naidu, further added, that if they didn't want to discuss issues properly, the House will be adjourned any time. Opposition leaders continued to raise slogans, as Amit Shah rose to re-start his speech and the Upper House was immediately adjourned till 12 pm.

"I was very upset yesterday when some members ran menacingly towards the well of the house, I hope it will not be repeated. I don't want to name anybody, house should function smoothly," said Venkaiah Naidu in Rajya Sabha today.

I was upset when some MPs ran menacingly towards the Well of the House: Naidu

Naidu, in response rose from his chair and said, "As an exception I allowed the suspension of Question Hour and allowed a discussion," and allowed the discussion to continue.

Anand Sharma wanted Amit Shah's remarks expunged. The member's remarks insulted every Prime Minister since Rajiv Gandhi, says Sharma. The Chair says he will look into it.

Amit Shah rose to speak but Congress members protested. Shah said they can raise more Point of Orders after he finished speaking. The Chair objects to it and said two members can't talk between themselves.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj says the Wuhan summit was to increase mutual trust and cooperation and no specific topic was discussed. Swaraj also informs the House that Doklam has been resolved diplomatically.

Question Hour continues in Lok Sabha. TMC's Sugata Bose asks if Doklam was raised during the Prime Minister's informal summit with China. Welcoming Narendra Modi to the House, who was attending BRICS Summit, Bose said, "I welcome him from a safe distance," taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi's "hug diplomacy" and the BJP's reaction to it.

"Mamata Banerjee being the chief Minister should not provoke for a civil war, we condemn this statement. It will have no impact on Assam as it is absolutely peaceful there," Congress chief in Assam Ripun Bora said.

Ahead of Mamata's scheduled speech in Lok Sabha, MPs have reacted to the Bengal chief minister's remarks over NRC speech. MoS Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju says, "It is the duty of the CM to maintain law and order in the state and not incite violence. Her remark on civil war is condemnable."

Majority of the House is agitated over Amit Shah's comment on Tuesday, the MPs tell Venkaiah Naidu. "There has been precedence earlier. The House is in consensus. Let's allow the Question Hour and after that home minister Rajnath Singh can address the Rajya Sabha."

Opposition in the Rajya Sabha calls for Home Minister Rajnath Singh to address the House. Naidu says will be allowed after Question Hour.

KK Venugopal raises the issue of sea erosion and continuous rains in Kerala. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar says the central government will provide all necessary assistance to affected people.

Reports claimed that a police complaint has been registered against Mamata by the BJP's youth wing in Assam's Dibrugarh district. The FIR accuses Mamata of inciting 'hate and tension' among the co-existing communities with the intention of derailing the citizen's charter process. The case was filed by three workers of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha or BJYM.

Ahead of Mamata's scheduled speech in Lok Sabha, MPs have reacted to the Bengal chief minister's remarks over NRC speech. MoS Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju says, "It is the duty of the CM to maintain law and order in the state and not incite violence. Her remark on civil war is condemnable."

At the beginning of Question Hour, Congress leader Anand Sharma asks what the government's stand is on bringing the ATF under GST. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan says that while the government is of the view that every petroleum product must come under GST, the matter is being discussed with the states.

West Bengal BJP leader Rupa Ganguly slams Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on her civil war comment and asks, "Is she aware that there are a lot of illegal immigrants in West Bengal? As it is what is happening in West Bengal today, is it any less than bloodbath or civil war?"

What is happening in West Bengal today, is it any less than bloodbath or civil war: BJP leader Rupa Ganguly

Venkaiah Naidu adjourns the House after taking up 12 questions during question hour. Naidu says that NRC would be discussed post-adjournment, after 2 pm.

Mamata met veteran BJP leader L K Advani at his chamber in Parliament today and termed it a "courtesy call". Their meeting lasted 20 minutes. "I know Advaniji for a very long time. I went to enquire about his health. It was a courtesy call," Banerjee said after the meeting.

"Her efforts to unite opposition leaders are commendable," Azad said after the meeting. The West Bengal chief minister is expected to meet leaders of 14 opposition parties and some NDA allies in Parliament today.

Suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad also came to meet her at the TMC office in Parliament, followed by Congress leaders Gulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel, and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav.

Visibly annoyed with MPs who stormed the Well and raised slogan demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence in the Rajya Sabha, Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House to re-assemble at 11 am on Thursday.

Lok Sabha takes up The Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2018, for discussion. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad moved the Bill saying good governance is integral to the good economy. During the introduction of the Bill, Prasad said the Bill allows the state governments to establish commercial courts at the district level. Speaking about 214 commercial courts, Prasad says over 2,000 cases of over Rs. one crore are pending.

In Lok Sabha, while debating the Commercial Division Bill, Ravi Shankar Prasad says, "Around 34 high court judges were appointed in 2017. We will cross the highest this year if we appoint. If we need access to justice, we need good judges. We want to showcase the world that even small dispute, the legal system is available to fast-track the cases."

As the Chair asks BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi to speak, Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge says every time the ruling member initiates the debate. Why not an Opposition party initiate it? The Chair says the since the statutory motion and Bill seeking to replace the Ordinance are taken simultaneously to save time. Deputy Chairman Thambi Durai says he is practising the existing convention. Minister Arjun Meghwal says Congress would have got the opportunity to initiate the discussion had the statutory motion not been moved.

No such data is maintained in respect to state information commissions, he said.

Systems at 2,200 public authorities or central government departments have been aligned to receive, process and reply to online RTIs from applicants, it said. "The CIC has informed that 23,978 second appeals/complaints are pending as on July 26, 2018," Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Nearly 24,000 second appeals and complaints are pending with transparency watchdog Central Information Commission (CIC), the government said on Wednesday.

According to CNN-News18, the Union Cabinet has approved a new draft bill that will nullify the Supreme Court's judgment on Prevention of Atrocities against SC and ST act. The TV channel reported that the new bill will nullify the order of the Supreme Court that apparently diluted the law.

He said that without proper infrastructure, the bill will serve no purpose whatsoever and will only congest the lower judiciary. He said that allotting more money to establish new courts should be sanctioned instead of burdening the current infrastructure any further.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the bill may be passed here but the issue won't be resolved until judicial capacity is strengthened. Accusing the government of taking only reactionary steps to improve its political TRP, Owaisi said that the current government has not done its homework.

He said that this will make virtually any and every litigation qualifies under this norm.

BJD MP Pinaki Mishra said that while the Law Commission and Standing Committees recommended Rs. 1 crore, why did this government choose to bring it down to an alarming Rs 3 lakh. He said that this virtually brought down the limit to $5700 for a lawsuit to qualify as high-value litigation.

Union Law Minister in his reply said that the limit of Rs 3 lakh to qualify to be admitted into a fast-track court was a conscious decision. He said that he did not want that only the rich and mighty have access to prompt justice. He said that was not the kind of India the government wanted to build.

"We can simply put everything on Supreme Court. We are the lawmakers, judges are intepreters. We have to find a solution," he said.

"We wanted to bring a National Judicial Commission, but the Supreme Court quashed it. What is the remedy for that," he asked the Chair.

On judicial appointments, Prasad said that the NDA government increased the number of posts in high courts and lower judiciary. He said that in high courts alone, the government has introduced 173 new posts. He also rued about the failure to introduce NJAC in appointment of judges.

Responding to questions on overburdening the already congested judicial infrastructure, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the overall number of courts will be increased to 21,153 by the next year. He also claimed that 2819 new court halls were built under the BJP rule. "We are doing our best for judicial infrastructure," he added.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that judicial academies are being set up to facilitate training of judicial staff and judges to help them take up commercial cases as well under the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

In response to another question on whether the government has received any proposal from China for a border defence cooperation pact, the minister replied in negative.

The Air Force has a shortage of 192 officers, Bhamre said, adding that it has 12,392 officers as against the sanctioned strength of 12,584 officers.

The authorised strength for the Navy is 11,352 officers as against the existing number of 9,746 officers, which is 1,606 less than the sanctioned number.

The three armed forces face a shortage of over 9,096 officers, with the Army topping the list, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. In a written response to a question in the Lower House, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said as on 1 January, 2018, the authorised strength of officers in Army was 49,933, but it has 42,635 officers, which is 7,298 short of the sanctioned strength.

She said India had a clear policy on South China Sea that there should be freedom of navigation. "As far as Doklam issue is concerned, I am saying with full responsibility it has been solved with diplomatic maturity. There is status quo at the face-off site and there is not an inch of change," she said.

Replying to queries of Trinamool Congress member Sugata Bose in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj said the informal Wuhan summit in April between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had led to "solid achievements".

There has been no change in the status quo at the site of the military face-off with China in Doklam and the issue was resolved with diplomatic maturity, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday.

He said there were some nine border pillars which are to be identified and put on the ground.

Rejecting reports about border dispute and destroying of pillars in the Manipur region as false, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said a high-level central team has already visited the spot and reported that there is no dispute on the issue. Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, he said the Indo-Myanmar boundary was 1,472 km long, out of which 171 km is to be demarcated through a boundary mechanism which both the countries have established.

The government today said there was no border dispute between India and Myanmar and the demarcation of nine pillars was being worked out in a complete understanding with the neighbouring country.

He said that this will make virtually any and every litigation qualifies under this norm.

BJD MP Pinaki Mishra said that while the Law Commission and Standing Committees recommended Rs. 1 crore, why did this government choose to bring it down to an alarming Rs 3 lakh. He said that this virtually brought down the limit to $5700 for a lawsuit to qualify as high-value litigation.

Union Law Minister in his reply said that the limit of Rs 3 lakh to qualify to be admitted into a fast-track court was a conscious decision. He said that he did not want that only the rich and mighty have access to prompt justice. He said that was not the kind of India the government wanted to build.

"We can simply put everything on Supreme Court. We are the lawmakers, judges are intepreters. We have to find a solution," he said.

"We wanted to bring a National Judicial Commission, but the Supreme Court quashed it. What is the remedy for that," he asked the Chair.

On judicial appointments, Prasad said that the NDA government increased the number of posts in high courts and lower judiciary. He said that in high courts alone, the government has introduced 173 new posts. He also rued about the failure to introduce NJAC in appointment of judges.

Responding to questions on overburdening the already congested judicial infrastructure, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the overall number of courts will be increased to 21,153 by the next year. He also claimed that 2819 new court halls were built under the BJP rule. "We are doing our best for judicial infrastructure," he added.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that judicial academies are being set up to facilitate training of judicial staff and judges to help them take up commercial cases as well under the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

In response to another question on whether the government has received any proposal from China for a border defence cooperation pact, the minister replied in negative.

The Air Force has a shortage of 192 officers, Bhamre said, adding that it has 12,392 officers as against the sanctioned strength of 12,584 officers.

The authorised strength for the Navy is 11,352 officers as against the existing number of 9,746 officers, which is 1,606 less than the sanctioned number.

The three armed forces face a shortage of over 9,096 officers, with the Army topping the list, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. In a written response to a question in the Lower House, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said as on 1 January, 2018, the authorised strength of officers in Army was 49,933, but it has 42,635 officers, which is 7,298 short of the sanctioned strength.

She said India had a clear policy on South China Sea that there should be freedom of navigation. "As far as Doklam issue is concerned, I am saying with full responsibility it has been solved with diplomatic maturity. There is status quo at the face-off site and there is not an inch of change," she said.

Replying to queries of Trinamool Congress member Sugata Bose in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj said the informal Wuhan summit in April between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had led to "solid achievements".

There has been no change in the status quo at the site of the military face-off with China in Doklam and the issue was resolved with diplomatic maturity, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday.

He said there were some nine border pillars which are to be identified and put on the ground.

Rejecting reports about border dispute and destroying of pillars in the Manipur region as false, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said a high-level central team has already visited the spot and reported that there is no dispute on the issue. Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, he said the Indo-Myanmar boundary was 1,472 km long, out of which 171 km is to be demarcated through a boundary mechanism which both the countries have established.

The government today said there was no border dispute between India and Myanmar and the demarcation of nine pillars was being worked out in a complete understanding with the neighbouring country.

Monsoon Session Parliament Latest Updates: Union Law Minister in his reply said that the limit of Rs 3 lakh to qualify to be admitted into a fast-track court was a conscious decision. He said that he did not want that only the rich and mighty have access to prompt justice. He said that was not the kind of India the government wanted to build.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the bill may be passed here but the issue won't be resolved until judicial capacity is strengthened. Accusing the government of taking only reactionary steps to improve its political TRP, Owaisi said that the current government has not done its homework.

In Lok Sabha, while debating the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2018, several MPs raised the issue of a large number of vacancies in the lower court and the immense workload on the judiciary.

While debating the Commercial Division Bill, Ravi Shankar Prasad says, "Around 34 high court judges were appointed in 2017. We will cross the highest this year if we appoint. If we need access to justice, we need good judges. We want to showcase the world that even small dispute, the legal system is available to fast-track the cases."

Visibly annoyed with MPs who stormed the Well and raised slogan demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence in the Rajya Sabha, Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House to re-assemble at 11 am on Thursday. The protesting MPs would not allow Rajnath Singh to address Rajya Sabha. The home minister was going to speak on the NRC issue in Assam.

Extremely critical of the NRC issue in Assam, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the Parliament House and met many senior leaders and politician. Mamata met with senior BJP leader LK Advani and Trinamool Congress members. Mamata also met the floor leaders of various political parties.

Rajya Sabha resumes. Venkaiah Naidu says the Chair wants to proceed with Question Hour. Prasanna Acharya (BJD) suggests the home minister may make a statement on the NRC issue. BJP's Bhupendra Yadav also agrees with Acharya. But BJP members want Amit Shah to complete his speech. The Chair proceeds with Question Hour.

BJP president Amit Shah will soon address the Rajya Sabha on NRC issue.

As Rajya Sabha reconvened at 11 am today, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu got up from his chair as Congress' Anand Sharma raised objection to Amit Shah's speech on NRC draft. Naidu said, "It is ironic that I have to give away the best parliamentarian award function today. I was so upset yesterday, when MPs menacingly approached the Well. Many of you raised slogans, but I don't want to name anyone. The Chair has power to adjourn the House as per the situation because it is responsible to run the House in a dignified manner."

Naidu, further added, that if they didn't want to discuss issues properly, the House will be adjourned any time. Opposition leaders continued to raise slogans, as Amit Shah rose to re-start his speech and the Upper House was immediately adjourned till 12 pm.

Parliament is all set for a disruptive session today as the NRC issue is going to be blown up by the Opposition parties. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will speak in Lok Sabha today, reports have claimed. Congress has given zero hour notice to discuss the NRC issue in Lok Sabha, ANI reports.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament, which began on 18 July, witnessed a stormy session on Tuesday with BJP chief Amit Shah accusing the Congress of not showing courage to identify illegal migrants in Assam. The opposition asked the government to tread cautiously and not play politics on the issue of NRC.

While the Congress asked the government to adopt a humanitarian approach and not leave out any Indian from the Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC), TMC demanded its complete withdrawal claiming that Indians were left out of it.

As the Rajya Sabha debated the NRC issue after Congress and TMC members created an uproar, Shah countered them by asking whether the Congress wanted to save he "illegal Bangladeshis".

Participating in a discussion which was taken up by doing away with the Question Hour, Shah said the NRC was an exercise which was to be conducted as part of the Assam Accord signed by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhion August 14, 1985 after the movement in the state went out of control leading to death of some protesters.

Noting that the NRC was the spirit of the accord which sought to identify illegal migrants and prepare a list of Indian citizens, he said the exercise was now being conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

"NRC is being conducted on the SC order. There are 40 lakh people (missing in the list) ... Whom do you want to save? You want to save illegal Bangaldesis," he posed. He said "this was the Congress PM's initiative. He (Rajiv Gandhi) did not have the courage. We have courage and we are doing it."

Shah's remarks provoked noisy protests by the Opposition members led by those from the Congress and the TMC. The House was first adjourned by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for about 10 minutes during the debate and then for the day.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh was present in the House but could not reply due to the noisy protests. Earlier, Naidu, while allowing the Question Hour to be dispensed with today, termed NRC as a "serious and sensitive" matter.

Initiating the debate, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said it was a humanitarian issue and not a matter of any particular caste, religion or region. "We don't want any person to be driven out of the country. This is not only about 40 lakh people, if you consider their children, families, it comes to 1-1.5 crore people," Azad said, adding the issue may have international ramifications, especially on India's close friend Bangladesh.

He observed that the onus of proving identity as a citizen of India should lie upon not just an individual but the government as well.

Azad said the government should make legal provisions for the affected persons and there should be no harassment. The Leader of Opposition further said even if one document is there out of the 16 documents required to prove identity, it should suffice, adding that no political party should make it a political or vote issue.

Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party claimed that the persons not included in the NRC include those of Hindus as well as Muslims, and even those from states like Bihar and UP.

He said there is a need to exercise a lot of caution on the issue as if the name of an Indian citizen in Assam is not included in the NRC, where will the person go.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC) said his party chief Mamata Banerjee has said it should be withdrawn and the legal citizens of India should not be thrown out.

He said that 40 lakh people have been rendered "nationless which is unique in the history of the world." He claimed that Indian citizens as well as governnent officials have been left out of the draft NRC list.

Roy said a misconception was being spread among the people that the exercise was being conducted in accordance with the Supreme Court's directive and asserted that the right of the people to reside in any state as per the Constitution is being violated.

BJD's Prasanna Acharya said no one should read politics on the issue because it is very sensitive. He urged Home Minister Rajnath Singh to provide an assurance that all irregularities in the NRC will be taken care of.

"In the heat of the argument, let us not forget that this is an issue where national security is involved, humanitarian angle is also involved," Acharya said.

Y S Chowdary (TDP) claimed that proper procedure was not followed in the exercise of compiling the NRC and as a result, 40 lakh people have been declared refugees.

CPI(M)'s T K Rangarajan alleged that it was an illegal report and does not take into account several people from other parts of India who moved to Assam earlier.

Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) said it cannot solely be a "heartless bureaucratic exercise" but should have a humanitarian approach, while Veer Singh of the BSP said an informed decision should be taken in this regard.

Majeed Memon (NCP) said it was not an issue of people from one religion alone, but the constitutional values with regard to the rights of an Indian citizen are involved. He said India will become the "laughing stock of the world if the people living in Assam since 50 years were dumped somewhere else. Biswajit Daimary (BPF), who belongs to Assam, said the names were not included in the NRC list due to lack of documentary proof. Such people have been given time to submit the documents.

"There won't be any action taken on over 40 lakh people (whose names are in the NRC list). They can submit the documents and proof. There should not be any confusion on this," he said. Swapan Dasgupta (Nom) said "my only appeal is that let there be a rigorous and fair scrutiny. Let us not be in denial that there is a real problem in Assam."

"This NRC did not come out of thin air. It was preceded by a susained agitation in which 100s of people lost lives and in which there was huge emotional outpouring in Assam and in other parts of north east," he said. "There is a perception which is not quantified that there is a large foreigner population living in Assam. We can only deny this at our own peril," he said.

Jose K Mani (KCM) said the Assam issue is a national issue, besides being a constitutional and humanitarian issue. The stakeholders have not been consulted and the government should have a road map to address the problem.

D Raja (CPI) said the issue has become sensitive and has the potential to disturb relations with neighbouring countries and even harmony among the states. He also said the government should take Parliament and political parties into confidence while dealing with such issues.

V Vijaysai Reddy (YSRCP) said Indian citizens who are not in the list should be restored without harassment, while Sanjay Singh (AAP) said "We should not give religious colour. We should look from humanitarian point of view." Tiruchi Siva (DMK) suggested that the government to tackle the issue in an amicable way, while Dharmapuri Srinivas (TRS) said that the government should reconsider and revaluate the list. Sukhdev Singh Dhinsa (SAD) also spoke about minorities.

Later, the sources said the Chairman discussed the issue with Leader of Opposition Azad and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs during the adjournment.

With inputs from agenciesThe appointment of PS Sreedharan Pillai as BJP's Kerala president is seen as an indication that the saffron party will be softening its Hindutva line.

The appointment of PS Sreedharan Pillai as Bharatiya Janata Party's Kerala president is seen as an indication that the saffron party will be softening its Hindutva line in the southern state in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

The partys central leadership seems to have realised that the party may not be able to achieve its target of winning 12 Lok Sabha seats in the southern state with a minority population of 46 percent by banking on Hindus alone. The Hindu share is 56 percent.

Kerala is among seven states that BJP is looking for gains to compensate possible losses in the north and the west to retain power in 2019.

Ironically, the Hindu focus his predecessor Kummanam Rajashekharan followed in the state for the last three years could not help the party in consolidating its Hindu vote base, even after bringing several Hindu, Dalit and tribal organisations under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold.

An analysis of the 2016 Assembly election voting showed that the NDA could garner only 18 percent of the lower caste Ezhava votes despite forging an alliance with the communitys political arm, the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS).

BJP national president Amit Shah was in the lookout for a leader who would be more acceptable to all communities after Rajashekharan was packed off to the eastern state of Mizoram as governor amid Chengannur by-election two months ago.

Pillai, who was not in the race for the post, was picked up by the party chief after a secret survey commissioned by Shah put him ahead among the contenders with 39.5 percent support. A section of the party leaders in the state feel that Pillai topped the list as he is perceived to be a moderate leader with a secular face.

"We need such a leader at a time when the party is gearing up to face a crucial poll. We cannot achieve our target in Kerala without the support of the minorities as they have decisive presence in most constituencies. We are confident that Pillai can win the confidence of the minorities as they consider him as a mature and respectable leader, says BJPs minority morcha state president Jiji Joseph.

Pillai, who led the party from 2003 to 2006, told Firstpost that his priority would be to reach out to the minorities. He said he was confident of bringing the minorities close to the party without diluting the core ideology of the party.

The 64-year-old lawyer-turned-politician does not consider the task insurmountable since the party could make inroads into several Christian-dominated states like Goa, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura. Pillai pointed out that an NDA ally could also win a Lok Sabha seat from a Christian stronghold in Kerala in 2004.

Minorities had many apprehensions when the party came to power for the first time under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The apprehensions fueled by the Congress and other non-BJP parties were proved misplaced. The four-year-rule by Narendra Modi has instilled further confidence among the minorities, he claimed.

When the Kerala unit of the party sought a representation to the state in the union ministry, the prime minister picked up a Christian. Modi has been sensitive to the sentiments of the minorities. This has made minorities change their approach to the BJP, Pillai claimed.

He said that he had pushed the Congress to third position in a Muslim pocket in the Chengannur by-election. He sees this as a strong indication that the perception of the Muslims towards the BJP is changing.

The minorities, who forms the backbone of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), have started deserting the coalition. The CPM is trying to woo them by projecting itself as the protector of the minorities. This is for the sake of power. We will expose this and attract them to BJP, Pillai added.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president MM Hassan said that Pillais calculations will remain a dream that will never be fulfilled. "The minorities will not fall into the BJP trap as their ultimate aim is Hindutva India. Minorities are no fools not to realise this," he said.

T Sasidharan, associate professor and head of the department of political science, Sree Narayana College, Kannur, agrees with Hassan. In fact, he feels that it will not be easy for BJP to make further inroads even into the majority community in the state.

The numerically superior lower caste Hindus consider BJP as an upper caste party. They have not gained anything from the BJP dispensation. Most of the lower caste organisations, including the BDJS, that the party brought under the NDA fold, are disenchanted with the BJP, Sasidharan told Firstpost.

He said that even the upper caste Hindus were not comfortable with the BJP brand of Hindutva. The majority community in the state have a strong tradition of secularism. They will not abandon that for political gains, he said.

In fact, the Nair Service Society (NSS), a socio-cultural organisation of the upper caste Nair community, has been rebuffing the BJP's attempts to woo them into the united Hindu fold. The organisation, which swears by secularism, has ruled out any bonhomie with the Sangh Parivar, saying that they dont want to be seen as a saffron outfit.

Sasidharan said that the attempt by the BJP to rake up the temple issue in the run up to the Lok Sabha election may further alienate the Hindus in Kerala from the BJP. If the party is planning to fight the coming election on the temple issue, it will not win even a single seat in the state, he added.

He said BJP may not gain much from appointing a moderate leader as the party president as long as the core ideology of the party remain unchanged. Pillai cannot go outside the partys ideological framework.

Sasidharan said that the killings going on in north India in the name of cows may also make Pillais task to win the support of minorities difficult. Though there is no cow-related violence in Kerala, the lynchings of the minorities elsewhere and the isolated attacks on Christian groups in the north will confound the fears of the minorities against BJP.

He also doubts whether the RSS, which has a strong network in Kerala, will allow Pillai to sell his secular face to attract the minorities. To add to his discomfiture, the party is mired in severe factionalism. The two groups led by V Muraleedharan and PK Krishnadas, both former state presidents, are unhappy with Pillai's appointment.

The Muralidhran group, which lobbied for K Surendran, displayed its displeasure by keeping off a reception the party workers organised for the new president at Kozhikode on Tuesday. Political observers feel that it will not be easy for Pillai, who is not identified with either group, to keep the flock together.

There are no groups in the BJP. It is only the differences in the family. They can be ironed out. I perceive the responsibility as a challenge. I humbly believe the time is ripe in the state for the growth of BJP. The party would hold high the mantra  opportunity to all and favouritism to none. Im hopeful, Pillai said.The House had witnessed an adjournment on Wednesday morning when the House reconvened at 2 pm after the lunch break, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy of the TMC stood up and raised a point of order as BJP president Amit Shah was asked to conclude his speech he had started on Tuesday.

New Delhi: Vociferous protests by members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday forced the adjournment of the Rajya Sabha for the day, as it failed to complete a discussion on Assam's National register of Citizens and the reply to it by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The House had witnessed an adjournment on Wednesday morning when the House reconvened at 2 pm after the lunch break, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy of the TMC stood up and raised a point of order as BJP president Amit Shah was asked to conclude his speech he had started on Tuesday.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu responded to the point of order, saying he has allowed Shah to complete his speech which could not be completed on Tuesday due to continued disruptions.

Roy said, "If any member who is so called upon does not speak, he shall not be entitled except with the permission of the Chair. Here, in this case, one honourable member has already spoken. How can he speak twice? There is no provision in the rules."

Soon thereafter, TMC members stormed the Well of the House raising slogans, with Naidu asking them to go back to their seats, saying he has allowed Shah to conclude his speech.

Congress member Bhubaneshwar Kalita said his party members from Assam have not spoken on the NRC and should be given an opportunity to do so.

With disruptions continuing, Naidu said: "Are we at the mercy of one party? Why have your people (from Assam) have not spoken (when) an opportunity came to your party. Your party should have first given the opportunity to Assam members."

"You create disorder and raise a point of order," Naidu said, and asked Shah to speak.

However, the BJP chief was unable to speak amidst the slogan shouting and disruption. Naidu then said that the conduct of the protesters was unbecoming of Parliamentarians.

"There seems to be a system, that you spoke, you had your say, it has gone on record, now you come and disrupt the House. So you don't want to hear the reply," Naidu said, asking Shah again to speak.

However, the BJP president said if his speaking caused "so much fear, he can let go of the opportunity" to enable Naidu to run the House.

"I know why they (Opposition) do not want me to speak," he said, requesting Naidu to ask the home minister to make a statement.

Then Naidu asked the home minister to reply to the debate. However, the TMC members who were shouting slogans from the Well remained unrelenting.

Amid the unabated slogan shouting and disruption, Rajnath Singh sought the Chair's permission to table his entire speech, saying that some members did not wish to hear the reply to the discussion on the NRC.

"As some of the members do not want the debate to continue and are not willing to hear the reply of the home minister, I would like to thank the home minister for continuously coming here for three days," Naidu said and then adjourned the House for the day.

The Rajya Sabha was earlier adjourned till noon as Congress members created an uproar, insisting on removal from House records certain remarks made by Shah in connection with the Assam National Register of Citizens.

Soon after scheduled papers were laid, senior Congress MP Anand Sharma raised a point of order and insisted on removal of certain comments made by Shah on Tuesday in the Upper House.

Several other Congress members were on their feet to support Sharma.tech2 News Staff

Seems like there is more to come from Facebooks recently acquired music licensing rights.

According to a researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who is famous for uncovering yet-to-launch features of popular social media apps, Facebook is working on a new feature called Talent Show.

The Talent Show feature will apparently allow users to compete by singing popular songs on videos and then submitting them for review. Like an audition.

Facebook is working on Talent Show where users can pick a popular song and submit their singing audition for review. Feels like a cross between Musically and Fifteen Million Merits from Black Mirror as I previously spotted: https://t.co/jHsYQpEvgo pic.twitter.com/TfC2Og5wlw  Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) July 28, 2018

The interface where Wong spotted the existence of such a thing called Talent Show on Facebook, includes mentions of elements like audition and stage. She says that these songs will be picked from an existing list of popular songs. Sort of like the list Musical.ly has.

It appears Facebook is working on "Talent Show". It has "audition" and "stage". The auditions seems to be loaded as videos. Previously Facebook Trivia Games, and now Talent Show? pic.twitter.com/1LYbtlBk6u  Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) July 28, 2018

In fact, a lot of the hinted features characteristics resemble that of Musical.ly, but instead of lip syncing for fun, on Talent Show, people will actually be singing and competing.

Wong also confirms that Talent Show sources the music via the new Rights Manager, used by the record labels to track copyrighted tracks usage on Facebook.

Facebook Talent Show and Instagram Music Stickers sources the music from the submissions by record labels through the new Rights Manager.  Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) July 28, 2018

Since the beginning of this year, Facebook has been signing a bunch of deals with record labels, which includes the major ones like Universal, Sony, and Warner, and several others.tech2 News Staff

While the smartphone market is declining in China for the fourth consecutive quarter in Q2 2018, Huaweis upward journey seems unaffected.

According to the latest report by Counterpoints Market Monitor service, Huawei was the fastest and lone brand registering a positive 22 percent year-over-year growth leading the market with an all-time-record share. Huaweis sub-brand Honor also individually surpassed Xiaomi in overall volumes during the quarter, leading the e-commerce channel share as well.

Reportedly, Honor captured over a fourth of the total smartphone sales during this years 618 festival that happens every year in June in China. The sale apparently boosted Honor and Huawei past Xiaomi. The report suggests that Honor alone is now a bigger brand than Xiaomi in China.

To top that, Xiaomis market share declined annually in China. To expand its presence and grow market share in China, it has been ramping up its offline channel distribution in China, including launch of Mi Homes which will enable users to experience the Xiaomi portfolio. However, its impact on sales volume in the short term is limited.

In the second quarter, Oppo and Vivo reportedly also expanded their presence in the premium segment with the launch of Find X and Nex respectively. Though, the premium segment always gets more competitive in the later part of the year with Apples refresh its portfolio, Huawei launching its Mate successor and Google announcing the latest Pixel phones.

Further, in Q2 2018, share of online sales for Apple grew both sequentially and annually due to comparatively higher discounts available online as compared to offline channels.

In China, e-commerce is apparently a key part of Apples channel strategy. Consequently, Apple was the third largest brand in terms of sales volume during the 618 festival. Apple iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus surprisingly remained one of the popular and top selling models in China during Q2 2018.

Having said that, while Huawei, Honor and Apple did will over all in the Chinese market, the top selling smartphone in China in Q2 2018 was Oppo R15, followed by Vivo X21. iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus and Honor 7C scored the last three ranks in the top five popular models in China is the quarter.tech2 News Staff

OnePlus is offering some discounts and cashbacks on its flagship device  OnePlus 6  when purchased online or offline.

According to a press release by OnePlus, starting 1 August 2018, if a OnePlus 6 device is bought, online or offline, using the EMI options, paid by ICICI Bank Credit card, customers will be eligible for a cashback of Rs 1,500. The same was also posted in a tweet by Sanjay Bafna.

As he reports, OnePlus is also introducing a no-cost EMI option for 6 months on the purchase of the smartphone. This offer is apparently applicable on purchases made via all popular bank credit cards. The offer is valid on Amazon India and via the offline retail store.

#OnePlus India has announced some good offers for anyone purchasing its flagship smartphone #OnePlus6 starting 1st August 2018. Details  pic.twitter.com/OTM1WzmkAR  SANJAY BAFNA (@sanjaybafna) August 1, 2018

Finally, Bafnas tweet also suggests that starting 3 August 2018, if a OnePlus 6 is purchased via Amazon India, customers will be able to avail an additional discount of up to Rs 1,500 on the exchange if an old smartphone. The discount on the exchange, in such an offer, always depends on the judged value (by Amazon India) on the device that will be exchanged and its condition.tech2 News Staff

Samsung's online-only smartphone lineup called the 'Galaxy On' series has gotten a new entry in the form of the Samsung Galaxy On8. The device will be sold exclusively on Flipkart and Samsung's online store in India for a price of Rs 16,990 starting from 6 August.

Coming to the specifications of the device, the Galaxy On8 has a 6-inch Super AMOLED Infinity Display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The phone is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 on the front while on the back of the phone is made out of polycarbonate. The phone also has a dual-camera setup which apparently comes with Live Focus and Background Blur Shape functionalities.

Samsung also claims that the Galaxy On8 comes with a Chat Over Video feature that enables chatting while watching a video. Internally the phone has an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64 GB of onboard storage which can be expanded to 256 GB using a micro-SD card.

In terms of optics, the phone has dual-camera setup on the back with a 16 MP primary sensor + f/1.7 aperture and a 5 MP secondary sensor + f/1.9 aperture. On the front, we see that a 16 MP sensor is available with a f/1.9 aperture.

Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB, and a 3.5 mm jack. The entire setup is powered by a 3500mAh battery and there is no support for fast-charging. The phone will have massive competition from the likes of the Honor, Xiaomi, and Motorola in this price segment.Asheeta Regidi

The TRAI chairman, RS Sharma's controversial Aadhaar challenge has now been followed by a UIDAI warning against the disclosure of Aadhaar numbers, terming it as an act that is not in accordance with the law. The challenge led to others also similarly posting their Aadhaar numbers online and issuing similar challenges. While the point the TRAI chief was trying to prove, that the knowing Aadhaar number can do him no harm, remains unproven, his act has triggered a serious law and order problem.

The first question that arises is whether the TRAI chief himself violated the law by disclosing his own number. The second is on how to deal with people who have come to believe that disclosing their sensitive personal data can do them no harm.

What the Aadhaar Act says

To answer these questions, the relevant provisions under the Aadhaar Act itself need to be looked at. The most relevant provision is Section 29(2), which states that identity information (which includes Aadhaar numbers) may be shared only in accordance with the provisions of this Act and in such manner as may be specified by regulations. This is supplemented by Section 29(4), which further states that no Aadhaar number/core biometric information collected or created under the Aadhaar Act can be published, displayed or posted publicly, except for the purposes as may be specified by regulations.

Violation of these provision attracts a penalty of 1-year imprisonment or a fine of Rs 25,000 under Section 42. Section 37, further punishes the intentional dissemination of any identity information that was collected in the course of enrolment or authentication with 3 years or a fine of Rs 10,000.

Does the Aadhaar Act punish publishing your own data?

Technically, the sharing of the TRAI chiefs own Aadhaar numbers is not in accordance with the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, nor has it been shared for the purposes as may be specified in the regulations. However, traditionally, no privacy law puts a bar on what information people choose to disclose about themselves. This is a choice that the people are allowed to make and forms the basis of the use of consent in data protection laws.

To read into these provisions that the Aadhaar Act prohibits a person from publishing his own Aadhaar number is thus a bit of a stretch. In fact, to place a bar on a person revealing his own sensitive personal information, could well include a bar on that person publishing his own photographs. Consider Section 29 of the Aadhaar Act above, which places a bar on the sharing of core biometric information as well. A person sharing a picture which reveals his fingerprints, or which allows the generation of face recognition data on par with, could similarly be considered to be a violation of the law.

Aadhaar regulations dont discuss publishing your own data

There is further support to this from the Aadhaar (Sharing of Information) Regulations, 2016, which does not discuss persons publishing their own data. The only reference is to publication by persons/entities other than the Aadhaar number holders. Regulation 6(1) specifically states that The Aadhaar number of an individual shall not be published, displayed or posted publicly by any person or entity or agency. This makes it clear that the reference is to the publishing of the Aadhaar number of an individual by (another) person, and not the individual himself.

Implications for others sharing the TRAI chiefs number

Thus, while interpreting these provisions, the normal interpretation is that if one person were to publish the Aadhaar number of another person, then he is violating the law. Thus, on this basis, every person who retweeted the TRAI chiefs Aadhaar number, or every news agency that published it, or anyone who otherwise shared it, has violated the law.

This is, in fact, yet another law and order problem that the TRAI chief created since it can well be argued that all such persons had the implicit consent of the TRAI chief, who gave this out when he put his number in the public domain and posed a challenge to the world at large. However, by the same line of thought, if a hacker tomorrow uses this to empty out the TRAI chiefs bank accounts, he could similarly claim to have the TRAI chiefs consent to do so. The Aadhaar Act itself makes no mention of publication of the Aadhaar number with the persons consent. Sharing his Aadhaar number is thus a huge risk, and doing him harm will be a violation of the law. People thus must refrain from both these acts.

UIDAIs contribution to normalising the sharing of Aadhaar numbers

A major part of the problem is the UIDAIs own conflicting stands over the years on the disclosure of the Aadhaar number.

These have ranged from making a call to keep Aadhaar discreet to recommending that these should be freely shared. The UIDAI has, in fact, dismissed the threat caused by Aadhaar number leaks multiple times.

Recall the UIDAIs response to French researcher Elliot Aldersons find of 20,000 Aadhaar cards within 3 hours, in March this year. The UIDAIs response included that the Aadhaar number can be freely shared, the Aadhaar card is never to be treated as a confidential document, and that the disclosure of Aadhaar numbers, PAN numbers and the like, cannot harm the security of banking and other systems. Such statements, having no regard for the dangers revealing such sensitive information can actually lead to (discussed in detail here), have definitely played a role in creating the present situation.

Dealing with the law and order problem generated

The TRAI chiefs disclosure and challenge certainly generated a major law and order problem. The UIDAI describes this disclosure by a person of their own Aadhaar numbers as an act that is not in accordance with the law. This is, in fact, the only way to describe the situation triggered by the TRAI chiefs act.

If disclosure of sensitive information is normalised this way, this could well necessitate an interpretation of Section 29 to make persons disclosing their own Aadhaar numbers punishable under the law.

If anything good has come from the TRAI chairmans challenge it is this  the UIDAI has finally admitted to the cruciality of keeping an Aadhaar number confidential. The officials need to put more thought into the consequences of their statements and actions. Whether they admit or not, putting out crucial personal information, including the Aadhaar number, in the public domain can only spell trouble.

The author is a lawyer specialising in technology, privacy and cyber lawstech2 News Staff

While there's just one species of man still in existence, the long-winding debates about how we were different from our hominin cousins live on.

Until recently, ideas of evolved culture, better skills in communication and innovative use of tools have few of the leading explanations for our tribe, the Homo sapiens, to have made it 300,000 years without blinking out of existence like the Neanderthals and Homo erectus.

A new study published in Nature Human Behaviour questions current understanding of our evolution, defining our ancestors with a new title  a 'general specialist'.

The researchers describe our ancestors as a species that moved to inhabit a variety of different environments. Early Homo sapiens in this scenario, on encountering a particularly challenging area, managed to successfully colonise it by clever use of resources to adapt to specific challenges in that environment, making them both a 'generalist' and 'specialist' of sorts.

In their paper, Dr Patrick Roberts and his team of scientists from Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and the University of Michigan propose that what the early species of modern man did differently, that aided in their ultimate survival, was merely taking the road less travelled.

The study looks beyond many previous notions that explain our survival, shifting away from the earliest traces of artistic, linguistic and technological abilities of our ancestors and their now-extinct cousins.

Instead, it looks at features that made Homo sapiens unique in the context of ecology. The authors describe how our tribe went places that no hominin had previously ventured to. Early Homo sapiens coped, and grew accustomed with time to handling a range of extreme environments, giving them a leg up to survive in the long run.

Our extinct relatives werent nearly as equipped to adapt to extreme environments, the study's findings reveal.

By adapting to difficult environments where populations have been known to later thrive, Homo sapiens had set themselves up to outlast their bygone cousins.Indo-Asian News Service

An increase in carbon dioxide activity in the Southern Ocean could explain the mysterious growth of human civilisation 11,000 years ago, says a study.

The researchers found that an increase in the Southern Ocean's upwelling could be responsible for stabilising the climate of the Holocene  the period leading upto more than 10,000 years before the Industrial Revolution  critical to the development of human civilisation.

The Holocene was an 'interglacial period', one of the rare intervals of warm climate that have occurred over the ice age cycles of the last million years.

The retreat of glaciers opened a more expansive landscape for humans, and higher atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations made for more productive agriculture, which allowed people to reduce their hunter-gathering activities and build permanent settlements, the researchers explained.

"Increased circulation in the Southern Ocean allowed carbon dioxide to leak into the atmosphere, working to warm the planet," said Daniel Sigman, Professor at Princeton University.

For the study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the team investigated three types of fossils from several different areas of the Southern Ocean: diatoms and foraminifers, both shelled microorganisms found in the oceans, and deep-sea corals.

The fossil-bound nitrogen isotope measurements indicate that during the Holocene, increasing amounts of water (rich in nutrients and carbon dioxide) welled up from the deep ocean to the surface of the Southern Ocean.

The absorption of carbon by the ocean is slowing the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by fossil fuel burning, and the upwelling of the Southern Ocean is still allowing some of that carbon dioxide to vent back into the atmosphere.

The findings about ocean changes could also have implications for predicting how global warming will affect ocean circulation and how much atmospheric carbon dioxide will rise due to fossil fuel burning, the researchers said.Agence France-Presse

More than 100 wildlife rangers died on the job in Asia and central Africa over the last year, nearly half killed by poachers, the WWF reported on 1 August.

Illegal hunters are decimating endangered wildlife to gather rhino horns and big cat body parts to sell in East Asia, as well as bush meat, including gorillas, monkeys, lions and pangolins, to eat.

One-in-seven park rangers across the two regions, home to many of the planet's richest biodiversity hotspots, were seriously injured over the same period, either in accidents or in clashes with illegal hunters.

The death toll was slightly higher than the previous July-to-July reporting period, bringing to 871 the total number of wildlife guardians who have lost their lives in the line of duty since 2009, according to the International Ranger Federation (IRF) and the Thin Green Line Foundation, which compile the grim tally.

"Forty-eight rangers of the 107 lost this year were murdered at their place of work," said Sean Willmore, president of the IRF. "Another 50 died in workplace accidents."

"We have to do better in training and equipping of rangers so that they have a greater chance of returning home to their families after patrol," he said.

The World Wildlife Fund will publish a report detailing the findings later this year, and is conducting a similar survey for East Africa, the organisation said in a statement.

"Rangers are the frontline of protecting much of this iconic wildlife," said Rohit Singh, WWF's zero poaching lead, and president of the Ranger Federation of Asia.

"What is shocking is that, despite their willingness to bear these grave risks to save shared wildlife, few are receiving fair pay, insurance and adequate training."

In Asia, rangers earn the equivalent of $292 per month, on average, and in Central Africa, the monthly paycheck is typically $150.

This year saw the murder of Rachel Katumwa, the first female ranger known to be killed while on duty in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The month before, suspected members of an armed militia group involved in poaching gunned down five other wildlife rangers and their driver.

WWF has called on governments to urgently review and improve the shortcomings that are endangering park rangers.By Kieran Guilbert LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Britain is failing to grasp the scale, cost and impact of modern slavery, activists and researchers said on Tuesday, urging the government to invest in better data to tackle the growing crime. The Home Office (interior ministry) on Monday revealed that modern slavery costs Britain up to 4.3 billion pounds ($5.7 billion) a year, but campaigners say the figure is likely to be higher with the government underestimating the number of slaves.

By Kieran Guilbert

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Britain is failing to grasp the scale, cost and impact of modern slavery, activists and researchers said on Tuesday, urging the government to invest in better data to tackle the growing crime.

The Home Office (interior ministry) on Monday revealed that modern slavery costs Britain up to 4.3 billion pounds ($5.7 billion) a year, but campaigners say the figure is likely to be higher with the government underestimating the number of slaves.

"This is likely to be seriously flawed as it is based on outdated estimates from 2014 of up to 13,000 people in slavery," said Jakub Sobik, a spokesman for Anti-Slavery International.

Britain may be home to as many as 136,000 slaves - trapped in forced labour and sexual exploitation - according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index by human rights group Walk Free Foundation.

This estimate is 10 times higher than the government's figure and points to emerging forms of slavery, such as the use of children as drug-runners, police and campaigners say.

"The figures in this (Walk Free) report are not based on UK statistics, but clearly this highlights the seriousness of this crime," a Home Office spokeswoman said in a statement.

The debate over data comes as Britain reviews its landmark 2015 anti-slavery law, amid criticism that it is not being utilised fully to jail traffickers, help victims or drive companies to tackle forced labour in their operations.

"Getting a handle on the true number of victims is vital," said Justine Currell, executive director of charity Unseen.

Walk Free's data - which counts 40 million slaves globally - has been criticised by some experts and academics as incomplete.

Ella Cockbain, a researcher at University College London, said she believed the 13,000 figure was still the best available estimate of the number of slaves in Britain, but called on the government to fund more detailed research as the crime evolves.

"Ultimately, there are massive gaps in the evidence base on modern slavery," Cockbain told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"One of the big issues is that modern slavery is a relatively hidden crime and those affected are hard to reach in traditional surveys."

The government estimates that each case of slavery sets Britain back by 330,000 pounds, from the cost of policing and providing support for victims to the impact of the physical and emotional harm on a survivor's quality of life and productivity.

Yet the 4.3 billion pound figure - which puts slavery second only to homicide in terms of its expense to Britain - does not include the cost to the criminal justice system, said Kate Roberts, head of office at the Human Trafficking Foundation.

Britain is unable to track progress in its fight against slavery as it does not know how much money it is spending, and has an 'incomplete picture' of the crime, according to a parliamentary committee and public spending watchdog.

($1 = 0.7613 pounds)

(Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Katy Migiro. (Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.The country is currently being led by President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled since 2001, and also defeated Jean-Pierre Bemba in the 2006 election.

Former warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said on Wednesday that he was headed for Kinshasa to throw his hat into the ring for a December presidential election after spending 11 years abroad  most of them behind bars. "En route to the land of my ancestors, my homeland," Bemba said on Twitter during the night. A photo of the 55-year-old Bemba boarding a private jet in Belgium accompanied the tweet.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in June overturned a 2016 conviction against Bemba for five counts of war crimes committed by his militia in the Central African Republic in 2002-03. Bemba had vowed to return to Kinshasa to file his election bid, as candidates must physically be in the country to lodge their applications.

On Monday, the governor of Kinshasa said he would ensure security. According to an official in his MLC party, he ordered 10 policemen to guard Bemba after his arrival.

A hefty police contingent was deployed on Wednesday  a holiday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo  on Kinshasa's main arteries and around the headquarters of Bemba's party, Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC), an AFP journalist reported.

The ICC overturned on appeal an initial 18-year term for war crimes and crimes against humanity for Bemba, who has spent a decade behind bars. Bemba, now a senator, had been in Belgium  the DRC's former colonial power  since the ICC acquittal.

The DRC is in the grip of a crisis over the future of President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the country since 2001 and has remained in office, despite a two-term constitutional limit that expired in December 2016. He has remained in power under a constitutional clause that enables a president to stay in office until his or her successor is elected. Kabila, who has ruled since 2001 and defeated Bemba in the 2006 election, has refused to spell out whether he will seek a new term in office in the crucial 23 December election.

Congo, a mineral-rich country but one of Africa's most volatile countries, has never known a peaceful transition of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960  and some experts fear that the December election may trigger a bloody conflict.By Joseph Menn and Paresh Dave (Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it had identified a new coordinated political influence campaign to mislead its users and sow dissension among voters ahead of November's U.S. congressional elections.

By Joseph Menn and Paresh Dave

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it had identified a new coordinated political influence campaign to mislead its users and sow dissension among voters ahead of November's U.S. congressional elections.

It said it had removed 32 pages and accounts from Facebook and Instagram, part of an effort to combat foreign meddling in U.S. elections.

The company stopped short of identifying the source of the misinformation. But members of Congress who had been briefed by Facebook on the matter said the methodology of the influence campaign suggested Russian involvement.

I can say I think with pretty high confidence I think this is Russian-related, Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters at the U.S. Capitol.

Two U.S. intelligence officials told Reuters there was not sufficient evidence to conclude that Russia was behind the Facebook campaign, but one noted that the similarities, aims and methodology relative to the 2016 Russian campaign are quite striking."

A Russian propaganda arm tried to tamper in the 2016 U.S. election by posting and buying ads on Facebook, according to the company and U.S. intelligence agencies. In February, the U.S. Justice Department indicted 13 Russian nationals, and the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election.

Moscow has denied involvement.

Facebook has been on the defensive about influence activity on its site and concerns over user privacy tied to long-standing agreements with developers that allowed them access to private user data.

'ARMS RACE'

The Atlantic Councils Digital Forensics Research Lab, which was shown the suspended pages ahead of the takedown, said they showed similarities in language and approach to previously fake accounts from the Internet Research Agency, which is known as the troll factory because it stirs up public opinion on social media sites.

The lab cited consistent mistranslation, as well as an overwhelming focus on polarizing issues at the top of any given news cycle. It said, for example, the posts on the year-old, feminist Resisters page took a liberal or left-wing stance on issues around gender, race, immigration, and human rights. Other pages promoted racial pride among minority groups.

The group said the Resisters page was alarming because it was pushing for confrontation at multiple protests, including against "Unite the Right 2," with a potential for violence.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, said on a call with reporters that the attempts to manipulate public opinion would likely become more sophisticated to evade Facebooks scrutiny, calling it an "arms race."

Dan Coats, the Trump administration's director of national intelligence, said in a speech earlier this month that "the warning lights are blinking red again. Today, the digital infrastructure that serves this country is literally under attack."

The White House said the administration was supportive of Facebook's actions.

"We applaud efforts by our private-sector partners to combat an array of threats that occur in cyberspace, including malign influence," said Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the National Security Council.

U.S. President Donald Trump has come under fire for discounting the threat of interference in the congressional elections.

During his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki earlier this month, Trump appeared to state that he believed Russia was no longer trying to influence the U.S. election process.

Trump later amended that, saying he was "very concerned" about Russian interference in the election. On Friday, Trump held a meeting with his national security advisers on election security.

The Senate Intelligence Committee had previously scheduled a hearing on Wednesday addressing the online threat to U.S. election security.

DIVISIVE ISSUES

Facebook identified influence activity around at least two issues, including a counter-protest to the Unite the Right 2 rally set next week in Washington. The other was the #AbolishICE social media campaign aimed at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

In an online post, Facebook said it was disclosing the influence effort now in part because of the rally. A previous event last year in Charlottesville, Virginia, led to violence by white supremacists.

Facebook said it would tell users who had expressed interest in the counter-protest what action it had taken and why.

"This kind of behavior is not allowed on Facebook because we don't want people or organizations creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what theyre doing," the company said.

More than 290,000 accounts followed at least one of the pages and about $11,000 had been spent on about 150 ads, Facebook said. The pages had created about 30 events since May 2017.

Facebook officials on a call with reporters said one known account from Russia's Internet Research Agency was a co-administrator of one of the fake pages for seven minutes, but the company did not believe that was enough evidence to attribute the campaign to the Russian government.

The company previously said 126 million Americans may have seen Russian-backed political content on Facebook over a two-year period, and that 16 million may have been exposed to Russian information on the Instagram photo-sharing app.

Over the past several months, the company has taken steps meant to reassure U.S. and European lawmakers that further regulation is unnecessary. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg says the company has 20,000 people working to police and protect the site.

(Reporting by Joseph Menn and Paresh Dave in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru and Kevin Drawbaugh, Jonathan Landay and Roberta Rampton in Washington; Writing by Peter Henderson and James Oliphant; Editing by Grant McCool and Peter Cooney)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.The hindu teenager was arrested from Mirwah Gorchani area in Sindh province after local prayer leader Mohammad Anwar Soomro filed a complaint against him

Karachi: A 19-year-old Hindu boy has been arrested for allegedly posting blasphemous content on social media in Pakistan's southern Sindh province, a media report said Wednesday.

The teenager was arrested from Mirpur Khas' Mirwah Gorchani area in the province Tuesday after local prayer leader Mohammad Anwar Soomro filed a complaint against him, Dawn newspaper reported.

Soomro alleged that the suspect had hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims by posting 'highly controversial' posts on his Facebook account starting 30 July.

According to the paper, a case was filed against the boy under Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code on the orders of Mirpur Khas Senior Superintendent Police Abid Ali Baloch.

The Section 295-A deals with the deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting a religion or religious beliefs. If found guilty, a person can be jailed up to 10 years.

The suspect was sent on a 14-day judicial remand, soon after his arrest.

Advocate Kashif Bajeer, a human rights activist in the area, demanded a thorough probe into the matter.

The residents of Mirwah Gorchani claimed that the suspect had been upset after his teenage sister had embraced Islam a few days ago. Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.

According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.

Majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim fellows.By Efrain Vazquez DURANGO, Mexico (Reuters) - Investigators began sifting through wreckage of an Aeromexico passenger jet on Wednesday, the head of the country's civil aviation agency said, searching for clues to what caused it to crash as it took off during stormy weather in northern Mexico. The Mexico City-bound Embraer 190 passenger jet smashed into scrubland near the runway during takeoff from an airport in northern Durango state on Tuesday. All 103 passengers and crew survived by evacuating the plane before it caught fire.

By Efrain Vazquez

DURANGO, Mexico (Reuters) - Investigators began sifting through wreckage of an Aeromexico passenger jet on Wednesday, the head of the country's civil aviation agency said, searching for clues to what caused it to crash as it took off during stormy weather in northern Mexico.

The Mexico City-bound Embraer 190 passenger jet smashed into scrubland near the runway during takeoff from an airport in northern Durango state on Tuesday. All 103 passengers and crew survived by evacuating the plane before it caught fire.

Nearly everyone on the flight suffered minor injuries, Mexican officials said.

Video purportedly of the crash recorded from a plane window showed a dark sky and fog and the ground still visible moments before a thud and shrieking passengers were heard.

Reuters could not independently verify the video.

"The impact was very strong. We wanted to think it was a lightening strike," said Chicago resident and passenger Lorenzo Nunez. "It was terrible, absolutely terrible." Nunez said he had been visiting family in Durango.

A time-lapse video posted by Webcams of Mexico, filmed during the hour before the crash, showed dark clouds and fog or rain moving in.

Aeromexico said in a Wednesday morning Twitter post that 64 people had been released from hospitals.

Two people were in critical condition, including the pilot and a minor, the state health department said.

Luis Gerardo Fonseca, director of Mexico's civil aviation agency, told broadcaster ADN40 that his team began working at the crash site around 7 a.m. local time (1200 GMT), along with representatives of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Representatives of Embraer SA and the maker of the plane's engines, General Electric Co , were also assisting, Fonseca said.

Officials said it was too early to say what caused the crash of flight number 2431.

It can take safety investigators months to piece together the complex chain of events leading to an accident.

Determining the cause of the Durango crash may be made easier by the location of the crash, which should allow easy access to evidence, including the two flight recorders, one for cockpit voice recordings and the other for flight data.

Under international rules, Mexico will lead the investigation with support from Brazil, where the Embraer jet was designed and built, and from the United States, where General Electric Co made the CF34-10E engines.

(Additional reporting by David Alire Garcia and Daina Beth Solomon in Mexico City, Tim Hepher in Paris and Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Writing by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Toni Reinhold)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel would deploy its military if Iran were to try to block the Bab al-Mandeb strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. Last week, Saudi Arabia said it was suspending oil shipments through the strait, on the main sea route from the Middle East to Europe, after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two ships in the waterway. Saudi Arabia and Iran are in a three-year-old proxy war in Yemen, which lies on the southern side of Bab al-Mandeb.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel would deploy its military if Iran were to try to block the Bab al-Mandeb strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

Last week, Saudi Arabia said it was suspending oil shipments through the strait, on the main sea route from the Middle East to Europe, after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two ships in the waterway.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are in a three-year-old proxy war in Yemen, which lies on the southern side of Bab al-Mandeb.

Yemen's Houthis, who have previously threatened to block the strait, said last week they had the naval capability to hit Saudi ports and other Red Sea targets.

Iran has not threatened to block Bab al-Mandeb but has said it would block the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Gulf, if it were prevented from exporting its own oil.

"If Iran will try to block the straits of Bab al-Mandeb, I am certain that it will find itself confronting an international coalition that will be determined to prevent this, and this coalition will also include all of Israel's military branches," Netanyahu said at a passing out parade for new naval officers in Haifa.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in a separate speech at the event that Israel had "recently heard of threats to harm Israeli ships in the Red Sea." He gave no further details.

Ships bound for Israel, mainly from Asia, pass through the waterway to Eilat, or continue through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea. Ships bound for Jordan's Aqaba port and for some Saudi destinations must also pass through the strait.

Bab al-Mandeb is 29 km (18 miles) wide, making hundreds of ships potentially an easy target. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said an estimated 4.8 million barrels per day of crude oil and products flowed through it in 2016.

Israel has attacked Iranian forces in Syria and has insisted that they leave Syria completely. They have withdrawn to a distance of 85 km (53 miles) from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Russia's special envoy to Syria said on Wednesday.

(Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Rollo Ross REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - Police searched on Tuesday for 16 people missing from one of the most destructive wildfires in California history, and firefighters took advantage of calmer winds to make progress in carving out buffers against the blaze. Six people have been confirmed killed since Thursday.

By Rollo Ross

REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - Police searched on Tuesday for 16 people missing from one of the most destructive wildfires in California history, and firefighters took advantage of calmer winds to make progress in carving out buffers against the blaze.

Six people have been confirmed killed since Thursday. Nearly 900 homes and 300 other buildings were reduced to ash and nearly 40,000 people forced to evacuate as the Carr fire consumed 110,000 acres (45,000 hectares) of mountainous terrain near the city of Redding, in the northern part of the state.

Sixteen people were considered missing on Tuesday, said Redding police Sergeant Todd Cogle, which was up from a count of seven on Monday. The number of people whose whereabouts are unknown has fluctuated, and at one point the list had 26 names, said Cogle, who is supervising a missing persons hotline.

By Tuesday morning, some 3,600 firefighters had carved buffer lines around 27 percent of the fire's perimeter, up from just 5 percent during much of the past week, thanks to calmer winds in the area. Evacuated residents of one area of Redding subdivision north of the Sacramento River were allowed to return to their homes on Tuesday.

The blaze, the seventh most destructive in California history, roared without warning into Redding and adjacent communities last week after being whipped by gale-force winds into a firestorm that jumped the Sacramento River.

It is the biggest of 17 wildfires now raging across the state, fuelled by drought-parched vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and unpredictable winds.

Two firefighters and at least four civilians were killed, including two young children and their great-grandmother, who perished while huddled under a wet blanket.

Whole neighbourhoods, including the town of Keswick on the outskirts of Redding, were laid to waste as residents fled for their lives in a chaotic evacuation.

To the southwest, the River and Ranch wildfires, which are known as the Mendocino Complex fires, has destroyed a combined 74,400 acres (30,1110 hectares) of land and forced thousands to evacuate as it has threatened more than 12,000 homes. About 2,000 firefighters are battling the blazes, about 150 miles (240 km) north of San Francisco, where it has destroyed seven homes since it began on Friday, fire officials said.

Collectively, wildfires that have burned mostly in the U.S. West have scorched 4.6 million acres (1.9 million hectares) so far this year, 24 percent more than the average tallied for the same period over the past decade, according to federal data.

(Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Bill Tarrant and Jonathan Oatis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Shehbaz Sharif has been ordered to appear before the accountability bureau on 20 August for the hearing of Ashiana housing scandal as well as the power company case.

Islamabad: Pakistan's anti-corruption body has summoned the beleaguered chief of the PML-N party and former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif to appear before it on 20 August in a housing scandal case, according to a media report on Wednesday.

Shehbaz, the younger brother of jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, is already under pressure after his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party failed to return to power in Islamabad and looks certain to yield to Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the crucial Punjab provinicial assembly.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in relation to the Ashiana housing scandal, Geo News reported. He has been ordered to appear before the accountability bureau on 20 August for the hearing of Ashiana housing scandal as well as the power company case. Shehbaz, 66, has already appeared before the NAB in the case while former Lahore Development Authority chairman Ahad Cheema is on judicial remand after having been arrested over the case, the report said.

Last month the accountability bureau arrested senior bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad in various corruption cases, including the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case. Quoting sources, the report said that Shehbaz was summoned by the NAB after revelations made by Fawad during interrogation.

According to NAB officials, Fawad wrongfully awarded the Rs 14 billion Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme's contract to 'favourites', illegally ordered the shifting of nine Compressed Natural Gas stations and also worked in a private bank from 2005 to 2006 without official permission. Fawad has served as former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's principal secretary.

Sharif was sentenced by a NAB court to 10 years in jail in a corruption case over the family's ownership of four luxury flats in London. Fawad was removed from the post of principal secretary on 1 June this year and was appointed director general of Civil Services Academy, Lahore. The accused bureaucrat was also being probed by the NAB for possession of assets beyond known sources of income, the report said.By Christopher Bing and Jim Finkle NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence vowed on Tuesday to protect domestic elections from foreign interference, hours after Facebook said it had identified a new effort to use its site to influence Novembers U.S. congressional elections

By Christopher Bing and Jim Finkle

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence vowed on Tuesday to protect domestic elections from foreign interference, hours after Facebook said it had identified a new effort to use its site to influence Novembers U.S. congressional elections.

Facebook Inc disclosed it had taken down dozens of fake accounts after identifying a new coordinated political influence campaign to mislead users and organise rallies ahead of this year's elections.

"Any attempt to interfere in our elections is an affront to our democracy and it will not be allowed," Pence told business executives, government officials and security experts at a Department of Homeland Security cyber summit in New York. "The United States of America will not tolerate any foreign interference in our elections from any nation state."

Pence did not specifically mention Facebook's disclosure. But he said he and U.S. President Donald Trump accepted the assessment by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia had meddled in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump has made conflicting statements on that assessment, sometimes saying he is not sure that Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 race.

U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is probing whether Trump campaign officials worked with Moscow to try to sway the 2016 presidential election. Russia has denied meddling and Trump denies any collusion took place.

Earlier in the day, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen unveiled plans to set up a national cyber risk management centre, bolstering collaboration with the private sector to defend the nation against hacking.

The government will initially work with financial firms, energy companies and telecommunications providers to conduct 90-day assessments to identify industry security weaknesses, develop response plans and run cyber drills, Nielsen said.

The effort will operate using existing Homeland Security resources and budget, an agency official told Reuters. It marks the latest in a long series of government plans to combat cyber threats.

Executives from companies including AT&T Inc , Mastercard Inc and Southern Co addressed the gathering, sharing advice for fighting hacking by criminals and nations. The U.S. government has charged hackers from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia with carrying out a string of digital attacks on U.S. soil in recent years.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle and Christopher Bing in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Ezgi Erkoyun and Ece Toksabay ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish court rejected an appeal on Tuesday for an American pastor to be released from house arrest during his trial on terrorism charges, his lawyer said, in a case that has raised the threat of U.S.

By Ezgi Erkoyun and Ece Toksabay

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish court rejected an appeal on Tuesday for an American pastor to be released from house arrest during his trial on terrorism charges, his lawyer said, in a case that has raised the threat of U.S. sanctions against Ankara.

Relations between the two NATO allies have spiralled into a full-blown crisis over the trial of Christian pastor Andrew Brunson, who was held for 21 months in a Turkish prison until his transfer to house arrest last week - a move Washington dismissed as insufficient.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to impose "large sanctions" on Turkey unless it frees the pastor, who is accused of helping the group Ankara says was behind a failed military coup in 2016.

Brunson, who has lived in Turkey for more than two decades, faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty of the charges, which he denies.

The next hearing in his trial is not scheduled until Oct. 12, but his lawyer Ismail Cem Halavurt said he would keep pressing for Brunson's release. "We are going to request his house arrest be lifted every month," he told Reuters.

The White House has not specified what sanctions might be imposed on Turkey.

We wont comment on potential sanctions targets or processes. In the meanwhile, diplomacy will continue," said

National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis.

He said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had been in touch with his Turkish counterparts "and will continue to press for Pastor Brunsons immediate return home.

In two pieces of legislation pending approval, members of the U.S. Congress have condemned the detention of Brunson and other Americans.

One proposed bill would restrict loans from international financial institutions to Turkey until Ankara stops the "arbitrary arrest and detention" of U.S. citizens and consular staff. Language that calls for the release of Brunson and others has also been included in a defence authorization bill.

'TURKEY WON'T BOW DOWN'

President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Tuesday that Turkey would not "bow down to any threats", and would retaliate against any U.S. sanctions.

"It is unacceptable for the U.S. to use a threatening language against Turkey, using an ongoing court case as a pretext," spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said.

Ankara had the right to seek arbitration if Washington blocks delivery of F-35 jets to Turkey, Kalin said. He added that Turkey expected the issue to be resolved through diplomacy, and that foreign ministers of the two countries would meet this week.

A State Department official was unable to confirm any planned meeting between Pompeo and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, which represents Brunson's family, said the ACLJ was not surprised that the appeal was denied.

"Ongoing diplomatic efforts are taking place at the highest level," Sekulow said.

Brunson was accused of helping supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric who Turkish authorities say masterminded the 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan in which 250 people were killed.

He was also charged with supporting outlawed PKK Kurdish militants and espionage.

Brunson's detention has deepened a rift between Washington and Ankara, which are also at odds over the Syrian war, Turkey's plan to buy a missile defence system from Russia, and planned U.S. sanctions on Iran - which supplies fuel to Turkey.

(Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun and Ece Toksabay; Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton, Daphne Psaledakis and Roberta Rampton in Washington; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Catherine Evans and Peter Cooney)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it expects Pyongyang to keep its commitment made at a June leaders' summit to give up its nuclear arms and would press southeast Asian nations during meetings this week to maintain sanctions against North Korea.

By Lesley Wroughton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it expects Pyongyang to keep its commitment made at a June leaders' summit to give up its nuclear arms and would press southeast Asian nations during meetings this week to maintain sanctions against North Korea.

Questions have arisen over Pyongyang's commitment to denuclearize after U.S. spy satellite material detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the country's first intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the United States.

The department left open the possibility that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo could meet North Korean officials during meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc in Singapore this weekend.

"We will be in some of the same meetings as North Korean officials. I certainly can't preclude any interaction taking place, but we have no meetings on the schedule," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters.

Another State Department official, who earlier briefed reporters on Pompeo's trip to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia this week, said the secretary would remind ASEAN to adhere to sanctions against Pyongyang. There are concerns that fuel is being sold illegally to North Korea despite U.N. sanctions, the official said.

The official said that North Korea will participate in a 27-nation regional ASEAN forum on Saturday that Pompeo will also attend.

"We remain concerned about the scale of North Korea's illicit procurement, in particular of refined petroleum products via U.N.-prohibited ship-to-ship transfers," the official said.

Under the restrictions, Pyongyang is limited to importing 4 million barrels of crude and 500,000 barrels of products a year.

Pompeo has led talks with Pyongyang to denuclearize following a June summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Nauert said the United States was holding Kim to the commitment he made during the summit to denuclearize.

She declined to comment on the spy satellite images.

"What we are going on is the commitment that Chairman Kim made to our president, and that is the commitment to denuclearize. That is something that we certainly anticipate that he will hold up his end of the bargain," Nauert said.

One photo image showed a truck and covered trailer similar to those the North has used to move its ICBMs. Since the trailer was covered, it was not possible to know what, if anything, it was carrying.

Photos and infrared imaging, however, indicate vehicles moving in and out of the facility at Sanumdong, but do not show how advanced any missile construction might be.

The evidence obtained this month is the latest to suggest ongoing activity in North Korea's nuclear and missile facilities. Trump declared soon after the summit that North Korea no longer posed a nuclear threat.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Vietnam-based Mobiistar forayed into the Indian market with the XQ Dual and CQ selfie smartphones back in May. Today it has launched five new selfie smartphones  C1 Lite, C1, C2, E1 Selfie and X1 Dual in the country for the offline market. The company did not share the SoC details and Android version for most of the smartphones, we will update the article when we get them.

Mobiistar C1 Lite specifications

5.34-inch (480 x 960 pixels) FWVGA+ 18:9 2.75D curved glass display

1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Dual SIM (nano+nano + microSD)

5MP rear camera with LED flash

5MP front-facing camera

3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio

4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS

2700mAh battery

Mobiistar C1 specifications

5.34-inch (480 x 960 pixels) FWVGA+ 18:9 2.75D curved glass display

2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano+nano/microSD)

5MP rear camera with LED flash

8MP front-facing camera

3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio

4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS

3000mAh battery

Mobiistar C2 specifications

5.34-inch (480 x 960 pixels) FWVGA+ 18:9 2.75D curved glass display

2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Android 8.1 (Oreo)

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano+nano/microSD)

8MP rear camera with LED flash

8MP front-facing camera

Fingerprint sensor

3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio

4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS

3000mAh battery

Mobiistar E1 Selfie specifications

5.45-inch (720 x 1440 pixels) HD+ 18:9 2.75D curved glass display

3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano+nano/microSD)

13MP rear camera with LED flash

13 MP front-facing camera

Fingerprint sensor

3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio

4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS

3000mAh battery

Mobiistar X1 Dual specifications

5.7-inch (720 x 1440 pixels) HD+ 18:9 2.75D curved glass display

1.3 GHz Quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor with Mali T720 GPU

3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Android 8.1 (Oreo)

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano+nano/microSD)

13MP rear camera with LED flash

13 MP front-facing camera with, LED flash, secondary 8MP front camera with 120-degree wide-angle lens

Fingerprint sensor

3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio

4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS

3000mAh battery

The Mobiistar C1 Lite, C1, C2, E1 Selfie and X1 Dual will be available at  4,340,  5,400,  6,300  8,400 and  10,500, respectively, and will be available through 600 distributors across the country for its seamless entry to the offline market. The company also has over 1000 service centres pan India to live up to its promise of best in class customer experience. All the devices will be available at stores across the country, from 1st August.

Commenting on the launch, Carl Ngo Co-founder and CEO of Mobiistar, India and Global said:

While we entered the country in May, we wanted to highlight our strong commitment towards the country by establishing ourselves more deeply into its ecosystem. 70% of Indias smartphone market is offline and even before coming into the country we knew we would eventually take our product portfolio offline. Our phones cater to the selfie driven Indian who is also cost conscious thus Mobiistar provides a meaningful user experience with affordability. We want to give our consumers a chance to shine and Enjoy More through our new range and provide them with excellent service quality assuring them end to end convenience. With our new range of selfie centric smartphones, we aim to be the part of top 5 smartphone brands in the affordable segment by the end of the year.Google is said to be planning on launching a censored version of its search engine in China that will blacklist websites and search terms about human rights, democracy, religion, and peaceful protest. The project is code-named Dragonfly and has been underway since spring of 2017.

The project acceleration started taking shape after the meeting between Googles CEO Sundar Pichai and a top Chinese government official, according to internal Google documents and sources. Furthermore, Google teams of programmers and engineers said to have created a custom Android app, codenamed Maotai and Longfei, and is a different version.

Interestingly, the final version of the app has already been demonstrated to the Chinese government; the finalized version could be launched in the next six to nine months, pending approval from Chinese officials. If Google can achieve this, it marks the first time the internet giant has operated its search engine in the country. The current situation in China has blocked the Googles search service by the countrys Firewall.

The new app built by Google for China will comply with the countrys strict censorship laws, restricting access to content that Xi Jinpings Communist Party regime deems unfavorable. The internal documents about the project are currently marked Google confidential, say that Googles Chinese search app will automatically identify and filter websites blocked by the Firewall. When a person carries out a search about the banned websites, it will be removed from the first page of results, and a disclaimer will be displayed stating that some results may have been removed due to statutory requirements.

The search app will also blacklist sensitive queries so that no results will be shown at all when people enter certain words or phrases. It is also unclear whether Google will eventually launch a desktop version of its censored China search platform. The documents suggest that Google will operate the search app as part of a joint venture with an unnamed partner company, we assume it might be someone from China. Both Google and the Chinese governments Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to the new information.

SourceThe heat is on this summer, and not just with the weather. The stock market has been on an upward trend since Independence Day. (Which feels so long ago, right?) And with oil prices surging, one of the biggest rallies this year has been in oil stocks.

Luckily, there are still some values to be found in the industry. We asked three of our Motley Fool contributors for their hottest oil stock picks for this summer. They came back with Newfield Exploration (NYSE:NFX), Apache Corporation (NASDAQ:APA), and Total SA (NYSE:TTE). Here's why.

From worst to first?

Matt DiLallo (Newfield Exploration): This year has been great for oil stocks, most of which have been torrid thanks to higher oil prices. However, a few have missed that rally, including Newfield Exploration, which was among the worst-performing oil stocks during the first half of the year. That underperformance doesn't make any sense, which is why I think Newfield looks like a compelling oil stock to consider buying in the second half.

Newfield Exploration expects 2018 to be an excellent year. Overall, the company plans to invest $1.3 billion in drilling new wells that would expand its oil output in the U.S. by 20% to 25% over last year. The company can fund that plan within cash flow assuming oil averages $58 a barrel, putting it in position to generate significant excess cash now that crude is in the $70s.

Newfield could reinvest that money into drilling more wells. But a better use would be to repurchase some of its dirt-cheap stock, which has lost a quarter of its value since the start of 2017 even though oil's up nearly 40%. A buyback could be a needle-mover for investors, considering that several of its peers have started using their excess cash to repurchase stock in the past several months, which has led to big-time outperformance.

Newfield has a lot going for it right now since it can grow production and cash flow at a high rate. Once you add in the fact that its stock looks cheap, and that it could soon announce a share repurchase program, it's one of the top oil stocks to buy now, in my opinion.

Another laggard turns around

John Bromels (Apache Corporation): Like Newfield Exploration, oil and gas driller Apache Corporation had a dismal start to 2018 despite rising oil prices. Like Newfield, it's not quite clear exactly why the market was so sour on Apache, which has excellent growth prospects as it continues to exploit its massive new Alpine High find in the red-hot Permian Basin.

Alpine High is a game-changer for Apache, assuming its projections about the play are correct (and they've proved to be so far). Management expects a jaw-dropping 150% compounded annual production growth rate from Alpine High over the next three years, hitting a projected production range of 160,000 to 180,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/d) by 2020. Considering Alpine High wasn't producing anything at all in 2016, that's a huge gain for the company, which produced 367,000 BOE/d last quarter. In other words, by 2020, Alpine High could be responsible for fully one-third of the company's oil and gas output.

Better still, Apache pays a best-in-class dividend, currently yielding about 2.2%. And investors seem to be catching on. The stock, which had been hovering below $42 for much of the year, has started to take off again. Luckily, it's still trading for less than $50, which -- for a company with such excellent prospects -- looks like a fantastic bargain. But it may not stay this cheap for long, so now looks like a great time to pick up some shares of this beaten-down oil and gas driller.

Good returns today, a plan for tomorrow

Tyler Crowe (Total SA): Any conversation about oil stocks doesn't seem complete nowadays without some discussion about what these companies will do once oil isn't as large a force in the global energy markets. Personally, I think those concerns are further down the road than a lot of people want to admit. That said, there are few companies managing the current oil environment and keeping an eye on the future better than Total.

Most of a company's success has to do with management's ability to allocate capital to the right places, but sometimes companies just get lucky. Total was very lucky that it was in a position to quickly wind down its capital spending just as oil prices started to crash. That enabled the company to preserve the integrity of its balance sheet, and position it to acquire attractive assets when others were selling at a deep discount. That has enabled the company to maintain some of the best returns among its integrated oil and gas peers recently, and set it up well to grow production and return lots of cash to shareholders.

On top of its strong oil credentials, the company is taking some of the most significant strides into the renewable energy space. It has long been the majority shareholder of U.S. solar panel manufacturer SunPower, but it has also been making several smaller investments in solar power development, energy storage, and battery technology. Management expects to spend more than $500 million annually on its renewable energy segment, and for that part of the business to generate $500 million per year in free cash flow by 2022.

The combination of a robust oil and gas business today coupled with a plan to have a profitable renewables business in less than five years is a rare combination in the oil and gas industry, and makes Total a compelling long-term investment in this sector.What happened

Shares of Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE:HBI), a manufacturer of apparel with brands such as Hanes, Champion, and others, have plunged 18% as of 12:19 p.m. EDT Wednesday after second-quarter earnings fell short of estimates.

So what

Starting from the top, Hanesbrands posted second-quarter revenue of $1.72 billion, which matched Wall Street estimates. Its adjusted earnings per share checked in at $0.45, which was a penny per share below analysts' estimates.

In a press release, Hanes Chief Executive Officer Gerald W. Evans Jr. said:

"Our results for the second-quarter were consistent with our guidance and the year is unfolding as we expected. We achieved organic growth for the fourth consecutive quarter with strong International and global Champion sales growth. We continue to address the challenging environment for intimate apparel and expect our turn-around plan to gain additional traction by the end of the year."

Now what

Arguably the biggest news from Hanesbrands Wednesday report was that Target doesn't plan to renew a contract for C9 by Champion gear when it's completed in January 2020 -- a contract that had been in place for 15 years. Wednesday's decline mostly offset the stock's gains since its investor presentation on May 15 that had given investors reason to believe the company could drive substantial earnings growth through 2020. Despite the negative Target development, management believes Champion sales will still reach its projected $2 billion by 2022.Bitte aktivieren Sie JavaScript, um alle Vorteile unserer Webseite nutzen zu konnen. Sollte Ihnen dies nicht moglich sein, wurden wir uns freuen, wenn Sie uns Ihre Erfahrungen ohne JavaScript an info@123recht.de mitteilen.Kinderdance A Top Childrens Franchise Awards A Franchise In North Carolina

August 01, 2018 // Franchising.com // Roanoke, VA - Kinderdance International Inc, a top childrens franchise focusing on developmental dance, gymnastics, yoga and fitness programs for young children, continues to grow and expand their brand by awarding a Bronze level franchise to Zaribel Clay. Ms. Clay will be instructing Kinderdance programs to children in Northeastern area in North Carolina.



Zaribel was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico and was always performing and dancing since early childhood. Zaribel holds a degree in Marketing and Education, teaching to all age groups in her community. Her interest in the arts and childhood development drew her to Kinderdances philosophy of teaching to the total child. With her love for teaching children, Zaribel will enjoy offering the Kinderdance programs to many children in her territory. She is excited to join the Kinderdance team and spread the joy of learning through movement and dance to children in her community.



We are excited about Zaribel joining our franchise family and look forward to seeing her business grow in the Northeastern area in North Carolina says Kinderdance Vice President of Franchise Development, Karen Maltese.



Kinderdance, established in 1979 is a worldwide recognized dance, gymnastics, yoga and fitness program for children ages two to twelve. Their 145 Franchisees currently teach to thousands children weekly at thousands of locations in the US and around the world.



The Kinderdance programs are all original worldwide dance, motor development, gymnastics, and fitness programs that combine academic readiness skills that are specifically designed for children ages 15 months to 12 years old. What makes Kinderdance unique is that all of our programs incorporate educational concepts in a developmentally designed curriculum that teaches to the total child. We place special emphasis on building self-confidence and self-esteem in young children.



The company offers their educational movement programs on site to child-care centers, recreational centers, churches, fitness centers, corporate child care, community centers, military bases, public and private schools and many other viable locations.



For more information on Kinderdance please contact Richard Maltese 1-800-554-2334 or visit their website at www.kinderdance.com.

SOURCE Kinderdance

###

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DisqusThe New England Patriots made a surprise cut Wednesday, letting go veteran receiver Jordan Matthews, according to multiple reports.

The roster move comes just hours after emerged that Matthews was dealing with a "serious" hamstring injury.

Jim McBride of The Boston Globe was the first to report the news.

The Patriots signed Matthews on a surprisingly cheap one-year contract this past offseason, with expectations that he would be a solid fit for the offense as a taller receiver working out of the slot.

However, Matthews was absent from practice Wednesday following news that he'd suffered a hamstring injury. Of note, the Patriots also signed a new player -- fullback Henry Poggi, who was present at practice. It seems that the corresponding move to make space for Poggi on the roster was the release of Matthews.

Matthews began his career with three straight seasons of over 800 yards receiving with the Philadelphia Eagles before a down year with the Buffalo Bills in 2017. Matthews was a popular candidate for a bounce-back year with the Patriots. However, that course no longer appears to be in the cards.

The release of Matthews (along with the Julian Edelman suspension and the uncertain status of Malcolm Mitchell and Kenny Britt) opens the door for younger receivers on the Patriots roster. Of note, rookie Braxton Berrios, second-year receiver Riley McCarron and speedster Phillip Dorsett are in good positions to step up and fill the void.Blog Archive October 2021 (60) September 2021 (59) August 2021 (56) July 2021 (57) June 2021 (66) May 2021 (63) April 2021 (75) March 2021 (73) February 2021 (61) January 2021 (69) December 2020 (62) November 2020 (62) October 2020 (70) September 2020 (51) August 2020 (52) July 2020 (60) June 2020 (57) May 2020 (79) April 2020 (56) March 2020 (52) February 2020 (50) January 2020 (69) December 2019 (58) November 2019 (64) October 2019 (44) September 2019 (49) August 2019 (71) July 2019 (71) June 2019 (71) May 2019 (67) April 2019 (74) March 2019 (85) February 2019 (64) January 2019 (73) December 2018 (66) November 2018 (81) October 2018 (87) September 2018 (66) August 2018 (76) July 2018 (84) June 2018 (86) May 2018 (64) April 2018 (83) March 2018 (78) February 2018 (69) January 2018 (69) December 2017 (82) November 2017 (87) October 2017 (89) September 2017 (77) August 2017 (75) July 2017 (76) June 2017 (90) May 2017 (86) April 2017 (59) March 2017 (61) February 2017 (82) January 2017 (92) December 2016 (90) November 2016 (80) October 2016 (75) September 2016 (95) August 2016 (104) July 2016 (93) June 2016 (96) May 2016 (98) April 2016 (99) March 2016 (113) February 2016 (82) January 2016 (98) December 2015 (113) November 2015 (94) October 2015 (93) September 2015 (98) August 2015 (97) July 2015 (105) June 2015 (103) May 2015 (95) April 2015 (100) March 2015 (102) February 2015 (93) January 2015 (114) December 2014 (110) November 2014 (103) October 2014 (105) September 2014 (96) August 2014 (96) July 2014 (112) June 2014 (119) May 2014 (109) April 2014 (116) March 2014 (117) February 2014 (109) January 2014 (116) December 2013 (117) November 2013 (121) October 2013 (125) September 2013 (93) August 2013 (115) July 2013 (110) June 2013 (102) May 2013 (115) April 2013 (113) March 2013 (119) February 2013 (108) January 2013 (119) December 2012 (132) November 2012 (115) October 2012 (121) September 2012 (115) August 2012 (124) July 2012 (102) June 2012 (121) May 2012 (121) April 2012 (127) March 2012 (130) February 2012 (112) January 2012 (131) December 2011 (129) November 2011 (118) October 2011 (118) September 2011 (110) August 2011 (138) July 2011 (146) June 2011 (139) May 2011 (144) April 2011 (127) March 2011 (140) February 2011 (116) January 2011 (134) December 2010 (133) November 2010 (136) October 2010 (148) September 2010 (128) August 2010 (155) July 2010 (129) June 2010 (138) May 2010 (152) April 2010 (161) March 2010 (119) February 2010 (149) January 2010 (155) December 2009 (177) November 2009 (171) October 2009 (176) September 2009 (159) August 2009 (156) July 2009 (170) June 2009 (157) May 2009 (185) April 2009 (179) March 2009 (183) February 2009 (170) January 2009 (181) December 2008 (189) November 2008 (183) October 2008 (164) September 2008 (164) August 2008 (177) July 2008 (179) June 2008 (170) May 2008 (191) April 2008 (175) March 2008 (195) February 2008 (162) January 2008 (188) December 2007 (187) November 2007 (189) October 2007 (194) September 2007 (156) August 2007 (194) July 2007 (163) June 2007 (176) May 2007 (190) April 2007 (177) March 2007 (192) February 2007 (165) January 2007 (170) December 2006 (182) November 2006 (177) October 2006 (185) September 2006 (180) August 2006 (156) July 2006 (160) June 2006 (177) May 2006 (173) April 2006 (157) March 2006 (158) February 2006 (146) January 2006 (144) December 2005 (135) November 2005 (138) October 2005 (128) September 2005 (141) August 2005 (136) July 2005 (133) June 2005 (119) May 2005 (143) April 2005 (52)Kathmandu, Nepal: Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee has waited a probe report regarding the controversies surrounded over the school level certificate of the Chief Justice Nominee Drrpak Raj Joshi.





As a joint team of the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and the Supreme Court Secretariat is scheduled to visit Bijay Memorial School today, where Joshee had studied, to resolve the controversy surrounding his education certificate, Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee has decided to wait the report of the joint team.





Likewise, Chief Justice Nominee Joshee called on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli last night at formers official residence Baluwatar.





It is said that the duo had met regarding the issue of early resolution of the controversy surrounding his hearing by the Parliamentary Hearing Committee. Earlier, Prime Minister Oli had suggested Joshi to resign before making decision from the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee.



Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.Win

Tell us what songs you like and you could win this week's prize!The Founder of the most successful Georgian Startup George Arison to Speak at Startup Grind Tbilisi - GeorgianJournalEnguri  Scheduled to be the next new tourist zone - GeorgianJournalAre you a citizen, or do you just live here? Let me start by stating this column has nothing to do with your citizenship status but has everything to do...

Wife concerned about husbands treatment Dear Editor: I have read the article in the Sanilac County News. I am so happy they can get the...

Finances for Port Sanilac taxpayers to consider Dear Editor: Port Sanilac property taxpayers may want to put on their seatbelts and pull it extra tight. Over the...Huawei surpassed Apple for the first time in Q2 2018: IDC News oi-Priyanka OPPO also faced a slowdown in key markets like India and most of Southeast Asia as it eased back on its aggressive marketing and sales activities in the region.

According to figures released by International Data Corporation, Chinese smartphone maker Huawei surpassed Apple for the first time to move into the second position based on the global market share.

It continues to lead the China smartphone market with a record-high market share of 27.0 percent in 2Q18.

IDC said the arrival of Huawei in the second position marks the first quarter since 2Q10 where Apple has not been the number one or two smartphone company in terms of market share.

Huawei delivered shipments of 54.2 million units to move into the second position with a record high market share of 15.8 percent. Samsung maintained a comfortable lead, although indications from its recent 2Q18 earnings call suggest its mobile division revenues will face challenges moving forward.

"The continued growth of Huawei is impressive, to say the least, as is its ability to move into markets where, until recently, the brand was largely unknown," said Ryan Reith, program vice president with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers.

"It is worth noting that Apple moved into the top position each of the last two holiday quarters following its product refresh, so it's likely we'll see continued movement among the top-ranked companies in 2018 and beyond," he said.

However iPhone continued to perform well at the high end as the iPhone X remains a top seller in many markets, IDC informed.

IDC also said smartphone vendors shipped a total of 342.0 million units during the second quarter of 2018 (2Q18), resulting in a 1.8 percent decline when compared to the 348.2 million units shipped in the second quarter of 2017.

Preliminary findings by IDC pointed out that Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi has pulled ahead of Samsung for the number 1 position in India over the past few quarters and has now closed the gap with Samsung in Indonesia as it ramped up its local production to address the increased demand during Ramadhan period.

OPPO also faced a slowdown in key markets like India and most of Southeast Asia as it eased back on its aggressive marketing and sales activities in the region.

Despite this, the company still managed to grow 5.1 percent over last year as it continued its expansion into other markets such as the Middle East & Africa.

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow NotificationsReport Confirms Civilian Casualties in Defeat-ISIS Campaign, Official Says

July 31, 2018

By Terri Moon Cronk

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON -- A recent report confirms the unintentional deaths of 105 civilians in June as a result of coalition operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a total that includes 77 deaths reported by Amnesty International, the deputy commander for strategy and support for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve told Pentagon reporters today.

British Army Maj. Gen. Felix Gedney spoke via teleconference from Baghdad, and addressed the report of civilian casualties in Iraq and Syria during June, which was published July 26.

"The coalition makes every effort to avoid civilian deaths on the battlefield and to minimize the impact of our operations on civilian populations and infrastructure," he said. "But the reality of the fight against ISIS and the brutality of this enemy has made it impossible to avoid a risk to the civilian population in the areas being liberated."

He said he spoke on behalf of all coalition service members, from privates to the most senior leaders, when noting that "such tragic occurrences are deeply felt throughout our ranks and push us all to do all we can to minimize these instances."

"We strive to ensure the safety of the civilians that we are here fighting to protect," he added.

Evil Enemies

"We must also remember that the work of holding the coalition to account for our actions, an endeavor that we welcome and encourage, does not diminish the evil and brutality of the enemies we seek to defeat," Gedney said.

Crimes against humanity and the violation of international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict are ISIS' routine modus operandi, the general told reporters.

"Those who live under their tyrannical rule endure a shocking level of violence to force conformity to a radical belief, a tactic which they sought to export across the world," Gedney said of the terrorist organization. "And when faced by the superiority of the [Iraqi security forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces], ISIS has exploited the innocent, the unarmed and the weak as a means to slow down the forces determined and capable to defeat them."

Coalition Works to Minimize Deaths

And as the U.S.-led coalition works to minimize the risk to noncombatants, ISIS is doing all it can "to maximize the number of innocent civilians killed," he said.

Holding the coalition accountable for its actions in this war must be informed by facts and understanding, the deputy commander emphasized.

"We have said it many times, and it bears repeating: We work to make this campaign the most transparent in history, and we plan and execute our operations  to minimize our impact on the populations that we are fighting to protect," he said.

Force allocations that are not grounded on readily available information do a grave disservice not only to the civilians who have had to live through the trauma induced by ISIS, but also to the countless service members from the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Iraqi security forces and the 26 troop-contributing nations are on the front line in the global fight against ISIS every day, Gedney said.

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Security Forces Continue Pursuit of ISIS Remnants, OIR Deputy Commander Says

July 31, 2018

By Terri Moon Cronk

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON -- Iraqi security forces continue to pursue Islamic State of Iraq and Syria remnants in their country, destroying tunnels, weapons caches and explosives stockpiles, and arresting a number of suspected ISIS fighters, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve's deputy commander for strategy and support told Pentagon reporters this morning.

In addition to clearing villages in the mountainous region of Kirkuk, the Iraqi federal police and the Kirkuk special forces continue to secure the Kirkuk-Hawija highway, destroying several safe houses and improvised explosive devices, while also detaining suspected terrorists, said British army Maj. Gen. Felix Gedney, speaking via teleconference from Baghdad.

"Additionally, following the successful joint operations between the federal police and Peshmerga forces last week, units participated in ongoing discussions to determine future opportunities for coordination," Gedney said.

Enabling Iraq's Security Operations

Across Iraq, the U.S.-led coalition continues to help build Iraqi security forces' capability to enable their increasingly independent security operations, he said. The coalition also supports the civilian-led stabilization efforts that are critical for the lasting defeat of the enemy, the deputy commander noted.

"In Syria, the second phase of Operation Roundup is now complete," Gedney said. "The Syrian Democratic Forces have declared the northern Jazira region cleared, although back-clearance operations to ensure Dashisha is cleared of remnant IEDs are ongoing."

An internal security force also was established in Dashisha to ensure its long-term security, he added.

Also, planning is ongoing for operations to clear the last remaining pocket of ISIS-held territory east of the Euphrates River in Hajin in the vicinity of Abu Kamal, Gedney said.

"This final stage of Operation Roundup is likely to be a challenging fight, as it is a densely populated area," he added.

The SDF have enabled some civilian convoys to leave the area, but there are indications that ISIS is stopping civilians from departing and holding them as human shields, he said.

ISF, SDF Partnership

Leaders from the ISF and the SDF are discussing opportunities to enhance partnerships ahead of the final clearance of the middle Euphrates River valley, particularly for border security operations and cross-border fire support, which comprised key SDF successes in Dashisha, Gedney said.

While military operations to defeat ISIS and clearing terrorist remnants are ongoing, so are stabilization efforts in liberated areas, he said.

In Iraq, work is underway to improve delivery of basic services to all Iraqis through the restoration of the country's infrastructure. In Mosul and Ramadi, for example, 13 electric substations have been rehabilitated, in addition to the nearly 28 miles of power transmission line that were improved in Snuny near Sinjar, Gedney said.

Life Improving in Syrian Cities

In Syria, life is improving in cities such as Tabqa, Manbij and Raqqa, and basic services are also being restored to the recently liberated Dashisha, the general said. The Shadadi Civil Council, he said, distributed more than 1,000 food baskets and hygiene kits to the local population.

"While we highlight our partners' ongoing efforts to improve the lives of their fellow countrymen, we still emphasize that more needs to be done by the international community to aid these efforts," Gedney said.

"Military operations will only get us so far," he said. "Our partners in Iraq and Syria are doing the best they can, but the scope of the problem goes far beyond the limited resources and capabilities that are available to them, particularly in northeast Syria."

It is imperative for the international community to get involved in improving the lives of all Iraqis and Syrians, "and to make sure that the conditions that gave rise to ISIS are eliminated," Gedney said.

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Agency Begins Process of Identifying Korean War Remains

July 31, 2018

By Jim Garamone

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON -- All Americans welcome the return of remains from the Korean War.

The July 27 honorable carry ceremony at Osan Air Base, South Korea, transferred 55 boxes of remains covered by the United Nations flag. Now the work of identification begins.

These remains are presumed to be American, but many other nations fought in the Korean War, and it's possible the remains may come from one of those nations.

The 1950-1953 Korean War was incredibly violent, with 36,940 Americans killed and another 92,134 wounded. Some 7,699 American service members are listed as unaccounted-for from the conflict.

Remains Examination

The remains will be examined at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, and experts there will be responsible for identifying the remains. The agency is relatively new -- coming into existence in 2015 after the merger of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office.

Many of the fallen service members died in North Korea and were buried by their comrades where they fell. Other U.S. service members were captured and placed in prisoner-of-war camps, where many succumbed to starvation, exposure and torture. Outside those camps are graves of Americans.

The DPAA Laboratory at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, is the first U.S. stop for the recently returned remains. The lab is the largest and most diverse skeletal identification laboratory in the world and is staffed by more than 30 anthropologists, archaeologists and forensic odonatologists, United Nations Command release.

Those experts will sort and examine the remains. In the past, North Korea turned over commingled remains.

The lab experts are painstaking in their examination. The age of the remains -- at least 65 years old -- will complicate the process. The North Koreans collected the remains, and U.S. investigators will have to do the examination without the forensic information they normally would have, such as the approximate place of the burial and the conditions around it.

Examination of dental charts and mitochondrial DNA will be key technologies used to identifying the remains, and the process may take years to complete, DoD officials said.

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U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Transcript

Presenter: U.K. Army Maj. Gen. Felix Gedney, Deputy Commander, Strategy and Support, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve July 31, 2018

Department of Defense Press Briefing by General Gedney via Teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq

STAFF: Today we have Major General Felix Gedney, deputy commander, strategy and support, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve in Baghdad, Iraq, for an update on operations and coalition support to stabilization efforts.

Sir, the floor is yours.

U.K. ARMY MAJ. GEN. FELIX GEDNEY: I thank you. And good morning.

Today I'll provide a brief update on coalition operations in Iraq and Syria, followed by an update on coalition military support to stabilization efforts across our area of operations.

I'm going to pause there, 'cause I got a lot of feedback in my ear. Sorry, I'm going to -- I'm going to start again, just 'cause I got a lot of feedback in my ear there and I just need to adjust the communications here.

So today I'll provide a brief update on coalition operations in Iraq and Syria, followed by an update on coalition military support to stabilization efforts across our area of operations. And finally, I'm going to end with a brief discussion of the recently released civilian casualty report.

In Iraq, the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) continue to pursue ISIS remnants in the country, destroying tunnels, weapons caches and explosives stockpiles, as well as arresting a number of suspected ISIS fighters across the country.

In Kirkuk, in addition to clearing villages in the mountainous region, the federal police and the Kirkuk special forces continue to secure the Kirkuk-Hawija highway, destroying several safe houses and improvised explosive devices, and detaining suspected terrorists.

Additionally, following the successful joint operations between the federal police and Peshmerga forces last week, units participated in ongoing discussions to determine future opportunities for coordination.

Across Iraq, the coalition continue to help build Iraqi Security Forces' capability to enable their increasingly independent security operations. We are also supporting the civilian-led stabilization efforts that are now critical for the lasting defeat of ISIS.

In Syria, the second phase of Op Roundup is now complete. The Syrian Democratic Forces have declared the northern Jazeera region cleared, although back clearance operations to ensure Dashisha is cleared of remnant IEDs are ongoing.

Additionally, an internal security force was established in Dashisha to ensure its long-term security.

Meanwhile, planning is ongoing for operations to clear the last remaining pocket of ISIS-held territory east of the Euphrates River in Hajin, in the vicinity of Abu Kamal. This final stage of Op Roundup is likely to be a challenging fight, as it is a densely populated area.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have enabled some civilian convoys to leave the area, but the indications are that ISIS is stopping civilians from departing in order to hold them as human shields.

Finally, leaders from the Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces are discussing opportunities to enhance partnerships ahead of the final clearance of the Middle Euphrates River Valley, particularly in regards to border security operations and cross-border fire support, which were key efforts in the Syrian Democratic Forces' successful operations in Dashisha.

In Manbij, independent coordinated patrols between coalition and Turkish forces are continuing, with 22 completed so far.

While military operations to defeat ISIS and to clear terrorist remnants are ongoing, so to is stabilization activity in areas liberated by our partner forces.

In Iraq, work is ongoing to improve the delivery of basic services to all Iraqis through the restoration of the country's infrastructure. In Mosul and Ramadi, for example, 13 electric substations have been rehabilitated, in addition to the 45 kilometers of power transmission line that were improved in Sinuni near Sinjar.

In Syria, life is improving for those who live in cities such as Tabqa, Manbij and Raqqa, and basic services are also being provided to the recently liberated residence of Dashisha.

In Raqqa, the Raqqa Civil Council have made enough progress on improving conditions for the city's residents that we have determined that they will no longer need coalition assistance in their sanitation efforts.

In Manbij, divestment medical resources to the Al Furat hospital ensures that they are capable of providing medical services to the local populace.

Finally in Dashisha, the Shadadi Civil Council distributed more than a thousand food baskets and hygiene kits to the local population.

While we highlight our partners' ongoing efforts to improve the lives of their fellow countrymen, we still emphasize that more needs to be done by the international community to aid these efforts. Military operations will only get us so far. Our partners in Iraq and Syria are doing the best they can, but the scope of the problem goes far beyond the limited resources and capabilities that are available to them, particularly in northeast Syria.

We've said it many times before and we must say it again: It is imperative for the international community to get involved in improving the lives of all Iraqis and Syrians, and to make sure that the conditions that gave rise to ISIS are eliminated.

Finally I would like to address the monthly civilian casualty report that was published on July the 26th.

This report confirms the tragic deaths of 105 civilians as a result of coalition operations against ISIS, including 77 deaths reported by Amnesty International last month.

The coalition makes every effort to avoid civilian deaths on the battlefield and to minimize the impact of our operations on civilian populations and infrastructure. But the reality of the fight against ISIS and the brutality of this enemy has made it impossible to avoid a risk to the civilian population in the areas being liberated.

I speak on behalf of all coalition service members, from privates to our most senior leaders, when I say that such tragic occurrences are deeply felt throughout our ranks and push us all to do all we can to minimize these instances. We strive to ensure the safety of the civilians that we are here fighting to protect.

We must also remember that the work of holding the coalition to account for our actions, an endeavor that we welcome and encourage, does not diminish the evil and brutality of the enemies we seek to defeat.

Crimes against humanity and the violation of international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict are ISIS' routine modus operandi.

Those who live under their tyrannical rule endure a shocking level of violence to force conformity to a radical belief, a tactic which they sought to export across the world. And when faced by the superiority of the ISF and the SDF, ISIS has exploited the innocent, the unarmed, and the weak as a means to slow down the forces determined and capable to defeat them.

As we work to minimize the risk to non-combatants, ISIS is doing all it can to maximize the number of innocent civilians killed.

Holding the coalition accountable for our actions in this war must be informed by facts and understanding. We have said it many times and it bears repeating: we work to make this campaign the most transparent in history, and we plan and execute our operations in order to minimize our impact on the populations that we are fighting to protect.

Force allocations that are not grounded on readily available information does a grave disservice, not only to the civilians who have had to live through the trauma induced by ISIS, but also to the countless service members from the SDF, the ISF, and the 26 troop-contributing nations who are on the front line in the global fight against ISIS every day.

And with that, I'll take your questions.

STAFF: For all questions, please provide your full name and agency prior to asking your questions. All called on will have an opportunity to ask one follow up.

Laurie?

Q: Laurie Mylroie, Kurdistan 24.

Can I ask a three-part question about Peshmerga-Iraqi cooperation, following up on what you said?

STAFF: Ask -- ask a -- a question first, and if you have a follow up --

(CROSSTALK)

Q: We seem to have lost him.

STAFF: We got him back.

Q: OK, sir, I have a three-part question about what you said about cooperation between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi forces. Why are the Peshmerga cooperating with the Iraqi police -- as a -- the federal police as opposed to the Iraqi army?

Q: Thanks, Laurie.

STAFF: Sir, can you hear us here?

(CROSSTALK)

GEN. GEDNEY: I've got you loud and clear.

STAFF: Fantastic, sir. We -- we were -- Laurie -- Laurie Mylroie was just beginning a question when we lost you.

Q: This is about an issue you mentioned, the cooperation between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi federal police. So my question in three parts: Why is it the federal police that the Peshmerga are working with and not the Iraqi army?

Could you say anything more about future joint operations?

And third part of it, there's discussion of opening the road between Kirkuk and Erbil. Do you think that will facilitate joint operation cooperation between the two parties and therefore, security, in the area?

GEN. GEDNEY: Well, thank you for the question.

First of all, the subject of why the federal police -- and the Iraqi security forces decide on which elements of the ISF they will use to conduct any operations. In this case, they were the most appropriate to conduct that operation, and to some extent, it comes down to which forces are available to conduct a particular operation as well.

On the subject of the future, we are encouraged by the level of cooperation across all elements of the Iraqi security forces, and particularly that cooperation with the Peshmerga forces from the KRG. And we fully expect that (inaudible) --

STAFF: Sir, I believe we lost you right as you started -- began with speaking about the future.

GEN. GEDNEY: OK. Can you -- can you hear me OK now?

STAFF: We can, sir.

GEN. GEDNEY: OK, I apologize. It's a bad line.

So turning to the future, we fully expect the level of cooperation to increase between all members and elements of the Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga forces from the KRG, and we believe that will be a great positive for the future security in Iraq.

Q: The third part of the question was, reopening the road between Erbil and Kirkuk. Will that improve the security situation by improving cooperation, do you think?

GEN. GEDNEY: Yes, I think it will. I think the -- the growing links between the KRG and the remainder of Iraq are -- are also a positive for the security in the country.

STAFF: Carla?

Q: Thank you for doing this. Carla Babb with Voice of America.

I have two questions for you. The first one is on Operation Roundup to clear up what you had said earlier. You said that the second phase is complete, northern Jazira is cleared and you're now on to the last remaining pocket of Abu Kamal.

So, can we infer from that that this is the third and final stage of Operation Roundup that you're in?

GEN. GEDNEY: Yes, absolutely right. The third phase of Operation Roundup will be the final stage. It will see the clearance of the final areas that ISIS holds east of the Euphrates River and it will be a difficult fight, as I've said, but that will be the final element of Operation Roundup.

Q: Thank you, sir.

And so my follow up to that is what is next after the third and final phase of Operation Roundup, as the back clearing will continue with that? And in addition to that -- sorry to make this a two-parter -- but what do you plan on doing with your partners after the operations are completed? Will the coalition remain with their partners even after ISIS has been removed?

GEN. GEDNEY: Well, that's a -- it's a really important question, because of course Operation Roundup will only mean the liberation is complete east of the Euphrates River. After liberation, we have to ensure the security of the areas that have been liberated and then that allows stabilization effort to take place, and only after that stabilization has taken place will we have ensured a lasting defeat of ISIS.

So, we will continue to support those security elements for the -- securing the liberated areas until we are ensured that we will be able to achieve that lasting defeat.

Q: Thank you, sir. It's Carl Munoz with the Washington Times.

One quick question on civilian casualties and a, sort of, follow up on the status of Iraqi security forces. On the Iraqi security forces, I was wondering, there were reports that elements of the CTS and the 9th Division were pulled from counter-terrorism operations to help with some of the uprisings that were going on near Basra.

How did that affect efforts to, kind of, go after ISIS, and was there any sort of drop in -- in I guess productivity, for lack of a better term, against ISIS due to those forces being moved?

GEN. GEDNEY: Well, I'm not going to make any specific comments about how the government of Iraq are employing their security forces. What I would say though is that there has been no let up in the -- both the momentum and the tempo -- of Iraqi security force operations against ISIS, and we are absolutely confident in the capability and the professionalism of all parts of the Iraqi security forces in the fight against ISIS.

Q: Thanks.

One quick question on civilian casualties -- you mentioned the figures today, you know, looking at some of the previous strikes -- al-Jadida comes to mind in '17 -- in retrospect, do you think that the aggressiveness of the air -- air campaign by U.S. coalition forces was -- was a little -- a little too aggressive?

There's legislation now here in the States to add additional oversight to the Pentagon as far as the execution of air strikes and civilian casualties.

GEN. GEDNEY: Absolutely not.

The air campaign was carefully metered and assessed. It was absolutely militarily necessary in order to defeat a very difficult and brutal enemy. Every one of the strikes that we conducted underwent a detailed assessment and validation to ensure that it was militarily necessary and to assess the risk to the civilian populations.

STAFF: Ryan.

Q: General, thank you. Thank you for doing this.

I had a -- a question about the issue of foreign fighters being detained by the Syrian Democratic Forces. We were told that the number of foreign fighters is about 600 or so.

Can you talk a little bit about how the efforts are going to repatriate some of them to their home countries? Are you concerned about the long-term capacity of the SDF to continue to detain these foreign fighters?

GEN. GEDNEY: Well, there's nothing more that I could tell you about any efforts to repatriate them. That's an issue for national governments.

What I can tell you, though, is that the Syrian Democratic Forces have done a remarkable job in capturing and continuing to detain these individuals that remain a threat globally, and specifically to our countries.

Q: OK. And then to follow up, we haven't heard, really, any incidents between the coalition or trained forces and some of the pro-regime or Russian forces in some time. Do you have any assessment as to why this is the case? There hasn't been a need -- there hasn't been any violations of the deconfliction line? Do you see better cooperation through the deconfliction line, increased conversations?

Do you have any assessment as to why there hasn't been any incidents as in recent weeks or months?

GEN. GEDNEY: Well, we continue to have a routine and very professional dialogue with Russian forces in Syria in order to deconflict our respective operations.

Part of the reason that there may not have been as many incidents is there has been a less fluid battlefield. But most of the reason is that the deconfliction is working.

Q: Thank you. Wyatt Goolsby with EWTN.

General, I'm hoping you can just tell me a little bit about how the humanitarian crisis in Syria impacts the coalition in Iraq and Syria.

We hear so much about a number of Syrians who are fleeing parts, like, for example, the Golan Heights. I'm wondering if any of that impacts coalition operations in either Syria or -- or Iraq, and how you guys deal with that, noting that a lot of people are fleeing from the Assad regime, from the war.

GEN. GEDNEY: Well, of course, much of that tragic humanitarian crisis is occurring outside the area that the coalition is operating in. Indeed, the area of northeast Syria is, at the moment, some of the most peaceful and stable parts of Syria.

There will have been some small impact in terms of movement of people into northeast Syria, to benefit from that peace and stability. And that's very much -- response that is very much led by the civilian agencies and most importantly the United Nations. And we do what we can to support the United Nations in their operations to support IDPs and refugees.

Q: Thank you.

Q: Hi, Lara Seligman with Foreign Policy.

I'm wondering if you can just tell us -- tell us a little bit more about the final stage of Operation Roundup. What kind of challenges are you likely to encounter, and do you expect to encounter any other forces, for instance, the Russians or the Syrian army?

GEN. GEDNEY: Well, let me take the last bit of that first, no, we don't expect to encounter Russian or Syrian forces. We have confidence that the deconfliction mechanisms we have in place will work. What we do expect to encounter is a hard core of ISIS fighters that -- who have been digging in and preparing their battle -- battle space, holding civilians as human shields, and we fully expect to see a high proportion of foreign terrorist fighters who represent some of the biggest threats to our nations.

Q: And -- thank you -- and just to follow up on the stabilization piece, who is going to be responsible primarily for stabilization? Is it going to be the military or State Department, USAID, who's going to take the lead on that?

GEN. GEDNEY: I -- I didn't hear the question completely, but I think I got -- I got the gist of it. So -- so the stabilization is absolutely led by civilian organizations, and our role in it as the military, is to provide them with all the support we can do within our capabilities.

Q: So, if I -- if I could follow up, what -- what does that mean, exactly? What will the military be -- where will the line be between what the military does and what the civilian -- civilian people do?

GEN. GEDNEY: Well, most importantly, of course, we provide support in the form of the security which enables those civilian agencies to work. We work very closely with the United Nations and also national efforts in both Iraq and Syria in order to help ensure that we do everything we can in the stabilization area, which we now know is critical to the lasting defeat of ISIS.

Q: Thank you.

Q: Hi, Wes Morgan with Politico.

If you look at the air campaign, it seems like the number of airstrikes is, kind of, dropping down to a trickle, and in Iraq, it seems like the Iraqi security forces are shifting more into kind of a counterterrorism mode, going back into using the CTS to root out terrorist cells like that. I was wondering if you could give us a little bit of color or examples of what kind of support coalition advisers are providing in that counterterrorism campaign? What kinds of things are advisers doing now as the Iraqi security forces shift gears?

GEN. GEDNEY: Yes, again, another great question.

So, as I've said, Iraqi Security Force Operations are becoming increasingly independent and they are demonstrating the capabilities and professionalism that they exhibited through the liberation campaign.

As a coalition, we've continued to provide them with air support as you've already said, and advise, we provide them intelligence, but -- but most of all, we're helping mentor them though the planning and conduct of their operations and also building their -- their capabilities through our training efforts amongst their building partner capacity sites.

Q: Could you give any, kind of, more concrete examples of -- I mean, we all have a sense of, kind of, what conventional advisory forces were doing during the battles for Mosul and Raqqa and so on, but what is the role of -- what does the mentoring look like when you've got, you know, the CTS going back into more, kind of, law enforcement types of intelligence-driven raids, that kind of thing, what is mentoring like in that case?

GEN. GEDNEY: Yes, of course. So worst during the liberation fight, we were operating in close proximity to partner forces, on the front line with them or closely behind them.

We've now moved our efforts in advising and mentoring them up to their operational command level. So we have coalition forces alongside their operational commands, advising them, providing intelligence, and to some extent, ensuring that we mentor them and teach them what we know.

And in addition, we have a number of sites on Iraqi bases where we're conducting training activity to develop their capabilities. And mostly in areas which they may not have needed during the liberation fights, but they will absolutely need in a counterinsurgency fight.

Q: Thank you.

General, I would like to go back to the third phase of Operation Roundup. What makes this, the last phase, so complicated, so tough, as you mentioned? Is it the size of the ISIS fighters who remain -- remain in the Hajin area?

And also, what's your estimate of how many ISIS fighters still inside this small city?

GEN. GEDNEY: Let me take the first bit of that -- the last bit of that first. Sorry. So there are -- I can't go into accurate numbers. It's very difficult to assess. We know there are over a thousand there. And to some extent, until we get into the fight, we won't find out exactly how many there are there.

So there are three factors, really, I'd point to, which is why this is going to be a challenging fight.

The first is the nature of the terrain and the environment. It's a densely populated area; more like Mosul or Raqqa than the fight in Dashisha.

The second point is the nature of the fight is there. It's a hard core of fighters. And we know this is one of the lost holdouts of a number of foreign terrorist fighters.

And the third point is exactly because it is one of the last areas that they hold that we think the fight to dislodge them from that area is going to be difficult.

Q: Just to follow up on -- on what you have said, sir, how likely you believe or you think Baghdadi could be in -- inside the -- the small town of Hajin?

GEN. GEDNEY: It's a question we are frequently asked. And I -- I come back to the same answer I always give. When we find Baghdadi, the international press will be the first to know that we've found him and dealt with him.

STAFF: Just one more question for the general.

Laurie?

Q: Last -- last week, the -- the State Department held a ministerial conference to advance religious freedom. Ambassadors Brownback said at that conference that the Yazidi situation is very bad, that security is the most important issue for them. It is lacking. And when he was there earlier this month, he was -- raised this issue with U.S. military commanders.

Are you doing anything to address the bad security situation in the Yazidi areas, which includes the road closed between their area and Dohuk?

GEN. GEDNEY: Well, our policy is very clear, that as a coalition we're doing all we can to ensure the security and protection of all elements of the Iraqi community.

Q: The Hashd al-Shaabi there, that's part of the -- Iran's route to the Mediterranean, that Yazidi area that's now insecure, just for your information.

STAFF: Thank -- thank you, Laurie.

That's all the time we have for your questions this morning. Sir, did you have any final words for those here?

GEN. GEDNEY: Well, I -- well I guess I'd just end by -- by highlighting that we are making great progress, but we should be in no doubt that the -- that the campaign to defeat ISIS is not yet over. We have to follow the liberation fight with security and the essential stabilization that will ensure we have a lasting defeat.

And -- and very finally, I would like to thank you all for the work that you do in reporting this campaign and making sure that the story here is told. Thank you very much.

STAFF: Sir, thank you for your time and have a great day.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/1589786/

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Denmark - SM-2 Block IIIA Standard Missiles

Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov

Transmittal No: 18-30

WASHINGTON, July 31, 2018 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Denmark of up to forty-six (46) Standard Missile, SM-2 Block IIIA All-Up Rounds, RIM BK IIIA (VLS), and other related equipment for an estimated cost of $152 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Denmark has requested to buy up to forty-six (46) Standard Missile, SM-2 Block IIIA Vertical Launching Tactical All-Up Rounds, RIM 066M-03-BK IIIA (VLS); up to two (2) Standard Missile, SM-2 Block IIIA Telemetry, Omni-Directional, AllUp Rounds, RIM-066M-03-BK IIIA (VLS); and up to two (2) Standard Missile, SM-2 Block IIIA Telemetry, Omni-Directional Antenna, Warhead Dud Capable, RIM 066M-03-BK IIIA (VLS). Also included are MK 13 MOD 0 Vertical Launching System Canisters, operator manuals and technical documentation, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $152 million.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the European region.

This proposed sale would support Denmark's anti-air warfare capabilities for the Royal Danish Navy's IVER HUITFELDT Frigate Class ships. The SM-2 Block IIIA missiles, combined with the Anti-Air Warfare System (AAWS) combat system, will provide significantly enhanced area defense capabilities over critical Northern Europe air-and-sea-lines of communication. Denmark will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and support into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of these systems and equipment will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be Raytheon Cooperation in Tucson, Arizona; Raytheon Company, Camden, Arkansas; and BAE of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Aberdeen, South Dakota. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Denmark.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

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Fresh Saudi airstrikes leave four civilians dead in western Yemen

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 31, 2018 01:12PM

At least four civilians have been killed when Saudi military aircraft carried out airstrikes against an area in Yemen's strategic western coastal province of Hudaydah as the Riyadh regime presses ahead with its atrocious bombardment campaign against its southern neighbor.

Saudi fighter jets conducted aerial assaults against the Office of Agricultural Extension in the al-Durayhimi district of the province on Tuesday afternoon, leaving four people dead and two others injured, unnamed local sources told Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah television network.

Earlier in the day, Saudi warplanes targeted a residential building in Bani Sa'ad area of the al-Dhaher district in the mountainous northwestern province of Sa'ada. There were no immediate reports about possible casualties and the extent of damage caused.

Separately, scores of Saudi-backed militiamen loyal to resigned president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi were killed when a powerful bomb explosion ripped through their military vehicle in Hudaydah province.

A Yemeni military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Yemeni army soldiers, supported by fighters from allied Popular Committees, detonated a roadside bomb as the vehicle was travelling along a road in the al-Faazeh area.

Bombing in Aden wounds politician, three others

Meanwhile, Yemeni officials say a prominent politician, his son and two other people have sustained injuries in roadside bombing in the southern port city of Aden.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the assassination attempt targeted Aref Ahmed Ali of the Salafist Islah Party in Maala neighborhood of the city, situated 346 kilometers (214 miles) south of the capital Sana'a.

They added that the wounded have been taken to hospitals for treatment.

No group has claimed the responsibility for the attack yet.

The bomb came only two days after unknown gunmen fatally shot Colonel Nasser Makireh al-Jaadani, an intelligence official at the Aden airport in front of Ba Janid Mosque in the central Khor Mukasar district of Aden.

Jaadani's body was later transferred to the Republican Hospital.

The assassination came as the city of Aden has been recently witnessing a growing number of assassinations of security officials and Muslim preachers.

The Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights announced in a statement on March 25 that the Saudi-led war had left some 600,000 civilians dead and injured since March 2015.

The United Nations says a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in need of food aid, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger.

A high-ranking UN aid official has warned against the "catastrophic" living conditions in Yemen, stating that there is a growing risk of famine and cholera there.

"The conflict has escalated since November, driving an estimated 100,000 people from their homes," John Ging, UN director of aid operations, told the UN Security Council on February 27.

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Roadside bomb kills 8 in western Afghanistan

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 31, 2018 07:09AM

At least eight people have been killed and about 40 others injured in a roadside bomb attack that hit a passenger bus in Afghanistan's western province of Farah, officials say.

The blast occurred in the Bala Baluk district of Farah at 4:30 am (0000 GMT) on Tuesday, provincial governor spokesman Naser Mehri said.

"It was a bomb planted by the Taliban to hit security forces, but unfortunately, it got a passenger bus," Farah provincial police spokesman Muhibullah Muhib said.

The Taliban have a heavy presence in the province, but they are yet to claim responsibility for the attack.

Photos circulated on social media purportedly of the incident showed the blackened shell of the bus and Afghan men standing at the scene.

Most of those wounded in the Tuesday explosion were reportedly women and children.

Earlier this month, United Nations (UN) figures showed that the number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan's long-running conflict had hit a record high of 1,692 in the first six months of 2018, with militant attacks and bombings being the leading causes of the deaths.

The remote and sparsely-populated province of Farah has been a key battleground for the militants for months, with heavy fighting in Bala Baluk.

Farah has become a higher-profile target for the Taliban as the government plans to build a multi-billion-dollar pipeline in the province that also involves Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and India.

The province has been the scene of several major attacks in the recent past. In May, Taliban militants attacked the capital city of Farah in an attempt to capture the city but failed to advance amid ongoing resistance by Afghan forces.

US-led forces invaded Afghanistan and toppled a ruling Taliban regime some 17 years ago. That ongoing war has failed to bring stability to the country despite the presence of thousands of foreign forces.

A recent survey found that the Taliban were active in two-thirds of the country and were fully controlling four percent of it.

Meanwhile, a Herat ambulance service spokesman put the death toll at 11, with 31 injured.

Gunmen attack government building in Jalalabad

Separately on Tuesday, gunmen stormed a government building in the eastern city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province, taking scores of people hostage.

Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar, said at least two explosions were heard before the assailants entered the compound of the refugees and repatriations department.

Gunfire could be heard in the area, indicating that the attack was ongoing, reports said.

Sohrab Qaderi, a member of the local provincial council, said nearly 40 people appeared to have been taken hostage inside the building.

According to Khogyani, the assault occurred during a meeting with NGOs working on refugee-related issues. He said the head of the department and several other people had been taken to safety.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack in the city, which has witnessed multiple deadly attacks in recent months, most of them claimed by the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

Daesh gained a foothold in war-town Afghanistan late last year.

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Car bomb kills 10 in southern Philippines

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 31, 2018 05:34AM

A car bomb attack has claimed the lives of at least 10 people at a military checkpoint in the restive southern Philippines.

The explosion occurred at a Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) detachment  which is staffed by military and civilian personnel  in the island province of Basilan on Tuesday, moments after forces stopped a van for a check.

A military official said the car bomb did not hit its target, though.

"We don't know what the target was, but it (the bomb) was prematurely detonated," said Lieutenant Colonel Mon Almodovar, commander of the scout ranger unit in the area.

A soldier, five militiamen, and four civilians, including a mother and her child, lost their lives in the attack.

The blast also left an unspecified number of people injured.

Basilan is a stronghold of Abu Sayyaf, an outfit that has pledged allegiance to the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

Basilan Governor Jim Saliman said he had received reports that Abu Sayyaf was behind the blast, without elaborating.

Police and the Armed Forces have opened an investigation into the attack.

Abu Sayyaf is known for its years of militancy against the Philippine government. The group, blacklisted by both Manila and Western governments, has carried out some high-profile ransom kidnappings, beheadings, bombings, and other forms of violence in areas mostly in the south of the island country.

The attack came as President Rodrigo Duterte offered peace talks with several Abu Sayyaf factions during his visit to a neighboring island in the weekend.

His offer came two days after he signed a law that would allow minority Muslims living in the country's south to create a new autonomous area with its own political and economic powers.

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Bomb Kills At Least 11 In Western Afghanistan, Six Die As Gunmen Storm Government Building In East

RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan July 31, 2018

Afghan officials say at least 11 civilians have been killed by a roadside bomb in the western province of Farah, while another six died when unidentified gunmen stormed a government building in the eastern city of Jalalabad.

Farah provincial governor spokesman Naser Mehdi told RFE/RL that about 40 people were also wounded when the explosion hit a bus that was traveling through Bala Baluk district on the morning of July 31.

The bus was on its way from western Herat Province toward the capital, Kabul.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but provincial police spokesman Muhibullah Muhib put the blame on the Taliban, which has a strong presence in Farah Province.

"It was a bomb planted by the Taliban to hit security forces, but unfortunately it got a passenger bus," Muhib said.

Women and children were among those killed and wounded in the blast, officials said.

The death toll was expected to rise as some of the passengers of the bus were in critical condition.

Civilians have borne the brunt of the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan and improvised explosive devices are one of the main causes of casualties.

A total of 10,453 civilian casualties -- 3,438 people killed and 7,015 injured -- were recorded by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) last year.

In Jalalabad, a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the entrance of the compound of the refugees and repatriations department, clearing the way for gunmen to storm the building, provincial council member Zabit Mir Ahmad said.

Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for Nangarhar Province's governor, said at least six people died in the attack and at least 14 more were wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for that attack. The Taliban denied involvement in a WhatsApp message sent to journalists.

The assault comes three days after militants raided a midwife training center in Jalalabad, killing at least three people and wounding several others. The Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed responsibility.

Jalalabad has been the scene of multiple attacks in recent months that have killed dozens, as the Western-backed government in Kabul continued to struggle to fend off the Taliban and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO troops from Afghanistan in 2014.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/roadside-bomb-kills-at-least- 11-in-western-afghanistan/29400553.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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India's Modi, Pakistan's Khan Discuss Hopes For Peace In Region

RFE/RL July 31, 2018

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called Pakistan's Imran Khan to congratulate him on his party's victory in Pakistan's general election, and both men expressed hopes for regional peace.

The phone call on July 30 was their first since Khan's Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) party emerged victorious from a July 25 vote that was marred by charges of preelection rigging and other irregularities.

Relations between the nuclear-armed rivals have been frayed, with direct talks stalled amid diplomatic disputes and occasional skirmishes along the frontier that divides the disputed region of Kashmir.

Khan, widely seen as Pakistan's prime minister-in-waiting, declared in his victory speech that he wanted to resolve the long-standing territorial dispute over Kashmir, saying, "If India comes and takes one step towards us, we will take two."

Khan is now courting independent candidates and minor parties to form a coalition government in a nation that has fought three wars with India.

In the phone call, Modi "reiterated his vision of peace and development in the entire neighborhood," according to a statement by India's Ministry of External Affairs.

Khan's media team said he told Modi it was vital both countries focus on pulling millions out of poverty.

The PTI said Khan also told Modi that issues between the two nations must be resolved through talks. "Wars can breed tragedies instead of facilitating resolution of conflicts," he said, according to a PTI statement.

Meanwhile, Modi "expressed hope that democracy will take deeper root in Pakistan," the Indian ministry said.

European Union observers say there was an uneven playing field during the election as major obstacles were put in the way of a rival party that was led by jailed former premier Nawaz Sharif.

The United States has also expressed concern about what it called electoral "flaws."

Khan has offered to investigate all claims of irregularities and promised to build a new Pakistan with an Islamic welfare state that would seek to elevate those mired in poverty.

Sharif's party has accused Pakistan's powerful military of colluding with Khan to rig the election -- something both Khan and the military have denied.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/indian- leader-modi-pakistan-imran-khan-discuss-hopes -peace-in-region/29400252.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Lebanese Army Chief Urges Military to Remain Alert to 'Defy Israeli Enemy'

Sputnik News

17:03 31.07.2018

Delivering a speech to commemorate the 73rd Army Day, Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun said that under the country's military doctrine, Israel is considered an "enemy state."

On the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the Lebanese Army's establishment, the commander of the armed forces, General Joseph Aoun, stated that despite its success in defeating terrorists, including preemptive operations, the military should remain vigilant to defy "the Israeli enemy."

"The doctrine of the Lebanese Armed Forces is steadier than ever and its compass will remain stable and firmly aimed at defying the Israeli enemy and the threat of terrorism that only serves the Israeli interests and objectives," Aoun said.

The commander further stressed that the Arab region was engulfed in crises and conflicts that would "undoubtedly have their repercussions" on Lebanon.

"Lebanon has achieved a sweeping victory over terrorism. Nevertheless, this does not mean that it is now safe, for the Israeli enemy is the main party to benefit from terrorism in the region, due to its greed for our land and natural resources. It will take advantage of every chance possible to reach its objectives and avidities," he said.

Earlier this year, relations between Israel and Lebanon hit a fresh low due to Tel Aviv's plans to erect a wall along Lebanon's southern border, as well as over the eastern Mediterranean gas field.

Lebanese authorities slammed the Israeli move as a "direct threat to stability" and urged to halt construction, with General Aoun issuing a stark warning that the country's military would use every possible means to confront potential "Israeli aggression," no matter what the cost may be.

In March 2017, Beirut released a tender for exploring natural reserves in the eastern Mediterranean, which sparked a row with the Jewish state over its own territorial claims to the area. The tensions have escalated, with both nations claiming the rights to the oil reserves and reached a new height when the Lebanon-based Hezbollah movement threatened to attack Israel if it attempted to extract oil or natural gas in the offshore waters.

In 2006, the Israeli armed forces invaded Lebanon in response to a cross-border raid by Hezbollah, which led to the killing of several Israeli soldiers and the abduction of two others. The subsequent conflict lasted 34 days, claiming the lives of some 1,200 Lebanese and about 160 Israelis, and ended with a UN-brokered ceasefire.

 Sputnik

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Deputy Secretary Sullivan's Meeting With Humanitarian Organizations on the Situation in Yemen

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

July 31, 2018

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan and USAID Administrator Mark Green met today with representatives from international and non-governmental organizations to discuss developments in Yemen, and the dire humanitarian situation there. They discussed the importance of maintaining unimpeded access at the key Red Sea ports of Hudaydah and Saleef, and keeping road networks open, in order to deliver critical commercial goods, including fuel, and humanitarian aid to all Yemenis in need throughout the country. The representatives expressed concern about Coalition operations in Hudaydah governorate, warned that an offensive would have harmful impact on civilians, and reinforced the need for all parties to allow assistance and relief providers to conduct their neutral and impartial humanitarian relief actions to assist the civilian population in all areas of Yemen.

The Deputy Secretary reaffirmed the U.S. Government's support for the efforts of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths to advance a diplomatic solution that avoids further escalation and to restart talks.

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Afghanistan: Jalalabad attacks provoke 'outrage' and 'strongest' condemnation from UN Mission

31 July 2018 - As part of a recent pattern of attacks in Afghanistan, at least 13 civilians were killed and 20 others wounded on Tuesday in Jalalabad, drawing "outrage" and condemnation "in the strongest terms" from the United Nations Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA.

"The province's Refugee Department was deliberately targeted in today's attack by a group of men including suicide bombers," UNAMA said in a statement, pointing out that the building was badly damaged during the hours-long barrage of gunfire.

The mission noted that Jalalabad and the surrounding region have in recent months seen a significant number of attacks targeting civilians, including schools and hospitals.

Earlier in the week, there was separate suicide attack against a midwifery education centre in the eastern city, this is the capital of Nangarhar Province.

"These attacks deliberately targeting civilians are abhorrent," said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan. "The killings amount to atrocities, and everything must be done to bring the planners to account."

UNAMA stressed that all parties to the conflict must "at all times uphold their obligations to protect civilians" and reiterated its call for combatants to "immediately cease targeting civilians and civilian objects, including schools and health facilities, in compliance with international humanitarian law."

The UN in Afghanistan expressed its condolences to the loved ones of those killed and wished the injured a full and speedy recovery.

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Suicide Bombers Raid Afghan Government Office

By Ayaz Gul July 31, 2018

Afghan authorities say an attack on a government building in eastern Afghanistan has killed at least 15 people.

Officials said the assailants targeted the department for refugee affairs in Jalalabad, capital of the Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan.

Provincial government spokesman Attahullah Khogyani told VOA the attack began with a suicide bomber blowing himself up at the entrance and enabling the assailants to storm the building where a high-level meeting was underway. An hours-long gunbattle ensued.

The Taliban insurgency has denied its involvement in the attack, strengthening suspicions Islamic State could be behind the violence. The terrorist group has claimed most of the attacks in Nangarhar in the past month, including beheading of three school guards and a suicide blast that killed 19 people, mostly members of the tiny Afghan Sikh minority.

"The country's franchise of Islamic State [known as IS-K] has managed to gain a foothold in the province when it had failed elsewhere, exploiting the disarray of government forces and the fragmentation of the local insurgency," said the independent Bureau of Investigative Journalism in a report the watchdog issued Monda

Meanwhile, in western Farah province, officials said a roadside bomb early Tuesday killed at least 11 passengers and wounding around 40 others.

A provincial government spokesman, Nasar Mehri, told VOA that women and children were among the victims. He claimed that Taliban insurgents had recently planted the bomb in the Bala Buluk district to target Afghan security forces.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the deadly blast.

Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the armed conflict and terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. The United Nations reported earlier this month that the violence has killed nearly 1,700 civilians, the highest number of fatalities in a six-month period in the last decade.

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North Korea Looms Large as Pompeo Heads to Asia Security Meeting

By Cindy Saine July 31, 2018

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet with his ASEAN counterparts in Singapore this week, promoting the Trump administration's vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, but concerns about North Korea may dominate the agenda.

At the East Asia Summit ministerial, Pompeo will meet with his 17 counterparts to address the region's most critical security challenges, including the nuclear threat posed by Pyongyang, conflicts in the South China Sea, the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine state in Myanmar, and cybersecurity, among other topics.

Asked whether Pompeo would have a bilateral meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho in Singapore, a senior State Department official told reporters, "The DPRK is in the room as a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum among these 27 countries. So there will be discussions that are inclusive of North Korea."

No plans for Iran meeting

The official said there are chance encounters and planned encounters at such major gatherings, but there are no bilateral meetings to announce.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will also be in Singapore, but the senior State Department official said there are no plans for engagement with Iran.

Concerns over ongoing nuclear and missile activity in North Korea surged after The Washington Post reported Tuesday that U.S. intelligence officials believe Pyongyang is continuing to build new missiles in the same research facility it used to build intercontinental missiles capable of reaching the East Coast of the United States.

New regional investments

The senior State Department official declined to comment on the reports, saying he would not discuss intelligence matters.

Singapore was the site of a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June, where the two pledged to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

But experts say North Korea appears to be continuing its nuclear and missiles programs, and the two sides need to continue talks to nail down what steps will be taken first in the process.

Ahead of his trip, Pompeo announced $113 million in new regional investments for the Indo-Pacific, focused on technology, energy and infrastructure.

The focus on the region comes at time of heightened tensions with China over trade and tariffs.

Stops planned in Malaysia, Jakarta

Speaking at an Indo-Pacific Business Forum on Monday, Pompeo said, "Like so many of our Asian allies and friends, our country fought for its own independence from an empire that expected deference. We thus have never and will never seek domination in the Indo-Pacific, and we will oppose any country that does."

On the way to Singapore, Pompeo will make a stop in Malaysia to meet with newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to discuss shared interests, including trade and counterterrorism.

On his way back to Washington, Pompeo will stop in Jakarta, Indonesia, to meet with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to reaffirm the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with world's third-largest democracy.

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Pentagon creates blacklist of Russian, Chinese software

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 31, 2018 09:32AM

The US military has finished creating a "Do Not Buy" list of Russian and Chinese software that it says fail to comply with US national security standards.

It took the Pentagon around six months to compile a list of the companies that it says are suspicious and must be avoided by the US military's software buyers, the Register reported on Monday.

The American officials are now working with the country's three major defense industry trade associations  the Aerospace industries Association, National Defense Industrial Association and Professional Services Council  to warn contractors small and large against buying the software.

"We had specific issues that caused us to focus on this," said Ellen Lord, US defense undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment. "What we are doing is making sure that we do not buy software that's Russian or Chinese provenance. Quite often that's difficult to tell at first glance because of holding companies."

The move is part of a plan by the Pentagon to thwart alleged attempts by foreign intelligence to insert vulnerabilities or backdoors into technology installed in American computer networks, the report added.

The US has long accused Russian security software maker Kaspersky of running a secret espionage program on behalf of the Russian government.

The company has been hit with several rounds of sanctions that Russia says are examples of American unfair competitive practices.

Washington has leveled similar accusations against hardware and code offered by Chinese telecommunication giants Huawei and ZTE, subjecting them to intense scrutiny in recent months.

Lord confirmed to reporters on Friday that US military programs and weapons were one of the many areas that the Pentagon was planning to protect from harm.

"These are more widespread issues. I don't think we're focused on one particular system," he said.

The report noted that Russian and Chinese intelligence agencies have adopted similar measures against US software companies, requiring them to reveal key parts of their source codes to ensure they do not violate security standards.

Last June, Reuters reported that American companies such as IBM, Cisco and HP as well as Germany's SAP had allowed the Russian intelligence service FSB to examine key source code in various software products.

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Tajikistan Blames Banned Party For Attack On Foreign Cyclists; IS Posts Video

RFE/RL's Tajik Service July 31, 2018

The Tajik government has accused the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) of being behind an attack that killed four foreign cyclists, prompting a swift denial from the group.

The IRPT leadership called the allegation "baseless and irrational" in a statement on July 31, and the Islamic State (IS) group stepped up its claim of responsibility by releasing a video of what it said were the attackers pledging allegiance to the extremist organization.

A Central Asia analyst said that the assault, which killed two Americans, a Dutchman, and a Swiss citizen, appeared to have been "the first attack by IS in Tajikistan."

The deadly attack on a group of foreign cyclists on a remote mountain road on July 29 drew attention to Tajikistan, the poorest of the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia.

The Interior Ministry said in a July 31 statement that the attackers were led by an "active member" of the IRPT, citing what it claimed was the confession of a detained suspect.

The ministry identified the alleged leader as Hussein Abdusamadov, 33, and said that he "underwent training in Iran." It said the attackers planned to flee to Afghanistan.

Tajik authorities offered no immediate proof of the claims, which appeared to contradict a claim of responsibility issued by IS a day earlier.

The IRPT Supreme Council issued a statement denying what it said were the "baseless and irrational allegations" that it was involved, calling the accusations "shameless and illogical slander" and adding, "Unfortunately, the Tajik authorities, as always, have tried to use this human and national tragedy for political purpose and against...peaceful opponents."

"Once again our heartfelt condolences go to the families of the victims and to the countries that lost their citizens in this terrible incident," said the statement, which was e-mailed to RFE/RL. "At the same time, we repeatedly condemn this inhuman crime, considering it as opposite to human, national, and religious values."

IRPT leader-in-exile Muhiddin Kabiri told the Reuters news agency by telephone that the accusation "draws the attention away from the real criminals."

Human rights groups have condemned Tajikistan's treatment of the IRPT, which was branded a "terrorist organization" and banned in 2015. Relations with Tehran are tense.

IS claimed responsibility for the killings in a statement on its affiliated Amaq news agency on July 30, without providing details or evidence to back up its statement.

It described the attackers as "soldiers of the caliphate" -- wording it has frequently used in claims of responsibility for attacks in various countries.

On July 31, Amaq issued a video showing five males whom the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist activity, said it claimed carried out the attack.

In broken Russian, one of the men says that Tajikistan "has been occupied by infidels" and that it should "obey God."

After the five pledge allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, he says in a mix of Russian, Arabic, and Tajik that their goal is to "establish the Almighty's rule on this land."

At least one of the five resembles one of three suspects whose photographs were released by Tajik authorities.

Kabiri told Reuters he was surprised the government appeared to ignore the IS claim.

Tajik authorities say four people were killed in the attack on a mountain highway in the Danghara district of the Khatlon region, about 150 kilometers south of the capital, Dushanbe.

Officials say at least one assailant with a gun and knife attacked the cyclists after some of them were run down by a car.

Three other foreigners -- one Dutch, one Swiss, and one French -- were injured.

The two Dutch victims were a couple identified by the media in the Netherlands as Rene Wokke, a 56-year-old man who was killed, and Kim Postma, a 58-year-old woman who was injured.

At least four people suspected of involvement in the attack were killed by officers, and five other suspects detained, Tajik police said.

Tajik authorities have imprisoned dozens of IRPT officials and members since 2015, when the party was designated a "terrorist organization" by the Supreme Court and banned.

The ban on the party and prosecution of its members have drawn criticism from international human rights groups and the UN.

Activists accuse President Emomali Rahmon's government of using the group as a scapegoat for unrest and attacks in the impoverished, predominantly Muslim country that borders Afghanistan.

Central Asia expert Edward Lemon, a research fellow at Columbia University, said that the government had linked alleged terror plots to IS in the past, "often presenting dubious evidence."

But with IS claiming responsibility and posting a video of the alleged attackers pledging allegiance, he said that "this does appear to be the first attack by IS in Tajikistan."

In an e-mail comment, Lemon said that while Tajik officials say about 1,100 citizens have travelled to Syria or Iraq to fight alongside IS since 2013 -- with most of them being killed and about 100 returning home following a government offer of amnesty -- the alleged attackers in the IS video did not appear to have done so.

"Rather they appear to be responding to calls by ISIS for their supporters to conduct attacks in the former Soviet Union," he said. "At present, the attack is an anomaly in a past that has been mired by political violence linked to local politics rather than transnational terrorism."

Before the 2015 ban, the IRPT had been the only legal Islamic party in any of the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia.

It was first banned in 1993 but was legalized again in 1998 after the end of the five-year Tajik civil war.

Tajik authorities have accused Iran of supporting militants and fomenting violence in the past.

In a state-TV documentary in 2017, the Interior Ministry accused Iran of backing high-profile killings in the wake of the civil war, including the assassination of former parliament chairman Safarali Kenjaev in 1999.

With reporting by Bruce Pannier, Merhat Sharipzhan, Reuters, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/tajik- government-blames-banned-islamist-party-for-deadly- attack-on-foreign-cyclists/29400539.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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DHS to Launch New Cyber Division to Protect US Critical Infrastructure - Reports

Sputnik News

18:06 31.07.2018

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will establish a new division to protect critical US infrastructure against cyberattacks, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The creation of the new National Risk Management Center, which is set to be unveiled on Tuesday, was motivated by the US government's growing recognition that cyberattacks can not only harm a company or industry, but cause systemic failure across society, the Wall Street Journal reported quoting the leading DHS cyber official Chris Krebs.

The report specifically identified the banking and energy sectors as being among those the new DHS division aims to protect from cyberattacks.

Krebs cited last year's WannaCry ransomware attack, which infected hundreds of thousands of computers in more than 150 countries, as the type of cyberattack the new division will try to combat and prevent.

According to the report, the new risk management center will work with other government agencies, as well as with different industries to prioritize risks to critical infrastructure.

US officials have pointed to Russia as the most capable adversary regarding cyberattacks, the report said. Last week, DHS claimed that Russian hackers penetrated energy utilities in the United States with the potential to disrupt the country's power grid.

On Tuesday, DHS is set to host a national cybersecurity summit in New York City during which Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is expected to officially unveil the new risk management center.

 Sputnik

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Treasury Issues Sanctions Against Lashkar-E Tayyiba Financial Facilitators

July 31, 2018

Designations Continue to Pressure and Expose Terrorist Fundraising and Support Networks

WASHINGTON  The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action today to disrupt Lashkar-e Tayyiba's (LeT) fundraising and support networks by designating two of the group's financial facilitators, Hameed ul Hassan (Hassan) and Abdul Jabbar (Jabbar), as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. OFAC is designating Hassan and Jabbar for acting for or on behalf of Lashkar-e Tayyiba, a terrorist organization based in Pakistan.

"These Lashkar-e Tayyiba financial facilitators are responsible for collecting, transporting and distributing funds to support this terrorist group and provide salaries to extremists," said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. "Treasury's designations not only aim to expose and shut down Lashkar-e Tayyiba's financial network, but also to curtail its ability to raise funds to carry out violent terrorist attacks."

All property and interests in property of Hassan and Jabbar subject to U.S. jurisdiction are now blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

Hameed ul Hassan

Hassan is a financial facilitator for LeT. As of late 2016, Hassan worked with Falah-e Insaniat Foundation, an alias of LeT, to collect and send funds to individuals in Syria. Further, as of early 2016, Hassan worked with his brother, Muhammad Ijaz Safarash, and Khalid Walid to transport funds to Pakistan on behalf of LeT. OFAC previously designated Safarash and Walid as SDGTs for their association with LeT in March 2016 and September 2012, respectively. Additionally, Hassan has an active Twitter account, which identifies him as a leader of Jamaat-ud Dawah (an alias of LeT).

Abdul Jabbar

Jabbar is a financial facilitator for LeT and distributes salaries for the terrorist group. Jabbar has worked in LeT's finance department since around 2000. Additionally, as of mid-2016, Jabbar distributed funds on behalf of the Falah-e Insaniat Foundation, an alias of LeT.

In December 2001, the Department of State designated LeT as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in accordance with section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, and as an SDGT pursuant to E.O. 13224. LeT was also added to the UN Security Council's 1267/1989 Sanctions List in May 2005.

Jamaat-ud Dawa was designated as an alias of LeT pursuant to E.O. 13224 in April 2006 and was added to the UN Security Council's 1267/1989 Sanctions List in December 2008. In November 2010, the Department of State amended its designations of LeT to include the alias Falah-e Insaniat Foundation. And in March 2012, the UN amended its Sanctions List to recognize the Falah-e Insaniat Foundation as a front for LeT.

For identifying information on the individuals designated today.

####

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US Adds 3 Pakistanis With LeT Ties to Terror Watch List

By Madeeha Anwar July 31, 2018

The U.S. on Tuesday blacklisted three Pakistani nationals for their suspected financial, technical and logistical links to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a U.S.- and U.N.-designated terror organization operating in Pakistan.

Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil, a senior commander of LeT, was added to the U.S. State Department's Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) list for providing operational assistance to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

The State Department said in a statement that Dakhil "is a longtime member of the U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and SDGT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) (LeT) and was an operational leader for LeT's attacks in India between 1997 and 2001."

"In 2004, Dakhil was captured in Iraq by U.K. forces, then held in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan until his transfer to Pakistan in 2014. After his release from Pakistani custody, Dakhil returned to work for LeT," the statement added.

U.S. Treasury directive

The U.S. Treasury in a statement issued on its website Tuesday also accused Hameed ul Hassan and Abdul Jabbar of being the group's "financial facilitators" and imposed sanctions on them "to disrupt ... fundraising and support networks" for Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba "financial facilitators are responsible for collecting, transporting and distributing funds to support this terrorist group and provide salaries to extremists," Sigal Mandelker, undersecretary of the U.S. Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement.

"Treasury's designations not only aim to expose and shut down Lashkar-e Tayyiba's financial network, but also to curtail its ability to raise funds to carry out violent terrorist attacks," Mandelker added, using an alternate spelling for the group.

The sanctions announced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control prohibit U.S. companies and U.S. nationals from conducting any business with the cited individuals. The designation also blocks the financial accounts and assets of the three Pakistani militants.

The Treasury and State Departments' directives also named the three individuals as high-profile targets for law enforcement authorities worldwide.

Key operatives

All three Pakistani men are said to have served in key positions for LeT, which is considered to be responsible for the deadly Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 in which more than 160 people were killed, including six Americans.

Dakhil reportedly worked as a senior commander for LeT.

"In 2016, Dakhil was the LeT divisional commander for the Jammu region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. As of early 2018, Dakhil remained a senior commander in LeT," the U.S. State Department statement said.

Hassan is believed to be a key financial facilitator for LeT who gathered funds on behalf of the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a front charity organization for LeT.

According to the U.S. Treasury, Hassan collected funds through FIF's platform and transferred the money to Syria. Hassan is also accused of managing party funds within and outside Pakistan.

Jabbar, another LeT operative, is said to have worked as a financial operative since 2000. Jabbar's duties included, but were not limited to, managing and distributing salaries among LeT staff and collecting funds on behalf of FIF.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Treasury added Rahman Zeb Faqir Muhammad to its terror watch list for providing financial, technical and logistical support to LeT, as well.

Lashkar-e-Taiba

Lashkar-e-Taiba was founded by Hafiz Saeed in 1987 with the goal of liberating Indian-administered Kashmir and subsequently merging it with Pakistan. The group's main focus had remained on Kashmir, but it has also expanded its operations to neighboring Afghanistan in recent years.

Lashkar-e-Taiba was designated a terror organization by the U.S. Department of State in December 2001.

In April of this year, the State Department also imposed sanctions on Pakistani political party, the Milli Muslim League (MML), and designated the party and its leadership as terrorists. MML was created last year and is believed to be the political front for Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), another front organization of LeT.

Milli Muslim League, although not being recognized as a national political party, still managed to field its candidates throughout Pakistan under the platform of another registered Islamist party in the general elections held last week.

Pakistan has come under criticism from both the United States and India for turning a blind eye to LeT's terror activities in the region.

Islamabad denies the charges and maintains it has choked terror networks across the country indiscriminately.

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IS Claims Deadly Attack on Western Cyclists in Tajikistan

By VOA News July 31, 2018

Islamic State is claiming responsibility for a deadly attack on Western bicyclists Sunday in Tajikistan, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

Four cyclists, including two Americans, were killed south of Dushanbe when they were run down by a car. Several men then jumped out of the vehicle and stabbed their victims.

A Swiss and a Dutch citizen were also killed and three other cyclists were injured, including a tourist from France.

The Tajik interior ministry said police pursued and killed four of the attackers and arrested one. Other reports say two suspects are dead.

The Islamic State claim said its "soldiers" struck "citizens of coalition crusader countries" and that the next attacks will be more "devastating and bitter."

The claim was picked up by SITE monitors. But Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda said authorities have not determined definitively if it was a terrorist act or a robbery.

"We condemn the senseless attack, offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and wish the injured a speedy recovery," a statement from the U.S. embassy in Dushanbe said.

Diplomats also commend Tajik authorities for what they call their professional and quick response.

The embassy said as of Monday, it does not believe there is a heightened threat to U.S. citizens in Tajikistan.

Shortly after gaining independence from the former Soviet Union, the Tajik government fought a civil war against opposition forces that included many Islamists.

A large number of former Islamic fighters turned to extremism when the government later outlawed their political party.

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US detects new activity at North Korean missile site

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 31, 2018 05:24AM

US spy agencies say North Korea is possibly building more intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) capable of reaching the United States.

Citing senior US officials, The Washington Post reported on Monday that satellite photos and infrared imaging had indicated renewed work at a site on the outskirts of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

This is the same facility that produced Pyongyang's first ICBM and "space-launch vehicles," according to the report.

Based on the images taken in recent weeks, at least one and possibly two liquid-fueled missiles were being built.

"We see them going to work, just as before," the Post quoted one senior official as saying on condition of anonymity.

Reuters quoted another US official as saying that it was not clear how far the potential missile construction had gone.

Images reportedly captured the daily movement of supply trucks and other vehicles around the facility.

It was not the first time reports were suggesting that Pyongyang was pressing ahead with its nuclear and missile activities since US President Donald Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June.

Trump sat down with Kim at the summit in Singapore on June 12, when the two signed a brief, broadly-worded document according to which both sides committed to working "towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

After that meeting, Trump declared that North Korea was "no longer a Nuclear Threat" to America.

A monitoring group, however, said on June 27 that the country was rapidly developing a nuclear research site.

Trump's point man no North Korea, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, has been involved in follow-on negotiations with North Korea, with little success.

And while reports indicate continued North Korean missile and nuclear activity, the US also maintains its sanctions on Pyongyang.

'We have this backward'

Some independent analysts say Trump has misread North Korea's intentions.

"We have this backward," said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

"North Korea is not negotiating to give up their nuclear weapons," he said. "They are negotiating for recognition of their nuclear weapons."

The last time Pyongyang tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile was last November. The missile  a Hwasong-15 that landed in Japanese waters  was capable of reaching the whole of the continental US, according to Pyongyang.

Senior military officials from two Koreas meet at truce village

Meanwhile, senior military officials from South and North Koreas met on their shared border on Tuesday.

The South's chief negotiator Kim Do-gyun, who is in charge of North Korea policy at the Defense Ministry, left Seoul to meet his North Korean counterpart, delegate General An Ik-san in the border village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) earlier in the day.

Kim said he would make efforts to craft "substantive" measures to ease tensions and build trust.

On the other side of the heavily-fortified border, the North Koran general said he felt a "sense of mission" to contribute to peace and co-prosperity between Seoul and Pyongyang.

The two Koreas held a historic summit in April, when the North's leader Kim and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in agreed to defuse tensions and halt "all hostile acts."

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Seoul, Pyongyang Hold General-Level Military Talks - Reports

Sputnik News

07:49 31.07.2018

South Korea and North Korea held general-level military negotiations to discuss measures to ease tensions in border areas as part of an agreement reached at an inter-Korean summit in April, local media reported on Tuesday.

According to the Yonhap news agency, the meeting took place at the Peace House in the truce village of Panmunjom. South Korea's delegation comprised of five members was led by Maj. Gen. Kim Do-gyun, while North Korea was represented by Lt. Gen. An Ik-san, the news agency reported. The talks lasted for about 50 minutes.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met for the historic summit on April 27. The two Koreas agreed to cease all hostile acts against each other.

The Washington Post reported Monday, citing US Intelligence sources, that North Korea was renovating a factory that was used to build government's first ICBM missiles.

Last week, US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choi Hyun met to discuss joint efforts to ensure North Korea's denuclearization.

On June 12, Kim met with US President Donald Trump in Singapore, where the two leaders issued an agreement that requires Pyongyang to denuclearize in exchange for a freeze of the US-South Korean military drills and eventual sanctions relief.

However, US Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats doubted earlier Pyongyang's technical capacity to destroy all of its nuclear arsenal within a short period of time.

 Sputnik

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India to Send Military Team to Ease US Concerns on S-400 Deal - Reports

Sputnik News

19:57 31.07.2018

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - India is planning to send a delegation of senior armed forces officials and technical experts to the United States to address Washington's concerns over New Delhi's plan to purchase Russian-made S-400 air defense systems, the Economic Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

According to the Economic Times, Washington officially notified New Delhi of its concerns about US weapons used by India being exposed to the Russian-made defense systems. The United States fears that its military platforms could be hacked in case they are used alongside the Russian equipment, the media added.

New Delhi dismissed the US concerns as groundless, but agreed to hear the US fears, the newspaper said.

India is seeking to secure a waiver to purchase Russian S-400 systems amid sanctions banning US allies to have military deals with Russia, the media noted.

In mid-July, Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Delhi and Moscow had reached a final stage in talks on the deliveries of S-400. If the two sides secure the contract, India will become the third buyer of the system, after China and Turkey.

The United States has been trying to prevent other states from buying S-400 from Russia, in particular by invoking its Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) which envisions punitive measures for any third party that carries out major transactions with the sanctioned Russian companies.

 Sputnik

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There is no possibility to negotiate with US: Iran's FM spokesman

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon / 30 July 2018 / 12:42

Tehran (ISNA)  Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi stressed that with this United States of America and the policies that the US has taken, certainly there in no possibility to negotiate and interact with it.

Speaking in his weekly press conference on Monday, Qassemi said, "US shows every day that it is unreliable".

Mentioning to the US hostile policies against Iran and its illegal withdrawal from the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the spokesman added, "with this America and the policies that the US has taken, certainly there in no possibility to negotiate and interact with it".

Answering a question about a possibility of Iran US war, Qassemi said, "I don't consider this as possible. I don't think that US loses its mind to try to invade Iran as a stronge state in the region which has proved its resistance against invaders".

Mentioning, it seems that Trump's hostile policies against Iran will go on, Qassemi added, "Iran is prepared for such actions from White House officials and join forces to foil all the hostile plots and policies of US and I believe that Iranian peop,e are the winners of this battle and one day Trump should revise his approach toward Iran and express his demands in other ways".

About the visit of Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah to Washington and speculation over whether the purpose of the trip was mediation between Iran and the United States, Qassemi said, "I have no idea about the content of the talks and the purpose of Mr. bin Alawi's visit to Washington".

"Iran and Oman have great bilateral relations and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had also traveled to Muscat over the past weeks. I don't see any connection between these trips," he stated.

About Zarif's visit to Singapore and the purpose of the trip, Qassemi said, "Mr. Zarif will pay a visit to Singapore at the official invitation of the Asian country's government to attend the 51st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the foreign ministerial level".

"The main purpose of the visit is to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation with ASEAN," he added.

"Before traveling to Singapore, Mr. Zarif will pay a visit to Sri Lanka. Actually, Iranian Foreign Minister will travel to Sri Lanka tomorrow (Tuesday) and after that, he will depart for Singapore during which he will hold bilateral talks with some of his counterparts," the spokesman went on to say.

End Item

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Iran: Military ties help restore peace in Caspian Sea

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Baku, July 31, IRNA -- Commodore Shahram Habibi, the commander of the Iranian military delegation sent to Sea Cup-2018 in Azerbaijan waters in the Caspian Sea, said on Tuesday that military relations can help boost political relations and bolster peace and friendship among Caspian Sea littoral states.

Habibi made the remarks during a joint press conference with his counterparts from Azerbaijan Republic, Russia and Kazakhstan hours before the competitions began.

The commander of the Azeri delegation, for his part, said that the main goal of holding this event is further strengthening peace and friendship among Caspian Sea littoral states.

Sea Cup-2018 begins on July 31 for 10 days with participation of vessels and missile-launching warships from Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan Republic.

Peykan and Joshan missile-launching warships from Iranian Army docked at Baku coastlines last Wednesday to participate in the event.

Shooting surface and air targets, destroying mines, controlling damages, and rescue and relief operations at sea are among the fields in which the participating delegations will compete.

9341**2050

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Rouhani: Iran turns US pressure to opportunity

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, July 31, IRNA -- President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Iran will seize the opportunity to turn the mounting pressure exerted by the US government on the country to a golden opportunity to attain further development and success.

President Rouhani made the remarks in a meeting with 14 new Iranian ambassadors who are to leave Tehran for countries of their missions.

'There is no doubt that the country will pave the path of success,' the Iranian president added.

He urged all ambassadors to broaden relations with economic enterprises, mainly in private sectors in the countries of their missions.

Referring to appointment of Parvin Farshchi as Iran's new ambassador to Finland, President Rouhani said under such created opportunity Iranian females should show their legitimacy and talents at international levels.

The move can thwart the enemies' plots aimed to portray that Iran is against the participation of the Iranian females in social and administrative activities, he said.

Iran's new ambassadors to Poland, Japan, Vatican, Italy, Ireland, Slovenia, Finland, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Mali, Colombia, Bulgaria along with Iran's permanent ambassador to the UN office in Geneva were present in the meeting.

1430**2050

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Rouhani: Ball is in Europe court

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, July 31, IRNA -- After the US illegal walkaway from nuclear deal, ball is in Europe court, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said.

Rouhani made the remarks Tuesday while receiving new UK ambassador to Tehran Rob Macaire's credentials.

Iran has always been ready for developing ties with the European countries, he said.

While criticizing some parties for not implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the economic sector, Rouhani said that Iran has never been after tensions in the region and is not to make any problem in international waterways.

Iran is firm on its rights regarding oil exports, he added.

He also hailed developing relations with London, saying fortunately both countries have been determined to broaden ties.

Rouahni described as constructive meetings between officials of both countries, saying we are in an important era of relations regarding the JCPOA.

Europe clear stance as regard its measures to be taken to compensate the US illegal withdrawal from Iran deal is of importance for Iranian nation.

Meanwhile, Macaire referred to the UK support for implementing Iran nuclear deal.

The efforts made by European countries for preserving JCPOA are unprecedented, he said.

Iran's policy to remove tensions in the region is of importance, he said, adding that we are after developing ties with Iran.

'We believe that holding talks and diplomacy are only ways for solving crises,' he reiterated.

9376**2050

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US contradicts itself when it comes to Iran

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, July 31, IRNA -- The US secretary of states, on Tuesday, contradicted the US president when listing several pre-conditions in order to negotiate with Iran.

'We've said this before,' Mike Pompeo told CNBC, adding the US President Donald Trump' wants to meet with folks to solve problems. If the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior, can agree that it's worthwhile to enter into a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president said he's prepared to sit down and have the conversation with them.'

Such remarks are 180-degree away from what Trump said in a press conference with Italy's prime minister that he would meet with Iran's leaders 'anytime they want.', without pre-conditions, just two hours prior to Pompeo's interview.

Trump talks about Iran-US discussion while he, affronting UN, EU and the whole world, quit the world-indorsed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as Iran Deal and returned the sanctions on Iran.

He has repeatedly said that he is looking for 'a real deal' with Iran, whereas he hasn't kept the ones he had with Iran and other countries.

9417**1771

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Iran's Navy to continue securing Strait of Hormuz: Commander

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, July 31, IRNA -- Strait of Hormuz is a part of Iran's interests being secured and kept open by Iranian Navy so far, a senior Iranian commander said on Tuesday, adding that the forces will firmly continue to secure it.

Commenting on sanctions the US has re-imposed on Iran following Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran's Navy Commander Rear-Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said, 'The cruel sanctions being imposed on Iran, will affect Strait of Hormuz functions'.

The Strait seperating Iran and Oman and connecting the Persian Gulf to Gulf of Oman, is the channel through which some 2 million barrels of oil products are exported daily.

'It should be remembered that decisions made in international arena would not affect just a country; rather they would influence measures by other players too,' the commander said in a press conference.

'Keeping the Strait open depends on Iran's interests,' he said while stressing that the international community should be committed to its obligations to Iran.

'We, however, don't consider the US an element affecting Iran's Navy decision on the Strait of Hormuz,' the General said, adding that any decision on the issue depends on Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

The commander also said that some new developments in Iran's Navy fleet are eminent, including receiving new and overhauled destroyers and submarines.

The destroyer Sahand is passing the final stage of trials to join the Navy fleet, according to the commander.

Destroyer Dena is also being manufactured, he said, and it is expected that it would join the fleet by the end of this Persian year.

The Navy commander also noted that submarine Fateh is in final stages of manufacturing.

9156**1771

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Trump says ready for talks with Iran without preconditions

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New York, July 31, IRNA -- President Donald Trump said Monday he is willing to meet with Iran's leadership, without preconditions, 'whenever they want.'

'I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet,' Trump said during a joint news conference at the White House alongside Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. 'I do believe that they will probably end up wanting to meet. I'm ready to meet whenever they want to,' CNN reported.

'No preconditions,' he added. 'They want to meet, I'll meet, whenever they want.'

Trump touted the benefits of diplomacy, saying he would 'meet with anybody' and once again argued that his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin--which has faced heated bipartisan criticism--was a success.

'Speaking to other people, especially when you're talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things--you meet. There's nothing wrong with meeting,' Trump said.

While Trump said there would be no preconditions to meeting with Iran, he did appear to hedge the possibility of a meeting on an ability to 'work something out that's meaningful' with Iran.

8072**1396

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During his junior year at Heritage High School, John Paine enrolled in a class called Geospatial Semester. He had no idea what it was about, but he thought the name sounded cool.

Turns out it was a program that introduces students to geospatial thinking and technology, as part of an effort to combine hands-on science lessons with emerging technology.

The Geospatial Semester originated at James Madison University in Virginia, where faculty guide high school students through projects and award them college credit upon completion.

Now, the program is poised for a major shift. The National Science Foundation has awarded a $2 million grant to James Madison, Northwestern University, and the Chicago public schools to implement the program in the 370,000-student school system, the nations third-largest.

During his time in the Geospatial Semester class, Paine worked on a project that was focused on the sedimentation buildup in the lake in his neighborhood. He said that the pollution in the lake was an eyesore and a threat to the local wildlife, so he wanted to alert the homeowners association in his community. He got on a boat, recorded the sedimentation in the area using a radar and used the GIS software to create a 3D map to show where the sedimentation should and shouldnt be.

It was something I was really proud of, he said. It could actually benefit the community.

Paine, who graduated from the Loudon County, Va., school district, will be attending James Madison University this fall, majoring in geographic science.

I fell in love with it, he said. There are so many opportunities that it opens to you. Ive already met numerous people who will connect me to jobs and internships. With GIS, youre going to get a job for it.

Bob Kolvoord, dean of the College of Integrated Science and Engineering at JMU, said that students who enroll in the program develop an understanding of spatial concepts and refine their critical thinking skills while using geographic information systems technology to solve problems within their community.

This is a technology that is all around us, Kolvoord said, but nobody really notices it. The goal is that students will learn about the cutting-edge technology by using it to solve problems that matter to them.

Data Visualization

Geographic information systems, or GIS, is a software program that gathers, manages and analyzes data, and then organizes layers of information into visualizations like maps. GIS can use information provided by GPS satellites. Its the same technology people rely on when they use their phones to locate the nearest coffee shop, when they check an online weather map or upload photos to social media. The JMU program is an effort to design classroom lessons from technology that will engage students and deepen their understanding of science.

One of the goals of this type of problem-based instruction is to give students more freedom to shape their learning through projects of their choosing. They have the opportunity to explore and focus on whats important to them, and choose topics that they want to work on for the final project, Kolvoord said.

The program, which started in 2005, is currently a partnership between James Madison University and about 20 school districts in Virginia. The students are dual-enrolled with James Madison University and receive college credit for the class. JMU faculty meet with teachers and students and help guide instruction and student projects.

This summer, 17 high school teachers at seven Chicago public schools are participating in workshops where they learn about the basics of GIS, how to use the software and how they can use it in the classroom. Because the program is meant to be locally supported, Chicago district officials and JMU are still looking for university faculty that can support the school systems teachers.

A More Integrated Form of Teaching

Carol ODonnell, director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center , said problem- and project-based programs like Geospatial Semester are part of a push toward authentic learning and experiences, which students can gain by understanding STEM topics as an interdisciplinary learning opportunity.

She also saw the influence of the Next Generation Science Standards , which have been adopted by several states, are encouraging new, more in-depth approaches to teaching the subject, ODonnell said. The standards ask students to analyze evidence and understand scientific phenomena, rather than memorize facts in isolation.

The new standards are pushing a more integrated form of teaching--and not just in STEM, ODonnell said. Finding a way to engage students is the focus of the next generation of teachers.

The program differs from other hands-on learning programs, like makerspaces, because geospatial technology lets the students work on problems at different scales, immersed in different kinds of projects, Kolvoord said. A project could be focused on something as hyperlocal as traffic on school grounds or as global as childrens health around the world, he said.

You can essentially fit the world into your computer.

Instead of taking a test at the end of the program, students give a final project presentation, where they face JMU faculty who will ask them about their project.

Paine said the geospatial curriculum was different than his Advanced Placement classes, in that theres no memorization. Its more hands-on. Theres no taking notes.

While she agreed that students can demonstrate science knowledge through means other than tests, ODonnell said that assessments can still play an important part of gauging student learning. It helps school leaders know that cognitively what theyre learning will stick, she said.

Kolvoord said in an effort to measure the success of the program, he and other JMU faculty are using the final projects as evidence of the learning theyd like to see, in areas that include spatial thinking, critical thinking and the capability to use GIS technology. He and his team also conduct research to detect if theres an improvement in students spatial thinking and reasoning skills, and their ability to use GIS technology. Improving those skills can better prepare them for STEM careers, Kolvoord said.

Thats an important measure for gauging the programs success, said ODonnell.

Whatever we do in schools still have to demonstrate impact and prepare students for college and careers, she said.

Finding Their Passion in GIS

In Loudoun County Public Schools, around 300 students take the course every year, according to Michael Wagner, the GIS lead teacher for the 82,000-student district.

Some students get internships after high school in companies that use GIS, or end up majoring in related subjects in college after participating in the program, said Wagner, who has taught the course for 13 years.

Ive had a couple of students who have found their passion in GIS or incorporated it is a minor as a result of taking the Geospatial Semester, said Katelyn Chadwick, Freedom High School teacher in the district.

JMU is also doing research to look at how teachers attitudes and practices change as they use the technology. Teachers practices will be a big focus of the research on the Chicago project, Kolvoord said.

I got to teach in a different way than I would with chemistry, said Chadwick, who is a chemistry teacher by training.

With Geospatial Semester, the projects can be business, environmental, medical--basically anything, she said. That really lets my creativity come out, and lets my students creativity come out, too.

Photo: A Virginia public school student presents her Geospatial Semester project at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency GIS Fair. -- Erica J. Knight/NGA Office of Corporate Communications.



See also:Iran's first reaction to Trump's offer on negotiating with Tehran without preconditions

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Tue / 31 July 2018 / 11:20

Tehran (ISNA)  An advisor to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded to US President Donald Trump's latest offer to negotiate with Tehran without preconditions.

Rouhani's advisor, Hamid Aboutalebi tweeted in response to Trump that "Respecting the Iranian nation's rights, reducing hostilities and returning to the nuclear deal are steps that can be taken to pave the bumpy road of talks between Iran and America".

"Iran had showed its openness to dialogue in the past, particularly with the phone call between Rouhani and Trump's predecessor Barack Obama in 2013," he added.

"That dialogue was based on the idea of confidence-building measures and the nuclear deal was an achievement of this effort and it must be accepted," Aboutalebi went on to say.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would be willing to meet Iranian officials without preconditions to discuss how to improve ties after he pulled the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying, "If they want to meet, we'll meet."

"I'd meet with anybody. I believe in meetings," especially in cases where war is at stake, Trump said at a White House news conference when asked whether he was willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rowhani.

End Item

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Trump says ready to meet with Iranian president without preconditions

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:20, July 31, 2018

U.S. President Donald Trump said here on Monday that he is ready to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani without preconditions.

"I'd meet with anybody. I believe in meeting," Trump told a joint news conference with visiting Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, when asked whether he was willing to meet with the Iranian leader.

Touting his "great" meetings with the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim Jong Un, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and leaders of NATO, Trump said such meetings had led to good results.

"I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don't know that they're ready yet. I ended the Iran deal. It was a ridiculous deal," Trump said. "I do believe that they will probably end up wanting to meet, and I'm ready to meet anytime they want to."

"If we could work something out that's meaningful, not the waste of paper that the other deal was, I would certainly be willing to meet," he added.

"They want to meet, I'll meet. Any time they want. Good for the country. Good for them. Good for us. And good for the world," he said.

Relations of the two nations have been at odds as the Trump administration pulled the United States out of the historic 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May. Washington ramped up political pressure on Tehran and vowed to re-impose sanctions on the nation.

In 2015, Iran and five permanent members of the UN Security Council- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Germany, signed the deal in Vienna. Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow international inspectors to examine in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

Hours before Trump's statement, Iran's foreign ministry ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the U.S. government over the enduring bilateral problems.

"The United States has proved that it is unreliable, so engagement and dialogue with the current U.S. government is impossible," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said earlier on Monday.

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Iran's Zarif says US can blame itself for leaving deal and halting talks

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 31, 2018 08:25PM

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the US should blame itself for ending talks with Iran when it left the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA.)

"Iran & US had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accordthe JCPOA. It's been working. US can only blame itself for pulling out & leaving the table. Threats, sanctions & PR stunts won't work. Try respect: for Iranians & for int'l commitments," said Zarif on Twitter on Tuesday.

The remarks were made one day after US President Donald Trump announced that was willing to meet with Iranians without preconditions.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi also responded to Trump's offer by noting that it was in contradiction his actions of imposing sanctions and pressuring other countries into avoiding business with Tehran.

"Sanctions and pressures are the exact opposite of dialogue which requires mutual respect and commitment to international treaties," he added.

"How can he prove to the Iranian nation that the comments he made last night showed his true intention for negotiation and were not expressed for populist gains?," added Qasemi.

On Monday night, Trump said he is ready to meet his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, "any time they want to."

"It's good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world. No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meet," said the US president.

Shortly after that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appeared on CNBC hours later to set some conditions.

"We've said this before," said the former CIA chief. "If the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior, can agree that it's worthwhile to enter into a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president said he's prepared to sit down and have the conversation with them."

Back in May, Pompeo had set 12 conditions for talks with Iran, which were dismissed by Tehran.

Trump's latest stance towards Tehran runs counter to his recent threats against the nation as well as pulling Washington out of the Iran nuclear deal despite having the support of almost all US allies.

On May 8, Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the JCPOA despite objections from Europe as well as Russia and China  the other signatories to the deal.

The withdrawal entails the re-imposition of not only sanctions on Iran but also the so-called secondary sanctions on third countries.

Meanwhile, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has once again denounced the US withdrawal from the 2015 international nuclear deal, saying the ball is now in Europe's court to make up for Washington's absence and work to keep the landmark agreement alive.

"Today, we are at a very important historic moment regarding the JCPOA," Rouhani said, adding that European parties need to transparently declare what measures they intend to adopt in order to make up for Washington's "illegal" pullout from the Iran deal.

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'Ball in Europe's court to save Iran deal after illegal US exit: Rouhani

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 31, 2018 10:15AM

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has once again denounced the US withdrawal from the 2015 international nuclear deal, saying the ball is now in Europe's court to make up for Washington's absence and work to keep the landmark agreement alive.

Rouhani made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with Britain's new Ambassador to Tehran Rob Macaire, who submitted his credentials to the Iranian president.

"Today, we are at a very important historic moment regarding the JCPOA," Rouhani said, referring to the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The president said the European parties need to transparently declare what measures they intend to adopt in order to make up for Washington's "illegal" pullout from the Iran deal.

On May 8, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the JCPOA despite objections from Europe as well as Russia and China  the other signatories to the deal.

The withdrawal entails the re-imposition of not only sanctions on Iran but also the so-called secondary sanctions on third countries.

However, the European parties have expressed their determination to maintain their business links with Iran and have presented Tehran with a package of incentives to help save the JCPOA.

Recently, the Trump White House announced that it seeks to bring Iran's oil sales down to "zero."

In response, Iran said that if it is rendered incapable of selling its oil, other countries in the region will face the same  a relatively implicit statement that was taken to mean that Iran may block its waters in the Strait of Hormuz, through which international oil cargoes pass.

"The Islamic Republic has never sought tension in the region and does not want any trouble in global waterways, but it will never easily give up on its right to export oil," Rouhani said.

He also complained that some of the parties to the JCPOA are not fully implementing the terms of the deal in business and banking sectors.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been ready to develop good relations with European countries, and now, following the US illegal exit from the JCPOA, the ball is in Europe's court in the limited time remaining," he added.

In turn, the UK ambassador, whose country  along with France and Germany  is a party to the Iran deal, expressed London's support for the JCPOA, saying the European states are making efforts to preserve the accord.

He also said the UK attaches great importance to Iran's policy of reducing tensions in the region, and wants to develop its ties with the Islamic Republic.

He further noted that problems could be resolved through dialog and diplomacy.

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Iranian FM: 'US Can Only Blame Itself' for Ending Talks on Nuclear Deal

Sputnik News

23:03 31.07.2018

Beginning the negotiations with the United States at the moment would be nothing short of "offense and humiliation" for Tehran, Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Ali Motahari said on Tuesday.

"Now is not a suitable time to enter negotiations with the United States because it amounts to offense and humiliation," Motahari was quoted as saying by the Iranian Tasnim News Agency.

Motahari also reportedly noted that there would have been no problems with starting the negotiation process with Washington if the United States had not unilaterally exited and had not reimposed economic sanctions on Iran.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday that Washington should blame itself for ending talks with Tehran when it withdrew from a nuclear deal. "US can only blame itself for pulling out and leaving the table," Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump said that he was prepared to meet with the Iranian leadership with no preconditions whenever the Iranian side was ready amid the escalated tensions between the two countries following Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.

In May, Trump announced that the United States was pulling out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, saying that the United States would reintroduce sanctions both against Iran and against the countries that continue to do business with Tehran.

Apart from the United States, the deal was also signed by Iran, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and Germany and provided for the relief of the economic sanctions against Iran in return for Tehran's keeping its nuclear program purely peaceful.

The economic sanctions were initially imposed on Iran in 2006 by the United Nations Security Council for pursuing its nuclear program. The first UN resolution banned the import of materials and technologies used for the uranium enrichment also freezing the assets of the companies and individuals involved in developing the program.

Another three resolutions had been adopted by the United Nations toughening the sanctions against Tehran before the Joint Comprehensive Plan was adopted.

 Sputnik

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Pompeo, Iran Reject Trump's Proposal for 'No Preconditions' Talks

Sputnik News

16:11 31.07.2018(updated 20:50 31.07.2018)

The US president earlier stated that he is ready for talks with Iran as long as it is willing to hold negotiations. He added that he requires "no preconditions" to hold them; however, it seems that both Tehran and members of Trump's own administration disagree with his vision for talks.

In an interview with CNBC, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo presented a list of preconditions that Iran needs to meet in order to begin negotiations between Tehran and Washington. According to him, Iran must first "demonstrate a commitment" to change its attitude towards its own citizenry, "reduce malign behavior" and be ready to reach a new agreement on its nuclear program.

His comments come in contradiction with what President Donald Trump said earlier during a press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. During the presser, Trump said that he was ready to meet the Iranian president "any time, no preconditions," if Rouhani desires to do so.

"No preconditions, no. If they want to meet, I'll meet any time they want. Good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world. I'll meet with anybody. There's nothing wrong with meeting," Trump said.

Trump's words come hot on the heels of recent saber rattling between the two countries. Iran cautioned the US against blocking its oil exports and vowed that a war with Iran would be the "mother of all wars," while the US president posted an all-caps tweet warning Tehran against threatening Washington.

Tehran: Talks With US "Would Be Humiliating" for Iran Right Now

One of Rouhani's advisers, Hamid Aboutalebi, echoed Pompeo in attaching preconditions to potential future talks between the US and Iran. He wrote on Twitter that Washington first needs to start "respecting the Iranian nation's rights," reduce "hostilities" and return to the abandoned Iran nuclear deal. Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Ali Motahari added to Aboutalebi's words by saying it would be "humiliating" for Iran to hold talks with the US right now.

Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli has joined in condemning Trump's idea for talks, saying that the US is not "trustworthy," as it unilaterally has withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal.

Separately, the head of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has blasted Trump as an "amateur" politician and stated that Iranian officials would never meet him "or any other US president."

"Mr Trump! Iran is not North Korea to accept your offer for a meeting," Guards commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari was quoted as saying by Fars News agency. "

Relations between Washington and Tehran have been steadily worsening since President Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal, which lifted economic sanctions that had been imposed on the Islamic Republic in exchange for the country maintaining a peaceful nature of its nuclear program. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised that Washington would re-impose sanctions against Iran and that they would be "the harshest ever." Donald Trump has been a consistent critic of the Iran nuclear deal, having claimed during his presidential campaign that it was "flawed at its core."

 Sputnik

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No Plans for US-Iran Talks at Asian Meeting

By VOA News July 31, 2018

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has no intention of meeting his Iranian counterpart at an international gathering this weekend in Singapore, even as President Donald Trump says he is willing to talk with Tehran about its nuclear weapons development program.

The top U.S. diplomat and Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif are both attending Saturday's meeting of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations. But a senior U.S. State Department official said Tuesday there are no plans for the two officials to meet.

The official said that North Korea will also be represented at the Singapore meeting, and while chance encounters for Pompeo are possible, no bilateral meetings have been scheduled.

Trump, who pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 international agreement to restrain Iran's nuclear weapons development in exchange for relief from economic sanctions against Tehran, said Monday he would be willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

"I believe in meeting," Trump said at a White House news conference. "Speaking to other people, especially when you're talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things, you meet. There's nothing wrong in meeting."

Trump noted his recent one-on-one discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin as examples of his direct diplomacy with leaders deemed hostile to U.S. interests.

"So, I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don't know that they're ready yet. They're having a hard time right now," Trump added. "I'm ready to meet anytime they want to."

Asked if he had any preconditions for such a meeting, Trump replied: "No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meet."

Later, in an interview with the cable television network CNBC, Pompeo said Trump is prepared to sit down with the Iranians if they "make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior," and agree it is worthwhile to put in place a nuclear agreement "that actually prevents proliferation."

Iran responded by saying the path to direct discussions with Washington would have to include the United States returning to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the nuclear deal between Iran and China, France, Russia, Britain, Germany, the U.S. and the European Union was formally called.

"Respecting the Iranian nation's rights, reducing hostilities and returning to the nuclear deal are steps that can be taken to pave the bumpy road of talks between Iran and America," Hamid Aboutalebi, an adviser to Rouhani, tweeted.

Analysts do not expect a Trump-Rouhani meeting anytime soon, pointing out that Trump has, for some time, been seeking to meet Rouhani directly without success.

"I don't think it will happen in the immediate future," said Jarrett Blanc, senior fellow of the Geoeconomics and Strategy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Iran, with a more complicated domestic political structure than the totalitarian model of North Korea, has been cool to the idea of diplomacy with Washington, more so since Trump pulled the United States out of the multinational nuclear accord, which imposed restrictions on Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief.

Other signatories are working with Iran to try to save the agreement while Washington begins reimposing sanctions on Tehran that are to start taking effect in August.

"Iranian leadership has presented Trump as a bully and has presented the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal as a betrayal of trust. So, it's really hard for the Iranian leadership to now turn around and start negotiation from scratch," said Shahram Akbarzedeh, a research professor in Middle East and Central Asian Politics at Australia's Deakin University

Trump, just eight days ago, issued a direct counterthreat to Tehran in an all-capital-letters tweet in which he sharply warned Rouhani to "never threaten the United States" or the Islamic Republic would suffer historical consequences.

Just hours before that tweet, Rouhani had warned Trump's policies could lead to "the mother of all wars."

"No Iranian leader is likely in the near future to meet with a president who has repeatedly threatened Iran, insulted its leadership and violated the nuclear deal," said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group.

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Baghdad says news on buying Saudi Arabia electricity is 'baseless'

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Baghdad, July 31, IRNA -- Iraq Prime Minister spokesman Saad al-Hadithi denied the news recently published regarding an agreement on purchasing electricity from Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hadithi made the remarks in an exclusive interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Some regional and international media have quoted American media Bloomberg as saying that Saudi Arabia has reached an agreement with Iraq on building a solar energy plant and also selling electricity with a price lower than that of Iran to Iraq.

Musab Sari Mahmoud Al-Modares, spokesman of the Ministry of Electricity had been quoted as saying the agreement which has not so far been approved by Iraqi officials includes building a 3,000 MW plant in Saudi Arabia.

Iraq will be charged $21 for each megawatt which is one fourth of the price of electricity imported by Iraq from Iran, Al-Modares has been quoted as saying.

Al-Hadithi went on to say not only there is no agreement in this regard but no political delegation has so far travelled to Riyadh.

Iraq has dispatched an expert delegation to Saudi Arabia to discuss mechanisms of cooperation in energy field and on giving aid to Iraq for public services and improving energy conditions, Al-Hadithi said.

The result of the talks between two expert groups was that Saudi Arabia could help with supplying fuel for Iraqi power plants.

Iraqi officials had earlier said they had negotiated with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to supply diesel fuel needed to feed their power plants.

Since the start of protests in Iraq, some regional and international media have created media hype targeting Iran-Iraq relations.

9376**1771

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Druze Soldiers Quitting Israeli Military Over Controversial Nation-State Law

Sputnik News

22:42 31.07.2018(updated 22:50 31.07.2018)

The Israeli military continues to deal with fallout from soldiers belonging to minority groups after the country passed a "nation-state" law declaring that Jews, and only Jews, have the right to self-determination in the country.

The law significantly restricts the rights of Palestinians living in Israel, Masud Ghnaim, an Israeli-Arab member of Knesset, told Sputnik News.

But Palestinians, both Muslim and Christian, are not the only minority group in the country and therefore not the only ones affected by the nation-state law. There are also Bedouins, Druze, Circassians, Arameans and more peoples within its borders.

Many of them, just like Jewish Israelis, are conscripted into service with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). But since the law passed, several high-profile incidents with Druze soldiers have lit up social media.

IDF Captain Amir Jmall announced that he would quit the military, posting an open letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calling on Druze community leaders to push for an end to forced service, according to a Monday article in Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The Times of Israel reported that Jmall has been suspended for 14 days because of the Facebook post.

"His commanders made it clear to him that he was expected to refrain from publishing the post, which identified himself as an officer in the IDF," the IDF said in a statement. "There is no place in the IDF for political discourse of any kind."

"Why should I serve the state of Israel, the state that I, my brothers and my father have served out of devotion and love for our homeland [I]n the end, what do we get? To be second class citizens," Jmall wrote on Facebook.

Meanwhile, a second Druze IDF officer, Shady Zidan, likewise announced his intention to quit the military on Facebook.

"Until this day I have given the state my soul, I have risked my life. Until this day I stood by the state's flag with pride and saluted it. Until this day I sung the national anthem 'Hatikvah' because I was sure that this is my country and I am equal to everyone," Zidan wrote. "But today, today I refused for the first time in my service to salute the flag, I refused for the first time to sing the national anthem."

Now it appears the IDF is in damage control mode. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot recently met with Druze religious leader Shaykh Mowafaq Tarif. After the meeting, Tarif called for politics, including debates over the nation-state law, to be left out of the IDF.

 Sputnik

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Israeli Soldiers Reportedly Posted F-35 Pics Revealing Sensitive Data

Sputnik News

14:08 31.07.2018(updated 14:16 31.07.2018)

A photo of the fifth generation fighter jet was reportedly released along with other pictures of secret Israeli weaponry on an unspecified military forum. IDF officials have yet to confirm the incident.

An unnamed Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officer has posted photographs of an armed F-35 jet in an underground bunker at the Nevatim base that could possibly reveal sensitive data on the cutting-edge fighter, Israeli Hadashot TV reported on July 31. The media outlet didn't specify when the picture was posted.

Hadashot also shared other cases of IDF soldiers publishing photos of classified military equipment. According to them, a tank base technician took pictures of a tank with secret equipment, while a navy serviceman photographed his command center. Both allegedly uploaded them to a military forum.

The media platform didn't reveal the name of the forum or the date of the infractions, but said the IDF officers didn't have permission to publish the photos and they were eventually deleted at the request of Israeli army officials. A tank officer, interviewed by the Israeli TV channel has equated the upload of such pictures with "acts of espionage," saying they could help Israel's enemies.

Israel acquired the F-35 fifth generation jets after the Joint Strike Fighter program ended. The program was led by the US and aimed at creating a cutting-edge fighter jet for itself and its allies. The initiative started back in 1992 and concluded in 2018, with the first jets already having been delivered to their buyers.

The US (as well as Israel) have been rigorously guarding the F-35's sensitive info, which led to a conflict between Washington and Ankara, who wants to buy both F-35 jets and Russian S-400 air defense systems. The US Congress is concerned that Russia may use S-400s bought by Turkey to the reveal F-35's weak spots and temporarily halted delivery of the jets until the Pentagon either confirms or disproves those concerns.

 Sputnik

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Japan to reduce plutonium stockpile

NHK World

2018-07-31

Japan's government commission on nuclear energy has decided to reduce the country's stockpile of plutonium.

Japan has been promoting a program to recycle plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel.

In principle it does not possess plutonium whose purpose is unclear, because the material can be used for nuclear weapons.

But the unused stockpile keeps growing. Japan now has 47 tons of plutonium at home and abroad. If the fuel reprocessing plant at Rokkasho Village in the northern prefecture of Aomori is completed as scheduled in 2021, it will produce up to 7 tons of plutonium annually. This has heightened international concern.

The Atomic Energy Commission on Tuesday revised its guidelines on plutonium use for the first time in 15 years, stipulating that the stockpile will be reduced.

Japan currently uses plutonium for mixed oxide fuel for nuclear power plants. Under the revised guidelines, reprocessing plants are obliged to produce only the amount necessary, and what's produced must be used up. Power companies will be asked to cooperate in using and reducing plutonium.

Plutonium used for research and development, as in the Monju fast-breeder reactor, could be disposed of if there's no plan for what to do with it.

Commission chief Yoshiaki Oka said Japan must avoid being seen as stockpiling plutonium, amid global efforts toward nuclear nonproliferation. He stressed the need to specify how plutonium is used.

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U.S. Warns Against IMF Bailing Out Pakistan's Loans From China

RFE/RL July 31, 2018

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned against providing an International Monetary Fund bailout for Pakistan's new government that includes funding to pay off Chinese lenders.

In an interview with CNBC television on July 30, Pompeo said the United States looked forward to engagement with the government of Pakistan's expected new prime minister, Imran Khan, but said there is "no rationale" for a bailout that pays off Chinese loans to Pakistan.

"Make no mistake. We will be watching what the IMF does," Pompeo said. "There's no rationale for IMF tax dollars, and associated with that American dollars that are part of the IMF funding, for those to go to bail out Chinese bondholders or China itself," Pompeo said.

The Financial Times reported on July 29 that senior Pakistani finance officials were drawing up options for Khan to seek an IMF bailout of up to $12 billion.

An IMF spokeswoman said the international lending agency has not as yet received an aid request from Pakistan nor had discussions with Pakistani officials about their intentions. Pakistan has had 14 IMF financing programs since 1980.

Pakistan is struggling to avert a currency crisis that has presented the new government with one of its biggest challenges. Many analysts expect that another IMF bailout, the second in five years, will be needed to plug an external financing gap.

Pakistan, which has taken around $5 billion in loans from China and its banks to fund major infrastructure projects, had sought another $1 billion in loans to stabilize its plummeting foreign currency reserves.

U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, have criticized China's infrastructure lending to developing countries like Pakistan, arguing that it has saddled them with unsustainable debt.

The $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a series of port and rail improvements associated with China's One Belt One Road infrastructure push, has led to massive imports of Chinese equipment and materials, swelling Pakistan's current account deficit.

Western officials say that while Pakistan has taken on huge debts to finance the projects, China's investment has gained access for China's military to Pakistan's Gwadar Sea Port, which is strategically placed west of India.

"We aspire to a regional order -- independent nations that can defend their people and compete fairly in the international marketplace," Pompeo said during a speech on the Indo-Pacific region on July 30.

"We will help them. We will help them keep their people free from coercion or great power domination," he said.

With reporting by The Washington Examiner and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-pompeo-warns-against-imf-bailing- out-pakistans-loans-from-china/29400274.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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U.S., Italian Leaders Say They Will Keep Russian Sanctions In Place

July 31, 2018

U.S. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte both are saying that they have no plans to try to lift sanctions against Russia.

At a White House news conference on July 30, Conte said lifting the European Union's sanctions, which were first imposed in 2014 over Russia's aggression in Ukraine, would be "unthinkable."

Some members of Conte's coalition government have advocated lifting sanctions and improving relations with Russia, but the Italian leader went along with a recent six-month extension of the sanctions by the EU.

Trump, who has faced widespread criticism over his handling of a summit this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that U.S. sanctions against Russia, which were imposed near the same time as the EU's, also will stay for now.

"Sanctions against Russia will remain as is," Trump said in response to a reporter's question.

Some members of the U.S. Congress have been considering trying to ratchet up sanctions against Russia in the wake of the Trump-Putin summit.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-trump- italian-leader-conte-say-no-plans-to-lift- russian-sanctions/29400222.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Shamanov: the Russian army will have "zampolity in a new capacity"

TASS

July 31, 12:02UTC + 3

Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee noted that a structure will be formed professionally engaged in "educational, patriotic work"

MOSCOW, July 31. / TASS /. The creation of the Main Military Political Directorate in the Ministry of Defense will allow the restoration of the Institute of Political Deputies in the Russian Armed Forces "in a new capacity" and introduce new methods of educational work, which is necessary in the context of the growing number of contract workers. This opinion was expressed on Tuesday by the TASS chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, the former commander of the airborne forces, Colonel-General Vladimir Shamanov.

On Monday, the creation of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Defense Ministry became known from the presidential decree. It was headed by the former commander of the troops of the Western Military District, Colonel-General Andrei Kartapolov, appointed simultaneously Deputy Defense Minister of the Russian Federation.

According to Shamanov, today "changes in the structure of the armed forces, when there are more servicemen who contract, and less on the call that was considered and will be considered a sacred duty, suggest new approaches to educational work." "Therefore, this decision has been brewing all the years of the newest history of Russian statehood," said the chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee.

"A structure will be formed that will professionally engage in educational, patriotic work," he explained, stressing that the category of servicemen under the contract "must work in a special way." The point is that "new forms and methods of educational work must be developed that will motivate all categories of servicemen to better service," the MP continued.

"This structure will unite the old and new traditions," Shamanov believes, "and, of course, we need an administrative resource in the form of a deputy defense minister." "That is, this direction will be equivalent to such areas as staff work, combat training, rear and all-round support, in essence they will be old political forces, but in a new capacity," he stated.

The head of the State Duma committee recalled that servicemen under the contract are "people who, after serving the due time, leave the unit and are" brought up "by either a street or a family, if they are married." "Today it will be necessary to develop forms and revive the traditions of the non-commissioned officer corps of the Russian army, when there were non-commissioned officers between the soldiers and the officer corps who solved educational problems and dealt with domestic problems." This is the necessary niche for a contract serviceman to conscientiously served, and his family was reliably protected, "the parliamentarian concluded.



:

http://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/5415903

 TASS

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UK's PwC Firm Under Fire Over Bid on Upgrading Saudi Army - Reports

Sputnik News

14:32 31.07.2018(updated 15:11 31.07.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - One of the UK's biggest consulting firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), came under fire for having lodged a bid for a major contract on overhauling Saudi Arabia's military amid reports about multiple human rights cases of abuse in Yemen committed by the Saudi troops, The Guardian newspaper reported.

According to the newspaper, experts, including Amnesty International officials, claim that if the bid is successful, the firm may be viewed as complicit to the human rights abuses attributed to Saudi Arabia during the ongoing war in Yemen.

The media outlet added that the PwC, should it win the contract, would reshape recruitment, resourcing, performance management and strategic planning in the Saudi defense system.

The company confirmed it had tendered for the project, however, refused to provide any further details.

The issue has become critical as the human rights watchdogs dubbed the war in Yemen "the world's largest humanitarian catastrophe," claiming that since joining the conflict the Saudi-led coalition conducted multiple airstrikes against civilian targets, some of which can amount to war crimes.

Saudi Arabia has been a major ally of the Yemeni government forces in the fight against Houthis rebels since March 2015.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates that over 6,300 civilians have been killed since the onset of the conflict, with the real death toll likely to be much higher.

 Sputnik

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Russia, Turkey urge US to stop threatening rhetoric over arms deals

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 31, 2018 07:26AM

Turkey and Russia have slammed the United States for using the language of threats when it comes to arms deals between other countries that Washington does not favor.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday criticized Washington for pressuring potential buyers of Russian-made weapons, including Turkey.

He added that Washington's resort to "ultimatums and threats"  which he said are meant to influence global arms trades -- is wrong, and that countries will ultimately ignore US pressure and do what they want.

Countries "will not agree to subjecting their right to trade with whom they want and what they want to ultimatums and threats, as is now the case with contracts for the supply of Russian weapons to a number of states, for example, Turkey, Indonesia and India, when Washington openly requires refusal of these contracts," said Lavrov.

The top Russian diplomat also warned that such US demands would create "unpredictability, and an additional potential for conflict."

Lavrov's comments came just days after US Congress formally barred deliveries of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter planes to Turkey, despite a signed contract between the two countries.

According to House and Senate aides, the transfer of the fighter jets would be held back until the Pentagon submits a report to the lawmakers about the "overall strategic relationship with Turkey," all foreign weapons sales to Ankara and its decision to buy the Russian-made S-400 long-range air-defense system.

Washington wants Turkey to abandon plans to buy the S-400 missile batteries from Russia, threatening Ankara with sanctions over such a purchase.

The S-400 system, whose full name is the Triumph Mobile Multiple Anti-Aircraft Missile System (AAMS), is an advanced Russian missile system designed to detect, track, and destroy planes, drones, or missiles as far as 402 kilometers away. It has previously been sold only to China and India.

On April 3, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said in Ankara that they had agreed to expedite the delivery of S-400 missile systems. The delivery is expected to start between late 2019 and early 2020.

Rhetoric of threats 'unacceptable'

Meanwhile, Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) blasted as "unacceptable" Washington's recent threatening language towards Ankara.

The council said the US stance on Turkey's defense industry projects, over which "Turkey fulfills every kind of responsibilities," would irreparably damage ties between the two countries.

Turkey is striving to boost its air defense, particularly after Washington decided in 2015 to withdraw its Patriot surface-to-air missile system from Turkey's border with Syria.

Before gravitating towards Russia, the Turkish military reportedly walked out of a $3.4 billion contract for a similar Chinese system. The withdrawal took place under purported pressure from Washington.

Ankara's ties with its Western allies in NATO have been strained over a range of issues.

Erdogan has been critical of the US for supporting Kurdish groups in Syria that he says are responsible for terror attacks inside Turkey and is also outraged by Washington's refusal to hand over Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of masterminding a 2016 coup against the Turkish government.

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Turkey Vows to Take Legal Action if US Blocks F-35 Deliveries

Sputnik News

18:41 31.07.2018(updated 19:21 31.07.2018)

Previously, the 2019 US defense policy bill revealed that Washington had temporarily frozen the transfer of F-35 jets to Turkey, which the country has already paid for.

"The F-35 is an international project and Turkey will take legal measures if any steps are taken to prevent the supply of the F-35," an official representative of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Ibrahim Kalin, stated, as quoted by the newspaper Sabah.

US F-35 deliveries to Turkey have reportedly been temporarily frozen due to the conflict over the latter's acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems.

The proposed amendment to the 2019 US defense policy bill concerning the supply of F-35 jets to Ankara specifies that the decision on the F-35 will be taken after the Pentagon delivers an assessment as to how canceling the delivery of the planes would impact relations between the two countries. Some of the measures, listed in the defense bill, have still not been approved by Congress.

Turkey has been a participant in the development of the F-35 from the very beginning, with some parts of the fifth generation jet being produced in the country. However, Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems has sparked great concern in Washington, which fears that Moscow could use the systems to detect vulnerabilities of the F-35 and access sensitive data regarding NATO.

Ankara has blasted US efforts to disrupt the delivery of the F-35s, reminding Washington that Turkey has already paid Lockheed Martin for part of its order for 100 F-35s. Turkish officials repeatedly told Washington that the country has a right to self-defense and explained that it would buy NATO air defense systems if Ankara were to receive an appropriate offer.

 Sputnik

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Turkey Warms Up to Europe as Its US Ties Fester

By Dorian Jones July 31, 2018

With U.S.-Turkish ties deeply strained, Ankara's relationship with Europe is warming. Berlin reportedly has invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a state visit. At the same time, Erdogan is organizing a summit between France, Germany, and Russia to discuss Syria.

This month, the Netherlands restored full diplomatic relations with Turkey after a bitter spat between the countries' leaders.

For more than a year, relations between Turkey and Europe have been in the deep freeze. Erdogan frequently engaged in rhetoric aimed at infuriating European leaders, often accusing them of behaving like Nazis. Turkey's detention of European nationals, particularly German citizens, often without charge, strained relations with Berlin to the breaking point.

Led by Germany, Europe had taken an increasingly assertive stance toward Turkey, with threats of financial and economic sanctions.

"The reason why bickering between Turkey and the EU stopped  the EU has finally reached conclusions about how to deal with Turkey, and Erdogan realized he couldn't push the EU around," said political analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners.

Erdogan's re-election in June is offering a chance of a reset with Europe.

"There will be low-tension policies on both sides," said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University. "In the next five years, they [Europe] have to deal with Tayyip Erdogan, and Erdogan has to deal with them."

"Turkish economic policies and strategies require more cooperation than confrontation in the long run," he added. "I consider this a new period with many lessons learned, with a more pragmatic and realistic foreign policy and economic policy orientation in the coming years."

Prize of rebuilding Syria

Turkey and the European Union have found common ground in opposing the U.S. withdrawal from the international agreement on Iran's nuclear program. Turkish companies, like their European counterparts, are facing American sanctions for trading with Iran.

However, analysts suggests any hope by Ankara for a united stance against Washington is misplaced.

"The way EU countries approach Iran sanctions is different. We already know big brands from Europe have left Iran," said former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen.

Economic factors remain a vital driving force behind Turkey's rapprochement with Europe. Erdogan is committed to continuing a series of major mega-construction projects, which include one of the world's largest airports and a major canal running through Istanbul.

"The big Turkish projects, if he [Erdogan] is to realize them  he has to cooperate with international financial institutions and international money lenders," Bagci said. "War has destroyed Iraq and Syria. Now is the time for reconstruction, and Europe's support is needed for this."

With Turkey bordering Syria and Iraq, analysts suggest Erdogan sees the reconstruction of its neighbors as offering an opportunity to revitalize the Turkish economy and, in particular, its ailing construction industry.

Erdogan's planned summit later this year with France, Germany, and Russia reportedly is expected to focus on the task of rebuilding Syria.

Human rights concerns

Europe's ongoing concerns over Turkey's human rights record, though, could complicate rapprochement efforts. Under the EU's Copenhagen Criteria as a membership candidate, Turkey is compelled to observe fundamental human rights.

"How are we [Ankara] going to appease Europe, which insists on strict compliance with the Copenhagen criteria?" asked Yesilada. "You cannot simply lock people up for social media postings that you don't like."

Brussels repeatedly has criticized Ankara on human rights, particularly its lack of freedom of expression. In a move this month interpreted as a gesture to Europe, Erdogan ended two years of emergency rule, introduced after the 2016 failed coup.

Critics dismissed the move, pointing out that new legislation passing through parliament includes many of the most severe elements of the emergency rule.

"If Erdogan places more emphasis on better relations with the EU, that may lead to a more tolerant attitude toward dissidents and the opposition," Yesilada said. "But there are conflicting messages. The opposition fears a greater crackdown. I think a continuation of the crackdown is not feasible, given the economic situation and Turkey's tenuous position between West and East."

Strained US ties

Turkey's current strains with Washington also are giving further impetus to Ankara's courting of Europe.

"We will hear more pro-European verbalism from the Turkish foreign desk officers," predicted Council of Europe member Ertugral Kurkcu of the Turkish HDP opposition. "We can see small steps on the migrant issues, the Cyprus issue."

Migration remains a crucial card for dealing with the EU. Turkey is successfully controlling the flow of migrants into Europe as part of a two-year-old deal with Brussels. Turkish cooperation in monitoring returning European jihadis from Syria is seen as vital by Europe's security forces.

Analysts are not predicting that rapprochement with Europe will offer any hope for revitalizing Turkey's EU membership bid. But they say the relationship between the two is likely to be built on transactional initiatives.

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Six Russian Companies Added To EU Sanctions List Over Kerch Strait Bridge

Rikard Jozwiak July 31, 2018

BRUSSELS -- The European Union has added six Russian companies involved in the recent construction of the Kerch Strait bridge linking Russia with the Crimean Peninsula to its sanctions list.

The decision was made by the European Council on July 31 following the EU ambassadors' approval earlier this month.

The EU has now frozen the assets of a total of 44 entities from Russia and Ukraine since Moscow's seizure of Ukraine's Crimea region in March 2014 and its support for separatists in a conflict that has killed more than 10,300 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014.

In addition, 155 individuals from both countries are subject to EU asset freezes and travel bans.

Three of the Russian companies newly included in the EU sanctions list -- Mostotrest, Stroygazmontazh, and its subsidiary Stroygazmontazh Most  are owned by Arkady Rotenberg, a businessman close to President Vladimir Putin.

Rotenberg had previously been included in the list of individuals sanctioned by the EU.

Construction firm CJSC VAD, engineering firm GPSM, and the Zaliv Shipyard are the three newly sanctioned Russian entities.

The European Council said in a statement that the six companies "supported the consolidation of Russia's control over the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula, which in turn further undermines the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin welcomed the EU move, writing on Twitter, "Important warning also for European businesses not to go down same slippery slope."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denounced the "subversive policy directed against the residents of Crimea."

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Rotenberg quoted the businessman as brushing aside the sanctions. "We're all proud of our work and if someone doesn't like it that's not our problem," the spokesman quoted Rotenberg on a social media post as saying.

The 19-kilometer Kerch Strait bridge was opened for cars and buses in May. It contains a four-lane highway and two lines of railway tracks that are still under construction. The $3.7 billion Russian construction project began in 2016.

With reporting by Interfax and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/six-russian- companies-added-to-eu-sanctions-list-over- kerch-strait-bridge/29400657.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Ukrainian, 84, Gets 12 Years In Prison On Russia-Related Treason Charge

RFE/RL July 31, 2018

A court in Ukraine has sentenced an 84-year-old researcher to 12 years in prison after convicting him of gathering classified information he allegedly planned to hand over to Russia.

Mekhti Logunov was convicted of treason by a court in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on July 30, his lawyer Maksym Shapovalov said on July 31.

He said Logunov was found guilty of gathering classified information related to Ukraine's defense industry with the intent of handing it over to Russian intelligence.

The Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office said that a local resident was found guilty of high treason and sentenced to 12 years in prison, but did not name the defendant.

"Acting to damage Ukraine's defense capability and state security, the perpetrator collected data about state defense orders to a research center in [Kharkiv] in accordance with agreements with Ukrainian Defense Ministry," the statement said.

Another lawyer for Logunov, Dmytro Tykhonenkov, said he will appeal.

Ukraine-Russia ties have been badly damaged since Moscow occupied and seized control over Ukraine's Crimea region in March 2014.

Russia has also aided separatists in eastern Ukraine in a war that has killed more than 10,300 people since April 2014.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian- 84-gets-12-years-in-prison-on-russia- related-treason-charge/29401347.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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EU Slaps Sanctions on Six Russian Companies Over Crimea

Sputnik News

09:54 31.07.2018(updated 13:57 31.07.2018)

The European Union has expanded the sanctions list associated with the reunification of the Crimea with Russia, as well as the construction of a bridge across the Kerch Strait, the Official Journal of the European Union reported.

According to the document, new sanctions will target AO Institute Giprostroymost  St. Petersburg, PJSC Mostotrest, JSC Zaliv Shipyard, Stroygazmontazh Corporation (SGM Group), Stroygazmontazh Most OOO and CJSC VAD that participated in the construction of the Kerch Bridge and the Tavrida Highway over it.

These measures include the freezing of assets owned by the organizations in the EU, as well as a ban on individuals and legal entities registered in the European Union providing them with any funds.

"This is a subversive policy directed against the residents of the Crimea," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, responding to the new sanctions.

The introduction of EU sanctions against companies related to the construction of a bridge to the Crimea from the Krasnodar Territory will not affect the progress of the projects, the Crimean Bridge Information Center reported.

"Our task is to build a bridge. Automobile segment has already opened, people use it. Now our guys are building a railway section. We all are proud of our work, and if someone does not like it, then this is not our problem," Russian billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, commenting on new EU sanctions against his companies, told Sputnik.

The total number of organizations included in the EU sanctions list has now reached 44.

The European Union earlier imposed sanctions on entering EU territory and the freezing of assets of 155 persons under this sanctions regime.

The Crimea, a former Ukrainian territory, rejoined Russia in 2014 when about 97 percent of the peninsula's residents voted in favor of the move in a referendum.

The reunification was not recognized either by Kiev or the majority of Western countries.

Russia has repeatedly said that the vote was held in compliance with international law and following democratic procedure.

Russia May Impose Counter-Sanctions Against EU Companies  Senior Official

Russia might impose counter-sanctions against European companies in response to the expansion of EU restrictive measures over the Crimea issue, if this move meets the interests of the country's economy, Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy head of the Russian upper house's International Committee, told Sputnik on Tuesday.

The European Union has recently introduced restrictive measures against six Russian companies over the "illegal annexation" of Crimea and construction of the Kerch Bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula.

"Russia will impose retaliatory sanctions against European companies operating in Russia, if it does not harm the Russian economy and benefits it," Dzhabarov said.

On May 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin inaugurated the road section of the Crimean Bridge, which opened to automobile traffic the following day.

The Crimean Bridge, which connects the Russian southwestern peninsula with the Krasnodar Territory, is the longest in Russia at 19 kilometers (11.8 miles). The bridge was initially supposed to open for vehicle traffic in next December, but construction finished ahead of schedule.

 Sputnik

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Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Condor Resources Inc. - (Condor or the Company) (TSX.V: CN) Further to our news release of July 26th, we are pleased to announce that an access and surface rights agreement has been reached with the two local communities at Huinac Punta.

The agreements were reached subsequent to the community general assemblies held in late July, and are for a term of four years. With these agreements and the work that has been conducted in parallel by our environmental consultant, we expect our DIA application to proceed relatively smoothly.

The Huinac Punta project is located on the eastern part of the Mesozoic polymetallic carbonate replacement belt in central Peru, which metallogenic belt is host to the Antamina Mine approximately 65 km to the north-west of the project. Huinac Punta covers approximately 20 sq km and is 100% owned by Condor, subject to a 0.5% NSR held by Sandstorm Gold Ltd.

The Company is also pleased to announce the addition of Matt Johnston to the Company's advisory board. Mr. Johnston is the President of Johnston-Sequoia Capital Corporation, which firm provides strategic and advisory services to select clients, including Sama Resources Inc., Terraco Gold Corp., and SRG Graphite Inc. Subject to regulatory approval, Mr. Johnston has been granted 500,000 stock options, exercisable at $0.09 per share.

Condor is an explorer and project generator focused exclusively on Peru, and our objective is the discovery of a major new precious metals or base metals deposit. Project acquisition and development is managed by our Lima based exploration team.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Lyle Davis,

President & Chief Executive Officer

For further information please contact the Company at 1-866-642-5707, or by email at info@condorresources.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

To view the original release, please click here

Source: Condor Resources Inc. (TSX Venture:CN, OTC Bulletin Board:CNRIF, FWB:KD4)

To follow Condor Resources Inc. on your favorite social media platform or financial websites, please click on the icons below.

Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. https://www.fscwire.com

Copyright  2018 FSCwireToto Wolff is delighted with Mercedes' results on Sunday at the Hungaroring and admits that there was initially a plan of damage limitation.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has expressed his delight with the results Mercedes achieved on Sunday with a Lewis Hamilton victory and a P5 finish for Valtteri Bottas.

"We came to Hungary with damage limitation as our motto," Wolff told The Checkered Flag.

"So it's pretty good to be leaving after out-scoring our rivals, even if just by a few small points."

Wolff has heaped praise on both of his drivers, despite Bottas only finishing fifth after starting in P2.

"Lewis drove a faultless race," Wolff said.

"He made a perfect start, then started building the gap on the UltraSoft tyre. He took that first set longer than we had planned before pitting, then managed the Soft extremely well to the finish. It's an easy race to summarise but that doesn't take anything away from the skill that it took to deliver such a polished performance."

Bottas clashed with Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo on Sunday, but doesn't place the blame on any of the drivers.

"In the other car, Valtteri drove what I think was his best race in his time so far at Mercedes," Wolff revealed.

"He held position at the start and then did a perfect job after pitting early until he started to run out of tyres in the final laps. I saw the contacts with Sebastian and Daniel as racing incidents: he was on the dirty inside line in each case and was defending with everything he had left; the trouble was that he didn't have a lot left at that stage.

"He raced hard and fifth place is not much of a reward after that drive. Lewis' win is the perfect way to finish the first part of the season but we know that this one is going down to the wire." Office of Inspector General issues "Review of the Departments Clemency Initiative" | Main | Prez Trump says he thinks "well be able to" get the FIRST STEP Act passed into law 

August 1, 2018

"Attorney General Sessions Delivers Remarks Calling for a Legislative Fix to the Armed Career Criminal Act"

The title of this post is the headline of this press release from the US Department of Justice today, and here are some of the comments that follow that focus on ACCA:

[B]ecause of a 2015 Supreme Court decision holding that the definition of violent felony was too vague  we are missing one of the most important law enforcement tools we had. The Johnson case is quite significant. Regardless of the merits of the Courts decision, the consequences have been devastating for Americans across the country. This court decision led to the release of a man from right here in Little Rock. Eight months after he was released from prison, he was arrested for aggravated assault and domestic battery. A year after that he was arrested for kidnapping, rape, aggravated assault, battery, and terroristic threats. He is accused of raping a 62-year old woman and an autistic homeless man. This court ruling also led to the release of a man who allegedly punched a pregnant woman at a nightclub in Forrest City. When police intervened, he allegedly assaulted three of them, cutting one of them on the forehead. A man from Pine Bluff got his 15 year sentence cut in half. A year later, he got into an argument with a co-worker. According to the allegations against him, the co-worker turned around to walk away when the defendant sucker-punched him, broke his nose and eye sockets, chipped a tooth and busted his lip. Two of these criminals Ive talked about are now back in prison. They were let out of prison, reoffended, and now theyre back in prison. But the consequences are not limited to Arkansas. This is a nationwide problem and its a cause for deep concern. In Utah, a career criminal released by this decision tortured and murdered two teenagers and then threw their bodies down a mineshaft. A released career criminal in California allegedly murdered his father, carjacked a vehicle and killed the driver. In Oregon, a released career criminal held a Subway sandwich shop hostage and then shot a police officer just 18 days after he was released. Sadly, I could go on and on. So why did this happen? The Supreme Court struck down part of a law called the Armed Career Criminal Act. It had been on the books for 30 years and applied thousands of times. This is the law that requires a minimum 15- year sentence for felons caught with a firearm after their third violent felony or serious drug trafficking conviction. These are not the mythical low-level, nonviolent drug offenders, who we are always told are being excessively imprisoned. These are criminals who have already committed multiple serious offenses and then were caught with a gun. This is no little matter. In 2016, the U.S. Sentencing Commission found that nearly seven out of ten career criminals reoffended after being released. Federal firearms offenders were found to be the most likely to be rearrested of any category. These criminals are both. They are career criminals and firearms offenders. I was a United States Attorney before the Armed Career Criminal Act  and I was United States Attorney afterward. Ive seen its importance firsthand as we worked to reduce crime in America. Nationwide, the Supreme Courts decision has resulted in more than 1,400 violent career criminals back onto our streets  including 18 here in Arkansas. Nine of these Arkansas criminals have already been arrested again. Six-hundred of those 1,400 criminals have been arrested again. Its only been three years since the Court decision, but 42 percent have already reoffended. On average, these 600 criminals have been arrested or reoffended three times in the last three years. A majority of those who have been out of prison for just two years have been arrested again. Releasing repeat offenders has consequences. Every crime committed by a recidivist released by this court case would not have happened. Every one of their victims would not have been victimized. We must fix the law so violent career criminals are not let out of jail early. Their recidivism rate is staggering indeed, but lets remember: this is still likely an underrepresentation of their illegal activity. Any law officer in this room will tell you that criminals rarely get caught on their first offense. We can only imagine how many crimes they have really committed and how many innocent people they have victimized. Releasing hardened criminals into our communities before they serve their minimum term is not fair to crime victims. And it is not fair to law enforcement. You shouldnt have to go into danger time and again to arrest the same people. Congress and our legislatures need to help us and consider legislation that protects the public. We need Congress to fix the law so that we can keep violent career criminals off of our streets. That shouldnt be controversial. Fortunately, some Members of Congress are helping. My good friend Senator Cotton understands this issue. He is working on legislation that is intended to fix this problem for good  and I want to thank him for his outstanding leadership on criminal justice issues. We should look for effective and proven ways to reduce recidivism, but we must also recognize that simply reducing sentences without reducing recidivism unfairly creates more victims.

I agree with Attorney General Sessions that we need a Johnson fix and more. Reform to the Armed Career Criminal Act is long overdue (Justices Scalia and Alito have bemoaning ACCA problems and urged Congress to act for many, many years before Johnson). Beyond just the vagueness problem Johnson addressed, there are deeper problems with the entire structure of the Armed Career Criminal Act, particularly its reliance on a severe mandatory minimum prison term (of 15 years) for the mere act of possessing a firearm or ammunition. Consequently, I do not think a mere Johnson fix to ACCA will be a fully sound or effective response to the genuine concerns flagged by AG Sessions.

In a future post, I hope to be able to discuss the specifics of Senator Tom Cotton's approach to fixing ACCA. For now, I will just suggest it will be interesting to see if anyone in Congress will be willing to try to roll an ACCA fix into existing criminal justice reform proposals that are now seemingly languishing on the Hill.

August 1, 2018 at 01:21 PM | Permalink

Comments

The press release I saw (over at Crime and Consequences) indicated that Sen. Cotton's proposal was to make all "serious felonies" ACCA predicates, with "serious felony" defined as any offense punishable by a prison term of 10 years or more. This would of course radically expand the scope of the ACCA.

Posted by: Anon AFPD | Aug 1, 2018 2:06:23 PM

The problem with CJ reform in the current culture is not a lack of agreement on the whether the system is broken. Most people agree it is broken. The difference is that some people think its broken because it is too lenient and others think it is broken because it is too harsh. Neither side can get a majority for its views so we get a mishmash of things.

Posted by: Daniel | Aug 1, 2018 3:42:01 PM

I would note from my experience in my own state with our enhancement statute that a major problem with all enhancement statutes is "foreign" convictions. (Foreign in the sense of being another government, not another country.) Because each state and the federal government get to define crimes in their own unique ways, there is no such thing as a "garden variety" burglary, arson, or kidnapping. There may be certain types of conduct that fit into those statutes in most jurisdictions, but every state is going to have its little quirk of additional conduct included in those statutes or conduct that is excluded from those statutes.

One potential solution is to define it based on the "home" jurisdiction's statutes. In other words, the conduct of conviction (based on the charging document and the conduct "admitted" to by the plea) counts if it would constitute the qualifying offense if committed within the territory of the home jurisdiction (or for the federal government having the jurisdictional nexus, e.g. effecting interstate commerce). While not perfect, it at least creates a real definition for the offense -- a California burglary would be a federal burglary if the actual offense met the requirements of the U.S. Code for the federal offense of burglary versus courts making up a definition of burglary as they go along.

Posted by: tmm | Aug 1, 2018 5:59:31 PM

The sooner the interstate commerce clause dies a bloody horrible death as justification for federal criminal laws, the better. A whole lot of civil laws, too.

Posted by: Fat Bastard | Aug 2, 2018 12:08:47 AM

I don't see any problem with harsh penalties for possession of a firearm for a class of repeat criminals.

I agree that the definition should be as clear as possible.

Posted by: William Jockusch | Aug 7, 2018 9:00:36 PM

Post a commentEditors Note: In this series, The Way We Work, Entrepreneur Associate Editor Lydia Belanger examines how people foster productivity, focus, collaboration, creativity and culture in the workplace.

When you hire a new employee, usually a few weeks pass before that persons first day at the office. Then, on day one, the newbie gets a crash course. It can be a bit of a chaotic nightmare for both the employee and the employer.

A point person or two might be responsible for making introductions, setting them up with their desk, computer and login information and getting them squared away with all of the necessary paperwork. (Bonus points if they make a corny joke about how much fun filling out all of the forms will be.)

If this is how your company onboards employees, youre already doing it wrong, even before that first day, according to Brad Goldoor, Chief People Officer at Phenom People, a platform that connects job seekers with companies recruiting talent. Thats because youve neglected a crucial stage of the onboarding process: preboarding.

Related: How to Breathe New Life into Your Formal Onboarding Process

Preboarding is the interaction a company has with its new hires from the time the offer letter has been signed until their first day, says Goldoor. That could be anywhere from two to six weeks, depending on the company. This might include sending the employee welcome notes or videos, information about benefits transfers or even getting that pesky onboarding paper out of the way remotely.

These early touchpoints are crucial today, given the low unemployment rate and high competition for talent, Goldoor explains. A staggering 50 percent of all employees who resign from their jobs will receive a counter offer, so its important that the pull of a new opportunity is enough to silence any second-guessing or counter that counter, as Goldoor puts it.

Getting new hires excited and invested in their new roles as early as possible, he contends, is a way to boost loyalty in a world where one-fifth of employees quit a new job within 45 days.

Its a first impression of the company, Goldoor says. That time period is critical to get them engaged and ramped and rolling so that theyre contributing as quickly as possible.

Phenom People has measured the effectiveness of preboarding firsthand and can speak to whats at stake if companies bypass this step. Phenom People checks third-party sites Glassdoor and Comparably for crowdsourced data based on its employees reviews in the aggregate. (About 35 percent of its employees submit anonymous feedback via these sites.) From this information, Goldoor says Phenom People has found a direct correlation between preboarding and retention. The company also estimates that preboarding saves three weeks of each new hires on-the-job time, because so much paperwork and education happens prior to day one.

For those looking to improve their own preboarding processes, here are some tips from Goldoor.

Related: Warning: Avoid These 3 Gig Economy Onboarding Mistakes

1. Educate them.

There might be some publicly available information about your company available online, but the preboarding period is your opportunity to help shape the narrative and save new hires the hassle of tracking down that information themselves. You might consider sending press releases or other existing content that provides an overview of your companys mission and recent accomplishments.

Phenom People sends videos to its new hires to get them up to speed on company values, products and more. A company looking to replicate this strategy might create new videos for each candidate, for a personalized touch, or, if that isnt sustainable in a larger organization, create materials that are more standardized.

Time those every several days so that theres constant communication and education, Goldoor says of the frequency with which you should send them. Plus, that way, you avoid dumping everything on the new hire at once.

2. Answer burning questions.

When someone is in the process of switching jobs, theyre likely busy tying up loose ends at their old gig, preparing for the new one, traveling or tending to personal matters if they have any time off between the two, getting benefits transfers figured out and more. It can be a hectic time, but preboarding can streamline some of the tasks on a new hires to-do list.

To help the transition go more smoothly, Goldoor advises that along with traditional onboarding paperwork, sending information to the candidate about what they can expect when transferring their 401k over to the new company, what the insurance coverage will entail and more. He even suggests sending over a list of restaurants or recommended lunch spots near their new office, anticipating all of the odds and ends the new hire is likely scrambling to figure out.

3. Make sure its more of a help than a burden.

What you dont want to do is give your new hire a daunting homework assignment during an already stressful transition period, Goldoor warns. The goal of preboarding should be to get them excited about their new gig, not to make them feel like they have to start their new job before their old one wraps.

Thats why, with any educational materials, Goldoor says its best to keep it pretty high-level and not go too deep on technical aspects.

Instead, give them some insights into the tools and systems theyll be using on the job, or what a day in the life of someone in their position looks like or the work cadence they can expect on their team.

When you personalize these materials by department, for instance, a way to make reviewing them less of a chore and more of a means of generating excitement for the new role is to start educating them on what their department goals might look like, Goldoor says, and specifically how theyll contribute to them, so that they can start to get a sense of what their contribution will be when they get here. You might also let them know what certifications are available within the company or department or what tools theyll be working with.

Related: Evernote's Head of 'People' Explains How the Company Employs Tech Tools to Reinforce Its Values

4. Make some personalized gestures.

The information above might be helpful, but a personal touch can make a new hire feel like part of the team before they ever arrive at their desk.

We send a physical letter welcoming them to the company signed by the co-founders or the CEO, Goldoor says of Phenom Peoples approach. We also send everyone a packet of the business cards of all of the members on their team, and they all write a handwritten note on their business card.

Phenom People also sends company swag ahead of time, including a T-shirt to be worn on day one (which sends the signal that its the persons first day), plus personalized gifts, which may include the new hires college team pride or favorite candy. (Manhattan-based company Updater told Entrepreneur last summer that it does something similar, sending a survey to new hires to learn about their likes and dislikes, then assembling a first-day care package.)

Finally, Phenom People reaches out to each new hires emergency contact (specified on the paperwork theyve completed during preboarding), asking the contact to capture and send a quick video welcoming their son, daughter, parent, partner, friend, neighbor, etc. to their new job. Phenom People plays the unedited video for the new hire during their first day.

Related:

Here's What Companies Are Doing Wrong When Hiring -- and 4 Ways to Fix It

The Surprising Reason Why an Open Office Space May Not Be Great for Your Company

'Put Them Near a Park' and Other Things This Coworking Founder Finds Companies Miss When Picking an Office Space



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reservedPrayuth said the request was a necessary procedure between the two countries which share an extradition treaty.



Yingluck fled the country last August to avoid being jailed over a rice subsidy scheme that ran up losses in billions of dollars. She denied wrongdoings and said the trial was politically motivated.



The Supreme Court sentenced her in absentia to five years jail last September.



Thai authorities have issued an arrest order for the former Prime Minister.



In January 2018, the Thai Foreign Ministry confirmed that Yingluck has been in the UK after photos said to be of Yingluck and taken in London were spread online.-VNADespite selling phones with the old Nokia name, HMD the company is quite young  it was founded in December 2016, less than two years ago. That makes it all the more impressive that it is now a Top 10 manufacturer globally by shipments, according to data from Counterpoint Research.

Comparing the second quarter of this year to that of 2017, HMDs shipments grew a whopping 782%. In total, thats 4.5 million units shipped or about half what established players like LG and Lenovo (plus Motorola) are doing, not to mention HTC and Sony, which arent even in the Top 10.

That puts HMD and the Nokia brand in 9th place globally with around a percent of the total shipments. The Top 3 brands shipped 46% of the smartphones in Q2, to put HMDs performance in perspective.

Other companies that performed well are Huawei (up 41% YoY and it surpassed Apple) and Xiaomi (up 43%). Actually, Xiaomi is catching up to Apple, trailing the iPhone maker by around 8 million units (the deficit was 18 million units in Q2 last year). Samsung and LG lost some ground (down 11% and 23% respectively).

These stats take only smartphones into account. Don't forget that Nokia feature phones are in the Top 3 globally.

Source | ViaToday, The International Data Corporation (IDC) releases preliminary data that shows smartphone OEMs have shipped a total of 342 million units during Q2 of this year. This calculates to a 1.8% decrease from Q2 of 2017, where OEMs shipped a higher total of 348.2 million handsets.

During the same quarter, Huawei has surpassed Apple in the number of overall shipments. The Chinese OEM shipped 54.2 million units with a record high of 15.8% of global market share and a whopping (also record breaking for Huawei) 27% market share in China. This puts Huawei at the No. 2 spot globally while Apple sits at No. 3 with 41.3 million units at 12.1% global market share.

The continued growth of Huawei is impressive, to say the least, as is its ability to move into markets where, until recently, the brand was largely unknown,  Ryan Reith, Vice President of IDCs Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers

The IDC attributes this growth in the success of Huawei in new markets as well as the wide success of Huaweis secondary brand: Honor. Meanwhile, Huaweis P20 and P20 Pro found strong demand in the $600-$800 price segment.

Samsung remains at No. 1, where it sold 71.5 million units and took 20.9% of the global market share, despite a 10.4% decrese in units shipped last year. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ saw slower sales compared to the S8 and S8+, likely due to the incremental update that didnt have S8 owners rushing to upgrade to the S9. Samsungs Note9 is going to be announced soon and is expecting it to boost sales, in addition to releasing its Note series well-ahead of Apples new generation of iPhones, whose event date is yet to be announced.

Xiaomi and Oppo took the No. 4 and No. 5 spots, respectively. Xiaomi surpassed Samsung for the No.1 position in India this quarter while Oppo faced slowing down in India and Southeast Asia. Even so, Oppo grew 5.1% from last years Q2 as it expanded into new markets in the Middle East and Africa.

SourceBy Vasia Orion | Published on 2018/07/31

Actor Jung Woong-in and B1A4 member CNU have joined Kim Yunjin in her return after a 19 year Korean drama hiatus for upcoming woman-centric detective drama, "Ms. Ma, Nemesis". The newly cast actors will be playing characters in law enforcement, adding on to the investigative power of the story.

Advertisement

Both actors have confirmed their apperarance through their agencies, and according to some of the latest news pieces out, Kim Yunjin has also confirmed her participation as the drama's lead. Jung Woong-in will play detective Han Tae-gyoo, who was in charge of a case the titular Miss Ma worked on when he was a new recruit. His character will be working closely with Kim Yunjin's. CNU will play police officer Bae Do-hwan.

If the protagonist will be a police consultant without legal investigative rights, like the original Miss Marple, the new characters can provide the official support that she will need. I love Jung Woong-in, and rookie CNU seems to have more of a supporting role, so I look forward to meeting their characters when "Ms. Ma, Nemesis" begins airing, following "Let Me Introduce Her" on SBS.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

Sources (1) (2) (3)A Dodson dog rescue is handling an influx of dogs from Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, but the rescues founder said it is dealing with an issue that shouldnt exist.

Dog roundups are not the answer to a dog overpopulation, founder of RezQ Dogs Anita Wilke said. Its not a dog population problem, its a people problem.

Recently, Fort Belknaps tribal council announced tribal officials would be dealing with stray dogs on the reservation by, capturing or shooting them, Wilke said. She added that this will not solve the problem. Irresponsible dog owners letting their dogs run loose, without spaying or neutering their pets, has resulted in the overpopulation, she said.

Fort Belknap officials had not responded to calls asking for comment by printing deadline this morning.

Even after the roundup, the problem will repeat itself until reservation officials consistently enforce the laws or put new policies in place, Wilke said.

She said free clinics that spay and neuter pets are available a few times each year, but the problem is getting people to show up. Promoting these events, encouraging the public to attend so they can utilize the service, is an important step that needs to happen to prevent dog overpopulation, she said.

Wilke said she did not know what had prompted the decision to start shooting dogs.

As far as I understand there is nothing, no bad bites, no mauling or anything like that, she said.

She added that the roundup is just a quick fix and will not solve the problem.

Havre Animal Control Officer Peter Federspiel said, to his understanding, there is a dog problem in Fort Belknap but RezQ Dogs is taking in as many dogs as they can. He said the Havre shelter is not taking any of the dogs but is monitoring the animals RezQ Dogs has in town, providing blankets, food and toys for the animals.

Federspiel said RezQ Dogs volunteers are coordinating with the Friends of the Havre Shelter, a nonprofit organization that arranges fundraisers for the shelter. He added that the Havre shelter does not use volunteers.

Federspiel said the situation in Fort Belknap could be handled better by having constant enforcement of the laws that are already in place.

Havre has constant enforcement of its laws, he said, adding that once a stray animal is taken by the shelter it has a five-day wait period in which owners can claim their pet.

If nobody claims an animals, it goes for adoption, Federspiel said. He added that Havre does not have any time limits for the animals at the shelter. He said animals are only euthanized if they are severely injured or show extremely aggressive behavior.

Federspiel said that he is a registered euthanize tech in cases that they do have to euthanize an animal, so that it is done humanely.

He said state statute requires animals be killed humanely. Technically, shooting the animal is still humane under state statute, he said, but added that there are better ways of doing it.

Wilke said the roundup began last Wednesday and, so far, in cooperation with the Fort Belknap Animal Control, RezQ Dogs has taken in 16 dogs.

She added that these dogs are very nice and most of them are puppies, although many are malnourished.

RezQ Dogs is a nonprofit organization that officially started in 2010 in Fort Belknap, Wilke said, adding that the organization has worked with Fort Belknap animal control to save more than 3,000 dogs over the years.

She said the rescue has reduced the number of dogs euthanized from 98 percent to less than 2 percent, although they cannot take dogs that are aggressive or pose a risk.

The rescue holds adoptions and transfers some dogs to shelters all across Montana, such as Missoula, Kalispell and other areas, she said. The organization also has foster locations in Havre for dogs.

She said she and her husband, Jim, are huge animal lovers and after seeing the condition of stray and abandoned dogs in their area over the years they had decided to create RezQ Dogs.

My husband and I saw what was happening and thought there had to be a better way, she said.

She added that it is hard to think about all the dogs killed every year, knowing that most of them are puppies.

She and her husband had worked with a Chinook veterinarian before 2010 and then decided to do something on their own, she said.

The organization mostly focuses on Fort Belknap but tries to help at Rocky Boys Indian Reservation as much as possible, she said, adding that in the past year they have rescued about an equal number of dogs from both reservation.

Wilke said their organization could not work without the volunteers they have.

Right now that includes 25 volunteers in Havre, most of them volunteering after Fort Belknap announced the dog round-up, she said.

(Havre) has been a very supportive community for us and we very much appreciate the people of Havre for supporting what we do, Wilke said.

RezQ Dogs is not currently looking for volunteers although Wilke said that is possible to change in the coming weeks. For more information go to https://www.facebook.com/RezQDogs/.

The dogs will be examined, vaccinated and eventually sent off to foster homes and to other rescue operations in Montana and other states, Casey Solomon said during a meeting last week.Democratic candidate for U.S. House Kathleen Williams speaks to voters at a meet-and-greet event held in Havre's local Democrat headquarters Tuesday.

Democratic U.S. House candidate Kathleen Williams said her 35 years of experience, working in a variety of committees, nonprofits, the Montana Legislature and other positions, gives her a unique perspective and highly qualifies her for the seat.

"I just felt like I had a unique background for someone with a 'D' after their name and I really needed to offer that up to the state," Williams said.

Williams was at the Havre regional Democrat Headquarters Tuesday while on her campaign trail across Montana.

Williams is challenging U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., in this year's general election.

Gianforte won a special election held last year to fill the spot vacated when Ryan Zinke accepted the position of U.S. secretary of the interior.

Health care

Williams said some of the biggest issues facing Montana and the nation are regarding health care, which has been a major issue for her during her campaign. Many of the people she has met while campaigning have voiced their concern with the health care system, she added.

Williams said the Affordable Care Act started some good things, but it needs to be stabilized due to recent efforts to unravel it. One of the main issues Williams said she saw in the Legislature is that Congress is not following through with the law's efforts to achieve affordable health care.

"The commitments Congress made to help those payments to be more affordable," she said, "Congress is not coming through on those."

She added that people who are in power are trying to unravel the law without offering any kind of replacement for it.

Williams said there is concern that protections for pre-existing conditions will be removed, which was one of the more popular elements in the law.

She said that people need to start talking about a better system overall.

"My opinion is we need to stabilize it, but we then also need to talk about a better system over all," Williams said.

Rather than getting caught up in funding for the Affordable Care Act, Williams said, the government should be improving the delivery system.

That could be done by creating incentives for providers to deliver better health care rather than focusing on tests to determine their care.

She added that one of the main issues is that health care cannot be a cohesive whole while the costs, even with insurance, is still generally unaffordable.

"All the pieces need to work together," Williams said, adding that the system needs a foundation to start national discussions on building a better system.

Williams said that, in the future, she wants a policy that will allow people 55 and older to buy into Medicare. She said that policy would require no additional taxes and with the younger, healthier age group added to Medicare it will reduce costs on the whole.

She added that Medicare should also be able to bargain for drug costs in the same way that the other programs can.

"Health care issues are so relevant to so many, with so many layers to whether there is opportunity or not for people," Williams said.

Tariffs and tax reform

She said that with her long history of working with the agricultural community she believes that the tariffs were a bad idea and has spoken to many farmers and ranchers about how they have already begun to lose their share of markets overseas.

The uncertainty with NAFTA and recent tariffs imposed on and by other countries are causing the market to become unstable, Williams said, and the nation's markets need stability and predictability in order to be profitable.

She added that she was at a grain lab in Great Falls a few months ago and was already hearing about the state losing market shares to Australia and Brazil. She said she even was told that Mexico is discussing buying barley from Germany rather than the United States.

"The tariffs are yet another threat to an industry that has been struggling to maintain a lot of the things we've worked for," Williams said.

She added that many agricultural producers build these markets and work hard at maintaining them. These markets, she said, are not easily brought back.

"Once you lose market shares it's really hard to get it back," Williams said. "I'm really concerned and I just don't feel like we needed to get to this place."

Williams said the tax reform that passed was another item that was rushed and unneeded, adding that the reform was not what it appeared to be.

"Tax reform is not the correct term for it," Williams said. "I've been calling it a revenue giveaway."

She said giving Montanans a little more in their pockets is perfectly fine, but the reform gave the wealthy a massive tax break. She added that the reform labels the middle class as incomes that are $400,000 and under, which she said is not a correct estimate of the middle class.

There has been talk of strategic ways of bringing industries back to the country, Williams said, but the tax reform was not strategic.

She said the reform did not have any hearings and that mistakes were made. It also raised the deficit by $1.8 trillion, she added.

The economy was already improving and the stock market was already going up, so there was no need for extreme stimulus to be added, Williams said.

She said that during her work on the state House Finance Committee, the first rule was to be revenue neutral. The federal reform aggravated the deficit at a time when the country had the opportunity to allow the deficit to level off, she said.

"That was unwise," Williams added.

Wilderness Study Areas

Williams said she opposes proposals now in Congress to remove wilderness study area-designation from about 800,000 acres in Montana.

Her objection to the proposal is the method, she added. She said her experience is that bringing diverse interests and natural resources together to discuss proposals is the wisest decision.

The proposal is incomplete, she said, because the bill doesn't look at many wilderness study areas in Montana.

She added that Congress shouldn't do something halfway because it's easier - if they are going to address the problem, they should address the full picture.

"Don't just do what is easy," Williams said.

Greg Gianforte

She said that her experience and background throughout her life, such as in the Legislature and on various boards, committees and groups, gives her a great outlook on this bill and she believes more study needs to go into finding out what the communities near the study areas think is best for these lands.

She added that two wilderness study areas in Lewis and Clark National Forest are in a revision process right now, with members of the public working in good faith to help the Forest Service with its recommendation to Congress.

Williams said what is going on in Congress at the moment is a "slap in the face" to people who are working in these study areas.

"Releasing a collection of 800,000 acres of protected land from a office in Washington with a stroke of a pen is not the way to make complex natural resource decisions," Williams said.Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on August 1, 2018

2018/08/01

Q: According to reports, the US side is planning to propose probably later today a 25% tariff on Chinese-made goods worth of $200 billion. This is an increase from previous proposal for 10% tariff on these goods. What is your response to this? Could you also tell us that has there been recently any communication between China and the US about the trade issue, specifically, about how to ease the trade tensions between the two countries?

A: China's position on the China-US trade issue is very firm and clear-cut and remains unchanged. The pressuring or blackmail by the United States will never work. If the US side takes steps to further escalate the situation, we will definitely take countermeasures to resolutely safeguard our legitimate and legal rights and interests.

As to the communication or dialogue between China and the United States, I want to tell you China always believes that the trade frictions between China and the US should be resolved through dialogue and consultation. The international community knows fully well our sincerity and the efforts we have made in this regard. Meanwhile, I would like to stress that dialogue must be based on mutual respect, equality, rules and credibility. Coercing and pressuring others unilaterally will only be counterproductive.

Q: What is China's response to the request by Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to visit China? Do you expect Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to visit China this year? Does the apparent delay in China's responding to this request represent the tensions in the current bilateral relations between China and Australia?

A: The communication and exchanges between China and Australia are always smooth. I want to stress that a sound and steady China-Australia relationship serves the fundamental interests of our two countries and two peoples. We hope that Australia can work with China on the basis of mutual respect and treating each other as equals to better enhance our mutual trust and cooperation, so as to create enabling conditions and atmosphere for our practical cooperation in various areas and ensure that the China-Australia relations can move forward along the right track.

Q: According to reports, the US side said yesterday that China may be getting in their way on resolving the DPRK issue. Do you have any comment on this?

A: China's position on the Korean Peninsula issue is well known to you all, so I will not repeat it here.

For a long time, China has made unremitting efforts to promote the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue, which has been universally acknowledged by the international community. In fact, China and the United States have always maintained close communication and coordination on the Korean Peninsula issue.

We hope that all relevant parties can work with China to seize the opportunity presented by the current detente on the Korean Peninsula and meet each other half-way so as to realize the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue and achieve the denuclearization of the Peninsula at an early date.If you pop open a cold Corona this summer, theres a good chance youre drinking one of Montanas most important commodities. Though Corona is brewed in Mexico, much of it is made from barley imported from the Big Sky State.

But today this important market is at risk because of the irresponsible trade war threatening Montana agriculture. Because of tariffs and all the uncertainty in American trade, Mexican breweries are now turning elsewhere for their barley.

For decades, Montana farmers and ranchers worked tirelessly to gain access to these types of foreign markets.

The j...Its clear from our findings that many employeesare hitting roadblocks in their careers, explained Lee Biggins, co-founder of CV-Library. Not only is this disheartening for the worker themselves, but it can also present problems for businesses when it comes to talent retention.

One fifth of those asked said that they asked for a mentor within the workplace, demonstrating their desire to remain within their current job role, whilst 23% said they tried to take positive action to get out of the rut.

Employees need to feel as if they are moving forward in their careers and this can only be achieved if organizations are offering the right opportunities and helping members of staff to expand their skill-sets, develop and grow alongside the business, added Biggins.

How would you advise your employees to get out of a career rut? Tell us in the comments.Employers should always take the necessary steps to ensure staff feel comfortable talking to them about sensitive topics such as domestic violence, said Hackenberg.

They need to reassure their staff that all conversations will be handled appropriately and will be confidential.

Family and domestic violence means violent, threatening or other abusive behaviour by an employee's family member that seeks to coerce or control the employee, or causes them fear or harm.

Employees can take the leave if they need to deal with the impact of family and domestic violence and it's impractical to do so outside their ordinary hours of work.

So how much proof will an employee have to provide so they can be eligible for this new leave entitlement?The grieving mother of a four-year-old girl who died in a holiday accident in Spain has been joined by family members who flew out to comfort her.

The little girl, from Straffan, Co Kildare, died after she fell into a swimming pool at a complex in the Golden Mile area of Marbella.

It is understood she may have been playing in a paddling pool but managed to get out and fell into the adult pool.

She is understood to be the child of a married same-sex couple and one of her parents was with her on holiday.

Her other parent, who is said to run a successful business in Celbridge, Co Kildare, has flown out to be by her partner's side and to make arrangements to have their daughter's body flown back home.

Local media on the Costa del Sol reported that emergency services received a call at around 10.30am on Saturday.

The girl had been taken from the pool but was said to be unresponsive.

Despite the best efforts of medics on the scene, she died.

"Local police were the first on the scene and tried to save the youngster's life using a defibrillator before paramedics arrived to take over," a source said.

Awful

"They were unable to save her and she was pronounced dead at the scene."

One local person said the villa where the tragedy happened was a four-bed property in sprawling grounds.

Spain's national police have taken over the investigation and a post-mortem examination has been carried out.

The death was being treated as a tragic accident.

Locals at the scene said the family were coming towards the end of a one-month holiday when the tragedy struck.

In Celbridge, one woman who did not want to be named described the incident as an awful tragedy.

"I can just imagine what they're going through. To lose a daughter in such tragic circumstances," she said.Presidential hopefuls Gavin Duffy and Joan Freeman have been quizzed on how they plan to finance the campaign, which is estimated to cost up to 500,000.

Ex-Dragon's Den star Mr Duffy and Independent senator Ms Freeman were questioned about a range of different issues at a meeting of Waterford City and County Council, where they made their first pitches in their campaigns to secure the support of four local authorities for a nomination.

Challenge

Mr Duffy said he has raised a mortgage to meet the initial costs, while Ms Freeman said she has 10,000 in savings in a Credit Union and will not be in a position to remortgage her house, adding that she is still making repayments on her home.

Her team is looking after the financial side of the campaign, she added.

Patrick Feeney, a relatively unknown Independent candidate from Galway, also presented to the special meeting. He told councillors he wanted to "challenge the status quo in Irish politics".

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Mr Duffy was questioned about his consultancy work, and confirmed he provided consultancy to four taoisigh from various parties but has not done so since 2011.

He also said he met with former Anglo chief executive Sean Fitzpatrick at the height of the banking crisis, when he was "big news", but said it was their first and only meeting.

The former Dragon's Den entrepreneur also defended his status as an Independent candidate after being questioned about his chairing of the Fine Gael leadership hustings between Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney.

He said that he was chosen because of his independence and was "vetted up and down" by the party.

Ms Freeman also faced difficult questions from councillors following her presentation, including about her family's ties to the Iona Institute.

Her niece is Maria Steen, who emerged as a strong pro-life advocate during the referendum on the repeal of the Eighth Amendment.

The Pieta House founder said she voted no "not for religious reasons" but because she had worked all of her adult life to "preserve life". Her vote was personal, she said, and she would be happy to carry the voice of the people and sign legislation into law if elected.

Ms Freeman said she wants to create a Republic of well-being, initiative and justice.

She pledged to be outspoken about injustice in society and referred to the ongoing CervicalCheck scandal.

Meanwhile, Mr Duffy said his focus would be on representing Ireland well abroad in the hope of encouraging further investment.The incident happened at the Bluebell Luas Stop in Dublin

A cash-in-transit worker is recovering in hospital after being stabbed in the neck during a botched raid in the capital.

The armed robbery was carried out shortly after 12.30pm yesterday at the Bluebell Luas Stop in south Dublin.

A cash-in-transit staff member was escorting a cash box when he was approached by two males.

At least one of these men is believed to have been armed with a screwdriver, and after threatening the worker, stabbed him in the neck.

They then grabbed the cash box, which contained money from the Luas ticket machines, before fleeing the scene.

Emergency services were alerted and the injured man was brought to St James's Hospital nearby, where he was last night being treated for non-life- threatening injuries.

Gardai, including members of the Armed Support Unit (ASU), also rushed to the scene.

Amateur

A search operation was launched for the two suspects and a short time later a cash box was recovered.

"This was clearly an amateur and opportunistic robbery involving individuals who had no hesitation in injuring an innocent worker," a source told the Herald.

"Thankfully his injuries are not life-threatening."

A garda spokesman said: "A cash-in-transit employee was assaulted during this incident and was brought to St James's Hospital."

The spokesman added that no arrests have yet been made and that investigations into the incident are ongoing involving local gardai.Todays guest post is written by Michael J. Hynes, E.D., Superintendent of Schools for the Patchogue-Medford School District (Long Island, NY).

As superintendents, principals and teachers plan for the upcoming school year, one thing is certain: We are serving a generation of children who are more anxious, depressed and suicidal than any generation before. A recent NPR Education Series broadcast states, Up to one in five kids living in the U.S. shows signs or symptoms of a mental health disorder in a given year.

In fact, Dr. Peter Gray a research professor at Boston College found that, Rates of depression and anxiety among young people in America have been increasing steadily for the past 50 to 70 years. Today, by at least some estimates, five to eight times as many high school and college students meet the criteria for diagnosis of major depression and/or anxiety disorder as was true half a century or more ago. If that doesnt alarm you as a parent, educator or as a concerned citizen, Im not sure you have a pulse. The fact is, we have an existential mental health crisis in K-12 education and beyond. The question is, what can schools do about it?

It would be very easy to cite the multitude of reasons why our schools are so incredibly susceptible to the rise of psychopathology in children and adolescents. We can reference the noteworthy increases of screen time with technology, social media, cyber-bullying, diabetes and obesity in children, school shootings, standardized tests and the hyper-focus on academic scores in schools.

However, I believe there is one noteworthy reason that has contributed to this mental health crisis like no other, recess and play are on the endangered species list in our public schools. If school leaders dont act now, they will soon to be extinct. Over the past fifty years in the United States, recess and childrens free play with other children has declined significantly.

As Gray pointed out in his research, Childrens freedom to play and explore on their own, independent of direct adult guidance and direction, has declined greatly in recent decades. Free play and exploration are, historically, the means by which children learn to solve their own problems, control their own lives, develop their own interests, and become competent in pursuit of their own interests.

Gray believes the one thing we know about anxiety and depression is that they relate with peoples sense of control, or more important, lack of control over their own lives. Simply speaking, people who believe they are in charge of their own destiny, are less likely to become anxious or depressed than those who believe they are victims of situations out of their control.

In our schools, free play and recess has declined, and school and structured activities have taken over most child and family lifestyles. Its hard to conceive that the 2017 Center for Disease Control report on Strategies on Recess in Schools identified only eight states that have policies requiring daily recess in schools. In fact, the United Nations Standards of Human Rights endorses that federal prisoners have at least an hour of outdoor exercise every day. If a prisoner in jail has this endorsement, why wouldnt we allow the same right to our children in our schools?

I recommend one hour or more of recess and self-directed play every day. My school district offers our children 40 minutes of recess and another 40 minutes for lunch. We also introduced yoga and mindfulness in grades K-8 and high school elective courses in both yoga and mindfulness.

With the guidance of Peter Gray and Lenore Skenazy from the Let Grow Project, our school district has successfully instituted a before school play club at all seven of our elementary schools. Each Friday morning, students have the gift of mixed age level and self-directed play opportunities for one full hour. Our school district has close to seven hundred elementary students beginning their day playing outside. The adults are instructed to intervene only in an emergency. Teachers and principals have found the students who participate in our Before School Play Club to be less anxious and more on task when school begins.

As our children head back to school in a few weeks to focus on this years challenges of higher standards and more testing, I implore superintendents and principals to focus on the benefits children receive outside of the classroom and on the playground. Indoor/outdoor free play and recess benefits the development of physical, emotional, academic and social skills.

Lets provide more opportunities in school so children learn how to make decisions and develop an internal locus of control. This way a child can influence events and outcomes in their own lives and in return, we will have more children who are potentially less anxious and depressed, all which inhibits their true potential as human beings. Its time we rethink the purpose of education and how invaluable free play and recess can be for all children. Their mental health and lives may depend on it.

Connect with Michael on Twitter.About 70 people affiliated with the advocate group Intersex Justice Project (IJP) gathered outside of a Chicago childrens hospital on July 19, protesting against corrective  and "medically unnecessary"  surgeries on intersex patients that are too young to consent.

The surgeries can also cause nerve damage, incontinence, and sterilization, said the Human Rights Watch. They have been condemned by the World Health Organization and Physicians for Human Rights, among others.

Pidgeon Pagonis, a prominent intersex activist, attended the protest and talked about their three surgeries at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago as a child. Although the hospital is praised for its 2016 trans-inclusive policy, Pagonis treatment was harmful and explained as necessary to get rid of a cancer that they did not have, they said.

With trans patients, they really defer to the patient to decide what they would like to do with their body and work with them accordingly. And thats all were asking. Were asking for children who are born with variations of sexual anatomy, for them to have the opportunity to decide what they want to do with their own bodies, intersex activist and protest participant Sean Saifa Wall said, according to INTO.If Facebook had been around in the 1950s, the relationship status for the UK and India would have been its complicated. Seventy years on, looking back over my own time in India as I prepare to leave, Im struck by how much has changed.

When I first visited in 1992, India had just embarked on a major programme of economic liberalisation. The generation for whom a major reference point  for good or ill  was the UK, was giving way to a cohort consuming American TV and shaped by the wave of IT emigration to California. Vasant Kunj was just emerging and Gurgaon was still a Bollywood dream. New flyovers appeared on a monthly basis, and my ability to negotiate routes with Punjabi taxi drivers, before the days of Google Maps, Uber and Ola, was eroding fast.

When I returned in 2005, Sir Michael Arthur was British High Commissioner  symbolically, the first in his position to be born after 1947. India was experiencing greater consumerism, development, and international policy debate. A tiny number of foreign-funded think tankers were giving way to a Made in India policy community. Everybody wanted in on the India story: one of growth, opportunity and cultural confidence. The UK was a strong (and the first P5) backer of India for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2002.

Arriving again in 2015, this time as deputy high commissioner, the relationship had moved a huge distance from its complicated past. Bilateral trade was growing year on year (now over 18bn in goods and services). Our defence and security relationship deepened; Hawk trainer jets became the mainstay of Indian Air Force training, and a commitment to Make in India underpinned industrial co-operation. A growing number of joint research programmes connected top Indian and British scientists, supporting a shared research ecosystem that flourishes to this day. Meanwhile the City of London became an anchor for raising capital to invest in India  with masala (rupee denominated) bonds just the latest example.

As our diplomatic presence grew (we now have around 950 staff), so did our network. We opened deputy high commissions in Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Hyderabad and upgraded our representation in Bangalore. Diplomatic appointments demonstrated the success of Indian-origin Britons, with desi deputy high commissioners variously heading our offices in Kolkata, Mumbai, and now Chennai.

Today, the scale of exchange between the two countries is astounding: over 1.2 million journeys last year. The latest figures show a 35% increase in visitors from India to the UK. More than half a million British visas were issued last year, and more Tier 2 work visas granted to Indian nationals than the rest of the world combined. Growing numbers of Indian students are studying in the UK once more, a 30% increase since last year. Misleading gupshup about visas conceals the reality  nine out of 10 UK visas get issued.

The India I prepare to leave is an India transformed. It is self-confident and full of remarkable, ambitious and engaged young people. Indias democracy shines in a world where democratic values are increasingly questioned, and its leadership on climate change sets a global example. India is truly forward facing. Digital India, in particular, is profoundly impressive (my daughters birth certificate took only 10 minutes to issue). The new tech partnership announced by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Theresa May in April will ensure our best minds come together to unlock potential and deliver economic growth in both countries. This is a great example of the new UK-India partnership: two of the worlds leaders, with world-class skills, coming together to jointly maximise the benefits that technology can bring.

Diplomats are paid to be gushing about the relationships they work on, no doubt, but the change in the UK-India relationship since the 1990s cannot be underestimated. Until 1947, the UK occupied India. The human and economic legacy of those years cannot be overlooked. We can (and should) talk about it honestly. But we cannot change what has happened. What we can change is more significant. As equal partners, we can collaborate as a force for good in the world. So I say phir milenge for now, in full confidence that the UK-India partnership is truly ready for the future.

Alexander Evans is the outgoing British Deputy High Commissioner to India

The views expressed are personalThe final draft of Assams National Register of Citizens (NRC) has left out the names of over 4 million applicants whose future as citizens of India now perhaps stands in doubt. Home Minister Rajnath Singh clarified that these people will have a chance to file objections. After that, the number of people left out of the NRC may come down, but by how much? If 3.5 million people are disenfranchised instead of 4 million, it would still be the biggest such mass disenfranchisement in history.

This is being welcomed by sections of the right wing who see it as a case of illegal Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants being evicted, and by sections of the Assamese nationalist right wing, which sees it as a case of illegal Bengali immigrants being evicted.

The Bongal Kheda or drive out Bengalis agitation began circa 1960 in Assam. In 1979, the Assam agitation, directed towards evicting illegal migrants from Bangladesh, took off. Bongals were again the targets. At one time, the word applied to all foreigners. So for instance, the first white men in Assam were referred to as Boga Bongals or white Bongals. Over time, with the emergence during the colonial period of national ethno-linguistic identities and the creation by a mix of mainly British and American print capitalism of the map and territory of Assam, the term came to apply only to Bengalis.

This was the historical context in which the current exercise was carried out. Some cases of egregious errors made news. For instance, a newspaper reported that a retired soldier of the Indian Army, Mohd Azmal Hoque, had not found his name on the list. Husbands and wives, parents and children, in many instances, have found themselves separated by the list. Bengali Muslims, usually the first to be labelled Bangladeshis, are not the only ones affected. Reports from Cachar indicate that over a lakh Hindus there, most of whom are traditional BJP supporters, are also out of the list. Gorkha community representatives say at least a lakh of their people are not on the list. There are indications that members of many tribal groups including Bodos, who belong to poor families, are also left out.

It may be that some among them will eventually be included under the category of original inhabitants which allows for easier inclusion in the NRC. However, who qualifies to be an original inhabitant of Assam was never defined, and a petition to define the term was struck down by the Supreme Court in a judgment authored by Justice Ranjan Gogoi. Different parts of Assam have long had different inhabitants who can lay claim to original status, and therefore some communities getting a shortcut, while others suffer the grind, has already been a ground for bitterness over the NRC exercise.

There is no doubt that Indias borders must be respected, and illegal migrants should be dealt with as per law  not because they are Bangladeshis, but because they are illegal. All communities participated in the NRC exercise because everyone hoped that it would end a lingering problem once and for all. For the Assamese, it was the cherished conclusion to the Assam agitation to evict foreigners. For the Bengalis, it was the hoped-for inclusion as equal citizens of the state free from the suspicion of being illegal migrants. For the Bodos, it was hope that their traditional lands would remain free from encroachment.

However, all indications suggest that clerical errors and problems with legacy paperwork  the cut-off date for which is March 24 1971, more than 47 years ago  may see many, perhaps lakhs, of bona fide Indians, Hindus as well as Muslims, being left in the lurch. By its very nature, the process has tended to affect the poor more than the rich and some communities more than others. This fundamental inequity in a matter seriously affecting the lives of millions is unlikely to lead anywhere good. It will only lead to an upsurge in various kinds of identity politics, linguistic and religious, with potentially catastrophic consequences for the Northeast.

Samrat is a journalist and author.

The views expressed are personalAlia Bhatt is one person who cannot look bad from any angle but Ranbir Kapoor may have just found the perfect one. The actor posted a beautiful new image on Instagram and it is also very special because it has been clicked by her boyfriend. Alia and Ranbir are shooting Brahmastra in Bulgaria at present.

And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul (amaze photographer - RK), she captioned the photo. In the stunning black and white photo, Alia is seen cocooned in a denim jacket. Who knew Ranbir was so good at photography too!

Alia and Ranbir are busy with Brahmastra shoot, which also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna and Mouni Roy. A few days ago, Alia had shared another picture of her and her friend Akansha Ranjan, clicked by Ranbir. The Ayan Mukerji film is their first project together.

Ranbir accepted their relationship in an interview to GQ in May. Its really new right now, and I dont want to over speak. It needs time to breathe and it needs space. As an actor, as a person, Alia is  whats the right word?  flowing right now. When I see her work, when I see her act, even in life, what she gives is something that Im aspiring to for myself. Its new for us, so let it cook a bit, he had said.

The two arrived together at Sonam Kapoors wedding with Anand Ahuja in Mumbai on May 8 and are often spotted with each others families quite often. While Alia is yet to accept the relationship, she had earlier said how Ranbir was her girlhood crush.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreWhile it may be a big day for Suhana Khan, not everyone is equally impressed by her debut on a magazine cover. Shah Rukh Khans 18-year-old daughter was revealed as the face of Vogue Indias August issue on Tuesday and the reaction from public has been mixed.

Suhana, who is still a student and hopes to join an acting course soon, makes her introduction on the cover of the magazine. In a long interview, she talks about her life as the daughter of a Bollywood superstar, her relationship with her father and aspirations for her future.

However, if we go by peoples reactions on Twitter, the decision to launch Suhana with a magazine cover has not been very well appreciated. The magazine is being called out for promoting nepotism in Bollywood by featuring a superstars child, undeservedly. I have nothing against star kids and tbh it is not even about nepotism but to see Suhana Khan in the cover page of the August issue of @VOGUEIndia with NO reason as to why she should have been is ridiculous. Is she a model? No. A socialite? No. An actor? No. A change maker? No, wrote a disappointed Twitter user. Student, theatre lover, future star, daughter of a star who will probably finance all her movies till she actually becomes a star.... but yea hello Suhana Khan. NepotismRocks: Karan Johar, wrote another.

More reactions on Twitter were in the same vein. A struggling actor also tweeted her own woes and how the children of stars have it easy. The reason I am annoyed is because when Suhana Khan had to step into the Vogue India office, nobody told her you dont fit the requirement. To wake up each mrng with the same amount of motivation for the same agenda each day, every day, try that! I promise it isnt easy! she wrote.

Really don't believe in celebrity bashing, but why is Suhana Khan is on the cover of Vogue?



Technically this isn't even celebrity bashing, because she's not one, her father is.



My dad is an accountant, will ICAI put me on their monthly magazine cover?  Srishti (@Srishtea_) July 31, 2018

can u imagine suhana saying i want to be on vogue!!! and srk doing that *deep dad breath* thing and making a few calls lollll  harnidh kaur (@PedestrianPoet) August 1, 2018

SRK's daughter has gone through some struggle. It is also known as Suhana Suffer.  Numbyaar (@NumbYaar) August 1, 2018

I am a struggling TV actor and I'll tell you why people and other fellow struggling actors including me are annoyed because Suhana Khan is on the Vogue India cover. But before that, let me tell you my credibility. I have worked in a few episodics, 3 digital ads and a DD1 show.  iBAC (@IamBhumikaC) August 1, 2018

Suhana Khan on the cover of Vogue almost feels like she saw Jahnvi Kapoor and went "Papa, mereko bhi chahiye"!  Bellyrina (@BombayBellyrina) August 1, 2018

Suhana khan gets to be the face of a leading magazine just for being SRK's child where there are girls busting their asses in various fields to get half of that recognition is where it's at.



Hima das won Gold.

Vogue be like : pic.twitter.com/crRtzrSxlH  Juuu (@PrisonerByBirth) July 31, 2018

I have nothing against star kids and tbh it is not even about nepotism but to see Suhana Khan in the cover page of the August issue of @VOGUEIndia with NO reason as to why she should have been is ridiculous. Is she a model? No. A socialite? No. An actor? No. A change maker? No.  Nayo  (@nayoxx) August 1, 2018

Kaia has walked CHANEL by karl

Kaia still doesnt have an american vogue cover

Kaia is 16

Suhana is 18

Suhana is on the cover of VOGUE india

Is it a joke ? pic.twitter.com/h8eTDUX62N  ujjwal (@raindropssarii) July 31, 2018

Student, theatre lover, future star, daughter of a star who will probably finance all her movies till she actually becomes a star.... but yea hello Suhana Khan.



"#NepotismRocks": Karan Johar pic.twitter.com/2sCRywGvc8  Karnika Kohli (@KarnikaKohli) July 31, 2018

#SuhanaKhan was this adorable kid who was doing theaters and showed talent. but now she is another wannabe using her daddy's position to get covers , sorry but I hate her as much as I hate Alia Bhatt or Janhvi Kapoor. Suhana is not pretty or cute, but SRK will force her on us.  Drama@ueen (@Bolly_drama) August 1, 2018

Struggles of being Suhana Khan:



1. Having a sea facing Bungalow, so beach vacations aren't exciting

2. Being so rich that you cannot decide which Rolex to wear

3. Not getting launched by Karan Johar even though you are 18 pic.twitter.com/e6L4rXZzKz  Appurv Gupta-GuptaJi (@appurv_gupta) August 1, 2018

Suhana Khan is on the cover of Vogue because.....?  Protima Tiwary (@DumbbellsnDrama) July 31, 2018

Reporter : Suhana safar aur ye mausum haseen



Suhana Khan : bc my safar was not awesome, I struggled okay!!!   CrAy (@laughsfliesaway) August 1, 2018

Frankly SRK and Gauri MUST NOT let Karan manage Suhana's career path! I am positive he is the one who pimped the Vogue cover idea...The girl is getting unnecessary hatred and being dragged.... 'Tis too early   Shilps (@noneofurbijness) July 31, 2018

Y'all come here with your emo tweets, break up stories, everyday struggles like insomnia, waking up early in the morning to go to work, getting stuck in traffic.

But do Y'all ever think of our future star Suhana, the struggles she has to go thru? No, you think about yourself.   (@Paprikaashh) August 1, 2018

However, a few her fans also came to her rescue. They believe people are simply being salty and jealous in their criticism of Suhana.

Wth is wrong with ppl hating on Suhana! Shes the blood of Shah Rukh Khan; The King.. @iamsrk . She turned 18 & obviously she will be the face of various magazines even before she even act. Actually I thought she will be on an international cover. Thiss nothing.  Hanna  (@HannanMust) July 31, 2018

I don't understand this outrage seeing Suhana in Vogue India Cover. SRK has earned everything what he is having today. What do you want that he should tell his daughter to go to every office early in the morning, be in the queue etc? Why the fcuk he has earned then?   (@shamshir_gaya) August 1, 2018

Suhana Khan looks stunning in her vogue photoshoot. Why everyone has to shit over everything. Yes shes privileged but that does not mean she didnt deserve to be on that cover.  Neha Khan  (@LazyBee_) August 1, 2018

In her interview to the magazine, Suhana talked about online criticism and how it affects her. I still find it hard because people feel like they can judge you. Especially on social media. Pictures from my private Instagram account get leaked. There are so many people talking about you. They dont know you, and they dont know what theyre talking about, but theyre just talking. And that can mess with your self-confidence. I keep telling myself that haters are going to hate, but I cant honestly say that I dont get upset by it. Its annoying, but I keep telling myself other people have bigger problems, she said.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreThe first few hours and days of life are critical for the survival of a child and most of the factors that need to be addressed during this period are clinical in nature and are under the control of the attending nurse or physician. However, these factors are responsible for only about half the under-five deaths, because the rest of the deaths take place once children return home from the hospital. Recent research has identified that the greatest danger to children under five years is not acute illness, but prolonged, and as yet poorly described, forms of vulnerability that produce worse-than-anticipated outcomes, particularly when combined with other childhood illnesses. This research thus raised the question as to whether there is a set of underlying factors, which are not biological or clinical, that make these children far more socially vulnerable. This vulnerability arises in and from familial and wider community contexts in which these children are placed.

The concept of social vulnerability captures the environmental, socio-cultural, and temporal dimensions of childhood vulnerability and describes stages prior to clinical vulnerability and well prior to morbidity. It defines a familys ability/inability to respond to child care needs during the three stages of: (i) everyday care and exposure to risk factors in the home; (ii) care-seeking pathways and the variation in the time taken to seek care; and (iii) nursing and follow up during the recovery phase.

More recently, using tools from anthropology, careful research at the family level has allowed the field of public health to deeply explore what factors lead to social vulnerability. In many countries, including Ethiopia, Tanzania, and India, community health workers play an important role in the delivery of primary healthcare. They often work for years in certain locations, and have an instinct about which children are more vulnerable than others. Using this instinct or social knowledge, it has been possible to co-design a social vulnerability identification tool which can help them quickly identify different family types according to the unique barriers they face (diagnosis), and to more sharply tailor their engagement with these families to target specific categories of vulnerability (treatment).

One such effort, for example, groups families into five types. (i) Survivors: experience enormous paucity of income; (ii) Conservatives: are rigidly bound by strict traditional norms of behaviour; (iii) Strivers: are perpetually short of time and need to balance multiple commitments; (iv) Potentials: have specific critical knowledge gaps; and (v) Pilots: balance every aspect of their lives in an optimal manner.

In this characterisation, the children of Survivors live in unsanitary conditions, on the remote fringes of a village making access to care much more difficult. Survivors are unable to properly care for the child once she returns home after an episode of illness. In a Conservative family, tradition defines the kind of care a child receives and the mother has little power to decide when to seek care. For the Strivers, the mother has no time to follow the given advice and often delays seeking care until the child is seriously ill. The Potentials make repeated mistakes in taking care of the child because they fail to recognise the specific risks that they are exposing the child to.

Once a health worker identifies the closest type to which a family belongs, she is able to rapidly deploy the tools necessary to address the specific social vulnerability being experienced by the family. In this example, for Survivors, it is clear that income support from the government is a must; for the Conservatives, identifying the true decision-makers within the household and then working with them to develop new norms of behaviour would be essential; for the Strivers, offering them time efficient tools and social support is key; whereas for the Potentials, drawing their attention to specific risks associated with their existing childcare practices would be very important instead of offering generalised advice. The Pilots can be relied upon to act as role models where appropriate, and to support the health worker in helping to address the specific challenges being faced by the other families.

This is only one example of a grouping that could be employed in the field. The key here is to offer groups of community health workers sufficient training and support so that they are able to create their own typologies and related heuristics, allowing them to respond rapidly with targeted guidance instead of taking a more generalised and uniform approach towards families under their care.

Nachiket Mor and Tracy Johnson are employees of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The views expressed are personalThe Delhi government on Tuesday said it has decided to delink Aadhaar from disbursement of pensions for widows, senior citizens and people with disabilities.

The governments social welfare department said it will pay all pensions at old rates, which it had stopped last year due to lack of Aadhaar as proof. The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting headed by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The AAP government had earlier this year decided against making Aadhaar numbers mandatory for distribution of ration. Similarly, having Aadhar is not mandatory for admission to Delhi government schools although the institutions still ask for it to open bank accounts for students.

Lot of people suffering due to inability of banks to link adhar wid bank account. Today, Cabinet decided to delink adhar from widow n old age pension, (sic) Kejriwal tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

Besides, beneficiaries will be paid the enhanced pension amount with effect from April 2018, the Delhi government said on Tuesday.

Enhanced pension will be sent to all beneficiaries, who are so far getting pension on old rates so that they are not penalised for system-related reasons, said a statement issued by the government.

The department has sent the pensions to its 4.18 lakh beneficiaries for April 2018, the statement added.

The government provides a quantum of Rs 2,000 per month to beneficiaries between 60 -69 years of age and Rs 2,500 per month to beneficiaries of 70 years and above. Also, an additional Rs 500 per month is given to beneficiaries between 60-69 years belonging to SC/ST and minority categories.

Under its Assistance Scheme for Persons with Special Needs, the Delhi government provides Rs 2,500 per month to persons with disabilities for all beneficiaries under 60.

The department has dispatched pensions to 77,542 beneficiaries with disabilities for April-May 2018, the statement said.

The pensions are meant for all beneficiaries who are residing in Delhi for a period of at least five years and their income is Rs 1 lakh or less per annum.

In 2016, the Delhi government decided not to insist on Aadhaar for disbursement of pension. However, it had then mandated that enhanced pensions will be given only to Aadhaar-linked accounts because of which 33,191 senior citizens and 9,799 disability pension beneficiaries were left out of the scheme.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) had also sent a circular to the department to not deny any benefit to people for not having Aadhaar or failure of its authentication.

The Supreme Court had in March pulled up the Centre for making Aadhaar-linked account mandatory for disbursing pensions.A joint team of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police and the Delhi Police on Monday rescued 18 women, allegedly trafficked, from a house in Maidan Garhi near Mehrauli, the police said. The incident comes a week after 16 Nepalese women were rescued by the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and the local police from a house in south Delhis Munirka.

Police officials said 16 out of the 18 women rescued on Tuesday were Nepalese, while the other two are from Darjeeling in West Bengal. All of them are between the age group of 20 and 43 years and were lured to Delhi by alleged traffickers who had promised them jobs in foreign countries. The DCW also joined Tuesdays rescue operation.

Three persons, including a Nepalese woman, were arrested in connection with the human trafficking case that was registered in Varanasi on July 23 and was being probed by the Varanasi crime branch. A total of 68 passports, including 61 of Nepal, were recovered from the arrested persons.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Romil Baaniya said the joint operation started around 5pm and continued till late Monday night. The medical examination of the rescued women was completed by 5am on Tuesday. Their statements were recorded by noon and they were shifted to a shelter home. The three arrested persons were taken into custody by the Varanasi police for further interrogation, said Baaniya.

Superintendent of police (Varanasi crime branch) Gyanendra Nath Prasad said the rescued women had been confined to the house for the last few days.

According to the police, 18 Nepalese women were reportedly first lured into accompanying the alleged traffickers to Varanasi and were to be allegedly trafficked into Gulf countries for flesh trade. Two of them managed to flee in the first week of July. They told Nepal police about the racket, who in turn contacted the Nepal embassy, said Varanasi crime branch officer.

Based on the Nepal embassys communique, Varanasi police raided half-a-dozen locations in the temple town last week. They arrested a man identified as Jai Singh under the Shivpur police station area. His interrogation revealed that the remaining Nepalese women were moved to Delhi and kept in a house in south Delhi. The investigating team contacted their counterparts in Delhi and rescued 18 women who were living in ten rooms of a building in Maidan Garhi.

In a press statement DCW chief Swati Maliwal said, Delhi has become a hub of human trafficking. DCW finds out about these rackets, police of other states finds them out but Delhi Police continues to sleep. Benaras police informed me that the house in Maidan garhi has been used for past few years for trafficking girls in batches. How can the local police not know about the same?Commuters from west and north Delhi will soon be able to reach south Delhi without dealing with traffic snarls of the Ring Road. The stretch of the Pink Line connecting Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus and Lajpat Nagar will be opened for public on August 6, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said on Tuesday.

The new stretch would complement the Majlis Park-Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus section of the Pink Line, which has been operational since February.

The 8.1-km section will jointly be inaugurated by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Union minister for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on August 6, DMRC said.

They will formally open the section around 11:30am using a remote control from Metro Bhawan. Passenger services will begin the same day from 1pm, a statement issued by DMRC read.

With two interchange facilities available at INA (with Yellow Line) Lajpat Nagar (with Violet Line), the section will connect four major markets and will also cut travel time for commuters by at least 20 minutes.

The new stations on this line are Sir Vishweshwariah Moti Bagh, Bhikhaji Cama Place, Sarojini Nagar, INA, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar. Apart from Moti Bagh, all the new stations are underground.

This segment will connect four major markets at Sarojini Nagar, INA, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar. It will be like a corridor for shoppers, said Anuj Dayal executive director (corporate communications), DMRC.

This stretch is part of the 59km-long Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar corridor (Pink Line), which falls under the Phase-3 network of the DMRC.

A total of 23 trains will be put into service, with a frequency of 5 minutes and 12 seconds during peak hours and 5 minutes and 45 seconds during non-peak hours, the DMRC said.

The approval for this section was given by the commissioner for metro rail safety (CMRS) on July 26, subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions.

The DMRC is working on the fulfilment of these conditions and all formalities will be completed soon, said Dayal.The flood in the Yamuna river claimed its first casualties on Tuesday, with two people drowning and one other being admitted to a hospital in a critical condition.

An 11-year-old girl drowned while playing in the inundated floodplains of the river opposite Raj Ghat power plant. Later, in Usmanpur, which is around nine kilometres from upstream from Rajghat, a 23-year-old man drowned in the flooded Yamuna.

Police identified the 11-year-old girl who drowned as Asha. Her friend Raja, 7, was rescued by locals and rushed to the Lok Nayak hospital where his condition was stated to be critical. The 23-year-old man who died in Usmanpur was identified as Suresh.

While one child has died, another is still admitted in the hospitals ICU. Locals said that the area was being developed by the DDA but we are yet to verify that. As the area is submerged under water, we could not ascertain whether it was a submerged water body where the child drowned, said Mandeep Singh Randhawa, deputy commissioner of police (central).

The incident occurred around 11:30am when a group of children were playing in the flood plains, large portions of which have been flooded with knee-deep to waist-deep water. There was a water body nearby, which was dug up by the DDA as a part of its beautification drive, said locals.

The two children couldnt identify the water body as large areas of the floodplains were inundated and walked straight into it. A young boy saw the children drowning and raised an alarm. Locals rushed to the spot and both the victims were fished out. The girl however died in the hospital, said Mohammad Mansur, a neighbour.

Police said that the parents of both Asha and Raja hailed from Bihar and worked as daily labourers and have been living in this part of the flood plains, popularly known among locals as Bela Gaon, for more than 17 years. Earlier they used to live further north of the river.

I have lost my child. The DDA should have posted a guard or set up a boundary to demarcate the water body, said Sumitra Devi, mother of Asha.

Though the DDA developed the area in Yamuna floodplain on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), but the local administration is responsible for its maintenance and supervision. Several people have built their jhuggis on the site. On Monday, after the land flooded, we had issued directions to people living in the low-lying area to be stay away from the site, said an official of DDA.

Neighbours said that the incident took place when residents were busy in packing their belongings and shifting to tents set up by the government on the opposite side of the road. No one noticed that the children were playing in the inundated portions of the flood plains.

In the Usmanpur incident, locals spotted the victim, Suresh, drowning in the inundated floodplains and imemdiately raised an alarm. He was then fished out and rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead, said Atul Kumar Thakur, DCP (northeast).The discovery of formalin-laced fish at markets in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa has raised concerns about the efficacy of Indias food safety establishment. The most horrifying of these is the possibility that a chemical used to preserve dead bodies may have made its way into your food chain. A compound obtained by mixing water with formaldehyde, formalin is applied on fresh catch to embalm it and enhance its shelf life. Since long-time exposure to the chemical can be carcinogenic and can increase the risk of leukaemia, blood cancer and other lymphomas, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the national food regulator, has banned the use of formalin in fish preservation.

The adulteration of fish isnt the only by-product of the lax implementation of food safety norms in the country. A related danger is the misuse of antibiotics to boost poultry production which can pose significant risks to health. Antibiotic resistance enters the food chain through animals and crops and then moves on to the water cycle through ground water and drinking water.

Two weeks ago, after a number of states banned the import of fish from other states, the FSSAI and the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi, brought out guidelines to alert food testing laboratories, traders and buyers about the potential dangers of formalin. One of the safety recommendations is to use a rapid detection kit designed by the CIFT to check whether formalin has been used as an additive. The increasing resistance in food-producing animals and farm products also drives up antibiotic resistance in humans, making it difficult to treat common infections. Unfortunately, India does not have regulatory provisions for the use of anti-microbials in animals raised for domestic consumption.

Many other countries have taken the lead in this direction. Driven by consumer awareness, Sweden banned the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in the poultry industry as far back as 1986. India, too, adopted a National Action Plan on Anti-Microbial Resistance last year. With increasing demand for animal food products, antibiotic growth promotion in farm animals will keep soaring unless steps are taken to end the use of antibiotics for growth promotion.The application process for filling 417 probationary officer (PO) vacancies through admission to Post Graduate Diploma in Banking and Finance (PGDBF) course at Indian Bank Manipal School of Banking (IBMSB) began on Wednesday. The application process will continue until August 27, 2018. The number of vacancies is provisional and may vary according to the actual requirement of the bank.

Candidates will be selected through a process consisting of online exam (preliminary and main) followed by an interview. Successful candidates will go through a nine month course (campus programme) at Manipal Global Education Services, Bangalore followed by a three months internship at any of the Indian Bank Branches.

On successful completion of the course, candidates will be appointed as probationary officer in any branch of the Indian Bank.

Interested candidates can apply by visiting the official website of the Indian bank.

Indian Bank PO recruitment 2018: Steps to apply for 417 vacancies

1) Visit the Indian banks official website 2) Click on the Career tab 3) click on Apply Online For Po-Onboarding 4) Click on New Registration tab 5) Enter details as required carefully 6) A provisional registration number and password will be generated when details are submitted for the first time 7) Note it down 8) Candidates can reopen the saved data and edit till the last date of edit/modification . This facility will be available for three times only. 9) Submit the application after it is filled and checked properly. 10) No change will be allowed in the application after its final submission.11) Pay the fees/in online mode by following the instruction 12) An e-receipt will be generated on successful completion of the process 13) Take a printout of the on-line application form and save it for future reference.

The application process can only be completed in the online mode.

The details about eligibility criteria, essential qualification, exam pattern and much more can be found on banks official website. You can also check it at the bottom of the text here.

Visit the official website of the bank for latest news and updatesBoard exam results have been announced and theres a frenzied atmosphere around university and college campuses all around the country.The time has come for this generation to earnestly evaluate vocational education and apprenticeship as serious career paths. It is unfortunate that there seems to be a stigma attached to this line of learning; that of lack of dignity of labour. .

The time has come for this generation to earnestly evaluate vocational education and apprenticeship as serious career paths. It is unfortunate that there seems to be a stigma attached to this line of learning; that of lack of dignity of labour.

However, in the words of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, targets of the Skill India initiative is that we need to formalise the informally self-learned sector.

Have no doubt that there exists a self-learning sector which is capable of producing entrepreneurs, even pioneers and inventors. A little open-mindedness and acceptability of this alternate form of education can surely accrue numerous benefits for the society.

By 2020, more than 60 per cent of the countrys population will fall into the highly productive age group of 18-45 years. A research by Boston Consulting Group has estimated that by the said period, India will have a surplus of around 47 million of the active population.

Simply said, this means that we will have a remarkable 60 per cent of total population available for working and contributing towards GDP, but out of this total pool, only 25 per cent is likely to find employment in the job market.

What, then, does India have to do, to give a facelift to its skills landscape?

Research has shown that it is a nations success or failure in realizing the economic potential of youth during this low dependency ratio period that can make a detrimental difference between sustained and faltering long-term development. Skill upgrade can no longer be ignored if we want to reap the demographic dividend of having a very young working population.

Here are some pointers to keep in mind while choosing the lines of learning in the near future. You will see the following changes happen in the next 5-10 years horizon:

* Espouse that online is the way ahead for business; private, public and government.

* More and more, learning systems will move from classroom-based instruction model to collaborative learning ecosystems with a fair bit being hands-on training. Industry bodies such as NASSCOM, FICCI, etc. are already working on creating such platforms across industries. This will be the future of learning, at least in the short term.

* Educational institutes need to take the lead on this and develop tailor-made courses for students to enhance and inspire creativity in them. Learning has to move from rote and bookish to a competency-based dynamic approach

* For the youth: develop an attitude to never stop learning! We witness evolution in business every couple of years or so. The only way to not become redundant is to constantly learn and reinvent yourselves.

* As you focus on the career-oriented excellence, do remember to not skip out on the overall employability goals such as the ability to think critically and laterally, interpersonal skills, communication skills and develop a persona that makes you employable anywhere in the world.

* There are a number of vocational training courses and internships on offer from various sectors and government ministries for the youth from the age of 14 onwards. Get off those gadgets and enrol in these programs to get a feel and experience of opportunities that are available. Not everyone needs to become an engineer or a business consultant; some of you will excel as entrepreneurs too. Did you know that there are some other 20 central ministries and departments which are running some Technical Education and Vocational Training (TVET) programs?

* A number of polytechnics offer courses in disciplines such as electronics, computer science, medical lab technology, hospital engineering, architectural assistantship, to name a few. There are also technology institutions where you can get yourself diplomas in leather technology, sugar technology, printing technology, etc. Some of these programs are accessible after Class 10 itself, making you employable by the time you are 19 years old.

According to several research reports, there would be a huge demand-supply gap amongst the core professions and the figure is only going high. For example, IT and manufacturing industries are likely to face a shortage of right skilled workers. A similar fate can be predicted for almost all the other primary sectors.

The demand for skilled workforce will not only be restricted to traditional sectors like automobile and BFSI but also include sunrise sectors such as renewable energy. Construction and manufacturing are just some of the large-scale sectors where there is an alarming shortage of skilled labour.

Till some years back, construction companies were forced to import labour from China in order to complete the planned projects. Since then, the skilled labour shortage continues to surge.

In short, while our market and economy grow and create an increasing number of jobs which require skilled and trained manpower, a huge scarcity of these kinds of resource is what we will be faced with.

The vocational education space is undergoing tremendous changes owing to the growing technological advances that are transforming the global economic and business environment. Ever growing number of smartphone users owing to the increasing mobile penetration in the country has come as a blessing in disguise for the industry.

This has further pushed the growth of ed-tech (education technology), helping the cause of skill development through the development of mobile training apps.

These players have come a long way and also evolved their strategy to widen their scope of operations and focus on technical courses and vocational education.

The advent of these vocational training courses like tower technician, domestic biometric data operator, GST accounts assistant, store ops assistant, CCTV installation technician are adding to the skills of youth to help them carve out a successful career.

(Bahl is the chief executive and managing director of Centum Learning. Views expressed here are personal.)After a nearly 29-hour ordeal, a three-year-old girl was on Wednesday night extricated from a 100-feet deep borewell in Bihars Munger district that she had fallen into a day earlier.

Sana, daughter of Nachiket Sah, a bank employee and resident of Chaiti Durga Mandir locality in Munger, was taken out of the borewell at her grandfathers place in Murgiyachak locality around 9.30 pm and rushed to a hospital. Her condition was said to be stable.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) had launched a joint effort to rescue the child who was trapped at a depth of 43 feet.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar expressed his happiness and relief at the rescue act.

A student of Montessori House of Children, Notre Dame in Munger, Sana had slipped into the borewell while playing with other children on Tuesday.

The borewell was being dug inside the house of her maternal grandfather, Umesh Nandan Prasad Sah, who she went visiting with her mother two days earlier. The two houses are one kilometre apart.

Principal secretary, disaster management department, Pratyaya Amrit said the NDRF and SDRF did a commendable job.

Earth was dug horizontally and then a parallel vertical hole was dug to rescue the child. All along, oxygen supply was maintained to the child externally. In order to ensure safety of the child, the rescue team resorted to manual digging when they reached near the trapped child.

Earlier, three members of the NDRF, with some equipment, were airlifted from Patna and another team was dispatched by road on Wednesday afternoon, said NDRF commandant Vijay Sinha.

The Munger administration had initiated rescue operation immediately on receipt of information, requisitioning the SDRF from Khagaria.

Divisional commissioner, Munger, Pankaj Kumar Pal, monitored the rescue operation.

Though there is no national register of children getting trapped in borewell shafts, the number with the home ministry in Delhi showed that accidental deaths of children due to a fall in pits and manholes had gone up from 175 in 2010, to 192 in 2011 and 194 in 2012.

The largest number of these child casualties was reported from Madhya Pradesh (67 children killed in 2012), followed by Maharashtra (39), Uttar Pradesh (19), Gujarat (18) and Tamil Nadu (13).

A five-year-old girl died after she fell into a borewell in Patnas Mitra Mandal Colony in June 2015.

In August 2017, a two-year old Chandra Sekhar was rescued after 12 hours of falling into a borewell while playing with children in Andhra Pradeshs Guntur. In September 2013, a three-year-old child, Naveen, was rescued after nearly three hours of falling into a borewell in Chandigarh.West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Wednesday that the Opposition parties would face next years Lok Sabha elections under a collective leadership as they aim to oust the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from power.

Banerjee, who is playing a key role in trying to unite several regional parties, met United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi to talk about the current political situation and the 2019 election. We discussed how we can work together, Banerjee said.

When asked about the possibility of an alliance in 2019, Banerjee, standing outside Sonia Gandhis 10 Janpath residence, said: All Opposition parties will come together. Our priority is to defeat the BJP. We will fight under a collective leadership.

Banerjees comments seem to indicate the intention of the Opposition to not let personal ego and the question of who will lead the federal front come in the way of forming a coalition that aims to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Her emphasis on collective leadership also comes barely a week after Congress president Rahul Gandhi told Modi in Parliament that all Opposition parties and some of your friends are coming together to defeat the BJP during the debate on the no confidence motion.

Banerjee quoted the poet Rabindranath Tagore to describe the nature of the coalition: One of his songs say we all are kings. That will be the nature of the Opposition unity. You can see the BJP is politically nervous because they know they will not return to power in 2019.

The Bengal chief minister said the strongest Opposition party in a given constituency should contest from there. This will boost the strength of the federal front against the BJP. The meeting also signifies that even as the Congress and the Trinamool are at the loggerheads in the Bengal politics, the two sides are keeping their options open for an understanding at the national level.

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: Collective leadership means that we will fight collectively. I think its a good suggestion and correct approach. The finer details have to be worked out at an appropriate time.

Two years ago, the Congress high command allowed its local unit to informally tie up with the CPI(M)-led Left Front for the state assembly polls. The meeting on Wednesday also indicates that the principal Opposition party is ready to talk with the Trinamool with the Left Front reduced to the margins.

The chief minister also raked up the NRC issue to say that the 4 million people whose names are missing from the citizenship list belong to states like Bihar, West Bengal, UP and Tamil Nadu.

Some have lived there for 100 years through five generations. Some have worked in the army, she added.

Afzal Amanullah, former parliamentary affairs secretary said: If the Opposition really wants to defeat the BJP, they should first focus on creating a strong alliance. The issue of leadership must be decided after the election.Even as the National Register for Citizens (NRC) draft has kicked up a political storm across the country, nearly 1.25 lakh West Pakistan refugees, belonging to scheduled caste and backward classes, remain the most affected victims of partition and official apathy by the successive regimes in special state of Jammu and Kashmir.

They fled Pakistan during the partition from Sialkot and settled in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts where 70 years on they have not been given citizenship rights to vote in the assembly elections.

And, they have no access to the state governments jobs and their children are not given admissions in professional courses. However, they can vote in Parliament elections. In simple words, they are Indians but not the citizens of J&K.

Seventy years on, the outside world know little about our plight. Our children cannot become even class IV employees in the state, said Labha Ram Gandhi, the chairman of West Pak Refugees Action Committee 1947.

Gandhi recollected that in 1947 Hindus and marginal number of Sikhs fled Shakkergarh, Narowal, Pasrur and Sialkot in Pakistans Punjab province to escape killings and subsequently settled close to the border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts.

In 1954 the then government allotted 46,666 kanals of agrarian land to 5,764 families for farming. Those who migrated to Indias Punjab became absolute citizens of the state and the country but our third generation is still being denied citizenship rights in J&K. We are the worst victims of Partition and official apathy, he said.

The number of West Pak refugees (WPRs) has now swelled to nearly 1.25 lakh.

He also informed that due to special status of the state, they have not been given proprietary rights of land allotted to them.

These refugees in J&K cannot vote in panchayat and assembly elections. They are also not entitled for state government jobs and their children are barred from getting admissions in professional colleges.

He acerbically said, While, 13 Bangladeshis became MLAs in Assam over the years, but our picture is completely different because we are not considered permanent residents of J&K.

While the Supreme Court (SC) has to hear the petitions challenging Article 35A relating to special rights and privileges of permanent residents of J&K, West Pak refugees have sought resolution to one of the biggest human tragedies.

Kali Dass, Sanjay Kumar and Balwant Singh had moved the apex court against Article 35A on the grounds that it was grossly discriminatory against West Pak refugees, who have been forced to live like destitute in deplorable conditions, deprived of basic human rights, safety and security and they could not secure employment in the state.

They have moved the SC against continuation of Article 35A that grants exclusive state subject rights and other privileges to permanent residents of the state. Last year, two Kashmiri women had also filed a petition before the SC on the grounds that special laws flowing from Article 35A had disenfranchised their children from the citizenship rights and other privileges since they married non-state subjects. The apex court has to resume hearing on August 6.

According to official data there were 5,764 families of WPRs comprising 47,915 persons, who had migrated from West Pakistan in 1947 and settled in border districts. Today their population has gone up to nearly 1.25 lakh.

It may be stated here that Kashmir centric political parties were stiffly opposed to any tinkering with Article 35A.A face-off between BJP chief Amit Shah and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banrejee over the Assam citizen list continued for a second day straight on Wednesday. Shah dared the West Bengal CM to have him arrested amid buzz that he had denied permission to hold a rally in the state.

It does not matter whether I get permission or not, I will definitely go to Kolkata. If the state government wants, it can get me arrested, said Amit Shah, who plans to hold a rally on August 11.

Though Mamata Banerjee did not react to the BJP chiefs remark but Kolkata Police quickly put out a statement, declaring they have already given permission for the rally and were again issuing a clarification in view of the unwarranted speculation in social media.

This comes a day after Mamata Banerjees scathing attack on the BJP over the National Register of Citizens in Assam, which left out the names of 40 lakh people.

The Bengal chief minister on Tuesday warned that the move will lead to a civil war and bloodbath.

They (BJP) are trying to divide the people. The situation cannot be tolerated. There will be a civil war, bloodbath in the country, said Banerjee.

Her remark drew a sharp reaction from Shah, who said he was stunned and asked her, What about the rights of Indians? Alleging that Banerjee saw a vote bank in illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Shah today said, It (NRC) will be implemented to the last full stop and comma.

The draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) - an exercise to identify illegal immigrants from Bangladesh - has triggered a massive political controversy with opposition parties including Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress accusing the BJP of trying to drive out people for political reasons.

Mamata Banerjee in Delhi today met with top opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi. She also paid a courtesy visit to the BJP veteran LK Advani.

The draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) - an exercise to identify illegal immigrants from Bangladesh - has triggered a massive political controversy with opposition parties accusing the BJP of trying to drive out people for political reasons.

Lawmakers of opposition parties today staged a protest outside Parliament against the move. Armed with placards against the NRC, leaders from the TMC, SP RJD, TDP, AAP, BSP and JD(S) demanded that the government bring in changes in the NRC.

On Assam citizen list, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it is a draft and no coercive action would be taken against people whose names were excluded.Depressed over being rejected by a girls parents, an Army jawan committed suicide by jumping in front of a train in Telanganas Gadwal town on Tuesday, police said.

The railway police found the body of Vinod Kumar, 25, on the tracks early morning.

The jawan had come on leave to his home in Revulapalli village in Jogu Lamba Gadwal district about 10 days ago and wanted to get married.

According to the police, he along with his father Chinna Hanumanthu and other family members had gone to see the girl. However, the girls father did not like Kumar and rejected the proposal.

The jawans father told him that they will look for another alliance. He, however, wanted to marry the same girl and there was an argument between the two.

Kumar was apparently depressed over the marriage proposal being rejected and took the extreme step.Police in Assam on Wednesday filed a case against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her statements about the publication of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

We have registered a case against her after complaints from a local organisation, said Ghana Kanta Bhuyan, officer in charge of the North Lakhimpur police station in Lakhimpur.

The case, which officially is called a first information report or FIR, has been registered under laws dealing with criminal conspiracy and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, or residence.

Her statement on the NRC after she met home minister Rajanth Singh in Delhi could vitiate the atmosphere here (Assam) and lead to tensions between groups, said Sudipta Hazarika, general secretary of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Parishad, who filed the complaint.

She is trying to provoke Biharis and the Bengalis against the Assamese through her statements. Her statements are against the sentiments of the Assamese people, he said.

Around 40 lakh people, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims and Hindus, did not find their names in the draft NRC, which was updated to ascertain the number of illegal immigrants in Assam.

Anybody can lodge an FIR. Organisations who are attacking Mamata Banerjee have themselves branded people who are out of the draft already as foreigners. How can they do that when there are cases where two people of one family are in and the other two are out of the draft? said SS Mustafa, general secretary, Trinamool Congress, Assam.

Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday had said the NRC could lead to a bloodbath and a civil war in the country.

An eight-member team of the Trinamool Congress, including six MPs, is expected to arrive in Assam on Thursday to take stock of the situation and meet those who have been left out of the NRC draft.

.A controversial compulsory guru pada puja, held at a government aided girls school in Thrissur district recently, has triggered a controversy with political parties coming out against it and a child rights panel seeking a report from authorities.

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights today sought a report from the Director of Public Instructions (DPI), District Director of Education (DDE) and the principal of the school on the matter besides registering a case.

The report should be submitted within 15 days, the Commission said in a release here.

The guru pada puja, organised at CNN Girls Higher Secondary School in Cherppu in Thrissur as part of the gurupoornima celebrations on July 27, ran into controversy after Muslim Youth League came out against it.

They demanded an explanation from the government on whether the programme was conducted with official permission.

Congress legislator V T Balram also hit out at the ritual after the photos of students paying respect to teachers by touching their feet had gone viral on social media.

Following the row, the state education department had come out with a clarification that the ritual was organised without their consent.

K V Mohankumar, the DPI, said in a statement that the permission was given to a private outfit to organise a programme at the school on the significance of providing care to elderly people.

The additional DPI had granted permission for the programme titled Guru vandanam and wanted it to be organised without affecting academic activities, it said.The Delhi high court on Wednesday extended till September 28 the interim protection from arrest granted to senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on his pleas seeking anticipatory bail in the INX Media case.

The matter was mentioned before Justice A K Pathak, who asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file a reply within four weeks.

During the hearing, the CBI told the court that it has already filed its reply in the case.

Senior advocates Dayan Krishnan, Pramod Kumar Dubey, Ramesh Gupta and Mohit Mathur appeared for Chidambaram. The matter will be heard on September 28.

The court had on May 31 granted interim protection from arrest to the former Union minister and had directed the ED not to take any coercive step against him in the INX Media money laundering case till today.

The high court had also extended the interim protection against arrest granted to Chidambaram in the CBI case.

The senior Congress leaders role had come under the scanner of the investigating agencies in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the Rs 305-crore INX Media case.

It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-1 government that clearances from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) were given 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, alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance to the media group for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007.

Thereafter, the ED had lodged a money laundering case in this regard.The names of four million applicants were missing when Assam published the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Monday, worrying those excluded and prompting the Opposition to accuse the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led governments at the Centre and in the state of targeting particular groups. Assam has remained calm though. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, in an interview to Utpal Parashar, talked about the way ahead for those left out of the draft.

Whats is the situation across Assam now following the publication of the final draft of the NRC?

The overall situation in Assam, both in Brahmaputra and Barak valleys, after publication of complete draft of the NRC, is completely peaceful. People in the state cutting across all castes and tribes, religious, linguistic divides have welcomed the draft and exhibited a great sense of unity and harmony.

What would be your appeal to people, both whose names have appeared in the NRC draft and those who have been left out?

All genuine Indian citizens whose names are not included in this NRC draft do not need to panic as no one will be treated as a foreigner. Ample opportunity will be given to the applicants to prove their eligibility for inclusion in the final NRC through claims and objections. Meanwhile, people whose names have featured in this complete NRC draft must take the responsibility of helping those genuine Indian citizens whose names arent included in the draft-- so that they can get themselves registered in the NRC.

The Centre and the state governments have been accused of manipulating the NRC process with a political agenda in mind. What would be your reply to those charges?

The NRC updation process has been carried out under the direct supervision of the honourable Supreme Court of India and the active role of the Registrar General of India along with joint cooperation of the Central and the state governments. Around 55,000 officials of the state government relentlessly worked to ensure successful publication of the complete draft. This has been performed as a national duty with utmost dedication and commitment.

There is still lack of clarity on what will happen to those among the four million applicants (who failed to make it to the final draft) who are left out of the final list to be published on December 31.

The NRC updation has been carried out under direct supervision of the honourable Supreme Court of India and all future steps in this regard would be taken as per direction of this apex court.

You are seen as a Jatiya Nayak or hero for all Assamese people for your role in getting the contentious Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act (IMDT Act) repealed by the Supreme Court in 2005. What are your thoughts on the complete NRC draft and the road ahead to protect the rights of indigenous Assamese and also to put an end to the influx of illegal immigrants to the state?

The NRC draft is a historic document and it will emerge as a powerful means to safeguard the interest of the people of Assam in the days to come.

There was lot of opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act in Assam as it proposes to grant citizenship to religious minorities from neighbouring countries including Bangladesh. Do you feel publication of the complete draft has helped the BJP as well as the state government in improving its image among the residents of Assam?

The NRC updation process has been carried out keeping in mind the interests of the genuine Indian citizens of the state. It is performed as a national duty, which is of paramount importance for safeguarding their interests. The BJP-led coalition government of Assam is deeply committed to the cause of the people of the state and upholding their interests.Golden Baba, known for participating in Kanwar Yatra wearing gold jewellery, is back and with more gold.

Baba aka Sudhir Makkar, undertaking his 25th Kanwar Yatra this year, is said to be wearing gold jewellery weighing around 20 kgs, which at todays market price would be worth approximately Rs 6 crore. With each yatra, Makkars gold acquisitions have gone up, in 2016 he was sporting 12kgs of gold.

Last year, he was wearing about 14.5kgs of gold jewellery which included a collection of 21 gold chains, 21 lockets of deities, armlets and even a gold jacket that he wore sometimes during the yatra sitting atop his SUV.

The new chain weighs two kgs and has a locket of Shiva. I am not wearing much gold on this journey as its weight has affected my nerves at the neck and also affected vision of one eye. This is my penultimate Kanwar Yatra and 2018 will be last ending with a silver jubilee, Baba had told HT in 2017.

Known to travel in a cavalcade of several vehicle, Makkar is well-known throughout the 200km yatra route from Hardwar to Delhi.

Apart from his fetish for gold, Baba also wears a Rolex watch worth Rs 27 lakh and owns a BMW, three Fortuners, two Audi and two Innova vehicles which are part of his cavalcade. On several occasions, he has taken cars such as Hummer, Jaguar and Land Rover on rent for his trip to Haridwar.

A 2017 photo of Baba aka Sudhir Makkar, when he was said to be wearing gold jewelley weighing over 14 kgs. (HT file photo)

The love for gold and cars will not die. I remember it was in 1972-73 when gold price was Rs 200 per tola (10 grams). I started wearing gold items and had nearly four tolas that time. Gradually, the gold increased. I will keep the gold with me till I die. It will be handed over to my favourite disciple when I leave the world, Makkar had told HT

Before moving to spiritualism, Makkar ran a successful cloth and property business from the Gandhi Nagar market in Delhi. He now has a luxurious flat at a high-rise in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad.

The initial years of life were, however, difficult for him. He went to a gurukul at the age of six and went to Haridwar in search of livelihood. He sold rosary beads and cloth on pavements.

A 2016 photo of the Golden Baba,who travels in a cavalcade of luxury cars. (HT file photo)

Later, my business flourished with the grace of lord Shiva. I sold jeans, shirts and jackets with the brand name Bittu. Even the property business flourished as I got completely devoted to Shiva, he told HT last year.

Baba is a popular figure in the annual pilgrimage. Children, women and youngster wait eagerly for his cavalcade to arrive. They make his videos, click selfies with him and even touch his feet for blessings.The Union cabinets decision to introduce a bill to reinstate the original provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 is a necessary step to restore the effectiveness of the law, Dalit commentators said . But a section of them added the decision seemed politically expedient and the government must ensure the provisions of the Act are implemented on the ground.

Praising the cabinets decision to approve the amendments to the Act, former MP and expert on Dalit issues Bhalchandra Mungekar said all political parties should ensure the bill wins passage without any hindrance in Parliament.

The judgment by the Supreme Court to bar automatic arrest killed the spirit of the act. It was the provision of immediate arrest that gave the Act teeth. This anomaly (the SC decision) had to be rectified and I am glad that the cabinet has approved the amendments. But it is now important that the bill when tabled in Parliament is passed unanimously, he said.

Mungekar also said the government must ensure that the act, whenever its passed after amendments, is followed in letter and spirit. The attacks on Dalits and women are giving the whole country a bad name, he said.

The Supreme Courts March 20 order banned automatic arrests and first information reports (FIRs) under the Act and allowed anticipatory bail if no prima facie case was made out or where the complaint was found to be prima facie mala fide on judicial scrutiny. The verdict sparked protests by Dalits groups. The union government asserted it would challenge the SCs decision, and filed a review petition, Dalit groups organised a country-wide Bharat Bandh on April 2 that left at least nine people dead across three states.

Writer and Dalit ideologue Chandra Bhan Prasad said the governments decision to make amends seemed to stem from the fear of having to face more protests from Dalit organisations that had threatened to rally against the changes announced in the Act by the apex court.

Any step taken under duress lacks commitment, like this cabinet decision on the Dalit Act, hence, the intent is suspect. Nevertheless, I welcome this development, he said.

Writer and political commentator Anand Teltumbde said the governments decision seemed politically expedient and not one that emerged from being sensitive to the concerns of the SCs and STs. It seems the government is concerned by the growing unrest among SCs and STs. This seems like a political ploy to recover some lost ground on the eve of the elections... Teltumbde said.West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday continued her attack on the BJP over the draft National Register of Citizens in Assam as she accused the ruling party of trying to project everyone whose name did not appear in the list as infiltrators.

The BJP is playing vote bank politics. The NRC will affect the whole world. Managing borders is a responsibility of the Centre. The central forces see how many infiltrators are crossing into the country. But in the name of infiltrators, they are harassing people, she alleged.

Banerjee said out of the 40 lakh people, who did not figure in the final draft of the NRC, only1% could be infiltrators.

The Trinamool Congress chief also said the publication of draft NRC will destroy Indias relationship with neighbouring Bangladesh. The register is aimed at distinguishing the states citizens from illegal immigrants, mostly from Bangladesh.

Banerjee is reaching out to several political parties during her four-day visit to the national capital to cobble an alliance of opposition parties to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held next year.

She has called for the ouster of the Narendra Modi government and cited the restive situation in Assam arising from NRC, public lynchings and atrocities against Dalits and minorities to drive home her point that the country needs a change.

Several BJP leaders were also among those she has held meetings in Delhi. The chief minister met veteran BJP leader LK Advani in his chamber in Parliament on Wednesday for 20 minutes.

I know Advaniji for a very long time. I went to enquire about his health. It was a courtesy call, Banerjee said after the meeting.

Suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad met her at her partys office in Parliament, followed by Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel, and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav. Shiv Senas member of Parliament Sanjay Raut and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda was also among those she met.

She had met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and his daughter and member of Parliament Supriya Sule, besides BJPs Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha and lawyer Ram Jethmalani on Tuesday.

Banerjee said she has appealed to all opposition parties to send their delegations to Assam.

I have also urged Yashwant Sinha (former BJP leader and a Union minister) to go to Assam, she said.

Assam is the border of our Bengal. It will affect us also. It is our neighbour, will we not raise our voice if our neighbour is unhappy? she asked.

The BJP has questioned Banerjee over her commitment to national security and its president Amit Shah alleged that she saw a vote bank in illegal immigrants while his party was looking at the security of the country and rights of its citizens.Unidentified gunmen looted Rs 5.77 lakh from a bank in south Kashmirs Kulgam district on Wednesday.

Police said a group of gunmen, suspected to be militants, barged into a branch of the SBI Bank in Qaimoh area of Kulgam in the afternoon.

The militants were 78 in number and they managed to take away Rs 5,77,850 from the SBI bank, said an official manning police control room, Kulgam.

Security forces immediately cordoned the area to trace the robbers.

On Friday, a civilian and two security guards were injured after gunmen opened fire inside a bank during an alleged robbery attempt in the district.

Police said people foiled the attempt of the militants to allegedly loot a Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Mohanpora, Kulgam.

Last year, there were a series of bank robberies in Kashmir, a majority of them targeting J&K bank, the biggest bank of the state.

Police had blamed militants of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba for the incidents, saying they were cash-starved. However, the militants had denied the allegations.Hyderabad-based infrastructure company MW High Tech Projects India Private Limited allegedly didnt deposit provident fund contributions to the tune of Rs 129.75crore on behalf of hundreds of employees over the past four years, according to an interim report submitted by an inquiry commission formed by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation.

A copy of the report was reviewed by HT.

The six-member inquiry commission was set up in late 2016 following a complaint filed by whistleblower, Abhishek Mishra, who joined the company, a subsidiary of German engineering and construction company M+W Group GmbH, in March 2016.

Mishra also moved other regulatory authorities including the Income Tax (I-T) department over alleged irregularities in the Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) of its employees.

The inquiry by the PF authorities, which progressed at a snails pace, picked up pace only in the last six months after Mishra started knocking on the doors of every ministry and department in Delhi seeking to expose the alleged irregularities.

In its latest report submitted to the Regional Provident Commissioner, Hyderabad, on July 20, the inquiry commission pointed out that the company had taken up major construction projects which included those of Infosys Ltd,the local units of Mondelez International, Michelin Procter & Gamble and Mylan.

During this period, the company had deducted provident fund to the extent of Rs261.72 crore from the salaries of employees and workers between the financial years 2012-13 and 2015-16, but remitted only Rs131.97 crore towards EPF contributions. There has been no compliance from the company with regard to the remaining Rs129.75 crore, the report said.

The inquiry commission also found a huge difference in the profit and loss accounts and the general ledgers. The amount shown towards the TDS deductions with regard to contract work expenses, cost of services and other expenses during the four years was much more than the actual TDS, it pointed out.

Inquiries with the regional provident fund authorities revealed that the company had 963 employees till October 2017. However, there is no information about the actual employee strength of the company, which operates through different contractors and sub-contractors in different parts of the country; each contractor has a different provident fund code.

A report submitted by the inquiry commission to the regional provident fund authorities on March 7, 2018 revealed that none of the top officials of the company was present when the commission members went to its offices at the financial district in Hyderabad on March 5 to conduct search and seizure operations.

Lower-rung officials of the company told members of the commission they had no access to any of the records including payment vouchers. They also refused to divulge the password to commission members when they asked for access to digital data of financial activities saved on computers or on the cloud. It was only when the commission members insisted that they were allowed access through an authorised person. Commission members failed to get access to the information because of a server problem, the inquiry report said.

The company officials told them that they would send the relevant data to the PF office later in the day. It was surprising why the inquiry panel returned empty handed when they could as well seize the laptops available with the company, Mishra said.

He added, Several thousand people are deprived of their rightful income because of greed of few individuals. My efforts wont stop till the last paisa of India is recovered. Later, company officials sent two truck-loads of various documents and records packed in 121 cartons to the regional provident fund office, without any covering letter specifying the nature of those records.

Efforts to reach out to the company failed. The companys director and chief financial officer Dilip Nemchand Gada could not be reached on his phone and did not respond to text messages. Queries e-mailed to the company elicited no response.

Regional Provident Fund commissioner Bhola Chandrasekhar refused to disclose any information on the ongoing inquiry.Armies of India and China on Wednesday held a meeting at Nathu La in Sikkim with an aim to strengthen peace and tranquility along the Sino-India border.

The Special Border Personnel meeting took place as part of celebrations to commemorate the 91st anniversary of the foundation of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), the Army said in New Delhi.

The Indian delegation, comprising several officers and soldiers of the Army, attended the celebration following an invitation by the PLA.

PLA troops interacted with the visiting Indian delegation and presented a cultural programme comprising several events to celebrate the occasion, the Army said.

As a gesture of goodwill, the Indian side also reciprocated with traditional cultural events to mark the occasion. Celebrations took place in a very festive environment and provided an opportunity to both sides to display their rich culture, it said.

The meeting between the two armies took place three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an informal summit in Wuhan in China with an aim to bolster bilateral ties which nosedived in the wake of the Doklam standoff.

Such interactions between both armies have resulted in promoting mutual understanding and contributed towards achieving common goals of peace and tranquillity along the borders, the Army said.

In their informal summit, Modi and Xi had decided to issue strategic guidance to their militaries to strengthen communication and build trust and understanding between the border guarding forces of the two countries.

Troops of India and China were locked in the 73-day standoff in Doklam since June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the construction of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The face-off ended on August 28.

The two sides hold Border Personnel Meetings at five points  Daulat Beg Oldie in northern Ladakh, Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Chusul in Ladakh, Bum-La near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and Nathu-La in Sikkim.A 14-year-old girl in Jharkhand has accused two police officers, political leaders and builders of raping and blackmailing her and forcing her into sex trade for a year.

This happened in Ranchi on Tuesday during Chief minister Raghubar Dass Seedhi Baat programme, a grievance redressal session where the CM addresses public complaints every Tuesday.

The chief minister ordered an inquiry by the CID into the case on a complaint filed by Jharkhand Human Rights Commission chief Manoj Mishra. The CM has sought a report within a month.

The survivor and her patrons were present during the Seedhi Baat and narrated her ordeal.

The survivors mother had filed a criminal writ petition in the high court demanding CBI probe on March 13 this year along with a list of 16 accused whom the girl had identified before the SSP during investigation, including the then MGM police station officer-in-charge Imdad Ansari and the then Patamda DSP Ajay Kerketta.

Mishra told the CM that the minor girl was gangraped and forced into prostitution and two police officers along with political leaders and builders were accused.

Police is trying to shield the accused, particularly the police officials, and their investigation is inadequate and on the wrong direction, hence we have filed this petition with the CM for ordering CBI probe, Mishra told the CM.

Jamshedpur senior superintendent of police Anoop Birthare, presenting police side of the case, told the CM that they have been investigating the case neutrally and arrested three named accused in the FIR Indrapal Saini, Shiv Mahato and Srikant Mahato and sent them to jail.

We had transferred accused MGM officer in-charge and Patamda DSP to Chaibasa and Ranchi headquarters. Weve recorded statements of 100 people but we dont have enough evidence to send other accused, named by the victim later, to jail. We also sent the three accused for brain mapping and narco analysis to Gandhinagar (Gujarat) where brain mapping was done of all the three accused and narco analysis was done of one of the accused, said Birthare.

The minor girl and her patrons told the CM that she identified the doctor who carried out her abortion, at a Sakchi based nursing home, and also provided video clip and audio clips of the same to the police but it has not mentioned in the charge sheet and case diary in lower court.

We also submitted audio clips of MGM officer in-charge Imdad Ansari and Patamda DSP Ajay Kerketta offering Rs 23 lakh to shut our mouth and even city SP offered to marry her off with one of the accused, the patron told the CM.

He also said one of the accused Aziz Mistry threatened and abused him in Mango Gramin Bank on Monday and all the influential accused are still roaming free, posing serious threat to him and his family, including the victim. Nanak had filed a complaint against Aziz with Jamshedpur city SP on Tuesday.A woman from Karnataka, who has been in the Mental Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre in Shimla for the past two years after her husband abandoned her in June 2016 in Mysuru, and she unknowingly reached Himachal Pradesh, will finally return to Karnataka and reunite with her family soon.

A five-member team from Karnataka, headed by Dr Manju Prasad, chief medical officer, Mysuru, has reached Shimla to complete the formalities of her return.

The Mysuru team has arrived here following the intervention of Karnataka chief minister Kumaraswamy after reports about the plight of the woman appeared in Kannad newspapers. The CM had directed deputy commissioner of Mysuru to make arrangements for the return of the woman to Karnataka.

Padma Sampatha, undergoing treatment for mental illness, had first reached Nagrota in Kangra district in June 2016. She was first hospitalised at the Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda, and later moved to the rehabilitation centre in Shimla.

Padma, who is illiterate and spoke only Kannad, did not remember how she reached Himachal's Nagrota town. She could not tell anybody about her family due to the language barrier.

Finally, some time ago, Suneela Sharma, a lecturer at the Rajiv Gandhi Degree College, Shimla, and a social activist, who knew Kannada, came into her contact. "I was moved to see her plight. Nobody understood that she was desperate to go back home. From her condition, it appeared that she was under emotional stress and was keen to return home. She only murmured the name of her village," said Suneela Sharma, who had been trying hard to trace her family in Karnataka.

Suneela, who is associated with Prayas, a social welfare organisation, that runs a wellness programme, contacted her Kannada-speaking television journalist in Delhi, who was able to trace her family. It was found that Padma hailed from Vaddar Hatti Bhoonali Channyara Pattan under Hassan police station in Karnataka.

After her family was traced, hospital authorities have established contact with the Karnataka government's health department for her return and rehabilitation.

Padma's mother has reportedly refused to take her back due to her poor condition. We have now asked the Karnataka government to explore the possibility or rehabilitating her," said Dr Sanjeev Pathak, medical superintendent of the hospital.

She is fine now. She only suffered from emotional trauma," said Pathak . She was reportedly abandoned by her husband in Mysuru. She was intoxicated and later robbed. When she gained consciousness all she remembered that she was sitting in a train and found herself in a Hindi-speaking area ," says Pathak.

Himachal chief minister Jai Ram Thalurs wife Sadhna Thakur, a doctor, who has her origin in Karnataka, also visited the hospital a few weeks ago and met Padma.The 20-year-old woman student who sold fish after college hours in Keralas Kochi and was trolled on social media seems to have come to the end of her run of bad luck. The Kerala Khadi Board has given Hanan Hamid the job of brand ambassador and a couple of filmmakers have offered her movie roles.

Hamid came into the public eye last month after the Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi carried a story about her struggle. Poverty had forced Hamid to sell flowers when she was 12, after her alcoholic father deserted the family. Her mother is being treated for a mental illness while her brother is in school. Her story struck a sympathetic chord with the people, but some social media users began to troll her in a vicious campaign, and said Hamid had cooked up her story.

We are planning to make Hanan the ambassador for our products... We hope she can attract youngsters well, said Kerala Khadi Board vice-chairperson Shobhana George after meeting Hamid on Tuesday.

Hamid called herself the Kerala governments daughter after meeting chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday.

Vijayan said the state government had assured her support. I advised her to surge ahead courageously and achieve her goals, he wrote on Facebook.Lawmakers across the political spectrum came together in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday to demand that the government bring a new law to replace the scrapped National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014.

The law amended the constitution and replaced the system of top judges of the Supreme Court (SC) making appointments to the higher judiciary. The top court struck it down in October 2015 as unconstitutional.

Deputy speaker M Thambi Durai triggered the discussion. He asked law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Who is supreme -- Parliament or Supreme Court? We are lawmakers. We have to find the solution. Judges are interpreters of the law, we are the lawmakers.

Prasad was responding to a query on judicial appointments while speaking on a bill to amend the commercial courts law.

The law minister responded by saying while the government had accepted the October 16, 2015 judgment, it had serious reservations about the reasoning the SC offered.

He said the court had said the law ministers presence in the National Judicial Appointments Commission would undermine the fairness in the process of appointing judges.

The SC collegium, a body of top judges headed by the Chief Justice of India, appoints high court (HC) and Supreme Court judges right now. In case of HC judges, three top judges constitute the collegium. For SC appointment, the collegium comprises five top judges.

Pinaki Misra of the Biju Janata Dal while criticising the proposed commercial courts amendment law raised the issue of vacancies in the higher judiciary.

The judiciary is not flourishing. It is becoming moribund, Misra said. He said the government should tweak the NJAC Act and bring it back in Parliament for passage.

N K Premchandran of the Revolutionary Socialist Party questioned the government over its lack of political will to take on the SC.

Calling the NJAC a balanced legislation, he asked Prasad to ensure that the government takes steps to bring in a law to streamline judicial appointments.

Saugata Roy of the Trinamool Congress and Congress MP KC Venugopal too castigated the government for not doing enough to assert the supremacy of Parliament in lawmaking. Roy called the scrapping of the NJAC a loss of face for Parliament.

Prasad responded to the demand by saying members had expressed the sense of the House and he would welcome a separate discussion on the issue.West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee met veteran BJP leader LK Advani at his chamber in Parliament on Wednesday and termed it a courtesy call.

Their meeting lasted 20 minutes.

I know Advaniji for a very long time. I went to enquire about his health. It was a courtesy call, Banerjee said after the meeting.

Suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad also came to meet her at the TMC office in Parliament, followed by Congress leaders Gulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel, and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav.

Her efforts to unite opposition leaders are commendable, Azad said after the meeting.

The West Bengal chief minister is expected to meet leaders of 14 opposition parties and some NDA allies in Parliament on Wednesday.West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will meet UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and several leaders from other parties on Wednesday as part of her efforts to forge an anti-BJP front and invite them for a mega rally to be held in Kolkata on January 19 next year.

The Trinamool chief will visit Parliament where she is expected to meet several opposition leaders before she meets Gandhi. Later, Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal is expected to call on her.

Banerjee met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and his daughter MP Supriya Sule, besides Ram Jethmalani, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha on Tuesday.

Banerjee is reaching out to several political parties during her four-day visit to the national capital to cobble an alliance of opposition parties to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be next year.

Banerjee, who was earlier seen wary of involving the Congress in any federal coalition to take on the BJP, has in recent weeks appeared to be more open to joining hands with the national party to consolidate the opposition forces.

The Kolkata rally is expected to help Banerjee catapult to the centre stage of national politics and also show her capacity to unite all opposition parties to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections next year.

Banerjee called for the ouster of the Narendra Modi government in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as she spoke at a Christian conclave in Delhi on Tuesday.

She cited the restive situation in Assam arising from the national register of citizens (NRC), public lynchings and atrocities against Dalits and minorities to drive home her point that the country needs a change.

Banerjee had recently met National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on the issue. Abdullah has maintained that the Congress has to be the backbone of the opposition unity with its chief Rahul Gandhi at the forefront of the campaign for the Lok Sabha polls.Several political parties and social organisations in Assam have criticised West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees claim that the exclusion of 40 lakh applicants from the complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was part of the Modi governments attempts to evict Biharis and Bengalis from the northeastern state.

The influx of illegal immigrants is a contentious issue in Assam, and the state has even witnessed a six-year agitation on the issue. Updation of the NRC in Assam is being done under the apex courts supervision.

The process of NRC updation is a foolproof one aimed at ensuring that no Indian is left out and no foreigner included. Mamata Banerjee does not have a clear idea of the mechanism involved and that is why she is making baseless statements, said senior Assam minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma. If she has any issues with the way the NRC process is being conducted, she should approach the SC.

Even leaders of the opposition Congress have downplayed Banerjees assertions. Theres no need for Mamata Banerjee to meddle in the affairs of Assam, because we are still alive. Congress will always take care of all Assamese, Bengali, Bihari, Gorkha, Hindu, Muslim and tribal people, former chief minister Tarun Gogoi said in a press conference.

The NRC is being updated in Assam for the first time after 1951. It aims to identify those who may have entered the state after March 25, 1971, a date agreed upon in the Assam Accord of 1985. Although the process began in 2015, when Gogoi was the chief minister, it received a big push after the BJP came to power in Assam for the first time in 2016 on the anti-illegal immigrant plank.

Everyone was expecting an error-free NRC but the complete draft released on Monday has several discrepancies. As the father of the NRC process, I would have been very happy if it was a correct draft, Gogoi said.

The All Assam Students Union (AASU), which led a six-year-long agitation against foreigners that culminated in the signing of the Assam Accord, also condemned Banerjees statement. Updating the NRC is the outcome of a long struggle by Assamese people to protect their land, language and identity from the threat posed by illegal immigrants. Mondays complete draft is one step in that direction, said AASU general secretary Lurin Jyoti Gogoi.

The statements made by Mamata Banerjee are unfortunate and not rooted in truth. We urge her to refrain from making such politically motivated and ill-informed remarks, he added.

Farmer activist Akhil Gogoi, who represents the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, also slammed the West Bengal chief minister for failing to understand the reality of the illegal immigration problem in Assam. She is raking up the issue to take away attention from the challenges she faces from the BJP in her state. Instead of using the NRC as an instrument for her political ends, she should visit Assam and understand the issue better, he said.

The Trinamool Congress defended Banerjees statement, arguing that her fears were justified. She isnt going against the Supreme Court but questioning the manner in which the state government is executing the NRC updation process. It is wrong to say that her comments are politically motivated. As the leader of a national party, she is concerned about the plight of the 40 lakh people kept out of the final draft, said Trinamool Congress (Assam) minority cell president Ashraful Arif Sikdar.Maratha outfits in the state have announced that they will launch a jail bharo andolan on Wednesday morning to press for reservations in government jobs and education.

According to a press note, the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) will take up this particular mode of agitation  which involves crowding of prisons  at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. About 150 members of the community will stage the protest, taking every precaution to ensure that there is no intrusion by outsiders.

We have provided the police with names of those participating in the protest to prevent unscrupulous elements from hijacking the protest. We will stage the andolan in a peaceful manner so that no more police cases are registered against the protesters, said MKM coordinator Amol Jadhavrao.

Jadhavarao said his group decided to stage the jail bharo agitation after it came to their attention that some coordinators involved in previous protests had joined hands with the government. We found that these individuals entered into negotiations with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Congress MLA Nitesh Rane named some of them on the social media. After that, we decided to go our own way. We will not compromise with the government until all our demands are fulfilled, said Jadhavrao.

The demands put forth by the MKM include a governmental decision on the Maratha quota at the earliest; withdrawal of cases against protesters; action against officers responsible for firing and lathi-charge during the July 25 protest; sacking of politicians who made irresponsible statements on the community; farm loan waivers; and justice in the Kopardi rape case. They also want due compensation for those killed or injured in the protests.

Another Maratha outfit  the Sakal Maratha Morcha (SMM)  has also lent its support to the agitation. The state government, despite its assurance of withdrawing criminal charges of vandalism and damaging public property against some protesters, has not taken any action. This is why we are holding the protest Mumbai tomorrow, said SMM leader Praveen Patil.

Mumbai police said adequate security arrangements have been made to maintain law and order during the agitation. Security has been beefed up in other parts of the state too.

Jadhavarao said the government has shown little other than tokenism in the all-party meet conducted late mast month, and there was still no official order in this regard.

On July 27, Fadnavis had invited party leaders of both the houses to a Vidhan Sabha meeting aimed at discussing the ongoing Maratha stir. He also chaired a meeting with BJP ministers and party legislators from the Maratha community to discuss the issue.

An MKM activist had succumbed to injuries suffered in clashes between police and protesters in Navi Mumbai on Monday. While two people have ended their lives to press for the reservation demand, another protester who attempted suicide is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The protests were largely calm on Tuesday, with 500 police personnel deployed in Chakan near Pune, which bore the brunt of the violence on July 30.

What is going on in the state today is deeply disturbing, Fadnavis said of the ongoing agitation. If we look at reservations only from an emotive angle, we will succeed only in fanning anger in the community. But, if we have to ensure reservation to the community, we must understand its legal aspects. Our stance is that reservation must be legally sound.

A 1992 Supreme Court order had stated that extraordinary circumstances and evidence of social backwardness of the community concerned must be shown if reservation is to be hiked over 50% per cent. Fadnavis said his government has set up a backward class commission to ensure reservation for the community based on this evidence.

The Congress-NCP government granted 16% reservation to the Maratha community in 2014, but it was struck down by the Bombay high court. No relief was granted by the apex court either.

The high court is now awaiting the backward class commissions submission on the matter.The clashes that erupted in the industrial town of Chakan on Monday came as a surprise to many, including the police, as Maratha protests across the state had been largely non-violent until then.

Police have now come to believe that the violence was pre-planned. They arrived at this conclusion after scrutinising video footage of the incidents that took place on Monday.

Police said they have identified around 15 people responsible for the violence, which caused damage to the tune of Rs 10 crore. The violence was planned in advance mostly by vandals who came to Chakan from outside with fuel cans and canes, they added.

As per our initial investigation, it is clear that some anti-social elements deliberately escalated the situation. A few of the video clips clearly show some protestors coming in with the intention of fomenting violence. They started pelting stones immediately after the protest march, said Sandip Patil, Pune superintendent of police. According to the police officers who scanned video footage with the help of locals, the vandals had come with fuel cans and canes.

According to Patil, most vandals seen in the footage appear to be from neighbouring districts.

A day after the violence, police booked around 5,000 people for the violence in which more than 100 vehicles were damaged, 30 torched and eight police personnel injured. The vandals blocked roads for hours and, consequently, around 1.5 lakh workers employed at Chakan were holed up in their offices till late evening.

Manohar Wadekar, convenor of the Maratha Kranti Morcha and organiser of Mondays Maratha protest in Chakan, said, We conducted our protest in a non-violent way. However, while we were on our way home, another group started pelting stones and indulging in arson. None of us participated in the violence.

Tejaswini Satpute, additional superintendent of police (Pune rural), said they are in the process of gathering CCTV footage from various parts of the city. We have also conducted a march in the city to keep law and order under control, she added.

Satpute was among the officers who sustained injuries in the violence.

Meanwhile, the condition of Ajay Bhapkar  another police officer injured in the protests  has stabilised. He was moved to Jehangir Hospital from Jai Hind Hospital at 1 am on Tuesday.Militants on Wednesday attacked an Indian Army patrol in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

No casualties were reported.

A patrol party of armys 34 Rashtriya Rifles unit at Check-e-Cholan was fired upon by some unidentified militants, a police official said.

The area has been cordoned off, he said, adding that further details are awaited.The Union cabinets decision to clear a bill restoring the provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, takes the pressure off the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies ahead of the crucial elections, two leaders from the ruling alliance said.

The decision helps the BJP deflate the Oppositions campaign about the ruling party being anti-Dalit and provides relief to some of its unnerved allies, the first leader said. We have made a statement with the bill, he said, requesting anonymity. Our commitment to protecting their (SC and ST) rights is complete and total.

The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), an ally of the BJP from Bihar, had upped the ante and demanded the government take corrective measures to reverse a March 20 judgment of the Supreme Court that banned immediate arrests under the SC/ST Act. It was joined by others such as Union minister Ramdas Athawale and Upendra Kushwaha.

The LJP, headed by Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, was at the forefront of protests recently, and had demanded a bill be brought before a nationwide protest given by Dalit groups on August 9.

A similar protest on April 2 had left nine people dead across three states. Dalits accounts for nearly 16% and tribals about 9 % of Indias population and have a sizeable presence in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where assembly elections are due later this year.

The Congress is looking to ally with Bahujan Samaj Party, headed by Dalit leader Mayawati, in these states.

The BJP declined to comment formally on the decision as Parliament is in session and party leaders said a formal announcement will be made in the House.

There was clarity in the government that rights of the SC and ST needs to be protected, a BJP office bearer said on the condition of anonynity. Such a bill could have come only after certain legal and administrative procedures were complete. There was no doubt in the minds of the government or the party.

A second BJP leader said the party was conscious of the anti-Dalit charge that the Opposition had levelled, and that a corrective decision was necessary. Our allies who have support base among Dalits were at unease. It will provide relief for them too, the second leader said on the condition of anonymity.

Paswan expressed happiness over the historical decision and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi. No preliminary inquiry will be required before registering FIR in the case of SC and ST. No prior permission will be required to arrest the accused, Paswan said, sharing details of the bill that, he said, will be brought in the current session of Parliament.

The LJP president also asserted that all issues are closed now and heaped praise on Modi for his several pro-Dalit measures and said his partys planned protests on August 9 will now turn into a celebrationA tribal couple was abducted, beaten up, tonsured and made to drink urine by the womans family for marrying against their wishes in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on July 25 in Hardaspur village of the tribal district, some 350km west of state capital Bhopal, but came to the fore after a video clip of the incident went viral on social media on Tuesday forcing the police to intervene.

Ambua police station in charge Vikas Kapees said Keram Singh and Durbais 19-year-old daughter Nanki eloped with Ramesh alias Hitesh, 21, who lived in the same village, around two and a half months ago.

Singh is a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Durbai a former village sarpanch.

A tribal panchayat was convened according to tradition and it ordered Rameshs father to pay Rs 70,000 and two goats as bride price. Rameshs father paid the bride price.

The couple went to Gujarat to work as labourers and came back on July 24 for a family function.

They were sleeping in Rameshs uncles house on July 25 when Keram Singh, his brother Maal Singh and Vaal Singh and three others barged in at 4am and forced the couple to accompany them to their house at gunpoint.

They tied Ramesh to a post and beat him up, partially disrobed Nanki and cut her hair. They also forced the couple to drink urine to humiliate them further.

Nanki and Ramesh said they did not expect this behaviour as the bride price was paid and elopement was a part of their tribal custom.

Ramesh filed a complaint and a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code was registered against six people.

Alirajpurs superintendent of police Vipul Shrivastava said Maal Singh and another person has been arrested and police are looking for the others.Doctors at a government-run hospital in West Bengals Kolkata have removed nine needles from the throat of a 14-year-old girl from the states Nadia district after a four-hour surgery.

The girl from Krishnagar was brought to Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital on Monday and was operated upon the next day.

Surgeons could not say how the needles were lodged inside her throat as the girl was not in a condition to speak. Hospital authorities said the needles were not swallowed by the girl but were inserted from outside.

Ear-nose-throat (ENT) surgeon Manoj Mukherjee said while speaking to reporters that the needles were stuck in the muscles of the girls neck and did not penetrate the food pipe.

The girls parents refused to speak to the media.

She was taken to the district hospital after she complained of a pain in her throat on July 29. Doctors at the district hospital found one needle at the back of her throat and eight near the food pipe after an x-ray.

The girls neighbours in Krishnagar alleged that a soothsayer might be behind the incident.

The elder brother of the girl died about three years ago. Then the couple adopted a baby girl, who too, died. Following these two mishaps in the family, their daughter went into a depression, a neighbour, who requested anonymity, said.

We suspect her parents took her to a soothsayer to bring her back into normal life, the neighbour added.Bangladesh on Tuesday called the exclusion of over 40 lakh people in Assam from the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) Indias local internal matter with ethnic undertones. It said New Delhi has not even once in the 48 years of Bangladeshs existence ever raised the issue of illegal immigrants with Dhaka.

Firstly, we see this as an internal, local political issue with Indian state of Assam. It has nothing to do with Bangladesh. The Indian government has not discussed this issue with us, nor do we have any intention to take it up with India as it is an internal matter of India, our friendly neighbour, Bangladesh information minister Hasanul-Haque Inu said in an interview with HT.

No. As I said, it is a local political issue, he said when asked for his view about references to Bangladesh vis-a-vis illegal migrants despite enjoying good ties with India. So the local leaders would talk about it. At the same time, it is an age-old ethnic issue that needs to be addressed.

Watch: Mamta Banerjee slams NRC draft

He insisted there are no illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India. Again, I am not telling you how issues get reflected in a local political discourse. But the fact of the matter is that there is no illegal immigrant from Bangladesh in India. This issue, let me stress, has never been discussed between us and India in the past 48 years.

He said Bangladesh had 10 million refugees in India during the liberation war with Pakistan. We are grateful to India for hosting them. They were subsequently repatriated or let us say the matter was addressed under the mutually agreed terms and jointly between the two countries.

He said Bangladesh sees Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a secular, democratic, liberal and inclusive leader would anyway address issues of ethnic conflicts.

Separately, Union minister Kiren Rijiju told Parliament only 39 Bangladeshi nationals had entered Assam illegally and they have been deported over the last two years. He added Bangladesh recently verified nationality and issued travel documents for deportation of 53 Bangladeshi nationals, including one minor, who were lodged in Assams detention camps.Democracy our biggest strength: Najma Heptulla

Our democracy is our biggest strength. It has been 70 years since independence, and we have showed the world that there is unity in diversity: Manipur governor Najma Heptulla, after being conferred Outstanding Parliamentarians Award for the year 2013, at Central Hall, Parliament House.

Govt has the least to lose due to Parliament disruptions: Modi

The government has the least to lose due to disruptions in Parliament and it is the country which loses the most: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing an event at the central hall of Parliament to confer the best parliamentarian awards for the years 2014 to 2017.

Outstanding Parliamentarians Award to Ghulam Nabi Azad

President Ram Nath Kovind presents Outstanding Parliamentarians Award for the year 2015 to Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, at Central Hall, Parliament House.

Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind presents Outstanding Parliamentarians Award for the year 2015 to Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, at Central Hall, Parliament House. pic.twitter.com/kIBUcw1bGo  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

Kovind presents Outstanding Parliamentarians Award

President Ram Nath Kovind presents Outstanding Parliamentarians Award for the year 2013 to Najma Heptulla, at Central Hall, Parliament House.

Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind presents Outstanding Parliamentarians Award for the year 2013 to Dr Najma Heptulla, at Central Hall, Parliament House. pic.twitter.com/feS46sKOMc  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

Never spoke about civil war: Mamata

I am not BJPs servant to reply to any of their statements. I didnt say this (civil war remark), my concern is regarding the 40 lakh people whose names are not in the list (NRC). BJP is politically tensed because they know they wont come to power in 2019: Mamata Banerjee

Discussed about united opposition with Sonia: Mamata

We discussed current politics and the possibility of all of us contesting elections together in future. We also discussed the NRC issue: Mamata Banerjee after meeting Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi

Rahul present at Mamata-Sonia meet

UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Congress President @RahulGandhi met CM of West Bengal, @MamataOfficial. pic.twitter.com/wShHXX4rvQ  Congress (@INCIndia) August 1, 2018

Mamata at Sonia Gandhis residence

Mamata Banerjee arrives at Sonia Gandhis residence, reports ANI.

Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrives at Sonia Gandhi's residence. pic.twitter.com/8w907q1pPx  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

Modi to inaugurate 650 IPPB branches

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon inaugurate India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) operations with 650 branches across the country, communications minister Manoj Sinha said. IPPB will have 1.55 lakh access points, of which 1.30 lakh will be in rural areas, and will work like a bank, he said in the Lok Sabha.

Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh not allowed to speak: Javadekar

Today Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh were not allowed to speak in Rajya Sabha. This was a planned strategy by the opposition. Congress and TMC dont want to let the House run: Union minister Prakash Javadekar.

Changing norms for private participation in railways: Goyal

The government is changing the norms for private sector participation in the modernisation of railway stations, railways minister Piyush Goyal says in Lok Sabha.

Mamata meets Deve Gowda

Mamata Banerjee meets former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda at Karnataka Bhawan in New Delhi, reports ANI.

Delhi: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee meets former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda at Karnataka Bhawan pic.twitter.com/d9gUEnz0Zr  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

No border dispute with Myanmar: Rijiju

The government said there is no border dispute between India and Myanmar and the demarcation of nine pillars is being worked out in a complete understanding with the neighbouring country. Rejecting reports about border dispute and destroying of pillars in the Manipur region as false, minister of state for Home Kiren Rijiju said in Rajya Sabha that a high-level central team has already visited the spot and reported that there is no dispute on the issue.

NRC restricted only to Assam: Ram Madhav

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav says NRC is restricted only to Assam.

Mamata dismisses talks of her being PM candidate

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee seeks to dismiss talk of her being a Prime Ministerial candidate, saying her priority was the ousting of the BJP government at the Centre for which the opposition should come together.

I am nobody. I am a very simple worker. Let me just continue as a commoner. I want that this government must go, this BJP government. They are doing maximum political vendetta and atrocities with the people. So we want that everybody should be united. Let us work together, dont think of Prime Ministerial candidate. Think of the country, she told the media in Parliament House.

Military faces shortage of over 9,000 officers: Minister

The three armed forces face a shortage of over 9,096 officers, with the Army topping the list, the Lok Sabha was informed today. In a written response to a question in the Lower House, minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre said as on January 1, 2018, the authorised strength of officers in Army was 49,933, but it has 42,635 officers, which is 7,298 short of the sanctioned strength.

Only pro-Dalit party can form govt in 2019: BJP MP

BJP MP and Dalit leader Savitri Bai Phule demanded a debate in Parliament to strengthen the SC/ST Act which, she said, has been made ineffectual by the Supreme Court judgement and asserted that only a pro-Dalit party will form the next government at the Centre.

NRC will destroy Indo-Bangla friendship: Mamata

Mamata Banerjee accuses BJP of playing vote-bank politics, warns NRC issue will destroy Indias relationship with Bangladesh.

24,000 second appeals pending with CIC: Govt

Nearly 24,000 second appeals and complaints are pending with transparency watchdog Central Information Commission (CIC), the government said today. The CIC has informed that 23,978 second appeals/complaints are pending as on July 26, 2018, minister of state for personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Bill in Lok Sabha to bring down commercial dispute value

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday took up for discussion a Bill that seeks to bring down the specified value of commercial disputes from the existing Rs 1 crore each to Rs 3 lakh for improving Indias standing in the ease of doing business.

Mamata Banerjee meets Jaya Bachchan, Shiv Senas Sanjay Raut

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee meets Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan in Parliament.

Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee met Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan inside Parliament. pic.twitter.com/eO4yMVxGEC  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

Rajya Sabha adjourned following uproar by TMC members

Rajya Sabha is adjourned for the day as Trinamool Congress and other opposition members raise slogans in the Well of the House. Home minister Rajnath Singh attempts to reply to the debate but he cannot be heard as some MPs protest loudly.

Seems like conspiracy in not letting House function: Naidu

It seems a conspiracy... not letting the House function by creating controversy... You are doing something which is not acceptable in parliamentary system: Venkaiah Naidu.

TMC protests in the Well, demands PM Modi to speak

Trinamool Congress members protest in the Well of the House and demand PM Modi to speak on the Assam NRC draft list. Members are not allowing Amit Shah to speak. Chairman says the move is unbecoming of Parliament members.

Rajya Sabha resumes

Rajya Sabha proceedings resume.

Lok Sabha adjourned till 2:05 pm

Lok Sabha is adjourned, to meet at 2:05 pm.

RS adjourned to meet at 2 pm

Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu says statement on the Assam NRC draft will be heard after the House reassembles at 2 pm. Naidu informs a total of 12 questions were taken up during Question Hour.

Cong MP alleges Bengalis beaten up along Assam-Meghlaya border

Congress MP from Assams Silchar, Sushmita Dev, enters the Well and alleges that some Bengalis were beaten up along the Assam- Meghalaya border after the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published and sought their safety.

Bengalis are being beaten up along the Assam-Meghlaya border. We want security to 40 lakh people who were excluded from the NRC. What is the government doing? People are scared. Who will give them security, she asks.

Is Mamata aware there are illegal immigrants in WB, asks Roopa Ganguly

Is she aware that there are a lot of illegal immigrants in West Bengal? As it is what is happening in West Bengal today, is it any less than bloodbath or civil war? Doesn't she know that every other day BJP karyakartas are being killed: Rupa Ganguly, BJP on WB CM #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/adF4PAHwio  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

Mamata meets LK Advani, Congress leaders in Parliament

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee meets veteran BJP leader L K Advani.

Suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad also came to meet her at the TMC office in Parliament, followed by Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel, and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav.

#WATCH: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee meets senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani in Parliament. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/5YbkKDUXj3  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

Mamata Banerjee outside Parliament building

HT Photo/Vipin Kumar

The Centre and the industry favour inclusion of petroleum products in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) but the GST Council will take a final call on it, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan says in Rajya Sabha.

Question Hour starts in Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha reassembles after uproar in the House over the Assam NRC draft. Opposition calls for Home minister Rajnath Singh to address the House, chairman proceeds with Question Hour.

Companies cannot use data to influence elections: Ravi Shankar Prasad

IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, replying to question on action taken against companies for data breach, says companies cannot use data to influence elections in India. He says govt supports freedom of social media, but tough action will be taken against elements that are related to terrorism. The minister says all social media platforms should comply with Indian laws and no fake news can be circulated in India.

Sushma Swaraj says no specific issues discussed in Wuhan

In Lok Sabha, TMC member Sugata Bose asks if Doklam issue was raised during PM Modis informal summit in China.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj says the Wuhan summit was to increase mutual trust and cooperation and no specific topic was discussed. Doklam issue has been resolved through diplomatic maturity, she adds.

PM Modi present in Lok Sabha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi present in Lok Sabha today.

Rajya Sabha adjourned

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12 pm as uproar breaks out after RS chairman Venkaiah Naidu asks Amit Shah to conclude his statement from yesterday. Shah says Congress can raise more Point of Orders after he finishes speaking before House is adjourned.

Rajya Sabha chairman appeals for smooth functioning of House

Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu appeals for smooth functioning of House citing instance of yesterdays adjournment.

I was very upset yesterday when some members ran menacingly towards the well of the house, I hope it will not be repeated. I don't want to name anybody, house should function smoothly: Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/DCV8bBgSmq  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

Congress wants Amit Shahs Tuesdays speech on NRC expunged

Without naming anyone, Congress member Anand Sharma raises a point of order and insists on removal of certain comments made by Amit Shah yesterday in the Upper House.

Sharma says Shah, during his speech on the NRC debate, had termed all prime ministers in office after late Rajiv Gandhi as buzdil (cowards).

Parliament proceedings begin

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings begin

TDP MPs continue protest demanding special status for AP

TDP MPs continue their protest in Parliament demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. #MonsoonSession pic.twitter.com/WICTaeNw1Q  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

Congress MP gives zero hour notice in LS over NRC draft

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has given zero hour notice in Lok Sabha over NRC Assam draft, reports ANI.A private tutor was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly raping at least five minor students in over two years in Odishas Deogarh district, police said.

The man was arrested from Taleisar village in Kundheigola area after the mother of a girl lodged a complaint on Tuesday against the 44-year-old man accusing him of the crime, police said.

The man, who gave private tuitions to students at his residence, used to take the girls to a different room on the pretext of giving special classes and sexually abused them there, a police officer said.

The tortured girls are aged between 8 and 15 years, he said.

Though the tutor had been committing the crime for over two years and some girls had spoken to their parents about it, none of them lodged any complaint and chose to pull out their wards from the tuitions.

When the man abused another girl on Tuesday, her parents confronted him. Parents of other girls who had been abused too came forward and complained to the police, he said.

Following the complaints, the teacher was arrested, inspector in-charge of Kundheigola police station Ratnakar Mallick said. An investigation has been launched and five girls have been sent for medical examination, he added.A central government teams investigation of a how a tent collapsed during Prime Minister Narendra Modis rally in West Bengals Midnapore on July 16 has accused local authorities of lapses.

Adequate cooperation was not provided to the Prime Ministers advance security liaison team, according to the central teams report, officials said on Wednesday. The report, which was submitted to the union home ministry, suggested that not enough state police personnel were deployed within the five km radius of the Prime Ministers function.

The central team also submitted that the Special Protection Group (SPG) secures the inner arch of the Prime Minister and the responsibility of giving security in the outer layers rests with the state government. Local authorities failed in the second task, an official said.

The investigation has also found that proper logistical help was not given to the advance security liaisoning team which visited the state two weeks before the Prime Ministers visit.

During their interactions with the state government officials, the findings of the team was refuted by the local authorities saying it had deputed 1,000 personnel for Modis rally and all cooperation was offered to the advance security team, another official said.

The makeshift tent, erected next to the main entrance of the rally venue to shelter people from rain, collapsed when Modi was midway through his speech.

Modi later visited the hospital where the injured, including 50 women, were undergoing treatment.Congress president Rahul Gandhi will launch his Madhya Pradesh election campaign with a visit to Omkareshwar temple, one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva, in September, a party leader familiar with developments said on Tuesday.

The decision was taken at a meeting between Gandhi and states Congress leaders, said the leader who also attended.

Apart from public and corner meetings, Gandhi had fashioned his Gujarat and Karnataka poll campaigns with temple visits, a move that prompted his political rivals to charge him with playing soft Hindutva.

Congress general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Deepak Babaria said the meeting  also attended among others by state chief Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Digvijaya Singh, Arun Yadav, Ajay Singh, Suresh Pachauri and Vivek Tankha  was held to give a final shape to Gandhis campaign, including his road shows and the bus yatra.

There has been intense speculation that the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will join hands in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh elections.

Nath had last week said the Congress was keen to prevent any division of Opposition votes in the state and negotiations were on with the BSP to firm up the alliance. We do not want division of votes. Obviously, our efforts will be to have a workable, feasible and winnable alliance, he said.

Asked how many seats the Congress was willing to concede to the BSP, he said, We shouldnt start with numbers. We should go seat by seat where we can win and the number of seats which we can together win to defeat the BJP is the number of seats we will talk about. Nath said the two parties are negotiating and more discussions take place. That takes time, he added.The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the third straight day on Wednesday amid protests by Congress and Trinamool Congress members over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft Assam list that excluded four million residents of the northeastern state who had sought inclusion in it.

As soon as the House assembled, Congress MP Anand Sharma demanded that certain comments made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah during a discussion on the NRC a day earlier be expunged.

Shah had said the Assam Accord signed by then PM Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 with organisations campaigning for identification and deportation of illegal migrants in the state was the soul of NRC and unlike the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had the courage to implement it.

Sharma said Shah had dubbed all PMs who had succeeded Gandhi as cowards, adding that the BJPs Atal Bihari Vajpayee, too, was one of his successors. Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he would examine the records, calling upon Shah to complete his statement that was interrupted on Tuesday.

But angry members did not let Shah speak, forcing the Chair to adjourn proceedings until question hour.

Trouble erupted after the House reassembled post-lunch, with Trinamool members disrupting proceedings.

Trinamools Sukhendu Shekhar Roy raised a point of order as the Chair asked Shah to conclude his speech.

Roy said, Here, in this case, one honourable member has already spoken. How can he speak twice?

Soon Trinamool MPs stormed the well of the House even as Naidu said he had allowed Shah to speak.

As the protests continued, Naidu said, Are we at the mercy of one party (Trinamool)?

Shah said he was ready to let go of the opportunity to speak if it caused so much fear. Shah urging Naidu to ask Home minister Rajnath Singh to make a statement.

The members, however, did not let the minister speak, prompting Rajnath Singh to say that he could table his entire speech as some members did not wish to hear their reply.

As some members do not want the debate to continue... I would like to thank the home minister for continuously coming here for three days, M Venkaiah Naidu said, adjourning the Rajya Sabha.At the end of August the top leadership of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) led by its chief Mohan Bhagwat will gather for a three-day meeting in Andhra Pradesh where they will take stock of political and social issues likely to dominate the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls in four states.

The meeting, according to these functionaries, will also be attended by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah, who is also expected to give an account of the political situation in the country and the progress made by the party on issues that were identified as areas of concern at a similar meeting a year ago. Senior leaders of some of the RSS affiliates will also be present.

According to two functionaries aware of the development, among the issues that will come up for discussion are the prevalence and spread of Maoism, regional political issues, increasing Dalit discontent; the BJPs recent decision to pull out of the coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, and the emerging rainbow coalition of Opposition parties. In 2017, such a meeting was held in Uttar Pradeshs Vrindavan, where the RSS-BJP brass had discussed issues such as violence against the cadre in Kerala and West Bengal, governance issues in Haryana and UP where so-called cow vigilantes were accused of perpetuating violent attacks, and Indias China policy following the Doklam standoff.

Some issues were raised and the party was asked to formulate steps to address these concerns. They were also asked to control negative perception building up against the Sangh as well as the Modi government. At the meeting, the leadership will take stock of what has been accomplished in the past year and will also chart the future course of action, said one functionary on condition of anonymity. An issue raised at the last meeting was the continued attacks against security personnel in Kashmir and the efforts underway by the government to curb terror funding and support.

Since the BJP was in a coalition government, concerns were raised on the situation, especially the barbaric attacks against security personnel, of both the armed forces and the state police. Now the situation is different, the state is under governors rule; there is likely to be a presentation on the issues related to the State, said another functionary.

The upcoming meeting in Andhra Pradesh was preceded by coordination meetings between the RSS and BJP top bosses in May in the national capital, where the RSS-BJP leadership received feedback from the affiliates and also heard their concerns over key policy issues.Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is in the eye of a political storm over the demand of a separate state, has said he has plans and programmes for north Karnataka in an attempt to ward off allegations of discrimination by organisations representing the region.

Kumaraswamy said his government was committed to the regions development and termed the issue a conspiracy by political opponents ahead of next years Lok Sabha polls.

Consider me as one among you (people of north Karnataka) ... Some people want to create a distance between us by indulging in false propaganda. I have plans and programmes to earn your love and affection, Kumaraswamy said on Tuesday while meeting representatives of outfits demanding a separate north Karnataka state.

The chief minister said his government is planning to shift some offices to Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in north Karnataka and that plans are on to shift several other offices, including the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam, to the region.

There are two upa lokayuktas in the state. I have plans to shift one upa lokayukta to Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. Then there are about five or six RTI commissioners. Among them, I plan to shift three to northern districts - one to Kalaburagi and other two to Belagavi Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, Kumaraswamy said.

He said he had already made plans to shift some offices from Bengaluru and ensure the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi functions all around the year actively.

Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi modelled on the lines of the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat and legislature in Bengaluru, functions only during the winter session of the state legislature and is shut during the rest of the year.

The chief minister made the comments while meeting the representatives of outfits that have called for a day-long shutdown in 13 districts of north Karnataka on August 2.

The Uttara Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti (North Karnataka Separate Statehood Protest Committee) has alleged discrimination in the allocation of funds for the region in the budget presented by Kumaraswamy on July 5 as well as inadequate representation in the cabinet.

Kumaraswamy also blamed public representatives from the region for the current state of north Karnataka and said he has never differentiated between the north and south as he listed various initiatives taken by him for the region during his earlier stint at the post.

He also rejected the charge that his budget concentrated only on certain districts of south Karnataka.

The chief minister sought time to address the issues faced by the region and urged for at least a years time, without any disturbance, to carry out various works.

Im ready to work for 24 hours. I will not sit quiet, he said.

I dont want to talk about who did what in the past. What I know is that now I have got the opportunity and will take complete responsibility for developing north Karnataka, whether it is industries, irrigation or infrastructure, he added.

He blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for raising the demand for separate north Karnataka state.

As I have waived Rs 49,000 crore farm loans, the BJP is unable to digest it. They want some issue for Parliament election and are hence raising this issue, he said.

The BJPs state unit president BS Yeddyurappa has said the chief minister was indulging in a divide and rule policy and squarely blamed him for the demand for a separate state.The Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government on Tuesday decided to hold students union elections in Haryana colleges and universities in September-October, in a step that will bring back the political activity in educational institutions two decades after it was stopped by the Haryana Vikas Party government.

In the run up to October 2014 assembly elections and in a bid to reach out to the college and university-going youth, the BJP had promised in its manifesto that if voted to power, it will revoke the ban on student elections.

Fixing the schedule to hold student union elections is yet another step of the first ever Haryana BJP government that has been pulling all the stops to galvanise its cadre for the Lok Sabha polls by launching a plethora of programmes to plug with the people.

It is after 20 years that the students will elect their union leaders in colleges and universities. The students union elections will be held in the last week of September or in the first week of October. The ABVP delegation met chief minister and me on Tuesday at Chandigarh after which we took this decision, education minister Ram Bilas Sharma told Hindustan Times.

CM Khattar and education minister Sharma, who held a video conference with all deputy commissioners (DCs) and superintendents of police (SPs) to review the arrangements of Kanwar Yatra, also directed the officers to make arrangements and ensure that the student body elections are held peacefully.

Jitender Bharadwaj, registrar of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) Rohtak, said: Student elections are beneficial as it enhances leadership qualities among them and gives them new opportunities to explore. But as a university, we will have to be careful and ensure the campus environment remains academic and no violence takes place here.

Meanwhile, Indian National Students Organisation (INSO), the students wing of the principal opposition party Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), dismissed the governments decision as a diversionary tactics to scuttle August 5 rally of the INSO in which the youth body was set to announce its state-wide agitation for holding students body polls.

There are over 7 lakh students studying in colleges and universities across the state. As per official figures, there are 227 colleges  147 government and 80 government-aided. Haryana has 12 state government-run universities, four central universities, 28 deemed and 19 private universities.

The education minister said the government had set up a committee of vice-chancellors (V-Cs) of different universities of the state to implement this poll promise. He said a foolproof system will be put in place to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections.

Meanwhile, INSO president Digvijay Singh Chautala said the timing of the government announcing this decision was very suspicious. We had given the ultimatum to the government to hold student body elections. Tuesdays announcement tantamounts to scuttle our Kaithal rally on August 5. We had said in advance that in this rally, we will announce our state-wide agitation programme against the governments dilly-dallying tactics in holding student body elections. We will not let this government mislead the students, Chautala said.A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court will examine whether its 12-year-old verdict that had dealt with the issue of creamy layer for reservations to SC and ST categories in government job promotions needs to be re-visited by a seven-judge bench.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Kurian Joseph, R F Nariman, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Indu Malhotra will hear the issue on August 3.

The apex court had on July 11 refused to pass any interim order against its 2006 verdict and said that a five-judge bench would first see whether it needs to be examined by a seven-judge bench or not.

The apex court had said it cannot hear the matter only for the purpose of interim relief as a reference has already been made to the Constitution bench.

The M Nagaraj verdict of 2006 had held that the creamy layer concept cannot be applied to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for promotions in government jobs, like two earlier verdicts of 1992 Indra Sawhney and others versus Union of India (popularly called Mandal Commission verdict) and 2005 E V Chinnaiah versus State of Andhra Pradesh which had dealt with creamy layer in Other Backward Classes category.

The Centre had submitted that the matter required urgent consideration by a seven-judge Constitution bench as lakhs of jobs in Railways and the services were stuck due to confusion over various judicial pronouncements.

On June 5, in a major relief to the Centre, the apex court had allowed it to go ahead with reservations in promotion for SC/ST employees in accordance with law.

The top court had took into account the Centres submissions that the entire process of promotions had come to a standstill due to the orders of various high courts and the top court had also ordered status quo in a similar matter in 2015. It had said the Centre was not debarred from making promotions.

The government had said there were separate verdicts by the high courts of Delhi, Bombay and Punjab and Haryana on the issue of reservation in promotion to SC/ST employees and the apex court had also passed different orders on appeals filed against those judgement.

On November 15 last year, the top court had said a five-judge constitution bench will examine the limited issue of whether the 2006 verdict delivered in M Nagaraj and other versus Union of India was required to be re-looked at or not.

The two-judge bench in its reference order had said that clarity was required on the applications in creamy layer in a situation of competing claims within the same races, communities or groups.

It had sought clarification on Articles 16(4), 16(4A) and 16(4B) of the Constitution which dealt with the power of state government to make provisions for reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which was not adequately represented in the services under the state.

The Nagaraj verdict had reiterated that the ceiling-limit of 50 per cent, the concept of the creamy layer and the compelling reasons like backwardness, inadequacy of representation and overall administrative efficiency were all constitutional requirements, without which the structure of equality of opportunity in Article 16 would collapse.

It had also said the state was not bound to make reservation for SC/ST in matter of promotions.Four people had a narrow escape after their car fell into a nearly 20-feet deep ditch created after a portion of a service road caved in along the Agra-Lucknow Expressway on Wednesday morning following heavy rains, police said.

The incident took place at 6am near Wazidpur Pulia, about 16km from Agra. Though the driver applied brakes, the vehicle slipped into the ditch. All the occupants of the vehicle, who were on their way for Kannauj from Mumbai, are safe, in-charge of Doki police station in Agra Nitin Kasana said.

Rachit Kumar, the driver of the SUV, said they were coming from Mumbai after buying the car and tracing the route through Google. Kumar said they got into the service road after losing the internet connection.

I applied brakes as soon as I saw that the road ahead had caved in but our car slipped into it, he said.

The state government asked railways consultancy firm RITES Limited to carry out an inquiry into the incident and submit its report within 15 days.

The construction of the damaged road will be done by the construction agency at its cost, Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) chairman Avanish Awasthi said.

The government asked the construction agency to carry out the repair work. It also directed all the agencies to take precautionary measures after heavy rains in the state.

Constructed by UPEIDA in a record time of 23 months, the Agra-Lucknow Expressway  an ambitious project of the Samajwadi Party government  was inaugurated by former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on November 21, 2016.

It is the countrys longest access-controlled greenfield expressway on which the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters jets can land and take-off in case of an emergency.

The six-lane expressway, considered to be the longest in India, has cut down the travel time between the two cities from seven hours to three-and-a-half hours but accidents and mishaps have remained a cause for concern.

A query filed under the right to information act by activist KC Jain revealed that at least 100 people have died in 853 accidents between August 2017 and March 2018, the primary reason being over-speeding by drivers.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath recently ordered a probe after deep pits were found on the Inner Ring Road connecting National Highway 2 with Gwalior Road in Agra.Anger against the exclusion of over four million people from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) list in Assam spilled onto the roads and railway tracks of neighbouring West Bengal on Wednesday, with members of the Matua community waylaying trains at over a dozen spots in the North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts.

The Matuas also obstructed the national highway-6 connecting Kolkata and Mumbai at Chandrapur in Howrah district, about 55 km from Kolkata. They raised slogans against BJP leaders, including state party president Dilip Ghosh, who promised to carry out the exercise in Bengal too if elected to power.

Leaders of the Namasudra community  of whom Matuas are a part  said this was just a token agitation. They have threatened to scale it up over the next few days.

The Matuas are a community of five million migrants from Bangladesh who settled in the North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Cooch Behar, Birbhum and Burdwan districts. They come under the scheduled caste category.

The agitation began around 8-8.30 am at Dumdum, Sodepur, Titagarh, Palta, Halisahar, New Barrackpore, Madhyamgram, Barasat, Thakurnagar and Bhaybla in North 24 Parganas district and Chakdah, Bagula, Badkulla in Nadia district. The agitators beat drums and waved the red triangular flags of their community in some places. Banners held up by them accused the BJP of conspiring to evict Bengalis from Assam.

Millions of daily passengers were inconvenienced as the blockade continued till 11 am.

According to state food and supplies minister Jyotipriyo Mullick, the protest was a culmination of the communitys expression of solidarity towards those ignored in the NRC list as well as fears triggered by BJP leaders.

Others charged the ruling BJP of discriminating among migrants on the basis of religion. Taking care of Hindu migrants from Bangladesh is our utmost responsibility. It is as per the words uttered by our leaders during Independence, Ghosh had said in a tweet on Wednesday.

Illegal immigrants (muslim) 4m Bdesh r changing our overall demography,socio-economics.Youth are moving 2wards Western Bharat in search of jobs since those illegal migrants are taking our places, the BJP leader said in another tweet.

Mukul Chandra Bairagyo, working president of the Sarva Bharatiya Namashudra Vikash Parishad, promised to continue the agitation until the decision is reversed. Bigger protest programmes will be announced ahead of Independence Day, he said. We can feel the pain and anxiety of those left out of the Assam list. Wednesdays protest was just a token one. We will scale up the agitation if the list is not withdrawn.Eleven minor girls, including five-year-olds, were rescued by the police in the famous temple town of Yadagirigutta in Telanganas Yadadri Bhongir district from sex traffickers, who allegedly administered sex hormones to them so that they could attain early puberty and pushed into flesh trade.

Eight alleged traffickers from the Dommari community were arrested after a raid on six brothels at Ganeshnagar area of the town on Monday afternoon, Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagawat said while speaking to reporters on Tuesday.

Bhagawat said following a tip-off from a local resident, who heard the cries of a girl from one of the brothels, the Yadagirigutta police along with SHE teams, Special Operations Team and officials from Integrated Child Development Scheme raided the house of Kamsani Kalyani and found two girls.

While one of them was Kalyanis daughter, the authorities, on questioning the accused, found that the other girl was bought from child traffickers. Police raided five other houses following the information given by Kalyani and rescued the 11 girls, including four seven-year-olds.

The police said the children were administered hormonal injections by one Dr Swamy so that they could attain early sexual maturity. Dr Swamy charged the traffickers Rs 25,000 for each injection, Bhagawat said.

They also found that the girls were physically tortured and were not given proper food if they did not succumb to their pressures.

They were kept in confinement and the accused were running the flesh trade for around four years. After proper inquiry, PD Act will be initiated against all the accused persons, apart from closing their houses, the commissioner said.

The accused have been identified as Kamsani Kalyani (25), Kamsani Anitha (30), Kamsani Susheela (60), Kamsani Narsimha (23), Kamsani Sruthi (25), Kamsani Saritha (50), Kamsani Vani (28) and Kamsani Vamshi (20)  all residents of the Yadadri Bhongir district.

The traffickers had bought some children from two agents Krishna Shankar and Kamsani Yadagiri for amounts ranging up to Rs 2 lakh each. Some others were picked up from railway stations, bus stations and other public places also, the commissioner said.

The police booked cases against the accused under Sections 366A (procuration of minor girl), 371(1)(v) (Habitual dealing in slaves), 376 (rape) read with 114 (abettor present when offence is committed), 372 (selling minor for purposes of prostitution), 373 (buying minor for purposes of prostitution), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

They were also booked under Section 17 (Abetment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act besides relevant sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), Bhagawat said, adding that the rescued minors have been sent to a home.

The National Crime Records Bureaus (NCRB) data for 2016 show more than 8,000 cases of human trafficking were reported in India in that year and 23,000 victims, including 182 foreigners, were rescued.

Of the total 15,379 victims in these cases, 9,034 (58%) were below the age of 18 years, stated the latest NCRB statistics on crime.

The bureau has said 63 people are rescued from human trafficker every day on across the country.Muslim traders in Ghansali town of Uttarakhands Tehri Garhwal district said on Wednesday they are wary of opening their shops, two days after a man from their community was beaten up by a mob when he was found with a minor Hindu girl, sparking calls for their ouster.

Eighteen-year-old Azad Alvi, who has now been booked on rape charges, was thrashed by nearly 250 people on Monday after he was caught with the girl inside a hotel in Ghansali town market. He was paraded with a garland of shoes around his neck before being rescued by the police.

The mob also ransacked 13 shops belonging to Muslim traders in the market, police said.

We are not going to open our shops until we are fully sure that such incidents wont happen again, but it seems unlikely. We are definitely in fear, Ehsan Mansuri, who belongs to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh and runs four shops in the area since the last 20 years.

We are also not speaking to anyone in the market except a couple of fellow Hindu traders who are our friends. They are the ones who are informing us about the situation while we are at our home in Bijnor, Mansuri added.

Ghansali, a town of about 7,000 people, has not witnessed communal tension in the past. The market where the incident happened has about 300 shops and 30 of them are owned by Muslim traders, mostly from Uttar Pradesh. About 80 Muslims live in the market.

Some Hindu traders held a meeting on Tuesday and asked outsider Muslim shop owners to leave the market. Many members of the local Hindu community and right-wing leaders have also asked the landlords to tell their Muslim tenants to vacate their property.

Yes, we have been asked by our landlord to vacate the shop which we took on rent to run our business. But how can we vacate it as we are running our business here since the last at least 15 years. It is not possible. We would be destroyed, Israr Ahmed, who has a furniture shop in the area, said.

He said Muslim traders are worried and will not be able to do their business normally if they open the shops.

We are afraid, next time the tension would be in much bigger form, Ahmed said.

The local administration, however, claimed the situation is under control and assured the Muslim traders to do their business without fear.

To maintain the law and order in the area, a police force was deployed on Tuesday which would continue on Wednesday as well, Ghansalis sub-divisional magistrate DR Chouhan said.

On Tuesday, we spoke to some of the Muslim traders in the area and have assured them of security if there is any problem. They can run their business freely, Chouhan added.

After Mondays incident in Ghansali, a market in the nearby small town of Chamiyala, about 15km away, was shut on Tuesday over fears that the violence might spread.

The people here can sense the tension in the air. What happened on Monday was not good as this area has no history of communal tension ever. The repetition of it would be a disaster for this peaceful area, Vijay Rawat, an owner of a news agency and photocopy shop in Chamiyala market, said.West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has launched an offensive against the National Register of Citizens (NRC), but at least three officials have said her government did not verify over one lakh documents sent by her Assam counterpart.

West Bengal was the biggest defaulter in the NRC verification process pertaining to people who belong to a different state but reside in Assam due to various reasons, registrar general and census commissioner of India Sailesh was quoted by news agency PTI as saying on Wednesday.

Sailesh, who oversaw the entire exercise of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), also said that he had deputed his own staff to help the West Bengal government in collecting the documents sought by NRC authorities but the efforts were not fruitful.

The largest number of documents that we have not received among all states was from West Bengal. We had to struggle. We had to follow up. But we have not received substantial number of documents from West Bengal. The response (of West Bengal) in terms of results was not satisfactory, he said in New Delhi.

The draft NRC, a list of Assams citizens, was published on July 30 that excluded 40 lakh residents of Assam. Most of the names were excluded due to lack of proper documents proving Indian citizenship.

Sailesh also said that there was a meeting through video conference between officials of the West Bengal government and NRC authorities during which a request was made to send the responses.

West Bengal was the only state where we made an exception by deputing my own staff to assist the state government. But we have not received all required documents for the draft NRC, he said.

Asked about the number of documents that the West Bengal did not provide, Sailesh said it would be a substantial number.

We have not got a response to around 1.05 lakh documents that were sent to West Bengal for verification, said a senior NRC official on condition of anonymity. However, it is not clear as to how many people may have been left out because the results of the verification of documents were not available.

NRC Assam coordinator Prateek Hajela insists that non-verification of documents has not affected the exercise.

Even if the verification was pending, we have ensured eligibility determination through district magistrate investigation, he said.

In his report to the Supreme Court in March, Hajela had said that as many as 10.76 lakh documents were awaiting verification from several authorities.

Out of this 4.42 lakh were from various districts of Assam, while 1,14,971 were awaiting verification from West Bengal. The apex court in its March 27 order had directed all chief secretaries to ensure verification within stipulated time period.

Additionally, it allowed Hajela to undertake district magistrate investigation by way of house to house verification in cases where documents were not verified by issuing authorities.

Meanwhile, several officials involved in the exercise have claimed that a lot of people have been excluded because either they did not have documents or their documents could not be verified.

NRC means documents. In absence of verification, we had no choice but to put such people on hold in the complete draft, said CK Baishya, the local registrar at Pandu, a Bengali dominated neighbourhood in Guwahati.

After the draft NRC list came out on Monday, which excluded 40,07,707 people, Mamata Banerjee launched an attack on the exercise saying it would lead to a civil war and blood bath.

Mamata has also accused BJP of playing votebank politics, while also warning that the issue will destroy Indias relationship with Bangladesh, and lead to a civil war here.

She said only 1% of the 40 lakh residents, whose names are missing from the draft NRC, could be infiltrators, but people are being harassed in the name of infiltrators.

On Tuesday, she had alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a political motive to divide people and warned that it would lead to bloodbath and a civil war in the country. Official sources said that according to an estimate, West Bengal returned only about 6% of the 1.14 lakh documents that were sent to it by NRC authorities.

Other big defaulters were Bihar, Chandigarh, Manipur and Meghalaya which returned just 2-7% of the documents after verification.

(With PTI inputs)A total of 220 cow carcasses were seized from a warehouse in Rajasthans Alwar district on Wednesday, police said.

The carcasses were found buried inside a Govindgarh facility belonging to one Shakeel, who was arrested on Tuesday, sub-inspector Dhara Singh said.

Other than cow carcasses, remains of buffaloes and goats were also seized from the location. Singh said beef was reportedly supplied to Haryana, Rajasthan and other surrounding states from this place.

The raid was launched early on Wednesday after Shakeels interrogation, Singh said about the ongoing probe.

The officer said Tuesdays arrest came after three women were arrested on Monday when they searched a number of houses and seized 40kg of beef.

On questioning, one of the women, Akbari, confessed that her son Shakeel and his friend Sattar had brought the beef to her house, Singh said. Shakeel was nabbed but Sattar is still absconding, Singh added.

Veterinary doctors and a large number of Hindu activists were present when the police raided the warehouse on Wednesday.With 15 more deaths on Tuesday, the toll in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh went up to 95 in the last five days, according to officials.

Three deaths were reported in Kanpur Dehat, two in Hathras and one each in Chitrakoot, Auraiya, Allahabad, Unnao, Amethi, Jaunpur, Fatehpur, Faizabad, Lakhimpur Kheri and Rae Bareli districts. The number of those injured went up to 93. Destruction of 601 houses and hutments was also reported in different districts.

The situation in the rural area of Karnailganj tehsil in Gonda district turned grim after the spate in river Ghaghra damaged 100 metres of the temporary embankment constructed around the age-old Elgin- Charsadi embankment. Consequently, panic gripped Nakhara, Kashipur, Gharkuian and Pratapur villages located near the embankment.

An irrigation department engineer VN Shukla said repair work was on to protect the embankment from erosion. Teams had been constituted to maintain watch on the embankment and to organize relief works. The villagers were also called to assist labourers in repair works.

A native of Kashipur village, Ram Badan Singh, expressed dissatisfaction over the repair works. The irrigation department swung into action only after the rising level of the river started eroding the embankment. They said instead of boulders, the labourers were dumping soil bags and bamboo to check the rising water from eroding the embankment. The villagers had started shifting to safer places, he added.

River Ghaghra was flowing above the danger level at Eligin Bridge in Barabanki district, Yamuna crossed the danger mark at Mawi in Muzaffarnagar district, Sharada crossed the danger mark at Paliyakala in Lakhimpur Kheri and the Ghaghra crossed the danger level at Ayodhya in Faizabad district.

Ganga flowed near danger level at Narora in Bulandshahr district, Yamuna flowed near danger level at Prayaghat in Mathura and Ghaghratoo flowed near danger level at Turtipar in Ballia district.

Rain brought respite to the parched region of Bundelkhand region as well. Banda, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Chitrakoot and Jhansi districts were reeling under drought condition since the beginning of monsoon.

Rainwater has started flowing into Rajghat, Mata Tila, Govind Sagar, Jamini and Sajnam dams located in Lalitpur district, an irrigation department officer said.

Relief commissioner Sanjay Kumar said the district magistrates had been alerted and told to organise relief and rescue operations.

The state government announced ex-gratia of 4 lakh for the family of the deceased and 59,100 for each injured. Compensation of 95,100 would be provided to the families whose houses were totally damaged while 5,200 will be paid on partial damage and 4,100 for those losing their hutments due to heavy rain.

Meanwhile in Kanpur, army personnel took stock of the situation and made preparations in case a flood-like situation arises. More than eight houses collapsed in the city while 35 more were damaged in a village of Kanpur Dehat. Traffic remained suspended on VIP road for several hours.

In Bilhaur, several labourers had a miraculous escape when the brick kiln was flooded with rainwater in the wee hours and they had to flee to save their lives.

Three houses collapsed in Maharana Pratap Nagar and Paraha village in Bilhaur while one old house in Maharana Pratap Nagar and two houses in Parah village collapsed during the downpour.

Another house collapsed under Maharajpur police station but none of the inmates received fatal injuries.

The level of Ganga at the barrage was recorded at 112.67 m, which was .33 meters below the warning level. The warning level is 113 m, according to the water reader.Eleven passengers in a state transport bus, as well as its driver and conductor, suffered minor injuries after the vehicle slipped off the side of the road and flipped on its side in Palghar district early on Wednesday.

A major mishap was averted as the bus landed on thick vegetation and trees, which cushioned the impact.

Police officials said the incident took place near Manjurli village as the bus was heading to Saphale town, around 98km away from Mumbai city.

The bus was heading to Saphale on the narrow road when a speeding vehicle from the opposite direction came almost directly in front of it. To avoid a head-on collision, the bus driver swerved to the left and the bus skid and flipped on its side, said a police official from Saphale, who did not wish to be named. Luckily, a roadside tree took the impact of the bus or it may have turned turtle and resulted in a more serious accident.

The bus was carrying 60-odd passengers, most of them vegetable vendors, students and farmers, the official said.

The injured have been admitted to Saphale Primary Health Centre and will be discharged by evening, a government doctor said, requesting anonymity.

Several passengers suffered glass injuries as they had to break the glass and crawl out of the emergency exit located at the rear of the bus.

An FIR has been filed under sections 336,337 and 279 of the Indian Penal Code and section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act against the bus driver, but no arrests have been made so far, said assistant police inspector Sunil Jadhav of Saphale police station.Those who have purchased properties in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region between May 2017 and September 2017 will have to pay additional stamp duty and registration charges.

The stamp duty on a property transaction is calculated on the basis of ready reckoner rates of the area. During these four months, there was a temporary stay on increasing ready reckoner rates. Consequently, property buyers paid stamp duty and registration charges according to the rates for 2016. The stay was lifted in October 2017, after which the government issued the revised ready reckoner rates for 2017. The revenue department now wants to apply the 2017 rates with retrospective effect from May 2017. This means, buyers will have to pay the difference.

The cabinet sub-committee formed under revenue minister Chandrakant Patil and state housing minister Prakash Mehta submitted its report on the issue on Tuesday, and subsequently the state cabinet decided to recover the additional revenue.

The housing department was against the retrospective recovery of charges, but the revenue department was firm on not losing revenue. After this decision, we will start sending notices to people who bought properties during that period, asking them to pay the difference based on the revised ready reckoner rates of 2017, said a revenue department official, on condition of anonymity.

Although the exact number of purchases is not known yet, revenue department officials expect to recover 5.33 crore. We will start issuing notices once the GR is issued, the official said.

The state had faced resistance from consumers, builders lobby and other stakeholders, asking them not to hike the ready reckoner rates, which generally come into force from January 1.

Shirish Deshpande, chairman of Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, said the decision was in bad taste.

Hinting that consumers could move court against the decision, he said, The decision to recover the charges retrospectively can be challenged in courts. The government should reconsider this decision as it is against consumers.It was her last flight as cabin crew member after she had served the national carrier, Air India, for 38 years. But, what made it more memorable was that the flight Pooja Chinchankar would service was flown by her daughter, Ashrrita.

Pooja Chinchankar retired on Tuesday after a Mumbai-Bangalore-Mumbai flight, which her daughter piloted.

Soon after the flight, Ashrrita Chinchankar tweeted: So happy and honoured to be able to pilot the one flight that mattered. It was my moms dream to have me pilot her last flight as an Air Hostess with @airindiain :) As she retires after her glorious 38 years of service, I will be carrying on with her legacy #grateful #proud.

For all of you who asked :) thats mom on her last flight as an operating cabin crew for @airindiain what a lovely day and what amazing passengers! So many best wishes and hugs  of course I was in the flight deck :) #proud #grateful pic.twitter.com/eUL3Og4EBr  Ashrrita (@caramelwings) July 31, 2018

Ten minutes before the flight was to land, the pilot in command used the passenger announcement system to inform the passengers about Pooja Chinchankars retirement. The passengers then cheered as she walked down the isle one last time. Ashrrita tweeted a video of this moment recorded by a fellow crew member and thanked the passengers.

Pooja Chinchankar joined Air India in December 1980, and has been flying from Mumbai since March 1981. Ashrrita joined the carrier in 2016.

Ashrrita was a mass media student, when I casually happened to ask her if she was interested in flying, Pooja Chinchankar told HT.

To our surprise, she was prepared to go for the course in two days. I wished to see her as a pilot, looking at how such few women take to the profession. After getting her as commercial pilot licence from Canada, Ashrrita got offers from

private airlines but she chose Air India.

The mother said this was when she told Ashrrita about her dream of flying with her on her last day.

Pooja Chinchankar, who sums up her journey with the national carrier as wonderful experience, said she got to know of her daughters plan only on Tuesday when they both reached the airport together.

Ashrrita said she had requested the airline management to schedule her on her mothers flight. It feels amazing to fulfil your mothers dream. It was a heartwarming feeling and I am thankful to everybody on board who made this possible.The lack of coordination and absence of central leadership in the Maratha agitation became evident on Wednesday when barely 40 people showed up at Mumbais Azad Maidan to take part in the protests.

The divisions within the Maratha community have been more and more evident in the recent past. When a few Maratha leaders attended a meeting convened by CM Devendra Fadnavis, there was harsh criticism from a section of the community.

We did not approve such compromise with the state government. After realising that some of the leaders are joining hands with the government, we launched the jail bharo, said Amol Jadhavrao, organiser of Wednesdays protest.

State-level coordinators of the Maratha agitation didnt approve of either this decision or the sit-in protests that have been taking place since July 18 in Marathwada. However, they admitted that they are not able to exert control over all the Maratha groups that are now staging protests.

It is true that it is going out of our hand as some groups are stretching it too far. The movement and the Maratha community is fetching bad name due to such violent and uncontrolled protests, said Shantaram Kunjir, who was a key coordinator of the state level Maratha meeting at Latur on July 29.

Many believe that the silent protests of the past two years have been far more effective, but there are groups within the community that are clamouring for a more aggressive stand. The announcement of converting of Muk Morcha (silent protests) into Thok Morcha (hit protest) made by one Abasaheb Patil in Tuljapur on June 29 was not approved by the original coordinators. The subsequent violence and suicides by the youths was the result of these aggressive steps and has defamed the community, said a state level coordinator who did not want to be named.

In Mumbai, Jadhavraos jail bharo andolan was held under the banner of Maratha Kranti Morcha at Azad Maidan and proved to be a flop. The 40-odd protestors who had gathered were detained by the police and released within an hour.

Meanwhile, the call for a bandh in Junnar tehsil in Pune district met with tremendous response. School, colleges and shops remained shut and vehicles stayed off road. A group of Marathas also organised a road blockade outside a police station in Pune on Wednesday.

Neither of these protests had the support of state-level coordinators.

Virendra Pawar, one of the coordinators of Maratha Kranti Morcha, admitted the protests lacked coordination. We could not participate in jail bharo on Wednesday as we were busy in meetings with the lawyers discussing strategy about the cases against the protestors. It is true that some groups are resorting to the protests which were not part of our plan, he said.

However, as chaotic as the state of the Maratha agitation may be, none of the political parties are willing to take the communitys demands lightly. Fadnavis has called a meeting of legislators, lawyers, authors and other eminent cultural figures on Thursday to discuss the Maratha protests. A senior official said that the chief minister hoped that by reaching out in this way, there would be a breakthrough since protesters have refused to hold talks with the government. Leaders of Shiv Sena as Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, have already held meetings with their legislators to discuss how the parties will support the demands of the Maratha community.

.Even as various outfits and political parties seek amendment to Article 31(b) of the Constitution to get quotas for Marathas, experts are unsure if the basis of their demand  economic backwardness and up to 69% reservation granted in Tamil Nadu  can stand the legal test.

According to experts, reservation granted on the basis of economic backwardness also has been struck down in the past. They feel backwardness of communities that were given reservation in Tamil Nadu cant be compared with Marathas.

TAMIL NADU NOT THE SAME AS MAHARASHTRA

Most politicians cite the example of Tamil Nadu, where the percentage of reservation was increased to 69% (SC: 18%, ST: 1%, OBC: 30% and MBC: 20%) in 1989. This was before the Supreme Courts decision in the Indira Sawhney case in 1992, which capped the reservation percentage to 50. Consequently, in 1994, the TN reservation was put in Schedule 9 of the Constitution to safeguard it from legal scrutiny.

Currently, Maharashtra has 52% reservation. Taking the SC order into account, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar suggested the amendment, on the grounds that it would be out of bounds of legal scrutiny.

Experts offer another viewpoint. The backwardness of other backward classes in TN is more than 90%, which made it an exceptional case. Secondly, the reservation was granted before the 1992 verdict. The TN reservation, too, has been challenged in the Apex Court and the case is pending. So any such decision will be open to legal scrutiny, said an official from the social justice department.

Moreover, the official said the SC, while hearing a case in 2006, clarified the protection given to the amendment in Schedule 9 was no more free of legal scrutiny. Even an amendment to Article 31(b) with protection of Schedule 9 of the Constitution will be subject to challenge in the SC. The move may prove to be futile, he said.

A CASE IN POINT

Pallavi Renke, legal expert and former member of the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes (MSCBC), said, The reservation given by the Narasimha Rao government in 1991 was struck down by the SC within months, stating the absence of any such Constitutional provision. The Maharashtra government cannot think of giving reservation on economic backwardness.

Experts feel although it has been challenged in the SC, reservation on the basis of social backwardness could be the way out for Maharashtra.

If the commissions report proves social backwardness on the basis of the social discrimination, the Centre can make Constitutional changes to allow the state to cross the reservation limit. The report should prove while Kunbis and Marathas are treated equally in several areas, Kunbis get reservation under OBC, while Marathas dont. In such a situation, a new category of OBC-B can be allowed with the additional reservation of 16%, said Pravin Gaikwad, Maratha leader and an expert in reservation studies. Renke, too, said the Centre can make an amendment to the Constitution to lift the cap.What does it say about Mumbai  a city with global aspirations and often counted alongside international metros  that it cannot solve the potholes problem? What does it say about the citys administrators that the Bombay high court (HC), hearing a petition on this for the last few years, has repeatedly rapped them for their tardy and inefficient approach?

It tells us a great deal about the lack of accountability and commitment of the administrators  the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the state governments agencies, and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)  on the issue.

It also tells us that somewhere in the daily battles the average Mumbaiite wages during his/her commute, potholes have been normalised; a dreaded but routine aspect of our lives, especially during the monsoon. Pothole is a risk that carries no insurance. The sheer number of potholes, their dangerous depths and extent stunned us at first, then became shocking, then irritating that they persisted despite efforts the agencies supposedly undertook, and finally, are becoming normalised. Gradually, death by potholes will become normalised as well.

But potholes and deaths caused by them are not how cities should be. If agencies seem clueless on how to prevent or repair potholes, they ought to face the ire. The BMC is responsible for the largest tract of roads. Besides failing to get contractors to lay roads as per specifications and conducting quality checks, it has been experimenting with technologies and materials to fill potholes for, hold your breath, the last decade.

It alternated between using hot mix and cold mix. Then it used asphalt mixed with an additive imported from Germany; later imported a version from Israel; and is now trying to manufacture it on its own. Is it so hard to zero in on fool-proof technology? Hasnt the trial-error lasted long enough?

The HC certainly thinks so. Why does the phenomenon of potholes keep recurring every year?... Why dont you appoint an expert agency to find out why potholes recur every monsoon and to suggest measures to stop this, asked the division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagla this week. The state government and NHAI, as respondents, did not display any shame at their ineptitude.

The HC has been slamming these agencies for the last few years. Its the citizens fundamental right to have good roads (April 2018). What are the problems that prevent them (the agencies) from repairing potholes that cause accidents? (September 2017). The BMC is not only required to but obliged to maintain roads (August 2017). The then Chief Justice Manjula Chellur remarked that she would personally note down how many potholes were there on the route she travelled daily.

But no rap has been hard enough, it seems. Even the court-directed nodal agency in charge of recording complaints of potholes does not properly register complaints. So do we citizens grit our teeth and bear? Certainly not. Some have pursued pothole-reporting as if it were their day job, others have taken it upon themselves to fill the potholes.

The citizens fightback perhaps needs to be taken to the next level. Mount and sustain pressure on the agencies in multiple ways. Tie up with local civic action groups and march to the ward offices. Start online petitions to the chief minister and BMC commissioner. Keep flooding the special lines and apps with complaints of potholes; it may fail, but try again and again, and again.

Map your areas and roads for potholes, and get in touch with the local media. Call or meet your corporators and demand that they move the system for your area/road. Petition the BMC or the state government to upload an easily accessible document or map of the citys roads with details of the contractor, the agency responsible for each road, and who should be contacted for complaints. Lets make noise about potholes, any which way we can.

Theres nothing normal about potholes. Only sustained citizen action and a stern HC can drive the agencies to become accountable.The big Monday morning news for me this week was that the city bus service in Gurugram is set to miss another deadline. While, the news may come as a shock to some, for me, I have lost track of how many deadlines this project has missed.

In fact, it was around the same time in 2008 that a friend of mine, working in a consulting company, called me seeking advice saying that he was working on a project to develop a city bus service in Gurgaon.

I provided whatever input I could, but I was pleasantly surprised that the city is taking such proactive steps in developing a public transport system. However, its been a decade and the city is still working on developing the bus system with no end in sight.

Gurugram needs anywhere between 1,000 to 2,000 buses against the 30-odd buses run by Haryana Roadways. Meanwhile, the city has happily built numerous flyovers and underpasses and has also got a number of new roads. But somehow, the conservation around buses always takes a back seat. A morning or evening stroll at Rajiv Chowk will reveal how desperately people in the city need buses as they climb atop buses just so they can sit.

A bus system is the backbone of any city, even cities that have an excellent Metro rail system also have good bus system.

London, for example, has over 400km of Metro tracks, yet 6 million people use buses everyday as against three million Metro riders. This is because buses are flexible; they also act as a feeder service to the mass transit system. The impact of a bus system is felt beyond merely providing transportation service. Let me highlight its three main effects:

Improves road safety

A WRI-India research for the city bus system in Indore found that bus service saves, on an average, six lives every year in the city. This is based on the fact that prior to the introduction of a bus service in Indore, people were using autos and two-wheelers, which were involved in road accidents, while buses were not. Therefore, buses were the safest mode of transport in the city.

Gurugram will also witness the same kind of impact as people here use shared autos and two-wheelers as an alternative to buses.

There is tones of literature available globally advocating public transport as a road safety strategy.

Reduces air pollution

There is strong empirical evidence which shows that bus systems help improve air quality on two counts. First, shifting people to public transport helps reducing the total vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) because one bus carries 60 passengers, while a car usually caters to one person. This helps in reducing emission. Second, the biggest exposure to air pollution happens when people commute, and this is where a bus makes a huge difference. A research by WRI-India found that in Delhi the safest vehicle in terms of exposure to pollutants is the bus, and therefore, when people travel in a bus they breathe less of toxic air as compared to other modes of transport. Further, any priority buses, be it bus lanes or queue jumpers etc. will further reduce the exposure to pollutants.

Shapes urban development

Janmarg, Ahmedabads bus-based mass transit system, has shaped the urban form of the city. Chandkheda, the south-east side of the city has seen rapid development ever since Janmarg became operational. The additional FAR given along the Janmarg for Transit Oriented Development is helping the city concentrate on high-density and mix-use development rather than sprawled development, which is not sustainable.

Again, the bus corridor in Surat is transforming the city landscape with the more redevelopment happening along the corridors. We all know that transport guides urban development, but it is public transport that shapes it.

The benefits of a good quality public transport system are beyond just providing mobility to the passengers. However, most of the times the conversation around public transport revolves around subsidy or viability gap, which has also been the case in Gurugram. Public transport should be seen as public good and government can easily support public transport by rationalising the taxation and the sector may not even require any subsidy.

In 2006, it took three weeks for two bureaucrats in Indore to develop one high-class city bus system. While in Gurugram, the bus service has become a never-ending exercise. Its time for the authorities to wake up and realise its importance, else it will be too late for the city to even accommodate a public transport system.

(The writer is director of integrated transport, Wriindia)A day after arson and stone-pelting in parts of Pune over the Maratha reservation issue, the police today booked 4,000 to 5,000 people and said the violent protests caused loss of property to the tune Rs 10 crore.

Over 60 vehicles, including public transport buses, were vandalised and torched by protesters during violence in Chakan, an industrial hub 40km from here, where life is slowing signs of returning to normal.

Its surrounding areas also saw arson and stone pelting, while the Pune-Nashik highway remained blocked for several hours.

A process is on to identify miscreants who resorted to violence in Chakan. CCTV cameras and video footage are being scanned to identify arsonists and rioters, police said.

Cases have been registered against 4,000 to 5,000 unidentified people for the Chakan violence under various sections of the IPC, the Highway Act, 1956, the Green Tribunal Act and the Public Property Damage Act, said a senior police officer.

A financial loss of Rs 8 to Rs 10 crore has been estimated due to the violence during which mobs targeted state transport buses, police as well as private vehicles, he said.

With the help of CCTV footage and video clips, so far 25 people have been identified who resorted to violence on Monday, said the officer.

He said after the police appealed to local residents to hand over CCTV footage or video clips of the violence, a lot of people approached them with such material.

With the help of locals, the process of identifying hooligans is going on, the officer added.

He, however, said so far no one has been detained.

Meanwhile, a police constable, who had received serious head injuries during the violence, was shifted to a city-based private hospital and is said to be out of danger.

Nearly half a dozen police officials, including DySP Ganpat Madgulkar and inspector of the Chakan police station, Dhanyakumar Godse had sustained minor injuries, police had said yesterday.

Sandip Patil, Superintendent of Police, on Monday said some anti-social elements had infiltrated the Maratha quota agitation in Chakan, which was peaceful initially.

The agitation was peaceful till 12.30 pm. However, the mob later split into small groups and some anti-social elements started damaging vehicles, Patil had said.

He had said they suspect some miscreants from the adjoining areas and districts could have joined the peaceful protests in order to disrupt them.

Patil had said the police contained the violence after additional enforcement was rushed to Chakan. The officer had said some hooligans were carrying fuel cans and shovels with them which show the violence was pre-planned.

A day after the violence, the situation in Chakan was returning to normal with traders opening their commercial establishments and vehicles getting back on roads.

However, some schools, colleges and APMC market for onion and potato remained closed.

Meanwhile, the Maratha Kranti Morcha, spearheading the agitation, today admitted that outside elements had sneaked into the agitation and resorted to violence in Chakan.

We appeal to people not to take resort to violence. We also appeal the youth from the community not to take any drastic step, said Rajendra Kondhare, a convener of the Maratha outfit.

Kondhares appeal came in the backdrop of protesters committing suicide over the quota issue.

The politically influential Maratha community, constituting around 30 per cent of the states population, has been agitating for reservation in government jobs and education.Aspiring to live a better life abroad, Manjinder Kumar (26) of Majhot village in Balachaur subdivision of SBS Nagar district is believed to have drowned in a river around 12 days ago while trying to enter Greece illegally.

Police on Tuesday booked three persons, including a travel agent, here.

Manjinders family came to know about his death on Monday after a youth, who was accompanying him and witnessed the incident, told them about the incident.

The 26-year-old had boarded a flight on June 19 from Delhi after his travel agent Rakesh Kumar assured the family to send him to Greece for 5.50 lakh, said the victims father Tarsem Lal.

He said 1.50 lakh were given in advance along with passport to the agent initially.

Lal said agent Rakesh called Manjinder to Delhi to collect his passport with a Greece visa. The agent told him that his flight is on June 19 and asked to give 2.50 lakh to his aide at the airport, he added.

Manjinder and my other elder son Bhupinder Pal reached Delhi and handed over 2.5 lakh to the agents aide. After checking the passport my son found that the visa and ticket were of Turkey and not of Greece. Later, the agent assured us that he will take Manjinder to Greece from Turkey on another flight and asked us to give the remaining amount of 1.5 lakh to his wife, which we did the next day, he claimed.

My son reached Turkey on July 21. Later, he called and told us that the agent was keeping him in Turkey and putting pressure on him to cross the border illegally instead of taking him to Greece by a direct flight which he had promised earlier. On July 19, Rakesh called me and told me that my son has gone missing while crossing the border. I contacted the agent again but he did not give any clear answer. Later, on July 27, I received a call from another youth who was with my son while crossing the border. He told me that Manjinder was died while crossing a river, said Tarsem.

A case was registered against Rakesh Kumar, his wife Bholli and an unidentified person under the Punjab Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, 2012, Section 24 of the Immigration Act, 1983, and Sections of 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Balachaur police station.Zimbabwe police on Wednesday fired water cannon and teargas at opposition supporters in Harare, an AFP correspondent witnessed, as tensions erupted over alleged fraud in the election.

Officers had been facing off through a locked gate against protesters who brandished opposition party banners, lit fires and chanted slogans against the ruling ZANU-PF party.

You said you were better than Mugabe -- you are the picture of Mugabe, shouted one young male protester wearing a white T-shirt. We need security for the people.

European Union election observers had earlier criticised the elections, the first since long-time ruler Robert Mugabe stepped down in November, for being held on an un-level playing field.

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisas Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has accused president Emmerson Mnangagwas ZANU-PF party and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of using underhand tactics to steal the election from them.

An angry crowd of mostly young men, some of whom covered their faces, whistled and chanted Chamisa, Chamisa in downtown Harare.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)A quaint club in central London which reflects England of the 1940s and 1950s and was the venue for meetings of V Krishna Menons India League has been saved from demolition after the Westminster City Council on Tuesday refused the owner permission to redevelop the site.

Thousands of people had signed an online petition as part of a campaign in the UK, supported by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, among others, to save the India Club in the Strand, located close to the Indian high commission.

Councillor Tony Devenish, chairman of the councils planning applications sub-committee, said: Westminster Council refused permission for the redevelopment of 143-145 Strand due the potential loss of an important cultural venue located on its site, the India Club.

The India Club has a special place in the history of our Indian community and it is right that we protect it from demolition.

A council document setting out the refusal to redevelop the building said: The restaurant/bar is known as the India Club, which has strong associations with the expat Indian community dating back to 1951 and is considered to be of significant cultural importance.

The councils decision came three months after the clubs historicity and its links with Indias independence movement was questioned by Historic England, a public body that champions Englands historic environment.

It said in a report to the government on May 8: (The) building lacks a connection with the Indian independence movement, having been established many years after independence was achieved.

"By the time the club moved to the Strand, it was one of a great number of organisations in existence in the 1960s working to promote British-Indian relations, and supporting the Indian diaspora.

Jawaharlal Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten were some of the founders of the India Club, which continues to attract a large number of people for its period ambience, Indian food and memories of a time when it was one of the centres of pro-independence activities in London. The club has several historic photos related to India.

The club owned by Marston Properties is part of a building that includes a hotel. The owner sought the council's permission to modernise the property to meet updated safety standards.

The India Club has been run by Yadgar Marker since 1997, with the lease due to expire in 2019. Marker campaigned to save the club, enlisting historians such as William Gould, leading to several reports in the British and Indian news media.

The council document further said: Notwithstanding Historic Englands conclusion that the application site is not the building originally occupied by the India Club, it is still linked to the India League and is considered to be of significant cultural importance.

The content of the objections received make clear that the India Club is a much valued institution and has substantial community worth. Even if the India Club were not as culturally important as it is, there would still be a case for its retention as a restaurant/bar.

The India Club is a vibrant and busy meeting place for both the local community and visitors from around the world, and its replacement with additional hotel accommodation would decrease the range of places to eat and drink for visiting members of the public.Few in 1986 wanted to take up the lonely job of guarding the remote and tiny Kaishan island in the Yellow Sea off Chinas east coast.

Before the offer came to Wang Jicai, four others did agree to do it but they only lasted about two weeks each. The conditions were harsh -- fierce winds battered the rocky island, there was no telephone line and supplies were delivered by boat.

Mostly it was the loneliness: There was no one else on the island.

Wang took up the offer. As it turned out, he lasted 32 years on the job until he died last week at 59.

Standing guard with him  watching ships go by near Yanwei port at the junction of Japanese and South Korean international waters  was his wife, Wang Shihua.

She quit her job as a primary school teacher to join him within months of his posting on the island.

The post of Kaishan Island militia sentry was created in 1985, when the previous troops stationed there withdrew because of a military reorganisation. The next year, the military asked Wang Jicai, a 26-year-old militia member, to guard it, state-run China Daily newspaper reported.

According to the Guanyun county government, Wang said he always believed the island was an inalienable part of China, and the countrys first line of defence.

He promised to protect it always. It's a promise he kept. None of his four predecessors stayed longer than 13 days before quitting because of the harsh conditions, the report added.

The couples two children  their second child, a son, was delivered by Wang on the island  grew up with their grandparents.

Part of the couples job was to raise the Chinese flag on the island everyday.

The newspaper reported that according to the county government, the couple also monitored sea and air conditions, rescued people at sea and kept records in the coastal defence log.

Over the years conditions improved. Now, solar energy and wind power generate electricity on the island. Television, air conditioning and other household appliances are available. The barracks have been renovated and equipped with bathrooms, the report said.

The situation on the island changed but not the couples daily military-style routine.

Wang Jicai is the pride of Guanyun county and a hero of our era. He always held the belief that guarding the island was part of protecting the whole nation, Zhu Xingbo, head of the county government, was quoted as saying at Wangs funeral on Monday.Pakistan on Wednesday rejected as totally wrong US concerns that any new International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout for the country could be used to repay Chinese debt.

The finance ministry reacted strongly to US secretary of state Mike Pompeos warning on Monday that any IMF bailout for Pakistans incoming government led by Imran Khan should not provide funds to pay off Chinese lenders.

The ministry dismissed any move to link the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with a potential IMF package. It is totally wrong to link the IMF programme with CPEC, said a spokesman of the ministry, reaffirming Pakistans full commitment to undertake and complete CPEC projects in their totality.

CPEC is important for Pakistans future development, and the government will continue to ensure that all projects are completed according to the agreed terms and within the stipulated timelines, the ministry said.

Third parties cannot weaken our collective resolve to make CPEC a success story, the ministry said while responding to a question on the implications of Pompeos remarks.

Pakistan is expected to seek a bailout of about $12 billion from the IMF or close ally China to avert a currency crisis. China has pledged $57 billion in loans for the CPEC, deepening economic ties at a time when relations between Pakistan and the US are fraying over Islamabads action against terrorists.

Asad Umar, the PTI leader tipped to be Pakistans next finance minister, did not rule out the option of availing an IMF bailout. However, he said no decision had been made as yet.

We will be evaluating all our options and at this stage, we have not even decided to go to the IMF, Umar told a Pakistani newspaper.

In fiscal 2017-18, China gave $4.5 billion in project and commercial loans and provided $1.5 billion as a trade finance facility. In 2016-17, China provided $3.9 billion in loans to Pakistan. This month, Pakistan has received a $2 billion commitment from China, of which more than $1 billion has already been disbursed, helping Islamabad meet its immediate foreign currency requirements.Pakistans Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned why top generals had gone abroad for employment despite a law barring government officials from taking up jobs for two years after their retirement.

Hearing a suo moto case on the dual nationalities of government employees, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar observed that former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Shuja Pasha and former army chief Gen Raheel Sharif had found employment abroad within the two-year period.

According to the law, government officers cannot sign an employment contract abroad for two years after their retirement. Generals Pasha and Sharif both found employment abroad. Is the law not applicable to army officers? Nisar asked.

The defence secretary, Lt Gen (retired) Zamir-ul-Hassan Shah, informed the court that both retired officers had obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) prior to leaving Pakistan for employment.

The chief justice observed it is to be seen how this permission was granted. We will see how the permission was granted, and what is its nature and duration. These individuals should have obtained the cabinets permission (before their departure), he said.

In a related development, the Supreme Judicial Council on Wednesday issued a third show cause notice to Islamabad high courts Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui for alleged misconduct. The incident quoted in the notice was Siddiquis speech at the Rawalpindi District Bar Association directed against the ISI.

Acting on an application from the ISI, the council has sought a response from Siddiqui by August 28 regarding the speech. The judge had accused the ISI of manipulating judicial proceedings and the constitution of benches.Saudi Arabia has arrested two more womens rights activists, the latest to be swept up in a government crackdown on activists, clerics and journalists, an international rights group said on Wednesday.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said authorities arrested Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah in the past two days.

More than a dozen womens rights activists have been targeted since May. Most campaigned for the right to drive and an end to the kingdoms male guardianship system, which requires women to obtain the consent of a male relative for major decisions.

The arrests are at odds with the progressive image the government has projected this year under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Government spokesmen did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest reports.

Badawi has received the United States International Women of Courage Award in 2012 for challenging the guardianship system, and was among the first women who signed a petition calling on the government to allow women to drive, vote and run in local elections.

Sadah, from the restive Shiite-majority Qatif province, has also campaigned to abolish the guardianship system and the right to drive.

The arrests of Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah signal that the Saudi authorities see any peaceful dissent, whether past or present, as a threat to their autocratic rule, said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement.

Saudi authorities have targeted and harassed Badawi for years. In addition to her advocacy for womens equality, she has campaigned energetically for both her former husband and her brother to be released from prison, the statement added.

Badawis former husband is already in prison, serving a 15-year sentence for human rights activism, and her brother Raif Badawi, a prominent blogger, is serving a 10-year sentence for expressing controversial opinions online.

Saudi authorities have barred her from travelling abroad since 2014.Prince Mohammed has courted Western allies to support his economic reform plan, offering billions of dollars of arms sales and promising to fight radicalism in the kingdom. Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments were discussed during his trips to the United States and Europe.

In May, authorities arrested 10 womens rights activists, including Eman al-Nafjan, Loujain al-Hathloul, Aziza al-Yousef, Aisha al-Manea, Ibrahim Modeimigh and Mohammed al-Rabea.

Officials said seven people had been arrested for suspicious contacts with foreign entities and offering financial support to enemies overseas, and that further arrests could be carried out as the investigation proceeded.

In June, the government ended a decades-old ban on women driving cars as part of a bid to diversify the economy away from oil and open up Saudis cloistered lifestyles.A US federal judge has temporarily blocked a Texas non-profit from uploading blueprints for making 3D printable guns that are easy to make, own and destroy.

But the debate will continue, as everything about guns.

Made mostly of plastic, 3D printable guns, including military-style assault rifles used in many mass shootings, can be just as lethal. But unlike the metal guns, they are undetectable, without serial numbers, and can be owned without going through a background check of some sort.

The Texas non-profit, Defense Distributed, recently began uploading the blueprints after settling a legal dispute with the federal government. Thousands of designs had been downloaded before a judge in Seattle blocked it on Tuesday in response to a lawsuit jointly filed by multiple states a day earlier.

The court order came hours after President Donald Trump jumped into the debate, tweeting on Tuesday morning: I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense!

The National Rifle Association (NRA), which spearheads the powerful US gun lobby  has come out in opposition.

Regardless of what a person may be able to publish on the Internet, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years. Federal law passed in 1988, crafted with the NRAs support, makes it unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive an undetectable firearm, Chris W Cox, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement.

Its the Trump administration that has brought on this situation.

Cody Wilson, the man behind Defense Distributed, began uploading the blueprints in 2013. But he was quickly blocked by the state department, which took it as an issue of exporting arms without permission. Wilson sued and won a settlement in June.

The state department has said it decided to settle the case on the advice of the justice department, which argued the government would lose this case as it was about the First Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of speech.

Wilson has argued his case was not about guns or the right to bear arms, as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the Constitution. He said it was about access to information.

His attorney Josh Blackman, an attorney who represents Cody Wilson, has been clearer. He said the Seattle courts restraining order violates First Amendment rights: We were disappointed in the ruling and view it as a massive prior restraint of free speech.US lawmakers assailed the Trump administration on Tuesday for its controversial border policy, as one immigration enforcement official pushed back against charges of abuse to say that family detention centres are like a summer camp.

The description was the latest disconnect between officials charged with carrying out a controversial zero tolerance policy that has led to the separation of thousands of children from their migrant parents, and outraged lawmakers and members of the public who accuse President Donald Trump of creating a child safety crisis.

Republicans and Democrats grilled immigration and border enforcement officials at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing over a series of decisions in recent months that led to the separation of more than 2,500 undocumented migrant children from their parents or guardians.

And while they warned that many young children in US custody have suffered abuse during their detention, Matthew Albence, an executive associate director at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, testified that conditions at family residential centres were not as bad as described.

I think the best way to describe them is to be more like a summer camp, Albence told the panel, as he described 24/7 access to fresh food and water, educational classes, outdoor recreational opportunities and exercise.

Authorities have struggled to reunify families who were separated after being arrested for illegally crossing the border from Mexico.

The detention of separated children, including infants, in cage-like enclosures set off a global outcry, and Trump last month ordered an end to the separations.

Under a court order, the government has reunited some 1,800 migrant children with their parents.

But 711 children remain in custody, and Senate Democrat Dianne Feinstein warned they may never be reunited with parents.

Its not an exaggeration to say that the policies of President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions may essentially orphan hundreds of immigrant children, she said, blasting the policy as deeply immoral and haphazard.

The panels Republican chairman, Senator Chuck Grassley, also offered harsh words, saying the government is failing miserably at providing humane treatment.

Mothers have suffered unimaginable physical, mental and emotional and even sexual abuse while in federal custody, Grassley said. Obviously thats unacceptable. Lawmakers and activists have also focused on some 400 children who remain in detention because their parents were deported.

While Grassley and others worried that deportees may not have made informed choices about leaving their children behind, the administration said the departing parents did exactly that.

A great many of these individuals do not wish to have their child return home with them, because their goal in the first place is to get their children to the United States, Albence said.

The hearing follows a federal judges order to remove many migrant children from a Texas detention center after a lawsuit accused the facility of placing children on psychotropic drugs that acted as chemical straight-jackets to control children rather than treat actual health needs.Now Open

1 August 2018

Sitting by the Han River and Thuan Phuoc Bridge, the 548-unit Citadines Blue Cove Danang is located within the landmark Son Tra peninsula and a 100-hectare urban development project by the government. Providing convenient access to Hai Chau city centre, the property is also a 15-minute drive from Danang International Airport. As part of an integrated development, the serviced residence is directly connected to the main industrial areas such as Hoa Khanh and Dien Nam - Dien Ngoc. The property is surrounded by attractions including the Marble Mountains, Cham Museum, Bana Hills, Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, and Hue Citadel.

Citadines Blue Cove Danang offers a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. Most of the rooms overlook the picturesque Danang Bay. It boasts the world's highest and largest 24k gold-plated infinity pool[3] as well as a park showcasing sculptures of the wonders of the world. Guests can also enjoy facilities such as a fitness centre, jacuzzi, spa, ballroom, meeting rooms, and children's playroom.

Residents at Citadines Blue Cove Danang can customise their stay with a menu of optional services such as courier, babysitting, laundry and dry cleaning. The property will also have a 24-hour reception and security, housekeeping service and residents' programmes to help guests settle into their new home.

Guests who make a booking at Citadines Blue Cove Danang by 31 August 2018 will get a discount of 25% off Best Flexible Rate for stays from now till 31 December 2018. They will also enjoy complimentary daily breakfast, airport shuttle service, daily shuttle service to downtown and beach, late check-out and 20% discount on laundry service.Industry Update

Appointment

1 August 2018

Amr attwa

Appointed Director of Finance

At The H Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Attwa brings more than 13 years to his new role and got his start in hospitality with Marriott International in 2005. In his latest job, Attwa served as the assistant director of finance at Lapita Autograph Collection - Dubai Parks Hotel before moving on to H Hotels & Resorts. Attwa's previous finance position were held at JW Marriott Marquis - Dubai, Marriott Executive apartments - Ethiopia and giving business support to other properties within the group for the past 13 years. Attwa brings more than 13 years to his new role and got his start in hospitality with Marriott International in 2005. In his latest job, Attwa served as the assistant director of finance at Lapita Autograph Collection - Dubai Parks Hotel before moving on to H Hotels & Resorts. Attwa's previous finance position were held at JW Marriott Marquis - Dubai, Marriott Executive apartments - Ethiopia and giving business support to other properties within the group for the past 13 years.

Recent Appointments at H Hotels & Resorts Management Sherif El Mansoury - Director of Sales 7 October 2019  Moving from The H Resort Seychelles to Dubai, El Mansoury will be responsible for leading the hotel's sales team and will play an integral role in the development and implementation of strategic sales plans and initiatives to maximise all revenue streams. read more

Mohamed Mattar - Food and beverage Manager 23 August 2018  The H Dubai Hotel has appointed Mohamed Mattar as the new food & beverage manager. Mattar joins the H Dubai from his recent post as F&B operations manager at Fairmont Dubai and brings nearly 20 years of hospitality experience. read moreAppointment

1 August 2018

Canyon Ranch, the integrative wellness industry leader for nearly 40 years, today announced the appointment of Jack Breisacher as managing director for Canyon Ranch in Tucson. Jack joins Canyon Ranch with over 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including the launch of the brand's first international expansion in Kaplankaya, Turkey.

Jack has spent much of his career managing upscale hotels both domestically and internationally. Beginning with Marriott International, Jack's impressive career has also included Loews Hotels & Resorts, Stouffer + Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Swissotel Hotels & Resorts which included General Manager positions in Bangkok, Beijing and Chicago locations, and the launch of Canyon Ranch in Kaplankaya, Turkey. Jack will be relocating to accept the Managing Director position with Canyon Ranch where he will be responsible for overseeing the resorts' leadership, management, sales, marketing and operations.Appointment

1 August 2018

BENCHMARK, a global hospitality company, has appointed Kenneth S. Jones director of engineering for the Doug Pitcock '49 Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center, nearing completion in College Station, Texas. The Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property will open in August. Greg Stafford, general manager, made the announcement.

Ken Jones previously served as the chief engineer for the Woodlands Resort & Conference Center near Houston. He began with this property as engineering HVAC tech and was subsequently promoted to positions of increasing responsibility. Earlier in his career Mr. Jones owned and operated K & S Air, a company he launched in 1999.

Mr. Jones attended Lone Star College in Houston. He is the recipient of numerous awards of service excellence, including Associate of the Year and Manager of the Year. He is relocating to the College Station area.Supplier News

1 August 2018

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- AXIS/GFA Architecture + Design, the San Francisco-based and noted hospitality and hotel architectural design firm, and Design Atelier, the California-based award-winning hospitality interior design firm, are pleased to reveal the first look of the recently renovated Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside hotel. With an invitingly modern and approachably elegant design that authentically embraces Monterey Bay's seaside surroundings and historical past with subtle elegance, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside's uniquely renovated lobby is the highlight of this completely transformed property, and serves as a local destination in its own right.

Elegantly understated influences from the surrounding natural and historical urban environments deliver an "authentically Monterey Bay" guest experience

A multi-million dollar renovation for owners Atrium Hospitality, the renovation of the Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside's lobby and ground floor public areas is nothing less than sweepingly thorough. Upon entering the hotel's main entrance, guests are greeted with an entirely new reception experience. Architecturally, the former lobby's cavernous reception and lounge spaces previously dwarfed by the overhead 8-story atrium are now brought down to human scale with three separate louvered pergolas - variably 10 feet high to 11.5 feet high - that cooperatively create 1,300 square feet of new intimate lounge space while still permitting glimpses of the hotel's impressive interior space. Through clever design, the pergolas are positioned to maximize horizontal sight lines for guests on the lobby and reception floor while at the same time concealing back of house spaces previously viewable from the atrium's upper corridors. Accenting the new canopies, architectural feature walls, screens, and built-in over-scale lighting elements bridge the lobby's open areas with the cloistered spaces of the bar and lounge, also entirely renovated. Previous guests will immediately notice an increased airiness in the lobby with the removal of the former lobby's archaic water feature and stifling planters and greenery.

Design-wise in the lobby, the hotel's seaside environment is unmistakably represented; wood textures and naturally oxidized metal finishes accentuate hard surfaces seemingly bringing the driftwood and salt-weathered industrial artifacts found along the nearby boardwalks directly into the hotel. On the color palette, sandy browns, grays, aquamarine and turquoise dominate with clear influence from the nearby marina environment, while burnt orange and amber accents hint of beach sunsets seen from the nearby bay shore. Flooring treatments highlight a playful mix of sand-colored hard flooring and frothy seafoam carpet inspired by the coastal surf. A closer look at accent rugs reveals the muted but iconic pattern of Monarch Butterfly wings - a species that makes its winter sanctuary amongst Monterey Bay's shoreline groves. In the hotel's updated bar and lobby lounge areas, furniture and fixtures feature sophisticatedly modern but distinctly organic materials and accents with chunky live-edge and rough-hewn wood pieces reminiscent of nearby beach driftwood and the surrounding historic buildings from Monterey Bay's industrial past. Subtly recognizing Cannery Row's historic influence on the area, gilded ropes, knotted lines and sailing blocks drape from the new steel box beam architectural screens adding an elegant and human element to balance the organic influences in the lobby's design.

New reception lounge media wall a community collaboration that punctuates the lobby's unique and elegant design, and serves as a destination within the hotel itself

Accenting one of the new pergolas, the addition of a media wall delivers nearly 25 linear feet of bezeless high definition television screen playing a loop of an aquarium video produced in collaboration with the nearby Monterey Bay Aquarium. The inviting lounge seating and video loop on the media wall entices guests to linger and acts as a destination within the hotel itself, directly immersing guests in a soothing and experiential representation of the nearby bay, and punctuates with additional emphasis the marine color palette and organic textures found throughout the rest of the lobby.

"We're very pleased with the renovation results and the visual connection it creates to our hotel's coastal setting," states Teri Owens, General Manager of the Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside. "Our guests love the comfort and convenience of the new product and design."

More than an elegant refresh, the hotel's renovation adds clever functionality to increase space usability

Although renovated to introduce a modern and sophisticated design throughout the property, the updating of the Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside's lobby includes some cleverly design features whose primary purpose is increasing the usability of the hotel's spaces. In the atrium's open dining area, elegantly understated convertible "crates" provide functional breakfast buffet service stations during the morning that easily convert to remove the buffets from view to provide elegant lounge and dining space later in the day by seamlessly blending-in with the other new architectural elements in the lobby. The crates are inspired by the surrounding historical canneries' maritime aesthetic, and are designed to subtly hint at the fishing and shipping crates used on Cannery Row's Fisherman's Wharf a century ago.

Renovated guestrooms extend the lobby's aesthetic into the hotel's private spaces

In each of the 225 entirely renovated guest suites, guests will find the familiar color palette and warm mix of organic textures from the lobby throughout each room. Local artwork featuring both sea-inspired abstracts as well as imagery from nearby Cannery Row complement the design of each room and extend the invitation of the nearby beach environment into the hotel's private interior spaces.

Although only officially available late last year, the hotel's newly renovated conference and banquet spaces are already driving new group and event business to the property. Delivering over 16,000 square feet of renovated group event space, the two entirely refreshed ballrooms with 14 foot high ceilings break into 10 sections to provide flexible spaces to host intimate weddings through to large conferences.

"The renovation has helped open new doors to new groups that would not have previously considered our hotel for their events," states Andrea Ferrara, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside. "Our sales team recently won the #1 Sales Team for Q1 2018 amongst all Atrium Hospitality properties, with credit to our new facilities for helping make that a possibility," Ferrara continued.

For never before published high resolution images of the newly renovated Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside visit https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zc-lnE7Vv4uczM65eO-2XvZawi-JnsD7.

For more on the architect AXIS/GFA Architecture + Design visit www.axisgfa.com. For more on the interior designer Design Atelier visit www.design-atelier.net.

For a permanent link to select images and a brief description of the project visit http://axisonline.net/portfolios/san-francisco-and-los-angeles-hospitality-and-hotel-architects/embassy-suites-by-hilton-monterey-bay-hotel-architectural-design/.

About AXIS/GFA Architecture + Design:

AXIS/GFA Architecture + Design (www.axisgfa.com) is an award-winning full-service international architecture and design firm with studios in San Francisco and Los Angeles, California. Although an all-industry firm, AXIS/GFA Architecture + Design offers particular expertise in hospitality design, hotel architecture, hospitality facility renovations, and multi-family residential architectural design.

About Design Atelier:

Design Atelier (www.design-atelier.net) is an established multi-cultural, highly creative design firm that brings a unique and innovative approach to all of its projects. Our work spans the globe, and our clients range from prestigious hotel groups to luxury residences. Our mission is to create interior spaces that respect the environment and promote human interaction.Press Release

1 August 2018

Hospitality Upgrade Publisher and President Rich Siegel today announced the next recipient of the John Cahill student seat will be Juan Jesus Trevino, a student of the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston. The upcoming CIO Summit will be held Sept. 5-7, 2018, in Seattle.

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"With a stellar academic background and good hospitality and IT work experience, we believe Juan has a bright future and solid potential in hospitality technology ahead of him," said Dr. Agnes DeFranco.

After graduating from a magnet high school with advancement placement, Trevino decided to attend his local community college for one semester to finish all the required core classes. He obtained his associates degree in one semester at South Texas College with a perfect 4.0 GPA before transferring to the University of Houston. With only one semester's work at UH, and wanting to know about the many facets of the hospitality industry, he joined the HFTP Cougar Chapter and the Texas Restaurant Association Cougar Chapter at the Hilton College, and the Undergraduate Real Estate Scholars association at the business college. In the summer of 2016 and 2017, Trevino contributed in a major network upgrade at Arenas Del Mar, an 80-room resort hotel in Tampico, Mexico. This project involved rewiring and installation of new devices throughout the property.

Mr. Trevino is studying hotel and restaurant management with plans to graduate in May of 2020.

The creation of the John Cahill Honorary Seat was a special addition to the annual CIO Summit. Each year one student is awarded an exclusive invitation to attend the CIO Summit in Mr. Cahill's honor. Hospitality Upgrade first announced this special addition at the John Cahill Memorial Reception at HITEC 2016 in New Orleans. "When the CIO Summit was in its early stages, John was committed to being there and to help make it a success," said Rich Siegel. "John attended our very first CIO Summit in 2002 and he encouraged others to join us. He was a true advocate for the industry and hotel technology."

The John Cahill Honorary Seat is awarded to one distinguished student from a selected university or four-year college with a hotel program. This student is recommended by his or her professors as an individual with great potential in the hotel technology industry. The selected student will be given an exclusive opportunity to network and learn beside our industry's best and brightest technology leaders for the duration of the CIO Summit.

John Cahill was a hotel technology professional, industry leader, mentor, father and friend. Over the course of his career, Cahill was the CIO for three hotel companies - ITT Sheraton, InterContinental Hotels and The Denihan Hospitality Group. Cahill's list of industry contributions is extensive, including co-editing the inaugural CHTP exam in 1995. Cahill was inducted into the HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame in 1993, and was an HFTP Global Past President (2001-2002). Above all, Cahill was a mentor. Hospitality Upgrade's Rich Siegel wished to see his memory live on by presenting one student each year with an exclusive opportunity to attend an otherwise closed-door, invitation-only CIO Summit, allowing the student to sit in John's seat for the two-day event. "It's something we know John would have loved," Siegel said.

The previous recipients of this award include inaugural recipient Spencer Rung, a 2016 graduate of the Penn State School of Hospitality Management; and the 2017 recipient, Andrew Trupia, a graduate of the University of Nevada - Las Vegas who is currently working at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The CIO Summit

Hospitality Upgrade produces the annual CIO Summit - a unique, invitation-only event for chief information officers from hotel brands, management companies, cruise lines, gaming and independent hotels. This year's CIO Summit will be hosted in Seattle on Sept. 5-7, 2018.

For more information about The CIO Summit, please visit www.hospitalityupgrade.com/CIOSummit.Grant Generates Hospitality Training For 27 Area Youth

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF), in partnership with the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA), Hotel Association of Los Angeles and Grads of Life, a national nonprofit, today celebrated the first graduating class of 27 local youth who received training in a hospitality industry program with local community-based organizations LeadersUp and iFoster.

As part of the training program, each youth has earned the AHLA Certified Guest Service Professional designation, the highest acknowledgement of guest service for employees in the hospitality industry. The graduation comes on the heels of a $75,000 AHLEF grant commitment to local Los Angeles community-based organizations to train youth in the hospitality industry.



AHLEF President Rosanna Maietta joined California Hotel and Lodging Association President and CEO Lynn Mohrfeld, Hotel Association of Los Angeles Chair Jonathan Litvack, Grads of Life Director Erika Cospy, and other representatives from the hotel industry at the event.



In Los Angeles, nearly 190,000 young adults are looking for employment. Each year, the Los Angeles hotel industry has more than 8,300 job openings, with 400 positions currently listed. Grant funds are helping to connect these youth to employers in the hospitality industry and provide training to help them succeed.



The event is part of AHLAs Empowering Youth Project, an initiative of the industrys Dreams Happen Here campaign, a national awareness effort to showcase career advancement opportunities, community commitment, and economic importance of hotel and lodging businesses to every city and state across America.



The hotel industry employs more than 8 million people across the United States. This grant represents our continued commitment to providing career opportunities and driving economic growth in the hotel industry and in the communities where we live and work, said Rosanna Maietta, President of AHLEF. By partnering with organizations such as Grads of Life, we can take meaningful steps to close the jobs gap and provide our nations youth with the necessary skills to launch long, successful careers in the hotel industry.

The demand for talent in our industry, and especially in Los Angeles, is greater than ever, and we must continue working hard to meet the anticipated growth, said Lynn Mohrfeld, President and CEO of the California Hotel & Lodging Association. By providing youth the tools and training to enter the hotel industry, we will continue to make sure our industry always provides a ladder of opportunity.

Los Angeles hotels are proud to partner with community-based organizations like LeadersUp and iFoster to develop and train the next generation of hospitality leaders, said Jonathan Litvack, Chair of the Hotel Association of Los Angeles. We are confident this grant will make a big difference in the lives of many Los Angeles youth who are not only ready, but better prepared to join the exciting world of hospitality.

At Grads of Life, we work each day to match employers in need of talent with innovative solutions that also provide Opportunity Youth with the skills and access necessary for meaningful career pathways, said Erika Cospy, Director of Grads of Life. AHLAs grant commitments will help advance our mission to close the opportunity divide and aid countless young people looking to gain stable employment in the hotel industry.

We applaud AHLA and CH&LA for taking the initiative to galvanize its members in using innovative solutions to finding talent that benefit both the community and businesses, said Jeffery Wallace, CEO of LeadersUp. Our partnership is a clear example of how industries across the nation can build a talent pipeline that connects to the diversity, skills and limitless potential of Opportunity Youth."

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceAhead of this yearAs 4th annual Mediterranean Resort & Hotel Real Estate Forum (MR&H), Thanos Papasavvas CFA, Founder & CIO, ABP Invest, delivers an in-depth analysis on the issues and opportunities available to investors looking at non-performing loans in EuropeAs hospitality sector.

Ahead of this years 4th annual Mediterranean Resort & Hotel Real Estate Forum (MR&H), Thanos Papasavvas CFA, Founder & CIO, ABP Invest, delivers an in-depth analysis on the issues and opportunities available to investors looking at non-performing loans in Europes hospitality sector.



A unique tourism and business destination, the Mediterranean (from Southern and South-Eastern Europe to North Africa and the Levant) is a major attraction for investors in search for new projects but the diversity of market conditions across the region makes investment in real estate a challenging business. MR&H will provide hospitality investors and key market stakeholders a complete overview of the regions different investment climates, regulatory frameworks and targeted opportunities through panel presentations, interactive discussions and keynote presentations such as Papasavvas economic keynote overview where he will present the macroeconomic trends impacting the Mediterranean region as well as prospects for growth.



In this exclusive report, Papasavvas shares his sentiment on the NPL market in Europe, stating: The more liquid the NPL market becomes the more it entices new potential investors as well as offloading debt from banks' balance sheets allowing them to utilise their capital more productively.



At Eur 813bn the EU's NPL market is an obstacle to a strong recovery as it impedes new credit for working capital and investment. On the other hand, NPLs also provide the opportunity of creating a new and viable secondary market, attracting new investors in search of yield and favourable valuations.



Papasavvas takes a deeper look at Italy and Greece in the report, as they are the only two countries in the region with both a high volume and high ratio of NPLs. Italy has built a strong momentum of reducing its NPLs over the past few years which is at risk of stalling following recent political developments, whereas Greece has only recently started to address the issues with some encouraging structural changes and signs of political support. The real estate and hotel sector in Greece is at the epicentre of these developments.



Papasavvas returns to the stage for the second year by popular demand, to lead the economic overview keynote at MR&H entitled The Economic Perspective: The Finer Details on the Big Picture. Meet with Papasavvas and 300 senior leaders across the hospitality and tourism sectors at MR&H, which is being held 17-19 October 2018 at The Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso in Athens, Greece. The Advanced Rate is available through 6 September 2018, so we encourage you to secure your seat today.



While his keynote at MR&H in 2017 largely addressed the rift in geopolitics, the complacency of investors and correctly forecast the upsurge in market volatility, his presentation this year in Athens will focus on the changing geopolitical landscape, the frictions it creates and how policy makers will try to safeguard the economy. We will also discuss why China would win a trade war against the US, what would Trump's second term in office mean for the world economy and last but not least how does all this come together for this region and sector. I am delighted to have been invited for a second year to address this prestigious event and look forward to continuing our discussion in Athens.



For more information about MR&H, contact:

Alexandra Aldridge

Marketing Director, Questex Hospitality Group

+1-212-895-8284

aaldridge@questex.com

www.mrandh.com

Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe

 2021 Hotel News ResourceTrainer Tony Alagna and driver Brett Miller teamed up to sweep Tuesdays opening round of the Whenuwishuponastar Series with a pair of Captaintreacherous fillies.

A group of 17 two-year-old pacing fillies were split into two $14,000 divisions.

Tall Drink Hanover converted off a two-hole trip to break her maiden and win the first division in 1:53.2. The daughter of Captaintreacherous shot home in :26.1 to defeat Beautyonthebeach by half a length. Abuelita Hanover and Beach Bar finished third and fourth, respectively.

A $35,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase, Tall Drink Hanover shipped in off a pair of third-place finishes in the Kindergarten Series at The Meadowlands. She is owned by Alagna Racing LLC, Marvin Katz and Riverview Racing LLC. She paid $7.60 to win.

Key West unleashed a stunning :25.4 last-quarter to win the second division in 1:52.4 for Alagna and Miller.

The daughter of Captaintreacherous swept up to the lead on the first turn and dictated the tempo, posting fractions of :27.4, :58.3 and 1:27. Prescient Beauty, who entered Tuesdays contest two for two, shot out of the two-hole just before three-quarters to set up a final-quarter spring.

Key West briefly surrendered the lead but reclaimed in the final-eighth with her powerful strides and the help of a drifting Prescient Beauty to win by a little less than two-lengths. Deb finished third, while Tarryn A Strip was fourth.

Key West was a $130,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase. The daughter of Captaintreacherous already has a mark of 1:51.1 and is now two for three for owners Brittany Farms and Brad Grant. She returned $2.50.

For the second night this week the two-year-old trotting colts and geldings demonstrated a serious level of skill in Ontario Sires Stakes competition, this time in three Grassroots divisions at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

In the first $19,850 division, Carey On and driver Doug McNair took control of the race heading by the half and cruised to a one-and-one-half length victory in 1:59.1. Early pacesetter Cousin Peter, who led the field to a :29 quarter and 1:01 half before the favourite took command and trotted to a 1:30 three-quarters, finished second and LMC Picasso was third.

He behaved tonight, which is key with two-year-old trotters, said McNair. I thought if he stayed flat he would have a good shot, and even Grandma was here for her picture.

McNair piloted Carey On to the win for his father, trainer Gregg McNair, and grandmother, Gwendolyn McNair who bred and owns the colt. A son of Kadabra and Nellie Mae Lavec, Carey On had started his Ontario Sires Stakes career in the Gold Series season opener at Woodbine Mohawk Park on July 16, but made an early break and finished seventh.

All three of the divisions were captured by homebred youngsters, with the other two hailing from the barn of Hall of Fame horseman Bob McIntosh.

Royal Rob was the first of the McIntosh trainees to grace the Grassroots winners circle. Getting away fourth from post one, Royal Rob made a powerful move to the front heading past the :59.2 half and then maintained his speed through a 1:28 three-quarters and on to a 1:56.1 victory. Pocket-sitter Okeanos moved at Royal Rob in the stretch, but the leader held him at bay and secured a one-half length victory. Royale Elite was well back in third.

He was a standout all winter training and he got a little bit off in spring, just kind of some growing pains, and I backed off on him, just gave him some time, because you cant fight with Mother Nature, said McIntosh of the son of Royalty For Life and Armbro Chelsea. Now hes turning out to be the horse I thought he was. I was very high on him last winter. I thought he was one of the better trotters Ive had for a while and hes proving me right now I guess.

Tuesdays outing was Royal Robs first and came after just one qualifier, a 2:01 effort at Woodbine Mohawk Park on July 24. McIntosh bred the colt and owns him in partnership with Dave Boyle, Gordon Wright and Randy Liepa. Royal Robs 1:56.1 clocking makes him the fastest two-year-old trotter in Canada so far this season.

Hes a heck of an individual, hes very strong, said McIntosh. Last summer, or the summer before I was up at David Hefferings farm [Tara Hills Stud] and I saw Royalty For Life, and hes the spitting image of his Dad, same colour and same build, same everything.

Hopefully he can make half as much money, Im not greedy, just half as much, added the horseman with a laugh. Royalty For Life earned $1.6 million in a standout career that included victories in the Hambletonian and Canadian Trotting Classic.

The final division went to McIntosh trainee Judge Ken, who fired out of post 10 and led the field through fractions of :28.2, :59.1 and 1:28.2 on his way to a two-and-one-half length victory in 1:57.3. Scarlett Raider finished second and Clothier Hanover completed the top three.

The win was Judge Kens first in four starts. The son of Justice Hall and Barbie And Ken finished third in the Grassroots season opener at Georgian Downs on July 17, made a break and finished seventh in a June 28 overnight and stayed on gait for a second-place finish in a June 21 overnight, both at Woodbine Mohawk Park. McIntosh, Dave Boyle and C S X Stables of Liberty Center, Ohio bred and own the gelding and Bob McClure stepped into the race bike for Tuesday nights victory.

Hes a nice little horse, not very big, but really mature, said McClure. He did well to overcome the 10-hole. Its hard for young horses to do.

Off their impressive efforts, Tuesdays winners will now have to decide whether to remain in the Grassroots Series for the third leg at Hiawatha Horse Park on August 11 or take on the Gold Series colts at Woodbine Mohawk Park on August 9.

This Saturday, August 4 the three-year-old pacing colts will be part of Woodbine Mohawk Parks Civic Holiday celebrations, which features fireworks following the races. The pacing colts will battle in a pair of Gold Series divisions, scheduled as races six and nine.

Live racing resumes Thursday, Aug. 2 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Post time is 7:30 p.m.

(With files from Woodbine Mohawk Park and the Ontario Sires Stakes)

To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Tuesday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.Although he recently cracked the top 5 on the Hot 100 with "FEFE," Tekashi 6ix9ine still has some legal issues to deal with. A few weeks back, the rainbow haired rapper was arrested once he landed in New York on an warrant that was issued in Texas. While he's currently on bail and performing shows, the rapper is reportedly on his "best behavior" while he's out and about.

Tekashi 6ix9ine seems to be chillin' out a little bit more these days after his arrest in July. According to PageSix sources, the rapper landed at JFK airport at 7:30 in the morning from a red-eye flight from L.A.

He was  well-behaved, a witness said of 6ix9ine. Definitely no commotion between the plane and his car.

Unsurprisingly, the rapper was accompanied by four security guards. The rapper bulked up his security team after his kidnapping a week and a half a go.

His bodyguards did not allow young fans to take pictures, but he did stop to smile for selfies with a couple airport employees, their source said.

We're glad he's moving a bit better these days. The rapper was hit with a series of unfortunate events since he landed in America following his European tour. Hopefully, he continues to stay out of trouble and focuses on more music and his forthcoming tour with Nicki Minaj.HollywoodLife has learned that Blac Chyna is completely stricken by her mother's decision to lambaste her in a heated rant a few days ago. Her mother Tokyo Toni resorted to calling her estranged daughter a "mistake" and a "statutory rape baby" in a lengthy social media rant many observers deemed an all-time low in their documented feud.

The report takes into account the severity of the charges, in stating that normally reactive Blac Chyna has been taken aback by her mother's denunciation, duly expressed by silence or resignation over the issue. It is believed Tokyo Toni was cut off because her increasing demands for money began forcing a wedge in their dynamic.

Toni's most recent tirade seems to have been sparked by Blac Chyna's refusal to let her see her grandkids King Cairo and Dream Kardashian. Blac Chyna's mother is also responding rather sourly to the her daughter's decision to alter her name from Angela Renee, as bestowed upon birth. Something tells me Tokyo Toni's and her mother may have had a similar squabble over naming rights.

Will Blac Chyna clap back? Chances are Tokyo has worsened her chances of seeing her grandchildren in the immediate future, but something tells me we haven't heard the last from either party.When Lil Uzi Vert made a rare post on Instagram yesterday, uploading artwork related to his rumored Eternal Atake project, many fans were extremely excited for the prospect of an imminent Uzi drop. The image, showcasing imagery almost identical to symbols used by the Heaven's Gate cult, seemed to hint at the project releasing in the near future. Later in the day, Uzi shared a new version of the cover, picturing himself as an animated character with a much less suggestive reference to the organization while still keeping their keyhole logo in the photo. It turns out this may have been because of a possible lawsuit from the surviving members of the cult as Genius reached out to them for their reactions and, we'll let you know, they were not happy.

A representative for the remaining cult members spoke out, stating that Uzi is infringing on their copyright and they are seeking appropriate legal action. "He is using and adapting our copyrights and trademarks without our permission and the infringement will be taken up with our attorneys. This is not fair use or parody, it [is] a direct and clear infringement," said the rep. According to Complex, Heaven's Gate is considered the "first well-known American cult of the Internet era." Members believed they had to commit suicide to reach a spaceship, which would bring them to a new level of existence.

Reading up on Heaven's Gate, it's no surprise that Uzi would be influenced by them after he told an entire crowd that they're all going to hell with him. Is the Philadelphia rapper trying to be the next big cult leader?Cheating on your spouse is already a disgusting act, but one woman's lover is paying the ultimate price for involving himself with a married lady. According to CNN, Francisco Huizar III was ordered to pay $8.8 million to Keith King, who was married to Danielle Swords. Swords (formerly Danielle King) met Huizar about five years after she married King. King, who owned King BMX Stunt Shows, sent his wife to represent his company at a bike show in New York. Huizar was working the event, and finessed his way into Swords life.

Soon after, Swords and Huizar began an affair. The two would be linked together on several occasions. When King bought his wife a solo spa day, she brought Huizar along with her. When King sent his wife on business trips for the company, Huizar would book a hotel not too far from his lover. When Swords went on vacation, you guessed it, Huizar was not far behind. King first noticed inappropriate texts between the two and discovered that his wife was cheating on him. In the state of North Carolina, adultery is still a crime. The alienation of affections law prohibits cheating in marriages. In fact, the alienation of affections law exists in five other states as well: Hawaii, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota and Utah.

Huizar was charged with criminal conversation, alienation of affection, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and assault and battery. Criminal conversation is another law that pertains to cheating within marriages. The assault and battery charges stem from an altercation where Huizar put King in a chokehold. The hefty $8.8 million penalty can be attributed to the fact that Swords worked for her husband. He claims that he lost an employee after the scandal, causing him to also lose money while damaging his company.Pop music fans are more obsessed with chart placements and album sales than they've ever been, so it's no surprise that a few Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande stans had minor freakouts after a Nicki delay gave the two artists the same album release date. Fortunately, it seems that Nicki and Ariana do not share the concern of some of their fans.

Grande took to Twitter to set the record straight after some fans suggested that the two may no longer be friends and that Minaj's date change was a conscious move rather than an inevitable sample clearance issue. "jesus is this whats going on today? imma jus stop logging in at all lmfao. thats my fucking sister. shes clearing a sample. buy and stream queen & sweetener aug 17 bye," she said. "these numbers dont mean as much to the artist as they do toyall. jus want yall to listen to the project."

She went on to riff on a quote from Nicki's "No Frauds" verse, writing "me n nicki laughed at dat," at which point Minaj also chimed in. "I love this woman," she said. "Cant wait for the fans to benefit from all the hard work on both ends. We love your passion. You guys will be VERY happy. Trust. Thats all Ill say."

There can't be all that much competition between Nicki and Ariana considering each of them will appear on the other's album (Nicki is featured on Ariana's "The Light Is Coming" while Ariana is featured on Nicki's "Bed"). A sale for either artist is a win for both. Look out for Queen and Sweetener to see release August 17th.You'd think that after naming the winner of the biggest beauty pageant on earth, FOX wouldn't enlist Steve Harvey as the host of Miss Universe 2018 but that's clearly not the case. With the Miss Universe pageant coming soon, FOX has announced that Steve Harvey will return as the host this year.

Earlier today, FOX revealed that they'll be bringing the 2018 Miss Universe competition to Bangkok, Thailand. The competition is set to take place on December 16th.

Back in 2015, Steve Harvey screwed up immensely on national television after he announced Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo, as the winner of the competition. Immediately after, he realized that he messed up on the announcement and revealed that Miss Philippines, Pia Alonzo Wurzbach was actually the winner of the evening.

Harvey acknowledged his screw up earlier today when he announced that he'd be returning as the host on Twitter.

"Yeah !!!! Im back AGAIN!!!! Who will it be?........ tune in lets find out together ... hopefully," he wrote followed by a laughing emoji.

After the screw up in 2015, he took to Twitter to apologize to both Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines.

"I'd like to apologize wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia & Miss Philippines for my huge mistake. I feel terrible."

We hope that he doesn't screw up again this year but if he does, it'll surely spark some great memes.

[VIA]In a new interview with Glamour Magazine, Tiffany Haddish claims she was raped by a police cadet when she was 17 years old. The female comedian & actress opened up about the traumatic event in her new cover story, saying it put her in a messed up place and that she had to go to counseling afterwards.

That whole experience put me in such a messed-up place for a long time, and I ended up going to counseling, [...] I notice that men are afraid of women that are aggressive. So to protect myself I become semi-aggressive, [...] You hear about, Tiffany always hitting on somebody, but thats to keep them from hitting on me.

Tiffany said she reported the incident at the time to authorities, but nothing came out of it. She added that she wants to help victims of sexual assault moving forward, but wants to do more than just be a spokesperson for the cause.

Me just yelling out peoples names with no thought behind it is pointless. I need a plan, [...] I could be a voice, but whats a voice going to dojust keep talking? Or is there action behind it?

In addition to that, Tiff also gave an update on the mysterious Beyonce face-biting scandal, saying she didn't confirm shit.

Read all that & more in the in-depth cover story right here.

[Via]We might be witnessing the end of a 19-year-old movie franchise next year. The first X-Men film with Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry hit theaters in 2000, and Dark Phoenix is set to hit theaters next year. Disney is completing their buyout of 21st Century Fox, which means that the X-Men, Deadpool, and Fantastic Four are all heading back home to Marvel. With that in mind, it looks like Fox's Dark Phoenix may be the last film in the franchise, before Marvel and Disney reboot everything and make way for their next phase of films.

The New Mutants will also be included for the end of the Fox/X-Men relationship. Based on a group of younger mutants who later become X-men, the film will be the first true superhero horror story to come from Marvel (unless you count the first Blade, which wasn't necessarily a horror flick). Game of Thrones sisters Massie Williams and Sophie Turner (Arya and Sansa Stark, respectively) are set to star in each movie. Turner will star as the titular villain in Dark Phoenix, while Williams will play Wolfsbane in The New Mutants.

According to ComicBook.com, IMAX released their quarterly earnings report, and they also gave investors a look at upcoming films slated be released in the popular format. X-Men: Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants were included in the list of 2019 films, with final release dates being revealed. Dark Phoenix, which was originally scheduled for a November 2018 release, was moved to March before getting the new updated release date of February 14, 2019. The New Mutants, originally slated for a release this past April 13, was moved to February 2019, before eventually getting the new date of August 2, 2019.Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller  who most recently tangled with the states barbecue joints  has a new beef: the way ranchers fight the potentially deadly fever tick.

Miller incited a controversy Monday during a visit to a ranch near Raymondville, where he shut down 16 fever tick spray box operations, saying producers were complaining of cattle deaths from overuse of Co-Ral, a Texas Department of Agriculture-regulated pesticide manufactured by Bayer-Monsanto.

Ranchers had complained to me about their cattle dying from these spray boxes, so I went to South Texas to check it out, Miller said in a news release. From my personal observation, the insecticide was being used in violation of the label, so I shut them down. I also gave state and federal authorities lawful alternatives for applying this insecticide, but they refused to implement these alternatives.

ANOTHER BEEF: Texas ag commissioner rips WeWork over 'anti-beef policy'

But Robert McKnight, a Fort Davis rancher whos president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said there have been no reports of cattle deaths and Miller doesnt know what hes talking about.

The spray boxes utilized by the Texas Animal Health Commission and U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service are not known to have caused any cattle deaths due to toxicity, McKnight said. Commissioner Millers efforts are actually detrimental to cattle raisers who rely on the use of spray boxes to eradicate cattle fever ticks from their operations.

The fever tick carries a disease known as bovine babesiosis, which destroys red blood cells resulting in cattle anemia, fever and death.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, it spread north with longhorn cattle drives and nearly wiped out the U.S. cattle herd.

The pest was declared eradicated from the U.S. in 1943, save for a narrow quarantine zone hugging the Texas-Mexico border as the ticks have been known to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico.

In recent years, though, the tick increasingly has been making its way into the Texas interior, forcing the cattle industry to double down on efforts to contain it. According to the cattle raisers association, there now are nearly 1.4 million acres under some level of quarantine, compared to what had been 226,803 acres in the permanent quarantine area.

BBQ BEEF: Texas Ag commissioner, BBQ pitmasters battle over a weighty issue

The now-controversial spray boxes are portable chambers that can be toted to ranchers who otherwise might have to round up and transport the animals to distant dipping vats.

Miller, a former champion rodeo cowboy who took office in 2015, has drawn headlines for controversies such as a taxpayer-funded trip to Oklahoma for a pain-killing Jesus shot (he since has repaid the state), a thwarted attempt to use the blood thinner Warfarin as a poison against feral hogs in what he touted as a feral hog apocalypse and the recent BBQ Bill, which had restaurants across the state smoking mad over what they said were burdensome new requirements for weighing meats.

The spray box method that has incensed Miller has been in use since the 1970s, when the Environmental Protection Agency registered Co-Ral for use in spray boxes and dipping vats, Texas Animal Health Commission spokeswoman Callie Ward said by email. She said that because they are mobile, the animal health commission since September 2016 has been able to take them to 919 herds in 82 counties.

Over the decades, TAHC has sprayed and assisted federal personnel in spraying thousands of cattle to prevent the spread of cattle fever ticks and the deadly disease they can carry, and has no indication the operation of spray boxes has directly led to cattle deaths, she said.

Since Texas is the nations leading state in cattle production, the ramifications of a babesiosis outbreak could be huge. U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, has said even a small outbreak outside the quarantine zone could cost about $120 million in the first year alone.

According to the USDA, an extended tick outbreak could cost U.S. ranchers and the broader economy more than $1.2 billion in extermination expenses and lost revenue from diseased animals. The U.S. cattle industry currently is valued at about $81 billion.

HEALTH PANEL: Miller catches heat for appointing 'maverick' with revoked medical licenses

The problem is so serious that U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat who sits on the House Committee on Appropriations Committee, last July secured $96.5 million in the 2018 agriculture appropriations bill to help stop the spread. Cuellar in May announced an additional $1 million in federal funding for 2019.

Our cattle producers contribute greatly to the economy and way of life in South Texas, Cuellar said. They deserve our assistance in the face of threats to their vitality.

Miller in a phone interview Tuesday stood by his actions, even when told ranchers represented by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association said there were no reports of cattle deaths and the shutdowns were detrimental.

Weve got affidavits from ranchers, he said. Their immediate past president said it was like putting them in a gas chamber, so youre hearing from a minority.

Former TSCRA President Richard Thorpe, though, in a text message said hed never seen the boxes but had been told they are safe by both the TAHC and USDA.

I told Miller on the phone after he was describing them to me that it sounded like a gas chamber, Thorpe said. He took that out of context and unfortunately made a misquote.

Miller said that after hearing complaints from ranchers that Texas Animal Health Commission officials were forcing them to endanger cattle, he reached out to the agency to see if we could resolve the issue.

It was very evident what we were doing was off-label, he said. The label on Co-Ral specifically says do not use in a non-ventilated area.

He said, Theyre afraid. They said, If we go against (USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) or the Animal Health Commission, well never get out of quarantine.

He added that only Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service personnel could use Co-Ral at full strength.

Texas animal health department cannot, and they were the ones there, he said. There was nobody from APHIS there.

Miller said he offered Texas Animal Health Commission options, including an injectable called Dectomax that lasts 30 days, dipping vats, hand sprayers, or even using the boxes but keeping the animals head outside the box so it doesnt breathe the fumes.

He said the animal health commission refused.

Theyve got to use it by label, they cant just do whatever the hell they want, he said. Its just a power struggle, I think.Americas for-profit health care industry is doing very well, just ask the 64 CEOs who took home a combined $1.7 billion last year.

Thats an average of $26.5 million each. The average U.S. household makes $59,000 a year and spends $3,809 of that on health care, according to federal figures.

The new compensation calculation for CEOs comes from Axios, an independent journalism website, which analyzed the 2017 securities filings of S&P 500 companies. Rather than look solely at the value of stock options when they are issued, the reporters calculated the value of the stock the CEOs sold.

The compensation figures are 74 percent higher than official company documents, which rely on the estimated fair value of the stock when it is issued.

RELATED: You're paying twice as much for health care. How do you feel?

Former Cerner CEO Neal Patterson collected $148.6 million in 2017 for overseeing one of the nations largest electronic health record companies. He co-founded the firm in 1979, which helps explain the payout.

Second on the list is Leonard Schleifer, CEO and founder of pharmaceutical firm Regeneron, who took home $95.3 million. UnitedHealth Groups CEO, Dave Wichmann, made $83.2 million.

These big paydays reflect last years skyrocketing stock market, and the decision by many of the CEOs to sell high. Boards of directors often pay executives most of their compensation in stock to align their interests with shareholders.

Unfortunately, that doesnt always align with the interests of patients, who are more interested in affordable care. If you think non-profits pay more reasonable salaries, you would be wrong.

Ascension, the worlds largest Catholic health care system, paid CEO Anthony Tersigni $17.5 million in 2017, according to tax filings. In Texas, non-profit health organizations paid 131 people more than $1 million a year, according to data from The Wall Street Journal.

More than 87 percent of health care companies in the S&P 500 reported higher-than-expected earnings in the second quarter of 2018, according to FactSet, a financial data analysis firm. Average earnings were up 13.8 percent, year over year.

Properly managed, health care should be a guaranteed moneymaker. Everyone needs it, and patients are willing to empty their wallets to get it. Given this dynamic, what does society consider fair compensation for health care workers or a fair return for shareholders? What is a fair price for those who must pay the bills?

President Donald Trump is attempting to answer those questions in his own unique way.

This summer he railed against high drug prices, leading Pfizer, Novartis and Bayer to suspend seasonal price hikes. How long drug makers will freeze prices remains unclear, but CEOs have expressed greater concerns about Trumps suggestion to import drugs to drive down prices and pharmaceutical company profits.

The administration is also going after pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen between drug makers and those who pay for them, such as insurers, governments and consumers. These companies, which include CVS Caremark and OptumRx, negotiate rebates from the official list prices and pocket a portion of them.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has suggested changing the rebate system to allow federally-funded Medicare to negotiate directly with drug makers and pass the savings on to patients. Azar is also considering allowing generics, which by itself could save Medicare $3 billion a year by taking sales away from brand-name drug makers.

High drug prices make headlines, but retail pharmaceuticals only make up 10 percent of health care spending. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the largest purchaser of health care, has announced plans to decrease payments to both hospitals and doctors, which bill for half of total costs.

RELATED: U.S. health care system costs too much, fails too often

Medicare Administrator Seema Verma is ending the practice of paying a higher facility fee to hospitals than to a doctors offices for performing the same procedure, potentially saving $760 million a year and putting the hospital lobby to work.

Under the guise of reducing paperwork, Verma has proposed paying doctors a flat rate for office visits, no matter how chronically ill the patient. Doctors who see older, sicker patients will do less paperwork but also get paid less than doctors who see mostly healthy people. Medical societies are understandably upset.

Lastly, the Trump administration is working to cut subsidies for poor peoples health premiums, angering the insurance industry and driving up consumer costs.

The president promised to cut health care costs, but that means squeezing the profits out of an industry accustomed to rolling in money. Lobbyists will do everything it can to stop that.

The U.S. spends more per person, with worse health results than any other wealthy country. There is plenty of room for cost-shaving if the administration can stand up to this enormously powerful industry.

Chris Tomlinson writes commentary about business and economics.

chris.tomlinson@chron.com

twitter.com/cltomlinsonThis summer, five of the countrys top teachers went to Germany.

These state teachers of the year, from Idaho, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., met German public school teachers, visited a private school in Berlin, and toured a vocational training program at a Siemens plant in Berlin. The teachers also visited historical and cultural sites in the city and participated in a discussion with two women who grew up on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall.

The teachers trips were funded through EF Educational Tours, an educational travel agency for students and teachers, and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Education Week spoke with three of the teachers about their trip. (To read about teachers trips in past years, see Madeline Wills coverage of prior state teachers visits to Finland .)

Vocational Training and Career Preparation

All three of the teachers remarked on the strength and breadth of Germanys vocational training program.

In Germany, many students end secondary school after 10th grade and start on-the-job training or enroll in a vocational school. Most German students are tracked around the age of 12, either enrolled in a college-preparatory program, a school that prepares them for an apprenticeship supplemented with higher education coursework, or a vocational track. This rigid structure has loosened somewhat in the past two decades as Germany sought to close the achievement gap between its highest and lowest performing students , but critics of the system still say it perpetuates inequalities: Children of native-born parents are overrepresented in the college-bound track, while children of immigrants are more likely to be in vocational schools.

In the U.S., there is still sort of this notion that every kid who graduates from high school needs to [go to] college in order to be successfuland that is not the case in Germany, said Heidi Crumrine, an English teacher at Concord High School in New Hampshire.

The teachers saw an example of this vocational education in a visit to Siemens, the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe. The company participates in Germanys dual-training program , an option through the public school system in which students spend part of the week at a vocational school and part of the week working in industry.

Training, testing, and certification requirements are nationally standardized, so students arent just preparing for a job with the company where theyre apprenticingthey could earn certification in a certain trade at Siemens, and then use the credentials to apply for another job elsewhere.

Some U.S. schools offer similar certification tracks: Crumrines school, for example, offers training in cosmetology, automotive technology, and health sciences. Students who complete a program can graduate with an endorsement for the trade. But vocational programs in the United States are more localized, operating at the state level or even in individual districts.

This large-scale, public program is more comprehensive than any career and technical education options in the U.S., said Paul Howard, a social studies teacher at LaSalle-Backus Education Campus in Washington, D.C. Even at the college level in the U.S., we havent figured out how to give people applicable knowledge, he said.

High schools in this country could do a better job of helping students make that transition from school to work, said Becky Mitchell, an English and science teacher at Vision Charter School in Caldwell, Ind. The trip to Siemens gave her ideas about forming workforce partnerships at her own school in Idaho that could prepare her students for IT jobs in Boise, the states capital, she said.

But Howard was skeptical that the U.S. as a wholea much larger, more decentralized education system than in Germany, with a more diverse student populationcould effectively replicate the national vocational training model.

To say that we can just take what were doing and drop it into the United States, which has a completely different historical context and cultural contextits not going to happen, he said.

Teacher Challenges

But the German public school teachers that the state teachers of the year met with also discussed difficulties they experienced in the classroom.

In the states, we kind of have this mythos that weve built around European schools, said Howard, when in reality, the teachers there face challenges as well.

Some of the issues were similar to those faced by U.S. teachers: Public school teachers told Howard that students from poor families in Germany dont get access to the same opportunities that the children of wealthier parents do.

Teacher pay is also low compared to other professions, they said, and teacher retention is a problem in German schools. (Teacher pay in Germany is actually higher than in the United States2016 research from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development found that a veteran high school teacher there makes about $89,000 annually, while the same analysis put the average salary for a seasoned U.S. teacher at $69,000.)

Were subject to the same bureaucracy, the same red tape, said Mitchell. And we all want whats best for our students.

A special education teacher who works with hearing-impaired students spoke with the visiting U.S. teachers about the ongoing challenges in including special education students in general education classes.

In the U.S., federal law requires students with disabilities to be in the least restrictive environment possible. Almost two-thirds of U.S. special education students spend the majority of their day in general education classes , compared to about 38 percent in Germany .

Germany has been including more special education students in general education classes in recent years, but some teachers have said that they lack the classroom supports to teach learners of varied abilities.

It seemed to me that the [German] schools havent necessarily changed in their approachtheyve just tried to incorporate inclusive classrooms, said Crumrine.

Innovation and Student-Centered Learning

The teachers of the year also visited a private school: the Evangelical School Berlin Centre. Students there spend most of the day in mixed-age groupings, working on individual or group projects. The curriculum is mastery-basedadvancement is contingent on developing new skills, rather than spending a certain amount of time in classand students dont receive grades until theyre 15.

This environment radically changes the job of a teacher, said Howard. Because students spend most of their time working independently, teachers mainly provide guidance and answer questions."[The role is] much more like a manager in an office job than it is a traditional stand-and-deliver teacher, he said.

Some alternative schools in the U.S. are also experimenting with this student-centered, project-based approach. Howard said the Evangelical School reminded him of the Khan Lab School , a small private school in Mountain View, Calif., started by the founder of Khan Academy. (And just like these schools in the U.S., the Evangelical Schools overarching focus on student choice and its flexible schedule are exceptions, rather than the rule, in Germany.)

This value on student choice and voice appealed to Crumrine. When kids are invested in what theyre doing, and when they have ownership, theyre much more successfuland happy, she said.

Though most American high schools arent planning to do away with grades or a structured schedule anytime soon, Crumrine says shes seen more project-based learning integrated into standards at the state and district level. In her state of New Hampshire, a leader in competency-based education, students have the option to take a competency-based assessment instead of a standardized test in some grade levels.



Confronting the Past

Outside of the classroom, the teachers visited historical and cultural sites around Berlin.

Howard said these experiences led him to reflect on how Germany and the U.S. both frame dark chapters of their countries histories, and how educators should tackle these issues in the classroom.

Berlin acknowledges the history of Nazism and the Holocaust, said Paulthe city is full of museums, memorials, and remembrances of victims. Germany sees the Holocaust as a shameful part of the countrys past.

Howard contrasted the German portrayal of those reponsible for the Holocaust to the way the Civil War and the Confederacy are remembered in the U.S. They dont have statues of Hitler and SS soldiers around Germany, he said. They havent forgotten that those guys existed; they just didnt build a statue of them and say, Well, its part of our history, so were going to have a statue of these traitors.

In the U.S., said Howard, were constantly [burying] our head in the sand when it comes to race. All of the racial discrimination and inequality in this countryfrom the disproportionate incarceration of black people to the lack of representation in Congressis tied to the legacy of slavery, he said, though its a connection that U.S. history classes rarely draw.

But not all of Germanys past is memorialized in the same way as the Holocaust. Howard said he didnt see much public acknowledgement or discussion of the death and violence caused by German colonialism in Africa . Turning away from parts of your countrys history, he said, isnt solely an American tradition.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated the location of Khan Lab School. It is located in Mountain View, Calif.

Photo: The five state teachers of the year pose in front of four slabs of the Berlin Wall that are on exhibit at the Eden Park Hotel in Berlin. From left to right: Becky Mitchell (Idaho), Leah Juelke (North Dakota), Paul Howard (Washington, D.C.), Heidi Crumrine (New Hampshire), and Michelle Cottrell-Williams (Virginia). Courtesy of EF Educational Tours.Driver Dean Magee, affectionately known as Bobcat, had a huge night at Running Aces on Tuesday (July 31).

Magee got the winning started immediately in Race 1 on the program, as he guided seven-year-old gelded pacer Barbosa ($11.20) to a lifetime-best 1:52.3 win for trainer Gerald Longo. Magee was back in the winners circle in Race 3 with two-year-old trotting gelding MD Magic ($15.00), as he picked up his second lifetime win in what was his third start for trainer Nick Roland. The mile time was a lifes-best 2:03.1.

Magee was right back in the winners circle again after Race 4, as he steered two-year-old pacer Do Da Stanky Leg ($4.40) to his first lifetime win (in 2:01) for trainer Gordon Graham in the Minnesota-sired B division. Then, Magee wasted no time returning for another win picture, as he guided five-year-old pacing mare Wizzel Stix ($7.80) to a new lifetime mark (1:53.4) for trainer Rick Bertrand.

Next, in Race 6, Magee completed the natural hat-trick in a big way, as he brought another two-year-old pacer to victory in the Minnesota-Sired events. He teamed up with filly Windmeupnwatchmego, a daughter of Wind Me Up, to win the $10,200 A division. The duo shattered the track record for two-year-old pacing fillies after having gunned down the odds-on favourite, Burning Blaze, in the lane to post a 1:54.1 victory. Windmeupnwatchmego ($9.00) is owned by Richard Davelaar and trained by Gordon Graham (also of significance is that the top five placings in the eight-horse field all went to the progeny of sire Wind Me Up).



Dean Magee, pictured guiding home one of his seven winners on Running Aces Tuesday, July 31 program of live racing

After a solid third-place performance in the featured Winners-Over Pace with Kiss On The Lips, Magee drove Mighty Fine Hi Ho ($8.00) to victory in Race 8. The 12-year-old pacer has now recorded two consecutive victories for trainer Edwin Quevedo. Two races later, in the $6,800 nightcap, which was a conditioned pace, Magee recorded his seventh score on the program. He piloted Place At The Beach to her fifth win in her last six starts. The eight-year-old mare is owned by Peg Hoffman and trained by Gerald Longo. Amazingly, Place At The Beach ($5.80) was only the second race favourite of Magees Tuesday winners.

The big night catapulted Magee from fifth in the driver standings all the way to second. Magee is no stranger to success. In a prolific driving career that has spanned four decades, the 54-year-old Wisconsin native has made 4,660 trips to the winners circle and posted 14,431 top-three finishes after 41,444 calls to the post. He has piloted his mounts to over $29 million in purse earnings and has steered such memorable horses as Yankee Cruiser, whom he guided to a big off-the-pace victory in the 2003 North America Cup for the Pinske stables of Minnesota.

Live racing will continue at Running Aces on Saturday, August 4. First-race post time will be at 6:00 p.m. (CDT). The carryover in the 20-cent Jackpot Pick-5 wager is currently $7,631.84.

(With files from Running Aces)Its kind of like the end of Rome, says a commentator near the beginning of Generation Wealth, a documentary about the wretched excess of consumerism and greed in todays America. The film has its flaws, but after watching its catalog of shifty hedge-fund types, Kardashians, plastic surgery addicts, bling-laden rappers and children of Hollywood royalty, you cant help but agree.

The director is photographer and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield, and Generation Wealth can be viewed as a meditation on themes she raised in her admirable 2012 documentary The Queen of Versailles. That movie detailed the (failed) efforts of Jackie and David Siegel, who made oceans of money in the time-share business, to build an unbelievably lavish mansion based on the palace at Versailles.

The new films assertion, as Greenfield points out in her narration, is that there has been a shift in the meaning of the American dream. A lot of what we see resembles the dregs of reality TV and supermarket tabloids  we watch hip-hoppers raining handfuls of paper currency onto the near-naked bodies of women, and see 24-karat gold toilets in the mansions of Chinese billionaires (just a reminder that avarice is not limited to the United States).

As to political analysis, not a lot is evident in Generation Wealth, suggesting that perhaps Greenfield, who seems to have a liberal outlook, wanted to avoid taking sides in these highly contentious times. If so, it weakens the film, and gives it an air of tut-tutting.

More Information "Generation Wealth" Rated R: for strong sexual content, nudity, disturbing images and drug material Running time: 106 minutes Three stars out of five See More Collapse

Another questionable decision is that Greenfield essentially turns the camera on herself and her husband and kids in the movies second half. In a confessional tone, she allows the possibility that she has been a workaholic, which runs in her high-achieving family and has had an unhappy impact on her home life. She seems to equate this with the same loss of traditional values we have seen in the films gaudier sequences.

The most intriguing of the films rogues gallery is one Florian Homm, a flamboyant, German-born mega-capitalist and financier who was charged in 2011 with financial shenanigans that cost investors hundreds of millions of dollars. He avoided extradition to the United States by returning to Germany. Homm is something of a charmer, and its grimly amusing to hear his recollections. While he offers what may be crocodile tears about the malign effects of his crimes and his alienation from his family, we do get a more distanced and realistic perspective from his adult son.

Then theres the ghastly spectacle of the 6-year-old beauty queen, with a mountain of hair and her dreams of endless wealth. Like much else in the film, its very sad. But after a while, Generation Wealth feels like its all over the place, and that, if most of its subjects are lacking in depth, the movie itself is open to the same criticism.

waddiego@sfchronicle.comElizabeth Chambers is only in Houston for 24 hours, and shes on a tight schedule.

The San Antonio native and Bird Bakery founder flew in on a Saturday morning  It was 82 degrees at 8 a.m.!  to deliver Create & Cultivates keynote address during its third annual, women-only Style Summit at the Galleria.

On Sunday, shell touch down in New York for another one-night-only stay. Thats where her husband, actor Armie Hammer, is preparing for his role in Young Jean Lees Broadway play, Straight White Men. Opening night is Monday, which Chambers will unfortunately miss because shes off to sail the Mediterranean with some girlfriends; the high-profile group includes the Tot founder Nasiba Adilova, Man Repeller blogger Leandra Medine and fashion designer Rosie Assoulin.

But first, Whataburger.

Its always my first stop, Chambers says, almost apologetically, of her Bayou City must-do. At one point, her family almost moved into a nearby neighborhood, so she knows her way around. Ive also got to get some Tex-Mex and barbecue while Im here. And a margarita.

Its a tall order considering her itinerary. Tucked away inside the acclaimed restaurant Nobu before business hours, shes a stones throw from her Westin Galleria hotel room and the revamped Saks Fifth Avenue wing where some 300 aspiring entrepreneurs eagerly await Chambers remarks. Its hard to imagine her escaping the mall without causing a commotion.

More Information amber.elliott@chron.com See More Collapse

At 510 with a cascading brunette ponytail, the former model is impossible to miss  especially in her striped one-shoulder mini-dress; she cuts a striking figure in a sea of shorts and flip flops. During a pre-speech photo shoot, Chambers worries that the cut of her Zimmermann frock is too loose, and asks if theres time for an outfit change before her big talk.

With nearly 200,000 Instagram followers double-tapping her every move, and a sold-out Houston crowd ready to Facebook Live her every word, for mere mortals, the weight of expectation would be stifling.

But Chambers is unruffled. Despite being a seasoned celebrity wife, shes also a Texas girl, and likes to keep it real.

My makeup artist had her work cut out for her, Chambers confides, whipping out her iPhone to reveal evidence of a facial gone wrong. The only thing that covers me up is Cle de Peau concealer.

She glides easily between topics, sharing her favorite beauty products (cold fusion cream and Jurliques foaming face wash), accessories (gold coins, gold hoops and stackable bracelets) and what Hammer adores most about the Lone Star State (the open road  he grew up in Dallas and loves a Texas roadtrip) with equal enthusiasm. Relatability is the reason why Create & Cultivate founder Jaclyn Johnson asked Chambers to headline the Houston Style Summit in the first place; the pair originally collaborated together during SXSW 2018.

Chambers candor is refreshing. Ask her about starting a business, and shell shoot it straight.

Its the most difficult thing Ive ever done, she says with a good-natured eye roll. There are a million reasons to quit and only one to keep going. So many tears and challenges in the beginning. Now nothing surprises me anymore.

She always wanted to open a bakery. Growing up, her mother and grandmother each had brick-and-mortar stores in San Antonio.

Then later, as an adult and self-professed sugar addict, Chambers struggled to find a fresh, local bakery to satisfy her sweet-tooth cravings when she visited her hometown.

I needed a cupcake with real buttercream that was made this morning, she recalls. My dad was like, We dont have that here.

So Chambers and Hammer took matters into their own hands. Their premier Bird Bakery location opened its doors in 2012 on Broadway, right down the street from the spot where Chambers grandmother had run her catering company.

In fact, a number of Bird Bakery menu items, including two popular Pimento cheese dishes, are her grandmothers recipes.

Seeing customers enjoy the recipes I grew up on is the most rewarding part, she says. Its important that it all feels organic. My brand is me, and I think of the Bird Bakery culture like editing a magazine. What do I want my publication to look like?

For the couples second store in Dallas Highland Park Village, nailing the right aesthetic meant installing well-lit vignettes for bloggers  and an Instagram wall.

Create & Cultivates Style Summit follows that lead. Moments before Chambers takes the blush velvet stage, a mix of established influencers  including Carrie Colbert and Courtney Kerr  mingle with ambitious hopefuls against various filter-friendly backdrops. Theres a foliage covered step-and-repeat, color-blocked cocktail bar and plenty of Bird Bakery goods to sample.

Chambers says her next move is expansion.

My goal is to be on food shelves, she says. Whether thats a direct-to-consumer service or stores on every corner. You cant ship a cake, but can you ship the mix and icing with some instructions.

Chambers can sort the details later. Right now, she needs a solution to her wardrobe malfunction. Her public relations handler offers to pin down the offending sleeve, to which Chambers encourages, Go for it!

The clock is ticking. Shes got a speech to deliver and Tex-Mex to scout.Yonkers Raceways all-trot Sunday (August 5) matinee this weekend will feature a $54,800 Open Handicap Trot and the beginning of the French-American Trotting Club Series.

Post time for the 10-race card will be at 12:30 p.m. and all of races  save for the seventh  will carry the French theme, as in overflow fields that will compete at the mile-and-a-quarter distance.

The weekly trotting feature will kick off the program, and distaffer NF Happenstance (Jack Parker Jr., Post 5) boasts as solid a resume as any of her scheduled rivals. The eight-year-old SJs Caviar lass couldnt hack a second move in her last outing, but otherwise has been a cash cow ($169,225) this season.

NF Happenstance, owned by James Moore and trained by Carol-Jamieson-Parker, has recorded eight wins and a half-dozen seconds in her 18 seasonal starts. Shes doing her damage by adroitly leaving the gate, thus wont be hard to find early in the contest.

Newly-minted millionaire Dewycolorintheline (Mark MacDonald, Post 2) will return to the big table in search of a third consecutive win, while The Last Chapter (Brent Holland, Post 3) and Fashion Creditor (Andy Miller, Post 4) also whipped lessers in their last tries.

Cash Me Out (Jim Marohn Jr., Post 1) is just 2-for-20 this season, but has thrown in six seconds and five thirds, while Mostinterestingman (Jordan Stratton, Post 6) was a two-move second in last weekends trotting feature.

Races 2 and 3 comprise the first of three preliminary rounds in the French-American Trotting Club Series, which is restricted to the French-breds that were vetted overseas and then purchased by local interests. Of the 19 horses entered in the two races, 11 have made purse starts since arriving, with five having won at least once.

Each of the preliminary races (second round is August 19, third is August 26th) will offer a purse of $35,000. The $120,000 final is scheduled for Sunday, September 2.

Note this Sundays New York, New York Double consists of Saratogas first race (post time 1 p.m.) and the third from Yonkers (post time 1:30 p.m.).

(Yonkers Raceway)On some mornings when she arrived shortly after the morning bell at Energy Institute High School, a Houston ISD magnet campus just east of downtown, parent and PTO president Bendi Saindon spotted students arriving late and missing the beginning of class.

There were many days with kids lined out the door as tardy, just because they got off a bus late, Saindon said.

For years, many of HISDs magnet students have endured lengthy, winding bus rides that too often arrive late to their destination. It is a problem district leaders hope to address this year with a new bus route system, though it comes with a tradeoff that will further burden some HISD families.

Under the new system unveiled in recent days, HISD magnet students will take more direct routes to their campuses starting this month, reducing transportation headaches for children and drivers. To accommodate the change, however, HISD is cutting the number of pick-up and drop-off locations available to students.

The first day of school for students is Aug. 27.

Previously, magnet students boarded and left buses at stops close to home, but they often traveled circuitous routes with students who attended neighborhood or non-magnet schools. Now, the districts estimated 19,000 magnet students eligible for transportation will be picked up and dropped off at one of 46 spots strategically spread across the city, with more hubs in areas of higher demand.

Tim Brown, HISDs Transportation Services general manager, said the previous magnet route system had become very chaotic, resulting in too many students missing the start of school after hour-plus bus rides.

I get it. Everyone wants their level of convenience, Brown said. But when youre talking about on-time arrival, when youre talking about fleet efficiency, sometimes you have to make changes.

HISD administrators said they are hopeful the changes will result in financial savings, but they will not know for at least a year. Although HISD slashed about $84 million from its $2 billion budget this year, the magnet transportation changes were not made to help close the shortfall, district officials said.

The 46 pick-up and drop-off hubs spread to virtually all corners of the 333-square-mile district, with routes set to the districts nearly 120 magnet schools. Most families will need to travel fewer than three miles to reach a hub, but those in a few pockets  notably the northeastern and central-eastern edges of the district, as well as the Westbury and Meyerland regions  could face longer commutes.

Brown said district staff analyzed magnet enrollment patterns, traffic trends and campus safety data in determining the hub locations. Areas on the districts south and southwest sides, where more than 2,000 kids traveled to magnet schools last year, have several hubs. By comparison, the far northeastern corner of the district, where a few hundred students leave for magnets, has a single hub.

A large percentage of it was truly based on residential data and where these kids come from who attend magnet programs, Brown said. He added that the socioeconomic status of neighborhoods played no role in determining hub locations.

District officials are having preliminary discussions with METRO about providing additional city bus services to families that cannot transport children to or from hubs, but nothing has been finalized, Brown said.

For families living closer to hubs, the transportation changes likely will mean less time in transit for students. Saindon, for example, expects her son will continue to be picked up at the same location as last year, with fewer stops along the route to school.

Others expect a bigger burden this year. Sarah Levits son, who attends Pershing Middle School, previously would walk to and from his bus stop. Now, there is no hub between her house and Pershing, located about four miles away.

Levit said she can transport her son daily, but she worries other families cannot be as flexible.

Its really putting it on the parents to get carpool situations for the kids, Levit said.

Wretha Thomas, president of the Houston Educational Support Personnel union, which represents about 900 bus drivers in HISD, said it is too early to know how the route changes will impact her members. She expects drivers will learn more next week at an in-service session.

The question for me is, whether theyre going to guarantee hours because there might not be more drive time, Thomas said.

HISD families have not yet been notified about where their children will be picked up and dropped off. They will begin receiving mailers in the coming days.

jacob.carpenter@chron.com

Twitter.com/ChronJacobA Jordanian immigrant facing the death penalty in Houston praised Osama bin Laden for the terror attacks on New York City on September 11, 2001, and said the violence was deserved, his daughter testified Tuesday.

Nesreen Irsan, 30, told jurors that her fervently Muslim father, 60-year-old Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan, was living in Conroe when the infamous attacks occurred and was happy that Americans had died. He also told his 12 children they should become suicide bombers if asked.

Now Playing: The death penalty trial of Ali Irsan, a Jordanian immigrant accused in a pair of "honor killings, began Monday. Video: Houston Chronicle

He said its what America deserves, the daughter said as she testified against the father who has been convicted of killing her husband and best friend in two honor killings in 2012.

Asked exactly what he said, Nesreen Irsan made a statement in Arabic, then explained: It means God bless Osama bin Laden.

BEHIND BARS: 'Honor killings' defendant in Houston death penalty trial had shank & smuggled drugs in jail

The shocking statements came during Nesreen Irsans second day of testimony in the punishment phase of her fathers capital murder trial. On Monday, she described how Irsan beat her and her siblings with a hose, a length of 2x4 board or his cane.

The case made international headlines after Irsan was arrested in 2014 for the shooting deaths of Coty Beavers, 28, and Gelareh Bagherzadeh, a 30-year-old medical researcher at MD Anderson and a part-time Iranian activist.

Irsan was convicted last week of coordinating the two honor killings, which took place 11 months apart, shooting deaths fueled by his anger against the young husband and a friend who had helped his adult daughter run away from home and convert to Christianity, prosecutors alleged.

On Tuesday, Nesreen Irsan also said her father told his 12 children that they would have to be suicide bombers if they were ever asked.

He said its an honorable thing, she told jurors. You go straight to Heaven. Its a God-like thing.

Nesreen Irsan did not feel the same way, she said, and wanted to quit Islam since she was about 12. When she was 23, she met Beavers at a Houston college and ran away from home to marry him and convert to Christianity in 2011.

That led Irsan to stalk his daughter for more than a year and eventually kill Bagherzadeh, and then Beavers in 2012 to wash his honor in blood, prosecutors said.

Nesreen also outlined myriad scams her father used to get money, including feigning disabilities, faking slip and falls claims at large retailers and even lying to cashiers about coupons.

Irsan would use his forceful personality to force his children to fake mental illness in an effort to get government checks or cheat the Medicaid, social security and other government programs, his daughter told the jury.

He would make sure to get his way, Nesreen Irsan said.

She told jurors how her father once broke a circular saw, faked an injury and then negotiated a $70,000 settlement with the equipment manufacturer.

Testimony also showed that he opened dozens of credit card accounts under different names, including his childrens names and the name of his dead brother.

Irsans nephew, Ahmed Garcia, also testified about the scams and confirmed that Irsan regularly beat his children with hoses and sticks.

Irsans wife, 40-year-old Shmou Alrawabdeh, took the witness stand for a second time Tuesday against her husband and corroborated Nesreen Irsans account that Irsan killed another of his daughters husband. The fatal shooting took place in her presence at their home in 1999, and her husband apparently escaped criminal charges by planting a gun on his son-in-laws body and claiming self-defense.

Alrawabdeh described how she was in the house at Irsans rural Montgomery County compound when 29-year-old Amjad Alidam came to visit and congratulate her on her newborn baby.

After Alidam arrived, she went to prepare coffee and was in her bedroom when she saw her husband walk toward the living room with a 12-gauge shotgun. She heard a loud blast, then minutes later, two lesser gun shots.

She said Irsan called her to the room

He didnt have to say it, Alrawabdeh testified. I seen it.

She said her husband sipped his coffee, then walked over to the body and spit on him.

When law officers arrived, Irsan claimed his son-in-law was abusing his daughter and had threatened him and his family with violence.

It was the third slaying that Irsans wife testified about.

Last week, Alrawabdeh took the stand and said she accompanied her husband and their oldest son as they stalked Nesreen for months after she ran away in 2011.

She acknowledged that she was with them when Irsan killed Beavers in his northwest Harris County apartment. She said her son, Nasim Irsan, shot and killed Bagherzadeh outside the Galleria-area home of her parents.

Alrawabdeh made a plea bargain deal with prosecutors to testify against Irsan in exchange for a guilty plea to aggravated kidnapping and a jail sentence capped at time served.

The son, Nasim Irsan, 24, is in the Harris County jail on a charge of capital murder.

State District Judge Jan Krocker is presiding over the capital murder trial, which is in its sixth week.

brian.rogers@chron.com

twitter.com / @brianjrogers.The man charged in the death of a missing Houston woman whose dismembered body was probably found in Greens Bayou Tuesday had dated her for about a month before the slaying, Harris County Sheriff's Office officials said Wednesday.

Jeffrey Andre McDonald, 46, was arrested just after midnight on Wednesday, said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. He was charged with murder in the death of Rebecca Suhrheinrich, court records show.

Suhrheinrich, 58, has been missing since Friday, when coworkers said she didn't show up for work. A human resource manager at Tejas Tubular Products, where Suhrheinrich worked, first reported her missing, authorities said.

Gonzalez said investigators found her north Harris County apartment in disarray with "obvious" signs of foul play, including blood on the floors, wall and furnishings. The scene was "consistent with the dismemberment of a human being," according to a criminal complaint.

20-YEAR GRUDGE ALLEGED: Arrest warrant issued for suspect in slaying of Houston doctor

"It was a very heinous crime," Gonzalez said at a news conference Wednesday morning. "Were just glad we were able to bring closure to this."

McDonald's sister, Rashawnda Henry-Carroway, said she received a call early last Saturday from a friend telling her that McDonald needed to be picked up from a park near where Suhrheinrich's apparent body was found, according to the criminal complaint filed against McDonald.

Now Playing: FOX 26 News reporter Ivory Hecker Video: Fox 26 Houston

Henry-Carroway said McDonald appeared "aggitated" [sic] and that he was "starting to scare her with his behavior."

He asked her for cleaning supplies, including chlorox and latex gloves, the complaint stated.

Authorities accused McDonald of spreading hot sauce, vinegar, wine and lotions around the apartment "in an apparent attempt to cover up the presence of DNA evidence."

The victim's torso was found wrapped in a white bed sheet along the north bank of Greens Bayou, according to the complaint.

While authorities are operating under the premise that the body found in the bayou under West Hardy Road on Tuesday was that of Suhrheinrich, the identity won't be known until the Harris County medical examiner gives an official confirmation.

Suhrheinrich and McDonald struck up a dating relationship after McDonald met her while visiting someone else at her apartment complex, said Lt. Christopher Sandoval with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Residents at her complex said the two had been dating for about a month and that they had seen McDonald there, Sandoval said.

"We can put him there, we have linkage with him being there, knowing her and having this relationship with her," Sandoval said.

A neighbor who lives directly below Suhrheinrich's apartment later told authorities that on Thursday night she heard a woman scream, "Help me," followed by two to three minutes of loud banging.

It sounded like "a body being thrown against the wall," the neighbor said, according to the complaint. After that, the apartment was quiet.

On Friday morning, the neighbor said, she saw a man drive off Suhrheinrich's black Ford Escape. Her car was towed from a nearby apartment complex and later recovered by authorities, who found blood in it.

McDonald was arrested early Wednesday after police found him standing in the roadway on Lockwood. He was in an excited state, removing his clothes, and was apparently under the influence of drugs, Sandoval said. He was taken to the hospital and will be interviewed later, the lieutenant said.

When police checked McDonald's ID, there was already a warrant out for McDonald's arrest in the murder of Suhrheinrich, Sandoval said.

"It's one more incident of family violence here, domestic violence, that led to murder," Gonzalez said. "These situations happen way too often so we remind the public that if they're caught up in a situation like that to please reach out."

However, authorities said they do not have a motive in Suhrheinrich's death.

DETECTIVES MUM: Police search SW Houston home in connection with homicide investigation

McDonald's latest charges, both misdemeanors, came in 2003 for evading detention and unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to the district clerk.

McDonald also served time for felony charges of possession of a controlled substance, PCP, in 1998 and delivery of cocaine in 1994. He was previously convicted on felony charges of cocaine possession with an intent to deliver in 1992.

He has multiple misdemeanor charges filed against him, including assault causing bodily injury, possession of marijuana and theft.

Houston police and Harris County authorities had information leading to the general location, Gonzalez said. The body showed obvious signs of trauma, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.



Samantha.ketterer@chron.comIn the wake of a controversial policy of separating undocumented immigrants from their children at the border, the new acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday pushed back on critics calls to abolish his agency, defended the use of facilities that house families and said there are no plans to split ICEs criminal investigation section from its unit that handles deportations.

Ronald D. Vitiello, who rose through the ranks of the Border Patrol and was named to the ICE post on June 30, spent four days in San Antonio as part of a field visit in which he also inspected operations at an immigrant family residential center in Dilley.

Vitiello inherited an agency under siege. ICE has taken much of the political heat over a Justice Department policy that called for across-the-board prosecutions for illegal border-crossings. That led to the separation of about 2,000 children from their parents because of decades-old detention rules.

President Trump has since ordered a halt to the separations, after a class-action lawsuit challenged the practice and lawmakers, even within his own Republican party, blasted the practice. The litigation has resulted in court orders to reunite children with their immigrant parents by certain deadlines.

RELATED: Reunifications still fall short in chaotic process

In an interview, Vitiello said his agency, and the San Antonio office in particular, is working diligently to meet the deadlines. He said carrying out the policy and reunification involved Customs and Border Protection, ICE and Health and Human Services, requiring them to communicate in a way they never had before.

I understand from the outside looking in, and from the surface, it looked chaotic, but in fact, CBP, ICE and HHS, all independently, had a very good understanding about who was in their custody, how long they were there and (the) circumstances that brought them into custody, he said. Connecting the dots in reverse order took us a while, but we, in fact, met the court deadlines without fail.

Vitiello held a town hall meeting with ICE employees here, and assured them that their work is valuable. He said some ICE employees have received threats either physically or on social media, while some ICE opponents have impeded the agencys operations in some parts of the country amid calls to do away with the agency. Vitiello said he told the employees where they can turn for help if threatened, and that the agency has their backs.

He said if people dont want immigration laws enforced, ICE is not the place where their grievances are aired. Were happy for people to express their First Amendment rights, but people dont have a right to disrupt our operations and to threaten our employees both physically and online.

The backlash against ICE became so heated that 19 special agents in charge of the agencys Homeland Security Investigations sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristjen Nielsen, in late May urging a split of ICE.

The letter argues that HSI and its deportation arm, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), should be two separate organizations.

Many jurisdictions continue to refuse to work with HSI because of a perceived linkage to the politics of civil immigration, said the letter. Other jurisdictions agree to partner with HSI as long as the ICE name is excluded from any public facing information.

Vitiello said he spoke with the agents. While he said he agrees with them in the sense that there should not be a distinction between what they do on behalf of the country, that somehow its different than what the whole enterprise does, ICE shouldnt be split. He also said the letter, unintentionally, came when some of the bomb throwers in the public space are talking about abolishing the agency.

I gave them (the agents) my thoughts on how were unified now, my dissatisfaction with the timing of the letter, but my commitment to work with them to understand their unique perspectives and help, in my role, to push back on the idea that jurisdictions cannot cooperate with them just because of the other authorities that the agency has, Vitiello said. I think theres no reason for a jurisdiction to say that they cant help HSI serve a criminal search warrant against a child pedophile just because theyre part of ICE. That makes no sense to me as a law enforcement officer, and I think its unconscionable that government officials who swear an oath to protect their citizens would put law enforcement in that situation. And so I agreed to help them with that scenario. I think we can accomplish that without suggesting that we need to separate the agency.

Vitiello also defended ICEs use of family residential centers, whose critics claim are nothing but glorified jails. Near San Antonio, there is one in Dilley and another in Karnes City. Vitiello said he was part of the leadership team in the Obama administration responsible for building the centers to use during a heavy influx of Central Americans in 2014. He said they are built to house children and their parents and are being filled again with reunited families as they await immigration proceedings. They have schools, medical care, full-service cafeterias and other amenities, he said.

Im very confident that the professionals that work in that environment will continue to meet that standard, so Id like to push back on the idea that theyre somehow in inadequate facilities because those places are purpose-built for this process, Vitiello said.

RELATED: Small group of young activists call for abolishing ICE

Vitiello began his career with the U.S. Border Patrol in 1985, where he worked near Laredo before being promoted into various leadership roles within the agency in Texas and Vermont. In 2010, he was appointed by former President Barack Obama as deputy chief of the Border Patrol and served as acting chief of the agency from 2015 to 2016.

When Trump took office, he promoted Vitiello to chief of the Border Patrol and later, deputy commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He was tapped by Trump once again to lead ICE after Acting Director Thomas D. Homan retired in June.

Vitiello said he plans to push for Congress to help close loopholes in immigration laws that give people the sense that they will not be held accountable for coming here illegally.

My vision (for ICE) is to get us to a place where people dont think that these laws are somehow discretionary, Vitiello said. These laws are on the books and the authorities have been given to us by Congress. Were funded to do this work, so there shouldnt be a dispute in the public on whether we should do it or not.

Guillermo Contreras covers federal court and immigration news in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedlandA Houston Republican hoping to win a seat in Congress is calling for a political reboot in U.S.-Mexico relations, stressing that the two nations are partners, not enemies.

While President Donald Trump has demanded Mexico pay for a border wall along the U.S. border and has declared Mexico to be not our friend, Republican and former Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw is taking a decidedly different path, calling for a more cooperative relationship with the U.S. supporting the incoming Mexican presidents call for improved security on Mexicos southern border.

The United States, and especially Texans, should applaud such efforts and seize this opportunity to partner with Mexico to increase security cooperation and socioeconomic development efforts in Central America, Crenshaw wrote in a piece published on NationalReview.com.

In May, Crenshaw won the Republican nomination for the Houston-based 2nd Congressional District. Crenshaw faces Democrat Todd Litton in the November election.

Crenshaw makes the case in the National Review article that U.S. border security requires cooperation with Mexico.

Immigration reform and border security here in the U.S. are necessary and urgent parts of the solution, but so is recognizing that Mexico is a partner on this issue, not an enemy, Crenshaw wrote.

Crenshaw never mentions Trump by name, but notes that political relations have clearly been strained by a rhetorically heated debate on border security and NAFTA negotiations.

Litton said regardless of Crenshaws latest writings, he is still backs the wrong ideas when it comes to immigration reform. He said Crenshaw has backed Trumps call to build a wall on the Mexico border and defended the Trump family separation policies on the border before the Trump administration walked back the policy.

We need comprehensive immigration reform and that is what Ill fight for in Congress, Litton said.

Crenshaw is fast becoming one of the House Republicans favorite candidates. In June, Crenshaw picked up big financial support from key House leaders. U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Calif., and Rep. Kevin Brady, the House Ways and Means Chairman from The Woodlands, sent Crenshaw $5,000 each from political action committees they control.

Litton is getting his own support from House Democrats. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has donated $7,000 to Litton through her re-election campaign and another political action committee she controls.

The district Litton and Crenshaw are battling in runs from West Houston north to the Montgomery County border, then wraps east to pick up Atascocita and Humble. They are seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, an Atascocita Republican, who is not seeking re-election after nearly 14 years in the House.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com

Twitter.com/JeremySWallaceAUSTIN  The vast majority of Texas high schools are not complying with a state law that requires them to supply voter registration forms to students at least twice a year, according to a new study.

Only about a third of Texas 2,600 high schools with 20 or more seniors requested voter registration forms from the Secretary of State, according to an analysis conducted by the Texas Civil Rights Project. The study also found that 82 out of 232 Texas counties, or 35 percent, did not have a single high school request a voter registration form.

Texas law mandates that high schools offer students registration forms at least twice a year, along with a notice explaining how students can submit their applications. But the study indicates that schools are often not requesting the forms from the Secretary of State to provide them to students. The study notes that the schools may use alternative forms obtained from county elections officials, but only the Secretary of State can track applications requested and submitted by high schools.

As the states chief elections officer, we encourage Secretary Rolando Pablos to take common sense steps to address the abysmal compliance rate, said James Slattery, senior staff attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project. We owe it to these young Texans to make sure they are equipped with the tools they need to participate in the democracy they will soon inherit from us.

The organization says providing registration forms is a vital step in encouraging young people to vote. Texas has historically had low voter turnout. In 2016, about 42.6 percent of registered voters cast a ballot.

Its unclear how many schools reached out to county officials for the registration forms, but emails obtained by the civil rights group show school officials are often confused about how to obtain the forms.

The Texas Civil Rights Project submitted a public records request to the Secretary of State asking for copies of all requests for voter registration forms by high schools from October 2016 to February 2018.

The report recommends that the Secretary of State further train schools, mail voter registration forms to all high schools instead of making them request the forms and develop a better tracking method to identify schools that are complying with the law.

Alejandra Matos covers politics, immigration and education policy. Follow her on Twitter. Subscribe to the Texas Take politics newsletter.Trot Insider has learned that retired Ontario Racing Commission Presiding Judge John William 'John' Harper passed peacefully during the evening of July 26, 2018 surrounded by his wife (Janice Walsh) and his daughters (Faron, Vanessa and Megan) in the Palliative Care Ward at the Colchester Regional Hospital, Truro, Nova Scotia. He was 69 years old.

John was diagnosed with aggressive terminal cancer in mid-July. A week prior to his passing, John was admitted to Palliative Care, the only course of action being pain control and comfort. During the fast, intense, beautiful, raw transition from this place to the next he was always surrounded by his biggest fans. "We've never been more proud to be Johnny's Girls. Guided by John's example we made to through the extremely challenging time with strength, love and laughter," said the family in his obituary.

John would encourage his friends to hang onto the memories filled with great food (and lots of it), card games, horse racing, family and friends.

The family will hold a celebration of life on August, 11 2018 in Inverness, N.S., with the venue and time to be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Colchester East Hants Hospice, 89 Queen St., Truro, N.S., 902-893-3265

The family would like to say an extra special thank you to the Palliative Care Team at Colchester Regional Hospital. Online condolences may also be made at the Inverness Funeral Home website.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of John Harper.We are just under 100 days from the Nov. 6 midterms, and Republicans are in much better shape than most prognosticators would have imagined even six months ago, much less than at the 100-day mark of President Donald Trumps tenure.

ANOTHER VIEW: The nerve of this conservative windbag

The traditional post-Reagan GOP is not what it usually is. Currently it is the minority partner in a coalition government with the president - a party of one with a fervent following in the tens of millions. But that party of one has a number of significant accomplishments while also acting as a giant wrecking ball on assumptions, standards, unwritten rules and codes of conduct.

Many of those unwritten rules are better off demolished - or at least left naked in the public square - including, especially, the overwhelming liberal bias in legacy media, save for Fox News. Twitter feeds have become the best indicator of what the members of the media actually think. The collective mask hasnt just slipped, its been ripped off.

POINT: How Trump won re-election in 2020

COUNTERPOINT: How Trump lost re-election in 2020

The presidents brand of political hardball upsets many in the GOP, even unbalancing more than a few. Trump Derangement Syndrome is real. The president has, however, surrounded himself with superb Cabinet members, especially on matters of national security.

His commitment to originalist judges and a sizable military rebuild are the two most consequential aspects of his tenure. The economy is cooking, and while deficits have risen, the stimulus of deep and broad tax cuts is just now kicking in, with a promise of a long stretch of economic growth above 3 percent needed to bring many of the countrys poorest into the middle class. Its true that tariffs are dragging on this economic liftoff, but they are better imposed at the beginning of a boom than at the end of one. And while lowering trade tensions with our allies is a necessity, going a few rounds with China on its systemic corruption and violation of fair trade norms is overdue (as is candor about their aggressions in the South China Sea and in cyberspace).

This president talks - and tweets - loudly, and often to the confusion of his home audience, but he carries and has used the very biggest of sticks. When the U.S. military pummeled Russian mercenaries in Syria, Moscow got the clearest message anyone can get anywhere. The Iranians will be treated to the same if they challenge an American vessel at sea or critical infrastructure at home. Russians meddle again with our elections at their genuine peril.

OPINION: Face the facts: Beto will lose

This coalition hasnt been easy, but the GOP will be fine. But what Trump has done to the Democrats and the establishment media wont be undone for a long time. He has radicalized both into engines of extremist rhetoric and policy. They will blame Trump, of course, for their outrage and sputtering, and he deserves a lot of the blame (or credit, depending on your point of view). Trump intentionally incites his opponents with mockery and disdain. So did Barack Obama. So did all of the legions of George W. Bush opponents when politics began going off the rails.

So heres the question facing the voters this fall: Do they vote to ratchet up this culture of conflict and chaos, or to return Republican legislative majorities that have figured out how to work with this most unusual of presidents?

Electing Democrats to a majority in the House or the Senate at the height of the partys lurch left would be a disaster: Impeachment, demands for massive income tax hikes and the effort to abolish ICE would follow, while also throwing the military rebuild into reverse and the economy into paralysis because of the inability of business to predict the future with anything like certainty. A radicalized Democratic Party puffed by a Trump-loathing Manhattan-Beltway elite wouldnt bring us a political environment as fraught as 1861 or even 1968, but the Clinton impeachment and the Watergate scandal eras are fair parallels to the atmosphere that would follow if Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Calif., returns to power or Sen. Chuck Schumer, N.Y., gets his wish to run the Senate.

OPINION: I left the Republican Party, and now I want Democrats to take over

So even if you loathe the president, vote Republican. The downside of Democratic majorities in either house of Congress is so much larger than another two years like the last two. Both 2017 and 2018 have been polarizing and stressful for sure, but very productive for national security and economic vitality. Are most voters going to chose venting over their pocketbooks and their security? I hope not.

Hewitt hosts a nationally syndicated radio show and is author of The Fourth Way: The Conservative Playbook for a Lasting GOP Majority.Maybe you remember when Mexico was going to pay for the wall.

You should. It was as recently as May. Donald Trump went to Nashville for one of those creepy rallies of his and renewed the vow he made ceaselessly during the 2016 campaign. Mexico, he promised, is going to pay for the wall along the U.S. southern border, and theyre going to enjoy it. The crowd cheered.

It is probably useless to wonder what those cheering people might make of recent tweets wherein the selfsame Donald Trump threatened to shut down the federal government if Congress does not build said wall. Youd like to think theyd pause to ask themselves why Congress needs to take action on something Mexico is going to happily build.

But experience suggests they will do nothing of the sort. No, they will digest this gristle of cognitive dissonance without flinching. Trumps approval ratings among them will remain high, and they will stand in long lines for his next rally. There will be no consequences.

Granted, every president makes promises he fails to keep. But it is impossible to recall another president so blithely ignoring so central a promise and paying so negligible a price.

Once upon a time, a presidents words carried weight. But Trump is a president whose words are weightless, who can say something in May, blithely undercut it in July and nobody, not his adorers and not thinking people either, even gives it a second thought  the former because he is the Dear Leader whose wisdom is not to be questioned, the latter because, well, whats the use? This is just The Way Things Are now.

Words from the leader of the mightiest nation on Earth no longer anchor ideals, promises and righteous causes  much less, truth. No, they float off like helium-filled balloons. Up, up and away.

So when he said North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat, you realized it was just a matter of time before U.S. intelligence agencies reported that that hermit kingdom was building new missiles. When he claimed to know nothing about his sons meeting with Russians, you were unsurprised to hear his ex-lawyer say he actually knew of it before it happened. When he boasted of higher poll numbers among Republicans than Abraham Lincoln, you waited for someone to note that scientific polling did not exist in Lincolns lifetime.

And so it goes. From matters of international threat to national scandal to his own overweening ego, it feels like a waste of time to even listen to what he says because by tomorrow, the story will have changed.

Trump thinks the problem is news media. What youre seeing and what youre reading, he told a veterans group last week, is not whats happening,

It was a chilling echo of 1984, George Orwells dystopian masterpiece. Trump could have been speaking for Orwells totalitarian Big Brother, who manipulated language, information and objective reality itself as a way of manipulating people  and holding power. Like Big Brother, Trump believes there are no permanent facts, just permanent self-interest.

And many are complicit in their own bamboozling. Mexico is going to build the wall and enjoy it? Really? How dumb do you have to be to believe that? To cheer for it? Those cheers enable and empower a man with presidential powers and no guardrails, no fealty to truth, no interest higher than self. In other words, a dangerous man.

But were supposed to believe media are the problem. What youre seeing and what youre reading, he says, is not whats happening,

Dont you wish?

Readers may contact Pitts via e-mail at lpitts@miamiherald.com.)It is hard to exaggerate the potential significance of the news, first reported by CNN, that the presidents former lawyer, Michael Cohen, can testify that Donald Trump both knew in advance and approved of the June 9, 2016, meeting at Trump Tower between his campaigns high command and Kremlin emissaries who promised dirt on Hillary Clinton. There was already substantial evidence that (a) the Russian intervention helped to make Trump president and (b) that individuals associated with the Trump election effort, from campaign chairman Paul Manafort on down, had dealings with the Russians. What has been missing is proof that the president was personally involved in these sordid machinations.

OPINION: Heres the fantastical tale Trump wants you to believe about collusion

There was already, to be sure, circumstantial evidence suggesting Trump knew of the Russian offer to demonstrate support for Mr. Trump. Before and after the 2016 meeting, Donald Trump Jr. called a blocked number three times. His fathers private number was blocked, but prosecutors should be able to subpoena the phone records. And, on June 7, 2016, hours after the meeting was scheduled, candidate Trump announced: I am going to give a major speech on probably Monday of next week and were going to be discussing all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons. I think youre going to find it very informative and very, very interesting. The Russians promise of dirt apparently did not pan out, and the speech was never given, but there is good cause to suspect the Russians simply decided it would be more effective to give their dirt (i.e., stolen emails) to WikiLeaks rather than handing it directly to the Trump campaign.

OPINION: This is what Michael Cohens bombshell means

What has been lacking so far is the smoking gun. Cohen may just supply it, if his purported testimony is credible and corroborated (admittedly big ifs). Indeed, Rudy Giuliani, Trumps lawyer, has gone from arguing that Trump didnt know about the Trump Tower meeting to arguing that the then-candidate wasnt present (which no one has alleged he was)  and from arguing that no collusion occurred to arguing that collusion, even if it occurred, is no big deal. This is his actual defense: My client didnt do it, and even if he did it, its not a crime.

Giulianis comments echo other Trump loyalists.

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie: Collusion is not a crime.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson: Its hard to see the point of all this hysteria. What exactly would the crime be here? Its not illegal to talk to foreigners. Nobodys claiming any information changed hands, but even if it did, so what?

Mollie Hemingway of the Federalist, in a tweet that was liked by Trump Jr.: I dont have a problem w/ getting dirt on election opponents from foreigners.

We are very, very close to the Putin Republicans arguing that theyre glad he worked with the Kremlin to beat Crooked Hillary. In fact, some MAGA-heads have already made this very case. It is, after all, the natural culmination of the hysteria of so many Trumpists. If you believe, as former White House aide Michael Anton argued, that the Democrats are the moral equivalent of the al-Qaeda terrorists who hijacked Flight 93, then anything is permissible to save the country. Even collusion with its enemies.

EDITORIAL: Trump Jr.s email scandal reveals a question of priorities  and legality

Reality check: It is not OK for the president and his minions to work with a foreign power to influence a U.S. election. It is shocking that this argument even has to be made. If the allegations of collusion are true, then the Trump campaign conspired with the Russians to violate numerous statutes. As laid out by law professor Ryan Goodmanduring Senate testimony, these include conspiracy to defraud the United States by interfering with the lawful functioning of federal elections; anti-hacking laws that prohibit unauthorized access to computers and transmission of information gained thereby; and campaign-finance rules that prohibit candidates from soliciting or receiving anything of value from foreign nationals. Above all, there is obstruction of justice: If Trump knew about the offer of Russian help, that greatly strengthened his motive to fire FBI Director James Comey to stop the inquiry into the Russia thing.

But we should not get lost in legalities, because the likelihood is that special counsel Robert Mueller wont try to indict a sitting president. The proper remedy is impeachment, and high crimes and misdemeanors can be whatever Congress says they are. While its true that collusion isnt a federal crime, it is a crime in the court of public opinion. Imagine how loudly Trump and his partisans would scream if Mexico were to secretly work with Democrats to stop him from being reelected. The crime is potentially even more serious in Trumps case because Mexico is an ally while Russia is an enemy. If Republicans would regard it as treasonous for Democrats to collude with Mexico, how can they avoid the conclusion that the president has betrayed America if he colluded with Russia?

That is a rhetorical question. The pathetic truth is that Republicans now think if Trump does it  whatever it is  its not a crime.

Boot, a Washington Post columnist, is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a global affairs analyst for CNN.The Texas GOP should claim a crown policy jewel of its rivals  marijuana legalization.

Yes, Texas is hippie-hater land and the Texas GOP opposes legalizing illicit and synthetic drugs. But the Texas Republican Party is loosening up on the issue. In June, delegates said they wanted to move to decriminalize, to allow medical marijuana, and even to reclassify marijuana on the Controlled Substances Act.

Its the smartest play they could make, and they should play it hard.

Supporting marijuana policy change would be commercially and politically wise. Marijuana is a lucrative business and will never again be nationally illegal. Nationally, Republicans support the issue more and more. Texas as both a party stronghold and a business leader should take the challenge.

OPINION: Legalizing marijuana is Democrats' key to 2018 elections

The hemp-spun noose is tightening. Marijuana has never been a more popular policy platform, as the Los Angeles Times recently noted.

A June 20 poll from Center for American Progress found 7 in 10 Americans support legalization, including 57 percent of Republicans. Our neighbor and fellow red state Oklahoma allowed medical pot in June, making it the 31st U.S. state with either medical or recreational marijuana. Canada fully legalized a national recreational marijuana industry to begin Oct. 17, 2018. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a marijuana-derived drug, Epidiolex, for human use.

EDITORIAL: Texas' dopey rules on medical marijuana need a rewrite

National leaders see this trend. Congress is littered with legalization bills, including two this summer from Sens. Cory Gardner, D-N.J. and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. President Donald Trump, in the middle of his 88 percent Republican Party approval rating, said hed probably support Schumers bill.

If 88 percent of the GOP supports Trump through the last few bruising weeks, his support for Schumers bill should give them direction.

Democrats have marijuana reform to themselves in the publics eye. Even the Texas Democratic Party put marijuana reform on its platform, mirroring the national convention. CNN noted most Democratic contenders for the 2020 presidential election back marijuana bills.

Democrats lead the fight for social justice reasons, but in truth, marijuana reform is as much a conservative issue as a liberal one. It involves states rights, personal freedoms, and most importantly, sound business.

OPINION: Plenty of reasons for Texas to legalize marijuana

Texans might be surprised to learn that legalization is far less Cheech and Chong than it is Procter and Gamble. Stoners vote for pot ballots, but a fast-growing industry fuels and sustains them.

Western states are making bottomless duffle bags of taxable cash on the Green Rush. Theres a global $200 billion market for cannabis, if you believe the estimates of Brendan Kennedy, CEO of the North American cannabis conglomerate Privateer Holdings. U.S. sales alone will climb to $20-50 billion, depending on which guesstimate you believe.

It isnt just in the United States, either. Marijuana is now a definitively global industry. Nations are changing drug laws and opening trade routes at warp speed, from the Americas and Europe to Oceania. Right now, Canada controls the global cannabis market that Texas, as the nations agricultural hub, could dominate.

Texas is a fertile field for the budding industry. Texas leads in jobs creation. Texas leads in gross domestic product growth. Texas has more farms than any other state. The low-regulation, business friendly atmosphere would be a welcome change for the industry, which is used to heavy-handed rules from its liberal lawmakers.

OPINION: Veterans deserve cannabis freedom to combat PTSD

Texas is also fertile ground for the national GOP to formalize its already broad informal support for reform. Republicans have been easing their stances and support pot reform more and more.

The bipartisan Congressional Cannabis Caucus keeps adding members. Half of legalization bills have Republican sponsors. Conservative Alaska legalized recreational pot, and Arizona, Florida, Montana, Arkansas and North Dakota all have legal medical pot. Even ultraconservative Utah broadly supports a statewide legalization attempt.

The Texas GOP should embrace the inevitable and claim it as its own. The economy and the party in general are both ready for it. Legalization has reached critical mass. There is no going back. Texas can either decide to take the reins or hang back  and let the Democrats open a massive global industry to the American business community.

Summers is a Houston-based journalist and author of The Business of Cannabis: New Policies for a New Marijuana Industry , published in March by ABC-CLIO. He can be reached at djsummers100@gmail.com.David and Nicole Binion Breaks Down Walls of Division in Christian/Gospel Music and Creates an Atmosphere of Love and Unity with New Live Album . . . 'Dwell'

Dwell: A Live Worship Experience Features Special Guests Tasha Cobbs Leonard, William McDowell, Travis Greene, BJ Putnam, MDSN

MEDIA ADVISORY, Aug. 1, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- Integrity Music announces the August 3 global release of David & Nicole Binion 's Dwell: A Live Worship Experience, a 14-track immersion in Spirit-sensitive, multi-cultural and multi-generational worship.

Recorded live at TBN's Dallas studios where the Binions serve as guest hosts for the network's "Praise!" program, Dwell invites worshipers to do just that: put aside distractions and dwell in the presence of God. The project is, as the Binions' music and ministry have always been, a product of collaboration, creative excellence and decades of servant-leadership. And that is what listeners will hear woven through every track on Dwell, which features guest artists Tasha Cobbs Leonard, William McDowell, Travis Greene, BJ Putnam and the Binions' 17-year-old daughter and fellow Integrity artist, MDSN (Madison Grace Binion).

Produced by David Binion and Daniel Lopez, Dwell offers songs penned by the Binions along with MDSN, Mitch Wong, Michael Farren, Krissy Nordhoff, Aaron Lindsey, Jacob Sooter and Josh DuFrene among others.

The Binions are passionate about bringing together people from all walks of life for the creative process and to simply soak in and respond to the presence of God. That longing for God's presence and fellowship with one another permeates Dwell. Songs such as " My Soul Follows ," "Be Still and Know" and " Hunger " -- the latter co-written by and featuring MDSN -- speak to the almost visceral need for God in an age of disillusionment.

It is this longing in the hearts of Jesus-followers and this vision for making room for the Spirit to move that drives the Binions. Married for 24 years, the couple has been involved in ministry for over two decades, teaching and leading worship for churches and events around the world. Most recently, they founded Dwell Ministries to mentor and train a new generation of worship leaders, and they are planting Dwell Church in the Dallas area.

"To dwell in God's presence is a state of the heart," says David Binion. "It's not about where you are physically you can 'dwell' in the presence of God in church, at your desk, in your prayer closet, in your car. It's about a hunger for the things of God and for His presence the need to soak, be transformed and empowered to change our world."

Dwell: A Live Worship Experience is available as both a 14-track digital album and a 10-track physical album.The company also recently recieved the Rainbow Tick accreditation for 2018 which is an international accreditation where businesses are formally recognised as LGBTQAI+ friendly.

HRD recently interviewed Susan Lowe, Amatil NZs general manager of people and culture about her advice to be a great HR professional.

Im extremely passionate about the need for HR professionals to understand their business or organisation first, then think how their HR strategy can help achieve its objectives, said Lowe.

Lowe said what this boils down to is being a business person who specialises in HR, not an HR specialist who happens to work for that business.

Lowe would advise any young HR professional to spend time in the business units they represent and build relationships with the wider team, not just to ensure policies and procedures are the right fit, but to learn how to boost your whole organisations success.Leaders should move people from being resistant and sceptical to being trusting and co-creating, and do so in an authentic way.

Indeed, Christiansen will be speaking at the National HR Summit New Zealand on the topic of Authentic leadership for HR directors.

To back up her claims, Christiansen cited a study by Stanford University which found that nine out of 10 conversations miss the mark.

If you want to be an authentic leader, a great place to start is understanding the role you play in those conversations missing the mark and, importantly, what you can do to change that statistic for yourself and for others.

Christiansen added that Conversational Intelligence is a practical framework based on neuroscience for building trust and understanding, focusing on how our conversations shape relationships, culture and reality.Airports Council International (ACI) World reported global passenger traffic growth remained strong in April with a 6.1% increase on a year-over-year basis, just below its 12-months rolling average of 6.5%.

Airports Council International (ACI) World reported global passenger traffic growth remained strong in April with a 6.1% increase on a year-over-year basis, just below its 12-months rolling average of 6.5%.

Although growth in passenger traffic remains robust, the month of April marked a slight departure from the recent months high growth levels mainly due to the timing of this years Easter period.

ACIs month-by-month passenger and freight statistics are based on a significant sample of airports that provide regular reports and form part of one of the worlds most comprehensive sources for airport data.

Freight volumes experienced a global growth rate of 4.5% following a slower month of March.

While passenger traffic has continued to follow the strong growth trend already established in 2018, we have seen the growth of freight volumes showing some signs of recovery from earlier in the year, said Angela Gittens, ACI World Director General. Breaking with a general trend observed over the last year, domestic traffic was the major contributor to global growth in April with international traffic slowing.

International freight was the main driver of the bounce in volumes in April, following a slower month of March, with the market showing some resilience in the face of the growing risk of increased protectionism trade wars. Although the 12-month rolling average remained strong at 7.1%, it appears the high growth trend observed throughout most of 2017 is starting to subside.

Passenger Traffic Analysis:

The global figure for domestic traffic reached 7.1% year-over-year for the month, bringing its year-to-date to 6.2%. International passenger traffic moderated to 4.9% for April, from 10.5% in March. In terms of total passenger traffic, Asia-Pacific and Africa both benefitted from high growth, with 9.9% and 9.0% respectively on a year-over-year basis. Most major Asia-Pacific markets posted solid growth during the period, with India, once again, leading the group, growing by 20.4% year-over-year. The country has recently been growing at a particularly fast rate, its 12-months rolling average now standing at 16%, from 14.3% in March. New Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airports (DEL) sustained growth brought its year-over-year figure to +16.8% in April. Bangalores Kempegowda International Airports (BLR) passenger traffic grew at an impressive pace of 46.1% during the same period, , with its year-to-date figure reaching more than 30.%. The expansion was mostly driven by the airports domestic market, which represented 86.5% of its traffic in April. Indonesia and China also reached double-digit growth in April, with 13.5% and 11.8% respectively. Korea and Japan followed fairly closely, posting 9.2% and 7.0% respectively.

In Africa, Nigeria continued the recovery started in the second half of 2017, posting 36% year-over-year growth in April. The country has been fast reclaiming the ground lost during its economic crisis, with its year-to-date reaching 33.% and 12-months rolling average at 10.7%, and increasing. In Northern Africa, both Egypt and Morocco posted solid figures, reaching 13.3% and 9.6% respectively. Also recovering from a period of crisis, Egypts 12-months rolling average reached 16.0% in April.

Europe and North Americas passenger markets both grew at 5.0% year-over-year in April. Unequal growth patterns re-emerged in Europe, with several major markets such as Spain (2.8%), France (0.8%) and Germany (0.4%) posting subdued figures. These results were affected by the timing of Easter 2017, which came relatively late and boosted April figures last year. Following that trend, and against a backdrop of particularly difficult European Union exit negotiations, the United Kingdom posted -1.6% for the month on a year-over-year basis, with Londons Heathrow (LHR) and Gatwick (LGW) declining by 2.2% and 1.4% respectively. Europes peripheral markets continued their expansion, however, with countries such as Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, and Finland all growing by double-digit figures on both a year-over-year basis and year-to-date basis. Turkey and the Russian Federation also continued their recovery, with 14.2% and 11.6% respectively on a year-over-year basis.

North Americas passenger market was supported by the United States robust domestic segment in April, which reached +5.5% from +4.4% in March on a year-over-year basis. Latin America-Caribbean grew at 3.0% on a year-over-year basis during the period, with Mexico and Argentina experiencing relatively robust growth (8.8% and 6.9% respectively) despite complex internal situations. Chile, although having benefitted from a strong Q1 2018, saw a decline in April, posting -0.8%. The countrys year-to-date numbers were still strong, standing at +12.0%.

The Middle East posted traffic declines for the month of April, reaching -2.4% on a year-over-year basis. The regions passenger traffic has been suffering from ongoing political crises affecting a number of countries, slowly bringing its growth trend downward. The Qatar diplomatic crisis, which started on 5 June of 2017, is still ongoing, dragging on the traffic flows of most countries on the Arabian Peninsula. The regions year-to-date figures for total passengers reached 0.3% in April, and the slowdown is set to continue through the end of Q2.

Freight Volume Analysis:

Freight volumes regained momentum in April, following a slower month of March. International freight was the main driver of both shifts, representing around 70% of the global market. The segments year-over-year figure rose to 4.9% during the month, up from 1.9% in March.

Europe and Asia-Pacific both accelerated in April, after suffering from slowdowns in March for overall freight volumes. On a year-over-year basis, Europe posted 4.6% growth, up from 0.9% one month prior, while Asia-Pacific posted 4.2%, up from 1.0%. Europes freight growth was driven almost exclusively by its international segment, which represents more than 90% of the regions volumes, and reached 4.8% during the period. As with its passenger market, the region displayed an unequal growth pattern for freight; while Belgium grew by 15.7% due to the success of Liege Airport (LGG). The Netherlands posted a 6.3% decline, with Amsterdam-Schiphol (AMS) falling by a similar figure. France, Luxembourg and Italy all posted depressed figures, at -2.9%, -1.2% and 0.5% respectively on a year-over-year basis. Meanwhile, Spain grew by 18.4%, reaching 16.7% on a 12-months rolling average basis. Freight volumes at Madrid-Barajas airport (MAD), the countrys major hub accounting for 53% of volumes in 2016, increased by 15.7% in April. Since May 2017, the airports freight market has benefitted from double-digit expansion in all but one month, where it grew by 9.8%.

Asia-Pacific, on the other hand, displayed more homogeneous growth patterns. Of its major air freight markets, all but Thailand (9.0%) and South Korea (0.4%) posted year-over-year figures between 2.0% and 6.0%. India (5.7%), Hong Kong (5.0%), China (4.9%), and Singapore (4.5%) all posted fairly strong growth. Taiwan and Japan, with 3.3% and 2.2% respectively, trailed behind slightly. Although the figures signal recovered momentum after a slower month of March, they may also hide a shift in freight trends for the region, which had been growing at a particularly fast rate until February 2018. April year-to-date figures stood at 4.7%, with a 12-months rolling average of 6.8%. While secular trends in global trade and economic activity remain positive, trade tensions and tariff wars may result in an adverse impact to the regions air freight industry in the coming months.

North America has already started to experience more subdued growth in April as year-over-year-volumes slowed down to 3.7% year-over-year. This comes after a strong run leading to a +7.1% figure on a 12-month rolling average basis. Geopolitical tensions related to trade have recently escalated into import tariffs between a number of major economies and the United States, which may lead to a substantial slowdown in the coming months.

The Middle Easts freight market had, until March, proven relatively resilient to the geopolitical tensions which loom over its passenger market. Volumes declined by 2.1% in March, however, and the markets 12-months rolling average is currently slipping, having reached 4.1% in April, down 0.2 percentage points after posting an increase of 2.6% year-over-year during the month. Given the general trends observed in the industry, a gradual slowdown may be in the regions future in the coming months.

Latin America-Caribbean and Africa, the two smallest freight markets of the six ACI traffic regions, grew the fastest in April, at 12.5% and 9.9% respectively. The two regions have benefitted from a strong early 2018, with both year-to-date freight figures reaching double digits, at 11.7% and 10.7% respectively. These gains were driven mostly by rising international freight volumes, however, and may leave their markets vulnerable to global trade shocks.

-ENDS-

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Montreal, 1 August 2018  The Secretary General of ICAO, Dr. Fang Liu, was joined by the Consul General of China in Montreal, Mr. Xueming Chen, for the official launch of the UN aviation agencys new Civil Aviation Authority Senior and Middle Managers Training Course at a special ceremony at ICAO headquarters on Monday.

Funded by the Government of China, under its South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, the new course directly supports the key priorities of ICAOs No Country Left Behind capacity-building initiative, in addition to the wider implementation of competency-based training.

Participants from six States in ICAOs North American, Central American and Caribbean Region, as well as from China, attended the preliminary session, benefitting from an array of technical and management skills to support their States improved compliance with ICAOs global Standards.

Providing this type of quality training, which has such clear tie-ins to States ultimate realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is directly in line with ICAOs core commitment to support our Member States in their design and oversight of safe, secure, efficient, economically sustainable, and environmentally responsible air transport systems, highlighted Secretary General Liu. I am very encouraged that this ICAO-China partnership is delivering concrete benefits to the air transport sector, and in clear recognition of the tremendous socio-economic benefits which States can realize once they establish ICAO-compliant international connectivity.

Consul General Chen reinforced this sentiment, noting the training course today is obviously an early harvest of the cooperation between ICAO and the Chinese government. The Chinese government is now actively propelling the Belt and Road Initiative from concept to reality, declared Consul General Chen. I believe the overall objectives of the Belt and Road Initiative have a lot in common with the No Country Left Behind Initiative of ICAO. China and ICAO can work together on aviation capacity building, to enhance civil aviation safety and security oversight capabilities and to meet the increasing needs for aviation managers and professionals.

The initial phase of the training package will be delivered globally across 20 locations and in English, French and Spanish, with the provision of scholarships to all 500 anticipated trainees.

Organized by ICAOs Global Aviation Training Office, the course will also enhance participants understanding of effective safety and security oversight systems and the relevance of rules and procedures for the implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs.)

Resources for Editors

About ICAO



A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, amongst many other priorities. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 192 Member States.

ICAO's Global Aviation Training Office

ICAO's No Country Left Behind initiative

Aviation and the UN SDGs

Contacts



Anthony Philbin

Chief, Communications

aphilbin@icao.int

+1 514-954-8220

+1 438-402-8886 (mobile)

Twitter: @ICAO



William Raillant-Clark

Communications Officer

wraillantclark@icao.int

+1 514-954-6705

+1 514-409-0705 (mobile)

Twitter: @wraillantclark

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/raillantclark/Is the Mediterranean becoming a second Dead Sea?

by Sophie Donovan

July 25,2018 | Source: Geographical

Officially declared the worlds most overfished sea, the Mediterranean is having a crisis beneath the surface.



Whether its the marine advocates of Oceana, who want biodiversity to become a priority, or the fisherman returning to shore with empty nets and emptier pockets: overfishing is a problem hitting all areas of the planet.



Now, a new report by the UNs Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has declared that the Mediterranean Sea, once described as the global icon of coastal paradise and an international biodiversity hotspot, has become the worlds most overfished sea.



It states that among the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions showed the highest percentage (62.2 per cent) of unsustainable stocks, closely followed by the Southeast Pacific at 61.5 per cent and the Southwest Atlantic at 58.8 per cent. According to a report from the WWF, in 2017 Mediterranean countries consume some 7.5m tonnes of fish each year, with only 2.75m tonnes of that coming from domestic sources.



Various EU studies have found that 90 per cent of fish stocks assessed are overexploited in the Mediterranean. Our Fish, an ocean advocacy organisation whose focus is on ending overfishing and preventing wasteful discarding, has suggested that the overfished species could join the list of localised extinctions, alongside sharks and rays, while the number of predators has also declined by over 40 per cent from previous records.



A spokesperson for Oceana, an ocean advocacy organisation formed of various foundations including the Pew Charitable Trusts, has stressed that urgent and bold action such as curbing bottom-trawling fishing, safeguarding areas where fish grow, and setting annual fish catch limits in line with scientific action are vital steps to prevent the area from degrading any further.



One of the big concerns flowing from this is food security. At a global scale, the WWF notes that more than 30 per cent of the worlds fisheries have been pushed beyond their biological limits, placing more pressure on nurseries to replace that which has been lost. Populations of tuna and mackerel have already experienced a 74 per cent drop worldwide during the 40-year period from 1970 to 2010, and sea bream has been predicted to follow suit.



Meanwhile, with a fast-growing population, food demand is only going to swell. According to Jon Fisher, senior conservation scientist for The Nature Conservancy: 70 per cent more food will be needed by 2050 to sustain the global population.



Action is being taken to try to reverse the situation in the Mediterranean at least. 2017 saw the signing of the MEDFISH4EVER Malta Declaration, its goal being to coordinate action between agreeing parties to provide full protection of fish stocks in the region. As of October 2017, the declaration had 13 signatories, including countries from the European Union, Turkey, Tunisia, Montenegro, Albania and Morocco.



Coordinated by the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean, the ten-year pledge has already seen progress, including directions to create allocated zones for aquaculture. It is hoped that delegation and zoning will allow fish stocks and the environment to recover.



However, there are concerns that any tangible action being taken is slow-moving. Talk is cheap, commented a spokesman for Our Fish. The advocacy group wants immediate action to rectify fisheries management, something it feels cant be achieved simply through debate. Moreover, while it may not be asking the public to actively prevent nets being dropped into the water, it is pushing for the EU to do more to intercept current illegal fishing practises.



There is evidence of successful ocean protection and management programmes being employed across the Atlantic, leading Our Fish, among others, to question why similar methods are not being employed in the Mediterranean. For example, the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) has successfully set global total allowable tuna catch limits for 2015 to 2017 and 2018 to 2020. The aim: a rebuilding target of 20 per cent of the original spawning stock biomass. These limits apply to all cooperating partners, ranging from the South Korea to South Africa to the EU. Our Fish reports this scheme to be working, noting a 35 per cent increase in such fish stocks when compared with previous annual figures. The hope is that similar results can flow from the Mediterranean.

 2018 Syon Geographical Ltd.

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.Fishing industry at odds with environmentalists over changes to U.S. fishing laws

July 29,2018 | Source: AP

Fishermen and environmentalists are at odds over a suite of changes to U.S. fishing laws that was approved by the House of Representatives, and the proposal faces a new hurdle in the Senate.



The House passed changes to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, a 42-year-old set of rules designed to protect fisheries from over-harvest, on July 11, largely along party lines. Environmental groups have derided the changes as antithetical to the purpose of the act, which many fishermen and conservationists credit with saving seafood stocks such as New England sea scallops and Bering Sea snow crab.



Supporters of the House bill and several commercial and recreational fishing groups have said the changes merely provide managers with flexibility and refocus the Magnuson-Stevens Act on sound science.



The big question is whether a bill will also pass the Senate before the midterm election. No bill has been proposed yet, and the election could bring changes that make it more difficult for such a bill to pass.



Sen. Daniel Sullivan, an Alaska Republican and the chairman of the Senate subcommittee on Oceans, atmosphere, fisheries and Coast Guard, is pursuing a Senate version of the bill, but no timeline is in place yet, a spokesman said.



"There's healthy agreement across Capitol Hill that reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act is long overdue," the spokesman, Matt Shuckerow, said. Sullivan has already held numerous hearings on the subject, he said.



The Magnuson-Stevens Act guides the U.S. fishing industry, which generated more than $200 billion in sales in 2015. It touches every fishery from Washington state's salmon to Maine's lobster.



Officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced this year that the number of U.S. fish stocks that can be described as overfished has hit an all-time low under the stewardship of the act, which last underwent major changes in 2006.



Republican Rep. Don Young of Alaska guided new changes to passage in the House this month. The House Committee on Natural Resources, led by bill supporter and Utah Republican Rep. Rob Bishop, released a statement that the bill gets rid of "unscientific time frames" that "unnecessarily restrict access to fisheries."



One of the most controversial portions of the bill would take away a requirement for annual catch limits for some fish species. It would also change rules about requirements to rebuild overfished stocks.



The bill is also designed to give fishery regulators more alternatives in how they manage fish stocks. It doesn't authorize any new federal spending, and supporters say it would save about $100 million over a similar bill that passed the House in 2015.



Supporters have also said the bill modernizes the management of recreational fishing, an industry that employs thousands.



"Anglers are leading conservationists," said Mike Leonard, conservation director for the American Sportfishing Assn., which supports the changes.



But environmental groups have painted a dire picture and described the reauthorization as a rollback of a landmark conservation law. Ted Morton, director of federal ocean policy for the Pew Charitable Trusts, said he is already looking to the Senate to prevent the bill's passage.



"This bill increases the risk of overfishing in ocean waters, delays the rebuilding of depleted fish populations and undercuts the important role science plays in management decisions," he said. "We hope the Senate will take a different tack with legislation that reflects our country's commitment to healthy fish populations and coastal communities."



The bill passed by a vote of 222 to 193 in the House. Only nine Democrats voted in favor of passage. Republicans have a much slimmer edge in the Senate, where they control 51 seats and 35 seats are being contested this fall.

 2018, Los Angeles Times

Theme(s): Others.New fisheries legislation in Canada looking to increase habitat protection and Indigenous participation

by Thom Barker

July 31,2018 | Source: The Telegram

A bill currently before the Canadian senate being heralded by environmental and Indigenous rights groups doesnt go far enough according to the organization that represents commercial fish harvesters in Labrador.



Bill C68 seeks to amend the Fisheries Act and other laws to increase protection of fish and fish habitats. If passed, it will, among other things, also explicitly require the minister to take into consideration the protection of Indigenous rights prior to making any decisions on fisheries law and incorporate traditional Indigenous knowledge into the decision-making process.





In a brief provided to the House of Commons standing committee on fisheries and oceans, Alastair ORielly, executive director of the Northern Coalition (NC), noted the organizations memberswhich include the Nunatsiavut Group of Companies, the Torngat Fish Producers Co-operative and the Labrador Fishermens Union Fish Companygenerally endorse the bill, particularly its provisions for the protection of resources, but want to see adjacency specifically addressed.



There is no reference to adjacency in Section 2.5, Considerations for Decision Making, the brief stated. This appears to be a departure from past policy according high priority to adjacency as a primary factor in resource access and allocation decisions. Throughout all southern regions of Canada, the benefits of resource access, to all intents and purposes, are for those adjacent to fishery resources. This is not the case in Canadas Eastern Arctic and Labrador Sea regions (NAFO Areas 0 and 2), where roughly one-third of commercial fish allocations are allocated to fishing interests outside the North.



The government of Newfoundland and Labrador also addressed adjacency in its brief while applauding the bill in general terms.



We have always maintained that fisheries management decisions should be based on sound scientific advice, and we support incorporating elements such as the ecosystem approach and the precautionary approach, along with fisheries sustainability into the Act, stated the document signed by Gerry Byrne, Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries minister. We have also maintained that decisions should respect and reflect the rights of the people and communities adjacent to the resource that have historically depended on the fishery. We strongly believe that the amendments to the Act must ensure benefits from the fishery go to these people and to coastal communities.



ORielly said the NC brief was not received by the committee in time for the organizations concerns to be addressed. The bill passed third reading in the House and was kicked up to the Senate on June 20 with no specific language regarding adjacency. Nevertheless, ORielly remained optimistic it would be taken into consideration at the regulatory phase.



It is hoped that our perspectives may influence the committee members, the minister of fisheries and oceans and departmental officials as regulations pursuant to the act are developed and implemented, he wrote in an email to The Labradorian.



Bill C68 fulfills a Liberal election promise to reverse laws adopted by Stephen Harpers Conservative government in 2012 that reduced regulatory barriers to industry.



While opposition to the new legislation has been tepid, many industry groups fear increased protection for fish and fish habitats and enhanced participation from First Nations will hamper industry.



Organizations such as the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) also provided input to the committee.



An unpredictable, complex, and inefficient regulatory regime will increase risk and deter investment, and consequently exacerbate the waning of Canadas mineral industry competitiveness on the global scale, stated PDAC in its submission. Mineral industry investment is also particularly sensitive to legislative and policy changes as such changes often generate uncertainty and unpredictability.



PDAC also hopes its concerns will be addressed during the regulatory process.



The bill was introduced and received first reading in the Senate June 20 before Parliament recessed for the summer. Senators return to work on Sept. 18.

 SaltWire Network  2018

Theme(s): Communities and Organisations.New North American Secretariat Ecclesial Team Selected by Worldwide Marriage Encounter

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 1, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- The Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) communities of Canada and the United States announced today the selection of a new ecclesial team for the North American Secretariat (NASET). They are Joe & Sue Talarico of Concord, California and Fr Salvador Ahumada of Alberta, Canada.

The North American Secretariat oversees Worldwide Marriage Encounter in the United States and Canada. Together these countries, and their territories, are interdependent in providing services to those who attend the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends as well as other marriage enrichment programs sponsored by WWME. A form of communication based on writing and sharing feelings is central to this experience. Couples learn how to connect at a deeper level and how to keep love growing over the years.

For Joe & Sue and Fr. Salvador, the WWME weekend experience is the beginning of a process to bring married couples closer together as their Sacrament of Matrimony unfolds. The weekend is also offered to priests and highlights their Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Joe & Sue, who are married 41 years, experienced their original weekend in 2005 in California. They have been involved with WWME in various leadership roles for the past 13 years, including most recently overseeing the entire United States WWME ministry. Prior to that they served as the Region 12 leadership team. Fr. Salvador attended his original weekend in 1994. He has been an ordained priest for 29 years. He has presented numerous Spanish speaking weekends and has served as a cadre priest for team training weekends. Most recently he served as the ecclesial leadership priest for the Canadian Region 6 area, which includes all the Alberta, Canada area.

"We just celebrated last month, in Chicago, the anniversary of our first 50 years of Worldwide Marriage Encounter. We are humbled as we look forward to leading North America into the next 50 years and beyond. We continue to proclaim the value of the Sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders, by changing our world one couple, one priest, one religious at a time, the NASET ecclesial team said.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 50 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in more than 95 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other. WWME also supports priests in fulfilling their role within the Sacrament of Holy Orders. It offers tools for building and maintaining strong, Christian marriages and relationships in todays world. To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends online, go to wwme.org , or you can contact the WWME Office at (909) 332-7309.

For further information contact:Switzerland National Day

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo: "On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Switzerland on the occasion of Swiss National Day.

"On this day, we celebrate the foundation of the Swiss Confederation more than seven hundred years ago. The United States and Switzerland share a commitment to democracy, rule of law, and civic participation that has underpinned our relationship for 165 years. These shared values are the foundation of our diverse bilateral relationship, which is bolstered by deep economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties.

"We value Switzerlands role as a hub for international business and global diplomacy, and we greatly appreciate the longstanding role that Switzerland has played as the protecting power for U.S. citizens and interests in Iran.

"We look forward to continued cooperation and friendship with the government and people of Switzerland in the years ahead."The Republic of Benin's Independence Day

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo: "On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I send our best wishes to the people of Benin as they celebrate 58 years of independence.

"Our two countries enjoy excellent relations based on shared values and the aspiration for a more prosperous future. The United States remains committed to deepening these relations. For fifty years, Benin has welcomed Peace Corps volunteers who focus on community economic development, education, health and the environment. Last year, the Millennium Challenge Corporations second compact, designed to modernize the power sector, entered into force. The United States remains a committed partner through our sustained cooperation as Benin continues to grow and prosper.

"We celebrate Benin and offer best wishes for a joyous independence celebration."Airtel has announced the launch of Bandwidth on Demand platform for customers across the globe, enabling them to efficiently manage bandwidth requirements real-time. The platform is a step towards providing flexible and efficient network solutions for our customers giving them the control they need for building businesses of today.

The platform (https://www.airtel.in/service-provider/bod) offers quick activation to access, configure and monitor bandwidth requirements and gives full control to the users to provision bandwidth whenever and wherever they need it. With this platform, customers will have the flexibility to opt for bandwidth on an hourly, daily or monthly basis their unique business needs providing greater operational efficiency and tighter control network costs.

The digital platform will be available at 19 locations including Los Angeles, New York, London, Marseilles, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore globally and Airtels Data Centres and Landing Stations in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in India. It has been built on Airtels robust global network spanning 250,000 route kilometres across 50 countries and 5 continents, carrying 10 terabits/s international bandwidth lit capacity.

Ajay Chitkara, Director and CEO  Airtel Business said, In todays fast paced market, agile products and services are imperative to drive greater operational efficiencies. With Bandwidth-on-Demand we want to empower our businesses to be able to seamlessly opt for flexible network solutions that will not only help them manage their unpredictable bandwidth requirements but also accelerate the adoption of newer technologies and help them move faster in their cloud and digital journey.

Airtel has further strengthened its position in emerging markets with recent acquisition of India leg of GBIs IndiaMiddle EastEurope submarine cable which will complement Airtels existing global cable network viz. IMEWE, EIG, SMW4 and MENA and add significant long term bandwidth capacity, enabling it to serve the booming data demand across emerging markets like India, SAARC, Middle East & Africa.

Technuter.com News ServiceRapper Raja Kumari: Bindis and Bangles are Part of My Identity Now and It's Not a GimmickSoda, a health drink? That's pretty much why a Buffalo woman sued the maker of Canada Dry for not having enough ginger in it, according to a Buffalo News report on Sunday.

For years, she thought that ginger was healthy and, so, ginger ale would be better than normal soda. Except, should found out that the amount of ginger in it didn't seem that large.

Whoa. There are a lot of ways legal issues can sideline your business, whether a data breach, product liability, or false advertising.

Can't happen to you? Don't bet on it. Don't have the deep pockets of a Dr Pepper Snapple Group, which owns the Canada Dry brand? Too bad.

A review of the story shows how crazy the world of doing business can be.

The plaintiff, a Julie Fletcher, isn't the first to sue the company over alleged claims. She was taken in, she claims, that the product was made with real ginger that she thought of as healthy because it can help with an upset stomach. Here's a 2011-era ad that the company ran.

In Fletcher's favor, it sure does seem that the Canada Dry brand played p the ginger content. But not so much on the ingredient label front, in order of amount:

carbonated water

high fructose corn syrup

citric acid

sodium benzoate (preservative)

natural flavors

caramel color

There are some consumer lawsuits that are actually reasonable. That famous McDonald's hot coffee case wasn't frivolous. The chain kept coffee at such a high temperature that it could cause serious burns on contact. The company had faced hundreds of previous claims.

That's when fixing the problem is simple, in a way. You change the business process. Alter the product. Find a way to work around what has gone wrong.

For Canada Dry, it's the "natural flavors," marketing, and public perception. For example, when you see maple flavoring in an ingredient list, it could be fenugreek, hickory bark, or maple wood. Maple syrup? At $50 a gallon consumer prices, don't you just wish.

But people assume natural flavors are the actual thing. And they even can be, only it's a tiny concentration in something like ginger ale, compared to the quantities of water and sweetener.

The branding only reinforces confusion. Here's a 2011 commercial from the company.

It screams ginger. So, is Fletcher being unrealistic about how much ginger would go into ginger ale? How could anyone in this day and age think of a soda as healthy? And yet, yes, people often give kids and others some ginger ale if they've had a stomach problem.

Any company -- yours, for example -- could decide to juice up the marketing, find an angle that seems like it would work, all in the name of marketing that seems fair. But fair is a matter of perception and branding is a matter of what you do, not what you say.

Present your product as though it were one thing, so that you expect people to take it in one way, when you know it isn't and you've undermined your brand. You've lied to your customers.

Yes, you need to have legal counsel vet your claims. Be sure that what you do isn't a clear breach of advertising or safety laws or some other regulation.Lots of people thought MoviePass's ambitions to Netflixify the movie theater experience by offering users unlimited movies for less than $10 a month would never last. Now it seems those naysayers were right.

On July 26, MoviePass--founded by Netflix co-founder Mitch Lowe--couldn't afford to pay for the movie tickets of its subscribers. According to a regulatory filing, MoviePass's parent company, Helios and Matheson, borrowed $5 million in cash to pay its merchant and fulfillment processors. Before that day, it had been burning through $21.7 million a month to honor its subscribers' ticket purchases, forcing the company's share price to drop below the $0.19 mark earlier in the month, down from its zenith of $39 a share in October.

While subscribers were notably annoyed, the news was not at all surprising to analysts like Michael Pachter. As a managing partner at Wedbush Securities, where he covers the company, he has been waiting for the ax to fall for MoviePass since last August, when the company dropped its monthly subscription fee to $9.95 from $50. But rather than pick on that company in particular, Patcher takes aim at its business model.

This all-you-can-eat strategy, which Slate columnist Jordan Weissmann described as "creatively lighting money aflame," has never been sustainable, says Pachter. "It doesn't make sense for MoviePass to be in this business in the first place," he says, explaining that having third parties like MoviePass provide this sort of subscription model is doomed to end in disaster. (Lowe didn't return a request for comment.)

That condemnation would seem to be borne out by recent company news. There's Spotify, the Stockholm-based music-streaming company, which has yet to turn a profit and has seen its share price wax and wane since its IPO in April. Similarly ClassPass, a fitness subscription service, recently pivoted to a credit-based system after responding to subscriber feedback. And while Netflix appears to be on solid footing, in its latest earnings report, the company disclosed it attracted fewer new subscribers than it had anticipated for the quarter.

Even so, entrepreneurs remain bullish on subscriptions. But to make them more sustainable, they're making some key tweaks--chief among them, eschewing the word "unlimited."

Better tech, tiered pricing

New York City-based startup Jukely--"the MoviePass for concerts"-- has found the path to profitability tricky. Founder Bora Celik?, who launched his company in 2013 promoting unlimited concerts for $25 a month, explains how he's had to change the model over time.

"It's been quite challenging to figure it out," he says. "But we've managed to find the path to sustainable subscription economics." Celik points to the company's proprietary technology, which offers promoters dynamic pricing for tickets based on the demand for performances. The algorithms allow Jukely to acquire ticket inventory more economically, which helps the company retain better margins.

"A company like MoviePass pays face value for most of its tickets, while we get them at a discount," says Celik.

Using machine learning and moving its business model away from the unlimited service--offering instead three subscription levels ranging from $25 to $65 a month--Celik says he's managed to find a balance between the novelty of the MoviePass model and the conservative economics Jukely needs to survive. The service is currently available in 14 major U.S. cities as well as Toronto and London, and has several cities on its expansion list for the coming months.

Credits for services

Former Goldman Sachs analyst and third-time entrepreneur Solomon Liou made this a priority in his latest company, KidPass, a service for finding nearby kid-friendly activities.

KidPass, founded in 2016, works on a credit system: You pay a monthly fee of $50 and receive 10 credits that you can use to book activities for children, such as art classes, day trips, and indoor playspaces. "We made sure we didn't have this crazy, unlimited model that just wasn't sustainable," he says. "In some ways, we've taken the exact opposite approach of MoviePass and ClassPass."

And so far, so good. Since its start two years ago in New York City, after which it expanded to Washington, D.C., the company has gained 10,000 subscribers with more than 200,000 activity bookings--a membership five times larger than last year's. KidPass has 25 employees, and big plans to expand to 10 cities by the end of the year.

ClassPass is similarly adopting a credit-based system. After launching in 2013 with an unlimited model and scrapping it in 2016, the company, founded by Payal Kadakia, experimented with a tiered pricing model that allows users to pay more for more classes, but eventually settled on the credit-based system it has today because the program offers users more value for their money, says current CEO Fritz Lanman. Previously, he notes, the more popular suppliers were charging more while lesser-known classes fell by the wayside.

But even in its rockiest moments, ClassPass didn't reach MoviePass lows. "We have very strong unit economics," says Lanman, who in a recent interview detailed ClassPass's plans for global expansion within the next couple of years. The New York City-based company is already in 50 cities and four countries. "In fitness, the subscription serves a real purpose," he says, noting that ClassPass motivates people to go to the gym, an issue that doesn't exist with movies. Also, unlike MoviePass, which relies on a limited subset of movie theaters, he says ClassPass benefits from a more widespread fitness environment. "We think our market works really well for aggregation because the supplier ecosystem is heavily fragmented."The presidential election of 2016 was perhaps the most contentious ever, with the less popular candidate ultimately winning the job - and it sparked an increase in political debate that has yet to be extinguished. Many businesses added their own fuel to the fire by increasing their political activity, and while that sounds like a risky proposition, a study from Sprout Social suggests that it's at least somewhat important to about two-thirds of consumers for brands to take a stance on divisive political issues. So, with customers gravitating toward brands that speak up, what does that mean for you?

Running headlong into the political fray may not be the strategy you're looking for to win new business, and such an approach is likely to alienate and create resentment among the customers you do have. Instead, carefully selecting the causes your company can champion will help form a stronger brand identity and a more loyal and passionate base of customer advocates.

Naturally, brand managers should be careful about using politics to project a company's voice. But if the brand has firmly established values and it makes sense to comment on relevant current events, then doing so can help ignite the emotions of a customer base. If you're struggling to determine when your brand should get political, keep these things in mind:

1. Consider which issues truly align with your brand's values.

At the end of last year, you might remember hearing that Patagonia's website landing page featured the declaration "The President Stole Your Land" in response to the Trump administration's decision to reduce the size of several national monuments in the state of Utah. The company even filed suit against the administration in an effort to block the decision. Judging by the immediate jump in sales, the company's actions unquestionably resonated with Patagonia's audience and aligned with its brand.

But before you follow the outdoor retailer's lead, carefully consider the issues that your brand weighs in on to ensure that these are meaningful opportunities to connect with customers and make a difference. Brett Hyman, president of NVE Experience Agency, a marketing firm that has worked with a host of national clients, advises: "Marketers should resist the urge to comment on a hot-button issue for the sake of it and get involved only when doing so aligns with the brand's values and avoids alienating its most valuable customers."

2. Be strategic about crafting your message.

From fonts to tone, your message should be consistent across all channels, which means it needs to appeal to your customers on a number of different levels. It's important now more than ever to find the right tone for your brand's commentary. When it comes time to craft your messaging, ensure your content captures the essence of your brand. It can be helpful to start by coming up with an array of adjectives that describe your brand. Then, round up your team and cut out the fluff to find the three to five that resonate the most.

These adjectives are the foundation of your brand's persona, and every blog article, bit of website copy, and social media post should take them into consideration. Even the pictures you associate with your brand should reflect that persona. When it comes time for political commentary, ensuring it's consistent with the rest of your brand's messaging will prevent the alienation of loyal customers who might otherwise disagree with a stance that you take.

3. Consider your motives.

It's normal for companies to be profit-driven -- after all, if you're constantly losing money, you probably won't be in business long enough to make a difference (with some notable exceptions). But keep in mind that today's consumers are constantly inundated with advertising, and they've become experts at spotting a fake. Taking a political stand in an attempt to increase profits is a misguided plan that's likely to backfire.

On the other hand, if you feel genuinely moved toward a cause, your customers will sense your sincerity. The ones who agree will rally behind you, while those who don't can at least respect your integrity. For instance, Bill Penzey, CEO and founder of his namesake company, the country's largest independent spice retailer, first began using the company's catalog and later its newsletter and social media accounts to share op-eds voicing his social and political views. Since the election, he's been an outspoken opponent of Trump administration policies. Penzey takes a consistent stance on issues he cares about -- and offers customers a free spice for listening.Every time I try and run it comes and finds me, Evangeline Lilly says referencing not, as one might suspect, the smoke monster she encountered in the hit drama Lost, but her acting career.

Lilly maintains that her professional life thus far has been composed of stop-starts and near-misses, dating right back to when it all began. Having been selected to play fugitive Kate Austen by co-creator JJ Abrams in 2004, Canadian-born Lilly struggled to get a work visa to enter the United States in time for the start of shooting. The role was days away from being recast.

I would say Lost was my destiny because it certainly wasnt my agenda, she tells The Independent (listen to the whole interview on The LOST Boys podcast here). I was one of those very rare actresses who wasnt trying to be an actress when I got that job  and the only reason I took it at the time was because I had enormous faith and really believed that everything in my life just continued to point me towards this thing.

Fourteen years later, Lillys key roles can be counted on one hand. Not for the lack of offers, but rather because shes that rare kind of star who displays a discerning judgment about the roles she accepts based on what that job constitutes. Alongside Kate, theres Tauriel  the elf co-created by Peter Jackson for his Hobbit trilogy  and Hope van Dyne, otherwise known as The Wasp, whom she returns as in new sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp.

All three roles are united by an autonomy that Lilly has herself struggled to maintain working in the film and television industry. One such moment arrived three years into her tenure on Lost.

In season 3, Id had a bad experience on set with being basically cornered into doing a scene partially naked, and I felt I had no choice in the matter, she tells me. I was mortified and I was trembling, and when it finished I was crying my eyes out and had to go on and do another very formidable and strong scene immediately after.

She continues: So in season 4, another scene came up where Kate was undressing and I fought very hard to have that scene be under my control, and I failed to control it again. So, I said. Thats it  no more. You can write whatever you want, I wont do it. I will never take my clothes off on this show again  and I didnt.

Loading....

Lost co-creators JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof have since responded to Lilly's comments which you can read here. The Independent has contacted ABC for comment.

Its this experience that has since led to Lillys careful role-selection process. For one, naked scenes are off the table.

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When I read scripts that involves nudity, I pass. And its not because I think theres anything wrong with doing nudity, its because I dont trust that I can be comfortable and safe. Im also just not of that age anymore. Ive been doing this for nearly 15 years. I kind of know the ropes and am better equipped now to not have uncomfortable experiences come up.

Step forward, Hope van Dyne. As the super-heroine daughter of characters played by Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer (12-year-old me was losing my shit, she laughs, recalling the first time she met the latter), Lilly is the first woman to earn big-screen Marvel Cinematic Universe title status sharing equal-billing with Paul Rudds Ant-Man.

As is the norm for Lilly, it very nearly didnt happen. Having been offered the role by Edgar Wright, she held off signing her contract upon learning the Hot Fuzz director had quit over creative differences with Marvel.

I had the choice to walk away, and I almost did, Lilly once told BuzzFeed, adding: Because I thought, Well if its because Marvel are big bullies, and they just want a puppet and not someone with a vision, Im not interested in being in this movie.

Lilly soon discovered that Wrights departure was an admirable decision on everyones part and, after meeting with Peyton Reed  who returns as director for Ant-Man and the Wasp  committed to playing a character that fully matched her proviso.

One of the wonderful things about playing Hope van Dyne is that shes covered up from head-to-toe from beginning to end, she says. That suit made me feel very safe. I didnt have to be in a mini skirt and a bustier, and I was very grateful. Gal Gadot looked freaking amazing in hers [as Wonder Woman] but I would have been uncomfortable. Im just not that person.

 Ant-Man and the Wasp's Evangeline Lily jokes about Marvel male actors complaints over superhero suits

Despite another instance which left her with abrasions on her arm, Lilly looks back on her Lost experience with immense positivity even if she continually locked heads with the way her character was written.

I always thought she was obnoxious, she says. Not at the beginning  at the beginning, she was kind of cool. But as the show went on, I thought she became more and more predictable. I felt that my character went from being autonomous  really having her own story, journey and agendas  to chasing two men around the island. That irritated the shit out of me.

Positioned as the female lead from the off, Kate  a fugitive being escorted back to Los Angeles at the time Oceanic Flight 815 crashes on the island  swiftly found herself drawn into a love triangle (later quadrangle), flitting between loyal doctor Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) and Josh Holloways bad-boy conman Sawyer. It was her initial status as one of the decades strongest female characters which heightened Lillys disappointment with Kates eventual arc.

I wanted her to be better because she was an icon for strength and for women. I think I tried very hard to take what I was given and always find the way to show that strength, to have her own thoughts and to take moments I thought might be quite whiny and somehow make them... not whiny.

Lilly says her Lost character irritated the shit out of her (DisneyABC Domestic Television)

She laughs. Im not opposed to having romance in a womans life. Im one of those people who has never been able to be single, so theres nothing wrong with womens lives being characterised by their relationships. But there was this eventual lack of dimension to what was going on with her. It was just [mock gasps] Jack! Sawyer!

Without Lost, its hard to know where Lilly would be  and the close-calls have continued years on. Lilly made a decision to quit acting in 2011, until Peter Jackson came calling to offer her a role hed co-created alongside Guillermo del Toro for his final two adaptations of JRR Tolkiens The Hobbit which, as fate would have it, was her favourite book as a child.

It was this appointment which saw Lilly become a published childrens author signing a two-book deal and releasing The Squickerwonkers, whose pages were brought to life by Weta visual artist Johnny Fraser-Allen in 2014. These close-calls ensure Lillys successes remain even sweeter.

I can only chalk it up to fate and destiny, to what Im supposed to be doing, she says, channelling her inner John Locke. Its unprecedented and ridiculous  I dont know why Im so lucky.

You can listen to the full interview above, and subscribe to The LOST Boys here. Ant-Man and the Wasp is in cinemas 2 AugustPeyton Reed, 118 mins, starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena, Hannah John-Kamen, Walton Goggins, Michael Douglas

If you can hear that familiar summer buzzing sound, it means that Marvels most diminutive superhero is back. The mixture is much as it was in the first film.Ant-Man and his associates keep on shifting sizes in frantic chases and fights, combined with scenes in which scientists look very earnest and talk darkly, in best B-movie jargon, about the secrets of the quantum realm.

Much of the action unfolds in San Francisco, which allows for plenty of references to Steve McQueens feats behind the driving wheel in Bullitt.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun. It is galvanised by a likeable, wildly energetic and tongue in cheek performance from Paul Rudd, who also co-scripted. He is just as irreverent as Ryan Reynolds in the Deadpool films  but not quite as cynical or obscene.

At the start of the film, Scott Lang (Rudd) is under house arrest for two years, to be followed by three years of probation, for his part in the mayhem in Germany involving Captain America and the Avengers in a previous Marvel movie. He is spending the time just as constructively as we might expect. He is teaching himself conjuring tricks from online tutorials.

When he wants a rest, hell sing a little karaoke or play on his drum set. He also likes turning his apartment into an adventure battleground for insects to entertain his daughter, Cassie. His ex-wife Maggie (Judy Greer) has enough confidence in him to allow Cassie regular visits.

Her faith isnt shared by his scolding parole officer Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), who suspects that Scott wont keep out of mischief for long. Employment-wise, Scott is still a partner in the struggling security business run by Luis (Michael Pena), his friend from prison days.

Director Peyton Reed draws a contrast between the banality of Scotts regular life and the sub-atomic scientific experiments conducted by physicist and ex SHIELD agent, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) who made Ant-Man possible in the first place.

One especially flaky strand of the plot involves Scotts dreams. In a mind-bending scene, he pictures himself playing hide and seek, finding a little girl hiding in a cupboard. These images are snippets of memories that really belong to Hanks wife, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), who went missing in the quantum sphere three decades before but isnt dead.

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She is somehow able to communicate with Hank through Scott. The little girl in the cupboard is her daughter, Hope (Evangeline Lilly), now grown up and a super-hero herself as the Wasp. Hank and Hope plan a mission back into the quantum realm to retrieve Janet.

Much of the dialogue about quantum energy and molecular disequilibrium would barely pass muster in a creaky low budget 1950s sci-fi B movie in the Plan 9 From Outer Space mould. Certain parts of the storyline are conveniently skimmed over. What exactly has Janet being doing on her own in the quantum sphere for 30 years? No attempt is made to tell us.

The film counters any potential audience scepticism with some astonishing visual effects and feats of prestidigitation. 3D as a format may be on the wane in Hollywood since its Avatar heyday but director Reed makes excellent use of it here. Whether in scenes of flying ants being eaten by swooping seagulls or of a microscopic spaceship hurtling into the far distance, Reed and his team play ingenious games with perspective.

They also throw in some nicely bathetic comic sound editing too. For example, when a character hits the water from a huge height, we expect an almighty splash, but when it comes to Ant-Man, they only create a very little plop.

Much of the drama here hinges on who controls the state of the art lab in which Hank is devising his experiments. This is a big, multistorey building but it can be shrunk down to the size of a portable suitcase and dragged away on wheels.

Several of the supporting characters here are as insubstantial as the ants themselves. Walton Goggins plays yet another in his increasingly long line of sneering, one-dimensional movie villains  an arms dealer called Sonny Burch who wants to hijack Hanks technology.

More promising is British actress Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, a superhero who can dematerialise but who is in a constant state of pain and has strong reasons for a grudge against Hank. Her patron is Hanks old associate, friend and fellow scientist, Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne), now his most inveterate enemy.

The best advice here is to disregard the plot and enjoy the slapstick and the buzz. In one fight sequence that takes place in a kitchen, the villains swat at Ant-Man and the Wasp with cooking implements. The super-heroes are always able to improvise  to enlarge tiny toys and use them as weapons or to downsize themselves and their vehicles just when they are about to crash.

Paul Rudd and Michael Pena make an engaging double act. Rudd manages to be both goofy and very enterprising while Pena extracts the maximum comic potential from a scene involving a truth serum he is forced to take. Its supposed to make him share vital secrets. Instead, it prompts him to embark on long-winded and embarrassing digressions about his private life).

As with most Marvel movies, it is worth staying beyond the end credits. A coda here sets up a potential new episode in the Ant-Man series. This little mite is proving just as durable as Captain America, Iron-Man or any of the other, more sizeable superheroes in the Marvel stable. There is no sign anybody will be squashing him just yet.

Ant-Man and the Wasp hits UK cinemas 3 AugustDominic Savage, 101 mins, starring: Gemma Arterton, Dominic Cooper, Frances Barber, Marthe Keller, Jalil Lespert

Gemma Arterton has given several performances as unhappily married women. She was Gemma Bovery, cuckolding her husband, in Anne Fontaines comedy drama adapted from Posy Simmondss graphic novel updating of Flauberts novel; she was the fed-up wife of the philandering sportsman played by Idris Elba in 100 Streets. Now, in Dominic Savages The Escape, she takes matrimonial misery to a new level.

Arterton plays Tara, a young mother with two children who is living a stifling suburban existence somewhere in the home counties not too far from Ebbsfleet. Every day, her husband Mark (Dominic Cooper) sets off for work, leaving her to deal with the domestic drudgery.

Savage makes continual use of handheld, in-your-face camera work to convey the claustrophobic nature of Taras everyday life. He films Arterton as if she is the main subject in some fly on the wall documentary.

We see her in oppressive close-up, peeling and scrubbing the vegetables, picking up the kids mess or offering drinks to friends at a barbecue Mark has offered. There are always toys strewn on the floor or cereal spilt on the kitchen table. The sex scenes are determinedly unromantic.

I am not happy. I cant do this anymore, is her conclusion as the daily grind wears her down.

Arterton gives a typically nuanced and sensitive performance as the wife and mother too ashamed to admit that, no, she doesnt love her kids and that she simply no longer finds family life appealing.

She is itching to escape. Tara seems to recognise herself in the romantic and forlorn figure of the lonely woman pictured in mediaeval tapestries of The Lady And The Unicorn (she has reproductions of these in a book she buys on a solitary trip to central London).

For all the emotional complexity Arterton brings to her role, the film itself just doesnt ring true. The melodramatic, piano-heavy score is incongruous. Cooper is strangely unsympathetic as the husband. He claims Tara is the centre of his world but behaves boorishly towards her. Hes the patriarch who wants his food on the table, his shirts ironed and for Tara to make love to him on demand.

Her mother (a cameo from Frances Barber) isnt likeable or kind to her either, warning her that shes lucky to have such a privileged life. The interlude in which Tara takes the Eurostar on a whim strains credibility too. She is shown wandering around dirty Parisian streets near the Eurostar station as if she is in a romantic never land.

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A lecherous French photographer (one part Serge Gainsbourg, one part Johnny Hallyday) just happens to spot her and come courting her at the museum she visits. Tara may be having a breakdown but she looks remarkably chic and doesnt seem to suffer from any financial worries. If she is lost in the city, there is sure to be some kindly French matron who will take pity on her and offer her a roof for the night.

The films ending is enigmatic and unsatisfactory. In spite of the title, we are given very little sense that the troubled heroine has found any way out of the maze.

The Escape hits UK cinemas 3 AugustThe appropriateness of using the greeting hi guys when addressing a group of men and women is up for debate after a woman suggested people should never use it - because other, gender-neutral greetings are more inclusive of women.

BBC Womans Hour host Jane Garvey started the conversation by suggesting the new rule on Twitter, where she wrote: New rule- Hi guys!! NEVER say this.

The Radio 4 host then joked that the greeting is only appropriate if you are the daringly informal guest speaker at the annual meeting of The Society of People Named Guy.

In response to her suggestion, many people agreed with her stance - sharing their own issues with the use of the term.

The main issue with the informal greeting, as summed up by Garvey, is I am not a guy.

Common parlance among the young isnt it? Infuriatingly so, especially when used by waiters one person responded.

However, others reflected on their own use of the greeting - which they view as harmless.

I think lots of us use this term in a totally generic non-harmful way, one person wrote.

Another defended using guys, stating: What would you say instead, humans? People? Its not done out of ignorance or sexism, its done for the sake of simplicity. Language only works when common definitions are accepted by all, this is unproductive and absolutely absurd.

According to Garvey, using the traditionally gender-neutral people is more appropriate when addressing a mixed group - a sentiment early stated by the Australian Diversity Council, who warned against the use of the terms girls and guys at work in 2016.

However, the Oxford Dictionary defines guys as people of either sex, and Oxford language professor Deborah Cameron previously said If women want to be addressed as guys, Im not going to tell them theyre betraying the feminist cause.

Unusual terms of endearment from around the world Show all 10 1 /10 Unusual terms of endearment from around the world Unusual terms of endearment from around the world Polish: 'kruzynko' is a term of endearment meaning 'breadcrumb' Direct Travel Unusual terms of endearment from around the world Unusual terms of endearment from around the world China: "Chen yu iuo yan meaning "diving fish, swooping geese" is an elaborate way of calling someone beautiful. A reference to two of the most famous ancient beauties of China: one so beautiful that when she looked into a pond the fish forgot to swim and sank to the bottom; the other, made the geese forget to flap their wings. Direct Travel Unusual terms of endearment from around the world In Japan, calling someone "tamago gata no kao", translates to "an egg with eyes" Direct Travel Unusual terms of endearment from around the world In German, "Zaubermaus" translates as "magic mouse" Direct Travel Unusual terms of endearment from around the world In France, mon petit chou is used the same way the English say sweetheart, but the direct translation would actually be my little cabbage Direct Travel Unusual terms of endearment from around the world In Persian, "moosh bokhoradet" means whoever you are talking to is adorable. But the literal translation is "may a mouse eat you" Direct Travel Unusual terms of endearment from around the world In Hungary 'bogarkam' translates to 'my little insect' Direct Travel Unusual terms of endearment from around the world Italian: "Microbino mio" means "my little microbe" Direct Travel Unusual terms of endearment from around the world Dutch people sometimes call their loved one "mijn poepie" which literally translates to "my little poo" Direct Travel

In a blog post on the subject, Cameron elaborated, suggesting that using guys as a greeting gives insight to the speakers broader grasp of the situation.

Youre choosing your words to say something about how you see yourself, the person youre talking to, the situation youre in and the relationship between you, she wrote, before stating that guys is relaxed and friendly.China has accused the US of blackmail as the Trump administration considers more than doubling its proposed tariffs on Chinese goods amid an escalating trade war.

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering upping his proposed tariffs on $200bn worth of Chinese goods from 10 per cent to 25 per cent.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that Beijing would retaliate to any additional tariffs, adding that "US pressure and blackmail won't have an effect.

If the United States takes further escalatory steps, China will inevitably take countermeasures and we will resolutely protect our legitimate rights," Mr Shuang said, according to Reuters. He added that the trade disputes should be settled through mutually respectful dialogue.

Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced a proposed 10 per cent tariff on up to $200bn worth of Chinese goods at the beginning of July. The Trump administration could announce plans for the 25 per cent tariffs as soon as Wednesday, sources told Reuters.

Meanwhile, representatives of US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu have been engaging in private talks about restarting negations, according to Bloomberg News.

 Donald Trump says he's 'ready to go to 500' in tariff battle with China

The Trump administration has already imposed 25 per cent tariffs on $34bn worth of Chinese goods, accusing the country of intellectual property theft. A second round of tariffs on $16bn worth of Chinese goods could take effect this week  raising the total to $50bn. Beijing has responded with equivalent tariffs on American goods like beef, tobacco, and motorcycles.

The Chinese economy appears to be feeling the effects of the tariffs already, with new export orders falling faster than they have in more than two years, according to a July report from the Caixin/Markit Purchasing Manager's Index.

The Chinese Politburo said in a statement on Tuesday that the Chinese economy is facing "some new problems and new challenges.

"There are obvious changes in the external environment," the statement said. "We must do a good job in stabilising employment, finance, foreign trade and investment, and expectations.The National Union of Students  which represents 4.3 million students across the country  has backed The Independents call for a referendum on the Brexit deal.

MPs and organisations from across the political divide have shown their support for the Final Say campaign, with more than 400,000 people signing our petition since it was launched last week.

The campaign has now been endorsed by the NUS, which is made up of more than 530 affiliated member students unions in universities and colleges across the country.

Amatey Doku, vice president for higher education of the NUS, said: I am proud to offer my support to the Final Say campaign on behalf of the millions students we represent from institutions across the UK.

With the majority of students now backing a vote on the final Brexit deal, it is clear we need a say on our future.

The chaos of the current Brexit negotiations means that those on all sides of the debate are now losing faith in the governments approach.

With the chances of a good deal dwindling by the day, its clear that our generation will be the hardest hit if we leave with a bad deal or without a deal at all.

He added: Students care about Britains future on the global stage  and that means protecting access to research, funding and educational expertise for our world-leading universities.

There is great uncertainty within the sector about what the future of research and collaboration will be. Thats why I, and the millions of students we represent, are backing a peoples vote on the terms of the final deal.

The former Conservative education secretary Justine Greening and the British Medical Association  which represents around 20,000 students  have also thrown their weight behind the campaign.

People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Show all 30 1 /30 People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Rex People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young protestor shouts as she takes part in the People's Vote demonstration against Brexit Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A protester's pro-EU t-shirt EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Gina Miller and Caroline Lucas EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Tens of thousands of people march through London EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators at the People's Vote March Getty People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal 'Two months too young to decide on my future' REUTERS People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young girl joins in the march PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal An EU flag is draped across the statue of Winston Chruchill in Parliament Square REUTERS People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Vince Cable MP, Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller, Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP join with crowds PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A man resembling Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, joins EU supporters Reuters People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal People gather in Trafalgar Square REUTERS People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller and Tony Robinson PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march REUTERS

Recent polling revealed that the majority of students would back a vote on the final Brexit deal, as some 70 per cent believe they will be worse off after leaving the EU.

Support among young voters for a new referendum has surged from 58 per cent in February 2017 to 67 per cent this month, according to the survey of undergraduates conducted by Youthsight.

It was revealed last week that more than 1.4 million young people would be eligible to vote in a fresh referendum compared with the 2016 Brexit poll.

Analysis of the census data shows the group who have come of age since the EU referendum now outnumbers the Leave sides 1.26 million majority over Remain.

Pro-EU MPs have questioned whether this demographic shift could tip the scales in a fresh poll amid growing speculation over the possibility that Theresa Mays plans could lead to no deal.Deaths among women with lung cancer are predicted to rise by almost half before 2030, as the harmful legacy of tobacco firms targeting female smokers in the 20th century continues to unfold.

Among women with the disease across 52 countries the average mortality rate is due to increase by 43 per cent between 2015 and 2030, according to research published in the journal Cancer Research on Wednesday.

Wealthier nations are expected to have the highest death rates in 12 years time, and this is likely to be highest of all in Europe and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), followed by the Americas and Asia.

Different timelines have been observed in the tobacco epidemic across the globe, said Dr Jose Martinez-Sanchez, the studys lead author and an epidemiologist from UIC Barcelona.

This is because it was socially acceptable for women to smoke in the European and Oceanic countries included in our study many years before this habit was commonplace in America and Asia, which reflects why we are seeing higher lung cancer mortality rates in these countries.

While the rise of e-cigarettes could help drive down these future death rates, the researchers say the evidence of these as quitting aids is contradictory and scarce.

Preventing people smoking in the first place remains the most effective way to cut lung cancer rates, however tobacco companies have focused more on developing nations as restrictions have come in across Europe and elsewhere so deaths will continue to rise globally without action.

The mortality rates were calculated as the number of lung cancer deaths for every 100,000 years lived by the population of each country  a way to standardise deaths in countries with differing life expectancy.

Lung cancer deaths globally are set to rise from 11.2 deaths per 100,000 years, to 16 deaths in 2030. Only Oceania was expected to see any decline in its lung cancer death rates.

Breast cancer death rates are set to fall by nine per cent in this period. This is a result of screening programmes and treatment advances which can catch and tackle breast cancer early, while in the UK and elsewhere lung cancer survival has hardly changed because too many cancers are only caught at a late stage.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

Across the 52 countries studied by Dr Martinez-Sanchez and his team, their findings suggest lung cancer will have overtaken breast cancer in 26 nations.

The group used World Health Organisation data for their research but did not have enough robust information from African nations to include it in the study  another factor hampering efforts to cut smoking and cancer deaths.

While we have made great strides in reducing breast cancer mortality globally, lung cancer mortality rates among women are on the rise worldwide, said Dr Martinez-Sanchez.

If we do not implement measures to reduce smoking behaviours in this population, lung cancer mortality will continue to increase throughout the world.Scientists have identified a whole set of planets where life could have begun just like it did on Earth.

Researchers at Cambridge University found that the chances of life developing are tied to the type and strength of light they receive from their star. And they have isolated a range of planets that could have the same conditions, and where life might already have begun in the same way.

Published in the journal Science Advances, the study suggests that if a star is giving off enough light, it could kickstart the beginnings of life itself. The UV light appears to power a series of chemical reactions that are central to the beginnings of life.

And there are a range of planets that have just that amount of UV light, the researchers say. Many of them not only have the right kind of light but are also of the right temperature to ensure they have liquid water on their surface.

Taken together, those planets could offer an important place to search for alien life.

This work allows us to narrow down the best places to search for life, said Dr Paul Rimmer, a postdoctoral researcher and the papers lead author. It brings us just a little bit closer to addressing the question of whether we are alone in the universe.

The work relies on research done by Professor John Sutherland, which looked for the chemical origin of life on Earth. It found that it could have been helped by the poison cyanide  once that is formed, it is thought to interact with various parts of the environment including light from the sun, and create the chemicals required to make life begin.

That was tested out by putting those chemicals under strong UV lights, where they generated the most basic ingredients of the chemicals needed for life.

The new research drew on that work but looked at the exact kinds and strength of light that was required for such interactions.

I came across these earlier experiments, and as an astronomer, my first question is always what kind of light are you using, which as chemists they hadnt really thought about, said Dr Rimmer. I started out measuring the number of photons emitted by their lamps, and then realised that comparing this light to the light of different stars was a straightforward next step.

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region

They found that stars roughly the same temperature as our sun emit the right amount of light for the building blocks of life to form. But cooler stars do not seem to work, and so any planets where the interactions happen will need to have the right kind of stars.

There are many planets that seem to fit that category, including several exoplanets found by the Kepler space telescope. Scientists expect to find many more candidates in the coming years, with the use of brand new space telescopes like Nasas newly launched Tess.

It is possible that life might have developed on entirely different planets, in its own way, the researchers noted, but looking for life that began like it did on Earth is the most natural step.

Im not sure how contingent life is, but given that we only have one example so far, it makes sense to look for places that are most like us, said Dr Rimmer. Theres an important distinction between what is necessary and what is sufficient. The building blocks are necessary, but they may not be sufficient: its possible you could mix them for billions of years and nothing happens. But you want to at least look at the places where the necessary things exist. Close Tommy Robinson wins appeal: Far-right leader freed from prison on bail

Tommy Robinson has been released from prison after a court's finding that he committed contempt in Leeds was quashed.

But the Court of Appeal ordered the far-right leader to attend a new hearing on the case that could see him jailed for a second time.

Robinson's lawyers had argued he should be freed because of procedural deficiencies in two court cases.

The Lord Chief Justice and two other judges dismissed their appeal against the first finding in Canterbury, which saw Robinson handed a suspended three-month prison sentence last year.

Recommended Tommy Robinson faces new contempt hearing after being released

But they ruled that a judge who jailed Robinson for 13 months at Leeds Crown Court in May "gave rise to unfairness" by proceeding too quickly and failing to properly follow rules.

Supporters of Robinson inside the Court of Appeal as the Rt Hon Sir Ian Burnett, Mr Justice Turner and Mrs Justice McGowan DBE handed down their judgment.

They were silenced by the Lord Chief Justice as Free Tommy protesters and anti-fascist demonstrators were kept apart by police outside.

Robinson later walked free from HMP Onley, flanked by men carrying his luggage before being driven away.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was released from HMP Onley later on Wednesday.

High-profile backers including the Ukip leader Gerard Batten, Dutch opposition leader Geert Wilders and the former Breitbart London editor Raheem Kassam hailed the verdict as a victory for freedom of speech.

Judges dismissed calls to quash findings that he committed contempt at Canterbury Crown Court in May 2017, saying criticism by Robinsons legal team had no substance.

But Lord Burnett, Mr Justice Turner and Mrs Justice McGowan found that procedural failings by a judge who later jailed Robinson for 13 months at Leeds Crown Court gave rise to unfairness.

Robinson was arrested on 25 May after broadcasting a Facebook Live video that broke a blanket reporting restriction on an ongoing set of trials, and jailed hours later.

Judges found that while Geoffrey Marson QC was right to bring Robinson before him to have the video deleted and protect jury deliberations, the case was dealt with too fast and did not follow criminal procedure rules.

There was no clarity about what parts of the video were relied upon as amounting to contempt, what parts the appellant accepted through his counsel amounted to contempt and for what conduct he was sentenced, the judgment said.

Whilst the judge was entitled to deal with the contempt himself, the urgency went out of the matter when the appellant agreed to take down the video from Facebook. There should have been an adjournment to enable the particulars of contempt to be properly formulated and for a hearing at a more measured pace, as had happened in Canterbury.

The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters scuffle with police at the junction of Whitehall and The Mall during a 'Free Tommy Robinson' protest AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures A protester wearing a mask of US president Donald Trump was among thousands of supporters of far-right activist and former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson staging a protest outside Downing Street in central London. Rex Features The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures A man empties his beer over passing police AFP/Getty The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Reuters The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Dutch far-right opposition leader Geert Wilders addresses thousands of supporters Rex Features The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Rex The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters scuffle with police on Whitehall during a 'Free Tommy Robinson' protest on 9 June AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Police watch supporters of Tommy Robinson PA The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures People take part in a support rally for Tommy Robinson Rex Features The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Supporters of far-right spokesman Tommy Robinson demonstrate in Trafalgar square AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters scuffle with police at the junction of Whitehall and The Mall during a 'Free Tommy Robinson' protest on 9 June AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures A man climbs on one of the lions in Trafalgar Square Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters scuffle with police at the junction of Whitehall and The Mall AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Police clear supporters PA The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Beer is thrown as demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters scuffle with police AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Supporters of English Defence League (EDL) founder Tommy Robinson clash with the police in Whitehall, London on 9 June Reuters The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures An injured police officer during a 'Free Tommy Robinson' protest in London on 9 June AFP/Getty The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters take over a sight-seeing bus on at the junction of Whitehall and The Mall during a 'Free Tommy Robinson' protest on 9 June AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Police watch supporters of Tommy Robinson during their protest in Trafalgar Square PA

They ordered the matter to be heard again at the Old Bailey as soon as reasonably possible, and bailed Robinson on the condition he attends the new hearing and does not go within 400m of Leeds Crown Court.

Robinsons barrister, Jeremy Dein QC, had argued that a conglomeration of procedural deficiencies had given rise to prejudice against his client and caused him to be handed a manifestly excessive prison sentence.

He argued that proceedings at Leeds Crown Court were unnecessarily and unjustly rushed, causing Robinsons representative to miss potential mitigating factors that could have lowered his sentence.

He did not intend to breach any [reporting restriction] order, albeit that he was aware that there was an order, Mr Dein told the court, claiming that Robinson was operating as a journalist and attempted to be legally vigilant.

Court records show that through his lawyer, Robinson expressed deep regret for the breach of integrity of the court system, but was not asked to respond to the particulars of the allegations himself.

The failings also meant Robinson was recorded as a criminal, rather than civil, prisoner and deprived of visits, free communications and other freedoms he should have been allowed.

The appeal was launched outside the 28-day time limit for challenging convictions, but was allowed after judges heard that legal meetings were delayed by Robinson being held in effective solitary confinement for his own safety.Tommy Robinson has been freed from prison on bail after judges quashed findings that he committed contempt of court in Leeds.

But the Court of Appeal dismissed the far-right figures case against another incident in Canterbury and ordered him to attend a new hearing where he could be jailed again.

The Lord Chief Justice took little over a minute to read out the judgment to a packed courtroom, silencing Robinsons supporters as they started applauding.

Lord Burnett said the court was allowing his appeal only in respect of the committal for contempt at Leeds Crown Court and granted Robinson bail ahead of a hearing to take place at the Old Bailey in London.

Supporters who had gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice cheered as news of the judgment came through, as counter-demonstrators shouted Nazi scum, off our streets through a megaphone.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was released from HMP Onley later on Wednesday.

I have a lot to say, but not to you, he told journalists while flanked by two men carrying his luggage, before being driven away.

High-profile backers including the Ukip leader Gerard Batten, Dutch opposition leader Geert Wilders and the former Breitbart London editor Raheem Kassam hailed the verdict as a victory for freedom of speech.

Supporters gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice

But judges did not say Robinson had not committed contempt of court, and accused him of delaying the appeals for tactical reasons and collateral advantage.

They dismissed calls to quash findings that he committed contempt at Canterbury Crown Court in May 2017, saying criticism by Robinsons legal team had no substance.

Robinson was handed a three-month suspended sentence for trying to film defendants inside the court during jury deliberations, after being told to stop and warned filming was against the law.

But Lord Burnett, Mr Justice Turner and Mrs Justice McGowan found that procedural failings by a judge who later jailed Robinson for 13 months at Leeds Crown Court gave rise to unfairness and meant proceedings were fundamentally flawed.

Robinson was arrested on 25 May after broadcasting a Facebook Live video that broke a blanket reporting restriction on an ongoing set of trials, and jailed hours later.

The Court of Appeal previously heard that footage of Robinson discussing the ongoing case caused jury deliberations to be paused, sparking an attempt by defence lawyers to have the case dismissed.

Judges found that while Geoffrey Marson QC was right to bring Robinson before him to have the video deleted and protect jury deliberations, the case was dealt with too fast and did not follow criminal procedure rules.

There was no clarity about what parts of the video were relied upon as amounting to contempt, what parts the appellant accepted through his counsel amounted to contempt and for what conduct he was sentenced, the judgment said.

Whilst the judge was entitled to deal with the contempt himself, the urgency went out of the matter when the appellant agreed to take down the video from Facebook. There should have been an adjournment to enable the particulars of contempt to be properly formulated and for a hearing at a more measured pace, as had happened in Canterbury.

They ordered the matter to be heard again at the Old Bailey as soon as reasonably possible, and bailed Robinson on the condition he attends the new hearing and does not go within 400m of Leeds Crown Court.

The judgment suggested that Robinson may have committed contempt both by violating reporting restrictions and with generally prejudicial remarks, including on the ethnic and religious backgrounds of the defendants.

It added: "These comments were, at least potentially, capable of amounting to a freestanding contempt of court."

Counter-protesters outside the court (PA)

Robinsons barrister, Jeremy Dein QC, had argued that a conglomeration of procedural deficiencies had given rise to prejudice against his client and caused him to be handed a manifestly excessive prison sentence.

He argued that proceedings at Leeds Crown Court were unnecessarily and unjustly rushed, causing Robinsons representative to miss potential mitigating factors that could have lowered his sentence.

He did not intend to breach any [reporting restriction] order, albeit that he was aware that there was an order, Mr Dein told the court, claiming that Robinson was operating as a journalist and attempted to be legally vigilant.

Court records show that through his lawyer, Robinson expressed deep regret for the breach of integrity of the court system, but was not asked to respond to the particulars of the allegations himself.

Lord Burnett recognised the difficult and unusual circumstances faced by the judge in Leeds but said it was unusual, to say the least, for a man with three young children to be sent to prison at a first hearing without some independent inquiry into his familys circumstances.

Where a custodial term of considerable length is being imposed, it should not usually occur so quickly after the conduct which is complained of; a sentence of committal to immediate custody had been pronounced within five hours of the conduct taking place, he added.

The failings also meant Robinson was recorded as a criminal, rather than civil, prisoner and deprived of visits, free communications and other freedoms he should have been allowed.

The appeal was launched outside the 28-day time limit for challenging convictions, but was allowed after judges heard that legal meetings were delayed by Robinson being held in effective solitary confinement for his own safety.

His solicitors, Carson Kaye, said: The rule of law and the right to a fair hearing are fundamental to every individual and this ruling is an example of the procedural safeguards of our system, and its potential for protecting every citizen equally.

What makes the British system so unique is the ability to set aside personal feelings and deal with the law and each case on its merits.

The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters scuffle with police at the junction of Whitehall and The Mall during a 'Free Tommy Robinson' protest AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures A protester wearing a mask of US president Donald Trump was among thousands of supporters of far-right activist and former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson staging a protest outside Downing Street in central London. Rex Features The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures A man empties his beer over passing police AFP/Getty The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Reuters The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Dutch far-right opposition leader Geert Wilders addresses thousands of supporters Rex Features The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Rex The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters scuffle with police on Whitehall during a 'Free Tommy Robinson' protest on 9 June AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Police watch supporters of Tommy Robinson PA The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures People take part in a support rally for Tommy Robinson Rex Features The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Supporters of far-right spokesman Tommy Robinson demonstrate in Trafalgar square AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters scuffle with police at the junction of Whitehall and The Mall during a 'Free Tommy Robinson' protest on 9 June AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures A man climbs on one of the lions in Trafalgar Square Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters scuffle with police at the junction of Whitehall and The Mall AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Police clear supporters PA The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Beer is thrown as demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters scuffle with police AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Demonstrators clash with police Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Supporters of English Defence League (EDL) founder Tommy Robinson clash with the police in Whitehall, London on 9 June Reuters The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures An injured police officer during a 'Free Tommy Robinson' protest in London on 9 June AFP/Getty The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Protesters take over a sight-seeing bus on at the junction of Whitehall and The Mall during a 'Free Tommy Robinson' protest on 9 June AFP/Getty Images The Tommy Robinson protest: in pictures Police watch supporters of Tommy Robinson during their protest in Trafalgar Square PA

Stand Up To Racism, which led a demonstration outside the court, raised fears the judgment would encourage racists and Islamophobes to build and organise.

Although it is dressed up as freedom of speech it is freedom of hate, said joint national secretary Weyman Bennett.

Every time these groups come out on the streets we see an increase in violence.

If we have an increase in organisations like this then we are returning back to the days of the 1920s and I believe Islamophobia is playing a major role.

Two large Free Tommy protests in London have seen disorder break out, with police attacked and demonstrators performing Nazi salutes and blockading a bus driven by a Muslim woman.

Robinson characterises himself as an independent reporter, but the Court of Appeal found that his interest in both the Canterbury and Leeds trials was ethnicity or religion of the defendants.

The 35-year-old reached national prominence after founding the far-right English Defence League in 2009, later leaving the organisation and failing to set up a British chapter of the German anti-Islam group Pegida.

Robinsons activity has been interrupted by jail sentences for entering the US with a false passport, and mortgage fraud, while he has also been convicted of offences including common assault and threatening and abusive behaviour.

Robinson was employed by the alt-right Canadian website Rebel Media but quit and now funds videos through donations from supporters around the world.

Research suggests his two-month stint in prison will prove lucrative, with the period seeing his Facebook followers increase by 10 per cent to just over 830,000 followers, and YouTube up 20 per cent to 230,000.

Followers from as far afield as Istanbul and Washington have sent Robinson almost 20,000 worth of Bitcoin, including a payment of more than 5,500 which passed through his Bitcoin wallet on the day he was jailed.Prominent far right figures around the world have welcomed the release of jailed English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson, after the court of appeal ordered he should be retried on a contempt of court charge.

A campaign to release Robinson gathered momentum after he was handed a 13-month sentence earlier this year for breaches of reporting restrictions at Leeds and Canterbury crown courts.

Crowds of supporters gathered outside the court on Wednesday as lord chief justice Lord Burnett of Maldon upheld the Canterbury conviction, but ordered the Leeds ruling be reconsidered, saying it was rushed and flawed

Robinson will now be released on bail on condition that he attend a retrial before the recorder of London at a future date.

Dutch anti-immigrant politician Geert Wilders, who has previously called Robinson a staunch freedom fighter and compared him to Winston Churchill said: Fantastic news! Tommy won and will be released today. A free man again!

Australian politician Pauline Hanson and Canadian activist Lauren Southern also tweeted the news Robinson had been released alongside the hashtag free Tommy. Ms Southern has previously been barred from the UK for distributing racist material and has called Robinson a hero.

Ukips leader Gerard Batten praised Robinsons courage and claimed his crimes were very minor compared to the late South African anti-apartheid champion, Nelson Mandela.

Mr Batten, who spoke at a rally in support of Mr Robinson in July, welcomed the judgement in a tweet, saying: A word of appreciation for the appeal court today. They held up the best traditions of English law.

In an interview with the BBCs World at One, Mr Batten, who is also am MEP at the European Parliament, said

Recommended Tommy Robinson faces new contempt hearing after being released

Nelson Mandela, for example, was a terrorist and plotted to kill people and know hes an international hero. Well, Tommy Robinson was never in that league, his crimes are very minor compared to that.

Asked whether he was more of a saint than Mr Mandela, the Ukip leader added: I dont think either of them are saints. I think that Tommy Robinson is small fry compared to terrorism and murdering people.

Former leader of the now-defunct British National Party Nick Griffin said: Despite my opposition to his liberalism, support for (non-Muslim) immigration & support for AlQaeda-backing Israel, its good to hear that #TommyRobinson has been set free to go home to his family. That sentence was monstrous!

Commentator Katie Hopkins said in a tweet she was looking forward to an apology from the judge who jailed Robinson. She later posted a composite image comparing photos of Robinson before and after his period in prison. The British State fattens up Jihadis on taxpayers cash, starves an innocent man imprisoned by a kangaroo court, she said.

Meanwhile, Paul Joseph Watson, a senior editor at US-based website Infowars, which circulates conspiracy theories, said in a Twitter post: Tommy Robinson is coming home.

Robinson was jailed in May after he filmed people involved in a criminal trial and broadcast the footage on social media.

The footage, lasting around an hour, was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted on Facebook.

The far-right activist was given 10 months for contempt of court, which he admitted, and a further three months for breaching a previous suspended sentence.

The judgment said Robinson was detained outside Leeds Crown Court after using social media to broadcast details of trials subject to blanket reporting restrictions.

In May last year he had faced contempt proceedings over footage he filmed during the trial of four men who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl.

A judge at Canterbury Crown Court gave him a three-month suspended sentence and told him his punishment was not about freedom of speech or freedom of the press but about justice and ensuring that a trial can be carried out justly and fairly.

Lord Burnett, giving reasons for the courts decision relating to the Leeds Crown Court allegation, said that once Robinson had removed the video from Facebook there was no longer sufficient urgency to justify immediate proceedings.

The judge at Leeds should not have commenced contempt proceedings that day.

Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Show all 50 1 /50 Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Far-right protesters demanding the release of jailed EDL founder Tommy Robinson brought chaos to central London The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Supporters of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson demonstrate in London REUTERS Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Protesters blocked a bus being driven by a woman in a headscarf Staff Photographer Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release EDL block the roads in London Staff Photographer Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release EDL fly the St George flag at a Tommy Robinson support rally Staff Photographer Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Protesters hold up placards and wave Union flags AFP/Getty Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Supporters of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson REUTERS Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release EDL shout through pub window REUTERS Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Supporters of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson are confronted by police REUTERS Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release EDL display the St George flag to a bus driver Staff Photographer Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release EDL supporters in London Staff Photographer Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release EDL in Trafalgar Square Staff Photographer Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Pro-Tommy Robinson suport topless holds up a bus Staff Photographer Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Police stop EDL Staff Photographer Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release The Independent Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release EDL hold up traffic in London Staff Photographer Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Bus and passengers held up by EDL fury Staff Photographer Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Free Tommy Robinson supporters and Pro-Trump supporters come together on Whitehall PA Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Protest placards REUTERS Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Protesters hold up placards at a rally by supporters of far-right spokesman Tommy Robinson AFP/Getty Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Protesters march down Whitehall in support of far-right Tommy Robinson AFP/Getty Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release London EDL protests REUTERS Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Demonstrators hold banners supporting EDF founder Tommy Robinson and President Trump REUTERS Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release A protester dressed as a knight takes part in a rally by supporters of far-right spokesman Tommy Robinson in central London following the jailing of Tommy Robinson for contempt of court AFP/Getty Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Free Tommy Robinson supporters PA Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Protesters march down Whitehall AFP/Getty Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Supporters of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson REUTERS Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Supporters of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson demonstrate REUTERS Tommy Robinson march: Far-right protesters demand EDL founder release Supporters of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson clash with police REUTERS

Lord Burnett said no particulars of the contempt were formulated or put to the appellant, and there was a muddle over the nature of the contempt being considered.

He added: Where a custodial term of considerable length is being imposed, it should not usually occur so quickly after the conduct which is complained of; a sentence of committal to immediate custody had been pronounced within five hours of the conduct taking place.

The judges announced they had dismissed Robinsons appeal in respect of the contempt finding at Canterbury Crown Court.

Additional reporting by Press AssociationThe UKs human rights watchdog has been urged to investigate the Labour Party as pressure continued to mount over Jeremy Corbyns handling of the antisemitism row.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) referred the party to the Equality and Human Rights Commission and made a complaint to Labour about comments by Mr Corbyn.

The CAAs letter to the equality watchdog said: We charge that the party has, through years of deliberate or reckless dereliction of its duty to enforce its own rules, created an atmosphere in which Jewish members and/or associates are discriminated against.

The organisation also issued a fresh complaint  its third  about Mr Corbyn to Labour.

The CAA seized on comments made by Mr Corbyn in 2012 when appearing on Press TV, the Iranian state-owned broadcaster, in which he linked a massacre of 16 Egyptian policeman to Israel.

It also claimed Mr Corbyn hosted a 2010 event in parliament where speakers compared Israeli actions in Gaza to the slaughter of Jews during the Holocaust, and said the Labour leader failed to intervene.

Labour has insisted Mr Corbyn is a militant opponent of antisemitism.

Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP

Gideon Falter, chairman of the CAA, said: The evidence shows beyond all doubt that Jeremy Corbyn is an antisemite, and the Labour Party has become institutionally antisemitic. The problem is not one man but an entire movement which has hijacked the anti-racist Labour Party of old and corrupted it with a racist rot.

A Labour Party spokesman said: Labour is committed to rooting out antisemitism from our party and society. False and partisan attacks like this undermine the fight against antisemitism.

One aspect of the CAAs complaint was the partys refusal to fully adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, including its examples.

The party spokesman said: Labour has adopted the IHRA definition, which is reproduced word for word in our code of conduct, and the examples are expanded on and contextualised to produce legally robust guidelines that a political party can apply to disciplinary cases. IHRA says its text is not legally binding and therefore there is no basis to legally challenge the code of conduct.

 Jeremy Corbyn ally, Peter Willsman, blamed 'Jewish Trump fanatics' for inventing Labour antisemitism

An Equality and Human Rights Commission spokesman said: We have received the complaint and will consider it to see what, if any, action is needed.

The charitys actions came as a member of Labour Partys ruling body apologised for offensive comments about Jews.

Peter Willsman called some members of the Jewish community Trump fanatics and suggested they were making up problems about antisemitism in the party.

He subsequently apologised, acknowledging the offensive nature of my comments, and has referred himself for equalities training.

Mr Willsman, who is standing for re-election to the National Executive Committee, said: I recognise the offensive nature of my comments and that in diminishing the experiences of those who face antisemitism in our party and society, I showed a lack of the sensitivity required for discussions around racism.

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson described the NEC member as a loud-mouthed bully, while Jewish Labour Movement chairwoman Luciana Berger said the comments were sickening.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, made up of almost 300 deputies directly elected by synagogues and community organisations, said Labour had let Mr Willsman off lightly by not taking disciplinary action against him.

President Marie van der Zyl questioned whether Mr Corbyn and party general secretary Jennie Formby had witnessed the outburst at a meeting of the NEC.

PABoris Johnson has emerged as the favourite to succeed Theresa May for the first time in two years, in a sign his shock resignation over Brexit has gone down well among grassroots Tories.

New polling shows the ex-foreign secretary commands 29 per cent of support among Conservative activists, giving him a 10-point lead over his nearest rival, the home secretary Sajid Javid.

Prominent Eurosceptic backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg secured 13 per cent of votes, with Michael Gove on 7 per cent and David Davis and Jeremy Hunt both winning around 4 per cent of votes, according to a poll by ConservativeHome.

Last month, Mr Johnson was in fifth position to become Tory leader with only eight per cent of the votes but his outlook appears to have improved since he dramatically quit the cabinet in protest at the prime minister's Brexit approach.

It is the first time the Brexiteer has topped the influential website's monthly leadership poll since 2016, when he gave his backing to the Leave campaign.

Ms May sought to unite her warring cabinet behind a new Brexit plan during an away-day at her Chequers retreat last month.

However the fragile peace was shattered when both Mr Davis and Mr Johnson resigned within hours of each other, both claiming they could not support her proposals which would keep Britain too closely aligned to the EU.

Mr Johnson warned the "Brexit dream is dying" in an explosive resignation letter, where he told Ms May that her plans could mean Britain becomes a "colony" of the EU.

He went on to make a critical Commons speech where he savagely attacked her Brexit plans as a democratic disaster that will leave the UK in miserable permanent limbo after it leaves the EU.

Brexit casualties Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit casualties Brexit casualties Andrea Jenkyns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary at the ministry for housing, communities and local government role May 2018 - The Morley and Outwood MP said: We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries  nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out. And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union. Ms Jenkyns also said she wished to dedicate more of her time to Parliaments influential Exiting the European Union select committee, after a series of unbalanced reports produced by MPs PA Brexit casualties David Davis - Resigned from Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - quit following a major row with May over her plans for post-Brexit relations with the EU. Davis resignation letter said: As you know there have been a significant number of occasions in the last year or so on which I have disagreed with the Number 10 policy line, ranging from accepting the [European] Commissions sequencing of negotiations, through to the language on Northern Ireland in the December Joint Report. At each stage I have accepted collective responsibility because it is part of my task to find workable compromises, and because I considered it was still possible to deliver on the mandate of the referendum, and on our manifesto commitment to leave the Customs Union and the Single Market. I am afraid that I think the current trend of policy and tactics is making that look less and less likely. He went on to argue that the general direction of Ms Mays policies would leave the UK in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one. AFP/Getty Brexit casualties Steve Baker - Resigned from Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - Mr Baker, a key Tory figure in the Leave campaign, was David Daviss main lieutenant at Dexeu, and was hailed as courageous and principled by other Brexiteer Tories as he also left. Reuters Brexit casualties Boris Johnson - Resigned from Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson said: "On Friday, I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail and congratulated you on at least reaching a Cabinet decision on the way forward. "As I said then, the government now has a song to sing. "The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat." Reuters Brexit casualties Conor Burns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - A Brexit supporter who worked alongside Boris Johnson stated in his resignation letter: I've decided it's time to have greater freedom. I want to see the referendum result respected. And there are other areas of policy I want to speak more openly on. Rex Brexit casualties Chris Green - Resigned from Department for Transport role July 2018 - The Bolton West MP said: "Parliament overwhelmingly decided to give the decision of whether to leave or remain in the European Union to the British people and they made an unambiguous decision that we ought to leave. "I have always understood the idea in 'Brexit means Brexit' is that the final deal should be clear to me and my constituents - that we have, in no uncertain terms, left the European Union. Twitter Ads info and privacy "The direction the negotiations had been taking have suggested that we would not really leave the EU and the conclusion and statements following the Chequers summit confirmed my fears. "I recognise that delivering Brexit is challenging, however I had hoped at tonight's meeting that there would be some certainty that my fears were unfounded but, instead, they have been confirmed. "I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve as Parliamentary Private Secretary and it is with regret that I offer my resignation with immediate effect." PA Brexit casualties Maria Caulfield - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for women role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. Lewes MP warned that the direction of travel did not fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide. Ms Caulfield said in her letter to the PM: The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party. The direct consequences of that will be prime minister Corbyn. PA Brexit casualties Ben Bradley - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for young people role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. The Mansfield MP said: I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again. I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulations, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade agreements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to No10. PA Brexit casualties Robert Courts - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. MP Mr Courts said: I have taken a very difficult decision to resign my position as [parliamentary private secretary] to express discontent with the Chequers [plans] in votes tomorrow. I had to think who I wanted to see in the mirror for the rest of my life. I cannot tell the people of Woxon that I support the proposals in their current form. Getty Brexit casualties Scott Mann - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. "I fear elements of the Brexit white paper will inevitably put me in direct conflict with the views expressed by a large section of my constituents. I am not prepared to compromise their wishes to deliver a watered-down Brexit. "The residents of North Cornwall made it very clear that they wish to have control over our fishery, our agricultural policy, our money, our laws and our borders. I will evaluate those principles against the Brexit white paper and ensure that I vote in line with their wishes." Rex

While he stopped short of directly challenging the prime minister, Mr Johnson made it clear that he was still a force to be reckoned with, claiming "it was not too late to save Brexit".

He told MPs: Let us again aim explicitly for that glorious vision of Lancaster House  a strong, independent self-governing Britain that is genuinely open to the world.

Not the miserable permanent limbo of Chequers, not the democratic disaster of ongoing harmonisation with no way out and no say for the UK.

A separate poll for ConservativeHome also suggests that 45 per cent of grassroots Tories want Ms May to announce her resignation now.

The prime minister is due to cut short her holiday to hold private talks with French president Emmanuel Macron at his official residence later this week, as the cabinet continues its Brexit charm offensive in Europe.

Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt will hold talks in Vienna with Austrian counterpart Karin Kneissl, having already delivered a blunt message to the EU that the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit is increasing by the day.Theresa Mays Brexit plan will cost people 500 per year, economists are warning  while a no-deal departure would impose an 800 bill.

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) has made the first calculation of the price of the prime ministers Chequers proposals, which would weaken economic ties.

Its gloomy forecast came as Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, suggested the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal is now inevitable, unless Brussels changes course.

Speaking after talks with his counterpart in Vienna, Mr Hunt warned: At the moment we are heading for no deal by accident. A change from last week, where he claimed a no deal was a real risk.

The NIESR study warned the UK economy was on course to grow at its weakest rate since 2012, even if it retained nearly full access to the EU for its goods and services.

In contrast, the white paper that followed Chequers only seeks to protect goods by maintaining alignment with the EU, while excluding services  even though they make up 80 per cent of the UK economy.

For that reason, Britains leading service industries have strongly attacked the proposals, the Commercial Broadcasters Association suggesting they had been thrown under the bus.

In its report, the NIESR said: The output loss will amount to 500 per person per year over time compared with the soft Brexit scenario. The loss would be around 800 under a no deal Brexit.

People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Show all 30 1 /30 People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Rex People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young protestor shouts as she takes part in the People's Vote demonstration against Brexit Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A protester's pro-EU t-shirt EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Gina Miller and Caroline Lucas EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Tens of thousands of people march through London EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators at the People's Vote March Getty People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal 'Two months too young to decide on my future' REUTERS People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young girl joins in the march PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal An EU flag is draped across the statue of Winston Chruchill in Parliament Square REUTERS People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Vince Cable MP, Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller, Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP join with crowds PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A man resembling Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, joins EU supporters Reuters People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal People gather in Trafalgar Square REUTERS People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller and Tony Robinson PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march REUTERS

It added: These estimates do not include the likely impact on productivity which could, on some estimates, double the size of the losses.

Pro-EU politicians seized on the conclusions as fresh evidence of the need for a fresh referendum on the Brexit deal  which The Independent is calling for through its Final Say campaign.

Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat leader, said: These figures make explicitly clear that people up and down the country will be worse off if the UK leaves the EU. That is the truth behind the cost of Mays Brexit.

No one voted to have less money in their pockets. No one deserves to be punished because of the mess created by the Conservatives.

Alison McGovern, a Labour supporter of the Peoples Vote campaign, said: This crucial report demonstrates that it is very hard to see any upside to Brexit.

Whats more, we know that those areas dominated by manufacturing will be worst off of all. And the national economic situation will rob Britain of the chance to invest in decent public services.

Meanwhile, in Vienna, Mr Hunt again claimed the EU would suffer if it failed to back the Chequers plan as a pragmatic solution.

Speaking after his talks he said on Twitter: We want the EU to prosper but there is a real risk of a messy divorce which would be a geostrategic mistake.

And, having urged EU capitals to force Brussels to offer the UK better exit terms, he added: Lets not make this one of those moments where a terrible mistake is made which we are still talking about in 20 or 30 years.

The NIESR said the UK economy would grow by 1.4 per cent in 2018 and by 1.75 per cent in each succeeding year  but only if close to full access was retained.More than 400,000 people have signed The Independents petition calling for a Final Say on any Brexit deal secured by Theresa May.

It comes as MPs from across the political divide backed the campaign, including the former Conservative education secretary, Justine Greening, who wrote in an article for The Independent that the prime ministers Chequers Brexit plan was already dead.

Ms Greening said that many MPs, including senior Conservative ministers, agreed that a new vote may be the only way to break the Brexit deadlock, as Theresa Mays wafer-thin parliamentary majority leaves her vulnerable to hardliners on both sides.

The campaign was launched in an editorial last week, which said: The British people decided to pursue our course in the referendum of 2016, so as we now look for a decision on whether we will like the deal agreed with the EU (assuming there is one), it is natural that those same people should have the final say.

Indeed, given the magnitude of the decision, it would be essential for the British people to be given that final right of approval, even if cabinet and parliament were providing the leadership we need, which they are not.

Others to throw their weight behind The Independents campaign include the former prime minister Tony Blair, the Liberal Democrat leader and former cabinet minister Vince Cable and the ex-attorney general and senior Conservative MP Dominic Grieve.

In an article, published on Tuesday, Mr Cable said the campaign for a second vote has momentum that will now be very hard to stop, adding that he now believed there was a very real possibility that the government will be forced to call a vote later this year.

Brexit casualties Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit casualties Brexit casualties Andrea Jenkyns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary at the ministry for housing, communities and local government role May 2018 - The Morley and Outwood MP said: We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries  nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out. And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union. Ms Jenkyns also said she wished to dedicate more of her time to Parliaments influential Exiting the European Union select committee, after a series of unbalanced reports produced by MPs PA Brexit casualties David Davis - Resigned from Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - quit following a major row with May over her plans for post-Brexit relations with the EU. Davis resignation letter said: As you know there have been a significant number of occasions in the last year or so on which I have disagreed with the Number 10 policy line, ranging from accepting the [European] Commissions sequencing of negotiations, through to the language on Northern Ireland in the December Joint Report. At each stage I have accepted collective responsibility because it is part of my task to find workable compromises, and because I considered it was still possible to deliver on the mandate of the referendum, and on our manifesto commitment to leave the Customs Union and the Single Market. I am afraid that I think the current trend of policy and tactics is making that look less and less likely. He went on to argue that the general direction of Ms Mays policies would leave the UK in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one. AFP/Getty Brexit casualties Steve Baker - Resigned from Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - Mr Baker, a key Tory figure in the Leave campaign, was David Daviss main lieutenant at Dexeu, and was hailed as courageous and principled by other Brexiteer Tories as he also left. Reuters Brexit casualties Boris Johnson - Resigned from Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson said: "On Friday, I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail and congratulated you on at least reaching a Cabinet decision on the way forward. "As I said then, the government now has a song to sing. "The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat." Reuters Brexit casualties Conor Burns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - A Brexit supporter who worked alongside Boris Johnson stated in his resignation letter: I've decided it's time to have greater freedom. I want to see the referendum result respected. And there are other areas of policy I want to speak more openly on. Rex Brexit casualties Chris Green - Resigned from Department for Transport role July 2018 - The Bolton West MP said: "Parliament overwhelmingly decided to give the decision of whether to leave or remain in the European Union to the British people and they made an unambiguous decision that we ought to leave. "I have always understood the idea in 'Brexit means Brexit' is that the final deal should be clear to me and my constituents - that we have, in no uncertain terms, left the European Union. Twitter Ads info and privacy "The direction the negotiations had been taking have suggested that we would not really leave the EU and the conclusion and statements following the Chequers summit confirmed my fears. "I recognise that delivering Brexit is challenging, however I had hoped at tonight's meeting that there would be some certainty that my fears were unfounded but, instead, they have been confirmed. "I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve as Parliamentary Private Secretary and it is with regret that I offer my resignation with immediate effect." PA Brexit casualties Maria Caulfield - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for women role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. Lewes MP warned that the direction of travel did not fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide. Ms Caulfield said in her letter to the PM: The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party. The direct consequences of that will be prime minister Corbyn. PA Brexit casualties Ben Bradley - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for young people role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. The Mansfield MP said: I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again. I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulations, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade agreements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to No10. PA Brexit casualties Robert Courts - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. MP Mr Courts said: I have taken a very difficult decision to resign my position as [parliamentary private secretary] to express discontent with the Chequers [plans] in votes tomorrow. I had to think who I wanted to see in the mirror for the rest of my life. I cannot tell the people of Woxon that I support the proposals in their current form. Getty Brexit casualties Scott Mann - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. "I fear elements of the Brexit white paper will inevitably put me in direct conflict with the views expressed by a large section of my constituents. I am not prepared to compromise their wishes to deliver a watered-down Brexit. "The residents of North Cornwall made it very clear that they wish to have control over our fishery, our agricultural policy, our money, our laws and our borders. I will evaluate those principles against the Brexit white paper and ensure that I vote in line with their wishes." Rex

Former Labour cabinet minister Lord Mandelson  also a backer of the campaign  suggested that a fresh referendum could even empower Ms May to stand up against Brextremists blackmail.

He continued: Of course, the Brextremists will call this undemocratic  thats what they call anything that doesnt help them get their own way. But the referendum two years ago instructed the government to start a negotiation for EU exit.

It didnt give it the right to make a shambles of the whole process, to be taken hostage by the Brextremists and then dish up a completely unsatisfactory outcome and demand that the country accepts it, whatever the cost.Jeremy Corbyn has issued a personal apology after hosting a Holocaust Memorial Day event where the Israeli government was compared to the Nazis.

The Labour leader admitted he had appeared alongside people "whose views I completely reject" when he was a backbench MP in 2010 and apologised for the "concerns and anxiety" caused to the Jewish community.

It comes as the row over antisemitism within Labour threatened to spill over, as Mr Corbyn was urged to intervene when a member of the party's ruling body claimed Jewish Trump fanatics were making up stories about abuse in its ranks.

The Labour leader has now apologised for speaking at an event where the main talk was delivered by Hajo Meyer, a Holocaust survivor, who repeatedly likened the Israelis to the Nazi regime, The Times reported.

In a statement, Mr Corbyn said: "The main speaker at this Holocaust Memorial Day meeting, part of a tour entitled 'Never Again - For Anyone', was a Jewish Auschwitz survivor.

"Views were expressed at the meeting which I do not accept or condone.

"In the past, in pursuit of justice for the Palestinian people and peace in Israel/Palestine, I have on occasion appeared on platforms with people whose views I completely reject.

"I apologise for the concerns and anxiety that this has caused."

Labour MP John Mann said the party leader went against "normal decency" when he hosted the event and said it was "extraordinary" that Mr Corbyn had held a "protest event" on Holocaust Memorial Day.

Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP

It comes after John McDonnell suggested that Labour has failed to get to grips with antisemitism among some of its members and vowed to get this sorted out.

The shadow chancellor, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, told The Independent that he was cut to the core by the bitter row, as he admitted allegations of anti-Jewish sentiment dogging the party were the lowest point of the past year.

Labour was committed to resolving the issue by September, he said, adding that the levels of protest from the Jewish community were deeply, deeply upsetting.

The party has been embroiled in fresh controversy in recent weeks over changes to its code of conduct on antisemitism, which have provoked a major backlash from Jewish leaders.

The row centres on the National Executive Committee's (NEC) decision not to adopt an internationally-recognised definition of antisemitism in full, which was condemned by nearly 70 rabbis and members of the wider Jewish community.

Labour says it has rewritten several examples of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition to "expand and contextualise" the code.

NEC member Ann Black urged Mr Corbyn to intervene and accept the IHRA working definition as a starting point for discussions.

The veteran party member told Today: "I'm calling on him to heed the advice of his shadow cabinet colleagues.

"Barry Gardiner [the shadow international trade secretary] has said that you take the IHRA working definition as a starting point.

"If it's necessary to add to it to make clear that it does not stop party members defending the rights of the Palestinians, or criticising certain sections of the Israeli government, then that is fine.

"But that is the starting point and I believe Jeremy Corbyn has the ability and the authority to do it and I hope he does so."

Meanwhile, NEC member Peter Willsman has apologised and referred himself for equalities training after claiming Jewish "Trump fanatics" where fabricating stories about antisemitism in Labour.Left-wing Labour activists in a constituency with one of Britain's largest Jewish communities made a series of provocative claims about Jews and antisemitism, emails seen by The Independent reveal.

Leaked conversations show members of the Jeremy Corbyn-supporting Momentum group in Barnet, north London, claimed security guards were stationed outside synagogues to generate an atmosphere of insecurity because Zionists want to exploit and generate the fear of antisemitism.

They alleged that some antisemitism was manufactured to scare British Jews into moving to Israel and argued it was legitimate to suggest the row over the issue was part of a conspiracy involving Jewish groups.

One participant claimed there were people in the Labour Party whose allegiances lie with a foreign government, while another suggested attempts to dispel the row over antisemitism in Labour and win back the support of Jewish voters amounted to appeasement.

Several also spoke in defence of a local activist who had written about the over-representation of Jews in the capitalist ruling class and plotted how to block efforts, led by a Jewish councillor, to have the person's application for Labour membership rejected.

The comments were exposed as Labour is engulfed in a spiralling row over antisemitism in its ranks, which reignited when the party refused to fully adopt an internationally-recognised definition of antisemitism in its new code of conduct.

Jeremy Corbyn was forced to apologise after it emerged he had attended a 2010 event where Israel was compared to the Nazis, while an ally of the Labour leader on the partys ruling executive faced calls to quit having been recorded earlier this month blaming Jewish "Trump fanatics" for the antisemitism dispute.

The emails, dating from 2017, are from an online discussion group titled "Barnet Momentum discussion".

Barnet was Labours top London target in Mays local elections but the party lost key seats in heavily Jewish areas, handing the local Conservatives a significantly increased majority. Local Labour leaders said fears about antisemitism, and the party leadership's response to it, had cost them control of the borough.

Almost all of the participants in the conversations seen by The Independent hold committee positions in the local Labour Party. Some members are understood to be Jewish.

Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP

One member of the group, who is understood to have previously been suspended by Labour over allegations of antisemitism, wrote: People are leaving Israel in large numbers. Antisemitism is necessary, either real or manufactured, in order to persuade Jews they are safer in Israel and so to move there.

She suggested this was a result of floods of Israelis leaving and Palestinians having lots of beautiful babies posing a demographic threat to the Jewish state.

And she implied attempts to dispel the antisemitism row and win back the support of Jewish voters amounted to appeasement, arguing that Momentum should focus its efforts elsewhere.

Surely there are many more non-Jewish voters we can attract?, she wrote. "I personally don't believe appeasement ever works.

Another member of the group agreed that antisemitism was being generated by Zionists, writing: Of course Zionists will exploit and generate the fear of antisemitism to promote their own agenda. Do people really think all these security guards outside Jewish and other centres are protecting anybody rather than just generating an atmosphere of insecurity?

In another discussion, the same person wrote: Those most fixated on stereotypes are JLM [the Jewish Labour Movement], [antisemitism campaign group] Engage and their ilk who scream (often literally) 'antisemitism' every time money or conspiracy are mentioned in a Jewish context.

Is it really antisemitism to suggest that [Jewish charity] the JNF (Jewish National Fund) is well funded or that there is a conspiracy involving JLM, CAA [the Campaign against Antisemitism] and some [pro-Israel] hasbara agencies to discredit Corbyn and the left in general?

 Jeremy Corbyn ally, Peter Willsman, blamed 'Jewish Trump fanatics' for inventing Labour antisemitism

Another activist criticised Momentums support for a Labour Party rule change on antisemitism, writing: Although I see the need to bring as much of the party along with us as possible, there are those in the party whose allegiances lie with a foreign government.

Much of the discussion seen by The Independent related to the case of a local activist whose application for Labour membership had been challenged after he claimed "it's the over-representation of Jews in the capitalist ruling class that gives the Israel-Zionist lobby its power".

In a lengthy blog post, Daniel Margrain also said he would not be able to vote for Labours local parliamentary candidate, who was Jewish and then the chair of JLM, because he believed the organisation and the Israel lobby were trying to undermine Jeremy Corbyns leadership with a view to his eventual toppling using the specter of antisemitism as a weapon with which to achieve it.

Momentum activists suggested Mr Margrain's comments should not disqualify him from joining Labour and voiced opposition to a motion that had been tabled calling for his membership application to be rejected. They instead suggested he could be admitted to the party after a talking to". Jenny Manson, the chair of the controversial Jewish Voice for Labour group that has insisted there is no problem with widespread antisemitism in Labour, was part of the discussion and proposed an amendment to this end.

One participant said "we need everyone who is on board who is a supporter", while another argued: I think we need to move away from the idea that someone should be condemned as necessarily an antisemitic person for saying or believing something deemed to be antisemitism.

A third responded to the article by suggesting the Momentum branch could hold "an interesting discussion about the historic and current economic position of UK Jews", before accusing Mr Margrain of having repeated an antisemitic trope.

 Margaret Hodge speaks about being on the receiving end of antisemitism as a Labour MP

A spokesperson for Barnet Momentum told The Independent: At Barnet Momentum we support the work and efforts that the leadership of the Labour Party has uniquely done in drafting a code of conduct that no other British political party has in place, and that deals specifically with antisemitism. We are currently using and applying this code of conduct.

Our private discussion email group is a political discussion forum. Its members are from varied communities and many are Jewish. If anyone was perceived to have made an inappropriate or objectionable comment, or one that could be perceived as racist, they would be challenged immediately and action would be taken if what has been shared has broken Momentum or Labour Party rules.

But responding to the leaks, Barry Rawlings, the leader of Barnet Labour, said: "These are antisemitic tropes and these people need to be reported to both the Labour Party and to Momentum. I doubt many of these people have knocked on doors in Barnet and talked to local residents. The mixture of fear and disgust with the Labour Party, not just among the Jewish community but among their friends and neighbours, is worrying and it needs to be dealt with.

"To have their loyalties questioned when other loyalties aren't questioned, to deny that there has been antisemitism and that security guards outside synagogues are necessary to protect children is not just ridiculous but actually quite nasty.

Describing the comments as "antisemitic, anti-Zionist ranting", he added: "I have no doubt that antisemitism was the main reason the Conservatives still run Barnet. It's an issue that's not going away and it does affect the vote, but it's also a moral issue. Antisemitism is wrong, it's a hate crime, it's racism and a party with the values of the Labour Party has to live by those values.

"I've heard a lot of good words but I've not seen much action from the party leadership. It's a shame that Jeremy seems to have this blind spot over antisemitism but I'm confident that if we fall back on our basic values, people will realise that antisemitism is a moral wrong."

A Labour Party spokesperson said: The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously.

"Jeremy Corbyn has made clear he is a militant opponent of anti-Semitism and is absolutely committed to tackling it.

"Jeremy Corbyn asked Labours new General Secretary Jennie Formby to make speeding up and strengthening our disciplinary procedures against anti-Semitism her top priority and to develop a comprehensive programme of political education to increase understanding of anti-Semitism and drive it out of our movement.

"Complaints about antisemitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.

The revelations come after John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, suggested that the Labour Party had failed to get to grips with antisemitism as he vowed to resolve the issue.

The issue for me is that its upsetting but partly because you think how have we got ourselves in this situation?

Weve got to get this sorted it out but also in the life experiences of members of the Jewish community, while we have these disputes going on in the media and elsewhere, there isnt sufficient campaigning on the ground to tackle those."

He added: "I thought we had got to a position where we are able to move on  were not  weve got to resolve that by September."Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party has won the majority of seats in parliament, the electoral commission has announced.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's party is on course for a big majority after picking up 109 seats against 41 for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. Another 58 seats are yet to be declared.

Zanu-PF would need an additional 30 seats to have a two-thirds majority, which would allow it to change the constitution at will.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) yesterday accused the electoral commission of delaying results to favour the ruling party, although leader Nelson Chamisa's maintained his party was "winning resoundingly".

This week's election, Zimbabwe's first without Robert Mugabe on the ballot for nearly four decades, was generally peaceful, despite fears of violence.

However, events took an uneasy turn last night when the MDC alleged that results were not posted outside the one-fifth of polling stations mandated by law.

Dozens of opposition supporters even gathered at their headquarters in the capital, Harare, celebrating in the belief that they had won the presidential election based on results they said they collected from agents in the field. As they danced to music blasting from speakers set up on a truck, police with water cannon circulated in the area.

In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Show all 55 1 /55 In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate after officials announced the re-election of President Emmerson Mnangagwa Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters celebrate at the Harare International Convention Centre in the early hours Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters sing and dance soon after the announcement EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters sing and dance soon after the results of the Presidential elections were announced at the Harare International Convention Centre EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A vendor sells sponges near newspaper headlines on the streets of Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the newly reelected Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa celebrate in Mbare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man reads a Zimbabwean newspaper the day after the violence on the streets of Harare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A soldier fires shots towards demonstrators AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A wounded man reacts at the sight of soldiers while taking shelter in a stall at a market in Harare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) light a fire in the streets of Harare. Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers open fire to disperse crowds of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change supporters outside the party's headquarters in Harare REUTERS In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Opposition MDC party supporters hold a voting placard up high on a street in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of Zimbabwean opposition MDC Alliance allegedly beaten up by soldiers sits with blood on his face as other protesters assist him AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A vendor scurries for cover with her wares as soldiers disperse demonstrators AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A wounded man hides under a tarpauling while the Zimbabwean Army patrols the streets of Harare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Anti-riot police officers close the entrance to the Rainbow Towers, where the election results were announced in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers open fire on citizens REUTERS In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Citizens run the Zimbabwean army during protests in Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) protest the result of the election, which they allege to be fraudulent Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare as police fire tear gas AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A soldier assaults a man on the streets of Harare during protests AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean anti riot police officers sit in a truck amidst protesters on the streets of Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Citizens run from riot police amidst protests in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers patrol the streets during protests in Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A Zimbabwean soldier beats a man on the streets of Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man lies dead after the Zimbabwean army shot at protesters in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of the opposition party protests in the streets of Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean soldiers beats an opposition supporter on the streets of Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare as police fire tear gas Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition burn a campaign banner of the ruling Zanu-PF party Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man casts his vote in Mbare, a suburb of Zimbabwean capital Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A police officer keeps watch of queuing voters in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters stand in line outside a polling station in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Election officials remove political posters near a polling station on voting day Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Oppostion leader Nelson Chamisa arrives at a polling station in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Oppostion leader Nelson Chamisa casts his vote AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa arrives to cast his vote in Kwekwe Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa casts his vote AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters stand in line outside a polling station in Kwekwe AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman prays outside a polling station in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters arrive at a polling station in Harare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Former president Robert Mugabe prepares to cast his vote in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman casts her vote in Mbare, a suburb of capital Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman casts her vote in the township of Makokoba Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A police officer casts his vote in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman prays near a polling station in Mbare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man casts his vote in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Former president Robert Mugabe speaks at a press conference the day before the vote where he stated that he would not be voting for his former Zanu-PF party Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of the opposition MDC party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 EPA

Current leader Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former deputy president who fell out with Robert Mugabe and then took over from him, has said his showing in the presidential polls was "extremely positive" while urging people to wait for official results.

Several water cannon trucks patrolled outside the central Harare headquarters of the MDC on Tuesday night as its red-shirted supporters danced in the streets.Donald Trump supporters have been filmed hurling sustained abuse at journalists following one of the US presidents Make America Great Again rallies.

Footage showed a crowd surround a perimeter fence separating the press from the public after Mr Trump had finished his speech at the Fairgrounds Expo Hall in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday evening.

As security looked on, supporters wearing MAGA hats and holding signs peddling popular right-wing conspiracy theories jeered and swore at the assembled press, with many of the mainly white crowd holding up a middle finger.

One Trump supporter showed off a F*** the media T-shirt, while others could be heard branding the press a piece of s*** and shouting, Stop lying.

One woman appeared to swear at Jim Acosta, a CNN news anchor, while shouting: Hey Jim, you suck!

A handful of supporters showed off signs peddling popular right-wing conspiracy theories.

At least three could be seen promoting a bizarre online community called QAnon, whose members believe in a secret master plan by Mr Trump to overthrow the so-called deep state.

One sign said: His name was Seth Rich, a likely reference to a debunked claim that the Democratic National Committee killed an employee for leaking emails in 2016.

Mr Acosta, who shared footage of the scene on Twitter, said it was just a sample of the abuse faced at the rally in Tampa.

Im very worried that the hostility whipped up by Trump and some in conservative media will result in somebody getting hurt, he said. We should not treat our fellow Americans this way. The press is not the enemy.

Mr Trump later retweeted footage shared by his son, Eric Trump, which showed dozens of supporters at the same rally chant CNN sucks! while Mr Acosta delivered a speech to camera.

The footage prompted disquiet about the US presidents continued denigration of the media.

Even Anthony Scaramucci, Mr Trumps former press secretary, condemned the scenes.

Trump supporters at a rally jeer and hurl abuse at journalists (Twitter/Jim Acosta)

This isnt our best. Its not who we are, he wrote on Twitter. I dont always agree and am often upset with journalists but we are flashing warning lights now that we shouldnt be flashing.

The free press needs to be protected as well as their opinions. Thats why that Amendment was First.

During the rally itself, Mr Trump attacked the media for what he perceived as a lack of credit for Americas 4.1 per cent economic growth rate.

It was a number that everybody said was not reachable, and I would never want to say it during the campaign, even though I believed it. Because they would not have given us the break, Mr Trump said as he pointed towards reporters.

Fake news, fake news. They are fake.

Trump South Carolina rally Show all 5 1 /5 Trump South Carolina rally Trump South Carolina rally AP Trump South Carolina rally AP Trump South Carolina rally AP Trump South Carolina rally Getty Images Trump South Carolina rally Getty Images

He also repeated his false claim that he is the most popular figure in the history of the Republican Party, and attacked fake news for publishing suppression polls that failed to reflect his popularity.

It came just days after AG Sulzberger, the publisher of The New York Times, warned in a meeting with Mr Trump that the presidents rhetoric was increasingly dangerous.

My main purpose for accepting the meeting was to raise concerns about the presidents deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric, Mr Sulzberger said. I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous.

He continued: I told him that although the phrase fake news is untrue and harmful, I am far more concerned about his labelling journalists the enemy of the people. I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence.Packed into a large black van, a group of grannies have set off on a 2,000 mile journey from New York City to Texas on a mission to help separated immigrant families near the US border with Mexico.

The women  most of whom are actual grandmothers, although it was not a strict requirement for membership in the group  gathered Tuesday in Manhattan, crowding a corner protected from traffic by large potted plants in what was essentially a makeshift protest.

Instead of swearing or shouting curses, they smiled and hugged one another. They sang and played guitar framed by resistance posters, and they described a dark backdrop to what was otherwise a gathering filled with love.

Recommended Texas police are refusing to take an immigrant detaine to the hospital

As human beings how can I eat a full plate and then ask for desert when a mother doesnt have food  has come to my doorstep  and Im separating her from her child and neither knows what the condition of the other is, Rachna Daryanani, one of the women who later piled into the van, said.

Ms Daryanani, an immigrant from India, who lives in the borough Queens, added: With what conscience are we doing that?

The women are a part of a brand new activist group formed after it was reported that over 2,000 children had been forcibly separated from their immigrant parents at the border earlier this year, as a part of a zero tolerance policy put in place by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. It called for the criminal prosecution of any and all individuals who cross the Mexican border into the US even if they are seeking asylum.

People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Show all 16 1 /16 People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Chicago, Illinois, February 16, 2017. Theopolis Waters/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Washington, DC, U.S., February 16, 2017. Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. The crowd, which grew to well over a thousand participants, marched from the Austin City Hall to the Texas State Capital. Across the country hundreds of restaurants and eateries are closing for the day to protest President Trump's immigration policies and to highlight the contributions of immigrants to U.S. business and life. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants AUSTIN, TX - FEBRUARY 16: Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Chicago, Illinois, February 16, 2017. Theopolis Waters/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Chicago, Illinois, February 16, 2017. Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. The crowd, which grew to well over a thousand participants, marched from the Austin City Hall to the Texas State Capital. Across the country hundreds of restaurants and eateries are closing for the day to protest President Trump's immigration policies and to highlight the contributions of immigrants to U.S. business and life. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. The crowd, which grew to well over a thousand participants marched from the Austin City Hall to the Texas State Capital. Across the country hundreds of restaurants and eateries are closing for the day to protest President Trump's immigration policies and to highlight the contributions of immigrants to U.S. business and life. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants High school student Kathia Suarez holds up a sign as she protests with others outside the Grayson County courthouse in downtown Sherman, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. LM Otero/AP People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants High school senior Vicky Sosa holds a sign outside the Grayson County courthouse in downtown Sherman, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. In an action called "A Day Without Immigrants," immigrants across the country are expected to stay home from school, work and close businesses to show how critical they are to the U.S. economy and way of life. LM Otero/AP

The group of grandmothers  Grannies Respond, or Abuelas Responden  has now embarked on a 2,000-mile road rip to McAllen, Texas, where reports have suggested that immigrant children have been kept in what are essentially cages.

I think its a powerful way to express the idea that, even frail old people who are in many ways discounted  in this society can do something, Ann Schaetzel, whose adult daughters had come to send her off, said.Basically, if frail, old people can take a stand, anybody can do it. I hope that people will join us.

The women are hoping their movement gathers momentum as it makes its way through Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Alabama, and Louisiana before finally hitting Texan soil, where similar caravans from as far as Portland, Oregon are expected to be joining the efforts.

Like the launch in New York, the will raise awareness for the cause that shocked the American public and led to a court ruling saying that the Trump administration needs to reunite the separated families  an order, and goal, that was not achieved by its deadline last week.

Standing to the side of news reporters with cameras interviewing her peers, one of the grandmothers, Terry Cooper Feuer of Brooklyn, said that she sees parallels between what is happening to the immigrant families and the deadly and oppressive conditions seen in Warsaw, Poland during World War II.

Ms Cooper Feuer said that her father had escaped from the ghettos in Warsaw, and that history seemed dangerously close to recurring. So, she jumped on the caravan alongside the other grandmothers, ready to fight against family separation in the hot Texas sun for at least a couple of weeks.

There was a belief that this country is the place that always provided opportunity, she said. Im here because I hope my granddaughter can inherit that.Paul Manafort has been branded a shrewd liar by prosecutors as they sought to build a picture of a multimillion dollar conspiracy to evade US tax laws by Donald Trumps former campaign manager during the first day of his criminal trial.

Assistant US attorney Uzo Asonye painted a picture of Mr Manaforts lavish lifestyle, alleging in a Virginia court that money funnelled through 30 offshore accounts was used to buy items including a $21,000 watch and a $15,000 ostrich jacket, telling the jury that Mr Manafort considered himself above the law.

A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him  not tax law, not banking law, Mr Asonye said as he sketched out the evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Muellers team in Mr Manaforts bank fraud and tax evasion trial which relates to political consultancy work undertaken in Ukraine.

Mr Manafort is the first of Mr Trumps former aides to go on trial in the Russia probe, led by Mr Mueller and the FBI which is looking into Russian election meddling and possible collusion with Mr Trumps presidential campaign aides. Mr Mueller has been given the scope to follow up any other potential crimes during the investigation, leading to Mr Manaforts indictment.

The 69-year-old businessman and lobbyist could face significant jail time. He denies all the charges against him. Eighteen of the more than 30 charges Mr Manafort faces relate to the case led by Judge TS Ellis at the court in the suburb of Alexandria, Virginia.

In the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Mr Manafort faces not only the remaining financial charges but also witness tampering. That trial is set for later in the year.

Mr Manafort appeared in court yesterday in a suit and tie, smiling slightly after the jury of six women and six men was chosen relatively quickly. Mr Ellis then allowed opening statements to begin.

Mr Asonye said in court that Mr Manafort had more than 30 secret overseas accounts to receive and hide income he had gotten from working for the government of Ukraine.

He told the jury: All of these charges boil down to one simple issue  that Paul Manafort lied.

 Trump's top lawyer Rudi Guliani says colluding about Russia may not be a crime

He pointed to Mr Manaforts mansion in northern Virginia, just miles from the courthouse, and lavish items like a $15,000 jacket made from an ostrich to illustrate the prosecutors point that Mr Manafort used his secret income in the millions of dollars to fund an extravagant lifestyle.

Mr Manaforts defence attorney, Thomas Zehnle, said in his opening statement that his client trusted others to keep track of the millions of dollars he was earning from his Ukrainian political work. He also sought to address Mr Manaforts wealth and the images of a gaudy lifestyle that jurors are expected to see during the trial.

Paul Manafort travelled in circles that most people will never know, and hes gotten handsomely rewarded for it, Mr Zehnle said. We do not dispute that.

He made clear that undermining the credibility of Rick Gates, his former business associate and the governments star witness, is central to the defence strategy. Mr Zehnle said Mr Manafort, earning millions as a political consultant helping officials in other parts of the world, relied on Mr Gates and others  including a professional accounting firm  to keep watch over the money.

Moneys coming in fast. Its a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it, Mr Zehnle said. Thats what Rick Gates was being paid to do.

Mr Gates, who spent years working for Manafort in Ukraine and is also accused of helping him falsify paperwork used to obtain the bank loans, cut a plea deal with Mr Mueller earlier this year. Mr Gates also worked as an aide on Mr Trumps campaign.

Mr Gates pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and lying to federal investigators in February. Mr Gates was charged with several crimes in the Virginia case, but after his plea those charges were dropped.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

Mr Zehnle said his client placed his trust in the wrong person  Rick Gates.

There are two sides to every story; its an old adage but its true, Mr Zehnle said.

Mr Zehnle said in court Mr Manaforts work in Ukraine was not partisan but a way to bring the country closer to western democracies after decades of Soviet rule, and all this legal trouble was actually Mr Gatess fault.

None of the counts in either trial Mr Manafort faces have to do directly with the FBI investigation into alleged collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign team members and Russian officials, however politics may inevitably make its way into the case.

Judge Ellis has ordered both sides to stay away from referencing Russia as they present evidence over the next few weeks to jurors on the financial charges at hand.

Prosecutors have lined up 35 witnesses and more than 500 pieces of evidence they say will show how Mr Manafort earned more than $60m (45m) from his work for the Ukraine government, and then allegedly concealed a significant percentage of that money from US tax inspectors.

It may prove difficult to navigate around the judges rules, however, as the name Viktor Yanukovych may come up. Mr Manaforts work involved promoting the pro-Russian Ukrainian president with close ties to President Vladimir Putin, who then fled to Russia after Moscows 2014 annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.

 Trump claims that Russia is no longer targeting the US

Mr Zehnle said a bookkeeper for Mr Manaforts company would be a witness to show none of the offshore companies or accounts were actually secret, but that Mr Gates was the person handling much of the complicated finances so that he could line his own pockets.

Prosecutors said Mr Manafort created bogus loans, falsified documents and lied to his tax preparer and bookkeeper to conceal the money. But Mr Zehnle disputed prosecutors account that Mr Manafort was trying to conceal his earnings by storing money in bank accounts in Cyprus. He said that arrangement was not Mr Manaforts doing but was instead the preferred method of payment of the supporters of the pro-Russia Ukrainian political party who were paying his consulting fees.

Opening statements lasted approximately 30 minutes each.

The bank fraud charges alone carry a maximum sentence of 270 years in total, filing false tax returns may result in a maximum of 15 years, and on the charges related to a failure to report foreign bank and financial accounts he faces up to 20 years.

Even the minimum sentences, to be determined at the discretion of Judge TS Ellis in the Virginia US District Court, are four to five years on the bank fraud charges and eight to 10 years on the tax-related counts.

For his part, President Trump has called Mr Manafort a nice guy who has been treated unfairly by Mr Trumps opponents and the media. He has repeatedly denied any collusion and called the entire FBI investigation a witch hunt on numerous occasions.

However, this morning Mr Trump appeared to change his tune a bit when he tweeted collusion is not a crime but that doesnt matter because there was No Collusion.

The trial, which continues, is expected to last three weeks.Prosecutors have raised the possibility that their expected star witness "may not" testify against Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort, as they concentrated on Mr Manafort's lavish lifestyle during the second day of his bank fraud trial.

The trial is the first courtroom test for Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was tasked last year with investigating Russia's efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election and to determine whether any of President Trump's campaign team were involved. So far, Mr Manafort is the lone person to stand trial as a result of the ongoing probe, even though the charges of bank fraud and tax evasion are unrelated to possible collusion. Moscow has denied any interference.

Mr Manafort, 69, is charged with tax fraud, bank fraud and failing to report foreign bank accounts. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges he faces in the Virginia court.

Rick Gates, Mr Manafort's former business partner pleaded guilty to making false statements after being indicted by Mr Mueller, with an agreed plea deal expected to make him the star government witness. However, Judge TS Ellis appeared surprised to hear the prosecution - who said they were moving quicker through their case than expected - may not call him

He may testify in this case, he may not, said prosecutor Uzo Asonye, a day after the defence made clear in opening statements to jurors that its strategy was centred on discrediting Mr Gates and blaming him for the fraud.

When the judge asked Mr Asonye for a clarification, Mr Asonye said prosecutors are constantly evaluating the need to call a particular witness and his comments were not to suggest we are not calling him.

With the defence centred on Mr Gates, the prosecution pushed ahead on day two with the main point of their case, painting a picture of Mr Manafort's lavish lifestyle that prosecutors allege was paid for by money from off-shore accounts containing money from political consultancy work carried out in Ukraine. Mr Manafort's consulting work for pro-Russian politicians is alleged to have earned him $60 million.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

Prosecutors have portrayed Mr Manafort as a tax cheat who hid money in offshore accounts, and lied to borrow millions more against real estate in a bid to maintain an extravagant lifestyle.

Jurors heard details of Mr Manafort's acquisition of more than $1 million in clothing, expensive cars and more than $3 million in home improvement work  nearly all paid for either in cash or by offshore wire transfers.

An FBI agent present for the July 2017 raid on Mr Manafort's Virginia home, Matthew Mikuska, described finding expensively tailored suits and documents related to other luxury items allegedly bought by Manafort, including two silk rugs bought for $160,000 paid from offshore accounts.

However, the push to show Mr Manafort's extravagance earned a rebuke from Judge Ellis, who had previously shown his distaste for the prosecutions push to criticise wealth.

But when prosecutors introduced photos of Mr Manafort's high-end property and expensive suits, Mr Ellis interrupted so as to limit the growing list of evidence jurors would have to consider.

All this document shows is that Mr Manafort had a lavish lifestyle, Judge Ellis said at one point. It isn't relevant.

Prosecutor Greg Andres argued that Mr Manafort's spending was important to the government's case. Judge, this is not an effort to prove Mr. Manafort lived lavishly, Mr Andres said. It's evidence of his income.

On the term oligarchs, used to describe the people Mr Manafort was said to have worked for in Ukraine, Mr Ellise said use of the word implied that Mr Manafort was associating with despicable people and therefore he's despicable.

That's not the American way, the judge said.

Outside the courtroom, Mr Trump used the Manafort case to again attack Mr Mueller and his investigation. Mr Trump has consistently labelled the investigation a "witch hunt" and insisted there was no collusion. In a bizarre tweet, he compared Mr Manafort to 1920s Chicago mobster Alphonse Al Capone. Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and 'Public Enemy Number One,' or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement - although convicted of nothing? Mr Trump wrote.

He also returned to his much-worn theme of mr Mueller. This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further, Mr Trump tweeted, adding that Mr Mueller's team is a disgrace to USA.

Mr Manafort's trial in Virginia is expected to last about three weeks. He faces a further trial in Washington DC in September,

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this reportPresident Donald Trump has pushed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to "stop" the FBI investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election, sparking criticism from Democrats and Republican alike, even though Mr Sessions has recused himself.

Mr Trump made the request in a series of tweets lashing out at the probe, the attorneys working on that team, and special counsel Robert Mueller who is running the investigation. The president called Mr Mueller - whose team is also looking into possible collusion between Mr Trump's campaign team and Russia - "totally conflicted".

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Mr Trump said after accusing Mr Mueller and his team of conspiring to protect certain members of the intelligence community. He called the idea that his campaign worked with Russia a "TOTAL HOAX".

Democrats accused Mr Trump of "panicking" about the investigation and of seeking to obstruct justice, while Republicans said the probe must continue as the White House said the president was merely expressing his opinion.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said after Trump's tweet, It's clear to me he's very worried about it and he wants to prevent it any way he can.

Democratic Representative Don Beyer said on Twitter: "He's panicking... Congress must protect Mueller. In April, the committee approved legislation to protect Mueller but Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said there was no need to advance the bill because he did not believe Mr Trump would fire Mr Mueller.

A number of Republicans also expressed their dismay at Mr Trump's tweets.

They ought to let them conclude their work. What they're doing is something that is important and we support and I don't think any effort to truncate that or somehow shut it down early is in the public's best interest, said Senator John Thune, a junior member of the Senate's Republican leadership.

Senator Orrin Hatch said he did not think Mr Sessions had the power to end the probe and it would be unwise to do so.

Following the tweet storm, Mr Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy GIuliani, told Reuters that the president was simply expressing an opinion he and his team have had for a long time.

"We have been saying for months that it is time to bring this inquiry to an end," he told Reuters. "The president has expressed the same opinion".

Later, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a news briefing: It's not an order. It's the president's opinion. She denied that Mr Trump was obstructing the probe. He's fighting back, she said.

Mr Sessions recused himself from matters relating to the Russia probe early on in his tenure as attorney general, citing his involvement in Mr Trump's campaign and noting that the Department of Justice has regulations forbidding an official from being involved in an investigation into a campaign they were personally involved in. Mr appointed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to oversee the investigation, with Mr Rosenstein in turn appointing Mr Mueller. Therefore, Mr Rosenstsin is the person with the authority to fire him.

In his tweets, Mr Trump highlighted the case of FBI Agent Peter Strzok, who had previously worked on the Russia probe but was removed after text messages showing him expressing a negative bias towards Mr Trump came to light.

Those texts were sent during the 2016 campaign and after to his , and frequently bashed Mr Trump

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

Mr Strzok has since acknowledged those texts during testimony before Congress, but said that he did not let his personal opinions colour his work for the intelligence agency  and noted that no major decisions were made with him as the sole authority approving.

In the course of Mr Trump's Wednesday morning tweet storm, he also lashed out against the notion that his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, had led his 2016 presidential campaign to collude with the Russian government. Mr Manafort is currently on trial for bank fraud and tax evasion, allegation stemming from Mr Mueller's investigation.

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders," Mr Trump wrote. "He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!"

Mr Manafort has pleaded not guilty to the charges he currently faces.

Reuters contributed to this reportPaul Manafort's defence team kicked off his bank fraud trial this week by describing Donald Trump's former campaign chairman as a political insider with decades of experience working on presidential campaigns. Cue a quick interruption.

TS Ellis III, the veteran judge presiding over the case, cut in: "I take it you plan to offer evidence?". Rather than painting broad strokes of their client's political resume, the defence should provide specific examples of Mr Manafort's contributions, the judge went on to suggest.

For lawyers and colleagues of Mr Ellis III, who have known the US Navy veteran and federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia for decades, such potentially harsh interruptions are considered a part of his standard practice.

"In both working for him and appearing before him, he's a very bright, no nonsense judge who runs a tight court room," David Boelzner, who met Mr Ellis III as a lawyer when the two worked at the Hunton and Williams law firm in 1986, told The Independent. "He expects counsel to be thoroughly prepared, and I think the reputation is that if they're not, there will not be good consequences for the lawyers."

Recommended Manafort squares off with Mueller and could face decades in prison

Mr Ellis III had already interrupted the Special Counsel team just moments into their first time speaking to the jury, demanding they "focus on the elements of the offence" instead of highlighting Mr Manafort's luxurious lifestyle. Mr Manafort denies all the charges against him.

By Tuesday, the judge was blocking the Special Counsel from showing photos of Mr Manafort's expenditures.

"It isn't a crime to be profligate in your spending," he has previously said.

The federal judge, who several colleagues described as "sober" and "balanced," brings 31 years of experience in presiding over some of the nation's most high-profile court cases.

In a 2002 case that captured the nation's attention, the judge sentenced John Walker Lindh  who became known as the "American Taliban"  to 20 years in prison on terrorism-related charges, just after the attacks of 11 September 2001.

Paul McNulty, the former chief federal prosecutor in Alexandria, Virginia who was in the courtroom during that case, described Mr Ellis III as a consistent and "strong" judge.

"Judge Ellis has demonstrated enormous capability over the years to manage the most complex cases with intellectual distinction and remarkable consistency," he said in a statement.

 Ex-Trump Campaign Chair Manafort's Court Arrival

Mr Ellis III, who holds degrees from Harvard, Oxford and Princeton, is also known to inject "colourful" humour into his court filings, according to colleagues.

"I learned a lot from him about how to write well," Mr Boelzner said. "He's unflappable on the bench. He's a very fine judge, but he will not put up with any shenanigans whatsoever."

Mr Ellis III defended placing Mr Manafort in solitary confinement in an Alexandria jail in court filings, after his lawyers argued the transfer would cause "issues of distance and inconvenience" which "must yield to concerns about [defendants] safety."

"Defence counsel has not identified any general or specific threat to defendants safety at the Alexandria Detention Centre," he wrote. "They have not done so, because the professional at the Alexandria Detention Centre are very familiar with housing high-profile defendants including foreign and domestic terrorists, spies and traitors."

He's since offered numerous jokes and one-liners from the bench. "It's been reported to me that lawyers on both sides upon leaving the bench, roll their eyes, communicating to those who are watching them, essentially, 'Why do we have to put up with this idiot judge?'" he said at one point, adding, "Rein in your facial expressions."

Hes also warned the jury not to get too excited for the court-provided lunch menu. I hope you will not hurry to slit your wrists, he said. There is a positive side. The court will provide your lunch, every day. Don't, however, look for the Baked Alaska. You won't find it. But the menu will be palatable stuff."

And when the jury inquired about bringing in a cake for one of their birthdays, he joked that he stopped having those.

My wife is younger and Im waiting for her to catch up, he said.

Mr Ellis III was appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1987 and identifies as a Republican, according to multiple former colleagues. He was born in Colombia and immigrated to the US with his family shortly after. Before serving as a judge in the district of Alexandria, Virginia, he served for five years in the US Navy and worked in a private practice in Richmond. He also briefly taught law at the College of William and Mary in the early 1980s.

Emily Martin, general counsel for the National Women's Law Centre and a former clerk for the federal judge, described him as a "law-driven judge" in an interview with the Washington Post.

"His political opinions did not line up with mine, but I literally cannot recall an instance where I thought that was an issue," she said. "He's actually had a lot of lefty clerks over the years."

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

The judge has already provided his unique mark to the trial of Mr Manafort, who faces financial fraud charges, which began on Monday. He's granted immunity to five witnesses so far, and confronted the Special Counsel on what he perceives to be one of their long-term goals for the case: finding evidence of wrong-doing against the president.

"You don't really care about Mr Manafort's [alleged] bank fraud," he told the Special Counsel during pre-trial court proceedings in May. "What you really care about is what information Mr Manafort could give you that would reflect on Mr Trump or lead to his prosecution or impeachment. The vernacular is to 'sing.'"

However, Mr Trump himself has previously described Mr Ellis III as "really something very special."

"He is a respected person," Mr Trump said about the judge during a rally in May.

As Mr Manafort's trial continues, it's clear Mr Ellis III could greatly shape the public narrative, according to Cary Citronberg, a defence lawyer who works in Mr Ellis III's district.

"He's not afraid to use his discretion to help defendants when he believes its the right thing to do," Mr Citronberg told the Washington Post. "So, if Judge Ellis thinks Mueller is acting improperly or Manafort is being treated unfairly, its certainly possible hell use the full weight of his power in potentially unpredictable ways to achieve a just outcome."Our world needs changing  our freedom of thought is being harmed, begins Lucian, founder of Q Caffe. We need to speak about the real issues in society. I cannot change the world, but if each of us does something

For Lucian, that something was collaborating with local artists to produce one of the most visually stunning cafes in Europe. Duck into the surreptitious opening on strada Petru Maior, climb up the dark stairwell, and enter a dreamlike space filled with soaring figures, swirling clouds and haunting statues.

Soul put this here. Not just work, not just money, Lucian says emphatically.

Recommended Why the Finns drink more coffee than any other nation

Cluj, Romanias second city and home to cafes like Q, has long been known for its bohemian style. As the largest town in Transylvania, Cluj is a blend of the regions cultures and nationalities, invigorated by a vast student population. Im here to discover the citys cafe culture and its recent burst of creativity.

But this flourishing hasnt happened in a vacuum. As part of the USSRs eastern bloc, Romania suffered a decades-long stifling of creativity and individual expression.

Because of communism, theres a culture of Its good enough, says Lucian. It makes it hard to make things better. It was a struggle to push my vision to the quality that was needed.

Even after the fall of communism, Romania has been plagued by political corruption. Q Caffe is a physical riposte, a philosophical reverie made real.

Q Caffe was a 10-year passion project (Will Squires)

Nothing is here by chance. Walking in, youre struck by the life-size corporeal forms, shrouded in ghostly sheets and flowing across the walls, like souls escaping.

The first room, with the bar, is about birth, says Lucian. The second room is about society and what it does to us.

Lined up on the walls are open suitcases symbolising the baggage of societys burdens. Each one is a miniature stage revealing nightmarish Kafkaesque tableaus. Beneath them, beautifully crafted figures are seated around tables like regulars.

Cluj's young people are expressing their creativity in new openings (Will Squires)

Lucian introduces me to these colourful  and disturbing  characters.

In the corner sits the collaborator: a monocle-wearing pig with a waistcoat of gold coins, greed personified. On another table is a cyborg, half-human and half-robot, illuminated by arteries of neon and a heart of cogs, the daily grind of work having turned him into an automaton. It might make you think twice about whipping out your laptop to catch up on emails.

Opposite the robot sits a man in a straightjacket, a remote smile on his face, leaning forward as if rocking himself.

So how did Lucian, who studied law, create such a unique space?

I come from a poor background. I never had the luxury of deciding, what shall I do with my life? I had to earn money. Maybe Q Caffe is my response to that, too.

Suitcases symbolise the baggage of societys burdens at Q Caffe (Will Squires)

Its provocativeness is a sharp contrast to the generic, cliched cafes that dominate the average high street. Sharing a coffee with friends is a different experience when youve got a shrouded corpse bearing down on you.

But, for Lucian, thats the point  to put on a performance.

If youre a musician, you perform to 100,000 people. But we have had 100,000 people coming into Q Caffe in one year. Maybe its the same thing.

Its made all the more believable by the sheer level of detail  the stick figures walking on the wires suspended above the bar, the swirling cloud of clocks and musical instruments literally embedded in the ceiling. The collaborator pig even has his own newspaper, a four-page satire on the world of 2050.

This is my lifes work. I didnt win the lottery. This took 10 years and the belief that it was not in vain. I want it to have an echo, and when I see that echo its beautiful.

For all its idiosyncrasy, Q Caffe is just one part of Clujs blossoming cafe culture. Over the past few years, imaginative new coffee shops and bars have emerged across the city.

At Ceramic Cafe, visitors can get creative with clay (Will Squires)

There has been a revolution, absolutely, says Carina Ilea, founder of Ceramic Cafe. Tucked within a backstreet inside another backstreet in Clujs old town, it encourages guests to get creative with their coffee.

When we first opened, people were curious. They were saying, OK, so I can really come in here and do what I want?

At Ceramic Cafe guests can order a drink and enjoy some food  but theyre also encouraged to shape clay, paint it and create something. We tell our guests, make whatever you want, Carina says, And take your time doing it.

We sit in on a class: from children to art students, everyone is engrossed. Some are dabbing strokes of paint to finished pots; others are still twisting the clay with their fingers.

We want people to connect with one another, says Carina. Here, youre sharing a table, youre sharing paintbrushes, youre sharing the space.

'Everyone working in coffee knows each other,' says the barista at Meron (Will Squires)

So why is Cluj going through such a creative transformation?

Its been building for years, Carina insists, her eyes lighting up. Romanias energy is stunning. And its not just cafes, its bars, its restaurants, its festivals...were part of a wider movement.

Later, a visit to steampunk bar Enigma proves Carina right  its not just cafes. From the countless cogs to the spinning wires opening the shutters surrounding the light bulbs, Enigmas machinery is kinetic.

Another steampunk bar, Joben (top hat) indulges in the same aesthetic. A zeppelin dominates one ceiling, a masked robot another.

Our owner was inspired by Q Caffe, admits Florin the bartender. We saw what they did and wanted to do something unique, too.

Bujole serves up fresh fare (Will Squires)

But by the time Sunday morning rolls around, I just need a decent coffee. We head over St Michaels square towards Strada Napoca, cobbled home of Meron.

In Cluj, everyone working in coffee knows each other, says Laszlo, the barista. We learn from one another.

At Meron, the coffee is obsessed over. On our table, a folded notice explains that while laptops are welcome during the weekdays, over the weekend theyre forbidden.

We want you to focus on the coffee, says Laszlo. If you walk in to 20 people on laptops, you dont feel like youre in a coffee shop, you feel like youre in the office.

At Bujole, a foodie cafe on St Michaels square, I test Laszlos conviction that all the baristas know each other by questioning our waitress.

Steampunk bar, Joben, was inspired by Q Caffe (Will Squires)

Yes, we know Meron very well, smiles Ely. We all know each other! she echoes.

The interior designers must know each other too  Bujole is another beautiful space. But whereas Meron is sleek, Bujole has a more natural palette. Everything is turquoise or coffee-coloured.

The menu lives up to the decor  riotously fresh tagliatelle adorned with jewel-like tomatoes and juicy artichokes, followed by a cold-brew coffee blended with pear juice. I tell Ely that I love it.

Ely laughs. Young people are expressing themselves, she says. They want to make things better!

Thinking back to Q Caffe, I cant help but smile  perhaps Lucians hopes for the new generation are coming true.

Travel essentials

Getting there

WizzAir flies from London Luton to Cluj International Airport from 64 return.

Staying there

Lol Et Lola Hotel offers individually-themed doubles from 76, B&B.Mount Olympus is one of the great treasures of Greece. It is a famous geographical site, as well as the subject of many stories and myths.

2 August marks the anniversary of the first time it was climbed successfully in 1913, and every year tens of thousands of people travel to the mountain to climb it.

Here are five facts you probably didn't know about Mount Olympus.

It boasts the highest point in Greece

Mount Olympus's Mytikas peak rises to 2,918 metres, or around 9,573 ft, and is the highest point in Greece.

It is also the second highest peak in the Balkans, and one of the highest across all of Europe.

'Mytikas' means 'nose' in Greek.

Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Show all 30 1 /30 Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A house threatened by a huge blaze during a wildfire in Kineta AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A woman reacts as she tries to find her dog Reuters Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A helicopter flies over a wildfire raging in the town of Rafina, near Athens REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view shows burnt houses following a wildfire in the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Firefighters, soldiers and local residents carry a hose as a wildfire burns in the town of Rafina REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A man walks on the beach where burned trees hug the coastline in Mati east of Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens People bring supplies for residents rescued from the wildfire in the village of Nea Makri AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Flames rise as a wildfire burns in the town of Rafina AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Firefighters carry a dead person AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks to the media during his visit to the fire brigade's operational center in Athens EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view of a burnt urban area following fire in Kineta Hellenic Ministry of Defence/AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Reuters Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Residents react as they look at their burned house EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Rescuers and volunteers push an inflatable boat as locals are evacuated REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view of an urban area burnt following fire in Mati Hellenic Ministry of Defence/AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Asimina Psalti, 87, reacts as she sits outside her burned house in Mati east of Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A burnt forest following a wildfire in the village of Neos Voutzas AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens People cover their faces from the smoke that fills the sky near Kineta AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Smoke rise over an avenue during a forest fire in Neo Voutsa, a northeast suburb of Athens EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Melted metals from burned cars after a fire in Argyra Akti, Mati EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Firefighters look for missing persons REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Smoke fills the sky as members of the emergency services block a road near Kineta, west of Athens AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Burnt cars at the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Cars are blocked at the closed National Road AFP/Getty Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens A woman sprays water outside her house that was damaged in the wildfires near the village of Neos Voutzas AP Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Smoke from a wildfire burning outside Athens is seen over the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill REUTERS Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens An aerial view shows burnt houses following a wildfire in the village of Mati AFP/Getty Images Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens Flames are seen next to firefighting vehicle during a forest fire in Neo Voutsa EPA Greece wildfire: deadly blaze rages across holiday resorts near Athens People look inside a burnt car REUTERS

It was first climbed in 1913

The summit of Olympus was reached for the first time on 2 August 1913 by Swiss duo Frederic Boissonnas and Daniel Baud-Bovy, who were assisted by a mountain guide called Christos Kakkalos.

Kakkalos remained the official guide of Olympus until his death in 1976.

It is estimated that around 10,000 people climb Olympus every year, with most of them only reaching as far as the Skolio summit.

It's a common feature of Greek mythology

Olympus was notable in Greek mythology as a home of the 12 Greek gods.

The nine Muses, daughters of the god Zeus, were traditionally placed in the region of Pieria, at the mount's northern foot.

Olympia was thought of by the Greeks as a metaphorical place as well as the physical mountain.

It is part of the Olympus National Park

The region was declared Greece's first national park in 1938.

The aim of this was the preservation in perpetuity of the natural environment of the region, i.e. of wild flora, fauna and natural landscape, as well as its cultural and other values.'

In 1981, Olympus was proclaimed 'Biosphere Reserve' by UNESCO.

It has unique biodiversity

Olympus is known for its exceptional biodiversity, with 52 peaks and several deep gorges.

The entire Olympus area covers around 500 square kilometres, in a circular area with a circumference of 80km.

The area contains 32 species of mammals, 108 species of birds, many species of reptiles, amphibians and insects.Jeremy Corbyns apology, for hosting a Commons meeting in 2010 at which the main speaker compared the Israeli government to the Nazis, will not end Labours damaging controversy over antisemitism. Corbyn has allowed what should have been a storm in an egg cup to build into a full-scale crisis.

At the very least, it is an abject failure of political management. For this (rather than the travails of a government flailing round over Brexit) to fill the summer news vacuum, tells us something about Labours priorities. Many voters, not just members of the Jewish community, will surely see a party which prefers to contemplate its own navel than to state its case for running the country.

Corbyn was right to apologise for sharing platforms in the past with people whose views I completely reject in pursuit of justice for the Palestinian people and peace in Israel-Palestine. But, at the time of writing, he has not yet forced his long-time ally Pete Willsman, who dismissed Jews complaining about antisemitism as Trump fanatics, to stand down from Labours national executive committee. Willsman has apologised, but even Corbyn allies are calling for him to be dropped.

Theres a pattern here: Ken Livingstone, another left-wing soulmate, avoided expulsion by Labour for two years after claiming Hitler supported Zionism in the early 1930s, and was allowed to jump before he was pushed.

Corbyn could end this saga by promising to incorporate in full the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances widely-accepted definition of antisemitism and all its examples in Labours code, while adding safeguards about the right to criticise Israels policies.

In itself, the antisemitism controversy will not cause Labour to split. But it could contribute to such a breakup.

In recent weeks, Ive been struck by the number of centrist Labour MPs prepared to envisage life outside Corbyn Labour. Antisemitism is not their only concern. Some pro-EU MPs are furious that Corbyn has not opposed Theresa May on Brexit more vigorously. Others believe his instincts on foreign and defence policy make him unfit to lead the country; some of them would stand down rather than campaign for him to be prime minister at the next election.

Should I vote Labour? Corbyn's biggest policies explained Show all 9 1 /9 Should I vote Labour? Corbyn's biggest policies explained Should I vote Labour? Corbyn's biggest policies explained Brexit Labour is committed to leaving the European Union but would have different negotiating priorities to the Conservatives. It has said it would have a strong emphasis on staying in the single market and the customs union. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and leading figures in Brussels have been unambiguous that membership of the single market is impossible without free movement. PA Should I vote Labour? Corbyn's biggest policies explained Immigration The party would drop bogus immigration targets but move to a managed system of migration favoured by many leave voters. It has said this may include employer sponsorship, work permits, visa regulations or a tailored mix of all these. Getty Should I vote Labour? Corbyn's biggest policies explained The Economy Labours manifesto commits to balance government spending with the amount raised by taxation, which can mean little more than significant tax increases. The greatest burden will fall on higher earners but they cannot meet demand on their own. It has also promised to bring rail companies back in to public ownership and cap fares. The party would also renationalise Royal Mail. It also promises a transition to publicly owned energy. Peter Byrne/PA Should I vote Labour? Corbyn's biggest policies explained Tax No one earning under 80,000 would pay any more in national insurance or income tax. It would raise corporation tax, from the current low of 19p to 26p. This higher rate would still be a competitive internationally, but the government is currently fighting hard to attract business in the wake of Brexit and they say a low corporation tax rate is crucial. Labour would also lower the top, 45p income tax threshold to 80,000. In theory, this could raise 7bn, but only if higher earnings did not decide to move abroad. Reuters Should I vote Labour? Corbyn's biggest policies explained NHS Labour has promised more money for GP services, free hospital parking for patients, staff and visitors, and to take a million people off NHS waiting lists by guaranteeing treatment within eighteen weeks. These promises will be expensive to keep, and there is no certainty that the party s commitment to raising taxes on higher earners, increasing capital gains tax and reversing cuts to corporation tax will be enough to meet the need. PA Should I vote Labour? Corbyn's biggest policies explained Education The party has pledged to abolish university tuition fees and reintroduce maintenance grants and give free school meals to all schoolchildren. PA Should I vote Labour? Corbyn's biggest policies explained Housing Labours manifesto commits to building 1m new homes, and would introduce controls on rent rises for private renters. It would also scrap the so-called bedroom tax. Getty Should I vote Labour? Corbyn's biggest policies explained Environment Labour would ban fracking, but, crucially, also supports new nuclear projects. It would also introduce a new Clean Air Act to deal with illegal air quality Getty Should I vote Labour? Corbyn's biggest policies explained Defence Its manifesto says it is committed to the NATO target of 2 per cent spending on defence. It is also committed to the renewal of Trident, even though Jeremy Corbyn has spent a lifetime campaigning against it. AFP/Getty Images

There was a moment when Corbyn could have killed off talk of a split by being a consensual leader prepared to unify Labours broad church. After his brilliant performance at last years general election, some Labour MPs admitted they had hugely underestimated him, and acknowledged his right to lead the party into the next one.

But now Labour centrists believe that Corbyn allies are out to deselect independent-minded MPs who might not toe the line in a minority Labour government. They contrast the failure so far to act against Willsman with the disciplinary action threatened against the MPs Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin, who criticised the partys response to the antisemitism allegations. Rule changes expected to be approved by Labours annual conference next month will cement the lefts grip on the party machine, diluting the power of MPs in leadership contests and drafting the election manifesto.

Three options are being discussed by Corbyns critics. The first is a declaration of independence from Corbyn Labour by a sizeable chunk of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). They could elect their own leader. If they eventually mustered a majority of Labour MPs, they could stake a claim to be the official opposition  perhaps as Real Labour.

The second option is the more frequently cited route of launching a new centre party. Raising money would not be a problem, but our archaic first-past-the-post system would present a major hurdle. Although the Social Democratic Party almost broke the mould of British politics after its leaders walked out on Labour in 1981, it is remembered in Labour land for failing to do so.

The third option is for Labour centrists to join the Liberal Democrats. Vince Cable, their leader, is less tribal than his predecessors and would welcome them with open arms. Mind you, he would not welcome the reverse take-over envisaged in the minds of some Labour MPs.

For now, I suspect the most likely shape of any breakaway is the PLP option. And it is not certain to happen.

It would be a massive step; the left of the party would brand the centrists bitter Blairites who were aiding the Tories. To make it viable, supporters would have to win over Labour MPs who favour sitting on their hands until the Corbyn tide goes out (which might be a very long wait). The PLP is fragmented; anti-Corbyn MPs have different motivations, not least on Brexit. For that reason, any breakup will probably not happen ahead of the critical Commons votes before next March.

Team Corbyn rightly frets about a split. Not because it fears that his critics would sweep the board, like Emmanuel Macrons En Marche!, but because a breakaway party could split the anti-Tory vote.

Such a scenario is no longer idle chatter by dreamers; a growing number of Labour MPs think, as one put it, that somethings gotta give. It might yet become a nightmare for Corbyn.Today, Denmarks ban on the public wearing of face veils came into force. Joining the likes of France and Belgium, Denmarks outlawing of the niqab and similar face veils was introduced through a vote in Danish Parliament in May, under the guise of protecting Danish values. But a law that effectively criminalises me for my clothing choices is not one that I wish to follow. Along with Kvinder I Dialog (Women In Dialogue), a Danish womens rights platform, and many other women, both muslim and non-muslim, I am protesting the ban by marching across the country in my niqab, because ultimately, it is my choice to do so, no matter what the centre-right government thinks.

Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London A young boy holds a placard reading 'migration is beautiful' during the march against racism demonstration in London. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Warsaw Protesters rally in Warsaw under the slogan 'Tired of racism and fascism'. AFP/Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London An anti-racism demostrators chants with chains around his neck during a march against racism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Vienna People getting ready to march against racism in Vienna. Twitter/Wriseup Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow Anti-racism demonstrators take part in a rally through the city centre of Glasgow. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London An anti-racism demostrator holds a placard readin 'Laundry is the only thing that should be seperated by colour'. Getty Images Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Paris Thousand of protesters demonstrate against police brutality and in defense of migrants and those without papers in Paris. EPA Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant during a march organised by the group Stand Up to Racism as an expression of unity against racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Athens A girl poses for a photo during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe in Athens. AP Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow Aamer Anwar a prominent Scottish lawyer joins an Anti-racism rally through Glasgow city centre. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant in London's march against racism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow A man in Glasgow holds a banner reading 'refugees welcome'. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators let off flares during the march against racism in London. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Paris A protester in a grim reaper disguise holds a shield reading 'State racism, no impunity for police brutality against those without papers' in Paris. EPA Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Athens Migrants who live in Greece chant slogans during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe, in Athens. AP

From this day forward, I will be criminalized for wearing the niqab in public  a piece of clothing that I chose to wear myself and am very proud of. Along with feeling marginalized and stepped on, I feel disappointed. I am disappointed that politicians in parliament have enacted this law that deprives me of my right to simply just be me. I am disappointed that in this so-called free country I cannot express this part of my identity that niqab has become, just because it happened to offend the wrong people.

From this day forward, if I wear the niqab, I can no longer attend classes at my university, do grocery shopping, or even sit peacefully at a cafe with my friends without going against the law. I will now be vilified for studying and walking the streets because of something as harmless as a face-veil.

I am surprised that we, in a supposedly modern society, are so intolerant. We stand opposed to people who are different from us in any way, even when those people peacefully dress, think, and live in ways that the vast majority of Danish people dont. But I am disappointed that we as people, a community that is supposed to be part of a globalized and Western democratic world, are so driven by hate that we can go as far as to legislate against a certain group of innocent women; minorities within the minority.

In Denmark, the government is making huge cutbacks in the public sector, many of which have had a great impact on elder care services, educational areas, healthcare and more; but instead, they have decided to spend their resources on pushing this inexpedient law through, a rule that only really affects a tiny minority of women who wear the niqab in Denmark.

Recommended Women protest new law in Denmark banning full face veil

This is more than a taste of how it feels like to be dehumanised, to be considered a danger to the Danish way of life. In all of this, what the government has forgotten, is that those of us who wear the niqab are dynamic individuals. We are daughters, mothers, wives, neighbours, co-workers, and students. We are creative, intelligent and committed. We might stand out from the crowd but we sure are blessings to society in so many ways.

I feel sad that my way of life is being suppressed by the politicians who want to force me to uncover. I feel more upset still, that this is happening in a society that advocates for the right to practice ones religion freely, and to dress as one wishes as a woman. But the enforcement of todays ban has proved that those ideals are far from central to Danish society. Instead, their priorities seem to be more concerned with spreading xenophobia beyond the point of repair, based solely on the misguided belief that allowing people to express themselves in manners that in any way relate to Islam, are inherently threatening.

Parliament may say their choice was driven by a desire to liberate Muslim women. But their hatred of us is clear. The truth is, you cannot liberate those who are already free.

The author's name has been changed to protect their identityI had what seemed like rather a good idea a few weeks back. Building on some prominent findings in social psychology, I hypothesised that politicians on the right would wipe their bum with their left hand; and that politicians on the left would wipe with their right hand.

Ludicrous? Yes  absolutely. But for once my goal wasnt to run a bona fide scientific study. Instead, I wanted to see if any journal would publish my ass-wiping findings.

For those who havent yet come across the term, predatory journals are becoming a bit of a nuisance in science. They actively masquerade as legitimate mainstream journals, often with similar layouts and names  although they very likely have essentially zero threshold for publication, despite typically claiming to operate with rigorous peer review processes.

Brexit casualties Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit casualties Brexit casualties Andrea Jenkyns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary at the ministry for housing, communities and local government role May 2018 - The Morley and Outwood MP said: We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries  nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out. And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union. Ms Jenkyns also said she wished to dedicate more of her time to Parliaments influential Exiting the European Union select committee, after a series of unbalanced reports produced by MPs PA Brexit casualties David Davis - Resigned from Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - quit following a major row with May over her plans for post-Brexit relations with the EU. Davis resignation letter said: As you know there have been a significant number of occasions in the last year or so on which I have disagreed with the Number 10 policy line, ranging from accepting the [European] Commissions sequencing of negotiations, through to the language on Northern Ireland in the December Joint Report. At each stage I have accepted collective responsibility because it is part of my task to find workable compromises, and because I considered it was still possible to deliver on the mandate of the referendum, and on our manifesto commitment to leave the Customs Union and the Single Market. I am afraid that I think the current trend of policy and tactics is making that look less and less likely. He went on to argue that the general direction of Ms Mays policies would leave the UK in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one. AFP/Getty Brexit casualties Steve Baker - Resigned from Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - Mr Baker, a key Tory figure in the Leave campaign, was David Daviss main lieutenant at Dexeu, and was hailed as courageous and principled by other Brexiteer Tories as he also left. Reuters Brexit casualties Boris Johnson - Resigned from Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson said: "On Friday, I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail and congratulated you on at least reaching a Cabinet decision on the way forward. "As I said then, the government now has a song to sing. "The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat." Reuters Brexit casualties Conor Burns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - A Brexit supporter who worked alongside Boris Johnson stated in his resignation letter: I've decided it's time to have greater freedom. I want to see the referendum result respected. And there are other areas of policy I want to speak more openly on. Rex Brexit casualties Chris Green - Resigned from Department for Transport role July 2018 - The Bolton West MP said: "Parliament overwhelmingly decided to give the decision of whether to leave or remain in the European Union to the British people and they made an unambiguous decision that we ought to leave. "I have always understood the idea in 'Brexit means Brexit' is that the final deal should be clear to me and my constituents - that we have, in no uncertain terms, left the European Union. Twitter Ads info and privacy "The direction the negotiations had been taking have suggested that we would not really leave the EU and the conclusion and statements following the Chequers summit confirmed my fears. "I recognise that delivering Brexit is challenging, however I had hoped at tonight's meeting that there would be some certainty that my fears were unfounded but, instead, they have been confirmed. "I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve as Parliamentary Private Secretary and it is with regret that I offer my resignation with immediate effect." PA Brexit casualties Maria Caulfield - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for women role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. Lewes MP warned that the direction of travel did not fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide. Ms Caulfield said in her letter to the PM: The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party. The direct consequences of that will be prime minister Corbyn. PA Brexit casualties Ben Bradley - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for young people role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. The Mansfield MP said: I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again. I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulations, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade agreements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to No10. PA Brexit casualties Robert Courts - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. MP Mr Courts said: I have taken a very difficult decision to resign my position as [parliamentary private secretary] to express discontent with the Chequers [plans] in votes tomorrow. I had to think who I wanted to see in the mirror for the rest of my life. I cannot tell the people of Woxon that I support the proposals in their current form. Getty Brexit casualties Scott Mann - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. "I fear elements of the Brexit white paper will inevitably put me in direct conflict with the views expressed by a large section of my constituents. I am not prepared to compromise their wishes to deliver a watered-down Brexit. "The residents of North Cornwall made it very clear that they wish to have control over our fishery, our agricultural policy, our money, our laws and our borders. I will evaluate those principles against the Brexit white paper and ensure that I vote in line with their wishes." Rex

Most academics will know the irritation of receiving multiple spam emails per day soliciting manuscripts or inviting one to join editorial boards of unfamiliar journals. Much more importantly, though, these predatory journals are undermining the credibility of scientific publishing because the research they publish appears to be largely unvetted.

So partly out of frustration with this situation, but also out of curiosity, I wanted to see just how low the bar for publication might be. This is the story of my study.

Which hand do you use?

There is a well-known theory in social psychology  so-called unconscious social priming. The basic idea is that words or concepts can prime our behaviours. The best-known finding in this field is the report that presenting participants with words to do with old age (bingo, knits) made them walk more slowly afterwards compared to a control condition (although also see this paper for a more rounded perspective as several findings in this field of research have been controversial in their own right).

So it seemed to me that there was an obvious prediction for political science  specifically, that politicians from the right should wipe their ass with their right hand (and vice versa).

But there was a snag to my theory. We know that the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and vice versa. And in a stunning feat of logic, I realised that the theory had things the wrong way around. Politicians from the right would surely wipe with their left hand, and those from the political left with their right hand. And as we shall see, this careful reasoning paid off handsomely.

 Theresa May says she likes cooking, walking and watching NCIS

My (fictional) research assistant camped outside the Houses of Parliament and essentially stalked MPs. She used a large folder of pictures to identify these politicians left vs right leaning tendencies. And when a potential participant was seen on the street, the research assistant walked up alongside the politician, indicated that she was a psychological scientist doing a study, provided a brief consent form, and then asked which hand they wiped their bottom with.

This yielded nine (fictional) participants in total, including Boris Johnski and Teresa Maybe, although one data point had to be discarded  that of Nigel F. Arage. He, rather meanly, told my research assistant to bog off when asked the hand-wiping question. And so his data was necessarily excluded from the analysis.

But that didnt matter  because the data from our sample of eight fully confirmed the theory. Politicians do indeed wipe their asses with the contralateral hand. I could scarcely believe my eyes  but of course the statistics never lie.

Time to publish

So I had everything I needed to write a manuscript. And I decided to submit my ass wiping findings to the first possibly predatory journal that emailed me. Hardly any time had passed and a publisher came over the horizon  Crimson Publishers. Soon after that, the manuscript was completed and submitted  I even added in an anonymous peer reviewer of my own, Dr I P Daly, who was none other than my dear and extremely witty colleague and friend, Professor Ryan McKay  and then things started to get really interesting.

Having submitted the bogus manuscript, I soon got an email informing me that the manuscript was safely received and under review. Just a few days later, I was informed that it was accepted for publication. With a request for US$581.

I told the journal I couldnt afford any publication fees. So they dropped it to US$99 (for web hosting charges). I was tempted  but Ive learned that you should never accept the first counter offer. So I went for broke. And it turns out that the paper was so groundbreaking that they agreed to publish it for free: We do understand from you [sic] end. As per your previous conversation, I had a session with financial manager and have decided to provide complete waiver. It must have been a truly magnificent session with the financial manager. On contacting the journal for comment in relation to this story, my editor was told: Coming to publication fee the authors who are insufficient with funds, we do provide waivers according to their request [sic].

And so the article, Testing inter-hemispheric social priming theory in a sample of professional politicians  a brief report, by one Gerry Jay Louis from the Institute of Interdisciplinary Political and Fecal Science, was published. (Note: the paper is no longer available on Crimsons website. They swiftly removed it when The Conversation got in touch with them for comment on this story, saying: As per our editorial board members suggestion we have retracted the article which you have mentioned from our journal, as you can glance our website for your convenience [sic].)

Nevertheless, it seems by initially publishing my study, this publisher didnt live up to its own peer review policies. On their website, they say: The peer review policy is the most essential tool in assessing the quality of publication process that analyses, validates, and integrates new research findings [sic]. I received not a single peer review comment from the journal, far less a request to revise my manuscript. (The journal told The Conversation: We do strictly follow double blinded peer review process for all the articles that we receive.)

Some people have asked why they agreed to publish it for free given their business model is presumably built on extracting publication fees. I dont have a strong answer to that question, but my hunch is that the waiver is just a cheap way to bulk out the journal in order to make it more attractive to other prospective authors.

Cleaning up the mess

Why is this sort of thing a problem? In a nutshell, predatory journals are contaminating the scientific literature by providing ostensibly rigorous reports of studies that in reality are often far from acceptable. Work published in such journals is occasionally used in serious public debates, such as on climate change. They present a serious credibility problem for science.

Of additional concern, it turns out that many academics actually struggle to identify the rogue journals from the bona fide. A recent piece in Nature makes this point only too clearly  many senior scientists have published their work in these outlets, and paid thousands of dollars for publishing fees. Indeed, the journal in which I published my hoax paper has authors based at well-regarded institutions like Rutgers, Princeton, and Florida State University. (I am not implying that their papers are necessarily bogus in any way: in fact, they often seem to be regular articles that might well have been accepted in more mainstream outlets.)

I am not the first to publish such a hoax paper. There are several lovely examples already out there. My contribution may only be the unusual blending of political science and faecal hygiene (which is probably the main reason that this story ended up going viral on social media).

But its clearly a message that cant hurt to be heard by more academics, who might otherwise prop up these scamsters with their meagre research funds. And everyone else take heed, too: sometimes you dont need a PhD (or even any expertise at all) to get yourself a first-author publication.

Gary Lewis is a senior lecturer in psychology at the Royal Holloway. This piece originally appeared on the ConversationIts amazing how quickly things can change. Just a few short months ago, Brexit was looking fairly disastrous, with negotiations at a standstill, and Boris Johnson was using his platform as foreign secretary to try and spend money on pointless things the country doesnt need.

And now its even worse. A no-deal Brexit is looking increasingly likely, Jeremy Hunt is the new (still gaffe-prone) foreign secretary and Boris is favourite to replace Theresa May.

Theres no need to be alarmed, however, because Mays cabinet is now united, according to Hunt, and is absolutely clear on what it wants in terms of a Brexit deal.

Theres just a slight hitch: the EU is having none of it.

Hunts remarks come a week after the Prime Ministers Chequers plan was effectively rejected by the EUs chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. Barnier took issue with the UKs proposed customs deal, but offered May an alternative to the original suggestion.

He also warned against British politicians seeking out support from individual member states, saying: Anyone who wants to find a sliver of difference between my mandate and what the heads of government say they want are wasting their time, quite frankly.

So of course, thats exactly what Hunt has gone and done. The foreign secretary has asked France and Germany to step in and end the deadlock. If they dont, he said: There is real chance of no deal by accident.

Digging ones heels in and refusing to step down from an untenable position is not accidental.

He went on to state that the probability of no deal is increasing by the day until we see a change of approach from the European Commission who have this view that they just need to wait and Britain will blink.

The EU didnt vote for Brexit. Their obligation is to the states and people who will remain within the bloc after the UK leaves. They have no duty to ensure the British government gets out of the corner into which its backed itself. Sovereignty, its a great thing, worth it at any price.

Still, at least Barnier has suggested different solutions when turning down the UKs proposals. On this side of the channel, the cabinet may be sticking together, but its chosen the wrong time to stick to its guns.

The government needs to come up with some answers, and quickly. Industry bosses have begun warning of the dire consequences of a no deal, and companies have begun stockpiling in case it comes to pass, based on the advice of ministers. Vital medical supplies are at risk, and experts have been warning for months that changing customs rules could see food left rotting at the border. The Food and Drink Federations chief executive, Ian Wright, said this week that Brexit is shaping up to be the stuff of nightmares.

Meanwhile, the negotiating nous displayed so far by the UKs leadership is disquieting, to say the least. The much-touted trade deals set to materialise after Britain escapes the shackles of the EU are looking less and less likely.

It is simply galling to have senior MPs lauding the unity of Theresa Mays crack team of cack-handed negotiators. Uniting behind a plan that cannot be used is stupid. Theres no point in being united if it achieves nothing but a warm fuzzy feeling during meetings at number 10.

And while Hunt may be feeling at one with his cabinet colleagues, the unity of the rest of the party is questionable. Take the fact that Boris Johnson has made yet another remarkable bounce back since resigning as foreign secretary and is now favoured by a third of Tories to become the next leader. And so it goes on, theyll unite behind another stupid prospect, who has never really shown any reason for some peoples intransigent support. But this time, it will continue only until Boris gets bored and decides he wants to do something different. With his track record, it wouldnt be that surprising if he were to replace Barnier in a few years.

However, Hunt and co. may achieve something notable after all. The old saying goes United we stand, divided we fall; the government may just collapse under the strain of sticking together to achieve the type of Brexit nobody wanted.Fianna Fail TD Declan Breathnach says he will break from the party line and not support Michael D Higgins in his bid to be re-elected as president.

Mr Breathnach told LMFM on Wednesday he will be campaigning for businessman Gavin Duffy.

The Louth TD said Mr Duffy and his wife Orlaith would bring a new dynamic to the Aras.

Expand Close Gavin Duffy is seeking the backing of local councils (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook

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Fianna Fail voted to back the current president and will not field a candidate in the election, but some in the party were unhappy about the decision.

Mr Duffy, an Irish Dragons Den entrepreneur, made his first political speech to councillors at Waterford City & County Council on Tuesday.

He is seeking the backing of four local councils before he can enter his name on the ballot paper

He added that he and his wife will be stepping away from their consultancy business if he is successful.

Asked if he was breaking rank, Mr Breathnach said: Absolutely, Im entitled to vote for who I believe in.A High Court judge will examine alternative approaches to agreeing compensation following the cervical cancer controversy, the Government said.

Mr Justice Charles Meenan has been tasked with identifying further mechanisms to avoid adversarial court proceedings for the women and families affected by the CervicalCheck fall out.

A number of women in Ireland with cervical cancer were not told that smear test results showing them to be in the clear were inaccurate and the revised test results were kept from them.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: Notwithstanding that parties always retain the right to go to court, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms must be found which avoid causing unnecessary distress for the women and their loved ones.

A total of 221 women were involved in the cancer controversy, 18 of whom have since died.

Meanwhile, the woman at the centre of the Irish CervicalCheck scandal has held a frank meeting with the Taoiseach relaying her concerns over the Governments handling of the issue.

Vicky Phelans cancer was missed in a smear test three years before she was diagnosed with the disease.

I was brutally honest about how harrowing the courtroom is for women since I have already been through itVicky Phelan

Ms Phelan said the two-hour meeting with the Taoiseach was frank, adding: He knew I meant business.

The Taoiseach promised me that he meant what he said and that the state will attempt to settle all cases through mediation.

I was brutally honest about how harrowing the courtroom is for women since I have already been through it and I was very clear I dont want to see any more women in the courtroom.

Ms Phelan, 43, settled a High Court action against a US lab in April for 2.5 million euro after her cancer was missed in a smear test taken as part of the CervicalCheck programme.

The missed smear test was discovered in 2014, after her cancer diagnosis, but she was not told about it until 2017.

Expand Close Vicky Phelan arriving at the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook

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The Taoiseach confirmed the preferred option is a public commission of inquiry.

He told Ms Phelan that, if required, legislation will be brought forward so the inquiry can be made open to the public.

Letters of consent will be sent out to the 221 affected families at first to get the independent review going, letters to the larger population of women involved involved in the audit will follow,

thats expected to take three to four months, she said.

Ms Phelan said she also raised concerns that the Governments proposed new government safety bill does not sanction individual health care providers.

The Bill says fines for breaches of the patient safety law would be imposed on healthcare providers rather than individual practitioners.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has denied that Ireland has a land bubble problem, despite the suggestion by the state financial agency last month.

National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) chief executive Conor OKelly said there was a clear market failure when he was questioned during the final Dail Public Accounts Committee in July.

Mr Varadkar, speaking at his summer media briefing, acknowledged there was a significant amount of derelict land not being made available for development, but denied there was a bubble issue.

I havent seen convincing evidence of a land bubble at this stage but its something we have to look out for.

We're making some progress on housing but not enough, we're a way off from where we want to be and need to beLeo Varadkar

I do think there is a lot of land that is not being made available for development quickly enough and thats why we brought in the derelict site levy and vacant site tax, for example, so that more land can be made available.

Its also why were setting up the Land Development Agency, which will give the agency powers to acquire land and develop it.

According to Mr Varadkar, the agency will develop state-owned lands for private and social housing.

It will also have powers to acquire land on behalf of the state.

This will see the Government getting a lot more involved in the housing market and developing land for housing, he said.

The questions were put to Mr Varadkar after it was highlighted that a recent report from the Central Bank warned of a boom and bust cycle in the Irish economy.

Mr Varadkar, speaking at Leinster House, added that the Government is not where it would like to be in regards to housing.

Were making some progress on housing but not enough, were a way off from where we want to be and need to be.

We are seeing rent stabilising, falling in some places, and the number of homes built in 2017 has seen an increase of 75% from the last two years and social housing waiting lists are falling.

Other indicators are not going so well  the numbers of people in emergency housing are tracking upwards and we dont have adequate housing supply.

This will be an area of huge effort by the Government in the autumn.The community of Bunaghara in Listowel are coming to terms with the shock accident which recently claimed the life of 90-year-old Tom O'Sullivan after he was struck by a tractor on the family farm.

Garda and the emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 11am on Thursday July 19, two miles north of the Listowel, but Mr O'Sullivan had died from his injuries.

An inspector from the Health and Safety Authority was also sent to the scene.

Listowel PP Fr Declan O'Connor told The Kerryman that Mr O'Sullivan was a much loved member of the north Kerry farming community and that he loved farming.

"Tom is part of a lovely family. He was born and raised on his own farm and he was an absolute gentleman. The Bunaghara community is a very close one. Tom was a very kind man, and we extend our sympathy to his family and friends," Fr O'Connor said.

Chairman of Kerry IFA Branch, Pat O'Driscoll, repeated calls for vigilance when it comes to safety on the farm.

Pat stressed the importance of staying aware of potential dangers, especially during the busy season when it is necessary for farmers to slow down and take their time.

"This is a tragic incident. The main advice when it comes to farm jobs is to take safety into consideration first. Don't be rushing and always be vigilant," Pat said.

This incident was among six farm fatalities on Irish farms alone in July.

Mr O'Sullivan was buried last week at Lisselton Cemetery, near Listowel.The sheep farmers of Ireland truly are a different breed. Not unlike the Limerick hurlers against Cork on Sunday, they have made a huge turnaround. They have succeeded over the weekend where their cattle farming cousins have failed.

In other words, as the sheep quotes came in yesterday, I at least had the satisfaction of seeing them edge upwards, away from their long, downward spiral.

Quotes for lamb were up by 10-20c/kg despite several factory agents telling me "there are plenty of sheep about".

The biggest mover on our price table is Kildare Chilling who have lifted its lamb quote by 20c/kg to 5.00+10c/kg quality assurance.

Kepak Athleague join Kildare on 5.00/kg but it only added 10c/kg as it was coming off the higher price of 4.90/kg last week.

Moyvalley also added 10c/kg to its lamb quote for yesterday, bringing them also to 5.00/kg. Dawn Ballyhaunis and the two ICMs also put up their price by 10c/kg, with all three on 4.90/kg but with the two ICMs topping up their price with an additional 10c/kg bonus payment.

Quotes for ewes means prices have stabilised after a few weeks of volatility.

Kildare Chilling lead on 2.70+10c/kg bonus followed by the two ICMs on 2.70/kg, while Kepak and Dawn remain unchanged at 2.60/kg. IFA national sheep chair, Sean Dennehy, explained that the lamb trade is stronger this week with supplies tighter and factories actively looking for lambs. Mr Dennehy said "price quotes are up 10c/kg and factories are paying 5.10 to 5.15/kg for lambs".

He added that the ewe trade was stronger with "up to 3.00/kg paid". The IFA also report that they met the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and his officials last week on the electronic tagging issue.

John Brooks of ICSA tells me that the live shipping of sheep continues, with prices now around the 2.30/kg mark.

Quality

Factory agents I spoke to concur that there are "plenty of sheep about", however they explain this week's price rise as linked to the notion of being willing to pay more for better quality stock.

The issue of quality versus numbers often indicates a tipping point having been reached. Once you put the price up for select lots, it usually follows that that one act creates its own momentum across the entire trade.

On the mart front, most marts reported a steady to improving trade last week with Baltinglass recording a 3-4/hd increase in the price of its stores.

In general, however, the trade was stable despite numbers rising in some places.Ryanair has warned its shareholders that its entire low-cost business model could be threatened by demands from pilots.

It sounded the warning in its annual report as it continues to face industrial unrest by pilots and cabin crew. It said that if staff continue to push for agreements, this could decrease the productivity of pilots, increase costs and have an adverse effect on the airline's profitability.

"Ryanair intends to retain its low-fare, high-people productivity model," it stated in the report. "However, there may be periods of labour unrest as unions challenge the existing high-productivity model which may have an adverse effect on sentiment and profitability."

The annual report outlines for investors Ryanair's own approach to the current industrial relations situation. The airline agreed last December to recognise unions in a dramatic move that followed a pilot rostering crisis during September.

"While Ryanair makes the transition to collective bargaining with unions, these unions may have unrealistic expectations and agitate for unproductive work practices. Ryanair believes that existing terms and conditions for both pilots and cabin crew are already extremely competitive in the market with competitive pay, fixed rosters, outstanding promotional opportunities and a wide choice of base locations."

Ryanair staff in some countries have been pushing to secure contracts of employment based on local, rather than Irish law. Last September, the European Court of Justice ruled in a case related to six Belgium-based Ryanair workers, that a jurisdiction clause that sought to prevent them from bringing proceedings before courts which do have jurisdiction under EU legislation in the air passenger transport sector, was not enforceable against those employees.

The ruling effectively meant that Ryanair crew can have disputes regarding employment contracts held in the country where they habitually carry out their work, such as a Ryanair base, rather than in Ireland, the country under which the contracts are drafted.A cosmetologist who owes the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) almost 51,000 has been ordered to sell two cars or "face Mountjoy".

Beauty expert Paul Mooney, former CEO in Ireland of cosmetics brand Flormar, appeared before Dublin District Court over money owed to the MIBI arising out of a personal injury claim against him.

Mr Mooney, a father of two and owner of The Cosmetic Outlet, was driving without insurance when he was involved in a road traffic accident in September 2011.

The MIBI is a not-for-profit organisation which compensates victims of road traffic accidents caused by uninsured vehicles. Mr Mooney, of Drimnagh, Dublin, was ordered to pay 50,116.85 to the MIBI following the claim.

Judge Michael Coghlan said he was "concerned" at the "audacious evidence" given by Mr Mooney and warned him "you're not going to be able to drop the ball all the time, you'll be dropping it around Mountjoy if this doesn't sort itself out soon, simple as that".

The court heard how a Toyota Rav owned by Mr Mooney, previously valued at 20,000, is to be sold in the coming days with the MIBI set to receive 6,127.59 from the proceeds of the sale. When cross-examined on the value of the vehicle by counsel for the MIBI, Mr Mooney said there was some underlying damage and the vehicle had been involved in a crash.

Counsel for MIBI said it had sent out a representative to take photographs of the vehicle and claimed there was "no damage" visible.

Mr Mooney replied that there was a "big scratch on the left-hand side of the car" and said he would send a photograph of the damage. Counsel for Mr Mooney said payment was to be made in the next 48 hours for the car and this would be discharged in full to the MIBI this week.

The court also heard how another car owned by Mr Mooney, a Mercedes CLA 180, had been valued at 16,000 by a dealership in Dublin but he was advertising it on Done Deal for 25,000. Counsel for Mr Mooney said he hoped to achieve somewhere in between those figures.

When asked about the low value placed on the vehicle, Mr Mooney said there was a "lot of damage to the Mercedes on the bumper, on the door and the back".

The judge described this evidence as "concerning".

He ordered Mr Mooney to continue monthly payments of 1,000 to the MIBI and for the Mercedes to be valued by a Mercedes dealership.Irish Climber Jason Black is greeted by his wife Sharon after he arrived back into Dublin airport after he sucessfully climbed K2, the worlds second highest mountain on July 22nd.Picture:Frank McGrath

Jason Black, the first Irishman from the Republic to successfully climb the world's second highest mountain, was given a hero's welcome at Dublin airport tonight.

Jason, (47), reached the summit of the K2 mountain in Pakistan on July 22.

Tragically, fellow Irish climber Ger McDonnell, who was the first Irish man from the Republic to reach the same summit, died along with ten other mountaineers when they were buried by an avalanche exactly a decade ago today upon their descent.

And to honour him, Jason retrieved the Tricolour that Ger had proudly erected on the summit and brought it home to Ireland.

Expand Close Irish Climber Jason Black is greeted by his wife Sharon after he arrived back into Dublin airport after he sucessfully climbed K2, the worlds second highest mountain on July 22nd.Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 1/8/18 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Irish Climber Jason Black is greeted by his wife Sharon after he arrived back into Dublin airport after he sucessfully climbed K2, the worlds second highest mountain on July 22nd.Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 1/8/18

"I was standing there (on the summit) with the Donegal flag and Irish flag in my hand, knowing the Irish flag had only got there once but had never been recovered from the mountain," he told Independent.ie.

"I felt a real sense of responsibility to take it home," he said of Ger's flag.

"I have it here in my hand today'" he said of the Tricolour he proudly draped over himself and his family upon his return.

A group of around 30 family and friends from his home of Letterkenny hired a bus to welcome him home after he returned from his Himalayan mountain adventure.

Expand Close Irish Climber Jason Black is greeted by his wife Sharon and Children Kate [18] Ella [12] Billy [14] and Laura [19] after he arrived back into Dublin airport after he sucessfully climbed K2, the worlds second highest mountain on July 22nd.Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 1/8/18 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Irish Climber Jason Black is greeted by his wife Sharon and Children Kate [18] Ella [12] Billy [14] and Laura [19] after he arrived back into Dublin airport after he sucessfully climbed K2, the worlds second highest mountain on July 22nd.Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 1/8/18

His wife Sharon Black, (44), joked that she wished she could "cellotape him to the couch" but she knows she won't ever be able to stop the extreme adventurer from future mountain-climbing treks.

But for the time being, she said she is just happy that he is home safe and well and able to spend time with her and their four children, Laura, (19), Kate (18), Billy (14), and Ella (12).

The former publican will be feted by locals in Letterkenny tonight at a homecoming party to thank his family, friends and other supporters for their support and encouragement as he embarked on his dream of a lifetime.

"We're absolutely delighted for him, he's worked so hard," Mrs Black told the Irish Independent.

A spokeswoman for the Irish Red Cross, of which Jason is an ambassador, said the charity was delighted that he also erected their own flag at the summit as part of his ongoing support for them.Vicky Phelans refusal to stay quiet has led to many more women with cancer taking action. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Vicky Phelan pictured after her meeting with the taoiseach at Government Buildings today Photo: Colin O'Riordan

The Government will, if necessary, introduce legislation to ensure a public commission of inquiry is held into the CervicalCheck scandal, Vicky Phelan has said following a meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Ms Phelan, whose court case shone a light on the CervicalCheck scandal, met for the first time with Mr Varadkar to urge the government to intervene in ongoing court cases involving women caught up with the scandal.

Mr Varadkar this week moved to clarify earlier assurances he gave that women affected by the controversy would not be forced to go to court.

Meanwhile, a High Court Judge, Charles Meenan, has been appointed by the State to examine alternative resolution mechanisms to adversarial court proceedings for those affected. He will report to the Government in two months and will engage with those affected.

Expand Close Vicky Phelan pictured after her meeting with the Taoiseach at Govt. Buildings, Merrion St today. PIC COLIN ORIORDAN / Facebook

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Whatsapp Vicky Phelan pictured after her meeting with the Taoiseach at Govt. Buildings, Merrion St today. PIC COLIN ORIORDAN

"The Taoiseach has promised me that he meant what he said and the State is going to endeavour to settle all cases through mediation," Vicky Phelan said after the meeting.

"Where mediation doesn't work and labs are contesting an alternative dispute resolution mechanism will be sculpted out.

Ms Phelan said the Fine Gael leader confirmed that the State Claims Agency is willing to return to mediation talks in relation to the case of Ruth Morrissey when it returns in September. He told her an offer could not have been made previously because expert reports were not ready.

The campaigner said she will be back on the issue of ensuring women do not have to face the harrowing experience of attending court as she had.

Earlier Ms Phelan revealed she plans to take a break from her activism on the CervicalCheck scandal, saying she has been accused of trying to bring down the screening programme.

Ms Phelan said that she is "deeply disturbed" by some people and their attitude towards some of the affected women and their families.

The Limerick woman said the Taoiseach confirmed a public commission of inquiry is the preferred option. This is something she and others affected by the scandal have called for.

In a statement after the meeting Mr Varadkar said: I want to thank Vicky Phelan for taking the time to meet with me today. Vicky and all those affected by the CervicalCheck controversy have made a deep impression on the Irish public and on me.

Notwithstanding that parties always retain the right to go to Court, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms must be found which avoid causing unnecessary distress for the women and their loved ones.Vicky Phelans refusal to stay quiet has led to many more women with cancer taking action. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Vicky Phelan has said she will be taking a break from campaigning about the CervicalCheck controversy, as she says she has been accused of 'bringing down the cervical screening programme'.

The Limerick mother, whose case first exposed the cancer screening scandal, said that she is "deeply disturbed" by some people and their attitude towards some of the affected women and their families.

She announced her decision on Twitter yesterday, ahead of her scheduled meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar today about the issue.

In a thread of tweets, Ms Phelan explained why she is choosing to step away from the public eye: I will be taking a break from Twitter and from all #CervicalCheck Scandal campaigning after tomorrow, some of you will be glad to know.

I am deeply disturbed by the lack of empathy in some quarters towards the women & families affected by the scandal.

She addressed the people who are accusing her of bringing down the cervical screening programme by explaining her personal story and how the scandal has affected her life:

I can only speak for myself here. For those of you who are condemning me for 'bringing down the cervical screening programme', I never missed a smear and NEVER had an abnormal smear until I was diagnosed in July 2014 with invasive cervical cancer, she wrote.

I found out THREE years later, in Sept 2017, that a smear from 2011, which was originally read as No Abnormality Detected' was, when audited, full of CANCER, not pre-cancerour CINI, II or III but Squamous Cell Carcinoma. P8 for the medical heads.

She continued to say: IF my smear in 2011 had been CORRECTLY read, I would only have had to have a hysterectomy and would have had a 90 per cent chance of being cured.

I will be fighting to stay alive for the rest of my life so forgive me if I am angry and upset and fighting for change.

She also called for changes to the current screening programme, she said: I WANT a screening programme that I can trust. I have a daughter that I will be leaving behind.

"So get off your high horses and help me to change and to ensure that we have a screening programme that we CAN trust.Spanish sunseekers are being warned to stay indoors during the hottest time of the day (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Irish tourists heading abroad to Spain or Portugal this week are being urged to take caution outdoors as temperatures are predicted to exceed 40C.

Red-hot conditions are expected this week as hot air pushes in from Africa towards the southern Iberia area.

The unbearable Saharan heat could even top the 1977 European record of 48C.

Met Eireann forecasters have advised Irish tourists to take care.

WOAH! Serious heatwave forecast for parts of #Iberia - 45C possible! Temperature records could be broken! https://t.co/tzqZwPJCT6 pic.twitter.com/iq5LFDPgop  The Weather Channel UK (@weather_UK) July 30, 2018

"Temperatures of 48C are expected in Iberia. Tourists in Spain and Portugal need to take care in such high temperatures," forecaster Richard Miles said.

The hot weather will move up towards Britain and Ireland later in the week.

"A small low will move off the Atlas Mountains and push very warm air northwards to Iberia from Africa," forecaster Dave Reynolds told The Weather Channel.

"Temperatures will lift into the high 30s widely but temperatures will hit over 40C in Iberia and locally over southern France."

According to The Weather Channel, a whopping 45C could be recorded in areas of Portugal and Spain.

"Even 45C is possible on Thursday at Badajoz on the Portugal-Spain border," they said.

Tourists are advised to drink plenty of water and avoid being in direct sunlight in the early afternoon when the sun is strongest.

Meanwhile in Ireland, more balmy weather is on the cards for the August bank holiday weekend after a wet and windy week.

According to Met Eireann, current predications show temperatures ranging from the low to mid 20s.

"It's looking like it will be mainly dry, maybe still the odd light shower in certain parts of the country," a forecaster told Independent.ie earlier this week.

"We can expect some variable highs with nice sunshine, with temperatures probably between the low to mid-twenties."Tourists who spent a month-long holiday in a Dublin hotel were left horrified after discovering bed bugs in their room.

The Finnish couple, who did not want to be identified, were on their seventh holiday to Dublin in the last ten years and were staying at their regular hotel of choice, the Celtic Lodge on Talbot Street.

After waking up with bites and rashes they soon discovered bed bugs crawling on the mattress and what was expected to be an enjoyable trip turned into a horrible nightmare.

I was with my partner for the seventh time we were in Dublin and it was our sixth time in Celtic Lodge. We had been going there since 2008 we thought we would stay there again because the staff is very friendly, said the tourist.

I noticed something on my arms and my body but thought it was just an allergy. Then we saw insects moving and we thought they might have come from outside, she said.

We didnt say anything first and we didnt check on the internet we finally understood that it must be bed bugs. We turned the mattress upside down and we saw there was something moving on the bedclothes.

Expand Close The couple were unhappy after finding bedbugs in their room at the Celtic Lodge Picture: Google Maps / Facebook

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Whatsapp The couple were unhappy after finding bedbugs in their room at the Celtic Lodge Picture: Google Maps

The tourists had specifically asked for the room on the first floor prior to arrival as they preferred the layout of it in previous trips.

When they informed the hotel of the infestation they were moved from the room and exterminators were called. A day later they moved back after it was sprayed but were met with the same issue.

When we saw they were moving underneath we said we cant stay there. They sent us to another room with our things and then they sprayed our luggage too in that room.

Describing the annoying pests she said they are brown and round and when they draw blood they are black so if you crush them you see the blood.

I said there is some kind of infestation that is very bad. We read that it takes weeks to get rid of them then. I said please dont put anyone there.

"Then we saw there was a lovely family with a toddler at reception one day and the father was saying the word 'bedbugs'. They said it was their wedding anniversary and they left in the middle of their holiday because they were so disappointed.

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In total the Finnish couple said they moved rooms three times by the time they left Dublin, describing their holiday as hell as a result.

Its like a holiday from hell, otherwise it was lovely but it was like a big cloud hanging over us. We were always checking to see if we had any bites every morning.

The hotel said it had refunded the guest for the nights they spent in the affected room.

A manager at the hotel said this was an isolated incident and confirmed they had been made aware of the issue.

The whole room was gutted and refurbished, fixtures were removed and they [pest control] went in and treated the room, he said after a number of call outs from a pest control company.

Bedbugs in Dublin accommodation has become a major concern for travellers as callouts to pest control companies have increased by more than half.

Bites from the bedroom pests lead to sore and itchy bite marks and can cause major distress for travellers.

Instances of bed bug infestations has increased by 57pc this year between May and July compared to the same period last year according to data from pest control agency Rentokil.

These figures have increased year on year with data collected from 2017 showing an increase of 80% from the previous year.

Infestations of bedbugs can be difficult to treat and the hotel said it took several callouts to rid the room of the pests before deciding to rip all the furniture out completely.Councillors from Galway have been ringing colleagues along the west coast in a bid to ramp up support for their Fianna Fail colleague Eamon O Cuiv as a potential presidential candidate.

But senior party colleagues said they were unconvinced by his candidature and insisted the decision by TDs and senators in late June not to field a candidate remained unchanged.

Despite this, Galway Fianna Fail councillors have been telling their counterparts in neighbouring counties that Mr O Cuiv is serious about standing. It is understood that if he gets council support, Mr O Cuiv would use it as leverage to get the support of Fianna Fail's national executive.

Sources said councillors were being told that the Galway West TD was "lying low and staying away from media for a day or two" to allow momentum to build. His team believes it can secure nominations in Galway, Clare and possibly Sligo or Leitrim and from there he could go on "to get five or more nominations".

"The message from his camp is that this is for real, although the money question could ultimately decide whether he actually runs," said a source.

Mr O Cuiv (68) has been a TD for Galway West since 1992, and is a grandson of Fianna Fail founder Eamon de Valera, who was president from 1959 until 1973.

But Fianna Fail communications spokesman Timmy Dooley said the parliamentary party was the competent authority on presidential nominations. "So as far as I'm concerned, as far as the party is concerned, the matter is closed," the Clare TD said. He said Fianna Fail councillors could make their own decisions - but if they nominated Mr O Cuiv he would be an independent candidate.

Limerick TD Niall Collins told RTE he did not see talk of Mr O Cuiv's nomination "going anywhere".Presidential hopeful Gavin Duffy acknowledged he met former Anglo chief Sean FitzPatrick at a time when he was "big news" during the banking crisis - but said it was their only meeting.

"I got a phone call, [to say] 'would I go meet Sean FitzPatrick?' so I did," said Mr Duffy. The meeting was the first time he had met the banker.

"Now this is a client situation so I have to be careful what I say, but let's say if there was someone in the media spotlight with your good selves [the media] chasing them, I would be advising them: will you face up to the media. Because he was very big news at the time and he had no interest in that," he said.

"Therefore I don't know why he would have been talking to someone like me and we never ever met again. That was the first and last time I ever met Sean FitzPatrick."

Mr Duffy was being questioned about his consultancy work at a meeting of Waterford City and County Council, where he made his first pitch to secure the support of four local authorities for a nomination.

He also confirmed he had provided consultancy to four Taoisigh from various parties but had not done so since 2011.

Expand Close Presidential candidate Joan Freeman addressing the Waterford city council. Photo: Patrick Browne / Facebook

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Whatsapp Presidential candidate Joan Freeman addressing the Waterford city council. Photo: Patrick Browne

The former 'Dragons' Den' entrepreneur defended his status as an Independent candidate after being questioned about his chairing of the Fine Gael leadership hustings between Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney.

He said he was chosen because of his independence, and was "vetted up and down".

Mr Duffy was speaking at a special meeting of the council alongside Independent Senator Joan Freeman, who he described as a "very worthy candidate". Patrick Feeney, an independent candidate from Galway, also told councillors he wanted to "challenge the status quo in Irish politics".

Ms Freeman faced difficult questions, including her family's ties to the Iona Institute. Ms Freeman's niece is Maria Steen, a strong pro-life advocate during the referendum on the Eighth Amendment.

The Pieta House founder said she voted No, "not for religious reasons" but because she had worked all of her adult life to "preserve life". Her vote was personal and she would be happy to carry the voice of the people and sign legislation if elected.

She said she had never been a member of the Iona Institute and her daughter had been active in the Yes campaign.

Candidates were also quizzed how they plan to finance a presidential campaign, which is estimated to cost up to 500,000.

Mr Duffy said he had raised a mortgage to meet the initial costs, while Ms Freeman said she had 10,000 in savings in the Credit Union and would not be in a position to remortgage her house, adding she was still making repayments on her home. Ms Freeman said she wanted to create a Republic of wellbeing, initiative and justice.

She pledged to be outspoken about injustice in society, and referred to the ongoing CervicalCheck scandal. If elected she will set up a Citizen's Assembly on national wellbeing within six months and a civic initiative focused on volunteerism.

Meanwhile, Mr Duffy said his focus would be on representing Ireland well abroad in the hope of encouraging investment. He said he would shine a spotlight on youth unemployment and proposed the idea of a presidential 'youth corps' which would allow young people to raise money to do charity work abroad.A leading Labour councillor and former Dail candidate has called on Labour leader, Brendan Howlin, to step down.

Cllr Terry OBrien, of Tralee, is the second leading councillor in as many days to say Mr Howlins leadership is not working as the party languishes on 3pc in opinion polls.

That Labour poll ranking is little more than half their disastrous 2016 general election result, in which they got 6.6pc of the national vote and reduced the party to just seven TDs.

Cllr OBrien, who has been a councillor since 1999 and stood for the Dail in 2007 polling half a quota, said he respected Mr Howlins long record of service to Irish politics but he said a change of party leadership was now urgently needed.

We need to soul-search and do something very quickly, Cllr OBrien told Kerry Radio today.

He supported a similar call by Portlaoise-based Labour councillor, Noel Tuohy, who said much thing on Tuesday.

Cllr OBrien said his local Labour party, without a TD since 2016 when Arthur J Spring lost out, had recently been supported by Tipperary TD, Alan Kelly. The councillor said Alan Kelly had remained publicly loyal to Mr Howlin as leader  but the time had come to change and speak out.

Mr OBrien said Labour had just 50 councillors nationwide, who kept in touch via social media, and there was widespread concern about the state of the party.Independent.ie readers have had their say on a proposed 'Granny Grant' which would see grandparents who help out with childcare receive an annual payment of 1,000.

More than 17,000 people voted in the online poll which asked should the grant be introduced - and the result is a resounding yes.

Out of 17,257 votes, 14,550 people voted in favour of the idea.

2,387 people said no, while 324 people were unsure.

In their first negotiations with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe ahead of the Budget, Shane Ross's Independent Alliance, which props up the Fine Gael-lead Government, called for its introduction.

It is being described as a "grandparent and grandchild expenses reimbursement scheme", which could be worth a four-figure sum to those who help mind younger relatives.

Grandparents would apply for the payment through the Department of Social Protection - but would not be required to provide vouched expenses to receive the State cash.

Transport Minister Shane Ross said the scheme would give "serious recognition" of the important childcare role that grandparents play.

"The payment is aimed at recognising that grandparents allow young mothers and fathers re-enter the workforce by giving their children care they would not get anywhere else and which comes at no cost to parents or the State," Mr Ross told the Irish Independent.Dublin zoo is celebrating the birth of a male scimitar-horned oryx, a species classified as extinct in the wild.

The healthy calf was born last Wednesday, July 25, weighing around 25kg. He brings the herd at Dublin Zoo to a total of seven.

The scimitar-horned oryx was once widespread across northern Africa, but due to overhunting, habitat loss and competition with domestic livestock, they have gradually disappeared from the wild.

The species have now been classified as extinct in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as there has been no definitive evidence of their presence in the wild since the early 1990s.

Dublin Zoo houses a breeding group of scimitar-horned oryx and since 2013, has financially supported the reintroduction programme for the scimitar-horned oryx in Tunisia.

Through conservation breeding programmes, zoo-bred oryx have been reintroduced into semi-wild areas in four national parks across Tunisia. Currently there are over 200 oryx in such semi-wild areas.

Expand Close A male scimitar-horned oryx was born at Dublin zoo last week. Photo: Dublin Zoo / Facebook

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Whatsapp A male scimitar-horned oryx was born at Dublin zoo last week. Photo: Dublin Zoo

Dublin zoo team leader Helen Clarke-Bennet said, We are so pleased to welcome our newest addition to the scimitar-horned oryx herd and recognise the impact this birth makes on the conservation efforts being made to protect this species. Both mother and calf are doing extremely well  we are delighted to report he was up and running about just one hour after birth!BMWs new 1bn assembly plant in Hungary  announced yesterday  will be able to make both conventional combustion-engined cars and electrified models.

It is part of planning for a future where every new BMW Group plant in Europe will be equipped to produce electrified as well as conventionally-powered vehicles.

In all, they expect to make 150,000 vehicles a year at the new facility.

It is the companys first brand new European carmaking plant since 2000 (when they built at Leipzig).

Construction work will begin in the second half of 2019. It is unclear which models or ranges they will make in Debrecen. As things stand the German giant exports most of its SUVs from South Carolina in the US to Europe  and has been doing so for a long time.

But with talk of tariffs in the air that could become a tricky part of the process of supplying key markets.Average emissions figures under the new tougher test cycle (WLTP) have been revealed by a one major car maker here.

While the revised data is not as bad as many predicted, it should be remembered that it is just one car maker (BMW) and others may fare much worse.

Indeed, even with the low-emission figures as revealed by BMW, there are still increases of several hundred euro on popular models.

In the case of the iconic BMW 520d there is a 600 hike (see accompanying table).

The average increase in emission readings across the BMW range is a moderate 8pc. In the case of MINI models, the average rise is 5pc.

And the automaker's electric and plug-in hybrids fared well, with the 530e, for example, increasing by just 3 grammes to 49g/km.

The brand's MD for Ireland, Paulo Alves, said that by having all their cars WLTP compliant in advance of the September deadline, buyers know the prices of the vehicles are 'future-proof' - and provide 'certainty' on cost.

From next month, all cars have to be homologated under the WLTP data.

The BMW figures come against a backdrop of fears that many prices - and road tax - will increase due to the tougher testing driving up emissions readings.

The consequence is that cars would be elevated to costlier VRT and road-tax bands.

There are reports of 21pc+ emissions hikes being recorded by some manufacturers.

That suggests significant price and road-tax increases in new-car prices if something isn't done to tweak the current bands.

It is important to remember the new figures do not mean cars are spewing more emissions. They are merely being tested more realistically under the new WLTP cycle.

The European Commission has recommended that consumers should not be penalised under the new measuring system.

And it is being mooted by the motor industry here that the Revenue Commissioners might consider a twin-track approach to alleviate the worst of the potential increases.

The two steps would involve working out an interim set of tweaked tax bands so the new 'cleaner' cars are not penalised for their more realistic performance figures.

Many of these vehicles are well ahead of emission regulations and are generally reckoned to be the 'greenest' ever to take to the road.

The second proposed step could be a fine-tuned solution after more extensive data have been gathered and analysed in the lead-in to the final 2020 deadline.

Gearbox Make Model Trim Was Now Was (g/km)Now (g/km)Price IncreaseCo2 Increase (g/km)Co2 increase %Price Increase %

Auto (D) BMW 520d SE 52,910 53,570108119 660.0011 10% 1%

Auto (P) BMW 318iSE 41,578 42,029122136 451.0014 11% 1%

Manual (P) MINI Hatch Cooper 24,010 24,270114122 260.00 87% 1%THIS week I had planned to focus on a silent killer thats behind many deaths each year. Im talking about tiredness behind the wheel.

And while Ill devote some time to this important topic, I really need to talk about motorcycle safety.

When colleagues compared casualty statistics for the first half of this year to last, motorcyclists stood out as an area of great concern.

At the time of writing, seven motorcyclists have died this year. The same number of deaths as occurred in the first half of 2017.

But it was at this point last year that motorcycle safety went off the rails. Last year, almost three-quarters (14) of the 20 motorcyclists killed in 2017 died in the second half of the year.

Five motorcyclists alone were killed in the last week of July 2017. These figures are stark reminders of the added dangers motorcyclists face in the summer months and the need for extra care.

A study of fatal motorcycle crashes so far this year shows Sunday is the most dangerous day. It sticks out like a sore thumb, with 70pc (5) of deaths this year.

Whenever Ive written about motorcycle safety Ive managed to annoy some cohort of motorcyclists, so before the emails and tweets start flying into the editor I want to be clear that not all bikers are reckless.

The majority are acutely aware of their vulnerability and take steps to protect themselves.

Drivers need to take greater responsibility too. They need to be more careful and look out for bikers in blind spots and especially when turning, overtaking and at junctions.

Look and look again for motorcyclists.

While most motorcycle riders are safety conscious, there is a minority of risk takers: bikers who put on a helmet and think they are on a race track.

This isnt a barstool opinion.

A detailed examination of forensic fatal collision investigation files published in 2016 by the RSA found that bikers speeding was a factor in almost half of the deaths. A typical scenario is cornering or going around a bend at speed.

As a result the rider ends up on the wrong side of the road, crashing into an oncoming vehicle, wall or tree. Another example is when a biker overtakes multiple vehicles at high speed, not realising that one of the vehicles ahead is about to make a right-hand turn.

The profile of the majority of motorcyclists being killed on our roads is male, aged between 25 and 34, and on a powerful machine.

The message to these motorcyclists is: enjoy the freedom you get from riding a motorbike. Nobody wants to take that away from you.

But you need to realise that with power comes responsibility, so ease off the throttle and slow down. And if you are not prepared to do this for your own sake, do it for those who love you.

As mentioned at the top of this piece, I want to talk about tiredness behind the wheel. This is especially relevant with the bank holiday approaching.

Its a subject thats now taken seriously in this country. This was made clear a number of years ago when a driver, convicted of causing a fatal crash after having a micro-sleep was jailed for two years.

The judge wanted to send out the clear message to the community that fatigue must be a phenomenon in the minds of all drivers.

So dont fight sleep at the wheel. Remember the message in our campaign. Stop, Sip, Sleep. Stop somewhere safe, sip a coffee and get a 15-minute nap.

To help, the RSA and Applegreen, will provide free cups of coffee to drivers this bank holiday weekend, Friday-Monday, August 3-6 (2pm-8pm).It's funny how complaint themes arise. Weve had several from people on the apparently widespread phenomenon of people randomly damaging other peoples cars.

Heres a small sample:

Eddie,

Please highlight how mean-spirited and downright sneaky we are as motorists. We think nothing of damaging other peoples property; we just drive away.

Last week I looked on as a woman knocked the stuffing out of another persons wing mirror.

I was watching but she didnt see me  initially, at least.

She did a fair amount of damage.

She scanned for witnesses and then clipped it. She saw me at the last minute and kept going.

I only got half her registration number (I left it, rather uselessly, under the wipers of the assaulted car).

What a lousy thing to do. Its widely prevalent, I believe.

Ive heard several cases of people discovering damage not just to wing mirrors, but to lights and car body.

These perpetrators are the sort of people who would be baying for blood and for heads to roll if you as much as looked sideways at them.

Patrick, Co Wicklow

Eddie,

I came out to find my Kia Sportage wing mirror smashed.

Whoever hit it knew, for certain, they had inflicted costly damage.

Im no holier-than-thou but Id leave my number or try to contact the person if I did something like that.

Its the least any decent person would do. But there are plenty who could not be bothered. We are a nation of double-standards motorists, thats for sure.

Rachel, Co Louth

Eddie,

Larger cars and standard parking bays are making it nearly impossible to park at shopping centres now.

I hate shopping, so I stay in the car while my partner does the hard grind. Sitting there I get a close-up of how little regard some people have for others property.

They open doors at full tilt and scratch the adjoining car; they bang shopping trolleys against bumpers  and so on.

The irony is that people often come back to their damaged cars and dont notice because they are so preoccupied with getting the groceries and themselves into the car in the narrow confines.

Ive learned to check any time I am about to set off or return to the car (we live in a crowded cul-de-sac with small parking slots) and I can tell you the number of minor abrasions is frightening.

Patricia, Dublin

Eddie,

Ive got a dash cam in my car now. Any so-and-so who does anything to me wont escape too lightly, I can tell you. Worth the few euro, even as a deterrent.

Noelle, Dublin

Eddie,

I blame you and your ilk for all the big cars that wont fit in an ordinary parking space. Youre always espousing green driving but your Review column for the past number of Saturdays has been about 7-seat SUVs.

Marie, Laois

Eddie,

Bigger cars and smaller spaces are making money for the carmakers because the likes of me has to have a reversing camera now or Id destroy my own car bumping into bollards and other vehicles.

Mary, Cork"Falling wasn't an option," says the first climber to have scaled Mayo's most iconic sea stack in a quarter of a century.

It wasn't the first time Iain Miller tried to climb Dun Briste.

Nor was it the second. When Miller pitched up with his inflatable dinghy and climbing gear at Downpatrick Head this August, it was his third attempt on the stack.

In Irish, Dun Briste means 'broken fort'.

It could have broken Miller too. Soaring 50m out of the ocean near Ballycastle, Co. Mayo, this is a sea stack so storied and dramatic it has become a Discovery Point on the Wild Atlantic Way. It's also an extremely dangerous expedition.

Last week, however, Miller and his climbing partner Paulina Kaniszewska attempted the summit, a feat they believe has not been achieved since 1990.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Iain Miller (right) on top of Dun Briste. Photo: Aidan McGinley Iain Miller's 2016 ascent of Dun Briste. Photo: Aidan McGinley Iain Miller and Paulina Kaniszewska prep for their ascent of Dun Briste. Photo: Marion Galt Approaching Dun Briste. Photo: Marion Galt Landing on Dun Briste. Photo: Marion Galt Iain Miller on Dun Briste. Marion Galt / Facebook

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Whatsapp Iain Miller (right) on top of Dun Briste. Photo: Aidan McGinley

"I know of around 30 climbers who have toyed with the idea of an ascent, but the logistics have overwhelmed them," Miller, who runs adventure and climbing company Unique Ascent (uniqueascent.ie) in Donegal, told Independent.ie Travel.

The stack has been climbed only once, he says - when UK climbers Mick Fowler, Nikki Duggan and Steve Sustad successfully summited in 1990.

Mountaineering Ireland (climbing.ie) confirms this and Miller's as the only ascents, but says it is "open to correction" if a record of another can be produced.

One of Dun Briste's main challenges is the Atlantic, Miller says.

"The sea around Downpatrick Head plays by its own rules and is notoriously difficult to predict. This involved a huge amount of research prior to and during each visit and our unsuccessful attempts. The next challenge was landing on the stack."

On the day, calm conditions made this part of the climb relatively straightforward - with ledges accessible at sea level. But the ascent was only beginning.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Iain Miller and Paulina Kaniszewska prep for their ascent of Dun Briste. Photo: Marion Galt Approaching Dun Briste. Photo: Marion Galt Iain Miller's 2016 ascent of Dun Briste. Photo: Aidan McGinley Landing on Dun Briste. Photo: Marion Galt Iain Miller on Dun Briste. Marion Galt Iain Miller (right) on top of Dun Briste. Photo: Aidan McGinley / Facebook

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Whatsapp Iain Miller and Paulina Kaniszewska prep for their ascent of Dun Briste. Photo: Marion Galt

"The climbing was hard, scary and for a section approximately 40 metres above sea level, falling wasn't an option," he recalls.

Dun Briste is said to have broken away from the mainland in 1393, with locals rescued from the stack with the help of ships' ropes. Prior to that, St. Patrick is believed to have founded a church on the headland - once a popular pilgrimage site.

In the 1980s, a small team of scientists was deposited onto the stack by helicopter, on a mission to investigate ruins still visible from the mainland.

As well as its rich history, Dun Briste attracts birdwatchers to view species that nest in its stratified ledges (Miller says he always takes care to avoid interactions with nesting birds, and encountered none on his climb).

As they progressed, Miller and Kaniszewska were cheered from Downpatrick Head by a small band of locals from Ballycastle. They watched as Miller summited - though a subsequent rainfall meant his partner did not get more than 20m up the stack.

"Watching them was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience," says Marie Tighe, a nurse from Ballycastle. "I've lived down here for years and I never thought anyone would be able to do it from the ground."

After the summit, Miller's overwhelming feeling was one of relief.

Expand Close Approaching Dun Briste. Photo: Marion Galt / Facebook

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Whatsapp Approaching Dun Briste. Photo: Marion Galt

"But the summit is the halfway point," he says. "There is no celebration or time to ponder your surroundings as you are already mentally on the descent."

Getting down was "by far the scariest part of the climb, as you create an anchor to abseil from, lean back over a 50m drop and abseil down the stack."

"It was nearly more frightening watching him going down," Tighe concurs.

"It's only when you are both safely back at sea level with a calm sea passage between you and the car that the first wave of euphoria hits you," Miller adds.

"It's like a bomb going off in your head."

When the climbers returned, locals were waiting with hot dinners, and a surprise treat - chocolate-covered queen cakes baked by nine-year-old Naoise O'Sullivan.

"To climbers, a summit that has been stood on less times than the moon is always going to be an interesting, and hopefully viable, proposition," Miller says.

NB: The activities described in this article were undertaken by pro climbers at their own risk. Climbing can be extremely dangerous, and should never be undertaken without suitable levels of expertise or fully qualified guides.

Miller and Kaniszewska wish to acknowledge the support of the local community, cameraman Aidan McGinley, photographer Marion Galt, and fellow climbers Fionnuala Donnelly, John Mallon and Denise O' Doherty.

Read more:The threat of cyber attacks has never been more apparent in Ireland.

In a year where two of the biggest global threats against businesses were both ransomware attacks, experts warn that its essential that Irish businesses equip themselves to ensure that they are as protected as possible.

Ireland is now one of the most dynamic business and technology hubs in Europe and as cyber attacks increase in sophistication and scale, the race is now on for Irish employers to make the right moves in ensuring that their businesses, employees and clients are protected and empowered to succeed.

The threats are so evident that earlier this year, Irelands National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) embarked on a major recruitment campaign for experts to help protect critical national infrastructure from potentially crippling cyber attacks.

Minister of State for Digital Development Sean Kyne emphasised the importance of security for businesses across Ireland, describing the potential for cyber attacks and ransomware attacks as unfortunately real.

A massive 48pc of all businesses in Ireland still have no cyber security policy in place and 171,000 businesses in the State could be vulnerable right now to crippling ransomware attacks, according to a new nationwide survey by Magnet Networks.

Statistics locally and globally show that cyber crime is likely to become more frequent as, while right now the more high-profile attacks are hitting the headlines, smaller-scale attacks are happening on a business level across all sectors every day and businesses are forced to play catch-up.

Over 26pc of businesses surveyed in the Magnet Networks Cyber Security Survey stated that they have suffered from cyber-attacks in the past two years, with a further 18pc unsure if they have been affected.

Youre either totally secure  or youre vulnerable

Expand Close Mark Kellett, CEO, Magnet Networks. Photo: Conor McCabe Photography / Facebook

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Whatsapp Mark Kellett, CEO, Magnet Networks. Photo: Conor McCabe Photography

The study found that only 13pc of respondents think that their business is very secure.

This is worrying, points out Magnet Networks CEO Mark Kellett. "As in the absolute world of cyber-attacks, you are either totally secure or you are vulnerable in some way.

The snapshot from this new Magnet Networks survey of the state of Irish cyber defences, revealed that 84pc of businesses surveyed have anti-virus software installed and 65pc have combined this with a firewall.

While this is a positive, its clear that Irish businesses now need to future-proof, as the proliferation of new types of malware means that these traditional anti-virus solutions are no longer as effective as they were in the past. Because of the sophistication of todays cyber attacks, the traditional anti-virus solutions are constantly playing catch-up, leaving computer networks vulnerable to attack.

A new initiative from Magnet Networks is offering essential protection to Irish businesses, free for six months.

Magnet Protect is the most secure product on the market, explains Mark Kellett, CEO, Magnet Networks. At the very least, as a business owner you will have six months to concentrate on the people who want to do business with you, not the cyber criminals constantly knocking on your virtual back door.

Magnet Protect is built on the worlds leading security platform - Palo Alto Networks  and is described as the ultimate protection for your business. Talk to Magnet Networks today.

Sponsored by:LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (R) and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend day twelve of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

4: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend day twelve of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (L) and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex take their seats in the Royal box on Centre Court before watching Serbia's Novak Djokovic play against Spain's Rafael Nadal during the continuation of their men's singles semi-final match on the twelfth day of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 14, 2018. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)

The Duchess of Cambridge (left) and the Duchess of Sussex meet young people during a visit to the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday July 14, 2018. See PA story SPORT Wimbledon. Photo credit should read: Nina Massey/PA Wire

(L-R) Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF on July 10, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images) (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Meghan Markle at the womens singles final at Wimbledon in London on Saturday. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville

Kate Middleton has reportedly become a "pillar of support" for her sister-in-law Meghan Markle as she adjusts to royal life.

The early days of Meghan's foray into the British royal family have been tarnished by her father Thomas Markle's regular tabloid interviews in which he regularly criticises his daughter and her new in-laws.

In spite of their personality differences, the Duchess of Cambridge (36) is said to be making an effort to "be kind" to her as their friendship grows.

"Meghan is at her wits end over this," a source told Vanity Fair.

Expand Close (L-R) Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF on July 10, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images) (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp (L-R) Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF on July 10, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images) (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

"Kates made a real effort to be kind to Meghan (36) and to include her. Theyre quite different characters but they get along well."

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, which took place over the course of nine hours, former lighting director Thomas said: "I tell you, I've just about reached my limit with Meghan and the royal family. They want me to be silent, they want me to just go away. But I won't be silenced.

"I refuse to stay quiet. What riles me is Meghan's sense of superiority. She'd be nothing without me. I made her the Duchess she is today. Everything that Meghan is, I made her."Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa, sing and dance in the street outside the party's headquarters following general elections in Zimbabwe. Photo: Mike Hutchings/Reuters

Zimbabwe's government has warned candidates could be jailed for prematurely announcing election results after Nelson Chamisa's opposition MDC Alliance claimed to have won the general election and suggested it would call supporters on to the streets if the official result favoured Emmerson Mnangagwa, the president.

Mr Chamisa, a 40-year-old lawyer and preacher, said he was "winning resoundingly" as counting got under way and called on the country's electoral commission to "perform their constitutional duty to officially announce the people's election results". But Zimbabwe's electoral authorities had announced the results from just seven parliamentary constituencies by yesterday evening, and made no comment on the outcome. Zimbabwean law forbids anyone other than the electoral commission from announcing results.

"As a government we have noted with concern the actions and conduct of some political party leaders... who are openly declaring that they will announce results irrespective of provisions of the law," said Obert Mpofu, the home affairs minister, at a media briefing in Harare. "I am sure no one wants to provoke the wrath of the law and risk being sent to jail."

Electoral officials and the country's main observer organisation reported an unprecedented 80pc turnout in Zimbabwe's first presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections since Robert Mugabe was ousted in a military coup in November.

Zimbabwean law says official results must be released within five days of the poll. If no candidate in the presidential race wins more than 50pc of the vote there will be a run-off on September 8.

Justice Priscilla Chigumba, chairman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), said yesterday evening that Zanu PF had won seven seats in the 210-member parliament and the MDC Alliance one. She said the presidential result would not be released until returns from more than 10,000 polling stations had been collated. But the delay drew allegations of fraud from the MDC, which insisted it already had proof from polling station observers it had won the election and accused officials of delaying publication in order to falsify the vote.

"We have been pushing ZEC to announce the results. The results are posted outside of polling stations. We have collected those results," said Tendai Biti, a former MDC finance minister who ousted the Zanu PF incumbent in Harare East on Monday.A federal judge in Seattle has issued a temporary restraining order to stop the release of blueprints to make untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns.

Eight Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to block the federal governments settlement with the company that makes the plans available online.

They also sought a restraining order, arguing the 3D guns would be a safety risk.

US District Judge Robert Lasnik issued the order on Tuesday afternoon.

The company behind the plans, Texas-based Defence Distributed, had reached a settlement with the federal government in June that allows it to make the plans for the guns available for download on Wednesday.

The restraining order puts that plan on hold for now.

In the meantime, Congressional Democrats have urged President Donald Trump to reverse the decision to let Defense Distributed publish the plans.

Mr Trump said he is consulting with the National Rifle Association (NRA) over whether it makes sense for the Austin company to publish the blueprints.

Mr Trump tweeted he is looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public, adding he already spoke to NRA.

The president expressed doubt, saying the move doesnt seem to make much sense!

Joining the Seattle suit were Democratic attorneys general in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia.

Separately, attorneys general in 21 states urged US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and attorney general Jeff Sessions to withdraw from the settlement with Defense Distributed, saying it creates an imminent risk to public safety.

People can use the blueprints to manufacture a plastic gun using a 3D printer. But gun industry experts have expressed doubt that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns are very expensive, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by.

Unlike traditional firearms that can fire thousands of rounds in their lifetime, experts say the 3D-printed guns normally only last a few rounds before they fall apart.

They do not have magazines that allow the usual nine or 15 rounds to be carried; instead, they usually hold a bullet or two and then must be manually loaded afterwards. They are not usually very accurate.

Expand Close Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed (AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed (AP)

Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, first published downloadable designs for a 3D-printed firearm in 2013.

It was downloaded about 100,000 times until the US state department ordered him to cease, contending it violated federal export laws since some of the blueprints were downloaded by people outside the United States.

The state department reversed course in late June, agreeing to allow Wilson to resume posting the blueprints. The files were published on Friday.

The company filed its own suit in Texas on Sunday, asserting that it is the victim of an ideologically fuelled programme of intimidation and harassment that violates the companys First Amendment rights.

Meanwhile, Defense Distributed agreed to temporarily block Pennsylvania residents from downloading the plans after state officials went to federal court in Philadelphia on Sunday seeking an emergency order.

The company said it has also blocked access to users in New Jersey and Los Angeles.Online auction features 100 Desna toilet rolls being sold in packs of 12 for 255 in the 41-lot auction (S847/Getty Images)

The US Embassy in London has relocated to a new facility in Battersea and is auctioning off unwanted items  including a second-hand Volvo, a printer and 1,200 toilet rolls.

The online auction, which began on Monday, features 100 Desna toilet rolls being sold in packs of 12 for 255 as part of a 41-lot auction.

An embassy spokeswoman said: Our new building has different toilet paper dispensers than our previous building.

So we had excess supply from our old building that we are no longer able to use.

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The US embassy recently located from Grosvenor Square in Mayfair to the new 762m new Nine Elms facility in Battersea.

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The spokeswoman added: Our embassies around the world host auctions on a periodic basis as a way of disposing excess property that is no longer needed.

We have guidelines set as to how those auctions are held and where the funds that are raised from this auction go. Essentially, they go back to the Treasury.

Other lots in the auction include a Bosch circular saw, a ceramic lamp without a shade (120), an HP laptop (181), five Dyson vacuum cleaners (priced between 34-50), 22 plastic stacking chairs with wheels (102) and a 2007 Volvo (6,494).

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The spokeswoman added: Its not uncommon for us to auction off old embassy vehicles in this way.

Other US embassies currently having clear-outs include the ones located in Turkey, Armenia and Ukraine with auctions planned for the sites in Portugal, Serbia and Sweden.Jean-Pierre Bemba disembarks a private jet upon his arrival at the airport in Kinshasa (John Bompengo/AP)

Former Democratic Republic of Congo vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba has returned to the country to register as a presidential candidate in Decembers long-delayed election.

His return comes more than a decade after his arrest in Belgium led to a trial at the International Criminal Court over war crimes.

Bemba arrived in a private jet in the capital Kinshasa to throngs of supporters that included members of his opposition Movement for the Liberation of Congo party, amid a strong police presence.

His arrival shakes up the political landscape in one of Africas most turbulent nations as the opposition worries that President Joseph Kabila, whose mandate ended in late 2016, will find a way to hold on to power.

Mr Kabila has been in power since 2001, and his government has blamed delays on the difficulties of organising a vote in the vast country.

While the international communitys patience frays  the United States last week warned Mr Kabila that the time for posturing is over  DR Congos president has remained quiet on his role in the upcoming election and declared that his country is rejecting foreign meddling and funding the vote itself.

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Bemba, like other candidates, must submit his candidacy by August 8 to run in the elections now set for December 23, more than two years late.

He was granted a diplomatic passport to return to DR Congo because he is still a senator.

In an interview with the Associated Press over the weekend, Bemba said he wants DR Congos opposition to rally around a single challenger to Mr Kabila and will give all my support if that challenger is not him.

Just weeks ago, few had suspected Mr Bemba would be in a position to compete.

In a surprising ruling in June, appeals judges with the ICC overturned Bembas convictions for murder, rape and pillaging committed by his Movement for the Liberation of Congo forces in neighbouring Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003.

He had been sentenced in 2016 to 18 years in prison but maintained his innocence.

He still awaits a final sentencing at the ICC in another case in which he was convicted of interfering with witnesses.

Another popular opposition leader, Moise Katumbi, has promised to return to DR Congo this week to stand in elections.

Demonstrations over DR Congos election delay have turned deadly in the past, and Pope Francis and others appealed for calm after police in January used tear gas to disperse ambassadors and others at a mass at Kinshasas Catholic cathedral to honour protesters killed.A sketch of the courtroom during the trial of Paul Manafort (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

Paul Manafort orchestrated a multi-million-dollar conspiracy to evade US tax and banking laws, leaving behind a trail of lies as he lived a lavish lifestyle, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

During his opening statement in the case against the former Trump campaign chairman, assistant US attorney Uzo Asonye told a jury that Manafort considered himself above the law as he funnelled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts.

That secret income was used to pay for personal expenses such as a $21,000 (18,000) watch, a $15,000 (12,900) jacket made of ostrich and more than $6 million (5.1 million) worth of real estate paid for in cash, Mr Asonye said.

A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him  not tax law, not banking law, Mr Asonye said as he sketched out the evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Muellers team in Manaforts bank fraud and tax evasion trial.

It is the first trial arising from Mr Muellers investigation into potential ties between Donald Trumps presidential campaign and Russia. Mr Mueller was not present in the courtroom.

Defence lawyer Thomas Zehnle said in his opening statement that Manafort trusted others to keep track of the millions of dollars he was earning from his Ukrainian political work.

He made clear that undermining the credibility of Rick Gates, his former business associate and the governments star witness, was central to the defence strategy.

Mr Zehnle said Manafort, earning millions as a political consultant helping officials in other parts of the world, relied on Gates and others  including a professional accounting firm  to keep watch over the money.

Moneys coming in fast. Its a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it, Mr Zehnle said. Thats what Rick Gates was being paid to do.

He warned jurors that Gates could not be trusted and was the type of witness who would say anything he could to save himself from a lengthy prison sentence and a crippling financial penalty.

Gates, who spent years working for Manafort in Ukraine and is also accused of helping him falsify paperwork used to obtain the bank loans, cut a plea deal with Mr Mueller earlier this year. Gates also worked as an aide on Mr Trumps campaign.

Manafort, who has been jailed for nearly two months, wore a black suit and appeared fully engaged in his defence, whispering with his lawyers during jury selection and scribbling notes as the prosecution began its opening statement.

Before the start of jury selection on Tuesday, prosecutors filed an expanded list of its evidence exhibits, including several email chains between Manafort and Stephen Calk, a Chicago bank chairman. The added evidence also appeared to include documents related to bank accounts in Cyprus.

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The government intends to show that Manafort funnelled more than 60 million dollars (45 million) in proceeds from his Ukrainian political consulting through offshore accounts and hid a significant portion of it from the IRS.

Mr Asonye said Manafort created bogus loans, falsified documents and lied to his tax preparer and bookkeeper to conceal the money, which he obtained from Ukrainian oligarchs through a series of shell company transfers and later from fraudulently obtained bank loans in the US.

But Mr Zehnle disputed prosecutors account that Manafort was trying to conceal his earnings by storing money in bank accounts in Cyprus. He said that arrangement was not Manaforts doing but was instead the preferred method of payment of the supporters of the pro-Russia Ukrainian political party who were paying his consulting fees.

Defence lawyers also sought to address head-on Manaforts wealth and the images of a gaudy lifestyle that jurors are expected to see during the trial.

Paul Manafort travelled in circles that most people will never know and hes gotten handsomely rewarded for it, Mr Zehnle said. We do not dispute that.

The judge even interrupted the prosecutor during his opening statements to caution him against suggesting there was something criminal about being a multi-millionaire.

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Prosecutors made no reference to Mr Trump in their opening statement nor discussed in any way Manaforts leadership of the Trump campaign, or the ongoing investigation into potential collusion between Russia and the presidents associates. Despite that, Manaforts case is widely viewed as a test to the legitimacy of Mr Muellers ongoing probe, which Mr Trump has dismissed as a witch hunt.

The trial is expected to last several weeks.

Manafort has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the US government.Donald Trumps former campaign chief Paul Manafort has pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of bank and tax fraud. Photo: Getty

A court will work to seat the 12 Virginians who will decide whether US President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman is guilty of several felonies.

Paul Manafort goes on trial in Alexandria, Virginia, on bank and tax fraud charges brought by the special counsel investigating Russian involvement in the 2016 election.

Potential jurors have answered written questions regarding their knowledge of the case and ability to set that knowledge aside.

Judge TS Ellis III has rejected 37 people because they had competing obligations or indicated they could not be impartial. The judge had sought to strike three more, but prosecutors pushed back, arguing all three had "affirmed they would be able to 'decide the case fairly and impartially based solely on the evidence presented and the court's instructions of law'".

Prosecutors allege Manafort failed to pay taxes on millions he made working for a Russia-backed political party in Ukraine, then lied to get loans when the cash stopped coming in.

Before the jury pool arrives, the judge will decide how much evidence will be allowed at the trial detailing Manafort's work in Ukraine between 2005 and 2014. Such evidence, his attorneys say, will be more properly heard when he goes on trial in the District of Columbia on related charges that include failing to register as a foreign agent. ( Washington Post)Michael Cohen has basically flipped on US President Donald Trump. No, he hasn't done so legally speaking, but he has from a public relations standpoint. While some witnesses would share derogatory information with investigators, Cohen is sharing and leaking it publicly, of his own volition.

So after a wild week in which Trump's former personal attorney Cohen released a taped conversation with Trump and then reportedly told others Trump knew about the Trump Tower meeting, where does that leave us?

Here are five questions to help you get caught up - and look ahead.

1. Did Trump know about the Trump Tower meeting?

For a while, Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani seemed to be paving the way for us to learn Trump actually did know about the Russia meeting. He denied Trump had physically attended either that meeting or another alleged meeting a couple of days before. And he sought to emphasise that even if there was collusion, it wouldn't have been illegal.

Then Giuliani took to Fox News to clear up a few things. He again flatly denied both that Trump knew about the meeting beforehand and Trump and the campaign colluded. "It's a very, very familiar lawyer's argument [to say], 'My client didn't do it and even if he did it, it's not a crime,'" Giuliani explained.

Whether Trump has lied about perhaps the central event in the collusion probe - and one of a few central events in the obstruction of justice probe - is probably the biggest question right now, given the doubt Cohen has injected into it and the importance it would carry in both investigations.

2. What is Cohen alleging?

One of the unfortunate parts of this debate is that we still don't know exactly what Cohen is alleging - first hand, at least. That's because, unlike the tape that his lawyer, Lanny Davis, handed to CNN and then discussed on-air last week, Cohen's team isn't on the record. We're basically relying on second-hand reports about what Cohen says he has on Trump.

That's not ideal. There's less accountability when it comes to parsing exactly what Cohen is alleging. For example, Giuliani claimed Cohen's team had leaked to reporters about a meeting a couple of days before the Trump Tower meeting at which Trump's knowledge of the meeting was allegedly discussed. Giuliani says that earlier meeting didn't happen, but he's shooting down a report that we didn't even know was in the air.

3. What did he tell Congress about the same topic?

One of the thickest sub-plots for Cohen is whether he's been consistent. He has already spoken with the Senate Intelligence Committee, but that was in late 2017 when he wasn't so antagonistic toward his former boss. And it's virtually guaranteed he was asked about the Trump Tower meeting, given how central it is.

When Cohen does speak publicly, it's likely he'll have to eventually square what he said back then with what he's saying today - if not go back to the committee to clear up some things.

4. What is Cohen's end game?

This is the question that seems to loom over all of this. The prevailing theory is that Cohen is angling for a plea deal or a pardon, but his actions would actually seem counterproductive on both fronts. Virtually no lawyer will advise you to publicly release evidence if you want to cut a deal - prosecutors generally keep such evidence under wraps as long as they can - and a pardon from Trump at this point would look clearly politically motivated.

A third, even-more-conspiratorial option is Cohen is trying to blow himself up as a witness - knowing he'll be at the centre of all of this and he's basically dead-to-rights when it comes to his own legal problems.

Going rogue, the theory goes, he makes himself into an unreliable and untrustworthy source. But that doesn't make sense from a self-preservation standpoint.

5. What does Weisselberg know?

This got overshadowed last week because more Cohen news broke shortly afterwards, but the 'Wall Street Journal' reported that long-time Trump Organisation CFO Allen Weisselberg had been subpoenaed. The news came shortly after "Allen" was mentioned twice on that Trump-Cohen tape. Cohen said on the tape "Allen" had offered advice how to set up a company to buy the rights to Karen McDougal's story of an alleged affair with Trump.

Weisselberg probably knows significantly more about the ins and outs of Trumpworld - and especially its finances - than Cohen ever has.

He has been around for decades longer than Cohen and has even been reported to handle Trump's personal finances and tax returns. ( Washington Post)US spy satellites have detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the country's first intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the United States, a senior US official said, in the midst of talks to compel Pyongyang to give up its nuclear arms.

Photos and infrared imaging indicate vehicles moving in and out of the facility at Sanumdong.

But they do not show how advanced any missile construction might be, the official said.

'The Washington Post' reported that North Korea appeared to be building one or two new liquid-fuelled ICBMs at the large research facility on the outskirts of Pyongyang.

It cited unidentified officials familiar with intelligence reporting.

According to the US official, one photo showed a truck and covered trailer similar to those the North has used to move its ICBMs. Since the trailer was covered, it was not possible to know what, if anything, it was carrying.

The White House said it did not comment on intelligence.

The evidence obtained this month is the latest to suggest ongoing activity in North Korea's nuclear and missile facilities despite talks with the United States and a June summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump.

Mr Trump declared soon afterward that North Korea no longer posed a nuclear threat.

Mr Kim committed in a summit statement to work toward denuclearisation, but Pyongyang has offered no details as to how it might go about that and subsequent talks have not gone smoothly.

It was not the first time US intelligence clashed with the president's optimism.

In late June, US officials told media outlets that intelligence agencies believed North Korea had increased production of fuel for nuclear weapons and that it did not intend to fully give up its nuclear arsenal.

Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week that North Korea was continuing to produce fuel for nuclear bombs despite its pledge to denuclearise.

But he insisted the Trump administration was still making progress in its talks with Pyongyang.

Joel Wit, a former State Department negotiator and founder of 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project, said it was unrealistic to expect North Korea to stop its programmes "until the ink is dry on an agreement".FILE  In this Nov. 14, 2011 file photo, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick prays during the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops annual fall assembly in Baltimore. Pope Francis has accepted U.S. prelate Theodore McCarricks offer to resign from the College of Cardinals following allegations of sexual abuse, including one involving an 11-year-old boy, and ordered him to conduct a life of prayer and penance in a home to be designated by the pontiff until a church trial is held, the Vatican said Saturday, July 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

A US Roman Catholic diocese has identified 71 members of the church who had been accused of child sex abuse and said it was holding accountable the bishops who led the church for the past 70 years.

It announced their names will be stripped from all church properties.

The Harrisburg list includes 37 priests, three deacons and six seminarians from the diocese, nine clergy members from other dioceses and 16 from religious communities.

The bishop said the conduct was classified as indecent behaviour, inappropriate behaviour such as kissing and inappropriate communication with children.

At a news conference to detail the church's actions, Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer apologised to those who were abused, the Catholic faithful and the community and expressed his "profound sorrow".

"Many of those victimised as children continue to suffer as survivors from the harm they experienced," said the bishop, who was appointed in 2014.

With its announcement, the Harrisburg Diocese became the second of six dioceses under investigation by the state to get out in front of a pending grand jury report on clergy sex abuse.

The Erie Diocese released its own findings on clergy abuse in April.

The release of the nearly 900-page state grand jury report has been held up by challenges by some priests and former priests.

The state Supreme Court ruled last week a version with some names blacked out can be made public as early as next week.

The court said it identified more than 300 "predator priests" in the six dioceses.

The bishop said the Harrisburg Diocese was making public the names of all those who faced allegations of child sex abuse but that it did not determine whether they all had merit, though some of those on the list have been convicted of crimes.

He said no one on the list is currently in the ministry.

In a public letter, the bishop said shortcomings in past investigations and record-keeping made it difficult in many cases to assess credibility or guilt or even determine the underlying conduct.

In a few instances, people who were cleared of allegations by the diocese or police were not listed.

Most of the allegations date from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the diocese said.

The bishop said church leadership had failed to protect children by not adequately responding to all the allegations of sexual misconduct over the years.

The diocese is compiling a list of buildings and other properties named to honour clergy members and plans to remove the names of anyone accused of abuse, including all bishops going back to 1947.

The church also is waiving any confidentiality rights the diocese obtained while reaching abuse settlements over the years, the bishop said.

The number of such settlements and their dollar values were not disclosed.

The church is adopting a series of new procedures to deal with complaints and to help protect against future abuse, the bishop said.A sketch of the courtroom during the trial of Paul Manafort (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

Paul Manafort orchestrated a multi-million-dollar conspiracy to evade US tax and banking laws, leaving behind a trail of lies as he lived a lavish lifestyle, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

During his opening statement in the case against the former Trump campaign chairman, assistant US attorney Uzo Asonye told a jury that Manafort considered himself above the law as he funnelled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts.

That secret income was used to pay for personal expenses such as a 21,000 dollar (16,000) watch, a 15,000 dollar (11,400) jacket made of ostrich and more than 6 million dollars (4.5 million) worth of real estate paid for in cash, Mr Asonye said.

A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him  not tax law, not banking law, Mr Asonye said as he sketched out the evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Muellers team in Manaforts bank fraud and tax evasion trial.

It is the first trial arising from Mr Muellers investigation into potential ties between Donald Trumps presidential campaign and Russia. Mr Mueller was not present in the courtroom.

A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him  not tax law, not banking lawUzo Asonye

Defence lawyer Thomas Zehnle said in his opening statement that Manafort trusted others to keep track of the millions of dollars he was earning from his Ukrainian political work.

He made clear that undermining the credibility of Rick Gates, his former business associate and the governments star witness, was central to the defence strategy.

Mr Zehnle said Manafort, earning millions as a political consultant helping officials in other parts of the world, relied on Gates and others  including a professional accounting firm  to keep watch over the money.

Moneys coming in fast. Its a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it, Mr Zehnle said. Thats what Rick Gates was being paid to do.

He warned jurors that Gates could not be trusted and was the type of witness who would say anything he could to save himself from a lengthy prison sentence and a crippling financial penalty.

Gates, who spent years working for Manafort in Ukraine and is also accused of helping him falsify paperwork used to obtain the bank loans, cut a plea deal with Mr Mueller earlier this year. Gates also worked as an aide on Mr Trumps campaign.

Manafort, who has been jailed for nearly two months, wore a black suit and appeared fully engaged in his defence, whispering with his lawyers during jury selection and scribbling notes as the prosecution began its opening statement.

Before the start of jury selection on Tuesday, prosecutors filed an expanded list of its evidence exhibits, including several email chains between Manafort and Stephen Calk, a Chicago bank chairman. The added evidence also appeared to include documents related to bank accounts in Cyprus.

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The government intends to show that Manafort funnelled more than 60 million dollars (45 million) in proceeds from his Ukrainian political consulting through offshore accounts and hid a significant portion of it from the IRS.

Mr Asonye said Manafort created bogus loans, falsified documents and lied to his tax preparer and bookkeeper to conceal the money, which he obtained from Ukrainian oligarchs through a series of shell company transfers and later from fraudulently obtained bank loans in the US.

But Mr Zehnle disputed prosecutors account that Manafort was trying to conceal his earnings by storing money in bank accounts in Cyprus. He said that arrangement was not Manaforts doing but was instead the preferred method of payment of the supporters of the pro-Russia Ukrainian political party who were paying his consulting fees.

Defence lawyers also sought to address head-on Manaforts wealth and the images of a gaudy lifestyle that jurors are expected to see during the trial.

Paul Manafort travelled in circles that most people will never know and hes gotten handsomely rewarded for it, Mr Zehnle said. We do not dispute that.

The judge even interrupted the prosecutor during his opening statements to caution him against suggesting there was something criminal about being a multi-millionaire.

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Prosecutors made no reference to Mr Trump in their opening statement nor discussed in any way Manaforts leadership of the Trump campaign, or the ongoing investigation into potential collusion between Russia and the presidents associates. Despite that, Manaforts case is widely viewed as a test to the legitimacy of Mr Muellers ongoing probe, which Mr Trump has dismissed as a witch hunt.

The trial is expected to last several weeks.

Manafort has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the US government.Mattel, the company that manufactures Barbie dolls has now released a hijab-wearing barbie inspired by the US fencer who was the first person to don a headscarf while competing at the Olympics.

The official handle of the company tweeted a picture of the doll that looks like her and wears a hijab. The tweet reads, Fencing champion and #Barbie #Shero @IbtihajMuhammad inspires girls to pursue their dreams & embrace what makes them unique.

The Barbie designed in her likeness has full fencing gear, including a mask and sabre, wears training shoes and has a hijab around her head.

Muhammad hopes that this doll would inspire girls to accept themselves the way they are and she tweeted a picture writing, "Shes finally here! Im happy to announce that you can now have your very own Ibtihaj Barbie doll starting today!"

Shes finally here! Im happy to announce that you can now have your very own Ibtihaj Barbie doll starting today! Available on https://t.co/B93Io3bkKY and https://t.co/MJLAXLM8H4 for $30.99  #ibtihajbarbie pic.twitter.com/X4xfcTKcZn  Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) July 30, 2018

The doll, however, sparked a heated debate on Twitter. The debate was mainly revolving around the use of hijab and if wearing it was a choice or an imposition. Take a look at the reactions below:

#1

Mattel can glorify the Hijab because they think they are standing up for the little guy. They aren't. Hijab is used to tell Muslim women they are vessels of lust & sin so they should cover up. So if you are a man who rapes a woman it's her fault.

That's what they're empowering  (((Avneet Paul))) (@avneet_paul) July 30, 2018

#2

#3

In some parts of the world women are still fighting for their rights, even if it's just little things like not being forced to wear a hijab. In other parts of the world someone put a hijab on Barbie. I hope that Barbie has a choice to take it off if she wants to. pic.twitter.com/3lh2kPyQS6  Drawing Sense (@DrawingSense1) July 30, 2018Wheat Continuing Higher at Midday Barchart - 52 minutes ago Following the turnaround Tuesday session wheat prices are back on the rise for midweek. CBT wheat futures are up 3 3/4 to 5 1/2 cents so far. KC wheat futures are firmer with a penny to 1 3/4 cent gains.... ZWZ21 : 757-6 (+0.73%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.0852 (+0.83%) KEZ21 : 779-2 (+0.26%) KEPAWS.CM : 7.5761 (+0.29%) MWZ21 : 1026-0 (+0.44%)

Lean Hog Futures Red for Wednesday Barchart - 52 minutes ago The downturn in lean hog prices continues with futures giving back another 52 to 70 cents so far. USDAs National Average Base hog price for Wednesday morning was another 49 cents weaker to $62.76. CMEs... HEZ21 : 71.925 (-0.90%) HEJ22 : 78.400 (-0.92%) KMZ21 : 90.000 (-0.44%)

Weekly U.S. Ethanol Production Expands to Second-Highest Volume on Record Renewable Fuels Association - 1 hour ago Report on U.S. ethanol production, usage, and stocks for the week ending October 22, 2021.

Robusta Coffee Falls Back From 10-Year High Sparked by Constricted Vietnam Supplies Barchart - 1 hour ago Dec arabica coffee (KCZ21 ) today is down -5.95 (-2.86%), and Nov ICE Robusta coffee (RMX21 ) is down -33 (-1.42%). Coffee prices are trading lower today on some long liquidation pressure after Tuesday's... KCZ21 : 200.20 (-3.80%) RMF22 : 2,197s (-3.22%)Details of the review were not disclosed, but officials in Londons financial services sector reportedly said that Lloyds has been holding meetings with its board and other internal groups, in addition to having discussions with broader market participants on how the business should move forward.

One source in the Reuters report said that the unique structure of the company will be considered while another confirmed that a strategic review is being worked on. Meanwhile, Chairman Bruce Carnegie-Brown told Reuters on June 30 that he would not use the term strategic review.

To me a strategic review implies some kind of crisis, where youve got to put everything into a big hat and end up boiling the ocean. We are not interested in that. What I think we have is a series of improvements and ideas, he is quoted in the report, though he added that cost structure, technology, its role as a marketplace and regulator, and how Lloyds mutualizes risk are all being looked at.

Its unclear right now what direction Lloyds will go in  if it becomes a pure marketplace, member syndicates could accommodate short-term losses for future gains. On the other hand, as an insurer, it would incorporate the individual groups operating within it to form a company, according to Reuters.

The pressure of Britains EU exit is also mounting, with the UK government hoping that London remains competitive in financial services. Another source cited by Reuters said, Lloyds needs to ensure that London keeps its edge in insurance, which is vital for the wider financial future of London.

At the same time, Lloyds is examining ways to cut down on member costs, said industry sources. An electronic processing system introduced by Beale that was unpopular with small brokers and underwriters might also be part of the review.

Related stories:

LMA head: Lloyds must assess itself

Lloyds of London launches insurance matching siteOur crisis management team addresses some of the most volatile and complex risks a business can face, commented Garcia Norris. Miguels experience will serve as a steady guide as well as a springboard for new and innovative solutions critical to the needs of our brokers and clients.

Criscuolo was most recently serving as an underwriting manager with Starr Companies. Prior to this, he was with AIG for 18 years, where he held several positions including regional manager for environmental liability & crisis management, as well as assistant vice-president of the worldwide liabilities group.

He received his MBA from St. Johns Universitys Tobin School of Risk Management. Criscuolo also earned his J.D. from the University of Puerto Rico and a BA from Universidad del Sagrado Corazon, San Juan.

Related stories:

AGCS reveals new global head of product development for entertainment

AGCS expands project cargo offeringThe Massachusetts Legislature gave final approval Monday to a bill that would tax and regulate short-term rentals, including those offered by Airbnb and other online platforms.

After weeks of negotiations, House and Senate lawmakers reached agreement on the compromise bill over the weekend. It called for extending the states current 5.7 percent hotel tax to most short-term rentals and giving cities and towns the option of tacking on an additional 6 percent to the tax; 9 percent if an owner rents out two or more units in the same community.

Several other bills were awaiting action before a Tuesday midnight deadline for completing work on major legislation. Under legislative rules, the House and Senate can continue to meet informally after July 31, but only to take up noncontroversial items.

Lawmakers also gave final approval Monday to a bill that would automatically update the registration status of voters when they interact with the Registry of Motor Vehicles and MassHealth, the states Medicaid program.

If the bill is signed into law by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, Democratic Secretary of State William Galvin said his office would be able to start automatically registering voters on Jan. 1, 2020. Those automatically registered would be notified by mail of the opportunity to choose a political party or to decline to register.

We should do everything we can to make it easier for people to vote, said Democratic Sen. Cynthia Creem, of Newton, who worked on the final version of the bill.

Lawmakers also sent Baker a bill Monday that would authorize Massachusetts to borrow up to $2 billion to make the state more resilient to climate change, including funds to protect the states coastline against more frequent storms.

As the clock ticked down toward adjournment, behind-the-scenes negotiations were believed to be continuing at the Statehouse on a major health care bill that sought to reduce price disparities between large teaching hospitals and smaller community hospitals that are struggling to keep pace.

Among other measures hanging in the balance: a major economic development bill that includes a proposed sales tax holiday for the weekend of Aug. 11-12; a bill to expand access to addiction treatment; proposals to increase the supply of clean energy in the state; and a measure that would revamp the formula the state uses for providing direct assistance to public school districts.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo had wanted the Democratic-controlled Legislature to remain in session over the weekend to work on the backlog, but on Thursday, Senate President Karen Spilka decided to adjourn the Senate until Monday morning, leaving less than 48 hours to wrap things up.

The House finished its business on Monday just before 7 p.m. The Senate agreed to keep working later into the evening.

As the popularity of entities such as Airbnb has grown, so have concerns in some communities over investors buying up homes or condos just to rent out the rooms by the day or week  contributing to what is already a shortage of available permanent housing.

In addition to taxing entities such as Airbnb, the bill would make Massachusetts the first in the U.S. to track short-term rentals through a statewide registry.

A group representing traditional hotels and motels in the state, which has sparred with Airbnb on regulations, praised the compromise and urged lawmakers and Baker to swiftly approve it.

It goes a long way toward leveling the playing field for all lodging businesses while maintaining a welcoming environment for new home-sharing platforms, said Paul Sacco, president and chief executive of the Massachusetts Lodging Association.

The Senate also took votes on Monday to restore spending vetoed by the governor from the states $41.7 billion budget, joining the House, which voted on Friday to override many of those vetoes.

A group of conservative Republican House members, meanwhile, pushed unsuccessfully for a floor debate over their bid to remove from the bench Superior Court Judge Timothy Feeley. The GOP lawmakers claim the judge has been too lenient on some violent criminals and drug dealers.

Critics of the impeachment effort, including the Massachusetts Bar Association, contend it would be inappropriate for the Legislature to remove a judge over sentencing decisions that were within guidelines and in some cases backed by prosecutors.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Massachusetts Sharing EconomyTwo more women have filed federal lawsuits alleging that a New Jersey university is partly to blame for sexual assaults after they say school officials turned a blind eye to an unsanctioned fraternity known for underage drinking and sexual misconduct.

A total of four women have filed lawsuits saying they were raped by current and former fraternity brothers at Pi Kappa Phi, an unrecognized fraternity at Stockton University in Galloway, New Jersey. The lawsuits claim the university violated the womens Title IX rights to a safe learning environment because university staff members knew about the conduct at the fraternity, which has been unrecognized by the university for more than eight years but has continued to operate off-campus.

One of the newest lawsuits, all filed by attorney Robert Fuggi Jr., alleges that the fraternity was on campus recruiting new members at freshmen events. The complaint says the recruitment effort was on university property and was sexually explicit.

The lawsuits identify the women by their initials only. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault.

The two newest lawsuits similarly describe first-year female students who went to parties at the Pi Kappa Phi house by invitation. One woman described being given a salty green drink while the brothers drank a red drink mixed with alcohol during a 2014 party. The other woman said she was given two beers by fraternity members during a 2017 party.

Both women described feeling lightheaded and disoriented after a small amount of alcohol. The women both had flashbacks of being sexually assaulted and had sore genitals the next day without having a clear memory of what had happened.

One of the women also named a second student not in the fraternity who she said also raped her while she was still disoriented and seeking help.

The universitys president, Harvey Kesselman, posted a statement on Saturday saying the university could not comment on individual allegations. He says the public university of 9,500 students about 50 miles southeast of Philadelphia is cooperating with authorities and has measures in place to provide a safe and secure campus.

We require incoming students to attend Orientation and Welcome Programs that specifically address topics such as sexual assault and violence prevention. We also address safety with parents during orientation and urge all to support our guidance and policies. It is vital to our community that we all share the responsibility to respect and protect each other from threatening behavior and situations, he wrote.

The statement does not address the allegation that the fraternity was recruiting on campus during Rush Week.

Fuggi said in the lawsuits that the atmosphere on Stocktons campus is sexually charged and does not provide for a safe learning environment.

The universitys website lists seven Greek organizations that have lost their affiliations with the university. The website warns students to stay away from unrecognized groups for safety reasons. It was unclear if the warning was on the schools website prior to the alleged encounters.

Messages left seeking comment from the national Pi Kappa Phi organization were not returned.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Abuse Molestation Education Universities New Jersey NumbersTHB, the London-based specialist re/insurance broker and AmWINS subsidiary, announced the appointment of Ko Bertelkamp as operations director of THB Europe, effective immediately. Ko Bertelkamp is based in Amsterdam and reports to Ricardo Borges, managing director, THB Europe.

The appointment follows last months announcement of the THB Europe leadership transition, with Ricardo Borges becoming managing director as Paul Lindeboom retires and Joaquim Caria steps down to focus on specific projects for the business.

Ko Bertelkamp joins from Turien & Co and Ansvar Insurance Company and brings 30 years experience in the insurance market to THB. He began his career at Ansvar in 1988, serving in a succession of senior roles at the business, before becoming CEO in 2003. He most recently served as joint COO of Ansvar and sister company Turien & Co.

THB Europe is embarking on a path of long-term growth, with an entrepreneurial team ready to drive expansion, said Borges.

Source: THB

Topics Agencies EuropeChipotle Mexican Grill Inc. reopened a restaurant in Ohio on Tuesday that was temporarily closed after customers reported getting sick.

The restaurant, located in the city of Powell, was voluntarily closed for cleaning on Monday after local health officials and the company received reports of employees and customers complaining of nausea, diarrhea and cramping. The news sent Chipotles shares down as much as 8.5 percent Tuesday as investors grappled with another round of negative headlines tied to the Mexican chain.

A spokeswoman for Chipotle confirmed that the restaurant had reopened. She earlier said the location had been closed out of an abundance of caution after the company was told by local officials of two customers complaining of illness.

Traci Whittaker, a spokeswoman for the health department in Delaware County, said they had received more than 100 calls related to the investigation. A cause of the outbreak hasnt been determined, but if samples are given and delivered to the lab, we may have results by Friday or the beginning of next week.

They are complaints, but nothing can be confirmed without laboratory testing, Whittaker said, referring to the calls.

After falling for three consecutive years, the Chipotles shares had spiked 61 percent in 2018 prior to the news of the illnesses in Ohio. The biggest intraday slide in a month sent the stock as low as $425.88 on Tuesday. Bill Ackmans Pershing Square Capital Management is the chains biggest shareholder.

The latest round of negative headlines comes amid renewed optimism on Wall Street that the chain can mount a comeback under Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol, the Taco Bell veteran who took over in March. Prior to Tuesday, the Mexican chain had been recovering from a food-safety crisis that battered its brand. Chipotle recently posted same-stores sales that beat estimates for the second quarter as Niccol starts to reshape the company, with new menu items, increased marketing, a delivery push and store remodels.

The chain was upgraded to buy from hold by Andy Barish, an analyst at Jefferies, in a research note sent to clients early Tuesday. He cited the shift to digital sales and operational improvements that should help boost sales. Barish said Tuesday in an email that he was not changing his view on the company in light of the incident.

This appears to be an isolated incidence in Ohio, he said, calling it obviously unfortunate but not indicative of the changes and training improvements the chain has put in place.

Local health records available online indicate that restaurant inspectors visited the Ohio restaurant, located about 18 miles north of Columbus, on July 26 and found lettuce and beans that werent stored at the proper temperature. The Delaware General Health District, the county agency, said it was notified about three days later that five patrons who ate at the restaurant were sick. They got an additional two reports the next day. The records also indicate that as many as five employees of the restaurant got sick.

Local official visited the restaurant on Tuesday and did not find anything that would prevent them from opening.

Related:

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Ohio Restaurant MexicoMunich Re Specialty Group Ltd. (MRSG) of London is expanding its underwriting platform in North America and has tapped John Hennessy to lead the initiative. Hennessy was named president and chief executive officer of MRSG subsidiary of Roanoke Group Inc. (RGI), in Schaumburg, Illinois.

With 35 years of industry experience at CNA, Hennessy will be responsible for driving growth in Marine and Specialty classes to North American insurance brokers. He began his career as an underwriter for CNA in Chicago, rising through the field ranks, along the way leading numerous levels of field operations; casualty underwriting and the middle market; and sales & distribution. From 2009, Hennessy served in London as CEO and chairman of CNA Europe; then from 2014 he served as president and COO of CNA Canada before returning to Chicago in 2017.

Through Munich Re Syndicate, MRSG has been providing marine and specialty offerings to insurance brokers in North America for decades from its home base in London.

RGI also provides targeted logistics and transportation-related insurance offerings across the U.S. through its subsidiary Roanoke Insurance Group Inc., which will continue to be led by its president, Karen Groff.

Roanoke Group Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of MRSG and is the parent and holding company of Roanoke Insurance Group Inc.

Source: MRSG

Topics USA LondonThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday said it will bolster collaboration with the private sector to defend the nation against cyber attacks by working more closely with industry to combat emerging threats.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen unveiled plans to set up a national risk management center where the government will initially work with financial firms, energy companies and telecommunications providers to help identify industry security weaknesses, develop response plans and run cyber drills.

We are facing an urgent evolving crisis in cyberspace, she told a summit of government officials, industry leaders, academics and security experts at a DHS cyber summit in New York. Our digital lives are now in danger every single day.

The effort marks the latest in a long series of government plans to combat cyber threats.

She unveiled the plan on Tuesday shortly before Facebook Inc. disclosed that it had taken down dozens of fake accounts after identifying a new coordinated political influence campaign to mislead users and organize rallies ahead of Novembers U.S. congressional elections.

She said the U.S. government knew that Russia was responsible for meddling in the 2016 presidential election, that the campaign was ordered from the highest levels and that the United States would not allow it to happen again.

Mark my words, America will not tolerate this meddling, she said at the daylong meeting.

Executives from companies including AT&T Inc., Mastercard and Southern Co. also addressed the gathering, sharing strategies for gaining ground against cyber criminals and hackers working on behalf of nations including China, Iran, North Korea and Russia that the U.S. government charges have carried out a string of digital attacks on the United States in recent years.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle and Chris Bing in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

Topics Cyber USAJames Anderson has assumed the role of executive vice president and chief financial officer at CNA.

He succeeds D. Craig Mense, who has been CFO since 2004 and who last April announced plans to retire at the end of the year. At that time, Anderson was identified as Menses successor.

Anderson, who most recently served as senior vice president and head of Financial Planning and Analysis and Corporate Development, joined CNA in 2012 and has been a key member of the Finance leadership team since that time.

Before joining CNA, Anderson spent nearly a decade in investment banking focused on the insurance industry, ultimately as a managing director at Macquarie Capital. That experience followed five years of consulting at Eli Lilly and Accenture.

Chicago-headquartered CNA is the eighth largest commercial insurer in the United States.Some Louisiana homeowners with damage from the 2016 floods who received help from the states recovery program will be receiving checks for full reimbursement of their repairs.

Louisiana officials announced Monday they received federal approval to reimburse additional homeowners the full 100 percent for repairs they completed before entering the Restore Louisiana rebuilding program.

Until now, only low- to moderate-income homeowners with someone elderly or disabled in their households have received full reimbursement of money spent on repairs before entering the state program. All other homeowners received just 50 percent.

The latest expansion of the $1.3 billion homeowner assistance program is expected to provide 10,000 homeowners with an additional $110 million.

Pat Forbes, director of Louisianas flood recovery work, told The Advocate the checks will start being mailed this week.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Louisiana Flood HomeownersFederal officials have announced a $2.2 million proposed settlement with CSX Transportation to resolve the companys liability for water pollution violations stemming from a train derailment that caused an oil spill in West Virginia.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Justice Department and the state of West Virginia announced the settlement July 24. Terms call for CSX to pay $1.2 million to the federal government and $1 million to West Virginia. Federal officials say they hope the fines deter similar incidents.

The CSX train was carrying crude oil when 27 cars derailed Feb. 16, 2015 in Mount Carbon. The resulting explosions and fires destroyed a home and led officials to declare a state of emergency as they evacuated nearby residents and shut down water intakes.

The Federal Railroad Administration said the derailment was caused by a broken rail.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Virginia PollutionAtlas General Insurance Services, LLC, a national multi-line program administrator, has added an exclusive new workers compensation insurance program with Accredited Surety & Casualty Co. Accredited recently expanded its insurance offerings to include workers compensation and selected Atlas as its exclusive program administrator nationwide.

California is the first state where the program is available, and Atlas is actively working with Accredited to expand this program nationwide.

The new platform includes more than 320 eligible class codes, including contractors, healthcare, transportation, agriculture, towing, janitorial, manufacturing, refuse operations, warehousing & storage, automotive services and more.

Atlas also includes services like an online rater, flexible payment plans, loss control services and claims handling.

Atlas is now accepting applications for these risks.

Atlas General Insurance Services provides service and coverage for clients seeking workers compensation, commercial lines, and specialty property coverage.

Accredited Surety and Casualty Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings, Ltd. Accredited is a Florida domiciled insurer that is U.S. Treasury listed and licensed and admitted in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia with offices in Orlando and Atlanta.

Topics California Workers' CompensationWhich of John Hancock's funds are the top ones for retirement? Saving for retirement comes with many decisions to make, which can be overwhelming, especially if you are trying to ensure you have the right asset allocation and a diversified portfolio. There are thousands of investment options from which to choose.

Like many large investment firms, John Hancock, a unit of Canada-based Manulife Financial Corporation, has funds that provide broad exposure to all the asset classes you should include in a retirement portfolio. The right mix of funds depends on your risk tolerance, your number of years to retirement, and your overall financial picture. The following funds offered by John Hancock are among the top choices in different asset classes to consider for your retirement portfolio.

Key Takeaways Large asset managers, like John Hancock, provide a variety of options that make it possible to have a balanced, diversified retirement portfolio with only a handful of mutual funds.

Choosing which funds best fit your retirement portfolio depends on your risk tolerance and time horizon.

Fund fees have an impact on returns so dont forget to factor them in.

Don't Overlook Fees

Before we get into the funds, first lets talk about fees. John Hancock, like all asset managers, operates its funds with different share classes. Each comes with a different fee structure.

Some of the classes have front-end loads; others have deferred loads or no loads at all.

All of the funds mentioned below are actively managed. If you decide to invest in one, remember to double-check which mutual fund share class you are investing in. Fees can have a big impact on returns.

Actively-managed funds typically have higher expenses than index funds, which are passively managed.

Types of Funds

U.S. Stocks

When investing in U.S. stocks you want to ensure that you are getting broad diversification across large, medium, and small-capitalization companies. In order to do this with John Hancock, you should consider the following funds.

The Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (TAGRX) invests mainly in large-cap, growth and value companies. The Disciplined Value Mid-Cap (JVMAX) will provide exposure to mid-cap stocks, and the Small Cap Value Fund (JSCAX) to small-cap stocks. (All these funds have Class A shares.)

International Stocks

For international exposure, you can buy shares in the Disciplined Value International Fund (JDIBX), which invests primarily in large companies in developed countries. If you prefer to also add emerging markets to your portfolio, consider the Emerging Markets Equity Fund (JEMQX). (All these funds have Class A shares.)

Bonds

John Hancock has a good multi-sector bond fund that will give your portfolio exposure to government and corporate bonds in developed and emerging markets. This fund is the John Hancock Income Fund (JHFIX) and is designed, like its name implies, to produce ongoing income for investors. This fund is also Class A.

Asset Allocation

If you prefer just one fund for both bonds and stocks, you can consider one of John Hancock's asset allocation funds. The John Hancock Balanced Fund Class R4 (JBAFX) has a breakdown of about 60% stocks and 40% bonds and cash.

The Bottom Line

By exploring the options of a company like John Hancock, you can easily save for retirement without having to manage a large number of funds and still achieve diversification and the right asset allocation. Just remember to make sure you invest in the right share class for your needs.With some 65 million Americans receiving Social Security benefits, it isn't surprising that scam artists invoke the program's name in fraudulent phone calls, texts, emails, and letters. Their schemes typically involve impersonating the Social Security Administration in order to obtain, and then misuse, Social Security numbers (SSNs) and other personal information. Heres a rundown, by mode of delivery, of common Social Security scams, along with the steps to take to avoid and report them.

Key Takeaways Scammers use phone calls and email messages to impersonate Social Security personnel and trick people into giving up personal information.

Common tactics include threatening to cut off Social Security benefits or charging for services the Social Security Administration provides for free.

Scams should be reported to your local authorities, the SSA Office of the Inspector General, or the Federal Trade Commission.

1. Fraudulent Threatening Phone Calls

When the National Council on Aging announced its "Scams to Watch Out For" in 2019, bogus phone calls related to Social Security benefits topped the list. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says the number of such calls and their financial impact is growing exponentially.

The calls often involve peopleor robotic voicespretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) who try to get your Social Security number or demand money, according to the FTC. The agency warns that callers sometimes use spoofing techniques to make the genuine Social Security hotline number (1-800-772-1213) appear on the recipients caller ID screen. The caller may also identify themselves using the name of an actual SSA official.

The SSA says the language used in these calls has become increasingly threatening in recent years. The caller typically states that due to improper or illegal activity with the persons Social Security number or account, they will be arrested or face other legal action unless they call a particular phone number to address the issue.

The tone of such calls is itself an indicator that they are fraudulent. The SSA does contact some recipients by phone, but theyre almost always people who have current business with the agency. And an SSA employee will never threaten you for information; they will not state that you face potential arrest or other legal action if you fail to provide information, the agency says. In [such] cases the call is fraudulent.

In a relatively new spin on this scam, criminals are now sending threatening text messages purporting to be from Social Security. But, according to the Office of the Inspector General at SSA, "Social Security will never send a text asking for a return call to an unknown number. Social Security will only send text messages if you have opted in to receive texts from the agency and only in limited situations."

2. Fraudulent Friendly Service Phone Calls

Another type of scam call attempts to sell to the recipient services the SSA readily provides at no charge. The caller might, for example, offer to provide a new Social Security card, enroll a new family member in the program, or provide a record of Social Security contributions to date, along with the expected future income they will yield.

3. Fake Email Headers and Phishing

Victims can also be reeled in by phishing emails that appear to be messages from the SSA. The emails may have attachments that resemble actual letters from the SSA, complete with the agency's seal and similar font styles. The email messages may also direct readers to a fake web page designed to look like the real SSA website.

The motive is to obtain personal information from you, which you should never provide. The same clues of fraudulent intent as with the phone calls apply here. The SSA says that legitimate emails from the agency never seek personal information and do not adopt an alarmist or threatening tone. 

The Social Security Administration says it will never use intimidating or threatening language in any form of communication.

4. Social Security Fraud by Mail

While the rise of scams perpetrated electronically, and thus cheaply, has reduced the volume of Social Security fraud by mail, the practice has not entirely vanished. One such scheme is a direct mail scam that primarily targets older people

A letter comes in the mail offering an extra check, along with a form asking for personal information and a filing fee. In it, the scammer asks the recipient for a Social Security number, money, and/or bank account information to help with the application.

Again, this is a red flag. The Social Security Administration will never ask for your full Social Security number, because it already knows it. In the event the SSA does send you a letterfor example, when your benefits increaseit will never ask you for money or any other personal information.

The Social Security Administration will never ask you for your full Social Security number. It already knows it.

How to Protect Yourself From Social Security Fraud

As with all scams, the best way to avoid becoming a victim is to stay vigilant. If you receive a phone call asking for your Social Security number or other personal information, its best to hang up immediately. You may also want to consider adding the callers phone number to a blocked-call list to help prevent repeated nuisance calls.

Be aware, however, that spoofing allows scammers to use (or at least display to you) a succession of misleading numbers. So, unfortunately, blocking the first number that called you doesn't stop further calls from different phone numbers.

Be sure that your information, including your Social Security card, is stored securely. Shred any documents with sensitive information rather than just putting them in the trash. If you access Social Security information online, keep your password to yourself and change it regularly to minimize the likelihood of your account being hacked.

It's also worth checking your credit reports on a regular basis to make sure no one has compromised your financial information. A paid credit monitoring service might also be helpful. Finally, try to keep up to date with the latest Social Security scams. The SSAs Office of the Inspector General monitors these and issues warnings as new schemes arise.

How to Report a Social Security Scam

If you suspect youve been the victim of a scam or simply want to report calls or correspondence that you find suspicious, you have several options. You can call your local authorities or the OIG hotline (1-800-269-0271) or submit a fraud report on the OIG's website.

You can also report the scam on the FTCs complaint website. Make sure you document anything you can to add to your report, such as a telephone number or website, the name the caller gave, the time and date of the call or email, what information you were asked for, and anything else that might help identify the scamster.What Is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)?

A certified public accountant (CPA) is a designation provided to licensed accounting professionals. The CPA license is provided by the Board of Accountancy for each state. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) provides resources on obtaining the license. The CPA designation helps enforce professional standards in the accounting industry. Other countries have certifications equivalent to the CPA designation, notably, the chartered accountant (CA) designation.

Key Takeaways A certified public accountant (CPA) must meet education, work, and examination requirementsincluding holding a bachelors degree in business administration, finance, or accounting, and completing 150 hours of education.

Other requirements for the CPA designation include having two or more years of public accounting experience and passing the Uniform CPA Exam.

CPAs generally hold various positions in public and corporate accounting, as well as executive positions, such as the controller or chief financial officer (CFO).

Understanding a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Obtaining the certified public accountant (CPA) designation requires a bachelors degree in business administration, finance, or accounting. Individuals are also required to complete 150 hours of education and have no fewer than two years of public accounting experience. To receive the CPA designation, a candidate also must pass the Uniform CPA Exam.

Additionally, keeping the CPA designation requires completing a specific number of continuing education hours yearly.

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Career Paths

CPAs have a wide range of career options available, either in public accounting (that is, working for an accounting firm) or corporate accounting (working inside a company), or in government service. Individuals with the CPA designation can also move into executive positions such as controllers or chief financial officers (CFOs).

Someone earning a CPA degree generally ends up as an accountant of some sort. That is, they put together, maintain, and review financial statements and related transactions for companies. Many CPAs file tax forms or returns for individuals and businesses. CPAs can perform and sign off on audits.

Though known for their role in income tax preparation, CPAs can specialize in many other areas, such as auditing, bookkeeping, forensic accounting, managerial accounting, and information technology.

The CPA designation isnt required to work in corporate accounting or for private companies. However, public accountantswhich are individuals working for a firm, such as Deloitte or Ernst & Young, that provides accounting and tax-related services to businessesmust hold a CPA designation.

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Ethics

Certified public accountants are subject to a code of ethics. The APCIA requires that all CPA designation holders adhere to the Code of Professional Conduct, which lays out the ethical standards CPAs must adhere to.

The Enron scandal is an example of CPAs not adhering to such a code. Arthur Andersen company executives and CPAs were charged with illegal and unethical accounting practices. Federal and state laws require CPAs to maintain independence when performing audits and reviews. While consulting at Enron, Arthur Andersen CPAs did not maintain independence and performed both consulting services and auditing services, which violates the CPA code of ethics.

The CPA designation has become more important after the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act of 2002, which was passed partly in response to corporate financial scandals like the Enron affair.

History of the Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

In 1887, 31 accountants created the American Association of Public Accountants (AAPA) to define moral standards for the accounting industry and U.S. auditing standards for local, state, and federal governments, private companies, and nonprofits. Renamed several times over the years, the organization has been known as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) since 1957. The first CPAs received licenses in 1896.

In 1934, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) required all publicly traded companies to file periodic financial reports endorsed by members of the accounting industry. The AICPA established accounting standards until 1973 when the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) was launched to set standards for private companies.

The accounting industry thrived in the late 1990s due to large accounting firms expanding their services to include various forms of consulting. The Enron scandal in 2001 resulted in major changes in the accounting industry, including the fact that Arthur Andersen, one of the nations top accounting firms, went out of business. Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which was passed in 2002, accountants were subject to tougher restrictions about their consulting assignments.By Geoff Percival

Electrical goods retailer Dixons-Carphone has said none of its online customers in Ireland have been impacted by a widening of a cyber attack on the company.

In June, the company which operates the Currys, Carphone Warehouse, PC World and Dixons Travel retail chains found that 1.2 million records containing non-financial personal data, such as names, addresses or email addresses, had been accessed.

It said then that an investigation had revealed there was an attempt, going back to July 2017, to compromise data on 5.9 million credit cards in one of the processing systems of its Currys PC World and Dixons Travel stores.

Dixons-Carphone is now saying up to 10 million records containing personal data may have been accessed in the 2017 cyber attack. While it said none of the additional cases relate to Irish customers, Dixons-Carphone said a very small number of those identified in June were from Ireland and those customers were contacted at the time.

It was the second major cyber attack in three years on the company, which has about 22 million customers in the UK and Ireland. It apologised to customers yesterday and said that an investigation into the hacks was nearly complete.

Again, were disappointed in having fallen short here, and very sorry for any distress weve caused our customers, chief executive Alex Baldock said.

Dixons-Carphone said the accessed customer records did not contain payment card or bank account details and there was no evidence that any fraud had resulted from the incident.

Last month, the UKs National Crime Agency said it was heading a criminal investigation into the hack, working with the UKs National Cyber Security Centre, the Financial Conduct Authority and the UKs data protection regulator, the Information Commissioners Office.

Our investigation into the incident is ongoing and we will take time to assess this new information. We would expect the company to alert all those affected in the UK as soon as possible and to take all steps necessary to reduce any potential harm to consumers, the Information Commissioners Office said in a statement.

Additional reporting ReutersBy Geoff Percival

US private equity firm Lone Star has won the race to acquire Permanent TSBs 2.2bn Project Glas portfolio of non-performing home loans.

Via its Start Mortgages retail credit affiliate, Lone Star will pay a net 1.3bn for the portfolio, which generated operating income of approximately 8m last year.

Project Glas contains non-performing loans linked to around 10,700 properties  comprising 3,300 buy-to-let properties and 7,400 private dwelling houses. Permanent TSB said 2,500 of the loans are classed as not co-operating and 3,850 have refused treatments. The average arrears time of the loans is three-and-a-half years, with the average arrears value 28,800.

Permanent TSB said it will use the proceeds from the cash sale for general corporate purposes.

The Irish lender had pushed back the bid deadline to late July after distressed debt firm Cerberus reportedly exited the race. In May, Cerberus acquired a 1.1bn portfolio of bad commercial loans from AIB. As well as Lone Star, Goldman Sachs and Oaktree Capital Management were linked to the Permanent TSB sale.

Each have also been linked to the bidding process for Ulster Banks auction of 1.6bn worth of distressed mortgages, the deadline for which closes on Friday.

Permanent TSB chief executive Jeremy Masding said the bank remains committed to reducing its non-performing loan ratio to single digits in the near term.

Reducing NPLs is a necessary step for us to take to complete the rebuilding of PTSB as a viable, competitive lender, said Mr Masding.By Liam Heylin

An 81-year-old wheelchair-bound man is to come to court to give evidence on how a theft affected him as the defence objected to his daughter giving evidence.

Judge John King said he noted the strong objections from the defence about the victims daughter giving the evidence on how the crime impacted on him.

The judge said he could take a written victim impact statement from the accused so that he would not have to come to court. He also said the only statutory provision for a family member giving victim impact evidence was in a case where the victim was deceased.

At that stage in the sentencing hearing yesterday, it was indicated that the victim would come to court in his wheelchair.

Sentencing of the man who stole money from the 81-year-old was then adjourned until September 25.

The victim, who is confined to a wheelchair, had his Visa card used without his knowledge by a neighbour who was ostensibly acting in a caring capacity.

Detective Garda Noel Maxwell described this background to the seven theft charges committed by Gerard Higgins, aged 50, of Henry St, Cork.

The total amount of money stolen by Higgins from John Buckley was 2,600. The detective said Higgins was acting in the role of unofficial part-time carer to the elderly man who lived nearby.

He had access to his home and knew where he kept his Visa card and also knew Mr Buckleys PIN number for the card, said Det Gda Maxwell.

On each theft, he took the card from a drawer and went to the ATM of the AIB at North Main St or to the ATM across the road at the PTSB and made withdrawals from Mr Buckleys account without his knowledge. The card was then returned to the drawer.

Diarmuid Kelleher, defence solicitor, said the accused had now gathered the 2,600 in full for the victim.

The seven thefts were committed between February and May last year.

Mr Kelleher said the defendants financial circumstances were absolutely dire at the time and he was desperate to get some money for his family.Niall Murray, Education Correspondent

Almost 8.5m has yet to be provided to the Caranua fund for institutional abuse survivors, which closes for applications today.

The funds administrators would not say how many applications have been received since announcing two months ago that August 1 would be the final date for claims. The most recent figures suggest fewer than 100 people applied to Caranua for supports in the month after the May 31 announcement.

The fund was set up to disburse 110m promised in 2009 by a number of religious orders as a voluntary offer. The money is separate from 127m previously pledged in return for indemnity from claims relating to historic child abuse at residential institutions.

As the organisation set up to administer the fund, Caranua has spent 74m on housing, health, education, and other services for more than 5,000 institutional abuse survivors up to the end of May, with over 8m in administration costs also paid out from the fund.

The Department of Education has so far provided 101.59m, leaving 8.41m outstanding from the maximum 110m fund allowable under the 2012 Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act. This is because the Christian Brothers order has yet to pay 8.8m it owes under the deal.

It is anticipated that the congregation will complete its cash contribution this year and therefore Caranua will have its full allocation of funding available to it at that stage, a department spokesperson told the Irish Examiner.

The Christian Brothers had intended to pay its outstanding contribution from proceeds of the sale of land for housing development at Clonkeen College in Blackrock, Co Dublin. Legal proceedings around the 18m sale were only resolved six weeks ago in a settlement with representatives of the second-level school, who contested plans to remove some of their playing fields.

At the end of June, Caranua had almost 2,400 open applications, including 274 from people who had previously applied for assistance. Between May 18  nine working days before the final closing date announcement  and June 30, total applications only increased from 6,225 to 6,327.

Caranua undertook a limited campaign to raise awareness of the August 1 closing date, in order to restrict spending. The 2012 law establishing Caranua requires that all administration costs must be paid from the 110m total fund, meaning spending on staff and communication limits how much can be paid to survivors.

The main publicity spending around the August 1 application closing date was on newspaper advertising in seven Sunday titles here, two Northern Ireland newspapers, two Irish community newspapers in Britain, and the Irish Voice in the US.

While 77% of all applicants up to June 30 lived in Ireland, 20% were UK residents, 1.2% in USA and Canada, 0.6% in Australia and New Zealand, and less than 1% lived elsewhere.

Before the May announcement, Caranua met survivor support groups and counselling services in Ireland and Britain to advise them of plans to close applications shortly. Organisations working with people who may be eligible for funding were also asked to share information and posters, including GPs, post offices, libraries, social welfare offices, public representatives, older peoples organisations, and health agencies.Independent Alliance ministers have told Taoiseach Leo Varadkar they want to stay in Government another two years and of their priorities for the budget, which include welfare, health, and housing measures.

Mr Varadkar met the four ministers yesterday and updated them about the confidence and supply negotiations with Fianna Fail.

Government sources called the meeting with the alliance reflective and constructive.

Transport Minister Shane Ross and the other three ministers from the Alliance went through outstanding issues in the programme for government that they want prioritised.

They include the 40m promised for Beaumont Hospital in north Dublin as well as a special cystic fibrosis unit there, issues prioritised by minister of state for disabilities, Finian McGrath.

Sources said the ministers told Mr Varadkar straight out that they do not want a snap general election and instead want political tensions to calm down.

Ministers said they want to remain in power with the Fine Gael minority government for at least another year, if not two.

Mr Varadkar was encouraged to ensure mediation as a priority with the women caught up in the cervical cancer controversy. It is understood he replied that he was trying to come up with solutions. However, none were outlined during the Government partners meeting.

These solutions could be provided in a face-to-face meeting with campaigner and cancer patient Vicky Phelan as early as today.

He got the message, an Alliance source told the Irish Examiner. Leo is beginning to understand us. Just because there is a row, it doesnt mean you bring down the Government. Things have improved in recent weeks.

Mr Varadkar is understood to believe that the relationship between the two sides is stable and reliable.

In a separate meeting with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, the alliance also put forth budget proposals. These include measures and funding plans in the areas of health, disability, welfare, and transport.

Mr Donohoe will assess these over the remaining part of the Dail recess before preparations for Octobers budget are stepped up. The proposals include financial supports for senior citizens as well as ways to ease the housing crisis.

Describing this meeting, one Alliance source said: We want our fingerprints on the budget. We understand the Central Bank warnings, the risk of the economy overheating. But you can be radical and be responsible.Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has been accused of bluster and playing to the gallery after he launched a blistering attack on Sinn Fein.

Mr Flanagan warned that Sinn Fein would deliver little more than chaos and would implement crazed economic policies if let into government after the next general election.

Ruling out any partnership between Mary-Lou McDonalds party and Fine Gael, Mr Flanagan said: We have seen what radical left-wing economics has delivered for countries like Greece, where Syriza, sister party of Sinn Fein, delivered little more than chaos, undoing the progress that had been made by the previous government, and then bailing out, leaving the people of Greece high and dry.

We cannot allow Sinn Fein any possibility of doing the same here.

At the Fine Gael Laois-Offaly selection convention, Mr Flanagan said he could not support the chequebook answer as a solution to everything that forms the basis of the crazed Sinn Fein economic policies.

Mr Flanagan denounced Sinn Fein over its commitment to abolishing the Special Criminal Court if elected to power.

Earlier this year, Sinn Fein TD, Aengus O Snodaigh used his Dail privilege to allege the SCC judges had shown an anti-republican bias. The minister also took aim at that.

As Minister for Justice I strongly reject the recent allegations by Sinn Fein of bias in the Special Criminal Court, he said.

The judges of the Special Criminal Court have performed courageous public service in presiding over the prosecutions of some of the most dangerous criminals in the State.

It is true that many provisional IRA and dissident by Republican terrorists have been convicted of heinous crimes by the Special Criminal Court over the years but it does not follow that the court has an anti-republican bias.

Mr Flanagan described the SCC as a vital part of the States defence against ruthless criminals and violent terrorists. I am determined that the bullet will not prevail over the ballot box.

A Sinn Fein spokesman said the party would not be taking any lectures from Mr Flanagan when his Government is kept in power by the architects of the economic crisis here in Ireland and when his Government continues to pursue the same policies that brought us that crisis.

The spokesman said: This is just bluster and playing to the gallery from Minister Flanagan, with very little substance to what he is saying.

The spokesman added that it will be the public who decides on what party will govern after any general election and not Mr Flanagan, Fine Gael, or Fianna Fail.

Sinn Fein wants to be in government. We will put our policies to the people and, if we get a mandate from the people, we will talk to all parties and none about putting together a republican programme for government that deals with the health and housing crises, tackles the cost-of-living crisis, faces the challenges of Brexit head on, and delivers on Irish unity.By Joe Leogue

Practice makes perfect when performing for a Pope.

The organisers of the World Meeting of Families 2018, which will see Pope Francis come to Ireland later this month, have revealed that it has held its first large-scale choir rehearsal in the RDS ahead of the pontiffs appearance at the Phoenix Park on August 26.

More than 2,000 members of the Papal Mass Choir gathered together last Saturday to do a full run through of the music for the closing mass of the World Meeting of Families.

Organisers say 3,000 voices from all 26 dioceses will make up the main choir, and more will contribute to the congregational singing with their own parish choirs in the corrals spread across the Phoenix Park.

While local rehearsals in dioceses around the country have been held in recent months, the RDS session last Saturday was the first time that the countrywide group was brought together.

The choir conductor, John OKeeffe, is native of Portmagee, Co Kerry, and is director of Sacred Music and Choral Groups at St Patricks College and NUI Maynooth.

The two assistant conductors of the Massed Choir also have Munster connections.

Dominic Finn is from Cobh, Co Cork, and is the director of music at St Colmans Cathedral, while Amy Ryan is from Killarney, Co Kerry, and holds a BMus from the CIT Cork School of Music.

She has conducted the UCD Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Choir, among others, and currently lectures in Music at Trinity College, Dublin and at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Meanwhile, Bus Eireann has said it will significantly enhance its services to accommodate those looking to see the Pope in Dublin.

It said its overall capacity will increase by over 100% on August 26.The organisers of Cork Pride have defended their sponsorship deal with a pharma giant which tried unsuccessfully to block patient access to cheaper generic HIV drugs.

The team running Cork Pride this week insisted they will not cancel the deal with Gilead despite Green Party criticism yesterday.

Kery Mullaly, a member of the organising committee, insisted that Prides links with Gilead were forged in part from requests by LGBT employees within the company and he also described the Green Partys intervention as counterproductive and negative.

It is not in the spirit of what the Green Party is or should be about, he said. Maybe they are trying to make themselves more relevant but perhaps they should be focusing on the positive things Cork Pride does.

Gilead, a US firm which has a facility in Cork, produces PrEP, a once-daily medication that can significantly reduce the risk of infection among people without HIV who are at high risk of contracting it, such as men who have sex with men. The branded Truvada drug costs over 400 a month.

Gileads patent on the drug, from which it has made an estimated 14bn globally, ran out in July 2017.

Last December, it was announced that cheaper generic versions  one is 85% cheaper  would be made available in Ireland.

Gilead failed to secure an injunction to block the sale of the cheaper drugs here and, last week, lost a legal battle in the European Court of Justice which effectively allows unfettered access to the cheaper generic alternatives.

Green Party activist and convenor of the partys national LGBT organisation, Rob OSullivan, called on Cork Pride yesterday to cancel the sponsorship deal.

Cork Prides acceptance of sponsorship from them  at this time, and whether they realise it or not  is an endorsement of their conduct. It says its OK, or just business as usual, he said.

Pride began as a protest. Gileads business practices related to PrEP is something that should be protested, not endorsed or accepted.

If Cork Pride genuinely represents the LGBT community in Cork, it should never accept sponsorship from them or any company whose conduct is contrary to the health, interests or ethics of the community.

However, Mr Mullaly said this years Pride festival has done more than any previous festival to promote HIV awareness  work which would not be possible without the support of corporate sponsors such as Gilead.

The Cork Greens also said they will not be marching under their banner in the Cork Pride parade on Sunday after organisers demanded a 250 entry fee.

The party said it will instead donate money to LGBT charities and its members will march with the LGBT community as individuals.

However, Mr Mullaly said they never demand an entry fee and insisted the Green Party would, like other political groups, pay a substantially discounted entry fee which goes towards defraying the running costs of the event.By Padraig Hoare

Permanent TSB has been slammed for an abject failure to deal with loans and taking the easy way out after selling its Project Glas portfolio of 10,700 homes.

David Hall of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation said it is a dark day as the bank said it has sold 7,400 homes and 3,300 buy-to-lets to Start Mortgages, which is backed by US fund Lone Star, for 1.3bn.

Project Glas raised fury from political figures and mortgage campaigners when mooted earlier this year.

Despite Permanent TSB boss Jeremy Masding insisting homeowners would have their existing rights protected after the sale, it drew condemnation from Mr Hall.

Five years ago, I was with a woman, whose husband had died in tragic circumstances and with young children, desperate to keep her home, he said. She was deemed non co-operative by Permanent TSB. It is an abject failure to deal with loans over the years. Vulture funds dont do solutions for people, so you can be sure there will soon enough be double the amount of families in emergency accommodation because of sales like this.

Fianna Fail spokesman for finance, Michael McGrath, said Start Mortgages must come before the Oireachtas Finance Committee to outline how they will deal with customers in arrears.

He said TSB has taken the easy way out.

A key question is whether Start Mortgages will now offer a wide suite of restructuring solutions to borrowers in arrears, said Mr McGrath.By Sean ORiordan

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is to roll out its first free app to provide motorists with real-time traffic information for the 100m upgrade of the Jack Lynch Tunnel/Dunkettle interchange in Cork.

The busiest junction outside of Dublin, it is used by 115,000 vehicles per day.

In approximately a year, major construction work will begin on upgrading the interchange and it is likely to cause severe disruption at times.

TII spokesman Sean ONeill said a key tool in the management the traffic impacts will be reliable real-time information available directly to the travelling public via local and national media outlets as well as a dedicated Dunkettle Travel App.

We are currently testing the application and plan to have it available for free early next year, Mr ONeill said. It will be the first of this type of dedicated App that will allow people and businesses to plan their specific travel needs around the construction works.

He said if there is a breakdown or an accident in or around the Dunkettle interchange it has the potential to become a local, regional and national concern very quickly.

TII has said engineers will do everything in their power to ensure diversions are kept to a minimum, but warned that will be difficult because the junction is the intersection that links a number of key national routes  the Cork-Dublin M8, Cork to Waterford N25 and Southern Ring Road N40 through the Jack Lynch Tunnel.

This is a very important national roads project for TII, Cork County Council and Cork City Council, said Mr ONeill. Planning commenced three years ago and a primary objective was the management of traffic. The reality is the contractor will be rebuilding the very road people are driving on, over, and under.

The plan is to remove the signalised roundabout on the northern side of the tunnel to allow free traffic flow through it. A dedicated slip road will be built on the city side of the tunnel, so traffic can directly access the northbound lanes of the M8.By Sean ORiordan

Despite millions of euro being spent on a state-of-the-art sewerage scheme a habour is still being polluted by visiting ships and yachts discharging waste.

Cork County Council has been urged to use the powers it has to prevent Kinsale harbour becoming clogged with raw sewage and oil discharges after concerns were raised by councillors that otherwise, it would have a very negative impact on tourism.

Cllr Kevin Murphy told a meeting of the Bandon/Kinsale municipal district council he is worried that visiting vessels are continuing to pollute the harbour after so much money has been spent on installing a new sewerage treatment scheme in the town.

In a written report, Kinsale Harbour Master Julian Renault said there are international, national and local laws and bylaws against discharges from vessels.

Under international and national maritime legislation vessels of more than 400 gross tonnage, or certified to carry more than 12 passengers, are prohibited from discharging into harbours.

In addition, under the Port and Harbour of Kinsale Bylaws 1961 no vessel shall throw, cast or empty any kind of oil, acid, sewage, fish or foul offal or any other noxious fluid, or garbage of any kind whatsoever into the harbour.

Similar bylaws were enacted for all the countys harbours by the county council in 2009.

According to the councils Port Waste Management Plan 2016 - 2019, the Port of Kinsale can organise a road tanker to collect sewage from vessels, which has to be paid for by the vessel owners.

Mr Renault said he believes larger vessels are adhering to legislation, but smaller ones allow their waste to be pumped out into harbours.

This (pollution) is of concern to local people. We would have a very clean harbour except for this, Cllr Murphy said.

Cllr Gillian Coughlan described the harbour as Kinsales jewel in the crown and said every effort has to be made to keep it pollution-free.

While using legislation to clamp down on offenders was suggested as the best deterrent, council officials also proposed the possibility of putting in a connection point which visiting vessels could use to pump waste into the towns sewerage system. There are only two such installations in Ireland, both of which are available to vessels users on the River Shannon.

Mr Renault pointed out that the installation of a publicly-available pump-out facility would require the provision of a floating marina, similar to the pontoon being installed in Schull. However, he added that the shallow depths in the harbour it would need to be dredged to allow larger vessels to access it at all tide levels.

Meanwhile, Cllr Murphy was shocked to learn it would cost 180,000 to remove an old fishing trawler which is lying next to the wall of the old Western Bridge at Tissaxon, Kinsale.

Surveyors told council officials that the figure will be higher if the vessel has any asbestos in it.

Under the Harbour Act of 1996 the vessel, which is now deemed as a wreck, could be dismantled by the county council and the costs recouped from the owner.

But Cllr Murphy was told by officials that is highly unlikely as its owner doesnt have that kind of money, nor does the municipal district, for that matter.One of Irelands busiest lifeboat crews have paid tribute to their godmother who has ensured, from beyond the grave, that they can continue to save lives at sea.

Members of the Kinsale RNLI lifeboat station in Cork have taken delivery of a new, faster and more advanced lifeboat that can carry more crew and operate more effectively in poor visibility.

They have spent the last two days putting the new Atlantic 85 vessel through her paces, under the guidance of RNLI assessors, in the hope of her being fully operational by the end of the week.

They will continue to respond to emergency calls during the training period using the original Kinsale lifeboat  the Atlantic 75-class Miss Sally Anne Baggy, which has been involved in several high-profile incidents over the course of her 15-years of service.

She and her crew played a crucial role in the rescue of 30 young people from the training ship Astrid which ran aground on the Cork coast in 2013, and in the rescue of three fishermen as their trawler, Sean Anthony, sank in 2016.

The new boat is named Miss Sally Anne Baggy II  Never Fear, Baggys Here, in honour of Sally Anne Odell, a lifelong supporter of the RNLI who was known to the crew as The Godmother.

Ms Odell paid for the original Kinsale lifeboat and RNLI station and she remained in close contact with the crew until her death on November 27 last, aged 81.

But she made provision in her will for the new boat and associated running costs for the duration of its working life.

Kinsale Lifeboat operations manager, Kevin Gould, said they are sorry to say goodbye to the original Miss Sally Anne Baggy, describing her as a great lifeboat that brought many people to safety during her service:

But we are proud to be the custodians of this new lifeboat that will allow our volunteers to save many more lives in the years to come. It is a fitting testament to the spirit and generosity of Sally Anne Odell.

The vessel will be officially named at a ceremony at the lifeboat station in a few weeks. The design allows room for four crew members and more kit than the Atlantic 75, which only had room for three crew members.

She is powered by two 115 horsepower engines, giving a greater top speed of 35 knots. Added radar allows the crew to operate more effectively in poor visibility and there is also VHF direction-finding equipment.

The vessel also carries a full suite of communication and electronic navigation aids, as well as a searchlight, night-vision equipment and flares for night-time operations.

The RNLI is a charity which relies on voluntary contributions and legacies.

Meanwhile, a massive fundraiser for Union Hall RNLI takes place this weekend, which includes a Superstars-style event on Sunday, featuring Rob and Marian Heffernan, DJ Carey, Noel OLeary, Aine Sheehan and Denis Fogarty.Eamon Bowen will lead Munsters challenge at next weekends All-Ireland series at Tullysaran following a comprehensive win over Wayne Callanan in the Munster intermediate final at Kilcorney on Saturday, writes Seamus O Tuama

He led from the off and had 50m after three to Cooneys and was within five metres of a bowl of odds after a brilliant fifth. He was just shy of Colemans bridge in a modest six shots, with Callanan just hind in seven, falling a full bowl behind.

Bowen gained a further 15m odds by getting the better of the lofts over the bridge.

Callanan played his next to the right and Bowen punished him with a super eighth to push his lead close to a second bowl. Callanan responded well to Bowens two big shots to Cullinanes to hold the lead at just over a bowl. He closed the gap to just a bowl after a great shot past the novice line, taking advantage of two poor throws from Bowen.

Bowen took command again with a blistering shot on the middle of the road to push his lead to 80m over a bowl. His next was slightly left, but it ran well past the junior line to keep him well over a bowl clear. He beat the finish line in two more to hold his advantage.

In next weekends All-Ireland final, he plays Conor McGuigan. The Ulster champion had a very easy win over James Oliver on the All-Ireland course at Tullysaran.

Oliver won the opening exchange, but could take little solace from the rest of the contest.

McGuigan was a bowl clear after just two more throws. He extended that to two bowls after five.

He raised a third bowl well before the finish and Oliver conceded.

Carmel Ryan has to be listed as one of the all-time greats of womens bowling.

She retained her Munster title against Meghan Collins, one to the new generation of rising stars. That tide of talent has been lapping at Ryans toes for the past few years and it is a testament to her talent and resilience that she is still above the high water.

She was toe-to-toe with Collins in the first three of the Munster final at Firmount. Collins gave her an opening when she played her fourth to the left, but Ryans bowl broke right just 15m fore. Collins responded with a good fifth which Ryan missed by five metres. Ryan then played a brilliant sixth, but Collins hit back with a better one to beat it by 40m.

Ryan increased the intensity with a brilliant seventh, but Collins beat it by 15m.

Ryan followed with another super shot and this time was rewarded with a narrow three metre lead. Ryan then pushed her lead to 40m with a super shot. Collins misplayed her next. Ryan hit back with a brilliant 10th to sight, which Collins missed by 25m to fall a bowl behind.

Collins knocked the bowl with a great throw from there. Ryan immediately responded with another big one. Collins stood up well to that challenge, but missed the tip by a few centimetres. They both missed the line with their next shots, with Collins edging that exchange to knock the bowl. Collins won the last shots too to save the bowl of odds.

Sean Donnelly is Ulster Junior A champion. He bowled consistently to beat Pete Carr by three bowls at Tullysaran. Carr was in trouble following a very short opening shot, that left him almost a bowl adrift after this second. He struggled to find his rhythm after that. He was almost two down after five to Mary-Anns and close to three behind at the Orange Hall.

Jamie Kelleher beat Darragh Dempsey by 40m in the u14 final at Templemartin. Dempsey led the first half, but never by more than 40m. Kelleher hit the front at ORiordans and held sway to the line.

Hannah Sexton bounced back from her All-Ireland U16 defeat to win the Munster U18 final against Aoife Creedon at Killumney. She raised an early bowl of odds, but Creedon knocked it with a great fifth. Sexton restored the bowl with her next shot and held it till playing two massive shots to raise a second bowl.

She plays Geraldine Kiernan in the All-Ireland final. Kiernan put in a storming finish to come from behind for victory over Tiarna McVeigh in the Ulster final.By Martin Claffey

Cork City midfielder Jimmy Keohane hopes to spurn the chance to face Celtic in a glamour Europa League tie as he believes the League of Ireland champions can instead cause an upset by knocking Rosenborg out of the competition.

Celtic face the Norwegian champions in Trondheim with a 3-1 advantage in tonights Champions League second leg, with the losers slipping into the Europa League to face Cork City on August 9 and 16.

Around 4,500 tickets have already been sold for Citys clash with Rosenborg or Celtic, despite tickets only being on sale so far to season ticket holders and FORAS members.

Tickets for the Turners Cross first leg on August 9 go on general sale tomorrow.

While its expected the match at Turners Cross will sell out whoever the opponents, a visit to 7,000-capacity Turners Cross by Celtic would spark a ticket frenzy tomorrow.

And while some fans are hoping to see the Scottish champions travelling to Cork, Keohane has a very different outlook.

Celtic is the glamour tie but if we get Rosenborg, weve got to fancy our chances that we can put it up to them, said the Wexford man.

The objective is to go as far as we can in Europe and I suppose wed have a fair chance against Rosenborg so Id like to take them really.

Cork boss John Caulfield expects Brendan Rodgers Celtic side to advance to face AEK Athens in the Champions League but says his focus is elsewhere at the minute, as he prepares his City side for a SSE Airtricity Premier Division trip to Waterford.

Weve people out there (in Trondheim), and no different to the Legia Warsaw game weve all that work and insight which we will go through at the weekend. Thats the plan.

Id expect Celtic to go through with that 3-1 first leg scoreline. But Rosenborg are proven, they have had incredible results in the Champions League over 10 years and are always there,so when the matches come around, we have to be ready.

Well do all our work after the weekend but at the moment Im just concerned about going to Waterford and to try get another three points.

Dundalk went back top of the Premier Division after beating Bohemians at the weekend, but Fridays match at the RSC is an opportunity for the Leesiders to go back to the top.

Cork Citys Champions League conquerors, Legia Warsaw, were reduced to nine men last night as they lost 2-1 on aggregate to Slovakias Spartak Trnava, despite a 1-0 away win last night. Legia now drop into the Europa League.By Hilary Marland and Catherine Cox

Mad, bad, or dangerous to know? How can we understand the criminal mind and the commission of crimes? Are these prompted by wickedness and the desire for gain or revenge, or by the workings of a disordered mind?

Such dilemmas preoccupied late 19th-century psychiatrists and prison doctors, grappling with growing numbers of criminals, many of whom showed signs of mental weakness or lunacy.

And in an era of mass migration, psychiatrists and prison officials also sought to understand why so many of those they confined were Irish migrants.

No work of fiction captures these issues more successfully and evocatively than Margaret Atwoods novel, Alias Grace, recently adapted by Netflix into a television drama.

Alias Grace is based on the grisly double murder that took place in July 1843 in a village 16 miles out of Toronto, in Upper Canada, when two of Thomas Kinnears servants, 20-year-old James McDermott and 16-year-old Grace Marks, were charged with killing Kinnear and his housekeeper and lover, Nancy Montgomery.

Kinnear was shot, while Montgomery, who was pregnant, was hit on the head with an axe, and then strangled.

The trial caused a sensation and was extensively reported by the press in Canada, the US and Britain.

The trial courtroom was said to be so crammed with spectators that there were fears that the floor would collapse.

McDermott and Marks were arrested in New York, where they had fled with a wagon full of stolen goods, and tried for the murder of Kinnear. McDermott was convicted of first-degree murder and Marks as an accessory. Both were sentenced to death and McDermott was hanged.

The jury recommended mercy for Marks and her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Markss role in the crime and her culpability remained and still remains elusive, and neither the novel nor the drama series attempt to provide an answer.

In 1872, after a series of clemency petitions, Marks was granted a pardon and released from prison.

Both Marks and McDermott were Protestant Irish migrants, and, while her age may have prompted Marks escape from the gallows  she was barely 16 when the case came to trial  her Irishness might well have counted against her.

Atwoods Marks observes the fact that being from Ireland was made to sound like a crime. She was, however, portrayed in far a more generous light than McDermott, with contemporary newspaper accounts emphasising her youth and beauty.

Yet at the trial she expressed little emotion, and astonishingly arrived in court wearing clothes stolen from Montgomery, raising the question of whether Marks was stupid, unfeeling or disordered in mind.

Court sketches of Grace Marks and James McDermott, 1843. Special Collection Toronto Public Library/Flickr, CC BY-SA.

Marks spent some 29 years in Kingston Penitentiary, but in 1852 was removed to the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, where she remained for 15 months.

In the series, the asylum is portrayed in negative and stereotypical ways but in reality her circumstances and conditions would have been improved.

Psychiatrists in this period were captivated by the relationship between crime and mental disorder, and particularly so in the case of women.

The interest of fictional psychiatrist, Dr Simon Jordon, who attempts to discover a true account of the crime forms the core of Atwoods novel.

Doubly deviant

Women committing crimes in the Victorian period  particularly violent ones  were depicted as doubly deviant.

They were castigated and punished for their criminality, and also fiercely criticised for deviating from the prescriptive ideology of femininity, and betraying the ideals of womanhood, marked by respectability, passivity and virtuous behaviour.

Throughout this period, many such women would find themselves in asylums and saved from the death penalty, their crimes explained by insanity.

Women were described by the emerging profession of psychiatry as being particularly vulnerable to mental weakness and illness, with female Irish migrants especially susceptible to imprisonment and asylum committal.

Many had endured tough lives and migration was prompted by poverty and the need to build a new life in a new world. Grace Marks had made the journey to Canada from the North of Ireland about three years before the murder was committed.

However, in the novel, Marks mother dies in childbirth during a harrowing voyage to Canada while her father is at best neglectful, at worst a violent drunk.

Far smaller numbers of women than men were admitted to prisons. Once there, though, they were seen as liable to be disruptive and volatile  traits the Victorians also associated with Irish migrants.

A Victorian madhouse through the eyes of a contemporary illustrator. shutterstock.

Pioneer life

Alias Grace was inspired by Atwoods reading of Susanna Moodies 1853 account of pioneer life, Life in the Clearings Versus the Bush; two chapters are devoted to Moodies visits to the penitentiary and the asylum to see the celebrated murderess Marks, whose fearful hauntings of her brain have terminated in madness.

She was lighted up with the fire of insanity, and glowing with a hideous and fiend-like merriment.

Marks was one of many who travelled to Canada from the north-east of Ireland prior to the Great Famine.

Atwoods novel evocatively describes the extreme hardships of the voyage, and the speed of Marks ejection from the family into domestic service. Given the shortage of servants in Canada at this time, Marks was able to move from position to position with ease.

Many Irish migrants ended up in prison as well as asylums. High rates of mental illness and institutional confinement were observed in Irish who travelled to new lands; almost 3,000 Irish immigrants found themselves in lunatic asylums in Victorian Ontario.

Atwood is alert to the prejudices Irish migrants may have encountered in Canada, while Moodies depictions of the Irish in Ontarios asylum and the penitentiary, and in general terms, are overwhelmingly negative.

Her true nature will forever be a mystery. Sabrina Lantos/Netflix.

Migration was described by Victorian doctors as dislocating, and liable to result in mental stress and breakdown.

So the expectation that Marks might have been suffering from mental illness, or was, as some claimed, simple-minded might well have been shaped by the association between Irishness, criminality and madness.

Given her experiences, she was in many ways an ideal candidate for mental breakdown.

The question remains unanswered  in the real case of Marks and her dramatisation  as to whether she was cunning enough to get away with murder and to shift the blame onto her accomplice, a vulnerable victim of a domineering McDermott, or mad.

This article was written by Hilary Marland of University of Warwick and Catherine Cox of University College Dublin was originally published on The Conversation.

Read the original article here.



There is just over a month left to submit applications for the British Business Awards, and this week we feature the China Investor in The UK Award  sponsored by CBI member KPMG. This is a unique award in the British Business Awards, as it is only open to Chinese companies that are in the UK market. Chinese companies that have built a presence in British business and contributed more broadly to British society are encouraged to apply.

As Daisy Shen, Deal Advisory Partner and COO of the Global China Practice, KPMG stated: KPMG is glad to stand beside BritCham in China once again to support the 2018 British Business Awards. Through years of unremitting efforts, KPMG has become a trusted advisor and clear choice alongside Chinese companies on their going out journey. Supporting the Chinese Investor in the UK Award is an excellent example and another opportunity of demonstrating KPMGs continuous commitment in assisting Chinese clients outbound strategy and promoting a healthy development of China-UK business relations.

http://www.britishbusinessawards.cn/the-chinese-investor-in-the-uk-award-sponsored-by-kpmg/We lag behind other European countries in how quickly new medicines are made available to patients and this could be exacerbated by Brexit, says Bernard Mallee.

Earlier this week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar raised the prospect of a shortage of medicines in Ireland, should Britain and the European Union fail to agree plans, including on trade, for an exit deal.

The Taoiseach was right to signal that preparedness for the supply of medicines, in the context of Brexit, whether hard or soft, is important for Ireland. The pharmaceutical industry has a major stake in the lives, livelihoods, and lifestyles of people across the country. The medicines we make, jobs we provide, and standards of living we enhance help improve our society and economy. Our industry, just like many others, wants to ensure that, after Brexit, Ireland functions normally, with any risks to the supply of medicines mitigated by planning.

Every month, 45m patient packs of medicine are supplied from the UK to the EU27, and 37m patient packs are supplied from the EU27 to the UK. That is not far off one billion medicines packs per year. It is one measure of the importance of medicines for human health, facilitated by regulatory alignment and free trade.

Whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, it is critical that Irish patients, and European ones, can continue to access their medicines without disruption.

Brexit preparedness has been a priority for our industry for more than a year. We have been working closely with the relevant public health stakeholders. Our shared goal is continuity of medicines supply for Irish patients, whatever the outcome of the Brexit talks.

Fundamentally, Brexit raises the issues of supply and of access to medicines. There is another side to these issues, which is less conspicuous, but no less serious.

Ireland urgently needs to make up ground, lost to other EU countries, in patient access to new medicines.

We are the slowest in western Europe for the availability of new medicines. Many patients in western European countries can already get medicines that are not available here. Among the medicines in our approvals system are some for cancer and heart disease, Irelands two biggest killer diseases

In June, the Government signed up to BeNeLuxA  an initiative between Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Austria  on medicines access and pricing. This is a first for Ireland, but we have urged policymakers to avoid being distracted from fixing a slow and inefficient medicines approvals process at home.

Even if we take the BeNeLuxA countries, our record on access for patients to innovative medicines is far from ideal. Just 22% of new medicines launched in 2014-15 were routinely available in Ireland by the end of 2016, compared to 30% for Belgium, 38% for the Netherlands, and 52% for Austria. For cancer medicines, the situation is worse.

Just 20% of new cancer medicines launched in 2014-15 were available in Ireland by the end of 2016, compared to 28% for Belgium, 60% for the Netherlands, and 76% for Austria. In other words, we lag the same countries in the group the Government wants us to join.

Recently, Belgium and the Netherlands announced they had reached a joint deal for a new medicine for a rare disease. But Ireland was not included, despite an offer from the company concerned. The affected patients in Ireland have not yet benefited from this cross-country initiative. They are still waiting, left behind relative to others in Europe. This delay must be fixed.

Our industry has a four-year agreement with the Government. The deal will provide a reliable framework in which public expenditure on medicines is sustainable, and in which new, innovative medicines are made available to patients in a timely way. By the end of 2020, when the deal expires, 785m in savings are expected. But, so far, these savings are not being reinvested back into new medicines.

Instead, they are absorbed by other strands of public expenditure. Meanwhile, our industry is making good on a pledge to limit the prices of our medicines to an average of 14 EU countries. Since July, 2016, there have been three rounds of price cuts for thousands of medicines.

We often hear that Irelands medicines costs are too high. Actually, the medicines bill has been relatively stable, at 1.7bn annually, for the past five years. This is despite ageing demographics and the arrival of innovative new medicines. More patients are being treated with improved medicines, but spend is staying relatively flat, while volumes rise. An analysis of the medicines reimbursed by the HSE in primary care shows that over 4,000 products, or 61%, are under 20 per pack. Just 698 products, or 11%, are priced at more than 100 per pack.

It is important that we differentiate medicine price and value. Price is what we pay to have innovative medicines in the system, albeit at a pace much slower than desirable. Value is the benefit that is created for society, and the economy, by these medicines. Life expectancy in Ireland is rising faster than the EU average.

Much of this progress is down to the availability of innovative medicines, which are tackling some of the worlds most urgent health challenges.

In Ireland, between 2006 and 2015, cardiovascular disease dropped by 28%, prompted by the development of statins for the treatment of high cholesterol. Today, a 20-year-old patient with HIV can expect to live to more than 70, due to the development of combination anti-retrovirals, which transformed HIV from a terminal disease to a chronic illness.

Ireland is a strong player in Europes pharmaceutical industry. The foreign-owned pharmaceutical companies directly employ 30,000 people here, with about as many more working in spin-off jobs.

We host 75 pharmaceutical companies, including all of the top 10 in the world, manufacturing five of the worlds top 12 medicines. Over the past 10 years, the pharmaceutical industry has invested close to 10bn in manufacturing and research sites.

In Cork alone, some of the worlds largest pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis, Pfizer, MSD, GSK, Janssen, AbbVie and Eli Lilly, are executing research and manufacturing activities for the discovery and supply of treatments for global markets.

So, as an industry, we are performing for Ireland, attracting fresh investments, developing tomorrows cures, and creating value for society and the economy.

But, still, the wait goes on for Irish patients who need the latest medicines. Between government and industry, we can change how innovative medicines are funded and accessed. Lets make it happen for patients.

Bernard Mallee is the director of communications and advocacy at the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare AssociationBy Tania Woloshyn

Angry Creamsicle, Comrade Cheetolino, Mango Mussolini, Agent Orange  these are just a few of the nicknames that Donald Trump has picked up along his presidential road. Trump may ethnically identify as white, but his skin is categorically and scathingly portrayed as orange.

When Trump was elected in 2016, succeeding former president Barack Obama, I remember references such as orange is the new black. At once an allusion to the popular Netflix series and a bold comment on race, colour here functions as an important form of satire. And this satiric use of colour has persisted throughout Trumps presidency. His recent UK visit witnessed the orange baby balloon and orange-faced protesters continuing this in full force.

A woman demonstrates during Trumps trip to Scotland. Lesley Martin/PA Wire/PA Images

My specialism is the history of tanning, so I find this particular form of humour fascinating. Its striking that Trumps skin tone, above all else, has prompted such a level of derision.

Fake it to make it

Orange is a colour with such comedic value because it is impossible, disingenuous: it is a mark of artifice. Tanning enthusiasts speak of achieving a healthy glow, looking bronzed, and ones (implicitly and necessarily once white) skin browning in the sun. Fake bake would seem, and is marketed as, the safer alternative to true exposure to the suns UV rays, which we know can cause cancer.

But the problem is it remains just that: fake. The colouring is a dye, sitting on the skins upper surface layer, not a natural alteration of pigment embedded deeper within the cells. Unlike red lipstick, violet hair dye, or blue eye shadow  which are also clearly unnatural aesthetic additions and colour modifications to the human face  the orange fake tan (or serious overuse of bronzer) is widely viewed as unacceptable within popular culture. The natural progression of skin phototypes does not include orange as a colour value on this light-dark spectrum.

Agent Orange. Antwon McMullen / Shutterstock.com

And let us remember why it exists in the first place. It is a normalised belief in white Western culture that dark skin is to be envied, that altering (however temporarily) ones original colour by darkening it several shades down the colour line will make it look more beautiful, healthier, sexier, younger. This is the case for both women, especially young white women in the US and UK, as well as men, not least male bodybuilders.

Its not surprising, then, that Trump believes altering his natural skin colour will improve his appearance and, hence, sense of self. The belief in a healthy tan has existed since the early 20th century, and continues to drive tourism just as it drives the tanning bed and fake tan industries.

Getting below the surface

Id argue that there is something very serious about Trumps orange face  something serious about the superficial. Scottish artist and writer David Batchelor argues that colour has been feared and marginalised as trivial, as artifice, as other, throughout the history of Western civilisation. He terms this chromophobia, describing the prejudice against colour as operating two ways:

In the first, colour is made out to be the property of some foreign body - usually the feminine, the oriental, the primitive, the infantile, the vulgar, the queer or the pathological. In the second, colour is relegated to the realm of the superficial, the supplementary, the inessential or the cosmetic. In one, colour is regarded as alien and therefore dangerous; in the other, it is perceived merely as a secondary quality of experience, and thus unworthy of serious consideration. Colour is dangerous, or it is trivial, or it is both

Fake tan, fake news. Manutsawee Buapet / Shutterstock.com

Like his combover (his thinning hair suggesting lost youth and virility) or his sourpuss pouts (lost composure under intense media scrutiny), Trumps orange skin is a target of ridicule  of a man obsessed with vanity yet marked by signs of failed masculinity. And yet there is danger here, too, for they are implicitly signs of weak and worrisome leadership, of a man out of control of his appearance and perhaps, by extension to his opponents, his country.

The reference to Trump as Agent Orange is particularly relevant. Used by the US military in the Vietnam War to destroy foliage, this chemical also contained the carcinogen, TCDD, which seriously harmed many local inhabitants and their future unborn children. For artists like Busta Rhymes, Trump is envisioned as a dangerous weapon or force of destruction that threatens global peace.

Busts Rhymes calling Trump "President Agent Orange" on live television at the Grammys is the most Hip-Hop thing I've seen in years.  Sylvan (@SylvanLacue) February 13, 2017

Above all, there is a crucial irony that the orange-saturated skin that has become so characteristic of Trumps image is totally at odds with the overt xenophobia and racism that saturate his words and actions. Yet here, too, are historical parallels: Hitler equally praised the bronzed, sculpted bodies of the ancients and encouraged his soldiers to tan and exercise in the open air while simultaneously spouting of the purity of the Aryan race.

I am not arguing that Trump is a modern-day Hitler (even if others have). What I am arguing is that orange is a colour not of comedy but of contention, even provocation. Protesters wear orange paint like a war mask, mocking Trumps unstable character and confused values. His odd, even toxic, colouring may seem trivial, but its meaning is more than skin deep.

This article was written by Tania Woloshyn of University of Warwick and was originally published on The Conversation.

Read the original article here.Putin has been running the table on Trump and the US. Russia is now a serious player and its president keeps raising the stakes, writes Nina Khrushcheva

At a summit with US President Donald Trump in Helsinki last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin proved that he remains a master of the tradecraft he perfected in the 1980s as a Soviet operative in East Germany.

Trump wilted under Putins impassive KGB-trained gaze.

After the summit, Trump declared that he trusted Putins assurance that Russia had no reason to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election.

The statement, which contradicted US intelligence agencies, was quickly condemned by many in the US security establishment, Democrats, and even some Republicans. Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, said Trump must appreciate that Russia is not our ally.

Some went so far as to call Trumps behaviour treason.

Trump, as usual, quickly backtracked, claiming that he had mis-articulated a double negative.

The sentence should have been, I dont see any reason why it wouldnt be Russia, he asserted.

But then, in another characteristic move, Trump hedged his correction: It could be other people also. There are a lot of people out there.

Now Trump says that if Russia does meddle again, it would be to support the Democrats.

All of these flip-flops have reinforced the belief that Putin has something on Trump, a perception that the Russian president seems to welcome.

In Helsinki, Putin confirmed he had wanted Trump to win the election  a calculated move, no doubt, that he knew would seem to corroborate accusations that Trumps presidential campaign colluded with the Kremlin.

Given how beneficial the Trump- induced chaos has been to Russia thus far, Putin must have decided to stir the pot more vigorously.

Of course, in the long and complex history of US-Russia relations, each country has meddled in the others domestic affairs. During the Cold War, the Soviets sponsored the Communist Party USA.

After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Americans were heavily involved in the transition process, contributing to the chaotic capitalism of the Boris Yeltsin era. In fact, it was partly those Western-driven reforms, which did more harm than good, that helped bring Putin to power in 2000. Russians wanted a leader who wouldnt listen too closely to US advice.

Now, it is Putin who is meddling in American politics, not only by attempting to sway the election but also by wielding considerable influence over Trump himself. Arguing that his efforts to improve relations with Russia are in Americas national interest, Trump, shortly after the summit, invited Putin to visit the White House in the near future. Putin has just reciprocated with an invitation for Trump to come to the Kremlin.

Trumps enthusiasm (and desire to defy his critics) is no substitute for a genuine openness to mutually beneficial cooperation, like that seen in 1959, when Dwight Eisenhower invited Nikita Khrushchev to visit the US, and in 1986, when Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan met in Reykjavik. Instead, Trumps actions just look like more kowtowing, raising the hackles of other US leaders. For many members of the US security establishment, Putins apparent influence over Trump poses an existential threat to American democracy, much as the Soviet Union did at the height of the Cold War.

Mounting hysteria over Russia also amounts to a serious threat, as it is neutering US foreign policy in ways that may end up delivering to Putin the global influence he craves  and for which he has been happy to take big gambles. He invaded Georgia in 2008, annexed Crimea in 2014, and intervened in Syrias civil war to support his ally, Bashar al-Assad. Brazen meddling in the US election to weaken Hillary Clinton, a stern Kremlin critic, fits this pattern.

Lets face it: Putin has been running the table on Trump and the US. Though some of his bets have worked out better than others, the net result is that Russia is now a serious player. And, convinced he can get away with pretty much anything, Putin keeps raising the stakes.

Ultimately, however, it is Trumps aberrant  and increasingly abhorrent  presidency that poses the bigger global threat, not least by offering Putin more opportunities to engage in adventurism and degrade US power. Trumps trade war, which targets even Americas closest allies, is a case in point, as it has helped drive more countries towards rapprochement with Russia.

Germany  which Trump, with a straight face, has called a captive of the Russians  has responded to Trumps actions, including his opposition to the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel calmly stated that we can make our independent policies and make independent decisions.

Likewise, China, the primary target of Trumps trade war, has now agreed to a Russian plan to retaliate against the announced deployment of US missile-defence systems in Japan and South Korea.

When asked why Nikita Khrushchev was removed from power, the long-time Soviet politician Andrei Gromyko allegedly joked: Khrushchev was so reckless a gambler, we would be lucky to hold on to Moscow.

Gromyko, after all, had had to deal with Khrushchevs impulsive gamble of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis during his time as foreign minister (though that gamble ended up paying off, in the form of a US commitment not to invade Cuba).

Nowadays, its the reckless White House occupant who is the biggest problem. A loser when he was gambling with other peoples money in the casino business a generation ago, Trump is now betting a far more precious asset.

By the time he leaves the table, the US will be lucky if it retains any of its global credit.

Nina L Khrushcheva is professor of international affairs at The New School and a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute.At least 13 people - mostly foreign tourists - have been injured after two trains collided in southern Peru.

The crash happened a few miles from the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu.The hissy fit of the politically correct at the entry of Dragons Den star, entrepreneur, and self- promotion expert Gavin Duffy is wonderful to behold.

I am doubtful about Duffy myself, but the double standards and discomfort of Michael D Higgins self-appointed adherents is comedy gold. If you follow the groupies on social media, and simply sniff for smugness to seek them out, you will find them basting in humbug on the barbecue. For that alone Duffy is worth it, at least for now.

A few weeks ago, you may remember, but then again you may have had something better to do, an awful brouhaha arose about the lack of women speakers at the MacGill Summer School.

There was a great stalking off by the indignant into the chasm of righteousness. Screams, shouts, and roars ensured. Tellingly, much of the noise was from men who regularly brought their linen jackets out from the back of the wardrobe to rush up to Glenties annually and opine. A relative lack of ladies, except to listen, didnt seem to bother them.

Thats the thing about sensitivity and sincerity. Its seasonal. It is especially prone to break out in a crowd. Noise can spread it to pandemic levels.

I have always been fascinated by the close connection between cynicism, self-righteousness, and sincerity. True sincerity seldom leads, I suspect, to the others, but paradoxically, most forms of self- interest rapidly lead on to strong sincerity.

Sometimes it is of the sort, supported by indignation, that rises to righteous anger. Reflective quiet might allow room for self-examination of conscience or worse a revision of opinion. Best to hammer on regardless.

There was a real issue at MacGill, notwithstanding that there were even more women speakers originally than we, the people, elected as TDs. But no matter.

Dont do as I do, do as I say. It was a credit to the work of Joe Mulholland and those who stepped in to help him that really good women were readily found, and a more interesting, better attended MacGill ensued. But back to the brouhaha.

In the name of equality, there was an onslaught of abuse of Mulholland and his originally largely male group of speakers as old. Its the stale part of male, stale, and beyond the pale.

How ageism sits with equality is an unrevealed mystery to me, but there you are. The brute politics of the things are seemingly less refined than the ideal itself.

Fast-forward to the hiring fair that is the presidential election. The instant array of double standards on display was stunning. Questioning of the president on the grounds of his age was, yes, you guessed it, ageist.

Unlike the requirements of giving a speech for 20 minutes in Glenties, another seven years as president is an onerous undertaking and one that is mission critical for our democracy.

The presidents powers are relatively few, but they are essential and absolutely so in a crisis.

Were government or Oireachtas to overreach legislatively or a taoiseach seek to undermine the will of the Dail by bolting for an election, when the will of the House is to reconfigure government without him the president would be our essential safeguard.

That political crisis unfolded without a constitutional crisis in December 1994. Albert Reynolds went out, John Bruton came in, and Reynolds, to his credit, never thought to seek a dissolution.

But these are the scenarios when the competence and judgment of the president are essential. The chance for us, the people, to make our judgement is in the heat of an election campaign. It tests mettle.

There is umbrage about the fact of a contest when it is absolutely clear there was always going to be one. That itself is instructive about the self-regard of a certain sort who like campaigns, like their claret, served at room temperature.

There is a selective deployment of ageism to firstly denigrate some who dont suit and then to insist that Michael Ds age is beyond the pale for public comment: He isnt stale because he is one of us.

There is a denigration of Duffy because he is a businessman who has promoted products in tawdry ads to sell sun lotion. Its called TanOrganic. My only regret is that I havent made a few bob from my own suntan lotion. But who knows what the future holds?

If those ads arent at the upper end of elegance, well, who goes through life, vetting every day against the day when you might run for president? It will all be unveiled now, and so be it. We can make up our minds in time.

But I will make up my own mind, thank you, and you should do the same. There is the making of a cloying, suffocating consensus, I dont like. Thats not to mention the silence of the same, over Michael Ds adulation of regimes like Castros in Cuba, and apparent affinity for Chavez in Venezuela.

We all make mistakes, and the tone and content of the presidents statement on the death of Fidel Castro was a singular mistake.

I am prepared to give a Duffy campaign a hearing. The thought has crossed my mind that he is only in it for now, as a brand promotion exercise.

If he fails to secure four council nominations, his enhanced brand, or at least larger profile, can resume its day job of self-promotion. Self-promotion, by the way, is an entirely honourable pursuit. Its just that different folks do it in different ways.

Sinn Fein is certainly doing it differently and, the more I think about it, perhaps cleverly. By putting different putative candidates on show, but for peeping only, it saves them from the inevitable onslaught. Its campaign is not about the presidency. It is about the party and an opportunity to promote it.

It is its showboating that is driving some on the edges of Fianna Fail mad. Councillor Ollie Crowe has hoisted Eamon O Cuivs standard up the pole but that fluent, loquacious politician is, at the time of writing, neither to be seen nor heard.

Crowe says O Cuiv hasnt put him up to it. But silence is the very speech that has allowed this take legs. Whatever about complicity, the degree of omission is a sort of collusion by default.

I suspect there will be several false starts in this campaign. Those who back off by design may well congratulate themselves on their foresight.

It will be a test of the public conversation, not least of the media, as to whether they are capable of testing every candidate equally rigorously. The very early signs are not promising. But lets see. In the end, the decision will be ours, and we should bide our time.

Look over every candidate carefully for ourselves and only decide finally at the very end.News 3 More Sued, Arrested in Mandalay For Opposing Cement Factory

Daw Aye (center) is supported by U Thein Paing (left) and Daw Mya Mya at the Patheingyi Township police station in Mandalay Region on Tuesday. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

MANDALAY  Three more people were arrested on Tuesday in Mandalay Region over opposition to a coal-powered cement factory currently under construction that locals want cancelled for fear it will damage the environment or leave them uncompensated for confiscated land.

U Thein Paing, Daw Mya Mya and Daw Aye, who is 70 years old, had been notified that they were being sued under a local road and traffic law and presented themselves at a police station in Patheingyi Township, at which point they were arrested and sent to the township court.

The three asked to be released on bail but were refused.

The court said it is a non-bailable offense. It is not a problem for us. But Daw Aye is seriously ill and deserves bail, so we were saddened by the courts decision, said U Thein Paing.

U Thein Paing and Daw Mya Mya were both sent to Obo prison in Mandalay Township immediately after the court session. Daw Aye was sent to Patheingyi General Hospital to receive medical care under police supervision. Her lawyer said a second bail request had already been submitted and that a decision was expected on Thursday.

The trio reportedly refused to abandon their land to make way for the expansion of a local road leading to the cement factory in Aung Thabyay Village.

Locals say some of their land was already confiscated when the road was built in 2013.

At the end of 2017, authorities from the road and transportation department said they would expend the road again. But this time we cannot give up our lands without compensation, said Daw Mya Mya.

Locals said the department sent out notices telling residents with land along the road to remove the fences around their properties and that the three were sued when they refused.

The road is already 18 feet wide. Now they plan to expand it to be 50 feet wide and we have to give up a lot of our land without any compensation. We disagree with the plan and we were being sued. This is too much, said Daw Mya Mya.

Another Daw Mya Mya, a farmer from Thayatgone Village who refused an order to stop fencing off her land, was arrested on July 22 and is also being sued for the same offense.

The four could to sentenced to up to three years in prison if convicted.

Another four people are being sued under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law for planning a protest against the cement factory.

U Thein Paing claimed that the residents of Aung Thabyay have been told that the entire village would have to be relocated once the factory, a project of the Chinese-owned Myint Investment Company, is finished.

We dont want to move from here. We want mother Suu to help, he said, referring to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.Asia Thailand Asks UK to Extradite Convicted Former PM Yingluck

Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra greets supporters as she arrives at the Supreme Court in Bangkok, Thailand, on Aug. 1, 2017. / Reuters

BANGKOK  Thailand has asked Britain to extradite former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, overthrown in a coup in 2014 and sentenced in absentia to jail for negligence, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday.

Yingluck fled the country last August to avoid being jailed over a rice subsidy scheme that ran up losses in the billions of dollars. She has denied wrongdoing and said the trial was politically motivated.

The Supreme Court sentenced her in absentia to five years jail last September.

Prayuth said the request was a necessary procedure between the two countries, which share an extradition treaty.

We cannot go and arrest people abroad so it is up to that country to arrest and send [her] to us, Prayuth said.

Yingluck and her brother, ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have been at the center of a power struggle that has dominated Thai politics for more than a decade, pitting traditional royalist and the military elite against the Shinawatra family and their supporters in the rural north and northeast.

It was not immediately clear why the government had waited until now to seek Yinglucks extradition or how Britain would respond.

With a long-awaited general election due for some time next year, both Thaksin and Yingluck still wield significant political influence.

The junta has long maintained that it is unconcerned by the Shinawatra siblings, but critics say the military is looking to end the familys political influence by introducing a new military-backed constitution and restrictions on political parties.Asia Vietnam Graft Crackdown Claims First Military Scalp With 'Little Baldy'

A girl walks past a poster promoting the 14th National Assembly election on a street in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 20, 2016. / Reuters

HANOI  A Vietnamese military court on Tuesday sentenced the first military official to go on trial in the communist-ruled countrys ongoing crackdown against corruption to 12 years in jail.

Former Colonel Dinh Ngoc He, known by his nickname Little Baldy, was convicted of abusing power in performance of official duties and using fake documents, the news website of state radio Voice Of Vietnam reported.

The court said the case nature is very serious, directly harming the rightful operations of state authorities The culprits action seriously affected the prestige of the military and the police, the report said.

Vietnamese authorities have since 2016 intensified a crackdown on corruption that has led to the arrest of dozens of high-profile business figures and officials, including one member of the politburo.

The crackdown was widened earlier this year to include the military and police force.

Dinh Ngoc He abused his position as chairman of Thai Son Joint Stock Company and his military status to get contracts in key national projects, the official Vietnam News Agency said, citing a copy of the indictment.

He also abused his position to obtain military license plates for his company cars and submitted fake university test certificates to the Communist Party in a bid to increase his salary, the indictment said.

The sentencing follows the disciplining of two deputy ministers at the Ministry of Public Security on Saturday, both of whom were stripped of their party credentials by the Communist Party for lacking responsibility, the partys inspection committee said.

On Monday, a Hanoi court sentenced a fugitive Vietnamese tycoon, Phan Van Anh Vu, who previously told his foreign lawyers that he was also a senior officer in Vietnams secret police, to nine years in prison for deliberate disclosure of state secrets.

The two cases are unrelated but both have been closely watched in Vietnam for their close ties to several senior government officials, some of whom have since been arrested.

In April, police arrested a former senior police official and a former head of the central city of Danang and placed another former chairman of the city under house arrest, after connecting them to Vus case.News Bago Farmers Face Huge Debts as Newly Seeded Fields Wiped Out by Floods

A house in Bago Region lies partially submerged by floodwater on July 27. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy

YANGONLocal farmers in Bago Regions Shwegyin Township are facing heavy debts after their paddy fields were flooded just days after they seeded and applied fertilizer to them.

Our fields have been flooded for nearly a week, U Kyaw Hsan Win, a farmer from Nyaung Bin Gyi village, told The Irrawaddy.

Weve lost around 150,000 kyats per acre. Luckily, I used direct seeding. If I had used the transplanting method, it would require weeding and would have cost even more, he added.

Shwegyins villages have been inundated since July 25. The water subsided a little on July 30, but most of the houses, roads and farmland remain flooded.

We took out loans from the government. We borrowed around 1 million kyats for 7 acres. Now, we will have to borrow money from others [to replant the crops], said Ma May Pearl Wah of Wyne Pyin village.

The floodwaters rose so rapidly that the farmers had no time to prepare, leaving them with huge losses.

We havent seen severe flooding for a few years, so people grew complacent. They sowed their seeds assuming there wouldnt be flooding. Now, all the fields are inundated, said Ma Thin Pa Pa Soe of Nyaung Bin Gyi village.

According to the Disaster Management Center, over 77,000 residents of Bago Region have been dislocated by flooding on the Sittaung and Bago rivers.

Of the 45,305 acres of farmland in Shwegyin, 25,500 acres have been inundated, according to July 31 records from the townships Agriculture Department.

We will use all means at our disposal to try to replant those paddy fields, department head Daw Thet Thet Khaing told The Irrawaddy.

Floods have dislocated 27,266 people from 17 wards and village tracts in Shwegyin, and around 70 schools have been temporarily closed, according to the townships General Administration Department.Burma Bangladesh-Myanmar Repatriation Working Group to Visit Rakhine

Workers erect shelters at temporary refugee camps in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar, in January. / Min Aung Khaing / The Irrawaddy

DHAKA  A joint Bangladesh-Myanmar working group on repatriation will visit Myanmars Rakhine State in August to assess whether conditions are suitable for the safe return of Rohingya refugees, a Bangladeshi official said.

The visit will be its first since militant attacks on police posts in Rakhine on Aug. 25 triggered a crackdown by the Myanmar military that has driven some 700,000 mostly Rohingya to Bangladesh.

We want to see what they [Myanmar] have done to create a conducive environment, what kind of houses they have built, what they have done for their business and land. We will return with a briefing so that we can say what kind of work has been done, whether or not it is enough, if a conducive environment is being created, Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque told reporters at an event in Dhaka on Tuesday.

The public discussion, titled The Rohingya Influx and its Impact on Locality: The role of stakeholders for durable solutions, was organized by the National Human Rights Commission with funding from the United Nations Development Program.

Bangladesh and Myanmar formed the 30-member joint working group in December to supervise all aspects of the repatriation of refugees from Myanmar back to Rakhine.

The group held its second meeting in Bangladesh in mid-May, co-chaired by Shahidul Haque and Myanmar Foreign Affairs Ministry Permanent Secretary U Myint Thy.

At the meeting, Bangladesh insisted that Myanmar create a conducive environment for repatriation by taking certain steps, including ensuring Rohingyas rights to property and freedom of movement.

According to the UNs ReliefWeb, Myanmar reiterated its readiness to receive Rohingya who were verifiably displaced from Rakhine and urged Bangladesh to start sending back the roughly 2,300 volunteer refugees Naypyitaw has already screened and approved.

Myanmar in turn asked Bangladesh to provide information on its readiness to commence the repatriation process, including transit camps on its side of the border and efforts to educate the refugees about the repatriation process.

Myanmar also called on the international community to help bring a stable peace and sustainable development to all of Rakhine States residents.

The working group is scheduled to hold its next meeting in Naypyitaw.

Shahidul Haque said the joint visit to Rakhine would probably last two or three days and begin on Aug. 9 or 10. He added that Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahood Ali would join the trip.

With this process we will be able to repatriate them safely and securely, the foreign secretary said, adding that repatriation was a very complicated process but that Myanmar and Bangladesh were progressing relatively quickly.

Shahidul Haque declined to give a clear answer when asked why none of the refugees has been repatriated through official channels to date. We have to be optimistic, he said.

In addition to the bilateral repatriation agreements Bangladesh and Myanmar have signed with each other, the UN recently signed deals with both to help facilitate the returns.

Imtiaz Ahmed, director of Dhaka Universitys Center for Genocide Studies, told The Irrawaddy that the working group should be taking a long-term view of the repatriation process and consider how safe the Rohingya refugees will be after they return. He said Myanmar should also amend its laws to guarantee them a path to citizenship.Guest Column 30 Years On From '88 Uprising, a Need For Reparations

Protestors march in downtown Yangon during the 88 Uprising in August, 1988. / Htein Win

The 30-year anniversary of the 1988 uprising is fast approaching, commemorating when millions of people marched across the country in a powerful call, demanding the end of decades of oppressive military rule.

Following months of unrest, protests erupted throughout Myanmar in August 1988. The response from the military dictators was barbaric. In the weeks that followed, 3,000 were estimated to have been killed and many more injured. Thousands were arrested, incarcerated and tortured in jail, all for simply exercising their democratic rights.

As we approach the 30-year anniversary, it is important to stop and reflect on how far we have come as a nation and on what has changed since a quarrel in a tea shop started one of the biggest political demonstrations in Myanmars history. While many people contemplate the state of the nation 30 years on, though, what about the state of the protesters?

Many of the 88 generation have scars as a result of their imprisonment. Many are underemployed, and some are unable to work altogether. They need reparation and recognition.

A reparation law should be implemented to this end. This would include financial reparations to make up for years of unemployment and employment restrictions. Provisions for physical therapy, treatment and livelihood support such as pensions should be included. Such a law should also remove any restrictions or limitations on hiring former political prisoners or denying them full access to all avenues of society. Today, lawyers and doctors who lost their licenses upon arrest have yet to get them back even though they were released years ago.

In 2013, in Georgia, an amnesty bill not only freed 190 political prisoners but also freed them from any legal or criminal responsibility. It ensured not only their freedom, but also their re-integration into society, allowing them to play roles in moving the country forward. Such a holistic approach should be studied and considered for Myanmar. In Northern Ireland, former political prisoners played vital roles in the peace process and in national reconciliation. Former political prisoners should be utilized for the benefit of this country too. This should also include the involvement of those who have fled and are yet to return.

The return of exiles, activists and former political prisoners is an important and necessary step for national reconciliation. In South Africa, Chile and East Timor, at the end of civil war or after a conflict or uprising, exiles returned and proved they can play vital roles in shaping that countrys future.

In Myanmar, there is no pathway for exiles to return. I myself am also still waiting for the government to return my citizenship. I am not alone. Many more are waiting for it to be returned while others are waiting to be removed from the government blacklist. The government needs to facilitate this. It needs to invite and welcome exiles and listen to them.

They also need recognition of their sacrifice, of their many years spent behind bars for fighting for change. Today there are 122 former political prisoners in Parliament. They know all too well the struggle that political prisoners have endured. It should not go unnoticed. But there is little action being taken. This recognition of their struggle would be a vital part of national reconciliation.

There is now a democracy monument in Bago Region recognizing the struggle of democratic activists, built by the regional government and civil society, which will be officially opened on Aug. 8. This is appreciated and a start, but more effort toward recognition needs to be made by the central government.

Now, 30 years on from the uprising, we are living in a hybrid regime, where power is shared between the democratic government and the military. We can see some positive signs, but the civil war goes on, torture remains widespread and gross human rights violations still exist. We have come a long way, but we have much further to go and the government has a lot more to do.

Bo Kyi helped found the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners and currently serves as a secretary.Faced with growing privacy concerns, the Federal Government has backed down over its controversial My Health Record system and said it would change the laws governing release of data.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a statement after meeting Australian Medical Association president Tony Bartone in Melbourne on Tuesday night that the My Health Record Act would be redrafted.

Controversy over the digital record system erupted after a three-month period for opting out kicked off on 16 July.

Two days later, the former head of the government's Digital Transformation Agency, Paul Shetler, added to the furore by saying that the system could well end up as another tech wreck, and that if he was an Australian, he would probably opt out himself.

The statement issued by Hunt said: "The amendment will ensure no record can be released to police or government agencies, for any purpose, without a court order.

"The Digital Health Agencys policy is clear and categorical - no documents have been released in more than six years and no documents will be released without a court order. This will be enshrined in legislation."

Dr Bartone told The Sydney Morning Herald that he welcomed Hint's decision.

"In addition, weve also impressed upon the Minister that theres a need to have some clear air, to ensure that the community has time to fully understand what is a My Health Record and what is entailed in the opt out process," he said.

Dr Bartone added that Hunt was willing to consider an extension of the opt-out period by a month.

The Australian Digital Health Agency has been reluctant to provide statistics about the number of opt-outs.

When iTWire asked the ADHA a day after the opt-out period began about how many were choosing to have their names to be taken off, the agency said there were no figures available as yet.

"Following the end of the three-month opt-out window, there will be a 30-day reconciliation period for the processing of paper forms arriving by mail," a spokesperson said.

"Records will then be created for Australians who have not opted out of having a My Health Record. These records must be created by the end of 2018 and further statistics will be available then."Xero (ASX:XRO) will pay the acquisition price for Hubdoc in two stages  initially US$60 million consisting of 35% cash and 65% in Xero equity  and a second tranche of US$10 million in equity to be issued to Hubdocs shareholders in 18 months, subject to meeting agreed operational targets and conditions.

The company says the transaction and integration costs, together with continuing investment in Hubdocs growth, are expected to reduce its EBITDA in FY19 by approximately NZ$7 million.

Under the deal, expected to be completed this month, the Toronto-headquartered Hubdoc will continue to operate on a stand-alone basis within Xero, led by co-founders and co-chief executives, Jamie McDonald and Jamie Shulman.

Hubdoc will continue to be sold separately, and available to non-Xero customers, maintaining its current business model.

Xero says that, over the longer-term, customers can expect to see a deeper integration between Hubdoc and the Xero platform, servicing customers globally  and it is fully committed to its open ecosystem strategy and Xero customers will continue to have access to the full range of more than 700 apps that connect with Xero.

Hubdoc has been a Xero ecosystem partner since 2014 and the company automatically collects bank statements, bills, and receipts from more than 700 financial institutions, utilities, telecom providers, and suppliers, delivering streamlined data capture and a seamless integration with accounting solutions such as Xero.

Xero says the data capture capability is a key element of its code-free accounting strategy, which enables small businesses and their advisors to focus on growing their businesses.

Xero chief executive Steve Vamos said the acquisition of Hubdoc enabled the company to take the next step in delivering a platform that seamlessly connects small businesses with their financial data, and their accountants and bookkeepers and accelerates the companys ability to streamline the collection and classification of the data small businesses and their advisors need in order to focus on driving better business outcomes.

McDonald and Shulman said: "Over the past four years, Hubdoc has built an industry-changing product, a passionate following of customer advocates and a reputation for an authentic, human service. What is exciting about this transaction is the opportunity to deeply partner with Xero in its mission to rewire the global small business economy."The second quarter of 2018 marked the first time since the second quarter of 2010 that Apple did not figure in either the first or second positions for global smartphone market share, figures from market intelligence provider IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker show.

IDC said Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei Technologies, uptil now the third biggest maker of smartphones globally, had grabbed the second spot, shopping 54.2 million units for the second quarter of 2018, and registering a record high market share of 15.8%.

Samsung was first again, despite its shipments slipping 10.4% compared to the corresponding quarter in 2017. The company shipped 71.5 million units, compared to the 79.8 million units it shipped in the second quarter of 2017.

The South Korean conglomerate is shipping its new Galaxy Note 9 on 9 August; the device is expected to have a bigger battery, S-Pen capabilities and better performance overall.

IDC said that Huawei continued to lead the Chinese smartphone market with a record high market share of 27% in the second quarter of 2018. "In the first half of this quarter, Huawei's P20/P20 Pro series found strong demand in the US$600-US$800 price segment, helping Huawei build a high profile in the market. In the second half, with the release of its 'GPU Turbo' technology, Huawei continued to earn a good reputation."

Additionally, promotions during the 618 mid-year sales resulted in strong sales for Huawei's Honor models in online channels as it continued to be a key driver of growth for the firm.

Apple's 41.3 million units shipped marked modest growth of 0.7% over the 41 million shipped in 2Q 2017. "The iPhone continued to perform well at the high end as the iPhone X remains a top seller in many markets," IDC said.

"Apple will look to regain control of the market this fall with the expected launch of three next generations of iPhone models. The new models are rumoured to bring different screens sizes, price points, increased performance, and new features to the table when they arrive next quarter."

Two other Chinese brands were also mentioned by IDC: Xiaomi and OPPO.

Xiaomi has taken the top position for market share in India over the past few quarters and had now closed the gap with Samsung in Indonesia as it ramped up its local production to address the increased demand during the Ramadan period. The company was also expanding its online channel presence and opening up more Mi home stores in the country, IDC said.

But OPPO faced a slowdown in India and most of Southeast Asia as it eased back on aggressive marketing and sales activities. "Despite this, the company still managed to grow 5.1% over last year as it continued its expansion into other markets such as the Middle East and Africa," IDC said.

"The recent launch of the Find X has also garnered OPPO some praise as the innovative, bezel-less and notch-less design has grabbed the attention of many."

"The continued growth of Huawei is impressive, to say the least, as is its ability to move into markets where, until recently, the brand was largely unknown," said Ryan Reith, program vice-president with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers.

"It is worth noting that Apple moved into the top position each of the last two holiday quarters following its product refresh, so it's likely we'll see continued movement among the top ranked companies in 2018 and beyond. For most markets, the ultra-high end ($700+) competition is largely some combination of Apple, Samsung, and Huawei, depending on the geography, and this is unlikely to change much in the short term.

"At the same time, Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo are all slowly pushing their customer base upstream at a price tier slightly lower than the top three. This is an area they should all watch closely as the builds in this segment are getting increasingly more advanced."

Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, said: "The combination of market saturation, increased smartphone penetration rates, and climbing average selling prices continue to dampen the growth of the overall market.

"Consumers remain willing to pay more for premium offerings in numerous markets and they now expect their device to outlast and outperform previous generations of that device which cost considerably less a few years ago. To contest this slowdown, vendors will need to focus on new innovative features and form factors combined with incentives and promotions to drive growth in many of these highly competitive markets moving forward."Cameron will be responsible for all SAP customer operations in New Zealand and joins the companys Australia and New Zealand leadership team, reporting directly to president of the ANZ region, Damien Bueno.

He joined SAP Australia for the second time in 2015 to assume responsibility for SAPs relationship with the New South Wales Government, after holding senior leadership positions in the technology industry in both New Zealand and Australia.

Previous industry executive positions held by Cameron included chief executive of SAP partner Innogence, senior manager for Deloitte in New Zealand, and client partner for SAP in Queensland.

Cameron has served as an officer in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and is a chartered accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand.

Commenting on the appointment, he said, There is a huge opportunity for SAP and our partner ecosystem in New Zealand, as it is the home to some of our most strategic customers who are at the forefront of technology innovation. I look forward to returning home to New Zealand to work with our customers and partners on their innovation challenges and seeing what impact we can deliver for New Zealand and beyond.

Damien Bueno, president and managing director, SAP Australia and New Zealand said, The success of our business in New Zealand is crucial to the success of the Australia and New Zealand market unit. New Zealand is home to some of our most strategic customers, and a first-class team of SAP employees.

Phil Cameron is a proven leader, and I look forward to working with him to continue driving a customer-focused business and delivering meaningful and lasting social impact in New Zealand.Windows ransomware known as SamSam has earned its creators almost US$6 million since late 2015, the security firm Sophos says, with the malware using carefully targeted attacks to obtain a ransom. Australia has been a target in about 2% of the attacks using this malware.

Researchers at the company said nearly three-quarters of known victims were in the US. Other countries targeted were Canada and the UK, while the Middle East had also been a target.

SamSam does not arrive via any vector like email; rather, the attacker gains access to a Windows machine through the Remote Desktop Protocol after using software like nlbrute to guess weak passwords.

Unlike ransomware such as WannaCry and NotPetya which spread on a network by using exploits, the human attacker is the one who spreads SamSam.

Sophos did not name any country as being the one where SamSam originated, though it did provide a number of characteristics of the malware that indicated it came from a country where English was not the first language.

The biggest ransom that has been paid by an individual so far is US$64,000, Sophos said. But generally, SamSam's creators made money by demanding small amounts and infecting many users.

Great care was taken in infecting a Windows machine, with attacks being carried out late at night or early in the morning.

SamSam also differs from other ransomware in that it does not encrypt only document files, images and other personal or work data, but also files that are part of an application like Microsoft Office.

Given this, the Sophos researchers said, anyone who was only backing up their personal files would not be able to recover from a SamSam infection without re-imaging their PC.

"Every subsequent attack shows a progression in sophistication and an increasing awareness by the entity controlling SamSam of operational security," the researchers wrote. "The cost victims are charged in ransom has increased dramatically, and the tempo of attacks shows no sign of slowdown."

While SamSam has figured in media reports because of attacks on healthcare, government and education sectors, Sophos said most of the attacks were on private companies that were less inclined towards public disclosure.

"Based on our research of the Bitcoin addresses in ransom notes, we estimate that about 233 victims have paid a ransom to the attacker, but we dont know the identities of all those victims," the researchers wrote.

Graphics: courtesy SophosThe human rights group Amnesty International says one of its staff has been targeted with powerful smartphone malware known as Pegasus which is sold by an Israel-based company NSO Group.

Amnesty said in a statement that its investigations showed that the malware had connections with more than 600 domain names, all of which had been previously identified as part of Pegasus.

The staffer in question, who is based in Saudi Arabia, received a suspicious WhatsApp message in June which included a malicious link.

The sender's number was that of a commercial provider which enables the sending of bulk SMS messages.

Amnesty said it had later identified another human rights defender in Saudi Arabia who had also received similar messages.

"These messages carried links to domains which we identified as part of that same network infrastructure used by NSO Group or its customers to deliver exploits and malware designed to silently harvest data from the victims phones," Amnesty said.

"This malware would allow an attacker complete access to the targets phone or computer, essentially turning the device into a sophisticated eavesdropping and tracking tool to be used against them."

Amnesty found documentation on the NSO Group's site that described the kind of SMS messages its staffer had received as an "enhanced social engineering message".

Had the staffer clicked on the link in the SMS, he would have been connected through a network of anonymising nodes provided by NSO Group, which are designed to anonymise the final location of the Pegasus servers in a way that conceals the customers identity or origin.

Finally, the victim would end up at a server which would try to exploit his device and install the Pegasus malware.

Amnesty said it had identified two other characteristics that connected the message to the NSO Group. "One is evidence that connects the malicious links we received and collected with NSO Group network infrastructure that was previously discovered and publicly reported on by Citizen Lab.

"And, though more speculative, the second is a domain registration pattern showing that most of the domains in the NSO Group infrastructure were registered during Israeli working days and hours (where NSO is based)."

The rights organisation contacted NSO Group who said their product was meant to be used only for the investigation and prevention of crime and terrorism.

Amnesty said what it was doing  protecting human rights  was not a crime. "While law enforcement institutions in many countries have used secret surveillance in relation to national security objectives, Amnesty International as well as numerous other human rights organisations have documented cases where surveillance has been and continues to be carried out in a manner contrary to international human rights law - an important example being when people are targeted for surveillance based only on the exercise of their human rights," it said.

"In these cases, surveillance would amount to an 'arbitrary or unlawful' attack on their privacy or otherwise violate other human rights. Surveillance through the use of state-hacking tools such as those that NSO group provides is an extraordinarily invasive form of surveillance, and thus an especially problematic one under international human rights law and standards."There is no doubt that cloud computing is the most cost-efficient and reliable infrastructure for your business. Many organisations have experienced these benefits, clearly evident with the explosive growth cloud services have seen in recent years.

Australians have many choices with regard to Cloud Service Providers

In Australia, potential cloud customers have a multitude of cloud service providers to choose from. These range from global giants such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, who have data centres in Australia, to purely Australian cloud providers such as Zettagrid.

With such a variety to choose from which cloud provider should a business ultimately decide to subscribe to?

Should a business choose to go with a global giant as they are perceived to have superior technology and scalability, or should they rather choose to go with a local cloud provider who is dedicated to serving the customers of a particular region?

For Australian businesses, Zettagrid cloud meets and exceeds the service offerings of global cloud giants

Customers looking for enterprise grade cloud infrastructure services in Australia should choose Zettagrid as their cloud service provider. Zettagrids cloud solution offering is on par and in some instances even exceeds what is on offer by global service providers.

For example, on Zettagrid you can customise your virtual machine configuration as you see fit as you are not cornered into choosing a preconfigured instance or image created by a cloud service provider. Zettagrid also only offers world leading technology solutions from technology solution vendors which are the best in their class, so you are assured of having the most innovative, efficient and performant platform.

Over and above Zettagrids superior technology, lets look at a few other good reasons why Zettagrid should be your cloud provider of choice if you are based in Australia.

Better service and better communication

People work with people.

By choosing Zettagrid as your local cloud provider you are guaranteed a personal level of service you will not receive from a global service provider. Because they are locally based, Zettagrid also gives you direct personal access the people who look after services. Once you have dealt with a Zettagrid professional we are certain you will enjoy greater peace of mind knowing you are in very capable hands.

Support is a good example of this personal touch.

With Zettagrid, there are no hurdles between you and somebody that can help. You have direct access to senior technical staff around the clock which you have the freedom to contact via email or phone.

In addition, Zettagrid is much closer to your business and this detailed level of local knowledge can prove vital when dealing with a complex problem unique to your environment.

Connectivity to regional networks

Choosing to go with a local cloud service provider like Zettagrid also gives you the options to install direct low-latency connectivity directly into the Zettagrid data centre.

Zettagrid has peering interconnects with multiple network providers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Zettagrid also offers direct connections via fibre or copper Ethernet or MPLS connectivity from customer location into their data centres at up to 10Gbps.

This ability to set up low-latency connections and access regional network providers and exchanges is a key feature for customers who want a performant robust and resilient hybrid IT environment.

Data Sovereignty

Every country has its own rules when it comes to data stored within its physical borders. If you are an Australian organisation it would be to your benefit and protection to ensure your data receives the adequate legislative protection Australian law has to offer.

Zettagrids data centres are all located within the borders of Australia and any data residing in these data centres is subject to the shelter provided to it under Australian law.

Global cloud providers are often challenged by their local governments to hand over data which is stored in a data centre outside of the governments jurisdiction. This news article illustrates this point.

By choosing Zettagrid which is an Australian cloud service provider with data centres in Australia you can have peace of mind that your data is safe from the prying eyes of foreign governments.

Zettagrid is operated by Australians for Australians

There are clear benefits to choosing Zettagrid as your cloud service provider if you are an Australian organisation.

Not only does Zettagrid have world leading technology which is on par and in some cases even better than what is offered by other international service providers, at Zettagrid you are also guaranteed a personal service.

In addition, the fact that Zettagrid is a local service provider gives you better options for data centre interconnectivity and ensures the security of your information with data sovereignty and data ownership guarantees.

Ready to go local?

Why not trial our cloud services for free and let our services do the talking. Click here for a 30 Day free trial

About

Zettagrid is an award-winning Australian cloud provider of IT Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) for businesses. Zettagrid offers enterprise grade, on-demand data centre infrastructure with direct network connectivity. All services are fully automated and delivered without contracts to help lower customers' capital expenditures ensuring the reliability and flexibility businesses need. A subsidiary of the Zetta Group, Zettagrid operates in more data centres than any other cloud provider in Australia, with zones currently in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. As a result, Zettagrid provides true operational diversity to any organisation nationally. Learn more at www.zettagrid.com.Search behemoth Google will launch a censored mobile version of its search engine for the Chinese market, with no access to sites about human rights, democracy, religion or peaceful protest, The Intercept reports.

The website said work on the project, given the codename Dragonfly, had been underway at Googles headquarters in Mountain View, California, and its offices in New York, San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Santa Barbara, Boston, Washington DC, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo.

The Intercept said its report was based on internal Google documents and "people familiar with the plans". The project was apparently kicked off after a meeting between Google chief executive Sundar Pichai and Wang Huning, a senior figure in the Chinese Communist Party, last December. Work on the search app was begun during the Western spring of 2017 and had been fast-tracked after the Pichai-Huning meeting.

Following the meeting with Huning, Google decided to open an artificial intelligence research centre in Beijing. In May 2018, a Google file management app was released for Chinese Internet users. And in July, Google released a Guess The Sketch game on WeChat, the main Chinese messaging and social media platform.

The report said programmers had created a customised Android search app with different versions known as Maotai and Longfei and these had been demonstrated to Chinese government authorities.

The final version of the app is expected to be launched in the next six to nine months, provided approval is granted by Beijing.

Google's move does not come as a total surprise because American technology companies are all looking to China as it represents the lone remaining, sizeable market to conquer. According to the latest statistics, China has 772 million net users in the country out of a population of 1.4 billion.

And, as iTWire reported, smartphone users in China total 717 million or 51% of the population, compared to the 226 million or 69% in the US. Mobile Internet users number 753 million in China and 237 million in the US.

Right now, Google search is inaccessible in China because it is blocked by what is known as the Great Firewall. The new app will satisfy the censorship requirements set down by Beijing.

Google had a search presence in China between 2006 and 2010, but the censored search engine was subject to intense criticism in the US over its falling in line with Chinese Government policies.

This search service was stopped in March 2010, with Google saying that the reasons for its pulling out were China's bid to limit free speech, block websites, and break into Google's computer systems.

Not too long ago, Apple agreed to a number of restrictions imposed by China in order to boost its business in China. The company agreed to store Chinese users' iCloud data within the country's borders and also to remove a number of VPN apps from its App Store.

When asked in May whether storing Chinese users' iCloud data within the country would make it easier for the government to access it if needed, Apple chief executive Tim Cook did not give a direct answer.

His response was: "Well, thats a faulty assumption that youre making. The same encryption that Apple uses in the US, and in the UK, and in France and in the UAE, is the same encryption we use in China. And you know, iMessage is encrypted end-to-end there and encrypted end-to-end here. And they never ask us to break that."

The Intercept said that there was no indication as to when the search app would be launched, especially given the current hostility between the US and China over trade tariffs.

But it said the company's search supremo Ben Gomes had told staff in June that they should be prepared to move at short notice, in case suddenly the world changes or [President Donald Trump] decides his new best friend is Xi Jinping".

Social media colossus Facebook, which has been blocked in China since 2009, was last week reported to have gained a licence to set up an " "innovation hub to support Chinese developers, innovators and start-ups".

But just a day later, there were reports that the licence had been withdrawn.Reddit Email 136 Shares

BETHLEHEM (Maan)  The Israeli Magistrate Court of Nazareth sentenced Palestinian poet Darin Tatour, from the al-Reineh village in northern Israel, to five months of prison and 6 months of suspended sentence on Tuesday.

The Israeli prosecution accuses Tatour of incitement and supporting a terrorist organization for writing a poem criticizing the Israeli occupation and posting it on her personal page on Facebook.

The Israeli prosecution demanded that Tatour be imprisoned for periods between 15 and 26 months.

Tatour had previously spent more than 2 years and 8 months between prison and house arrest for writing the poem.

She said that the decision was unjust and that there was no reason for the court to place her under trial in the first place. However, she added that she was not surprised by the ruling.

She added that she does not trust the Israeli court system, pointing out that the her detention was politically motivated; democracy is confined to one type of people in this country, Tatour said pointing out to the discrimination against Palestinian citizens in Israel.

Tatour was previously detained in October 2015, she was indicted in November 2015 on charges of incitement to violence and support for a terrorist organization.

Via Maan News Agency

Dareen Tatour reading A Poets Hallucinations  Arabic & EnglishReddit Email 712 Shares

The Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, revealed a letter sent by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to the White House in which Saudi Arabia expressed its rejection of US President Donald Trumps peace plan.

Haaretz said in a report that: Saudi Arabia has informed US President Donald Trumps administration that it will not be able to support its peace plan between Israel and Palestine, known in the media as the Deal of the Century, if it does not state that East Jerusalem would be the capital of the Palestinian state.

Haaretz quoted two diplomats who participated in the peace plan talks as saying: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz expressed his support for the Palestinian position and assured Arab leaders that the kingdom is still committed to the 2002 Arab peace initiative, which stipulates the establishment of a Palestinian state on the borders of 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The newspaper explained that the Saudi king expressed this position in a series of telephone conversations he had recently held with senior US officials, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other Arab leaders.

King Salman has also issued an urgent order to allocate $80 million to the Palestinian Authority to compensate for the losses caused by the US aids cut-off, according to the newspaper.

Haaretz quoted an unnamed diplomatic source as saying that: the change in the Saudi position towards the peace plan came as a result of Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the transfer of the US embassy there. The source added: the Saudis informed the US administration: We cannot now implement what we have promised before the US decision on Jerusalem.

The newspaper pointed out that Egypt and Jordan urged the US administration to propose a peace plan if it would be fair to the Palestinian side. It added that the Jordanians warned Trumps administration that any biased plan to Israel would cause trouble in Jordan, which would force Oman to reject the proposal.

Reuters news agency revealed this position for the first time last Sunday, as it quoted a senior Arab diplomat in Riyadh as saying: The United States has made a mistake by believing that one country can pressure the rest of the countries to surrender, but this is not about pressure. No Arab leader could abandon Jerusalem or the Palestinian people.

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

-

Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

TRT: King Salman takes over Palestine policy from MBSVANCOUVER, Aug. 1, 2018 /CNW/ - Rathdowney Resources Ltd. ("Rathdowney" or the "Company") (TSXV: RTH) is pleased to provide an update on progress at its 100% owned Olza Zinc-Lead Project in Poland.

"Rathdowney is continuing to advance Project Olza toward development," reports Chairman David Copeland. "Project activities are currently focused in key areas necessary to acquire project permits. Our teams are progressing with the Project Development Plan, and compiling the data and studies needed for the upcoming Environmental Impact Assessment process. We are working toward submitting our application in the third quarter of 2019."

In 2015, Rathdowney announced the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA")1 by SRK Consulting (UK) Ltd for Project Olza. The PEA reported strong potential financial returns for a 6,000 tonnes per day underground mine with conventional mill, including a post-tax Net Present Value of US$170 million with an Internal Rate of Return IRR 30% and payback in 2.4 years.

"The cost to produce a pound of zinc at Olza, on a byproduct basis would be US$0.47 per pound based the long-term forecast metal prices - US$1.00 per pound for zinc and US$0.95 for lead per pound - used in PEA," says Copeland. "Hence, Project Olza is very robust even at a zinc price much lower than the current US$1.19 per pound."

The strong returns anticipated from a mine at Olza are a result of the project's favourable location in a well-established brown fields mining district. The Upper Silesia District of Poland is well known for its large Mississippi Valley Type ("MVT") deposits with a history of solid production from world-class zinc mines. In 2009, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) released a compilation of mineral resource data on MVT deposits that shows the Upper Silesia as one of the world's largest MVT districts as ranked by its contained metal2. The graph below, derived from that publication, shows the USGS data as well as additional information on individual Polish deposits; it is also posted on the Company's website at Click Here.

____________________________

1 The PEA uses an 8% discount rate and the median of consensus forecast prices of Zn $1.00-1.10/lb and Pb $0.95-1.00/lb. All values in US dollars and metric units. Further details are available in Rathdowney's April 20, 2015 news release and Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) Technical Report, effective date December 31, 2014, both of which are available on the Company website www.rathdowneyresources.com and the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

2 USGS Open File Report 2009-1297.

Mississippi Valley Type Districts and Deposits.

This region of Poland has been mined since the 1200's: recently exploited deposits such as ZGHB's Pomorzany mine started production in the 1970's and, as befits the Silesia style of MVT, has yielded in excess of 90 million tonnes of ore3 from a concession footprint of similar size to Rathdowney's Project Olza.

Project Olza's deposit geology is simple: rocks formed from large platform reefs host a series pf very continuous mineralized zones, ranging in thickness between 2.5 and 8 metres, with strike lengths of 50-1000 metres, at shallow (on average 180 metres) depth. Testing of mineralized cores from Olza indicates that concentrates produced using conventional metallurgical treatment will be of high quality with no deleterious elements, and low iron.

All necessary infrastructure for development of a mine already exists in the immediate vicinity of Project Olza. Well-maintained highways provide easy access to the property. A spur of the national railway, connecting to its yards and services, crosses a portion of the project area. An electrical grid with substations that have underutilized capacity are also located in the immediate area. The local population have mining skill sets, including technical trades in the various disciplines needed and dependable contractors are at hand. Importantly, there is a young, skilled technical work force seeking additional training that would fit well into the rebirth of modern mining in the region.

___________________________________

3 www.geoportal.pl

"All these items will contribute to a substantial positive influence on mine availability, productivity, efficiency and cost, limiting the development and operational risk," said Copeland. "Project Olza's projected costs are well understood and controllable, and based on operations in the local area, and other Eastern European regions where similar work has been undertaken, and is ongoing."

Tabulated highlights of the after-tax PEA results are available on the Company website at Click Here. The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the PEA will be realized.

Current Project Development Activities

Teams in the field and site offices are working to advance the Project Development Plan (PZZ) and compiling the data and studies needed for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.

The PZZ is similar to a pre-feasibility study; however, as it leads to a decision on granting an extraction license or Polish mining permit, the PZZ focuses more on operational parameters, mining techniques and staffing as well as related service requirements. Work on routing services, as well as prioritizing site locations and mine design is advancing, with a target for completion mid next year.

The EIA work is ongoing. Field teams are gathering seasonal data as well as carrying out more detailed data collection at sites preferred for the proposed facilities. Our team also continues to coordinate closely with the environmental agencies in Poland as we advance toward submission of a permit application, anticipated to occur in the third quarter of 2019.

Technical Information in this release has been reviewed and approved by David Copeland, PEng, a qualified person, who is also the Chairman and a director of the Company.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

David Copeland

Chairman

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Assumptions used by the Company to develop forward-looking statements include the following: the Olza project will obtain all required environmental and other permits and all land use and other licenses, studies and development of the Olza project will continue to be positive, and no geological or technical problems will occur. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, potential environmental issues and liabilities associated with exploration, development and mining activities, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Turquoise Hill Resources (NYSE:TRQ) (TSX:TRQ) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated.

HIGHLIGHTS

Oyu Tolgoi achieved a strong All Injury Frequency Rate of 0.19 per 200,000 hours worked for the six months ended June 30, 2018.



Underground development continued to progress during Q218 including the completion of the fully operational expanded Shaft 5 ventilation system.



Following reduced advancement during the Shaft 5 ventilation system completion, in June 2018 a record-level of equivalent underground development was achieved with 0.9 kilometres completed.



Since the restart of development, a total of 12.7 equivalent kilometres of lateral development has been completed.



During Q218, earthworks for Shafts 3 and 4 continued.



Underground expansion capital for 1H18 was $561.7 million compared to $321.1 million in 1H17, resulting in total project spend since January 1, 2016 of approximately $1.6 billion.



Production from first draw bell remains planned for mid-2020 and sustainable first production in 2021.



During Q218, Oyu Tolgoi produced 39,400 tonnes of copper and 50,000 ounces of gold an increase of 1.5% and 19.0% respectively over Q118.



Mill throughput for 2018 is now expected to be approximately 40 million tonnes, compared to the original expectation of 37 million tonnes, due to the positive impact of high intensity blasting.



Revenue of $341.7 million in Q218 increased 67.7% over Q217 reflecting significantly higher copper prices and increased concentrate sales volumes, driven by enhanced border logistics.



For Q218, Oyu Tolgois cost of sales was $2.36 per pound of copper sold, C1 cash costs were $1.72 per pound of copper produced and all-in sustaining costs were $2.42 per pound of copper produced 1 .



. Operating cash costs1 of $201.7 million in Q218 increased 23.3% over Q217 mainly due to higher royalty and freight costs as well as increased open-pit costs.

1 Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES section of this press release for further information.

FINANCIAL RESULTS

Income in Q218 was $204.4 million compared with a loss of $0.4 million in Q217. The increase is primarily due to $116.8 million of additional deferred tax assets recognized in Q218 compared to Q217 plus the impact of higher sales revenue. Cash generated from operating activities in Q218 was $48.4 million compared with $44.0 million used in operating activities in Q217. This increase was primarily driven by higher sales revenue due to higher copper prices and increased sales volumes. Capital expenditure on property, plant and equipment was $318.0 million on a cash basis in Q218 compared to $205.2 million in Q217, attributed principally to underground ($291.2 million) with the remainder related to open-pit capital activities.

Turquoise Hills cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2018 were approximately $1.5 billion.

OYU TOLGOI

The Oyu Tolgoi mine is approximately 550 kilometres south of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolias capital city, and 80 kilometres north of the Mongolia-China border. Mineralization on the property consists of porphyry-style copper, gold, silver and molybdenum contained in a linear structural trend (the Oyu Tolgoi Trend) of deposits throughout this trend. They include, from south to north, the Heruga Deposit, the Oyut deposit and the Hugo Dummett deposits (Hugo South, Hugo North and Hugo North Extension).

The Oyu Tolgoi mine was initially developed as an open-pit operation. The copper concentrator plant, with related facilities and necessary infrastructure, was originally designed to process approximately 100,000 tonnes of ore per day from the Oyut open pit. However, since 2014, the concentrator has improved operating practices and gained experience, which has helped achieve a consistent throughput of over 110,000 tonnes per day. This continued through 2017 with softer ores from the Central zone. Concentrator throughput for 2018 is now expected to be approximately 110,000 tonnes per day due to increased processing of harder ore from Phase 4 partially offset by the benefits of high intensity blasting.

In August 2013, development of the underground mine was suspended pending resolution of matters with the Government of Mongolia. Following signing of the Oyu Tolgoi Underground Mine Development and Financing Plan (Underground Plan) in May 2015 and the signing of a $4.4 billion project finance facility in December 2015, Oyu Tolgoi received formal notice to proceed approval by the boards of Turquoise Hill, Rio Tinto and Oyu Tolgoi LLC in May 2016, which was the final requirement for the re-start of underground development. Underground construction recommenced in May 2016.

Oyu Tolgoi is expected to be the worlds third-largest copper mine at peak metal production in 2025. Copper and gold production is expected to increase by more than 340% and 150% respectively between 2018 and 2025. Average copper and gold production from 2025 to 2030 is expected to be more than 550,000 tonnes of copper and over 450,000 ounces of gold per year.

At the end of Q218, Oyu Tolgoi had a total workforce, including underground project construction, of more than 15,000, of which 93% were Mongolian.

Underground development progress

The main focus of underground development for 2018 continues to be underground lateral development, the fit out of Shaft 2, support infrastructure and the convey-to-surface decline. The Company continues to expect the first draw bell in mid-2020 and sustainable first production in 2021.

Underground lateral development was reduced during the first two months of Q218 partly due to the commissioning of the new Shaft 5 permanent fans and the resulting ventilation flow transition underground. However, June subsequently achieved a record-level of equivalent underground development with 0.9 kilometres developed. Progress overall during Q218 was 2.4 equivalent kilometres with a total of 12.7 equivalent kilometres of lateral development completed since the re-start of development. During 2018, underground development is expected to advance approximately 10.0 kilometres. The following table provides a breakdown of the various components of completed lateral development since project restart:









Year Total

Equivalent

Kilometres Lateral

Development

(kilometres) Mass

Excavation

(000 metres3) 2016 1.6 1.5 3.0 Q117 1.0 0.8 5.2 Q217 1.4 0.9 9.2 Q317 1.4 1.2 8.3 Q417 2.2 1.9 8.9 2017 6.1 4.8 31.6 Q118 2.6 2.1 11.6 Q218 2.4 2.1 8.6 Total 12.7 10.5 54.8

In March 2018, the Company announced the completion of Shaft 5 sinking. During Q218, this was followed by the installation of permanent ventilation fans and commissioning of the now fully operational expanded ventilation system.

Shaft 2 sinking was completed in January 2018. During Q218, stripping and bracket installation was completed while cable and pipe work commenced. Fit out of Shaft 2 is expected to occur throughout 2018. Shaft 2 is a key part of future increases in lateral development activity.

Additionally, earthworks for Shafts 3 and 4 continued during Q218 and the sinking package was awarded in July 2018.

The following table outlines the status of shafts for underground development as of June 30, 2018.

Shaft 1

(early development

and ventilation) Shaft 2

(production and ventilation) Shaft 5

(ventilation) Shaft 3

(ventilation) Shaft 4

(ventilation) Total Depth 1,385 metres 1,284 metres 1,178 metres 1,148 metres 1,149 metres Diameter 6.7 metres 10 metres 6.7 metres 10 metres 11 metres Completion 2008 Q118 Q118 Expected 2021 Expected 2021 Remaining Complete Complete Complete Not started Not started

During Q218, advancement of the convey-to-surface decline continued to progress. The convey-to-surface system is the eventual route of the full 95,000 tonne per day underground ore delivery system to the concentrator; however, it is not a critical path item for first draw bell planned in mid-2020. Expected completion of the convey-to-surface system is 2022, which will facilitate the ramp up to full production by 2027.

Also during Q218, the Primary Crusher 1 chamber was excavated. Eventually this chamber will hold the first 4,000 tonne per hour crusher to initially feed the Shaft 2 production system up to 30,000 tonne per day in the first part of underground ramp up.

Oyu Tolgoi spent $291.2 million on underground expansion during Q218. Total underground project spend from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018 was approximately $1.6 billion. In addition, Oyu Tolgoi had further capital commitments2 of $1.2 billion as of June 30, 2018. At the end of Q218, the underground project had committed 68% of direct project contracts and procurement packages, of which 71% were to Mongolian companies. Since the restart of project development, Oyu Tolgoi has committed almost $1.7 billion to Mongolian vendors and contractors.

2 Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES section of this press release for further information.

During Q417, Rio Tinto undertook a schedule and cost review. Rio Tinto has provided Turquoise Hill with a high-level overview of the reviews outcomes, in which Rio Tinto concluded there were no material changes in project scope, cost or schedule. Following analysis of the reviews conclusions, Turquoise Hill is in agreement with the findings.

Safety performance

Safety is a major focus throughout Oyu Tolgois operations and the mines management is committed to reducing risk and injury. Oyu Tolgoi achieved a strong All Injury Frequency Rate of 0.19 per 200,000 hours worked for the six months ended June 30, 2018.

Q218 open-pit operations performance

Key financial metrics for Q218 are as follows:

Oyu Tolgoi Key Financial Metrics(1)





($ in millions, unless otherwise noted) 2Q

2017 3Q

2017 4Q

2017 1Q

2018 2Q

2018 1H

2018 1H

2017 Full Year

2017 Revenue 203.7 246.9 251.7 245.6 341.7 587.3 441.1 939.8 Revenue by metals in concentrates Copper 173.7 209.2 216.1 202.1 273.7 475.8 370.3 795.6 Gold 26.6 34.2 32.5 40.3 64.1 104.3 64.1 130.8 Silver 3.3 3.5 3.2 3.2 4.0 7.2 6.7 13.4 Cost of sales 188.9 197.8 182.7 168.9 239.6 408.5 383.2 763.8 Production and delivery costs 117.7 123.4 106.6 114.6 174.2 288.8 238.4 468.4 Depreciation and depletion 75.0 77.4 73.4 55.6 64.1 119.7 153.3 304.1 Capital expenditure on cash basis 205.2 234.0 330.4 285.7 318.0 603.8 353.0 917.5 Underground 184.7 205.6 309.0 270.5 291.2 561.7 321.1 835.7 Open pit(2) 20.5 28.4 21.4 15.2 26.8 42.0 32.0 81.8 Royalties 12.5 14.5 15.8 14.9 20.3 35.2 26.9 57.1 Operating cash costs(3) 163.6 161.9 217.7 176.6 201.7 378.4 332.0 711.6 Unit costs ($) Cost of sales (per pound of copper sold) 2.30 2.43 2.32 2.23 2.36 2.30 2.26 2.32 C1 (per pound of copper produced)(3) 1.92 1.83 2.05 1.76 1.72 1.74 1.89 1.92 All-in sustaining (per pound of copper produced)(3) 2.27 2.76 2.40 2.07 2.42 2.25 2.21 2.39

(1) Any financial information in this press release should be reviewed in conjunction with the Companys consolidated financial statements or condensed interim consolidated financial statements for the reporting periods indicated.

(2) Open-pit capital expenditure includes both sustaining and non-underground development activities.

(3) Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES section of this press release for further information.

Revenue of $341.7 million in Q218 increased 67.7% over Q217 reflecting significantly higher copper prices and increased concentrate sales volumes, driven by enhanced border logistics.

Cost of sales for Q218 was $239.6 million compared to $188.9 million in Q217 primarily reflecting higher volumes of concentrates sold and an increased cost of sales per pound of copper sold due to lower average mill head grades for copper in Q218 compared to Q217.

Capital expenditure on a cash basis for Q218 was $318.0 million compared to $205.2 million in Q217, comprising amounts attributed to the underground project and open-pit activities of $291.2 million and $26.8 million respectively.

Total operating cash costs3 at Oyu Tolgoi was $201.7 million in Q218 compared to $163.6 million in Q217 mainly due to higher royalty and freight costs associated with increased sales volumes and copper prices, increased open-pit costs and lower capitalization of production phase stripping costs. Operating cash costs include the 5% royalty payable to the Government of Mongolia and exclude deferred stripping costs.

Cost of sales was $2.36 per pound of copper sold in Q218 marginally higher than $2.30 per pound of copper sold in Q217, reflecting lower average mill head grades for copper in Q218 compared to Q217.

Oyu Tolgois C1 cash costs4 in Q218 were $1.72 per pound of copper produced, a decrease from $1.92 per pound of copper produced in Q217, due primarily to higher gold sales.

All-in sustaining costs4 in Q218 were $2.42 per pound of copper produced, compared with $2.27 per pound of copper produced in Q217, mainly due to an increase in sustaining capital and increased royalty expenses in Q218 associated with higher sales revenue.

3 Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES of this press release for further information.

4 Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES section of this press release for further information.

Key operational metrics for Q218 are as follows:

Oyu Tolgoi Production Data

All data represents full production and sales on a 100% basis

2Q

2017 3Q

2017 4Q

2017 1Q

2018 2Q

2018 1H

2018 1H

2017 Full Year

2017 Open pit material mined (000 tonnes) 25,193 27,466 28,929 23,131 22,792 45,923 49,527 105,921 Ore treated (000 tonnes) 9,637 10,615 10,838 9,561 10,164 19,725 19,724 41,177 Average mill head grades: Copper (%) 0.51 0.48 0.53 0.51 0.48 0.50 0.51 0.51 Gold (g/t) 0.16 0.18 0.20 0.25 0.26 0.25 0.15 0.17 Silver (g/t) 1.38 1.34 1.54 1.32 1.17 1.24 1.34 1.39 Concentrates produced (000 tonnes) 171.0 170.0 205.4 177.3 178.8 356.1 347.0 722.5 Average concentrate grade (% Cu) 21.8 21.7 22.0 21.9 22.0 22.0 21.7 21.8 Production of metals in concentrates: Copper (000 tonnes) 37.2 36.9 45.3 38.8 39.4 78.2 75.3 157.4 Gold (000 ounces) 24 31 35 42 50 92 49 114 Silver (000 ounces) 236 239 285 221 225 446 450 974 Concentrates sold (000 tonnes) 182.0 176.6 175.5 163.1 220.0 383.1 372.2 724.3 Sales of metals in concentrates: Copper (000 tonnes) 37.3 36.9 35.7 34.3 46.1 80.4 76.7 149.3 Gold (000 ounces) 23 29 27 31 51 82 55 111 Silver (000 ounces) 222 229 205 206 250 456 427 860 Metal recovery (%) Copper 74.6 73.5 78.0 79.5 79.7 79.6 74.7 75.4 Gold 47.7 51.2 50.5 55.0 59.8 57.6 48.3 49.7 Silver 53.9 52.8 53.0 54.6 58.4 56.4 52.9 52.9

During the second quarter, Oyu Tolgoi continued processing Phase 4A ore resulting in improved gold grades, production and recovery over Q118. This trend is expected for the remainder of the year. Mill throughput in Q218 increased 6.3% over Q118 due to higher utilization rates and the positive impact of high intensity blasting. Copper production in Q218 increased 1.5% over Q118 as a result of higher mill utilization rates offset by slightly lower grades from the depletion of Phase 6 ore. Gold production increased 19.0% over Q118 due to stronger mill utilization rates, higher grades from Phase 4A and increased recovery. Sales in Q218 benefited from improved logistics as inventory accumulated during the Q118 force majeure worked its way through the system.

Operational outlook

Oyu Tolgoi is expected to produce 125,000 to 155,000 tonnes of copper and 240,000 to 280,000 ounces of gold in concentrates for 2018. Open-pit operations mined Phase 6 in early 2018 and expects to mine Phase 4 throughout the year. In addition, stockpiled ore will be processed during 2018. The increased gold production relative to the 2016 technical report is due to splitting Phase 4 into two parts (4A and 4B) and bringing production forward from future years. Due to the positive impact of high intensity blasting, mill throughput for 2018 is expected to be approximately 40 million tonnes.

Oyu Tolgoi tax assessment

On January 16, 2018, Turquoise Hill announced that Oyu Tolgoi had received and was evaluating a tax assessment for approximately $155 million from the Mongolian Tax Authority (the MTA) relating to an audit on taxes imposed and paid by Oyu Tolgoi LLC between 2013 and 2015. In January 2018, Oyu Tolgoi paid an amount of approximately $5.0 million to settle unpaid taxes, fines and penalties for accepted items.

Following engagement with the MTA, Oyu Tolgoi was advised that the MTA could not resolve Oyu Tolgois objections to the tax assessment. Accordingly, on March 15, 2018, Oyu Tolgoi issued a notice of dispute to the Government of Mongolia under the 2009 Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement (Investment Agreement) and on April 13, 2018, Oyu Tolgoi submitted a claim to the Mongolian Administrative Court. The Administrative Court has currently suspended the processing of the case for an indefinite period based on current procedural uncertainty in relation to the tax assessment disputes. Chapter 14 of the Investment Agreement sets out a dispute resolution process. The issuance of a notice of dispute is the first step in the dispute resolution process and includes a 60-working-day negotiation period. The parties were unable to reach a resolution during the 60-working-day period; however, the parties can continue discussions in an attempt to resolve the dispute in good faith. If unsuccessful, the next step would be dispute resolution through international arbitration.

Turquoise Hill is of the opinion that Oyu Tolgoi has now paid all taxes and charges required under the Investment Agreement, the Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement (ARSHA), the Underground Plan and Mongolian law.

Oyu Tolgoi power supply

Per the Investment Agreement, Oyu Tolgoi has been exploring two domestic power options  a power plant built and operated by Oyu Tolgoi at the mine site or an independent power producer located at the Tavan Tolgoi coal field.

On May 12, 2017, Oyu Tolgoi LLC signed a new power purchase agreement (PPA) with the National Power Transmission Grid (NPTG) of Mongolia. The PPA was executed in connection with the power import arrangement between NPTG and the Inner Mongolia Power International Corporation (IMPIC). The new arrangement took effect on July 4, 2017, subsequent to the expiry of the existing IMPIC agreement, for a term of up to six years, with possibility of early cancellation after the fourth year, if a domestic power plant is commissioned earlier. The extension is essential for Oyu Tolgoi to have secure access to power while it works with the Government of Mongolia on establishing a permanent domestic power source.

On February 15, 2018, Oyu Tolgoi received notification that the Government of Mongolia (Government) had cancelled the Power Sector Cooperation Agreement (PSCA), which was signed in August 2014. The Governments cancellation, under Section 1.3 of the PSCA, indicated the Tavan Tolgoi power project was no longer a viable option. As a result of the Governments cancellation, effective February 15, 2018, long-term power for Oyu Tolgoi must be domestically sourced within four years, in accordance with the Investment Agreement. Oyu Tolgoi, Turquoise Hill and Rio Tinto are committed to fulfilling all requirements under the Investment Agreement and are continuing to evaluate all viable power options.

Subject to further agreement between the Government of Mongolia and Oyu Tolgoi, an Oyu Tolgoi-based power plant is currently the most feasible option that could deliver a domestic source of power within the shortest timeframe and continues to be progressed. A Tavan Tolgoi-based power plant remains as an important option to develop domestic power for Oyu Tolgoi. Work is underway to progress the power strategy during 2018, including further study of the Tavan Tolgoi option, while Oyu Tolgoi continues to actively engage with the Government of Mongolia in relation to this option and Oyu Tolgois long-term power requirements. A final decision on the outcome, cost and financing of a domestic power supply has not been concluded.

Oyu Tolgoi LLC has entered into agreements with three Chinese EPC contractors  China Machinery Engineering Corporation, Harbin Electric International Company Limited and Power Construction Corporation of China  as part of a competitive tender process. Each contractor has been requested to submit a bid for engineering, design and construction of a power station for Oyu Tolgoi LLC in Mongolia. The agreement entered into with each bidder provides that, where a bidder submits a conforming bid and it is not accepted by Oyu Tolgoi LLC, Oyu Tolgoi will pay $500,000 to that bidder to offset the costs of preparing that bid and the early engineering and design work packs.

Funding of Oyu Tolgoi by Turquoise Hill

In accordance with the ARSHA dated June 8, 2011, Turquoise Hill has funded Oyu Tolgois cash requirements beyond internally generated cash flows by a combination of equity investment and shareholder debt.

For amounts funded by debt, Oyu Tolgoi must repay such amounts, including accrued interest, before it can pay common share dividends. As of June 30, 2018, the aggregate outstanding balance of shareholder loans extended by subsidiaries of the Company to Oyu Tolgoi was $4.3 billion, including accrued interest of $0.5 billion. These loans bear interest at an effective annual rate of LIBOR plus 6.5%.

In accordance with the ARSHA, a subsidiary of the Company has funded the common share investments in Oyu Tolgoi on behalf of Erdenes. These funded amounts earn interest at an effective annual rate of LIBOR plus 6.5% and are repayable, by Erdenes to a subsidiary of the Company, via a pledge over Erdenes share of Oyu Tolgoi common share dividends. Erdenes also has the right to reduce the outstanding balance by making cash payments at any time. As of June 30, 2018, the cumulative amount of such funding was $1.0 billion, representing 34% of invested common share equity; unrecognized interest on the funding amounted to $0.4 billion.

Anti-Corruption Authority information requests

Oyu Tolgoi LLC has received information requests from the Mongolian Anti-Corruption Authority (ACA) for information relating to Oyu Tolgoi. The ACA has also conducted interviews in connection with its investigation. Turquoise Hill has inquired as to the status of the investigation and Oyu Tolgoi has informed the Company that the investigation appears to relate primarily to possible abuses of power by certain former Government of Mongolia officials in relation to the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement, and that Oyu Tolgoi is complying with the ACAs requests in accordance with relevant laws. To date, neither Turquoise Hill nor Oyu Tolgoi has received notice from the ACA, or indeed from any regulator, that either company or their employees are subjects of any investigation involving the Oyu Tolgoi project.

The Investment Agreement was authorized by the Mongolian Parliament, concluded after 16 months of negotiations and reviewed by numerous constituencies within the Mongolian Government. Turquoise Hill has been operating in good faith under the terms of the Investment Agreement since 2009, and we believe not only that it is a valid and binding agreement, but that it has proven to be beneficial for all parties.

Adherence to the principles of the Investment Agreement has allowed for the development of Oyu Tolgoi in a manner that has given rise to significant long-term benefits to Mongolia. Benefits from Oyu Tolgois open-pit operations and underground development include, but are not limited to, employment, royalties and taxes, local procurement, economic development and sustainability investments.

Mongolian parliamentary working group

In March 2018, the Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament appointed a Parliamentary Working Group (Working Group) that consisted of 13 Members of Parliament to review the implementation of the Investment Agreement. The Working Group established five sub-working groups consisting of representatives from government ministries, agencies, political parties, non-governmental organizations and professors, to help and support the Working Group. The Working Groups fieldwork has been completed and they were due to report to Parliament before the end of spring session in late June; however, this has been delayed. Any reporting is now expected to be in the autumn session, which starts on October 1, 2018, or in an extraordinary session before then.

CORPORATE ACTIVITIES

Letter to shareholders

On May 3, 2018, the Board of Directors of Turquoise Hill issued a letter to shareholders discussing a review undertaken by the board about matters raised by SailingStone Capital Partners LLC and provided specific actions to be taken.

Election of directors

The nominees set forth in the Companys management proxy circular dated March 28, 2018 were elected as directors of Turquoise Hill at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which took place on May 8, 2018.

Management change

On May 29, 2018, the Company announced the retirement of Turquoise Hill Chief Executive Officer Jeff Tygesen effective July 1, 2018. On June 27, 2018, Turquoise Hill announced that Chief Financial Officer Luke Colton had been appointed to the additional position of interim Chief Executive Officer effective July 1, 2018. On July 30, 2018, the Company announced the appointment of Ulf Quellmann as Chief Executive Officer effective August 1, 2018.

NON-GAAP MEASURES

The Company presents and refers to the following non-GAAP measures, which are not defined in IFRS. A description and calculation of each measure is given below and may differ from similarly named measures provided by other issuers. These measures are presented in order to provide investors and other stakeholders with additional understanding of performance and operations at Oyu Tolgoi and are not intended to be used in isolation from, or as a replacement for, measures prepared in accordance with IFRS.

Operating cash costs

The measure of operating cash costs excludes: depreciation and depletion; exploration and evaluation; charges for asset write-down (including write-down of materials and supplies inventory) and includes management services payments to Rio Tinto and management services payments to Turquoise Hill which are eliminated in the consolidated financial statements of the Company.

C1 cash costs

C1 cash costs is a metric representing the cash cost per unit of extracting and processing the Companys principal metal product, copper, to a condition in which it may be delivered to customers net of gold and silver credits from concentrates sold. It is provided in order to support peer group comparability and to provide investors and other stakeholders with additional information about the underlying cash costs of Oyu Tolgoi and the impact of gold and silver credits on the operations cost structure. C1 cash costs are relevant to understanding the Companys operating profitability and ability to generate cash flow. When calculating costs associated with producing a pound of copper, the Company deducts gold and silver revenue credits as the production cost is reduced as a result of selling these products.

All-in sustaining costs

All-in sustaining costs (AISC) is an extended cash-based cost metric providing further information on the aggregate cash, capital and overhead outlay per unit and is intended to reflect the costs of producing the Companys principal metal product, copper, in both the short term and over the life-cycle of its operations; as a result, sustaining capital expenditure on a cash basis is included rather than depreciation. As the measure seeks to present a full cost of copper production associated with sustaining current operations, development project capital is not included. AISC allows Turquoise Hill to assess the ability of Oyu Tolgoi to support sustaining capital expenditures for future production from the generation of operating cash flows.

A reconciliation of total operating cash costs, C1 cash costs and all-in sustaining costs is provided below.

Operating and unit costs (Three Months Ended) (Six Months Ended) C1 costs (Stated in $000's of dollars) June 30, 2018 March 31, 2018 June 30, 2018 June 30, 2017 Cost of sales 239,622 168,869 408,491 383,236 Cost of sales: $/lb of copper sold 2.36 2.23 2.30 2.26 Depreciation and depletion (64,086) (55,610) (119,696) (153,298) Provision against carrying value of copper-gold concentrate (1,366) 1,366 - 8,462 Change in inventory (30,207) 15,386 (14,821) (13,565) Other operating expenses 56,079 30,285 86,364 76,295 Less: - Inventory (write-down) reversal (4,693) 9,994 5,301 20,062 - Depreciation (539) (719) (1,258) (1,859) Management services payment to Turquoise Hill 6,937 7,049 13,986 12,698 Operating cash costs 201,747 176,620 378,367 332,031 Operating cash costs: $/lb of copper produced 2.32 2.06 2.19 2.00 Adjustments to operating cash costs 15,828 17,246 33,076 52,104 Less: Gold and silver revenues (67,996) (43,671) (111,667) (70,861) C1 costs ($'000) 149,579 150,195 299,776 313,274 C1 costs: $/lb of copper produced 1.72 1.76 1.74 1.89 All-in sustaining costs (Stated in $000's of dollars) Corporate administration 7,372 4,893 12,265 10,154 Asset retirement expense 1,707 1,695 3,402 3,143 Royalty expenses 20,261 14,913 35,174 26,896 Ore stockpile and stores write-down (reversal) 4,693 (9,994) (5,301) (20,062) Other expenses 211 (38) 173 1,228 Sustaining cash capital including deferred stripping 26,734 15,417 42,159 32,012 All-in sustaining costs ($'000) 210,557 177,081 387,648 366,645 All-in sustaining costs: $/lb of copper produced 2.42 2.07 2.25 2.21

(1) Adjustments to operating cash costs include: treatment, refining and freight differential charges less the 5% Government of Mongolia royalty and other expenses not applicable to the definition of C1 cost.

Working capital

Consolidated working capital comprises those components of current assets and liabilities which support and result from the Companys ongoing running of its current operations. It is provided in order to give a quantifiable indication of the Companys short-term cash generation ability and business efficiency. As a measure linked to current operations and the sustainability of the business, working capital excludes: non-trade receivables and payables; financing items; cash and cash equivalents; deferred revenue and non-current inventory.

A reconciliation of consolidated working capital to the financial statements and notes is provided below.

Working capital June 30, December 31, (Stated in $000's of dollars) 2018 2017 Inventories (current) $ 265,722 $ 274,142 Trade and other receivables 52,539 29,089 Trade and other payables: - trade payables and accrued liabilities (416,363 ) (360,697 ) - payable to related parties (44,169 ) (52,308 ) Consolidated working capital $ (142,271 ) $ (109,774 )

Contractual obligations

Section 9 of the Companys MD&A discloses contractual obligations in relation to the Companys lease, purchase and asset retirement obligations. Amounts relating to these obligations are calculated on the basis of the Company carrying out its future business activities and operations as planned at the period end. As such, contractual obligations presented in this MD&A will differ from amounts presented in the financial statements, which are prepared on the basis of minimum uncancellable commitments to pay in the event of contract termination. The MD&A presentation of contractual obligations is provided in order to give an indication of future expenditure, for the disclosed categories, arising from the Companys continuing operations and development projects.

A reconciliation of contractual obligations at June 30, 2018 to the financial statements and notes is provided below.

(Stated in $000's of dollars) Purchase

obligations Power

commitments Operating

leases Finance

leases Decommissioning

obligations Commitments (MD&A) $ 1,164,649 $ 584,293 $ 48,610 $ 12,291 $ 268,226 Cancellable obligations (897,709 ) (174,210 ) - - - (net of exit costs) Accrued capital expenditure (223,995 ) - - - - Discounting and other adjustments - - - - (140,584 ) Financial statement amount $ 42,945 $ 410,083 $ 48,610 $ 12,291 $ 127,642

QUALIFIED PERSON

Disclosure of a scientific or technical nature in this MD&A in respect of the Oyu Tolgoi mine was prepared under the supervision of Bernard Peters, Technical Director  Mining, OreWin Pty Ltd., B. Eng. (Mining), FAusIMM (201743), and Sharron Sylvester, Technical Director  Geology, OreWin Pty Ltd., BSc (Geol.), RPGeo AIG (10125). Each of these individuals is a qualified person as that term is defined in NI 43-101.

SELECTED QUARTERLY DATA

($ in millions, except per share information) Quarter Ended Jun-30 Mar-31 Dec-31 Sep-30 2018 2018 2017 2017 Revenue $ 341.7 $ 245.6 $ 251.7 $ 246.9 Income for the period $ 204.4 $ 79.7 $ 33.9 $ 47.7 Income attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill $ 171.3 $ 85.7 $ 51.1 $ 65.3 Basic and diluted income per share attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill $ 0.09 $ 0.04 $ 0.03 $ 0.03 Quarter Ended Jun-30 Mar-31 Dec-31 Sep-30 2017 2017 2016 2016 Revenue $ 203.7 $ 237.5 $ 224.6 $ 226.3 Income (loss) for the period $ (0.4) $ 29.7 $ 86.8 $ (77.8) Income (loss) attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill $ 23.8 $ 41.0 $ 93.3 $ (31.4) Basic and diluted income (loss) per share attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill $ 0.01 $ 0.02 $ 0.05 $ (0.02)





KEY STATISTICS1

2Q

2017 3Q

2017 4Q

2017 1Q

2018 2Q

2018 1H

2018 1H

2017 Full Year

2017 Operating results Open pit material mined (000 tonnes) 25,193 27,466 28,929 23,131 22,792 45,923 49,527 105,921 Ore treated (000 tonnes) 9,637 10,615 10,838 9,561 10,164 19,725 19,724 41,177 Average mill head grades: Copper (%) 0.51 0.48 0.53 0.51 0.48 0.50 0.51 0.51 Gold (g/t) 0.16 0.18 0.20 0.25 0.26 0.25 0.15 0.17 Silver (g/t) 1.38 1.34 1.54 1.32 1.17 1.24 1.34 1.39 Concentrates produced (000 tonnes) 171.0 170.0 205.4 177.3 178.8 356.1 347.0 722.5 Average concentrate grade (% Cu) 21.8 21.7 22.0 21.9 22.0 22.0 21.7 21.8 Production of metals in concentrates: Copper (000 tonnes) 37.2 36.9 45.3 38.8 39.4 78.2 75.3 157.4 Gold (000 ounces) 24 31 35 42 50 92 49 114 Silver (000 ounces) 236 239 285 221 225 446 450 974 Concentrates sold (000 tonnes) 182.0 176.6 175.5 163.1 220.0 383.1 372.2 724.3 Sales of metals in concentrates: Copper (000 tonnes) 37.3 36.9 35.7 34.3 46.1 80.4 76.7 149.3 Gold (000 ounces) 23 29 27 31 51 82 55 111 Silver (000 ounces) 222 229 205 206 250 456 427 860 Metal recovery (%) Copper 74.6 73.5 78.0 79.5 79.7 79.6 74.7 75.4 Gold 47.7 51.2 50.5 55.0 59.8 57.6 48.3 49.7 Silver 53.9 52.8 53.0 54.6 58.4 56.4 52.9 52.9 Financial results ($ in millions, unless otherwise noted) Revenue 203.7 246.9 251.7 245.6 341.7 587.3 441.1 939.8 Revenue by metals in concentrates Copper 173.7 209.2 216.1 202.1 273.7 475.8 370.3 795.6 Gold 26.6 34.2 32.5 40.3 64.1 104.3 64.1 130.8 Silver 3.3 3.5 3.2 3.2 4.0 7.2 6.7 13.4 Operating cash flow 51.5 94.7 91.1 14.7 149.6 164.3 139.9 325.8 Cost of sales 188.9 197.8 182.7 168.9 239.6 408.5 383.2 763.8 Production and delivery costs 117.7 123.4 106.6 114.6 174.2 288.8 238.4 468.4 Depreciation and depletion 75.0 77.4 73.4 55.6 64.1 119.7 153.3 304.1 Capital expenditure on cash basis 205.2 234.0 330.4 285.7 318.0 603.8 353.0 917.5 Underground 184.7 205.6 309.0 270.5 291.2 561.7 321.1 835.7 Open pit (2) 20.5 28.4 21.4 15.2 26.8 42.0 32.0 81.8 Royalties 12.5 14.5 15.8 14.9 20.3 35.2 26.9 57.1 Operating cash costs(3) 163.6 161.9 217.7 176.6 201.7 378.4 332.0 711.6 Unit costs ($) Cost of sales (per pound of copper sold) 2.30 2.43 2.32 2.23 2.36 2.30 2.26 2.32 C1 (per pound of copper produced) (3) 1.92 1.83 2.05 1.76 1.72 1.74 1.89 1.92 All-in sustaining (per pound of copper produced) (3) 2.27 2.76 2.40 2.07 2.42 2.25 2.21 2.39 Financial position Cash and cash equivalents ($000,000) 1,378.5 1,485.5 1,444.8 1,498.4 1,463.3 1,444.8

(1) Any financial information in this press release should be reviewed in conjunction with the Companys consolidated financial statements or condensed interim consolidated financial statements for the reporting periods indicated.

(2) Open-pit capital expenditure includes both sustaining and non-underground development activities.

(3) Please refer to the NON-GAAP MEASURES section of this press release for further information.

TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD. Consolidated Statements of Income (Stated in thousands of U.S. dollars) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, Note 2018 2017 2018 2017 Revenue 4 $ 341,743 $ 203,668 $ 587,335 $ 441,134 Cost of sales 5 (239,622 ) (188,857 ) (408,491 ) (383,236 ) Gross margin 102,121 14,811 178,844 57,898 Operating expenses 6 (56,079 ) (35,638 ) (86,364 ) (76,295 ) Corporate administration expenses (7,372 ) (5,662 ) (12,265 ) (10,154 ) Other income 3,012 2,051 334 1,314 Income (loss) before finance items and taxes 41,682 (24,438 ) 80,549 (27,237 ) Finance items Finance income 7 41,395 41,478 80,290 79,384 Finance costs 7 (16,816 ) (41,195 ) (40,802 ) (85,003 ) 24,579 283 39,488 (5,619 ) Income (loss) from operations before taxes $ 66,261 $ (24,155 ) $ 120,037 $ (32,856 ) Income and other taxes 138,185 23,760 164,113 62,177 Income (loss) for the period $ 204,446 $ (395 ) $ 284,150 $ 29,321 Attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. 171,295 23,846 256,987 64,814 Attributable to owner of non-controlling interest 33,151 (24,241 ) 27,163 (35,493 ) Income (loss) for the period $ 204,446 $ (395 ) $ 284,150 $ 29,321 Basic and diluted earnings per share attributable to Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. 18 $ 0.09 $ 0.01 $ 0.13 $ 0.03 Basic weighted average number of shares outstanding (000's) 2,012,314 2,012,314 2,012,314 2,012,314 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD. Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Stated in thousands of U.S. dollars) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Income (loss) for the period $ 204,446 $ (395 ) $ 284,150 $ 29,321 Other comprehensive income (loss): Items that will not be reclassified to income: Changes in the fair value of marketable securities at FVOCI 902 (1,835 ) (2,298 ) 839 Items that have been reclassified to income: Gain on revaluation of marketable securities transferred to the statement of income - - - (39 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) for the period (a) $ 902 $ (1,835 ) $ (2,298 ) $ 800 Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period $ 205,348 $ (2,230 ) $ 281,852 $ 30,121 Attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill 172,197 22,011 254,689 65,614 Attributable to owner of non-controlling interest 33,151 (24,241 ) 27,163 (35,493 ) Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period $ 205,348 $ (2,230 ) $ 281,852 $ 30,121 (a) No tax charges and credits arose on items recognized as other comprehensive income or loss in 2018 (2017: nil). The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Stated in thousands of U.S. dollars) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, Note 2018 2017 2018 2017 Cash generated from operating activities before interest and tax 17 $ 149,647 $ 51,464 $ 164,327 $ 139,944 Interest received 20,949 14,336 39,968 26,674 Interest paid (118,586 ) (107,173 ) (130,807 ) (119,817 ) Income and other taxes paid (3,634 ) (2,592 ) (5,702 ) (4,478 ) Net cash generated from (used in) operating activities $ 48,376 $ (43,965 ) $ 67,786 $ 42,323 Cash flows from investing activities Receivable from related party: amounts withdrawn 19 230,000 240,000 550,000 270,000 Expenditures on property, plant and equipment (318,048 ) (205,166 ) (603,764 ) (353,042 ) Proceeds from sale and redemption of financial assets - - - 63 Other investing cash flows 616 173 616 173 Cash generated from (used in) investing activities $ (87,432 ) $ 35,007 $ (53,148 ) $ (82,806 ) Cash flows from financing activities Net proceeds from project finance facility 4,158 3,082 4,158 3,082 Payment of project finance fees (192 ) (1,910 ) (192 ) (1,910 ) Cash generated from financing activities $ 3,966 $ 1,172 $ 3,966 $ 1,172 Effects of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents (69 ) 10 (113 ) 66 Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents $ (35,159 ) $ (7,776 ) $ 18,491 $ (39,245 ) Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period $ 1,498,433 $ 1,386,285 $ 1,444,783 $ 1,417,754 Cash and cash equivalents - end of period 1,463,274 1,378,509 1,463,274 1,378,509 Cash and cash equivalents as presented on the balance sheets $ 1,463,274 $ 1,378,509 $ 1,463,274 $ 1,378,509 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD. Consolidated Balance Sheets (Stated in thousands of U.S. dollars) (Unaudited) June 30, December 31, Note 2018 2017 Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 8 $ 1,463,274 $ 1,444,783 Inventories 9 265,722 274,142 Trade and other receivables 52,539 29,089 Prepaid expenses and other assets 47,358 49,552 Receivable from related party 10 1,177,435 1,367,586 3,006,328 3,165,152 Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 11 8,052,610 7,346,972 Inventories 9 17,740 43,379 Deferred income tax assets 14 651,382 473,742 Receivable from related party and other financial assets 10 1,442,231 1,804,074 10,163,963 9,668,167 Total assets $ 13,170,291 $ 12,833,319 Current liabilities Trade and other payables 12 $ 469,694 $ 435,869 Deferred revenue 65,914 67,598 535,608 503,467 Non-current liabilities Borrowings and other financial liabilities 13 4,170,636 4,159,119 Deferred income tax liabilities 14 35,097 25,788 Decommissioning obligations 15 127,642 125,721 4,333,375 4,310,628 Total liabilities $ 4,868,983 $ 4,814,095 Equity Share capital $ 11,432,122 $ 11,432,122 Contributed surplus 1,558,334 1,558,102 Accumulated other comprehensive income 1,421 3,719 Deficit (3,824,521 ) (4,081,508 ) Equity attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill 9,167,356 8,912,435 Attributable to non-controlling interest 16 (866,048 ) (893,211 ) Total equity $ 8,301,308 $ 8,019,224 Total liabilities and equity $ 13,170,291 $ 12,833,319 Commitments and contingencies (Note 20) The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LTD. Consolidated Statements of Equity (Stated in thousands of U.S. dollars) (Unaudited) Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 Attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill Accumulated other Non-controlling Contributed comprehensive Interest Share capital surplus income (loss) Deficit Total (Note 16) Total equity Opening balance $ 11,432,122 $ 1,558,102 $ 3,719 $ (4,081,508 ) $ 8,912,435 $ (893,211 ) $ 8,019,224 Income for the period - - - 256,987 256,987 27,163 284,150 Other comprehensive loss for the period - - (2,298 ) - (2,298 ) - (2,298 ) Employee share plans - 232 - - 232 - 232 Closing balance $ 11,432,122 $ 1,558,334 $ 1,421 $ (3,824,521 ) $ 9,167,356 $ (866,048 ) $ 8,301,308 Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 Attributable to owners of Turquoise Hill Accumulated other Non-controlling Contributed comprehensive Interest Share capital surplus income (loss) Deficit Total (Note 16) Total equity Opening balance $ 11,432,122 $ 1,557,913 $ (402 ) $ (4,262,755 ) $ 8,726,878 $ (822,892 ) $ 7,903,986 Income for the period - - - 64,814 64,814 (35,493 ) 29,321 Other comprehensive income for the period - - 800 - 800 - 800 Employee share plans - 9 - - 9 - 9 Closing balance $ 11,432,122 $ 1,557,922 $ 398 $ (4,197,941 ) $ 8,792,501 $ (858,385 ) $ 7,934,116 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Forward-looking statements

Certain statements made herein, including statements relating to matters that are not historical facts and statements of the Companys beliefs, intentions and expectations about developments, results and events which will or may occur in the future, constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements and information relate to future events or future performance, reflect current expectations or beliefs regarding future events and are typically identified by words such as anticipate, could, should, expect, seek, may, intend, likely, plan, estimate, will, believe and similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. These include, but are not limited to, statements about anticipated business activities, planned expenditures, corporate strategies, and other statements that are not historical facts.

Forward-looking statements and information are made based upon certain assumptions and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements or information. There can be no assurance that such statements or information will prove to be accurate. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies, local and global economic conditions, and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of copper, gold and silver, anticipated capital and operating costs, anticipated future production and cash flows, and the status of the Companys relationship and interaction with the Government of Mongolia on the continued operation and development of Oyu Tolgoi and Oyu Tolgoi LLC internal governance. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and information include, among others, copper; gold and silver price volatility; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; development plans for processing resources; matters relating to proposed exploration or expansion; mining operational and development risks; litigation risks; regulatory restrictions (including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability); Oyu Tolgoi LLCs ability to deliver a domestic power source for the Oyu Tolgoi project within the required contractual time frame; communications with local stakeholders and community relations; activities, actions or assessments, including tax assessments, by governmental authorities; events or circumstances (including strikes, blockages or similar events outside of the Companys control) that may affect the Companys ability to deliver its products in a timely manner; currency fluctuations; the speculative nature of mineral exploration; the global economic climate; dilution; share price volatility; competition; loss of key employees; cyber security incidents; additional funding requirements, including in respect of the development or construction of a long-term domestic power supply for the Oyu Tolgoi project; capital and operating costs, including with respect to the development of additional deposits and processing facilities; and defective title to mineral claims or property. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. All such forward-looking statements and information are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Companys management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. These statements, however, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements or information.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, which contribute to the possibility that the predicted outcomes will not occur. Events or circumstances could cause the Companys actual results to differ materially from those estimated or projected and expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements are included in the Risk Factors section in the Companys Annual Information Form dated as of March 15, 2018 in respect of the year ended December 31, 2017 (the AIF).

Readers are further cautioned that the list of factors enumerated in the Risk Factors section of the AIF that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on the Companys forward-looking statements and information to make decisions with respect to the Company, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events.Civil war victims in Nepal do not accept the governments latest draft amendment to the Transitional Justice Act (TJA), which is a political compromise. They demand a strong foundation for justice and a guarantee of non-repetition.

The governments draft amendment, unveiled on June 21 and still under discussion, comes in response to Supreme Court rulings that the TJA does not meet international standards. Two transitional justice (TJ) commissions were set up in 2015 under that law, but have failed to address victims needs and made little progress.

Crimes like torture and enforced disappearances remain undefined in the draft amendment, meaning major offenders may slip through the cracks, according to rights groups. A provision in the proposed legislation for community service as an alternative punishment to prison time has also riled campaigners, who say it amounts to impunity.

On July 18, the Conflict Victims Common Platform issued a preliminary response and a set of demands to the Justice Ministry, arguing that the new draft should include command responsibility for war crimes to address issues such as enforced disappearance, extrajudicial killings, rapes and torture. It further said that proposed community service for perpetrators is not acceptable, and demanded mandatory prosecution of perpetrators in line with domestic and international law. The CVCP also demanded that the transitional justice commissions be restructured following a further amendment of the TJA based on listening to victims through nationwide consultation.

Several critical notes from the conflict victims, civil society and international human rights organizations have demanded wider and meaningful consultations to make the process victim-centered. Swiss NGO TRIAL expressed concern about lack of wider consultation with victims and urged the government to ensure that the bill is responsive to the self-identified needs of victims and civil society.

UN OHCHR also made public on July 25 its technical notes on the current TJA amendment draft. The bill introduces a number of elements that, if approved and implemented, could contribute to take forward a more comprehensive transitional justice process, it said. At the same time, OHCHR notes that some aspects of the bill are not fully consistent with Nepals obligations under international law. It stressed that in addition to punishment being part of the international obligation to investigate and prosecute, international law envisages the requirement of penalties that are appropriate in relation to the gravity of the crime.

UN bodies have also suggested that Colombias transitional justice system could be adapted as a model in Nepal. It is positive to finally move away from the unproductive attempt to import the South African model of transitional justice. However, any other model, like Colombias, does require careful understanding to adapt it to a different context.

Victims groups in Nepal have been engaging with the flawed commission process as a critical watchdog. The CVCP mobilized their members nationwide to register complaints and collected more than 60,000 cases as part of a national campaign. However, many actors have refused to cooperate with the commission process, which has so far been a lost opportunity to assist the victims movement for justice.

The international community has not supported the transitional justice bodies in the past, arguing that both commissions were governed by flawed legislation. This is a big opportunity to correct flaws in the current Act and process. To maximize the benefits from such official processes and ultimately support the victims, national human rights groups and international communities must rethink/review their role and create a positive environment to actively engage in the transitional justice process. Once approved by the parliament, a new, improved TJ act could open the door for a trustworthy official process to fairly investigate war crimes, disclose the truth, and provide full justice and reparations to marginalized victims.An Israeli court on Tuesday sentenced an Arab woman to five months in prison for incitement to violence and support for a terrorist organisation in poems and other social media posts, the justice ministry said.

Dareen Tatour, 36 and an Israeli citizen, posted a video clip of herself reading her poem Resist, my people, resist them, in October 2015, accompanied by pictures of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces, according to authorities.

The posts on YouTube and Facebook came as a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence was erupting, including Palestinian knife attacks.

She was convicted in May and sentenced in the Nazareth district court. Her lawyer Gaby Lasky was expected to appeal.

Her prosecution has drawn international criticism.

International writers group Pen has defended Tatour, saying she has been convicted for doing what writers do every day  we use our words to peacefully challenge injustice.

The poem was quoted in Hebrew in the charge sheet, but according to an English translation on the Arabic literature and translation site ArabLit, it contains the following lines:

For an Arab Palestine, I will not succumb to the peaceful solution, Never lower my flags, Until I evict them from my land, Resist the settlers robbery, And follow the caravan of martyrs.

Prosecutors said that on October 4, she also quoted a statement by Islamic Jihad calling for continuation of the intifada in every part of the West Bank, alleging it showed her support for the outlawed militant group.

Tatour, from the Arab village of Reineh near Nazareth, was arrested on October 11, 2015.

Her sentencing comes after the release on Sunday of Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi who served an eight-month sentence for slapping two Israeli soldiers, an episode recorded in a video that went viral.

Tamimi, 17, was greeted by crowds of supporters and journalists upon her release in her hometown of Nabi Saleh in the occupied West Bank.

jlr-mjs/kiAfter more than 11 years abroad  a decade of it behind bars  former DR Congo warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba returned home on Wednesday to huge crowds and police firing teargas, reflecting the countrys high-voltage political mood.

Bemba, 55, throwing down the gauntlet to his rival President Joseph Kabila, has vowed to contest twice-delayed elections due to take place on December 23.

He landed at Kinshasa from Belgium aboard a private plane after the International Criminal Court (ICC) acquitted him of war-crimes charges in June.

Tens of thousands of people gathered along the citys main highway, prompting police to fire teargas to try to make a path for his open-topped Mercedes, an AFP reporter saw.

The crowd is the Democratic Republic of Congos largest politically-related gathering in two years  since 2016, Kabila has cracked down heavily on protests.

Analysts say Bembas return throws even more uncertainty into an already volatile election. Candidates must submit their applications by August 8 and physically be in the country to do so.

The DRC has never known a peaceful transition of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960  and some experts fear the current crisis may spiral into bloodshed.

Two wars unfolded from 1996-97 and from 1998-2003 that sucked in other countries in central and southern Africa. Smaller, but still bloody, conflicts dog the centre and east of the vast country today.

 Kabila tension 

Kabila, 47, took over from his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila, after he was assassinated by a bodyguard in 2001.

His regime has a long reputation for corruption, inequality and unrest.

Kabila was scheduled to stand down at the end of 2016 after his second elected term, technically the last permitted under the constitution.

But he has stayed in office, invoking a constitutional clause enabling him to stay in power until a successor is elected.

He has refused to spell out whether he will seek a new term. Political sources say he has been lately scouting around for a favourable candidate that he could support, which would enable him officially to step down.

Dozens have died in anti-Kabila protests amid the mounting political uncertainty. The influential Roman Catholic Church has called for three days of popular mobilisation on August 12-14 should Kabila announce a re-election bid.

Kabila can no longer stand again, the constitution is there  if it is not respected, its a disaster for the country, Bemba said in Brussels last month.

I am campaigning for a single opposition candidacy, he said, adding, this would not necessarily be me.

Another rival to Kabila  tycoon Moise Katumbi, 53, a former governor of the mineral-rich province of Katanga  plans to return home on Friday from self-imposed exile abroad.

The third big opposition figure is Felix Tshisekedi of Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UPDS), which was headed by former prime minister Etienne Tshisekedi until his death last year.

 Warlord past 

Bemba was once an assistant to former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

In the late 1980s, he founded the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC)  then a rebel group but now a political party  with help from neighbouring Uganda.

In 2003, he became vice-president under a peace deal to end the fighting. Bembas MLC had managed to overrun the countrys north.

Three years later, he stood against the incumbent Kabila in presidential elections and lost the run-off. He claimed the vote was rigged.

Bemba, in turn, was accused of treason when his bodyguards clashed with the army in Kinshasa and then fled to Belgium, where he spent part of his youth.

He was then arrested in Europe on a warrant by the ICC for war crimes committed by his private army in the neighbouring Central African Republic between 2002-3, when its then president, Ange-Felix Patasse, sought his help to repel a coup attempt.

He was sentenced in The Hague in 2016 to 18 years before the conviction was overturned on appeal in June. The ICC declared Bemba could not be held responsible for crimes committed by his troops.

The court is due to issue a ruling in a separate case, in which Bemba was sentenced to jail and fined 300,000 euros ($350,000) in 2017 for bribing witnesses during his main trial.

But legal experts expect him to be released definitively if time spent behind bars is taken into account.Here are key dates in the life of Jean-Pierre Bemba who has returned to the DR Congo after 11 years in exile and jail, vowing to contest presidential polls in December.

 November 4, 1962: Born in Bogada in the northwest Equateur province, his father was a rich businessman close to former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

 1997: Leaves Kinshasa when the late rebel leader Laurent Desire Kabila overthrows Mobutu.

 1998: Founds the rebel Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) opposed to the Kabila regime.

 October 2002-March 2003: Sends his private militiamen to the Central African Republic to help put down a coup against then president Ange-Felix Patasse. The MLC are accused of murder, rape and looting.

 2003: Following the end of the second Congolese war, Bemba becomes vice president in an interim government.

 2006: Defeated by Joseph Kabila in presidential elections, scarred by political violence.

 2007: Leaves Kinshasa, escorted by UN peacekeepers, after his forces come off worst in clashes with government troops.

 2008: Arrested in Brussels on a warrant of the International Criminal Court issued for MLC atrocities in the Central African Republic.

 2016: Sentenced to 18 years by ICC judges after being found guilty of warcrimes and crimes against humanity.

 2017: Sentenced to one year in jail and fined 300,000 euros ($350,000) for bribing witnesses during the trial.

 June 8, 2018: In a surprise decision, he is acquitted on appeal on the charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. On June 12, the ICC orders his interim release.

 August 1, 2018: He returns to Kinshasa.

bur-br /jmy/dcr261 Shares Share

My oldest girl and I love watching birds. We usually watch the birds right outside our backdoor while they eat from our bird feeder. As we were watching one day, it amazed me how comfortable the birds were jumping from post to post on the feeder or from branch to branch on the trees. Often times at a distance taller than the bird itself. Why would they take this risk and what can that teach us about asset protection and side hustles?

It dawned on me that the reason they are so comfortable taking this risk was because they knew if they made a miscalculation when the jumped, they had wings. Their wings served as a form of protection from another bird knocking them from the sky, slipping on the post they were trying to land on, or misjudging their jump.

Presumably, the more often these birds fly, the harder they flap their wings, and the bigger they jump  and get used to the risk  the easier it becomes to take the next risk. We can learn a lot from these birds about one of the best forms of asset protection: having a side hustle.

Did I read that right? Side hustles as a form of asset protection?

Yes. Yes, you did. Today we will discuss how side hustles help produce an additional income stream, serve as diversification of your portfolio, and can even scratch the itch of speculation! All of this serves as solid asset protection.

Lets dig in.

The purpose of asset protection

On physician finance blogs, an inordinate amount of time is spent discussing asset protection. Are discussions on disability insurance, life insurance, and umbrella insurance important? Yes.

With the frequency that the topic is covered, though, youd think that these catastrophic events must happen all of the time and to everyone! Thats just not the case, though.

The reason they are so often covered is because life events like being permanently disabled or losing your life can be devastating for you and your family. But these products are not the only way to protect your assets.

An additional income stream

Your biggest asset while young in your career is your human capital, or earning ability. For this reason we should protect this income earning potential by purchasing term disability insurance.

While we are young and healthy it is also our job to use this earning capital to save for retirement. Remember, the reason that we prepare for retirement is that we anticipate at some point that we A) no longer wish to work and/or B) we plan on our current income stream drying up.

Retirement accounts serve as an income stream. Side hustles do the same! If you have side hustles in place  and do not depend on the income from them to live  this forms another protective layer to provide income when you need it.

Like the wings of the birds, side hustles minimize the risks that we take every day in life by giving us a buffer should we lose our job. They can also help us retire earlier.

Examples of side hustles include medical expert witness work, writing a book, real estate investing, or even writing a blog. All of these income producing endeavors can help produce income if job loss ever occurs. The more passive they are, the more they can also count as supplemental disability insurance if you are no longer able to work.

Diversification is key

Ever heard of the saying, A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush? The idea here is that a certain guarantee is better than two possibilities that might not work out. Another way to deal with possibilities not working out is by having as many of them as possible.

While some ideas fail, others will fly. This is called diversification  and side hustles might be one of the best kind, but I am getting ahead of myself.

In investing 101, we learn that diversifying is key to our success. As an example on the importance of diversification lets put yourself in someone elses shoes. Say you were an employee of Enron back in their golden days. As an employee, they gave you the opportunity to put all of your retirement money into Enron stock. Given its track record for success, you just couldnt see how this could be a bad idea. They are on the up and up.

Well, we all know how that story ended. If you were that employee, you would have lost your entire retirement portfolio. The reason? You were not diversified. You took all of your eggs and put them into one basket. Failing to diversify is a personal finance sin.

What is the opposite of this? Investing in a well-diversified portfolio so that when one part of the market zigs, the other part of your portfolio will zag. An example would be investing in large cap, mid cap, small cap, international stocks, real estate, treasury bonds, and TIPS.

However, one form of diversification many sites spend much less time talking about is having a side hustle. If you are earning money through a side hustle, this will almost certainly perform independently of the stock market  unless of course it is some form of income tied to market success.

Some speculation is good

For anyone who has read this site consistently, you know how anti-speculation I am. I think taking unmitigated risk is unintelligent. Just take care of the 20% you need to know to get 80% of the results.

Some say you can diversify your portfolio with as little as 20-25 individual stocks. While I understand the premise (and the math here), I see this as pure speculation in those 20-25 individual stocks. And I dont think its smart.

What if one of those 20 stocks (or 5% of your portfolio) goes bankrupt? How protected would you be then? And why would you take this risk if you can simply take the market return and let that be enough?

It might surprise you then to learn that I do support one form of speculation, which is speculating on yourself. The only risk there is in the amount of time and money you put towards something and your ability to provide a good return on investment.

I think it will serve you well to speculate on a side hustle for which you will be passionate enough and that has the potential upside of providing some additional income. Of course, the more pans you have in the fire, the more likely one is to catch.

So, dont just diversify your portfolio. Diversify your side hustles, too.

Take home

The take home here is simple: Side hustles definitely can serve as an additional income stream, form of diversification, and asset protection. Its worth at least considering these possibilities.

The other unmentioned added benefit, of course, is that if one of your side hustles becomes wildly successful, then you will have a lot of interesting choices in your near future. How much should I keep working at my main hustle? Do I need less to retire? Am I happier doing this or my main job?

All of these questions would be good problems to have, but you have to have a side hustle first!

Keep on hustlin. You know I will.

The Physician Philosopher is an anesthesiologist who blogs at his self-titled site, The Physician Philosopher.

Image credit: Shutterstock.comRenowned authors, Patricia Gibney and Helena Duggan, will join over 30 independent booksellers and the very best food and craft makers from three unmissable days of literature, storytelling, workshops and so much more from August 24 for this years Graiguenamanagh Town of Books Festival in the medieval, riverside town in Kilkenny.

The internationally-renowned Festival is now in its 15th year and is a must for anyone who wants to pick up a bargain in new, second hand, antiquarian, childrens and specialist books, the organiser say. This years programme has been extended to include an artisan food and craft element, live music and so much more.

Every available space in the picture postcard town is turned into a bookshop for the event which has drawn big names and renowned collectors to the Kilkenny town down through the years, Graiguenamanagh Town of Books Festival spokesperson, Mary Whelan, said. It started out as Irelands first book festivals in a town with very strong literary roots

This has become a national festival and a fantastic opportunity for independent booksellers to showcase their stock to a captive audience. The physical size of Graiguenamanagh really lends itself to hosting a festival like this. Entire families can walk from one end of the town to the other in comfort and in safety and peruse the books on offer at the various hubs at their leisure.

Were delighted to have Patricia Gibney and Helena Duggan on board this year. Patricia has just completed her 5th book and it will be fantastic to have her and childrens author, Helena Duggan, in our library for the Festival. Helena just recently won Best Crime Novel for Children (aged 8-12) for A Place called Perfect.

Patricia Gibney said shes delighted to attend: I am so looking forward to visiting the Town of Books festival again this year. The atmosphere is vibrant and friendly, and anyone who has a love of books should visit this Graiguenamanagh festival.

I hope to do a reading and talk about my writing process, e.g. the use of location in the Lottie Parker crime books and the process of writing a series of books, the ups and downs, she revealed.

The festival opens with Where Old Ghosts Meet, an exploration of the life, times and works of Patrick Kavanagh through poetry, prose and song. Visitors will also delight in a local history tour which includes a fascinating look at the rich history and stories of Graignamanagh and its environs.

Free childrens activities run throughout the weekend and food and craft stalls will be dotted over the town, boosting the carnival atmosphere throughout the weekend.

Graignamanagh Town of Books will be the final of four festival weekends in the town which has been basking in the sunshine of recent weeks as swimmers, kayakers and canoeists, boating enthusiasts, fishermen, cyclists, hillwalkers and more flocked to the river and surround walks as well as the new, purpose-built outdoor pursuits hub.

The towns natural and built heritage is also showcased during the month of August at the Graignamanagh Regatta this weekend, the Music Festival from August 10-12 and the renowned Walking Festival August 17 -19.Following on from last weeks article which listed those who died as a result of the War of Independence in County Kilkenny, this weeks article endeavours - for the first time - to record those who died in County Kilkenny during the Civil War conflict (June 1922  May 1923).

While researching for my new publication, it came as a (grim) surprise to discover that more people died in County Kilkenny during the Civil War (11 months), when compared to the War of Independence (two-and-a-half years). The total number of Civil War fatalities within County Kilkenny was twenty-six. Using the same criteria, the total number of deaths in the county during the War of Independence was twenty (this excludes the two deaths in Mullinahone, County Tipperary).

Differing viewpoints

From the outset, it is important to remark that it is not the aim of this writer to judge anyones choices, beliefs or reasoning for taking a particular course of action nearly a century ago.

Thus, I approached recording the dead of the Civil War as objectively as possible, focusing on the people that died and the events that led to their deaths, irrespective of which side they were on.

At this juncture, it is helpful to assess the perspectives of the two opposing factions in the Civil War to discern why they took their respective positions. Firstly, to outline generally the pro-Treaty/Free State view; the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty (signed

by the Irish and British delegates in December 1921) gave Ireland a measure of freedom unfathomable just a few years previously. This new autonomy included control over defence, domestic and foreign affairs, while in addition, the Crown Forces would evacuate the country and the political prisoners were to be released.

The Treaty also received widespread public support, although the fear of returning to war against the British was a big factor in this. From the anti-Treaty perspective, the Republic they had spent years fighting for had been diluted, while most grievously the Irish people were still to be subjects of a British monarch. Many of those opposed to the Treaty had been IRA combatants or Cumann na mBan women who were at the frontline of the fighting during the War of Independence. They had made many sacrifices regarding their livelihoods, family life and their health, for the cause of the Irish Republic.

Some had also witnessed comrades and family members terrorised. From their vantage point, all they had sacrificed was now diminished.

Recording the Civil War fatalities

Recent digitisation of historic records has made listing the dead of the Civil War possible. Specifically, the digitisation of historic newspapers and the publication of death records from the revolutionary era, has provided a scope unimaginable even a decade ago. Also, since 2014, many of the military service pensions applications have been made digitally available for the first time which is another boon for historians.

However, it is important to note that there is a possibility of additional unregistered deaths. Although many archives were searched in detail and much time was dedicated to compiling the list, it is conceivable that there were deaths that were not recorded. In other words, there was no death certificate, no military report, no military compensation claim, or no newspaper article documenting the death(s).

Analysis of Kilkenny deaths during the Civil War

Of the twenty-six fatalities in County Kilkenny, thirteen were anti-Treaty IRA (50 per cent), nine were Free State soldiers (35 per cent) and four were civilians (15 per cent). Although the anti-Treaty IRA were the highest grouping killed, the figures do not explain the full story.

Seven of the thirteen anti-Treaty IRA deaths occurred in either Kilkenny Barracks (now James Stephens Barracks) or in Kilkenny Jail (no longer in existence, it was situated at the end of Gaol Road). This included two official executions (John Murphy of Bennettsbridge and John Phelan of Thomastown), while four anti-Treaty deaths were attributed to Free State warders shooting prisoners inside Kilkenny Jail, with the remainder dying from illness.

Hence, Free State soldiers were far more likely to be killed in clashes on the front line against the anti-Treaty IRA than the other way around. Five out of nine Free State deaths occurred in this way. Just four out of the thirteen anti-Treaty IRA deaths occurred on the front line. Of the twenty-six fatalities within County Kilkenny, fourteen were Kilkenny natives, while the

remainder were from the counties of Waterford, Tipperary, Wexford, Laois, Cork and Dublin.

Four civilians were killed during the Civil War in County Kilkenny, the same amount as the War of Independence. The average age of those who died was 24.1 years.

Note; I have included two anti-Treaty prisoners who were fatally shot in Kilkenny Jail in the months after the Civil War officially ended in May 1923. This was because they were technically political prisoners, arrested for their anti-Treaty activities, and shot by the

opposing side.

See listing for full lists of names of those killed in County as a result of the Civil War. Next weeks final article in the series will list the Kilkenny natives who died in other parts of Ireland as a result of the Civil War (Kilkenny, In Times of Revolution, 1900-1923 by Eoin Swithin Walsh is published by Merrion Press on 13 August 2018. It includes more detailed accounts on the circumstances of all persons who died as a result of the conflict).

Fatalities

John Moran (Free State, Moneenroe) - died June 28, 1922 at Kilkenny Military Barracks. Shot accidentally by a comrade when getting out of bed in Kilkenny Military Barracks.

Michael Costello (Free State, Dundrum, Tipperary) died July 20, 1922 at Ferrybank. Shot during the attack on Waterford City. Died in a temporary field

hospital near Ferrybank.

Samuel Oakes (Anti-Treaty, Waterbarrack, Kilkenny) died on July 30, 1922. Shot dead by Free State soldiers during a search of Dowlings pub, Blackmill Street, Kilkenny City. He was unarmed. He was sent by his brother, Bill (who was Company Captain), to deliver ammunition to members of a Flying Column.

Patrick Murphy (Free State, Enniscorthy) died on August 2, 1922 at Piltown. Shot dead near Piltown during an attack on an outpost of anti-Treaty IRA troops near Carrick-on-Suir.

Edward Maher (Free State, Gortnahoe) died on August 14 at Urlingford. Died in Urlingford Barracks having been accidently shot by one of his comrades while alighting from a car during a search of a house at nearby Baunmore.

John OKeeffe (Civilian, Waterford) died on August 15, 1922 at Mulliavat. Killed during an anti-Treaty IRA ambush near Rochestown, Mullinavat, while travelling with a party of Free State soldiers.

John (Sean) J Edwards (Anti Treaty, Waterford) died on August 19, 1922, at Kilkenny Jail. Shot by a Free State sentry in Kilkenny Jail while he was talking to someone on the street outside from a window of the prison.

Frank Byrne (Anti-Treaty, Crettyard, Laois) died on August 21, 1922. Shot accidently by a comrade who was fixing a gun in Crutt, while they were resting on a haystack.

Patrick Quigley (Free State, Liss, Tullaroan) died on October 18, 1922 at Kilmanagh. Killed during an ambush on Free State soldiers by an anti-Treaty IRA flying column near Kilmanagh.

Thomas ODea (Anti-Treaty, Mitchelstown, Cork) died on October 18, 1922, at Kilmanagh. Killed during an ambush on Free State soldiers near Kilmanagh. ODea was reported to be manning the anti-Treaty machine gun when he was shot dead by Free State soldiers during a long running gun battle.

Patrick Griffin (Civilian, Patrick Street, Kilkenny). Died on November 29, 1922 in the city. Accidently knocked down by a Free State Crossley Tender lorry that careered down Johns Street and onto the footpath.

Patrick (Mc)Cormack (Anti Treaty, Grangefertagh, Johnstown). Died on December 2, 1922 at Johnstown. A patrol of Free State soldiers opened fire on a group of anti-Treaty IRA running across Morrisseys field in Johnstown village. Cormack was shot in the leg and died some hours later.

Patrick Martin (Civilian, Mooncoin) Died on December 16 at Piltown. Shot by Free State soldiers who thought he was trying to fire a revolver at them. He had taken the gun from an anti-Treaty IRA man and wanted to hand it in to the authorities.

Fred Lidwell (Free State, Dublin) Died on December 22, 1922 at Kilkenny Military barracks. Legal advisor to the Free State authorities, he was accidently shot in the head by a Free State soldier in Kilkenny Military Barracks who was trying to clear out a crowded room.

Edward Burke (Civilian, Urlingford) Died on December 24, 1922, at Johnstown. Died after being shot by Free State soldiers on Christmas Eve after an altercation broke out between Burke, his friends, and the newly established Civic Guard (Garda Siochana). Free State soldiers were called, one of whom shot Burke outside a pub.

John Phelan (Anti-Treaty, Mill Street, Thomastown) and John Murphy (Anti-Treaty) Bishopslough, Bennettsbridge. Died on December 29, 1922 at Kilkenny Military Barracks. Arrested on 13 December 1922 for larceny and possessing firearms. Sentenced to death by a Free State military court. Execution carried out at 8.15 am on Friday, 29 December 1922, at Kilkenny Military Barracks.

Andrew Power (Anti-Treaty, Ballygunner, Waterford) Died on January 27 1923 in Kilkenny city. Arrested in Waterford in August 1922 because of anti-Treaty IRA activities. Sent to Kilkenny Jail where he contracted diphtheria. Died from the disease having been sent to Kilkenny Central Hospital.

Patrick Barcoe (Anti-Treaty, Neigham Gowran and Annalack Goresbridge) Died on February 2, 1923 at Paulstown. A member of Martin Medlar's east Kilkenny anti-Treaty column, Barcoe was shot dead in an altercation with Free State forces near Shankill. He was covering the retreat of his column when he was fatally wounded.

Gerald Comerford (Free State, Clogharinka, Ballyfoyle). Died on March 9, 1923 in Inistioge. Shot dead while taking part in a Free State offensive to capture an anti-Treaty IRA column.

Thomas Mealey (Anti-Treaty, Coolbawn, Castlecomer) Died on March 10, 1923, in Ballyragget. Part of an anti-Treaty IRA group who attempted to raid the home of the Buggy family. The family shot at the intruders, killing Mealey.

John Walsh (Anti-Treaty, Kilmacthomas, Waterford) Died on March 14, 1923 at Kilkenny Jail. Died from wounds received in Kilkenny Jail after he was shot by a Free State soldier/prison warden.

Michael Brown (Free State, Mountrath, Co. Laois). Died on March 15, 1923 at Windgap. The anti-Treaty IRA ambushed a party of Free State soldiers who were searching houses in the Windgap area. Brown was killed during an initial burst of machine-gun fire.

James O'Keeffe (Free State, Grange, Mooncoin) Died on May 4, 1923 inTipperary. Accidently shot himself on 16 February 1923 when dismounting from a Lancia car. Wounds seemed to be healing but he died at Kilkenny Military Barracks two months later.

James Morrissey (Anti Treaty, Kilkenny city). Died on June 13, 1923. Shot by a Free State soldier/sentry while attempting to escape from Kilkenny Jail. The shooting caused much controversy as Morrissey was well known in the City, while a ceasefire was also in operation

Patrick Hanlon (Anti Treaty, Carrick On Suir, Co. Tipperary) Died at Kilkenny Jail. Aged 16, he was shot by a Free State soldier/ sentry at Kilkenny Jail as he looked out from a window. Died the next day while in transit to a military hospital in Kildare.

For information on Kilkenny fatalities in the War of Independence, click hereQuestion:

My daughter received a full volleyball scholarship to college, so were wondering what to do with her 529 college-savings plan. Can we withdraw the amount of the scholarship without penalty?

Answer: You can withdraw up to the amount of the scholarship without having to pay the 10% penalty, but you will have to pay taxes on the earnings. (A portion of each withdrawal is considered to be from principal, and a portion comes from earnings.)

But before you make a scholarship withdrawal, its a good idea to see if you can use the money tax-free for other eligible college expenses.

Besides tuition, you can use the 529 money tax-free for room and board. If your daughter lives on campus, the 529 money can cover the full cost of room and board paid to the college. Even if she lives off campus, she can spend the 529 dollars tax-free for her housing costs, up to the schools allowance for room and board. (You can find the allowance amount on the schools website under the cost of attendance or by contacting the financial aid office.) Off-campus room and board only counts if the student is enrolled at least half-time.

You can also withdraw the money tax-free for textbooks, fees, and required supplies and equipment. Essentially, you can use the money for any expense that is required by the school, says Kaellen Hessel, of the Oregon 529 Savings Network. For example, if you are going to art school, then art supplies would be an allowed expense. The money can also be used to buy a computer and software for your daughter, if she will need it for her schoolwork.

Theres no time or age limit for using the money. So even if your daughter doesnt spend the money while shes an undergraduate, she could use it later for graduate school. Or you could change the beneficiary to another eligible family member headed to college, including your daughters siblings, nieces, nephews, parents, aunts, uncles, spouse or in-laws. You could even keep the money in her name and ultimately transfer the beneficiary to her own children later. Your daughter could then use up to $10,000 per beneficiary each year to pay for tuition for kindergarten through 12th grade. Or, she can save the money until her kids need it for college.

See the Qualified Tuition Program section of IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education , for more information about the rules.If you live in a state that charges sales tax, you could soon pay more for your online purchases. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that South Dakota may require online retailers with a certain volume of sales in the state to collect sales tax, even if the sellers dont have a physical presence in South Dakota. The ruling has paved the way for other states to collect sales tax on more online purchases.

Hawaii, Kentucky and Vermont passed legislation effective July 1 of this year that requires remote sellers to collect sales tax. Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota and Wisconsin have new laws that will go into effect this fall or winter. Other states passed laws last year that would become enforceable pending rulings by the state courts. And several statesincluding California, Kansas and New York, which have high sales tax ratesare likely to tackle the issue in upcoming legislative sessions. In most states, you can expect to be hit with local sales tax for online purchases, too.

Generally, shoppers who buy from midsize online retailers will be the hardest hit, says Carl Davis, research director for the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. South Dakotas rule requires remote sellers to collect tax if they have at least $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions in South Dakota. Other states are imposing similar thresholds. Many larger merchants already collect sales tax nationwide. Amazon.com charges state tax on direct sales in all states that have a sales tax. However, in most states Amazon doesnt collect taxes for purchases from third-party sellers that use its platform.

Theres a thin silver lining. Customers who live in states that charge sales tax are supposed to pay use taxusually when they file their state tax returnon taxable purchases from out-of-state retailers that dont collect sales tax. The vast majority of consumers dont pay use taxes, leaving them liable for penalties if their state chooses to enforce the rule. But if retailers collect the sales tax, online shoppers have less risk of running afoul of the law, says Diane Yetter, president of the Sales Tax Institute.A smoking gun from Bryce Edwards. He has been leaked an internal Green Party document that explicitly says they have been advised by the Cabinet Office that their confidence and supply agreement does not bind them to support the waka jumping bill.

Yet Stuff reported:

We are doing this because the confidence and supply agreement holds us to it, Davidson said.

That is a deliberate lie from the Green Party co-leader. She would have known that the Cabinet Office had advised they are not required to support the bill. But she lied and said they were required to, to try and placate their members.

And in case you think Stuff misreported, here is the official Green press release:

We are doing this because the confidence and supply agreement holds us to it. Marama Davidson said.

So the Green Party put out a press release they knew to be false, justifying their support for a bill that their members hate.

Bryce Edwards points out:

Then last week the party finally revealed that they would indeed vote for the legislation, even though they still opposed it. They justified this capitulation with the notion that their hands were tied by the coalition agreement that they signed up to with the Labour Party  especially the part in which they promised to deal in good faith with Labour to fulfil coalition agreements with New Zealand First. It turns out that the Greens have always known that there is nothing in the coalition agreement they signed with Labour that obliges them to vote for the waka-jumping bill. A leaked Green Party caucus document from January, titled Advice to caucus  Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill, reports on official advice informing the Greens that there is nothing in their coalition agreement that binds them to provide support.  The fact that the Greens have tried to tell the public the opposite therefore raises some big questions about why theyve mislead the public on this, and what the real reasons are for their U-turn on the bill. There are two main possible explanations: weakness or opportunism. In the weakness explanation, the Greens have acted like doormats  the leader of New Zealand First has simply demanded that the Greens vote for the bill, or there will be some sort of very negative consequence (perhaps even threatening to walk away from the coalition Government). In this scenario, the Greens have meekly rolled over and given away their principles easily. Under the opportunist explanation, the Greens have demanded some sort of price for voting against their principles. Perhaps it was the oil and gas exploration ban. Perhaps there is an upcoming policy announcement about mining on conservation land, or a deal on the Kermadecs sanctuary. What other horse-trading deals are being done between the three parties in government? The problem is we will likely never know. We now have an opaque Government in which the official coalition agreements arent the full story, and instead were being governed by backroom deals that the public isnt allowed to know about. It seems therefore that the waka-jumping deal epitomises the continued decay of principled and transparent politics, and how even so-called principled politicians such as the Greens are willing to buy into it all.

I suspect the opportunist explanation  that the Greens and Winston have done a private deal.

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This handout photo taken on July 24 and received from Attapeu on July 25 shows displaced residents arriving by boat in floodwaters in Attapeu province after a dam collapsed on July 23. AFP



South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday ordered the dispatch of an emergency relief team to Laos where heavy rains have led to the partial collapse of a dam built by South Korean firms, leaving hundreds missing and displacing thousands.

"President Moon instructed the government to come up with strong support measures, including the dispatch of an emergency relief team, to Laos," Moon's spokesman, Kim Eui-kyeom, told a press briefing.

The details of Seoul's government support measures, including the size of the relief mission, will be decided at a meeting to be held later in the day, involving vice ministerial officials from related offices, the spokesman said.

Hundreds of people are said to have gone missing while more than 6,000 others have been displaced, according to earlier reports.

Still, Moon's order comes amid a dispute over what may have led to the disaster.











A South Korean medical team left for Laos on Sunday to assist with recovery from the deadly flooding that resulted from the collapse of a dam that was under construction by a Korean builder, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

An emergency relief team, comprised of 15 medical personnel and five support staff, embarked on a 10-day mission to treat displaced residents in southern Laos and prevent the spread of contagious diseases, it added.

A dam built on a mountain saddle of a larger hydropower dam project gave way on Monday. SK Engineering & Construction, a South Korean firm, is a partner in the project.

The dam is one of five auxiliary dams in the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy project, which collapsed, flooding seven nearby villages and displacing more than 6,600 people. The flooding killed at least 27 people, leaving more than 130 missing, according to local media reports.

"The role of a humanitarian mission is important as this disaster also involves a South Korean firm," said Roh Dong-whan, the leader of the relief team. "We'd like to provide assistance to affected residents warmly and actively."

The team is the first South Korean emergency medical team to be dispatched since 2014 when the government sent a team to Ebola-hit Sierra Leone.

In rescue efforts, the government will provide US$500,000 in cash and $500,000 worth of materials to help Laos recover from the disaster.

A Korean military aircraft carrying relief supplies arrived in Laos Saturday (local time) via the Philippines, according to government officials.

The supplies include some 1,200 blankets, clothing and sanitation items provided by the government, the South Korean Red Cross and SK Engineering & Construction Co., the ministry said.

The supplies will be delivered to the Laotian authorities with South Korean Ambassador to Vientiane Shin Sung-soon and Leth Xaiyaphone, the governor of Attapeu Province, attending the handover event. (Yonhap)



Theres a quicker and easier way for Dalton residents to report problems with roads and make service requests on any number of other issues to the citys Public Works Department and Code Enforcement. The City of Dalton has partnered with a service called SeeClickFix to launch an online platform to quickly and easily report problems and also check for updates on the status of the issue until its resolved.Using either the SeeClickFix web tools or the free mobile app, Dalton residents can report issues to Public Works or Code Enforcement with specific descriptions along with any pictures or videos they may have to help the city get the problem resolved quickly.The SeeClickFix platform also gives the citys Public Works and Code Enforcement staff a centralized issue management system to manage issues from creation to resolution.The Public Works Department has been using the SeeClickFix site for a few months now to test the platform with city staff entering reports that they receive from callers, and its worked well, said Dalton City Administrator Jason Parker. We think this service will make it a lot easier for our residents to get problems in their neighborhood fixed quickly, and will save city staff time that would have been used manually assigning the tasks.Dalton residents can use SeeClickFix not just to report problems, but also to view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by their neighbors. Citizens can even create their own watch areas to receive notifications about all the issues reported in their community, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests  not just the ones they report.The SeeClickFix mobile app is available for download on Android and iPhone (search SeeClickFix in Google Play or the Apple App Store). In addition to the mobile apps, citizens can send reports only using the SeeClickFix links on the citys website at cityofdalton-ga.gov/seeclickfix or seeclickfix.com/daltonThe sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.When British people buy a house in the French countryside they often do so because there is a certain amount of land surrounding it.

Land is scarce and if available very expensive in England and the joy of having some land of course gives one the opportunity to have some animals other than the usual dogs and cats.

Britain is known as a nation of animal lovers and suddenly being given the chance to surround yourself with more perhaps leads many of us to make impulsive decisions, creating a Noah's Ark, sometimes we haven't completely understood all the implications in owning, feeding, fencing animals that aren't dogs or cats !

I have been guilty of having a menagerie of animals, having a couple of fields with my house, easily plenty of space for a donkey, two ponies, two goats, chickens etc.

Animals do bring you joy, I can't imagine a life without them, (I only have two dogs now), but they are a huge responsibility, you can't just go off on holiday without organizing someone to look after them and also food, care, vet's bills etc.. can be quite expensive. You forget all about that when you see a cuddly donkey with sad eyes looking at you just asking for a home !

Also, many of us who arrive in the French countryside have been town dwellers and not in complete knowledge of all the needs of these newly acquired animals.

One night you forget to close the chickens in and Mr. Fox has passed by and eaten them for his supper ; you didn't realize that goats were amazing escapologists or that a male goat has a special perfume ; that a Shetland pony can pass under the electric fence quite easily and that donkeys make a very loud noise at all times of the day and the cockerel wakes you up and your visitors, very early !

I know an animal loving British couple who are gradually increasing their collection of animals, donkey, goats and the latest addition being a llama, called Dalai !  who has turned out to be a better escape artist than the goats, his fur being so thick that the electric fence doesn't touch him !

It is interesting to discover also that llamas are being used to scare off wolves from attacking sheep in Sweden and to stop coyote attacks in the USA. Apparently most llamas are curious ; they are big, with a long neck so are quick to spot predators. They do not run away from these predators but walk towards them which is often enough to scare away the attacker. A solution for the Creusois farmers who suspect wolves have attacked and killed their sheep ?

For the British couple who have recently acquired Dalai, the Houdini llama, the other news is that they can live to be 30 years old, quite a long time to have to be chasing an escaped llama around the countryside !

Still, we wouldn't want a life without animals and as the French writer Anatole France said,  Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened. New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) Army chief General Bipin Rawat met his Bangladeshi counterpart General Aziz Ahmed today, a statement said.

The Army chiefs also exchanged mementos, it added.

Army personnel of India and Bangladesh took part in a joint training exercise 'Sampriti-7' in Meghalaya and Mizoram in November last year, which was the seventh edition of such drill between the two sides.

In a bilateral exercise that concluded last month, the navies of India and Bangladesh launched the first joint coordinated patrol (CORPAT) along their maritime boundaries against terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, smuggling and illegal fishing.

The two sides also stepped their defence cooperation.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)By Azernews





By Kamila Aliyeva

The Tajik air carrier, Somon Air, has resumed flights en route Dushanbe-Tashkent-Dushanbe on July 28, Tajik media outlets reported.

The flight time is 45 minutes, according to the airline. Flights on the route will be carried out on the fifth days of the week. From the Uzbek side, Uzbekistan Airlines performs the flight on this route.

The company's statement says that this was done to develop and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the field of air transportation.

In August, Somon Air plans to start flights on the Dushanbe-Bukhara-Dushanbe route.

In 2018, Central Asian nations of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan resumed air connection between the two capital cities after 25 years of halt.

The first technical flight from Dushanbe to Tashkent was performed on February 10. It delivered a delegation of Tajik aviation authorities, journalists and 14 passengers to the capital of Uzbekistan.

The official opening of regular flights was to be held on February 20, but the Tashkent airport refused to accept the Tajik aircraft. Uzbekistan explained its position by the fact that the Tajik carrier did not provide the necessary documentation in time for the scheduled flight on February 20.

Meanwhile, visa regime currently operates between the two Central Asian countries. Flights between the two countries were terminated in the autumn of 1992, and in 2000, Uzbekistan introduced a visa regime for travel to Tajikistan.

The air traffic was interrupted with the beginning of civil war in Tajikistan, there were virtually no commercial, economic and political ties. The relations began to restore in 2016.

In autumn 2016, a protocol on cooperation was signed between the civil aviation authorities of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the air transport sector. Under the signed Protocol, the Dushanbe Tashkent  Dushanbe flight is operated by Somon Air and Uzbekistan Airways.

Somon Air is the national carrier in Tajikistan with an office headquartered in Dushanbe. The airline operations are based at Dushanbe International Airport. The airline started operating on February 5, 2008 with regular flights to Moscow.

Today, Somon Air successfully carries out flights from Tajikistan to Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China, Russia and Kazakhstan. The fleet park of the airline includes aircrafts Boeing 737-300, -800 and -900.New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will embark on a four-day visit tomorrow to three Central Asian nations, reflecting India's pursuit of enhanced engagement with the region, the External Affairs Ministry said today.

Swaraj will be in Kazakhstan on August and 2-3, in the Kyrgyzstan on August 30-4 and Uzbekistan from August 4-5, a statement said.

During her visit to Astana, Swaraj will hold a bilateral meeting with her Kazakh counterpart Kairat Abdrakhmanov. She will call on the leadership of the country and interact with Indian community in Kazakhstan, it said.

India and Kazakhstan have a close strategic partnership and multi-faceted relations. The central Asian country is one of the nations from whom India imports uranium for powering its atomic reactors.

The bilateral relations between India and Kazakhstan got fillip by the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kazakhstan in 2015 and by his visit for SCO Summit in June 2017 when he had a productive meeting with the president of Kazakhstan, the statement said.

There have also been meetings between the leaders on the margins of SCO and Nuclear Security Summits keeping up the momentum in the growth of bilateral relations.

The next leg of the visit would take Swaraj to Kyrgyzstan where she would interact with Erlan Abdyldaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyzstan. She will also call on the leadership of the Kyrgyzstan, the statement said.

India and Kyrgyzstan share multi-dimensional relations including political, parliamentary, defence, science and technology and health.

Modi's visit to the Kyrgyz Republic in July 2015 and of the then president of the Kyrgyz Republic to India in December 2016, as also interactions on the margins of SCO Summits, have consolidated the traditionally cordial and close ties between the two countries, providing impetus to further strengthening of bilateral ties, it added.

Swaraj had earlier interacted with Foreign Minister Abdyldaev on a number of occasions including on the margins of United Nations General Assembly.

In the last segment of her three nation Central Asian tour, Swaraj would arrive in Tashkent on August 4.

She would hold in-depth discussions with Abdulaziz Kamilov, Minister of Foreign Affairs. She will also call on the leadership of Uzbekistan, it said.

Her visit will include interaction with indologists and members of the Indian community. She will also offer floral tributes at the memorial of former prime minister late Lal Bahadur Shastri.

India and Uzbekistan enjoy a close strategic partnership.

Bilateral relations between India and Uzbekistan have been strengthened by regular high level interactions. Modi visited Uzbekistan in July 2015 and for SCO Summit in June 2016. Recently, Swaraj had received Foreign Minister Kamilov for bilateral visits in 2017 and 2018 and also met him on the margins of SCO in April.

Swaraj's visit to the three central Asian countries is her first visit to these countries as External Affairs Minister.

"The visit is in pursuit of India's objective of enhanced engagement with this region which is India's extended neighbourhood. It will provide an opportunity to hold in-depth discussions with the political leadership on a wide range of global, regional and bilateral issues and will advance India's growing engagement with the Central Asian region," the statement added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) About 30 Indian companies would be participating in the Damascus International Trade Fair in Syria in September, said the country's envoy to India here today as he appealed the India Inc to participate in the rebuilding process of the strife-torn nation.

Ambassador Raid Kamel Abbas said peace and stability was returning to the nation following a prolonged conflict and that the Assad government was "determined to take control of the entire country" from "foreign occupation and "terrorist organisations".

The southern territory, he said, has already been reclaimed.

"Syria will be able to defeat terrorists and all other conspiracies against Syria. Now we are planning to rebuild Syria and we are looking for help from friendly countries, in particular, India," he said addressing the media.

The envoy said that a high-level Indian business delegation would be visiting his country coinciding with the trade fair, during which a host of agreements are expected to be signed.

Indian companies participating the fair beginning September 6 would also include PSU giants such as the ONGC and BHEL.

"In all, 30 Indian companies would be participating," he said, adding the participants would be provided incentives to do business there.

Hailing India's position on the Syrian issue and its stand against terrorism and foreign intervention, the envoy said he was grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing 1,000 scholarships for Syrian students taking up studies in India.

The ambassador said the Indian healthcare sector should be an active participant in the rebuilding process in the aftermath of the war as he lauded the medical aid sent by the Indian government to Syria.

He said the "game plan" of the foreign forces to "destabilise" Syria has been defeated because the people of Syria have stood behind the Assad government. The war also had nothing to do with "democracy" or forcing a regime change.

"There were two reasons (for USA and its allies) for forcing Syria to change its position. They were to safeguard the security of Israel, to control the natural resources of Syria and to extend the gas pipeline from Qatar through Syria to Europe. They have now realised they are unable to reach their objective," he said.

He alleged that the latest "massacre" in Sweida, in southern Syria that claimed over 260 lives was "pre-planned" by the US and terrorist supported organisation.

The aim was to give cover to the white helmet organisation and sneak them out of the country. He described the organisation as terrorists. White helmet is known as a volunteer organisation that operates in parts of rebel-controlled Syria, the envoy said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)New Delhi [India], Aug 1 (ANI): Syrian Ambassador to India Dr. Riad Abbas on Wednesday appealed to the Indian companies to come forward to help the Syrian government to rebuild the war-torn country.

Addressing media here, Abbas invited Indian investors and business companies to invest in Syria.

He said, "Our priority is that Indian companies come and help us rebuild Syria and we are open for Indian investors and businesses. The gates to Syria are open for Indian companies and all facilities will be provided there."

Abbas informed that a high-level Indian business delegation, along with government officials would be visiting Syria in the first week of September.

Asserting that the "gameplan" against Syria was over, Abbas asserted, "Syria was able to defeat terrorists and all the conspiracies against Syria. Now we are planning to rebuild Syria and we are looking for help from our friends especially India."

Thanking the Indian government for standing with Syria during the conflict, he added, "The Syrian government appreciates India's stand on Syria. We are thankful to the Indian government for providing help during the crisis, especially in providing medical aids and food. We distributed all of them to the needy."

Furthermore, he invited the Indian companies and investors to participate in the forthcoming 60th Damascus International Trade Fair.

Abbas continued, "There will be chances of signing more agreements for ensuring stability in Syria. We will start giving incentives to Indian and international companies for participating in the fair. I invite all to come and cover the fair."

The Syrian envoy also appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative of providing scholarships to 1,000 Syrian students to study in India.

Delving into the bloody eight-year-old conflict, Abbas said that Syria was "now more open than never before" after eight years, while adding that government forces and Syrian Army collectively defeated the terrorists.

Claiming that the Arab Spring was an attempt to destabilise Syria, Abbas said, "This was done to safeguard the security of Israel, control natural resources in Syria, extend pipelines from Qatar to Syria to Europe."

He also recalled the commitment made by US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in their meeting at Helsinki last month, wherein the two leaders decided that the people of Syria should play a role in ending the crisis in the war-ravaged country.

Clearing the air over Syrian President Bashar-al Assad's ouster by the international community, Abbas said that he will remain in power.

He rejected claims of US' remarks on Syria training, supporting, arming and financing terrorists in Syria.

Abbas noted that the southern part of Syria was liberated and now the focus was on freeing other places occupied by terrorists and foreign armies by whole means.

The Syrian envoy also rebuffed "fake reports" of the White Helmets, a voluntary aide group accusing Syria of carrying out chemical attacks in its territory, and called it a "fake play."

Hitting out at Turkey for not honouring the commitment of ensuring stability in Syria, Abbas further said, "They sent their own troops for their own objectives and are based where the terrorists are present. They are forcing Syrian people to use Turkish currency in our own territory."

Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. The war further aggravated by the entry of Islamic State (IS) capturing territories in the war-torn country and nearby Iraq.

Subsequently, the US-led coalition started launching airstrikes against the terror group in the war-ravaged country since 2014, killing thousands of civilians and displacing several others.

Although the IS has been driven out from various parts of Syria, it still holds a sizeable presence in remote parts of the country. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)As per the statistics maintained by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, a total of 1,244 pothole-related deaths were reported in MP in 2016 | File Image | (Photo Credits: PTI)

Bhopal, Aug 1: Defending his son Kartikeya's claim that "roads in MP are 100 per cent better than those in US", Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reiterated before a public gathering in Shahdol that the quality of roads in Madhya Pradesh is as good as one can find in the United States of America.

"Main phir kehta hoon, humari (Madhya Pradesh) sadken amreeka se kam nahi hain (I would say once again, our roads are not inferior to any American road)," Chouhan said during his rally.

The remarks came amid his son being trolled for making a "bizarre comparison". Speaking to reporters in Bhopal earlier in the day, the 24-year-old said, "Thumping my chest, in the presence of media friends, I affirm that I have been to the US and I guarantee that roads in MP are 100% better than those in US."

Here are some of the Twitter reactions which followed:

Lovely highway in Katni, a small town in Madhya Pradesh. Only haters will say this is not in India. #MPRoads pic.twitter.com/zSCJu8hN8q  SAGAR (@sagarcasm) October 24, 2017

While everyone is cribbing, @ChouhanShivraj is doing It. Losers will say this is not MP. #MPRoads pic.twitter.com/uDQXsANzJq  Anuj Khurana (@HaddHaiYaar) October 24, 2017

This is not the first occasion when Chouhan has made the contentious comparison. On his visit to the United States in October last year, the Chief Minister claimed that roads in Washington were not better than the roadways laid down in Madhya Pradesh.

"When I got down at the Washington Airport and travelled on roads, I felt the roads in Madhya Pradesh are better than the United States," he had said while addressing the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.

The data released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways raises critical questions to the claim made by Chouhan. As per the statistics maintained by the Ministry for the year 2016, a total of 1,244 pothole deaths were reported in the city. The number of fatalities was only behind Uttar Pradesh (3,428) and Maharashtra (1,410).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 01, 2018 11:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).The date of Eid al-adha will depend on the sighting of the crescent moon on August 11 | (Photo Credits: Getty)

New Delhi, Aug 1: Eid-al-Adha, which is popularly referred to as Bakra Eid in India, will be celebrated later in the month. Muslims are awaiting the dates of their second of the two most auspicious festivals in the year - the other being Eid al-Fitr which was celebrated in June.

The dates of Eid al-Adha are decided on the basis of the Islamic calendar, which is based upon the lunar cycle as opposed the fixed dates maintained by the Gregorian calendar.

When will Bakra Eid 2018 be celebrated in India, Saudi Arabia, Middle East and other parts of the world?

Bakra Eid is observed on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah - the final month of the Islamic calendar. On the day when this article is first published (August 1), the date as per the Islamic calendar is 19th of 'Dhul Qadah', which is the month preceding Dhul Hijjah.

On August 11 or 29th of Dhul Qadah, Muslims will attempt to sight the crescent moon which would mark the beginning of Dhul Hijjah. If the moon is sighted, Eid al-Adha will be celebrated 10 days later, ie. on August 21.

If the crescent remains unspotted, the month of Dhul Qadah will complete its 30th day on August 12. Eid al-Adha will then be celebrated 10 days later on August 22.

According to the Sharjah Centre for Astronomy & Space Sciences, based in the United Arab Emirates, Eid ul Adha will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 22, 2018.

A contrary prediction came from the Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia, which claimed that Eid al-Adha will be observed on Tuesday, August 21, 2018.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 01, 2018 05:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).Kathmandu (Nepal), August 1: The Nepal Police have arrested 28 Indians allegedly involved in the grey market, from a guest house in Tulsipur in Dang district. The police received a tip-off and tracked the Indians for a week before busting the racket and arresting them.

Deputy Superintendent of Police of Regional Police Office, Tulsipur, Prakash Sapkota told ANI, "We have arrested 28 Indian citizens from the Munal Pahuna Ghar (guest house) in Tulsipur, the headquarters of Dang district. We had tracked them for over a week and found them involved in the grey business after receiving a tip-off."

The police also said dozens of mobile phones and gas stoves were recovered from them. "We found that they were largely involved in trafficking materials from India without paying duty taxes," Sapkota added. The leader of the group was identified as Nanke Sharma of Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. The police said that the process to bring the accused to justice has been initiated.U.S. President Donald Trump's surprising statement on July 31 that he is willing to meet Iran's leadership without "preconditions" is being seen with deep skepticism in Tehran.

Iranian foreign ministry said on Tuesday that Trump's offer contradicts his actions, pointing to U.S. moves to impose sanctions on Iran and put pressure on other countries to avoid conducting business with it. "Sanctions and pressures are the exact opposite of dialogue," Qasemi was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.

On Monday, a week after threatening Iran with war and nearly three months after withdrawing the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, Trump offered to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss how to improve ties.

Aljazeera quoted Ali Motahari, deputy speaker of Iran's parliament, as saying negotiations "would be a humiliation" following the U.S.' withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear pact with world powers. "If Trump had not withdrawn from the nuclear deal and not imposed (new) sanctions on Iran, there would be no problem with negotiations with America," he told state news agency IRNA.

Irans foreign minister Javad Zarif who was at the forefront of the negotiations for the nuclear deal was even more blunt about his thoughts on Trumps outreach. He tweeted, Iran & US had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accordthe JCPOA. Its been working. US can only blame itself for pulling out & leaving the table. Threats, sanctions & PR stunts wont work. Try respect: for Iranians & for int'l commitments.

Iran & US had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accordthe JCPOA. Its been working. US can only blame itself for pulling out & leaving the table. Threats, sanctions & PR stunts wont work. Try respect: for Iranians & for int'l commitments  Javad Zarif (@JZarif) July 31, 2018

With the first U.S. sanctions due to come into effect next Monday, the economy in Iran has already been hit, giving rise to growing fears of prolonged economic suffering. Trumps offer sounds hollow when his actions prove that he is willing to hurt the Iranian economy before any talks.

Not surprisingly, in the face of Trump's offer to meet, Rouhani has turned to the Europeans, calling on them to proclaim the U.S. as having "illegally" withdrawn from the deal, and stating the ball is in their court.

The U.S., therefore, can no longer rely on its old partners in Europe to make the strategy of confronting Iran work. Trump is on his own  be it talking or blustering.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 02, 2018 02:12 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).Arif Naqvi, the founder of Dubai investment group Abraaj, has been hit with another criminal case in the UAE for allegedly issuing a $217-million cheque with insufficient funds, as the private equity group struggles to effect a court-driven restructuring, said a report.



Hamid Jafar, a prominent businessman, has opened another bounced cheque case in Sharjah only two weeks after the apparent resolution of an earlier $48 million case, reported Financial Times.



The cheques relate to a $300 million loan issued by Jafar to Dubai-based Abraaj.



Habib Al Mulla, lawyer for Arif Naqvi, said the case was scheduled to be heard by a Sharjah court on August 14.



The revived threat of a jail sentence for failing to honour a debt - a criminal offence in the UAE - renews personal pressure on Naqvi, who is outside the UAE, stated the report.

Abraaj, once a significant force in emerging markets investing, has been moving towards collapse since investors complained that it had misused their money in its $1-billion healthcare fund. The UAE group has always denied any wrongdoing.



The previous cheque case was dismissed earlier in July after an interim settlement involving the transfer of assets was achieved between Naqvi and Jafar, reported FT.



However, Essam Al Tamimi, Jafars lawyer carified that there had been no settlement, and the matter was for the criminal court under UAE law.



The accused (Naqvi) has already reneged on what was promised, he stated.



Meanwhile, a person close to the Abraaj founder said both sides had disagreed over the assets value.



"Naqvi wanted an independent audit of the assets whereas Jafar wanted to use his own valuation," he explained.



Abraaj is undergoing a court-driven restructuring process after confidence collapsed in the private equity group, said the FT report.



Unsecured creditors had filed to wind up Abraaj in the Cayman Islands, forcing the company to seek protection by filing for provisional liquidation, it added.Aug 1, 2018, 9:15am ET

CPO programs explored: What do you get for your extra money?

We take a look at various certified pre-owned programs to see how they stack up.

When you're shopping for a new or used car, it's inevitable that you'll encounter ads for certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles. Whether you look at it as getting a discount on a nearly-new car or getting a better guarantee on a gently-used one, CPO cars can be attractive values.

We've detailed the ins and outs of CPO vehicles in the past, but more than once our readers have asked us to take a closer look at the differences between manufacturers' CPO programs. Today, we're going to do just that.

To fully break down every manufacturer's CPO program would fill more space than we have, so this will by no means be exhaustive. However, it should give you a good idea of what to expect when you shop for nearly-new cars in these segments.

Some things to note: Manufacturers often advertise their CPO warranty terms starting from the date of original purchase. For example, a "six-year" warranty on a certified pre-owned vehicle that was purchased four years ago effectively has a two-year warranty period remaining.

Many automakers will also honor new-car warranties if they are still in effect when the car is purchased used (CPO or not), but be sure to ask how much of that warranty is transferable.

Where it all started: the luxury segmentWhen CPO programs first took root in the United States, it was here, in the luxury sphere, where off-lease used vehicles in good condition first became plentiful.

Here at Leftlane, when we talk about "the luxury segment," we're generally referring to Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It should come as no surprise that all three offer comparable programs, though there are a couple of key differences.

Lexus and Mercedes-Benz will certify vehicles going back six years (or fewer) from the current model. Lexus caps mileage at 70,000; Benz will allow up to 75,000. Certified BMWs can only be five years old or newer with no more than 60,000 miles.

The Lexus warranty goes out to six years with unlimited miles and two years are included for CPO purchases regardless of age. Mercedes includes a one-year CPO warranty with unlimited miles; BMW's goes to six years from the date of purchase or 100,000 miles, whatever comes first, and has a $50 deductible.

Elsewhere in the luxury segment, Audi sells CPO vehicles up to five years old with fewer than 60,000 miles. Jaguar Land Rover does the same. Audi's warranty covers one year from the expiration of the company's new-car warranty (and unlimited miles). JLR's certified warranty goes out to six years from the original purchase date or 100,000 miles. Neither has a deductible.

All five manufacturers include 24-hour roadside assistance and trip interruption protection. As an added perk, Mercedes-Benz offers a seven-day exchange period for CPO buyers.

Premium and entry-luxuryFor this segment, we chose to look at Volvo, Acura and Infiniti. Volvo caps its CPO vehicles at five years old. Acura goes to six years and 80,000 miles. Infiniti also goes to six years, but caps mileage at 75,000.

Volvo and Acura have fairly straightforward CPO warranties. Volvo's covers the vehicle for six years from the original purchase date and up to 100,000 miles (whichever comes first). Acura has a 12-month, 12,000-mile CPO warranty plus a seven-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Infiniti uses a more stratified system. Vehicles still under their new-car warranties get a CPO guarantee out to six years and either 75,000 or unlimited miles, depending on the vehicle mileage at the time of the CPO purchase. Vehicles that are outside their original warranty coverage get a two-year, unlimited-mile CPO-specific warranty.

All three offer 24-hour roadside assistance and trip interruption protection plans. Acura also has a three-day exchange program similar to Mercedes-Benz.

Going mainstream: the domesticsOnce you dip below the premium segment, certified pre-owned programs become slightly less robust. As examples of these programs, we selected Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge. These are generally representative of the brands sold under each's corporate umbrella, but we'll note some exceptions below.

Ford caps its certified cars at six years old with fewer than 80,000 miles. Chevrolet and Dodge both cap at five years and 75,000 miles.

Ford's certified warranty is one year and 12,000 miles for bumper-to-bumper and seven years/100,000 miles (from original purchase) for powertrain. Chevrolet's comprehensive warranty is the same as Ford's, but its powertrain warranty only goes out five years (rather than seven) for the same mileage.

Dodge's warranty is the outlier in this segment. Its comprehensive warranty is only three months and 3,000 miles, though a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty covers powertrain components.

Chevrolet offers a three-day "satisfaction guarantee" return program. 24-hour roadside assistance is included with all three, but only Ford offers trip interruption protection.

That's all well and good for volume brands, but what about premium domestic nameplates? Lincoln and Cadillac differ slightly from their corporate stablemates, offering blanket six-year, 100,000-mile coverage from the original date of purchase.

More mainstream: AsiaWhen you think Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge, you probably also think Toyota, Honda and Nissan. We've got you covered.

Toyota offers CPO vehicles as much as seven years old and with up to 85,000 miles. Honda and Nissan cap at six years and 80,000.

All three offer one-year, 12,000-mile comprehensive CPO warranties and seven-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranties running from the original date of purchase. We suspect that's no accident. Note that programs for special vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf may differ.

Surprisingly, all three offer some form of trip insurance.

Hyundai and Kia cap their CPO inventory at five years and 60,000 miles and transfer the balance of the vehicles's 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranties. Normally, this benefit is not available to used-car buyers.

Niche brandsDon't see your brand of choice above? Well, we grabbed a few of the more niche players for this as well. Mazda, Volkswagen and Subaru offer quirkier models at mainstream-like prices. Do their CPO programs stack up, too?

Mazda offers CPO vehicles as much as six years old and with up to 80,000 miles. Volkswagen also goes to six years old, but caps its mileage at 75,000 (for the time being; newer model years may have lower caps). Subaru goes to only five years but allows up to 80,000 miles.

Mazda's warranty adds one year and 12,000 miles of comprehensive coverage after the new-vehicle warranty expires (or on the CPO purchase date, if it has already expired). Volkswagen offers two years and 24,000 miles of coverage on older vehicles, but only one year and 12,000 miles on 2018 or newer CPO sales. Note that TDI models have special exemptions. Subaru simply extends its new-car warranty to 6 years and 100,000 miles.

Leftlane's bottom lineCertified pre-owned programs are often comparable, but not always equal. Know what you're getting (and what you may be missing elsewhere) before you sign on the dotted line.UPDATE: Police seek public's help in locating homicide suspect in triple shooting

INITIAL POST: A 16-year-old girl was shot to death Tuesday evening in Allentown, the Lehigh County Coroner's Office says.

Carolina Monsanto was one of three people shot about 5:15 p.m. in the 500 block of Harrison Street, authorities said.

Monsanto was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, where she was pronounced dead at 5:55 p.m. of multiple gunshot wounds to the body, Coroner Scott Grim said in a news release.

He ruled the death a homicide. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.

The other two shooting victims were in stable condition, Allentown police Capt. Glenn Granitz said late Tuesday night.

Police were not immediately releasing the name or description of anyone sought. The coroner's office and police were conducting the investigation with help from Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin and the DA's office homicide task force.

"The investigation is active and ongoing at this point," Grantiz said about 11 p.m.

Police in South Whitehall Township were also investigating a homicide Tuesday, the second in that municipality in three days. A township police officer killed 44-year-old New Jersey man Joseph Santos in an incident Saturday on Hamilton Boulevard.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.An Allentown drug dealer is headed to federal prison for 10 years after police found 133 grams of heroin in his car during a drug sting.

Court papers say Rene Marrero was targeted by undercover police in Bethlehem on April 19, 2017. Police followed him from the 800 block of East Fifth Street and pulled him over in the 700 block of Broadway, where they found 133 grams of heroin and a .45 caliber pistol in the car.

The 43-year-old was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr.

"Judge Leeson found that the influx of heroin into our community along with the defendant's carrying of a .45 caliber firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime required a significant penalty," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Kishan Nair.

Marrero pleaded guilty to drug possession with intent to distribute and possession of a gun in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Court records say Marrero was born in the Bronx, New York, and went to high school in Puerto Rico. Records say he spent his young adulthood in Boston and moved to Allentown in 2004.

He's been on Social security disability for a bad back since 2008, records say.

He was put on probation in 2005 for an assault conviction and paid a fine for a 2011 retail theft, records say.

He tested positive for cocaine while he was on bail in December 2017, records say.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.A contractor who served state prison time for ripping off an Lehigh Valley couple is now charged in three newer cases.

Edward "Fast Eddy" Humphrey was accused of taking $17,000 from a Bethlehem Township man in May of this year for a home improvement project that was never completed.

Bethlehem Township police also charged Humphrey in a similar case, this one from May, as well.

On Wednesday, Lower Saucon police said they learned Humphrey took $6,000 in a similar scheme from a township resident.

Humphrey, who was going by the name Edward Vadala, signed a contract in June to replace siding on a home on Wilhelm Drive, police said.

The victim gave a $6,000 down payment, police said, but after the several months the work was never done and the check was cashed.

Township police said they plan to charge Humphrey with felony home improvement fraud and theft by deception.

In the other cases he is facing, the 47-year-old Humphrey is charged with two counts each of receiving advanced payment for services and failing to perform the service; deceptive business practices; theft; and receiving stolen property.

Humphey was picked up in June in Bethlehem on alleged state parole violations. He has not been arraigned in the newer cases.

In 2012, Humphrey admitted stealing $188,000 for contracting home improvement work he never completed seven years earlier in New Jersey.

He agreed to a time-served sentence and restitution of $138,000, but appealed the plea deal, according to court records.

Humphrey was convicted in 2014 of home improvement fraud and theft by deception in Northampton County Court, for taking more than $20,000 but failing to do home improvement work in Allen Township.

Humphrey was sentenced to two years and eight months to five years and four months in state prison.

Humphrey appealed his Northampton County conviction and sentence. The Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed his sentence, and Humphrey was paroled in January 2016, according to court records.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Promoth Manghat, chief executive officer of UAE Exchange Group, has won the first Dhanam NRI Professional of the Year Award.

The award was presented by the Minister for Industries- Kerala, A C Moideen at a function held at the Le Meridien Convention Centre in Kochi on July 26 in the presence of senior business and political leaders.

Manghat is an executive director of Finablr, a holding company in the UK, which brings together category-leading global financial services brands under one network. He also serves as the chief executive officer of UAE Exchange Group, a Finablr network brand that is a leading global provider of diversified and innovative financial solutions in money transfer, foreign exchange and payments.

According to the eminent jury which selected the winners, Manghat has been recognised for the unparalleled growth he championed for UAE Exchange Group during the preceding year. He has been instrumental in formulating the organisations global strategy that saw rapid expansion of the groups operations worldwide.

He also serves on the World Economic Forum's Global Steering Committee for Financial Inclusion that seeks to drive sustainable financial inclusion through digital channels.Theft from Andy and Pennywell's 7/30/2018 On 7/30/20018 at 0233 hours, a white female operating a dark colored hatchback vehicle stole a banana plant valued at $50.00 from the rear of Andy and Pennywell's Flower Shop located in the 1100 block of Main Street in Hellertown Borough. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Hellertown Police through the Northampton County 911 Center at 610-759-2200. Posted by Hellertown Police Department on Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Hellertown police are seeking information on a plant thief.

At 2:33 a.m. Monday, a woman driving a back hatchback stopped behind Andy and Pennewell's Flower Shop at 1135 Main St., police said on Facebook.

The woman stole a banana plant valued at $50, police said.

If anyone recognizes this woman or has other information on the case, call borough police via the Northampton County emergency dispatch center's non-emergency line at 610-759-2200.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.UPDATE: The man was located and police thank the public for their assistance.

INITIAL POST: Easton police are seeking the public's assistance in finding a man who is most often in the city or in Bethlehem.

"His family is concerned for his well-being," a city detective wrote in a news release on Wednesday afternoon.

Nathan Ryerson is white, 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 195 pounds, police said. He has blond hair and brown eyes, police said. He has a scar on the right side of his neck and may be wearing glasses, the news release said.

He may be driving a green Mazda minivan with a Pennsylvania license plate of KPF-3134, police said.

Police ask anyone who sees him or knows where he is to call the Northampton County emergency dispatch center's non-emergency number at 610-759-2200.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.This simplifies things a little for Lehigh Valley residents on Election Day.

That's the day, Nov. 6, that Gov. Tom Wolf scheduled a special election to pick the successor to former U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent in Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District. It's also when residents of the new 7th Congressional District will pick a new member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

As of Tuesday evening, the Democratic and Republican ballots are set for both races with the same candidates for both races.

Republicans from the five counties touched by the 15th District mustered at the Holiday Inn in Fogelsville, Upper Macungie Township, to officially pick Marty Nothstein as their candidate in the special election. The Lehigh County commissioner, business owner and former Olympic champion bicyclist also won the Republican primary election to run for the 7th District.

Nothstein thanked the committee for its unanimous support on Tuesday.

"We're going to run hard in both districts," he said afterward. "Both districts are very important."

On the Democratic side, Susan Ellis Wild won the 7th District primary. The attorney from South Whitehall Township is also Democrats' pick to run for the 15th District seat.

Whoever wins the 15th race will be seated and serve until the newly elected 7th representative is sworn-in in January. Dent, a Republican, resigned in May after previously announcing he would not seek re-election.

The Republican conference drew 174 residents from the 15th District's portions of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Lebanon and Dauphin counties, said Jason Gottesman, spokesman for the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. The 7th District covers Lehigh and Northampton counties and a strip of southern Monroe County.

State Republican Party Chairman Val DiGiorgio congratulated Nothstein, of Lowhill Township in Lehigh County, on the win Tuesday.

"His nomination is a testament to the conferees recognizing Marty's top-tier candidacy in the 7th District, which has already gained national attention, and his ability to succeed," DiGiorgio said in a statement released about a half-hour after the conference began at 6 p.m.

"As the process for having the special election moves forward, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania will work exhaustively to ensure this seat remains red and elect pro-growth Republican candidates up and down the ticket."

Nothstein's campaign headquarters is on Route 191 just north of Route 22 in Bethlehem Township, and was found to have vandalized over the weekend, officials said.

Wild's campaign is being run out of space in the Westgate Mall in Bethlehem. Efforts were unsuccessful to reach her campaign for comment ahead of Tuesday night's GOP conference.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.UPDATE: 81-year-old woman killed in South Whitehall murder-suicide

An elderly man killed his wife and then himself in a South Whitehall Township home, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin confirmed Tuesday evening.

Warren Munsch apparently died from carbon-monoxide poisoning in the garage at 3499 Hickory Circle, Martin said. It wasn't immediately clear how Warren Munsch killed Janis Munsch.

The couple's daughter, who also lives in the home, asked police to check on her parents' welfare Tuesday, Martin said. When officers arrived between 5:45 and 6 p.m., all the doors were locked and they had to force entry, Martin said.

The Lehigh County Coroner's Office and township police are investigating with the district attorney's office.

Chief Deputy Coroner Andy Kehm said it's early on in the investigation and further testing will be required, but there is no danger to the community.

"This was an isolated incident that was family related unfortunately," Martin said.

It was the second killing in recent days in the township. Joseph Santos, 44, of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, was shot and killed by a South Whitehall Township police officer Saturday in an encounter on Hamilton Boulevard.

In addition, police in Allentown on Tuesday evening were investigating a triple shooting that left one victim dead.

Photographer Mike Nester provided reporting from the scene.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.In a scramble to stop the spread of an invasive, tree-killing pest, the state has placed three counties under quarantine, placing restrictions on what goods can be transported in and out of the the area.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that Mercer County, Warren County and Hunterdon County were being placed under the quarantine after a spotted lanternfly sighting was confirmed in Mercer County. Two sightings of the pest had previously been confirmed in southern Warren County.

"The Spotted Lanternfly is an excellent hitchhiker, with the ability travel on all types of vehicles as well as various landscaping, wood-based materials and agricultural produce," New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher said on Tuesday. "It's imperative that we stop the movement of this pest before it can make an impact on New Jersey."

Hunterdon County was included in the quarantine because of its location between the two sightings.

Businesses and the general public in the three counties are required to obtain and fill out a New Jersey residence checklist before moving a number of items, from snowmobiles to bricks. A full list of the affected items can be found here.

Businesses that regularly travel in and out of the quarantine area are required to take and pass training for dealing with the spotted lanternfly. It is not clear if this applies to businesses just passing through the area.

The quarantine allows for NJDA agents, USDA agents and USDA contracted agents to access any property where spotted lanternfly is suspected or confirmed to be inhabiting, in order to evaluate and potentially treat the property.

The NJDA did not immediately respond to questions seeking clarification of the quarantine rules.

The training is provided for free by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and can be found here. The NJDA said that the state will accept and recognize Pennsylvania permits.

Besides the quarantine, the state is continuing to treat the locations where the pest has been found in New Jersey and monitor for spotted lanternflies in the affected counties.

The spotted lanternfly has the potential to devastate New Jersey trees and crops. The bug prefers Tree of Heaven as its host, but it is known to feed on over 70 other plant species from ornamental trees to cash crops like grapes and hops.

The spotted lanternfly feeds on the sap of its host plants, and leaves behind a sugary substance called "honeydew" that encourages fungal growth and new insects on the weakened plants.

The invasive species, a native of East Asia and India, was first spotted in Pennsylvania in 2014. The insect was found at a stone importing business, and Pennsylvania officials believe it came in with an order of landscaping stones from Korea.

In Pennsylvania, 13 counties are currently under a quarantine similar to New Jersey's because of the spotted lanternfly.

The NJDA warns that the spotted lanternfly is currently in a later nymph stage at this time of the year, and is likely to be red with white spots before becoming a full adult in mid-August.

A spotted lanternfly in the nymph stage, with red colorings. Spotted lanternfly nymphs may also be black with white spots.

The NJDA is asking for help in identifying areas where low numbers of this insect may be. Residents can email pictures of suspect insects to SLF-plantindustry@ag.nj.gov or call the New Jersey Spotted Lanternfly Hotline at 1-833-223-2840 (BAD-BUG-0) and leave a message detailing your sighting and contact information.

Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook.A Roman Catholic diocese on Wednesday identified 71 priests and other members of the church who had been accused of child sex abuse and said it was holding accountable the bishops who led the church for the past 70 years, announcing their names will be stripped from all church properties.

At a news conference to detail the church's actions, Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer apologized to those who were abused, the Catholic faithful and the community and expressed his "profound sorrow."

"Many of those victimized as children continue to suffer as survivors from the harm they experienced," said the bishop, who was appointed in 2014.

With its announcement, the Harrisburg Diocese became the second of six dioceses under investigation by the state to get out in front of a pending grand jury report on clergy sex abuse. The Erie Diocese released its own findings on clergy abuse in April.

The other dioceses investigated are in Pittsburgh and Greensburg in the western part of the state and Allentown and Scranton in the east. They collectively minister to more than 1.7 million Catholics.

The grand jury report's pending release comes as former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, one-time head of the Diocese of Metuchen in Warren and Hunterdon counties, resigned amid alleged sexual misconduct with teenage boys, priests and seminarians.

The release of the nearly 900-page Pennsylvania grand jury report has been held up by challenges by some priests and former priests. The state Supreme Court ruled last week a version with some names blacked out can be made public as early as next week. The court said it identified more than 300 "predator priests" in the six dioceses.

Gainer said that the Harrisburg Diocese was making public the names of all those who faced allegations of child sex abuse but that it did not determine whether they all had merit, though some of those on the list have been convicted of crimes. He said no one on the list is currently in the ministry.

In a public letter, Gainer said shortcomings in past investigations and record-keeping made it difficult in many cases to assess credibility or guilt or even determine the underlying conduct. In a few instances, people who were cleared of allegations by the diocese or police were not listed.

The Harrisburg list includes 37 priests, three deacons and six seminarians from the diocese, nine clergy members from other dioceses and 16 from religious communities.

Gainer said the conduct was classified as indecent behavior, inappropriate behavior such as kissing and inappropriate communication with children.

Most of the allegations date from the 1970s, '80s and '90s, the diocese said.

Gainer said church leadership had failed to protect children by not adequately responding to all the allegations of sexual misconduct over the years.

The diocese is compiling a list of buildings and other properties named to honor clergy members and plans to remove the names of anyone accused of abuse, including all bishops going back to 1947.

The church also is waiving any confidentiality rights the diocese obtained while reaching abuse settlements over the years, Gainer said. The number of such settlements and their dollar values were not disclosed.

The church is adopting a series of new procedures to deal with complaints and to help protect against future abuse, the bishop said.

Any new complaint will be immediately forwarded to local authorities, background checks will be conducted on people working for the church, including volunteers, and all employees will be required to take part in training on how to recognize and report abuse, the diocese said.

Court documents have revealed that the pending state grand jury report, the work of a two-year investigation, includes allegations of obstruction of justice by people "associated with the Roman Catholic Church, local public officials and community leaders."

In its report this spring, the Erie Diocese identified more than 50 priests and lay people accused of child sexual abuse.

In addition to the six dioceses under grand jury investigation, previous probes have found widespread sexual abuse by priests in the state's two other dioceses, Philadelphia and Altoona-Johnstown.

Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Chris Vincent said his mother-in-law didn't think much of it when she was outside feeding her cats Tuesday night and saw her next-door neighbor enter his house.

Not long after that, shots rang out from the neighbor's home on Harrison Street in Allentown.

In the bedlam that ensued, Antwan Washington ran out of the home past Vincent's mother-in-law, according to Vincent.

"He looked at her, froze, and he ran," Vincent said.

Three people were shot in the home, according to police. Carolina Monsanto, 16, would die from her injuries, police said.

Carolina Monsanto was a beautiful girl inside and out. Participated in sports, kept up with her grades and truly wanted... Posted by Mahendra McWhite on Tuesday, July 31, 2018

An Allentown School District spokesperson said Monsanto was a rising senior enrolled at Dieruff High School who attended Lehigh County Technical Institute as a full-time student last year.

"It's tragic. That little girl got shot," Vincent said.

Also allegedly shot by Washington were a 31-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man, whose identities were not immediately released by police. Police said the 31-year-old is Washington's girlfriend. Vincent said the 19-year-old is Monsanto's boyfriend.

Vincent said Washington, his girlfriend and their two young children lived in the home. Monsanto and the 19-year-old came to visit, according to Vincent.

Vincent said his wife came outside after the gunshots rang out and saw the 19-year-old in the doorway with a bullet wound in his leg.

"He was just hysterical," Vincent said.

According to Vincent, his wife entered the home to find the 16-year-old on the floor with a piece of chicken prepared for a frying pan in her hand. The victims were ambushed by Washington, according to Vincent.

"I think they were surprised," Vincent said.

Vincent said his wife called police and tried to help the gunshot victims. He said emergency workers arrived quickly but it was too late to save Monsanto.

A friend on Facebook said Monsanto "kept up with her grades and truly wanted to do something with her life."

"It's a shame that another act of senseless violence took another beautiful soul away," wrote Dieruff High School graduate Mahendra McWhite.

A Facebook profile for Monsanto says she lived in Allentown and came from Union City, New Jersey. The profile has the same photo featured in McWhite's tribute.

A gofundme.com page is collecting funds for Monsanto's funeral. A man who identifies himself as Monsanto's cousin set up the page.

Allentown School District spokeswoman Melissa Reese said Monsanto ran track her freshman year at Dieruff High School. Reese said counselors are available to talk to troubled young people even though school isn't in session.

"Carolina was often soft spoken yet very friendly. She was focused on and excited about her future. We will be supporting Carolina's family as we work through this heartbreaking loss of such a young life," said Dieruff Principal Susan H. Bocian.

Vincent said he best knew Washington and his family from friendly exchanges behind their homes. Each family had a pool in the backyard.

"We generally hang out in the backyard together," he said.

He said his mother-in-law is still shaken up, particularly given the fact that Washington is on the loose. Police said Washington stands 6 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 170 pounds and has dreadlocks.

The violence is uncharacteristic for Washington and the neighborhood, Vincent said.

"It's quiet, peaceful. People work. Kids come out here and play," Vincent said.

In contrast to Tuesday night's chaos, a street sweeper quietly made its way up Harrison Street on Wednesday morning toward a car Vincent identified a Monsanto's.

"I told them not to ticket her," he said. "She's deceased. She's gone."

SEARCH CONTINUES

Anyone with information on Antwan Washington's whereabouts is asked to call the Allentown Police Department Detective Bureau at 610-437-7721 or dial 911. Callers can remain anonymous.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.First things first: It's still illegal to smoke weed in Pennsylvania.

But, starting today, residents with any of 21 illnesses that qualify them for medical marijuana will be able to buy dry leaf, or buds, to help alleviate their symptoms.

With smoking prohibited under the medical cannabis law signed by Gov. Tom Wolf in April 2016, patients will have to purchase and learn how to use a vaporizer.

Keystone Canna Remedies in Bethlehem is among the first 16 dispensaries to begin offering dry leaf in addition to the oils, pills, topical applications and other processed preparations available by prescription since February.

Another 12 dispensaries, including Mission Pennsylvania II in Allentown, are due to begin offering buds by Aug. 8, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

"It's very important that patients discuss with their physician as well as with the pharmacist in the dispensaries what the right form of medical marijuana would be for their serious medical condition," said Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine. "There are a number of different forms available. There are tinctures, there are concentrates, there's ointment and balms, there's capsules and then, of course, now there will be dry leaf and flower."

Packaging and advertising materials for medical marijuana in dry leaf, or bud, form are displayed July 31, 2018, at Keystone Canna Remedies in Bethlehem. The cannabis plant material will be available to qualified patients, in addition to processed preparations, starting Aug. 1, 2018.

The rollout comes as Pennsylvania on Tuesday issued 13 new grower/processor permits, in addition to 12 grower/processor operators already in place.

It also comes as a Pennsylvania lawmaker said last week he plans to introduce legislation to join the nine states, plus the District of Columbia, that have legalized marijuana use by adults. A recent analysis by state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale estimated recreational sales could be worth $580 million in annual tax revenue to the state.

"I am pleased to see that many of our most in-need residents are able to improve their health, but I believe we can do more," state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, said in a news release on his proposal. "The time has come for Pennsylvania to move forward with full legalization."

Medical marijuana bud sales in Pennsylvania won't be like the recreational marijuana stores open in places like Colorado and California, where patients will walk in to find a display case of marijuana samples.

Rather, they'll be able to see photos of the different strains of bud and the crop in which they were grown, along with profiles of their attributes and palliative effects, said Victor Guadagnino Jr. at Keystone Canna Remedies. Dispensary pharmacists will work with patients to determine which strains is best for each patient, and how much to use.

He said the Stefko Boulevard dispensary will offer up to 40 strains by the gram for $12, $15 and $20. An eighth-ounce, or 3.5 grams, will go for $40, $50 and $65. There will be a 15-gram weekly limit the first two weeks, after which he expects to be able to sell patients larger quantities up to 14 grams, or a half-ounce, at a time.

"Why we have grams and eighths now is so people can try different things and see what's working for them because there is going to be so much variety," Guadagnino said. "You can get one gram of each and see what strains are working best for your condition."

Keystone Canna Remedies will also sell the vaporizers, without sales tax because it's a medical product. They'll start at $60, with high-end models approaching $300.

Patients will grind up the bud and pack it into a chamber, where battery-generated heat from the vaporizer will release the cannabinoids like THC and CDB from the crystalline trichomes on the buds.

"It acts almost like an oven and the simple way to think about it is hot air is being pushed through that chamber and it's vaporizing or causing a phase shift from the trichome form into vapor that you're then breathing in," Guadagnino said.

Smoking marijuana, on the other hand, creates a chemical change and releases byproducts of combustion, he explained.

"That plant matter will turn brownish and that will be vaped marijuana," he continued. "There is still some cannabinoid content in there, but you have gotten the majority of it out. Some patients do still like to cook with it or use it in different methods to get the most out of it."

Marijuana in its plant form is less potent than in the concentrates already available to patients. Those might be 50 to 80 percent cannabinoids, versus 15 to 30 percent in the buds, sometimes called flowers.

Benefits of using the plant form for patients are that it's cheaper than some preparations and that it offers what is called the entourage effect -- combining all of the plant's naturally occurring cannabinoids and terpenes before they are separated through extraction to create a preparation.

"So you would get full-on entourage effect and synergy between CBD, THC and terpenes that you may lack in some extraction forms," Guadagnino said.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.One Phillipsburg man was hospitalized and another was jailed in a hammer attack and robbery Tuesday night, police said.

Town police said they were called about 9 p.m. to 356 Chambers Street for the report of a disturbance with injury.

The victim, 58-year-old John Bittenmaster, was found on a sofa inside the home, "bleeding profusely from a large wound to his forehead," police Capt. Michael Swick said in a news release Wednesday.

Bittenmaster, who lives there, was treated by the Phillipsburg Emergency Squad then flown for treatment to St. Luke's University Hospital, Fountain Hill, according to police.

After taking witness statements and collecting evidence, detectives determined Bittenmaster had been "struck in the head numerous times with a hammer and his cellphone was taken from him," police said.

The suspect, 34-year-old Peccio C. Segovia, was later found at his home in the 300 block of Grant Street and taken into custody.

An update on Bittenmaster's condition was not immediately available Wednesday from St. Luke's University Health Network.

Police charged Segovia with attempted murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon. The armed robbery and attempted murder charges are first-degree crimes, each punishable by up to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison upon conviction, police said.

He was sent to the Warren County jail.

The investigation was handled by the Phillipsburg Police Department Criminal Investigation Unit, Warren County Prosecutor's Office and Warren County Regional Crime Scene Unit.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.An investigation is underway after hundreds of fish were found dead on the coastline from Bundoran to the mouth of the River Drowes in North Leitrim.

According to Inland Fisheries Ireland, they received reports on Tuesday, July 31 of a fish mortality, "Fisheries officers, based in Ballyshannon, immediately attended the scene and identified hundreds of dead sprite and horse mackerel washing in to shore around the Bundoran area. Inland Fisheries Ireland notified the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority who are investigating."

Killybegs based Sea-Fisheries Protection Officers (SFPOs) of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) travelled to Bundoran Co Donegal, to investigate a possible fish kill incident and discovered a significant amount of horse mackerel on the shoreline on the evening of Tuesday the 31st July.

Acording to the Sea Fisheries Protection authority "SFPOs inspected the fish on-site and established that many of them were bloated and full of sprat. Having re-visited the site again this morning they have concluded that a shoal of horse mackerel, chasing sprat on an ebb tide on Tuesday evening resulted in a sizeable number of the shoal stranding on the beach. This is not an unusual occurrence, although the scale of this incident is not typical.

"The SFPA will liaise with both Leitrim and Donegal County Council in relation to the incident, although we expect that most of the fish will go out on the next tide. The SFPA is the independent statutory body responsible for the regulation of the sea-fisheries and the sea-food production sectors. It promotes compliance with the EU Common Fisheries Policy, sea-fisheries law and food safety law relating to fish and fish products, verifies compliance and, where necessary, enforces it. Its mandate covers all fishing vessels operating within Irelands 200-mile limit, over 2,000 Irish registered fishing vessels wherever they operate and all seafood produced in Irelands seafood processing companies. The SFPA operates through a network of regional port offices situated at Irelands main fishery harbours. "UAE-based Binghatti Developers said work was moving at a steady pace at its Dh60-million ($16.3 million) residential tower, Binghatti East, located in heart of the Silicon Oasis community, and was on track for delivery by the end of September.



Binghatti East is amongst a number of projects that are currently being developed in Dubai Silicon Oasis including Binghatti Stars, Binghatti West, Binghatti Sapphires, Binghatti Crystals, Binghatti Platinum, Binghatti Vista with a total of 1122 units being currently developed in this thriving community, said the developer in a statement.



Spread over a construction area of 153,682 sq ft, Binghatti East features 60 residential units, including 40 one-bedroom and 20 two-bedroom apartments.



It features a plethora of lifestyle amenities including a heat-monitored swimming pool, a health club, a childrens play area, and a public terrace for residents to enjoy, it stated.



The basement, ground, and five residential floors of the six-storey building have already been completed, and at this pace, the company will ensure that the project will be delivered on time, it added.



Located at the heart of the master planned Smart City of Dubai Silicon Oasis, Binghatti East is centred within walking distance of both the cutting-edge Silicon Park, the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authoritys flagship mixed-use community development, and the upcoming Silicon Oasis Mall.



The Silicon Mall development will feature a LuLu Hypermarket, as well as a cinema, and numerous dining and shopping destinations, said the developer in a statement.

Commenting on the project, CEO Muhammad BinGhatti, said: "We are very pleased with the progress of construction works in Binghatti East. We have reached a business model that suits all customer segments, including real estate investors, as our speed of projects delivery allows investors to realise investment returns in record time through leasing or reselling."



"The centrally located community of Silicon Oasis has proven to be an excellent area for both end users and investors seeking long term rental returns thanks to its plentiful facilities and amenities, as well as its proximity to major landmarks in Dubai, stated BinGhatti, who is also the company's head of architecture.



"We consider our commitment to delivery times as a priority, which is a well-known fact solidified by timely deliveries of all Binghattis past projects," he added.-TradeArabia News ServiceConsumers travelling abroad this August were advised today to make sure they have travel cover, or sufficient travel cover, to protect them in the event of unforeseen accidents, illnesses or losses.

Rachel McGovern, Director of Financial Services at Brokers Ireland which represents almost 1,300 broker firms says the typical travel insurance policy will protect against medical emergencies, accidents, sickness or death, trip cancellation, airline delays and lost baggage.

However, consumers should first ensure the policy covers travel to their destination. Some policies restrict travel to within Europe, while others provide worldwide cover, she says. And she said policies sold, particularly by airlines, as a default add-on may be neither suitable nor offer best value.

A significant number of Irish citizens incur substantial medical costs in Australia every year, often including additional costs associated with travel back to Ireland. Without insurance this places an enormous burden on families. This can be avoided or mitigated with the correct insurance cover.

Not all health insurance policies cover foreign travel, she said. And many people travelling in Europe rely on the European Health Insurance Card, which does provide public hospital treatment free-of-charge but issues can arise beyond that or if you have an accident a long distance from a public hospital. The quality of service will vary, depending on the country.

An annual multi trip insurance policy will provide cover for all trips during the year while a single trip travel insurance policy will need to be renewed each time you travel. Extras can be added to your policy if you are taking an adventure holiday. Backpackers insurance can be tailored for longer periods of up to 18 months and across multiple countries. Where families are involved it may be cheaper to purchase a family travel insurance policy.

Rachel McGovern, Director of Financial Services at Brokers Ireland.

Ms McGovern said travel insurance can be difficult and costly to find for older people as they are viewed as being more likely to claim.

Ideally consumers should thoroughly read through the whole policy paying particular attention to exclusions and excesses. And make sure if there are pre-existing illnesses they are declared, she says. The cheapest policy is not necessarily the best. Minor incidents that people often assume are covered may not be.

She says it is particularly important to be familiar with the procedures you have to follow when abroad. The terms and conditions of travel insurance policies can differ greatly across providers and in the event of the unwanted happening,being familiar in advance with such procedures can relieve some of the stress. For example, it is often a requirement to report losses to the local police station within 24 hours.

She said some policies will insist that you get police reports (fully translated) within a timeline. Many policies also require you to contact the company's medical/emergency assistance line as soon as possible after the event, for your claim to be accepted.

Finally she said if in doubt an insurance broker will be able to help review potential policies and their suitability.LifeStyle

The best Lifestyle shows are right here, from Australia and around the world. Catch up with the experts on home design and interiors, food and cooking, the property market, and get fresh ideas with the savviest of renovators. Whether you need inspiration for cooking up a storm, to refresh a tired room, or tips to sell your property, Foxtel Lifestyle will always something new for you to watch. Enjoy your favourite experts like Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, or Shaynna Blaze and Jamie Oliver live or On Demand.MINUTES of a high profile meeting between UL Hospitals and the Minister for Health on the overcrowding crisis were not available, following a Freedom of Information request made by the Leader.

The UL Hospitals Group confirmed that the CEO of the UL Hospitals Group, Prof Colette Cowan met with HSE and Department of Health officials to discuss Limericks overcrowding problem, on three occasions since September 2017.

A spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group has said that there may not always be a requirement to have minutes of these meetings.

Two of these meetings included a presence from Minister for Health Simon Harris - on September 28 and April 24.

A spokesperson for the Minister mistakenly told this newspaper that the September 28 meeting took place in November. The Leader sought minutes of this meeting, but they were not available following a Freedom of Information request.

A spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group said that it is in regular, ongoing contact with the Department of Health and the HSE.

Following correspondence between the Secretary General of the Department of Health and the Director General of the HSE in September 2017, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Clinical Director of UL Hospitals Group were invited to attend a meeting in Dublin with the Minister and his team to discuss various matters at UHL, including the Emergency Department. Senior HSE leadership also attended.

This meeting took place on September 24, during which the Group outlined its improvement plans.

Actions agreed at this meeting included the further development of our quality improvement plan to support more efficient patient flow, notwithstanding the recognised need for additional bed capacity at UHL, the spokesperson told the Leader last week.

The CEO met with Minister Harris directly on April 24, again in Dublin, where they discussed bed capacity issues.

UL Hospitals Group welcomes the Ministers repeated public commitments to increasing bed capacity at University Hospital Limerick and the inclusion of the 96-bed block in the Project Ireland 2040 capital plan.

The proposal for the 60-bed interim accommodation solution for UHL, currently the subject of a planning application, is informed by discussions with the Minister and other key stakeholders.

He added: There may not always be a requirement to keep a minute of meetings.

This meeting took place in Dublin and was organised the Ministers office and, as such, requirements around minute-keeping are a matter for the Department. The CEO and the Chief Clinical Director were invitees only, he stated.A MAJOR road safety campaign targeting the behaviour of motorcyclists in Limerick and across the country has been launched ahead of the bank holiday weekend.

An Garda Siochana and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) are urging motorcyclists to Bike Safe during what is a highrisk time for riders.

They are also appealing to drivers to watch out for motorcyclists by looking once and looking again to make sure there are no motorcyclists in their blind spots.

Today we launched our August Bank Holiday Appeal. Here Stephen Murphy, Approved Driving Instructor examiner and motorcyclist gives a few practical tips to motorcyclists and motorists on how to stay safe this weekend. pic.twitter.com/nGWpmjqox7  RSA Ireland (@RSAIreland) July 31, 2018

In 2017, 70% (14) of the 20 motorcyclists killed died in the second half of the year. Five motorbike riders alone were killed during the last week week of July 2017.

To date in 2018 seven motorcyclists have been killed in crashes across the country.

While most motorcycle riders are aware of their vulnerability when biking and the majority are safety conscious, there is a worrying minority that takes unnecessary risks.

Assistant Commissioner David Sheahan,is appealing to motorcyclists not to take unnecessary risks: "Motorcyclists are among our most vulnerable of road users because they have very little protection in the event of a collision. Bikers can, however, help reduce their vulnerability by taking some very simple steps such as wearing the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and riding with your bikes dipped headlight on. Always wearing high visibility clothing to make yourself more visible to other road-users is also advisable, he said.

In the run up to the August Bank Holiday Weekend, An Garda Siochana & @RSAIreland are urging motorcyclists to Bike Safe during this high risk time for riders. More information is available from the following link: https://t.co/i0Q9hNlY6T pic.twitter.com/F6KThfnBHz  An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) July 31, 2018

Moyagh Murdock, CEO of the RSA is appealing to motorcyclist users to stay safe when travelling: The majority of bikers on Irish roads behave responsibly, and I would like to commend them on that. However, there is a group who are riding motorbikes with complete disregard for their personal safety and the safety of others, and this is shown clearly following our examination of forensic investigation files of fatal collisions. Bikers who put on their helmet and think they are on a race traveling. I would urge these motorcyclists to ease off the throttle, and never ever ride a motorbike after drinking alcohol, she said.

All road users are also being urged to take extra care over the August bank holiday weekend, a traditionally busy time on Irish roads. Drivers are reminded that the RSA and Applegreen have teamed up again to help drivers tackle tiredness behind the wheel by providing free cups of coffee to drivers between 2pm and 8pm on Friday, August 3 and Monday, August 6.

Simply say RSA to the till operator to avail of a free coffee.THE LIMERICK woman who exposed the CervicalCheck scandal has announced she will take a break from social media and campaigning to focus on family.

On Tuesday night, Vicky Phelan took to Twitter, where she has been most vocal about the issue, stating that she is to take a break from the campaign starting Thursday.

Vicky, a 43-year-old mother-of-two, was awarded a 2.5m High Court settlement in a high profile case against the Health Service Executive and a US laboratory after she was not informed until last year of a review into an incorrect smear test.

In January 2018, Vicky, who has terminal cervical cancer, was told that she had just months to live.

I will be taking a break from Twitter and from all #CervicalCheckScandal campaigning after tomorrow, some of you will be glad to know. I am deeply disturbed by the lack of empathy in some quarters towards the women & families affected by the scandal. July 31, 2018

At 11.30pm on Wednesday, Vicky told her 9,742 followers on Twitter: I will be taking a break from Twitter and from all #CervicalCheckScandal campaigning after tomorrow, some of you will be glad to know. I am deeply disturbed by the lack of empathy in some quarters towards the women & families affected by the scandal.

She said that she was condemned by people for bring down the CervicalCheck programme.

I never missed a smear and NEVER had an abnormal smear until I was diagnosed in July 2014 with invasive cervical cancer.

I found out THREE years later, in Sept 2017, that a smear from 2011, which was originally read as No Abnormality Detected' was, when audited, full of CANCER, not pre-cancerour CINI, II or III but Squamous Cell Carcinoma. P8 for the medical heads.

IF my smear in 2011 had been CORRECTLY read, I would only have had to have a hysterectomy and would have had a 90% chance of being cured. I will be fighting to stay alive for the rest of my life so forgive me if I am angry and upset and fighting for change, she said.

She said she wants a screening programme that people can trust.

I have a daughter that I will be leaving behind. So get off your high horses and help me to change and to ensure that we have a screening programme that we CAN trust.

In response to one supporter, Vicky said: I will be back but I need a break before I become bitter, and my children need their Mammy.

Vicky, from Annacotty, will meet Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this Wednesday afternoon.THE TWO men arrested in a firearm seizure after ramming through patrol cars in Limerick city are still being questioned at Henry Street garda station.

They were targeted as part of ongoing investigations probing organised criminal gangs in the north and southside of Limerick city, Henry Street gardai have arrested two men in their two 20s.

It is understood that the two men are affiliated to a well-known northside gang, who were retaliating to a public order incident in the city a number of weeks ago.

Supported by the national unit, gardai went to intercept a silver saloon car in the Corbally area, shortly before midnight on Monday.

A number of Garda vehicles were rammed when the driver tried to take evasive action. No persons were injured. A search of the vehicle was conducted and Gardai recovered a semi-automatic Luger pistol, loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition, a garda spokesperson said.

Both men, aged 25 and 29, were arrested at the secen and taken to Henry Street garda station.

They are currently detained pursuant to Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939/98 as amended.Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

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Support our mission and join our community now.TWO councillors have called for the removal of a popular mural  and its replacement with a historic piece of artwork.

Fine Gael councillor Michael Sheahan and Sinn Fein member John Costelloe have united to call for the eye-pop mural at Castle Lane  recently vandalised  to be whitewashed and replaced with something of more relevance to the area.

Former metropolitan mayor, Cllr Sheahan said: I was never fond of the eyeball. It was never suitable from the first day. It is of no relevance to the community or the historical significance of the site.

Instead, he feels something should be painted there to reflect the Siege of Limerick.

Only if you walk a short distance, you have Arthurs Quay which celebrates its history, as the place where the Vikings first arrived. You could do a historical depiction, he said.

Cllr Sheahan even feels local artists could be asked to come up with ideas for a new mural.

At the moment, that mural is totally unconnected to me with the location its in. Its a location of significant historical importance, and what is there now doesnt reflect that, he added.

Cllr Costelloe, who lives in nearby Nicholas Street agreed, saying: A number of people have commented on it since it was vandalised. Something on the Siege of Limerick would be brilliant. Its a fantastic space for artwork.

What is there is wonderful, but it doesnt appeal to everybody, and it needs to be more historical, he added.

Cllr Sheahan said he hopes to at least get a debate going as to the future of the mural which at the moment depicts a man enjoying an ice cream.

The current mural, by Glasgow painter Smug, one of the most well-regarded street artists in the world, sparked controversy when it opened back in 2013.

It was unveiled at the same time as the 6m redevelopment of King Johns Castle, and has in recent times been used as a backdrop for the launch of the environmental Going for Gold initiative.

Last month, our sister newspaper, the Limerick Leader revealed the vandalism on the mural, with graffiti reading: This is ugly, no consultation.

At the time, metropolitan mayor Daniel Butler described the move as an absolutely worthless statement.

It just came from a disgruntled idiot. But its hard to comprehend what kind of mindset would drive someone to totally compromise a piece of art which is liked and loved by a lot of people in what is an iconic location, he added.

The vandalism appears to have been removed.Although market conditions in Abu Dhabi remain relatively unchanged, the second quarter witnessed a major announcement by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, introducing an economic stimulus package for Abu Dhabi to drive economic growth, said leading real estate expert JLL.



The stimulus package introduced in early June this year will drive initiatives that directly affect the real estate sector by reducing costs for developers, promoting partnerships between public and private sectors, and also providing dual licenses for companies located in free zones to bid for, and undertake government tenders outside the free zone, stated JLL in its latest Abu Dhabi Q2 real estate report.



The new government economic stimulus package has positive implications for the UAE capital with new initiatives directly impacting the real estate market and as with previous government stimuli should lead to an upswing in investment, remarked Peter Stebbings, the national director, and head of Abu Dhabi, JLL.



Stebbings said there has been an increased focus on promoting and implementing public-private partnerships across the region and within the UAE in particular.



"With the stimulus package being introduced in Abu Dhabi, real estate developers will be able to reduce costs, paving the way for positive sentiment across the market," he noted.



According to JLL, the residential rents and sales prices largely remained unchanged in the second quarter. However with the UAEs decision to allow 10-year visas for expats and 100 per cent foreign ownership in companies outside of free zones will boost sentiment in the residential market, providing expats with more security over their rights to remain in the UAE.



On the office sector, JLL said the rents have slightly fallen during the quarter as consolidations continue to take place and other companies choose to downsize.



Employment levels in Abu Dhabi continue to be affected, specifically in government agencies and financial service entities, placing downward pressure on rental rates, said the top property expert in the report.



On the retail scenario, JLL said the introduction of VAT earlier this year has prompted retailers across the UAE to shift their focus to ways in which they can provide greater value to shoppers who have become more price conscious.



With regard to the hospitality market, the property expert said there had been a 2 per cent increase in occupancy levels in the UAE capital's hotel rooms and a 7 per cent drop in ADRs (average daily rate) compared to the same period last year.



Consequently, RevPar ( revenue per available room) declined by 4 per cent in year to May over the same period last year, it added.-TradeArabia News ServiceAbu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec) will host the International Council of Nurses first regional conference at its Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from September 25 to 27.

This important conference will be co-hosted with the Emirates Nursing Association (ENA) and in collaboration with the Seha International Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health conference.

This regional gathering of nurses will focus on the strategic topic of Ensuring access to healthcare through leadership, innovation and collaborative practice', an area of particular interest for the GCC region.

The forum will act as a platform for the exchange of experience and expertise among the nursing community, discuss best international practices, network and build relationships and disseminate knowledge and information among the global nursing fraternity. Registration or the conference is now open until September 24.

The event assumes tremendous significance for the region, given that the International Council of Nurses has chosen Abu Dhabi as the next host city for its congress in 2021, widely complementing the emirates continuing efforts to be a regional hub for medical excellence.

Khalifa Al Qubaisi, acting chief commercial officer at Adnec, said: We are pleased to host the strategic ICN 2018 regional conference in September. The event is an extremely vital one for the region, as it will help assess international best practices in the field of nursing and align the UAEs nursing and health strategies with global trends. We expect some of the best minds in the profession, both regional and global, to converge for this landmark event.

Adnec has a rich history of hosting major events, exhibitions and conferences that fall in line with its strategy of hosting events that nurture the key economic sectors of the country. We are confident that the ICN conference will add to our growing repertoire of niche events that strengthen and consolidate Adnecs position as a leading destination for events of any size or capacity in the region, he added.

This inaugural regional conference will be a key step in ICNs strategy to strengthen its regional work, said Professor Thomas Kearns, ICNs interim chief executive officer. We are grateful to the Emirates Nursing Association, the Seha International Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health conference and Adnec for working with us to make this exciting event a reality.

Aysha Al Mahri, president of the Emirates Nursing Association, said: We are honoured to host the first ICN regional conference. Since its establishment, the ENA exists exclusively to strengthen the nursing profession in the UAE and has been a member of the International Nursing Council (ICN) since May 2005. We believe that this opportunity will strengthen the collaboration between us and ICN and our local partners namely Adnec and Seha and will promote nursing in UAE and the region.

Dr Samah Mahmoud, chair of Seha International Nursing, Midwifery & Allied Health Conference (Sinmac), said: Sinmac is an annual assembly of healthcare-related professionals in the UAE region which was launched in 2011. Over the years Sinmac fostered for a strong collaboration between nursing, midwifery, and allied health professions throughout the UAE, regionally and internationally." - TradeArabia News ServiceNational Power Parks Management Company Limited (NPPMCL), Harbin Electric International Company Limited (HEI) and GE have announced the completion of the Balloki power plant in Pakistan, following the successful conclusion of all commissioning works and performance-related tests.



Rashid Mahmood, chief executive officer, NPPMCL, said: I am proud to announce that the Balloki project is now able to supply up to 1,223 megawatts (MW) of uninterrupted power to the national grid, the equivalent electricity needed to supply up to 2.5 million Pakistani homes.



This is the second regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) power project developed by NPPMCL, the first being the Haveli Bahadur Shah (HBS) power plant, which entered full-fledged combined cycle commercial operations in May, he said.



Together, the HBS and Balloki plants have already added over 5.5 billion kilowatt hours of power to the national grid while in the commissioning phase and they will continue to deliver efficient, low cost power for up to 30 years, making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people of Pakistan, he added.



The contract to set up the plant was awarded by NPPMCL to HEI, which is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the project and responsible for its installation works and commissioning schedule, said a statement.



HEI sub-contracted GE to supply two of its HA gas turbines, some auxiliary equipment and technical advisory services. The plant had earlier realised an impressive milestone by synchronising an HA unit to the grid just 74 days after it was delivered to the project site, the shortest duration in which GEs HA technology has achieved this milestone anywhere in the world, it said.



Li Chao, chief operation officer of HEI and general director of 1st Power Division of HEI, said: The successful completion of Balloki power plant underlines the strong collaboration among NPPMCL, HEI and GE in driving the commissioning of the project.



People from more than 25 countries came together to work on this project. Together, we brought the worlds best to power Pakistan  local project management with Chinese engineering expertise and power generation technologies that were developed by advanced research and development teams based in North America and Europe, he added.



GEs HA technology has now helped to deliver two world records - one for powering the worlds most efficient combined-cycle power plant, based on achieving 63.08 percent gross efficiency at Chubu Electric Nishi-Nagoya Power Plant Block-1 in Japan and another for helping EDFs Bouchain Power Plant achieve 62.22 percent net combined cycle efficiency in France.



It has thus been recognised for record-setting efficiency in both 60 hertz and 50 hertz markets. Balloki is the third RLNG project equipped with GEs HA technology to reach completion in Pakistan, following the Haveli Bahadur Shah and Bhikki power plants.



The three facilities are among the most efficient combined cycle power plants in the world today, adding a total of up to 3,600 MW to Pakistans national grid. Efficiency matters as each point of efficiency can generate up to $50 million of fuel savings over 10 years for a 1,000 MW power plant.



Mohamad Ali, president and chief executive officer of GEs Gas Power Systems  Projects business in the Middle East, Pakistan and India, said: The Balloki project marked the 24th and 25th orders for GEs HA gas turbine globally and with its completion, we are proud that the third GE HA-equipped power plant in Pakistan is ready to add much-needed electricity to the national grid.



As the worlds most efficient heavy-duty gas turbine, GEs HA technology is unlocking a new era of efficient, affordable and reliable power generation to the benefit of people, businesses and industries across Pakistan, he said.



Sarim Sheikh, president and chief executive officer of GE Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, said: GE is committed to bringing advanced technologies to Pakistan that assure the highest levels of productivity and efficiency.



For over half a century now, GE has led the transformation of the power sector in Pakistan and the successful start of commercial operations at Bhikki, Haveli Bahadur Shah and now Balloki, bringing a total of 3,600 MW to the national grid, is another example of our focus on working with our customers to deliver the worlds leading energy solutions to the country, he said.



GEs HA technology has undergone full-speed, full-load validation tests at GEs Greenville, South Carolina facility in the US at extreme conditions well beyond those encountered while in service.



Today, the HA has achieved more than 135,000 operating hours and is the fastest growing fleet of gas turbines in the world with 76 units ordered by over 25 customers across more than 15 countries, including the US, Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan, Japan, Bahrain, China, France and others.



The technology continues to achieve ongoing recognition by industry third parties  EDFs HA-equipped Bouchain power plant in France was named as a Gas Plant of the Year by POWER Magazine in 2017, and Exelons HA-powered Wolf Hollow II project in the United States was honoured as Power Engineerings Best Gas-Fired Project of 2017.



GE has supported the development of energy, transportation and healthcare infrastructure in Pakistan for more than 50 years. Today, GE-built technologies can generate the equivalent power needed to supply up to 25 percent of the countrys electricity, it stated.  TradeArabia News ServiceMy first interaction with Jonathan Mason occurred only a few months ago. I was at an event he held, and I had a flat tire. He came outside bringing some friends to help. I was surprised, as he did not know me and seemed to put my problems ahead of his politicking. Im writing this because in this most dirty campaign season some issues are legitimate and should be discussed. A lot of people are turned off by negative campaigning and they should be. However truthful statements about a candidates voting record are something that should be encouraged.

Mr. Mason works at Unum. Thousands of good Chattanoogans have jobs like Mr. Mason working for fine insurance companies, yet a Nashville politician send a flyer that he was in the pocket of health insurance companies. Unum is a disability company and does not even sell health insurance. He has been accused of not being a small businessman, even on his own Facebook page, even though he and his wife own a hair dressing salon.

These are outrageous, unfair attacks on a decent man and his family.

Mr. Mason has conservative positions, consistent over the years, and buttressed by many endorsements of political leaders and conservative groups.

Whether the governors race or dog catcher the political discourse has been to insult and belittle your opponent. Records dont matter, your life history doesnt, your vote doesnt; it just seems if you have a lot of money just send out flyers, make accusations, run adds, and seek to overwhelm your opponents with insults. Most candidates have used negative ads.

I believe the record does matter. Any support decision I have is determined by the candidates history, campaign, and supporters. The tire thing may be insightful, but what we are doing is sending a person to Nashville to manage a $37 billion budget and spending about $5,500 per person of our money in this state. The legislature makes most of the laws that govern citizens and all the laws that govern every city. Each candidates record of personal and government money management matters. When a candidate has a record as an elected official I believe it is entirely right to bring it out. Mr. Masons opponent has one and her votes and support for the exit one subsidies, motioning for and voting for then later against the East Ridge Housing and Redevelopment Authority, lowering standards for 4-wheelers in East Ridge, are fair game for discussion. Her IRS tax liens would be problematic as it is personal but their size and published nature carry the issue.

Then there is the matter of votes. We dont know how the candidates voted in the general election, but primaries are a different matter. Did the candidate vote as you would? Is the candidate consistent or confused? The vote is always a legitimate matter for discussion. Its always good to get into a candidates head to see what is there. They have been known to mislead us.

Mason voted in all Republican primaries. His record is rather clear. Helton not so much. She admits she voted for Barack Hussein Obama in 2008 because she did not like Hillary. She also says it was a mistake. In 2012 there were no other candidates in the Democrat primary and a Republican primary had a large choice. She says in 2012 she did not vote for Mr. Obama, but the records show otherwise. I got tired of people telling me one thing then another, so I went to the election commission like anyone can do, to see who voted where. Anyone can as I did pull a copy of these sample ballots online. She voted in the Democrat Presidential Primary in March of 2012.

Over 345,600 people lived in Hamilton County in 2012 and 4,956 in Hamilton County voted for Obama that year in the Presidential Primary according to Tennessee state elections records in the Secretary of States office. Two hundred fourteen people voted uncommitted and some were write-ins. Few people voted in this primary because there were no contested races on the Hamilton County Democrat ballot in March 2012. You must sign for a primary ballot, so a mistake is not easy. I think theres not much doubt here. She went on to vote in the Democrat primary in August of that year. I dont know why she voted for Obama in 2012, maybe she liked his stand on Obamacare, she is a part time LPN and should know something about that. Maybe it was the Supreme Court picks, or gun policies, added regulations, his stand on Israel, the police, or the military, abortion, gay rights, or immigration. Maybe it was taxes, or doubling the national debt, or the careful concern his IRS had for the Tea Party, Republicans, or other conservative groups. I dont know maybe she just liked him, a lot.

Too many people run for office and tell you what they are going to do. Johnson said he would keep us out of Vietnam. Over 58,000 men and women died there. Bush (senior) said no new taxes. He raised them. Ronald Reagan said, trust but verify. I like that. Im tired of electing a dream and getting a nightmare. I believe both candidates are knowledgeable and intelligent. I am not accusing anyone in this race of being a nightmare. I do believe people should be accountable, consistent, do as they say and say as they do. I strongly believe a candidates record counts and should be allowed to speak above the din of pompous words of self-proclaiming candidates and their well-financed bullhorns.

Jim FolknerDubai Technology Entrepreneur Centre (DTEC), a wholly owned technology startup center of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), that is the largest of its kind in the Middle East, said that it will host the Dubai edition of AngelHacks Global Hackathon Series 2018.



Conceptualized by AngelHack, a leading global entrepreneurial community based in San Francisco, USA, with the objective of bridging the gap between Silicon Valley and entrepreneurs across the world, this years event spans six continents and is held under the theme Seamless Technology.



The Dubai edition will run on August 3 and 4. The hackathon will then move to Ramallah in Palestine on August 9 and 10.



Welcoming innovators from different genders, age groups, and skill sets, who can enrol as individuals or in groups of up to five people, AngelHack Dubai Hackathon 2018 is set to benefit developers looking to improve their skills and expand their horizons, as well as students, designers of varying proficiency and skill levels, and serious entrepreneurs. Participants will spend the event weekend learning new skills, meeting the local tech community and tech sponsors, as well as enjoying the innovative environment.



Urging participants to challenge their entrepreneurial spirit, and innovate without limits to create something that brings a positive change to the world or solves even a small problem, the agenda for the two-day hackathon includes workshops, sessions on team building, coding sessions, and final demos and presentations. Projects will be judged based on criteria such as the fundability of the idea, its execution, the end-to-end user experience, its originality, and scalability.



William Chappell, chief financial officer at Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, said: DSOA is all about empowering entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts. This was the concept that brought DTEC to life. In the past four years, the Authority and DTEC have created an ideal and enabling ecosystem for entrepreneurs from around the world and encouraged the nurturing of young talent through providing financial support, consultancy, and office space, as well as allied services that contribute to boosting this vital sector.



He added: We are looking forward to our first collaboration with AngelHack, and are delighted to host the Dubai edition of the global hackathon, aiming to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley and entrepreneurs all over the world. This will serve as a value addition offered by DTEC to its members and introduce them to leaders and experts from the world of technology and innovation. Being chosen as the venue partner by AngelHack is a true testimony of DTECs wide network of entrepreneurs and startups in the technology and innovation space.



Christina Lila Wilson, regional manager MEA at AngelHack said: We love igniting the magic that happens when diverse skills, perspectives, and minds come together to create innovative concepts aimed at transforming our world. We are inviting aspiring entrepreneurs and technologists to join our global family where we think outside the box, work with limited resources, innovate with emerging and trending technology, and stay vigilant about where systems can be improved.



She added: Out of over 50 cities participating, Dubai has produced some of our best startups showcasing those truly successful businesses can be blueprinted in such a short time with the right team and technology.



Proving that the projects dont stop when the hackathon does, one past Dubai AngelHack winner Wrappup, has taken its meeting productivity tool through constant iteration, and was acquired just a few months ago by Voicera. We can't wait to see what ideas emerge from our 2018 Dubai hackathon with DTEC.  TradeArabia News ServiceRadon (Rn) is a radioactive, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that occurs naturally as the decay product of the elements radium, uranium and thorium. It is a noble (or inert) gas, meaning it is inactive chemically and combines with other substances only under extreme conditions. It is dense  the heaviest known gas  and it is considered a health hazard due to its radioactivity..

Radon is rare in nature because its isotopes are so short-lived and because its main source radium is also quite rare, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. Radon has no known biological purpose but is believed to have played a major role in evolution, since radiation is required for genetic modifications to take place, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Just the facts

Atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus): 86

Atomic symbol (on the periodic table of the elements): Rn

Atomic weight (average mass of the atom): 222

Density: ;9.073 grams per liter

Phase at room temperature: Gas

Melting point: minus 95 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 71 degrees Celsius)

Boiling point: minus 79 F (minus 61.7 C)

Number of isotopes (atoms of the same element with a different number of neutrons): 3 naturally occurring (radon-219, radon-220, and radon-222); 33 whose half-lives are known with mass numbers 196 to 228; none are stable

Most common isotope: Rn-222 (half-life of 3.823 days)

Discovery

Credit for the discovery of radon is given to German chemist Friedrich Ernst Dorn in 1900, according to Chemicool. He discovered the new gas, which he referred to as radium "emanation," while studying radium's decay chain. Radium had been discovered just two years earlier by the Nobel Prize winning scientist Marie Curie.

Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsey, winner of the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1904, explored the properties of radon even further. With the help of English chemist Robert Whytlaw Gray, Ramsey isolated radon and calculated its density so that it might be included correctly in the periodic table. They discovered that it was the heaviest gas ever known. They renamed the gas to "niton" after the Latin word for shining (nitens). But this name didn't stick either, and by 1923, it became known around the world as "radon," according to Chemicool.

Danger

Radon is present in the air nearly everywhere, and everyone breathes in radon every day, according to the National Cancer Institute. At low levels, it is harmless. However, people who inhale high levels of radon are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and is associated with approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths a year; 2,900 of those deaths occur among people who have never smoked.

Around one in 15 homes in the United States has elevated radon levels. The odorless gas can enter homes through cracks in walls, floors and foundations. It can also be released from building materials or through water originating from radon-contaminated wells, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Radon levels can be greater in homes and buildings that are well-insulated, tightly sealed or built on soil rich in the radioactive elements uranium, radium and thorium.

A measurement of radioactivity is picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L). In the United States, the average indoor radon level is about 1.3 pCi/L, according to the EPA. The average outdoor level is about 0.4 pCi/L. The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend fixing homes with radon levels at or above 4 pCi/L. The EPA also recommends that people think about fixing their homes for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L.

The 'Watras Incident'

In 1984, an odd coincidence known as the "Watras Incident" led to the discovery of the highest radon reading ever in Pennsylvania and ultimately urged the EPA to get involved in monitoring radon levels in residential homes.

Stanley J. Watras, a construction engineer at the Limerick nuclear power plant in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, set off the alarm at a radiation monitor installed to ensure that workers were not leaving the building with unsafe levels of radiation on their bodies.

This was quite a surprise, because the plant was still under construction and had not even been filled with nuclear fuel yet  so exposure would have been impossible. Eventually, a team of specialists discovered that Watras was not picking up the radiation at the plant, but from his own home radiation levels in his home were 700 times higher than the maximum level considered safe.

The specialists discovered that the culprit was radon gas, which had been seeping into his home from underground, according to The Morning Call. Living there was the equivalent of smoking a couple hundred packs of cigarettes a day.

The family moved out immediately, and the home was turned into a scientific laboratory for the long-term measurement of radon and the testing of radon mitigation approaches. After several months, the radon was reduced to an acceptable level, and the family returned. Today, the U.S. Surgeon General and the EPA recommend that all homes be tested for radon.

Who knew?

Radon was the fifth radioactive element to be discovered, after uranium, thorium, radium and polonium.

Radon gas is colorless, but it exudes a brilliant yellow phosphorescence (light emitted from a substance without perceptible heat) at temperatures below its freezing point.

Decades ago, radium salts were mixed into paints to make them glow in the dark. Once the EPA deemed radon a health risk, however, radon was pulled from consumer products.

Hundreds of years ago, a wasting disease of miners was known as mala metallorum. In 1879, the condition was identified as lung cancer caused by exposure to radioactive substances, including uranium and radon.

Surprising research: Is radon beneficial in low doses?

For thousands of years, people have bathed in natural hot springs for the therapeutic properties of the water. Many of these spas have been found to contain radon. And yet,rather than developing radiation sickness or cancer, many claim that bathing in the radon-rich groundwater reduces inflammation and pain.

Also, radon was sometimes used by hospitals to treat cancer and other diseases. Hospitals used to produce it themselves by pumping radon from a radium source and sealing it in small tubes called seeds or needles. The seeds were injected at or near the site of the tumor. However, this is no longer a widespread practice.

A study led by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute suggested that low levels of radon gas -- those levels typically found in 90 percent of American homes -- may actually reduce the risk of developing lung cancer by as much as 60 percent. The findings were published in the journal Health Physics in 2008.

The results contrast the findings of previous studies, which suggested that low-level radon exposure is tied to a slightly elevated risk of lung cancer (with no statistical difference) or no risk at all, according to the study press release in Science Daily.

The study is the first to find a statistically significant hormetic effect of low-level radon exposure. The hormetic effect (hormesis) occurs when toxins and other environmental stressors have a beneficial effect at very low doses. The prevailing idea is that low doses of such toxins stimulate the immune system and the repair mechanisms in cells.

The researchers were quite surprised at the findings. In fact, the goal had been to establish what level of radon exposure was linked to lung cancer risk and to determine a safety zone for radon levels in the home, according to Science Daily.

Ultimately, they found that the chance of developing lung cancer fell below one (the no effect level) at radon exposure within the range of 0-4 picoCuries per liter, according to Science Daily. This is the level of around 90 percent of homes in the United States. The EPA recommends that homeowners take action when exposure levels reach over 4 picoCuries per liter, due to the belief that increasing radon exposure is correlated to a progressively greater risk for cancer.

The researchers noted that the new findings do not dispute the lung cancer risk tied to greater levels of radon exposure, such as that experienced by uranium miners. However, the study shows a significant departure from previous results and beliefs about radon.

A 2011 research article published in the peer-reviewed journal Dose-Response showed similar results. The researchers reported that low-level residential radon is credited for an effect known as "activated natural protection" (ANP) against lung cancer, including smoking-related lung cancer.Laredo College (LC) is currently offering registration for the Occupational Safety and Health Technology Program, which will be underway this fall. The main focus of our program is to produce safety leaders in our community that will benefit the workforce.

The program will begin Aug. 21 and cover many topics that deal with current hazards in various industries, including fall protection, confined spaces and electrical hazards.

Any student enrolled in LC is eligible to sign up. There is no testing required in order to gain admission. The program has enough capacity to admit up to 25 students.

At LC, our goal is to accommodate students as best as we can in order to help them achieve their dreams and encourage them to always aim higher. That is why we offer flexible evening classes and have scholarships available for the Occupational Safety and Health Technology Program. The success of our students is our top concern.

The program has been in development since last year when we realized there was a need to educate more people on the need for safety in community workplaces. Individuals from several industries and members of the community came together and developed an advisory committee to discuss the credentials the program should have.

That was only the beginning of the program we bring to you today.

There are different levels of certification for our program. We offer certificates for enrollment of one semester, one year or an associate degree (which is up to two years).

Students who go through the Occupational Safety and Health Technology Program receive a wide range of credentials. These include forklift, airlift, first aid and CPR certifications.

Dont wait any longer, begin your career in safety with LC today.Laredo Medical Center (LMC) was joined by the medical community, stakeholders and academic institutions to offer a big Laredo welcome to the first class of the LMC Primary Care Residency Programs for Family Medicine and Internal Medicine on Friday, June 29.

The celebration was held at LMCs main entrance foyer where residents were treated to lively mariachi music and a customary Laredo bienvenida.

The event also marked the birth of a new tradition with a white lab coat ceremony for the residents to formally welcome them to LMCs Primary Care Residency Programs.

The Primary Care residents are part of LMCs first-ever Graduate Medical Education programs, which consist of 16 primary care residents between the family medicine and internal medicine programs.

Laredo Medical Center is pleased to welcome and bring these residents onboard, said Enrique Gallegos, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer. Our aim is to recruit the very best residents from each program and support those who choose to stay in Laredo to build their private practice and serve our community.

LMCs Primary Care Residency programs are the culmination of two and a half years of collaboration with the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine.

These are young adults who are putting down roots and hopefully many of them are going to stay to help with the shortage of primary care physicians, said Dr. Thomas Mohr, Designated Institutional Official & Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education for the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine. They will be taking care of patients in multiple different specialties. The residents will work with physicians, the experts in the fields, alongside them.

The three-year residency programs are accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Members of the first class began their residency on Monday, July 2.

Among the residents is Dr. Armando Cardenas, a native of Cadereyta, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, who was already working in Laredo when applying for the residency program. After finishing his residency in three years, he plans on practicing in Laredo.

For me, joining the LMC Primary Care Residency Programs is a great achievement because I always wanted to be a doctor in the United States, said Dr. Cardenas. The Residency Program will be a fine educational experience to learn to be a good doctor in the community.

A new class will be admitted each subsequent year and by the end of three years, 2021, LMC will enroll up to 48 residents in the programs.

Gateway Community Health Center, Inc. and Laredo VA Outpatient Clinic are serving as outpatient residency sites.

For more information, call 956-796-3223.While currently serving his third term as the District Attorney for the 49th Judicial District of Texas, Isidro R. Chilo Alaniz has implemented many successful initiatives to prevent crime and improve the quality of life for his community.

Alaniz was first elected in 2008 and was inaugurated as the District Attorney for the counties of Webb and Zapata in January 2009.

A Laredo native, Alaniz obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio, majoring in criminal justice. He was awarded a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 1993.

Alaniz said his office is comprised of a multi-faceted staff geared toward helping the community and victims navigate through the criminal justice system, which can sometimes be complex.

He views the primary function of his office as holding people accountable for their actions.

We have close to 15,000 reports that come through this Office every year on average, Alaniz said. Our job is to analyze these cases, look at the elements of the crimes and proceed on the cases that meet the elements. Our objective is to help keep the community safe, reduce crime and help victims of crime.

The District Attorneys Office functions as a catalyst to enforce the criminal laws of the state of Texas in working with all of the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. It also exhibits the same resolve in conducting community outreach as it does prosecuting criminals.

The office is heavily involved in school functions throughout the year including presentations, career days, parent meetings and school festivals in Laredo, Zapata and surrounding areas. The offices mascot, Huggy the Bear, is always in high demand at elementary schools as he encourages kids to stay in school and say no to drugs.

Every year, the office hosts a free-ride-home initiative during the Super Bowl as a way to avoid drunk driving. Make the Right Call, or the designated driver initiative, is a free ride program that was instituted nine years ago.

Everything we do is geared toward the betterment of both Webb and Zapata counties, Alaniz said.Dr. Amando Garza IV grew up in Laredo and always knew that he would return to serve his hometown as a physician.

Garza enjoyed his childhood in Laredo, where he developed his love for science and the outdoors.

Garza was a student at Mary Help of Christians School, St. Augustine High School and then went on to study at the University of Texas at San Antonio before attending medical school at Ross University School of Medicine.

Garza trained at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) Regional Academic Health Center during his internal medicine residency.

After his residency, Garza practiced at UTHSCSA and UTRGV School of Medicine as an assistant professor of medicine.

He returned to his roots in Laredo and opened his practice, Adult Health Clinic, right next door to his own father, Dr. Amando Garza III, a pediatrician.

Garzas practice focuses on compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illnesses.

Adult Health Clinic also offers preventive services like physical exams, influenza and pneumonia vaccines, and pap smears.

As a primary care clinic, they are also responsible for the organization of patient care activities between different healthcare providers involved in a patient's care; this allows for the appropriate delivery of health care services at the appropriate time.

Garza treats an array of ailments, ranging from acute illnesses like respiratory infections and urinary tract infections to chronic diseases like hepatitis, thyroid disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.

Currently, Garza holds a certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Because of his love of the outdoors, during his spare time, Garza likes to go fishing, hunting, playing the piano, bowling and sleep.Healthy families are the cornerstone of successful, prosperous communities. Accordingly, Senator Judith Zaffirini, a longtime champion for increased access to quality health and human services, prioritizes these services for all local residents, including new Laredoans.

Healthier children are better learners, healthier adults are more productive, and healthier families are happier families, said Senator Zaffirini, who served on the Senate Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee from 1987 to 2017. Enhancing access to critical health care services in Laredo is one of my top priorities in the Texas Senate, especially because I believe that health care is a right, not a privilege.

The senator encourages public participation as the Senate HHS Committee tackles the specific policy concerns that Lt. Governor Dan Patrick directed the committee to address during the legislative interim. These interim charges include reviewing services relating to child welfare; assessing programs and funding for substance use prevention, intervention and recovery; examining the quality and compliance of Medicaid managed care providers; and studying ongoing efforts to increase transparency relating to health care costs.

It is crucial for Laredoans to stay engaged with their state legislature, Senator Zaffirini said. Public testimony at committee hearings is compelling and can be the deciding factor in important decisions related to public health.

Texas' major state health and human services agencies operate professionally staffed offices in Laredo to help Texans access state programs. The HHS Commission, for example, operates two offices in Laredo to assist families with benefits programs. Persons needing assistance with Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Medicaid for children and families should call 2-1-1, or contact agency personnel at 1500 N. Arkansas via 956-725-5195 or 500 E. Mann Road, Suite B4, via 956-764-5200. Staff of the Department of Family and Protective Services may be reached at the Arkansas location via 956-728-7383 or at 4611 Foster Avenue via 956-764-6040. YourTexasBenefits.com also offers families the opportunity to apply for benefits online.

These agencies are important resources, especially for families new to Laredo or to the State of Texas, Senator Zaffirini said.

The state also operates Casa Amistad, which provides in-patient adult psychiatric services at 1500 Pappas Street, Building 664 (956-794-340). Mental and physical health are equally important to a persons well-being, the senator said. We must support persons who have mental illnesses and substance use disorders, and work to address the stigma many face when seeking treatment.

Senator Zaffirini also urges new and longtime Laredoans to support organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Catholic Social Services, South Texas Food Bank, Casa de Misericordia and the Children's Advocacy Center. Laredoans are known for their generosity, Senator Zaffirini said. These organizations provide critical services, and any donation of time, money or resources makes a difference.

Constituents who need additional assistance with state health and human services agencies or who have suggestions for potential health and human services legislation may contact the senator's Capitol office via 512-463-0121 or her Laredo office via 956-722-2293.Laredo Title and Abstract is a title insurance agency that has proudly served the citizens of Laredo, Texas and the surrounding areas of Webb County with all of their Title Insurance needs. Whether it is a commercial real estate transaction or a residential home or real estate closing, Laredo Title and Abstract is here to assist you or your business.

For the first time in their 12-year history, Laredo Title & Abstract won the Laredo Morning Times Readers Choice Award for best title company this past April.

Leticia Martinez, a partner and escrow officer with Laredo Title, said they are all excited and honored to win this award. They appreciate the vote of confidence, she said.

Its nice to know that the public has noticed that our local small business is going that extra mile to give the customer service that we all deserve in Laredo. So it was really exciting to hear, to say the least, Martinez said.

Laredo Title & Abstract opened in June 2006, and employs 20 people, all from Laredo, according to Martinez.

All the title companies in the city are wonderful, Martinez said, so at Laredo Title they do little things to differentiate themselves.

You just want to make that little extra effort to show that we can be different. And I guess people noticed! she said.

Martinez said she and her employees love to see walking out pleased and satisfied. Customers come in so nervous and scared, she said, so they like to make them feel that they can trust they will be taken care of.

She also loves to see how her employees get excited for their customers. And in the times where things veer out of their control, Laredo Title remains there for their customers.

We cry and laugh with our customers. Its part of the caring, Martinez said.

Laredo Title is committed to closing customers transactions efficiently, accurately, and in the manner in which they require, their website states.

We strive for perfection, insuring you have been provided the most accurate of information in our searches.

For a consultation or for more information, please call or come by our office Monday through Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. we are located at 9901 McPherson Rd. Laredo Tx, 78045 or call us at 956-726-9665.Navigating high school can be daunting. For many young people, the idea of passing core classes and balancing unwanted electives can be frustrating and overwhelming, but graduation doesnt have to feel so out of reach. Gateway Academy High School is here to help make, what can feel like the most unattainable, graduation a reality.

The team at Gateway Academy understands that students face a variety of challenges while striving for their high school diploma and encourages students to embrace the responsibility of their education with flexible scheduling (half day courses offered in morning and afternoon sessions), innovative curriculum, and a more one-on-one approach.Representatives from G20 member and guest countries, together with other global experts, discussed issues related to digital transformation and prepared recommendations on inclusive development at the recent second meeting of the Digital Economy Task Force (DETF) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.



We are building and bolstering the digital agenda with a focus on inclusive development, said Rudi Borrmann, under-secretary of Public Innovation and Open Government at the Argentine Ministry for Modernization and chair of the DETF.



The meeting took place at San Martin Palace, the ceremonial seat of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The agenda included discussions on data and measurement of the digital economy, digital government, bridging the gender digital divide, digital infrastructure and Economy 4.0. Participants will also work on the joint declaration for the Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting, taking place on 23-24 August in the province of Salta, in the north-west of Argentina.



Created under the German G20 presidency in 2017, the DETF acknowledges the new digital era and the effective use of new technologies as a key factor in economic development. The digital economy covers a wide range of activities based on the use of information and knowledge as factors of production, information networks as a space for action, and information and communication technologies as drivers of productivity.



Representing the young, diverse and creative region of Latin America & the Caribbean, the Argentine DETF presidency will seek to make consensus-based recommendations that advance inclusive development through digital transformation.



Consensus between the business community and the Government



Officials from the Argentine Government, Business 20 (B20) representatives and entrepreneurs took part in the Digital Economy Summit led by the B20, the engagement group representing the international business community. The event in Buenos Aires helped build consensus on the B20s final document of recommendations on the digital economy and Economy 4.0, which will be submitted on 4-5 October at the groups summit.  TradeArabia News Service

Brett Coomer /Houston Chronicle

Profits for Houston-based frac sand company Hi-Crush Partners LP skyrocketed more than 300 percent in the second quarter as its sand sales topped 3 million tons.

The company earned $68 million or 68 cents a unit in the three months that ended June 30, up 315.2 percent compared to the $16.4 million or 18 cents a unit it earned in the second quarter of 2017.San Antonio-based Pioneer Energy Services continued to lose money in the second quarter as the company exited the offshore oil and gas market.

The company said it lost $18.2 million, or 23 cents a share in the three months ending in June, compared to a $20.2 million, or 26 cents a share, during the same period in 2017.

"Our strategic focus continues to be on the key shale provinces in the U.S.; therefore, in June, we exited ... offshore markets due to reduced activity, and began redeploying and divesting of certain assets," said Stacy Locke, president and CEO of Pioneer Energy Services. "We absorbed some additional costs associated with this strategic decision in the second quarter."

The loss came despite rising revenues of nearly $154.8 million, and increase of 44.4 percent compared to the second quarter of 2017. Operating costs in the second quarter increased $35 million to $114.2 million compared to $79.1 million in the same period of 2017.

The company saw revenues rise significantly in the second quarter from drilling and other oil well services. International drilling revenues, for example, increased to $21.8 million, a 162.1 percent jump from the second quarter 2017 when revenues were $8.3 million.

In the second quarter, Pioneer Energy Services had, on average, 16 rigs operating in the United States. Internationally, the company had an average of eight rigs operating.

Locke said the company has executed a three-year contract with a client for a new drilling rig that will cost approximately $10 million to build. Some of the equipment used on the rig will use parts purchased in 2014 that have been sitting in storage.Firefighters working to carve containment lines around the most dangerous blazes threatening communities in Northern California appeared to suffer no new losses of homes Tuesday, officials said, signaling what crews hope is a turning point in fights that have dragged on for many days under scorching skies.

Still, in the most destructive of the summers blazes, the Carr Fire in and around Redding, the toll of damage ticked up. The count of homes destroyed since the fire ignited July 23 rose by 66, bringing the total to 884, a result of crews being able to get into disaster areas to conduct closer inspections, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.

And although the Mendocino Complex  composed of the Ranch and River fires that began on Friday  mushroomed to a total of 80,408 acres, firefighters managed to increase the level of containment from 5 percent to 12 percent by Tuesday night. They also kept the blazes, which have threatened communities set around Clear Lakes west and north sides, from gobbling any more than the seven homes already destroyed.

The fire laid down a little bit last night so the firefighters were able to make a little bit of headway, Cal Fire Capt. Amy Head said at the River Fire line west of Lakeport (Lake County). So far, weve been keeping the fire a pretty good distance from Lakeport city limits, but we always have to be concerned about the wind kicking up again. We still have an extremely long road ahead of us.

The Ranch Fire, to the north of Upper Lake and other communities on Clear Lakes north end, was also burning east and north into national forest land.

Cal Fire expects full containment of the Mendocino Complex fires by Monday, but 12,200 structures remained threatened, and mandatory evacuations were in place for more than 15,000 people in parts of Mendocino and Lake counties. No injuries or fatalities have been reported. The cause of the blazes are under investigation.

However, an additional fire popped up just east of Covelo in Mendocino County Tuesday afternoon. By Tuesday night, the blaze, named the Eel Fire, had grown to 400 acres. Cal Fire officials announced on its Facebook page Tuesday night that evacuations were in progress for Mendocino Pass Road.

Meanwhile, many residents of Redding and surrounding communities chased away by the Carr Fire began returning home Tuesday.

Mass evacuations were ordered last week  including one for the small town of Shasta Lake that turned out to be overly cautious, officials said  but, by Tuesday, firefighters had made enough progress to lift evacuation orders in several communities.

The Carr Fire grew from 103,772 acres Monday night to 112,888 acres by Tuesday night, according to Cal Fire. The blaze has burned 172.11 square miles to become the seventh most destructive wildfire in California history. By comparison, San Francisco is 46.87 square miles.

The blaze, which is 30 percent contained, has killed six people, and a total of 2,546 buildings remained under threat.

As with many of the wildfires that have sprouted throughout the state, gusty winds have posed significant challenges to crews battling the Carr Fire  particularly winds from the east and west. The steep terrain and dry vegetation have also contributed to the fires rapid growth, Cal Fire said, and temperatures that continue to stay hot, like Tuesdays 95 degrees, dont help.

There are a total of 17 wildfires burning in California. One of the longest-lasting of the summer, the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite Valley, has scorched 58,074 acres since its ignition July 13. The conflagration was 33 percent contained by Tuesday evening, according to Cal Fire, and the valley remained closed because of overwhelming smoke. The valley is now expected to open Sunday instead of Friday, officials announced.

A portion of the inferno jumped over a containment line several days ago just southeast of El Portal and crews attempted to reestablish control through water and retardant drops. The steep terrain prevented access to firefighters and beetle-killed trees fueled the blaze, officials said.

The blaze has destroyed one building and continues to threaten an additional 2,846. Two firefighters were killed and eight others suffered injuries while battling the fire.

Capt. Brian Hughes, a 33-year-old firefighter from Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, died Sunday after being hit by a falling tree. Braden Varney, a Cal Fire bulldozer operator from Mariposa, also died when his vehicle rolled down a ravine near El Portal.

Officials expect full containment of the blaze by Aug. 15.

Kevin Fagan and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChron, @SarRavaniThe Four Feathers

By A.E.W. Mason

Penguin Classics. 320 pp. $16

---

Do we care about honor these days? In the current world political climate, all that seems to matter is winning, whatever that means. Once upon a time, though, honor - being faithful to ideals of proper conduct, regardless of personal cost - deeply mattered. How deeply lies at the heart of A.E.W. Mason's celebrated 1902 adventure-romance, "The Four Feathers," set in England, Ireland and the Middle East during the 1880s.

The plot is relatively simple. Harry Feversham comes from a long line of soldiers but has inherited a vivid imagination from his long-dead mother: He is, in fact, tormented by the fear that he might be a coward. Nonetheless, to please his father, Gen. Feversham, Harry joins a brigade serving in India.

During a leave in England, at a small dinner party that includes Willoughby and Trench, two fellow officers, Harry quietly announces that he has become engaged to Ethne Eustace. Also present is Harry's friend Durrance, who has never spoken about his own feelings for Ethne. Late that same evening, a telegram arrives from another officer named Castleton, who alerts Harry that the brigade will be shifting to the Sudan and joining the campaign against the fanatical followers of an Islamic messiah called the Mahdi. Harry says nothing about this message to his guests and that night resigns his commission.

The following week, the new fiance visits his beloved in Ireland where, during a house party, he receives a small package. It is strangely light for a wedding gift, says Ethne. Together, they open the little box and discover inside three white feathers. Ethne, puzzled, asked what they mean. Downcast and ashamed, Harry explains that the senders - Willoughby, Trench and Castleton - regard him as a coward. Things only get worse as Harry blubbers incoherently to Ethne, who - believing she has been mistaken about the character of her intended - impulsively returns her engagement ring. Worse still, she breaks off a feather from her fan and adds it to the three others.

A few days later, Durrance, knowing nothing about all this, sets sail for the Middle East. In the crowd at the pier he thinks he glimpses Harry, but realizes it couldn't have been his friend, for this face was "stamped with an extraordinary misery; the face of a man cast out from among his fellows."

At this point, Harry Feversham has been labeled a coward, lost the woman he loves and broken his proud father's heart. Moreover, his only friend has left England to take up the soldierly duty from which he shrank. Wracked by shame, Harry perceives the one course that will allow him to redeem his honor and prove himself. Despite his imagination, despite his fear, he will travel to the heart of the fighting and, somehow, find ways to compel Trench, Castleton and Willoughby to take back their feathers. As he says, "There will be few men leading active lives as these three do who will not at some moment stand in great peril and great need. To be in readiness for that moment is from now my career. All three are in Egypt. I leave for Egypt tomorrow."

Harry then disappears into the war zone, and the novel proceeds to set up several additional ethical dilemmas. When Durrance learns that the engagement has been broken off, he wonders if it would be an act of disloyalty to his now-vanished friend to court Ethne. In her turn, Ethne - full of regret over her cruelty - wonders if she can suppress her continued love for the disgraced Harry and accept Durrance's attentions, perhaps even his proposal. Matters grow even more complicated as the reader soon realizes that Ethne's confidante, the forlorn Mrs. Adair, loves Durrance, who thinks nothing of her at all.

Thus, again and again, Mason's characters face the same question: What is the right thing to do? And then, when they know the answer, they must draw on their inner resources for the inevitable consequence: Can I actually do what is right? Despite a certain forgivable period sentimentality, Mason makes these discriminations very real for the reader.

Wait, I can imagine someone now saying, "I thought 'The Four Feathers' was an adventure story, set in the blazing desert, where the relentless sun and the boiling heat drive men mad: What you're describing sounds more like Henry James." To which I'd reply, "Can't popular fiction address serious issues and still be exciting?"

At one point, an Arab ally, awaiting a secret message from Harry, examines a donkey that has been left with him. In its left shoulder "a tiny incision had been made and the skin neatly stitched up again with fine thread. He cut the stitches, and pressing open the two edges of the wound, forced out a tiny package little bigger than a postage stamp." Still later, Harry deliberately allows himself to be captured by the Mahdi's followers just so he can be sent to Omdurman's notorious House of Stone, where Trench has been imprisoned for three years. Equally powerful, in its own way, is the moment in a small town near Wadi Halfa when Durrance hears a disreputable-looking Greek beggar playing a zither and gradually recognizes the melody of Ethne's favorite violin piece, "The Musoline Overture."

A.E.W. Mason (1865-1948) published many novels, including a set of classic mysteries starting with "At the Villa Rose," but "The Four Feathers" remains his masterpiece, if only for its humanity. In a scene of utter pathos, the seemingly villainous Mrs. Adair reveals the tragedy of her married life. Another character goes blind but, in partial compensation, learns to see into the hearts of others. Even Harry and Ethne hope for no more than to meet each other's spirits after death. But, happily for us all, sometimes life bestows that most unexpected of blessings: a second chance.At 18 months old, one little San Antonio girl already has her tastes figured out Whataburger and H-E-B.

Adelyn Gonzales' love for the two Texas institutions was on full display in a series of H-E-B- and Whataburger-themed photos taken by her aunt, Abbey Lopez, of AbbeyLee Photography. Though the infancy of Adelyn's infatuation coincided with her actual infancy, her allegiance to the two brands is full grown.Children with cancer and their brothers and sisters got to explore Houston, build relationships and just be kids for a few days thanks to the citys first urban oncology camp.

Four Seasons Hotel Houston and MD Anderson Childrens Cancer Hospital teamed up to host Camp H-Town July 22-26. The campers took over a floor at the hotel and slept on bunk beds, just like they would do at a regular camp.

Around 30 Houston-area campers aged eight to 14 plus camp counselors and medical professionals toured Minute Maid Park and Downtown Aquarium, dressed up and danced at House of Blues, made art with local artist Angela Fabbri and enjoyed local eats from Ninfas on Navigation, Jackson Street BBQ and Smoosh, just to name a few of the camps activities.

Tom Segesta, Four Seasons Hotel Houston general manager, said he and his wife Robin began talking to MD Anderson a few years back about starting an urban oncology camp like the one they had begun at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, which at the time, was run by Four Seasons. He said he and Robin knew they wanted to start a camp in Texas because of the way the Chicago camp had made such a positive effect.

My wife Robin and I did this in Chicago as a twist of something for cancer, and it made such an impact on both of us that when we moved to Houston, we wanted to do the same thing  to see the smiles on the childrens faces and just how they interact with each other, the relationships that they built and the fun that they have, Segesta said.

Robin said it took a while for MD Anderson to come around on the idea of an urban oncology camp because the hospital already had camps outside of the city in more rural areas. But Robin said some cancer patients are really too sick to go far away from the medical facilities big cities like Houston and Chicago provide.

This is different. Were in a city, and it allows that child thats really sick to experience camp in a really controlled environment, Robin said. I really think theyve seen it this week  theyve experienced it.

Four Seasons hosted a fundraising event in May that raised nearly $30,000, and a grant was received from Childrens Oncology Camping Association, International. Segesta said Houston community members and business partners stepped up to help as well.

Camp Director Rich Brundige worked at his first oncology camp in 1997 and has been doing it ever since. He said serving the patients and their siblings changes and inspires him and that every camp causes him to think about ways to improve in the future.

According to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, only 4 percent of funding from the federal government goes toward studying pediatric cancer, so part of Camp H-Town was about raising awareness. Brundige said when people out in the community saw how happy the Camp H-Town group was, they inherently wanted to know what was going on and then how they could help.

Were walking around singing. Its like a big old happy family. So people want to know, Who are you? and What are you doing? You tell them, and they want to know more and how to get involved. And thats the impact, Brundige said.

MD Anderson Program Manager Tomika Gamble said Camp H-Town allows the children to not only have fun but to bond with peers who know what it is like to face cancer. She said many children with cancer get pulled out of school and miss those relationships they had, so the camp helps them to cope as they make new friends.

But suddenly if you put me in an environment where there are all these other patients or individuals who have dealt with something similar to you, the relationships that they build are amazing, Gamble said.

Gamble said siblings are included in MD Andersons camps because after the cancer diagnosis, the familys attention shifts to the sick child, and sometimes the siblings can get left out.

We try to give opportunities to that entire population so that we can ensure that all of them are being fed appropriately to assist with the healing of the patient, she said.

Gamble said the hospitals camps are funded through the generous donations of people in Houston and from across the nation. To learn more about donating, visit www.mdanderson.org, click on the donate link and specify that you want the money to go to pediatrics support programs. Or you can email Gamble directly at tgamble@mdanderson.org.

Robin said when the adults involved work to make sure the campers have a great week, they learn that they receive much more in return and are changed for the better by the experience.

You realize, gosh, maybe its not just about the campers, that you give them something different in their lives. All the people that are involved in this are impacted, and we walk away different every year, Robin said. We all walk away softer, more open, realizing that really our charge in life is to give back, to look for ways [to help].

tracy.maness@hcnonline.comTwo Harris County parents are suing a Galveston resort claiming that their child was injured while using a water slide.

Carlos and June Cordeiro filed a complaint on July 13 in Galveston County District Court against Fertitta Hospitality LLC, owner of the San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center in Galveston, and the resort's water slide manufacturer, Dream Pools of Texas, Inc., alleging negligence after their daughter was knocked unconscious on a water slide.

The complaint alleges that the Cordeiros were guests at the San Luis Resort on July 31, 2016, when the child was injured while sliding down the piece of equipment. The child was knocked unconscious and an ambulance was called to the scene. The girl sustained a closed-head injury and injury to her body.

The lawsuit claims the child sustained an injury to her brain, including but not limited to a concussion, headaches, loss of balance, nausea, dizziness, and light and noise sensitivity. The complaint alleges the child has not fully recovered to the health condition she was in before the incident.

The plaintiffs hold Fertitta Hospitality responsible for allegedly failing to inspect the condition on the premises, failing to remove hazardous items and not adequately warning guests of the unsafe condition.

They also claim Dream Pools of Texas, the company that constructed the slide, failed to design and build a recreational area that did not involve an unreasonable risk of harm, failed to build to approved safety, and neglected to provide adequate warnings to users of the water slide.

The Cordeiros are seeking full damages on behalf of their child, including for physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, medical expenses, and pre-judgment and post-judgment interest at the maximum legal rate.

Fertitta Hospitality LLC issued a general denial to all of the Cordeiros claims and requested that the court require them to provide evidence to prove their allegations. The company also claimed the Cordeiros' negligence contributed "in whole or in part" led to their child being injured, and that it had no "control or right of control" over any omissions by Dream Pools of Texas.

This is not the first time Fertitta Hospitality, owned by Galveston-born billionaire Tillman Fertitta, who also owns the Houston Rockets, has been challenged in court regarding the water slide at the San Luis Resort.

Pamla Reyes, a Harris County resident, filed a lawsuit against Fertitta Hospitality in December 2017 in the 10th District Court, after being injured at the San Luis Resort while using a waterslide.

Reyes claimed she was riding a waterslide at the resort when she hit her head on a boulder and lost consciousness, according to the lawsuit. She claimed to have suffered injuries to her head, left shoulder and spine as a result of the incident.

The lawsuit accuses the resort of being negligent because it failed to provide a safe environment for its patrons. Fertitta Hospitality denied all of Reyes' claims in a response filed in court.

A jury trial for that lawsuit is set for January 7, according to court records.

Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.comGermany-based IBC Solar, a global leader in photovoltaic (PV) systems and energy storage, has equipped two industrial companies in Lebanon with solar power solutions.



The plants for the Al-Kazzi factory and the Woody factory were realised by IBC Solars premium partner Smart Age and show how to gain economic advantage from solar power, said a statement from the company.



Al-Kazzi, a Lebanese market leader for baked nuts, has opened a new factory in Hsoun and opted for a PV solution to save the environment and reduce energy costs. Smart Age conducted the site evaluation, determining customer requirements and associated load curves, it said.



IBC Solar provided all necessary components such as 615 IBC PolySol 265 CS modules and the IBC TopFix 200 mounting system, it added.



Al-Kazzi is one of the first adopters of the diesel-hybrid technology, which synchronises the energy production of the PV system with diesel gensets during day time. The system with a capacity of 163 kWp is supposed to generate 263,000 kWh/year.



Woody Factory is a carpentry located near the Mediterranean Sea. The high electricity costs pushed the owner to invest in an on-grid PV system.



Smart Age decided to use the IBC TopFix 200 Delta Support mounting structure for this project, as the non-penetrative assembly reduces the risk of roof leakage. The 285 IBC PolySol 265CS modules with a total capacity of 75 kWp will produce 121,000 kWh/year.



Lebanon has been an important market for IBC Solar in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) since 2015.



Albert Engelbrecht, senior vice president Solutions International: The combination of high solar radiation and attractive state funding programs will make the countries in the Mena region key solar markets in the future.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe mayor of Katy has inserted himself into the skirmish between the city of Pearland and the Blue Ridge Landfill in Fresno, making remarks about the dispute on a recent podcast.

Katy Mayor Chuck Brawner criticized an ongoing lawsuit that Pearland filed against the landfill, which both the city and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality allege is the source of a notorious sewage odor that sometimes permeates west Pearland neighborhoods.

Pearland residents have complained to city officials about the odor since 2015.

Since the podcast aired, Pearland City Councilman Trent Perez has called out Brawner for "disparaging a neighboring city."

Brawner gave an interview on a Heartland Institute's July 17 podcast titled "Plan better and do not build houses next to a landfill."

"Since (the landfill) has been there, before this development came in, they have operated within the guidelines of the state of Texas, and everyone knew where it was," Brawner said on the podcast.

"And then when a development comes in knowing they are in very close proximity to the landfill and they want to turn around and shut it down because they don't like the trucks, they don't like the odors, it is greatly concerning to me. If you know it's there and now you want it closed, that's not how it works."

In Brawner's interview, he said if the landfill were closed, Katy would have to use landfill services farther away from its residential areas, causing trucks to drive farther and incur higher fuel and labor costs. He said this would lead to an increase in trash fees for Katy residents.

Perez sent an email to Brawner in response, stating that Pearland's lawsuit does not seek to close the landfill.

"While I greatly appreciate your city's dependence on the landfill and the concern about issues that may affect its operation, your interview shows that you clearly have minimal understanding of the matter at hand," wrote Perez in an email he shared with the Pearland Journal.

"It's not a complaint that there is a landfill," Perez told the Journal. "It's a complaint that they are not operating within TCEQ guidelines."

TCEQ has investigated and issued reports stating that the landfill is the source of the so-called "Pearland odor." The landfill is owned and operated by Republic Services Inc.

"Any assessment by anybody that BRL has not done anything wrong is not in accordance with the investigation," Perez said. "Our lawsuit against them is predicated on what TCEQ has found. They have been identified as the source the odor."

According to an original petition filed July 6, 2017 in the 98th District Court in Travis County, Pearland is asking for a temporary restraining order and a permanent injunction against the landfill, mandating that the landfill "immediately correct the defects in design and operation of the site that have allowed the nuisance odor to persist unabated."

When the lawsuit was filed, Republic Services spokesman Russ Knocke said the city's claims have no merit, and any issues between the landfill and TCEQ would be settled in an agreement between Blue Ridge and the state agency.

Under the 2017 agreed order, Blue Ridge agreed to pay administrative penalties and implement a corrective action plan to reduce surface emissions from the landfill.

The landfill has said that it has taken steps to control odors and that it has implemented the plan reached with the commission for better site monitoring and community reporting.

Pearland residents have complained to city officials since 2015 about the odor that Perez calls "grotesque."

Perez said the city's lawsuit asks for the site's permit to be suspended until it comes into compliance with environmental regulations.

"I would hope, and expect, that as an elected official that swore an oath to preserve the laws of the state of Texas that you would not be advocating for a corporate entity to operate with impunity," wrote Perez in his email to Brawner.

Perez said Brawner has not responded to his email, and the Katy mayor has not returned a request for comment from the Journal.Each year, Interfaith of The Woodlands recognizes those in the community who have shown an exemplary commitment to service and volunteerism. These individuals and organizations are known as Hometown Heroes and will be honored at The Woodlands Celebration of Excellence gala.

This years gala has been scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6, at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center. The theme for the gala is 45 Years of Caring, in honor of the 45 years of service Interfaith has provided to the community.

Interfaith recently announced that Jerry Snyder and Dr. Ann Snyder have been selected as honorary chairs for the 2018 event. The Snyders, who have lived in The Woodlands for more than 30 years, were chosen because of their more than three decades of service to the community. Ann Snyder was formerly a member of the Conroe Independent School District board and currently holds a seat on The Woodlands Township Board of Directors.

Ann Snyder noted that she and her husband were speechless, initially, and very honored upon receiving the honorary chairs designation.

The Woodlands and Interfaith mean so much to both of us, she said.

Snyder, who is one of the founders of the Celebration of Excellence Gala, was co-chair for the inaugural event. Since then, she and her husband have continued to volunteer and offer their services to those in The Woodlands.

We have always and will continue to promote the wonderful community that Mr. (George) Mitchell envisioned and built, Ann Snyder said. Weve seen The Woodlands grow and feel very proud of the residents who have helped make this community such a marvelous place to live.

Five individuals, one business and one nonprofit organization were selected to be 2018 Hometown Heroes. This years individual heroes are: Robert Heineman, Steve Leakey, Dr. Joel Reed, Patti Rivela, Brynn Ballard Huntsman and Peter Huntsman. The business being honored is Entergy Texas, Inc. And the nonprofit tabbed for recognition is The Junior League of The Woodlands.

The 2018 Hometown Heroes were chosen by a selection committee composed of Hometown Heroes alumni, which includes more than 100 local residents and 14 area businesses that have contributed to the educational, civic, cultural and spiritual fabric of the community.

Their volunteerism, their commitment and their dedication to The Woodlands is unfounded, Ann Snyder said of this years Hometown Heroes. Theyre most deserving and have given so much to this community.

Criteria for the selection of the Hometown Heroes includes but is not limited to the following: serving as a positive role model, having a history of volunteerism, sacrificing personal gain to achieve noble goals, exhibiting leadership and courage, and embodying the values of The Woodlands community.

We now have grandchildren living in The Woodlands and our dream and hope is that the vision that Mr. Mitchell had 45 years ago continues for the future. That it is a community where we live, work, play and pray, Ann Snyder said.

The gala will be co-chaired by Shirelle Chimenti and Elvira Graham, and in addition to honoring the Hometown Heroes, it will include dinner as well as live and silent auction items. Tickets are now available online. All proceeds will benefit Interfaith of The Woodlands.

For more information about the gala or event sponsorships, visit hometownheroesgala.org or contact Interfaith at development@woodlandsinterfaith.org or 832-615-8230.

Some of the information in this article was derived from a press release.The man accused of conspiracy and avoiding taxes was well known to expensive suitmakers.

Alphonse Capone summoned a tailor from Chicago's Marshall Field & Co. in 1927. The tailor arrived at the Metropole Hotel, where Capone commanded most of the fourth floor.

Capone and his men needed suits, but specially made with heavy pockets to hold revolvers. The tailor got to work.

Altogether, 27 suits from the company made their way to Capone and his men, according to Jonathan Eig's book "Get Capone: The Secret Plot That Captured America's Most Wanted Gangster."

Those suits were among many purchases that helped seal the fate of Capone, a notorious gangster convicted not of murder, or bootlegging, but tax evasion. That case, Eig told The Washington Post on Wednesday, was built by highlighting Capone's lavish spending to prove that he actually had income from illegal means.

Capone's grand criminal conspiracy, in other words, was unraveled by the purchase of every silk sock and expertly hemmed coat that materialized without any sort of documented income.

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, weathering accusations of tax and bank fraud, conspiracy against the United States, obstruction of justice and other charges, probably did not want to be compared to Capone.

But on Wednesday, President Donald Trump went there, and evoked Capone to suggest that Manafort has received historically harsh treatment from prosecutors.

"Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and "Public Enemy Number One," or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement - although convicted of nothing? Where is the Russian Collusion?" Trump said on Twitter.

There are some parallels, though not some that Trump may have intended.

Manfort's trial began this week in Alexandria, Virginia, and started with the prosecution detailing the luxurious lifestyle Manafort enjoyed after consulting with the Ukrainian government.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye said he used that money to buy, among other things, a $15,000 jacket made from ostrich skin, a $21,000 watch and a $2 million dollar home. But he did not pay taxes on those funds, Asonye claimed.

And then there were the suits. Manafort bought a lot of them, Luxury menswear seller Maximillian Katzman testified Wednesday. He paid $929,000 for suits over a five-year period, Katzman said, and the transactions were unusual.

Most customers paid by check. Manafort was the only customer to pay with foreign bank transactions.

The prosecution strategy to focus on extravagant spending appears similar to the Capone tax case, Eig said. Jurors in Capone's case were possibly drinkers, and a charge of bootlegging during Prohibition may not have incensed them.

But defiantly cheating the tax man as working stiffs toiled for their salaries in 1931, while the Great Depression gripped the country?

"That's a really good way to turn the jury's anger toward a defendant," Eig told The Post. "It makes the issue emotional. Everyone can look at it and say, 'Something is not right about that.' "

Documents from the investigation later released by the IRS highlighted those high-priced items. Capone's suits, for instance, cost $135 a piece. That would be nearly $2,000 today, and Capone bought 27 in one year.

They also documented silk ties, luxury underwear, homes for family members, cars, hotels, and virtually any trapping of a gangster, Eig said.

The big-ticket items bought by Manafort have also been noted. Cars. Watches. More than $900,000 in rugs.

When your money comes in faster than you can spend it, Eig said, "it's like being on a nuclear-powered expense account."

The government knew Capone was likely to evade most charges related to murder, racketeering and other charges, so taxes became a low-hanging fruit, Eig said.

In some ways, focusing on Manafort's spending may be a way to bring clarity to potential misdeeds. It's easier for a jury to understand than, say, acting as a foreign agent.

But Capone is a curious comparison for the president to use, Eig said.

"Capone was obviously guilty as hell. I don't know if you want to compare your man to him," Eig said of Trump.Three Ukrainian men have been arrested on charges they led a hacking group that stole millions of credit cards by breaking into the computer systems of major American restaurant and hospitality chains, U.S. officials announced Wednesday.

The hacking group, known as FIN7 or the Carbanak Group, is notorious among cybersecurity experts for a long-running campaign that targeted more than 100 U.S. companies, stealing an estimated 15 million credit card numbers, many of which ended up being sold to other criminals online, authorities said.Rowan Companies announced today that ARO Drilling, its joint venture with Saudi Aramco, was awarded six three-year contracts by Saudi Aramco for Rowan jack-up rigs currently operating in Saudi Arabia.

These new contracts will commence upon completion of the rigs' existing contracts later this year.

Tom Burke, president and chief executive officer, commented: "Our partnership with Saudi Aramco in ARO Drilling and our operational track record in the Middle East have paved the way for this award of eighteen years of jack-up backlog. We believe these six three-year contract awards, and the five three-year contracts awarded earlier this year, continue to demonstrate the value ARO Drilling will create over the coming years."

The Rowan Middletown, Charles Rowan, and Arch Rowan are expected to be leased to ARO Drilling in September, and the Rowan Mississippi is expected to be leased to ARO Drilling in December to fulfill these new drilling contracts.

The Scooter Yeargain and Hank Boswell, which as previously announced will be sold to ARO Drilling in October, will immediately commence their new drilling contracts upon the rig ownership transfer to the joint venture.

Rowan is a global provider of contract drilling services with a fleet of 27 mobile offshore drilling units, composed of 23 self-elevating jack-up rigs and four ultra-deepwater drillships. The company's fleet operates worldwide, including the Gulf of Mexico in the US, the United Kingdom and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea, the Middle East, and Trinidad.

Additionally, the company is a 50/50 partner in a joint venture with Saudi Aramco, entitled ARO Drilling, that owns a fleet of five self-elevating jack-up rigs that operate in the Arabian Gulf. - TradeArabia News ServiceJERUSALEM -- Israeli officials inaugurated a Jewish heritage center Wednesday in a Palestinian neighborhood of East Jerusalem, escalating an already fierce legal battle between local residents and Jewish settlers who also claim the land.

Amid high security, senior Israeli ministers and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a staunch supporter of Israel, attended the ceremony on a narrow, trash-strewn street in the Silwan neighborhood, a recent flash point for tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

The Israel government says the center will honor Yemenite Jews who lived here in the 19th century and has allocated $1.2 million to develop the site. But Palestinians say the center is part of a larger effort by Jewish settlers and their allies in the government to consolidate control of Arab neighborhoods in the city.

More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including scores who live in Silwan. The settler group Ateret Cohanim has spearheaded efforts to settle Jews in Palestinian areas, including the Batan al-Hawa quarter of Silwan, where the heritage center was opened, according to human rights groups and reports in Israeli media.

"They returned to the land that they had left 2,000 years ago, and established a strong and vibrant community," Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev said of the Yemenite Jews, Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported.

The neighborhood's significance lies in its proximity to Jerusalem's Old City, rights groups say. And its high population density and low economic status make it "one of the sensitive and volatile areas of Jerusalem," according to Ir Amim, an Israeli nonprofit group.

"We know that this was a well-orchestrated plan to force us to leave," said Yakoub al-Rajabi, a Palestinian resident of Batan al-Hawa. "And if we stay, it will paralyze us and isolate us in our homes." He said the presence of Jewish settlers has resulted in increasing patrols by Israeli security forces in the area, making life difficult for Palestinian residents.

Rajabi is a member of the local committee challenging the center's opening. The residents' legal petition objecting to the center is before Israel's supreme court.

The dispute over the neighborhood involves some of the most contentious issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the final status of Jerusalem and the right of Palestinian refugees to reclaim land.

Israel annexed East Jerusalem after capturing it from Jordan during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. The final status of Jerusalem, which is sacred to the three major monotheistic faiths, is to be negotiated in peace talks. But Israeli law allows Israeli Jews to claim assets in the annexed territory if they belonged to Jews before the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation.

Palestinians, however, are not afforded similar claims to property they once owned in West Jerusalem or other cities and towns in Israel. And rights activists say this imbalance undercuts prospects for peace.

In Batan al-Hawa, Ateret Cohanim has given eviction orders to Rajabi and other families to clear room for the center and for expanded Israeli settlements. Rajabi and more than 100 others have disputed the orders, claiming that Israel's government unlawfully transferred the land to representatives of Ateret Cohanim more than a decade ago. The settler group says the land once belonged to a Jewish trust assisting migrant Yemenite Jews.

"They had one prayer in their hearts: Jerusalem forever and ever," Regev said at the ceremony Wednesday.

On a recent day, the center was defaced with swastikas painted on its external walls. Armed guards peered out of a fortified metal door, and armored vans transported settlers on steep, rocky roads.

Something as small as a parking space dispute or a wrong look can devolve into clashes between neighbors, residents say. Palestinians have thrown molotov cocktails at Jewish homes and vehicles. Settlers have harassed Palestinians, cutting off water and electricity and asking Israeli police to arrest local residents.

"When the settlers came, our lives changed dramatically," said Zuhair al-Rajabi, Yakoub's cousin and the head of the local committee in Batan al-Hawa. "Now it will only get worse."

---

The Washington Post's Sufian Taha in Silwan contributed to this report.ALEXANDRIA, Va. - President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort went on trial Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria, where prosecutors charged that his personal fortune was propped up by years of lies to tax authorities and banks.

The first trial to arise out of the investigation run by Special Counsel Robert Mueller got off to a fast start Tuesday, as a six-man, six-woman jury was picked - and opening statements delivered - in less than a day.

The stakes are extremely high. For the 69-year-old Manafort, a conviction on the most serious charges could lead to an effective life prison sentence. For Mueller and his team probing Russian interference in the 2016 election, a courtroom loss could damage his credibility and amplify calls by Republicans for his investigation to be shut down. And for the president, a conviction of his former senior aide would increase the pressure on Manafort to cooperate with Mueller in a bid for leniency.

"A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him," Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye told the jury. "Not tax law, not banking law."

The defense, in rebuttal, said that Manafort was a victim of the deceptions of his former partner, now a government witness, and that any failure to pay taxes was inadvertent.

Manafort faces 18 charges of financial fraud, as prosecutors say he failed to pay taxes on some of the millions of dollars he made working as a strategist for a political party in Ukraine, and then lied to banks to get loans when those payments stopped. Though the case grew out of the special counsel probe, the trial will not delve into issues surrounding Russian interference in the 2016 election; it is about Manafort's money.

Manafort faces a second trial in September in federal court in Washington, D.C., on related charges that include failing to register as a foreign lobbyist.

Manafort collected more than $60 million between 2010 and 2014 from his Ukraine work, where President Viktor Yanukovych, an ally of the Kremlin, was Manafort's "golden goose," Asonye said.

When Yanukovych had to flee Ukraine for Russia in 2014, Manafort's "cash spigot" was shut off, the prosecutor said, and the political strategist set out to generate money by lying to banks on loan applications.

Asonye said Manafort misstated his income and hid debt to get banks to approve the loans; Manafort's company DMP reported no profits in 2016. "He created cash out of thin air," Asonye said.

Manafort "got whatever he wanted," the prosecutor said, including a $15,000 ostrich coat and a $2 million house "just a stone's throw away" from the courtroom where he is now on trial.

Asonye's efforts to paint Manafort as a free-spending tax cheat were interrupted more than once by U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis, who noted "it isn't a crime to be profligate in your spending."

The prosecutor said the charges boil down to "one simple issue: Paul Manafort lied."

Manafort's defense lawyer Thomas Zehnle said the case was about "taxes and trust," and that the real liar was not Manafort, but his former right-hand man, Rick Gates.

Gates has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. and to lying to the FBI, and as part of his plea deal agreed to provide evidence against others, including his former colleague.

"Mr. Manafort placed his trust in the wrong person," Zehnle said, arguing that his client built "one of the most successful political consulting and government relations shops in Washington," while also working on "the global stage."

That work is not partisan, Zehnle said, pointing out that Tad Devine, a former strategist for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., would testify about working in Ukraine with Manafort.

Zehnle said Manafort's work for Yanukovych was to "bring the country closer to Western democracies after decades of Soviet rule" - toward the European Union and away from Russia. That comment was met with audible sneers from a few members of the gallery. Protests in Ukraine were first triggered in late 2013 by Yanukovych's decision not sign an EU association agreement, an embrace of the West that Russia opposed.

Zehnle said Manafort also never intentionally deceived the IRS about his income and that his client made mistakes, not realizing he needed to file certain forms and make certain declarations.

"This is not a case where someone flew to Switzerland and stashed money in an account," Zehnle said. The lawyer also said that earlier in the investigation, Manafort willingly sat down with FBI agents investigating the misuse of funds in Ukraine.

Manafort's defense strategy appears aimed at the credibility of Gates, the star witness against him, by accusing Manafort's onetime protege and partner of embezzling millions of dollars.

"Rick Gates had his hand in the cookie jar, and he couldn't take the risk that his boss might find out," Zehnle said. He said Gates prevented other people involved in Manafort's finances - accountants and bookkeepers - from sharing information about the accounts with each other.

On the first day of the trial, the northern Virginia federal courthouse lived up to its reputation as a "rocket docket" where cases move quickly. In a matter of a few hours, the judge had winnowed a jury pool of about sixty people down to 12 jurors and four alternates.

After lunch, opening statements took about an hour, followed by the trial's first witness, Devine.

The architect of Sanders's presidential campaign, Devine also worked closely with Manafort as a political consultant in Ukraine - a striking example of how U.S. political consultants from across the spectrum take their expertise overseas, where they can often earn large amounts of money advising foreign politicians.

Devine said he worked for Yanukovych's Party of Regions in Ukraine from 2005 to 2010 and returned briefly for a project in 2014. "It was an incredible operation," he said of his first campaign there. Manafort had hired great people, he said, and had "substantial resources . . . I was really impressed by him."

Devine said Yanukovych won the presidency in 2010 because of the "excellent campaign that Paul ran." Devine said he produced TV commercials and wrote speeches for Yanukovych, earning $500,000 and a bonus of $100,000 when Manafort's client won.

While working on the campaign, Devine met other Manafort associates who have since come under investigation, including Gates and Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian citizen. At the time, Devine said, Kilimnik worked as a translator. Prosecutors have said Kilimnik has ties to Russian intelligence, and they accused him and Manafort of trying to tamper with witnesses earlier this year.

Devine said Manafort was clearly the boss in his relationship with Gates, though they were partners.

"Paul was in charge," Devine said. "Rick worked for Paul."

---

The Washington Post's Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.ALEXANDRIA, Va. - No one mentioned Donald Trump. Robert Mueller, either. The word "Russia" was not uttered.

On the first day of the first trial to result from the special counsel's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, President Trump did not tweet about any "rigged witch hunt." He said nothing about "13 Angry Democrats," his biting shorthand for the prosecutors who are examining any potential ties between his campaign and Russian operatives.

Instead, on the ninth floor of the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, the first defendant to face a jury in the year-and-a-half-old investigation - Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort - looked pale as he tried to make eye contact with the just-seated, racially mixed jury of six men and six women.

He smiled wanly. The jurors did not smile back.

The nation's inaugural look at special counsel Mueller's team in action started with a bang. Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye, brought onto the special counsel's staff from the Alexandria federal prosecutor's office for this case, faced the jury and declared: "A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him."

But Asonye's effort to deliver a classically simple, prosecutor's zinger of an opening got tripped up as U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis interrupted Asonye twice in his first minute, first admonishing him to steer away from bold assertions and only tell the jury what the evidence would show, then halting the prosecutor's description of Manafort's lavish lifestyle.

"It isn't a crime to be profligate in your spending," Ellis said.

With more than a dozen of his colleagues from the federal investigation alongside and behind him, Asonye recovered quickly, keeping jurors riveted through a 26-minute opening statement that portrayed Manafort as someone who lied about his taxes, his income, his business, and a litany of other topics.

Mueller's prosecutors, nearly all in dark navy blue suits, had entered the courtroom with a studied determination. They wheeled in 10 boxes of documents on two carts. They sat among themselves before the proceedings began, trading stories about scary judges and their first year in law school.

They looked, in contrast with Manafort's defense team, like Alexandria, the diverse Potomac riverfront suburb where the trial is being held because Manafort lives nearby. The prosecution table included Asonye, who is African American; two younger white men, and a female FBI agent.

Asonye's synopsis of the government's case kept most of the jurors jotting down his points in their notepads. The prosecutor, mostly reading his opening from a written text, nonetheless maintained the jury's interest by keeping the story simple and promising that the expected three-week trial would prove that Manafort directed his staff to doctor financial records and file false tax returns in an effort to keep more of the millions he made from political consulting in Ukraine.

As Asonye reeled off Manafort's alleged misdeeds, the defendant donned his reading glasses and took notes.

Manafort underreported his income and used the money that he didn't pay in taxes to buy "a $21,000 watch and a custom, $15,000 jacket made from an ostrich," the prosecutor said, relishing every syllable spelling out the defendant's purported excesses.

Manafort stared down at his notepad, lips pursed.

The prosecutors had waited a long time for this moment and subtlety was not their tool of choice. "If you lie to your bookkeeper," Asonye said, "your tax return is going to be false. Garbage in, garbage out."

At one point, the prosecutor began five consecutive sentences with "He lied," finally concluding that Manafort had done this lying "all in order to get and to keep money."

By the time defense attorney Thomas Zehnle got his chance to present Manafort's side, some jurors were visibly deflated. Four jurors who had taken notes during the government's argument did not do so once the defense started talking.

No one in the jury box had nodded off during Asonye's opening; two jurors seemed to take occasional rests while Zehnle spoke.

Zehnle argued that "this case is about taxes and trust." Manafort had basically "failed to check a box" on some government forms, and he had placed "his trust in the wrong person," his longtime business partner, Rick Gates.

Zehnle also spoke for about half an hour, but where Asonye had rattled off a list of witnesses who he said would spell out Manafort's misdeeds, Zehnle focused largely on how it was Gates, not his client, who had done bad things. Gates, who is expected to testify, avoided trial himself by pleading guilty to conspiracy and lying to the FBI. Manafort's lawyers will seek to drive a truck through Gates's credibility, arguing that he, not Manafort, is the real liar.

If the prosecutors signaled Tuesday that they will use a scorched-earth courtroom strategy against Manafort, hoping to outrage jurors with detailed recitations of the defendant's conspicuous consumption, the defense is also taking a traditional path, portraying Manafort not as the consummate K Street swamp-dweller but as a great American success story, "a second-generation immigrant, first in his family to go to college," as Zehnle put it.

"There are two sides to every story," the defense lawyer said, and the story that began to unfold in the Alexandria courtroom was one that sounded awfully like the ones that play out in trials every day in courthouses across the land. Prosecutors painted a picture of venal behavior driven by greed and malice. Defense lawyers shaded that same set of facts as the actions of an innocent, perhaps led astray by people who did him wrong.

But this case is no ordinary courtroom drama. It is a set piece in a national political confrontation in which the remaining acts are unwritten.

Only once, toward the end of the first day, did anyone mention the words "special counsel." Zehnle said it, casually, in passing, with no reference to Trump or Russia or any of the political firestorm that has dominated the news for all of this presidency.

Yet the reason the courtroom was packed, the reason an overflow courtroom three stories below was also full, the reason the lawn in front of the building was given over to TV crews in their ritual encampment awaiting news, the reason for all of this was the cases yet to come, the deeper layers of the onion.

On this day, the prosecutors merely peeled off some of its skin, satisfying precisely no one.Dr Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, Omans Minister of Commerce and Industry, recently toured GlassPoints headquarters and lab facilities in California, US, and discussed GlassPoints solar energy innovations and how the technology can be further utilised in the sultanate.



Dr Al Sunaidi was welcomed at the facilitiy by GlassPoints chief technology officer Pete von Behrens and other members of the companys leadership team.



Representatives from Oman Technology Fund, including chief executive officer Yousuf Al Harthy and venture investment leader Mohammed Al Rasbi accompanied Dr Al Sunaidi.



The delegation had an up-close look at GlassPoints solar energy innovations and how the technology can be further utilised within the sultanate.



GlassPoints technology has been successfully deployed in Oman since 2011, and is currently operating at Miraah, one of the worlds largest solar plants being built in collaboration with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) in Southern Oman.



Dr Al Sunaidi said: The sultanate is already a global leader in using solar energy for oil extraction and we are now looking at how we can use this renewable resource to power other industries and processes, such as desalinating seawater.



The utilisation of GlassPoints technology will continue to contribute to our economic diversification strategy and gives the company the opportunity to apply its know-how in other industries beyond oil and gas in Oman, he said.



Dr Al Sunaidi continued: GlassPoint has been a great partner to the sultanate over the years in helping establish Oman as a renewable energy hub.



Von Behrens said: Research and development is at the core of our company, where were constantly developing and testing next generation concepts from the lab to the field.



Were evaluating new materials, designs and integration processes to further reduce costs and expand to new markets, he said.



Weve been partnering with Oman for the past seven years to advance and scale our technology and are committed to creating long-term in-country value through future research and projects, he added.



GlassPoints solar thermal technology delivers low-cost steam to power oilfield operations, reducing carbon emissions and fuel costs. Expanding the companys technology in Oman will save valuable natural gas, create jobs and propel the development of a local solar energy supply chain.



The first 100 MWt of the gigawatt-scale Miraah plant were inaugurated early this year. The project is in daily operations and has met all steam output targets required by PDOs Amal oilfield since it was brought online. Construction is ongoing with steam production ramping up to meet PDOs future steam demand, it stated.  TradeArabia News ServiceLooking at any cannabis industry blog or publication, you might think that the California cannabis industry is currently in shambles.

New regulations went into law on July 1, forcing retailers to purge non-compliant product from their shelves. This included concentrates, topicals, vaporizer cartridges and edible products that did not meet the new packaging or labeling standards.

Related: Beware the 'Weed Apocalypse'

Consumers were delighted to take part in the "Green Saturday" sales but the industry was in a state of panic. Many retailers were forced to close for days, or even weeks, while waiting for new, compliant inventory to arrive. Manufacturers faced delays in receiving their new packaging or passing laboratory testing standards. Some claimed the industry would never recover from these new standards -- significantly more stringent than regulations placed on agriculture and food products.

Was the Hysteria Warranted?

But what really happened when a lawless environment was finally graced with regulation? As the data is beginning to show, sales are not only climbing but Californias journey is just beginning as it steps into its role as the cannabis capital of the world.

Even while brands and retailers are still scrambling to navigate these new rules, the sales statistics signal the maturation and eagerness of the legal market to adapt to these new regulations.

Our wholesale platform captured some telling data points from the first few weeks of post-compliance sales in California.

Wholesale Cannabis Orders Are Spiking

Those concerned about the future of California cannabis can put their worries aside, as dispensaries are already spending more than ever -- yes, even with dozens of infused-product brands out of stock indefinitely.

During the second full week of July 2018, retailers spent 59 percent more on products from the prior week and a whopping 196 percent increase from what was spent the week leading up to the July 1 regulations. Based on orders so far in July, retailers are expected to spend triple the amount they spent in June.

The volume of orders is also quickly increasing to meet retailers high customer demands. Cart size, or the average amount ordered per retailer, increased 22 percent from the week of June 18 to the week of July 9.

Related: These Stats on Cannabis Sales Will Shock You

Compliance Is Converting to Sales

Unbeknownst to many, California is still home to a thriving underground cannabis market -- a natural consequence of dozens of city- and county-wide bans throughout the state. Still, its never been more vital for cannabis operators to know exactly who they are dealing with when it comes to high-value wholesale transactions.

Companies that updated their product images with a "Compliant" badge on the LeafLink platform grew their business 201 percent in July, compared to 46 percent for brands without the badge. It just goes to show that the typical modern cannabis business owner is alert, informed and cautious when it comes to getting in step with tight regulations.

Its worth adding that complying with these new regulations is not just a matter of ethics, consumer health, and safety; it is a legal requirement that comes with heavy fines and penalties for operators if they fall out of line.

Though the process is costly and time-consuming, compliance will continue to be an inevitable part of doing business -- and making profits -- in cannabis.

Related: His Software Solution Aims to Ease the Pain of Running a Dispensary

Related:

Post Apocolypse Aftermath: How Is California Adapting to New Cannabis Regulations?

Japan's SBI Holdings Bets Big On Singapore-based AI Startup AntWorks

MAGNiTT's MENA Venture Investment Report Notes A Rise In Deal Count In H1 2018



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reservedMOSCOW - Three Russians producing a documentary about mercenary forces close to the Kremlin were gunned down in the Central African Republic this week, highlighting the risks that Russian journalists continue to take despite the growing numbers who perish in their line of work.

The journalists were shot dead in an ambush as they were driving across the war-torn country, according to local officials quoted by news agencies. The news outlet they were working for said they were investigating Russian military contractors operating in the Central African Republic, where President Faustin-Archange Touadera is looking to Russia as a provider of arms and military training amid a bloody civil war.

It is not clear who killed them.

The three men - Orkhan Dzhemal, Kirill Radchenko and Alexander Rastorguyev - were among those Russians who continue to pursue independent investigative reporting despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's crackdown on press freedoms and the violence often perpetrated against journalists. Just in recent weeks, two other Russian journalists died in unexplained circumstances in the city of Nizhny Novgorod.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the exiled former Russian oil tycoon, financed the documentary on the mercenaries as part of what he said was several million dollars a year in support for news media in Russia.

In an interview Wednesday, Khodorkovsky said he was determined to find out who was behind the murders and that it was too soon to blame the Kremlin or anyone else. He said he would get more closely involved in his outlets' risk assessments in the future but that he wouldn't stop funding investigative journalism.

"It's one of the few ways we can currently influence the situation in the country," said Khodorkovsky, speaking by by phone from London. "When even rather small news outlets write about something and it gets attention in even a narrow segment of the public, the authorities can get rather sensitive and tuck in their paws."

In recent years, Russian journalists have documented the workings of the St. Petersburg "troll farm" that tried to influence the U.S. election, the activities of Russian forces in Ukraine and mercenaries in Syria, and a raft of examples of domestic corruption and abuse. Last month, six prison guards were arrested after the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta published a video of torture inside a Russian prison.

Since 2000, at least 28 journalists have been killed in Russia, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry and the pro-Kremlin news media said the journalists themselves may have been to blame. The RIA Novosti state news agency quoted a Russian Africa expert as saying that the journalists had died in a "typical robbery amid the overall conflict." Komsomolskaya Pravda, Russia's biggest tabloid, speculated that Western intelligence agencies may have carried out the killing in order to discredit Russian interests in the Central African Republic.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that local officials had reported that the journalists had ignored warnings that they were entering a dangerous area.

"What they were really doing in C.A.R., what their goals and tasks were, is an open question," Zakharova said in a Facebook post. She said the journalists had entered the country on tourist visas - without the proper accreditation - and that they had failed to seek security advice from the Russian Foreign Ministry before their trip.

Andrei Konyakhin, the editor of the Investigations Management Center - the Khodorkovsky news outlet working with the filmmakers - told the Associated Press that the reporters had used tourist visas in order to work undercover and that he was skeptical that they were robbed.

"This was done in a very demonstrative fashion," he told the A.P. "If they could have just taken everything from them, why kill them?"'

The Central African Republic has been beset by over two decades of conflict that in recent years has taken on overt religious tones. In 2013, the Seleka, a Muslim militia, overthrew then-president Francois Bozize, and have been locked in battle since with the anti-Balaka, a largely Christian militia. Both sides have committed atrocities.

Amid the carnage, Russia has seized an opportunity to gain influence in Africa. In March, Russia's Foreign Ministry said that Moscow was working with the diamond and gold-rich Central African Republic to study "the mutually beneficial development of Central African natural resources." Russia also received U.N. approval to deliver small arms and ammunition to the country's government and provide five military and 170 civilian instructors to train the country's military.

The Investigations Management Center said the jounralists were investigating mercenaries with the Wagner group, a private military company linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a catering magnate close to Putin. Russian news media have reported that Wagner is also active in Syria, and Prigozhin himself was indicted by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III for his alleged involvement in the St. Petersburg troll farm's intervention in the 2016 U.S. election.

"I concluded that in our case the situation with these kinds of nontransparent mercenary structures is even more dangerous than it is in general," Khodorkovsky said, explaining why he gave the go-ahead for the documentary. "Tomorrow they can be used to deal with things inside Russia using non-governmental hands."

- - -

The Washington Post's Max Bearak contributed from Harare, Zimbabwe.WASHINGTON - Senators escalated a bitter dispute over Brett Kavanaugh's documents - signaling a contentious confirmation fight ahead for the Supreme Court nominee even as senators on Tuesday successfully installed another appellate judge under President Trump.

Infuriated with Republicans for requesting only a portion of Kavanaugh's records from his tenure in the George W. Bush White House, Democratic senators sent a wide-ranging request to the National Archives demanding that his entire paper trail be provided to Congress.

The letter, sent Tuesday, asks for all of Kavanaugh's records from his time as an associate White House counsel under Bush, as well as his years as staff secretary. Kavanaugh, who was nominated to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, served for two years in the counsel's office and three years as staff secretary - a high-ranking position that controls the flow of documents in and out of the Oval Office.

"The Republican majority has cast aside Democratic wishes for openness and transparency and has made a partisan request for only a small subset of Judge Kavanaugh's records," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday morning. "It is such a break from precedent that you have to wonder: What are the Republicans hiding about Judge Kavanaugh's record?"

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has asked the archives solely for Kavanaugh's documents from his time in the counsel's office because Republicans think the paperwork from Kavanaugh's time as staff secretary is irrelevant to how he would serve as a justice.

Grassley and other Republicans have decried the Democrats' demands as a costly fishing expedition and argued that the Bush-era paperwork ultimately produced for Kavanaugh, which could be released as early as Wednesday, would be unparalleled in terms of volume compared with other Supreme Court nominees.

"Over the last several days, the minority leader has again continued his unprecedented partisan interference with the business of the Senate Judiciary Committee," Grassley said on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon. "In addition to these partisan interventions being unwelcome, many of the minority leader's assertions are just plain false."

The battle over Kavanaugh erupted the same day that the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed Georgia Supreme Court Justice Britt Grant to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit - making the 24th appellate judge installed under Trump. Grant, who was also on Trump's shortlist of potential Supreme Court picks, clerked for Kavanaugh.

As the Supreme Court fight escalates, Grassley has personally briefed two GOP senators considered to be swing votes on Kavanaugh - Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine - about the paperwork dispute, and both said they were satisfied with how much information the Senate would ultimately get about the nominee.

"As he described it to me, it seems eminently reasonable," Collins said Tuesday. "It does not make sense for documents that Judge Kavanaugh was only involved in essentially organizing for the president's review and did not play a role in creating would be subject to this document request."

Murkowski said that after sitting down with Grassley and his chief counsel, she was "very impressed with what has been made available" when it comes to documents.

But Democrats have accused Republicans of improperly concealing a significant portion of Kavanaugh's White House tenure that could provide insight into how the nominee advised Bush on several contentious issues that occurred during that administration.

"What we do need is access to documents that show Kavanaugh's views on and involvement in important issues like torture, the Enron task force, health care and presidential signing statements," the committee's top Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, said this week. "Those are issues that Kavanaugh himself said he worked on and are essential to understanding his record."

All 10 Democrats who serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee signed the letter, provided to The Washington Post in advance of its release.

Schumer also has asked former president George W. Bush to approve releasing all of Kavanaugh's records, including the staff secretary documents. But a representative for the former president indicated that Bush will stick with the records Grassley has requested, noting that the former president has authorized a "thorough review" of those papers.

Attorney Bill Burck, who is Bush's presidential records representative, wrote in a letter to Schumer that the vetting process would be fair and thorough, adding: "I am confident you can appreciate President Bush requires nothing less."

"The lawyers reviewing the records have not been asked their political or party affiliation, nor have they been selected based on their support for or opposition to Judge Kavanaugh's nomination," Burck wrote to Schumer in the letter, obtained by The Washington Post. "Rather, they have been instructed to perform their work just as they would in any other document review project: based solely on the proper application of relevant statutory and other legal principles and under the highest professional standards."

Burck also wrote that Bush asked his legal team to begin reviewing Kavanaugh's records to help "expedite the committee's access to the records" as a "courtesy" to senators.

The Democrats also want the National Archives to turn over documents drafted by Kavanaugh that can be "readily found" in the files of other White House officials or offices. The letter also asks for any documents that were "written by, edited by, prepared in whole or part by, under the supervision of, or at the direction of" Kavanaugh, and any record that refers to him by name, his initials or his title.

"That is so broad and well beyond requesting all records related to his role," a senior administration official said.

It's also unclear how much the archives may be willing to entertain the Democrats' request, considering they aren't in the Senate majority and do not control the committee. In a letter to Feinstein last week, a top archives official said the power of a committee to make such document requests "lies exclusively" with the chairman.

In a separate letter to the archives this week, Grassley also noted that when Republicans had requested documents from presidential libraries when they did not hold the majority, they had been denied.The explosions from a pipeline southeast of Midland injured seven people, including five sent to Lubbock to be treated for burns, according to Midland police.

Two of the injured were firefighters, one from Midland Fire Department and the other from Greenwood Fire Department. Both departments were among the agencies responding. Others included the Texas Department of Public Safety, Midland County and Midland Fire Department.One Democratic senator later called it "the most powerful moment" of the Senate hearing on the reunification of migrant families. A career health official testified before lawmakers yesterday that he personally warned federal officials that separating children from their parents at the border could do serious psychological harm.

During an exchange with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Jonathan White, a clinical social worker by trade who has worked for the Department of Health and Human Services under three presidents, said he'd told those deliberating the "zero tolerance" policy that "separation of children from parents entails significant potential for traumatic psychological injury to the child." But White said he was assured that wasn't the plan.

White was tapped to oversee the reunification efforts at HHS after a federal judge demanded the more than 2,500 separated migrant children, some as young as infants, be given back to their parents.

White's admission that his guidance went ignored is an example of the Trump White House's seeming disregard for career federal officials' expertise.

Notably, this was the second time this week we learned the Trump administration spurned HHS officials' advice. HHS Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, both health-policy experts, tried to convince the White House to allow states to partially extend their Medicaid programs as a way to respond to public pressure without taking on the full expansion in the Affordable Care Act, the New York Times' Robert Pear reported.

But Trump instead listened to conservative White House advisers like Larry Kudlow, the former CNBC talk show host turned Trump's National Economic Council director, and Mick Mulvaney, the Office of Management and Budget director, who, per the Times, took the position that expanding Medicaid even a little could be interpreted as supporting the growth of the ACA.

When it came to family separations, it seems a similar dynamic was at play. White, a commander in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, suggested that not only were his warnings unheeded, but that he was also misled by the Trump administration who told him that separating families was not part of its "zero tolerance policy." At that time, he was working for the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the agency responsible for overseeing the care of unaccompanied minors, and said he was involved in discussions around the policy. White moved jobs within HHS on March 15 and the policy went into effect in early April.

Here's the exchange between White and Blumenthal:

WHITE: "During the deliberative process over the previous year, we raised a number of concerns in the ORR program about any policy which would result in family separation, due to concerns we had about the best interest of the child, as well as about whether that would be operationally supportable with the bed capacity we have."

BLUMENTHAL: "Now I'm going to translate that into what I would call layman's language. You told the administration that kids would suffer as a result, that pain would be inflicted, correct?"

WHITE: "Separation of children from their parents entails significant risk of harm to children."

BLUMENTHAL: "Well it's traumatic for any child separated from his or her parents. Am I correct? I say that as a parent of four children."

WHITE: "There's no question; there's no question that separation of children from parents entails significant potential for traumatic psychological injury to the child."

White's testimony came on the same day The New York Times published a story about a five-year-old boy, now back with his parents, who is showing signs of post-traumatic stress. Experts told the Times that "many of the children released to their parents are exhibiting signs of anxiety, introversion, regression and other mental health issues."

Last week, Jessica Henderson Daniel, president of the American Psychological Association, released a statement saying the longer the children were separated from their parents, the greater the risk of long-term cognitive effects.

"Decades of psychological research have shown that children and parents may experience toxic stress as a result of lengthy separations," she said. "Toxic stress can cause irreparable harm to children's cognitive development and can lead to a host of mental, social and physical health problems later in childhood and well into adulthood. These problems can include severe psychological distress, PTSD, sleep disturbances, social withdrawal, substance use, aggressive behavior and a decline in educational achievement."

White told Blumenthal he felt the children were receiving "sufficient care" from the shelters' mental-health clinicians.

We've written previously about the about HHS's reluctant role in the separation crisis. After children were separated from their parents, they were designated as unaccompanied and put in the care of the department. When a federal judge said the government had to reunite those families by July 26, it fell on HHS to make that happen.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., asked White what his agency was doing to complete that task. There remain hundreds of separated children still in HHS custody, mostly due to parents being deported.

"It is absolutely my heartfelt conviction that we must reunify those children with their parents," White told her. "I'm saying that if I could have reunified all those children with their parents by yesterday, it would be done."The Langham, Hong Kong is adding an extra touch of sparkle this summer with the launch of a new afternoon tea set in partnership with Danish jewellery brand Pandora.



Inspired by Pandoras latest High Summer collection, the indulgent tea set features a variety of tempting sweet and savoury treats and is available at the famed Palm Court lobby lounge.



Paying tribute to Pandoras exquisite yet playful designs, the afternoon tea set is beautifully presented, with the sweet items served in an elegant white and pink leather box that recalls the brands distinctive jewellery boxes, while the savoury items and scones arrive in a traditional three-tier English afternoon tea stand. Each delicacy, meanwhile, is inspired by a specific charm from Pandoras High Summer 2018 collection or by the brands signature style.



Available in classic and deluxe versions, both tea sets feature an array of delicately wrought delights expertly crafted by The Langham, Hong Kongs talented executive pastry chef David Puig. Those with a sweet tooth are particularly spoiled for choice. Murano Glass Charm is a light coconut mousse cake with mango and lime jelly, and shredded coconut dacquoise. Bath in the Heart Love with pistachio and white chocolate mousse, cherry insert and Iranian pistachio sable. Grab a Drink to Go with rhubarb and strawberry confit, mixed berries mousse and milk foam. Stay Cool with Greek yoghurt mousse, passion fruit Flan and Matcha green tea sponge cake, while indulging in the Delicious Popcorn with Ecuador 40 per cent milk chocolate cremeux, cocoa biscuit, gianduja Chantilly and caramelised popcorn.



The alluring assortment of savoury items includes Sustainable salmon and scallops dome with caviar and homemade beetroot bread; Cajun free-range chicken roulade with pumpkin puree; Organic Egg Salad with Picked Beetroot and Corn Bread; and the Rainbow coleslaw and apple salad with pastrami and honey mustard dressing that mirrors the latest Burger & Fries charm.



Guests who opt for the deluxe menu will also enjoy the Colour Wheel, a wonderfully whimsical creation made from French macaron and yuzu ganache that resembles one of the standout pieces from Pandoras new collection, as well as a glass of Perrier-Jouet, NV, Brut bubbly.



All tea sets come with warm plain and raisin scones fresh from Palm Courts very own bakery served with Devonshire clotted cream, strawberry jam and rose preserve.



The Pandora Afternoon Tea is available at Palm Court on weekdays from 3:00 - 5:30 pm, and on weekends and public holidays in two sittings, from 2:15 - 4:15 pm and 4:30 - 6:30 pm. The classic tea set is priced at HK$348 ($44.3) for one person and HK$598 ($76.1) for two persons, while the deluxe set is priced at HK$528 ($67.2) for one person and HK$888 ($113) for two persons. All prices are subject to a 10 per cent service charge. - TradeArabia News ServiceWASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to terminate the investigation into Russian campaign interference "right now," forcing his lawyers to scramble to clarify that the president was not ordering Sessions to take a specific action.

Democratic lawmakers and even some members of Trump's own party reacted with alarm to a series of inflammatory morning tweets in which the president called the prosecution of his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort "a hoax" and escalated his attacks on the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Trump's tweets came at a particularly sensitive time in the investigation, as a federal jury in Virginia is hearing evidence in Manafort's trial on tax evasion and fraud charges.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," the president tweeted. "Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

In an interview Wednesday, Trump's lawyers said the president was not ordering Sessions to take any specific action with his latest missive.

"The president has issued no order or direction to the Department of Justice on this," Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said, adding that the president is allowed to express his opinion on Twitter.

Even as his lawyers rushed to explain what Trump intended, the president continued to tweet about the Russia probe.

Trump's actions are under scrutiny by Mueller, who is examining whether the president has sought to block the probe into Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 presidential campaign.

On Monday, the special counsel sent Trump's legal team a new proposal about the terms of a possible presidential interview, renewing negotiations about a sit-down after an extended standoff.

The letter from the special counsel's office suggested that investigators would reduce by nearly half the number of questions they would ask about potential obstruction of justice, according to two people briefed on the negotiations. It's unclear which topic or topics would be left out.

Sekulow declined to comment on the new Mueller proposal and whether the Trump team might accept the offer.

"There continue to be ongoing discussions," Sekulow said. "Nothing's decided."

Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsel's office, declined to comment.

Mueller's investigators have been scrutinizing Trump's use of Twitter, seeking to determine the president's motives for certain tweets - particularly messages that appear to push for a specific action that could affect the investigation, according to people familiar with the inquiry.

Mueller's investigators have asked witnesses whether the president made statements privately in which he indicated what he wanted to see happen as a result of his tweets, particularly whether he was trying to pressure Sessions or others to resign with certain messages, these people said.

Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani rejected the idea that Trump's tweets could be used against him in an obstruction-of-justice case.

"Their attempt to claim obstruction by tweet is really a bizarre and novel theory," he said. "It's an attempt to infringe on his First Amendment right and ability to communicate with the American people."

"I think it's very well established the president uses tweets to express his opinion," he added, noting that in Wednesday's tweet, Trump "very carefully used the word 'should.' "

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders later echoed Trump's lawyers during a White House briefing, saying the president is frustrated with a process that has angered many Americans.

"There's no reason he shouldn't be able to voice that opinion," Sanders said, adding that the investigation should be completed "sooner rather than later."

A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment about Trump's call for Sessions to end the investigation.

Though Trump has previously called for an end to Mueller's probe, Wednesday's tweets were the most direct to be aimed at Sessions - and they drew sharp criticism, including from some members of Trump's own party.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said it "was entirely inappropriate and intemperate" for Trump to make such a request of Sessions.

Mueller was appointed special counsel by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after Sessions recused himself from the probe, citing his work on Trump's 2016 campaign.

To end the investigation, Sessions would either have to violate his recusal or announce that he is ending it.

"The only person who could fire Mueller is Rod Rosenstein, who is bound by Justice Department guidances that specify that he would have to have good cause, and it would have to be reported to Congress," Collins said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a former prosecutor, said Trump's tweets Wednesday could help build a case of obstruction of justice against him.

"It seems even more vivid and serious evidence of criminal intent to obstruct justice - whether it is obstruction itself or not, it certainly indicated intent," Blumenthal said. "There is now highly credibly evidence that the president of the United States is committing obstruction of justice in real time, right before our eyes."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Trump's tweets indicated to her that he's "very worried" about Mueller's investigation.

"It's not a secret: I think he'd like to kill the Mueller investigation any way he can, but I hope this country and particularly its representatives will not follow that," she said.

Sekulow said the president has been making similar statements for months, as have his lawyers. He said the timing of the Manafort trial played no role in Trump's views.

In the past, Trump has privately pressed Sessions to end his recusal and take control of the Mueller probe, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Trump has previously complained publicly on Twitter that the "Russian Witch Hunt Hoax" is continuing because of the decision by Sessions to recuse himself.

In June, Trump's 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale, called for Sessions to be fired and "end the Mueller investigation."

U.S. attorneys are prosecuting Manafort on charges of failing to pay taxes on millions he made from his work for a Russia-friendly Ukrainian political party and then lying to get loans when the cash stopped coming in.

The Mueller investigation turned up evidence being used in the trial, but the charges are not related to Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Writing on Twitter, Trump dismissed the case against Manafort, saying its "old charges have nothing to do with Collusion," and questioned why the government did not tell him that Manafort was under investigation before he hired him to be part of his 2016 campaign.

He later raised the question of whether Manafort was being treated worse than Alphonse "Al" Capone, misspelling the American gangster's name in a tweet.

"Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and 'Public Enemy Number One,' or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement - although convicted of nothing? Where is the Russian Collusion?" Trump wrote.

In another tweet, Trump sought to distance himself from Manafort, saying he "worked for me for a very short time" and noting that he had also served Ronald Reagan, Robert J. Dole and "many other highly prominent and respected political leaders."

Manafort was hired in late March 2016 as Trump's campaign chairman and resigned in mid-August of that year - a stretch that included the Republican convention at which Trump was formally nominated.

---

The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis, Seung Min Kim and Erica Werner contributed to this report.WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's tight grip on the Republican Party is being openly challenged by the powerful network of ideological conservatives linked to billionaire industrialist Charles Koch, splaying out long-simmering tensions over the party's future just months before the midterm elections.

Trump on Tuesday dismissed the mounting criticism of his trade and immigration policies from Koch and his allies as the battle cry of a faction that has "become a total joke in real Republican circles."

"I don't need their money or bad ideas," Trump wrote on Twitter, adding, "I have beaten them at every turn."

The Koch network pointedly declined to endorse Trump as a presidential candidate in 2016. But this latest feud - following last weekend's gathering at which Koch-affiliated officials sought to distance their operation from Trump - has exposed the rift between a president pushing his party toward populism, and establishment Republicans espousing the long-standing policy of free trade.

Republican lawmakers, awkwardly stuck between two of the party's most influential forces, are scrambling to adjust. On Monday, GOP senators privately deliberated about the path the Koch network has charted and its implications, according to two Republicans familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

In a private meeting at the Capitol, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, recounted his visit to the Koch conference to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other GOP senators and aides, and described the frustration he encountered over Trump's trade policies and conduct, the Republicans said.

Some senators in the meeting struggled to make sense of the Koch network's new strategy of limiting its work for GOP candidates.

"These guys want to change the direction of the country. They don't understand how hard that is," McConnell said, according to one of the Republicans.

Representatives for McConnell and Cornyn declined to comment, citing a practice of not discussing private meetings.

Trump supporters expressed outrage Tuesday at what they saw as a betrayal.

"The donor class controlled the Republican Party - that is, until the rise of Trump. The Kochs see that being ripped away, thus the open contempt for the president and his movement," said former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Trump's critics, however, said the fissures within the Republican Party have only grown over the past year, and they called the split a sign of wider unease.

"The Kochs are rather appalled at what they're seeing from Republicans who they helped elect in 2010, 2014 and 2016 - and who promised to be fiscally responsible and support free markets," said conservative activist Erick Erickson, who has worked with Koch-affiliated groups and who will host a conservative summit this week in Austin that is partly sponsored by the Koch Institute.

While much of Trump's agenda, such as the GOP-authored tax law and a sweeping rollback of regulations, has heartened the party's business wing and libertarian-leaning leaders, there remains resistance to Trump's raw populism and economic nationalism, which many traditional Republicans have argued for decades is the antithesis of conservative principles.

Those frictions, often latent during Trump's presidency because of his popularity with core Republican voters, have now erupted ahead of November's elections, with the GOP striving to protect its congressional majorities and increasingly debating whether to rally with Trump or against him.

The Koch network - which over the past decades has become a robust conservative grass-roots organizing and advertising apparatus with a heft comparable to that of the Republican National Committee - has pledged to spend as much as $400 million in this election cycle on policy issues and campaigns.

The Koch groups are quickly choosing sides with little reservation, cautioning Republicans who are ardent supporters of the president's trade and spending policies that they are at risk of being opposed.

"It brings home how much Trump has broken with traditional Republicans," said conservative commentator William Kristol, a Trump critic. "Voters may matter more than the Kochs, but Trump keeps opening up these avenues for others to start criticizing him or breaking away, whether it's the anti-government and free-trade Kochs or the Republican hawks on foreign policy."

On Monday, the Koch network announced that it does not plan to support Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., in his campaign to unseat Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who is running for reelection in a state that Trump won by more than 35 percentage points. Trump held a campaign rally for Cramer in June.

"They just flat-out threw him under the bus in front of this full room of people," said an attendee of the Koch conference who was not authorized to speak publicly. "I hadn't heard them do that before."

Republican officials on Tuesday privately interpreted what the Kochs did as a warning shot, meant to convey that siding with Trump, while politically enticing, will carry a political cost with their groups.

Most Republican senators tread carefully Tuesday since they are eager to win support both from Trump and from Koch-aligned donors - a balancing act that could be difficult as tensions flare.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who attended the Koch summit, said, "It's their money and their choices," adding, "They've got to make their decisions."

Dan Eberhart, an oil industry executive and a Cramer fundraiser, downplayed the financial effect on the North Dakota race.

"I don't necessarily think the Kochs splitting a little from the GOP makes it harder to fundraise," said Eberhart, who attended the Koch summit and stands by Cramer. "The success of the tax cuts and the importance of the Supreme Court energizes GOP donors to keep the Senate in Republican hands."

Cramer, a Trump backer, has told allies he remains confident about his chances and will continue to support the president.

"I respect the decision by the Koch Network to not engage in the North Dakota Senate race," Cramer said in a statement. "My voting record may not be exactly what every national organization wants, but it is exactly what the majority of North Dakotans expect."

Other Republicans said they were optimistic that the warring wings of the party could reconcile before the elections, in which the GOP is trying to stave off a possible Democratic wave.

"The Koch network has had tremendous impact on helping us who wanted to change the direction of the country a couple years ago," Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., a former corporate leader and Trump ally, said in an interview. "I can't imagine people in the Koch network supporting a Democrat in some of those elections."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, another Trump ally, took a darker view. "Charles and his people are drawing the line in the sand. They know Trump represents a fundamental break with their approach," he said.

The Kochs are not the only prominent Republican family that has evolved in its engagement with the GOP in the past year. Billionaire Robert Mercer and his daughter, Rebekah, have supported a few conservative Senate candidates but have broken with Bannon, their longtime adviser, and kept a decidedly low profile compared with their all-out support for Trump in 2016.

The clash between the president and the Koch network is more of an expected divorce than a stunning breakup, according to more than a dozen Republicans working with Congress and the White House.

Several Trump administration figures - including Vice President Mike Pence and his chief of staff, Nick Ayers, plus Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - have cultivated strong ties to the Kochs for years, before and after the 2016 campaign, when Trump criticized Koch-backed politicians as "puppets."

But the president and most of his loyalists never warmed to the Kochs, even as their interests at times have aligned. Marc Short, a former Koch operative, left his post as White House legislative director in July.

Trump's backing has been crucial for some of the network's biggest legislative efforts, including overhauling the Department of Veterans Affairs. Yet the trade war brewing under his leadership has jarred the anti-protectionist coalition, which was created in 2003 when Charles Koch convened a small group of like-minded business leaders to oppose steel tariffs and rising federal spending under the George W. Bush administration.

Koch opened his twice-annual conference in Colorado last week by offering the more than 500 major donors in attendance an impassioned critique of protectionism, which he called a "destructive" force that is "perverting the key institutions of our society." Later, Koch political associates railed against Trump's recent $12 billion in emergency aid to farmers as a "bailout of bad policy."

Koch, 82, has been at the helm of his family's political organization since his younger brother, David, announced in June that he would be retiring from Koch Industries and politics for health reasons.

Speaking to reporters Sunday, Charles Koch said he was determined to take on Trump's policies, not the president personally.

"We've had divisiveness long before Trump became president," Koch said. "I'm into hating the sin, not the sinner."

---

The Washington Post's Michelle Ye Hee Lee and John Wagner contributed to this report.Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), organiser of the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) showcase in Dubai, has boosted its executive team with the appointment of Danielle Curtis as the regional exhibition director for the Middle East.



Curtis takes on the overall responsibility for ATM, IBTM Arabia and all associated travel projects throughout the region.



Originally from Australia, Curtis has over 15 years experience within the events industry, including extensive knowledge of Reed Travel Exhibitions portfolio of events.



Prior to her accepting her latest role, Curtis was events manager for IBTM Arabia following her position as contract exhibition manager for Arabian Travel Market, where she had responsibility for the events strategy for the international travel and tourism showcase. Prior to that, she was global head of sales for Reeds IBTM portfolio of shows and has also worked on other hospitality-related exhibitions in the Middle East.



Commenting on her new role, Curtis said: The travel and tourism industry in the Middle East is growing at an exponential rate, especially in the GCC countries, as they look to diversify their economies away from hydrocarbon receipts.



In the UAE, with the run up to Expo 2020, Dubai is forecasting 132,000 hotel rooms will be operational by the end of 2019, while visitor numbers are now growing beyond 16 million annually.



With the support of local, federal and regional governments, this is where ATM and IBTM Arabia play significant roles bringing together over 40,000 travel industry professionals to discuss business deals that were worth an estimated $2.5 billion during ATM 2018.



Curtis joins a team of accomplished travel industry veterans and her expertise will further cement the wealth of travel trade knowledge and event experience in the ATM and IBTM portfolios.



Curtis will now report to Nick Pilbeam, divisional director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, a travel industry stalwart, with more than 17 years of FTSE 100 experience in the travel industry with corporate giants such as British Airways, Iberia and Avios.



Commenting on the appointment, Pilbeam, said: Danielle will be a great asset to our team. She is a team player as well as a leader, knows the industry, understands the region and has an in-depth knowledge of our portfolio. - TradeArabia News Service

Flag carrier Royal Jordanian was able to reduce its half-year net loss by 52 per cent, down to JD12.7 million ($17.9 million) from JD26.3 million ($37 million) incurred in H1 2017, following airfare cuts that boosted revenue growth.



Despite a higher fuel bill and increase in operational expenses in the first half of the year, the airline was able to improve revenues from JD284 million ($400.5 million) in the first half of 2017 to JD317 million ($447 million) in the same period of 2018 - an increase of 12 per cent. This was a result of non-stop promotions in the first half of 2018, offering enticing airfares, which generated a 6 per cent increase in passenger numbers travelling during H1.



The growing number of passengers also lifted the seat load factor by 4.4 points in the comparison period, from 68.4 per cent to 72.8 per cent.



RJ President/CEO Stefan Pichler said that as a result of these positive KPIs, RJ achieved a gross profit of JD33.5 million ($47.2 million) compared to JD12.8 million (18 million) in the first half of 2017, a 161 per cent increase. He said that the performance indicators of the second quarter of this year were good, leading to a net loss reduction by more than half in the first six months of the year.



He also noted that the third quarter of this year is still witnessing an increased demand on booking and travel on board RJ aircraft to all the destinations on its route network due to the summer season and the dynamism of tourism to and from Jordan, in addition to the upcoming Hajj season. - TradeArabia News ServiceSAN ANTONIO  A man who authorities say was the first client of a runaway girl being prostituted by another person she was staying with was charged in the case Tuesday.

Jason David Kimball, 39, who was already in jail on four other charges, is charged with compelling prostitution. He was arrested in June on charges including three for possession of a controlled substance, and one for evading arrest or detention with a vehicle. His bail totals $120,000.

According to Kimballs arrest warrant affidavit, a 17-year-old girl who was being detained at the Bexar County Juvenile Detention Center in April alerted a probation officer that she had been trafficked by a man she met after running away from home in January.

She told investigators with the Office of the Texas Attorney General that she knew the man as P and that he had offered her a place to stay at his apartment if she cleaned and cooked.

RELATED: Details emerge about shark theft as S.A. man makes bond

When the girl told him that she needed to make money fast to support her sisters, he agreed to help her by getting customers to pay her for sex, the affidavit states.

Out of a total three customers the girl said she met with, investigators identified Kimball as the first one, according to the affidavit.

The two had met at a hotel in the 6300 block of Northwest Loop 410, investigators said. She described Kimball as someone who looked like he worked in the construction industry because of the way he was dressed when they met.

Kimball had paid $150 to have intercourse with her, and P took $50 of it, the affidavit states. The girl told investigators that she gave the rest of the money to her sisters.

RELATED: Ex-S.A.-area principal enters plea in sex case involving student

When detectives went to check the hotels records, they found Kimballs Texas ID.

The man who allegedly helped the girl seek out clients was identified in the affidavit, but public records do not show that he has been arrested as of Tuesday evening.

jbeltran@express-news.net | Twitter: @JBfromSASince the opening of Saadiyat Rotana Resorts & Villas in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, the property has announced that it has welcomed more than 25,000 guests through its doors.



With an average occupancy of 55 per cent during the summer so far, the property has forecast a positive outlook ahead of its Grand Opening in late October this year.



European, Eastern and local guests have been the top markets for the booming property, thanks to the warm hospitality, elegant design elements and undeniable appeal of Saadiyat Rotana Resorts & Villas for leisure travellers. The increasing popularity of Abu Dhabi as a leisure destination, which was recently revealed to have welcomed a record 1.2 million hotel guests in Q1 2018, a 10.9 per cent increase on the same period in 2017, and expects 5.5 million hotel guests in 2018, lends a hand to driving footfall. The resort has also undertaken the opportunity to build its awareness in neighbouring GCC areas through road shows conducted with the support of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, in efforts to draw in residents of the region. Saudi Arabia was identified as the key GCC country for the property.



The launch of the world-class, Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island also played a key role in generating interest towards Saadiyat Island, and subsequently towards the design-led property.



In terms of source markets, the German market has driven the highest percentage of guests at Saadiyat Rotana Resorts and Villas, with 40 per cent being of German origin. European guests form the second largest sector, with 15 per cent of guests coming from UK, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Belgium and Austria. The average length of stay of guests from European regions is five nights in total, highlighting the fact that incoming travellers have the intent to explore the nearby attractions over a lengthy period and not just use the capital as a layover destination.



Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas has also cemented its position as a strong staycation contender for residents of the UAE, as proven by 20 per cent of its guests hailing from the local region.



Our soft opening phase has already exceeded expectations in terms of both occupancy and consumer response and sentiment, said Marc De Beer, general manager. The resorts stunning location, approachable team and relaxed environment, complemented by our unique F&B concepts have begun to establish a strong presence with local and international visitors. Our sights are set on further success with the upcoming Grand Opening and Q4 high season.



Given Abu Dhabis strong positioning as a tourist destination, both within the wider GCC region and internationally, the hotel is set to accommodate for a high occupancy in the coming year, with a high 80 per cent occupancy also expected as per the current trends in the market. This healthy figure reflects the occupancy rates seen currently, and takes into consideration the many upcoming offerings of the vibrant Saadiyat Island. - TradeArabia News ServiceWhen I was young, my dad found an opportunity for me to earn a few dollars at the gun club where he shot skeet, trap and country doubles. Being fairly informal, I was paid in cash straight out of the same bag into which shooters paid to shoot at the range.

After working briefly at a hardware rental place a couple summers later, I spent the last couple years of high school working at McDonalds with a few friends.

In college, I worked at a video store, a gymnastics establishment, a mens clothing store, and the last couple years before graduation, at a gift shop chain at various hotels in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Never once in all that time did it occur to me that I was entitled to anything more from the owners of those businesses than the wage to which we agreed.

Never once did it dawn on me that if I missed work due to sickness, that not only should they pay someone else to cover for me  or the owner take time out of his or her schedule to do so  but they should also pay me for not being there.

Back then, when I was just starting out in the world of paid employment, the only political issue that was important to me was protesting the censorship of the music that I listened to.

Apparently, I was naive for not realizing that if I complained loudly enough, I could possibly lay claim to the resources of others. If only I had the nerve, I could have essentially looked my bosses in the eyes and said I know youve been at this longer than I have, saved up enough money and put your butt on the line to take a risk on a business idea, but I think I should be paid much higher than the going rate even while Im out sick.

How wet behind the ears I was!

Full disclosure: I didnt have kids when working such jobs. But since they have come along, I know what its like when they fall ill. Not only do I ache for them, but I, too, fret about leaving work. I dont like taking sick time at all.

Alas, Im not the best example. My wife on the other hand, is/was.

When she was a single mom working in restaurants, one of the worst things that could happen to her was her preschool son getting sick. Fortunately, shifts could be traded. It was a good thing, too, because she didnt have the type of family support network that permeates San Antonio. And she had proven herself worthy of not simply being replaced due to something as natural as a child feeling under the weather.

Still, she didnt have the audacity to demand compensation during her absence.

Fortunately for these folks today, they have advocates who possess as little business experience as they do, to push elected officials that are too often as similarly inexperienced (though not as much here as in places like Seattle), to make this a reality; making low-to-moderate-skilled jobs as comfortable as possible to take the edge off maybe training for a higher paying job one day down the line  like my wife did in putting herself through college at the time.

When exactly was it that we started feeling so entitled to the property of others? Was it before, or not until, we were told that such business owners didnt build that?

The opposition, as indicated by Michelle Tremillo in Sundays Express-News, is not solely groups well-funded by national and corporate interests. Rather, it is others of us brought up in similar socioeconomic situations in South Texas (Victoria), who respect those who have sacrificed a stable livelihood to strike out on their own, the result of which has been the opportunity of employment for others.

I agree with Tremillo when she says its a moral issue. If these activists are so confident about this, perhaps they should put their own money where their mouth is and show current business owners how its supposed to be done in the competitive free market.

Lobbying to use the force of law is a lame, immoral tack to take when they have nothing to lose in doing so.

Christopher E. Baecker manages fixed assets for Pioneer Energy Services and is an adjunct lecturer of economics at Northwest Vista College. He can be reached at facebook.com/professormetal/ or professormetal@chrisbaecker.com.Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has launched a withering attack on the Government, accusing them of leaving behind Longford by insisting her party is hellbent on winning a seat at next years local elections.

In what was her first official visit to the county since assuming the mantle of Sinn Fein president from Gerry Adams earlier this year, Ms McDonald also indicated the party were very much focused on enhancing its national representative focus ahead of any future general election.

The burden of that responsibility lies from a Longford-Westmeath standpoint with Westmeath based Cllr Sorca Clarke, a talkative and expressive local politician who flanked the Dublin Central TD last Wednesday as she visited Longfords Attic House.

Asked if her decision to visit the county was indicative of a party very much in election mode, the Sinn Fein supremo offered up a typically robust and no-nonsense riposte.

Its a sign that we love Longford and that we are working very hard with Sorca to firstly ensure people in Longford and Westmeath know they have a choice whenever the election is and that choice is not just Fianna Fail or Fine Gael or the usual tweedledum and tweedledee, and that there is a republican alternative, she sternly remarked.

Its about equality across Ireland and for places like Longford, and I know from talking to people that feel that they have been very much left behind.

Her take on Longford's present socio economic well-being was largely coloured by her obvious fascination with the altruistic strides which have been made by the likes of the Attic.

Appearing somewhat bowled over by the pristine look of the facility's confines, Ms McDonald seemed equally surprised to learn of its volunteer led basis.

And it didn't stop her from laying bare just what the party was planning ahead of next year's local elections.

We are looking to develop our representation right across the country and Longford is no different.

In fact it is the only county in the country where we dont have an elected councillor in and we need to remedy that.

Describing the Fine Gael led government's position as untenable on the back of record high homeless figures, Ms McDonald was just as keen to express her ire at the delay in Brexit talks.

We (Ireland) wont be the collatoral damage for the Tories and their exit strategy, she warned.

Its not going to happen.

There was no mention, though, of who the party's presidential candidate may or may not be and whether a certain Gerry Adams might be among them.

That, instead, was left for another day.Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 01 2018

Defendant Allegedly Wrestled to the Ground and Punched a Nursing Home Patient.

New York, NY - August 1, 2018 - Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced the arrest and arraignment of Jerry Clarke, 57, of Rochester, a Certified Nurse Aide, for allegedly striking a nursing home patient. Clarke is charged with Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent or Physically Disabled Person in the First Degree and Willful Violation of Health Laws, in the Town Justice Court of Gates in Monroe County.

My office will continue to prosecute those who endanger our most vulnerable residents, said Attorney General Underwood. New Yorkers deserve assurance that their loved ones will be appropriately cared for in skilled nursing facilities.

The felony complaint alleges that in February 2018, Jerry Clarke was employed at the Creekview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to work as a certified nurse aide. On or about February 14, 2018, Clarke allegedly wrestled and punched a 64 year-old patient who was known to be unable to take care of himself due to mental and physical disabilities. It is alleged that the defendant was on top of the patient punching him and yelling, I told you not to try me, as well as a derogatory racial epithet, as he continued to hit the patient. The felony complaint also alleges that Clarke smelled of alcohol and appeared to be high during the incident.

Clarke was arraigned on the above crimes in Gates Town Court by Judge Frank M. Cassara, who adjourned this matter to September 27, 2018.

The case was investigated by Investigator Kevin Wehbring, with assistance from Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) Upstate Deputy Chief Investigator William Falk. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Timothy McFarland of the MFCUs Rochester Regional Office. Catherine Wagner is Chief of Criminal Investigations-Upstate. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is led by Director Amy Held and Assistant Deputy Attorney General Paul J. Mahoney. The Criminal Justice Division is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Margaret Garnett.Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 01 2018

Casey Hill was last seen leaving his residence on Monday, July 30.

UPDATE - August 1, 2018 - Police report that Casey Hill has been located.

Below is the original report.

Hempstead, NY - August 1, 2018 - The Missing Persons Squad is investigating a missing juvenile that occurred on Monday, July 30, 2018 at 5:00 pm in The Missing Persons Squad is investigating a missing juvenile that occurred on Monday, July 30, 2018 at 5:00 pm in Hempstead and reported to Nassau Police on July 31, 2018.

According to detectives, Casey Hill, 11, was last seen leaving his residence. He is described as a male black, 54 tall, 135 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. Casey was wearing a white tank top and blue shorts. His destination is unknown.Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 01 2018

Broderick named by the Nassau Division of the National Association of Social Workers.

Mineola, NY - August 1, 2018 - Nassau County Executive Laura Curran recently congratulated DSS Deputy Commissioner Paul F. Broderick upon his being selected Public Citizen of the Year by the Nassau Division of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). The award was presented at the annual NASW dinner at the Union Marriott Hotel on June 13, 2018.

In his eight years as DSS Deputy Commissioner, Paul Broderick has made significant and meaningful contributions to the residents of our county, said County Executive Curran. Coupling his financial acumen with his commitment to serving all of Nassaus neediest residents, Paul has worked diligently to ensure continued funding for many of DSS community partners, including Island Harvest, Long Island Cares, the Long Island Council of Churches and The SafeCenterLI.

Broderick, a long-time resident of Massapequa Park , was also recently appointed as a Board Member of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless (LICOH), where he has lobbied passionately to expand efforts for the rapid re-housing of Nassau Countys homeless families. In recognition of his advocacy, Broderick was awarded the 2017 Key of Excellence Award from LICOH.

Paul Broderick exemplifies the dedication of Nassaus financial executives ensuring that our neediest residents are provided with the essential services they need for the health and well-being of themselves and their families, said DCSS Commissioner Dr. John Imhof. In his efforts to secure permanent housing opportunities, Paul has championed the cause of the chronically homeless and has been duly recognized by his peers for his efforts.Its gotten to the point where even some of my colleagues who write about Apple are bored by the companys quarterly results. Granted, this is the good kind of boringthe best third-quarter results ever, led by overall revenue of $53.3 billion, a 17 percent growth rate. But it does seem like Apple does the same thing almost every quarter: growth, billions, the works. Theres not a lot of drama in being one of the most valuable companies in the world continuing to churn away at huge profits and product growth.

Still, Im not going to call this boring. Every three months, Apple has to reveal things about itself that it would probably want to keep secret, and these disclosures can help us understand the company and its products better than we otherwise would. Here are the four most interesting things I gleaned from Tim Cooks performance on his quarterly conference call with analysts.

The iPhone X bet paid off

Releasing an ultra-high-end iPhone seemed like a pretty risky gamble with Apples most important product. There were questions about if it would suppress sales of lower-cost iPhones and if production difficulties would make it impossible to fulfill demand. After it shipped, people said the rumors were that it was a flop.

Missed it by that much! Turns out that the iPhone X is an unqualified hit. Not only did Apple sell the most iPhones its ever sold in its fiscal third quarter, but if we look at iPhone revenue averaged over four quartersa useful tool to wash out seasonality and get a better sense of long-term trendsiPhone revenue has now surpassed the massive peak of the iPhone 6/6 Plus era. (You remember the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, products that sold so incredibly well that Apple got punished the next year because it simply couldnt match the sales of the previous generation.)

In the aftermath of the iPhone 6 sales spike, it was fashionable to suggest that wed seen peak iPhone and that the product would either be flat or would go downhill from there. Instead, two and a half years later, were at a new peak.

We feel terrific about iPhone X, Cook said Tuesday. If you look at the top of our line together, and by that I mean the iPhone X, the 8, and the 8 Plus, they are growing very nicely as you can probably tell from from looking at the [average selling price], and we couldnt be happier with how thats gone. it just puts an exclamation point by looking at the results.

Cook pointed out that the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X are all among the best selling phones in the world, so this isnt a phenomenon limited to the iPhone X. But while every phone contributes to iPhone sales, its hard not to look at the average selling price of an iPhone$724, up from $606 in the year-ago quarterand see the power of the iPhone X driving the iPhone to new heights.

The rise of the new categories

Its never been clearer that a huge driver of Apples growth today is in two categories that used to be largely ignored when analyzing Apples business: Services and Other Products. Services, a category that includes the App Store, Apple Music, AppleCare, and cloud services, set a record with $9.5 billion in revenue, double of what it was three and a half years ago.

Theres more to come there, too. Apple is going to launch a video service at some point, and Cook didnt pretend otherwise. As you know we hired two highly respected television executives last year and they have been working on a project that were not really ready to share all the details of it yet, but I couldnt be more excited about whats going on there, he said. Cook also cited acceleration in cord-cutting and the growth of video services, which Apple can see through sales of Apple TV and of video subscriptions via the App Store.

Then theres this line, which I never thought Id hear from an Apple CEO on a conference call with financial analysts: Were very excited to work with Oprah.

Not to be outdone, the Other Products line showed growth for the seventh straight quarter, generating $3.7 billion in revenue. This category is where Apples wearables productsApple Watch, AirPods, and Beats headphoneslive, and Cook said that theyre up 60 percent year over year, with wearables revenue exceeding $10 billion over the past four quarters. (HomePod is in this category too, but Apple didnt crow about any HomePod sales figures, which tells you all you need to know about how well that products doing.)

Techs top diplomat displays a light touch

Tim Cook was recently called techs top diplomat by the New York Times, and that diplomatic touch was on display on Tuesday. When asked about possible trade wars between the U.S. and China, Cook downplayed the potential harm for Apple.

Our view on tariffs is that they show up as a tax on the consumer and wind up resulting in lower economic growth, he said. And sometimes can bring about significant risk of unintended consequences. That said, the trade relationships and agreements that the U.S. has [with] other major economies are very complex, and its clear that several are in need of modernizing. But we think that in the vast majority of situations that tariffs are not the approach to doing that. And so were sort of encouraging dialogue and so forth.

Unsurprisingly, Cookwho has always expressed a bullish enthusiasm about Apples growth in Chinasaid that he feels the two countries will work things out, because its the best result for everyone involved.

Were optimistic, as Ive been the whole time, that this will get sorted out, he said. Theres an inescapable mutuality between the U.S. and China that sort of serves as a magnet to bring both countries together. Each country can only prosper if the other does, and of course the world needs both the U.S. and China to prosper for the world to do well. I am optimistic that the countries will get through this, and we are hoping that calm heads prevail.

Whats Apples ecosystem strategy? Yes

The analyst of the quarter award goes to Laura Martin of Needham, who provided some snarky commentary over a Cook non-answer to one of her questionsIll watch your product roadmap and be able to tell what the answer is, she repliedand was insistent that Cook address some specifics of her other question. It was a rare moment of pushback in these calls, and her question was a good one.

In short, Martin wanted Cook to settle a bet she has with some of her colleagues, which is about whether products like AirPods and the Apple Watch are on-ramps into the Apple ecosystem, or if the only way in is the iPhone.

Cooks responseafter Martin expressed dissatisfaction with his original answerwont settle any bets, but it was pretty good. It is clear from communications Ive had with users, that some of them were attracted to iPhone because of the Apple Watch, and so the Apple Watch led them to the iPhone, he said. The reverse of that is also true, that somebody got the iPhone and then decided, you know, I really want something to [do the things] the Watch does so well. And so its not always a linear path. I see these things as being somewhat fluid and different for each user.

In other words, yes and yes. But when youre a company having the kind of quarters that Apple keeps having, every light probably seems to be green and every thumb is probably pointing up.

[Updated 8/1 to correct a statement about iPhone ASP.]Emirates is celebrating 10 years of A380 operations today. Since its first A380 flight to New York on August 1, 2008, the airline has carried more than 105 million passengers and clocked in more than 1.5 billion kilometres on 115,000 flights, equivalent to 39,000 trips around the globe.



The airline has also served over 120 million meals on the A380 since 2008 and has 1,500 flight deck crew and over 20,000 cabin crew specially trained to operate its A380 fleet.



Emirates is the world largest operator of the A380 aircraft, with 104 double-decker aircraft flying to 49 cities on six continents on scheduled services with more than 80 daily departures from Dubai, the airlines hub.



Sir Tim Clark, president Emirates Airline, said: Its been 10 extraordinary years since the first Emirates A380 flight took to the skies, and today it has become one of the most recognisable and admired aircraft in the world. Passengers love to fly it because of its spaciousness which provides more comfort across all classes, and its iconic products like the OnBoard Lounge, Shower Spa and First Class suites have redefined air travel."



Emirates revolutionised the A380s cabin space design when it introduced its bespoke version of the aircraft in 2008, incorporating higher ceilings, mood-lighting as well as signature, industry-first elements like its OnBoard Lounge, a social area at 40,000 feet where jet-setters could meet in an ambient setting.



In 2017, Emirates introduced the next generation of the OnBoard Lounge featuring a sleeker design, new colour palette, social seating arrangement and surround sound, among other touches.



"The Emirates A380 has also had a significant impact on the aerospace industry and its high-value supply chains, fuelling hundreds of thousands of jobs for skilled workers, and creating significant economic benefits in countries which have A380 production facilities, Clark said.



"The aircraft continues to boost tourism and trade wherever it flies by stimulating further traffic and demand, and we hope that it continues to play an important role in the economies and societies that it serves in the years to come, he added.



Airbus estimates that Emirates A380 orders support 41,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs in Europe alone. The estimated Europe-wide impact of Emirates A380 investment contributes 3.4 billion to the GDP of the region.



In January 2018, Emirates ordered a further 36 A380s worth $16 billion, taking the airlines commitment for the aircraft to 178 units, and further generating catalytic benefits for European economies with the airlines impending deliveries beyond 2020.



As the largest operator of the Airbus A380, Emirates engineering division, based in Dubai, has become a global leader in A380 maintenance. The airline operates modern, extensive facilities that include seven heavy maintenance hangars and four light maintenance hangars that can all accommodate the A380.



Emirates Engineering has also amassed the experience, know-how and infrastructure to provide the most comprehensive Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and services in the world, with 157 A380 C-Checks conducted to date. - TradeArabia News ServiceSPRINGFIELD -- MassMutual laid off workers Tuesday as part of a reorganization of its Workplace Solutions retirement plan business, spokeswoman Laura Crisco said.

"MassMutual is making significant investments in our retirement business to simplify and enhance the experience for plan sponsors, financial advisors, third party administrators, and plan participants," she said in a written statement. "At the same time, we continually evaluate our operations to ensure we are working as efficiently and effectively as possible, delivering the best experience to our customers and the greatest value to our policyowners.

"This means that we are growing and investing in some areas, while simultaneously streamlining in others where it makes strategic sense," she said.

MassMutual's net gain from operations before policy owner dividends and taxes -- its primary earnings measure as a mutual company -- rose 18 percent to $1.85 billion in 2017.

MassMutual was founded in Springfield on May 15, 1851, and is owned by policy holders. It's No. 93 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies in the world.

The insurance giant said the layoffs' impact was small, fewer than 60 employees out of a total workforce of 7,400. The majority worked from their homes across the country. None were in Springfield, but a small number -- no specifics were available -- worked in Enfield, Connecticut. Others worked in Memphis.

MassMutual plans to close the Enfield and Memphis offices between now and the end of 2021 as it consolidates offices in Springfield and Boston. Other MassMutual offices that will close are in Charlotte, North Carolina; Somerset, New Jersey; and Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

On Feb. 8, MassMutual announced plans for a major expansion in Massachusetts, including a $300 million investment mostly at a new Boston office building and 2,000 jobs over the next four years.

Those plans remain in place, Crisco said.

In return for the investment, MassMutual will receive a package of incentives valued at approximately $46 million from the state, the largest commitment ever made to a Springfield-based company. The deal was highly competitive with other states trying to woo MassMutual.

MassMutual said 1,500 of those jobs will be at corporate headquarters in Springfield, while 500 will be at a new campus the company plans to build on Boston's Fan Pier. Most of the infrastructure investment is at Fan Pier. The company said $50 million in renovations are needed at its headquarters on State Street.

MassMutual's goal in developing its presence in Boston is to take advantage of the talent pool of high-tech workers there. It's the same reason MassMutual established its data science center just blocks from the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus.

In 2012, MassMutual bought The Hartford's retirement plans business for $400 million and merged it with its own.

MassMutual has said it continues to invest and expand the Workplace Solutions business and has introduced new targeted date funds and enhanced its mobile technology. MassMutual also adds workers where it feels the need and advertises 500 open positions right now.Jeff Daniels and the Ben Daniels Band is quite the family affair.



Besides the actor and his son, the traveling group includes Daniels' other son, Lucas, is the tour manager and lighting designer and his daughter-in-law Amanda plays percussion and sings harmonies. Jeff Daniels is clearly proud of them.



"Aside from parents wishing that their kids in their 20s and 30s will even speak to them," Daniels deadpanned, "I think the thing I'm most happy about is how good they are professionally. I enjoy seeing the artist come out and all of them."



The band will play two evening shows on Thursday, Aug. 9, at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton.

The 63-year-old Emmy Award winner, whose screen credits include "The Looming Tower," "The Newsroom," and "The Purple Rose of Cairo," talked to The Republican about his second career as a musician.



I read that when you write, you tailor your songs to be performed live. Is that an extension of having been a stage actor?



Yes, I think it comes from the theater. I remember Marshall Mason at the Circle Repertory Company. He was the artistic director and he said if there's no connection between the play in the audience, you have nothing. So at 8 o'clock, walk out there and grab them by the lapels with this play and don't let go until it's over. And that's what the song has to do. It can't just be for me. And I have a notebook of songs - especially the early stuff - where you're writing about stuff that is just so internal and so uninteresting to anyone else but you.



It wasn't until I wrote things like "Grandfather's Hat" that people started coming up to me and saying things like "my grandmother's necklace" or "my aunt's ring."

So songs can come from someplace personal, but will they relate to the audience?



You've also moved slightly away from writing humorous material.



Yeah, when in doubt, lead with comedy. That's how I felt I could get people to buy a ticket to see an actor play the guitar. And so I learned how to do that. ... I thought I could do my version of that. Let's see if that travels. And it did. And then you start wondering how you can make them listen to the serious stuff. But you've got to earn that. But it's also that you worry that it's like telling the same jokes over and over. You wonder what the shelf life is. The music doesn't work like that. People expect you to do some of the same stuff. I've heard James Taylor do "Fire and Rain" 10,000 times and he better damn well play it if I go see him tonight.



What do you listen to these days?



I'm a sucker for the Springsteen stuff that's on his website, The live shows. I just got the Roxy show from 1978 that people just think is the show of shows - and it is.



I chase the songwriters and great guitar players. Kelly Joe Phelps is someone I'll always look up to as a guitar player and try to learn and steal from. But songwriters, you have to get John Prine's new album, listen to Darrell Scott, listen to Chris Stapleton. It's people like that who I've got my ear out for. I want to hear things where only Lyle Lovett would write it that way.



Do you feel you use different parts your brain for the creative process of acting versus songwriting?



Certainly there are differences. I'm trying to think of the similarities. There's a similarity between the actor in the songwriter in seeing what it is and what it supposed to be -- whether it's playing Atticus Finch or just a song. And finding out what it supposed to be and chasing that. And then you sculpt it just like someone with sculpt clay for a sculpture.



And then there's the performance of it where you shape it, where after a few performances as an actor, you settle in. It's the same thing with a song - you change the third verse because it just doesn't sit well and then you finally find it because after three shows you find it in there it is. Now the song works, just like now the character on stage works. So for both of them it's a process, a whittling down



So whether it's acting, writing, or performing a song, there are three different roads to the same place: which is creating a piece of art, at least as you see it.



By NATASHA ZENA

Special to The Republican

Khalia Williams-Albury had no idea the Mandarin foreign language class she was about to take in sixth-grade at Van Sickle Middle School was going to have a profound impact on her life.



The 20-year-old Bay Path University junior is now preparing to study abroad at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.

Williams-Albury traces her earliest love for the language back to that middle school classroom, but says it was the summer program, StarTalk Chinese immersion camp, that fed her passion. Like many of the students in the program today, StarTalk allowed Williams-Albury to experience the Chinese language and culture right here in her Springfield community.



During her studies at Springfield Central High School, Williams-Albury took Chinese 1, 2, 3 and Advanced Placement. In 2013, her teacher Jiayin Li recommended StarTalk. She went to volunteer and never left.

"When I first started with them, I was with the upper elementary school children in the Butterfly class. I stayed with the Butterfly class for the next two years. (Eventually), I went to the Rabbit class, kindergarten to second-grade learners," Williams-Albury said.

Ann E. Ferriter, director of language acquisition at the Springfield Public Schools, says Williams-Albury rose through the ranks fairly quickly at StarTalk.

"When she came to volunteer, she had a lot of knowledge. She's been with us six years, and she's been a paid employee for the last four years. I couldn't tell you how proud I was and inspired that she continued to study on her own," Ferriter said.

Funded by the National Security Agency, the free program is in its 10th year in the city. It runs for 15 consecutive weeks, Monday through Friday and students receive a total of 90 contact hours. First priority acceptance goes to Springfield students and after, open seats are offered to children in neighboring communities.

This year the program received $88,000 in grant funds and accepted 97 students. Ferriter said each year the program's importance becomes more and more significant.

"It's a good way for me to help supplement Chinese programming lacking in the schools. Before (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System standardized testing)we had upwards of 100 foreign language teachers. Now, we're down to 33 teachers. When principals are told they have to cut positions, sometimes the first things they cut are foreign languages, visual or performing arts," Ferriter explained.

Williams-Albury echoes similar sentiments about just how influential StarTalk can be on a student immersed in the program. "I like how quickly they pick up the language. They (can be) lost today, but then the next day they're fine. And I really like how happy they get when they sing the songs. If you start a language early, it's easier to pick it up. Some of my (current) students, I've had their older siblings."

Williams-Albury says her time at StarTalk has prepared her for her semester abroad. She'll leave for Beijing in February. Her coworkers have taught her about cuisine and mannerisms and offered travel safety tips.

There's one special thing she is looking forward to checking off of her bucket list. "I've been wanting to go to the Great Wall all of my life. It was meant to keep people out, but it brought more people in," Williams-Albury said.

"She's an incredible girl with a lot of goals," Ferriter added. "She's such a role model to these younger kids and she's just got goals and perseverance and humor. She's delightful. And I could not be happier to have her working with us year after year."A former Boston Public Schools valedictorian and current University of Massachusetts Boston student has been arrested for allegedly hacking cellphone numbers and using digital currencies like Bitcoin to steal a reported $5 million.

The Boston Globe reports 20-year-old Joel Ortiz was arrested at the Los Angeles Airport on July 12 on dozens of charges related to identity theft, hacking and grand theft.

Ortiz hails from the city's Allston neighborhood and is currently a UMass Boston student studying information technology, according to the Globe. In 2016, he was named the valedictorian of a small pilot high school in Boston known as "Another Course to College."

At the time of his graduation, a statement by Boston Public Schools said Ortiz had a rigorous class schedule with Advanced Placement courses, honors classes, and extra-curricular activities with the high school's robotics team.

"He was instrumental in the success of ACC's robotics team as the lead robot software programmer. He has taught the basics of software coding to students and has led efforts to teach computer science. Joel is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational Chinese," the statement noted.

Motherboard, an online magazine launched by VICE that focuses on "technology, science and humans," reported earlier this week on Ortiz's arrest, detailing the intricate process by which he hacked people's personal cellphones and stole millions of dollars.

According to Motherboard, Ortiz used "SIM swapping," which means tricking a provider -- like Verizon, or AT&T -- into switching a victim's phone number onto a SIM card that is operated by the hacker. With someone else's phone number, the hacker can reset passwords and break into online accounts, especially cryptocurrency accounts like Bitcoin.

Investigators allege Ortiz hacked cryptocurrency users successfully and often, and that the 20-year-old would also take over social media accounts and sell them on Bitcoin. The names or handles associated with "valuable Instagram or Twitter accounts" can be sold for thousands of dollars, according to the VICE magazine.

Ortiz reportedly targeted several people during a New York City conference in May known as Consensus, which attracted people and investors involved in cryptocurrency. Motherboard reported that Ortiz stole more than $1.5 million in cryptocurrency from just one entrepreneur.

The Boston suspect's bail has reportedly been set to $1 million, and he remains in jail for a plea hearing.Mashpee police are investigating their role in the car crash that left three people dead on Saturday night, including new father and Marine veteran Kevin Quinn.

The collision late Saturday evening killed Kevin Quinn, Mickey Rivera, 22, and Rivera's passenger Jocelyn Goyette, who died from her injuries in a hospital on Monday, according to a report by the Boston Herald.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mashpee Police Chief Scott Carline said the department is conducting an internal investigation into the fatal crash.

"It would be inappropriate for me to comment on an active internal investigation until all the facts have been gathered," the chief said in a statement. "The focus of the internal investigation is to determine if the actions of the police officers involved in the pursuit are consistent with the Mashpee Police Department's policy regarding police pursuits."

Mashpee police confirm they were involved in a police pursuit following Rivera, 22, but have not elaborated on why the chase took place. Police audio obtained by the Herald reportedly reveals Mashpee police decided to pursue Rivera's vehicle due to erratic driving and stop sign violations.

Rivera was out of jail after having his bail significantly reduced -- from $35,000 to $1,000 -- in an armed and masked robbery case from March 2015, according to reports.

Police pursuits are generally reserved for high-risk matters. Massachusetts State Police documentation says a chase is justified "when the necessity of the apprehension of a suspect outweighs the risk created by the pursuit."

If the safety risks in a chase outweigh the "necessity for immediate apprehension," State Police say the pursuit should not take place.

Pursuit policies were revised on a state level following a 2007 crash in Somerville, in which a suspect crashed into a taxi and two people were killed.

In Mashpee, according to written policy, police must weigh the "severity of the crime or offense believed to have been committed by one or more occupants of the pursued vehicle," as well as "the nature and degree of the threat to public safety should the vehicle not be stopped."A Northeastern University student and 10 other activists were arrested early Wednesday in front of the university president's Boston home while protesting Northeastern's research contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Boston Globe reports that Boston police arrested the protesters without incident after they sat in the middle of Beacon Street, holding signs calling for Northeastern University President Joseph Aoun to cancel the contract.

The demonstrators were released from custody around 6 a.m, the Globe reported.

"Peaceful protests are the hallmark of a great university," Northeastern University Vice President of Communications Renata Nyul said in a statement. "We celebrate the vigorous exchange of competing ideas, which is the basis of higher learning."

The protest is the latest salvo in organizers' month-old campaign to pressure the school into cutting all ties with ICE, which has come under withering criticism for immigrant advocates for its role in detaining immigrant children separated from their families.

Northeastern currently holds a multi-million dollar contract with ICE, which the university says funds data mapping research unrelated to immigration enforcement. Professor Glenn Pierce, who is leading the research project, told the Chronicle of Higher Education that the research consists of data analysis on the export of technologies that could be used to create weapons.

Following the publication of an open letter calling on the school to drop the contract, Northeastern said it would not do so, describing it as a matter of academic freedom.

"Our commitment to academic freedom goes beyond protecting what professors say; it also means allowing faculty members to freely pursue research funding in their fields of expertise," Nyul said in a statement. "Efforts to restrict which federal agencies a faculty member can approach for research funding are antithetical to academic freedom. We hope everyone can agree to support freedom of academic inquiry--most importantly members of our own faculty."

That explanation has not satisfied protesters, who say that any connection to the agency is immoral.

"Right now at this point in history, it's unethical to sell ICE a copy machine or buy them a coffee," organizer Evan Greer said in an interview last month.

Students at the protest early Wednesday morning also criticized the school for listing internships with ICE in its co-op program, the Globe reported.

Northeastern said it offers internships with over 3,000 employers, and did not deny that ICE is included in that number.

"While we realize that some organizations elicit strong political views, this should never prohibit students from seeking opportunities to further their education," Nyul said. "Students' academic and professional goals should not be curtailed by social or political pressure."

While immigrant rights organizations have long called for wholesale reform or abolition of ICE, that sentiment has spread to the Democratic Party mainstream in different months. Democratic members of Congress including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Jim McGovern have called for replacing the agency in favor of a different system of immigration enforcement.

ICE was created in 2003, under the same post-9/11 law that established the Department of Homeland Security. For 15 years it has enforced immigration laws within U.S. borders, tracking, arresting and deporting hundreds of thousands of unauthorized immigrants per year.When Mickey Rivera crashed his SUV while fleeing police on Saturday, killing himself, his passenger and new father Kevin Quinn, he was out on bail after awaiting trial for three years in connection with a Fall River homicide.

Rivera's case sheds light on endemic delays in Massachusetts' most serious prosecutions, which routinely exceed the state's one-year standard for completing criminal cases. It is a situation that offers difficult scenarios to the judicial system: to keep people behind bars for months or years while they are still presumed innocent, or to risk outrage if a bailed-out defendant commits additional crimes before trial.

"The consequence is that evidence can go stale. It becomes harder to prosecute these cases because witnesses might disappear or memories might fade," said Daniel Medwed, a professor at Northeastern University School of Law. "In this instance, it could mean that somebody is a danger, and if they are out on bail other things could happen."

Just 20 percent of Superior Court criminal cases were completed within the one-year standard in fiscal 2017, according to the court system's annual report. That is the worst figure since at least 2013 and a sharp decline since 2016, when 39 percent hit the target.

There were 3,245 pending Superior Court criminal cases that had exceeded the deadline at the end of fiscal 2017 -- a 64 percent jump from the year before.

The statistics include cases resolved by guilty pleas and decisions not to prosecute, meaning the percentage of trial cases that meet the time standard is likely even lower. The Executive Office of the Trial Court was not able to provide more detailed statistics before publication.

Figures for the state's lower District Courts were better, with 90 percent on-time clearance rates. But Superior Courts handle all murders and all charges which carry state prison sentences, meaning that Massachusetts' most severe crimes are the least likely to receive a speedy trial.

The decline in on-time clearances is likely linked to the court system's change in electronic docketing systems, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of the Trial Court told MassLive. The new system lacks a way to subtract times when a case is suspended for a defendant who doesn't show up to court or is mentally incapacitated, leading to more cases registering as delayed, the spokeswoman wrote.

Trial delays carry costs for victims, increase the difficulty of prosecutions and risk violent offenders committing additional crimes, said Dudley Police Chief Steven Wojnar, president of the Mass. Chiefs of Police Association.

"I think the speed of these cases is important to service victims," Wojnar said. "We rely on the support of victims for cases we prosecute, and the longer these cases continue we might have victims move away or lose their recollection of events."

While long trial waits can benefit defendants who are out on bail, making it more difficult to prosecute, they can also prove a severe burden for those who are held pre-trial. Many defendants choose to accept plea deals rather than fight charges while languishing behind bars without a conviction, Medwed said.

And though defendants can stretch out trials, filing motion after motion, a lack of resources in the judicial system means that delays are baked into the system, according to Medwed. Assistant District Attorneys, public defenders and judges handle a caseload so high that the judicial system would "collapse" if every defendant exercised their right to a trial, he said.

"Prosecutors and defense lawyers are so busy they often mutually agree to an adjournment, Judges are complicit in this too, because my impression is judges all too often just accept these adjournments without much examination," Medwed said. "Everyone is to blame."

The wait for trial can sometimes be extreme. In 2013, Jose E. Colon was convicted in the Dudley murder of 18-year-old Aaron Gibeault -- seven years after his initial trial date, Wojnar said.

In June of 2015, Rivera was indicted as an accessory to the murder of 20-year-old Anthony Carvalho in Fall River. Carvalho was shot dead when Rivera and three other suspects attempted to rob him, prosecutors said.

Rivera was held on $35,000 bail and spent two years in custody, with the court rejecting his December 2016 motion to reduce his bail. But in September 2017, after the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that courts had to consider affordability when setting bail, he tried again and had his bail reduced to $1,000.

Rivera was again arrested on drunk driving charges earlier this year in Hyannis, but the Cape and Islands DA's Office did not ask for his bail to be revoked -- a decision that Cape & Islands DA Michael O'Keefe admitted was an error, the Boston Globe reported.

In Rivera's case, the delays stem largely from the complexity of the case, Bristol District Attorney's Office spokesman Gregg Miliote said in an interview. The court has handled a series of defense motions and momentum has slowed due to turnover in defense attorneys. And murder cases are always the most arduous to prosecute, he said.

"When people's lifetime liberty is at stake they get every benefit of the doubt," Miliote said. "This case involves multiple defendants and they were all indicted together."

Correction: It was the Cape and Islands DA's Office that did not seek bail revocation following Rivera's drunk driving arrest, not the Bristol DA's Office.Jocelyn Goyette, the 24-year-old passenger in an early Saturday morning crash that killed a new father and another man, has died, her family confirmed.



Goyette, a young mother, did not know 22-year-old Mickey Rivera well, her family told The Boston Globe. But early Saturday morning she was riding as a passenger when he fled police and collided head-on with an SUV in Contuit.



Rivera and the other driver Kevin Quinn, 32, both died. Quinn was a Marine veteran who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. He was at the hospital visiting his wife and their newborn son before the crash.

Goyette's family told The Boston Globe that she had surgery at Cape Cod Hospital and was transferred to Boston Medical Center before she died on Sunday night.

"In the hospital, I sat next to her, just playing with her hands," said Goyette's mother, Kelly Spearman told the Globe. "I can't say I have to bury my daughter, because we are going to cremate her, but I have to do that when they're supposed to do that to me."



Goyette leaves behind her fiance, Jorge Martell, 29, and their 3-year-old son Javien.



"She was an incredible mother, incredible," Martell told The Globe. "I am just trying to do what she would have wanted me to do. Be a father and mother, play both roles for him."

The family said they are angry that a man they barely know took Goyette from them. In text messages shared with the Globe, Goyette told her cousin she had plans to go to the Cape. Her mother said she was at the Barnstable County Fair.

"I was supposed to go out to Cape Cod later with this kid, but now he is switching [expletive] up on me and I'm getting mad," she wrote, according to the Globe.

She texted another friend saying she was having a good time and would call when she got home in an hour or so.

"She was the victim," Martell told the Globe. "She didn't know anything about his felonies two years ago. She didn't know anything about him. She didn't know him from a hole in the wall."

Her family has set up GoFundMe page online to raise money for her funeral and the care of her son.SPRINGFIELD -- A mental health services agency is trying to bow out of a federal lawsuit brought by a former employee whose affair with Judge Thomas Estes led to the judge's resignation.

Tammy Cagle, a social worker assigned to a Pittsfield drug court in 2016 and 2017, sued Estes and the mental health services agency in January.

Her complaint alleges that Estes, once the first justice of Eastern Hampshire District Court, forced her to perform oral sex on him multiple times while he was effectively her supervisor and controlled staffing for the Pittsfield diversionary court.

Cagle argues her employer should have suspected she was being subjected to alleged harassment even though she didn't tell anyone. The agency rebutted this during a hearing in U.S. District Court on Wednesday.

Cagle described the beginning of the affair at a booze-fueled work trip at a hotel in 2016, according to the complaint, and said it continued with her essentially servicing Estes on demand over a period of months. The federal complaint suggests Cagle believed it was tacitly a condition of her continued assignment with the state Trial Court.

David Hoose, a lawyer for Estes, has repeatedly countered that their relationship was not only consensual but also initiated by Cagle and aggressively pursued even after Cagle quit her job altogether and moved away. Estes was quietly reassigned to the Holyoke courthouse in 2017 after Cagle first brought legal action against him with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.

Cagle now lives in Georgia, according to court records. Estes resigned in May after the Supreme Judicial Court suspended the judge without pay. Estes quit before the governor and state Legislature had to mull whether to remove him from the bench permanently.

In the meantime, the federal lawsuit has progressed and Springfield-based Behavioral Health Network filed a motion to dismiss the case against the agency. A lawyer for the company on Wednesday argued to a magistrate judge that Cagle never disclosed the affair to her supervisors so the agency had no way of knowing.

A lawyer for Cagle countered that the agency's antennae should have gone up after Estes abruptly switched tracks from billing Cagle in performance reviews as a "top-notch clinician" to someone with "no people skills" and not suited for the job.

"She's 'doing great,' and then, abruptly, 'now she stinks'? Why the change? We just don't know," plaintiff's attorney Leonard Kesten argued to U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson.

Robertson took the motion to dismiss under advisement, but called Kesten's argument that Behavioral Health Network "knew or should have known" about the alleged harassment "thin."By mid-summer four years ago, with my campaign building momentum against Congressman Fleischmann, I knew the attacks were coming. But I wondered what they would possibly be about?

I was only 27-years-old and didnt have a political record, or a criminal record, for that matter. My work experience was not controversial. I didnt have enough money at the time to have given to any political candidates, Democrat or Republican.

Nonetheless, after spending many spring and summer nights sleeping in Walmart parking lots in an RV similar to gubernatorial candidate Bill Lees, we pulled even with Fleischmann in polling and the attacks came in droves. Audio clips were spliced, mailers were photoshopped and a picture of me shaking President Obamas hand was used against me like a mug shot.

Fast forward to this summer and after meeting Bill Lee and his cool wife Maria, I found myself wondering again: what will the attacks possibly be about? Weeks ago it was already clear that Bill Lee had taken the high road in a campaign that became a race to the bottom.

What do you say about a political outsider who grew up on the same rural farm he has returned to every night for decades while building one of Tennessees great companies?

How can you knock a man for a lack of political experience when he knows our states workforce issues so intimately that he started a trade school that has now trained more than 1,000 Tennesseans to be plumbers and pipe-fitters?

And I thought, who, even in this day in age, would go so low as to critique the character of a man whose life story is an inspiring tale of unshakable faith and redemption from tragedy?

If anyone might be spared from the cheap political attacks, wouldnt it be the guy who has survived the loss of a stillborn child, the death of his wife and the mother of his four young kids, a daughters suicide attempt and just recently the death of a best friend in a tractor accident?

Wrong.

The hired political assassins came after Bill Lees reputation just as Tennesseans were getting to know this wonderful man. Not surprisingly, the attacks against Bill are among the most desperate and unfounded ever seen in a statewide race in Tennessee.

From the moment Bill declared he wouldnt engage his opponents in the misleading attacks and innuendos that plague Tennessee politics because its not what leaders do, his grassroots, underfunded campaign appears to have surged into the lead.

But the race for governor wont be decided by perceived momentum  it all comes down to who gets the most votes Thursday. And all the money in the world has been spent in recent weeks trying to make the ultimate good guy Bill Lee, look like the opposite.

So if youre like me and you want Bill Lee to be your next governor, take a few friends to the polls with you Thursday.

That the attacks were successful in bringing me down four years ago is just a footnote in Chattanooga politics. Im only 31-years-old and will pursue public service again in the future  next time with at least three kids by my side.

However, if the underbelly of politics was to thwart Bill Lees campaign to be governor, it would be a terrible loss for an entire generation of Tennesseans who stand to benefit from his leadership.

I believe he will win on Thursday because Tennessee voters have begun to realize that the high road is the place we should be looking for all of our elected officials. Lets do our part.

Weston Wamp









"Syrias government has a legitimate right to get back all the territories seized by Turkey, including Idlib, Syrias Permanent Representative to the United Nations Bashar al-Jaafari said on Tuesday.

There can be no compromises on that matter. The period of functioning of de-escalation zones has its timeframes. They cannot be extended without the Syrian governments consent. It is a legitimate right of the Syrian people to get back all the territories seized by Turkey, al-Jaafari, who leads the Syrian government delegation to the international meeting on Syria in Russias Sochi, stressed." AMN

-----------

IMO the fighting now underway in the northern end of Latakia Governorate marks the opening phase of the R+6 general offensive to re-capture Idlib Province from the jihadis and the Turks. This particular effort is intended to secure the left flank of what will be a drive to capture jisr al-shugur as a supporting attack in the general offensive. Stay tuned. pl

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-diplomat-says-govt-has-legitimate-right-to-retake-idlib/SPRINGFIELD -- When Mark Rolland retired in January after nearly 40 years with the Springfield Police Department, he left the station on his last day feeling as if he was leaving his family behind.

"I started at 18, I retired at 58," he said. "It was almost 39 years, so it was a big part of my life."

Now, Rolland is back with his other family.

He and 16 other retired officers, all with more than 30 years experience with the Springfield police, are back in uniform. But this time, it's as newly created Special Police Officers.

"This keeps me in the family," Roland said.

Springfield police on Wednesday unveiled its new Special Police Officers unit in a brief ceremony in police headquarters. The legislation needed to create the Special Police needed approval from the City Council and Mayor, and from both houses of the state legislature and the governor.

It was signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker in July.

The specials will be called in to work extra duty details, such as road construction jobs or private vendor work at bars, stores and other locations. Ordinarily, the department pitches those jobs to police officers as overtime details outside their regular shifts.

Police Commissioner John Barbieri said with the city economy booming thanks to the MGM Springfield casino construction, the I-91 highway project, and dozens of other projects going on in the city, the department has simply reached its capacity for supplying officers for extra duty jobs.

That's where the Specials come in, he said.

If there are private vendor jobs that are unfilled after they have been offered first to members of the patrol officers union and then the supervisors union, the department can pitch them to the special officers, he said.

Both unions have endorsed the plan, he said.

They will be paid, like regular officers, time and a half the standard patrol officer rate of $51.04 per hour, according to the department.

Police spokesman Ryan Walsh pointed out that extra-detail jobs are paid for the by utility company, contractor or business owner that needs to hire a police officer. They are not paid for with taxpayer money, he said.

Barbieri said the specials will work only when there is a need, and they are not guaranteed any set number of hours per week.

The specials will wear what looks like a regular Springfield police uniform, albeit with a badge and a patch on their sleeve that indicates they are special police.

They will carry a sidearm, handcuffs, a radio, and have the same powers of arrest as an active police officer, Barbieri said.

They will be required to take in-service training every year, but will not be required to go through the police academy again or be subject to a physical fitness test.

"We have faith in these officers. They are tried and tested. They have a plethora of experience," Barbieri said. "This is a win for us."

"We have been struggling to fill overtime requests for my entire tenure here as commissioner," he said.

Several departments in Massachusetts, including Holyoke, have auxiliary police units. Members are typically younger officers seeking to land a permanent police job. They are required to go through an entry-level training academy.

Massachusetts also allows the use of civilian flagmen at some road construction projects.

Springfield ended its auxiliary police unit several years ago because of a liability issue, he said.

Creation of a Special Police unit is superior to either an auxiliary police or a flagmen option, he said, primarily because of the level of training and vast amount of experience each of the specials have.

Barbieri said having them out out on a detail, dressed in a police uniform, and possessing a gun, handcuffs, a radio, and the knowledge and experience for responding to any situation, is the equivalent of expanding the number of cops on the street.

"They're a force multiplier," he said.

Denise Jordan, chief of staff for Mayor Domenic Sarno, who was not able to make the presentation, said the creation of the Special Police is important because with MGM Springfield due to open at the end of this month, the city will see an influx of visitors and traffic.

"It's very important for the city of Springfield and its residents know the city is prepared for the influx of visitors," she said.

State Rep. Angelo Puppolo, who introduced the bill in the House, called the legislation "a great team effort" that will benefit the city.

Deputy Chief Cheryl Clapprood, who Barbieri credited with being the driving force behing the new program, said another benefit to bringing back retired officers in this way is it allows the department to tap into the extensive institutional memory each possesses.

She said she sees each of the specials serving in the role of mentors for the department's younger officers. "We're like any other business. We're dealing with a lot of millennials here," she said. "This are good role models for those officers."

Rolland's last 2 years were as director of the department's training academy, and many of the recruits that he met then are now officers with a few years under their belts with the Springfield police. He said he sees them as a father would his own children.

He retired as a lieutenant but loses that rank as a special officer. Those he had at the academy no longer have to call him "Loo," police shorthand for lieutenant.

But, he said, "most of them still do."

Retired officers signing on as Special Police Officers:



John Aberdale, Michael Carney, Roy Carter, Pablo Diaz, James Goldrick, James Gormally, Carlos Landrau, Edward Laviolette, Thomas Liebel, Luz Lizarribar, Timothy Morrow, Thomas Nehmer, Mary O'Halloran, Mark Rolland, James Rosso.SPRINGFIELD -- A defense lawyer for a child rape defendant said Tuesday her client was only in Puerto Rico helping family deal with hurricane damage and always planned to come back to Springfield.

Jennifer E. Cox, lawyer for 60-year-old Ramon Torres, asked a judge to lower his bail from $250,000 to $5,000. She said that is an amount his family can raise.

Cox told Hampden Superior Court Judge Michael K. Callan that Torres planned to return to Springfield to face the charges but had to wait for his Social Security check in order to buy a plane ticket.

Callan set bail at $15,000 -- more than the $10,000 requested by Assistant District Attorney Carrie M. Russell.

Torres was placed on the Massachusetts State Police list of most wanted fugitives on March 28. A state police flier indicates he was captured April 2.

Springfield police traveled to Bayamon, Puerto Rico, on May 9 to bring him back.

He has denied charges of child rape, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, and intimidation of a witness.

Torres allegedly sexually assaulted a boy between the ages of 6 and 7 on different dates between 2014 and 2016.

In January the child told his mother, who reported the alleged assaults to Springfield police.

If Torres posts bail, he must submit to GPS monitoring, have no contact with the victim or witnesses in the case and have no contact with children under the age of 16.A federal judge has rejected an accused heroin dealer's request to move his trial because the entire jury pool in Bangor, Maine, was white.

Myron Crosby Jr. of Springfield, Massachusetts, told the judge he didn't think he could get a fair trial because he's African-American, and the jury is white. The 55-year-old told the judge he'd like to be tried by a jury of his peers in Massachusetts or Connecticut.

The Bangor Daily News reported that U.S. District Judge John Woodcock told Crosby that no one has ever interpreted "being tried by a jury of one's peers as being tried by a jury of one's race."

The trial began Tuesday. Crosby is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess more than one kilogram of heroin.By TERRENCE DOPP and MARGARET TALEV

Bloomberg

President Donald Trump called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to halt Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, ramping up his attacks on the probe as the president's former campaign chairman goes on trial for unrelated criminal charges.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump said Wednesday in a Twitter posting. "Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

The public request to his attorney general to stop a federal investigation is an extraordinary departure from traditional boundaries between the president and law enforcement. Presidents typically avoid public comment on ongoing criminal investigations to avoid any perception they are seeking to influence the outcome.

"Jeez," gasped Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine as she was read the president's tweet in an interview. "This is unbelievable."

"Those comments are totally inappropriate," she added. "The president should not be talking about the investigation at all."

Sessions, who has recused himself from supervising the Mueller investigation, didn't immediately respond to the president's tweet. Sarah Isgur Flores, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, declined to comment.

Trump's tweet was also immediately condemned by some Democratic lawmakers as a blatant attempt to obstruct justice.

"The President of the United States just called on his Attorney General to put an end to an investigation in which the President, his family and campaign may be implicated," Representative Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on Twitter. "This is an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight. America must never accept it."

The request could reinvigorate legislation that would protect Mueller from being fired without cause. The measure won bipartisan support from the Senate Judiciary Committee in April, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said it won't get consideration by the full Senate.

In view of the tweet, "I think it would be helpful to have the debate on that bill," Collins said. "It would send a message to Mr. Mueller that he has strong support in Congress."

McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan have defended Mueller's investigation in the face of Trump's attacks but said they don't believe Trump would fire the special counsel. Lawmakers of both parties have warned Trump that firing Mueller would create a constitutional crisis. Ryan's spokesman, Doug Andres, said Wednesday that the speaker's position hasn't changed.

The president's message was part of a series of tweets attacking Mueller on the first full day of testimony in Manafort's tax and bank-fraud trial amid other signs Mueller's investigation is drawing closer to Trump. Prosecutors are expected to detail Manafort's lucrative business relationship with Russia-friendly leaders in Ukraine.

It also followed a CNN report last week that the president's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is prepared to testify that Trump knew in advance about a notorious 2016 meeting between top campaign officials, including his son Donald Trump Jr. and son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Russians who were said to be promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. The president denied the claim in a tweet.

Sessions, an early Trump backer, recused himself from the Russia investigation in March 2017 as controversy grew over his conversations during the presidential campaign with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. That probe has since swept up officials in Trump's campaign and his family members.

Trump said last summer he would have chosen a different attorney general had he known Sessions would recuse himself from supervising the investigation of election interference. Trump has periodically launched barrages of public attacks on Sessions related to the special counsel's investigation.

Mueller's team included Trump's past public attacks on Sessions in a list of topics they would like to cover in questioning the president, suggesting that the special counsel is examining whether they were intended to influence the investigation and possibly obstruct justice.

Sessions delegated authority over the election investigation after recusing himself to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who in May 2017 appointed Mueller special counsel to the probe. A group of conservative congressional allies of the president led by Representatives Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan launched an effort last week to impeach Rosenstein.Medical marijuana patients will be able to purchase cannabis in Worcester for the first time Thursday morning.

For Colorado-based Good Chemistry Nurseries, the day has been a long time coming. The company has been leasing its space at 9 Harrison St. for five years while the permitting process played out.

The Canal District shop will begin serving patients Thursday at 11 a.m., becoming the city's first dispensary.

"It's been quite a journey," CEO Matthew Huron said. "This has really been a labor of love for us."

Huron has been in the cannabis industry for nearly 20 years. He wanted to start a small medical marijuana co-op in California in 2000, as Huron's father and his father's partner both had HIV. The two died in 2009.

The co-op provided medicine for many of his father's friends who were also dying of complications from the virus.

Huron after 2009 moved his business to Colorado, which he said had better regulations at the time.

The company began with 10 to 15 employees and has now grown to about 180.

When Huron was looking into opening a Massachusetts location, he chose Worcester because he has family ties to the area. Both his aunt and uncle and grandparents lived in the city, and his father graduated from the College of the Holy Cross.

"It was a natural fit," Huron said.

Good Chemistry grows its own products at an off-site facility, and Huron said excellent quality will always be its focus.

"I think that differentiates us," he said.

The dispensary works closely with a Harvard-trained medical advisor and prioritizes education among patients. Good Chemistry even developed its own classification system to simplify the process for new patients who may not be familiar with cannabis.

Each strain is placed into at least one of four categories -- amplify, relax, relieve and sleep -- to help the patient decide which product is right for his or her medical condition.

Security is also a priority for the dispensary. Patients have to be buzzed in through a locked door and their medical marijuana card is verified before they can enter the sales floor. Once that happens, they are led into a spacious room where television monitors display a menu of products, ranging from flowers to edibles and tinctures.

Huron said the dispensary also plans to sell adult-use cannabis, but doesn't expect that to happen until at least the end of the year. Good Chemistry has already signed a Community Host Agreement with the city for the sale of recreational marijuana.

"That process is going to be a long process," he said.Candidates running for the office of lieutenant governor will have the opportunity to share their visions for the state's future during a forum at Worcester State University Wednesday evening.

The school's Binienda Center for Civic Engagement and four nonpartisan organizations will host the forum, beginning at 5:30 p.m. There will be an opportunity to network and members of the audience will have a chance to ask questions.

Democratic candidates Quentin Palfrey and Jimmy Tingle will be in attendance, but Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito is unable to attend.

The event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition and the NAACP of Boston in addition to Worcester State.

The forum kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with networking and light refreshments. The candidates' forum and audience questions begin at 6 p.m. The event will be held in the Student Center's Blue Lounge.

Worcester State University is located at 486 Chandler St.By Robert B. Engel



Amazon's Prime Day is often lauded as offering some of the best deals of the year in online shopping, but a closer look at the stream of corporate welfare that has helped fuel the rapid growth of Amazon's flagship subscription service reveals that Prime is a raw deal for consumers and taxpayers alike.

Massachusetts lawmakers, who have already given up enough taxpayer dollars to the tech giant, must think long and hard before giving another penny to the third-richest company in the world.



Analysts say the true value of the Prime package, which includes music and video streaming, books, clothing, food, and, of course, expedited shipping service, is over $780 per year. But members still only pay $119 for their Prime subscription. This seemingly-unbeatable deal for consumers only begins to make sense in light of the fact that Amazon has built its business model with a big assist from government hand-outs. In fact, Amazon has received over $14.5 million in subsidies from Massachusetts taxpayers since 2000.



Massachusetts is far from the only victim of Amazon's lobbying scheme. In total, the company's far reaching lobbying efforts have resulted in $1.5 billion in subsidies from taxpayers. From 2000 to 2017, Amazon spent at least $9.8 million on state lobbying - over $430,000 in Massachusetts alone - while making over $6 million in campaign contributions. According to Amazon's own reports, it spent almost $14 million on state and local "government relations efforts" between 2013 and 2017. As Amazon grows, it continues to ramp up its influence-peddling: over the last five years, Amazon has lobbied more government entities than any other tech company.



Meanwhile, local communities and small businesses have borne the cost of Amazon's strong-arm tactics. Taxpayers have lost out on more than $700 million in sales tax revenue, money that could have been used to ease crowding in schools, modernize crumbling infrastructure, or expand access to healthcare services. Amazon's refusal to pay its fair share has decimated good-paying jobs and small businesses, who are forced to try and compete with the tech behemoth. Amazon often promises economic development and new jobs at its warehouses and fulfilment centers in return for taxpayer assistance. But the company pays its employees an average salary of less than $29,000 annually, and data clearly shows that private-sector employment fails to increase after Amazon moves in.



Making matters worse, when small businesses resort to selling their wares on Amazon's e-commerce site, they face exorbitant fees that make it impossible for them to compete with major brands. Third-party merchants have complained for years that Amazon uses consumer and sale trend data to manipulate and drive down prices. While the tech giant vaunts itself as a company that supports small businesses and growth, the economic turmoil each Amazon expansion and acquisition leaves in its wake tells a very different story.



Amazon continues to fish for unprecedented amounts of corporate welfare from Massachusetts for its second headquarters, often called HQ2. But as Massachusetts state and city public officials weigh their priorities, Prime Day should serve as a resounding wake-up call. Taxpayers are tired of giving up their hard-earned money to the third-richest company in the world, helping to subsidize Amazon Prime and the record profits the subscription service helps generate. Last year, Amazon reported $177 billion in revenue, more than enough to build a second headquarters on their own dime.



The moment has come for Massachusetts lawmakers to stand up to Amazon and their army of lobbyists, prioritize our local communities, and finally say enough is enough.



Robert B. Engel is the chief spokesperson of the Free & Fair Markets Initiative, a nonprofit coalition focused on supporting a modern, fair marketplace that serves the best interests of small businesses, local communities and everyday Americans.By James T. Brett

Over the past 18 months, we have seen a marked shift in U.S. trade policy. Soon after taking office, President Donald Trump made good on his campaign promise and announced that the U.S. would seek to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a multilateral agreement with Canada and Mexico that was put into effect in 1994. In more recent months--amid reports that NAFTA talks have grown contentious and that the U.S. is considering withdrawing altogether--the Administration announced tariffs on certain imports that directly affect our neighbors to the immediate north and south.

Canada and Mexico are not only important allies, they are significant economic partners for the US, and for the New England states in particular. As the voice of the region's business community, The New England Council believes it is of critical importance that the U.S. continue to work toward a modernized NAFTA, and that the Administration should reconsider the tariffs against our partners in Canada and Mexico.

The impact of trade with Canada and Mexico on the New England economy cannot be understated. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Canada is the premier goods export market for businesses in five of the six New England states - in the sixth state, it is the second-largest market - representing more than $8.3 billion in exports in 2017 alone. Canada estimates that in 2017, service exports from our six states totaled nearly $3.3 billion. Mexico is also a top trade partner for our region, with three states counting our southern neighbor as their second- or third-ranking export market for goods. The region exported $4.4 billion worth of goods to Mexico in 2017, and remains a significant multi-billion-dollar market for goods produced in Mexico. Data from the International Trade Administration indicates some 10.7 million American jobs are supported by goods and services exports, and it is doubtless that tens of thousands of New England jobs rely upon trade with Canada and Mexico.

The tariffs that President Trump has put into place are already having a significant impact here in New England. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently released a state-by-state analysis of the impact of the emerging trade war on U.S. exports. According to the report, as a result of the Administration's tariffs, $125 million in Massachusetts exports to Canada are targeted for retaliation, and another $11 million in exports to Mexico are targeted for retaliation. Some of the hardest hit products include foods, household items, lighting, and furniture. In total, nearly $2.7 billion in New England exports to Canada and Mexico face retaliation.

It is certainly appropriate to revisit and update major trade agreements. Some elements of our economy did not even exist at the time NAFTA was first negotiated, and we commend the Administration for taking steps to modernize this historic agreement. At the same time, the President is right to be concerned about trade imbalances and to seek ways to minimize trade deficits. However, given the importance of trade with these two nations, it is gravely concerning that the Administration would even suggest withdrawing from NAFTA. Further, the evidence laid out by the U.S. Chamber's new report suggests that the tariffs are most certainly not serving our nation's best interests, and could harm disparate and unrelated sectors of our economy.

It is understandable that partners and neighbors, on occasion, can have temporary disagreements over policy considerations, including on trade matters. However, The New England Council believes it is crucial that the playing field remain open for businesses, workers, and families across New England, so that they - through no fault of their own - are not disadvantaged by potential retaliatory trade measures or a defunct NAFTA.



James T. Brett is the President & CEO of The New England Council, a non-partisan alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions, and public and private organizations throughout New England formed to promote economic growth.The Massachusetts Legislature is considering a bill that would require sexual misconduct climate surveys at all Massachusetts institutions of higher learning and develop anonymous reporting methods for victims.



The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Lori Ehrlich, a Marblehead Democrat, would require all of the colleges and universities in Massachusetts to conduct a climate survey every other year to gauge attitudes toward and the prevalence of sexual violence on their campuses.



"Every campus is different in regards to the prevalence and nature of sexual violence -- but what is true across the board is that students deserve a safe place to learn, study, and grow, as well as transparency from school administrations," Ehrlich said in a statement.





The survey would be distributed by the Commissioner of Higher Education every other year. A summary of this data would be posted online by each school so parents and prospective students can be informed.



The information collected would also aid policymakers in writing more legislation aimed at ending the "sexual violence epidemic," according to a news release from the House of Representatives.

Research shows that one in four college women and one in 16 college men will be the victims of rape or attempted rape during their years at college. More than one-third of women at colleges will face sexual harassment. These figures skew low as only 12 percent of college students report their assaults at all, according to the American Medical Association.



Boston Area Rape Crisis Center Executive Director Gina Scaramella said in a statement that this is because victims "fear retaliation" or "deep shame," or they need to maintain their relationship with the offender, who may be in the same classes or live in the same dorm.

"This is why sexual violence is truly a silent epidemic-- and to end it, we need more and better information," Scaramella said.

A version of the bill proposed late Tuesday also requires that schools adopt policies surrounding sexual violence that include reporting mechanisms and an explanation of victims' rights. This information is to be distributed annually before October 1.

Schools are to partner with sexual assault crisis service centers so students can access help off campus.

Institutions must also create a way for victims to report assaults, abuse, or any other acts of sexual misconduct anonymously.

John Gabrieli, the co-founder of Every Voice, called the vote a "victory for survivors of sexual assault across Massachusetts."Massachusetts lawmakers on Tuesday night rejected Gov. Charlie Baker's call for a study of traffic congestion rather than a pilot program involving congestion pricing.

"The time for studies is over, we demand action," said Sen. Joseph Boncore, D-Winthrop, Senate Transportation Committee chairman.

The Legislature, in their version of the state budget, passed a pilot program that would provide tolling discounts for drivers at off-peak times in specific locations. The goal would be to relieve traffic by encouraging drivers to avoid traveling at rush hour.

Baker did not sign that provision, however. Instead, he turned it into a study commission to look at the problem of congestion and how to solve it.

Baker said the state is "putting the cart before the horse" by moving ahead with a plan before studying whether it might work. "That plan makes specific recommendations about pricing and timing. Based on what? No data," Baker said.

Baker said a study could figure out what rush hour looks like, what happened when other states pursued congestion pricing and any other issues associated with traffic on roads that do not have tolls.

"A lot of other issues need to be addressed as part of this," Baker said.

But Boncore argued that the pilot program would give the state the chance to collect data and see if congestion pricing would work by encouraging drivers who have flexible schedules to switch their travel time.

Both the House and the Senate voted by a voice vote to reject Baker's amendment.

It was not a strictly partisan issue. Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, was one of the chief proponents of the pilot program.

If the Senate and the House vote to send the pilot program back to Baker, he has 10 days to review it. If Baker vetoes the pilot, lawmakers cannot override his veto since their formal session ends Tuesday.Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net

Srinagar: Cutting across political ideologies, almost all political parties, separatists, business communities, and other socio-religious organisations in Kashmir united and threatened to launch a mass agitation against any attempt to tinker with Article 35A.

The Supreme Court of India is going to hear a petition challenging Article 35A of the Constitution, which gives special rights and privileges to residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

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Former Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah; separatists Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have warned of unrest in Kashmir if any tampering was done with the Constitutional provision, while Kashmir-based trade organisations have also supported the call for agitation.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said in a rally in Srinagar recently that she has already conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the safeguarding of the special constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir forms part of the agenda of alliance.

Any tinkering with it would turn the state into a veritable inferno, Mufti said. She called for a united front of all political parties in the state to protect the law. National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, too, warned that his party wont allow the Centre to fiddle with the political status and honour of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) met at Geelanis residence on Sunday and deliberated on the serious challenge posed to Article 35A in the Supreme Court.

The attempt to change the demography of Jammu and Kashmir and insidiously destroy its disputed nature has always been on the agenda of BJP/RSS and the challenge to 35A in the Indian Supreme Court is a serious part of that plan, JRL said in a statement after the meet.

The leaders said that the plan meant Kashmiris will become a minority in their own land and will be pushed to the margins.

The separatist leaders have called for strikes on August 5 and 6 in the state and warned of launching a mass agitation of hitting and occupying streets.

On Monday the representatives of more than 27 organizations held a press conference where they warned of an agitation, in case Article 35A is removed or altered. They have also supported the strike call given by the Joint Resistance Leadership group on August 5, 6.

The Centres decision not to defend the rule, which has been challenged in the Supreme Court, has wiped out the political lines and brought together all Kashmiris. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the case on August 6.

Congress State General Secretary and MLA Bandipora Usman Majid in a statement said if Article 35A is scrapped, it will lead to civil war in Kashmir.

Majid said If BJP & RSS think that this war will remain restricted to Kashmir, they are living in a fools paradise. It will engulf the whole of India. According to reports, the Union government has declined to defend Jammu and Kashmir State in the apex court, putting the law seriously under threat.

Political experts believe that this is the best time for the centre to fiddle with the article as the state is currently under Governors rule. Some fear that removal of Article 35 might create another mass uprising like those of 2008, 2010 and 2016.

We wish to inform the general public that if the said Article is removed or tinkered with, then the rights of original citizens of Jammu and Kashmir on their immovable property and other such rights would be taken away and all Indians would be accorded a right to establish their settlements in length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir pushing away the original citizens. The purpose behind this PIL is devious to change the demographic character of Jammu Kashmir and alter the nature of the dispute that is internationally recognised. said a member of the Kashmiri business community.

The worry among the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir to resist against the attempted onslaught is very much justified. Let us make it amply clear that the hereditary state subject law of Jammu and Kashmir shall be protected at any cost even on the lives of the citizens and no tampering with this law would ever be tolerated. The powers that be are hereby put on notice to take all necessary steps to get the nefarious PIL filed by an RSS backed NGO dismissed at the earliest in order to save themselves from its political ramifications and consequences. This matter is related to the life and death of the people of Jammu Kashmir and we all are ready to spill our blood to safeguard this law, said Dr Mubeen Shah, former president of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce.

Article 35A, promulgated by the President in 1954, gives powers to the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define the permanent residents of the state and also their privileges. However, its constitutional validity has been challenged in the apex court where the case will come up for next hearing on August 6.

Business representatives appealed the Supreme Court to dismiss the petitions challenging the validity of the provision.

Speaking with Two Circle.net, trade leader Muhammad Yasin Khan said that it will have serious ramifications if Article 35A is tinkered with. He said people of Chenab Valley and Pir Panchal are supporting them and they are on the same page.

There is apprehension that it (Article 35A) might be diluted and at the same time, there can be a strong reaction from the people. Kashmir is already alienated and the society is mobilised, it will get further alienated, said Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a well-known Kashmiri political analyst.

Any fiddling with Article 35(A) will have serious repercussions; it will directly affect people of this place, entire demography will be changed so people have to think in those terms, said Advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom, President Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association.

Another young political commentator from South Kashmir Hafiz Abdul Bari believes that fiddling with Article 35(A) means Jammu and Kashmir is Palestine in becoming.

It clearly means we will have lost everything in due course of time; our land, jobs resources, culture and even religion, he says, adding, The current political establishment in India may assume that Abrogation of Article 35 A may lead to national integration, but I believe it will certainly add to the already-present alienation among the people of Jammu and Kashmir.House-Senate negotiators were unable to reach consensus on a major overhaul of the health care system, dooming the issue until next year.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't come to an agreement," said Sen. Jim Welch, D-West Springfield, chairman of the Committee on Health Care Financing and one of the lead negotiators on the bill. "It became very clear unfortunately that the large dominant players in the industry just had too much influence over the negotiations, and we weren't able to get past it."

The Massachusetts Senate passed a major health care cost containment bill in November. The House passed its bill in June, framing it as a way to improve the fiscal health of community hospitals.

The House named its bill after the late Rep. Peter Kocot, a Northampton Democrat who was the House chairman of the Committee on Health Care Financing until his death in February.

But negotiators were unable to reach a resolution before the session ended Tuesday night.

The House bill envisioned a one-time fee on large hospitals and insurers that would provide funding for three years to community hospitals and community health centers. The Senate bill addressed the problem of price variation that hurts community hospitals by limiting the difference in prices that insurers are allowed to pay and penalizing high-spending hospitals.

Welch said resolving the issue of how to deal with price variation was one of the sticking points in the negotiations.

Both bills contained provisions encouraging and regulating telemedicine, providing more transparency in drug pricing, eliminating surprise out-of-network billing and regulating facility fees.

The conferees received input from a wide range of people in the healthcare field expressing concerns about various parts of the bill.

Business groups had worried that both bills would raise premium costs, whether because of the House's fee on hospitals and insurers or a Senate provision raising the minimum amount a hospital can be paid by an insurer compared to the statewide average.

Trade associations representing urgent care facilities wrote in a letter that an 8.75 percent tax on some specialty clinics, including urgent care centers, would "be a terminal event for the urgent care industry in Massachusetts."

Welch said Tuesday before the talks collapsed that the last-minute negotiation was "something we would have liked to have avoided." But he said, "For a complex bill like this, a lot to digest, a lot to compromise, it's taken some time."During the final hours of the legislative session, the Massachusetts Senate passed a bill that would give unions power to provide benefits only to their members, in a response to a recent Supreme Court decision.

Sen. Joseph Boncore, D-Winthrop, who sponsored the bill, S.2644, called the bill "the first step toward returning power to democracy, power to the workers, power to the unions."

The U.S. Supreme Court, in Janus vs. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 31, banned the use of "fair share" or "agency" fees, which are fees that workers whose workplaces are unionized must pay even if the workers choose not to join the union.

Massachusetts had been one of 21 states that allowed public sector unions to collect these fees from non-members.

Boncore said called the court decision a "low watermark for labor and workers' rights" that will "encourage free riders while depriving unions of the fundamental resources they need to represent workers."

Under the bill, which passed the Senate on a voice vote Tuesday night, a union would be required to represent everyone in a particular bargaining unit - such as workers in one state agency - only for purposes of negotiating a contract and enforcing the terms of an agreement with the employer. The union would then be allowed to provide additional "legal, economic or job-related services or benefits" to its members.

The union could charge non-members for costs incurred when the union is representing a non-member in a grievance or arbitration.

Boncore said that provides "a fair system for continued representation" of all workers.

The bill would also allow union representatives to meet with each new employee and give unions access to the addresses and phone numbers of all employees.

The Pioneer Institute, a free market think tank, wrote a response to a similar, though not identical, proposal last week. It said the bill: "would gut Massachusetts labor relations law," which currently prohibits public employers from discriminating against those who are not union members in hiring, tenure, or any term or condition of employment. The Pioneer Institute warned that employees could be intimidated or coerced into joining a union under these provisions.

Paul Craney, of the conservative Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, called the bill "another kick to the state's employers. "It's none of the unions business who an employer hires," Craney said. "This givesspecial treatment to union bosses so they can have their way with newhires."

Craney said the public "should be nervous" when unions ask the Legislature to pass bills at the last minute.

It is unclear if the House will take up the bill before the session ends at midnight.Attempts to add hundreds of millions of dollars to Massachusetts' education funding formula fell apart Tuesday on the last night of the legislative session.

"Following an incredible amount of work and good faith negotiations by both parties, we were unable to come to a compromise on Foundation Budget Review legislation," the House negotiators, led by House Education Committee chairwoman Alice Peisch, D-Wellesley, said in a joint statement.

Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, D-Boston, Senate chairwoman of the Education Committee, said the Senate offered major concessions on structure, content, and money. "In the end, House leadership rejected all our offers, moved the goal posts, and then killed the bill completely - stunningly, by rejecting one of their own proposals," Chang-Diaz said.

"I've never seen so many rationalizations and double-standards employed to avoid doing what's right for kids," Chang-Diaz said, calling the failure to reach agreement "unfathomable and inexcusable."

The Foundation Budget Review Commission in 2015 recommended major changes to the way the state pays for education. That report found that the funding formula pays significantly less than the amount needed to cover the cost of education.

Both the House and the Senate initially agreed to implement two of the commission's recommendations: increasing the amount paid for employee health insurance benefits and for special education services. This could cost an estimated $500 million over five years, although that number depends on how it is implemented. Some estimates say the House version of bill would cost less than $300 million.

But House and Senate lawmakers disagreed over how to implement two other recommendations related to helping low-income students in districts that have a high concentration of poverty and changing the way payments for English language learners are calculated.

The Senate wanted to include those recommendations in the bill now. The House would have directed the state education commissioner to develop a plan and a cost estimate for implementing them, with an eye toward consideration in the 2020 budget.

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation has estimated that the low-income and English language learner recommendations would cost another $500 million to $700 million, but those numbers could vary widely depending on the details of how the payments are calculated.

Some advocates for public schools had worried that under the House plan, the extra money for poor students and those learning English would never be added to the funding formula.

The House negotiators said talks were complicated by new information obtained from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and by the complex nature of recalculating the different parts of the education funding formula. They said the education department cautioned that different assumptions made as part of the funding formula could cause variances of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The House conferees said despite the collapse of this bill, the House remains committed to providing additional money to address the Foundation Budget Review Commission's recommendations in the future.

But Chang-Diaz said, "Where there's a will, there's a way." Chang-Diaz said lawmakers have had the recommendations for three years. "If we don't have the capacity to figure this out, voters and taxpayers should be very worried about everything we do," she said.

She said lawmakers will continue trying to address the issue next year.

Sen. Sal DiDomenico, D-Everett, a member of the conference committee, said he is "deeply disappointed" that conferees were unable to reach agreement.

"These schools, their teachers, and most importantly their students do not have time to wait for the Legislature to take action, which is why I find it so disheartening that we do not have a final compromise bill," DiDomenico said in a statement. "The Legislature simply cannot delay action on this issue any longer, and we must act swiftly next session to ensure substantive and long lasting reforms that provide equity for all schools in Massachusetts."

Brandy Fluker-Oakley, executive director of the teacher-led organization Educators for Excellence-Boston, said in a statement, "We see this stalemate as an example of what happens when teachers are denied a seat at the table. The conferees do not see the urgency of what is at stake."Raising concerns about the role U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh could have on decisions impacting LGBTQ issues, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, urged Americans Wednesday to join her and others in speaking out against his confirmation.

The senator, in a conference call with human rights activists, argued that Kavanaugh, if confirmed, could shift the high court's bench more in favor of corporations and powerful lobbyists -- at the expense of women, the environment workers, civil rights and the LGTBQ community, among others.

Noting that Kavanaugh was selected from a list of judges pre-vetted by conservative groups, Warren said he's "a threat ... to everyone who isn't wealthy and well-connected."

She urged supporters of gay and transgender rights to make their voices heard by urging against Kavanaugh's confirmation in the U.S. Senate.

"(President Donald) Trump is not a king: He can't nominate someone to the Supreme Court without a majority of support in the Senate. When people raise their voices, they get heard in Congress," she said, pointing to the role public outcry played in preventing Republicans from repealing the Affordable Care Act last summer.

"If we raise our voices we have a chance to stay in this fight," Warren continued. "We need just one vote -- we needed three a year ago. If we can get one vote to join the Democrats, then we can push back on the Kavanaugh nomination."

Although Warren acknowledged that opponents will face an uphill climb, she urged Americans to "persist."

Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, also spoke out against Kavanaugh's nomination, arguing that his record suggests he'd allow "discrimination based on religious beliefs."

"This is not just about one Supreme Court nominee, but about the future of our nation," she said on the conference call.

Gupta called for the release of Kavanaugh's full record as a member of George W. Bush's administration and urged senators to refuse to hold a hearing on his confirmation until such documents are turned over.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, further cast Kavanaugh's nomination as "a battle for the soul of our country."

Offering that the Supreme Court will likely weigh in on several cases regarding LGBTQ issues in the coming years -- like same sex couples' ability to adopt children or the Trump administration's efforts to ban transgender troops -- the senator he has no doubt Kavanaugh would help "tear away, case-by-case, the rights of LGBTQ Americans that have been established so far."

"This decision over Kavanaugh is central to this path forward. This court is going to have a huge influence over which vision of the Constitution is embodied," he told reporters.

Trump announced in early July that he would nominate Kavanaugh, a U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit judge, to fill the seat held by retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Kavanaugh has drawn criticism from Democrats on abortion-related issues -- particularly for siding with the Trump administration's refusal to help a pregnant teen in immigration custody access abortion services -- among other things.

The White House, however, has remained firm that Trump did not ask Kavanaugh about his stance on abortion before announcing his nomination.The Massachusetts Legislature doubled the cost of an economic development bill before passing it early Wednesday morning.

Earlier versions of the bill had authorized the spending of around $600 million, but after the House and Senate finished adding earmarks for local projects, the final cost of the bill increased to $1.15 billion.

Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, Senate chairman of the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, said, "Too many families are struggling to make ends meet and too many workers are looking for work. This bill is designed to rebalance the scales so that our economy works for everyone and fosters growth in every corner of our commonwealth."

The economic development bill is an annual piece of legislation that funds municipal projects, job training, and other economic development programs.

The final bill includes authorization to spend $537,845 on various local projects.

It includes $250,000 for MassWorks, which gives grants to cities and towns for public infrastructure that promotes economic development. Another $100,000 would go to coastal communities and $100,000 would be spent expanding a Boston cruise port. It includes $75 million for workforce skills capital grants, which fund workforce training and technical education programs, and $50 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund.

Gov. Charlie Baker must still sign the bill into law, then actually appropriate the money in order for the projects to go forward.

Massachusetts lawmakers also included non-compete reform as part of the bill.

Businesses use non-compete agreements to prohibit employees from going to work for a competitor and sharing inside knowledge. But advocates for reform say they are increasingly being overused in Massachusetts.

Attempts at non-compete reform fell through in the final moments of the last legislative session in 2016.

The Senate reintroduced non-compete reform in its version of the economic development bill earlier this month, and it remained in the final bill. The reform would limit who can be subject to a non-compete and how non-competes can be structured.

The final bill also includes a crackdown on patent trolls, companies that send large numbers of letters to companies alleging that the company is infringing on a patent and demanding money to avoid a lawsuit.

The bill would prohibit someone from making an assertion of patent infringement "in bad faith" and would let someone file a civil lawsuit if they are the target of a bad faith patent claim.

The Massachusetts Senate had adopted an amendment that would let voters in particular regions agree to a new tax to fund specific transportation projects through the use of regional ballot initiatives. That provision was left out of the final bill.BOSTON -- The state Legislature passed a compromise energy bill Tuesday that won measured accolades from industry groups and faint praise from the environmental sector.

During two weeks of House and Senate negotiations, most of the ambitious Senate bill was left on the cutting room floor -- meaning that Massachusetts won't adopt a revenue-neutral carbon tax or shoot for much of a 100-percent renewable target at this time.

While environmental advocacy groups expressed dismay, clean tech business interests found some reason to celebrate.

The Northeast Clean Energy Council, a membership organization, said the legislation "is a step in the right direction" and "targets some of our top clean energy priorities."

The bill boosts the renewable portfolio standard, nixes a solar demand charge, establishes a stronger target for storage, helps modernize the grid, broadens efficiency in buildings, and allows for more offshore wind procurement, the council noted.

The Business Network for Offshore Wind said it's "another step forward in what has been an incredible exciting year for the offshore wind industry." The bill creates a path for procuring another 1,600 megawatts of offshore wind capacity, doubling the 1,600 megawatt commitment authorized in 2016.

Offshore wind advocates also praised a 1,000 megawatt storage target. That's because storage, including large batteries, can help intermittent renewables behave more like baseload power plants as they find their place within the market-based grid.

Solar Energy Industries Association said it's good that the legislature got rid of a controversial "demand charge" for new rooftop solar customers in Eversource territory. The Department of Public Utilities ruled earlier this year that the charge was permissible.

"Allowing utilities to discriminate against homeowners simply for adding solar to their roofs is always the wrong decision, which is why it hasn't worked in other states," said the association.

The industry group expressed dismay that the bill did not lift caps on net metering for non-residential solar facilities. Net metering allows solar owners billing credit for the energy they produce. Utilities have opposed lifting the caps.

The omission "means some Bay State businesses and communities who want to go solar are unable to do so," wrote Sean Gallagher, SEIA's vice president of state affairs. "Across the state, solar projects, jobs and millions of dollars of investment remain stalled."

The Conservation Law Foundation said the bill represents "half-hearted nods towards progress," and Ben Hellerstein of Environment Massachusetts said lawmakers chose a "base hit" over a home run.

Others who had been excited about the Senate bill expressed disappointment over the watered-down measure that emerged from committee.

For instance, the Senate had proposed a 3 percent yearly growth in the amount of clean energy that utilities must buy, leading to a 100 percent renewable target in 2047.

The compromise bill authorizes a slower growth rate. It would raise the renewable portfolio standard by 2 percent through 2029, and then 1 percent thereafter. That would mean a 45 percent renewable target by 2040.

The Massachusetts Sierra Club lashed out.

"We had an opportunity to be bold and grow jobs, improve public health, stabilize energy costs and reduce the fossil fuel pollution that is warming the planet, and instead Beacon Hill has sided with the status quo of fossil fuel and utility companies, over the innovation clean energy and high tech economies," said chapter director Emily Norton.

One innovative measure that made the cut was a "clean peak standard." It would reward renewable resources that generate power when the demand for electricity is high, such as during cold spells. The idea is to reduce reliance on oil and coal plants during those times.

Hellerstein said the list of eligible clean peak resources includes biomass and trash-to-energy plants, "which we know to be polluting technologies."

Kathryn Eiseman, a leader in the statewide movement to block interstate pipeline expansion, said the bill does nothing to reform the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, a cause championed by Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington.

Advocates have railed against the idea of electricity ratepayers footing the bill for natural gas pipelines, and protested when their district legislators were denied full intervenor status in pipeline-related proceedings before MassDPU that would impact Western Mass.

Among other things, state utility regulators are in charge of approving capacity agreements between pipeline firms such as Kinder Morgan and local gas distribution companies.

"The pipeline lobby is already ramping up in preparation for next session, so we will continue to push back against DPU practices that promote pipeline overbuild, and we'll work to make sure that ratepayers aren't burdened with the costs of unneeded new gas infrastructure that moves us further from our climate goals," said Eiseman.

Senate minority leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, said "Massachusetts must continue to make progress on increasing usage of renewable energy and decreasing carbon emissions," and that the bill is a start.

"Clearly, we have much more to do in the future, but it would be a shame to forfeit progress on this year's session and the consensus developed over the last several days," he said. "The progress made in this bill must be the basis for further action in the future."

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.comWORCESTER -- A Massachusetts federal judge on Wednesday again ordered FEMA to extend its shelter benefits for those who evacuated Puerto Rico following September 2017 hurricanes, allowing families to remain in agency-supported hotel rooms through the end of August.

U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Hillman issued his third extension of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Temporary Shelter Assistance program after hearing arguments on whether he should order a longer-term injunction to prevent the Trump administration from ending support for Hurricane Maria evacuees.

Hillman's decision to continue the temporary restraining order preventing evacuee evictions allows hurricane survivors to stay in FEMA-supported shelter through Aug. 31 -- more than two months after the agency had planned to terminate TSA program benefits for those impacted by the storm.

A formal ruling on the oral arguments expected before Aug. 31.

FEMA spokesman Juan A. Rosado-Reynes said the agency is aware of the continuation and is "working to comply with the order." He would not comment further on pending litigation.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, praised the court's extension, calling it "great" for many families who fled to the Bay State in wake of the hurricane.

The Democrat, whose office has worked to help local evacuees find housing, however, again urged FEMA to offer these families long-term shelter.

"FEMA must help them find long-term solutions. If they don't, we should pass my bill to force FEMA to do its job," she tweeted.

Warren and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, introduced legislation in May to require FEMA 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.

LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, LLP and the Law Offices of Hector E. Pineiro requested a national injunction in Massachusetts federal court before FEMA benefits were set to run out for Hurricane Maria evacuees on June 30.

U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin granted the temporary restraining order, instructing FEMA to continue covering the costs of hotel stays through checkout on July 4.

Hillman, on July 3, ordered the Trump administration to extend FEMA shelter aid for Hurricane Maria evacuees through midnight on July 23.

Weeks later, he extended the deadline through Aug. 6 as the court prepared for the Aug. 1 hearing in the case, which civil rights advocates filed to halt the scheduled evictions of Puerto Rican residents residing in hotels through the FEMA program.

Nearly 300 evacuee households remained living in Massachusetts hotel rooms through FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance program or state support as of July 19.

More than 1,000 families, meanwhile, were checked into hotels participating in FEMA's shelter program across 25 states and Puerto Rico as of July 31, officials noted.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated when more information becomes available.Update 11:30 a.m.: The bill did not make it through the legislature Tuesday night. Its future is unclear.

Massachusetts lawmakers moved Tuesday night to make it illegal for licensed professionals who treat children and adolescents to practice "conversion therapy," which aims to change sexual orientation, gender identity or gender behaviors.

The bill would prohibit any state-licensed mental health professionals from using practices that seek to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of anyone under 18. This would not apply to non-licensed religious counselors.



Any health care providers who promote or perform conversion therapy would be subject to discipline from their licensing board, including a possible suspension or revocation of a license to practice.





Professionals can still "provide acceptance, support, and understanding of an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression," through traditional methods, according to lawmakers.The Red Sox are in danger of losing some depth on Wednesday. According to a major-league source, both Adam Lind and Brandon Phillips can opt out of their minor-league deals with Boston on Thursday.

Lind and Phillips are both with Triple-A Pawtucket and are providing organizational depth for the Red Sox after being unable to find major-league contracts as free agents. Boston's trade acquisitions-- first baseman Steve Pearce and second baseman Ian Kinsler-- are blocking both Lind and Phillips, making it unlikely either will reach the big-league club as the roster is currently constructed.

Lind signed with Boston on June 2 after being released by the Yankees and owns a .216/.270/.383 line with seven homers in 45 games for the PawSox. He had an opt-out on July 1 but decided to remain with the organization.

Phillips, who signed on June 27, spent time with Lowell before reaching Pawtucket and hitting .229/.341/.414 in 10 games. He missed time due to an injury this week but returned Monday, going 3-for-6.

Phillips is out of Pawtucket's lineup Tuesday night.Blood Glucose Test Strip Market  Key Players

Some of the key players for Blood Glucose Test Strip Market are:

Abbott Laboratories

Acon Laboratories, Inc

Allmedicus

Apex Biotechnology Corporation

Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings Ag

Braun Melsungen Ag

HMD Biomedical

I-Sens, Inc.

Lifescan, Inc.

Roche Diagnostics

Taidoc Technology Corporation

Blood Glucose Test Strip Global Market  Competitive Analysis

The market of Blood Glucose Test Strip is fiercely competitive as well as fragmented due to the presence of numerous matured & small key players in the market. These market players try to gain competitive advantage through strategic partnership, acquisition, expansion, collaboration, product & technology launch. Heavy investments are transpired in the R&D to develop a completely different technology compared to their competition.

Blood Glucose Test Strip Market  Segments

The Blood Glucose Test Strip Market can be segmented in to 2 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding;

By Technologies: Comprises Thick Film Electrochemical, Thin Film Electrochemical, & Optical among others

By Regions: North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.

Blood Glucose Test Strip Market  Industry, Innovation & Related News

April 13, 2018  Livongo Health (US) a start-up developing connected devices and software for diabetics and other chronic conditions. The company completely devoted to provide cost-competitive aid for diabetes, has already developed its own glucometer & apps providing accurate readings. Livongo, also ships test strips to patients at no additional cost. The company announced that it has bagged the investment for USD 105 million to support the further development of its technology and a partnership from Cambia Health Solution.

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Blood Glucose Test Strip Market  Overview

Blood Glucose Test Strips are small disposable strips which are used in conjugation with blood glucose meters for monitoring and controlling diabetes. These strips have glucose oxidase impregnated on them, which when reacts with glucose present in the blood gluconic acid. The market for Blood Glucose Test Strips is expected to grow at steady CAGR by the end of the forecasted period.

Blood Glucose Test Strip Market  Regional Analysis

North America market leads the Global Blood Glucose Test Strip Market with the significant market share. The market is further expected to reach astronomical amounts growing at a substantial CAGR throughout the forecast period (2017-2027). Well-developed healthcare sector, increasing prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. & Canada coupled with the high per capita healthcare expenditures of these economies, together drive the regional market growth. Moreover, presence of some of the matured market players fuels the market growth.

Europe & Asia Pacific is the second & third largest market respectively in the Global Blood Glucose Test Strip Market. Expected to be a fastest growing market Asia pacific region is estimated to grow rapidly over the projected period. Increasing healthcare expenditures along with favourable government policies of developing economies like India and China foster the market growth in APAC.

While the worlds second largest market of Blood Glucose Test Strip, Europe is predominantly driven by the availability of funds for research, well-developed healthcare infrastructure, huge patient population, & government support for research & development. Besides, economieshaving high healthcare expenditures such as the UK & Germany propel the growth of the Europe market.

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Major Table of Content

Chapter 1. Report Prologue

Chapter 2. Market Introduction

2.1 Definition

2.2 Scope of the Study

2.2.1 Research Objective

2.2.2 Assumptions

2.2.3 Limitations

Chapter 3. Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Primary Research

3.3 Secondary Research

3.4 Market Size Estimation

Chapter 4. Market Dynamics

Continued.

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Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.comComa refers to a state of unconsciousness in which a patient remains unresponsive to anything around them for a prolonged period of time. Depending on the severity of the coma, patient may require life-saving resuscitative measures and once the patient is medically stable, treatments can be used to treat original problem that is causing the coma.

There are various causes of coma such as traumatic brain injuries and are often caused by accidents or acts of violence. Strokes occur due to reduced or interrupted blood supply to the brain which is caused by blocked arteries or a burst blood vessel resulting in a coma. The other main cause of coma is tumors in the brain or brainstem. In some cases overdosing on drugs or alcohol can result in coma. Moreover, people with diabetes, blood sugar levels that become too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia) causes coma. People who have been rescued from drowning or those who have been resuscitated after a heart attack may not awaken due to lack of oxygen to the brain. Furthermore infections such as encephalitis and meningitis cause swelling or inflammation of the brain, spinal cord or the tissues that surround the brain in severe cases of these infections can result in coma. Moreover, in some cases exposure to toxins, such as carbon monoxide or lead, can cause brain damage and coma.

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Increasing prevalence of neurological disorders, increasing investment by biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in R&D, and rising need for the better treatment methods drive the growth of the market. Moreover, favorable reimbursement policies, increased application and significant investments in the development of new technologies for the treatment of diseases will fuel the market growth during the forecast period

Furthermore, globalization in healthcare has increased the market growth. Established market players in the developed countries leads the globalization by pushing new products and services into the developing countries and emerging economies.

According to the World Health Organization estimates, neurological disorders are responsible for 4.5%-11% of all illnesses including low or high income economies. This is far higher as compared to the number of respiratory ailments, gastrointestinal disorders, or cancers, and the burden is expected to increase further over the coming years.

However, limited availability of facilities and higher treatment cost may hamper the market growth during the forecast period.

The global coma diagnosis & treatment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~7.1% during the forecast period 2017-2023.

Segmentations

The global coma diagnosis & treatment market is segmented on the basis of types, diagnosis, treatment, and end user.

On the basis of the type, it is segmented into toxic- metabolic encephalopathy, anoxic brain injury, persistent vegetative state, locked-in syndrome, and brain death.

On the basis of diagnosis it is segmented into physical examination, blood test, brain scans, and others. Brain scan is further segmented into computerized tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG).

On the basis of treatment it is segmented into medical treatment, and others.

On the basis of the end user, it is segmented into hospitals & clinics, research laboratories and others.

Regional Analysis

The Americas dominate the global coma diagnosis & treatment market owing to well-developed technology, increasing patient population for brain disorder, high health care spending, and increasing government support for research & development. Furthermore, increased R&D activities and the concentration of major companies have fuelled the growth of the market in this region.

Europe holds the second position in the global coma diagnosis & treatment market owing to the government support for research & development and availability of funds for research. This is expected to continue to drive the European market over the forecasted period. For instance, developed economies such countries such as Germany and France are increasing investment in the healthcare domain and are focusing more on hospital infrastructure.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing coma diagnosis & treatment market owing to the presence of rapidly developing healthcare technology, increasing stressful life, and high healthcare expenditure. Moreover, increasing patient population in countries like India and South Korea are likely to emerge as the fastest growing market across the globe. Furthermore, increasing demand for quality devices in the healthcare is projected to lead the use of advanced equipment, which, in turn, may increase the market growth in this region.

On the other hand, the Middle East & Africa holds the least share of the market owing to less availability of funds, limited medical facilities, and deprived political conditions in Africa.

Key Players

Some of key the players in the market are Fujifilm Holdings (Japan), GE Healthcare (U.S.), Siemens Healthcare(U.S.), Philips Healthcare (U.S.), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Japan), Carestream Health (U.S.), Nihon Kohden Corporation (Japan), Electrical Geodesics Inc. (U.S.), Masimo Corporation (U.S.), Hologic (U.S.), Esaote (Italy), and others.

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Detailed Table of Contents:

1 Report Prologue

2 Introduction

2.1 Definition

2.2 Scope Of The Study

2.2.1 Research Objective

2.2.2 Assumptions

2.2.3 Limitations

2.3 Market Structure

2.4. Market Segmentation

3 Research Methodology

3.1 Research Process

3.2 Primary Research

3.3 Secondary Research

3.4 Market Size Estimation

3.5 Forecast Model

4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.2 Restraints

4.3 Opportunities

4.4 Mega Trends

4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators

5 Market Factor Analysis

5.1 Value Chain Analysis

5.2 Porters Five Forces

5.3 Demand & Supply: Gap Analysis

5.4 Pricing Analysis

5.5 Investment Opportunity Analysis

Continued

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Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comNIPT helps obstetricians and pregnant women over different age-groups to better manage their pregnancy at a very early stage. Over the last few years, an increasing number of women in Tier-1 cities in India are giving preference to their career, and are opting for childbearing at a later age, stretching to their 30s. As a result, a rising trend of conception related complications can be observed in Indian cities. In India, around 80,000-100,000 IVF cycles are performed annually. Also, due to the large number of births, India has the largest number of babies born with chromosomal disorders in the world. Every year, between 23,000 and 29,000 children are born with Downs syndrome in India, the highest in the world. Up to 90% of such cases can be detected if pregnant mothers opt for genetic screening, which represents a tremendous opportunity for NIPT tests in India in future.

According to research report Indian NIPT Market Outlook 2022, with the launch of NIPT tests, India represents a great opportunity for the growth of NIPT. In this regard, in October 2015, MedGenome collaborated with Natera for providing Panorama test in India. The company performed 1000 free NIPT test to identify the pattern of chromosomal abnormalities in fetus. However, factors such as lack of awareness relatively lower affordability, and a high number of births taking place in rural India limit the growth of the industry.

The report provides the potential market for NIPT in India. Furthermore, the report also provides a depiction of macro-economic factors, healthcare infrastructure and population demographics to assess the industry potential and growth. The report also covers a brief description regarding the available NIPT tests in India as well as in global market. Moreover, regulatory scenario has been prudently analyzed to reflect a clear picture of the immense possibilities in the Indian NIPT market.

Pathology labs and IVF clinics in India are rapidly expanding their networks, and witnessing a huge surge in fertility tourism and so in NIPT. The report also includes the findings from another survey namely Gynecologists survey to assess the potential for NIPT in India, which reveal moderate awareness level of NIPT in India and highlights tremendous scope of NIPT that could revolutionize the prenatal diagnosis scenario in India.

The last section of the report discusses about the prominent players in the global as well as Indian market with a brief business overview and analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, which will act as a pristine source of business intelligence for players looking to enter the highly lucrative Indian NIPT market. Besides, detailed profiling of Indian pathology labs and IVF clinics will help the medical centers who are seeking for partnerships and collaborations to make an informed decision. Overall, the research contains exhaustive information that will help clients in formulating market strategies, and assessing opportunity and potential areas in the Indian NIPT market.

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Table of Content

Analyst View Research Methodology Introduction to Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) Association of Downs syndrome Risk to Fetus with Mothers Age India: Macro-Economic Factors, Healthcare Infrastructure and Population Demographics NIPT India: Market Potential Regulatory Scenario Global NIPT Players Indian NIPT Players Key Players in Indian Pathological Services Market Key IVF Clinics in India

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Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)The Global Piriformis Syndrome Market expected to drive the market by major factors such as growing occurrence of Piriformis Syndrome, increasing screening for neuromuscular conditions, growing success of drug treatment for the syndrome, and the growing geriatric population are expected to drive the growth of Additionally, according to the data published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), in 2015.

However, the complications of the piriformis surgery and lack of awareness about the syndrome in developing countries may hamper the growth of the market during the assessment period. Furthermore, challenges in the diagnosis of the piriformis syndrome may hamper the growth of the market.

Piriformis Syndrome Key Players Overview:

Bayer AG, Novartis AG, AstraZeneca, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Omron Healthcare, Sanofi S.A., DePuy Synthes Companies, Miracle Stretch, LLC, Flex Pharma, Inc., Nidd valley medical, SEIRIN Corporation and others.

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Segmentation:

The Global Piriformis Syndrome Market is segmented on the basis of cause, diagnostic test, treatment, distribution channel, and end-user. On the basis of cause, the market is classified as trauma, spasms, overuse injury, and others.

The piriformis syndrome market on the basis of diagnostic tests is segmented as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), X-ray, Computed Tomography (CT), neurophysiologic testing, Electromyography (EMG), Beatty Test, FAIR (Flexion, adduction, and Internal Rotation) test, and others.

On the basis of treatment, the market is segmented into medication, physical therapy, acupuncture, prolotherapy, Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT), surgery, and others. The medication is further segmented into Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), piriformis muscle injection, and others. NSAIDs are further segmented into naproxen, ibuprofen, and others. Further, the piriformis muscle injection is segmented into Botox injection, steroid injections, and others.

The global piriformis syndrome market, by distribution channel, is segmented into E-commerce, retail pharmacies and others.

On the basis of end-user, the global piriformis syndrome market is segmented as hospitals and clinics, diagnostic centers, and others.

Geographically, the global piriformis syndrome market has been segmented into the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The American piriformis syndrome market is further segmented into North America and South America. North America is further classified as the US and Canada.

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The European piriformis syndrome market is segmented into Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Western Europe is further classified as Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and the rest of Western Europe.

The piriformis syndrome market in Asia-Pacific is segmented into Japan, China, India, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and the Rest of Asia-Pacific.

The Middle Eastern and African piriformis syndrome market is segmented into the Middle East and Africa.

Piriformis Syndrome Market Regional Analysis:

The Global Piriformis Syndrome Market consists of four regions, namely, the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The North American region holds the major share of the global piriformis syndrome market, owing to the existing well-established healthcare system, increasing secondary lifestyle, and increasing geriatric population.

Additionally, a large number of orthopedic procedures due to greater healthcare penetration in the US and Canada contributes to the growth of the market. Europe is anticipated to hold the second largest position in the global piriformis market owing to the growing government support for research and development activities. Additionally, Asia-Pacific the piriformis market in Asia-Pacific consists of countries, namely, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia, and the rest of Asia-Pacific.

The Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to be the fastest growing region in the market owing to the huge population base and rising healthcare expenditure. Furthermore, the Middle East and Africa holds the lowest share of the global market owing to the lack of awareness about the syndrome and poor economic conditions, especially in the African region.

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Global Radiotherapy Market  Major Players

Some of the players are involved in manufacturing of the Radiotherapy those are,

GE Healthcare(UK)

Siemens (Germany)

Varian(India)

Cardinal Health(US)

Nordion(CA)

Isoray(US)

View ray (US)

Fuji Holdings(Japan)

Philips Healthcare (US)

Shimadzu Corporation (Japan)

Hologic (US)

Global Radiotherapy Market  Competitive Analysis

View Ray, recently announced that the company has showcased its next generation MRI-guided radiation therapy solution, MRIdian Linac, at ESTRO 36, the annual meeting of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, which was held on May 5-9, 2017 in Vienna, Austria.

Isoray, company also has a new technique which into phase 3 of the clinical trials which will treat prostate cancer. The technique for the treatment is known as brachytherapy alone.

Varian, company has recently presented a new radiosurgery techniques for the optimal targeting of the multiple metastases. The metastases targeted are in the brain, spine, head & neck, and lung at the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (ISRS) meeting in Montreux, Switzerland. Company has also announced that it has been selected through its distributor, Business Alignment, to supply and install a Varian ProBeam Compact single-room proton therapy system in the oncology center at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. First patient treatments are expected to start in the second half of 2019.

Philips Healthcare, is a global leader in health technology, has announced the launch of IntelliSpace Oncology, a new cloud-based oncology decision-support solution that offers seamless data integration across specialties and locations, data-driven decision making, and tools for proactive patient involvement. Recently company has opened its first innovation center in Russia. The center is Located at the Skolkovo Innovation Center in Moscow. The center will have a team of scientists developing the next generation of health technologies based on computer and data science, and artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Global Radiotherapy Market  Highlights

The Radiotherapy Market will grow very rapidly at a rate of 7% CAGR during the forecasted period 2017-2023. The market is expected to reach USD 7 million from 4.5 million in 2016 during the forecasted period.

The focus of radiotherapy is to destroy the unwanted cells and avoid damaging healthy cells as much as possible. The damages cell stops repairing itself when the cell is damaged through DNA and are broken down by the natural process of body. The radiotherapy treatment are less painful than the chemotherapy and surgeries. The radiotherapy also have some side effects along with it. The side-effects of radiation therapy are nausea, hair loss, skin problems, fatigue, appetite loss, diarrhea, fertility issues could potentially hamper radiotherapy devices market growth.

Radiotherapy is generally used as a treatment for cancer. Around four out of every ten people are treated for cancer undergo radiotherapy. Normally together with other types of treatment including chemotherapy and surgery. Radiotherapy usually uses high power X-rays to destroy unwanted cells, such as cancer cells.

Global Radiotherapy Market  Regional Analysis

The radiotherapy market is segmented into four main geographic regions Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. America holds the larger market in the radiotherapy the market increasing due to the increasing advancement in the technology. Europe is another dominating region for the use of the radiotherapy. Asia-pacific region is growing at a rapid pace because of the increasing number of patients in the region. The number is increasing due to the more consumptions of tobacco is seen in this region. Middle East and Africa is slow growing segment because of the lack of awareness of the chronic diseases and the treatment facilities are also limited in this region.

Global Radiotherapy Market  Segmentation

The segmentation for the radiotherapy market is done on the basis of the treatment type and by application. On the basis of treatment type includes X-Ray, Gamma ray, External Beam radiotherapy, proton therapy, internal radiation therapy. The external beam radiotherapy segment is further sub-segmented into the treatment types which are 3D conformal radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image guided radiation therapy (IGRT), Tomotherapy, Stereotactic radio surgery, and stereotactic body radiation therapy. On the basis of the application the segment are prostate cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer, ovarian cancer and thyroid.

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Major Table of Content

Chapter 1. Report Prologue

Chapter 2. Market Introduction

2.1 Definition

2.2 Scope of the Study

2.2.1 Research Objective

2.2.2 Assumptions

2.2.3 Limitations

Chapter 3. Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Primary Research

3.3 Secondary Research

3.4 Market Size Estimation

Chapter 4. Market Dynamics

Continued.

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In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.

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Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.comby Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, July 31, 2018

Editor's Note: This column was updated from an earlier version that incorrectly attributed a Sinclair-Tribune ad sales "jumpstart" to the U.S. Department of Justice, when it should have been attributed to the point-of-view of the column's author Wayne Friedman. A correction has also been published.

Sinclair/Tribune now has advertising anti-trust issues, according to reports. Does this stem from TV stations' efforts to get bigger and offer a new source of national TV advertising dollars?

According to The Wall Street Journal, a Department of Justice investigation is looking into whether federal antitrust laws were violated by having Sinclair and Tribune ad teams communicate with each other, possibly leading to raised television advertising rates.

According to the DOJ, it appears that Sinclair-Tribune was trying to jumpstart their soon-to-be-bigger company -- making combined advertising deals for all its TV stations -- before getting approval from the FCC.

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The backdrop looks familiar: the need for scale and larger ad revenues. A Sinclair-Tribune combination would initially give the proposed big TV station group massive scale of over 70% of U.S. TV homes.

Obvious to everyone, this percentage far exceeds the 39% FCC limit. Sinclair would need to sell off some stations. At the same time, Sinclair hoped the new Trump Administration would make good to be more favorable toward business with fewer regulations.

Could that possibly mean raising the TV station limit level to 50% or 60%?

Maybe Sinclair could keep some stations under a different sort of sales arrangement. Now, after Sinclair's proposed deals to sell stations, the FCC has serious concerns about Sinclair's overall merger plans.

In a perfect world, national TV media agency executives would say it's always great to have national TV alternatives to high-priced broadcast networks.

Many believe the growing Sinclair Broadcast Group wants to become a TV network. Exactly what kind -- broadcast or cable -- has not been confirmed.

Speculation has been rampant for some time that Sinclair wants to take a run at the Fox News Channel, to compete in the conservative TV news channel space. Still, Chris Ripley, president/CEO, Sinclair, has downplayed such talk, publicly saying Sinclair wasn't interested in starting a network.

So back to the possible local TV advertising collusion. Why would Sinclair-Tribune ad execs appear be in such a rush -- if reports are true -- to work together before the deal closed, especially when initial approval seemed likely?

Executives at a major media agency initially contacted by TV Watch were surprised about the news, having no knowledge of such allegations. While we don't know exactly what went on, here is something to consider:

Over a year and a half ago, around January 2017, Sinclair was shopping -- somewhat quietly -- in an effort build an industry-wide, co-op programmatic TV operation, OxMyx. Many TV station groups would benefit from the advertising spoils.

To avoid any anti-trust issues the venture was akin to NCC Media, the local cable TV advertising co-op, in which three big cable TV operators -- Comcast, Charter and Cox -- are equity partners, but have no operating control.

A similar TV station consortium advertising group -- pooling together TV homes in a programmatic buying unit -- would reach at least 70% of U.S. TV homes. And that for the first time, would give TV station groups access to network-like national TV media dollars, getting approval from national media agency TV buyers.

But all this was shelved in May 2017. Sinclair had something bigger in mind -- a much more lucrative $3.9 billion deal with Tribune Media, which instantly gave Sinclair that magical -- if theoretical -- 70% U.S. household number it had always dreamed about.

And unlike a TV ad consortium, it would control it all.

Now they only seem to be in control of more dreaming.by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, July 31, 2018

Facebook is asking a federal appellate court to refuse to revive a lawsuit accusing the company of tracking logged-out users throughout the web via the "Like" button.

The company argues in new court papers that the consumers who filed suit shouldn't be able to proceed because didn't allege that they were harmed by Facebook, or that Facebook broke any promises to them.

"They have not identified a single specific piece of data that Facebook supposedly received while they were logged out," Facebook writes in a brief submitted Monday to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. "Plaintiffs fail to allege that Facebook made or breached any promise regarding the receipt of data from logged-out users during the relevant period."

The legal battle dates to 2011, when several users alleged in a class-action complaint that Facebook violated federal and state privacy laws, as well as its own privacy policy, by collecting data about people through its social widget. The consumers said Facebook gathered data about its users whenever they visited sites with a "Like" button, even if the users were logged out of the service.

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The lawsuit came after Australian developer Nic Cubrilovic reported that Facebook was able to identify users whenever they visited sites with the "Like" button. At the time, Facebook said that a "bug" allowed the company to receive data about logged-out users. The company also promised to fix the bug, and said it never retained data that tied users' IDs to the sites they visited. (Facebook's practices subsequently changed. Currently, the company intentionally collects some information from logged-out users.)

U.S. District Court Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, Calif. dismissed the lawsuit last year. He said in the ruling that Facebook didn't violate the federal wiretap law because it didn't "intercept" communications. The wiretap law prohibits companies from intercepting electronic transmissions, without the consent of at least one party.

He also ruled last year that the users couldn't proceed with claims that Facebook violated its own policies, or that it violated a California privacy law. Davila also said in his ruling that the users hadn't shown that they suffered an economic injury as a result of the alleged privacy violations. The judge added that Facebook's users could have taken steps to prevent the tracking, such as by blocking cookies, using ""incognito mode" browser settings, or installing plug-in "browser enhancements."

The users recently asked the 9th Circuit to reverse Davila's ruling and reinstate the case. The advocacy group Electronic Privacy Information Center is backing that request.

"Users expect that their web browsing history will remain private -- no one imagines a marketing executive standing over their shoulder and taking notes as they use the Internet," EPIC wrote in a friend-of-the-court brief filed recently with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Facebook is asking the 9th Circuit to reject requests to revive the case. The social networking service raises several arguments, including that the users who sued didn't establish that they had a "reasonable expectation of privacy" in the identities of the sites they visited.

Facebook writes that California's privacy law only protects people against the spread of "sensitive and confidential" information. In this case, the consumers didn't specify which sites they visited while logged out, and therefore "failed to allege that the fact that they visited those sites is 'sensitive,' 'confidential,' or even personal," Facebook argues.

The social networking service is also facing another privacy battle in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. That matter stems from allegations that Facebook tracked users at health sites -- including ones operated by the American Cancer Society, Melanoma Research Foundation and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center -- via the "Like" widget.by Ray Schultz , July 31, 2018

Business email attacks grew in the second quarter, and firms using Microsoft 365 are the hardest-hit, according to a study by insurer Beazley.

Beazley tracked 184 attacks in the second quarter through its Beazley Breach Response (BBR) Services, compared with 89 in the same period last year. Email compromise schemes accounted for 23% of the incidents.

Of the data breaches reported by Beazley, 39% were malware attacks and 22% were accidental disclosure. However, malware was down 3% from the first quarter, despite an increase in email compromises.

Such incursions can cost a company over $2 million, Beazley claims.

Business email compromise attacks are among the more expensive data breaches we see, states Katherine Keefe, head of BBR Services. Years of emails often need to be combed through to identify personally identifiable information or protected health information that has been compromised. In the majority of cases, multiple inboxes are compromised.

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Sophisticated attackers can exploit PowerShell to log in to Office 365 for more extensive reconnaissance, and can search every inbox in a company, says Mandiants Dasha Tarassenko.

In the higher education sector, malware episodes fell by 4% from the first quarter to comprise 43%, Beazley reports.

The financial services field saw a decrease in malware reports, which now comprise 49% of all incidents, down from 55% in the first quarter.

In healthcare, accidental disclosure made up 38% of the breaches, vs. 29% in the first quarter, and malware 26%. In one episode, a healthcare provider was hit with legal fees, forensic costs, programmatic review and manual review of 350,000 documents, totaling almost $800,000. In addition, there were call center and credit monitoring costs amounting to $150,000.

Phishing emails coming out of the compromised accounts are becoming more targeted and impressively crafted than ever before, states Tarassenko, according to Beazley. Theyre not just sending thousands of spam emails.

Tarassenko adds: Theyre doing reconnaissance within the compromised inbox and then tailoring the next phishing email to the recipient.by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, July 31, 2018

Google announced Tuesday that it is working with news organizations to serve up more data from projects done by data journalists in its search results. The idea is to make it easier to search and find data that organizations produce and provide it in an easy-to-read format in search results.

The data is made possible by the dataset's markup scheme in Google search results.

Google is working with news organizations such as ProPublica, which has been testing the structured data in a format required for its search index.

As a news organization that is focused on having real-world impact, its very much in our mission to give people information at the point of need, wrote Scott Klein, the deputy managing editor of ProPublica, in the blog post. If we can make the data weve worked hard to collect and prepare available to people at the very moment when theyre researching a big life decision, and thereby help them make the best decision they can, its an absolute no-brainer for us. And the code is trivial to add.

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In a document linked to the post, Google outlines examples of qualifying datasets such as a table or a CSV file with some data, an organized collection of tables, a file in a proprietary format that contains data, a collection of files that together constitute some meaningful dataset, and a structured object with data in some other format that you might want to load into a special tool for processing.

The list also includes images capturing data and files relating to machine learning, such as trained parameters or neural network structure definitions, and anything that looks like a dataset.

Google explains that it is also exploring experimental support for structured data based on W3C CSVW, and expects to adapt the approach as best practices for dataset description emerge.by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, July 31, 2018

Amazon, T-Mobile, and Cox Communications are asking a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit accusing them of excluding older workers from receiving job ads served on Facebook.

The companies say the lawsuit should be dismissed for numerous reasons, including that the ads themselves didn't mention age. "Plaintiffs do not allege that Amazon printed, published, or caused to be published any employment advertisement containing terms or phrases that indicate a preference or limitation based on age," Amazon wrote Monday in a motion submitted to U.S. District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman in the Northern District of California. "The only alleged Amazon ads that plaintiffs include in their amended complaint are facially neutral with respect to age, and do not use any impliedly discriminatory terms whatsoever indicating that Amazon would only hire or prefer to hire candidates of a certain age demographic."

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T-Mobile and Cox said in court papers that they joined in Amazon's arguments. The companies' papers come in response to a lawsuit filed last December by the Communications Workers of America union and three job seekers over the age of 40. They allege that Amazon, Cox and the other advertisers are violating anti-discrimination laws in the District of Columbia and a host of states.

The class-action complaint alleges that more than 100 employers and employment agencies exclude older workers from job ads on Facebook. The complaint specifically references ads placed by 13 companies, including Facebook itself, which allegedly targeted job ads to people younger than 61. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, was brought the same day ProPublica reported that Facebook allows advertisers to target job ads based on age.

Amazon and the other companies argue that none of the people who are suing have shown that they experienced age-related discrimination. "Plaintiffs do not allege that defendants told anyone over the age of 40 that they should not apply for any position," the companies argue. "They do not allege that defendants prevented individuals over the age of 40 from applying for or obtaining employment. They do not allege that these age filters applied to all of Amazons employment advertisements on Facebook."

The companies also argue that the federal law prohibiting employers from posting ads with age restrictions doesn't prohibit demographic targeting. "Under plaintiffs legal theory, employers could be prohibited from placing job advertisements in Seventeen Magazine -- a publication reaching younger readers -- or Ebony Magazine -- a publication reaching African Americans -- because doing so could be construed as expressing a preference for certain applicants," the companies write. "They could also be prohibited from conducting on-campus interviews or seeking applicants for clerkships at law schools, since these practices likewise generally reach younger applicants."

The union and users who filed suit are expected to respond to the companies' arguments by September 28.Apple Insider, Tuesday, July 31, 2018 6:53 PM

The number of smartphone shipments in China continues to decline, Apple Insider reports, citing new data from Counterpoint Researchs Market Monitor service. The continuing decline was attributed to consumers keeping their older models rather than buying new ones, it writes. Huawei, helped by the growth of its sub brand Honor, was the only manufacturer to post year-over-year growth.

Read the whole story at Apple Insider by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, August 1, 2018

Midterm political elections are a big deal this year, with many suggesting there could be a sizable shift in many Congressional seats going to Democrats. But what about the political advertising dollars?

Take the Koch Network, the multimillion-dollar political backer long known for placing their money firmly behind conservative/Republican candidates.

Charles Koch recently told reporters that his network -- which is estimated to contribute some $400 million in political marketing heft for the upcoming midterms -- may spend less backing GOP candidates in the future.

Sure, Koch and those in his network love the big Trump Administration tax cuts. But he isnt happy about Donald Trump's policy regarding trade tariffs, immigration or a wild $1.3 trillion spending bill.

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All this is complicated by sentiment that says the popularity of President Trump is directly connected to U.S. congressional representative and prospective candidates. So, more Koch money or less?

Now, it isnt all about political donations. Look at 2016.

Trump's presidential candidacy only really began spending big political advertising dollars just two months or so before the election. So-called earned media -- wall-to-wall TV coverage, social-media efforts, in no small part thanks to Russian-officials, per the Justice Department -- also played a major role.

What about overall political advertising trends?

Some reports suggest that midterm elections will be rising this year. Borrell Associates estimates broadcast TV stations could get $3.36 billion this year. Still, it is only mid-summer, we have a ways to go.

While tax cuts for big business get the thumbs-up from the Koch brothers, it will be for naught if the U.S. winds up in a recession due to trade wars and tariffs. Then all hell will break loose.

Maybe a different kind of political TV commercial would work. The Kochs would fund a more complicated, sophisticated political message: their likes and dislikes.

You know, the grey areas. Then let voters decide.

TV stations -- so dependent on the every-other-year bump from political advertising revenues -- will nervously wait for the marketplace to shape up. Or not.by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, August 1, 2018

In a change of direction, Google reportedly plans to introduce a censored search engine in China that would blacklist websites and search terms about human rights, democracy, religion, and peaceful protest. It's not clear whether its advertising services will go along too.

Google's strength in mobile would certainly give the company a lead in search and advertising services.

Leaked documents to one media outlet suggests Google has been developing a censored version of its search engine dubbed Dragonfly, so the company can return its services to one of the worlds largest markets to compete with Baidu, which now leads in Chinese search.

We dont comment on speculation about future plans, a Google spokesperson wrote in an email to Search Marketing Daily. We provide a number of mobile apps in China, such as Google Translate and Files Go [to] help Chinese developers, and has made significant investments in Chinese companies like JD.com.

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The report seems farfetched, but not out of the question. In June, Google announced a $550 million investment in JD.com, a Chinese ecommerce company. As part of the agreement, JD.com joined Google Shopping, the company's online commence retail network, and brought some its products to consumers.

If reports are accurate, it would not be the first time the internet giant censored its search results in China. In 2006, Google released a China-based version of its search engine that met with the countrys censorship laws after pulling out in 2003 after refusing to continue censoring content.

The company finally agreed to remove some content from serving up in the search results on google.cn to adhere to local law and continue operating in China. Then in 2010, Google reversed its decision and began redirecting all google.cn users to its unfiltered Chinese search engine in Hong Kong.

The most recent report about its pending strategy suggests Google engineers built a custom Android app, the two versions named Maotai and Longfei. Both were demonstrated to the Chinese government. Pending approval by the Chinese government, the final version could launch in the next six to nine months.

The document cited a list of websites that will be subject to the censorship, including some from the British news broadcaster BBC and the online encyclopedia Wikipedia.

The censorship will apply to Google image search, automatic spell check and suggested search features.

Censorship seems to be a way of life in China, as Baidu, the number one search engine in China, mentioned censorship during its second quarter 2018 earnings call on Tuesday when Alicia Yap, analyst at Citigroup Global Markets Asia, asked about the recent operating environment for the overall newsfeed and advertising content censorship. Have you actually seen more step-up by the regulators on paying more closely attentions to some of this ad content format and the content that carried the ads?

In response, Baidu Founder Robin Li said We always hold a very high standard on our content for newsfeed. We do not want to give users something that's illegal or something that's under our borderline.

Baidu reported earnings that topped Wall Street profit estimates and showed growth for its online advertising business. Revenue for the ad business rose 25% to 21.1 billion Chinese Yuan, $3.10 billion. Revenue rose, but shares fell Wednesday as investors reacted to a report that Google would launch a new censored search engine in China.by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, August 1, 2018

Democratic lawmakers are seeking a wide-ranging examination of facial recognition technology, including whether data brokers are purchasing images of people for marketing purposes.

"Given the recent advances in commercial facial recognition technology ... we ask that you investigate and evaluate the facial recognition industry," Democratic Senators Roy Wyden (Oregon), Chris Coons (Delaware), Ed Markey (Massachusetts), Cory Booker (New Jersey) and Representative Jerrold Nadler (New York) say in a letter sent Tuesday to the Government Accountability Office.

The letter comes several days after the ACLU reported that facial recognition technology sold by Amazon is flawed. The ACLU tested the technology by comparing a database of 25,000 mugshots with photos of Congress members. The technology incorrectly matched 28 Congress members with people depicted in mugshots. The incorrect matches "were disproportionately of people of color," the ACLU reported.

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Wyden and the other lawmakers are now seeking a probe of facial recognition technology and its possible impact on privacy and civil rights. The lawmakers want the GAO to address numerous about the technology's use by law enforcement agencies, but also ask about the use of facial recognition in marketing.

"Data collection and sale of facial imagery -- and its associated concerns with location tracking -- is a critical policy issue for Congress to understand," they write.

They then pose a series of questions about how vendors compile facial databases, as well as questions about their purchase.

"Please describe the market for selling images, including data brokers that may buy from multiple vendors with the intention of creating individualized profiles for marketing or other purposes," they letter states.

Only a few states, including Illinois, currently regulate collection of biometric data. Illinois requires companies to obtain people's consent before collecting or storing biometric data, including scans of facial geometry. Facebook and Google are currently facing lawsuits for allegedly violating that law by compiling databases of faceprints.by Ray Schultz , August 1, 2018

Pharma and medical device companies have a surefire way of reaching doctors.

Email. Thats their favorite channel, according to the Annual Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Physician Preferences Survey, a study and infographic published in Medical Marketing & Media.

Email is listed as a preferred channel by 60% of the doctors surveyed. The second choice, sponsored meetings, is selected by 38%.

Going down the list, 32% look to medical journals, 30% to sales reps, 23% to direct mail and 11% to pharma/device company websites.

Of the doctors polled, 37% read some of the emails sent by pharma/medical device companies, and 37% read most or all. Only 18% read none.

On average, 57% have to receive two to three times before they act. Ten percent have to see it only one time, and 21% more than five times. In addition, 12% say it tales four to five times.

The study concludes that doctors remain OK with hearing from pharma and medical device marketers  providing those marketers approach them via mostly non-personal means.We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Heres our process.

As much of the world experiences a record-breaking heat wave, this Spotlight turns its attention to vitamin D, the so-called sunshine vitamin. Here, we inspect the latest research. Share on Pinterest The sunshine vitamin has a range of surprising benefits. Vitamin D is a hot topic currently, with a raft of studies proclaiming its benefits for a variety of serious conditions. Conversely, other recent studies have been more cautious, questioning its perceived usefulness for treating some illnesses. Vitamin D is a nutrient that is synthesized in our skin when it is exposed to sunlight, and it is also present in some foods. Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but in the winter months, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend topping up vitamin D levels by eating vitamin D-containing foods each day. These include oily fish, fortified milk, beef liver, egg yolks, mushrooms, and fortified breakfast cereals. Vitamin D supplements are also available to buy in health stores, pharmacies, and online.

What does vitamin D do? Scientists know that vitamin D is essential for many aspects of maintaining good health and that deficiency is linked with problems for both physical and mental health. Perhaps most notably, vitamin D helps to regulate the levels of calcium in our bodies, strengthening our bones and preventing bone-weakening conditions, such as osteoporosis. Increasingly though, studies are also suggesting that vitamin D might have protective benefits against heart failure, diabetes, cancer, respiratory tract infections, autoimmune disease, and even hair loss. A surprisingly large number of people have insufficient levels of vitamin D. For instance, according to one study, more than 40 percent of adults in the United States are deficient. Because of its prevalence, it is important to determine what the public health implications of this epidemic might be. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can vary between individuals, but they typically include pain in the joints, muscles, or bones; fatigue; breathing problems; and low mood or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Below, we run through a number of intriguing recent studies that investigate associations between vitamin D and an assortment of illnesses.

Vitamin D and heart failure Several studies have suggested that vitamin D could offer protective benefits against cardiovascular illness, but scientists have yet to pinpoint what mechanisms are driving this association. Recently, though, Medical News Today reported on a study that used a mouse model to investigate how a type of vitamin D, called 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, affects heart cells. In particular, the researchers looked at the cells responsible for developing scar tissue following a heart attack, called cardiac colony-forming unit fibroblasts (cCFU-Fs). cCFU-Fs are an important area of study because, when heart tissue is scarred, the heart has a harder time pumping blood, which can lead to heart failure. The researchers behind the study found that vitamin D inhibited the action of cCFU-Fs, which prevented scar tissue from building around the hearts of the mice in the study, potentially preventing blockages in the cardiovascular system. With further study, wrote the authors, vitamin D could prove to be an exciting, low-cost addition to current treatments, and we hope to progress these findings into clinical trials for humans.

Vitamin D and cancer Breast cancer and bowel cancer have both been linked with cases of vitamin D deficiency in recent studies. One of these analyzed data from two randomized clinical trials and a prospective cohort study. The researchers found that high levels of vitamin D were inversely associated with risk of breast cancer among women who were cancer-free at baseline. Share on Pinterest Studies suggest that vitamin D impacts breast cancer risk. According to the study results, the higher the levels of vitamin D, the lower the risk of breast cancer. This relationship remained significant even after the results were adjusted for confounding factors, such as age, body mass index (BMI), intake of calcium supplements, and smoking habits. Although a link between vitamin D deficiency and colorectal cancer has previously been reported, not all studies have been able to replicate these findings. A new, large-scale study attempted to settle this by drawing on data from three continents, including 5,700 colorectal cancer cases and 7,100 controls. The researchers calculated that people whose levels of vitamin D fall below those specified in the current guidelines have a 31 percent increased risk of developing bowel cancer. By contrast, those with vitamin D levels above the current recommended levels were 22 percent less likely to develop this cancer.

Vitamin D and belly fat Another recent study examined a previously observed link between obesity and lower levels of vitamin D, focusing in particular on how different types of body fat might interact with vitamin D. The study authors reported that having excess belly fat was linked with lower levels of vitamin D: [T]he strong relationship between increasing amounts of abdominal fat and lower levels of vitamin D suggests that individuals with larger waistlines are at a greater risk of developing deficiency and should consider having their vitamin D levels checked. However, the study was not able to prove whether a deficiency in vitamin D causes fat to be stored around the belly, or if having belly fat somehow contributes to a deficiency in vitamin D. The researchers say that future studies will attempt to determine cause and effect in this relationship.

Vitamin D and Alzheimers disease A systematic review from researchers in Australia recently attempted to settle the debate surrounding vitamin Ds ability to protect against Alzheimers. The systematic review analyzed more than 70 studies looking at the association. They concluded that there was no significant association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of Alzheimers. Intriguingly, the authors did suggest that  based on their systematic review  there may be an association between exposure to the suns ultraviolet rays and protection against multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, and Alzheimers, but that this may be independent of vitamin D production. The authors said that further studies would be needed to confirm these links and identify the mechanism responsible for such associations.Apple has been performing extremely well in terms of sales and revenues and the company just released the company's third-quarter results. The earnings are indicative of the fact, that Apple has been earning most of its money from services and hardware sales.

Apple sold 41.3 million iPhones during the third quarter of the fiscal year. The sales figures were only marginally lower than what was expected by Wall Street, however, Apple made up for it with an increased average selling price.

The average selling price of the iPhone stood at $724, thanks to the higher priced iPhone X that retails starting at $999.

 MensXP/Naasir Jamaal

We're thrilled to report Apple's best June quarter ever, and our fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit revenue growth, said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. Our Q3 results were driven by continued strong sales of iPhone, Services, and Wearables, and we are very excited about the products and services in our pipeline.

 MensXP

Our strong business performance drove revenue growth in each of our geographic segments, net income of $11.5 billion, and operating cash flow of $14.5 billion, said Luca Maestri, Apple's CFO. We returned almost $25 billion to investors through our capital return program during the quarter, including $20 billion in share repurchases.

 Apple

In terms of revenue from services, Apple says the company earned $9.54 billion in revenue in the last quarter, a 31 percent year-over-year growth.

Apple earns the majority of its revenue in services from the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Care, Apple Pay, Cloud services and other business solutions. Apple recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the App Store and said the company has paid $100 billion to developers.

Apple earned $29.9 billion in revenue from iPhone sales, which is a 20 percent increase from the same period last year. Even though the iPhone sales declined considerably, thanks to increased competition in premium smartphone space.

Apple is now looking to launch new iPhone models later this year that will have a similar design to the iPhone X.Thank you for subscribing!

By signing up to this free newsletter you agree to receive occasional emails from us informing you about our products and services. You can opt out of these emails at any time.We've all had that momentthe one where life becomes a bit too stressful and living on an island far, far away from civilization seems oh-so-appealing.

For those of you who know this experience all too well, Welcome Islandsituated in Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshireoffers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"It feels like a tropical oasis," co-listing agent Becky Fuller says of the island, which is now on the market for $2.2 million.

Lake Winnipesaukee is New Hampshire's largest lake, at 72 square miles. There are 264 islands on the lake, but Welcome Island is the only one on the market offering a move-in ready, custom home.

Welcome Island is one of the first island and waterfront properties to be developed at the lake, according to the current owner, Robert Brown.

"The Belknap Country Registry of Deeds has a record of the island being sold December 1893," Brown says.

You'll need a vessel to move in. "The house is reachable by boat only," Fuller says, "which makes for an incredibly unique way to experience Lake Winnipesaukee."

Brown currently has a private dock slip in Meredith, which is about 10 minutes away from Welcome Island. Two other access points are available: Meredith Town Docks, which is about 15 minutes away, and Weirs Beach in Laconia.

Front porch and rock benches realtor.com

Welcome Island's three-story home measures 3,434 square feet. It includes a master suite with an oversize closet and bathroom, and two bedrooms are located on the top floor. The customized home interior features curved walls and large windows to take in the scenery.

"You feel like you're on a ship when inside," says Fuller.

Living area realtor.com

Master bathroom realtor.com

"Considering all the features it hasthoughtful design, spectacular panoramic views, low boat traffic, natural sandy beachesit truly is a one-of-a-kind property," says co-listing agent Mark Ashley, who specializes in island properties.

There's an abundance of outdoor space to sunbathe, fish, take in the views, and relax with friends and family. Atop the home is a widow's walk, which is perfect for taking in the beauty of the night sky or the lake on sunny days.

A gazebo and separate deck offer plenty of outdoor space for entertaining with friends or relaxing alone. Another deck follows the outer curve of the island, creating an ideal spot for fishing.

Master bedroom realtor.com

Porch view realtor.com

The island also attracts an abundance of wildlife. Brown spoke fondly of the animals he's seen there, including deer, a moose, and a family of minks.

"One afternoon, a duck walked up the ramp, across the deck, and into the living room," he recalls. "It took a look around and then made its way back to the water."

Why the duck swam away is a question for the universe. If we were lucky enough to land on this welcome respite, we'd never want to leave.

The post Welcome Home! New Hampshire's Welcome Island Is a Private, Gorgeous Retreat appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was destroyed in flight this week due to a safety issue, the head of U.S. Strategic Command said Wednesday.

"I have a full complement of ICBMs on alert," Air Force Gen. John Hyten said during his opening remarks at the 2018 STRATCOM Deterrence Symposium in Omaha, Nebraska.

However, on Tuesday there was a disappointing "episode" during a test launch, he said, referring to a failed test out of Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Everything was "perfect," Hyten said, until "somewhere in flight, we saw an anomaly, and the anomaly was going to create an unsafe flight condition, so we destroyed the rocket before it reached its destination. It was the smart thing to do."

Air Force Global Strike Command said the flight was safely terminated over the Pacific Ocean at 4:42 a.m. Tuesday, The Associated Press reported. The missile originally was set to target the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, the AP said.

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"And now we have to go figure out what happened. You have to understand what a rare thing that is in the missile business. The last failure I think we had was in 2011  we had one in 2009. Basically, it happens very, very infrequently," Hyten said of failures during land-based ICBM test launches.

He said the incident will provide lessons learned to officials still analyzing the mishap. "This is the reason that we test.  We have to make sure that things work. We learn more from failures than we do successes," he added.

In January, Defense Department officials told CNN that an SM-3 Block IIA missile interceptor fired from an Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test Complex in Hawaii had failed to intercept an incoming target, marking the second unsuccessful test of its kind in less than seven months.

Months prior, a medium-range ballistic missile launched from the Hawaii test range was supposed to be intercepted by an SM-3 missile launched from the guided-missile destroyer John Paul Jones. The Missile Defense Agency said the interceptor missed its target.

"We'll go out and we'll make sure that the missiles are safe, secure, ready and reliable," Hyten said Wednesday. "Always on alert, ready to go. That's just part of the job that we do."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.Still undetermined is whether the impact caused the October leak, or if the line was hit by something else at a later date.Results of a recent survey of Tricare users show most are now worried about how to afford their medications after a dramatic cost increase Feb. 1.

The survey by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) was conducted in June. Results, which were not released in full, were compared to feedback from a similar survey fielded in December before Tricare made major changes to its programs.

Among those changes was the pharmacy fee increase, which bumped mail-order generic drugs from free to $7 for a 90-day supply, among other changes, and a major overhaul of Tricare's plans, health care fee structure and region system.

More than half of respondents said they are "somewhat" to "very concerned" about pharmacy costs, Kathy Beasley, MOAA's director of government affairs for health issues, wrote in a release. That, she said, is a "dramatic shift" from the previous results.

About 8,500 people responded to the June survey -- more than double the number of respondents on last year's survey, MOAA officials said.

In the last survey, 42 percent of respondents said they were "very satisfied" with their medication costs. But this time, only 28 percent said they were "very satisfied," while 22 percent were either "very" or "mostly dissatisfied."

And satisfaction in Tricare's other coverage and cost wasn't much better, the survey showed. According to MOAA's release, only 50 percent of those using Tricare Select, previously known as Tricare Standard, were "very" or "mostly satisfied," while 28 percent were "very" to "mostly dissatisfied."

Beasley told Military.com she expects those dissatisfaction rates to go up as more Tricare beneficiaries use the benefit under the new rate scheme. She said anecdotal comments left through the survey showed that users who have felt the most pinch are also those who are actively using the benefit for long-term-care plans like physical therapy -- and paying the price.

"People don't realize these fees and how it's going to affect them ... until they get by them," she said.

MOAA plans to field a third survey in December, she added.

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com.In a solemn ceremony steeped in military tradition, remains believed to be those of 55 American service members who fell in the Korean War -- and one dog tag -- began the trip home Wednesday.

At Osan Air Base south of Seoul, Dr. John Byrd, laboratory director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), confirmed that a single dog tag had been found among the remains. He declined to disclose the name on the tag but said the service member's family had been notified.

"The remains are what the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] officials said they were," Byrd, who conducted a preliminary two-day forensic review at Osan, told reporters, according to USA Today. "They appear to be remains from the Korean War. They are likely to be American remains."

He spoke before the honors ceremony at Osan at which the remains were put aboard two Air Force C-17 Globemasters for the flight to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Korea has often been called the "Forgotten War," but Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, said that was never the case for the military.

The remains of the fallen are going back "to their countrymen and their families who never forgot them or the war that claimed them," Brooks said at the Osan repatriation ceremony.

In honoring the caskets containing the remains, the timeless duty of all who serve was partially fulfilled -- to leave no one behind, he said. "For the warrior, this is a cherished duty, a commitment made to one another before going into battle and passed on from one generation of warriors to the next."

The ceremony was also a "solemn reminder that our work is not complete until all have been accounted for, no matter how long it takes to do so," Brooks added.

According to the DPAA, about 7,700 U.S. service members are still listed as missing from the Korean War. About 5,300 of that total are believed to have died on battlefields and in prison camps in what is now North Korea.

At Hickam, Vice President Mike Pence and Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, will preside at what is called an "honorable carry" ceremony before the remains go to the DPAA's forensic labs in Hawaii to begin the painstaking work of identification.

The DPAA has a DNA database from about 90 percent of the families of the missing, but officials have said the identifications could take years.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis last week also cautioned that the remains might not all be those of U.S. service members. "We don't know who's in those boxes," he told Pentagon reporters Friday.

At the Osan ceremony, Rear Adm. Jon Kreitz, deputy director of the DPAA, said, "This is a great first step" in the enormous task of accounting for those missing from the Korean War.

"We look forward to potentially pursuing [recovery] operations in North Korea in the future and we're very hopeful," he said. "Again, this is just a great first step in building some confidence and building a relationship."

Joint recovery operations have been off the table amid growing tensions on the peninsula and North Korea's pursuit of a nuclear arsenal and ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

Last week, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Kelly McKeague, director of the DPAA, said in a statement to the National League of POW/MIA Families that he expects joint recovery operations could begin in the spring.

At Osan, the caskets were draped in the flag of the United Nations Command, which oversees the armistice that ended the Korean War.

Officials from the 16 nations that fought under the U.N. banner during the 1950-1953 conflict laid wreaths to honor the fallen soldiers as a 21-gun salute was fired by U.S. service members.

Military bands played "Taps" and the U.S. National Anthem before the cases were taken by van to the waiting C-17s. U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters flew the missing man formation overhead before the Globemasters began moving down the runway for takeoff.

The return of the remains is the first major achievement for the Trump administration since the June 12 Singapore summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which was aimed at the "denuclearization" of North Korea's arsenals.

Since then, the U.S. has halted major joint military exercises that the North has deemed "provocative," but there have been no signs that North Korea is dismantling weapons.

Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the North is continuing to produce fissile material and declined to say publicly whether it is continuing to produce submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.For the head of U.S. Strategic Command, a new helicopter for missile sites is not only a necessity, it's long overdue.

"We are going to get a new helicopter in the missile fields," Air Force Gen. John Hyten said Wednesday during his opening remarks at the 2018 STRATCOM Deterrence Symposium in Omaha, Nebraska. "We are going to get a new helicopter if I have to die trying or if I have to kill somebody to do it."

The UH-1N Huey replacement program, intended to give the Air Force a new helicopter to guard its missile sites, has been in the works for more than a decade.

"It is taking way too long," Hyten said.

Related content:

Over the last few years, airmen at the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, have kept the current Huey helicopters flying through copious amount of maintenance and upkeep, Hyten said.

"That Huey is now armed," he said. "That Huey can now refuel out in the missile fields. That Huey can do things that just a few years ago it couldn't because we knew it was taking too long for us to get the helicopter. And so [Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command] Gen. Robin Rand and the folks at Global Strike Command [and others] went to work, and they turned that into a real, capable, lethal weapons system."

The UH-1Ns, some of which entered the Air Force's inventory in 1970, support five commands and numerous missions, including operational support airlift, test support, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile security support.

Since the Air Force issued its first request for proposal for a helicopter replacement in December 2016, the program has seen highs and lows.

The service moved forward with the Huey replacement effort in April 2017 when it released its next draft RFP to "continue dialogue with industry to ensure final RFP release this summer and contract award in FY18," officials said at the time. As part of the 2017 $1 trillion omnibus spending bill, lawmakers gave $75 million toward the program, bumping the final bill adjustment to $93.3 million, according to budget documents. (The 2016 request asked for only $18 million.)

The process was soon tied up in a pre-award protest, however, when Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp., filed a pre-emptive opposition in February involving technical data rights, which it would have to turn over to the Defense Department if the company's helicopter, the HH-60U, won the competition, according to a Defense News report. The Government Accountability Office dismissed Lockheed's suit in May.

The contract award could be announced this fall. However, unless Congress appropriates more funding for the program, the contract timeline may slide again, Defense News reported. Because current funding would run out before the next fiscal year begins, the Air Force may have to wait until fiscal 2020 for the contract award to take shape, Defense News said.

The service had hoped to get new helicopters on its flightlines in 2020. It hopes to buy 84 UH-1N replacement aircraft.

Sikorsky-Lockheed is pitching a semi-modified HH-60U for the replacement; Boeing Co. is offering an MH-139 helicopter variant, based on Leonardo-Finmeccanica's AgustaWestland AW139; and Sierra Nevada Corp., will pitch upgraded Army UH-60Ls.

"The modernization programs that we have to do have to be there for the security of this nation," Hyten said Wednesday, adding that the U.S. owes it to the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines doing global operations today.

"They should have the best equipment and best capabilities that the nation can deliver. And if we don't do that, that's failure," he said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.The Coast Guard's top officer said Wednesday that the U.S. can't afford to delay its presence in the Arctic. But lawmakers are eyeing the cash planned for a new icebreaker to fund the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

With the November primaries looming, some members of Congress are eager to show their constituents that they support President Donald Trump's plans to build a wall along sections of the southwestern border. That left $750 million for a new heavy polar icebreaker out of a draft of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act.

"I'm going to take a guardedly optimistic approach that ... there's still a lot of interest in getting an icebreaker to replace our 40-plus-year-old Polar Star, which is the only heavy icebreaker in the U.S. arsenal," Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz said at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "... We need that ship now."

A report released Friday by the Congressional Research Service warns that Russia is increasing its military presence in the Arctic region. The Russians have more than 45 icebreakers, and they're currently working on building a nuclear version, Schultz said.

China has also declared itself a near-Arctic nation and is working on building a new icebreaker. Diminishing ice levels could lead to an influx of traffic in the Arctic in coming years, and there's "increasing mission demand for the Coast Guard up there," Schultz said.

That's as two of the Coast Guard's three polar icebreakers -- Polar Star and Polar Sea -- have exceeded their 30-year services lives, the report states. The Polar Sea is no longer operational, and the need for search-and-rescue and other missions in the region will increase as traffic in the Arctic picks up.

"The reality of the Arctic is on us today," Schultz said. "My thinking is a six-three-one strategy. We need six icebreakers -- three of them need to be heavy icebreakers and we need one today. We need to get going there."

He said Trump's 2019 budget request, which includes plans for a new icebreaker, shows that the Coast Guard's mission in the region is a priority for this administration. The Senate's appropriations draft for DHS still includes the $750 million for a Coast Guard icebreaker, so it's still possible that the service could get the funding in 2019.

Eight House Democrats sent a letter to Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Kevin Yoder, Homeland Security subcommittee chairman, criticizing the plan to ditch the $750 million icebreaker funding request, Business Insider reported.

The bill wastes "a staggering $4.9 billion on a border wall and increasing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement budget by $328 million," the letter states, while leaving U.S. national security at a disadvantage for years to come.

The Coast Guard is working with the Navy on plans to acquire three heavy icebreakers for about $700 million per ship.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ginaaharkins.DETROIT - As she held her 3-month-old grandson Adrian on her last night with her family in Michigan, Maria Yante-Avina reflected on the life she built here and what she'll miss after she's sent back to Mexico.

She wiped away tears as she sat in the backyard of a relative's house on Detroit's west side.

"I'll be leaving my whole life here," said the 45-year-old mother of six, speaking in Spanish.

Surrounded by her children and other family members, she watched as her grandchildren played in the yard with a dog named Princess. The aroma of a home-cooked meal filled the air.

The next morning, she left it all behind.

Yante-Avina lived in the United States for 30 years before boarding a plane at Detroit Metro Airport on Tuesday July 31, and being deported to Mexico.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Yante-Avina, who moved to the U.S. as a teenager, was in the country illegally and had to go.

Her husband was deported last year, soon after President Donald Trump took office and ramped up immigration enforcement efforts.

Yante-Avina's children consider what's happening unfair and unnecessary.

She left behind five adult children and nine young grandchildren, as well as other family members.

Her youngest daughter, 13-year-old Marely Lugo-Yante, joined her on her flight to Mexico on Tuesday. She was born in the U.S. and is a U.S. citizen, but will now try to adapt to a new life in a new country.

"I don't want to go," Marely Lugo-Yante said Monday night, adding she knows life will be different in Mexico.

She was set to go into eighth grade at a Catholic school in Detroit at the end of this summer.

The family is concerned she may have a hard time adjusting to school in Mexico for reasons including her very broken Spanish.

Yante-Avina said she came to the U.S. when she was 15, along with her older sister, seeking better economic and educational opportunities. She said she worked in melon fields in California and then moved to Detroit in 2003, working in factories.

Two weeks ago, cooperating with ICE and making preparations to be deported, she sold the family house. One of her daughters who was living with her plans to move in with an aunt.

Detroit-based ICE spokesman Khaalid Walls said Yante-Avina was previously removed from the country as an expedited removal in 1998. Because she was back in the country illegally, she was arrested by ICE earlier this year and scheduled to be deported.

"Ms. Yante-Avina was arrested by ICE officers in February 2018, and was released from custody for humanitarian reasons, and allowed to finalize her departure arrangements," Walls said earlier this week.

"She must now comply with her reinstated order of removal and depart the country."

According the family, Yante-Avina left the country in 1998 for a visit back to Mexico when her mother died, and she was caught on the border as she tried reentering the U.S. As an expedited removal, she was sent back to Mexico without appearing before an immigration judge, according to the family, but she quickly came back.

According to her children who are U.S.-born citizens, the family has tried to get her legal status adjusted so she can stay with them in the U.S., but they've had no luck.

"I had already tried to petition for her," said her 27-year-old daughter Christine Lopez. "However, because of that past deportation, there was nothing we could do."

Yante-Avina's brother also was deported in recent years, according to the family.

Lopez said her mother was arrested in February by ICE agents who were waiting in a vehicle outside the family's home. One of Yante-Avina's granddaughters had spent the night, and when Yante-Avina started to drive her to school, the ICE agents followed and pulled her over at the corner, taking her into custody, Lopez said.

Because her youngest daughter has anxiety issues for which she sees a psychiatrist and takes medication, Yante-Avina was released hours later through an alternatives-to-detention program known as ISAP, or the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program. She was given an electronic monitoring device to wear on her ankle, according to the family. She then had to regularly check in with ICE until her scheduled deportation at the end of July.

"They told her she had to be deported because this wasn't her country," Lopez said.

Yante-Avina is banned from reentering the U.S. for 10 years, so the family is planning to try petitioning to bring her back in 2028.

In the meantime, her children, most of whom are in their 20s, say they're sad their mom won't be around to watch her nine grandchildren grow up.

"It's just sad that it has to happen that way," said Lopez. "It separates the family."

She said her own three children know their grandmother is leaving, but don't understand why.

"Now they don't have grandma to run to anymore," she said.

"It's just sad. I'm not used to being without her," said Yante-Avina's 21-year-old daughter Mayra Lugo-Yante.

"It's just not fair, her not being here for 10 years and not seeing me keep growing up, not having her here at all. I always go to her for anything I need. She's helped me a lot. It won't be the same."

Luz Meza, a Detroit immigrant rights activist and longtime family friend, teared up on the family's last night together, talking about how Yante-Avina has been like a mother to her.

"It's so many families that this has happened to," Meza said of families being separated "because of this artificial divide."

Meza, who has actively fought the deportation of a number of southeast Michigan residents, said family gatherings ahead of deportations are starting to feel like funerals.

"And it's a lot to say that, for no reason, she just has to be away from her whole family for 10 whole years," she said.

"It really is unfair and there is no reasoning that can justify what is being done to families. Because I think it's one thing to talk about enforcement, but it has to be reasonable. This isn't reasonable. You're breaking up a family, and that is the very fabric of our society and I think what makes us good human beings."

Daniel Reyna, the 31-year-old father of one of Yante-Avina's granddaughters, joined the family gathering Monday night.

"This is a really close family and it's messed up for them to be separated like this," he said. "With her brother being deported and then her husband and now her again, it's sad... They're really close and they're slowly being separated by deportation and it's just sad. I mean, she even tried to get papers legally, she got a lawyer, she spent thousands of dollars, and there was nothing they could do for her."DETROIT -- A former Macomb Township Trustee was sentenced Tuesday to a year and eight months in federal prison for taking bribes in exchange for helping a trash hauler win a $16 million government contract.

Clifford Freitas, 45, is among 20 former elected officials and government contractors caught up in a federal investigation into pay-to-play schemes, primarily in Macomb County communities.

Freitas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in June 2017, admitting to tipping the scales of the contract bidding process in favor of Chuck Rizzo, owner of Rizzo Environmental Services. The firm won dozens of trash hauling contracts in Michigan communities before being sold to GFL Environmental in 2016.

After Macomb Township issued a request for proposals in search of a waste hauling contractor in July 2015, Freitas was recorded in wiretapped communications sharing inside information with Rizzo, according to court records.

He told Rizzo on Aug. 24, 2015 that a bid price of $13.25 per resident would be unbeatable by competing bidders, federal investigators found.

The contact was awarded in September 2015 with a unanimous vote of the township board. Freitas abstained from the vote because he was employed by Rizzo as a project manager, according to prosecutors.

Rizzo was recorded offering Freitas a $7,500 bonus for helping the company win the contract, according to federal court records.

That bonus was provided after the vote, and another $35,000 bonus followed for Freitas' efforts to convince the township to add trash billings to residents' water bills, prosecutors said in court records.

Federal prosecutors noted in a sentencing memorandum that Freitas, a former U.S. Air Force veteran, was cooperative in the investigation, and appeared to be "genuinely remorseful."

The government recommended a lighter sentence for Freitas than guidelines typically call for, because of his cooperation and his abstention from the vote.

U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland on Tuesday ordered that Freitas spend the 20 months behind bars, as recommended by prosecutors, followed by two years of supervised release.

"The government's wide-ranging investigation of Macomb County has made it abundantly clear that there existed a culture of corruption and pay-to-play government in multiple municipalities there," prosecutors said in the sentencing memo.

"And the 20 contractors and public officials charged thus far are likely to have company in the near future."

Rizzo was sentenced in April to five years and six months in prison.

Trash hauler tried to manipulate witness during casino encounter, feds sayDETROIT - A federal judge on Tuesday indicated she doesn't buy arguments that the University of Michigan is hindering free speech by appointing a team of staffers to investigate expressions of bias on campus.

A nonprofit seeking a preliminary injunction against UM's Bias Response Team (BRT) argued in court that the team's policies have the potential to interfere with open expression and alter students' views.

But U.S. District Court Judge Linda V. Parker countered during a Tuesday, July 31 hearing that the Bias Response Team does not present an implicit threat to students' right to free speech, even if a student is asked by the team to discuss an alleged bias incident.

"The university considers this voluntary and the student has no obligation to come in," Parker said, referring to the BRT's policy. "You say there is an implicit threat. I don't see that.

"There's not a lot of teeth here," Parker said later, adding that the BRT's policies don't appear to pose a credible threat or cause concrete harm.

Parker said she would issue an opinion "soon" in the lawsuit, filed by Washington D.C.-based group Speech First in May. The lawsuit claims the UM Bias Response Team's policies "capture staggering amounts of protected speech and expression."

Speech First, a nonprofit membership association working to combat restrictions on free speech and other civil rights at colleges and universities, is representing three anonymous students in the lawsuit.

The students claim their right to free speech has been chilled from speaking openly about their views on subjects including gun rights, illegal immigration, abortion, the welfare system, gender identity, affirmative action and Title IX.

"University officials have a ton of power to trigger this process," Speech First Attorney Jeffrey Harris said. "That can lead to viewpoint or content targeting."

UM attorney Kevin Baine of Williams & Connolly LLP argued there are no disputes between the university and its students related to the Bias Response Team, calling the allegation that students' speech is being chilled "absurd."

In its response to the lawsuit, UM said there is nothing in its policies that inhibit those students from engaging in those discussions.

The lawsuit alleges more than 150 reports of "expressions of bias," through posters, fliers, social media, whiteboards, verbal comments and classroom behavior have been investigated by the university's Bias Response Team since April 2017.

The group claims free speech is being attacked on college campuses by implementing "free speech zones," giving opponents of unpopular speech a "heckler's veto," and the use of civility requirements to create "safe spaces." The group claims it wants to defend speech of all kinds - "left, right, popular, unpopular," according to its website.

"A student who voices a controversial or unpopular opinion - or who seeks to use humor, parody, or satire when discussing sensitive topics - could face severe punishment,'" the lawsuit states.

UM's response states that that the Bias Response Team is not a disciplinary body. Its work is purely supportive and educational, and it works only with students 'who agree to participate.'"

Parker agreed, noting that of those 150 reports, nobody has been forced to participate in a meeting with administrators and that just one of the reports has resulted in a "brief informal conversation."

In that report, a student claimed another student made a statement about their "English speaking ability," ultimately resulting in the student who made the statement meeting with Bias Response Team Coordinator Evelyn Galvan, who did not force the student to participate.

Ultimately, the student who made the statement was told their comments were protected speech. The student later recognized the statement was hurtful, Baine said.

"That's education," Baine said. "That's what you should do to promote respect and understanding. They are not violations of the First Amendment."

UM's legal response, filed on June 15, claims Speech First's depiction of the university's speech code and policies is "a false caricature."

"No student at the University has been disciplined under the Statement for harassing or bullying based on the mere expression of a point of view," UM's response said.

UM's free speech policies also have faced criticism from the U.S. Justice Department, which sided with Speech First on June 11, claiming the university is failing to live up to its principles of protecting free speech.

The same day, UM sought to provide clarity and standardized the definitions of bullying and harassing, both of which are prohibited under the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities and at the heart of Speech First's lawsuit.

The university streamlined the language by eliminating the dictionary definitions of "harassing" and "bullying" and leaving only definitions drawn from state law. Additionally, UM revised the statutory language to narrow the potential scope of what is prohibited, and to add additional safeguards for free speech.

Parker said the fact that the university has aligned its new definitions with statutory language is evidence it is attempting to protect free speech.ANN ARBOR, MI - Part of westbound I-94 near Ann Arbor is closing Aug. 3-6 for resurfacing, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Work begins at 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, on westbound I-94 from U.S. 23 to M-14, and the work should be complete by 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 6, according to MDOT.

The highway will be closed at this location, as will the on ramps to westbound I-94 at Jackson Avenue, Ann Arbor-Saline Road, State Street and U.S. 23.

The detour route is northbound U.S. 23 to westbound M-14 and back to westbound I-94. The westbound I-94 ramp to northbound U.S. 23 will remain open.

This project is part of MDOT's $7.2 million effort to resurface 9.2 miles of westbound I-94 between M-14 and U.S. 23 in Washtenaw County, with the goal of creating a smoother driving surface and improving safety.

MDOT recently launched a new version of its Mi Drive website, which offers views from traffic cameras, updates on current traffic speeds, the location of incidents and construction projects and other information.

Motorists can sign up to receive MDOT traffic alerts via e-mail or text, report potholes on state trunklines and locate carpool lots, rest areas and roadside parks.

"We've modernized the site and improved performance but our goal is still the same - to keep Michigan's motorists safe, informed and mobile," State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle said in a press release. "We want to remind everyone to check their route before leaving because the safety of motorists, pedestrians, and workers is a top priority for all of us."ANN ARBOR, MI - Mayor Christopher Taylor and four of his allies on the Ann Arbor City Council are trying to hold onto their seats in the Aug. 7 Democratic primary, and each is facing a challenger.

Another seat on the 11-member council is up for grabs due to a member stepping down and two candidates are vying for it in the primary, with the winner facing an opponent in November.

MLive and The Ann Arbor News asked all 12 primary candidates to shoot a video answering, in 30 seconds or less, one question: What's at stake in this election? Hear their answers in the videos below.

Mayoral candidates:

Other council candidates:

More info

MLive has partnered with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide information to voters.

Check out the league's election guide at Vote411.org to find out more about candidates and proposals on the ballot.

Additional election information from the nonpartisan CivCity Initiative in Ann Arbor can be found at AnnArborVotes.org.

To find out where to vote and view what's on your ballot, go to the Michigan Voter Information Center website.DETROIT, MI -- As a Bay County man continues his slow road to recovery after being bit by his exotic, venomous snake, staff at the Detroit hospital he was taken to have shared how they managed to obtain the antivenom that saved his life.

The night of July 14 or into the first hour of the next day, the 26-year-old Pinconning Township man was bitten near his ankle by his albino monocled cobra. The man had been interacting with the snake in some way before it "flopped out of its enclosure," his mom told Bay County Sheriff's deputies. After the snake bit him, the man and another person in the home corralled it and returned it to its enclosure, Sheriff Troy R. Cunningham has said.

About 20 minutes after the bite, the man became nauseated and drowsy and began vomiting, according to Jason Barczy, group manager of operational communications for Detroit Medical Center. Paramedics responded to the rural home in the 3600 block of Stempek Lane and transported the man to McLaren Bay Region hospital.

"There he stopped breathing due to respiratory muscle paralysis from the venom, and was intubated and placed on a breathing machine," Barczy said. "Toxicology at Detroit Medical Center was consulted and he was air-lifted to the DMC for a higher level of care."

The man was admitted the Harper Hospital's medical intensive care unit as toxicologists at DMC contacted the Toledo Zoo. Staff there sent eight vials of generic antivenom to DMC, yet despite the vials being administered within a half-hour of the man's arrival, the antivenom had little effect and his condition continued to worsen, Barczy said.

Toxicologists also reached out to the Miami-Dade Emergency Response Team in Florida, which has a Venom Response Program. Twenty vials of antivenom were flown from the Florida team and administered to the patient in Detroit, Barczy said.

A white monocled cobra named Adhira (derived from the Hindi word for "lightning") that lives at the San Diego Zoo. (Courtesy the San Diego Zoo)

Barczy said the man and his family are declining to speak with media on the incident.

Deputies and Bay County Animal Control officers launched an investigation into the matter to see if the man's possession of the venomous serpent is legal. So far, it doesn't appear the man violated any county or township ordinance by having the snake.

State law does prohibit the importation of any species that could spread diseases or parasites or cause serious physical harm to humans, native wildlife, livestock, domestic animals, or property.

Animal Control Officer Lee Zielinski told MLive on Aug. 1 the investigation regarding whether or not this statute was violated is on hold until he can interview the bitten man.

"It's sounds like he's going to be getting out of the hospital fairly soon," Zielinski said.

Zielinski previously said the man had numerous exotic reptiles and arachnids. Sheriff Cunningham added that family members have told investigators they plan on removing at least some of the potentially dangerous animals.

The monocled cobra is native to the Asian countries of India, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia, as well as Malaysia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Nepal, and Thailand. Its venom is highly potent and among the fastest acting of all snakes', with death arriving as soon as an hour after a bite, according to Reptiles Magazine.

One American zoo that has a monocled cobra -- a rare white one named Adhira -- is the San Diego Zoo.

"They can be extremely deadly," said Brett Baldwin, animal care manager of the zoo's Herpetology and Ichthyology Department. "There are many factors that can determine the extent of the bite -- how agitated was the animal? How big was the animal? Did it eat or bite something recently (and) did it use any venom? How old is the victim? How big is the victim? Do they have any health problems and/or what medications are they taking?"

Due to the species' large range -- from the Indian subcontinent through north and southeast Asia -- its venom can vary and elicit different effects.

"It's hard to say how fast a person will show signs of envenomation," Baldwin said. "It could be very rapid or may take 30 to 60 minutes."

Baldwin added that he has confiscated monocled cobras from private citizens. He knows of four facilities in the U.S. that keep them legally.

"It is my personal opinion," he continued, "that only people who have been trained, are proven skilled, possess appropriate antivenom, have locked, double containment enclosures and housing and have regular inspections, be permitted to keep venomous reptiles."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8,000 snakebites occur in the U.S. each year.

"Even a bite from a 'harmless' snake can cause infection or allergic reaction in some people," said Barczy. "There might be only five cases such as described above in the country in a year, but the coordination it took to save this man's life is remarkable as multiple agencies worked together to deliver the care this man needed."GLADWIN, MI -- For threatening to shoot up a Michigan courthouse, a man will likely spend his 21st birthday in prison.

Gladwin County Circuit Judge Thomas R. Evans on Monday, July 30, sentenced 19-year-old Anthony B. Ostrander to three to five years in state prison. Evans gave him credit for 124 days served and ordered he pay $1,858 in court fines and costs.

Ostrander in June pleaded no contest to attempted false report or threat of terrorism. In exchange, the prosecution dismissed a 20-year offense of making a terrorist threat.

Sheriff Michael Shea previously told MLive that Ostrander on March 28 made threats to enter the county courthouse at 401 W. Cedar Ave. and shoot people. Ostrander made his threats via phone calls, Shea has said.

Ostrander made the threats after authorities issued a personal protection order against him, the sheriff has said. At the time, Ostrander already had a prior PPO against him.

Shea did not specify who the orders were meant to keep Ostrander away from.

Deputies placed the courthouse on lockdown as they investigated the matter. Ostrander was contacted via social media and was urged to visit the sheriff's office to make a complaint regarding the PPO.

That afternoon, Ostrander visited the sheriff's office. Deputies arrested him without incident in the office's front yard, before he had the chance to enter the building, Shea has said.

Ostrander did not have a gun on him at the time of his arrest.FLINT, MI - Bishop Airport will get $4 million in federal grant funds for infrastructure improvements.

The grants will be for taxiway construction, rehabilitation and lighting, according to a statement from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao on Monday, July 30.

Bishop will receive $4,012,542 in funding, the statement said, as part of the Federal Aviation Administration's airport improvement grant funds.

"These airport improvement grants are investments in our country's critical infrastructure," Chao said in a statement. "These grants are a down payment to ensure this airport remains an economic engine as demand grows."

There were $3.18 billion in grants awarded across the country and are based on airport activity level and project needs, the statement said.FLINT, MI -- A federal class action lawsuit filed on behalf of Flint residents and businesses can move forward but Gov. Rick Snyder and the state of Michigan are among those dismissed as defendants.

U.S. District Judge Judith Levy issued a 128-page opinion Wednesday, Aug. 1, also dismissing former Department of Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant, former Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley, former Mayor Dayne Walling and DHHS official Nancy Peeler from the case.

Motions to dismiss the complaint and to dismiss other defendants in the case, including the city of Flint, were granted in part and denied in part.

Michael Pitt, an attorney representing Flint residents and businesses, said the decision leaves the case "very much intact and is very much alive and well" even though the court narrowed the focus of the lawsuit.

"Class counsel have developed a multi-court approach to hold the state of Michigan, its employees, the Environmental Protection (Agency) and the engineering corporations accountable for the massive harm inflicted on the community and the children and families of Flint," Pitt wrote in an email to MLive-The Flint Journal.

Water crisis lawsuits are currently pending in seven different state and federal courts in Michigan.

Pitt said the Michigan Court of Appeals has already issued a comprehensive opinion, "guaranteeing the people of Flint their day in court so that they can receive the compensation they deserve from the state, the governor and two of the emergency managers."

Michigan courts have determined the state and the governor will be held accountable in state court and the EPA in federal court, Pitt said.

"With this ruling, the pace of the case will pick up dramatically so that there will be no further delays in getting our clients the justice they are entitled to," the attorney's statement concluded.

Ardi Adler, a spokesman for Snyder, declined to comment on the judge's ruling.

Pitt had said at the time of oral arguments last month that he expected Levy to dismiss some of the defendants initially named in the lawsuit and some of the claims he filed.

Levy's opinion said her decision was an attempt "to fairly evaluate the claims brought in this case by these (12) individuals and three businesses against these defendants."

Among the claims dismissed by the judge were equal protection claims against Snyder, former state Treasurer Andy Dillon, Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright and others.

The basis of the claim was that Flint residents received contaminated water because of their race and because they were poor.

Snyder's attorney Richard Kauhl said during oral arguments July 11 that the governor should be dismissed from the case in part because he relied on the DEQ's false assurances about Flint water.

Emergency managers appointed by Snyder changed the city's water source to the Flint River in April 2014, triggering the Flint water crisis.

Despite problems with bacteria, elevated levels of total trihalomethanes, sharp increases in the level of lead in water and suspicions that Flint water was connected to outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease, Flint residents continued to receive river water until October 2015.VIENNA TWP., MI - Police have released the names of two sisters killed in a crash Monday east of Clio.

Rachelle Dawn Cox, 35, of Burton, and Kimberly Ann Radford, 54, of Mt. Morris Township, were killed when the Pontiac Grand Prix they were riding in ran a red light and was struck by a pickup truck, according to Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell.

Pickell said he did not know who was driving the car at the time of the crash.

The incident happened around 6:54 p.m. Thursday in Vienna Township. Investigators previously said the women were driving on M-54 and turning on to M-57 when they pulled into the path of the truck.

The pickup was driven by a 15-year-old girl who had her learner's permit and was accompanied by her father, Pickell said.

Investigators have said the teen was not at fault in the crash.FLINT, MI -- Last week, Mayor Karen Weaver said the city was waiting for the state's help in processing reimbursement requests worth millions of dollars for Flint's water system.

This week, Flint's chief financial officer reportedly turned down an offer of assistance aimed at eliminating a backlog of city hall paperwork, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality said Tuesday, July 31.

"The state worked together with the city of Flint and AECOM earlier this year to develop processes to assist the city with timely reimbursements requests," DEQ spokeswoman Tiffany Brown said in an email to MLive-The Flint Journal.

"Making sure contractors are appropriately paid by the city for the eligible work they are performing, and the city is then reimbursed in accordance with state and federal laws is a focus for the DEQ," the statement says. "The department is committed to working with the city to assure funds are provided to address the city's water infrastructure needs."

Brown said Tuesday, July 31, that her comment should be amended to reflect that the city "has declined the assistance offer."

MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach Candice Mushatt, a city spokeswoman, for comment Tuesday, but Brown said city CFO Hughley Newsome specifically turned down the help.

Just last week, Newsome was warned in a letter from the DEQ Deputy Director Amy Epkey that her agency continues to be concerned by the slow rate of reimbursement requests filed by the city for already-approved state and federal funds.

Flint is drawing funds from a $167-million pool of state and federal money set up to pay for water system improvements, including the replacement of lead and galvanized service lines to homes.

But Epkey said the city has requested reimbursement for just 17 percent -- $27.9 million -- of the money to date and requested that reimbursements for all work completed prior to June 2018 be submitted by Aug. 10.

No reimbursement requests had been completed this year as of July 25, the deputy director's letter says.

In a statement issued by the city, Newsome said staffing shortages persist throughout city government "and have persisted since emergency managers slashed positions."

Flint was run by state-appointed emergency managers from 2011 until 2015 after Gov. Rick Snyder declared a financial emergency here. The city was also under state control for a two-year period from 2002 through 2004 under former Gov. John Engler.

In his statement, Newsome said the city was attempting to complete reimbursement requests for the service line replacement program in addition to day-to-day financial operations.

Weaver later said the state was aware of staffing challenges in city hall and had offered at one time to "loan" employees to the city to "help handle reimbursement paper work for pipe replacement."

"We are still waiting for that additional help," the mayor's statement Friday, July 27, said.GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The Grand Rapids City Commission originally planned to appoint its next city manager next week, but after an afternoon of interviews the city leaders made a decision.

On Tuesday, July 31, the commission voted 6-1 to appoint Mark Washington, the assistant city manager for Austin, Texas, as the next Grand Rapids city manager. Third Ward Commissioner Senita Lenear was the lone opposing vote.

"Pretty immediately Mark Washington stood out to me," said Mayor Rosalynn Bliss. "I see the value in bringing in someone new with the breadth and depth of experience that Mark has."

Bliss said she liked Washington's commitment to innovation and his experience with topics including affordable housing, racial inequity and economic development.

Multiple commissioners added that Washington's experience working for a large city like Austin would be beneficial to Grand Rapids.

Washington was selected over a group of four other finalists, including Grand Rapids' Acting Interim Deputy City Manager, Tom Almonte.

Commissioner Lenear said her first choice would have been Almonte -- the candidate other commissioners considered their second choice. But she said she would have picked Washington as her second choice.

"This feels rushed to me," said Lenear, who wanted the commission to wait until its planned Aug. 7 meeting in order to hear from the public before making a decision.

Commissioner Ruth Kelly made the immediate motion to nominate Washington for the open position.

"I don't think we need to prolong this any longer," Kelly said. "We're eager to get someone in place. This is our second go-around but it was wise of us to listen to our community, push pause, and do this a second time."

Tuesday's appointment ended a process that began in August 2017 when former city manager Greg Sundstrom announced his plan to retire. Since then, former deputy city manager Eric DeLong has been filling in as interim Grand Rapids city manager.

Sundstrom held the position for nine years.

Grand Rapids' city manager oversees 1,500 employees, 14 collective bargaining units, and a combined budget of more than $590 million. The position pays a starting salary between $175,00 and $250,000.

The commission hired the recruiting firm Springsted Waters for $26,500 to assist in its second attempt to find Sundstrom's replacement. Previously, the city paid GovHR $25,000 for its help in a search process that didn't produce a fitting candidate in the eyes of the commission, community groups and residents.

Washintgon joined Austin's municipal workforce in 2009, serving as human resources director for six years before taking over as assistant manager for the last three years. He also previously served as assistant human resources director, compensation and benefits manager, and street services project manager for the city of Fort Worth, Texas.

His 22 years in local government include the last three helping to manage a city of nearly 950,000 residents, 14,000 employees and a budget of $4 billion.

The other finalists were Peter Auger, Novi's city manager, Michael Cernech, Tamarac, Florida's city manager, April McGrath Lynch, Ferndale's city manager, and Almonte.

All five candidates interviewed with the commission Tuesday afternoon, following a community meet-and-greet event Monday evening at the city's public library.

The next step is for Grand Rapids' city attorney office to draft a contract for Washington. The commission hopes to have Washington in office by September.

Almonte has worked for Grand Rapids since 2009. He was promoted to director of public services in 2015 and previously served as assistant to the city manager and business developer in the city's diversity and inclusion office.

In February, Almonte stepped into the deputy city manager role on an interim basis. He was filling a spot left temporarily vacant by DeLong.WEST MICHIGAN -- Two candidates are vying for the 72nd District State House District in the Republican primary.

The race features incumbent Steven Johnson against challenger Jennifer Antel, a member of the Wayland City Council.

The district covers three townships in Northwest Allegan County, Gaines Township and part of the greater Grand Rapids metro area.

The candidates answered questions in an online voter's guide published by the League of Women Voters in conjunction with MLive.

Steven Johnson

Johnson, the incumbent, said his first priority as a legislator is to "make sure we implement pro-life policies throughout Michigan and said he wants to defund Planned Parenthood.

Johnson also said he is endorsed by the National Rifle Association and wants to ensure that 2nd Amendment rights remain intact. He has sponsored legislation advocating for Constitutional carry.

He also wants to work on remedies for lowering the state no-fault auto insurance rates.

In the area of education, Johnson supports school choice and giving parents the opportunity to "send their children where they feel their kids will thrive the best." He also supports increasing vocational training in high school for students that do not want to pursue a four-year college degree.

Regarding the economy and business, he supports cutting taxes and regulations that limit the ability of business to thrive.

Johnson said he is in favor of tougher voter ID laws to help ensure fraud-free elections.

Jennifer Antel

Antel is a former assistant to the city manger of Kalamazoo and is in her seventh term on the Wayland City Council.

She said education is a top legislative priority for her and wants to "provide a foundation for skilled trades and high tech training at the high school level."

Antel also believes that local control is an important facet of government.

"I would, whenever possible, leave local decisions of how to run a community to the local authorities. Decisions are best made when made at the level closest to the people they affect."

Antel also said she would make funding the state's infrastructure a priority.

In the area of education, she supports providing early education to all families and providing more reading programs to students at the earliest level.

Antel said she believes the biggest impact on a student's education happens in the early years, from pre-school to the third grade.

Regarding the economy and business, she wants to "remove red tape for businesses to locate and expand in Michigan."

In the area of elections, she said she that "keeping limits on campaign contributions is important to keep our election process transparent."WYOMING, MI -- West Michigan's second largest municipal water supply contains low levels of toxic per- and polyfluorinated compounds called PFAS.

Test results of Wyoming municipal tap water show PFOS and PFOA, two PFAS compounds, at combined levels of 4-to-5-parts per trillion -- about 16 times below the federal lifetime health advisory of 70-parts per trillion, or ppt.

The levels are similar to those found in the Grand Rapids municipal water supply, which which also sources its water from Lake Michigan.

Michigan health officials previously said the low PFAS levels are not cause for alarm.

Jaime Fleming, laboratory manager at the Wyoming Utilities Department, said there are currently no plans to install PFAS filtration systems at this time.

"The levels are well below the health advisory limit, so we consider it safe to drink," she said. "But we are keeping an eye on any new information that comes out, and we'll stay on top of it. We take our job very seriously."

Levels found in the Wyoming municipal water system are below stricter health guidelines proposed in a new federal study. According to environmental chemists, the study's suggested "minimum risk levels" translate roughly to 7-ppt for PFOS and 11-ppt for PFOA.

If the Environmental Protection Agency significantly lowers it's 70-ppt health advisory, the city will likely discuss filtration options, Fleming said.

The Wyoming water system serves about 230,000 residents across Kent and Ottawa counties. It covers Wyoming, Kentwood, Grandville and Hudsonville; the townships of Holland, Georgetown, Jamestown, Gaines and Byron; and small portions of Olive and Blendon townships.

The Grand Rapids water system serves about 300,000 customers.

The Wyoming Utilities Department ordered the testing earlier this year after receiving numerous calls from residents asking about PFAS levels in their water, Fleming said.

Previous tests of the city's water system did not detect PFAS. But previous tests also had much higher reporting thresholds of 20-ppt for PFOA and 40-ppt for PFOS, meaning that anything below those levels was labelled "non-detect," according to Fleming.

This time, the reporting level was much lower. Two of three drinking water distribution sites tested detected PFOS at 3-ppt and PFOA at 2-ppt. The third site had PFOS and PFOA levels both at 2-ppt.

The test results were released to MLive/The Grand Rapids Press ahead of the Department of Environmental Quality's own testing of the Wyoming water supply -- part of the state's pledge to test 1,380 public water systems and about 460 schools for PFAS.

The state's results for the Wyoming system are due back any time, Fleming said.

Exposure to PFAS has been linked in human studies to some cancers, thyroid disorders, elevated cholesterol and other diseases. PFAS compounds are called "forever chemicals" because they accumulate in the body and do not breakdown in the environment.

The chemicals have been used in fire suppressant foam at airports, fire departments and refineries, as well as by industrial chrome platers and apparel manufacturers. They repel water and oil and resist heat.

Whereas the state is probing water supplies for 24 different PFAS compounds, Wyoming only looked for PFOA and PFOS.

That was done, Fleming said, because those are only two PFAS compounds with an EPA health advisory.

The state of Michigan has cleanup standards for PFOS and PFOA in groundwater that people drink but does not have a maximum contaminant level for public water systems.A proposal to implement an independent redistricting commission in Michigan will be on the November ballot, the Michigan Supreme Court has ruled.

In a 4-3 ruling released around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Supreme Court justices David Viviano, Bridget Mary McCormack, Richard Bernstein and Beth Clement determined the ballot initiative put forward by the group Voters Not Politicians passed state constitutional muster.

The majority opinion concluded that the plan put forward by Voters Not Politicians was not a general revision of the Constitution, and did not negatively impact powers assigned by the three branches of government.

The court's majority decision concurred with a unanimous decision from the state Court of Appeals, which compelled the Michigan Board of State Canvassers to place the Voters not Politicians measure on the ballot after determining the initiative passed constitutional muster.

"Our holding here reflects the constitutional text, our historical experience, logic, and the wisdom of other states," the opinion reads. "We conclude that VNP's proposal does not create the equivalent of a new constitution by significantly altering or abolishing the form or structure of our government and is, instead, a permissible voter-initiated amendment."

Dissenting opinions was authored by Chief Justice Stephen Markman and Kurtis Wilder, both of which were joined by Justice Brian Zahra.

The plan, put forward by Voters Not Politicians, would amend the Michigan Constitution to create a 13-member independent redistricting commission in time for the next round of redistricting following the 2020 census.

The commission would be made up of five independents, four Democrats and four Republicans. The proposal placed several restrictions on who can be selected in an attempt to fully separate redistricting from the political process, which is currently controlled by the state Legislature.

In a statement following the decision, Voters Not Politicians founder and executive director Katie Fahey said supporters are "ecstatic" the proposal will be on the November ballot.

"Hundreds of thousands of voters signed their name to have the chance to vote to bring the redistricting process out in the open," she said. "Michigan voters are ready for a transparent redistricting process, where election district lines represent the people - not special interests."

In his dissenting opinion, Markman disagreed with the court's finding, concluding the matter was a general revision of the Constitution and not an amendment and also taking issue with the argument that the "people" must decide regardless of the proposal's merits.

"The 'people' have been referenced frequently during oral argument and by the majority opinion, as if merely to invoke their name compels the conclusion that the present measure must be placed on the ballot," Markman's dissent reads. "After assessing the interests of the 'people' in this matter, I believe that what is most significant is that these 'people' have made it reasonably clear that the permanent things of their Constitution are not to be cast away lightly."

If passed, the Voters Not Politicians plan would insert in place of the current system "the governance of 13 randomly selected 'people' entirely lacking in any democratic or electoral relationship with the other 10 million 'people' of this state or their elected representatives," Markman wrote in the dissent.

Over a span of several months, Voters Not Politicians built up a formidable volunteer staff, putting thousands of people passionate about redistricting reform to work collecting signatures, educating prospective voters and organizing new recruits.

The group turned in 427,075 signatures, of which state elections staff determined 394,092 were valid. The initiative needed 315,654 signatures to be considered for final ballot approval.

Voters Not Politicians has faced stiff opposition almost from the start from groups like the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Republican Party, who have tried to frame the matter as an effort by progressives to wrest political control from Republicans.

When the court heard arguments on the matter July 18, Michigan's solicitor general and the group Citizens Protecting Michigan's Constitution argued the Voters Not Politicians plan is a "sweeping, radical change" of the Constitution that departs from decades of existing precedent on how political district lines are drawn.

Attorney Peter Ellsworth also argued the proposal would create a "super agency" with no checks and balances of power from voters or branches of government that would perform a key government function.

The Supreme Court's majority opinion found that was not the case - the justices concluded that although the legislature has been in control of redistricting since 1996, "the current state of affairs is a deviation from what the voters chose when they ratified the 1963 Constitution."

"The Legislature has no such role in the 1963 Constitution's commission," the majority opinion reads. "If anything, then VNP's proposal increases, slightly, the Legislature's participation in the process over the level contemplated in 1963."

Supporters of redistricting reform have argued the status quo of politicians picking their own districts is fundamentally flawed. Voters Not Politicians organizers have long said their efforts are nonpartisan and point to Republicans and Democrats alike who have signed onto their proposal.

During Supreme Court arguments, Voters Not Politicians attorney Graham Crabtree argued the Constitution "does not allow a fine parsing of whether this or that is germane."

"The duty of this court is to allow it to go on the ballot so the people can have their say," he said.

Even before the Supreme Court ruled, Voters Not Politicians was already looking ahead to next steps. The group raised more than $700,000 from April to July, and released its first statewide television ad last week.Michigan residents will still be able to cast a straight-party ticket this Election Day.

A federal court judge on Wednesday imposed a permanent injunction on a 2016 Michigan law seeking to remove the straight-party voting option.

U.S. District Court Judge Gershwin Drain wrote in a 103-page opinion that the law, passed by a Republican-led Legislature, discriminates against black voters, who vote straight ticket at higher percentages than white voters.

Drain concluded that Michigan's Republican Party passed the bill so it would be easier to win elections. Black voters are much more likely to vote for Democrats, Drain pointed out.

The law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, according to Drain.

"The Plaintiffs have demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that PA 268 (the public act getting rid of straight-ticket voting) unduly burdens the right to vote, reflects racial discriminatory intent harbored by the Michigan Legislature, and disparately impacts African-Americans' opportunity to vote in concert with social and historical conditions of discrimination," Drain wrote.

Straight-party voting has been an option in Michigan since 1891. Instead of filling out the entire ballot, a voter has the option to fill out one party's bubble, thus voting for the party's candidates in all the races.

Eliminating the option has gone to Michigan voters twice, in 1964 and 2001. Both time, residents voted to retain the option.

Then in 2015, the Michigan Legislature passed a bill that would eliminate the option, setting aside $5 million to retool voting equipment. Gov. Rick Snyder signed the bill into law in January 2016.

The law never took effect.

The Michigan A. Philip Randolph Institute filed suit against Secretary of State Ruth Johnson claiming that it violated the Voting Rights Act by unfairly targeting the black community.

In July 2016, Drain temporarily granted relief from the public act in the case, allowing straight-ticket voting for the 2016 election.

Drain's ruling Wednesday is his final verdict in the case.

"We're very pleased. This is really a victory for all Michigan voters," said Mark Brewer, an attorney with Southfield-based Goodman Acker P.C. who represents the Michigan A. Philip Randolph Institute. "It's something that people have become accustomed to and it would cause chaos if it was eliminated."

The judge wrote that Ronna Romney McDaniel, the former chair of the Michigan Republican Party, supported the measure because she thought it "would help the Republican Party win elections."

McDaniel and Republican lawmakers claimed it forced voters to pay closer attention to the ballots and it was worth longer voting times.

"It is time that Michigan's elections process becomes more about people, less about political parties, and even less about how long it takes to exercise one of our most fundamental rights," said state Senator Marty Knollenberg, R-Troy, according to Drain's decision.

Drain thinks that black voters would have suffered much longer wait times as a result if the law went into effect than white voters, however. This was being done to give Republicans the upper hand, according to Drain's decision.

"The goal of ending the Democratic Party's success with straight-ticket voters, therefore, was achieved at the expense of African-Americans' access to the ballot," Drain said.

Fred Woodhams, a spokesman for Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, said his office just received the ruling and was reviewing it.LANSING, MI - Attorney General Bill Schuette hosted at least two seemingly political meetings in a state office building, records released by advocacy group Progress Michigan show.

The state's campaign finance law outlaws the use of public resources, including office space, for political activities, and the group's attorney says Schuette broke the law.

Documents came to light Wednesday as part of a lawsuit Progress Michigan launched against Schuette for the alleged mingling of state and political business, including staff members who have switched back and forth between the official state payroll and Schuette's campaigns. Schuette is currently running for Michigan governor.

As part of that lawsuit, Progress Michigan obtained emails and other documents through one of its subpoenas - something the judge has since stayed until he decides on the motion by Schuette's team to have the lawsuit summarily disposed in Schuette's favor. But before the stay, Mark Brewer, attorney for Progress Michigan, said some documents were turned over.

The documents show two apparent political events taking place in state office buildings. The attorney general's office claims the events were not political.

A schedule included in the emails indicates that on July 23, 2015, during work hours, Schuette and state staff members, plus one volunteer, were scheduled to meet about the Republican National Committee's political convention in Cleveland.

Andrea Bitely, a spokeswoman for Schuette in his capacity as attorney general, said the meeting was regarding a speech he made in his official capacity.

"Upon discussing the content of the meeting with those involved, the meeting was to determine the information that would be contained in the remarks that the Attorney General delivered in his official capacity at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland," Bitely said.

She said that although the speech was given in his official capacity, the state did not pay for his trip to the convention.

Another email indicates that on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014, two days after the election in which he won a second term as Attorney General, Schuette's Executive Assistant Lori Gay invited state staff and campaign workers to a potluck in the Kelly Library, a room in the state office building the Department of Attorney General operates out of.

Invitees included Lori Wortz, who worked for WWP Strategies, a firm campaign finance records show Schuette's AG candidate committee was paying. Employees from Prues Hecker, a firm campaign finance records identify as a fundraising consultant for his AG campaign, according to campaign finance records, were also invited.

The Frank Kelley Library is used for "a variety of functions that include employees and non-employees of the State of Michigan," Bitely said.

Brewer said it was illegal to use state office buildings for political purposes. He also pointed to political emails sent to state employees' personal emails during work time and employees who served in campaign and official state capacities.

"I believe he broke the law, repeatedly, over the last 10 years," Brewer said of Schuette.

That was the culture of the office, Brewer said.

Schuette is running in the Republican primary for governor on Aug. 7, along with candidates Brian Calley, Patrick Colbeck and Jim Hines.

The emails released today come on top of emails showing a political conference call involving Schuette staffers arranged during work hours. Schuette the subject of a complaint that's been referred to the FBI, an open request for a grand jury investigation and a lawsuit, all based in part on the alleged mixing of political and official business and staff.SHERIDAN TWP., MI - A man was hurt and about 150 gallons of black, liquid driveway asphalt sealer spilled Tuesday in a crash in Sheridan Township, near Albion, the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office reported.

A 62-year-old Albion man was driving a truck west on Michigan Avenue when he lost control of the vehicle before 5 p.m. July 31. The truck left the road and rolled over on the edge of a railroad embankment, according to the sheriff's office. The liquid it was hauling "discharged onto the ground."

The man went to Oaklawn Hospital in Marshall. In an email, Sgt. Steven Watson said he did not know the extent of the injuries. He did not believe them to be severe.

Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality were coordinating clean-up efforts, the sheriff's office reported.

The tracks had only minor damage and Amtrak placed a "temporary speed restriction," according to a statement from the sheriff's office. Trains could not travel more than 30 mph.

Pictures released by the sheriff's office show the front of the truck, affiliated with a Marshal asphalt company, separated from its load and the liquid seeping into a grassy area.

Involved in the incident were firefighters from Sheridan Township; the county road and emergency management departments; local emergency medical technicians and Zick's Body Shop in Albion.JACKSON, MI - Eddie Money has two tickets to paradise and says he's taking everyone there at the Jackson County Fair.

The legendary rocker takes the stage Wednesday, Aug. 8, at the fairgrounds, 200 W. Ganson St. Longtime rock group Night Ranger will also perform. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are available on the county fair website.

The show marks Money's first performance at the Jackson County Fair since 2011. He also performed at the fair in 1987.

"If I'm looking forward to any of the shows this summer, it's going to be the one in Jackson," Money said.

Money described Jackson as a "great little rock 'n' roll town."

"I've got a bunch of friends coming down to the show," Money said. "It should be a lot of fun."

It's been 41 years since the release of Money's first album "Eddie Money," which went double platinum. Originating from Berkeley, Calif., Money is known for his signature hits "Baby Hold On," "Two Tickets to Paradise," "Shakin'" and "Take Me Home Tonight."

Money stays active by touring and with his show "Real Money" on AXS TV, which spotlights Money and his family.

"It's doing really well," he said.

For his stop at the Jackson County Fair, Money said fans can expect to hear some of his signature hits in the setlist.

"The critics have been raving about the show," Money said.

Money will share the stage with rock group Night Ranger -- currently celebrating its 35th anniversary tour. Originating from San Francisco, the band's hits include "Sister Christian," "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and "When You Close Your Eyes."

Night Ranger also appeared at the Jackson County Fair in 1984.

"They sound really, really good," Money said.

Michigan is a state Money enjoys playing in, he said. According to setlist.fm, Money has performed in Clarkston, Coleman, Manistee and New Buffalo since the start of 2017.

"For some reason, I've always did really great business in Michigan," Money said. "I've always had a really great rapport with some people in Michigan."

Other acts performing are ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer; the Roots N Boots Country Jam featuring Little Texas, John Anderson and Pam Tillis; and rock 'n' roll bands Theory of a Deadman and Pop Evil.PARCHMENT, MI -- Tammy Cooper, her husband and their 6-month-old daughter moved only a few blocks to their new home, but they left the city of Kalamazoo for Parchment, a place where high levels of PFAS would be found three years later.

The family makes sure to eat organic foods and cooks their meals at home. They found out Thursday, July 26, that their drinking water was contaminated at levels more than 20 times greater than an EPA lifetime health advisory.

Born a healthy 7-pounds, 2-ounces, Cooper's daughter, Jillian, found trouble gaining weight after the move. Now 3, she is in the lowest 1st percentile of body weight for her age group and continues to breastfeed.

Doctors wonder whether she has thyroid problems. Cooper can't say for sure that her daughter's issues are linked to PFAS, but the thought lingers.

Cooper was among the scores of men, women and children filling the pews of Haven Reformed Church Tuesday, July 31, to seek information and answers from public officials at a town hall scheduled in the wake of a state of emergency being declared in the town of about 1,800 residents.

Uncertainty is common among residents of Parchment and Cooper Township after 3,100 people were told late Thursday, July 26, to immediately stop drinking the water. Officials are still trying to determine where the contamination came from and how long it existed.

Per- and polyfluorinated compounds, known collectively as PFAS, are an emerging public health threat contaminating water supplies across the Michigan. Exposure has been found to increase risk of cancer, kidney disease, thyroid conditions and auto-immune disorders.

Since discovery of the contaminant in such large concentrations in Parchment's drinking water, state and local officials have not said whether PFAS exposure is causing health issues in community.

Kalamazoo County Medical Director William Nettleton said it's not clear how many people are affected. Individual blood tests for PFAS won't tell doctors much, he said.

"It will not tell us whether that exposure has caused a disease related to PFAS or will ever cause a disease," Nettleton said of blood tests. "It has very low clinical utility."

A community-wide research study could show whether specific health issues are more common, but Nettleton said it's too early in the evidence-gathering process for a study.

Another area of uncertainty focused on the size and scope of concerns for those with private wells in areas outside the current 1-mile-radius study area.

More than 40 private wells within that proximity to Parchment's contaminated source water wells have been tested by the DEQ so far to find the extent of exposure to PFAS.

Mark DuCharme, DEQ incident management specialist, said the DEQ is working on a long-term solution for wells that are found to be contaminated, and that the state could pay for filters.

Christina Bush, a toxicologist with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said it's difficult to say how long people were drinking contaminated water.

"We cant go back in time" to sample levels at homes, she said, but contamination in the water has "probably been there for at least a few years."

DuCharme said monitoring wells at a former Crown Vantage paper mill dump site were tested Tuesday. Once the source is discovered, he said, it could help explain how long PFAS was in city water.

Possible PFAS source

The DEQ is working to determine where PFAS might have been used in the area.

Based on Parchment's history as the "Paper City," a shuttered paper mill and nearby landfill came to the forefront immediately, DuCharme said.

"We know that papermaking is one area where PFAS historically may have been used," DuCharme said. "We don't know if Crown Vantage used PFAS."

DEQ spokesperson Scott Dean said food wrappings have historically used fluorinated compounds to repel water, oil and grease.

"PFAS has been found in everything from fast food wrappers to pizza boxes," Dean said. "Coated papers is certainly something of interest."

The mill site changed hands multiple times through the years -- from Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Co., Sutherland Paper Co., Brown Co., James River Corp. and Crown Vantage Corp. until it went bankrupt in 2000.

An 80-acre landfill near the Kalamazoo River was capped after Crown Vantage closed in 2000. It was used to dump fly ash and other waste from the nearby paper mill until it was capped at the request of the DEQ.

The former landfill north of East G Avenue is owned by Cooper Township. Wastewater from the mill was treated at a plant to the north of the site, used until Crown Vantage left town.

An access road from the former mill site runs north to the wastewater plant in Cooper Township. County records show the site at East G Avenue was obtained from Crown Vantage in March 2000.

There are 18 monitoring wells at the landfill. DuCharme said not all of the wells have been found, so it could take a few days to collect samples. Lagoons at the site will likely be tested as well.

Other possible sources were mentioned by the community Tuesday, but DuCharme said the DEQ is focused on the site it knows the most about first. For now that's the landfill.

The Kalamazoo River flows north through a valley, according to DEQ, which causes groundwater to flow toward the river on each side of the bank.

Three groundwater drinking wells which provide drinking water to the city sit less than a mile northeast of the landfill in Cooper Township, bordering Parchment city limits.

Individual tests results of the three groundwater wells that send drinking water to Parchment and parts of Cooper Township showed one well with levels of PFAS 26 times higher than a federal health advisory.

The rest were contaminated with levels of PFAS greater than the EPA lifetime health advisory of 70 parts per trillion.

'Our only choice'

The city of Parchment began hooking up its water system to Kalamazoo Tuesday after contaminated water was flushed from Parchment's system. Kalamazoo will supply clean water to Parchment's system for the near future.

Mayor Robert Britigan said it's likely that Parchment will permanently use water from the city of Kalamazoo.

"It's probably our only choice," he said.

Kalamazoo Public Services Director James Baker said Parchment and Cooper Township residents will be asked to flush their residential pipes when the connection is made later this week. Instructions will be sent through the mail.

Residents on bottled water can't drink from the tap just yet. Additional samples are being taken to determine if Parchment's water system is free of PFAS and results are expected Friday.

A second round of source water tests, the expected high cost to drill new wells and likely community distrust of new wells, led Britigan to say a permanent connection is the best option.

The business terms of such an arrangement is to be determined, he said. Britigan said residents should not see an increase in water bills in the meantime.

Tests of 15 water pumping stations serving the Kalamazoo municipal drinking water system found results under a federal health advisory for contaminants PFOA and PFOS.

According to a Monday, July 30 letter from the Department of Environmental Quality, PFOS and PFOA was found between 2 parts per trillion and 19 ppt in three stations and did not detect any level at 12 pumping stations. State officials said the results do not indicate a public health concern.

Long-blighted site

Multiple residents said at the Tuesday town hall that the former mill site should have been cleaned up a long time ago.

Working with River Reach Partners LLC, the city had been trying to re-purpose or demolish buildings left after Crown Vantage closed for a decade. The site was purchased by River Reach Partners, a Colorado-based property redevelopment firm, in 2008.

A representative of the developer was not present Tuesday.

River Reach Partners planned to raze mill buildings along Riverview Drive to make way for a new residential, commercial and office development. One building was demolished but plans stalled after the Great Recession hit.

Britigan said the city "rattled our sabres" by recently sending a letter to River Reach Partners to either get the project started again or give the site back to Parchment.

"I don't know that we want it, but they need to follow through," Britigan said. "Our goal is to get the mill redeveloped. If nothing else, if we got the buildings leveled it would eliminate blight."

The site is in a brownfield district so eligible cleanup activities at the site would be reimbursed.

A baseline environmental assessment conducted in 2008 showed historic use of oil, lubricants, hydraulic fluids, coaters, solvents acids, and polycholorinated biphenyls.COLLEGE PARK, GA -- A Michigan man recently added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list has been captured in Georgia.

Antwan Tamon Mims, a Benton Harbor man accused of killing two people at a March 2018 party, was arrested by FBI agents around 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 31 at a home in College Park, Ga.

Mims was wanted for the March 25, 2018 shooting deaths of Cortez Lamont Miller and Michael Cnathrell Johnson at a house party on Lavette Street in Benton Harbor.

Police say Mims fired a gun from the front door of the house, then calmly walked up to the victims and shot them in the head in front of about 100 people. Police say Mims believed the two men had wronged his gang on a drug deal. Mims is a known member of the Gangster Disciples street gang. He has family and personal ties to Michigan, Indiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Illinois and Ohio.

Mims faces two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts of weapons felony firearms. The FBI obtained a federal arrest warrant for Mims for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution on May 2.

The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety and the Michigan State Police Major Crimes Unit is leading the investigation into the deaths of Miller and Johnson.The FBI Benton Harbor Safe Streets Task Force, which is composed of special agents and law enforcement officers from several area departments, is assisting with the murder investigation and led the federal unlawful flight to avoid prosecution case.

"When a wanted felon like Mims is placed on the FBI Ten Most Wanted List, his world becomes smaller as that bright spotlight is shined upon him, FBI Detroit Sepcial Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater said in a press release. "Couple that with determined federal, state, and local investigators, his life on the run ends with him in handcuffs. We can only hope this arrest brings some level of closure to Cortez and Michael's families."LANSING, MI -- The President of the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School will retire from his position.

Don LeDuc has held the position of president of the law school for 16 years, according to a press release from the school.

LeDuc has been a WMU-Cooley professor since 1975 and served as dean from 1982 to 1987 and again from 1996 to present. He became the school's president in 2002, the release said.

Planning is underway to find the school's permanent replacement for president.

Cooley Law School has appointed former Michigan 29th Circuit Court Judge and retired WMU-Cooley Associate Dean Jeffrey Martlew as interim president.

His term will begin in September, the release said.

Martlew, a 1976 graduate of WMU-Cooley, is a former member of the school's board of directors. He retired from his position as the founding associate dean of the law school's Tampa Bay campus in 2016.

His time as a Michigan judge with the 29th Circuit Court began in 1993. He was named chief judge in 1994 and served until 2007, the release said.OTSEGO, MI -- Residents looking for updates about federal, state and local agencies' investigations related to health and environmental concerns in the Otsego area are invited to an open house meeting in the coming week.

The event originally scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 2, has been rescheduled due to venue requirements, the Allegan County Health Department said.

The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, at Otsego United Methodist Church, 223 East Allegan, in Otsego, an updated news release states.

Residents can stop by to speak with officials about progress in their investigations, the Allegan County Health Department said in a news release.

Residents and former residents are working together to push for answers after some became concerned with a number of people being diagnosed with cancer and other diseases. Some who are looking for answers have collected unofficial health survey data and have identified several sites of concern, including former industrial sites and locations of environmental contamination.

The open house is in response to community concerns that were expressed to Senator Stabenow's office, the news release states.

"Our office has met with a number of people impacted by health concerns and has been working with them to ensure that the appropriate agencies are responding to their concerns," Miranda Margowsky, a spokeswoman for Ses. Stabenow's Office said.

"The Senator believes that it's critical that this testing get done so that those impacted have answers," Margowsky said.

The open house is meant to be a venue to provide information and updates on the agencies' progress towards meeting the deliverables that were committed to at the Otsego Town Hall meeting held on April 14.

Agencies committed to being at the event are MDHHS, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Allegan County Health Department, Justice for Otsego, and Otsego Wellness Center, the Allegan County Health Department said.

Groups or agencies that have an interest in environmental health issues can contact Lisa Letts at 269-673-5411 or lletts@allegancounty.org to request a table.

The Otsego Area Environmental Open House will not discuss residents' private water supplies (private wells) sampling results since those results are due to be received at the end of August, the news release states.

Anyone with questions or concerns can contact Health Officer Angelique Joynes at ajoynes@allegancounty.org or call 269-673-5411.WHITEHALL, MI - Arconic is expanding its Whitehall operation with a $100 million investment and 45 new jobs.

The expansion will increase Arconic's production capacity and provide new capabilities to meet the growing demand from aerospace engine customers, according to a news release from the company on Aug. 1.

The expansion of Plant 1, 1 Misco Drive in Whitehall, is supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's (MEDC) Michigan Strategic Fund, the city of Whitehall and Consumers Energy.

MEDC is contributing a $495,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. It is unclear what the city of Whitehall and Consumers Energy are contributing.

Whitehall City Manager Scott Huebler did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

The company is working on a similar expansion in Morristown, Tennessee.

"Our customers' aero engine production ramps are unprecedented, and these expansions will provide additional capacity to deliver even more of the components they need to build aero engines at high volumes," said Dirk Bauer, president of Arconic Engines, in a statement. "We are combining this additional capacity with superior engineering and manufacturing expertise to better serve our customers."

The expansions are expected to be complete by the end of 2020. Together, they are expected to create more than 150 jobs by the end of 2020 in Whitehall and Morristown, according to the release.

At least 45 of those jobs will be in Whitehall, according to the MEDC.

Arconic is the largest industrial employer in Muskegon County, employing about 2,200 people.

Arconic broke from Alcoa Inc., taking its new name and independent identity during November 2016. The separation of Arconic from Alcoa was announced during September 2015.

Arconic's 155-acre Whitehall campus began with Plant 1 - now getting an update and expansion - in 1951 as the Michigan Steel Casting Co. It later took on the name of Howmet Corp. and then Alcoa.

Earlier this year, the company announced a $10 million investment in high-tech machinery and equipment at its Whitehall facilities. That project is expected to create 38 jobs.

During 2014 and 2015, Alcoa invested nearly $40 million in the Whitehall facilities, adding aerospace manufacturing capacity and jobs.

The company produces cast components for commercial passenger jet engines and military aircraft jet engines, among other products.

Arconic consists of fast-growing units that supply components to the aerospace and automotive industries. It includes what was Alcoa Howmet-Whitehall, Alcoa Power and Propulsion, Alcoa Howmet Research Corp., Hot Isostatic Pressing, Ti-Cast and other units.

Whitehall is one of the largest centers of operation for Arconic. There are hundreds of Arconic plants around the world, employing over 41,000 people.

The publicly traded company reports $13 billion in revenue during 2017. The ARNC stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange.BAD AXE, MI -- Huron County Sheriff's Office said they have a person they believe was responsible for several grass fire arsons that occurred during June and July.

According to a press release from Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson, tips from media coverage led to a female suspect on Monday, July 30, who cooperated with deputies regarding six roadside fires in the Bad Axe and Kinde area.

The fires occurred over a 45-day period between June 1 and July 15, but the six fires did not account for all suspicious roadside fires that occurred in the county this summer, Hanson said.

The sheriff's office is asking that anyone with information about fires occurring after July 15 contact Huron County Central Dispatch of the sheriff's office.

The investigating deputies will be meeting with the prosecutor's office in the future to discuss options on charging the suspect.WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump has asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to put an end to the special investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election.

During a series of tweets sent out Wednesday morning, Trump called on Sessions to put an end to Robert Mueller's investigation.

FBI Agent Peter Strzok (on the Mueller team) should have recused himself on day one. He was out to STOP THE ELECTION OF DONALD TRUMP. He needed an insurance policy. Those are illegal, improper goals, trying to influence the Election. He should never, ever been allowed to........  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

.....remain in the FBI while he himself was being investigated. This is a real issue. It wont go into a Mueller Report because Mueller is going to protect these guys. Mueller has an interest in creating the illusion of objectivity around his investigation. ALAN DERSHOWITZ....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to begin the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

Trump has continuously referred to the investigation as a "witch hunt" and in recent weeks called into question the ability of Mueller and his team to remain impartial.

Over the last week, Trump and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani have spoken out publicly to say that collusion is not a crime while still denying any collusion occurred.

Last year, Session recused himself from the investigation follow his Senate confirmation hearing after it was discovered he failed to report to a meeting with a Russian ambassador.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein then appointed Mueller to head up the investigation into possible links between the campaign and the Russian interference.DETROIT -- Matthew Boyd pitched eight shutout innings to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night at Comerica Park.

Reds starter Homer Bailey retired the first 11 batters he faced before surrendering a solo home run to Niko Goodrum in the fourth. He went 12 batters before allowing another hit.

The Tigers tacked on an insurance run in the eighth when Mike Gerber doubled to left, scoring Jose Iglesias.

It was the first career hit and RBI for Gerber, who was called up from Triple-A Toledo after Leonys Martin was traded.

Boyd eluded two jams to pitch eight shutout innings, striking out seven and allowing just one walk and four hits.

It was his longest outing since throwing a one-hitter last September.

In the second inning, former Tiger Eugenio Suarez doubled, advanced to third on a groundout and then tried to score on a fly ball to center. JaCoby Jones, in the spot normally patrolled by Martin, fired a bullet to the plate to beat Suarez by several feet. Tigers catcher James McCann didn't have to budge.

The Reds doubled twice in the fourth inning, but still didn't manage to score.

In the ninth, Tigers closer Shane Greene gave up a lead-off triple to Phillip Ervin, who scored on a sacrifice fly, before retiring the Reds to log his 22nd save.

UP NEXT

The Tigers and Reds wrap up their brief two-game series on Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. at Comerica Park. Mike Fiers (7-6, 3.54 ERA) will face the Reds' Sal Romano (6-8, 5.04).MACKINAC ISLAND, MI -- Last year, it seemed like a crazy goal.

It didn't take long for Mackinac Island bartender Jesse Bader to find out how crazy it really was for him to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.

The 2,665-mile trip was so grueling that Bader, a bartender/manager at the Gate House, had to "jump" part of the trail when the snow became too packed.

"The snow was so high -- 20-25-feet high -- that it was burying a lot of the cross-country ski signs you would see on trees," he said.

The elements tested him throughout the journey that he completed 2,063 miles of the trip, falling short of his goal.

"So, I'm finishing what I started," he said in a recent interview with MLive.

Listen to Bader in the video above or an extended Podcast interview below.

Bader, who doesn't consider himself a serious outdoor enthusiast, felt compelled to do something that would test him mentally and physically. The seed was planted in 2003 when he read Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" about "rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail."

During an 18-hour shift at the Gate House (several years ago), he started to seriously think about the journey on the PCT.

At the end of the shift:

"I decided to do it," he said.

Why?

"I always wanted to do a through hike. It was something romantic and adventurous....It was something to say and to achieve. It's something not a lot of people can say (they did)."

He took most of the summer off in 2017 (4 and 1/2 months) and began his journey in April. The Island community was buzzing with his journey, which he chronicled on his Facebook page. Everyone in the service industry and tourists were talking about "the bartender at the Gate House."

Even his employer, the Grand Hotel, donated $2,665 for each mile of the trip.

Overall he raised more than $24,000 for St. Jude's Children's Research.

"I'm beside myself thinking about (the money raised)," he said in the Podcast.

Why St. Jude and cancer research?

"I can't imagine what parents would have to go through...the heartache and the stress," he said. "It's a great organization."

In the Podcast, Bader thanked his employer, the Grand Hotel, and the Musser family.

Now, he wants to finish what he started. He has about 600 miles to go and leaves Aug. 11, 2018 and hopes to return Oct. 1.

"Hopefully the fires don't hamper my trek," he said.

Make donations at the St. Jude fundraising page at stjude.org.

Read our MLive story from last summer.

Follow Jesse's journey on his Facebook page.Walker city commissioners have approved a service agreement with Life EMS, giving the medical provider free rein to respond to any area of the city -- saying it is a more practical and efficient way to offer ambulance service to residents.

Commissioners unanimously approved the new contract with Life EMS, which is headquartered in Grand Rapids, at its July 23 meeting. The agreement comes with an initial service term of three years, with no additional costs being incurred by the city.

The new service model scraps the old one, which called for Life EMS to service only those areas of the city north of Lake Michigan Drive, while American Medical Response, also based out of Grand Rapids, handled calls south of Lake Michigan.

In analyzing response time data from the previous year, Police Chief Gregory Long said he noticed a rather significant disparity in the service that residents in the northern and southern portions of Walker were receiving under the old arrangement.

"Part of the reason it came up is I started looking at response times for Med 1s, which are the most serious medical calls," Long said. "The response times (were) really, really upside down, in my opinion.

"The county standard that we have for our area for a Med 1 response is 12 minutes," he said. "Life's response time, on average, for the first half of 2017 was just over six minutes. Conversely, when we start talking about AMR, theirs were exceeding that 12-minute (mark) on average by almost a minute."

Long said also that Life was running a much higher volume of calls in the city than AMR. After speaking with the operations managers of both providers, he said he discovered the difference had a bit to do with AMR's obligations in the city of Grand Rapids, as well as staffing limits.

"AMR's contractually locked into most of Grand Rapids, absent the southeast side," Long said. "They were telling me that that's where the resources go because that's where the calls are coming from. So they (were) running calls on a daily basis in Grand Rapids, comparable to almost monthly for us."

In speaking with personnel from both ambulance service providers, Long said it became apparent that Life was willing to expand services in Walker, while AMR simply could not make such a commitment.

Describing medical service received from both organizations over the years as "fantastic" and "unparalleled," he said he still found himself concerned that residents in different parts of the city were dealing with different response times for emergency services.

"That kind of struck me as very concerning because we're talking about citizens ... and just because you have a 'southwest' address on the end of your street, that should not be a reason for a different response time," Long said.

Commissioner Gary Carey Jr. said he believed AMR, in being noncommittal to increased service, was trying to tell city staff that they no longer felt they were a good fit for Walker. "And that's all right; that's not a bad thing," he said. "I appreciate them being very transparent."

With the new service agreement in place, Life EMS plans to begin using a section of the parking lot of the Meijer at Wilson Avenue and Lake Michigan Drive as a staging area for its ambulances -- a move that Long said should enhance response times in the southern portion of the city.

Mayor Mark Huizenga said he viewed the new agreement with Life EMS as an entirely positive development. "I just think from a practical standpoint it makes a lot of sense," he said. "This is a way to enhance (service) and probably make things better for both ambulance companies and for our residents."

Long said Life EMS and AMR will still maintain an agreement with one another which will allow the providers to hand service calls off if the need arises. Residents also may request a specific ambulance service, if they so desire.Seeking directions for a thorough probe, capital market regulator SEBI has told the Calcutta High Court that Alchemist Group's chairman K D Singh was allegedly trying to siphon off around USD 100 million from the money deposited by gullible investors to tax havens, including for buying strip clubs and vacation homes abroad. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) today approached a division bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Joymalyo Bagchi with a plea that it was not legally competent to conduct such a probe and the court should direct competed agencies to investigate the matter.

The regulator alleged that Singh was trying to siphon off investors' deposits worth hundreds of crores of rupees from Alchemist group, which has been under SEBI's scanner for garnering funds from public investors in violation of rules.

In its application, SEBI said that "K D Singh is in the process of siphoning off around USD 100 million, earned by way of duping the innocent public in the guise of fake deposit scheme, in buying companies abroad via tax havens."

It also prayed for an order by the bench directing competent agencies to recover the money from Singh and hand over to a one-man committee as directed by the high court on December 21, 2017.

The bench decided to hear the matter further on August 6.

SEBI further said that the one-man committee of Justice (retd) S P Talukdar has started making payments to investors from July 2.

The regulator said that Singh was allegedly trying to siphon off the money in association with the business head of a Mumbai-based family owned group with international presence, whose name it would disclose during hearings.

SEBI alleged that Singh, through this business man, has entered into a deal with a Greek business owner whereby a new entity is being created in Cyprus and 10 million euro has been kept in an escrow account till the Greek company's ownership is transferred to Cyprus.

The regulator also alleged that Singh was is in process of buying real estate in Mykonos Island of Greece to construct 'safe' vacation homes and was also acquiring pubs, restaurants and strip clubs in Athens which he is planning to combine with his vacation homes to create a 'private party' club worth 5 million euro.

The SEBI application further stated that shares of a Kolkata-based private company were recently acquired as benami from one minority shareholder and process of acquiring shares of another minority shareholder worth Rs 250 crore is on through a similar route.

"Also, in December, a benami property was sold in India and funds were received in the UAE as an operating income from a customer on fake invoices," SEBI said.

It also said around 10 entities located in various jurisdictions are being used for moving funds around through different banks.

SEBI said it has been informed of all these assets and the nature of their dealings, but "it (the regulator) is neither authorised nor legally competent to make investigation in this regard and also not competent to recover assets as it involves flow of funds abroad and assets in foreign jurisdictions, if the information is correct."

It said that the volume of assets of the company as enumerated is such that the amount if received from it could possibly satisfy the claim of a substantial portion of depositors of the Alchemist Group.1. Haryana - 28.7 percent (Image: Reuters)

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The auction of Bhushan Power & Steel is back to square one, with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Wednesday asking the company's lenders to invite fresh bids.

The tribunal has set a deadline of Monday, August 6 for the submission of the fresh bids. The next hearing will be on August 17.

In a setback for Tata Steel, the tribunal also stayed the voting on the steelmaker's bid that was supposed to be done by the lenders on Thursday.

The lenders had earlier this week selected Tata Steel as the highest bidder. "The tribunal has termed it null and void," said an executive who attended the hearing held in Delhi.

JSW Steel and Liberty House are the other two bidders.

A twist

Over the past week, the auction of Bhushan Power & Steel has taken a new turn, with JSW Steel submitting a revised bid.

The Sajjan Jindal-led company had till then taken a backseat, even as the lenders chose Tata Steel's bid as the preferred one, and amid a late entry by Liberty House.

While Liberty House has offered to make an upfront payment of Rs 18,500 crore to the lenders, Tata Steel had offered Rs 17,000 crore.

In the last week's revised bid, JSW Steel increased its earlier offer of Rs 11,000 crore, with a new one of over Rs 18,500 crore.

Bhushan Power & Steel owes banks about Rs 45,000 crore.State-run telecom company BSNL has narrowed its loss to Rs 4,785 crore during 2017-18, even as its income declined to Rs 27,818 crore as against the previous fiscal, Parliament was informed today.

BSNL posted a loss of Rs 4,859 crore in 2015-16, Rs 4,786 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 4,785 crore (provisional and unaudited) in 2017-18, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

The company's income stood at Rs 32,411 crore (FY16), Rs 31,533 crore (FY17) and Rs 27,818 crore in FY18 (provisional and unaudited), he added.

Since BSNL has incurred losses consecutively for the last three years, it has been declared as 'Incipient Sick' as per the guidelines of Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), the minister said.

Accordingly, action has been initiated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for preparation of revival/restructuring plan of BSNL, he added.

MTNL, another state-run telecom firm, reported a loss of Rs 2,971 crore in FY18. This was against a similar amount in FY17 and Rs 2,006 crore in FY16.

The company, which has operations in Delhi and Mumbai, saw its income declining to Rs 3,116 crore in 2017-18 from Rs 3,552 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 3,513 crore in 2015-16.

Sinha said at present, there is no proposal for merger of BSNL and MTNL.

"For merger of BSNL and MTNL, there are various challenges/issues related to their employees, debt, properties, government share holding in MTNL etc," he added.live bse live

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FMCG major Colgate-Palmolive India (CPIL) today said that its Chairman Vinod Nambiar has resigned from the company. Nambiar, who had joined CPIL in 1998, has cited personal reasons for the resignation, the company said in a regulatory filing.

"Vinod Nambiar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Colgate-Palmolive (India) has informed the company of his decision to resign from the office of Director and Chairman of the Board due to his taking a leave of absence from Colgate Palmolive for personal reasons," the company said.

It further added that Nambiar will cease to be a Director with effect from September 1, 2018.

Nambiar, an alumnus of IIM Calcutta, was appointed as a Non-Executive Director & Chairman of CPIL in 2015.According to the EOW, the accused colluded with the former promoters of Religare Enterprises, Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh. (Image: Reuters)

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The Delhi High Court on August 1 directed Malvinder and Shivinder Singh to appear in person for the next hearing on August 10 in a case related to enforcement of Rs 3,500 crore arbitration award by Japanese drug maker Daiichi Sankyo.

This would be the first time that the Singh brothers would appear in court in the Daiichi-Ranbaxy case, which has been going on since May 2016.

The summons were issued as the court was not satisfied with the information provided by Singh brothers about the status of their assets. The court is trying to ascertain whether these assets cover the funds required to satisfy the Japanese drug maker's award.

Earlier, the court had sought details from Singh brothers of all their unencumbered assets and wanted a chartered accountant to be appointed to give valuation of the assets.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher, who is hearing the matter, told the Singhs' counsel that if the brothers do not have sufficient funds to satisfy the award, they should declare themselves insolvent and go behind bars.

"Have seen and heard enough, things are getting out of hand," the judge vented his frustration.

A Singapore tribunal had awarded Daiichi the Rs 3,500 crore arbitration award in April 2016, on the grounds that the brothers made false claims in a self-assessment report and fraudulently misrepresented and concealed the genesis, nature and severity of the US regulatory investigations of Ranbaxy when Daiichi bought their 34.82 percent stake for $2.4 billion in 2008.

Daiichi earlier filed a petition seeking to block the Fortis-IHH Healthcare deal.

Daiichi in its application contended that the implementation of the Fortis-IHH transaction "will contravene orders issued by this honourable court, the honourable Supreme Court of India as well as significantly defeat the execution of the award in India."

This includes orders to maintain the value of unencumbered assets that two holding companies of the Singhs' disclosed to court. While the court has not passed orders to block the Fortis-IHH deal, it suggested that it would intervene if the transaction was found to violate earlier court orders.

In today's hearing Fortis told the court that Singh brothers are no longer directors in Fortis and steps are underway for their "depromoterization" and board resolution in this regard has already been passed.

Singh brothers hold around 0.63 percent stake in Fortis.

Fortis said it is neither a party in the arbitration proceedings nor is a judgment debtor.

In a separate development, Fortis said it got a legal notice from Malvinder Singh under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (IB) Code demanding Rs 46.11 crore alleging that it was due under employment agreement.

Fortis said it replied to the notice stating that the said demand is "illegal and not payable".

Fortis added that it has sent a legal notice to Malvinder for recovering Rs 20 crore with respect to his employment contract which in invalid.live bse live

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The countrys largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has raised concerns over increased regulatory scrutiny and reputational risks due to the ongoing investigation against its CEO and Managing Director Chanda Kochhar.

In a filing with the US regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the bank also cautioned that if any of its official is found guilty, it could adversely impact its operational results and financial condition.

We are at increased risk for inquiries or investigations by regulatory and enforcement authorities, which may adversely affect our reputation, lead to increased regulatory scrutiny, cause us to incur additional costs or adversely affect our ability to conduct business, the bank said in the regulatory filing on July 31.

The bank is in the process of responding to a show cause notice issued by markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) over disclosure of information in the alleged conflict of interest while granting loans to Videocon Group.

Independent enquiry

"At present, the Audit Committee of the Bank has instituted an independent enquiry, headed by a former Supreme Court Judge B.N. Krishna, to consider various allegations relating to the MD and CEO, Ms. Chanda Kochhar. Ms. Kochhar is on a leave of absence pending the outcome of the independent enquiry," ICICI bank informed the SEC in its annual filing.

The enquiry was supported by an independent law firm and a forensics firm.

The private lender is in the midst of corporate governance issues and nepotism charges against Kochhar, which was first raised in October 2016 by a shareholder activist via a blog.

At least three whistleblowers have alleged that the MD and CEO failed to make adequate disclosures on the business and investment relationships her husband Deepak Kochhar had with some of the corporations including Videocon and Essar groups, which have taken loans from ICICI Bank.

The charges allege that some of the loans to these groups were granted as a quid pro quo for business dealings with her husband. ICICI's board has denied the charges.

In May this year, SEBI issued a show cause notice to Kochhar and ICICI after multiple allegations surfaced. It acknowledged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had initiated a preliminary enquiry against various individuals and firms including unknown officials of the bank.

In the event that the Bank or individuals associated with the Bank are found by the independent enquiry, the Sebi enquiry or the CBI investigation to have violated applicable laws or regulations, the Bank or individuals associated with the Bank could become subject to legal and regulatory sanctions that may materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and reputation, the bank filing with SEC said.

We are investigating certain allegations made in an anonymous whistleblower complaint that the Bank incorrectly classified certain assets due to claimed irregular transactions in borrower accounts, incorrectly accounted for interest income and recoveries from non-performing assets (NPAs) as fees, and improperly valued loan collateral, the filing stated.

In June, ICICI Bank had informed that Kochhar will go on leave pending investigation and Sandeep Bakhshi was appointed as Chief Operating Officer (COO) to run the banks day-to-day operations. On August 1, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the appointment of Bakhshi as COO for a period of three years.

Last week, the lender reported its first ever quarterly loss since its listing in 1998, at Rs 119.5 crore in the first quarter of FY19 compared to a profit of Rs 2,049 crore in the same quarter last year.

It further said that they cannot predict the timing or form of any current or future regulatory or law enforcement initiatives, which are increasingly common for international banks and financial institutions, but we would expect to co-operate with any such regulatory investigation or proceeding.Mumbai-based FMCG startup QwikPik Technology, which owns and operates Yumlane, aims to touch sales target of Rs 100 crore by 2020 from the current Rs 20 crore, said Hitesh Ahuja, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Yumlane.

In a freewheeling chat with Moneycontrol, Ahuja said they operate in 4 Indians cities currently and target to grow this number to 8 cities by 2019.

The three-year-old company, Yumlane operates from Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad as of now.

Founded by Hitesh Ahuja in 2016, Yumlane sells packaged food, specifically pizzas and momos, in supermarkets. It also sells the products in about 300 modern trade outlets and through online distribution channels.

The company which has retail partners like DMart, Food Bazaar, and Godrej Natures Basket, raised $4 million in April 2018 in Series A round of funding led by Singapore-based family office RB Investments.

Existing investors who participated in the round include Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, Rehan Yar Khan-led early stage venture capital firm Orios Venture Partners, and other HNIs (high networth individuals).

The company plans to use the funds to develop products, increase retail footprint, hire sales and marketing executives, and manage its backend operations.

The 36-year-old first-generation entrepreneur, Ahuja completed his MBA from SP Jain Centre of Management in 2005 and was Vice President at New Silk Route Private Equity before pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams in 2013.

Excerpts

Q: Its been almost two and half years since you started Yumlane in March 2016. How has the journey been so far? Have you managed to break even? If not when do you expect to break even? Have you set any targets?

A: The journey has been exhilarating over the past 25 months or so and we are excited to build the heat and eat category in India with our delicious and hygienic pizzas and momos.

Over the last 12 months, consumers have helped us build our modern trade channels to units per month. We would like to achieve Rs 100 crore sales milestone by 2020 before focusing on company level breakeven.

Q: Could you please explain in brief about your business model. What inspired you to start Yumlane and how does it work?

A: Our inspiration to start Yumlane is the new-age / modern Indian consumer who is seeking new snacking options, honest ingredients, zero preservatives and value for money. We started Yumlane as India's first Fresh Food FMCG brand focused on selling new foods to millennials, rushed moms, busy professionals.

Our products are backed by state-of-the-art manufacturing partners and logistic partners at the backend and marquee organized retail partners like DMart, Food Bazaar and Godrej Natures Basket who stock our products and keep a certain percentage for every unit they retail.

Q: How is Yumlane different from competitors?

A: Yumlane is building the heat and eat category in India with new foods such as pizzas and momos. We are the first movers in this category and believe there is a large white space opportunity we would like to capitalize.

Q: In one of the past interactions you had mentioned that you want to be the Coke of Food. How are you planning to climb that ladder and what will be your strategy?

A: Yes, over the next 10-15 years, we would like to build a vast distribution footprint and a powerful brand. Our immediate focus is to penetrate deeper in the four cities we are present in and expand gradually across the 250 cities and remain focused on building a powerful brand that becomes synonymous with delicious heat and eat snacks.

Q: You are already into momos and pizzas. Anything more that you plan to add to your gamut of products?

A: We have 25 to 30 products in the R&D stage and at the right time, we will launch these in the market.

Q: How many retailers do you have in general trade and others?

A: Our current touch points across all our channels total up to 1,000+ across the 4 cities we operate in.

Q: You have decided to go asset light? Has it worked so far?

A: Although our chosen approach is asset light, we work closely with our backend partners with strict input metrics on quality and service levels. There are pros and cons to both asset heavy and asset-light models and given the stage where Yumlane is, we took a call to focus on building the demand side and create supply side partnerships.

Q: Penetration is key in your business to make your products available. Digital is the one way to go but are you looking at that kind of scalability? Tell us about your distribution network?

A: Yes, penetration is our key success driver. FMCG businesses consist of 3 key constituents - product, distribution, and marketing. We believe that to execute a successful pan-India distribution network takes anywhere between 5-7 years and with the rise of the internet/digital, the food delivery market will grow manifold. Overall, we believe it is a great time to be in the food retail business.

Q: Dont you think Patanjali has taken giants by storm in terms of their reach? How are you planning to compete with such giants?

A: Patanjali has built a Rs 10,000 - crore entity in a very short time with key wins in commodity (Ghee & Oil), oral care and personal care categories. Over the last 6-8 quarters, the FMCG giants have responded with new product innovations.

We believe customers will choose to buy a great product at an affordable price irrespective of the brand/label and consumer startups like Patanjali, Chings Secret have been able to build large franchises despite the presence of large multinationals and given the branded food retail market is largely untapped we dont see any player as a competition.

Q: Which segment are you targeting for your products?

A: Pizza is already consumed by a wide TG (target group) across lunch & dinners. In its current form, we will be able to access a larger customer base and internally we believe the addressable customer base is approximately 100 million households and 300 million consumers pan-India.

Q: What is the funding status? How much more are you planning to raise and are you in talks with anyone?

A: We have raised $5 million from RB Investments, Orios Venture Partners, Binny Bansal, Anupam Mittal and a few more angel investors and are currently deploying the same in our tech, manufacturing, and operations.

Q: What is the market size and opportunity?

A: Food retail makes up 60 percent of the overall retail sales basket which is approximately $1 trillion. A large portion of these sales is unbranded and we believe our select product categories can scale to billion-dollar revenues given the vast opportunity at hand.South Korean authorities are investigating a possible cryptocurrency fraud based on a claimed discovery of 100-years-old gold-rich shipwreck from the sea, a local daily reported on Wednesday.

Shinil Group, which launched a cryptocurrency exchange called Donskoi International Exchange and a token named Shinil Gold Coin, has claimed to have found a Russian Navy ship estimated to have $134 billion worth of gold.

The claims have been questioned by the industry experts and media outlets. The CEO himself had admitted that there was no firm evidence that the ship contained anything of value in a media briefing held last week. Moreover, the selling plan of the token resembles a pyramid scheme.

Despite the lack of evidence, the group attracted over 60 billion won ($53 million) in investments from around 100,000 people, the report said. In return for the investment, the group promised gold from the salvaged ship.

The police have issued a travel ban on CEO of the group, Choi Yong-seok. A questioning will follow soon. However, the person who has been accused of being the mastermind behind the alleged scam is far from the clutches of the law.

Yu Ji-beom, head of an affiliated Shinil Group based in Singapore, is said to be in Vietnam. He is accused of spearheading the establishment of Donskoi International Exchange. He was also among the first to post about the shipwreck. Yu has earlier been involved in a real estate fraud.

Apparently, the claim of finding the shipwreck by Shinil Group was disputed by the government-run Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology and Dong Ah Construction Industrial, which told the Korean media that it discovered the wreck in 2003.LPG 1

The Congress hit out at the Narendra Modi-led BJP government over the hike in LPG prices, alleging that its "greed" was making people's Budget bleed.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that even as high petrol and diesel prices were affecting budgets of common people, farmers and the middle class, the government again launched a "midnight assault" on them by hiking the price of LPG cylinders.

He claimed that the BJP government had already earned Rs 10 lakh crore in taxes on fuel prices.

The price of Subsidized Cooking gas (LPG) was hiked Rs 1.76 per cylinder and the price of non-subsidized cylinder was hiked by Rs 35.50 per cylinder.

He said that on May 16, 2014, a subsidised 14.2-kg LPG cylinder cost Rs 412 in Delhi, after increase in the price it costs Rs 498.02. Surjewala alleged this was an outrageous increase of Rs 86 per cylinder in the past 4 years.

A non-subsidized 14.2 kg LPG cylinder costed Rs 414 in Delhi in May 2014, now costs Rs 789.50, a whopping increase of Rs 375.50 per cylinder, he said.

"People are distressed due to price rise and their hard earned savings are being evaporated by the greed of the Modi government. People are asking why the BJP dispensation is profiteering from their savings and inflicting unbearable burden on their incomes," he alleged, adding that the government was making people's budget bleed.

Surjewala alleged that the promise of 'Acche Din' turned out to be the biggest hoax by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Only few months are left for the people of the country to give a befitting reply to the government," he said, adding that the Congress would continue to demand that fuel prices be brought under the GST ambit.BJP Working President JP Nadda

The National Health Agency (NHA) under the Health Ministry, which is the apex body for the implementation of Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission, inked an MoU with the Electronics and IT Ministry to provide information and eligibility validation services to the beneficiaries, especially in remote areas.

Health Minister J P Nadda and Minister for Law and Justice and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad presided over the signing ceremony.

The MoU was signed by Indu Bhushan, CEO, National Health Agency (NHA) and Dinesh Tyagi, CEO, CSC-SPV.

"With this MoU, the dream of Digital India is taking a big leap. The Ayushman Bharat shall benefit 55 crore people across the country. The 3 lakh CSCs in 2.5 lakh Panchayats shall be a great help in the implementation of the scheme," Nadda said.

"Today, I'm very happy that CSC VLEs are going to be the soldiers of healthcare-Ayushman Bharat in India. The identity and registrations of beneficiaries would be done through CSCs," Prasad said.

Common Service Centres (CSCs) are physical facilities for delivering government's e-services to rural and remote locations where availability of computers and internet is negligible or mostly absent.

They are multiple-services-single-point model for providing facilities for multiple transactions at a single geographical location. As the benefits under the AB-NHPM were based on entitlement and not on enrolment, the CSCs spread across rural India could become the key point of information for potential beneficiaries and help in validating their entitlement.

Bhushan, CEO, National Health Agency (NHA), said the integration will not only create more accessibility and transparency in the beneficiary validation process, but will also spread awareness among the targeted beneficiaries.

AB-NHPM targets approximately 10.74 crore poor, deprived families and has identified occupational category of urban workers' families as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data, for both rural and urban India.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel - Copy

India and Germany today signed an agreement on financial and technical cooperation, with a focus on sustainable urban development and renewable energy.

The agreement was signed between German Ambassador to India Martin Ney and Joint Secretary, (Department of Economic Affairs), Finance Ministry, Sameer Kumar Khare.

In December last year, Germany had pledged nearly Rs 8,500 crore (1,055 million Euros) for development cooperation with India during Indo-German inter-governmental negotiations.

Speaking at the event, the German ambassador said the priority of the cooperation was in areas of renewable energy. This will also help reduce the greenhouse gases emission and help in achieving India's goal in curbing it, he said.

He also said the focus of the cooperation was on sustainable urban development in areas of sanitation, solid waste management and promotion of urban mobility.

This year marks 60 years of bilateral development cooperation between India and Germany.A farmer works in a paddy field on the outskirt of Agartala, India, March 7, 2017. REUTERS/Jayanta Dey - RC124552B9F0

Australia's exports of farm products to India have taken a hit because of new tariffs and free trade negotiations between the two countries have stalled, trade minister Steven Ciobo said on Wednesday.

"Australian farm exporters to India have been whacked with a range of new trade distortions over the past year," Ciobo told a grains industry conference in Melbourne.

"This has included higher tariffs on chickpeas, wheat and lentils, quantitative restrictions on mung beans and yellow peas and what we consider export subsidies on sugar."

Pulses imports to India, the world's biggest buyer, may fall to their lowest in nearly two decades after the government raised import taxes and restricted overseas purchases to bolster prices, affecting the plans of its global suppliers.

Australia exported A$1.3 billion ($964 million) of agricultural goods to China in 2015/16, according to the latest figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The reduction in imports illustrates New Delhi's steps to raise the prices of pulses, like peas and lentils, as it looks to reduce payouts to farmers under a food subsidy scheme.

Farmers in Canada, Australia and Russia that rely on Indian demand are expected to intensify their cutbacks in pulses cultivation, while seeking other markets.

Ciobo said Australia is keen for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement or Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with India.

"Unfortunately, those negotiations have been stalled because our positions have been too far apart. In the interim, the government has been looking at ways beyond free trade agreements to expand our bilateral economic relationship."

Regarding the U.S.-China trade war, Ciobo he was seeking more details from the United States about a package it has given to soybean farmers.

"I also wanted to refer to the U.S. announcement of a new package of up to $12 billion in assistance for U.S. farmers," he said.

"We are seeking more details from the US about the assistance package in order to assess possible impacts on Australian farmers and commodity exports."

China has imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. soybeans amid an escalating trade war between the world's biggest economies.

The world's biggest importer of soybeans, China is seeking alternative origins for the oilseed including Brazil.Representative Image

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The EIH Limited, which runs the Oberoi and Trident hospitality brands in the country and abroad, will now focus more on management contracts of other property rather than owning them, its Executive Chairman PRS Oberoi said today.

Presently, the proportion between owned, substantially owned and managed property is 70:30. "We'll try to reverse that ratio", Oberoi told reporters after the company's AGM here.

He said that it was not that the company would not build any hotel in future. "We want to be asset light. We have too much of real estate. No other hospitality chain has so much property. We have property in Bangalore, Goa and extra land in Agra," he said.

Oberoi said the debt of the EIH was very low at Rs 500 crore. "We want to be very conservative. Our borrowings should be low", he said. To a query, he said the company would like to build city hotels, besides resorts abroad.

"We are going to manage a resort property at Masai Mara in Kenya. We have city hotels in Dubai, Doha, Qatar. We are looking at other projects. But we'll not limit ourselves only to resorts abroad", he added.

To his speech to shareholders, he said the GST rate of 28 per cent on luxury hotels were seriously affecting travel and tourism in the country. International travellers were accustomed to lower GST rates in other countries.

The EIH had signed for a luxury Oberoi Hotel and Trident brand in Koh Tan Island in Thailand, Oberoi said. The company's oldest owned property Oberoi Grand in Kolkata would be renovated and 50 rooms and suites would be added, he said. The cost of adding the 50 rooms would be Rs 100 crore, Oberoi added.Emami | Promoter entity Suntrack Commerce Pvt Ltd released pledge on 7 lakh equity shares.

Emami is looking for partners as it plans to start operations in Iran by the end of this year. This comes at a time when US sanctions looms large on the country, according to a report by Business Standard.

The company is working towards entering Iran by the end of this year and start selling products from the first quarter of the coming fiscal year. It is in talks with five enterprises in Iran.

We are planning to enter Iran by the end of this year, and from the first quarter of the coming fiscal year, we intend to start selling our products, Prashant Goenka, director at Emami, told the paper, adding that the country doesnt allow foreign direct investment (FDI). Therefore, entry into this market requires partnership.

The company, however, is yet to narrow down on the modus operandi or the nature of the partnership. They have very stringent norms and we need to keep this factor in mind while narrowing down on a partner and how we will operate there, Goenka said.

The company is discussing equity holding in the case of a partnership.

The firm's decision to set up a facility in Iran is in line with the companys strategy to target the local populace and offer regionally customised products for specific markets rather than merely export homogeneous products from its plants in Bangladesh and Assam.

Goenka told the paper that the firm was considering options including setting up a joint venture or a plant or opt for third-party manufacturing to roll out regionalised products and cater to the local demands.

The firm's initial focus will primarily be on the skin and haircare segment, following which the company will enter other segments based on the performance of these two segments. Goenka said Emami was in the process of getting its products registered in Iran and African countries.

Goenka expects an entry into Iran to open up a huge consumer segment despite US sanctions as Iranians spend almost 4.5 percent of their annual income on cosmetics and skincare products. Iran's beauty products market is estimated to be more than $2 billion  the second largest in the West Asian region.

According to Iran-based management consultancy firm Aryan Experts, working women in Iran of more than 15 years of age spend 30 percent of income on cosmetics, toiletries and skincare products.

Also, Irans indigenous cosmetics industry can produce around 20 percent of the countrys annual needs. Other products are imported primarily from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This opens up huge potential for cosmetics companies to enter this market.Lok Sabha Parliament

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The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a defence public sector undertaking, imported content worth Rs 19,085 crore to build different platforms in the last three years, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha today.

In a written response to a question in the Lower House, Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State in the Defence Ministry, said 54 AoN (acceptance of necessity) have been accorded for the Army by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) since April, 2014.

"From April 1, 2014 till date, 128 AoNs worth Rs 4,47,025.381 crore have been accorded by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)," he said.

"In the last three years, the value of import content of HAL in manufactured platforms has been Rs 19,085 crore," the minister said.

Replying to another question, Bhamre said in the last three years, 62 contracts have been signed with foreign vendors, including those from Russia, Israel, US and France for procurement of defence equipment for armed forces.

He said the government has not cancelled the S-400 missile deal with Russia.

Responding to a question on defence budget allocation, the MoS said in 2017-18, the budget expenditure was Rs 69,473.41 crore while the expenditure was Rs 72,732.28 crore.live bse live

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Jindal Steel and Power Ltd has bagged "20 per cent" of the Rs 2,500 crore order to supply long rails to Indian Railways which had floated a global tender for it, JSPL Chairman Naveen Jindal said today.

The Railways had invited the global tender for procuring around 4.87 lakh tonnes of rails to meet the supply shortfall from the state-run Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

This is the first time in three decades that rail procurement has been opened for the private sector.

Sources said that the value of the order bagged by JSPL comes to about Rs 536 crore.

"We got the order for the rail.... We have been in business since 2003. After 15 years, for the first time, we are amongst the one...," Jindal said.

"As only the second Indian producer (after SAIL), we have got 20 per cent of the order," he said at a conference on the steel sector.

At the conference, Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh stressed on the need for participation of Indian companies in major infrastructure projects.

The financial bids for the order were opened last week in which seven foreign steel companies and JSPL from India had submitted its bids.

JSPL was the only Indian steel maker in the fray, and was expected to get an assured order of 20 per cent under the 'Make in India' clause.

"It is a historic moment for the company. We were trying for long. It is a proud moment for India. We will start supplying soon," Jindal said after the conference.

N A Ansari, CEO, JSPL Steel Business said the company would dispatch the first consignment in August.

The company said in a statement that the order is to supply around 1 lakh tonnes of rails to the Indian Railways over a period of one year.

JSPL is the only private company that produces rails in India. It was already supplying rails to various countries like Iran and Bangladesh.

The company operates the country's most advanced one million tonne per annum (MTPA) rail mill at its 3.6 MTPA integrated steel plant at Raigarh, Chhattisgarh. It can manufacture single piece rails of up to 121 metre.

The foreign entities, which participated in the global tender are Sumitomo Corporation, Angang Group International, Voestalpine Schienen, East Metals, CRM Hong Kong, British Steel France Rail and Atlantic Steel.

Till now, the national transporter was procuring rails from government-owned SAIL.

SAIL produces rails at its Bhilai Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh.

The Railways had decided on an extra global tender after anticipating that SAIL would not be able to supply the 7,17,000 tonnes required for 2017-18 and 2018-19, as estimated at that time.

The Indian Railways is looking at 4,000 km of track renewal in each of the next two financial years, 2018-19 and 2019-20. Its estimated cost for 2018-19 is a little above Rs 10,000 crore.ICICIDirect

Nifty upsides could continue till 11,500/11,600

The Nifty has jumped into a higher orbit with Call writers of 11,000 strike moving higher to 11,500 strike. The highest Call option base for August continues to build at 11,500 Call strike with some addition focusing on 11,600 Call strike suggesting more upsides.

Open interest (OI) in Nifty futures of 20.1 million shares (at inception of the August series) was higher than last two months average OI since inception. These positions have been formed amid increasing roll spread. This suggests that long additions were seen around inception of August series. The roll cost was not elevated. This leaves scope for further long addition based upsides in Nifty as the risk environment continues to improve.

The global risk environment seems to be discounting trade war rhetoric now. Despite the escalation in trade tensions, MSCI World Index moved 5 percent higher in July. As emerging market (EM) currency stabilised at lower levels, MSCI EM equity also saw a pullback of almost 3 percent. Tailwind of global equities, especially from EM equities, is likely to bode well for positive sentiments on Indian equites.

With the Q1FY19 result season being the strongest so far of last six quarters (as a recovery and growth are seen across sectors), it seems to cement the hopes of a more broader based recovery. Broader participation holds the key for a more secular (Nifty & midcap) up move. Hence, focus on midcap and small cap stocks is warranted from current levels for alpha generation.

Positional support for Nifty at 11,000

The 11,000 Put is now the highest options base across Call & Puts (over 4 million shares). This suggests the positional support for the Nifty has shifted higher to 11,000.

India VIX, till now, has behaved in an orderly fashion. However, in case it starts to close above 14, the risk-off sentiment could further make inroads into the Nifty as well. However, this is not the base case.

The currently elevated Nifty PCR OI reading of 1.72 has on many occasions triggered consolidation in the Nifty (that helps Call writers to get into the play, resulting in a decline of PCR  OI).

The Nifty moving to mean + 2 sigma levels, suggests it may continue to trade sticky at elevated levels. Declines, if any, may be of lower magnitude.

Bank Nifty: Index may continue to move towards 28,500

In the July series, the Bank Nifty put up a strong performance trend. However, in the July series, the outperformance trend eased marginally as select bank heavyweights saw profit taking from record highs. In the end, the Bank Nifty ended 4 percent higher.

The Bank Nifty OI at the inception of series was 2.22 million shares (high OI at the inception of series). These positions were formed in the midst of a declining roll spread, giving this addition as short bias. Along with this, Bank Nifty/Nifty price ratio suggests that as long as 2.42 level is held, the Bank Nifty performance is likely to pick up pace (mainly on the back of short covering).

Looking at options build-up, strong support is placed at 27,000 Put strike while on the higher side 27,500 Put is also seeing accumulation of OI. Target for the upsides for banking index is placed at 28,500 Call strike (this is the high Call base for the index).

Reducing pressure from weakening rupee and higher crude prices could provide good tailwinds for the banking and NBFC space as the yield surge seems to be a declining risk from here on.

With the broad based recovery playing a more prominent role, banking stocks from the PSU space are also likely to see a recovery whenever the result based disappointments ebbs.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by brokerage house on Moneycontrol are its own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.Saudi Arabia, the second largest producer of crude oil to world, faced an attack on its oil infrastructure facilities on September 14, which caused a sharp increase in fuel prices. Do you know where petrol prices were the highest? Here's a list of the countries where petrol is the cheapest and most expensive. (Note: All price comparisons are on rupee terms only. Global rates as of September, 16 2019 - Image: Reuters)

Oil prices fell on Wednesday after industry data showed U.S. stockpiles of crude unexpectedly rose, starting the new month in negative territory after the largest monthly decline in two years in July.

October Brent crude futures dropped 29 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $73.92 a barrel by 0044 GMT, adding to a 1.8 percent loss in the previous session.

U.S. crude futures were down 44 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $68.32 a barrel, having dropped nearly 2 percent on Tuesday.

Brent fell more than 6 percent in July, while U.S. crude futures slumped about 7 percent, the biggest monthly decline for both benchmarks since July 2016.

Data from the American Petroleum Institute showed domestic crude inventories rose by 5.6 million barrels last week. A Reuters poll had forecast a fall of 2.8 million barrels.

Official data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration is due later on Wednesday.

Signs that a supply disruption in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea could be resolved also weighed on prices.

Yemen's Houthi group said it was ready to unilaterally halt attacks in the Red Sea to support peace efforts. Saudi Arabia suspended oil shipments through the strait last week after the Houthis attacked two Saudi oil tankers.

A Reuters poll showed that oil prices are likely to hold fairly steady this year and next as increased output from OPEC and the United States meets growing demand led by Asia and helps to offset supply disruptions.

OPEC has pledged to offset the loss of supply from Iran, the group's third-biggest producer.

Looming U.S. sanctions have already started to cut Iranian exports, with buyers from its biggest customers in Asia cutting imports to a seven-month low in June.IIFL Mutual Fund has appointed Anup Maheshwari as the joint Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer with effect from mid-August 2018, a press release from the fund house stated.

Prior to joining IIFL Mutual Fund, Maheshwari was with DSP BlackRock Investment Managers as chief investment officer (equities) since July 1997.

An alumnus of IIM Lucknow, Maheshwari with 24 years of investment has also worked with HSBC Asset Management between December 2005 and May 2006 before returning to DSP BlackRock.

He also had assignments with Chescor, a British fund management firm that used to run three offshore funds investing in Indian equities.

Maheshwari will be responsible for the investment and strategy for IIFL business including mutual funds and Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs). He will also be responsible for meeting the company's aggressive growth goals as well as product development and devising innovative investment strategy, the release stated.In a key development in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) co-location case, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has found many instances where a few trading members had been caught out misusing the secondary server, but not reprimanded by the exchange, documents in possession of Moneycontrol state.

The secondary server is a backup server and to be used only when there is a problem with the primary server. Since the load on the secondary server is less, brokers logging in on the secondary server can access the price feeds faster than those trading members who log in on the primary server.

NSE officials had met up with the representatives of these broking firms between 2012 and 2016, but they did not warn the broking firms to stop misusing the secondary server. Moreover, the NSEs standing committee denied the allegations despite the SEBI-appointed technical advisory committee (TAC) and cross functional team (CFT) pointing out that certain information was deliberately not shared by NSE like the number of internet protocol (IP) addresses being used by the broking firms.

SEBI asked NSEs Vice President of Special Projects, Mahesh Soparkar, whether he had held any meetings with brokerage firms OPG Securities, SMC Global and Universal Broking or any of their associates. In reply, Saporkar said, Yes I have met the representatives of OPG and SMC. I dont recall the names of any specific representative from the companies who I met during the period.

However, in an internal NSE investigation about meeting officials from OPG, Saporkar had said, I would have met [OPG officials] three to four times in NSE. I met Sanjay Gupta along with an NSE official identified as Murli.

The NSEs VP of special projects internal investigation submission read: The variation [in speed of servers] was discovered by us. And redistribution was done on not less than six occasions between January 19, 2011, and January 9, 2012. He added, the redistribution helped crowding which could have benefitted members. And OPGs IPs [internet protocol addresses] were accommodated in the slots created by redistribution.

In his testimony to SEBI, Aman Kokrady of OPG Securities said that his company had not received any warning from the NSE over using the secondary server between 2012-16. During the period, SEBI, however, noticed his companys login and turnover increased significantly.

Further, SEBI asked the former vice chairman of NSE Ravi Narain about his meeting with OPG on March 2, 2014. He said that he did not recall such a meeting.

According to SEBI investigation, Kokrady claimed that he had written to an NSE official in which he mentioned that he met Narain a week earlier and discussed that the production rollout calendar be planned and well communicated and raised concerns about the variation of tick-by-tick (TBT) arrival rates.

SEBIs preliminary findings of the CFT on a complaint pertaining to the co-location case revealed that the exchange did not divulge that more than eight IPs were procured by OPG in January 2012, some of which were used by entities other than OPG.

The number of IPs used by OPG were around 11, while other brokerage firms used about one or two IPs to avail tick-by-tick (TBT) data from NSE. During this period, OPG had consistently logged in first on to the server.

The CFT highlighted that OPG had hired Nagbhushan R Bhatt from Omnesys to figure out which server was performing better This fact was supported by Kokrady. Omnesys was part of an NSE subsidiary.

Nonetheless, NSEs standing committee, chaired by Dharmistha Raval, S. Sadagopan, VA Sastry and NL Sarda, was not convinced of CFT or TAC findings. The committee said, Even if it was known to NSE that a certain member is always first to log in, this would not have resulted in us taking any action to stop this. There is nothing in the system that facilitated this for one member but not others. We feel that the complaint is based on wrong assumptions and perceived advantage of getting tick first. Such a complaint and the analysis is based and driven by the complainants assumption as a basis to decide abuse is incorrect and harmful to the reputation of the organisation involved here.

The co-location case first surfaced in July 2016 when SEBI ordered a probe, including a forensic examination on NSEs co-location facility. This followed allegations that few trading members on the NSE made a killing by unfairly gaining faster access to the price feeds with help from some employees. Later, in February 2017, SEBI ordered the forensic audit of cash and currency derivative segments also.By Bijay Agarwal

Affordable housing has become the key thrust area for the Prime Minister Narendra Modis government with the ambitious plan of Housing for All by 2022. This has naturally enthused property developers to look into this segment as it means catering to a population which had so far largely remained untapped.

The concept of affordable housing will remain a non-starter unless it is accompanied by fiscal and tax boosters. There are a few income-tax benefits for developers who are engaged in low cost projects. The carpet area norms have been liberalised to boost this segment. Lastly, as GST gets to become fully operational, it is expected to benefit the construction industry as a whole.

However, there are still challenges in implementing affordable housing projects. Vast land banks in urban areas which can be diverted towards affordable housing are locked up in litigation. Secondly, infrastructure around these affordable housing projects is still not up to the mark, creating a challenge in terms of marketing these houses. Lastly, there has to be further clarity on what exactly are the income tax benefits for the affordable housing projects.

Today, the expectation is that the government of Indias Housing for All initiative with the construction of two crore houses is expected to bring $1.3 trillion investments in the housing sector by 2025. Even the Union Budget for 2018-19 had allocated Rs 33,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) (Gramin) while the urban programme of the scheme received an allocation of Rs 31,500 crore. These two policy measures are directed towards affordable housing.

The biggest driver is the rising urbanisation in the country. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its policy paper on affordable housing had said that in 2008 around 340 million of the country's population was residing in urban areas and this is expected to rise to 590 million by 2030.

There are estimates that the demand for affordable housing will increase to 38 million housing units in 2030 from 19 million in 2012.

The motto of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)  Housing for All programme is very clear: By the time the Nation completes 75 years of its Independence, every family will have a pucca house with water connection, toilet facilities, 24x7 electricity supply and access.

Even the Karnataka government has recently sanctioned the construction of 32,656 affordable houses in 95 cities with an investment of Rs.1,461 crore.

All these measures clearly indicate the governments focus towards boosting the housing sector and meeting the requirements of the middle class.

There is, however, a perception that real estate developers only cater to a certain class of buyers which generally do not fall into the affordable segment. The policy changes brought about by both the Central and State governments encourage developers to foray into the affordable housing segment.

The push towards affordable housing is likely to have a positive impact on the finance market as many of the credit-linked subsidy schemes will substantially increase the loan values. It is expected that a new class of loan seekers will emerge in the process.

As the affordable housing segment grows, deployment of technology in the construction of these houses is all set to increase. Given the scale, conventional methods are likely to give way to automated construction techniques.

The government's push towards affordable housing will encourage more property developers into this segment and the dream home could become a reality for millions of Indians.

The author is managing director, Salarpuria Sattva Group. Views expressed are personal.The office real estate market has clocked the highest half-yearly leasing transaction volume in six years with 21 million sq ft of space leased across seven major cities in the country in the first half of 2018. According to Knight Frank Indias latest report, the co-working sector took up 2.8 million sq ft which translates to a significant 32 percent of the space transacted by the other services sector or 13 percent of the total space transacted during the first half of 2018.

Its not just local co-working companies (that form the bulk of the market) but global players too who are looking at this format as a business opportunity. Also, its not only the start-ups who are flocking to these facilities but also large established companies. These are firms with a sizeable millennial population who are taking to these spaces to promote creativity and flexibility.

Many startups and an increasing number of companies prefer co-working spaces to conventional office spaces due to lower rentals, savings on operational costs and a more flexible work environment. A company can save as much as 30 percent on the operational cost alone, according to some estimates.

Larger office markets in the western world such as London have a take up of 1 million sq ft of co-working space. It is a market where co-working players are the largest landlords. In New York City too, half the transaction volumes are through co-working majors but in India the number has just touched 13 per cent but it is bound to grow, say real estate experts.

Not only corporates but also large co-working space players are aggressively taking up space in anticipation of future leasing. This is pre-dominantly because of lack of future supply. Many occupiers are taking up whatever is available till adequate supply comes in, there are numerous pre commitment deals that are taking place, says Mudassir Zaidi, Knight Frank India Executive Director (North).

Co-working dominated leasing activity in NCR during the first half of 2018 with occupiers such as WeWork, CoWrks, Spacesworks and AltF taking up significant space. Co-working as a trend will only gain momentum in the coming times due to pressure on demand and the lack of quality office supply, the Knight Frank India report said.

In Bengaluru, the co-working operators classified as a sub sector in other services sector accounted for 1.27 million sq ft leasing in the first half of 2018 garnering a 19 percent share of the total pie. This is a phenomenal 199 percent annual upswing in leasing by this category of occupiers over the first half of 2017 as activity based working and community spaces become the norm for modern day office occupiers seeking a collaborative eco-system, it says.

In Mumbai, while the banking, financial services and insurance sectors share in the total transactions was steady around 20 percent, there was a significant rise in the share of the other services sector. The share of other services sector increased from 42 percent of the transactions in the first half of 2017 to 53 percent of the transactions in the first half of 2018. The rise was driven by the increasing demand from co-working players who constituted around 30 percent of the transactions by other services sector in the first half of 2018, it says.

Consolidation among co-working operators bound to happen

In the long-term, however, consolidation among co-working operators will take place as not all of them will be able to mitigate the risk in their business models or have deep pockets to survive for long in non-prime locations with cheaper rents. Only a handful of big players are expected to eventually remain. There may also be a trend among large companies wanting to bring in co-working space providers to manage facilities in their complex, say experts.

Co-working models and costs

There are a lot of homegrown entrepreneurs who have entered the co-working space. Some of the large players in the segment includes Wework, CoWrks, International Workplace Group that operates Regus and Spaces and Awfis. Local firms include companies such as TheDaftar based out of Pune and others.

Besides start-ups looking for shared spaces, big corporates too are looking at committing spaces with co-working service providers. These office spaces allow employees to use the large network of the service provider anywhere across the country besides also facilitating link-ups and bringing together like-minded people.

The average rent depends on the services provided, the brand, the location but generally ranges between Rs 6,000 a seat to Rs 30,000 a seat. There have also been instances of pubs moonlighting as shared spaces in the afternoon at just about Rs 99 a day.

Awfis Space Solutions, a home-grown co-working space provider, last week raised $20 million in series C funding from its existing investors global venture capital firm Sequoia Capital.

The company today has 25,000 seats across 55 centres spread in 9 cities. For us 45 per cent business comes from the SME sector, 30 per cent from the corporates and 15 percent is a combination of start-ups and freelancers. Currently, we are operational in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Noida, Gurgaon Chandigarh and we will soon expand to Chennai, Kochi, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, and Ahmedabad. We will go live in the next 60 to 90 days, says Amit Ramani, CEO of the company.

The additional capital raised last week will help the company explore the markets it is currently operational in and also expand into Tier 2 cities. By March-April 2019 we should be at about 40,000 seats across 85 centres in 15 cities, he says.

"Flexi seats cost anything between Rs 5000 to Rs 8000 per month with beverages, wireless, printing facilities etc all thrown in; a fixed seat costs anything between Rs 7000 to Rs 12000; a cabin costs anything between Rs 9000 to Rs 20,000. The average price is around Rs 10,000 a month and contracts are drawn up for an hour to even five years, he explains.

Vandita Purohit and Sunanda Verma are Co-Founders of TheDaftar that started way back in 2015 in Pune, say that it is the community activities they conduct at their facilities for their clients that sets them apart from others. People dont just come for the space but come for the experience. Every week, the company conducts events for its clients that not only help them with new ideas, but also help them find the right fit from among themselves. If a website designer requires services of a website digital marketer, he can find one right there. There have also been instances of people coming together to start a company and scaling it up. The average rentals are around Rs 6000 per month, they explain.

The firm currently has about 200 active seats and hopes to expand to 300 seats in the next quarter and eventual scale it up to 2000 seats by end of this year in the city of Pune. Next three years we intend having a footprint in other cities of India and abroad, they say.

Large global players such as International Workplace Group (IWG) is planning to increase its footprint under its brands to over 200 in the next 36 to 48 months.

Globally, we have decided to invest USD 275 million in 2018, and a part of this investment will fuel our India growth. Our focus will be to not just expand in the major metros but also to take both these brands (Regus and Spaces) to tier II cities. Currently, IWG has 110 workspaces spread across 16 cities in India, out of which six are under the Spaces brand and the remaining under the Regus brand, says Harsh Lambah, Country Manager  India, IWG.

While Regus is the small format, serviced office space product which is anywhere between 10,000 and 15,000 sq ft; Spaces is the companys new, large format, co-working space which is 35,000 sq ft and above that is more tuned to the millennial, entrepreneurial professionals.

We plan to increase the total under these brands to 200+ in the next 36 - 48 months. Regus and Spaces offer a mix of co-working and private office spaces at rates starting from 8,000 per person per month for co-working spaces and upwards of 45,000 per person per month for private office spaces, depending on location, he says adding that the company introduced Spaces in 2017 and will look at the right opportunity to bring in brands like Open Office and No18.

Vandana.ramnani@nw18.comGaurs group has sold more than 5,000 housing and commercial units, estimated to be worth Rs 2,000 crore, during the April-July period of the current fiscal in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad, on rising demand for ready-to-move-in flats.

The realty firm said in a statement that it has "sold over 5,000 units within a span over 4 months. These 5000+ properties, which are both residential and commercial, have resulted in sales of a total area of 4.5 million sq ft".

The company did not disclose the sale value in the statement.

According to property market experts, the sales value of about 5,000 units is estimated to be around Rs 2,000 crore.

The bulk of sales have been achieved in its 237-acre township project 'Gaur City' in Greater Noida West (Noida Extension) where the company has developed 25,000 apartments.

These flats now are ready to move in and over 12,000 families have already moved into it, the company said.

To boost sales, the group had launched multiple schemes across all projects though majorly focusing on its township project in Greater Noida West.

"Indian real estate is a very buoyant market. With RERA and the GST both getting implemented quite well, the buyers are back in the market. People have faith over developers who have delivered in past and who have been constructing the projects against all odds. This market will now be an end user market which would actually be the most sustainable," Gaurs group MD Manoj Gaur said.

The demand for ready to move in apartments is huge, said Gaur, who is also the Vice President of realtors body CREDAI-National.

The completed units are exempted from GST, while the under-construction units attract 12 per cent GST. The GST on affordable housing, however, is only 8 per cent.

He said the company plans to launch 1-2 projects every quarter seeing tremendous response from the customer.

Gaurs Group has been developing residential and commercial projects since last 23 years and has delivered over 40,000 units. The group today is developing many projects in the NCR. It has also entered into education and hospitality businesses.live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

An international arbitration tribunal has rejected Indian government's claim of USD 1.55 billion against Reliance Industries and its partners for allegedly syphoning gas from deposits they had no right to exploit.

The three member panel by a majority of 2-1 also awarded USD 8.3 million compensation to the three partners, Reliance said in a regulatory filing.

"An international arbitration panel has issued an award in favour of Reliance, BP & Niko (Consortium) rejecting completely the claims of the Government of India against the Consortium in respect of migrated gas, by a majority of 2 to 1," it said.

All the contentions of the Consortium have been upheld by the majority with a finding that the Consortium was entitled to produce all gas from its contract area and all claims made by the Government of India have been rejected, it said adding the Consortium is not liable to pay any amount to the Government of India.

"The Tribunal also awarded costs of USD 8.3 million (Rs. 56.44 crore) to be paid by the Government of India to the Consortium," reliance said.

The panel headed by Singapore-based arbitrator Lawrence Boo rejected the government's demand that Reliance and its partners BP plc of UK and Canada's Niko Resources pay for "unfairly" producing natural gas belonging to state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC).

Boo, a professor at universities in China, Australia and Singapore, and head of the Singapore-based Arbitration Chambers, was last year appointed as president of the tribunal by its two other members -- government's arbitrator and former Supreme Court Judge G S Singhvi and Reliance-appointed arbitrator, former English High Court Justice Bernard Eder.

The oil ministry on November 4, 2016, slapped a demand of USD 1.47 billion on Reliance-BP-Niko combine for producing in seven years ending March 31, 2016 about 338.332 million British thermal units of gas that had seeped or migrated from ONGC's blocks into their adjoining KG-D6 in the Bay of Bengal.

After deducting USD 71.71 million royalty paid on the gas produced and adding an interest at the rate of LIBOR plus 2 per cent, totalling USD 149.86 million, a total demand of USD 1.55 billion was made on Reliance, BP and Niko.

At the time, Reliance disputed the government's demand as being based on a "misreading and misinterpretation of key elements of the PSC," and it said that such a demand was without precedent in the oil and gas industry. It on November 11, 2016, slapped an arbitration notice.

Reliance is the operator of the KG-D6 block with 60 per cent interest while BP holds 30 per cent. The remaining 10 per cent is with Niko Resources.

The government's compensation claim flowed from the report of the Justice (retd) A P Shah Committee. The Shah panel, in its August 28, 2016, report, concluded that there has been "unjust enrichment" to the contractor of the block KG-DWN-98/3 (KG-D6) due to the production of the migrated gas from ONGC's blocks KG-DWN-98/2 and Godavari PML.

It relied on a report produced by petroleum industry consultant DeGolyer and MacNaughton which concluded that gas had migrated from ONGC-controlled parts of the sea floor and the geological formations beneath it into areas controlled by the private companies. But Reliance had at that time stated that the methods were flawed.

The government, sources said, accepted the recommendations of the committee and consequently, decided to claim restitution from Reliance-BP-Niko for "the unjust benefit received and unfairly retained".

So, a notice was sent, they said, adding that the government is also pressing Reliance to pay USD 174.9 million of additional profit petroleum after certain costs were disallowed because of KG-D6 output being lower than the target.

The cost recovery issue is being arbitrated separately.

Originally, ONGC had sued Reliance for producing gas that had migrated from its blocks KG-DWN-98/2 (KG-D5) and Godavari PML in the KG basin to adjoining KG-D6 block of Reliance.

Under the direction of the Delhi High Court, the government had appointed a one-man committee under retired Justice A P Shah to go into the issue. Shah, however, said the compensation should go to the government as it is the owner of all unproduced natural resources.live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Here are the stocks which are in news today:

Results on Wednesday: Apollo Tyres, Emami, Exide Industries, Pidilite Industries, Tata Global Beverage, Torrent Power, Reliance Infrastructure, Aditya Birla Fashion, Astec Lifesciences, Ballarpur Industries, FDC, Gravita India, HEG, HFCL, Jayshree Tea, Jindal saw, Navneet Education, Orient Cement, Orient Paper, Poly Medicure, Repro India, TCI express, TPL Plastech, Triveni Engineering, V2 Retail, Zuari Agro Chemicals, Gateway Distriparks.

Indian Railways awards around 1 lakh tonne order for supply of rails to JSPL

Tata Motors: Q1 consolidated loss at Rs 1,863 crore versus adjusted loss of Rs 438 crore; revenue rises 14.7 percent to Rs 67,081 crore versus Rs 58,493 crore; JLR net loss at 210 million pound while standalone profit at Rs 1,188 crore versus loss of Rs 463 crore (YoY).

Vedanta: Q1 consolidated profit rises 0.7 percent to Rs 2,248 crore versus Rs 2,233 crore; revenue jumps 21.4 percent to Rs 22,206 crore versus Rs 18,285 crore (YoY).

BASF India: Q1 profit jumps to Rs 24.4 crore versus Rs 0.7 crore; revenue increases 7.7 percent to Rs 1,627 crore versus Rs 1,510 crore (YoY).

Tejas Network - Algeria's ICOSNET selects Tejas Optical Products for Global Connectivity

Jagran Prakashan: Q1 net profit falls 0.4 percent to Rs 88.4 crore versus Rs 88.7 crore; revenue rises 1.9 percent to Rs 602.5 crore versus Rs 591.3 crore (YoY)

Gujarat Fluorochemicals issued corporate guarantee to Aditya Birla Finance for term loan of Rs 100 crore

Power Grid: Q1 net profit up at Rs 2,240.5 crore against Rs 2,052.4 crore; revenue up 13.2% at Rs 8,127 crore versus Rs 7,181.4 crore

RIL wins arbitration award in gas dispute with govt

Mahanagar Gas: Q1 profit increases 3.2 percent to Rs 128 crore versus Rs 124.3 crore; revenue climbs 16.7 percent to Rs 619.4 crore versus Rs 530.9 crore (YoY).

IIFL Holdings: Q1 consolidated profit jumps to Rs 344.54 crore versus Rs 252.71 crore; revenue rises to Rs 1,768 crore versus Rs 1,418.5 crore (YoY).

JK Paper: Q1 profit jumps to Rs 95.14 crore versus Rs 73.60 crore; revenue increases to Rs 795.01 crore versus Rs 631.32 crore (YoY).

Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals: Q1 profit surges to Rs 70.74 crore versus Rs 40.52 crore; revenue rises to Rs 1,770.32 crore versus Rs 1,137.6 crore (YoY).

Castrol India: Q1 profit increases 19 percent to Rs 164.2 crore versus Rs 137.9 crore; revenue jumps 16.9 percent to Rs 1,017.2 crore versus Rs 870.4 crore (YoY).

BOB closed overseas branches / offices

Triveni Turbines: Q1 profit rises to Rs 19.01 crore versus Rs 12.80 crore; revenue increases to Rs 171.76 crore versus Rs 121.70 crore (YoY).

HPCL: Company does not plan to import any crude from Iran in August and has imported 0.4 mt crude from Iran since January this year.

Jindal Steel & Power: JSPL bags 1 lakh tonne order in first-ever global tender for rails floated by Indian Railways.

Lakshmi Vilas Bank: The bank has revised the marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) with effect from August 1.

SBI - Board of SBI capital market ltd and ECCB of SBI approved MoU through project finance strategic business unit & SBI capital market

Orient Refractories: Company approves merger with RHI India & RHI Clasil

ICRA upgraded long term rating of Khadim India to ICRA A/Stable from ICRA A- and short term rating to ICRA A1 from ICRA A2+

CRISIL revised rating on NCD of Shriram City Union from CRISIL AA-/Positive to CRISIL AA/Stable

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.Taiwan's state-owned CPC Corp has proposed to invest USD 6.6 billion in petrochemical projects in Paradip in Odisha using feedstock from IOC, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.

A Taiwanese delegation today discussed investment in the petrochemical cracker and downstream units.

"Met with a delegation led by President of Taiwan's state-owned petrochemical company, CPC Corporation. They propose to invest $ 6.6 billion in petrochemical projects in Paradip using feedstock from IOC," Pradhan tweeted.

He did not elaborate.

The delegation led by Shun-Chin Lee, President of CPC Corporation "had detailed discussions with the Minister and senior officials of the Ministry and the oil industry on the proposed investment and identified the East Coast of India, and Odisha in particular, for the location of the cracker and downstream units," and Indian Oil Corp (IOC) statement said.

During the discussions, IOC's 15-million tonnes per annum Paradip Refinery has emerged as a suitable location for investment in a greenfield cracker and downstream units at an estimated investment of USD 6.6 billion, it said.

The delegation will be going to Odisha for a site visit to Paradip refinery and Paradip Port and for discussions with IOC and State Government officials.

"The proposed cracker, based on different streams of feedstock, will have several downstream units for production of a diverse spectrum of petrochemical intermediates and end-products," the statement added.Donald Trump and Narendra Modi

The Trump administration has decided to place India in the Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 (STA-1) list that will ease export controls for high technology product sales to the country.

The granting of STA-1 status to India comes after the US recognised India as a "major defence partner" in 2016. India is the only south Asian nation to be given the designation along with the US' NATO allies like South Korea, Australia and Japan.

Announcing the STA-1 tag at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum on July 30, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross called it "a very important change" in India's status in the export control regime.

India welcomed the decision. It is a logical culmination to India's designation as a major defence partner of the US and a "reaffirmation" of its "impeccable record" as a responsible member of the concerned multilateral export control regimes, said Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs.

So what is STA status is all about?

STA is the licence exemption that allows a set of items on the Commerce Control List to be exported from the US under defined conditions without a transaction-specific licence, as per Descartes Customs Info.

The STA exception is relevant to exports, re-exports and transfers for which a licence is required under the Export Administration Regulations  one of the two important US export control laws that affect the manufacturing, sales and distribution of technology.

Benefits of STA-1 status to India

STA Tier 1 treatment, comparable with NATO allies, will expand the scope of exports subject to the EAR that can be made to India without individual licences. This regulatory change will enhance the bilateral defence trade relationship and result in a greater volume of US exports to India.

This will help India getting critical and latest technology from the US in the defence as well as certain other key areas.

It is also a boost for the foundational Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), as per Hindustan Times.The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved raising funds up to Rs 15,000 as Extra Budgetery Resources (EBR) for Swachh Bharat Mission during the financial year 2018-19.

Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet's decision would benefit around 1.5 crore rural households eligible for incentives under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) and also gram panchayats for Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM).

"...Raising funds up to Rs 15,000 crore as Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) (Gol Fully Serviced Bonds) for Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) (SBMG) during the financial year 2018-19 through NABARD," the government said in a statement.

The Cabinet also approved an expansion of the scope of work of International Centre for Drinking Water Quality to authorise it for receiving EBR funds for SBM(G), disbursement of the same to the states/UTs implementing agencies, and its repayment, it said.

It also approved the renaming of the International Centre for Drinking Water Quality as National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation and Quality (NCDWS & Q).

The funds would be utilised to achieve and sustain Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in the villages across the country.

The loan amount of Rs 15,000 crore would be repaid to NABARD as single bullet payment at the end of 10th year from the date of loan disbursement as per the agreed terms and conditions, it added.The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to a bill to restore the original provisions of a law on atrocities against Dalits and tribals, acceding to a key demand of Dalit groups ahead of their call for a 'Bharat Bandh' on August 9, a top government source said.

The bill to restore the original provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will be brought in Parliament, he said.

The Supreme Court in a ruling in March had introduced safeguards which, Dalit leaders and organisations said, diluted the Act and rendered it toothless.

BJP ally and Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan had led the call to bring a new law to overturn the court order. Several ruling party MPs belonging to Dalit and tribal communities had also backed the demand.

According to the earlier implementation of the law, individuals could be arrested immediately after an FIR was filed against them for committing atrocities on people from the SC/ST communities.

However, on March 20, the apex court said that on "several occasions", innocent citizens were being termed as accused and public servants deterred from performing their duties, which was never the intention of the legislature while enacting the SC/ST Act.

The top court had put a bar on arrests immediately after a FIR was registered. The bench also said that an individual can be arrested only after the police conduct a preliminary enquiry into the complaint within seven days.

The judgement had also stated that a person can be released on an anticipatory bail unless there is a prima facie case of a crime or atrocity. In case of a public servant, prosecution can be carried out only after the appointing authority grants prior sanction.

Leaders of various Dalit organisations had been demanding that the government should bring in an ordinance to restore status quo of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The Centre had earlier told the Supreme Court that its judgement on the SC/ST Act in March had "diluted" provisions of the law, which resulted in "great damage" to the country. The government had also said that it would take steps to correct it.

(With PTI inputs)Representative image

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday agreed to grant reservation to the Maratha community, a day before the outfits planned to intensify their protest, according to a report by The Hindustan Times.

Fadnavis assured that his government is working towards granting reservation as they have set up a backward class commission to get evidence of social backwardness and ensure reservation was granted to the community.

Some people have suggested that we issue an ordinance for reservation. We can do that, but such an ordinance will not last even a single day in the courts. Our government is working towards a reservation that can withstand legal scrutiny and get implemented. For that, we have to follow a specific legal procedure as laid down by the apex court in its 1992 order," said Fadnavis.

Also read  Maratha quota rally in Mumbai on August 9 as stir continues

The 1992 Supreme Court order states that if reservation quotas are to be hiked over 50 percent, extraordinary circumstances and evidence of social backwardness of the community must be shown by appointing a backward class commission. As of now, Maharashtra has 52 percent reservation for various categories including other backward classes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in education and government jobs.

An inclusion of reservation for the Maratha community would not impact the existing quota. Fadnavis, however, said a separate law would be enacted in a special session of the state legislature after the commission submits its report.

Maratha groups have announced sit-in protests outside the residences of lawmakers all across the state as well as one at Mumbais Azad Maidan from today.

Also read  Maratha Kranti Morcha: All you need to know about the protests in Maharashtra

On Tuesday, the protests were largely calm after it had turned violent in Pune as agitators torched at least 40 buses and damaged another 50 on Monday.

The ongoing protest reported the fifth suicide as one protestor in Beed district, Abhijit Deshmukh (35) hanged himself. Deshmukh left a suicide note, saying debt and a delay in granting reservation to Marathas had led him to take this extreme step.

Community members will meet their respective legislators and members of Parliament with the memorandum related to our demands with request to raise the issues in their respective houses. They will stage sit-in for a couple of hours outside the houses of the lawmakers. The sit-ins will go on for eight days, Shantaram Kunjir, one of the coordinators of Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM), the umbrella body representing various Maratha outfits, told the paper.

What is going on in the state today is deeply disturbing, Fadnavis said on the ongoing agitation, adding that if one looks at reservations only from an emotive angle, then it would only fan anger in the community.

The chief minister said one must understand the legal aspects to ensure reservation for the community. "Our stance is that reservation must sustain and be legally sound, he said.The India-China face-off over Doklam was resolved through "diplomatic maturity without losing any ground" and status quo has been maintained, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today.

Swaraj told the Lok Sabha that the main objective of the informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinpin at Wuhan was to ensure mutual comfort, mutual understanding and mutual trust between the two leaders and all the three objectives have been achived.

"We have resolved the Doklam issue with diplomatic maturity without losing any ground. There is no change in the status quo (on the ground). There is not an iota of change. The face off at sight has been resolved on August 28, 2017," she said during Question Hour.

The External Affairs Minister said the Wuhan informal summit was held without any agenda and without having any objective to discuss any specific issue.

Before the summit, the foreign ministers of the two countries decided that the leaders should not be restricted to any specific issue, she said.

"The decision to host Wuhan was taken not to resolve any issue but to create a conducive environment. Three main objectives were to ensure mutual comfort, mutual understanding and mutual trust. In all the three objectives, we have achived success," she said.

Swaraj said as a follow up to the Wuhan summit, the Chinese Defence Minister is coming to enhance military cooperation while the Foreign Minister will arrive later this year as part of efforts to enhance the people-to-people contact.

The first informal summit between Modi and Jinping was held at the Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27-28.

India and China were locked in a face-off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector for over 50 days after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area.

China claimed it was constructing the road within their territory which India had objected saying the territory does not belong to China.

To another query, Swaraj also made it clear that the boundary dispute between Bhutan and China was continuing and it was a matter between those two countries.

"Our concern was related only to the tri-junction area (India-Bhutan-China)," she said.

Trinamool Congress member Sugata Bose said that since the external affairs minister was not present in Wuhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House, he should make an intervention and disclose what had happened in his informal summit with the Chinese leader.

Swaraj dismissed the suggestion, saying she was capable of answering all questions relating to the Wuhan summit as she was fully abreast of it.

"I am capable to answer all the questions, irrespective of whether I was present there or not. I am fully aware of what was happening there," she said.

Replying to a question regarding the South-China sea dispute, Swaraj said India believed that the international sea route should be free for navigation.

"There should be freedom of navigation. Our stand on South China sea is clear that there should be freedom of navigation and all international laws should be adhered to," she said.

Regarding the Wuhan summit, Swaraj said as an innovative format for leadership-level diplomatic engagement, it enabled the two leaders to hold direct, free and candid exchange of views on issues of over-arching, long-term and strategic significance, without the constrains of protocol and pre- agenda.

She said it was not meant to discuss specific topics but to strengthen mutual trust and understanding between the two leaders in order to forge a common understanding on future direction of India-China relations and to create the appropriate conditions for the two sides to deal with their differences constructively.

President Jinping has accepted the Prime Minister's invitation for visiting India for the second informal summit at a mutually convenient time in 2019, Swaraj said.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from the historic Red Fort during Independence Day celebrations in Delhi, India August 15, 2017. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi - RTS1BTS0

"Hello Modi sir, I want to listen to your views on reservation," reads a comment on the governments citizen engagement platform  mygov.in  in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modis invitation, seeking inputs for his Independence Day speech.

The PM, on Tuesday morning, sought ideas from people for his speech to be delivered from Red Fort in New Delhi on August 15, a practice he has followed for the past three years.

What are your thoughts and ideas for my 15th August speech? Share them with me on a specially created forum on the Narendra Modi App. You can also share them on MyGov , tweeted the PM, adding that he looks forward to receiving people's "fruitful inputs" in the coming days.

Within a day of the post, the website was flooded with people sharing topics they want the PM to address in public from the ramparts of the fort.

People came up with issues ranging from region-specific to global. Some suggested the PM speak on burning issues such as reservation, lynching, open defecation, pollution, importance of education, farmers suicide, increasing rape cases, with an aim to create awareness. Others requested the PM to talk about national issues like trade war, cross-border terrorism, river linking project, etc.

There were many unique suggestions posted on the platform. For instance, a post sought the PM to invite common people for flag hoisting. This year, flag hoisting be done at the hands of a farmer, next year with the hands of an Army soldier (Kargil) who offer his life for nation and for us, in year 2020 you can invite one children from each state, then very old employed such as peon of sansad bhavan or security guard of lal kila. (sic)

According to MyGov.in, PM Modi will pick up some of the ideas for his speech.GST officers have arrested two city based businessmen for evading taxes worth Rs 201 crore by fraudulently issuing invoices of Input Tax Credit (ITC) without actual supply of goods.

The Central GST Delhi West Commissionerate has arrested two Rohini-based businessmen in the plastic granule industry, who were involved in tax evasion of Rs 201 crore, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

"Searches were conducted at several places during which various incriminating documents and evidences were found. During investigation, it was revealed that the businessmen had floated multiple entities for issuing such fake invoices," it added.

Further investigations are underway and the quantum of evasion is likely to go up.

Officers are not ruling out the possibility of existence of several other fake firms as the investigation moves ahead, the ministry added.It all started innocently enough. Ram Sewak Sharma, the Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in all his RSS(Ram Sewak Sharma)-ness, said in an interview to The Print that Aadhaar does not violate privacy and the government has a right to create such a database of residents since it gives subsidies. Sharma, slated to retire from his current role as TRAI Chairman on August 9, is widely tipped to be the head of the new data protection authority. During his chat, Sharma went a step further. Tell me what harm can you do to me if you have my Aadhaar details? I will give you my Aadhaar number if you like.

The internets ears pricked up and all its senses were heightened. Challenge accepted.

Kingsly John, a technology developer, took to Twitter for a simple follow up: Walk your talk, RS Sharma. Publish your Aadhaar details to the public if you have so much trust in this 13ft wall secured system. Sharma  an IAS officer and prior to his tenure as Chairman of TRAI, the first Director General of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) which issues Aadhaar numbers  complied. Publishing his Aadhaar ID on Twitter, he posed a gauntlet. Now I give this challenge to you: Show me one concrete example where you can do any harm to me! This is our story of the day and you are listening to Moneycontrol.

Soon after RS Sharmas Aadhaar number was out on Twitter, began the Doxing, essentially dumping of personal details of a person in the public domain. Twitter users posted his demat account details, the IFSC and MICR codes of his six bank account numbers, voter ID, his debit card usage and use of his Aadhaar card for sale of organic goods by Lella Dhar Organics of Hari Sevak Sharma. Others were more generous. They deposited Re 1 in Sharmas bank accounts to prove their point. His PAN details were revealed; his frequent flyer number, which is apparently a security question for his Gmail password, was out; and of course his date of birth, address, mobile number, etc. Someone even ordered him a OnePlus 6 via Amazon. Cash on delivery.

Sharma wouldnt budge. He doubled down, saying, Let the challenge run for some time. Data privacy is a big and very important issue in a digital world. I am one of the most vociferous supporters of that. However, the only thing I am saying is that Aadhaar does not violate privacy. He went on to insist that much of these pieces of information could be gleaned from a simple Google search, and Aadhaar could not have provided people with these details (which... isnt entirely true.) If its the matter of Aadhaar, could French security researcher and hacker hero Elliot Alderson be far behind? He was among the hackers who built the Sharma dossier, if you will. He tweeted, If your phone numbers, address, dob, bank accounts and others personal details are easily found on the Internet you have no #privacy. End of the story. And as a bonus, tweeted PM Modi and wondered if Mr Modi could share his Aadhaar number too.

While Sharma fielded most of the tweet responses directed at him, continuing to ask people to cause him "real harm," on Monday, his daughter Kavita Sharma was sent an email that was marked to a few journalists as well. The email said that his bank information and all email accounts were compromised. The sender asked Kavita to pay a ransom, failing which all "sensitive files" would be released to the media if her father does not delete his accounts "immediately".

As if Sharma was Pied Piper, a procession of people following him started to reveal their own Aadhaar numbers soon after.

Aside from the harm that could be done, the disclosure of ones Aadhaar number in a tweet could be in violation of Regulation 6 of the Aadhaar (Sharing of Information) Regulations, 2016, which states that the number of an individual shall not be published, displayed, or posted publicly by any person or entity or agency.

UIDAI has advised people to refrain from making their Aadhaar number public on the internet and on social media and posing challenges to others. In a series of tweets, UIDAI issued an advisory to people warning them that "such activities are uncalled for and should be refrained as these are not in accordance with the law."

"In our regular media campaigns, we have been consistently making people aware not to display or publish or share their Aadhaar number in public domain. We emphasise that people should not display or publish their Aadhaar number in public," the UIDAI said. Citing the Aadhaar Act, 2016, IT (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 and Justice BN Srikrishna's proposed Data Protection Bill, the UIDAI said that "personally sensitive information should not be published or shared publicly." It said that unwanted publication of the sensitive information may render the concerned person vulnerable and hence, must be avoided.

Authenticating Aadhaar "through somebody else's Aadhaar number or using someone else's Aadhaar number for any purpose may amount to impersonation and thereby a criminal offence under the Aadhaar Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," the UIDAI warned. It further warned that people "indulging in such acts or abetting or inciting others to do so" are liable for prosecution.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: WHATS THE HARM?

Harm is a relative experience. As Nikhil Pahwa, founder of Medianama and co-founder of Save the Internet, wrote in a piece for Medianama, being a civil servant and technocrat, Sharma is unlikely to ever face the kind of harm a citizen might face if their Aadhaar number is made public. In that enlightening piece, Pahwa details the many dangers of Aadhaar numbers being made public. It is recommended reading.

This kind of Doxing might not really touch Sharma because of the privilege he already possesses. Sharma is an IIT Graduate, an IAS officer, a technocrat. If Sharma did come in harms way, he has easier access to law enforcement; due to his privilege and resources, recourse and recompense may be swifter. The kind of technical knowhow he possesses, including what you and I might think basic, like two-factor authentication for email passwords etc, might not be possessed by the vast swathes of the general public who may now be misled into thinking that revealing their Aadhaar numbers does not do them harm. After all, he did it! And he was the Director General of Aadhaar yaar! But harm it can. And Aadhaar details so obtained by criminal elements (or corporations) can still be used to build a profile of you. We are all only too aware of over a hundred cases  as reported by major national publications  of fake or forged Aadhaar cards which have been used in activities ranging from illegal migration to sex rackets to phishing scams. Aadhaar-enabled banking frauds have been widely reported, as in one case in Andhra Pradesh (as reported by The New Indian Express), where Aadhaar cards of 300 people were stolen and 40 lakh rupees of pension money was swindled.

Personal information being made available in the public domain need not result in just financial frauds. People exposed through doxing may also become victims of harassment, blackmail, pranks like fake signups for delivery services, and most dangerous of all, especially for the women of the country, stalking. Ones movements may be tracked, house robbed, personal communications exposed, confidential medical information revealed, and the list goes on, one terrifying incident separated by a comma after another. Pahwa goes on to note, The Aadhaar number being made public can be a very useful starting point because of the information it can lead to, as has been demonstrated from the disclosures related to RS Sharma.

What Sharma did was not merely reckless and harmless to himself but perhaps also illegal. And most importantly, in having many unsuspecting Twitter followers emulate him, egregiously irresponsible.

Writing for The Indian Express yesterday, Sharma said that the sustained campaign against Aadhaar amounted to nothing but scaremongering. Reiterating that sharing Aadhaar numbers could cause no harm, he said his decision to tweet his own Aadhaar number was a demonstration of the courage to act on his belief. In his bid to clear the notions about Aadhaar, he made a series of claims about it.

He wrote, The truth is that people are proving their identity today through the Aadhaar online platform. This is empowering millions of people who get subsidies into their account or obtain other benefits. (People are also providing a copy of their Aadhaar cards to various service providers, though this is neither required nor desirable.)

Furthermore, and apparently without proof: Widespread adoption of Aadhaar has started affecting those who want to game the system for tax evasion, benami properties and other such activities.

Arvind Datar, a senior advocate at the Supreme Court who appeared for some of the petitioners in the recent litigation on Aadhaar, wrote a rebuttal on The Indian Express, suggesting that Sharma had made a defence of Aadhaar without aadhaar (basis). Commenting that Sharmas piece sidestepped the manner in which Aadhaar has been steamrolled and made applicable to every walk of life, Datar said this was in violation of the Supreme Courts orders.

He asked, If Aadhaar is indeed voluntary, and is made mandatory only for those residents who wish to avail of subsidies, benefits and services paid from the Consolidated Fund of India, then why is it being made mandatory for 48 per cent of Indians who do not avail of any subsidy or service? Is there a hidden agenda to collect and process huge amounts of data?

Replying to Sharmas claim that providing Aadhaar details to various service providers was neither required nor desirable, Datar recounted all our lived experiences  No Indian can get a telephone connection, an admission for his/her child even in a private school, or cremate his deceased relative without the Aadhaar card. If you thought Aadhaar had not entered sacred spaces, well, you are wrong. Apparently you need an Aadhaar card to enter the Dakshineshwar temple in Vadodara. To queue up in the privileged darshan set in Tirupati, a. you need privilege, and b. you need Aadhaar.

On Sharmas claims that the finest minds had built the Aadhaar system to deliver, Datar wondered if these brilliant minds could explain as to why every bank account, provident fund account, insurance policy, mutual fund be linked to the Aadhaar number. He added, Sharma talks of digital vulnerabilities but is unconcerned about the enormous vulnerabilities many Indians have faced in the recent past. In fact, a large number of Aadhaar holders are unable to get their subsidies simply because their thumb impressions do not match.

Calling Sharmas assertion that the adoption of Aadhaar was denting the activities of those involved in tax evasion, black money, and benami properties a ridiculous claim, Datar reminded him of the deep-rootedness of these evils and just how ill-equipped Aadhaar is to weed them out. Black money is the oxygen of Indian politicians and it is significant to note that the only financial instrument given without an Aadhaar number is the electoral bond, he wrote.

So far, no major harm has come Ram Sewak Sharmas way. And we hope it wouldnt either. But pointing out that it might happen to him, and to scores of others whose Aadhaar details might be out there, is essential. The harm, if any, need not come today or tomorrow. Like an insidious cancer, it knows how to wait.New Delhi: Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu speaks duing a conference on 'Promoting Scientific interventions for Transforming India through CSR', in New Delhi, on Tuesday, May 28, 2018. (PTI Photo/Kamal Singh)(PTI5_29_2018_000037B)

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu today launched a logo and tagline for Geographical Indications (GI) to increase awareness about intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the country.

A Geographical Indication (GI) product is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicraft and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.

Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.

Darjeeling Tea, Tirupathi Laddu, Kangra Paintings, Nagpur Orange and Kashmir Pashmina are among the registered GIs in India. Prabhu said the initiative would help promote awareness and importance of GI products.

The ministry has launched a contest for designing a logo and tagline for GIs.

He said the ministry is working on ways to promote these products.

It is engaging with e-commerce players for their online sale.Representational image

Pratah Kamal, the newspaper owned by Brajesh Thakur, received advertisements worth Rs 30 lakh per year from the Bihar government even after printing barely 300 copies, according to an Indian Express report.

Thakur was arrested after 34 girls, in a shelter home run by his NGO, were sexually abused. The newspaper also operated from the same building as the shelter home.

The daily is listed to have a circulation of more than 60,000 by the states Information and Public Relations Department (IPRD), but when asked by the police, Thakur wasnt able to justify this number. Police said the newspaper neither had the equipment nor enough employees to print the number of newspapers it claimed.

A newspaper agent who has been selling Hindi and English dailies in north Bihar said none of his customers subscribed to Pratah Kamal and it wasn't sold at any newspaper stand either.

IPRD stopped giving advertisements to the paper after the case was registered. An IPRD official said advertisements are awarded on the basis of circulation numbers which is ratified by the Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity.

Since Pratah Kamal was a Muzaffarpur-based newspaper, it had been getting advertisements related to government schemes in north Bihar, the official said.

IPRD still owes the daily Rs 1.97 lakh for advertisements published in April.

Thakur used to be an accredited journalist and also a member of the press accreditation committee for three terms.

We have already cancelled the accreditation of Brajesh Thakur. As for advertisement figures, we do not keep record of cumulative advertisement amount figures, Ravi Bhushan Sahay, deputy director for advertisement at IPRD, said.Moneycontrol News

Around 50 flights from Mumbai airport were delayed on Tuesday as the airport management systems crashed between 4.45 pm to 6 pm.

The software glitch had stalled check-in and baggage handling systems at Terminal 1 and 2 at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, forcing airlines to manually check-in passengers.

Though the systems were fixed by 6 pm, departures till 8 pm were affected due to the spillover from the initial delay. The systems failed due to a power supply issue, The Hindu reports.

"We regret the inconvenience caused to passengers due to an unexpected technical glitch. The team efficiently resolved the issue and operations resumed within a short period of time," an Mumbai International Airport spokesperson told Mumbai Mirror.Representative image

Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama has declared a seven-day Navratri holiday for all schools in the state, The Indian Express has reported.

Chudasama said the decision has been taken in consultation with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. He said the move was to ensure that the people of Gujarat, especially the youth, can enjoy and celebrate Navratri, which is the symbol of religious and spiritual tradition.

Chudasama declared October 10-17 to be a vacation, adding that it should not clash with any examinations in schools or colleges.

Justifying the decision of the state government as a mature one, Chudasama said the decision was not made in haste and was taken noting the thin presence of students in schools and colleges during Navratri.

However, associations of private schools in Saurashtra and Surat said they would defy the order if they get adequate support from parents. At least 400 schools in Rajkot and 800 schools in Surat have contested the state governments move, saying it will affect studies.

Principles of various schools have argued that even though students will welcome the move, the vacation will cause serious disruption in their study schedule, considering that the first school semester is already shorter than the second semester.

A few headmasters have even suggested alternate school timings during Navratri festivities instead of shutting the school altogether.

This move wasnt well received by private school associations in Rajkot as well, who said these breaks between school will distract students. The associations have said they have managed to garner support of several parents and will continue to do so, in order to send a coordinated response to the government.

Meanwhile, Chudasama has asserted that the Navratri vacation will not lead to loss of days in school as the same number of days will be deducted from the Diwali holidays that has been curtailed to November 5-November 18.

This is not the first time that the state government in Gujarat has announced Navratri vacation for schools. In 1995, when the first BJP government had come to power, a similar decision was announced. However, it lasted only two years.Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is planning to build Navya Ayodhya, a township planned on the lines of London, according to a report in The Times of India.

The township, that will include world class facilities, has been approved by the state tourism department. It will host "Nirvana Abode", a place meant for those awaiting death and want to attain moksha or salvation, the report suggests.

Navya Ayodhya is proposed to come up on a 500-acre land parcel along the Faizabad-Gorakhpur highway. The location is 10 kilometres away from Ayodhya.

The project report prepared by consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has pegged the projects cost at Rs 1,200 crore.

The work on the township, which will have five-star hotels, riverside resorts, multi-storied commercial and residential buildings and underground drainage and electric wiring, will start this year, the report suggests.

Faizabad district magistrate and vice chairman of the Faizabad Development Authority (FDA) Anil Kumar Pathak told the newspaper that transformative construction is not possible in Ayodhya due to congestion.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new township to bring Ayodhya on world tourist map, Pathak added.West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee addresses during Youth Trinamool Congress rally at Damurjala Stadium in Howrah district of West Bengal on Friday. PTI

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said there would be a collective leadership of the opposition front to take on the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, indicating that the proposed coalition may not name a prime ministerial candidate ahead of the polls.

Banerjee, who is on a three-day visit to Delhi, would meet Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and other prominent opposition leaders tomorrow to personally invite them for her rally on January 19 in Kolkata aimed at showcasing opposition unity. NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule met the Trinamool chief this evening.

"There will be a collective leadership to take on BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls in 2019. I will meet all the opposition leaders and invite them for the rally. I will also meet Congress leader Sonia Gandhi tomorrow," Banerjee told reporters.

The Trinamool Congress leader was asked whether she could be the prime ministerial candidate for the proposed anti-BJP front. Banerjee is considered a strong contender and the January 19 rally is also seen as an opportunity to consolidate her position within the opposition fold.

The Congress had earlier given indications that it is not averse to accepting a nominee for the top post from any other party who does not have the backing of the RSS.

The BJP has ridiculed the proposed opposition alliance, saying it may not materialise at all as leaders of its various constituents harbour prime ministerial aspirations.

While addressing a conclave organised by Catholic Bishops Conference in Delhi, the West Bengal chief minister cautioned the BJP and said that politics of intolerance would not be tolerated in the country.

This is not Indian politics as Indian politics is about tolerance, she said.

Banerjee said that the country needs a change and it would happen in 2019.

"BJP can do the politics of dividing the people in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh. But they can never do it in West Bengal. Because we are there. They also can not do it in states like Andhra Pradesh or Karnataka as leaders like Chandrababu Naidu and H D Kumaraswamy are there," she asserted.

Asserting that she would never allow a "divided motherland", Banerjee said the BJP should remember that "they (BJP) were not there few years back" and claimed "they will not be in the coming year too".

Banerjee, however, praised Union ministers Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh stating that these leaders are "good", and added "others are not".

"Potato and potato chips are not same," Banerjee quipped.

Lashing out at the BJP, she claimed that the while the saffron party is trying to attack the Dalits, minorities and tribals, her politics is about taking them along.

Later Banerjee went to meet former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, Ram Jethmalani and disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, who have been vocal critics of the Modi government, to invite them for her rally.

"I invited them to participate in the rally in Kolkata. The people who fight against the ruling party win," she said after meeting the leaders at Jethmalani's residence.

"I am not so liberal and cannot forgive the people behind lynching and violent attacks," she said.

Former Union minister Arun Shourie, who had met Banerjee earlier, is expected to meet the TMC chief in Kolkata as he is out of Delhi at the moment.Congress

The opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress today attacked the government in the Lok Sabha over the issue of Assam's National Register of Citizens, accusing it of attempting to polarise people and forcing them out of their land.

Arpita Ghosh of the TMC referred to George Orwell's novel "1984" to snipe at the government, accusing it of carrying out surveillance of citizens through Aadhaar and now using the NRC to force people out of their lands.

"It should be stopped," she said.

"1984" is a dystopian novel set in the year 1984 when most of the world population has become victim of war and government surveillance.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress said the NRC has created an atmosphere of uncertainty.

He said different kind of statements are being made on the NRC issue. While BJP president Amit Shah said the government had the courage to execute the NRC, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi claimed the NRC was his baby, Chowdhury pointed out.

"Attempts to polarise people is being made," he charged.

Raising other issues, Sher Singh Ghubaya of the Akali Dal voiced concern over spread of cancer in Punjab, especially in the Malwa region, and asked the government to provide financial assistance to patients.West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress President Mamata Banerjee met veteran BJP leader L K Advani at his chamber in Parliament today and termed it a "courtesy call". Their meeting lasted 20 minutes.

"I know Advaniji for a very long time. I went to enquire about his health. It was a courtesy call," Banerjee said after the meeting.

Suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad also came to meet her at the TMC office in Parliament, followed by Congress leaders Gulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel, and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav also met her.

"He efforts to unite opposition leaders are commendable," Azad said after the meeting.

The West Bengal chief minister is expected to meet leaders of 14 opposition parties and some NDA allies in Parliament today.The Congress accused the BJP of distorting the process of Assam's NRC for political gains and lashed out at Amit Shah for deliberately giving a "mischievous twist" to the issue by branding any questions on the exercise as support for illegal Bangladesh immigrants.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was aimed at reflecting the aspirations of Assamese people and not as a tool to divide the society, which BJP government is making it out to be.

"History will never pardon the ilk of Modi-Amit Shah for distorting the entire process for opportunistic political gains," he said.

Congress leader Anand Sharma rejected the charges levelled by Shah, who had said in Rajya Sabha that the Congress governments did not have the courage to carry out the NRC to identify illegal immigrants in Assam in accordance with the 1985 accord.

Sharma said the Congress in principle agrees with the idea of the NRC, but has objections to the manner in which it is implemented as many anomalies and flaws have been discovered due to which a large number of people having valid documents are left out.

"The issue that the Congress is highlighting is that a large number of Indians have been rendered as refugees in their own country and this was unacceptable," he said and urged the BJP and the government to behave responsibly on the issue in national interest and unity.

Sharma said since yesterday the opposition has been demanding a structured debate on the developments after the release of the draft National Register of Citizens.

He alleged that the issue is being "misrepresented" by the BJP and its leadership.

"It was important for the opposition to register its concern with regard to disenfranchising our own citizens who have been from other states or from Assam as indigenous people should be rendered refugees in our country. This is a humanitarian aspect," he said.

The Congress' reaction came after Shah attacked the opposition party for questioning the NRC draft list in which 40 lakh people were excluded, saying "whom do you want to save? You want to save illegal Bangladeshis".

His remarks had drawn angry protests from the opposition leading to adjournment of the Rajya Sabha. Later addressing a press conference, the BJP chief demanded that other parties make clear their stand on the issue.

Hitting out at Shah, Sharma said, "The BJP leadership is deliberately giving it a mischievous twist. What has been said by them, we reject it in entirety? We are one country. The people from various states go and live in other states of the country either for work, business or marriage. They cannot be termed as non-citizens. That is one of the concerns, he told reporters outside Parliament.

The Congress leader said the Supreme Court orders should actually be observed in letter and spirit .

"The Home Minister says that the Government has nothing to do. It is as per the directions of the Supreme Court... The BJP President's assertion was unwarranted and provocative, and is also an insult to the Supreme Court. This implies that, it is the BJP which is directing the Supreme Court. It is a serious matter. It needs immediate clarification," he said.

He said all opposition leaders including the Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised their concerns in Rajya Sabha today and wanted a government response on the issue.

The Congress leader said the disruption in Rajya Sabha today was entirely due to the "unwarranted provocative statement made by BJP leaders and the BJP members, which is in direct conflict with what the Home Minister informed Lok Sabha".

"It is for the Home Minister now to clarify whether he stands by the statement that he made yesterday in the Lok Sabha or he agreed with the statement that has been made in the Rajya Sabha by the BJP President Shri Amit Shah. That truth must come out," he said. Surjewala said on one hand Amit Shah seeks "fake credit" for NRC in Assam and on the other side the Modi government brings in the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, "both of which are contrarian in spirit of one another".

"Will Amit Shah answer that?," he asked.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh ascribes the NRC process to supervision of Supreme Court, he said, alleging that Amit Shah "falsified" the statement of his Home Minister made in Parliament by "lame-duck credit seeking for implementing NRC".

"Who is lying?- Rajnath Singh or Amit Shah?" he asked.

"Amit Shah and company are the virulent inheritors of the British East India Company. 'Divide and rule, spread venomous hate and decimate India's brotherhood' to garner votes is their principle agenda," he alleged.Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she was not vying to be the prime minister and that the first priority was to defeat the BJP which is "scared and nervous" to face the 2019 polls because of opposition unity.

Banerjee, who has been at the forefront of efforts to rally opposition parties for an anti-BJP front, spent the second day of her Delhi visit meeting leaders of various parties including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Besides leaders of the Congress, TDP, YSR(Congress), DMK, RJD, SP and JD(S), she also met BJP veteran LK Advani, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and dissident BJP leaders.

"The opposition is united.... In 2019 BJP will be finished," Banerjee, who invited the leaders of the opposition parties as well as Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to her January 19 rally in Kolkata, told reporters.

The rally is seen as not just a show of opposition unity but also an attempt to catapult Banerjee to the centrestage.

"We are all for all. We will take a decision on collective leadership. If all opposition political parties can join hands and work together in Parliament, then why not fight unitedly outside," the TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister told reporters after her nearly half-an-hour long meeting with the Gandhis at 10, Janpath, the residence of Sonia Gandhi. On the Congress' indication of its willingness to accept her candidature as opposition's PM face, she said, "I am not for any chair, our aim is to defeat the BJP."

Almost all the opposition parties are holding preliminary talks to put a united fight against the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Banerjee said she met both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and discussed the NRC issue as 40 lakh people have not been included in it and genuine voters had been kept out.

"We discussed the political situation. We discussed how the opposition can together take on the BJP because it knows that it will not come back to power," she said.

Asked about the prime ministerial candidate of the proposed anti-BJP front, she said, "it will be decided later. The first priority is to defeat the BJP. The BJP has to be defeated first."

To a query on Amit Shah's criticism of her on the NRC issue, she said, "I am not his servant. Why should I reply to his comments."

"Gali ka jawaab hum gaali se nahin denge. Yeh hamari parampara hai. (We will not reply to an abuse with an abuse, that is our tradition)," she said. "The BJP is scared and nervous politically due to the unity of opposition parties. The BJP knows what will happen to them in 2019 as they will not come back to power. That is why they are trying to create such an atmosphere and doing all this," she said.

On her meeting with leaders of various political parties, she said, "We know every political leader. I am happy to meet all of them."

Attacking the Centre on Assam's National Register of Citizens final draft, she said, "People whose names have been kept out are from Bihar, UP, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, West Bengal. We want them to live peacefully. Some of them are living for 100 ears for five generations in Assam. How can you do this to them?"

Banerjee yesterday warned of a civil war and blood bath in the country in case 40 lakh people of Assam are left out of the NRC.

"I do not know what the BJP wants -- a civil water or a blood bath. But we do not want it," she said today.

On a tie-up with the Congress in West Bengal, she said every party will take their own decision.

"I cannot interfere in the Congress' decisions. We believe that the strongest in a state should take on the BJP," she said. The TMC office in Parliament was abuzz with meetings after Banerjee arrived there today. The TMC chief met Congress leaders Gulam Nabi Azad, and Ahmed Patel, Samajwadi Party leaders Ram Gopal Yadav and Jaya Bachchan, DMK leader Tiruchi Siva, YSR Congress leader Vijaysai Reddy, RJD leaders Misa Bharti, Jayprakash Narayan Yadav among others.

Banerjee met JD(S) leader Deve Gowda at Karnataka Bhavan and invited him to the rally.

She also met Advani at his chamber in Parliament House ."I went to meet him and enquired about his health," she told reporters.

Suspended BJP member of parliament Kirti Azad hailed her as a great leader and said that her efforts to consolidate all opposition parties are "commendable".

The TMC chief later went to the Central Hall of the Parliament to meet other opposition leaders and invited them to the rally.

Banerjee also appealed to all the opposition parties to send a joint delegation to the Election Commission against EVM tampering and to press for holding polls on ballots. "All opposition parties should go to EC on this matter," Banerjee told the leaders.

Interestingly, Banerjee extended an invitation for the rally to the Shiv Sena chief through Raut who said the party would take a decision on it. Though a constituent of the NDA, the Sena has been openly critical of the Modi government.

She also appealed to the leaders to send an all-opposition-party delegation to Assam stating that though TMC delegation would be visiting the state on Thursday, other parties should also exert pressure on the government.Congress

The Congress in Tripura has alleged that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Assam were involved in a "pre-planned conspiracy" to exclude 40 lakh people in the state from the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"Genuine citizens with valid documents have been excluded only to drive them out of Assam. It's a pre-planned conspiracy of the Centre and Assam government. Those whose names do not figure in the draft NRC are mostly Bengali Muslims, Bengali Hindus and Manipuris," Tripura Pradesh Congress chief Birajit Sinha told reporters here yesterday.

Many residents of Tripura have matrimonial links with the people of Assam. They are also in trouble, the Congress leader said.

Nearly one lakh people have migrated to Assam from Tripura in search of livelihood. Despite having valid documents, they were left out, he said.

Unlike the NDA, the Congress wanted to find an amicable solution to the exclusion of people from the NRC list, he added.West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee addresses during Youth Trinamool Congress rally at Damurjala Stadium in Howrah district of West Bengal on Friday. PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said the publication of draft National Register of Citizens in Assam will destroy India's relationship with neighbouring Bangladesh.

Out of 40 lakh people, who don't find themselves in the final draft of the NRC published on July 30, only one per cent could be infiltrators, but the BJP is trying to project as if all of them are infiltrators.

"NRC will destroy India's relationship with Bangladesh," she told reporters outside Parliament.

She also said that 833 people from her state, mainly from Murshidabad district, are in Assam jails.

"The BJP is playing vote bank politics. The NRC will affect the whole world. Managing borders is a responsibility of the Centre. Central forces see how many infiltrators are crossing into the country. But in the name of infiltrators, they are harassing people," she alleged.

She also said she has appealed to all opposition parties to send their delegation to Assam.

"I have also urged Yashwant Sinha (former BJP leader and a Union minister) to go to Assam," she said.New Delhi: A view of Parliament in New Delhi on Sunday, a day ahead of the monsoon session. PTI Photo by Kamal Singh (PTI7_16_2017_000213B)

MPs of opposition parties today staged a protest outside Parliament against the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Armed with placards against the NRC, leaders from the TMC, SP RJD, TDP, AAP, BSP and JD(S) demanded that the government bring in changes in the NRC.

"The NRC is forcing people to become refugees in their won country," TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee claimed.

They alleged by bringing in the NRC the ruling party was trying to divide the people

"It is a divisive tactic of the BJP, " alleged AAP leader Sanjay Singh.

The BJP-led NDA government and the Congress-led opposition were involved in a bitter war of words both inside and outside Parliament today.

While both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha witnessed uproar, MPs were seen engaging in a verbal duel outside the Parliament complex.Chhattisgarh will go to polls in less than two weeks from now, with the first phase of the elections scheduled for November 12 and the second phase on November 20. Here are some of the key players in the fray for the upcoming elections.

Polling began at 7:30 am today for elections to two municipal corporations in Maharashtra, where 754 candidates are vying for 153 seats.

Polling is being held for the 78-member Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation (SMKMC) in Western Maharashtra and the 75-member Jalgaon Municipal Corporation (JMC) in North Maharashtra.

The two cities have a cumulative voter population of 7,89,251.

As many as 1,013 polling booths have been set up and 5,792 election staff deployed on duty in the two cities, according to State Election Commissioner J S Saharia.

Polling is also taking place for ward number 97 of the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation.

The voting will continue 5.30 pm and the counting will be taken up on August 3.

As many as 451 candidates are in fray for 78 seats in the SMKMC, while 303 nominees will vie for 75 seats in Jalgaon.

Sangli has 4,24,179 eligible voters, while their number is 3,65,072 in Jalgaon.

The Ruling BJP-Shiv Sena have joined hands for the JMC, while the BJP is going it alone in the SMKMC.Rahul Gandhi Congress president

Congress President Rahul Gandhi will likely model his Madhya Pradesh campaign on his Gujarat run in 2017 and will continue temple visits, media reports suggested.

The Congress' campaign in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh will begin with Rahuls visit to Omkareshwar temple, Hindustan Times reports.

Rahul held a meeting on Tuesday with senior party leaders from the state to outline the plan and devise a strategy for the election campaign.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the news.

The campaign is likely to commence in late August or early September, according to media reports.

Rahul had visited several temples while campaigning during the Karnataka assembly election as well. His strategy has often been called soft Hindutva.

The Congress president will spend about a month in MP, Mint reported.

"The first phase of his campaign will be around a 'bus yatra' in which he will intermittently visit different places and address small rallies. His campaign is expected to begin from the third week of August and the starting point is likely to be the Omkareshwar temple in Ujjain," a senior party functionary said.

The Congress is attempting to defeat the incumbent Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government, which has been in power for almost 15 years.

There is speculation that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress will form an alliance and contest the election together. But the parties have not reached a seat-sharing agreement, PTI reported.Answer: Tata Motors

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The government may issue a show-cause notice to Tata Motors, seeking reasons for why the company did not scrap its first bulk order for electric cars, according to a report by The Economic Times.

The news daily cited sources as saying that the notice could be issued soon.

Energy Efficiency Services (EESL), the public sector undertaking responsible for procuring the cars for government departments, had reportedly consulted the law ministry about the matter.

The move comes after the first batch of cars delivered by Tata Motors under the 5,000-vehicle order did not perform as expected. The company is also seeking changes to the specifications of the cars for future deliveries.

Also read  Govt officials refuse to use Mahindra, Tata Motors e-vehicles citing poor performance

Interestingly, Mahindra & Mahindra, which is tasked with delivering 5,000 cars under the second phase of the same tender, is also seeking a downgrade of charging and battery specifications it had earlier promised.

Tata Motors said it did not receive any warning from EESL, and called all questions, including on the performance of its cars, "speculative". EESL Managing Director Saurabh Kumar said told the newspaper that were no problems with the tender.

"As regards the price, this was an open tender and the price quoted was through a competitive bidding process. EESL cannot comment on the same any further," he said.

EESL had issued the first global tender for 10,000 vehicles in August last year, when Tata Motors emerged the lowest bidder. Tata Motors had quoted Rs 11.2 lakh per car, inclusive of tax and a 5-year warranty. M&M bagged half the order after it agreed to match Tata Motors' price.Huaweis latest addition to its Honor Note series is the Note 10, whose main feature is a 7-inch screen.

As per Honor's China website, the phone will come with RAM options of 6 or 8 GB, storage options of 64 or 128 GB, and a Kirin 970 processor. Its AMOLED screen will have a resolution of 1080 x 2220 and it will run on Android Oreo OS.

The Note 10 will have a dual rear-camera setup, having a total of 24 + 16 megapixels, while its front camera will have 13 megapixels. Its rear camera supports 4K recording, but both the rear and the front cameras do not support optical image stabilisation.

The phone will join the family of headphone jack-less smartphones but an added advantage is that it will have a 5,000 mAh battery, perhaps to go with the XL-sized screen. Huawei is launching the phone in China at entry level price of around $410 (Rs 28,135).

Huaweis previous Note model was the Note 8, which was launched in 2016 and had a 6.6-inch screen. The last Huawei device to feature a 7-inch screen was the MediaPad X2, launched in 2015.

The Chinese mobile giants Honor Note 10 is not the only smartphone in the market to break the 7-inch mark  Lenovo came out with its 7-inch Phab (phone + tab) in 2015. As it is getting easier for mobile manufacturers to slim down bezels, phone screens will only get bigger.Senior Technical Lead: With a median annual salary Rs 12,00,000 going up to Rs 25,00,000 per annum, an expertise in designing and building software products, in collaboration with the sales and design verticals, is the main job description. A key skill is to analyze user requirements to ensure customer satisfaction. (Image: Pixabay)

The Tamil Nadu government is planning to commission a flagship project to digitise the service registers of government servants in the state under a scheme, christened Integrated Financial and Human Resource Management System (IFHRMS), at a cost of Rs 289 crore, reports The Financial Express.

The project will include pay details of employees, promotion, transfer, leave and other service details which will get updated in the system on real-time basis and this will help around nine lakh state government servants to check their service records on their mobile phones.

From biometric authentication to digital signature, IFHRMS will have such security features and the new system is expected to come into place by October 2018.

This will enable the government to know the real-time fund position which will strengthen the finance and human resource management.

For this project, Wipro will be the system integrator.

Under the proposed scheme, the existing automated treasury bill passing system (ATBPS), web payroll and e-pension software will be integrated, said Tenkasi S Jawahar, principal secretary and commissioner of treasuries and accounts, Chennai.

Jawahar also said this new system will pave way for smooth maintenance of service register of all government employees on real-time basis by which the employees pay bill, promotion, transfer and leave are managed online.

The Tamil Nadu government is aiming to make all services accessible online from anywhere or nearby common service delivery outlets, mobile platforms, and other hand-held devices by 2023 under its e-governance policy.Paytm Payments Bank has suspended the enrolment of new customers following an audit by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which found discrepancies in adherence of know-your-customer (KYC) checks on part of the company, according to a report by Mint. No new customers have been added since July 20.

Paytm is reportedly renovating its payments gateway to include greater scrutiny of current accounts, due to which no new customers have been added in the last 10 days.

Sources contacted by Mint also said the RBI had called for the ouster of Renu Satti as chief executive of the payments bank. She stepped down from the post on July 27. RBI guidelines dictate that a person has to be a banker to head a payments bank. Before joining One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, Satti worked as a human resource executive at Manpower Services and Mother Dairy.

A Paytm employee refuted claims that Satti stepped down on these grounds, saying she was appointed in May 2017, with express approval of the RBI. Satti has been redeployed within the company, and will lead the companys New Retail division. The payments company is yet to appoint a successor. However, it remains unclear whether the company has been asked by the central bank to stop enrolments, or whether it was merely alerted to the issues with its system of acquiring new customers.

The company has also asked Paytm Payments Bank to differentiate itself from its parent, One97 Communications Ltd. It called for better provisions to store and protect the financial data of customers. The company recently moved its banking team to a new campus in Noida.

Greater adoption of digital payments, especially in non-metro cities, has boded well for Paytm. The worth of digital transactions in July totaled $50 billion, up 4,900 percent from $1 billion in the year-ago period.

This is not the first time a digital payments bank has come under the scanner of regulatory authorities. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) had temporarily disallowed Airtel Payments Bank from conducting customer verification drives and linking Aadhaar information with mobile numbers through its e-KYC feature.

The RBI could also have taken exception to Paytms data repository that is perused by experts based in Canada. Metadata is collected from users of the Paytm app and stored in a data lake, which is used by analysts in Canada to formulate algorithms that help generate promotions and targeted advertisements.Answer: Donald Trump.

US President Donald Trump has suggested that talks with arch foe Iran were imminent, despite silence from the Islamic republic's leaders to his offer for a meeting.

"I have a feeling they'll be talking to us pretty soon," Trump told a rally in Tampa, Florida, yesterday before adding: "and maybe not, and that's ok too."

He also used the occasion to again blast the "horrible, one-sided" Iran nuclear deal with world powers from which the American president withdrew.China's Huawei Technologies overtook Apple Inc to become the world's second-biggest smartphone seller in the June quarter, data from market research firms showed, as it gained ground in Europe and expanded its lead back home.

The estimated rise in market share comes as a slowdown in the world's biggest smartphone market, China, eased. Huawei has also managed to get ahead of rivals by selling more feature-packed phones, analysts said.

"Huawei is shifting to more value-added models, by launching new flagship smartphones with the latest features. Huawei's P20 Pro is the first flagship smartphone model to be equipped with triple cameras, beating competitors to market," IHS Markit analyst Gerrit Schneemann said in a note.

Huawei on Tuesday said overall it had raked in 15 percent higher revenue in the first six months of 2018, steady at levels seen a year ago.

According to IHS and Strategy Analytics, Huawei grabbed more than 15 percent of the global smartphone market over April-June, overtaking Apple's roughly 12 percent and just behind Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's nearly 20 percent share.

Data from Canalys, which estimates industrywide smartphone shipments in China topped 100 million in the second quarter from 91 million in the first, shows Huawei grew its share of the home market by 6 percentage points on year to a record 27 percent.

The Chinese market is key for Huawei as it has come under fire from the United States, Australia and other nations over concerns it could facilitate Chinese government spying.

The company has been virtually shut out from the United States with no major carriers selling its smartphones.

Huawei has denied it facilitates spying and has said it is a private company not under Chinese government control and not subject to Chinese security laws overseas.

CHINA HEADWINDS

Analysts, however, expressed concerns over the whether the improvement in the Chinese market was sustainable.

While the rate of decline has eased, the Chinese market is expected to weaken in the following quarters, Canalys said.

"The larger vendors face a high degree of uncertainty over the current trade situation with the U.S.," analyst Mo Jia said.

"Increasing prices and maintaining market share in the face of a stronger U.S. dollar might be easy for a brand such as Huawei, but will be difficult for Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo," the Canalys analyst added.

China and the United States are embroiled in a trade dispute with both nations imposing tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods and fighting over technology and patents.

These duties have not yet targeted Apple iPhones, but Chief Executive Tim Cook said on a conference call on Tuesday that he was looking into whether the company will be hit by tariffs on purchases it must make, possibly related to data centres.

HUAWEI IN H1

Apple regained some growth in China in the June quarter, where sales rose 19 percent.

Sales there had fallen dramatically in 2016 after Chinese consumers shunned the iPhone 7, whose overall appearance differed little from its predecessor.

Samsung Electronics, the biggest smartphone maker globally but almost a bit player in China, on Tuesday posted its slowest quarterly profit growth in more than a year as its Galaxy S9 lost ground to rivals.

Increasing brand recognition is enabling Huawei to challenge Samsung in many price segments, IHS' Schneemann said.

Huawei said all its businesses, including smartphones, telecom equipment and IT infrastructure services, did well in the first six months of the year.

Revenue rose to 325.7 billion yuan ($47.97 billion), while operating margin rose to 14 percent, from 11 percent a year ago.

The Shenzhen-based firm did not provide a detailed performance breakdown for the period. The company does not release a profit number for the half year.

Huawei's consumer division, which houses its smartphones business, accounted for roughly a third of its total revenue last year. It got half its revenue from its carrier business.Whistleblower Edward Snowden said he wont stop criticizing the Russian government even though his residential permit ends in 2020.

I am already someone who the worlds most powerful intelligence agency considers a real threat. If I wanted a safe life, I would still be in Hawaii, working for the NSA, Snowden said in an interview with the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

Snowden was a former employee of Americas Central Investigation Agency (CIA). He released classified information which revealed the NSA's global surveillance programme. Snowden sought asylum in Russia five years ago.

The ex-CIA man said he could have stayed anonymous but the government would have claimed that the documents were forged and manipulated, which wouldve reduced the impact of the report.

When he arrived in Russia, he was approached by intelligence officials at the airport itself but he refused to work with them.

Look, if you guys are going to kick me out, youre going to kick me out. Show me the plane. But I dont have anything, Im not going to tell you anything, I dont want any relationship with you and I will not be threatened," he said.

Also read: Edward Snowden says demand to link Aadhaar to services must be criminalised

Regarding claims that he is a Russian spy, Snowden said the US had sources inside the Russian intelligence and they wouldve exposed him by now if that was the case.

Citizen Four said he hasnt released all the information that was accessed by him. Not all the documents that the journalists have access to were intended to be published. The fact that some are not published is the point, not a problem, he added.

On the comparison between him Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, he said Im a reformist, hes a revolutionary. I dont want to burn the system down, I believe it can still be saved.Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan wished all Hindu citizens on the occasion of Diwali. Prime Minister Imran Khan wishes a happy Diwali to all Hindu citizens, tweeted Prime Ministers Office in Pakistan.

A house in the Ministers' Enclave in Islamabad will be declared the official residence of Imran Khan, who is set to become Pakistan's new prime minister, as his private house is vulnerable to threats, according to a media report.

Khan's Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the July 25 elections. Khan, 65, would take oath as the prime minister on August 11.

Khan, in his victory speech on July 26, had announced that he would not use the Prime Minister's House as his residence and that his party would later decide the fate of the building.

Shortly after his party's victory in the elections, the police and the district administration started extending VVIP protocol and security to Khan. Security was tightened around Khan's Banigala residence, Dawn newspaper reported.

Senior police officers visited Khan's Banigala residence and assessed the home and the area around it, including the hills.

The police officials said there was no standard operating procedure for the prime minister in-waiting, but since Khan is likely to be the next prime minister, necessary measures have been taken for his security, the report said.

They discussed security issues with PTI leader Naeemul Haq as well as the chief security officer of the residence, it said.

Issues regarding the official residence of the prime minister-in-waiting also came under discussion. The officials briefed them about the standard operating procedure (SOP) related to the security and protocol of the prime minister, the report added.

The senior officers also met Khan and briefed him about security and protocol.

During the meeting, the district administration officials told him that his residence could not be provided foolproof security as the area was open and vulnerable to threats.

Earlier, there was an option to declare Banigala residence as Khan's official residence.

Khan then agreed not to use Banigala as his official residence, the officials told Dawn.

A few more options were also given to him, including using an accommodation at the Ministers' Enclave, which he accepted, the report said.

However, he asked for a lowest category house at the enclave, it said.

There are flats which fall in the lowest category, but since necesary SOPs and protocol for prime minister could not be implemented there, the senior officers advised Khan against using a flat and instead prefer a house to which Khan agreed, the report said.The world's largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal today posted 41 percent rise in net income at USD 1.865 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 on the back of higher sales.

The company had posted net income (attributable to equity holders of the parent) of USD 1.322 billion in the year-ago period, the company, led by billionaire Lakshmi N Mittal said in a statement.

The company has posted a "net income of USD 1.9 billion in the second quarter of 2018", the statement said.

ArcelorMittal follows January-December financial year.

The sales increased to USD 19.998 billion during the quarter over USD 17.244 billion in the year-ago period.

On plans to acquire debt-ridden Essar Steel, the company said: "The process has faced various legal challenges at NCLT and more recently at NCLAT. The NCLAT hearing concluded on July 18, 2018, and a ruling is expected in August, which should provide further clarity on the ESIL (Essar Steel India Ltd) insolvency process."

In February, ArcelorMittal India - a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal - submitted a competitive resolution plan for ESIL.

The resolution plan set out a detailed industrial plan for ESIL aimed at improving its performance and profitability, and ensuring it can participate in the anticipated growth of steel demand in India.

Commenting on the results, company's Chairman and CEO Lakshmi N Mittal said this is an encouraging set of results reflecting the structural improvements in both the global steel industry due to supply reform dynamics and within ArcelorMittal as a result of 'Action 2020'.

The significant improvement in the company's balance sheet and earnings outlook, he said, has been recognised by the main credit agencies and it has achieved its stated aim of regaining the investment grade credit rating.

The outlook for the second half of the year is encouraging and ArcelorMittal anticipates current favourable market conditions to continue, he said.

"We believe improvements in underlying industry fundamentals are sustainable, although there is still more to be done to thoroughly address the issue of global overcapacity. We will retain a deleveraging bias, while also pursuing selective opportunities to strengthen the foundations of sustainable value creation," he added.

The company said its gross debt was at USD 13.5 billion as of June-end this year.

Net debt by June decreased to USD 10.5 billion as compared with USD 11.1 billion at March 31, 2018 primarily due to higher net cash, it added.

On purchasing of Italian steel company Ilva's assets, it said the government-appointed trustees overseeing the insolvency liquidation of Ilva extended to September 15, 2018, the deadline for fulfilment of all the conditions precedent to the completion of the contract with ArcelorMittal.

"ArcelorMittal is committed to the rehabilitation of Ilva, in particular addressing its environmental, social and industrial challenges to reposition Ilva as one of Europe's premier steel facilities," it added.Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia waves to activists as she arrives for a rally in Dhaka in this file picture taken January 20, 2014. A Bangladesh court issued an arrest warrant on March 30, 2016 for former prime minister and opposition leader Zia over a deadly firebombing attack last year, a prosecutor said. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj/Files - GF10000365774

Jailed former Bangladesh premier Khaleda Zia was granted bail by a court in two cases related to her fake date of birth and for undermining the national flag.

Zia, who is in her seventies, is serving a five-year jail term after a court convicted her in February for embezzlement of foreign donations meant for an orphanage named after her husband and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) founder and slain president Ziaur Rahman, while holding the post of the prime minister during 2001-06.

"The judge (of Metropolitan Sessions Judges Court) granted her bail in two cases  one related to her 'fake birth dates' and the other for 'undermining' the national flag," a prosecution lawyer said.

"The charges brought against her in these cases are bailable," justice Imrul Kayes said while granting her bail.

Legal experts and court officials, however, said she was unlikely to be freed from the jail as she was facing several other charges.

The court, in November last year, ordered the arrest of Zia over her controversial birthday celebration, coinciding with the day of Bangladesh's founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's assassination along with most of his family members on August 15, 1975.

An arrest warrant was issued by the court after she failed to appear on three consecutive days after being summoned for the hearing in the case.

Zia's date of birth has been a major irritant in the political arena after she began celebrating the birthday on August 15 since 1996, when the ruling Awami League, led by Bangabandhu's daughter and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, returned to power after 21 years of political wilderness.

The complainant in the case, a journalist, said according to Zia's marriage certificate she was born on August 9, 1944, while her first passport says her date of birth was August 5.

According to her school final exam mark sheet her date of birth is September 5, 1946 while her official biography, issued after she became the prime minister in 1991, mentions she was born on August 19, 1945.

In the other case, two courts had simultaneously issued arrest warrant against her in October 2017, after she "failed to appear" for the hearing in the case of "undermining of the Bangladesh's map and the national flag".

She is facing trial in cases for inducting in her cabinet those people, who had opposed to the country's independence in 1971 and subsequently convicted and hanged for committing crimes against humanity, siding with the Pakistani troops.

Earlier, the former premier was faced with several arrest warrants for being absent a number of cases against her, including graft charges, but evaded arrests after appearing in the courts.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will urge Asian countries at an upcoming meeting in Singapore to enforce UN sanctions on North Korea aimed at dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear program, a US official said today.

Pompeo will be in Singapore Friday and Saturday, attending an annual meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

North Korea "is in the room as a member of the ASEAN regional forum among these 27 countries, so there will be discussions that are inclusive of North Korea," a senior State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official did not rule out a one-on-one meeting between Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart on commitments made during the historic June 12 summit in Singapore between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"With regard to potential encounters, pull aside, bilateral meetings, all of those are possible with members of the ASEAN regional forum," the official said.

"There are chance encounters, there are sometimes planned encounters -- but we're not there yet for any announcement," the official said.

In a joint declaration after the June 12 summit, the North Korean leader "reaffirmed his commitment" to work towards the "denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula." But the actual details of the process, including how and when the North's nuclear program is to be dismantled, have yet to be worked out.

Pompeo, charged with nailing down the details of the Singapore commitment, traveled to Pyongyang in early July for what apparently was a fruitless visit.

The lack of progress has been a source of concern for many observers, especially as international sanctions are beginning to ease and news reports indicate that North Korea is continuing its nuclear and ballistic programmes.

"We too remain concerned" by North Korean violations of UN-approved sanctions, the US official said. These include illegal shipments of oil by sea that, according to Washington, enables Pyongyang to bust its import quotas.

Gatherings like the ASEAN meeting are "an opportunity to remind all countries of their obligations in adherence" of UN Security Council resolutions, the official said.

At the United Nations, the United States asked a UN sanctions committee to halt all deliveries of refined oil products to North Korea after accusing Pyongyang of using illegal imports to exceed a cap on permissible deliveries.

A cut-off of oil and fuel would require enforcement primarily by China, which supplies most of North Korea's energy needs, but also by Russia, which delivers some oil to Pyongyang.

Russia and China, which put a six-month hold on the US request, will be represented at the ASEAN meeting.Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was shifted back to Adiala Jail from a hospital today following improvement in his health.

Sharif, 68, was admitted to the Cardiac Centre of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad after his health deteriorated due to heart trouble in the jail on Sunday night.

Sources in the PIMS said that various tests were performed on him, which showed a lot of improvement in his health, and doctors decided to shift him back to the jail.

They said Sharif also expressed willingness to go back to jail as he was not ready to go the to hospital in first place and only agreed when his jailed daughter and her husband convinced him to follow doctors' advice.

Heavy security measures were taken to shift him back to jail. A convoy of 11 security vehicles escorted him to jail.

The three-time Pakistan premier is serving a 10-year jail term in a corruption case over his family's purchase of luxury apartments in London. He has been lodged in the Adiala Jail since July 13.

Earlier in the day, Punjab province home minister Shaukat Javed said Sharif's medical report does not suggest any treatment abroad.

Talking to reporters, Javed brushed off the rumours of sending Sharif to London for medical treatment.

Javed said there are no complications in Sharif's health condition.

According to doctors, blood pressure and ECG reports of Sharif were not completely normal last night.

Doctors today declared Sharif's health to be satisfactory after his thorough examinations and medical tests.British military equipment maker BAE Systems today said that first-half net profits sank almost a fifth on weak demand for Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.

Earnings after taxation slid 17 per cent to 471 million pound (USD 618 million, 528 million euros) in the six months to the end of June, compared with 569 million pound a year earlier, BAE said in a results statement.

Sales, meanwhile, dropped almost seven per cent to 8.8 billion pound "as a result of reduced Typhoon production activity", the group added.

The British company, which also makes Astute submarines, added however that its orders backlog increased to 39.7 billion pound, with a total of 9.7 billion pound of orders in the first half.

Eurofighter was developed by a European consortium that also comprises Italy's Leonardo (ex-Finmeccanica) and Franco-German civilian planemaker Airbus.

BAE Systems today added the group would have "good momentum in the second half and beyond" as a result of the British government's recently-unveiled combat air strategy.

Under the strategy, launched at the Farnborough Air Show last month, the UK government and the aerospace industry will jointly invest in next-generation combat air systems.

At Farnborough, Prime Minister Theresa May announced a 2 billion pound programme for a brand new fighter jet concept called Tempest.

The twin-engined Tempest aircraft will be operated manned or unmanned, and will boast cutting-edge features like laser-directed weapons and a virtual cockpit.

BAE is a member of the Team Tempest consortium alongside the UK government, Leonardo, European missile specialist MBDA and British engine maker Rolls-Royce.Members of New Zealand's Down syndrome community are appalled by Shortland Street's newest "insensitive and ignorant" storyline.

But the show's broadcaster TVNZ and production company South Pacific Pictures are defending the show.

In the soap opera, lead character Chris Warner and his partner Zoe Carlson discover their unborn baby is likely to have Down syndrome.

In the show, Warner says the genetic disorder will mean the child suffers severe medical issues that "will crush" Carlson.

"The word 'abortion' was used straight away and that's very confronting and offending to people with Down syndrome, and their parents," says Kim Porthouse, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association (NZDSA) told Newshub.

"These inflammatory statements are incredibly ill-informed and coming from a doctor it just reinforces a lot of the prejudice that having a child with Down syndrome is a burden," says Mrs Porthouse.

A joint statement from TVNZ and South Pacific Pictures says the show is "known for tackling a range of challenging issues that face New Zealanders today, and we know this is one of them."

"We realise that not everyone will agree with every choice we make, but we always appreciate when people come to us to share their feedback."

The statement also says that the storyline will evolve further and should not be judged just from the initial statements by Warner.

But the NZDSA says many people with Down syndrome are Shortland Street fans and they've already been hurt.

"They are offended," says Mrs Porthouse.

"A lot of our young people with Down syndrome absolutely love Shortland Street and suddenly one of their heroes tells them their families would have been better off without them."

See more from this story on Newshub.A former software development manager at Equifax has admitted to engaging in insider trading linked to the companys 2017 data breach that exposed the personal information of about 148 million consumers, according to a Reuters report.

Sudhakar Bonthu pleaded guilty to one count of insider trading in federal court in Atlanta. He was alleged to have made a profit of more than $75,000 from the illegal transaction.

Suspicious activity led Equifax to begin an investigation into a consumer data breach in July 2017. By August 2017, the company determined that data had likely been stolen. Equifax saw its stock price drop following the disclosure of the cyber attack after markets closed on Sept. 7.The five-year ordeal of a mortgage-trader accused of employing fraudulent tactics has come to an end after prosecutors dropped the case against him, according to a Bloomberg report.

Jesse Litvak, formerly a managing director at Jefferies Group, became the first person charged for questionable bond-trading tactics after federal authorities cracked down on the practice. His 2013 arrest caused a ripple effect through Wall Street, with dozens of traders resigning or being suspended.

Accused of lying to his clients about the prices of mortgage bonds during trade negotiations, Litvak was convicted twice by juries in Connecticut. However, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in both instances tossed the convictions on technical legal grounds, despite finding that the verdicts were supported by evidence.The man accused of stealing a shark from the San Antonio Aquarium over the weekend has been identified by police.

Antone Shannon, 38, snatched the horn shark out of its tank, wrapped it in a blanket and then pushed it out of the aquarium in a baby stroller Saturday afternoon, according to Leon Valley Police Chief Joseph Salvaggio.

RELATED: Leon Valley police recover stolen shark, make arrest

He then took the shark, a female under one year old named Helen, to his home, where he had installed a personal aquarium.

"There were different marine animals," Salvaggio said. "(He) very much knew what he was doing and kept that animal alive, and was able to continue seeing that animal thrive, which was pretty shocking."

On Monday, officers visited Shannon at his home to question him about the alleged theft. He allowed them inside and took them directly to Helen. Salvaggio said Shannon was initially going to show the officers a fake receipt for the horn shark, but it was "obviously doctored and the gig was up."

RELATED: Dawkins, the monkey who escaped at the San Antonio airport, could use your help

Police said Shannon confessed to stealing Helen, saying he used to have a horn shark of his own, but it died. Helen was to be its replacement.

Shannon faces a felony theft charge.

Security cameras showed two other people, a man and a woman, present with Shannon at the time of the shark napping, and Salvaggio said he expects them to be charged as well. The woman is set to come in on Tuesday for questioning but neither has been identified.

Helen was returned to the San Antonio Aquarium on Monday in good condition. San Antonio Aquarium assistant husbandry director Jamie Shank said the shark will be under several days of observation to make sure there are no effects of stress, that she does not have any parasites and that she is eating well.

According to online court records, Shannon has a lengthy criminal history in Bexar County. He's been convicted of at least six charges, including vehicle theft, drug possession and evading arrest.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdownsIllinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin says a GOP state lawmaker will resign amid allegations that he posted nude photos of an ex-girlfriend on social media.

Durkin issued a statement saying Rep. Nick Sauer is resigning Wednesday after a published report alleging he set up an Instagram account under the Chicago womans name and posted explicit photos.Morgan County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Brian K. Cowden, 47, of 27 N. Center St., Exeter, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 10:54 p.m. Monday on a charge of possession of a controlled substance.

 Eric E. Berry, 39, of 1490 Illinois Route 100, Bluffs, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:14 p.m. Monday on a charge of possession of a controlled substance.

 Ryan E. Dokka, 34, of 1652 Old Airport Road was booked into the Morgan County jail at 10:52 a.m. Tuesday on a theft charge.

Jacksonville Police

ACCIDENTS

 Doris A. McLean, 73, of Chatham was cited on a charge of improper lane use after the vehicle she was driving struck a guardrail about 9:40 a.m. Tuesday in the 900 block of East Morton Avenue.

McLean complained of some soreness but declined medical treatment.

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Pamela S. Ward, 52, of 167 Lewis Lane, Murrayville, was arrested about 11 a.m. Tuesday on a theft charge.

 Robert R. Davis, 34, of Naples was arrested about 1:05 p.m. Tuesday on a disorderly conduct charge.

Compiled by Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree and Greg OlsonA state lawmaker is pushing for the governor to sign a bill that some worry would open small employers to frivolous discrimination lawsuits.

State Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, said theres a problem in state law.

In most small businesses around the state of Illinois, it is perfectly legal to discriminate against employees on the basis of age or gender or disability status, or religion, Guzzardi said.

House Bill 4572, on the governors desk, would open up businesses of 15 or fewer employees to be investigated for various wrongful termination cases involving allegations of discrimination.

We have the discriminator-in-chief in the White House whos trying to ban Muslims from entering our country, who has a long track record of harassment and discrimination against women, Guzzardi said. We have an opportunity in the state of Illinois to stand up against those kinds of behaviors.

National Federation of Independent Business Illinois State Director Mark Grant urged Gov. Bruce Rauner to veto the bill. Grant said many small business owners treat employees like family and dont have the resources to handle additional regulations.

The way this is set up, youre going to see a lot of litigation created against the smallest of the businesses, Grant said. They dont have (human resources) departments, theyre not prepared to be able to deal with this kind of stuff.

Guzzardi said Chicago already has such measures and said hes not aware of small businesses there being overly burdened. Other jurisdictions also have such regulations in place for small businesses, but there is no statewide avenue to file complaints against businesses of fewer than 15 employees for alleged discrimination.

Small businesses are trying to find employees, Grant said. They are increasing wages and benefits wherever they can possibly afford to. Theyre trying to keep their workplaces safe and healthy. They want happy employees  especially the smallest ones. They see their employees as family.

If the law were approved, small businesses without a staff attorney could find legal bills into the thousands of dollars if a single complaint were filed with the Illinois Human Rights Commission.

Its going to be one more thing that Illinois businesses have to deal with from a state that likes to put in a lot of regulations and laws that make it harder to stay in business, Grant said.

NFIB and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce opposed the bill.

Illinois cannot afford another burdensome regulation on small businesses that are already closing their doors and leaving this state due to the current long list of regulations, Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch said in a statement. A veto of HB 4572 by Gov. Rauner is imperative to small businesses.

Another reason Maisch gave for a veto is the backlog of current cases in place at the Human Rights Commission.

The process to investigate and adjudicate charges of discrimination is tremendously backlogged and does not provide timely resolution of charges of discrimination for individuals or employers, Maisch said. It takes years to resolve a claim. This legislation will further erode the Department of Human Rights and the Human Rights Commissions limited resources to investigate and adjudicate claims of discrimination.

A separate bill, Senate Bill 20, would address the backlog, Maisch said, an effort the Chamber supports. SB20 also is on the governors desk.

Guzzardi said if HB4572 is vetoed, hed get lame-duck Republicans to vote for an override.

The governors office didnt respond to messages seeking comment.Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the ministrys leadership have visited the military units stationed in various directions of the frontline, the country's Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

"The defense minister checked the combat readiness of military units, as well as observed the forward positions of the enemy and gave relevant instructions," APA cited the statement as saying.

Colonel General Zakir Hasanov was informed about the operational situation on the terrain board. The ministrys leadership highly appreciated the combat capability, logistics, and equipment of units with ammunition, weapons, and military equipment, as well as moral-psychological training of military personnel.

The defense minister got acquainted with the conditions in the units, talked to the military personnel at the tea table.Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili set the date of the presidential election - October 28.

He said that the decision was agreed with the Prime Minister. "The corresponding resolution will be sent to the Georgian Prime Minister, and further procedures will be held," Sputnik-Georgia cited Margvelashvili as saying.

According to Georgia's Channel 1 and presidential and government sources, Georgia will hold the election on October 28, and the president will soon formally announce the election date at a special press briefing.

Electoral legislation requires that the presidential campaign begin as soon as the date is formally announced. Several opposition candidates have already started canvassing.

Margvelashvili stated that he has not yet made a decision concerning his participation in the race.

The Georgian Dream ruling party has yet to name a candidate. Head of the party Bidzina Ivanishvili said last week that it would be more welcomed if the ruling party supported an independent candidate in the elections. Georgian media discuss that the Georgian Dream will support Georgias former Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili.Sacramento, CA  Stakeholder groups in opposition to state water regulators intentions to double the volume of spring fish flows are circling the troops.

Democratic Assemblymember Adam Gray, who represents the Merced area, is busily circulating plans for a Stop the State Water Grab Rally, scheduled for Monday, Aug. 20 in Sacramento. The gathering is slated to take place from noon until 3 p.m. on the North steps of the Capitol Building, facing L Street. The event date falls a day ahead of the Water Boards currently slated Aug. 21-22 meeting during which is anticipates approving a finalized plan.

The boards final Bay-Delta Plan, if ultimately approved as is, mandates 40 percent unimpaired river flows from the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers. As reported in detail here, besides generating billions of dollars in economic impacts downstream, the flows potentially jeopardize the future of New Melones as a storage reservoir or recreation destination.

Among those bitterly opposed to what many stakeholders are calling a water grab, Gray states, Despite thousands of comments on the draft, the Water Board made minimal changes and is still planning to double the amount of water taken from our rivers. If adopted, this will devastate our economy and our way of life. He describes the rally as a last chance for those who oppose the plan to make their voices heard.

Rising Criticism, War Cries

As we reported here yesterday, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who recently visited New Melones and Don Pedro reservoirs, sent a deeply critical letter to the board. In it he requested more due diligence in reviewing and addressing potential impacts and also hinted at legal action.

Calling it time to go to war, Republican Stanislaus County Supervisor and former Assemblymember Kristin Olsen called the Water Boards plan, during a recent supervisors meeting, the biggest threat to the community she has seen in 14 years as a public servant. In the meeting video she prefaced support for the protest event, opining, Ive never seen such a sinister, arrogant attitude from any state agencies.

Also on board, the farm bureaus in Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties are collaboratively providing free bus transportation for protesters from stops in Merced, Turlock and Stockton.

The main information line for more details on the rally is Grays District Office at 209 726-5465.Calaveras County Sheriff View Photos

Murphys, CA  No it was not a heavy metal concert and there was no mosh pit, but one concert goer brawled with security to retain a better view of the bands than her ticket allowed.

The concert was at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys on Sunday night. Taking the stage was Foreigner, Queensryche and Jason Bonhams Led Zeppelin Evening. Its not clear which band was on stage when the fight broke out, but one thing became crystal clear  alcohol was involved.

Calaveras County Sheriffs Deputies were assisting security when just before midnight they got a call to help with a combative patron. Security details that 56-year-old Regana Beasley from Blue Ridge, Georgia became angry. She allegedly started yelling and even bit a guard when asked to leave seating closer to the stage because she did not have a ticket for that section.

She did the same thing to one of the deputies when he tried to handcuff her. Determining Beasley was drunk; she was subsequently arrested. She faces two felony charges of battery: one with serious bodily injury and the other for attacking a peace officer. The other charges were misdemeanors for resisting arrest and alcohol related disorderly conduct.

Sheriffs officials relay that both the security guard and deputy were treated for their bite wounds as they had broken the skin.Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an decree to improve mechanism of state support to development of the entrepreneurship.

According to the decree, the National Entrepreneurship Support Fund was abolished.

National Entrepreneurship Support Fund public legal entity will be established under the Ministry of Economy, APA reported.Ferguson Fire from Pinecrest-Lair of The Golden Bear-Camp Blue View Photos

This is Day 20 of the Ferguson Fire, more updates are here.

Update at 7:45 p.m.: Even with slower growth on the Ferguson Fire burning in Mariposa County, residents in Wawona were forced from their homes tonight and two more firefighters were injured on the front lines.

The flames scorched another 915 acres to climb to 63,798 while the containment holds at 39-percent. Mariposa Sheriffs Officials issued a mandatory evacuation of the community of Wawona noting it is being done as a precaution because of the current and predicted fire behavior. To safely exit the area residents must use Wawona Road to Highway 41 as that roadway is remains closed to Highway 140. A Red Cross Shelter remains open at the New Life Christian Church located at 5089 Cole Road in Mariposa.

Incident Command reports that two additional firefighters were injured since this morning, but did not give their conditions. That brings the total to eleven. As reported this morning (below), a couple of firefighters were hurt battling the flames Monday night into Tuesday morning. Their injuries and conditions have also not yet been released.

Today, back burning operations were conducted on the north end of the fire around the Merced Grove. Fire officials indicate that if conditions allow, firefighters will continue northward toward Pilot Ridge on the Mariposa-Tuolumne county line. Fire operations were also done along the 30X Road to buffer Yosemite West from the flames which are spreading southeast from El Portal.

The overnight plan is for firefighters to build containment lines from the 30X Road east to Wawona Road (Highway 41), then north to Elephant Rock. Incident Command details that the line will follow Elephant Ridge until it connects with a rocky slope to the west.

A bit of good news, residents in the El Portal Trailer Court were allowed back in their homes tonight, but will remain under an advisory evacuation order. All residents will need to use the entry point on Highway 140 in the Midpines area.

Further fire details including memorial service information for Captain Brian Hughes killed by a falling tree on Sunday and the warning of smoky skies with large plumes over the next couple of days can be viewed below.

A special thanks to community partner Andrea Carroll for sending in a photo.

Update at 4:15 pm: Details are now available regarding memorial service and related activities in honor of the second firefighter who lost his life battling the Ferguson Fire, now in its 20th day.

An official public memorial website has been established in honor of Captain Brian Hughes, 33, of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots. The site provides details about his life, where to send condolence letters or contributions and a section for visitor-submitted memories and condolences.

It also provides more details about a memorial service planned for him this Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. at Valdez Hall in the Fresno Convention Center (702 M Street). Anyone planning on attending should visit the website and RSVP. You can do so by clicking here.

Update at 7:50 a.m.: Incident Command advises that increased smoke is expected today and the next several days due to continuing back firing operations to help strengthen containment lines.

The Ferguson Fire size has jumped by 4,809 acres overnight to 62,883 and the containment has climbed to 39-percent. The high pressure system above the fire is weakening, which will result in warmer and drier conditions, according to fire officials, who add that lower wind speeds and the lifting of the inversion layer by midday will create taller smoke columns in the skies.

On the burn scar today, Forest Service Natural Resource Specialists will be surveying the western side of the fire to assess areas that will require repair and mitigation once the flames are out.

Resources battling the blaze include 3,558 personnel, 203 engines, 43 water tenders, 14 helicopters, 95 crews, 5 masticators (Mulch machines) and 62 dozers.

To view further details on injured firefighters and Yosmites extended closures including Hetch Hetchy below.

Update at 6:30 a.m.: The Ferguson Fire flames jumped by 4,809 acres overnight to 62,883 and the containment has climbed to 39-percent. Further details on the blaze including firefighters injured and extended Yosemite closures are below.

Original post at 5:30 a.m.: Mariposa, CA  Air and ground crews continue to make good progress on the flames but two additional firefighters have been injured while Yosemite has extended closures in the park that include Hetch Hetchy.

Two additional firefighters have been injured, one on Monday night and the other yesterday morning, bringing the total to nine, but their injuries and conditions have not yet been released.

Some advisory evacuations have been lifted in the Ponderosa Basin and East Westfall Road. Tuesday the fire grew by just 228 acres to 58,074 acres and holding at 33-percent containment.

Yosemite National Park officials were forced to extend closures for a second time due to heavy smoke and continued fire suppression efforts in Yosemite Valley and other areas including Hetch Hetchy, as reported here yesterday. The areas were to reopen on Friday (August 3rd) but instead park officials will assess the situation on Sunday (August5th) then make a decision. The Yosemite Valley was scheduled to reopen on Friday but that date has been pushed to Sunday. Instead, park officials will continue to assess conditions and reevaluate all closures on Sunday.

This is Day 20 of the Ferguson Fire, more updates are here.Governor Jerry Brown speaks at CAL Fire OES meeting Aug 1 2018 View Photos

Sacramento, CA  As several wildfires continue to ravage the state, Governor Jerry Brown addressed response and public safety concerns at a joint multi-agency meeting.

This morning, Californias top emergency management officials, including the leaders of the Governors Office of Emergency Services, CAL Fire, CHP and California National Guard also attended the session, which was held at the State Operations Center in Mather.

Among the takeaways, Brown said even though firefighting costs exceed budgeted expectations, the state has deep pockets due to its rainy day fund and is in good economic shape to spend whatever it takes to fight the disastrous fires, of which several have generated state and federal declarations.

Unchartered Wildfire Behavior

Still, he acknowledged, fire seasons are now so much longer  and the fires so much bigger. Every year is teaching fire authorities new lessons. We are in uncharted territories. Since civilization emerged 10,000 years ago we have not had this kind of heat conditions and this can continue getting worsethat is the way it is, he stated.

Some people do not want to accept and some people outright deny it and I dont say it with any great joy here but we are in for a really rough ride, he continued. It is going to get expensivedangerous and we have to apply all our creativity to making the best out of what is going to be an increasingly bad situation  not just for California but for people all over America and all over the world.

Asked about his proposal to move SB 901 through the State Legislature for its consideration, to update rules and regulations for utility services in light of changing climate and the increased severity and frequency of weather events (as reported here), the governor replied that the issue was part of a broader picture to address an environmental, economic way forward. He maintained that state lawmakers were better equipped to provide solutions than a three-judge appellate panel that would write a decision based on common law principles from 100 years ago.

Seeking A Reasonable Balance

We expect thoughtful people to reflect on this  this is serious business  and how do you want to handle it. There are a lot of people who can tee off from their particular interests but we want the legislature to represent all the people and sift through the various claims  and we will be part of it  we will help and give them the best thinking we can, Brown emphasized.

In terms of the proper rule of liability and these costs are allocated, he countered, If you are going to say that it is the utility forever, there wont be utilities  there will just be public agencies and it will all go through the tax system. So, there are a lot of issuespeople on different sidesbut my goal was to find a reasonable balance that would reward players, including utilities, for doing the right thing  but make them liable when they did not take the steps that common sense and prudence would warrant.

Weighing in on questions as to how well local warning systems were working to inform people living in fire incident areas, Brown pointed out, We are not in a perfect world, we are living in uncertaintyno one expected a fire tornado  new phenomena. We are in a new weather climate era. We are learning as we go, he stated. He further expressed great admiration and appreciation for the front line of incident responders, who literally are placing their own lives on the line to save others lives and properties.A wanted woman allegedly stabbed a police K9 near both of the dog's eyes during an attempt to apprehend her, authorities say.

Abigail Martinez, 23, was wanted for outstanding drug charges from Baytown police when she was spotted Monday in a trailer home in the 100 block of South Flamingo Bright Street.

METH BUST: Man, woman arrested after disturbance in Santa Fe bedroom

Baytown police officers rushed to the home to try and arrest Martinez, but she allegedly refused to come out. Officers entered the home to try and find her but did not immediately spot the wanted woman.

Officers enlisted the help of one of the Baytown Police Department's K9 units to try and capture Martinez. When officers unleashed the dog, Martinez allegedly pulled out an eyebrow brush and "jabbed" at the dog, police said.

Officers rushed in and apprehended Martinez with no other problems, authorities said.

The K9 was treated at a veterinarian's office and put back on duty the same day.

Martinez was taken to jail on her original felony drug warrant as well as a felony charge of interference with a police service dog.

Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.comThe head of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari dismissed U.S. President Donald Trumps tentative offer of talks with Tehran, saying the Islamic Republic was not North Korea.

"Mr Trump! Iran is not North Korea to accept your offer for a meeting. Even U.S. presidents after you will not see that day," Fars News agency cited Jafari as saying.

On Monday, Trump said he would be willing to meet Irans leader without preconditions to discuss how to improve ties after he pulled the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.A ceremony has been held in Lokbatan settlement, Garadagh district of Baku, to give out apartments and cars to veterans of the Karabakh and Great wars, the Chernobyl disabled and families of martyrs.

The ceremony was attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva.WASHINGTON - Since Scott Pruitt resigned from the EPA earlier this month, Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler has been promising a new, more transparent agency.

Now he will get his chance to prove it, sitting down before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Wednesday morning to explain how the agency will be different under his watch.

Early signs from Capitol Hill are positive for Wheeler, with Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., telling Politico this week that Wheeler's reversal of a Pruitt decision to exempt trucks that use older, more polluting engines - known as gliders - from vehicle emissions standards.

"Some of early the developments  he's only been there three weeks  have been encouraging," Carper said.

RELATED STORY: Wheeler promises to 'minimize stress' in new era at EPA

The hearing comes as Wheeler seeks to resurrect the image of an agency that has been at the center of controversy during the Trump administration. Pruitt resigned while the subject of multiple congressional ethics probes into actions including renting an apartment from the wife of a prominent lobbyist and enlisting staff to help his wife find a job.

In a memo to staff this week Wheeler ordered staff to make the agency more transparent to media, including making his own appointment calendar available online, according to The Hill.

"We exist to serve the public," Wheeler wrote. "As such, the public should trust our work. We are committed to earning and maintaining the public's trust through transparency and accountability in our actions and civility and fairness in our public participation processes."

In a speech to staff shortly after taking over from Pruitt, Wheeler indicated he would steer the agency into a new, less volatile era, promising to "minimize the stress" on staff.

But Wheeler, a former lobbyist whose clients included the coal sector, is not expected to shift wildly from the agenda pushed by Pruitt.

In his speech to staff, Wheeler said he would carry on Pruitt's push to speed up the processing of pollution permits and scale back regulation, which he described as "federal regulatory over reach."

"Thanks to the leadership of President [Donald] Trump and Administrator Pruitt we have made tremendous progress over the past year and a half," he said.Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller  who most recently tangled with the states barbecue joints  has a new beef: the way ranchers fight the potentially deadly fever tick.

Miller incited a controversy on Monday during a visit to a ranch near Raymondville, where he shut down 16 fever tick spray box operations, saying producers were complaining of cattle deaths from overuse of Co-Ral, a Texas Department of Agriculture-regulated pesticide manufactured by Bayer-Monsanto.

Ranchers had complained to me about their cattle dying from these spray boxes, so I went to South Texas to check it out, Miller said in a news release. From my personal observation, the insecticide was being used in violation of the label, so I shut them down. I also gave state and federal authorities lawful alternatives for applying this insecticide, but they refused to implement these alternatives.

But Robert McKnight, a Fort Davis rancher who is president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said there have been no reports of cattle deaths and Miller doesnt know what hes talking about.

The spray boxes utilized by the Texas Animal Health Commission and U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service are not known to have caused any cattle deaths due to toxicity, McKnight said. Commissioner Millers efforts are actually detrimental to cattle raisers who rely on the use of spray boxes to eradicate cattle fever ticks from their operations.

The fever tick carries a disease known as bovine babesiosis, which destroys red blood cells resulting in cattle anemia, fever and death. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, it spread north with longhorn cattle drives and nearly wiped out the U.S. cattle herd.

Miller, a former champion rodeo cowboy who took office in 2015, has drawn headlines for controversies such as a taxpayer-funded trip to Oklahoma for a pain killing Jesus shot (he has since repaid the state), a thwarted attempt to use the blood thinner Warfarin as a poison against feral hogs in what he touted as a feral hog apocalypse, and the recent BBQ Bill, which had restaurants across the state smoking mad over what they said were burdensome new requirements for weighing brisket, sausage and other meats.

To read more about the fever tick controversy, see Wednesdays front page or click here to read the full story on our subscriber website, ExpressNews.com.A homeless man who was sleeping in a private parking garage in San Franciscos North Beach neighborhood was killed Wednesday after being struck by a vehicle, an official said.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin told The Chronicle that the man  identified by the San Francisco medical examiners office as 48-year-old Jonathan Jones  was apparently homeless and had fallen asleep in the garage.

It is the subject of an ongoing investigation, but that appears to be the case, Peskin said.

Trish Bubnis, an investigator for the medical examiners office, could not yet confirm the cause or manner of death.

Officer Robert Rueca, a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department, also could not confirm Peskins account of events.

It hasnt been determined where (Jones) was located when he was struck by the vehicle, Rueca said. Thats still under investigation.

Peskin said he received details of the accident in an update from police, which he receives on a daily basis.

How he got into a locked garage is unclear, but it is a tragedy, Peskin said. Both for the victim as well as the individual driving. My heart goes out to everybody.

Kelley Cutler, a human rights organizer for San Franciscos Coalition on Homelessness, said more than 200 homeless people die on the citys streets each year.

Cutler said a perpetually long wait list for shelters combined with police sweeps of homeless camps has pushed many of the citys unsheltered to more dangerous environments.

Its against the law to sit or lie down, she said. People need to find a place where they can merely exist.

Cutler said 1,087 people in San Francisco were waiting for a temporary bed Tuesday night, and that the list consistently surpasses 1,000.

So people think, Why didnt this guy go to a shelter? she said. Because thats not an option.

At about 7 a.m., San Francisco police received a call that a driver had struck a man on the 700 block of Greenwich Street. Officers arrived to find the man suffering from severe injuries.

Paramedics attempted to revive the man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

The 74-year-old man who was driving the vehicle remained on the scene, police said. No arrest was made.

Megan Cassidy and Erin Stone are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com, erin.stone@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy @erstone7Shrimp cocktails. Shrimp poboys. Shrimp gumbo. Fried shrimp.

All those dishes and more featuring Americas favorite shellfish will be available when Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant & Market opens its new River Walk location. The restaurant will open for business following a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 2.

The Express-News got a sneak peek at the chains newest address Wednesday, located in the former home of Dicks Last Resort at 406 Navarro St. The Bubba Gump restaurant concept was inspired by a supporting character from the movie adaptation of Winston Grooms Forrest Gump.

RELATED: San Antonio eatery named one of the 50 best southern restaurants in the country

The new Bubba Gump location will be the fifth eatery from the Houston-based Landrys Inc. to open along the River Walk. Its preceded by Joes Crab Shack, Landrys Seafood House, Mortons The Steakhouse, Saltgrass Steak House and the Rainforest Cafe.

Landrys also operates the city-owned Tower of the Americas and the is the owner of the Chart House restaurant that sits atop the landmark structure, and it is a partner in Go Rio San Antonio, which operates the barges found motoring up and down the San Antonio river.

Paul Stephen is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephenAdapted from a recent online discussion.

Dear Carolyn:

I had a wonderful best friend for years. She moved across the country after college, we stayed close for a long while, then started to drift. She moved back four years ago. We tried to hang out a couple of times. It never happened.

While complex, the biggest problem was me. Always shy, I was dealing at the time with an undiagnosed anxiety disorder, my life plans had imploded, I was diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease, I put on a ton of weight, and I lost my grandmother and uncle close together. It was the lowest point of my life. Feeling sad and worthless, I withdrew into a small and lonely existence.

I didn't share any of this with my friend because we were reconnecting, and I didn't know how to share bad things. I was certain I would feel better tomorrow or next week, but I didn't, resulting in ghosting from a lot of relationships.

My biggest regret was the lousy way I handled things with my once-best friend. Ironically, what I really needed was a friend, and I missed being there for her, too.

Today, I am in a much better place, and I'd like to reach out. I accept the bridge is likely torched, but I believe she deserves an explanation and apology. However, I worry I'm being selfish and, given the amount of time that has gone by, it might be nothing good can come from it. Should I leave it be?

-- Burned a Bridge

It's not selfish. You're not blaming her or asking for anything that wouldn't be freely given -- you're just explaining. "I ghosted you when I really wanted nothing more than to spend time with you. I was dealing with an undiagnosed anxiety disorder, my life plans had imploded, was diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease, put on a ton of weight and lost my grandmother and uncle close together. It was the lowest point of my life, and I withdrew into a small and lonely existence."

Then say your absence was never about her and you're sorry for treating her poorly and for what must have seemed, from her perspective, to be rejection. Which of course it wasn't.

Then say you don't expect a response, you just wanted her to know it wasn't anything she did, but you do miss her and would love to see her if she's open to it.

Good for you, by the way, for digging yourself out. That must have taken everything you had.



Re: Burned Bridges:



Columnist Carolyn Hax dishes out advice daily.

Email Carolyn at

Read the Email Carolyn at tellme@washpost.com , follow her on Facebook or chat with her online at noon Eastern time each Friday at www.washingtonpost.com Read the daily Carolyn Hax columns at https://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/advice/

PLEASE contact your friend. Isn't it better to know one way or another if something can be saved? Don't have further regrets. My best friend ghosted me over a year ago and it is devastating. I reached out after her kids told me she was depressed, but I can't make her see me.

I am really sad about this. Even if she just told me she needed another year, I'd be happy. Ignoring or ghosting is cruel, it just is (outside exceptional circumstances). "I need time and I can't talk about it" is a better choice.

-- Anonymous

I don't disagree. Do keep in mind, though, that depression is the cruel actor here -- not the depressed person herself.DANBURY  Mayor Mark Boughton is facing questions this week about his often hard-line stance on immigration in one of Connecticuts more diverse cities, even as the race for governor heads to primary.

The Republican mayor has faced new criticism after two local immigrants were arrested by federal authorities last month, including one man who was hit by a car running from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the local courthouse.

Now local immigration activists are slamming Boughton, a leading GOP contender for governor, for his continued complicity with ICE terror just two weeks ahead of the partys Aug. 14 primary.

More than two dozen activists from Connecticut Students For a Dream and the American Civil Liberties Union took to City Hall in the rain early Wednesday morning to protest.

I CE is destroying the fabric of our community, they are terrorizing families, said Alex da Silva Souto, pastor of the United Methodist Church of New Milford. Well call out every single federal and state and local agency and elected officials who are profiting from fear mongering and banking on political gains by cooperating with ICE s inhumane practices.

Officials estimate there are as many as 5,000 undocumented immigrants in Danbury, where 30 percent of the citys roughly 85,000 residents are Hispanic or Latino.

Boughton was not in City Hall during the rally for a scheduled Chamber of Commerce meeting, but he dismissed the protestors claims when reached later in the morning.

He has repeatedly argued that Danbury police  and the state, if he is elected governor  will continue to cooperate with ICE in the handful of exemptions permitted under the states Trust Act, which prohibits local police from cooperating with civil immigration detainers.

I take an oath of office to enforce the law and ICE is a federal agency partner that we work with and most of the time we get very bad people out of the community, he said. Im sympathetic to (immigrants) plight and support a comprehensive federal immigration reform, and its disappointing Congress really failed to act, but at the end of the day you dont pick and choose which laws you enforce and which you dont.

The nine-term Republican mayor has found himself in hot water repeatedly during his tenure over the citys dealings with federal immigration authorities and for local ordinances seen to be a reaction to the growing immigrant community.

A decade ago, the city was embroiled in a lawsuit brought by the so-called Danbury 11. Boughton faced severe backlash for the citys decision to participate in an ICE program that trained and deputized two detectives to enforce federal immigration law.

Boughton has softened his zero-tolerance stance in the years since, but remains strictly against Sanctuary City policies and pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants, he said.

Protesters Wednesday held signs with Boughtons previous quotes about working with ICE, but he said he stands by each of them.

Weve been remarkably consistent in how we handled the issue, and all of our residents feel comfortable in the way we deal with the issue, he said. We follow current state law as were required to. This is just a political stunt to try to paint me as something Im not.

But 17-year-old Nelson Neira had harsh words for Boughton on Wednesday and dismissed his argument.

Neira graduated from Danbury High School in May, but his stepdad could not attend after he was deported to their native Ecuador when officials reviewed his immigration documents following a car accident. He recalled when Boughton visited his class and told them he wanted all of us to succeed.

Im one of the affected if Mayor Boughton wins as governor, Neira said. He said its wrong that the mayor wants someone to succeed, but thinks theyre a problem in the city. Thats why Im telling my story. Detentions and ICE means family separations.

Although Boughton says he sympathizes and opposed the Trump administrations separation of immigrant families at the border this summer, he argued that immigrants without proper documents or who face deportation orders cannot skirt a punishment.

He would instead support a federal policy that offers immigrants who entered the country illegally but who have no criminal record an opportunity to gain residency, though not full citizenship.

While immigration issues are set to be a focal point of state and Congressional campaigns across the country, the issue has not been pushed to the front burner of the governors race in Connecticut  on either the Democrat or Republican sides.

Democrats took a swipe at Boughton over his immigration stances last week and hit him again after the rally Wednesday.

Mark Boughtons past record on immigration would make Trump proud, state Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto said. In the Republican debate, hes been bragging about how many people hes deported  these are peoples lives and he uses it as a talking point. Mark Boughton has instituted a culture of fear and retribution in Danbury and its exactly the culture he would seek to enact as Governor.

Other GOP contenders Tim Herbst, Steve Obsitnik, Bob Stefanowski and David Stemerman have each said they would comply with federal immigration authorities, but none have a record of dealing with immigration issues like Boughton.

I think on our list of problems of one through 10 in Connecticut right now, this is probably problem eight, Boughton said. I dont see this as an issue at the forefront.

zach.murdock@hearstmediact.comMILFORD  Police caught a Bridgeport man accused of possessing a stolen car on Tuesday.

Milford officers stopped 25-year-old Harvel Carter in the car on Bridgeport Avenue near Naugatuck Avenue around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to a release from the department.

Police later learned an active warrant was out for Carters arrest for failing to appear in court on July 16. State police had arrested Carter a motor vehicle charge in mid-February, according to Milford police.

Carter was charged with larceny in the third degree, operating under suspension and failure to appear in the second degree. His bond was set at $1,495. He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 28.Iranian lawmakers have given President Hassan Rouhani one month to appear before parliament to answer questions on his governments handling of Irans economic struggles.

Lawmakers want to question Rouhani on topics including the rials decline, which has lost more than half its value since April, weak economic growth and rising unemployment, ISNA reported.

Lawmakers reportedly also want to Rouhani to explain why, more than two years after the landmark deal, Iranian banks still have only limited access to global financial services.

Iran's Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani was quoted by state television as saying that Rouhani will have one month to attend a parliamentary session and address the issues, Reuters reported.

Although 80 lawmakers submitted their questions for Rouhani.

"Some lawmakers, who were convinced to take back their questions, were encouraged by other members of parliament to submit the questions again, Tasnim cited vice president for parliamentary affairs Hosseinali Amiri as saying.

It is the first time parliament has summoned Rouhani, who is under pressure from hardline rivals to change his cabinet following a deterioration in relations with the United States and Irans growing economic difficulties.J35's calf was going to be the first new southern resident baby in three years. But after gestating for about 17 months, the calf died within half an hour of being born on Tuesday of last week.

Since then, J35 (also known as Tahlequah) has been carrying the body of the calf by fin or on her nose, diving down to collect her if she falls off.

And as of Monday afternoon she's still at it, marking seven days of the grieving in the Salish Sea, even as she labors to keep up with the rest of her family.

This is not an isolated occurrence. Southern resident orcas have carried dead calves on their heads before, sometimes even pushing a dead porpoise. In fact, a wide variety of marine mammals have been seen exhibiting the same behavior, from the indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins to sperm whales. On land, chimpanzees sometimes also carry their baby's bodies around after they died.

If there's a reason beyond grief, researchers aren't privy to it.

"I think that they're smart enough to know that this calf isn't alive and it's not going to come back," Taylor Shedd, program coordinator with the San Juan Islands-based organization Soundwatch, told Global News.

Shedd notes that while observers at first thought she was trying to carry the calf to where it was born, she has since passed that marker. Seven days later, the only thing they know for sure is it's a profound grief that has drawn attention from all over the world.

By some research, after all, orcas do have more of a capacity for emotional awareness than humans.

RELATED: Southern Resident orca population dwindles to a 30-year low

"But whatever the grieving process is, these whales, that they carry it, I can't even begin to pretend what that emotion or stress is like to lose this child and to carry it around," Shedd added.

Tahlequah has been moving at about 6 knots, carrying the infant and diving -- sometimes deeply, requiring multiple deep breaths on her part -- anytime she loses a grip on her daughter. And while she was surrounded by family when researchers spotted her on Sunday, has been falling behind her pod this week.

Every birth matters to the pod, whose population has shrunk drastically in the past 20 years. Most recently they've lost nearly a quarter of their population, hitting a 30-year low and marking three years without any viable calf births.

It's a statistic that has researchers worried, with just 75 southern residents left.

Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research

"This may be the last generation that we get to see of the whales," Ken Balcomb, founder and principal scientist of the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island, told The Washington Post. "Their reproductive life is about 25 years. We've wasted 20 of those years just having meetings and conference calls and writing reports and wringing our hands."

Many of the researchers have described themselves as "devastated," and hope that all the attention helps catalyze some change in the enivronmental factors that threaten the existence of the southern residents:

- Pollution, both old and new, accumulates in their primary prey, and gets stored in the fat on the orca, surpressing the immune system and making the whales more susceptible to disease.

Plus that prey, Chinook salmon (also known as king salmon), are not as big or plentiful as they once were.

- Additionally, the region they inhabit -- Haro Strait, between the San Juans and Vancouver Island -- is getting noisier, thanks to boat traffic and whale-watching operations that create noise that bounces off of the rock ditch.

The noise can cause stress that impacts the whales' overall well-being, according to scientists.

Change is on the way, in the form of Gov. Jay Inslee's executive order directing the state agencies to do more. Two months later he convened a task force of state, tribal, provincial and federal officials to think of some solutions.

His approach includes calls for more salmon, quieter boat traffic, clean up of toxics in the water, and reducing the number of oil spills.

RELATED: Endangered Species Act 'reform' could threaten these NW icons

"The orca will not survive unless all of us in the state of Washington somehow make a commitment to their survival," Inslee said, when he signed the order. "The impacts of letting these two species disappear would be felt for generations."

SeattlePI reporter Zosha Millman can be reached at zoshamillman@seattlepi.com. Follow Zosha on Twitter at @zosham. Find more from Zosha here on her author page.A new fact about House Speaker Paul D. Ryan has emerged, one that until recently, he didn't even know himself.

Ryan, a practicing Catholic, is 3 percent Jewish. More precisely, he's 3 percent Ashkenazi Jewish, with eastern European roots.

His family history was revealed during the filming of an upcoming season of PBS' "Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr.," a TV series in which famous guests learn about their ancestral histories.

At a TV critics event Tuesday, Gates, the show's host and a professor at Harvard University, told reporters that Ryan was surprised, but proud of his previously unknown heritage, according to the Associated Press.

"You could have knocked him over with a feather and then he was very proud of it," Gates said. "We don't know who that Jewish person was, but we know it was on his mother's German line, which makes sense. So somebody who was a Christian German slept with a Jewish German person and that's where that came from."

Gates said his research took him all the way back to Ryan's 10th great-grandfather who was born in 1531 in Germany, AP reported.

Ryan tweeted "I hope all my friends in the Jewish community had a joyous and meaningful #Hanukkah."

The news of Ryan's Jewish roots sparked social media frenzy.

"Paul D. Ryan is the first Jewish speaker of the House," Politico senior writer Jake Sherman joked.

Ryan's press secretary AshLee Strong joined in the fun, retweeting Sherman and writing, "Breaking."

While his heritage was only recently brought to light, Ryan has long voiced support for Israel. In 2016, in the wake of the Iran nuclear deal, he addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and stressed that the U.S. needed to give Israel "more than vague assurances that we've got their back."

In January last year, Ryan delivered an impassioned speech on the House floor in defense of a measure calling for the repeal of a U.N. Security Council Resolution condemning Israeli settlements on disputed land.

"I am stunned at what happened last month. Our government abandoned our ally Israel when she needed us the most," Ryan said at the time.

Some reactions were less than welcoming.

"I'm sorry but no, we don't want him," Israeli-American novelist Ayelet Waldman tweeted.

In a second tweet, Waldman wrote, "Yo, Jews, let's take up a collection to refund him his 3%."

Many echoed her sentiments.

Mandy Slutsker tweeted "Paul Ryan?!? Haven't us Jews been through enough?????"

Michelle Brence tweeted "Hey, @SpeakerRyan, I invite you to read up on Jewish values. Because you have a lot of ground to make up."

Others, however, seemed to be more accepting.

"apparently @SpeakerRyan is 3% #jewish on his mothers' side. that's cool," Rabbi Daniel Kraus tweeted.

"Welcome to the tribe," another user wrote.

But, the revelation of Ryan's ancestry is only modestly significant. A person is only considered Jewish if they are born to a Jewish mother or if they formally convert to Judaism.

Ryan will appear in the fifth season of "Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr.," set to premiere in January. The show's other guests include Sen. Marco Rubi,o R-Fla., Seth Meyers and Ann Curry.WINCHESTER  Family, fun and 4-H are at the heart of what makes the Scott County Junior and 4-H Fair a success, organizers say.

The fair annually brings together more than 150 4-Hers for the five-day exposition, during which they show everything from visual arts projects and woodworking to llamas and cattle.

Of all of Illinoiss 102 counties, Scott County has the highest 4-H enrollment of eligible youth of any county in the state, said Scott County Fair Board President Bob Schafer of rural Murrayville. The Scott County Fair is a family fair. If a family has 4-H in their bloodline, they still attend and support the fair. It is a compliment to the Scott County community that this fair continues to thrive and provide a showcase for Scott County youth. Thats what its all about.

That community recognized on Monday the donation by Joy and Emery Wood of Winchester of a new flag and flagpole for the fairgrounds.

Thats an example of community support for the Scott County Fair and the youth that represent the fair, Schafer said.

It takes more than 150 volunteers to put on the fair, he said.

One person cant organize the fair, Schafer said. All the volunteers have their expertise. They know what needs to be done, and they do it.

Among the 4-H youth at this weeks fair are Jackson Dahman, 13; Reagan Brown, 11; and Jayden Luna, 11.

Dahman, son of Matt and Mysti Dahman of rural Winchester, shows cattle, corn and soybeans.

In 4-H, I enjoy hanging out with my friends and showing cattle, said Dahman, a member of Show n Grow 4-H Club. Preparing the cattle for the fair is a lot of work. During the fair, we wash the cattle once a day. I enjoy spending time with the cattle. I get pretty attached to them over the years.

Dahman has been successful in the show ring. His steer was named grand champion at last years Scott County Fair, and his bull received the reserve grand champion award in 2014.

Brown, daughter of Corey and Jodi Brown of rural Winchester and a member of Winchester Winners 4-H Club, shows hogs.

Four-H gives me the chance to learn many new things, she said. I like showing hogs and helping other 4-Hers set up pens at the fairgrounds. My familys hogs have shown pretty well at the fair in recent years.

Luna, daughter of Melinda Vortman of Bluffs and Perry Luna of Lebanon and a member of Show n Grow 4-H Club, shows nature and visual arts, baked goods and vegetables.

As a 4-Her, I like helping work at the concession stand. I enjoy taking orders from customers and then serving them, she said. Four-H is important because it helps with fundraisers and gives kids the chance to learn valuable life lessons, such as dedication and responsibility.

Visiting the fair on Tuesday was Ryan Hobson of Chatham, regional director for the University of Illinois Extension in 38 counties.

A fair is symbolic of a years work by the 4-H youth, Hobson said. They have taken a project, learned about it and done it, and then had to discuss it with a judge. The goal of 4-H, which Extension supports, is to provide positive, educational interactions with adult role models.

The Scott County Fair ends Thursday with the 4-H livestock auction.

Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg.A possible meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is being complicated by "difficulties with matching their schedules", a source in Russias foreign ministry.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier today that it was trying to set up a meeting between Lavrov and Pompeo in Singapore on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting this week, RIA Novosti reported.NORTH HAVEN  Eniko McBrien is hoping to make dogs  and their owners  happy, as she opens Pawsome Pets, a pet-grooming business on Washington Avenue.

McBrien said she became interested in grooming dogs as a child growing up in Romania, but the opportunity wasnt available there. She started veterinary school but it was too expensive to continue. After immigrating to the United States, she decided to take up the idea again.

I love dogs... I love the energy; I love just the goodness that comes from them, and I love to make them pretty. Some of them, they come in so scruffy, and then they leave, its like its not the same dog  their owners dont recognize them, said McBrien. Its just such a good feeling, so rewarding, to see them finished. I love that feeling, when you see them all done and they look good, and to see them happy. And, then you see, of course, the owners happy  that warms my heart. Its the best thing ever.

Click through the slideshow above to see some funny dog names.

Now, after stints working in Ireland, New York, Stratford, and most recently, the Hot Diggity Dog Grooming Parlor in Hamden, McBrien decided to start her own shop. She said theres freedom in that, in setting your own hours and working as you choose.

She found the space on Washington Avenue and made the leap.

Pawsome Pets opened for business Saturday, offering owners the chance to have their dogs bathed and shampooed, their nails cut and ears cleaned, and, of course, receive a fresh haircut.

McBrien showed off the place Tuesday  there are crates allowing dogs to wait for their owners in comfort, tubs and grooming tables. She made special note of her dryers, which use cold air to keep the dogs safe.

She said she tries to give dogs their own space when they come to the store, allowing them to settle in and feel at home. She hopes customers find the place agreeable as well.

I just want to make this as homey and as family oriented as possible. When they come here, I want (customers) to feel comfortable, said McBrien.

Moving from Romania to make a new life in the United States has been tough, McBrien said  she was just 21 when she left her home country. But the experience has shaped her, making her a stronger person, giving her confidence to focus on her goals, she said.

Now, shes realizing a new goal with Pawsome Pets. McBrien said she hopes to do a good job for local residents and their pets.

(I feel) scared, definitely, but very hopeful. And so far, Ive gotten a very good response from people. Im very happy  the people of North Haven have been very kind to me so far, said McBrien.

Pawsome Pets is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

More information about the business can be found on its Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/Pawsome-pets-226813474534486/.Early on Sunday morning, Mackenzie Irwin posed for a photo at the top of Mount Rinjani in Indonesia. Seconds later, she was running for her life.

The 28-year-old lawyer from Toronto was steps away from the edge of the volcanic crater at the top of the mountain when a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck. The ground around her began shaking violently, sending her falling toward her Indonesian guide. Then she saw the ledge, where she had been perched moments before, collapse into the mouth of the volcano.

Several yards away was a larger plateau where dozens of hikers had gathered to watch the sunrise. As Irwin struggled to regain her balance, she saw most of that plateau crumble into the crater, taking hikers with it.

"People were climbing on top of each other because the plateau was just falling away," she told The Washington Post by telephone from the nearby island of Gili Air. Once the shaking had stopped, she remembered, all the local guides near the summit yelled just one thing: "Run."

Irwin was one of about 800 hikers caught in the earthquake that rocked the Indonesian island of Lombok on July 29. At least 16 people were killed and more than 300 were injured, the BBC reported. New reports said some hikers were among the dead, but Irwin said no one in her group was killed or seriously injured.

Irwin, who first started hiking as an undergraduate student 10 years ago, was admitted to the bar in Toronto in June and was traveling through Southeast Asia with a friend to celebrate. She made a last-minute decision to trek up Mount Rinjani and flew alone to Lombok for what she thought would be a straightforward hike.

At 12,224 feet, Mount Rinjani is the second-tallest mountain in Indonesia. The active volcano is a popular destination for hikers, attracting more than 89,000 visitors in 2016, the Jakarta Post reported. A highlight of the hike is watching the sunrise from the rim at the summit, which looks over a lake inside the enormous crater.

Irwin said she woke at 2 a.m. Sunday to make the three-hour trek from her campsite to the summit. When the quake hit, nearly everyone was knocked to the ground. Others were buried up to their knees in loose volcanic rock, Irwin said.

Local guides, many barefoot or in slippers, were bleeding as they ran toward the rim and tried to pull people away from the edge. Amid the chaos, guides yelled at hikers to descend the mountain as quickly as they could, explaining that earthquakes on Lombok have been followed by volcanic eruptions.

It took Irwin two hours to reach her campsite. She met one of the four people who had been in her hiking group, then waited 15 minutes for another hiker to arrive before descending the mountain, scrambling to avoid falling rocks each time there was another tremor. Some paths that her group had used to ascend the mountain had fallen away; others had been split by ravines created by the earthquake. In many places, the hikers walked single-file to avoid the crumbling edges of pathways, Irwin said.

By the time she and her group reached the bottom, Irwin had been on the move for 11 hours, stopping only three times to drink water. "You just didn't know when another quake was going to come . . . we never felt that we were in the clear," she said.

Every time a member of the group wanted to rest, another hiker or a guide would urge them to keep going.

The quake has taken both a physical and emotional toll. "I can't walk," Irwin said, two days after the grueling descent. "I'm very sore. I pushed my body to the limit." She added that she sometimes feels the tremors of a quake even though there have not been any. She flinches when she hears loud sounds and has trouble sleeping.

But Irwin feels lucky to escape without major injuries. She plans to return to Lombok in the coming days to help with disaster-relief efforts in the villages surrounding Mount Rinjani, which endured massive damage. Some 1,400 homes have been destroyed, CBS reported - among them the homes of Irwin's two young Indonesian guides, she said.Special Counsel Robert Mueller has referred another piece of his investigation to federal prosecutors in New York, asking them to take over an inquiry into whether American lobbyists violated any laws by not registering their work for the Ukraine government, according to people familiar with the matter.

Mueller's referral - essentially handing an ongoing case over to another prosecutor to determine whether charges should be brought - came months ago, these people said. One said there has not been significant activity in the matter since.

The referral was first reported by CNN on Tuesday. The Washington Post previously reported that Mueller has been winding down some of the investigations he is overseeing, in part by farming out cases to other federal prosecutors. He had referred part of his investigation of President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to that same office. That inquiry is ongoing.

Spokesmen for the special counsel's office and the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan declined to comment.

The referral to prosecutors in New York centers on lobbying work done years ago to try to improve the image of the Ukraine government. Federal law requires that Americans who seek to influence the U.S. government on another country's behalf file paperwork registering themselves as agents of a foreign government.

Mueller's investigation of those issues led to an indictment against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Manafort went on trial Tuesday in Alexandria, Virginia, on tax and bank fraud charges stemming from the money he received for that work. He faces a later trial in September on charges that he did not register as a lobbyist for Ukraine.

Other Americans, including lobbyists Tony Podesta and Vin Weber, and lawyers at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom have fallen under scrutiny because they worked with Manafort on his pro-Ukraine efforts. It is that part of the investigation that has been referred to New York prosecutors, said people familiar with the matter.

Podesta is the brother of John Podesta, a longtime Democratic adviser who led the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton. His firm collapsed after he was publicly linked to the Manafort case. The downfall of one of Washington, D.C.'s most prominent Democratic lobbyists shows how Mueller's investigation has had consequences for both parties.

Weber works for Mercury Public Affairs, which filed updated paperwork about its lobbying work.

The Podesta Group and Mercury had claimed in lobbying disclosure reports that they represented the European Center for a Modern Ukraine, a Brussels-based nonprofit organization that sought to help Ukraine improve its image in the West from 2012 to 2014. Prosecutors allege that behind the scenes, however, the lobbying work was being directed by Manafort and Trump campaign official Rick Gates, and that their real client was the government of Ukraine.

The two firms have said they are cooperating with the special counsel's investigation.

On Tuesday, Michael McKeon, a partner at Mercury, said: "We welcome any inquiry, as we always have, since we acted appropriately at every step of the process, including hiring the best lawyer in Washington we could and following his advice."

A lawyer for Podesta declined to comment. A representative for the Skadden law firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment.In June 2015, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick served as a concelebrant at the funeral mass for Vice President Joe Biden's son, offering some of the final prayers for Beau Biden.

In March 2011, when Rep. John Boehner hosted his first Saint Patrick's Day luncheon as the new House speaker, McCarrick had the honored seat next to the Ohio Republican, one seat removed from then-President Barack Obama.

For almost two decades, McCarrick towered over Washington as a unique religious figure who had curried favor with this city's famous and powerful. The former head of the Washington archdiocese found himself again and again at the intersection of the capital's political and media elite.

He basked in the glow of being a crossover figure who presented himself as the righteous person whom politicians sought out when they faced their own theological questions of right and wrong.

Now, those figures are recoiling at the portrait of a man that they never knew, who used his position to publicly and privately offer his counsel about moral decisions, while hiding allegations of his own abusive behavior.

McCarrick, now 88, resigned from the College of Cardinals on Saturday, following accusations of sexual abuse that spanned decades.

"More than heartbreaking, more than heartbreaking," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Wednesday, recalling the many times he and his wife took McCarrick out to dinner and socialized with him. "Both Marcelle and I are heartbroken."

Leahy said he saw McCarrick around Saint Patrick's Day in March, and the cardinal gave no hint of anything wrong. The longest-serving Catholic in Congress, Leahy said he is furious because the situation resembled other priest scandals in which "every time when the hierarchy has known bad things" and did not resolve them.

"If something like that's happened, you have to take steps, the church has to," he said.

After serving on a task force of U.S. bishops looking into the crisis of priestly abuse that was first exposed early last decade in Boston, McCarrick became the church's de facto spokesman, preaching that everything had been investigated.

"The priest is supposed to be father and brother and friend and guide. And if that is destroyed, and if it's destroyed with young people, with children, it becomes all the more horrible," McCarrick said in 2004 during one of several appearances on NBC's "Meet the Press."

No one in official Washington had any clue of what McCarrick was hiding. By the time he was fielding Tim Russert's questions about a "special place in hell" for priests who abuse minors, McCarrick's former archdiocese of Newark had already settled two cases of sexual misconduct with young adult men in the seminary.

Only recently did an allegation arise involving the abuse of an 11-year-old, which would carry on for two decades.

As rumors of sexual misdeeds swirled, Cardinal McCarrick became a powerful fundraiser for the Vatican

That allegation resulted in McCarrick's suspension from the ministry in June and then his forced resignation this past week.

McCarrick arrived in Washington in January 2001 as the new archbishop, with a mission to court the powerful. And they fell for him. He soon added the title of cardinal, a prince of the church.

George W. Bush, early in his first presidential terms, visited McCarrick early upon his arrival. In June 2004, McCarrick's prominence grew as gave a Gospel reading at the multifaith memorial service for former president Ronald Reagan at Washington National Cathedral.

"I want to thank His Eminence Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. What a fine man. What a beacon of hope," President Bush said a year later at the National Prayer Breakfast. "His Eminence shines brightly in the nation's capital."

A year later, George and Laura Bush hosted McCarrick at the White House as he retired as archbishop of Washington, handing over the responsibility to Donald Wuerl. But he stayed in Washington after his retirement, keeping his close ties to those in power in the capital.

McCarrick had always played to both sides of the aisle, ensuring that he would be welcome no matter who was in charge.

As his friend Bush was running for reelection in 2004, John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, came under fire from conservative Catholics who wanted to deny holy communion to him and other Catholic politicians who supported abortion rights.

So the Massachusetts senator sought out McCarrick, gaining a private, 45-minute meeting with the cardinal to discuss the matter. The results were published in the Catholic Standard newspaper.

"People who are with us on one issue" may be "against us on many other issues," McCarrick wrote, adding: "All these things will have to be weighed very carefully."

That prompted a derisive rejoinder from conservative columnist Robert Novak, who wrote that Washington's high priest was "so respected and well-liked that not only priests but prominent laymen do not want to criticize him."

Despite being in retirement the past dozen years, McCarrick remained the highest profile Catholic in Washington - the go-to figure for funerals of the most influential figures.

"Pray that the beloved anchor of 'Meet the Press' is now sitting at the large table of the Lord to begin a conversation which will last forever," McCarrick told the assembled at Georgetown's Holy Trinity Catholic Church at Russert's funeral in June 2008.

In August 2009, McCarrick oversaw the burial service of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., at Arlington National Cemetery, charming Biden and many members of the Senate on hand by mixing Catholic liturgy with political wit.

"They called him the Lion of the Senate, and indeed that is what he was," McCarrick said at the grave. "His roar and his zeal for what he believed made a difference in our nation's life."

When Pope Francis took charge of the Vatican in 2013, he deployed McCarrick to lobby his old friend Boehner, who with Kennedy in 2003 had started an annual fundraiser for the District's Catholic schools.

The pope was advocating for comprehensive immigration legislation, but Boehner faced a conservative revolt. Exiting a 2014 huddle with Boehner, McCarrick told The Washington Post that he was praying for the speaker on the issue.

Aides to Boehner and Biden said this week that their bosses declined to comment on McCarrick.

In 2013, when John Dingell set the record for the longest serving member of Congress, Boehner hosted a gala event along with Biden and every congressional leader.

McCarrick gave the opening prayer for the Michigan Democrat, turning it into a personal remembrance of the lawmaker's nearly six decades in Congress.

The powerful crowd laughed, the crowd prayed.

They had no idea what McCarrick was hiding from them.

In 2004, as Russert pressed the cardinal on whether every abusive priest would be named, McCarrick ducked the question and said that the church had "done an extraordinarily difficult, painful work" in compiling their reports at that point.

"And, please, God, children are going to be safe from now on," he said.WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans voted down a bid Wednesday to direct an extra $250 million toward election security in advance of the 2018 midterms, despite heightened warnings from intelligence officials that foreign governments will try to interfere in the contests and evidence that some lawmakers have already been targeted.

The 50 to 47 vote fell far short of the needed 60 votes to include the $250 million amendment, proposed by Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., in an appropriations package that the Senate was set to approve Wednesday. Only one Republican senator - Sen. Bob Corker, Tenn., who frequently prioritizes deficit concerns - voted for the additional funds.

Three other Republicans did not vote: Sens. Richard Burr, N.C., who chairs the Intelligence Committee, Jeff Flake, Ariz., who is traveling in Africa, and John McCain, Ariz., who is in Arizona receiving treatment for a serious form of brain cancer. All four of those Republicans have been critical of President Donald Trump's refusal to prioritize a more robust response to resist foreign government interference in future election cycles.

The Senate vote comes just one day after Facebook revealed that it had uncovered a complex disinformation operation geared toward the midterm elections, at least some of which appears to be directed by known Russian government-sponsored operatives.

It also comes barely one week after Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., revealed that she had been targeted by a Russian hacking campaign that tried, but failed, to compromise her Senate computer network. McCaskill, a conservative Democrat, is running for reelection in a state that heavily favored Trump in 2016.

The vote also echoes a similar experience in the House, where Republican lawmakers killed a similar effort to attach election security funds to an appropriations bill last month, on a party-line vote.

Members of the GOP have argued that the extra funds are not necessary, as Congress has only recently approved $380 million in grants to help improve election security in 2018. Although there is some bipartisan consensus that $380 million is not enough to stave off every threat, several Senate Republicans have said that there should be an assessment of how states are using those funds before the federal government throws more money at the problem.

"It is far too early to add another quarter billion dollars . . . when we don't know how the first $380 million has even been spent," Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

The vote makes it highly unlikely that Congress will approve any more funds for countering election influence in advance of the midterm elections, despite an ongoing debate in the body over how to counter potential cyberthreats.

Calls for increasing mandatory sanctions against Russia have gone unheeded, as Senate leaders argue for caution, patience and a series of hearings to determine the precise nature of punitive measures that are warranted.

At the same time, a general bipartisan clamor from lawmakers to urge the president to take a tougher line against Russia appears to have caused Trump to edit the comments he made in Helsinki suggesting he might trust Russian President Vladimir Putin's denials of election interference over the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence community - but not resulted in any orders for action to shore up U.S. cyberdefenses.

On Wednesday, Trump resumed his attacks on special counsel Robert Mueller's probe, calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions - who has recused himself from such matters - to shut down the investigation.Moscow managed to attain the pullout of Iranian units 85 kilometers from the Israeli-Syrian border, Russian Presidential Special Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said.

Moscow is acting on the Syrian reconciliation in an open manner and in coordination with the Syrian government, respecting the interests of the neighboring countries, including Israel, the envoy said, noting that they take into account the interests of neighboring states, interests of Israel.

"As we took into account the Israeli concerns, we managed to attain the pullout of Iranian units 85 kilometers from the Israeli [-Syrian] border," Sputnik cited Lavrentyev as saying.

He added that Russia believes that Israeli concerns over the presence of pro-Iranian forces near its border with Syria are decreasing.Four Connecticut nursing homes have been fined by the state Department of Public Health for various violations that hurt or endangered residents.

Abbott Terrace Health Center in Waterbury was fined $2,600 after a resident with dementia wandered out of the facility.

The resident, who was a known escape risk and was on a locked dementia floor, left the facility on June 3, according to DPH. Staff, who were supposed to check on the resident every shift, noticed the resident missing at 4 p.m.; police subsequently called at 4:20 p.m. saying the resident had been found walking along a road.

The resident was taken to a hospital and received one suture for a hand laceration, the citation said.

The resident had previously tried to leave the facility on seven separate days between April 29 and June 3, according to DPH. On the day the resident left, a licensed practical nurse didnt do rounds at the beginning of her 3 p.m. shift because she didnt know she was supposed to.

An investigation found a staff member had exited through a door and either didnt securely close it afterwards or make sure that all residents were accounted for in the facility. Despite the resident wearing a roam alert band, multiple staff said they didnt hear any door alarms sound, according to the citation.

Officials at the facility didnt return a call seeking comment.

Orchard Grove Specialty Care Center in Uncasville was fined $3,480 after a resident with multiple sclerosis developed severe blisters following a moist-heat treatment.

On April 7, the resident had a fluid-filled blister that measured 8 by 6 centimeters on the right shoulder, as well as a red rash on the left shoulder. Two days later, the resident had multiple areas of large fluid-filled blisters on both shoulders that were oozing, according to the citation.

An investigation found the blisters were caused by a treatment administered by an occupational therapist during which moist heat was applied with hydrocollator packs. The therapist said the resident didnt complain of any discomfort, but the resident was at risk for skin injury due to sensory impairment, according to DPH.

The therapist had not gotten a physicians order for the moist heat application, and the facilitys policy failed to require staff to do so, according to the citation.

Officials at the facility didnt return a call seeking comment.

Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation in Canaan was fined $3,060 after a resident suffered leg fractures in a fall.

On Jan. 16, two aides had just transferred the resident into a wheelchair from a Hoyer lift and leaned the resident forward to remove a lift pad, DPH said. The residents legs slipped and staff were unable to stop the fall.

At a hospital, the resident was diagnosed with fractures in the left knee, tibia and fibula, as well as a broken right femur. An investigation found one of the aides involved was a new employee at the facility and had not been educated and/or observed on mechanical lift transfers. According to the citation, a registered nurse should have been in the room to supervise the aide.

Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation takes the health and safety of its residents very seriously. The recent violation and fine is the result of an isolated incident and not indicative of the quality care we provide daily, said Administrator Robert Powers. We have performed an internal review of our processes and feel strongly that our corrective actions will prevent similar events from occurring in the future.

Apple Rehab Avon was fined $1,330 for two instances in which staff did not follow policies.

On May 20, a nurse aide failed to immediately report overhearing a resident on the phone considering suicide. According to the citation, the incident happened around noon but the aide didnt report it until 3:15 p.m. A review of the residents medical record failed to show that a supervisor assessed the resident or that the resident had been placed on close observation after being overheard.

On May 10, a resident with muscular dystrophy and anxiety opened the door to a dining room, exited the facility in an electric wheelchair and rammed through a gate into a parking lot. When staff tried to help, the resident threatened them with scissors, according to DPH.

Police and an ambulance were called, but the resident remained at the facility. An investigation found the facility failed to place the resident on one-on-one observation after the incident, violating policy, according to the citation.

Officials at the facility didnt return a call seeking comment.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (www.c-hit.org).When the annual state accountability ratings are released later this month, all school districts in Jefferson, Hardin and Orange County will be graded either "A" or "not rated," thanks to a reprieve they received because of Tropical Storm Harvey.

The Texas Education Agency released a list of districts Wednesday that are eligible for the Harvey Provision, which exempts them from receiving a B, C, D or F grade based on the 2017-18 school year.

The agency is transitioning from the system that rated schools either "Met Standard" or "Improvement Required" to an A through F system. This year, districts will receive the letter grades, which will be extended to campuses in 2019.

Eligible campuses that would have been labeled "Improvement Required" will instead be "Not Rated."

The list announced Wednesday includes campuses that met one of the four requirements set by the TEA in June:

Districts eligible for a Harvey accountability waiver Beaumont ISD Bob Hope School Bridge City ISD Buna ISD Burkeville ISD Deweyville ISD East Chambers ISD Ehrhart School Evadale ISD Hamshire-Fannett ISD Hardin-Jefferson ISD Hull-Daisetta ISD Kirbyville CISD Kountze ISD Liberty ISD Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD Lumberton ISD Nederland ISD Orangefield ISD Port Arthur ISD Port Neches-Groves ISD Silsbee ISD Spurger ISD Tekoa Academy of Accelerated Studies Vidor ISD West Hardin County CISD West Orange-Cove CISD See More Collapse

10 percent or more of enrolled students were homeless or enrolled at a school other than their home campus.

10 percent or more of teachers experienced homelessness, as reported in a February survey.

The campus was closed for 10 or more class days because of Harvey.

Students were moved to another location or shared their campus with another school's students through winter break.

In TEA's Region 5, which covers Southeast Texas, only seven districts did not qualify: Brookeland, Chester, Colmesneil, Jasper, Newton, Warren and Woodville.

Not all campuses within the qualified districts will receive the waiver. For instance, though Kirbyville CISD and Kountze ISD met the criteria, their high schools did not and will still receive the "Improvement Required" rating if they do not meet standards.

Nederland's Highland Park Elementary, Central Middle School and Nederland High School, and Ridgewood and Woodcrest Elementary in Port Neches-Groves were also not on the list of eligible schools.

Districts or campuses that are not eligible can appeal after the ratings are released, TEA said.

Superintendents from across the Gulf Coast asked the state for leniency in this year's rating, arguing that receiving a low grade would unfairly punish their districts, which lost time, facilities and focus because of the storm.

The waiver carries the most weight for Beaumont ISD, which could have faced state sanctions if three of its schools did not meet standards this year.

Fehl-Price Elementary, Jones-Clark Elementary and Smith Middle have been rated Improvement Required for at least four years and could have been closed by the state or triggered another takeover of the district if they failed to meet standards this summer for a fifth consecutive year.

If they fall short again when ratings are released in August, they'll be designated "Not Rated" instead, which will push the determination back one year.

Houston ISD, which faces similar consequences because of chronic low ratings at 10 of its campuses, received waivers for six of those schools.

Schools that are rated "improvement required" by the state can face additional state oversight and intervention. Campuses that do not meet standards for two consecutive years are required to create a Turnaround Plan to be submitted to the state. If they don't reach the standard within two years, they can be subject to further sanctions, according to the TEA, including campus closures.

The ratings are based on factors including performance and progress on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) and "college and career readiness."

"The Hurricane Harvey criteria announced in June represents a change to storm-related accountability adjustments when compared to prior storms in Texas due to the extraordinary magnitude and unique impact of this storm," TEA said. "The adjustments provide the necessary reprieve from accountability while also ensuring that student outcomes continue to be our focus in Texas."

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/LizTeitzIn May, facing intense pressure amid scandals, the president of the University of Southern California agreed to step down.

On Wednesday, hundreds of faculty members asked the school's board of trustees to ensure that really happens.

C.L. Max Nikias has led USC since 2010, earning a reputation for accelerating the private research university's academics, global impact and fundraising. But during the past year, the university's response to high-profile scandals led to demands for his resignation. After the Los Angeles Times reported that the school's former gynecologist had molested students for many years - and that the university let him continue treating students despite repeated complaints - USC's board of trustees announced Nikias had agreed to step down.

It wasn't the first problem. Last year, the Los Angeles Times reported that the former dean of the Keck School of Medicine, Carmen Puliafito, was abusing illegal drugs, even in his USC office. The dean who replaced him resigned after allegations of sexual harassment. In the spring, about 200 senior faculty members wrote a letter saying the university had repeatedly chosen to make financial settlements to cover up problems.

They called on Nikias to resign, and thousands of alumni and others did the same through online petitions.

In May, the executive committee of the board of trustees promised to rebuild the school's culture to ensure transparency and safety and to begin an orderly leadership transition.

In the letter dated Aug. 1, faculty members wrote:

"Two months ago, we wrote to you to express our grave concern over the terrible episodes that have shaken the university during the last year. We called for President Nikias to step aside to allow new leaders to heal the damage to the university, restore the trust of the community, and help us to move forward. Two months ago, you listened to the voices of faculty, students, alumni, and community members, and announced that President Nikias would step down in an 'orderly transition' to new leadership."

Yet, they wrote, they were in a state of turmoil and uncertainty, with students arriving on campus soon. "President Nikias cannot be the one who stands up to greet the new students at the Convocation," without provoking protests, outrage and the perception that the university had backtracked on its commitment, the faculty members said. They asked the board to formally announce Nikias's resignation, and the appointment of an interim president, by the time students arrive for the coming academic year.

Nearly 700 full-time faculty members signed the letter in two days.

The chairman of the board, Rick Caruso, could not be reached for comment Tuesday or Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, Eddie North-Hager, a spokesman for the university, said, "Nikias remains on vacation. Jim Staten, CFO, is acting president while Provost Michael Quick is away on vacation. Quick will be acting president again when he returns on Monday."

North-Hager said Caruso had interviewed four recruitment firms and would make a recommendation to the board for their consideration and approval at Tuesday's board meeting. "At the same meeting, the board will vote on the formation of a presidential search committee, which will represent perspectives from across the university community and make recommendations to the Board. Throughout the summer, Caruso has had a number of constructive conversations with students, faculty, staff and alumni about the future of the university and its next president and will continue to seek broad input."

Fred Ryan, publisher and chief executive of The Washington Post, is a member of the USC board.

The board is large, with more than 50 members, and several professors said they have not been able to determine which members constitute its executive committee.

Faculty members were anticipating it would take a little time for the board to arrange the transition, said Ariela Gross, a law and history professor and the co-director of the Center for Law, History and Culture at USC's Gould School of Law. But as the summer wore on, and no further announcement from Nikias or the board was forthcoming about leadership, faculty members began to worry that the transition might be delayed, or not happen at all. And with students moving back to campus in just two weeks, some worried the summer might come and go without new leadership.

"It's just not acceptable to go back on what was already announced two months ago," she said. She noted that faculty members who were unsure whether Nikias should step down, in May, had quickly signed on to the letter urging action from the board to ensure the transition would take place as announced. "We really can't move forward until we have new leadership."

On Monday, Yaniv Bar-Cohen, a pediatric cardiologist who is president of USC's Academic Senate, wrote to colleagues telling them he had signed the letter from faculty, and encouraging them to make their views known to the board. Too much uncertainty remains regarding the presidential transition, he wrote, and a particular concern is Nikias's role.

Bar-Cohen wrote that the faculty senate's executive board had been working hard to convey to trustees that broad faculty consensus appears to exist that it would be inappropriate for Nikias to remain in office during the search for a president. "I have remained very optimistic that the Board of Trustees will understand the tremendous potential damage that could occur if Nikias returns to lead our University," he wrote. ". . . his return would suggest that we are not able to move forward and would harm our University in the eyes of our students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni and the public at large."

On Tuesday, a group of USC's most distinguished faculty met with Nikias in his office. "We felt he listened to our concerns and understood very well," said Leo Braudy, a professor of English, art history and history who is one of fewer than 30 faculty granted the title of University Professor.

"He has been a great contributor to the university. I think he understands it's a big problem right now. His contributions have been very positive, but this is a crisis situation and in fact the university has to move forward. He seemed very open to that message," Braudy said, and Nikias asked for time to process it.

Braudy shared a copy of a letter, signed by 17 University Professors, sent to trustees Wednesday:

"Yesterday, a large group of the University Professors held a very constructive meeting with President Nikias in his office. We went there at his request and he told us that we are the only faculty members that he is meeting with during this period.

"He started by saying that last May he explained to the board that he needed to step down for the good of the institution. We told him that we all agreed with that decision. Many of us greatly respect Max's achievements, first as a member of the faculty, then Dean, Provost, and President. But the eleven University Professors who took part in the meeting - and to the best of our knowledge all our colleagues who could not attend - are unanimous in concluding that it would be a grave mistake for the University, as well as for Max personally, if he were to continue as President, even for a temporary period.

"In order for USC to maintain and enhance its remarkable trajectory, we believe that the board should find a respected educator from, say, the ranks of former leaders of other major research universities to serve USC as interim president while a search committee identifies candidates to be our university's new president.

"If there is any way in which we can help the Trustees during this difficult period, please let us know."

William Tierney, a professor of higher education who is also a University Professor, said Nikias had accomplished "an inordinate amount of good things" at USC, working tirelessly, leading a fundraising campaign that brought in billions of dollars and overseeing construction of a second campus. But the status quo is not tenable, he said.

And then there's the symbolism. "At convocation, the president stands in front of the student body and welcomes them," Tierney said. "We don't know who's going to do that."WEST HAVEN  Just when you thought the talented West Haven singing and acting teen Nora Mullins might have a hard time topping her 2015 gig singing in the Obama White House, there she is  up on the silver screen.

Mullins, now 14 and about to enter her sophomore year at West Haven High School, has a significant role in one of the most talked-about movie releases of the summer, Eighth Grade, which opened in select theaters on July 13 and will open nationwide on Friday.

The film is a comedy-drama, written and directed by comedian Bo Burnham . The movie follows an eighth-grader, played by Elsie Fisher, who struggles to finish her last week of classes before starting her freshman year in high school. Nora plays the role of Steph.

Its her first movie role.

Nora and her friends and family will celebrate on Aug. 14 with a private premier screening at 7 p.m. at the Bow Tie Criterion Cinemas, 86 Temple St. in New Haven. All are invited.

More for you 'Eighth Grade' a film for the ages

Watch the Eighth Grade movie trailer here.

But if you know Nora, you know shes pretty humble and never just about promoting herself.

So in an effort to make it more than just about her, the premier will be a benefit for WHHS Principal Pamela Bellmore Gardner, who is battling a rare form of cancer.

In June 2017, Gardner was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor, a rare cancer found in her stomach. She has been going through treatments since last July  with the strong support of her hundreds of students, their families and the West Haven community at large.

I was really very touched and really quite honored that she would want to share such a big experience for me, Gardner said Thursday, calling Mullins gesture the latest example she has seen of the kindness of kids.

The support from the West Haven community has been overwhelming since Gardner learned of her illness, she said. My family and I have been so appreciative of the kindness and generosity and the overwhelming love that we gain from them.

Tickets for the premier are $15 per person and must be purchased no later than Aug. 7. Tickets can only be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com (search for Eighth Grade Movie Premier) or directly at www.eventbrite.com.

There is no guarantee that tickets will be available at the door.

Winkle Bus Company is providing two buses for transportation the evening of the premier. Pickup will be at 6:15 at the West Haven City Hall parking lot, Center Street side. Bus transportation is on a first come, first serve basis at no cost.

Nora is the daughter of West Haveners Jean and Steven R. Mullins  and the older sister of Christian Mullins, who made news last year when he was offered a key role, first in the traveling production and later in the Broadway production, of Kinky Boots.

Christian Mullins still is performing on Broadway, according to Jean Mullins.

Jean Mullins said she is proud of Nora, as well as the way her daughter has used her accomplishment to help support Gardner.

I think its pretty amazing. Were pretty proud to be a part of this, Mullins said.

The message that the movie portrays is really a good message, and the things it promotes  the need to combat bullying, be yourself and stand up for yourself  are all things that we want young girls and young people to be able to do, she said.

Eighth Grade is Burnhams directorial debut, and I dont think he anticipated how big it was going to be, Jean Mullins said. Eighth Grade, which has been critically acclaimed, currently has a 99 percent rating on RottenTomatoes.com .

Nora said Wednesday that shes thrilled by the way things have worked out with the movie.

Im really excited because of the message that it gives, Nora said. Im really excited for the people in my age group and lower to see it.

Its a really good movie, she said, and its a pretty good role. Im in a few scenes.

How did this happen?

I have an agent, Nora said. The people booking talent have access to a website with photographs and descriptions of actors, and when they came across Nora, they apparently found something they were looking for, she said.

So they called me in for an audition and within two days, they called me to come in and start filming, she said.

Nora said her first movie role was a lot different from what she thought it might be going in. I thought youd have to learn lines. But she said she was surprised because you have to improvise so it sounds like you.

I was surprised by how much you had to improvise, she said.

The finished movie, which Nora has seen twice already, is just a lot different from when youre on set, she said. Its just really different because it didnt look anything like it did when they were filming it.

The idea to make the premier a benefit for Gardner was Noras, said Jean Mullins.

Nora is very humble and didnt want this get-together or viewing to be about her, she said. So it was her idea to do it, and then make it about someone else.

Said Nora: I had the idea to show the movie and raise money for it at the same time, because a lot of people want to see it. Im hoping that the outcome will be good.

The profits, beyond the $8 per ticket that the theater charges, go to Gardner, Nora said.

Nora and her family and supporters are also selling Pam Strong bracelets to benefit Gardner, she said. To order a Pam Strong bracelet, call Steven R. Mullins at 203-824-4262.

Throughout Gardners cancer battle so far, I think that what has been so overwhelmingly touching to me has been the response of the school community and the kindness and generosity of kids, Gardner said. She pointed out that the generosity in such situations usually goes to help kids, not the other way around.

Its been like a virtual hug all throughout the year, the way the school community has responded to me, she said.

mark.zaretsky@

hearstmediact.comThe Noble Partner 2018 multinational military exercises have started at the Vaziani training area in Georgia today.

The purpose of the exercises is to train and improve the interaction of the forces of NATO/PfP countries and partner countries by using NATO standards in the field.

They will be among more than 3,000 troops training in command and field drills under the leadership of the Georgian Armed Forces and US Army Europe, Agenda.ge reported.

Troops and military hardware from NATO member states and Georgias allies arrived in the countrys Black Sea port of Poti in July.

Combat vehicles including the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank, Stryker armoured fighting vehicle and Bradley fighting vehicle were unloaded at the western sea port earlier today.

Marking the 4th time Georgia hosts the exercise, service members from 13 NATO and allied countries will be involved its increased scope. Beside units from the host country the drills will feature troops from the US, the United Kingdom, Germany, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Georgias Defence Ministry says the multinational event aims to increase interoperability and combat readiness between Georgian and allied troops, develop combat capabilities and contribute to security in the Black Sea region.

Last years Noble Partner saw over 2,800 service members from eight participating nations cooperate at the Vaziani training ground.San Antonio area-schools had more than 2,500 incidents involving controlled substances during the 2016-2017 school year, data from the Texas Education Agency showed.

While the biggest school district, Northside ISD, had the highest number of incidents, it ranked 19th in the number of incidents per student. The Harlandale school district, which is eighth-largest in the area, had the highest percentage of incidents by enrollment, with 209 reported, the data said.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani exchanged congratulatory telegrams on Wednesday on occasion of the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and confirmed intention to boost bilateral cooperation, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

"The foreign ministers expressed satisfaction over the progressive development of Russian-Qatari political dialogue, growing trade and economic cooperation and humanitarian contacts. Moscow and Doha confirmed mutual aspiration to further enhance multifaceted bilateral cooperation, which meets the long-term interests of Russia and Qatar," the ministry said.A five-week capital murder trial came to a swift ending Thursday when a Harris County jury took less than an hour of deliberations to convict a Jordanian immigrant of killing his son-in-law and orchestrating the slaying of his daughters close friend in what prosecutors said were honor killings.

Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan, 60, was found guilty of masterminding the two homicides as part of broader plot to kill five people, including his daughter, after she ran away from the family compound in rural Montgomery County, converted to Christianity and married a Christian man.

Family members of the victims said the quick verdict indicates the jury was certain that Irsan was guilty and that honor killings are not acceptable.

"Honor killings have no place in American society," said Michael Creed, the older brother of Coty Beavers, one of the victims. "These are not infrequent events that happen in some random part of the world. They're happening in America and they're on the rise."

A lengthy punishment hearing will begin on Friday, and the jury will determine if Irsan should be sentenced to death or life without parole for the double homicide of 28-year-old Beavers in November 2012 and Gelareh Bagherzadeh, an Iranian activist who was a close friend of Irsan's daughter, 11 months earlier.

2008 SLAYING: Death row inmate who stomped baby's head in Galveston asks to be executed

As state District Judge Jan Krocker read the verdict, Irsan shook his head slightly and looked down at the counsel table where he was sitting in a black suit.

After the courtroom had been cleared, members of the Beavers and Bagherzadeh families, all with tears in their eyes, hugged the prosecutors, who also cried.

Its been hard for all of us, but its a good day, said Kathy Soltani, a family friend of the Bagherzadehs. Two wonderful lives cut short. Its senseless. Its a hard day, even though its a happy day.

The two seemingly unrelated murders shocked Houston residents in 2012, and for a time there was speculation that Bagherzadehs murder was the work of Iranian elements unhappy with her criticism of that countrys government. But an even darker motive was given in 2015 when Irsan, his wife and their son were charged with planning the killings to restore family honor.

In closing arguments, a team of special prosecutors insisted that the elder Irsan, the father of 12 children by two wives, was driven to murder by his fervent religious beliefs.

Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan is a radical extremist Muslim who must be stopped, special prosecutor Anna Emmons told jurors. This is premeditated capital murder to carry out one mans views, its as simple as that.

She went on to say that prosecutors were not putting Islam on trial, but the religious beliefs of a man who killed two people because his daughter converted to Christianity.

Honor and shame, thats what this is all about, Emmons said. You heard him say honor is a big deal to him. And the only way to clean that honor is to kill.

Irsans defense team worked during closing arguments to blame anyone but their client.

Ask yourself, do you really know what happened at either scene? attorney Allen Tanner asked jurors. I dont think any of you can say exactly what happened.

Tanner used parts of the prosecutions case to argue that the people who testified against Irsan were actually the guilty ones.

He pointed out that prosecutors made a deal with Irsans wife, Shmou Ali Alrawabdeh, 40, to testify in exchange for dropping the murder charge she was facing.

She provided critical testimony by acknowledging she was with Irsan and their oldest son, Nasim, when they followed Bagherzadeh home late at night on January 15, 2012. Alrawabdeh testified she witnessed Nasim Irsan shoot Bagherzadeh in the head.

Alrawabdeh also testified that she was with her husband and son in November 2012 when the two men crept into the northwest Harris County apartment where Beavers lived with Irsans daughter, Nesreen.

She said the two men came out of the apartment of the newly wedded couple and told her that Irsan had killed Beavers.

Alrawabdeh also testified she was happy when Beavers was killed, a statement the defense seized on.

Its up to you if you want to believe that woman, but that is a cold-blooded lady, Tanner told jurors. I wouldnt put it past Shmou to be the person who went into that house. Shes cold.

Tanner also floated the idea that Nasim Irsan killed Bagherzadeh after the elder Irsan changed his mind about killing the activist outside her parents home, and so was not guilty. During the trial, there was testimony from Shmou and others that Irsan had chickened out, so Nasim got out of the car and shot Bagherzadeh.

Nasim Irsan, 24, is in the Harris County jail awaiting trial for capital murder.

However, Tanner did acknowledge that Irsan was angry that his daughter Nesreen ran away from home at the age of 23 and married Beavers.

He was upset that she ran off with a Christian boy, Tanner said. Thats a fact.

Irsan, who spent most of Wednesday testifying in his own defense, categorically denied any involvement in the slayings. A day earlier, he had shouted that prosecutors were devils and evil as he was led from the courtroom.

Prosecutor Marie Primm summed up the case as a mission Irsan undertook to control his family and anyone who disobeyed him.

They had dared to defy Ali Irsan, Primm said. They had dared to dishonor him, and he was going to clean his honor with blood.Republican Pete Flores, a retired Texas game warden, finished atop an eight-candidate field Tuesday in the state Senate District 19 special election, putting him into a runoff with Democrat Pete Gallego, a former U.S. and state representative.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Flores topped Gallego, 34 to 29 percent.

The Democratic field, split between four candidates, proved fractured enough to keep state Rep. Roland Gutierrez out of the runoff. The San Antonio Democrat drew just 24 percent of the vote despite campaigning for the seat since early 2017 and, dating back to Jan. 1 of that year, raising more than $500,000. He spent about $80 per vote.

Flores campaign estimated Gallego and Gutierrez combined to outspend him by a 10-1 margin.

Convicted felon Carlos Uresti last represented the district, but he resigned from the Senate in June, the same month a jury convicted him of 11 felony counts including fraud and money laundering. In a losing effort for his older brothers seat, state Rep. Tomas Uresti, D-San Antonio, received just 3 percent of the vote. He also lost re-election to his House District 118 seat in March.

Meanwhile, Flores heads into the runoff with the backing of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is hoping to strengthen his hold on the Texas Senate. At stake is a three-fifths supermajority in the 31-seat upper chamber, where Republicans outnumber Democrats 20 to 10.

I've known Pete Gallego for over 20 years. We've been friends through the years. I have the highest respect for Pete Gallego, Flores said from his Election Night party at a South Side Mexican restaurant. But his philosophy is contrary to mine. He is a liberal Democrat, I'm a conservative Republican.

Flores, 58, also received a last-minute endorsement from Gov. Greg Abbott, along with backing from Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Their support likely contributed to Flores 48 percent share of the vote on Election Day, 21 points better than his early vote draw.

During the campaign, Gutierrez and Gallego traded punches over topics including Gutierrezs tax liens and forfeitures and Gallegos apparent residency outside the district. Tomas Uresti also focused his attacks on Gutierrez, and some speculated he simply entered the race to divert votes from Gutierrez, who represents House District 119 in Bexar County.

Gutierrez conceded the race shortly before 9:45 p.m.

We started in 5th place and came as close as you can get to making the runoff, he said in a statement. I'm so proud of my team and grateful to the folks all over this district who supported us. My work continues in the Texas House. We're going to get back to work on our legislative agenda and make sure we are ready for the next session.

Gallego was not available for comment at press time.

The 35,000-square-mile district runs west from Bexar County past Alpine and Pecos, covering 400 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border and all or parts of 17 counties. It went to Abbott by 0.1 percent in his 2014 win over Democrat Wendy Davis, but Uresti won his elections by 15 and 19 points.

Though Gutierrez won Bexar County with 33 percent of the vote, he was outperformed in the West Texas counties by Flores and Gallego.

But Flores won the Election Day vote in Bexar County with 41 percent after receiving just 18 percent there during early voting. He won Medina County with 69 percent of the vote, compared to Gutierrezs 5 percent showing there.

Gallego, 56, won 63 percent in Brewster, his home county, and won Maverick County with 42 percent.

Rounding out the ballot were Republicans Jesse Jay Alaniz and Carlos Antonio Raymond, Democrat Charlie Urbina Jones and Libertarian Tony Valdivia. None of the candidates received more than 3.5 percent of the vote.

Abbott called a special election for the seat on June 20, two days after Uresti, 54, announced his resignation from the Texas Senate. He received a 12-year prison sentence June 26, and was ordered to pay $6.3 million in restitution to the investors he defrauded in a Ponzi scheme.

Jasper Scherer is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jscherer@express-news.net | Twitter: @jaspschererBarack Obama endorsed two Texas candidates running for Congress on Wednesday.

The former president released a list of 81 candidates across the country, including Democratic nominees Adrienne Bell (TX-14) and Colin Allred (TX-32).

"I'm proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidates  leaders as diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted as the America they're running to represent," said President Obama in a prepared statement.

"I'm confident that, together, they'll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity that's broadly shared, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law," he said. "But first, they need our votes  and I'm eager to make the case for why Democratic candidates deserve our votes this fall."

LATEST: Beto O'Rourke trails Sen. Ted Cruz by just 2 points, Lyceum poll finds

The candidates

Adrienne Bell is the Democratic nominee for Texas' 14th district, which includes areas of Pearland, Galveston, Jefferson and Brazoria.

Bell is running on a platform of Medicare for all and a $15 minimum wage. She is endorsed by Justice Democrats, the group that backed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her surprise victory in New York's 14th congressional district last month.

Her opponent is incumbent Rep. Randy Weber.

Colin Allred is the Democratic nominee for Texas's 32nd congressional district, which includes areas of Dallas and Garland.

ICYMI: Sheila Jackson Lee wants Trump administration prosecuted over separated families

Allred is also running on a platform to make Medicare available to all and increase the minimum wage to $15. His endorsements include Julian Castro and Wendy Davis.

Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93Russia's journalist Okhran Dzhemal, director Alexander Rastorguyev and cameraman Kirill Radchenko were killed near the city of Sibut (300 kilometers north of the Central African Republics capital city Bangui) on July 30.

The Russian embassy in the Central African Republic said on Tuesday three men having had been found dead. Later, Russias foreign ministry confirmed in a statement that three people with identification documents belonging to Dzhemal, Rastorguyev and Radchenko had been found dead and their bodies had been brought back to the capital Bangui.

According to a spokesperson for the United Nations, the bodies were found near an abandoned car with multiple gunshots. The organization promised assistance to the Central African Republics authorities in the investigation.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on murder charges.

Editor-in-Chief of the Ekho Moskvy radio station Alexei Venediktov said that Dzhemal, Radchenko and Rastorguyev had been shooting a documentary in the Central African Republic, TASS reported.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has been informed about the situation following the death of a group of Russian journalists in the Central African Republic and is keeping a close eye on it, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry is working both with the Russian law enforcement structures and with the diplomats who are in contact with law enforcers in the Central African Republic. Minister [Sergey Lavrov] has been informed about this situation. He keeps a close eye on it," she said.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the country's embassy in the republic is in contact with the local authorities to prepare the transportation of bodies to Russia. According to the ministry, the Russian embassy in the Central African Republic was not informed about the presence of the Russian journalists in the country.

The Union of Journalists of Russia is trying to find out the circumstances of the deaths of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic, the union said in a statement.

Vestnik Kavkaza offers condolences to the families of the Russian journalists who were killed in the Central African Republic.Re: Proposed high-rise hotel would stand near Alamo; Structure would be built on top of historic Joskes, front page, July 24:

The citys Historic Design and Review Commission was right in denying a previous proposal for a 23-story hotel atop the Joskes building. It should also reject the 14-story Hard Rock Hotel on top of the building, the latest proposal.

We cannot allow the desecration of the Joskes building, which was built in 1887, and is a San Antonio historic site. The developers can surely find another spot to build their hotel.

Doris D. Kinsey

Creation response

Re: Pretty good theory, Thursday, Not all the same, Friday, Your Turn:

Actually, fossils do not support evolution. The mere fact that thousands of living fossils exist seriously undermines evolutionary theory, as do the lack of fossil ancestors for insects, cephalopods, vertebrates, fish, besides other higher-level taxa. Instead, the fossil evidence shows animals always remaining the same kind of animals, which is what biblical taxonomy predicts.

DNA was mentioned. The oxymoron evolutionary conservation abounds in the scientific literature. One gene transforming into another via simple mutations has never been demonstrated. Deletion of genetic information is rampant in genomes. That is what we observe in bacteria during genome decay, when genes are lost from wild type bacteria transitioning into parasitic species. Similarly, bacteria may lose repressor proteins, allowing enzymes to be mass-produced, which break down antibiotics, thereby conferring resistance.

The evolutionary explanation of the gap-filled fossil record and gradual genetic mutations are contradictory but are nicely harmonized by creation theory.

As for statements on my reference to Genesis 1:28 that science was mandated by God before the Greeks: The letter writer cites empirical testing but forgets to prove that evolution actually did happen, beyond merely offering theories. I question his definition of religion  why is religion absolutely necessarily about God? Religion is a basic set of presupposed axioms, such as when atheists say that nature is everything.

Matthew Cserhati

Hurting consumers

Congress is once again trying to sneak in harmful repeals of and changes to consumer protections. For example, one policy proposal added to the budget, as a so-called rider, would keep the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from holding companies like Wells Fargo, Equifax and predatory payday lenders accountable when they cheat us.

Why use the budget for matters unrelated to spending? Because repeals and changes to important protections cant pass on their own. But if theyre added to the budget, which must be passed to fund our government and avoid another shutdown, members of Congress might feel the pressure to let them slide in an election year.

Hopefully, the entire Texas congressional delegation will stand up for a clean budget that sticks to spending, which, after all, is the purpose of a budget.

Jordan Leatherwood, TexPIRG, Austin

Not victimless

While visiting your beautiful city, I came upon a protest in front of San Fernando Cathedral concerning the reunification of families. Reunification is one thing, but massive illegal immigration is another crisis. That growing crisis is out of control, somehow hitting at the heart of many families, from Mexico to the U.S.

People of goodwill who have mixed emotions about uncontrolled illegal immigration are often made to feel guilty and uncompassionate. But the reality is that there are too many negative consequences connected to this unsolved problem that even affects foreigners who dont stand a chance to enter legally! Plus, the whole picture is usually ignored, sometimes intentionally, by leaders who stand to gain by the numbers or financially.

Patrick Bascio, a Catholic priest and Vietnam veteran (now deceased) wrote boldly about all the accompanying fallout, calling it the immorality of illegal immigration, believing that it is not a victimless action. He worked closely with African-Americans in Harlem and saw the effect that it is having on poor Americans; how it drives down the work and wages of Hispanics and blacks, nurtures lawlessness and diminishes security. The list goes on. He called for those injustices to also be recognized, acknowledged and courageously addressed by well-meaning leaders. A salute to Patrick Bascio!

And speaking of families, it is a travesty for our youth to hear in public that it is OK to break the law, including the laws of other countries. Compassion goes hand in hand with responsibility. It should expand its love of neighbor to include all who are unjustly affected.

Despite political loyalties, we deserve a sound immigration system that will restore peace, order and security for the greater common good.

Rebecca Gonzales, Weslaco

Mean, mean GOP

Globe-trotting foodie extraordinaire Anthony Bourdain, who took his own life recently, once wrote: Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit.

I believe Bourdain probably meant that somewhat facetiously, as he was as playful as he was seriously committed to his quest of devouring life in anything and everything that was edible.

But upon reading that quote, a thought crossed my mind. Substitute the word Republicans for vegetarians, and youd have a fairly accurate assessment of that soul-crushing oligarchy of the mean-spirited rich  the GOP.

Jeff DevensEditor's note: Femi Aribisala, a scholar and international affairs expert, has written on the existence of the Nigerian state and the importance of the northern part of the country.

Aribisala also warns southern to desist from underestimating the north as an industry of its own.

In 2005, Goldman Sachs Investment Bank forecast that Nigeria will be the 20th largest economy in the world by 2025 and the 12th largest by 2050; ahead of Italy, Canada and South Korea.

Having identified Brazil, Russia, India and China as four emergent powerhouses of the world economy referred to as the BRICS; it included Nigeria among the Next Eleven countries, which are Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, and Vietnam.

President Buhari was in Bauchi State to commiserate with the government and people of the State, particularly, the victims of the recent devastating windstorm as well as the fire incident that razed the Azare Central Market, one of the most popular markets in the North.

At the U.S.-Nigeria Trade and Investment Forum organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation of the Americas, NIDOA, in Washington D.C. in 2012, President Barack Obama of the United States acknowledged Nigeria not only as a strategic centre of gravity in Africa; he went further to proclaim the country the worlds next economic giant.

With the rebasing of the countrys GDP, Nigeria emerged as the biggest economy in Africa, surpassing South Africa. Manifest destiny It is no secret that Nigeria is a country of great potentials, even if those potentials are yet to be appreciably realised. One of the strengths of the country is its large population.

Currently estimated at 200 million, Nigeria is the seventh largest country in the world. By 2050, Nigerias population is projected by the United Nations to reach 389 million, rivaling that of the United States at 403 million.

READ ALSO: Tension in Kwara APC as Saraki-backed exco rejects dissolution of Congress, attacks Oshiomhole

By the end of the century, the U.N. projects that Nigerias population would be between 900 million and 1 billion, nearing that of China which would then be the second most populous country in the world after India. Nigerias economic size is a blessing in disguise. It means the country will have a ready domestic market for its eventual industrial growth.

It means it can envisage economies of scale not possible in smaller countries. Even now, Nigeria offers alluring returns for investors. Says Charles Robertson, Global Chief Economist at Renaissance Capital: We know its not risk free, but look around the world and find another economy with 160 million people growing at seven percent with such potential. Its a struggle to find them.

Countries go to war to acquire the kind of real estate that is Nigeria. This makes it all the more ludicrous that there are noises coming out of southern Nigeria demanding that the country should be divided.

The most ethnically jingoistic of these is the insistence that Nigeria would be better off without the north. It would appear that some southern Nigerians have been intoxicated by oil. Since there is no oil in the north for now, they conclude that the north is no more than an albatross on the neck of the South and castigate it as a region defined by dependency.

This view is nothing short of idiotic. No serious-minded country relinquishes a region as rich and as resourceful as Northern Nigeria. Without the north, Nigerias much-vaunted potentials would vanish.

Without the north, Nigeria would be nothing more than yet another balkanized and insignificant African country, or group of countries.

Take the North out of the Nigerian equation and there can no longer be any black country in the world that can possibly attain the status of a major power in the world. Without the North, Nigeria and Nigerians would be reduced to nonentities.

Northern imperative Nigerians have been blinded by oil. Because of oil, we have become unproductively mono-cultural in our economy. However, oil is hardly the only major resource we have.

Although oil revenues have brought us a great deal of financial prosperity, at the same time it stunted the inexorable emergence of agro-based industries in Nigeria. The backbone of such promissory local industries is in northern Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Breaking: As 2019 general elections draw near, Obasanjo visits Jonathan and wife in Otuoke (photos)

The North is the bread-basket of Nigeria. A significant proportion of the food we eat down South comes from the North. The north occupies 70% of Nigerias land mass, giving it comparative advantage vis-a-vis the South in terms of agriculture, raw materials and livestock. A large chunk of the North is arable and supportive of year-round food production.

Thanks largely to the north, there is no tropical agricultural crop known to man that cannot be grown in Nigeria. With a transition from subsistence to mechanized agriculture, Northern Nigeria alone can produce enough food to feed the whole of Africa.

Northern Nigeria is bigger than most African countries. Currently, Nigeria wastes a staggering 1.3 trillion Naira on food imports; virtually one-third of the annual budget. But the North can produce all the food we need, thereby liberating valuable resources. Already, it is the North that feeds the south in Nigeria.

Virtually all southern food crops and livestock come from the North. Much of Nigerias water resources are also in the North. With the right policy mixes, the North will earn for Nigeria billions of dollars annually from agriculture.

Our Niger-Delta brothers should not get too carried away by their oil. If their oil is a national resource today, so will Northern agriculture and agro-allied industries be national resources tomorrow. Oil is a wasting asset. Short of new discoveries, Nigerias oil will expire within the next 50 years. However, Northern agriculture will never expire. Northern resources There is something else besides.

There can be no doubt that there is oil in the North. It is only a matter of time before it is discovered. The geography and topography of the North and the discovery of oil in surrounding areas is a testament to this eventuality.

Since there is oil in Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic, the chances are pretty good that Northern states like Bauchi, Borno, Sokoto and Niger will one day become oil-producing states. Moreover, the North is rich in mineral resources; far richer than the South.

There is gold in Zamfara; uranium in Taraba; tin-ore in Plateau; columbite in Nassarawa; iron ore in Kogi; gypsum in Gombe and limestone in Sokoto among others. Hydroelectricity for the country is provided from Kainji Dam and Shiroro Gorge. There are game reserves in the North including Argungu, which make it a potential money-spinner for tourism, a possible Kenya in the making if we can get rid of the scourge of Boko Haram and marauding herdsmen.

Southern Nigerians should stop underestimating northern industry. Northerners created the ground-nut pyramids, cotton farms and tanneries of old. With visionary national and regional leadership, these will surely make a comeback. So also will the textile factories of Gusau, Kaduna and Kano.

READ ALSO: Well fight to bring Buhari back with our PVCs - Governor Bagudu

All the Southern bigotry about the North being predominantly Muslim is just nonsense. When you see what economic wonders Muslims are doing in places like Dubai, Oman, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, you will realise that Nigeria has a lot to learn from Muslims. It should not be forgotten that by far the most enterprising Nigerian today is a Northerner from Kano.

According to the Forbes Billionaires list, Aliko Dangote is now the 23rd richest man in the world with a net worth of $25 billion dollars. This is an amazing feat for an African and a Nigerian. Dangote is now richer than Alisher Usmanov; the richest man in Russia. He is also richer than Mukesh Ambani; Indias richest man. Dangote is all the more remarkable because he achieved this feat primarily through a route far less travelled by Nigerians: the hard, difficult grind of manufacturing.

The northern problem is the Nigerian problem. It is the problem of bad leadership. Northern politicians and military leaders have been the bane of the North and of Nigeria. They have grown fat at the expense of the poor.

They have deliberately kept the poor uneducated, preferring to feed them from the crumbs falling from their table. But as Boko Haram bites deeper, this too shall pass. A new generation of Northern leadership is emerging.

An example of this is Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano who, by all accounts, redeemed his first-term as Governor with his second-term. Uneducated hogwash All things considered, the boast of a Nigeria divorced from the North is balderdash.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

Nigeria cannot do without the North. We cannot divide Nigeria into 350 ethnic nation-states. Let Southerners stop fooling themselves. Any attempt to abridge Nigeria because some Southern areas want to go it alone will be disastrous.

Ethnic homogeneity is no panacea against internal conflict. Somalia is ethnically homogeneous. Nevertheless, it is a failed state. Southern Sudan obtained independence from Sudan. Nevertheless, it is already embroiled in inter-ethnic conflict.

There can be no romantic Oduduwa Republic, unless we foolishly ignore the long history of Yoruba wars. Try to turn back the clock, and the Egba, the Ekiti, the Ijebu, the Ijesha and the Ilorin will start locking horns yet again. Even recently, there were daggers drawn between the Ife and Modakeke in Osun.

There can be no return to Biafra, unless we pretend that the differences between the Aguleri and the Umuleri in Anambra or that between the Ezza and the Ezillo in Ebonyi are fiction. The Igbo have never been united.

Historically, they were organized into separate and autonomous republics. Biafra itself had problems with its ethnic minorities.

There can be no Republics of the Niger Delta. Are we then to divide the Efik from the Ibibio, the Ijaw from the Itsekiri; the Kalabari from the Ogoja; and the Ogoni from the Urhobos? What then would happen after the oil runs dry? There can only be the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

No matter what anyone says, Nigeria is a country and a country it should remain. You dont live together for 50 to 100 years and not become a country. It does not matter if some of us are Muslims and some are Christians: we are all Nigerians.

It does not matter if some of us speak Hausa and some speak Yoruba: we are all Nigerians. Our diversity is our strength. That is the beauty of Nigeria. It cannot be re-engineered. Nigeria is a blessed country, carefully-crafted by divine ordinance.

This is not time to start hankering after some midget states when the herculean Europeans are busy crafting a super-state. This is no time to think small. It is time for Nigerians to start thinking big and bigger.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Legit.ng.

Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com  drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors.

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Benue Elders Speak on Herdsmen Attacks | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- A group of youths has hailed Senator Andy Uba for his recent feat in the Nigerian Senate

- The senator is said to have facilitated the release of N37.95 billion out of the N43 billion owed his home state of Anambra for the repair of and rehabilitation of federal roads

- According to the group, Uba remains the best senator in the history of the state

A group, Coalition Of Anambra Youth For Buhari (CAYB), has expressed gratitude to Senator Andy Uba for facilitating the release of N37.95 billion out of the N43 billion owed his home state of Anambra for the repair of and rehabilitation of federal roads and other intervention funds on federal government projects in the state by the federal government.

This was made known by CAYB chairman, Martin Chukwu, through a press release sent to Legit.ng on Monday, July 30.

Chukwu noted that the amount will go a long way in improving the living standard and well-being of the state, stressing that it further demonstrates the fact that President Buhari means well for the people of the Southeast region.

READ ALSO: Now I know why Nigeria is a shithole country - Ortom

Part of the statement read:Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, the South East has suffered neglect in the area of road construction and other infrastructural development, despite huge budgetary allocations to the region.

Ever since President Muhammadu Buhari came on board in 2015, he has demonstrated that he has no negative intentions towards the South-Eastern part of Nigeria as wrongly insinuated.

With the release of N37.95billion for the rehabilitation of federal roads in Anambra state by the federal government, the current Buhari-led government has further endeared itself to the youths and people of the state.

The CAYB wish to assure the president that the youths of the region are ready to give him all the support needed to move the region and the entire nation forward.

On Uba's effort towards facilitating the release, Chukwu said the former Anambra governor remains the best senator in the history of the state.

He said: Words alone cannot express our gratitude to Senator Uba for facilitating the release of the funds by the federal government.

It is on record that the senator remains the best federal lawmaker to have ever come out from Anambra state. His track records through numerous constituency projects are a testament of his goodwill for the people of the state.

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The CAYB further assured the senator that the youths and good people of Anambra South will continue to support him in the years ahead so as to attract more development in the state and the region.

Meanwhile, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state has stated that he is confident President Buhari would win the 2019 presidential election for a second term in office.

Akeredolu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Buhari had done well and deserved to be re-elected, in spite of obvious challenges facing the country.

Nigeria News: Will Senators, Lawmakers Defection from APC Change Power in 2019? on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- Lawmakers of the ruling party have called for the reconvening of the National assembly

- The leader of the House of Representative, Femi Gbajiabiamila, urged the PDP not to blame the activities of an independent state assembly on the presidency

- Gbajiabiamila said in every legislative work, there are procedures to be followed

All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the House of Representatives have advised their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) colleagues to push for reconvening from recess rather than blame President Muhammadu Buhari on issues.

The members made the call on Tuesday, July 31, in a statement signed by the leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, in Abuja.

The APC lawmakers also said that the purported impeachment of the speaker of Benue House of Assembly by eight members could not pass the test under the Constitution.

READ ALSO: Mixed reactions from Nigerians as Saraki leaves ruling party for PDP

They, however, warned the PDP not to blame the activities of an independent state assembly on the presidency.

While we agree that the purported impeachment of the Speaker by eight members cannot pass the test under the Constitution, we find it strange and hyperbolic that PDP caucus in the House will try to tie the president to same.

In tandem with our party, PDP has been screaming restructuring and federalism to high heavens and one wonders why the same party will now blame the activities of an independent state assembly on the president.

As for the police, the matter is serious enough and one would expect the PDP members to immediately push for the reconvening of the House so as to probe the exact role played by the police.

READ ALSO: NiMet predicts rains on Wednesday, August 1

"In legislative work, there are procedures to be followed. We believe it is precipitous and not a proper understanding of the law and legislative procedure to say the PDP would stop the reconvening of the House and to stop passage of the virement with their numbers. This requires only a simple majority. Something the APC has in abundance in the House.

It is more befuddling that there seems to be more misunderstanding of the required number to form a quorum. A quorum is 1/3rd of members; again a number our party has in abundance.

The APC lawmakers maintained that they believed in the constitutionally enshrined separation of powers.

According to them, as legislators we believe in the constitutionally enshrined separation of powers and as such, rather than look to the president, the PDP caucus should challenge the matter in court.

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We are sure it will be a slam dunk based on the prima facie facts before us. They will be surprised that some members of our caucus may join them in this legal pursuit in the sustenance of democracy.

That is assuming, as members of the House of Representatives, we have locus standi, which we believe we do. The partisan route is not the way to go, he said.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, had announced his exit from the ruling APC.

Saraki announced his exit from the party via his official social media pages on Tuesday, July 31.

He wrote: "I wish to inform Nigerians that, after extensive consultations, I have decided to take my leave of the All Progressives Congress (APC)."

Nigeria News: Will Senators, Lawmakers Defection from APC Change Power in 2019? | Legit.ng TV

Source: LegitUS President Donald Trump said that Tehran start talks with Washington in the near future, but also noted that may be it won't, which is OK too.

"I have a feeling they'll be talking to us pretty soon. And maybe not, and that's OK too," Trump told a rally in Tampa, Florida.

Several Iranian public figures said it was impossible to imagine negotiations with Washington after it tore up the nuclear deal in May, AFP reported.

Only last week, Trump fired off an all-caps tirade at his counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Twitter, warning of untold "suffering" if Iran continued to threaten the United States.

The Trump administration says its "maximum pressure campaign" is designed to force Iran into a new deal that goes beyond limiting its nuclear program and includes curbs to its regional behavior and missile program.- Olusegun Obasanjo has warned against the prolific medical tourism in Nigeria

- The former president said with the presence of top quality health care facilities in some parts of the country, Nigerians had no business travelling abroad for treatment

- He made the statement during his routine medical check-up at the Bayelsa State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre

A former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has warned citizens against traveling outside the country for medical treatment. He urged Nigerians to shun medical tourism.

The former president while speaking in Yenogoa, Bayelsa state, during a routine medical check-up said with the presence of top quality health care facilities in some parts of the country, Nigerians had no business travelling abroad for treatment.

READ ALSO: Why we must reconvene NASS now - APC lawmakers tell PDP colleagues shortly after Saraki's defection

Punch reports that the former president described the standard of the medical facilities at the Bayelsa State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, where he had the check-up, as high.

Obasanjo said: The same thing you get anywhere in the world, you can find here in Bayelsa. Why do you have to travel? Wherever we get best practices, let us spread such.

"When l was here last February, l saw the standard of the facilities here that could be used by all Nigerians. There is no need for a Nigerian to go to Dubai, the United Kingdom or America for medical check-up.

READ ALSO: Mixed reactions from Nigerians as Saraki leaves ruling party for PDP

I went through all the medical checks that l would normally have gone through anywhere. The cost was reasonable and the services were superb. So, what people are going to Dubai, India, America, UK, Saudi Arabia for is here in Bayelsa."

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Obasanjo visited former president Goodluck Jonathan and his wife in Bayelsa state.

Obasanjo met with the duo at their Otuoke home in Ogbia local government area of the state.

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Although details of the visit were still sketchy, recent actions by Obasanjo may soon draw varied opinions from the political circle.

Nigeria News: Is the Nigerian PVC Really Powerful? on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- Ameh Ebute says no political party in Nigeria has the needed ideology

- Ebute believes that Nigerian politicians are more concerned with sharing the 'national cake'

- He condemns proliferation of political parties in the country

A former Senate president of Nigeria, Ameh Ebute, has reacted to the gale of defections that hit the All Progressives Congress (APC) recently saying politicians are taking such actions because political parties in the country lack ideologies.

Leadership reports that Ebute spoke at the launch of Good Governance Ambassadors of Nigeria (GOGAN).

READ ALSO: Some people within APC ensured that peace and cooperation does not exist - Saraki releases statement

According to him, the only ideology available to the politicians in Nigeria is the national cake which every one of them wants to share from.

At the moment, there is no political party with a clear ideology in the country and that is the reason politicians and lawmakers jump from one party to another.

"The only ideology we have now is that there is a national cake and everybody wants to have a share of it. So, they keep floating political parties.

Why confuse the common man with 65 political parties, when in actual fact only two are performing.

Im, therefor, in support of two party system because this will enable politicians to choose whether to be progressive or conservative.

The current defection of party members from one party to another has automatically grouped Nigerian politicians into two broad categories: the self-serving politicians and the public interest serving politicians, he said.

Legit.ng earlier reported that many Nigerians reacted to the defection of Senate president, Bukola Saraki to the Peoples Democratic Party late Tuesday, July 31.

Interestingly, the reactions that followed Saraki's exit from the APC ranged from outright jubilation from some sections of Nigerians to ironic acceptance by another section.

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Nigerians who hailed the senate president's decision to jump ship claimed the APC-led federal government has failed the people and as such, deserved to be abandoned by a politician of Saraki's calibre.

Nigeria News 2018: 2019 Presidency - 'Why Nigerians Must Vote For Atiku' | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Newspaper- PDP's national chairman has described Bukola Saraki as the hero of Nigeria's democracy

- Uche Secondus called on other democratic lawmakers in the National Assembly to emulate the Senate president's exit from APC

- According to Secondus, APC has never encouraged democrats like Saraki and Governor Ahmed since its assumption as ruling party in the country

The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has commended Senate president Bukola Saraki and the governor of Kwara state, Abudulfatah Ahmed, for their recent decision to join the opposition party.

Secondus described the Senate president as the hero of Nigeria's democracy. He said that democracy is the huge beneficiary from the actions taken by the Senate president and Kwara state governor due to the on going political realignment which would help to deepen democracy in the country.

READ ALSO: Hours after Saraki's defection, APC lawmakers issue strong advise to PDP colleagues

In a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, the PDP national chairman said that the duo, from the beginning, were not supposed to be in the ruling All Progressives Congress but have been there due to circumstances and events.

He also said the APC since 2015 have never encouraged democrats like Saraki and Ahmed to continue retaining their membership of such undemocratic body. He said Saraki has become the hero of Nigeria's current democracy, having gone through all the humiliations in defence of legislative independence, freedom and rule of law.

Secondus said: "They have done everything to humiliate and cow him into submission but he did not yield as he defended democracy all through.

READ ALSO: 2019: Sarakis decision to leave APC will not affect party - Okorocha

"Dr Saraki and his colleagues in the parliament tried their best to curtail the dictatorial tendencies of the executive and it was for that they are being hounded."

He further urged other democrats still staying in APC, to note that democracy would be better served by their exit as Nigerians are very well determined to not only save our democracy but indeed the country.

The PDP chieftain assured all lovers of civil liberty and rule of law in the country, that the rebranded and re-positioned main opposition - PDP - is now well disposed to provide direction for the sustenance of the nation's democracy.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that APC members in House of Representatives have advised their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) colleagues to push for reconvening from recess.

The APC lawmakers also cautioned their colleagues against blaming President Muhammadu Buhari on issues in the National Assembly.

The leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila also noted that the purported impeachment of the Speaker of Benue House of Assembly by eight members could not pass the test under the Constitution.

Nigeria News: Will Senators, Lawmakers Defection from APC Change Power in 2019? on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ngA Nigerian boy identified as Lil Richie is a 5-year-old self-acclaimed recording artiste who lives a luxurious lifestyle. The little boy is known for showing off his expensive lifestyle on social media.

The 5-year-old self-acclaimed recording artiste also calls himself a video vixen. Just like some popular artistes and recording artistes, Richie also has tattoos designed all over his body.

In some of the photos he shares on his Instagram page, the little boy is seen rocking gold chains, expensives shoes and designer clothes.

Lil Richie has over three thousand followers on Instagram with lots of fans who shower him with praises whenever he shares a video or photo on his page.

READ ALSO: Bobrisky confesses to wanting to get pregnant

However, due to the exposure to the luxurious lifestyle Richie receives at a young age, many Nigerians are shocked by the life he lives.

Legit.ng gathered that the 5-year-old also finds the time to go to school and educate himself despite the lifestyle he lives.

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More photos below:

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Homosexuals in Nollywood: Myth or Reality? on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ngFrank Darko, the Ghanaian who went viral over his invention of a water bicycle, a bike that can be ridden on water surfaces has come out with an improved version of his invention. He named it Trifad.

The latest advancement of his creation after the prototype, is much easier to use since it has a propeller. He has gradually worked on the updates and he believes his add-ons would go a long way to help children between the ages of 5 to 15 years.

Darko exclusively disclosed that his inspiration for the water bike came from a documentary he watched on how school-going children had to swim across water bodies before getting to school.

Frank Darko(Left). Water Bike on test (Right). Photo Credit: Yen.com.gh

He put his ideas into action and came up with Africas first bicycle that travels on water and he received a lot of attention for his hardwork.

According to Darko, his miniature water bicycle which is for children, would go a long way to assist those in deprived areas who want to get education.

Trifad. Photo Credit: YEN.com.gh

On February 22, the young inventor received a national award for his invention which has come to be known as the from the Ghana Institute of Engineers at the 2018 Engineering Excellence Awards at the Academy of Health and Sciences.

According to the Institute, Darko was considered for the award due to his innovation in the field of engineering even though he was not a trained engineer.

Trifad. Photo Credit: YEN.com.gh

His award came from the public awards category for his substantial contribution to the promotion of engineering practice and innovation.

Aside the national award, Frank has been offered to full scholarships by the Takoradi Technical University to come back and finish his course in Graphic Designing and take up another course in Engineering.

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Trifad. Photo Credit: YEN.com.gh

He also got featured on BBC Africa and made an appearance on The KSM Show. Frank Darko resides in Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana. The inventor revealed that the special bicycle was his first invention but he had drawn up plans for many more inventions.

He revealed that his creativity came about as a result of his matchless love for science, technology and the urge to solve day-to-day problems faced by people living in the community.

Meet 15 Year-Old Nigerian Wizkid Who Made 9 As in his WAEC | Legit.ng TV - on Legit.ng TV.

Source: LegitThe Lords Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries needs no introduction has they have carved a niche for themselves in the minds of people while walking on the streets and trying to win souls for Christ.

On Tuesday, July 31, they took to their Facebook profile to share pictures of their new land craft. According to the church, they disclosed that the craft would be used for evangelism as they intend to create awareness for the coming of Christ.

Members of the church are indeed happy about this new mode of transportation, as they gathered around it.

Lords Chosen Church presents new land craft for publicity in Lagos. Source: Lord's Chosen Mnistries

READ ALSO: Ghanaian pastor on the run after leaking adult video with married woman on social media

The post reads: THE LORD'S CHOSEN CHURCH LAUNCHED A NEW LAND CRAFT FOR EVANGELISM. This Is Wonderful.... Chosen people have talented brethren. The latest land craft for a radical evangelism. Another tool for creating awareness for the coming of Jesus Christ.The newly acquired land craft was dedicated by Pastor Amadi Chidozie the Lagos state coordinator of Chosen church. JOIN THE CHOSEN MOVING ARK AND BE SAVE.

See post below:

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Nice one!

Pastor Ashimolowo shades Daddy Freeze, insists tithing is necessary - on Legit.ng TV.

Source: Legit.ng News- Bolaji Abdullahi, the national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has made public his decision to leave the party

- Abdullahi said that this resolve was prompted by series of unpleasant developments unfolding in the ruling party

- He further said that more than once his loyalty to the party has been questioned, adding that his views have also been opposed on different occasions

The All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, has left the ruling party.

Abdullahi made this landslide move public on his Twitter page on Wednesday, August 1. He said that his resolve to resign from his office following recent development in the ruling party.

READ ALSO: Impeached Benue speaker, two others to face contempt charge in Makurdi

Abdullahi further said that on several occasions his loyalty to the party has been brought into question, adding that he has suffered insubordination from some of deputies.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that after weeks of political permutations, expectations and defections, Bukola Saraki, Nigeria's senate president had finally decamped from the ruling the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and this particular defection had brought about mixed reactions from Nigerians.

The reactions that followed Saraki's exit from the APC ranged from outright jubilation from some sections of Nigerians to ironic acceptance by another section.

Nigeria News 2018: Buhari Reacts To APC Senators Betrayal | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ngNollywood actor Kenneth Okonkwo has expressed his support for President Muhammadu Buhari.

The 49-year-old actor who plans to run for the position of the next governor of Enugu state noted that the president loves Igbos.

While speaking with a political group, the actor expressed that Nigerians can't get a better person to lead the nation except President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the actor who stated that the president has passionate love for the Igbos, many politicians come into power because they want it for themselves.

He added that anyone who wants to come into politics should do so because they want to govern the country well.

READ ALSO: 2Baba declares his intentions to run for political office in 2019

Okonkwo said: "If you want to come to power, come to power because you want to give us good governance. Buhari has passionate love for the Igbos."

The actor further noted that he makes no apology for following President Buhari. He said: " I'm following President Muhammadu Buhari and I make no apology."

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Watch video below:

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Okonkwo took to Instagram on Wednesday, July 18, to announce his intentions of running for governor. The actor who shared photos of his campaign posters, revealed that he won't be able to run without the help of God.

He wrote: Without God, I can do nothing but with Him, I can do all things because He strengthens me. Join the winning team. By the grace of God, I am the next Governor of Enugu State.

Should President Buhari seek re-election in 2019? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- There are reports that at least one person has been shot dead during the opposition protest following the results of the Zimbabwe's parliamentary election

- Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) by its results, revealed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa's ZANU-PF was on its way to victory after claiming 109 seats

- However, the results have so far triggered tension among members of the opposition, who claimed that the election was rigged in favour of ZANU-PF

A man has been shot dead in the clashes between armed police operatives and protesters of the the opposition, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) alliance.

Reports claimed that live ammunition were found on the streets, despite claims that security officials were using rubber bullets.

A helicopter has been seen hovering over Harare as armed troops were deployed into Zimbabwe's capital to try to disperse hundreds of opposition protesters.

As the vote count continued in the presidential race, official results showed on Wednesday, August 1, that ZANU-PF, Zimbabwe's ruling party, has won the most seats in the parliament, , .

According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) results, President Emmerson Mnangagwa's ZANU-PF is cruising to victory after claiming 109 seats in a 210-seat parliament, Al jazeera reports.

READ ALSO: God, guide us - Lai Mohammed prays at FEC meeting

ZEC said on Wednesday, August 1, that the opposition, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) alliance managed to win only 41 seats with results for 58 seats undeclared.

By calculation, ZANU-PF would need to win 30 more seats to have a two-thirds majority that would allow it to change the constitution. Nick Mangwana, ZANU-PF spokesman, stated that the party was happy with the results.

Mangwana said: "We are very happy with the results. So far, it shows that the people of Zimbabwe have entrusted ZANU-PF to lead them and we will do our best to meet the people's wishes in the constituencies that elected us."

However, the opposition alliance has alleged that election was rigged in favour of the party that has been in power since the southern African nation gained independence in 1980.

Nkululeko Sibanda, MDC alliance spokesman, said: "The results are a gimmick to try and prepare Zimbabwe for a rigged election. If President Chamisa wins this election then the people of Zimbabwe will have their government."

There was tension and tensed moods at the opposition party headquarters, as hundreds of supporters gathered outside, claiming that the entire electoral process was foul play.

Samson Chikazhe, a member of the MDC told newsmen: "The results are not a true reflection of the people who voted on the polling day. These are cooked figures they are not the real figures.

"I am not happy because at the polling station where I voted most of the people were voting for MDC alliance but if you see the results of the constituency it does not reflect the will of the people. We are not going to accept defeat."

Standing a few feet away from Chikazhe, Eveson Matambanadzo said the results were unacceptable.

Another member of the opposition, Eveson Matambanadzo, said: "The results we have are cooked if you compare the people who voted on the ground to the results that are there it doesn't tally."

With the rise of reactions in the angry crowd, the security officials brought reinforcement with one police truck and several water cannon trucks kept a watchful eye but did not interfere. Many of the protesters tried to get into the National Results Centre (NRC).

The case is different outside the ruling party headquarters, as there was no sign of supporters or heavy presence of security agents.

Meanwhile, ZANU-PF denied the opposition accusation of manipulating the vote. Hundreds have gathered in the streets of Harare to protest the results [Hamza Mohamed/Al Jazeera]

Mangwana further said: "There was no rigging and the opposition will come to realise this once emotions settle down. This was a free expression of the people's will."

A Harare-based political analyst with Zimbabwe Democracy Institute, Pedzisai Ruhanya, said that the results released so far could be a reflection of the will of the people but were not perfect.

Ruhanya said: "It seems the results so far could indicate the will of the people, especially the rural population, to be ruled by ZANU-PF.

"But there are serious issues with the conduct of the election by ZEC and these need to be sorted out if this election is meant to ensure a smooth democratic transition for Zimbabwe or else there will be distrust and discontent among the urban people."

The election was Zimbabwe's first election since President Robert Mugabe left office in 2017. After the announcement, it will be critical to see if the opposition parties will accept the results. There have been threats of protests and the opposition parties have said they will release their own set of results.

The leader of the opposition, Nelson Chamisa, tweeted that he had "won". The results are a gimmick to try and prepare Zimbabwe for a rigged election. Chamisa said on Tuesday, July 31, that he was "winning resoundingly" - a claim denied by ZEC.

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A presidential poll will be held on Saturday, September 8, if a candidate does not secure more than 50 percent of the vote, but it will probably take a couple of days before the results of the presidential election have come in.

More than five million Zimbabweans registered to take part in the poll. ZEC said that 1.3 percent of registered voters could not cast their vote because they presented the wrong documents at polling units.

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that official results indicated that ZANU-PF on Wednesday, August 1, won the majority of seats in the parliament after claiming rural constituencies by huge margins.

This, no doubt, has set the stage for President Emmerson Mnangagwas victory. The Zimbabwe electoral commission results showed Mnangagwas ZANU-PF cruising to a big majority after picking up 109 seats against 41 for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Top 5 Africa's biggest scandals of the year - On Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Newspaper- The Continuous Voter Registration will not be extended after the August 17 deadline

- The voters registration exercise would resume after the 2019 general elections scheduled

- The commission said henceforth the exercise would include weekends and public holidays to allow for more people to register beginning from August 1

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the August 17 deadline for the Continuous Voter Registration will not be extended.

The commission said the exercise would resume after the 2019 general elections scheduled from February 26 and March 2.

Mohorret Bigun, public affairs officer of INEC in Gombe told the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday, August 1, that the exercise would henceforth include weekends and public holidays to allow for more people to register beginning from August 1.

He said INEC was not planning to extend the exercise beyond August 17 as being anticipated in some quarters.

READ ALSO: Sokoto state governor decamps from APC

There will be no extension of ongoing registration beyond the August 17 deadline. Those who are anticipating extension should go and register.

From August 1, we are going to operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Sunday. This is to give room for those who are yet to turn up for the exercise.

We have been directed to suspend the registration of voters until the 2019 general elections are concluded," Bigun said.

He said the commission decided to suspend the exercise till next year to enable it to produce the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for distribution.

The commission would not want to deny anyone the right to vote; hence the need to suspend the exercise temporarily to prepare for the general elections in 2019," he added.

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According to him, 141,345 persons, comprising 55,407 (39%) females and 85,947 (61%) males have so far registered as at July 30. He appealed to those who were yet to register to take advantage of the adjustment in the timetable.

Legit.ng previously reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may suspend the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration in August. The hint emerged during INEC quarterly consultative meeting with the media on Thursday, July 5, in Abuja.

INEC at the meeting stated that it needed to suspend the exercise in good time in order to complete the procedures required for data processing, production and distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards ahead of 2019 general elections.

Nigeria News: Will Senators, Lawmakers Defection from APC Change Power in 2019? | Legit.ng TV

Source: LegitTwo regulations that standardize intra-Party supervision and accountability in the military, issued by China's Central Military Commission (CMC), take effect on Aug. 1.

The two regulations stipulate the responsibilities of Party governance and supervision of Party committees and discipline inspection commissions at all levels in the military, according to a statement by the CMC.

[File photo: IC]

The regulations will also help improve the conduct of Party members, tighten discipline and fight corruption in the military, the statement said.

The regulation on intra-Party supervision in the military establishes a system of internal scrutiny, comprising the unified leadership of the CMC, overall supervision by Party committees, specialized supervision by discipline inspection commissions, routine supervision by grassroots Party organizations, and democratic scrutiny by Party members.

The regulation that holds Party officials accountable for poor leadership in the military improves the accountability system and mechanism, and intensifies their implementation.

The latter regulation encourages Party members to be loyal to the Party and have moral integrity and a keen sense of responsibility, the statement said.Russia's Ministry of Labor proposed to exclude activities of self-employed citizens from the scope of application of labor legislation. The document was published on the federal portal of draft normative legal acts.

It was specified that in the case of implementation, this measure will affect only those self-employed, who were not registered as individual entrepreneurs.

"Self-employed" are those citizens who carry out such activities as tutoring, cleaning and childcare. Currently, they fall under the scope of labor law, but, according to the document, such activities are often conducted without official employment papers.

Thus, the employer cannot actually bear the obligations stipulated by the labor legislation: conclude an employment contract, pay insurance fees and other mandatory payments, issue a certificate of pension insurance, RIA Novosti explains.

According to the Ministry of Labor, this indicates a lack of legal regulation and the need to amend the legislation.

In 2017, the Russian authorities attempted to legalize self-employed persons by offering them a tax amnesty, which was then extended until the end of this year. However, it wasn't successful: less than a thousand people were registered.- Yiaga Africa, an election observer group, says vote buying is the new method politicians employ to rig elections in Nigeria

- The group says the new method was devised following the introduction of card readers, which succeeded in reducing rigging

- It plans to conduct pre-election observation before the Osun governorship poll, so as to ascertain what could be an impediment to a credible election

An election observer and monitoring group, Yiaga Africa, has described vote-buying as a new way of elections rigging by politicians in Nigeria.

Cynthia Mbamalu, the project director of the NGO, said this on Wednesday, August 1, in Osogbo at a media roundtable discussion tagged Watching the Vote.

Legit.ng gathers that Mbamalu said vote-buying was becoming a threat to Nigerias electoral process; adding that all hands must be on deck to put an end to the menace.

She said: "Nowadays, the more money you give, the more votes you get, and this is becoming a problem and a challenge to our electoral process.

READ ALSO: Buhari embarks on 10-day London vacation, transfers power to Osinbajo

Mbamalu said since the introduction of card reader machines, election rigging had reduced to the barest minimum; but that the new way found by politicians to compromise electoral process was vote-buying.

On the upcoming Osun governorship election, she said the NGO would deploy 500 election observers in 250 polling units across the state.

Mbamalu explained that the organisation would also engage in voter education before the election. She said the primary objective of the project was to help promote free, fair, peaceful, credible and legitimate elections in Nigeria, in accordance with international and regional standards.

Also speaking, Safiya Bichi, the pre-election observation manager, said the NGO would embark on pre-election observation between August 4 and September 19. Bichi said the essence of the pre-election observation was to find out what could be an impediment to a credible election.

On his part, Paul James, the training manager, said the NGO would be using PVT methodology to observe the governorship election in the state. According to him, PVT is an advanced Election Day observation methodology that uses well established statistical principles and sophisticated information technology.

The PVT allows Yiaga Africa to present an accurate and comprehensive assessment of the election processes, James said.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Centre for Transparency and Advocacy (CTA), an election observer and monitoring group which monitored the Ekiti governorship election, commended the peaceful conduct of the exercise, saying there was great improvement in the conduct and performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Addressing journalists on its preliminary report of the election, the CTA executive director, Dr Chima Amadi however condemned the widespread cases of vote-buying by politicians and their agents which was a major feature in the keenly contested poll.

Were Ekiti residents paid to vote? - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ngThe Kano state deputy governor, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The development was made public by journalist, Sumner Shagari Sambo, via his Twitter handle, @Sumner_Sambo, on Wednesday, August 1.

READ ALSO: Buhari embarks on 10-day London vacation, transfers power to Osinbajo

As he tweeted:

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that after several weeks of speculation, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state on Wednesday, August 1, defected from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The declaration followed a solidarity rally organised by the governors supporters across the 23 local government areas of the state.

Also, 18 out of the 30 members of the Sokoto state House of Assembly on Wednesday, August 1, defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the speaker, Salihu Maidaji, who was among the 18 defecting members, made the announcement at the Assembly plenary on Wednesday.

Reacting to the resolution by the 18 members, the remaining 12 members at a press briefing after the plenary wished them well in their new party.

Sani Yakubu (APC-Gudu), who spoke on their behalf said that the 12 members would continue to remain committed and loyal to the APC-led government under President Muhammadu Buhari.

Senators, lawmakers defect from APC - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit- Comrade Adams Oshiomole has called on the Senate president Bukola Saraki to vacate his seat

- He said it was a matter of honour for Saraki to leave 'the crown' in the family it belongs to

- Oshiomole further disclosed that no one in the ruling party was surprised by the recent defections

Comrade Adams Oshiomole, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, to vacate his seat, following his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Oshiomole made the call in a chat with newsmen following the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and some APC senators at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Wednesday, August 1, Punch reports.

Legit.ng gathers that Oshiomole insisted that it was the right thing to do, for Saraki to vacate his seat. According to him, it was a matter of honour for Saraki to leave 'the crown' in the family it belongs to.

READ ALSO: Buhari, APC senators meet at Aso Rock

He said: But whatever is the reason, we can decamp from party, but we cant decamp from Nigeria. The only thing is that there are other consequential issues that every man or woman of honour who had taken such decisions would be expected to follow through.

I mean, you should not collect a crown that belongs to a family and wear it on behalf of the family if for your personal reasons which he has enumerated, that he has gone to another family. It is just a matter of honour to leave the crown in the house that the crown belongs to.

As it stands even now, APC is still the largest party in the Senate. We have 53 senators; that is much more than PDP or APGA has.

Oshiomole further disclosed that no one in the ruling party was surprised by the defections.

He continued: Nobody in the APC will be surprised about the development. In fact, they have stayed a little bit longer than we thought.

Last week, the Kwara state governor said he was leaving, but he didnt say when. So, we are not surprised at all. But these are what I might call temping moments because I had faced similar situations in my state, when people were leaving.

But the beauty of democracy is that whether big or small, it is one man, one vote on election day. There is no difference between a senator, a president, a journalist and any other person. In a sense, we have to accept that once a couple for one reason or the other find out that they are not compatible, the only honourable thing is to go.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

He also expressed happiness that the Senate president had acknowledged that he (Oshiomhole) and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, as well as some state governors, did their best to resolve the issues that caused him (Saraki) to leave the APC.

Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that Senate President Bukola Saraki announced his exit from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Saraki announced his exit from the party via his official social media pages on Tuesday, July 31. He said he decided to leave the APC after extensive consultations.

Senators, lawmakers defect from APC - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ngBody-snatching fungi that give rise to sex-crazed cicadas before ripping off their genitals found to contain compounds seen in hallucinogenic drugs Daily Mail

Are Stock Buybacks Starving the Economy? The Atlantic

Junk Bonds Are Treasures When No One Is Borrowing Bloomberg

Online Lenders and Payment Companies Get a Way to Act More Like Banks NYT

Where do people get money to buy California homes these days? Often, from mom and dad KPCC. Its almost like were feudal now. You inherit the manor from your family if you happen to be a landowner. If youre not a landowner, its really hard to get in.

A unique opportunity for investors spells mass eviction for tenants Los Angeles Times

Hamptons home sales slow as wealthy grow cautious FT

Syraqistan

Brexit

North Korea

New N. Korea missiles unlikely to doom talks, experts say Agence France Presse

China?

New Cold War

Trump Transition

Democrats in Disarray

Facebook Fracas

Big Brother Is Watching You

Class Warfare

Comcast installed Wi-Fi gear without approvaland this city is not happy Ars Technica

Major Quantum Computing Advance Made Obsolete by Teenager Quanta

Audit the algorithms that are ruling our lives FT

Antidote du Jour (via):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Today Im going to take a quick look at Canadian Medicare and how the neoliberals are using their playbook in that country. Im really trying to avoid posing as an expert on Canadian politics[1], or as an expert on good faith proposals for refreshing and improving Canadas single payer system, because I am neither of those things! Rather, I plan to do two things: First, Ill provide a number of testimonials about the quality of Canadian Medicare. Then, Ill look at wait times as the flash point that neoliberals are using in their persistent, decades-long attempts  funded at least in part by American business interests  to destroy it. But first, let me review the neoliberal playbook for destroying public goods and services (here in a post on the US Veterans Administration):

The stories intertwine because they look like theyre part of the neoliberal privatization playbook, here described in a post about Americas universities: Its almost like theres a neo-liberal playbook, isnt there? No underpants gnomes, they! [1] Defund [or sabotage], [2] claim crisis, [3] call for privatization [4] Profit! [ka-ching]. Congress underfunds the VA, then overloads it with Section 8 patients, a crisis occurs, and Obamas first response is send patients to the private system. Congress imposes huge unheard-of, pension requirements on the Post Office, such that it operates at a loss, and its gradually cannibalized by private entities, whether for services or property. And charters are justified by a similar process. (Ive helpfully numbered the steps, and added sabotage alongside defunding, although defunding is neoliberalisms main play, based on the ideology of austerity.) We can see this process play out not only in public universities, public schools, the Post Office, and the TSA, but in Britains NHS, a national treasure that the Tories are systematically and brutally dismantling.)

Spoiler alert: [2] is wait times, and [3] is already taking place (though in the form of inroads and neoliberal infestations, and not the complete dismantling of the system). But first, lets look at those testimonials.

An amazing thread developed on the Twitter after an opponent of socialized medicine deployed the wait times talking point, and asked: Tell me again about how good Canadian health care is. People were very willing to do so! First, Ill give a sampling of responses  images, unfortunately, because Twitter insists on including the parent tweet in its Embeds whether I want it or not, and I dont want the same parent Tweet to show up ten times  starting with Americans who have had the opportunity to compare and contrast the two systems:

One reason Canadian Medicare is less stressful is that you dont have to worry about losing everything and going bankrupt:

And note that Canadian triage eliminates wait times for those who are critically ill:

And now here are some Canadians politely dunking on the original poster because their major expense at the point of care was stress snacks:

Although, to be fair, parking is a cost, too, besides snacks:

And then theres the whole concept that you get to keep on snacking and parking, because youre alive:

Finally, triage again:

Lets sum up that wait times argument. To begin with, its as anti-social as they come. Suppose Im waiting in a queue for the bus. What would I think of a person who cut in front of me because they could hand the bus driver a buck, even if those were the rules? Or suppose Im sitting in my optometrists office with another patient, and they walk up to the receptionist, hand them twenty bucks, and say Id like to go first? Thats the principle involved here. Granted, in this country, the organs of state security are busily trying to make shoving in front of other people because you have money the, er, norm with programs like Trusted Traveller, but so far, at least, the practice hasnt trickled down to everyday human interactions. Et ego in Canada, from the Toronto Star:

At Canadas Wonderland, you can buy your child a Fast Lane Pass so he or she can experience the thrill of pushing ahead of all the other children waiting to get on a ride. Its excellent preparation for todays world of hyper-privilege  where the rich get to buy their way to the front of just about every line.

Wonderland, indeed! Besides being anti-social, the wait times argument is anti-care; note several of the testimonials above mention that they got care instantly when they had serious conditions, unlike the poor lady in this country who died while the ambulance people failed to check her vital signs. Heaven knows I have my issues with credentialed professionals, but I would certainly want the queue for medical care to be organized based on medical necessity, and not financial incentives. We have that in the United States, and there are issues with it.

From the quality and principles behind Canadian Medicare, lets turn to the neoliberal assault, where wait times are the wedge issue. The journal Health Economics, Policy and Law gives an overview in 2018 (PDF):

Growing wait times and gaps in access are causing Canadians to question their system. Some 15% of Canadians lack the basic security of a family physician (Health Fact Sheets, 2015). A recent Commonwealth Fund study ranked Canada near the bottom of developed countries with respect to accessibility  behind the US health care system  on some important indicators: half of Canadians surveyed reported waiting more than two hours for emergency room care, compared to 25% of Americans. Some 30% of Canadians said they waited two or more months to see a specialist, compared to 6% of Americans (Schneider et al., 2017). Whilst poll after poll finds strong public support for care allocated on the basis of need rather than ability to pay, Canadians faith in medicare has been sorely tested

Step [1]: Underfund and sabotage. Clearly a resource issue. If the queue is too long, then, within reason, add the human and technical resources to shorten it.

 by long wait times and growing gaps in access to family care and specialists, important medications and long-term care. IPSOS Reid (20032010) reports that between 2003 and 2010, Canadian attitudes on the quality of health care services have shifted markedly from positive to negative .

Step [2]: Claim crisis. Thats working splendidly. Step [3] (privatization) is still on the bubble system-wide:

The lackluster performance of the Canadian system may lead to the mistaken conclusion that the basic values underlying medicare are outdated or quixotic. If the core values of access on the basis of care rather than ability to pay are to survive, it is imperative to embrace evidence-based reform that is also grounded in history to better understand the windows of opportunity for change.

Nevertheless, step [3] (privatization) is happening (and in defiance of the law, I might add). From the University of British Columbia Medical Journal:

[T]he private market is not waiting around for the question to resolve itself. In addition to supplementing the public system, the private system shows signs of infringing upon its domain. An evaluation of 130 private healthcare clinics across Canada found evidence to suspect the possibility of 89 violations of the Canada Health Act, including charging patients for medically necessary services [ka-ching] that are covered by Canadas publicly funded universal healthcare system. These clinics allow Canadians who are willing and able to pay out-of-pocket to avoid lengthy public system wait times, effectively creating a tiered healthcare system. In 2005, a Supreme Court Case ruling in Quebec allowed an individual to access private health care as a solution to long wait times. (10) This ruling sets a precedent for the nimble private market to fill in the gaps of the public system, pending rulings in other provinces across the country.

And from HuffPo:

Saskatchewan has just enacted a licensing regime for private MRI clinics, allowing those who can afford the fees  which may range into the thousands of dollars  to speed along their diagnosis and return to the public system for treatment [after sucking resources from the public system lambert]. Quebec has just passed legislation that will allow private clinics to extra-bill for accessory fees accompanying medically necessary care  for things like bandages and anesthetics.

$619 bandaids, here we come! Cmon, who doesnt want that?

Once upon a time, these moves would have been roundly condemned as violating the Canada Health Acts principles of universality and accessibility. These days, two-tier care and extra-billing are sold to the public as strategies for saving medicare. This sense of resignation is understandable [an effect of steps [1] and [2] lambert], coming as it does on the heels of a decade-long void in federal leadership on health care. Throughout the Harper governments time in office, the Canada Health Act went substantially unenforced as private clinics popped up across the country. Instead of modernizing medicare, Saskatchewan and Quebec are looking to further privatize it.

In fact, neoliberals are using wait times for a Constitutional assault on the entire Canadian Medicare system. From Colleen Flood and Bryan Thomas, A successful Charter challenge to medicare? Policy options for Canadian provincial governments, Health Economics, 2018:

Across Canada, laws designed to protect public medicare are subject to court challenges on the grounds that a public monopoly on health care subjects Canadians to long wait times, infringing the right to life, liberty and security of the person, guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. By way of remedy, the claimants demand the liberalization of privately financed care, to create a safety valve for wait times in the public system. The most prominent of these challenges (the Cambie trial), led by Cambie Surgical Services, a private clinic headed by Dr Brian Day, challenges various laws in British Columbia that prohibit physicians in the public system from extra-billing patients and moonlighting in the private sector, and also prohibit private health insurance for services covered by medicare (parallel private insurance). Although the litigation appears temporarily stalled as the applicants allege they need more financial resources (Mulgrew, 2017), it nonetheless seems likely that in the coming years, the Supreme Court of Canada (the Court) will be called upon to rule on Cambie or a similar Charter challenge, setting an uncharted course for Canadian medicare

The Editors of Health Economics comment:

That Charter rights could be used to undermine medicare is a grave rebuke to the assumption, common among advocates of human rights and dignity, that rights litigation is a positive, progressive force. As Flood and Thomas (2018) discuss in this volume, these Charter challenges will serve either as a wakeup call or death knell for medicare; everything depends on how Canadian governments respond. The courts can permit privatization to undercut equity and access, or they can respond creatively with new legal and policy solutions to improve equity and access, defending the human rights and dignity of all.

* * *

I hadnt thought that there was a Constitutional right to queue jumping for those with the money to do it, but life is full of surprises![2] Oh, and when you hear wait times, know that the talking point is part of an international assault.

NOTES

[1] It strikes me, as a rank outsider, that the pay for issues occur at the Provincial level (as in principle they cannot at the Federal level, Canada being sovereign in its own currency). Each province has its own plan, and each province (AFAIK) also budgets for health care spending. It occurs to me that this Federal structure has provided the neoliberals with opportunities for attack; they can pick out on province and privatize there, for example. Something to think about for advocates of state level #MedicareForAll in this country.

[2] Once you throw the NHS into the mix, theres a strong case for internationalizing health care as a universal concrete material benefit. If one really wishes to appeal to the international working class, that strikes me as a stronger case than open borders, particularly after the effects of labor arbitrage are taken into account.

APPENDIX I

Here are the five Principles of the 1984 Canada Health Act:

1) Public Administration 2) Comprehensiveness 3) Universality 4) Portability 5) Accessibility

This is what Canadians mean by access, so different from what liberals (and conservatives) in this country mean by it:

must provide for insured health services on uniform terms and conditions and on a basis that does not impede or preclude, either directly or indirectly whether by charges made to insured persons or otherwise, reasonable access to those services by insured persons

These principles are extremely popular. From the University of British Columbia Medical Journal:

[B]etween 93% and 98% of Canadians support the five principles of the Canada Health Act, (12) which confirms strong support for equal access to health services across socioeconomic groups in Canada.

MedicareForAll advocates should make sure that similar principles are written into our own legislation (and not compromised away).Using state of the art CGI and the latest underwater technology and working alongside divers, wreck investigators and archaeologists, Ocean Wreck Investigation tells the stories of the final moments of ships and those on board.

Thursdays from 9:30pm AEDT.Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos, is to receive the 2017 Tipperary (Ireland) International Peace Award. The announcement was made today by Tipperary Peace Convention through its Hon. Secretary, Mr. Martin Quinn.

Todays announcement recognises the efforts of President Santos in bringing peace to Colombia and for the historic agreement that put an end to more than 50 years of fighting by the FARC guerrilla army.

As President Santos prepares to step down as President of Colombia after 8 years in Office, it is appropriate to recognise the Presidents efforts and tremendous vision to bring peace to his country through an agreement that, after almost 5 years of talks, put an end to more than 50 years of fighting, and has seen some 10,000 former fighters disarm and begin to enter civilian life and 10 former FARC leaders take their seats in Congress. After the initial peace deal with FARC was rejected in a referendum, President Santos returned to the drawing board and showed enormous courage and commitment by persevering with the negotiations which ensured the drafting and signing of a new deal that was subsequently ratified by Congress. President Santos leaves Colombia a much better and decidedly more peaceful country than when he assumed office and without doubt history will judge him kindly for his efforts.

The Tipperary International Peace Award will be presented to President Santos at a ceremony in Tipperary later this year. The President has confirmed that he will travel to Tipperary to accept the award. Full details to be announced over the coming weeks.

Responding to the news of his selection, President Santos issued the following statement;

I was pleased to make an official visit to Belfast in November 2016, a couple of weeks before the Colombian Peace Agreement came into effect. Ireland has been and continues to be an inspiration for countries trying to pursue their own peace processes. Certainly, the success of the Northern Ireland peace process is a constant reminder of what is possible. It clearly demonstrates the dividends that a peaceful future can deliver. The fact that the achievements of the Colombian peace process are being acknowledged by such a prestigious award in Ireland, has particular significance for Colombians. I am honoured to be able to accept the Tipperary International Peace Award on behalf of all the victims of the conflict and the many that have worked tirelessly to bring about peace in Colombia.

The announcement that President Santos is to receive the award has also been welcomed by Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr. Simon Coveney, TD, who made the following remarks;

President Santos is an extremely deserving recipient of the Tipperary International Peace Award. President Santos initiated the negotiations between the Colombian Government and the FARC, and throughout showed remarkable courage, commitment and resolve. These negotiations led to the historic peace agreement signed in 2016, ending over 50 years of conflict. This agreement has given Colombians the prospect of a brighter, more peaceful future, with historic strides having already been made in the implementation of the peace accords.

Previous recipients of the Tipperary International Peace Award include former South African President the late Nelson Mandela, Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former Prime Minister of Lebanon the late Rafic Hariri, Afghan Human Rights Activist Dr. Sima Samar, former Prime Minister of Pakistan the late Benazir Bhutto, US Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith and her brother the late Ted Kennedy, former President of Ireland Professor Mary McAleese and her husband Senator Martin McAleese, Pakistani schoolgirl and Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai, American Diplomat Dr. Richard Haass, Secretary General of the UN Ban-ki Moon, US Secretary of State, John Kerry and last years recipients the Syria Civil Defence White Helmets.(Natural News) When people talk about dementia, one of the first things that come to mind is Alzheimers disease (AD). Indeed, AD is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders (over five million people in the U.S. have it), but there are other forms of dementia  like, for instance, vascular dementia.

For the uninitiated, vascular dementia refers to impaired reasoning, planning, judgment, and memory (as well as other thought processes) following brain damage caused by restricted blood flow to the brain. In the U.S. and other Western countries, the condition is uncommon, with only a 1.5 percent prevalence rate. However, it is one of the most pervasive forms of dementia in Asia  in particular, vascular dementia accounts for more than half of all cases of dementia in older adults in Japan.

Unlike AD, wherein the etiology of the condition is unclear, vascular dementia is often caused by an event that interrupted blood flow to the brain, like a stroke or a transient ischemic attack. In these cases, the condition may develop over time, usually from very small blockages that slow down blood flow.

Pins and needles for a sharper brain

Acupuncture has long been credited for a laundry list of health benefits  improved circulation and systemic reduction of inflammation being some of them. To date, researchers are still exploring the underlying mechanisms for the many benefits of acupuncture in the body.

Research from the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine had previously examined the neuroprotective effects of acupuncture. In particular, the team had concluded that the procedure could reverse specific biomarkers for inflammation and cell oxidation  including thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), a compound associated with nerve damage.

Likewise, a separate study from the Wuhan University of Science and Technology found that acupuncture is better than conventional drug therapy in dealing with and treating dementia, in particular, vascular dementia. In the study, researchers noted that using the Xing Nao Kai Qiao protocol, a technique specifically designed to address stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and neurological disorders, has a higher efficacy rate than conventional acupuncture. However, both therapies are still higher than standard drug therapy, which had an efficacy rate of only a little over 60 percent.

For patients with vascular dementia, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has various schools of thought on addressing the condition. In the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperors Inner Canon), the earliest written collection of TCM, it indicates that the Du Mai (or governor meridian) is linked to the brain and marrow. The Jing Mai theory, on the other hand, states that that Foot Tai Yang (or bladder meridian) is closely linked to the brain. This means that treatment for vascular dementia isnt just limited to areas in the brain; rather, it involves factors such as the bodys phlegm stagnation, liver and kidney qi, and blood stasis and blood qi.

To note, researchers have pointed out that the acupuncture point GV20-Baihui, which is found in the meeting point of the midline with the top of the ears, and the acupuncture point EX1  Sishencong, located one cun from GV20 in a cross formation, are the most important points in clinical efficacy for vascular dementia. GV20, in particular, can increase dopamine levels in the patient and prevent free radical damage in the body. It can also regulate the brains long-term memory storage capacity and improve the parasympathetic nervous system, which is usually affected by neurodegenerative diseases like vascular dementia. GV20, in concert with other acupuncture points, also protects the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is a key factor in preventing edemas and other forms of damage from reaching the brain. (Related: Acupressure could calm patients with dementia, study finds.)

Supporting acupuncture with a healthy lifestyle

To get the best out of acupuncture, a person should also consider making lifestyle changes to increase the efficacy of the practice. Some steps include:

Quitting smoking

Losing weight

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables

Avoiding processed foods

Including foods that have omega-3 fatty acids like walnuts, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, and flax seed oil

As with all forms of therapy, people who are considering acupuncture should consult with an experienced and knowledgeable healthcare professional before starting treatment. Who knows? It may just be the treatment thats right for you.

Learn more about other TCM procedures to improve brain function by following ChineseMedicine.news today.

Sources include:

ModernReflexology.com

MayoClinic.org

eMedicine.Medscape.com

VeryWellHealth.com

BenefitAcu.com

TCMPoints.com 1

TCMPoints.com 2Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US should blame itself for ending talks with Iran when it left the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA.)

"Iran & US had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accordthe JCPOA. Its been working. US can only blame itself for pulling out & leaving the table. Threats, sanctions & PR stunts wont work. Try respect: for Iranians & for int'l commitments," Zarif wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

The remarks were made one day after US President Donald Trump announced that was willing to meet with Iranians without preconditions, IRNA reported.

On Monday night, Trump said he is ready to meet his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, "any time they want to." "Its good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world. No preconditions. If they want to meet, Ill meet," the US president said.(Natural News) The active ingredients present in the Polygonum chinense Linn., commonly referred to as the Chinese knotweed, could be used to treat common influenza viruses, in a study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Researchers from Vietnam and South Korea looked at metabolites present in P. chinense to determine their mechanisms of antiviral activity.

Researchers used both the methanol (MeOH) extract and organic solvent layers of P. chinense for the study.

The ethyl acetate layer, which exhibited antiviral activity, was subjected to repeated chromatography tests to extract eight pure metabolites, which were identified using NMR and MS spectral data.

The anti-influenza activity of the metabolites was evaluated against the following virus strains: A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1, PR8), A/Hong Kong/8/68 (H3N2, HK) and B/Lee/40 (Lee). Researchers assessed the efficacy of each metabolite using cytopathic effect (CPE) and plaque inhibition assays, while other tests were conducted to determine each active ingredients ideal mode-of-action.

MeOH extracts possessed anti-influenza activity, with half maximal effective concentration (EC 50 ) values from 38.455.5 ?g/mL in a CPE inhibition assay. Three pure metabolites from P. chinense were able to inhibit viral replication in a dose-dependent manner, with an EC 50 value between 14.781.1 ?g/mL and CC50 values higher than 300 ?g/mL.

The findings suggest that P. chinense could be used to potentially inhibit influenza A and B viruses.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

Find more herbs that can treat influenza by following Herbs.news today.

Journal Reference:

Tran TT, Kim M, Jang Y, Lee HW, Nguyen HT, Nguyen TN, Park HW, Dang QL, Kim J-C. CHARACTERIZATION AND MECHANISMS OF ANTI-INFLUENZA VIRUS METABOLITES ISOLATED FROM THE VIETNAMESE MEDICINAL PLANT POLYGONUM CHINENSE. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 21 March 2017;17(162). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1675-6(Natural News) A government detention center in Texas is now under investigation after a U.S. District Court learned that the facility was forcibly medicating children against their will and injecting drugs without parental consent. The lawsuit, filed on April 16 by the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, alleges that children are not given fair treatment and are unlawfully and consistently being doped up with psychotropic drugs against their own will.

The Shiloh Treatment Center in Texas is one of several facilities that detain immigrant children and treat them for emotional and behavioral issues. U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee dismissed the governments arguments and has issued someone to monitor the facility in the coming two weeks. These children have been through tough life experiences. Once separated from their families, they are held in government detention centers and drugged up against their will. If they refuse, they are taken from their bed and locked up until they can be force-fed pills or forcibly injected. (Related: Communist Chinas re-education camps use forced medication to alter the minds of prisoners sounds a lot like America, doesnt it?)

Forcibly drugging children is a crime

This is a disheartening development, especially considering that the Shiloh center is already being closely monitored by the state of Texas and the Department of Justices Office of Immigration Litigation. This shows that oversight has failed and child welfare laws are being disregarded over and over again. Children who have been exposed to violent experiences should not be subject to the violence of forced drugging. Their brains should not be used as experimental playgrounds, no matter what the drug promises. True psychiatric help for these children should be consensual and non-violent. If authorities care about these children, then they should invest in the childrens holistic well-being, instead of forcefully doping up their brains so they cannot deal with reality.

The lawsuit states that children were forced into detention lock up if they refused to take their medication. If they continually refused, they were forcibly injected. Some children were forced to take nine different pills in the morning and six in the evening. According to the lawsuit, children were not being treated properly for their mental health problems. The psychotropic drugs were being used as chemical straight jackets. Children would be physically punished for not obeying the medication orders.

The childrens voices are not being heard, either. They dont have a say in what goes in their bodies or how the drugs affect their mind. According to reports, the youth were forcibly removed from their beds and locked up in the middle of the night for not taking the anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, or other psychiatric drugs that, in many cases, make mental health issues harder to deal with.

Is the Shiloh Center the only facility engaging in such cruel and inhumane behavior? Will these government employees be held accountable for crimes against humanity? Whether these detained children are from illegal immigrant families or not, they should never be treated like dogs. These are young people, with a voice, with a heart, and with life experiences that need not be suppressed or abused.

.



For more on the topic of psychotropic drugs, visit PsychDrugs.News.

Sources include:

DailyCaller.com

NaturalNews.com(Natural News) Its not a secret that exercise has many benefits for the body. Whether youre trying to lose weight, reduce your risk for chronic disease, or just relieving stress, several minutes of exercise can do wonders. A study that was co-written by faculty from Binghamton University, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital found that exercise can also aid people recovering from muscle inflammation.

Myositis or muscle inflammation refers to a condition where the muscles you use to move your body become inflamed. There are currently two known types: polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Polymyositis is characterized by feelings of weakness, usually in the muscles close to the bodys trunk. Dermatomyositis has the same symptoms but is accompanied by a skin rash.

Infections, injuries, and chronic diseases are among the most common causes of muscle inflammation. The study focused on autoimmune disease, which occurs when the immune system attacks healthy cells instead of pathogens. In the case of myositis, the immune cells kill the cells that make up the muscles.

To cope with the condition, sufferers are prescribed several medications, including corticosteroids. Like many other chemical medications, corticosteroids are known to cause various side effects. These include bruising, weight gain, hypertension, and an increased risk of glaucoma and cataracts, among many others.

Moreover, Kanneboyina Nagaraju, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Binghamton University and co-author of the study, said myositis medications only do half the job. While they do manage to soothe the pain and attenuate the action of immune cells, they do not aid in the recovery of dying muscle cells.

Yet, exercise takes care of the immune cells that are killing the muscles, and repairs the cell death of the muscle, he said.

Nagaraju and an international team of researchers conducted an experiment using two groups of participants: a 12-week endurance exercise group and a non-exercise group. Their goal included determining how endurance exercise changes skeletal muscle microRNA. To determine any alteration in the participants muscles, their muscle biopsies were recorded before and after exercise.

The researchers found that exercise changed the microRNAs that downregulate immune processes while decreasing the microRNAs that upregulate mitochondrial content. What this means is that exercise not only decreases the population of immune cells attacking muscle tissue, it also heals the muscles by raising aerobic metabolism in the mitochondria. (Related: Yoga can increase blood flow, aiding in repair and regeneration of tissue.)

The results werent surprising, Nagaraju said. The reason why exercise wasnt considered before is that if people have muscles that are already inflamed or weak, they believed exercise would make the muscles worse. However, what is surprising is the question of why exercise is so effective. Its because exercise takes care of the immune cells that are damaging the muscle while simultaneously targeting specific parts of dead or affected muscles.

He believes that their findings can help in the creation of more effective measures to counter muscle inflammation.

Natural remedies for myositis symptoms

If you suffer from symptoms of myositis, there are ways to get comfort even without medication. Here are some remedies you can easily find at home:

Heat packs  Get a heat pack and soak it in hot water. Apply on the affected area (wrap the pack in towels if its too hot) and wait until your muscles have relaxed. Once the contractions have ceased, you can stretch out the muscle to prevent further pain.

 Get a heat pack and soak it in hot water. Apply on the affected area (wrap the pack in towels if its too hot) and wait until your muscles have relaxed. Once the contractions have ceased, you can stretch out the muscle to prevent further pain. Hot water bath  Just like the heat packs, giving yourself a hot bath will help relax your muscles and ease the pain.

 Just like the heat packs, giving yourself a hot bath will help relax your muscles and ease the pain. Ginger  This vegetable is great for inflammation relief because it prevents the synthesis of inflammatory prostaglandins.

 This vegetable is great for inflammation relief because it prevents the synthesis of inflammatory prostaglandins. Licorice roots  This is a traditional treatment for inflammation. You can prepare an extract made from licorice roots which you then need to take twice a day daily. It is also available as a supplement.

Find useful remedies for muscle inflammation at Remedies.news.

Sources include:

Binghamton.edu

MedlinePlus.gov

MedicineNet.com

Tandurust.com(Natural News) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac were associated with increased odds of cardiac arrest, according to a recent study. Researchers at the Copenhagen University in Denmark examined patient data from the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry and identified 3, 376 patients who took a painkiller 30 days before the health incident. Ibuprofen was the most commonly used painkiller in this cohort at 51 percent, followed by diclofenac at 22 percent. Research data showed painkiller use was linked to a 31 percent higher risk of cardiac arrest in patients. In particular, ibuprofen and diclofenac were associated with a 31 percent and 50 percent increased odds of cardiac arrest, respectively.

Allowing these drugs to be purchased without a prescription, and without any advice or restrictions, sends a message to the public that they must be safe. The findings are a stark reminder that NSAIDs are not harmless. Diclofenac and ibuprofen, both commonly used drugs, were associated with significantly increased risk of cardiac arrest. NSAIDs should be used with caution and for a valid indication. They should probably be avoided in patients with cardiovascular disease or many cardiovascular risk factors, said Cardiology Professor Gunnar H. Gislason.

The results were published in the journal Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy.

Previous studies show causal relationship between painkillers, heart risk

The recent Danish study is only one of the many research that established a link between NSAID-use and adverse cardiovascular incidents.

A study published in the British Medical Journal found a causal relationship between painkillers and heart failure risk among older patients. Researchers examined 10 million patients across Europe  The Netherlands, U.K., Italy, and Germany  aged 77 years and older and compared them with non-users. Research data showed that painkiller use was associated with a 19 percent increased risk of hospitalization due to heart failure. The risk of heart failure-related admission also varied with certain painkillers, which ranged between 16 percent for naproxen users and 83 percent for those who took ketorolac. Patients who took ibuprofen and diclofenac were also twice as likely to suffer heart failure. However the results were not significant to patients younger than 65 years old.

This large observational study reinforces previous research showing that some NSAIDs, a group of drugs commonly taken by patients with joint problems, increase the risk of developing heart failure. It has been known for some years now that such drugs need to be used with caution in patients with, or at high risk of, heart disease, said Prof. Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation.

This applies mostly to those who take them on a daily basis rather than only occasionally. Since heart and joint problems often coexist, particularly in the elderly, this study serves as a reminder to doctors to consider carefully how they prescribe NSAIDs, and to patients that they should only take the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. They should discuss their treatment with their GP if they have any concerns, Prof. Weissberg added.

The BHF recommends that users take the lowest dose possible for the shortest period.

A 2013 study also showed that taking high doses of painkillers may raise the odds of suffering a heart attack by one-third. Ibuprofen users were also more than twice as likely to experience major coronary event, according to the study. The findings were published in the journal The Lancet.

Furthermore, a 2014 study revealed that NSAIDs were associated with increased odds of 30-day stroke mortality. Data published in the journal Neurology found that stroke-related deaths were 19 percent higher in patients who took painkillers compared with nonusers.

In light of various study results, the FDA has required drug manufacturers to indicate heart attack and stroke warnings on existing painkiller labels. The agency also called for label updates for over-the-counter NSAIDs.

Sources include:

Express.co.uk

BBC.com

MedicalDaily.com

FDA.gov(Natural News) A group of lemming leftists is doing exactly what the television is telling them to do, as theyve reportedly surrounded the Portland, Oregon, field office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to angrily protest President Trumps enforcement of federal immigration laws  hilariously erecting their own makeshift border wall in the process in an ironic attempt to prevent local police from removing them from land where they dont belong.

Members of Occupy ICE, as they call themselves, have apparently been littering the lawn of the Portland ICE building ever since the mainstream media decided to fabricate the narrative that President Trump is cruelly separating illegal immigrant children from their illegal immigrant parents at the Mexican border for no other reason than simply to be a meanie.

In truth, whats happening at the border with ICE and illegal immigrants is standard operating procedure, for the most part  just like it was under Barack Obama. But because the fake news brigade remained silent when 44 did it, Occupy ICE was nowhere to be found between the years of 2008 and 2016.

Only since Donald Trump was elected president have these cretins come out of the woodwork to boldly proclaim their ignorance in suggesting that Trump is the first to rip families apart at the border. And theyre doing so with the help of a protective wall  too stupid, apparently, to realize that theyve inadvertently adopted a key plank of Trumps platform that they claim to oppose.

As Portland police prepared to evict the protesters on Wednesday morning, they hastily erected a wall of crates, tarps and furniture around their camp, reported The Daily Caller.

.



Its not about illegal immigration or border walls  liberals just hate Trump

The building of this wall by Occupy ICE came in response to reports that the City of Portland was planning to clear out the space. Independent journalist Andy Ngo tweeted about how the anti-ICE/anti-borders camp was notified that it had 24 hours to leave, or else face forced removal.

In response, the camp has walled themselves off completely, tweeted Ngo. They even have wall guards keeping watch.

Video footage of the Occupy ICE wall is available at Ngos Twitter page.

While the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution iterates the right of citizens to peacefully protest, the behavior of Occupy ICE far exceeds the bounds of legally protected free speech in this case. Erecting permanent or temporary structures on public property or in public rights of way is against the law, and Portland police have clearly indicated that they plan to deal with the situation  makeshift wall or otherwise.

Most of the Occupy ICE camp has already reportedly dispersed the area, with only a few hardliners remaining to man the wall and continue whining and screaming about how President Trump is a racist xenophobe who hates brown people and wants them all deported because hes a Nazi.

The fact that none of these people made their voices heard when Obama did the exact same thing, however, just goes to show that none of this is about illegal immigration, brown people, ICE, deportations, children being separated from their parents, or any other specific policy issue. Its all just about hating Trump and anything he says or does at any given time.

Its just the Hate of the Week Club and they wait around for left-wing media to deliver their talking points, wrote one The Daily Caller commenter about the ridiculousness of the situation.

These are obviously not deep thinkers, commented another.

For more breaking news on the insanity of the Left in the Trump era, be sure to visit LiberalMob.com.

Sources for this article include:

DailyCaller.com

Twitter.com

NaturalNews.com(Natural News) According to a report released last February, China has reassigned more than 60,000 soldiers to plant trees in various areas. By doing this, the country aims to reduce pollution and increase Chinas forest coverage.

The story, which was originally reported by the Asia Times, reveals that a large regiment from the Peoples Liberation Army will be collaborating with some of the nations armed police force. The soldiers were redeployed from their posts on the northern border to work on non-military tasks in inland China.

Most of the soldiers will be sent to Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing. The area is one of the main producers of the infamous smog that covers the capital city. (Related: Pollution is devastating Chinas natural ecosystem and contaminating its food supply.)

Members of online military forums in the country were reportedly in favor of the idea, as long as they can keep their current ranks and entitlements.

The 60,000 soldiers are being deployed to implement Chinas plan to plant an estimated 84,000 square kilometers (32,400 square miles) of trees before 2018 ends. The area is roughly as large as Ireland.

By planting trees, the country can be one step closer to increasing its forest coverage from 21 percent of its total landmass to at least 23 percent by 2020. Zhang Jianlong, head of Chinas State Forestry Administration, is hopeful that by 2035 the figure can even go up to 26 percent.

Jainlong invites companies, organizations, and talent who specialize in greening work to take part in the countrys massive greening campaign. He concluded, Cooperation between government and social capital will be put on the priority list.

The benefits of tree planting

If youre interested in tree planting, you can start in your own backyard or neighborhood to enjoy the various benefits of greenery:

Trees can help lower ozone levels in urban areas.

Trees can minimize urban runoff and erosion by storing water and breaking the force of rain as it falls. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100 mature trees can reduce runoff caused by rainfall by at least 100,000 gallons.

Trees can absorb sound and reduce noise pollution, which can benefit individuals who live near freeways. In fact, planting a group of trees in the right location can minimize noise pollution by about 10 decibels.

Planting trees can also help cool down your home in the summer. The overall effect of the shade from planting a healthy tree is equivalent to at least 10 room-size air conditioners running for almost the whole day.

In the winter, trees can act as windbreaks for your home and help you save on heating costs. Planting trees near your house can help you save on heating costs by at least 25 percent.

Even planting trees in urban areas can help improve the mental and physical health of individuals. In a study from the University of Cambridge, it was determined that employees who had a view of trees from their office windows suffered from fewer diseases than workers without a view of trees.

Trees and other plants can help children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) be calmer and more responsive. Children find it easier to concentrate when theyre in a space with trees.

Planting trees can also help increase your property values.

Houses with trees seem more inviting to visitors, potential buyers, and neighbors.

Neighborhoods with lots of trees report less crime.

Read more articles about the benefits of tree planting at GreenLivingNews.com.

Sources include:

Independent.co.uk

CleanAirGardening.com(Natural News) In the 1840s when the Oregon Trail was completed and hundreds of thousands of Americans began migrating West, the journey was long and required a high degree of toughness, stamina, endurance, and a can-do attitude to navigate.

What Americans living in parts of Oregon have devolved into these days is a far cry from those early settlers who had little time for the nonsensical and inane.

In recent weeks, federal officers cleared anti-ICE protesters from occupied property in Portland after they had blocked the entrance to the facility for more than 30 days. The protesters left behind a filthy encampment rife with feces, needles, trash, and debris so thick that the city had to hire private contractors to clean it all up.

But the biggest problem wasnt the mess or the occupation, per se, it was the abject refusal of the Portland mayor to allow the local police force to protect and defend the lives and safety of Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees who were threatened by protesters.

And, as The Gateway Pundit reports, the order by Mayor Ted Wheeler to the Portland Police Bureau to stand down during the ICE facility siege may wind up costing them dearly: ICE employees are fighting back and threatening a lawsuit if he continues to prevent his officers from protecting them.

.



Willamette Week reported:

The union that represents U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers says on at least two occasions last month two federal ICE employees called the Portland police while being harassed by protestersbut cops did not show up, because the Portland mayor had ordered them not to intervene.

Members of the union, called the National ICE Council, sent Mayor Ted Wheeler a cease and desist letter today demanding he instruct Portland police to assist federal agents if called upon.

Earlier, Wheeler said he did not want the Portland Police to be engaged or sucked into a conflict over his disagreement with the Trump administrations border enforcement policies.

Translated: Because I hate Trump and his immigration enforcement I refuse to protect anyone involved in carrying out his policies.

Petulant, to be sure, but dangerous as well for the precedent it is setting. Besides encouraging more protests, Wheelers policy of disengagement will also encourage more violence against ICE employees. (Related: Left-wing agenda now becomes clear: The complete elimination of prisons, borders, and profits after the violent socialist revolution.)

Zone of terror and lawlessness

Your current policy forbidding Portland law enforcement agencies from assisting employees of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency who request law enforcement assistance while at or away from work is a violation of the United States Constitutions Equal Protection Clause, said the letter, written by attorney Sean Riddell, a former Oregon Justice Department attorney who was forced out by the attorney general for his rigorous investigation of ex-Gov. John Kitzhabers wife Cylvia Hayes over improper green energy advocacy during his term. (She was eventually rebuked by the Oregon Ethics Committee.)

The letter said, in part, that while the ICE employees understand there is a difference of opinion between Wheeler and the president on the issue of immigration enforcement, we fail to see why targeting the employees of ICE and leaving them vulnerable to violence, harassment and even death furthers a legitimate government interest, The National Sentinel reported.

Riddell noted further that the policy created a zone of terror and lawlessness after ICE members were subjected to threats of physical violence and harassment since Wheeler announced the policy. The lawyer says failure to protect ICE employees is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, and he is promising a lawsuit against the police department and the city if the policy remains in effect.

Regardless of what anyone thinks of POTUS Trumps policies on immigration enforcement  which he promised during the 2016 campaign  this kind of open defiance of government and enabling of lawlessness is not conducive to the maintenance of a civil society.

Read more regarding the chaos in Portland and around the country at Chaos.news.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

TheNationalSentinel.com

OregonLive.com

WWeek.com

NewsTarget.com(Natural News) Eating more papaya (Carica papaya) can help boost your immune system, according to a study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The leaf concentrate of papaya has been traditionally used as an immunomodulatory remedy against various diseases. However, there is limited research on the effect of papaya on supporting the immune system. Thus, researchers in Sri Lanka conducted a study on the immunomodulatory potential of mature papaya leaf concentrate using mice models.

For the study, they orally gave mice the mature papaya leaf concentrate at doses of 0.18, 0.36, and 0.72 milligrams (ml) per 100 grams (g) of body weight once a day for three consecutive days. They then assessed the treatments effect on the nonfunctional (enumeration of immune cells and cytokine levels) and functional (cell proliferation and phagocytic activity) immune responses. They also tested whether the oral intake of the mature papaya leaf concentrate was safe.

Based on the results, all doses of the papaya leaf concentrate significantly improved the counts of platelets, total leukocytes, lymphocyte and monocyte subpopulations, and bone marrow cells of the mice. These improvements indicated the effectiveness of enhancing the immune system. In addition, the highest dose of the papaya concentrate reduced inflammatory cytokines, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF?), suggesting the anti-inflammatory effects of the treatment.

Moreover, the treatment also improved phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages, which suggested a modulation of the functional immunity of mice. It also modulated cytokine responses. The chemical profile of the mature papaya leaf concentrates also the presence of several immunomodulatory compounds.

The researchers also concluded that the treatment was safe as it did not cause any side effects on the liver and kidneys of the mice.

The findings of the study established the immunomodulatory properties of the mature papaya leaf concentrate as it effectively modulated immune responses by stimulating immune cell proliferation, increasing phagocytosis activity, and modulating cytokine responses.

Therefore, the researchers concluded that the oral intake of the mature papaya leaf concentrate is a safe and effective remedy for enhancing the immune system.

Other benefits of the papaya

In addition to papayas immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory effects, the superfood also offers many health benefits. Here are some of them:

Papaya aids digestion  Papaya contains papain, an enzyme known to aid digestion by breaking down proteins. It is also rich in fiber and water content. Drinking papaya juice is often recommended as a remedy for digestive problems or constipation.

 Papaya contains papain, an enzyme known to aid digestion by breaking down proteins. It is also rich in fiber and water content. Drinking papaya juice is often recommended as a remedy for digestive problems or constipation. Papaya helps prevent heart disease and cancer  The antioxidants, fiber, potassium, and vitamin content in papaya work against free radicals, therefore protecting the body from heart problems and cancer. The seeds of papaya also help detoxify liver and kidneys, fight cancer, and aid in digestion.

 The antioxidants, fiber, potassium, and vitamin content in papaya work against free radicals, therefore protecting the body from heart problems and cancer. The seeds of papaya also help detoxify liver and kidneys, fight cancer, and aid in digestion. Papaya helps maintain blood sugar and cholesterol levels  Studies have shown that eating raw papaya could help maintain blood sugar and cholesterol levels due to its high fiber content, thus preventing diabetes.

 Studies have shown that eating raw papaya could help maintain blood sugar and cholesterol levels due to its high fiber content, thus preventing diabetes. Papaya supports skin health  Slices of papaya fruit can be used as a natural skin cleanser because of the fruits active enzymes that get rid of impurities.

 Slices of papaya fruit can be used as a natural skin cleanser because of the fruits active enzymes that get rid of impurities. Papaya helps prevent arthritis  Papaya contains high amounts of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and copper. Eating papaya regularly helps increase the calcium levels in the body, which in the long run, helps prevent arthritis.

 Papaya contains high amounts of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and copper. Eating papaya regularly helps increase the calcium levels in the body, which in the long run, helps prevent arthritis. Papaya aids in weight loss  Because papaya is low in calories and rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, it can be a healthy food option for people who are trying to lose weight.

Read more news stories and studies on superfoods like papaya by reading GroceryCures.com.

Sources include:

Science.news

VegKitchen.com

Food.NDTV.com(Natural News) General practitioners in Britain are now required to ask their patients if they are gay, straight, or other. The ruling follows the Equality Act 2010 which prohibits any form of discrimination based on such factors as sexuality. The underlying concept of equality is praiseworthy but its implementation is political correctness gone mad, said one family GP who practices in Devon. The move for National Health Service (NHS) doctors to ask their patients sexuality is set to be implemented early next year.

The move will require all doctors to ask patients over 16 if they consider themselves as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, not sure, or other. If the patient is unable to answer the question or is mentally unstable, he or she will be classified as not known. The NHS has stated that their decision to ask doctors for this information is because lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people are disproportionately affected by health conditions such as poor mental health and are documented to be at an increased risk of self-harm and suicide.

However, the move should not affect the quality of care each person receives.

Not all doctors agree to the ruling. They argue that asking information is potentially intrusive and offensive. There is also the concern that asking for a persons sexuality is not necessary to a medical condition in the first place. Whom a person has sex with, or is attracted to, may or may not be important to know if that person has, say, dandruff. On the other hand, these questions would be highly relevant in a sexual health clinic. Detractors of the move say that sexuality should only be asked when necessary and not as a forced piece of data, such as the patients name.

There is little chance of the opposition winning, however. The British government seems set in following the Equality Act 2010 to the letter. A spokesperson from the NHS told the BBC that collecting and analysing data on sexual orientation allows public sector bodies to better understand, respond to and improve LGB patients service access.

When asked about the reason why this ruling is being required rather than suggested, the NHS responded with, All health bodies and local authorities with responsibility for adult social care are required under the Equality Act to ensure that no patient is discriminated against.

Paul Martin, Chief Executive of Manchesters LGBT Foundation praised the move. If were not counted, we dont count, he said.

What information is really needed

How is it that we have reached a point where equality means more for others? No one is saying that those with a different sexual orientation should be treated differently. Everyone deserves great medical care. This does not mean, however, that doctors should be forced to ask personal information unless it is related to a medical condition.

Instead, doctors should only know information necessary to your specific complaint. You can make the most of your visit by:

Keeping a diary  If you are noticing certain symptoms, it is best to write them down, keeping note of the specifics such as date, time, how you felt, activities that happened prior to the onset of the symptoms, etc.

Listing down questions  Before you visit your physician, make a list of questions you want to ask. Write them down. Its easy to forget them once youre at the office.

You can read more news on political correctness and how it can interfere with healthcare by visiting NewsTarget.com.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Gov.uk

BBC.com

BadGut.org(Natural News) Should SHTF, you may find yourself unable to obtain proper medical treatment for a wound of considerable severity. In such situations, having an Israeli bandage on hand could be the difference between death and survival.

The Israeli bandage, also called the Emergency Bandage, is a special type of bandage used for traumatic injuries. These are physical injuries that are sudden, severe, and require immediate medical attention to ensure survival. Traumatic injuries pose the risk of causing shock, a condition characterized by extremely low blood pressure, among other symptoms. Shock is fatal when left untreated.

The Israeli bandage has three distinct features:

Sterile non-adhering dressing  The bandage uses a dressing that does not contain adhesives and doesnt adhere to the skin. This prevents the risk of reopening the wound once the bandage is removed. Its elasticized to increase the amount of pressure it applies to the wound.

 The bandage uses a dressing that does not contain adhesives and doesnt adhere to the skin. This prevents the risk of reopening the wound once the bandage is removed. Its elasticized to increase the amount of pressure it applies to the wound. Pressure applicator  This banana-shaped pressure bar is aligned over the wound to provide pressure and help in stopping the bleeding. This replaces the rocks that soldiers used to apply pressure to wounds before the Israeli bandage was invented.

 This banana-shaped pressure bar is aligned over the wound to provide pressure and help in stopping the bleeding. This replaces the rocks that soldiers used to apply pressure to wounds before the Israeli bandage was invented. Closure bar  This has two functions. Aside from keeping the bandage securely wrapped, it provides additional pressure to the wound.

The Israeli bandage was developed by Bernard Bar-natan in Israel in 1984. Through support from the government, the concept was developed and soon manufactured. It hit the market around 1998. Today, the Israeli bandage is standard supply in the military, although its also used in emergency medical services (EMS), hospitals, industrial areas, and anywhere where there is a risk of traumatic injuries occurring. You can also purchase the Israeli bandage and add it to your own first aid kits. (Related: Surviving a gunshot wound: What to do if you get shot.)

How to use the Israeli bandage

The Israeli bandage is needed in emergency situations, so its designed to be easy to use. How you apply it will depend on the injured body part, so basic knowledge of dressing wounds would make the bandage more effective.

Open the outer package. A corner notch makes it easy to tear and open the package. Rip apart the clear wrapping that covers the bandage. As with the outer package, you can easily do this using the center notch. Unfold the dressing to expose the bandage. Hold the end with one hand and the wrap roll with another. Place the bandage applicator over the wound. Make sure the pressure applicator is offset to the side of the injury. Wrap the elasticized fabric around the wound. After one revolution, insert the fabric through the pressure applicator and then wrap in the opposite direction. Tighten the fabric around the wound as you go. Once you have fully wrapped the wound, insert the end of the closure bar into the wrapped fabric. This should hold the entire bandage in place.

Watch this video for more detailed instructions.

Here are a few things to remember about the Israeli bandage:

The bandage is considered sterile as long as the package remains closed and its seal unbroken. If you have broken the seal, perhaps by accident, the bandage will no longer be sterile but may still be safe to use as long as you keep it clean.

Do not attempt to reuse the bandage. If you expect several instances of injuries warranting an Israeli bandage, its best to just get another package as a backup instead.

You can use the bandage for amputated limbs. Use the pad to cover the stump and create a sort of protective cup. Wrap as with other wounds, but twist the last few rolls to turn them into a thin narrow band. This increases pressure and turns the bandage into a tourniquet of sorts to help quell bleeding. Needless to say, nothing beats using a real tourniquet for this purpose.

You may also use the bandage on burns, but be sure to coat the absorption pad with Burn and Wound (B&W) ointment to seal the injury and prevent infections.

Learn more survival tips on wound care at SurvivalMedicine.news.

Sources include:

ModernSurvivalBlog.com

InsideFirstAid.com(Natural News) For decades blacks have been stepping into voting booths on election day and punching ballots for Democrats, despite the fact that the party has a racist history of supporting or belonging to the KKK, breaking up black families, and hooking them on government assistance as a means of retaining their votes.

In the Age of Trump, however, many blacks are beginning to rethink their association with and support of Democrats as the party moves further to the angry, militant Left and as the evil undertones of the partys policies are becoming plain.

One of the biggest predatory movements against blacks began early in the 20thcentury with Margaret Sanger, a promoter of eugenics and a racist, white supremacist who saw the practice as particularly useful in culling black Americans. The next predatory movement began in 1973 when the Supreme Court somehow found that pregnant women have a constitutional right to kill their unborn child.

The Rev. Clenard Childress, Jr., a leading black pro-life activist, has seen enough. Hes trying to convince more blacks to #WalkAway from those who align with the Democratic Partys judicial litmus test  unwavering support for abortion.

That includes the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People or the NAACP.

As reported by Breitbart News, Childress was again advocating against abortion over the weekend, pointing out that almost 1,800 black babies are aborted daily in what he and others see as voluntary genocide. And because of the organizations unflinching support for the Democratic Party no matter what it morphs into, the NAACP  which at one point opposed abortion  now publicly supports it.

Breitbart reported:

Why is it that the NAACP, among Americas most prestigious defenders of civil rights, is silent before the devastating effects of eugenic policies perpetrated upon people-of-color, Childress asks, when the countrys leading abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, continues working to winnow out the black community through abortion?

In an essay for the Black Christian News Network One (BCNN1), Childress lays out some alarming statistics. He wrote that more than half of all black pregnancies  52 percent  end in an abortion. And while it is the most-performed operation on women, he further notes it is the least regulated medical procedure and often is completely ignored by health regulation enforcement. (Related: DEPOPULATION: Democrat candidate wants to tax you for having more than two children, but an unlimited number of illegals are invited to cross the border unimpeded.)

.



Supporting evil and genocide

Since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion in all 50 states, Childress says a holocaust of 20 million black babies have been systematically annihilatedand thus denied access to the American Dream.

And while Sanger was the major facilitator of millions of African American deaths, Childress wonders why the NAACP doesnt condemn her or the abortion industry.

One of the biggest perpetrators of abortion murder is Planned Parenthood, which many believe is racist to the core and specifically targets minority communities by ensuring that clinics are easily accessible and close to those communities, among other ways.

Earlier this year Obianuju Ekeocha, a Nigerian-born scientist and pro-life supporter, told Breitbart News Planned Parenthood has its roots firmly embedded in eugenic racism.

Ekeocha, author of Target Africa: Ideological Neo-colonialism of the Twenty-first Century, noted further we know that Planned Parenthood targets black and other minority communities, having up to 79 percent of their surgical abortion facilities located within walking distance of African American or Hispanic/Latino neighborhoods.

For his part, Childress noted that Sanger was once quoted as saying that colored people are human weeds and need to be exterminated reckless breeders spawning human beings who should never have been born. It doesnt get more racist and evil than that, and yet an organization  the NAACP  that was at the forefront of the 1960s civil rights movement cant even muster the fortitude to break from Democrats and denounce this horrible person and the industry she spawned.

No wonder Childress is upset.

Read more about the abortion industry at Abortions.news.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

TheNationalSentinel.com

Breitbart.com

BlackChristianNews.comScientists say that a substance in cannabis can potentially yield positive results and a longer lifespan for those suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Cannabidiol or CBD is an element in cannabis that does not have psychoactive effects or the feeling of being high. Instead, it is being explored as a medicinal tool. This time, CBD shows promising results in treating pancreatic cancer, an especially aggressive type of cancer with a very low survival rate.

Cannabis Improve Survival Rates Of Cancer Patients

In the study published in the journal Oncogene, researchers treated mice with pancreatic cancer with a combination of medicinal cannabis and chemotherapy medication Gemcitabine. They discovered that these mice survived longer than those who only received the chemotherapy treatment.

"We found that mice with pancreatic cancer survived nearly three times longer if a constituent of medicinal cannabis was added to their chemotherapy treatment," lead researcher Marco Falasca, a professor from the University of London, explains in a statement to Eurekalert.

If these results could be replicated in humans, he adds, cannabidiol could be used immediately in cancer clinics, since it is already approved for use in clinics.

There are few options for pancreatic cancer treatments available and the five-year survival rate is less than 7 percent, so Falasca stresses the search for new treatments is very urgent for this specific type of cancer.

Aside from boosting the survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients, CBD also improves the quality of life of individuals going through chemotherapy by helping with the side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, among others.

New Treatment Is Welcome, But Caution Should Be Exercised

Professor David Nutt, who is a former government adviser on drugs in the United Kingdom, is happy about the development, telling The Guardian that he suspects this study is only the first in a wave of research documenting the positive effects of cannabinoids in treating cancer.

"I am pleased progress is now being made but very sad for the thousands of people who have died prematurely from treatable cancer because of the lies national governments and the World Health Organization have told about cannabinoids having no medical value, and thus restricting research by placing them in schedule 1," Nutt adds.

On the other hand, Dr. Catherine Pickworth of Cancer Research UK appreciates the new research on tackling pancreatic cancer. Still, she says, it's important to be careful in testing the waters of CBD treatments for cancer, especially since clinical trials have not yet taken place.

"We don't advise patients to use cannabis oil or any alternative therapies to treat cancer," she explains to The Guardian. "Some 'natural' remedies can interfere with medical treatment, so it's really important that patients speak to their doctor before making any decisions."To the Earth, the sun is one of the biggest, most stable constants in the universe as the heart of our solar system.

However, it wasn't always that way as new research confirms the sun's early years were wild and explosive. Scientists describe these tumultuous years akin to a toddler prone to tantrums during the infamous "terrible twos."

The Ancient Blue Crystals Almost As Old As The Sun

As Field Museum explains, the early years of the sun's life has long been a mystery. After all, the sun is 4.6 billion years old and predates the Earth by around 50 million years.

Thus, even with scientific advancements, it's nearly impossible to get ahold of an object in the planet that has an imprint of those early days billions of years ago. Even beyond Earth, hardly anything in the solar system has existed as long as the sun.

In the study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, researchers analyzed ancient blue crystals trapped in meteorites to paint a picture of the young, violent sun. These microscopic crystals containing calcium and aluminum are known as hibonite and are likely to be some of the very first particles ever formed in the solar system.

Prior to the formation of planets, the solar system simply consisted of the sun, which featured a disk of gas and dust spiraling around it. The disk's central region was extremely hot, reaching over 1500 degrees Celsius (2,700 degrees Fahrenheit), and as the disk cooled, the hibonite crystals begin to appear.

"These crystals formed over 4.5 billion years ago and preserve a record of some of the first events that took place in our Solar System," lead author Levke Koop, a post-doc from the University of Chicago and affiliate of Field Museum, says in a statement. "And even though they are so small  many are less than 100 microns across  they were still able to retain these highly volatile nobles gases that were produced through irradiation from the young Sun such a long time ago."

Hibonite Crystals Tell The Story Of A Young Sun

In these early days when the crystals were first formed, the sun was still in its youthful, temperamental stage, constantly blasting out a barrage of protons and subatomic particles into space. Some of these hit the newly created hibonite crystals.

As the protons collided with the calcium and aluminum in the hibonite, the atoms ripped into smaller atoms of neon and helium, which remain trapped into the ancient blue crystals that made its way to Earth as part of meteorites that fell to the planet's surface.

The research team of the recent study analyzed the Murchison meteorite, which fell to Australia in 1969, according to New York Times.

It's these traces of neon and helium that offer the very first concrete evidence of the sun's explosive past of spewing particles into the young solar system.What to Know Joseph James Pappas, 62, should be considered armed, dangerous and possibly suicidal, police say.

Pappas is suspected in the slaying of Dr. Mark Hausknecht, who was gunned down while riding his bike to work July 20.

Police say the suspect is white, very fit and is likely getting around on his 10-speed bicycle.

A man suspected of killing one of former President George H.W. Bush's doctors may have been seeking revenge for his mother, who died on the doctor's operating table more than 20 years ago, authorities said Wednesday.

Joseph James Pappas, 62, should be considered armed, dangerous and possibly suicidal, Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

"There was a lot of planning that went into this. There was a lot of planning and, sadly, some skill," Acevedo said of the July 20 attack on Dr. Mark Hausknecht. Hausknecht was gunned down while riding his bike to work at Houston Methodist Hospital, which is part of the busy Texas Medical Center. Authorities say the shooter rode past Hausknecht before turning around and firing.

A tip on Tuesday led police to suspect Pappas, the chief said, though he didn't elaborate as to the nature of the tip.

Acevedo said Pappas hadn't been seen in 36 to 48 hours. He said the last anyone had heard from Pappas was in a Tuesday morning text message in which Pappas wrote that he was going to kill himself.

Acevedo said police searched his home at 4 a.m. Wednesday and found evidence that ties Pappas to the killing, but he declined to elaborate as to the nature of the evidence.

The chief said Pappas is very fit, and that he's likely getting around on his 10-speed bicycle, which he rides "extensively and almost exclusively."

Friends and family have described Hausknecht as a humble and generous man who was adored by his patients, volunteered in his community and cared about the environment.

Hausknecht was also an avid cyclist and rode his bike to work each morning, as he lived less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from his office.

In 2000, Hausknecht treated Bush for an irregular heartbeat after the ex-president complained about lightheadedness.

Neighbor Jim Herd said he has known Pappas all of his life, having attended the same high school and church as him.

Herd described Pappas as a nice, quiet man who kept to himself and had few close friends.

"He was a loner," he said.

Pappas' house, in which no one was found Wednesday, is in an older, established neighborhood in southwest Houston. Most of the homes are single-story ranch homes with neatly manicured lawns.

Indeed, Pappas kept a neat yard, Herd said, and he saw Pappas mowing his lawn a week after the doctor was slain.

The house was home to Pappas's parents and their family from the time Pappas was born, Herd said, adding that Pappas inherited the house after his father's death about 10 years ago. Since then, Pappas had lived there alone.

Herd said he and Pappas had few words but would wave at each other in passing  the last time on Saturday, when Pappas waved at him as Herd washed his car in his driveway.

Herd said he does not remember ever hearing Pappas speak bitterly about his mother's death or place blame for it. But "it hit him hard," he said, and Pappas stopped attending church for a long time afterward.

After police released photos from surveillance video of the suspect in Hausknecht's slaying, Herd said he thought it resembled Pappas but brushed the notion aside.

"Never in a million years would I have thought it was him," he said.The Cupertino City Council voted 4-0 Tuesday night to table the issue of a so-called head tax that would have cost Apple millions. If they had voted yes on the issue, it would have been decided by voters on the November ballot.

But the council members agreed to defer the idea until they sit down with Apple and other business leaders to discuss other solutions. If nothing works, the issue could be sent to voters in 2020.

The proposed head tax was introduced to help pay for traffic projects. Companies with more than 5,000 employees would have to pay an additional $425 per employee each year. Apple is the only company of that size in Cupertino and would have had to pay an estimated $9.4 million. That number is based on the citys estimate that the tech giant has 24,000 employees in the city limits.

City staff has said the money would be used to ease traffic congestion but offered no specific plans.

The idea was met with strong opposition from the business community at Tuesday nights council meeting.

"[Apple] doesnt have to hire and expand in Cupertino. They could hire and expand in Texas, or overseas, said Matthew Mahood, the President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Organization. Or in Apples case, less than 10 miles away in the city of San Jose, where they own 87 acres and are entitled to build 4.4 million square feet of new office space.

Apples Director of State and Local Government Affairs, Michael Foulkes, also addressed the council.

We stand ready to work with the city and with all of you on transportation issues. It's an issue that affects all of us, he said.

To further convince the city, Apple Vice President Kristina Raspe sent a letter to the council Monday night. It begins, for more than 40 years, Apple has been proud to call Cupertino our home.

She writes the company worked hard to secure enough land to build its new campus in the city, adding Apple invested more than $70 million on public benefits on that project alone.

The letter also states in part, As you know, Apples investment in Cupertino goes far beyond that.

Councilwoman Savita Vaidhyanathan says she was especially touched by the letter, and the fact Raspe mentioned partnering to find solutions on Highway 85 and Stevens Creek Boulevard.

[Apple] actually mentioned that in their letter  it was a huge game changer for us, Vaidhyanathan said.What to Know Firefighters are still battling blazes in Northern Calif., including one that has destroyed more than 1,000 homes near Redding.

That fire alone has forced 38,000 people from their homes and killed six. Officials said it is 35 percent contained.

Just a month into the budget year, California has already spent one quarter of its annual fire budget.

A massive wildfire in Northern California has torched more than 1,000 homes in and around the city of Redding, authorities said Wednesday as some evacuees were allowed to return home and new blazes exploded in what has become an endless summer of flame in the Golden State.

"Whatever resources are needed, we're putting them there," Gov. Jerry Brown said at a news conference. "We're being surprised. Every year is teaching the fire authorities new lessons. We're in uncharted territory."

Just a month into the budget year, the state has already spent more than one-quarter of its annual fire budget, at least $125 million, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Mike Mohler said.

Cal Fire said another 488 buildings, including barns and warehouses, have also been destroyed by the fire, which is now the sixth most destructive in California history.

The 121,000-acre Redding-area blaze, which started July 23, forced 38,000 people from their homes and killed six. It has scorched 189 square miles (490 square kilometers) and is 35 percent contained.

At least three new fires erupted Wednesday in the Sierra Nevada region, including a blaze in Placer County that had consumed 1 1/2 square miles (1,000 acres or 4 square kilometers) of land.

North of San Francisco, a fire threatened homes in an old ranching and farming area near Covelo. About 60 homes were ordered evacuated as the blaze erupted late Tuesday and winds whipped flames through brush, grass, oak, pine and fir near the Mendocino National Forest, officials said.

To the east, another blaze Tuesday night raged through grassy cattle lands near Yuba City, covering more than 1 1/2 square miles (4 square kilometers) in a few hours. The new fires erupted without warning and spread with shocking speed through forest and brush that have literally become tinder, said Scott McLean of CalFire.

"It just goes on and on," McLean said.

"We had this rain at the beginning of the year and all that did was promote the growing of grass and brush," McLean said. "It's a Catch-22. It's growing more product to catch on fire."

He said the state really never left its drought status and several years of significant rainfall are needed to bring the state back. McLean also had a warning for people visiting rural and wilderness areas.

"Pay attention," he said. "Don't park the car on dry grass ... no campfires, no flame. It doesn't take anything to start a fire right now."

The new fire near Covelo was only about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of where twin fires in Mendocino and Lake counties have burned an area three times the size of San Francisco, destroyed 14 homes and threatened 12,000 more.

The Lake County seat of Lakeport remained under evacuation orders and was a virtual ghost town, although people were allowed back home in several smaller communities as firefighters shored up containment lines. Containment grew overnight to 24 percent.

Jessyca Lytle fled a fast-moving wildfire in 2015 that spared her property but destroyed her mother's memorabilia-filled Lake County home.

Lytle found herself listening to scanner traffic Tuesday and fire-proofing her mother's new home as another wildfire advanced.

"Honestly, what I'm thinking right now is I just want this to end," Lytle said, adding that she was "exhausted in every way possible  physically, emotionally, all of that."

Paul Lew and his two boys, ages 13 and 16, evacuated Saturday from their Lakeport home.

"I told them to throw everything they care about in the back of the car," said Lew, 45. "I grabbed computers, cellphones, papers. I just started bagging all my paperwork up, clothes, my guitars."

Lew, who is divorced from Lytle, is camped out at the house in the nearby community of Cobb that she fled in 2015. He is watching over her chickens, sheep and other animals. With a laugh, he said repeated fire alerts have made him an emergency preparation expert.

"It's like three a year," he said. "It's kind of crazy."

In Shasta County's Carr Fire, authorities said Wednesday all those reported missing had been located. A relative identified the latest known fatal victim as Daniel Bush, 62.

Bush had returned to his mobile home in the community of Keswick last Tuesday after undergoing quadruple heart bypass surgery, but he was unable to drive and would have needed help to evacuate when the fire came through the neighborhood on Thursday, his sister, Kathi Gaston, told the Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding.

Gaston said her brother had wanted to stay in his own home, but he had spotty cell service and, with the power out, he might not have gotten word of the fire.

Gaston said she could not get to her brother's house because, with the fire approaching, sheriff's deputies had blocked the roads and then she herself had to evacuate.

"If we'd been able to go in when we wanted to, he'd be alive right now," she said. "I'm very upset about it."

National Park Service officials said Tuesday that the scenic Yosemite Valley and other areas will be closed at least through Sunday due to heavy smoke from the so-called Ferguson Fire. The closure began July 25.

It was the longest closure at Yosemite since 1997, when floods closed the park for over two months.

Authorities on Wednesday also ordered the evacuation of the tiny community of Wawona, south of the park, which has fewer than 200 residents.

Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez contributed to this report.A highway patrol officer who became an internet sensation after he helped rescue a month-old fawn from a Northern California wildfire said Monday he didn't expect the photos to go viral.

On Saturday morning, California Highway Patrol Sgt. David Fawson of San Francisco helped Cal Fire officers rescue a fawn from a fast-growing wildfire in Redding, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) north of San Francisco.

"We were driving through an active fire, when Cal Fire said, 'Can you take a deer out here for us?'" he said. "I held it in my lap as we drove out."

He and his partner took the fawn to safer area miles away, but the baby deer didn't run away like Fawson thought it would.

"It stayed right by me," he said. "When it tried to nurse on one of my fingers, I thought, 'This is truly a young baby.'"

Fawson, 38, said he asked a colleague to take a photo because he knew his four daughters, ages 7, 9, 12 and 15, "would love it." The popularity of the photos online took him by surprise. Pictures of the fawn sitting in his lap in a patrol car and licking his neck have been shared more than 16,000 times on Facebook.

Representatives from Haven Wild Care's fawn rescue program came to retrieve her within two hours. They named her Carra, after the fire she escaped.

Fawson was on a two-day deployment in Redding to help the agency fight the Carr Fire. More than 50 officers from the CHP Golden Gate Division are helping during the wildfire that has destroyed more than 700 homes and claimed six lives in Redding.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Haven Humane Society in Anderson has taken in 500 dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and livestock during the fires.

The Animal Rescue Foundation in Walnut Creek has also taken in dozens of pets displaced by the Carr Fire in Redding, NBC Bay Area reported.

Fawson said thousands of first responders are working to save human lives, structures, and animals. Helping the fawn was a small victory.

"Any one of us would have done that," he said.Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old former Bay Area resident who now lives in a small town in Iowa, has been missing for two weeks, and investigators have few clues as to her whereabouts, officials said.

On Wednesday, investigators said they've looked into a possible sighting of Tibbetts at a truck stop in Missouri, more than 230 miles from where she disappeared, but they provided no other details.

AP/Ahn Young-joon, File

Tibbetts' mother, Laura Calderwood, said she hasn't been contacted about the possible sighting, and she hopes people continue to focus on the search. They're working with Crimestoppers to pursue more leads.

"You know, Crimestoppers is completely anonymous, and I know that theyve had a great amount of success in keeping their leads anonymous," she said.

Last week, the FBI joined the massive search for Tibbetts, who grew up in Oakland and went missing July 18 from Brooklyn, Iowa, authorities said.

That night, Tibbetts left a house in that small town where she was dogsitting to go on an evening jog and hasn't been seen since, authorities said. She did not show up at her job the next morning, according to the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office.

The last thing she did was send a Snapchat of herself to her boyfriend.

"She's not gonna run off. I don't know," Dalton Jack said. "I try not to speculate on it too much because the only thing that comes into your head whenever you're not investigating all the facts is that something bad happened, and you don't, I personally don't, wanna believe that."



Tibbetts is described as 5 feet, 2 inches tall with long brown hair and brown eyes. Investigators said she wears a Fitbit, and they're hoping to get some information from the interactive bracelet.

Family members also are involved in the search and volunteers have been plastering the area with missing posters, according to NBC affiliate KWWL.

"We are looking, we are doing everything we can, and we will never stop. Never," Tibbetts' aunt, Kim Calderwood, told the television station last week.



Tibbetts is a student at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, about 50 miles east of Brooklyn. Sheriff's detectives have not said whether foul play is suspected.

But they said Tuesday that about 30 to 40 investigators, including K-9 units, are working on the case every day, and they've received more than 200 leads, with additional tips coming daily.

The Tibbetts family has been gathering donations for a reward fund for information leading to her safe return home. The reward will be announced Thursday.

NBC Bay Area's Sergio Quintana and Bay City News contributed to this report.Two women were hospitalized after two separate attacks, both involving canes, in San Francisco Tuesday and early Wednesday morning, according to police.

The first incident occurred around 9 a.m. in the first block of Cedar Street, between Larkin and Polk streets.

A 29-year-old woman allegedly walked up to another woman and began swinging a cane at her, striking the victim.

The suspect continued the assault before running east on Cedar Street, police said.

The 39-year-old victim suffered injuries not considered life-threatening. Police were unable to locate the suspect.

Hours later, around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, officers responded to another assault in the first block of Market Street.

The victim, a 67-year-old woman, was sleeping under a bus shelter when a male suspect allegedly came up to her and threatened to hurt her if she didn't move, police said.

The suspect then began attacking her with a walking cane.

She was hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening, according to police.

Officers were able to arrest the suspect, a 24-year-old man. Police did not release his name.Marijuana shops will be prohibited in San Francisco's historic Chinatown following a long discussion and vote Tuesday by the city's Board of Supervisors.

At a meeting, supervisors voted 8-3 to amend the city's planning code to prohibit the dispensaries, whether recreational or medicinal, from setting up shop in the neighborhood.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin, whose district covers the

densely-populated area, introduced the legislation, citing concerns that the pot shops would drive up commercial rental prices, displacing longtime Chinese residents and Chinese-owned and operated businesses.

Supervisors Jane Kim, Ahsha Safai, Sandra Lee Fewer and Katy Tang are co-sponsors of the legislation.

President of the Board, Supervisor Malia Cohen initially said she was "appalled to even be sitting here with this piece of legislation," explaining that she was against a "geographic carve-out for a dispensary-free neighborhood."

"I see this legislation as premature and a backdoor attempt to get special treatment," she said. "We're not a city that should be giving special treatment or deference to any neighborhood. Our role is to be objective."

"I happen to represent the densest, most populous part of the city," Peskin said, adding that Chinatown makes up roughly only 15 city blocks and that there are already more than a dozen pending dispensary permits in adjacent neighborhoods in District 3.

Supervisor Vallie Brown, suggested a temporary moratorium on the shops instead of a ban.

"When you're talking about a small merchant who's been there for years, paying a small price per square foot, versus someone else who can come in and exorbitantly raise the rent, you're no longer able to compete," said

Supervisor Safai. "In this particular conversation, for me, it's really about preserving a part of San Francisco."

"For me, this law is too new and I don't see that gentrification threat happening at the moment because there are simply no applications for cannabis stores in Chinatown," Supervisor Hillary Ronen said.

By the end of the discussion, however, Cohen had a change of heart.

"I'm going to change my position," she said, citing the handful of marijuana dispensaries already existing in District 3 and no current pending applications within Chinatown.

"I'm comfortable that it's within a 14-block, tight jurisdiction and also I think the argument is sound... and that there is enough access for anyone that wants to consume cannabis," she said.

The eventual legislation passed with Brown, Ronen and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman voting against it.What to Know There were 97 passengers and four crew members aboard the Embraer 190

The state civil defense office published photos of a burning but relatively intact plane lying on its belly in a field

Aeromexico said the flight was AM2431 from Durango to Mexico City

An Aeromexico jetliner taking off in a blustery storm smashed down into a nearby field but skidded to a stop virtually intact, and all 103 people aboard were able to escape advancing flames before fire engulfed the aircraft.

Passengers expressed gratitude to be alive, but many were extremely shaken after the crash Tuesday afternoon.

"It was really, really ugly," said Lorenzo Nunez, a passenger from Chicago who fled the plane with his two sons and wife. "It burned in a question of seconds," he told reporters, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

Survivors said the Embraer 190 plane burst into flames right after it hit the ground.

"We felt the flames coming quickly ... there was a lot of smoke," Jaquelin Flores told the newspaper El Sol.

Romulo Campuzano, head of a political party in Durango state who was on the plane, told Foro TV that both wings were on fire as he bolted from the aircraft.

Alberto Herrera, also from Chicago, told NBC's "Today" show he experienced a feeling of "spider sense" that something was awry before the plane went down.

"Essentially, you kind of felt like something was wrong, he said. "At that point I just started out of instinct bracing for impact as the plane started jolting and then slamming into the ground."

He said it was "kind of a miracle that we all made it."

Durango state Gov. Jose Aispuro said a gust of wind hit flight AM2431 heading from the city of Durango to Mexico City just as it was lifting off the tarmac, forcing the pilot to abort takeoff.

Passengers said they heard a loud noise as the plane's left wing banged to the ground, and both engines tore loose. The plane stayed upright, though, and the escape slides activated.

Aispuro said it was too soon to speculate on the cause of the crash. Mechanical failure and human error could be factors, but certainly the weather wasn't favorable. Strong wind and heavy rain with marble-sized hail lashed Durango city, even damaging hangars at the airport.

"The most important thing in the seriousness that is an accident of this nature is that there were no deaths  that's what is most encouraging for us," Aispuro said at a news conference.

After the accident, several passengers walked away from the plane before first responders arrived. Some sought medical help, while others rushed home to loved ones. Officials spent much of the afternoon tracking down survivors to ensure that everyone was accounted for.

Officials said 49 people had been hospitalized  most with minor injuries. The pilot suffered the most serious injury, a cervical lesion that required surgery. Some people had burns on a quarter of their bodies, said Durango state Health Ministry spokesman Fernando Ros.

Aispuro said all were expected to live.

Aeromexico Chief Executive Officer Andres Conesa described the day as "very difficult" and credited the timely reaction of crew and passengers for the lack of fatalities.

"Our heart is with those affected and their families," he said at an evening news conference.

Conesa said the passengers included 88 adults, nine children and two babies and the crew consisted of two flight attendants and two pilots.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico told NBC they are "aware that U.S. citizens were aboard the plane, and we are providing consular services."

Conesa said the jetliner had been sent for maintenance in February and the crew was well-rested, having started their work day in Durango.

The web site Planespotters.net said the Brazilian-made medium-range jet was about 10 years old and had seen service with two other airlines before joining the Aeromexico fleet.

Operations were suspended at Durango city's Guadalupe Victoria airport after the crash.What to Know Paul Manafort's bank fraud and tax evasion trial began Tuesday, with prosecutors saying he considered himself above the law

President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter Wednesday that Manafort only worked for him for a "very short time"

He also called on the attorney general to "stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now," in reference to the special counsel's investigation

President Donald Trump bluntly declared on Wednesday his attorney general should terminate "right now" the federal probe into the campaign that took him to the White House, a newly fervent attack on the special counsel investigation that could imperil his presidency. Trump also assailed the trial, just underway, of his former campaign chairman by the special counsel's team.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders scrambled to explain that Trump's tweet was "not an order" and the president was not directing his attorney general to do anything.

"It's the president's opinion," she said.

But Trump's early morning tweetstorm again raised the specter that he could try to more directly bring special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia-Trump election-collusion probe to a premature end. And it revived the idea that the president's tweets themselves might be used as evidence that he is attempting to obstruct justice.

Meanwhile, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said negotiations are continuing to have Trump sit down for questions from Mueller, though the lawyer said "I'm not going to give you a lot of hope that it's going to happen." He said both sides had exchanged proposals for conditions for such an interview, "and yesterday we got a letter back from them and now we're in the process of responding."

Trump has raged privately in recent days that both the forces of government and the media are trying to undermine him. That includes trumped-up charges against his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and distorting the outcome of the Helsinki summit to make it appear he was beholden to Russia, according to two Republicans close to the White House not authorized to speak about private conversations.

Trump was closely monitoring news coverage of the Manafort proceedings, which provoked the spate of incendiary tweets, according to the two Republicans and two White House officials.

"The president's not obstructing, he's fighting back," said Sanders, dismissing the idea Trump's tweets could be tantamount to obstruction of justice.

The most inflammatory of Trump's tweets said, "This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

The president's anger came the day after the start of the trial of Manafort, who is facing federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. And while Mueller did not bring any election-related charges against Manafort, the specter of the Russian investigation is hanging over the Alexandria, Virginia, courthouse. And Trump's White House.

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders," Trump tweeted. "He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!"

Later the president invoked one of the nation's most notorious criminals, 1920s gangster Al Capone, and posed the question "who was treated worse" while airing his grievance about Manafort being held in solitary confinement ahead of a conviction. Manafort is in detention after having his bail revoked because of allegations that he was attempting to tamper with witnesses in his case. Federal prosecutors revealed last month that he was afforded unusual privileges while in detention.

Trump has spent more than a year trying to distance himself from his one-time top political aide, and to minimize the role Manafort played in his campaign. Trump's protestations aside, Manafort worked on the campaign during a critical six-month period in 2016, during which he led the effort to ensure Trump won the Republican nomination. He oversaw the early days of the general election effort.

Sanders said Trump wants Mueller's investigation concluded swiftly without intervention, though Trump has publicly mused as recently as May about interfering in the Department of Justice's oversight of the probe. "At some point I will have no choice but to use the powers granted to the Presidency and get involved!" he tweeted then.

Trump has repeatedly belittled the probe as "a hoax," as those close to him suggest he feels that any talk of Russian interference tarnishes his electoral victory and delegitimizes his presidency.

One of the president's confidants deemed Trump in "a dark place," seething about the longlasting probe and the media's depiction of his White House under siege. Though long antagonistic toward the press, Trump's anger toward the media has only grown over the past month, as he has berated coverage of his Singapore and Helsinki summits, the possible prosecutorial cooperation of his former legal "fixer" Michael Cohen and the Mueller probe.

After complaining about the tough questions he received from American reporters in Finland, Trump has largely steered clear of the mainstream media, instead opting for safer spaces like an interview with ally Rush Limbaugh this week. From the White House briefing room podium on Wednesday, Sanders declined to denounce the harassment of a CNN reporter during a Trump rally in Florida on Tuesday.

The president's social media outburst renewed discussion of the significance of his tweets.

Rudy Giuliani, the president's lawyer, stressed that Trump was just issuing an opinion, though he also said the White House believes "the investigation should be brought to a close."

"I guess, if we were playing poker  we're not  put up or shut up, what do you got?" Giuliani said. "We have every reason to believe they don't have anything."

When pressed by reporters on how she tells the difference between a presidential order or an opinion, Sanders said Trump makes his intentions "pretty clear."

But the line between registering an opinion or governing by tweet has bedeviled the White House from the start, even when former press secretary Sean Spicer declared tweets could be official White House statements. Earlier this year, Trump blindsided the Defense Department when he tweeted out a transgender ban for the military, prompting the Pentagon to slow walk the program.

Mueller already is interested in some of Trump's tweets to the extent they raise obstruction of justice concerns. Though experts believe obstruction by tweet is possible, prosecutors have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a particular act got in the way of an investigation and that the person who did it intended to obstruct.

The president's tweets on Wednesday were greeted warily on Capitol Hill, with most lawmakers, regardless of party, urging Trump to let the probe run its course.

No. 3 Senate GOP leader John Thune of South Dakota said, "The idea that they should truncate it doesn't make sense to me." Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut went much further, declaring. There is now highly credible evidence that the president of the United States is committing obstruction of justice in real time, right before our eyes."

Meanwhile, during the second day of Manafort's financial fraud trial, witnesses testified Wednesday that he personally directed millions of dollars in international wire transfers to pay for high-end suits and more than $3 million in improvements at his various houses.

The testimony was aimed at bolstering the prosecution's argument that Manafort hid millions of dollars in income from the IRS and used the funds for a lavish lifestyle. The witness accounts were also intended to contradict Manafort's lawyers, who have signaled they will pin blame for any illegal conduct on his longtime deputy, Rick Gates.

The prosecution's focus on Manafort's personal finances  at times laid out in painstaking detail  underscored the vast amount of documents accumulated by special counsel Robert Mueller's team in their case against the longtime political consultant. But it also tried the patience of U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who repeatedly scolded the government's attorneys for what he said was excessive and unnecessary information.

Ellis, who warned prosecutors against using the word "oligarchs" to describe wealthy Ukrainians, several times admonished them for spending so much time documenting Manafort's extravagant lifestyle.

It's not a crime to be wealthy, he noted. And the pejorative term "oligarchs" and evidence of home renovations aren't necessarily relevant to the charges in question, he added.

"The government doesn't want to prosecute somebody because they wear nice clothes, do they?" Ellis said amid testimony that Manafort had spent more than $900,000 on clothing from a boutique retailer where he was one of only about 40 clients. "Let's move on."

Ellis even called out lawyers from both sides for rolling their eyes.

The trial is the first courtroom test for the special counsel, who was tasked last year with investigating Russia's efforts to sway the 2016 election and to determine whether the Trump campaign was involved. So far, Manafort is the lone person to stand trial as a result of the ongoing probe, even though the charges of bank fraud and tax evasion are unrelated to possible collusion.

Still, the trial has pulled back the curtain on the former lobbyist who steered Trump's election efforts for a time, including descriptions of Manafort's $15,000 jacket made of ostrich and the more than $6 million in cash he put toward real estate. One witness, Maximillian Katzman, testified that Manafort spent more than $900,000 at his boutique retailer in New York. He said Manafort was the only business client of his who paid via international wire transfer.

An FBI agent described the July 2017 raid on Manafort's Virginia condominium, saying he knocked multiple times before entering with a key and finding Manafort inside. The searches described by agent Matthew Mikuska found expensively tailored suits and documents related to other luxury items allegedly bought by Manafort, including two silk rugs bought for $160,000 paid from offshore accounts.

But when prosecutors introduced photos of Manafort's high-end condo and expensive suits, Ellis interrupted so as to limit the growing list of evidence jurors would have to consider.

"All this document shows is that Mr. Manafort had a lavish lifestyle," Ellis said. "It isn't relevant."

On the term "oligarchs," Ellis said use of the word implied that Manafort was associating with "despicable people and therefore he's despicable."

"That's not the American way," the judge said.

Prosecutor Greg Andres argued that documenting Manafort's spending for the jury was important to the case.

"Judge, this is not an effort to prove Mr. Manafort lived lavishly," Andres said. "It's evidence of his income."

Ellis seemed to grow impatient after being told that attorneys on both sides were seen rolling their eyes after leaving the bench or in response to his rulings. The lawyers' facial expressions, Ellis said, appeared to show them thinking: "Why do we have to put up with this idiot judge?"

The proceedings clearly caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who defended his 2016 hiring of Manafort and suggested Manafort was being treated worse than mobster Al Capone. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president indeed felt Manafort had been treated unfairly.

"Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation," Trump tweeted Wednesday. "These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!"

Manafort's attorneys are putting the blame on Gates, Manafort's business associate.

Gates was expected to be the government's star witness at trial, but prosecutor Uzo Asonye said he could not say with certainty whether Gates would or would not testify. He later clarified to say that that uncertainty applies to any witness, not just Gates, as the prosecution team assesses the pace of the trial and the evidence it needs.

Asonye also told Ellis that prosecutors expect to rest their case next week, noting that they are "ahead of schedule."

Testimony was to resume Thursday morning with witnesses including bookkeepers and accountants.

Manafort has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the U.S. government.Rudy Giuliani, former New York Mayor and member of President Donald Trump's legal team, headed to New Hampshire Wednesday to endorse Congressional candidate Eddie Edwards.

The Republican is one of five candidates running for the GOP nomination in the 1st Congressional District.

Giuliani endorsed Edwards at a public event at 3 p.m. in Portsmouth.

"This is the kind of person we need, a new person to the party, a new voice for very strong principles that have guided New Hampshire and guided the party," Giuliani said.

Despite throwing his support behind Edwards, questions were directed towards President Trump and the Russian investigation. At first, Giuliani was asked if his support for Edwards could be interpreted as support from Trump as well.

"It is an endorsement for me. Im actually a free citizen. I mean, the President and I agree on almost all political issues, but sometimes we differ on candidates. I have no reason to believe he wouldnt find this gentleman to be a terrific candidate," Giuliani said.

Lately, Giuliani has been in the spotlight almost as much as the president for questioning whether collusion is actually a crime, even as Trump continues to deny any alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election.

Giuliani says he spoke to Trump early Wednesday and weighed in on the president's latest tweet saying Attorney General Jess Sessions should put an end to the Robert Mueller investigation.

"We said this, Jay Sekulow and I, when we heard the statement today, said 'oh goodness, hes saying the same thing we said'", remarked Giuliani. "I said it about two weeks ago, Jeff said it actually just yesterday on Fox that we believe that the investigation should be brought to a close. We think theyre at the end of it."

A private fundraiser for Edwards was scheduled to be held at the home of Wayne Semprini, a former chairman of the New Hampshire GOP, at 6 p.m.

According to Fosters.com, Guiliani and Edwards met earlier this year when Guilani was in New Hampshire for a Republican state senate fundraiser.Former President Barack Obama announced his endorsement of several candidates ahead of the November midterm elections, including six names on the ballot across his home state of Illinois.

At the top of the ticket, Obama gave his support to Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker and his running mate state Rep. Juliana Stratton.

Pritzker, a venture capitalist and billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, is running to unseat incumbent first-term GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner.

As a longtime Democratic fundraiser, Pritzker has deep ties to the party and the endorsement came as little surprise - though Rauner has run several ads containing leaked wiretap recordings of Pritzker - a 2008 Hillary Clinton supporter - using controversial language with disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich in discussing candidates to replace Obama in the U.S. Senate after he was elected president.

Wednesday's endorsement marked the second time Obama has backed Stratton. While he was president in March 2016, Obama offered his support in radio and television ads to help Stratton, a political newcomer, unseat embattled Rep. Ken Dunkin in Illinois' 5th District on Chicago's South Side. That contentious Democratic primary battle was the most expensive House race in Illinois history, drawing Obama back into the local politics of his hometown.

Statewide, Obama also endorsed state Sen. Kwame Raoul for Illinois Attorney General. Raoul faces Republican Erika Harold in the race to replace longtime AG Lisa Madigan, who announced in 2017 that she would not be seeking re-election.

Raoul was appointed to the Illinois State Senate seat Obama vacated when he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, and used that appointment (invoking Obama's name) in television ads to distinguish himself and emerge victorious from a crowded Democratic primary field.

Obama also endorsed Sean Casten, running to replace U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam in the west suburban 6th Congressional District. Roskam is widely seen as one of the most vulnerable Congressional Republicans, as he was one of several Republicans who won by a slim margin in 2016 despite the fact that his district voted in favor of Clinton for president.

The former president also endorsed Brendan Kelly, who is challenging GOP Rep. Mike Bost in Illinois' 12th Congressional District, as well as Lauren Underwood, running to unseat Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren.

The six Illinois endorsements were among dozens of names released Wednesday in what Obama called the "first wave" of his midterm support.

"Im proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidates  leaders as diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted as the America theyre running to represent," Obama said in a statement.

"Im confident that, together, theyll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity thats broadly shared, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law," he continued. "But first, they need our votes  and Im eager to make the case for why Democratic candidates deserve our votes this fall."

Obama planned to campaign in "several states" ahead of the midterm, he said, as well as issue a second round of endorsements ahead of the election on Nov. 6.

The full list of Obama's endorsements reads as follows:

California

Gavin Newsom (Governor)

Eleni Kounalakis (Lt. Governor)

Josh Harder (U.S. House, CA-10)

TJ Cox (U.S. House, CA-21)

Katie Hill (U.S. House, CA-25)

Katie Porter (U.S. House, CA-45)

Harley Rouda (U.S. House, CA-48)

Mike Levin (U.S. House, CA-49)

Ammar Campa-Najjar (U.S. House, CA-50)

Buffy Wicks (State Assembly, District 15)

Colorado

Jared Polis (Governor)

Dianne Primavera (Lt. Governor)

Phil Weiser (Attorney General)

Jena Griswold (Secretary of State)

Tammy Story (State Senate, District 16)

Jessie Danielson (State Senate, District 20)

Brittany Pettersen (State Senate, District 22)

Faith Winter (State Senate, District 24)

Dylan Roberts (State House, District 26)

Dafna Michaelson Jenet (State House, District 30)

Shannon Bird (State House, District 35)

Rochelle Galindo (State House, District 50)

Julie McCluskie (State House, District 61)

Georgia

Stacey Abrams (Governor)

Sarah Riggs Amico (Lt. Governor)

Matthew Wilson (State House, District 80)

Shelly Hutchinson (State House, District 107)

Illinois

J.B. Pritzker (Governor)Juliana Stratton (Lt. Governor)

Kwame Raoul (Attorney General)

Sean Casten (U.S. House, IL-6)

Brendan Kelly (U.S. House, IL-12)

Lauren Underwood (U.S. House, IL-14)

Iowa

Deidre DeJear (Secretary of State)

Tim Gannon (Secretary of Agriculture)

Kristin Sunde (State House, District 42)

Jennifer Konfrst (State House, District 43)

Eric Gjerde (State House, District 67)

Laura Liegois (State House, District 91)



Maine

Louis Luchini (State Senate, District 7)

Laura Fortman (State Senate, District 13)

Linda Sanborn (State Senate, District 30)

Nevada

Jacky Rosen (U.S. Senate)

Susie Lee (U.S. House, NV-3)

Steven Horsford (U.S. House, NV-4)

New Jersey

Andy Kim (U.S. House, NJ-3)

Tom Malinowski (U.S. House, NJ-7)

New Mexico

Debra Haaland (U.S. House, NM-1)

Daymon Ely (State House, District 23)

Natalie Figueroa (State House, District 30)

New York

Antonio Delgado (U.S. House, NY-19)

Anna Kaplan (State Senate, District 7)

North Carolina

Wiley Nickel (State Senate, District 16)

Ron Wesson (State House, District 1)

Terence Everitt (State House, District 35)

Julie Von Haefen (State House, District 36)

Sydney Batch (State House, District 37)

Rachel Hunt (State House, District 103)

Ohio

Richard Cordray (Governor)

Betty Sutton (Lt. Governor)

Steve Dettelbach (Attorney General)

Kathleen Clyde (Secretary of State)

Zack Space (Auditor)

Aftab Pureval (U.S. House, OH-1)

Jill Schiller (U.S. House, OH-2)

Phil Robinson (State House, District 6)

Stephanie Howse (State House, District 11)

Mary Lightbody (State House, District 19)

Beth Liston (State House, District 21)

Allison Russo (State House, District 24)

Erica Crawley (State House, District 26)

Tavia Galonski (State House, District 35)

Casey Weinstein (State House, District 37)

Taylor Sappington (State House, District 94)

Pennsylvania

Madeleine Dean (U.S. House, PA-4)

Susan Wild (U.S. House, PA-7)

Tina Davis (State Senate, District 6)

Liz Hanbidge (State House, District 61)

Carolyn Comitta (State House, District 156)

Texas

Adrienne Bell (U.S. House, TX-14)

Colin Allred (U.S. House, TX-32)Alberto Herrera could tell something wasn't right when the Aeromexico plane he was traveling aboard took off from Mexico Tuesday.

"After the plane takes off we start hitting a lot patchy, patchy, really hard turbulence," he told NBC 5 Wednesday. "You can feel the wind and you can feel the hail hitting the airplane like at maximum speed. Its kind of like we hit the storm, that hail storm, right at its peak so the wind was insane."

Herrera was among several from Chicago onboard the flight that crashed in the northern Mexican state of Durango while en route to Mexico City. Officials said 85 people were injured on that plane.

"You say a little prayer and you hope for the best and you hope you said 'I love you' to the loved ones you left behind here in Mexico and in Chicago," Herrera said.

All 103 people on board made it off the plane.

After the crash, Herrera said he was joined by fellow passenger Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, from The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe church in Des Plaines.

"I asked him if he was hurt. He said he had broken his arm and I asked him if I could help him, if he needed a splint. He said no and then we said a prayer for everybody on board," Herrera said. "There was like 20 of us, we didnt know if everybody got out we were just hoping for the best that everybody got out."

Sanchez was among those taken to the hospital where his condition has stabilized.

"He sustained some injuries but we are grateful to learn he is alert and resting," the Archdiocese of Chicago said in a statement. "We pray for Fr. Sanchez and everyone affected by this plane crash."

The civil defense office of Durango state said the plane landed in a field near the airport for the state capital, also named Durango. The agency published photos of a smoking but seemingly relatively intact plane lying on its belly in a field. Lines of ambulances were waiting at the accident site.

Officials said 49 people had been hospitalized  most with minor injuries. The pilot suffered the most serious injury, a cervical lesion that required surgery. Some people had burns on a quarter of their bodies, said Durango state Health Ministry spokesman Fernando Ros.

The plane tried to take off from Durango city in a severe storm Tuesday. Passenger Dorelia Rivera, of Elmwood Park, told NBC 5 she thought "why in the world are we even taking off.

Within a couple minutes the plane just started shaking, she said from a hospital in Durango. We heard a loud noise behind usand the next thing we knew it was starting to smoke and fire.

She said people were clamouring to get off the plane. She grabbed the only two things she could: her daughters hand and the medicine the child needs to stay alive, she said.

Somebody literally pushed her back so they could get through, Rivera said.

But she doesnt blame the person, she added.

Other members of her group suffered burns and broken bones, she said. Rivera was one of nine passengers from Chicago on the flight.

Gerardo Ruiz Eparza, head of Mexico's Transport Department, said that "the plane fell upon takeoff." He said there were 97 passengers and four crew members aboard.Jessica Tilton wanted to see lava flowing into the ocean off Hawaii's Big Island but thought her sightseeing boat got too close to the explosive phenomenon.

"It was too close for comfort," the 20-year-old from Washington, Illinois, told reporters Tuesday from her Honolulu hospital bed.

She could not estimate how close the boat was but said she expected it would be farther away.

Tilton was on a July 16 tour with her twin 15-year-old sisters and father when an explosion caused by the lava sent molten rock crashing through the roof of the boat, injuring 23 people  her the most seriously. The others had minor burns and scrapes.

A boulder of lava about 2 feet in diameter hit her, breaking her thigh bone and pelvis and leaving her with other injuries.

She was airlifted to Honolulu, where she underwent several surgeries and is working on rehabilitation that focuses on trying to sit up and get into a wheelchair.

Other surgeries were expected, and it was not clear when she will be able to leave the hospital.

Tilton and her family went on the lava tour on the second-to-the-last day of their Hawaii vacation celebrating her parents' 25th wedding anniversary. Her mother, who gets seasick, stayed on land.

Sitting near a railing, Tilton turned to cover one of her sisters when the glowing rock hit.

"I thought it was encased in lava," she recalled. "I thought I was dying."

Two surgeons who were on the boat came to her aid, along with an emergency medical technician who also was injured, Tilton said.

It took more than an hour to get back to shore on rough seas  "the longest hour of my life," she said.

Tilton has to take a leave of absence from the fall semester of her junior year at Bradley University in Illinois. As a contemporary and lyrical jazz dancer, she is hoping she can heal and return to a normal life.

Her parents, Rob and Teresa Tilton, have stayed in Honolulu while their oldest daughter is hospitalized.

"I revisit it every moment," Rob Tilton said. "There's a lot of what-ifs."

Shane Turpin, owner and captain of the vessel, has said he never saw the explosion that rained molten rock down on top of his boat.

He and his tour group had been in the area for about 20 minutes making passes of lava from an erupting volcano as it entered the ocean about 500 yards offshore, Turpin said.

He didn't observe "any major explosions," so he navigated his vessel closer, to about 250 yards from the lava.

Officials have warned of the danger of getting close to molten rock oozing into the sea, saying the interaction can create clouds of acid and fine glass. And whenever hot lava enters much cooler ocean waters, there is the potential for large explosions. Despite the hazards, several companies operate such tours.

The Coast Guard prohibits vessels from getting closer than 984 feet from lava entering the ocean. The agency had been allowing experienced boat operators to apply for a special license to get closer, up to 164 feet, but it stopped allowing those exceptions.A car slammed into a business on Main Street in Wallingford Wednesday.

The car crashed into Ferrauolos restaurant at 315 Main St. Wednesday afternoon.

The owner said he rushed to his business as soon as he heard.

My daughter called to tell me she saw the crash on social media, Todd Ferrauolo told NBC Connecticut. We were closed at the time, so thank God no one was hurt, could have been a lot worse.

Ferrauolo said he is hoping to keep the business open as he rebuilds.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

No other details were immediately available.The man New Haven police were searching for since May in connection with the shootings of two women is dead after a shootout with police in Virginia, according to the New Haven police chief.

The suspect, Tramaine Marquese Poole, 41, is also accused of shooting and killing a Virginia state police dog during a shootout, according to Virginia state police.

Poole was suspected of shooting of his 36-year-old wife on May 7, then shooting and killing 28-year-old Tyekqua Nesbitt in front of her children on May 31, according to police.

Authorities have said the shootings of the two women are connected, but not how.

The family of Tyekqua Nesbitt said they are relieved the manhunt for her killer is over.

Yesterday was a bittersweet moment and sigh of relief for all of us because we know my sister was able to be at rest now," said her sister Latoya Herbert.

Even though he's gone it still does not bring 100 percent peace to me. her soul is at rest but we're still hurting, added Tyekqua's twin Tashauna Nesbitt, who is now raising her sister's two children.



Authorities had been searching for Poole and New Haven's police chief said Wednesday afternoon that Poole is dead after a shootout with Virginia State Police in Sussex County.

Virginia State Police said that a trooper traveling north on Interstate 95 in Sussex County, Virginia at 8:18 a.m. saw a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of Connecticut and tried to stop the driver, but the person sped away.

During the case, someone in the vehicle started shooting at the trooper's vehicle and took exit 24 and the stolen vehicle approached Loco School and Bell roads, where Virginia State Police stopped the stolen vehicle.

Virginia state police fired at the state police vehicles and one of the suspect's bullets pierced a K9 trooper's back passenger window and struck a state police canine riding in the back seat compartment, Virginia state police said, and did not survive his injuries.

Once the stolen vehicle was stopped, state troopers and the suspect enchanged shots were fired and the male suspect died at the scene, Virginia state police.

A female passenger in the suspect vehicle was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

No troopers were injured in the course of the incident.

Virginia state police have not identified the suspect who died in the shootout and a news release from New Haven police said the person Virginia State Police shot "may be" Poole. The positive identification process will likely take some time. Homicide detectives are going to Virginia.

New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell said he is extremely confident the person who died in the shootout is Poole.

Once its absolutely confirmed, an entire community can rest knowing that they are safe and this killer will no longer be able to harm anyone again, today justice was served, Campbell said.

The initial investigation into Poole began his wife contacted authorities at 2:20 p.m. Monday, May 7, as she was being driven to the hospital, and reported that her husband had shot her on Henry Street.

Then police somehow linked him to a fatal shooting nearly three weeks later, on May 31.

Police said Nesbitt was in a car with her two children, ages 6 and 11, when she was shot at Wilmot Road and Wintergreen Avenue in New Haven. During a news conference Tuesday, police said the two shootings are connected.

An arrest warrant for Poole in connection with the May 7 shooting includes charges of first-degree assault, risk of injury, criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and unlawful discharge of a firearm.

Charges for the May 31 slaying include murder, criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, two counts of risk of injury and unlawful discharge of a firearm.New Britain police have made a second arrest in a 14-year-old murder.

Police have charged 41-year-old Sorek Minery, of Burlington, with murder in connection with the death of Paul Sweetman, of Southington in July 2004.

Sweetman was 70 years old when he was killed.

Rudy Hannon, 72, was also arrested in connection with the case and charged with murder.

Warrants for both suspects are sealed.

Minery has been charged with murder and felony murder.

He was held on a $5 million bond and is due in court today to be arraigned.

New Britain police, along with Connecticut State Police, the Southington Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Connecticut Forensic Science Lab, and the States Attorneys Office have been investigating.What to Know Virginia Republican Denver Riggleman said he wrote a book about the "mating habits" of Bigfoot but that it's not erotic.

A Democratic rival said on Twitter, "This is not what we need on Capitol Hill."

Riggleman said his posts were part of a running joke with friends, taken out of context.

Bigfoot is now a campaign issue in a Virginia race for U.S. Congress.

Democratic candidate Leslie Cockburn took to Twitter on Sunday to accuse her Republican opponent Denver Riggleman of being a devotee of Bigfoot erotica.

Riggleman said the attack stems from satirical Instagram posts depicting a nude Sasquatch.

Riggleman told News4 that he does not believe Bigfoot exists but that he's fascinated by the mythology of the ape-like creature.

He accused Cockburn of taking out of context pieces of a long-running joke hes had with friends. He said he didnt know a subset of erotic fiction depicting sexual encounters with Sasquatch existed until Cockburn brought it up.

"This has been one of the most bizarre, surreal and funny things Ive ever experienced," he said.

The two are running in Virginias 5th Congressional District. It runs from the North Carolina border to Northern Virginia and includes Charlottesville.

The seat is currently held by Republican Tom Garrett, who announced that he's an alcoholic and will not seek re-election.

Cockburn's first tweet about Bigfoot is accompanied by a screenshot of an Instagram post showing a hand-drawn hairy, bearded figure with a censored bar over the groin area.

The Instagram caption says Cover art for #matinghabitsofbigfoot almost complete. I hide nothing in this magnificent tome. Dont erase the censor box.

My opponent Denver Riggleman, running mate of Corey Stewart, was caught on camera campaigning with a white supremacist. Now he has been exposed as a devotee of Bigfoot erotica. This is not what we need on Capitol Hill. pic.twitter.com/0eBvxFd6sG  Leslie Cockburn (@LeslieCockburn) July 29, 2018

Cockburn then tweeted a second screenshot depicting Sasquatch with another censored bar and a crudely pasted square photos of Riggleman on the head.

The caption reads, My buddies thought this pic was fitting for my birthday next week and to celebrate my new book release in about a month or 2 Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him

The tweets caught fire, and the story has gotten national coverage.

The Cockburn campaign declined to say whether they had evidence Riggleman had written Bigfoot erotica.

"Sounds to me like the same old 'locker room talk defense. Denver is just more of the same, Cockburns campaign manager, Louise Bruce, said in a statement.

Riggleman said he did write a book titled "The Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him," but its not erotic fiction. The cover image he posted on Instagram was a joke from a friend, he said.

Riggleman said the unpublished book is a collection of Bigfoot stories shared among friends for more than a decade.

All of the stuff you see is just 14 years of joking, he said.

Riggleman told News4 he helped write a short story with outdoors writer Don Barone. It is titled, Bigfoot Exterminators Inc. The Partially Cautionary, Mostly True Tale of Monster Hunt 2006.

Yes-I wrote a book about Bigfoot believers. Bigfoot pics by military bubbas are meant to be funny. I didn't know what Bigfoot Erotica was until @LeslieCockburn mentioned it. Weird things happening in her campaign-Let's stick to issues and Leslie's book. #bigfoot #DangerousLiaison  Denver Riggleman (@Denver4VA) July 30, 2018

Riggleman, who is a co-owner of Silverback Distillery in Nelson County, Virginia, accused Cockburn of distracting voters with the erotica allegations posted to her Twitter account.

During the campaign, Cockburn has faced accusations of anti-Semitism, and Riggleman has been accused of supporting white supremacists.

The Republican Party of Virginia accused Cockburn, a former investigative journalist, of anti-Semitism over a 1991 book she co-authored. She has denied the claim.

The book, called "Dangerous Liaison: The Inside Story of the U.S.-Israeli Covert Relationship," examines the history of relations between the two nations.

Melvin Leffler, a public policy scholar and history professor at the University of Virginia, told The Roanoke Times "the book contains no evidence that Cockburn is anti-Semitic."

Bruce did not address the Virginia GOP's allegations that Cockburns book was anti-Semitic.

Bruce drew a stark contrast between the two candidates, warning Riggleman would continue Garretts far right voting record.

She tied his candidacy to Senate hopeful and Republican firebrand Corey Stewart. Cockburn took on Washington special interests when she was a journalist and gave voice to people unable to speak for themselves, her spokeswoman said.

The pro-Democrat group Blue Virginia accused Riggleman of campaigning with Isaac Smith, who they called a white supremacist. Smith is one of the founders of Unity and Security for America, according to The Washington Post. The newspaper called the organization "a fledgling group that calls for 'defending Western Civilization.'"

Riggleman wrote an editorial published in the Roanoke Times on July 25 renouncing white supremacy.

He quipped Monday that Cockburn's mudslinging may not play well in the rural areas of the district, warning she could be "alienating Bigfoot voters."

At 11 a.m. Tuesday, the two Democrats vying to become Connecticuts next lieutenant governor rolled out their latest slates of endorsements.

For Eva Bermudez Zimmerman, her list was a group of lawmakers in the Connecticut General Assembly who have been looking to pull the Democratic agenda further to the left. She held her event in front of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

Susan Bysiewicz made her announcement in Milford, and was flanked by a handful of local leaders like mayors and first selectmen who were all backing Bysiewicz to be the Democrats nominee.

"We're putting up a very balanced ticket with Susan as lieutenant governor, said Derrylyn H. Gorski, Bethanys first selectman.

That distinction is key because Lamont announced Bysiewicz as his preferred running mate before the partys May nominating convention.

The Democrats in Bermudez Zimmermans corner, however, believe their candidate is a better reflection of the party.

"Eva represents what we say we are as a party, said Sen. Gary Winfield, a state senator who turned down the opportunity to run for lieutenant governor after weeks of contemplating it.

Winfield was joined by Sen. Martin Looney, Rep. Josh Elliott, Rep. Robyn Porters and many others, who are all considered to be further to the left than many of their Democratic colleagues.

They argue that Bermudez Zimmerman could provide a voice in the campaign that is currently missing on the Democratic side.

"I think working class people resonate with Eva's message and I do think being a part of this whole effort since the convention that the support for Eva is more diverse than people might think it is," Winfield said.

For Bysiewicz, her closing argument has to do with experience. She served multiple terms as both a legislator and secretary of the state, which she says, makes her the ideal selection to join the Democratic ticket as the nominee.

"My opponent has never won elective office, Bysiewicz said. "Whoever fills that role will have to preside over the state Senate and I believe that legislative experience is critical to that and I'm the only lieutenant governor race on the Democratic side of the aisle that brings that sort of experience to the presider role."Its been around for 170 years, the last two cloaked in controversy, but Tuesday spelled the end for Dallas County Schools.

Voters last year elected to begin shutting down DCS in the wake of a scandal first uncovered by NBC 5 Investigates.

But while the DCS logo is down, an ongoing FBI investigation continues, one that has so far secured federal guilty pleas from the school bus agency's former superintendent, who admitted taking bribes, and a Louisiana businessman, who admitted facilitating those bribes.

Meanwhile, school buses in Dallas County carry a different name, taken from area school districts that have inherited the job of taking kids to class.

"Every day you wondered if somebody was going to come in and shut you down because you hadn't paid the debt," said Alan King, chief executive officer of the committee picked to dissolve DCS, while trying to figure out how to pay off its massive debts.

"It was an agonizing journey," King said.

As far back as four years ago, NBC 5 Investigates began asking questions about why DCS was continuing to purchase surveillance cameras for its buses, also known as "stop-arm" cameras, despite losing millions of tax dollars in the transactions.

Another question: What was the relationship between Rick Sorrells, at the time DCS' superintendent, and Robert Leonard, owner of the company that was selling the cameras to the bus agency?

Part of the answer to that question, NBC 5 Investigates found, was that Sorrells and Leonard had a personal relationship, including having side-by-side vacation apartments in New Orleans' storied French Quarter.

Then in April, Sorrells pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge, admitting he took $3 million in bribes in exchange for awarding the camera contracts to Leonard's company, Force Multiplier Solutions.

That plea followed that of Slater Swartwood Sr., a Louisiana businessman and close associate of Leonard's, who pleaded guilty to money laundering for being the middle man in the bribery scheme.

While not addressing the DCS investigation specifically, Eric Jackson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Dallas, said, "I promised the community that we would work in a quiet manner, and we would work hard, to bring justice to those individuals that use their positions of trust to benefit from."

Leonard, whose home and business were raided by the FBI last year, has not been charged with a crime.

His attorney has not responded to recent requests for a comment. But in a past phone interview, Leonard said he had done nothing wrong and blamed the camera program's failure on mismanagement by Sorrells and others at DCS.

Sources with knowledge of the investigation told NBC 5 Investigates that the FBI has also been asking questions about Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway.

In an interview with NBC 5 in January, Caraway said he accepted tens of thousands of dollars from the same company Swartwood used to pay bribes at DCS.

He said the money was for real estate consulting work he did for Swartwood, with no connection to DCS.

Caraway denied any wrongdoing.

At DCS headquarters, there was nothing to mark its last day of business.

And while their superintendent has fallen in disgrace, DCS' many employees  bus drivers, school crossing guards, secretaries, to name a few  won praise for sticking it out.

"Had they not been here it would have made it almost impossible to finish the year," said King, the dissolution committee's CEO.

"So we were blessed to have those people around," King said, adding, "Blessed they stuck it out with us. And those are the ones who are going to feel the pain the most."

While DCS is gone, the shutdown committee will remain for another five years  the time needed for taxpayers to pay off the tens of millions of dollars in debt, all because of what was going on behind the cameras.Oklahoma police said a woman fled to Texas after shooting her roommate and setting their home on fire.

The Oklahoman reports that Cooke County sheriff's deputies arrested 21-year-old Kristen Elizabeth Jones on Monday during a traffic stop near Gainesville, Texas. She was booked into the Oklahoma County jail Tuesday on charges of murder, arson and desecrating a corpse.

The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office alleges Jones fatally shot 23-year-old Miranda Pederson following a fight over the roommate texting Jones' fiance. An affidavit says Pederson stabbed Jones in her hand. Court documents say Jones then shot Pederson and tried to burn the house to hide the evidence.

A burned body was allegedly found Monday at a home near Luther. Investigators are waiting for formal identification from the state medical examiner.

Authorities said Jones admitted to the crimes when she was arrested.A Michigan mother sued the city of Flint on Tuesday, alleging a school resource officer handcuffed her 7-year-old son for about an hour during an afterschool program in 2015.

The federal lawsuit alleges that the boy, who suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, was handcuffed after kicking a cart and running around bleachers during an afterschool program in October 2015.

The boy's mother, Chrystal McCadden, said that when she was arrived at the school, her 55-pound son was sitting on a foyer bench with his hands behind his back -- and the officer didn't have a key to the handcuffs.

"When I walked in, he just jumped up and started crying," McCadden told reporters during a news conference shortly after the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced the lawsuit.

McCadden said the officer told her the key to the handcuffs was being brought to the building by another officer.

"How do you handcuff someone and don't have a key?" she said Tuesday. "How do you handcuff a 7-year-old child?"

Her lawsuit seeks monetary damages and asks a judge to declare the officer's actions unlawful. Her son is now 10.

Along with the city, the lawsuit was filed against Flint's police chief, the school resource officer who handcuffed the boy and the Flint-area chamber of commerce that ran the afterschool program.

A spokeswoman for Flint said city officials haven't yet seen the lawsuit but that the city doesn't comment on pending litigation. The Associated Press also left a message Tuesday seeking comment from the chamber of commerce.

"The police should be dealing with crime and punishment," said Jonathan Marko, McCadden's attorney. "They should be policing our streets. They should not be policing our schools. They are not equipped to deal with children, especially children with disabilities."Three alleged hackers from Ukraine have been arrested on hacking and identity theft charges in a wide-ranging and yearslong malware campaign that took aim at U.S. companies, according to federal prosecutors in Seattle.

The hackers allegedly took part in hacks that targeted more than 100 American companies, like Chipotle, Chili's and Arby's, and stole 15 millions of credit and debit card numbers, which were sold on the dark web. Justice Department officials said Wednesday the hackers were administrators or supervisors in a prominent, international hacking ring called FIN7.

"The naming of these FIN7 leaders marks a major step towards dismantling this sophisticated criminal enterprise," said Jay Tabb Jr., special agent in charge of the FBI's Seattle field office, in a statement.



Officials said that Fedir Hladyr, 33, was arrested in Germany in January and Dmytro Fedorov, 44, was arrested in Poland around the same time. Andrii Kolpakov, 30, was arrested in Spain in June. Hladyr has been brought to the U.S. while the others are still awaiting extradition.

Since at least 2015, the FIN7 hacking ring hacked into computer networks in all but three U.S. states along with more networks abroad, prosecutors said. Some companies have disclosed that they were hacked by FIN7, like Chipotle, Chili's and Arby's; prosecutors said the hackers used email messages and follow-up phone calls that appeared legitimate.

FIN7 also recruited hackers through a front company called Combi Security that listed some victims as purported clients, according to prosecutors.

What to Know Two wildfires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties threaten more than 12,000 structures

The Carr fire near Redding has wiped out nearly 900 homes and killed six people

The Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park has left eight firefighters hurt and two dead

Firefighters reported progress Tuesday in their battle against the wildfires that have ravaged some of Northern California's most scenic areas, including twin blazes that were tearing through vineyards and brush-covered hills and threatening more than 12,000 structures.

The River and Ranch fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties had burned 10 structures along 125 square miles of rural land and were 12 percent contained as of Tuesday evening. Fire crews were able to slow the spread of one of the blazes into populated areas and instead the flames pushed into the Mendocino National Forest.

Through all the damage and fear caused by the Carr Fire, some families returned to their homes Tuesday night as evacuation orders were lifted for the first time in the Redding area. Cheryl Hurd reports.

"Just because you see a big column (of smoke) standing up every day does not mean we're not having some success in the fire line," Cal Fire Battalion Chief John Messina told a community meeting in Lake County.

He urged people to stay vigilant because fires can easily jump over containment lines.

Evacuation orders were in effect for the 4,700-resident town of Lakeport, along with some smaller communities and a section of the national forest. In all, some 19,000 people have been warned to flee, fire officials said.

Lakeport, north of San Francisco, is the county seat and a popular destination for bass anglers and boaters on the shores of Clear Lake. But by Monday night it was a ghost town, the main streets deserted.

A few miles away, embers, ash and smoke swirled through vineyards where at least one home had gone up in flames. Firefighters set blazes at the bottom of hills to burn up the tinder-dry brush before flames cresting the ridge tops could feed on it and surge downhill. A fleet of aircraft made continuous water and fire retardant drops, filling the air with the roar of their engines.

But not everyone heeded the orders to evacuate.

Derick Hughes II remained behind at his property in Nice, California, where he ran sprinklers on his roof and removed yard plants that could catch fire.

The 32-year-old Marine Corps veteran sent his wife and two daughters to safety along with three carloads of belongings. But he said he had too much at stake to leave himself. He bought his three-bedroom house last year using a loan from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"This is everything I bled for, and I've worked really hard to get to where I am, and I'm just not willing to give it up so easily," he said over the phone. "Some people may think that's selfish of me, and I have insurance. But the way things go, I'd rather not start over."

About 100 miles north, the Carr Fire has burned more than 965 homes and killed six people in and around Redding.

On Tuesday, Cal Fire identified the private dozer operator who died while battling the blaze last week as Don Smith. The agency said Smith "was dedicated to helping serve the people of California as a Cal Fire contracted dozer operator."

The Carr Fire is the seventh most destructive wildfire in California history, fire officials said, having scorched 112,888 acres, or 176 square miles.

Cal Fire incident commander Bret Gouvea said he was cautiously optimistic about progress made against the fire, the Record-Searchlight newspaper of Redding reported.

"We're turning the corner," he said, adding that he hates "saying those things (because) this thing has made me a liar so many times."

More than 27,000 people remained evacuated from their homes, although another 10,000 were allowed to return Monday as fire crews reinforced lines on the fire's western edge. The fire was 30 percent contained.

Those fires were among 15 large blazes burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit.

Firefighters from 10 other states are helping battle the blazes, with six more states expected to send firefighting resources to California this week.

In Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, an arson fire that destroyed seven homes last week was 82 percent contained Monday.

Fire crews also have battled numerous small brush fires this summer, most charring only a few acres but still threatening homes in built-up areas along parched foothills. A 10-acre fire damaged 13 homes and apartments Monday in Santa Clarita, northwest of Los Angeles, county fire officials said.

McLean said there was no guarantee of safety in a state that has been ravaged by years of drought, turning trees and brush to tinder.

"Anything could happen anywhere. That's the nature of the beast for all of these fires," he said. "The vegetation is so dry all it takes is a spark to get it going."

Burning for more than two weeks, the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park has charred at least 90 square miles and is 33 percent contained. Eight firefighters have suffered injuries battling the blaze. Two firefighters have died.

Associated Press writers Lorin Eleni Gill and Olga Rodriguez also contributed to this report.The number of "ghost guns" continues to rise, police say, prompting officials to fear a new era of guns that law enforcement cant track, NBC News reported.

Parts are selling out for ghost guns, which are homemade assault-style rifles that exist under the radar of police. The parts fall short of meeting the federal definition of being guns themselves, but together they can be shaped and fastened into full-fledged killing machines.

The rise of 3D-printed weapons and ghost guns has lawmakers so alarmed that they're calling for stricter regulation. Neither printed weapons nor ghost guns have serial numbers that would enable law enforcement to track them and both are available in plastic, which could bypass metal detectors.

On Tuesday, a federal judge granted a request for a temporary restraining order that prevents a man behind one Austin, Texas-based nonprofit from publishing plans for making the untraceable guns.

There is a whole lot of Texas represented in a recent ranking of the 50 Most Dangerous Highways in the United States.

Eleven of the 50 highways  roughly 1 in 5  are in the Lone Star State, according to a report by the personal finance website Value Penguin.

Three of those highways - Interstate 20, Interstate 35 and US 175  run through North Texas. I-20 in Texas was ranked the 6th most dangerous highway, I-35 was ranked 20th and 175 was ranked 42nd.

A lot of factors went in to determining how dangerous these highways are, according to author Dr. David Ascienzo, including:

 Fatal crashes per vehicle: Miles-traveled per capita, which highlighted highway stretches which have a disproportionate number of fatal crashes compared to the number of people who drive on it, according to Ascienzo.

 Fatalities per crash.

 Percentage of fatal non-vehicle collisions, which was meant to serve as a proxy for inherent risk factors that arent due to dealing with other reckless drivers, Ascienzo explained.

The report singled out Dallas County as the location where the majority of the fatal crashes along all three local highways happened during the six-year-period studied (2010-2016).

According to data culled from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations Fatality Analysis Reporting System (NHTSA-FARS), there were 490 fatal crashes along I-20 in Dallas County that resulted in 594 deaths. Along I-35 in Dallas County there were 590 fatal crashes that resulted in 644 deaths. And along US 175 there were 74 fatal crashes that resulted in 89 deaths.

A representative from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) did not dispute the rankings or the data, but emphasized that there are multiple efforts made to improve driver safety.

Safety is our number one priority, said Donna Simmons, of the TxDOT Dallas District. We aim to reduce the number of fatalities and crashes on our roads every day. From inception to completion, design to construction, our engineers are committed to designing and constructing the safest roads possible.

In addition, Simmons pointed to the many statewide educational campaigns TxDOT sponsors each year:

 Faces of Drunk Driving



 Drink Drive Go to Jail - Labor Day Campaign



 Talk Text Crash - Distracted Driving



 Teen Click It or Ticket



 Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles



 Click It or Ticket



 Save Me With A Seat - Child Passenger Safety



 Be Safe Drive Smart - includes Work Zone Safety, Move Over Slow Down, Back to School, I35, Energy Sector, Pedestrian/Bike Safety, and/or other general topics

Beyond those campaigns, Simmons indicated TxDOT has made $1.3 billion of improvements to I-35E through Dallas and Denton counties, including $798 million in improvements to the Horseshoe Project  a redesign of the I-35E interchange with Interstate 30 near downtown Dallas. Farther south, Simmons noted that $666 million is being spent on the Southern Gateway project to reconstruct I-35E south of downtown Dallas. And along I-20 through Dallas County, TxDOT is in the process of making more than $61 million of improvements to frontage roads and ramp modifications to enhance the safety of the interstate, Simmons said.

Another portion of the Most Dangerous Highways report focused on the frequency of fatal crashes involving a drunk driver.

According to the Value Penguin report, 44.5 percent of all fatal crashes along Interstate 20 in Texas involved a drunk driver. Those percentages were 39.5 percent along I-35 and 34.5 percent along US 175. Those figures are all noticeably higher than the 28.7 percent overall national average frequency of fatal crashes involving a drunk driver.

Two recent incidents along Interstate 20 that would be included in these statistics if they happened earlier involve the deaths of a Dallas police officer and a young mother.

Dallas police Senior Corporal Earl Jamie Givens, 55, was hit and killed on his motorcycle last month while on-duty and working a funeral escort. Givens had shut down the eastbound on-ramp from Bonnie View Road onto Interstate 20 when a reportedly drunken driver hit him.

In April, Amberly McCray, 23, was killed by an accused drunk driver, who was headed the wrong way when he hit her head-on along Interstate 20 in Duncanville. McCray left behind a large family, including a nine-month-old son.

McCrays pastor, Denny D. Davis of St. John Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, presided over her funeral.

It's a senseless death. It's an untimely death. And nothing is more painful than to see somebody die at an early age at no fault of their own, Pastor Davis said. And then to leave a small child behind - it is most devastating, and actually tears a family apart.

Pastor Davis is in Illinois this week, visiting his father who is in the hospital after being hit by a drunk driver. In addition, Pastor Davis noted that he is, himself, only a few years removed from being hit head-on by a drunk driver.

If you know you had more than you should have, own it. Stop telling yourself you can drive or that you can handle it, Pastor Davis said. Too much pride, I think, often interferes with sound judgment when it comes to drinking.What to Know A Boynton Beach Police statement Wednesday says 27-year-old Sherlie Tesyeux of Delray Beach was arrested Sunday

Tesyeux was charged with elderly neglect and released on bond from the Broward County jail

Two other nursing home employees also face charges for allegedly duct-taping a 67-year-old woman to a chair

A third South Florida nursing home employee has been charged with using duct tape to restrain a patient with dementia.

A Boynton Beach Police statement Wednesday says 27-year-old Sherlie Tesyeux of Delray Beach was arrested Sunday at Fort Lauderdale International Airport after returning from Haiti.

Police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater says Tesyeux was charged with elderly neglect and released on bond from the Broward County jail.

Two other nursing home employees also face charges for allegedly duct-taping a 67-year-old woman to a chair on July 3 and using tape to cover her mouth to quiet her. Lashron Williams, 52, and Phygelle Brudent, 44, were arrested last month.

A probable cause affidavit says Tesyeux was present when the victim was restrained, but did not stop nor report what the others did.

A phone message left for Tesyeux wasn't immediately returned.What to Know Broward County Public Schools said Wednesday that it has stopped its recently announced internal investigation into the MSD shooting

A South Florida school district is suspending its internal investigation into the Parkland school massacre, saying it conflicts with a state inquiry.

Broward County Public Schools said Wednesday that it has stopped its recently announced internal investigation into the killing of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February.

Stoneman Douglas staff members are about to be interviewed by the state commission investigating the shooting and the district says it didn't want to subject them to a second round of questioning.

"We recognize that the MSD staff is continuing to recover from this tragedy. To avoid asking them to participate in duplicate interviews and to streamline the process, the District has decided to suspend its internal review, and give priority to the MSD Commission's investigation," the district said in a statement.

The district had announced last week that it had hired a retired Secret Service agent to do an internal investigation about staff performance before and during the shooting.

The district says the state commission has promised to share its findings with the district.Ten months after Hurricane Irma blew through South Florida, many people are still waiting to have their roof repaired or replaced.

"Every time it was raining, it was leaking," said Jorge Andrade.

He hired Home Depot in October 2017 to replace his leaky roof.

He was told he'd have to wait but was given an approximate start date in mid-December.

But when the New Year came and he still didn't have a new roof, he got impatient so he contacted the store.

"They said they didn't have subcontractors. They didn't have people to work in my roof," Andrade recalled.

The work finally started on his roof in March.

But when it failed to pass inspection, he called NBC 6 Responds.

Jenny Vargas also called NBC 6 Responds when work hadn't started in time for hurricane season. She signed her contract with Home Depot in January.

In a statement The Home Depot told us, "Last year's storms created intense demand on roofing and labor that isn't unique to The Home Depot. Regardless, we always want to communicate project timelines clearly and apologize to the Andradeses and Vargases for the inconvenience."

The Roofing Contractors Association of South Florida agreed that a wait is common blaming too few people to do all the work that's here and along the west coast of the state. They say there's also a shortage of materials like some roof tiles.

Jorge Andrade has a new roof that's passed inspection. He was also refunded $1,000 for the delays.

"I don't want anybody else go through what we went through with a roofing project," he said.

And while he's upset at how long it took, his contract includes words like "anticipated delivery date" and "approximate finish date."

Jenny Vargas has her new roof now too. But nothing was put in as a completion date in her contract. It was left blank.

Real estate attorney Juan Perez says the wording used in a contract gives contractors leeway.

"Anytime you have language of 'approximate start date', 'approximate finish date,' it really says well it might start here, it might start there but if it doesn't we're still okay under the terms of the contract," he explained. "What you're signing is what you're going to get so when if there's no specific language as to start time and end time or finish time then you've kind of left that term open."What to Know A judge issued a temporary restraining order to stop the release of blueprints to make untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns

Health officials in Westchester County say mosquitoes in Yonkers have tested positive for West Nile virus

Jennifer Lopez's two-decade music career will be honored at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards, the network announced

Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Judge Temporarily Halts Release of Downloadable Plans for 3D-Printed Guns

A federal judge in Seattle has issued a temporary restraining order to stop the release of blueprints to make untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns. Eight Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit seeking to block the federal government's settlement with a Texas-based gun group that makes the plans available online. They also sought a restraining order, arguing the 3D guns would be a safety risk. The group, Austin, Texas-based Defense Distributed, had reached a settlement with the federal government in June that allows it to make the plans for the guns available for download. The restraining order puts that plan on hold for now.

All Survive Crash of Jetliner, Some Walk From Wreck

An Aeromexico jetliner taking off in a blustery storm smashed down into a nearby field but skidded to a stop virtually intact, and all 103 people aboard were able to escape advancing flames before fire engulfed the aircraft. Passengers expressed gratitude to be alive, but many were extremely shaken after the crash. Survivors said the Embraer 190 plane burst into flames right after it hit the ground. Romulo Campuzano, head of a political party in Durango state who was on the plane, told Foro TV that both wings were on fire as he bolted from the aircraft. Durango state Gov. Jose Aispuro said a gust of wind hit flight AM2431 heading from the city of Durango to Mexico City just as it was lifting off the tarmac, forcing the pilot to abort takeoff.

North Korea Provided Just 1 Dog Tag With Sets of War Remains

When North Korea handed over 55 boxes of bones it said are remains of American war dead, it provided a single military dog tag but no other information that could help U.S. forensics experts determine their individual identities, a U.S. defense official. The official, who discussed previously undisclosed aspects of the remains issue on condition of anonymity, said it probably will take months if not years to fully determine individual identities from the remains, which have not yet been confirmed by U.S. specialists to be those of American servicemen. The official did not know details about the single dog tag, including the name on it, or whether it was even that of an American military member. During the Korean War, combat troops of 16 other United Nations member countries fought alongside U.S. service members on behalf of South Korea. Some of them, including Australia, Belgium, France and the Philippines, have yet to recover some of their war dead from North Korea. The 55 boxes were handed over at Wonsan, North Korea and flown aboard a U.S. military transport plane to Osan air base in South Korea, where U.S. officials catalogued the contents. After a repatriation ceremony at Osan, the remains began their journey home.

Mosquitoes in Westchester Test Positive for West Nile, Officials Say

Health officials in Westchester County say mosquitoes in the area have tested positive for West Nile virus. The Journal News reports the Westchester County Health Department confirmed two batches of mosquitoes collected in Yonkers tested positive for the virus. There were 134 batches tested in the county. According to officials, there were three reported cases of West Nile virus in the county last year. Westchester County Commissioner of Health Sherlita Amler said in a statement residents should remove standing water that sits near their homes. Amler added that people spending time outdoors should use repellents "from dawn to dusk." Most people don't develop any symptoms, but those who do may have fever, headache, vomiting and diarrhea.

J.Lo to Receive Michael Jackson Vanguard Award at MTV VMAs

Jennifer Lopez's two-decade music career will be honored at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. The network announced Lopez will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award on Aug. 20 at Radio City Music Hall. Lopez, who last performed at the VMAs in 2001, will also perform at the show. The Bronx-bred performer has released multiple hits and memorable, dance-heavy music videos since the late 1990s, including "If You Had My Love," ''Waiting for Tonight," ''I'm Real" and "Jenny From the Block." Past recipients of the Vanguard award include Madonna, Guns N' Roses and Beyonce.

Andy Spade Pays Tribute to Late Wife; Opens Up About Difficult Time

Nearly two months after her death, Kate Spade's husband Andy paid tribute to the iconic fashion designer in an Instagram tribute as he also revealed some insight into the difficult time he's going through since her passing. She was born Christmas Eve, 1962, Spade, 55, wrote. She loved the Midwest, the desert, and the city. I was lucky enough to have dear friends let my daughter and stay at their home through a difficult time. He continued, This tree was standing alone beside the house so we ordered those multicolored, old fashioned lights from Amazon or Target and another dear personal friend gave me a really long extension cord and Bea and I cut a star out of the cardboard box the lights came on and wrapped it in Reynolds wrap like we do every Christmas. Spade shared a photo of the small brightly lit tree amid the desert background.

Demi Lovato's Sober, About Relapsing, Re-Enters Billboard Chart

Demi Lovato's song about relapsing has re-entered the Billboard chart a week after she was hospitalized for a reported overdose. "Sober," released last month, jumped to No. 56 this week on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after being absent from the chart last week. Nielsen Music says "Sober" earned 7.2 million streams and sold 18,000 tracks in the tracking week ending July 26. Lovato was hospitalized July 24. "Sober" turned heads when it was released since 25-year-old Lovato had celebrated six years of sobriety in March. On the song she sings: "Momma, I'm so sorry I'm not sober anymore/And daddy please forgive me for the drinks spilled on the floor."What to Know The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced the cause of death for slain teen Lesandro Guzman-Feliz

The OCME said Wednesday the Bronx teens June 20 death was a stab wound to the neck and classified the death as a homicide

Alleged gang members have been indicted on murder, manslaughter, conspiracy and other charges

The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced the cause of death for slain teen Lesandro Guzman-Feliz.

The OCME said Wednesday the teens death in the Belmont area of the Bronx was a stab wound to the neck, and classified the death as a homicide.

The murder of 15-year-old Guzman-Feliz, who was known as Junior, has captivated the community and public interest, partly because the brutal June 20 attack was caught on surveillance video where the teen is seen being dragged outside the bodega and attacked by a gang of five men who stabbed him with knives and hacked him with a machete as he struggled to defend himself.

The boy was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away.

A dozen people appeared in court facing charges related to the death of 15-year-old Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, who was killed in the Bronx. Meanwhile a number of Bronx businesses are learning to be 'safe havens' for people in danger after a bodega owner was criticized for not doing enough 'Junior', who was killed outside his store. Erica Byfield reports.

Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. The New York City Police Foundation announced it planned to set up a scholarship in his name.

The investigation is ongoing.

A dozen alleged gang members were indicted July 18, with five charged with first degree murder, which includes torture, for the June 20 death of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz and could face life in prison without parole.

However, all 12 alleged gang members were indicted on second degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

The indicted are due back in court Oct. 25.What to Know The man accused of killing a 29-year-old Queens nurse found naked and strangled with her teeth knocked out said he has voices in his head

"I really liked her. I didn't want to kill her," Danueal Drayton, who met her on a dating app, said from his jail cell in California

Drayton was captured in LA and had another woman captive; authorities are looking into whether he may be connected to more cases

A man accused of killing a Queens nurse, leaving her naked in a blanket with her teeth knocked out in her own bedroom after the two met on a dating app, says voices in his head made him do it.

Danueal Drayton spoke to a reporter with New York's Daily News who visited him at a Los Angeles jail.

Danueal Drayton told a Daily News reporter who visited him at a Los Angeles jail, where he has been in custody on charges involving another woman he allegedly held captive in California, that he remembers strangling Samantha Stewart two weeks ago and talked about voices urging him to harm people.

"I really liked her. I didn't want to kill her," he said from behind a glass partition. "They told me she had to die."

Drayton was arrested last week in Los Angeles after police say he sexually attacked a different woman, tried to strangle her and refused to let her leave her apartment. He has pleaded not guilty in that case. Drayton told the Daily News he also remembers choking that woman.

Two law enforcement officials previously told The Associated Press that after his arrest, Drayton claimed he had killed at least five women in Connecticut and New York. Investigators are trying to verify his stories.

Drayton told the Daily News that he and Stewart visited a race track and shared an artichoke pizza and he had no intention of hurting her.

"I'm a passenger in my own body," Drayton said repeatedly. "It's mind control," he said. "They use direct-energy weapons on me to control my mind."

Drayton said he strangled Stewart and tried to resuscitate her but eventually, her body went "stiff."

He used bleach to partially clean up the crime scene but intentionally left his "Egyptian cologne" behind in the hope police could link it to him.

"I wanted to get caught. I took some of her things with me and used them. I kept my same phone. I knew they could track it. I didn't know how long it would take," he said.

Drayton said Tuesday he also recalled choking an ex-girlfriend at a park in Inwood, on Long Island.

That woman, Zynea Barney, told the Daily News this week that Drayton seemed like a "cool guy" initially, but when she broke up with him, he tried to strangle her until bystanders intervened. The next day he threatened to kill her and her family, she said.

After buying a one-way ticket to California using Stewart's credit card, Drayton landed in Los Angeles and met a woman while taking an Uber ride, he said.

He said they went back to the woman's apartment, where he choked her. He recalled seeing her body wedged between a toilet and the wall, thinking she was dead, but then she stirred.

Drayton said he attempted suicide with Advil before police caught up with him.

He told the Daily News he couldn't remember meeting a 23-year-old woman he is accused of raping in Brooklyn.

But he also said the voices cause him to have blackouts. "They make it so I can't remember," he said.A judge demanded to know Tuesday why a North Carolina man repeatedly used an Army general's uniform to fool others, asking if "it was like Halloween every day," as he sentenced him to six months' imprisonment for an impersonation that ended with an alarming helicopter ride.

Christian Desgroux, 58, also received a year of supervised release for wearing a three-star general's battle dress uniform when he unexpectedly landed in a chartered helicopter at a technology company late last year. While authorities say he was trying to impress a female employee, the case was so serious that federal terrorism investigators launched a probe.

That November landing at SAS Institute wasn't the only time Desgroux pretended to be a general despite never serving in the U.S. military, prosecutor Barbara Kocher said Tuesday. She told the judge that Desgroux had convinced a now-estranged wife that he was going on fake deployments and had worn a military uniform while getting kicked out of strip clubs.

"He liked the sense of importance he gained by masquerading as a general," Kocher said, adding that Desgroux "has used this persona for years."

Federal sentencing guidelines called for no more than six months' imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle made clear how serious it is to impersonate a military officer.

"You can be a danger to people," Boyle said. "What made you think you could act like a general?"

Wearing an orange jumpsuit, Desgroux apologized, saying he hadn't realized what he was doing was illegal.

"So it was like Halloween every day of the week?" Boyle asked. "Why not wear a top hat and a tuxedo?"

The defendant then meekly added, "It was a mental issue, sir." He said he bought the uniform from a surplus store.

Desgroux had previously been ruled competent to proceed with the case, a finding his attorney didn't contest. Federal prison officials oversaw a mental health exam that showed he had a personality disorder with narcissistic traits as well as alcoholism, Kocher said, but his offense wasn't the result of psychosis.

Boyle said he would credit Desgroux for the more than five months he's been jailed since his arrest. He also ordered him to stay away from alcohol and undergo mental health treatment.

Defense attorney Andrew McCoppin told the judge that prior to the November arrest, his client had previous inpatient psychiatric treatment.

"There definitely is a mental health component to all this that he's going to need to continue to work on," said McCoppin, who declined a reporter's request for further comment.

Desgroux had pleaded guilty in June to a single count of impersonating a military officer when he convinced a charter helicopter pilot to land at the company's sprawling headquarters in Cary.

When Desgroux landed at the SAS corporate campus on Nov. 6, he was approached by security officers.Homeland Security Special Agent Tony Bell has previously testified that Desgroux saluted the security officers and that some saluted him back. Still, the suspicious guards called local authorities who got federal agents involved.

Federal agents have said he hoped to impress the woman with the nearly $3,000 chartered flight and claims he was on a mission authorized by President Donald Trump himself. The woman, however, was married and not romantically interested. She was expecting him to arrive by car, but instead they went on a 30-minute helicopter ride around Raleigh, authorities said.

She and the pilot appear to have been swept up in Desgroux's strange behavior and were not charged.

Desgroux, a native of Chile who worked out of his North Carolina home as a mechanic, has lived in the Raleigh area for several decades and became a U.S. citizen in 2016.The man suspected of killing a teenage girl and shooting two others, including a woman he was dating, in a triple shooting in the Lehigh Valley Tuesday night surrendered to police late Thursday.

Antwan Washington turned himself into Allentown police around 8:30 p.m., police said.

Washington couldn't comment on his arrest since he was held on criminal homicide charges without bail at Lehigh County jail.

Carolina Monsanto, 16, was visiting a home along the 500 block of West Harrison Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania, around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday when a gunman opened fire. Monsanto died a short time later from multiple gunshot wounds to the body.

A 31-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man, also struck in the shooting, were hospitalized in stable condition.

Allentown police identified the homicide suspect as Washington. Washington and the 31-year-old woman were involved in a relationship, investigators said.

Loved ones remembered Carolina as a student athlete at Dieruff High School who worked multiple jobs to help with family expenses.

"This girl was just a go-getter," Jessie Severino, a family friend, said. "She worked three jobs. She was a tremendous athlete. She did field hockey and she did track and field as well."

Monsanto would have turned 17 on Aug. 20. But instead of preparing for her birthday party, her family planned her funeral. Her father Ambiorix Monsanto shared words he wished he could say to his daughter one last time.

"I love you and I'll always have you in my heart," he said.

Correction: This story has been updated to properly reflect the name of the street where the shooting took place. It is West Harrison Street.What to Know The murder charge against 20-year-old Michael White is expected to be downgraded from 1st degree to 3rd degree, sources told NBC10.

White was arrested in the deadly stabbing of Philadelphia real estate developer Sean Schellenger.

Police say a confrontation occurred between White, Schellenger and two other men. Supporters of White say he acted in self-defense.

UPDATE: The murder charge against Michael White, a college student arrested for allegedly stabbing Philadelphia real estate developer Sean Schellenger to death last month, was downgraded to a third-degree offense and his bail was reduced at a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

The murder charge against a college student arrested in the deadly stabbing of a Philadelphia real estate developer is expected to be downgraded, according to law enforcement sources.

The murder charge against Michael White will be downgraded from 1st degree to 3rd degree during a hearing Wednesday morning, sources told NBC10. A 3rd-degree murder charge carries a possible maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years while a 1st-degree murder charge carries a maximum sentence of mandatory life in prison.

Aside from the downgraded murder charge, prosecutors will proceed with the voluntary manslaughter and possession of an instrument of crime charges against White, sources said.



Earlier this month, White, who turned 21 years old while in prison, surrendered to police in connection to the death of 37-year-old Sean Schellenger.

W. Robert Turner

Schellenger and two friends were driving in a Mercedes-Benz when a confrontation with White ensued near 17th and Chancellor streets in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse neighborhood on July 12, police said. White pulled a knife from his backpack and stabbed Schellenger, according to investigators.

White, a student at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, was making a food delivery on a bicycle at the time of the altercation, police said.



Greg Thompson, a spokesman for White's family, said he acted in self-defense and kept a knife in his backpack for protection because he delivered food late into the night.

A day after the stabbing, White walked out of True Gospel Tabernacle Family Church in South Philadelphia and turned himself in to police.

"Whether they reduce the charge, give him no charge, it's not going to bring Sean back," Patricia Strickland, Schellenger's friend, told NBC10. "He took away something valuable that he could not give back."

Delaware hopes to make its two busiest highways safer this year through the installation of cable barriers in certain areas to prevent fatal accidents.

Transportation officials met Monday night in Newark to discuss safety upgrades and the installation of cable barriers along Route 1 in order to keep cars from going through medians. There are also plans to install the barriers along sections of Interstate 95, officials said.

Last month, a father and his four daughters died in a crash on Route 1 just outside of Townsend after a pickup truck crossed the grassy median and slammed into the familys van. DelDOT expects to install barriers near the crash site by the end of the year.

"The department does have a plan to install an additional 11.5 miles of median barrier from Middletown to Smyrna and that project will begin later this year, along with adding barriers on I-95 from the PA/DE State line to Harvey Road," DelDOT spokesman Charles McLeod said in an email.

The department will continue to build median barriers next year with another 12 miles covered on Route 1 along a stretch between Smyrna and Dover.What to Know A third-degree murder charge carries a possible maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years.

White, 21, is expected to post bond on $150,000 bail and be released to the custody of his family.

It remains unknown what exactly triggered the alleged incident.

The murder charge against Michael White, a college student arrested for allegedly stabbing Philadelphia real estate developer Sean Schellenger to death last month, was downgraded to a third-degree offense and his bail was set at a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

White, 21, is expected to post bond on $150,000 bail and be released in the coming days to the custody of his family. He previously was held without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30, according to court records.

A third-degree murder charge carries a possible maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years. Prosecutors will proceed with the voluntary manslaughter and possession of an instrument of crime charges against White.

W. Robert Turner

Schellenger and two friends were driving in a Mercedes-Benz when a confrontation with White occurred near 17th and Chancellor streets in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse neighborhood in the late evening July 12, police said. White pulled a knife from his backpack and stabbed Schellenger, according to investigators.

Schellenger and two friends had been drinking at a nearby bar prior to the alleged deadly confrontation, according to witnesses.

White, a student at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, was making a food delivery on a bicycle at the time of the altercation, police said.

A college student accused of stabbing a man to death during a confrontation in Rittenhouse Square is charged with murder and being held without bond.

Greg Thompson, a spokesman for White's family, said he acted in self-defense and kept a knife in his backpack for protection because he delivered food late into the night. At a meeting with prosecutors last week, according to officials, White allegedly told investigators where to find the knife.

It remains unknown what exactly triggered the alleged incident.

District Attorney Larry Krasner, who was in the Center City courtroom where White's hearing was held, talked twice with Schellenger's mother prior to the hearing.

White will be placed on house arrest, with electronic monitoring, when he posts bail, according to conditions imposed by the court.

A day after the stabbing, White walked out of True Gospel Tabernacle Family Church in South Philadelphia and turned himself in to police.

"Whether they reduce the charge, give him no charge, it's not going to bring Sean back," Patricia Strickland, Schellenger's friend, told NBC10 prior to the hearing Wednesday. "He took away something valuable that he could not give back."

The aunt of a man who died in a hospital, days after seeking help from the National City police, appeared outside of city hall Tuesday with protesters asking for answers as to what led to the man's death.

Earl McNeil, 40, of San Diego, died 16 days after he was detained by National City police.

Both family members and the police agree that McNeil experienced medical distress while in the custody of the police. What is unknown is what led to the need for McNeil to be treated by paramedics.

On June 11, McNeil was removed from life support at the UCSD Medical Center and died.

His family and several members of the community have held multiple protests demanding to see bodycam video from the morning of May 26.

At 5:27 a.m. that morning, McNeil used a phone outside the police department.

He "told the dispatcher that he had a warrant, was high, and wanted to kill Jesus," police officials said.

In an official statement released on June 13, National City police said that when officers came out, McNeil was "agitated, made irrational statements, and acted paranoid."

Officers said they found a controlled substance on McNeil and attempted to arrest him.

Officers restrained McNeil using a WRAP. As they were driving him to the county jail, officials said, McNeil showed distress. Paramedics were called and while he was being treated by paramedics, McNeil stopped breathing, police said.

The cause of death is under investigation by the San Diego County Medical Examiner.

Outside of the city hall building in National City, NBC 7 and other local media gathered to hear from the family of McNeil on Tuesday.

Earl McNeils aunt, Tammy Davis, was the only family member to talk to the media. She quietly identified herself and said she was not ready to speak.

Im still reliving the incident, she said. So Im going to let the people behind me speak for me."

McNeil's family has said he suffered from mental illness.

Police officials met with a member of the McNeil family on May 30. A second meeting was held on July 24.

The family's attorney Doug Applegate released the following statement:

National City Police Department gave only a sequence of events from arrest, observation, transport to the county jail, rejection at the County Jail booking and ambulance transport to UCSD Hillcrest Hospital, all over an 8-hour period according to some in the media. National City police provided no timeline and showed no videos and played only one brief audio recording," the attorney said in a written release.

The family of Earl McNeil wants more transparent disclosure of the facts surrounding his death while in custody and an explanation including Earl McNeil's history as an informant for law enforcement, Applegate said.

A San Diego Union-Tribune article states McNeil was a paid informant for National City police. The paper said police denied McNeil was working for the department.

The incident has sparked several protests outside the police department and in front of the city council multiple times in June and July.

The City Council is on a hiatus for the month of August which was planned earlier this year, before the protests began.

Chief Manny Rodriguez spoke with NBC 7 on Monday and said shutting down the meetings disrupts the business of the city.

"If you really want to have a dialogue about change, then you have that dialogue," Rodriguez said. "These people are coming in not to produce change but rather for chaos."

Weekly protests have taken over National City Council meetings after the death of Earl McNeil. NBC 7s Joe Little explains whats next after the council takes a month-long break.

National City Mayor Ron Morrison said protesters used their First Amendment right to speak at a city council meeting.

"Then it became time for other people to use their First Amendment right and they said, 'No, we're the only ones that get a First Amendment right.' There's where the problem comes up," Morrison said.

Through community activists, including spokesperson Mark Lane, the family is asking for video from body-worn cameras and any other recording or transcripts of McNeil's interactions with police and deputies as well as the medical examiner's report on what caused his death.



Morrison said once all the reports are completed, including the medical examiner's report, they will be released.

"It will all be out in the open, it will all be transparent," the mayor said.

NBC 7 talks with Tasha Williamson, a community activist leading the effort to get police officer bodycam video released in the investigation into the death of Earl McNeil.U.S. officials say that a man sought in the slaying of a Border Patrol agent in Arizona eight years ago has been extradited to the U.S. from Mexico.

Federal authorities said Tuesday that Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes will be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Tucson on Wednesday. Osorio-Arellanes had been in custody awaiting extradition since being arrested by Mexican authorities on April 12, 2017.

Osorio-Arellanes is charged in the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, who was shot and killed Dec. 14, 2010 when he and other agents encountered a gang preying on smugglers north of Nogales, Arizona.

Three of six other defendants charged in the case have pleaded guilty and two were convicted following a jury trial. Another defendant has not yet been tried.

Osorio-Arellanes will be charged with first-degree murder in the December 2010 killing.

The killing of Terry revealed the "Fast and Furious" operation, in which U.S. federal agents allowed criminals to buy firearms with the intention of tracking them to criminal organizations. But the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lost track of most of the guns, including two that were found at the scene of Terry's death.

The operation set off a political backlash against the Obama administration and led the agent's family to sue.Seven thieves entered the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Tuesday morning and ran out with up to $30,000 worth of items from the Gucci area of the store, police say.

Two of the suspects went into the Gucci area of the store at 5555 Wisconsin Avenue about 11:34 a.m. and assaulted two employees, police say. Five other suspects then entered the store.

All seven grabbed merchandise off displays and then ran out the door. The heist took about one minute, Officer Rick Goodale told News4.

"It appears they had a plan," Goodale said. "They knew what they wanted to do."

The thieves charged out of the store carrying between $20,000 and $30,000 worth of merchandise, police say.

Isidro Garcia was outside as the thieves ran to their getaway vehicles. Garcia snapped a picture that appears to show a man, crouching to open a car door with one hand while holding a stack of purses that reached from his knees to his head.

"Maybe easy money," Isidro Garcia said. "They like to live easy."

The thieves sped southbound on Wisconsin Avenue toward Washington, D.C., in a Toyota Yaris and a Volkswagen.

The suspects have not been found. Anyone with information is asked to contact Montgomery County police.Flood warnings are in effect for some parts of the region as hot, humid conditions settle in.

Some counties in Maryland and Northern Virginia are under flood warnings that will stick around into Saturday afternoon. See all weather alerts here.

You may see a stray shower during Saturday afternoon, but you can probably leave the umbrella at home, visiting meteorologist Brittany Shipp says.

The sun is expected to break out and bring heat. The weekend will be hot and humid with temperatures reaching the mid to upper 80s on Saturday and about 90 degrees on Sunday.

Montgomery County issued an alert for Sunday afternoon until evening as the heat index is expected to be above 95 degrees.

Storm Team4 is tracking a possible heat wave that may bring several days of temperatures in the 90s.What to Know North Korea returned what is said to be 55 sets of war remains to the United States

Some of the invited guests wiped tears from their eyes during the procession of the containers off the planes

About 7,700 U.S. soldiers are listed as missing from the Korean War and about 5,300 of the remains are believed to still be in North Korea

In an emotional and solemn ceremony, the remains of dozens of presumed casualties from the Korean War were escorted by military honor guards onto U.S. soil on Wednesday, 65 years after an armistice ended the conflict and weeks after President Donald Trump received a commitment from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for their return.

The U.S. military believes the bones are those of U.S. servicemen and potentially servicemen from other United Nations member countries who fought alongside the U.S. on behalf of South Korea during the war. What is expected to be an exhaustive analysis and identification process will soon begin.

"Some have called the Korean War the 'forgotten war.' But today, we prove these heroes were never forgotten," Vice President Mike Pence said at a ceremony welcoming the remains, which were flown from South Korea earlier in the day. "Today, our boys are coming home."

Each container was accompanied by one Marine, one sailor, one soldier and one airman. They set them gently on risers lined up inside the hangar as Pence stood watching with his hand over his heart. Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, saluted. Some of the invited guests wiped tears from their eyes during the procession of the containers off the planes.

Sixteen other United Nations member countries fought alongside U.S. service members on behalf of South Korea. Some of them, including Australia, Belgium, France and the Philippines, have yet to recover some of their war dead from North Korea.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said some remains could turn out to be those of missing from other nations. He said last week that the return was a positive step but not a guarantee that the bones are American.

"Whosoever emerges from these aircraft today begins a new season of hope for the families of our missing fallen," Pence said. "Hope that those who are lost will yet be found. Hope that after so many years of questions, they will have closure."

North Korea handed over the remains last week. A U.S. military plane made a rare trip into North Korea to retrieve the 55 cases.

Hanwell Kaakimaka's uncle, John Kaakimaka, is among those who never came home.

"We've been watching the news, and we've been hopeful that my uncle is among the remains," he said, adding that it could bring his family some closure.

His uncle, who was from Honolulu, was a corporal in the 31st Infantry Regiment of the Army's 7th Infantry Division. He went missing on or about Dec. 2, 1950.

Hanwell Kaakimaka said the story he heard from his dad was that his uncle was injured and was being brought back from the front when Chinese troops overran the area and attacked the convoy.

The Kaakimaka family provided DNA samples to the U.S. military's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency over a decade ago, hoping officials would be able to make a match.

The agency identifies remains of servicemen killed in past conflicts. It typically uses bones, teeth and DNA to identify remains along with any items that may have been found with remains like uniforms, dog tags and wedding rings. But North Korea only provided one dog tag with the 55 boxes it handed over last week.

Before the remains were put on military planes bound for Hawaii, hundreds of U.S. and South Korean troops gathered at a hanger at the Osan base in South Korean for the repatriation ceremony.

The repatriation is a breakthrough in a long-stalled U.S. effort to obtain war remains from North Korea.

There are 7,699 U.S. service members listed as unaccounted for from the 1950-53 Korean War, of which about 5,300 are believed to have died on North Korean soil. The remainder are those who died in South Korea but have not been recovered; those who died in air crashes at sea or on ships at sea, as well as a number who are believed to have been taken to China.

The bones' return was part of an agreement reached during a June summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump thanked Kim for the return.

In a tweet early Thursday, the president wrote, in part, "Thank you to Chairman Kim Jong Un for keeping your word & starting the process of sending home the remains of our great and beloved missing fallen! I am not at all surprised that you took this kind action."

During the summit, Kim also agreed to "work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in return for Trump's promise of security guarantees. Trump later suspended annual military drills with South Korea which North Korea had long called an invasion rehearsal.

But Trump now faces criticism at home and elsewhere that North Korea hasn't taken any serious steps toward disarmament and may be trying to buy time to weaken international sanctions against it.

North Korea halted nuclear and missile tests, shut down its nuclear testing site and began dismantling facilities at its rocket launch site. But many experts say those are neither irrevocable nor serious steps that could show the country is sincere about denuclearization.

North Korea may want to use the remains' return to keep diplomacy with the United States alive and win a reciprocal U.S. concession. Experts say the North likely wants a declaration of the end of the Korean War as part of U.S. security assurances.

An armistice that ended the Korean War has yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula in a technical state of war. North Korea has steadfastly argued its nuclear weapons are meant to neutralize alleged U.S. plans to attack it.Arms control experts confirmed that both satellite photos and U.S. intelligence show North Korea is continuing to produce ballistic missiles and work on its missile program, even after the historic June summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, NBC News reported.

The experts pointed to a July 7 satellite photo that shows activity consistent with missile production.

News of the continued missile production was first reported by The Washington Post. It came one month after NBC News was first to report that North Korea had increased production of fuel for nuclear weapons at multiple secret sites and that the North Korean regime was working to conceal those facilities from the U.S.

After the summit in Singapore, Trump and Kim issued a communique in which North Korea committed "to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." Missile production was not addressed in the written statement.What to Know Pastor Andrew Brunson is an American pastor from Black Mountain, North Carolina

Brunson was arrested in Turkey in 2016 and was accused of aiding a terror group

Brunson's arrest and subsequent detainment has been the subject of heated discussions between President Trump and Turkish President Erdogan

The White House is announcing that the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control is imposing sanctions on two Turkish officials over a detained American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the Trump administration will sanction Turkey's Minister of Justice and Minister of Interior over the holding of 50-year-old Andrew Craig Brunson.

President Trump has repeatedly called for Brunsons release via Twitter, eventually threatening sanctions against Turkey last week. Vice President Pence echoed Trumps threats, tweeting The United States of America is prepared to bring sanctions against Turkey until Pastor Andrew Brunson is free.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Turkish government refused to release Brunson "after numerous conversations between President Trump and President Erdogan," along with his conversations with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavosuglo. "President Trump concluded that these sanctions are the appropriate action," Pompeo said.

Turkey's foreign ministry responded to the sanctions late Wednesday, saying it 'strongly protests' the decision to place sanctions. The ministry also said that the "aggressive attitude" from the U.S. serves "no purpose", and Turkey will "respond likewise."

The administration says Turkey's Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu both played leading roles in the organizations responsible for Brunson's arrest and detention.

The sanctions ordered the two officials blocked from any property under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits them from engaging in any transaction with Americans.

Brunson, an evangelical pastor, was arrested in December 2016 and jailed on charges of committing crimes on behalf of a terror group without being a member and espionage. He was recently released to home detention. If convicted, he faces up to 35 years of imprisonment.

Trump has discussed Brunsons case with Turkish President Recep Erdogan, the White House said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his government won't back down and may "go its own way" if the U.S. imposes sanctions.

By KEN THOMAS, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)  The White House is announcing that the Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on two Turkish officials over a detained American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the Trump administration will sanction Turkey's minister of justice and minister of interior over the holding of 50-year-old Andrew Craig Brunson.

The administration says Turkey's Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu both played leading roles in the organizations responsible for Brunson's arrest and detention.

Brunson, an evangelical pastor, was arrested in December 2016 and jailed. He was recently released to home detention.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (REH'-jehp TY'-ihp UR'-doh-wahn) has said his government won't back down and may "go its own way" if the U.S. imposes sanctionsThe White House is announcing that the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control is imposing sanctions on two Turkish officials over a detained American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related chargePolitical ads on television are easy enough to spot: anyone who lives in a battleground state or watches TV in late October can recognize the attack ads and candidate promos that blanket the airwaves, always with a disclaimer.

Facebook ads have been much different: Ahead of the 2016 campaign, each user saw a tailored set of advertisements and political ads that often appeared as just another post in the newsfeed.

Facebook has changed its rules to make political ads more obvious. New data released by Facebook and collected by researchers at NYU shows that Americans are still seeing plenty of political ads there  at least 2.2 billion times since May.

Use the tool below to explore political ads that were targeted toward your state, gender and age group, sorted by the advertisers who reached the most people in the demographic you select.

Some pages that Facebook announced this week had been banned for taking part in "coordinated inauthentic behavior" ahead of the midterm elections did not appear in the Political Ad Archive database.

Still, the database shows both the size and the continued murky nature of political advertising on Facebook, even after Facebook started requiring that ads disclose their source of funding.

While some ads clearly support political campaigns, others promote a cause and some sell politically charged merchandise  clothing brand American AF has the second-most impressions of all advertisers on the platform. And some of the biggest political groups in the country, like Democratic super PACs Priorities USA Action and Senate Majority PAC, run ads through "community" pages that don't appear political on their surface.

"Advertising is a deliberate and strategic behavior seeking to influence voters, and voters have a right to know who is influencing them," said Young Mie Kim, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who has studied political advertising on Facebook. "In the 21st century digital media environment, it's incredibly difficult for voters to understand who is targeting them."

The new data comes from Facebook's Political Ad Archive tool, a transparency initiative the social media giant began after receiving bipartisan criticism over the spread of misinformation on its platform in 2016. The tool is one of several the company created to better regulate its own platform  social media is largely unregulated in the U.S., though lawmakers are considering ways to step in.

The database indicates that political advertisers spent between $21 million and $108 million between May 1 and July 18, receiving between 2.2 billion and 5.9 billion impressions in the time period. (Facebook does not provide precise numbers, instead offering a range for each figure to protect advertisers confidential information.)

Trumps Make America Great Again Committee was the top overall spender in the period, spending between $344,000 and $2.3 million. Also included in the top 10 are advocacy groups like Planned Parenthood, companies like ExxonMobil and politicians like Rep. Beto ORourke, D-Texas, who is running to replace Republican Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

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TRUMP CAMPAIGN'S INNOVATION

Trump's 2016 presidential campaign was one of the first political campaigns to use Facebook advertising on such a large scale, spending tens of millions of dollars on narrowly targeted ads. Sometimes each ad would have thousands of variants, with subtle tweaks in color or wording to test what would perform best.

After the election, Facebook executives internally praised the Trump campaign as an "innovator" in advertising on the platform, according to BuzzFeed News.

But this year, Trump-affiliated firm Cambridge Analytica was revealed to have obtained personal data of 87 million Facebook users through a personality quiz taken by only a few hundred thousand people. Authorities are investigating whether Cambridge Analytica used that data to influence the campaign.

Amid the fallout, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was called before Congress to testify about how his platform was used in 2016 and to explain what it would do to ensure foreign actors couldn't influence future elections. Facebook was also hit with fines in the United Kingdom and could face more in the U.S. for allowing Cambridge Analytica to collect data without users permission, while the data firm eventually filed for bankruptcy amid investigators' scrutiny.

Cambridge Analytica wasnt the only group to be accused of using Facebook unethically during the election.

In late 2017, the House Intelligence Committee revealed that Russian intelligence services had purchased thousands of Facebook ads in support of the Trump campaign, many of which promoted false news stories or aimed to suppress voter turnout among people who were likely to support Hillary Clinton. Russians created Facebook groups with names like "Secured Borders," "Blacktivist" and "Heart of Texas," according to an indictment filed in February by special counsel Robert Mueller.

And on July 31, the company announced that it had already discovered suspicious activity from bad actors who were running pages to try to influence voters ahead of the 2018 elections. Thirty-two pages and accounts with tens of thousands of likes were taken down. They had names like "Black Elevation," "Mindful Being," and "Resisters" and shared a variety of content to make their pages harder to identify than in 2016.

The mother-in-law of the fitness instructor killed inside a Midlothian church penned a letter to a killer this weekend.

Nevertheless, the Trump campaign's Facebook strategy was effective, so other campaigns are now trying to learn from it. A New York Times report on an earlier version of the NYU dataset cited political consultants who said Republicans generally spent more on digital ads than Democrats did, but noted that trend may be changing  some prominent Democrats appear high in the lists of top spenders.

Boston University professor Tobe Berkovitz, a former political advertising consultant, told NBC that the Trump campaign's micro-targeting strategy has become an important tool for campaigns because traditional, unifying messages aren't as effective on social media.

"Very few people are persuaded by social media because it all comes from a highly partisan position," he said in an email. "It's better to reinforce existing attitudes or target people with weakly held positions and political affiliations."

IDENTIFYING ADS

This spring, Facebook announced a number of new policies, among them creating the Political Ad Archive, to protect the platform from misuse of data, misinformation and foreign interference.

In a blog post explaining some of the new rules, Facebook said it would apply extra scrutiny and disclosure rules for ads that have "the goal of either influencing public debate, promoting a ballot measure or electing a candidate." The policies aim to prevent malicious activity from interfering in the 2018 midterm elections.

This brings the platform more in line with rules for broadcast political ads, which require that advertisements state the candidate or group that paid for them. Yet there are no legal regulations on political advertising on the internet, which means it's up to companies to make rules it as they see fit.

Many of the advertisers whose activity Facebook has flagged as political are similar: generic-looking news or community pages that share local stories, memes and short viral videos.

But one top advertiser in many locations is shirt vendor American AF, which offers apparel with phrases like "Kill a commie for mommy," "Guns don't kill people, I kill people" and "Shut up Hillary."

Its products are broadly supportive of Trump  shirts shows him riding a T-Rex or pumping iron  while all 15 products on the website that appeared in a recent search for "Hillary Clinton" were critical of her, including one that alludes to a vulgar word for women.

The brand has a large national presence on Facebook with more than 1 million likes and appears in the database as a top advertiser for men in age groups from 18 to 44 for most states across the country.

In an email, brand founder Shawn Wylde told NBC his page spent approximately $900,000 in Facebook ads since May. He said the ads do "remarkably well," although he disputes why they should be included in the political ads database.

"We don't feel the majority of our patriotic products are political in nature," Wylde said in an email. "American AF is a humor page where we make fun of both parties; however, since we find President Trump so funny, we currently offer more products based on him."

Yet, American AF has had run-ins with Facebook's ad moderators, Wylde said: "We have had ad representatives revoked, patriotic ads and posts removed, profile accounts banned and were denied the blue checkmark verification badge. I think the page gets punished because some Facebook employees think its conservative."

Devon Kearns, a Facebook spokeswoman, said the company regularly bans fake accounts but will allow anyone who is approved by its verification process to post political ads. Facebook then evaluates each ad on a case-by-case basis, taking down ones that violate the rules  including an ad from American AF that contained a slur against Native Americans, which was removed when NBC brought the page to Facebooks attention.

Many of these rules are recent, and Facebook is still working to balance free speech and regulations for ads on its platform. Berkovitz, the former political advertising consultant now with Boston University, explained that political advertising on the internet was once a free-for-all and the rules are still evolving today.

"There were basically no rules until Cambridge Analytica," he said. "Now there's an effort to create guidelines and procedures. ... I think increased transparency on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is a trend that will continue."

The election advertising researchers who spoke to NBC for this article said Facebook's disclosure requirements aren't stringent enough. Facebook requires that groups put their legal name in the "paid for" statement, which is sometimes vague: the database includes sponsors like "One Nation" and "American Action Network" which dont provide much more context for the average viewer.

"Now we have one more layer of information," said Kim, who said the change is a step in the right direction, but she would prefer more. "We really need to look beyond not just the face of the ad but the pages and the sponsors  and the payer who could even be different."

WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM

It isn't always clear from looking at a page that it is being used for political purposes. That's the case for "Hoosier Country," a top advertiser in Indiana that calls itself "a community for anyone who wants to show their Hoosier pride" and has run attacks against Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Braun.

The page appears at the top of the list of advertisers for most demographics in Indiana, and it spent between $78,000 and $384,000 in the state, according to the Facebook data. All of those ads are funded by the Democratic super PACs Priorities USA Action and Senate Majority PAC, a fact that Facebook now points out on the advertisements.

"Campaigns and political organizations have long created branded websites that share specific information with voters. These are locally focused pages for sharing articles and information from reputable news outlets and clearly labeled political sites that are of interest to voters in a specific region," Priorities USA Action spokesman Josh Schwerin said in an email.

As of Aug. 1, the Facebook page's "about" section did not mention its political aim or backers.

Before May 24, when the political advertising rules went into effect, it would have been much harder to know these ads were funded by two of the largest super PACs in the country. And researchers say there are thousands of smaller "dark money" groups across the country who quietly spend on advertising campaigns.

Kim and her team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers looked at political ads on Facebook in 2016 and found that it was usually difficult to determine who was behind them.

"More than half the groups we examined were unidentifiable," she said, noting that if academic researchers had trouble identifying advertisers, voters would have an even harder time.

Her team found that in the six weeks before Election Day in 2016, some voters saw about 35 ads a day. "It's unfair and unreasonable to expect voters to figure out who are behind them," she said.

Facebook now says it's planning ahead and doing all it can to limit the misuse of political advertising on the platform for the upcoming midterm elections in November. In an interview with Recode's Kara Swisher this month, Zuckerberg admitted that the company was unprepared in 2016.

"This was a new thing," he said. "I think we understand that we were slow to it and need to do a better job ... defending against nation-states, which is not really a top-line thing that was a major focus before."

Now that Facebook has close to double the number of users as the population of China, this is the new reality the company will have to face. In the interview, Zuckerberg reiterated his commitment to doing better.

"A lot of people are using [Facebook] for a lot of good," he said, "but we also have a responsibility to mitigate the darker things that people are gonna try to do."What to Know Four people in Brunswick, Maine are being treated for rabies after being attacked by a fox on June 27.

Since June, there have been eight people and five pets attacked by rabid animals in the area.

The USDA says it will airdrop oral rabies vaccine baits in the northern Maine woods to target wildlife after a recent rabies outbreak.

Four people are being treated for rabies after being attacked by a fox Friday in Brunswick, Maine.

Brooke Pisarsky had heard about the rabid animal attacks in her town but never thought the rabies epidemic would hit so close to home. On Friday, she heard her five-year-old daughter screaming, and ran out to pry a fox's jaws off of her little girl. In the chaos, the fox bit her too.

"Hold your kids close," she warned.

The fox attack did not stop there. A few doors down on Moody Road, Steve Imperato said the fox attacked two of his backyard chickens, the family dog, and his daughter's boyfriend.

Later that evening, and further down the road, Lativa Radi was sitting outside enjoying the weather when she suddenly realized something was wrong.

"Something was running," she said.

Moments later, a fox was at her feet. She now has scratches and bruises.

Radi is one of four Moody Road residents getting rabies shots.

"It's a little scary," said her next-door neighbor, Alex Hallet.

He saw the fox "sauntering" across the yard, and called 911 when it ran into his woods.

"I probably got 20 feet away, and it popped it's head out. I said I'm not messing with that fox," said Hallett.

He is keeping a closer eye on his kids, now that he has learned the animal tested positive for rabies.

"It was a very active afternoon," said Animal Control Officer Heidi Nelson.

Her office has been inundated with anxious Brunswick residents since June.

"People are panicking," said Nelson.

Since June, there have been eight people and five pets attacked by rabid animals. Most have been foxes, but a few have been skunks. There have been attacks in nearby towns, but Brunswick appears to be the hot spot for rabies.

"Be cautious, use common sense, don't allow children or pets to be outside unsupervised," said Nelson.

The USDA announced this week it would be air dropping oral rabies vaccine baits in the northern Maine woods to target wildlife there. Nelson said that kind of approach may not work in Brunswick.

"It's not really something they would do in a highly populated area," Nelson said. "They generally do that where they are trying to contain rabies from spreading where there isn't any rabies."

Nelson said she cannot explain why the virus has hit her town so hard this summer.

"I wish we had more answers for people," she said.

Nelson is trying to set up a community rabies forum in the near future to continue to educate the public about the virus.

Rabies is a fatal virus in both humans and animals. It is Maine law to have your pets vaccinated for the virus. Any person who comes into contact with a rabid animal should seek emergency medical treatment immediately.What to Know Twenty-year-old Joel Ortiz of Boston's Allston neighborhood was arrested on July 12 at Los Angeles International Airport.

He's been ordered to be held on $1 million bail following his arraignment on 28 counts of grand theft, computer hacking and identity theft.

Ortiz was a Boston high school valedictorian and is an information technology major at UMass Boston.

A college student from Boston was arrested last month after allegedly stealing at least $2 million in cryptocurrency and hacking phones owned by tech executives, according to prosecutors in California.

Joel Ortiz, 20, of Allston was ordered held on $1 million bail following his arraignment on 28 counts of grand theft, computer hacking and identity theft in the wake of his July 12 arrest.

He allegedly had $250,000 in cryptocurrency when he was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on his way to Europe.

Prosecutors in California said Ortiz took control of his victims' cell phones using their SIM card, changed their passwords and then hacked into email, social media and cryptocurrency accounts, stealing millions in the digital currency.

Court documents show that Ortiz managed to take over the cell phones by impersonating victims for cell phone carriers such as AT&T, talking them into granting him access to his victims' phone numbers. In one case, Ortiz allegedly even walked into an AT&T reseller in Georgia to do a SIM swap.

One victim told investigators he was attending the Consensus NY cryptocurrency conference in New York City in May when he lost cell phone service and immediately knew he was being hacked because he had heard of this happening to others in cryptocurrency circles, according to court documents. Despite the victim immediately making efforts to get his cell phone back at an AT&T store across the street from the conference, investigators say Ortiz stole $1.7 million in cryptocurrency from him.

Ortiz, an information technology major at UMass Boston and a Boston high school valedictorian, also spent thousands on parties in rented mansions and on designer clothes, according to The Boston Globe.

He's due back in court on Aug. 9. The Santa Clara County public defender's office in California, which is representing Ortiz, declined to comment to the Associated Press Wednesday.

His family in Hyde Park and a woman at his apartment in Allston also declined to comment on the case.

Prosecutors say Ortiz also withdrew cryptocurrencies, holding them in a so-called "cold storage," which holds cryptocurrencies in a way not connected to the internet; the location of the withdrawn cryptocurrencies is unknown to authorities.A New Hampshire woman in a motorized wheelchair was killed Tuesday afternoon after being struck by a Jeep in Lancaster.

Police said 76-year-old Pauline Clark was in a crosswalk at the intersection of Route 3 and Country Village Road at about 2 p.m. when she was struck by a Jeep Wrangler driven by Andoni Koxarakis, 37, of Lancaster.

Clark, who was in a motorized wheelchair. was taken to Weeks Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

Neither Koxarakis nor his two juvenile passengers were injured in the crash.

The crash remains under investigation by New Hampshire State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction (C.A.R.) Unit.

It's unclear if Koxarakis will be cited or face charges.South Koreas IT behemoth Samsung is working on a graphics processor unit (GPU) and has hired a major figure from Nvidia to help get the job done, according to a report from a graphics analyst.

Jon Peddie Research reports that Samsung has hired Dr. Chien-Ping Lu, a former Nvidia executive who oversaw development of discrete and integrated GPUs used in Apple MacBooks as well as integrated processors before the advent of GPUs in CPUs.

Now, many mobile CPUs have integrated GPUs, or the phone itself comes with its own GPU. Qualcomm has its own line called Adreno. But Peddie doesnt think Samsung hired a heavy hitter like Lu to make mobile phone chips.

The world cant seem to get enough GPUs for all the AI ambitions being explored, Peddie wrote. Samsung already has a big AI team, [and] they must certainly be eyeing this development.

Its no accident that Nvidias GPU technology has rocketed to the lead of the AI processor market. AI is a massively parallel process, something GPUs are born to do. GPUs are designed to do mathematical acceleration in a massively parallel method. Whereas a Xeon has 22 cores, a Nvidia Volta GPU designed for AI has thousands, all running in parallel.

GPUs are also immensely popular in high-performance and supercomputing environments. In the most recent Top500 list, more processing power came from GPUs than CPUs, almost all of that powered by Nvidia.

What about AMD?

If you are wondering why AMD isnt a player, its not because its GPUs are poor. Quite the contrary; they can hold their own with Nvidia and have about one-third market share to Nvidias two-thirds market share.

The problem is that AMD was in an existential fight for its life up until the last year. It made good GPUs but didnt have the resources to fight Nvidia, which has spent almost two decades seeding the market for HPC and now AI for its processors. Nvidia may look like an overnight sensation in AI, but its been at this for a long time, while AMD was fighting to stay alive. AMD's most recent quarter was excellent; the Zen processor has turned things around for the company. But it has a long way to go against Nvidia in AI and HPC.

Resources arent a problem for Samsung. Were talking about a company that reported $50 billion in operating profit last year.

Peddie says Samsungs GPU development teams are in Austin, Texas, and San Jose, California, and are reportedly hiring engineering teams to handle hardware, software, testing, and verification of designs.

Simulations have indicated an even better performance than predicted, and the batch instruction processing holds the promise of significantly reducing the latency in the motion-to-photon path, and bringing low-power (consumption) [virtual reality], with fast recovery very high-resolution dynamic display capability, he wrote.

The question then becomes what kind of infrastructure will Samsung build around the chip. It needs the ecosystem similar to Nvidias CUDA language, and it will require a major effort to educate developers the way Nvidia has done. So, even if the chip is introduced next year, it will be years before they start showing up on the Top500 list.

Samsung isnt the only chip maker with GPU visions in its head. Intel is reportedly working on a discrete GPU for 2020 release. But they have tried twice and failed spectacularly, and the ship of state is currently without a captain. A new Intel CEO might scuttle it to focus on core competency. At least, he or she should.Organisers want your input to ever-popular annual event

ORGANISERS of this years Hungerford Extravaganza are facing an uphill struggle.

However, they remain determined to press ahead with the showcase event, which regularly attracts up to 12,000 visitors to the town in the run-up to Christmas.

Meanwhile, they are appealing to the community for financial and practical help  and new ideas.

The annual spectacle is organised by Hungerford Chamber of Commerce, which last year announced that a major sponsor had pulled out.

Chamber chairman David Small said this week that the provider of the steam engines, which were a regular fixture, has also had to withdraw for personal reasons.

To cap it all, the fairground attractions organiser has called it a day, leaving the chamber team struggling to find a replacement.

Mr Small said: We do want the event to continue, but wed appreciate some input from the community.

For example, some people said they missed the Victorian element last year, so whats the general opinion?

What would people like to see? Were at the planning stage now, so let us know.

The event is an important one for the town, not just for showcasing local shops, but also for boosting the many charities, schools and societies that benefit from having fundraising stalls.

Thousands of pounds are raised for community organisations each year.

Fundraising for the 2018 Extravaganza will begin in earnest soon and Mr Small said: We will be delivering letters giving details and well be using [Greenham Trusts] The Good Exchange for match-funding, like we did last year.

If youd like to offer some practical help or just have some ideas for shaping the Extravaganza, Mr Small would like to hear from you.

You can call him on 07713 094759; email david@dagsmall.co.uk or send a letter to 9 Salisbury Road, Hungerford, RG17 OLG.But there is still a chance that urgently needed new school can go ahead

WORK to build to a new primary school in Theale has been stopped.

West Berkshire Council announced this morning (Wednesday) that it would be pulling the plug on the 8.2m scheme after Theale Parish Council failed to meet yesterday's critical legal deadline.

But there is still time for the urgently needed new school to go ahead.

In January the council said that it would cancel the project after negotiations with Theale Parish Council stalled.

The parish council has raised safety concerns about West Berkshire's Council's chosen site for the school at the North Street playing fields, which the parish leases from the Englefield Estate.

The decision was subsequently postponed to allow Theale Parish Council to conduct a parish poll on whether or not to release the land.

Villagers voted in favour of releasing the land for the new school by 499 votes (53 per cent) to 440 against.

West Berkshire Council gave Theale Parish Council until the end of July to sign the legal documents which would allow the new school to go ahead.

However, no agreement was reached and the council will now look to expand schools in other areas.

But as the council's plan B cannot begin until the start of the new school term and following residents asking for the parish council to be granted more time, West Berkshire Council has given until Friday, September 14 to surrender its lease, if that is what it decides to do.

This will also allow it time to consider a revised offer made last week by the Englefield Estate.

For more see tomorrow's Newbury Weekly News.Shane Jones made the extraordinary find, which contained around 10,000 wasps

A PEST controller who filmed the moment he uncovered a gigantic wasp nest at a house in Newbury has gone viral.

Shane Jones from RIDTEK Pest Control discovered the monster nest  which was two to three feet in size  in a garage cupboard last week.

The 49-year-old pest expert was alerted to the nest after the resident opened the cupboard, which had remained shut for some time.

The owner reportedly screamed and ran before picking up the phone to call RIDTEK  an independent family owned pest control business which Mr Jones has been running for five years.

Mr Jones, who relocated to Basingstoke from his native Australia, said he decided to film the huge nest as he didnt want to miss out on such an extraordinary find.

He said: Last year we found a pretty big one in a loft in Tadley, but we didnt take a video of it.

You dont come across these often.

We deal with so many wasps nests every day, but we never really know what were going to find - it was a good one.

Mr Jones said this summers hot weather has led to more queen wasps surviving in hibernation for longer, which has resulted in larger nests.

All pest controllers are having a fantastic wasp season  its a really big thing for us.

This year, we are having an exceptional summer  which means there are a lot of other insects for wasps to eat.

The whole point is that the queen wasp stays a lot longer in hibernation.

Mr Jones, who used to work as a tour guide for crocodile and snake cruises in North Queensland, followed the normal procedure in discarding the wasp nests  by simply incinerating it.

A wasp nest is rather fragile  it looks like theyre made from paper, he said.

If you touch them, they kind of crumble and collapse.

Mr Jones said that had the nest not been found, it would have grown to a certain point before it dies.

The nest was successfully removed from the cupboard and the insects released safely.

Photo and video supplied by Shane JonesPrices for metal have climbed in the last few weeks at Glyne Manufacturing Co. in Stratford, a small maker of aerospace parts with about 20 employees.

I cant necessarily tell if its the effects of tariffs or the people providing us with material are increasing prices, said Ben McGalliard, whose family owns the business. Were a small player in this market. ... Its sort of been a problem at this point.

Sort of a problem, not a full-blown crisis. Hard to sort out since the supply chain for aerospace materials, as with so many industries, is truly global.

Similarly, Terex Corp., the Westport-based global manufacturer of cranes and other materials handling equipment, sent a letter to customers in March, saying the newly imposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel would lead to price increases. But Terex profits remain strong.

Thats a tiny sampling of the effects of the Trump administration tariffs on goods coming in from Canada, Mexico, China and Europe  and the tariffs theyre slapping on us in retaliation.

In the bigger picture, Connecticut can expect to gain perhaps 200 jobs as the tariffs on aluminum and steel from Canada protect workers here, said Phyllis Yaffe, the Canadian consul general in New York at a forum on tariffs and trade Tuesday, sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut.

And the cost: You will lose about 5,000 jobs in Connecticut, Yaffe said.

Wow. That hefty loss is not necessarily at companies directly affected by the tariffs, but throughout the economy, as President Donald Trumps shortsighted trade policies lead to higher prices and tighter profits.

Closing the door behind us will not grow our businesses, it will not grow our economy, Yaffe said.

She was joined by Yumin Zhao, acting consul general in New York from China, and Diego Gomez Pickering, the New York consul general from Mexico. All three agreed, the latest round of escalating tariffs, including about 800 products to and from China, is hurting the world economy and hurting the United States standing in the world.

I was moderator of the event at Infinity Music Hall in Hartford. All three diplomats include Connecticut in their multistate regions.

Trade war? Yaffe, bluntest of the three, called the escalation not a war, but a skirmish. Pickering, who holds the rank of ambassador, having represented Mexico in the United Kingdom, was adamant: Theres definitely not a war going on at all. ... Theres not a single trace.

Zhao was not at all apologetic about Chinas response. We dont need a war and we dont want a war, but once a war was imposed on us, China couldnt not respond, he said. Misjudgment leads to wrong policies.

Whatever we call it, its coursing through the economy in ways that, as at Glyne, are hard to pinpoint. The core dispute relates to Trumps view of the North American Free Trade Agreement as unfair to American workers, and his view that China acts as a rogue regime, stealing intellectual property and blocking the sale of U.S. products in China.

The only way to undo the effects of the tariff escalations is with costly and possibly illegal subsidies, as we saw with Trumps new attempt to make up for the hit to farmers by throwing $12 billion their way  just in time for the midterm elections.

The consuls general trod lightly on the pace of progress in talks to amend or renegotiate NAFTA  in contrast to the rosy picture Trump administration officials such as Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin have painted in recent days.

Im a little skeptical, Yaffe said, in part because of the administrations demand for a five-year sunset of any agreement. No business would invest for the long term based on a five-year horizon, she said.

And as for the Trump administration claims the steel tariffs are justified based on national security, one person in the audience guffawed. If youre laughing, I agree with you, its disconcerting, she said.

But Pickering said, Theres still talks. There could be no talks at all.

In the biggest picture, the consuls general agreed that U.S. global influence is waning in several ways under Trump. Zhao suggested  in contrast to some reports  that China is not aggressively expanding its own influence around the world to fill a poeer vacuum, and that the largest nation is eager for the United States to step back up.

Is it irreversible? No, Yaffe said. Weve seen this movie before and I can tell you that remakes are very popular, she said  with the experience of a film and TV executive, which she is.

Back in Stratford, the president of another aerospace parts manufacturer, Dave Cremin at Straton Industries, said hes seeing some metals suppliers unable to promise prices beyond 60 days, but not much effect so far.

As for Trumps tariffs, Cremin said, We got their attention. Internationally everybody is listening now. Maybe this is going to be OK. ... I see no need to panic.

dhaar@hearstmediact.comNEW MILFORD  For more than 100 years, four panels of stained glass bearing an anchor and an omega symbol faced the green as one of St. Johns Episcopal Churchs 34 handcrafted windows.

Those panels now sit on tables in Markis Tomascaks Dragonfly Studios, where he is cleaning the glass, repairing or replacing broken pieces and putting it back together using new lead. The majority of the glass is hand rolled and hand painted, though the red border pieces are mouth blown.

Its more than a window, said Tomascak, who has worked with glass for 40 years and done a number of restoration jobs for area churches and homes, as well as original pieces.

Once this windows restoration is complete, the church will only have one more window left thats considered a priority one  a list Tomascak created about 15 years ago when the church first worked with him.

Weve been saving up ever since then, said Kim Polhemus, a senior officer at St. Johns. The priority twos have moved into priority one spaces. Its going to be ongoing.

The congregation has been holding collections every Easter or Christmas, but is considering starting a fundraiser in honor of the churchs 275th anniversary in 2021. There are also

priority th rees.

We have a responsibility to those who came before us and a responsibility to those who will come after us to maintain them for the history of New Milford and to the glory of God, she said.

Polhemus reached out to Tomascak again several years ago when several boys spray-painted the exterior of the church and threw the empty can, breaking one of the windows.

He had worked for us before and we had a very good experience, she said. Hes very talented. Its a no-brainer.

Work on this window began about a month ago, when Tomascak used a cherry picker to remove the windows.

He took them back to his studio in New Milford, where he completed two cartoon etchings of each window, essentially creating a map on how to reassemble the window. Each etching has notes on the width and type of the lead.

Tomascak photographs every inch of the windows, examining any cracks. The glass is cleaned and any broken pieces are glued back together or replaced completely. The lead is cut and the glass slotted inside.

So far, only one piece needs to be replaced.

We dont replace glass unless we absolutely have to, and then we look for the perfect match  if it even exists, he said. If it doesnt, we look for a reasonable substitute and let the client decide.

A completed window then has a piece of metal placed across the window and fastened into the wooden border so that the glass is secure but not rigid.

He said the stained glass, which is only about one-eighth of an inch thick, has held up well, doing the work of a regular window for much longer than regular windows, while also displaying art and telling the story of Christianity.

Each piece is unique, Polhemus said. Theyre unique in their craftsmanship, not in the story they tell.

Its a tradition that dates back to Medieval times, when the majority of the population couldnt read and didnt have easy access to books.

Tomascak said the written word was limited or nonexistent, with the majority of the stories passed down through generations. The windows were used to share these stories, focusing on Christs life or the Crusades.

The windows were informational, he said.

Stained glass has been a staple of church architecture for centuries and includes symbols that tell a story, the Rev. Jack Gilpin said.

Its a way of aesthetically telling the story of Gods love for Gods people, he said.

The glass at St. Johns includes an alpha and an omega, a reference to a passage from Revelation, where God says he is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. The passage is meant to show that God is internal, Gilpin said.

I find it a source of great comfort and strength, Gilpin said.

Gilpin said he enjoys going into the church on weekdays during St. Johns music program and seeing the light stream through the stained glass.

Seeing the quality of the light coming through those windows in the afternoon is really psychotherapy all in itself, he said. It has an immensely calming and quieting effect on the soul and temperament that really I dont get from anyone else.

Staff writer Julia Perkins contributed.NEW MILFORD  Its been more than a week since the town administration decided not to renew the police chiefs contract  and questions remain about what led to the decision.

Was it because of officer turnover? A budgetary decision? A relatively new mayors law enforcement philosophy?

No one knows for sure  or at least, no one is saying.

Mayor Pete Bass announced the decision not to renew Chief Shawn Boynes contract recently when someone accidentally posted the job position on the police departments website.

Bass, who could not be reached for comments despite several attempts during the past week, took responsibility for the error, but didnt give a reason for the move. He referred questions to human resources director Greg Bollaro, who also would not disclose what led to the decision.

At the end of the day, we were not able to come to terms with the contract, Bollaro said Monday. The mayor wants to go in a new direction, but what that direction is I cant say until we have a candidate in place. But we have a lot of respect for the chief, and hes done some great things with the department.

Boyne, who previously served as a commander with the State Police and could also not be reached for comment Monday, had served as the towns chief for nearly eight years. His contract is set to expire in October.

The chief was afforded the opportunity to work through the end of his contract, Bollaro said.

Boyne earned $122,000 last year; the chiefs position is now advertised at a salary of $97,000 a year.

Town Council member Peter Mullen said he is as much in the dark as the rest of the community, but would like to hear an explanation.

The police chief is a very important position in town, and if all of a sudden the contract is not getting renewed  that should be up for discussion and explained by the mayor and the director of personnel, he said.

Mullen said he was surprised to hear that the chiefs contract was not getting renewed, noting that there had been no discussion about the position during council meetings.

While Mullen admits to missing the most recent meeting, nothing he said was mentioned on the councils agenda or in the minutes of the meeting.

From my perspective, when a chief is hired, thats an issue thats brought before the council, so in the same sense, if you are not renewing a contract, then the council should get the opportunity to weigh in on that decision, he said.

Mullen said he would like to hear more information on why 17 members of the police department, which has 46 officers, have left within the past four years.

I would love to look at their exit interviews and see what they said on the way out, he said.

Wethersfield Police Chief James Cetran, who is president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, said to lose more than a third of your department in four years is certainly out of the norm.

Thats certainly quite a few officers to lose in just four years, but there could be a myriad of different reasons, he said. But that is more than the normal turnover. Its not unheard of that a new politician comes to power and wants to change the philosophy. That often happens from the top.

Bass, who was sworn into office in December, is serving the first of a two-year term. Boyne was hired by former Mayor Pat Murphy, who renewed his contract four years ago.

Cetran, who has about 50 members in his department, said if he lost 17 officers in recent years, hed probably have a heart attack.

It can be a hard position to fill, and remember it takes more than 10 months of training before a new hire hits the streets, he said.

dperrefort@newstimes.comThings have been hot in the kitchen at Kent School and its not from the summer sun.

The school in Connecticut is one of two in the nation hosting Camp MasterChef!, a culinary getaway for kids and teens. Based on the TV reality cooking shows MasterChef and MasterChef Junior starring chef Gordon Ramsay, youths spend camping time learning their way around the kitchen and up their culinary skills thanks to a kitchen full of well-known guest chefs. Beginning Aug. 5, MasterChef Season 6 winner Claudia Sandoval will be the featured cook in the kitchen. Sandoval, the first Latina to ever win the cooking reality show, has since authored a cookbook, Claudias Cocina, A Taste of Mexico, launched a culinary consulting and catering company and is a judge on the new Telemundo Mexican television show, MasterChef Latino. A California resident and mother of a pre-teen, Sandoval recently took her apron off to chat about the benefits of spending time in the kitchen, the new interest by children to cook, her newfound celebrity and her first trip to Connecticut.

Cooking camp. Who would have imagined thats what a kid would want to do over the summer. Tell me what the idea was about hosting such camps for youngsters who are interested in such an experience? And why so much interest?

The Camp MasterChef camps are focused on teaching pre-teens and teenagers elementary-level cooking skills as well as some advanced skills. With the growing number of cooking shows on television like MasterChef Jr. aimed at youngsters who love to cook, its not surprising that more and more young people want to learn more about creating and cooking in the kitchen. We have found that the kids love watching MasterChef Jr. and the adults on MasterChef as well and are actually some of the biggest fans of that show. Cooking has become kind of cool and the bonus is that kids are authentically creative and they bring it to the kitchen.

What can kids learn at camp beyond the apparent, cooking for themselves or others? As a mom, how has cooking become part of the way you are bring up your daughter?

Its not just about making food. At the camp, team building and working as a team are a big part of the camp experience. And that is huge when it comes to developing life skills. They have to learn to work collaboratively at camp where they will do team cooking competitions just like on the show. And when we make big dishes, like paella for instance, it is done restaurant style and that means everyone has a job to do, everyone contributes. And when we finish the dish, it is everyones success.

What is a day at camp like?

Well, we teach skills that run the gamut, how to use a knife, how to measure ingredients, follow a recipe, cooking terms, skills on the stove and in the oven. Classes bring in elements of the show, mystery boxes, team competition and individual competitions. Kids are very supportive of each other in the contests but they also have a drive to win.

So many parents complain that their kids are not very adventurous when it comes to eating, especially in this day and age of takeout and delivery. How to do you nudge the campers into trying something different?

Sometimes they just need some coaxing. And for some Ive seen, they are more adventurous because theyve watched the show and see different kinds of foods. As the first and still only Latina to win MasterChef, I like to share recipes from my culture. Ive found a lot of them have never had real Mexican food. So its kind of fun to watch them make it and then find out they like it. Again, I think they just need a little coaxing and little peer pressure; when they see everyone else trying it, doesnt hurt either.

You have shared so many of your own memories from your parents and grandparents kitchens. How did that inspire you, even as a child and as a mother?

As a mother, I took a page out of my moms and grandmothers books when it came to cooking with my own daughter. I got her in the kitchen early and got her comfortable with failure. I started her with scrambled eggs. I think it is super-important to get back to familial things. Instead of texting and online-games and videos, separate from technology a little bit each day and get together in the kitchen and make something together. Its not difficult to do and makes good memories.

You have a cookbook and are a judge on the new MasterChef Latino show on Telemundo. Are you still pinching yourself about the fact that your love of cooking has turned into celebrity?

Every single day I pinch myself. I cant walk through Target without being recognized and I still cant believe it. I think I knew I had become a celebrity when I started reading articles critiquing me and that was a learning experience. You cant be prepared for that aspect of celebrity. You have tolerant to stay on your feet.

Your absolutely favorite meal?

Chiles Rellenos. Chiles stuffed with cheese and then coated in an egg batter, fried and then covered with tomato sauce. Its a homey meal. It takes a little time to make, but for me thats therapeutic. When Im making them and close my eyes, I feel like I am in my grandmas kitchen.

So your experience on MasterChef. Taskmaster celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, badass or marshmallow?

He is a great father and great human being. And as far as MasterChef, I made a lot of new friends, I learned to cook some amazing food and walked away with an experience that changed my life.

Tell me something most people dont know about you.

My degree is actually in political science. And despite my heritage, Mexican food is not my favorite. It is Italian and I love gnocchi.

For more information on Camp MasterChef go to campmasterchef.comDavid and Nicole Binion Breaks Down Walls of Division in Christian/Gospel Music and Creates an Atmosphere of Love and Unity with New Live Album . . . 'Dwell'

Dwell: A Live Worship Experience Features Special Guests Tasha Cobbs Leonard, William McDowell, Travis Greene, BJ Putnam, MDSN

MEDIA ADVISORY, Aug. 1, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Integrity Music announces the August 3 global release of David & Nicole Binion 's Dwell: A Live Worship Experience, a 14-track immersion in Spirit-sensitive, multi-cultural and multi-generational worship.

Recorded live at TBN's Dallas studios where the Binions serve as guest hosts for the network's "Praise!" program, Dwell invites worshipers to do just that: put aside distractions and dwell in the presence of God. The project is, as the Binions' music and ministry have always been, a product of collaboration, creative excellence and decades of servant-leadership. And that is what listeners will hear woven through every track on Dwell, which features guest artists Tasha Cobbs Leonard, William McDowell, Travis Greene, BJ Putnam and the Binions' 17-year-old daughter and fellow Integrity artist, MDSN (Madison Grace Binion).

Produced by David Binion and Daniel Lopez, Dwell offers songs penned by the Binions along with MDSN, Mitch Wong, Michael Farren, Krissy Nordhoff, Aaron Lindsey, Jacob Sooter and Josh DuFrene among others.

The Binions are passionate about bringing together people from all walks of life for the creative process and to simply soak in and respond to the presence of God. That longing for God's presence and fellowship with one another permeates Dwell. Songs such as " My Soul Follows ," "Be Still and Know" and " Hunger " -- the latter co-written by and featuring MDSN -- speak to the almost visceral need for God in an age of disillusionment.

It is this longing in the hearts of Jesus-followers and this vision for making room for the Spirit to move that drives the Binions. Married for 24 years, the couple has been involved in ministry for over two decades, teaching and leading worship for churches and events around the world. Most recently, they founded Dwell Ministries to mentor and train a new generation of worship leaders, and they are planting Dwell Church in the Dallas area.

"To dwell in God's presence is a state of the heart," says David Binion. "It's not about where you are physically you can 'dwell' in the presence of God in church, at your desk, in your prayer closet, in your car. It's about a hunger for the things of God and for His presence the need to soak, be transformed and empowered to change our world."

Dwell: A Live Worship Experience is available as both a 14-track digital album and a 10-track physical album.A group of researchers from Stanford in collaboration with other universities have found that in humans a low level of acetyl-L-carnitine or L-acetyle carnitine in blood could be a predictor of the duration and severity of depression.

Researchers led by Natalie Rasgon professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford, in collaboration with colleagues from different centres have shown that this chemical is connected to depression.

Acetyl-L-carnitine is not only produced naturally in the body but is also available in supermarkets and marketed as a health food nutritional supplement. The team noted that individuals who have an early onset of depression and those who are resistant to depression treatment have typically lower blood levels of acetyl-L-carnitine. The results from this unique study were published this week in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Image Credit: Kan_chana / Shutterstock

There is existing animal research that connects low levels of this chemical and depression but this is the first time that the same has been proven in humans. This could pave the way for new depression treatments as well feel researchers. Acetyl-L-carnitine itself or drugs that enhance this chemical in blood could be the new class of antidepressants that have fewer side effects and may be faster acting than the existing antidepressants feel the researchers.

Rasgon called this new research, an exciting addition to our understanding of the mechanisms of depressive illness. She said that as a clinical psychiatrist she has been treating many people with depression which is one of the leading forms of mood disorders in the United States. At any given time it affects around 8 to 10 percent of the general population and one in four person is likely to have experienced depressive illness at least at some point in their lives. Rasgon explained that depression remains one of the leading causes for absenteeism from work and suicide. In addition pharmacological treatments are useful for only around half of the sufferers and in these individuals the drugs may have side effects that make many individuals stop taking them.

The study was co led by Dr. Bruce McEwen, professor and chief of the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at The Rockefeller University in New York City and Carla Nasca, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in McEwens lab. Dr. Nasca has led the animal studies previously that show that depression like behaviour is connected with deficiency of acetyl-L-carnitine explained Dr. McEwen. In these animals of the laboratory that showed depressive symptoms, when the chemical was orally or intravenously administered, the symptoms regressed and normal behaviour was restored he said. Further the animals treated with acetyl-L-carnitine were responsive to the chemical within a few days as opposed to a few weeks that are taken for any antidepressant to show effects on symptoms. He said however that it is too early to start using the chemical as a treatment for depression as the dose, duration of use and frequency of usage needs to be studied in details.

Nascas experiments have shown that acetyl-L-carnitine is a crucial mediator of the metabolism of fat in the body and production of energy. This plays an important role in the brain and prevents the excessive firing of the nerve cells in the hippocampus and the frontal cortex in the brain. For this new study in humans Nasca recruited men and women aged between 20 and 70 years who were diagnosed with depression. Some experienced episodes of acute depression and had to be admitted to Weill Cornell Medicine or Mount Sinai School of Medicine for immediate management. All the participants were screened using questionnaires and detailed medical histories from them were obtained. Their blood samples were collected. From the diagnostic tools that are normally used to detect depression, 28 individuals were diagnosed to have moderate depression while 43 were diagnosed with severe depression.

The participants of the study were compared to 45 individuals who were matched in terms of age, sex and other parameters but did not have depression. The levels of acetyl-L-carnitine in blood of those with depression was found to be significantly lower than those without depression. Regardless of age and gender, this connection held true. Among those who had most severe depression and had been resistant to treatment or those who had been detected with depression early in life, the levels of acetyl-L-carnitine were found to be the lowest. Patients with a childhood history of neglect, poverty, abuse or exposure to violent activities also had lower levels of this chemical, the researchers noted.

Rasgon too warned people against self-medicating themselves with this nutritional supplement yet. We have many previous examples of how nutritional supplements widely available over the counter and unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration  for example, omega-3 fatty acids or various herbal substances  are touted as panaceas for you-name-it, and then dont pan out, she said. As of now the chemical remains a major biomarker that could predict depression and its severity and that is a big step she said.In recognition of the need for a national coordinated and collective response to the epidemic of opioid addiction in the U.S., the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) is partnering with the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and 35 organizations to form the Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. The public-private partnership is made up of organizations representing federal, state, and local governments, health systems, associations and provider groups, health education and accrediting institutions, pharmacies, payers, industry, nonprofits, and academia.

The partnership is committed to sharing knowledge, aligning ongoing initiatives, and addressing complex challenges that require a shared response from public and private actors. The collaborative will establish shared priorities, identify unmet needs, and develop and disseminate evidence-based, multi-sector solutions to reduce rates of opioid misuse and improve outcomes for individuals, families, and communities affected by addiction.

"The FSMB and our member boards are pleased to join the Action Collaborative to help put an end to this epidemic that is impacting every community in the United States," said FSMB President and CEO, Humayun Chaudhry, DO, MACP. "State medical boards play an important role in protecting patients from inappropriate opioid prescribing and we are eager to share our best practices and learn how we can be more effective partners in ending the epidemic."

"Since it was declared a public health emergency in October 2017, so many organizations are working around the clock to reverse the opioid epidemic, yet progress has been slow," said Victor J. Dzau, NAM president and chair of the collaborative. "The problem is clearly not absence of will, but insufficient alignment and coordination across sectors. The complex drivers of the opioid epidemic make it impossible for any single organization or professional sector to make a significant impact on its own. This one-of-a-kind public-private partnership will bring stakeholders from government, academia, the health care industry, health education, and communities impacted by addiction under the same roof to build collective solutions and accelerate the pace of progress."

Since 1999, the number of opioid-related deaths -- from both prescription opioids and illegal drugs including heroin, fentanyl, and carfentanil -- has quadrupled. Driven in large part by the opioid epidemic, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., resulting in 170 deaths every day. Addiction and overdose not only destroy individual lives, but erode the health and prosperity of entire families and communities. The economic toll is significant; according to the President's Council of Economic Advisers, the opioid crisis cost $504 billion in 2015, or 2.8 percent of gross domestic product.

The collaborative will focus on areas such as the over-prescription of opioids for treatment of pain, where progress requires the involvement of clinicians, researchers, and regulators; inadequate health provider education and training, for which improvement depends on the commitment of educators, accrediting institutions, and specialty organizations across the health professions; and under-treatment of opioid use disorders, which requires health industry innovation and collaboration with policymakers and care providers at all levels to achieve progress.

The collaborative's steering committee includes leadership from U.S. government, health care industry, philanthropy, and the nonprofit and education sectors. In addition to Dzau and co-founding partner Ruth Katz, vice president and executive director of the Health, Medicine, and Society Program at the Aspen Institute, the initiative is co-chaired by ADM Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health and senior advisor for mental health and opioid policy in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Jonathan Perlin, president of clinical service and chief medical officer at HCA Healthcare. Other members of the steering committee are Helen Burstin, executive vice president and chief executive officer for the Council of Medical Specialty Societies; Thomas Nasca, president and chief executive officer of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; and Alonzo Plough, chief science officer and vice president of research-evaluation-learning at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

"It is clear that no single institution nor sector can solve the opioid crisis alone," said Giroir. "The only viable approach to addressing the opioid misuse epidemic, the most pressing public health challenge of our time, is through multi-sector collaboration and a patient-centered approach. This collaborative brings the best from academia, industry, nonprofits, and public service to identify opportunities and recommend bold action plans to yield results."

"The Aspen Institute is honored to be partnering with the National Academy of Medicine to address this pressing public health epidemic," said Katz. "The action collaborative builds on our previous work, bringing together all the key players to develop and support a national, coordinated response to the crisis. This is exactly the kind of focus, commitment, and engagement long needed to get the job done."

"With the privilege of 30 million patient care episodes annually, HCA Healthcare brings broad clinical insight and commits support to the National Academy of Medicine's critical work to galvanize the public and private sectors in effectively combating the root causes of the opioid epidemic," said Perlin.

Joining the FSMB, the collaborative's supporting organizations are: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Food and Drug Administration, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), Department of Veterans Affairs, Aetna, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, Aspen Institute, Association of American Medical Colleges, Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Council of Medical Specialty Societies, HCA Healthcare, Milken Institute, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Collaborative members will establish goals and working groups to develop collective strategies in priority areas identified at the first meeting on July 27, such as education and training; prescribing guidelines and evidence standards; treatment and community approaches; communication, culture, and stigma; and research and data. Future activities will include meetings and workshops, expert publications, public engagement strategies, and the development of an information hub to share knowledge and best practices, among other efforts. Visit nam.edu/opioidcollaborative for more information and to see a complete list of participating organizations.Researchers at the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology (IBBR) in Maryland in the U.S. have taken the first step towards developing a method for the production of a standardized monoclonal antibody (mAb).

EnCor Biotechnology Inc

Study author Zvi Kelman says that by developing a way of producing the antibody, called NISTmAb, they can make the measurements that will define the production process.

Monoclonal antibodies are synthesized proteins that are designed to specifically target diseased cells, pathogens and other antigens for removal from the body. They are also used to deliver dugs or radiation to specific sites in the body.

The drugs have had an astonishing impact on medicine and today five of the ten most commonly sold pharmaceuticals are mAbs.

As patents on these mAbs expire in years to come, many biopharmaceutical companies will want to release generic versions (called biosimilars) of the original mAbs.

Both the manufacturers and FDA regulators of the biosimilars must confirm that they match the originals in terms of effectiveness, quality and safety.

In July 2016, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, issued the worlds first standardized mAb which was intended to help verify the quality of measurement techniques used in the development of biologics for a wide range of health conditions.

While the drug itself has been well characterized, the proprietary method used to produce it has not.

As reported in the journal mAbs, the IBBR researchers have now engineered three cell lines to produce non-propriety versions of mAb that closely match the characteristics of the original drug.

Having a rigorously characterized mAb production process, along with our standard NISTmAb protein, will serve as powerful benchmarking tools that should help manufacturers and regulators release new mAb therapeutics and biosimilars with greater confidence." John Marino, Co-author

Source

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/nios-ncl073118.phpLike many chronic infections, visceral leishmaniasis thwarts the immune system's defenses so it can settle comfortably into its host. Responsible for tens of thousands of deaths around the world every year, visceral leishmaniasis holds the unfortunate distinction of being the second leading cause of death by parasitic infection, after malaria. But how does it slip through the host's defenses? Professor Simona Stager's team at INRS has discovered a mechanism that Leishmania donovani takes advantage of to sustain the infection. It has shown that damage from chronic inflammation induces the death of white blood cells essential to eliminating the parasite. The findings, which were published in the prestigious journal Cell Reports, not only have the potential to lead to possible treatment, they also bring to light a phenomenon that may be shared by other chronic infections.

WEAKENED DEFENSES

At the heart of the immune response, CD4 T cells are essential to controlling an infection. This type of white blood cell participates in the immune response by signaling the presence of a pathogen to be eliminated. To do this, CD4 T cells produce a molecule called interferon gamma (IFN-), which activates the cells that destroy pathogens.

In the case of visceral leishmaniasis, CD4 T cells expressing IFN- (Th1 cells) appear later than expected during infection and in smaller numbers, a phenomenon that had puzzled researchers. "Now we've found the reason why there are so few," said Professor Stager. "Unfortunately, these protective cells are dying."

DISCOVERY OF A MECHANISM COMMON TO CHRONIC INFECTIONS

To understand how CD4 T cells are dying, researchers followed a lead identified in one of their recent studies. They had noticed the presence of a transcription factor unusual for these cells. A transcription factor is a protein that modulates the activity of one or more genes. The detected factor, IRF-5, is known for its action in innate immunity cells, but is role was totally unknown in CD4 T cells.

Professor Stager's new findings show that IRF-5 leads Th1 cells to self-destruct. Tracing the thread of molecular events, the immunologist pinned down the trigger for this unexpected cell death: tissue destruction. Following a series of reactions, which are still not fully understood, the destroyed tissue activates previously unknown signals in Th1 cells, causing them to die.

The white blood cells that orchestrate the attack are thus eliminated--not by the parasite but by a biological process of the host--sustaining the chronic infection and protecting the parasite. In fact, this mechanism may also be at play in other chronic infections that lead to inflammation.

Given the importance of better understanding the workings of this process, INRS professor successfully secured $1 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The cellular activity induced by IRF-5 in immune cells could reveal as-yet unknown therapeutic targets not only for visceral leishmaniasis, but also for other chronic inflammatory diseases.

DETAILS OF THE SIGNALING MECHANISM

The study presented by Professor Simona Stager's team points to a mechanism involving the TLR7 receptor (Toll-like Receptor 7), usually activated in innate immune system cells by pathogen recognition. In the case of chronic inflammation, the cellular residues present after tissue destruction activate TLR7 in Th1 cells. Activation of TLR7 induces expression and activation of IRF-5, which in turn increases expression of DR5 (Death Receptor 5) and caspase 8, two signaling elements leading to cell death. Thus, chronic inflammation induces the death of protective CD4 T cells via the TLR7-IRF-5 cellular pathway.Approximately 102 million Americans work in the service industry, according to the Pew Research Center, filling critical positions in restaurants, salons and transportation. In many cases, these jobs offer base pay at rates up to 71 percent lower than federal minimum wage, with the expectation that tips, which are highly unpredictable, will make up the difference.

However, service workers who rely on tips are at greater risk for depression, sleep problems and stress compared with employees who work in non-tipped positions, according to a study published today in the American Journal of Epidemiology (study link: https:/ / academic. oup. com/ aje/ article-lookup/ doi/ 10. 1093/ aje/ kwy123). The analysis is based on data from a nationwide health study that followed thousands of participants from adolescence into adulthood.

"The higher prevalence of mental health problems may be linked to the precarious nature of service work, including lower and unpredictable wages, insufficient benefits, and a lack of control over work hours and assigned shifts," said lead author Sarah Andrea, M.P.H., a Ph.D. candidate in epidemiology at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. "On average, tipped workers are nearly twice as likely to live in poverty relative to untipped workers."

Both tipped and untipped workers in service occupations also are expected to control certain emotions, including anger or disagreement, as well as manage instances of sexualized or hostile behavior during interactions with customers. According to Andrea, these factors may further increase the risk of stress and mental health problems across the service industry, with the greatest impact to women, who comprise 56 percent of all service workers and 67 percent of all tipped workers.

"While the idea that 'the customer is always right' may be a valid business plan, our study results indicate that mentality may negatively impact employee health, especially in women," said study co-author Janne Boone-Heinonen, Ph.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of epidemiology in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health.The chronic inflammatory disease systemic lupus erythematosus (known as SLE or lupus), is about nine times more common in women than men, and a University of Houston researcher now has the money to find out why. The National Institutes of Health has awarded Chandra Mohan, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Endowed Professor of biomedical engineering, $2 million dollars to examine the connection.

Mohan knows just where he's taking the money - straight to the bank. Bank1, that is, a critical gene in B-Lymphocytes, immune cells which make the antibodies that cause lupus when they misguidedly attack the body's own cells.

"Bank1 exists in men and women, but in women the consequences are more drastic because the Bank1 gene and female hormones work together on the same pathway and make even higher levels of disease-causing auto antibodies," said Mohan.

Genetic studies have led to the identification of several genes involved with lupus, but how they operate is still unclear. One of these genes is the Bank1.

"We will examine how the Bank1 impacts B-cell function and disease, in concert with female sex hormones," said Mohan. "A unique aspect of this grant is its focus on unraveling why females are more prone to lupus, by factoring in the contributions of culprit genes and estrogens."

Merely having a target is a step forward in the investigation of the complex autoimmune disease that is difficult to diagnose and treat because it is a multisystem disorder typically impacting skin, joints and kidneys. The disease is characterized by high levels of anti-nuclear autoantibodies and B-cell hyperactivity. Only one treatment for lupus has been approved in nearly 60 years.

Mohan will examine the molecular mechanisms through which lupus genes and sex hormones interface to cause autoimmunity. A better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the disease will also pave the way towards better therapeutics, he said.

Mohan is one of the leading lupus researchers in the world. For more than three decades he's been exploring the disease on different fronts.

"There are three major areas we need advances on concerning lupus," said Mohan. "We need a better understanding of the disease, we need to know if we can diagnose and monitor the disease better using better biomarkers, and we need to know superior ways to treat the disease."

On this grant Mohan is joined by Chin-Yo Lin of the UH Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling and biologist Anne Satterthwaite of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.Vitl Life Science Solutions  a member of the ITL Group  has built a reputation for developing products that deliver class leading performance in a laboratory setting  the company can now add glacial research to their list.

The high-end life science brand has built relationships with MedTech companies and research institutions around the world, including the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, US.

The latest project involved a team of researchers from the university taking the Lu-mini, Vitls new robust benchtop luminometer, into some of the most dramatic mountain terrain in the United States to not only support their research but to test its capabilities in the most extreme conditions.

Their research focused on testing watermelon snow, a natural phenomenon found in mountains stretching across the Northwest of America.

Melanie Lombardi, Sales Representative, Vitl Life Science Solutions said:

We have had many requests from our customers and partners, but this environmental project was a first for us, and one we saw as research worth supporting. The compact Lu-mini proved to be a great product in creating ease of transport for the research team to trek up the mountain. In the elements, the Lu-mini proved to be highly versatile to conduct quality testing in identifying a data connection of the carbon budget of a glacier, to its dynamic microbial ecology. We hope to see the Lu-mini utilized more by the University of Tennessee research team, including a visit to Antarctica with Dr. Jill Mikucki in the fall, and another with Caleb Schuler to revisit the Easton Glacier again next year.

The team was led by Dr. Jill Mikucki, a US microbiologist, educator and Antarctic researcher, best known for her work at Blood Falls, demonstrating that microbes can grow below ice in the absence of sunlight.

Easton Glacier on Mount Baker, Washington State was the destination for a series of experiments related to the unique phenomena of watermelon snow.

Schuler, part of the research team and a PhD student of microbiology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, explained:

Our research objectives were to understand how carbon flows through a glacial system and the impacts that microbial metabolism has on this carbon flux. We were looking to understand whether glaciers are sinks or sources for greenhouse gases. In efforts to understand this, we sought to fully characterize the microbiome of the glacier and its proglacial streams by collected microbial samples and geochemical samples on a spatial scale. On the mountain we had surprisingly good conditions that were partly cloudy at times and the temperature ranged from low single digit Celsius to -10C depending on time of day and altitude.

The Lu-mini was used to determine total ATP per ml of samples collecting.

We wanted to use the Lu-mini as its small in size and light weight compared to other luminometers. This is important to us as our research requires us to have small cubic volume and mass for our transport logistics, Schuler added.

To power the device off the grid we used a solar powered generator. This allowed us to bring the equipment anywhere and run our needed assays on the spot immediately after collecting samples or running the assay as soon as we hiked down to our basecamp.

We used the luminometer for spot measurements of ATP to track the presence of active cells within our system. I have not fully finished digging through our data yet. However, a preliminary glance at the RLU's suggests the Lu-mini had no problem, in cabins, tents, or exposed in a pro-glacial snow field.With the start of the school year just around the corner, it is easy to overlook one of the most important things on any back-to-school checklist -; making sure your child is vaccinated. Vaccinations protect children from serious diseases, ultimately protecting families, schools and communities by way of safe and effective immunizations.

Whether your child is entering day care for the first time, going to middle school or heading off to college, University of Alabama at Birmingham physicians are answering some of the most commonly asked questions about immunizations, giving parents the proper resources and information needed to ensure that their child is up-to-date on all necessary vaccinations.

What is the benefit to vaccinating my child?

Vaccination is the most important way to protect your infant, child and teenager from harmful diseases, many of which are preventable and can be life-threatening. Vaccine-preventable diseases exist throughout the world and can cause outbreaks at any given time, even in our own country.

"The best way to treat diseases is to prevent them in the first place, and the diseases on the vaccine schedule are all preventable for the vast majority of our population," said David Kimberlin, vice chair of UAB's Department of Pediatrics, co-director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, and also the American Academy of Pediatrics liaison to the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. "The scientific evidence and public health statistics are comprehensive and compelling -; properly scheduled and dosed vaccines are safe and effective, and they're the reason we don't see diseases like measles or whooping cough running rampant across our country."

UAB's Department of Pediatrics strongly supports the use of vaccines according to the schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Are vaccinations mandatory for my child to go to school? How do I know which vaccinations my child needs and when?

Depending on the state you live in, immunization requirements may vary, but all states and the District of Columbia agree that students must meet the minimum requirement for dosing each school year to attend public schools. In many states, including Alabama, state law requires an updated Certificate of Immunization be presented prior to entering any public school or child care center.

As of Aug. 22, 2014, all 50 states and D.C. require vaccinations for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, polio, measles, and rubella; 49 states and D.C. also require mumps vaccination; 48 states and D.C. require varicella (chickenpox) vaccination (Montana and Pennsylvania do not); and 45 states and D.C. require hepatitis B vaccination (Alabama, Maine, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota do not) to enter kindergarten. Some states require Hib, PCV, flu and Hep A vaccines to enter kindergarten.

Are school vaccinations free?

"Vaccines are part of standard care for children and are covered by insurance," said Rachael Lee, M.D., assistant professor in UAB's Division of Infectious Diseases. "Here in Alabama, our state has created a vaccines for children program to ensure cost is never an issue for families."

As Lee notes, if you are in a position where you may not have access to health insurance, your state health department is a great resource. It can direct you to services which can offer low-cost and/or free immunizations, as well as provide other health and preventive-related resources to you and your child.

Where do I take my child to get their vaccinations?

You can take your child to their pediatrician to get their necessary vaccinations; but vaccinations are also available at local pharmacies, health centers and local health departments. Each state and D.C. have their own vaccination requirements to attend public school. It is best to check with your specific state health department to determine what immunizations are required.

Lee notes that, as a physician and a mother, she knows that it can be challenging for any parent to get their child to understand why getting a shot is important -; a conversation that a pediatrician can also have when it is time for yearly immunizations.

"Vaccinating children can be hard; but I have found that, with my kids, by showing them my bandage and sore arm after getting the flu vaccine, I feel like they understand more about the importance of protecting ourselves from sickness, which turns into a great learning opportunity," Lee said.

I'm entering college and/or postgraduate schooling. Are vaccinations required?

For students entering college or returning to a higher-education setting, there are specific vaccinations necessary for enrollment, so it is recommended that you check with your specific university to see what immunizations are required. Life-threatening infections such as meningococcal disease occur more commonly in college-age people, and can be prevented through full vaccination.

At UAB, students are able to check what specific immunizations they need through Student Health Services, as immunization requirements differ depending on your program of study and when you began attending UAB. Students of all pre-graduate and postgraduate levels can receive vaccinations and TB testing at the UAB Student Health and Wellness Center.

What if my child has not been previously vaccinated? Is it too late to start?

If you have not vaccinated your children previously, it is important talk with your child's pediatrician about getting caught up, because it is possible and is highly recommended.

Stephen Russell, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics in UAB's School of Medicine, says he has had parents who have previously rejected vaccinating their children change their mind. Whether it was because of their own further research, personally experiencing the devastation of one of these preventable diseases within their own family or through a friend's family -; or simply a change of heart -; these parents have come to his UAB Medicine-Leeds clinic with one question: Now that we want to have our child vaccinated, what do we do?

"If parents who have previously not vaccinated their children decide they want to get the vaccines and get their children caught up, it can be done, and it can be done in one visit," Russell said. "Many parents don't know that, the sooner a child is vaccinated, the more effective those vaccines will be. Pediatricians can quickly help families get back on the vaccine schedule in a safe and effective manner."

The CDC has also developed a "catch-up" schedule that parents can work with their pediatrician to follow.

What if vaccinations are against my religious beliefs?

All major religions endorse vaccination, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism. While most states offer medical and religious exemptions to vaccinations, and some states allow philosophical exemptions, the American Academy of Pediatrics views nonmedical exemptions to school-required immunizations as inappropriate for individual, public health and ethical reasons and advocates for their elimination. Both Kimberlin and Russell strongly encourage parents who have either rejected vaccinating their children or neglected to get vaccinations according to the CDC schedule to talk to their pediatricians now, and to make arrangements to get their children the vaccinations they need before the school year begins.

"It's difficult for me to understand fully why someone would reject a medical miracle for their child, and that's what vaccines are," Kimberlin said. "The very success of the vaccination program is probably a big part of why we as physicians face these obstacles today, because parents don't see measles, polio and rubella the way they did 30, 40, 50 and 60 years ago. So, they don't have the perspective that their mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers had when it was common to lose a child to one of these now-preventable diseases."

How can I pull my or my child's immunization records?

According to the CDC, there are a few places to look to find immunization records. They recommend starting with the following agencies or organizations, as they should have a copy of their records on file:

Your child's pediatrician or public health clinic

Your child's state health department

Your child's school or day care center

Your child's college, should they be of adult age

How can I protect my children from HPV-related cancers, and when should I get them vaccinated?

According to Isabel Scarinci, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Division of Preventive Medicine and associate director for Globalization and Cancer at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, more than 31,000 people will be diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancer this year. Many of these cancers occur in both men and women and could be prevented by the HPV vaccine.

"The good news is that we now have a vaccine that has been proven to be effective against the HPV virus and that could eliminate multiple HPV-related cancers," Scarinci said.

The Center for Disease Prevention and Control recommends the HPV vaccine for boys and girls between 11 and 12 years of age but they can start as early as 9 years of age. If they are between 9 and 14, they only need two shots six-months apart. If they are older than 14, then three shots are required.

"Teens who did not get the vaccine or did not get all doses when they were younger should get it now," Scarinci said. "I cannot underscore enough that boys also need to get the vaccine because approximately 40 percent of HPV-related cancers occur among men."Aug 01, 2018 12:20 (IST)

Meanwhile, National Register of Citizens (NRC) Coordinator Prateek Hajela submitted the compliance report in the court on publishing the final draft of the NRC on July 30 as per the direction of the Supreme Court. The bench noted from Hajela's report that the full draft will be available for people by August 7 and from August 8, people will get to know reasons of their non-inclusion in the NRC. The report added that those whose names are not included in the final draft will get the opportunity between August 30 and September 28 to file claims and objections before the registrar concerned and at NRC Seva Kendras.The hybrid vehicle, which has so far cost single-digit millions of pounds to develop, will use a traditional gas turbine engine with an electrical system wrapped around it. Rolls-Royce is also researching an all-electric product but that is not as advanced as the EVTOL offering. (Image: Aston Martin)However, fearing violence, officials have said that no-one will face immediate deportation and an appeal process will be available to all those who name doesn't feature in the NRC list. (Cartoon by Mir Suhail)The Death of Doctor Strange uncovers a new facet to the origin of new Marvel hero White Fox

The Death of Doctor Strange leads to White Fox being the prime suspect in other Marvel murdersGamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn moreUnited Nations : The ongoing violence and attacks on civilian infrastructure in Hudaydah of Yemen threaten hundreds of thousands of children and their families, said the head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in a statement released on Wednesday.

"Attacks against civilian facilities and services are unacceptable, inhumane and in breach of the basic laws of war," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, Xinhua reported.

"Yet the past few days have seen an escalation in the targeting of systems and facilities that are essential to sustaining the lives of children and families," she added.

It was reported at the weekend that a UNICEF-supported warehouse containing humanitarian provisions, including hygiene and water-related supplies, was hit by two airstrikes.

On Saturday, a UNICEF-supported sanitation center in the Zabid District came under attack, damaging the facility's fuel tank. A day earlier, the al-Mina District water station was hit, which is the main source of water for the key port city.

Overall, 22 million people need some kind of assistance in Yemen after years of grinding conflict between government and Saudi-led coalition forces, who've been battling Houthi rebels for control of the country. Hudaydah is the main port for the shattered import-dependent economy, as more than 70 percent of all humanitarian supplies, commercial goods and food brought into the country, passes through the docks there.

The UNICEF chief said that the country was "already facing a severe shortage of drinking water, which is directly linked to outbreaks of cholera and acute watery diarrhea," underscoring that attacks on water infrastructure "jeopardize efforts to prevent another outbreak of cholera and acute watery diarrhea in Yemen."

Fore again called on everyone involved in fighting to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. "The war in Yemen has no winners. It is robbing Yemeni children of their futures," she noted.London : The world's largest colony of King penguins in the southern Indian Ocean has shrunk by nearly 90 per cent in the last three decades, yielding the territory to encroaching vegetation, an alarming research has found.

The colony of King penguins -- Aptenodytes patagonicus Miller -- at Ile aux Cochons, Iles Crozet, in the southern Indian Ocean was known in the 1980s as the largest King penguin colony and the second largest penguin colony in the world.

At the time, the colony included 500,000 breeding pairs and consisted of over two million penguins.

Due to isolation and inaccessibility, aerial photographs, and satellite images were used to report on changes in the colony and population sizes over the past 50 years.

The photographs confirmed that the colony's penguin population has plummeted, said Henri Weimerskirch from the Centre d Etudes Biologiques Chize (CNRS) at the Universite de la Rochelle in France.

The population of penguins has declined by 88 per cent over the past 35 years, from 500,000 pairs to 60,000 pairs.

The data, appearing in the journal Antarctic Science, showed that the decline began in the late 1990s, coinciding with a major climatic event in the Southern Ocean related to El Nino.

The size of the colony may also subject it to density-dependent effects. That is, the larger the population, the fiercer the competition between individuals, slowing the growth of all members of the group, the researchers said.

The repercussions of lack of food are thus amplified and can trigger an unprecedented rapid and drastic drop in numbers, especially following a climatic event like the one at the end of the 1990s.

Diseases such as the Avian cholera which is currently ravaging populations of seabirds on other islands in the Indian Ocean, could also be one of the explanations.

Still, none of these possibilities seems to offer a satisfactory explanation for a decline of the magnitude observed on Ile aux Cochons.New Delhi : India started its process of expanding its diplomatic and economic presence in Africa by naming a new envoy to Rwanda on Wednesday.

In a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said that Oscar Kerketta, Additional Secretary in the Foreign Service Institute here, has been appointed as India's new High Commissioner to Rwanda.

"He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the statement said.

The announcement comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement last month that India will open 18 new diplomatic missions in Africa this year with the first being a High Commission in Rwanda.

Till now, the Indian High Commissioner based in Kampala, Uganda, had concurrent responsibility for Rwanda.

Addressing the media along with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali on July 24, Modi highlighted the fact that Rwanda would house the first of the 18 new resident Indian missions to be opened in Africa in 2018 and that this underlined the importance attached by India to its relations with that East African nation.

Rwanda is emerging as a key nation for India's engagement with Africa.

Addressing an India-Rwanda Business Forum in Kigali, Modi called for boosting economic ties between India and Rwanda while describing that country as the gateway to the whole of Africa.

"When you have come to Rwanda, don't think that you are confined within its boundaries," Modi told the gathering.

"You will find the gateway to the whole of Africa here," he said.

The country is home to around 3,000 people of Indian origin.

Rwanda hosted the Assembly of the African Union in March this year where the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA) establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area was signed. Forty-four members of the African Union signed the Agreement.

When ratified, the Agreement would be the largest free trade area in terms of participating countries since the formation of the World Trade Organisation.New Delhi : India on Wednesday welcomed the US designation of three Pakistani nationals as Specially Designated Global Terrorists for providing logistical and financial support to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group.

"India welcomes the announcements made (on Tuesday) by the US Departments of State and Treasury in which three Pakistan-based (LeT) terrorists and terror financiers have been named as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDTG)," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to queries.

"The announcement vindicates India's consistent stand that internationally designated terrorist groups and individuals, including LeT and its front, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), continue to operate from and raise financial resources with impunity in Pakistan and use territories under its control for carrying out cross-border terrorism in India and elsewhere in South Asia," Kumar said.

"The latest designations also call into question Pakistan's sincerity in taking effective action against such terrorist elements."

The US State Department on Tuesday designated Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil as an SDGT under an Executive Order, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons who have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy or economy of the US.

The other two were Hameed ul Hassan and Abdul Jabbar. The designation seeks to deny them the resources to plan and carry out terrorist attacks.

All their property and interests subject to US jurisdiction were blocked and US persons were generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them.

The State Department said Dakhil was a long-time member of the US designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and LeT and was an operational leader for LeT's attacks in India between 1997 and 2001.

In 2004, Dakhil was captured in Iraq by UK forces, held in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan until his transfer to Pakistan in 2014.

After his release from Pakistani custody, Dakhil returned to work for the LeT. "In 2016, Dakhil was the LeT divisional commander for the Jammu region in Jammu and Kashmir. As of early 2018, Dakhil remained a senior commander in LeT," the US statement said.

In a separate statement, the US Treasury Department designated Hameed ul Hassan and Abdul Jabbar as SDGTs in order to disrupt LeT's fundraising and support networks.

"These LeT financial facilitators are responsible for collecting, transporting and distributing funds to support this terrorist group and provide salaries to extremists," said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.Moscow : The Russian Foreign and Defence Ministers and their Japanese counterparts have met for the third round of their "2+2" Dialogue and agreed to explore further cooperation on security, Moscow said.



The ministerial consultations took place on Tuesday, according to a transcript of the Russian Foreign Ministry.



"We are united in the fact that the situation in the Asia-Pacific region is very difficult, as in the world arena as a whole," Xinhua news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying.



The Minister confirmed that there will be focus on combating terrorism, ensuring international information security and combating corruption.



The positive developments on the Korean Peninsula were also welcomed as all parties involved were urged to maintain the fragile peace process with "restraint and flexibility".



The two sides also discussed issues related to the Middle East and Syria, including facilitating the return of refugees, aid deliveries and restoring infrastructure.



The "2+2" format was first adopted at a Russian-Japanese meeting in Tokyo in November 2013. Following the breakout of the Ukraine crisis in March 2014, Japan suspended the negotiations. It was not resumed until March 2017 when it took place in Tokyo.Patna : Vulnerable communities in four South Asian countries across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region are hopeful and confident of fighting floods this monsoon, thanks to community-based flood early warning systems (CBFEWS).



They have joined hands with an international organisation that set up CBFEWS in flood-prone Assam and Bihar in India, Mahotrati in Nepal, Baghlan in Afghanistan and Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan.

CBFEWS is part of an international drive to boost resilience and adaptation to climate change. It aims to save lives and support sustainable development by enabling the most vulnerable to benefit from effective early warning systems ahead of floods and flash floods. This is seen as a powerful and effective tool to reduce risks and to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities.

At the onset of the monsoon this year, funds were raised to repair a community-based flood early warning system that had been damaged along the Ratu River near the Nepal-India border. The funds were raised by Yuganter, a local NGO, and community representatives led by the Mukhiya (village head) of Shrikhandi, Purnima Mishra. "We have come together as a community to take ahead an initiative to alert and warn us before flash floods," Purnima told IANS on the telephone.

The system was repaired by Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and Sustainable Eco Engineering (SEE), in partnership with Yuganter.

"CBFEWS provides that extra time to the communities, which helps them prepare to save their lives and livelihoods. Timely preparedness is the key for a successful CBFEWS," Neera Shrestha Pradhan of the ICIMOD told IANS.

She said communities are the first to both bear the brunt and respond to floods and flash floods. "However, we have rarely been able to provide early warning messages on time to the people who are most vulnerable."

Pradhan, a water and adaptation specialist, explained how the system works. Its mechanics begin with a sensor rod that is calibrated in consultation with the local communities to the specific conditions of the landscape and river and installed in an upstream section of a flood-prone river.

When water levels begin to rise during the monsoon, the sensor sends a message in the form of a light and a loud buzzing noise to a receiver located at the nearby house of a resident who has volunteered to be the system's local caretaker.

"When the water is rising to dangerous levels, the caretaker calls or sends a text message to the numbers on a contact list of individuals downstream as well as the adjacent community and government institutions to inform them of the potential flood," said Pradhan.

A CBFEWS provides at least four hours of lead time for vulnerable communities to respond to approaching floods. The systems, which rely on technology and human operators, have saved lives and property and established goodwill between upstream and downstream communities otherwise unknown to each other. During the 2017 monsoon floods, CBFEWS helped save 17 children along the Koshi River, in Nepal and India.

ICIMOD provided flood monitoring devices and established CBFEWS with its partners. It will establish another CBFEWS in the Kabul river basin in Afghanistan and provide technical support to Oxfam Nepal to establish a CBFEWS in the Mahakali River basin of Nepal

Till date ICIMOD, partners, and local governments have come together to save lives from flash floods by installing 11 such community-based flood early warning systems in nine tributaries of the Bramhaputra, Indus and Koshi rivers in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

With climate change a reality now and the HKH region witnessing an increase in disaster-like extreme weather such as floods and flash floods, a community-based flood early warning system is the cheapest and easy way to adapt to the change.

( Imran Khan can be contacted at imran.k@ians.in)Sundarbans stretches along the Bay of Bengal and considered one of the natural wonders of the world

New Delhi : The Sundarbans mangrove forest which is one of the largest contiguous forests in the world is under threat by "heedless industrialisation, according to a UN rights expert. Situated in the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, the forest is home to several endangered species. But concerning the growing threat on this UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UN has recommended Government of Bangladesh to halt the industrialisation process, as of now.

Sundarbans stretches along the Bay of Bengal and considered one of the natural wonders of the world. However, despite objections raised from the World Heritage Committee of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the Bangladesh government has approved more than 320 industrial projects in the area, including a massive coal-fired power plant.

"The accelerating industrialisation of the Sundarbans threatens not only this unique ecosystem  which hosts Bengal tigers, Ganges river dolphins and other endangered species  but also poses serious risks to the human rights of the 6.5 million people whose lives, health, housing, food and cultural activities depend directly on a safe, healthy and sustainable Sundarbans forest," said John Knox, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment.

Last year, the High Court of Bangladesh directed the government not to approve any industrial development within the 10 kilometres of the reserved forest, but according to UNESCO, approvals continue to be given. "The threat posed by untrammelled industrialisation of the Sundarbans is emblematic of the threats facing the environment around the world," the Special Rapporteur said, adding that "of course, the people of Bangladesh, like people around the world, need to improve their economic well-being". Knox stressed that "pursuing short-term economic gain in disregard of environmental costs" was simply unsustainable.

Knox, an independent human rights expert, appointed by the Human Rights Council, explained that mangrove forests provide "benefits for clean air and water that extend far beyond their immediate location". He called on the Government of Bangladesh to halt the industrialisation. "Pursuing short-term economic gain in disregard of environmental costs is chasing fools' gold. Without a healthy environment, economic gains are unsustainable," Knox added. "To have truly sustainable development, it is critical to protect the environment. And to ensure that environmental concerns are taken into account, governments must listen to the voices of those who are most affected by proposed industrial projects."

"Too often, the people who raise questions about development projects are ignored or even treated as enemies of the state. But really, they should be treated as the champions of sustainable development," the expert said.Sorry!

This content is not available in your regionAnother fantastic AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is now in the history books. The Worlds Greatest Aviation Celebration saw the increase of several key elements in 2018. Attendance at EAAs annual event was an all-time high, roughly 601,000, or nearly two percent above 2017s record.

More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. At Wittman alone, there were 19,588 aircraft operations in the 11-day period from July 20-30, which is an average of approximately 134 takeoffs or landings per hour.

Aircraft taking part at Wittman totaled 2,979, which was the second straight year above 2,900. By category, the aircraft included 1,160 homebuilt aircraft (a 5% increase), 1,094 vintage airplanes, 377 warbirds (a 7% rise), 185 ultralights and light-sport aircraft, 75 seaplanes, 22 rotorcraft, 52 aerobatic aircraft, and 14 hot air balloons.

EAA Chairman Jack Pelton said, A perfect event may be unattainable, but AirVenture 2018 came about as close as one could imagine. The combination of outstanding programs, aircraft variety, a robust economy, and good weather combined to complement the efforts of our staff and 5,000 volunteers throughout the grounds. The week was upbeat, exciting, and filled with many Only at Oshkosh moments.

AirVenture never fails to bring rare and unique acts and events, and this year was no exception. For warbird enthusiasts, the only disappointment was the lack of the highly-anticipated XP-82 Twin Mustang. Unfortunately the airplane did not make Oshkosh, because it had not yet made its first flight; however, warbird enthusiasts were delighted by many other amazing vintage military aircraft.

The undisputed stars of the warbird show were, without a doubt, Jim Slatterys brace of Grumman F7F Tigercats, which were presented in flight by EAA Warbirds of America pilot Connie Bowlin and Stew Dawson. These classic WWII-era naval fighters also featured in Thursdays Warbirds in Review presentation.

Notes: Sequential serial numbers, built by Fighters Rebuild out of Chino and WestPac

One of the themes of AirVenture 2018 was the Royal Air Force Centenary. Several types represented the RAF, including Vintage Wings of Canadas Spitfire Mk IX TE294 brought down from Gatineau, Quebec by Dave Hadfield on behalf of owner Mike Potter. This Spitfire is a stunning representative of the breed, and was largely restored by Vintech Aero, Vintage Wings in-house restoration shop. She won Reserve Grand Champion at AirVenture 2018, which is no small feat, given the competition she faced. Spitfire TE294, marked as Y2-K, honors the legacy of RCAF 442 Squadron pilot Flt Lt Walter Arnold Rosie Roseland, who gave his life for King and Country over France on July 13, 1944. For more on the life of Rosie Roseland, please click HERE to read the beautifully written and illustrated Vintage Wings of Canada article by Dave OMalley.

Another jewel honoring the Royal Air Force was the oldest flying jet in the world: Gloster Meteor T7 WA591. This recently imported aeroplane is owned and operated by the World Heritage Air Museum. The appearance of the Meteor was especially poignant, due to the tragic loss of her owner, Marty Tibbitts, in the crash of his deHavilland Venom shortly after departing for Oshkosh on July 20th. It is an enormous testament to the spirit of Tibbitts family and friends that the Meteor made her appearance.

Two more new warbirds debuted at AirVenture: the stunning P-51C LOPES HOPE 3rd and John OConnors F4U-7 Corsair (marked as an AU-1).

AirCorps Aviation presented P-51 LOPES HOPE 3rd, which flew for the first time following a total rebuild on October 16, 2017. This is the third, highly authentic Mustang restoration that AirCorps has completed since 2011. This restoration is based upon the remains of P-51C 43-24907, whereas the original LOPES HOPE 3rd was 42-103585. Texas Flying Legends Museum chose to restore this Mustang in Lt. Donald S. Lopezs color scheme to honor his service in World War Two, and his later career which included flying as a test pilot in early jets after World War Two, and his contributions to the aviation community as Deputy Director of the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum. The new LOPES HOPE 3rd won the Grand Champion-WWII Award, confirming the outstanding quality that goes into anything that comes from AirCorps Aviations restoration shop.

For Corsair lovers, John OConnors F4U-7 made its debut after the recent application of a new paint scheme honoring Lt Col John Bolt, who flew with VMF-214 Black Sheep Squadron. Bolt, already an ace in World War Two, flew F-86s with the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, scoring six kills, including two in one day. OConnors Corsair is painted to represent an extinct AU-1 Corsair variant, making for a unique and appealing scheme that demanded attention in AirVentures Warbird Alley.

Another welcome participant at Oshkosh AirVenture 2018 was the extraordinarily rare Dayton-Wright DH.4 Liberty. Dating all the way back to 1916, this aircraft type, a variant of the deHavilland DH.4, can be considered as Americas first warbird, since it was the first American-built aircraft to see combat in WWI. This particular example was built in 1918, and was one of a number of examples which the legendary Frank Tallman and Paul Mantz acquired from U.S. government surplus after WWI. Dorian Walker was responsible for the rebuild. It is a simply magnificent authentic example of an aviation era that has almost vanished from our skies. It is down to people like Walker and his Friends of Jenny organization that we still have a few original aircraft from WWI capable of flying.

The Heavy Weight category saw the participation of three Skyraiders and several C-47s. Cavanaugh Flight Museum brought its Douglas AD-6/A-1H Skyraider and the Douglas AD-5W/EA-1E Skyraider, while Paul Woods Warbird Heritage Foundation brought its Douglas AD-1 Skyraider. Cavanaugh Flight Museum had recently refinished their A-1H Skyraider in its original USAF Vietnam War combat colors. Warbird Digest delivers the whole story inside Issue #79, click HERE.



Thanks to the D-Day Squadron, AirVenture saw the participation of a large number of C-47s and DC-3s. At one point there were 12 Gooney Birds on the field. The D-Day Squadron is helping to organize a mass flyover of vintage Douglas DC-3s and C-47 Skytrains over the beaches of Normandy in France during the June 2019 events that will commemorate the thousands of soldiers who fought and died during D-Day. C-47s led the Allied invasion during D-Day, dropping paratroopers behind enemy lines late at night to help prepare for the beach landings that took place on the morning of June 6. The flyover will be part of the larger Daks Over Normandy event, which will feature DC-3s and C-47s from other countries.

Here are more photos provided by David F. Brown Photography and George Land.

David F. Brown Photography

George LandTrump admin vows to stop punishing countries that oppose homosexuality; LGBT activists outraged

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 31, 2018 (LifeSiteNews)  Pro-homosexual voices are up in arms over remarks by a Trump administration official pledging to end the Obama-era practice of using aid to influence foreign nations policies on abortion and homosexuality.

(Article by Calvin Freiburger republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Mick Mulvaney addressed the State Departments Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom on July 25, CNS News reported, during which he expressed disgust that U.S. taxpayer dollars are used to discourage Christian values in other democratic countries.

It was stunning to me that my government under a previous administration would go to folks in sub-Saharan Africa and say, We know that you have a law against abortion, but if you enforce that law, youre not going to get any of our money, Mulvaney explained. We know you have a law against gay marriage, but if you enforce that law, were not going to give you any money.

Persecution oftentimes stops far short of life-and-death matters () That is a different type of religious persecution that I never expected to see, he said.

There are a lot of people in this government who just want to see things done differently, Mulvaney assured the crowd.

Despite the fact that the only specific examples Mulvaney cited were laws protecting preborn babies and rejecting same-sex marriage, numerous left-wing and pro-LGBT websites claimed he was defending laws that imprison or execute citizens for homosexuality.

Mulvaneys portrayal of punishing people over their marriage laws is either intentionally deceptive or unintentionally ignorant, ThinkProgress LGBTQ Editor Zack Ford claimed, citing examples such as Ugandan efforts to enact the death penalty for gays. Towerload and PinkNews released similar stories.

Mulvaney said that the Obama administration had gone too far in trying to promote equal rights, such as President Barack Obama saying he would put an emphasis on the importance of LGBTQ rights in a visit to Kenya in 2015, Bailey Vogt at Metro Weekly wrote. Kenya currently punishes homosexuality with up to 14 years in prison.

In fact, Mulvaney does not specifically invoke Uganda or Kenya; he only recalls discussing the matter with a large group of men and women from sub-Saharan Africa.

As for the substance of Mulvaneys remarks, Breitbarts Robert Kraychik noted that Barack Obama spent tens of millions of dollars to block anti-LGBT measures abroad and in 2015 earmarked more than half a billion to assist marginalized groups and support gay communities and causes.

The previous administration also bragged about providing more than $200 million to the pro-abortion UN Population Fund (UNFPA) since 2009, in the name of promoting reproductive health.

Even the New York Times reported in 2015 that the Obama administrations aggressiveness in promoting homosexuality abroad may have done more harm than good, provoking defensiveness in foreign governments and electorates that led to harsher laws than would have otherwise been enacted.

Rev. George Ehusani, former secretary general of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, told the Times that a 2014 Nigerian law imposing jail time on participation in same-sex marriages or civil unions, gay clubs, and amorous public displays of homosexuality would not have come in the form in which it did without U.S. pressure.

LGBT commentators latest attack on the Trump administration is particularly ironic in light of pro-family activists assessment that President Donald Trumps record on LGBT issues is decidedly mixed, praising his commitment to religious liberty while criticizing him for accepting same-sex marriage and various displays of gay pride.

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.comIT consulting and research firm Gartner saw its returns increase in the past quarter, reflecting across-the-board growth, according to its latest earnings report released Wednesday.

Second-quarter revenues for the Stamford-based company reached $1 billion, up 19 percent from a year ago. It recorded a $46 million profit, compared with a $92 million loss in the same period last year.

We got off to a great start for the year and that continued through the second quarter, Gartner CEO Gene Hall said in a statement. The leading indicators across all parts of our business are overwhelmingly positive, and we are well-positioned for sustained, long-term double-digit growth.

Among other measures, total contract value rose 12 percent to $2.94 billion. Research revenues increased 25 percent to $770 million.

The consulting business returns ticked up 5 percent to $96 million. Event revenues moved up 22 percent to $111 million.

In the past quarter, the company divested its Talent Assessment and Workforce Survey & Analytics businesses, which had comprised part of its $3.3 billion acquisition of technology and insights firm CEB in in April 2017. Gartner had announced last January it would sell Talent Assessment to London-based Exponent Private Equity for $400 million.

Hall has said the integration of CEB has gone extraordinarily well.

Gartner officials have also said they want to develop a line of new research and advisory products that would take advantage of CEBs strengths in human resources, sales, finance and legal services.

Including the CEB acquisition, Gartner employs about 15,000 worldwide. The company is headquartered at 56 Top Gallant Road, in the citys Waterside section.

Gartner shares closed Wednesday at about $131, down 3.35 percent from their Tuesday finish.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschottSOUTHBURY - Retired psychology professor and first-time GOP congressional candidate Ruby Corby ONeill was endorsed Wednesday by state Rep. William Petit, a prominent Connecticut Republican who briefly considered a run for the same seat in Congress earlier this year.

Ruby is our best shot to win in November and bring much-needed change to our nations capital, Petit said in a prepared statement. I like her fiscal conservatism, her common sense approach towards immigration, and her passion to combat the opioid crisis.

ONeill is challenging GOP front-runner Manny Santos and Watertown businessman Rich Dupont for the 5th District  the most competitive congressional seat in Connecticut.

Petits endorsement comes two weeks before the Aug. 14 Republican primary.

ONeill welcomed his support.

He recognizes how my life story required courage, strength and determination, and how I will be able to use those traits and qualities to help make peoples lives better, ONeill said in a prepared statement.

Petit was courted by the GOP to run for the 5th District in April, after a surprise announcement by U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty that she would not seek a fourth term because of her role in an office abuse scandal.

Petit, the lone survivor of the 2007 Cheshire home invasion, decided against a congressional run. When ONeill declared her candidacy, Petit was there to introduce her.

They are all three great candidates, but I think Ruby has what we need in Washington, Petit said on Wednesday.

Santos, a former mayor of Meriden who was endorsed by Republicans at the partys convention in May, has been endorsed by the largest gun rights group in the state  the Connecticut Citizens Defense League. Dupont has been endorsed by Nancy Johnson, the last Republican to represent the 5th District, which stretches from greater Danbury to Massachusetts.

Democrats are preparing for their own Aug. 14 primary. Front-runner Mary Glassman is being challenged by Jahana Hayes, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year.MILFORD  A city woman said she didnt steal a thing after she was arrested on suspicion of depositing money raised from a GoFundMe page into her personal bank account.

Suzanne Maraczi, 47, of Milford, was charged last Friday with forth-degree larceny, police said Wednesday.

Supporters of Maraczi reached out to Hearst Connecticut Media on Wednesday and said there was no arrest and there is no court date, adding that she was falsely accused. But Milford police confirmed she was charged.

Police said Maraczi was released on a promise to appear and is expected to appear in court on Aug. 21.

Milford police said Maraczi was taken into custody last Friday after a three month investigation into a complaint filed against her.

Its all sickening to me, Maraczi said via text Wednesday afternoon. I swear to god I didnt steal a thing from them.

On Feb. 27, someone filed a complaint with Milford police that Maraczi opened a GoFundMe page for an animal rescue group and had the donations deposited into her personal bank account, police said.

Some of the donations raised were turned over to the animal rescue group but the complaint states that after numerous requests, Maraczi failed to turn over the remaining donated money, Milford police said. Investigation led to an arrest warrant being issues for Maraczi.

Maraczi said she feels she has been harassed by those who filed the complaint.

They made me (out) to be a terrible person. Ive been constantly harassed, she said in a text. Its very cut and dry. I live for these animals.

The GoFundMe page is no longer active on the site, but it was unclear whether it was closed on its own or if police shut it down.

Were sorry, but the campaign link you entered cannot be found, the site read on Wednesday.

As was previously reported by Hearst Connecticut Media, Maraczi works as a licensed emergency and critical care nurse at the Animal Medical Center in New York City.

Last September, Maraczi and several veterinary professionals throughout the region initiated a massive food relief effort to help hungry animals after Hurricane Irma devastated the Caribbean area on Sept. 6, 2017.

Maraczi and Melissa Marter, who lives in Stratford and owns Whos Your Doggie in Milford, jumped on board a plane on Oct. 5, 2017, to Antigua to help out on the ground. Marter stayed for about a week and Maraczi stayed until early January.

While in the Caribbean, the duo connected with the Sea Shepard Conservation Society, an international nonprofit group made famous through the television show Whale Wars. The captain of one of the Sea Shepard boats invited the two to join the crew, engaging in similar efforts.UPDATE: 4:05 p.m. - Bridgeport

The sun is back out, like the rain never even happened. Keep an eye out for potential flash floods caused by the rain, especially along the coast.

UPDATE: 3:58 p.m. - Bridgeport

Bridgeport is currently seeing some sun showers.

UPDATE: 3:44 p.m. - Bridgeport

Thunder can be heard in Bridgeport. The Bridgeport area is currently getting soaked by rain.

UDPATE: 3:34 p.m. - Bridgeport

The Bridgeport Emergency Operations Center said residents should be cautious when driving during the severe thunderstorm warning, set to hit the city around 3:45 p.m. Residents currently outside should seek shelter indoors until the storm passes.

UPDATE: 3:30 p.m. - Norwalk

No lighting yet but it is pouring, Norwalk police said.

Original story

A severe thunderstorm is currently roaring through Ridgefield as of 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The thunderstorm, seen on radar near Ridgefield and New Canaan around 2:45 p.m., the National Weather Service said, is expected to hit central Fairfield County and northern Westchester County in New York.

The storm is moving at about 20 mph, the NWS said.

Bridgeport, Stamford, Danbury, Newtown, Fairfield, Greenwich, Trumbull, Westport, Monroe, Bethel, Wilton, Weston and Redding are in the path of this storm, the weather service said.

Bridgeport is expected to be hit by the storm around 3:25 p.m.

The NWS also issued a flood advisory for central Fairfield and central Westchester counties until 4:30 p.m. In Connecticut, New Canaan, Stamford, Greenwich, Wilton and Ridgefield could see some flooding.WASHINGTON - The Trump administration issued new insurance rules Wednesday to encourage more Americans to buy inexpensive, skimpy health plans originally designed for short-term use.

The policies will be available for 12 months at a time, up from a current limit of three, and customers will be able to renew them for additional years. The short-term plans do not have to cover preexisting conditions and certain kinds of health care that the Affordable Care Act requires.

The new rules are the second tool the administration has devised lately to foster low-price insurance that circumvents the ACA's coverage requirements and consumer protections. In June, the Labor Department issued rules that will make it easier for small companies to buy a type of insurance known as association health plans and, for the first time, allow them to be sold to people who are self-employed.

The pair of rules carries out an executive order that President Donald Trump signed in October, directing agencies to broaden access to these two small niches in the insurance market to promote "a health-care system that provides high-quality care at affordable prices for the American people."

RELATED VIDEO: Trump Touts 'Record' Sales Of Health Insurance Plans That Don't Exist Yet

In issuing the latest rules with a media blitz, administration officials characterized them as a major step toward fulfilling the president's promise to widen insurance choices. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar made threemorning television appearances.

"They may not be the right choice for everybody," Azar said at an afternoon press briefing. But, he said, "we believe strongly in giving people options here."

Azar and other federal health officials predicted these short-term, limited-duration plans will appeal mainly to middle-class people who do not qualify for government subsidies for ACA health plans - especially people who are young or healthy. With the law still in place despite Trump's and congressional Republicans' hostility toward it, "we are looking to do everything we can to take incremental steps that will make insurance coverage more affordable," saidJim Parker, director of HHS's Office of Health Reform.

In the months since the idea surfaced, it has elicited a wall of opposition from the health insurance industry, hospitals, doctors and patient advocacy groups. All have warned that consumers with bare-bones plans would be stranded when they need care - and that the defection of healthy customers from ACA marketplaces would drive up prices for those who remain.

On Wednesday, health policy experts from the conservative Heritage Foundation and libertarian Cato Institute lauded the change.

But Topher Spiro, vice president for health policy at the liberal Center for American Progress, derided the health plans as "junk insurance" and "the Trump University equivalent of health insurance."

And the American Lung Association's president, Harold Wimmer, said short-term policies provide inadequate coverage for people with diseases such as asthma or lung cancer. "Lung disease patients need access to treatment to be able to breathe," he said in a statement.

While praising the administration's effort to promote insurance choices, Matt Eyles, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade group, said, "We remain concerned that consumers who rely on short-term plans for an extended time period will face high medical bills when they need care that isn't covered or exceed their coverage limits."

Congressional reaction split along predictable partisan lines, with Republicans cheering on the administration and Senate Minority Leader Chauck Schumer, D-N.Y., vowing, "Democrats will do everything in our power to stop this."

Short-term insurance policies go further than the association health plans in the ways they are exempt from parts of the 2010 health-care law that are meant to protect consumers from shoddy insurance that disadvantages consumers who need it most.

Both types of insurance can sidestep the ACA's requirement that health plans sold to individuals and small businesses must include 10 categories of benefits, such as maternity care and mental health services. Both can have bigger price differences between older customers and younger ones. But only the short-term plans alsocan charge higher prices to customers with medical conditions that require care, refuse to sell them a policy, or exclude coverage of health problems that a customer had before buying the insurance. The ACA bans such practices.

Making it easier to buy health plans that avoid the law's protections is part of a strategy by Trump and his aides of relying on executive powers to undercut aspects of the law, whose demolition has been one of Trump's central goals since his 2016 campaign. Since the Republican-led Congress was unable to repeal large parts of the statute last year, the administration has ended a significant subsidy for ACA insurers and slashed federal spending on advertising and in-person help to encourage consumers to sign up through insurance marketplaces created by the law.

Such health plans have long existed, and their idea was to provide temporary coverage for people who are between jobs or have other brief needs for inexpensive insurance.

During the Obama administration, health officials became concerned that, as premiums for ACA health plans were becoming more expensive, some people were starting to rely on these alternatives as an end-run around the comprehensive coverage the law was designed to promote. In response, Obama-era health officials in 2016 restricted the short-term policies to three months.

That is the central change the Trump administration is making now, allowing the plans to last up to 364 days and letting insurers renew them for as many as three years - a renewal that the ACA has forbidden.

Until now, the health-care law had a built-in deterrent for those considering short-term plans. They do not satisfy the ACA's requirement that most Americans carry health insurance. As a result, people who buy such policies have risked a tax penalty that the law places on those who violate the coverage mandate.

But that won't matter starting in January, when the penalty will disappear as a result of a tax overhaul that the Republican-led Congress adopted late last year.

The expanded plans can go on sale in two months, or as long as it takes for state regulators to approve them. Several states do not permit them.

Since the administration first proposed an expansion of short-term plans, health policy researchers have been studying the potential effects - and what the existing plans are like.

In an April analysis, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the short-term plans sold by two online private insurance marketplaces, eHealth and Agile Health, often charge one-fifth the premiums for the lowest-run ACA health plans. But they may have higher out-of-pocket costs, as well as yearly or lifetime coverage limits that are forbidden by the ACA. None covered maternity care, slightly more than one-quarter had prescription drug coverage, and slightly more than half provided mental health benefits - although such benefits typically have limits.

An Urban Institute study last winter estimated that 4.2 million people would enroll in the expanded version of short-term plans the administration had in mind. And because healthy people could be expected to gravitate toward these alternatives, or drop coverage altogether once the mandate's penalties end, ACA marketplaces would be saddled with a greater share of people with health conditions, driving up premiums for ACA health plans by nearly one-fifth in 2019.

A federal analysis accompanying the new rules estimates that 600,000 extra people - 100,000 of whom are currently uninsured - will buy such plans next year, increasing to 1.6 million within four years. It predicts that 200,000 will withdraw from ACA marketplaces in 2019 in favor of the alternative coverage.

Federal health officials said that insurers will have to give customers notices, encouraging them to read carefully what the plans do and do not cover. "These policies are not qualified health plans," Parker said, referring to insurance that meetings ACA standards. "We want potential purchasers to understand that."

The 121-page rules document acknowledges that opponents may lodge lawsuits challenging the government's interpretation that the plans can be renewed, but it contends that the change is "legally sound."The Post reports:

"President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort went on trial Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, where prosecutors charged that his personal fortune was propped up by years of lies to tax authorities and banks.

"The first trial to arise out of the investigation run by special counsel Robert Mueller got off to a fast start Tuesday, as a six-man, six-woman jury was picked - and opening statements delivered - in less than a day. . . .

"Manafort faces 18 charges of financial fraud, as prosecutors say he failed to pay taxes on some of the millions of dollars he made working as a strategist for a political party in Ukraine, and then lied to banks to get loans when those payments stopped. Though the case grew out of the special counsel probe, the trial will not delve into issues surrounding Russian interference in the 2016 election; it is about Manafort's money."

Wednesday morning Trump freaked out in a series of tweets:

"..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!"

For all the talk from Trump defenders and even some in the mainstream media that the Manafort trial has nothing to do with Trump, Trump plainly feels differently. So why should he be so upset, again showing that his objective has been to shut down (i.e., obstruct) the ongoing Russia investigation?

There are a slew of reasons why the trial should trouble Trump, not the least of which is a possible conviction (carrying what amounts to a life sentence) against the president's former campaign chairman. That's not going to help Trump's effort to paint the entire Russia investigation as a "hoax." And this is not the only trial Manafort has to worry about. A separate case in Washington involving failure to register as a foreign agent and witness-tampering claims will come in September. Conviction in either of those cases will increase the incentive for Manafort to make a deal with Mueller.

The trial also connects to Trump in other ways. The Post report continues:

"Manafort collected more than $60 million between 2010 and 2014 from his Ukraine work, where President Viktor Yanukovych, an ally of the Kremlin, was Manafort's 'golden goose,' [Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo] Asonye said.

"When Yanukovych had to flee Ukraine for Russia in 2014, Manafort's 'cash spigot' was shut off, the prosecutor said, and the political strategist set out to generate money by lying to banks on loan applications."

And then Manafort went to work for Trump. For free! And led the campaign when the Republican National Committee platform was changed in Russia's favor (dropping support for arming Ukraine, for example). And offered briefings for a Kremlin-connected Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. In essence, the trial is the prequel to the story of the Trump campaign's multiple contacts with Russia.

"Manafort is a mirror image of Trump. He is a man seduced by the oligarch wealth of the former Soviet Union," says Max Bergmann of the Moscow Project. "Putting profit over principles he ends up becoming entangled, entrapped, and then a witting tool of Russian interests. The trial is a preview for much of what's to come." He adds, "The trial is going to help us understand why the Trump campaign conspired with Russia. It is going to spell out Manafort's motive. It will show that Manafort had deep ties to Russia (just like Trump) and was financially desperate prior to joining the Trump campaign."

Frankly, confirming the presence on the campaign - at its highest level - of a guy as thick as thieves with the Russians will begin to chip away at Trump's emphatic denial of any contacts or ties with Russia. Remember, in July 2016, Manafort was asked by ABC's George Stephanopoulos, "Are there any ties between Mr. Trump, you or your campaign and Putin and his regime?" Manafort answered, "No, there are not. That's absurd. And you know, there's no basis to it." Except that was patently false.

Trump also denied campaign contacts with Russians, as did Reince Priebus, the president's one-time chief of staff. In February 2017, Priebus declared, "The New York Times put out an article with no direct sources that said that the Trump campaign had constant contacts with Russian spies, basically, you know, some treasonous type of accusations. We have now all kinds of people looking into this. I can assure you and I have been approved to say this - that the top levels of the intelligence community have assured me that that story is not only inaccurate, but it's grossly overstated and it was wrong. And there's nothing to it." Except there were dozens and dozens of contacts, including by Manafort.

In short, establishing that Trump's one-time campaign chief was heavily connected with Kremlin characters doesn't prove conspiracy to acquire help during the election, but it sure does bolster the credibility of the investigators and underscores how preposterous were the dozens of denials that the campaign had any Russia contacts. A campaign chief down on his luck going to work for free for Trump certainly provides the back story for Manafort's efforts to "monetize" those Russian connections. As Bergmann suggests, "This trial will also highlight, but not answer, many outstanding questions, such as: How did Manafort end up on the campaign?; Why did someone so cash-strapped work for free?; and, What did he do to conspire with Russia during the campaign? Mueller's answers to those question will come later." In other words, Paul Manafort's trial will set the table for what follows.ROCHESTER, NY -- When it comes to New York state's biggest beer competition, Threes is two for two.

For the second straight year, Threes Brewing Co. of Brooklyn has won the Governor's Excelsior Cup for the best beer in the state in New York state.

Its Passing Time Grisette, a Belgian farmhouse-style ale, was named the Grand Champion, or top overall beer, in the 2018 New York Craft Beer Competition.

Last year, Threes won the Governor's Excelsior Cup for its Vliet Lager. That was the first year for competition, which is the largest New York-only beer contest.

The breweries taking home the most number of medal in the contest were Peekskill Brewery, in the lower Hudson Valley and Big Ditch in Buffalo, both with four; and Glenmere Brewing in Orange County, Bottomless Brewing in Geneva and Lucky Hare Brewing on Seneca Lake, with three each.

Eight breweries won two medals each.

Judging for the 2018 contest was held last week in Rochester. There were 642 beers entered from across the state, with 72 medals awarded (gold, silver and bronze) in 24 style categories. The 43 expert judges conducted a "blind" tasting, meaning they did not know the name of the brewery for each entry.

The categories with the most entries were:

New England Style India Pale Ale (58 entries)

Light Lagers (58 entries)

American India Pale Ale (48 entries)

American Double India Pale Ale (40 entries)

Golden/Blonde Ale (American, Kolsch, Cream Ale) (39 entries)

Below is the list of all winners, starting with the category that produced the overall winner, Belgian Farmhouse Ale.

The final category, NYS Beers, is for those meeting the requirement to be labeled a New York state beer, with 20 percent New York-grown hops and 20 percent New York malt. Of the 642 entries, 242 met that requirement.

2018 WinnersIn 2008 an original bond measure approved the California High-Speed rail project. The measure was full of lies about costs.

There was a strict guarantee that the California high-speed rail measure included in 2008. Maximum non-stop time for San Francisco-Los Angeles Union Station: two hours, 40 minutes. From 2008 to 2018, the state rail authority made a series of political and financial compromises that slowed speeds on long stretches of the track.

A 2018 computer simulation by the authority says that the proposed train will make the trip in two hours and 36 minutes and 50 seconds.

* trains operating at higher speeds than virtually all the systems in Asia and Europe

* human train operators consistently performing with the precision of a computer model

* favorable deals on the use of tracks that the state does not own

* friendly decisions by federal safety regulators.

California has a lying computer simulation because they actually defined high-speed rail in 2008. The budget is likely already going to be over $100 billion to complete the high-speed rail and could easily become $200 billion.

They are unlikely to get such large authorizations of funding. There is no way that private investors will invest in it and the federal government will not invest in it. This means that they will use the bond money to complete about 119 miles and then collect some fees from Amtrak using the line. No Amtrak trains will be high-speed.

In its 2018 business plan, the authority deleted construction of a 13-mile tunnel under the Pacheco Pass from its first phase because it did not have enough money. The decision will leave about 80 miles of track in the Bay Area disconnected from 119 miles of track in the Central Valley.

TGV -Paris to Lyon line has an average speed is 121 miles per hour.

Tokyo to Osaka line has an average speed of 145 miles per hour.

The California line says they will have an average speed of 164 miles per hour with route over three mountain ranges and five of the 10 largest cities in the state.

To provide Californians a safe, convenient, affordable, and reliable alternative to driving and high gas prices; to provide good-paying jobs and improve Californias economy while reducing air pollution, global warming greenhouse gases, and our dependence on foreign oil, shall $9.95 billion in bonds be issued to establish a clean, efficient high-speed train service linking Southern California, the Sacramento/San Joaquin

Valley, and the San Francisco Bay Area, with at least 90 percent of bond funds spent for specific projects, with private and public matching funds required, including, but not limited to, federal funds, funds from revenue bonds, and local funds, and all bond funds subject to independent audits?

Fiscal Impact: State costs of $19.4 billion, assuming 30 years to pay both principal and interest costs of the bonds. Payments would average about $647 million per year. When constructed, unknown operation and maintenance costs, probably over $1 billion annually; at least partially, and potentially fully, offset by passenger fares.

A YES vote on this measure means: The state could sell $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds, to plan and to partially fund the construction of a high-speed train system in California, and to make capital improvements to state and local rail services.

ARGUMENTS

Californias transportation system is broken: skyrocketing gasoline prices and gridlocked freeways and airports. High-speed trains are the new transportation option that reduces greenhouse gases and dependence on foreign oil. High-speed trains are cheaper than building new highways and airports to meet population growth and require NO NEW TAXES.

Prop. 1A is a huge boondoggle. Taxpayers pay at least $640,000,000 per year in costs for a government-run railroad. Theres no guarantee it will ever get built. Expand existing transportation systems instead to cut commutes and save fuel. No on 1A: an open taxpayer checkbook with virtually no accountability.

The authority estimated in 2006 that the total cost to develop and construct the entire high-speed train system would be about $45 billion. While the authority plans to fund the construction of the proposed system with a combination of federal, private, local, and state monies, no funding has yet been provided.

Proposition 1A is a $9.95 billion bond measure for an 800-mile High-Speed Train network that will relieve 70 million passenger trips a year that now clog Californias highways and airports WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.

California will be the first state in the country to benefit from environmentally preferred High-Speed Trains common today in Europe and Asia. Proposition 1A will bring California:

 Electric-powered High-Speed Trains running up to 220 miles an hour on modern track, safely separated from other traffic generally along existing rail corridors.

Proposition 1A will save time and money. Travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in about 2 hours for about $50 a person.

2704.09. The high-speed train system to be constructed pursuant to this chapter shall be designed to achieve the following characteristics:

(a) Electric trains that are capable of sustained maximum revenue operating speeds of no less than 200 miles per hour.

(b) Maximum nonstop service travel times for each corridor that shall not exceed the following:

(1) San Francisco-Los Angeles Union Station: two hours, 40 minutes.

(2) Oakland-Los Angeles Union Station: two hours, 40 minutes.

(3) San Francisco-San Jose: 30 minutes.

(4) San Jose-Los Angeles: two hours, 10 minutes.

(5) San Diego-Los Angeles: one hour, 20 minutes.

(6) Inland Empire-Los Angeles: 30 minutes.

(7) Sacramento-Los Angeles: two hours, 20 minutes.

(c) Achievable operating headway (time between successive trains) shall be five minutes or less.

HADDAM  A town meeting with a routine agenda was overtaken Monday night by a theater of passionate arguments for and against a selectmans controversial actions over the last two weeks.

The towns former Democratic first selectman Melissa Schlag is under fire by Republicans, residents and those around the country following her decision to kneel when the Pledge of Allegiance is recited at the July 16 Board of Selectmen meeting. The act is a silent protest she intends to practice until the tenets of the oath are held true across the country, including for undocumented immigrants.

Monday night, she kneeled on both knees during the pledge.

Schlag has said she was motivated primarily by President Donald Trumps meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that same day in Helsinki, Finland, during which he denied Russias meddling in the 2016 election.

Many have denounced her position on Facebook, in news stories, letters to the editor and in comments of articles about the issue.

One elderly man, a veteran, was among the first to address Schlag during the hour-long public comment session. Thousands of veterans never came home, he said, referring to those interred in the Arlington National Cemetery.

Their voices are silent, their footsteps are no longer in the sand. I wonder what their thoughts would be if they sat in this room tonight. They went, they served, with the exact same right that young lady has.

What were you thinking when you kneeled down during the sacred Pledge of Allegiance, the sacred flag, what those people died for? he said, questioning her right to disrespect veterans as the crowd responded with whoops and loud clapping.

We can make our flags cakes for the Fourth of July with the little blueberries, little strawberries and whipped cream, but what is behind that? I help my fellow citizens every day. Every day. I dont hate my country, I love my country, Schlag said later in the meeting.

After a couple of housekeeping issues  the appointment of a land use coordinator and the awarding of a lawn care bid  First Selectman Melissa Milardo moved the public comment portion of the meeting ahead of a discussion about the town closing Haddam Elementary School as part of its redistricting plan.

The flag does not represent a president or issue you take exception to, it represents our nation and freedom that others have defended for the rest of us, Milardo said last week.

The first selectman set the tone as she opened the meeting to comments, asking speakers to limit their remarks to three minutes. She told those in line they could address her but not one another. They observed her direction at first, but by the last half of the session, many individuals in the audience shouted out their opinions to speakers and over their words.

A Weiss Albert Road resident spoke first, addressing Schlag, saying her shameful act disrespected servicemen and women, done while she was being paid by the town.

You wouldnt like it if I walked up and down the street with Trump signs doing nothing, he said. Schlag sat silently listening, her face pale.

Each speaker vociferously defended his or her position.

When you were first selectman, you took the flag, you threw it in the garbage  Trump wasnt around. I think you went to college. I think you should get your refund, because you didnt learn nothing, the man said.

In 1968 at 20, another man said, he was sent to Vietnam, willing to give my life for my country. I died in Vietnam. I died in Vietnam. You know who killed me? It wasnt the (Vietcong), it wasnt the (North Vietnamese Army), it was our government, he said, adding hes 100 percent disabled from Agent Orange exposure.

I have 11 grandchildren, nine I will never see graduate. Ill be dead by then. Be upset that the words homeless veteran go together. Two veterans every day commit suicide, he said.

Resident and veteran Middletown police Capt. Sean Moriarty pointed out the two Republican Board of Education members who have been kneeling at meetings for a year.

The Republican Party knew about it, but it wasnt until another (official) did it that they started losing their mind, he said, adding he was there to support the Constitution and First Amendment.

Whether or not I think what Melissa did is right or wrong, thats my opinion, he said to applause.

He accused Republicans of being hostile toward Schlag, someone you dont like and dont want to work with.

Milardo interrupted Moriarty to say, This is not about party. Unfortunately, you want to twist and turn, and try to make this about parties.

I dont have to stop my free speech when I walk through the door of a selectmens meeting. We have to worry about the injustices in this world, and, once we figure that out, we will then have liberties, Schlag told at least 250 people seated and standing in the firehouse bay.

This is truly town government at its best. If we dont continue the conversation, the hate will continue to fester. We need to rip the bandage off and deal with it. We cant wrap our sins in a flag and expect it to be OK, she added.

Schlag was interrupted by one person yelling, Three minutes! and others shouting over her as she tried to continue, but the din made her remarks almost impossible to understand. Their exclamations were followed by boos which spread around the room.

Schlag then said she estimated shes costing residents 8 cents for each 10-second kneel. Id be happy to give the taxpayers back 8 cents.

As one woman filed out of the room, she told the man next to her, It costs a lot more than 8 cents.

In comparison, Schlag then referred to Vice President Mike Pence who flew on a government airplane to a protest this week in Philadelphia  at a cost of $250,000, Schlag said.

A man in the front asked in a loud voice, What did Obama give Iran? Dont talk about politics, questions not met with a response as comments were closed, the meeting resumed, and a good number of people filed out of the firehouse.

Managing Editor Cassandra Day can be reached at cassandra.day

@hearstmediact.com or Twitter @cassandrasdis.DERBY  Demolition to the interior of the former Walmart on Route 34 has begun, paving the way for a new Big Y grocery store to move in.

Thats the word from Mayor Richard Dziekans office, who said change is on the horizon for the partly vacant plaza to soon get a new lease on life.

The expected completion date of Big Y is summer 2019, with more phases of construction and development on the rest of the plaza expected to occur after that, Dziekan said in a post on his Facebook page.

Carmen DiCenso, the citys economic development liaison, said Wednesday that the property, located at 656 New Haven Ave. (Route 34), is owned by DLC Management Corp. of Elmsford, N.Y.

DiCenso said while some parts of the plaza may be torn down, the former Walmart is not being demolished, and will mostly be a remodel as its transformed into the new Big Y. Lucibello Electric is serving as the projects contractor, DiCenso said.

DiCenso said having a grocery store on the east side of Derby will be a huge asset to the area.

Walmart, the plazas main anchor, shut its doors in July 2016, followed by a co-anchor, the former Adams grocery store, which closed in September 2016 due to sluggish sales and increased competition.

It will bring a much-needed grocery store to the east side of Derby and the entire region of Derby, Orange, Woodbridge and parts of Milford, DiCenso said. The plaza will once again be vibrant with new stores and activity. It will help the existing businesses in the area and will bring full- and part-time jobs to local residents.

Andrew Baklik, Dziekans chief of staff, concurred.

The residents of the east side of Derby have had to travel across town or out of town to Orange, Milford or Ansonia to get groceries and essentials, Baklik said Wednesday. They have been very excited to have an option in their backyard again.

Many residents took to the mayors Facebook page to express their excitement about Big Y coming to Derby, including Frederick Picroski, who posted, Way to go! I don't know of many places where Wal-Marts close. Seriously this will be something nice to stop by on my way home!

Last December, Big Ys corporate headquarters, based in Springfield, Mass., issued a news release stating the new store will comprise about 60,000 square feet and employ some 150 full- and part-time workers. The project is slated to represent a $5 million investment in the plaza, along with development of additional retail space.

The new Derby store will serve as the grocery chains 71st Big Y market with locations throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts. There are several Big Y stores already in New Haven County including in Ansonia, Branford, Cheshire, Guilford, Meriden, North Branford, North Haven, Naugatuck and Shelton.

jean.sos@snet.netSCHENECTADY  It was a fortuitous encounter that led Yannick Kabuguza to an operating table in Schenectady, where a plastic surgeon repaired the deformity that had stigmatized him for 24 years.

The Rwandan native was 4 years old when machete-wielding extremists invaded his home in Kigali and killed everyone he loved  his mom, dad, siblings, uncles, aunties and grandma.

It was 1994, the year that ethnic Hutu extremists slaughtered some 800,000 Tutsis in just 100 days and made Rwanda synonymous with genocide.

Kabuguza was left for dead. A machete had sliced his cheek, his ear, the back of his head. If he was ever tempted to forget the horrific attack that orphaned him in a day, the scars were there to remind him.

And in a country that has attempted to heal by banning ethnic identification and discussion, those scars can be dangerous.

"I had like a complex that everybody see me or everybody asking me what happened to you?" said Kabuguza, whose first language is Kinyarwanda. "Maybe for most of them they happy to see me alive, and maybe some of them they were sad. I didn't like that."

Neither did Jim Creighton, a doctor and filmmaker who met the 28-year-old while filming a local television show in Rwanda. Kabuguza is an aspiring filmmaker, and helped Creighton film a documentary last November about a U.S.-based nonprofit, Where Angels Play, that had come to town to build playgrounds.

Also struck by Kabuguza's story, members of that nonprofit connected with a plastic surgeon they knew in Schenectady  Dr. Patricia Fox, one half of the Fox & Schingo Plastic Surgery firm, who offered to repair the young man's deformity for free.

"They tried to kill him, but they were a few inches too high with the machete," Fox said. "It went into his scalp and probably the temporal bone, but not deep enough to do real damage."

With the help of Schenectady Anesthesia Associates and Ellis Medicine, which lent an operating room at its McClellan Street campus in Schenectady, it took her just three hours Monday to repair the damage, minimize the scar, rotate and then suture the parts of the ear that had been displaced.

"It went very smooth; it's meticulous that's all," said Fox, who has repaired burn wounds in the Dominican Republic and cleft lips and palates in China.

As Kabuguza prepared to leave Tuesday, he thought about the ways his life felt new now. He could go places and do things that wouldn't immediately identify his as being from a specific ethnic group, a victim, a survivor, or someone to pity. He hoped, too, that the headaches he'd had regularly since he was a kid would disappear.

He believed his new fortune stemmed from the moment in 2012, when he visited the man who killed his family in prison and decided to forgive him.

"I forgive him," he said. "Because if you forgive somebody, you can breathe. It's like you put down heavy baggage you carry in your head.

"Now he's like my friend, he's like my brother," he added. "If I can forgive, I hope everybody can forgive."NEW HAVEN  A city man suspected of fatally shooting a 28-year-old woman in her car two months ago was killed Wednesday in a shootout with Virginia state troopers, Police Chief Anthony Campbell said.

The Police Department, along with federal, state and local law enforcement,had spent June and July conducting a manhunt for Tramaine Marquese Poole, 42, after the slaying May 31 of Tyekqua Nesbitt.

While Virginia State Police have not positively identified the man as Poole, detectives from the New Haven Police Major Crimes Division left for Sussex County, Va., Wednesday morning, Officer David Hartman said in a news release. While Campbell said Poole had been killed, Hartman said the man may be Poole, but a positive identification had not been confirmed.

Upon learning the news, Tashauna Nesbitt, Tyekqua Nesbitts twin sister, said a rush of relief washed over her.

Im a little at ease. Now my niece and nephew can feel some kind of reassurance that they will be OK, that hes gone. My mom can rest now, knowing that the person who took her daughters life away is gone, Tashauna Nesbitt said of the suspect.

According to Sgt. Michelle Anaya of the Virginia State Police, the incident began at 8:18 a.m. when a vehicle, stolen out of Connecticut and traveling north on Interstate 95, refused to stop for a Virginia state trooper. A pursuit then ensued, with shots being fired from the pursued vehicle as it continued north on I-95 before taking an exit, the release said.

As the stolen vehicle approached an intersection, the pursuit suspect continued firing at the state police vehicles, with one of the bullets piercing a troopers back passenger window and striking and killing a state police dog that was riding in the backseat compartment, the release said.

Once the stolen vehicle was stopped, state troopers engaged with the suspect and shots were fired. The male suspect died at the scene and was to be taken to the office of the chief medical examiner in Richmond, Va., for examination and autopsy. A female passenger in the suspect vehicle was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of nonlife-threatening injuries, the release said.

No troopers were injured . The investigation remains ongoing, the release said.

Tashauna Nesbitt said the past few months since her sister was slain have been one long nightmare.

Ive been pretty much up and down, all over the place, she said.

Along with the consistent police presence for protection  24 hours every day, everywhere we go, she said  she has spent the time in constant fear.

Every day, I would walk home to my house and make sure no one was around. He could [have] just come up any minute and killed someone else. Knowing that hes not here to hurt anyone, Im very much pleased, Tashauna Nesbitt said.

While now, hopefully, she and her family, especially her niece and nephew, can get some semblance of their lives back, Pooles death still doesnt bring her sister back.

Its not going to bring my sister back.  Every day, I wake up missing my sister. I go to bed missing my sister, she said.

Police found Nesbitts body in the area of Wilmot Road and Wintergreen Avenue when they were called to the area around 10:16 p.m. May 31. Her two children, ages 6 and 11, were in the car with her when she was shot, police said.

An arrest warrant was obtained, with $5 million bail to be imposed, charging Poole with murder, criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, two counts of risk of injury to a minor and unlawful discharge of a firearm, according to Assistant Chief Herb Johnson.

Campbell previously said law enforcement would search tirelessly until Poole was no longer on the streets of New Haven, or any city, where he could continue to a be a threat to the very fabric of our society.

This is a dangerous individual. He has crossed all possible lines. Even in the criminal arena, hes crossed the lines, Campbell said previously.

U.S. Marshal for the District of Connecticut Brian Taylor said in July that the agency has been working with the Police Department following leads all over the country.

A $5,000 reward originally was offered by the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force, but States Attorney Pat Griffin asked on behalf of the Police Department for Gov. Dannel Malloy to approve $25,000 more. That request was granted, bringing the total reward to $30,000 for the arrest and conviction of Poole, Campbell said.

Officers initially were looking for Poole due to an active warrant for his arrest stemming from a domestic shooting May 7, but also were searching for him in connection with the May 31 slaying, as the two incidents are related and were being investigated as such.

In the May 7 incident, officers responded to the area outside Henry Street to investigate a reported shooting. The caller, a 36-year-old New Haven woman, called police as she was being driven to the hospital. She said shed been shot by her husband on Henry Street. The citys ShotSpotter system alerted police to the gunfire. The shooter was said to have been in a gray 2012 Audi.

The active arrest warrant for Poole in connection with the May 7 shooting charged him with first-degree assault, risk of injury, criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and unlawful discharge of a firearm, police said.

Poole had filed a restraining order against his wife just days before the domestic incident, requesting the court order her to stay away from him. In the restraining order, Poole wrote that he was concerned for his safety and about being set up, as his wife had allegedly threatened him in the past. He wrote that he wanted to protect himself, as he was allegedly afraid of her temper, court records show.

Court documents show the restraining order was dismissed as Poole failed to pick up the papers from the clerks office.

jessica.lerner@hearstmediact.com; @jesslerner on TwitterWEST HAVEN  Police officer Joseph Riehl is back on active duty after an internal affairs investigation into allegations that he used excessive force in January on a handcuffed, albeit combative, homeless and apparently intoxicated suspect.

The Board of Police Commissioners found, based on records that included an internal affairs investigation report, that the force Riehl used to subdue arrestee Albert Stober in a Police Department sally port while removing him from a police SUV on Jan. 29 was justified and appropriate.

That includes what Riehl termed a leg sweep to knock Stober down  which resulted in him striking his head on the sally ports concrete floor, opening up a cut in his forehead.

The vote finding Riehls use of force justified was unanimous. In doing so, the board overruled the recommendation of Chief of Police John Karajanis Jr.

Karajanis had told Riehl in an April 27 letter obtained via the Freedom of Information Act that I do not believe the amount of force used was necessary or reasonable under the circumstances, records show.

We have a contentious use of force, a pattern of poor judgement, a credibility problem, vehicle operation that violates terms of discipline, Karajanis wrote in another memo.

In light of this, I will be forwarding the matter to the (Board of Police Commissioners) for their review with my recommendation that termination be strongly considered, Karajanis wrote.

The chief wondered, based on Riehls report of the Stober case, why you did not have him medically evaluated before you decided to transport him to police lock-up, one document shows.

Karajanis also pointed to a potential credibility problem given inconsistencies in two interviews Riehl gave to investigators.

He also mentioned two documented incidents regarding operation of your vehicle that violate a previous disciplinary agreement and various examples of poor judgement and questionable actions in Riehls disciplinary history.

That history, Karajanis said in another memo, includes driving the wrong way on a one-way street and four instances of neglect of duty  for striking a curb with a vehicle, for damaging a police vehicle by driving away from a gas pump without removing the pump nozzle, for being at fault in a motor vehicle accident and for backing into a pole.

One Feb. 6, 2017, accident on Boston Post Road just west of Fairfax Street caused $5,425 in damage, records show.

Police records show Riehl twice was found, while off duty, to have consumed 10 or more alcoholic beverages while in possession of a firearm, had been cited for firing his gun from a moving car and, at one point, was found to have put a gun to his head.

Riehls record also shows he has been recognized twice for meritorious service since beginning work as a West Haven police officer on Oct. 21, 2015  once for a series of proactive measures he took over a period of time and once for assisting Orange police to extricate a driver from a vehicle involved in a serious accident on Meloy Road.

He previously was involved in two other use of force incidents. In both cases it was later found that his use of force was justified, records show.

He also was made to take a driving course, which he completed on Jan. 11, records show.

Riehls union attorney, Chip Walsh, said Riehl was justified in the latest case.

Officer Riehl did what was necessary in a situation, in the sally port, when he had a combative suspect who had repeatedly told him and his partner that he had AIDS and wanted to give it to them ... and continually tried to bite Officer Riehl, Walsh said.

He actually had his teeth on Officer Riehl at that time, Walsh said. The internal affairs investigators spoke to at least three outside experts who found that Riehls actions were justified, he said.

This is a good cop, a very good cop, who is respected by his fellow officers for the work he does, and I think anyone trying to paint him as a liability ... doesnt know what theyre talking about, Walsh said. This is a good cop ... and his brother and sister officers support him 114 percent.

The internal affairs report and police reports on the Jan. 29 incident, which began on a sidewalk outside 415 Campbell Ave. and continued in the sally port at police headquarters on Sawmill Road, indicated Riehl had reason to fear for his personal safety.

Stober, who had an outstanding warrant in connection with a Jan. 26 felony domestic violence charge, initially wouldnt come out of the vehicle and later let his body go limp as dead weight to keep the officers from moving him, the reports say.

Stober had told Riehl and backup officer Brandon Butler that he wanted to die and that he had AIDS, and he repeatedly spit on the officers and tried to bite Riehl, the reports state.

When Riehl employed what he initially called a leg sweep maneuver  a term police later said might have been inaccurately used  it knocked Stober off his feet, causing him to strike his forehead on the concrete in the sally port, causing bleeding.

The West Haven Fire Department was summoned to the scene to treat Stobers injuries, the internal affairs report said.

City Corporation Counsel Lee Tiernan, who advised Karajanis not to comment beyond what was on the public record, said Riehl was entitled to due process and there were other members of the department who spoke in favor of Riehl during the disciplinary process.

I cant get into the commissions heads, Tiernan said. But if you believe that the leg sweep was a justifiable use of force, then how can you fault the Board of Police Commissioners?

Theyre the representatives of the community and theyre saying, This guy ... is worth saving, Tiernan said.

Police records show Stober has an extensive history of alcohol and narcotic abuse and that he had been extremely combative and uncooperative with the police in the past, according to the internal affairs report.

This information had been relayed to officers during an earlier roll call lineup, the report said.

When the officers came upon Stober, Officer Riehl described him as appearing to be very intoxicated and with a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath, the report says.

mark.zaretsky@ hearstmediact.comBy West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 31, 2018 | 06:51 PM | MARSHALL COUNTY

According to the Marshall County Sheriff's Department, officers were dispatched to a home on US 68 East where investigation showed that Jason P. Downing had forced his way into a home and had assaulted the people there.





Downing was arrested and charged with 2nd degree burglary and two counts of 4th degree assault.



He was taken to the Marshall County Detention Center.



A Benton man was arrested Monday on charges of burglary and assault.About Me

One of global Catholicism's most prominent chroniclers, Rocco Palmo has held court as the "Church Whisperer" since 2004, when the pages you're reading were launched with an audience of three, grown since by nothing but word of mouth, and kept alive throughout solely by means of reader support.



A former US correspondent for the London-based international Catholic weekly The Tablet, he's been a church analyst for The New York Times, Associated Press, Washington Post, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, BBC, NBC, CNN and NPR among other mainstream print and broadcast outlets worldwide.



A native of Philadelphia, Rocco Palmo attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. In 2010, he received a Doctorate of Humane Letters honoris causa from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St Louis.



In 2011, Palmo co-chaired the first Vatican conference on social media, convened by the Pontifical Councils for Culture and Social Communications. By appointment of Archbishop Charles Chaput OFM Cap., he's likewise served on the first-ever Pastoral Council of the Archdiocese, whose Church remains his home.

View my complete profileA man charged in a murder earlier this month in Gloucester County has been linked to another woman's killing in another South Jersey county, in 2011.

Daniel Brennan, 33, of Greenwich Township, lived with both of the victims.

Brennan is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 24-year-old Vineland resident Courtney Allen on Dec. 31, 2011, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae announced Tuesday.

Daniel J. Brennan (Salem County jail photo)

Brennan and Allen were living together at a home on East Walnut Road when he killed her, Webb-McRae said. An obituary mourned both Allen and her unborn child.

On July 20, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office charged Brennan with first-degree murder, saying he beat to death a woman with whom he lived in Pitman.

That woman, 31-year-old Leeann Foltrauer, met Brennan on the dating app Tinder, according to the case's affidavit of probable cause.

Hours after a neighbor reported a commotion from Foltrauer's home, Brennan was seen using her debit card to make purchases and trying to withdraw cash, police said.

Webb-McRae said Tuesday's charges came after investigation from the Vineland police and her office's Major Crimes Unit.

Webb-McRae's office did not elaborate on exactly how investigators linked him to the seven-year-old crime.

At Brennan's detention hearing, prosecutors will move to have him detained, she said.

She asked anyone with additional information on the case to contact Vineland Detective Kevin Vai at 856-691-4111 ext. 4322, or prosecutor's Detective Cara Kahn at 856-453-0486 ext. 13503.

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UPDATE: Man who contracted flesh-eating bacteria in N.J. waters 'wants to continue to fight'

Angel Perez, the 60-year-old New Jersey man battling a severe infection from a flesh-eating bacteria that he contracted while crabbing in Maurice River, is going to be transferred to hospice, his daughter said.

For a while, his condition appeared to be improving, but within the past few days, his condition has deteriorated, according to his daughter.

Eleven days ago, family members said Perez, of Millville, would likely only need some of his toes and portions of his fingers amputated.

But Perez's daughter, Dilena Perez-Dilan, told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday that the family is now in the process of transferring him to hospice care so that he can be home and comfortable.

Despite the previous signs of improvement, new infections occurred, and gangrene has now spread to both of his feet, hands and forearms, Perez-Dilan said.

Perez -- who remains in the intensive care unit at Cooper University Hospital -- had also been placed on dialysis after problems arose with the function of his kidneys, Perez-Dilan previously said.

"He's in a lot of a pain," said Perez-Dilan.

She was in the midst of arranging for him to be transferred out of the hospital and into hospice care hopefully by sometime this week.

"I said, 'Daddy don't leave me yet, and he gave me that nod," she said.

Perez had been crabbing in the waters off Matts Landing, in Maurice River, on July 2, when the following day he began to experience severe pain and swelling in his lower right leg, Perez-Dilan had said.

She said her father ultimately developed Vibrio necrotizing fasciitis, a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection that can be contracted in salty water, particularly during the summer months.

While contracting the disease is rare, the bacteria in the water that causes the infection can enter through even the tiniest scratch on the body.

A GoFundMe page has been created to help the family with expenses.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us. nj.com/tipsDemond Aikens was walking along Court Street in Newark, minding his own business, when he heard a loud, unusual request Saturday from a complete stranger.

"Hey, bruh. Can I get a hug?''

He looked up, puzzled, wondering if that sentiment was meant for him. The sincerity came from Al-Tariq Best, founder of FP Youth Outcry Foundation, a nonprofit that runs enrichment programs for young people.

Best was on the other side of the street, motioning for Aikens as he and his supporters did with many people that day -- to show Newark some love.

"It' ain't going to take about a second, '' Best said.

He extended his outstretched arm again, hoping Aikens would accept the invitation as they looked at each other where Court and Broome streets intersect.

"Come on, bruh."

Aikens sensed the positive energy from Best and the group with him. He walked across the street and hugged Best.

"That's what I'm talking about,'' Best said. "Thank you, man.''

Aiken agreed, and Best left, leading the others toward Prince Street.

For two miles, the small band of huggers hit the Central Ward, where FP Youth Outcry is located, to make a point that was well received.

"It's unusual, but we need more of this," Aikens said.

"We have to step up and we have to love on each other and be an example to these young people," Best said. "There is so much hate going on in our city, so much wrong stuff that's going on, we wanted to spread some hugs so that you can understand what love meant.''

With a police escort, they walked holding up colorful signs that said it all: Hugs4Healing. Stop Mean Muggin' and Start Huggin'.

A supporter of FP YouthOutcry Foundation Inc. hugs a motorists during the organizations Hugs4Healing campaign to spread love in Newark.

It was all smiles from people getting hugged on the sidewalk and lots of honking horns from motorists at stop lights. The hugs came in waves, with some short and heartfelt, while others were long and strong.

Only a few rejected the love offering. One man said he didn't do hugs. He did a fist bump instead. A woman in front of an apartment building on Washington and Court streets ran back inside.

With each encounter, people were not bum-rushed with affection. Everyone was asked first, then hugged.

"Some people have emotional triggers,'' said Denisah Lennon-Williamson, a social worker and chief operating officer of FP YouthOutcry. "They don't want to be touched.''

Lamar Clifton and Demetrius Thompson were on board when the group walked by Pilgrim Baptist Village on Eighteenth Avenue and asked them for hugs.

Clifton said the hug request caught them off guard, but the outgoing outreach was motivational, uplifting and definitely would foster unity.

"The sky is the limit,'' he said. "Love conquers all.''

Zaneen Thompson didn't mind at all when they reached Irvine Turner Boulevard near Eighteenth Avenue.

"Absolutely,'' Thompson said. "I want my hug. This is a beautiful thing.''

Further down the boulevard, Nasir Shakur, said this kind of effort is a step in the right direction.

Steve Vierra, left, is a member of FP YouthOutcry Foundation. He hugs Nasir Shakur, of Newark, during the organization's Healing4Hugs campaign to spread love in the city.

"That's big statement,'' he said. "It's different, but I respect it.''

The group turned the corner onto Avon, and headed to Jesse Allen Park, where residents there had just finished up their own hug fest that had been planned, unbeknownst to Best's group.

The Friends of Jesse Allen Park and the Boys and Girls Club hugged the block with a unity circle. Positive messages were left on the sidewalks in colored chalk. There was dancing, singing, drums playing and poetry.

When Best met them at the park, the gathering of the two groups looked like family reunion, with everyone in an embrace.

Minutes later, they were at McDonald's on Clinton Avenue near Lincoln Park, hugging people in line or sitting down having a meal.

Rachelle Brown, a patron, who hugged the huggers, said this kind of movement makes you stop and think about someone else.

"Everybody is so desensitized now,'' Brown said. "This lets them know that they are not alone.''

That's the point.

Barry Carter may be reached at bcarter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.When Karina Walton consigned a cast of Auguste Rodin's famed sculpture "The Kiss" to a New York City auction house in June 2013, the West Deptford resident swore the statue had been in her family for years.

In fact, federal authorities said, the sculpture's real owner was shocked to discover his own family's heirloom listed online for sale at Christie's that October, two months after it had been reported missing from an acquaintence's storage unit.

Walton's case, first reported last year by Philly.com, ended Monday in Philadelphia, where court records show U.S. District Judge Richard Barclay Surrick sentenced the 35-year-old to just one day in jail after she pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to sell stolen property.

In a criminal complaint filed with the court, an agent with the FBI's Art Crime Team wrote that the artwork's actual owner, a Philadelphia-area pilot who traveled frequently, had left the sculpture in the care of an attorney he was friends with.

When the attorney died in 2011, a live-in friend who also was acquainted with the statue's owner hired a moving company to put the bronze cast in a storage unit along with her own belongings and artwork. By the time she moved her belongings out of storage in 2013, the statue had disappeared.

In a court documents filed in March, prosecutors said the sculpture ultimately turned up in the possession of Walton's then-boyfriend, James Davis, who often bought the contents of the moving company's foreclosed storage units.

Davis obtained the statue, packed inside of a box, from one such sale "in early 2013," his attorney said in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court.

"While it is not a defense," Walton's lawyer wrote in his own letter to the court prior to his client's sentencing, "the manner in which Mr. Davis came into possession of the sculpture was not uncommon."

"The property from abandoned and/or foreclosed lockers are purchased and then sold often and every once in a while, something of extreme value is found."

The statue, according to prosecutors, met the definition of "extreme value," selling at auction in November 2013 to a buyer in Hong Kong for $965,000.

It would take two years before Walton saw a dime from the sale.

By that time, Walton -- who allegedly asked family members to lie during depositions regarding her ownership of the statue -- had settled a lawsuit brought by the statue's lawful owner that saw her receive just $25,000 for legal fees.

The FBI charged Walton in December 2016 with transporting stolen property, as well as aiding and abetting.

"Since she has been able to confront this mistake and accept responsibility," her attorney wrote, "she has expressed sincere remorse for her involvement. It is clear that Ms. Walton's involvement in such a case is clearly unique and an aberration that will not again occur."

Davis, her co-defendant, was sentenced in June to eight months in prison. Both he and Walton were ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution.

Prosecutors' sentencing memoranda for both Walton and Davis remained under seal as of Tuesday afternoon.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsCarrier Clinic, a renowned, century-old psychiatric facility in Somerset County, will merge with Hackensack Meridian Health, the largest hospital chain and healthcare provider in New Jersey, in a partnership that will produce a new addiction treatment facility next year, hospital officials announced Wednesday.

Hackensack Meridian Health CEO Robert Garrett said even more investments are to come that would require more deliberation before the two entities decide how much money would be spent and which services would be expanded.

"We are writing a new chapter for the treatment of behavioral health and substance abuse disorders as we integrate Carrier's proven services into our network's robust behavioral health care,'' Garrett said.

"We must continue to truly integrate behavioral health into health care and expand treatment options as our state battles an opioid epidemic that has claimed too many lives and devastated so many families.''

An NJ Advance Media analysis of state data shows that 1,669 people in New Jersey have died of drug overdoses in 2018 -- an average of more than eight a day.

The goal is to make mental health care as important and available as other medical treatment, said Carrier's President and CEO Donald Parker said. A separate board of trustees will be formed to chart the institutions' future plans, he said.

"The future of behavioral health is the ability to integrate it with physical health," Parker said.

"We also believe research is our future, and there hasn't been enough attention to research in psychiatry," Parker added.

Partnering with "a world-class provider" like Hackensack Meridian and the new Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, allows Carrier "to get involved in education, new delivery systems and research -- all of which are in great need."

Long a mental health provider solely in the private market, Carrier will begin accepting Medicaid clients in October under a change in the federal program's rules, Parker said. About 30 inpatient beds will be added, he said.

The move bolsters the $5 billion Hackensack Meridian's presence in the state, which includes 12 acute-care hospitals, four specialty hospitals and a wide network of outpatient care facilities from the New York border to the Jersey shore.

Fitch Ratings in April noted the company's "consistently solid financial profile and strong presence in a large and demographically favorable market," following the acquisition of JFK Medical Center in Edison.

Fitch analyst Eva Thein said the Carrier merger is another step in the hospital system's "path to become as relevant to their market as possible," by providing "the entire scale of health services."

Located in the Belle Mead section of Montgomery, Carrier employs about 1,000 people at its 281-bed capacity hospital; the Blake Recovery Center, a licensed 40-bed inpatient and outpatient detox and recovery facility; East Mountain Youth Lodge, which can house up to 91 residents ages 13-18; and East Mountain School, a fully-accredited school for 120 middle-school and high-school students.

Teaming up with Carrier bolsters Hackensack Meridian's portfolio of mental health services, which included the addition in July of 37 inpatient beds to the 150 beds it already supported, and two new psychiatry residency programs in July, Garrett said.

Carrier and Hackensack Meridian announced five months ago they were exploring a merger.

The deal must meet with the approval from the New Jersey Departments of Health and Education and the Attorney General's approval before it is final.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.JERSEY CITY  Jurors are still deliberating in the trial of a 23-year-old man charged with murder.

Dominique Green was arrested May 12, 2017, and charged with gunning down Rasheed Raysor, 19, three days earlier on Woodlawn Avenue. He is also charged with weapons offenses and two counts of conspiracy to commit witness tampering.

Closing arguments took place Monday morning before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mark Nelson sent the jury off to deliberate.

The jury asked Nelson late Monday afternoon to playback the testimonies of Jerome Jeter and a 28-year-old woman  both of whom were present at the time of the shooting.

Jeter and the woman, whose name is being withheld because of threats against her life, were talking outside of 92 Woodlawn Ave. moments before the 19-year-old was shot and killed.

The 28-year-old woman admitted during her testimony at the trial on July 24 that she initially told police she didn't know anything about the murder.

After she and her family continued receiving threats, she agreed to testify against Green and was relocated to another state, she testified.

If convicted, Green faces 30 years to life in prison.

The jury will continue to deliberate Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. at the Hudson County Superior Court.A 31-year-old Hoboken man has been accused of taking a photograph up a teenager's dress while on board a cruise ship last month, federal authorities announced.

Jeffrey Goldstein was arrested Sunday and charged with violating a voyeurism statute that prohibits photographing a minor's private area without consent when that individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Goldstein made his first appearance on the charge Wednesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court. He was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said.

According to a complaint charging Goldstein, the Hoboken resident departed Bayonne on July 8 aboard cruise ship bound for Bermuda. That night he approached a 13-year-old girl who was standing on the deck of the ship, facing toward the water, and placed his iPhone under her dress without her permission.

He pointed the camera upward toward the victim's genitalia and buttocks, and snapped a picture. The girl told authorities she felt something touch her leg, but Goldstein moved to the side of the victim and soon walked away, according to the court document, which adds that an adult who was nearby observed Goldstein as he did it.

Cruise ship personnel reviewed surveillance footage of the incident, which confirmed the witness's account and identified Goldstein as the man in the footage, authorities allege.

Ten days later, the FBI used a search warrant to download the contents of Goldstein's iPhone and found an image from July 8 that appears to depict the victim's private area. The iPhone contained some 42 other image files and one video that appear to depict additional "up-skirt" images, according to the complaint.

Goldstein faces a maximum potential penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. His attorney, Donald Lomurro, declined the comment when reached by phone Wednesday afternoon.Bruce Stewart makes his first court appearance Tuesday, July 31, 2018, on the charge of aggravated manslaughter. (Adrienne Romero | The Jersey Journal)

It wasn't so much of a street fight as it was an ambush.

The Jersey City man who was beaten to death earlier this month was attacked from behind by two men in an incident that was caught on surveillance camera, according to the criminal complaint obtained Wednesday.

A witness told police that Glen Mackie Jr. was on Lexington Avenue between Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenue at 12:14 a.m. on July 5 when he was punched in the back of the head by Elnardo "Day Day" Chandler, the criminal complaint said.

Surveillance video from the area showed that Mackie, who was found unconscious on the ground by police a few minutes after the attack, was then tackled to the ground by Bruce "Billy Bob" Stewart and "stomped" on by Chandler, the criminal complaint said.

Mackie, 29, was rushed to the Jersey City Medical Center and he died the following afternoon. It was initially reported to The Jersey Journal that Mackie had been involved in a street fight.

Stewart, 24, of West New York, was arrested on Monday and charged with reckless manslaughter. Chandler, 29, of Jersey City has also been charged with reckless manslaughter and he is considered a fugitive. Both of the men were identified by a witness who viewed the surveillance camera footage of the attack, the complaint said.

Tuesday afternoon the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office released a photo of Chandler and asked for the public's assistance in locating him. As of Wednesday afternoon, Chandler was still being sought, HCPO spokesman Ray Worrall said on Wednesday.

Mackie's cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma. An autopsy conducted on July 7 revealed that the victim suffered a skull fracture, the criminal complaint said.

A GoFundMe.com page has been created in his memory. Funds raised would go to his son, Glen Mackie III, the website page said.A man who barricaded himself in his High Bridge home Tuesday was taken into custody after several hours of negotiations with police, authorities said.

"The armed subject was taken into custody without incident at approximately 6:30 p.m.," Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III said in a statement. Kearns said the standoff was "safely resolved."

Police were called about 2 p.m. on a report of a barricaded person in a home on Overlook Drive near Lake Solitude.

HIGH BRIDGE,NJ (Hunterdon County) - Police and SWAT team are on scene of a person barricaded in a home on Overlook Dr reportedly armed with a firearm. (: John Burricelli) pic.twitter.com/ih3Fq3ajBN  Jay Edwards (@JayEdwardsWrnj) July 31, 2018

The Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office SWAT Team and the High Bridge Borough Police Department responded, Kearns said.

The Courier News reported a man at the residence had been heard shouting on several occasions in the neighborhood.

"The officers and the team that responded (Tuesday) train vigorously for situations like this," Kearns said in the statement. "Law enforcement exercised great restraint and professionalism in bringing this matter to a safe resolution."

Paul Approvato, a detective with the prosecutor's office, on Wednesday morning declined to release the man's name and said that there were no updates.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Former Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker has taken a position as executive in residence at Rider University, where he earned a master's degree in the early 1980s.

Schweiker, a Bucks County, Pennsylvania native, was that state's 44th governor, serving from late 2001 until early 2003. He had served as lieutenant governor before that, starting in 1995.

He took over the state's top elected office from Tom Ridge, who left the post to become the country's first secretary of homeland security about a month after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Schweiker had already decided not to run for governor in the 2002 election, and served 15 months in office during a time of heightened national security and reform, which Rider touted in their announcement of his hiring.

He'll share his "considerable emergency management, crisis response and counter-terrorism experience" to support Rider's homeland security program, a 36-credit master of arts degree in the political science department.

"As our homeland security program continues to grow, we are privileged that Gov. Schweiker has agreed to dedicate his time and energy and share his experience, knowledge and expertise with our students," Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs DonnaJean A. Fredeen said in the announcement.

Schweiker earned his master's in management from Rider in 1983 and the school in Lawrence awarded him an honorary doctor of laws in 2004.

The former governor also made headlines in the summer of 2002 when he oversaw the rescue of nine miners at the Quecreek Mine in Somerset County. He was at the site daily, updating the media, and triumphantly announced, "Nine for Nine," when the last trapped miner rose to the surface.

He currently serves as the senior vice president and corporate development officer of Renmatix, Inc., a sustainable alternatives company.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.It wasn't much of a whodunit.

Jimmy Stormant did flee after he pumped 10 shotgun blasts into the office at his mobile park in Bucks County, Pennsylvania last fall, but he drove home with plans to end his life.

Police arrived at his Pennwood Crossing mobile home in Falls Township, and so did his mother - who he'd called to say goodbye - and they saved the distraught Stormant, who sat with a Bible, a bottle of Johnnie Walker scotch and a Ruger revolver.

Jimmy Stormant

The Stormant saga ended Monday in a Bucks County courtroom when a judge sentenced him to a day less than a year to a day less than two years in the county jail.

Jimmy was no master criminal, just angry, distraught, drunk and armed, and the judge gave him a second chance.

So did the man who was inside the office with his wife and were nearly stuck by the volley of gunfire.

Stormant was angry at them - Doran and Andrea Johnson, who work at the park - due to electric problems at his mobile home. They'd just told Stormant they weren't responsible for the maintenance issues.

"I can only imagine what you felt that day, and being here today, going through it again,' Stormant told Doran Johnson, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said.

"I am sincerely and wholeheartedly sorry. I feel terrible today," Stormant told him.

"I forgive you," Doran Johnson replied.

Stormant, 56, was found guilty May 10 of aggravated assault and discharging a firearm into an occupied building during a bench trial by Judge Raymond F. McHugh.

At his sentencing Monday, Stormant said he awoke Sept. 12, 2017 intending to die. He withdrew all his money from his bank account and put it into an envelope for his mother, then dropped his dog off with his ex-wife.

A machinist and a truck driver, debilitating injuries had left him unable to work, throwing him deep into debt and exacerbating his alcoholism, he said, the district attorney's office reported.

"I thought that there was no light at the end of the tunnel. I seen no other way out and I felt that I had nowhere to turn," Stormant said. "I did what I did out of frustration, rage and pure anger."

And of his mother, he said: "I remember wanting to shoot myself, but I couldn't do it in front of my mother," he told McHugh.

Judge McHugh noted Stormant's lack of a prior criminal record, his emotional state at the time of the crime his remorse and his ongoing efforts to overcome his alcoholism.

"I don't think it does any good for you to go to a state correctional institution," McHugh said, the office reported. "You have been a model prisoner, and I think you are the type of person the court should take a chance on."

Stormant's ex-wife went to the sentencing and described him as a kind, unselfish man whose troubles had "broken" him. Also in his corner were about 10 relatives and friends - one a former prisoner whom Stormant had mentored, the office said.

And his mother was there too, and asked the judge to "understand where he was at when he did the terrible thing he did," saying her son "will always be sorry for what he did."

Part of Stormant's sentencing also includes undergoing mental health and alcohol abuse counseling.

No problem, he told the judge: "I have no intention of ever touching another drop, ever."

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.A Plainfield man was arrested Saturday on a felony charge accusing him of making threats on social media targeting U.S. Rep. Chris Smith.

Dereal Finklin, 43, is charged with making terroristic threats and is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institute in Freehold.

He is scheduled to have a detention hearing next week.

Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Chris Swendeman said the threat against Smith, R-4th Dist., was made online.

Swendeman said he could not discuss the nature of the threat.

In a phone interview on Wednesday following a meeting in Ocean County, Smith said the threat was spotted by a retired police officer, who then notified the congressman's office.

"I am glad the prosecutor's office is involved," he said. "It won't change what I am doing."

Smith said this is not the first time he and his office have had to deal with such an incident, which he described as "unbridled hate."



The congressman said he feels like he deals with online attacks "24/7."



"I've never seen it like it's been the last two years, even before the election, and it went up like a rocket after (the 2016 election)," Smith said.

Smith has represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district since 1981 and only two other current representatives have longer terms. He once chaired the Veteran's Affairs Committee in the House and is currently a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The district covers parts of Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties, and Smith has local offices in Freehold, Plumsted and Hamilton.

- NJ Advance Media reporter Kevin Shea contributed to this report.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsSwimming was halted at Hopatcong State Park this week due to high levels of bacteria in the water.

The lake, which is the largest in the state, was closed to swimming at the park on Monday and Tuesday.

It's the third waterway in the state this week where unsafe water was found. Advisories are in place at Deal Lake in Monmouth County, while officials closed Spruce Run Recreation Area in Hunterdon County.

The Lake Hoptatcong water will be tested again "until it meets the recreational bathing standard," DEP Spokesman Larry Hajna said Tuesday night.

****Please be advised**** Hopatcong State Park's swim area is closed until further notice due to water quality. https://t.co/hxWkyXh6LJ pic.twitter.com/HZTSW70Ejv  Lake Hopatcong Fdn (@ThisIsYourLake) July 30, 2018

Hajna said he did not know the results of the latest tests and did not know if the swimming area would be reopened on Wednesday.

A notice on the park's web site said the swimming area was still closed as of 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The lake forms a border between Morris and Sussex counties and the park is located in Landing.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.A New Jersey man who was stopped at the Maine border with Canada has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on a child pornography charge.

The Bangor Daily News reports 66-year-old Newell Mowry of Butler was sentenced Tuesday and ordered to pay $32,500 in restitution to four victims who were captured in more than 500 images found on his computer.

Court records show Mowry was stopped at the border in October after a vacation in Canada because he didn't have his passport. Officers conducted a search of his computer due to a 1999 conviction for possession of child pornography and found the images.

Mowry apologized to the victims during his sentencing hearing.

"I'm very, very sorry," Mowry told the judge shortly before he was sentenced, according to the newspaper. "Nobody wants to wake up and be like me. ... I have read the victim impact statements, and all I can say is, 'Why didn't anybody help them?'"Authorities arrested and charged an Ocean County man this week after an 18-month investigation into suspected fraud involving Superstorm Sandy.

Robert William Brower Jr., a 45-year-old Seaside Heights resident, was charged with money laundering and second-degree theft, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato said in a statement.

Robert William Brower Jr.

The theft charges include both theft by failure to make required disposition and theft by deception.

Authorities allege Brower defrauded a homeowner out of $1 million which he received after taking on a contract to renovate a storm-damaged home in Toms River.

While investigating that case, prosecutors learned of another. Brower, Coronato alleged, applied for and received more than $200,000 in public disaster relief funds.

"He deposited [the funds] into various bank accounts rather than rehabilitating the property as required," the prosecutor's statement said. The bank accounts were opened with fraudulent information, he added.

"This case highlights the flagrant extent of the 'Super Storm Sandy' fraud," Coronato said. "Over five years later people's lives are still being devastated, and unscrupulous individuals are still seeking to profit off of the misfortune of others."

"This historic storm brought out the best in many who joined efforts to assist those hardest hit, but sadly it also brought out callous predators who took advantage of victims and relief programs," state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in the statement. He said the state Sandy Fraud Task Force has criminally charged more than 220 defendants.

County sheriff's officers and U.S. Marshals located Brower on Monday at a home on Waters Edge Drive in Toms River. Brower is in the Ocean County Jail before a detention hearing.

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Trump wants to secure our borders

"We have concluded that a properly regulated legal immigration system is in the national interest. We support the basic framework of current policy, but I said properly regulated, and I mean that. Immigration is not a right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution to everyone, anywhere in the world who thinks they want to come to the United States. Immigration is a privilege, granted by the people of the United States to those we choose to admit."

So said Barbara Jordan, chairwoman of the 1990's bipartisan Commission on Immigration Reform upon completion of the Commission's work. Yet twenty years later, this simple idea expressed by this famous Democrat and civil rights leader, and understood and applauded by generations of Americans, is now regarded as xenophobic and racist.

The radical open borders position rejected by Jordan, and by the majority of Americans then and now, has become the official position of the Democratic party. Today, all attempts at border control are compared to the Holocaust. The vast majority of Americans who support enforcement of our borders are likened to Nazis.

President Trump inherited a mess on the southern border. Through executive orders, our president is attempting to do what decades of poor legal decisions and lack of presidential and congressional action have made very difficult: protect our borders.

In contrast, ill informed immigration groups and Democrats in Congress, want an open border policy and nothing else. They oppose any effort to keep families intact that does not release them into the United States while they await their day in court. With the backlog of cases extending this time into months, these families and individuals become impossible to track which is of course exactly what is intended.

Indeed, "Abolish ICE", has become the rallying cry of the Democratic Party. Democrats are now actively encouraging and promoting lawlessness. The charade of pretending to care about border security is over for most. This stance will only encourage more people to make the ill-advised decision to attempt to enter the U.S. illegally. It is a reckless and terrible policy.

While Democrats are screaming for Open Borders and Sanctuary Cities, economic conditions in Central America are improving and crime is declining. Last year, Guatemala had a homicide rate almost exactly that of Chicago and much lower than Baltimore.

No nation can afford the endless list of programs and benefits the Democrats support while at the same time extending these benefits to everyone and anyone coming through our borders.

Despite how the media portrays it, America remains a very generous and compassionate country to the world and to immigrants. Any suggestion to the contrary simply illustrates a complete lack of knowledge and appreciation for our country. Shame on all of them for not considering our country first as did Barbara Jordan.

Chris Carbine, Chair, Hoboken Municipal Republican Committee

Cruelty at border is untrue

I would like to respond to a letter in your paper on July 26, by a Ksena Voropaeva. First you say immigrants, immigrants can get driver licenses, what you should really say is licenses for illegal immigrants. You talk about freedom, and the upholding of the constitution. Don't forget about obeying the laws of this land.

Cruelty and inhumanity towards illegal immigrants at the border by our border guards is just a load of (nonsense). They treat everyone with the respect they deserve. Children in cages? I don't think so. They are in fenced off areas, that's it. You want these people, we don't know who they are or what they are here for, maybe to do us harm, roaming around all over the detention centers, putting families at risk of forceful and brutal separation by ICE agents, maybe separations but brutal? Not true.

Millions of people from all around the world want to come here and become American, I think we now admit 1-2 million people a year to come here, legally, that is the correct way. These illegal border crossings and over staying your visa is not the correct way of coming here.

What about people doing it the right way and waiting in line for their chance to be an American, You think these law breakers should be able to just jump in front of the line?

Why did't anyone complain about the situation at the border when all these family separations were happening under President Obama? The pictures on the news media that you are seeing under the Trump administration policiess were actually taken doing the Obama presidency.

Mike Armstrong, Bayonne

Submit letters to the editor and guest columns at jjletters@jjournal.comBy John Tsoukaris

Our immigration laws are a vital part of our national identity, and they deserve to be administered and enforced properly. Failure to do so jeopardizes national security, public safety, and the very integrity of our immigration system.

While our immigration laws are at times complex, this should not excuse those who mischaracterize U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities. This is particularly true in the case of sanctuary policies that hinder ICE's ability to remove criminal aliens from the country.

The Star-Ledger editorial on July 29 concerning ICE not picking up two sex offenders from the Middlesex County Jail shows a deep misunderstanding of the process that ICE follows when arresting aliens for violations of our immigration laws.

And, one cannot help but wonder whether this was an intentional mischaracterization, given the detailed information ICE previously offered to the editorial board explaining its practices -- information that appears to have been utterly ignored.

The truth is that ICE immigration officers are authorized by the Immigration and Nationality Act to issue administrative immigration arrest warrants.

Congress has established no process, requirement or expectation directing ICE to seek a so-called "judicial warrant" from the already overburdened federal courts before an alien can be arrested for a civil immigration violation.

This idea is simply a figment created by those who wish to undermine immigration enforcement and excuse the ill-conceived practices of sanctuary jurisdictions ("sanctuary cities") that put politics before public safety.

Of course, compliance by New Jersey counties with ICE detainers and the administrative arrest warrants that accompany them is voluntary, and ICE values its cooperative relationships with its many partners in New Jersey and around the country.

Middlesex County, in particular the jail, is the lone example in the state of a jurisdiction that has decided not to cooperate.

For its part, ICE cooperates with law enforcement partners by not removing individuals from the country while they are facing serious criminal charges. Out of respect for the criminal justice process, ICE coordinates with state and local prosecutors to ensure that justice can first be served.

Once an individual completes his or her criminal case, ICE simply requests notification prior to release. Once notified, ICE makes arrangements for the safe and expeditious transfer of custody.

In the same way that ICE respects the criminal justice process, we expect the state and local agencies who arrest and prosecute criminal aliens to respect our own legal authorities and processes.

Unfortunately, The Star-Ledger ignored all of these points we addressed prior to publication in favor of a narrative seeking to justify Middlesex's sanctuary policy of releasing dangerous criminals back into the community without notifying ICE.

New Jersey residents would have been better served by the facts than these weak excuses for a policy that endangers public safety.

RELATED: ICE officials are refusing to understand local concerns | Opinion

John Tsoukaris is Field Office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Newark.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.Passaic County authorities have charged two men with killing a pizza deliveryman in Clifton.

County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes says 18-year-old Andy DeJesus and 18-year-old Joel Nunez, both from Garfield, are charged with murder, robbery and other offenses in the killing of 27-year-old Elmwood Park resident Dervy Almonte-Moore.

They are scheduled for an initial court appearance on Wednesday.

According to authorities, Almonte-Moore was delivering pizzas for Jumbo's Pizza in Wallington to an address in Clifton shortly after 2 a.m. on July 15. Police believe he was approached by multiple people and shot while attempting to drive away.

Police responding to a report of a motor vehicle accident found him in his car suffering from a gunshot wound.

It wasn't immediately known if DeJesus or Nunez had retained an attorney.Emergency rulings from state and federal judges have delayed the widespread release of digital design files that would allow anyone with a 3D printer to manufacture guns at home.

The temporary orders from judges in Newark and Seattle prevent Defense Distributed -- a Texas gun rights group that was poised to publish the files after a settlement with President Donald Trump's administration -- from releasing the designs on Wednesday, as it had planned.

The dual orders capped a contentious week of legal crossfire over the limits of the First and Second amendments in the digital age and set the stage for debates in Trenton and on Capitol Hill over how to deal with the technology.

Authorities have long known that anyone with some digital know-how could produce the component parts of a firearm with a three-dimensional printer and basic tools. Such weapons, which are partially made of plastic, are not particularly durable or reliable but can be virtually untraceable.

Defense Distributed first released early designs in 2013, and its files remain available today if one searches hard enough. Some media reports indicated that some of Defense Distributed's files had already been distributed online ahead of their scheduled release.

But the federal government's decision to back down from legal action brought by President Barack Obama's administration that had prevented the Texas nonprofit from making the files readily available provoked an uproar from officials in states with restrictive gun laws, including here in New Jersey.

State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, whose office filed the state lawsuit against the Texas nonprofit and joined a federal suit brought by officials in multiple states, called the rulings a "big win."

Defense Distributed's founder, Cody Wilson, also declared victory, however. He posted on Twitter that Grewal's office had "tried to issue a nationwide takedown," but was denied.

State Superior Court Judge Walter Koprowski, sitting in Essex County, wrote in his order Tuesday that Wilson's group "agreed that they will not upload any additional files" temporarily. The judge set a hearing for September 12 to determine whether a more formal restraining order should be in place.

Shortly after Koprowski's ruling, a federal judge in Washington issued a similar suspension in a suit filed by the state attorneys general against the federal agencies that had given Defense Distributed the go-ahead to publish them on their website. New Jersey was also a party in that suit.

Law enforcement and elected officials have been raising the alarm about 3D-printable guns because they cannot be traced through traditional methods and may be invisible to metal detectors.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, decried his Republican colleagues for blocking legislation seeking to ban 3D weapons in a Senate floor speech Tuesday.

"This country has a gun violence problem," Menendez said. "It has a mass shooting problem. But do-it-yourself, downloadable guns will supercharge this crisis."

Wilson and his group say there's nothing illegal about giving the public the information they need to make firearms at home.

"I believe I am championing the Second Amendment in the 21st century," Wilson said during an excerpt of an upcoming interview with "CBS This Morning," which he shared on his Twitter page. "I think access to firearms is a fundamental human dignity, fundamental human right."

While the decision to allow the release of the files was made by members of Trump's administration, the president indicated on Twitter Tuesday morning he was "looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public."

"Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!" he tweeted.

The president did not elaborate.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.New Jersey is joining the fight to challenge a rule proposed by President Donald Trump's administration which aims to deprive funding for health clinics that refer women for abortions, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced Tuesday.

Women's clinics already are prohibited from using Medicaid funding to pay for abortions. But the rule the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced in May revokes funds to clinics that also "promote, refer for or support abortion as a method of family planning, or take any affirmative action to assist a patient to secure an abortion."

If enacted, the rule would force clinic doctors and staff to stop discussing abortion as an option, or forfeit money to keep the clinics open.

In New Jersey, the rule could jeopardize $8.8 million in Medicaid "Title X" funds shared among 48 clinics, according to Grewal's announcement.

On Monday, New Jersey signed onto a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar from 11 other states and Washington D.C. calling the proposed rule a violation of "a woman's constitutional right to procreative choice" and the "right to be free of impermissible government interference when (women) seek to make choices about their own bodies."

The letter was dated Monday July 30, a day before the comment period on the proposed rule closes Tuesday. The Trump administration will decide whether to approve, amend or dismiss the rule. But pro-abortion rights and public health advocates expect it is likely to pass, as Trump made denying Planned Parenthood public funding a campaign promise.

"If the federal government won't stand up for low-income women and families, then we will," Grewal said. "Title X provides women with basic primary and preventative healthcare services, and it's sickening that the Trump Administration is once again attempting to weaponize federal dollars to advance an ideological agenda."

Pro-abortion advocates have called the proposal a "gag rule," and a new front in the war against Planned Parenthood, although it would apply to any clinic that accepts money from Medicaid's Title X program.

The rule would also require clinics create a separate administrative or financial operation for the portion of their clientele receiving abortion services. Clinics would need to provide, for example, an additional examination and waiting room, work stations and exits, Grewal's announcement said.

The costs of expanding clinic operations would likely force some clinics to close, according to a letter Grewal signed with the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia.

Approximately 1.6 million people from these dozen states and Washington D.C. receive reproductive and medical services from Title X clinics, the letter said.

Acting Gov. Sheila Oliver praised New Jersey's involvement in the matter.

"All patients in New Jersey and across the nation deserve access to quality medical care, including access to reproductive health care and family planning services," Oliver said in a statement. "The Trump Administration's gag rule will undermine medical professionals and their ability to provide the best care possible and intrudes upon the relationship between patient and provider."

The Title X program costs the federal government $260 million, and is used to help 4 million low-income people pay for contraception, gynecology exams, cancer and sexually-transmitted disease screenings.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.Authorities in New Jersey are ramping up efforts to claw back money for environmental cleanups from polluters, filing six lawsuits over contaminated sites around the state.

State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine McCabe announced the suits at a series of events in Newark and Atlantic City on Wednesday.

"Today, we are demanding our money back from the parties who are responsible," Grewal told reporters at a press conference convened on a street corner in Newark's Ironbound neighborhood, calling it "a new day for environmental enforcement in New Jersey."

New Jersey has spent decades grappling with its legacy of industrial pollution and is home to more toxic Superfund sites than any other state in the country.

The sites targeted in the new lawsuits include a Superfund site in Warren County, a school built on an industrial site that cost millions to de-contaminate, a former cigarette lighter factory in Newark and a former manufactured gas plant in Atlantic City, among others.

Officials in Gov. Phil Murphy's administration say they are bringing the fight back to polluters after eight years under Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who seldom went to court over contamination.

During Christie's tenure, the state drew criticism over a $225 million settlement with Exxon Mobil, which was the highest sum ever collected by New Jersey in an environmental suit but far less than the $8.9 billion the state claimed it was owed.

But the settlement was ultimately upheld by the courts, and Murphy, a Democrat, drew the ire of environmental advocates for diverting most of the money to balance the state budget, putting only $50 million toward environmental cleanup projects.

Now the state is looking to fill its coffers even more with money from such natural resource damages claims, which seek payment for the domino effect of industrial pollution on the surrounding environment including groundwater, soil, rivers and streams.

Environmentalists applauded the Murphy administration's move. Greg Remaud, the NY/NJ Baykeeper, said the new lawsuits are a signal to polluters that New Jersey is once again serious about enforcing clean up laws.

"What you'll see from this action, I suspect, is that a lot of other companies that are in violation will come into compliance now," Remaud said.

Three of the lawsuits filed Tuesday mark the first time in a decade the state has filed new natural resource damages claims. Three others are "cost recovery" cases seeking to reimburse taxpayers for work done by state agencies to clean up the contamination.

The six sites targeted by the state for this new legal action are representative of industry's toxic legacy in New Jersey.

The Pohtacong Valley Superfund Site in Warren County contaminated a nine-mile stretch of groundwater near Washington Township, Franklin Township and Greenwich Township with cancer-causing chemicals like perchloroethylene.

In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $92 million settlement with the site's potentially responsible polluters. Pechiney Plastic, Inc. was given the primary responsibility for cleaning the site.

Two sites in Newark's Ironbound neighborhood are being targeted by the new lawsuits.

The first is the Ronson Metals Corporation site, the former home to a cigarette lighter manufacturer that contaminated groundwater with volatile, cancer-causing compound trichloroethylene. Homes were built on the site after Ronson left, despite deed restrictions that were supposed to stop residential development, and vapors from the pollution filled became a major problem for the new households.

The second Newark site is the former home of Ruggerio Seafood, Inc., another manufacturing facility.

In Middlesex County, two sites in Woodbridge are included in the new action. Both, a former Hess refinery in Port Reading and a former Mobil gas station in Fords, are reminiscent of the kind of pollution that led to the Exxon litigation.

The final location targeted by the state is the former site of a manufactured gas plant in Atlantic City. The site is now owned by Duell Fuel Company.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Move over, bog turtle.

The honeybee, the eastern goldfinch the brook trout and, yes, the bog turtle, may soon be joined by man's best friend as New Jersey's official state symbols.

State Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, wants to designate The Seeing Eye dog as New Jersey's state dog.

The guide pup is the latest of designees, and no doubt they're cuddlier than Streptomyces griseus, which is on its way to becoming the official state microbe.

Morristown-based The Seeing Eye breeds and trains german shepherds, labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and labrador/golden crosses and matches them with people with visual impairments.

"We often take for granted seeing a stop sign or the edge of a train platform, but for those who are visually-impaired, something so simple can become a critical or even life-threatening obstacle," Bucco said in a statement. "Every day, Seeing Eye dogs are trained in Morris County to create safety, independence and mobility for those in need."

The Seeing Eye has provided 17,000 service animals in its 90-year history, according to a news release.

"Each year, hundreds of individuals travel to Morris County from across the United States and Canada to enhance their independence with a Seeing Eye dog, and our iconic brand is recognized around the world for the highest level of guide dog quality," the organization's president, Jim Kutsch, said in a statement.

To become law the legislation must be passed by the Senate and Assembly and signed by the governor.

Just last week, the Senate voted in favor of designating Streptomyces griseus as the state microbe.

The soil-based microorganism was discovered in New Jersey in the early 1916 and used to create streptomycin, the world's first antibiotic for tuberculosis.

And last month, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law appointing as reptilian mascot: the bog turtle.

These tiny reptiles have been listed as endangered in New Jersey since 1974, and the biggest population is said to reside in the northwestern part of the state.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.The Times-Picayune is marking the tricentennial of New Orleans with its ongoing 300 for 300 project, running through 2018 and highlighting 300 people who have made New Orleans New Orleans, featuring original artwork commissioned by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune with Where Y'Art gallery. Today: civic activist Betty Wisdom.

The icon: Betty Wisdom.

The legacy: Betty Wisdom was warm-hearted -- she was wild about animals, for instance -- but she was tough when she had to be, a trait that served her well as a tireless local civic activist. Her trademark issue: civil rights, which she believed in so strongly that she quit her job as a reporter for the Orleans Parish School Board's radio station in the 1960s rather than accept her employer's mandate that she keep her desegregation beliefs to herself. Although out of a job, she didn't sit idle. When legislators were considering shutting New Orleans' public schools rather than integrate them, Wisdom, in testimony, urged them to reconsider. She was also part of a carpool that drove students to the first two schools that had been integrated. She was jeered at the schools, and friends shunned her, but nothing deterred her from her mission to do what she could to ensure all of the city's children had equal access to opportunity.

The artist: Alexandra Kilburn.

The quote: "All of us were brought up in a family to believe in service. It was a duty as well as a pleasure. It's been a joyful thing, though there have been awful times, times when you go home and cry into your pillow because things have gone so wrong. But you survive them." -- Betty Wisdom, when she received The Times-Picayune Loving Cup

Explore more of Alexandra Kilburn's work online at WhereYart.net and in person at the Where Y'Art gallery, 1901 Royal St.

Her given name was Mary Elizabeth Wisdom, but everybody called her Betty.

By John Pope, contributing writer

Source: The Times-Picayune archives; staff research

More on 300 for 300:Entergy New Orleans submitted its base rate case Tuesday (July 31) to its regulators, the New Orleans City Council, proposing what it wants to charge for electricity in the coming years. While the plan calls for an increase in monthly bills -- especially for Algiers customers -- the company says ratepayers would see a $20 million decrease in rates over the long haul.

Particulars from the 4,000-plus page rate proposal are still being digested, but Entergy broke down the impact for customers' bills in a news release Tuesday. The typical east bank residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month can expect to see a $4 increase on their monthly bills, or approximately 13 cents per day. In Algiers, the increase is more substantial: $22 per month for the same residential consumption or 73 cents a day.

The base rate proposal does not call for a change in what customers pay for natural gas.

Gary Huntley, Entergy New Orleans vice president of regulatory affairs, said in an interview Wednesday that the big difference for Algiers customers comes from the need for their bills to reflect the true cost of providing electricity to the area. The City Council also ordered the utility to bring customer bills in Algiers in line with what's charged on the east bank, he added.

Before 2015, Algiers received its power from the Entergy Louisiana subsidiary. Its residents had not seen a base rate change for 20 years until 2013, when the City Council approved an increase that was staggered over four years. Entergy New Orleans left that rate increase schedule untouched when the City Council approved adding Algiers to its customer service area, with the most recent increase coming in 2017.

Logan Atkinson Burke, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, called the base rate proposal submitted Tuesday an "opening bid" from Entergy New Orleans.

"Historically, stakeholders and the Council have succeeded in securing better terms than Entergy's preliminary filings," Burke said. She added that she considered the increase for Algiers customers "shocking" that would be felt by those already dealing with increases to the fuel adjustment charges on their bills.

Huntley explained that the $20 million decrease in customer rates Entergy's proposal touts is realized when accounting for the company's capital investment and its maintenance and operating costs over the duration of the plan. The proposed rates would cover those expenses but would not generate as much additional revenue as the current rate structure does, he said.

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Entergy's proposal also includes what the company described as "innovative solutions" to help customers take greater control over their energy costs. They include prepaid and fixed billing options.

The company will also seek approval of a dedicated funding source for advanced metering, energy efficiency offerings, power grid modernization. Huntley said the council and consumer advocates have long called for a consistent revenue stream to pay for such programs, including its Energy Smart services that provide customers with efficiency solutions to help lower their bills. Customers pay for such programs through separate charges or riders on their bill, which also require regulatory approval.

Entergy anticipates the City Council's review process to be complete in time for new rates to take effect in August 2019, Huntley said.

In a separate filing, Entergy asked for the council to approve three separate "utility-scale" solar power projects that would generate a total of 90 megawatts of electricity. They include building a 20-megawatt solar plant in New Orleans, acquiring a 50-megawatt facility that's being built in Washington Parish and buying another 20 megawatts of solar power from a plant planned for St. James Parish.

Entergy is already installing solar rooftop systems on commercial buildings around the city that will generate a combined 5-megawatts of solar installation.

The rate proposal lands on the desks of City Council members as they already have Entergy under intense scrutiny. Last month, company leaders were pressed for solutions to regular power outages attributed to equipment failure.

The council itself continues to feel the heat for approving Entergy's plans to build a power plant in New Orleans East, when it was later learned paid supporters were directed to crowd key public meetings when the plant was being considered. Opponents are now suing the city, saying they were illegally denied access to those meetings.French fashion house Louis Vuitton will open a boutique in New Orleans in 2019.

The iconic fashion brand will open a 4,000-square-foot store on the first floor of Canal Place, the high-end shopping mall at the foot of Canal Street, according to a news release. The store, which will takeover the old BCBG Max Azria space, will feature a "luxurious buildout" and sell ready-to-wear shoes, accessories, watches, jewelry and fragrances, the release said. BCBG moved its storefront to the mall's second level.

Louis Vuitton is among three brands that will move into Canal Place in coming months. Women's fashion line Tory Burch plans to open a boutique on the first floor next to Banana Republic. G-Star Raw, a luxury denim brand, will open a storefront focused exclusively on men's fashion. Both stores are moving into vacant spaces and intend to open in September.

In addition, Reagan Charleston, a jewelry designer and one of the cast members from Bravo's reality TV series "Southern Charm New Orleans," is planning to open a holiday pop-up at Canal Place.

Canal Place, managed by O'Connor Capital Partners, will also start a two-year renovation, according to the release. In a statement, Francis Scire, vice president at O'Connor Capital, called the project an "extensive renovation program" that will be completed in partnership with Gensler, a San Francisco design firm.

Scire, speaking in a follow-up interview, said renovation will focus on updating the mall's common area, including new furnishings, light fixtures and kiosks. The last major renovation at the mall was after Hurricane Katrina, General Manager Lisa Manzella added.

"We want to make it a more comfortable place," Scire said.

Current tenants at Canal Place include Saks Fifth Avenue, Brooks Brothers, Tiffany & Co., Lululemon, Anthropologie and Vineyard Vines.Admitting to involvement in four murders, including that of a 7-month-old, a 27-year-old New Orleans man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to charges connected to a crime spree that involved carjackings, a robbery, a double shooting and a high-speed police chase.

The slew of federal charges Kwame Fleming pleaded guilty to were connected to a spree that left 23-year-old Jacquez Young dead and another man shot in Terrytown on June 1, 2015, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. In entering his plea, Fleming also admitted to participating in the murders of DeShawn Butler and his son, 7-month-old DeShawn Kinard, on the Crescent City Connection on Nov. 13, 2013, and the murder of Guy Henderson, killed in a retaliatory attack in Algiers on Dec. 29, 2014.

The federal court documents appeared to be the first time Fleming has been identified as a perpetrator in the deaths of Butler, his infant son and Henderson. However, the specific federal charges he pleaded guilty to only concerned the 2015 crimes. It wasn't clear Tuesday evening whether he would face further prosecution in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court for the other murders.

The 2015 crime spree began after Fleming had purchased some marijuana from a New Orleans dealer but demanded a refund because he believed the drugs were of "low quality," according to federal court documents signed by prosecutors and by Fleming and his lawyer. The dealer, identified in court records as "D.L.," wouldn't provide the refund, so on April 22, 2015, Fleming and others shot and injured D.L., court records said. One of D.L.'s associates, who was in jail at the time, then indicated he would retaliate against Fleming.

On June 1, 2015, Fleming was driving a carjacked Dodge Ram with Michael Brown, then 22, and Hasaan Johnson, then 23. They were in the area of Whitney Avenue in Terrytown when they saw D.L.'s associate -- identified as J.M. -- get in the front passenger side of a blue Audi AA4, court records said.

Fleming pulled the Dodge Ram up alongside the Audi and said "What's up" to J.M. and Young, who was driving the Audi, court records said. Fleming's passengers, Brown and Johnson, then began shooting into the Audi. Young was killed instantly and J.M. was hit several times, according to court records.

The same day, the three carjacked a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze from a woman on Independence Street in New Orleans.

Court records said Fleming then attempted to discard the two guns used in the shooting -- a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson and a revolver -- by trading them with someone in Centreville, Mississippi.

Fleming, Brown and Johnson drove the Cruze to Mississippi on June 3, 2015, to meet with the person interested in trading guns. The man tipped them off to the location of a local drug dealer, court records said.

That night, while still in Mississippi, the three robbed the drug dealer, firing a gun at least once. They held the drug dealer's girlfriend at gunpoint and stole a "large quantity" of marijuana, synthetic marijuana, money, a cellular phone, and an AK-47-style assault rifle, court records said. Then, they met back up with the person who had tipped them off to the robbery target, gave him some of the drugs and left the Smith and Wesson with him.

As they drove back to Louisiana, authorities said, Fleming tested the AK-47-style gun by leaning out of the window and firing several rounds into the air, court records said.

They reached the Zachary area when police attempted to pull them over. They drove off in the Chevrolet Cruze, leading police on a high-speed chase and ultimately crashing at Interstate 10 and Highway 19, court records said.

The trio wasn't injured in the crash, and ran off with the guns, walking along I-10 until they carjacked another car -- a GMC Yukon -- on Longfellow Drive in Baton Rouge, court records said. They drove the Yukon back to New Orleans, and Fleming was arrested the next day.

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The federal charges Fleming pleaded guilty to were accessory to murder through use of a firearm, two counts of carjacking, two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Those charges bring a variety of possible prison sentences, including a potential maximum sentence of life in prison for the firearms charges.

Johnson pleaded guilty in Jefferson Parish court in December 2015 to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to court records.

Brown pleaded guilty in federal court in February 2017 to charges of murder with a firearm and carjacking, and is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday, according to court records.

In the signed federal document, Fleming also admitted to being involved in the double-murder in 2013 that left 7-month old DeShawn Kinard dead.

Police have said the shooting was gang-related and retaliatory, targeting DeShawn's father, DeShawn Butler, 25, who federal court records said had shot at some people Fleming was connected to. The day after the murders, NOPD Superintendent Ronal Serpas said Butler was a member of the Fischer Fools gang that was feuding with the Hot Block gang.

Fleming was in a van with two other people, in the front passenger seat, when the group saw DeShawn Butler in the backseat of a vehicle, court records said. Fleming and another man, identified as K.P., fired into the vehicle and both Butler and Deshawn Kinard died. Fleming also helped burn the van - which he had helped carjack the day before - on the levee in Algiers.

Verdell Lewis and Kerry Pierre, who has the same initials as the other shooter mentioned in the federal court records, were also suspects in the case but were gunned down.

Isaac Pierre, then 22, and Kevin Thomas, then 23, were indicted in connection with the case in 2014. In the federal court documents, people with the same initials are named as people who were in the vehicle that Butler allegedly shot at, leading to the retaliatory attack.

Pierre pleaded guilty in Orleans Parish in December 2014 to two charges of conspiracy to commit first degree murder and was sentenced to 40 years at hard labor. Thomas pleaded guilty in September 2017 to charges of obstruction of justice and was sentenced to four years in prison, court records said.

Fleming also admitted to killing Guy Henderson on Dec. 29, 2014 in the 3200 block of Ptolemy Street in Algiers, after being hired to do so for $5,000, the federal court documents said. He had been called by someone named "Harold" who said Henderson had put a gun to his aunt's head and he wanted to retaliate.

Fleming, driving with one other person identified as R.J., saw Henderson at a gas station, called "Harold" to confirm it was the right person, and then followed him, court records said. Fleming put on a ski mask and he and his accomplice shot at Henderson. It was not clear Tuesday whether the person identified as R.J. has been arrested in the crime.

Fleming was also booked in 2016 with charges related to a prison beating that sent another Orleans Parish inmate to the hospital.The 28-year-old man New Orleans police said was the intended target of Saturday night's (July 28) mass shooting, a shooting the police chief has said was "likely gang-related," was not a violent gang member, said the man's brother, Jahmil Hill.

Jeremiah "Zippa" Lee may have known or hung around some gang members in his past through his hobby of promoting rap music, Hill said, but for the last several years the father of three has been working a legitimate job and trying to take care of his family.

"I think he was just an easy target," Hill said of his brother.

Lee was one of three people killed in the shooting in the 3400 block of South Claiborne Avenue that also wounded seven people. A man at the nearby daiquiri shop, Kurshaw Jackson, 38; and a Houston woman in New Orleans that night for a girls' trip with friends, Taiesha Watkins, 27, were also fatally shot.

NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison said the shooters fired "indiscriminately" in their pursuit of Lee. A business owner in the block who reviewed surveillance footage of the crime said he saw shooters chasing a man and firing their guns haphazardly before standing over their target and repeatedly shooting him. After they fled, Lee's shot-up body lay in front of a restaurant in a busy strip mall, where he was pronounced dead.

A law enforcement source said investigators believed Lee was affiliated with the 3NG gang, which operates out of Central City's Third and Galvez streets and has been the subject of past state and federal racketeering indictments. Many members have been convicted of murder in those cases. Lee's brother disputed Lee was an active member of any gang, saying he worked in the kitchen of a restaurant inside a downtown hotel and was only out on Saturday because he happened to be off work.

"He wasn't ready to go," Hill said Tuesday. Hill, 31, had just returned from picking out the clothes his brother will wear when his family buries him.

While the search for the shooters who opened fire on Lee in a crowd continues, Hill said, it's been frustrating for him and "devastating" to his mother to see Lee portrayed in the news or speculated about as a violent gang member when that's not what Hill says he was.

"His main goal was to take care of his kids," said Hill, who said his brother's children are ages 3 to about 7.

Lee has a history with police and the justice system, his brother acknowledged, but Hill said Lee had "never been convicted of a violent crime." The only violent crime he's accused of stems from a misunderstanding on Hill's part, Hill said.

Lee's open charge for discharging a firearm during a violent crime is based on allegations Lee fired a gun at his brother while the two were both in vehicles near South Claiborne and Jackson avenues, the 2015 warrant states.

"I'm the brother," said Hill, whose name matches the person listed as the victim in the arrest warrant. "We did have a fight, a physical altercation, and he chased me in his car with a cell phone. ... I mistook it for the gun."

Hill said he'd received a subpoena in the mail recently and planned to testify to just that.

The handful of other open criminal charges that have been pending for years against Lee date as far back as 2010. The delay in the cases has been largely because of challenges to his mental competency to stand trial, court records show.

Eight years ago, a narcotics detective alleged in a warrant for Lee's 2010 arrest that he and other detectives saw Lee conduct "numerous hand-to-hand narcotic transactions" about 2:30 p.m. July 7, 2010, in the 3100 block of Third Street, in Central City. The detective stopped Lee and another man Lee was with and found Lee in possession of 10 crack rocks and $178 in cash, the warrant alleges. He was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

As The New Orleans Advocate first reported, the man Lee was arrested with that day, Alfred Clay, was named in a June 2013, 30-count racketeering indictment accusing him and other alleged members of the 3NG gang with several charges including the murders of 10 people, according to court records. Among those murder victims: 2-year-old Keira Holmes and rapper Renatta "Magnolia Shorty" Lowe.

Clay, now 54, ended up pleading guilty to his conspiracy to possess cocaine in the case he was arrested in with Lee, and he was sentenced to 5 years in prison. In July 2015, Clay pleaded guilty to some of the charges in the gang indictment and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Several men indicted along with Clay in the racketeering case, which did not involve Lee, were later convicted in federal court in a sprawling case against the 39ers, which prosecutors said was a gang alliance between 3NG and G-Strip (Gallier Street), a gang from the 9th Ward.

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A friend of Lee's, who asked not to be named for his privacy, said it was unfair for Lee to be "automatically portrayed as a gang member in New Orleans" based off one arrest with a gang affiliate.

A warrant for Lee's second arrest, on Dec. 8, 2011, states he sold four pieces of crack cocaine to an undercover police officer for $40. Booking records say the alleged drug sale occurred about 4:40 p.m. that day near the intersection of Rex Place and Second Street. That charge remained open at the time of his death.

"My brother was a product of his environment," said Hill, speaking generally about his brother's troubled past. He added that as Lee started focusing more on family and working hard at his job at the restaurant, "I felt like he had a bright future."

Saturday not Lee's first brush with gunfire

Hill said he suspected his brother's recovery from a shooting about a year-and-a-half ago, "straightened him up and opened his eyes."

Police records show Lee was shot Jan. 15, 2017, in the 2400 block of South Derbigny Street, which is about seven blocks from where he was killed Saturday. The shooting has not been solved, NOPD spokesman Aaron Looney said Tuesday. According to police at the time, a white vehicle approached a man, now identified as Lee, about 11 p.m. that January night, and someone inside the white car opened fire. Looney said the case is still open.

Lee limped for a while and went to physical therapy after he was shot, Hill said, and he saved up money to fix his car that had been shot up. "He was mostly blessed to be alive," Hill said.

Though Hill, 31, is the older sibling, he said he looked up to Lee because Lee had children first, and Hill admired the way Lee raised his daughters. Lee's youngest child is 3, and the oldest is about 7, Hill said.

As Lee approached age 30 and started to focus more on family and his job at the restaurant, Hill said, he had hope for his brother.

"I felt like he made it, made it past the age of extinction for a young black man in our community. ... Past that age where most young black men are killed," Hill said.

In New Orleans, Hill continued, young black men can often get associated with gangs or groups just because of where they live. Without much to do, he added, some young boys grow up "looking up at other gang members," and fall into that life.

Despite that his brother grew up in that environment, Hill said, he was caught off guard by his Lee's death, and he believes Lee was, too.

"I have family and ex-friends who are in the quote-unquote, 'gangs,' and they're ready to die. They know the damage they've caused and are accepting of the fact that they may reap what they sow," Hill said. "(Lee) wasn't like that because he felt like he hasn't sowed anything."

A police escort has already been arranged for the protection of Lee's family at his funeral this weekend, Hill said, because the shooters police say shot nine other people to get to his brother are still out there.

New Orleans Murder Map 2018

Staff writer Marie Simoneaux contributed to this report.New Orleans Police are searching for Desmond Huntley, 20, in connection with an Algiers armed robbery in April.

Police said that Huntley is accused of robbing a person at knifepoint in the 5700 block of Oxford Place at about noon on April 12. Cash was stolen during the robbery.

Attorney Brian Williams told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune he is representing Huntley and released the following statement Tuesday evening:

"Desmond has been made aware of the accusation and is currently arranging to turn himself in. We will continue cooperating with the investigation that we are confident will show Desmond is innocent."

Anyone with information on the crime can contact any 4th District Detective at (504) 658-6040 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free 1-877-903-STOP.After community and church leaders prayed for peace and urged creative solutions to "this demon called gun violence" Tuesday night (July 31), the mother of a man killed in Saturday's mass shooting on South Claiborne Avenue stood before a line of cameras and pleaded with the gunmen to turn themselves in to police.

"I'm begging, from the bottom of my heart, please give yourself up cause you going to keep killing, killing, killing," cried Robin Jackson, mother of the late Kurshaw Jackson, 38. "If you have a heart -- please, I'm begging from the bottom of my heart -- give yourself up."

Tuesday evening, New Orleans paramedics and police officers, anti-violence advocates and other community members surrounded Robin Jackson and her family in the parking lot of the South Claiborne Avenue strip mall where 10 people were shot Saturday, three fatally, including Kurshaw Jackson.

Also at the center of the crowd was Jackson's identical twin, Reshaw Jackson, his face grief-stricken, his cheeks wet as a series of speakers led the crowd in prayers for the three dead and seven wounded.

Toward the outer edges of the crowd, according to a security guard for Jazz Daiquiris in the strip mall, were two of the seven survivors of Saturday's violence.

Toward Louisiana Avenue was a man on crutches. Across the strip mall parking lot was a man with a large wound on his cheek, where a bullet had ripped part of his face Saturday night, the security guard said. The man who had been shot in the face declined to comment.

By Tuesday afternoon, all of the wounded had been released from the hospital, according to the NOPD, but the department did not release details on the extent of their injuries.

Investigators believe the shooting was likely gang-related and that the other man killed, Jeremiah Lee, 28, was the intended target, NOPD said.

Kurshaw Jackson, a Central City cement finisher and father, and Taiesha Watkins, a 27-year-old Houston hospital worker and mother, were killed when two gunmen opened fire into a crowd in a strip mall parking lot in the 3400 block of S. Claiborne Avenue.

Watkins wound up in the crowd at the daiquiri shop while visiting New Orleans to console a friend whose mother recently died, according to Watkins' father.

Saturday night, Kurshaw Jackson, who lived nearby, told his girlfriend that he was going to get a daiquiri, his family said. At Tuesday's vigil, Robin Jackson recounted how she was at work at University Medical Center when she got a call from Kurshaw's girlfriend, Areana "Arie" Hickman, letting her know that he had left to get the drink and then abruptly stopped answering his phone.

Soon afterward, Robin Jackson said, a "code yellow" was called, and she knew that meant a number of people were on their way to the hospital.

Later, after searching the hospital's emergency room for her son, Robin Jackson would go to the strip mall parking lot to find that her son had been pronounced dead at the scene.

"You can't leave out and go nowhere today," Robin Jackson said Tuesday, pleading for the violence to stop. "I will fight, not only for my son, but for each and every one of us."

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Earlier in the evening, a speaker called on the crowd to lift their hands toward Robin Jackson, whose birthday was Tuesday, and declared "healing for her and this community."

But first, he issued a reminder. "We don't forget all the other victims who are suffering every day from the impact of gun violence," he said.

Another church leader stressed to the crowd: "God didn't take young brother Jackson out -- the enemy took him out."

The vigil included prayers, a freedom song, chants against violence and a balloon release.

The crowd also sang "Happy Birthday" to Robin Jackson, whose birthday was Tuesday. She had planned to spend the evening celebrating with family. Instead, the family had gathered to mourn.

Linda Lee, an aunt of Kurshaw Jackson, said her nephew was a bright spirit who looked out for Robin Jackson.

"He took care of his mama," said Linda Lee, who is of no relation to Jeremiah Lee.

"That child had a beautiful heart," she added. "That's what we going to miss."

Hickman, who stood at Robin Jackson's side through much of the evening, the two wearing memorial shirts featuring Kurshaw Jackson's photograph, described him as a positive force who encouraged her to expand her horizons and go back to school.

"We did everything together," Hickman said, breaking into tears.

After the vigil, a smaller group of family gathered at Robin Jackson's home, where white balloons bobbed in the air and tea candles glowed on the sidewalk. Family members sobbed and embraced and then walked to the neutral ground to let their balloons go.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call NOPD Homicide Unit detectives at 504-658-5300 or Crimestoppers with any information that may help in the investigation.

Staff Reporter Emily Lane contributed to this report.A new mural of the late New Orleans musician Allen Toussaint has gone up on a building at the corner of Kerlerec Street and N. Claiborne Ave., courtesy of a New York artist.

Brendon Palmer-Angell painted the on Monday (July 23). The mural was painted from a photograph taken by Glade Bilby II.

Palmer-Angell volunteered his time to paint the mural through the NOLA Mural Project. It took five days to complete. He received a modest stipend for his expenses. The Plattsburgh, New York native, honed his painting skills while studying art at Syracuse University.

He said, "It's an honor to be part of the NOLA Mural Project.'' He said he believes that the community owns the mural.

"I loved seeing people connect with Allen Toussaint through the mural more than anything else."

Palmer-Angell loves that so many people have stopped by to look, photograph and praise his work and the idea. For more information about the project go to: NOLA Mural Project.President Donald Trump called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end a special counsel's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In a series of Twitter posts Wednesday morning (Aug. 1), Trump referred to the probe as a "Rigged Witch Hunt."

Trump comments came ahead of the second day of a trial for his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort. Special counsel Robert Mueller has charged Manafort with bank and tax fraud for failing to pay taxes on income he received for consulting pro-Russian political groups in Ukraine. Prosecutors did not make any connections to Trump or his campaign during Tuesday's opening statements.

The president's tweets from Wednesday morning question whether Mueller can be considered unbiased in his investigation because he is "totally conflicted." Trump specifically bashed Mueller for his handling of FBI agent Peter Strzok, who was in charge of the bureau's investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email server. Strzok was reassigned from Mueller's probe after anti-Trump text messages Strzok sent during the presidential campaign came to light.

In his tweets, Trump uses quotes attributed to Alan Dershowitz, an attorney long considered to lean liberally who is now among the president's staunchest defenders.

Sessions recused himself in early 2017 from the Russian election interference investigation, citing to desire to avoid conflicts with Trump.Pearl River Mayor David McQueen has repaid the town more than $400 after an audit revealed he improperly received a mileage reimbursement for an out-of-town trip for which he used a town vehicle.

The audit, made public this week by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, said McQueen used the town-owned vehicle for a trip to a convention in Shreveport but was also paid $414.72 in mileage for the same trip. The report said the payment was in apparent violation of the state Constitution and recommended McQueen immediately reimburse the town.

In Pearl River's July 13 response to the audit, McQueen said he had been made aware of the "oversight" and submitted the reimbursement.

In an interview Tuesday, McQueen said that he told the town clerk that he was not to be paid for mileage for the convention, but he was mistakenly paid nonetheless. He said it was not discovered until he sat down and began to review matters with the auditors.

The audit also questioned four September 2017 receipts totaling $197.75 from a Chevron credit card for the purchase of 88 gallons of fuel. The receipts indicated "Mayor's fuel" on them, but they were not signed by the mayor and did not identify the vehicle for which the purchases were made, the audit said.

McQueen drives a 2017 Ford F-150 King Cab that gets about 15 miles per gallon, but 88 gallons in one month "appears excessive" in a town whose size is about 3.5 square miles, according to the report.

Fuel purchases on the Chevron card totaled $2,026 in 2017, for an average of $168 a month.

In his response, McQueen wrote that the truck actually gets 11 miles per gallon and that the report failed to take into consideration that he attends conventions and meetings and conducts business in such places as Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Slidell.

"The mayor is very vigilant in the use of the town vehicle for town business only," McQueen wrote. "Given the actual MPG of the truck and the travel outside of the town limits for town business, the average monthly of $168 is reasonable."

McQueen said Tuesday the Chevron gas bill for the month that auditors reviewed was slightly higher than the norm. "I don't see how it's excessive. It's just their opinion."

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In all, the town of Pearl River in 2017 had 44 credit cards on six different accounts: two for a Visa account, one Wal-Mart card, one Home Depot card, one Chevron card, four cards for a Shell account and 35 cards for an ExxonMobile Fleet National account, the audit said.

McQueen said his administration has only four credit cards, for which he and employees must sign in and out. The remainder of the credit cards are for the police department, he said.

The report said there was no evidence that monthly account statements and supporting documentation were formally reviewed and approved by the mayor, clerk or police chief. The audit said the town should strengthen its controls over credit card purchases.

In his formal response, McQueen wrote that he, the police chief, the finance clerk and the chief's administrative assistant routinely review each credit card statement. They will study the audit's recommendation regarding providing proof of the reviews, he said.

The audit said Pearl River needs to update its written policies and procedures in numerous areas, noting that the problems were pointed out previously but never fully resolved.

The mayor said the town last year instituted a system for purchase orders and requisitions to require authorization signatures, but turnover in the clerk's position resulted in the procedure not being followed consistently.

"They didn't find nothing missing," McQueen said. "They just found some things we need to correct and do it the way they want us to do it. I don't think we'll ever make them happy 100 percent."

The report is but the latest to be critical of small town's operations.

A blistering 2014 legislative audit accused then-Mayor James Lavigne and Clerk Diane Bennett Hollie of using public money for personal gain between 2011 and 2013. The report also said the town government improperly handed out nearly $30,000 in Christmas bonuses over a three-year period and falsely recorded them as clothing allowances in financial statements.

Lavigne ultimately pleaded guilty to two felonies, malfeasance in office and theft, and several misdemeanor counts after losing a bid for re-election. Hollie also pleaded guilty in the case.A 22-year-old man who had recently been released from jail on bond and was wearing an ankle bracelet monitor, was arrested early Tuesday (July 31) after police said he burglarized several vehicles in Slidell. As police tried to apprehend Raikenzie Durgin, he fled, jumped into a canal and was saved from drowning by officers, the Slidell Police Department reported.

A 16-year-old was also booked in the burglaries, which occurred in the Palm Lake Subdivision.

Shortly after 3 a.m. Tuesday, Slidell police received a call after a resident of the subdivision discovered his vehicle had been burglarized. As officers were responding to the call, they noticed several other vehicles that appeared to have been burglarized, Slidell police said in a news release.

Officer Clint McCall and his canine partner, Quest, were called to the scene and located two people hiding in a nearby patch of woods. Both fled. Quest apprehended one of them, who turned out to be a 16-year-old juvenile, police said.

The other person, later identified as Durgin, jumped into a nearby canal and attempted to swim away. Officers quickly discovered that Durgin could not swim and rescued him from the water before placing him under arrest, police said.

Durgin, who has been arrested seven times for burglary in the past year, was wearing an ankle monitor as part of his bond requirements, according to the news release. He was booked Tuesday with seven counts of simple burglary, resisting an officer, contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and two counts of failure to appear in Slidell city court.

The juvenile was treated for dog bites and transported to the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center. He was booked with seven counts of simple burglary and resisting an officer.In their truest sense, exhibitions - whether they are group or individual - serve as a way to connect artists and their pieces with the community, educating viewers about the many different forms of art while showcasing the artists' talents.

The talents of several north shore artists are being featured in new exhibitions on the both sides of the lake.

First, the photography skills of Lacombe artist John Paul Duet are highlighted in the Slidell Art League's 2018 Artist of the Year exhibition, currently on display at the Cultural Center at Slidell City Hall.

Duet, who has been a SAL member for more than 18 months, has been recognized as the Master Artist of the Year because his photographs garnered attention through monthly meetings and exhibitions.

Recognition comes by the number of points an artist receives - either for a piece of artwork submitted as part of a monthly competition among SAL members or for awards won at juried or competition shows, as well as art patrons' or corporations' purchase awards - during the course of the nonprofit's year, which runs from July to June. The artist with most points over the course of the nonprofits' year earns the designation.

Duet has become known for his photographs of all kinds of animals, from egrets in flight and emerging butterflies to giraffes and black bears, as well as landscapes and New Orleans street scenes. His images also have garnered awards from the Lacombe Art Guild, the member art group of which he is president, as well as Art for Madisonville and the Louisiana Woodcarvers Guild.

"I photograph landscapes, cemeteries, antiques, architecture, but very few of them make it to a print. I'm drawn to printing wildlife," he said. "It is relaxing to spend time watching animals not knowing what they might do next."

Duet is largely self-taught, first learning darkroom developing skills as part of his high school's newspaper and yearbook staffs and enjoying macro and nature photography with his first cameras. He studied techniques in photography magazines and has taken classes in the past few years since retiring as a store manager at Lowe's.

Yet his interest in nature photography started even before high school.

"I have played in swamps and woods since I was young," Duet said, adding that "my parents took many trips to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park when I was young. Also we would go for weeks to more than a month to national parks out west, which included Petrified Forest, Redwoods, Yellowstone, Glacier National, Yosemite National Park, and many more. I was in Portland when Mount St. Helen's erupted."

As a young photographer, he found inspiration in a Time book series that chronicled ponds, forests, marshes, caves and more. Now, he aims to capture "what most people don't experience."

Duet has photographed wildlife in every state except three, including shooting above the Arctic Circle in Alaska. He's also traveled to the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Yet most often Duet can be found with a camera in locations close to home. "Most of my shooting takes place along the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida. The Atchafalaya Basin and the Honey Island Swamp are among my favorites," he said.

Duet's images can be found at the Rutland Street Gallery, 828 E. Rutland St., Covington. His Artist of the Year exhibition will remain on display until Sept. 7. Gallery hours are Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. and Thursdays from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.myslidell.com.

For more information on the Slidell Art League, visit www.slidellartleague.org.

Mandeville artist Marcia Holmes is the sole north shore artist to be accepted into the 2018 Louisiana Contemporary, Presented by The Helis Foundation.

She'll join 24 other artists from across Louisiana whose 34 works were selected by juror Courtney J. Martin, deputy director and chief curator at the Dia Art Foundation. Martin chose from 382 artists who submitted 507 entries totaling 1,161 pieces of art.

"In a state with an abundance of acknowledged cultural resources, the Louisiana Contemporary exhibition raises the awareness of the region's equally rich field of contemporary art and artists," Martin said of the show.

Its goal is to promote contemporary art practices in the state of Louisiana, provide exhibition space for the exposition of art and engage a contemporary audience that recognizes the vibrant visual culture of Louisiana and the role of New Orleans as a rising international art center.

This 7th annual juried exhibition will open during Hancock Whitney White Linen Night, the annual Arts District of New Orleans event held Aug. 4 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

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Holmes' selected mixed media piece - entitled "Improv III" - was completed in February 2017 after starting it at a master's residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

"Improvisation is thus the title, as I painted freely with no preconceived idea, only a newly selected neutral color palette," Holmes said, adding that the piece's color dynamics came from a photograph of water, seaweed and rocks in Maine. "I painted intuitively responding spontaneously with my own personal mark marking. When I paint for a whole week straight, I have a lot of positive energy flowing."

Holmes said she was thrilled the piece was chosen, but even more elated when she got her invitation for the Aug. 3 VIP reception and found it on the cover.

"I am honored and humbled to have my abstract painting curated into the Ogden Museum's Louisiana Contemporary," she said. "It is thrilling professionally to have my abstract work affirmed by selection into a museum exhibition, especially in New Orleans."

The VIP reception will include announcement of the show's winners. Awards include first, second and third place, along with the Best in Show winner, who will receive the The Helis Foundation Art Prize.

The Louisiana Contemporary will continue until Nov. 4 at The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., New Orleans. Museum hours are Monday to Wednesdays and Fridays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. www.ogdenmuseum.org.

Additionally on Hancock Whitney White Linen Night, look for pieces by north shore artists Cynthia Webb and Chuck Wright. Both were accepted into LeMieux Galleries' first ever juried art show, entitled "And Now for Something New" Vol 1.

Pieces were selected by jurors Michael Deas, a premier illustrator and classical realist painter, and Jan Gilbert, an interdisciplinary artist. The winning artist will receive a solo show at LeMieux Galleries in 2020.

"And Now for Something New" Vol. 1 will continue until Sept. 29. For more information, visit www.lemieuxgalleries.com.

Artwork by Lacombe artist Tiffany Angel Nesbit is currently on display at Covington City Hall, 317 Jefferson Ave. Visitors can see about a dozen of Nesbit's two-dimensional, mixed media pieces, some of which are sketches for her sculptural work.

A reception to close out and celebrate the emerging artist and her work will take place Aug. 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Nesbit, who was born in New Orleans, grew up in south Louisiana, surrounded by creativity. Her father, Roy, is a woodworker; her mother, Joy, is a florist and designer. Even her brother, Tyler, creates wood pieces.

"I've always been into the arts and been interested in making things," said Nesbit, who graduated in 2015 from Disney University in Orlando with a certificate of Creativity and Innovation before enrolling in Southeastern University. "My college career greatly expanded my sculpture interests.

Nesbit, who will graduate from Southeastern University this fall with a bachelors degree in visual arts and sculpture, explores the dichotomy between natural and industrial worlds in her pieces.

That may come through taking industrial objects and making them look like natural forms, such a current sculptural piece involving chicken wire that shows the process of nature's decay and growth.

"My work is based on where we as a people stand in a world that's becoming more and more industrial," she said.

For more information on the rotating gallery at CovingtonCity Hall, visit http://covla.com. For more information on Nesbit, visit www.tiffanyangelnesbit.com.

On the Horizon

"Hot Art in a Cool Space" show and sale, Aug. 4 and 5, noon to 6 p.m., North Shore Unitarian Universalist Society, 28662 Krentel Road, Lacombe.

Sarah Bonnette is a freelance writer on Louisiana arts and culture. She may be contacted at sgbonnette@gmail.com.The property tax roll in St. Tammany Parish opened Wednesday (Aug. 1) for a four-week public inspection period during which citizens are encouraged to check the assessed value of their homes and properties, the Assessor's Office said.

Assessor Louis Fitzmorris extended the inspection period from its traditional two weeks to allow more time to assist citizens, the agency said in a news release. Citizens can check their assessed values at the assessor's website, www.stpao.org, or by calling or visiting either of the office locations.

The public inspection period gives taxpayers time to ensure all assessment information is accurate before the tax roll is certified and tax bills are mailed out, Fitzmorris said. Once the tax roll is certified, the Assessor's Office is unable to make changes. Any requests for change must be submitted to the Louisiana Tax Commission, he said.

Citizens who disagree with their assessment can ask the Assessor's Office for a review. The deadline to do so is Aug. 29. Applications for review are available at both office locations and on the Assessor's Office website. Applications can be emailed to assessorreview@stpao.org, dropped off in person or mailed to the assessor's office in the parish courthouse in Covington.

Property owners who are unsatisfied with the assessor's review determination can then appeal to the St. Tammany Parish Council. The deadline to submit an appeal is Sept. 7. Under state law, only those who first file an application for assessor review can appeal their cases to the Parish Council. Appeal forms are available on the parish government's website: www.stpgov.org.

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The assessor has offices at the following locations:

Parish courthouse, 701 N. Columbia St., Covington, (985) 809- 8180.

Towers Building, 520 Old Spanish Trail, Slidell, (985) 646-1990.

Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. The Slidell office is closed for lunch from 1 to 2 p.m.

The Assessor's Office determines assessed values for property. The millage rates set by the various taxing bodies across the parish are applied to those values to determine citizens' tax bills.Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser says he wants to make the French Quarter safer, cleaner and maybe a little bit more "family friendly" by turning the historic district into a state park.

He would make it safer by improving lighting and putting a park ranger on every corner. He would make it cleaner by contracting with services to pick up litter and clean up messes. He would make it more family friendly by ... keeping the bars and strip clubs? Well, two out of three ain't bad.

For all of those who accused former Mayor Mitch Landrieu of secretly trying to sanitize, homogenize and sterilize the French Quarter into a movie-set tourist attraction called Disneylandrieu, welcome to Billy World.

"If we want to change things, we have to think outside of the box," Nungesser told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune's Julia O'Donoghue an interview Monday (July 30).

He certainly is doing that.

Nungesser has lamented for years about the condition of the French Quarter, its broken sidewalks and dirty streets. The city's elected officials, he said, are always promising to make things better but never follow through.

Once it became a state park, Nungesser said, he would make it his focus to see that things were done right there.

Nungesser apparently sprang the idea on Mayor LaToya Cantrell recently, and the City of Yes said, "No, thanks."

Exactly how it would work and where the money for enhanced safety and maintenance would come from is not clear. The state is not exactly rolling in dough, and it is part of Nungesser's mission to see that the state parks pay for themselves and maybe even generate a little revenue.

He has done that, in part, by seeking sponsorships and naming rights deals to generate private investment. Wild Turkey, Jim Beam or Crown Royal would be vying for the rights to attach their names to Bourbon Street. And McDonald's might be willing to pay for changing Royal Street to Royale with Cheese, which we all know is what they call a quarter-pounder in France.

Maybe for the big money licensing deal, the whole district could become the "French Quarter-pounder brought to you by McDonald's."

What about the Smoothie King St. Louis Cathedral or the Mercedes-Benz Preservation Hall?

But when the state runs short of cash, the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism has been forced to shut down some parks until the money is found.

I can't get the image of Nungesser as John Candy's security guard character in "National Lampoon's Vacation," informing the Griswold family that Walley World is not open out of my head.

"Sorry folks, park's closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya."

Put me down as being in favor of making the French Quarter safer, cleaner and more family friendly. But I don't think getting there is going to be a walk in the park.

Tim Morris is an opinions columnist at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. He can be reached at tmorris@nola.com. Follow him on Twitter @tmorris504.Opinion by Clyde Cooper

Gov. John Bel Edwards' monthly radio program aired last week, and the governor told a caller that elected officials in St. James Parish have not expressed concern about an evacuation route in the parish. I serve on the St. James Parish Council, representing our 5th District. I am telling him now.

My district includes the proposed Bayou Bridge Pipeline and a rapidly expanding petrochemical corridor that includes eight crude oil terminal facilities, pipelines and oil tank farms within a two-square-mile radius. We have one access road, Louisiana 18, which goes into our community but is often closed during accidents. There is no dedicated evacuation route in the event of an industrial spill, explosion, chemical release, fire or other emergency. Concerned residents and our supporters have placed hundreds of calls to the governor's office telling him about the urgent need for an evacuation route.

This alarming lapse in public safety nearly cost one resident her life. When an elderly woman suffered a heart attack in her home, paramedics decided to take her by helicopter to the hospital. However, the nearest landing spot was behind a locked gate on private industry property. This woman almost died while waiting more than an hour for an employee to unlock the gate.

State Judge Alvin Turner of the 23rd Judicial District recognized the problem in an April decision regarding the Bayou Bridge Pipeline. He wrote that "the Department of Natural Resources is ordered to require Bayou Bridge Pipeline, LLC to develop effective environmental protection and emergency or contingency plans relative to evacuation in the event of a spill or other disaster ... prior to the continued issuance of said permit."

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) failed to enforce Judge Turner's order. As the executive overseeing state agency activities, Gov. Edwards has the power to compel DNR to do just that. His administration has the authority to secure the land necessary for an evacuation route.

The state of Louisiana allowed Bayou Bridge LLC to use the power of eminent domain, thereby letting a private Texas-based oil company to seize land from numerous landowners along the pipeline route. Gov. Edwards should direct the state to use that power on behalf of the residents of St. James Parish and create an evacuation route.

There is a significant risk from future projects like the pipeline and already existing facilities. The federal government's Pipelines and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) database as well as the National Response Center data show that St. James already suffers from a high incidence of fires, spills and releases. Future industrial accidents are bound to happen. We live in constant danger.

The approximately 1,000 residents of my district have been told by Parish President Timmy Roussel to "shelter in place" or rely on family members in case of an emergency. Because of structural damage from ongoing industrial operations, many houses have shifted on their foundations, preventing residents from fully closing their windows and doors. Moreover, many of my constituents are wheelchair-bound and elderly, and family members who might have provided succor have either had to move away due to lack of economic opportunity or have passed away from illness.

My constituents have rallied, called, petitioned, written letters and traveled to Baton Rouge multiple times to urge our governor to protect the health and safety of our community. To date, we have not received assurances from the governor or state agencies that we will have an evacuation route in place.

I urge the governor to work with those of us in the 5th District to create an evacuation route. Gov. Edwards campaigned on a promise to make all Louisianans healthy and prosperous. It is high time he fulfilled this promise in St. James.

Clyde Cooper represents the 5th District on the St. James Parish Council.LSU's summer recruiting momentum apparently hasn't died down just yet as the Tigers picked up a huge commitment from Kentwood receiver Trey Palmer Wednesday morning.

The speedy 4-star receiver announced his commitment in a video posted on Rivals.com and aa source confirmed to pledge to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.

Palmer chose LSU over his other finalist Alabama, Florida, Mississippi State and Arizona State.

Palmer visited the Tigers several times this summer, including a quick trip when LSU hosted its prospect camp in June. He said in July that the Baton Rouge campus feels "just like another home" to him.

He was also speaking highly of the Tigers offense.

Said Palmer: "I like how they run their offense and their route tree."

The 6-foot, 180-pound prospect becomes the Tigers first receiver commitment for the 2019 class and the 19th overall.

He and his friend, fellow four-star receiver Devonta Lee have often spoke of playing together at the next level. Lee put the Tigers in his top 7 Sunday and is now the essentially the only receiver prospect left on LSU's board.During a recent lunch hour, staff members of the music trade publication Billboard were summoned to a conference room in the magazines Midtown Manhattan office. There, managers gave a PowerPoint presentation about corporate values, detailed the results of an employee survey and promised to improve the office culture.

It was the kind of management show that would normally elicit eye-rolling from a roomful of skeptical journalists. But the more than 100 employees gathered  from Billboard and sister publications like Spin and The Hollywood Reporter  asked pointed questions about executives behavior and womens role at the company, and many walked away with a guarded sense of relief, according to four people who were at the meeting.

It has been a bruising time for Billboard and its parent company, Valence Media. In May, The Daily Beast published a detailed article focused on Billboards top executive, John Amato. In the article, he was accused of interfering with editorial decisions regarding articles about Charlie Walk, a high-ranking record executive  and longtime friend of Mr. Amatos  who had been accused of sexual misconduct. Faced with questions about its journalists independence, Billboard initiated an internal investigation into the matter.

The inquiry into newsroom practices turned up allegations against Mr. Amato that included claims of sexual harassment and inappropriate comments at company events, according to three people with knowledge of the inquiry and documents submitted to the company as part of the internal investigation. Mr. Amato left as chief executive of the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group three weeks ago. Two of his top lieutenants have also been the subject of employee complaints, one for mistreatment of employees and the other for inappropriate behavior around business clients.Aloha Poke Co., a Chicago-based restaurant chain, has been fighting to protect its trademarked, Hawaiian name for more than a year. It was not until this week, however, that the backlash to its efforts drew a public apology from the company.

Though its name is Hawaiian, the company is not. The restaurant, which sells poke, a Hawaiian dish with seasoned chunks of raw fish, usually over rice, was founded in Chicago in 2016  the same year it trademarked its name. In the months since, Aloha Poke has sent cease-and-desist letters asking businesses with similar names to find new ones.

Reports of the letters sparked outrage and accusations of cultural appropriation. The flames were fanned this week by Facebook videos  including one from the Hawaiian physician and activist Kalamaokaaina Niheu, which was viewed tens of thousands of times  and an online petition that gathered more than 25,000 signatures. It said the company had aggressively threatened Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) families with legal action.

People in Hawaii were upset by the news, Kaniela Ing, a Hawaii state representative who urged people to boycott the company, said on Tuesday.Like many film plots, the story of MoviePass has been filled with monumental peaks, contentious rivalries and plenty of confusion. Amid plunging stock prices and widespread criticism, the subscription-based movie service has resorted to a dizzying array of stopgap maneuvers over the last year to keep the final credits from rolling. Heres a timeline of events to keep track of it all.

March 6, 2019: MoviePass changes tactics again, announcing plans to rely more on films produced by a studio owned by its parent company. The goal is to lessen its reliance on theaters and movie studios.

Feb. 12, 2019: Helios and Matheson Analytics, the parent company of MoviePass, is delisted from the Nasdaq.

Dec. 5, 2018: MoviePass announces a new three-tiered subscription service that will take effect Jan. 1. Each plan will offer members access to three films per month and prices will vary based on where customers reside within the country. I dont believe that today people trust the MoviePass brand, says Khalid Itum, an executive vice president at the company. We have to earn back that trust.To some friends and neighbors, James Shields seemed to be a gregarious man who loved to throw parties in his backyard in Queens. But in private he had been seething for months over a battle with his ex-wife to win custody of their 6-year-old son, police officials said.

His anger burst into public view on Monday night when, the police say, Mr. Shields, 39, shot and killed his son, James Giacomo Shields, his ex-wife and his current wife during a custodial visit in his Astoria home. Then he turned the gun on himself, Dermot F. Shea, the Police Department chief of detectives, said.

Mr. Shields, a physical therapist, and his ex-wife, Linda Olthof, 47, an actress and drama teacher, had been engaged in an expensive and protracted legal fight over their son, and he grew desperate as it weighed on his finances and undermined his second marriage. In April, he created an online fund-raising page seeking $30,000 to help with legal costs of fighting for custody of the boy, who lived in the Netherlands with his mother.

I had the perfect life a few years ago but it has spiraled out of control and I desperately need any help you can provide, he wrote.The Chicago City Council made a timely and historic decision last week when it renamed a prominent downtown street for the pioneering newspaper editor, anti-lynching campaigner and suffragist Ida B. Wells. Renaming Congress Parkway as Ida B. Wells Drive comes as Wellss descendants are preparing to commemorate their forebear with a monument  also to be built in her adopted city, Chicago  and as the country gears up for the centennial of the 19th Amendment in 2020.

Image Ida B. Wells

Born in slavery in Mississippi in 1862, Wells grew up during Reconstruction, when constitutional rights were extended to formerly enslaved African-Americans. Black men participated in electoral politics throughout the former Confederacy. Wells took up her career as a journalist during a time when the possibilities of racial inclusiveness and the power of unified, collective action were palpable, the biographer Paula Giddings writes in Ida: A Sword Among Lions.

By 1892, however, when Wells turned 30 , she had witnessed the passing of those halcyon days and the rise of lynch mobs throughout the South, hanging, burning and beating to death black men who dared stand up for their rights or compete with whites in business.Mexican voters elected Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador president on July 1 largely based on his promises to solve the countrys most devastating domestic problems: rampant violence, economic inequality and widespread corruption. Mr. Lopez Obrador, however, also has the chance to catapult his country into a leadership role on an issue that will benefit both Mexico and the rest of the globe: climate change.

Specifically, the president-elect can capitalize on Mexicos huge potential for renewable energy. But while he has made promising proposals for expanding renewables, he will confront several obstacles.

Renewable energy accounts for less than a quarter of Mexicos installed power capacity, well below the Latin American average of about 50 percent; most electricity is generated from oil, coal and natural gas. Expanding renewable energy would not only cut Mexicos greenhouse gas emissions, but also reduce air pollution and diversify fuel sources, strengthening energy security. Mexicos wind potential is more than eight times its current level of installed wind capacity. It has among the largest solar resources in the world  75 times the countrys current total installed capacity.

Mr. Lopez Obrador has announced ambitious plans to increase renewable power generation from both large-scale projects, such as hydroelectric dams, and small energy systems, like solar rooftops for residences and businesses, in a bid to cut natural gas imports from the United States. Hes vowed to encourage local industries to produce parts for renewable energy plants through tax incentives and access to credit. And by the end of his six-year term he wants to see 100,000 electric cars on Mexican streets powered by solar energy. Over the course of his presidency, his proposals are estimated to reduce Mexicos emissions by 6.8 percent per year.The South Koreans have said the North Koreans have agreed to give up nuclear weapons. Trump has said they have agreed to give them up. But they have never said it.

JEFFREY LEWIS, an arms control expert, on North Koreas continuing work on missile and weapons programs.WASHINGTON  The Justice Department is investigating claims that major drug and medical device companies doing business in Iraq knew that the free medicines and supplies they gave the government to win business there would be used to underwrite terrorist attacks on American troops.

In a regulatory filing last week, AstraZeneca, a drugmaker based in Britain, disclosed that it had received an inquiry from the U.S. Department of Justice in connection with an anti-corruption investigation relating to activities in Iraq.

The filing said the inquiry was related to a lawsuit filed last year in federal court that accused five companies of winning contracts to sell their products to the Iraqi Ministry of Health with the understanding that they also provide additional medical supplies and medicines for free. The five companies are General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Roche Holding A.G. and AstraZeneca.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of members of the American military who were injured or killed in attacks from 2005 to 2009, at the height of the Iraq war.TAMPA, Fla.  President Trump brought a message of a booming economy with him to Central Florida on Tuesday evening. He boasted about his administrations economic accomplishments at an event at a local high school, where a supporter cheerily praised him as the best president. And he signed a piece of work force legislation, holding up a scrawled piece of paper for all to see.

But the tone changed when Mr. Trump traveled to a Make America Great Again rally at a fairground auditorium in Tampa.

The president, in a feisty but unfocused mood, stood before a group of supporters, called himself the most popular person in the history of the Republican Party  a debunked claim  and took aim at his usual list of pinatas, boogeymen and political targets.

Those people, Mr. Trump said of his perceived detractors, how they have gotten us wrong. And yet on Election Day, people were asking, Where did these people come from?WASHINGTON  The rise of Imran Khan, a former cricket star who is Pakistans likely next leader, could complicate new talks between American diplomats and the Taliban about ending the war in Afghanistan, officials said, fraying an already strained relationship between the nuclear-armed Islamic nation and the Trump administration.

Tensions between Pakistan and the United States were exacerbated in January when the Trump administration suspended nearly all American security aid to Islamabad.

But the relationship threatens to be further inflamed by Mr. Khan, who has voiced past support for the Talibans fight in the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan, calling it justified. He also has accused the United States of recklessness in its use of drone strikes on suspected extremists in Pakistan, signaling he wants them to stop.

Mr. Khan tempered his harsh anti-American language with an olive twig, if not a branch, in his victory speech last week.On an evening in early June, before the sun had gone down, a bonfire blazed outside Abrons Arts Center on the Lower East Side. Handmade quilts lined the steps of the outdoor amphitheater. Anyone walking down Grand Street could come in and take a seat.

As a group of singers arranged themselves around a large cylindrical drum, the choreographer Emily Johnson stood up to speak a few careful, welcoming words.

Id like to acknowledge and pay my deep respect to Lenape people and elders and ancestors  past, present and future, she said. She gestured toward the ground and in the direction of the East River. I acknowledge and offer deep gratitude to this Lenape land and water that supports us, as were gathered here right now together, and I invite you to join me in that acknowledgment, that respect and that gratitude.

In recognizing Manhattans original inhabitants  the Lenape (pronounced len-AH-pay)  and their ancestral homeland, Lenapehoking, Ms. Johnson was taking part in a ritual that, with her guidance, has become increasingly common at New York performing arts spaces in the past year.WATER MILL, N.Y.  Light is a thing of ungraspable nature, sometimes a particle, sometimes a wave. And for artists of the 1960s, light became a third thing: a material. Dan Flavin began making sculptures with commercial fluorescent bulbs in 1963, and spent three decades lighting galleries, warehouses, even a church. In 60s West Germany, artists of the Zero group produced spotlit installations of spinning discs or suspended mirrors; in France, Francois Morellet and his colleagues at the Groupe de Recherche dArt Visuel staged participatory events with neons or strobe lights; and in California, James Turrell, Robert Irwin and other artists loosely grouped into a Light and Space movement crafted immersive environments illuminated with soft, even pinks and blues.

The New York artist Keith Sonnier, 77, is another pioneer  of a new, luminescent art, though where Flavin and Mr. Turrell preferred pared-down simplicity, Mr. Sonnier favors conjunctions of neon with panes of glass, found objects and technological instruments. He appeared in When Attitudes Become Form, Harald Szeemanns famed 1969 exhibition of postminimal and conceptual art, as well as the epochal Documenta of 1972, and he has not stopped exhibiting since, though attention from American museums has been a few shreds thinner than for some other 1960s pioneers. Many of his most visible works of recent decades have been public commissions. (If you have ever been stuck waiting for your luggage at the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., baggage claim, you will know Mr. Sonniers neon curves and straightaways.)

Now Mr. Sonnier is basking in the neon glow of a season devoted to his art on the East End of Long Island. Keith Sonnier: Until Today, at the Parrish Art Museum here in Water Mill, is his first American museum retrospective, with more than three dozen works (all that can fit in the museums difficult gallery spaces and central hallway), including not just neon works but intriguing sculptures in satin, rubber and bamboo. A few minutes away in Bridgehampton, the Dan Flavin Art Institute  a permanent installation administered by the Dia Art Foundation  has been supplemented with one of Mr. Sonniers most significant early works, uniting light, glass, objects and video-documented performance. Both are on view until next year, long after the Hamptons social scenesters will have decamped to New York or continued to Aspen.Mr. Brannan, when asked if Mr. Thomas was the right person to lead the museum, did not hesitate. Bob Indiana thought he was, he said, thats why he said what he said in his will.

Mr. McKenzie said Mr. Thomas, as a Vinalhaven native, will be the perfect emissary for the museum on the island. Mr. Indiana told friends that, as a gay man living alone on the island, he had not felt particularly welcome in the years after he moved there. The reception warmed, friends said, after Sept. 11 when Mr. Indiana happened to be in New York and saw the towers after they had been attacked. When he returned to Vinalhaven he painted huge images of billowing American flags across the front of his home.

He is the right guy, Mr. McKenzie said of Mr. Thomas. This is not going to work if the island does not really embrace it. This is where it is going to be. If people dont like it they are going to be graffitiing it. He mitigates this.

Others are not convinced that Mr. Indiana was well cared for in his last years.

Webster Robinson, 50, who worked for Mr. Indiana for 25 years as a studio assistant, said in a sworn statement that in February, when he still had access to the house, he arrived one day to find Mr. Indiana had fallen on the floor. He said in an interview that Mr. Indiana had been there for hours, pressing his medical alert necklace.

His arms and legs were like that big around, said Mr. Robinson, using his fingers to demonstrate how slender Mr. Indianas limbs had become. The only thing big on him was his belly.

Earlier this year, Ms. Rogers, the former publicist, made a report of elder abuse to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.In light of Mr. Farrakhans announcement, a number of Jewish organizations and people spoke out in media outlets and on Twitter, or said they reached out to Netflix directly. Rabbi Marvin Hier, the founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an organization dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism, said he immediately called up the Netflix chief executive, Ted Sarandos, who told him that a glitch had occurred, and the movie would not be released.

Rabbi Hier said it would be terrible to give Mr. Farrakhan legitimacy on such a national level by streaming this documentary.

Documentaries should always be screened, Rabbi Hier said. But not by bigots and haters.

The biographical documentary, made in 2014 and originally titled Lets Change the World, according to The Final Call, the Nation of Islams newspaper, tells the story of Mr. Farrakhans foray into playing violin. A trailer for the documentary posted on Facebook shows scenes from the movie that try to reframe criticism of Mr. Farrakhan, labeling him as misunderstood.

Mr. Farrakhan has been watched by many since his ascent to his post as the leader of the Nation of Islam  a black nationalist political and religious movement  in the 1970s. He has been branded by the Anti-Defamation League as virtually synonymous with anti-Semitism. In February, he gave a speech at a Nation of Islam convention, where, among other subversive statements, he said Jews were responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out turning men into women and women into men.

In June, he lost his Twitter verification for posting a video in which he called Jews satanic.

Supporters of Mr. Farrakhan expressed dismay in multiple Facebook posts at Netflixs decision to cut his documentary, but to stream another one, KKK: The Fight for White Supremacy, which features members of the Ku Klux Klan speaking about their white supremacist ideology.A GIRL STANDS AT THE DOOR

The Generation of Young Women Who Desegregated Americas Schools

By Rachel Devlin

342 pp. Basic Books. $32.

April 13, 1947, holds little significance in the American historical memory, and yet that day was one in a long series that led to the legal desegregation of American schools. On that morning, Marguerite Daisy Carr, a 14-year-old black girl from Washington, D.C., attempted to enroll at Eliot Junior High School, the all-white middle school closest to her home. Carrs efforts to integrate the school, which were supported by her family and local black community, preceded the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education by seven years.

Image

Recognizing the young black girls and women who were at the forefront of the civil rights movement is the central achievement of Rachel Devlins meticulously researched history, A Girl Stands at the Door. Devlins interest in the role such women played in the struggle for desegregation leads her briefly back to 1850, to Sarah Roberts, a 5-year-old African-American who lived closer to several white schools than to the one designated for black students, and who became a plaintiff in the countrys first school desegregation case: Roberts v. City of Boston. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of Boston, which resisted the desegregation effort on the grounds that adequate provisions had been made for black students in the form of separate schools. Robertss case was later cited to support the separate but equal ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson, but it also shed public light on the underfunding and inadequate conditions prevalent in black schools  conditions that endured, virtually unchanged, for another 120 years. Devlins account is necessarily situated largely in the 20th century and includes the stories of Ruby Bridges and Melba Pattillo Beals (one of the Little Rock Nine), among many others; she reveals the creative tactics these young people used  sometimes successfully, sometimes not  to integrate public schools, a battle in which black girls outnumbered black boys as plaintiffs two to one.(Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.)

Good morning.

Heres what you need to know:

Facebook uncovers plot to disrupt elections

 The social media giant announced on Tuesday that it had removed 32 pages and fake accounts that were part of a potential effort to influence this falls midterm elections.

The company did not definitively link the campaign to Russia but said some of its tools and techniques were similar to those used by the Kremlin-linked group accused of interfering in the 2016 election.

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said he would make Facebooks disclosure a central part of a previously scheduled hearing today, when lawmakers plan to press outside experts about foreign influence on social media networks. Stop this rigged witch hunt right now.

President Trump called on his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to end the special counsel's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible ties to Trump associates.

Some lawyers immediately questioned whether the extraordinary request, made on Twitter, was an attempt to obstruct justice. Mr. Trumps lawyers suggested that he was giving his opinion, not an order. Above, Mr. Trump in a public appearance with Mr. Sessions, second from right, in May.

Mr. Trump also tweeted about his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, suggesting that he was being treated worse than the notorious mobster Al Capone.Good Tuesday morning. Want this in your inbox every morning? Sign up here.

Facebook flags midterm meddling

The social network identified a political influence campaign potentially aimed at upcoming elections. The company removed 32 pages and fake accounts focused on divisive social issues  from a sequel to last years Unite the Right white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., to a campaign to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (NBC reports that Facebook didnt reveal the most divisive rhetoric it removed.)

Facebook says it resembles past work by the Kremlin-linked Internet Research Agency, but cant yet prove a connection to Russia. In 2016, Facebook played down the impact of such activity  now its trying to get out ahead.

More meddling: Vice President Mike Pence blamed Russia for 2016 election interference, and promised tougher security.

Apple sweats its way to $1 trillion

The iPhone makers profits increased to $11.52 billion in its most recent quarter, it reported yesterday  up nearly a third year on year. But the number of iPhones sold grew less than 1 percent.His most recent set of suits has largely involved 403(b) plans. The accounts, named for the section of the tax code under which they operate, are similar to 401(k) plans but are offered by public schools and nonprofit institutions like universities and hospitals.

The N.Y.U. employees bringing the case, which they sought to have certified as a class action, accused the university of failing to meet its obligations under a federal law that requires employers that sponsor retirement plans to manage them in the best interests of employees. The plaintiffs argued that employees had collectively lost $358 million as a result of the alleged failure.

John Beckman, a spokesman for N.Y.U., said the university was pleased with the outcome. N.Y.U. maintained from the time the plaintiffs first publicized this case that it was baseless, and the judges finding supports that, he said.

Mr. Schlichter, the managing partner of Schlichter, Bogard & Denton in St. Louis, said in a statement that his clients would appeal. We respectfully continue to believe that retirement plan participants at universities that operate as nonprofits have the same rights and protections under the law to build their retirement savings as workers at for-profit companies, he said.

Broadly speaking, the 403(b) suits brought by Mr. Schlichter allege that the universities, as plan sponsors, failed to monitor excessive fees paid to administer their plans and did not replace more expensive, poorly performing investments with cheaper ones. Had the plans eliminated their long lists of investment options and used their bargaining power to cut costs, the suits argue, participants could have collectively saved tens of millions of dollars.LONDON  Lakshmi N. Mittal, the chairman and chief executive of ArcelorMittal, the worlds biggest steel maker, is the rare business leader who applauds President Trumps protectionist approach to trade.

For Mr. Mittal, the White Houses tariffs on steel imported into the United States have driven up prices, which, along with strong global demand, have delivered his companys best results since 2011. On Wednesday, ArcelorMittal said profit rose to $1.9 billion in the second quarter, a 41 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, on sales of $20 billion.

The remarks, and the earnings, stand in stark contrast to fears voiced by companies and analysts in the United States and elsewhere over Mr. Trumps protectionist push. The White House has imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on a wide range of countries, and, while it has pulled back in recent weeks on the threat of even more aggressive levies on some allies, several businesses have cited the uncertainty over trade as hurting business.

The industry has quite changed, Mr. Mittal said in an interview after ArcelorMittal reported its results. Trade actions in various countries have really helped in structurally changing the landscape of the steel industry.With your career on an upswing, do you feel you have to go for it right now?

I do. For a while I gave up the concept of home. I gave up the concept of having things. Thats why you look around here, I dont really have furniture. Besides those stools youre sitting on, I literally have four pieces of furniture.Morgan, an aspiring actress, says whatever is on her mind and seems immune to embarrassment. She either doesnt realize how ridiculous she is or doesnt care. But unlike Sellerss similarly clueless characters, who were hermetically sealed in their own delusional realities, Morgan is eager for connection. She shares everything with her parents (Jane Curtin and Paul Reiser) and fangirls over the steely head of British intelligence (Gillian Anderson). She is thrilled to acquire a nemesis, a gymnast-turned-assassin named Nadedja (Ivanna Sakhno).

At times, Ms. Kunis seems stranded in Zeppo territory while Ms. McKinnon channels the other three Marx Brothers at the same time. But the two of them find a relaxed, nimble rhythm that keeps the movie going through so-so action sequences and less-than-fresh plot twists. Sam Heughan, as a spy who didnt dump anyone, does the hunky Hemsworth-brother-type thing with reasonable aplomb, and Hasan Minhaj steals a scene or two as his status-conscious partner.

The body count is high for this kind of caper, but the mayhem is weightless. This is partly because The Spy Who Dumped Me breezes through the cliches of the action genre with cynical weariness, and partly because Audrey and Morgan are having too much fun to be properly terrified. They seem at first like ordinary, innocent people caught up in a deadly geopolitical game, but it turns out that theyre the only ones in the movie who understand what its really about. Patriotism is fungible. Love is capricious. Bestiness is all you can really depend on.Senator Gillibrand has also made a point of rallying against Republicans and courting progressive voters: she just received the endorsement of Indivisible, the liberal grass-roots group, which also endorsed Mr. Cuomos primary opponent, Cynthia Nixon, the actress and education activist. Ms. Gillibrand also ran on the Independence line in 2010 and 2012.

Mr. Schumer, the Senate minority leader and frequent foil of the Trump administration, has received between 100,000 and 220,000 votes on the Independence Party line in each of the last four election cycles, dating back to 1998, though the votes have never swayed the outcome of the actual elections. Ms. Gillibrands campaign declined to comment on their association with the Independence Party, as did Mr. Schumers office.

The Cuomo campaign and the Independence Party note dozens of other Democrats in other races have been endorsed by the Independence Party, including Anthony Brindisi, who is taking on Representative Claudia Tenney, in the 22nd Congressional District, one of Mr. Cuomos electoral targets.

The strange arrangement is permitted by the states fusion-voting laws, which allow candidates to collect votes on multiple party lines, even if the candidate is not a member of that party. This so-called cross-endorsing also serves a purpose for small parties, which must gain 50,000 votes in elections for governor to keep their ballot lines for another four years. And acceptance of the Independence Party line may simply be a matter of political strategy, of course: candidates never want to let their opponents scoop up votes on a line that they might occupy.

The Independence Party is proud of the candidates we endorse, said Mr. MacKay, the party chairman, noting they select not from party labels but from the quality of the candidate.

In a statement, Mr. MacKay also noted that many of these officeholders have run with our endorsement for over a decade or more, adding that most of those endorsed by his party win their elections.Dear Diary:

It happened on a Sunday evening. My girlfriend and I were heading up Broadway near La Salle Street when we noticed a delivery man with a scooter standing near the curb and looking down into a storm drain.

His mouth was open as if in disbelief or perhaps worry that his deliveries were late and getting cold.

I approached him, and found out that his key ring had fallen down the drain. Despite a language barrier  I learned later that he was from Burkina Faso  we were on the same page. We shined the flashlights on our cellphones through the grate and spotted the keys near the rim of a pipe.

I headed for my apartment, which wasnt far away, to get a wire hanger. My girlfriend stayed behind.Some members of New Jerseys business and industrial community said they understood the need for enforcement, but urged officials to consider a tempered approach.

Overzealous enforcement or looking for gotchas in a morass of sometimes complex regulations can cause unnecessary burdens on well-intended companies that are already challenged to keep up with the high cost of doing business in the state, Michele Siekerka, president and chief executive of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, said in a statement. In those cases, its important that environmental regulators provide the option of compliance assistance to help allow for practical and timely resolutions to issues, rather than inhibiting the growth of New Jerseys job creators.

Efforts on Wednesday to reach representatives of the property owners or companies that were once on those sites were largely unsuccessful. But John Deull, the owner of Deull Fuel Company in Atlantic City, said he was surprised to be named in the Atlantic City lawsuit. In a Facebook post, he added that he and his wife had spent nearly $2 million over 27 years on lawyers, environmental consultants, testing and other remediation efforts.

There is nothing left to extract from me, Mr. Deull wrote, except my property on the site and the life from my body.

New Jerseys reputation has been molded by industry, with a horizon that has long been dotted with factories and smokestacks. The state was once derided for its vast acreage of garbage dumps and for the fires that would ignite on a heavily polluted stretch of the Passaic River.

Now, long after much of that industry has faded and extensive work to recover from the pollution has been done, the state continues to contend with the scars left behind. On the Passaic River in Newark, for instance, it has required a massive undertaking to remove a centurys worth of pollution, costing over $1 billion to dredge sediment laden with chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals and other contaminants.Since 1851, obituaries in The New York Times have been dominated by white men. With Overlooked, were adding the stories of remarkable people whose deaths went unreported in The Times.

A slight young woman with lively dark eyes pushed her way to the front of a crowd of garment workers at a union meeting in New York City in 1909 and demanded to be heard.

I am tired of listening to speakers who talk in general terms, the woman, Clara Lemlich Shavelson, declared in Yiddish, as the audience lifted her onto the platform. I move that we go on a general strike!

The crowd roared its approval, according to news reports at the time. Male union officials had cautioned against a strike, arguing it would be too difficult and too costly, especially for young women working in the factories.

But the day after the speech, thousands of young women were among the garment workers who formed the Uprising of the 20,000, a milestone action in a swelling labor movement that made workplaces safer, workdays shorter and wages higher.Vladimir Voinovich, a Russian writer whose satirical novels vexed the Soviet authorities in the Leonid Brezhnev era, resulting in his banishment from the country for a decade, died on Friday in Moscow. He was 85.

Vladimir R. Medinsky, Russias culture minister, confirmed the death in a condolence statement on Sunday. The cause was a heart attack, Mr. Voinovichs friend Yulia Pessina said on Facebook.

Mr. Voinovich first incurred the displeasure of the authorities by supporting high-profile dissidents in the mid-1960s. Then he really inflamed them with his novel The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin. The book did not clear the Soviet censorship bar in 1969 but circulated underground and was published in Europe four years later.

Mr. Voinovich found himself under scrutiny by the K.G.B., and later said that he believed that during one of its interviews with him in 1975 the agency poisoned him with a cigarette that had been laced with some sort of hallucinogen.This article is part of the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive the newsletter each weekday.

By now you may have seen the hellish pictures of wildfires raging across Northern California. Over the past three weeks, the fires have engulfed more than 200,000 acres, destroying more than 1,200 buildings and killing eight people, including two children found under a blanket, with their great-grandmother nearby.

This is climate change, for real and in real time, The Sacramento Bees editorial board wrote last week.

The combination of a hot summer  the warmest on record in some places  and a dry winter have increased the risk of forest fires, Angela Fritz of The Washington Post explains. Besides making fires more likely, the heat also has the potential to make any fire more extreme.On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked attempts by a gun activist to post schematics for a gun that can be produced by a 3-D printer. If you feel America just dodged a giant bullet, youre only partly right. There are still more than 393 million civilian-owned firearms in the United States, which means there are more guns than people. If that makes you feel unsafe, visit Australia.

In Australia, it took one mass shooting in Port Arthur in 1996, where 35 people were killed, for the country to do something concrete about gun reform. The government adopted tighter gun control, banned semiautomatic weapons and started a mandatory gun buyback program.

The United States, meanwhile, has an average of nine mass shootings every 10 days, and 13,000 gun homicides a year. Gun violence is so rampant that China has warned its citizens about traveling here.

So if youre interested in not getting shot to death and adorable koalas, Australia might be the place for you.

Damien Power, a writer, actor and comedian, is a contributor to Tonightly With Tom Ballard.

Want more Australia coverage and discussion? Sign up for the weekly Australia Letter, start your day with the Australian Morning Briefing and join us in our Facebook group.With fewer than 100 days to go until the midterms, the evidence continues to pile up that Americas electoral system remains a hot target for hackers, most notably agents of the Russian government.

Last Thursday , Senator Claire McCaskill, the Missouri Democrat up for re-election this year, confirmed that she was one of two or possibly three congressional candidates whose computer networks had been unsuccessfully targeted by the Russians last year. The phishing attack, which occurred last August, was thwarted by Microsoft, which subsequently alerted her to the attempt. While this attack was not successful, it is outrageous that they think they can get away with this, said Ms. McCaskill in a statement.

Three days later , Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, acknowledged that, in an unrelated episode, her office also had been a target of multiple spear-phishing attacks, the origins of which have yet to be officially determined. The effort bears similarities to Russias handiwork, but the matter is still under investigation. Ms. Shaheen said she had been told that this problem is widespread, with political parties across the country, as well as with members of the Senate. (Ms. Shaheen, a staunch critic of President Vladimir Putin of Russia, also received a phone call in November from someone impersonating a Latvian official and hoping to gain inside information on American sanctions against Russia. The F.B.I. is looking into that episode as well.)

Attempts to disrupt Americas government and electoral system are widespread and multifaceted. This week , in fact, Facebook announced that it had identified and removed dozens of pages and accounts linked to a coordinated effort aimed at influencing the November elections.History illustrates the point. The Constitutions speech protections did not emerge fully formed when the nation was founded. During World War I, for example, the Supreme Court upheld long prison sentences for merely criticizing the war. Over many years, anarchists, communists, labor unions and civil rights activists fought for and earned the speech rights we know and take for granted today.

Nor is the First Amendment outmoded. The need for its protections are as urgent as ever. In just the last year or so, my organization, the American Civil Liberties Union, has invoked the First Amendment to defend high school students disciplined for walking out from school to call for gun control, as well as other students penalized for posting pictures of guns on social media; a student newspaper denied funding after publishing a satire of safe spaces, as well as fans of a hip-hop band labeled gang members; Milo Yiannopoulos and the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, both of whom were denied permission to advertise on the subway by the Washington Metro Authority; and anti-Trump as well as pro-Trump demonstrators. Weve defended flag desecraters, union organizers, and citizens blocked from their representatives Facebook sites for their criticism. And thats just the beginning.

As even this very partial list shows, government officials continue to be tempted to silence people for their views. Some of our clients are liberal, others conservative, but all have been singled out because they have upset those in power.

Not every First Amendment argument is justified, of course. The A.C.L.U. supported the public sector union in the Janus case, for example, saying that charging workers for services that the union is required to provide to them is not a First Amendment violation, any more than requiring people to pay taxes for government policies they oppose. But even if conservatives sometimes win free speech cases they should lose, now is not the time for anyone to dismiss the First Amendment as a tool of conservatives.

Since Donald Trumps election in November 2016, Americans have been exercising their First Amendment rights to engage in resistance: demonstrating, calling their representatives, associating with like-minded citizens in defense of core values, shedding light on official abuse through the free press, and expressing themselves on social media.

When one party controls all three branches of the federal government, the checks and balances have to come from the people. Its on us. And its the First Amendment that gives us the tools to act  including the rights to speak, associate, petition the government and enjoy a free press.

The fact that conservatives benefit from the First Amendment is not something to bemoan. It is part of the constitutional bargain. It simply means the First Amendment is operating as it should, neutrally preserving the lifeblood of democracy.Thanks to the rabbinates stranglehold on marriage, approximately one out of every eight Jewish Israeli couples each year choose to marry outside of Israel. (Cyprus is the typical destination of choice.) Tens of thousands more have forgone marriage altogether.

More than 425,000 immigrants to Israel  primarily from the former Soviet Union, where Judaism was outlawed for decades  are listed in the population registry as no religion because no one is willing to help them clarify their Jewish status. The rabbinate wont perform weddings for them.

I know many of these disaffected Jewish Israelis personally. For more than a decade, I have been fighting to break the ultra-Orthodox monopoly over Jewish life in Israel. Through the organization I run, I help more than 5,000 families each year navigate state-administered matters of Jewish life, like marriage and conversion. I have the dubious distinction of being an Orthodox rabbi who has sued the chief rabbinate in Israels Supreme Court  six times.

At present, I am representing 27 people whose Jewishness has been revoked by the government. In each case, families that were in Israel for more than two decades (and who had actually been married through the rabbinate) were summoned to unJew themselves because a new immigrant relative of theirs was unable to present to the rabbinate adequate certification of Jewishness, which created a domino effect. Unbelievably, Israels two chief rabbis both wrote approbation letters in the last year for a book that supports DNA testing to prove Jewishness. This is the kind of creeping fundamentalism Im trying to stop.

Many people are critical of my work. In some parts of the Orthodox Jewish community, I am accused of going too far, of undermining the Halakhah (traditional Jewish legal corpus) that stands at the cornerstone of my faith. In other circles, I am accused of being too hard on Israel, of airing the dirty laundry of a young state that has done so much for the Jewish people.

I am cognizant and grateful for all that Israel has done for the Jewish people and for democracy in a region that desperately needs it. But it is precisely because of this love for my country and my people that I am waging this battle. I am spurred to action when I see that the path Israel is taking  continuing to promote a singular, extreme brand of Judaism  threatens to undermine the support of Jews around the world and its role as a light unto the nations.

Israel should embrace the challenge and the honor of being a homeland for the whole Jewish people. If it does, the words of the prophet Isaiah, Zion will be redeemed in justice, and those who return to her, with righteousness, will be realized.

Rabbi Seth Farber is the founder of ITIM, an advocacy organization fighting for a more inclusive religious establishment in Israel.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion), and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter.On Tuesday evening, the New York City Council introduced a bill to place a temporary cap on the number of for-hire vehicles  the kind provided by services like Uber and Lyft  allowed on the citys streets.

Its about time: In recent years these cars have flooded New York, clogging our streets and driving down fares and with them, income for tens of thousands of drivers. Professional drivers, more than 90 percent of whom are immigrants of color, once earned a middle-class living but now face eviction, bankruptcy and even hunger. In the last year six of them have committed suicide.

There is no doubt that New Yorkers benefit from for-hire vehicles, especially those in parts of the city, like my district in southeastern Queens , where regular taxis are few. The cap will allow the city time to study how many cars we really need to meet consumer demand while maintaining full-time driver incomes.

Its critical for New York to regulate minimum fare rates  the only source of income for drivers  across the taxi and app-dispatch sectors, so no worker gets left behind. The bill gives the Taxi and Limousine Commission that authority. It would also allow the Commission address incomes for app-based drivers, 85 percent of whom now make below minimum wage.Recently, two Opinion columnists imagined the outcome of the next presidential election and the circumstances which would lead us there. First, Bret Stephens presented a scenario in which President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence easily best their opponents, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and her running mate, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, because the Democrats swing even further left and turn off their base. In response, David Leonhardt painted a picture that one reader described as liberal erotica: an unpopular incumbent who, without the help of a flawed rival and meddling Russians, loses bigly to Ms. Warren and former Attorney General Eric Holder and their campaign against a greedy, corrupt administration.

In thousands of comments, our readers praised and lamented each version and offered their own takes on what newspaper headlines might report on Nov. 4, 2020. Selections from those comments are below; theyve been edited for length and clarity.

Fox News opens a bureau in Venezuela

The Democrats, having learned their lesson from the 2016 debacle, finally got their act together. They stopped blaming Russia, Susan Sarandon, Jill Stein, Julian Assange and the Easter bunny and conducted an extensive self autopsy. Under fresh new leadership, the Democratic National Committee ran a fair and transparent primary with many debates scheduled at prime time. They banned superdelegates and agreed not to accept super PAC money. They also banned the terms Bernie Bro and Im With Her. Bernie Sanders then easily won the primary race. I decided to play it safe and only run on what the American people support, said Sanders. Practical, incremental, moderate things, like Medicare for All, free college tuition, legalizing marijuana, and breaking up the big banks. Bernie then chose Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to be his running mate, prompting Fox News to immediately open a satellite office in Venezuela.  G.Janeiro, Global Citizen

Trump elected for a third term

What was long anticipated was confirmed by yesterdays election: President Trump has been elected for a third term winning a commanding 97 percent of the popular vote. In an exclusive interview with White House press secretary Sean Hannity, Mr. Trumps running mate, Jared Kushner, acknowledged Mr. Trumps thanks to the American people.

 Jabarry, MarylandPresident Trump will nominate Kelvin Droegemeier, a well-regarded meteorologist who studies severe storms, to be director of the federal Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The director acts as the presidents chief adviser on science. The post has been vacant since Mr. Trumps inauguration, by far the longest the office has been without a director since the position was created in 1976.

I am deeply honored to have been selected by President Trump to serve the nation as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and I look forward to the Senate confirmation process, Dr. Droegemeier, 59, said in a statement.

Through a spokeswoman, he referred inquiries to the White House science office.

If he is confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Droegemeier will join an administration roundly criticized by scientists as dismissive of their work.You may have heard that the tech giants are on their heels.

Over the last two years, lawmakers and the public around the globe have been awakened to fears about the expanding powers of the largest technology companies, particularly the ones Ive called the Frightful Five: Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook and Microsoft, the most valuable companies on the American markets.

The concerns span the gamut. There are calls for renewed antitrust investigations. Some people have accused the companies of political biases, while others have criticized their lack of diversity and how narrowly they distribute their wealth. Then there are the questions of their vulnerability to foreign influence and their capacity for addicting us to their products.

In different ways, the companies have conceded some of these fears and have vowed to address them. Taking stock, cleaning up, admitting moral responsibility for their contributions to society  these are the buzzwords of a tech ecosystem that is supposedly subsumed by remorse and committed to rehabilitation.

Yet there is something deeply incongruous at the heart of the supposed techlash: It is not really making a huge dent in the tech giants financial performance. Over the last two weeks, each of the five reported earnings that were brimming with mostly fantastic news for its investors. Amazon, which has long conditioned shareholders to expect a lot of growth but not much earnings, reported a record profit. Microsoft and Googles parent company, Alphabet, both handily beat Wall Streets projections. On Tuesday, so did Apple; if its price jumps as a result, it could become the first company to reach a market valuation of more than $1 trillion.HONG KONG  Google withdrew from China eight years ago to protest the countrys censorship and online hacking. Now, the internet giant is working on a censored search engine for China that will filter websites and search terms that are blacklisted by the Chinese government, according to two people with knowledge of the plans.

Google has teams of engineers working on a search app that restricts content banned by Beijing, said the people, who asked for anonymity because they were not permitted to speak publicly about the project. The company has demonstrated the service to Chinese government officials, they added.

Yet the existence of the project does not mean that Googles return to China is imminent, the people cautioned. Google often builds and tests different services that never become publicly available.

Googles reversal in China, which was reported earlier by The Intercept, is the latest example of how American tech companies are trying to tailor their products to enter the huge Chinese market, even if it means tamping down free speech. LinkedIn censors content in China, for example. And Facebook developed software to suppress certain posts from appearing on the social network, with the aim of potentially deploying it in China, though there was no indication it was offered to Chinese authorities.And an experiment conducted by Dr. Vance and other researchers found a disconnect between consumers professed concerns about online security and their actions. In the experiment, people using their personal computers to complete an assigned task tended to ignore warnings that some sites they were about to visit were not secure.

He said consumers may be told the same advice repeatedly but are slow to respond unless theyve already had a bad experience. Only then does this once bitten, twice shy lesson sink in.

Youre not going to back up data, no matter what I tell you, until you lose the baby pictures of your first child, Dr. Vance said. Sometimes it takes an incident to internalize behavior. Its so easy to get inured.

Experts call this behavior breach fatigue.

Steven Andres, who teaches at the Fowler College of Business and homeland security program at San Diego State University, said it would be reasonable to think consumers would be more diligent after heavily publicized breaches, but some research indicates just the opposite.

We may adjust to this being the new normal, he said, adding that digital natives and younger generations may perceive their personal data  in a distorted sense  to never have been private, so whats the big deal with it leaking out on the web anyway?

A recency bias leads consumers to believe that as a breach recedes in the headlines, it becomes less threatening, Dr. Vance said. However, the data in the Equifax breach does not have a half-life and could be used for nefarious purposes at any point.

Blame human nature.

Anticipated danger can easily be deflected, deferred or declined because it makes us feel anxious and stressed, said James Norrie, dean of the Graham School of Business at York College of Pennsylvania and a cybersecurity expert.Way back in 2001, the York Theater Company staged a concert production of Carmen Jones. Anika Noni Rose, then 28, was cast as the angelic ingenue Cindy Lou, who sees the sensuous title character seduce her fiance, Joe. At the time Ms. Rose had only one Broadway credit under her belt, hadnt developed her voice enough to realize she was a soprano, and looked, she said, like a 10-year-old.

She knew she was cast as the character she fit best. But the whole time, there in the background, she was wondering: Are you sure you dont want me to be Carmen Jones? Are you sure?

I dont ever remember not being aware of the show, Ms. Rose recalled over a recent lunch at a Union Square hotel. Shed seen the movie version, starring Dorothy Dandridge (my mothers idol) many times. And she knew Georges Bizets opera Carmen, the source material for Oscar Hammersteins adaptation, too.

Right now its hard for musical-theater fans not to be aware of Ms. Rose, thanks to her acclaimed performance in that long-dreamed-for title role of the Classic Stage Company production, which runs through Aug. 19.Its Pygmalion-like plot  about a businessman, Edward Lewis, who rescues a streetwalker, Vivian Ward, and turns her into a lady  clearly needed rethinking after 28 years. So now, apparently, she rescues him.

That switch may be difficult to pull off, but Andy Karl, a Broadway favorite last seen in Groundhog Day, has the right combination of grit and charisma to make a case for Edward. The newcomer Samantha Barks (Eponine in the Les Miserables film) co-stars as Vivian, singing a clutch of new songs by the rock-n-roller Bryan Adams and his longtime writing partner Jim Vallance. Jerry Mitchell, who made a hit of Kinky Boots  another show known for a knockout red dress  directs and choreographs.

Tickets: prettywomanthemusical.com

Gettin the Band Back Together

If you dont at first recognize Gettin the Band Back Together as a Broadway musical, that may be because it isnt based on something else. No movie, novel, pop catalog or cartoon provided its story about a grudge match between two former high school garage bands whose members, now hitting 40, have long since disbanded. And without source material it has no guaranteed fan base.

For those things itll have to depend on its authors and its charm. Of authors it already has plenty: one songwriter (Mark Allen) and 13 book writers. Yes, 13. The one with a normal name is Ken Davenport, who is also the shows lead producer; the others are the Grundleshotz, an improv comedy collective. John Rando (On the Town, Urinetown) directs.

The charm may come from the cast of Broadway journeymen and women getting a chance to shine. An out-of-town review in 2013 singled them out as the shows greatest asset, and most of them are returning  now joined by Marilu Henner  for the production that opens on Aug. 13 at the Belasco Theater.Anticipating the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report exposing decades of mishandled sexual abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Church, the bishop of Harrisburg on Wednesday ordered that the names of former bishops dating to the 1940s be stripped from church buildings.

This was the first time a bishop has conducted such a sweeping purge of his predecessors legacies, although the names of individual bishops and priests involved in sexual abuse scandals have been excised from church buildings in other dioceses.

Harrisburg is among six dioceses in a heavily Catholic region of Pennsylvania that are bracing for the release of what is expected to be a devastating grand jury report exposing more than 300 priests accused of sexual abuse over seven decades, as well as the bishops who failed to remove them from the ministry. The Harrisburg and Greensburg dioceses had tried last year to end the grand jurys investigation, according to court records reported by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The bishop of Harrisburg, Ronald W. Gainer, also published on Wednesday a list of 71 clergy members, seminarians and church personnel accused of sexual abuse of children since the 1940s and said their names would be removed from church buildings, schools and halls.Good morning.

(Want to get California Today by email? Heres the sign-up.)

It has been two months since officials at the University of Southern California announced that the universitys president, C.L. Max Nikias, would resign. The announcement came after a sustained outcry from faculty, students and alumni over the way the administration dealt with Dr. George Tyndall, a longtime gynecologist accused of inappropriate behavior for decades. The faculty offered a vote of no confidence, and hundreds of top professors publicly called for his resignation.

But while the board of trustees announcedon May 25 that Mr. Nikias agreed to begin an orderly transition to a new administration, little has changed on campus this summer. Now, more than 650 professors have signed a letter demanding that he leave before students arrive this month.

With no follow-up regarding an interim president or a presidential search process, we find ourselves in a state of turmoil and uncertainty, the letter addressed to the board of trustees said. President Nikias cannot be the one who stands up to greet the new students at the convocation. If he is, we face the prospect of student protests and walkouts, parent outrage, and a broad public perception that we have gone back on our commitment to accountability and transparency, as the world outside U.S.C. believes he has already resigned.

Brenda Maceo, the universitys vice president for public relations and marketing, said in an email that Mr. Nikias is on vacation, as is his top deputy, Provost Michael Quick. In their absence, Jim Staten, the chief financial officer of the university, is acting president until Mr. Quick returns, she said.WASHINGTON  Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, has referred three investigations into possible illicit foreign lobbying by Washington insiders to federal prosecutors in New York who are already handling the case against President Trumps former lawyer, according to multiple people familiar with the cases.

The cases cut across party lines, focusing on both powerful Democratic and Republican players in Washington, including one whom Mr. Trump has repeatedly targeted  the Democratic superlobbyist Tony Podesta. The cases are unlikely to provoke an outburst from Mr. Trump similar to the one he unleashed in April after prosecutors raided the home and office of Michael D. Cohen, then the presidents lawyer. But these cases do represent a challenge to Washingtons elite, many of whom have earned rich paydays lobbying for foreign interests.

They also tie into the special counsel investigation of Mr. Trump: All three cases are linked to Paul Manafort, the presidents former campaign chairman, whose trial on financial fraud charges began Tuesday in Alexandria, Va.

Mr. Manafort earned tens of millions of dollars lobbying for Ukrainian politicians with ties to Russia, and he drew other Washington lobbyists and lawyers into the work. Now, all three cases being taken on by the United States attorneys office in Manhattan are examining whether those lobbyists failed to register as foreign agents, as is required by law, and how they were paid, said people familiar with the investigations.ALEXANDRIA, Va.  To the manager of Alan Couture, a high-end mens wear boutique in Manhattan, Paul Manafort was one of his top five customers, spending more than $900,000, paid by wire transfer, over five years ending in 2014.

The controller for the House of Bijan in Beverly Hills, Calif., sometimes called the worlds most expensive mens store, said he was a very good customer. A neighbor of Mr. Manaforts in suburban Virginia recalled how he showed him a $1.9 million home and Mr. Manafort decided to go for it, offering the seller full price.

The second day of the trial for Mr. Manafort, President Trumps former campaign chairman, on tax and bank fraud charges felt at times more like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous than a first, politically charged courtroom test of the inquiry led by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III.

But the prosecutors on Mr. Muellers team had a very specific goal in calling witnesses to testify about Mr. Manaforts spending habits: to present the jury with detailed evidence that he wired millions of dollars from secret overseas bank accounts to buy and renovate homes in places like the Hamptons and suburban Washington, shop at the countrys most exclusive mens boutiques and snap up one luxury vehicle after another with income he hid from the tax authorities.Africa receives a small portion of Pentagon investment compared with Germany, South Korea and Japan, for instance.

General Waldhauser said Africa Command was the first to be asked to submit a drawdown plan, as The Times initially reported in June. But he said he expected other American combatant commands around the world to do the same under the defense strategy to better position the United States military against threats from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

The strategy represented a shift from fighting terrorism to countering state threats. When he announced it in January, Mr. Mattis declared that we will continue to prosecute the campaign against terrorists, but great power competition  not terrorism  is now the primary focus of U.S. national security.

The drawdown in Africa, General Waldhauser said, will include the departure of hundreds of Special Operations troops and their support forces. It will begin in places like Cameroon, where American war planners believe their efforts to train that countrys special operations forces have been largely successful. The United States currently has about 300 troops in Cameroon.

General Waldhauser said Cameroons security forces have improved to the point where they no longer need Americans to accompany them on missions.

They can do it on their own, he said. That would be an example of a country where we have worked ourselves out of a job.

A Defense Department official said that Nigerien forces are also considered to be improving to the point where they may soon not need American help.DURANGO, Mexico  The Rev. Esequiel Sanchez felt apprehensive even before his flight took off from the city of Durango around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, en route to Mexico City. It began raining as the jetliner taxied down the runway. The downpour got stronger and stronger.

He was surprised that the plane took off. I had a feeling it would be a bumpy ride, he recalled.

As the plane began its ascent, Father Sanchez noticed from his window seat, 1D, that the visibility had gone to zero. Then the plane plunged. The passengers screamed.

He was not certain they were going to die, he recalled, but he was getting ready for it.

He silently prayed: God, come to our aid. Secondly, forgive us, and everyone on the plane.

Image The Rev. Esequiel Sanchez in 2008. He was among the 103 people who survived the crash in Durango. Credit... Karen Callaway/The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago

Moments later, the plane hit the ground, nose-first.

But all 103 people on board survived  four crew members and 99 passengers, including two infants.Instead, the Islamic State fighters fled on foot to government lines, but more could have escaped the Taliban pursuit, Mr. Nemat said. We lost contact with the others last night. I think they contacted the Taliban or went somewhere else.

Among his followers, he said, were about 25 to 30 foreigners, mostly from Central Asian countries, but also two Frenchmen, known only by Arabic pseudonyms, Abu Mohammad and Abu Mariam.

In addition to Mr. Nemat, who is also known as Mufti Nematullah Qaweem, the other Islamic State military commander, Maulavi Habib ul-Rahman, surrendered to the Afghan government forces, according to Abdul Hafiz Khashi, the deputy police chief of Jowzjan Province. The two leaders are brothers-in-law.

The areas the Daeshis controlled were taken by the Taliban, Mr. Khashi said.

The police chief of Darzab, Capt. Mohammad Ismail Mubarez, said the Taliban had forced the Islamic State fighters to surrender to the government side. Two hundred of them surrendered, he said. They came at four in the morning with their weapons.

The defeat was the latest in a series of setbacks for the Islamic State in Khorasan, as the groups affiliate in Afghanistan calls itself. Since last year, their positions in southern Nangarhar Province have been battered by American airstrikes and ground attacks from American and Afghan Special Forces.

The group has reacted in Nangarhar Province by concentrating its attacks on civilian soft targets, most recently on Tuesday, with an attack on a refugee agency. The Afghan government responded to that assault by declaring that the army would take charge of security in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar Province, from Wednesday.

In northern Afghanistan, Mr. Nemat was a former Taliban leader who had switched sides to the government in a deal brokered by the countrys first vice president, Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum. Last year, Mr. Nemat switched sides again, this time to the Islamic State. Initially, he was successful, overrunning government positions in Darzab, and the group gained traction elsewhere in the north as well.SIEM PANG, Cambodia  Kang Ngan isnt sure what a dam is. She doesnt know how old she is, although she thinks over 30 is a good guess. But she has lived long enough to know that something is terribly wrong along the Sekong River.

The rhythms of life here in Siem Pang, Cambodia, are tightly bound to this sleepy, brown tributary of the Mekong, which swells annually during the monsoon season, then gently spills its banks in October.

But last week, the waters rushed up three months early. Thousands of people in this remote northeastern district were displaced, including Ms. Kang Ngan and her community, who are members of the Kavet minority.

The deluge was caused by the failure of a dam in neighboring Laos, about 50 miles north. The accident devastated a large swath of that countrys Attapeu Province, drawing international media attention, but few noticed when the floodwaters rushed downstream and into Cambodia.TAIPEI, Taiwan  Taiwan has had a rough time of it lately.

Just last week, international airlines stopped using its name; it lost hosting rights to a youth sports festival; and even a local childrens choir took a blow, prevented from singing at a United Nations building in Vienna.

Amid those and other recent setbacks  blamed on pressure from China, which claims the self-governing island as its territory  has come a welcome bit of recognition. Taiwan has been chosen as the first Asian host for the Oslo Freedom Forum, an international human rights conference.

The forum hosts rights campaigners, dissidents, philanthropists and tech entrepreneurs from around the world. Speakers at the Nov. 10 event in Taipei, Taiwans capital, are scheduled to include Mu Sochua, a Cambodian opposition politician living in exile, and Yeonmi Park, a North Korean defector.

For Taiwan, which China has used its clout to keep out of many global organizations, it amounts to a kind of international validation  from the worlds dissidents, if not its governments. Jason Hsu, a lawmaker with the opposition Kuomintang party, said the event would underscore Taiwans growing role as a democratic model in the region, while contrasting it with authoritarian China.Aug 1, 2018 | By Thomas

A U.S. judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order to stop the release of 3D printed gun blueprints hours before they were set to hit the internet.

Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., left, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., display a photo of a plastic gun on Tuesday in Washington. Credit: Associated Press

"If an injunction is not issued and the status quo alters at midnight tonight, the proliferation of these firearms will have many of the negative impacts on a state level that the federal government once feared on the international stage," US District Judge Robert Lasnik wrote in his order.

"Against this hardship is a delay in lifting regulatory restrictions to which Defense Distributed has been subject for over five years: the balance of hardships and the public interest tip sharply in plaintiffs favor."

Lasniks ruling Tuesday comes a day after eight states announced that they had filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Trump administrations decision last month to allow Cody Wilson to begin sharing the blueprints on Aug.1. The eight states involved in the lawsuit include: Washington, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and also the District of Columbia. They also sought the restraining order, arguing the 3D printed guns would be a safety risk. A total of 20 states (and DC) have sent a separate letter expressing their support.

"These ghost guns are untraceable, virtually undetectable and, without todays victory, available to any felon, domestic abuser or terrorist," said Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. "I hope the President does the right thing and directs his administration to change course."

During the hearing in Seattle, Eric Soskin, a lawyer for the U.S. Justice Department, said they reached the settlement to allow the company to post the material online because the regulations were designed to restrict weapons that could be used in war, and the online guns were no different from the weapons that could be bought in a store.

Since the weapons did not create a military advantage, he told the judge, how could the government justify regulating the data?

But Lasnik countered, "There is a possibility of irreparable harm because of the way these guns can be made."

Congressional Democrats have urged Trump to reverse the decision to publish the plans. At a news conference Tuesday, Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that if Trump does not block sale, "Blood is going to be on his hands."

Trump said Tuesday that he's looking into the idea, saying making 3D plastic guns available to the public doesn't seem to make much sense!

Trump tweeted that he has already spoken with the National Rifle Association about the downloadable directions the Texas company wants to provide for people to make 3D-printed guns. The guns are made of a hard plastic and are simple to assemble, easy to conceal and difficult to trace.

After a yearslong court battle, the State Department in late June settled the case against Defense Distributed.

The company's website had said downloads would begin today, but blueprints for "the Liberator", a single-shot .380-caliber plastic pistol has been posted on the site since Friday. It had been downloaded more than 4,500 downloads as of Tuesday afternoon, and models for the AR-15, the second-most popular firearm, had been downloaded more than 3,000 times.

The NRA followed suit. Regardless of what a person may be able to publish on the Internet, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years, Chris Cox, executive director of the NRAs Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Hugo wrote at 8/2/2018 3:14:08 PM:As usual, the anti-gun media and political hacks are lying and perpetuating lies about these things and gun laws in general. No materials are undetectable or invisible, period. With the forces involved in firing a cartridge of most any caliber, I would not want to try to contain it with plastic of any kind, it simply isn't the right, or safe material to use. More to the point, making a firearm for personal use is completely legal, and should remains so.Richard wrote at 8/2/2018 3:56:22 AM:This action is merely political theater, and means nothing. These plans have been available for years on other websites. (I wont tell you where.) These guns are useless without ammunition. The ammunition is made of metal and is easily detectable with todays metal detectors. Without ammunition, these plastic guns are useless pieces of plastic, too light to use even for pistol-whipping.



Coles, a major Australian supermarket chain, on Wednesday reversed its decision to ban single-use plastic bags after its customers complained, a move that bucked a global trend to reduce plastic bag waste and prompted a social media backlash against the company.

Both Woolworths and Coles, which collectively hold a 61 percent share of the Australian grocery market, had agreed to introduce reusable plastic bags by July 1 this year to coincide with state-led bans on single-use bags.

The reusable bags, which cost customers 15 Australian cents (11 U.S. cents), are more durable and were meant to give people an alternative to single-use plastic bags. But many customers complained about having to pony up the money, prompting what some have called bag rage.SYDNEY, Australia  An Australian senator filed a defamation suit on Wednesday against a fellow lawmaker who she says made a sexist remark to her on the Senate floor during a debate about violence against women.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, a Greens Party member who was once the youngest woman elected to Parliament, has said that Senator David Leyonhjelm, a Liberal Democrat, told her to stop shagging men during a June debate on relaxing import restrictions for pepper spray, a change that advocates say would allow women to better protect themselves.

Mr. Leyonhjelm has acknowledged making the remark.

The defamatory statements Senator Leyonhjelm made and continues to make are an attack on my character, and have done considerable harm to me and my family, Ms. Hanson-Young said in a statement, released soon after filing her lawsuit with the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney.

Im calling this out because it is wrong, Ms. Hanson-Young said. No woman, whether she be working behind a bar, in an office or in the Parliament, deserves to be treated this way, and it needs to stop.BRUSSELS  Journalists who cover the regular gatherings of the leaders of European Union countries got a rude surprise this week from the Belgian government: Most of them will have to pay for the right to do their jobs.

Before they are allowed to cover European Council summit meetings in Brussels, journalists have to undergo background checks conducted by the countries where they live. Naturally, the largest number of them, about 1,000, live in Belgium, where the European Union is headquartered, and a new law there requires the journalists to reimburse the government for the cost of the checks  50 euros, or about $58, for a credential that lasts for six months.

The press corps here is not amused.

This is unprecedented and completely unacceptable, said Tom Weingaertner, president of the International Press Association in Brussels. The state is in charge of ensuring security and press freedom and we are not prepared to pay twice for this, referring to reporters who already pay Belgian taxes as residents.

There is no other democratic country, as far as we are aware of, that is asking for a similar fee, he said. This is a restriction of press freedom and it sets a very big precedent.STOCKHOLM, Sweden  Three national treasures of Sweden  two crowns and an orb made for the funerals of King Charles IX and his wife, Christina the Elder, in the 17th century  have been stolen in an audacious midday theft from a cathedral near Stockholm.

The two thieves smashed a showcase at the cathedral in Strangnas, a town on Lake Malar, on Tuesday, according to its dean, the Rev. Christofer Lundgren. However, the criminals might be disappointed with their haul, because the crowns and orb were meant for burial purposes and have a relatively low intrinsic value, despite being made of gold.

The stones applied to these crowns are not diamonds, they are rock crystals and pearls, Mr. Lundgren said. The worst thing that could happen is that these thieves do not fully understand what these objects are and their value and the importance of them. And that they would be melted.

If they would show up at any auction house in Europe, Im sure they would be recognized, he added. These are not things that you can sell or show in Sweden or even Europe. They are well known. They are well documented.WASHINGTON  The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Wednesday against two top Turkish government officials over the detention of an American pastor being held on espionage charges, threatening to plunge already-fraught relations with a vital NATO ally into crisis.

The move was an extraordinary use of financial sanctions against an allied government. It is sure to inflame tensions that were already simmering over a litany of disagreements, including Washingtons refusal to extradite a cleric suspected of leading a failed 2016 coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and his countrys growing use of what many Western analysts have described as hostage diplomacy.

The relationship is now officially in crisis, and the only way out is for Erdogan to do what he hates the most: back down, said Julianne Smith, the deputy national security adviser to former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

The sanctions target Abdulhamit Gul, Turkeys justice minister, and Suleyman Soylu, the interior minister. They were issued just days after President Trump warned the Turkish government to immediately release the pastor, Andrew Brunson  a demand he made directly last week in a telephone call with Mr. Erdogan.Two years ago, the Muslim community of Kiteete in Mityana district pleaded with well-wishers to help them fundraise for construction of a new mosque in the area.

In March 2016, heavy rains and thunderstorms had blown off part of the old mosques roof, breaking the front canopy that holds the structure.

The remaining structure was left with cracks and leaked whenever it rained. Slowly, the community pooled resources but didnt get enough to start such a big project.

Initially, some members wanted to refurbish the mosque but some of us insisted that we should construct a new structure. We had collected about Shs 10 million but it could not take us far, says Hassan Badru Zziwa, the vice chairman of Kiteete Mosque.

L-R: Imam Kasozi, Supreme mufti Sheikh Silman Kasule Ndirangwa, Mityana district khadi Sheikh Ali Kasaliko, Sheikh Ali Kulumba, Hassan Badru Zziwa and Sheikh Sulaiman Zizinga outside the new mosque

Zziwa approached the vice chairman of the Uganda Muslim Youth Assembly, Imam Idi Kasozi, who pledged his readiness to solicit for more funds. Little did Zziwa know that this was the start of a relationship that would remain etched in their memories.

By August 2016, Kasozi had secured Shs 140 million from a Turkey-based organisation; the Foundation for Human Rights and Humanitarian Relief (IHH). The IHH had received applications from two people for a similar project but Kiteete mosque was chosen.

Last Thursday, Supreme mufti Sheikh Silman Kasule Ndirangwa visited Kiteete to officially commission a new 400-seater fully-furnished mosque, a three-roomed house for the imam, a 10,000-litre water storage tank and sanitation facilities whose construction lasted eight months.

Zziwa and Kiteete Muslims could not hide their excitement, showering praises on Kasozi for his generosity.

I have not met an honest person like Imam Kasozi. He did not stop at securing the funds but paid attention to every detail of the new mosque. May Allah reward him abundantly, he said.

The new mosque sits on a 10-acre piece of land that was donated by the late Yunus Kimbugu and comprises Kiteete Umea Primary school that was established in the 1940s.

The newly-built Kiteete mosque

Ndirangwa commended the grandchildren of late Kimbugu for not selling off the land for material things.

In this era, many children are selling off property that was donated by their parents out of good will to support Islam. Today, even an Imam can sell off a mosque in exchange for money but this has not been the case with his [Kimbugus] grandchildren, Ndirangwa said, urging well-to-do Muslims to reach out to the needy in hard-to-reach areas.

He entreated Muslims in Kiteete to pray from the new mosque all their five daily prayers. Kasozi, also the IHH coordinator in Uganda, said such projects are donated by well-wishers and aimed at strengthening the Muslim brotherhood from various parts of the world.

Kiteete Muslims should protect this project jealously to pave way for others in the country. Once the people who are giving realize that the previous work is maintained well, it motivates them to give back, Kasozi said.

At the same event, the mosques outgoing Imam Sheikh Abdul Kisuule was applauded for his 40-year service without a monthly salary. Kasozi said UMYA and other colleagues will support him with a new bicycle, home utilities and a take home package of Shs 2m as a token of appreciation.

An excited 80-year-old Kisuule said: AlhamdulillahI thank Allah that I have served my religion very well because other people leave service when they are at loggerheads with others. I am humbled that Muslims in the area are still respecting me.

Since 2011, IHH through UMYA has built modern mosques in Oyam, Mukono, Amolatar, Lira and Dokolo districts in addition to supporting over 300 orphans across the country.

Similar mosques are under construction in Kawanda, Kayabwe at the Equator, Kirimya-Masaka and Kyambogo using other funds.

nangonzi@observer.ugWhen the Forum for Democratic Change lost the Bugiri municipality parliamentary seat to Justice Forum (JEEMA) party president, Asuman Basalirwa, it was not merely that their candidate, Eunice Namatende, had got beaten, but they now realise that they allowed themselves to get preoccupied with a single election and ended up losing everywhere during last weeks polling in new local governments and mayoral areas.

Out of the six new municipalities which went to the polls end of last week, FDC did not win a single seat. The ruling NRM party swept four seats while Uganda Peoples Congress and JEEMA took Apac and Bugiri, respectively.

NRM won in Kotido, Nebbi, Sheema and Ibanda. Deputy spokesperson at the NRM, Ofwono Opondo told The Observer in the aftermath, We maximised our potential in areas that we could win and we won. We lost in the others but at least we managed to edge out our closest rivals [FDC].

An FDC supporter painted in blue in Bugiri

When the FDC leadership convened on Monday to evaluate their dismal performance, the National Executive Committee acknowledged that they made a mistake in strategy.

There was general consensus within NEC pointing to the fact that we made a mistake to have concentrated on one constituency [Bugiri]. We should not have put most of our resources and camped in Bugiri. We should have concentrated on Nebbi and Sheema which were sure wins, said one member of NEC, who spoke off the record because he is not authorised to speak for the party.

While appearing on the Capital Gang, a weekend political talk show hosted at Capital FM, FDC spokesperson, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said their terrible performance was in part explained by their main rivals access to state resources and apparatus.

While Ssemujjus view could hold true to an extent, when measured against the fact that they lost where Jeema and UPC won, it raises more questions.

Yesterday, Ssemujju confirmed to this newspaper that the report in Mondays NEC meeting showed that as a party, we made a mistake to have spread ourselves across the country. We should have concentrated on areas like Sheema and Nebbi. For instance, the FDC secretary general, Nathan Nandala-Mafabi and FDC treasurer, Geoffrey Ekanya should have camped in Sheema or Nebbi, instead of Kotido where our biggest win was the district councillor slot. Well, it was also a good win but we need to optimise our efforts and resources well.

According to Ssemujju, the party has resolved to go to court to challenge the results for Nebbi and Sheema.

The party representatives in Nebbi have informed The Observer of the malpractices that happened in Nebbi. In fact, the NRM candidate was declared after some gun shots. For the case of Sheema, there was voting beyond the recommended time, voter bribery, multiple voting, discrepancies between the results declared and those on the declaration formsall this points to one thing  we were rigged and we have to challenge that in courts of law, Ssemujju said.

Given the outcome of polls, FDC concedes to being thin on the ground but Ssemujju told us they are gaining more ground and remain the most formidable force against the NRM.

The media can claim that we have lost but you have to know that we have more representatives in local councils and parliament than any of those parties or so-called third forces. We have won councillors in Kotido, we lost in Bugiri but we have councillors and the mayor is ours, Ssemujju said.

Whereas FDC remains the majority in the opposition, there is need for it to appreciate that they have no capacity to engage the NRM across the country.

Consequently, as former Makindye West MP, Hussein Kyanjo observes, they need to build synergies with other political forces, especially those with superior presence in some places, so long as they agree on the bare minimum.

NO INVOKING RULES

The Monday NEC meeting offered an opportunity for sober reflection.

We agreed that some of our members made mistakes by siding with candidates from other parties  as it was the case in Bugiri where some members within the Bugiri FDC structure openly campaigned for Basalirwa. But, we need to appreciate why this was happening and how we can better address this state of affairs, a NEC member said.

Consequently, the NEC members agreed to have a retreat where some of these things will be ironed out and have members reminded about the party ideals, rules and values. And what are the consequences of supporting another force against the partys candidate.

According to the FDC constitution, a member of the party ceases being one if, among others, such a person stands as an independent against the official party candidate or behaves in such a manner that contradicts the party policy.

Nandala-Mafabi threatened to invoke this rule against members, especially when it became clear that senior members from the neighbouring Bugweri constituency were said to be firmly behind Basalirwa.

The Mafabi option was not carried through because as the NEC meeting realised there are other opportunities in the wind like the Arua municipality by-election and further polling in five new districts.

For instance, the formidable former Terego county MP, Eziat Kassiano Wadri, is standing as an independent candidate for the Arua municipality seat, were FDC has already selected Bruce Musema as its official party candidate.

According to Ssemujju, the NEC will sit today to resolve on how it will handle the issue of FDC-leaning independent candidates standing against the FDC official candidates.

BOBI WINE AND OTHERS

During the Monday meeting of a party organ dominated by members sympathetic to former leader, Col (rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye, time was set aside to look more closely into the emerging force being coordinated by Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi a.k.a Bobi Wine.

According to sources, the NEC concerns went beyond Bobi Wine, a game-changer, to the entire opposition forces pushing for a third way which is considered to be undermining Besigyes credentials as the leading opposition element.

There were feelings expressed that even some members who are falling into this trap of comparing Dr Besigye with Bobi Wine, are making a very big mistake. They should examine the intentions of those who are pushing for that. It is more than what is said. They want to kill FDC something we are not ready for or the party will not tolerate, said the sources.

Ssemujju confirmed that these concerns were raised but he said that no concrete resolutions were made about it.

It is understood from political watchers and pundits that there are quiet discussions taking place amongst those opposition forces that detest Besigyes aggressive brand and dominance of the anti-NRM agenda.

These forces include Democratic Party members championing the reunion and harmonisation within their party; a group of FDC members aligned to former FDC leader, Maj. Gen. (rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu; Jeema; and the forces aligned to Bobi Wine.

We are told that it is against this background that the Muntu group made a subtle appearance in Bugiri. It should also be noted that this is not the first time that FDC has raised concerns about Bobi Wine and other forces.

During the Jinja municipality East by-election, the FDC management committee held a special session at the headquarters presided over by party president, Patrick Obo Amuriat and fought off Bobi Wine from officially playing a lead role for its candidate, Paul Mwiru, who eventually won the race.

His presence in the constituency nonetheless contributed to Mwirus victory. That he has repeated the feat in Bugiri against all odds, beating both the Besigye candidate in Namatende and Francis Oketcho who was supported by President Museveni and NRM secretary general Justine Lumumba goes one step further in confirming an on-going re-configuration of forces in opposition circles.

It also presents FDC with the latest substantiation that its days as top rival to NRM have entered a new realm where it must now watch its front, flanks and hind quarters at every turn.

skakaire@observer.ugUgandas parliament in May 2018 passed a new tax targeting social media and mobile money users in a bid to raise government revenue.

To be specific, a Ugandan is entitled to access social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Viber after a daily tax payment of Shs 200. Social media platforms have created cheaper avenues of communication, information sharing and, most importantly, avenues for doing business in Uganda.

By making people in the country pay for the platforms, it makes it expensive for low-income earners to access them, robbing many people of their right to freedom of expression.

Therefore, implementing such a radical tax is a clear attempt to silence the public, and jeopardize education in higher institutions in the guise of raising revenue.

On that note, I urge Ugandan authorities to respect, protect, promote and fulfill the right to freedom of expression as provided under article 29 of the 1995 constitution of Uganda as amended without any encumbrances whether it is exercised offline, or online on social media platforms.



Brighton Aryampa,

aryampa.brighton@gmail.com

Attention should be placed on Wakiso district land dept



I request concerned authorities in URA, Wakiso district land registration, ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD) and probably the Land Commission to look into this matter.

Last week, on July 24, at about 11:30am, I visited the Wakiso district headquarters and specifically the land registration office to search and verify the ownership and authentication of a land title for my plot of land.

However, being my first time, I was dismayed with the following incidents I

experienced at the offices.

Specific to URA, there are two young gentlemen who conducted assessments upon which payment of Shs 10,000 is supposed to be paid to the bank.

However, accompanied by another gentleman, these three tried to solicit a bribe of an additional Shs 10,000. When I insisted that they issue an official receipt for it, they fumbled and couldnt explain why it could not be issued.

By the time I left their desk, they backed off after I threatened to report them. In such an important office, I wonder why no one monitors these URA employees.

These days, hardly anyone picks up URAs toll-free customer care lines. Specific to MLHUD and the Wakiso district land registration office, the land department and the customer desk area clearly have contacts for raising complaints on one of the notice boards.

Whereas I tried to simply inquire from one of the numbers - 0701 511534 - (which I vaguely recall was for the planner), a gentleman who picked up the call was very

rude.

Following my homework, this number-*0701 511534* is registered in the names of one Johnson Mukaga. Can the authorities rein in on this gentleman?

John Kavuma,

jkavuma8@gmail.com



Farmers need proper advice on agriculture



Government has for a long time encouraged and emphasized commercial farming for Ugandan farmers.

However, the fall in the price of maize over the past one year may affect this strategy since small-scale farmers may not see the relevance of investing a lot of money in farming. Maize is one of the commonly-grown crops in Uganda.

However, the prices of maize have dropped to Shs 200 per kilogram from Shs 1,000 over the past one year.

While maize may be a low-value crop, it does not mean that government cannot intervene when its prices collapse. This is very demoralising to the farmers who grow this maize.

Uganda produces five million tonnes of maize per annum but we only consume one million of that. The government has silos but they are not enough; they need to be constructed in every district to store the excess food.

Kenya and South Sudan were our biggest importers of maize but Kenya last year got a bumper harvest and, therefore, would not import our maize.

Likewise, our market in South Sudan was affected by the war. Last year, some parts of Uganda were hit by famine and it seemed the country did not have enough food to cater for the affected regions.

In addition, the ministry of Agriculture needs to deliberately intervene and advise farmers on the types of crops that should be grown in the different regions in the country to avoid excesses in produce as well as encourage crop-zoning.

Why should Uganda import crops like rice, wheat yet we can grow them here? We are supposed to be net exporters of some of these crops, and not importers. Otherwise, if farmers continue growing the same crops like maize, they will continue to be poor.

Government also needs to aggressively help Ugandan farmers find market for their products by signing agreements with different countries and partners to ensure that there is a ready market for Ugandas agricultural produce.

Operation Wealth Creation and the National Agricultural Advisory Services should be in the lead to implement good farming methods.



Natasha Mariam,

Kampala



letters@observer.ugI recently met a top editor at one of Ugandas leading newspapers who shocked me by their ignorance about land management.

When I told this individual that I work with Buganda Land Board, they immediately asked me whether Bugandas titles were genuine.

I thought they were joking. But they insisted, backing up their skepticism with the words of a certain radio commentator who has consistently told people that Mengo, the seat of Buganda kingdom, prints fake titles.

Concerned, I asked them to explain what they meant by fake titles.

People say Buganda Land Board has a printer of titles but because of the volatile relationship between Mengo and central government, time may come and government cancels/disregards all Mengo titles, was the answer I got.

Then it dawned on me that if a person supposed to be the gatekeeper of information to the public is that ignorant about a matter so straightforward, then we have a lot of work on our hands.

A similar query had been raised during the Land Awareness Week in Mubende where Buganda Land Board (BLB) partnered the ministry of Lands and ActionAid to teach people about land rights and responsibilities.

Residents there also wondered whether Mengos titles can be trusted. Luckily, the ministrys spokesperson answered this query by assuring everyone that all land titles issued out by BLB are printed by government.

So, in the same vein, I told this editor that first, Buganda Land Board, or the Mengo government for that matter, does not print land titles. All land titles are approved and printed by government.

I told them that the only role of BLB, as administrators of Kabakas land, is to facilitate the process of acquiring a land title for any individual/s who applies for lease titles on kingdom land.

I told this person that just like other private individuals, real estate dealers or institutional landlords such as the Catholic or Protestant churches, Buganda has land on which any person can apply for a title.

The only difference is that Buganda land is registered in the names of The Kabaka of Buganda and someone can only get lease titles of, say, 49 or 75 or 99 years. But these leases, unlike others, have an automatic renewal clause on expiry, meaning that no one can apply for your lease when it nears expiry.

Going back to fake titles, I told the editor that Kabakas land comprises all land that was returned in 1993 under the Traditional Rulers (Restitution of Assets and Properties) Act.

Many people refer to this land as the 350 square miles of Kabaka. Then there is also land that was returned in the subsequent memorandum of understanding between the Kabaka of Buganda and President Museveni in 2013.

This entire land is titled and it is on these titles that some kibanja holders apply for leases through Buganda Land Board.

I told the editor that when BLB receives lease applications, they are taken through various hands of professionals, including surveyors, valuers, physical planners and lawyers.

When these are satisfied with the conditions of the individuals documentation and survey results, their file is then taken to the respective local government authorities such as KCCA or district land offices which then start on the process of issuing a land title for that individual.

Just like any other property dealers, BLB is monitored and supervised by the respective land administration authorities. So, I assured the editor that all this talk about Mengos land titles is diversionary and should be treated as such.

I had managed to convince this editor but saw it prudent to share the same with the wider public. The mandate of printing land titles lies with government, and remains so.

Property dealers or consultants sell plots of land and accompany them with land titles from government. It is in this same style that Buganda Land Board operates on kingdom land  nothing less!

The author works with Buganda Land Board.The judicial branch is a very critical pillar of modern government, situated at the centre of, on the one hand, the people, and on the other, the two branches vested with power to manage public affairs, that is the executive and legislature.

The judiciary, through its hierarchy of courts, is invaluable both in the realm of economic affairs and in the sphere of political engagements and societal relations.

In that sense, the institutional autonomy of the judicial branch and the independence of the different courts constitute easily the most important measure of modern democratic government.

What then is expected of courts of law? Dr Willy Mutunga, Kenyas highly regarded retired chief justice, attempted to answer this question at a public lecture last month at the University of Ghanas Institute of African Studies. I was in the audience.

Dr Mutunga argued that because courts serve the public, they cannot be apolitical. Politics is all about the public good for society; it is about the management of public affairs in a manner that serves societys needs and interests.

In serving the public, the judiciary is necessarily an active player in the political field. The quest for social justice, the desire for equal access to opportunities without undue discrimination and the protection of fundamental freedoms entail processes that are invariably political. And these are among the core issues for which courts exist.

In addressing the role of courts, Dr Mutunga ably referenced Professor Joe Oloka-Onyangos new book When Courts Do Politics. In executing their duties and exercising their judicial powers, judges and other court officials are expected to be impartial and nonpartisan. But this sacrosanct principle should not be conflated with being apolitical.

Being political is not the same as being partisan. The cause of social justice and the defence of the common good for society cannot be attained through apolitical stances and decisions that evoke legalism to avoid addressing the political realities of the day.

For courts of law to serve social justice and contribute to progressive politics, judges have to muster the courage to render rulings that are politically unpalatable to the status quo of the ruling class.

The failure to rise to this expectation is one of the major indictments against Ugandas courts, primarily the two top appellant courts  the Constitutional court and Supreme court. In recent years, the formers credibility was greatly imperiled by a shamelessly partisan deputy chief justice, Steven Kavuma.

In a political system where judges are wary of intimidation and blackmail by actors in the executive branch, it takes individual courage to annul the Constitution Amendment Act 2017 in its entirety, which is what would have been the right thing to do in defence of the constitution and in aiding the struggle against misrule.

The Constitutional courts composition from the late 1990s through the mid-2000s would very likely have done the right thing: quash the December 2017 amendments and condemn the blatant attempt yet again to manipulate the constitution for the selfish ends of individuals.

Few were, however, surprised that the courts majority justices skirted the real elephant in the room, the life-presidency project, and went for a weaker target  a bunch of selfish MPs who thought they had secured something for themselves in return for mortgaging the future of the country to an imperial presidency.

In condemning MPs for greedily attempting to extent their own term of office but handing a clean bill to the man who has a well-known track-record of manipulating the constitution so as to cling onto power, the Constitutional court engaged in double-standards. Extending the term for MPs was a side issue; the real business was entrenchment of a life-president.

From the outset, the scheme to delete the age-limit provision was dubious and an assault on Ugandas urgent quest for constitutionalism. This is a political question that the judges ought to have confronted. It is about the present and the future of the country.

It was another missed opportunity for the judiciary to stamp its judicial authority and contribute to shaping the trajectory of the country. Not calling out the evident attack on legislative independence by the military invasion inside the precincts of parliament was sheer abdication.

Worse still was the failure to see the grave danger of tossing around the constitution, which is supposed to be a durable document, making it easily at the service of power-thirsty authoritarian rulers.

When all is said and done, one cant help but wonder why the current rulers continue to pretend they believe in constitutional rule. There is surely an easy path.

General Museveni, who at any rate strongly believes in militarism, should just announce the abolition of the constitution so he rules unencumbered and saves himself the inconvenience of the motions of rule of law and constitutionalism.

We the citizens too will be sure what we are dealing with, for the rules of engagement will be clear and there will be no need to second-guess anything.

General Idi Amin did it, General Yoweri Museveni too can did it. But perhaps the Sabalwanyi is not as courageous as the man who not only declared himself life-president but also the conqueror of the British Empire!

moses.khisa@gmail.com

The author is an assistant professor of political science at North Carolina State University.Asuman Basalirwas victory in Bugiri municipality and the judgment on the removal of the presidential age limit from the constitution have dominated debate in the country over the last couple of days.

Elections for mayors and MPs took place in seven municipalities but Bugiri assumed greater importance because of the oppositions failure to agree on a single candidate.

Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi led Asuman Basalirwas campaign while Dr Kizza Besigye obviously led the FDC one. In the end, people who have worked together for a common purpose traded insults, further spicing up the Bugiri elections.

Thankfully Asuman Basalirwa, the president of JEEMA, emerged winner, defeating both the NRM and FDC candidates. It would have been a disaster on our part, if our failure to rally behind a single candidate, gifted the NRM victory.

Before I forget, let me congratulate Basalirwa on this deserved victory. I think I first interacted with Basalirwa when he was Makerere University guild president around 2001/2. He later shared a hostel with my young brother Isa Kavuma when they joined Law Development Centre (LDC). I regularly visited them.

We were to work together in the Inter-Party Coalition for Change (IPC) in 2010/11 which I spoke for and was my first major political assignment. We struggled together during the walk-to-work peaceful protests in which he had an additional role of representing us in court each time we were arrested, if he was not on the charge sheet himself.

He represented my Kasokoso constituents when they were charged with attempting to kill former Kira mayor Mamerito Mugerwa during the battles over land there.

Basalirwa has, therefore, been a key pillar in the struggle to free ourselves and he is certainly a valuable addition to the Ugandan parliament.

Busoga region, despite being one of the poorest in the country, has some of the most sycophantic MPs. Interestingly, now all the three opposition Busoga MPs are tested lawyers.

With a little bit of experience, I want to warn my colleagues in the opposition not to use the just-concluded Bugiri campaigns and elections to cement divisions within our ranks.

I know the politics of the next general elections have started in earnest. Colleagues with an axe to grind with Dr Besigye are slowly positioning Bob Wine as their presidential candidate. In him, they think they have found Besigyes match.

These ones will use every opportunity to cause a clash between these two leaders. Bugiri provided such a good opportunity for them. These fellows will blame Besigye for what he has done and not done.

For example, even if Besigye wanted Eunice Namatende to stand down for Basalirwa, the final decision over such a wish would have to be taken by the FDC organs.

Finally on this matter, I think we must appreciate that while the desire to form a single opposition group is there, we are completely different outfits. We will sometimes agree and disagree. Let us prepare for both situations.

As for the judgement from the Constitutional court, I got the judgment I had expected. Let me say it for the record: the environment in the Constitutional court has drastically improved under Justice Owiny-Dollo.

It is a completely different court from the one Steven Kavuma presided over. Maybe that is what gave people the false confidence that it was possible for this court to throw out the Constitution Amendment Act 2017 previously known as the Magyezi Bill.

I, therefore, commend Dollo and his colleagues for working on the image of the court. Ruling against Musevenis main interest (die in office) is the least thing I expected the court to do.

No wonder many lawyers think their conclusions except that of Justice Kenneth Kakuru fundamentally differ with their findings. These things happen in parliament almost every day  good debate followed by a bad decision.

And we have got to accept that we are in this situation for us to be able to fight against it. The threats to life against individual actors is so great that it will make people sacrifice the common good for individual survival.

That is what all the judges seemed to suggest; Barishaki and Dollo nearly shed tears for failing to protect the reinstatement of term limits. They rightly argued that it was unconstitutionally done and, therefore, struck it down.

These judges obviously dont want a leader to become a permanent signature in State House. But I think the circumstances they have found themselves in dont allow them to rule against Museveni. You all know how they came to be.

We will certainly appeal against their ruling. Keeping the debate on Musevenis desire to die in office alive wont be a mean achievement.

semugs@yahoo.com

The author is Kira Municipality MP and opposition chief whip in parliament.

Luke Lambert

G&S Business Communications has acquired CooperKatz & Co. to more than double its New York fee income base to the $11M range.

Ralph Katz, CK co-founder, will become executive VP of G&S to expand its integrated business model with a focus on paid programming.

Anne Green, CK president & CEO, will take the helm of the 65-member NYC office. She will succeed managing director Audra Hession, who will now lead the beefed-up corporate and reputation management practice.

Luke Lambert, CEO of G&S, said the deal will help power a culture of growth for our clients, employees and business.

Katz, who noted that the two firms share similar a culture and values, cant imagine a better strategic fit for this next chapter in our agencys evolution." Rick Gould, head of Gould+Partners, represented CK in the deal.

G&S recorded $27.3M in fees last year with $5.3M of that amount coming from New York. CK had $5.6M in 2017 fees.

Joe McHugh

As Facebook announces that it uncovered a political influence campaign, presumably tied to Russia, to interfere in the crucial mid-term election, Ireland plans to do its best to make sure the US vote is on the up and up.

Ireland, which has dispatched election monitors throughout the world, plans to send them here to observe the Nov. 6 tally.

In 2017, Ireland election monitors were active in Albania, Turkey, Mongolia, Liberia, Kenya, Kosovo, Nepal and the Kyrgyz Republic, according to the Irish Times. Thats not exactly good company for the US, which arguably is the worlds oldest democracy.

Joe McHugh, Irelands Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said Irelands standard practice is to send monitors to observe elections in emerging countries outside of the EU, Canada and the US.

But times certainly have changed.

Ireland has issued a call for volunteers to arrive in Washington on Oct. 6 and return home on Nov. 11.

Meanwhile, president Trump today called for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end special counsel Robert Muellers investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Those Irish election observers are needed more than ever.Minneapolis-based agency Padilla, one of the largest independently-owned PR and communications firms in the U.S., has been acquired by Montreal-based holding company Avenir Global.

Terms of the acquisition were not publicly disclosed.

Padillas senior leadership team: chair Lynn Casey (L) and president Matt Kucharski. Photo credit: Monica Janelli

Avenir, a holding and management company of public relations and communication firms, was launched last year after Canadas leading PR agency, National Public Relations, redefined its corporate platform. In addition to its National Public Relations operation (which includes investor relations and financial services practice National Equicom), the network also includes international healthcare specialists AXON Communications, U.K.-based consultancy Madano and Bostons Shift Communications.

Avenir is led by president/CEO Jean-Pierre Vasseur and chairman Andrew Molson. It is owned by RES PUBLICA Consulting Group.

With the addition of Padilla, Avenir now becomes one of the 25 largest PR outfits worldwide, with 760 employees in 21 offices across Canada, Europe and the U.S.

Padilla will continue to operate under the same name in light of the acquisition, along with food and nutrition specialists FoodMinds, brand consultancy Joe Smith and research authorities SMS Research Advisors.

The agency will undergo a leadership transition, with Padilla CEO Lynn Casey assuming the role of agency chair. Matt Kucharski will now lead the agency as president. Both will report to Vasseur.

Among the many reasons we were interested in joining Avenir Global was its philosophy of allowing its agencies to operate with a fair degree of independence, Casey told ODwyers. For Padilla clients and employees, that will mean business as usual plus access to even more talent, more capabilities, and more geographies. Were looking forward to beginning this next chapter as part of something bigger.

Rick Gould, managing partner of Gould+Partners, introduced the agencies and facilitated the transaction.

Padilla was founded in 1961 as Padilla Speer Beardsley. The agency rebranded last year from its then-moniker, PadillaCRT, by which it had been known after PSB acquired Richmond, VA-based CRT/tanaka in 2013, which itself had been the result of a merger after Carter Ryley Thomas took over New York-based consumer PR specialist Patrice Tanaka & Co. in 2005.

Padilla in 2016 acquired Chicago-based food and nutrition communications and consulting shop FoodMinds, establishing it as one of the largest independent food and beverage agencies in the country. Last year, it acquired Richmond, VA-based digital studio and strategy firm INM United.

Padilla clients include 3M, Barnes & Noble College, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Cargill Animal Nutrition, Hass Avocado Board, Mayo Clinic, Prosciutto di Parma, Rockwell Automation, Sanofi Pasteur, U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, and the Virginia Lottery.

The agency last year accounted for more than $40 million in net fees, according to ODwyers rankings of PR firms.Tullamore has been dealt a major jobs blow with the news 65 employees in a company that has been based in the town for almost 30 years are to lose their jobs.

Sennheiser has a long association with Tullamore and was originally based in Spollanstown before moving to the Sragh Industrial Estate.

In a statement released to the Offaly Express, the company stated, "As a manufacturer in a constantly changing business environment Sennheiser looks at the orientation of its production plants on a regular basis in order to continually improve our focus.

"For the plant here in Tullamore this means that we will now specialise on the production of acoustic transducers, while the production capacities for the assembly of headphones and loudspeakers will be transferred to other facilities. Due to this, around 65 positions will become redundant in the fields of headphone and loudspeaker assembly.

"This will happen in phases over the next 10 to 12 months. Currently, the Tullamore plant employs about 130 people. We have been and will continue to be in close and open consultations with our employees with regards to this matter."

Speaking about the impending job losses, a SIPTU Spokesperson told the Offaly Express, A decision was made by the senior management of Sennheiser, which is headquartered in Germany, to relocate the majority of the work carried out in its Tullamore production facility to Romania. The majority of workers in the facility are to be made redundant in stages which are expected to commence in late Autumn 2018 and conclude in the summer of 2019.

Discussions with the company on a redundancy package for the workers affected are currently ongoing with a Labour Court hearing on the issue set for September 4. Company and union representatives are expected to attend this meeting.A 23-year-old man from Geashill is about to launch a genius new loyalty card that will tackle the issue of world hunger.

Former Colaiste Choilm student and current Google employee, Conor Leen, has developed Stampify, a loyalty card programme in partnership with various companies. It is set to launch next month in Dublin.

Stampify is a social initiative that allows users to fight world hunger, by completing a Stampify loyalty card with loyalty stamps from participating businesses. "Essentially, it's a loyalty card for charity," Conor said.

Here's how Stampify works:

1. Users pick up a Stampify card from any partner business

2. Users complete the card by mixing and matching loyalty stamps from partners

3. Users return a completed Stampify card to any partner, and they will donate the cost of a meal to international aid charity World Vision.

World Vision works to implement programmes around community development, emergency relief and promotion of justice.

World Vision Ireland has an active partnership with eight Area Development Programmes (ADPs) across Mauritania, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Swaziland.

The team are currently working to develop a prototype app in partnership with the Digital Skills Academy. "Our goal is to launch this app before the end of 2019, which will create a digital loyalty card," Conor said.

Stampify has the world in its sights, saying, that "along with our international charity World Vision, we intend to grow Stampify to other countries, so we can raise as much money as possible for those who need it the most."

Stampify recently received an award and funding from the Local Enterprise Office in Offaly for the idea, and are preparing to launch in Dublin on September 1.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you have a story for us, sports news, an event happening in your area, or if you want to submit pictures or videos, contact the Offaly Express team via email to justin.kelly@iconicnews.ie, or through our Facebook.40k illegal Bangladeshi immigrants or 248 in Karnataka? Is Kumaraswamy or Parameshwar right

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru, Aug 1: Amidst all the debate surrounding the NRC and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, it would be interesting to take a look at the scenario in Karnataka. Scores of construction workers, estate labour among others had come under the scanner several years back on the suspicion that they were Bangladeshi immigrants.

While a majority of them come to Karnataka in search of better opportunities, there is also the crime angle attached to it. There was a lurking suspicion that for the Bengaluru serial blasts, T Nasir, the main accused had used some illegal immigrants. Another incident which worried security officials was when 50 Bangladeshi citizens vanished from the Bengaluru International Airport Premises in 2010.

They included people who would clean the runway and also work in other parts of the airport.

Several investigations have shown that there are touts who facilitate the entry of such persons into Bengaluru. The tout charges anything between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 for the entry of such persons.

While many have taken up jobs such as painting, construction or carpentry, there are a good number who indulge in crimes such as counterfeit currency, robbery and peddling cheap drugs.

The National Investigation Agency has traced several fake currency cases between Bangladesh-Bengal and South India. This is a route that has been used on several occasions and several probes by the NIA detail the modus operandi.

The number: Who got it right?

During the recently held elections, former home minister of Karnataka Ramalinga Reddy had said that the people from northeastern states are being mistaken as Bangladeshis. This was in response to the BJP which has time and again claimed that the Congress helped get Bangladeshi immigrants into the state and included their names in the electoral rolls.

"We have special squads to check on illegal immigration. We found only 40-50 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants all over Karnataka and they have been deported," Reddy went on to claim.

On November 22 2016, Dr. G Parameshwar, who was then the Home Minister (Currently Deputy CM) had said that there were 283 Bangladeshi migrants from the state.In reply to a question raised by Sunil Kumar V (BJP), he said there were 748 Bangaladeshi's in the state out of which 283 are illegally here as per Foreigners Act, 1946. To detect illegal migrants, special task force had been constituted at district and city levels, and local police asked to maintain a vigil and find out about such migrants in their respective jurisdictional area, he said.

A total of 283 illegal Bangladeshi migrants are in the state, they include 16 in Mandya, one in Dakshina Kannada, three in KGF, 11 in Ramanagara, 13 in Mysuru district, one in Chikkamagaluru, 14 in Bengaluru district, 25 in Mysuru urban, 197 in Bengaluru urban and two in Shivamogga. Rejecting these numbers, Kumar said it looks like government was trying to protect illegal migrants, he further added.

Back in 2015, H D Kumaraswamy (now CM) had claimed that there are 40,000 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in Karnataka. In a letter that he wrote in the month of April that year, he had told the then Home Minister, K J George that several illegal Bangladeshi immigrants had taken cup residence in almost all parts of the state.

"In Bengaluru, the immigrants are residing in camps at Bellandur (behind the lake), Iblur, Devarabeesanahalli, Somasundarapalya, Mullekolalu and other areas. The sad part is, despite being aware of their presence, the Bengaluru police have failed to act. He also added that most of these immigrants had voter ids, ration cards and were enjoying the benefits doled out by the government.

They indulge in a range of illegal activities such as narcotics, fake currency. He further said that 8 per cent of them were women and many indulged in prostitution rackets. He also added that 8 per cent of the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in India were from Karnataka.

The scenario in 2008:

Back in 2008, the late Dr. V S Acharya, who was then the home minister had appealed to the union government to introduce a national personal identification registrar for identifying foreigners who are staying in the state after the expiry of their visas. At that time too it was said that 8 per cent of the approximate 2 crore illegal immigrants were in Karnataka.

The Intelligence Bureau had flagged this issue and said that the route to Karnataka and Mangalore begins in West Bengal, north-eastern states, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh. These immigrants, who are extremely vulnerable, are used to gather intelligence and tip off operatives about the movement of security agencies, the IB had said.

Acharya had said then that the problem has to be addressed before it gets out of hand. He said that most illegal immigrants are found in the coastal belt. Most of these persons have stayed back despite the expiry of their visa period.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 15:59 [IST]Farooq Sahab suggested me to speak with Pakistan but I will speak to the youth: Amit Shah in Srinagar

Amit Shah spends night at CRPF camp in Pulwama; says will see a peaceful J&K 'in our lifetime'

Amit Shah to visit West Bengal on Aug 11, Kolkata police grants permission to rally

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

New Delhi, Aug 1: Amidst strong opposition by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over Assam NRC, the BJP chief Amit Shah to visit West Bengal on August 11.

The party announced Amit Shah's visit to the state when Mamata Banerjee was in the national capital to meet opposition leaders.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Police issue clarification over speculation in social media about denial of permission to Amit Shah's visit.

Kolkata Police West Bengal, said, "Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice. It is to clarify that on request, permission for the meeting has already been granted."

Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice.

It is to clarify that on request permission for meeting has already been granted.  Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) August 1, 2018

Earlier, Amit Shah said, "It does not matter whether I get permission or not, I will definitely go to Kolkata. If the state government wants, it can arrest me."Delhi air-hostess death case: Crime Branch takes over probe

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

New Delhi, Aug 1: The Crime Branch has taken over probe into the alleged suicide of a female flight attendant in south Delhi's Panchsheel Park last month, police said on Wednesday.

Anissia Batra, who worked with a German airline, had allegedly jumped from the terrace of her house on July 13.

On July 16, the Delhi Police arrested Singhvi and subsequently sent him to a 14-day judicial custody in connection with the case.

According to the police, Batra had a fight with her husband at around 4:30 pm on July 13, after which she jumped off the terrace. The deceased's family alleged that Singhvi harassed her daughter for dowry and used to torture her.

Anissia's parents told police that Mayank had thrashed her daughter on the second day of their honeymoon in Dubai.

The air-hostess came to know that Mayank Singhvi was a divorcee a month ago. They had got married on February 23, 2016, and it was a love marriage. Police have said the probe so far has indicated that Anissia "jumped" to her death and was not killed as alleged by some of her relatives.UP: Two more dead bodies found lying near Ganga cremated after video of dogs mauling them goes viral

Big number of corporates come forward to take up social responsibility to clean Ganga

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

New Delhi, Aug 1: Banks of River Ganga are set to get a facelift as several corporates have undertaken CSR projects for ghat cleaning and development, afforestation, provision of amenities and similar work under Namami Gange programme.

Companies like Shipping Corporation of India, Indorama Corporation, IndusInd Bank, Yes Bank, Hinduja Group, Arcelor Mittal, New Indian Express, Bajaj Electricals, Amer Maritime, HCL, Reliance Industries and a few others have undertaken projects.

Ganga rejuvenation projects are notified as CSR activity under Companies Act 2013. Corporates can give donations to the Clean Ganga Fund and also take up projects for rejuvenating the river. Minister of Water Resource, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari urged companies to undertake more and more projects for rejuvenation of Ganga as part of their CSR activity.

He assured them that NMCG would hand hold them for ground clearances and local issues. He underscored the critical role that corporates can play in rejuvenating Ganga. He said that they should try to come up with eco-friendly plans for development of the river bank. He instructed the NMCG officials to expedite procedures and approvals.

Some significant projects that have been undertaken by the corporates include development of ghats at Gangotri and Badrinath at an estimated cost of Rs. 25.65 crore by Indorama Industries Ltd. DPRs for the project have been prepared by WAPCOS, approvals are at an advanced stage and work is expected to start by the end of this month.

IndusInd Bank is undertaking a project for treatment of nine drains in Allahabad and Farrukhabad at the cost of Rs 9.5 Crore. The DPR for the project is ready. The Shipping Corporation of India proposes to develop Katwa Ghat in West Bengal at a cost of Rs 35 lakh.

Yes Bank proposes to develop ghats in Rishikesh and undertake plantation activities in Uttarakhand. The New Indian Express is undertaking development of Shankaracharya Samadhi at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, while the Hinduja Group is taking up ghat development work in Haridwar and Rishikesh. Bajaj electricals is undertaking plantations at Varanasi, Fatehpur, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh, Ballia and Mau in Uttar Pradesh.

Amer Maritime will take up ghat development in Kanpur, HCL has plans for holistic development of ghats in Varanasi, bio remediation, tree plantation community development and Ganga Gram development. Reliance Industries has plans for ghat development at Varanasi, Allahabad, Delhi, Haridwar, Kedarpuri and Rishikesh. These projects are at various procedural stages, and ArceloMittal is contributing to the Clean Ganga Fund.

Gadkari also sought cooperation for a project to develop 35 kilometer stretch along River Yamuna in the National Capital, and a Water Temple in a town along River Ganga. Some other projects being planned under CSR are development of Ganga Museum in Delhi/Haridwar/Allahabad/Varanasi, partnership with SBI, UBI, HDFC and Axis Bank for utilization of their ATM networks for display of Clean Ganga message, and plantation of Rudraksha trees along River Ganga in Uttarakhand among others.

Rs 255.02 crore have been received as contribution to the Fund from PSUs, private corporates, individuals, NRIs/PIOs and India Development Foundation. Out of this, projects worth Rs. 205.14 crore have been approved by the Board of Trustees including annual plan for afforestation interventions in five main stem Ganga basin states through State Forest Departments worth Rs. 87.84 crore, treatment of five drains through in-situ bioremediation process worth Rs. 19 crore and redevelopment of ghats and crematoria and provision of amenities costing Rs. 98.3 crore.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 20:12 [IST]No cause for panic, new media rules will benefit all: Javadekar

BJP accuses Congress, TMC of 'murdering democracy'

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 1: The BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress and the Trinamool Congress of "murdering democracy" by not letting its president Amit Shah speak in Parliament on the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam with their noisy protests.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar also asked the Congress and its former president Sonia Gandhi to make their stand clear on the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the country. The TMC, he told a press conference, was nervous due to growing strength of the BJP in West Bengal.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was a new low for parliamentary democracy that opposition members did not allow Shah to speak.

"This is a new precedent and a new low," he told reporters.

Javadekar hit out at the opposition after its members began protesting when Shah rose to speak in the Rajya Sabha, forcing its adjournment for the day. They had created a ruckus yesterday as well when Shah said that the BJP government had to the courage to implement the Supreme Court's decision on the NRC while the previous Congress dispensations lacked it.

"They deliberately raised objections to prevent Shah from completing his speech. It is murder of democracy to prevent a member of the House from speaking," Javadekar told reporters.

The Assam Accord to identify illegal immigrants was designed by then prime minister and Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi, he said, adding that Shah only asserted that the BJP was implementing the NRC, which was the "soul" of the accord.

Javadekar claimed even Indira Gandhi had said that the Bangladeshis should return to their country after the situation there normalised following the Indo-Pak war in 1971.

"We now want to ask about the stand of Sonia Gandhi on the NRC and on evicting infiltrators from the country," the minister said. Javadekar also condemned TMC supremo Mamta Banerjee's reported statement that exclusion of over 40 lakh people from the NRC in Assam would lead to "civil war".

He also asserted that Shah would participate in a Kolkata rally on August 11, saying the local police had not done any favour to the BJP by granting permission to it.

PTICM seeks to pacify agitators demanding separate state of North Karnataka

India

oi-PTI

Bengaluru, Aug 1: As the demand for a separate North Karnataka state has resurfaced, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said the state government was mulling over shifting a few government offices to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in the region, in an attempt to address alleged discrimination.

Expressing his government's strong commitment for the region's development, the chief minister, who is facing a political storm over the separate state demand, called the issue a "conspiracy" by political opponents ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls.

"There are two Upa Lokayukta's in the state. I have plans to shift one Upa Lokayukta to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. Then there are about five or six RTI commissioners. Among them, I plan to shift three to northern districts - one to Kalaburagi and other two to Belagavi Suvarna Vidhana Soudha," he said, adding that plans are on to shift several offices, including the "Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam", to northern districts.

Kumaraswamy said he had already made plans to shift some offices from Bengaluru and to ensure that the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi functions all round the year actively. "Consider me as one among you (people of North Karnataka)... Some people want to create a distance between us by indulging in false propaganda. I have plans and programmes to earn your love and affection," he told representatives of outfits demanding a separate state of North Karnataka.

Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, modelled along the lines of the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat and legislature in Bengaluru, functions only during the Winter Session of the state legislature and is shut during the rest of the year.

As the demand for a separate state has snowballed into a political slug fest between the ruling coalition, especially the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Opposition BJP, the chief minister on Tuesday met representatives of outfits that have called for a day-long bandh in 13 districts of North Karnataka on Thursday, alleging discrimination by successive governments towards it.

The Uttara Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti (North Karnataka Separate Statehood Protest Committee) has alleged discrimination in allocation of funds towards the region in the budget Kumaraswamy presented in the Assembly on 5 July, and also inadequate representation in the state cabinet.

Seeking time to address issues faced by the region, the chief minister said he wants industries to come up in North Karnataka and urged that he be given at least one year's time, "without any disturbance", to carry out various works. "I'm ready to work for 24 hours. I will not sit quiet," he said.

Kumaraswamy said he had spent most of his time since assuming office on farm loan waivers and gave his assurance that he would devote two days each in North Karnataka districts after 10 to 15 days. "I don't want to talk about who did what in the past. What I know is that now I have got the opportunity and will take complete responsibility for developing North Karnataka, whether it is industries, irrigation or infrastructure," he added.

He blamed the BJP for raising the demand for separate North Karnataka state as they were unable to digest the fact that he had implemented the farm loan waiver scheme. "As I have waived Rs 49,000 crore farm loans, BJP is unable to digest it. They want some issue for the Parliament election and are hence raising this issue," he said.

Accusing the chief minister of indulging in a "divide-and-rule" policy, state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa has squarely blamed him for the separate North Karnataka state demand. Telling representatives who met him that it was not easy to create a separate state as people would not accept it, Kumaraswamy also blamed public representatives from the region for the current state of North Karnataka.

Stating that he became chief minister because of the grace of "some kind of power", he said he has never differentiated between the north and south and recalled various initiatives taken by him for the region in his earlier stint at the post. Clarifying that he had not insulted farmers and people of North Karnataka, he said he had only asked them why they forgot him while voting in the recent Assembly polls.

Kumarawswamy also rejected the charge that his budget concentrated only on certain districts of South Karnataka. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Uttara Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti president Somashekar Kotambari said that the chief minister has expressed his commitment to solve issues of the North Karnataka. On the 2 August bandh, he said a decision would be made only after a discussion with other outfits that had supported the call.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 10:00 [IST]Sunanda Pushkar's Death: Experts to examine documents, Arguments on charges on Aug 20 and 22

Sunanda Pushkar's death: Cops say she was in mental agony because of Tharoor-Mehr affair

Delhi police gets time to go through Sunanda Pushkars tweets

Sunanda Pushkar death case: Delhi court allows Shashi Tharoor to travel abroad

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

New Delhi, Aug 1: A Delhi court on Wednesday allowed Congress leader Shashi Tharoor to travel abroad, for a few days starting August 10. He also has to deposit a fixed deposit receipt Rs 2 lakh before he leaves the country, which he will be refunded after his return.

Tharoor, a Congress MP, had applied to Delhi Patiala House court for permission.

Earlier on July 5, the court had granted anticipatory bail to Tharoor but had restrained him from leaving the country without the court's prior permission.

During the hearing for Tharoor's anticipatory bail petition on July 5, the Delhi Police had opposed it, saying the Congress leader might "flee the country".

However, Special Judge Arvind Kumar accepted Tharoor's plea, who contended that the chargesheet was already submitted in the case and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had stated that the probe was concluded and his custodial interrogation was not required.

Sunanda Pushkar, 51, was found dead in her suite at a five-star hotel in Delhi on January 17, 2014, two days after accusing her husband on social media of having an affair with a Pakistani journalist.

In May this year, the city police charged the Lok Sabha MP under IPC sections 498A (a husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide).How Zakir Naiks IRF and Kerala youth furthered ISIS propaganda in India

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Mumbai, Aug 1: A court in Mumbai has framed charges against one person in connection with the Nagpada ISIS case. Arshi Qureshi was charged under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The case relates to the indoctrination of Ashfak Majid and his associates into extreme Jihadi ideology by a group of like-minded youths from Kasaragod district of Kerala. It was also stated that some members of the Zakir Naik run NGO, Islamic Research Foundation too were involved in the radicalisation process.

It was further alleged that these persons had motivated the youth to join the Islamic state. Investigations also revealed that Qureshi was involved in unlawful activities and also spread hatred against India.

The NIA further states that he had furthered the Islamic State's agenda in India and also provided support to a group of missing youth from Kerala. Around 18 persons, both men and women went missing from Kerala. Investigations found that they had joined the ISIS in Afghanistan.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 7:40 [IST]Illegal Bangladeshi immigrants could infiltrate into south India warns IB

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 1: A high alert has been sounded across the nation following the publication of the final draft of the NRC in Assam. The Intelligence Bureau which had earlier said that there could be an influx of people whose names do not feature in the NRC, could also move to other parts of the state.

The respective state police have been told to keep a close watch on the borders and also track down touts who have been aiding illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. The alert is particularly high in states such as Karnataka, Odisha, Telangana and West Bengal.

A high alert has also been sounded along the Assam-Bengal border after the final draft of the NRC was released on Monday, by the Assam government. The forces have been asked to intensify vigil along the border to stop any spill over or influx by those whose names do not feature in the list.

On Monday over 40 lakh persons did not feature in the final draft of the NRC. They have now been given time to file a claim or objection before the final list is released. The final list is expected to be released by the end of this year. The government has made it clear that none would be deported or would face any action as of now. Ample opportunity would be given to all these persons, the government also assured.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 16:11 [IST]India-US military communications agreement: Issues still remain

India

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

New Delhi, Aug 1: After a couple of unsuccessful initiatives, top representatives from India and the US are finally set to meet over the '2+2' meeting in New Delhi on September 6 where they aim to make an announcement about the signing of Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA). However, according to a report in The Indian Express, there are five major big issues that the two sides are trying to negotiate on.

TIE cited sources to say that a team of American officials from Indo-Pacific Command, Hawaii, will be in the national capital on August 6 and 7 to make the final negotiations on the agreement's text. The Indian side will be represented by officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Defence and the armed forces, the report added.

Till now, the negotiations have proceeded fast after India expressed its willingness to ink the pact which aims to lay down a legal framework for transferring communication security equipment from the US to India to help "interoperability" between the armed forces of the two nations, the report said.

However, as sources said, the biggest hindrance on the way of the negotiations is India's demand for a clause which clearly prioritises India's sovereign law over COMCASA. India believes that such a clause was part of the India-US nuclear deal which was made by the former Manmohan Singh government and if Washington could give such concessions then, it can do the same now as well.

Besides the question of sovereignty, India also seeks three other assurances in the text of the pact.

First, it wants assurance that the US will not use its access to the military communications system for spying purposes; second, the US will not misuse control equipment since it is part of proprietary American network that can be used by the US military against India and thirdly, the US government will not switch the entire equipment off or shut India's military network as part of a policy decision, TIE report added.

The US said that if a new government in New Delhi passes a 'sovereign' law which overrides COMCASA later, it defeats the very purpose of signing the pact, the report said, citing him further that the Indian government can cancel the COMCASA after serving a notice, besides having the option to amend it at any stage.

On giving the assurances, the US side said that the person who will sign the agreement - a senior military official - doesn't have the authority to do so and they have to come from a political authority.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 13:12 [IST]Chidambaram will be in Parliament tomorrow, says Karti after SC grants bail to his father

'Chidambaram filed false cases against me, Modi and Shah': Gadkari

P Chidambaram meets Sonia Gandhi after leaving Tihar jail, will address media on Thursday

Back from Tihar, P Chidambaram says Govt incapable of reversing slowdown

INX Media Case: Delhi HC extends protection from arrest given to Chidambaram till Sep 28

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

New Delhi, Aug 1: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday extended protection from arrest given to former Union Minister P Chidambaram till September 28.

The High Court had granted interim protection from arrest to Chidambaram till August 1 in INX Media case on July 25.

The central bureau of investigation on Friday, July,19, had filed a fresh chargesheet, naming P. Chidambaram as a co-accused in the Aircel-Maxis case.

Sixteen other people, including government officials - both serving and retired, were also named in the chargesheet. The senior Congress leader's role had 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.

The Aircel-Maxis deal case, which emerged out of 2G spectrum cases, pertains to a grant by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to firm M/S Global Communication Holding Services Ltd for investment in Aircel.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 11:58 [IST]Jaitley tears in Rahul, Mamata over NRC issue; calls them "fickle minds and fragile hands"

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

New Delhi, Aug 1: Asserting that the principal duty of any government is to defend its borders, prevent any trespass and make the life of the country's citizens safe and secure, Union Minister Arun Jaitley lashed out at both West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the stand they have taken on the NRC list issue.

Jaitley called Mamata Banerjee "fickle-minded", stating that in 2005 she had voiced her concerns about infiltration in Bengal when she was still a BJP ally.

"India's sovereignty is paying a heavy price because of the quality of its political discourse. Though Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Mr. Rajiv Gandhi took a particular position in 1972 and 1985 for the deletion and deportation of foreigners, Rahul Gandhi takes a contrarian position and his party turns turtle. Similarly, the BJP ally of 2005, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, took a particular position. As a federal front leader, she now talks to the contrary. Can India's sovereignty be decided by such fickle minds and fragile hands?" Jaitley, who is on medical leave from his role as finance minister, wrote in a Facebook post titled 'National Register of Citizens - Sovereignty vs Vote Bank'.

He accused Rahul Gandhi and Banerjee of playing with India's sovereignty on the Assam NRC issue, saying citizens are the soul of the nation and not "imported vote banks".

Names of over 40 lakh people in Assam do not figure in the draft NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in the state. The second draft of the NRC was published in Guwahati earlier this week. Opposition Congress and TMC has stalled the functioning of the Rajya Sabha for two days over the issue.

"A desperate argument has been given that this is a human rights cause. A refugee on account of persecution may have a humanitarian consideration. Illegal migration does not have it. There is not fundamental right to any person to do so," Jaitley said.

He said "historically, both Mrs Indira Gandhi and Mr Rajeev Gandhi, through the Congress Government that they headed, committed to this nation that post-March 25, 1971, migrants would be detected, identified and deported".

Jaitley further said that some pre-1971 migrants may have come to India for reasons of persecution, but the same is not true of all post-1971 migrants who have illegally entered the country.

The following is Jaitley's Facebook post on the NRC issue:

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Story first published: Thursday, August 2, 2018, 1:27 [IST]PM Modi to visit Italy, UK from Oct 29 to Nov 2 for G-20 summit, COP-26 conference

PM Modi launches Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission: What we know about the scheme, so far?

Karunanidhi laid to rest with full-state honours at Marina Beach

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

Chennai, Aug 8: DMK patriarch and five-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi was finally laid to rest on Wednesday alongside Jayalalithaa, DMK founder CN Annadurai and MGR at Marina beachfront in Chennai as a sea of humanity bid him a tearful farewell. He was buried with full state honours next to his mentor and former chief minister C N Annadurai at the Marina beach. No Hindu rituals were performed as Karunanidhi was a self-proclaimed atheist and rationalist.

Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin received the national flag wrapped around his father's body. Other family members including the leader's wife Rajathi Ammal, other sons and daughters showered flower petals at his feet.

Draped in a tricolour, the five-time chief minister was taken for his burial in an open procession. A sea of supporters were lined up along the route to catch a final glimpse of the departed leader and chanted slogans for their Thalaivar. The last journey of 'Kalaignar' Karunanidhi began at 4:00 pm.

The 94-year-old Dravidian icon, who was affectionately called as Thalaivar and Kalaignar, had breathed his last at Kauvery hospital after fighting for life for 11 days. He had been battling age-related ailments for a long time.

Earlier today, leaders from across the country, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, came to Chennai to pay their last respects to the doyen of Tamil Nadu politocs who breathed his last at Kauvery hospital in Chennai on Tuesday.

Several Chief Ministers and political leaders paid tribute to late DMK chief M Karunanidhi at the Rajaji Hall here today. Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, former chief ministers of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, Oommen Chandy and Akilesh Yadav respectively, among other leaders paid homage to the departed leader.

Here are the Highlights:

DMK working president MK Stalin said in an interview that DMK supremo Karunanidhi's health is stable and that doctors are monitoring his condition at the hospital.



Actor Vijay meets DMK leader MK Stalin at Kauvery hospital where former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment

Chennai: Actor Vijay meets DMK leader MK Stalin at Kauvery hospital where former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment pic.twitter.com/CxRFxzKYOz  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

Rajnikanth meets Karunanidhi.

On July 31, Congress president Rahul Gandhi met Karunanidhi and wished him a speedy recovery.

I wanted to come and see M Karunanidhi Ji. He is a tough person, I met him & he is stable. Sonia ji has sent her best wishes and regards to the family: Rahul Gandhi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi to travel to Chennai today to meet DMK chief M Karunanidhi who is admitted to Kauvery Hospital.

Stalin says Karunanidhi's condition is stable and that the veteran leader continues to remain under keen observation of doctors.



Representatives of Sri Lanka President, Maithripala Sirisena, visited Kauvery hospital to meet former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi. They submitted a letter from Sirisena to DMK working President MK Stalin wishing speedy recovery to Karunanidhi.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar visited Chennai's Kauvery hospital today. He met M K Stalin and Kanimozhi and inquired about the Karunanidhi's health.



Supporters of DMK chief M Karunanidhi pray at his residence in Coimbatore where he used to reside in 1945. He is currently admitted in Chennai's Kauvery hospital.



Visuals from outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M #Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment

#Visuals from outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M #Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment. #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/ious2kR6GT  ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018

DMK supremo Karunanidhi is fighting with Yaman (the God of death) but he will return victorious, said MDMK general secretary Vaiko Kaveri after visting him at Kauvery Hospital on Monday.

Isha Yoga founder and spiritual guru Jaggi vasudev also visited DMK chief Karunanidhi at the Kauvery Hospital on Monday, News18 Tamil reported.

AIADMK member Nanjil Sampath and famous Tamil poet Vairamuthu visited DMK chief Karunanidhi in Kauvery Hospital on Monday, according to local media reports.

E Palaniswami met Karunanidhi in ICU. He said that the DMK chief is doing fine and a team of expert doctors team is monitoring him, according to reports.

DMK volunteers need to maintain peace and cooperate with the police, MK Stalin requests to supporters.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami and and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam have arrived at the Kauvery hospital to enquire about M Karunanidhi's health, according to sources.

DMK workers continue to gather outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment.

According to Thanthi TV, DMK chief Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi who had stayed at the hospital overnight has said that he is doing good and his well-wishers and party workers should be "brave" in these testing times.

DMK workers continue to gather outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where DMK Chief M #Karunanidhi is undergoing treatment. pic.twitter.com/Y98hwdh0RZ  ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018

A DMK worker died of a heart attack in Thiruvarur on Sunday morning after hearing about the deteriorating health of party veteran M Karunanidhi. Another DMK worker, Raju, committed suicide by hanging himself on Sunday, according to local media reports.

The security was beefed up both at the hospital and Karunanidhi's residence on Sunday.

DMK leader A Raja, in an address to people outside Kauvery Hospital in Chennai, asked not to believe in rumours. Raja said, "Karunanidhi is responding well to treatment".

A massive crowd has gathered outside Kauvery hostpital and a tight security has been put in place. Some reports had earlier said that Karunanidhi's condition was upgraded to 'very critical' from 'critical'.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami, who was in Salem, has reportedly cancelled all his meetings and rushed for Chennai.

Leaders cutting across party lines are arriving at Kauvery hospital. Massive crowds have gathered outside the hospital. People are shouting slogans "Long live Kalaignar".

MK Stalin issues statement over M Karunanidhi's health condition,states 'There was unexpected setback in his health but after intense medical care,he's normalising.Doctors' team is continuously monitoring him.Appeal to cadres to not indulge in violence or disturb police or public pic.twitter.com/1tsAoUF4mU  ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2018

Karunanidhi was admitted to the Hospital in a critical condition around 1.30 a.m. on Saturday after his blood pressure began to fall. He was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance past Friday midnight from his Gopalapuram residence.

Former BJD leader Bijayant Jay Panda earlier called on M Karunanidhi at Kauvery hospital today and wished for the DMK president's speedy recovery.

"I came here to convey my best wishes for Karunanidhi Ji's speedy recovery. He has played a tremendous role in social transformation and economic development of the nation. I met MK Stalin, Kanimozhi and other DMK leaders," Panda told ANI after meeting.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu earlier today met the DMK Chief at Kauvery hospital where Karunanidhi is admitted following a drop in blood pressure.

The crowd stayed put outside the hospital even past midnight. Despite assurances that Karunanidhi was recovering, the crowd refused to disperse.

Anna University has announced that there has been no holiday declared for its constituent colleges.

BJD leader Bijayant Jay Panda calls on M Karunanidhi.



Vice President Venkaiah Naidu meets DMK Chief M Karunanidhi at Kauvery hospital where the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was admitted following a drop in blood pressure.

DMK supporters gathered outside Chennai's Kauvery hospital, where DMK Chief M Karunanidhi was admitted following drop in blood pressure.

Police personnel have cordoned off for the entire area for general public.

Karunanidhi's condition has hogged attention over the past couple of days, with political leaders from across the spectrum lining up to visit him. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will meet Karunanidhi at the hospital on Sunday.

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi's health condition continues to remain stable with ongoing active medical support, said the latest bulletin issued by Kauvery Hospital in Chennai.

The hospital statement said, "DMK President and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Kalaignar Dr M Karunanidhi's health condition continues to be remain stable with ongoing active medical support. He is continuously being monitored & treated by the panel of expert doctors in the Intensive Care Unit."

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman meets DMK's MK Stalin at Chennai's Kauvery hospital to inquire about M Karunanidhi's health condition

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad visits Karunanidhi at Kauvery Hospital

TN CM E Palainiswami's statement: Karunanidhi was not feeling well & was undergoing treatment at home. Now, he is being given the best treatment at the hospital. Our ministers had met MK Stalin and inquired about his health. He will recover soon. If necessary we are willing to provide any help with medical aid.

He is better. His blood pressure has stabilised: DMK leader Kanimozhi on DMK President M Karunanidhi's health condition.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit met MK Stalin at Kauvery Hospital, where DMK President M Karunanidhi was admitted late last night.

DMK supporters continue to gather outside Kauvery Hospital, where DMK President M Karunanidhi is admitted.

Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit visits DMK President M Karunanidhi at Kauvery Hospital who was admitted to the hospital late last night following a drop in blood pressure.

MK Stalin arrived at Kauvery Hospital, where DMK President Karunanidhi is admitted following a drop in blood pressure.

DMK supporters gathered outside Kauvery Hospital, where DMK President is admitted.

Karunanidhi, 94, was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of Kauvery Hospital at 1:30 am.

After the hospital informed that Karunanidhi was responding to treatment, the crowd started to disperse. His family members including Stalin and former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran too left the hospital.

The hospital in a statement said he was brought there after his blood pressure had dropped.

"His blood pressure has been stabilised with medical management and he continues to be monitored and treated by the panel of experts," the hospital said.

Several senior DMK leaders, including working president M K Stalin and his estranged elder brother M K Alagiri were at the hospital.

Other frontline leaders such as Duraimurugan, Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and former Union minister A Raja were also there.

Hundreds of party cadres and well-wishers have gathered at the hospital. Security beefed up in and around the area. Slogans like "Long Live Kalaignar Karunanidhi" rent the air.

Earlier in the day, Kauvery hospital in Chennai released a medical bulletin stating that Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi's health had deteriorated and a team of medical experts were treating him for fever due to urinary tract infection and had kept him under observation for 24 hours.

"There has been a decline in the health of DMK president M Karunanidhi's due to age-related ailments. He is being treated for fever due to urinary tract infection. He is being given hospital level treatment at home," a medical bulletin released by the Kauvery Hospital said.

Given his condition, the team of doctors attending to him has recommended the restriction on visitors.

DMK working president and Karunanidhi's son, M K Stalin, told that the veteran leader is recovering steadily as his fever is coming down. News agency ANI quoted him as saying "he (M Karunanidhi) is recovering steadily as his fever is coming down." Stalin was made the party's working president in 2016 after Karunanidhi retreated from the mainstream politics.

He tweeted: "I am thankful to Rahul Gandhi, SitaramYechury & D Raja for calling to inquire about Thalaivar Kalaignar's health. The concern and wishes from everyone will surely aid @kalaignar89's recovery and we hope he will be able to meet everyone soon."

On behalf of the DMK, I thank @rashtrapatibhvn & @PMOIndia for their enquiries about @kalaignar89's health. I am extremely grateful for their offers of help. Thalaivar is getting the best medical care and treatment. We hope he will recover soon and thank everyone in his own words  M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) July 27, 2018

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he spoke with Karunanidhi's son M.K. Stalin, who is the Leader of Opposition, and daughter Kanimozhi and enquired about the veteran leader's health. "I pray for his quick recovery and good health," wrote Modi on Twitter and added that he has offered any assistance required.

Also, President Ram Nath Kovind spoke to Karunanidhi's family members, President's office tweeted, "Spoke to Thiru Karunanidhi's family members on the phone and inquired about his health. Wishing the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, a veteran of our public life, a quick recovery."

Spoke to Thiru Karunanidhis family members on the phone and inquired about his health. Wishing the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, a veteran of our public life, a quick recovery #PresidentKovind  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 27, 2018

Arpudhamaal, the mother of Perarivaalan who is accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, visited Gopalapuram to meet Karunanidhi.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to wish for Karunanidhi's speedy recovery.

MK Stalin took to Twitter to thank PM Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi for enquiring about Karunanidhi's health.

Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot took to Twitter to wish Karunanidhi a speedy recovery.

Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan said that meeting MK Stalin & Kanimozhi, he was apprised that Karunanidhi's health is improving and that PM Modi spoke to them inquiring about his health. Karunanidhi's house has been flooded with party workers today after Kauvery Hospital stated a "slight decline" in his health Thursday night.

Stalin's estranged brother and former union minister M K Alagiri arrived at the residence along with his son Durai Dayanidhi.

Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan said, "Kalaignar should get back to active life and that is my prayer. He presided over my marriage..."

Among other visitors were, MDMK chief Vaiko, Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan, CPI leader D Pandian and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader Velmurugan who enquired about his health from family members and Stalin.

"Such fever after a tracheostomy procedure is usual. Stalin told me that he is fine. I am confident that he will bounce back with the same magnetic voice," Vaiko told reporters.

Karunanidhi completed 50 years as party chief today and the DMK had planned to celebrate it by distributing sweets and welfare assistance.You have right to protest not right to block roads: SC to farmers

Kerala govt bats for women entry into Sabarimala: SC reserves verdict

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 1: The Kerala government has said that the custom of barring women in the age group of 10-50 years into the Sabarimala temple is not permissible constitutionally. The government also submitted that Sabarimala Ayyappa temple cannot claim to be a distinct denomination to claim a custom which bars the entry of women in the above mentioned age group.

The court has reserved orders in the case. The government also said that the celibate status cannot be a ground to bar women's entry into the temple. The Kerala government also cited the example of Shankaracharya.

The court had last week said that irrespective of the submissions that Lord Ayyappa of the Sabarimala temple has "celibate character", it cannot remain "oblivious" of the fact that the entry of women in the age group of 10-50 was barred on "physiological ground" of menstruation.

The bench, which was hearing pleas of Indian Young Lawyers Association and others challenging the ban, asked whether the practice at Sabarimala of barring women of the age group of 10-50 years from entering the temple was an "essential and integral" practice of a religious denomination.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 15:47 [IST]Mamata does a U-turn on civil war' remark

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

New Delhi, Aug 1: A day after she said that there would be a 'civil war' if the Assam-like NRC list is forced on West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday denied having made such a remark.

Mamata Banerjee is leading a frontal attack on the Narendra Modi government over the draft of National Register of Citizens for Assam. Amit Shah had hit back, saying the Bengal Chief Minister was "spreading confusion" with her claims of "civil war". Accusing her of playing vote bank politics, he said, "I heard the whole speech and I am stunned by it".

"I am not BJP's servant to reply to any of their statements. I didn't say this (civil war remark), my concern is regarding the 40 lakh people whose names are not in the list (NRC). BJP is politically tensed because they know they won't come to power in 2019," Banerjee told reporters today.

Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has been accusing the BJP of trying to drive out people for political reasons. The draft list of citizens, which leaves out 40 lakh people, has triggered huge protests inside parliament and out. While the people in Assam are apprehensive of action, opposition parties have accused the government of targetting Muslims, using illegal migrants as a pretext.

[There will be 'civil war' if NRC forced on West Bengal: Mamata tells Rajnath]

Yesterday, Mamata Banerjee met Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the release of the first National Register of Citizens (NRC) list in Assam and asked the latter for assurance that the Union Government will not harass people.

"I asked him to amend NRC Bill or bring the new bill. He has assured me they (govt) will not harass people. I also spoke to him about reports of NRC being implemented in Bengal, I told him that if such a thing happens there can be a civil war," she had said after the meeting.

Trinamool Congress has also decided to send an eight-member delegation to Assam later this week to assess the situation in the north-eastern state in the wake of the publication of the final draft of the NRC. Nearly 40 lakh people were declared 'outsiders' in the NRC draft released on Monday.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 19:38 [IST]No plan to completely exit Air India, says MoS Civil Aviation

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 1: The government remains committed to the disinvestment of Air India but has no plan to exit the national carrier altogether, Union minister Jayant Sinha said on Wednesday.

The proposed stake sale in the debt-laden airline failed to take off as it did not receive any Expression of Interest (EoI) from potential bidders when the deadline ended on May 30. The government is also working on ways to improve the performance of Air India.

Against this backdrop, Sinha told the Rajya Sabha that the government remains committed to the disinvestment of Air India. In a written reply, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation said the government "has no such plan to exit Air India altogether".

"In view of volatile crude prices and adverse fluctuations in exchange rates, the present environment is not conducive to stimulate interest amongst investors for strategic disinvestment of Air India in the immediate near future. The issue would be revisited once global economic indicators, including oil prices and forex conditions stabilise," he said.

As per its audited accounts, the airline's total cumulative losses stood at Rs 47,145.62 crore in financial year 2016-17. According to Sinha, Air India has been making losses since merger with Indian Airlines in 2007. High interest burden, increase in competition, high airport user charges, adverse impact of exchange rate variation and liberalised bilaterals to foreign carriers leading to excess capacity in the market are among the major reasons for the losses, he said.

PTI'Not guts but greed': Ahmed Patel hits back at Amit Shah over Assam NRC

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

New Delhi, Aug 1: A day after Amit Shah said the Congress lacked guts to implement the Assam Accord, Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Wednesday slammed the BJP chief for his Rajiv Gandhi reference.

"Not guts but greed for power, driving them to polarise India over NRC. Rajivji championed Assam & Punjab accords knowing it will adversely affect party's chances in polls. Earlier INC sacrificed its govt in J&K for peace," he wrote on twitter.

"Legacy of Congress is to keep nation before party, this is guts," Patel added.

BJP Chief Amit Shah said in Rajya Sabha that Congress did no have the guts to implement NRC, but BJP has and so we have implemented it.

Shah while reminding the Congress that it was a leader from their party who had signed the accord on NRC in 1985, said "It was an initiative taken by Rajiv Gandhi, but you didn't show courage to implement this, We did. NRC was initiative of the Prime Minister from the Congress party."

Over 40 lakh people were excluded in the final draft list of the NRC released on July 30.Assam elections 2021: Those excluded from NRC, but on rolls can vote

NRC row: Large number of foreign intruders' residing in Delhi, says Manoj Tiwari; Demands survey

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

New Delhi, Aug 1: Amid intensifying political debate over the NRC list, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding a survey in the national capital as there are large number of "foreign intruders" residing in the city.

"Please conduct a survey in Delhi too (like NRC) as a large number of Rohingyas and foreign intruders are residing in Delhi and many of them have also attained Aadhaar and ration cards," Tiwari wrote, as per an ANI report.

This comes barely three days after the government released the first National Register of Citizens (NRC) list in Assam, sparking a major political debate. Nearly 40 lakh people were declared 'outsiders' in the NRC draft released on Monday.

Mamata Banerjee is leading a frontal attack on the Narendra Modi government over the draft of National Register of Citizens for Assam. Banerjee on Tuesday met Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the NRC list and asked the latter for assurance that the Union Government will not harass people.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 23:48 [IST]Over 6000 private hospitals likely to join Ayushman Bharat Yojna

India

oi-Vinod

New Delhi, Aug 1: Over 6000 private hospitals of the country are likely to join Ayushman Bharat Yojna (National Health Protection Scheme) - the flagship scheme of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Almost 30 states including some Union territories have come on board for this scheme with Rajasthan and Maharashtra showing some reluctance till very late.

Sources said that the ministry will be meeting all these states on August 4-5, 2018 in Delhi to discuss the nitty-gritty of implementation of the scheme. The project will be announced on August 15, 2015 but will be rolled out on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi that is October 2.

Maharashtra and Rajasthan have been the last states to join the scheme because there are many states that already have such schemes. Under this scheme the state government will have to contribute 40 percent expenses while the Centre will have to pay 60 percent. Sources said that such states where these schemes are being run under trust no premium payment will be required while other states where there is insurance, states will have to pay premium for example Nagaland will be paying Rs 444 per person. Since this is a state-specific scheme so this premium will vary from one state to other.

Sources informed that states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur will role out on October 2 this year. Other states will also do it gradually. Moreover, portability of the scheme will also available and services will be available across the country for every person insured under this scheme. So if someone falls ills outside the state where he/she lives, the rate will be applicable of the particular state where he is in but money will be paid by the state he/she belongs to.

Sources said that Aadhar is preferable but not mandatory to get benefits of this scheme. To felicitate people to get benefit of this schemes Common Service Centers (CSCs), call centres, website and Asha workers are being prepared to work for it.

Sources said, "Out of total approximately 11 crore people covered under this scheme just 5 per cent that is around 65 lakhs have gone missing. Apparently they must have shifted the place in want of job or some other reason, we find this number quite satisfactory."

The scheme aims to cover over 11 crore poor people and criterion has been taken from the 2011 census but some more survey and research have been done so more people could be included. This is an effort to benefit poor people to provide especially secondary and tertiary healthcare.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 20:04 [IST]Quota stir: Maratha Kranti Morcha begins jail bharo agitation in Mumbai

India

oi-Madhuri

MUmbai, Aug 1: The Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) on Wednesday embarked on "jail bharo agitation" beginning Mumbai, which will be undertaken across the state between August 1 and 9. A team of 14 MKM members will stage demonstrations at the Azad Maidan and spell out their demands.

The outfit is demanding a decision on the Maratha quota at the earliest, take back all cases against Maratha protesters, action against the officers responsible for firing and lathi charge during July 25 protest, resignation or sacking of ministers MLAs who gave irresponsible statements against Maratha community.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai police claimed to have ample security arrangements for "Jail Bharo Andolan" in Mumbai to maintain law and order.

The police has also been asked to be on alert in other parts of Maharashtra as well in wake of "Jail Bharo Andolan" called by the Maratha Kranti Morcha.Who was Bal Gangadhar Tilak?

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, an Indian nationalist, teacher, social reformer, lawyer and independence activist, passed away on 1 August 1920. Horrified by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Tilak's health started declining and he passed away soon after.

Early life:

Born on July 22, 1856 to a Sanskrit Scholar in Ratnagiri, Keshav Gangadhar Tilak later shifted to Pune. A teacher and journalist by profession, Tilak initiated his political life as a social reformer and freedom activist. He was one of the first few leaders to advocate for 'swaraj' or self rule. He published two newspapers -Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English) -that actively circulated the cause of national freedom. His slogan 'Swaraj is my birth right, and I shall have it' inspired millions of youths.

Conferred with the title of 'Lokmanya'

He was also conferred with the title of 'Lokmanya' and is often regarded as the first leader of the Indian Independence movement. In view of this over 2 lakh people had gathered at his home in Bombay to pay their respects. Dubbed the 'father of Indian unrest' by the British, he was one of the first and strongest advocates of Swaraj. After his death, Gandhi paid tribute to him by calling him ' The Maker of Modern India', while Jawaharlal Nehru described him as 'The father of the Indian Revolution'.

A look at his famous quotesRohingyas are illegal migrants says Centre asks states for count

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 1: The Centre has sent out an advisory to all states to get a count of the Rohingyas. The Centre has asked states to collect biometric data of the Rohingya migrants amidst reports of illegal activities. The government further made it clear that the Rohingyas are illegal migrants and not refugees.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the advisory for enumeration had been sent. He further said that the Border Security Force and Assam Rifles have been sensitised and told not to allow any more illegal immigrants into the country.

He further said that the Home Ministry was waiting for the enumeration process to be complete, after which it would be sent to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) who will in turn take it up with the government of Myanmar.

Junior Home Minister, Kiren Rijiju said that there were around 40,000 Rohingyas in India and most of them were found in Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Tripura and Mewat. He further said that there have been reports of illegal activities by the Rohingyas.

Rijiju said India had been "most soft" in its approach to the issue. "We are not signatories to the UN Convention on Refugees but have our own laws and have been most soft on refugees. That does not mean that there should be no regulation of the system. We should take care of our citizens first before taking care of others.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 5:40 [IST]We are a big loser, J&K better off when governed by CMs: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Protect country without worry, Modi govt will take care of your families: Amit Shah to troops

Amit Shah spends night at CRPF camp in Pulwama; says will see a peaceful J&K 'in our lifetime'

Balkanisation of India: Lt. Gen would look to further bolster Operation Tupac in Kashmir

SC seeks report from J&K govt on rehabilitation of mules owners

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

New Delhi, Aug 1: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to prepare a plan and apprise it within a month as to how it would phase out mules used for carrying pilgrims to Vaishno Devi shrine and rehabilitate mules owners.

In July, a bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta had asked the government to protect the pony and mule owners, who are operating there for a long time ferrying devotees to and from the shrine, and look into issues of their rehabilitation on "humanitarian grounds".

Additional solicitor general Maninder Singh and advocate Shoeb Alam, appearing for Jammu and Kashmir, said the plan for rehabilitation of pony and mule owners was to go before the sub-committee of the Cabinet, but as of now, there was no government in the state which is under governor's Rule.

"The sub-committee was constituted, but before they could look into the issue of rehabilitation, the government fell in the state," they told the bench.

In May, the apex court had asked Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to look into the matter of rehabilitation of mule owners in a humanitarian manner.

As per LiveLaw report, the bench observed thus as it was told by the ASG State of Jammu and Kashmir that a plan has been made for rehabilitation of Mule owners operating on the track between Katra town to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Shrine and that the Shrine Board declined to part with any funds for the rehabilitation of Mule owners apparently on the ground that after a new track is inaugurated they do not require the services of the Mule owners.

Pilgrims on way to Amarnath Security personnel look on as a batch of pilgrims are on their way towards the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, in Sheshnag Lake on Tuesday, July 3, 2018. Crssong mountain on mules Pilgrims cross mountain trails during their religious journey to the Amarnath cave temple, at Pahalgam in Anantnag district of J&K on Friday, July 06, 2018 Devotees ride on mules Devotees ride on mules to pass across a landslide affected zone near Vaishno Devi Temple, in Katra on Friday, June 29, 2018. (PTI Photo) PM Modi rides on pony BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi rides a pony during his visit to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra on Wednesday. PTI file photo

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 14:15 [IST]Sushma Swaraj says Doklam standoff was resolved with 'diplomatic maturity'

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 1: The India-China face-off over Doklam was resolved through "diplomatic maturity without losing any ground" and status quo has been maintained, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday.

Swaraj told the Lok Sabha that the main objective of the informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Wuhan was to ensure mutual comfort, mutual understanding and mutual trust between the two leaders and all the three objectives have been achieved.

"We have resolved the Doklam issue with diplomatic maturity without losing any ground. There is no change in the status quo (on the ground). There is not an iota of change. The face off at sight has been resolved on August 28, 2017," she said during the Question Hour.

The external affairs minister said the Wuhan informal summit was held without any agenda and without having any objective to discuss any specific issue. Before the summit, the foreign ministers of the two countries decided that the leaders should not be restricted to any specific issue, she said.

"The decision to host Wuhan was taken not to resolve any issue but to create a conducive environment. Three main objectives were to ensure mutual comfort, mutual understanding and mutual trust. In all the three objectives, we have achieved success," she said.

Swaraj said as a follow-up to the Wuhan summit, the Chinese defence minister is coming to enhance military cooperation while the foreign minister will arrive later this year as part of efforts to enhance people-to-people contact. The external affairs minister also said after the Wuhan summit, both the leaders met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg and the SCO summit. As a result of the understanding developed in Wuhan, later meetings also covered the issue of Doklam.

"First things that had happened was that both the leaders would give order to respective military that if there is any incident, any misunderstanding at the ground level, then it should be resolved at that level only and avoid dispute," she said.

The first informal summit between Modi and Jinping was held at the Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27-28. India and China were locked in a face-off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector for over 50 days after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area. China claimed it was constructing the road within their territory which India had objected, saying the territory does not belong to China.

To another query, Swaraj also made it clear that the boundary dispute between Bhutan and China was continuing and it was a matter between those two countries.

"Our concern was related only to the tri-junction area (India-Bhutan-China)," she said.

Trinamool Congress member Sugata Bose said since the external affairs minister was not present in Wuhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House, he should make an intervention and disclose what had happened in his informal summit with the Chinese leader. Swaraj dismissed the suggestion, saying she was capable of answering all questions relating to the Wuhan summit as she was fully abreast of it.

"I am capable to answer all the questions, irrespective of whether I was present there or not. I am fully aware of what was happening there," she said.

Replying to a question regarding the South-China sea dispute, Swaraj said India believed that the international sea route should be free for navigation.

"There should be freedom of navigation. Our stand on South China sea is clear that there should be freedom of navigation and all international laws should be adhered to," she said.

Regarding the Wuhan summit, Swaraj said as an innovative format for leadership-level diplomatic engagement, it enabled the two leaders to hold direct, free and candid exchange of views on issues of over-arching, long-term and strategic significance, without the constrains of protocol and pre-agenda.

She said it was not meant to discuss specific topics but to strengthen mutual trust and understanding between the two leaders in order to forge a common understanding on future direction of India-China relations and to create the appropriate conditions for the two sides to deal with their differences constructively.

President Jinping has accepted the Prime Minister's invitation for visiting India for the second informal summit at a mutually convenient time in 2019, Swaraj said.

PTIExplained: What is The Banning of Unregulated Schemes Bill 2018

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

New Delhi, Aug 1: Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla will move The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 on Monday. The bill is aimed at tackling the menace of illicit deposit-taking activities in the country. Companies/ institutions running such schemes exploit existing regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned savings.The Union Cabinet had given the approval to introduce the bill in February.

Details:

The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 will provide a comprehensive legislation to deal with the menace of illicit deposit schemes in the country through, complete prohibition of unregulated deposit-taking activity; deterrent punishment for promoting or operating an unregulated deposit-taking scheme; stringent punishment for fraudulent default in repayment to depositors; designation of a Competent Authority by the State Government to ensure repayment of deposits in the event of default by a deposit-taking establishment; powers and functions of the competent authority including the power to attach assets of a defaulting establishment; designation of Courts to oversee repayment of depositors and to try offences under the Act; and listing of Regulated Deposit Schemes in the Bill, with a clause enabling the Central Government to expand or prune the list.

Salient Features:

The salient features of the Bill are as follows:

The Bill contains a substantive banning clause which bans Deposit Takers from promoting, operating, issuing advertisements or accepting deposits in any Unregulated Deposit Scheme. The principle is that the Bill would ban unregulated deposit-taking activities altogether, by making them an offence ex-ante, rather than the existing legislative-cum-regulatory framework which only comes into effect ex-post with considerable time lags.

The Bill creates three different types of offences, namely, running of Unregulated Deposit Schemes, fraudulent default in Regulated Deposit Schemes, and wrongful inducement in relation to Unregulated Deposit Schemes.

The Bill provides for severe punishment and heavy pecuniary fines to act as a deterrent.

The Bill has adequate provisions for disgorgement or repayment of deposits in cases where such schemes nonetheless manage to raise deposits illegally.

The Bill provides for the attachment of properties/ assets by the Competent Authority, and subsequent realization of assets for repayment to depositors.

Clear-cut timelines have been provided for attachment of property and restitution to depositors.

The Bill enables the creation of an online central database, for collection and sharing of information on deposit-taking activities in the country.

The Bill defines "Deposit Taker" and "Deposit" comprehensively.

"Deposit Takers" include all possible entities (including individuals) receiving or soliciting deposits, except specific entities such as those incorporated by legislation.

"Deposit" is defined in such a manner that deposit takers are restricted from camouflaging public deposits as receipts, and at the same time not to curb or hinder acceptance of money by an establishment in the ordinary course of its business.

Being a comprehensive Union law, the Bill adopts best practices from State laws, while entrusting the primary responsibility of implementing the provisions of the legislation to the State Governments.This is the jail where Vijay Mallya will be lodged

India

oi-Madhuri

Mumbai, Aug 1: Mumbai's Arthur road jail, where fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya would be kept after extradition from the UK, was one of the best in the country, Home Affairs Ministry officials said on Tuesday.

The prisons in India were as good as in any other country in the world and prisoners' rights were fully protected in Indian jails. Mallya's apprehension about threat to his life was "misleading", a Home Affairs Ministry official said.

The comments came after a court in the UK today asked the Indian authorities to submit a video within three weeks of Arthur Road Jail cell where they plan to keep Mallya post-extradition to face the law in connection with the Rs 9,000 crore loan default cases.

The official said that adequate medical facilities were available to treat the prisoners in Arthur road jail, where Mallya would get full security cover as an undertrial prisoner and it was highly secured as per international standards.

UK court asks for video of jail where Vijay Mallya will be lodged

The central government had already conducted an assessment of security cover given to prisoners in the Arthur road jail and its findings conveyed to the UK court.

Mallya, 62, was in the UK since March 2016 and he was arrested by the Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant on April 18. However, he was soon granted bail by the court.

India and the UK have an extradition treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place under the arrangement.

Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel was sent to India last October to face trial in connection with his alleged involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002. However, unlike Mallya, he had submitted to the extradition order without legal challenge.

During a brief hearing in London today, Judge Emma Arbuthnot said she was not able to hear the case fully and just addressed representations from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), representing the Indian government, and Mallya's defence team on the conditions at Barrack 12 of Mumbai Central Prison.

She asked the Indian authorities to submit a "step by step video" of Barrack 12 for "the avoidance of doubt" over the availability of natural light in the cell where the businessman was expected to be detained pre-trial, during the trial and in the event he was convicted by the Indian courts.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 6:11 [IST]Those excluded in NRC wont be taken back by Bangladesh

India

oi-Madhuri

New Delhi, Aug 1: Bangladesh has made it clear that it will not take back those who have been excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

We don't think we will take back those people who have been excluded in the final draft of the NRC. This is not a bilateral issue between the countries and so the question does not arise, Bangladesh culture minister, Asaduzzaman Noor told the Indian Express.

He said that the issue is not a bilateral one between Bangladesh and India and hence the question of taking those people whose names have been excluded from the list does not arise.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 7:26 [IST]Here is why this Congress MLA blew flying kisses to the Odisha speaker

More trouble for Congress in MP as another legislator resigns

Congress MLA writes to PM Modi to do away with Mahatma Gandhi's portrait from Rs 2000 notes

What is the arms missing case involving this Congress MLA

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 1: The National Investigation Agency made a sensational disclosure post the raids at the house of a Congress MLA from Manipur. The raids part of the missing arms case unearthed a huge cache of arms and ammunition.

The Congress leader in question is Yamthong Haokip, MLA from Saikul assembly constituency. During the course of the investigation nine persons have been arrested and three 9mm pistol out of 56 missing pistols have been recovered from the members of various militant groups of Manipur. The custodial interrogation of the accused revealed the involvement of Yamthong Haokip. The NIA is now ascertaining the exact role of the MLA in the case.

What is the arms missing case:

The case dates back to 2014. The Manipur government had asked the NIA to probe the case in which 56 pistols disappeared from the police headquarters over a period of four years. The probe found that 56 auto 9 mm pistols along with 58 magazines were found missing from the state police headquarters - Arms Kote of 2nd Manipur Rifles, Imphal, - between 2014 and 2018.

Also Read | Stolen pistol, gold, cash, huge cache of arms and ammunition found at Congress MLA's house

Two employees of the 2nd MR were arrested in connection with the case. In 2016, four persons were arrested and one 9 mm auto pistol along with three magazines were seized.

The Manipur government had suspended four high-ranking police officials, including an IPS officer, in connection with the case of missing weapons from 2nd Manipur Rifles armoury between 2014 and 2018, an official statement has said.

Altogether, 56 auto 9 mm pistols along with 58 magazines were found missing when the commandant of 2nd Manipur Rifles recently conducted a routine examination of the arms corte (armoury).

The missing arms belonged to a batch of 570 pistols that were received by the state police headquarters in 2014 for supply to 2nd Manipur Rifles.

After the NIA took over the case, it conducted searches and even questioned several accused persons. During the interrogation of the accused, the name of the MLA cropped up, following which the raids were conducted.

An NIA official informed OneIndia that the raids were conducted on the basis of the statements given by the other accused. Till date, nine people have been arrested in the case and three 9mm pistols, out of the 56 missing pistols, have been recovered "from members of various militant groups of Manipur.

What the NIA found at Haokip's home:

Cash Rs. 26.40 lakhs (Indian Currency).

Gold ornaments worth Rs. 20 lakhs.

One 9mm pistol bearing no. 18506735 with magazine. The Pistol is one of the missing pistols stolen from DG pool within the premises of 2nd Manipur Rifles.

One Beretta Pistol bearing no. DAA 462616, 3032 TOMCAT-32 Auto Made in the USA with magazine.

The licence no.4760/IW, expired on 30.06.2015.

One unlicensed 9mm Pietro Beretta Gardone V.T Pistol bearing MOD.9QFS-CAL .9 PARA BELLUM-PATENTED & K57398Z, Made in Italy, with magazine.

One DBBL gun bearing no. 65330/05 having Licence no. L/981(KPI) renewed upto 31st December, 2014.

One SBBL gun without any mark of identification (with licence issued by ADC Kangpokpi, Senapati Distt. vide letter no.1786/May.97/ Military. The gun no. as mentioned was issued against the Licence is 27734.

22 rounds of live ammunition of 0.32 pistol, 15 rounds of live ammunition of 9mm pistol, 04 rounds of live ammunition of 7.62 Rifle and 04 rounds of live ammunition of 7.62X39 (AK series).

Stolen pistol, gold, cash, huge cache of arms and ammunition found at Congress MLA's house

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 12:33 [IST]Right to be forgotten: HC asks Centre, Google to reply to plea for removing verdict from search engine

Why should you insist on Aadhaar for maternity schemes asks Delhi HC

India

oi-Madhuri

New Delhi, Aug 1: The Delhi High Court said there was no legal basis for the AAP government to insist on documents like Aadhaar and bank passbooks, to provide maternity scheme benefits to pregnant and lactating women in the city.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the Delhi government not to insist on such documents for providing benefits to those eligible under maternity schemes like Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY).

The court also directed the government to widely publicise the benefits of such schemes and the requirements for registration as many women appeared unaware about them.

"No such requirement (for Aadhaar) is set out in the scheme (JSY)," it said and added "there is no legal basis for respondent (Delhi government) to insist on the documents mentioned above for availing benefits of JSY".

The directions by the bench came while hearing a woman's PIL, filed through advocate Sija Nair Pal, challenging the Delhi government's decision to insist on documents like Aadhaar to provide cashless facility under the JSY.

Pal placed an affidavit before the bench indicating a list of 22 poor women who were ignorant about the benefits of JSY and were not registered under the scheme.

Most of them did not have bank accounts or Aadhaar cards, the court noted and said that it indicated an "unfortunate state of affairs".

The court said a lot needs to be done, including giving wide publicity to the schemes, to ensure women entitled to benefits under the JSY can avail the same.

In another matter pertaining maternity scheme, Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), the court was told that women earlier eligible under it have been disentitled from availing the benefits after its name was changed.

The PMMVY was earlier known as Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY) which was run on a pilot basis in 53 districts of the country and the monetary benefit under it was Rs 6,000, the court was told.

After being changed to PMMVY, the monetary benefit was reduced to Rs 5,000 and earlier beneficiaries were disentitled, the court was also told.

Taking note of the situation, the bench said that any scheme for marginalised women has to be implemented so that all the targeted persons can enjoy the benefits.

"Rechristening of the scheme cannot lead to denial of its benefits to women who were determined eligible under the earlier scheme," it said.

"They cannot be disentitled subsequently as their eligibility has already been established," the court added.

With the above directions and observations the court disposed of both the PILs and directed the Delhi government to ensure that wide publicity is given to all maternity health schemes.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 10:20 [IST]For Mallya in Arthur Road jail, clean bedding, fresh air, light and a western toilet

International

oi-Madhuri

London, Aug 1: On Tuesday a court at London hearing the extradition case of Vijay Mallya witnessed some interesting arguments. The court sought for a video of the prison where Mallya would be lodged.

India said that Mallya would be lodged in the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai. When the case is taken up by the London court on September, India would provide the video of the jail where Mallya will be lodged.

Mallya, however through his lawyers argued that the photographs of the cell provided by India showed no natural light in the cell. There is no fresh air either, the lawyers contended. It was further argued that the photographs were taken using a technique to show light within the building. How will the sun get through this huge wall, Clare Montgomery, arguing for Mallya submitted.

India however submitted that the jail convictions complied with those of the Human Rights Commission. He would be put up in barracks with fresh air, light, a private western styled toilet and clean bedding, India submitted through Mark Summers.

Judge Emma Arbouthnot said that she could not go by the photographs of Barrack 12 that India had provided. The judge asked India to film any man going into the prison through the door shown in the photographs. Can we shoot it during mid-day? I want to see some natural light, sunlight, whether the windows pick up any natural light, the judge also said.

Mallya, it may be recalled had suffered a setback in a case related to debt recovery brought by 13 banks.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 7:35 [IST]Stupid tit for tat diplomacy, says Omar on harassment of guests at India HCs iftar in Islamabad

Former ISI chief Durrani files contempt case for not removing his name from no-fly list

Terror in Islamabad: A top secret mission, all for the nation, all for the truth

Imran Khan to move into official PMs residence: Reports

International

oi-Madhuri

Islamabad, Aug 1: A house in the Ministers' Enclave in Islamabad will be declared the official residence of Imran Khan, who is set to become Pakistan's new prime minister, as his private house is vulnerable to threats, according to a media report.

Khan's Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the July 25 elections. Khan, 65, would take oath as the prime minister on August 11.

Khan, in his victory speech on July 26, had announced that he would not use the Prime Minister's House as his residence and that his party would later decide the fate of the building.

Shortly after his party's victory in the elections, the police and the district administration started extending VVIP protocol and security to Khan. Security was tightened around Khan's Banigala residence, Dawn newspaper reported.

Senior police officers visited Khan's Banigala residence and assessed the home and the area around it, including the hills.

The police officials said there was no standard operating procedure for the prime minister in-waiting, but since Khan is likely to be the next prime minister, necessary measures have been taken for his security, the report said.

They discussed security issues with PTI leader Naeemul Haq as well as the chief security officer of the residence, it said.

Issues regarding the official residence of the prime minister-in-waiting also came under discussion. The officials briefed them about the standard operating procedure (SOP) related to the security and protocol of the prime minister, the report added.

The senior officers also met Khan and briefed him about security and protocol.

During the meeting, the district administration officials told him that his residence could not be provided foolproof security as the area was open and vulnerable to threats.

Earlier, there was an option to declare Banigala residence as Khan's official residence.

Khan then agreed not to use Banigala as his official residence, the officials told Dawn.

A few more options were also given to him, including using an accommodation at the Ministers' Enclave, which he accepted, the report said.

However, he asked for a lowest category house at the enclave, it said.

There are flats which fall in the lowest category, but since necesary SOPs and protocol for prime minister could not be implemented there, the senior officers advised Khan against using a flat and instead prefer a house to which Khan agreed, the report said.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 14:53 [IST]Are Imran Khan and Gen Bajwa at war over appointment of new ISI chief?

Imran Khan seeks MQM-Ps support to form next Pakistan government

International

oi-Madhuri

Karachi, Aug 1: Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has sought the support of its former nemesis MQM-P to form the federal government, a media report said.

Khan's pointman Jahangir Tareen flew into Karachi from Islamabad last evening and invited former rival Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan to join the PTI-led government, the Dawn reported.

Karachi-based MQM-P, which ruled Pakistan's commercial hub for decades, managed to get just six National Assembly seats - four in Karachi and two in Hyderabad - in the July 25 elections compared to its 24 National Assembly seats in 2013.

The MQM-P has become an important factor in national politics since the PTI with 116 seats in National Assembly cannot form a government on its own and lacks a simple majority in the lower house of parliament.

Tareen along with PTI leaders Arif Alvi, Firdous Shamim Naqvi and Imran Ismail reached the MQM-P's temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad area and met with its convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

Talks between the two parties held behind closed doors past midnight. An MQM-P source told Dawn that Tareen sought MQM-P's help in the election of speaker, deputy speaker and leader of the house in the National Assembly and offered the party its share in the upcoming federal Cabinet.

The MQM-P was not interested in a single ministry and it wanted more powers for the Karachi and Hyderabad local governments, the daily said.

Later, Tareen told the media that the PTI had invited the MQM-P to join its government at the Centre for the sake of the country. He said that both the PTI and MQM-P got mandate from Karachi and now it's time to deliver to the people.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 6:49 [IST]Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump

Thousands of terrorists might have been airlifted out of Kabul: Trump slams Biden

Never in history has withdrawal from war been handled so badly: Trump

Iran rejects Trumps offer for unconditional talks, calls it worthless

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

London, Aug 1: Iran's senior officials and commanders on Tuesday, July 31, dumped US President Donald Trump's offer for talks without preconditions as worthless and "a dream", saying the latter's words contradicted his action of reimposing sanctions on the West Asian country, Reuters reported.

On May 8, Trump scuttled the 2015 nuclear deal which was made with Iran in 2015 when his predecessor Barack Obama was in office, saying it was unfairly benefiting Tehran, and reimposed sanctions on Iran that were there prior to the agreement.

Trump's Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani, on the other hand, trashed the former's repudiation of the 2015 deal, saying it was "illegal" and that Tehran would not easily yield to the US's efforts to strangle Iran's oil exports. The US has also warned other countries, including India, to curb oil transaction with Iran to zero - a fact which has also infuriated Tehran.

On Monday, July 30, Trump said he would be willing to meet Rouhani without any preconditions to discuss ways to improve relations.

The American president adopted a similar strategy vis-a-vis North Korea whose dictator Kim Jong-un met him in Singapore in June over denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. However, in case of the US-North Korean reconciliation, it was Kim who had made the offer to talk with Trump.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 11:37 [IST]Why Imran Khans invite to Modi to his swearing-in will only see photo-op sessions

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

Islamabad, Aug 1: The news that the new government of Pakistan under the leadership of Prime Minister-elect Imran Khan might invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his oath-taking ceremony this month has generated an interest. After Khan's address to the nation a day after the July 25 general elections that went to his party's - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) - way where he emphasised on improving ties with India ("if India takes one step, Pakistan will take two"), the likelihood of the Indian PM getting an invite to the swearing-in of his Pakistani counterpart gave rise to positive vibes, many felt.

But will the new government of Pakistan really mean betterment of ties with India at the moment? Although the script could be identical with that of Modi's own swearing-in in 2014 when he had he invited the leaders of all the South Asian nations, including the then Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif, but the goodwill that goes into it might not be as pure as it was in 2014.

In 2014, when Modi took oath and invited Sharif, the latter was also just a year old in his third prime ministerial term and it meant two almost fresh leaderships taking a renewed stance over the dented bilateral affairs between the two neighbours. In 2018, the situation is different.

It's unlikely Pakistan will 'serve' India ahead of 2019 LS polls

Although Khan is on the verge of taking stance as Pakistan's new PM, Modi is at the fag end of his first term and will go to the general elections in 2019 hoping to renew his mandate. If Pakistan tries to mend ways with India at this time and address its concerns over pressing issues like terror, then that would go to Modi's advantage and ahead of India's general elections, Islamabad would not do a thing that will only embolden Modi's Hindu nationalist regime. For Khan, showing a soft face to India now could annoy the hidden forces that have supposedly overworked to see him win the election this year, defeating the more independent-minded Sharif. As a starter, he certainly will not take the risk.

The possible invitation to Modi from Pakistan thus will serve nothing more than a mere photo-op. The move is all the more diplomatic because by inviting Modi at a time when the relations between the two neighbours haven't been at its best, Islamabad will put the ball in New Delhi's court. If India refuses, Pakistan could use it as an example to back its claim that it is India which is against peace. If it accepts, the Khan government will take the credit of kick-starting the relation which saw more lows than ups over the past few years.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 11:19 [IST]UP B.Ed JEE Exam to be held on July 30

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to reach Lucknow on July 16; Key meetings scheduled in Delhi before visit

Members of farmers' body detained in Lucknow for trying to burn effigies of PM Modi, Shah

UP: Four rescued after 3-storey building collapses in Hulaganjin

Lucknow

oi-Madhuri

Lucknow, Aug 1: Four people have been rescued after a three-storey building collapsed in Hulaganj on Wednesday.

No one has been reported to be dead in the incident so far. Meanwhile, police and fire department are present at the spot.

In an earlier incident, a portion of a three-storey building collapsed in Bhiwandi, leaving one dead and six injured. In the case, the government had blamed the builder, saying that the building was just six years old.

In another incident, a building had collapsed in Missal Gadi in Ghaziabad where two people had lost their lives.

For More Lucknow News, Click Here

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 10:42 [IST]UP B.Ed JEE Exam to be held on July 30

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to reach Lucknow on July 16; Key meetings scheduled in Delhi before visit

UP Board Class 10th, 12th Result 2021 Declared: How to check

Members of farmers' body detained in Lucknow for trying to burn effigies of PM Modi, Shah

Uttar Pradesh: BJP booth president Virendra Mishra shot dead

Lucknow

oi-PTI

Lucknow, Aug 1: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) booth president has been allegedly shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh.

The deceased leader has been identified as Virendra Mishra. He was the booth president of the ruling party in the district.

According to the reports, miscreants stormed into the house of Virendra and opened fire on him. The man died on the spot.

Police said that the reason behind the killing of Virendra is not known and that a probe has been launched.

For more Lucknow news Click Here

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 15:26 [IST]UP B.Ed JEE Exam to be held on July 30

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to reach Lucknow on July 16; Key meetings scheduled in Delhi before visit

Members of farmers' body detained in Lucknow for trying to burn effigies of PM Modi, Shah

Uttar Pradesh: Road caves in on Agra-Lucknow Expressway; 4 rescued

Lucknow

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Lucknow, Aug 1: A car carrying four passengers fell off the Agra-Lucknow expressway as a portion of service lane caved in on Wednesday, after heavy rains and accumulation of water on the stretch.

A car that was carrying four people fell in the hollow and got stuck inside along with the people.

The people have however been rescued but the car got badly damaged. The car was bought from Mumbai and was being taken to Kannauj.

"A third-party probe has been ordered into the caving-in of the side road of the expressway (16 km from Agra towards Lucknow) by RITES Limited. The construction of the damaged road will be done by the construction agency at its cost," Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) Chairman Avanish Awasthi said.

The UP government asked railways consultancy firm RITES Limited to complete the probe within 15 days.

Awasthi said that all the agencies involved in the construction of the expressway have been asked to keep an eye on the situation and ensure proper drainage arrangements.

The 302-km long expressway, which costs nearly Rs 15,000 crore, was completed in record time of 23 months. It was inaugurated in November, 2016, by the erstwhile Samajwadi Party (SP) government months ahead of the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.

It is the country's longest access-controlled greenfield expressway on which the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters jets can land and take-off in case of a war-like emergency.

For more Lucknow news, Click HereCruise drugs party organisers took nod from Centre, not Maha govt, says Nawab Malik

Maharashtra: Polling begins for Sangli, Jalgaon municipal bodies

Mumbai

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Aug 1: Polling began at 7:30 am on Wednesday for elections to two municipal corporations in Maharashtra, where 754 candidates are vying for 153 seats.

Polling is being held for the 78-member Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation (SMKMC) in Western Maharashtra and the 75-member Jalgaon Municipal Corporation (JMC) in North Maharashtra.

The two cities have a cumulative voter population of 7,89,251.

As many as 1,013 polling booths have been set up and 5,792 election staff deployed on duty in the two cities, according to State Election Commissioner J S Saharia.

Polling is also taking place for ward number 97 of the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation.

The voting will continue 5.30 pm and the counting will be taken up on August 3.

As many as 451 candidates are in fray for 78 seats in the SMKMC, while 303 nominees will vie for 75 seats in Jalgaon.

Sangli has 4,24,179 eligible voters, while their number is 3,65,072 in Jalgaon.

The Ruling BJP-Shiv Sena have joined hands for the JMC, while the BJP is going it alone in the SMKMC.

For more Mumbai news Click Here

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 9:58 [IST]DU cut off: 52k students have secured admission so far

AAP moves Delhi HC against formation of Police Complaint Authority

New Delhi

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

New Delhi, Aug 1: AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha approached Delhi HC challenging formation of Police Complaint Authority by Lieutenant Governor without consulting representatives of Delhi Government. The High Court to hear the petition likely on Friday.

The Police Complaint Authority is formed to look into complaints against the Police.authority will deal with complaints of custodial rape, custodial death, extortion or any serious abuse of authority.

The notification for the creation of the PCA, in pursuance of the directions of the Supreme Court, was issued by the Lieutenant-Governor on January 29.

The Delhi government has approved setting up of a separate police complaints authority to inquire into complaints against policemen, as directed by the Supreme Court in 2006.

For More New Delhi News, Click HereDU cut off: 52k students have secured admission so far

Delhi: Woman stabbed to death by husband while child was sleeping

New Delhi

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 1: A 34-year-old man was arrested for allegedly stabbing her wife to death after a quarrel here, police said on Wednesday.

Renu (30) was allegedly attacked by her husband, Rajesh Singh Chauhan, with a kitchen knife in Neb Sarai on the intervening night of yesterday and today.

The couple's three-year-old son was sleeping at the time of the incident, a police official said. The accused fled from the spot.

The police were informed that a woman was found injured outside her home, following which she was rushed to a hospital where she was declared dead on arrival, police said.

The couple used to have frequent quarrels. The husband has been arrested, they added.

For more Delhi related news, click here

PTIBihar Board Class 10 result 2021 to be declared soon

Bihar: 3-year-old girl who fell in borewell in Munger rescued

Patna

oi-Madhuri

Bihar, Aug 1: A 3-year-old girl who fell in a 110 feet bore well in Munger, Bihar, on Tuesday afternoon has been rescued.

The girl, Sanno, was playing inside the house when she fell into the hole that was being drilled for the unfinished borewell, her parents told police.

The location of the borewell is proving to be a hindrance in speedy rescue operation as it was dug inside the house to get drinking water, officials said.

#WATCH: A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescue the three-year-old girl who was stuck in a 110 feet deep borewell in Munger since yesterday. #Bihar (Source: NDRF) pic.twitter.com/FDm8bZ9SDk  ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2018

The rescuers are now trying to dig a parallel hole to extract the three-year-old. In the meantime, a cctv cable and oxygen supply pipe has been pushed to the girl.

For More Patna News, Click HereWith terror, naxal cases on the rise, NIA sets up branch at Ranchi

Ten-year-old tiger dies in Ranchi zoo after fever, samples sent for testing after Covid ruled out

Jharkhand: Minor accuses 5, including two cops of rape; CM Raghubar Das orders probe

Ranchi

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

Ranchi, Aug 1: Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Tuesday, July 31, ordered a CID probe after a minor girl brought allegations of getting raped by some people, including two police officers, and then blackmailed by them through a video, an official release here said, according to PTI.

The order for the CID probe came during Das's 'Sidhi Baat' programme where the girl complained to him about her ordeal. She is a resident of Jamshedpur, the PTI report added.

According to the release, the girl accused three persons along with the MGM police station-in charge and an officer of the deputy superintendent rank.

According to Jamshedpur Superintendent of Police, Anoop Birtharay, three persons were arrested and sent to judicial custody while an investigation was on into the alleged involvement of two police officers in the crime.

The CM's order came after this.

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Story first published: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 11:51 [IST]

Quarterly Activities Report - June 2018

Perth, Aug 1, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australian Potash Limited ( ASX:APC ) ("APC" or the "Company") is pleased to provide shareholders with its Quarterly Activities Report for the period ended 30 June 2018.Highlights:Lake Wells Sulphate of Potash Project - Western Australia- Level 2 short range endemic, fauna and stygofauna surveys were completed- Initial review by the Environment Protection Authority of the Company's draft Environmental Scoping Document completed- Pilot evaporation pond program continuing with anticipated SOP trade sample production during Q3- Final program of work on hydrogeology workstream agreed with consultants: contractor tendering and engagement through Q3- Expert engineering consultants Lycopodium appointed to finalise process engineering in conjunction with Canadian based SOP expert engineering firm Novopro- Geotechnical engineering program to close out Q3/Q4 building on scoping study/optimisation studies in conjunction with Knight Piesold- Continued engagement with Chinese MOU partners and other export opportunities following appointment of experienced SOP marketing executive Jay Hussey (see below)Yamarna Gold Project - Western Australia- 3-stage, 23,000m drill program commenced at Yamarna to test highly prospective zone identified in the CSA Global structural and geochemical/lithological review- Significant bedrock gold anomaly over a 2,500-metre strike length identified at Target 15a which remains open and is similar in scale to early Air-Core (AC) drilling at recently identified high-grade Ibanez prospecti 2 kilometres to the south- Northern line of drill-program at Target 15d returned anomalous bedrock gold results over a 500-metre width- 5 of the 6 lines drilled for a total of 7,027 metres returned anomalous bedrock gold- Board continuing to actively investigate and consider strategic options to realise full-value for shareholders.Corporate Activity- Oversubscribed placement to sophisticated and professional investors to raise $3 million completed- Jay Hussey appointed as Chief Commercial OfficerAustralian Potash, Executive Chairman, Matt Shackleton commented:"Another productive quarter by our team saw the Company's two projects move forward in very material ways."At the Lake Wells SOP project, we are moving into the final DFS stages across the 4 major work streams."Our hydrogeological consultants and project management team have agreed the scope of the final package of work leading to the finalisation of the hydro/flow model and estimation of a reserve. With our geotechnical program significantly advanced, and in synchronisation with our approvals program, the final flora and fauna surveys have either been conducted or are progressing to an agreed scope of work. We anticipate producing first trade samples from site Q3. It is important to distinguish between what can be produced in the laboratory and what is actually produced at site. The pilot evaporation pond program has been underway for nearly a year."We are very excited by the addition of Jay Hussey to our team of experts. Jay brings with him an extensive network of commercial contacts in the SOP and fertiliser industries throughout China and south-east Asia more generally.To view the full report, please visit:About Australian Potash Ltd

Australian Potash Limited (ASX:APC) is an ASX-listed Sulphate of Potash (SOP) developer. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Lake Wells Potash Project located approximately 500kms northeast of Kalgoorlie, in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields.

Following the release of a Scoping Study in 2017, APC has been conducting a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) into the development of the Lake Wells Potash Project. The Company is aiming to release the findings of the DFS in H2 2019.

The Lake Wells Potash Project is a palaeochannel brine hosted sulphate of potash project. Palaeochannel bore fields supply large volumes of brine to many existing mining operations throughout Western Australia, and this technique is a well understood and proven method for extracting brine. APC will use this technically low-risk and commonly used brine extraction model to further develop a bore-field into the palaeochannel hosting the Lake Wells SOP resource.

A Scoping Study on the Lake Wells Potash Project was completed and released on 23 March 2017. The Scoping Study exceeded expectations and confirmed that the Project's economic and technical aspects are all exceptionally strong, and highlights APC's potential to become a significant long-life, low capital and high margin sulphate of potash (SOP) producer.In answering the second question, The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the petitioners attorney and against the wishes of our government in Cloer v Kathleen Sebelius [v] . This was a very big win for the petitioners. If the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Sec of HHS, another high hurdle would have been placed in front of future petitioners since statute of limitations was merely a subjective finding at best with autism petitions, not clearly defined by statute.

By allowing interim fees, this cleared up a secondary problem facing petitioners. Medical experts would not have to wait four years, eight years, or even 15 years before getting paid. Many experts were saying no to the petitioners before Avera .

The answer to the first question of paying interim fees was determined not by Congress, but rather by the courts. In Avera v HHS , [iv] the Court granted special masters to use their discretion in awarding fees and costs on an interim basis. Most of the time, the length of time before interim fees will be considered in three years. However, if the petitioner or his attorney can show financial hardship, special masters will consider for shorter periods of time.

Third, was it the intent of Congress not to address the issue of how to pay for attorney fees and medical expert costs when the petitioner is denied compensation?

Second, what to do with petitions that were filed correctly, in good faith and have a reasonable basis only to be dismissed because of statute of limitations that was determined after petition filing. Hundreds of attorney fee applications from autism petitions were held in suspension because our government, the Secy of HHS and DOJ contended that they attorneys should not be compensated because the petition was dismissed due to statute of limitations.

One, what to do about cases that drag on for several years, some as long as 15 years. Should attorneys who constantly work on behalf of their clients wait until the case has been decided before getting reimbursed for many of the costs incurred including expensive medical experts?

After addressing the issue of P&S damages, Congress went silent on addressing three big remaining issues regarding attorney fees.

Congress quickly addressed this issue and split fees and expenses from pain and suffering. And a cap of $250,000.00 was added to the P&S. Somehow that does not provide comfort to the hundreds of petitioners who sought compensation from the NVICP in the early years.

In the beginning, the fees and costs were capped at $30,000.00. The caveat is that the petitioners pain & suffering was included with that total. Can you imagine the consternation of a petitioner who suffered greatly from an injury and the special master awards only $5,000.00 in P&S because the attorney submitted a bill for $ 25,000.00 in fees and costs for legal representation in the NVICP?

Congress authorized the payment of fees and costs to compensate attorneys that represented petitioners. Under the Vaccine Act, a special master who has awarded a petitioner compensation on a vaccine related claim shall also award as part of such compensation an amount to cover . . . reasonable attorneys fees. [iii]

The Assistance of Counsel Clause includes, as relevant here, five distinct rights: the right to counsel of choice, the right to appointed counsel, the right to conflict-free counsel, the effective assistance of counsel, and the right to represent oneself pro se. [ii]

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the rightto have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense. [i]

Your right for legal counsel to represent you lies within the 6 th Amendment. However, the right to legal representation is a matter for criminal proceedings not civil matters.

The NVICP was established in 1986 and the legal proceedings are to be conducted within the Federal Court of Claims jurisdiction, located in Washington D.C. The Federal Court of Claims is the only federal court system that allows a person to sue the federal government.

How does the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) and the Federal Court of Claims deprive petitioners, who are seeking compensation for their injuries, the opportunity to seek and retain legal counsel? Very cleverly. But it takes some understanding of how legal representation in the program has evolved and more importantly, how fees are paid.

The answer to the third question to compensate attorneys even when their clients were not compensated by the NVICP is a devilish debate and where the special masters try to hold a hammer over the attorneys.

I wonder how many times the following statement has been whispered or inferred within the discussion of attorney fees, You must play ball or we will not compensate you for your work now and possibly in the future? The statute allows for payment, yet the devil is in the details.

Within the NVICP, attorneys shall be compensated for fees and expenses when a client is successful with their petition for compensation from an injury or death.[vi] When a petitioner is not successful, the Special Masters can award attorney fees and expenses at their discretion.[vii]

And this is where it gets very tricky and recently, this is where we start to lose our ability to obtain legal counsel to represent our claims within the NVICP.

The Special Master uses his/her discretion to award fees using the Good Faith and Reasonable Basis standard.

Even if a petitioner is not awarded compensation, the special master may award an amount of compensation to cover petitioners reasonable attorneys fees . . . if the special master or court determines that the petition was brought in good faith and there was a reasonable basis for the claim for which the petition was brought. [viii]

Simmons v HHS

In Simmons v HHS , the special master dismissed the petition claiming influenza vaccine caused GBS, citing failure to prosecute and insufficient proof. [ix] However, the SM awarded fees with petitioner attorney arguing that his conduct was in good faith and supported by a reasonable basis, given the proximity for expiration of the statute of limitations at the time he filed the petition. [x]

The attorney was trying to protect the case against the fast approaching deadline for filing a petition. This is what a good attorney does, acting in the best interests of their client. Protecting their rights against the statute of limitations filing period.

The government objected in awarding fees. They appealed to the Court of Federal Claims citing counsel did not have a reasonable basis for filing the petition and that the petition was not filed in good faith.[xi]

In her opinion, Senior Judge Nancy Firestone of the Court of Federal Claims, reverses the special masters decision to award fees, finds that the special master erred in awarding fees because the record before the special mater demonstrated that the counsel did not have a reasonable basis for filing the petition. [xii]

At the time of filing the petition, the client provided counsel with a copy of his medical records including vaccination. Counsel determined after consulting with his client, that he had a potentially viable vaccine-injury claim.[xiii] However after filing, the petitioner failed to communicate with his attorney, refusing to return phone calls and emails. Yet, the attorney kept the petition moving forward.

We now arrive at a point in this case where the attorney who zealously represents his client, protecting their legal rights, racing to file a petition before the clock strikes midnight with the statute of limitations, is now being second guessed of what is reasonable or not?

Petitioners attorney files for an appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, one step below the US Supreme Court. In a three-judge decision, the court affirms the Judge Firestones decision to vacate the special masters decision to award fees and costs.[xiv]

And this is how the program and the courts are constricting our opportunity to seek and retain legal counsel within the NVICP. The attorneys are being second guessed when filing a petition near the filing deadline.

Aggressive Screening of New Clients

Since this appellate ruling, a few attorneys have now altered their practice and screening of clients by not taking any new clients if the petitions are within 4 to 6 months of the statute of limitations. They cannot take the risk of losing their costs, which can be several thousand dollars associated with verifying medical records and filing a petition.

And after the CAFC ruling in Simmons v HHS , there have been a few other attorney fee applications denied only after filing their petition, obtaining medical records, a thorough examination of those records, discussions with medical experts associated with the case and to have the special masters after all this has been done, rule that the petitioner has no reasonable basis to continue.

The attorneys will file motions to leave as counsel and motions for fees and costs up to the point of the special master determination. Yet the special masters deny the fees and costs, all the work the attorneys have done representing their client and costs incurred are not compensable.

This is the current state we are facing within the NVICP. Shutting the door to compensation for all petitioners, especially if you are a child, unless you have an adult petitioner with a slam dunk case of GBS or SIRVA. Attorneys are now screening new clients very aggressively. And we are denied our opportunity to seek legal representation.

Nightmare Scenario

Here is a scenario of screening of a potential client and saying no to legal representation. Petitioner wants to file a petition claiming that her miscarriage was caused by her influenza vaccination. On the surface this type of petition should be filed. But add in the fact that the petitioner did not approach an attorney soon enough. The statute of limitations is fast approaching. Three months remain of the statute of limitations deadline. When the petitioner suffered a miscarriage and the filing deadline.

Petitioner has the medical records showing the date she received the influenza vaccine. No problems so far. File the petition to stop the tolling for statute of limitations.

Yet the attorney will not have time to request complete medical records of the mothers health only to learn that she had the flu as well as being vaccinated while pregnant.

How do you determine if the vaccination caused the miscarriage or did some other medical condition? The attorney will have to retain one or more very expensive medical experts to issue their opinions. Fast forward a couple of years to the date the special master issued decision to dismiss because no medical theory has been proffered to logically state the vaccine not the mothers medical condition caused the miscarriage.

And then rules against the attorney for thousands of dollars in fees and medical expert costs because of a lack of reasonable basis. This is happening now and will continue to happen.

The 6th Amendment allows for criminals to retain legal counsel. Yet petitioners in the NVICP are being denied legal counsel.

Just another example of how our government is shutting the door on those who have been injured or have died as a result of a vaccine.

[i] The Assistance of Counsel Clause is a part of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution

[ii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_counsel

[iii] 42 U.S.C.  300aa-15(e)(1).

[iv] Avera v HHS, CAFC 2007-5098, Feb 6, 2008

[v] Supreme Court of United States, SEBELIUS, SECY OF HHS v. CLOER 12-236, May 20, 2013

[vi] 42 U.S.C.  300aa15(e).

[vii] 42 U.S.C.  300aa-15(e)(1).

[viii] 42 U.S.C.  300aa-15(e)(1).

[ix] Simmons v HHS, 13-825v, April 30, 2014

[x] Simmons v HHS, 13-825v, April 14, 2016

[xi] Court of Federal Claims, Senior Judge Firestone, Simmons v HHS 13-825v, Sept 21, 2016 pg 2

[xii] Court of Federal Claims, Senior Judge Firestone, Simmons v HHS 13-825v, Sept 21, 2016 pg 2

[xiii] Simmons v HHS, 13-825v, April 14, 2016

[xiv] CAFC 2017-1405, Nov 7, 2017

Wayne Rohde, author of The Vaccine Court  The Dark Truth of Americas Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

www.thevaccinecourt.com

Wayne Rohde is author of Vaccine Court, from Skyhorse Publishing.Syriac Catholic Bishops Call Attention to Plight of Persecuted Faithful

Syriac Catholic bishops from around the world, meeting in Lebanon for their annual synod, lamented the plight of their "tormented and persecuted" faithful. In their final statement from the July 23-27 gathering, with Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan presiding, the bishops noted that they have "raised their voices high in front of the world, denouncing the calamities" which have especially affected the Syriac church, particularly in Syria and Iraq.

They characterised the situation as "a catastrophe that repeats the tragedy of genocide that took place with their ancestors a hundred years ago." "This grave violation of their civil rights has shaken their human, societal and cultural being, especially as they have experienced the tragedies of the displacement of thousands of families," the bishops said. The prelates also said they addressed the issue of the migration of thousands of Syriac Catholic families from the region and "the sense of shared responsibility and the urgent need to pursue the spiritual, pastoral and social service of those displaced." Regarding Syriac Catholics who settled in Europe, the Americas and Australia, the bishops encouraged them to continue to live their traditions and heritage and "to love their new countries, to be faithful to them and to be creative in various fields," while stressing "their constant quest for spiritual service despite challenges and difficulties." The prelates "renewed their support and solidarity with all the tormented and persecuted" Syriac people who suffer "the pain of displacement, migration and uprooting, assuring them that the Church will remain with them." Likewise, they also discussed the return of the displaced to their villages in the dioceses of Syria and Iraq, countries which have been "plagued by disturbances and futile wars in recent years." The Syriac Catholic bishops also underscored concerns regarding specific areas in the Middle East. They stressed the need for solidarity among the Iraqi people, for dialogue and acceptance of the other and for security, peace and stability to be restored to Iraq. Regarding Syria, they called for an end to the country's seven-year civil war and for all parties "to work together for the return of normalcy" in the country. The Syriac Catholic bishops maintained that "Jerusalem is a city for all followers of the three religions" and affirmed "the right of the Palestinian people to return to their land and to achieve a lasting peace in the two-state solution." They expressed their confidence "in the wise leadership" of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the government of Egypt and congratulated Lebanon for peaceful parliamentary elections May 6, reiterating an earlier call that the Syriac Catholic community be represented in the new government. Typically, the Syriac Catholic bishops meet in October. However, this year's synod was scheduled to follow the first Syriac Youth International Convention July 17-22, also held in Lebanon. More than 400 youth from 15 countries worldwide attended.Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) personnel are currently undertaking a week of specialised training in the lead up to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders meeting taking place later this year.The training will focus on keeping APEC member economy leaders safe and security when they travel to Port Moresby in November.It is critical that we prepare and we are ready to provide a safe and secure environment, PNGDF Colonel Siale Diro told local media on Monday.This week's activities will prepare elite security units for vital asset protection which includes venue security, traffic control points and vehicle searches.Personnel will also be focused on the clear communication and conducting of orders between task groups on the ground, the PNGDF commander, and the commander of the joint task force security, police commissioner Gari Baki.Speaking to media at a briefing last week Diro told the public not to be alarmed if they see military personnel involved in exercises.The activities this week are for the PNGDF only before they join with security forces from other APEC member economies closer to the meeting.SOURCE: XINHUA/PACNEWS/ Photo by EMTVAssyrians and Kurds in Northeast Syria: Rhetoric vs. Reality

The purpose of this article is to provide a critique of the Rojava project through a close examination of the discrepancies between the rhetoric surrounding the endeavour and the realities governing its implementation. By "Rojava project" we refer to the endeavour to establish Kurdish nationalist sovereignty in northern Syria by the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military wing the People's Protection Units (YPG), later transformed into the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Our substantial focus is on the ways in which Kurdish nationalist leaders and parties in Syria and Iraq have simultaneously oppressed Assyrians--revealing the fundamentally ethnocentric and nationalistic nature of the politics behind the Kurdistan project in both countries--and co-opted Assyrians in order to propagandise the supposedly ethnically-inclusive nature of their politics. We will also examine the rhetorical, political, and media strategies behind the Rojava and KRG projects, particularly in relation to Assyrians. The particular geographical focus of our analysis is "Rojava", but an analysis of Kurdish politics and the fate of the Assyrian people requires a transnational perspective. The "Dawronoye" ("Revolutionaries"), an Assyrian political movement which operates under PYD and PKK control, will be assessed as a force serving to advance Kurdish nationalist interests in Syria and Iraq and to burnish the rhetoric surrounding those interests. The participation of the Dawronoye in the Rojava project and the SDF--backed by a substantial rhetorical and media strategy--and the readiness of western governments to accept them as valid representatives in order to ethnically "pluralize" the SDF and legitimize them as an ally means a comprehensive account of the nature, operations and capabilities of the Dawronoye is needed. Our thesis is that the policies of Rojava's Kurdish self-administration and its Assyrian proxy, the Dawronoye, are actively harming the prospects of Assyrian survival in Syria. In support of that thesis, we document a range of abuses by the Kurdish self-administration and the Dawronoye, which include:

Extensive harassment and intimidation of Assyrians who resist the policies of the Kurdish self-administration;

Physical violence committed by both the PYD asayish and the Dawronoye Syriac Military Council (MFS) security forces against Assyrians;

Forced conscription and parallel tax systems;

The imposition of Kurdish nationalist ideology through an overhaul of the education system;

Attempts at land confiscation and the annexation of Khabur by Kurdish nationalist forces;

Manipulation of rhetoric and propaganda that seek to fully absorb the Assyrian experience into the Kurdish nationalist cause as articulated by the PYD/YPG, paving the way for the long-term absence of any Assyrian representation outside or apart from the Kurdish self-administration.

"the Syrian Kurds have built a coalition with Arabs, Syriacs, Christians and others in the northern slice of Syria that they call Rojava (or, more officially, the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.) They want pluralistic, democratic self-determination for themselves and others in a newly federated Syria, discarding the nationalist project that led to the Iraqi referendum."

We seek to illuminate these abuses in order to recommend actions that will change the outlook for Assyrians, enhancing the possibility of Assyrian survival and flourishing in Syria in the long-term. These recommendations are made clear in our conclusion. Following the conclusion, an addendum provides an itemized chronology of a some security abuses and terror attacks against Assyrians in Rojava.There are many answers to the question of what Rojava is and is not. They have emerged largely from special interests: pragmatic state press releases designed to obscure as well as inform; unflinchingly positive reviews by Western internationalists with anarchist and leftist sympathies; wholly negative indictments made by either Syrian regime loyalists, Turkish nationalists, or their allied Syrian "revolutionaries". There is very little unweighted reportage. For sympathetic Westerners, attachment to Rojava goes a step further than assuaging war-guilt or a pursuit of tangible "success" in Syria. It is an attachment that often feeds into and affirms their own ideological positions and projections. Rojava's actors are frequently described as radicals, feminists, anarchists, communists, and so forth. Yet the very observers of these terminologies (and members of the ideological communities they denote) rarely identify Rojavan actors as nationalists, since nationalism is viewed negatively among the proponents of all of the other labels. The work of anthropologist David Graeber, a close follower and supporter of the Rojava project, is testament to this. Graeber is aware that some of the criticisms against the PYD are legitimate; in 2014 he stated that " clearly, authoritarian elements remain ". But that awareness is insufficient to overturn a belief in not only the democratic, but also the non-nationalistic, nature of the Rojava experiment. In the context of Rojava, the notion of a "Syrian Kurdish" endeavour precludes the negative connotations associated with ethno-centric politics. (This stance is echoed in the less heady work of left-wing columnist Owen Jones, among others.) "Kurdistan" is depicted as a more or less "naturally" occurring phenomenon in Graeber's writing, and the distinctions between its Kurdish components are primarily ideological. Two key distinctions can be found at the geo-political and the inter-ethnic levels. According to Graeber:Further in Graeber's view , this coalition operates under the auspices of a "Syrian Kurdish freedom movement that... has pursued an entirely different vision from that of the Kurds in Iraq: It does not wish to change the borders of states but simply to ignore them and to build grass-roots democracy at the community level." The claims made by Graeber about the distinction between "direct democracy" within already-existing national borders as practiced by the PYD/YPG and the nationalist separatism of the Iraqi KDP are closer to being true in reverse. The Iraqi Kurdistan independence referendum--pushed forward by Masoud Barzani despite significant local and international criticism and held Sept. 25, 2017--was, in fact, not intended to produce a sovereign nation-state for Iraqi Kurds. Every indicator pointed to this: from the profoundly dysfunctional institutional apparatus, plagued by near absolute levels of corruption and partisanship, to the obvious advantages for the KRG of remaining in Iraq and the obvious nonsense of a direct link between the referendum result and the actual declaration of an internationally recognized sovereign state. The referendum push was instead a gamble aimed at reinforcing existing systems of patronage and power, with both major sides of the KRG also having one eye on aggrandizing the extent of their own control of the KRG in relation to external patrons and/or the Iraqi state. The nationalist vision of the KDP is therefore a tool serving several connected ends, but it is not an unswerving political vision or a true telos. The PYD/YPG preoccupation with shifting power and demographic dynamics within Rojava, however, is little different in nature--even if circumstances entail serious discrepancies of execution--than the manipulations and agendas of the KRG. Though party hegemony serves as the vehicle of implementation for both PYD and KDP agendas, the PYD's actions are molded to the task of enforcing ethnic supremacy. From the anti-imperialist, anti-American lens of many pro-Rojava observers, the thorny question of American support is dealt with as follows. American support for the YPG/SDF has served as a source of material and symbolic vindication of the project, even if America has officially opposed Rojava's declaration of autonomy. Many pro-Rojava observers in the West also oppose American support for the armed rebellion against the regime, so the distribution of American support across favorable lines can be seen as a temporary corrective measure for excesses elsewhere in the country and region. But when American support dwindles --as it did crucially during the Turkish invasion of northern Syria in August 2016 and again in Afrin most recently--it can be identified as a sign of the opportunism, "insincerity", and inconsistency of American support for the YPG, coupled with a return to the eternal clichCurrently: Cash Looking to: Buy @ 108.337



As of 3/21/21 @ 9:21pm EST: 108.857



LAST WEEK: We suggested buying dips in USDJPY to 108.337 and holding for a run up to 111. We suggested honoring stops on longs on a close below 107.75.



UPDATE: The USDJPY is up early on Monday after trading sluggishly all last week. We still feel the cross will trade down to 108.337 (or lower).

No changes to last weeks trade recommendations.Currently: Long Looking to: Hold for 61,600



As of 3/21/21 @ 10:08pm EST: 56,590



LAST WEEK: We suggested buying BTCUSD from last weeks levels down to 47,352 with stops below 43,016 and with an upside target of 64,600.



UPDATE: Bitcoin is setting up to trade around within a range from 53,500 to 61,600 in the short-term.



Look to buy BTCUSD at 54,850 and sell it at 61,600 in the short-term. We would then look to re-buy it down at 53,500 and sell it at 64,000.Curr: Long Looking to: Sell 13,810 / short 13,971.50



As of 3/21/21 @ 7:58pm EST: 12,858.25



LAST WEEK: We suggested buying at 12,664 with an upside target for taking profits at 13,810. We suggested shorting at 14,100 with a covering target of 12,466.



UPDATE: NQ futures had a very difficult session on Thursday but remain poised to move higher  potentially leading the rest of the market short-term. This could be a perfect example of a catch-up trade.

We would buy starting at 12,681.75 with a profit-taking target of 13,829. We would not short until 13,890 with stops on a close above 14,100 and with a covering target of 12,466.Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

(This is a reprint from NewsBred).



Assam's NRC has opened a can of worms

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It's possible looking at wall-to-wall coverage of Assam 's National Register for Citizens (NRC) final draft in our newspapers that you believe a Hindu nationalist party in the Centre is rendering lakhs of unfortunate Muslims homeless.

It's also possible that you believe in the blood-curdling call of Mamata Banerjee and fear that a civil war would reach our doorsteps.

It's quite possible tears are welling up in your eyes at the graphic coverage of Indian Express about unfortunate victims rendered illegal in one stroke.

It's possible you are breaking out in a sweat over the prospects of another "Partition" as snakes-in-the-sleeve come out writhing in the mud.

It's quite possible your respect for Congress has gone a millimeter up after they gave adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha over the matter.

My advisory to you is to shove this all in the nearest bin or spare your toilet roll. You need to know that this exercise has been mandated by the Supreme Court (and not Modi government); that it's just a draft; that no NRC exercise has been taken up after 1951 (sic); that Congress had itself promised so in the Assam Accord of 1985; and that Mamata Banerjee back in 2005 had herself wanted the illegal Bangladesh immigrants identified. In case you want to know everything there is to know about illegal migrants in Assam over the centuries and the present, just to make sure this nonsense doesn't waste an extra second of yours from now, read this piece and no further.

If nothing, please pay heed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh who has stressed "it's just a draft" and nobody is going to a "detention centre."

You could also bear this basic question in mind in case your office-colleagues are thumping your desk down: All the regional leaders who are shedding copious tears on "poor" illegal migrants of Assam-- "refugee in own country," as per Mamata -- whether their own people in state would welcome these 40 lakh illegals in their fold.

All things point to nothing materially changing for illegal migrants post release of second draft of NRC. One , India doesn't have an agreement with Bangladesh in place (our eastern neighbours don't even acknowledge influx of illegal migrants from its stable); Two, a porous border allows an extradited illegal migrant to return without hassle; Three, many lakhs of illegal immigrants are already spread all over the country, especially in metropolis such as Delhi , Bangalore and Mumbai. Who keeps tab on them?

Sooner than later though, illegal migrants must be taken off the election rolls; ways must be found to give refuge to millions of fleeing Hindus (and other Indic minority sects) from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh with full citizenship status (without worrying about Rohingyas or Human Right Activists--for Hindus have only India to turn to while Muslims and Christians have dozens of own doors to knock around the world); and illegal migrants legally committed not to indulge in political or religious subversive acts.Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

From The Hill

As investigations and scandals surrounding Trump Republicans in Congress may well doom the GOP in midterm elections, American politics increasingly resembles what a fourth Godfather film would look like.

Perhaps the great actor Marlon Brando would play the role of Vladimir Putin as Don Corleone in Godfather IV if he were here today. Many Republicans are as alarmed as Democrats watching Putin appear to pull the strings in his recent meeting with Trump in Helsinki, raising questions never before asked about an American president.

Putin targeted Hillary Clinton in his covert project to elect Trump in 2016. Now Putin appears to have targeted Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), based on credible reports that Russia attempted to hack McCaskill's staff as part of Putin's plan to attack the midterm elections.

If Putin was the Don Corleone of American politics in 2016, working to elect the president of his choice, he now aspires to be the Don Corleone of 2018, working to elect the Congress of his choice, which would not be a Democratic majority.

The great curse of Republicans in the midterm elections is that on issue after issue, many of them appear to be playing the role of Fredo Corleone, the hapless, duplicitous and incompetent sycophant in the original Godfather.

George Will, the conscience of modern conservatism, recently lampooned Vice President Mike Pence for groveling before the extreme excesses of Trump. Will did not use the Fredo Corleone analogy, but he could have.

Pence is a leader of the Fredo Corleone faction of Republicans, going along with dastardly deeds to get along with those who commit them. Pence's groveling would be funny if the subject was not so serious and the dangers so grave.

Not all Republicans belong to the Fredo Corleone wing of the GOP. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) has shown integrity, honor and patriotism as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, in contrast to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a leader of the Fredo Corleone Republican faction.

While Russia attacks America, Nunes attacks those who defend America from the Russian attack. While Don Corleone Putin attacks American democracy from Moscow, Nunes and the Fredo Corleone Republicans in Washington attack almost every leading player on the American team working to thwart the Russians.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is one of the most respected attorneys and great patriots of our times. The attacks against him by the president and various members of the Fredo Corleone faction are shameful, despicable and doomed to fail.

In the worst idea since Trump appeared to take the word of the Russian Corleone over the American good guys in Helsinki, some in the Fredo Corleone faction moved to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Others in the Fredo Corleone faction haplessly seek to take away the security clearances of former CIA Director John Brennan, former CIA Director Michael Hayden and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, among others.

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As we know, Lithuanian military instructors have been taking part in the training of personnel for Ukrainian soldiers since 2014. Specialists from Lithuania participate in training programs independently or together with instructors from the USA, Great Britain, Canada and Poland.

It's not a secret that Lithuania is deeply integrated into the military reforms of Kyiv. Thus, Vilnius has legalized the military training operation in Ukraine in 2017. This law expands the possibilities for participation of the Lithuanian army in military training process of Ukrainian army. In fact, it gives the opportunity for Lithuania to send on missions up to 60 specialists for the training of Ukrainian servicemen.

Just now, Lithuanian specialists serve in Ukraine within the framework of the Joint Multinational Training Group program. Together with NATO allies, they train snipers, grenade launcher platoons and staff officers.

Also Ukrainian military trainees pass training in Lithuania. Lithuanian instructors from special forces units train the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces at the training grounds in Berdichev and Yavoriv.

It sounds good, but in fact, everything is not so simple. Simple analysis of Lithuanian military support for Ukraine gives us an opportunity to understand one thing. Vilnius prepares Kiev just for war in Donbas region, but not for peace. All the training provided by specialists from Lithuania for Ukrainian soldiers, with the exception of the military staff training, is not needed in peacetime conditions.

By the way, Lithuanian Defense Minister Raymundas Caroblis repeatedly states that Lithuanian government provides Ukraine with lethal weapons and will continue it if possible. In other words, politicians in Vilnius officially recognize that they are not interested in any peaceful settlement of the conflict in Donbas.

Moreover, Lithuanian instructors train Ukrainians not in the best way. Ukrainian governmental troops, trained by NATO instructors, took part in many failed operations. Transfer of not the best experience from NATO instructors to Ukrainian soldiers is possible due to lack of confidence on the part of Western states towards Russia's former ally.

This situation leads to the worst NATO-Ukraine skill transfer, including the testing of precarious tactics and tactics at the expense of Ukrainian soldiers.

Because of that, permanent defeats make the Ukrainian troops tear off their anger and take revenge not on the military, but on peaceful residents by the flurry of random fire on civil buildings. As a result, civilians are dying, houses and other objects of civilian infrastructure are being destroyed.

As we can see, the Lithuanian government mainly works in the interests of war in Ukraine. It would be much better to help Kiev in solving the internal conflict by diplomatic means, not by military force. While Vilnius does not understand this, people in Ukraine will die.Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

"Rodriguez's misdeeds...made a mockery of the laws governing elections." - LA Times Editorial Board



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It is clear that Board President Monica Garcia has no interest in quickly filling the seat vacated by Rodriguez or in protecting the scarce education funds that are supposed to benefit the students of the LAUSD. With immediate action, it appears that the Board could have called for a special election that would piggy-back on the regularly scheduled November election in time for the August 11 filing deadline. However, Garcia has not even bothered to call a special meeting in the wake of Rodriguez' resignation. Therefore, it appears that the issue will not even come before the voters until the Spring in a special election that will have to be paid for with education funds. This matters little to Garcia, Melvoin and Gonez as the charter schools that supported their campaigns receive their funds directly from the state and will not have to contribute financially to this election.

"For LAUSD board seats choose Galatzan, Rodriguez, Vladovic and McKenna" - LA Times Editorial Board

The information that was used to criminally charge Rodriguez was available before the election took place, but the LA Times Editorial Board still endorsed him. Now that their preferred candidate has been pushed from office, they decry how "his actions have shown how little he considered what he owed the public." Even worse, they want the seat to remain empty and the stakeholders to remain unrepresented until an election can be held. They hold up the vacancy created after Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte's death as the example that should be followed but neglect to point out that the city's charter has been changed since that event. In fact, former Board member Steve Zimmer fought for a temporary voting member to be placed on the board prior to the special election but was told that action would have violated the rules in place at the time.

The LA Times is correct in asserting that "by having a board member who broke the law to gain office, Rodriguez's district already lacked legitimate representation." The residents of District 5 are the victims of Rodriguez' crimes and they should be made whole. This means a special election held as quickly as possible and the immediate appointment of a temporary caretaker with voting privileges. The person appointed should have the experience needed so as to be immediately effective and agree not to run in the special election so they will not skew the results by having achieved incumbent status undemocratically.

____________________________________________

Carl Petersen is a parent and special education advocate, elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and was a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race. During the campaign, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action and Dr. Diane Ravitch called him a "strong supporter of public schools." His past blogs can be found at www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.Quicklink Not Found

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From Smirking Chimp

Last week's news that special counsel Robert Mueller had the goods on 12 high-level Russian spies whose job was to hack computers and muck up America's 2016 presidential election was a political bombshell -- but also a resounding vindication for a 26-year-old Georgia woman with the wonderfully poetic name of Reality Winner.

In the spring of 2017, with public concern mounting about the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, federal officials still sought to assure people that there'd been no major success in penetrating electronic voting systems. But Winner, a commended Air Force veteran with a top-secret security clearance, then working for a government contractor, had seen evidence that federal officials weren't telling the whole truth.

And so Winner did what Daniel Ellsberg, Mark Felt, and others whose difficult decisions made in real time have long since been vindicated by history had done: She blew the whistle. In sending her evidence to the news media, Winner took down a cover-up of information that the Russians had, in fact, been far more aggressive -- and successful -- in targeting voting systems. Indeed, one major electronic voting-records vendor, later identified as VR Systems, had been hacked into, and Russians then used that information to target voting officials in the critical swing state of Florida with "spear-phishing" emails aimed at compromising their computer networks.

Several key state officials said no one had warned them about the Russian scheme until the leaked memo from the National Security Agency, or NSA, appeared in The Intercept in June 2017. To them, Winner's leak was a form of public service. And both the validity of the information, and its seriousness, was confirmed last week when the hacking of VR Systems and other underreported Russian efforts to gain access to voter rolls was a centerpiece of Mueller's indictment.

But to say that the vindication of Reality Winner was bittersweet would be a gross understatement.

When the indictments came down, the young Air Force vet still sat in a Lincoln County, Ga., jail cell, awaiting formal sentencing after she decided in June to plead guilty to one count of felony transmission of national defense information, an inevitable outcome in a federal prosecution that was ridiculously stacked against Winner from Day One. Under her plea agreement, Winner will spend five years and three months in prison -- until late 2022, if time served is included.

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On this past Friday, Bernie Sanders hit out at Trump over the speculation his trademark products are being created in foreign factories, allegedly on the cheap. "Given the choice between hiring American workers at a living wage or hiring much less expensive workers from China that he can exploit, Trump opts for the low-cost overseas labor day in and day out," Sanders wrote on Facebook.

This startling story was brought to my attention by a member of one of the Facebook groups I administer; it was by Mike Murphy, Reuters Editor, and originally published July 25, 2018



According to a Reuters report Wednesday, China's Jiahao Flag Co. has produced more than 90,000 "Trump 2020: Keep America Great!" banners and flags since March, and the factory has pushed up production before Trump's threatened tariffs against all Chinese-made goods kick on. The banners and flags cost about $1 each to make, according to Reuters, and a factory manager said Trump's campaign suppliers are trying to get their orders in before potential tariffs cause the price to rise. The manager, Yao Yuanyuan, told Reuters that the factory has been making Trump banners ever since the days of "Make America Great Again. Sales have been great ever since 2015," she told Reuters. One of the Trump administration's key messages to U.S. businesses and consumers has been to buy, and hire, American.

>>>>

Summarized from CNN's article:

President Donald Trump's re-election campaign denied Saturday that it is using Chinese manufacturers to produce campaign flags, despite recent viral images that suggest otherwise.

"We have made it clear all along that all of our merchandise is 100% made in the USA," Michael Glassner, the campaign's chief operating officer, said in a statement to CNN. "Any vendor who claims to have a relationship with us otherwise is lying or violating our protected trademark rights." "This applies to all of the recent fake news about Made in China products for the 2020 campaign," he said.

Reuters reported this week that Jiahao Flag Co Ltd, a company located in eastern China, has been turning out tens of thousands of red, white and blue "Trump 2020 Keep America Great" banners since March. A company manager told Reuters that she believes the US-China trade war was spurring the larger than normal production numbers in an effort to avoid looming tariff hikes. The manager also said the buyers are located within China and abroad, and she didn't know whether they were affiliated with Trump's official campaign or the Republican Party.

CNN reported earlier this month on an NPR story that said the owner of another factory in a different Chinese province said his company is making flags for Trump's re-election campaign. The White House did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment at the time. The NPR report came just days before the two countries slapped tariffs on $34 billion of each other's exports. The Trump administration is also preparing another round of tariffs on Chinese goods worth $200 billion, it announced earlier this month. Yao Yuanyuan, the manager of Jiahao Flag Co Ltd, told Reuters that she believes her company has been producing so many flags because the tariffs haven't gone up yet. "They are preparing in advance, they are taking advantage of the fact that the tariffs haven't gone up yet, with lower prices now."

Yao posited that an escalation of the trade spat would affect her price advantage, which would then prevent the company from taking more orders. "Everyone can have a patriotic heart but this won't improve his economy."

CNN's Sophie Tatum and Sarah Westwood contributed to this report.

>>>>

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From Smirking Chimp

Donald Trump's all-caps tweet threatening Iran with "CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE" sounds much like his warning last fall that North Korea would be "met with fire and fury like the world has never seen."

Will Trump deliver on his threats against Iran, but not against North Korea? There is a striking disconnect between his policies toward the two countries.

"Trump has rejected a detailed pact that kept Iran out of the nuclear weapons business for a decade, while embracing a vague communique' that allows North Korea to keep its nuclear weapons for years, and possibly forever," said Richard N. Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, offering his assessment of Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal last May.

Under the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration, Iran and five other countries, Iran had gotten rid of all of its highly enriched uranium, eliminated 99 percent of its low-enriched uranium and shut down a main nuclear reactor. Iran had fully complied with all of the requests of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency, which had affirmed eight times that Iran was in compliance with the nuclear deal.

Trump is now desperate to deflect criticism away from his much-criticized summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Trump knows that a war -- conducted with the right spin -- could help the GOP in the midterm elections. And Israel, the United States' closest ally, has been gunning for regime change in Iran, which Israel considers to be an existential threat.

Trump Is Desperate to Change the Subject Away From Russia

Trump is likely threatening Iran to distract from the widespread outrage at his adoption of Putin's denial that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. In siding with Putin, Trump rejected the conclusion of the US intelligence agencies that Russia tampered with the election.

"Other people who know Mr. Trump said his decision to respond [to Iran] in such fiery terms was driven almost entirely by his search for a distraction from questions about Russia," according to New York Times reporter Mark Landler.

Landler identifies three reasons Trump will not likely follow the same strategy with North Korea and Iran: 1) Iran's leadership is not as monolithic as North Korea's, with Kim Jong Un as a one-man state; 2) the strong Israel lobby opposes diplomacy with Iran; and 3) Trump's unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal provides Iran with little incentive to negotiate, particularly because the other parties to the deal -- Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia -- continue to abide by the pact.

Moreover, Trump is playing to his base. Christopher R. Hill, who worked as a diplomat in both Republican and Democratic administrations, said Trump's rhetoric against Iran is "raw meat" for his base, as well as "an effort to shift the subject" away from his summit with Putin.

Trump Responds to Israeli Pressure on Iran

Although Israel has enjoyed the unwavering support of successive US administrations, Trump has taken that support to a new and disturbing level.

Israel strongly opposed the Iran nuclear deal and pushed for the United States to bomb Iran. Trump pulled out of the deal, leaving Iran free to build its nuclear program.

Trump then capitulated to Israeli pressure, declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel, in spite of Security Council resolutions mandating that the status of Jerusalem be agreed upon by the parties through negotiation. Trump's declaration led to predictable outrage around the world.

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I want you to blow the whistle

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With a focus on issues compelling wronged government employees and others to blow the whistle against all forms of corruption, entangling and often ruining their lives and fortunes thereafter in a maze of legalities and retaliation, the twelfth annual Whistleblower Summit convened for three days on Capitol Hill. The keynote speaker at the First Plenary was Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), a strong advocate of empowering and protecting whistleblowers. A bill he sponsored, the Whistleblower Protection Coordination Act, was signed into law four days prior to the conference.

July 30, the first day of the conference, was designated National Whistleblower Day by the Senate, to commemorate the first Whistleblowers Law on July 30, 1778, passed unanimously by the founding fathers prior to their signing of the Constitution. So it's an age-old event, still explosive all over the country, wherever "employees are silenced about schools, science, police departments, and all levels of governance," according to seven surveys sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).

The Senate also proclaimed July 30 as National Whistleblower Appreciation Day to honor whistleblowers, more than 63 of whom attended the conference, many of them featured on panels enabling them to tell their stories in detail.

Beyond whistleblowing in its multiple venues, specific emphasis was on wildlife crime whistleblowing.

A key theme was obstruction of mainstream media (MSM) reporting of the outrages perpetrated against victims of corruption who become whistleblowers. Relevant communications with the MSM, in the last 25 years more than previously, are being obstructed and must be cleared by press and information officers (PIOs), which amounts to censorship--unethical but spreading. Where the officers clear interviews, PIOs dictate what staff can discuss and also bar reporters from specifying whistleblower names and interviewing outside sources. Often officials listen in on interviews.

Wrote Kathryn Foxhall of the SPJ Freedom of Information (FOI) Committee: "Silencing people is a recipe for skewing information and hiding dangerous and critical information. This is a continuous danger to public welfare and we welcome you to join us in this fight."

Co-Hosts of the conference were ACORN 8, LLC, the Justice Integrity Project, The Pacifica Foundation, Project Censored, Coalition for Change (C4C), and Federally Employed Women--Legal Education Fund.

A compelling, harrowing documentary film, Whistleblowers, detailing the stories of the "New York Eight," spanning a wide range of outrages involving abuse of children and disabled populations, was premiered on July 30 in the evening at Busboys & Poets in Washington, DC, including two panel discussions--one by the whistleblowers in the film, and the other by the filmmakers.Ground Calcium Carbonate 2018 Global Industry Key Players - Imerys , J.M.Huber Corporation , Minerals Technolgies , Mississippi Lime Company , Omya Market Analysis And Forecast To 2025

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Global Ground Calcium Carbonate MarketThis report studies the global Ground Calcium Carbonate market status and forecast, categorizes the global Ground Calcium Carbonate market size (value & volume) by manufacturers, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top manufacturers in North America, Europe, Japan, China and other regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa).The major manufacturers covered in this reportImerysJ.M.Huber CorporationMinerals TechnolgiesMississippi Lime CompanyOmyaCARMEUSEGLC MineralsMARUO CALCIUMRequest a Sample Report @Calcium carbonate is one of the most abundantly occurring minerals on earth and composes nearly four percent of earths crust. It exists naturally in the form of limestone, marbles and chalk formed by sedimentation over a period of time. It is one of the most versatile compounds and finds a variety of applications across a diverse set of industries including construction, steel, and agrochemicals among others.The increasing demand from packaging and tissue paper application is identified as one of the primary growth factors for this market. The demand for ground calcium carbonate in packaging and tissue paper application is rapidly gaining prominence. Ground calcium carbonate is used in this segment as it creates a porous base on the sheet of paper, due to its rhombohedral particle shape. Moreover, the ground calcium carbonate is hydrophobic and it releases water rapidly. Also, the tissue paper market is constantly growing with the rise in number of quick service restaurant (QSR), food and beverages (F&B) chains, and other associated outlets. These facilities prefer disposable napkins and paper towels since they do not require washing and eliminate the need for labor and are more hygienic when compared to their conventional cloth counterparts. This will in turn, propel the demand for ground calcium carbonate in the coming years.APAC is expected to be the major revenue contributor to the ground calcium carbonate market throughout the forecast period. The region is witnessing an increased demand for ground calcium carbonate from the fillers market due to innovations in terms of product and quality development. The market in this region is also driven by the growth of the paints and coatings, industrial, and packaging industries.The global Ground Calcium Carbonate market is valued at xx million US$ in 2017 and will reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025.Geographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOther Regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa)We can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions:North AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndonesiaSingaporeRest of Asia-PacificEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalySpainRussiaRest of EuropeCentral & South AmericaBrazilArgentinaRest of South AmericaMiddle East & AfricaSaudi ArabiaTurkeyRest of Middle East & AfricaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoTop SizeMedian Particle SizeOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingPaperPlasticsPaintsAdhesives and SealantsThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Ground Calcium Carbonate capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Ground Calcium Carbonate manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Ground Calcium Carbonate are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Key StakeholdersGround Calcium Carbonate ManufacturersGround Calcium Carbonate Distributors/Traders/WholesalersGround Calcium Carbonate Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAvailable CustomizationsWith the given market data, Researcher offers customizations according to the company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:Regional and country-level analysis of the Ground Calcium Carbonate market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players.Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Ground Calcium Carbonate Market Research Report 20181 Ground Calcium Carbonate Market Overview7 Global Ground Calcium Carbonate Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Imerys7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Ground Calcium Carbonate Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Imerys Ground Calcium Carbonate Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 J.M.Huber Corporation7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Ground Calcium Carbonate Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 J.M.Huber Corporation Ground Calcium Carbonate Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Minerals Technolgies7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Ground Calcium Carbonate Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Minerals Technolgies Ground Calcium Carbonate Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Mississippi Lime Company7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Ground Calcium Carbonate Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Mississippi Lime Company Ground Calcium Carbonate Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued..Complete Report Details @Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaEpic Research Daily Agri Commodity Report Of 1 August 2018

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Sugar prices dipped by Rs 100 per quintal at the wholesale market in the national capital following bumper stocks amid need base off take by stockists and bulk consumers. Soaring stocks on steady inflow of supplies from mills along with selective demand from stockists and bulk consumers such as soft-drink and ice-cream makers, led to slide in sweeteners prices. Prices of sugar ready M-30 and S-30 dropped the most by Rs 100 each to Rs 3,500-3,650 and Rs 3,490-3,640 per quintal, respectively. Mill delivery M-30 and S-30 prices also declined by Rs 40 each to finish the day at Rs 3,240-3,400 per quintal, respectively.Exports of Malaysian Palm Oil products for July fell 3.9 percent to 1,030,909 tonnes from 1,073,224 tonnes shipped during June, according to independent inspection company AmSpec Agri Malaysia. Palm Oil futures in Malaysia slipped in early trade on Tuesday, tracking overnight losses in U.S. soyoil and on weak export data from a cargo surveyor. Palm oil has declined 6.2 percent so far this year, in what could be its sharpest monthly drop since November. Palm oil prices are influenced by the performance of other edible oils as they compete for a share in the global vegetable oils market.Production of raw Cashewnuts in India during 2017-18 recorded at all time high at 8.17 lakh tonnes, regestering a growth of 4% compared to previous production of 7.79 lakh tonnes and 21% increase compared to 2015-16 production of 6.7 lakh tonnes. Due to shortage of sufficient quantity of raw cashewnut and higher price for raw cashew in the international market, the Cashew industry is facing the prospect of a demand  supply gap, as the total requirement of raw cashewnut is estimated at 17 lakh tonnes, the ministry for commerce and industry said.Economic NewsThe past few days of rain have led to crop damage across Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat and a few other states. Some 46,440 lakh hectare planted with paddy, cotton, pulses, coarse cereals, plantation and horticulture crops has been affected. Damage estimates are expected to rise as some state are yet to make an assessment. Eight states have reported damage of various crops due to recent rains, said Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, minister of state for agriculture, in Rajya Sabha. He added that the ministry has issued advisory to to implement contingency plan as per local need. As per government data, Maharashtra has seen the maximum crop area damage of 22,511 lakh hectare. Paddy, cotton, tur, moong and vegetables were largely damaged. In Himachal Pradesh crop damage of largely horticulture crop was reported on 11,798 lakh hectare while in Kerala it was 8203 lakh hectare of paddy and plantation crops. Paddy area has seen damage in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Arunachal Pradesh, says the government data. The Gujarat government was yet to send the assessment of the damage to the centre.Sugarcane arrears to farmers have come down to Rs 16,600 crore from the peak of Rs 23,232 crore in May-end due to various measures taken by the government to help the sugar industry, Parliament was informed today. In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs C R Chaudhary said the liquidity position of sugar mills has improved with increase in the ex-mill prices of sugar to Rs 30-33 per kg from 24.5-26 per kg in May. The cane price arrears peaked to Rs 23,232 crore at the end of May based on the State Advised Price (SAP) fixed by the state governments, he said. On the basis of the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) announced by the Centre, the peak arrear was Rs 14,538 crore.Trading RecommendationsSELL CORIANDER AUG BELOW 5070 TARGET 5050/5030/5010 SL 5100SELL TURMERIC AUG BELOW 7250 TARGET 7220/7190/7160 SL 7290BUY GUARGUM5 OCT ABOVE 9800 TARGET 9840/9880/9920 SL 9750Epic Research Limited delivers reliable trading advice for traders to fulfill their goals and return expectations is very true. Every day we work for 2 different things: thorough research on market movements & deliver those high efficiency calls timely to our clients and help them to make their investment at the right place. We have designed services for different investors as per their needs like commodity tips , equity tips, agri tips and many more to serve our clients.Want to take a FREE TRIAL? Visit our site link below and become a part of our Epic family. Happy trading.ormail us @ info@epicresearch.coAlso you can Whatsapp us at :7049084664Our Office:411 Milinda Manor, 2 RNT Road, Indore 452001Policy Management in Telecom Industry 2018 Expected to Grow Market by 2025| Development Trends, Share, Size, Demand, Top Manufacture Study (LM Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, Oracle, Amdocs, Netcracker etc.)

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Policy Management in Telecom Market Research Report study on market strategy, investment plan, industry share, growth factors, industry policy, revenue, opportunity, demand and 2025-2018 forecast. The research report also provides information about industry growth, development history, competitive analysis, growth factors, and historical data with experts opinions.Get Sample Copy atAs per the geographic analysis, the North American region is estimated to lead the market in 2018. The growth of the North America market can be attributed to the increased deployment of policy management solutions in the region resulting from the expansion of Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks and their integration with various business models and CRM software. The Asia Pacific market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growing economies and increasing government initiatives to promote next-generation networks are major factors driving the growth of the Asia Pacific market.Complete report on Policy Management in Telecom Market spread across 97 pages with top 18 key manufacturers and list of tables and figures. Enquire more @Key StakeholdersPolicy Management in Telecom ManufacturersPolicy Management in Telecom Distributors/Traders/WholesalersPolicy Management in Telecom Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsDevelopment policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions North America, Europe, Japan, China, and other regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America, Middle East & Africa etc.)Key Companies Analyzed in this Report are: LM Ericsson Huawei Nokia Oracle Amdocs Netcracker Technology CSG International Global Policy Management in Telecom Market report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through analytical research, market survey and observations) and secondary research. The report also features a complete focused on qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain, growth aspects, utilization ratio and manufacturing capacity.Market segment by Application, split intoTelecommunicationInformation Technology Enabled ServiceOthersPlace a Direct Order Of this Report @Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoFixed NetworkWireless NetworkMajor Points Covered in Table of Contents:1 Industry Overview of Policy Management in Telecom2 Global Policy Management in Telecom Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles4 Global Policy Management in Telecom Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)5 United States Policy Management in Telecom Development Status and Outlook6 EU Policy Management in Telecom Development Status and Outlook7 Japan Policy Management in Telecom Development Status and Outlook8 China Policy Management in Telecom Development Status and Outlook9 India Policy Management in Telecom Development Status and Outlook10 Southeast Asia Policy Management in Telecom Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)12 Policy Management in Telecom Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixAvailable CustomizationsWith the given market data, Orian Research offers customizations according to the company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:Regional and country-level analysis of the Policy Management in Telecom market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players.About UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on The World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact UsRuwin MendezVice President  Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (832) 380-8827 | UK: +44 0161-818-8027Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn:Global Seismic Survey Equipment Market 2018-2026| CGG, Mitcham Industries Inc, Geospace Technologies Corporation, Wireless Seismic Inc And BGP Inc

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Albany, NY, 1st August : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Seismic Survey Equipment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2018 - 2026" globally.The Seismic Survey Equipment Market  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2018  2026 report provides analysis of the seismic survey equipment market for the period 20162026, wherein the years from 2018 to 2026 is the forecast period and 2017 is considered as the base year.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Data for 2016 has been included as historical information. The report covers all the trends and technologies playing a major role in the seismic survey equipment market growth over the forecast period. It highlights the drivers, restraints, and opportunities expected to influence the market growth during this period. The study provides a holistic perspective on the markets growth in terms of revenue and volume (in US$ Mn) across different geographical regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America. The report highlights the key trends affecting the market on a global scale. Furthermore, region wise prominent countries/regions covered in the report includes the U.S, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the U.K, India, China, Indonesia, GCC countries, South Africa, and Brazil.This report analyzes and forecasts the market forseismic survey equipment at the global and regional level. The market has been forecasted based on revenue (US$ Mn) from 2018 to 2026. The study includes drivers and restraints of the global seismic survey equipment market. It also covers the impact of these drivers and restraints on seismic survey equipment during the forecast period.The report comprises a detailed ecosystem analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global seismic survey equipment market. Porters Five Forces model has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.Global Seismic Survey Equipment Market: TaxonomyThis research study on the global seismic survey equipment market provides a detailed cross segment and cross country analysis based on the different segments including component, technology, location, and industry. Based on component, the market has been segmented into hardware, software, and services. Based on technology, the market has been divided into 2D, 3D, and 4D. In 2017, the 3D segment was the topmost revenue generating segment. On the basis of location, the market has been segmented into onshore and offshore. Furthermore, based on industry, the market is divided into oil & gas and others.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Global Seismic Survey Equipment Market: Research MethodologySecondary research sources that are typically referred to include, but are not limited to company websites, annual reports, financial reports, broker reports, investor presentations, and SEC filings, internal and external proprietary databases, and relevant patent and regulatory databases, national government documents, statistical databases, and market reports, news articles, press releases, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market, national government documents, statistical databases, and market reports, Factiva, etc.Primary research involves e-mail interactions, telephonic interviews, and face-to-face interviews for each market, category, segment, and sub-segment across geographies. We conduct primary interviews on an ongoing basis with industry participants and commentators in order to validate the data and analysis. Primary interviews provide firsthand information on the market size, market trends, growth trends, competitive landscape, and outlook, etc. These help us to validate and strengthen secondary research findings. These also help to develop the analysis teams market expertise and understanding.Global Seismic Survey Equipment Market: Competitive DynamicsThe report covers well-established players including CGG, Mitcham Industries, Inc., Geospace Technologies Corporation, Wireless Seismic, Inc., BGP Inc., China National Petroleum Corporation, Schlumberger Limited, FairfieldNodal, and ION Geophysical Corporation among others. In September 2017, Wireless Seismic, Inc., announced the launch of RT3, a seismic recording system having the capability of ultra-high channel count of about more than 2,50,000 seismic channels and features next-generation radio technology of WSI. The benefits associated with RT3 include acquisition of much denser seismic surveys, elimination of laborious work required by blind nodal systems, and easy management of recording channels in real time.Global Seismic Survey Equipment Market:Seismic Survey Equipment Market, by ComponentHardwareSoftwareServices (Survey design services, consultation services, advisory services, after sales services, and customer support)Seismic Survey Equipment Market, by Technology2D3D4DSeismic Survey Equipment Market, by locationOnshoreOffshoreSeismic Survey Equipment Market, by IndustryOil & gasOthers (Mining, construction, energy, among others)Seismic Survey Equipment Market Analysis, by Country/RegionNorth AmericaThe U.S.CanadaRest of North AmericaEuropeThe U.K.NorwayDenmarkRest of EuropeAsia PacificIndiaIndonesiaChinaRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaRest of Middle East &AfricaBrowse Report @South AmericaBrazilRest of South AmericaResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. Nachiket Ghumare,ResearchMoz,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States,Tel: +1-518-621-2074,USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948,Email: sales@researchmoz.us,Follow me on :Octreotide Market Report Focuses Major Eminent Players like Neiss Labs, SAMARTH LIFE SCIENCES PVT. LTD, APP Pharmaceuticals LLC, Teva parenteral medicines Inc

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Octreotide Market - Competitive Insights:The leading players in the market are Neiss Labs, SAMARTH LIFE SCIENCES PVT. LTD, APP Pharmaceuticals LLC, Teva parenteral medicines Inc, Bedford Laboratories, Sinopharm A-THINK Pharmaceutical Co, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Novartis pharmaceuticals corp and Ben Venue Laboratories Inc.Book Your Sample Copy of the Report here @The Octreotide Market is segmented as follows-By Type:OctreotideOctreotide HydrochlorideOctreotide AcetateOctreotide ChlorideIndium In-111; OctreotideBy End User:Clinical ResearchPharmaceuticalOctreotide Market - Industry Outlook and Trend Analysis:The Octreotide Market has encountered substantial development in the recent years and is anticipated to grow tremendously over the forecast period. Octreotides are amino acid monomers are near amide cluster. Octreotide basically drops the scope of hormone like glucagon, insulin, growth hormone, and others. Octreotide diminishes chemical agents like gastrin, vasoactive intestinal peptide that start disease symptoms. Octreotide is used to diminish the reactions from cancer chemotherapy. The worldwide use of octreotide is probably going to rise in light of ascend in the quantity of individuals diagnosed with tumours, diarrhoea, and cancer.Drivers and Restraints:The global interest for octreotide is persuaded by expanding number of individuals under the threat of cancer. The estimation for the developing cancer patients reflects that the interest for the treatment of medications like octreotide will grow. It is anticipated that around 3000 adolescents expire every day attributable to extreme diarrhoea; more than malaria, Aids, and measles consolidated. From now on, it is crucial to challenge these world tests by giving adequate octreotide medicines to the sick. The developing acknowledgment of generic medications may impede the admission of trade-marked drugs which may pose a threat to the market.For more information, click on the below link @Table of Contents:1.Introduction2.Executive Summary3.Market Overview5.Octreotide Market, By Type5.1.Introduction5.2.Global Octreotide Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Type (2014-2018)5.3.Octreotide5.4.Octreotide Hydrochloride5.5.Octreotide Acetate5.6.Octreotide Chloride5.7.Indium In-111; Octreotide6.Octreotide Market, By End User6.1.Introduction6.2.Global Octreotide Sales, Revenue and Market Share by End User (2014-2018)6.3.Clinical Research6.4.PharmaceuticalTo be continued...Octreotide Market - Regional Outlook and Trend Analysis:Geographically, the market is segmented into South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, North America and Rest of the world. North America is anticipated to reflect significant growth trailed by Europe. On the other hand Asia Pacific market is anticipated grow substantially over the forecast period.Octreotide Market - Research Methodology:We utilize both essential and in addition optional research for our market overviews, gauges and for creating estimate. Our research process commence by analyzing the problem which enable us to design the scope for our research study. Our research process is uniquely designed with enough flexibility to adjust according to changing nature of products and markets, while retaining core element to ensure reliability and accuracy in research findings. We understand both macro and micro-economic factors to evaluate and forecast different market segments.To avail discount, please click on the link @About Crystal Market Research:Crystal Market Research is a U.S. based market research and business intelligence company. Crystal offers one stop solution for market research, business intelligence, and consulting services to help clients make more informed decisions. It provides both syndicated as well as customized research studies for its customers spread across the globe. The company offers market intelligence reports across a broad range of industries including healthcare, chemicals & materials, technology, automotive, and energy.Contact Us:Judy304 South Jones Blvd, Suite 1896,Las Vegas NV 89107,United StatesToll Free: +1-888-213-4282Email: sales@crystalmarketresearch.comMaster Data Management 2018 Global Industry Key Players - SAP , SAS Institute , IBM , Oracle , Tibco Software Market Analysis And Forecast To 2025

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Global Master Data Management MarketThis report studies the global Master Data Management market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the global Master Data Management market by companies, region, type and end-use industry.Master data management describes a set of rules, technology and solutions, these procedures, technology and solutions to create and maintain the business data for all stakeholders of the consistency, completeness, relevance and accuracy.Master data management has helped the users to conveniently centralize all their content over multiple platforms, and has ensured the maintenance of the data quality.Request a Sample Report @This report focuses on the global top players, coveredSAPSAS InstituteIBMOracleTibco SoftwareInformaticaTeradataOrchestra NetworksRiversand TechnologiesTalendMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoConsultingImplementationTraining & SupportMarket segment by Application, split intoGovernmentRetailITManufacturingEnergyMedicalTrafficMediaOtherThe study objectives of this report are:To study and forecast the market size of Master Data Management in global market.To analyze the global key players, SWOT analysis, value and global market share for top players.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, end use and region.To analyze and compare the market status and forecast between China and major regions, namely, United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and Rest of World.To analyze the global key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Master Data Management are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Key StakeholdersMaster Data Management ManufacturersMaster Data Management Distributors/Traders/WholesalersMaster Data Management Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAvailable CustomizationsWith the given market data, Researcher offers customizations according to the company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:Regional and country-level analysis of the Master Data Management market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players.Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Master Data Management Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Master Data Management1.1 Master Data Management Market Overview1.1.1 Master Data Management Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Master Data Management Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2018)1.2.1 United States1.2.2 Europe1.2.3 China1.2.4 Japan1.2.5 Southeast Asia1.2.6 India1.3 Master Data Management Market by Type1.3.1 Consulting1.3.2 Implementation1.3.3 Training & Support1.4 Master Data Management Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Government1.4.2 Retail1.4.3 IT1.4.4 Manufacturing1.4.5 Energy1.4.6 Medical1.4.7 Traffic1.4.8 Media1.4.9 Other2 Global Master Data Management Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Master Data Management Market Size (Value) by Players (2013-2018)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 SAP3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Master Data Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2 SAS Institute3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Master Data Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3 IBM3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Master Data Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.4 Oracle3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Master Data Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.5 Tibco Software3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Master Data Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.6 Informatica3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Master Data Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)Continued.Complete Report Details @Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaGlobal Expanded Perlite Market 2017-2025| Imerys SA, Supreme Perlite Company, Cornerstone Industrial Minerals Corporation and Silbrico Corporation

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Albany, NY, 1st August : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Expanded Perlite Market (Application - Construction Products, Fillers, Horticulture Aggregates, and Filtration & Process Aids) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" globally.Expanded perlite is the form of perlite product obtained after the loss of water and molecule up till its softening point, where its volume increases more than 35 times its original volume.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @They possess various characteristic features such as high insulation and acoustic properties. They have excellent water retention properties and has relatively high water density.The report estimates and forecasts the expanded perlite market on the global, regional, and country levels. The study provides forecast between 2016 and 2025 based on volume (Kilo Tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2016 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the product segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage. The study includes drivers and restraints for the expanded perlite market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The report analyzes opportunities in the expanded perlite market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, the report analyzes global average price trend analysis of expanded perlite.The report includes Porters Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the expanded perlite market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein application and countries have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for expanded perlite between 2016 and 2025.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Global Expanded Perlite Market: Research MethodologySecondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.Global Expanded Perlite Market: Market SegmentationThe study provides a comprehensive view of the expanded perlite market by dividing it into application type and geography. The expanded perlite market has been segmented into construction products, fillers, horticulture aggregates, filtration & process aids, and others. Application segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends, and the market has been estimated in terms of volume (Kilo Tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) between 2016 and 2025.Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for expanded perlite in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Additionally, the report comprises country-level analysis in terms of volume and revenue for end-user and product type segments. Key countries such as the U.S., Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, India, China, South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil have been included in the study. Market segmentation includes demand for individual application in all the regions and countries.Global Expanded Perlite Market: Competitive LandscapeThe report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Imerys SA, Supreme Perlite Company, Cornerstone Industrial Minerals Corporation, and Silbrico Corporation. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).The global expanded perlite market has been segmented as follows:Expanded Perlite Market  Application Type AnalysisConstruction productsFillersHorticulture AggregatesFiltration & Process AidsOthersExpanded Perlite Market  Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyFranceU.K.RussiaSpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanASEANRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaBrowse Report @Rest of Middle East & AfricaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. Nachiket Ghumare,ResearchMoz,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States,Tel: +1-518-621-2074,USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948,Email: sales@researchmoz.us,Follow me on :Future of the Algerian Defense Industry Market Attractiveness, Scope, key market trends, Competitive Landscape, Segmentation, Future and Forecasts to 2023

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Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently broadcasted a new study to its broad research portfolio, which is titled as Future of the Algerian Defense Industry provides an in-depth analysis of the Algerian Defense Industry with the forecast of market size and growth. The analysis includes addressable market, market by volume, and market share by business type and by segment (external and in-house).The research study examines the Algerian Defense Industry on the basis of a number of criteria, such as the product type, application, and its geographical presence.The whole supply chain of Algerian Defense Industry has been explained with statistical details with a special emphasis on various upstream and downstream components. The current trends pertaining to the demand, supply, and sales of Algerian Defense Industry, together with the recent developments have been given here to provide an exhaustive picture of this market.Click Here to Get the Sample Copy of the Report@Future of the Algerian Defense Industry - Market Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2023Summary"Future of the Algerian Defense Industry - Market Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2023", published by Strategic Defense Intelligence, provides readers with detailed analysis of both historic and forecast defense industry values, factors influencing demand, the challenges faced by industry participants, analysis of industry leading companies, and key news.SynopsisThis report offers detailed analysis of the Algerian defense industry with market size forecasts covering the next five years. This report will also analyze factors that influence demand for the industry, key market trends, and challenges faced by industry participants.With a defense budget of US$9.8 billion in 2018, Algeria is currently the largest military spender in the African region. Military expenditure is strongly supported by the presence of the oil and natural gas industry, where revenues are directed towards strengthening defense and security. The increased threat of terrorism from the Islamic group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) operating in North Africa, an arms race with neighboring countries such as Morocco and Tunisia, and the ongoing modernization of its armed forces are key factors expected to drive military expenditure. The instability in neighboring Libya, coupled with the rapid spread of Islamic State (IS) in the country, has compelled Algeria to bolster its defenses and develop a robust defense posture. The Algerian defense industry is expected to grow from US$10 billion in 2019 to US$11.9 billion by 2023 at a CAGR of 4.31% over the forecast period.ScopeIn particular, it provides an in-depth analysis of the following -- The Algerian defense industry market size and drivers: detailed analysis of the Algerian defense industry during 2019-2023, including highlights of the demand drivers and growth stimulators for the industry. It also provides a snapshot of the countrys expenditure and modernization patterns- Budget allocation and key challenges: insights into procurement schedules formulated within the country and a breakdown of the defense budget with respect to capital expenditure and revenue expenditure. It also details the key challenges faced by defense market participants within the country- Import and Export Dynamics: analysis of prevalent trends in the countrys imports and exports over the last five years- Market opportunities: list of the top ten defense investment opportunities over the next 5 years- Competitive landscape and strategic insights: analysis of the competitive landscape of the Algerian defense industry.Reasons to buyThis report will give the user confidence to make the correct business decisions based on a detailed analysis of the Algerian defense industry market trends for the coming five years.- The market opportunity section will inform the user about the various military requirements that are expected to generate revenues during the forecast period. The description includes technical specifications, recent orders, and the expected investment pattern by the country during the forecast period- Profiles of the top domestic and foreign defense manufacturers. This will provide the user with a total competitive landscape of the sector.- A deep qualitative analysis of the Algerian defense industry covering sections including demand drivers, Key Trends, and latest industry contracts.View Full Report with Table and Content@Table of Contents1. Introduction 81.1. What is this Report About? 81.2. Definitions 81.3. Summary Methodology 101.4. About Strategic Defence Intelligence 112. Executive Summary 123. Market Attractiveness and Emerging Opportunities 143.1. Current Market Scenario 153.1.1. Primary Threat Perception 153.1.2. Military Doctrine and Strategy 163.1.3. Military Fleet Size 193.1.4. Procurement Programs 253.1.5. Top Procurement Programs by Value (US$ Million) 2018-2023 273.1.6. Social, Political, and Economic Environment and Support for Defense Projects 283.1.7. Political and Strategic Alliances 293.2. Defense Market Size: Historical and Forecast 303.2.1. Algerias defense budget to grow at a CAGR of 4.31% over the forecast period 303.2.2. Rising threat of terrorism and an arms race in the region to drive Algerias defense expenditure 323.2.3. The defense budget as a percentage of GDP will remain at an average of 4.8% over the forecast period 343.3. Analysis of Defense Budget Allocation 363.3.1. Share of capital expenditure is expected to increase over the forecast period 363.3.2. Capital expenditure is expected to record a CAGR of 4.56% over the forecast period 383.3.3. Algerias per-capita defense expenditure is expected to increase over the forecast period 403.4. Homeland Security Market Size and Forecast 423.4.1. The homeland security market in Algeria is expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.64% over the forecast period 423.4.2. Human trafficking and drug trafficking form the main components of homeland security expenditure 443.4.3. Algeria faces moderate risk of terrorism 453.4.4. Algeria faces a moderate level of threat from foreign terrorist organizations 463.4.5. Algeria has a terrorism index score of 4.0 483.5. Benchmarking with Key Global Markets 493.5.1. Algerian defense expenditure is expected to remain low compared to leading spenders 493.5.2. Algeria will continue to dominate the arms market in the Africa region 513.5.3. Defense budget as a percentage of GDP is expected to remain low over the forecast period 523.6. Market Opportunities: Key Trends and Drivers 533.6.1. Top 10 Defense Market Categories by Value (US$ million) - Forecast-Period Projections 533.6.2. Land-based C4ISR 543.6.3. Transport Aircraft 553.6.4. Networking 56Continued. @@About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like defense and Security market research and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comMiddle East and Africa Urinary Catheters Market Generating Revenue $ 352.9 Million by 2022 | Coloplast A/S, Werkomed Pty Ltd, DISA Vascular, Terumo Europe NV, Teleflex, Etc

Middle East and Africa Urinary Catheters Market

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Market research future published a half-cooked research report on Middle East and Africa Urinary Catheters market. Taking all factors into consideration, we expect the Middle East and Africa urinary catheters market to reach around $ 352.9 million from $ 236.5 million in 2015, by the end of the forecast period at a CAGR of ~6.9%.Middle East and Africa Urinary Catheters Market HighlightsUrinary catheters are used for emptying the bladder during surgical procedures or when the patient has no control of the bladder during some medical disorders and conditions such as spina bifida, multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke or spinal injury etc. The market driving factors for Middle East and Africa urinary catheters market are rising geriatric population, rising rate of self-catheterization etc. The market constraining factors are leakage associated with external type catheters, discomfort associated with the use of catheters, low healthcare expenditure in Middle East and Africa, low reimbursement policies of poor regions especially Africa, embarrassment and stigma associated with the use of urinary catheters etc. However catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) remain the prime constraining factor of the Middle East and Africa urinary catheters market.Get Sample PDF Illustration @The Middle East and Africa urinary catheters market is segmented into product type which is further segmented into intermittent catheters, indwelling (foley) catheters, external catheters and others. On the basis of construction material the sub-segments are rubber, plastic, silicone, latex and others. By end user the market is further divided into hospitals, ambulatory and home use.The market for Middle East and Africa urinary catheters is fragmented with a number of small and big players. The market is also affected by substandard products especially in poorer regions of Africa with weak regulatory framework. Product development has the highest potential among all the strategies as the use of urinary catheters is fraught with infection. Better quality antibacterial film coated catheters will drive the future growth of the market.Key Players for Middle East and Africa Urinary Catheters MarketMarket Research Future (MRFR) recognizes the following companies as the key players in Middle East and Africa Urinary Catheters Market: There are plenty of large and small market players which operate in this market all over the globe.Some of the key players in this market are: Coloplast A/S, Werkomed Pty Ltd, DISA Vascular, Medloyd Healthcare, Terumo Europe NV, Teleflex, Medtronic and others.Segments for Middle East and Africa Urinary Catheters MarketMiddle East and Africa Urinary Catheters Market has been segmented on the basis of product type which comprises intermittent catheters, indwelling (foley) catheters, external catheters and others. On the basis of construction material; market is segmented into rubber, plastic, silicone, latex and others. On the basis of end users; market is segmented hospitals, ambulatory and home.Regional Analysis for Middle East and Africa Urinary Catheters MarketDepending on geographic region, Urinary catheters market is segmented into following countries: UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman. UAE is the largest market followed by Egypt. However the future market will be led by the poor developed parts of Africa due to large unmet needs.Get Prime Discount on Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureHadapsar, Pune  411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comDental Insurance Services Market: In-Depth Industry Analysis on Size, Developments and Key vendors (1Dental.com, eHealth, Careington, Humana, Delta Dental, Metlife, Ameritas, CIGNA Dental, Aetna) Future Prospects 2018  2025

Global Dental Insurance Services Market 2018

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Dental Insurance Services Market 2018 Research Report provides future growth potentials, key drivers, competitive outlook, Scope, key challenges analysis. The reports also elaborate the growth rate of the Dental Insurance Services market based on the top company profile analysis. This report offers a detailed analysis, market sizing, and estimate for the developing segment within the Dental Insurance Services market.Get Sample Copy of this Report -The Global Dental Insurance Services market 2018 research provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Global Dental Insurance Services market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.Complete report on Global Dental Insurance Services Industry 2018 Market Research Report is spread across 92 pages and provides exclusive vital statistics, data, information, trends and competitive landscape details in this niche sector. Inquire more or share questions if any on this report @Global Dental Insurance Services market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the TOP PLAYERS including 1Dental.com eHealth Careington Humana Delta Dental Metlife Ameritas CIGNA Dental Aetna The report also focuses on global major leading industry players of Global Dental Insurance Services market providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The Global Dental Insurance Services market development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.With tables and figures helping analyze worldwide Global Dental Insurance Services market, this research provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Order a copy of Global Dental Insurance Services Market Report 2018 @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers United States Europe China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split into Class I (Preventive Care) Class II (Basic Procedures) Class III (Major Procedures) Class IV (Orthodontia)Market segment by Application, split into Individuals Families GroupsMajor Points from Table of Contents:1 Industry Overview of Dental Insurance Services2 Global Dental Insurance Services Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 1Dental.com3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Dental Insurance Services Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2 eHealth3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Dental Insurance Services Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3 Careington3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Dental Insurance Services Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)4 Global Dental Insurance Services Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)5 United States Dental Insurance Services Development Status and Outlook6 Europe Dental Insurance Services Development Status and Outlook7 China Dental Insurance Services Development Status and Outlook8 Japan Dental Insurance Services Development Status and Outlook9 Southeast Asia Dental Insurance Services Development Status and Outlook10 India Dental Insurance Services Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)12 Dental Insurance Services Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixMethodologyAnalyst IntroductionData SourceAbout Us:Orian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact Us:Ruwin MendezVice President  Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (832) 380-8827 | UK: +44 0161-818-8027Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn:Unmanned Package Delivery Market Size & Share - Industry Trend and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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The report analyzes and presents an overview of "Unmanned Package Delivery Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2017 - 2025" worldwide.The main objective of this report is to define, describe, and forecast the global Unmanned Package Delivery market on the basis of types of applications, major sectors, deployment models, organization size, and regions. The report contains an analysis of the major factors influencing the growth of the market (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges). It aims to strategically analyze the micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and their contribution to the market. The report attempts to forecast the market size for 5 major regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America. It contains key vendor profiles and comprehensively analyzes their core competencies. The report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments, including partnerships, collaborations, acquisitions, new product developments, and R&D activities in the market.Get Sample Copy of this report @Global Unmanned Package Delivery Market: OverviewOf late, the global market for unmanned package delivery has been registering a significant upsurge in its valuation and size. The increasing trend of automation has been the key factor behind the growth of this market. With the advancements in technology and rising uptake of drones, this market is likely to remain reporting high growth in the near future.This market study is a thorough research of the performance of the global unmanned package delivery market in previous times and during the period from 2017 to 2025. The research emphasizes on the driving forces, obstacles, challenges, opportunities, and the prominent trends in this market in a bid to determine its future status.Global Unmanned Package Delivery Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe swift penetration of drones in a number of industries across the world is the key trend that has been pushing the global market for unmanned package delivery upwards. However, the lack of safety features in drones may limit their uptake, especially in dense urban areas. Apart from this, the high level of noise pollution caused by drones, flying in large numbers at the same time, may also restrict their usage. These factors, collectively, may hamper the growth of the unmanned package delivery market over the coming years.Global Unmanned Package Delivery Market: SegmentationMajorly, the worldwide market for unmanned package delivery is analyzed on the basis of the end user and the application. Based on application, the market is segmented into domestic and commercial. The domestic application segment is projected to lead the global market in the near future, thanks to the increasing preference of consumers for direct delivery of required products at their doorstep.In terms of the end user, the market is classified into logistics companies and online retailers. Logistics companies generally have to bear a substantial labor expenses in terms of payments made to pilots, drivers, operators of call centers, and loading crews and ground and administrative staff. Online retailers majorly provide complete product delivery through drones.Global Unmanned Package Delivery Market: Regional OutlookThe global market for unmanned package delivery registers its presence across Asia Pacific (APAC), North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America, among these, has emerged as the most prominent market for unmanned package delivery, thanks to the early uptake of technology in this region. The North America market for unmanned package delivery is projected to remain on the top spot over the forthcoming years, supported by the increasing uptake of drones. Other regional markets are also anticipated to witness steady growth in the years to come.Global Unmanned Package Delivery Market: Competitive AnalysisWith a number new players joining every day, the global market for unmanned package delivery is becoming extremely competitive. UPS, Amazon, Fed Ex, Google, and DHL are some of the key players in this market. These players, thanks to their wide-ranging consumer base, are expected to register significant expansion in their businesses, intensifying the competition between them in the near future.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Request For Enquiry @The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketAbout UsMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact UsMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.bizOptical Data Communication Market 2018-2025 | Demand, Technology, Innovation & Top Manufactures Research like (Alcatel Lucent, Cisco, Verizon, Huawei, JDS Uniphase, Ciena etc.)

Optical Data Communication

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Optical Data Communication Industry 2018 Global Market research report presents you analysis of market size, share, and growth, trends, cost structure, statistical and comprehensive data of the global market. The Optical Data Communication Market report offers noteworthy data regarding industrys growth parameters, the current state of the market in terms of analysis of possible economic situations and macroeconomic analysis.Get Sample Copy atDevelopment policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions North America, Europe, Japan, China, and other regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America, Middle East & Africa etc.)On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoWavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET)Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)Fiber ChannelOthersComplete report on Optical Data Communication Market spread across 99 pages with top 18 key manufacturers and list of tables and figures. Enquire more @Key Companies Analyzed in this Report are: Alcatel Lucent Cisco Verizon Huawei JDS Uniphase Ciena Global Optical Data Communication Market report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through analytical research, market survey and observations) and secondary research. The report also features a complete focused on qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain, growth aspects, utilization ratio and manufacturing capacity.Key StakeholdersOptical Data Communication ManufacturersOptical Data Communication Distributors/Traders/WholesalersOptical Data Communication Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsPlace a Direct Order Of this Report @On the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingAerospace and DefenseGovernmentIndustrialTransportationEnergy and PowerTelecomMajor Points Covered in Table of Contents:1 Industry Overview of Optical Data Communication2 Global Optical Data Communication Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles4 Global Optical Data Communication Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)5 United States Optical Data Communication Development Status and Outlook6 EU Optical Data Communication Development Status and Outlook7 Japan Optical Data Communication Development Status and Outlook8 China Optical Data Communication Development Status and Outlook9 India Optical Data Communication Development Status and Outlook10 Southeast Asia Optical Data Communication Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)12 Optical Data Communication Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixIn this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Optical Data Communication are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025About UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on The World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact UsRuwin MendezVice President  Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (832) 380-8827 | UK: +44 0161-818-8027Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn:Global Sales of Air Treatment Products is Estimated To Be Valued At US$ 35.6 Bn by 2016 End

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Persistence Market Research delivers key insights on the air treatment products market in its latest report titled Global Market Study on Air Treatment Products. Global sales of air treatment products are estimated to be valued at US$ 35.6 Bn by 2016 end, witnessing a Y-o-Y growth of 8.3% over 2015. Air purifier segment is expected to continue to account for a major share in the air treatment products market throughout the forecast period, to account for 84.1% by 2024.Demand for energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions is expected to increase over the forecast period. By product type, air purifier segment is expected to continue to dominate the market in terms of value and volume share throughout the forecast period. Changing climatic conditions and increasing air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), smog, and harmful gasses have led to increasing incidence of long-term respiratory diseases and premature deaths. Such factors are expected to increase demand for air treatment products throughout the forecast period. However, lack of consumer awareness and high prices of products are factors leading to the low adoption of air purifiers, especially in developing countries.Request Sample Report@On the basis of application, the commercial segment accounted for the largest market value share in 2015. The commercial segment in the global air treatment market is expected to be valued at US$ 14.0 Bn by 2016 end, registering Y-o-Y growth of 8.5% over 2015.North America is the largest market for air treatment products. The market in the region is estimated to be valued at US$ 13.7 Bn by 2016 end. The air treatment products market in Asia-Pacific is anticipated to expand at a significant CAGR of 17.2% in terms of value over the forecast period (20162024). Increasing air pollution in Asia Pacific, especially in China and India, is expected to drive demand for air treatment products during the forecast period.Key players in the global air treatment products market include Atlas Copco AB, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Panasonic Corporation, Sharp Corporation, Honeywell International Inc., and DeLonghi S.p.A. Major players in the market are focusing on the production of cost-effective and energy-efficient products in order to increase sales in high potential cost-sensitive markets in Asia Pacific.Request TOC@Implementation of stringent ozone emission norms and safety regulations across various countries worldwide is expected to influence air treatment products manufacturers to focus on innovation and launch products in order to retain their position in the market.Long-term Outlook: The long-term outlook for the global air treatment products market remains positive, with the market value expected to increase at a CAGR of 11.2% during the forecast period.ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:New Research on Global Leprosy Treatment Market Highlights Growth Overview and Estimates Market by Supply & Demand, Market Segments, Market Dynamics, Market Size, Competition, Value Chain till 2028

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Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy is also known as Hansens disease. It affects the skin, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract, the peripheral nerves and the eyes. Leprosy can occur in people of all ages, from infants to the elderly. The exact transmission of the disease is not known, but it is strongly believed that leprosy is transferred from a leprosy patient to a healthy person. Delayed diagnosis of leprosy is likely to cause some serious complications such as muscle weakness, erectile dysfunction, kidney failure, blindness and others. The best way to prevent leprosy is to avoid contact with infected and untreated people. Leprosy is a curable disease and various drugs are available in the market for the treatment of leprosy. One of the treatments for leprosy is Multidrug Therapy (MDT), which involves the use of a combination of drugs. The World Health Organization recommends a combination of rifampicin, clofazimine and dapsone drugs for leprosy treatment.Leprosy Treatment Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing prevalence of skin diseases is the primary factor expected to drive the leprosy treatment market over the forecast period. The prevalence of skin diseases, such as leprosy and psoriasis, has become common in some of the counties of Asia-Pacific, which is responsible for the robust growth of the market. Rising government initiatives and favourable reimbursement scenario for these treatments is expected to propel the leprosy treatment market. On other hand, the high cost of drugs and lack of awareness among people is expected to restrain market growth to a certain extent. In addition, the stringent regulatory requirements of FDA for the approval of drugs is also expected to be responsible for the sluggish growth of the leprosy treatment market over the forecast period.Ask our Industry Expert on this Report-Leprosy Treatment Market: SegmentationThe global leprosy treatment market can be segmented on the basis of drug class, distribution channel and geography.Based on drug class type, the global leprosy treatment market is segmented as: Antibacterial Leprostatics Antitubercular OthersBased on route of administration, the global leprosy treatment market is segmented as: Oral Injectable TopicalLeprosy Treatment Market: OverviewLeprosy Treatment market is expected to witness exponential growth over the forecast period owing rising patient pool of leprosy in Asia-Pacific. According to WHO, the prevalence of this disease in 2015 was 176 cases per 10000 people. About 60% of the worlds leprosy patients live in India. Therefore, India is a major market worldwide for the treatment of this disease. Antibacterial drugs are commonly prescribed by physicians for leprosy treatment, therefore, by drugs class, the antibacterial segment is expected to gain maximum market share over the forecast period. The most common antibacterial drugs prescribed for leprosy treatment are dapsone, rifampin, clofazimine, ofloxacin and minocycline. Among distribution channels, online pharmacies is the fastest-growing segment due to the increasing adoption of e-commerce throughout the globe.Leprosy Treatment Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global leprosy treatment market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). Asia-Pacific is expected to gain maximum market share in terms of revenue owing to the high patient pool of leprosy in India and China. The APEJ is followed by Japan and Latin America owing to increasing awareness among patients about leprosy treatment options available in these regions. MEA is expected to grow at a faster rate as compared to other regions due to rising government initiatives for the treatment of this disease. North America, Western Europe and Eastern Europe are the least lucrative markets for leprosy treatment as a very small number of patients in these regions suffer from this disease owing to high standards of living and increased personal hygiene.To know more about the Leprosy Treatment Market Trends, Visit the link Leprosy Treatment Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players operating in the global leprosy treatment market are Pfizer Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb and Company, Eli Lily and Company, Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Bayer AG, Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi S.A., Novartis AG, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Macleods Pharmaceuticals and Merck & Co., Inc.The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.The report covers exhaustive analysis on: Market Segments Market Dynamics Market Size Supply & Demand Current Trends/Issues/Challenges Competition & Companies involved Technology Value ChainReport Highlights: Detailed overview of parent market Changing market dynamics in the industry In-depth market segmentation Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value Recent industry trends and developments Competitive landscape Strategies of key players and products offered Potential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growth A neutral perspective on market performance Must-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint.Pre-book this Report-About FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Cellulose Fiber Market future trends to 2024 key players Lenzing SA, Grasim Industries, Fulida, Tangshan Sanyou, Shandong Helon, Sateri, Daicel Corporation, Kelheim Fibres GmbH and Indo-Bharat Rayon

Cellulose Fiber Market

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Cellulose fibers are manufactured from dissolving pulp from cellulose rich plants such as cotton, jute, bamboo, flax, hemp, etc. Abundant availability of these plants shall influence the global cellulose fiber market size significantly in the next eight years. Cotton plants have around 90% cellulose content and world cotton production was over 20 million tons in 2015 with India and China producing over 10 million tons. High number of pulp industries are present in the product value chain for supply of raw materials. Over 7 million tons dissolving pulp was produced from various sources all over the globe in 2015 and China had around 20% of the overall share.Request for a sample copy of this report @Cellulose Fiber Market size is projected to cross USD 39 billion by 2024. Enhancing textile and apparel market will likely be the principal driving factor for global cellulose fiber market growth. Artificial cellulose fibers derived from plant based pulps are heavily used in textile industries for apparel manufacturing. Growing GDP and increasing expendable income coupled with rapidly increasing population, regularly upgrading fashion style, and better quality and cost efficient textiles will have a positive effect on the global textile and apparel market in the upcoming years.Global textile and apparel market recorded over USD 1 trillion in 2015 and is projected to grow substantially up to 2024. Emerging economies such as India, China, and certain African countries will witness a steady growth in demand owing to availability of economical labor force for the large number of textile manufacturing industries, hence propelling the overall cellulose fiber market growth.Ecofriendly nature of cellulose fibers over petrochemical based alternatives such as nylon and polyester will likely be another propelling factor for the market growth. These fibers are produced out of pulp from barks, woods, and leaves of cellulose rich crops and are biodegradable unlike nylon or polyester fibers. Also, stringent volatile organic compounds (VOCs) norms will support the growth of the global cellulose fiber market in the next eight years.Browse Complete Report Summary @Strict forest laws against deforestation may restrain the market growth in the forecast timespan. Global pulp industry is gradually shifting towards Asia Pacific and African countries due to the mandatory regulations in North America and Europe. Inconsistent wood pulp prices on account of the norms may affect the cellulose fiber market negatively. Cost effective labor force for textile industries in African countries may enhance the MEA cellulose fiber market notably in the projected forecast timespan.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:1. Lenzing AG2. Daicel Corporation3. Kelheim Fibres GmbH4. Grasim Industries Limited5. Tangshan Sanyou6. Shandong Helon Textile Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd.7. Thai Rayon8. Fulida9. Sateri10. Aoyang11. PT. Indo-Bharat RayonMake an inquiry for purchasing this report @Competitive landscape is moderately consolidated and the top market players include Lenzing SA, Tangshan Sanyou, Grasim Industries, Shandong Helon, Fulida, and Aoyang.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 31)  Twenty workers at NutriAsia and supporters calling for their regularization were arrested by members of Meycauayan, Bulacan police on Monday, following a violent dispersal.

They were arrested for direct assault, carrying illegal firearms, and illegal drug possession after one person was allegedly found to carry a .22 caliber revolver and four sachets of suspected shabu.

Two hundred workers from a contracting agency of food condiment giant NutriAsia were holding a strike outside the Marilao, Bulacan plant when rocks started flying in the air, leaving several protesters and their supporters  including an elderly lady  bloodied.

Protesters claimed the police initiated the violence to disperse the picket line, but the authorities and the company alleged the rallyists fired a warning gunshot and started to hurl rocks at police and guards.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it has directed its Regional Internal Affairs Service to investigate the incident and "recommend necessary corrective measures and sanctions against our police personnel if so warranted."

"As a general policy, the involvement of PNP personnel during strikes, lockouts and labor disputes in general shall be limited to the maintenance of peace and order, enforcement of laws, and implementation of legal orders of the duly constituted authorities," the national police said.

It also called on both sides, the labor organizations and the company "to find better ways of settling labor disputes."

NutriAsia, meanwhile, said an elderly woman was hurt by the rock hurled at her, which the company claims came from the protesters.

The violent dispersal comes weeks after the Labor Department ordered NutriAsia to regularize 80 workers of one of its the agencies. It said the food condiment company is engaged in the illegal practice of labor-only contracting with one of its contractors.

Related: DOLE orders NutriAsia to regularize 80 workers of its contracting agency

Kilusang Mayo Uno and Kadamay slammed the police for planting fake evidence on the arrested protesters.

"Once again, it becomes clear what role drugs have in the Duterte administration. It is a tool to wage a murderous war against the poor as well as a justification for the police to raise the level of repression directed against activists and human rights defenders," Kadamay said in a statement.

Among those arrested were journalists from progressive media outfit Altermidya and a member of a University of the Philippines-Diliman publication who were covering the NutriAsia picket line.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines condemned the arrests.

"The assault, threats and arrests of our colleagues is a clear attack on press freedom and highlights the increasing dangers journalists face in these increasingly troubled times We demand just as strongly that they forget the ludicrous notion of filing trumped up criminal charges against our colleagues," NUJP said in a statement.

In a statement sent on Tuesday, NutriAsia said it has no plans to pursue charges against the arrested students, but did not discuss the charges against the others who were arrested.

This is the second violent dispersal of NutriAsia workers. On June 14, violence erupted at the NutriAsia plant when police attempted to break up the picket line. The workers were on strike for 12 days to protest alleged contractualization, low wages, and unhealthy working conditions.

Related: Police slammed for 'violent dispersal' of workers in NutriAsia

NutriAsia: Workers initiated violence

NutriAsia alleged the protesters  composed of 200 workers of contracting agency Toll Packer BMirk and their supporters  fired a gunshot and started throwing rocks at their guards and the police.

"It is unfortunate that the strikers staged a violent attack while a DOLE-led mediation meeting among stakeholders, including the union organizer, was at the same time ongoing with the objective of seeking a peaceful settlement for the strikers," it said in a statement on Monday.

It added the striking workers used children and elderly to protect their picket.

"It is even more disturbing that the strikers had used young children and elderlies as frontliners and human shields as they pushed their way to barricade the plant entryways. These children and elderlies clearly have nothing to do with the labor issue at hand," it said.

NutriAsia is one of the largest producers of condiments in the country, which include Datu Puti, Mang Tomas, UFC, Papa, and Jufran.N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) Market is Expected to Reach a Value of Over US$ 1,200 Mn by the end of 2028

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NMP or N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone is a hygroscopic, highly polar compound with great thermal and chemical stability. It is slowly oxidised by air and easily purified by fractional distillation. NMP is used for many applications, and is highly prevalent in the industry as it is biodegradable and recyclable. A new research report by Future Market Insights projects the market scenario of NMP for the years ahead. According to this comprehensive research report titled N-Methyl Pyrrolidone (NMP) Market: Global Industry Analysis 2013  2017 and Opportunity Assessment 2018  2028, the global NMP market is expected to reach a value of over US$ 1,200 Mn by the end of 2028, growing at a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period.N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone Market: SnapshotWith the rise in demand for NMP in the global market, many companies are adopting the strategy of innovating their product offerings. There are various companies moving strong in the market, and are forced to come up with innovative products in order to compete efficiently in the market. Innovation and sustainability initiatives are anticipated to be major factors responsible for competiveness. Consumers do not mind paying a premium for green chemistry and environmental preservation initiatives.Request Sample Report @This, along with more stringent regulatory constraints, may further increase the importance of innovation in this market. Regional expansion is another strategic move undertaken by top manufacturers to efficiently cater to consumer demands. Manufacturers are also expanding their production plants in different regions with improved capacity levels. These moves also serve as a driver for the global NMP market, boosting product supply and demand.Some of the key players in the market include companies such as LyondellBasell Industries Holdings, Ashland, Eastman Chemical Company, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Hefei TNJ Chemical Industry Co., Ltd, Shandong Qingyun Changxin Chemical Science-Tech Co., Ltd, Zhejiang Realsun Chemical Co., Ltd, Puyang,, Guangming Chemicals Co., Ltd, Abtonsmart Chemicals (Group) Co., Ltd, Balaji Amines, Binzhou Yuneng Chemical Co., Ltd, Binzhou City Zhanhua District Ruian Chemical Co., Ltd. All these companies play a crucial role in influencing the dynamics of the global NMP market.NMP Market Anticipated to Face Growth Restrictions in North America and Europe Due to New Regulatory FrameworkAccording to the market analysis for the years 2018-2028, China is expected to record the highest consumption of NMP in excess of 120,000 MT by the end of 2028. However, in terms of growth rate, the SEA & Pacific region is expected to witness good growth during the forecast period. North America also holds a lucrative position with a high market value estimated by the end of 2028.Request to View TOC @The report also highlights the fact that the application of NMP in industrial cleaners and paints or coatings will decline exceptionally in Europe and North America, due to a stringent regulatory framework. In Europe, the use of NMP in consumer products is expected to decline owing to its entry in Annex VI of the CLP Regulation including Repr. 1B H360D with a specific concentration level (SCL) of 5% (current consumer product limit). If this is applied, it will confine the use of NMP in consumer applications to less than 0.3% and would thereby prohibit NMP from being used in such products as NMP would have no functionality at this level in the current consumer applications.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb:Cloud API Market to Register High Revenue Growth at 20% CAGR During 2017  2026

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The cloud API is growing at a faster phase owing to the wide adoption of smartphones and cloud applications for back-end services. Cloud API differ as per the service and solution, for instance, three major types of services are Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Businesses globally are also adopting cloud technology, this is driving the demand for cloud API. Increasing number of connected devices with the emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) is also playing an important role in the growth of cloud API. As faster analysis and monitoring is possible through cloud API, which has become necessary for connected devices.Various groups are working on developing standards for cloud API, as the goal is to move towards a common cloud API. Cloud APIs are also working on creating interoperability between clouds which will allow users to move data easily and also prevent cloud providers to lock users in their platforms. Increasing customer needs is leading towards the efficient API development program. Companies are developing complex APIs with an aim of providing intelligent real-time experience. The need for cross-platform compatibility is rising. Hence, cross-platform API allows people to access resources, not just from primary cloud provider bust also from other.According to the Persistence Market Research (PMR), the global cloud API market is anticipated to witness significant growth throughout the forecast period 2017-2026. By 2026 end, the global market for cloud API is likely to surpass US$ 1,000 Million revenue. Concerns about security, flexibility, efficiency are growing. Hence, companies are focusing on providing Enterprise as a Service and Enterprise as a Platform to address all these issues.Request For Report Sample@Based on the end users, large enterprises are likely to emerge as the largest users of cloud API as compared to the SMEs. By the end of 2026, large enterprises are estimated to surpass US$ 1,000 Million revenue.On the basis of vertical, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) is anticipated to emerge as one of the largest sector using cloud API. The BFSI sector is projected to bring in close to US$ 400 Million in terms of revenue by 2026 end.Region-wise, North America is expected to emerge as a leading region in the global cloud API market. Towards 2026 end, North America is likely to bring in more than US$ 800 Million revenue. Presence of all the top leading companies operating in the cloud API and increasing adoption of cloud API is driving the growth in the region. Cloud-based business applications such as enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management are also becoming popular in North America. The U.S. and Canada are witnessing the growth in adoption of cloud API.Google Inc., Apigee Corporation, 3scale Inc., SAP SE, Microsoft Corporation, TIBCO Mashery, CA Technologies, Inc., International Business Machine Corporation, Axway Software SA, and Amazon Web Services, Inc., are some of the leading players in the global market for cloud API.Request for Table of Content (ToC):Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Beneficial Study on Peripheral Artery Revascularisation Market by Top Players, Challenges, Standardization, Opportunities, Value Chain, Trends and Forecasts till 2028

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Peripheral arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the arms, legs and other organs apart from the brain and heart. Peripheral artery disease is the most common form of peripheral vessels disease. Peripheral artery revascularisation is required when blood is not supplied efficiently to peripheral organs. Peripheral arteries often get blocked due to plaque formation (formed of extra cholesterol, calcium and other materials) or narrowing of the peripheral arteries. Peripheral artery revascularisation is one of the effective ways to restore blood flow to peripheral organs. Changing lifestyle, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking leads to plaque clog buildup in the peripheral arteries, which adversely affects blood flow to distant organs. Claudication, critical limb ischemia and acute limb ischemia are three major conditions that can be treated with peripheral artery revascularisation. Peripheral artery revascularisation is more common in case of critical limb ischemia and acute limb ischemia.Request TOC of this Report-Peripheral Artery Revascularisation Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing worldwide prevalence of peripheral artery disease can be attributed to the significant growth of the peripheral artery revascularisation market. More than 10% of Americans aged over 65 years have peripheral artery disease, which is contributing to the growth of the market. The prevalence of peripheral artery disease is also increasing due to an increase in the prevalence of risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and use of tobacco, which is also driving the peripheral artery revascularisation market. Increasing obesity and tobacco use are the most high-impact rendering factors driving the peripheral artery revascularisation market. The worlds aging population is slated to increase in the coming years, which is expected to boost the number of peripheral artery disease cases, and this is also contributing to the growth of the market. More than 200 million people worldwide have peripheral artery disease owing to which they require peripheral artery revascularisation. The peripheral artery revascularisation market is also expected to grow due to an increase in the number of procedures available in developing countries. However, the high cost of this procedure appears to be only restraint of the market.Peripheral Artery Revascularisation Market: SegmentationThe global peripheral artery revascularisation market can be segmented on the basis of product type, procedure type, indication type, end use and geography.Based on the product type, the global peripheral artery revascularisation market is segmented as: Stents Grafts Percutaneous trans-luminal angioplasty (PTA) balloons PTA drug-eluting balloonsBased on procedure type, the global peripheral artery revascularisation market is segmented as: Vascular bypass AngioplastyBased on indication type, the global peripheral artery revascularisation market is segmented as: Lower Extremity Revascularisation Renal Arterial Revascularisation Mesenteric Arterial Revascularisation Abdominal Aortic RevascularisationBased on end users, the global peripheral artery revascularisation market is segmented as: Hospitals Ambulatory surgical centres Specialized clinicsPeripheral Artery Revascularisation Market: OverviewThe global peripheral artery revascularisation market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period owing to an increase in the prevalence of peripheral artery diseases. Increasing global geriatric population is expected to contribute significantly to the growth of the market. The worldwide prevalence of peripheral artery disease is around 200 million, which is driving the peripheral artery revascularisation market. The availability of new instruments such as stents is expected to drive the product type segment of the market. By indication type, lower extremity revascularisation is the most dominating segment of peripheral artery revascularisation market due to its high prevalence. By end user type, the hospitals segment is dominating the market due to the highest acceptance and convenience offered by hospitals. The peripheral artery revascularisation market is witnessing innovative techniques of vascularisation along with mergers and acquisitions.To know more about the Peripheral Artery Revascularisation Market Trends, Visit the link Peripheral Artery Revascularisation Market: Regional OutlookApproximately, more than 10% people with peripheral artery disease live in the U.S. Nearly 70% of the total population affected with peripheral artery disease lives in low- to middle-income regions, hence the Asia-Pacific and Middle East peripheral artery revascularisation market is expected to grow significantly. Regions, such as North America and Europe, are witnessing steady growth in the prevalence of peripheral artery diseases in term are also contributing to the growth of the market.Peripheral artery Revascularisation Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players operating in the peripheral artery revascularisation market are Boston Scientific Corporation; Abbott Laboratories; AngioDynamics, Inc.; Cook Medical; Cardinal Health, Inc.; C. R. Bard, Inc.; The Spectranetics Corporation; Medtronic plc and Terumo Corporation.The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.The report covers exhaustive analysis on: Market Segments Market Dynamics Market Size Supply & Demand Current Trends/Issues/Challenges Competition & Companies involved Technology Value ChainRegional analysis includes North America (U.S., Canada) Latin America (Mexico, Brazil) Western Europe (Germany, Italy, U.K, Spain, France, Nordic countries, BENELUX) Eastern Europe (Russia, Poland, Rest of Eastern Europe) Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (China, India, Australia & New Zealand) Japan Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, Rest of MEA)Report Highlights: Detailed overview of parent market Changing market dynamics in the industry In-depth market segmentation Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value Recent industry trends and developments Competitive landscape Strategies of key players and products offered Potential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growth A neutral perspective on market performance Must-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint.Pre-book this Report-About FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Pressure Relief Devices Market Pegged to Reach Nearly US$ 3,600 Mn by 2025-End

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Demand for pressure relief devices is on a surge in developing economies including Asia Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & Africa (MEA). With the advent of medical tourism in various APAC countries such as Vietnam Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Philippines, the market in this region is expected to witness considerable growth. Provision of after sales will be the key focus area of the global pressure relief devices market. Various global players have signed strategic partnerships & collaborations with regional players for offering sales and aftersales services in developing markets.Request for sample Report:Persistence Market Research (PMR), in its report, projects the global pressure relief devices market to register 5.3% CAGR during the forecast period 2017 to 2025. In 2016, the market was evaluated at revenues worth US$ 2,280.4 Mn; by 2025 this number is estimated to reach nearly US$ 3,600 Mn.Growing Number of Patients with Hospital-acquired Ulcer Poised to drive Market Growth in North AmericaAccording to a study by Hill-Rom, growing number of patients with hospital-acquired pressure ulcer has led to a robust adoption of pressure ulcer devices in North America. In addition, rising prevalence of obesity and growing geriatric population has also driven the demand for pressure ulcer devices. These factors are expected to drive growth of the market in this region. However, reimbursement stands as a critical factor, considering the fact that products are highly priced. Private insurers in North America are adopting reimbursement restrictions for pressure ulcer treatment, which in turn will restrain market growth in this region.Increasing out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure is current trend in both developed and developing countries of APAC. This is expected fuel demand for medical devices including pressure relief devices in this region. In addition, provision of government initiatives is expected to offer better healthcare facilities across developing economies, which is further expected to fuel demand for pressure relief devices in APAC. In contrast, affordability of purchasing new pressure relief devices is a major challenge for large number of population across this region. This is because of limited support from government policies covering pressure ulcer treatment in developing economies, and lack of health insurance. These factors are expected to impede market growth in Asia Pacific.Sales of Pressure Relief Devices to Long-term Care Centers to Reach Nearly US$ 1,700 Mn by 2025-EndLong-term care centres will continue to remain most lucrative end-users of pressure relief devices, with revenues estimated to reach nearly US$ 1,700 Mn by 2025. Demand for pressure relief devices from long-term care centres is expected to witness expansion at 6% CAGR through 2025. In addition, hospitals are estimated to be second largest end-users of pressure relief devices. Revenue garnered by demand for pressure relief devices from hospitals is expected to surpass US$ 800 Mn in 2017.By product type, specialty beds will remain sought-after in the market. Sales of specialty beds is expected to exhibit 5.8% CAGR through 2025. Specialty beds are expected to account for over 50% market share by 2025-end. In addition, sales of pressure relief mattress is projected to reach nearly US$ 600 Mn in 2017. In contrast, mattress overlays are expected to witness a comparatively low CAGR in the market.North America to Remain the Largest Market for Pressure Relief DevicesNorth America will remain the largest market for pressure relief devices. Sales of pressure relief devices in this region will reach nearly US$ 800 Mn in 2017; by 2025 this number is estimated to surpass US$ 1,000 Mn. In addition, APAC is expected to witness fastest growth in the market. Sales of pressure relief devices in APAC is projected to expand at 6% CAGR through 2025. In contrast, MEA is expected to exhibit sluggish expansion in the market during the forecast period.View Report Table of Contents, Figures, and TablesKey players identified in PMRs report include Arjohuntleigh AB, Hill-Rom Global Holdings B.V., INVACARE CORP, PARAMOUNT BED CO., LTD., Talley Group Limited, STRYKER CORPORATION, SIDHIL LIMITED, MEDTRONIC PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY, SMITH & NEPHEW PLC, Apex Medical Corp, Proma Reha, s. r. o., Besco Medical Co., Ltd., Hirtz & Co. KG, GF Health Products, Inc., ADL GmbH., Linet spol. s r.o.Visit For Table of Contents:ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comPackaging Tubes Market Expected to Account for US$ 4.5 Bn BY 2028

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The US$ 2.5 billion packaging tubes market is slated to exhibit promising performance over the next decade. As indicated by a recent outlook published by Future Market Insights, the global market for packaging tubes will possibly thrive at 5.4% over 2028-1028, attaining a value of around US$ 4.5 Bn by 2028 end. During the course of assessment period, packaging giants are expected to concentrate on improvisation of existing formats of packaging tubes, which have been limiting the use of packaging tubes to pharmaceuticals, oral care products, and cosmetics.Laminated Tubes Are Most Likely to Outperform Aluminum Tubes in Terms of Adoption & Growth RateImmense ease of use, convenience, and portability will collectively enable laminated tubes to witness healthy traction in near future. As consumers are moving away from rigid packaging formats such as plastic and aluminium-based packaging tubes, they are more inclined towards laminated tube packaging, which is expected to push the performance of laminated tubes in the packaging tubes market in next few years. However, the substitutes such as stick packs, pouches, and sachets may limit this growth, with an advantage in terms of price and convenience. Aluminum tubes, though account for the maximum revenue share, are expected to witness a heavy decline in near future.Request to Sample of Report @Premium Personal & Beauty Care Products Come in Laminated TubesLaminated tubes, which were only considered for packaging of hand lotion, toothpaste, and a series of similar products till a decade ago, are increasingly being embraced by a number of beauty and personal care brands. To harness the most of structural, functional, and design flexibility of laminated packaging tubes, brands are using them for packaging almost every beauty and personal care product on retail shelves. Premiumization has been a big trend in personal and beauty care industries, which manifests in a wide range of decorating possibilities and a number of material attributes such as texture. Moreover, it also enables manufacturers to include metallics on tubes and closures, and create virtually seamless, 360 degree decorated packaging tubes.Technological Intervention to Benefit Laminated Tube SalesRecently, a beauty care brand introduced a range of products packaged in fully decorated plastic tubes, which are manufactured using the innovative digital print technology in mass scale. The tubes look vibrant and are include seamless structure, tactile embossing, photorealistic images, and cap-to-tube printing. These packaging tubes are likely to attract an exceptionally large female consumer base in near future. Brand owners are foreseen to innovate their existing product offerings with innovative digital print  direct-to-print technology. Also, growing adoption of flexographic printing technology by tube manufacturers is anticipated to contribute to the market growth through 2028.The shift of a growing number of pharmaceutical players to laminated tube packaging from plastic and Aluminum-based packaging, is conscious and marked, and has been attributed to several noteworthy anti-contamination properties possessed by this packaging tube type. The global market for packaging tubes is witnessing rapid uptake of laminated tubes in the pharmaceutical industry, especially for packaging of OTC products, which is expected to boost the market performance in near future.Request to Report Methodology @Innovation Rides the Sustainable Future of Packaging TubesNevertheless, the packaging industry has been striving to diminish its environmental footprint, by adopting bio-based plastics in manufacturing packaging materials. However, the availability of such sustainable materials is limited, which directly translates into the high price point. Manufacturers are thus investing more in research and development of cheaper sustainable materials for using in packaging tubes, which are also environment-friendly. One of the not-so-popular and accepted sustainable solutions, includes using PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic materials. This and more such innovations are likely to benefit the market for packaging tubes in the next few years.Moreover, the market is also trending with tubes made up of plastic barrier laminates with EVOH and polyamide, which impart them the see-through functionality in multilayer structures. Industry experts reveal that the see though packaging solutions, including transparent plastic packaging tubes, tend to gather higher consumer value on retail shelves, helping marketers to stand apart from other traditional packaging counterparts. Product visibility will continue to influence the buying decision of consumers, which is poised to continue fuelling market growth through the next decade.Get full report now @About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact UsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb:Global Future of the Vietnamese Defense Industry Market Attractiveness, Methodology, Market Scenario, Competitive Landscape, Analysis, Scope, Future and Forecasts to 2023

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A newly compiled business intelligent report, titled Global Future of the Vietnamese Defense Industry Market has been publicized to the vast archive of Market Research Hub (MRH) online repository. The study revolves around the analysis of Future of the Vietnamese Defense Industry market, covering key industry developments and market opportunity map during the mentioned forecast period. This report further conveys quantitative & qualitative analysis on the concerned market, providing a 360 view on current and future market prospects. As the report proceeds, information regarding the prominent trends as well as opportunities in the key geographical segments have also been explained, thus enabling companies to be able to make region-specific strategies for gaining competitive lead.Click Here to Get the Sample Copy of the Report@Future of the Vietnamese Defense Industry - Market Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2023Summary"Future of the Vietnamese Defense Industry - Market Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2023", published by Strategic Defence Intelligence, provides readers with detailed analysis of both historic and forecast defense industry values, factors influencing demand, the challenges faced by industry participants, analysis of industry leading companies, and key news.This report offers detailed analysis of Vietnamese defense industry with market size forecasts covering the next five years. This report will also analyze factors that influence demand for the industry, key market trends, and challenges faced by industry participants.In particular, it provides an in-depth analysis of the following -- Vietnamese defense industry market size and drivers: detailed analysis of Vietnamese defense industry during 20192023, including highlights of the demand drivers and growth stimulators for the industry. It also provides a snapshot of the countrys expenditure and modernization patterns- Budget allocation and key challenges: insights into procurement schedules formulated within the country and a breakdown of the defense budget. It also details the key challenges faced by defense market participants within the country- Import and Export Dynamics: analysis of prevalent trends in the countrys imports and exports over the last five years- Market opportunities: details of the top defense investment opportunities over the next 10 years- Competitive landscape and strategic insights: analysis of the competitive landscape of Vietnamesen defense industry. It provides an overview of key players, together with insights such as key alliances, strategic initiatives, and a brief financial analysisScope- Conflicts in the South China Sea and the need to replace obsolete military equipment have driven Vietnams defense expenditure throughout 20142018 and are expected to do so over the forecast period. Vietnams defense budget grew from US$4.3 billion in 2014 to US$5.4 billion in 2018, at a CAGR 6.14%.- The Vietnamese Government is expected to maintain a steady allocation of an average of 32.3% of defense budget for capital expenditure over the forecast period, which is same as average of 32.3% between 2014 and 2018.- The country is expected to procure military equipment to boost its naval strength and maritime security in order to counter the threat from Chinas growing naval strength in the South China Sea. In addition, Vietnam intends to procure military equipment such as corvettes, patrol vessels, frigates, submarines, aircraft, missiles, and armored vehicles as part of its modernization program.Reasons to buy- This report will give the user confidence to make the correct business decisions based on a detailed analysis of Vietnamese defense industry market trends for the coming five years- The market opportunity section will inform the user about the various military requirements that are expected to generate revenues during the forecast period. The description includes technical specifications, recent orders, and the expected investment pattern by the country during the forecast period- Detailed profiles of the top domestic and foreign defense manufacturers with information about their products, alliances, recent contract wins, and financial analysis wherever available. This will provide the user with a total competitive landscape of the sector- A deep qualitative analysis of Vietnamese defense industry covering sections including demand drivers, Porters Five Forces Analysis, Key Trends and Growth Stimulators, and latest industry contractsView Full Report with Table and Content@Table of Contents1. Introduction 71.1. What is this Report About? 71.2. Definitions 71.3. Summary Methodology 111.4. About Strategic Defence Intelligence 132. Executive Summary 143. Market Attractiveness and Emerging Opportunities 163.1. Current Market Scenario 183.1.1. Military Fleet Size 183.1.2. Procurement Programs 223.1.3. Key Drivers and Challenges 243.2. Defense Market Size Historical and Forecast 263.2.1. Defense expenditure is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.05% during the forecast period 263.2.2. Military modernization and the crisis in the South China Sea are expected to be the prime factors driving Vietnamese military expenditure 293.2.3. Defense expenditure as a percentage of GDP is expected to hover at 2.1% over the forecast period 323.3. Analysis of Defense Budget Allocation 343.3.1. Share of capital expenditure in the overall defense budget is expected to increase 343.3.2. Vietnams capital expenditure is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.03% over the forecast period 363.3.3. Per capita defense expenditure to be US$76.9 by 2023 393.4. Homeland Security Market Size and Forecast 413.4.1. Homeland security expenditure is expected to be US$4.5 billion by 2023 413.4.2. The main factors driving homeland security expenditure are the illicit drugs trade and human trafficking 433.4.3. Vietnam faces a some level threat from foreign terrorist organizations 453.4.4. Vietnam faces negligible threat from foreign terrorist organizations 463.4.5. Vietnam has a minimal terrorism index score of 0 483.5. Benchmarking with Key Global Markets 493.5.1. Vietnamese defense expenditure is expected to remain low compared to leading spenders 493.5.2. Vietnam has a low defense expenditure compared to other Asian countries 513.5.3. Vietnams defense expenditure as a percentage of GDP is higher than leading Asian defense spenders 523.6. Defense Market Opportunities: Key Trends and Growth Stimulators 533.6.1. Top Defense Market Sectors by Value (US$ Million) - Projections over 2018-2023 53Continued @@About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like defense and Security market research and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comHome Infusion Therapy Devices Will Reach US$ 26,747.8 Mn by 2020

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According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Home Infusion Therapy Devices - Needleless Connectors to Witness Highest Growth by 2020, the global home infusion therapy devices market was valued at US$ 15,905.1 Mn in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9% from 2014 to 2020, to reach US$ 26,747.8 Mn by 2020.Home infusion therapy facilitates intravenous at-home administration of medicines into the patients body through needle and catheter. The therapy is prescribed by physicians and administered by trained healthcare professionals. It is used when oral medication is not effective for the treatment of diseases such as cancer and gastrointestinal diseases. It is also used in the treatment of diabetes, cystic fibrosis, dehydration, and acute infections. Home infusion therapy reduces time spent by patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics. The therapy is used to administer drugs, antibiotics, nutrients, and other fluids into the veins on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, depending on the patients condition. Home infusion therapy is an effective and safe alternative against conventional hospitalization for the treatment of diseases. This is due to convenience and friendly environment at the patients home, which helps in faster recovery from diseases. Home infusion therapy includes total parenteral nutrition, infusion antibiotic therapy, hydration therapy, IV steroid therapy, chemotherapy, enteral therapy, and pain management. Some major infusion devices used for administration of medicines are infusion pump, intravenous equipment, and needleless connectors. Infusion pumps are categorized as ambulatory infusion pump, large volume infusion pump, and syringe infusion pump.Request for sample Report:Globally, the home infusion therapy devices market is witnessing significant growth due to the expanding home care market for infusion therapy and increasing application of infusion devices for relieving pain. Moreover, rising aging population, increasing number of chronic diseases, and technological advancements in infusion devices are also supporting the growth of home infusion therapy devices market. However, increasing risk to patient safety and occurrence of mistakes while using infusion devices as well as issues related to reimbursement policies for home infusion therapy inhibit the growth of the market. The global home infusion therapy devices market is anticipated to grow from US$ 15,905.1 Mn in 2014 to US$ 26,747.8 Mn by 2020 at a CAGR of 9% during the forecast period.In North America, the home infusion therapy devices market is growing due to increasing number of patients with chronic diseases such as cancer, AIDS, and diabetes. In addition, growing aging population is also supporting the growth of home infusion therapy devices market in the region.The home infusion therapy devices market in Europe is growing due to increasing aging population and rising popularity of non-hospital procedures in the region. Furthermore, increasing number of chronic diseases which requires home infusion therapy, such as cancer, diabetes, and AIDS, is also boosting growth of the Europe home infusion therapy devices market. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) - a branch of the National Institutes of Health - around 3.4 million new cases of cancer and 1.7 million deaths from cancer were reported in Europe in 2012. Moreover, according to the Oxford Journals, approximately 7 37,747 men and 5 76,489 women died from cancer in Europe in 2013. Furthermore, according to the European Diabetes Leadership Forum 2012, Copenhagen, about 35 million adults in Europe were suffering from diabetes in 2011, which is anticipated to rise to 43 million by 2030.Asia represents the fastest-growing market for home infusion therapy devices. This is primarily due to growing aging population and cost effectiveness of home infusion therapy. In addition, rising popularity of non-hospital procedures and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in the region is further driving the market. According to the National Home Infusion Association, home infusion therapy is more cost-efficient compared to hospitalization treatment. For instance, home infusion therapy cost nearly US$ 200 a day compared to less than US$ 2,000 a day in a hospital. According to the Wisut Jaijagcome/East-West Center, the number of people aged 65 years and above in Asia was 207 million in 2000 and the number is expected to reach 857 million by 2050.Browse the full Global Market Study on Home Infusion Therapy Devices - Needleless Connectors to Witness Highest Growth by 2020 report atHospira, Inc., B. Braun Melsungen AG, Caesarea Medical Electronics Ltd., Fresenius Kabi AG, and Smiths Medical are some of the leading players in the home infusion therapy devices market. Other players in the home infusion therapy devices market include CareFusion Corporation, ICU Medical, Inc, JMS Co. Ltd., Baxter, and Terumo Corporation.The global home infusion therapy devices market is segmented as follows:By Type of DeviceInfusion pumpIntravenous setNeedleless connectorBy Infusion PumpVolumetric infusion pumpSyringe infusion pumpInsulin infusion pumpEnteral infusion pumpAmbulatory infusion pumpPatient-controlled analgesia (PCA) infusion pumpImplantable infusion pumpBy ApplicationAnti-infectives/antibioticsEnteral nutritionSpecialty pharmaceuticalsTotal parenteral nutrition (TPN)Pain managementChemotherapyHydration infusion pumpBy Type of DiseaseDiabetesCancerBy GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsiaRoWVisit For Table of Contents:ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comSolenoid Valve Market is expected to reach 12.8 billion USD in 2022

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Solenoid Valve Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2016 to 2022Access Full Summary at :The global Solenoid Valve Market was valued at about 11.5 billion USD in 2016 and is likely to garner 12.8 billion USD in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 4.3% in the coming years according to Progressive Markets report, Solenoid Valve Market Size, Trend, Share, Opportunity Analysis & Forecast, 2016-2022.The report provides an in-depth analysis of the entire market. It encompasses the market size, market share analysis, market dynamics, market forecast, seven analysis of industry chain, research methodology, key market segments, economic impact, and the key company profiles. The data in the report has been gathered and validated through an extensive research. The study serves as a useful guide for market players, new entrants, and investors as it helps them identify the prolific investment pockets and opportunities for growth and determine strategies to be implemented for their business progress.Request Sample Report:At first, the report provides a brief introduction of the solenoid valve market. It then goes on to discuss the manufacturing technology used, which encompasses the development, analysis, and trends of the industry. The report then offers details on the key manufacturers operating in the industry. The seven analysis of industry chain is provided to help market players develop business strategies for the future and identify the level of competition across the world. This section constitutes the industry chain structure, upstream raw materials, and downstream industry. The economic impact of the industry is studied based on global and China macroeconomic environment analysis, global and China macroeconomic environment development trend, and effects to solenoid valve industry.The study discusses the market landscape of the solenoid valve industry based on the drivers and restraints. Increasing investment of solenoid valves in various industries across developing economies such as China and India, advancement in manufacturing technologies, growth in the global economies, lower production costs of a valve, lower power consumption are the factors driving the market growth. In addition, due to the relatively low cost of solenoids, high work efficiency, and easier maintenance, solenoid valves offer superior performance advantages in many end-use applications, thereby increasing the consumption of solenoid valves. On the other hand, solenoid valve market growth is affected by some issues associated with solenoid valves. As the cost of the raw material takes a greater proportion of the production cost, the supply and price of raw materials significantly affect the industry. Compared with foreign manufacturers, the production technology of solenoid valve in China still focuses on the medium and low-end products. And the higher end automotive solenoid valve still depends on imports.The market discusses the solenoid valve industry based on the geography. The market analysis is provided for the regions such as China, Europe, APAC, North America, and the rest of the world. China accounted for the largest production share of around 61.3% of the solenoid valve industry followed by Europe (around 16.3%), APAC (15.4%) and North America (9.2%) in 2016.The study offers a detailed analysis of key market players active in the global solenoid valve industry. A business overview is provided in the study to help investors determine investment feasibility and market players to determine strategies for achieving overall business growth. Furthermore, financial and business segments of each market player are offered in the report along with recent developments. Key market players analyzed in the research include Emerson (USA), Parker Hannifin (USA), SMC (Japan), Saginomiya Seisakusho (Japan), Danfoss (Denmark), Festo (Germany), Burkert (Germany), Rheinmetall Automotive (Germany), IMI (UK), Sanhua (China), Juliang (China), Anshan Solenoid Valve (China), Yuyao Sanlixin (China), and Ningbo Jiayin (China).sThe company makes use of primary corporate research and secondary inputs from trusted sources to build its own reference base. It maintains consistency in quality as it keeps itself updated with changes in market dynamics and gauging its net effect on global business trends.Reach UsMr. Shriram Dighe4th Floor, Unit 12, Marisoft III,West Wing, Marigold IT Park,Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411014,India: +91 20 66346040Toll Free: + 1-888-906-9222help@progressivemarkets.comPatient Monitoring Devices Market Competitors Analysis - GE Healthcare, Abbott Laboratories, Siemens Healthcare, Philips Healthcare till 2022

Patient Monitoring Devices Market

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Global Patient Monitoring Devices Market  HighlightsThe Global Patient Monitoring Devices Market has been evaluated as steadily growing market and it is expected that the market will continue to grow similarly in the near future. These monitoring devices continuously check patients vital signs by using a medical monitor. Patient monitoring devices market has various functions such as glucose monitoring, blood monitoring, temperature monitoring, cholesterol monitoring, weight monitoring etc. Electrocardiography is fastest growing sub-segment, it is largest in cardiac monitoring market and fastest growing in neurological device.Get Sample report @Electrocardiography is the process that checks for problems with the electrical activity of your heart. Electrocardiography is very helpful to diagnose unexplained chest pain or pressure, cause of symptoms of heart disease, to check how well medicines are working and see if they are causing side effects that affect the heart. Increase in consumer awareness is driving the market growth which expected to grow in same pace in near future. Patient monitoring devices manufacturers trying to make more advance, accurate and innovative device to provide desirable solution.Global Patient Monitoring Devices Market is segment into two major segments and its sub-segments such as based on type, based on product type and based on end user. Global Patient monitoring devices market is expected to reach USD 23.4 billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 5.7%. North America is the largest market for patient monitoring devices while Asia-Pacific region is fastest growing. Europe is second largest market for patient monitoring device and expected to grow steadily during forecasting period.Global Patient Monitoring Devices Market  Key PlayersThere are plenty of large and small market players which operate in this market all over the globe. GE Healthcare, Roche Diagnostics, BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG, Abbott Laboratories, Siemens Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, CAS Medical Systems, Inc., Spacelabs Healthcare, Honeywell International, Inc., Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co.Global Patient Monitoring Device Market - Competitive AnalysisKoninklijke Philips N.V is multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Amsterdam focussed on electronics, healthcare, homecare and connected care. In August 2016 Philips launched medical grade Philips Health Watch thus expanding its product offerings in wearables section.Honeywell International Inc. is a multinational company headquartered in the U.S. which manufactures a variety of commercial and consumer goods, aerospace systems and provides engineering services for broad range of customers. It has broad product segment in health wearable devices. In April 2018, Honeywell Life Care Solutions signed business collaboration with MobileHelp This collaboration will strengthen its brand loyalty and will provide better services for its customer base.Get Discount on Report @Global Patient Monitoring Devices Market  Regional AnalysisNorth Americas patient monitoring device market is known to be the largest, owing to the high prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, increasing obese population, increasing acceptance of new technologies, increasing geriatric population, growing clinical research and development sector and presence of pharmaceutical giants. Additionally, increasing healthcare expenditure is likely to propel the growth of the patient monitoring device market in North America. Similarly increasing number of surgical treatment options is also likely to aid the market need for cardiac and neuromonitoring devices top their sole use in advanced surgeries.Europe is the second leader in the patient monitoring device market. The European market is predicted to grow during the forecast period due to various government legislative reforms providing regulatory guidelines to manufacturing companies, the growing research and developments sector, established medical device market, need for advanced treatments along with the availability of proper health care infrastructure. Moreover, increasing funding for research and development has evolved new patient monitoring devices that are user-friendly as well as easy to carry. For instance, the European Commission stated that the R&D spending by the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sectors grew by 8.7% in 2014.The Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest region in the global patient monitoring device market due to the presence of huge population suffering from diabetes, hypertension, and key pharmaceutical companies setting up their regional headquarters in Singapore, Japan, China, and Australia, increasing awareness for health, growing healthcare investment and increasing geriatric population. For Instance in accordance to report published by the United Nations in 2015; between 2015 and 2030, the number of older persons aged 60 years or over in the world is predicted to grow by 56 %, from 901 million to more than 1.4 billion, out of which 66% of older population would reside in Asia-Pacific regions. This makes the region prone to chronic diseases which in turn increases the market demand for patient monitoring devices. These countries are quickly adapting to new technologies so as to improve the health of every citizen. Government is also supporting the same by investing in research and development in clinical research sector as well as in building proper healthcare infrastructure.The Middle East & Africa holds the least share in the market owing to the presence of low-income countries and low healthcare expenditure, especially within the African region. Within this region, the Middle East leads the market due to the presence of developed economies like United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and others. Moreover, rising geriatric population, developed healthcare infrastructure, rising number of skilled medical professionals fuels the regional market. This region has huge untapped markets which have a high potential for growth.Global Patient Monitoring Devices Market  SegmentationPatient monitoring devices Market has been segmented on the basis of product type which comprises of Central monitoring stations, Portable bedside monitors, Electrocardiogram (ECG) Devices, Hemodynamic Monitoring Devices, Fetal and neonatal monitors, Respiratory Monitors, Weight management monitors, Temperature monitoring devices, and others. On the basis of end user, the market is segmented into Hospitals and clinics, Ambulatory care centers, Home care and others.To Know More Enquire @Major Table of ContentChapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 LimitationsChapter 3. Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size EstimationChapter 4. Market DynamicsContinued.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune  411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.comCatastrophe Insurance Market 2018-2025 Analysis by Top Leading Companies AIG, Allianz, AXA Berkshire Hathaway, Lloyds, Allstate, Aviva, Liberty Mutual Zurich Insurance Group, etc

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The Report Study on Global Catastrophe Insurance Market 2018 offers an intrinsic and described analysis of Catastrophe Insurance industry which helps company businessperson, industry investors, and industry participants with diligent intuition to enable them make informed integral decisions regarding the opportunities in the world Catastrophe Insurance market.Get Sample copy @ Catastrophe Insurance Market Research Report 2018 offers detailed analysis of market size, share, growth, trends, key players analysis, product scope, types, application and 2025 insight. The report also provide information about production cost, chain structure, statistical data, challenges, global demand, applications, competitive landscape, investment plans and development status analysis with experts opinions.Complete report on Catastrophe Insurance market report spread across 97 pages, profiling 9 companies and supported with tables and figures. Inquire more @Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins. The report focuses on global major leading Catastrophe Insurance Industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The Catastrophe Insurance industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.Analysis of Catastrophe Insurance Industry Key Manufacturers: AIG Allianz AXA Berkshire Hathaway Lloyds Allstate Aviva Liberty Mutual Zurich Insurance Group.Purchase this report @This report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, covering: North America Europe China Japan India Southeast Asia Other regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa).Table of ContentsGlobal Catastrophe Insurance Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Catastrophe Insurance2 Global Catastrophe Insurance Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles4 Global Catastrophe Insurance Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)5 United States Catastrophe Insurance Development Status and Outlook6 Europe Catastrophe Insurance Development Status and Outlook7 China Catastrophe Insurance Development Status and Outlook8 Japan Catastrophe Insurance Development Status and Outlook9 Southeast Asia Catastrophe Insurance Development Status and Outlook10 India Catastrophe Insurance Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)12 Catastrophe Insurance Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 Appendix.About UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact Us:Ruwin MendezVice President  Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (832) 380-8827 | UK: +44 0161-818-8027Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn:Factors Driving the Growth of Forestry Software Market with +21% CAGR, study of trends, Share, Sales, Growth, Forecast, Segment 2018-2023

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Forestry software allows forestry users to manage operations such as forecasting, harvesting operations, inventory tracking, and contract management. The company uses software to predict yields and optimize resources.Forestry Software Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of +21% during the forecast period 2018-2023. Service-based (SaaS) -based forestry software is preferred by businesses because it is economical and improves the overall efficiency of the forest management process. The growing demand for integrated forest software solutions has been identified as one of the key trends to drive the growth prospects of the forest software market for the expected period.The Forestry Software Market Report provides a clear understanding of the subject. Reports have been accumulated using principal and subordinate research methodologies. Both of these methods are intended to work with accurate and specific data related to market dynamics, historical events and current market conditions. The report also includes SWOT analysis, which determines the strengths, weaknesses, prospects and threats that affect the entire market segment.Ask for PDF Sample Copy:Top Key Players included in this report:Trimble, Mason Group, Silvacom, Bruce & Girard, Baywood Technologies, Field Data Solutions, Forest Metrix, Esri, TimberSmart, Assisi Software, Creative Information Systems, INFLOR, Remsoft, TreeTrackerMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers United States, EU, Japan, China, India, Southeast Asia. Market segment by Type, the product can be split into On-Premises Forestry Software, Cloud-Based Forestry Software. Market segment by Application, the market can be split into Forest Management, Logging Management, Mapwork Harvester, Other.The organizations vibrant and remarkable procedures will secure the newest and freshest of updates on the organizations scheme and besides this data and reports of the desired products and services in the market. The methodology of Forestry Software Market is that the information gathering will confirm a crisp and inventive method of market analysis to help its customers to ascend the enhancement of their business. The broad collection of research services will ensure a match with each organization as a business need.Avail 20% Discount and Customization On This Premium Report@Table of Contents:Global Forestry Software Market Research Report 2018-2023Chapter 1: Forestry Software Market OverviewChapter 2: Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3: Global Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4: Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5: Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6: Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7: Forestry Software Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8: Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9: Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10: Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11: Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12: Global Forestry Software Market ForecastFor more enquiry @About Company:We at IT Intelligence Markets conduct intensive market research and generate detailed reports about the products and services offered in the IT domain. Our team is devoted to providing custom reports that are taylor-made to suit the customers requirements. We make sure to keep our customers updated with the latest market dynamics as IT industry is undergoing sea change intrinsically & extrinsically by forces such as regulatory fluctuations, rapidly evolving consumer preferences, and newer technologies. Not only do our market research analysts scrutinize market requirements but also track competitors relentlessly for obtaining the most updated scenario of the market.Name: Vijay TannaCompany: IT Intelligence MarketsAddress: Survey No-9/4, Flat# 6, Panchshil Park, Ganpati Marg, Nigidi, Pune 411044Mail Id: sales@itintelligencemarkets.comContact No: +91 705-760-0700Interconnects and Passive Components Market - Thriving Consumer Electronics Industry 2025 | Panasonic Corporation

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Global Interconnects and Passive Components Market: OverviewAn interconnect component refers to an optical or electric connection or cable connecting two or more devices. A broad range of interconnect parts such as board to board connectors, electronic cable connectors, and DIN connectors used in a broad range of applications are offered by a number of manufacturers. Cellular phones, hubs, HVAC equipment, routers, mp3 players, GPS devices, Ethernet and other high speed connectivity applications, digital cameras, and video connections are some of the key applications that deploy interconnects components. Passive components, on the other hand, are used in applications such as computers, wireless communication, security systems, 3D printers, medical instruments, power supply circuits, handheld devices, digital thermostats, and several household appliances.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Interconnects and Passive Components Market: Key TrendsThe rising demand for interconnects and passive components in the thriving consumer electronics industry is a primary catalyst of the global market. Used in the production of devices and machines deployed in automobiles, healthcare, data processing, and telecommunication, these components are likely to witness greater adoption over the next few years. The market is also receiving a significant boost from the continual technological advancements in the consumer electronics industry. Moreover, the growth of the interconnect segment creates further scope of expansion for the market. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the preference for high speed bandwidth in data processing, emergence of robotics and automation across numerous sectors, and development of compact electronic components and devices.Global Interconnects and Passive Components Market: Market PotentialThe competitive scenario of the global interconnects and passive components market is marked by unceasing product launches. For instance, in March 2017, AVX Corporation announced the release of its new low pass integrated thin film SMD filter, which can be an ideal solution for various wireless applications such as global positioning systems (GPS), mobile communications systems, and wireless large area networks (LANs). The new FHC1 and FHC2 series feature low parasitics, low insertion loss, conducive heat dissipation properties, and a wide frequency range.Request TOC of the Report @Partnerships, acquisitions, and collaborations are focused on by several companies. For example, in Ixia announced its partnership with Foxconn Interconnect technology (FIT) and Cisco for demonstrating 400 Gigabit Ethernet traffic at The Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) 2017 in Los Angeles, USA.Global Interconnects and Passive Components Market: Regional OutlookRegionally, the global interconnects and passive components market is segmented into Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific exhibits colossal growth opportunities, springing from factors such as easy availability of cheap labor, raw material, along with low costs of production. The booming consumer electronics industry in the region, and particularly in China, is aiding steady growth of the market for interconnects and passive components. Moreover, with increasing per capita incomes of the middle class, the standard of living of the people has improved. This has resulted in more demand for smartphones, LED and LCD displays, and other electronic devices. North America and Europe are also slated for extensive growth, encouraged by beneficial policies of the government.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Global Interconnects and Passive Components Market: Competitive AnalysisPanasonic Corporation, Guangzhou Copper Factory Co., Ltd., TT Electronics Plc., AVX Corporation, Celtic Chemicals Ltd, JST Mfg. Co. Ltd., E Connectivity Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., and Cisco Systems, Inc. are some of the prominent players operating in the global market for interconnects and passive components.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.comJoystick 2018 Global Market Key Players - Altheris sensors & controls ,APEM Bosch Rexroth ,BUCHER Hydraulics, ch products, CTI Electronics Corporation And Forecast To 2023

Joystick 2018 Global Market

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Global Joystick Detailed Analysis Report 2018-2023Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Joystick Market -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2023 To Its Research Database.Description:This report mainly introduces volume and value market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also their price change details. As a Detailed Analysis report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinion in Joystick industry.This report splits Joystick market by Number of Axis, by Joystick Type, which covers the history data information from 2013 to 2017 and forecast from 2018 to 2023.This report focuses Global market, it covers details as following:Major CompaniesAltheris sensors & controlsAPEMBosch RexrothBUCHER Hydraulicsch productsCTI Electronics CorporationELOBAUEUCHNER GmbH + Co. KGHangzhou Prosper M&E Technology Co.,LtdLINDE HYDRAULICMakersanNBB Controls + Components GmbHOTTOPENNY GILES CONTROLSPran SystemsSALAMISensata TechnologiesSpohn & Burkhardt GmbH & Co. KGTraxsys Input ProductsW. GESSMANNRequest for Sample Report @Main RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain Product TypeJoystick Market, by Number of AxisSingle-axis2-axis3-axisMulti-axisJoystick Market, by Joystick TypeAnalog JoystickHall Effect JoystickPotentiometer JoystickInductive JoystickOthersMain ApplicationsVehiclesRailwayOthersComplete Detail @Table of ContentGlobal Joystick Detailed Analysis Report 2018-2023Chapter One Joystick Market Overview1.1 Global Joystick Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2013-20231.2 Joystick, by Number of Axis 2013-20231.2.1 Global Joystick Sales Market Share by Number of Axis 2013-20231.2.2 Global Joystick Revenue Market Share by Number of Axis 2013-20231.2.3 Global Joystick Price by Number of Axis 2013-20231.2.4 Single-axis1.2.5 2-axis1.2.6 3-axis1.2.7 Multi-axis1.3 Joystick, by Joystick Type 2013-20231.3.1 Global Joystick Sales Market Share by Joystick Type 2013-20231.3.2 Global Joystick Revenue Market Share by Joystick Type 2013-20231.3.3 Global Joystick Price by Joystick Type 2013-20231.3.4 Analog Joystick1.3.5 Hall Effect Joystick1.3.6 Potentiometer Joystick1.3.7 Inductive Joystick1.3.8 OthersChapter Three Joystick by Players 2013-20183.1 Global Joystick Sales Volume Market Share by Players 2013-20183.2 Global Joystick Revenue Share by Players 2013-20183.3 Global Top Players Joystick Key Product Model and Market Performance3.4 Global Top Players Joystick Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five Global Top Players Profile5.1 Altheris sensors & controls5.1.1 Altheris sensors & controls Company Details and Competitors5.1.2 Altheris sensors & controls Key Joystick Models and Performance5.1.3 Altheris sensors & controls Joystick Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.1.4 Altheris sensors & controls Joystick Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.2 APEM5.2.1 APEM Company Details and Competitors5.2.2 APEM Key Joystick Models and Performance5.2.3 APEM Joystick Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.2.4 APEM Joystick Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.3 Bosch Rexroth5.3.1 Bosch Rexroth Company Details and Competitors5.3.2 Bosch Rexroth Key Joystick Models and Performance5.3.3 Bosch Rexroth Joystick Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.3.4 Bosch Rexroth Joystick Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.4 BUCHER Hydraulics5.4.1 BUCHER Hydraulics Company Details and Competitors5.4.2 BUCHER Hydraulics Key Joystick Models and Performance5.4.3 BUCHER Hydraulics Joystick Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.4.4 BUCHER Hydraulics Joystick Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.5 ch products5.5.1 ch products Company Details and Competitors5.5.2 ch products Key Joystick Models and Performance5.5.3 ch products Joystick Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.5.4 ch products Joystick Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.6 CTI Electronics Corporation5.6.1 CTI Electronics Corporation Company Details and Competitors5.6.2 CTI Electronics Corporation Key Joystick Models and Performance5.6.3 CTI Electronics Corporation Joystick Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.6.4 CTI Electronics Corporation Joystick Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.7 ELOBAU5.7.1 ELOBAU Company Details and Competitors5.7.2 ELOBAU Key Joystick Models and Performance5.7.3 ELOBAU Joystick Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.7.4 ELOBAU Joystick Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.8 EUCHNER GmbH + Co. KG5.8.1 EUCHNER GmbH + Co. KG Company Details and Competitors5.8.2 EUCHNER GmbH + Co. KG Key Joystick Models and Performance5.8.3 EUCHNER GmbH + Co. KG Joystick Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.8.4 EUCHNER GmbH + Co. KG Joystick Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.9 Hangzhou Prosper M&E Technology Co.,Ltd5.9.1 Hangzhou Prosper M&E Technology Co.,Ltd Company Details and Competitors5.9.2 Hangzhou Prosper M&E Technology Co.,Ltd Key Joystick Models and Performance5.9.3 Hangzhou Prosper M&E Technology Co.,Ltd Joystick Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.9.4 Hangzhou Prosper M&E Technology Co.,Ltd Joystick Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.10 LINDE HYDRAULIC5.10.1 LINDE HYDRAULIC Company Details and Competitors5.10.2 LINDE HYDRAULIC Key Joystick Models and Performance5.10.3 LINDE HYDRAULIC Joystick Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.10.4 LINDE HYDRAULIC Joystick Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.11 Makersan5.12 NBB Controls + Components GmbH5.13 OTTO5.14 PENNY GILES CONTROLS5.15 Pran Systems5.16 SALAMI5.17 Sensata Technologies5.18 Spohn & Burkhardt GmbH & Co. KG5.19 Traxsys Input Products5.20 W. GESSMANNContinued..Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Pharmaceutical Excipients Global Market 2018: Key Players  BASF SE,, Colorcon, Inc., Croda International PLC, Evonik Industries AG, FMC Corporation

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Pharmaceutical Excipients IndustryDescriptionWiseguyreports.Com Adds Pharmaceutical Excipients -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecast To 2023 To Its Research Database.The Global Pharmaceutical Excipients Market was worth $5.68 billion in 2015 and estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 6.1%, to reach $7.64 billion by 2020. An excipient is a natural or synthetic constituent formulated alongside the active ingredient of a medication, included for the purpose of inducing and catalysing a wide range of physical and chemical properties.The Global market for Pharmaceutical Excipients is broadly categorized by Product, by Functionality and by Formulation Type. Based on Product it is further categorized into Organic Chemicals (Oleochemicals, Carbohydrates, Petrochemicals, Proteins, Other Organic Chemicals) and Inorganic Chemicals (Calcium Phosphates, Metal Oxides, Halites, Calcium Carbonates, Calcium Sulphates, Other Inorganic Chemicals). Based on Functionality the Pharmaceutical Excipients are divided into subcategories like Fillers & Diluents, Binders, Suspension & Viscosity Agents, Coatings, Disintegrants, Flavouring Agents, Lubricants & Glidants, Colorants, Preservatives, Others). On basis of type of formulations, it is segmented into Oral Formulations, Topical Formulations, Parenteral Formulations and Advanced Delivery Systems. The fillers & diluents segment accounted for the largest share of the pharmaceutical excipients market while the lubricant & Glidants segment will witness the highest growth.Request for Sample Report @On the basis of geography, the global market is analysed under various regions namely North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. Europe and North America occupy the majority of the share in market, accounting for almost 2/3 of the revenue. Despite that Asia-Pacific remains the dominant region in terms of growth because of the untapped resources it offers in terms of manufacturing facilities and sheer population figures.Rise in chronic diseases due to sedentary life style, heavy investments by the pharmaceutical companies in development of biologics, adopting modern innovations like nanotechnology are key driving forces of the market. Reducing side-effects of drugs and developing eco-friendly solutions for manufacturing processes are the major challenge faced by the pharmaceutical industry.As discussed earlier, demand is increasing in the emerging markets like Asia-Pacific and Latin America, therefore proper expansion strategies, launching new product pipeline would be a lucrative opportunity for the companies operating in this industries. However, the growth of the market is hindered to a certain level by the fact that investments in R&D by major companies are not up to the required level and increasing regulatory requirements are making it increasingly hard to get new manufacturing facilities approved which are definite threats to overcome.Emerging players in this market are giving a stiff competition to the top 10 players who occupy almost 70% of the total market. It can be attributed to the rapid growth of the market and opportunities it possesses in developing countries. Some of the key players operating in the field are Ashland Inc., AkzoNobel, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Associated British Foods PLC, BASF SE, Colorcon, Inc., Croda International PLC, Evonik Industries AG, FMC Corporation, Innophos Holdings Inc., J.M. Huber Corporation, Merck Millipore, Roquette Group, The DOW Chemical Company and Lubrizol Corporation.Leave a Query @Table of Content1. Introduction1.1 Market Definition1.2 Study Deliverables1.3 Base Currency, Base Year and Forecast Periods1.4 General Study Assumptions2. Research Methodology2.1 Introduction2.2 Research Phases2.2.1 Secondary Research2.2.2 Primary Research2.2.3 Econometric Modelling2.2.4 Expert Validation2.3 Analysis Design2.4 Study Timeline3. Overview3.1 Executive Summary3.2 Key Inferences3.3 New Developments4. Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, and Challenges Analysis (DROC)4.1 Market Drivers4.2 Market Restraints4.3 Key Challenges4.4 Current Opportunities in the Market...8. Market Leaders' Analysis8.1 Ashland Inc.8.1.1 Overview8.1.2 Product Analysis8.1.3 Strategic Evaluation and Operations8.1.4 Financial analysis8.1.5 Legal issues8.1.6 Recent Developments8.1.7 SWOT analysis8.1.8 Analyst View8.2 AkzoNobel8.3 Archer Daniels Midland Company8.4 Associated British Foods PLC8.5 BASF SE,8.6 Colorcon, Inc.8.7 Croda International PLC8.8 Evonik Industries AG8.9 FMC Corporation8.1 Innophos Holdings Inc.,8.11 J.M. Huber Corporation8.12 Merck Millipore8.13 Roquette Group8.14 The DOW Chemical Company8.15 The Lubrizol Corporation9. Competitive Landscape9.1 Market share analysis9.2 Merger and Acquisition Analysis9.3 Agreements, collaborations and Joint Ventures9.4 New Product Launches10. Expert Opinions10.1 Market Outlook10.2 Investment OpportunitiesAppendixa) List of Tablesb) List of FiguresBuy Now @Continued...Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (Us) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (Uk)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra, GlobalPh: +91 841 198 5042Palletizers Market will hit at a CAGR of 4.9% by 2028

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According to the latest market report published by Future Market Insights titled Palletizers Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2018-2028, Palletizers being a highly productive material handling solution is expected to be the prime driver of the global palletizers market during the forecast period, 2018-2028. Globally, the revenue generated from sales of palletizers has been estimated to be around US$ 2,084.4 Mn in 2018, and is projected to increase at a CAGR of 4.9%, during the forecast period 2018-2028.The palletizers market in the developed region of North America and Western Europe together estimated to account for around 40% of the global palletizers market and are projected to witness low growth during the forecast period. The developed countries of North America and Western Europe region has high adoption rate for recently developed technology. This has resulted into high demand of advanced technology for robotic palletizers as compared to other regions. Large number of palletizers manufacturers are based in these regions only. Although, the manufacturing output growth in these regions have matured, the continuous developments introduced in the robotic palletizers and the end-user industries aiming highest automation possible has propelled the palletizers market in North America and Western Europe.China, India and South Korea are some of the rapidly developing manufacturing industries in the world and large market for robotics in the world. These countries are estimated to account for more than 85% of the APEJ palletizers market. Although, China is the largest palletizers market and the largest robotics market in the world, the industrial robot density of China is below global average. Millions of manufacturing and warehousing facilities, and huge domestic production of economical palletizers has created large opportunity for the palletizers market in the country.Request for Table of Contents @Japan is exhibited to possess similar characteristics as that of North America and Western Europe, which are maturing the demand of palletizers, large palletizers market share and rapid adoption of technology. Fanuc, Kuka and other globally leading companies in robotics industry and providing palletizers are based in Japan.Central Europe & Baltics region includes countries such as Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Croatia and others. The total labour force in the region has remained almost constant since 2002 while the manufacturing output in the region has expanded by around 2.7 times. This has created immense opportunity in the region for palletizers market and other industrial automation solutions. Availability of economical and skilled labour in Poland has attracted manufacturing industries in the Western Europe region to shift their production facility to Poland and other countries in the Central Europe and Baltics region.In the MEA region, Turkey and GCC region are estimated to account for around 60% of the MEA palletizers market in 2018 and are further expected to expand palletizers market at a significantly high pace as compared to African countries. MEA region has considerably higher demand share of conventional palletizers as compared to other regions. The rapidly developing pharmaceutical industry in the North Africa and GCC region has propelled the demand of palletizers in the region. Due to lack of manufacturing capability, the majority of the demand of palletizers is served by imports from Asia Pacific and Western European countries.The market volume for global palletizers is expected to expand at 1.6X over the forecast period 2018-2028Detailed profiles of palletizers companies are also included in the report to evaluate their strategies, key product offerings and recent developments. The key players of the global palletizers market are Premier Tech Chronos Ltd., ABB Ltd., FANUC Corp., Kion Group, Kuka Group, Honeywell International Inc., Okura Yusoki Co., Ltd., Columbia Machine, Inc., Fuji Yusoki Kogyo Co., Ltd. and Concetti S.P.A.In global palletizers market report, we have discussed individual strategies followed by these companies in terms of enhancing their product portfolio, creating new marketing techniques, mergers and acquisitions. The Competitive Landscape section is included to provide report audiences with a dashboard view and company share collectively.Get Sample Copy of this Report @About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact UsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb:Insurance Technology Market 2018-2025 Analysis by Growth and Top Manufacturers Xchanging, Insurance Technology Services, Patriot Technology Solutions, TechInsurance, TIA Technology, etc.

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Insurance Technology Industry 2018 Global Market research report presents you analysis of market size, share, growth, trends, cost structure, statistical and comprehensive data of the global market. This research study highlights informative data and in-depth analysis of Insurance Technology Market and its segments based on technology, geography, and applications.Get Sample copy @ Insurance Technology Market Research Report 2018 offers detailed analysis of market size, share, growth, trends, key players analysis, product scope, types, application and 2025 insight. The report also provide information about production cost, chain structure, statistical data, challenges, global demand, applications, competitive landscape, investment plans and development status analysis with experts opinions.Complete report on Insurance Technology market report spread across 99 pages, profiling 12 companies and supported with tables and figures. Inquire more @Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins. The report focuses on global major leading Insurance Technology Industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The Insurance Technology industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.Analysis of Insurance Technology Industry Key Manufacturers: Xchanging Insurance Technology Services Patriot Technology Solutions TechInsurance TIA Technology Seibels DXC Technology Marias Technology .Purchase this report @This report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, covering: United States Europe China Japan Southeast Asia India.Table of ContentsGlobal Insurance Technology Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Insurance Technology2 Global Insurance Technology Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles4 Global Insurance Technology Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)5 United States Insurance Technology Development Status and Outlook6 Europe Insurance Technology Development Status and Outlook7 China Insurance Technology Development Status and Outlook8 Japan Insurance Technology Development Status and Outlook9 Southeast Asia Insurance Technology Development Status and Outlook10 India Insurance Technology Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)12 Insurance Technology Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 Appendix.About UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact Us:Ruwin MendezVice President  Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (832) 380-8827 | UK: +44 0161-818-8027Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn:Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) Market 2024 Top Key Player Analysis  LyondellBasell, Wacker Chemie, KURARAY CO., LTD, Dow Chemical, NINGXIA YINGLITE CHEMICAL, Exxon Mobil

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Market Study Report adds 2017-2024 global Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) market report that offers an exhaustive coverage of the industry with brief analysis, data charts, figures, statistics that help take business decisions, company profiles and more.Vinyl Acetate Monomer market will likely surpass USD 10 billion by 2024; according to a new research report.Basic raw material required for manufacturing vinyl acetate monomer is acetic acid and ethylene. There are few technologies used for producing VAM such as gas phase which includes a method of reacting acetic acid, ethylene and oxygen in the presence of silica. Apart from this technology, fluidized bed reactor technology invented by John C. Kayser, is used to produce vinyl acetate monomer that claims better catalyst life.Vinyl acetate is an essential raw material for manufacturing polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate. Polyvinyl acetate has excellent bonding properties which makes it an ideal application for paper coatings while polyvinyl alcohol high tensile strength, flexibility and resistance to grease, solvents and oil makes it suitable application for photosensitive coatings, textiles, packaging, etc. Growing application of vinyl acetate monomer in consumer and industrial products is increasing the demand in several industrial verticals.In the Asia Pacific, food, beverage and the dairy industry is witnessing huge growth from the past few years. High growth is due to rapid urbanization, industrialization, and increasing population. Primarily, demand for the packaged food products is predicted to rise, due to the increasing demand for ready to eat products in all the developing economies of the Asia Pacific. Along with packaged food products, beverage industry is also growing owing to high consumption of juice and other energy drinks by growing health conscious urban population in this region. According to the World Bank Data, the urban population in the Asia Pacific region is growing at a high rate. As the consumers are preferring healthier drinks, the demand for beverages as well as dairy products is growing. Further, due to the requirements of safe and nutritious healthy drinks the need for packaging is increasing, which will augment demand for vinyl acetate monomer application over the projected timeframe period.Request a sample of this premium report at:Etheyelene vynily acetate have wide range of application in footwear, packaging, pharmaceutical, agriculture and others. It has excellent elasticity and toughness propertise, which finds prime application in hot melt adhesive. Vinyl acetate ethylene is growing moderately in projected timeframe, growing application of (VAE) emulsions in paint and coatings products is positively influencing the market.Packaging segment is escalating at a remarkable pace in recent years and is predicted to grow during the forecat period. Due to shift in consumer eating habitat favoring packaged food products as well as growing number of working population worldwide is driving the packaging segment. Textile and cosmetics industry verticals have shown tremendous growth in past few years due to its excellent propertise such as stiffness and stabilizer respectively.Latin America is majorly dominated by Brazil, increasing usage of vinyl acetate in packaging, construction and textile industry is substantially growing the market over anticipated timeframe. North Amrica is driven by construction and textile indsutry, rising investment in construction industry as well as growing fashion trends in U.S is instrumental in influencing the growth of vinyl actate monomer market.The potential corporations involved in the market are LyondellBasell, Wacker Chemie, KURARAY CO., LTD, Dow Chemical, NINGXIA YINGLITE CHEMICAL, Exxon Mobil, Celanese Corporation, Ineospec Inc, Sinopec Group, Sipchem, among others.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Table of Content:Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope1.1. Methodology1.1.1. Initial data exploration1.1.2. Statistical model and forecast1.1.3. Industry insights and validation1.1.4. Definitions & forecast parameters1.2. Data sources1.2.1. Secondary1.2.2. PrimaryChapter 2. Executive Summary2.1. Vinyl acetate monomer market 360 degree synopsis, 2013 - 20242.1.1. Business trends2.1.2. Application by end user trends2.1.3. End user trends2.1.4. Regional trendsChapter 3. Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) Industry Insights3.1. Industry segmentation3.2. Industry size and forecast, 2013 - 20243.3. Industry ecosystem analysis3.3.1. Raw material analysis3.3.2. Profit margin3.3.3. Value addition3.3.4. Distribution channel analysis3.3.5. Vendor matrix3.3.5.1. List of key raw material suppliers3.3.5.2. List of key manufacturers/suppliers3.3.5.3. List of key/potential customers3.4. Raw material trends3.5. Innovation & sustainabilityAbout Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWeb site:Blog:Global E. Coli Testing Market 2017 - 2025| CPI International, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Pro-Lab Diagnostics, Inc., Alere Inc., BioMerieux Inc.

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "E. Coli Testing Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, & Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.Global E. Coli Testing Market: OverviewThis report on E. coli testing market studies the current as well as future prospects of the market globally. The stakeholders of this report include companies and intermediaries engaged in the manufacture, commercialization, providing services of E. coli testing products such as membrane filtration (MF), multiple tube fermentation (MTF), enzyme substrate methods, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, and enzyme immunoassays (EIA) as well as new entrants planning to enter this market. This report comprises an elaborate executive summary along with a market snapshot providing overall information of various segments and sub-segments considered in the scope of the study. This section also provides the overall information and data analysis of the global market with respect to the leading market segments based on major testing methods segment, end-user, and geographies.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global E. Coli Testing Market: Scope of the ReportThe market overview section of the report explores the market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities that currently have a strong impact on the E. coli testing market and could influence the market in the near future. Market attractiveness analysis has been provided in the market overview section in order to explain the intensity of competition in the market across different geographies. The competitive scenario among different market players is evaluated through market share analysis in the competitive landscape section of the report. All these factors would help market players to take strategic decisions in order to strengthen their positions and expand their shares in the global market.Global E. Coli Testing Market: Key SegmentsBased on testing methods, the E. coli testing market has been majorly segmented into: environmental testing method and clinical testing method. In terms of environmental testing methods divided into membrane filtration (MF), multiple tube fermentation (MTF), and enzyme substrate methods. In terms of clinical testing methods divided into polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, enzyme immunoassays (EIA) and others. Based on end-users, the market has been broadly classified into environmental testing end-user and clinical testing end-user. Each of the market segments have been extensively analyzed based on the market related factors such as increasing rate of E. coli related disease incidences and adoption of E. coli tests for water testing worldwide, technological advancement, and growing number of use of water testing E. coli test in various geographies.Moreover, historical year-on-year growth have been taken into consideration while estimating the market size. The market size and forecast in terms of US$ million for each segment has been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025. The report also provides the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for each market segment for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Global E. Coli Testing Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the market has been segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The market size and forecast for each of these regions has been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year. The report also provides with market size and forecast for major countries in the respective regions. A detailed qualitative analysis of factors responsible for driving and restraining the market growth and future opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. This section of the report also provides with market attractiveness analysis, porters five forces analysis, and market share analysis by key players, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global E. coli testing market.Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe key findings section included in the report would assist existing market players in expanding their market shares, and new companies in establishing their presence in the global E. coli testing market. The report also profiles key players operating in the market which are IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., CPI International, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Pro-Lab Diagnostics, Inc., Alere Inc., BioMerieux Inc., NanoLogix, Inc. and other prominent companies.Browse Report @The global E. coli testing market is segmented as follows:Global E. Coli Testing Market, by Testing MethodsEnvironmental Testing MethodMembrane Filtration (MF)Multiple Tube Fermentation (MTF)Enzyme Substrate MethodsClinical Testing MethodPolymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) TestsEnzyme Immunoassays (EIA)OthersGlobal E. Coli Testing Market, by End-userEnvironmental Testing MethodHome and Drinking Water SuppliersBottled Water SuppliersWaste Water Treatment OrganizationsOthers (Government Agencies, Private Well Owners, Ground Water Testing and Farm Water Testing)Clinical Testing MethodHospitalDiagnostic LaboratoriesPhysician OfficesGlobal E. Coli Testing Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyU.K.FranceItalySpainRest of the EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanAustralia & New ZealandAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on Blogger at:Hadoop Market 2018  Global SWOT Analysis,Emerging Market Strategies & Industry Overview

Hadoop Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Hadoop Market 2018  Global SWOT Analysis,Emerging Market Strategies & Industry Overview.Hadoop, the Apache Hadoop developed by Apache Software Foundation, is an open-source software framework for storing data and running applications on clusters of commodity hardware. It provides massive storage for any kind of data, enormous processing power and the ability to handle virtually limitless concurrent tasks or jobs.The base Apache Hadoop framework is composed of the following modules: Hadoop Common  contains libraries and utilities needed by other Hadoop modules Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS)  a distributed file-system that stores data on commodity machines, providing very high aggregate bandwidth across the cluster; Hadoop YARN  a platform responsible for managing computing resources in clusters and using them for scheduling users' applications; and Hadoop MapReduce  an implementation of the MapReduce programming model for large-scale data processing.Scope of the Report:This report studies the Hadoop market status and outlook of Global and major regions, from angles of players, countries, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top players in global market, and splits the Hadoop market by product type and applications/end industries.The leading growing market is Asia Pacific, such as China, India, Japan, Korea, SEA, etc. USA and Europe are the mature market with relatively lower growth rate.North America is the largest Hadoop market in the world these years, and USA is the largest country of Hadoop market in the world in the past few years and it will keep increasing in the next few years. USA market took up about 50% the global market in 2016 (90% of North America Hadoop market), while Europe was about 23.3%, and Asia-Pacific is followed with the share about 14.8%.USA is now the most key developers of Hadoop distributions. There are some vendors with poor quality or introduced products, but the Chinese market is still controlled by the abroad vendors. And the high quality products are mainly supplied by overseas providers.Cloudrea, Hortonworks, MapR Tech, Dell/EMC/Pivotal, IBM, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services are the key suppliers in the global Hadoop market. Top 3 took up about 56% of the global market in 2016. Cloudrea, Hortonworks and MapR Tech are the most popular Hadoop distributions in the world.The global Hadoop market is valued at 1700 million USD in 2017 and is expected to reach 9400 million USD by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of 33.0% between 2017 and 2023.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comThe Asia-Pacific will occupy for more market share in following years, especially in China, also fast growing India and Southeast Asia regions.North America, especially The United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Hadoop.Europe also play important roles in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2017 and will be xx million USD in 2023, with a CAGR of xx%.Market Segment by Companies, this report coversCloudreaHortonworksMapR TechDell/EMC/PivotalIBMMicrosoftAmazon Web ServicesMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversCloud-basedOn-premisesMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoManufacturingRetailFinancialGovernmentOthersAsk Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key Points1 Hadoop Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Hadoop1.2 Classification of Hadoop by Types1.2.1 Global Hadoop Revenue Comparison by Types (2017-2023)1.2.2 Global Hadoop Revenue Market Share by Types in 20171.2.3 Cloud-based1.2.4 On-premises1.3 Global Hadoop Market by Application1.3.1 Global Hadoop Market Size and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2013-2023)1.3.2 Manufacturing1.3.3 Retail1.3.4 Financial1.3.5 Government1.3.6 Others1.4 Global Hadoop Market by Regions1.4.1 Global Hadoop Market Size (Million USD) Comparison by Regions (2013-2023)1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) Hadoop Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Hadoop Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) Hadoop Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia) Hadoop Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.5 Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Hadoop Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.5 Global Market Size of Hadoop (2013-2023)2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Cloudrea2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Hadoop Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Product A2.1.2.2 Product B2.1.3 Cloudrea Hadoop Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Hortonworks2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Hadoop Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Product A2.2.2.2 Product B2.2.3 Hortonworks Hadoop Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 MapR Tech2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Hadoop Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Product A2.3.2.2 Product B2.3.3 MapR Tech Hadoop Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Dell/EMC/Pivotal2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Hadoop Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Product A2.4.2.2 Product B2.4.3 Dell/EMC/Pivotal Hadoop Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 IBM2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Hadoop Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Product A2.5.2.2 Product B2.5.3 IBM Hadoop Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)ContinuedFor more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.Global Oil Free Compressor Market Report 2018-2025 by Process, Derivative and Application

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Oil Free Compressor (Oil-Free Compressor, Oil-Free Air Compressor) Market Professional Survey Report 2018 to its huge collection of research reports.An oil-free compressor is only one of several types of compressors available. It works the same way as a standard air compressor, and may even look very similar on the outside; internally, however, it contains special seals designed to keep the crucial lubricating oil away from the compressed air. The moving parts inside the compressor require lubrication to reduce the friction. Lubrication is essential in adequate amounts, regardless of the type of compressor, in order to prevent failure of the parts. The term oil-free refers to the air that the compressor produces, not the machine itself.Oil Free Air Compressors are air compressors specifically developed for applications where air quality is essential for end-product and production processes. Industries such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, electronics and textiles cannot risk any chance of oil contamination in their processes. Therefore, it is essential that the compressed air is 100% oil-free. The standard is ISO 8573-1 (2010) certification, in which Class Zero represents the highest air purity. It is the only way to ensure oil-free air for critical processes and with it peace of mind. Outstanding reliability, low maintenance and operating costs make oil-free compressors a sound investment.Click to get Sample PDF:Key consumption markets locate at developed countries. North America takes the biggest consumption market share of 27.02% in 2016, followed by Europe with 24.83%. China and Japan are also playing an important roles in global consumption market, with market share of 22.23% and 11.15% in 2016 respectively.The global Oil Free Compressor (Oil-Free Compressor, Oil-Free Air Compressor) market is valued at 540 million US$ in 2017 and will reach 610 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 1.5% during 2018-2025.The major manufacturers covered in this reportAtlas CopcoIngersoll RandSullairKAESERGardner DenverFushengKobelcoGeneral ElectricAerzenMitsuiHitachiAnest IwataNanjing CompressorOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBelow 50 HP50-100 HPAbove 100By Application, the market can be split intoFood & BeverageElectronicsPharmaceuticalsOil & GasOthersThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Oil Free Compressor (Oil-Free Compressor, Oil-Free Air Compressor) capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Oil Free Compressor (Oil-Free Compressor, Oil-Free Air Compressor) manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market.To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Key StakeholdersOil Free Compressor (Oil-Free Compressor, Oil-Free Air Compressor) ManufacturersOil Free Compressor (Oil-Free Compressor, Oil-Free Air Compressor) Distributors/Traders/WholesalersOil Free Compressor (Oil-Free Compressor, Oil-Free Air Compressor) Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsQYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comCardiac Catheter Sensor Market 2018 Industry Trend and Forecast 2023

Global Cardiac Catheter Sensor Industry

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Global Cardiac Catheter Sensor IndustryNew Study On 2018-2023 Cardiac Catheter Sensor Market Global Key Player, Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Forecast Added to Wise Guy Reports DatabaseThe market for cardiac catheter sensor across the globe is expected to grow impressively during the forecast period. The factors driving the growth of the global cardiac catheter sensor market are rising incidences and prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and increasing use of biosensors. Further, rise in adoption of minimally invasive procedures with better medical imaging and large number of market players are also considered as a major factor for driving the growth of the global cardiac catheter sensor market during forecast period. In addition, technological advancements & innovations in sensor technology and growing demand for interventional cardiac catheterization are creating enormous opportunities for the global cardiac catheter sensor market.In March 1, 2017, Abbott Laboratories Inc. received FDA approval for of the FlexAbility Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled. The cardiac catheter is designed to enhance the versatility and precision during cardiac ablation procedure to treat atrial flutter, a type of irregular heartbeat. With the approval, the company has further expanded its electrophysiology portfolio for treating patients struggling with abnormal heart rhythms (cardiac arrhythmias). Further it may reduce procedural risk with directed flow and tip temperature monitoring.Try Sample Report @The global cardiac catheter sensor market is analysed on the basis of geographical regions that are contributing significantly to the growth of the market. North America is estimated to be the dominating region in the global cardiac catheter sensor market. Increasing adoption of minimally invasive procedures and large number of market players in this region is estimated to be the major factors that are backing the growth of the market. Whereas, Asia Pacific is estimated to be the fastest growing region during the forecast period. Incidences and prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and growing demand for interventional cardiac catheterization are some of the major factors that are driving the growth of the cardiac catheter sensor market in the region.Key players of cardiac catheter sensor market include Abbott Laboratories Inc., Analog Devices, Inc., B. Braun Melsungen AG, Depuy Synthes Inc., First Sensor, GE Healthcare, Honeywell International, Inc., ICU Medical, Inc., Medtronic PLC, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp, Merit Medical Systems and Millar Inc. These market players are increasingly competing against each other by adopting different market strategies such as merger & acquisition, partnership & collaboration and so on. Further, FDA approval is also received by several companies such as Abbott Laboratories Inc. for cardiac catheters sensor which will contribute in the overall market revenue.Research Methodology:The market study of cardiac catheter market is incorporated by extensive primary and secondary research conducted by research team at OMR. Secondary research has been conducted to refine the available data to breakdown the market in various segments, derive total market size, market forecast and growth rate. Different approaches have been worked on to derive the market value and market growth rate. Our team collects facts and data related to the market from different geography to provide a better regional outlook. In the report country level analysis is provided by analyzing various regional players, regional tax laws and policies, consumer behavior and macro-economic factors. Numbers extracted from Secondary research have been authenticated by conducting proper primary research. It includes tracking down key people from the industry and interviewing them to validate the data. This enables our analyst to derive the closest possible figures without any major deviations in the actual number. Our analysts try to contact as many executives, managers, key opinion leaders and industry experts. Primary research brings the authenticity in our reports.Secondary sources include: Financial reports of companies involved in the market Authentic Public Databases Whitepapers, research-papers and news blogs Company websites and their product catalogue.The report provides in-depth analysis on pricing, market size, intended quality of the product preferred by consumers, initial norms and vehicle segment. The report will serve as a source for 360-degree analysis of the market thoroughly integrating different models such as PEST analysis, Porter five analysis delivering insights into the market for better business decisions.Market Segmentation1. Global cardiac catheter sensor market by type2. Global cardiac catheter sensor market by application3. Global cardiac catheter sensor market by end userTHE REPORT COVERS: Comprehensive research methodology of global cardiac catheter sensor market In-depth analysis of macro and micro factors influencing the market guided by key recommendations. Analysis of regional regulations and other government policies impacting the global cardiac catheter sensor market Insights about market determinants which are stimulating the global cardiac catheter sensor market Detailed and extensive market segments with regional distribution of forecasted revenues Extensive profiles and recent developments of market playersCompanies MentionedABBOTT LABORATORIES INC.2. ANALOG DEVICES, INC.3. B. BRAUN MELSUNGEN AG4. DEPUY SYNTHES INC.5. FIRST SENSOR6. GE HEALTHCARE7. HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL, INC.8. ICU MEDICAL, INC.9. MEDTRONIC PLC10. MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORP11. MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS12. MILLAR INC.13. NANOSS GMBH14. NXP SEMICONDUCTORS15. OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES INC.16. PHILIPS HEALTHCARE17. SILICON MICROSTRUCTURES, INC.18. SMITHS MEDICAL19. STMICROELECTRONICS N.V.20. STRYKER CORPORATION21. TE CONNECTIVITYFor Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @Some Major Points from Table of content:CHAPTER 1. REPORT SUMMARY1.1. RESEARCH METHODS AND TOOLS1.2. MARKET BREAKDOWN1.2.1. BY SEGMENTS1.2.2. BY GEOGRAPHY1.2.3. BY STAKEHOLDERSCHAPTER 2. MARKET OVERVIEW AND INSIGHTS2.1. DEFINITION2.2. ANALYST INSIGHT & CURRENT MARKET TRENDS2.2.1. KEY FINDINGS2.2.2. RECOMMENDATION2.2.3. CONCLUSION2.3. REGULATIONS2.3.1.1. UNITED STATES2.3.1.2. EUROPEAN UNION2.3.1.3. CHINA2.3.1.4. INDIACHAPTER 3. MARKET DETERMINANT3.1. MOTIVATORS3.1.1. RISING INCIDENCES AND PREVALENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES3.1.2. RISE IN ADOPTION OF MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURES WITH BETTER MEDICAL IMAGING3.1.3. LARGE NUMBER OF DOMINATING MARKET PLAYERS3.1.4. INCREASING USE OF BIOSENSORS3.2. RESTRAINTS3.2.1. EXPENSIVE CATHETERIZATION PROCEDURE3.2.2. RISK OF INFECTION AND PATIENT SAFETY CONCERNS3.3. OPPORTUNITIES3.3.1. TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS & INNOVATIONS IN SENSOR TECHNOLOGY3.3.2. GROWING DEMAND FOR INTERVENTIONAL CARDIAC CATHETERIZATIONCHAPTER 4. MARKET SEGMENTATION4.1. GLOBAL CARDIAC CATHETER SENSOR MARKET BY TYPE4.1.1. PRESSURE SENSORS4.1.2. TEMPERTURE SENSORS4.1.3. BIOSENSORS4.1.4. ECG SENSORS4.1.5. IMAGE SENSORS4.1.6. OTHER SENSORS4.2. GLOBAL CARDIAC CATHETER SENSOR MARKET BY APPLICATION4.2.1. DIAGNOSTIC4.2.2. SURGICAL4.2.3. MONITORING4.2.4. IMAGING4.3. GLOBAL CARDIAC CATHETER SENSOR MARKET BY END USER4.3.1. HOSPITALS AND DIAGNOSTIC CENTERS4.3.2. AMBULATORY SERVICES CENTERS4.3.3. OTHERCHAPTER 5. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE5.1. KEY COMPANY ANALYSIS5.2. KEY STRATEGIC ANALYSISCHAPTER 6. REGIONAL ANALYSIS6.1. NORTH AMERICAN6.1.1. UNITED STATES6.1.2. CANADA6.2. EUROPE6.2.1. U.K6.2.2. GERMANY6.2.3. ITALY6.2.4. SPAIN6.2.5. FRANCE6.2.6. ROE6.3. ASIA PACIFIC6.3.1. INDIA6.3.2. CHINA6.3.3. JAPAN6.3.4. ROAPAC6.4. REST OF THE WORLDContinued..For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.Contact Us:Norah Trent+1 646 845 9349 / +44 208 133 9349Follow on LinkedIn:Fuel Filters Market Key Information By Top Key Player Bosch, Affinia, Tenneco, Ahlstrom, Mahle, Denso, Yamaha, Mann-hummel, Yanmar, Parker

Fuel Filters Market, Global Fuel Filters Market Size, Fuel Filters Industry, Fuel Filters Market Trends, Fuel Filters Market Share

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Market Study Report adds new Global Fuel Filters Market Research Report 2018 new report to its research database. The report spread across 90 pages and 104 table and figures in it. The report provides information on industry trends, demand, top manufacturers, countries, material and application.The Global Fuel Filters market status and forecast, categorizes the global Fuel Filters market size (value & volume) by manufacturers, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top manufacturers in North America, Europe, Japan, China, and other regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa).A fuel filter is a filter in the fuel line that screens out dirt and rust particles from the fuel, normally made into cartridges containing a filter paper. They are found in most internal combustion engines.The passenger cars segment accounted for the major shares and dominated this market. Fuel economy is a key factor affecting the buying decision of consumers. The increasing demand for passenger cars especially in APAC due to their features such as the compact size and less carbon emissions, will be the major factor augmenting the growth of this market segment during the next few years.This market study estimates that in terms of geographic regions, APAC will be the major revenue contributor to the market throughout the revenue period. The increase in disposable income and the launch of new car models by OEMs boost the growth of the automotive industry in this region. This increase in number of automobiles will result in a rise in the rate of traffic congestion and in the levels of vehicular pollution. As a result, governments in this region will start implementing stringent regulations on the sales of passenger cars and vehicular emissions, which will consequently propel the growth of the fuel filter market.The global Fuel Filters market is valued at million US$ in 2017 and will reach million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of during 2018-2025.Request a sample of this premium report atThe competitive landscape of the Fuel Filters market profiles the key players participating in the global business space. These include as Bosch, Affinia, Tenneco, Ahlstrom, Mahle, Denso, Yamaha, Mann-hummel, Yanmar, Parker, Filter-tora, Peace Filter & Sogefi Group. The report also details the market positioning, strategies, and revenue procured by each of these manufacturers.The industry is analyzed in terms of products, applications, regions, and the key manufacturers holding a prominent share of the global revenue.The product landscape of the Fuel Filters market comprises as Diesel Engine & Gasline Engine. Each product has been analyzed in terms of its production, capacity, and consumption. The report further details the market share to be procured by each of these products over the coming years.In terms of end-user or applications, the report is segmented into OEMs & Aftermarket. A detailed analysis of the contribution of these application segments to the overall market revenue and volume has been included in the report.The regional segmentation of the report includes North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India & Other Regions. Detailing the consumption and production rate of Fuel Filters in these regions, the report outlines the growth curve of this industry in terms of market volume and share over 2017-2025.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report atMajor Points in Table of ContentsGlobal Fuel Filters Market Research Report 2018Global Fuel Filters Market OverviewGlobal Fuel Filters Market Competition by ManufacturersGlobal Fuel Filters Market Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)Global Fuel Filters Industry Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)Global Fuel Filters Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeGlobal Fuel Filters Market Analysis by ApplicationGlobal Fuel Filters Market Manufacturers Profiles/AnalysisFuel Filters Manufacturing Cost AnalysisIndustrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersMarketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersMarket Effect Factors AnalysisMarketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersGlobal Fuel Filters Market Forecast (2018-2025)Research Findings and ConclusionThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Fuel Filters capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Fuel Filters manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Fuel Filters are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Key StakeholdersFuel Filters ManufacturersFuel Filters Distributors/Traders/WholesalersFuel Filters Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsMore Report At:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:Global Cardiology Surgery, Devices and Drugs Market 2018 Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2023

Global Cardiology Surgery, Devices and Drugs Industry

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Global Cardiology Surgery, Devices and Drugs IndustryNew Study On 2018-2023 Cardiology Surgery, Devices and Drugs Market Global Key Player, Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Forecast Added to Wise Guy Reports DatabaseThe global cardiology devices & drugs market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% for the forecasted period of 2018-2023. The report covers three major segments of interventional cardiology market which include surgeries, devices, and drugs. As per WHO more than 17 million people died due to CVD in 2015 which makes is the number one cause of death globally. Some of the major CVDs include coronary heart diseases, stroke, hypertensive heart diseases, inflammatory heart diseases, rheumatoid heart diseases and others. Coronary heart diseases are the leading cause of death followed by strokes. The prevalence and incidence rate of heart diseases are on a rise; especially in major emerging countries such as India, China, and Japan. The market of cardiology surgery, devices and drugs are also on a rise.Try Sample Report @One of the major factors driving the market is medical tourism. Especially in emerging markets such as India, ASEAN countries and China, the cost of surgery and treatment for cardiovascular diseases is low. In India, a heart surgery costs around $1,500 whereas in the United States it costs 5 to 10 times more than India. Hence, many Americans prefer to travel to India for their treatment.North America is the leading market with highest market share. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8 percent. North American marker is followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the world. Asia Pacific market is expected to have highest CAGR of 9.5% for the forecasted period of 2018-2023.Key companies profiled in the report includes Pfizer, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Boston Scientific Corp., Medtronic, Sun Pharma, Roche Bayer and others.The Market Segmentation includes:Cardiology DevicesCardiology Drugs Market by IndicationsCardiology Drugs Market by Mechanism of ActionCardiology SurgeriesThe Report Covers:Comprehensive research methodology of Global cardiology surgery devices drugs marketIn-depth analysis of macro and micro factors influencing the market guided by key recommendations.Analysis of regional regulations and other government policies impacting the Global cardiology surgery devices drugs market.Insights about market determinants which are stimulating the Global Interventional Cardiology Surgery, Devices and Drugs marketDetailed and extensive market segments with regional distribution of forecasted revenuesExtensive profiles and recent developments of market playersFor Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @Some Major Points from Table of content:CHAPTER 1. REPORT SUMMARY1.1. RESEARCH METHODS AND TOOLS1.2. MARKET BREAKDOWN1.2.1. BY SEGMENTS1.2.2. BY GEOGRAPHY1.2.3. BY STAKEHOLDERSCHAPTER 2. MARKET OVERVIEW AND INSIGHTS2.1. GAP ANALYSIS2.2. ANALYST & CURRENT MARKET TRENDS2.2.1. KEY FINDINGS2.2.1.1. INCREASING TREND OF MINIMALLY INVASIVE TECHNOLOGY2.2.1.2. GROWING ANEURSYM REPAIR SURGERY MARKET2.2.1.3. INCREASING MARKET OF ANTIDOTES DRUGS2.2.1.4. LOW COST TREATMENT IN THE EMERGING ECONOMIES2.2.2. RECOMMENDATION2.2.3. CONCLUSION2.3. REGULATIONS2.3.1. TAX LAWS2.3.1.1. UNITED STATES2.3.1.2. EUROPEAN UNION2.3.1.3. CHINA2.3.1.4. INDIA2.3.2. DRUGS AND DEVICE REGULATIONS2.3.2.1. UNITED STATES2.3.2.2. EUROPEAN UNION2.3.2.3. CHINA2.3.2.4. INDIA2.3.2.5. REST OF THE WORLD2.4. TYPE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES2.4.1. CORONARY HEART DISEASES2.4.2. STROKE2.4.3. HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASES2.4.4. INFLAMMATORY HEART DISEASES2.4.5. RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASES2.4.6. OTHER HEART DISEASESCHAPTER 3. MARKET DETERMINANT3.1. MOTIVATORS3.1.1. INCREASING INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES3.1.2. MEDICAL TOURISM IN EMERGING MARKET3.1.3. INNOVATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PRODUCTS3.1.4. AVAILABILITY OF REMOTE MONITORING SOLUTIONS3.1.5. RISING HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURE3.2. RESTRAINTS3.2.1. HIGH COST OF SURGERIES AND MEDICAL DEVICES IN BOTH DEVELOPED AND EMERGING MARKETS3.2.2. STRICT GOVERNMENT POLICIES3.3. OPPORTUNITIES3.3.1. EMERGING MARKETS3.3.2. GROWING HYBRID OPERATING ROOMS MARKETCHAPTER 4. MARKET SEGMENTATION4.1. BY CARDIOLOGY DEVICES TYPES4.1.1. ANGIOPLASTY4.1.2. CARDIOVASCULAR STENTS4.1.3. CARDIOVASCULAR CATHETERS4.1.4. CARDIAC RHYTHM MANAGEMENT4.1.5. CARDIOVASCULAR ASSISTIVE DEVICES4.2. BY CARDIOLOGY DRUGS TYPES4.2.1. ANTITHROMBOTIC DRUGS4.2.2. ANTIDYSLIPIDEMIC DRUGS4.2.3. ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS4.2.4. ANTI STROKE DRUGS4.3. BY CARDIOLOGY DRUGS BY MECHANISM4.3.1. BETA BLOCKERS4.3.2. BETA AGONISTS4.3.3. ALPHA BLOCKERS4.3.4. ALPHA AGONISTS4.3.5. SODIUM CHANNEL BLOCKERS4.3.6. CALCIUM CHANNEL BLOCKERS4.3.7. VASODILATORS4.3.8. RENIN INHIBITORS4.3.9. ANGIOTENSIN RECEPTOR BLOCKERS4.3.10. DIURETICS4.3.11. THROMBOLYTICS4.4. BY CARDIOLOGY SURGERIES TYPES4.4.1. CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING4.4.2. TRANSMYOCARDIAL LASER REVASCULARIZATION4.4.3. HEART VALVE REPAIR4.4.4. ARRHYTHMIA TREATMENT4.4.5. ANEURYSM REPAIR4.4.6. HEART TRANSPLANTCHAPTER 5. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE5.1. KEY STRATEGIESCHAPTER 6. REGIONAL ANALYSIS6.1. NORTH AMERICA6.1.1. UNITED STATES6.1.2. CANADA6.2. EUROPE6.2.1. UNITED KINGDOM6.2.2. FRANCE6.2.3. GERMANY6.2.4. ITALY6.2.5. SPAIN6.3. ASIA PACIFIC6.3.1. INDIA6.3.2. CHINA6.3.3. JAPAN6.3.4. REST OF ASIA PACIFIC6.4. REST OF THE WORLDCHAPTER 7. COMPANY PROFILES7.1. PFIZER7.2. SANOFI S.A.7.3. ASTRAZENECA7.4. NOVARTIS7.5. BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBBContinued..For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.Contact Us:Norah Trent+1 646 845 9349 / +44 208 133 9349Follow on LinkedIn:Outdoor Lighting: Market 2018 Global Analysis By Top Key Players  Black Diamond, Goldmore, Johnson Outdoors, Newell Brands, Extreme Lights, KLARUS, Lumintop, MontBell, Nitecore, Outlite, Outwell

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Outdoor Lighting Market Analysis to 2025 is a specialized and in-depth study of the Outdoor Lighting industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global Outdoor Lighting market with detailed market segmentation by product/application and geography. The global Outdoor Lighting market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Outdoor Lighting players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.Outdoor Lighting Market Players: Black Diamond Goldmore Johnson Outdoors Newell Brands Extreme Lights KLARUS Lumintop MontBell Nitecore Outlite Outwell Paddy Pallin Xtreme VITCHELO YalumiGet Sample Copy of This Report Now @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Flashlights Lanterns HeadlampsOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including Specialty stores Department stores, hypermarkets, and supermarkets Online retail Warehouse clubsMajor regions are as follows: North America Europe China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaThe report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global Outdoor Lighting market based on product and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall Outdoor Lighting market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM), which is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend and provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions.Inquire before Buying @Also, key Outdoor Lighting market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.Reason to Buy- Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.- The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Outdoor Lighting market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies.- Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.- Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.- Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.Inquire for Discount @Contact Us:Call: +1-888-236-2744Email: sales@qyresearchgroups.comAbout Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Room B1510, Shiji Kemao Building,No.66 Zhongguancun East Road,Haidian District, Beijing,100190, China.Cooling Tower Rental Market 2017  2025 | Aggreko Plc, Baltimore Aircoil Aust Pty Ltd, Carrier Rental Systems Inc., Caterpillar Inc.

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A cooling tower can be defined as a specialized heat exchanger where air and water are brought into direct contact with each other for reducing the temperature of water. During this process, a small volume of water is evaporated, which reduces the temperature of water being circulated through the cooling tower. However, heat is simply a by-product of the complete production process or manufacturing cycle, and hence, many companies do not feel the need to permanently install cooling towers in their plants. They realize that the requirement of cooling towers can be fulfilled by the rental market, which can provide complete solutions, including single-point power connection, a circuit breaker, and emergency trailer-mounted delivery.. . Get Sample Report_' 'The global rental cooling tower market can be segmented based on type, capacity, and application.In terms of type, the market can be classified into wet, dry, and hybrid cooling towers. The wet cooling towers, also known as open circuit cooling towers, use the principle of evaporation to reduce heat. On the other hand, dry cooling towers can be termed as extended-type of radiator coolers, where the water-containing tubes are wound with integral copper strips, and these areas are cooled with fans. Meanwhile, hybrid cooling towers are a combination of wet and dry cooling technologies. The wet cooling towers segment held a prominent share of the market in 2016. They are used most commonly by power generation utilities and in the manufacturing sector.Major suppliers operating in the global cooling tower rental market include Aggreko Plc, Baltimore Aircoil Aust Pty Ltd, Carrier Rental Systems Inc., Caterpillar Inc., Johnson Controls International Plc., United Rentals Inc., Cooling Tower Depot Inc., Engie Refrigeration GmbH, Spx Corporation, Ingersoll Rand subsidiary Trane Inc., and KTK Khlturm Technologie GmbH.- The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysis. . More Clear Details get Full Table of Contents_' '- Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketContinue.....About Researchmoz,ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074Copper Nanoparticles Market 2017  2025 | TEKNA, Strem Chemicals Inc., Nano Technology Inc., IoLiTec Ionic Liquids Technologies GmbH

Copper Nanoparticles

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A nanoparticle is a particle having a size less than or equal to 100 nanometers. The impact of nanotechnology, has been rising rapidly, on human life through its application in industries such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, space, and environmental science. Nanoparticles are employed in applications ranging from conventional uses such as coloring agent to modern-day biomedical applications.. . Get Sample Report_' 'Nanoparticles of different elements or compounds can be produced using either natural processes or chemical synthesis. There are different synthesis methods for nanoparticles such as chemical reaction, sol-gel method, co-precipitation method, and solid-state reaction. In the recent years, a new technique called green synthesis method has been developed. Its advantages include low cost, simple preparation technique, eco-friendly, and less use of toxic materials. Green synthesis method utilizes plant extracts as reducing agents for the synthesis of nanoparticles.The copper nanoparticles can be synthesized in the powdered form as well as in suspension of oil, ethanol, and acetone, among others. Characterization of synthesized nanoparticles is carried out through different methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution SEM, and X-Ray diffraction.Key players in the copper nanoparticles market include TEKNA, Strem Chemicals Inc., Nano Technology Inc., IoLiTec Ionic Liquids Technologies GmbH, Meliorum Technologies Inc., QuantumSphere Inc., and EPRUI Nanoparticles & Microspheres Co. Ltd.- The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysis. . More Clear Details get Full Table of Contents_' '- Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketContinue.....About Researchmoz,ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074Construction Paints and Coatings: Market 2018 Segmented by Manufacturers (AkzoNobel, Axalta Coating Systems, BASF, PPG ndustries, Sherwin-Williams, Versaflex, Kukdo Chemicals, Rhino Linings) and Forecasts to 2025

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Construction Paints and Coatings Market Analysis to 2025 is a specialized and in-depth study of the Construction Paints and Coatings industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global Construction Paints and Coatings market with detailed market segmentation by product/application and geography. The global Construction Paints and Coatings market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Construction Paints and Coatings players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.Construction Paints and Coatings Market Players: AkzoNobel Axalta Coating Systems BASF PPG ndustries Sherwin-Williams Versaflex Kukdo Chemicals Nukote Coating Systems SUPE Rhino LiningsGet Sample Copy of This Report Now @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Organic Coatings Inorganic CoatingsOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including Household CommercialMajor regions are as follows: North America Europe China Japan Southeast Asia India Other Regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa)The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global Construction Paints and Coatings market based on product and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall Construction Paints and Coatings market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM), which is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend and provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions.Inquire before Buying @Also, key Construction Paints and Coatings market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.Reason to Buy- Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.- The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Construction Paints and Coatings market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies.- Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.- Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.- Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.Inquire for Discount @Contact Us:Call: +1-888-236-2744Email: sales@qyresearchgroups.comAbout Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Room B1510, Shiji Kemao Building,No.66 Zhongguancun East Road,Haidian District, Beijing,100190, China.Eye Allergy Treatment Market to significant growth through 2017-2023|Key players- Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc.

Eye Allergy Treatment Market

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Market Scenario:Eye allergies are one of the most common health problems across the globe. Approximately 50 million people have some or the other kind of eye allergy in US alone. Some of the common eye allergy symptoms are redness, itching, and burning.Increasing prevalence of various eye allergies are key driver for the market while some other factors like increasing awareness, technological advancements, new therapies, and increasing healthcare expenditure are also major driving forces of global eye allergy treatment market.The global eye allergy treatment market is expected to grow at the CAGR of ~5.2% during the forecast period and estimated to reach US$ 6845.3million by 2023.Get Sample Copy @Study objectives of global Eye Allergy Treatment market:To provide detailed analysis of the global eye allergy treatment market structure with historical and forecast revenue for the next six years of the various segments and sub-segments.To provide insights about the key drivers, restraints, opportunities and challenges affecting the growth of global eye allergy treatment marketTo provide analysis of the market with respect to four main geographies and their countries  the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.To provide detailed analysis of the market segmented by type, treatment, end user, and its sub-segments.To provide a detailed analysis of global eye allergy treatment market mainly based on Value Chain analysis, Porters Five Forces, Price analysis, and Supply Chain analysis etc.To provide a detailed country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospects.To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global eye allergy treatment market.To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the eye allergy treatment market.Segments:Global Eye Allergy Treatment market has been segmented on the basis of type which comprise seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis, contact allergic conjunctivitis, giant papillary conjunctivitis, and others. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis includes palpebral, limbal, corneal, and others.On the basis of treatment, the market has been segmented into medication, allergy shots (immunotherapy), and others. Medication includes artificial tears, decongestants, oral antihistamines, antihistamine/mast-cell stabilizers, corticosteroids. Decongestants are further sub-segmented into with or without antihistamines. Allergy shots (immunotherapy) is sub-segmented into Subcutaneous Immunotherapy Treatment (SCIT) and Sublingual Immunotherapy Treatment (SLIT).On the basis of end user, it is segmented into eye hospitals & clinics, medical institutes, research centers, and others.Regional analysis of global eye allergy treatment market:Considering the global scenario of the market, the Americas dominate global market due to various factors such as large amount of money invested in R&D, new approvals for various dugs and medicine etc. European market is second largest and is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period. Due to rapidly developing healthcare facilities, rising healthcare expenditure, increasing investment in technology advancement, Asia Pacific region is the fastest growing in global eye allergy market. Middle East & Africa market is also growing but is expected to grow slower than the global average.Key players for global eye allergy treatment market:Some of the key players in this market are: ALLERGAN (Republic of Ireland), Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. (US), Merck & Co., Inc. (US), Novartis AG (Switzerland), Pfizer Inc. (US), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (US), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Switzerland), Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.(Japan), Valeant (Canada) Shire (Republic of Ireland), and others.Apply for Exclusive Discount @Top 5 Reasons to Get this Report:Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent development activitiesMarket Strategic Business Influence DataMarket Research Future recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimationsMarket share analysis of the top industry playersMarket forecasts for a minimum of 5 years of all the mentioned segments, Trends and the regional markets With SWOT AnalysisDetailed Table of Contents:1. Report Prologue2. Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Market Structure2.4. Market Segmentation3. Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast Model10. Competitive Landscape11. Company Profile12. Conclusion13.1 Key Findings13.1.1 From CEOs Viewpoint13.1.2 Unmet Needs Of The Market13.2 Key Companies To Watch13.3 Prediction Of Eye Allergy Treatment Market14. Appendix...Continued!Send An Enquiry @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comPoint of care segment is expected to register high revenue growth in Western Europe

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Applications of microfluidics in drug delivery and diagnostics will continue to fuel the market for microfluidics over the next few years. The US$ 2.9 Bn microfluidics market will possibly cross US$ 11 Bn by the end of 2026. North America is expected to contribute over US$ 3 Bn to the total revenues in 2026. The collective share of North America and Asia Pacific will be over 40%, states Future Market Insights in a recently published market report outlook, titled Microfluidics Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026.The report by Future Market Insights analyses the global market for microfluidics over a 10-year forecast period, 2016-2026. The market is likely to witness a robust CAGR of 14.4% over the assessed period.A sample of this report is available upon request @Key Insights: Market DynamicsIncreasing discretionary funding from national labs for R&D in the developed regions will remain a primary factor driving the growth of market through 2026.Improving healthcare infrastructure and wide availability of affordable microfluidic devices or kits are also foreseen to boost the market growth in near future, especially in developing countries.Expansion of drug delivery sector will favour the market growth in near future.Consistent advancements in the fields of genomics and proteomics are also expected to benefit the sales of microfluidics-based devices and kits.Dynamic collaborations between key market players and active involvement of government entities will collectively foster the market through 2026.Key Insights: SegmentsCeramics will remain dominant material typeBased on material, ceramics will continue to be the most sought after material for microfluidic device or kit manufacturing. Ceramics segment is expected to remain dominance, accounting for over 42% market value share in 2026, followed by glass, polymer, and silicon. While ceramics is likely to witness the fastest growth, polymer segment is anticipated to exhibit a significant CAGR of over 15% over 2016-2026, driven by PVC.POCT will be dominant application segmentBy application, POCT (point of care testing) segment is projected to retain dominance through 2026, accounting for over 33% share in terms of revenues. Clinical diagnostics and analytical testing will remain the next major segments in the global microfluidics market.In-vitro diagnostics industry will hold maximum revenue shareOn the basis of industry, in-vitro diagnostics, life science research, and pharmaceuticals are likely to be the key segments. In-vitro diagnostics segment is estimated to hold a share of over 35% in the total market revenues. The fastest growing segment will be in-vitro diagnosis.APEJ will be the most lucrative regional marketGeographically, North America, followed by Western Europe are expected to remain the dominant regions for microfluidics, capturing respective market value share of over 26% and over 21% share by 2026 end. Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) will possibly represent the most lucrative market, expanding at a significant CAGR of over 14% throughout the forecast period. This growth is attributed to growing use of microfluidics devices and kits for in-vitro diagnostics. North America and Western Europe will also exhibit significant growth rates over 2016-2026.Key Insights: Leading Market PlayersSome of the most prominent players in the global microfluidics market, include Agilent Technologies, PerkinElmer Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Qiagen NV, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Fluidigm Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Almost all the leading companies serve point of care testing application and survive the competition with an individual differentiating strategy. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and Abbott Laboratories, through active engagement in agreements and collaborations with leading regional companies, highlight a growing trend of strategic mergers and acquisitions among the top companies.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact UsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb:Global trend: Reduction in reliance on healthcare provisions due to auto-injectors

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Improving healthcare infrastructure across several countries and regions, coupled with availability of well-developed manufacturing units, facilitates the growth of medical device businesses. The changing attitude of patients towards treatment of generic diseases has indicated a significant rise in preference for self-administration devices such as auto-injectors. Promoting this notion, auto-injectors continue to gain prominence not just as an alternative route for drug delivery but also as point-of-care devices in homecare settings. Future Market Insights recently published its report on the global market for auto-injectors, which projects that by the end of 2026, more than US$ 6,800 Mn worth of auto-injectors will sold globally. Currently valued at US$ 1,673.7 Mn, the global auto-injectors market is being projected to exhibit an impressive value CAGR of 15.1%.A sample of this report is available upon request @In the report, titled Auto-Injectors Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026, nearly three-fourth of global auto-injector revenues have been estimated to come from the US and Canada. While North America is being observed as the largest market for auto-injectors in the world, auto-injector sales will be relatively high in Western Europe as well. And, majority of auto-injectors are expected to be distributed through online pharmacies. Online pharmacies as a distribution channel will register the fastest revenue growth at 18% CAGR, while retail pharmacies will be procuring one-fourth of global market value by the end of 2026.Impact of Self-Injection Practices & Novel Drug Delivery SystemsThe global market for auto-injectors is projected to expand aggressively, and the report draws this forecast from identifying the most direct, impactful factors that drive the demand for auto-injectors. Firstly, the demand for auto-injectors is expected to keep soaring on the account of high adoption of self-injection practices by patients. Doctors, as well, are prompting patients to take up self-administration devices such as auto-injectors in order to fulfil their prescribed medication dosages through invasive yet safe administration routes.Along with that, the global demand for auto-injectors is also expected to be driven by growing development of novel drug delivery systems. Manufacturers of medical devices are collaborating with clinical scientists in order to pave way for next-gen tools in drug administration. In the years to come, the global auto-injectors market is anticipated to garner surplus demand, particularly for prefilled auto-injectors. In 2017 and beyond, more than 92% of global auto-injectors revenues will be emanating from sales of prefilled auto-injectors. Fillable auto-injectors, on the other hand, will incur a downtick in terms of global revenue share over the latter half of forecast period.Higher Demand for Auto-Injectors in Treatment of AnaphylaxisAnother factor that is inducing growth in demand for auto-injectors is the prevalence of multiple sclerosis and anaphylaxis. Notable disease monitoring associations from across the globe are predicting that these disorders are less likely to cease their occurrence rate among geriatric populations, which is incidentally boosting the demand for auto-injectors. In 2016, anaphylaxis as a disease indication accounted for an estimated US$ 1,500 Mn of global auto-injector revenues. Through 2026, almost nine out of ten auto-injectors sold globally are likely to be used for treating anaphylaxis. Meanwhile, auto-injectors sold for treatment of multiple sclerosis will register a marginal rise through the forecast period. And, revenues amassed from sales of auto-injectors for rheumatoid arthritis are expected to showcase highest CAGR of 18.3%.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Parallel to their rising demand, the global supply of auto-injectors is also expected to propel by the end of 2026. Increased development of biologics, their use in production of advanced drug delivery devices, reduction of manufacturing prices, and additional cost-savings conferred by technological advancements, are all collectively bolstering the global production of auto-injectors. The report has profiled leading players in the global auto-injectors market, which include Amgen Inc., Novartis AG, Sanofi, Pfizer, Inc., Becton, Dickson and Company, Mylan NV, Bayer AG, Eli Lily and Company, Janssen Global Services, LLC, and Antares Pharma, Inc.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact UsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb:Radar Sensors Market 2018 Grow at USD 19 Billion | Global Key Players by Robert Bosch, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop, Delphi, Hitachi, Denso, Infineon, Omniradar

Radar Sensors Market

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Market Highlights:Radar sensors use frequency modulated waves that detect the position and velocity of a stationary or moving object located at a distance. These sensors are ideal for collision detection, level-gauging, anti-collision, security and surveillance purposes. Application of radar sensors is prominent in various sectors such as automotive, industrial, traffic management and monitoring, aerospace and defense, security and surveillance, environment and weather monitoring and others.Market Drivers and Restraints:Some of the major factors influencing the expansion of the global radar sensors market in the automotive sector are increased awareness for passenger and vehicle safety, inclination towards automated vehicles, improving road safety regulations, the inclusion of advanced technological features in all types of automobiles and others. Geopolitical instabilities and territorial conflicts are leading to the strengthening of defense sector in various developing countries. Hence, incorporation of advanced technologies in defense strategies is acting as a driving force for the global radar sensors market. Embedding of GPS technology in these sensors has facilitated the storage of location data which is increasing the demand for radar sensors and spurring the global radar sensors market. Increasing production of automobiles and application of radar sensors in personal as well as commercial modes of transport are also driving the global radar sensors market. However, the high development cost of the radar sensors is likely to hamper the growth of the global radar sensors market.Get Sample Report @Radar Sensors Market Key Player:The leading players in the global radar sensors market are Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), Lockheed Martin Corporation (U.S.), Raytheon Company (U.S.), Saab AB (Sweden), Northrop Grumman Corporation (U.S.) Delphi Automotive LLP (U.K), Hitachi, Ltd. (Japan), Continental AG (Germany), ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany), Denso Corporation (Japan), Infineon Technologies AG (Germany), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Netherlands), Omniradar BV (Netherlands), and Airbus Group (Netherlands) among others.Radar Sensors Market Segmentation:The global radar sensor market has been segmented on the basis of type, range and application. On the basis of type, the radar sensor market is segmented into radar detector detectors, radar scrambling and others. On the basis of range, the radar sensor market is segmented into short-range radar, mid-range radar and long-range radar. On the basis of application, the radar sensor market is segmented into automotive, traffic monitoring, aerospace and defense, industrial, security and surveillance, weather monitoring and others. Among these, the automotive segment is expanding rapidly due to the rising number of automobiles with radar sensors and growing awareness about passenger and vehicle safety.Radar Sensors Market Regional Analysis:Geographically, the global radar sensor market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world. In instance of market shares, North America is leading the global radar sensor market but is projecting steady growth over the forecast period. Whereas, European region is exhibiting rapid growth in the market due to the presence of prominent players of the global radar sensor market in this region. The increased government expenditure for weapons guidance and surveillance capabilities in countries like India, China and others are leading to the fastest growth of radar sensors market in the Asia-Pacific region.Access Full Report @Competitive Analysis:The prominent players in the radar sensor market are investing on new product launch with innovative upgrades which is triggering competition among these players. In May 2018, Bosch has introduced radar sensor technology in motorcycles by providing new safety package in motorcycles which comprises of adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and blind-spot detection. The motorcycle manufacturers such as KTM and Ducati will include this new rider assistance systems in production models by 2020. Raytheon has partnered with the State of Mississippi for the construction of the new radar production facility in this region considering it to be the next step for their decade-long partnership.Table of Contents1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market Structure:1.3.1 Global Radar Sensors Market: By Type1.3.2 Global Radar Sensors Market: By Range1.3.3 Global Radar Sensors Market: By Applications1.3.4 Global Radar Sensors Market: By RegionContinues...List of TablesTable 1 Radar Sensors Market, By TypeTable 2 Radar Sensors Market, By RangeContinues...List of FiguresFigure 1 Research MethodologyFigure 2 Radar Sensors Market: By Type (%)Continues...About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune  411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +91 841 198 5042Mail: sales@marketresearchfuture.comForecast of PVB Film Market Size, Share, Trends, Growth, Forecast Analysis Report by Segment, By Product, By Application, By Region - Global Forecast 2018-2023

Forecast of PVB Film Market Size, Share, Trends, Growth, Forecast Analysis Report

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Latest Market Report published at UpMarketResearch.com on PVB Film is filled with industry news and expert comments by the top officials in the industry. The forecast is conducted after a thorough study and covers detailed analysis by Product, Application etc.Get FREE Exclusive PDF Sample Copy of This Report @The PVB Film Industry report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the PVB Film Market for years 2018  2023. To calculate the market size, the report considers both the direct revenue and the indirect revenue of the vendors.The PVB Film Market report provides a basic overview of the PVB Film including definitions, classifications, applications and market Sales chain structure. The PVB Film Market report enlists several important factors, starting from the basics to advanced market intelligence which plays a crucial part in strategizing.This research examines the technology, leading companies, and solutions in the evolving PVB Film Market ecosystem. The report evaluates current and anticipated use cases for PVB Film and assesses the market potential globally, regionally, and segmented by deployment type and industry vertical for the period 2018 to 2023.PVB Film research report is an intelligence report with meticulous efforts undertaken to study the right and valuable information. The data which has been looked upon is done considering both, the existing top players and the upcoming competitors. Business strategies of the key players and the new entering market industries are studied in detail. Well explained SWOT analysis, revenue share and contact information are shared in this report analysis.The report segments the global PVB Film market as:Global PVB Film Market: Regional Segment Analysis (Regional Production Volume, Consumption Volume, Revenue and Growth Rate 2013-2023): North America Europe China Japan Rest APAC Latin AmericaThe Major players reported in the market include: Eastman Chemical Sekisui Kuraray EVERLAM ChangChun Group Kingboard Chemical Holdings Huakai Plastic Zhejiang Decent Plastic RongXin New Materials ...Global PVB Film Market: Product Segment Analysis Transparent Film Blue Film Green FilmGlobal PVB Film Market: Application Segment Analysis Windshield Others Application 3For more information, please visit:In a word, the report provides detailed statistics and analysis on the state of the industry; and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.In this effective research report information about the key players including their revenue, business segmentation, and financial overview has been included. The research report analyzes the Global PVB Film Market in a detailed manner by explaining the key aspects of the market that are expected to have a quantifiable influence on its developmental prospects over the forecasted period. The report analyzes the entire demand and supply chain in the global market and further studies the various components. The Global PVB Film Market has been examined thoroughly on the basis of key criteria such as end user, application, technology, and region. An analysis has been provided in the report of the key geographical segments and their share and position in the market.Buy full report @Key questions answered by this report include:1. Worldwide and Regional Market Size of PVB Film 2013-2017, and development forecast 2018-20232. Main manufacturers/suppliers of PVB Film worldwide, with company and product introduction, position in the PVB Film market3. Market status and development trend of PVB Film by types and applications4. Cost and profit status of Agriculture Equipment, and marketing status5. Market growth drivers and challengesIn the end, this report covers data and information on capacity and production overview, production, market share analysis, sales overview, supply, sales, and shortage, import, export and consumption as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin of PVB Film Market.Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About UpMarketResearch:Up Market Research () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United StatesPhone: +1 347-377-7033Clopidogrel Market global Industry Analysis 2017-2025 : Dr Reddys, Apotex Corp, Roxane Laboratories, Aurobindo Pharma

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Global Clopidogrel Market: SnapshotClopidogrel has remained, ever since its first approval in 1997, the antiplatelet therapy of choice among physicians for the treatment of patients with conditions such as acute coronary syndrome or percutaneous coronary intervention. The drug was the first thienopyridine to hit the market, which gave it an excellent head start over a number of drugs for these conditions that are either available in the market or are in clinical trials. As a result, the drug did not face much competition and has taken over the global market, with its array of application constantly expanding.The substantial and high-level evidence gathered over the years support the use of Clopidogrel for reduction of mortality and morbidity patients with acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction, and a number of other indications. As a result, the drug has developed a formidable presence in the global market over the years. Moreover, the drugs relative ease of use, low rate of incidence of adverse reactions, and good tolerability have made it the de-facto antiplatelet agent for the reduction of atherosclerotic events in patients.These factors have helped the global Clopidogrel market to tread along an excellent growth path in the past few years and the market is expected to embark upon a healthy growth path in the next few years as well. However, the overall profitability of the market has reduced to a certain extent owing to entry of a number of generic products post the patent expiry of Clopidogrel manufacture in 2013. Nevertheless, the vast pool of patients prescribed Clopidogrel on an annual basis across the globe will allow market players excellent growth prospects in the next few years.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Clopidogrel Market: SnapshotClopidogrel is an antiplatelet agent of thienopyridine, which is primarily used to prevent the blood clots and help against cardiovascular problems associated with the blood clotting. The medications for inhibiting blood clots after a recent heart stroke also use clopidogrel, which is a white colored powder that is insoluble in water at neutral pH but freely soluble at pH1. Clopidogrel was the second most successful drug trailing behind Pfizers Lipito in 2010. Sold under the brand name Plavix, and marketed by Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb, the demand for clopidogrel is escalating due to the increasing number of heart attack cases across the globe.The patent of clopidogrel manufacturing got expires on Market 31, 2012 and is expected to prompt pharmaceutical companies to venture into clopidogrel drug manufacturing. Moreover, companies such as Dr. Reddys have acquired the approval to manufacture clopidogrel 300mg. Furthermore, several other organizations such as Roxane Laboratories, Aurobindo Pharma, Sun Pharma, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, and Apotex Crop have gained approval for marketing clopidogrel 75mg. Clopidogrel is also used with aspirin to treat worsening chest pain and to keep blood vessels open and present blood clots after certain heart related operations.Global Clopidogrel Market: Trends and ProspectsThe primary factor for the increased demand for clopidogrel is the mounting population across the world who are suffering from cardiovascular diseases and related problems. Additionally, the changing lifestyle and increase in number of patients related with cardiovascular diseases among the emerging economies in the Asia Pacific region are also expected to be the major consumers for clopidogrel in the next six years. Moreover, the patent expiry of clopidogrel drug is anticipated to open floodgates for various pharmaceutical companies to venture into production of clopidogrel drug.Request TOC of the Report @According to the World Heart Federation, nearly 15 million people suffer from heart attack or related problems globally. Out of these, roughly six million of these patients die while another five million are disabled permanently. This vast patient base is the primary factor that will sustain the demand during the forecast period.Global Clopidogrel Market: Geographical OutlookCurrently, North America and Europe contribute to the maximum demand for clopidogrel, owing to factors such as robust healthcare infrastructure and high affordability of the residents in this region. However, several countries in the region of Asia Pacific, such as China, India, and Japan are aggressively working towards improving their healthcare sector with the help of favorable policies by the localized governments and increasing disposable income among the urban population. Asia Pacific is home for nearly half of the worlds population, which makes for a high quantity of patient base. Additionally, these regions also have skilled labor at low cost which is encouraging players in the market to invest actively and tap the unmet demand.Some of the key players in the global clopidogrel market are Pfizer, Dr Reddys, Apotex Corp, Roxane Laboratories, Aurobindo Pharma, Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Sun Pharma.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.comYeast Infection Market is Trending with CAGR of 5.2% by 2023, Key Players - Scynexis , Synmedic Laboratories , Merck & Co., Inc. , Astellas , Bayer AG , Mentis Pharma Ltd. , Abbott

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Market OverviewThe global yeast infection market is growing with the rapid pace; mainly due to the increasing prevalence of yeast infection, and rising awareness about the diagnosis and treatment of yeast infection. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, the global yeast infection market is booming, and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period growing rapidly .The market is expected to demonstrate a spectacular growth by 2023, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a striking CAGR during the anticipated period (2017  2023).Yeast infection or candidiasis, a type of fungal infection, is caused by numerous types of yeast called Candida. Fungal infection can occur in both systemic and superficial parts of the body, and can affect: eye, ear, skin, mouth, and vagina and causes diseases such as fungal meningitis, ringworm and athlete's foot and are commonly found on the skin, hair, and nails. Globally, 15% of population suffers from athletes foot. North America is the largest market for antifungal treatment market. Nearly 1.5 million different species of fungi on the earth, however only around 300 are responsible for causing diseases and infection in human. According to the survey carried out by Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (2015), approximately 97,000 deaths are associated annually in the U.S. with fungal infections.Get PDF with Technological Advancement @Competitive AnalysisWell established players incorporate acquisition, collaboration, partnership, expansion, and product launch in order to gain competitive advantage in this market and to maintain their market position.Bayer AG:Bayer AG, headquartered in Germany, focuses on research, development, production, and distribution of medical products for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of fungal diseases.Canespro is treatment method from Bayer AG for fungal infections occurred in nails. Canespro softens the infected part of the nails only.Pfizer Inc.:June, 2017: Pfizer Inc. received exclusive commercialization rights in Europe for Cresemba, which is a novel treatment for potentially life-threatening fungal infections in immunocompromised patientsAugust, 2016: Pfizer Inc. announced its entry into an agreement with AstraZeneca to acquire the development, and commercialization rights to its late-stage small molecule anti-infectives businessSanofi:November, 2014: Sanofi and its subsidiary Genzyme has announced the approval of Lemtrada by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Merck:Merck develops and markets broad portfolio of 300,000 products across the globe. The company is a market leader in pharmaceutical, and biotechnological having strong presence in various parts of the world.January, 2015: The Merck has acquire Cubist Pharmaceuticals. This acquisition will help the company to increase its revenue, and establish stronger position in hospital acute careFebruary, 2016: AureoGen Biosciences Inc., signed an agreement with Merck for the application of AureoGens proprietary chemistry and compounds in the development of medicines for infectious disease, which include systemic fungal infections.Obtain Report Details with TOC @Regional AnalysisAmerica dominated the global yeast infection market owing to the presence of huge geriatric population, and increasing prevalence of auto immune diseases. It consists of two major regions namely North America and South America. According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, 50 million Americans are suffering from autoimmune disease, and USD 591 million are spent by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on autoimmune disease research. Well-developed healthcare sector, and increasing awareness about the diseases and the therapy have fuelled the market growth. North America holds the major share of Americas yeast infection market due to presence of many opportunities such as increasing government support and high healthcare spending. On the other hand, South America is expected to grow at faster rate due to developing market.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market for antifungal treatment market due to large patients population and growing geriatric population. According to WHO reports, Mycetoma, fungal infection, affects feet and limb, and due to severe infection chance of losing feet and limb increases. China and India drive the major market and contribute largest share in the Asia Pacific antifungal treatment market.Major Points form TOC for Yeast Infection Market Research Report  Forecast to 2023Chapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market IntroductionChapter 3. Research MethodologyChapter 4. Market DynamicsChapter 5. Market Factor AnalysisChapter 6. Global Yeast Infection Market, By TypeChapter 7. Global Yeast Infection Market, By TreatmentChapter 8 Global Yeast Infection Market, By End UserChapter 9. Global Yeast Infection Market, By RegionChapter 10. Company LandscapeChapter 11. Company ProfilesChapter 12. MRFR ConclusionChapter 13. AppendixGet Excusive Discount @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comAgriculture Robots Market 2017-2025 : Agribotix LLC, Deere & Company, Energid Technologies Co., and Yamaha Corporation.

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Global Agriculture Robots Market: SnapshotRobots are poised to replace agricultural hands. They can pluck fruits, sow and reap crops, and milk cows. They carry out the tasks much faster and with a great degree of accuracy. This coupled with mandates on higher minimum pay being levied in most countries, have spelt good news for the global market for agriculture robots.Reason enough for the industry to cheer. Companies are increasingly investing in developing more efficient robots leveraging cutting-edge technologies to further their market positions. They are taking to modern technologies such as cloud, data analytics, and Internet of Things (IoT) to create more autonomous and unmanned robots that will drastically reduce the need for human intervention.Tractors, for example, have become increasingly autonomous, robotic milking parlors have become widespread, and drones are slated to change the contours of farming in the near future. In fact, unmanned remote-controlled helicopters are already being used for spraying rice fields for over two decades. With the introduction of light weight drones, the process will see more widespread adoption. Embedded with small multi-spectral sensors, such drones shall also help gather crucial information on farms which would enable farmers to take data-driven accurate decisions.While all such improvements bode well for the agriculture robots market, the hue and cry over rising automation resulting in job losses at an alarming pace is somewhat of a dampener for the market. A short while back, Microsoft founder and trillionaire techie Bill Gates expressed his disproval against rising automation by suggesting taxing of robots that supplant human workers. Coming from a techie of his stature, this sure sounds like a warning bell to the industry that stands at an interesting juncture now waiting to explode.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Agriculture Robots Market: OverviewThe demand for agriculture robots is increasing as they help in automating the agriculture business and meeting the rising demand from the global market. The technology holds promise of significantly improving crop yield, variety, and quality. The latest agriculture robots developed and introduced, can be put to various applications such as seeding, scouting, weeding, application of fertilizers, harvesting, and irrigation.The report provides in-depth insights into the various factors supporting the growing of the global agriculture robots market and those restraining its trajectory. It segments the market based on various parameters and covers the drivers and limitations affecting the markets growth across all these segments. Using Porters five forces it gauges the bargaining power of buyers and suppliers, degree of competition prevailing in the market, and the prevailing threat from substitute and new entrants.Global Agriculture Robots Market: Drivers and RestraintsA plethora of benefits offered by agriculture robots such as accuracy and precision, minimal requirement of human labor, faster task accomplishment, cost benefits, and fatigueless functioning will encourage their wider adoption across the global agricultural industry. The rising labor cost is creating substantial demand for automation in the agriculture sector. A few of the innovations expected to bolster adoption of agriculture robots in the long run are use of wireless sensors, driverless tractors, penetration of wearable and drones, proliferation of controls and systems driven robots, and the rising demand for the 3D printing technology in the agriculture sector.Besides these, penetration of the Internet of Things (IoT) will pave way for the popularity of smart farming, which also promises considerable growth opportunities for the market. The rising focus on improving farm yield by leveraging the latest technologies based on satellite is another driver, which the market is expected to benefit from over the forecast period. Due to the fact that natural resources such as land, labor, and water are limited, adopting technology will emerge as the key of improving agricultural production to feed the increasing masses. Given the scenario, agribots are likely to play a vital role and are expected to be used across vital stages of agriculture cycle such as harvesting, watering, sowing, and seeding.Request TOC of the Report @On the downside, agricultural robotics need extensive research in order make machines make logical sense of the complex biological environment. Therefore, challenges prevailing in terms of proper execution of machines without destroying the field or crops could limit the adoption of the technology.Global Agriculture Robots Market: Regional OutlookRegionally, the global agriculture robots market can be segmented into Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and Rest of the World. The demand for agriculture robot is significant high in countries exhibiting high demand for advanced technologies. For instance, the market has found lucrative opportunities in Japan, Australia, Mexico, China, and Canada. In the forthcoming years, the market is expected to witness considerable growth as both Europe and Asia Pacific exhibit a high rate of uptake. However, the U.S. will continue ranking as the fastest growing market and thus exhibit the highest CAGR over the course of the reports forecast period.Global Agriculture Robots Market: Vendor LandscapeSome of the leading players operating in the global agriculture robots market are Autonomous Tractor Corporation, ISO Group, AGROBOT-Soluciones Roboticas Agricolas SL, Blue River Technology, Inc., Autonomous Solution Inc., Agribotix LLC, Deere & Company, Energid Technologies Co., and Yamaha Corporation.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.comDental Implants and Prosthetics Market Rugged Expansion Foreseen by 2025

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Dental implant is an artificial tooth that is placed in jaw to act as replacement tooth. People who have lost their tooth or teeth due to injury, periodontal disease and other reasons may use dental implant as an alternative to the natural tooth. Prosthetics are used to reconstruct the intraoral defects such as soft or hard structure of the jaw, missing parts and others. Rising number of people suffering from periodontal disease is one of the important factors driving the growth of dental implants and prosthetics. For instance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that 47.2% of the total population above the age of 65 years suffers from some kind of periodontal disease. Thus, with the rise in periodontal diseases globally the dental implants and prosthetics market is also expected to grow in near future.A sample of this report is available upon request @The global dental implants and prosthetics market can be segmented as follows:Dental Implants MarketBy TypeTitanium Dental ImplantsProcedure StageSingle StageTwo StageConnector TypeExternal HexagonalInternal HexagonalInternal OctagonalZirconium Dental ImplantDental Prosthetics MarketCrowns and BridgesPorcelain fused to Metal Crowns and BridgesAll Ceramics Crowns and BridgesMetallic Crowns and BridgesDenturesAbutmentsRising edentulous population, increasing disposable income and growing awareness for dental care are some of key factors driving the growth of dental implants and prosthetics market. For instance, it has been estimated that in 2010 approximately 160 million people globally were edentulous which accounts for 2.3% of the global population. In addition, increasing geriatric population and changing lifestyle also propel the growth of this market. According, to the World Health Organization (WHO) it has been estimated that the global elderly population is expected to reach around 2 billion by 2050; thiswas around 524 million in 2010. Moreover, the global geriatric population is expected to grow at the fastest rate in developed countries such as Italy, Germany, the U.K., the U.S. and Japan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, around 40 million people in the country belonged to the elderly category in 2011. Around 89 million people are estimated to be beyond the age of 65 years by 2050.Thus, increasing geriatric population globally augments the demand for dental implants and prosthetics.Technological advancements in the field of dentistry also drive the growth of this market. With the introduction of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology has significantly reduced the dental treatment time. Thus, all the above mentioned factors collectively drive the growth of dental implants and prosthetics market. However, unfavorable reimbursement policies restrict the growth of this market during the study period.Geographically, Europe accounts for the largest share of the global dental implants and prosthetic market as the key players are domiciled in this region followed by North America. In addition, increasing geriatric population, presence of organized distribution channels and rising disposable income are of the major factors driving the global demand of this market during the forecast period 2015 to 2025. In addition, Asia-Pacific is estimated to be fastest growing market for dental implants and prosthetic owing to increasing healthcare awareness, population aging and rising medical tourism in countries such as India, Japan, Malaysia and others. However, economic slowdown in developed regions such as Europe and North America coupled with unfavorable reimbursement policies inhibits the global growth of dental implants and prosthetics market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @3M Company, Biomet, Inc., Nobel Biocare, Straumann, Zimmer Holdings, Dentsply International, Zimmer Dental, BioHorizons, Inc., Ivoclar Vivadent AG are some of the leading companies having their presence in the global dental implants and prosthetics market.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact UsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb:Smart Gensets Global Market 2018: Key Players  Siemens, Kohler, GE Power, Caterpillar, Generac Smart Gensets Industry



Description



Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Smart Gensets -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecast To 2023 To Its Research Database



The global Smart Gensets market will reach xxx Million USD in 2017 and CAGR xx% 2011-2017. The report begins from overview of Industry Chain structure, and describes industry environment, then analyses market size and forecast of Smart Gensets by product, region and application, in addition, this report introduces market competition situation among the vendors and company profile, besides, market price analysis and value chain features are covered in this report.



Company Coverage (Sales Revenue, Price, Gross Margin, Main Products etc.):



Siemens

Kohler

GE Power

Caterpillar

Generac

Cummins

MTU Onsite Energy

Wartsila



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Product Type Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Major Company of Product Type etc.):

Diesel

Gas

Others



Application Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Different Demand Market by Region, Main Consumer Profile etc.):

Residential

Cogeneration

Utility

Others



Region Coverage (Regional Output, Demand & Forecast by Countries etc.):

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

South America

Middle East & Africa



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Table of Content



1 Industry Overview

1.1 Smart Gensets Industry

1.1.1 Overview

1.1.2 Development of Smart Gensets

1.2 Market Segment

1.2.1 Upstream

1.2.2 Downstream

1.3 Cost Analysis

2 Industry Environment

2.1 Policy

2.2 Economics

2.3 Sociology

2.4 Technology

3 Smart Gensets Market by Type

3.1 By Type

3.1.1 Diesel

3.1.2 Gas

3.1.3 Others

3.2 Market Size

3.3 Market Forecast

4 Major Companies List

4.1 Siemens (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)

4.2 Kohler (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)

4.3 GE Power (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)

4.4 Caterpillar (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)

4.5 Generac (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)

4.6 Cummins (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)

4.7 MTU Onsite Energy (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)

4.8 Wartsila (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)

5 Market Competition

5.1 Company Competition

5.2 Regional Market by Company

6 Market Demand

6.1 Demand Situation

6.1.1 Demand in Residential

6.1.2 Demand in Cogeneration

6.1.3 Demand in Utility

6.1.4 Demand in Others

6.2 Regional Demand Comparison

6.3 Demand Forecast

7 Region Operation

7.1 Regional Output

7.2 Regional Market

7.3 by Region

7.3.1 North America

7.3.1.1 Overview

7.3.1.2 by Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico)

7.3.2 Europe

7.3.2.1 Overview

7.3.2.2 by Country (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Russia, Spain etc.)

7.3.3 Asia-Pacific

7.3.3.1 Overview

7.3.3.2 by Country (China, India, Japan, Southeast Asia etc.)

7.3.4 South America

7.3.4.1 Overview

7.3.4.2 by Country (Brazil, Argentina etc.)

7.3.5 Middle East & Africa

7.3.5.1 Overview

7.3.5.2 by Country (Saudi Arabia, South Africa etc.)

7.4 Regional Forecast

8 Marketing & Price

8.1 Price and Margin

8.1.1 Price Trends

8.1.2 Factors of Price Change

8.1.3 Manufacturers Gross Margin Analysis

8.2 Value Chain

8.3 Marketing Channel

9 Research Conclusion



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Screen Mesh Market Status and Future Forecast 2013-2023Screen Mesh Market report provides future growth potentials, key drivers, competitive outlook, Scope, key challenges analysis. The reports conjointly elaborate the expansion rate of the Screen Mesh market supported the highest company profile analysis. This report providing an in depth analysis, market size, and estimate for the developing section among the Screen Mesh market.The Screen Mesh Market research report is created with the aim of implementing various analysis techniques to gather key insights about the marketplace. Studies are carried out to gain a rational expertise of the marketplace in view of which, the whole Screen Mesh Market is sectioned and major players are distinguished. Within the period in-between, some other research is achieved considering the geography, distribution channel, and product type.Comparative to the on-going market landscape, the report further reveals the different growth factors, including trends, drivers, opportunities, limitations, and challenges faced by the leading market players. This report focuses on each and every aspects of the market strategy, business approaches, case studies, and market shares.REQUEST A FREE SAMPLE @Moreover, the report mentions the growth opportunities for the new entrants in the global Screen Mesh market. The statistics involved in this research report are based on the primary research, secondary research, and the annual reports of the leading players operating in the market. This composes inputs from an international team of experts from leading companies to provide updated and latest advances in the global Screen Mesh market. Besides, the report also gives a detailed analysis of the market segmentation taking into consideration all the key possibilities related to market situations.The Screen Mesh market can be split based on Major Players, product types and major applications.Top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players including such as Marlin Steel Wire Products, Belleville Wire Cloth, Edward J Darby & Son, Flynn & Enslow, TWP inc, Metals, Inc., Metals Depot International, McNICHOLS, Anping YingHangYuan Metal Wire Mesh, Wire Cloth Manufacturers, Dexmet Corporation, Drenth Holland BV.The Screen Mesh Market, presents critical information and factual data about the Global Screen Mesh Market providing an overall statistical study of this market on the basis of market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread Global Screen Mesh opportunities and trends are also taken into consideration in Screen Mesh industry.Screen Mesh Market On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Wire Mesh Screen, Silk Screen, Synthetic Fiber Mesh.Screen Mesh market On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each application, including Mining, Agriculture, Chemical, Pharmaceutical.CHECK DISCOUNT FOR THIS REPORT @All aspects of the Screen Mesh industry report are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the Global as well as regional market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition, prevalent chain and the government regulations pertaining to the Screen Mesh market are also discussed in the report.Some points from TOC:1.Global Screen Mesh Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type2.Global Screen Mesh Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20183.Global Screen Mesh Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region4.Global Screen Mesh Market Competition by Players/Suppliers5.Global Screen Mesh Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category)6.Global Screen Mesh Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data.ContinuedBrowse full Report Description and TOC @The report answers several questions about the Screen Mesh market. These questions include:What will be the market size of Screen Mesh market in 2023?What will be the Screen Mesh growth rate in 2023?Which key factors drive the Screen Mesh market?Who are the key market players for Screen Mesh?Which strategies are used by top players in the Screen Mesh market?What are the key market trends in Screen Mesh?Which trends and challenges will influence the growth of Screen Mesh market?Which barriers do the Screen Mesh markets face?What are the market opportunities for vendors and what are the threats faced by them?What are the most important outcomes of the five forces analysis of the Screen Mesh market?Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like Asia, United States, Europe.About UsReports Monitor is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. With an intrinsic understanding of many business environments, Reports Monitor provides strategic objective insights.Contact Us- Office C & D - 4th Floor, Siddhi Towers, NIBM Road, Pune 411048, Maharashtra, IndiaCyber security as a Service Market  Global Industry Study, Size, Share, Growth, Outlook, Up-coming Trends and Forecast to 2017  2025

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A newly compiled business intelligent report, titled Cyber security as a Service Market  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017  2025 has been publicized to the vast archive of Market Research Hub (MRH) online repository. The study revolves around the analysis of Cyber security as a Service Market covering key industry developments and market opportunity map during the mentioned forecast period 2025. This report further conveys quantitative & qualitative analysis on the concerned market, providing a 360 view on current and future market prospects. As the report proceeds, information regarding the prominent trends as well as opportunities in the key geographical segments have also been explained, thus enabling companies to be able to make region-specific strategies for gaining competitive lead.Get Access to Free Sample Report For Cyber Security As a Service Market@This report provides an analysis of the global cyber security as a service market for the period of 2015 to 2025, wherein the period from 2017 to 2025 comprises of the forecast period and 2016 is the base year. Data for 2015 is provided as historical information. The report covers all the major trends and factors playing a major role in the growth of cyber security as a service market over the forecast period. It also highlights various drivers, restraints and opportunities expected to influence the markets growth during the said period. The report would also provide executive summary, including market overview about the cyber security as a service market. The report also provides industry development of the cyber security as a service market. The study provides a holistic perspective on the markets growth in terms of revenue (US$ Bn), across different geographical regions namely North America (NA), Europe (EU), Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA) and South America (SA). Moreover, geographical regions are further analyzed at granular level across countries. Wherein, North America cyber security as a service market is cross segmented amongst U.S., Canada and Rest of North America. Similarly, Europe is analyzed among countries such as U.K., Germany, France, rest of Europe. The cyber security as a service market for Asia Pacific region includes China, India, Japan and rest of APAC countries. Further, Middle East and Africa region includes countries such as GCC, South Africa and rest of MEA. Under South America region countries analyzed for cyber security as a service market are Brazil and rest of South America.The report provides ecosystem analysis and Porters Five Forces analysis for the cyber security as a service market. The cyber security as a service market data estimates are the result of our in-depth secondary research, primary interviews and in-house expert panel reviews. These market estimates have been analyzed by taking into account the impact of different political, social, economic, technological and legal factors along with the current market dynamics affecting the market growth.Global Cyber security as a Service Market: SegmentationCyber security as a service market is bifurcated by enterprise size; service type; security type, platform, end-use and geography. By security type, the global cyber security as a service market is categorized into threat intelligence & behavior analysis, auditing & logging and monitoring & altering. Based on security type the market is segmented into enterprise, endpoint, cloud and network and application security. Further, platform segment is divided into managed and professional. Moreover, based on enterprise size market is divided into small & medium enterprises and large enterprises. Cyber security as a service market based on end-use segment is categorized into BFSI, IT and Telecom, retail, healthcare, defense/government, automotive and others.Global Cyber security as a Service Market: Scope of the ReportScope of the cyber security as a service market study includes market indicator which highlights the parent market overview which supports the growth of sub-segment market growth during forecast period. Comparison matrix is also included for global cyber security as a service market and market positioning is provided for cyber security as a service players. Further, report also includes competitive profiling of the key players associated with the cyber security as a service around the globe. The important business strategies adopted by them, their market positioning, financials, SWOT analysis and recent developments have also been identified in the research report. The competitive landscape section of the report also gives an overview about the major contributing regions/countries by these key players in order to strengthen their market position in the future.The major companies profiled in cyber security as a service market include Armor Defense Inc., AT&T, BAE Systems, BlackStratus, Capgemini, Choice CyberSecurity, Transputec Ltd, Cloudlock (Cisco), FireEye, Inc., LookingGlass Cyber Solutions, Inc., Optiv Security Inc. and Tata Consultancy Services Limited.The Cyber security as a Service Market is segmented as below.By Security TypeEnterprise SecurityEndpoint SecurityCloud SecurityNetwork SecurityApplication SecurityBy Service TypeThreat Intelligence & Behavior AnalysisAuditing & LoggingMonitoring & alteringBy PlatformManagedProfessionalBy Enterprise SizeSmall and Medium EnterpriseLarge EnterpriseBy End Use IndustryIT and TelecomRetailBFSIHealthcareDefense/GovernmentAutomotiveOthers (education, oil & gas, etc.)In addition, the report provides analysis of the Cyber Security as a Service Market with respect to the following geographic segments:North AmericaThe U.S.CanadaRest of North AmericaEuropeThe U.K.GermanyFranceRest of EuropeAsia Pacific (APAC)IndiaChinaJapanRest of APACMiddle East and Africa (MEA)GCC CountriesSouth AfricaRest of MEASouth AmericaBrazilRest of South AmericaBrowse Full Report With Table Of Content@Table of ContentsPreface1.1. Market Definition and Scope1.2. Market Segmentation1.3. Key Research Objectives1.4. Research HighlightsAssumptions and Research MethodologyExecutive Summary : Global Cyber Security as a Service MarketMarket Overview4.1. Introduction4.2. Market Dynamics4.2.1. Drivers4.2.2. Restraints4.2.3. Opportunities4.3. Industry Development4.4. Key Trends4.5. Market Indicator4.6. Cyber Security Threat Analysis4.7. Global Cyber Security as a Service Market Analysis and Forecasts, 2015  20254.7.1. Market Revenue Projections (US$ Bn)4.8. Porters Five Force Analysis4.9. Ecosystem Analysis4.10. Market OutlookGlobal Cyber Security as a Service Market Analysis and Forecast By Service Type5.1. Introduction & Definition5.2. Cyber Security as a Service Market Size (US$ Bn) and Forecast By Service Type,2015  20255.2.1. Threat Intelligence & Behavior Analysis5.2.2. Auditing & Logging5.2.3. Monitoring & altering5.3. Market Attractiveness By Service TypeGlobal Cyber Security as a Service Market Analysis and Forecast By Security Type6.1. Introduction & Definition6.2. Cyber Security as a Service Market Size (US$ Bn) and Forecast By Security Type,2015  20256.2.1. Enterprise Security6.2.2. Endpoint Security6.2.3. Cloud Security6.2.4. Network Security6.2.5. Application Security6.3. Market Attractiveness By Security TypeGlobal Cyber Security as a Service Market Analysis and Forecast By Platform7.1. Introduction & Definition7.2. Cyber Security as a Service Market Size (US$ Bn) and Forecast By Platfrom,2015  20257.2.1. Managed7.2.2. Professional7.3. Market Attractiveness by PlatformGlobal Cyber Security as a Service Market Analysis and Forecast By Enterprise Size8.1. Introduction & Definition8.2. Cyber Security as a Service Market Size (US$ Bn) and Forecast By Enterprise Size,2015  20258.2.1. Small and Medium Enterprise8.2.2. Large Enterprise8.3. Market Attractiveness by Enterprise SizeRead More .@@About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of ICT market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWarehouse Management System Market 2016-2022 | HighJump Software, Oracle Corporation, Manhattan Associates Inc., Tecsys Inc., SAP SE, JDA Software Group Inc., LogFire Inc., Made4net LLC., Softeon Inc.

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Market research future published a half cooked research report on global Warehouse Management System market. The Warehouse Management System market is expected to grow over the CAGR of around 14% during the period 2016 to 2022Market Highlights:A warehouse management system (WMS) is a software application, designed to support warehouse or distribution center management and staff. WMS applications can be so complex and data intensive that they require a dedicated staff to run them. Consumers have been increasingly diverted toward online shopping owing to the vast benefits the platform presents, which increase the retail sector and have positive impact on warehouse management system market. Continuously growing end use industries are also adding to the market growth. Also, several WMS vendors started providing labor management systems which boost the demand of this market. However, lack of awareness about the benefits of the system may hamper the growth of this market. On the basis of region, Europe has both the highest market value and volume. Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at the fastest pace during the forecast period. The warehouse management system market size was valued at around USD 1.15 Billion in 2015 and is expected to cross USD 2.45 Billion at CAGR of around 14% by 2022.Ask for Sample @Market Research Analysis:The market is highly application based. The factors contributing to the growth of the warehouse management system market are, continuously growing end-use industries such as retail, logistics, electronics & others, and emergence of e-commerce and Omni-channel fulfillment requirements. The market is expected to have a higher growth rate as compared to the previous years. Europe is the largest region for the warehouse management system market.Study Objectives of Global Warehouse management system (WMS) Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 6 years of various segments and sub-segments of the GlobalWarehouse management system (WMS) Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To Analyze the Global Warehouse management system (WMS) Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, APAC, and Rest of the World (ROW) To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by Type, by Application and by Region. To provide strategic profiling of the key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Warehouse management system (WMS) Market.Scope of the ReportThis study provides an overview of the global warehouse management system market, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments theAccess for More Details @Global warehouse management system market as type and end-user. By Service Typeo Softwareo Consultingo System integrationo Operations & Maintenance By Applicationo Electronicso Pharmaceuticalso Transportation & logisticso Retailo OthersKey Players: HighJump Software (U.S.) Oracle Corporation (U.S.) Manhattan Associates Inc. (U.S.) Tecsys Inc. (Canada) SAP SE (Germany) JDA Software Group Inc. (U.S.) LogFire Inc. (U.S.) Made4net LLC (U.S.) Softeon Inc.(U.S.) Synergy Logistics Ltd (U.K.)Target Audience Manufactures Organizations Distributors & Suppliers Research Institute / Education Institute Potential Investors End-Use SectorsProduct Analysis The Product matrix gives a detailed comparison of the different recycled product types of the market.Additional Information Regulatory Landscape Pricing Analysis Macroeconomic IndicatorsGeographic Analysis Geographical analysis across 15 countriesCompany Information Profiling of 10 key market players In-depth analysis including SWOT analysis, and strategy information of related to report title Competitive landscape including emerging trends adopted by major companiesCheck Discount @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comAuto Dealer Software Market Is Booming Worldwide | CDK Global, Cox Automotive, Reynolds and Reynolds, RouteOne, DealerSocket

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HTF MI recently introduced Global Auto Dealer Software Market study with in-depth overview, describing about the Product / Industry Scope and elaborates market outlook and status to 2025. The market Study is segmented by key regions which is accelerating the marketization. At present, the market is developing its presence and some of the key players from the complete study are CDK Global, Cox Automotive, Reynolds and Reynolds, RouteOne, DealerSocket, Internet Brands, Dominion Enterprises, Wipro, Epicor, Yonyou, ELEAD1ONE, TitleTec, ARI Network Services, WHI Solutions, Infomedia & MAM Software etc.Request Sample of Global Auto Dealer Software Market Status and Outlook 2018-2025 @:Report Snapshot Key Content of Chapters (Including and can be customized, report is a semifinished version, and it takes 48-72 hours to upgrade) Part 1: Terminology Definition, Industry Chain,Industry Dynamics & Regulations and Global Market Overview Part 2: Upstream (Raw Materials / Components) & Manufacturing (Procurement Methods & Channels and Cost) , Major Regional Production Overview and Trade Flow Part 3: Product Segment Overview and Market Status Part 4: Application / End-User Segment Overview and Market Status Part 5: Region Segment Overview and Market Status Part 6: Product & Application Segment Production & Demand by Region Part 7: Market Forecast by Product, Application & Region Part 8: Company information, Products & Services and Business Operation (Sales, Cost, Margin etc.) Part 9: Market Competition and Environment for New Entrants Part 10: ConclusionThis report studies the Global Auto Dealer Software market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the Global Auto Dealer Software market by companies, region, type and end-use industry.Browse 100+ market data Tables and Figures spread through Pages and in-depth TOC on " Auto Dealer Software Market by Type (DSM Software, CRM Software, Marketing Software & Other Software), by End-Users/Application (Web-based Software & Installed Software), Organization Size, Industry, and Region - Forecast to 2023". Early buyers will receive 10% customization on comprehensive study.In order to get a deeper view of Market Size, competitive landscape is provided i.e. Revenue (Million USD) by Players (2013-2018), Revenue Market Share (%) by Players (2013-2018) and further a qualitative analysis is made towards market concentration rate, product/service differences, new entrants and the technological trends in future.Enquire for customization in Report @Competitive Analysis:The key players are highly focusing innovation in production technologies to improve efficiency and shelf life. The best long-term growth opportunities for this sector can be captured by ensuring ongoing process improvements and financial flexibility to invest in the optimal strategies. Company profile section of players such as CDK Global, Cox Automotive, Reynolds and Reynolds, RouteOne, DealerSocket, Internet Brands, Dominion Enterprises, Wipro, Epicor, Yonyou, ELEAD1ONE, TitleTec, ARI Network Services, WHI Solutions, Infomedia & MAM Software includes its basic information like legal name, website, headquarters, its market position, historical background and top 5 closest competitors by Market capitalization / revenue along with contact information. Each player/ manufacturer revenue figures, growth rate and gross profit margin is provided in easy to understand tabular format for past 5 years and a separate section on recent development like mergers, acquisition or any new product/service launch etc.Market Segments:The Global Auto Dealer Software Market has been divided into type, application, and region.On The Basis Of Type: DSM Software, CRM Software, Marketing Software & Other Software.On The Basis Of Application: Web-based Software & Installed SoftwareOn The Basis Of Region, this report is segmented into following key geographies, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share, growth rate of Auto Dealer Software in these regions, from 2013 to 2023 (forecast), covering North America (U.S. & Canada) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Latin America (Brazil, Mexico & Rest of Latin America) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Europe (The U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden & RoE) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of Asia) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Middle East & Africa (GCC, South Africa, North Africa, RoMEA) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Rest of World {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis}Buy Single User License of Global Auto Dealer Software Market Status and Outlook 2018-2025 @Have a look at some extracts from Table of ContentIntroduction about Global Auto Dealer SoftwareGlobal Auto Dealer Software Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2017Auto Dealer Software Market by Application/End UsersGlobal Auto Dealer Software Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Applications(2013-2023) table defined for each application/end-users like [Web-based Software & Installed Software]Global Auto Dealer Software Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2023)Auto Dealer Software Competition by Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and ApplicationAuto Dealer Software (Volume, Value and Sales Price) table defined for each geographic region defined.Global Auto Dealer Software Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales DataAdditionally Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors list is being provided for each listed manufacturersMarket Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018) table for each product type which include DSM Software, CRM Software, Marketing Software & Other SoftwareAuto Dealer Software Manufacturing Cost AnalysisAuto Dealer Software Key Raw Materials AnalysisAuto Dealer Software Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers, Industrial Chain AnalysisMarket Forecast (2018-2023)........and more in complete table of ContentsBrowse for Full Report at:Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.About Author:HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact US :Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218sales@htfmarketreport.comConnect with us atGlobal Vacuum Insulation Panels Market  Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017  2026

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Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently broadcasted a new study to its broad research portfolio, which is titled as Vacuum Insulation Panels Market  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017  2026 provides an in-depth analysis of the Vacuum Insulation Panels with the forecast of market size and growth. The analysis includes addressable market, market by volume, and market share by business type and by segment (external and in-house).The research study examines the Vacuum Insulation Panels on the basis of a number of criteria, such as the product type, application, and its geographical presence.Request Free Sample Report:With increasing need of thermal insulation across various end user applications, vacuum insulation panels have been witnessing an increased adoption across the globe. The main factor influencing the growth in demand and sale of vacuum insulation panels is increasing urbanization coupled with high growth in construction industry. 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Analysis on various regions and sub regions gives a complete market scenario with which new product launches can be planned. Moreover, intelligence end use industries widely using vacuum insulation panels can support the manufacturers to tap the target market to gain hold in the respective region. The segmentation analysis gives a thorough understanding of potentially profitable segments in the coming years.Unique research processData collection followed by data filtering and analysis, research intelligence, actionable insights and business solution, is followed at Market Research Hub (MRH). Research methodology used by MRH helps in gathering information and presenting in the research report in a systematic manner. Insights from various sources, secondary and primary research are triangulated to obtain data with high accuracy level. 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Global Vacuum Insulated Panel Market Y-o-Y Growth3.3. Global Vacuum Insulated Panel Market Dynamics3.4. Supply Chain3.5. Cost Structure3.6. Investment Feasibility matrix3.7. Competition Matrix3.8. PESTLE Analysis3.9. Competition Market Footprint3.10. Profitability & Gross Margin3.11. Cost Comparison of Vacuum Insulated Panel against Other Material3.12. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By RegionGlobal Vacuum Insulated Panel Market Analysis and Forecast 2012-20264.1. Global Vacuum Insulated Panel Market Size and Forecast By Raw Material Type, 2012-20264.1.1. Plastic Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.2. Metal Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.1.3. 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Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.3. Global Vacuum Insulated Panel Market Size and Forecast By Shape Type, 2012-20264.3.1. Flat Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.3.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.3.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.3.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.3.2. Spherical Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.3.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.3.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.3.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.4. Global Vacuum Insulated Panel Market Size and Forecast By Core Type, 2012-20264.4.1. Silica Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.4.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.4.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.4.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.4.2. Fiberglass Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.4.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.4.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.4.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region4.4.3. Other Core Types Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20264.4.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region4.4.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region4.4.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region.. @@ ContinuedAbout Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of packaging market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comAcrylic Sheet Market 2018 Global Analysis By key Players  Evonik, Mitsubishi Rayon, Altuglas (Arkema), Polycasa, Plaskolite

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Acrylic Sheet Market 2018Wiseguyreports.Com adds Acrylic Sheet Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2025 To Its Research Database.Report Details:This report provides in depth study of Acrylic Sheet Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Acrylic Sheet Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market which is based on the various objectives of an organization such as profiling, the product outline, the quantity of production, required raw material, and the financial health of the organization.This report studies the global Acrylic Sheet market status and forecast, categorizes the global Acrylic Sheet market size (value & volume) by manufacturers, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top manufacturers in North America, Europe, Japan, China and other regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa).Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), also known as acrylic or acrylic glass as well as by the trade names Plexiglas, Acrylite, Lucite, and Perspex among several others (see below), is a transparent thermoplastic often used in sheet form as a lightweight or shatter-resistant alternative to glass.Germany accounted for the largest share in terms of revenue and volume, on account of increased demand in numerous application segments. The recovery of the automotive and construction industries in the country is expected to drive the product demand over the forecast period.The acrylic sheet industry in Germany is projected to witness growth to the tune of 4.1% over the forecast years, mainly on account of the increasing use of the product in visual communication and retail applications such as display trays, casings, and POS. The presence of Evonik Industries, the biggest manufacturer in the industry, is also expected to have positive impacts on the industry growth in the country.The major manufacturers covered in this reportEvonikMitsubishi RayonAltuglas (Arkema)PolycasaPlaskoliteTaixing DonchampUnigel GroupDonchampJumeiJiushixingGuang Shun PlasticShen Chuen AcrylicRaychung AcrylicAsia PolyElastinGARY Acrylic XishunRequest a Sample Report @Geographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaWe can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions:North AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndonesiaSingaporeRest of Asia-PacificEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalySpainRussiaRest of EuropeCentral & South AmericaBrazilArgentinaRest of South AmericaMiddle East & AfricaSaudi ArabiaTurkeyRest of Middle East & AfricaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoCell CastExtrudedContinuous CastOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingArchitecture & ConstructionFurniture & DesignAutomotive & TransportationVisual Communication & RetailElectronics & EnergyMedicalSanitaryOthersKey StakeholdersAcrylic Sheet ManufacturersAcrylic Sheet Distributors/Traders/WholesalersAcrylic Sheet Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:Global Acrylic Sheet Market Research Report 20181 Acrylic Sheet Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Acrylic Sheet1.2 Acrylic Sheet Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Acrylic Sheet Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Acrylic Sheet Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Cell Cast1.2.4 Extruded1.2.5 Continuous Cast1.3 Global Acrylic Sheet Segment by Application1.3.1 Acrylic Sheet Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Architecture & Construction1.3.3 Furniture & Design1.3.4 Automotive & Transportation1.3.5 Visual Communication & Retail1.3.6 Electronics & Energy1.3.7 Medical1.3.8 Sanitary1.3.9 Others1.4 Global Acrylic Sheet Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Acrylic Sheet Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 30 Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Acrylic Sheet (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Acrylic Sheet Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Acrylic Sheet Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025).7 Global Acrylic Sheet Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Evonik7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Acrylic Sheet Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Evonik Acrylic Sheet Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Mitsubishi Rayon7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Acrylic Sheet Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Mitsubishi Rayon Acrylic Sheet Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Altuglas (Arkema)7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Acrylic Sheet Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Altuglas (Arkema) Acrylic Sheet Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Polycasa7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Acrylic Sheet Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Polycasa Acrylic Sheet Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Plaskolite7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Acrylic Sheet Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Plaskolite Acrylic Sheet Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015-2018)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Taixing Donchamp7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Acrylic Sheet Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Taixing Donchamp Acrylic Sheet Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Unigel Group7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Acrylic Sheet Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Unigel Group Acrylic Sheet Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Donchamp7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Acrylic Sheet Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Donchamp Acrylic Sheet Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Jumei7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Acrylic Sheet Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Jumei Acrylic Sheet Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2020)7.9.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued.Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRESS:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaOutlook on the Nematicides Market 2018-2024: Users, Reimbursement Policy, Countries, Clinical Trials and Training Model Analysis

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Global Nematicides MarketMarket Outline: Nematicides MarketNematicides are the chemical pesticides used in crops to control the growth of nematodes, which are a major reason for the crop loss. Nematicides increases the quality and yield of the agriculture products. Nematicides are available in the two forms which include fumigant and contact application. Apart from the protection of plants from parasites, nematicides also help in the increasing of soil fertility. The most commonly used nematicides are the fumigants, carbamates, and organophosphates among others.Market Dynamics: Nematicides MarketRapid industrialization leads to decrease in arable land, increase in global population demanding for quality food products, rise in the incidence of diseases caused by nematodes, technological advancements in organic farming practices are anticipated to fuel the nematicides market over the forecast period. Moreover, increasing the R&D activities for the innovation of newer nematicides, low cost of the products, and increase in awareness about the nematicides among farmers are expected to propel the revenue of nematicides market over the forecast period. However, stringent regulatory policies on synthetic nematicides, use of alternative products such as bionematicides, adverse effects associated with the nematicides, and high product development and registration cost are the factors hampering the growth of nematicides market.Request Sample Report@Market Scope: Nematicides MarketNematicides market is segmented on the basis of nematicides type, product form, mode of application, and application areaBased on the nematicides type, it is segmented into the following:OrganophosphatesFumigantsCarbamatesOthersBased on the product form, it is segmented into the following:LiquidSolidBased on the mode of application, it is segmented into the following:SprayingIrrigationSeed TreatmentFumigationBased on the application area, it is segmented into the following:IndustrialAgriculturalOthersEnquiry about Report@Market Participants: Nematicides MarketSome of the players in market are Monsanto Company (U.S), BASF SE (Germany), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), FMC Corporation (U.S.), E.I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company (U.S.), American Vanguard Corporation (U.S.), Valent Corporation (U.S.), Adama Agricultural Solutions Ltd. (Israel), Syngenta AG (Switzerland), and Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha Ltd. (Japan) to name a few.Market Summary: Nematicides MarketNematicides market is growing at a significant CAGR owing to increase in the prevalence of plant diseases and adoption of newer organic farming practices. Increase in the R&D activities for the development newer products and product approvals from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are the factors expected to propel the revenue growth of the market over the forecast period. Moreover, acquisitions and mergers, product launchings, and expanding the business around the globe are the strategies followed by the companies for increasing their revenue share in market. For instance, in May 2013, Syngenta AG launched Clariva, a seed treatment nematicide used to control the growth of nematodes in agricultural crops. Moreover, in August 2015, Bayer CropScience AG launched Velum Prime in Malawi market to destroy the parasites present in the plants.Regional Analysis: Nematicides MarketGeographically, nematicides market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. North America nematicides market driven by decrease in arable land, and increase in the production of fruits and vegetables in the region. Europe nematicides market occupies significant share due to increase in agriculture farming in Spain, France, and Germany, adoption of newer organic farming practices, and rise in R&D activities for the innovation of newer products. Asia Pacific nematicides market is an emerging region for market players due to high dependence on agriculture farming, increase in preference for high yield with better quality products, and decrease in arable land.Buy This Report@Notable Market Developments: Nematicides MarketIn September 2018, American Vanguard Corporation has acquired Grupo Agricenter for the diversification of nematicides business in Latin America regionIn August 2018, Nufarm launched Saddler 350 SC, a nematicide used for the seed treatment in BrazilAbout Us:Qurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.Runwal Platinum,Ramnagar Colony, Bavdhan,Pune, Maharashtra, India-411021IN +919881074592info@qurateresearch.comTelecom Order Management Market  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Upcoming Trends, Demand, Leading Players and Forecast, 2017  2025

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The market for Telecom Order Management Market is growing with the expansion of this Industry Sector Worldwide. Market Research Hub (MRH) has added a new report titled Telecom Order Management Market  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2017  2025  which offer details about the current trends and analysis, as well as scope for the near future. This research study also covers information about the production, consumption and market share based on different active regions. Furthermore, an anticipated growth at a double-digit CAGR for the Telecom Order Management Market is highlighted in the report which indicates a prosperous future.Get Access to Free Sample Report@Global Telecom Order Management Market: OverviewThis report on the global telecom order management market provides analysis for the period 20152025, wherein 2016 is the base year and the period from 2017 to 2025 is the forecast period. Data for 2015 has been included to provide historical information. The report covers market dynamics including drivers, restraints, opportunities, and trends expected to influence the global telecom order management market growth during the said period. Technologies that are playing a major role in driving the global telecom order management market have also been considered in the study. The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the market growth throughout the above forecast period in terms of revenue estimates (in US$ Mn), across different geographies.The report also includes telecom order management product lifecycle, Porter Five Force analysis which identifies bargaining power of supplier, bargaining power of buyer, threat from new entrant, threat from substitute and threat from competition in telecom order management market is also included in the report. Ecosystem analysis which identifies key stake holders in the telecom order management market is also covered in the report.Global Telecom Order Management Market: SegmentationThe telecom order management market has been segmented on the basis of component, deployment type and region. Based on component, the market has been further classified into solution and services. The services segment is further classified into consulting, support services and others. By deployment type, the telecom order management market is classified into on premise and cloud based. Geographically, the report classifies the global Telecom Order Management market into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America; the regions are analyzed in terms of revenue generation. Furthermore, region wise prominent countries covered in the report include the following  U.S, Canada, U.K., Germany, France, Japan, China, India, GCC countries, South Africa and Brazil.Segment trends and regional trends have also been added in telecom order management study. Additionally, the report also covers segment wise comparison matrix, market attractiveness analysis and market positioning of key players for all regions covered in the scope of study. Comparison matrix includes segment growth matrix, 2017  2025(%), segment revenue contribution, 2017  2025 (%), and segment compounded growth matrix (CAGR %). Market attractiveness identifies and compares segments market attractiveness on the basis of CAGR and market share index across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America.Global Telecom Order Management Market: Competitive LandscapeFurthermore, the report includes competition landscape which comprises of competition matrix, market positioning of major players in the Telecom Order Management market based on their 2016 revenues, and profiles of major players. Competition matrix benchmarks leading players on the basis of their capabilities and potential to grow. Factors including market position, offerings and R&D focus are attributed to companys capabilities. Factors including top line growth, market share, segment growth, infrastructure facilities and future outlook are attributed to companys potential to grow. This section also identifies and includes various recent developments carried out by the leading players of telecom order management market.Company profiling includes company overview, major business strategies adopted, SWOT analysis, and market revenues for year 2014 to 2016. The global players profiled in the global telecom order management market include Ericsson AB, Amdocs Corporation, Cerillion PLC, IBM Corporation, ChikPea Inc., Comarch SA, Fujitsu Limited, Neustar, Inc., Pegasystems Inc, and Oracle Corporation have also been added in the report.The global telecom order management market is segmented into:By ComponentSolutionsServicesConsultingSupport ServicesOthersBy Deployment TypeOn premiseCloud basedBy RegionNorth AmericaThe U.S.CanadaRest of North AmericaEuropeThe U.K.GermanyFranceRest of EuropeAsia PacificJapanChinaIndiaRest of Asia PacificMiddle East and Africa (MEA)GCC CountriesSouth AfricaRest of the Middle East & AfricaSouth AmericaBrazilRest of South AmericaBrowse Full Report with TOC@Table of ContentsPreface1.1. Report Scope and Segmentation1.2. Key Research Objectives and HighlightsAssumptions and Research MethodologyExecutive Summary : Telecom Order Management MarketOverview4.1. Introduction4.1.1. Definition4.1.2. Key Industry Developments4.2. Market Dynamics4.2.1. Drivers4.2.2. Restraints4.2.3. Opportunity4.3. Key Trends4.4. Global Telecom Order Management Market Analysis and Forecasts, 2015  20254.4.1. Market Revenue Projections (US$ Mn)4.5. Porters Five Force Analysis4.6. Ecosystem Analysis4.7. Market OutlookGlobal Telecom Order Management Market Analysis and Forecast by Component5.1. Introduction & Definition5.2. Key Findings / Developments5.3. Telecom Order Management Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast by Component, 2015  20255.3.1. Solutions5.3.2. Services5.3.2.1. Consulting5.3.2.2. Support Services5.3.2.3. Others5.4. Component Comparison Matrix5.5. Market Attractiveness by ComponentGlobal Telecom Order Management Market Analysis and Forecast by Deployment Type6.1. Introduction6.2. Key Findings/Developments6.3. Telecom Order Management Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast by Deployment Type, 2015  20256.3.1. On-premise6.3.2. Cloud based6.4. Deployment Type Comparison Matrix6.5. Market Attractiveness by Deployment TypeGlobal Telecom Order Management Market Analysis and Forecasts, by Region7.1. Key Findings7.2. Telecom Order Management Market Size (US$ Mn) Forecast by Region, 2015  20257.2.1. North AmericaRead More .@@About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like ICT Industry Reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comOil and Gas Chemicals Market 2018 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2025

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This report studies the global Oil and Gas Chemicals market status and forecast, categorizes the global Oil and Gas Chemicals market size (value & volume) by manufacturers, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top manufacturers in North America, Europe, Japan, China and other regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa).Oil and gas chemicals are used in major oil field activities such as drilling, production, stimulation, enhanced oil recovery, and completion. They are used in various other operations for smooth functioning and improving productivity of the well. Additionally, oil and gas chemicals has applications in petroleum refining processes.Increase in energy demand, high consumption rate, and growing oilfield activities in deep and ultra-deep water has led to increase in growth of oil and gas chemicals market.The global Oil and Gas Chemicals market is valued at 52500 million US$ in 2017 and will reach 86600 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 6.5% during 2018-2025.Request a Sample Report @The major manufacturers covered in this reportBaker HughesAkzo Nobel NVElementis PlcNALCO ChampionNewpak Resources IncThe Lubrizol CorporationHalliburton CompanySolvay SAGeographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOther Regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa)On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoCorrosion inhibitorsEmulsion breakersCementing super plasticizersParaffin dispersantsDrilling additivesOthersOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingUpstreamMidstreamDownstreamThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Oil and Gas Chemicals capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Oil and Gas Chemicals manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.Table of ContentsGlobal Oil and Gas Chemicals Market Research Report 20181 Oil and Gas Chemicals Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Oil and Gas Chemicals1.2 Oil and Gas Chemicals Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Corrosion inhibitors1.2.4 Emulsion breakers1.2.5 Cementing super plasticizers1.2.6 Paraffin dispersants1.2.7 Drilling additives1.2.8 Others1.3 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Segment by Application1.3.1 Oil and Gas Chemicals Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Upstream1.3.3 Midstream1.3.4 Downstream1.4 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 25 Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Oil and Gas Chemicals (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Oil and Gas Chemicals Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Oil and Gas Chemicals Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Oil and Gas Chemicals Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Oil and Gas Chemicals Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 Europe Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.8 Japan Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.9 Southeast Asia Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.10 India Oil and Gas Chemicals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Oil and Gas Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Oil and Gas Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Oil and Gas Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.5 Japan Oil and Gas Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Oil and Gas Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Oil and Gas Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Oil and Gas Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Oil and Gas Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.8 South America Oil and Gas Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.9 Middle East and Africa Oil and Gas Chemicals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Price by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Production Growth by Type (2013-2018)6 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Consumption and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)6.2 Global Oil and Gas Chemicals Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2013-2018)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesContinuedAccess Complete Report @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaGlobal China Integrated Circuit Market Sales, Industry Size, Status, Analysis and Forecast to 2018-2022

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The market for China Integrated Circuit is growing with the expansion of this Industry Sector Worldwide. Market Research Hub (MRH) has added a new report titled Research Report on China Integrated Circuit Industry, 2018-2022 which offer details about the current trends and analysis, as well as scope for the near future. This research study also covers information about the production, consumption and market share based on different active regions. Furthermore, an anticipated growth at a double-digit CAGR for the China Integrated Circuit sector is highlighted in the report which indicates a prosperous future.Request A Free Sample Report:The Chinese government strongly supports the integrated circuit industry, which is the foundation and core of the information industry. The central government and a number of local governments have issued encouraging policies to foster the industry in fiscal revenue and infrastructure. As the strategy of Made in China 2025 is carried out, the transformation and upgrading of the industry is accelerating, which drives the demand for integrated circuits. It is expected that in the coming years, the Chinese government will continue to intensify the support for the IC industry.In 2017, the sales value of local IC companies reached approximately USD 80.15 billion, representing an increase of more than 20% YOY. Among it, that of the IC manufacturing industry reached about USD 21.55 billion, and that of the design industry and the packaging and testing industry were respectively USD 30.71 billion and USD 27.99 billion.According to CRIs research, China's integrated circuit industry continues to develop after joining the WTO, but still far lags behind the global advanced level. Compared with leading international companies, China's chip manufacturing industry is at least 1 to 2 generations behind in terms of the advanced technologies. The IC design in China still stands at a low level and makes single products. The gap of technologies on packaging and testing between Chinese companies and International mainstreams is to be bridged. Besides, China's high-end IC products heavily rely on imports. In 2017, China imported 377 billion units of integrated circuits, with an increase of 10.1% YOY, and the import value reached USD 260.14 billion, with an increase of 14.6% YOY. In the same year, China exported USD 66.88 billion of integrated circuits, with a deficit of nearly USD 200 billion. China is already an important market for global chip companies. For example, in 2017, the sales value of several major US chip companies to China exceeded USD 50 billion. Among them, more than half of the sales revenue of Qualcomm, Broadcom, Micron, Marvell and Skyworks came from the Chinese market.CRI considers that segments such as automotive electronics, industrial automation, internet of things and communications equipment have been the main driving force for China's integrated circuit market in recent years. The global PC production has been on the decline while that of smart phones is likely to increase. At the same time, the development of related industries such as cloud computing, internet of things and big data has propelled the demand for integrated circuits.In China, the production and sales volumes of consumer electronics and traditional home appliance basically remain stable. Driven by the upgrading of consumption and smart home appliances, the IC market has grown slightly. The main drivers for such growth arise from the increase in smart mobile devices and the rapid growth of emerging consumer electronics products such as drones.China is the worlds largest automotive producer and consumer, as well as the largest electronics manufacturing base and the largest manufacturing outsource base in the world. It is expected that China will remain the world's largest IC consumer market for a long time, and the market size will continue to grow. In recent years, automotive electronics has been a hot area in the global IC market. In 2017, the auto production in China reached 29.02 million units, with an increase of 3.2% YOY, of which new energy vehicles (electric vehicles) were 794,000 units, with an increase of approximately 54% YOY. The demand for integrated circuits of each new energy vehicle far exceeds that of traditional fuel vehicles. With the rapid increase in the production of new energy vehicles in China, the automotive sector has become an important driver for the growth of the IC market.In recent years, as China's labor costs increase, automation has gradually become the common choice of the manufacturing industry. As the output of industrial automation equipment such as CNC machine tools and industrial robots continues to rise in China, the demand for integrated circuits is rapidly lifting.With the rising informatization and rapid-developed internet of things in China, the demand for smart cities, smart logistics and industrial monitoring has continued to increase. According to CRI, in 2017, the market size of internet of things exceeded CNY 1 trillion. Subsequently, its development has brought about a rise in demand for various sensors.According to CRI's analysis, due to the relatively outdated technology of domestic IC industry, the manufacturing will face enormous risks once it involves in international trade disputes or sanctions. For Chinese IC manufacturers, it will take a very long time (10-20 years) and numerous investment (above USD 100 billion) to improve the technologies of integrated circuits. It is expected that in the coming years, some local IC companies will upgrade the technical level and production capacity of integrated circuits through self-developed and imported advanced technologies and equipment. For overseas IC-related companies, the Chinese market provides plentiful investment opportunities.This report may convey more information to readers: The economic environment of China's IC industry Supportive government policies for the IC industry Supply status of China's IC industry Analysis on the demand for integrated circuits in the Chinese market Competition landscape of IC industry in China Analysis on the imports and exports of integrated circuits in China Major Chinese enterprises in the IC industry Threats and Challenges of China's IC industry Prospect of China's IC industry, 2018-2022Browse Full Report with TOC:Table of Content1 OVERVIEW ON INTEGRATED CIRCUIT INDUSTRY IN CHINA1.1 Definition and Classification1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Classification1.2 Methodology1.2.1 Data Resources1.2.2 Parameters and Assumptions2 DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT OF INTEGRATED CIRCUIT INDUSTRY IN CHINA, 2015-20182.1 Macro Economy2.1.1 Chinese Economy2.1.2 International Economy2.2 Policy Environment of the Industry2.2.1 Overview of Industry Policies2.2.2 Key Policies2.2.3 Development Trend of Industry Policies2.3 Technology Environment2.4 Environment of International Trade3 ANALYSIS OF OPERATION STATUS OF INTEGRATED CIRCUIT INDUSTRY IN CHINA, 2013-20173.1 Supply3.1.1 Total Supply Volume3.1.2 Supply Structure3.2 Demand3.2.1 Total Demand Volume3.2.2 Demand Structure3.3 Analysis on Sub-sectors3.3.1 IC Design3.3.2 Chip Manufacturing3.3.3 Packaging Test4 COMPETITION LANDSCAPE OF CHINA'S IC INDUSTRY, 2013-20174.1 Barriers to Entry in China's IC Industry4.1.1 Policy Barriers4.1.2 Technological Barriers4.1.3 Capital Barriers4.1.4 Barriers to Sales Channels4.2 Competitive Structure of China's IC Industry4.2.1 Bargaining Power of Upstream Suppliers4.2.2 Bargaining Power of Downstream Users4.2.3 Market Competition4.2.4 Threats of New Entrants4.2.5 Substitutes for Integrated Circuits4.3 Competition in Sub-sectors of IC Industry in China4.3.1 Design4.3.2 Chip Manufacturing4.3.3 Packaging and Testingread moreAbout Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like ICT research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesRead Industry News at -Toll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comAdhesive Resin Industry 2018 Market Trends, Size, Share, Top Key Players: Exxonmobil Chemical, Eastman Chemical Company.,3M, Yparex B.V., Admer Adhesives Resin, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation,

Adhesive Resin Market

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Adhesive Resin Market Research Report Expects To Examine The Developments Of A Adhesive Resin Market Including Its Market Improvement, Development Position Etc. The Report On The Adhesive Resin Market Offers Explain Knowledge On The Market Parts Like Dominating Players, Drivers And Restraints, Production, Revenue, Consumption, Import And Export, And The Most Effective Development Within The Organization Size, Deployment Type, Inside, Segmentation Comprised Throughout This Analysis, Also Major The Players Have Used Various Strategies Such As New Product Launches, Expansions, Agreements, Joint Ventures, Partnerships, Acquisitions and Others .To Increase Their Footprints In This Market In Order To Sustain In Long Run. Additionally To The Present The Report Covers Chart And Tables Which Provide A Clear Viewpoint Of The Adhesive Resin Industry.Get Free Sample Report@Adhesive Resin Market accounted for USD 13.10 billion in 2017 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period of 2018 to 2025. The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2016, the base year of calculation is 2017 and the forecast period is 2018 to 2025.Some of the major players in adhesive resin market:DuPont, Arizona Chemical, 3M, Yparex B.V., Admer Adhesives Resin, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Exxonmobil Chemical, Eastman Chemical Company, Dow Chemical Company, Evonik Industries, Lawter B.V., Ashland Inc., Georgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC, Alchemie, Bostik, Satyen Polymers Pvt. Ltd., STAR SPECIALTIES POLYMERS PVT. LTD., Polygon Adhesives & Resins Pvt.Ltd., National Adhesives and Polymers, Resins and Plastics Limited, Mechemco, HAC Resins Pvt Ltd. and many more.Adhesive Resin Market Competitive Landscape:The global adhesive resin market is fragmented with the presence of a large number of players across different regions. These major players have adopted various organic as well as inorganic growth strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, and others to strengthen their position in this market.Customization With Discount Available On This Report @Major Market Objectives: Growth in construction, transportation, and consumer applications Shift in preference towards hot-melt adhesives Demand for adhesive resins in Asia-Pacific Increase in surgical procedures expected to boost demand for green as well as synthetic adhesive resins Volatility in Raw Material PricesAccording to U.S. Census Bureau, in 2016, total construction spending increased 6.5% from the previous year. Moreover, in 2014, construction spending was up nearly 11% and in 2015 it increased 10.7%. Furthermore, there is a huge investment scenario in developing countries, which help in the growth of the adhesive resin in the near future.Adhesive Resin Market Scope: The adhesive resin market is segmented on the basis of product type in to : polyacrylic ester (PAE), polyvinyl acetate (PVA), vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE), synthetic rubber (SBS, CR & SIS), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane, epoxy, modified acrylate & methyl methacrylate (MMA), cyanoacrylate and others. The adhesive resin market is segmented on the basis of formulation in to : water-based, solvent-based, hot-melt, reactive and others. The adhesive resin market is segmented on the basis of application in to : paper & packaging, building & construction, wood-working, transportation, consumer/DIY, leather & footwear and others. The adhesive resin market is segmented on the basis of geography, the adhesive resin market report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies such as : North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa. Some of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil among others.Report Brief Focus On:Adhesive Resin Market Present By Product Type (Polyacrylic Ester (PAE), Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA), Vinyl Acetate Ethylene (VAE), Synthetic Rubber (SBS, CR & SIS), Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), Polyurethane, Epoxy, Modified Acrylate & Methyl Methacrylate (MMA), Cyanoacrylate, Others) By Formulation (Water-Based, Solvent-Based, Hot-Melt, Reactive, Others) By Applications (Paper & Packaging, Building & Construction, Wood-working, Transportation, Consumer/DIY, Leather & Footwear, Others) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2025.Note: If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.For More Information Visit @About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-281Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comGlobal IoT Gateway and Solution Market 2018-2025 | Top Key Manufacturers (Intel Corporation, NXP Semiconductor N.V., Texas Instruments Incorporated, Cisco Systems Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.)

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The Global IoT Gateway and Solution Market was valued at USD XX million in 2016, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of XX% by 2025. The market is growing by rise in demand for efficient delivery to the customers across the world.Get Sample Copy of this Report @The development of internet connectivity in technologically advanced countries and increased IP address space and better security provided by IPv6. The market growth is favored by the considerable advancement in telecommunication networks. The rising need for wireless sensors and their networks, as well as rise in application specific microcontroller units will drive the market in coming years. Increasing adoption of higher internet penetration as well as Growing importance of IT security is expected to drive the market.Rising concerns over high power consumption by connected devices may hinder the adoption of market. Whereas Governments of emerging economies such as China, India, and South Korea are increasing their investment in telecommunication, and being attractive investment destinations, these regions attract significant foreign investment which help in further expected to augment the growth in the market during the forecast period.Complete report on IoT Gateway and Solution Market spread across 121 pages, profiling 08 companies and supported with tables and figures. Enquire for more @The connectivity IC IoT Gateway and Solution accounted for the largest market share in 2016 and is expected to grow considerably during the projected period. Demand for low profile connectivity technology such as Bluetooth low energy (BLE), Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. With rapid expansion of data transmission, this low profile connectivity technology is expected to boost the demand for Connectivity IC.Some of the key players operating in this market include Accenture, AlcatelLucent, Ericsson, Huawei, Microsoft, Opencloud, Telenity, Aepona, Amdocs, HewlettPackard, Nokia Siemens Network and Oracle and Others.Get direct copy of this report @Key Benefits of the Report: Global, Regional, Country, Application, and Hardware Market Size and Forecast from 2014-2025 Detailed market dynamics, industry outlook with market specific PESTLE, Value Chain, Supply Chain, and SWOT Analysis to better understand the market and build strategies Identification of key companies that can influence this market on a global and regional scale Expert interviews and their insights on market shift, current and future outlook and factors impacting vendors short term and long term strategies Detailed insights on emerging regions, Hardware & application, and competitive landscape with qualitative and quantitative information and factsTarget Audience: IoT Gateway and Solution providers Traders, Importer and Exporter Raw material suppliers and distributors Research and consulting firms Government and research organizations Associations and industry bodiesTable Of Content :1 Executive Summary2 Methodology And Market Scope3 IoT Gateway and Solution Market  Industry Outlook4 IoT Gateway and Solution Market Product Outlook5 IoT Gateway and Solution Market Application Outlook6 IoT Gateway and Solution Market Regional Outlook7 Competitive LandscapeEnd of the reportDisclaimerAbout UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact UsRuwin MendezVice President  Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (832) 380-8827 | UK: +44 0161-818-8027Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn:Content Storage Management Market Estimated To Expand At CAGR 17.7% With The Key Players Like Dell, EMC, Hitachi Data Systems, HP, IBM during the forecast Period 2018-2025

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The Global Content Storage Management Market was valued at USD XX million in 2017, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.7% by 2025. Increase in volume of data generated by enterprises driver which drives the development of Content Storage Management market. This market grew approximately 45% in 2016.Get Sample Copy of this Report @The global Content Storage Management market is influenced by several factors that include growth in need for digital content with the proliferation of online marketing & online customer relationship, development of the e-commerce market, increase in adoption of cloud-based enterprise content management system, high initial costs of implementation, and lack of awareness to implement the right solution for specific needs among SMEs. All these factors collectively provide opportunities for Content Storage Management market growth. However, each factor is expected to have its definite impact on the Content Storage Management market share.The developing countries possess high growth potential for the Content Storage Management market, due to a low adoption base and developing infrastructure. Also, the need for cost-effective information management solutions among end-use industries is expected to fuel the demand for Content Storage Management systems.Complete report on Content Storage Management Market spread across 121 pages, profiling 09 companies and supported with tables and figures. Enquire for more @In North America, availability of advanced IT infrastructure and presence of prominent IT giants such as IBM and Microsoft Corporation is poised to drive the adoption of enterprise content management software.Key players covered in the report Dell EMC Hitachi Data Systems HP IBM NetApp Aptare Brocade Communications Systems CA TechnologiesTarget Audience: Training and consulting service providers Telecom service providers System integrators Cloud service providers Government agencies Managed service providers End-usersGet direct copy of this report @Key Benefits of the Report: Global, Regional, Country, Application, and TECHNOLOGY Market Size and Forecast from 2014-2025 Provide attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities Detailed market dynamics, industry outlook with market specific PESTLE, Value Chain, Supply Chain, and SWOT Analysis to better understand the market and build strategies Identification of key companies that can influence this market on a global and regional scale Expert interviews and their insights on market shift, current and future outlook and factors impacting vendors short term and long term strategies Detailed insights on emerging regions, product & application, and competitive landscape with qualitative and quantitative information and factsTABLE OF CONTENT :1 Executive Summary2 Methodology And Market Scope3 Content Storage Management Market  Industry Outlook4 Content Storage Management Market By Component Outlook5 Content Storage Management Market By Application Outlook6 Content Storage Management Market By Regional Outlook7 Competitive LandscapeEnd of the reportDisclaimerAbout UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact UsRuwin MendezVice President  Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (832) 380-8827 | UK: +44 0161-818-8027Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn:Polyisobutylene Market future trends to 2024 key players BASF, ExxonMobil Corporation, Lanxess AG, TPC Group, The Lubrizol Corporation, Chevron Oronite Company LLC, Infineum International Ltd. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market

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Tire and tube manufacturing industries are the potential polyisobutylene market driver. The product is majorly used in the tubeless tire manufacturing owing to its water-resistant characteristics. In addition, the global tires and tubes industry is projected to expand with more than 5% CAGR by 2024, which will subsequently push the business growth over the estimated period. Furthermore, improving consumer spending pattern towards lavish lifestyles, has substantially propelled the automotive production and sales across the globe.Request for a sample copy of this report @Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market size is poised to surpass USD 2 billion by 2024. Escalating product demand in the adhesives & sealants industry will be the prominent polyisobutylene market size contributor over the projected timeframe. It is chiefly used as a modifier or base polymer in the adhesives & sealants industry due to its superior characteristics such as stability, adhesion, moisture resistance and tackiness. These properties make the product ideal for hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive applications.The global adhesives business generated revenue close to USD 25 billion in 2015 and is likely to exceed USD 35 billion by 2024. Robust growth in the adhesives & sealants business on account of its widespread applications spectrum in industries including packaging, construction and automotive for flooring, insulation, panel, partitions and roofing will positively impact on the polyisobutylene market share by 2024.Positive growth indicators in the medical packaging business will drive the global polyisobutylene market size by 2024. Widespread product applications in serum vials, saline bottles and seals due to its low absorptivity and superior chemical resistance against moisture, air and gases will positively influence the PIB market size over the projected timeframe.Browse Complete Report Summary @Product disposal in water bodies destroys the aquatic flora and fauna. Therefore, the industry is stringently directed and regulated by government regulations, particularly in Europe and North America. Prevalence of these norms may hamper the polyisobutylene market size for its applications as a marine lubricant. The PIB industry participants are involved in extensive R&D towards developing sustainable disposable measures and thus will create new growth prospects by 2024.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:1. ExxonMobil Corporation2. BASF SE3. Lanxess AG4. INEOS5. TPC Group6. Chevron Oronite Company LLC7. The Lubrizol Corporation8. Infineum International Ltd.9. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.10. Kothari PetrochemicalsMake an inquiry for purchasing this report @About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Commercial Greenhouse Market Growth, Opportunities and Development Trend 2024

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Global Commercial Greenhouse Market: By Greenhouse Type (Plastic Greenhouse and Glass Greenhouse), By Equipment (Cooling Systems, Heating Systems, and Others), By Crop Type (Nursery Crops, Flowers & Ornaments, Fruits & Vegetables, and Others), and Geography  Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2013-2017 and Forecast 2018-2024Market Outline: Commercial Greenhouse MarketThe commercial greenhouse is a structure made chiefly of roof and walls by using a transparent material such as glass, where plant requiring climatic conditions are developed. The size is varied from a small shed to industrial-sized buildings. Majority of these greenhouses have high technology production facilities for flowers and vegetables. These are filled with equipment such as heating, cooling, screening installations, and lighting among others. Commercial greenhouses provide better yield compared to traditional agriculture methods.Request Sample Report@Market Dynamics: Commercial Greenhouse MarketIncrease in the demand for food consumption, decrease in arable land due to increase in population, sudden changes in environmental conditions and rise in demand for vertical or rooftop farming are anticipated to fuel the commercial greenhouse market. Moreover, the higher yield of products compared to traditional agriculture, rapid urbanization, and technological advancements are propel the commercial greenhouse market over the forecast period. However, a high cost of greenhouse set up especially for HVAC systems and LED grow lights, and lack of awareness about commercial greenhouse in undeveloped regions are impede the growth of the market over the forecast timeframe.Market Scope: Commercial Greenhouse MarketCommercial greenhouse market segmented based on greenhouse type, equipment, and crop typeBased on the greenhouse type, it is segmented into the following:Plastic greenhouseGlass greenhouseBased on the equipment, it is segmented into the following:Cooling systemsHeating systemsOthersBased on the crop type, it is segmented into the following:Nursery CropsFlowers & ornamentalsFruits & vegetablesOthersEnquiry about Report@Competition Assessment:Key player profiles in the global commercial greenhouse market include:Argus control systems ltd. (U.S)Lumigrow (U.S.)Richel Group SA (France)Logiqs (The Netherlands)Rough Brothers, Inc. (U.S.)Heliospectra AB (Sweden)Certhon (U.S.)Hort Americas, LLC (U.S.)Gibralter Industries (U.S.)Market Summary: Global Commercial Greenhouse MarketCommercial greenhouse market is expected to expand at a significant CAGR owing to increase in urbanization coupled with the decrease in arable land. Increase in preference for rooftop farming in developed countries, a rise in demand for food consumption, and technological advancements in the greenhouse farming are expected to propel the revenue of commercial greenhouse market. Moreover, companies are focused on the acquisitions and mergers, collaborations, and innovative products are the strategies followed by the companies for increasing their revenue in commercial greenhouse market. For instance, in October 2017, Gibralter Industries, Inc. acquired Nexus Corporation for strengthening its position in United States commercial greenhouse market. In addition, in February 2013, Rough Brother Inc. and Golden Pacific Structures have inked an agreement to merge their business under Rough Brother Greenhouse line.Regional Analysis: Global Commercial Greenhouse MarketGlobal commercial greenhouse market segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America commercial greenhouse market is growing due to increase in the preference for rooftop farming, changes in environmental conditions, and innovation of modern technologies in greenhouse equipment. Europe commercial greenhouse market is rising due to the adoption of greenhouse automation technologies, a rise in R&D activities in Europe. Greenhouse automation, material handling, and lighting, and increase in agriculture production in France, UK, and Germany are witnessed to boost the market. Asia-Pacific commercial greenhouse market has a significant growth attributed to the adoption of greenhouse farming techniques, increase in food consumption due to rise in population, and rapid urbanization is fueling the market. Latin America commercial greenhouse market is projected to grow due to sudden changes in environmental condition leads to crop damage, better product yield comparable with traditional agriculture methods, and adoption of newer technologies are increasing the revenue of commercial greenhouse market. The Middle East and Africa commercial greenhouse market is upsurge due to government support for greenhouse farming. For instance, in August 2018, Taraba state government (Nigeria), launched greenhouse farming and harvesting of exotic vegetables for sale in within and outside Nigeria.Buy This Report@Notable Market Developments:In October 2018, Rough Brothers, Inc. launched HopsHouse, a greenhouse designed for hopes productionAbout Us:Qurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.Runwal Platinum,Ramnagar Colony, Bavdhan,Pune, Maharashtra, India-411021IN +919881074592info@qurateresearch.comBaby Food Packaging Market-Key Players are Tata Tinplate Company of India (TCIL), Cascades Inc., FPC Flexible Packaging Corp., Hood Packaging Corp, AptarGroup Inc.

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Global Baby Food Packaging Market: OverviewBaby food packaging is of paramount importance for consumers to safeguard the quality of the packaged food. The baby food packaging market has evolved from the use of glass jars to plastics and other materials that are easy to store and are low in cost. The packaging of baby food is available in various types such as folding cartons, metal cans, thin wall containers, stand-up pouches that are suitable for different food types such as dried, milk formula, prepared, and other baby food. The demand for stand-up pouches is on the rise owing to their long shelf life.The report presents an in-depth analysis of the development aspects of the global baby food packaging market for the 2016-2024 period. Besides this, technological and design innovations in the packaging of baby food are discussed at length in this report. The research report has been prepared after an extensive research phase to present the growth trajectory of the global baby food packaging market until the end of the forecast period in 2024. The report provides a granular view of the market segments along with the factors influencing them. In this report, the current competitive structure is analyzed based on which the changing competitive hierarchy is presented factoring in market fluctuations.PDF Brochure With Future Analysis @Global Baby Food Packaging Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe increasing demand for stand-up pouches and thin wall containers owing to their hygienic, lightweight, safe, reusable, and easy to carry nature are some of the primary factors driving the global baby food packaging market. The freshness of food and long shelf life are added advantages of these packaging fuelling the growth of the baby food packaging market. However, the presence of BPA (Bisphenol A) in the plastic used for baby food packaging is harmful to infants and has been banned by the governments of the U.S., Canada, and several European countries.Nevertheless, research and development for the introduction of biodegradable materials such as paper will open growth opportunities to the growth of this market. The increasing preference of teenagers for foods packed in microwaveable plastic tubs and pouches is benefitting the growth of this market. Moreover, the increasing demand for packaged food from rural areas is also expanding the growth opportunities of the global baby food packaging market.Download Table Of Content @Global Baby Food Packaging Market: Regional OutlookThe report segments the global baby food packaging market into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. Amongst these, Asia Pacific is emerging as a significant market for baby food packaging due to the increasing use of packaged food products by the urban population. The rising disposable income and busy lifestyle are also adding to the growth of the baby food packaging market in Asia Pacific.About Us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Global Large-scale LNG Terminals Market Size and Forecast 2023 : Petroliam Nasional Berhad, Royal Dutch Shell plc, Conoco Phillips, Exxon Mobil, and Nippon Gas Co. Ltd.

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ResearchMoz presents professional and in-depth study of "Large-scale LNG Terminals Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2023"The research report analyzes the market for large-scale LNG terminals in terms of throughput in MMTPA. For the research, 2016 has been considered as the base year and forecasts have been provided for 2017-2023.Large-scale LNG terminals include terminals with throughput more than 300,000 tons per annum. All other terminals below this capacity are not within the scope of this study. For some countries, the percentage of large-scale terminal throughput as a percentage of overall throughput was available directly from secondary sources or was established through primary interviews. For regional segments, where there was dearth of data from both primary and secondary sources, percentages were established using benchmarking and estimates.Request Sample Copy of Report @The report studies the large-scale LNG terminals market in terms of type, technology, and geography. Included in the report is CAGR for each segment under different category and their growth behavior through 2023. Past and current market figures have been used to present projections until 2023.Global Large-scale LNG Terminals Market: Report SnapshotThe executive summary section of the report includes market snapshot of the global large-scale LNG terminals market and comparative analysis by geography in terms of value for the 2017-2023 forecast timeframe.The market overview section of the large-scale LNG terminals market report looks into vital market indicators such as demand drivers, challenges, and opportunities that could have a bearing on the said market over the 2017-2023 forecast period. Some other vital indices such as market attractiveness analysis by geography and Porters five forces analysis have been presented in the report as well. These indicators throw light on bargaining power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitutes, and competitive rivalry between players in the large-scale LNG terminals market.Get Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @In addition, market share analysis of key players in the past has been provided in this report. This information enables readers for a know-how of the competitive hierarchy in the large-scale LNG terminals market in the past. The section concludes with a section on value chain analysis of the large-scale LNG terminals market. The interaction and roles of various stakeholders, right from producers of natural gas and LNG to distributors and final end-users have been explained in detail.Global Large-scale LNG Terminals Market: Research MethodologyThe making of the report involved using proven research methodologies and verifiable assumptions. Some of the factors considered for deriving forecasts were growth in production and availability of natural gas in regions, increasing demand from the marine and road transportation sectors, rising consumption from other sectors  such as power, development of large natural gas fields, and policy-based directives to increase natural gas consumption and reduce emissions.Some secondary sources reached out to analyze the large-scale LNG terminals market are company websites and company annual reports, Oil & Gas Journal, Rigzone, U.S. Energy Information Administration, BP Statistical Review of the World, and International Energy Agency.Browse Detail Report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074For More Reports Visit @Instant Adhesives Industry 2018 Market Trends, Size, Share, Top Key Players: 3M Company, H.B. Fuller, Sika AG, Toagosei Co., Ltd., Bostik SA, Huntsman Corporation,

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Instant Adhesives Market Research Report Expects To Examine The Developments Of A Instant Adhesives Market Including Its Market Improvement, Development Position Etc. The Report On The Instant Adhesives Market Offers Explain Knowledge On The Market Parts Like Dominating Players, Drivers And Restraints, Production, Revenue, Consumption, Import And Export, And The Most Effective Development Within The Organization Size, Deployment Type, Inside, Segmentation Comprised Throughout This Analysis, Also Major The Players Have Used Various Strategies Such As New Product Launches, Expansions, Agreements, Joint Ventures, Partnerships, Acquisitions and Others .To Increase Their Footprints In This Market In Order To Sustain In Long Run. Additionally To The Present The Report Covers Chart And Tables Which Provide A Clear Viewpoint Of The Instant Adhesives Industry.Get Free Sample Report@Instant Adhesives Market accounted for USD 1.58billion and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2014, 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Some of the major players in the instant adhesives market are : AG & Company, H.B. Fuller, 3M Company, Sika AG, Toagosei Co., Ltd., Illinois Tool Works Incorporation (ITW), Bostik SA, Huntsman Corporation, Pidilite Industries Limited, Permabond LLC, Royal Adhesives & Sealants, LLC, Franklin International, Lord Corporation, Masterbond, Parson Adhesives Inc., Delo Industrial Adhesives LLC, Dymax Corporation, Loxeal Engineering Adhesives, Hernon Manufacturing, Inc., Chemence LimitedInstant adhesives Market Competitive Landscape:Instant adhesives market is highly fragmented with the presence of a large number of players across different regions. These major players have adopted various organic as well as inorganic growth strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, and others to strengthen their position in this market.To Avail Discount On This Report @Major market Objectives: Growing medical and transportation industries in Asia-Pacific Developments in the green adhesives technology Growing demand for sealants and adhesives High cost of the instant adhesives as compared with the other adhesives Low durability of instant adhesivesInstant adhesives Market Scope:The instant adhesivesmarket is segmented on the basis of chemistryinto cyanoacrylate, and epoxy-based.Cyanoacrylate instant adhesives are further segmented into ethyl cyanoacrylate, methyl cyanoacrylate and others. Epoxy-based instant adhesives are further segmented into one-part and two-part. Others are further sub-segmented into N-butyl cyanoacrylate and 2-octyl cyanoacrylate.On the basis of Curing Process, the market is segmented into : conventional instant adhesives light-cured instant adhesives.On the basis of Application, the market is segmented into: industrial, electronics, medical, woodworking, transportation, consumer and others.Others are further segmented into signage graphics and sporting goods.On the basis of substrate, the market is segmented into: Metal, Wood, Plastic, Glass, Composites.On the basis of geography, the instant adhesivesmarket report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies such as: North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific Middle East & Africa.Some of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil among others. In 2017, Asia-Pacificis expected to dominate the market.Report Brief Focus On:Instant Adhesives Market, By Chemistry (Cyanoacrylate, Epoxy-based); By Curing Process(Conventional, Light-cured), By Application ( Industrial, Electronics, Medical, Woodworking, Transportation, Consumer), By substrate (Metal, Wood, Plastic, Glass, Composites)By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa)  Industry Trends and Forecast 2018 to 2025Read More about Report@About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comDelivery Takeaway Food Market Size, Share, Trends Analysis Report By Product(Supermarkets/hypermarkets,Online/e-Commerce), By Region(Europe,China,Japan) And Global Forecast 2018-2023

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The Report published on UpMarketResearch.com about Delivery Takeaway Food Market is spread across 112 pages and provides newest industry data, market future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability. The industry report lists and studies the leading competitors, also provides the insights with strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.Delivery Takeaway Food Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state which focuses on the major drivers and restraints for the key players. Delivery Takeaway Food Industry research report provides granular analysis of the market share, segmentation, revenue forecasts and geographic regions of the market.The report begins with the overview of the Delivery Takeaway Food market and updates the users about the latest developments and future expectations. It presents a comparative detailed analysis of all the regional and major player segments, offering readers a better knowledge of areas in which they can place their existing resources and gauging the priority of a particular region in order to boost their standing in the global market.Get Exclusive PDF Sample Copy Of This Report @In this report, there is a healthy amount of coverage of the market economies such as the demand and supply, cost and profit of the Delivery Takeaway Food Market. This holds key importance for users and hence this information is well supported with due statistics that are represented in easy to consume graphs, charts, and tables.The report compiles exhaustive information obtained via proven research methodologies and from trusted sources within the industries.The report segments the Global Delivery Takeaway Food market as:Regional Segment Analysis (Regional Consumption Volume, Consumption Volume, Revenue and Growth Rate 2013-2023): North America Europe China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaProduct Type Segment Analysis (Consumption Volume, Average Price, Revenue, Market Share and Trend 2013-2023): Supermarkets/hypermarkets Online/e-CommerceGlobal Delivery Takeaway Food Market: Manufacturers Segment Analysis (Company and Product introduction, Delivery Takeaway Food Sales Volume, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin): Delivery Hero Dominos Pizza Just Eat Takeaway.comGain Full Access of Delivery Takeaway Food Market Report along with complete TOC Buy This Report@Major Points in Table of Content: Chapter 1 Delivery Takeaway Food Market Overview Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Delivery Takeaway Food Industry Chapter 3 Global Delivery Takeaway Food Market Competition by Manufacturers Chapter 4 Global Delivery Takeaway Food Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018) Chapter 5 Global Delivery Takeaway Food Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions(2013-2018) Chapter 6 Global Delivery Takeaway Food Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type Chapter 7 Global Delivery Takeaway Food Market Analysis by Application Chapter 8 Global Delivery Takeaway Food Manufacturers Analysis Chapter 9 Delivery Takeaway Food Manufacturing Cost Analysis Chapter 10 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers Chapter 11 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders Chapter 12 Market Effect Factors Analysis Chapter 13 Global Delivery Takeaway Food Market Forecast (2018-2023)Key Reasons to Purchase: To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Delivery Takeaway Food and its commercial landscape. Assess the Delivery Takeaway Food production processes, major issues, and solutions to mitigate the development risk. To understand the most affecting driving and restraining forces in the Delivery Takeaway Food market and its impact on the global market. Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations. To understand the future outlook and prospects for Delivery Takeaway Food MarketFor More Information, Click @Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About UpMarketResearch:Up Market Research () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United StatesPhone: +1 347-377-7033SMARTPHONE 2016 World Market Expected to Reach 1.96 Billion Units By 2021

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Description:The report finds that global mobile phone market volume reached 1.96 billion units in 2016 and is estimated to grow by 0.5% to nearly 2 billion units in 2017. The market has dropped to single digits, representing that the market goes through a plateau period. On top of that, MIC predicts that the combined share of smartphones priced at USD300 or below is estimated to hit over 60% in 2017 with most of them running on Android.Request For sample Report @Table of ContentsWorldwide Mobile Phone Market by Device Type, 2014-2021Worldwide Mobile Phone Market Share by Device Type, 2014-2021Worldwide Smartphone Market by Region, 2014-2021Worldwide Smartphone Market Share by Region, 2014-2021Worldwide Smartphone Market by Price Point, 2014-2021Worldwide Smartphone Market Share by Price Point, 2014-2021Worldwide Smartphone Market by Operating System, 2014-2021Worldwide Smartphone Market Share by Operating System, 2014-2021Intelligence InsightResearch Scope & DefinitionsContinued . . .For Detail Report :About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.CONTACT US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.Microscopy Devices Market To Expand With Significant CAGR Of 8% From 2017 To 2025

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Transparency Market Research (TMR) has published a new report titled, Global Microscopy Devices Market  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20172025. According to the report, the global microscopy devices market was valued at US$ 6,000 Mn in 2016 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 8% from 2017 to 2025. The report suggests that rise in demand for advanced microscopy devices due to increase in chronic and acute disease diagnosis, surge in pharmaceutical and biotechnological researches, and drug discovery operations are expected to fuel the growth of the global microscopy devices market from 2017 to 2025.Read Report Overview:The global microscopy devices market is growing at a rapid pace owing to emerging new and advanced technologies and rise in demand for pharmaceutical and cell biology research. Increase in development of new integrated microscopes and surge in demand for microscopes in the fast-growing life sciences industry are the other factors driving the global market. However, high cost of microscopes and low budget for R&D in the life science industry are the major restraints of the global microscopy devices market. Asia Pacific and North America are projected to dominate the global microscopy devices market in the next few years owing to increase in manufacturer focus for business expansion in these regions. Players are developing advanced microscopy devices for research operations and entering into distribution agreements to strengthen their presence in Asia Pacific and North America. Rise in adoption of technologically advanced products manufactured by local manufacturers, such as Optomic, is likely to drive the microscopy devices market in Europe. The market in Europe is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8% from 2017 to 2025.Request A Sample:Optical Microscopy Dominates the Market, Followed by Electron MicroscopyThe report offers detailed segmentation of the global microscopy devices market based on product type, application, and end-user. In terms of product type, the market has been classified into optical microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, electron microscopy, and microscopy accessories. The optical microscopy segment is poised to account for the leading share of the global market during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. Factors attributed to the higher share of the segment include increase in demand for different types of optical microscopes and low cost of stereo and phase contrast microscopes. The scanning probe microscopy segment is likely to register comparatively higher growth rate in terms of revenue during the forecast period owing to continuous innovations in the product technologies by major players.Cell and Molecular Biology and Biomedical Engineering: Top Two Application Areas of Microscopy DevicesThe cell and molecular biology segment is projected to account for significant share of the global microscopy devices market during the forecast period. The neuroscience segment is likely to expand at a high CAGR from 2017 to 2025. Dominance of the segment is attributed to increased research activities in neuroscience, benefits of using microscopes in the field, and wide product portfolio of major as well as local manufacturers. In August 2017, Thermo Fisher Scientific launched an advanced electron microscopy device, Cryo-EM, which enables scientists to examine samples at low temperature. Continuous new product launches and exponentially rise in patient base in developed as well as developing countries are likely to propel the segment between 2017 and 2025. The pharmacology and toxicology segment is projected to expand at a CAGR of 8% during the forecast period. The clinical pathology and diagnostics and surgery segments accounted for combined market share of 25.0% of the global microscopy devices market in terms of revenue in 2016.Request Report For Discount:Growth of the Asia Pacific Microscopy Devices Market Likely To Be Hinged At Japan, ChinaIn terms of revenue, Asia Pacific was the leading market for microscopy devices in 2016. High growth in the pharmaceutical industry, increase in R&D expenditure, and high adoption of electron and scanning probe microscopes in countries such as China, Japan, and India contribute to the high share of the region. However, high cost of advanced microscopes, and significant customs duty and excise tax are likely to hamper the market in Asia Pacific. Increased research spending in the life science and pharmaceutical industries in countries such as the U.K. and France fuels the growth of the microscopy devices market in Europe. Economic recovery in markets in Latin America such as Brazil is augmenting health care and research expenditure driven by rise in private health insurance, entry of international drug manufacturers, and health care providers. This is likely to propel the microscopy devices market in Latin America at a CAGR of 7% from 2017 to 2025.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY  12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Global Fall Detection System Market Growing at Highest CAGR of 4.5% with Top Key Players like Medical Guardian, Philips, Intel Corporation, VitalConnect, Semtech, Connect America and Forecast to 2025

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Fall Detection System Market 2018 Global Industry report provides the latest market statistics, industry growth, size, share, trends, as well as driving factors. The Fall Detection System report further covers the extensive analysis of the upcoming progress of the Fall Detection System Market. The detailed overview of the market segments, product description, Fall Detection System applications is presented in this report.Global Fall Detection System Market is expected to reach USD 479.55 Million by 2025 from USD 341.17 Million in 2017, growing at a CAGR of 4.5% in the forecast period 2018 to 2025. The new market report contains data for historic years 2016, the base year of calculation is 2017 and the forecast period is 2018 to 2025.For In depth Information Get Free Sample Copy of this Report@Global Fall Detection System Market, By Product Type (Automatic Fall Detection System, Manual Fall Detection System), By Algorithm (Simple Threshold, Machine Learning), By Component (Accelerometers & Gyroscopes, Unimodal/Bimodal Sensors, Multimodal Sensors), By System (Wearable Systems {Watches, Clip-On, Necklace}, Non-Wearable Systems {Camera, Wall Sensors, Floor Sensors}, In-Home Landline System, In-Home Cellular Systems), End-User (Home Care Settings, Hospitals and Senior Assisted Living Facilities, Lone Workers, Others), By Geography (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa)- Industry Trends and Forecast to 2025Complete report on Global Fall Detection System Market Research Report 2017-2024 spread across 350 Pages, profiling Top companies and supports with tables and figuresKey Questions Answered in Global Fall Detection System Market Report:-Our Report offers:- What will the market growth rate, Overview and Analysis by Type of Global Fall Detection System Market in 2025? What are the key factors driving, Analysis by Applications and Countries Global Fall Detection System Market? What are Dynamics, This Overview Includes Analysis of Scope, and price analysis of top Vendors Profiles of Global Fall Detection System Market? Who are Opportunities, Risk and Driving Force of Global Fall Detection System Market? Who are the opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in Global Fall Detection System Market? Business Overview by Type, Applications, Gross Margin and Market Share What are the Global Fall Detection System Market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Market?Market Definition: Global fall Detection System MarketFall detection system is the system used in alerting emergence in the incident of fall. Fall detection system such as automatic fall detection system and manual fall detection system are used in such detection. Such devices have the potential to diminish some of the adverse consequences of a fall. It has its application in hospitals, nursing, senior assisted living facilities, lone workers, and others. Increased demand for multimodal technology is the major driver for the growth of fall detection system market. On the other side low practicality of the technology among elders somewhere hinders the market.Request for Detailed TOC:Top Key Players: Medical Guardian LLP LifeFone Koninklijke Philips N.V. Intel Corporation VitalConnect Blue Willow Systems LifeCall Williamson Corporation Life Assure Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd Semtech Corporation Connect America Tunstall Bay Alarm Medical MobileHelp Mytrex, Inc. AlertOne Services, LLC MariCare among others.Key Drivers: Global Fall Detection System Market Low acceptance of technology among elder population is the factor which may hinder the growth of this market. Rising geriatric population and implementation of machine learning approach to detect fall are some of the factors which will drive the market in future.Major Market Drivers and Restraints: Regulatory changes in the US with the implementation of PPACA Pressure to reduce rising healthcare costs Shift to ICD-10 coding standards and upcoming ICD-11 Loss of revenue due to billing errors Consolidation increasing in the healthcare industry Rising need for structured processes and documentations Hidden costs of outsourcing Fear of losing visibility and control over the business processInquire Before Buying @Key Factors: Global Fall Detection System Market Some of the key factors driving the market for global fall detection system are ability to assist in case of fall, growth in enhanced medical alert services. Increased demand of wearable technology based fall detection system and growth in demand of smart phones are the other factor which will drive the demand of global fall detection system market. The major factors driving the growth of market are ability to assist in case of fall, growth in enhanced medical alert services, increased demand of wearable technology based fall detection system and growth in demand of smart phones. On the other hand, low acceptance of technology among elder population may hinder the growth of the market.Customize report of "Global Fall Detection System Market" as per customers requirement also available.Company Share Analysis: Global Fall Detection System MarketThe report for global fall detection system market include detailed vendor level analysis for market shares in 2016 for Global, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America specifically. Also impact and development analysis of key vendors is registered in the market and factored on the basis of Vendor Positioning Grid Analysis which measures the vendors strengths and opportunities against present market challenges, measure providers ability to identify or satisfy present market needs, map providers market vision to current and upcoming market dynamics among others. The report also measures technology life line curve and market time line to analyze and do more affective investments.Market Segmentations:Global Fall Detection System Market is segmented on the basis of Product Type Algorithm Component System End User GeographyMarket Segmentations in Details:On the basis of Product Type into two notable segments; automatic fall detection system and manual fall detection system.On the basis of Algorithm into two notable segments; machine learning and simple threshold.on the basis of Component into three notable segments; accelerometers and gyroscope, multimodal sensor and unimodal or bimodal sensor.on the basis of System, the global fall detection system market is segmented into four notable segments; wearable, non-wearable, in-home cellular system and in-home landline system.on the basis of End User into four notable segments; home care setting, hospital and senior assisted living facilities, lone worker and others.On the basis of Geography, North America South America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East & AfricaKey Points: Global Fall Detection System Market Accelerometers and Gyroscope market is growing with the highest CAGR Automatic fall detection system is driving the market with highest market share. Wearable segment is dominating the fall detection system marketSpeak to Author of the report @Other ReportGlobal Innovation Management Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Innovation Management Market, By Geography; Type (Software, Services); Organization Size (Large Enterprises, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)); Deployment Model (On-premises, Cloud); Application (Product Research & Development Platforms, Marketing, Design, Idea Platforms, Collective Intelligence & Prediction Platforms, Human Resource & Freelancers Platforms); Vertical (Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, IT, Media & Communication Technology, Aerospace & Defense, Public Sector & Education, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Retail & Consumer Goods, Automotive & Manufacturing, Transportation & Logistics)  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Report Access:About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comButadiene Industry, In-Depth Study, Market Growth - Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Eni S.p.A., Evonik Industries AG, Ineos Group AG, LANXESS, LG Chem, LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V., Nizhnekamskneftekhim., Repsol, SABIC

Global Butadiene Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2025

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Global Butadiene Market Research Information: By Product (Butadiene Rubber, Styrene Butadiene Rubber, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber, Nitrile Butadiene Rubber, Styrene Butadiene Latex, Hexamethylenediamine), By End User (Automobile Industries, Building & Construction, Consumer Products Industries, Healthcare, Others), By Geography (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa) - Forecast Till 2025Download PDF Sample Copy of Report @Top Key Players -BASF SE, Exxonmobil Chemical Company, Reliance Industries Limited, Braskem, JSR Corporation, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Eni S.p.A., Evonik Industries AG, Ineos Group AG, LANXESS, LG Chem, LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V., Nizhnekamskneftekhim., Repsol, SABIC, The Dow Chemical Company, TPC Group, Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A., ZEON Corporation., Shanghai Petrochemical, Borealis AG., Versalis S.p.A., and many more.Regional Analysis - North America Europe Asia-Pacific South America Middle East & AfricaTo Avail 10% Discount On This Report Mail Us on :-sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comSegmentation -By Product Butadiene Rubber Styrene Butadiene Rubber Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Styrene Butadiene Latex Hexamethylenediamine OthersBy End User: Automobile Industries Building & Construction Consumer Products Industries Healthcare OthersMarket Overview -Global Butadiene Market is expected to reach 17,877.17 Kilotons by 2025, from 14,112.58 Kilotons in 2017 growing at a CAGR of 3.1% during the forecast period of 2018 to 2025.Download Detailed TOC @Definition -Butadiene is a colourless and highly reactive gas. It is one of the important industrial compounds used for the production of synthetic rubber and plastic. The resultant rubber and plastic products are used by the automotive industries, for construction material, packaging, as a consumer product and for protective clothing. Butadiene-based polymers help to improve functionality, performance and protection at lower cost. According to Outlook magazine, in 2016, Chinas light vehicle market was increased from 3.26 million units to 25.4 million units, with almost 14.7% increase in the market. This reflects the strong economy and growth. These above mentioned factors prove that the market of automotive industry around the globe is growing and will drive the demand for butadiene.Reason to Buy- Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the Global Butadiene Market.- Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.- The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Global Butadiene Market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies.- Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.- Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.- Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.Leave a Query @About Us:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comHigh-Voltage Switchgear Market - Increase In Government Initiatives For The Renewal of Existing Transmission and Distribution Networks

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According to a new report published by Transparency Market Research, the global high-voltage switchgear market is projected to reach US$ 18,898.7 Mn by 2026, expanding at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2018 to 2026. The global market is expected to be influenced by a range of macroeconomic and industry-specific factors during the forecast period. Demand for high-voltage switchgear is likely to be significant in Asia Pacific from 2018 to 2026.The market in the region is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period.Access Report Details @Demand for high-voltage switchgear depends on expansion of the electricity transmission and distribution network. Hence, increase in government initiatives for the modernization of existing transmission and distribution network is expected to propel demand for high-voltage switchgears during the forecast period.The global high-voltage switchgear market has been segmented based on product standard, component, insulation, application, and region. In terms of product standard, the global market has been classified into IEC, ANSI, and Others. The ANSI segment is projected to account for the largest market share during the forecast period. The segment is driven by increase in adoption of ANSI standard electrical equipment. ANSI standard specifies sheet metal thickness, paint color, barriers, and other features to ensure consistency of equipment from various manufacturers. Based on component, the global high-voltage switchgear market has been categorized into circuit breakers, relays, and others. Demand for circuit breakers in developed as well as developing countries is driven by increasing electrification in countries in Asia Pacific and Africa. Circuit breakers is expected to be the largest segment during the forecast period.In terms of insulation, the global high-voltage switchgear market has been divided into air-insulated switchgears (AIS), gas-insulated switchgears (GIS), and others (oil and vacuum). Gas-insulated is expected to be the most preferred switchgear across the world. Air-insulated switchgears are expected to substitute gas-insulated switchgears in a few applications. However, gas-insulated switchgears have several benefits over air-insulated switchgears. The physical size and design of gas-insulated switchgears offer higher reliability and flexibility.Moreover, gas enclosed design makes GIS the most suitable solution for indoor and underground substations. The maintenance cost of GIS is also minimal, because the busbars and switching units are completely sealed, thereby limiting the need for insulation cleaning and user intervention. Usage of sulfur hexachloride (SF6) gas is expected to drive the GIS segment, as this gas has high dielectric property compared to air and acts as an insulating medium in high-voltage or extra high-voltage switchgear equipment. However, SF6 is a greenhouse gas and has a significant impact on global warming. It is one of the six gasses listed in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions across the globe.Get Sample Copy of this report @Asia Pacific dominated the global high-voltage switchgear market in 2017, with China accounting for majority share of 30.2%. The regions dominance of the global market is attributed to large population, increase in industrialization and urbanization, and growth in the utilities sector. In terms of country, India is projected to lead the high-voltage switchgear market in Asia Pacific during the forecast period. This is primarily due to increase in non-renewable grid modernization and rise in investment in renewable energy. India is the second most attractive market for renewable energy investment. Countries such as China, Japan, and Australia are also expected to be significant markets for high-voltage switchgears. The high-voltage switchgear market in India is likely to expand at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2018 to 2026. North America and Europe accounted for combined market share of 47.2% in 2017.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Acaricides Market Important Industry Trends, Size, Share Estimates and Profiles of The Leading Industry Players

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Global Acaricides Market: By Product Type (Organophosphates, Organochlorines, Carbamates, Pyrethroids, Others),By Application(Animal husbandry, Agriculture, Industrial, Others), By Mode of Application (Spray, Dipping Vat, Hand Dressing, Others),and Geography Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2013-2017 and Forecast 2018-2024Market Outline: Acaricides MarketAcaricides are the chemical substances that are used to kill the arachnids majorly ticks and mites. Most commonly used arachnids include organophosphates, chlorinated organic compounds, arsenical, synthetic pyrethroids, and carbamates. Increase in the infestation from ticks, mites, and pests are causing health hazards to human which leads to rise in disease burden. These acaricides have ability to control the ticks on livestock and agricultural pests. These can be applied by various methods such as spray, dipping vat, and host of application. Acaricides also used in the animal husbandry to prevent mange, scab, demodicosis, and scabies caused by mites and ticks.Request Sample Report@Some of the players in the global acaricides market include:BASF SE (Germany)Bayer AG (Germany)Syngenta AG (Switzerland)ADAMA agricultural solution ltd. (Israel)FMC Corporation (U.S.)I. DuPont De Nemours & Company (U.S.)The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.)Merck & Co., Inc. (U.S.)Nissan Chemical Industries. Ltd. (Japan)Market Dynamics: Acaricides MarketDriversIncrease in the agriculture production around the world coupled with rise in infestation from ticks and mitesRise in R&D activities for the innovation of newer productsRise in livestock industries and increase in the preference for healthy meat and other livestock productsRestraintsStringent regulatory guidelines for the product approvalAdverse effects associated with the acaricides due to presence of toxic contentHigh cost of acaricides and availability of alternative productsMarket Scope: Acaricides MarketEnquiry about Report@Global acaricides market is segmented on the basis of product type, application, mode of application, and region Based on the product type, acaricides market is segmented into the following:OrganophosphatesOrganochlorinesCarbamatesPyrethroidsOthersBased on the application, acaricides market is segmented into the following:Animal husbandryAgricultureIndustrialOthersBased on the mode of application, acaricides market is segmented into the following:SprayDipping VatHand DressingOthersBased on the region, acaricides market is segmented into the following:North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificLatin AmericaMiddle East and AfricaCompetition Assessment: Acaricides MarketBuy This Report@About Us:Qurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.Runwal Platinum,Ramnagar Colony, Bavdhan,Pune, Maharashtra, India-411021IN +919881074592info@qurateresearch.comAircraft De-icing Market - The Need For Keeping The Operations of Air Terminals Up Amidst Frigid Climatic Conditions

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Of late, the global market for aircraft de-icing have been experiencing a gigantic phase of growth, thanks to the clean plane idea, innovative headways, extension as well as modernization of existing air terminals, increasing demand for travelers' solace, and frequent flight delays amidst snowfall. The need for keeping the operations of air terminals up amidst frigid climatic conditions are also fueling the demand for aircraft de-icing, reflecting positively on the markets rise.This report is aimed at offering a thoroughly analyzed study of the global market for aircraft de-icing, highlighting the growth drivers, obstructions, opportunities, challenges, market trends, and future potentials.Browse The Report:The worldwide aircraft de-icing market is observing a significant increase in its size and valuation and is anticipated to remain doing so over the next few years. The development and expedient change of airplane terminals across the world are expected to offer lucrative opportunities for growth to players in this market over the next few years. However, the augmenting need for lucrative introductory speculations and the new administrative measures on the accumulation and treatment prerequisites for de-icing releases may restrict the market from growing smoothly in the near future.Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin Africa are considered as the key regional markets for aircraft de-icing across the world. North America, closely followed by Europe, has surfaced as the key contributor to the global market on account of the extreme climatic conditions and the increasing demand for aircraft de-icing. In 2014, North America held more than 60% of the overall market and the future looks more or less same. The increasing number of aircraft armadas and the developing benefits of the carriers is expected to bring about high interests in de-icing hardware in the district, in this way driving the markets overall development.Get Sample Copy of this report @Vestergaard Co., Airport Equipment Co., Cox & Co., Weihai Guangtai, The Dow Chemical Co., UTC Aerospace Systems, Denge Airport Equipment, Laanga Industrial, Global Ground Support LLC, and Sdi Aviation are some of the prominent players operational in the global market for aircraft de-icing. The market displays a highly competitive vendor landscape. These players are emphasizing on strategic partnerships substantially in order to gain an edge over their competitors.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Pharmaceutical Isolator Market Dynamics 2018: Industry Analysis, Competitors strategis - Bosch, Hosokawa Micron Limited, Fedegari Autoclavi SpA, MBRAUN, ISO TECH DESIGN, LAF technologies Pty Ltd

Global Pharmaceutical Isolator Market

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The Global Pharmaceutical Isolator Market research report consists of a primary and secondary research along with an in-depth analysis of the quantitative and qualitative aspects by the expert industry analysts and professionals, leading management bodies, to gain a profound insight of the industry as well as the industry performance. The report presents a lucid picture of the current industry landscape, including the historical and projected market size, based on value, innovations, micro- and macroeconomic components, and governing factors in the market.The Global Pharmaceutical Isolator Market accounted to USD 24.7 billion in 2017 growing at a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period of 2018 to 2025.Download PDF Sample Report @Major Market Competitors of Global Pharmaceutical Isolator MarketSome of the major players operating in global pharmaceutical isolator market areGelman Singapore,COMECER S.p.A. cf. p.Iva,IsoTech Design,LAF Technologies Pty Ltd, Fedegari Autoclavi S.p.A, Hosokawa Micron Ltd., Bosch GmbH, MBRAUN, Chamunda Pharma Machinery Pvt. Ltd., Schematic Engineering Industries, NuAire, Inc.Global Major Market Drivers and Restraints of amniocentesis needle marketMajor market drivers and restraints:Rising demandAdvancements in isolator efficiency, and technologyIncreasing regulations and cost of noncomplianceExpanding the use of aseptic methodsRising bio labsGrowing used of toxic and hazardous materialsFor Customized Reports and Discounts, Mail us @ sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comMarket SegmentationThe global pharmaceutical isolator market has been segmented on the basis of type, system, pressure differential, and end user.Based on the type, the market has been segmented intoaseptic isolators,containment isolators,bio isolators,sampling,weighing and distribution isolators,active pharmaceutical ingredient & manufacturing isolatorsBased on the system, the market has been segmented intoclosed systems andopen systemsBased on the pressure differential, the market has been segmented intopositive pressure andnegative pressureBased on the end user, the market has been segmented ashospitals and diagnostics labs,pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries,research and academicsOn the basis of geography, global pharmaceutical isolator market report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies such asNorth America & South America,Europe,Asia-Pacific, andMiddle East & AfricaSome of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil among others. In 2017, North America is expected to dominate the market.Inquire before Buying @Competitive Analysis:The global pharmaceutical isolator market is highly fragmented and is based on new product launches and clinical results of products. Hence the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, clinical trials, market initiatives, high expense on research and development, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of blood warmer devices/sample warmer market for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and South America.Frequently Asked Questions?What will the market size be in 2025?What are the key factors driving the global market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key players in the market?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?What will be the growth rate in 2025?Which strategies are used by top players in the Global Pharmaceutical Isolator Market?Global Pharmaceutical Isolator Market By Type (Aseptic Isolators, Containment Isolators, others), System (Closed Systems, Open Systems), Pressure Differential (Positive, Negative), End-User (Hospitals & Diagnostics Labs)  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2025About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comGlobal Endotherm Knife Market Research scope, Methodology, Industry Chain Analysis 2018-2023

Global Endotherm Knife Market Trends & Industry chain Analysis, Historical and current Market 2018-2023

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Introduction: An endotherm (from Greek endon "within" and  therme "heat") is an organism that maintains its body at a metabolically favorable temperature, largely by the use of heat set free by its internal bodily functions instead of relying almost purely on ambient heat. A knife (plural knives) is a tool with a cutting edge or blade.The global market size of Endotherm Knife is $$ million in 2017 with $$ CAGR from 2013 to 2017, and it is expected to reach $$ million by the end of 2023 with a CAGR of $$% from 2018 to 2023.Get free sample@Such internally generated heat is mainly an incidental product of the animal's routine metabolism, but under conditions of excessive cold or low activity an endotherm might apply special mechanisms adapted specifically to heat production. Examples include special-function muscular exertion such as shivering, and uncoupled oxidative metabolism such as within brown adipose tissue. Only birds and mammals are extant universally endothermic groups of animals. Certain lamnid sharks, tuna and billfishes are also endothermic.In many endothermic animals, a controlled temporary state of hypothermia conserves energy by permitting the body temperature to drop nearly to ambient levels. Such states may be brief, regular circadian cycles called torpor, or they might occur in much longer, even seasonal, cycles called hibernationThere are 3 key segments covered in this report: geography segment, end use/application segment and competitor segment.Ask for customization@The resting human body generates about two-thirds of its heat through metabolism in internal organs in the thorax and abdomen, as well as in the brain. The brain generates about 16% of the total heat produced by the body.The term endothermic process describes the process or reaction in which the system absorbs energy from its surroundings, usually in the form of heat.For geography segment, regional supply, application-wise and type-wise demand, major players, price is presented from 2013 to 2023.This report covers following regions:*North America*South America*Asia & Pacific*Europe*MEA (Middle East and Africa)The key countries in each region are taken into consideration as well, such as United States, China, Japan, India, Korea, ASEAN, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, CIS, and Brazil etc.For end use/application segment, this report focuses on the status and outlook for key applications. End users also can be listed.For competitor segment, the report includes global key players of Endotherm Knife as well as some small players.The companies include:CovidienAESCULAP AGKlsmartinKarl StorzConMed CorporationGuangzhou Leyte Electronic et al.Ask for discount@Table of contentsChapter 1: Executive SummaryChapter 2: Abbreviation and AcronymsChapter 3: PrefaceChapter 4: Market LandscapeChapter 5: Market Trend AnalysisChapter 6: Industry Chain AnalysisChapter 7: Latest Market DynamicsChapter 8: Trading AnalysisChapter 9: Historical and Current Endotherm Knife Industry Market in North America (2013-2018)Chapter 10: Historical and Current Endotherm Knife Industry Market in South America (2013-2018)Chapter 11: Historical and Current Endotherm Knife Industry Market in Asia & Pacific (2013-2018)Chapter 12: Historical and Current Endotherm Knife Industry Market in Europe (2013-2018)Chapter 13: Historical and Current Endotherm Knife Industry Market in MEA (2013-2018)Chapter 14: Summary for Global Endotherm Knife Industry Market (2013-2018)Chapter 15: Global Endotherm Knife Industry Market Forecast (2019-2023)Chapter 16: Company Profile16.1 Company16.1.1 Company Profile16.1.2 Main Business and Endotherm Knife Industry Information16.1.3 SWOT Analysis of Company A16.1.4 Company A Endotherm Knife Industry Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013- 2018)Buy now report@The information for each competitor includes:*Company Profile*Main Business Information*SWOT Analysis*Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin*Market ShareResearch Reports Inc. is one of the leading destinations for market research reports across all industries, companies, and technologies. Our repository features an exhaustive list of market research reports from thousands of publishers worldwide. We take pride in curating a database covering virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories. We are one of the premier sources for such reports & report customization services.Contact usDavid,Sales Manager,#766, 99 Wall Street, New YorkNY 10005, United StatesUS/Canada: +1-855-419-2424UK: +4403308087577Email: sales@reseasrchreportsinc.comDynamic Opportunities: Global Energy Management Information System Market Key Applications & Gross Revenue

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Energy Management Information System Market Research Report 2018" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies the global Energy Management Information System market status and forecast, categorizes the global Energy Management Information System market size (value & volume) by manufacturers, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top manufacturers in North America, Europe, Japan, China, and other regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa).Mandatory regulations and policies for energy management and government's initiatives for digitation of energy infrastructure across the globe are some of the factors expected to drive the Energy Management System (EMS) market.North America and Europe are expected to be the biggest markets in terms of revenue contribution, while Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America are expected to experience increased market traction, during the forecast period.To Download Free Sample Report with TOC:The global Energy Management Information System market is valued at xx million US$ in 2017 and will reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025.The major manufacturers covered in this reportABB (Switzerland)Cisco System Inc (U.S.)International Business Machine Corporation (U.S.)Honeywell International (U.S.)Schneider Electric SE (France)CA Technologies (U.S.)Eaton Corporation (U.S.)Emerson Process Management (U.S.)General Electric Company (U.S.)Siemens AG (Germany)Geographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSCADAPLCDCSEnergy PlatformsEnergy AnalyticsMeter Data ManagementEMISPLCSDRMSComplete report with detailed table of content is available at:The study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Energy Management Information System capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Energy Management Information System manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Energy Management Information System are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Key StakeholdersEnergy Management Information System ManufacturersEnergy Management Information System Distributors/Traders/WholesalersEnergy Management Information System Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAbout Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Window And Door Frame Market 2024 key players Pella Corporation, Deceuninck NV, Drew Industries Incorporated, Fortune Brands Home & Security, Royal Group Technologies.

Window And Door Frame Market

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The Residential Window And Door Frame Market is anticipated to exhibit approximately 5% growth in the forecast timespan. This is largely attributed to the development of smart cities and advanced infrastructures in countries such as Singapore and India. Features such as low maintenance and high durability of steel frames, have led to high adoption rates in residential sectors. Increasing rate of remodeling and replacement will also contribute to the growth in residential applications.Window and Door Frame Market size is anticipated to surpass USD 130 billion by 2024. A key factor contributing towards the high adoption of window and door frame market is the increasing focus on eco-friendly, recyclable products such as uPVC.Sample copy of this Report @The material is lightweight, corrosion-resistant and highly durable as compared to its wooden and aluminum counterparts. In tropical countries, the usage of wooden materials can result in trapping heat inside the commercial and residential building, leading to higher energy consumptions of cooling technologies. Owing to this the government in various economies, such as China, has initiated stringent regulations to minimize the usage of wooden products. The dilapidating and old building structure pose a health and safety risk to the occupants. The buildings can develop fault lines and structural damage over time that can cause large walls and ceilings to collapse. As a result, the existing structure requires renovations at regular intervals of time fueling demand for the window and door frame market.Rapid industrialization and global economic growth is fueling the construction of new buildings and facilitating the growth of the window and door frame market. Several government bodies are funding the development of smart residential and commercial structures. Commercial consumers operating in sectors such as retail outlets and healthcare facilities demand such products that have electronic components encased into the material. For instance, automatic doors in retail stores are fitted with sensor technology to monitor human movement. Furthermore, government facilities have automated locking technologies installed in the door and window frame to ensure that intruders do not have access into certain locations. Additionally, automatic doors are increasingly penetrating the residential market as they allow the geriatric and the mobility impaired population ease of access without compromising on security driving window and door frame market.The presence of government regulations in various economies for the usage of ecofriendly materials is fueling the demand of the wood window and door frame market. There are several types of wood allowing the customer ample choices. Furthermore, it requires low maintenance and are more resistant to air and wind as compared to their steel counterparts. However, the demand for this material segment is anticipated to gradually decline as they can be affected by termites and moisture and offer much lower protection against break-ins and robberies as opposed to automated doors and windows.Browse Report Summery @Rapid industrialization in Asia Pacific is a major factor contributing to high growth of the window and door frame market. There is a high requirement for durable structure that can withstand long-term usage and provide features such as noise absorption. Additionally, the industrial sector in the region is rapidly growing leading to the large-scale construction of offices and factories. For instance, Yamazaki Mazak in China have announced the development of smart factories spanning more than 500,000 Sq. Ft. This will provide opportunities to the players for the supply of high quality equipment.Players operating in the global window and door frame market include Croft, LLC, Chelsea Building Products, Deceuninck NV, Pella Corporation, Drew Industries Incorporated, Fortune Brands Home & Security, Royal Group Technologies, Soft-Lite LLC, Corialis Group, Masco Corporation, etc. The industry is characterized by a large number of mergers and acquisitions undertaken by the existing players to sustain market growth. For instance, in July 2016, Pella Corporation acquired Reilly Windows & Doors. This acquisition will benefit Pella to enhance its luxury portfolio with integration of Reilly to serve builders and architects better.Some of major chapters from Table of Contents:Chapter 2 Executive Summary2.1 Window & door frame industry 3600 synopsis, 2012 - 20242.1.1 Business trends2.1.2 Regional trends2.1.3 Material trends2.1.4 Application trendsChapter 3 Industry Insights3.1 Industry segmentation3.2 Industry landscape, 2012 - 20243.3 Industry ecosystem analysis3.3.1 Vendor matrix3.3.2 Distribution channel analysis3.4 Raw material analysis3.4.1 Price trends3.4.2 Aluminum3.4.3 uPVC3.4.4 WoodMake an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @3.5 Regulatory landscape3.5.1 Europe3.5.1.1 The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)3.5.1.2 WWF-UK Forest & Trade Network3.5.1.3 British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC)3.5.1.4 European Performance of Building Directive (EPBD)3.5.1.5 European Union Energy Efficiency Directive3.5.1.6 Construction Products Regulations (CPR)3.5.1.7 The British Standards Institutions (BSI)3.5.2 North America3.5.2.1 Canadian Standards Association (CSA)3.5.2.2 The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)3.5.2.3 National Forest Management Act (NFMA)3.5.2.4 Window & Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA)3.5.2.5 CSA, WDMA, and American Architectural Manufacturers Associations3.5.3 China3.5.3.1 The Chinese Forestry Law3.5.3.2 China Energy Label Centre (CELC)3.5.3.3 MOHURD3.5.3.4 Air Pollution Control Law3.5.3.5 Environment Protection Law3.6 Industry impact forces3.6.1 Growth drivers3.6.1.1 Increasing spending on housing/commercial infrastructure3.6.1.2 Proliferating demand for uPVC profiles3.6.1.3 Rising replacement of aging infrastructure3.6.2 Industry pitfalls and challenges3.6.2.1 Environmental impacts of waste generated through replacements3.6.2.2 High costs associated with eco-friendly products3.7 Growth potential analysis3.8 Porters analysis3.9 Key competitor analysis, 20153.9.1 Strategy dashboard3.10 PESTEL analysisAbout Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:IoT in Automobile Market Analytical Overview By Top Companies: Texas Instruments, Intel, NXP Semiconductors, TOMTOM, IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, AT & T, Vodafone, Robert Bosch, Google, Apple, General Motors, Audi, Ford Motor

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IoT in Automobile Market Research Report 2018 - Global Industry analysis by Key Companies, Type, Application, Market Share, Growth Rate, and Key Country forecast to 2023. IoT in Automobile Industry depth analysis is done for North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World. IoT in Automobile Market growing at rapid pace over the forecast period of 2018 to 2023.According to Market Research Future Analysis, IoT in Automobile Market has been valued at USD ~83 billion by 2022 growing with ~27% of CAGR during forecast period 2018 to 2022.key players:The key players of global Iot in the automobile market report include Texas Instruments Inc. (U.S.), Intel Corporation (U.S.), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Netherlands), TOMTOM N.V. (Netherlands), IBM Corporation (U.S.), Cisco Systems Inc. (U.S.), Microsoft Corp. (U.S.) ,Thales SA (France), AT&T Inc. (U.S.), Vodafone Group (U.K.), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), Google Inc. (U.S.), Apple Inc. (U.S.), General Motors (U.S.), Audi AG (Germany) , Ford Motor Company (U.S.) and others.Get Sample of Report @According to Market Research Future Analysis, on the basis of offering, communication type, application and region. By offering, the market has been bifurcated into hardware, software, services.Market Highlights:The concept and a paradigm that considers pervasive presence in the environment of a variety of things or objects through a wireless and wired connections and unique addressing schemes are able to interact with each other and cooperate with other things or objects to create new applications.The automotive industry redefining and reinventing because of application of internet of things. The industry has evolved through four phases. The first phase is connectivity and sensors progressively enabling passive monitoring, interaction, ambient awareness, and automation. The second phase added an interaction component. The transition to phase 3 will allow vehicles to be aware of what is happening in the immediate vicinity through Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensors or even through vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure(V2I). Now, in the fourth phase introduces automation by making vehicles independent through driverless cars and autonomous.Real-time traffic and incident alerts, growing number of telematics mandates by various governments, and the growing demand for assisted & automated driving are boosting the growth of the IoT in the automobile market. Also, government funding for next generation vehicles is driving the overall growth of the market. Whereas, high concerns over security and privacy are hampering the growth of the IoT in the automobile market.Market Segmentation:On the basis of communication type, the market can be segmented as in-vehicle, vehicle to vehicle, vehicle to infrastructure. Out of these, in-vehicle accounted for the largest market share because it is used to provide accurate route information to a user while on road and also update the road-traffic controller with detailed information about the conditions on a road.On the basis of application the market can be segmented infotainment, navigation and telematics. Out of these, infotainment accounted for the largest market share because of device integration, high-speed connectivity, intuitive and multi-modal user interfaces in the systems installed in vehicles.By Region, MRFR analysis shows that North-America accounted for the largest market share followed by Asia-Pacific region. The region is attributed to the share because of the boom in the ICT sector, the automotive sector, and the transportation sector which resulted in the emergence of the connected vehicle ecosystem and adoption of modern technologies.On the other hand, Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a fast pace because countries such as India and China are investing huge amounts of money for developing the sector such as transportation.Intended Audience IoT in the Automobile Manufacturers Distributors Research firms Consultancy firms Software Developers Vendors Semiconductor Manufacturers Stakeholders End-user sectors Research organizationsTABLE OF CONTENTS1 MARKET INTRODUCTION1.1 INTRODUCTION1.2 SCOPE OF STUDY1.2.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE1.2.2 ASSUMPTIONS1.2.3 LIMITATIONS1.3 MARKET STRUCTURE2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2.1 RESEARCH NETWORK SOLUTION2.2 PRIMARY RESEARCH2.3 SECONDARY RESEARCH2.4 FORECAST MODEL2.4.1 MARKET DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS & FORECAST2.4.2 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATIONContinuedLIST OF TABLESTABLE 1 GLOBAL IOT IN AUTOMOBILE MARKET, BY OFFERINGTABLE 2 GLOBAL IOT IN AUTOMOBILE MARKET, BY APPLICATIONTABLE 3 GLOBAL IOT IN AUTOMOBILE MARKET, BY COMMUNICATION TYPETABLE 4 GLOBAL IOT IN AUTOMOBILE MARKET, BY GEOGRAPHYTABLE 5 NORTH AMERICA IOT IN AUTOMOBILE MARKET, BY OFFERINGContinuedBrowse Full Report Details @LIST OF FIGURESFIGURE 1 RESEARCH APPLICATIONFIGURE 2 GLOBAL IOT IN AUTOMOBILE MARKET MARKET, BY OFFERING (%)FIGURE 3 GLOBAL IOT IN AUTOMOBILE MARKET MARKET, BY APPLICATION (%)FIGURE 4 GLOBAL IOT IN AUTOMOBILE MARKET MARKET, BY COMMUNICATION TYPE(%)FIGURE 5 GLOBAL IOT IN AUTOMOBILE MARKET MARKET, BY REGIONS(%)ContinuedAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comWind Tower Market Size & Share | Industry Survey Report 2024

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Wind Tower Market: OverviewThe height at which a wind turbine is located is arguably the most important determinant of its performance and efficiency. This is where a wind tower acts as a crucial component. A wind tower is a tall structure, at the upper end of which the nacelle and the wind turbine are mounted. The length of the wind tower depends largely on the energy generation capacity of the turbine and the size of its blades. A wind tower with large blades thats not high enough could cause the blades to come in contact with structures on the ground. Thus, to keep the long blades of the wind turbine clear of the ground and other objects, it is imperative to choose a wind tower with an optimal height.View Report Preview:While it is evident that the sturdiness of a wind tower is crucial, it is important for these components to also be low on maintenance and be able to endure continued exposure to the environment. The height of the wind tower has an impact on power generation  the higher the tower the greater wind speeds it exposes the turbine to. Moreover, taller wind towers also take the wind turbine beyond the turbulence zone.Investments in wind towers are determined based on how heavy the nacelle and turbine are. The strength and stability of a wind tower, in turn, is directly influenced by the material it is made of, its gauge, and weight. The application is what primarily influences the design of a wind tower. Thus, wind towers for onshore applications are decidedly different from towers meant for offshore use.Wind Tower Market: Trends and DriversWhile onshore wind farms have now become common in nearly every major country in the world, the boom in the offshore wind energy sector will be both a challenge and an opportunity for the global wind tower market. Offshore environments can be merciless and corrosive, making the right selection of materials and coatings for wind towers important. The installation technique used also becomes important in such a setting. However, there are also several benefits associated with offshore wind generation, which are helping fuel the demand for wind towers for offshore energy farms.That renewable energy is the future is now a well-known fact. Wind and solar energy are expected to occupy a large share in the global energy mix, creating numerous opportunities for the growth of the wind tower market. However, the high maintenance and replacement costs of wind turbines could act as a restraint on the growth of the global wind tower market as well.Backed with ample government support, the prospects of the global wind energy industry seem promising. And this factor will ensure the steady if not tremendous growth of the wind tower market.Wind Tower Market: SegmentationThe types of towers that are available on the market include concrete, lattice, tubular steel, and hybrid towers. A wind tower could make up nearly 30% of the total cost of a wind turbine. Tubular steel towers are the standard in the industry currently but the use of hybrid towers is also rising with the development of lighter yet sturdier materials.Likewise, by application type, the global wind tower market can be segmented into onshore and offshore. With land becoming a precious commodity, many wind farms are now moving offshore into the oceans. This will lead to a higher demand for offshore wind towers, enabling this segment to display a higher growth rate than the onshore wind towers segment.The key companies operating in the global wind tower market include: Suzlon Energy Limited, ENERCON GmbH, CS Wind Corporation, GE, Siemens AG, and others.Request to view Sample Report:The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Collaborative Robots Market 2018 : Manufacturers Analysis,Applications,Demand by Regions & Forecasts to 2024

Collaborative Robots Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Collaborative Robots Market 2018 : Manufacturers Analysis,Applications,Demand by Regions & Forecasts to 2024.The global collaborative robots (Cobots or Co-robots) market was valued at USD 145.3 Million in 2016 and is expected to grow immensely over the forecast period. The force-limited joint is the unique feature of cobots which has been designed to identify forces due to impact and respond quickly.The robots offers advanced industrial automation solutions to end-user industries and are considered as the one-stop solution for safe working environment. The Cobots are designed with advanced software and sensors which has further reduced the injuries of the employees. The cobots with low price and high return on investment are further expected to fuel the market growth over the forecast period.The market is projected grow significantly owing to the substantial traction due to reduced total cost of ownership and benefits associated with co-bots from small and medium size enterprises. The significant growth of cobots is encouraged by three key markets which include electronic manufacturers service companies and electronics manufacturers, manufacturers seeking optimized agile production methodologies and SMEs.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comThe collaborative robots market is segmented based on payload capacity, industry, application and region. The payload capacity segment include upto 5kg, upto 10kg, and above 10kg, whereas the application segment is segregated into assembly, pick & place, handling, packaging, quality testing, machine tending, gluing & welding and others. The industry using the technology includes automotive, food & beverage, furniture & equipment, plastic & polymers, metal & machinery, electronics, and pharmaceutical.Cobots with payload capacity of above 10kg is anticipated to grow significantly during forecast periodThe cobots above 10kg payload capacity are estimated to witness significant growth owing to their capability of handling immense tasks with high precision and reliability. Furthermore, assemble and pick & place application segment are projected to grow significantly owing to their high flexibility for performing application-specific tasks with easy programming and changing end grippers. The assembly application growth is attributed to the growing demand in major industries which include electronics, automotive, and furniture & equipment.Global Collaborative Robots Market Revenue, By Payload Capacity, 2014 2025 (USD Billion)The automotive industry is estimated to acquire major market share in the application segment in 2016 owing to the huge application in assisting employees in the production line and assembly line for enhancing the operational efficiency and productivity of the process. The growth is attributed by the increased efficiency in deployment of cobots for enhanced productivity.Although, several industries are deploying the cobots at a significant rate, however rapidly changing robotics industry, lack of skilled force and compliance with stringent regulations are few factors are projected to hinder the growth over the forecast period.Europe is accounted for major share in 2016Europe collaborative robots market is projected to acquire the major share of over 40% followed by North America and Asia Pacific. The industry growth is driven by strong government funding for factory automation solutions and collectively or independently developed robot-human collaboration for increasing efficiency and reliability which is further driving the market over the forecast period.Few key players include Cisco, Akros Silicon, Inc., Flexcomm Technology, Microsemi Corporation and Maxim Integrated. Other players include ON Semiconductor, Shenzhen Quanma Industry Co. Ltd., Silicon Laboratories, STMicroelectronics, VISIX.Ask Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key Points1. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY1.1. Data Type1.1.1. Primary Data Types1.1.2. Secondary Data Types1.2. Market Scope1.3. Assumptions2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY3. MARKET DYNAMICS3.1. Market Definition3.2. Market Size and Growth Prospects, 2014 - 20243.3. Value Chain Analysis3.4. Market Drivers3.5. Market Restraints3.6. Market Opportunities3.7. Porters Five Forces Analysis3.8. PEST Analysis3.9. Key Trends3.10. Penetration &Growth Prospect Mapping4. GLOBAL AGRICULTURE DRONES MARKET, BY PAYLOAD CAPACITY (2017-2024)4.1. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Upto 5kg4.2. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Upto 10kg4.3. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Above 10kg5. GLOBAL AGRICULTURE DRONES MARKET, BY APPLICATION (2017-2024)5.1. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Assembly5.2. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Pick & Place5.3. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Handling5.4. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Packaging5.5. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Quality Testing5.6. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Machine Tending5.7. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Gluing & Welding5.8. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Others6. GLOBAL AGRICULTURE DRONES MARKET, BY INDUSTRY (2017-2024)6.1. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Automotive6.2. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Food & Beverage6.3. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Furniture & Equipment6.4. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Plastic & Polymers6.5. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Metal & Machinery6.6. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Electronics6.7. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Pharmaceuticals6.8. Global Agriculture Drones Market, by Others7. GLOBAL AGRICULTURE DRONES MARKET, BY REGION (2017-2024)7.1. North America Agriculture Drones Market7.1.1. North America Agriculture Drones Market, by Payload Capacity7.1.2. North America Agriculture Drones Market, by Application7.1.3. North America Agriculture Drones Market, by Industry7.1.4. North America Agriculture Drones Market, by Country7.1.4.1. U.S. Agriculture Drones Market7.1.4.2. Canada Agriculture Drones Market7.1.4.3. Mexico Agriculture Drones Market7.2. Europe Agriculture Drones Market7.2.1. Europe Agriculture Drones Market, by Payload Capacity7.2.2. Europe Agriculture Drones Market, by Application7.2.3. Europe Agriculture Drones Market, by Industry7.2.4. Europe Agriculture Drones Market, by Country7.2.4.1. Germany Agriculture Drones Market7.2.4.2. U.K Agriculture Drones Market7.2.4.3. Rest of Europe Agriculture Drones Market7.3. Asia Pacific Agriculture Drones Market7.3.1. Asia Pacific Agriculture Drones Market, by Payload Capacity7.3.2. Asia Pacific Agriculture Drones Market, by Application7.3.3. Asia Pacific Agriculture Drones Market, by Industry7.3.4. Asia-Pacific Agriculture Drones Market, by Country7.3.4.1. China Agriculture Drones Market7.3.4.2. Japan Agriculture Drones Market7.3.4.3. India Agriculture Drones Market7.3.4.4. Rest of Asia Pacific Agriculture Drones Market7.4. Middle East & Africa Agriculture Drones Market7.4.1. Middle East & Africa Agriculture Drones Market, by Payload Capacity7.4.2. Middle East & Africa Agriculture Drones Market, by Application7.4.3. Middle East & Africa Agriculture Drones Market, by Industry7.4.4. Middle East & Africa Agriculture Drones Market, by Country7.4.4.1. North Africa Agriculture Drones Market7.4.4.2. South Africa Agriculture Drones Market7.4.4.3. Rest of Middle East & Africa Agriculture Drones Market7.5. Latin America Agriculture Drones Market7.5.1. Latin America Agriculture Drones Market, by Payload Capacity7.5.2. Latin America Agriculture Drones Market, by Application7.5.3. Latin America Agriculture Drones Market, by Industry7.5.4. Latin America Agriculture Drones Market, by Country7.5.4.1. Brazil Agriculture Drones Market7.5.4.2. Rest of Latin America Agriculture Drones Market8. MARKET COMPETITION ANALYSIS8.1. Market Share/Positioning Analysis8.2. Key Innovators8.3. Company Profiles8.3.1. ABB Group8.3.1.1. Company overview8.3.1.2. Financial performance8.3.1.3. Product benchmarking8.3.1.4. Recent developments8.3.2. Epson Robots8.3.2.1. Company overview8.3.2.2. Financial performance8.3.2.3. Product benchmarking8.3.2.4. Recent developments8.3.3. Denso8.3.3.1. Company overview8.3.3.2. Financial performance8.3.3.3. Product benchmarking8.3.3.4. Recent developments8.3.4. KUKA AG8.3.4.1. Company overview8.3.4.2. Financial performance8.3.4.3. Product benchmarking8.3.4.4. Recent developmentsContinuedFor more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.Wind Energy Foundation Market Size(Volume & Value), Growth and Development Trends by 2024

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Wind Energy Foundation Market: OverviewAs reforms and policies stressing on adaptation of renewable energy are increasing, wind energy is expected to occupy a major market share of global power production in coming years. Demand for clean energy as well as depletion of conventional reserves have promoted use of renewable energy resources. Wind energy structures can be segmented on basis of location as offshore and onshore projects. Offshore wind turbines are now being installed in deep water also. These structures are extremely huge and heavy. The tower constructed for wind turbines carry weight of blades and also absorb static loads caused by fluctuations in wind power. Along with tower, foundation also carries weight of these structures. Hence to guarantee stability of wind energy project, the foundation should be strong enough to handle pressure exerted by slender structure above it.View Report Preview:Foundation refers to support structure or geotechnical component for wind turbines situated between tower and seabed. In case of onshore wind energy project, foundation is constructed on different types of terrains under challenging soil and environmental conditions. For onshore construction, foundations can be segmented as raft, pile, and well foundations, among others. Raft footing is among frequently used structures and comes in different shapes depending upon various factors such as wind class, type of tower, and turbine capacity. The foundation designs varies according to the project, ground conditions, and the local rules and regulations.Wind Energy Foundation Market: Segment-wise InsightFor offshore wind energy projects, foundation structures can be classified as mono-pile, jacket-pile, gravity-type, tripod and suction caissons. Mono-pile comprises of steel pile that is situated at around 30-60 ft. into the seabed. Mono pile is among the most used types of foundations especially in Europe. However, they are not considered well-suited for large turbines, which are among latest trends of wind industry. Gravity-pile foundation are made of precast concrete and are ballasted with sand, gravel or stones. In these type of foundations turbines depend upon gravity to stand erect.Tripod foundations use the principle used in the oil and gas industry and are used for deeper depths. In this type, the foundation consists of three piles which are driven 32-46 ft. into the seabed. Jacket is another popular technology used for deep waters. It is made of steel beams welded together to form a jacket or cover. A floating offshore wind foundation is not used on a large scale. The deep water offshore wind structures are preferred as winds are stronger here as compared to the shores.However, the cost of offshore wind foundations is a major restraint for this market. The University of Dundee estimated in 2014 that foundations and installations can represent about 25% of the total wind turbine capital investment. Construction of foundations is critical as it depends upon many factors and requires extensive research. Apart from load that forms a major factor, motion caused by coupling of translational and rotational platforms and turbines are also considered. The foundation design also depends upon mooring lines for floating systems. Corrosion is another serious threat and requires extensive monitoring. As foundation contributes to major part of wind energy investment, these factors are critically analyzed.Mono-pile projects are most used form of foundations in Europe. Seabed structures and ongoing projects for sustainable energy promotions in Europe have helped in creating huge market opportunity for mono-pile foundation. The foundations market also depends upon the suppliers for materials. The suppliers for different types of foundation are not uniformly distributed globally. This is another reason for mono-pile being used extensively in Europe and jacket foundations is preferred in the U.S. Jacket foundation are light weighted as compared to other types and hence are easier to install. Mono-piles structures transportation is challenging as they are quite heavy. This may act as a restraint for mono-pile market in coming years.Wind Energy Foundation Market: Competitive OverviewMajor players in this market are Suzlon Group, Ramboll Group, Owec Tower AS, Offshore Wind Power Systems of Texas LLC, Blue H Engineering BV, SWAY AS, Marine Innovation & Technology, Statoil, Principle Power, Inc., DONG Energy Burbo Extension (UK) Ltd., Bladt Industries A/S, TAG Energy Solutions, MT Hjgaard, Fugro Renewable Services, and Dillinger Hutte.Request to view Sample Report:The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Solar Tracker Market Competitive Landscape and Industry Expansion Strategies By 2026

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Demand for sustainable green energy produced by renewable resources such as solar power has increased significantly due to the global warming. Solar power is generated through the suns radiations that fall upon solar panels. Solar tracker is a device used to position a solar panel towards the sun. The tracking of the sun is done precisely by the systems of single axis and dual axis.View Report Preview:Based on type, the solar tracker market has been segmented into single axis and dual axis. Single axis solar tracker rotates on its own axis, moving back and forth in a single direction. Vertical, horizontal, tilted, and polar aligned are the different types of single axis trackers. Dual axis trackers continuously face the sun, as they move in two different directions. Types of dual axis trackers include azimuth-altitude and tip-tilt.In terms of technological outlook, the solar tracker market has been divided into three major solar power technologies: solar photovoltaic (PV), concentrated photovoltaic (CPV), and concentrated solar power (CSP). Photovoltaic system employs solar panels, which include a number of cells that often contain silicon. This photovoltaic material (silicon) then converts solar radiations into electric current. Concentrated photovoltaic power generation also uses silicon as PV. On CPV panels the radiations from the sun are concentrated upon a photovoltaic material using lenses. For successful installation of the CPV panel, it must be facing the sun. In CSP the solar radiations are concentrated on a small surface which gets heated. The heat from this surface then gets converted into energy with the help of either a sterling engine or a fluid. In terms of application, the solar tracker market has been segmented into utility and non-utility applicationsIn terms of region, the global solar tracker market has been divided into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Europe dominated the solar tracker market in 2015. European, due to its strategic geographic location, receives ample sunlight throughout the year. This has been a primary driver for market growth in the region. Germany has been leading the market for solar trackers since the last few years, being the country with most installed PV systems. The global solar market has been expanding significantly of late due to the high government subsidies in countries around the world. The market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand, led by major developments in renewable energy in the region. It is projected to be a rapidly growing region for the solar tracker market during the forecast period. The market in Latin America is also likely to expand significantly during the forecast period, led by large installations of PV in the region.Many countries are cutting back on subsidies due to the economic crisis; however, the prices of most solar energy technologies have decreased significantly. The solar tracker market across the globe is expected to expand substantially owing to the low prices and governmental focus on renewable energy.The global solar tracker market is highly competitive, with the presence of well-established market players. Key players operating in the solar tracker market are Haosolar Co. Ltd., Abengoa Solar S.A., AllEarth Renewables, Array Technologies, Inc., DEGERenergie GmbH & Co. KG, Energia Ercam, Powerway Renewable Energy Co. Ltd., Mechatron, SunPower Corporation, Titan Tracker SL, SmartTrak Solar Systems Pvt. Ltd, Mecasolar Espana SL, First Solar, Soitec, CM Tracker, and Optimum Tracker.Request to view Sample Report:The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Travel Retail Market Expected to Reach $125.1 Billion by 2023

Travel Retail Market

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According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, Travel Retail Market by Product and Channel: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023, the travel retail market size was valued at $69.5 billion in 2016, and is projected to reach $125.1 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 8.9% from 2017 to 2023. Perfumes & cosmetics segment in the global travel retail market possesses a strong customer base.Development of the in travel & tourism industry, rapid urbanization, and change in lifestyle, owing to increased disposable income of the consumers drive the growth of the travel retail market. In addition, increase in travel & tourism or international tourist arrivals in the emerging economies, such as Asia-Pacific and LAMEA is anticipated to create lucrative opportunities for the global travel retail market. However, unorganized local markets and stringent regulations in airport retailing hamper the travel retail market growth.Get the PDF brochure:Wines & spirits is the second largest revenue contributor in travel retail market. The consumption of wines, particularly luxury wines and spirits has increased considerable growth in the past few years. In addition, it has been observed that luxury wines & spirits are highly preferred by the international passengers, which leads to the growth of the market.Asia-Pacific is the largest travel retail market in the world, and is growing at the fastest rate owing to improvements in living standards, rise in disposable income, and development of the tourism industry. Furthermore, Europe is one of the largest travel retail markets, owing to its stronger base of luxury products. The region possesses some of the biggest apparels and cosmetics brands, namely, LVMH from France and H&M from Sweden, which hold a significant share in the luxury apparels, perfumes, and cosmetics sector, thereby making it the second largest travel retail market.Make a purchase enquiry:The key players in travel retail industry focus to expand their business operations in the emerging countries by adopting various strategies, such as acquisition and contact/agreement. The major players profiled in this report include DFS Group, Dufry, LS travel retail, Lotte Duty Free, King Power International Group, The Shilla Duty Free, Gebr, Heinemann, China Duty Free Group (CDFG), Aer Rianta International (ARI), and The Naunace Group.Key Findings Of The Travel Retail Market: In 2016, airports accounted for the maximum market revenue, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.0 % during the forecast period. Border, downtown, and hotel shops is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 9.4%. Perfumes & cosmetics accounted for more than 30% of market share in 2016, and is expected to dominate the global market by 2023. The luxury goods segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 11.5% during the forecast period. China is the major shareholder in the Asia-Pacific travel retail industry, and accounted for around 65% share in 2016.Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Shriram Dighe5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1?855?550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb:Automated Test Equipment Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players  LTX Credence Corporation, Advantest Co., Advint LLC, Aeroflex Inc., National Instruments Corporation

Automated Test Equipment Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Automated Test Equipment Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players  LTX Credence Corporation, Advantest Co., Advint LLC, Aeroflex Inc., National Instruments Corporation.The global automated test equipment (ATE) is expected to reach USD 4.3 Billion by 2022. The equipment employs the semiconductor chips for testing. Growing demand in computing, consumer and communication industry is expected to fuel the market growth. Furthermore, growing demand and need for efficiency in various end-user segments which include healthcare, consumer electronics, communication, automotive, and defense is anticipated to upsurge the industry growth over the forecast period.Constant developments in software, computing and instrumentation technology are projected to fuel the innovation and growth in the industry. Growing demand for consumer electronics and rising adoption of SoC is anticipated to boost the market growth over the forecast period. Growing device integration with rising consumer demand for additional features has led to an increase in the number of RF ports.Furthermore, increasing expansion of wireless networks and developments in semiconductor manufacturing processes in the emerging countries are projected to grow significantly over the period. Increasing miniaturization of devices with numerous features such as high resolution, superior quality cameras, touch screen display across various application areas which include telecommunication, IT and defense has positively influenced the ATE market.Few other factors driving the market include increased applications of consumer goods, reduced manufacturing time, and increased throughput. Additionally, growing commercialization of the IoT and advancements in the automotive sector will also provide enormous opportunities to the market. The variations in demand of semiconductor have made a supply demand gap which is further causing the revenue generation unpredictable and is affecting the market profitabilityGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comThe ATE market is categorized based on the product and application. Based on the products, the market is segregated into memory, non-memory and discrete ATE. The non-memory ATE is estimated to contribute significantly with the market share of over 60% in 2016. Enduring innovations in autonomous vehicles and IoT devices in aerospace and defense sector have significantly changed the dynamics of the industry.The application segment of the ATE market include automotive, defense, consumer electronics, IT & telecommunication and others. The IT & telecommunication application is projected to acquire the major share of the market. It enables the service providers to augment the network with new telecom equipment manufacturers ensuring the consistent quality of the products.Automotive sector growth can be attributed to the extensive application of semiconductor devices across the automotive electronics such as vehicle infotainment systems, Advanced Driving Assistance System (ADAS). Furthermore, increasing unit production, performance and complexity level of the devices in various electronic products has led to the emergence of growth in semiconductor device technology.Global ATE Market Revenue, By Application, 2012 2022 (USD Billion)Asia Pacific region is estimated to dominate the industry in 2016 and is also anticipated to maintain the dominance over the forecast period owing to the presence of semiconductor industries. Rapid technological advancements with gradually changing customer needs have led to the positive impact to the market. Presence of major electronic manufacturing and semiconductor companies in the countries such as Japan, China, Taiwan has significantly contributed to the industry growth.Furthermore, North America region is projected to grow steadily owing to the increased adoption of automated test equipment in defense and telecommunication sector. Increasing demand of ATE from automotive manufacturers in Europe region will lead to significant growth.Key players in the industry include LTX Credence Corporation, Advantest Co., Advint LLC, Aeroflex Inc., National Instruments Corporation and Teradyne Inc. Maintaining the close relationship with the customers, development of new instrumentation, enhancing the test platforms are few key strategies adopted in the industry.Ask Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key Points1. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY1.1. Data Type1.1.1. Primary Data Types1.1.2. Secondary Data Types1.2. Market Scope1.3. Assumptions2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY3. MARKET DYNAMICS3.1. Market Definition3.2. Market Size and Growth Prospects, 2014 - 20243.3. Value Chain Analysis3.4. Market Drivers3.5. Market Restraints3.6. Market Opportunities3.7. Porters Five Forces Analysis3.8. PEST Analysis3.9. Key Trends3.10. Penetration &Growth Prospect Mapping4. GLOBAL ATE MARKET, BY PRODUCT (2017-2024)4.1. Global ATE Market, by Memory ATE4.2. Global ATE Market, by Non-memory ATE4.3. Global ATE Market, by Discrete ATE5. GLOBAL ATE MARKET, BY APPLICATION (2017-2024)5.1. Global ATE Market, by Automotive5.2. Global ATE Market, by Consumer Electronics5.3. Global ATE Market, by Defense5.4. Global ATE Market, by IT & Telecommunication5.5. Global ATE Market, by Others6. GLOBAL ATE MARKET, BY REGIONS (2017-2024)6.1. North America ATE Market6.1.1. North America ATE Market, by Product6.1.2. North America ATE Market, by Application6.1.3. North America ATE Market, by Country6.1.3.1. U.S. ATE Market6.1.3.2. Canada ATE Market6.1.3.3. Mexico ATE Market6.2. Europe ATE Market6.2.1. Europe ATE Market, by Product6.2.2. Europe ATE Market, by Application6.2.3. Europe ATE Market, by Country6.2.3.1. Germany ATE Market6.2.3.2. U.K ATE Market6.2.3.3. Rest of Europe ATE Market6.3. Asia Pacific ATE Market6.3.1. Asia Pacific ATE Market, by Product6.3.2. Asia Pacific ATE Market, by Application6.3.3. Asia-Pacific ATE Market, by Country6.3.3.1. China ATE Market6.3.3.2. Japan ATE Market6.3.3.3. India ATE Market6.3.3.4. Rest of Asia Pacific ATE Market6.4. Middle East & Africa ATE Market6.4.1. Middle East & Africa ATE Market, by Product6.4.2. Middle East & Africa ATE Market, by Application6.4.3. Middle East & Africa ATE Market, by Country6.4.3.1. North Africa ATE Market6.4.3.2. South Africa ATE Market6.4.3.3. Rest of Middle East & Africa ATE Market6.5. Latin America ATE Market6.5.1. Latin America ATE Market, by Product6.5.2. Latin America ATE Market, by Application6.5.3. Latin America ATE Market, by Country6.5.3.1. Brazil ATE Market6.5.3.2. Rest of Latin America ATE Market7. MARKET COMPETITION ANALYSIS7.1. Market Share/Positioning Analysis7.2. Key Innovators7.3. Company Profiles7.3.1. Advantest Co.7.3.1.1. Company overview7.3.1.2. Product benchmarking7.3.1.3. Recent developments7.3.2. Advint LLC7.3.2.1. Company overview7.3.2.2. Financial performance7.3.2.3. Product benchmarking7.3.2.4. Recent developments7.3.3. Aeroflex Inc.7.3.3.1. Company overview7.3.3.2. Product benchmarking7.3.3.3. Recent developments7.3.4. Agilent Technologies Inc.7.3.4.1. Company overview7.3.4.2. Product benchmarking7.3.4.3. Recent developments7.3.5. Anritsu Corporation7.3.5.1. Company overview7.3.5.2. Product benchmarking7.3.5.3. Recent developments7.3.6. Cal-Bay Systems (Averna)7.3.6.1. Company overview7.3.6.2. Product benchmarking7.3.6.3. Recent developments7.3.7. LTX-Credence Corporation7.3.7.1. Company overview7.3.7.2. Product benchmarking7.3.8. National Instruments Corporation7.3.8.1. Company overview7.3.8.2. Product benchmarkingContinuedFor more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.Nurse Call Systems Market to Witness Huge Growth by 2025: Key Players - Critical Alert Systems, Stanley Healthcare, West-Com Nurse Call Systems

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HTF MI recently introduced Global Nurse Call Systems Market study with in-depth overview, describing about the Product / Industry Scope and elaborates market outlook and status to 2023. The market Study is segmented by key regions which is accelerating the marketization. At present, the market is developing its presence and some of the key players from the complete study are Rauland-Borg Corporation, Hill-Rom Holding, Inc., Ascom Holding, Tyco International, Critical Alert Systems LLC, Stanley Healthcare, TekTone Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc., Jeron Electronic Systems, Inc., Honeywell(Novar GmbH), West-Com Nurse Call Systems, Inc. & Azure Healthcare LimitedCompany etc.Request Sample of Global Nurse Call Systems Sales Market Report 2018 @:A nurse call system, sometimes referred to as a call bell system, provides a primary means of communication between patients and nurses. Historically, systems were designed for a single method of patient-to-nurse communication, where the patient pushed a button that triggered a call light and generated a tone at the nurse's desk. Over the years, nurse call system technology has evolved from stand-alone, fairly simplistic systems to robust, integrated platforms with voice communications. Today, a nurse call system serves as the core component of what has come to be known as a healthcare communications platform.Wireless technology is identified as the fastest growing technology segment over the forecast period. Key factors attributing to its rapid growth include the higher level of system integration, better patient mobility, and reduced cost for installation as compared to wired technology. Patient mobility is crucial for senior living facilities and assisted living facilities, where caregivers are away from the patients. In such cases, wireless nurse call buttons or pendants are of a great help.Critical Issues Facing the Industry Ensuring patient safety is a priority in the minds and hearts of those who provide health care, and is vital to hospital financial outcomes in the current economic climate. Federal agencies, consumer advocates, and credentialing organizations all identify patient satisfaction and safety as critical issues facing the health care industry. The churn at the macro level of the industry, however, is creating rapid changes and drastic demands for nursing care in the acute care environment. As a result, the progressively increasing scarcity of nurses in the workforce and cost of demands for technology implementation requires new approaches for bedside nurses and nurse leaders. Industry leaders and nurses must leverage resources to prevent missed nursing care and achieve acute care quality and safety expectations. The demand for measurable outcomes, evidence to support practice, public reporting and efforts to determine accountability risk a financial burden for the health care delivery system.The global Nurse Call Systems market is valued at xx million US$ in 2017 and will reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025.This report studies the Global Nurse Call Systems market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the Global Nurse Call Systems market by companies, region, type and end-use industry.Browse 100+ market data Tables and Figures spread through Pages and in-depth TOC on " Nurse Call Systems Market by Type (Wired Nurse Call Systems & Wireless Nurse Call Systems), by End-Users/Application (Hospitals, Assisted Living Centers& and Nursing Homes, Out Patient Department (OPD) Clinics & Ambulatory Service Centers), Organization Size, Industry, and Region - Forecast to 2023". Early buyers will receive 10% customization on comprehensive study.In order to get a deeper view of Market Size, competitive landscape is provided i.e. Revenue (Million USD) by Players (2013-2018), Revenue Market Share (%) by Players (2013-2018) and further a qualitative analysis is made towards market concentration rate, product/service differences, new entrants and the technological trends in future.Enquire for customization in Report @Competitive Analysis:The key players are highly focusing innovation in production technologies to improve efficiency and shelf life. The best long-term growth opportunities for this sector can be captured by ensuring ongoing process improvements and financial flexibility to invest in the optimal strategies. Company profile section of players such as Rauland-Borg Corporation, Hill-Rom Holding, Inc., Ascom Holding, Tyco International, Critical Alert Systems LLC, Stanley Healthcare, TekTone Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc., Jeron Electronic Systems, Inc., Honeywell(Novar GmbH), West-Com Nurse Call Systems, Inc. & Azure Healthcare LimitedCompany includes its basic information like legal name, website, headquarters, its market position, historical background and top 5 closest competitors by Market capitalization / revenue along with contact information. Each player/ manufacturer revenue figures, growth rate and gross profit margin is provided in easy to understand tabular format for past 5 years and a separate section on recent development like mergers, acquisition or any new product/service launch etc.Market Segments:The Global Nurse Call Systems Market has been divided into type, application, and region.On The Basis Of Type: Wired Nurse Call Systems & Wireless Nurse Call Systems.On The Basis Of Application: Hospitals, Assisted Living Centers& and Nursing Homes, Out Patient Department (OPD) Clinics & Ambulatory Service CentersOn The Basis Of Region, this report is segmented into following key geographies, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share, growth rate of Nurse Call Systems in these regions, from 2013 to 2023 (forecast), covering North America (U.S. & Canada) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Latin America (Brazil, Mexico & Rest of Latin America) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Europe (The U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden & RoE) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of Asia) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Middle East & Africa (GCC, South Africa, North Africa, RoMEA) {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share (%) and Opportunity Analysis} Rest of World {Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis}Buy Single User License of Global Nurse Call Systems Sales Market Report 2018 @Have a look at some extracts from Table of ContentIntroduction about Global Nurse Call SystemsGlobal Nurse Call Systems Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2017Nurse Call Systems Market by Application/End UsersGlobal Nurse Call Systems Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Applications(2013-2023) table defined for each application/end-users like [Hospitals, Assisted Living Centers& and Nursing Homes, Out Patient Department (OPD) Clinics & Ambulatory Service Centers]Global Nurse Call Systems Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2023)Nurse Call Systems Competition by Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and ApplicationNurse Call Systems (Volume, Value and Sales Price) table defined for each geographic region defined.Global Nurse Call Systems Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales DataAdditionally Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors list is being provided for each listed manufacturersMarket Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018) table for each product type which include Wired Nurse Call Systems & Wireless Nurse Call SystemsNurse Call Systems Manufacturing Cost AnalysisNurse Call Systems Key Raw Materials AnalysisNurse Call Systems Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers, Industrial Chain AnalysisMarket Forecast (2018-2023)........and more in complete table of ContentsBrowse for Full Report at:Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.About Author:HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact US :Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218sales@htfmarketreport.comConnect with us atScratch-Resistant Glass Global Market 2018: Top Key Players - Corning Incorporated, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd, Nippon Electric Glass Co.,Ltd., GUARDIAN INDUSTRIES, Schott AG, Monocrystal, KYOCERA Corporation

Global Scratch-Resistant Glass Market Industry Trends and Forecast to 2025

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Databridgemarketresearch.com Adds Global Scratch-Resistant Glass Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities And Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecast To 2025 To Its Research Database.Scratch-resistant is a type of coating, which is applied in lens, photographic film etc. Scratch-resistant glass provides various benefits such as, high scratch resistance, better optical clarity, and improved impact absorbance. One of the major factors driving the growth of the market is the higher use of scratch-resistant glass in smartphones & tablets application.Request For Free Sample Report @Top Key Players - Corning Incorporated, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd, Nippon Electric Glass Co.,Ltd., GUARDIAN INDUSTRIES, Schott AG, Monocrystal, KYOCERA CorporationThe global scratch-resistant glass market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of scratch-resistant glass market for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and South America.Regional Analysis - North America South America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East & AfricaSome of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and, Brazil among others.To Avail 10% Discount On This Report Mail Us on: - sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comSegmentation -Based on product type: Chemically-Strengthened Glass Sapphire GlassOn the basis of application: Smartphones & Tablets Automotive Interior Architecture Electronics OthersAutomotive is further sub segmented into: Cars MachineElectronics is further sub segmented into: Camera LensLeave a Query @Reason to Buy- Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the Global Scratch-Resistant Glass Market.- Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.- The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Global Scratch-Resistant Glass Market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies.- Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.- Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.- Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.Download Detailed TOC @Note: If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.About Us:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comIntelligent Virtual Assistant Market: Demand for Intelligent Virtual Assistants to Remain Strong in Large Enterprises

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Social media is playing an important role in the development of the global market for intelligent virtual assistants. The expanding traffic on social media platforms are prompting players to offer improved features on their sites and applications and thus, these players are banking on intelligent virtual assistants.According to a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global intelligent virtual assistant market for is expected to proliferate at a remarkable 32.8% CAGR from 2016 to 2024, reaching a valuation of US$7.9 bn by 2024 from US$627.7 mn in 2015. The sweeping shift from analog to digital technologies in organizations worldwide is also working in favor of the market.Demand for Intelligent Virtual Assistants to Remain Strong in Large EnterprisesOn the basis of technologies, the global intelligent virtual assistant market is segmented into speech recognition and text-to-speech. The speech recognition segment held a large share of 53% in the overall market value in 2015. The segment will also exhibit the most promising prospects, progressing at a CAGR of 33.3% between 2016 and 2024.Get PDF Sample of Report @Based on application, the market is divided into messenger bots, websites, and contact centers. The website segment was the leading revenue contributor to the global intelligent virtual assistant market in 2015 with a share of around 70% in the overall market. The messenger bots segment will expand at a CAGR higher than another segment during the same period.The key end users of intelligent virtual assistants are large enterprises, small and medium enterprises, and individual users. Among these, large enterprises will be the most prominent segment throughout the forecast horizon. The growth of the segment can be attributed to the increasing efforts by large enterprises to improve their customer care strategies. Small and medium enterprises will register a noteworthy CAGR during the same period.Download TOC@North America to Lead Revenue Generation through 2024From geographical standpoint, the global intelligent virtual assistant market is classified into Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America held a dominant share of 40% in the overall market revenue in 2015. The presence of a large pool of multinational organizations in the U.S. is fuelling the growth of the region.These organizations have been increasingly relying on intelligent virtual assistants to enhance their relationships with clients, improve customer relationship management, and support the burgeoning demand for internet self-service. Over the coming years, the adoption of intelligent virtual assistants in the healthcare and BFSI sectors is likely to increase. With all these factors put together, the region is poised to retain its dominance through 2024.Preview Report @Europe is estimated to post moderate growth during the review period, with the EU7 at the forefront of growth. Asia Pacific holds immense potential and therefore, the region is anticipated to register impressive CAGR during the same period. The increasing emphasis on customer relationship management by both public bodies and companies is likely to trigger the demand for intelligent virtual assistants in the region.Latin America and the Middle East and Africa are expected to experience sustainable growth in the global intelligent virtual assistant market. In MEA, countries such as the U.A.E., Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Israel will be the sights of high growth rates during the forecast period. Some of the prominent companies operating in the global intelligent virtual assistant market are CodeBaby Corporation, eGain Communications Corp., Nuance Communications Inc., Artificial Solutions Ltd., Anboto Group, Creative Virtual Ltd., Speaktoit Inc., Next IT Corporation, and IntelliResponse Systems Inc.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Research Blog:Aortic Valve Replacement Market  A comprehensive study by Key Players: Cardio kinetix, Comed B.V., Liva nove Plc

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HTF Market Intelligence released a new research report of 80 pages on title 'Global Aortic Valve Replacement Market Size study, By Type (Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, Mitral Repair (Annuloplasty), Left Atrial Appendage Closure) and by Regional Forecasts 2017-2025' with detailed analysis, forecast and strategies. The study covers key regions that includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Rest of the World and important players such as Cardio kinetix, Comed B.V., Liva nove Plc etc.Request a sample report @SummaryGlobal Aortic Valve Replacement Market to reach USD 9.0 billion by 2025.Global Aortic Valve Replacement Market valued approximately USD 4.1 billion in 2016 is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 9.15% over the forecast period 2017-2025. Key factors which give growth to the Aortic Valve Replacement market are expansive predominance of target infection is the key driver of the market. Just about 60 million individuals in the U.S. have basic deformities in their souls. This records for around 20% to 25% of the aggregate populace. This shows the tremendous extent of the gadgets tending to basic heart deserts. Auxiliary coronary illness (SHD) is a wide classification of percutaneous medicines for the patients with both gained coronary illness and intrinsic coronary illness (CHD) that includes utilitarian and basic irregularities of cardiovascular chambers, proximal awesome vessels and heart valves.The objective of the study is to define market sizes of different segments & countries in recent years and to forecast the values to the coming eight years. The report is designed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the industry within each of the regions and countries involved in the study. Furthermore, the report also caters the detailed information about the crucial aspects such as driving factors & challenges which will define the future growth of the market. Additionally, the report shall also incorporate available opportunities in micro markets for stakeholders to invest along with the detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product offerings of key players. The detailed segments and sub-segment of the market are explained below:View Detailed Table of Content @By Type: Surgical aortic valve replacement Transcatheter aortic valve replacement Mitral repair Left atrial appendage closureBy Regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Rest of the WorldFurthermore, years considered for the study are as follows:Historical year  2015Base year  2016Forecast period  2017 to 2025Some of the key manufacturers involved in the market Medtronic Plc., Jude medical Inc., Boston scientific corporation, cardio kinetix, comed B.V., Liva nove Plc., Abbott laboratories, Biomerics LLC. Acquisitions and effective mergers are some of the strategies adopted by the key manufacturers. New product launches and continuous technological innovations are the key strategies adopted by the major players.Target Audience of the Global Aortic Valve Replacement Market in Market Study: Key Consulting Companies & Advisors Large, medium-sized, and small enterprises Venture capitalists Value-Added Resellers (VARs) Third-party knowledge providers Investment bankers InvestorsCompanies Mentioned in the Report: Medtronic Plc., Overview, Financial (Subject to Data Availability), Product Summary, Recent Developments, Judge medical Inc., Boston scientific corporation, Cardio kinetix, Comed B.V., Liva nove Plc., Abbott laboratories, Biomerics LLCGet Customization in the Report, Enquire Now @Chapter 1. Global Aortic Valve Replacement Market Definition and Scope1.1. Research Objective1.2. Market Definition1.3. Scope of The StudyChapter 2. Research Methodology2.1. Research Process2.2. Research AssumptionChapter 3. Executive Summary3.1. Global & Segmental Market Estimates & Forecasts, 2015-2025 (USD Billion)3.2. Key TrendsChapter 4. Global Aortic Valve Replacement Market Dynamics4.1. Growth Prospects4.2. Industry Analysis4.3. Analyst Recommendation & ConclusionChapter 5. Global Aortic Valve Replacement Market, By Type5.1. Market Snapshot5.2. Market Performance - Potential Model5.3. Global Aortic Valve Replacement Market, Sub Segment AnalysisChapter 6. Global Aortic Valve Replacement Market, by Regional Analysis6.1. Aortic Valve Replacement Market, Regional Market Snapshot (2015-2025)6.2. North America Aortic Valve Replacement Market Snapshot6.3. Europe Aortic Valve Replacement Market Snapshot6.4. Asia Aortic Valve Replacement Market Snapshot....ContinuedBuy this report @Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218sales@htfmarketreport.comConnect with us atThe Global Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Systems Market will grow to US$14.3 Billion by 2028

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Surging demand for high resolution and high throughput sensors for gaining superior situational awareness, countermeasures and reconnaissance is the key driver for the military EO/IR systems sector globally. In order to tackle conventional as well as newly evolved threats, militaries worldwide are focusing on installation of advanced sensor based systems, which can provide intel in real time for necessary actions.The increasing complexities in modern day war techniques have resulted in a heightened requirement for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) activities, which has resulted in several key defense spenders to invest heavily in the research and development of equipment such as thermal sights, infrared vision systems, and laser target designators. The rising demand for new sighting devices as well as wearable night vision and thermal imaging systems is therefore contributing significantly to the growth of the global military EO/IR systems market.REQUEST FOR SAMPLE PAGES OF THIS REPORT:SynopsisThe Global Military Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Systems Market 2018-2028 report offers a detailed analysis of the industry, with market size forecasts covering the next ten years. This report will also analyze factors that influence demand for EO/IR systems, key market trends, and challenges faced by industry participants.Scope- The global military EO/IR systems market is expected to register a CAGR of 2.98%, growing from US$10.7 billion in 2018 to US$14.3 billion by 2028.- The market consists of three categories: airborne, ground-based and naval.- The market is expected to be dominated by airborne segment, which will account for 72.2% of the market, followed by ground-based and naval segments.- In terms of geography, Asia Pacific is projected to lead the sector with a share of 33.9%, followed by North America and Europe.Reasons to Buy- Determine prospective investment areas based on a detailed trend analysis of the global military EO/IR systems market over the next ten years- Gain in-depth understanding about the underlying factors driving demand for different EO/IR systems segments in the top spending countries across the world and identify the opportunities offered by each of them- Strengthen your understanding of the market in terms of demand drivers, industry trends, and the latest technological developments, among others- Identify the major channels that are driving the global military EO/IR systems market, providing a clear picture about future opportunities that can be tapped, resulting in revenue expansion- Channelize resources by focusing on the ongoing programs that are being undertaken by the defense ministries of different countries within the global military EO/IR systems market- Make correct business decisions based on thorough analysis of the total competitive landscape of the sector with detailed profiles of the top EO/IR solution providers around the world which include information about their products, alliances, recent contract wins and financial analysis wherever available.VIEW COMPLETE TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS REPORT:Companies Mentioned:Northrop GrummanLeonardo DRSElbit SystemsBAE SystemsFLIR SystemsL-3 TechnologiesLockheed MartinRaytheonThalesSelexCubic Global DefenseASK SPECIFIC QUERIES REGARDING THIS REPORT:Contact Us:Research By MarketsRitesh Tiwari | SalesEmail: enquiry@researchbymarkets.comAbout Us:"Research By Markets" is a Market Research Reports Depository. Our Latest Market Research Reports cover a lot of Industry Sectors - Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Chemicals and Materials, Consumer Goods and Services, Energy and Power, Environmental, Food and Beverages, Healthcare, Information Technology, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Devices, Petroleum, Pharmaceuticals, Semiconductor and Electronics, Telecommunications and more.We are trusted by Fortune 500 companies for our client centric support. We have helped our clients in procuring research studies as per their requirements and also ensured they get proper post purchase support. We ensure that all our client queries are addressed in quick time.Our website and payment gateway are completely secured to prevent any client information data leak. We do not store any credit card information in our database or emails. We conform to strict security standards and our Technology team works hard to keep our servers secure and protected at all times.Our Sales Team does not bother clients with phone calls unless requested by the client itself. Nor do we run any email marketing campaigns or bombard clients with repeated follow up emails.Corporate Clients can also avail discounts. To know more get in touch with us.We strive our best to ensure that our clients have a seamless experience and are happy and smiling every time they do business with us."A satisfied customer is a the best business strategy of all" - Michael LeBoeuf, Business Author.Research By MarketsE/3, Ganga Homes,Behind Bank Of India,Viman Nagar,Pune 411 014.Maharashtra, IndiaGear Knob Vehicles Market to See Incredible Growth During 2026

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Gear knob is the mounting on the top of the gear shift lever with the line diagram of the gear shift pattern engraved or printed on it. The gear knob is provided on each gear shift lever for the convenience in gear shifting, and it is an integral part of the gear lever. Gear levers can be made of different material designed according to the required size in order to offer maximum comfort to the driver.Demand for the gear knob is growing at a significant pace due to the demand for more comfortable and luxurious gear knobs by customers. Several people prefer gear knob covers on the gear knobs to protect the gear knobs from any damage and to obtain better grip while driving. The market for the customized gear knobs is witnessing expansion due to the growing passion for automobiles among youngsters. Arrival of the autonomous vehicles in the market can be a restraining factor for the gear knob market due to removal of the gear lever from the cabin.The gear knob market for vehicles can be segmented based on transmission system, sales channel, material, vehicle type, and region.Get PDF Sample of This Report @In terms of transmission system, the gear knob market can be segmented into three categories, among which, the manual transmission segment is expected to hold a major share; however the other segments are gaining popularity, which are expected to expand at a significant pace during the forecast period. The manual transmission segment can be further split into two sub-segments, as the number of speed gears of the vehicle transmission segment affect the design of the gear knob.Based on the sales channel, the gear knob market can be segregated into two segments as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and Aftermarket. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) segment hold the major market share. The OEM segment is expected to maintain its dominant position during the forecast period due to the increasing production of the vehicles and improved lifespan of the gear knobs. Trend of installing customized knob is also increasing due to its attractive appearance and ease in gear shifting.Based on material, the gear knob market for vehicles can be classified into three segments. Among them, plastic material is a leading segment and is expected to maintain its dominance due to better life span as compared to the other segments. Plastic gear knobs are generally installed in most the standard vehicles segment and commercial vehicles. Increase in production of these vehicles is anticipated to propel the gear knob market.In terms of vehicles, the gear knob market for vehicles can be classified into two major segments. Among them, the passenger vehicles segment is likely to hold a major share of the market due to the high production of passenger vehicles, as compared to any other segment of vehicles.View Our Report @Based on region, the gear knob market for vehicles can be segmented into five regions. Among them, Asia Pacific is expected dominate the market due to the presence of a high number of manufacturing facilities in the region. High production of the vehicles in the region is another major factor boosting the market in the region.Key players operating in the global gear knob market for vehicles include PANORAMA AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES PVT. LTD., Parker Hannifin Corp, Eissmann Group Automotive, American Shifter Company, TWM Performance and Central Manufacturing Company, Inc. The gear knob market is highly fragmented market and is witnesses the presence of several small manufacturers.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Intelligent Speed Assist Market Size to Rise at a Moderate CAGR of 2026

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Intelligent speed assist uses information about the road to control the required speed. Information can be obtained from the vehicle position, taking into account speed limits known for the position, and by understanding road features such as signs and symbols. Intelligent speed assist systems are designed to detect and alert a driver when the vehicle has entered a new speed zone, or when different speed limits are in force, according to the time and conditions of the day. Several intelligence speed assist systems also provide information about driving hazards and limits enforced by speed and traffic light cameras. The purpose of intelligent speed assist is to help the driver maintain a safe and lawful speed at all times. Intelligent speed assist has been a promising type of advanced driver support system for the last few decades.From a technical point of view, large-scale intelligence speed assist implementation is possible in the short term. The different types of intelligent speed assist systems are expected to have different effects on behavior and traffic safety. The more intruding and controlling an intelligent speed assist system is, the less it will be accepted by drivers. At the same time, however, the more intruding and controlling, the larger the effects on speed and on road safety in general. Successful implementation of the intelligent speed assist system largely depends on the willingness of drivers to buy these systems and utilize them correctly, the quality of the maps that are utilized to indicate maximum speeds, and the possibilities for a gradual implementation. There has been no substantial implementation of intelligent speed assist system anywhere in the world so far, and the intelligence speed assist system threatens to become a highly effective road safety measure that is not employed widely anywhere.Get PDF Sample of This Report @Major factors driving the intelligent speed assist market include the increased production of premium vehicles, rising demand safety features, government regulations regarding safety of the vehicle, and increasing demand for advanced applications such as telematics and speed detection camera. Furthermore, the new vehicle safety norms are encouraging automotive manufacturers to protect vehicle from collision will propel the market of intelligent speed assist. The cost of intelligent speed assist system is very high will increase the cost of vehicle.The global intelligent speed assist market can be segmented based on type, system, vehicle, sales channel, and region. In terms of type, the intelligence speed assist market can be classified into navig8r, and one more segment. The navig8r segment is estimated to expand significantly during the forecast period, due to advancements in automotive technology that have resulted in the development of technologically advanced electronic systems. The shift of automobile manufacturers toward advance electrification with increasing usage of electronic content per vehicle has resulted in significantly higher efficiency of automotive systems with higher precision and accuracy. Based on system, the intelligence speed assist market can be divided into position-based system, and other three more segment. The position-based system segment dominated the market in terms of revenue. It is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. Penetration rate of position-based system is high, while that of the other intelligence speed assist systems such as radio beacons, optical recognition, and dead reckoning is low, especially in both premium and low-range cars. Based on vehicle, the intelligence speed assist market can be segmented into passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle, and electric vehicle. The electric vehicle segment is projected to expand during the forecast period. Rise in concern for environmental protection, increase in the sale of electric vehicles, and governmental initiatives for green vehicles have propelled the market significantly. In terms of sales channel the intelligent speed assist market can be divided into OEM, and aftermarket.View Our Report @Based on geography, the global intelligent speed assist market can be split into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America accounts for a significant share of the intelligence speed assist market, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The market in Asia Pacific is likely to expand at a significant growth rate during the forecast period. Demand for intelligence speed assist systems is expected to be high in countries such as Japan and South Korea due to the implementation of stringent government legislations and safety norms.Key players operating in the global intelligence speed assist market include Continental AG, Delphi Automotive LLP., DENSO CORPORATION, Magna International Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, AISIN SEIKI Co., Ltd., HYUNDAI MOBIS, Texas Instruments Incorporated, and HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Vitreoretinal Surgery Devices Market Growth and Value Chain Analysis 2016 - 2024

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Vitreoretinal Surgery Devices Market: OverviewVitreoretinal surgeries are undertaken to treat eye disorders related to the retina, macula, and vitreous fluid. These include macular degeneration, retinal detachment, uveitis and vitreous hemorrhage, macular hole, epiretinal membrane, retinal detachment, and complications related to diabetic retinopathy. The variety of instruments, tools, and surgical equipment designed to help surgeons execute the surgery fall under the umbrella of medical devices called vitreoretinal surgery devices.Request Brochure-Over the past few years, the global market for vitreoretinal surgery devices has witnessed significant advancements in terms of the easy availability of specialized solutions, techniques, and instruments, which allow for less invasive procedures, reduce the amount of suffering to the eye, and lead to reduced healing time and improved patient outcomes.Developments in the market continue to happen at a rapid pace and an increasing number of companies are manufacturing highly sophisticated vitreoretinal surgery devices capable of supporting the surgery technique and the overall efficiency of the procedure.This report on the global vitreoretinal surgery devices market presents a thorough account of the present growth dynamics of the market and its key segments, along with verifiable projections pertaining to the growth prospects over the period between 2016 and 2024. Potential impact of the regulatory framework at regional and global levels on a variety of decisions related to the vitreoretinal surgery devices market is also analyzed in the report.Vitreoretinal Surgery Devices Market: Drivers and OpportunitiesThe vast and rapid rise in the global population of geriatrics, a demographic considered most vulnerable to vitreoretinal disorders such as macular degeneration, is one of the key factors to have led a significant rise in the number of vitreoretinal surgeries taking place globally.Furthermore, the rising global prevalence of eye disorders is also expected to lead to an increase in the number of vitreoretinal surgeries in the next few years. Along with these factors, the global demand for vitreoretinal surgery devices is expected to rise due to technological developments observed in the field and the increased availability of automated and easy-to-use devices.View Report-Vitreoretinal Surgery Devices Market: SegmentationThe market can be segmented on the basis of criteria such as product type, end-use sector, and surgery type. On the basis of product variety, the market can be segmented into vitreo retinal per fluoro carbon liquids (PFCL), vitreo retinal surgical packs, and vitreo retinal prefilled silicone oil syringes. On the basis of type of surgery, the market can be segmented into anterior vitreoretinal surgery and posterior vitreoretinal surgery.Both types require specific varieties of equipment and devices. However, not a large range of devices are present in the market capable of being used across both types of surgeries. This could be a lucrative growth opportunity for companies operating in the market.Vitreoretinal Surgery Devices Market: Geographical and Competitive DynamicsOn the basis of geography, the market has been segmented into regions such as North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Middle East and Africa. Of these, North America is presently the leading contributor to the revenue of the global vitreoretinal surgery market, chiefly owing to the vast population base of geriatrics, highly developed healthcare infrastructure, and an encouraging medical reimbursement structure.Over the reports forecast period, however, Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the most lucrative regional market for vitreoretinal surgery devices owing to the rising geriatric population, rising population of affluent patients, and improvements in healthcare infrastructure of countries such as South Korea, India, and China.Request For Custom Research-Some of the key companies operating in the global vitreoretinal surgery market are Dutch Ophthalmic Research Center International BV, Bausch & Lomb, Inc., OCULUS Optikgerate GmbH, Designs For Vision Pty Ltd, MedOne Surgical, Inc., and Alcon, Inc.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Fuel Cell Market 2017 Global Analysis of Key vendors  Ceres Power, Hydrogenics Corporation, SFC, Ballard, Horizon, Bloom Energy, Plug Power

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This global Fuel Cell market report studies the industry based on one or more segments covering key players, types, applications, products, technology, end-users, and regions for historical data as well as provides forecasts for next few years.The advent of electric vehicles powered by fuel cells has provided a positive impetus to the fuel cell industry expansion and encouraged governments across the world to promote the development of hydrogen-based fuel cells. Fuel Cell Market will exceed USD 6 billion by 2024, as reported in the latest study.Increasing investments toward development of hydrogen refueling station coupled with rising demand for space heating across commercial and residential establishments will drive the fuel cell market share. Upsurge in installation of portable charging sources owing to increasing recreation activities will further stimulate the industry outlook. In 2017, the Government of UK granted a funding of USD 30.6 million toward the development of hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure.Favorable government policies pertaining to sustainable energy technologies along with increasing demand for FCEV's will drive the fuel cell market share. Upsurge in funding by private institutions and government organizations including DOE, DAG Ventures and Credit Suisse toward technological advancement and innovations will stimulate the business landscape. In 2015, Credit Suisse funded USD 130 million in the Bloom Energy toward the development of SOFC technology in the U.S.Request a sample of this premium Fuel Cell market Research Report @Japan fuel cell market is set to exceed 70 MW by 2024. Increasing concerns pertaining to security of supply along with growing adoption of clean energy technologies will propel the industry growth. Government backed extensive research and development projects along with development of hydrogen infrastructure across the nation will complement the industry outlook. In 2017, Hyundai unveiled its plan to launch second-generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which will enhance the properties of the technology.Wide applications area including FCEV's, forklift trucks, two and three wheelers, light vehicles, trams, ferries, small boats and goods handling vehicles will boost the product adoption across transport sector. Ongoing deployment in e-bikes, UAVs, and in numerous commercial vehicles will further complement the fuel cell market growth. In 2016, the fuel cell vehicle sales in the U.S. grew to 5,000 units when compared to 4,000 units in 2015.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium Fuel Cell market Research Report atSOFC in 2016, accounted for over 40% of the global fuel cell market share. Ongoing adoption of fuel cells across small and large stationary power generation systems will stimulate the industry growth. These cells operate at high temperatures ranging between 8000C to 1,0000C and have an efficiency of over 60% when converted from fuel to electricity. High efficiency, stability, comparatively low cost, fuel flexibility and low emissions are some of the key features that will enhance the product penetration.Regulatory policies pertaining to emissions along with increasing investments toward development of hydrogen infrastructure will drive the UK fuel cell market share. Increasing focus to replace the conventional power sources with the sustainable energy systems will further stimulate the industry growth. The Government of UK has planned to open 65 hydrogen refueling station by 2020 and 1,150 by 2030.Key industry players across fuel cell market includes Ceres Power, Hydrogenics Corporation, SFC, Ballard, Horizon, Bloom Energy, Plug Power, FuelCell Energy, Arcola, Toshiba, AFC Energy, UTC Power, Doosan and Panasonic. The industry has witnessed numerous mergers and acquisitions by industry players to expand their regional presence.Outside of the scope fuel cells in enhancing energy security and mitigating the effects of climate change has propagated the growth of the market. Essentially, the energy stored as hydrogen within the cells is converted into electricity to power the vehicles, subsequently eliminating the emission of harmful gases through the tailpipe. Realizing the benefits of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), countries have been introducing guidelines and initiatives to support investments in the field. Chinas subsidy program to achieve ambitious production targets of new energy vehicles is an example of such an initiative.In September 2017 a proposal was made by Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) to highlight the countrys intention of launching a Temporary Management Regulation for Corporate Average Fuel Consumption (CAFC) and New Energy Vehicle Credits. The proposal was aimed at promoting the deployment of new energy vehicles, including FCEVs, through a combination of subsidies and credits for manufacturing efficient electric vehicles. More recently, the municipal government of Shanghai further strengthened the China fuel cell market, by confirming to continue the subsidy for all-electric cars and fuel-cell vehicles, inspiring key automakers to enter the market. Even Hyundai Motors has committed to expanding its product base in China with the unveiling of Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell EV, the very first FCEV to achieve mass production.More Report At:Report ContentReport ContentChapter 1 Methodology & Scope1.1 Methodology1.1.1 Initial data exploration1.1.2 Statistical model and forecast1.1.3 Industry insights and validation1.1.4 Market definition and forecast parameters1.2 Data Sources1.2.1 Secondary1.2.2 PrimaryChapter 2 Executive Summary2.1 Fuel cell 3600 synopsis, 2013  20242.1.1 Business trends2.1.2 Product trends2.1.3 Application trends2.1.4 Regional trendsMarketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:Connect with us:Google+ | LinkedIn | TwitterSynthetic Food Market Comprehensive Analysis by Leading Players - BASF SE, Allied Biotech, Aarkay, Royal DSM N.V., FMC Corp, Sensient Technologies, Flavorchem, and ADM

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The Synthetic Food Market size is estimated to exceed USD 20 Billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Having been profoundly successful in transforming the dynamics of F&B industry, synthetic food market is indeed turning out to be a prominent business vertical. The rapid growth in worldwide population that has widened the demand & supply gap of nutritious food has been acknowledged as the key propeller of synthetic food market. Reportedly, the global population is expected to cross 8.5 billion by 2030 and the food industry is likely to observe per capita consumption per day of 3050 kcal by 2030. Experts deem that the alarming rise in the global population has posed a major challenge for F&B industry in terms of balancing the food demands. In the backdrop of this afflicting scenario, synthetic food market with its wide portfolio of RTE & RTC products is expected to witness an exceptional growth in the coming years.Request Sample Copy of this Report @Speaking along similar lines, a change in lifestyle that has given rise to dual-income-families, numerous food delivery apps, and diminishing culinary skills has triggered the rising adoption of RTE, RTC, canned, packaged, and processed food items. These products have become popular among the urban consumers in no time mainly because of the convenience they offer. In fact, facts state that the global processed food industry generated over USD 4.6 trillion business in 2016. The statistics further affirm ultra-processed food types such as cereals, ice-creams, cakes, and breads to have contributed to 55% of the daily consumption products. The data goes on to signify that the rising demand for artificial additives that imitates natural foods by recreation of flavor, color, appearance, and palatability is on a significant high  a factor rapidly propelling synthetic food industry share.Synthetic food market to witness heavy demand from beverages & bakery applicationsThe aforementioned facts are evident enough that the fast-paced urban lifestyles of consumers have generated greater demand for processed food products. Unsurprisingly, on these grounds, the synthetic food market is gaining remarkable proceeds especially from the beverages, bakery & confectionery applications. The rising consumption of pasties, pies, aeriated drinks, juice, soda, donuts, and cakes have been the leading factor influencing segment growth. Reliable estimates reveal that the bakery & confectionery market from the fragrances & flavor additives held 19% of industry share in 2016. While beverages application from colors is projected to register a CAGR of 7.5% over 2017-2024. The aforesaid statistics bear testimony to the fact that these application segments stand as major opportunistic grounds for synthetic food industry vendors to ramp up their business in the coming years.What could go wrong?Synthetic food market growth sounds very promising until the realities behind the rhetoric are considered. The consumer shift toward packaged and ready-to-eat food is proving to be highly beneficial to the global synthetic food industry participants. However, the rising popularity of organic food & their potential health benefits is a key challenge for this market. Consumers growing health consciousness regarding artificial components has, in turn, fortified demand for natural products over the synthetic alternatives. Another trend that is categorized as a major threat for synthetic food industry growth in terms of product value is the rising trend of synthesizing popular products like milk. Synthetic milk is an artificial imitation of natural milk with high degree of adulteration that is produced chemically by mixing calculated amount of caustic soda, urea, common detergents, and refined oil. These synthetic milk components have harmful effects on human health and this practice unfortunately has gained momentum in myriad regions.Browse Full Report Details @Nonetheless, stringent government regulations to keep in check the usage of food ingredients that have adverse effect on health is likely to boost the growth scenario of synthetic food market. The companies, in a bid to cope up with these challenges, are strictly abiding by FDA guidelines, in terms of ingredient usage. All in all, with anticipated trends of new products in sync with the health quotients of the consumers, food market is anticipated to expand at a promising pace in the coming years. For the record, in terms of commercialization, synthetic food market is forecast to register a y-o-y growth of 5% over 2017-2024.Data TablesTABLE 1. Synthetic food industry 360 synopsis, 2013  2024TABLE 2. Global synthetic food market estimates & forecast, 2013 - 2024, (Kilo Tons) (USD Million)TABLE 3. Global synthetic food market estimates & forecast by product, 2013 - 2024 (Kilo Tons)TABLE 4. Global synthetic food market estimates & forecast by product 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)TABLE 5. Global synthetic food market estimates & forecast by application, 2013 - 2024 (Kilo Tons)TABLE 6. Global synthetic food market estimates & forecast by application, 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)TABLE 7. Industry ecosystem analysisTABLE 8. Industry impact forcesTABLE 9. Global synthetic color market estimates & forecast, (Kilo Tons) (USD Million), 2013  2024TABLE 10. Global synthetic color market estimates & forecast, by application, (Kilo Tons), 2013  2024TABLE 11. Global synthetic color market estimates & forecast, by application, (USD Million), 2013  2024TABLE 12. Global synthetic color market estimates & forecast by region, (Kilo Tons), 2013 - 2024TABLE 13. Global synthetic color market estimates & forecast by region, (USD Million), 2013  2024TABLE 14. Global synthetic enzymes market estimates & forecast, (Kilo Tons) (USD Million), 2013  2024TABLE 15. Global synthetic enzymes market estimates & forecast, by application, (Kilo Tons), 2013 - 2024TABLE 16. Global synthetic enzymes market estimates & forecast, by application, (USD Million), 2013  2024TABLE 17. Global synthetic enzymes market estimates & forecast by region, (Kilo Tons), 2013 - 2024TABLE 18. Global synthetic enzymes market estimates & forecast by region, (USD Million), 2013  2024TABLE 19. Global synthetic hydrocolloids market estimates & forecast, (Kilo Tons) (USD Million), 2013  2024TABLE 20. Global synthetic hydrocolloids market estimates & forecast, by application, (Kilo Tons), 2013 - 2024TABLE 21. Global synthetic hydrocolloids market estimates & forecast, by application, (USD Million), 2013  2024TABLE 22. Global synthetic hydrocolloids market estimates & forecast, by region, (Kilo Tons), 2013 - 2024TABLE 23. Global synthetic hydrocolloids market estimates & forecast, by region, (USD Million), 2013  2024TABLE 24. Global synthetic flavor & fragrances market estimates & forecast, (Kilo Tons) (USD Million), 2013  2024TABLE 25. Global synthetic flavor & fragrances market estimates & forecast, by application, (Kilo Tons), 2013 - 2024ContinueAbout Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Explore Our Blog @Infectious Immunology Market Research by Key players, Type and Application, Future Growth to 2025 | Abbott Laboratories, Roche Diagnostics, Thermo Fisher Scientifics, Bio-Rad Laboratories

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Infectious diseases such as hepatitis and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are rampant globally. When the bodys immune system is unable to resist the invading pathogens or microbes, it gives way to infections. Research N Reports market research analysts have identified the growing cases of infectious diseases will be one of the primary growth factors for the immunology market. Infection involves an attack of disease-causing agents such as bacteria and viruses on the host organisms body that causes disturbances in normal functioning. Immunology is the study of the human bodys resistance to these infections.The current study of immunology and infections rotate around handful of infectious conditions namely AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis, rotavirus, pneumonia, inflammatory bowel and some autoimmune diseases.Download PDF Brochure @Abbott Laboratories, Roche Diagnostics, Thermo Fisher Scientifics, Bio-Rad Laboratories and Dr. Reddys Laboratories are the key players in the infectious immunology market.This report provides comprehensive analysis of Market growth drivers Factors limiting market growth Current market trends Market structure Market projections for upcoming yearsSome of the most recent developments in the global Infectious Immunology market have made it vigorous for the significant players to entirely understand the market keeping in mind the end goal to create effective business tactics. The report portrays a thorough summary of the global Infectious Immunology market and investigates the key micro- and macro-economic factors distressing the growth of the market. The report moreover projects the size and valuation of the global market in the near future.The report inspects the entire demand and supply chain in the global Infectious Immunology market and distillates the various components. The result of Porters five forces on the growth of the market has been similarly studied in the report. Referring to case studies, the report follows the historical development of the market. The demand for each of the product types has been surveyed in the report.Relating to the latest hierarchy in the global Infectious Immunology market, the report summaries some of the crucial players operative in the market. Separating data about the critical players including their income, business division, item portfolio, and money related diagram has been coordinated in the report. Most recent upgrades in the business have been taken into concern while envisioning the future viewpoint of the market. The report additionally embodies the different showcasing diverts winning in the worldwide market and passes on data around few of the basic wholesalers working in the market. The report assists as a helpful guide for the new as well as prevailing players in the market.Major Points Covered in Table of Contents:1 Industry Overview2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Infectious Immunology Market3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis4 Production Analyses of Infectious Immunology Market by Regions, Technology, and Applications5 Sales and Revenue Analysis of Infectious Immunology Market by Regions6 Analyses of Infectious Immunology Market Production, Supply, Sales and Market Status 2018-20257 Analysis of Infectious Immunology Market industry Key Manufacturers8 Price and Gross Mar Infectious Immunology Analysis9 Marketing Traders or Distributor Analysis of Infectious Immunology Market10 Development Trend of Infectious Immunology Market industries 2018-202511 Industry Chain Suppliers of Infectious Immunology Market with Contact Information12 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Infectious Immunology Market13 Conclusion of the Infectious Immunology industry 2018 Market Research ReportGet More Information @Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin - 77064,+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.comResearch N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently, we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Top 7 Trendlines in Cataract Surgery Devices Market; Key Players- Abbott Laboratories, Novartis AG, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Essilor International S.A.

CATARACT SURGERY DEVICES

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Cataract surgery devices market was valued at $7,025 million in 2016, and is projected to reach $9,587 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2017 to 2023. The intraocular lenses (IOLs) segment accounted for half share of the global market in 2016." Due to the rapid technological advancements in healthcare industry and the growth in geriatric population, the cataract surgery devices market is expected to have a healthy growth rate during the forecast period. In addition, due to the high population of individuals aged 65 years and above in Asia-Pacific, this region is expected to grow at a high growth rate during 2017-2023. "Get sample copy for industry insight:Cataract is a condition in which clouding of the lens occurs. Cataract surgery devices are instruments and consumables, such as intraocular lens (IOLs), salt solutions, forceps, syringe, liquids for scrubbing, and various hand pieces, which aid in a cataract surgery. These surgery devices help enter vitreous cavity and separating the natural lens from the cavity.Top Impacting Factors:Increase in incidences of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. In addition, the growth in geriatric population also boosts the growth of the market as geriatric population is more prone to cataract ailments. However, dearth of skilled professionals restrain the growth of the market. Moreover, government and non-profit organizations introduce programs to reduce the burden of cataract-related diseases globally, which create lucrative opportunities for key market players.The consumables segment generated the highest revenue in 2016 accounting for two-thirds share of the global market, and is anticipated to dominate the market throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the increase in demand for cataract surgeries, which in turn boost the growth of the consumables segment.Access full summary:The ophthalmology clinics segment accounted for the three-eighths share of the global market in 2016, and is expected to register the highest CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period. This is attributed to the increase in awareness among individual due to the various camps and activities conducted by ophthalmology clinics. In addition, ophthalmology clinics also has a vast range of cataract surgical equipment, which are mostly scarce in hospital settings.Asia-Pacific witnessed the highest growth rate in the global market from 2017 to 2023. This is attributed to growth in awareness related to cataract as well as due to the introduction of novel cataract surgery procedures. For instance, in 2012 bladeless cataract surgery was introduced in India. However, laser-assisted cataract surgery was not widely accepted at the beginning, nevertheless after the introduction of many reimbursement schemes by the government and increase in awareness, laser-assisted cataract surgeries are accepted widely in the Asia-Pacific.The key players operating in the global cataract surgery devices market have adopted product launch as their key developmental strategy and have focused on launching innovative products to cater the requirements and strengthen their market share. The major companies profiled in the report include Abbott Laboratories, Novartis AG, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Essilor International S.A., HAAG-Streit Holding AG, Johnson & Johnson, Nidek Co., Ltd., Topcon Corporation, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., and Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG.Make purchase enquiry:Key Findings of the Cataract Surgery Devices Market: The phacoemulsification systems segment accounted for one-third share of the total market in 2016 and is expected to grow with a high CAGR of 4.4% during the forecast period. The equipment segment is the fastest growing type of cataract surgery devices of global market in 2016, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period. The U.S. dominated the North America cataract surgery devices market, accounting for the maximum share of the global market in 2016. Asia-Pacific is exhibited to grow at a significant CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period. China was the fastest growing country in the Asia-Pacific cataract surgery devices market in 2016, registering a CAGR of 9.3%, and is anticipated to continue this trend during the forecast period. The hospitals segment contributed to the highest market share in 2016, registering a CAGR of 4.0% from 2017to 2023.About UsAllied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:Shriram Dighe5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb:Organ Preservation Solutions Market to Reach US$0.20 Bn by the End of 2019

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A new Transparency Market Research report states that the global Organ Preservation Solutions Market was valued at US$0.06 bn in 2012 and is expected to reach US$0.20 bn by the end of 2019, by rising at a 16.50% CAGR between 2013 and 2019. The title of the report is Organ Preservation Solutions Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019.In case of organ donation surgeries, the process of the perseveration of donated organs starts after the removal of the required organ, such as liver, kidney, heart, or pancreas, from the body of the donor. The organ is placed in a number of layers of sterile containers and an icy slush mixture surrounds these sterile containers. This mixture is known as an organ preservation solution. The goal of this solution is to keep the organs cold but not frozen. This solution aids in maintaining the viability of the organs starting from the time of donation of the organ to the time of transplantation.Request to View Sample of Report -As per the report, the increasing technological developments are amongst the key factors fuelling the growth of the market. For instance, Lifeblood Medical, Inc.s launch of Lifor, also known as blood surrogate, being presently used for research purposes, may effectively be employed for the preservation of veterinary and human organs in the coming years. In addition, the upswing in per capita healthcare expenditure in a number of nations globally will also have a positive impact on the market for organ preservation solutions. Furthermore, the increasing aging population globally will also augment the development of the market. On the other hand, the soaring cost of procedures and the unavailability of organ donors are amongst the chief factors that may impede the growth of the market in the forthcoming years.On the basis of solution, the report segments the market for organ preservation solutions into Viaspan, Custodiol HTK (Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate) Solution, RENOGRAF, HypoThermosol, PERFADEX, Lifor, Human BioSystems (HBS) Solution, siRNA Transplant Solutions, and others. Amongst these, in 2012, Custodiol HTK Solution led the market on the basis of revenue and is poised to expand at the highest growth rate in the forecast horizon. This is owing to its increasing usage in the preservation of various organs such as lungs, liver, pancreas, and kidneys.Request to View Brochure of Report -By preservation technique, the report segments the market into hypothermic perfusion preservation (HPP), static cold storage (SCS), and others. Amongst these, SCS is leading the market owing to it being a more cost-effective and user-friendly technique for physicians in comparison to HPP. However, HPP is anticipated to experience the highest demand in the forecast period owing to its benefit of organ preservation for longer periods of time. In addition, the decreasing count of organ donors and the rising demand for organs globally will also propel the demand for HPP in the coming years.Geographically, the market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Amongst these, in 2012, Europe led the market for organ preservation solutions owing to the rising count of donors within countries such as Spain.Bristol-Myers Squibb, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Dr. Franz Kohler Chemie GmbH, and XVIVO Perfusion AB, among others are the players dominant in the market, as per this study.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Hospital Infection Therapeutics Market: The Antibacterial Drugs Segment Dominated the Market

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A new market research study, titled Hospital Infection Therapeutics Market - Global Industry Analysis, Pipeline Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020, has been published by Transparency Market Research, providing a comprehensive analysis of the market. The major driving factors, barriers, and current trends of the global hospital infection therapeutics market have been included in the scope of the research report.As per the research study, in 2013, the global market for hospital infection therapeutics was valued at US$3.1 bn and is estimated to reach US$3.6 bn by the end of 2020. The market is predicted to exhibit a 3.10% CAGR between 2014 and 2020.Request to View Sample of Report -Hospital-acquired infections are majorly caused by fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens. Several cases of hospital infections are acquired from the intensive care units of hospitals. A huge number of antimicrobial drugs have demonstrated their capability in treating a wide range of hospital infections. The increasing number of pipeline drug molecules in the hospital infection therapeutics market is one of the biggest opportunities for the growth of the market. In addition, the absence of skilled staff in developing and underdeveloped countries and growing prevalence of several hospital infections are the major factors expected to fuel the growth of the market in the next few years.Based on the major prominent types of drugs in the market, the global market for hospital infection therapeutics has been segmented into antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal drugs. In 2013, the antibacterial drugs segment dominated the market, accounting for a 70.7% share in the global market for hospital infection therapeutics. This segment is projected to grow at a fast pace in the next few years. The research study has further analyzed the major drugs in the pipeline, including Plazomicin, Ceftolozane, Delafloxacin, Eravacycline, Surotomycin, Tedizolid, Amikacin Inhale, MK-3415A, CAZ AVI, Dalvance, and Oritavancin.On the basis of type of infection, the global market for hospital infection therapeutics has been categorized into gastrointestinal disorders, hospital-acquired pneumonia, urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, bloodstream infections, and other infections. In 2013, the hospital-acquired pneumonia segment accounted for a 20% share in the global market for hospital infection therapeutics. Nevertheless, the urinary tract infections segment is anticipated to grow rapidly in the near future.Request to View Brochure of Report -Currently, North America leads the overall market and is estimated to remain in the leading position in the next few years. North America is closely trailed by Europe. The rapid growth of these two regional markets can be attributed to the increasing healthcare awareness and growing demand for advanced drugs. On the other hand, the Asia Pacific market for hospital infection therapeutics is estimated to witness the fastest growth throughout the forecast period.Furthermore, the research report talks about the competitive scenario of the global market for hospital infection therapeutics. Detailed profiles of the prominent players have been discussed in the scope of the research study. Some of the leading players operating in the market are Bayer AG, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., Actavis plc, Sanofi, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Merck & Co., Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Pfizer, Inc., AstraZeneca plc, and Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Meningococcal Vaccines Market | Rising Incidence of Meningococcal Disease Propels Demand

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The global Meningococcal Vaccines Market consists of a good number of established players who are on a quest to expand their market shares. The competition in the market has been stiffening over the past decade, partly due to the innovative business strategies of leading players, and majorly on account of the continual entry of new players. The companies operating in the pharmaceutical industry can easily expand their horizons by manufacturing meningococcal vaccines and this is the prime reason behind the emergence of new market players. The established market vendors have attained a deft level of expertise in the manufacture, sale, and marketing of products, thus, enhancing their growth prospects in the contemporary times.On the other hand, the smaller market vendors in the global meningococcal vaccines market are expected to form strategic alliances to counter the strong footholds of the leading players. The manufacture of novel drugs by leading players such as Sanofi, GSK, and Pfizer has resulted in an increased share of these players in the total market share. Besides all of the aforementioned factors, the decisive factor in the growth of the market vendors is the expertise with conducting core research in the field of meningococcal vaccines.Other key vendors in the global market for meningococcal vaccines are Biomed Pvt. Ltd., Serum Institute of India Ltd., Baxter International Inc., Nuron Biotech, Novartis International AG, and GlaxoSmithKline plc.A report by Transparency Market Research (TMR) is an aplomb description of the global market for meningococcal vaccines. The report estimates that the global market would settle at an astral CAGR of 12.40% over the period between 2014 and 2022. Furthermore, the researchers of the report predicted that the global market for meningococcal vaccines would accumulate revenues worth USD 4.450.4 million by 2022.Request to View Sample of Report -Rising Incidence of Meningococcal Disease Propels DemandThe occurrence of meningococcal disease relies on several factors inclusive of age, geographical location, environmental fettle, and immunity. Such a wide range of factors responsible for the diseases also increases its rate of incidence, and this gives an impetus to the growth of the global market for meningococcal vaccines. The rising incidence of the disease is rebutted by the awareness campaigns to inform and educate people about the ills of meningococcal disease and ways to prevent and treat it. This has also created growth spaces for the pharmaceutical companies manufacturing vaccines and drugs for the treatment of meningococcal. The efforts of international bodies towards building a strong healthcare awareness framework have also aided the growth of the global market. Subsidization of vaccinations and mandates from global healthcare bodies have also benefitted the global market for meningococcal diseases.Request to View Brochure of Report -Cost Wars could hamper Market GrowthThe cost wars that have cropped with from the drug makers of similar vaccines is expected to hamper the growth of the global market. Furthermore, the penetration of the market into regions with strict regulatory framework for the manufacture of drugs is also a hindrance to market growth. There have been several attempts to build a robust base for research and development of antibodies in key European regions but to no avail. Nevertheless, the efforts of the leading vendors to capture maximum regional share is expected to enhance the growth prospects of the global market for meningococcal disease.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Body Worn Insect Repellent Market Key Player Analysis by 3M Company, Sawyer Products, S. C. Johnson, and Reckitt Benckiser Group

Body Worn Insect Repellent Market, Body Worn Insect Repellent Market Study, Body Worn Insect Repellent Market Size, Body Worn Inse

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Body Worn Insect Repellent Market report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Body Worn Insect Repellent industry market by Key players and regions. This report also displays the 2024 production, Consumption, revenue, Gross margin, Cost, Gross, market share, types, applications, and Market influencing factors of the Body Worn Insect Repellent Market.Stringent government regulations concerning consumers safety for the use of specific ingredients may act as a challenge for the industry participants. Also, the availability of traditional natural substitutes such as neem oil, lemongrass extract or eucalyptus oil is expected to hamper the market growth. The fluctuating raw material cost will have a direct impact on the body worn insect repellent market price trend.Body worn insect repellent industry from Asia Pacific dominates the overall demand and is expected to witness more than 7.5% CAGR up to 2024. Latin America industry growth is mainly contributed by Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Over 2.3 million Latin Americans are affected by mosquito born illness. Yellow fever, Chikungunya, west Nile virus, dengue, malaria and Zika fever cases are mostly seen in Latin American countries.This report focuses on the top Manufacturers and players in global market are given bellow:-3M Company, Sawyer Products, S. C. Johnson, and Reckitt Benckiser Group are among the major players in body worn insect repellent market. BASF, Omega Pharma, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Spectrum Brands and ExOfficio LLCRequest a Sample of this premium Research Report@Increasing arthropod borne disease occurrences along with rising outdoor recreational activities will drive the body worn insect repellent market growth. Proliferating number of health awareness programs and development of innovative products will further escalate the demand. Numerous advantages including protecting people from bugs while working in forest and agricultural field will drive penetration. Relief from itching, discomfort and irritation caused by bug bites will remain key factors strengthening product demand.In 2017, oils and creams products generated more than USD 215 million. Rising health awareness along with the easy product usage will enhance the demand. Oil and creams are further classified into synthetic based and plant based on ingredient content. Synthetic oil and creams products dominates the market share and has witnessed the revenue share of over 60% in 2017. The demand for synthetic based products is expected to decrease in the future, as there is a shifting preference towards plant-based products due to the increasing consumer awareness of natural products and its minimal side-effects.Body Worn Insect Repellent Market Size By ProductApparel {Trouser, Shirts, Jacket, Head Nets}, Oil and creams {Synthetic, Plant Based}, Stickers & Patches, SpraysBy Distribution ChannelSupermarket, Online Stores, Convenience StoreIndustry Analysis Report, Regional OutlookU.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Sweden, Netherland, Poland, Russia, Vietnam, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, UAE, KSARequest a Discount on standard prices of this premium Body Worn Insect Repellent Market Research Report@The growing number of distribution channel platforms is a major driving factor for the industry demand. Selling bug repellent products through online platform will witness the fastest growth during the forecast period. The online distribution channel of insect repellent oil and creams market generated over USD 24 million revenue in 2017. Easy product availability through various websites along with freedom to compare product will enhance the product penetration.More Report At:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News:More Report at:



A weekly collection of new hires, transitions, promotions and award winners in Oregon and southwest Washington:



MOVES/HIRES:



Mercedes Elizalde will join Central City Concern as public policy director next week. The Portland nonprofit was founded in 1979 and provides housing, health care and employment for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.

As public policy director, Elizalde will collaborate with government agencies and community organizations to advance policy initiatives in support of CCC's mission. Elizalde most recently served as policy and engagement strategist for Seattle Councilmember Debora Juarez.



Longtime Providence leader Lisa Vance has been named chief executive for Providence Health & Services in Oregon. Vance replaces Dave Underriner, who took a position in Hawaii in April.

Vance has spent 27 years with Providence in Oregon in a range of leadership roles, including five years as chief executive for Providence Portland Medical Center and two years as chief executive for Oregon Clinical Programs and Home and Community Services. She will start in her new role in mid-August.





Portland-based Brandlive, a company that provides an omni-channel live video platform for brands and retailers to modernize training, marketing and eCommerce, has hired Jeff Allen as its new CEO. Most recently, Allen was the global head of strategy and partnerships for Brightcove.



The Historic Trust of Vancouver has named Mike Williams as interim president and CEO as the organization searches for a permanent lead. Williams has 12 years of serving on The Historic Trust board. The Trust is currently conducting a regional and nation-wide search for a permanent president and CEO.





OPENINGS:



Local Grocer, a project that brings farm-fresh, local produce to Southeast Portland, opened a story the the "Small Mall" (14800 S.E. Powell Boulevard) July 1.



Local Grocer was started by the husband and wife team of Roy and Rosalie Crowe. The store sources food directly from local farmers, producers, and artisans.



Have a new hire, promotion or business award to share? Email us at business@oregonian.com, and put Attention: Business Movers in the subject line.The new principal of a troubled Portland middle school came before the school board last week with a promise.

This year, she said, will be different.

The subtext to that assurance: Portland's effort to open its first new neighborhood middle school in 30 years has been a disaster thus far. The last two years at Ockley Green Middle School went so poorly the board flagged oversight and reform of the North Portland school as a top priority.

An October 2017 assessment found people in the know described Ockley Green as a place where "dysfunction has become normalized." The school was handed from principal to interim principal to a second interim leader in just two years. Anger this spring from parents and teachers forced the then-human resources director to undo a decision to crack down on a teacher and, instead, acknowledge "the historical failure of the district to consistently support the Ockley Green community."

Enter Kristina Howard, who is not only new to the school but Portland Public Schools. She comes from Green Dot charter school network's Excel Public Charter Schoolin Kent, Washington, and before that various administrative roles in Texas public schools. On July 24, she sat in front of the board and shared her plans for her new assignment. Next to her sat her boss, Senior Director Karl Logan, who isn't new and has overseen Ockley Green since it reopened. In his introduction of Howard, Logan noted she'd been on the job less than a month.

Howard was one of a handful of principals who gave the school board detailed updates on their schools that evening. All of those principals have schools in precarious positions because of change. For example, the principals of the two middle schools that will open this school year, Roseway Heights and Harriet Tubman, also gave updates.

Ockley Green parent Lori Lyons Lachman told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the school's rough start is a cautionary tale for Roseway and Tubman. The children aren't to blame for Ockley's failures,Lachman said; the anomaly that explains widespread issues at the school these past two years is that it is new.

"When you are starting a new school, there is no culture. Nothing is in place. You are basically starting from scratch. And I think that you need to develop community, you need to develop student rapport you need to develop pride, you need to develop expectations for students and you need the teachers to have buy-in," Lachman said. "When you are starting something, none of that is there."

Kristina Howard

Howard told the board she's focused on data. What she'll find is a school that serves mostly students of color and children from low-income homes, employs teachers who are relatively inexperienced and posted 2017 test scores well-below the district average and below statewide averages for students in most racial, socioeconomic and language groups. In 2016-17, the most recent year for which figures are available, suspension rates and chronic absenteeism both were high.

Howard told the board in addition to scrutinizing data she wants to hear from the community and has already met with students.

"What did the students tell you?" school board member Julia-Brim Edwards asked. "What do you need to know about Ockley?"

"Oh my gosh it was so enlightening!" Howard said with a laugh. "They want tardy sweeps. They said kids are in the hallway and they want them in class."

Howard went on to list other feedback. Over and over, she said, students demanded structure.

They asked for acknowledgement and rewards for good work and positive behavior, she said. Another request, she said, was a clear message from all staff that they care. Students, she said, wanted to feel that they could easily talk to everyone in the school. That rapport, they told Howard, existed with some employees but not all.

Lachman said she's encouraged by Howard's background and said from what she's heard Howard has experience with high-turnover schools in need of leadership.

The biggest problem at the school, Lachman said, is so many students, including her own daughter, now have huge gaps in their educations because of months with substitute teachers. Howard, she said, seems to understand that need and know how to address it. As a result, Lachman said she feels more optimistic than she has in the past.

"I'm hoping that she is strong enough and can create a culture within the school that makes kids proud and want to succeed," Lachman said. "It's all hope at this point. That's all you can have is hope."

Superintendent Guerrero told Howard he was confident she would "work out the mechanics" given her experience and thanked her for coming to Ockley Green.

"People have been looking forward to your arrival," school board chair Rita Moore told Howard. "Ockley is a school that needs a lot of love."

 Bethany Barnes

Got a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email Bethany: bbarnes@oregonian.comTenants at a Southeast Portland apartment complex are mounting a rent strike after they say their landlord raised rents while failing to address maintenance concerns.

Twenty-five residents of Holgate Manor, an 81-unit complex near Southeast 36th Place and Holgate Boulevard, say they won't pay rent until a series of code violations are addressed. The residents have complained of pest infestations, mold, leaks and other damage that's gone unrepaired, and a city inspector determined parts of the complex were in violation of city code.

Participating tenants, backed by the tenants rights organization Portland Tenants United, announced the rent strike outside Portland City Hall on Wednesday morning.

"We don't want to cost them monetarily," said Holgate Manor resident Sara Brassfield. "We want them to understand the cost of renting us homes that aren't 100 percent habitable, especially when they're giving us rent increases."

State Rep. Rob Nosse, a Democrat who represents the residents' district, spoke Wednesday morning in support of the strike.

"These tenants are engaging in a righteous struggle and fight," he said, adding that the owner of the complex should allow them to stay.

Willamette Week wrote about the uncertainty at the apartment community in March. The newspaper also first reported the planned rent strike on Tuesday.

Attorneys caution against withholding rent because it can backfire if tenants don't follow steps outlined in state law. It also "almost guarantees" the landlord will attempt to evict the tenant, according to the Oregon State Bar.

The residents said they'll pay into an escrow account during the strike. They hope the strike will bring their property manager to the negotiating table, but they could also end up facing an eviction in court, where they can plead their case before a judge.

In that event, the city code violations and money placed in escrow should protect them from eviction, said Margot Black, an organizer for Portland Tenants United.

The striking residents said they've have been at odds with the building's owner, Fred Kleinbub of La Jolla, California, since early this year. Shortly after he bought the complex for $12 million in January, property managers announced plans for renovations.

Through Princeton Property Management of Portland, Kleinbub in March offered to pay residents up to $5,500 to vacate ahead of renovation work. The company said residents could return once the work is complete at discounted rates, though the discount would last only for one year.

Residents who didn't take the payment, however, said their rents were increased 9.9 percent this year -- just under the threshold beyond which landlords must compensate tenants for relocation costs under city code.

The apartment complex, which had offered uncommonly low rates for the neighborhood, attracted a diverse community, some of whom are immigrants who don't speak English.

"Immigrants and refugees coming to our community need to be able to stay and not be pushed out," Black said.

A public relations firm that had represented Kleinbub earlier said it was no longer in touch with him and declined to provide contact information. He could not be directly reached; Princeton Property Management's phone went unanswered Wednesday morning.

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjusBy LEONARD PITTS, JR.

All she asked was that someone pray for her.

As relayed on Twitter by the activist Brittany Packnett, the unnamed woman certainly had good reason to seek help, divine or otherwise. She was one of the people held hostage by a gunman last week in an L.A. Trader Joe's. According to Packnett, her friend was hiding in the back of the store with her husband and a pregnant woman. All three survived, though another woman was killed.

The prayer request was too much for "Elizabeth Post," a self-described "Australian who is sickened by hypocrites." Though she has the name of a famous etiquette writer, Post responded with a series of tweets noteworthy for their remarkable lack of grace.

"Has that worked in all the other shootings?" she demanded. "No. Prayer does nothing. If prayer worked, there would be no shootings."

And: "It only makes you feel good. You only ask others to pray on Twitter & Facebook to gain popularity for yourself."

And: "It gives people's egos a huge boost to believe they have the power to influence 'Almighty god' ."

Post's snotty tirade struck a nerve, recalling exchanges I've had over the years whenever I've spoken my conviction that God is. While that tends to leave conservatives sputtering about how you can't be a "real" Christian while supporting LGBTQ rights, some liberal responses are even more irritating.

With oozing condescension, they lament that someone otherwise so smart and perceptive - i.e., someone who agrees with them on the issues - can't let go of faith. For them, faith and progressive politics are incompatible. Which would likely come as a surprise to the Revs. Jim Wallis of Sojourners and William Barber of the Poor People's Campaign. To say nothing of Barack Obama. And Jimmy Carter. And Rosa Parks. And Martin Luther King Jr.

Look, I get it.

I get that "thoughts and prayers" has become the go-to cliche for those who intend to do nothing about gun violence.

I get that some putative Christians use faith as justification for racism, misogyny, homophobia and Islamophobia.

I get that others ally themselves with a president who could not be less Christian if he had three sixes carved into his forehead.

But I also get that none of that, none of the failings of the human structure we call religion, has the slightest thing to do with the question of whether God is.

This being America, you have the right to answer that question in whatever way satisfies you. Many of my liberal friends will come to conclusions different from mine, and I respect that. I wish more of them would return the favor. Because I'm here to tell you: The condescension is getting old. Moreover, I find it interesting that folks who would never judge a Muslim by the lunatics who share her faith are so ready to judge me by the lunatics who share mine.

If all of time, space, history and reality - everything that is, ever has been and ever will be - could be represented by a vast arena, then you and I, in our piddling 70-something years of mortal life, are like someone looking in to that arena through a peephole. So a little humility might not be a bad thing for any of us, no matter what we believe, or don't.

That, as "Elizabeth Post" spectacularly failed to understand, is precisely what a prayer is, a confession of one's own humble state, a realization that you cannot see much through a peephole - and a decision to be OK with that. Life is vicissitudes, vicissitudes are life. And as a preacher I know recently observed, prayer is not just a plea to get out of those trials.

It's also a way of getting through.

(c) 2018, The Miami HeraldBy Amelia Ernst and Cal Quinn-Ward

Recently, two Grant High School students have published op-eds about the need for a diversity of opinions. They claim that Grant praises social equality, but enforces "ideological homogeneity." By citing instances where conservative ideas were met with hostility, the students argue that free speech is under attack. In an attempt to prove their point, both pieces victimize conservative voices and provide superficial perspectives that fail to address power structures. As students who have attended Grant, we have the necessary situational understanding to break down these complaints and address the larger context to the rhetoric of free speech.

At the core, these students are not arguing for free speech. They are merely upset that reactions to opinions -- often founded in hate -- are not presented in a palatable manner. This argument is a poor effort to try to mask their perceived entitlement to respect and civility, no matter their opinion.

Any attempt to reduce negative reactions would contradict their argument of free speech. Believing that a polite demeanor negates the inherent bigotry in defending relics of slavery is misguided. Communities, in high school and at large, are justified in fighting back against a hateful agenda or debating countering ideology -- no matter the tone of the original argument.

Within the walls of Grant, conservative ideas may be met with resistance, but it is crucial to recognize that the school is not isolated from the country's political landscape. To suggest that conservative ideas are being marginalized is to ignore the immense institutional power that these voices hold. The funding schemes and media-backing of these opinions should not be taken lightly. Opposition to conservativism does not equate to the systemic oppression that marginalized groups experience.

The cry that one's 'free speech' is being infringed upon is often employed as a tool to distract from analyses of oppressive structures and promote a reactionary agenda. The far right is quick to draw attention to the seemingly outlandish responses they garner. In doing this, they divert from legitimate critiques of the deeply embedded white supremacy and fascist undertones of their movements.

Playing up a narrative of the 'intolerant left' and masquerading as victims, they gain space to further grow their organizations and terrorize vulnerable populations. Let's not forget that prior to his racist tirades and brutal stabbings on the MAX line, Jeremy Christian was emboldened by a Portland alt-right "March for Free Speech." While it is not the students' intention, both students seem to classify oppressive ideas as just another different point of view as they make the call for a diversity of opinions. To consider chauvinistic rhetoric simply another perspective worth hearing out is to give fascism a platform.

The students give a false portrayal of Grant's environment as a homogeneous liberal bubble where all hold the same values aside from a few repressed right-wing students. Classroom conversations featuring the same tired free speech rhetoric and pleas to hear out conservative views are more common than analyses of class or power.

The published articles ignore the actual culture of hostility towards working-class students, students of color and queer students while labeling those who display casual racism to be an oppressed group.

In a school where swastikas and fascist symbolism appear on a regular basis, we need to maintain focus on threats of targeted violence.

In a school where black students were 14.2 times more likely to be suspended or expelled, there should not be room to pretend conservatives are facing oppression.

In a school where, not too long ago, a homecoming-king-turned-neo-nazi-skinhead murdered Mulugeta Seraw, we need to be more -- not less -- diligent in shutting down white supremacist sympathies.

When students are conditioned to wield power, any argument to your politics feels like you are being silenced. This is not about individual identities. Being white, cis, male etc. has never meant one is unable to hold an opinion. But when one's viewpoints begin to perpetuate oppression, regardless of where they lie on the political spectrum, they should be met with critical backlash.

As of right now, we are in a struggle for control, not a dialogue. Making room for reactionary voices will further legitimize hate. Instead, let's start having critical conversations and get to work dismantling power imbalances. Only then, will we have the equal footing that is fundamental to speech that's truly free.

-- Amelia Ernst will be a senior at Grant High School, and Cal Quinn-Ward graduated from Grant in June. Both live in Northeast Portland.

Share your opinion

Submit your essay of 800 words or less on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.An FBI supervisor approached members of the agency's Hostage Rescue Team after refuge occupation spokesman Robert "LaVoy" Finicum lay dead in the snow at a highway roadblock in 2016.

Agent Ian McConnell asked the sharpshooters if they were OK and if anybody had fired their guns.

All nodded their heads that they were fine, except one, McConnell said.

Team member W. Joseph Astarita said something like, "Hey bro, I'm good" or "You don't got to ask me that,'' McConnell testified Tuesday in the second week of Astarita's federal trial in Portland.

Another Hostage Rescue Team agent, Christopher Scott, said he was present during McConnell's exchange with Astarita and recounted it a bit differently. Scott said he heard McConnell ask Astarita if any of "our guys had shot.''

"He said, 'No bro, you can't ask me that right now,''' Scott recalled.

McConnell asked Astarita once again, saying he just had to know if any of their agents had shot, Scott said.

"You know you can't ask me that right now,'' Astarita responded, according to Scott.

That's when Scott interjected. "Yes he can ask that question,'' he said he told Astarita. "There's admin things that have to happen'' to document shootings.

Astarita then said, according to Scott, "No, we're good.''

McConnell that night told his boss about Astarita's remark.

"That response was a pet peeve of mine,'' McConnell said. "I took it as a flippant response. I was kind of like he's wasting my time. ... Why was he messing with me?''

But on cross-examination, McConnell acknowledged that while he didn't like the response, he took it to mean that Astarita wasn't injured and hadn't used his rifle as authorities moved in to arrest the leaders of the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon.

"You do not feel as though you were deceived?'' Astarita's defense lawyer Robert Cary asked.

"Correct,'' McConnell said.

U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones earlier threw out a count of making a false statement related to the exchange. But Astarita still faces two counts of making a false statement to other FBI supervisors and obstruction of justice during an investigation interview with Oregon state police detectives.

He's accused of lying about having fired two shots at Finicum's truck before two state police officers fatally shot Finicum moments later. One of the disputed shots hit the roof of Finicum's truck as he stepped out and the other missed. No one has admitted taking those shots at the roadblock after Finicum sped away from the initial stop a mile south on U.S. 395 outside of Burns.

Prosecutors also called several Oregon State Police SWAT officers and FBI agents to the witness stand Tuesday. The FBI agents included members or supervisors of the agency's blue, gray and gold Hostage Rescue Teams involved in the Jan. 26, 2016, police stop and roadblock.

Among the highlights:

-- FBI agent Gregory J. Ferner and his police dog Zoro were hiking at Oregon's Smith Rock when Ferner got the call to head to Burns as quickly as possible to help arrest the refuge occupiers. He arrived about five minutes before the FBI and Oregon State Police SWAT teams headed out to U.S. 395.

Ferner said he heard another FBI agent, Tim Dugan, yell a "cuss word" at a state trooper who fired a rubber bullet at occupation organizer Ryan Payne when authorities first stopped the leaders on the highway and Payne had put his hands out the front passenger window of Finicum's truck.

FBI agent Justin Travis Elkins said he had his eyes trained on Payne at the initial police stop, and the state police officer's firing of a rubber round "was totally unexpected.''

Dugan turned to the state police officer and yelled, "WTF was that?!'' Elkins confirmed. He said Payne was complying with commands, and the officer's shot escalated the vehicle stop.

Ferner later sat in a truck with Astarita after Finicum was shot and described Astarita's demeanor as "typical nervous kind of relief'' reflecting that he was rattled that a colleague had narrowly missed being run over by Finicum's truck and that Finicum had been killed.

-- FBI agent Jedediah Oakley, a member of the Hostage Rescue Team's gold unit under McConnell, said he arrived at the roadblock and saw Finicum out of his truck. He tried to get a clear sight on him with his rifle but couldn't because Finicum was moving through the snow.

"I probably would have used deadly force,'' Oakley said, after watching Finicum reach into his jacket but the agent couldn't get a fix on him. Investigators later said Finicum had a loaded gun inside his jacket.

Oakley testified that he noticed the rear tires of Finicum's truck spinning - a point that the defense is expected to use to bolster its argument that Finicum's truck likely had settled in the snow. Defense lawyers contend government forensic experts failed to account for that when determining the source of the bullet that struck the roof of the truck's cab.

-- State police SWAT trooper Jeremiah Beckert said he provided cover for fellow SWAT officer Bob Olson, who fired 40mm rubber rounds of pepper spray into the passenger side window of Finicum's truck after Finicum was killed to try to get the passengers to surrender.

Beckert said he was standing near Astarita at the scene and Astarita was "unusually amped up,'' moving around a lot and "barking commands.'' His reaction was in marked contrast to other officers at the scene who were calm and collected, Beckert said.

-- Olson, the state police SWAT officer, also said Astarita's behavior stood out after the shooting.

"He seemed a little overboard in his emotions - almost seemed like a rookie to me,'' said Olson, with state police for more than 10 years and five years with its SWAT team.

Olson also said he helped arrest Ryan Bundy, one of the occupation leaders who had been riding with Finicum.

Bundy told him: "When you guys were shooting, I think I was hit in the shoulder,'' Olson recalled. Olson cut through Bundy's "buttoned-up western shirt,'' his sweatshirt and cotton shirt and found what looked like an entry bullet wound, he said.

While Bundy was on his knees on the east side of the road handcuffed, Astarita walked over and looked as if he was examining Bundy's right shoulder. A dashcam video from a state police car caught the moment, which was played for jurors.

Astarita also knocked off Bundy's cowboy hat.

"Astarita smacked his hat off his head,'' Olson testified, adding that there was no reason for him to have done so.

Olson reported also seeing an unusual "nice neat pile'' of less-lethal 40 mm rounds beside a white state police truck parked in the middle of the roadblock. The pile was near "two to three'' brass-colored rifle casings he noticed as officers tried to arrest others in Finicum's truck, he said.

But later that evening, Olson said, the brass rifle casings were gone.

-- Scott, one of the Hostage Rescue Team agents, also is a paramedic. He said he assessed Finicum lying in the snow. He found no pulse, no respiratory rate. He put a cardiac monitor on Finicum but found no activity. "There was really nothing to do for him at that point,'' Scott said.

Scott then turned his attention to Ryan Bundy. He asked for Bundy's consent to treat his shoulder wound or laceration. Bundy declined and Scott alerted others that they should call for civilian medics to respond. Bundy was taken to Harney District Hospital, Scott said.

While at the roadblock, Scott said he spotted two spent rifle casings near the front of the FBI truck that formed part of a "V'' in the northbound lane of U.S. 395.

-- Timothy Swanson, chief of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team's blue unit that Astarita was on, was monitoring the stop and arrest of the refuge leaders via a live video feed from the FBI aerial plane while in Boise, Idaho.

A day and a half later, once in Burns, he learned there was an unaccounted-for bullet strike to Finicum's truck and an "inference'' or "insinuation'' that rifle brass casings had been picked up from the scene.

Swanson said he met with each of his agents individually and asked them if they had fired. Astarita, agent John Neitert and an agent identified in court only as B.M. each told him they hadn't.

He also addressed them as a group, telling them he needed to know whether any of them had fired, that from his military experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan it's possible people don't know if they pulled the trigger and that he believed all the shots that day were legally justified. All said they hadn't fired.

"At that point I had no reason to believe any of them were lying to me,'' Swanson said.

Swanson, though, never asked the agents if they had picked up any shell casings at the scene.

"I couldn't even fathom someone would pick up brass casings at a shooting I believe was legally justified,'' Swanson said.

-- FBI agent Lincoln Lukich, also a medic, said Astarita asked him at the roadblock after Finicum was killed, "Have you seen anything on the ground?'' Astarita didn't specify and Lukich said he didn't ask and didn't think the question was odd.

-- FBI agent Anthony Loscalzo, assistant team leader for the Hostage Rescue Team's blue unit, was shown the FBI's infrared video of agents walking around the shooting scene at the roadblock about 5:30 p.m. that day.

Asked by a prosecutor if he was among those men, "I don't believe I was,'' he said.

Asked to clarify, Loscalzo said, "I don't remember walking around taking those actions.''

Asked if it would be odd for officers to traipse through a shooting scene, Loscalzo said no. Officers might have been bored and tired, he said. He said he didn't remember seeing anyone picking anything up.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonianLA GRANDE (AP)  Oregon police say a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old survived an explosion that happened when they were left alone and tried to make popcorn in a microwave located above a gas range.

The children were taken to a hospital for evaluation and found to have no injuries.

Their parents Stephen and Clarissa Seed were arrested after Sunday's explosion on neglect charges. The Observer newspaper reports they posted bail. It's unknown if they have a lawyer.

The explosion blew out a front window and tore apart a back door. The children fled and took refuge inside a parked vehicle.

Police say the parents told investigators they had been looking for a lost dog for two hours. The dog was at the house when responders arrived.

The children were taken into protective custody.

-- The Associated PressA southern Oregon man is accused of trying to kill his roommate with a hatchet in their home, authorities say.

Keith J. Lindley-Heller, 27, was arrested Friday after hitting 60-year-old Shirley Sarfaty several times in the head at their home in the 1400 block of Rockydale Road in Cave Junction, according to Oregon State Police.

Lindley-Heller came home drunk and got into an argument with Sarfaty before the attack, police said. At one point, he threatened to kill her, grabbed a hatchet from his room and hit her, police said.

Sarfaty was taken to a hospital for treatment and is expected to survive, said Sgt. Jeff Proulx, a state police spokesman. He said Lindley-Heller was also the woman's caretaker.

Lindley-Heller is accused of attempted murder, first-degree assault and first-degree criminal mistreatment.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBaileyMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1)  The military on Wednesday refused to acknowledge the claim of the Islamic State group or ISIS that it was responsible for the car bomb attack in Lamitan, Basilan that killed 10 people.

"Any terrorist group or organization can conveniently claim responsibility and ride on the incident for their own glorification. Jumping into it will be like aiding their narrative and lending themselves (the people) as instruments of terrorists' propaganda," the Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement.

ISIS, through a statement carried by its news agency, claimed responsibility for the Tuesday "suicide bombing" attack.

AFP Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez clarified that 10 people were killed in the blast, not 11 as earlier reported.

He said one soldier, four government militiamen, four relatives of paramilitary members, and the suspect who drove the van were killed when homemade bombs packed inside a car exploded at a security checkpoint in Lamitan, Basilan. Officials earlier reported five militiamen were killed.

Related: Military suspects Abu Sayyaf behind blast in Basilan

AFP Spokesperson Colonel Edgard Arevalo said they were not discounting the possibility that either ISIS or the Abu Sayyaf Group was responsible for the attack.

Arevalo earlier said that based on intelligence reports, authorities suspect that the group of ASG senior leader Furuji Indama was behind the attack.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana,meanwhile, cautioned against calling the attack the handiwork of a foreign terrorist or a lone-wolf attacker.

"I enjoin everyone not to jump to any conclusion and just allow our investigators to do their job. (It is) now the subject of an investigation being conducted by a joint team of the AFP and PNP," he said in a statement.Updated 9:55 p.m.

A wildland fire that's cropped up in north-central Oregon about 15 miles south of The Dalles has prompted evacuations and burned structures, while another blaze across the Columbia River now covers 14,175 acres.

The Oregon blaze, known as the South Valley fire, is estimated to be about 10,000 acres, Oregon Department of Forestry's Christie Shaw said. Authorities know lightning didn't start the blaze, she said, so it was likely human-caused.

The exact cause remains under investigation, said Shaw, an agency spokeswoman in central Oregon. Governor Kate Brown Wednesday evening declared the blaze a conflagration, allowing the state fire marshal to order statewide firefighters and equipment to be used to assist in battling the fire.

The fire, which is being pushed by wind, has prompted level 3 ("go") evacuations, and KATU-TV reports structures have burned.

Structure on fire near Dufur, Oregon BREAKING: Structure seen burning in the South Valley Fire near Dufur, Oregon. Several areas are under a LEVEL 3 (GO) evacuation order. Details: https://bit.ly/2vn8zuu Posted by KATU News on Wednesday, August 1, 2018

A section of U.S. 197 is also closed south of Dufur, according to TripCheck. The latest evacuation information can be found on the Wasco County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page.

Shaw said the fire started southwest of Dufur and was called in about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. It's burning in and amongst homes, she said, and some local firefighters are working to protect structures.

Shaw said winds are pushing the fire to the east and that the blaze has crossed U.S. 197 and is burning on the east side of the highway. Airplanes, helicopters and ground resources are being used to fight the fire, she said.

Command will be transferred to the state fire marshal's office and an Oregon Department of Forestry incident management team Thursday, Shaw said.

The Washington blaze broke out Tuesday along State Route 14 west of Wishram around 4:30 p.m., according to the U.S. Forest Service. The so-called Milepost 90 fire then quickly spread across private, Forest Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs land, officials said.

There have been no reports of damaged homes or structures in that fire thus far. And all evacuation notices had been downgraded by early Wednesday afternoon, according to Klickitat County authorities. No areas were under level 3 evacuation notices at that point, but some were under level 2 ("get set") notices.

The latest evacuation information can be found here.

SR-14 remained closed Wednesday evening between U.S. 97 and U.S. 197, a stretch that extends roughly 20 miles.

Officials said the Milepost 90 fire was 60 percent contained. Its cause remains under investigation. The Red Cross has set up a shelter at Goldendale High School, the Klickitat County Sheriff's Office has said.

-- Jim Ryan

Shane Dixon Kavanaugh of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this reportMADRAS  A central Oregon sheriff says two boys, ages 10 and 7, started a fire that destroyed four mobile homes in Madras.

Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins tells KTVZ the boys admitted setting a fire with lighters, and it "got away from them."

The boys were issued citations in lieu of custody for reckless burning and illegal burning. They were released to their parents.

Adkins says 17 people living in three mobile homes have been displaced by Tuesday's fire. The other place was unoccupied. There were no injuries.

The boys, who are friends, live several homes down from the ones that burned at Tops Trailer Court.

It was the fifth fire at the trailer park in the past five years.

--The Associated PressWASHINGTON  John Kelly plans to remain as White House chief of staff through President Donald Trump's 2020 reelection campaign, a White House official confirmed Tuesday, quieting speculation that Kelly was nearing the exits because of tensions with the president.

Kelly, who on Monday celebrated his first anniversary as chief of staff, told West Wing staff Monday that he will be staying in his post at Trump's request through the remainder of the president's first term.

Kelly, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, has had a rocky tenure in the West Wing and was widely expected to leave his job this summer. But his announcement, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and confirmed to The Washington Post by a White House official, ends for now what had become rampant chatter in Washington about Kelly's departure and who might replace him.

Trump had openly weighed replacing Kelly in recent months, consulting friends and advisers about Kelly's performance and soliciting feedback on potential successors  including Mick Mulvaney, a former congressman who heads the Office of Management and Budget and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Nick Ayers, a Republican strategist who serves as chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence.

Mulvaney had been pitching himself for the job  even to the president  arguing that he had effectively run two important agencies, would not try to manage the president, was loyal to the Trump family and could be trusted not to leak information to journalists, according to people familiar with the conversations.

But Trump has decided to stick with Kelly  for now, at least. As with all personnel matters in the Trump White House, circumstances could change, and Kelly may not end up staying in his job through the 2020 election, considering he serves at the pleasure of a president who often acts on impulse and whim.

Kelly was appointed last July to succeed Reince Priebus, Trump's first chief of staff, after serving for the first six months of the administration as secretary of homeland security.

Kelly sought to bring rigid order and discipline to the West Wing, but Trump chafed under his restrictions, and Kelly found it impossible to contain the chaos that often is created by this president.

These days, Kelly is a shadow of himself from a year ago. Once Trump's gatekeeper who unilaterally controlled who entered the Oval Office and which ideas could be presented to the president, Kelly now is more of an operational chief and has given up somewhat on policing access to the president.

Trump and Kelly have privately argued at times and complained about one another to confidants. But their relationship appeared to have stabilized somewhat in recent months as the president felt more empowered to call his own shots, and the chief of staff loosened some of his restraints.

On Monday, Trump marked Kelly's anniversary by posting to Twitter a photo of the two men smiling in the Oval Office with the caption "Congratulations to General John Kelly. Today we celebrate his first full year as @WhiteHouse Chief of Staff!"

Kelly's tenure was marred by his handling of the domestic abuse allegations against staff secretary Rob Porter, who resigned in February. His credibility suffered from a string of misstatements, including an attack he leveled in the fall against Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla. And he has drawn criticism inside the administration for comments his colleagues consider crude and politically tone deaf.

But Kelly still commands respect from Trump, in part because of his military credentials, and has been a trusted adviser on national security issues in particular. Kelly, 68, and Trump, 72, are generational peers and ideologically like-minded, especially on immigration.

The Washington PostScores of Oregon National Guardsmen and Air National Guardsmen are being deployed to southwest Oregon to help fight the Garner Complex fire.

The 147-member crew has trained for a situation like this, so the group will head out later this week, according to an Oregon Department of Forestry news release.

Containment for the 8,886-acre fire, which has forced about 1,000 people to evacuate their homes, is now at 65 percent.

In mid-July, Gov. Kate Brown declared a statewide wildfire emergency, which opened the door for additional firefighting resources from the Oregon National Guard.

Meanwhile, the lightning-caused Taylor Creek fire near Grants Pass has prompted authorities to close the Rogue River to all recreational use between the Hog Creek and Galice boat ramps, according to the Josephine County Sheriff's Office. The approximately 25,000-acre blaze has also prompted level 3 ("go") and level 2 ("be set") evacuations, according to the agency. It's 20 percent contained.

Elsewhere in Oregon, the Long Hollow fire was 95 percent contained as of early Tuesday afternoon, Central Oregon Fire information tweeted Tuesday.

The blaze near Dufur in north-central Oregon's Wasco County was only 58 percent contained Monday evening.

Upon further surveying, the total acreage of the Long Hollow Fire has been reduced to 33,451 from 34,550 acres, Central Oregon Fire information tweeted Tuesday morning.

A red flag warning is in effect until 10 p.m. Wednesday for the Long Hollow fire area, which means conditions are such that extreme fire danger is likely, said Kassidy Kern, a fire information officer for Oregon fire information.

Though the machinery-caused fire, which began Thursday, forced immediate evacuations, no evacuations are still in place.

People spending time around the Deschutes River are still advised to take caution, Kern added.

With hot temperatures and gusty winds in the forecast, Kern encouraged those in red flag areas to be diligent and be cautious if driving vehicles over tall grass.

--Anna Spoerre

Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this reportA 22-year-old man who admitted to causing the death of his then-girlfriend's 2-year-old son in 2016 was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison.

Taylor L. Kraig pleaded guilty July 13 to first-degree manslaughter in the August 2016 death of Zachariah Daugherty in Portland. The child's mother and Kraig took him to a hospital after Kraig called her home from work saying the toddler was unconscious while in his care.

Multnomah County prosecutors said Kraig was Zachariah's sole caretaker on the day the child went into extreme medical distress, and he waited more than an hour before trying to get the boy help. Zachariah later died at OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital. He had bruises on his head, face, abdomen, buttocks, thighs and feet and a tear to his anus, court documents said.

According to court documents, Kraig told investigators he put Zachariah down for a nap, checked on the boy two hours later and noticed he was overheated and unresponsive. Kraig said he brought Zachariah to an air-conditioned room, splashed water on his face and tried to feed him, but he kept spitting up the food. Kraig told police the boy later began seizing. He didn't say he abused the boy.

The mother and Kraig separately told investigators that the boy had fallen 3 feet off a play structure in a park onto his back on bark chips a few days earlier, court records show. But Kraig and the child's mother gave investigators separate dates the fall occurred and different park locations. The mother would later tell investigators that the fall never happened, court documents show.

The mother said her son was healthy in the days before he died and appeared to be feeling fine.

Kraig since November 2016 faced charges that included aggravated murder and murder in the case, and prosecutors at one point sought the death penalty in the case, court records show. Those charges were dismissed after the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office in June changed the child's autopsy report to amend his cause and manner of death, according to court documents.

The medical examiner's office initially ruled that Zachariah died from blunt force trauma to the head in a homicide. Zachariah's manner of death is now listed as undetermined. His cause of death is listed as viral and bacterial bronchopneumonia, with bone marrow suppression and an anoxic brain injury, court documents said.

After the revised autopsy report, Kraig "was committed to resolving this case," through a plea deal, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBaileyA judge on Tuesday found Portland activist Micah Rhodes violated his probation for sex crimes after he was seen near a 15-year-old boy during the recent ICE encampment.

"When I sentenced you, I was very clear what I was hoping would happen," Washington County Circuit Judge Janelle Wipper told Rhodes. "This isn't what I was hoping for."

Rhodes, a one-time leader of Portland's Resistance protest group, was convicted this year of sex abuse for having illicit sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl in Washington County and a 17-year-old boy in Multnomah County. The abuse occurred in 2014 and 2015, and Rhodes was 20 and 21 years old at the time.

Judges in Washington and Multnomah counties sentenced Rhodes to five years of probation despite state sentencing guidelines that direct two to 2 -years in prison for the crime. As a condition of his probation, Rhodes, now 24, was ordered to stay away from anyone under 18 years old.

The judge postponed her decision on Rhodes' penalty for the parole violation until Wednesday after a hearing that lasted nearly three hours. Rhodes' probation officer recommended 45 days in jail as well as a no-contact order with the minor, a 15-year-old boy.

Washington County Deputy District Attorney Andrew Pulver called three witnesses to the stand: the probation officer, a Portland police officer and an agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to corroborate accounts from the probation officer's report that Rhodes was seen at the protest with a minor.

Protesters staged a five week occupation of ICE's Southwest Portland headquarters in June and July in response to President Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" immigration policy. It ended July 25 as police escorted the remaining protesters out of their tents.

Pulver displayed photos of Rhodes' passing by the 15-year-old on a sidewalk and sitting a few people over from him on a step. Another photo puts Rhodes in front of a tent at the ICE occupation designated for children that advertised crafts, bubbles and games.

Rhodes' attorney, William Redden, argued that Rhodes simply was walking in a public area on a sidewalk at the ICE protest and that there was no evidence that children were in the tent.

"I think that the state is stretching here" and criminalizing political behavior, Redden said.

That sentiment received snaps and sounds of agreement from the gallery, which was filled with about 20 of Rhodes' supporters. The judge told the people that they would have to leave if they weren't quiet.

Rhodes has been in the Washington County jail since July 19.

His probation officer found out about the violation through Department of Homeland Security officials, according to her report filed with the court. She documented two instances where Rhodes was alleged to have been around minors.

Paula Fata said she received a call from a Homeland Security inspector June 29 who said he saw Rhodes outside near a camping area where several children were playing at the ICE protest.

When Fata called Rhodes that afternoon about the allegation, Rhodes admitted he was at the protest but denied having contact with children, she said.

"I know my rights," he said to Fata. "I'm not doing anything illegal," according to her account.

A different Homeland Security agent sent Fata photos taken July 17 during a rally at the ICE office that showed Rhodes standing 4 feet from a 15-year-old boy.

The report said Rhodes knew the boy and was aware he was a minor.

Rhodes' attorney said Rhodes has a health condition that prevents him from keeping food down and showed concerned his client isn't getting proper nutrition in jail.

Redden said Rhodes has been consuming Ensure, a liquid nutritional supplement, while in jail.

Rhodes' allies have posted on the #OccupyICEPDX Facebook page that he cannot consume food without the use of medical cannabis.

-- Sarah Verschoor

sverschoor@oregonian.com | @SarahVerschoorPortland activist Micah Rhodes promised Wednesday that he would stop going to protests and follow the terms of his probation which include staying away from children. But that wasn't enough for a judge.

Rhodes, 24, is now headed to prison.

"I know that I can do the right thing and be a successful person in this community," Rhodes told Washington County Circuit Court Judge Janelle Wipper.

Wipper said she didn't believe Rhodes could follow his promise to give up work that has defined much of his life. She revoked his probation and sentenced him to 2 1/2 years in prison.

"I don't think it's going to be something you are going to be able to put aside," Wipper told him.

The day before, Wipper found that Rhodes violated his probation after photos showed him at a recent demonstration near a 15-year-old boy and outside a tent set up for children's activities.

Rhodes earlier received five years of probation for sex abuse after having illicit sexual contact with two minors, one in Washington County and one in Multnomah county, despite state sentencing guidelines that direct two to 2 1/2 years in prison for the crime. As a condition of his probation, Rhodes was ordered to stay away from anyone under 18 years old.

Rhodes has long been involved in the activism scene in Portland. He was once a leader of Portland's Resistance that organized rallies after the election of President Donald Trump. He and others in 2016 staged a camp-out at former Mayor Charlie Hales' home.

His latest arrest came after U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents provided photos to his probation officer taken in June and July at the Occupy ICE Encampment at the federal government's immigration facility in Southwest Portland.

Rhodes' probation officer recommended 45 days in jail for the violation. Defense attorney William Redden asked for 30 days, saying Rhodes pays for part of his housing with vouchers from a nonprofit and would lose the support if gone longer than 30 days.

Rhodes will face five years of post-prison supervision.The father of an 18-year-old Gladwin man is asking the public to be on the lookout for his son who was released from a Flint hospital around noon Monday. The father, Bob Gallagher said his son does not know his way home.

Gallagher, via Facebook, said his son Zacharia, was taken to a Flint hospital Monday and later released. However, the teen has a developmental disability and does not know his way home. When Gallagher called for a status update from the hospital, he learned the teen signed himself out at about 10:30 p.m. Monday. Flint authorities confirmed they are looking for the teen to get him home safely.LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette of Midland scheduled a phone call with state employees to discuss "presidential politics" during work hours and later dangled financial incentives to those who secured the most endorsements for Jeb Bush, according to emails from 2015 that surfaced Tuesday, a week before the gubernatorial primary.

A scheduler for Schuette, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, used her personal email to set the Monday, Aug. 17 conference mid-afternoon call with his top aides and others. On Wednesday, Sept. 2 and Sunday, Sept. 6, Schuette himself sent follow-up emails  outside of business hours  encouraging the staffers to land more endorsements for the former Florida governor and enticing them with gift certificates worth between $50 and $250.

The emails were first disclosed by the Detroit Free Press and later obtained by The Associated Press.

Schuette's main GOP rival, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who has been accusing the attorney general of wrongly using taxpayer resources for political and personal business, said of the emails: "It's clear that Bill Schuette is in serious legal jeopardy for misuse of his office in advancement of his political ambition. His nomination would put Republicans at risk up and down the ballot."

Schuette spokeswoman Andrea Bitely said non-state resources were used to aid Bush, calling the development "another attempt at more political theatre" just before the primary.

"Presidential elections are exciting times for people interested in politics, and the attorney general used his personal email and personal time to offer opportunities to assist in efforts  efforts that were less than successful," she said. "Jeb got clobbered."

She said state employees who participate in activities unrelated to their state job during work hours are expected to take time off or use their lunch hour, and a super political action committee supporting Schuette called Calley a "hypocrite."

A political operative who provided the emails to the AP did not say how they were obtained. But last week, a lawyer for a Democrat who has sued Schuette for allegedly operating a "political enterprise" out of his state office mailed out 37 subpoenas directing people to produce documents by this Thursday.

At Schuette's request, Court of Claims Judge Christopher Murray on Tuesday halted all discovery, including the subpoenas, until he decides the attorney general's motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Schuette on Monday had asked for a protective order delaying the subpoenas or quashing them "because they are overbroad, non-compliant with the court rules, and harassing." His filing said about one-third of the subpoenas went to individuals who have never been employed by the attorney general's office.

Brewer, a former Michigan Democratic Party chairman who is representing the plaintiff Hugh Madden  the communications director for liberal advocacy group Progress Michigan  had said Madden would be "severely prejudiced" by being unable to secure documents to challenge Schuette's motion to dismiss the case.

It appears the plaintiff already has obtained at least some information regardless. Progress Michigan said it would release emails Wednesday showing "unprecedented amounts" of political activity by attorney general employees on state time.

After the Bush-related emails were disclosed, the Better Jobs Stronger Families super PAC backing Schuette's candidacy accused Calley of "cherry-picking emails" and "working with Democrats to undermine" Schuette "right before Calley loses this primary." Executive director Stu Sandler said Calley, who filed a public-records request to obtain Schuette's work calendar and then criticize his work ethic last week, has refused to release his own calendar or a promised summary. Calley's office is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Sandler released an email showing Calley's state-paid executive assistant emailed the secretary of state about a Calley campaign-finance committee issue during work hours in July 2017.

"It's time to stop the double standard," Sandler said.

The Democratic Governors Association, however, said the latest revelation is part of a "pattern of corruption"  noting past reports that Schuette hired GOP activists for state jobs and used state staffers to notarize or witness his private real estate transactions.

___

Follow David Eggert on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/David%20EggertWhile were all waiting for the big unveiling of the Galaxy Note 9 next week, Samsung surprised us today with an update to its other productivity device, the Galaxy Tab S4. And this time around Samsung isnt just taking aim at the iPad Pro , its also looking to challenge the Surface Laptop .

Whether that strategy works remains to be seen, but Samsung is clearly switching gears with the Tab S4. Rather than promoting its play features, Samsung is calling its tablet a 2-in-1 device for its ability to switch between a traditional Android interface and Samsungs PC-like DeX mode. Samsung debuted DeX with the Galaxy S9 last year, and it has since evolved from a dock to a mat and now to a single HDMI cable. You can also use the DeX interface on the tablet screen itself by attaching a compatible keyboard and mouse.

Why this matters: Android tablets arent exactly the stuff of dreams, but Samsung is one of the few companies that make an Android tablet worth buying, so the Galaxy Tab S4 is an interesting pivot to productivity. Its not that you couldnt get serious work done on the Galaxy Tab S3, but Samsung is going all-in on DeX with the S4, positioning it as a true PC or Chromebook replacement. Apple and Microsoft probably dont have too much to worry about, but anyone looking for a tablet for work definitely has a third option to consider.

All-screen design

The Galaxy Tab S4 is an all-around upgrade over the S3, bringing a new design, better specs, and laser-sharp focus on productivity. It starts with the display. Where the Galaxy Tab S3 featured a 9.7-inch 2048 x 1536 HDR Super AMOLED display, the S4s screen is nearly an inch bigger, at 10.5 inches and 2560 x 1600 resolution. Thats almost identical to the 10.5-inch iPad Pros 2224 x 1668 screen.

Along with the new screen comes a new design the keeps the Galaxy Tab S4s footprint manageable. Samsung has eliminated the home button and slimmed down the bezels to make them uniform all around the device. The result is an attractive yet unassuming tablet that looks natural at any angle (Samsung even eliminated its logo from the front.) The back of the S4 has the same all-glass aesthetic.

Elsewhere, the Galaxy Tab S4s specs are about what youd expect for a premium Android tablet in 2018:

Dimensions: 249.3 x 164.3 x 7.1 mm

249.3 x 164.3 x 7.1 mm Processor: Smapdragon 835

Smapdragon 835 Weight: 1.06 pounds

1.06 pounds RAM: 4GB

4GB Storage: 64GB or 256GB

64GB or 256GB Camera: 13MP, f/1.9

13MP, f/1.9 Battery: 7,300mAh

7,300mAh Speakers: Surround sound with Dolby Atmos

Surround sound with Dolby Atmos OS: Android Oreo

The battery represents the biggest upgrade over the S3, with an extra 1,300mAh that should extend the life by at least a couple hours, even with the larger screen. As such, Samsung rates the Galaxy Tab S4 for a full 16 hours of video playback, up from the Tab S3s 12 hours. (However, the 10.5-inch iPad Pros 8,134 mAh battery only promises 10 hours of watching, so well need to put Samsungs claims to the test.)

The S3s quad speaker system also makes a return, though this time around Samsung has added support for Dolby Atmos to accompany its HDR screen. Its safe to say its the best movie-watching experience youll find on a tablet of this size.

But one thing you wont find on the Galaxy Tab S4 is a Bixby button. While Samsung has been relentless pushing its homegrown digital assistant with dedicated keys on its Galaxy phones, it stopped short of adding one here, though you can still access Bixby using voice. Samsung has also built in far-field microphones into the S4 so you can summon Bixby or Google Assistant from across the room.

All work and no play

But while you can certainly have fun on Galaxy Tab S4, theres no question that its designed for work. Once again, Samsung is selling a keyboard dock for $150 but on the S4 it doesnt just let you type more comfortablyit also unlocks the unsung hero of Samsungs productivity push, DeX.

Samsung The Galaxy Tab S4 is an Android tablet that wants to be your work companion.

While DeX may have started as a way to expand the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 to an external monitor, it makes a whole lot more sense on the tablet. For one, you can enter the PC-style DeX mode right on the Galaxy Tab S4s screen, letting you resize windows and multitask just like you would on a Windows laptop. And you can also easily extend your S4s screen using a single cable. Instead of a dock or a pad, you need only attach a USB-C-to-HDMI cable from the S4 to a monitor to enjoy the full-screen DeX experience.

As always, Samsung is bundling an S-Pen in the box, but it still pales in comparison to Apples $99 Pencil. While there are strong rumors that Samsung will be shipping the Note 9 with an updated Bluetooth powered stylus, the Galaxy Tab S4 ships with the same dumb S-Pen. Samsung says it has been refined, but practically speaking, it has the same 4,096 pressure levels and 0.7mm tip.

Available in black or gray, the Galaxy Tab S4 can be purchasedRemove non-product link beginning August 10 for $650 through Verizon, Best Buy, Amazon and Samsung.com. Anyone buying the tablet through Samsung.com through September 8 can receive 50 percent off on the $150 Book Cover Keyboard.vietnam_wall_carlisle.JPG

The Vietnam Wall of Honor was dedicated at Carlisle High School on May 25, just before Memorial Day. There were about 300 people that attended the event, many of whom were veterans from the school.

(Provided)

Carlisle High School has a long history tied to war - with the U.S. Army War College just down the street and hallways filled with memorials to veterans of every war. But one important memorial is missing: one for the Vietnam War.

Social Studies program chair and teacher Kevin Wagner noticed this and decided to do some digging.

"There's a memorial for every war, even the War on Terror, but not Vietnam." Wagner said. "Why is that?"

Kevin Wagner, on the Vietnam Wall at Carlisle High School: 'There are two things that I keep hearing from these veterans, that all they want to hear is "Thank you for doing this" and "Welcome Home." So, that's what the memorial will say.'

Looking through yearbooks from the years of the Vietnam War, Wagner noticed a similar trend. There were no pages dedicated to graduates who went off to fight in Vietnam or of the few who didn't come back. But there were pages in yearbooks with information on those who fought in other wars.

"I think this was probably a product of the time period," Wagner said. "The war was so divisive, it makes sense that the school would want to stay away from political things."

But, he decided a lasting memorial to these men is long overdue in the school's hallways.

Wagner began to compile a list of Carlisle High School attendees and graduates who fought in Vietnam, and found 213. There are individual pictures and bios on those who were killed there.

In deciding how the memorial should look, Wagner talked to Vietnam vets.

"There are two things that I keep hearing from these veterans, that all they want to hear is 'Thank you for doing this' and 'Welcome Home.' So, that's what the memorial will say," he said.

Due to the divisive nature of America's presence in Vietnam, people didn't support the war so many veterans didn't feel supported either. Many never heard a thank you.

After hearing this, Wagner chose to name the memorial the Vietnam Wall of Honor.

"A good historian does what he does for the posterity of the community," Wagner said. And he hopes this memorial can do that.

READ MORE: Carlisle teacher's Silent Heroes project puts a face on region's military history

The memorial is completely funded by donations. Wagner received a $1,000 check from the VFW Post 7343 towards the memorial wall, and continues to receive donations from private individuals and The Bison Foundation, Carlisle School District's fundraising foundation.

It's located strategically outside the auditorium, meaning those who attend concerts or other events in there likely will pass it.

Editor's note

Becky Kimmel wrote this story while working as an intern for PennLive this spring. The Vietnam Wall at the school was dedicated on May 25, which was Memorial Day weekend. It also took place after Kimmel had finished her internship.

Wagner said about 300 people attended the event, many of whom were veterans from Carlisle High School. He emailed the photos that appear with the story and the program booklet, which appears below.

"In addition, since the Wall of Honor went up," he added in early June, "at least 19 new names have been found that will be added to the wall in the Fall. As I tell my students, history is often an imprecise science."

Contacted on Monday, Wagner said they now have 44 names to add to the plaque in the fall, and expect that total to rise as more people learn about it.

Program Booklet[1] by PennLive on ScribdFor the second year in a row, Lower Paxton Township-based Higher Information Group has acquired another midstate company.

Last month, the Higher Information Group which had 13 employees in 2001 and now has more than 100 employees, acquired the Pennsylvania Telephone Products Company, a telecommunications company that had provided services to clients in the Harrisburg, York and Lancaster areas beginning in 1978.

The Pennsylvania Telephone Products Company has been folded into the Higher Information Group's information technology division under the Higher Information Group name. Pennsylvania Telephone Products Company's operations have been relocated from 30 S. 8th St. in Lemoyne to Higher Information Group's Lower Paxton Township office at 400 N. Blue Ribbon Ave., and all employees of the Pennsylvania Telephone Products Company have joined the Higher Information Group.

Clients of both companies will benefit from a wider variety of business telecommunications solutions, the Higher Information Group said in a press release. Those services range from voice over IP systems to digital telephone and voicemail systems as well as system design and installation, and network cabling services.

Last year the Higher Information Group acquired York Mailing Services, a 35-year-old York County company that provided presorted first-class mail, mailing services, data processing and order fulfillment services. Operations have continued in West York. After the acquisition, the name of the division was renamed the Higher Mail Group. That office has 16 employees.

In addition to the West York and Lower Paxton Township offices, the company also has a sales office in Manheim Township, Lancaster County and a sales office in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County near King of Prussia. The office in Upper Merion Township opened earlier this year and employs eight people.

The Higher Information Group was founded in 1969 as Harrisburg Copiers. In 2001, the company was purchased by John G. Frisch, the current owner and president. The company's six divisions include: business equipment, information technology services, recycled shredding, document storage, print and mailing services, and marketing services. In 2008, the company changed its named to the Higher Information Group and relocated to its current headquarters on Blue Ribbon Avenue.

--Business Buzz

New stores and more opening in central Pa.U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, the 2018 Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania (PennLive file) (Evan Vucci/AP)Experience the work of Vincent Van Gogh like never before at the King of Prussia Mall.

The mall will be the home to the U.S. debut of the Van Gogh Museums Editions Collections Pop-up Tour starting on Aug. 16.

The pop-up tour brings replicas of the artist's paintings to the masses. Those visiting can touch the paintings to feel the texture of Van Gogh's signature heavy brushstrokes. They'll also learn about Van Gogh's life and work and have a chance to purchase a replica of their own.

The pop-up will be at the mall from Aug. 16 to Oct. 14 in the Lord and Taylor court. It'll be the first time this collection has been on display in the United States. After leaving King of Prussia it'll move on to Short Hills Mall in New Jersey in December, followed by stops in Houston, Boston, Hartford, Los Angeles and Denver.

The pop up is the creation of the Van Gogh Museum, based in Amsterdam. Each of the nine replica paintings on display are approved by the museum's expert curators. The paintings all showcase milestones in Van Gogh's life. They are:

"Sunflowers" (1888)

"Almond Blossom" (1890)

"The Harvest" (1889)

"Wheatfield under Thunderclouds" (1890)

"Boulevard de Clichy" (1887)

"Undergrowth" (1889)

"The Bedroom" (1888)

"Fishing Boats on the Beach at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer" (1888)

"Landscape at Twilight" (1890)

The 3D replicas are the museum's way of bringing Van Gogh's work to the world, since transporting the originals can be dangerous due to their fragile state. The reproductions are "almost impossible" to distinguish from the originals using the naked eye, according to the Van Gogh Museum.

They also present a new way for those who are visually impaired to appreciate Van Gogh's work. The pop up will host a special "Feeling Van Gogh" program which will use the fact that you can touch the artwork to talk about Van Gogh's art.

Admission to the collection is $5 for adults and free for children under the age of 10.

The money raised from the pop-up go to the Van Gogh Museum and its educational programs.

Want to see the real paintings in person? Head to Amsterdam to visit the Van Gogh Museum. Learn more about the museum at vangoghmuseum.nl/en.

Closer to home, you can see several of Van Gogh's paintings at the Barnes Foundation (2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia), Philadelphia Museum of Art (2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia) and Carnegie Museum of Art (4400 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh).

King of Prussia Mall is located at 160 N. Gulph Road in King of Prussia. Learn more at simon.com/mall/king-of-prussia.

Want more stories about Philly and the surrounding areas? Click here for all our coverage of the City of Brotherly Love.A transformer blew on Tuesday night, plunging Morey's Piers in Wildwood, N.J. into darkness.

The blackout cut power to more than 2,000 people for roughly an hour and shut down rides at the amusement park.

Wildwood Fire Department told 6abc that no rescues from rides were reported. However, Twitter footage showed rides being manually moved in order to get riders off of them.

See more tweets from the blackout below.

So.. Lost power on the pier tonight.. No more rides  waste of $ on bracelets #moreys Piers #wildwood pic.twitter.com/BIMML5Hdt9  Hartman (@Get2thehartman) August 1, 2018WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump came under heavy pressure Tuesday to block blueprints for 3D printers to make deadly plastic guns, stepping into the dispute after his administration agreed to allow plans for guns that could be easy to conceal and difficult to trace.

Trump tweeted he was "looking into" the issue and consulting with the National Rifle Association.

The election-year headache is a problem of the administration's own making. After a yearslong court battle, the State Department in late June settled a case against a Texas company that wants to provide directions that would allow people to computer-print their own guns.

The settlement, which took gun-control advocates by surprise, allowed Austin-based Defense Distributed to resume posting blueprints for the hard-plastic guns at the end of July.

Those plans were put on hold late Tuesday after a federal judge in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order to stop the release of the blueprints.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik issued the order Tuesday after eight Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the settlement allowing the plans to be made available online. They said the plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety.

"This is a tremendous win for public safety and common sense," Attorney General Shapiro said tonight. "It is temporary - and we'll be back in court immediately seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction. But this is a victory for law enforcement in Pennsylvania and throughout the country to enforce and protect our state firearms laws and our citizens."

Avery Gardiner, co-president of the Brady Campaign to Stop Gun Violence, said afterward that "it is immediately obvious to anyone who looks at this issue that 3D-printed guns are nothing short of a menace to society, and we are thrilled that the court ruled in this manner... We will continue to do everything in our power to make sure that this temporary halt in publication becomes a permanent one."

FILE - In this May 10, 2013, file photo, Cody Wilson holds what he calls a Liberator pistol that was completely made on a 3-D-printer at his home in Austin, Texas.

Hours before the restraining order was issued, Democrats sounded the alarm, warning about "ghost guns" that can avoid detection and pose a deadly hazard.

"All you need is a little money and you can download a blueprint from the internet to make a gun at home," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. "No background check. No criminal history check."

The company's website said downloads would begin Wednesday, but blueprints for at least one gun -- a plastic pistol called the Liberator -- have been posted on the site since Friday. A lawyer for the company said he didn't know how many blueprints had been downloaded since then.

Outrage over the administration decision is putting gun control back into the election-year political debate, but with a high-tech twist.

The president seemed to express surprise. He said on Twitter he was looking into the idea of a company providing plans to the public for printing guns, and he said it "doesn't seem to make much sense!"

Democrats agreed and said Trump had the power to stop it.

Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts said Trump has boasted that he alone can fix problems afflicting the country.

"Well, fix this deadly mistake that once again your administration has made," Markey said.

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal went further, saying that if Trump does not block the open printing of 3D guns, "Blood is going to be on his hands."

Some Republicans also expressed concern.

"Even as a strong supporter of the Second Amendment -- this is not right," Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski tweeted, linking to a news story on the guns.

Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was concerned that distribution of the blueprints could allow terrorists and international criminal organizations to manufacture guns that can't be detected.

"It is critical that our laws keep pace with technology. We can't give terrorists or violent criminals an easier path to obtaining deadly weapons," Royce said in a letter to Trump. "I stand ready to help support your administration in efforts to bolster our national security."

The NRA said in a statement that "anti-gun politicians" and some members of the news media wrongly claim that 3D printing technology "will allow for the production and widespread proliferation of undetectable plastic firearms."

In truth, "undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years," said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA's political arm. A federal law passed in 1988 -- crafted with NRA support -- bars the manufacture, sale or possession of an undetectable firearm.

Trump spokesman Hogan Gidley made much the same point, saying the administration supports the law against wholly plastic guns, including those made with a 3D printer.

READ MORE: Making a 3D gun is not like hitting the Easy button at Staples, Harrisburg University prof says

And Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the second-ranking Republican, said, "People shouldn't be under the impression they can download this and make an undetectable firearm."

But Democrats called the law weak and said gun users can get around it by using weapons with a removable metal block that the gun doesn't need in order to function.

Markey, Blumenthal and other Democrats filed legislation that would prohibit the publication of a digital file online that allows a 3D printer to manufacture a firearm. Democrats also filed a separate bill to require that all guns have at least one non-removable component made of metal.

The second measure is intended to ensure that even guns primarily made of plastic can be discovered by metal detectors.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, blocked a Democratic request to bring the bill straight to the Senate floor, citing First Amendment free speech concerns.

People can use the blueprints to manufacture plastic guns using a 3D printer. But industry experts have expressed doubts that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns can cost thousands of dollars, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by.

Unlike traditional firearms that can fire thousands of rounds in a lifetime, the 3D-printed guns normally last only a few rounds before they fall apart, experts say. They usually hold a bullet or two and then must be manually loaded. And they're not usually very accurate.

Chris Knox, communications director for The Firearms Coalition, a gun-rights group, called the Liberator handgun a "very crude ... zip gun" and said the growing debate over 3D printed guns was an overreaction.

Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, first published downloadable designs for a 3D-printed firearm in 2013. The plans were downloaded about 100,000 times until the State Department ordered him to cease, contending the effort violated federal export laws since some of the blueprints were downloaded by people outside the United States.

The State Department reversed course last month, agreeing to allow Wilson to resume posting the blueprints.

The company filed its own suit in Texas on Sunday, asserting that it's the victim of an "ideologically fueled program of intimidation and harassment" that violates the company's First Amendment rights.

Meanwhile, Defense Distributed agreed to temporarily block Pennsylvania residents from downloading the plans after state officials went to federal court in Philadelphia on Sunday seeking an emergency order. The company said it had also blocked access to users in New Jersey and Los Angeles.

___

Matthew Daly and Catherine Lucey of the Associated Press wrote this story. AP writers Lisa Marie Pane in Boise, Idaho, and Martha Bellisle in Seattle contributed to it.The Pennsylvania attorney general's office calls the Diocese of Harrisburg's decision to make public the names of accused predator priests "long past due."

"Their proclamations today only come after intense public pressure and in the face of the imminent release of the Grand Jury report exposing decades of child abuse and cover up," said Joe Grace, spokesman for Attorney General Shapiro.

"To this point, the Diocese of Harrisburg has been adverse to transparency and has not been cooperative. A now public opinion by the judge supervising the Grand Jury last year made it clear they sought to end the investigation entirely," he said.

"The true test of the Diocese's commitment to victims of abuse and reforms within the Church will be their actions following the release of the report. Attorney General Shapiro has consistently called for the elimination of the criminal statute of limitations and reforms to the civil statute to give all victims the opportunity to obtain justice in a court of law," he said.

Early on the clergy abuse investigation, the Diocese was prepared to release the list of names accused, but Shapiro's office asked them to hold off, so as not to jeopardize the investigation.

According to last week's Supreme Court Order, the attorney general's office will soon be publishing "an honest and comprehensive accounting of widespread sexual abuse by more than 300 priests in six Pennsylvania dioceses," Grace said.In a lengthy statement released in conjunction with a news conference this morning, Bishop Ronald Gainer said that after reviewing its historic files, the Harrisburg diocese is releasing those child sexual abuse survivors who entered into settlement agreements with the diocese that contained confidentiality clauses from that legal commitment.

Gainer on Wednesday also released the names of 71 people who have been accused of allegations of child sex crimes, just weeks ahead of a grand jury report into clergy sex abuse in the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania.

"I take this step about confidentiality so that the survivors can feel free to tell their stories to whomever and whenever they wish," Gainer said. "I hope that this step will further aid those survivors, and perhaps others, in their path to healing."

The church's new website, www.youthprotectionhbg.com, also contains information on how to report child sexual abuse, contact information for the Victim Assistance Office and detailed information on how the church has confronted this issue.

There are two steps to making a complaint, Gainer emphasized:

Anyone who suspects abuse of a minor should call the toll-free PA Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-932-0313.

Those reporting suspected abuse of a minor by a church official, employee or volunteer is also asked to call the diocesan toll-free hotline at 1-800-626-1608 or email: ReportAbuse@hbgdiocese.org.

It is critical that the church be made aware of any complaints immediately so that we can remove that person from active ministry or service, Gainer said. All allegations received will be reported to the district attorney of the county involved.In an unprecedented and stunning move, the head of the Diocese of Harrisburg on Wednesday ordered the removal from diocesan property the names of all former diocesan bishops who over the decades failed to protect children from sexually predatory priests.

Just weeks ahead of a bombshell report into clergy sex abuse in the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, Bishop Ronald Gainer on Wednesday said that all names of bishops dating back to 1947 will be removed from buildings, halls and rooms.

Gainer said "anyone accused of sexual misconduct will have his name removed from any place of honor" throughout the diocese.

"The decision to remove names of bishops and clerics may prove to be controversial, but as bishops, I strongly believe that leaders of the diocese must hold themselves to a higher standard and must yield honorary symbols in the interest of healing."

Gainer said that the decision would not impact the name of the Bishop McDevitt High School. He explained that because no records on clergy sex abuse existed dating back to McDevitt's tenure, the late bishop's name would not be included in the list of legacy names scrapped from diocesan buildings.

Gainer also released the names of 71 people who have been accused of allegations of child sex crimes. He said the list did not represent an assessment of guilt, but historic accusation.

Of the 71 names, 37 were priests of Diocese of Harrisburg, three were deacons of the diocese, six were seminarians, nine were priests from other dioceses, and 16 were from religious communities.

None of the individuals on the list are currently in ministry or in service in the diocese.

Gainer's revelations comes one day after state authorities leveled their first conviction of a priest as a result of the 40th Statewide Grand Jury investigation.

Gainer, president of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, the legislative arm of the church, repeatedly apologized for the historic failure of diocesan leadership.

"In my own name and in the name of the Diocesan Church of Harrisburg, I express profound sorrow and apologize to the survivors of child sex abuse, the Catholic faithful and the general public for the abuses that took place and for those church officials who failed to protect children," he said.

The news delivered by Gainer on Wednesday comes amid escalating developments in the grand jury investigation report.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Tuesday confirmed the conviction of Father John Sweeney just hours after the Greensburg Diocese priest pleaded guilty to sexually molesting a 10-year-old boy.

The 900-page report is slated to be released no later than Aug. 14 by court order.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has authorized the Commonwealth to release a redacted version of the report. The court also has appointed a special judge to consider the redactions in the report and their legality.

The report, which remains under seal, is expected to be the most comprehensive look at clergy sex abuse in the world. The report identifies by name more than 300 priests who face credible accusations of child sex crimes. Dozens of priests have challenged the release of the report and said it would violate their rights to due process. The court conceded sufficient measures should be taken to protect their identities and called for a redacted version of the report.





Reverand John T. Sweeney, of Greensburg, on Tuesday became the first priest convicted as a result of the grand jury investigation. Sweeney pleaded guilty to with involuntary sexual intercourse, a first-degree felony, for a sexual assault committed against a 10-year-old boy. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The Harrisburg Diocese last year attempted to shut down the grand jury investigation, arguing that the probe lacked legal justification and should have been handled by local district attorneys. The Greensburg Diocese did the same.

Like other dioceses, Harrisburg has in recent years had to publicly deal with allegations of sexual crimes against priests.

In 2004 diocesan officials said the diocese had spent nearly $2 million to address 35 credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors against 22 priests over a half century. An additional $327,000 from insurance payments also was spent to handle the claims.



Then-Bishop Nicholas C. Dattilo released the figures in advance of the release of a national survey of priest sexual abuse claims from 1950 to 2002.

At the time, diocesan officials said that just under 2.5 percent of the 891 priests who had served in the diocese during the period under scrutiny were credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. None were in active ministry.

Three years later, the diocese acknowledged that, since 1950, it had received allegations against 24 priests. The diocese was widely criticized by victims, advocates and the mental health community for not been transparent about the accused priests and failing to name them.

In 2011, PennLive published a report on a Lancaster County man who alleged having been sexually abused by former priest Guy Marsico during his time at St. Rose of Lima Church in York. Todd Frey, who provided to PennLive letters from the diocese with regards to its handling of his allegations, testified before the latest grand jury. Frey was 13 when he said he was molested by Marsico.

PennLive made numerous attempts to reach Marsico. At least twice he declined to be interviewed. No records could be found to show whether Marsico was ever charged.

In 2016, in the wake of the grand jury report into clergy sex abuse in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, the Harrisburg Diocese confirmed the names of 15 priests who had served in the diocese and had been accused of child sexual molestation.

The list of 15 had been compiled by The York Daily Record and turned over to the diocese for confirmation. The diocese eventually acknowledged that the priests on the list had been credibly accused. At at least one priest who faced credible allegations had been in ministry in recent time.

Although Gainer said he had cooperated with the investigation, he acknowledged being concerned about due process rights of clergy named in the report.

Gainer in 2014 came under criticism from victims and their advocates when Pope Francis appointed him to lead the Harrisburg Diocese. At the time, Gainer, then-Bishop of the Lexington, Ky. diocese, had come under scathing criticism for failing to protect children in the diocese from predator priests.

Gainer also announced the creation of a website dedicated to the protection of youth.

The Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades was ordained as Bishop of Harrisburg in December 2004 and stayed almost five years before he accepted the same role wit the Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend. He issued a statement Friday that said he wanted to offer his heartfelt sympathy and support to all of those victims of abusive priests.

"During my time in Harrisburg and now in Fort Wayne-South Bend, I have upheld an unwavering commitment to child safety, closely following all policies and procedures put in place to punish those responsible for abuse," he said. "I followed all child protection policies and procedures, notified law enforcement and punished each individual as appropriate. The Grand Jury report and my letter in response, when released, will eliminate any speculation regarding the decisions made during my tenure as Bishop of the Harrisburg Diocese."

Matt Haverstick, the attorney for the diocese, reiterated that none of the individuals named in the list of 71 names is in active ministry or working in any capacity in the diocese. All names have been turned over to local district attorneys office, he said.

The Diocese of Harrisburg serves more than a quarter-of-a-million parishioners and encompasses 15 counties, including Adams, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Union and York.

Gainer's decision to scrap the legacy of the diocesan leadership comes amid a spiraling scandal in the worldwide church. On Saturday, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishops Theodore McCarrick from the College of Cardinals, and suspended him from the exercise of any public ministry.

McCarrick faces credible allegations of sexually abusing, assaulting, or coercing seminarians and young priests during his time as a bishop; as well as sexually molesting a teenager in the Archdiocese of New York.

Francis is also dealing with a debacle in the church in Chile, and has accepted the resignations of several Chilean bishops there for their role in clerical sexual abuse.

Editor's note: A comment from former Diocese of Harrisburg Bishop Kevin Rhoades was added late in the afternoon of Aug. 3.The Diocese of Harrisburg's decision to release a list of 71 priests accused of child sex crimes, which may be a partial accounting, was a good start but further reforms are needed within the Catholic Church and the state at large, state Rep. Mark Rozzi said Wednesday.

The Diocese of Harrisburg released the names of 71 accused predatory priests on Wednesday.

"One thing I know about predators is they don't stop abusing children--they look for their next victim," said Rozzi, a Berks County Democrat who was raped by a Catholic priest at 13 years old. "Those predator priests are still out there and they could still be abusing your child."

Rozzi has fought to reform the state's child sex crimes statutes. He's introduced legislation that would expand the statute of limitations in order to give past and future victims greater legal recourse against predators.

"We want the parents of our community to know that, for full transparency, the church needs to release the full list of names," he said, during an interview in the Capitol Rotunda.

Of the 71 names released on Wednesday, 37 were priests of the Diocese of Harrisburg, three were deacons of the diocese, six were seminarians, nine were priests from other dioceses, and 16 were from religious communities. None of the individuals on the list are currently in ministry or in service in the diocese.

The release came days after a state Supreme Court decision cleared the way for the release of a grand jury report that the Catholic Church has fought to suppress. A redacted version of the 900-page report is expected to come in mid-August after a final review by a judge.

Matt Haverstick, a lawyer who represents the diocese, said its list will be different from those included in that report. He declined to comment on the specifics of those differences but said the diocese considered its accounting to be "fairly complete" despite shortcomings in how allegations were investigated in the past.

In his letter explaining how the list was assembled, Bishop Ronald Gainer noted that the records of such allegations were inadequate to determine guilt or innocence.

"Not every man accused of abuse was included," Gainer wrote. "In some cases, despite the diocese receiving an allegation of abuse, additional evidence existed . . . showing the allegation was unsubstantiated."

The church spent millions of dollars lobbying against proposals backed by Rozzi and others to open up Pennsylvania's statutes of limitation on civil and criminal proceedings against accused child predators. Such a move could lead to many millions more in legal fees and jury awards against priests and the church.

Currently, child victims cannot seek civil damages once they've turned 30 years old. Law enforcement cannot pursue criminal charges if the victim claiming child sexual abuse has turned 50. Such cases are already difficult to prove and many abuse victims don't come forward until later in life, after the statute of limitations has taken effect.

"What the Catholic Conference is doing is not just blocking justice for Catholic victims but blocking justice for all victims across the state," Rozzi said. "They are the ones spending millions of dollars of parishioners' money and they continue to do that to block justice."

Rozzi said the priest who abused him was removed in the late 1980s to one of the church's sexual abuse rehab centers. The priest returned to service in a different diocese, where he continued to abuse others.

That priest died in 2002.

"To me, it's frustrating," he said. "I would have loved to ask the priest, 'Why me? Why did you pick me that day?'"

Victims should have the right to confront their abusers, Rozzi said, or at least have a path to justice.

"Even though our predator priests may be dead, we are still going through the steps to get justice," he said. "For most of us, it's getting to that civil court of law."

Reverand John T. Sweeney, of Greensburg, on Tuesday became the first priest convicted as a result of the grand jury investigation. Sweeney pleaded guilty to involuntary sexual intercourse, a first-degree felony, for a sexual assault committed against a 10-year-old boy. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Rozzi was disturbed by statements during the diocese's press conference Wednesday encouraging those who've been abused bring their allegations to the church.

"I understand where they're coming from but, no, you call the police if you're sexually abused," he said.

But Rozzi said the Harrisburg diocese's announcement, which also calls for the stripping of the names of all former bishops who failed to protect children from diocese buildings, is one step.

"It lets the community and public know, hey, these were abusive priests," he said. "Maybe you're a victim out there and you see your predator priest on the list. That may give you the ability to come forward."

This article was updated to clarify the completeness of the report.

Wallace McKelvey may be reached at wmckelvey@pennlive.com. Follow him on Twitter @wjmckelvey. Find PennLive on Facebook.

Read the 'TAPPED OUT' special investigation on drinking water.The leader of the Harrisburg Diocese considers it a significant action, and one he expects some will view as going too far. But it doesn't go far enough for Shaun Dougherty, who was sexually abused by a priest as a child.



"Removing the names of priests from buildings is not going to remove the memories from my mind," Dougherty said on Wednesday.



Dougherty was reacting to the announcement by Bishop Ronald Gainer that names of all bishops dating back to 1947 will be removed from buildings, halls and rooms within the diocese. While many of those bishops haven't been accused of a crime, the move is intended as an acknowledgment of their failure to protect children from sexual abuse.



Rather than remove names from buildings, Dougherty said, Gainer should withdraw lobbyists working against a proposed Pennsylvania bill that would lift the statue of limitations for criminal and civil charges against priests accused of sexual assaults.



Also on Wednesday, Gainer released names of 71 Harrisburg Diocese priests and other clergy who have been accused of child abuse.



His actions came as Pennsylvania's attorney general prepares to release a 900-page grand jury report expected to be one of the most damning reports on sexual abuse by priests, and subsequent coverup, ever compiled. Church officials had tried to delay the report, but a state judge ruled it must be released by mid-August.



Because of the timing, advocates for victims of abuse and people who say they themselves were abused were unmoved by Gainer's actions.

"Only when they are exposed do they take action," said Tim Lennon, the president of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP.



Lennon expressed disgust that, in his view, it wasn't until they faced a tidal wave of public outrage that church officials put protecting children ahead of protecting the security and reputations of church hierarchy.



Jim VanSickle, who said he abused by a priest in the Erie diocese, said he "applauds" the actions announced by Gainer on Wednesday.



Still, he said it fails to adequately address the pain and "anger" felt by him and other survivors with whom he is in contact.



He says doing so will take allowing victims to face the priests who hurt them in criminal or civil court, or an effort by the church to acknowledge individual victims and compensate them.



VanSickle, 55, only recently went public about the abuse he says he suffered decades ago in the Diocese of Erie. Since then, he has connected with many survivors.



Most of them, he said, aren't looking for financial compensation, but rather an opportunity to see the priest in court and, ideally, to hear an acknowledgement of guilt and harm.



But VanSickle also believes exacting a financial price from the church is the only way to ensure it will fully devote itself to rooting out abusive priests, rather than deploying money and influence toward protecting its reputation.



"As we speak, there are young people being groomed, being abused," he said. "The only way we can make change is to attack them [financially]."



Otherwise, the church will "wait us out until the story goes away and go back to business as usual," he said.A priest who oversaw the expansion of Holy Name of Jesus Church in Lower Paxton Township is one of the 37 priests in the Diocese of Harrisburg who have been accused of sex abuse.

The late Fr. Daniel Mahoney, who served the parish for 34 years, was accused of sexual abuse of a child by a victim and and another person, said the Diocese Wednesday. The accusation came after his death at age 80 on July 5, 2007.

During Mahoney's tenure at Holy Name of Jesus, the parish grew from 1,900 people to 9,000 members. The number of Masses grew from three to eight each weekend. Holy Name Elementary School grew from 329 students to 811 by the time Mahoney retired in 2002, according to a Patriot-News story in 2007.

On Wednesday, Bishop Ronald Gainer released the names of 71 people who have been accused of allegations of child sex crimes. He said the list did not represent an assessment of guilt, but historic accusation.

The list includes 37 Diocese of Harrisburg priests, three deacons of the diocese, six seminarians, nine priests from other dioceses and 16 from religious communities.

The Diocese of Harrisburg will be adding more information to the list with details on the assignments of the clergy and religious, said Joe Aponick, spokesman.Here is the statement by Ronald Gainer, bishop of the Harrisburg Catholic Diocese, who held a news conference Wednesday to address the issue of child sexual abuse the diocese.

Along with his statement, read a list of names of the of 71 people -- clergy and diocesan personnel -- who Gainer says have been accused of child sexual abuse.

Statement by Bishop Ronald Gainer:

Statement From Bishop Gainer on Child Sexual Abuse by PennLive on Scribd

List of accused:

Diocese of Harrisburg List of Clergy & Seminarians Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Child by PennLive on Scribd

Statement waiving confidentiality for victims who have reached settlements with the diocese: Confidentiality statement

Statement of Bishop Ronald W. Gainer on Confidentiality Provisions in Diocese of Harrisburg Child Sexual Ab... by PennLive on ScribdPennsylvania's Survivor's Network (SNAP) released a statement Wednesday afternoon about the release names of 71 clergy members accused of child sex abuse.

"Church authorities responded only because they were compelled by the public release of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury next week. The Church hierarchy knew about the systematic sexual abuse of children and did nothing," the statement reads.

SNAP continues saying that while 10 people were previously identified by the Harrisburg diocese, the Church knew of these 60 others possibly for decades.

"This demonstrates that for Church hierarchy, the reputation of the Church and the Church hierarchy was more important that the safety of children," the statement reads.

SNAP said the announcement is of an "incredible number" of accused priests who have been kept secret from the public, only coming out because of the action taken by Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

"SNAP and other survivors have been knocking on the doors of the church to open the secret files, expose the predators, remove the predators, and inform the public," the statement reads. "The Church fought back every step of the way. The Church continues to oppose reform of child protection laws in Pennsylvania, as well as in other states such as South Dakota and New York."

SNAP pointed to recent reports that the church spent $2 million for lobbyists in New York to oppose statute of limitations reforms.

SNAP encouraged other states to look to Pennsylvania's example to impanel grand juries and investigate systemic sexual abuse of children by clergy.

"An immediate step is for the Pennsylvania legislature is to enact dramatic reform of statute of limitation laws and expose those politicians who stand it the way of a safer community," their statement reads.

The disclosure proves accusations that church hierarchy were complicit in a coverup of historic and system sexual abuse of children, minors and the vulnerable, the release states.

"It is extremely disturbing and sad that only because a brave Attorney General takes on a powerful institution to protect children and exposes how church hierarchy protects reputation at the cost of threatening children," The statement finishes.

For more information on the diocese's clergy identification, click here.By Jennifer Rubin

"President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort went on trial Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, where prosecutors charged that his personal fortune was propped up by years of lies to tax authorities and banks.

Jennifer Rubin (Washington Post photo)

"The first trial to arise out of the investigation run by special counsel Robert Mueller got off to a fast start Tuesday, as a six-man, six-woman jury was picked - and opening statements delivered - in less than a day. . . .

"Manafort faces 18 charges of financial fraud, as prosecutors say he failed to pay taxes on some of the millions of dollars he made working as a strategist for a political party in Ukraine, and then lied to banks to get loans when those payments stopped. Though the case grew out of the special counsel probe, the trial will not delve into issues surrounding Russian interference in the 2016 election; it is about Manafort's money."

Wednesday morning Trump freaked out in a series of tweets:

"..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!"

For all the talk from Trump defenders and even some in the mainstream media that the Manafort trial has nothing to do with Trump, Trump plainly feels differently. So why should he be so upset, again showing that his objective has been to shut down (i.e., obstruct) the ongoing Russia investigation?

There are a slew of reasons why the trial should trouble Trump, not the least of which is a possible conviction (carrying what amounts to a life sentence) against the president's former campaign chairman. That's not going to help Trump's effort to paint the entire Russia investigation as a "hoax." And this is not the only trial Manafort has to worry about. A separate case in Washington involving failure to register as a foreign agent and witness-tampering claims will come in September. Conviction in either of those cases will increase the incentive for Manafort to make a deal with Mueller.

The trial also connects to Trump in other ways. The Post report continues:

"Manafort collected more than $60 million between 2010 and 2014 from his Ukraine work, where President Viktor Yanukovych, an ally of the Kremlin, was Manafort's 'golden goose,' [Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo] Asonye said.

"When Yanukovych had to flee Ukraine for Russia in 2014, Manafort's 'cash spigot' was shut off, the prosecutor said, and the political strategist set out to generate money by lying to banks on loan applications."

And then Manafort went to work for Trump. For free! And led the campaign when the Republican National Committee platform was changed in Russia's favor (dropping support for arming Ukraine, for example). And offered briefings for a Kremlin-connected Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. In essence, the trial is the prequel to the story of the Trump campaign's multiple contacts with Russia.

"Manafort is a mirror image of Trump. He is a man seduced by the oligarch wealth of the former Soviet Union," says Max Bergmann of the Moscow Project. "Putting profit over principles he ends up becoming entangled, entrapped, and then a witting tool of Russian interests. The trial is a preview for much of what's to come." He adds, "The trial is going to help us understand why the Trump campaign conspired with Russia. It is going to spell out Manafort's motive. It will show that Manafort had deep ties to Russia (just like Trump) and was financially desperate prior to joining the Trump campaign."

Frankly, confirming the presence on the campaign - at its highest level - of a guy as thick as thieves with the Russians will begin to chip away at Trump's emphatic denial of any contacts or ties with Russia. Remember, in July 2016, Manafort was asked by ABC's George Stephanopoulos, "Are there any ties between Mr. Trump, you or your campaign and Putin and his regime?" Manafort answered, "No, there are not. That's absurd. And you know, there's no basis to it." Except that was patently false.

Trump also denied campaign contacts with Russians, as did Reince Priebus, the president's one-time chief of staff. In February 2017, Priebus declared, "The New York Times put out an article with no direct sources that said that the Trump campaign had constant contacts with Russian spies, basically, you know, some treasonous type of accusations. We have now all kinds of people looking into this. I can assure you and I have been approved to say this - that the top levels of the intelligence community have assured me that that story is not only inaccurate, but it's grossly overstated and it was wrong. And there's nothing to it." Except there were dozens and dozens of contacts, including by Manafort.

In short, establishing that Trump's one-time campaign chief was heavily connected with Kremlin characters doesn't prove conspiracy to acquire help during the election, but it sure does bolster the credibility of the investigators and underscores how preposterous were the dozens of denials that the campaign had any Russia contacts. A campaign chief down on his luck going to work for free for Trump certainly provides the back story for Manafort's efforts to "monetize" those Russian connections.

As Bergmann suggests, "This trial will also highlight, but not answer, many outstanding questions, such as: How did Manafort end up on the campaign?; Why did someone so cash-strapped work for free?; and, What did he do to conspire with Russia during the campaign? Mueller's answers to those question will come later." In other words, Paul Manafort's trial will set the table for what follows.

Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Washington Post, which features reported opinion from a conservative perspective. Her work appears frequently on PennLive Opinion.One month after departing as former interim president at Clarion University, Peter Fackler has landed himself another interim presidential post in the State System of Higher Education.

This time, it is at Mansfield University.

The system's board met on Wednesday to hire him to replace Scott Barton who took a position starting this week at Shippensburg University as senior vice president of administration and finance.

Fackler, 73, will be paid a $248,000 salary. He will start on Friday and will serve until the conclusion of a national search for a permanent president for the 1,900-student university in northern Pennsylvania's Tioga County.

Fackler, who served as interim president at Clarion for nearly nine months, is a native of Chester County. He holds a bachelor's in economics from Duke University and a master's of business administration from University of Michigan.

"Peter obviously has the leadership skills and experience necessary to fill the position of interim president," said State System Interim Chancellor Karen Whitney. "He served both Clarion University and the State System well in his prior role, and I am confident he will do the same at Mansfield."A long-delayed proposal expanding Pennsylvania's statute of limitations, which would give past and future victims of sexual abuse broader opportunities to seek legal recourse against predators is on the state House's to-do list this fall.

Majority Republicans in the state House hope the impending release of a grand jury report detailing clergy sexual abuse will jump-start debate. But whether the Republican-controlled chamber can pass a bill; get it through the Senate, and onto Gov. Tom Wolf's desk in an abbreviated fall pre-election session is another matter entirely.

"We're still having discussions about whether it will come up in the fall or not," Steve Miskin, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana, said Wednesday "There are a number of people who would like to see that. And we are trying to reach a consensus to get something to the governor's desk."

The House returns to voting session on Sept. 12. The 203-member chamber has 10 voting days on its fall calendar.

But some pretty profound differences with the Senate further complicate that already abbreviated schedule.

That's because the Senate isn't on board with language circulating in the House that senior Republican leaders in the upper chamber say would unconstitutionally expand the right to sue in civil matters.

Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Berks County Democrat, and a clergy-abuse survivor, has spent months unsuccessfully pushing for approval of a so-called "real deal" amendment that would give adults who were abused as children an additional two years to seek justice in civil actions.

Rozzi has argued that it sometimes takes survivors until they are well into middle age to both come to terms with their abuse, and to step forward to seek redress for it.

But a senior aide to Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, who's the prime sponsor of the current reform measure, says that language violates a constitutional prohibition against retroactively altering expired statutes of limitations.

"We believe there is recent [Pennsylvania] Supreme Court case law that says you can't change them after the fact," Senate GOP Counsel Drew Crompton said. "We think we're on very solid ground constitutionally."

As it's currently drafted, Scarnati's bill would give child victims until age 50 to bring civil lawsuits against abusers or those employers who were allegedly negligent in failing to stop them. The window to sue now expires at age 30.

Scarnati's bill also would eliminate any statute of limitations on criminal prosecutions for child sexual abuse crimes in the future. Scarnati's bill has been sitting in the House since February 2017, after being unanimously approved by the Senate.

Backers of that expanded window have argued that the House and Senate should pass Scarnati's bill, amended to include Rozzi's look-back language, and leave any potential constitutional challenge to the courts.

Senate Republicans are unwilling to roll the dice. Meanwhile, Reed, the GOP House leader, has been discussing a path forward with Rozzi, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Crompton said he's sympathetic to those looking for redress to a grievous wrong. He said the Senate has also been equally clear to the House that it would like Scarnati's bill approved as-is.

"I understand that is not what Representative Rozzi wants," he said "But those are substantial reforms that have unfortunately been ignored for a long time. It's a good bill."

Gov. Tom Wolf supports Rozzi's language, administration spokesman J.J. Abbott said.Many Pennsylvanians are seeing timber rattlesnakes in the wild for the first time or spotting the reptiles in unexpected locations this summer, in what appears to be a boom year for rattlesnake travel in the state.

But few of them will witness the ritual combat dance between two male rattlesnakes, which West Virginia snake enthusiast Jamie Fenske recently recorded on video.

The male rattlers engage in the ritual combat dance, which is a weaving and bobbing, pushing and shoving contest, in establishing their territories.

Timber rattlesnakes mate from July through early September, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The females each give birth to 7-10 young the following August or September.

The commission in 2016 removed the timber rattlesnake from Pennsylvania's list of candidate species for eventual listing as either threatened or endangered in the state.

The snake was declared a candidate species in 1978.

It was protected by a permit system that limited rattlesnake hunters to only one rattlesnake per year that allowed a severely reduced population to recover.

By 2016 a 12-year assessment had determined that timber rattlesnakes were then found in 51 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties.

The timber rattlesnake is one of three venomous snakes native to Pennsylvania. The other two are the northern copperhead and the eastern Massasauga rattlesnake, which is found only in the northwestern corner of the state.

Here's more about the timber rattlesnake in Pennsylvania:Early morning stoke from Morgan Barkley! Morgan carried that smile all the way to the top of the Expert Female podium.

Sundays race drew participants from 10 different states, some as far as Vermont. Over 50% called Montana home, but home field advantage carried no weightthis course rocked everyone.

John Curry giving racers the course run down during the racer meeting.

Nothing like a 3 mile, 1,300' climb to get the blood pumping in the morning.

A Spartan style scramble at just over 9,000' above sea level brought racers to the top of Stage 1.

Scott Mooney was the first to make his way down stage one. Scott kept the theme running and took home the win for Expert Men with just 0.7 seconds separating him and Andrew Sherman in second.

The upper section of Stage 1 was about as natural as they come. Fat skis may have been a better alternative for some.

Masters Male 2nd Place finisher, Mark Weirich, navigating the tight and tricky steeps.

Christopher Brule dirt surfing his way to a 2nd Place in Pro Male.

With the 3,200 ft of climbing throughout the day, riders were left with an appetite. Luckily, there were self-serve dirt buffets the whole way down.

The ride up Swift Current Lift meant birds-eye views of Stage 3.

Expert Male Jared Jimmerson cutting up Stage 3.

Lazer focus for Christan Davidson as he threads the tight trees of stage 3.

Helenas Cody Flinders finished in 5th Place, but more importantly, he didn't crash into his dad this year.

Christy Graves rode hard and earned herself 2nd Place in Pro Women.

Brandon Lesniak showing that under, although riskier, is sometimes better than around.

With a safer and more conservative B line option, most racers opted to take the A-line and send the road cut drop. No regrets.

Foot out flat out. Matt Lessmeier running one of the cleanest lines of the day down the dreaded Mineshaft.

Steep and loose. Just the way we like it.

Maryjane Martin prepping to drop into Mineshaft and into 3rd Place in Expert Female.

Stage 4 treated racers to some killer views. However, from here, theres one way out: Down.

Racers celebrated the finish with beverages and burgers provided by GAS Intrinsic Bike Team. Post race libations provided by the one and only, Lone Peak Brewery.

2018 Lone Peak's Revenge Official Results

Lone Peaks Revenge. Spawned from the minds of Gallatin Alpine Sports, brought kicking and screaming into this world by John and Lisa Curry, and adopted by the Montana Enduro Series, Lone Peaks Revenge never fails to impress. Big Sky Resort's epic terrain and magnificent views have played host to this event for some years now, with each iteration of the course finding more of the mountain's seemingly endless terrain to take advantage of.Past years have cemented the Revenge's legacy as the Montana Enduro Series most challenging race course. Featuring unconventional course selection, it is a showcase of Big Sky's steep, technical transfers and even steeper, more technical descents. A Friday night email to all of the racers provided some much-needed insight for the morning of practice. Featuring phrases such as Embrace the challenge, but don't be afraid to put your foot down or get off your bike. and the trail is just a wee bit narrow and raw, the email's confidence-inspiring comments were interspersed with multiple, bold there is a B line suggestions.Sunday morning, naturally, saw a sold-out race and waiting list stretching into the double digits. Sponsor packets were handed out in the thin, cool air while riders and spectators awaited the suns advance over the surrounding mountains. After a tertiary safety meeting and course run down by the race organizer and resident sadist, John Curry, racers were set loose upon Lone Peak. A meandering climb, crossing access roads and paved residential sections gave hope that this was perhaps not a classic Revenge. This optimism was squashed as participants arrived at the final pitch of the first transfer and the first of two put-your-bike-on-your-back-and-start-hiking sections. The first, a screed field marked by yellow tape tied to shrubs waving cheerily in the breeze that led to a Tough-Mudder style scramble up to the top of the tree line.After balancing rather precipitously at the top, timing chips were activated and riders sent falling (literally) down Stage 1. Composed chiefly of small scraggly bushes and rock, the top of Stage 1 did not exist per se until the end of Saturdays practice, and after that really only as a tire-wide stripe down the mountain connecting catch berm to catch berm. After the precipitous drop-in, the stage opened up into Cairns Way, a devious seldom used trail that seemed to be constructed solely for the purpose of destroying tires. After sliding through the finish line, racers were treated to the second transfer of the day, which mirrored the first transfer of the day, sans the push to the top of the tree line.Waiting for the riders at the top of Stage 2 was Nameless. This trail has been used in previous iterations of Lone Peaks Revenge, and for good reason. It epitomizes Big Skys fast, loose, and technical style, complete with a heaping dose of tree roots and seriously sporting lines for those patient (or French) during practice. The finish of Stage 2 fed into a transfer down the mellow Rabbit Run, offering a reprieve for hands and brake fluid before depositing riders into the base areas aid station followed by a trip up the Swift Current lift.Stage 3, affectionately roughed in by dirt bikes the early to mid-1970s, led racers through the little-used center of Big Sky's bike park. The stage was a smash and grab bank robbery-turned-car-chase, as racers flew through the forest avoiding marmots and fallen trees, across off-camber, loose ski runs, and technical drops. Stage 3 ended in a transfer down to the base area by way of Big Sky classic Soul Hole, followed by a recent flow trail addition, Gambler.Once at the base area, riders proceeded up Big Sky Resort's other, adjacent mountain, Andesite. Andesite holds a special place in returning racers hearts, as it contains not only the regions most notorious downhill trail, Revenge, but also because the 2017 race required a hike straight up the side of the entire mountain. Fortunately, racers were spared the march up the mountain this year, as the transfer ended after only 500 pleasant vertical feet. Here was where the Pro and Expert classes met the Junior racers (who started the day with Stage 3 and filtered into Stage 4), and where lots of high fives and story swapping occurred.The leading theory for how Stage 4 was created involves pushing a large, paint-covered boulder off the side of the mountain and flagging a trail where the paint came off the rock on its way to the bottom. Steep is an understatement. Stage 4 was very steep. Respite from the very, very, steep came in the form of a rather abrupt drop onto the transfer road which gave ample opportunity for heckling and photos. Stage 4 continued down a very, very, very steep section affably named stump town, which took racers on a wild ride to the bottom of the mountain, where the stage mercifully levelled off and ended. Another well-deserved lift transfer took riders the top of Andesite Mountain.Lone Peaks infamous Revenge trail awaited riders as they unloaded and checked tire pressures, seat bolts, etc. Typically treated with respect and more than a little trepidation, the queue to drop in was jovial, even lighthearted, a testament to the difficulty of Stage 4. Once started, however, it was all business. Revenge demands complete concentration and committed line choice, with Pro times coming in just under 3 minutes for 1100' of descending.A stacked Pro field saw Habitat's Jeremy David, Habitat's Christopher Brule, and Hayden Mans come away with 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Lacey Anderson, Christy Graves and Melissa Mattson went 1, 2, 3 respectively in the Pro Womans race.Hang on to your vuvuzelas and cowbells, just a little over 3 weeks until round 4 of the Montana Enduro Series! We'll be throwing down for the first time at Jackson Hole Resort in beautiful Jackson, WY! Registration spots are still available, but dont sleep on this one. Check out www.montanaenduro.com for more info!Check out the full photo album right here on Pinkbike and at Roots & Rain.Robert Jasper solo climbing expedition to Greenland

01.08.2018 by by Planetmountain

Interview with German alpinist Robert Jasper who is currently on a by fair means solo climbing trip to Greenland.

Robert whats the general plan?

A solo expedition completely by myself from the last point of civilisation. This style is also referred to as by fair means and the one I like most. After a few days at sea on my kayak I hope to reach the end of a fjord, but I may need to hike for a day or two to reach the rock face Ill eventually try and climb. I dont know yet what Ill climb, it just depends on what I see while exploring. Of course Id like to climb a new route; a first ascent on one of this beautiful mountains which definitely requires various days of climbing would be a highlight for me! Best of all: a tough new tough route climbed free, using my rope solo system for safety!

How alone will you be?

From the last Inuit village, i.e. the last point of civilisation, I will be completely on my own for about 30 days. My cameraman and friend Frank Kretschmann will be with me for the first couple of days to shoot the final preparation and my start, but then he will travel back home!

What are you looking forward to?

For me this solo expedition is a very big personal challenge, Ive got to combine sea kayaking, big wall climbing and free climbing in such a remote area, while being completely independent in this wild nature for such a long time. I think if I manage all this itll be a huge step forward for me. Having the strength to manage all these tasks as a team isnt easy, and facing them by yourself is surely the biggest challenge of all.

What are you not looking forward to?

Meeting a polar bear!

When we last spoke, youd just done Flying Circus solo. How important was this in your training?

Quite important, because I was very ill last year! I regarded it as a test, to see if I was fit again. And of course it had been a big dream of mine, to do the first solo ascent of this beautiful and famous mixed route!

Youve been on many by fair means expeditions before. So how do you rate this one?

As I said, this one is surely the next step for me because Im going solo, by myself! Of course its usually much more fun to go on expedition with friends, but now Ive come to the stage where Im interested in the challenge of going alone. Risk management becomes even more important. This needs a lot of experience, good training, the best equipment and a cool mind and a lot of self control. But if it all works out, then youve mastered the but if you Konigsdisziplin!

Konigsdisziplin after all these years, what is important for you in your climbing and alpinism?

To continue moving forward, slowly, step by step and never stand still! To manage my personal challenges and the risks in life. And life out my dreams.



ROBERT JASPER SELECT SOLOS

Matterhorn East Face (1000m; IV, ice 50- 65) solo, 1990

Monch North Face, Haston route (1000m, ice 85) and Gr. Fiescherhorn Direkte Nordwand (1200m; IV, ice 80) winter solo

Gletscherhorn, first solo of Direkte Nordwand (1000m; ice 85) in 2:10 and descent via Abeni Fluh North Face (800m; 50-60) solo in a single day (6:30)

Ortler North Face, Ertl- Rinne (1200m; ice 80) solo in 3 hours

Bergseeschijen Direkte Westwand (VI+/ A0) and Gandschijen Sudpfeiler VII-, probable first solo

Eiger; Matterhorn, Grandes Jorasses solo in the same year

1st solo Spit Verdonesque Edente 8- A1, Eiger North Face

1st solo Locherspiel 7, Eiger North Face

Matterhorn North Face solo with variation V; 70 in 5:30

Grandes Jorasses North Face solo, Leichentuch V, 80 in 2:20 to sumit then ski descent to Chamonix.

1st solo Ginat-Jackson, Les Droites North Face, 1000m; ED; ice 90 in 3:30, descent via North Couloir of Col dla Aiguille Verte (800m; 55)

Mont Blanc Grand Pillier dAngle 4807m, first ascent new route (ED-) in 2:30 and successive first solo in just 2 hours of Abonimette (800m, ED- VI, 85), 1992

Eiger North Face, Heckmair route, winter solo in 8:45

Knockin on Heavens Door, Jungfraujoch, first ascent, solo (500m; ED+ ice M6+; rock VI A2/3)

Les Droites Face North Face, Boivin-Profit (ED+; 1000m) descent Couloir Nord (800m, 55) and solo Les Courtes North Face (800m, 75 max) descent NW Face 50 max in a single day

Cerro Adela Sur East Face (800m, ice 90) and enchainment of 4 other summits, Patagonia, first solo

Golitschewasserfall, Switzerland; 250m. M8, first rope solo

Via Mucha Hedder, Traumpfeiler, Voralptal, Switzerland (200m, A2+), first solo

Cho Oyu 8201m, Tibet, attempt to solo West Face, aborted after avalanche, 2007

Spitzborscht, Rauhe Gaisl, South Tyrol, Italy, first solo, redpoint (M8, 200m), 2018

Crazy Diamond, Riva di Tures, South Tyrol, Italy, (150m, M8+) first solo, redpoint

Flying Circus, Kandersteg, Switzerland, (M10, E4, 165m, 5:30) first solo



Robert Jasper thanks Petzl, Lowa, Marmot, Gore-Tex, Muhle Glashutte, Naturenergie



Links: www.robert-jasper.de, FB Robert Jasper4.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

There is no low that Republicans wont sink to defend Trump, as Rep. Ron Desantis (R-FL) tried to claim that Trump was only joking when Putin expelled US diplomatic staff from Russia.

Video:

MSNBCs Hallie Jackson asked Desantis about Trump thanking Putin, and the Congressman answered, I interpret that as being more tongue in cheek.

Jackson pushed, He didnt smile.

Desantis kept covering for Trump, Thats just kind of the nature of how hes done it. He didnt want to make it seem like something that really had affected us negatively.

Jackson asked if he had talked to the President, and the Florida congressman answered, Well, I havent talked to him since he made that comment. No.

Rep. Desantis claimed that Trump was trying to diminish what Putin did by brushing it off with sarcasm.

There is nothing that Republicans wont make an excuse for when it comes to Trump. Of course, Trump should have never been thanking Putin. He should have been outraged and defending the diplomatic personnel and interests of his country. Instead, Trump bowed to Putin, and once again, revealed himself to be Moscows lackey.

Republicans are never going to stand up to Trump. They are the biggest enablers of this president, which is why if the American people want their country back, they need to elect Democrats in 2018.1.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Former Vice President Joe Biden sounded a lot like a presidential candidate on Thursday, using a speech at the New York Democratic Party convention in Long Island to express outrage over what the country has become in the era of Donald Trump.

The former veep and potential 2020 candidate delivered a message that Democrats should run with: Values matter and Republicans have none.

This is not your fathers Republican Party, Biden said in the fiery speech, according to the Associated Press. They are not who we are. They are not who America is.

He said Republicans are sending a vision of America around the world that is distorted. That is damaging. That is hurting us.

Biden added: This phony populism, this fake nationalism Its time to say no more.'

Video of Bidens full speech:

Heres the livestream of Joe Biden at NYS Dem convention https://t.co/hXbkg742sG  Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) May 24, 2018

Joe Biden sounds a lot like a candidate

If Biden chooses to run in 2020, he would likely be well-positioned to defeat Trump  who lost the popular vote in 2016 despite winning the Electoral College and having some major assistance from Russia and the FBI.

According to a Public Policy Polling survey conducted in late March, the former vice president would fare better against Trump than any other Democrat.

PPP found that Trump trails Joe Biden 56-39, Bernie Sanders 55-39, Elizabeth Warren 51-40, Cory Booker 49-39, Kamala Harris 43-39, and Kirsten Gillibrand 42-40.

If he runs, not only could Biden appeal to some of the midwesterners that voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 but stayed home in 2016, but the former VP can make a a strong values argument against the amoral Trump.

After all, Biden has dedicated his career to public service. He has the respect of both parties not just because of how he goes about his work, but for who he is as a person. He has never forgotten why he got into politics to begin with.

Trump, on the other hand, is a completely empty vessel. Not only doesnt he have a clue about the complexities of public policy  domestic and foreign alike  but he lacks even basic human decency.

On Thursday, Joe Biden made it clear that taking on Donald Trump and his Republican appeasers is about more than the same tired political arguments. Instead, its about what kind of values we want the United States to project to the world.

With Biden as a messenger, thats a contest Trump is likely to lose.3.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, linked Trump to the attempted Russian hacking of Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO).

Video:

Schiff was discussing the news that the Russians are trying to use Facebook to attack the midterm election on MSNBCs The Beat with Ari Melber, when said, We need to view this in combination of what we learned a week ago from Microsoft. Two of the vectors the Russians used in the last election they appear to be using again. In both of the Mueller indictments, theyre using social media surreptitiously to divide Americans, to accentuate the fault lines in our society. Theyre hacking or attempting to hack political campaigns, we saw Claire Mccaskill is one of the targets of this, and that she was a target the same week that Donald Trump was evidently saying publicly that she needed to be defeated. That has an echo of July  of the election year in which Donald Trump said publicly, hey Russians, if youre listening, hack Hillary Clintons e-mails. On that date, they did try to hack the Clinton campaign.

Melber pushed back on Schiffs claim, Congressman, respectfully, to push you on that, he would probably be on record against the reelection of most any incumbent Democrat.

Rep. Schiff continued, Thats certainly true. But it also looks like the Russians may have been listening when he called for Claire Mccaskills ouster. The timing, again, is very suspicious. The timing of that attempted hack of her campaign took place not months after he mentioned Claire Mccaskill. And it wasnt like there was a tremendous volume of campaigns that were the subject of attack. According to Microsoft, there were only three, and that was one of them. So the timing is certainly suspicious. But it looks like because theyve identified similar actors to the Russian hackers of the DNC, that the Russians are using both of these modalities, hacking of campaigns, surreptitious social media again to influence our elections.

The timing is probably not a coincidence. Trump called for the defeat of McCaskill. The Russians tried to hack her campaign. It is all reminiscent of when Trump called for the Russians to get Hillary Clintons emails during the 2016 campaign, and the Russians responded the same day by trying to hack members of the Clinton campaign. Trump has already shown that he is willing to publicly tell the Russians what he would like them to do, so Adam Schiff likely is not far off base.

Rep. Schiff is a former prosecutor. He doesnt make outrageous claims, so when Schiff links Trumps comments to the attempted hacking of a US Senator, the American people best stand up and take notice, because the attack on the midterm election could be getting help from inside the Oval Office.390 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that he and his children had been targeted by hackers.

Video:

When asked if he was freaked out by hackers attacking Democratic Senators, Heinrich said, People should know this happens all the time. Ive been targeted. My kids emails have been targetedYou cant be shocked. Anyone who sits on any of the intelligence committees, any of the armed services committees, and I serve on both, have to assume they are a target.

When he was asked if he feels that his government is doing enough to protect him, Sen. Heinrich said, I think I have a number of tools that we deploy on a regular basis to make sure that we do the best we can. We also have to recognize that the Russians are really serious about this. Not just about hacking but the thing that worries me, even more, is what we have learned as a committee about their ongoing efforts in information warfare. To divide this country and be engaging the United States on all sorts of platforms from Pokemon Go to Facebook.

Sen. Heinrich was matter of fact about the hacking attempts against him, but the reality is that three Democratic US Senators have had attacks waged against them. Heinrich couldnt be sure that it was the Russians, but what he described matches the M.O. of Russia. The US has a problem that goes beyond election security. Hostile foreign governments are trying to hack officials with intelligence information.

While this practice may not be new, when taken in total with the ongoing issues of election security, it is a part of a crisis that needs to be addressed, and if Republicans wont do it, it is up to the American people to elect a Democratic Congress that will protect their country.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.945 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) blasted the deeply immoral and haphazard Trump policy of systemic separation of immigrant children from their parents without plans to reunite them, saying the Trump policy may essentially orphan hundreds of immigrant children.

In addition, the Washington Post reported over the weekend that Customs and Border Protection was so unprepared to grapple with this crisis that President Trump created that it called these separated families deleted family units., Feinstein said.

Watch here:

Were here today because the Trump administration has pursued what I believe is a deeply immoral and haphazard policy that fundamentally betrays American values. This administration has elected to engage in the systematic separation of immigrant children from their parents and without any plan to reunite them.

Pointing out that we have no specifics about the children who remain separated, the Democrat continued, The little we have learned has come out of the case in the Southern District of California overseen by Judge Dana Sabraw. According to the joint court filing by the Department of Justice and the American Civil Liberties Union from last Friday: 2,551 children aged five to 17 were taken from their parents at some point. These children were required to be reunited by last Friday, July 26th and the government did not meet the deadline. Rather, only 1,442 of those children were reunited with their parents.

The incompetence is stunning, as Feinstein points out that the government doesnt even know who or where the parents are for 94 children, Twenty children the government thought they separated from their parent turned out [not] to have been unaccompanied from the outset; 431 children remain alone in the United States because their parent has already been deported. Shockingly, the government does not even know who or where the parents are for 94 children. This makes clear that the government did not track them in the first place. There was no effort to ensure the government knew which children belonged to which parents and where they were located.

The Senator explained that another 67 children were not reunified with their parent because of some red flag in their background and she mentioned that The New York Times reported that the Trump administration may be pressuring people by using kids as hostages to get people to give up their [asylum] claims,.

They take the children, and then tell the parents if they agree to deport on their own, you can see your child at the airport and if not, we will hold you for months; we dont know when you will see your child.

An estimated Some 2,500 children were separated from their parents a result of Republican President Donald Trumps zero tolerance policy.

The administration knew in advance that the policy could cause great harm to children, but implemented it anyway.

A senior official at the agency tasked with caring for immigrant children who are separated from their parents said that he warned officials  before Trump enacted the policy of separating children from their parents  that separating them from their parents would cause significant risk of harm.

Jonathan White told Congress that the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) had raised a number of concerns about the proposed policy in the year preceding its implementation, according to reporting by Yeganeh Torbati and Richard Cowan for Reuters.3.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Every network but Fox News refused to cover his Florida rally, but Trump is so detached from reality that he thinks that the TV networks cant get enough of him.

Video:

Trump said, Fake news. Fake news. They are fake. Do you believe  look at this, every night its the same thing. Wouldnt you think they would get tired of the speeches? Wouldnt you think? And heres one thing I will tell you. If they dont get ratings, those speeches dont go on, doesnt matter. Look how many they have back there. They just cant get enough. They cant get enough. They cannot get enough.

It is important to point out that the television networks have had more than enough of Trumps rallies. Every network with the exception of Fox News, no longer covers his rallies live. The percentage of live coverage that Trumps rallies have been getting has been steadily decreasing, as there has been a growing consensus among journalists and newsrooms that the presidents rallies arent newsworthy.

Trump said it best himself. It is the same thing every night, which is why the networks outside of state-run TV Fox News have stopped broadcasting them. Trumps rallies are the same greatest hits package of fake news, build the wall, lies about Democrats, immigrant bashing, and attacks related to the Russia investigation that everyone has heard one hundred times or more.

Donald Trump has nothing new to say. His rallies are extended ranting sessions that are never newsworthy in their entirety. Networks monitor Trumps rallies in case he says something worth reporting, but Trumps claim that the television networks cant enough is another delusion from the mind of a man who has never really left the 2016 election behind.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.812 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

By Nathan Layne, Sarah N. Lynch and Karen Freifeld

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Reuters)  The prosecution on Tuesday portrayed U.S. President Donald Trumps former campaign chairman Paul Manafort as a man who felt tax and banking laws did not apply to him and described how he opened more than 30 bank accounts in three foreign countries to receive and hide income from Ukraine.

Jurors in federal court in Virginia heard opening statements from the prosecution and defense in Manaforts trial on charges that he hid tens of millions of dollars earned in Ukraine in offshore accounts and defrauded banks for loans. It is the first trial arising from Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation of Russias role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Manafort has pleaded not guilty.

Lawyers for Manafort countered by painting Manafort as a victim of his employees, including former colleague Rick Gates, who is cooperating with Muellers probe.

This case is about taxes and trust, defense attorney Thomas Zehnle told jurors. His trust in Rick Gates was misplaced, Zehnle said, alleging that Gates had embezzled millions of dollars from Manafort.

Manafort faces 18 criminal counts, which center on allegations that he hid much of the $60 million he earned in Ukraine in undisclosed overseas bank accounts and failed to pay taxes on it.

Prosecutor Uzo Asonye, a member of Muellers team, said of Manafort: A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him. Not tax, not banking law.

Earlier in the day, prosecutors and defense attorneys selected a 12-member jury to weigh Manaforts fate. Four alternate jurors, three women and one man, also were chosen.

Manafort, 69, was seated in the courtroom wearing a dark suit, white shirt and tie.

Defense attorney Zehnle asked Manafort to stand up and face the jury, calling him a good man and a talented political consultant.

But Asonye told jurors the evidence would show Manafort hid tens of millions of overseas income to avoid paying taxes. Asonye said the evidence would show he lied to the Internal Revenue Service.

Asonye said Manafort set up more than 30 bank accounts in overseas countries and funneled millions of dollars into them in order to bankroll an extravagant lifestyle. Asonye described how Manafort snapped up expensive real estate in the United States, spent millions of dollars on renovating his properties and more than a half million dollars on fancy clothes.

The tax and bank fraud trial represents the first test of Muellers ability to win a conviction of a former Trump aide. Three other aides, including Manaforts longtime business partner Gates, have already pleaded guilty and are cooperating with Muellers probe.

Prosecutors are seeking to provide details of Manaforts work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine, raising the possibility that new information about his Russian connections could emerge. Manafort has filed a motion to have details of that work excluded from trial.

Prosecutors also accuse him of lying to U.S. banks to obtain real estate loans in a bid to maintain a lavish lifestyle after his client, former pro-Russia Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, fell from power in 2014 and the money stopped.

Mueller was appointed by the U.S. Justice Departments No. 2 official last year to take over an FBI investigation into Russias role in the 2016 presidential election and whether there was unlawful coordination between Trumps campaign and Moscow.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis made several jokes during the jury selection process, including about the quality of the lunches jurors will be provided. While many in the courtroom laughed, including Manaforts lawyers, the defendant himself did not.

Manafort actively conferred with his lawyers during the jury selection process, writing and passing notes. Manaforts wife, Kathleen, was sitting behind him in the courtroom.

Outside the courthouse, a handful of protesters displayed a life-sized puppet of Trump and held signs saying Trump wont do time for you, Its Mueller time, and I like your new suit alongside a photo of Manaforts mug shot.

Trump has vacillated between showing sympathy for Manafort and trying to distance himself. Manafort worked on Trumps presidential campaign for five months and attended a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Russians that is a focal point of Muellers probe into possible collusion between the campaign and the Kremlin.

A Manafort conviction would give momentum to Mueller, who has indicted or secured guilty pleas from 32 people and three companies since the probe started 14 months ago. An acquittal would support efforts by Trump and his allies to portray the probe as a witch hunt. Trump denies any collusion with Russia, and on Tuesday tried to make the case publicly that collusion would not be a crime anyway.

Prosecutors have said they will not present evidence of collusion at this trial. The Virginia trial will be followed by a second one in Washington in September in which Manafort is charged with money laundering, failing to register as a foreign agent and witness tampering. Manafort has pleaded not guilty to those charges, as well.

(Additional reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by John Walcott, Peter Cooney and Will Dunham)427 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

The White House is publicly claiming that Trump isnt paying attention to the Paul Manafort trial, but privately Trump is watching the television coverage and demanding updates from his lawyers.

Video:

Jeff Zeleny of CNN reported:



There two types of strategies here at the white house Im told today. One in public they are trying to distance president trump from any of these proceed saying look Paul manaforts business dealings were happening long before he became the campaign chairman and he was the campaign chairman for only a brief period of time. Kellyanne Conway said she was the winning campaign manager trying to distance and diminish Paul manaforts role. Make no mistake, two Summers ago in Cleveland at the Republican national convention without Paul Manafort the whole floor fight at the convention would have been much more pronounced. He helped the Republican Party accept Donald Trump.

Now Im told that Donald Trump is watching the proceedings very carefully. As he was flying down to Florida this evening where he is going to be holding a campaign rally tonight Im told he was watching the proceeding on television. He has been asking for updates from his legal team, lawyers who are following this carefully. Its not about president trump. Its not each about the Russia collusion investigation. But they are keeping such a close eye on it here at the white house. Of course this is Bob Muellers first public be case here. For the next three weeks they will say they are not watching, Erin. Privately Im told they are.

The White House is nervous because if Mueller cuts through Manafort like a hot knife through butter, theyre next. If this case had nothing to do with the campaign, as Trump is fond of claiming, why is he following it so closely? The answer is that Manafort has a great deal to do with the campaign. He has proven Russia connections, and one suspects that he knows where at least some of the bodies are buried.

Paul Manafort is not expected to be acquitted, which means that he is likely holding out for a presidential pardon from Trump. The man who was the chairman of Trumps campaign is about to go down, and it looks like the president is sweating bullets as he watches it all happen.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.304 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

By Doina Chiacu

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  President Donald Trump again attacked Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe into Russia and the 2016 U.S. election on Tuesday, reiterating that his campaign did not collude with Moscow and saying collusion is not a crime anyway.

Trump commented hours before his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was due to go on trial on tax and bank fraud charges in Virginia. As the first trial in the 14-month Russia probe, the case throws a fresh spotlight on a federal criminal investigation that has dogged Trumps presidency.

Mueller is investigating whether Trump campaign officials worked with Moscow to try to sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election, something commonly referred to as collusion by the media and public officials.

Collusion is not a crime, but that doesnt matter because there was No Collusion (except by Crooked Hillary and the Democrats)! Trump wrote on Twitter.

While collusion is not a technical legal charge, Mueller is probing any coordination between the Russian government and the Trump campaign, and could bring conspiracy charges if he finds that any campaign member worked with Russia to break U.S. law.

Legal experts said that working with a foreign national with the intent of influencing a U.S. election could violate multiple laws. Collusion is basically a partnership in crime, which is conspiracy, said Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor and a law professor at George Washington University.

Trump has for months denied that the campaign colluded with Russia to try to engineer his victory against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, and he bristles at the suggestion he might owe his White House victory to Moscow.

On Tuesday, he echoed his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who said in television interviews on Monday that collusion is not a crime. The strategy may be the latest in Trumps efforts to strip legitimacy from the Mueller probe, which he has long denounced as a witch hunt.

Russia has denied the finding of U.S. intelligence agencies last year that it interfered to sway the election to Trump.

The reason the Trump troops are pounding the collusion is not a crime drum is because they colluded (better known as conspiracy, or aiding and abetting) and they want to get out in front of the story to control the narrative! John Dean, President Richard Nixons legal counsel, wrote on Twitter.

Manafort, 69, faces 18 criminal counts, which center on allegations that he hid much of the $60 million he earned working for a pro-Russian politician in Ukraine in undisclosed overseas bank accounts and failed to pay taxes on it.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Additional reporting by Jan Wolfe and Lisa Lambert; Editing by Frances Kerry)496 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

By Tina Bellon

(Reuters)  A U.S. judge on Tuesday blocked the planned release of blueprints for 3-D printed guns hours before they were set to hit the internet, siding with several states that sued to halt publication of designs to make weapons that security screening may not detect.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle said the blueprints publication could cause irreparable harm to U.S. citizens. The decision blocked a settlement President Donald Trumps administration had reached with a Texas-based company, which initially said it planned to put files online on Wednesday.

But Josh Blackman, a lawyer for the company Defense Distributed, said during Tuesdays hearing that blueprints had already been uploaded to the firms website on Friday.

The publication of those files is now illegal under federal law, Lasnik said.

There are 3-D printers in public colleges and public spaces and there is the likelihood of potential irreparable harm, Lasnik said at the end of a one-hour hearing on the lawsuit.

Defense Distributed and its founder Cody Wilson, a self-declared anarchist, argued that access to the online blueprints is guaranteed under the First and Second Amendment rights, respectively to free speech and to bear arms.

Lasnik said First Amendment issues had to be looked at closely and set another hearing in the case for Aug. 10.

Blackman told Reuters he was disappointed in the courts ruling and the judges implication that Wilson as an anarchist would break the law.

Mr. Wilson scrupulously obeys all court orders, Blackman said, adding that he was awaiting the judges written order before deciding on further legal action.

Lasnik at the end of the hearing had said breaking the law was something anarchists do all the time.

Gun control proponents are concerned the weapons made from 3-D printers are untraceable, undetectable ghost firearms that pose a threat to global security. Some gun rights groups say the technology is expensive, the guns are unreliable and the threat is being overblown.

Eight states and the District of Columbia on Monday filed a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing it acted arbitrarily in reaching the June settlement.

The states said online blueprints would allow criminals easy access to weapons. They said the Trump administration had failed to explain why it settled the case and that its decision violated their ability to regulate firearms and keep citizens safe.

Eric Soskin, a lawyer for the U.S. State Department, told the judge on Tuesday that the governments role in the case was that of a bystander.

Soskin said the State Department did not get involved in domestic gun regulation. He added that the State Department and other branches of the U.S. executive in May had decided to take the types of guns featured on Defense Distributeds website off a list of weapons banned for export.

As part of this decision, the United States has determined that the kind of guns you can go and buy in any store are not a threat to national security, Soskin said of the settlement.

Defense Distributeds files include 3-D printable blueprints for a plastic AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle, a version of a weapon that has been used in many U.S. mass shootings.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump raised concerns about the sale of plastic guns made with 3-D printers.

(Reporting by Tina Bellon in New York, Susan Heavey, Susan Cornwell in Washington; Steve Holland; Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Writing by James Dalgleish; editing by Phil Berlowitz and Grant McCool)540 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Donald Trump was in Florida Tuesday night campaigning for right-wing Florida U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, one of the presidents biggest supporters in the House, who is running for governor.

And now Florida Democrats are asking DeSantis to disclose the full extent of his relationships with disgraced former Republican National Committee deputy finance chair Elliott Broidy, who is enmeshed in several scandals.

There is substantial evidence that Broidys extensive lobbying work for Arab governments opposed to Qatar led to DeSantis possibly illegal actions as a Congressman attempting to harm that small Arab nation.

The Florida Democratic Party (FDP) has cited a new AP report about Broidy and his history of illegal lobbying activities for anti-Qatar policies in Washington. It is widely known that Broidy worked against Qatar as a way to curry favor from its enemies, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Broidy had worked for years with those Arab nations attempting to secure over $1 billion in business deals for his consulting firm.

FDP spokesperson Kevin Donohoe had this to say about the Broidy/DeSantis connection:

New reports have raised the chilling prospect that Congressman Ron DeSantis outspoken opposition to Qatar was part of a quid-pro-quo with one of his leading donors, Elliott Broidy. DeSantis should immediately disclose whether he had any conversations with Broidy about U.S. policy towards Qatar. Floridians deserve a governor who will stand up for them  not someone who is controlled by DC lobbyists and foreign governments.

FDP is now raising difficult questions concerning whether or not DeSantis positions opposing the interests of the government of Qatar were taken because of direct lobbying from Broidy, who is also a member of DeSantis national finance team.

AP reports that Broidy worked to influence at least one member of Congress: Congressman Ed Royce of California. But did Broidy also pay Ron DeSantis to oppose Qatar? Donohoe asked.

In other words, did DeSantis sell out Qatar in exchange for campaign contributions from Broidy? If so, that would be evidence of serious corruption on the part of Congressman DeSantis, and show that he, along with Broidy, are members of the Washington swamp.

The FDP has pointed out several statements DeSantis has made about the Qatari government over the past six months, as well as actions that are suspicious. One example was his demand that the United States Treasury Department crack down on financiers in Qatar that he said were tied to terrorists. Another was his signing of a letter criticizing UN Ambassador Nikki Haley for not saying that Qatar funds the terror group Hamas.

In March we reported that Broidy had been hired by Russians to get U.S. sanctions lifted from Russian companies.

The FDP also mentioned Broidys resignation from the RNC finance committee after media reports showed that President Donald Trumps personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid $1.6 million to a Playboy model to keep her quiet about an affair with Broidy.

The Daily Beast also reported on Tuesday that Broidys mistress, former Playboy Playmate Shera Bechard was pregnant, and had an abortion after her attorney went to Trumps fixer Michael Cohen to arrange a hush-money deal to cover up the affair.

A copy of Bechards new lawsuit against Broidy was released Tuesday showing she is asking for an additional $200,000 in hush money payments from the former RNC fundraiser.

Since Broidy is enmeshed in several scandals, and was a major DeSantis fundraiser and supporter, the FDP believes the public has a right to receive all information concerning their possibly corrupt relationship.

DeSantis is one of two Republicans running for Florida Governor in 2018. He is opposed by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the Republican Primary to be held August 28th.3.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

A new poll has found support among members of the Republican Party for Russian interference in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections. These Republicans believe it is OK to rely upon Putins government to try to help their party keep control of Congress in the fall.

40% of Republicans say that Russians illegally helping GOP to win elections would be appropriate or not a big deal. Republicans are not just anti-Democrat, they are anti-democratic.

40% of Republicans say that Russians illegally helping GOP to win elections would be "appropriate" or "not a big deal. Republicans are not just anti-Democrat, they are anti-democratic. https://t.co/mh28vMM6xu  D.J. Grothe (@DJGrothe) July 31, 2018

The Yahoo Finance/SurveyMonkey poll that was released on Tuesday disclosed that 11 percent of Republican or Republican-leaning American voters in the survey said it is appropriate for Russia to try to help Republican candidates. Another 29 percent said it wouldnt be a big deal.

To be fair, a majority of Republicans surveyed, 55 percent, said it was not appropriate and it would be a big deal for Russia to help Republicans keep control of Congress after the midterm elections.

Among Democrats, 86 percent called it not appropriate and a big deal for Russia to try to help Democrats, with just 14 percent saying it wouldnt be a big deal for Russia to intervene on behalf of Democrats.

Among all American voters, 72 percent said they are strongly opposed to Russia assisting Republican candidates in the 2018 elections.

Trump administration officials have confirmed that Moscow is conspiring to meddle in the upcoming midterm elections and U.S. intelligence agencies have confirmed that Russia did interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

It was reported last week that Russian intelligence officers tried to hack the campaign of Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill (Mo.) with an attempted breach of her computers during her 2018 reelection effort.

Facebook on Tuesday also revealed a new coordinated disinformation campaign on its platform ahead of the fall elections. The social media company said it had removed over two dozen accounts from Facebook and Instagram involved in what they termed inauthentic behavior.

President Trump last week suggested he was concerned that the Kremlin would attempt to meddle in the midterms to elect Democrats. At a press conference in Helsinki earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wanted Trump to win the 2016 election.

Yes, I did, because he was the one who wanted to normalize relations with Russia, Putin said.Trump claimed that his tariffs are creating jobs, without mentioning that nearly 500,000 Americans will lose their jobs due to his trade war.

Video of MSNBCs Stephanie Ruhle delivering the facts:

Trump said, Now, thanks to our tariffs, our steelworkers are back on the job, American steel mills are back open for business. We are starting to set new records, and nobody believed it could happen this quickly.

The facts from Ruhle:

Hes not completely wrong. For U.S. Steel manufacturers, things are good, and 18% spike in prices has doubled profits for some firms, but that kind of prosperity comes at a cost to other industries that still rely on steel imports for their production. When gains are offset by losses in other industries, tariffs well, they dont look for great for all of America. Tariffs and retaliation could increase employment in U.S. Steel and aluminum manufacturing by an estimated 26,000 jobs but the same report found those 26,000 jobs come at a cost of almost  wait for it  500,000 jobs across the rest of the U.S. Economy. A net loss of nearly 470,000 jobs.

There are groups that have broken out job loss estimates by industry. The Auto industry seeing between 18 to 40,000 lost by the end of next year, and with tariffs on solar panels, the industry could see 23,000 this year with more cuts to come without a change in policy. Trumps tariffs on Chinese tariffs and retaliatory duties on imports might result in the loss of 134,000 jobs. 67,000 of those when the agriculture industry alone. There are plans in place for a $12 boost to assist the agricultural sector but if the trump administration compensated losses across all industries, that price tag could balloon  to $39 billion.

Tariffs are a net jobs loser, and they have a cumulative impact. The longer that the tariffs are in place, the more the job losses built. Tariffs are not a one time or short-term hit as Trump and his administration suggestion. History reveals that jobs losses grow as these sort of trade policies remain in place. The US Chamber of Commerce has warned that Trumps trade policies could put 2.6 million jobs at risk. The Tax Foundation estimates that Trumps tariffs are going to lower worker wages by 0.31%.

Trumps tariffs are a losing strategy and his efforts to sell them as a job creator, while the loses in the rest of the economy, is why his statement is a lie.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.873 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

It was an historic day on Tuesday as President Trumps Vice President and Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) both admitted that there was significant Russian interference in the U.S. presidential elections in 2016.

DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen spoke during an opening roundtable presentation at the DHS National Cybersecurity Summit in New York, saying:

Let me be clear: Our intelligence community had it right. It was the Russians. We know that, they know that. It was directed from the highest levels. And we cannot and will not allow it to happen again.

Our democracy itself is in the crosshairs and under attack. Although no actual votes were changed in 2016. ANY attempt to interfere in our elections is a direct attack on our democracy, it is unacceptable, and it will not be tolerated.

Mark my words: America will not tolerate this meddling.  A Category 5 hurricane has been forecast. And now we must prepare.

Vice President Mike Pence, the keynote speaker at the National Cyber Summit, also directly criticized Russia for that countrys interference in the 2016 U.S. elections.

During his keynote speech Tuesday Pence said:

While other nations possessed the capability, the fact is, Russia meddled in our 2016 elections. That is the unambiguous judgment of our intelligence community, and as the President said, we accept the intelligence communitys conclusion.'

He then added that he thought Russias goal in interfering was to sow discord and division in America and weaken the American peoples faith in democracy, a conclusion that has been expressed by many other experts. Russia has been known to create divisions in many countries in Europe where they are hoping to weaken democracy and create conflicts within the NATO alliance.

Pence also discussed the integrity of American election processes in his speech, and he promised that the Trump administration takes the threat of election interference during the 2018 elections very seriously.

We will continue to work tirelessly to prevent foreign nations and malign actors from hacking into our election infrastructure and changing votes or election outcomes, the Vice President said.

Nielsens strong words and her willingness to point fingers at the Russian government were a new and welcome change from President Trumps previous wavering on the issue, starting in Helsinki. Trump has expressed that he is skeptical about the the U.S. intelligence assessments which concluded there was widespread Russian interference in American elections.

Nielsen also announced at the summit a new DHS National Risk Management Center. According to a statement from DHS, the goals of the new Center are to identify, assess and prioritize efforts to reduce risks to national critical functions which enable national and economic anxiety.1.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Rudy Giuliani told the media that if Trump wanted to obstruct justice, he legally could, which is not true.

Video:

Giuliani said, If he wanted to obstruct it, hed obstruct it. He could just end it. Then youd all battle whether he has the legal right to do that which I think he does but hes not going to do that. Hes made it clear he wants it to run its course. But on the other hand, he is a person with a first amendment right to defend himself, first amendment right to express his opinion, and as a president, it is even more important that he express his opinion because these kinds of allegations can do damage to the country, not just to the president. And if he believes hes innocent and he is innocent, he should speak out.

Giuliani is going to get Trump impeached

The theory that Rudy Giuliani is pushing is that the President Of The United States is more of a divine king than a president. Giuliani is suggesting that it is legal for Trump to obstruct justice because the president is above the law.

The Supreme Court has ruled both that the president can be sued in civil court and that a president is not above the law. Whether or not a sitting president can be charged with a crime remains an open question, but presidents by constitutional definition are not kings, nor are they above the law. If this is going to be Trumps legal defense, it is going to get him impeached.

Rudy Giuliani is floating the worlds worst legal advice, and if this is the leg that Trump chooses to stand on, he is going to get himself tossed out of office.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.424 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

President Donald J. Trump was on Twitter Wednesday telling Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he should un-recuse himself from Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump made clear that he wants his attorney general to shut down the entire Russia probe.

Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning:

This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further, the president wrote. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!

..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

This latest comment about the Mueller investigation is seen as a major escalation of the presidents attacks against the probe which began after he fired former FBI Director James Comey nearly 15 months ago. Since then the investigation has been constantly in the news and has been a thorn in the presidents side.

Attorney General Sessions recused himself in 2017 from being involved in any Russia investigation after it was discovered that he had inappropriately failed to disclose a meeting he had with former Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 presidential election. Sessions had previously given sworn testimony that he had no contacts with any Russian officials during the Trump campaign.

Because of his lies and the fact that he would likely be a witness in the investigation, Sessions rightly concluded he should not be leading the investigation.

After tweeting about Sessions, Trump wrote that he believed the U.S. government set him up by not warning him against hiring Paul Manafort as his campaign chairman in 2016. Manafort went on trial yesterday for 18 different alleged tax, financial and bank fraud crimes and could spend the rest of his life in jail.

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion  a Hoax!

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion  a Hoax!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

This of course is ridiculous since it has been well documented that Trump and Manafort first started working together in the 1980s.

Then Trump went further off the deep end, tweeting that the Democrats were behind the Mueller probe:

Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to begin the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!

Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to begin the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

This clearly is an attempt by the president to come up with alternative facts which have no relationship to the truth. He knows that millions of his mindless followers believe everything he tweets, and many in fact do not have other information or news sources.

Robert Mueller and almost all of his prosecutors and FBI agents are Republicans and always have been. Mueller has indicted 32 individuals so far, including four former Trump aides. Clearly there is no hoax and it is not a Democratic conspiracy against him.

When Donald Trump posts such desperate and unhinged tweets attacking Mueller we know he is acting out of fear. The beginning of the Manafort trial yesterday, coupled with reports of Michael Cohens impending cooperation with prosecutors, may be what set him off on this mornings Twitter tirade.

Regardless of the cause, we know that Trumps tweeting will not succeed in changing the real facts which will be proven by Mueller and his team in a court of law."I'm super super lucky be surrounded by strong intelligent women (on) my team that take me seriously and care about me. We have to stand together and us girls have to support each other in order to make a change in the industry."

Women are killing it in the music industry, and song lovers couldn't be happier! In our column, #WomenCrushWednesday, each week, we'll feature an awesome lady whose tunes are blowing up our playlists and ask them about their musical journey.

Nova Miller is featured this week for her killer vocal range, instrumental talents, and acting abilities. With her new EP out and festival gigs all over the world, there is no stopping this girl. Find out what the challenges have been for her finding success at a young age and how you can get her trendy looks.

How did you become interested in music?



It's always been in my life because basically, every single person in my family is a musician professionally. It was always natural, a no-brainer for me. Without music and art I'm not myself!



You're originally from Sweden. What is the music world like there?

Yes! We have so many amazing producers songwriters, musicians, and artists that are from Sweden. I think one of the reasons are because music is very encouraged here, there are so many music schools, and it's a big part of many people's lives from a young age including mine! At least in the capital. But the actual music scene here in Sweden I would say is much smaller of course.

As a teenager, are there any challenges you've faced because of fame and your age?



I mean, it's all been very exciting because my hard work has just started to really pay off, and meeting fans has been super fun. It's amazing to see the faces of who listens to my music (and) supports me. So not really. The only thing I can think of is that I've had to end a few friendships lately and it's much harder to feel like a friendship is genuine the way I felt before. So in other words it has made me realize who my real friends are.

Outside of music, I read you're passionate about acting. How do you balance both?



I feel like acting and music go together hand in hand! And I'm really passionate about both. Of course it's a bit challenging to do it at the same time but I wouldn't want to have it any other way and am just super grateful that I have the opportunity to do both.



What has your experience been as a woman in the music industry?



Being a young woman in the industry is challenging. There has been many times where I've felt very minimized, many times my ideas in sessions gets washed away and not taken seriously by a man that "knows best." But what I've experienced and what I've seen and heard personally is nothing compared to how crazy and male dominated the industry actually is. I'm super super lucky be surrounded by strong intelligent women (on) my team that take me seriously and care about me. We have to stand together and us girls have to support each other in order to make a change in the industry.

Recently, you released your EP Yellow. What was the writing and recording experience for that like?

Yessss! The writing experience was really interesting for me! It is the first ever body of work I've ever put out and I just wanted to release it with no expectations whatsoever. Every song is really special to me because it represents a moment or season in my life, and it's the first time I've released something I've written/co-written. So yeah it's been very cool to develop that side of myself.



Have you any favorite songs off the EP?



Definitely " Patterns!" It's my favorite to perform because it's so emotional.

From your social posts, I see you have a killer sense of fashion. Any tips in that department you can provide?



Thank you!! ALWAYS be yourself and Try. New. Things. I literally just wear exactly what I feel like. I have to try different and weird things sometimes in order to get to know myself, cus if I don't try and experiment, how will I know what I'm actually comfortable in? You don't need to have a lot of money to put a killer outfit together, I love to shop in thrift shops for example. Just be you, and know that that is more than enough.

What is coming up next for you?



I'm performing (in) some really exiting festivals the rest of the summer like way out west in Sweden and then I'm just going back in the studio in L.A. really soon to work on new material to release. I'll also be in Germany in September to play some shows, and hopefully I can land a role in a movie by the end of the year!!

Follow Nova Miller on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Rachel A.G. Gilman is a writer, a former radio producer, and probably the girl wearing the Kinks shirt. She is the creator of The Rational Creature and suggests you check it out. Also visit her website for more.

Have an artist we should profile? Send a pitch email to Rachel.

POPDUST | Read More #WCW...

#WomanCrushWednesday | Lauren Sanderson

#WomanCrushWednesday | BAUM

#WomanCrushWednesday | Kendra ErikaGregory Yee covers the city of Charleston. He's a native Angeleno and previously covered crime and courts for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, CA. He studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of California, Irvine.According to the Maryland Department of Health, a record 2,282 people died in Maryland from unintentional drug-and-alcohol-related intoxication in 2017. Thats more than double the number of such deaths in Maryland in 2014. Keep that year in mind.

88 percent of the intoxication deaths in Maryland in 2017 were opioid-related. Opioid-related deaths include deaths due to heroin, prescription opioids, and nonpharmaceutical fentanyl.

Large increases in the number of fentanyl-related deaths are responsible for the overall rise in opioid-related deaths in Maryland. Between 2016 and 2017, the number of fentanyl-related deaths increased by 42 percent (from 1119 to 1594).

The number of cocaine-related deaths began rising in 2014. They increased 110 percent between 2015 and 2016, and another 49 percent between 2016 and 2017.

Weve heard plenty about a prescription opioid crisis. However, in Maryland the number of prescription-opioid related deaths decreased by 1 percent (from 418 to 413) in 2017. Moreover, many of these deaths occurred in combination with heroin and/or fentanyl. Deaths solely related to prescriptions have declined during the past three years.

Reviewing this data, Daniel Horowitz concludes that we have an illicit drug crisis, not a prescription crisis  at least not one thats driving the massive surge in deaths in Maryland since 2014. Horowitz writes:

As the Maryland report indicates, deaths from Cocaine, which is all a drug cartel issue, not a doctor issue, started surging in 2014, the exact time of the surge in the border from Central America.

(Emphasis added)

And, as noted, the overall surge in deaths from unintentional drug-and-alcohol-related intoxication also began that year.

The Maryland Health Departments report contains additional information to support Horowitzs thesis that we face not a prescription drug crisis, but an illicit drug problem fueled by drug cartels. He notes that almost three times as many men died from overdoses as women, even though women comprise the majority of chronic pain patients. In addition, rural, sparsely populated Cecil County had the second highest rate of overdose. According to Horowitz, Cecil County is a transit point for the largest drug trafficking hub in the east along I-95, headed north to the major northeastern cities.

But why are drug networks, most of which are comprised of foreign nationals at the primary level, able to operate so effectively in Maryland? Horowitz says the answer lies in immigration policy:

[T]he three largest jurisdictions in Maryland are Baltimore City, Montgomery County and Prince Georges County. They are all sanctuary cities that refuse to hand over drug traffickers to ICE. This has contributed tremendously to the growth of criminal alien drug trafficking networks in the area. Prince Georges County is also overrun with drugs from the large population of Central American teens that have come in since 2014. MS-13 has saturated the county and has become a primary distributor of deadly drugs.

Its politically correct to blame the opioid crisis on prescription drugs, and to wage war on drug companies, doctors, and pain patients. Its politically incorrect to blame our immigration and criminal law policies.

But the Maryland report strongly suggests that the politically correct line is a misdiagnosis. Horowitz provides good reason to believe that the politically incorrect explanation comes much closer to the truth.Tonight President Trump addressed a raucous rally in Florida. His speech featured a call for voter ID, a popular issue with most Americans but one the Democratic Party press opposes, since pretty much all voter fraud favors the Democrats. The Associated Press, perhaps Trumps most bitter enemy other than CNN and MSNBC, headlined just one fact about Trumps speech: Trump at rally makes false claim on photo IDs for groceries.

The AP starts its story:

President Donald Trump on Tuesday wrongly claimed that shoppers need to show photo identification to buy groceries and accused Democrats of obstructing his agenda and his Supreme Court nominee during a raucous rally aimed at bolstering two Florida Republicans ahead of the states primary.

Later, the AP elaborates:

Tuesday nights freewheeling rally lasted more than an hour and included numerous attacks on the media, as well as one glaring false claim. Trump was railing against the idea of noncitizens voting and advocating stricter voting laws when he claimed that IDs are required for everything else, including shopping. If you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need ID, he said at the event at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture. A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about when the billionaire president last bought groceries or anything else himself. Photo IDs are required for certain purchases, such as alcohol, cigarettes or cold medicine.

This is classic Democratic Party press coverage. The AP doesnt want to deal with the fact that Trumps point was correct. We have to show ID for all kinds of things; everyone has identification. We should have to show ID to vote, too. The logic is unassailable, and it doesnt turn on groceries.

Did the AP catch Trump in an untruth? No. Trump wasnt making a specific point about groceries, he used groceries as an example. He went on to say that You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture. I think it is obvious that Trump was talking about paying for purchases (groceries or otherwise) with a check. Yes, Trump is so old that he remembers when people actually paid for things with checks.

In case you have forgotten, it is common practice for stores to ask for identification when you buy groceries or other goods with a personal check. For those who havent used checks in years, this site provides a helpful reminder:

If a business accepts checks, you will need to provide identification proving that the checking account you are using belongs to you. Some small businesses cannot afford the risk of bad checks, so they only accept other forms of payment. However, if you are allowed to pay with a check, your ID will be requested to try to minimize loss from people writing checks against closed accounts or accounts with no money. Your check should contain your name and address, which should match the same information on your ID. Most businesses require a government-issued ID, such as a drivers license or military card.

That obviously is what Trump was talking about when he said that You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture.

The problem with the Associated Press isnt just that its reporters are stupid or ill-informed, although that often is the case. The real problem is that the APs reporting is so often in bad faith, deliberately pretending not to understand, as in this instance, President Trumps reference, and doggedly refusing to engage with the point he was making: identification is required all the time, we all have identification or can easily get it, the only reason not to require it for voting is a desire to enable voter fraud. The Associated Presss reporting is a giant exercise in trying to change the subject.Weve been following developments in Minnesotas DFL Party as representative of the crosscurrents roiling the party nationally. The contest between appointed incumbent Tina Smith and new Democrat Richard Painter for what was Al Frankens Senate seat must top the marquee. Smith is an utterly vacuous metropolitan leftist who formerly served as Governor Mark Daytons lieutenant governor. University of Minnesota Law School professor Richard Painter identified himself as a Republican when he served in the Bush (43) White House counsels office and when he endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in the 2016 election.

Painter continued to hold himself out as a Republican as he made a name for himself disparaging Trump on the cable channels after the election. As of this past April, however, Painter was unsure whether he would seek Smiths seat as a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent. Once he declared himself a Democratic candidate this past April, I posed 10 questions to Painter upon the announcement of his candidacy that month. I posed the questions by email at his invitation when I asked him for an interview.

I never heard back from Painter. Was it something I asked? My question number 2 was: You have held yourself out as a Republican during your career and at the time you endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in the fall of 2016. When did you first identify yourself as a Democrat?

The Star Tribune has provided no help at all. Party bigwigs have therefore taken it upon themselves to try to nail Painter down, but he has obliged them no more than he has obliged me. The Star Tribune covers the tussle between Painter and DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin in DFL in bitter clash with Senate candidate Richard Painter.

Painter has abandoned the Republican Party but he declines to declare himself a Democrat. Its a sad situation. What party has he?

The Star Tribune article picks up on another theme that I took up last month. When Painter was on the cable channels bashing Trump, he advertised himself and was advertised as a former Bush (43) White House ethics czar. Based on my own reporting, I understood him to have grossly inflated his job description and duties in the Office of White House Counsel. As I noted a few weeks ago, Professor Painter is now retouching his self-portrait for current purposes.

DFL Chairman Martin is having none of it. He torments Painter for his exaggerated service in the Bush White House by taking it at face value. Martin too is a DFL loon: He said Painter should apologize for the waterboarding of terrorism suspects and the nominations of conservative Supreme Court justices during his tenure in the second Bush White House.

The Democrats are nuts. They deserve each other. But what about the rest of us?

Incidentally, I am still waiting to hear from Martin in response to my question regarding the endorsed DFL candidate for Minnesotas fifth congressional district. Is it okay for a DFL candidate to characterize Israel as a racist state? I cant find a prominent Minnesota Democrat who will answer the question and the Star Tribune has been no help either.Ive written before here and elsewhere that the humanities are dying by suicide at American universities, and that colleges and universities will begin a de facto division into science and tech institutions with a rump of dwindling and politicized humanities and social science fields at the margins. The humanities are dying at most colleges and universities, or to be more accurate, they are committing suicide with their complete embrace of leftism, subjectivist nihilism, and historicism that degrade what was always the prime attraction of the humanitiesa portal to the wisdom of the past on the true, the good, and the beautiful. Most of the social scienceswith the exception of economicsare following close behind for similar reasons.

The number of students majoring in the humanities and social sciences, even at the premier Ivy League colleges, has fallen by about two-thirds over the last generation. This decline has been masked somewhat at most universities by the overall increase in student enrollment. It has also been masked by a change in classification that took place in 2001 in which students who were double-majoring in a humanities subject were counted as majors for statistical purposes.

The chart below from Ben Schmidt, a professor of history at Northeastern University, charts the decline of majors in the humanities going back to the 1960s. (Some other time it will be good to discuss the big spike in humanities majors in the 1960s, and then why it quickly reversed. I have several hypotheses about this.) Prof. Schmidt offers this as a mea culpa for his previous denial that the humanities were in decline:

The last five years have been brutal for almost every major in the humanitiesits no longer reasonable to speculate that we are fluctuating around a long term average. . . I am now much more pessimistic about the state of humanities majors than I was five years ago. . . the drop in majors since 2008 has been so intense that I now think there is, in the only meaningful sense of the word, a crisis.

This is preface to a story appearing today in Inside Higher Ed about the travails of Earlham College in Indiana, a small Quaker-affiliated liberal arts college that used to enjoy a reputation as a decent niche school for the liberal arts. Now it is in a financial crisis, with some doubts about its long-term survival. Another thing I have been predicting is not only that humanities and social science departments will shrink or be abolishedit is already happening at some placesbut that many small liberal arts colleges will fold up in the coming years.

But there is one more point to be made about faith-based colleges like Earlham. One thing that is largely unreported these days is that most supposedly Christian or evangelical colleges have become just as rotten as the worst secular universities. Scratch a supposedly faith-based college, and youll find nearly all of their leading sentiments fall in line with todays secular left. I recall visiting George Fox College in Oregon a few years agolike Earlham, a Quaker-affiliated school that is supposedly different from secular universitiesand being harangued by a deep leftist professor from the philosophy department about Foucault. You will find this at Gordon College, Wheaton, etc, etc. Ive known a couple of very liberal graduates of Earlham tell me they found the political correctness of the place to be stifling, and consequently that their humanities instruction there was gravely defective. If this is whats on offer from supposed faith-based colleges, you might as well just save your tuition money and send your kid to Evergreen State.

The Inside Higher Ed story about Earlham gives away the story indirectly, if you know how to decode some of this:

Worries mount that the college has strayed too far from its liberal arts core. Suspicions run high that college leaders reached recent important decisions without regard for one of the key governance principles rooted in its Quaker identity: consensus.

Consensus, of course, means yielding to the left.

The spate of soul-searching comes after several years of eroding financial indicators. Earlham has been using money from its endowment to plug a gap between the revenue it collects and larger sums it spends. At the same time, its net tuition revenue per student has been declining. . . In the 2013 fiscal year, Earlham collected $15,100 in net tuition revenue per student. It collected just $12,000 per student in 2018. The colleges tuition and fees totaled $40,020 per student in 2013 and $45,750 in 2018, not counting room and board. Over that five-year period, its cumulative net cash outflows exceed inflows by more than $47 million.

Cue the death-spiral countdown.

Concerned alumni also point out that the colleges curriculum has been redone several times in recent years. When we were going through the course of study as students in the 1980s with the required humanities sequence, it was very much a liberal arts program, said Loren Lybarger, who graduated from Earlham in 1986. That seems to be completely gone. . . . The 2015 strategic plan was built on pillars that essentially stand against many of the things Earlham has been in the past, said Catherine Kemp, who graduated from Earlham in 1987, one of several alumni who started a Facebook group for those concerned about Earlham and who co-authored an online petitiondemanding Prices reinstatement. Im not saying that as a nostalgic alum from the 80s, Kemp said. Im saying it as someone who can look at language.

Not hard to read between the lines here. Like many colleges, you can see Earlham following where the two-headed market forces arethe demands of students for practical instruction to get jobs some day, and the demands of the vocal wacko faculty for trendy politicized curricula:

Earlham pumped millions into science and technology facilities in recent years. It also added 13 new positions before the 2016-17 academic year in biology, business, chemistry, computer science, environmental studies, international studies, psychology and support for three interdisciplinary centers in social justice, global health and entrepreneurship and innovation.

And this passage toward the end is a real hoot:

Leaders had hoped that past investments, like those in facilities and new faculty positions, would help Earlham gain net tuition revenue. Instead, the college seems to have been keeping up with the competition, not breaking away from it. There was some hope we were getting ahead, and it has not panned out that way, Logan said.

Heres an idea: dont follow the competition. How about offering a traditional education that takes the Quaker faith seriously? Its so crazy it just might work! See: Hillsdale.PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-01 10:13:32

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Coherent Market Insights

1001 4th Ave,





#3200





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2067016702

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Blood stream infections, which are caused by pathogens can intervene with the normal defenses of the body and prevent immune system from working properly. Blood stream infections testing help the doctors to determine the specific bacteria or organism causing blood infection. Human health is at risk due to increasing population, which has led to rise in various infectious diseases. According to the World Bank 2016 report, the global population reached up to 7.44 billion. This has contributed to the growth of the blood stream infection testing market. The demand for quicker results and rapid diagnosis is increasing the demand for blood stream infection testing globally. Moreover, rising incidence of hospital acquired infectious diseases and lowered immunity levels due to high pollution levels are also increasing the demand for blood stream infection tests.Request Sample Copy Of This Report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1727 Blood Stream Infection Testing Market DynamicsOvercrowding and inadequate shelter are the major factors responsible for transmission of diseases with epidemic potential in the community. Outbreaks of disease are more frequent and severe when the population density is high and this leads to rising concerns to look after hygiene. Moreover, awareness about various chronic diseases such as cancer, HIV, and pneumonia that guided people to take blood tests at regular intervals of time and introduction of various government initiatives for the prevention and control of infections have boosted growth of the blood stream infection testing market. Moreover, rising number of geriatric population across the globe and rising demand for technologically advanced diagnostic tests are also expected to fuel the market growth over the forecast period. For instance, in 2017, researchers from the University of Illinois and Charle Foundation Hospital completed a clinical study of a device that can detect sepsis from a single drop of blood.Blood Stream Infection Testing Market - Regional InsightsOn the basis of region, the global blood stream infection testing market is segmented into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America accounted for the largest market share in the global blood stream infection testing market, owing to rising awareness among the people, high infection rates, better medical facilities, and high adoption of the innovative products. Moreover, government support towards the infection-free states and society is also accelerating the growth of blood stream infection testing market in this region. For instance, in 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized city-based blood test to aid in the evaluation of concussion in adults.Moreover, Asia Pacific is expected to witness significant growth in the market over the forecast period, owing to rising number of vulnerable population to various chronic diseases and wide availability of innovative products offering better solutions to the patients at marginally lower costs. For instance, in 2017, a group of researchers led by the National Cancer Center Japan (NCC), together with Toray Industries, Inc. developed a new method that could detect thirteen different cancer types with a single drop of blood.Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/1727 Blood Stream Infection Testing Market - Competitive LandscapeThe key players operating in the global blood stream infection testing market include bioMerieux SA, Becton, Dickinson and Company, AB Sciex, IRIDICA, Abbot Laboratories, Cepheid Inc, C. R. Bard, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Nanoshpere, Dade Behring, AdvanDX, Siemens Healthcare, Alere Inc., Roche Diagnostics, Eurogentec, Cepheid, Luminex Corporation, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Key players are engaged in developing new technologies, in order to retain dominant position in the market. For instance, in 2018, MediWise, a U.K.-based company released a product called GlucoWise, which is a non-invasive glucose monitoring device.Blood Stream Infection Testing Market TaxonomyOn the basis of product type, the global blood stream infection testing market is segmented into: Instruments, Reagents, Others,. On the basis of technology, the global blood stream infection testing market is segmented into: Conventional Testing, Non-Conventional Testing, On the basis of test type, the global blood stream infection testing market is segmented into: Conventional Blood Culture Tests, PCR Method, Nucleic Acid Testing, Mass Spectroscopy, Point-of-Care Testing, On the basis of end user, the global blood stream infection testing market is segmented into: Hospitals, Independent Diagnostic Centers, Others, On the basis of region, the global blood stream infection testing market is segmented into: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa,.Click To Continue Reading On Blood Stream Infection Testing MarketAbout Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-01 07:28:13

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5151 Tuscarawas St W # 224Canton Oh 44708Owner(330) 313-1303

Canton, Oh  July 21, 2018 It is a bummer when an appliance breaks. This situation is made worse when you cant find anyone to fix the appliance. Many appliance repair companies do not have the knowledge to fix older appliances. Other companies can fix older appliances but are not affordable.Sams appliance repair is affordable. They understand the inconvenience of having an appliance that doesnt work and the importance of getting it back to normal as soon as possible. Having an appliance break can completely ruin your day. It can put a dent in the flow of your routine and have your home in chaos. Sams appliance repair knows that things need to be up and running as soon as possible.Sams appliance repair specifically specializes in repairing appliances commonly found in the home and at commercial properties. If you have a broken appliance, they can repair any common model and make appliance. They are based in Canton, Oh. However, there services are not limited to the Canton area. Sams appliance repair also serves residents and businesses in the areas located around Salem, Canton, and Akron. They commonly repair appliances in Stark counties and the counties surrounding Stark county.Sams appliance repair is a small company and it is locally owned. Because of this, they offer competitive rates and provide prompt service to ensure customer satisfaction. Customers are the heart of the business. They understand that people cannot waste an entire day sitting at home waiting for the repairman to show up. Their repairmen schedule appointments and ensure someone is at your home or business on time to fix your appliance.They specialize in repairing all types of home appliances. When your cook top, oven, or microwave breaks it affects your ability to make a warm meal for your family. If your freezer or refrigerator is broken, it affects your food quality and you can be facing expenses to replace the food that was in the refrigerator. When your washing machine or dryer breaks you can find yourself struggling for clean clothes to wear. Dishwashers breaking is an inconvenience because you must wash the dishes by hand, and this takes time away from your family and other responsibilities. Sams appliance repair can fix your home appliances and have warm meals back on the table in no time.They can also repair most commercial appliances. It can be difficult to find an appliance repairman that can fix coin-operated laundry equipment. If the laundry equipment isnt working, it can cost money. Kitchen equipment is critical to many food businesses. If it breaks, depending on the business, you could be looking at low to do production. Sams appliance repair can fix these and other miscellaneous products to get you back up and running.It is also difficult to calculate how much to budget for a repair. Because of this, they can tell you what the repair is going to cost you from the beginning. When doing residential repairs, you will only pay $125 plus the cost of parts. If you book the repair online, the price is $120. This system has worked well, and customers have been satisfied with the prices and results of repairs. All parts come with a thirty-day labor free warranty and a one-year warranty on the parts. When it comes to quality service, affordable pricing, and customer satisfaction; Sams Appliance Repair is setting the bar.PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-01 14:59:14

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The Coalition has launched a series of rallies at the bank's headquarters, its popular New York City branch and at the offices of Berkshire Hathaway to protest M&T Bank's role as security agent for a housing fund which has left Czech coal miners homelessNEW YORK, Aug 1, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - The Coalition to Protect OKD Miners ("the Coalition"), an organization created to advocate on behalf of Czech coal miners, has put M&T Bank and its subsidiary Wilmington Trust on notice with protests conducted at M&T Bank's Headquarters in Buffalo, NY; M&T Bank's popular branch located at 11 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036. Meanwhile, rallies took place outside of Berkshire Hathaway's offices in Omaha, NE as demonstrators wore superman outfits asking Buffett, its Founder and CEO to be a superhero and "save the miners from homelessness". Berkshire Hathaway holds approximately 3.62 percent of outstanding shares of M&T Bank based on the end of year 2017 reporting period and has owned the stock in some form since 1991.M&T Bank, through its subsidiary Wilmington Trust, acts as security agent for Fondy Bydleni, a Luxembourg-based housing fund which owns the Czech property firm RESIDOMO. RESIDOMO and Fondy Bydleni have refused to honor a contractual agreement to provide discounted housing units to Czech coal miners in the city of Ostrava, Czech Republic. The contract in question was originally made between KARBON Invest and the Czech government as part of KARBON Invest's bid to privatize the originally state-owned coal company, OKD. Specifically, the deal stated explicitly that the housing units of OKD Miners were to be preserved as reduced cost units. Working with KARBON Invest, Bakala subsequently obtained control of OKD using New World Resources N.V ("NWR), an international energy firm which he also controlled at the time. As a result, OKD thus became a subsidiary of NWR and the housing units became controlled by Bakala.After allegedly plundering OKD by taking excessive profits for himself, Bakala sold the housing units to Fondy Bydleni by selling them 100% of RESIDOMO. Fondy Bydleni is backed primarily by Blackstone and by Round Hill Capital. Blackstone and Round Hill have thus far refused to honor the terms of the 2004 contract.This entire matter is the subject of intense litigation as well as criminal investigation by authorities in the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Poland and the EU. In the Czech Republic, the special investigation committee of the Czech Parliament is investigating the issue directly.The coalition believes that M&T Bank, as the security agent, has the power to compel Fondy Bydleni to act through RESIDOMO to honor the terms of the 2004 contract. Moreover, the coalition believes that Warren Buffett, as a long-time shareholder of M&T Bank, can use his influence with management and his equity to make the bank act as a constructive player in this situation.The Coalition, through this protest and future events, plans to make its case to all relevant entities to immediately resolve the housing crisis. The coalition has set up a website at www.StopBakala.org to communicate in greater depth regarding its activities.The coalition issued the following statement:"Warren Buffett, M&T Bank, Blackstone, RESIDOMO, and Round Hill Capital all have the ability to come together and figure out a mutually beneficial solution to the Ostrava housing crisis. We demand that the housing fund honors contractual arrangements already in place for the housing unit and comply with their legal obligations as well as their moral obligations. M&T Bank and Warren Buffett truly are ethical actors as they claim to be, they will bring all the stakeholders together expeditiously and figure out a solution where legal and ethical obligations are honored." ContactDan Taylor, Coalition to Protect OKD Miners, +1-929-224-0939, contact@ StopBakala.org This press release was issued through EmailWire - a global newswire with press release distribution services: http://www.emailwire.comPR-Inside.com: 2018-08-01 09:02:02

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GridGain Systems, provider of enterprise-grade in-memory computing solutions based on Apache Ignite, today announced a variety of webinars, conferences and meetups. In these events, GridGain experts will share insights and strategies for how businesses of all sizes can meet the real-time performance and scalability requirements of data-intensive applications being developed for digital transformation and omnichannel customer experience initiatives.



Organizations pursuing digital transformation initiatives need real-time speed and massive scalability for their applications, said Terry Erisman, Vice President of Marketing at GridGain. These organizations have questions about which solutions to use for their particular challenges, and our in-memory computing experts have the answers. These events are the perfect opportunity for attendees to get the information they need to move their projects forward.

During August, GridGain will host or participate in the following conferences, webinars and meetups:

Conferences & Webinars

Designing Multi-Cluster In-Memory Computing Applications  August 2, 2018  GridGain Senior Technical Consultant Lucas Beeler and GridGain Senior Director of Outbound Product Management Rob Meyer will discuss architectural best practices for the journey to multi-cluster computing applications.

 August 2, 2018  GridGain Senior Technical Consultant Lucas Beeler and GridGain Senior Director of Outbound Product Management Rob Meyer will discuss architectural best practices for the journey to multi-cluster computing applications. Gartner Catalyst Conference  August 20, 2018  GridGain CEO Abe Kleinfeld will discuss In-Memory Computing: Unlocking the Digital Future.

 August 20, 2018  GridGain CEO Abe Kleinfeld will discuss In-Memory Computing: Unlocking the Digital Future. FOSSCON  August 25, 2018  GridGain Technology Evangelist Akmal Chaudhri will speak on Distributed Database DevOps Dilemmas? Kubernetes to the rescue!

 August 25, 2018  GridGain Technology Evangelist Akmal Chaudhri will speak on Distributed Database DevOps Dilemmas? Kubernetes to the rescue! In-Memory Computing Essentials for Architects and Developers: Part 2  August 28, 2018  GridGain Technology Evangelist Akmal Chaudhri will introduce  in English and in French  the fundamental capabilities and components of a distributed, in-memory computing platform.

Meetups

About GridGain Systems

GridGain Systems is revolutionizing real-time data access and processing by offering an in-memory computing platform built on Apache Ignite. GridGain solutions are used by global enterprises in financial, software, e-commerce, retail, online business services, healthcare, telecom and other major sectors, with a client list that includes Barclays, ING, Sberbank, Finastra, IHS Markit, Workday, and Huawei. GridGain delivers unprecedented speed and massive scalability to both legacy and greenfield applications. Deployed on a distributed cluster of commodity servers, GridGain software can reside between the application and data layers (RDBMS, NoSQL and Apache Hadoop), requiring no rip-and-replace of the existing databases, or it can be deployed as an in-memory transactional SQL database. GridGain is the most comprehensive in-memory computing platform for high-volume ACID transactions, real-time analytics, web-scale applications, continuous learning and HTAP. For more information, visit gridgain.com.

CONTACT:

Terry Erisman

GridGain Systems

terisman@gridgain.com

(650) 241-2281

GridGain is a trademark or registered trademark of GridGain Systems, Inc. Apache, Apache Hadoop, Hadoop, Apache Ignite, Ignite, Apache Spark, and Spark, are trademarks of The Apache Software Foundation. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-01 09:06:03

JAG Shaw Baker will expand its offering to fast-growth companies in the technology and life sciences sector under the Withers brand as Withers tech

JAG Shaw Baker has been a part of the European technology start-up scene since 2013 offering corporate and intellectual property services to investors and startups.

The acquisition allows JAG Shaw Baker to replicate their successful startup model by leveraging Withers global presence.

The firm has 40 employees, including six partners with both UK and US qualified lawyers in London, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Boston, MA that will operate under a new brand called Withers tech effective 1 August, 2018.

effective 1 August, 2018. The firm has 362 active clients which include tech [..]

JAG Shaw Baker Joins Withers To Expand Technology Offering Globally

Withers

Duncan Miller, +44 (0) 20 7597 6033

Duncan.Miller@withersworldwide.com

or

JAG Shaw Baker

Sarab Bhogal, + 44 (0) 203 598 3070

Sarab.Bhogal@jagshawbaker.com

or

Jennifer Hicks, + 44 (0) 203 598 3070 or + 1 929 442 9696

Jennifer.Hicks@jagshawbaker.com

JAG Shaw Baker, a [..]Withers tech' and will operate from offices in London and Cambridge effective 1 August 2018.

Withers is an international law firm founded in 1896 dedicated to successful people, their business and philanthropic interests. The firm has 17 offices across the US, Europe, and Asia. JAG Shaw Baker is a boutique law firm that advises UK and US entrepreneurs, companies and investors across high-growth technology sectors such as life sciences, clean tech, and digital technology.

JAG Shaw Baker was founded in 2013 by Tina Baker and James Shaw, two former Brown Rudnick lawyers who saw a gap in the UK and European startup ecosystem for legal services specific to this sector. Since its inception, JAG Shaw Baker has successfully created a successful business model for the European startup community for investors and entrepreneurs. As Withers tech, the firm will expand this model on a global level by leveraging the Withers international presence and offer an even broader array of services their clients demand such as employment, tax, immigration, real estate, litigation and US corporate structuring.

Since we opened our practice, it has always been our vision to grow our business through global expansion; and over the past five years, we have successfully created a business model that works for the European tech and life sciences ecosystem, said James Shaw, Partner and Co-founder, JAG Shaw Baker. The fast growth tech and life sciences markets are a growth area for Withers, so together with our industry expertise and their international reach, we can deliver that global model overnight to our clients.

Tina Baker, Partner and Co-founder, JAG Shaw Baker said that during their discussions with Withers, it became clear that there was a significant cultural and business fit between both firms.

Joining Withers and creating Withers tech allows the firm to stand by their clients through every stage of their companys life and help them create strong global businesses as they grow and expand, said Baker. Together, we will continue to provide our clients with unprecedented access to the best legal teams for the fast growth tech and life sciences markets.

Jeremy Wakeham, CEO, Withers' Business Division, comments: "We are hugely excited to welcome JAG Shaw Baker to the firm. Their in-depth experience in the technology sector is a great strategic complement to the work we do for tech entrepreneurs and investors in the US and Asia, and presents exciting possibilities to increase our activity in the sector."

Withers

Withers is an international law firm dedicated to entrepreneurs, successful people and their businesses.

With over 170 partners and more than 450 other lawyers, we have unparalleled expertise in commercial, tax, trusts, estate planning, financial services, litigation and arbitration, real estate, charities, philanthropy, employment, family law and other legal issues facing individuals and their families. The firm has advised 55% of the top 100 UK Sunday Times Rich List and over 25% of the top 100 US Forbes list, as well as numerous families in Asia. The Charities & Philanthropy team acts for more than 50% of the top 100 UK charities.

Withers has 17 offices worldwide in London, New York, New Haven, Greenwich (Connecticut), San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Rancho Santa Fe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo, the British Virgin Islands, Geneva, Milan and Padua. The firm is a member of the Withers SBL alliance, which has offices in Melbourne and Sydney. For more, visit www.withersworldwide.com

JAG Shaw Baker

JAG Shaw Baker, established in 2013, is a strategic law firm that advises entrepreneurs, companies and investors across high-growth technology markets such as life sciences, clean tech and digital technology. JAG Shaw Baker has a firm grasp on the nuances, influencers and contributors in the European technology, investor and venture capital ecosystem which helps our clients reach their business goals faster. Our UK and US trained lawyers have extensive corporate and commercial expertise and a passion for high-growth companies and investors. From landmark intellectual property wins in China, terms of agreement for a book launch in Space, creating legal frameworks for clinical trials to shepherding a music platform to 40 million users, advising a disruptive financial tech company and M&A for sale-side venture-backed acquisitions, JAG Shaw Bakers legal team creates a collaborative culture and gives our clients access to exceptional commercial legal advice and industry expertise. For more information go to www.jagshawbaker.com and www.withersworldwide.com.

ENDS

Editor's Note: Interviews are available with JAG Shaw Bakers Co-founders Tina Baker and James Shaw as well as Jeremy Wakeham, CEO of Withers' Business Division. Media assets including logos and images are available on request.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005

We are thrilled to announce that effective today, we've joined international law firm @WithersLLP to create a unique legal offering, called Withers tech, which meets the needs of entrepreneurs, investors, and technology companies across the world.Fact.MR

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-01 11:46:21

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Quality-constructed to impart economical yet strong packaging, laminated polypropylene woven bags and sacks continue to dwarf their non-laminated counterparts. 60% of polypropylene woven bags and sacks sales converted worldwide are laminated, according to a recent Fact.MR study. The study foresees the polypropylene woven bags and sacks market to record a moderate 4.0% volume CAGR through the period of forecast, 2018 to 2028.Palpability of polythenes environmental hazards has emphasized the use of sustainable alternatives in the packaging sector, thereby entailing adoption of polypropylene woven bags and sacks. Rapid inroad paved by the retail industry in FMCG sector, which has resulted in proliferation of retail outlets, will continue to bode well for growth of the polypropylene woven bags and sacks market.Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=1203 Countries worldwide are passing prohibitions and taxes on plastic bags to offset environment impacts resulting from their production and disposal. Single-use plastic bags that have a thickness of less than 35 microns or 50 microns fall under the prohibition, and the thickness varies from country to country; primary agenda behind this being their zero reusable value and exhausting landfill sites.Following ban on plastic bags, polypropylene non-woven bags are in rigorous demand, albeit their composition of plastic as a part with cloth was frowned upon in their infancy. Despite materials used in polypropylene woven bags and sacks are not completely biodegradable, they can be reused & recycled, thereby illustrating a greener alternative. In fact, polypropylene woven bags and sacks manufacturing is emerging as a lucrative small-business idea, in light of their steadily surging demand, says a lead analyst at Fact.MR Sensing evolving requirements of consumers and end-use industries alike, manufacturers of polypropylene woven bags and sacks have introduced a wide range of products. Open mouth bags and valve bags continue to subjugate the polypropylene woven bags and sacks market, collectively accounting for over 50% market share, in terms of both value and volume. This will be complemented by steady demand from block bottom bags and gusseted bags.Preeminence of Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) in the polypropylene woven bags and sacks market will persist, led by fast growing FMCG sector in the region that coattails the surging middle-class demographic. Most of the APEJs polypropylene woven bags and sacks market will remain concentrated in China and India, following plastic ban initiatives that have gained widespread acceptance across these countries.To know the Latest Trends in Polypropylene Woven Bags and Sacks Market, Visit - https://www.factmr.com/report/1203/polypropylene-woven-bags-and-sacks-market With rising demand for packaging products, key players have shifted their focus toward production of polypropylene woven bags and sacks, to become most reliable manufacturers of custom-driven woven fabric. Some companies based in emerging nations such as China and India, being export-oriented unit (EOU), have over half of their output exported to nations including the U.S., Canada, UAE, Australia, Germany, and Britain. These players are fast foraying East European nations and South Africa, according to the analyst.Leading players in the polypropylene woven bags and sacks market are custom designing and developing solutions that are client requirement-specific, meanwhile conforming to international quality & safety guidelines. These players are also taking strategic steps forward for expanding their market reach and gaining a competitive edge in the polypropylene woven bags and sacks market.According to the study, end-use of polypropylene woven bags and sacks continues to remain robust in the food and building & construction industries. However, sales rate of polypropylene woven bags and sacks in agriculture & allied Industries is foreseen to overshadow sales in food and building & construction industries during the period of forecast. Revenues from polypropylene woven bags and sacks sales in retail & shopping sector will continue to observe a sluggish rise through 2028.To Buy Polypropylene Woven Bags and Sacks Market Report, Check the link- https://www.factmr.com/checkout/1203/S About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-01 11:30:02

The Restaurant Didaozan Was Selected by PBS Television To Win the Title of Xiamen Landmark Food

Didaozan (xiamen) Cultural Development Co., Ltd.

Zhang Rui

332468548@qq.com

www.didaozan.com

Didaozan, the representative energy of Xiamen food, attracts the American PBS television station through thousands of miles to shoot the documentary here.

Recently, with the approval of the State Council Information Office of China, an American TV reporter led a film crew to shoot the documentary for PBS"Mary's impression on Xiamen" in Xiamen. Mary Windishar, a veteran CBS television presenter, was invited to visit Xiamen, the site of the 9th BRICS leaders' meeting, to experience the scenery, culture and economic development of Xiamen.

The crew filmed the documentary for two days, and the entire process was recorded. The documentary will show how the typical food of Xiamen cooked, including dishes and real scenes of the dining place. It will fully, profoundly and vividly interpret the finished products and restaurant environment of the Didaozan, and fully demonstrate the essence, origin and cultural heritage of Xiamen city through great taste and gifts. Its reported that the influential American CBS television reporters select this place after extensive and in-depth research.

I am surprised by its internationalization and forward looking, its a paradise. Mary said.

At the end of the interview, she asked the restaurant for a pair of Didaozan chopsticks as a souvenir. The 60-minute documentary, which will be broadcast on PBS, will cover more than 50 states. The Didaozan delicious food and gifts all reflect the real aesthetics and connotation of Xiamen and pass on the concept of its traditional ritual, custom and seasonal delicacies. This city connects the world with its typical delicious food.

In this restaurant, you can taste different kinds of typical delicious food, such as Satay Noodles, Thin Pancake, Taro Bunalso include Xiamens special gifts-Pie, Pineapple Cake and Kaoliang Spirit. But what is more attractive is that, the unique culture and charm of the ancient city Xiamen, which are interpreted from an international perspective. The art and life between eastern and western are properly integrated here, which is more like an experience space of Xiamen culture.

Famous Chinese food shop, Xiamen landmark food restaurant, Chinese famous wine shop, AAA Corporate Credit Rating, China International Fair for Investment and Trade ( CIFITofficial gift, 2018 five-star public comment merchant With these good titles, Didaozan has become a famous restaurant in Xiamen.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005Asia Pacific holds a dominant position in the global vanillin market in terms of revenue in 2016 and is expected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period.

Vanillin Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-01 13:10:47

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# 536 Words

Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702CEO2067016702

Vanillin (4-Hydroxy-2-mythoxy benzaldehyde) is an organic compound, belonging to the phenol aldehyde group. Vanilla beans is the largest concentrated natural source of vanillin, followed by Leptates bicolor, Chinese red pines, lychee fruit, and raspberry. Vanillin is produced through three ways namely, natural, biosynthesis, and chemical synthesis. Natural and chemical synthesis are two most important means of vanillin production. Vanillin is extensively used in the food industry as a flavoring agent for chocolates, ice-creams, candy, biscuits, and cakes. Ethyl vanillin and methyl vanillin are the two types of vanillin. Ethyl vanillin is a stronger flavoring agent as well as is expensive than methyl vanillin. Vanillin is also used in intermediate applications in the pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals industries.Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/706 Use of vanillin as a food additive is widely approved by authorities such as the FDA, which has granted GRAS status to its use. The use of vanillin, is not associated with the any adverse effects or associated with health complications over the past few decades. This ensures its safety, which is expected to increase the demand for vanillin globally. An Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 10 mg/kg has been agreed between the FAO/WHO and EU. Lack of evidences to restrict vanillin consumption as a consumable food additive, influences a large number of manufacturers to invest more in global vanillin market. Growing urbanization, improved standard of living, and continuous research to increase techno-commercial benefits of vanillin are projected to be key drivers for growth of the global vanillin market during the forecast period (2017-2025).Among production type, the natural production segment contributes to major market share in terms of volume and value due to bulk availability of natural raw materials and higher product yield than the chemical segment. Natural vanillin production is expected to retain its dominance over chemical production during the forecast period (2017-2025).Among vanillin type, the ethyl vanillin segment is the leading segment in terms of volume followed by methyl vanillin segment. As ethyl vanillin is a stronger agent than methyl vanillin.Among end use, the food segment holds the highest market share in terms of volume and value, followed by the pharmaceutical segment due to increased urbanization, rising consumer food demand coupled with health awareness.View More Information @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/vanillin-market-706 Global Vanillin Market OutlookAsia Pacific holds a dominant position in the global vanillin market in terms of revenue in 2016 and is expected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Europe is the second largest region to contribute in global vanillin market growth, followed by North America. Owing to the presence of a large number of food and pharmaceuticals units, significant growth is expected in Europe during the forecast period.Key Players in Global Vanillin MarketSome of the key players operating in the global vanillin market are Evolva Holding SA, Solvay SA, Borregaard, Jiaxing Zhonghua Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Virginia Dare, Shanghai Xinjia, Watkins Natural Gourmet, Zibo Svolei, Liaoning Shixing, Synnova Chemicals, and Prinova Group LLC. In 2013, International Flavors & Fragrances partnered with Evolva Holding for the production of biotechnology-based vanillin. In 2016, Evolva Holding increased its production capacity that helped them to establish a strong foothold in the market.PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-01 00:04:03

Business-wide AI, Analytics and Search Demonstrate the Power of Building Services on a Pre-Integrated Operating System

Zoho One Achieving Rapid Market Adoption; New Apps, AI, Analytics and Zia Search Further Extend Power of the Integrated Software Suite

Zoho

Sandra Lo, 1-925-924-9500

slo@zohocorp.com

Today Zoho announced major updates to Zoho One, its flagship suite of applications designed to put businesses completely in the cloud. Launched in July 2017, this all-in-one solution includes apps that run sales and marketing, finance and HR, operations and business intelligence. One year later, Zoho One is enabling a new set of capabilities that bridge the gap between different departments and roles within an organization: ZiaZoho's AIwill soon respond to user queries by combining information from multiple apps; Zoho One's new Analytics delivers a deeper, more contextual picture of business operations by blending data from apps across the suite; and a new unified Search feature can execute across multiple applications, bringing back richer results that significantly reduce the time and effort needed to find the right data.

The company also announced Zoho One adoption numbers for its first year on the market: more than 12,000 businesses worldwide have become Zoho One customers. The average Zoho One customer enables 16 applications for their business, often replacing software from different vendors, preferring instead to run their business from a single cloud platform. The company has added four new apps to Zoho One in the past yearCliq, Zoho Sprints, Zoho PageSense and Zoho Flowand today, they are introducing Zoho Backstage, an end-to-end event management platform, which is being added to the suite at no additional cost.

"The adoption of Zoho One has exceeded our expectations, and we hope to continue this momentum into its second year. The stats clearly show that customers will use multiple apps from a single suite, if those apps work together more deeply than a patchwork of products from different vendors," said Raju Vegesna, chief evangelist at Zoho. "We see customers combining data from different Zoho and third-party appslike email campaigns, CRM, customer support, and accountingto generate new insights and make better decisions. Zoho One has already replaced more than 650 different products, and that number will only grow as we release even more new apps."

New Capabilities Added to Zoho One

Analytics: The new Zoho One Analytics tab provides analytics across Zoho's suite of business apps. Business owners, CXOs and managers can now track KPIs and trends from one tab, helping them to make more informed decisions. Users can create their own custom reports and dashboards to blend data from different business apps and do cross-functional analytics. For example, a CEO or Sales VP can see not just the revenue numbers for different accounts, but also the number of support tickets pending and, the first response and resolution times, all in one place. Currently, there are over 500 pre-built reports and dashboards available across applications. Users can also import data stored in third-party applications and analyze it along with the data from Zoho's internal apps.

Zia for Zoho One: Zia, the AI-powered assistant first introduced by Zoho CRM in 2016, will be extended to Zoho One. Zia for Zoho One functions across various applications, pulling data from different departments to provide the right contextual information. Using simple commands, Zia can handle complex queries. Drawing information from Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk, Zia can tell users how many customers in the sales pipeline have an open support ticket. Similarly, Zia can generate a chart that displays revenue-per-employee trends for the last five years by fetching figures from Zoho Books and Zoho People. Zia for Zoho One will be made available in phases starting this year. Zoho also plans to open up the Zia Platform for Zoho One users, allowing them to extend Zia with custom skill sets built to address their specific needs.

Zia Search: On average, knowledge workers spend 30% of their workday searching for information, according to an IDC research paper. The new Zia Search lets users search across all their Zoho apps instantly, dramatically improving information access within an organization. Zia Search was built from the ground up with an understanding of each application's domain, design and authorization rules, making it possible to display a more relevant, richer set of results. Zia Search also offers a results preview as well as contextual actions so users can utilize their results without having to leave the search window.

Mobile app: The Zoho One mobile app allows organization administrators and service administrators to onboard new employees, provision applications, manage permissions, set security policies, create groups and more, all from their mobile devices. With this app, admins can even take care of time-sensitive requests, like resetting a password, when they are away from their computers.

Zoho Concierge: Launched last year along with Zoho One, the Zoho Concierge is a free service available exclusively to Zoho One customers. Since its inception, this dedicated team has helped more than 6,500 customers by mapping their business processes and advising them on how best to optimize Zoho One for their particular needs.

"Zia for Zoho One, the new Dashboard, and Zia Search are organization-wide tools designed to give our customers a deeper understanding of their businesses," said Vegesna, This kind of unified data ecosystem is only possible because all of Zohos 40+ applications have been built from scratch, over the last two decades, on the same technology base.

Customer Statements

"The Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association (MRBTA) is a not for profit incorporated association with more than 750 industry members, that also operates seven world-class tourist attractions as well as provide tourism services to over 1.2 million visitors to the Margaret River Region annually, via our destination marketing channels and four visitor centres. By incorporating several of the applications available with Zoho One across our operational platforms, we now provide a more holistic and engaging customer experience to both our visitors (B2C) and industry (B2B), as well as better insights to their needs. We have also experienced an improvement to staff productivity, internal communications across tasks and projects, as well as increased administrative efficiencies." ~ Peta Fussell, Customer Service Manager, MRBTA

"As one of the first companies to sign up on Zoho One, Tourwriter has not only been there for the entire journey, but has also been growing almost as fast as Zoho (in relative terms). The Zoho One applications have played an important role for us throughout this journey. Most importantly, when we find tweaks are needed, or something just isn't working, the team at Zoho One is always there to help. Zoho One is truly great software that continually delights!" ~ Denise Campbell, Head of Marketing, Tourwriter

Pricing and Availability

Zoho One is available for $35 per employee per month. Businesses must purchase a license for every employee in their organization to get this pricing. Zoho One is currently available worldwide, in multiple languages. Users can sign up for a 30-day trial version of Zoho One at zoho.com/one.

Zia for Zoho One is not currently available. The Analytics feature will be rolled out in phases, whereas Zia Search is available immediately at search.zoho.com.

Zoho One App for Admins can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

About Zoho

Zoho is the operating system for business, a single online platform capable of running an entire business. With apps in nearly every major business category, including sales, marketing, customer support, accounting and back office operations, and an array of productivity and collaboration tools, Zoho is one of the world's most prolific software companies. In 2017, Zoho introduced the revolutionary Zoho One, an integrated suite of applications for the entire business.

Zoho respects user privacy and does not have an ad-revenue model in any part of its business, including its free products. More than 35 million users around the world, across hundreds of thousands of companies, rely on Zoho every day to run their businesses, including Zoho itself. Zoho Corp is privately held and profitable with more than 5,000 employees. It is headquartered in Pleasanton, California, with international headquarters in Chennai, India. Additional offices are in Austin, Utrecht, Singapore, Yokohama, and Beijing. For more information, please visit www.zoho.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180731005U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Attorney-General, Jeff Sessions, to end a federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether there was any cooperation by his campaign with Moscow.

Mr Trump, who has long complained about the criminal probe into his White House victory, said the idea that his campaign worked with Moscow was a Total Hoax in a series of tweets aimed at undermining the integrity of Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation.

In what appeared to be his most direct call for shutting down the probe, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: This is a terrible situation and Attorney-General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now before it continues to stain our country any further.

Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, Mr Trump continued.

He provided no evidence that the team led by Mr Mueller, a Republican appointed by Republicans, is biased against him.

The first trial arising from the probe into Russias role in the election began on Tuesday in Alexandria, Virginia.

Mr Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, faces 18 counts of bank and tax fraud charges.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said the department had no immediate comment on Mr Trumps tweet about ending Muellers probe.

The Republican president has steadily attacked his attorney-general for recusing himself from the Russia probe in March 2017.

Sessions cited his role as a senior adviser to Trumps presidential campaign and appointed Deputy Attorney-General, Rod Rosenstein, to oversee the investigation.

Mr Rosenstein, in turn, appointed Mueller and is the person with the authority to fire him.

An element of Mr Muellers investigation includes whether Mr Trump or anyone in the campaign tried to obstruct justice.

The New York Times reported that the Mueller team was examining negative tweets and statements by Mr Trump about Mr Sessions and former FBI Director, James Comey.

The man heading Mr Trumps re-election campaign, Brad Parscale, has in recent months called on Mr Trump to fire Mr Sessions and end the Mueller probe.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in 2017 that Moscow meddled in the 2016 presidential campaign to try to tip the vote in Mr Trumps favour.

Moscow has denied such interference and Mr Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign or any obstruction of justice.

Mr Trump calls conservative Koch donors total joke.

He also said the charges against Manafort have nothing to do with Russia collusion.

Mr Manafort worked for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine.

While prosecutors have said they will not present evidence in this trial about possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, they may dig deeper into Manaforts connections with Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs, legal experts have said.

(Reuters/NAN)South Africas ruling party is planning to change the constitution to allow the expropriation of private land without compensation, a party official said on Wednesday.

We want the constitutional provisions to be less restrictive, said African National Congress (ANC) secretary general Ace Magashule.

White people are likely to be most affected by this measure, as they continue to own most of South Africas land, even 24 years after the end of the racist apartheid regime.

During apartheid, blacks were not allowed to own land, a regulation President Cyril Ramaphosa previously described as South Africas original sin that needed correcting.

The change in the constitution was meant to compensate for past injustices, while boosting agricultural production, Ramaphosa said after a two-day meeting with the ANC executive committee.

A comprehensive land reform programme that enables equitable access to land will unlock economic growth, by bringing more land in South Africa to full use and enable the productive participation of millions more South Africans in the economy, said Ramaphosa.

The ANC will propose an amendment that will outline more clearly the conditions under which expropriation of land without compensation can be effected, the president added.

Due to its large majority in parliament, the ANC is expected to have no trouble passing the proposed constitutional amendment.

International investors have been watching the proposal with great concern since Ramaphosa first publicly mentioned it earlier this year.

The value of South Africas currency, the rand, dropped immediately after the announcement was made.

In neighbouring Zimbabwe, large-scale, compensation-free expropriation of land in the 1980s led to an economic collapse from which the country has never recovered.

(dpa/NAN)Denmarks ban against the use of full-face veils in public spaces, called a burqa ban, went into effect on Wednesday.

The Danish parliament approved the ban in May.

It includes full-face veils like the niqab, balaclavas, face-covering ski masks, face masks and fake beards, but not protective masks.

A first-time offender could risk a fine of 1,000 kroner (156 dollars). Repeat offences would result in a higher fine.

A fourth offence and any further violations would be met with a fine of 10,000 kroner.

Protests against the ban were planned later on Wednesday in the capital Copenhagen and the city of Aarhus.

Police said protesters who planned to fully cover their faces at the demonstrations would not risk a fine.

The demonstrations were considered part of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, Benny Ochkenholt of the Danish national police told public broadcaster DR.

Fines could, however, be issued if participants were masked on their way to or from the demonstrations, he added.

Exemptions to the ban include winter clothing, such as scarves, and costumes and masks worn for carnival or Halloween.

Danish police federation president Claus Oxfeldt said the guidelines were not sufficiently detailed.

The police federation and national police were to meet in September to assess the first month of the ban, he told news agency Ritzau.

Some countries in Europe, including Austria, Belgium and France, have previously introduced restrictions on wearing full-face veils in public spaces.

A 2010 report estimated that up to 200 women in Denmark, a country of 5.7 million, used full-face veils. (dpa/NAN)It came a promising prospect. Eleven senators had decided to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) based on what they perceived as division and factionalisation within the party.

In 2015 Kwara Central Senator, Bukola Saraki, delivered the letter announcing the defection to the then Senate President, David Mark. Their destination, the All Progressives Congress (APC), was conceived by the aggrieved senators as a haven, an arbiter ground which will address their challenges. Mr Saraki, like his colleagues, never envisaged leaving the new party.

In fact, when, in June 2015, Mr Saraki was questioned on insinuations that he had a plan to defect to PDP, he described it as absurd and laughable.

It is just cheap blackmail by political adversaries who want to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it. And those making such desperate allegations should remember that I willingly left the PDP on matters of principle when the party was in power. Is it now that the party is out of government and in opposition that I will now return, having worked so hard for my party in the last general elections, he queried.

That notwithstanding, Mr Saraki on Tuesday announced his defection from the APC back to PDP, citing similar reasons he left the latter in 2014.

Mr Sarakis four and half years in the APC witnessed several unforgettable events; clashes between the executive and legislature, grudges between the Senate and political appointees, corruption trials, in-house dissent etc.

Captured below are some of the memorable events APC will never forget Mr Saraki for.

SENATE PRESIDENCY

The twists that greeted the election of the senate president in 2015 first sent waves of what influence Mr Saraki would wield in the APC. The party had adopted Ahmed Lawan to become the senate president but Mr Saraki had other plans. He made an agreement with PDP senators to support him in his bid to lead the senate and in return, ensured that a PDP member, Ike Ekweremadu, emerges his deputy.

Thus, on the day the formal election for senate president was to be held, while majority of APC senators, about 50, were waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari who had invited them to a meeting with him at the International Conference Centre, Mr. Saraki and other rebel senators of the APC moved into the National Assembly complex, where the police had thrown a cordon to prevent workers and reporters from entering, for the election of principal officers.

A total 57 senators loyal to Mr. Saraki, most of them PDP members, unanimously elected him after he was nominated by Senators Dino Melaye and Sanni Yerima. Mr. Saraki was quickly sworn-in as the new senate president even as majority of his APC colleagues were at the ICC waiting for Mr. Buhari.

The APC was furious with Mr. Sarakis emergence. Leaders like Bola Tinubu, ex-Lagos governor and an influential member of the party, worked to ensure he was removed and a fresh election held. Mr. Saraki would have none of it. Perhaps to further spite the party or ensure his loyalists were properly rewarded, Mr. Saraki also ensured that juicy committees of the Senate were reserved for either his APC loyalists or PDP senators who backed him.

FACE-OFF WITH MAGU, ALI, IDRIS

The Senate had several confrontations with top political appointees despite the fact that the ruling party holds the majority at the Senate. It started with the nomination of Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Mr Magu was rejected thrice by the Senate on the strength of a report from the State Security Service which claimed Mr Magu failed the integrity test and will eventually constitute a liability to the anti-corruption stand of the current government. Such appointees are at the discretion of the president, and with the presidents party in the majority in the Senate, many Nigerians were surprised. This was more so because the anti-corruption stance was one of Mr Buharis key campaign promises. The rejection, coupled with the Senates decision not to consider Mr Buharis nominations until Mr Magu is replaced, set the mood for what till today is perceived as discord between the executive and legislature led by Mr Saraki.

Next was the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, who pitched Mr Sarakis Senate against the executive over his insistence not to wear customs uniform to appear before the plenary. Mr Ali, a retired army colonel, said he was not appointed to wear Customs uniform and so he didnt.

Like the other two, Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector-General of Police, also had a face-off with the Senate under Mr Saraki. The police boss was first summoned on April 25 but he failed to appear. The lawmakers then summoned Mr Idris to appear on May 2. Again, he did not show up. The last invitation was issued for Mr Idris to appear on May 9. He ignored it.

Former Inspector-General of Police, Idris Ibrahim

The development made the Senate designate him as an enemy of democracy unfit for public office.

However, while all these went on, the executive did little or nothing to caution its appointees. When Mr Idris failed to show up the second time, the Senate sent a delegation to meet Mr Buhari to salvage the situation, yet Mr Idris did not honour invitation the third time.

FALSE ASSET DECLARATION

One of the leverages the APC administration knew they had over Mr. Saraki was his false asset declaration trial. Although the trial was being conducted at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), most of the evidence being used came from the anti-graft agency, EFCC. And the man who made that possible was Mr Magu, who the executive retained as acting chairman of EFCC despite Senate rejection. Many of Mr Sarakis loyalists believed that the charges raised by the federal government against him was a witch-hunt, perhaps a betrayal by a party he worked hard for in 2015, for his deliberate confrontations at the Senate.

He was first brought on an 18-count charge of false asset declaration by the Code of Conduct Tribunal in September 2016 He was accused of making anticipatory declaration of assets as well as withholding information regarding his assets while he was governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011 and when he became a senator in 2011.

A Danladi Umar-led CCT, ruled that the evidences tendered by the prosecution were insufficient to substantiate its charges against Mr Saraki. But the federal government headed to the Court of Appeal with a request that it sets aside the decision of the tribunal.

Danladi Umar, the Chairman of the tribunal

In a judgement delivered on December 12, the appellate court affirmed all except three of the 18 counts brought against Mr Saraki. Mr Saraki rejected the verdict and filed an appeal at the Supreme Court seeking to quash the remaining three charges. He was eventually acquitted on July 6 by the Supreme Court.

FORGERY CASE

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Mr Saraki and two others were at the centre of a forgery case initiated against them by some senators.

The two, including a former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, and his deputy, Benedict Efeturi, were accused of illegally altering the Senates Standing Rule used in electing them into office in June 2015.

The federal government, however, dropped the two-count charge against them in 2016.

Again, this was perceived as a deliberate action to tame Mr Saraki by the executive.

STRIFE WITH OTHER SENATORS

At least three senators, all of APC, had a direct confrontations with Mr Saraki. All three are now arrow heads of the opposition to Mr Saraki in the Senate. It started with Ali Ndume, one of those who strongly supported Mr Sarakis emergence as senate president. When Mr. Magu was nominated for the EFCC chair, Mr Ndume deemed it a responsibility to support him having hailed from his home state; but this put him in direct confrontation with Mr Saraki.

Ali Ndume

The events that followed saw Mr Ndume removed as Senate Leader and replaced by Ahmed Lawan. The Senate initially claimed it did that to accommodate the original interest of the APC, but many Nigerians including Mr. Ndume did not buy that. Two months later, Mr. Ndume, now an ordinary member of the Senate, did the unthinkable. He asked his colleagues to investigate media reports of alleged illegality by Mr. Saraki and another by the senate presidents key ally, Dino Melaye. Although Mr Ndume did not make the allegations himself, nor authored the media reports, he was suspended from the Senate for six months based on the recommendations of its ethics committee for daring to raise such issues. His suspension was later voided by the court.

Two months after Mr Ndumes return, Mr Saraki was at loggerheads with another APC senator, Ovie Omo-Agege. The lawmaker had joined other lawmakers to protest the Senates adoption of amendment to section 25 of the electoral act, which re-ordered the sequence of election.

Mr Omo-Agege alleged that the House of Representatives did not form a quorum when the issue was considered and that 59 senators were opposed to the amendment. He also said Section 25 of the amended bill was included to target Mr. Buhari. The referral to the president got him into trouble.

He was suspended for 90 days and if not for a court order which overruled the decision, he would have served the days outside the chamber.

Another senator who fought dirty with Mr Saraki is Abdullahi Adamu, a two-time governor of Nasarawa State. Mr Adamu led other dissenting senators out of the chamber to protest the re-order of election sequence, a move that set him parallel to Mr Saraki. Mr Adamu, through the senate presidents allies, was removed as chairman northern senators forum after the confrontation.

Senator Abdullahi Adamu

Mr Adamus bitter confrontation with the senate president has continued till date. On Monday, Mr Saraki referred to Mr Adamu as a deceptive, manipulative and desperate liar over the latters previous attacks on the senate president.

SENATE PERFORMANCE

Despite the various challenges Mr Saraki had with the Executive and some of his APC colleagues, the Senate under him can, however, be said to have achieved better than previous ones; particularly in terms of number of bills passed and the relevance of some of those bills.

Some of the bills that have become law but emanated from lawmakers include the increased funding for the health sector through the inclusion of the one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the 2018 budget as well as the recently signed amendment to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence agency.

However, the Senate under Mr Saraki continued as those of his predecessors in distributing huge illegal allowances for lawmakers.

As Mr Saraki leaves the APC, he can look back at his sojourn in the party and feel some of its leaders never really wanted him, rightly so from when he was elected senate president; but perhaps he should also review his actions while in office.

The experience of my people and associates in the past three years is that they have suffered alienation and have been treated as outsiders in their own party, Mr Saraki said on Tuesday in announcing his reasons for leaving the APC.The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday announced that he is leaving the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing forces within the party of causing his exit.

Mr Saraki is the third in hierarchy in Nigerias current governance structure coming after President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. His defection, therefore, puts the APC in a difficult situation.

The relationship between Mr Saraki, as head of the legislative arm of government, and the ruling party had been characterised by frictions and distrust after he emerged President of the Senate against the wish of leadership of the party in June 2015.

Mr Saraki faced a lot of onslaughts most notably his trial for alleged non-declaration of assets which terminated with the Supreme Court ruling in his favour.

The Senate President also faces allegations that he was a sponsor of armed robbers who murdered and robbed banks in Offa town, in his native Kwara State. Over 30 persons were killed in that attack. The police say their investigations show that some of the armed robbers were Mr Sarakis political thugs and that he may have provided arms and logistics to them. The police also allege that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, a strong ally of Mr Saraki who also followed him out of the APC Tuesday, was equally implicated by the arrested suspects. Messrs Saraki and Ahmed have denied any links with the suspects and alleged political witch-hunt.

Before Mr Sarakis exit, 14 Senators left the APC last week, after which both chambers of the National Assembly went on recess till September.

After last weeks defections, the major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), speaking through its leader in the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said that it was now the majority party in the upper chamber.

However, APC Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, told State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari that the ruling party still has a majority in the Senate with 53 lawmakers.

The PDP, according to Mr Lawan now has 50 Senators.

Retaining National Assembly Leadership

With his formal exit from the APC Tuesday, attention will now be shifted to Mr Sarakis position as President of the Senate.

The APC can, as the ruling party still with a slight majority in the Senate, try to remove Mr Saraki as senate president. However, that move will fail, several senators told PREMIUM TIMES; because Mr Saraki commands huge loyalty even among APC senators.

Although there are some APC senators like Ali Ndume, who want Mr Saraki to cease being the senate president and would likely support his removal, other APC senators like Senate spokesperson Aliyu Sabi and Kaduna lawmaker Shehu Sani are believed to be opposed to such action.

Mr Ndume told Punch newspapers that although two third of members will be required to remove the senate president, the senate leadership should emerge from the majority; that is the practice all over the world.

Mr Sabi countered and told reporters that nobody can remove Saraki. We elected him and we are not ready to remove him yet.

From day one, they never wanted Saraki. What we are saying is that the right to choose the senate president lies with senators and we have chosen our leader.

Mr Sani also hinted at his support for Mr Saraki to retain his position when he wrote on Wednesday that The Executive should respect the decision of those who chose to defect, maintain a cordial relationship with them and never attempt to persecute any of them for their individual political decisions.

Another APC senator also told PREMIUM TIMES over the telephone Tuesday night that despite Mr Sarakis defection, it is simply impossible to impeach the Senate President legally.

The senators mention of likely failure of legal removal also hints that the Buhari government could attempt an illegal one. At least on two different occasions, officials of the administration, using security agencies, have attempted to force a change in Senate leadership. Both attempts failed and were condemned by most Nigerians.

With the seemingly impossible task of legally removing Mr Saraki from office, the APC can also choose to persuade him to resign; a move that would fail as according to an aide, Mr Saraki intends to continue in office as senate president.

Implications For APC

The National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, had in a reaction to the defection of 14 APC senators last week said it was good riddance because that would enable the party concentrate on its campaigns.

National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, (APC), Adams Oshiomhole 03946/23/7/18/Ismaila Ibrahim/NAN

He said even while they were in the APC, the senators constituted themselves as opposition to the governing party.

The sour relationship between the executive and legislative arm has affected the smooth running of the administration of President Buhari. For instance, many opine that the relationship is the major reason why it took over six months for the National Assembly to pass the 2018 budget.

In the same vein, several key appointments by Mr Buhari that requires Senate approval suffer delays hence affecting key agencies of government.

However, contrary to widely held perception, Mr Saraki has also made efforts to build a cordial relationship with the executive. A subtle attempt to push for an impeachment process against Mr Buhari over the spending of about $440 million to purchase fighter jets from the U.S. without lawmakers approval was said to have been thwarted by Mr Saraki.

Despite his travails, the Senate President appears to sometimes follow the path of caution and steer his colleagues to an amicable resolution of conflicting issues as they arise between the Senate and the executive or APC.

Mr Saraki, himself, attested to this when he stated on Tuesday that over the years, I have made great efforts in the overall interest of the country, and in spite of my personal predicament, to manage situations that would otherwise have resulted in unsavoury consequences for the government and the administration. My colleagues in the Senate will bear testimony to this.

With his defection and reluctance of senators to remove him as their leader, Mr Saraki will be the highest opposition member in an APC administration, a role hitherto performed by Mr Ekweremadu. He will not be there when the ruling party meets to discuss key issues for its governance. He may also not be present when Mr Buhari lobbies for the support of key top government functionaries on important policies for the smooth running of his government.

Mr Sarakis defection may also make it more difficult for the APC administration to easily get the approval of the Senate for important matters. These include appointments, the budget and other spending, especially the knotty funding required by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the 2019 election.

The Nigerian Senate, henceforth, is not likely to overlook any infraction from the Buhari-led executive, no matter how small.

An APC senator and key ally of Mr Saraki, however, warns against going confrontational with the executive.

The Parliament led by the opposition must not be a stumbling block for Government policies and programmes and the person of the president and his office must be accorded the highest respect it deserves, Shehu Sani wrote on Wednesday.The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives congress (APC) has accused Senate President Bukola Saraki of breaching Article 21 of the partys constitution.

Article 21 deals with how the party can punish members who violate its constitution by acts such as activities or any conduct, which is likely to embarrass or have adverse effect on the party or bring the party into hatred, contempt, ridicule or disrepute.

The NWC resolution after its meeting Tuesday night came hours after Mr Saraki announced he was leaving the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In its resolution signed by its National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, the APC asked Mr Saraki to respond to a query within 48 hours explaining why disciplinary actions should not be taken against him.

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has queried the senate President, Bukola Saraki, asking him to respond within 48 hours why disciplinary action ought not to be taken against him for breaching article 21 of the constitution of the party, the party stated in the communique shared by Simon Ebegbuleman, aide to the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

Some of the allegations the party raised against Mr Saraki is that he encouraged and facilitated by providing an enabling environment for the defection of some senators who are members of the APC to the other opposition parties.

That you have deliberately refused to screen nominees for appointments submitted by Mr President who are members of the party from being confirmed by the senate. This has caused untold embarrassment and ridicule to the party and the government.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

That you have organised a public rally in your state where members of the party urged you to decamp to PDP. That as a follow up to the above the Kwara state governor who is known to be your staunch supporter had made public pronouncements suggesting that he will decamp from the party as an indicator to your formal defection.

That you used the office of the senate President to cause avoidable delays in the budgetary process and passage of the appropriation act into law thereby frustrating the implementation of the partys manifesto and programs and frustrating the APC led Federal Government in the actualization of the campaign promises of the party.

Converting the guest house of the senate president to meeting points and presiding over anti-APC activities in the guest house and encouraging defection of senators from the party and presiding over such meetings and compiling a list of the said defectors including some without out their consent.

Procuring joint letter of decampees from the APC and reading same on the floor of the senate including some who did not accede to defecting thereby causing embarrassment to the party. In spite of the efforts to address grievances to reconcile aggrieved members, you worked against the process and encouraged the formation of an association which sought to impersonate and pass off the name of the party.

The NWC asked the senate president to respond to the allegations or face sanctions.

Mr Saraki is yet to reply the APC NWC although he has formally announced he is leaving the party; and so is not beholding to its organs.

Bolaji Abdullahi (Photo Credit: The Cable)

PREMIUM TIMES findings show Mr Sarakis protegee and current National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, was not at the NWC meeting.

Mr Abdullahi, by virtue of his office, is a member of the NWC. Although he is expected to resign and join the PDP like Mr Saraki, he on Tuesday said he was yet to resign his position.

Mr Abdullahi did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES enquiry on why he was absent at Tuesdays NWC meeting, but Mr Ebegbuleman confirmed he was absent.

He was not there. Is he not a member of the NWC? Should he be invited to attend a meeting, the spokesperson to Mr Oshiomhole said.Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state has decamped from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party.

Mr Tambuwal, who is believed to be nursing a presidential ambition, called on Nigerians to vote out President Muhammadu Buhari in next years election.

He said Mr Buhari has been ineffective as president.

Mr Tambuwal said he decided to leave the APC because President Muhammadu Buhari has failed the nation and should be voted out in 2019.

Read our earlier report below:

Barring a last minute change of decision, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state is set to dump the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Tambuwal left the PDP to join the APC in 2014 as part of the new PDP bloc.

His defection is expected to be a part of Mr Tambuwals presidential ambition.

Mr Tambuwal is a close ally of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state who is arguably the leader of the PDP at present after his loyalists emerged leaders of the party in its December 2017 national convention.

Political associates of Mr Tambuwal told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday that an event where the governor will formally announce his defection is currently underway at the Sokoto Government House.

They said the government house is already filled with PDP supporters from across the state in anticipation of the announcement of formal declaration of defection later today.

We gathered that supporters of the governor have been invited from across the 23 local government areas to come to the Government House today, and they are here in large number because each local government brought at least three buses of supporters, a source said.

We also gathered from another source within the government that Mr Tambuwal planned to announce his defection last week but came under pressure from some of his loyalist who still want him to remain in the APC.

A source, who was privy to the development, told us that Mr Tambuwal convened a meeting of some top government functionaries and supporters last week and allowed a free discussion on why he should defect or not.

The source said Mr Tambuwal made it clear he had to leave because of what he referred to as the betrayal by some of the APC leaders in the region.

As soon as it became evident members of the new PDP have become targets of the current administration despite their huge support for its success in 2015, it was resolved that members of the new PDP from Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states should take a collective decision about their political future, the source said.

The leaders from the region including the governors predecessor, Aliyu Wamakko and former Kebbi state governor, Adamu Aliero, suggested that governor Tambuwal should be the coordinator and face of the new PDP decision from the region.

However, the governor was shocked to realise that after pushing him ahead, the other leaders decided against the collective decision taken and left him in limbo, that made him realise what game is being played and he decided to take his future into his own hands, he said.

Another source at the meeting also told us that it was resolved that a small committee be set up to find a way out and to report back on today.

From all indications, that committee has nit made any serious headway and the governor will leave the APC with his loyalist today, our source said.

A spokesperson for the governor could not be immediately reached for comments for this story.The Nigeria government on Wednesday said the defection of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was a great relief to the party.

The government said Mr Saraki was always an opposition in the ruling party, who used his position as Senate President to frustrate the workings of the government.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who stated this while briefing State House correspondents after the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Villa, said Mr Saraki had become the greatest obstacle to the government.

Mr Mohammed, expressed doubt over the party membership of Mr Saraki.

I dont think the government would have suffered more as regards the delay in passing the budget. The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has behaved all along as if he was a member of the opposition, he said.

The minister said APC stands to lose nothing with the defection of Mr Saraki and his loyalists adding that the party in his native Kwara State will grow stronger with the exit.

He also said the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state have also defected to APC demonstrating their rejection of Mr Sarakis return to their party.

Details laterTwelve of the 30-member Sokoto State House of Assembly have declared their loyalty to the All Progressives Congress and President Muhammadu Buhari.

The lawmakers stated this in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday afternoon.

We reiterate our commitment and loyalty to the APC led government under President Muhammadu Buhari, they said in the statement.

Their announcement follows the decision of the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the APC.

While announcing his defection on Wednesday, Mr Tambuwal accused the Muhammadu Buhari administration of incompetence and failure to deliver on campaign promises.

The decision of the 12 lawmakers indicates Mr Tambuwal, who is believed to be eyeing the PDP presidential ticket, enjoys the support of a majority 18 lawmakers of the Sokoto assembly.

The 18 members on Wednesday joined Mr Tambuwal in defecting from the APC to the PDP.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Speaker, Salihu Maidaji, who was among the 18 defecting members, made the announcement at the Assembly plenary on Wednesday.

Mr Maidaji said: We the undersigned 18 members of the Sokoto State House of Assembly belong and identify with the faction of the APC-led by one of its founders, Alhaji Buba Galadima.

We are aware that all efforts to bring sanity into the APC and unite the different groups, camps and faction have proved abortive.

This after several attempts and efforts and the election is around the corner and we stand in danger if we remained in a party that is divided against itself.

As such in accordance with the letters and spirit Section 109 (1) (g) of the constitution as amended hereby defect to PDP forthwith, the Speaker said.

Reacting to the resolution by the 18 members, the other 12 members at a press briefing after the plenary wished them well in their new party.

Sani Yakubu (APC-Gudu), who spoke on their behalf, said that the 12 members would continue to remain committed and loyal to the APC-led government under President Muhammadu Buhari.The All Progressives Congress has urged the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, to quit the office after he defected to the opposition.

Mr Saraki joined his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday, complaining about maltreatment in the APC.

Scores of his supporters, including Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, have since joined him in the PDP.

The APC said Mr Saraki should act honourably and relinquish his position.

But whatever is the reason, we can decamp from the party but we cant decamp from Nigeria. The only thing is that there are other consequential issues that every man or woman of honour, who had taken such decisions would be expected to follow through, party chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, told journalists Wednesday.

I mean you should not collect a crown that belongs to a family and wear it on behalf of the family; if for your personal reasons, which he has enumerated that he has gone to another family, it is just a matter of honour to leave the crown in the house that the crown belongs to, he said, subtly challenging Mr Saraki to relinquish his position as senate president.

He made the comment after a meeting with President Muhammad Buhari.

Mr Buhari met the partys leaders and some senators on Wednesday to discuss the defections that have hit the party, before he proceeded on a vacation.

The meeting took place inside the presidents office at Aso Rock Villa Abuja shortly after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Briefing correspondents after the meeting, Mr Oshiomhole said it was held in response to the recent developments within the party.

Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governors Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara and Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto states all dumped the APC and joined the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Other notable members of the party including its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, also left the party.

Mr Oshiomhole said nobody in the APC will be surprised about the development, in fact they (defectors) have stayed little bit longer than we thought.

Mr Oshiomhole said Governor Ahmed for instance had last alluded that he would leave the APC, we are not surprised at all.

The APC chairman however, admitted that these are tempting moments for him because he had faced similar situations while he served as governor of Edo State.

But the beauty of democracy is that, whether big or small, it is one man, one vote, on election day, no difference between a senator, a president, a journalist and any other person.

In a sense, we have to accept that once a couple for any little reason or the other find that they not compatible, the only honourable thing is to go (separate), he said.

He also said he was particularly happy that Mr Saraki, while defecting said he was leaving not because the new leadership of the party did not make efforts to make him stop.

Bukola Saraki, Senate President

He admitted that not only did I do everything possible along with the Vice President, along with some governors and we had meeting with the President, but he argued that those efforts came too late. But I couldnt have started acting before I was born.

Mr Oshiomhole said as it stands currently, APC is still the largest party in the Senate, because it has 53 senators, more than the other parties.

So, I think the important thing is that our democracy is still evolving, there are a couple of lessons to learn from the development. Going forward, we will expect the system to get stronger to the extent that it is able to learn the correct lessons and take the correct steps to profit from these developments.

I have made this point and some commentators who dont seem to understand take one part of the argument and leave the other. I have said that if people have genuine, verifiable grievances, we are committed even now to listen and address those grievances in what I call, win-win manner.

I have been consistent with that during the campaign, I have been consistent since I was sworn in, I have made the points in my acceptance speech, I have emphasised this when I met with the Senate caucus and speech, I have emphasised this when I met with the House of Representatives caucus, that we are ready to do justice to anyone who is genuinely aggrieved and whose grievances are such that we can deal with them provided we enthrone justice, fairness and all sides purge themselves of any arrogance.

To the best of my knowledge, all senators, house of reps members were happy, the ones that are not negotiable, there is nothing we can do about it, Mr Oshiomhole said.

Also speaking, Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, said they came to see Mr Buhari before he proceeded on his vacation.

Senator Ahmed Lawan [Photo credit: Thenigerialawyer]

He said they discussed the issue of the budget of INEC for the 2019 election, which is a request by Mr Buhari to the National Assembly.

I believe that we are going to do a lot of justice to the people of this country to work hard to pass those requests, he said.

Mr Ahmed also said the APC leadership will continue to consult, unite and solidify themselves.

He also said that the APC remains the majority in the Senate, saying we have 53 senators, we reeled out the names and the states. Though the other side are claiming they have 60, 70 but they have never given a name, it is left for you to make your judgement.

In fact, I am using this medium to challenge the PDP senators, we have published ours and among the 53, none has come out to deny that he is in APC.

Let them publish their own, they remain 48 senators in PDP. And by the grace of God, when the by-elections in Bauchi and Kaduna holds, we will get two more senators and that will boost our number, he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari and APC Senators

The official also said APC senators have placed their total commitment and loyalty to the party and Mr Buhari.

We remain true and genuine representatives of our people, we will not want to do anything that is not in the interest of our people and this administration.

I am calling on my colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives to come back and consider the requests of Mr President for the virement and supplementary budget for INEC for the 2019 elections, he said.

The ruling APC, hit by a gale of defections and internal wrangling in recent weeks is presently fighting a tough political battle, even as it prepares to retain power in 2019 in the midst of a phalanx of opposition parties and coalitions.The Statistician-General of the National Bureau of Statistics, Yemi Kale, has warned the former Special Assistant to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan on New Media, Reno Omokri, to keep NBS away from politics.

Mr Kale reacted to Mr Omokris tweet on unemployment figures where he berated the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for the high rate of unemployment in the country.

Mr Omokris tweet reads: The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) just released another jobs report showing that in the last 21 months under reviewing, an additional 7.9 million Nigerians became unemployed under Buhari. This is the first government since 1999 that has never reported job gains, only job losses !

Mr Kale quickly responded to the tweet and tagged it fake news. He explained that the figures quoted by Omokri were the figures of third quarter of 2017

This is fake news. NBS never released any such report. NBS last report was on unemployment for Q3 2017 with the update up to Q2 2018 in progress. Lets kindly keep NBS away from politics or fake news. We do not support politicisation of data, neither do we respect people that do so, his tweet read.The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the August 17 deadline for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will not be extended.

The commission said the exercise would resume after the 2019 General Elections scheduled from February 26 and March 2.

Mohorret Bigun, Public Affairs Officer of INEC in Gombe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that the exercise would henceforth include weekends and public holidays to allow for more people to register beginning from August 1.

He said INEC was not planning to extend the exercise beyond August 17 as being anticipated by some.

There will be no extension of ongoing registration beyond the Aug. 17 deadline. Those who are anticipating extension should go and register.

From Aug. 1, we are going to operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Sunday. This is to give room for those who are yet to turn up for the exercise.

We have been directed to suspend the registration of voters until the 2019 general elections are concluded, Mr Bigun said.

He said the commission decided to suspend the exercise till next year to enable it to produce the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for distribution.

The commission would not want to deny anyone the right to vote; hence the need to suspend the exercise temporarily to prepare for the general elections in 2019, he said.

According to him, 141,345 persons, comprising 55,407 (39 per cent) females and 85,947 (61 per cent) males have so far registered as at July 30.

He appealed to those who were yet to register to take advantage of the adjustment in the timetable.

(NAN)The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has said the implementation of pre-primary education and the establishment of Community Based Early Childcare Centre (CBECC) in 16 states has helped reduce the incidences of out-of-school children.

The minister also said funding is central, as a means to effectively develop the education sector.

Mr Adamu said this during the 63rd meeting of the National Council on Education(NCE) ministerial session in Abuja on Monday.

According to the minister, the bane of educational growth and development at all levels is premised on funding.

Conscious efforts must be made to increase funding of education. The federal government gave 6 per cent of its 2017 budget to education which is far below the UN benchmark, he said.

He said that agencies in the sector need to take necessary tracking mechanism to guarantee judicious and effective use of funds.

With a population of over 170 million, 45 per cent of which are below 15 years (UNICEF 2017), the burden on education has become overwhelming on the three tiers of government and resources are spread more thinly translating into creating challenges in ensuring quality education.

Mr Adamu also said the absence of reliable and realistic data has continued to bedevil the education sector.

We can no longer afford to underestimate the need to map out coordinated action plans for our institutions to always be on the alert.

Similarly, the minister of state for education, Anthony Anwukah, said adequate funding of the sector underscored the importance of education as a pivotal tool in ensuring equitable education and lifelong learning..

He however said the task of revamping education is a collective effort of all stakeholders.Development is usually the first casualty in an unstable polity, says President Muhammadu Buhari.

The president made the declaration Wednesday while receiving President Adama Barrow of The Gambia at State House, Abuja.

The best route to national development is stability. When a country is not stable, you spend most of your financial resources on security. That is the money that should have gone into education, infrastructure, and generating employment for the people, particularly youths, President Buhari said.

He congratulated President Barrow for stabilising The Gambia after his emergence, following the impasse caused by his immediate predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, who initially refused to vacate office, after losing the presidential election in December, 2016.

The Gambian President thanked President Buhari for the role Nigeria played in helping his country return to the path of constitutional democracy.

He also congratulated the Nigerian President on his emergence as the new Chairman of ECOWAS, noting that he was the first foreign leader to visit Abuja after the development.DAAR Communications Plc, owners of AIT and RayPower, said they have paid a fine of N1.5 million imposed on it by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

The companys Group Managing Director, Tony Akiotu, disclosed this while addressing journalists on Wednesday in Abuja.

The NBC had on July 9 fined the media organisation N1 million for exceeding the allowed band occupancy limit originally granted to RayPower.

In the letter seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the NBC said after carrying out a random spectrum scan on the FM band, the station transmitting on 100.5MHz, occupied 100.3MHz  100.6MHz indicating a 300KHz band occupancy which exceeded the 150KHz band occupancy limit allowed for FM Radio stations.

In a separate letter dated July 24, the NBC sanctioned the organisations programme, Political Platform, accusing its anchors of making provocative, inflammatory and decisive comments.

In the letter, the NBC made reference to the programmes episode of Tuesday, July 24 which it said was marked by sensational and heated expression of opinion by its anchors.

The commission went ahead to fine DAAR Communications N500,000 for alleged breach of broadcast code by the anchors of the programme.

While stating the position and reaction of the broadcast company, Mr Akiotu said the Commission, under the present leadership, is determined to intimidate, undermine and ultimately, programmed to muzzle the constitutional rights guaranteeing the freedom of speech.

Regarding the first sanction of exceeding the allowed band occupancy limit, Mr Akiotu explained that his organisation broke no rule as the radio station had been operating within the limit given to them.

He made reference to a letter dated February 10,1999 which gives the radio station transmission frequency from 100.410 MHz to 100.590MHz and an operating Frequency of 100.5MHZ.

We wish to state that possibly due to some ulterior motives calculated at a deterministic agenda, the Commission hurriedly without recourse to its records, to verify certain facts, did not also know that vide a letter reference No. NBC/11/s.26/Vol 1.259 dated February 10, 1999; signed by Mr. Bright E. Igbako, DAAR Communications Limited (as it then was) was issued a frequency Assignment to Raypower FM radio Relay station in Abuja, letter for Transmission Boundary of 100.410 MHz to 100.590MHz and an operating Frequency of 100.5MHZ.

Without any prior correspondence on this same subject matter, surprisingly from the blues, in the earlier letter under reference the Commission in its own wisdom asserted a case of breach against us with a fine of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Nalra) with a further threat that the Commission would not hesitate to apply higher sanctions including revocation of licence and shutting down of the broadcast station, if the breaches persist, he said.

Reacting to the second letter from the NBC, Mr Akiotu said what the Commission did not state was that there havr been several consultations and engagements on the programme and its vibrancy, popularity amongst the generality of its audiences, the depths of the analysis and the thought-provoking views that are most patriotically expressed meant for the deepening of democratic culture and ethos as a nation.

Members of the Sokoto State House of Assembly in support of President Buhari

Severally we have been invited to the Commission to either drop some presenters or decimate/tone down the vibrancy of the programme.

At various times, through overtures from the Commission, we have been requested to navigate the course of the discourse on the programme to desperately support the sitting government at all cost irrespective of the glaring security challenges, killings and the pervading sociopolitical and economic dislocations that abound in the country which are daily expressed through the mails from the citizenry and the analysts.

Succinctly put, we have been intimidated, threatened and every attempt made to muzzle and stifle our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression, he said.

He further said the companys stations in several states have been vandalised but it decided to maintain a dignified silence in spite of all the provocation. He also said the Commission through its several correspondence to the security agencies revealed that they feared media war targeted at the Presidency.

Mr Akiotu said DAAR Communications Plc has always fulfilled its financial obligations which is not only too high but also is uneconomic.

In view of the very tight economic situation in the country, DAAR Communications Plc made an offer to pay the licence fees in monthly instalments based on the 2010/2015 rates. This was again outrightly rejected. Yet the Commission continues to blackmail DAAR Communications Plc, alleging a refusal to pay its licence fees.

We make bold to state that it is not only DAAR Communications Plc that is allegedly owing the NBC licence fees for the period 2016/2021 therefore, it is indeed blackmail and name calling in a bid to embarrass, discredit and hang the station.

The NBC is indeed determined to achieve a purpose which is out rightly at variance with the provisions of the code but an agenda meant to shut down our stations considering the recent spate of fines, media persecution and the rather embarrassing developments.

As a responsible corporate citizen and licensee, we have paid the fines of N500,000.00 and N1,000,000.00 respectively which to all intent and purposes are unjust, unfair and an assault on us; and we hereby request that after due diligence by the appropriate officers of the commission and the institution of the state, it will eventually be discovered that we were indeed unjustly fined and the most honourable thing is to appropriately effect the necessary refund and restitution, he said.

The GMD also stated that DAAR Cmommunications does not bear any hatred for any government and is not affiliated with, or an appendage of any institution, political interest or group of persons.

When asked why the company decided to pay the fine despite claims that it has not violated any rules, the GMD said they decided to pay before complain and to show that we are law-abiding citizens.

When asked to confirm the payment, the NBC Spokesperson, Ekanem Antia, said he would find out.President Muhammadu Buhari took time off late Wednesday afternoon to visit the proposed presidential campaign office for next years election.

The same building at Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Area, Abuja, had served as campaign headquarters for the 2015 election.

On the presidents entourage were his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and other senior government officials.

On hand to receive the delegation was Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who took the president round the newly refurbished structure.

President Buhari expressed satisfaction with the facelift, and thanked all those who worked on giving the office a befitting look.

President Buhari inspects Renovation Works at Proposed Buhari-Osinbajo Campaign Office in Abuja President Buhari inspects Renovation Works at Proposed Buhari-Osinbajo Campaign Office in Abuja President Buhari inspects Renovation Works at Proposed Buhari-Osinbajo Campaign Office in Abuja President Buhari inspects Renovation Works at Proposed Buhari-Osinbajo Campaign Office in Abuja President Buhari inspects Renovation Works at Proposed Buhari-Osinbajo Campaign Office in Abuja President Buhari inspects Renovation Works at Proposed Buhari-Osinbajo Campaign Office in AbujaThe Consul-General of Switzerland in Lagos, Yves Nicolet-dit-Felix, on Wednesday said that it was important for Nigeria to practice democracy like it was being practised in Switzerland.

Nicolet-dit-Felix, who gave the advice at the celebration of the 727th anniversary of the Foundation of the fulfilment of the Swiss Confederation in Lagos, enjoined Nigerians to always rely on their votes and never resort to violence.

According to him, things have continued to change fortunately in Switzerland since 1291.

Since 1291, our country has certainly changed. We no longer have three Cantons but now 26 Cantons.

Despite the political stability in our country, things are always changing, but fortunately in respect of the democracy of the minorities and without any fight.

This is exactly what we expect in Nigeria at the next election in February 2019. I strongly believe in the slogan of the NGO, Moral Re-Armament Initiative of Change Nigeria, which says `Use your Vote Not Violence, he said.

Nicolet-dit-Felix said that within about three years as the Swiss consul-general in Lagos, bilateral relations between Nigeria and Switzerland have been strengthened in the areas of economy and culture.

The Envoy also said that ten new Swiss companies had within the period opened branch offices in Lagos, despite the difficult economic situation in Nigeria.

I am convinced that we can do better and that this is the right moment to come to Nigeria for trade and Investment.

It is my objective to continue to convince more Swiss companies to come and invest in Nigeria, he said.

The consul-general said that his consulate had also organised within the last one year, Nigerian Economic Days in three Swiss linguistic areas, inviting more Swiss companies to Nigeria.

Nicolet-dit-Felix added that the Consulate had last month received a delegation of six Swiss companies active in packaging, education, textiles, food and air-conditioning.

The objective of the visit was for these companies to see the opportunities that exist for their products in the Nigerian market.

We also plan to organise a second Nigerian Week in Switzerland later this year or early next year, he said.

After South Africa, Nigeria is Switzerlands second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nigeria exports mainly crude oil, while Swiss exports primarily comprise machines, pharmaceuticals and other chemical products as well as textiles.

Due to its oil imports, Switzerland has a very negative trade balance with Nigeria. Some 60 to70 Swiss firms are active in Nigeria, mainly in the south of the country. Swiss direct investments amount to about $300 million, employing about 4,000 people.A federal lawmaker, Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central), has advised the federal government on how defectors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should be treated.

The senator took to his Facebook page in the early hours of Wednesday to stress the need for both the ruling party and the opposition party to maintain a harmonious relationship.

The senator wrote as follows:

In view of the current reality, Its possible to have a harmonious working relationship between the parliament led by the opposition, and the presidency led by the ruling party, in the remaining lifespan of this political dispensation, if the following rules are kept by both sides.

1. Both sides must put the interest of the country first.

2. The Executive should respect the decision of those who chose to defect, maintain a cordial relationship with them and never attempt to persecute any of them for their individual political decisions.

3. The Parliament led by the opposition must not be a stumbling block for Government policies and programmes and the person of the president and his office must be accorded the highest respect it deserves.

4. All Inflammatory statements and plots from both sides must cease.

5. Both sides should be committed to working towards addressing the nations chronic security challenges and the success of the upcoming national elections.

Mr Sani was amongst those expected to join a wave of defection that hit the APC last week, having made several categorical statements that suggested the move was imminent.

At least 14 senators and 37 House of Representatives announced their exit from the APC at the parliament last week. While most of those who severed ties with the ruling party joined the PDP, Nigerias main opposition entity, at least one senator and four House members moved to other political parties, especially the African Democratic Congress.

On Tuesday, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, made a formal announcement of his exit from the APC to join the PDP. In a statement he later released, he accused influential persons of the APC of intolerance and causing his exit.

While I take full responsibility for this decision, I will like to emphasise that it is a decision that has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist, he said.

While some other senators who were expected to decamp also failed to do so on Tuesday, it was Mr Sanis non-defection that drew the most insinuations from Nigerians.

Mr Sani later told PREMIUM TIMES that ex-Kaduna governor Balarabe Musa, APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and party leader, Bola Tinubu, were among those who persuaded him not to leave the APC for the main opposition party, PDP.

Mr Sanis confrontation with his state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is one of the most virulent rivalry in this political dispensation despite both men belonging to the APC. The politicians snapped at each other shortly after settling down in their respective offices after their 2015 election.The defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday has awoken a dormant political rivalry within the Saraki Family that stretched back to 2011.

Few hours after Mr Sarakis announcement, his sister and arch political rival, Gbemisola, declared her unwavering support for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and the success of the APC.

On Tuesday, in a statement to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Saraki said he was quitting the APC after accusing influential persons within the party of intolerance.

While I take full responsibility for this decision, I will like to emphasise that it is a decision that has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist, he said.

Mr Saraki, who left the PDP in 2014 for the APC, said his former party has learnt more from its defeat in the 2015 election than the ruling party has learnt from its victory.

The PDP that we return to is now a party that has learnt its lessons the hard way and have realised that no member of the party should be taken for granted; a party that has realized that inclusion, justice and equity are basic precondition for peace; a party that has realized that never again can the people of Nigeria be taken for granted.

But soon after her brother announced he was quitting the party, Gbemisola Saraki, in a Facebook post, reaffirmed her support for President Muhammadu Buharis re-election and the APC.

I maintain my unwavering support for President Muhammadu Buhari, now and for his re-election in 2019, and for the success of our party, the APC, in Kwara State and across the federation, she wrote.

All members of my political organisations including GRS Movement (GRSM); GRS Foundation (GRSF); GRS Friends on Facebook (GRSFOF), Paramount Women Forum (PWF) and GRS Grassroots Youth Movements (GRS-GYM) will begin to implement the first phase of our Get-Out-The-Vote for PMB and APC.

Politics is a public service to the people and we ought to conduct it with dignity, peace and love for our fellow citizens.

May Allah grant us direction, guidance and restraint in our utterances and conduct, she wrote.

The rivalry between the siblings can be traced back to 2011, when Gbemisola, who had been a member of the House of Representatives (from 1999 to 2003 under the defunct All Peoples Party) and two-term senator (from 2003 to 2011 under the PDP), wanted to succeed her brother, who was then outgoing governor of their native Kwara State.

She got the backing of their late father, Olusola Saraki, but her brother kicked against the idea arguing that it was not morally correct for the position to be rotated between siblings. He then backed the incumbent governor of the state, Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Having lost control of the PDP in the state to his son, their father, popularly called Baba Oloye, left the party and formed the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) under whose platform Gbemisola contested but lost to Mr Ahmed.

Mr Saraki was then also elected senator to represent Kwara Central Senatorial District.

In 2014, then as a member of the PDP, after her brother had defected to form the APC, she tried to contest for the governorship position of the state but was defeated at the partys primary by Simoen Ajibola. She remained in the PDP till 2015 but under acrimonious conditions as members of the states chapter of the party saw her as an extension of her fathers hegemony and blocked her every move.

In 2015, days before the gubernatorial election, she defected from the PDP to join her brother in the APC. Despite her defection to the APC, sources close to the family said both siblings barely tolerated each other. Therefore, her declaration of support for the party and President Buhari did not come a complete shock.

Though it is not clear if she is interested in contesting in the coming election, in past weeks posters indicating that she was interested in running for the Kwara Central Senatorial District election have emerged on social media.

PREMIUM TIMES tried, unsuccessfully, to reach Gbemisola on her known mobile phone on Tuesday. But one of her associates, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said he could not confirm if she was interested in running or not.Ike Ekweremadu, Nigerias deputy Senate president, was permitted to go home after being questioned from morning till evening Tuesday by anti-graft detectives on Tuesday, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

But the lawmaker was asked to return on Wednesday morning for further interrogation at the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions headquarters in Abuja, two senior officials told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday morning.

We were not satisfied with the answers he gave us yesterday, but we extended an administrative bail to him, one source said. We are, however, waiting for him to return today for the second day of clarification.

Mr Ekweremadu turned himself in at the EFCC office Tuesday morning, following days of tension between him and operatives working on leads they said suggested a pattern of questionable acquisition of properties within and outside Nigeria.

The politician has denied wrongdoing, accusing the EFCC of being on a witch-hunt to weaken his political stature.

A source at the EFCC said the agency would not be distracted by Mr Ekweremadus desperate attempts to politicise a potential case of stealing in public service being unearthed against him.

Several properties linked to Mr Ekweremadu have reportedly been uncovered in multiple jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, United States and the United Arab Emirates. Operatives questioned him specifically on this throughout yesterday, it was learnt.

Mr Ekweremadu said most of the properties, which were traced by the presidential panel on recovery of fraudulently-acquired properties, were fictitious, but failed to clarify which of them actually belonged to him, or whether they were appropriately declared in his asset declaration filings.

EFCC officials could not immediately say when Mr Ekweremadu would appear today as scheduled, but said they have no concerns that he may not appear at all.

We granted him the bail based on acknowledgement of his office, an official said. It would not be in his best interest to keep our investigators standing by shunning further appearances.The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, for flagrant disobedience of court orders.

Justice Stephen Pam gave the order following Mr Yakubus absence in court for the third time to answer to contempt charges.

Justice Pam had on July 5 and July 10 ordered Mr Yakubu to appear in court and show cause why he should not be sent to prison for contempt of court.

At the resumed hearing in the case on Wednesday, Adegboyega Awomolo, counsel to Mr , told the court that his client was absent in court because he was attending an urgent national assignment in Mali.

In a short ruling, the judge held that the reason for Mahmoods absence was not tenable, because he had three times, refused to honour the courts summons to defend the contempt charge against him.

The charges were brought against the chairman by Ejike Oguebego for his refusal to recognise him as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra in compliance with a Supreme Court judgment of December 2014.

Mr Pam said that the court would not fold its hands and allow a party who was a professor of law to turn it into a toothless dog.

It is sad that the contemnor and his counsel, a senior lawyer, have chosen not to obey the orders of this court in respect of this contempt charge.

The contempt of the contemnor to this court can no longer be tolerated and it should not be allowed to fester, the judge said.

The judge faulted the letter by Mr Awomolo dated July 27 making excuse for Mr Mahmoods absence in court on grounds that it contradicted another letter by his client dated July 29.

He consequently ordered that Mr Mahmood should be arrested for his flagrant disobedience of court orders by refusing to appear in court, and adjourned the matter until August 8

A bench warrant is hereby issued against Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, INEC Chairman; this repeated act of disobedience to court order to show cause can no longer be accepted by this court.

Earlier, the court had struck out a fresh motion filed by Mr Awomolo on July 31 for stay of proceedings pending the outcome of an appeal on the matter.

The judge struck out the motion on grounds that it contravened Section 360 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which did not allow a stay of proceedings in a criminal matter.

It will be recalled that Mr Oguebego had initiated contempt proceedings against the INEC Chairman for refusing to comply with a Supreme Court judgment of December 2014 to recognise him as PDP chairman in Anambra.

The counsel to Mr Oguebego, James Odiba, had prayed the court to commit Mr Mahmood to prison for not obeying the order.

He had told the court that on the contrary, INEC and its chairman were relating with another faction of the PDP in Anambra.

In an interview after the ruling, Mr Awomolo told journalists that the judgment on which the contempt proceeding was initiated, was delivered in 2014 when Mr Mahmood was not yet INEC chairman.

Mr Odiba said that government was a continuum and that it behoved on whoever was in office to obey the judgment.

According to him, no one is above the law. (NAN)Sixteen youth selected as the first set of Kashim Ibrahim Fellows will commence their year-long fellowship on August 2, 2018. Zainab Mohammed, the Programme Administrator, said that the fellows will be welcomed at an opening ceremony in Kaduna by Governor Nasir El-Rufai and the members of the governing board of the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship, led by Hakeem Belo-Osagie.

The Kashim Ibrahim Fellows Programme is a leadership training platform for young people introduced by the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai. Fellows will go through a one-year immersion in public service by working at the heart of government. During this one year, the fellows will also be engaged in reflection, lectures and seminars on leadership. Governor El-Rufai introduced the fellowship programme in February 2018, as a concrete contribution to providing young people a pathway to leadership.

The young fellows will spend their first few days in the programme in seminars and discussions to introduce them to the larger issues of leadership and the particular details of how the Kaduna State Government works. They will afterwards be assigned to senior officials across the government.

The Governing Board announced the successful candidates on June 27 at an event at the Government House, Kaduna, which is named after Kashim Ibrahim, who was Governor of the Northern Region. The fellows emerged from the over 1300 applications that were submitted online to the Kashim Ibrahim Fellows Programme portal by the deadline of March 20. The Steering Committee selected 271 of the entries for the next stage during which their CVs, essays and letters of recommendation were assessed. The top 66 were then invited to submit video entries of their responses to three questions. The 31 most impressive entries were then forwarded to the Governing Board which met on May 23 to settle on the final 16.

Seven of the 16 fellows are female. Kaduna State residents constitute half of the fellows, while the others are from other parts of Nigeria. The fellows that will be resuming tomorrow are:

1. Eyinnaya Danjuma Chukwueke

2. Aminu Rabi Usman

3. Fatima Kensington

4. Muhammad Maccido Usman

5. Dorcas Kadangs

6. Jatau Jemimah Magaji

7. Abdulhakeem Muhammad Miko

8. Ali Anas Sani

9. Abimbola K. Adetunji

10. Aliyu Suleiman Iya

11. Ibrahim Tasiu

12. Michael Medubi

13. Leonell Echa

14. Musa Muhammad Kona

15. Abubakar Saleh Joji

16. Rebecca Maulome Padonu

Mr El-Rufai said he is looking forward to working with the first set of fellows to establish the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship as a veritable platform for building young leaders.

I am delighted by the enthusiastic response of young people to the idea of the Kashim Ibrahim Fellows Programme. I look forward to welcoming the first set of fellows and working with them to build leadership capacity.

The Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship is governed by a board chaired by Hakeem Belo-Osagie. The other members are: Dele Olojede, Hadiza Bala-Usman, Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, Bilya Bala, Barbara Barungi, Japheth Omojuwa, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, Jimi Lawal, Iboroma Akpana, Kadaria Ahmed and Segun Adeniyi.Human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Falana, on Tuesday commended the refusal of the Chief Judge of Imo State to swear in the deputy governor-designate, Calistus Ekenze, on account of a court order forbidding him to do so.

Mr Ekenze was appointed deputy governor following the purported impeachment of Ezeakonobi Madumere from office by the Imo State House of Assembly.

The impeachment came despite a court injunction granted by the Imo State High Court presided over by Ben Iheka, restraining the impeachment panel constituted by the Chief Judge of Imo State, Padcal Nnadi from entertaining the allegations against Mr Madumere.

The house was therefore in contempt of the court in going ahead to pass a resolution impeaching Mr Madumere who has been having a running battle with his principal.

The state governor, Rochas Okorocha, had immediately named Mr Ekenza as a replacement for Mr Madumere and directed that he be sworn in.

However, the Chief Judge turned down the directive to swear in Mr Ekenze as deputy governor of the state as a result of the restraining order of the court forbidding him from swearing in the deputy governor-designate.

In solidarity with the judge, all the other judges in the High Court of Imo State reportedly resolved not to lend judicial weight to the subversion of the rule of law by the legislative and executive organs of the Imo State Government.

Mr Okorocha on Tuesday indicated his willingness to abide by the court ruling.

Meanwhile, Mr Falana, in a statement on Tuesday, commended the Imo State judiciary for upholding the tenets of the rule of law.

He also called on the Nigerian Bar Association and all democratic forces in the country to ensure that the order of the chief judge was fully complied with.

Let the legislators and Governor Okorocha purge themselves of contempt of court by continuing to recognise Prince Madumere as the Deputy Governor of Imo State pending the determination of the pending suit before the State High Court on the validity of the impeachment proceedings adopted by the House of Assembly of Imo State, said Mr Falana.

The members of the Benue State House of Assembly are advised to stop exposing the country to ridicule by familiarising themselves with the judgments of the courts with respect to illegal impeachment of the former governors and deputy governors of Oyo, Plateau, Anambra, Taraba, Enugu etc.Former Abia Governor, Orji Kalu, on Wednesday debunked the rumour that he was planning to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the gale of defections across the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Kalu told reporters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos that there was no truth in the rumour.

He said those behind the speculation were political detractors from Abia who were afraid of the growing popularity of the APC in the state ahead of the 2019 General Elections.

Mr Kalu said: There is nothing like that. I am not going back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). You know I left the PDP since 2006 and I have never been back there.

I was a member of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) before joining the APC in 2016, because I found out that Nigeria had become a two-party system. Honestly, going back to the PDP is not really an option for me. I will rather go to my farm in Igbere and take up farming, instead of going back to the PDP.

So there is no truth in the rumour. It is just people that are afraid that they will lose Abia with me standing behind the APC that are behind it.

He, however, noted that the defectors to the PDP, including Senate President Bukola Saraki, had the right to leave the APC, adding that he wished them well in their sojourn.

According to him, the APC leadership is deeply concerned about the development and is looking into some of the issues raised by the defectors in order to forestall further defections.

The APC is in trouble right now but we will come out of it. It is always good for people to know that there are problems and knowing that there are problems, we will be able to find solutions to them.

President Muhammadu Buhari has handled the issue very well. We have not seen him abusing anybody because defection is a thing of choice and we as APC, under the chairmanship of Mr Adams Oshiomhole, are fine-tuning solutions on how to address these issues.

The former governor also confirmed that he was planning to run for the Abia North Senatorial Seat under the platform of the APC in 2019.Former governor of Oyo State, Rasheed Ladoja, has finally called it quits at the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State following the failure of serial efforts to resolve the leadership crisis within the party.

The party had been embroiled in an internal struggle over who leads it after Mr Ladoja moved from the Accord Party to the PDP last year.

He had got the assurances of the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the PDP that he would be fairly treated and would be accorded his status before returning to the party.

Mr Ladoja was governor of the Oyo State on the platform of the party between 2003 and 2007.

Although he was controversially impeached amidst high powered politics within the state in January 2006, the court reinstated him in December, the same year.

Two factions of the party had held separate congresses and elected parallel executive members, with each claiming to be the authentic leadership.

The party was then split between Mr Ladoja and Seyi Makinde, but the formers faction appeared to have received recognition from the national secretariat to the displeasure of Mr Ladoja and his followers.

A close ally of Mr Ladoja, Olufemi Lanlehin, a former senator, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, but said a decision on the next destination was yet to be fully decided.

We have decided to leave the PDP, because it is clear that they are not committed to internal democracy, said Mr Lanlehin.

He also said Mr Ladoja and his group would only pitch their tent with a party that would protect all interests and be fair to all its members.

There are however, indications that the former Oyo State governor is heading for the African Democratic Congress.

Mr Lanlehin said the new party of the former governor would be clearer in the next few days.Barring last minute changes, former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, could leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Friday.

The former governor and other loyalists held a meeting with former president Olusegun Obasanjo Wednesday afternoon, PREMIUM TIMES gathered, as part of the final plans of the former governor to quit the PDP.

The Oyo State chapter of PDP had been embroiled in an internal struggle over who leads it after Mr Ladoja moved from the Accord Party to the PDP last year. Mr Ladoja had got the assurances of the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee of the PDP that he would be fairly treated and would be accorded his status before returning to the party.

Two factions of the party had held separate congresses and elected parallel executive members, with each claiming to be the authentic leadership.

The party was then split between Mr Ladoja and Seyi Makinde, but the latters faction appeared to have received recognition from the national secretariat to the displeasure of Mr Ladoja and his followers.

A close ally of Mr Ladoja, Olufemi Lanlehin, a former senator, had confirmed the decision to leave PDP to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, but said a decision on the next destination was yet to be fully decided.

We have decided to leave the PDP, because it is clear that they are not committed to internal democracy, said Mr Lanlehin, tipped to be Mr Ladojas favoured governorship aspirant. He also said Mr Ladoja and his group would only pitch their tent with a party that would protect all interests and be fair to all its members.

Indications that the former Oyo State governor is heading for the African Democratic Congress became clearer Wednesday when he and other loyalists held a meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Although Mr Obasanjo claimed to have opted out of partisan politics, he is largely seen as the brain behind the ADC.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr Ladojas decision to defect to ADC is due to the PDP being more disposed to Seyi Makinde as its Oyo governorship candidate in 2019. The former Oyo helmsman is also said to be concerned about absence of internal democracy in the management of the PDP.

Mr Ladoja served as governor of Oyo State between 2003 and 2007 on the platform of the PDP when Mr Obasanjo was president and leader of same party. The former governor was, however, impeached under controversial circumstances after he had a disagreement with Lamidi Adedibu, the acclaimed godfather of Ibadan politics. His impeachment paved way for his then deputy, Adebayo Alao-Akala, to emerge as governor. Messrs Alao-Akala and Adedibu, analysts agreed, held sway in the state largely with the support of the federal government, then headed by Mr Obasanjo.

In 2011, Mr Ladoja contested for governor on the platform of Accord Party but lost to Abiola Ajimobi of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. The Ibadan High Chief, whose Accord Party however won a number of federal and state legislative seats, contested again in 2015 on the platform of same party and lost yet again to Mr Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress, APC. He defected to the PDP in 2017 after negotiations with the party leaders.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the spokesperson of the PDP in Oyo State, Akeem Olatunji, he confirmed that a meeting held at the instance of Mr Obasanjo Wednesday afternoon. Mr Olatunji, a loyalist of Mr Ladoja, however said details of the meetings will be made public soon.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1)  President Rodrigo Duterte said his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, is not interested in any national government post.

"Ang anak ko, si Inday, I can tell you I know her. Hindi magtatakbo 'yan ng national. Ganun lang 'yan," Duterte said in a speech on Tuesday.

[Translation: "My daughter, Inday, I can tell you I know her. She won't run for a national post. She's just like that."]

He mentioned this when he said he is in favor of banning political dynasties. "Okay ako, wala akong problema (I'm okay, I have no problem with that)."

A Pulse Asia survey in April showed that the presidential daughter would be among the top six senators if the 2019 midterm polls were held the day the survey was conducted.

It seems Duterte-Carpio already has some influence in the national scene, as some congressmen confirmed she was behind the controversial ouster of Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez as House Speaker. They said the feisty mayor asked congressmen for support in ousting Alvarez and electing former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as House leader.

This is a claim Duterte-Carpio has neither confirmed nor denied.

There are also talks of congressmen leaving PDP-Laban to jump ship to Lakas-CMD, Arroyo's political party before she pledged allegiance to PDP-Laban in October 2017.

House Deputy Speaker Rolando Andaya said Lakas-CMD may possibly merge with Duterte-Carpio's regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

Duterte-Carpio said her party is willing to forge alliances with other political groups, but stressed it is not ready to go national.For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.



BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AAC Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAC) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 and reiterates its previously issued full year 2018 guidance.

Second Quarter 2018 Operational and Financial Highlights:

(All comparisons are to the comparable prior-year period, unless otherwise noted)

Total revenue increased 27% to $86.8 million on a comparable accounting basis (increased 11% as reported)

on a comparable accounting basis (increased 11% as reported) Average daily inpatient revenue (ADR) increased 12% to $841

Total average daily census (ADC) increased to 1,157 compared with 961

Outpatient visits increased 230% to 51,019

Net loss attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. common stockholders was $3.0 million , or $(0.12) per diluted common share

, or per diluted common share Adjusted EBITDA increased 2% to $14.8 million (see non-GAAP reconciliation herein)

(see non-GAAP reconciliation herein) Adjusted earnings per diluted common share was $0.09 (see non-GAAP reconciliation herein)

"We are pleased with the progress we have made this year as we continue to execute to plan and make strides in transforming our sales and marketing team, including opening a new admissions center and bringing on new senior leadership," said Michael Cartwright, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AAC Holdings, Inc. "Operations during the quarter remained very strong with the integration of AdCare going well and the continued improvements in cash collections. We remain focused on our sales and marketing efforts and feel confident we will meet our annual guidance with continued momentum entering into 2019."

Adoption of New Revenue Recognition Standard

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" (ASC Topic 606), a replacement of Revenue Recognition ASC Topic 605. The Company adopted ASC Topic 606 on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach. Under ASC Topic 606, the provision for doubtful accounts, which historically was reported as an operating expense, is now reported as a direct reduction to revenue effective January 1, 2018. This change in presentation reduced revenues and operating expenses by the same amount and did not have an effect on net income or earnings per share. As the Company adopted ASC Topic 606 using the modified retrospective approach, prior year periods were not recast and as such, revenues as reported for those periods are not comparable to the current year presentation. For purposes of this release, we have applied our adoption of ASC Topic 606 to the prior year period. We believe this allows for an accurate comparison of prior period revenue. Where we have used language such as "less the provision for doubtful accounts," this indicates a comparison of periods that reflects our adoption of ASC Topic 606.



AdCare Acquisition

On March 1, 2018, AAC acquired AdCare, Inc. and its subsidiaries ("AdCare"). AdCare offers treatment for drug and alcohol addiction and includes, among other things, a 114-bed hospital and 5 outpatient centers in Massachusetts, as well as a 59-bed residential inpatient treatment center and 2 outpatient centers in Rhode Island. AdCare was purchased for total consideration of $85.0 million, subject to adjustments.

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

AAC breaks down its revenues between client related revenue and non-client related revenue. Client related revenue includes: (1) inpatient treatment facility services and related professional services; (2) outpatient facility services, related professional services and sober living services; and (3) client related diagnostic services, which includes point of care drug testing and client related diagnostic laboratory services. Non-client related revenue includes marketing and diagnostic services provided to third parties as well as addiction services provided to individuals in the criminal justice system.

Total revenue on a comparable accounting basis (i.e., less the provision for doubtful accounts) increased 27% to $86.8 million compared with $68.5 million in the same period in the prior year. Total revenue as reported increased 11%.

Inpatient treatment facility revenue, on a comparable accounting basis, increased 21% to $66.7 million compared with $55.1 million in the same period in the prior year. ADR increased 12% to $841 compared with $752 in the same period in the prior year.

Outpatient and sober living facility revenue, on a comparable accounting basis, increased 60% to $9.0 million compared with $5.6 million in the same period in the prior year. Average revenue per outpatient visit (ARV) decreased 56% to $177 compared with $403 in the same period in the prior year.

Client related diagnostic services revenue, on a comparable accounting basis, increased 39% to $7.5 million compared with $5.4 million in the same period in the prior year.

Non-client related revenue, on a comparable accounting basis, increased 48% to $3.5 million compared with $2.4 million in the same period in the prior year.

Net loss attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. common stockholders was $3.0 million, or $(0.12) per diluted common share, compared with $1.9 million, or $(0.08) per diluted common share, in the prior-year period.

Adjusted EBITDA increased 2% to $14.8 million compared with $14.5 million for the same period in the prior year. Adjusted net income attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. common stockholders decreased to $2.2 million, or $0.09 per diluted common share, compared with $6.1 million, or $0.26 per diluted common share, for the same period in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. common stockholders and adjusted earnings per diluted common share are non-GAAP financial measures. Tables reconciling these non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures are included at the end of this release.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flows

As of June 30, 2018, AAC Holdings' balance sheet reflected cash and cash equivalents of $11.4 million, net property and equipment of $168.4 million and total debt of $302.0 million, net of debt issuance costs of $9.4 million.

Cash flows provided by operations totaled $3.3 million and maintenance capital expenditures totaled $1.1 million for the second quarter of 2018.



2018 Outlook

AAC maintains its previously issued guidance as follows:





Full Year 2018 Guidance



(in millions, except per share data) Total Revenues

$325 - $340 Inpatient treatment facility revenue

$262 - $266 Outpatient and sober living facility revenue

$40 - $46 Client related diagnostic services revenue

$12 - $15 Non-client related revenue

$11 - $13





Adjusted EBITDA

$68 - $72 Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Common Share

$0.75 - $0.80

The Company now expects an annual effective tax rate of 20% to 22%, down from 24% to 26%, and diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding of approximately 24.5 million for the year.

This outlook above does not include the impact of any future acquisitions, transaction-related costs, litigation settlement or expenses related to legal defenses.

With respect to the "2018 Outlook" above, reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings per diluted common share guidance to the closest corresponding GAAP measure on a forward-looking basis is not available without unreasonable efforts. This inability results from the inherent difficulty in forecasting generally and quantifying certain projected amounts that are necessary for such reconciliations. In particular, sufficient information is not available to calculate certain adjustments required for such reconciliations, including de novo start-up and other expense and acquisition-related expenses. We expect these adjustments may have a potentially significant impact on future GAAP financial results.

Earnings Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call and live audio webcast on Thursday, August 2, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. CT to further discuss these results. The number to call for this interactive teleconference is 412-542-4144. A replay of the conference call will be available through August 9, 2018, by dialing 412-317-0088 and entering the replay access code, 10122876. The live audio webcast of the Company's quarterly conference call will also be available online in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at ir.americanaddictioncenters.org.

About American Addiction Centers

American Addiction Centers is a leading provider of inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment services. We treat clients who are struggling with drug addiction, alcohol addiction and co-occurring mental/behavioral health issues. We currently operate substance abuse treatment facilities located throughout the United States. These facilities are focused on delivering effective clinical care and treatment solutions. For more information, please find us at AmericanAddictionCenters.org or follow us on Twitter.



Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimates," "expects," "may," "potential," "predicts," "projects," "should," "will," "would," and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements may include information concerning AAC Holdings, Inc.'s (collectively with its subsidiaries; "AAC Holdings" or the "Company") possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of the Company's revenue, profitability, outlook and overall business strategy. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results and performance to be materially different from the information contained in the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, without limitation: (i) our inability to effectively operate our facilities; (ii) our reliance on our sales and marketing program to continuously attract and enroll clients; (iii) a reduction in reimbursement rates (or failure to pay) by certain third-party payors for inpatient and outpatient services and point-of-care and definitive lab testing; (iv) our failure to successfully achieve growth through acquisitions and de novo projects; (v) the possibility that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of an acquisition; (vi) our failure to achieve anticipated financial results from contemplated and prior acquisitions; (vii) a disruption in our ability to perform diagnostic laboratory services; (viii) maintaining compliance with applicable regulatory authorities, licensure and permits to operate our facilities and laboratories; (ix) a disruption in our business and reputational and economic risks associated with civil claims by various parties; (x) inability to meet the covenants in our loan documents or lack of borrowing capacity; (xi) our inability to effectively integrate acquired facilities; and (xii) general economic conditions, as well as other risks discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2018, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this release will prove to be accurate. Investors should not place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements.





AAC HOLDINGS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

Unaudited

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)



































Three Months Ended



Six Months Ended



June 30, 2018



June 30, 2017



June 30, 2018



June 30, 2017

Revenues





























Client related revenue $ 83,293



$ 75,692



$ 159,216



$ 146,911

Non-client related revenue

3,468





2,350





6,018





4,170

Total revenues

86,761





78,042





165,234





151,081

































Operating expenses





























Salaries, wages and benefits

46,850





34,508





86,934





71,280

Client related services

8,393





6,646





16,140





13,024

Provision for doubtful accounts

366





9,496





366





16,083

Advertising and marketing

2,584





3,266





5,183





7,041

Professional fees

4,950





3,039





8,600





5,681

Other operating expenses

12,194





8,199





22,782





16,988

Rentals and leases

2,563





1,849





4,679





3,734

Litigation settlement

244











3,035







Depreciation and amortization

5,909





5,058





11,373





10,527

Acquisition-related expenses







42





305





225

Total operating expenses

84,053





72,103





159,397





144,583

Income from operations

2,708





5,939





5,837





6,498

Interest expense, net

7,893





2,846





14,602





5,580

Loss on extinguishment of debt







5,435











5,435

Other (income) expense, net

(98)





(6)





(89)





28

Loss before income tax (benefit) expense

(5,087)





(2,336)





(8,676)





(4,545)

Income tax (benefit) expense

(84)





562





(1,578)





(3)

Net loss

(5,003)





(2,898)





(7,098)





(4,542)

Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling

interest

1,990





982





3,883





2,023

Net loss attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. common stockholders $ (3,013)



$ (1,916)



$ (3,215)



$ (2,519)

































Basic loss per common share $ (0.12)



$ (0.08)



$ (0.13)



$ (0.11)

Diluted loss per common share $ (0.12)



$ (0.08)



$ (0.13)



$ (0.11)

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:





























Basic

24,166,976





23,242,177





23,956,760





23,203,081

Diluted

24,166,976





23,242,177





23,956,760





23,203,081



AAC HOLDINGS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

Unaudited

(Dollars in thousands)























June 30



December 31,





2018



2017

Assets















Current assets















Cash and cash equivalents

$ 11,353



$ 13,818

Accounts receivable, net of allowances



97,362





94,096

Prepaid expenses and other current assets



4,638





4,022

Total current assets



113,353





111,936

Property and equipment, net



168,373





152,548

Goodwill



197,184





134,396

Intangible assets, net



13,201





8,829

Deferred tax assets, net



9,572





8,010

Other assets



11,069





12,556

Total assets

$ 512,752



$ 428,275



















Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity















Current liabilities















Accounts payable

$ 6,613



$ 4,579

Accrued and other current liabilities



30,487





27,661

Accrued litigation









23,607

Current portion of long-term debt



6,723





4,722

Total current liabilities



43,823





60,569

Long-term debt, net of current portion and debt issuance costs



295,322





196,451

Financing lease obligation, net of current portion



24,488





24,541

Other long-term liabilities



12,322





10,546

Total liabilities



375,955





292,107



















Stockholders' equity



155,506





150,994

Noncontrolling interest



(18,709)





(14,826)

Total stockholders' equity including noncontrolling interest



136,797





136,168

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$ 512,752



$ 428,275



AAC HOLDINGS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Unaudited

(Dollars in thousands)



















Six Months Ended



June 30, 2018



June 30, 2017

Cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities:













Net loss $ (7,098)



$ (4,542)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash (used in) provided by

operating activities:













Provision for doubtful accounts

366





16,083

Depreciation and amortization

11,373





10,527

Equity compensation

2,159





4,189

Loss on extinguishment of debt







5,435

Loss on disposal of property and equipment

34







Amortization of debt issuance costs

1,357





364

Deferred income taxes

(1,562)





(582)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:













Accounts receivable

724





(25,276)

Prepaid expenses and other assets

1,475





690

Accounts payable

(1,464)





1,286

Accrued and other current liabilities

457





932

Accrued litigation

(23,300)





(406)

Other long-term liabilities

(230)





(311)

Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities

(15,709)





8,389

Cash flows used in investing activities:













Purchase of property and equipment

(11,196)





(18,665)

Acquisition of subsidiaries

(65,185)







Net cash used in investing activities

(76,381)





(18,665)

Cash flows provided by financing activities:













Payments on 2015 Credit Facility and Deerfield Facility







(204,773)

Proceeds from 2015 Credit Facility and Deerfield Facility,

net of deferred financing costs







11,679

Payments on 2017 Credit Facility

(3,448)







Proceeds from 2017 Credit Facility, net of deferred financing costs

94,286





211,494

Payments on capital leases and other

(440)





(400)

Payments on AdCare Note

(250)







Payment of employee taxes for net share settlement

(523)





(895)

Net cash provided by financing activities

89,625





17,105

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

(2,465)





6,829

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

13,818





3,964

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 11,353



$ 10,793



AAC HOLDINGS, INC.

OPERATING METRICS

Unaudited



































Three Months Ended



Six Months Ended



June 30, 2018



June 30, 2017



June 30, 2018



June 30, 2017

Operating Metrics:





























New admissions1

5,242





3,008





8,981





6,224

Average daily inpatient census2

872





805





823





804

Average daily sober living census3

285





156





270





155

Total average daily census

1,157





961





1,093





959

Average episode length (days)4

21





28





23





28

Average daily inpatient revenue5 $ 841



$ 752



$ 884



$ 696

Revenue per admission6 $ 15,890



$ 25,164



$ 17,728



$ 23,604

Outpatient visits7

51,019





15,463





81,332





32,013

Revenue per outpatient visit8 $ 177



$ 403



$ 214



$ 373

Client related diagnostic services9

9 %



10 %



6 %



16 % Inpatient bed count at end of period10

1,112





1,100





1,112





1,100

Effective inpatient bed count at end of

period11

1,108





957





1,108





957

Average effective inpatient bed utilization12

79 %



80 %



78 %



78 %

1 Represents total client admissions at our inpatient facilities for the periods presented. 2 Represents average daily client census at all of our inpatient facilities. 3 Represents average daily client census at our sober living facilities. 4 Average episode length is the consecutive number of days from admission to discharge that a client stays at an AAC inpatient facility and, when applicable, an AAC sober living facility. 5 Average daily inpatient revenue is calculated as total revenues from all of our inpatient facilities less provision for doubtful accounts during the period, divided by the product of the number of days in the period multiplied by average daily inpatient census. 6 Revenue per admission is calculated by dividing total client related revenue, after the provision for doubtful accounts, by new admissions. 7 Represents the total number of outpatient visits at our standalone outpatient centers during the periods presented. 8 Revenue per outpatient visit is calculated as total revenues from all of our standalone outpatient facilities, after the provision for doubtful accounts, divided by the number of outpatient visits during the period. 9 Client related diagnostic services revenue, as a percentage of client related revenue, includes point-of-care and client related diagnostic laboratory services. 10 Inpatient bed count at end of period includes all beds at inpatient facilities. 11 Effective bed count at end of period represents the number of beds for which our facilities are staffed based on planned census. 12 Average effective inpatient bed utilization represents average daily inpatient census divided by the average effective inpatient bed count during the applicable period.





AAC HOLDINGS, INC.

SUPPLEMENTAL RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP DISCLOSURES

Unaudited

(Dollars in thousands)

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Loss Attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. Common Stockholders







































Three Months Ended



Six Months Ended





June 30, 2018



June 30, 2017



June 30, 2018



June 30, 2017

Net loss attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc.

common stockholders

$ (3,013)



$ (1,916)



$ (3,215)



$ (2,519)

Non-GAAP Adjustments:































Interest expense



7,893





2,846





14,602





5,580

Depreciation and amortization



5,909





5,058





11,373





10,527

Income tax benefit



(84)





562





(1,578)





(3)

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling

interest



(1,990)





(982)





(3,883)





(2,023)

Stock-based compensation and related tax

reimbursements



1,361





2,052





2,159





4,189

Litigation settlement and California matter

related expense



1,201





402





4,403





561

Acquisition-related expense



24





42





453





314

De novo start-up and other expense



382





928





640





4,282

Recruitment and retention expense



715











885







Employee severance expense



384





46





1,295





789

Loss on extinguishment of debt









5,435











5,435

Facility closure operating losses and expense



1,993











2,785







Adjusted EBITDA

$ 14,775



$ 14,473



$ 29,919



$ 27,132



Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. common stockholders and adjusted diluted earnings per common share (herein collectively referred to as "Non-GAAP Disclosures") are "non-GAAP financial measures" as defined under the rules and regulations promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, each of which are defined below. Management believes the Non-GAAP Disclosures provide investors with additional meaningful financial information that should be considered when assessing our underlying business performance and trends. We believe the Non-GAAP Disclosures also enhance investors' ability to compare period-to-period financial results. The Non-GAAP Disclosures should not be considered as measures of financial performance under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). The items excluded from the Non-GAAP Disclosures are significant components in understanding and assessing our financial performance and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or other financial statement items presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Because the Non-GAAP Disclosures are not measures determined in accordance with GAAP, the Non-GAAP Disclosures may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies.

Management defines adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. common stockholders adjusted for interest expense, depreciation and amortization expense, income tax benefit, net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest, stock-based compensation and related tax reimbursements, litigation settlement and California matter related expense, acquisition-related expense (which includes professional services for accounting, legal, valuation services and licensing expenses), de novo start-up and other expenses, recruitment and retention expense, employee severance expense and facility closure operating losses and expense.





AAC HOLDINGS, INC.

SUPPLEMENTAL RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP DISCLOSURES

Unaudited

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income Attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. Common Stockholders to Net Loss Attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. Common Stockholders







































Three Months Ended



Six Months Ended





June 30, 2018



June 30, 2017



June 30, 2018



June 30, 2017

Net loss attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc.

common stockholders

$ (3,013)



$ (1,916)



$ (3,215)



$ (2,519)

Non-GAAP Adjustments:































Litigation settlement and California matter

related expense



1,201





402





4,403





561

Acquisition-related expense



24





42





453





314

De novo start-up and other expense



382





928





640





4,282

Recruitment and retention expense



715











885







Employee severance expense



384





46





1,295





789

Loss on extinguishment of debt









5,435











5,435

Facility closure operating losses and expense



1,993











2,785







Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments



496





1,158





(1,903)







Adjusted net income attributable to AAC

Holdings, Inc. common stockholders

$ 2,182



$ 6,095



$ 5,343



$ 8,862

Weighted-average common shares outstanding -

diluted



24,166,976





23,242,177





23,956,760





23,203,081

GAAP diluted loss per common share

$ (0.12)



$ (0.08)



$ (0.13)



$ (0.11)

Adjusted earnings per diluted common share

$ 0.09



$ 0.26



$ 0.22



$ 0.38



Management defines adjusted net income attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. common stockholders as net income (loss) attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. common stockholders adjusted for litigation settlement and California matter related expense, acquisition-related expense (which includes professional services for accounting, legal, valuation services and licensing expenses), de novo start-up and other expenses, recruitment and retention expense, employee severance expense, facility closure operating losses and expense and the income tax effect of the non-GAAP adjustments at the then applicable effective tax rate.

Adjusted diluted earnings per common share represents diluted earnings per common share calculated using adjusted net income attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. common stockholders as opposed to net income attributable to AAC Holdings, Inc. common stockholders.

SOURCE AAC Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

https://americanaddictioncenters.org

"These are destined to become the top awards in travel photography," said Greg Sullivan, CEO and Cofounder of AFAR. "AFAR has an award-winning reputation for the quality of our photography, and LensCulture is the leader in competitions and resources for contemporary photography around the globe."

The awards will be determined by a premier panel of judges, including photo editors from the New York Times, GEO France, the Guardian, and AFAR, as well as award winning photographers.

LensCulture hosts highly respected photo awards competitions in street, portraiture, and multi-categories every year. "We think there is a huge need for a high-quality contemporary photo recognition in travel photography," said Kamran Mohsenin, CEO of LensCulture. "We have been hearing it from many of our top photographers. And AFAR was the natural partner for us."

Entry is free for one single image per participant anywhere in the world. Entries of five images cost $50 and will receive a professional written review of the submission. The competition is open through September 16th and is easy to enter at Afar.com/travelphotoawards. Winners will be announced November 1, 2018.

About AFAR Media: AFAR Media is dedicated to inspiring, guiding and enabling deeper, richer, and more fulfilling travel experiences. Headquartered in New York and San Francisco, AFAR's diverse, award-winning portfolio of platforms includes: AFAR magazine; AFAR.com; Learning AFAR, a non-profit program that introduces the importance of travel to underserved high school students; and AFAR Experiences, an immersive travel event series.

About LensCulture: LensCulture is the leading online platform celebrating the best in contemporary photography, in all genres, from cultures around the world. Each year, LensCulture sponsors up to six international photography awards that attract submissions from photographers in more than 140 countries. LensCulture publishes its new discoveries on a daily basis, reaching an enthusiastic audience of more than 3 million worldwide.

About United: United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,600 flights a day to 357 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 757 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express carriers operate 551 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 28 member airlines.

Media Contact: Alexandra Diaz

[email protected]

m.347.863.5218

SOURCE AFAR Media

Related Links

http://www.afar.com

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alkahest, Inc. ("Alkahest"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and other age-related conditions, announced today the appointment of Bruce Morimoto, PhD, as Vice President, Drug Development Operations.

"We are delighted to further expand our leadership team as we work to bring innovative medicines to patients with Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and other serious diseases of aging," said Karoly Nikolich, PhD, Alkahest's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "I am excited to join the leadership team at Alkahest during such a transformational period for the Company. Alkahest's unique approach to treat age-related diseases has the potential to impact millions of patients, their caregivers, and families. It is an honor to be part of shaping the future of Alkahest and seeking to deliver value to our many stakeholders." said Dr. Morimoto.

Dr. Morimoto brings to Alkahest more than 20 years of experience in positions of increasing responsibility in both biotechnology and clinical research companies. His experience includes leading project teams in the development of innovative medicines, as well as providing strategic guidance, designing preclinical and clinical development programs, and advancing the development of new therapies. Bruce joins Alkahest from Celerion, where he was Vice President, Scientific Affairs; having previously served as Vice President, Drug Development at Allon Therapeutics where he managed Allon's neurodegeneration and dementia therapeutic programs. He started his career on the faculty in the Chemistry Department at Purdue University where his independent research focused on neuronal signal transduction. Bruce earned his doctorate in biochemistry from UCLA and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California Berkeley.

About Alkahest

Alkahest is a privately-held clinical-stage company based in the San Francisco Bay Area developing treatments for age-related diseases, with an emphasis on neurodegeneration  a key medical challenge for our generation. The company's breakthrough research has elucidated changes in the plasma proteome in healthy aging and age-related diseases, and demonstrated that factors in the blood plasma can be augmented or inhibited in order to reverse detrimental effects of aging in both normal aging and disease models in animals. Alkahest is developing novel plasma-based therapies in collaboration with Barcelona, Spain-based Grifols, a global healthcare company and leading producer of plasma therapies.

For further information, see www.alkahest.com.

Contact Information:

Joe McCracken

Vice President Business Development

Alkahest, Inc.

[email protected]

SOURCE Alkahest, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.alkahest.com

While one less sales weekend than the same period in 2017 led in part to a dip in sales, customers showed a preference for the brand's light trucks including the refreshed-for-2019 Pilot and HR-V, and hot-selling CR-V.



BOSTON, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Analysis Group, one of the largest economics consulting firms, is pleased to announce the promotions of Dave Nellesen to Principal and Dov Rothman to Managing Principal, and to welcome Vice President Claudio Calcagno and six new affiliates to the firm.

"As recognized leaders in their respective fields, Dave, Dov, and Claudio bring a diverse set of skills and experiences to many of our practice areas," said Martha S. Samuelson, CEO and Chairman of Analysis Group. "Among other endeavors, they have helped biotech and pharmaceutical companies with product development, approval, and reimbursement strategies; worked with regulatory agencies on some of the largest merger investigations; and advised clients on international antitrust and competition issues. We are also pleased to share the news of our affiliation with six esteemed academic and industry experts. Their impressive experience deepens the expertise we offer our clients in areas such as consumer decision making, the effects of government policies on the health care industry, the economics of medical innovation, digital marketing, entrepreneurial finance, and market research."

New Affiliates

Kurt Carlson  associate dean for faculty and academic affairs at the Mason School of Business at William & Mary  specializes in the marketing management implications of consumer decision-making processes, including the development of brand preferences and the influence of emerging preferences on the decision-making process. Though much of Professor Carlson's research explores consumer decision making, he also studies how voters, jurors, and managers make decisions. Over the last 20 years, he has run thousands of surveys, sampling US and international populations. Professor Carlson has served as an expert in evaluating a survey in a class action matter, consulted on a high profile class action settlement involving consumer deception, and testified before the SEC in an equity trust matter. Professor Carlson's published research can be found in top marketing, psychology, and management journals. He is also the coauthor of Contemporary Brand Management. He blogs for Psychology Today and Forbes, and maintains an active Twitter account (@ProfKurt). While teaching at Georgetown University between 2009 and 2017, Professor Carlson was director of the Georgetown Institute for Consumer Research and co-director of the McDonough School of Business Behavioral Research Lab. He has received the MSB Dean's Distinguished Faculty Research Award and the Decision Analysis Society's Publication Award.

Craig Garthwaite  Herman Smith Research Professor in Hospital and Health Services Management, associate professor of strategy, and director of healthcare at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University  is an applied microeconomist who studies the effects of government policies and social phenomena, particularly in the areas of health and biopharmaceuticals. His recent work focuses on the private sector effects of the Affordable Care Act, including the labor supply effects of large insurance expansions, the changes in uncompensated hospital care resulting from public insurance expansions, and the responses of nonprofit hospitals to financial shocks. Professor Garthwaite also studies biopharmaceutical pricing and innovation, including the effect of expanded patent protection on pricing in the Indian pharmaceutical market, the effects of increases in demand on innovation by US pharmaceutical firms, and the relationship between health insurance expansions and high drug prices. Additionally, he studies the effects of the increased use of private firms to operate and manage social insurance programs, with a focus on Medicaid managed care firms. Professor Garthwaite has testified before the US House of Representatives and several state legislatures on the minimum wage, health care reforms, and consolidation in health care markets. He has also held several public policy positions, including faculty associate with Northwestern University's Institute for Policy Research and director of research for the Employment Policies Institute. Professor Garthwaite's research has appeared in journals such as The Quarterly Journal of Economics, American Economic Review, The Review of Economics and Statistics, and Health Affairs; and has been profiled in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Vox. He has also appeared on various TV and radio programs, including Nightly Business Report and NPR Marketplace.

Anupam B. Jena  Ruth L. Newhouse Associate Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School and a physician in Massachusetts General Hospital's Department of Medicine  is a health economist, practicing internal medicine physician, and professor of health care policy. His work involves several areas of health economics and policy, including the economics of medical innovation, the economics of physician behavior and the physician workforce, medical malpractice, and the economics of health care productivity. Professor Jena has been retained as an expert in several pharmaceutical and health care industry matters. A prolific author, Professor Jena has contributed to more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and articles intended to increase patient understanding, published in outlets including the New England Journal of Medicine and The New York Times. He is a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and serves on Harvard Medical School's Standing Committee on Health Policy. Professor Jena is a recipient of the NIH Director's Early Independence Award to fund research on the physician determinants of health care spending, quality, and patient outcomes; and a recipient of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) New Investigator Award. In 2018, he was listed among 100 great leaders in health care by Becker's Hospital Review.

Anja Lambrecht  associate professor of marketing at London Business School  is an expert in digital marketing and consumer behavior. Her research focuses on marketing decisions in digital environments  emphasizing online targeting, advertising, promotion, and pricing. In the context of digital marketing, Professor Lambrecht has examined how firms can use retargeting to reach out to consumers; how firms can advertise on Twitter to early trend propagators; the role of position effects on information displayed to consumers online; and, more broadly, the value of big data for firms. In her online pricing work, Professor Lambrecht examines the economics of pricing online services and online promotions, such as daily deals or cashback promotions. Her recently published research explores the role of economics in the context of apparent algorithmic biases. Currently, Professor Lambrecht is studying the value of top positions in organic search results and how users contribute to crowdfunding campaigns. In an additional research stream on price discrimination in service industries, she has focused on the use of multi-part tariffs by service providers such as telecom companies. Professor Lambrecht has published a number of articles in leading academic journals, such as Marketing Science, Management Science, and the Journal of Marketing Research. Among other awards, she has received the American Marketing Association's Paul E. Green Award and has recently been selected as the winner of the prestigious William F. O'Dell Award. In addition, Professor Lambrecht has held several editorial roles at prominent academic publications.

Scott F. Meadow  clinical professor of entrepreneurship at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an associate partner at Edgewater Funds  is an expert on entrepreneurial finance, venture capital, and private equity. His teaching focuses on the valuation, security design, structure, due diligence, and financing of private equity and venture capital projects. In addition to his nearly 20 years as a full-time faculty member at Chicago Booth, Professor Meadow has over 25 years of experience as a general partner with private equity and venture capital firms, including William Blair Venture Partners, Frontenac Company, Sprout Group, and most recently with Edgewater Funds  where he remains an associate partner. Over the course of his career, Professor Meadow has approved hundreds of equity financings, where he has been responsible for conducting due diligence and evaluating the due diligence findings of others in order to make investment decisions. His direct investment expertise includes companies in the fields of health care services, consumer services, education, and retail, as well as companies enhanced by the Internet. He has also worked extensively on disputes between general and limited partners. Professor Meadow has served as a testifying expert witness in commercial disputes and is an advisor to numerous venture funds and corporate boards. He currently serves on the boards of Seurat Therapeutics and Dais, and is on the steering committee of the Innovation Fund at The University of Chicago. A recipient of the Richard J. Daley Award, Professor Meadow has also been recognized many times for teaching excellence.

Olivier Toubia  Glaubinger Professor of Business and faculty director of The Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center at Columbia Business School  has marketing expertise in the areas of innovation and new product development, with a specific emphasis on market research, behavioral economics, preference measurement, and customer choice models. He focuses his research primarily on studying how firms can optimize their interactions with customers. For example, he has used polyhedral adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis to develop marketing strategy and assessed the comparative value of promotional efforts launched through online social communities versus traditional direct-mail campaigns. Professor Toubia has conducted numerous surveys for litigation  including conjoint studies  involving smartphones, set-top boxes, consumer packaged goods, medical equipment, and perceptions of employment status. He has also been deposed and testified at an arbitration matter. Professor Toubia worked with Applied Marketing Science on the development of IDEALYST, an online idea generation and group brainstorming tool that has been used by numerous corporations to enhance output and creativity through the use of incentives. His research has been honored with three John D.C. Little Best Paper Awards and published in a variety of marketing outlets. Among other journal affiliations, Professor Toubia is coeditor of Quantitative Marketing and Economics, associate editor of Management Science and Marketing Science, and a member of the editorial boards of International Journal of Research in Marketing and Journal of Marketing Research.

New Managing Principal

Dov Rothman is an economist with expertise in antitrust economics, econometrics, and industrial organization. He has testified as an expert on antitrust issues, and recently led teams that supported the DOJ's testifying economist in its challenge of the Anthem/Cigna merger, the FTC's testifying economist in its challenge of the Sanford Health/Mid Dakota Clinic merger, and the FTC's testifying economist in its challenge of the Penn State Hershey Medical Center/PinnacleHealth merger. Dr. Rothman is an associate editor of the Antitrust Law Journal, and he has published research in outlets including The Antitrust Source, Journal of Health Economics, Journal of Competition Law & Economics, Concurrences: Competition Law Journal, and the ABA Antitrust Section's Econometrics: Legal, Practical and Technical Issues. In addition to his consulting work, Dr. Rothman teaches a course on the economics of merger analysis in the economics department at Harvard University. Prior to joining Analysis Group, Dr. Rothman was an assistant professor at Columbia University.

New Principal

Dave Nellesen specializes in consulting on and applying a range of strategies that address client needs in the development and commercialization of products in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, molecular diagnostic, and medical device industries. He is an expert in value proposition and evidence strategy, helping clients to develop clinical and economic evidence of value to support launch strategy and secure favorable reimbursement. This work often includes published or unpublished evidence of the value of new products, including evidence dossiers (global value dossiers or AMCP dossiers) and related payer communication tools, health economic models, and peer-reviewed studies. Dr. Nellesen also assists clients in conducting primary research with payers and other stakeholders to assess the value of new technologies and the evidence needed for favorable market access. Prior to joining Analysis Group, Mr. Nellesen spent more than 15 years working directly in the biopharmaceutical industry, where he led a range of commercial strategy engagements, including strategic planning, intellectual property management and valuation, health care compliance, and business process improvement. Among other experience, he has worked as a consultant at PRTM and as a scientist and patent portfolio manager at Incyte Pharmaceuticals.

New Vice President

Claudio Calcagno specializes in applying microeconomics to competition cases. He advises clients on matters including abuse of dominance, vertical and horizontal agreements, mergers and joint ventures, market investigations, state aid, regulatory investigations, and private litigation. These matters often include court proceedings, and Dr. Calcagno is also experienced in leading the support of expert witnesses. He has worked for clients across numerous jurisdictions  including the UK, the EU, Italy, Portugal, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, and Australia. He has experience in a broad range of industries, such as financial services, including retail banking, pensions, insurance, asset management, investment platforms, and credit cards; retail; health care, including pharmaceuticals; technology; consumer goods; professional services; media and communications; energy and environment; commodities; and transportation. In a notable UK engagement, Dr. Calcagno provided economic analysis to private health care operator HCA during a market investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into private health care, HCA's subsequent appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal, and the CMA's remittal inquiry. Dr. Calcagno has published in international peer-reviewed academic journals and is coauthor of the textbook Exclusionary Practices: The Economics of Monopolisation and Abuse of Dominance. He frequently speaks at competition policy events and is a guest lecturer at LLM programs. Prior to joining Analysis Group, Dr. Calcagno was an associate director in the economics practice of a Big Four accounting firm. He is fluent in French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

About Analysis Group

Analysis Group is one of the largest economics consulting firms, with more than 850 professionals across 14 offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. Since 1981, we have provided expertise in economics, finance, health care analytics, and strategy to top law firms, Fortune Global 500 companies, and government agencies worldwide. Our internal experts, together with our network of affiliated experts from academia, industry, and government, offer our clients exceptional breadth and depth of expertise.

Contact:

Analysis Group

Eric Seymour, 617-425-8103

[email protected]

SOURCE Analysis Group, Inc.

Related Links

www.analysisgroup.com

BERLIN, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- After a public tender process spanning multiple rounds, the Berlin-based digital agency was awarded the contract to relaunch the Ministry of Defence (BMVg) internet presence by the IT service provider BWI GmbH. Aperto, an IBM Company (NYSE: IBM), will be entrusted with delivering the creative, implementation and editorial services for the Ministry and the German Armed Forces' digital presence, as well as fundamentally transforming their digital ecosystems. Additionally, IBM was awarded the contract for software maintenance and support. The duration of the framework contract is four years. The technical implementation is based on the CoreMedia content management system.

"Digital transformation is not just a massive topic in the private sector, but also in the public one. This is why we are thrilled to be able to join BMVg and the German Armed Forces on their reinvention journey," says Stephan Haagen, Managing Director at Aperto. "Our setup with IBM already allows us to provide everything under one roof  from strategy and consulting, to creative concepts, implementation, editorial support and both technical and systems maintenance. Our clients all value this."

Primary IT service provider for the Ministry of Defence and the government, BWI GmbH is the client and contracting authority. As a 100-percent federal company, BWI is responsible for the operation and modernisation of the non-military information and communication technology for the German Armed Forces, and is the IT service centre for several additional government departments.

Aperto, a part of IBM iX, the design business firm, has already proved its online communication expertise to BMVg with the relaunch of the Ministry's web presence in 2017. Now the team has succeeded in developing it into a holistic digital reinvention project, thereby driving the growth of the Aperto Public Team even further. Additional clients in the public sector include the German Foreign Office, the German government, the German Pension Fund and the Federal Centre for Health Education.

The contract was signed in Q2 2018.

About BWI

With over 3,600 employees and an annual turnover of around 640m euro, BWI GmbH ranks among the top 10 largest IT services providers in Germany. As a 100-percent government-owned company, BWI is on its way from IT service provider for the German Armed Forces to being the IT system centre for the German Armed Forces and the government. Their services span the full range of information technology and telecommunications: from concept development to the implementation and operation. Find out more: www.bwi.de

About Aperto  An IBM Company

Aperto is one of the leading digital agencies in Germany and has been part of the international IBM iX agency family since 2016. Founded in 1995, Aperto offers services within the three fundamental disciplines of strategy, creativity and technology  all under one roof. The team of over 400 employees develops marketing and communications solutions as well as products and business models for the digital age. Under the umbrella of IBM, clients also have access to pioneering services and technologies. With offices in Berlin and Zurich, the agency works with clients such as Airbus, the Foreign Office, the German government, Christoffel-Blindenmission, Coca-Cola, Gothaer, KSB, MAN, Migros, Rossmann, Roche, Siemens und Volkswagen. Find out more: www.aperto.com

Press contact

Nicole Ruhl, PR Manager

[email protected]

Phone +49 30 283921-268

SOURCE IBM

Related Links

http://www.ibm.com

The amended complaint filed July 17 removes one named defendant but also sheds new light on the alleged cybercrimes that spurred BidPrime on June 7 to seek an injunction and damages against SmartProcure, Inc. and two of that company's top executivesCEO Jeffrey Rubenstein and sales director Marc DiGeronimo. SmartProcure also goes by the name GovSpend.

Specifically, the amended complaint strengthens the company's argument that the defendants intended then as now to inflict irreparable harm on BidPrime by using unlawful means to penetrate the company's high-value database and massively scrape its contents in order to aid the defendants' own business.

BidPrime uses proprietary software and data mining technology to gather government bids, RFPs and specifications from public sources in real-time so its clients are the first to know of new bid opportunities, according to Stephen Hetzel, chief operating officer of BidPrime.

The original complaint claims the defendants violated the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The amended complaint offers more specifics about how the hacking occurred. Additionally, the amended complaint details the costly technology steps BidPrime took after the hack was discovered in an attempt to draw off ongoing attacks.

"In our amended complaint, we describe recently uncovered proof which we believe demonstrates Mr. Rubenstein orchestrated the hacking of our database with help from an Eastern European computer expert he contacted through an Internet website," said Hetzel. "We also describe evidence showing that Mr. Rubenstein has at this same website a history of hiring offshore contractors for the purpose of finding new data sources."

Lastly, the amended complaint removes DiGeronimo as a named defendant.

BidPrime's request for a preliminary injunction against the defendants is scheduled to be heard Oct. 5 in Austin.

CONTACT

Bill Culhane

VP of Marketing

512.430.4242

[email protected]

More information on BidPrime.

SOURCE BidPrime

Related Links

http://bidprime.com

VENICE, Calif., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bird, the leader in last-mile electric mobility, today announced the first steps in taking its mission to reduce car trips, traffic, and carbon emissions global. The company today is launching pilot programs for its fleet of dock-free electric scooters in Paris and Tel Aviv. Leading this effort is Patrick Studener, Bird's Head of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and a veteran of bringing innovative transportation solutions to international markets.

"We believe Bird can be a key part of Paris' ambitious efforts to cut the number of cars clogging its historic streets and polluting its air," said Studener. "In Tel Aviv, thousands of people have already embraced e-scooters as a way to get to work, school, or to the beach without sitting in traffic. By launching the ridesharing model there, Bird can make it more convenient for Tel Avivians to get a ride and help accelerate the adoption of these environmentally-friendly vehicles."

Bird is the first e-scooter ridesharing company in the world. Since the company's debut in September 2017, Birds have landed in more than 30 cities across the U.S., bringing residents an affordable, convenient, and environmentally-friendly way to get around their city. Starting today, Bird will begin a pilot program in Paris, making e-scooters available in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd arrondissements. In the coming weeks, a pilot program will begin in Tel Aviv, with a pilot through Tel Aviv University.

"Having expanded innovative transportation options globally, I learned that when it comes to getting from point A to point B, there is more that unites us than divides us  and too often, that's wanting an option besides sitting in a car in traffic," said Travis VanderZanden, founder and CEO of Bird. "We are honored to be able to offer our solution to Paris, Tel Aviv, and  down the road  to more cities as we work toward our goal of getting cars off of the road and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions."

Bird has an all-star team leading its international expansion. Patrick Studener, an Austrian, who was most recently the Chief Operating Officer of Wolt, the Finnish on-demand food delivery service, ran expansion in EMEA for Uber and also was an international growth product manager there. He holds degrees in economics and business administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Joining in France is Kenneth Schlenker, who was previously founder and CEO of online art marketplace ArtList (acq. by artnet) and a product marketing manager for Google's YouTube and Adwords, receiving his master's degree in finance and strategy from Sciences Po Paris. Leading Bird in Israel is Yaniv Rivlin, who most recently was a Senior Program Officer at the Schusterman Family Foundation and received his master's degree in public policy from the Kennedy School at Harvard University.

In Paris and Tel Aviv, Bird will commit to collecting all of its vehicles each night for charging and necessary maintenance and practicing responsible growth by only adding more vehicles when each Bird averages three or more rides per day.

Riders interested in finding a Bird near them can download the app and sign up at www.bird.co.

About Bird

Bird is a last-mile electric vehicle sharing company dedicated to bringing affordable, environmentally friendly transportation solutions to communities across the world. It provides a fleet of shared electric scooters that can be accessed via smartphone. Birds give people looking to take a short journey across town or down that "last-mile" from the subway or bus to their destination a way to do so that does not pollute the air or add to traffic. Bird works closely with the cities in which it operates so that Bird is a reliable and affordable transportation option for people who live and work there. Founded in 2017 by transportation pioneer Travis VanderZanden, Bird is headquartered in Venice, Calif., and is rapidly expanding across the country. Follow Bird on Instagram (www.instagram.com/bird), on Twitter at @BirdRide, and find more information at www.bird.co.

SOURCE Bird

Related Links

http://www.bird.co

OAK PARK, Mich., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ooze Wholesale (www.oozewholesale.com), a vaporizer and accessories company within the cannabis and smoke shop supply market has expanded operations in recent months.

The demand for legal cannabis is growing at a rapid rate as the industry continues to develop into an economic giant both in the United States and Canada. While many states within the U.S. are already recreational, Ooze Wholesale's neighbor to the north has taken things one step further.

The Cannabis Act, passed by the Canadian Senate on June 21, controls and regulates the growth, distribution and sale of recreational marijuana in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expects everything to be in place for consumption to begin on October 17.

"As the industry grows, we must evolve with it. Product development, enhancing our packaging and countertop displays, following regulations, and expanding our customer service department become crucial. The consumer demand is only growing, and we know that we need to innovate for our customers sake. Priority number one is customer satisfaction," said Ed Koury, Marketing Director at Ooze Wholesale.

Ooze Wholesale started with four partners and two employees in a 2,000 square foot warehouse space. They now operate with a staff of 25 in an 20,000 square foot warehouse and office space. To better service industry demand, Ooze Wholesale plans to double its staff within the next 18 months.

"Ooze Wholesale's goals moving forward involve expanding our offices and warehouse space throughout North America (US and Canada), and increase our extensive catalog of Ooze brand products, smoke shop and dispensary supplies, while developing unique items that appeal to the everyday smoker," said partner Vince Ayar.

To learn more about Ooze Wholesale, visit oozewholesale.com.

ABOUT OOZE INC.

Ooze Wholesale is a Michigan based company looking to enhance the consumer experience like never before. Our products are ideal for concentrates, tobacco, and essential oils. Ooze Wholesale sells internationally to consumers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers of all sizes.

If you would like more information about Ooze and how to get a wholesale or distribution account with Ooze Wholesale, please contact the Marketing Director, Ed Koury at (855) 669-3420 or email at [email protected].

SOURCE Ooze Wholesale

Related Links

http://www.oozewholesale.com

Multi-year agreement will deploy innovations in systems used by more than 500,000 in-home professionals serving elderly, blind and disabled individuals state-wide

FAIRFAX, VA, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) announced the award of a US$281-million, seven-year contract with the State of California for maintenance and operation of the Case Management Information and Payrolling System (CMIPS).

CMIPS is the central piece of technology supporting the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program that provides personal care services to more than 550,000 elderly, blind and disabled individuals across the state. CMIPS also processes the payroll for the nearly 500,000 individuals that provide these services to program recipients.

"The CMIPS technology enables service providers to be paid, and for case workers to manage home services to help ensure safety, community living and quality-of-life for service recipients. CGI is proud to support the state with this large and complex system of care and support," said Dave Delgado, Senior Vice-President, CGI.

Under the CMIPS Maintenance and Operations contract, CGI will deploy innovations that streamline services and allow an increased level of self-service for providers and recipients. New solutions will promote and provide operational excellence using automated payroll systems, strengthened business intelligence, and reporting.

About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firm in the world. With 74,000 professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from IT and business consulting to systems integration, outsourcing services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. With annual revenue of C$10.8 billion, CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.

Forward-looking information and statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable United States safe harbours. All such forward-looking information and statements are made and disclosed in reliance upon the safe harbour provisions of applicable Canadian and United States securities laws. Forward-looking information and statements include all information and statements regarding CGI's intentions, plans, expectations, beliefs, objectives, future performance, and strategy, as well as any other information or statements that relate to future events or circumstances and which do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts. Forward-looking information and statements often but not always use words such as "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "anticipate", "foresee", "plan", "predict", "project", "aim", "seek", "strive", "potential", "continue", "target", "may", "might", "could", "should", and similar expressions and variations thereof. These information and statements are based on our perception of historic trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other assumptions, both general and specific, that we believe are appropriate in the circumstances. Such information and statements are, however, by their very nature, subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, of which many are beyond the control of CGI, and which give rise to the possibility that actual results could differ materially from our expectations expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not restricted to: risks related to the market such as the level of business activity of our clients, which is affected by economic conditions, and our ability to negotiate new contracts; risks related to our industry such as competition and our ability to attract and retain qualified employees, to develop and expand our services, to penetrate new markets, and to protect our intellectual property rights; risks related to our business such as risks associated with our growth strategy, including the integration of new operations, financial and operational risks inherent in worldwide operations, foreign exchange risks, income tax laws, our ability to negotiate favorable contractual terms, to deliver our services and to collect receivables, and the reputational and financial risks attendant to cybersecurity breaches and other incidents; as well as other risks identified or incorporated by reference in this press release, in CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A and in other documents that we make public, including our filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators (on SEDAR at sedar.com) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (on EDGAR at sec.gov). Unless otherwise stated, the forward-looking information and statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and CGI disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information or forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. While we believe that our assumptions on which these forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are based were reasonable as at the date of this press release, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking information or statements. Furthermore, readers are reminded that forward-looking information and statements are presented for the sole purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding our objectives, strategic priorities and business outlook as well as our anticipated operating environment. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Further information on the risks that could cause our actual results to differ significantly from our current expectations may be found in the section titled "Risk Environment" of CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A, which is incorporated by reference in this cautionary statement. We also caution readers that the above-mentioned risks and the risks disclosed in CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A and other documents and filings are not the only ones that could affect us. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial could also have a material adverse effect on our financial position, financial performance, cash flows, business or reputation.

SOURCE CGI Group Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cgi.com/

EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With real estate occupancy cost being the second or third largest cost in most retail and commercial companies, it's essential for a company to educate those negotiating the leases or approving the negotiations about landlord occupancy cost overcharges. Paul Kinney, co-founder of the National Retail Tenants Association, predicts that as commercial real estate transitions into something new, managing occupancy costs will become even more critical.

He explains, "Commercial real estate changes are putting pressure on both tenants and landlords. When tenants close their doors, landlords find themselves with excess vacant space and consequently, fewer tenants to allocate occupancy costs to. Not surprisingly, the industry is seeing an increase in the number of tenant-generated high-profile lawsuits contesting landlord lease overcharges."

As malls, strip centers, and other types of retail locations are integrating mixed-use tenants such as office, residential, healthcare, and hotels to diversify their portfolios, the allocation of costs in commercial real estate is becoming much more complicated. As a result, lease administrators and auditors report seeing more cost misallocations than ever before. They stress that lease negotiators need a thorough understanding of the property's current tenant mix and layout as well as its intended plans for the future to help mitigate this, since those factors directly impact the terms of a lease and its subsequent administration.

As the primary education resource for the lease administration profession, the NRTA's upcoming annual education forum in Houston offers tenants the opportunity to prepare themselves by addressing these issues.

As landlords reconfigure and renovate, tenants are seeing large increases in expenses such as capital and building-related expenses incorrectly being passed through in their CAM expenses by landlords. Accordingly, tenants need to focus on occupancy cost allocation and be diligent about ensuring all landlord billing is in accordance with the terms of the lease to protect themselves.

NRTA's conference curriculum offers in-depth reviews of best practices that protect tenants from possible overcharges while still maintaining landlord-tenant relations. Topics include costs from renovation and reconfigurations, excess tenant usage, mixed-use within a property, and commingling costs across properties.

SOURCE National Retail Tenants Association

Related Links

http://www.retailtenants.org

Acknowledging the expanding opportunity in the next-generation services space, Comcast Business intensified its product development and sales efforts. It now boasts six clearly differentiated solutions that serve organizations across the migration spectrum, from businesses looking to adopt end-to-end cloud communications solutions to businesses moving only certain communications capabilities to a hosted network. The solutions include Business VoiceEdge, Business VoiceEdge Select, Business Voice Mobility, Business Voice, Business VoiceEdge Primary Rate Interface (PRI), and Business VoiceEdge SIP.

"Comcast Business continues to consistently win market share among businesses with fewer than 100 users, while competitors focus on larger accounts," said Elka Popova, Vice President. "Each solution is aimed at a specific end-user segment, such as mobile-only micro-businesses, or SMBs with a mix of desk-bound and mobile workers. Business VoiceEdge SIP and PRI enable Comcast to better address the needs of SMBs with more sophisticated premises-based infrastructure and even penetrate larger and/or distributed organizations."

Comcast VoIP solutions can be highly complementary in a mixed communications environment. For example, Business Voice customers can employ the Business Voice Mobility option and use many of the capabilities of the cloud-based mobile solution, even while retaining their on-premises voice platforms. For multi-site businesses in particular, it offers either a value-added capability that can be shared between Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) and on-premises users and provides an intermediate set of capabilities while a customer is in transition.

"All of Comcast Business voice services are configured and provisioned on a customer-by-customer basis, so the provider takes a consultative approach when working with customers to design these services. Furthermore, Comcast VoIP solutions can be managed through convenient customer portals that can be accessed on any Internet device," noted Popova. "Overall, Comcast VoIP services provide a compelling value proposition to small businesses looking for flexible, feature-rich, and cost-effective alternatives to premises-based systems and legacy voice services."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has leveraged competitive intelligence to successfully execute a strategy that results in stronger market share, competitive brand positioning, and customer satisfaction.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Comcast Business

Comcast Business offers Ethernet, Internet, Wi-Fi, Voice, TV and Managed Enterprise Solutions to help organizations of all sizes transform their business. Powered by an advanced network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is one of the largest contributors to the growth of Comcast Cable. Comcast Business is the nation's largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and has emerged as a force in the Enterprise market; recognized over the last two years by leading industry associations as one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services.

For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social.

Contact:

Matt Helmke

215.286.8666

[email protected]

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector, and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Ana Arriaga

P: 210.247.3823

F: 210.348.1003

E: [email protected]

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

Related Links

http://www.frost.com

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Because 39 states have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational purposes, more opportunities are available for financial professionals to specialize in niche services to the expanding cannabis industry.

The second annual California Cannabis Industry Symposium on August 10 will explore how financial advisers can best serve cannabis growers, distributors and retailers. The symposium will be held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, 333 Universal Hollywood Drive, as well as via webcast. Register at http://CalCPA.org/CAcannabis.

Conducted by the CalCPA Education Foundation, the symposium will cover such topics as cannabis banking and compliance, product liability and black markets.

"As more of the industry is emerging from the underground economy, there is more demand for the services of financial professionals, including certified public accountants," said Greg Burke, CPA, symposium chair. "This symposium will give attendees necessary information to better advise and guide cannabis businesspeople. It's also a great opportunity to network with other professionals in this field."

He noted that this year's symposium will emphasize the regulatory environment for the cannabis industry and the practical aspects of calculating and reporting excise, sales and income taxes.

The symposium is designed for CPAs, attorneys, bankers and others who anticipate advising cannabis industry clients. It is available both live and via webcast at a cost of $325 for members of the California Society of CPAs and $425 for nonmembers. Continental breakfast and lunch are included in the registration for the live presentation.

The symposium provides up to eight hours of continuing professional education for CPAs and as much as six hours of MCLE credit for attorneys.

About CalCPA Education Foundation

Headquartered in Burlingame, California, the CalCPA Education Foundation is the nation's largest CPE provider associated with a state CPA society and offers more than 1,400 live courses, conferences, webcasts and on-demand self-study courses annually. Visit http://www.CalCPA.org for more information.

SOURCE CalCPA Education Foundation

Related Links

http://www.CalCPA.org

DALLAS, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DataBank Ltd., a leading provider of business solutions for data center, cloud, connectivity, and managed services, announces the availability of on-demand global network access through its partnership with Megaport, a leading Network as a Service provider. Through Megaport's Software Defined Network (SDN), DataBank customers will have private, secure access to multiple Cloud Service Providers (CSPs), including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure. DataBank will offer Megaport services initially in five of its data center markets, including Dallas, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City.

"We are excited to enhance our hybrid colocation capabilities by bringing, secure, scalable and cost-effective public cloud access to our customers," states Vlad Friedman, CTO for DataBank. "By leveraging Megaport's infrastructure, our enterprise customers will be able to more fully integrate public cloud capabilities into their colocation and private cloud assets to build true hybrid environments."

"We really value this partnership because it allows us to expand our ecosystem into a number of attractive enterprise-focused markets served by DataBank," comments Nicole Cooper, EVP of Sales, North America, for Megaport. "We are confident that DataBank's industry leading customer base will find significant value in Megaport's ability to unlock powerful cloud-based solutions by providing on-demand, pay as you go connectivity to the service providers of their choice."

Benefits of this combined solution enable include:

Direct connectivity to multiple public clouds connectivity through a single port

Rapid provisioning across one platform via intuitive web portal

Access to over 250 global service providers

On-demand networking capacity that aligns to cloud consumption models: 1Mbps to 10Gbps

Cloud-to-Cloud connectivity via Megaport Cloud Router

To learn more about DataBank, please visit www.databank.com. Follow DataBank on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About DataBank

DataBank is a leading provider of enterprise-class data center, cloud, and interconnection services, offering customers 100% uptime availability of data, applications, and infrastructure. DataBank's managed data center services are anchored in world-class facilities. Our customized technology solutions are designed to help customers effectively manage risk, improve their technology performance, and allow them to focus on their core business objectives. DataBank is headquartered in the historic former Federal Reserve Bank Building, in downtown Dallas, TX. For additional information on DataBank locations and services, please visit www.databank.com or call 1 (800) 840-7533.

About Megaport

Megaport is a global leading provider of Elastic Interconnection services. Using Software Defined Networking (SDN), the Company's platform enables customers to rapidly connect their network to other services across the Megaport Network. Services can be directly controlled by customers via mobile devices, their computer, or our open API. The Company's extensive footprint in Australia, Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe, provides a neutral platform that spans many key data centre providers across various markets.

Established in 2013 and founded by Bevan Slattery, Megaport built the world's first SDN-based Elastic Interconnection platform designed to provide the most secure, seamless, and on-demand way for enterprises, networks, and services to interconnect. Led by Vincent English, Megaport was built by a highly experienced team with extensive knowledge in building large scale global carrier networks and connects over 1000 customers in more than 220 data centres globally. Megaport is an Alibaba Cloud Technology Partner, Oracle Cloud Partner, AWS Technology Partner, AWS Networking Competency Partner, Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Partner, Google Cloud Interconnect, IBM Direct Link Cloud Exchange provider, and Salesforce Express Connect Partner.

Megaport, Virtual Cross Connect, VXC, and MegaIX are registered trademarks of Megaport (Services) Pty Ltd ACN 607 432 646.

To learn more about Megaport, please visit: www.megaport.com.

SOURCE DataBankNEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science has unanimously elected David Doneson to be the organization's next CEO, effective September 4, 2018. Mr. Doneson will succeed Marshall S. Levin, who has served as CEO since 2008.

In making the announcement, Ellen Merlo, National Chair of the American Committee, said, "Dave Doneson is a dynamic leader with a notable record of accomplishments in the field of financial resource development, specifically for academic and research institutions. He is passionate about the Weizmann Institute's mission of science for the benefit of humanity. His outstanding professional talents and collaborative approach to management make him uniquely suited and the ideal choice to lead the American Committee."

The American Committee develops philanthropic support in the U.S. for the Weizmann Institute of Science, one of the world's leading research institutions and graduate schools, based in Rehovot, Israel. The Committee's headquarters are in New York City, with offices located in major regions across the U.S. Marshall S. Levin has served as CEO for the past decade and has overseen the organization's increasingly successful fundraising strategies; he will retire at the end of 2018.

Mr. Doneson, a senior fundraising professional, was most recently Chief Development Officer of the American Technion Society (ATS). Prior to joining ATS, he served as Director of Development for the University of Michigan Health System, where he managed teams dedicated to major gifts fundraising. Mr. Doneson served in many roles during his six years at the University of Michigan, including directing alumni relations and major gifts.

Mr. Doneson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with Distinction from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He attended Yale University, during which time he took a leave of absence to live in Israel, and previously attended the Phillips Academy. Mr. Doneson served as a lone soldier in the Israel Defense Forces as a Sergeant, Armor Corps.

"I am excited, grateful, and deeply honored to be joining the American Committee as CEO at this eventful time in the organization's history, as next year marks 75 years since its founding," said Mr. Doneson. "The Weizmann Institute exemplifies the highest standards of excellence in science research and education, and the American Committee exemplifies the same in philanthropy. I also feel especially privileged to represent one of Israel's greatest treasures, and to be part of a humanitarian enterprise that benefits the world in so many ways through its research."

David Doneson was selected following an extensive nationwide search process led by a diverse committee composed of nine members of the Board of Directors, chaired by Ellen Merlo, and assisted by DRG Search, a distinguished executive recruiting firm.

David Teplow, President of the American Committee, said, "I am delighted to welcome Dave to the Weizmann Institute family. I look forward to working closely with him on building upon our historic accomplishments as we strive to increase funding for the Institute, and strengthening bonds between our supporters and scientists."

Since its founding in 1944, the American Committee has provided more than $2.5 billion in support of the Weizmann Institute of Science. The Committee is currently engaged in Transforming Tomorrow: Accelerate the Next 75 Years of Scientific Breakthroughs, a three-year special fundraising campaign marking the organization's 75th anniversary.

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is one of the world's top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions. The Institute's 3,800-strong scientific community engages in research addressing crucial problems in medicine and health, energy, technology, agriculture, and the environment. Outstanding young scientists from around the world pursue advanced degrees at the Weizmann Institute's Feinberg Graduate School. The discoveries and theories of Weizmann Institute scientists have had a major impact on the wider scientific community, as well as on the quality of life of millions of people worldwide.

The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science is a community of dedicated people who share a common vision in support of the Institute. The generous assistance the Institute receives from individuals, foundations, and corporations is vital for its future. Committee members show their devotion to the advancement of the Institute's goals by becoming partners in the search for answers to the most difficult challenges facing humanity.

SOURCE American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science

Related Links

http://www.weizmann-usa.org

MONTREAL, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Demers Ambulances, an industry leader in the global fire apparatus manufacturing market, welcomes Autotronics as their new dealer for Maine and New Hampshire.

"Autotronics has been in operation since 1958 and shares our commitment to delivering high quality service and products to fire departments and EMS customers.," said Benoit Lafortune, Executive Vice-President at Demers Ambulances. "Their success demonstrates the dedication and drive of the staff as well as its commitment to customers in building long-term relationships. We are thrilled to welcome Autotronics to our dealer group."

Autotronics was founded in 1958, the company is a four generations strong business that specialized their operations in 1985 for automotive in the public safety sector. The company is based in Maine and will be the Demers dealer for Maine as well as the New Hampshire, providing their 33 years old specialty experience to this area.

"We are pleased to partner with Demers Ambulances and Braun Industries, a company that shares our commitment to provide the best products to those on the front lines," Kyle Daigle, Sales manager at Autotronics. "Team Autotronics sees this collaboration as a significant opportunity to enhance our service, better support our customers and grow our market."

To learn more about Demers products or to find your local dealer, visit www.demers-ambulances.com.

About Demers Ambulances

Braun Industries and Demers Ambulances merged in 2018 creating the second largest ambulance manufacturing organization in North America. Recognized for leadership in innovative design, quality product, and for their over 100-years of rich history serving the emergency response market in over 20 countries worldwide. Demers and Braun offer ambulance models ranging from the price-conscience value ambulance to the very highly-customized specialty vehicle. To learn more about how Demers Ambulances and Braun Industries can help you save more lives, visit www.Demers-Ambulances.com and www.BraunAmbulances.com.

About Autotronics:

Autotronics, LLC is a 4th generation family owned business with 60 years of continuous operation that today offer sales and service support from two facilities, one in Frenchville, ME and another in Bangor, ME. They represent Braun Industries and Demers Ambulances for new ambulance sales and service. They also provide ambulance remounts, fire apparatus, ADA vehicles, police vehicles, and more to serve as a one-stop-shop for EMS providers throughout their region. They offer comprehensive service after the sale as a Braun Authorized Service Center and will be opening a new remount and service facility later this year.

SOURCE Demers-Ambulances inc.

Related Links

www.demers-ambulances.com

MADISON, N.J., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ERA Real Estate, a global franchising leader, today announced that a real estate leader in the Tri-State region serving Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C., formerly RE/Max 2000, has joined ERA Real Estate. Established in 1989, the firm will now operate as ERA Realty Group.

Through this affiliation the ERA brand can extend its reach as an innovation leader by providing new technology and resources to more than 55 ERA Realty Group agents and its two offices in Silver Spring and Rockville, MD.

For Jim Thomas, Owner of ERA Realty Group, technology has always played a large role in his career. With a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and a master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Thomas worked for NASA and later implemented submarine missile test programs in the Navy. Shortly after, he transitioned into real estate and utilized his technology background, which has reinforced his business for nearly 45 years.

"From day one, ERA has stood for Electronic Realty Associates, and people like Jim Thomas, who is a passionate advocate for technology to serve agents and customers, are exactly who we want in our network," said Simon Chen, president and CEO of ERA Real Estate. "Welcoming him into the ERA family means more opportunities for us provide the right tools and resources for more agents to succeed."

"ERA understands the true value of technology and how to apply it properly in the market," said Jim Thomas, Owner of ERA Realty Group. "I'm excited to work with current independent agents, and prospective agents, and teach them the true powers of the ERA brand."

In 2017 Thomas' company reached more than $144 million in transactions. With the support of Zap, ERA's lead generation program, he hopes to further boost transactions and productivity with the ultimate goal of doubling the size of his team and adding new offices.

"The more tech you have, the more outreach you can have in your community. And the Zap program is the ticket for us," Thomas added. "Combine that with ERA's acquisition services and we're really in a position to thrive."

About ERA Real Estate

At ERA Real Estate, we don't adapt to change, we create it. We believe that our core business values of collaboration, innovation, diversity and growth are needed now more than ever. As a global leader in the residential real estate industry for more than 40 years, ERA was the first real estate franchise to expand internationally, the first to post listings online, and is the only national company that offers the Sellers Security Plan program. The ERA Real Estate network includes 40,000 affiliated brokers and independent sales associates and approximately 2,300 offices throughout the United States and 31 other countries and territories. ERA Franchise Systems LLC (www.ERA.com) which operates the ERA Real Estate system, is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global provider of real estate services. ERA Real Estate information is available at www.ERA.com/explore.

Media Contact:

Dawn Perry

973-407-7191

[email protected]

SOURCE ERA Real Estate

Related Links

http://www.era.com

"Vision health should be part of the healthy lifestyle conversation because the eyes are linked to so many parts of the body," said Dr. Tom Patera, Eyemart Express senior executive vice president of professional affairs. "Comprehensive eye exams only take a few minutes but can be telling about overall health by indicating diabetes, high cholesterol, or even cancer."

Those who already wear contacts should get annual eye exams to keep prescriptions current and check for eye diseases. People who wear glasses or with perfect 20/20 vision should schedule comprehensive eye exams every two years.

The national optical retailer makes it easy for consumers to receive comprehensive eye exams with an independent optometrist located in or next to all Eyemart Express stores. Find your local doctor information here: https://www.eyemartexpress.com/get-glasses.

"Trendy online eye screenings may be convenient for many consumers, but they should not be a substitute for an eye exam," said Dr. Patera. "An app is not as thorough as an optometrist and can miss red flags that an optometrist would easily identify."

Routine eye exams may also resolve children's learning issues. Many children suffer from underlying vision problems that go undetected and ultimately affect their ability to focus and concentrate. More than 25 percent of children who exhibit learning difficulties in the classroom are unable to see clearly, according to The Vision Therapy Center.

For more information about eye exams and vision health, visit the Eyemart Express Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/eyemartexpress.

About Eyemart Express

Eyemart Express brings more than 28 years of experience fitting and providing quality prescription eyewear to consumers. The company operates under its motto of Right Glasses. Right Price. Right Now: a unique mix of value, style, and timely service. With 179 stores in 35 states, Eyemart Express ranks among the Top 10 largest optical retailers in the country, with its family of brands: Vision4Less, Visionmart Express, and Eyewear Express. To learn more about Eyemart Express, visit EyemartExpress.com.

Media Contact: Holly Scimeca

[email protected], 214.550.0958

SOURCE Eyemart Express

Related Links

https://www.eyemartexpress.com

With more than 25 years of professional, business, and management experience in the United States and Asia Pacific regions, Mr. Liu is a crucial asset to FF as it heads toward the launch of its luxury all-electric, connected, intelligent FF 91, and all subsequent expansions of products and services. In addition, Mr. Liu is tasked with the constant oversight and enhancement of FF corporate governance. He will be leading legal, government affairs, administration, and capital globally.

"I have the utmost confidence in Faraday Future's mission and talents," Liu said. "With my experience, skills, and knowledge in both the US and China, I hope to bring an immediate infusion of leadership across global legal, government affairs, and finance to this excellent team. Together, we can further advance FF's vision to create a shared intelligent mobility ecosystem."

Prior to joining FF, besides an equity partner at Mayer Brown LLP based in New York, Mr. Liu counts more than two decades of global career experience in the legal, banking, and regulatory areas. He has been partner, managing partner, and chair of China & Asia practice at several global law firms; managing director of investment banking at the global investment banks of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ); and has held the post of Director-General and General Counsel of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), China's national regulator for securities and capital markets.

In 2015, Mr. Liu was honored by The National Law Journal (NLJ) in the United States as a "Regulatory & Compliance Trailblazer". Liu was twice honored with the "Stars of Asia Award" by BusinessWeek as China's national policymaker in 1998 and 1999 for his role in China's economic and legal reforms, as well as during the Asia Financial Crisis, along with Chinese and Asian national, business and financial leaders. In 1999, Liu received the "Global Leader for Tomorrow Award" from the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Liu's formal education includes Peking University, Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford. He holds doctorate in law and MBA degrees. He has been licensed to practice law in the US for more than 25 years.

ABOUT FARADAY FUTURE

Faraday Future (FF) is a California-based global shared intelligent mobility ecosystem company.

Established in May 2014, the company is headquartered in Los Angeles with R&D centers and offices in Silicon Valley, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. FF's vision is: create a shared intelligent mobility ecosystem that empowers everyone to move, connect, breathe and live freely.

The 1,000+ "Futurists" at FF bring experience from best-in-class companies spanning the consumer electronics, auto, Internet, and energy industries. With over 4 years of R&D development, the FF team has achieved milestones with unprecedented speed, including having successfully turned the original FF 91 concept into a production ready vehicle in approximately 2.5 years.

FF has brought to life three product revolutions - an "all-in-one" car, a third internet living space, and a super car-robot. The company has developed six technological revolutions, including vehicle platform, computing platform, autonomous driving, powertrain, Internet, and AI.

FOLLOW FARADAY FUTURE:

www.ff.com

www.twitter.com/faradayfuture

www.facebook.com/faradayfuture

www.instagram.com/faradayfuture

www.linkedin.com/company/faradayfuture

For More Information About Faraday Future, contact: [email protected]

Contact:

John Schilling

PR Director

[email protected]

SOURCE Faraday Future

Related Links

http://ff.com

DALLAS, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fetch, the first off-site package solution for apartment buildings, today announced $3 million in Seed funding, led by Silverton Partners. With the financing, Kip McClanahan of Silverton will join Fetch's Board of Directors.

Fetch was founded in 2016 in Dallas, TX, and will now expand across Texas to partner with current clients in Houston and Austin. The capital will also be used to further develop their software platform and enable additional delivery services such as hassle-free package returns and dry cleaning.

"The e-commerce explosion has flooded apartment buildings with packages, and the industry is looking for a way to get out of the package business," said Michael Patton, founder and CEO of Fetch. "The current alternatives are short-term fixes, so we started Fetch to provide a complete and permanent solution to the package problem. The only way to truly solve the problem is provide a high-touch, personalized resident service with exceptional customer service. We handle everything from food to furniture, with no exceptions."

Fetch accepts all packages at local warehouses, then provides scheduled, door-to-door delivery with residents directly. This solves the problem for the property and provides residents with a convenient and time-saving amenity. They've proven to save thousands of dollars in operating expense and significantly increase net income for industry-leading clients, including ZRS and Pinnacle. With Fetch, properties can be package-free in 30 days with no upfront cost.

"We're excited to partner with Fetch because they've proven their value with some of the biggest names in the industry," said McClanahan of Silverton. "They're positioned to be a crucial piece in the everyday life of apartment residents across the country."

Investing alongside Silverton in the Seed round is Capital Factory, an Austin-based accelerator and investor, Venn Ventures, a Dallas-based Seed-stage advisory and investment firm, and Texas-based multifamily real estate owners and managers. Previous investors include Dallas-based Tech Wildcatters and Steve Schaffer, founder of Offers.com.

About Fetch

Fetch solves the package problem for apartment buildings. Fetch partners with large property managers and owners to accept all resident packages at local warehouses and provide scheduled, door-to-door delivery with residents directly. Current clients include many NMHC Top 50 companies, including Lincoln, Pinnacle, ZRS, and Wood Partners. For more, visit www.fetchpackage.com.

About Silverton Partners

From idea to exit, the Silverton team works with exceptional entrepreneurs who are committed to attacking growth markets and building lasting companies. In partnering with Silverton, companies benefit from our deep network and lessons learned over many decades of operating and investing experience. Founded in 2006, Silverton Partners is based in Austin and has been the initial investor behind Convio, WP Engine, SpareFoot, SailPoint, Silicon Labs, TurnKey, The Zebra, AlertMedia, SpyCloud, Convey, Aceable, Big Squid, and Billie among many others. CB Insights has recognized Silverton as the most active venture capital firm in Texas. For more information, visit www.silvertonpartners.com.

SOURCE Fetch

Related Links

http://www.fetchpackage.com

VANCOUVER, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Fineqia International Inc. (the "Company" or "Fineqia") (CSE: FNQ) is pleased to announce the voting results of its 2018 Annual General Meeting (the "AGM" or "Meeting") held on July 13, 2018. A total of 459,859,437 common shares representing 60.51% of the issued shares of the Company were represented at the Meeting.

"The Company is pleased to announce the achievement of proxies for more than 60% of the votes despite the mid-July AGM falling in the height of the holiday season. With more than 94% of all voting in favour of all resolutions this is a further endorsement of the Company's management and Board," said Company CEO Bundeep Singh Rangar.

Election of Directors 2018

The number of Directors of the Company has been fixed at five (5) for the year. Shareholders present in person or represented via proxy at the Meeting voted as follows:



Number of

Shares Percentage

of Votes Cast For Against Withheld/Abstain For Against Withheld/Abstain 459,859,437 0 0 100% 0% 0%

All five (5) nominees listed in the information circular for the Meeting were elected as Directors of the Company. Shareholders present in person or represented via proxy at the Meeting voted as follows:



Nominee Number of Shares Percentage of Votes Cast

For

Against Withheld / Abstain For Against Withheld / Abstain Bundeep Singh Rangar 459,859,437

0 0 100% 0% 0% Stephen John McCann 459,669,937

0 189,500 99.96% 0% 0.04% Brij Chadda 459,859,437

0 0 100% 0% 0% Martin Bernholtz 459,859,437

0 0 100% 0% 0% Martin Graham 459,859,437

0 0 100% 0% 0%

Appointment of Auditors 2018

McGovern, Hurley, Cunningham, LLP, Chartered Accountants were appointed auditors of the Company to hold office until the close of the next annual general meeting (AGM) of the Company and the directors of the Company were authorized to fix the remuneration of the auditors. Shareholders present in person or represented via proxy at the Meeting voted as follows:



Number of

Shares Percentage

of Votes Cast For Against Withheld/Abstain For Against Withheld/Abstain 459,859,437 0 0 100% 0% 0%

Approval of Rolling Stock Option Plan 2018

The resolution to confirm the Company's 20% Rolling Stock Option Plan was approved. Shareholders present in person or represented via proxy at the Meeting voted as follows:



Number of

Shares Percentage

of Votes Cast For Against Withheld /

Abstain For Against Withheld /

Abstain 433,665,937 26,193,500 0 94.30% 5.70% 0%

About Fineqia International Inc.

Fineqia International is a listed entity in the Canada (CSE: FNQ), US (OTC: FNQQF) and Europe (Frankfurt: FNQA). Fineqia International outlines the Company's corporate governance, culture, processes and relations by which the Company and its subsidiaries are controlled, directed and governed. Fineqia International oversees and ensures the overall success, planning and growth of the Company and all of its subsidiaries. It recently announced the incorporation of blockchain technologies to achieve these objectives. For more information visit: https://investors.fineqia.com/news.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information (as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws) ("forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that Fineqia (the "Company") believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the failure to obtain sufficient financing, and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement except to the extent required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Fineqia International Inc.

Related Links

www.fineqia.com

"We're excited to show our continued commitment to premium canned wine by bringing the award-winning Coppola Diamond Collection Pinot Noir to a can offering," says Corey Beck, CEO and Chief Winemaker of The Family Coppola. "We were one of the first to put wine in a can and our dedication to superior quality, sustainability and authentic brands remains important to our business."

The Francis Coppola Winery began producing canned wine in 2002, and in 2004 launched the canned wine category with the debut of the stylish Sofia Minis in an effort to make premium wine more convenient. During the last decade, the canned wine category has grown rapidly into a phenomenon as consumers flocked to this option for portability and ease. The Francis Coppola Winery differentiates itself from competitors through uncompromised winemaking integrity and consistent signature flavor profiles portrayed in the can, embracing the distinct award-winning wines that consumers recognize.

Wine drinkers will notice the new product packaging as a successful expression of the iconic Francis Coppola Diamond Collection brand, with design cues reflective of the critically-acclaimed product portfolio. Fans of the collection will enjoy an aromatic profile of fresh red fruits, with hints of raspberry and strawberry and followed by a mellow impression of sweetness. The supple and harmonious canned Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Pinot Noir is from the Monterey wine appellation and it is well-balanced and always food friendly, perfect for celebrating any occasion.

The Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Pinot Noir 250ml cans are available in a portable and lightweight 4-pack that's environmentally friendly and recyclable. The SRP is $24, making it an ideal accessory to all of life's adventures. Diamond Collection Cans may be purchased at the winery's tasting room and online at https://www.thefamilycoppola.com/en/store/details/DP17C4 and at select restaurants and retailers. At www.DiamondAdventure.com, Francis Ford Coppola Winery celebrates the adventurous spirit in all of us through wine, music, food, travel, podcasts and more! Join the conversation by sharing your photos and stories online by tagging #DiamondAdventure and #CoppolaWine, or follow @coppolawine on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About The Family Coppola

The Family Coppola encompasses all of the things Francis loves mostcinema, wine, food, resorts and adventureand embraces quality, authenticity and pleasure as a backbone to each of these vibrant business endeavors. Anchored in Sonoma County, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, known for its superior level of quality and integrity, is, as Francis puts it, "a wine wonderland, a park of pleasure where people of all ages can enjoy all the best things in life: food, wine, music, dancing, games, swimming and performances of all types. A place to celebrate the love of life." Coppola's second foray into Sonoma County came in 2015 with the launch of Virginia Dare Winery, American wines since 1835, ushering in a new era of elevated quality and vineyard-specific wines. The Family Coppola are lovers not only of wine, but spirits as well. Great Women Spiritssmall-batch, house-crafted, classically styled spiritsare a collection of spirits as unique and remarkable as the women they honor. The Family Coppola Hideaways are a collection of unique properties where adventure meets serenity. Drawing upon inspiration from his film career and travels around the globe to the far-reaching corners of the world, Francis created each resort, embracing off the beaten path locations and making each locale an ideal destination for exploring the natural wonders of the area while relaxing in tranquil surroundings. Additionally, The Family Coppola operates a venerable film production company, American Zoetrope; the award-winning literary and art magazine, Zoetrope: All-Story; Cafe Zoetrope in San Francisco's iconic Sentinel Building in North Beach; and Mammarella Foods, an authentic line of premium organic pastas and sauces. www.TheFamilyCoppola.com.

Media Contacts:

Kristin Thwaites Rose Jimenez Communications Director, The Family Coppola Communications Manager, The Family Coppola [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Francis Ford Coppola Winery

Related Links

http://www.TheFamilyCoppola.com

YONGIN, South Korea, July 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Pharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) (KRX: 006280), a South Korean biopharmaceutical company, today announced unaudited results for the three months ended June 30, 2018.

Key Figures Q2 2018(1) Growth(1) Total revenues KRW 341.8 billion +3.5% Operating income KRW 13.3 billion (61.5%) K-IFRS net income KRW 2.7 billion (89.9%) (1) Results and percentages compare to equivalent 2017 period.

Financial Highlights

Delivered total revenues growth of 3.5% to KRW 341.8 billion (Q2 2017: KRW 330.2 billion ); plasma products oversea sales increased 11.9% in Q2 2018.

(Q2 2017: ); plasma products oversea sales increased 11.9% in Q2 2018. Operating income decreased 61.5% to KRW 13.3 billion (Q2 2017: KRW 34.5 billion ), primarily due to a dramatic increase in R&D expenses.

EC Huh, Ph.D., GC Pharma President commented:

"Our second quarter financial performance was in-line with expectations. This is a solid result, achieved amid continued investment in future innovation and growth engines."

About GC Pharma

GC Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company that delivers life-saving and life-sustaining protein therapeutics and vaccines. Headquartered in South Korea, GC Pharma is the largest plasma protein product manufacturer in Asia and has been dedicated to quality healthcare solutions more than half a century. Green Cross Corporation updates its corporate brand as GC Pharma in early 2018. Green Cross Corporation remains the company's registered, legal name.

This release includes forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Pharma's management. Such statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE GC Pharma

Related Links

http://www.globalgreencross.com

DALLAS, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce the sale of its client, Polymer Solutions Inc., to SGS North America Inc. The acquisition closed May 31, 2018.

Polymer Solutions, based in Christiansburg, Virginia, is an independent materials testing lab and strategic resource for the testing of polymers, plastics, metals, gases and more. The company has more than 25 years of expertise solving and preventing complex problems for companies in the medical, pharmaceutical, packaging, aerospace, defense and manufacturing industries.

"The acquisition provides a pathway for the sustained future growth of our staff and the business, and larger financial support for the company," said Polymer Solutions Founder Jim Rancourt.

Rancourt will remain with the company, which will now be called SGS  Polymer Solutions Inc., as Technical Director, and former Polymer Solutions CEO Cynthia Rancourt is now General Manager.

SGS North America, based in Fairfield, New Jersey, is the nation's leading provider of inspection, testing, verification and certification services, helping clients in virtually every sector to reduce risk and improve productivity. It is a member of the SGS Group, the world's largest certification and inspection company, represented in more than 130 countries by 210 affiliated companies.

"This acquisition strategically enhances our global platform of materials science and testing laboratories within our industrial offer, and will support the further expansion of added value services to our customers and core industries," said SGS CEO Frankie Ng.

Generational Equity Senior Managing Director, Doug Morrow established the initial relationship with Polymer Solutions. Senior Managing Director of M&A, Fred Zweifel successfully closed the deal. "This acquisition made strategic sense for the SGS North America platform of testing labs," said Zweifel. "Polymer Solutions is a leader in the material testing industry."

About Generational Equity

Generational Equity, DealForce, and Generational Capital Markets, member FINRA/SIPC, are part of the Generational Group, which is headquartered in Dallas and is one of the leading M&A advisory firms in North America. With over 250 professionals located throughout North America, the companies help business owners release the wealth of their business by providing merger, acquisition and strategic growth advisory services. Their four-step approach features exit planning education, business valuation, value enhancement strategies, and M&A transactional services.

The M&A Advisor named the company the 2016 and 2017 Investment Banking Firm of the Year. For more, visit the https://www.genequityco.com/ or the Generational Equity press room.

For more information:

Carl Doerksen

972-232-1125

[email protected]

SOURCE Generational Equity

Related Links

http://www.genequityco.com

$125.7 million capital injection to accelerate Golden Star's growth opportunities

TORONTO, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Golden Star Resources Ltd. (NYSE American: GSS; TSX: GSC; GSE: GSR) ("Golden Star" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a long term, strategic relationship with La Mancha Holding S.a r.l., a Luxembourg-incorporated private gold investment company ("La Mancha"). All references to "$" herein are to United States dollars.

HIGHLIGHTS

Creation of a long term, strategic relationship with La Mancha, which will support Golden Star's growth into a leading African gold producer

As part of the transaction, La Mancha will invest approximately $125.7 million cash into Golden Star through a private placement and La Mancha will be issued 163,210,500 Golden Star common shares, representing approximately 30% of the outstanding share capital (on a non-diluted basis) after giving effect to La Mancha's investment

cash into Golden Star through a private placement and La Mancha will be issued 163,210,500 Golden Star common shares, representing approximately 30% of the outstanding share capital (on a non-diluted basis) after giving effect to La Mancha's investment The long term nature of the investment is demonstrated by La Mancha's agreement to a two year equity lock-up and standstill and the provision of anti-dilution rights to La Mancha





The investment will strengthen Golden Star's balance sheet and provide the Company with increased financial capacity to unlock organic growth opportunities and participate in the consolidation of the African gold sector

The transaction is value accretive for Golden Star's shareholders

The value of La Mancha's investment equates to a price of $0.77 per share, which represents an approximate 14% premium to the 30 day volume weighted average price on the NYSE American ("VWAP") of $0.676 to July 31, 2018





per share, which represents an approximate 14% premium to the 30 day volume weighted average price on the NYSE American ("VWAP") of to Proceeds of the transaction are expected to be used as follows:

To accelerate underground development and production at the Wassa Underground Gold Mine ("Wassa Underground") and the Prestea Underground Gold Mine ("Prestea Underground")



To accelerate exploration and Mineral Reserve definition drilling at Wassa Underground, Prestea Underground and the Father Brown satellite deposit



To fast track the necessary studies and development of the southern portion of the Wassa Underground deposit



Potential future acquisitions and general corporate purposes





Following completion of the transaction, La Mancha will nominate up to three representatives to the Board of Golden Star

The Board of Golden Star has unanimously approved the strategic investment by La Mancha

In conjunction with the transaction, Golden Star intends to consolidate its issued and outstanding common shares on a 5:1 ratio (the "Consolidation") (all share amounts and per share dollar amounts are before giving effect to the Consolidation)

The issuance of common shares to La Mancha and the proposed Consolidation are subject to approval from Golden Star's shareholders and, in this respect, a special meeting is scheduled to be held in mid-September 2018

Sam Coetzer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Golden Star, commented:

"We are delighted to welcome La Mancha as a long term, strategic investor. We share the vision of building a leading, Africa-focused gold producer and this transformative deal clearly endorses the potential of Golden Star's assets. La Mancha has a strong track record of creating sustainable shareholder value and their previous investments demonstrate their ability to identify compelling growth opportunities at an early stage. La Mancha's $125.7 million investment will allow Golden Star to fast track our exploration and expansion programs at both Wassa Underground and Prestea Underground. The transaction also de-risks our balance sheet and lends us a platform to participate actively in the consolidation of the African gold mining industry. I am very encouraged by the professional approach of the La Mancha team and with our experience of building and operating mines, together we have the expertise and funding to grow across Africa."

Andrew Wray, Chief Executive Officer of La Mancha, commented:

"Following the success of our strategic partnerships with Evolution Mining and Endeavour Mining, which have rapidly both become leading gold producers, we are excited to have the opportunity to partner with Golden Star. Our strategic goal is to create value with a long-term, supportive approach to the benefit of all stakeholders. The Golden Star Board and management team share this objective and we have been impressed with their successful track record of project discovery and development around their existing assets in Ghana. We look forward to working with Sam and his team to unlock the value of Golden Star's organic growth pipeline and to use our financial resources to help take advantage of external growth opportunities in Africa."

Conference Call and Webcast

Golden Star will conduct a conference call and webcast to discuss this announcement, in addition to the results of the second quarter of 2018, on Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 10:00am ET. The Chief Executive Officer of La Mancha, Andrew Wray, will join the Golden Star management team on the call.

The call can be accessed by telephone or by webcast as follows:

Toll Free (North America): +1 866 393 4306

Toronto Local and International: +1 734 385 2616

Conference ID: 3081459

Webcast: www.gsr.com

A recording and webcast replay of the call will be available at www.gsr.com following the call.

Details of Proposed Transaction

Golden Star has entered into a long term, strategic relationship with La Mancha, which secures a platform for the Company's growth into a leading African gold producer. La Mancha has committed to investing approximately $125.7 million cash into Golden Star through a private placement and in exchange, La Mancha will be issued 163,210,500 Golden Star common shares, representing approximately 30% of the outstanding share capital (on a non-diluted basis) after giving effect to La Mancha's investment. Following the completion of the transaction, La Mancha will be Golden Star's largest shareholder.

The transaction is value accretive for Golden Star's shareholders as La Mancha has invested at a premium to the 30 day VWAP of Golden Star's shares, which underscores La Mancha's belief in the value of Golden Star's assets and the strength of its management team. La Mancha's investment equates to a price of $0.77 per share or an approximate 14% premium to the 30 day VWAP of $0.676 to July 31, 2018.

The long term nature of the strategic relationship is demonstrated by La Mancha's agreement to a two year equity lock-up on the Golden Star shares issued to it pursuant to the transaction, as well as to certain customary standstill provisions. La Mancha will also have anti-dilution rights, which provide the ability for La Mancha to maintain its approximately 30% equity stake in Golden Star, and customary registration rights.

With a significantly stronger balance sheet, the Company will be well-positioned to unlock its organic growth opportunities and to pursue external growth opportunities. Golden Star intends to deliver a disciplined acquisition strategy, in conjunction with progressing its expansion opportunities at both Wassa Underground and Prestea Underground, with the objective of bringing additional assets into the Company's portfolio and expanding its production profile.

To find out more about La Mancha and to view La Mancha's press release regarding the strategic investment in Golden Star, please visit www.lamancha.com

Use of Proceeds

Golden Star intends to use the proceeds of the transaction for four primary purposes:

To accelerate underground development and production at Wassa Underground and Prestea Underground



To accelerate exploration and Mineral Reserve definition drilling at Wassa Underground, Prestea Underground and the Father Brown satellite deposit



To fast track the necessary studies and development of the southern portion of the Wassa Underground deposit



Potential future acquisitions and general corporate purposes

The expansion program will have the objective of increasing the throughput of both underground operations in order to allow them to fill a greater portion of the two processing plants' under-utilized capacity. The expansion program will include investing in additional mining equipment to increase underground development rates and progressing the Wassa Underground and Prestea Underground workings on an accelerated basis.

The enhanced exploration program will focus primarily on the southern portion of the Wassa Underground deposit, following the positive results received by Golden Star in the second quarter of 2018, which led to a 147% increase in the Company's Inferred Mineral Resources at this deposit1. It will also aim to gain a stronger understanding of the potential of the Father Brown deposit to be a second high grade ore supply for the Wassa processing plant and target Mineral Resource expansion at Prestea Underground.

Further details of the planned expenditure at each asset, including the enhanced exploration strategy, will be released later in the second half of 2018.

Notes

1. See press release entitled 'Golden Star Doubles Inferred Mineral Resources at Wassa Underground Gold Mine', dated April 12, 2018

Board Nominees

La Mancha has the right to nominate up to three representatives to Golden Star's Board of Directors following completion of the transaction. If La Mancha's shareholding in Golden Star falls below 25% (but remains at or above 17.5%) after the transaction, La Mancha will be entitled to nominate two representatives to the Golden Star Board, and if La Mancha's shareholding in Golden Star falls below 17.5% (but remains above 10%) after the transaction, La Mancha will be entitled to nominate one representative to the Golden Star Board.

La Mancha initially expects to nominate two Directors upon the closing of the transaction, with the third to be nominated at the next Annual General Meeting or earlier in the event of a vacancy.

Share Consolidation

Golden Star intends to consolidate its issued and outstanding common shares on a 5:1 ratio, which will be submitted for approval to the Company's shareholders at the upcoming special meeting.

There are presently 380,824,555 common shares of the Company issued and outstanding. After the proposed transaction is completed with La Mancha, there will be 544,035,055 shares and after giving effect to the proposed Consolidation if approved by the shareholders and implemented by the Company, this number will become approximately 109 million shares.

Timetable and Special Meeting

The issuance of 163,210,500 Golden Star common shares to La Mancha and the proposed Consolidation are subject to certain conditions, including the approval of Golden Star's shareholders.

BMO Capital Markets has provided an opinion to the Board of Directors of Golden Star stating that, and based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations, and qualifications set forth therein, the consideration to be received by the Company pursuant to the transaction is fair from a financial point of view to the Company.

In addition, the Board of Golden Star has unanimously approved the strategic investment by La Mancha. The directors and officers of the Company have signed voting support agreements to vote their shares in favour of approving the proposed transaction.

An information circular is being prepared and is expected to be distributed to Golden Star's shareholders in the coming days in advance of a special meeting, which is expected to be held in mid-September 2018.

Advisors

Golden Star is being advised by Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. La Mancha is being advised by McCarthy Tetrault LLP.

All monetary amounts refer to United States dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Company Profile

Golden Star is an established gold mining company that owns and operates the Wassa and Prestea mines in Ghana, West Africa. Listed on the NYSE American, the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Ghanaian Stock Exchange, Golden Star is focused on delivering strong margins and free cash flow from its two high grade, low cost underground mines. Gold production guidance for 2018 is 230,000-255,000 ounces at a cash operating cost per ounce of $650-730. As the winner of the PDAC 2018 Environmental and Social Responsibility Award, Golden Star is committed to leaving a positive and sustainable legacy in its areas of operation.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking information

Some statements contained in this news release are "forward looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases (including negative or grammatical variations) or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Forward looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, statements and information regarding: the use of proceeds of the transaction; the ability of the Company to acquire other properties; the Company's ability to unlock organic growth opportunities and participate in the consolidation of the African gold sector (and as to the consolidation thereof); the consolidation of the Company's common shares; and the Company's growth into a leading African gold producer. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual facts to differ materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: risks related to international operations, including economic and political instability in foreign jurisdictions in which Golden Star operates; risks related to current global financial conditions; actual results of current exploration activities; environmental risks; future prices of gold; possible variations in mineral reserves, grade or recovery rates; mine development and operating risks; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities and risks related to indebtedness and the service of such indebtedness. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management. Please refer to the discussion of these and other factors in Management's Discussion and Analysis of financial conditions and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2017. Additional factors are included in our annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2017 which is filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forecasts contained in this press release constitute management's current estimates, as of the date of this press release, with respect to the matters covered thereby. We expect that these estimates will change as new information is received. While we may elect to update these estimates at any time, we do not undertake to update any estimate at any particular time or in response to any particular event.

SOURCE Golden Star Resources Ltd.

Related Links

www.gsr.com

All drill intercepts are outlined in Table 1 (below).

Goldplay President and CEO Marcio Fonseca commented, "Goldplay's objective is to define the geometry and controls of mineralization at El Habal within the 6 km-long prospective corridor, expanding gold mineralization both along strike and down dip. We are pleased with the progress the Company has made towards advancing this goal. The next step will be a follow up drill program".

The drill intercepts have revealed wide gold mineralization hosted in a series of altered rhyolites, andesites and intrusives. The mineralization represents a high-level gold system hosted in a volcanic sequence with intrusive (granitoids) and related hydrothermal fluids. The alteration zone on surface combined with a series of mineralized breccias, structures/fault zones suggests placement at high-level, low-pressure brittle regime with hydrothermal fluids occurring within multiple regional fault structures present in the 6km-long mineralized corridor.

The location of drill holes 18EH -1 to 18 EH-4 are shown in the figure below, in relation to recently announced trench results (see news release June 5, 2018) and historical old workings.

El Habal Drill Results Summary

The following table summarizes selected intercepts from four drill holes. Widths are considered near true thickness and individual composites are disclosed as uncapped. Drilling tested gold mineralization up to 100 meters below the surface, demonstrating mineralization continuity from the (previously reported) surface trenching results.

Table 1: Drill Results Summary

Hole ID From (m) To(m) Interval (m) Gold (g/t) 18-EH1 25 40.4 15.4 1.35 18-EH2 0.0 77.5 77.5 0.43 Including 67.6 77.5 9.45 2.05 18-EH3 No significant values 18-EH4 Not Completed due to technical problems  Due to presence of old workings

Geological Background El Habal Project

The El Habal Project is located in the Rosario Mining District, a historical mining district with approximately 250 years of mining history. The Rosario Mining District has multiple mineral occurrences and mines in operation, such as the Rosario Mine, Trinidad Mine (Marlin Gold Mining Ltd), Plomosas Silver Project (First Majestic Silver Corp). The El Habal Project is near the historical Au-Ag Rosario Mine ("Rosario Mine"). The El Habal Project has many key features representing highly prospective regional structures with evidence of hosting multi-phase intrusive events in a volcanic sequence. El Habal contains multiple mineral occurrences and a rich history of shallow artisanal mining operations.

Mapping and recent drilling suggest the gold mineralization at El Habal was emplaced at a high crustal level and is associated with intrusion-related hydrothermal fluids. Stockwork systems mapped on surface, alteration zones, drill-confirmed mineralized breccias, structures and regional fault zones suggest a multiphase intrusive related system. The wide structural zones such as mapped along strike from 18-EH2 and 18-EH1, represent a target and model to support exploration opportunities along strike and down dip.

El Habal Project Ongoing Exploration

A representation of cross sections hosting an intense stockwork system, brecciation and multiphase intrusive units has been defined within the wider lower-grade intercepts (drill holes 18-EH2), as illustrated in Figures 4 below. Higher grade gold results represent zones of more intensive brecciation and silicification. Drill results from these 2 holes have confirmed previously reported trench results, providing valuable information to support ongoing exploration. Further drilling will be required to determine continuity of the wide intersections and high grades reported in this news release. The Company is also expanding surface sampling along the 6 km prospective corridor in order to identify similar mineralization occurrences.

QA/QC Protocols

Thorough QA/QC protocols are followed at all sampling programs and assays completed by the Company. Goldplay's management includes routine duplicates, blanks and standard samples in assays lots for all surface samples and drill hole samples. The samples are submitted directly to SGS Laboratory in Durango, Mexico for preparation and analysis. Analysis are performed using fire assay method with atomic absorption spectrometry finish. Gold results over 5 g/t are routinely rerun using gravimetric finish. Multielement analysis is performed using ICP-AES.

The Qualified Person under the NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for this news release is Marcio Fonseca, President and CEO of Goldplay, who has reviewed and approved its contents.

To view cross sections and drill hole location map of current drill results in this news release, please click the following link:

About Goldplay Exploration Ltd.

Goldplay owns a +250 square kilometer exploration portfolio in the Rosario Mining District, Sinaloa, Mexico. Goldplay's current exploration focus includes surface exploration and drilling, with a resource update to follow at the advanced-stage San Marcial Project and follow up exploration program at the El Habal Project.

The El Habal Project is a drilling stage project with an ongoing drill program. The oxidized gold mineralized zone outcrops along a series of rolling hills with evidence of historical shallow underground mining along 6 km long prospective corridor. The El Habal Project is located near the historical gold-silver Rosario Mine ("Rosario Mine"), which reportedly operated for over 250 years. Goldplay's team has over 30 years of experience with senior roles in exploration, financing, and development in the mining industry, including over ten years of extensive exploration experience in the Rosario Mining District, leading to previous successful discoveries. A current NI 43-101 report on the El Habal Project is filed on SEDAR.

The San Marcial land package consists of 1,250 hectares, located south of the La Rastra and Plomosas historical mines and 20 km from the Company's 100% owned El Habal Project in the Rosario Mining District, Sinaloa, Mexico. San Marcial is an attractive, near-surface high-grade silver, zinc and lead project for which a historical estimate has been previously disclosed. A National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") report is the source of this "historical estimate".

Historical Estimate Grade Contained Metal Category Tonnes Ag (g/t) Zn (%) Pb (%) Ag M(oz) Zn M(lbs) Pb M (lbs) Indicated 3,755,893 149.20 0.67 0.36 18.0 29.9 55.3 Inferred 3,075,403 44.21 0.51 0.29 4.4 19.5 34.7

The historical NI 43 101 resource estimate is based on a cut off of 30 g/t Ag for open pit and 80 g/t Ag for underground resource classification completed by Micon International Ltd. for Silvermex Resources Ltd ("Silvermex") on November 5, ,2008. The historical resource is based on 4,884 meters of drilling in 30 core drill holes completed by Silvermex and previous operators over a strike length of 600 meters and vertical extent of 250 meters. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to verify and to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources and the Company is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources. Further work must be carried out to verify all historic information before a resource estimate is possible, and there can be no assurance that when established, that any such resource would be economically recoverable. The NI 43-101 was filed on SEDAR on November 21, 2008 under the name of Silver Ore Mining Corporation the predecessor of Silvermex. Ag equivalent ounces (eq oz) is calculated from gpt data. AgEq g/t = Ag g/t + (Pb grade x ((Pb price per lb./Ag price per oz) x 0.0685714 lbs. per Troy Ounce x 10000 g per %)) +(Zn grade x ((Zn price per lb./Ag price per oz) x 0.0685714 lbs. per Troy Ounce x 10000 g per %)). Ag price per oz (US$16.50), Pb price per lb. ( US$0.95 ) and Zn price per lb. (US$1.15).

The existing historical NI 43-101 resource estimation presents a significant exploration upside as it only comprises 30 drill holes completed up to November 2008. 22 additional drill holes were completed post-filing of the NI 43-101 report. The NI 43-101 covers 600 m of a mineralized trend which is open along strike for an additional 3.5 km, supported by positive surface exploration results. The mineralization is open down dip as most of the previous drilling only tested to 250 m below the surface of the resource estimate area. Preliminary metallurgical results from oxide and sulfide samples from San Marcial have indicated column leach tests with recovery in the range of 80% for a 72-hour leach period and preliminary flotation test work in drill core composite samples reporting recoveries in the range of 90%. The mineralization at San Marcial is typical of the low sulphidation, epithermal systems hosted near the contact of the Tertiary, Upper and Lower Volcanic units in the Sierra Madre Occidental Geologic Province.

Along the 3.5 km mineralized trend, highly altered hydrothermal breccias, conglomerates, and relatively fresh dacite porphyry intrusives have been identified. Faulting is an important structural feature related to the silver gold zinc lead copper mineralization, and the intersection of east-west with northwest structures are considered the most prospective areas for exploration at San Marcial. There are two main mineralized zones (upper and lower), located in the center of the mineral concession and both outcropping at surface. Both mineralized zones and associated host rocks exhibit fracture filling and typical hydrothermal textures of epithermal deposits. There is local brecciation hosting mineralized zones.

San Marcial exhibits significant exploration upside supported by regional exploration programs completed by previous operators who identified 14 exploration targets similar to San Marcial within its 100% Goldplay-owned concessions. Some of these exploration targets consist of old shallow pits, caved shafts and historical underground workings in areas with extensive hydrothermal alteration, hosted by major regional structures. Goldplay is providing the historical data and historical NI 43-101 for informational purposes only. Goldplay has not completed any quality control assurance programs on the historical drill data nor the NI 43-101. The Company does believe the aforementioned work was completed by competent persons to the standards of the day and the Company cautions the reader that the drill results are historical in nature and have yet to be verified by the Company's "Qualified Person" under NI 43-101.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE GOLDPLAY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

Mr. Marcio Fonseca,

P. Geo, President & CEO

Goldplay Exploration Ltd.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

SOURCE Goldplay Exploration LtdTSX: GPR

NYSE American: GPL

VANCOUVER, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED (TSX: GPR) (NYSE American: GPL) ("Great Panther"; or the "Company") today reported financial results for the Company's three and six months ended June 30, 2018. The full version of the Company's unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") can be viewed on the Company's website at www.greatpanther.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. All financial information is prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), except as noted in the Non-GAAP Measures section of the MD&A. All dollar amounts are expressed in US dollars ("USD"), unless otherwise noted.

"While our revenues increased 9% compared to the second quarter of last year, our financial results reflected a full quarter of Coricancha related project and care and maintenance expenditures which we are fully expensing until a formal decision to restart is made," stated Jim Bannantine, President and CEO. "We recently announced a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for Coricancha and have launched a Bulk Sample Program ("BSP"), which we expect to complete in early 2019 and use as the basis for a restart decision. The BSP will improve the confidence in our project assumptions and, as it incorporates a good portion of the development and rehabilitation outlined in the PEA, will put us ahead of the curve in terms of the timeline for a potential restart."

Mr. Bannantine added, "Our Q2 2018 financial results were also impacted by higher costs at the Guananjuato Mine Complex as we experienced narrower vein widths than our model anticipated. Despite this, we are maintaining our cost guidance for the year, as we expect the trend in Q2 to reverse in the remainder of the year based on our recent drill results and development to date to access these drilled targets. We continue to maintain a strong balance sheet with approximately $60 million of cash and short-term investments and no debt, which is more than sufficient to fund the development of Coricancha. Further, we expect our Mexican operations will continue to provide cash flow to fund the Company's ongoing requirements."

OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

















Q2 2018 Q2 2017 Change Six months

ended

June 30,

2018 Six months ended June 30,

2017 Change OPERATING RESULTS











Tonnes milled 95,169 98,576 3% 192,038 181,232 6% Silver equivalent ounces ("Ag eq oz") produced1 1,002,169 1,102,290 9% 2,034,105 1,832,476 11% Silver ounces produced 479,809 569,229 16% 970,872 935,664 4% Gold ounces produced 5,492 5,543 1% 11,323 10,721 6% Payable silver ounces 479,942 524,411 8% 956,267 869,406 10% Ag eq oz sold1 1,011,232 992,057 2% 1,982,421 1,673,041 18% Cost per tonne milled2 $ 121 $ 103 17% $ 121 $ 96 26% Cash cost2 $ 7.84 $ 5.67 38% $ 6.62 $ 4.83 37% Cash cost per Ag eq oz2 $ 13.41 $ 11.47 17% $ 13.09 $ 11.28 16% All in Sustaining Cost ("AISC")2 $ 15.04 $ 14.93 1% $ 13.69 $ 16.76 18% AISC per Ag eq oz2 $ 16.82 $ 16.37 3% $ 16.50 $ 17.48 6%









































(in thousands, except per ounce, per share,

and exchange rate figures) Q2 2018 Q2 2017 Change Six months

ended June 30,

2018 Six months

ended

June 30,

2017 Change FINANCIAL RESULTS











Revenue $ 17,077 $ 15,731 9% $ 34,096 $ 28,102 21% Mine operating earnings before non-cash items2 $ 4,110 $ 5,418 24% $ 9,335 $ 10,864 14% Mine operating earnings $ 2,903 $ 4,465 35% $ 6,922 $ 9,127 24% Net income (loss) $ (2,765) $ 833 432% $ (2,862) $ 3,873 174% Adjusted EBITDA2 $ 137 $ 1,489 91% $ 551 $ 3,623 85% Operating cash flow before changes in non-cash











net working capital $ (537) $ 2,432 122% $ (418) $ 3,327 113% Cash and short-term deposits at end of period $ 59,762 $ 57,071 5% $ 59,762 $ 57,071 5% Net working capital at end of period $ 68,073 $ 62,954 8% $ 68,073 $ 62,954 8% Average realized silver price per oz3 $ 16.40 $ 16.01 2% $ 16.38 $ 17.32 5% Average realized gold price per oz3 $ 1,274 $ 1,254 2% $ 1,317 $ 1,274 3% Earnings (loss) per share  basic and diluted $ (0.02) $ 0.00 200% $ (0.02) $ 0.02 200% MXN/USD 19.39 18.57 4% 19.07 19.47 2%

___________________________ 1 Silver equivalent ounces are referred to throughout this document. Ag eq oz are calculated using a 70:1 Ag:Au ratio and ratios of 1:0.0559 and 1:0.0676 for the price/ounce of silver to lead and zinc price/pound, respectively, and applied to the relevant metal content of the concentrates produced, expected to be produced, or sold from operations. It should be noted that although the current Ag:Au ratio is approximately 80:1, the ratio of 70:1 has been used in order to remain consistent with the Company's guidance and historical averages. 2 The Company has included the non-GAAP performance measures cost per tonne milled, cash cost, cash cost per Ag eq oz, AISC, AISC per Ag eq oz, mine operating earnings before non-cash items, cost of sales before non-cash items and adjusted EBITDA throughout this document. Refer to the Non-GAAP Measures section of the Company's MD&A for an explanation of these measures and reconciliation to the Company's financial results reported in accordance with IFRS. As these are not standardized measures, they may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures used by others. 3 Average realized silver and gold prices are prior to smelting and refining charges.

REVIEW OF FINANCIAL RESULTS OF THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2018

Revenue increased by $1.3 million or 9% compared to the second quarter of 2017. This was primarily attributable to a decrease in smelting and refining charges (which are netted against revenue), an increase in metal sales volumes ($0.4 million effect), and an increase in realized metal prices ($0.4 million effect). The Company's average realized silver price for the second quarter of 2018 was $16.40/oz compared to $16.01/oz during the second quarter of 2017, and the average realized gold price for the second quarter of 2018 was $1,274/oz compared to $1,254/oz during the second quarter of 2017.

Production costs for the second quarter of 2018 increased $2.7 million or 26% compared to the second quarter of 2017. This was mainly due to an increase in Mexican Peso ("MXN") denominated costs as a result of mining narrower veins at the Guanajuato Mine Complex ("GMC") (which requires more waste material to be mined), along with minor rate increases for mining contractors (together a $2.9 million effect). The increase in metal sales volume also increased production costs ($0.2 million effect). These factors were partly offset by a weakening of the MXN which had the impact of decreasing production costs in USD terms ($0.4 million effect).

Mine operating earnings before non-cash items decreased by $1.3 million relative to the second quarter of 2017 as the $2.7 million increase in production costs exceeded the $1.3 million increase in revenue.

Amortization and depletion increased by $0.2 million compared to the second quarter of 2017 due to depreciation of the new tailings filtration and handling facilities at Topia that were commissioned in the second quarter of 2017.

General and administrative ("G&A") expenses were 12% lower in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 due to non-recurring expenses incurred in the comparative period related to strategic changes and initiatives to position the Company for future growth and development. These included expenses related to CEO succession, other management changes, and implementation of long-term incentive programs.

Exploration, Evaluation and Development ("EE&D") expenses for the second quarter of 2018 increased $0.3 million or 11% compared to the same period in 2017. As Coricancha was acquired on June 30, 2017, there were only $0.2 million Coricancha related project expenses in EE&D in the second quarter of 2017, compared to $1.4 million of project and care and maintenance expenditures in the second quarter of 2018. The Company will continue to expense project costs and ongoing care and maintenance associated with Coricancha until such time a formal decision is made to restart the mine. The increase in Coricancha costs were partly offset by a $0.8 million decrease in exploration drilling expenditures at Guanajuato, Topia and San Ignacio.

Finance and other income (expense) primarily include interest income or expense and foreign exchange gains and losses. During the second quarter of 2018, the Company incurred a foreign exchange loss of $0.8 million due to a weakening of the MXN to the USD, compared to a foreign exchange gain of $0.6 million in the second quarter of 2017 due to a strengthening of the MXN to the USD. The foreign exchange gains and losses recorded in both periods were primarily a result of forward contracts to purchase MXN to fund operating expenditures in Mexico, and to a lesser extent, the translation of foreign currency denominated balances into USD.

The second quarter of 2018 reflected a net loss of $2.8 million compared to net income of $0.8 million in the second quarter of 2017. The change in net loss is largely accounted for by $1.3 million decrease in mine operating earnings, $1.7 million decrease in finance and other income, and $0.3 million increase in EE&D expenses. These factors were partly offset by the $0.2 million decrease in G&A expenses.

Adjusted EBITDA was $0.1 million in the second quarter of 2018, compared to $1.5 million in the second quarter of 2017. The decrease largely reflects a $1.3 million decrease in mine operating earnings before non-cash items, and a $0.3 million increase in EE&D expenses before non-cash items (such as non-cash share-based compensation and changes in estimates of reclamation provisions). These factors were partly offset by a $0.2 million decrease in G&A expenses before non-cash items.

Refer to the Company's MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 for more details of the financial results.

CASH COST AND ALL-IN SUSTAINING COSTS

Cash cost per silver payable ounce ("cash cost") for the second quarter of 2018 increased over the second quarter of 2017 primarily due to higher MXN denominated production costs as discussed above, which had the effect of increasing cash cost by $6.44 per payable silver ounce ("per oz"). Payable silver volumes were also lower in the second quarter of 2018 than in the second quarter of 2017, which increased cash cost by a further $0.53 per oz. These factors were partly offset by an increase in by-product credits associated with higher sales volumes for gold and lead and higher realized prices for gold, lead and zinc (together, a $2.89 per oz effect). In addition, lower smelting and refining charges accounted for a $0.99 per oz decrease and the weakening of the MXN to the USD accounted for a further $0.91 per oz decrease.

During the second quarter of 2018, AISC increased from the second quarter of 2017 primarily due to the increase in cash cost discussed above ($2.17 per oz effect), as well as a decrease in payable silver ounces, which had the effect of further increasing AISC by $0.84 per oz. These were substantially offset by lower sustaining EE&D expenses and capital expenditures (together, a $2.40 per oz effect) and decreased G&A expenses ($0.50 per oz effect).

Refer to the Company's MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, for further discussion of cash cost and AISC, and for a reconciliation to the Company's financial results as reported under IFRS.

CASH, SHORT-TERM DEPOSITS AND WORKING CAPITAL AT JUNE 30, 2018

At June 30, 2018, the Company had cash and short-term deposits of $59.8 million, compared to $56.9 million at December 31, 2017, and no long-term debt.

Cash and short-term deposits increased by $2.9 million in the first half of 2018 primarily due to $3.4 million of cash generated by operating activities and $0.3 million in proceeds from the exercise of stock options. These factors were partly offset by $0.8 million in additions to plant and equipment and $0.1 million in foreign exchange losses on cash balances.

Net working capital was $68.1 million as at June 30, 2018, an increase of $2.1 million from the start of the year. This increase was mainly due to reimbursement rights of approximately $2.0 million that were reclassified to current assets, as much of the cash generated by the mines was used to fund corporate activities and the advancement of Coricancha.

OUTLOOK

The Company's production and cost guidance for the year ending December 31, 2018 remains unchanged:













Production and cash cost guidance



1H 2018 Actual FY 2018 Guidance FY 2017 Actual Total silver equivalent ounces1



2,034,105 4,000,000  4,100,000 3,978,731 Cash cost2



$6.62 $5.00  6.50 $5.76 AISC2



$13.69 $12.50  14.50 $15.07

Although cash cost for the second quarter and first half of 2018 was higher than the full year guidance range, the Company expects cost to decrease in the second half of the year due to an expected reduction in the variability to the geological model and return to mining higher margin vein widths. It is cautioned that cash cost and AISC are very sensitive to the MXN foreign exchange rate and metal prices through the computation of by-product credits.

The Company's guidance for capital expenditures and EE&D expenses for the year ended December 31, 2018 also remains unchanged:









Capex and EE&D expense guidance

(in millions of US dollars) 1H 2018 Actual FY 2018 Guidance FY 2017 Actual Capital expenditures, excluding acquisition cost and





capital expenditures associated with Coricancha $0.8 $2.5  $3.5 $4.4 EE&D  operating mines (excluding Coricancha) $2.4 $5.0  $6.0 $5.2

The focus for 2018 is to maintain steady and efficient operations in Mexico, including seeking ways to optimize mining methods and control costs, while advancing Coricancha to set a platform for production growth in 2019 and 2020.

The Coricancha PEA confirmed the potential for three million Ag eq oz of annual production and the Company has commenced a BSP in order to further de-risk the project by providing confirmation of expectations regarding throughput, grades and recoveries. Following a successful outcome, the Company expects to be able to make a decision in early 2019 to commence the restart of Coricancha.

The Company continues to seek and evaluate additional acquisition opportunities in the Americas to meet its growth objectives.

___________________________ 1 Ag eq oz have been established using a 70:1 Au:Ag ratio, and ratios of 1:0.0559 and 1:0.676 for the USD price of silver ounces to the USD price for lead and zinc pounds, respectively. 2 Cash cost and AISC are non-GAAP measures. Refer to the Non-GAAP Measures section of the MD&A for an explanation of these measures and reconciliation to the Company's reported financial results in accordance with IFRS. As these are not standardized measures, they may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures used by others.

WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL TO DISCUSS THE SECOND QUARTER 2018 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Great Panther will hold a live webcast and conference call to discuss the financial results on August 2, 2018, at 8:00 am Pacific Time. Hosting the call will be Mr. James Bannantine, President and CEO, and Mr. Jim Zadra, CFO and Corporate Secretary.

Shareholders, analysts, investors and media are invited to join the live webcast and conference call by logging in or calling in five minutes prior to the start time.

Live webcast and registration www.greatpanther.com U.S. & Canada Toll-Free 1 800 599 8686 International Toll 1 323 994 2093 Conference ID 9387135

A replay of the webcast will be available on the Webcasts section of the Company's website approximately one hour after the conference call.

ABOUT GREAT PANTHER

Great Panther Silver Limited is a primary silver mining and exploration company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange trading under the symbol GPR, and on the NYSE American under the symbol GPL. Great Panther's current activities are focused on the mining of precious metals from its two wholly-owned operating mines in Mexico: the Guanajuato Mine Complex and the Topia Mine. The Company is also advancing towards the restart of the Coricancha Mine in Peru with the initiation of a Bulk Sample Program following the completion of a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment in May 2018. The Company also continues to pursue the acquisition of additional mining operations or projects in the Americas.

James Bannantine

President & CEO

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements may include but are not limited to the Company's plans for production at its Guanajuato Mine Complex and Topia Mines in Mexico, advancement of the Coricancha project, and the exploration of its other properties in Mexico and Peru. Forward looking statements also include guidance included in the "Outlook" section of this document, including guidance on production, cash costs, AISC, and anticipated capital expenditures and exploration and development expenditures. Forward looking statements also include discussions of the overall economic potential of the Company's properties, the availability of adequate financing, and those involving known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to be materially different. Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to potential political risks involving the Company's operations in a foreign jurisdiction, uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, uncertainty in mineral resource estimation, physical risks inherent in mining operations, currency fluctuations, fluctuations in the price of silver, gold and base metals, completion of economic evaluations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, permitting risks, the inability or failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's most recently filed Annual Information Form and Material Change Reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at www.sedar.com and reports on Form 40-F and Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov.

GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED

CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

(Expressed in thousands of US dollars)

As at June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and December 31, 2017













June 30,

2018 December 31,

2017







ASSETS













Current assets:







Cash and cash equivalents

$ 36,852 $ 36,797

Short-term deposits

22,910 20,091

Trade and other receivables

10,060 14,780

Inventories

4,064 5,294

Reimbursement rights

6,905 4,446

Derivative assets

43 

Other current assets

779 401



81,613 81,809







Restricted cash

1,234 1,234 Inventories  non-current

1,587 1,580 Reimbursement rights

4,518 6,588 Mineral properties, plant and equipment

13,610 14,966 Exploration and evaluation assets

15,633 15,633 Deferred tax assets

80 70



$ 118,275 $ 121,880







LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY













Current liabilities:







Trade payables and accrued liabilities

$ 9,014 $ 11,313

Derivative liabilities

 85

Reclamation and remediation provision  current

4,526 4,446



13,540 15,844







Reclamation and remediation provision

23,416 22,965 Deferred tax liabilities

1,899 1,930



38,855 40,739







Shareholders' equity:





Share capital

130,867 130,201 Reserves

19,437 18,962 Deficit

(70,884) (68,022)



79,420 81,141











$ 118,275 $ 121,880









GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED

CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (LOSS)

(Expressed in thousands of US dollars)

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 (Unaudited)













Three months ended

Six months ended



June 30,

June 30,



2018 2017

2018 2017













Revenue $ 17,077 $ 15,731

$ 34,096 $ 28,102













Cost of sales











Production costs 12,967 10,313

24,761 17,238

Amortization and depletion 1,082 849

2,212 1,540

Share-based compensation 125 104

201 197



14,174 11,266

27,174 18,975













Mine operating earnings 2,903 4,465

6,922 9,127













General and administrative expenses











Administrative expenses 1,348 1,580

2,731 2,974

Amortization and depletion 26 17

52 33

Share-based compensation 328 337

574 529



1,702 1,934

3,357 3,536













Exploration, evaluation, and development expenses











Exploration and evaluation expenses 2,071 1,520

4,767 2,643

Mine development costs 574 820

1,181 1,645

Share-based compensation (28) 8

(5) 16



2,617 2,348

5,943 4,304













Finance and other income (expense)











Interest income 270 209

738 422

Finance costs  (19)

(19) (37)

Accretion (341) (21)

(619) (41)

Foreign exchange gain (loss) (849) 645

(151) 2,460

Other income 8 13

28 20



(912) 827

(23) 2,824













Income (loss) before income taxes (2,328) 1,010

(2,401) 4,111 Income tax expense 437 177

461 238 Net income (loss) for the period $ (2,765) $ 833

$ (2,862) $ 3,873



























Earnings (loss) per share  basic and diluted $ (0.02) $ 0.00

$ (0.02) $ 0.02













GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED

CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Expressed in thousands of US dollars)

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 (Unaudited)













Three months ended

Six months ended



June 30,

June 30,



2018 2017

2018 2017 Cash flows from operating activities:









Net income (loss) for the period $ (2,765) $ 833

$ (2,862) $ 3,873 Items not involving cash:











Amortization and depletion 1,108 866

2,264 1,573

Unrealized foreign exchange loss (gain) 305 278

(68) (1,493)

Income tax expense 437 177

461 238

Share-based compensation 425 449

770 742

Other non-cash items 118 (189)

(198) (342) Interest received 235 225

618 353 Interest paid (19) (19)

(38) (37) Income taxes paid (381) (188)

(1,365) (1,580)



(537) 2,432

(418) 3,327 Changes in non-cash working capital:











Trade and other receivables (366) (119)

4,444 (448)

Inventories 775 (5)

1,095 (1,984)

Other current assets 90 311

(380) (50)

Trade payables and accrued liabilities (648) 2,053

(1,368) 1,315

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (686) 4,672

3,373 2,160













Cash flows from investing activities:











Additions to mineral properties, plant and equipment (473) (1,031)

(771) (2,857)

Cash received upon acquisition of Coricancha  105

 105

Proceeds from (investments in) short-term deposits (6,646) 6,200

(2,819) (1,862)

Other  2

 2

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (7,119) 5,276

(3,590) (4,612)













Cash flows from financing activities:











Proceeds from exercise of share options 200 82

342 859

Net cash from financing activities 200 82

342 859













Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents (163) 83

(70) 140













Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (7,768) 10,113

55 (1,453) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 44,620 30,076

36,797 41,642 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 6,852 $ 40,189

$ 36,852 $ 40,189

SOURCE Great Panther Silver Limited

Related Links

http://www.greatpanther.com

"We are writing a new chapter for the treatment of behavioral health and substance abuse disorders as we integrate Carrier's proven services into our network's robust behavioral health care,'' said Robert C. Garrett, Co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. "We must continue to truly integrate behavioral health into health care and expand treatment options as our state battles an opioid epidemic that has claimed too many lives and devastated so many families.''

The merger will enhance care in several ways:

A new addiction treatment center will open in New Jersey next year.

next year. Behavioral health experts will create a seamless system featuring 24-hour access to care ranging from outpatient, to urgent care, residential and inpatient care for mental health and addiction needs for adolescents and adults.

A multi-disciplinary team of experts including primary care physicians, psychiatrists, and advanced practice nurses would closely coordinate all needs  addiction treatment, routine care, mental health issues - to provide optimal treatment.

The merger will enhance research to improve behavioral health care and provide additional opportunities for the network's growing psychiatry residency and fellowship programs.

The agreement follows more than five months of due diligence where a thorough review of clinical, regulatory, service, and financial issues occurred. The merger will undergo regulatory review with the various governing agencies, including the state Attorney General and the New Jersey Departments of Health and Education.

"This partnership will enable Carrier Clinic to fulfill our vision of building on a century of compassionate care, shaping the future of behavioral health,'' said Thomas G. Amato, chairman of the Carrier Clinic Board of Trustees.

"Teaming Carrier with Hackensack Meridian Health and the new Medical School creates one of the region's  and potentially one of the nation's  most innovative and influential full-service networks in behavioral health patient care,'' Amato said. "Patients and their families are the big winners today."

In 2016, half of the increase in emergency room visits in New Jersey were related to patients' behavioral health issues. The state is facing an opioid epidemic that claimed more than 2,200 lives in 2016, a record high and 40 percent increase from the previous year. The crisis continues and this year law enforcement experts say that New Jersey is likely to lose 3,000 people to overdoses.

The joining of Hackensack Meridian Health and Carrier Clinic would also provide greater access and choice to New Jersey residents who often seek treatment out of state, away from their family and support network.

"This is a break-through moment for both organizations,'' said Donald Parker, CEO and President, Carrier Clinic.

"Hackensack Meridian Health is among the most respected and advanced providers of clinical services in the entire United States and Carrier Clinic delivers unsurpassed expertise in the science of behavioral health and addiction therapies,'' Parker said. "I can't imagine a more timely or needed partnership for the betterment of the mental health, as well as overall health, of the people of New Jersey and beyond."

Hackensack Meridian Health has made major strides to advance behavioral health care in New Jersey. The network is adding 37 inpatient beds to its 150-bed capacity and maintains comprehensive psychiatric outpatient services. Additionally, the network started two new psychiatry residency programs in July with 10 physicians kicking off the four-year program. A child psychiatry fellowship program is being developed to start in 2020.

"The opioid crisis is unprecedented in its scope and intensity and this partnership would enhance our efforts to be part of the solution,'' said John K. Lloyd, Co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. "It would also deliver a team-based care approach to behavioral health patients who too often received fragmented care which doesn't yield the best outcomes.''

Edison-based Hackensack Meridian Health has 16 hospitals and more than 450 patient care locations and physician offices in eight counties. The network reaches two-thirds of the state population. It includes four hospitals ranked among the top 10 in New Jersey, including the No. 1 ranked Hackensack University Medical Center, according to U.S. News World & Report.

"This merger helps us fulfill our commitment to providing patients with the full continuum of care,'' said Joseph Simunovich, co-Chairman of the Hackensack Meridian Health Board of Trustees.

"Enhancing behavioral health services is timely and essential and elevates the high-quality, innovative care that is the signature of our network,'' said Gordon N. Litwin, Esq. co-Chairman of the Hackensack Meridian Health Board of Trustees.

Carrier Clinic's home in Belle Mead is a 100-acre rural campus which provides short-term, acute care hospitalization for psychiatric illness and substance abuse for adolescents 12-18, and treatment for adults 18 and older. Carrier Clinic's campus includes a licensed 281-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital; the Blake Recovery Center, a licensed 40-bed inpatient and outpatient detox and recovery facility; East Mountain Youth Lodge, which can house up to 91 residents ages 13-18; and East Mountain School, a fully-accredited school for 120 7th-12th graders affected by behavioral and psychiatric disorders. Carrier Clinic has nearly 1,000 employees, including 24 employed members of the medical staff.

Carrier Clinic also has a nationally recognized electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) program, which is used to treat severe major depression or bipolar disorder that does not respond to other treatment. Earlier this year, Carrier Clinic received the Outstanding Provider Award from the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies.

Additionally, with the opening this year of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, patients would have access to nationally recognized experts in psychiatry, behavioral health, integrative medicine and addiction treatment who are on the faculty of the medical school.

The combination of Carrier Clinic's behavioral health system together with Hackensack Meridian Health and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University would be a first in New Jersey. It also aligns the plan with national leaders in behavioral health which operate medical schools, hospital networks and psychiatric facilities. They include: Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital; the Menninger Clinic and Baylor University Department of Psychiatry as well as Columbia University/Cornell University NYP and New York-Presbyterian Westchester Division, all part of New York-Presbyterian.

About Carrier Clinic

Carrier Clinic, an independent, nonprofit behavioral health care system with 1,000 employees is located in Belle Mead, NJ, and specializes in psychiatric and addiction treatment. Carrier Clinic's system includes an inpatient psychiatric hospital, a detoxification and rehabilitation center, an adolescent residential facility, and a fully-accredited middle and high school for students classified as emotionally disturbed. For more information about Carrier Clinic, visit CarrierClinic.org.

About Hackensack Meridian Health

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 16 hospitals, including three academic medical centers, two children's hospitals and nine community hospitals, two rehabilitation hospitals, more than 450 patient care sites and physician offices. Hackensack Meridian Health has 33,000 team members, more than 6,500 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The Network's notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, four hospitals ranked among the top 10 in New Jersey, including Hackensack University Medical Center, the No. 1 hospital, Jersey Shore University Medical Center at No. 4 and Ocean and Riverview Medical Centers tied at No. 8., as ranked by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For," one of the "20 Best Workplaces in Health Care" in the nation, and the number one "Best Place to Work for Women." Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org.

SOURCE Hackensack Meridian Health

Related Links

http://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org

DAVIE, Fla., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hard Rock International  owner of one of the world's most-recognizable and iconic brands  appoints Ken Blaustein for Hard Rock's newly-created role, Director of Music and Artist Relations. In this new position, Blaustein will be responsible for evolving the brand's global music persona through new and meaningful initiatives that resonate with the next generation of music fans around the world, while continuing to honor Hard Rock's iconic legacy in music. As part of these initiatives, Blaustein will oversee music programming, artist and lifestyle partnerships, industry relations, experiential activations, data integrations and the development of original content offerings.

"The Director of Music and Artist Relations is a new and exciting position at Hard Rock and we are privileged to welcome Ken to the Hard Rock Team," said Stephen Judge, President of Cafe Operations for Hard Rock International. "Ken has an impressive record of exceptional leadership, cultivating authentic artist culture and demonstrating vision in the digital era of the music business. We look forward to seeing Ken excel in this position and to continue to evolve the musical DNA that our guests have come to know and expect from Hard Rock International."

Blaustein offers more than 20 years of experience in the music industry. Prior to joining Hard Rock International, Blaustein was based in Los Angeles serving as the Senior Director of Artists & Repertoire and Artist Relations for Capitol Records and Virgin Records, as well as the Director of Artists & Repertoire at Warner Bros. Through his experience, his teams shaped the careers of breakthrough artists My Chemical Romance, Avenged Sevenfold, Mastodon, 30 Seconds to Mars and The Used, among others. Most recently, he co-founded the event ticket startup Contender.com.

Internationally-recognized as a world-class restaurant and hospitality brand, Hard Rock operates cafes across the world that are visited by more than 79 million guests each year. Its first cafe opened in London, England, and from there the brand has expanded to major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, Sydney and Tokyo, and exotic settings such as Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Malta. Hard Rock Cafe offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience with a commitment to serving fresh, high-quality ingredients. To satisfy the consumer's ever-changing palate, Hard Rock continually updates its menu with limited-time offerings including burger pairings, innovative cocktails and more. For more information on Hard Rock Cafe, please visit www.hardrock.com/cafes.

About Hard Rock International

With venues in 74 countries, including 185 cafes, 25 hotels and 12 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company's two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, FL., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Atlantic City, Bali, Cancun, Daytona Beach, Ibiza, Las Vegas, and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include, Maldives, Manila, Malaga, Georgetown, Fortaleza, Casablanca and Chengdu. New Hard Rock hotel, casino or hotel-casino projects include Atlanta, Berlin, Budapest, Desaru Coast, Dublin, London, Los Cabos, Maldives, New York City, Ottawa, Dalian and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International visit www.hardrock.com.

SOURCE Hard Rock International

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http://www.hardrock.com

DES PLAINES, Ill., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that Hubei Sanning Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. will use Honeywell UOP's Polybed Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology to supply high-quality hydrogen at its monoethylene glycol (MEG) plant at Zhijiang in China's Hubei Province.

The Hubei Sanning plant will use the hydrogen to produce MEG  commonly used to make polyester resins, films and fibers -- manufactured from coal. The new PSA unit is designed to generate 165,000 cubic meters of hydrogen per hour.

"This is the first application in China of the Honeywell UOP PSA technology in an MEG chemical plant," said Henry Liu, regional general manager for Honeywell UOP China. "It demonstrates the flexibility of Honeywell UOP's hydrogen technologies in a wide range of uses, including chemical manufacturing."

Hubei Sanning chose the Honeywell UOP technology due to its proven reliability, superior economics, and fast delivery and start up schedule. The technology also features new UOP adsorbents that recover hydrogen at very high levels. As a result, the PSA unit can generate hydrogen with purities as high as 99.9999 percent, making it an excellent source for the production of high-quality monoethylene glycol.

The new PSA technology will help Hubei Sanning, which is located near the Yangtze River, meet new environmental regulations. It also is part of the company's plan to modernize its production technology to high-pressure gasification and accommodate a new 600,000 tons-per-annum MEG plant that is scheduled to begin operations next year.

China is rich in coal with reserves of nearly 300 billion tons but imports more than 8 million barrels of oil per day, about a tenth of which is converted into petrochemicals. In China, coal is an increasingly attractive alternative to oil as a petrochemical feedstock. Coal is gasified with water to produce synthesis gas, which is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Each of these components are purified and used in different stages to produce monoethylene glycol.

Hubei Sanning Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. was founded in 1970 and is based in Zhijiang, China. It manufactures chemicals from coal and phosphorous, petrochemicals, and other fine chemicals, as well as hydrochloric acid, alcohols, ammonia, methanol, and fertilizers. The company operates as a subsidiary of Shanxi Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group Co., Ltd.

Honeywell UOP (www.uop.com) is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell's Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com), a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 software-industrial company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace and automotive products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, cars, homes and buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Honeywell

Related Links

http://www.honeywell.com

SHANGHAI, July 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 1, 2018 Beijing time, I-Mab Biopharma ("I-Mab"), a Shanghai-based biotech company focused on innovative biologics in oncology and autoimmune disease, announced the appointment of Jielun Zhu as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Zhu will report directly to Dr. Jingwu Zang, Chairman and CEO of I-Mab. Mr. Zhu has over 15 years of experience working across investment banking and strategy consulting for global and regional healthcare clients.

Mr. Jielun Zhu, MBA, CFO at I-Mab

"We are extremely pleased to have Jielun join I-Mab. His expertise and prior experience in the healthcare financial management makes him a vital addition to I-Mab's senior leadership," said Dr. Zang. "Jielun's joining comes at a critical time when our business becomes more global and requires strong financial strategy and corporate partnerships," added Dr. Zang.

Immediately prior to joining I-Mab, Mr. Zhu was Managing Director and Asia Head of Healthcare Investment Banking and Capital Markets in Hong Kong for Jefferies Group LLC. At Jefferies, he led many high-profile IPOs, M&A and other strategic transactions for biotechnology and other healthcare clients in the Greater China region and beyond. Before Jefferies, he worked for Deutsche Bank in its Hong Kong office as a senior member of the healthcare coverage team and for UBS AG in Hong Kong prior to that. Before investment banking, Mr. Zhu was a strategy consultant in Boston serving clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry in the US.

Mr. Zhu earned his M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School with distinction and B.A. with honors from Wesleyan University. He is also a CFA charter holder.

"I strongly believe I-Mab is one of the most innovative companies focusing on developing first-in-class and best-in-class biologics in oncology and autoimmune disease for patients in China and around the world," commented Mr. Zhu. "The Company has many globally competitive assets in its China and Global Portfolio that are being advanced rapidly. Dr. Zang has successfully built a world-class team and I look forward to joining that team to continue to bring transformational medicines to address the highest unmet needs in our target therapeutic areas."

In June 2018, I-Mab successfully completed US$220million financing, which is one of the largest Series C funding in China's biopharmaceutical industry, following its Series B financing of US$150 million in 2017. The company recently announced an US$100 million out-licensing deal with Korean biotech ABL Bio Corporation.

About I-Mab:

Facilitated by a merger between Third Venture Biotech and Tasgen Bio, which was followed by a Series B financing of USD 150 million in 2017, I-Mab has rapidly built a highly experienced team with world-class R&D capabilities. On June 29, 2018, I-Mab announced that it had successfully raised US$220 million in Series C financing with a group of reputable investors led by Hony Capital, representing one of the largest amount ever raised in Series C by an innovative biotech company in China.

I-Mab focuses on discovery and development of First-in-Class and Best-in-Class biologics in the areas of immuno-oncology and immuno-inflammation. The company has already initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial and is prepared to submit multiple IND applications for additional clinical trials in China and the US, including Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies. www.i-mabbiopharma.com

Contact: [email protected], [email protected]



SOURCE I-Mab BiopharmaEDMONTON, July 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - IG4 Capital, a Brazilian private equity firm, and Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), on behalf of certain of its clients, have entered into an investment agreement that will result in a primary investment of R$400 million in FIP Igua, the controlling shareholder of Igua Saneamento S.A.. Proceeds of the investment will be used to continue its investment program in its 18 existing concessions and public-private partnerships and to grow the company by pursuing new concession opportunities in the Brazilian water and sewage sector. The transaction is expected to close within 50 days subject to customary closing conditions.

The investment agreement comes one year after IG4 Capital established FIP Igua to manage Igua Saneamento S.A., formerly CAB Ambiental. IG4 Capital will continue to be the controlling shareholder of FIP Igua.

Igua Saneamento is a water and sewage service holding company with operations in 18 locations in five Brazilian States, including public concessions and public-private partnerships providing sanitation services for approximately 6.6 million people. FIP Igua holds an 84.2% stake in Igua Saneamento, while BNDES Participacoes S.A. holds the remaining 15.8% of the company.

Since IG4 Capital assumed control, Igua Saneamento has demonstrated consistently positive results, recording a profit of R$30.2 million in 2017, reversing a net loss of R$83.8 million in the previous year. 2017 results represented an improvement of 136% in a financial and operational restructuring year for the company. The restructuring resulted in an increase of 20.9% of adjusted EBITDA, which increased from R$175.4 million to R$212 million, with the EBITDA margin increasing from 34.5% to 39%.

"We are pleased to announce this partnership with IG4 Capital and Igua Saneamento S.A. The Brazilian water and sanitation sector requires significant private investment in order to increase the percentage of the population that has access to potable water and sewage collection & treatment. Our involvement in Igua Saneamento will accelerate the company's growth and its development into a leading Brazilian water platform", says David Perl, Director, Infrastructure & Timber, AIMCo.

"We are pleased with the partnership with AIMCo. It represents an additional proof that Igua Saneamento is already in the path to grow, after just one year that we initiated a complex turnaround in the company. With the new resources, we will be able to create even more value to IGUA's stakeholders", says Paulo Mattos, IG4 Capital's CEO.

About Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo)

Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) is one of Canada's largest and most diversified institutional investment managers with more than CAD 107 billion of assets under management, as at March 31, 2018. AIMCo was established on January 1, 2008 with a mandate to provide superior long-term investment results for its clients. AIMCo operates at arms-length from the Government of Alberta and invests globally on behalf of 32 pension, endowment and government funds in the Province of Alberta. For more information please visit www.aimco.alberta.ca.

About IG4 Capital

IG4 Capital is an alternatives asset management firm, focused on private equity and private credit.

SOURCE Alberta Investment Management Corporation

Related Links

www.aimco.alberta.ca

NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- WebMD, an Internet Brands company, today announced that it has acquired Vitals Consumer Services Division from MDx Medical, Inc. Vitals Consumer Services Division is a leading provider of online tools that help consumers find the right healthcare providers and connect with other patients.

One of the largest digital health properties in the U.S., Vitals Consumer Services Division is comprised of Vitals.com and UCompareHealthCare.com, websites that help consumers find local healthcare professionals for themselves and their families. It also includes MedHelp, a collection of online patient-to-patient communities that enable tens of thousands of daily conversations about hundreds of medical conditions.

Since being acquired by Internet Brands in 2017, WebMD has been investing in its provider directory, using it as a platform to help connect providers with consumers looking for care. Together, WebMD's provider directories and Vitals Consumer Services Division's consumer websites will generate more than 10 million visits per month from consumers looking for local healthcare providers.

"The consumer-first mission of Vitals Consumer Services Division, as evidenced by its strong commitment to transparent information and data, makes it a natural fit within the WebMD network," said WebMD CEO Steve Zatz, M.D. "We plan to quickly open our combined platform to providers, provider networks and other health systems that are seeking to drive new patients into their practices."

"We have long operated the Vitals Enterprise and Vitals Consumer businesses separately. We are delighted that Vitals Consumer Services has found a home with WebMD, and we believe those two platforms together will delight consumers who are shopping for a provider," said Heyward Donigan, President and CEO of Vitals. "Our Vitals Enterprise business continues on independently, delivering a leading digital engagement platform for our health plan and employer customers that creates a competitive healthcare marketplace and helps their members choose the best providers."

Following the transaction, Vitals Consumer Services Division will operate as a subsidiary of WebMD. Headquartered in Lyndhurst, N.J., MDx Medical will retain the Vitals Enterprise Solutions business, a digital engagement platform that reduces the cost of health care for health plans and employers. Terms of the transaction were not made public.

About Vitals

Vitals empowers everyone to shop for their health care like an expert. Our integrated high-tech, right-touch platform helps people select better, more affordable care. Vitals leads the market with incentive and engagement programs proven to drive new levels of activation. Our solutions achieve measurable and sustainable savings for consumers, employers and health plans. Over 280 million people each year rely on Vitals to help them decide on their care with confidence. Follow us on LinkedIn.

About WebMD

WebMD Health Corp., an Internet Brands Company, is the leading provider of health information services, serving patients, physicians, health care professionals, employers, and health plans through our public and private online portals, mobile platforms, and health-focused publications. The WebMD Health Network includes WebMD Health, Medscape, MedicineNet, eMedicineHealth, RxList, OnHealth, Medscape Education, and other owned WebMD sites. WebMD, Medscape, CME Circle, Medpulse, eMedicine, MedicineNet, theheart.org, and RxList are among the trademarks of WebMD Health Corp. or its subsidiaries.

About Internet Brands

Headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., Internet Brands is a fully integrated online media and software services organization focused on four high-value vertical categories: Health, Automotive, Legal and Home/Travel. The company's award-winning consumer websites lead their categories and serve more than 250 million monthly visitors, while a full range of web presence offerings has established deep, long-term relationships with SMB and enterprise clients. Internet Brands' powerful, proprietary operating platform provides the flexibility and scalability to fuel the company's continued growth. Internet Brands is a portfolio company of KKR and Temasek. For more information, please visit www.internetbrands.com.

SOURCE WebMD Health Corp.

Related Links

http://www.webmd.com

LENOIR CITY, Tenn., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks to Janus Global Operations' explosive ordnance experts in Ramadi, Iraq, ISIS's efforts to disrupt stabilization and deny cancer treatment to Iraqi patients have failed. Janus Global personnel cleared a safe path through a building laden with explosives-contaminated rubble to gain access to two of the country's four radiation therapy machines. This enabled the Iraqi Ministry of Health to allocate funds to rebuild the war-shattered hospital to restore treatment to Iraqis suffering with cancer.

The cancer hospital is one of four major medical facilities (kidney, fever, pharmacy, and cancer) within the Ramadi Medical Complex. The complex, built with U.S. donor funds, was nearly completed when ISIS captured Ramadi in 2014. The city was liberated at the beginning of 2016.

Janus Global, an integrated stability operations company, has been working since April 2016 on a project for the U.S. State Department's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement to clear Iraq of the tens of thousands of ISIS-planted and residual explosive devices. Janus Global had previously cleared roads leading to the medical complex, pharmacy, a disease clinic, and reception area.

According to Iraqi officials, the radiation therapy machines represent 50 percent of Iraq's ability to fight cancer with this technology and the loss has been devastating to cancer patients. The Ministry of Health and the mayor of Ramadi asked that the site be evaluated and determine what could be done to rescue, quite literally, these machines.

As ISIS was driven from Ramadi, its members destroyed vital infrastructure or placed improvised explosive devices to create chaos and cause death and injury to innocent civilians within the city. The cancer hospital suffered damage from ISIS's efforts to raze it and from the fighting to liberate Ramadi.

Fortunately, ISIS didn't destroy the radiation treatment machines before they were driven from the area, either because they didn't realize their value or because they thought the machines might be a lure that would provoke further death and injury from other IED's when the machines were discovered by returning Iraqi security and medical personnel.

The challenge for Janus Global's experts was determining how safely to access the machines. Ramadi's mayor provided a structural engineer who helped Janus determine that the structure was stable enough for work to begin. Nonetheless, the structure contained rubble that in some places reached three-feet high, and explosive devices could have been anywhere within the rubble. In addition, Janus also had to determine that the potential hazards from radiation sources in the cancer treatment machinery were within acceptable levels before proceeding and to craft a removal path where the machinery could be recovered without any injury through radiation exposure. Before proceeding, Janus Global's CBRN expert ensured that all machinery was safe for clearance personnel, for reconstruction crews who will rebuild the facility, and for the medical staff who will ultimately operate the reconstructed hospital.

A 240 square-meter pathway was explored and cleared with Janus Global technicians using their fingertips and flashlights. After the initial work to clear the pathway, K-9 dogs, specially trained to sniff-out explosives, were brought in to search the area.

In total, within the medical complex, Janus Global's explosive ordnance professionals located more than 50 explosive devices, among them hand grenades; 155 millimeter artillery shells; 39 IED main charges; and an assortment of improvised mortars, explosives detonators, and small arms ammunition.

Following Janus Global's remediation program, the Ministry of Health has decided to rebuild the medical complex to again provide needed medical care for the Iraqi people.

About Janus Global: Janus Global Operations is an integrated stability operations company with thousands of employees serving clients in North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Janus' services include munitions response; demining; IED remediation; intelligence support; logistics; life support; risk management; communications; and other services in some of the world's most challenging and hostile environments. Janus is a portfolio company of DC Capital Partners. The company's website is www.janusgo.com.

About DC Capital Partners: DC Capital Partners is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia focused on making control investments in middle market, U.S.-based, Government Services and Engineering & Construction Services businesses. Learn more at www.dccapitalpartners.com.

SOURCE Janus Global Operations

Related Links

http://www.janusgo.com

"Throughout his outstanding and influential career spanning more than four decades, John Hennessy has helped move the semiconductor industry forward, leading efforts to advance semiconductor technology and train future generations of electrical engineers," said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. "John literally wrote the book on computer architecture design and has spearheaded semiconductor research that has helped make our industry what it is today. On behalf of the SIA board of directors, it is an honor to announce John's selection as the 2018 Robert N. Noyce Award recipient in recognition of his exceptional accomplishments."

Hennessy joined Stanford University's faculty in 1977 as an assistant professor of electrical engineering and rose through the academic ranks to become Stanford's 10th president, serving in that role from 2000 until his retirement in 2016. In February 2018, Dr. Hennessy was appointed chairman of Alphabet Inc., parent company of Google.

In 1981, Hennessy drew together researchers to focus on a computer architecture known as RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer), a technology that has revolutionized the computer industry by increasing performance while reducing costs. Dr. Hennessy helped transfer this technology to industry. In 1984, he cofounded MIPS Computer Systems, which designed microprocessors. In more recent years, his research focused on the architecture of high-performance computers.

Hennessy has lectured and published widely and is the co-author of two internationally used

undergraduate and graduate textbooks on computer architecture design. He earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University and his master's and doctoral degrees in computer science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

"It is a true privilege to be selected for this award, joining a distinguished list of pioneers and icons who have previously received it," said Hennessy. "Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work with countless outstanding colleagues, mentors, and friends who have been instrumental in my work every step of the way. It is with them in mind that I gratefully accept this award, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside them to advance the forward march of innovation."

The Noyce Award is named in honor of semiconductor industry pioneer Robert N. Noyce, co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel.

Media Contact

Dan Rosso

Semiconductor Industry Association

202-446-1719

[email protected]

About SIA

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) is the voice of the U.S. semiconductor industry, one of America's top export industries and a key driver of America's economic strength, national security, and global competitiveness. Semiconductors  microchips that control all modern electronics  enable the systems and products we use to work, communicate, travel, entertain, harness energy, treat illness, and make new scientific discoveries. The semiconductor industry directly employs nearly a quarter of a million people in the U.S. In 2017, U.S. semiconductor company sales totaled $189 billion, and semiconductors make the global trillion-dollar electronics industry possible. SIA seeks to strengthen U.S. leadership of semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research by working with Congress, the Administration and other key industry stakeholders to encourage policies and regulations that fuel innovation, propel business and drive international competition. Learn more at www.semiconductors.org.

SOURCE Semiconductor Industry Association

Related Links

http://www.semiconductors.org

SUGAR LAND, Texas, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) is pleased to be holding a complimentary webinar regarding spending in the North American Food & Beverage Industry on Wednesday, August 8, at 9 a.m. CDT (10 a.m. EDT). Join Randy Godet, Industrial Info's vice president of global research for the Food & Beverage Industry, and Shaheen Chohan, vice president of Global Analytics, to hear their discussion on trends that are driving Food & Beverage investments. Industrial Info is tracking more than $59 billion in active Food & Beverage projects in North America.

Projects range in size and spending, including those as diverse as a $1 million craft brewery renovation in South Carolina to a $400 million grassroot cheese and whey processing plant in Michigan. Among the topics to be discussed will be the tariffs placed on U.S. agricultural products by other countries as a trade war looms. The prospects of new trade deals, particularly for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and concerns over less export demand, could derail growth projections for an industry that relies heavily on growth and sustenance in offshore markets.

The webinar will cover the following topics and more:

Key market drivers influencing future spending

Spending outlook by market sector

Capital spending by project type

Join us August 8 as we explore these and other topics in the North American Food & Beverage Industry. Make sure to RSVP today!

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to [email protected] or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com.

SOURCE Industrial Info Resources, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.industrialinfo.com

"Since launching the world's safest backpack earlier this year we have participated in ongoing discussions at both state and federal legislative levels to help create active shooter preparedness solutions for schools," explains Stephen C. Bizal, Co-Founder and President of Leatherback Gear. "With no established national guidelines as of yet for active shooter preparedness policy and best practices in place for schools, we felt compelled to share personal safety tips that are easy to understand for children and can be implemented by parents and teachers."

1. Stay Connected with Your Children - Be proactive. Whether you are a parent or teacher, create a safe environment for open communication with your children. Tune into your children's activities, how they are spending their time and with whom. Discuss your concerns and do not hesitate to get help if needed.

2. Encourage "See Something, Say Something" - Empower your children. Let them know that they have a voice which will be heard. Teach your children to be proactive in dealing with real life issues beginning at a young age. Role play to give them comfort in communicating with adults, teachers and law enforcement.

3. Practice Situational Awareness - Put the screen down and be alert. Pay attention to your surroundings to maintain awareness of your environment and the people in it. Learn to identify any unusual, unacceptable, or inappropriate behavior. Trust your instinct and say something.

4. Create & Practice a Safety Plan for your Classroom - Discuss an action plan in-advance. Know where to go and the safest places to hide. Think "Protect-Run-Hide" in the event of an active shooting occurrence until professional help arrives.

5. Create & Practice a Communication Plan - Have a strategy. Know what and with whom you need to communicate in the event of an active shooter emergency. Decide on a meeting point with your children in case of a school evacuation or campus threat.

Be Ready, Be Safe!

For more information visit: www.leatherbackgear.com

Press contact:

[email protected]

619-857-2774

SOURCE Leatherback Gear, LLC

Related Links

http://www.leatherbackgear.com

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lithium Technologies, the leading platform for enabling brands to support, serve and engage customers, today announced early access support for WhatsApp Business, allowing Lithium customers to develop valuable connections with their customers in a quick and easy, 1:1 messaging format.

WhatsApp Business provides a way for consumers to easily chat with businesses around the world. More than 1.5 billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends, family and businesses, anytime and anywhere.

Customers want to connect with businesses in the same way they chat with their friends and family  with fast, simple, and convenient messaging. The increasing popularity of direct messaging underscores this trend, with 63 percent of consumers citing satisfaction when reaching out to brands via messaging to resolve their issues1. And millennials are setting the pace for direct messaging adoption, with digital natives turning to direct messaging first to connect with brands 40 percent of the time.

"Great companies are committed to serving their customers whenever and wherever customers want to get answers," said Lithium CEO Pete Hess. "Messaging channels like WhatsApp Business gives brands a fast and simple way to address a customer's question in a direct and highly personalized way."

Lithium offers a Secure Verification capability that gives brands the ability to authenticate customers before requesting any private information on WhatsApp Business.

"In this privacy-conscious environment, messaging with authentication provides peace of mind for consumers and brands  and builds trust to ensure that data is utilized in a safe and contained environment, such as through WhatsApp Business solution," Hess continued.

Lithium's engagement platform monitors and organizes incoming digital conversations at massive scale. Through intelligent workflows, businesses are equipped to respond to consumers in a timely and accurate manner through a secure, unified platform with data to operationalize and improve digital programs. Whether consumers choose self-service, peer-to-peer service, or brand-direct service through an agent, Lithium helps consumers stay in their preferred channel during these interactions, without having to divert to another avenue for resolution. And this ability has an effect on customer service  Sapio found that almost 50 percent of consumers felt less positive about a company after having to switch channels than they did prior to the interaction.

Additional Resources

Learn more about WhatsApp's early access application here.

Lithium blog post: here

About Lithium:

The Lithium platform is the leading solution for digital customer care and engagement. Lithium offers Community, Social Media Management and Messaging to help Fortune 1000 companies listen, respond and act on digital conversations, deepening customer relationships and fostering brand advocacy. With over 15 years of expertise, Lithium has a massive digital footprint of approximately 500 million digital interactions analyzed daily and 50 million digital interactions powered monthly. Learn more at lithium.com, join our community at community.lithium.com, or follow us on Twitter @LithiumTech. Lithium is a global company headquartered in San Francisco.

The Lithium logo is a registered Service Mark of Lithium Technologies LLC. All other trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.

(1) Sapio Research, "The Evolution of Customer Service." Survey of 4,000 consumers across US and UK, conducted in March 2018.

SOURCE Lithium Technologies

Related Links

http://www.lithium.com

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (NYSE: CLI) today reported its results for the second quarter 2018.

SECOND QUARTER 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

Reported net income (loss) of $(0.05) per diluted share for the quarter;

per diluted share for the quarter; Achieved Core Funds from Operations per diluted share of $0.45 for the quarter and $0.95 for the six months 2018;

for the quarter and for the six months 2018; Leased 453,337 sq. ft. of office space and an additional 271,000 sq. ft. subsequent to quarter end;

Grew Core portfolio office rental rates by 7.5% on a cash basis and 16.5% on a GAAP basis;

Leases signed in the second quarter in our Core Office portfolio (excluding Flex) had cash starting rents of $32.38 per square foot;

per square foot; Core office portfolio was 83.2% leased and the Class A Suburban Portfolio was 94.5%, Flex was 92.1%, Suburban 82.6% and Waterfront 72.9% leased at June 30, 2018 ;

; Major office leases signed:

130,000 sq. ft. lease at 581 Main St. in Woodbridge, NJ with Plymouth Rock;

with Plymouth Rock;

Subsequent to quarter-end, a 132,000 sq. ft. office lease renewal at Harborside 2 in Jersey City, NJ , including 26,000 sq. ft. of expansion space with E-Trade; and

, including 26,000 sq. ft. of expansion space with E-Trade; and

A 67,000 sq. ft. new lease at 100 Overlook in Princeton, NJ with The Trustees of Princeton University ;

with The Trustees of ; Roseland's multifamily stabilized portfolio was 97.5% leased at June 30, 2018 , up 20 basis points on a sequential quarter basis;

multifamily stabilized portfolio was 97.5% leased at , up 20 basis points on a sequential quarter basis; Roseland's 1,212 unit lease-up portfolio, all from 2018 deliveries, was 51% leased at July 31, 2018 , which includes the July delivery of RiverHouse 11; in less than 4 weeks since opening, the community has leased 173 apartments and is currently 58.6% leased;

1,212 unit lease-up portfolio, all from 2018 deliveries, was 51% leased at , which includes the July delivery of RiverHouse 11; in less than 4 weeks since opening, the community has leased 173 apartments and is currently 58.6% leased; Roseland commenced construction on Building 8/9 at Port Imperial, a 313-unit luxury community adjacent to RiverHouse 11;

commenced construction on Building 8/9 at Port Imperial, a 313-unit luxury community adjacent to RiverHouse 11; Roseland entered into an agreement to acquire Prudential's membership interest in Marbella, thereby converting its subordinate interest into a controlling interest for approximately $65.5 million , or approximately $37.5 million net of refinancing proceeds. The acquisition is scheduled to close no later than August 11 with funding from a $131 million refinancing commitment and Rockpoint capital; and

entered into an agreement to acquire Prudential's membership interest in Marbella, thereby converting its subordinate interest into a controlling interest for approximately , or approximately net of refinancing proceeds. The acquisition is scheduled to close no later than with funding from a refinancing commitment and Rockpoint capital; and Declared $0.20 per share quarterly common stock dividend.

"Our team's leasing efforts resulted in good progress as we signed over 453,000 square feet of leases in the quarter and an additional 271,000 in the first month of the third quarter," stated Michael J. DeMarco, Chief Executive Officer. "Traffic and interest continue to be strong both in our waterfront portfolio and our suburban assets; our pipeline of deals has grown since last quarter. However, the pace of conversion from prospect to signed lease continues to be a lengthy process. With residential lease-ups in peak season, we are excited by the level of interest which has translated into excellent absorption. With non-core asset sales essentially complete, the team's focus remains squarely on leasing, recognizing that as a critical catalyst to drive results and value for our shareholders."

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

* All per share amounts presented below are on a diluted basis.

Net income (loss) available to common shareholders for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 amounted to $(1.3) million, or $(0.05) per share, as compared to $(37.3) million, or $(0.44) per share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. For the six months ended June 30, 2018, net income to common shareholders equaled $41.8 million, or $0.39 per share, as compared to $(17.5) million, or $(0.33) per share, for the same period last year.

Funds from operations (FFO) for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 amounted to $43.4 million, or $0.43 per share, as compared to $60.5 million, or $0.60 per share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. For the six months ended June 30, 2018, FFO equaled $78.7 million, or $0.78 per share, as compared to $116.3 million, or $1.16 per share, for the same period last year.

For the second quarter 2018, Core FFO was $0.45 per share, as compared to $0.60 for the same period last year.

OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

Office

Mack-Cali's consolidated Core office properties were 83.2 percent leased at June 30, 2018, as compared to 85.2 percent leased at March 31, 2018. The change in percent leased is primarily due to 400,000 square feet of expected move-outs in the Waterfront portfolio, partially offset by positive net absorption in the Class A suburban and Suburban portfolios.

Second quarter 2018 same store GAAP revenues for the office portfolio declined by 8.2 percent while same store GAAP NOI fell by 10.9 percent. Second quarter 2018 same store cash revenues for the office portfolio declined by 4.9 percent while same store cash NOI fell by 5.7 percent. Same store cash revenues and same store cash NOI excludes straight-line rent and FAS 141 adjustments.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2018, the Company executed 51 leases at its consolidated in-service commercial portfolio totaling 453,337 square feet. Of these totals, 19 leases for 209,020 square feet (46 percent) were for new leases and 32 leases for 244,317 square feet (54 percent) were lease renewals and other tenant retention transactions.

Rental rate roll up for the Core portfolio for second quarter 2018 transactions was 7.5 percent on a cash basis and 16.5 percent on a GAAP basis. Rental rate roll up in second quarter 2018 for new transactions was 2.9 percent on a cash basis and 12.2 percent on a GAAP basis; and for renewals and other tenant retention transactions was 7.9 percent on a cash basis and 16.4 percent on a GAAP basis. Same store cash revenues and same store cash NOI excludes straight-line rent and FAS 141 adjustments.

Subsequent to quarter end, the Company signed a 132,000 square-foot lease at Harborside 2 in Jersey City, New Jersey, including 26,000 square feet of expansion space with E-Trade and signed a 67,000 square-foot lease at 100 Overlook in Princeton, New Jersey.

Multifamily

Roseland's operating portfolio was 97.5 percent leased at June 30, 2018, increasing 20 basis points from March 31, 2018. Same store net operating income decreased by 1.2 percent for the second quarter. With the 2018 delivery of 1,212 units coupled with its construction portfolio of over 2,000 units and keys, we envision continued growth in the Company's residential portfolio and cash flow contribution. The lease-up portfolio is currently 51 percent leased.

BALANCE SHEET/CAPITAL MARKETS

As of June 30, 2018, the Company had a debt-to-undepreciated assets ratio of 44.6 percent compared to 44.5 percent at March 31, 2018 and 47.5 percent at June 30, 2017. Net debt to adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 was 9.7x compared to 8.8x for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. The Company's interest coverage ratio was 3.5x for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, in line with the quarter ended June 30, 2017.

DIVIDEND

In June 2018, the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per common share (indicating an annual rate of $0.80 per common share) for the second quarter 2018, which was paid on July 13, 2018 to shareholders of record as of July 3, 2018. The Company's Core FFO dividend payout ratio for the quarter was 44.5 percent.

GUIDANCE/OUTLOOK

The Company's projected net income and Core FFO per diluted share guidance for full year 2018 is as follows:





Full Year





2018 Range

Net income available to common shareholders $ 0.35 - $ 0.41

Add (deduct):



Real estate-related depreciation and amortization on continuing operations

1.80

Redemption value adjustment to redeemable noncontrolling interests

0.07

Realized (gains) losses and unrealized losses on disposition of rental property, net

(0.59)

Loss from extinguishment of debt, net

0.10

Severance/separation costs on management restructuring

0.07

Core FFO $ 1.80 - $ 1.86



2018 Guidance Assumptions ($ in millions)

Revised Assumptions: Low

High Office Occupancy (year-end % leased) 84%

86% Office Same Store GAAP NOI Growth (18)%

(16)% Office Same Store Cash NOI Growth (15)%

(13)% Multifamily Same Store NOI Growth 0%

2% Straight-Line Rent Adjustment $7

$11 FAS 141 Mark-to-Market Rent Adjustment $5

$6 Dispositions $375

$425 Base Building CapEx $8

$12 Leasing CapEx $60

$75 G&A $46

$48 Interest Expense $83

$85

This guidance reflects management's view of current market conditions and certain assumptions with regard to rental rates, occupancy levels and other assumptions/projections. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

CONFERENCE CALL/SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

An earnings conference call with management is scheduled for August 2, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, which will be broadcast live via the Internet at:

https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/kbz368x9

The live conference call is also accessible by calling (323) 794-2590 and requesting the Mack-Cali conference call.

The conference call will be rebroadcast on Mack-Cali's website at http://investors.mack-cali.com/corporate-profile beginning at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 2, 2018.

A replay of the call will also be accessible August 2, 2018 through August 9, 2018 by calling (719) 457-0820 and using the pass code, 9755293.

Copies of Mack-Cali's Form 10-Q and Supplemental Operating and Financial Data are available on Mack-Cali's website, as follows:

Second Quarter 2018 Form 10-Q:

http://investors.mack-cali.com/sec-filings

Second Quarter 2018 Supplemental Operating and Financial Data:

http://investors.mack-cali.com/quarterly-supplementals

In addition, these items are available upon request from:

Mack-Cali Investor Relations Department - Deidre Crockett

Harborside 3, 210 Hudson St., Ste. 400, Jersey City, New Jersey 07311

(732) 590-1025

INFORMATION ABOUT FFO

Funds from operations ("FFO") is defined as net income (loss) before noncontrolling interests of unitholders, computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), excluding gains or losses from depreciable rental property transactions, and impairments related to depreciable rental property, plus real estate-related depreciation and amortization. The Company believes that FFO per share is helpful to investors as one of several measures of the performance of an equity REIT. The Company further believes that as FFO per share excludes the effect of depreciation, gains (or losses) from sales of properties and impairments related to depreciable rental property (all of which are based on historical costs which may be of limited relevance in evaluating current performance), FFO per share can facilitate comparison of operating performance between equity REITs.

FFO per share should not be considered as an alternative to net income available to common shareholders per share as an indication of the Company's performance or to cash flows as a measure of liquidity. FFO per share presented herein is not necessarily comparable to FFO per share presented by other real estate companies due to the fact that not all real estate companies use the same definition. However, the Company's FFO per share is comparable to the FFO per share of real estate companies that use the current definition of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT"). A reconciliation of net income per share to FFO per share is included in the financial tables accompanying this press release.

Core FFO is defined as FFO, as adjusted for certain items to facilitate comparative measurement of the Company's performance over time. Core FFO is presented solely as supplemental disclosure that the Company's management believes provides useful information to investors and analysts of its results, after adjusting for certain items to facilitate comparability of its performance from period to period. Core FFO is a non-GAAP financial measure that is not intended to represent cash flow and is not indicative of cash flows provided by operating activities as determined in accordance with GAAP. As there is not a generally accepted definition established for Core FFO, the Company's measures of Core FFO may not be comparable to the Core FFO reported by other REITs. A reconciliation of net income per share to Core FFO in dollars and per share is included in the financial tables accompanying this press release.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

One of the country's leading real estate investment trusts (REITs), Mack-Cali Realty Corporation is an owner, manager and developer of premier office and multifamily properties in select waterfront and transit-oriented markets throughout the Northeast. Mack-Cali is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, and is the visionary behind the city's flourishing waterfront, where the company is leading development, improvement and place-making initiatives for Harborside, a master-planned destination comprised of class A office, luxury apartments, diverse retail and restaurants, and public spaces.

A fully-integrated and self-managed company, Mack-Cali has provided world-class management, leasing, and development services throughout New Jersey and the surrounding region for two decades. By regularly investing in its properties and innovative lifestyle amenity packages, Mack-Cali creates environments that empower tenants and residents to reimagine the way they work and live.

For more information on Mack-Cali Realty Corporation and its properties, visit www.mack-cali.com.

The information in this press release must be read in conjunction with, and is modified in its entirety by, the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (the "10-Q") filed by the Company for the same period with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and all of the Company's other public filings with the SEC (the "Public Filings"). In particular, the financial information contained herein is subject to and qualified by reference to the financial statements contained in the 10-Q, the footnotes thereto and the limitations set forth therein. Investors may not rely on the press release without reference to the 10-Q and the Public Filings.

We consider portions of this report, including the documents incorporated by reference, to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of such act. Such forward-looking statements relate to, without limitation, our future economic performance, plans and objectives for future operations and projections of revenue and other financial items. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "plan," "potential," "projected," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "target," "continue" or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which we cannot predict with accuracy and some of which we might not even anticipate. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions at the time made, we can give no assurance that such expectations will be achieved. Future events and actual results, financial and otherwise, may differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Contacts: Michael J. DeMarco David Smetana Deidre Crockett

Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Mack-Cali Realty Corporation

Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications

(732) 590-1589 (732) 590-1035 and Investor Relations

[email protected] [email protected] (732) 590-1025





[email protected]

Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Consolidated Statements of Operations (In thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited)

























Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30, REVENUES

2018



2017



2018



2017 Base rents $ 103,584

$ 133,017

$ 216,486

$ 254,272 Escalations and recoveries from tenants

10,301



15,951



23,092



31,070 Real estate services

4,074



5,767



8,735



12,232 Parking income

5,757



5,052



11,084



9,281 Other income

2,873



2,979



6,159



5,798 Total revenues

126,589



162,766



265,556



312,653























EXPENSES





















Real estate taxes

17,966



21,217



36,327



42,309 Utilities

7,555



10,357



20,059



21,771 Operating services

22,939



27,092



48,557



54,183 Real estate services expenses

4,360



5,899



9,296



12,169 General and administrative

13,455



12,491



29,540



24,083 Depreciation and amortization

41,413



57,762



82,710



105,393 Total expenses

107,688



134,818



226,489



259,908 Operating income

18,901



27,948



39,067



52,745























OTHER (EXPENSE) INCOME





















Interest expense

(18,999)



(24,943)



(39,074)



(45,264) Interest and other investment income (loss)

641



122



1,769



596 Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures

(52)



(3,298)



1,520



(3,349) Realized gains (losses) and unrealized losses on disposition of rental

property, net

1,010



(38,954)



59,196



(33,448) Gain on sale of investment in unconsolidated joint venture

-



-



-



12,563 Loss from extinguishment of debt, net

-



-



(10,289)



(239) Total other income (expense)

(17,400)



(67,073)



13,122



(69,141) Net income (loss)

1,501



(39,125)



52,189



(16,396) Noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint ventures

95



181



125



418 Noncontrolling interest in Operating Partnership

142



4,296



(4,741)



2,001 Redeemable noncontrolling interest

(2,989)



(2,682)



(5,788)



(3,474) Net income (loss) available to common shareholders $ (1,251)

$ (37,330)

$ 41,785

$ (17,451)























Basic earnings per common share:





















Net income (loss) available to common shareholders $ (0.05)

$ (0.44)

$ 0.39

$ (0.33)























Diluted earnings per common share:





















Net income (loss) available to common shareholders $ (0.05)

$ (0.44)

$ 0.39

$ (0.33)























Basic weighted average shares outstanding

90,330



90,011



90,297



89,983























Diluted weighted average shares outstanding

100,598



100,370



100,607



100,354

Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Statements of Funds from Operations (in thousands, except per share/unit amounts) (unaudited)

































Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30,



2018





2017





2018





2017

Net income (loss) available to common shareholders $ (1,251)



$ (37,330)



$ 41,785



$ (17,451)

Add (deduct): Noncontrolling interest in Operating Partnership

(142)





(4,296)





4,741





(2,001)

Real estate-related depreciation and amortization on continuing

operations (a)

45,781





63,156





91,383





114,913

Gain on sale of investment in unconsolidated joint venture

-





-





-





(12,563)

Realized (gains)/losses and unrealized losses on disposition of

rental property, net

(1,010)





38,954





(59,196)





33,448

Funds from operations (b) $ 43,378



$ 60,484



$ 78,713



$ 116,346

































Add/(Deduct):





























Loss from extinguishment of debt, net

-





-





10,289





239

Severance/separation costs on management restructuring

1,795





-





6,847





-

Core FFO $ 45,173



$ 60,484



$ 95,849



$ 116,585

































Diluted weighted average shares/units outstanding (c)

100,598





100,370





100,607





100,354

































Funds from operations per share/unit-diluted $ 0.43



$ 0.60



$ 0.78



$ 1.16

































Core funds from operations per share/unit diluted $ 0.45



$ 0.60



$ 0.95



$ 1.16

































Dividends declared per common share $ 0.20



$ 0.20



$ 0.40



$ 0.35

































Dividend payout ratio:





























Core Funds from operations-diluted

44.54 %



33.19 %



41.99 %



30.13 %































Supplemental Information:





























Non-incremental revenue generating capital expenditures:





























Building improvements $ 723



$ 3,303



$ 2,389



$ 8,272

Tenant improvements & leasing commissions (d) $ 17,939



$ 8,150



$ 22,407



$ 12,115

Tenant improvements & leasing commissions on space vacant for

more than a year $ 6,851



$ 4,956



$ 14,546



$ 12,116

Straight-line rent adjustments (e) $ (249)



$ 3,240



$ 2,493



$ 6,253

Amortization of (above)/below market lease intangibles, net (f) $ 1,313



$ 2,187



$ 3,443



$ 3,764

Amortization of stock compensation $ 783



$ 2,167



$ 3,440



$ 3,335

Amortization of lease inducements $ 258



$ 446



$ 552



$ 724

Non real estate depreciation and amortization $ 536



$ 349



$ 1,047



$ 726

Amortization of deferred financing costs $ 1,145



$ 1,175



$ 2,241



$ 2,278



































(a) Includes the Company's share from unconsolidated joint ventures of $4,903 and $5,742 for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $9,718 and $10,245 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Excludes non-real estate-related depreciation and amortization of $535 and $349 for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $1,046 and $726 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. (b) Funds from operations is calculated in accordance with the definition of FFO of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT). See "Information About FFO" in this release. (c) Calculated based on weighted average common shares outstanding, assuming redemption of Operating Partnership common units into common shares (10,213 and 10,359 shares for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and 10,227 and 10,371 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively ), plus dilutive Common Stock Equivalents (i.e. stock options). (d) Excludes expenditures for tenant spaces that have not been owned for at least a year. (e) Includes free rent of $2,099 and $6,473 for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $8,474 and $13,126 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Also, includes the Company's share from unconsolidated joint ventures of $(256) and $307 for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $(694) and $295 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. (f) Includes the Company's share from unconsolidated joint ventures of $27 and $80 for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $107 and $175 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Statements of Funds from Operations (FFO) and Core FFO per Diluted Share (amounts are per diluted share, except share counts in thousands) (unaudited)

























Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30,



2018



2017



2018



2017 Net income (loss) available to common shareholders $ (0.05)

$ (0.44)

$ 0.39

$ (0.33) Add (deduct): Real estate-related depreciation and amortization on

continuing operations (a)

0.46



0.63



0.91



1.15 Redemption value adjustment to redeemable noncontrolling interests

0.04



0.03



0.07



0.14 Gain on sale of investment in unconsolidated joint venture

-



-



-



(0.13) Realized (gains) losses and unrealized losses on disposition of rental

property, net

(0.01)



0.39



(0.59)



0.33 Noncontrolling interest/rounding adjustment

(0.01)



(0.01)



-



- Funds from operations (b) $ 0.43

$ 0.60

$ 0.78

$ 1.16























Add/(Deduct):





















Loss from extinguishment of debt, net

-



-



0.10



- Severance/separation costs on management restructuring

0.02



-



0.07



- Core FFO $ 0.45

$ 0.60

$ 0.95

$ 1.16























Diluted weighted average shares/units outstanding (c)

100,598



100,370



100,607



100,354

(a) Includes the Company's share from unconsolidated joint ventures of $0.05 and $0.06 for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $0.10 and $0.10 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. (b) Funds from operations is calculated in accordance with the definition of FFO of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT). See "Information About FFO" in this release. (c) Calculated based on weighted average common shares outstanding, assuming redemption of Operating Partnership common units into common shares (10,213 and 10,359 shares for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and 10,227 and 10,371 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively ), plus dilutive Common Stock Equivalents (i.e. stock options).

Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited)















June 30,



December 31, Assets

2018



2017 Rental property









Land and leasehold interests $ 782,990

$ 786,789 Buildings and improvements

4,012,029



3,955,122 Tenant improvements

327,731



330,686 Furniture, fixtures and equipment

36,993



30,247



5,159,743



5,102,844 Less  accumulated depreciation and amortization

(1,072,029)



(1,087,083)



4,087,714



4,015,761 Rental property held for sale, net

56,419



171,578 Net investment in rental property

4,144,133



4,187,339 Cash and cash equivalents

29,664



28,180 Restricted cash

22,121



39,792 Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures

247,607



252,626 Unbilled rents receivable, net

98,252



100,842 Deferred charges, goodwill and other assets, net

310,118



342,320 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $329 and $1,138

6,389



6,786











Total assets $ 4,858,284

$ 4,957,885











Liabilities and Equity









Senior unsecured notes, net $ 569,730

$ 569,145 Unsecured revolving credit facility and term loans

856,188



822,288 Mortgages, loans payable and other obligations, net

1,220,519



1,418,135 Dividends and distributions payable

21,407



21,158 Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities

180,941



192,716 Rents received in advance and security deposits

39,450



43,993 Accrued interest payable

8,518



9,519 Total liabilities

2,896,753



3,076,954 Commitments and contingencies





















Redeemable noncontrolling interests

284,215



212,208











Equity:









Mack-Cali Realty Corporation stockholders' equity:









Common stock, $0.01 par value, 190,000,000 shares authorized,









90,286,268 and 89,914,113 shares outstanding

902



899 Additional paid-in capital

2,564,153



2,565,136 Dividends in excess of net earnings

(1,090,724)



(1,096,429) Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

12,916



6,689 Total Mack-Cali Realty Corporation stockholders' equity

1,487,247



1,476,295











Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries:









Operating Partnership

169,110



171,395 Consolidated joint ventures

20,959



21,033 Total noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries

190,069



192,428











Total equity

1,677,316



1,668,723











Total liabilities and equity $ 4,858,284

$ 4,957,885

SOURCE Mack-Cali Realty Corporation

Related Links

http://www.mack-cali.com

BOSTON, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Most U.S. manufacturers agree that increased growth and investment opportunities are on the horizon, despite some of the uncertainties related to global trade. But they say a major issue looms: Where are the skilled workers for the digital factories of the future?

In a recent survey of 200 decision-makers across seven manufacturing industries, global management consulting firm L.E.K. Consulting found that four out of five U.S. manufacturers are preparing for an increase in automation technology, with only 18% of companies saying they have minimal plans for automation.

As such, employee skill set upgrading and retraining employees for different functions are high on manufacturers' priority lists in preparation for automation advances and increased onshore manufacturing, trailing only the modernization of manufacturing lines. Notably, despite automation's reputation as a job-killer, it is actually prompting manufacturing companies to actively invest in their workforce. Just 22% of respondents claimed to have downsizing in mind as a driver of greater adoption of automation.

"It's clear to us that downsizing is not a priority for U.S. manufacturers right now, even with the current uncertainties surrounding trade. Yet, they are worried about potential skilled labor gaps and the effects this may have on their overall automation strategy," says Carol Wingard, Managing Director of L.E.K.'s Industrials practice in the Americas and coauthor of "2018 Manufacturing Priorities Survey." "In fact, manufacturers have indicated that access to key talent pools is a dominant motive behind facility expansion in new or existing sites."

Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled products (goods and devices that can transfer data over the internet to other interrelated products) are piquing the interest of manufacturers, but most are still caught in early development stages. While questions around data collection are major factors in planning delays, manufacturers also report a lack of technical, analytical, field support and commercial skills and capabilities  further evidence of rising concerns around a workplace shortage of skilled labor.

"About 70% of our survey respondents said they're taking a wait-and-see or quick-follower approach to IoT, which tells us there's some apprehension toward heavy IoT investing at the moment," says Eric Navales, coauthor of the survey report and Managing Director at L.E.K Consulting.

Further survey findings

Just as the vast majority of manufacturers see a bright future ahead for onshore manufacturing opportunities, 66% view existing ecommerce players (such as Amazon) as promising partners to further drive business.

"In the short term, ecommerce players like Amazon will easily provide manufacturers with broad distribution channel access," says Wingard. "But down the line, we think the possibility of future conflict with more profitable channels may curb the allure of partnerships with today's leading ecommerce firms."

Finally, U.S. manufacturers are concerned that departments traditionally considered non-customer-facing (such as manufacturing, supply chain, and operations) will need to shift with current market trends to become more customer-forward.

"Using a holistic approach, manufacturing firms can target non-customer-facing departments for customer-friendly initiatives that will really drive operational and cultural change across the whole company," says Navales.

About L.E.K. Consulting

L.E.K. Consulting is a global management consulting firm that uses deep industry expertise and rigorous analysis to help business leaders achieve practical results with real impact. We are uncompromising in our approach to helping clients consistently make better decisions, deliver improved business performance, and create greater shareholder returns. The firm advises and supports global companies that are leaders in their industries  including the largest private and public-sector organizations, private equity firms and emerging entrepreneurial businesses. Founded in 1983, L.E.K. employs more than 1,200 professionals across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe. For more information, go to www.lek.com.

Contact:

Katarina Wenk-Bodenmiller

Sommerfield Communications, Inc.

+1 (212) 255-8386

[email protected]



SOURCE L.E.K. Consulting

Related Links

http://www.lek.com

HONOLULU, July 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Matson, Inc. ("Matson" or the "Company") (NYSE: MATX), a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific, today reported net income of $32.6 million, or $0.76 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. Net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 was $24.0 million, or $0.55 per diluted share. Consolidated revenue for the second quarter 2018 was $557.1 million compared with $512.5 million reported for the second quarter 2017.

For the six months ended June 30, 2018, Matson reported net income of $46.8 million, or $1.09 per diluted share compared with $31.0 million, or $0.72 per diluted share in 2017. Consolidated revenue for the six month period ended June 30, 2018 was $1,068.5 million, compared with $986.9 million in 2017.

Matt Cox, Matson's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our performance in the quarter was solid with Ocean Transportation's results approaching the level achieved last year and continued strong results across all service lines in Logistics."

Mr. Cox added, "For full year 2018 in Ocean Transportation, we continue to expect improvements in each of our core tradelanes with the exception of Guam and China. In Guam, we expect to face continued competitive pressure, and in China we continue to expect modestly lower volume coming off an exceptionally strong 2017. We continue to expect Ocean Transportation's full year 2018 operating income to be modestly higher than the level achieved in 2017. For 2018 in Logistics, we are raising our Outlook for the year given the strong trends across all service lines."

Second Quarter 2018 Discussion and Outlook for 2018

Ocean Transportation: The Company's container volume in the Hawaii service in the second quarter 2018 was flat year-over-year. The Hawaii economy continues to be strong, supported primarily by healthy tourism activity and low unemployment. The Company expects volume in 2018 to approximate the level achieved in 2017, reflecting a solid Hawaii economy and stable market share.

In China, the Company's container volume in the second quarter 2018 was 5.9 percent lower year-over-year largely due to one less sailing. Matson continued to realize a sizeable rate premium in the second quarter 2018 and achieved average freight rates modestly higher than the second quarter 2017. For 2018, the Company expects pricing to approximate the average rate achieved in 2017 and volume to be modestly lower than the level achieved in 2017.

In Guam, as expected, the Company's container volume in the second quarter 2018 was lower on a year-over-year basis, the result of competitive losses. For 2018, the Company expects a heightened competitive environment and lower volume than the levels achieved in 2017.

In Alaska, the Company's container volume for the second quarter 2018 was 0.6 percent lower year-over-year, primarily due to lower southbound volume as a result of a delayed start to the seafood season. For 2018, the Company expects volume to be modestly higher than the level achieved in 2017 with improvement in northbound volume, partially offset by lower southbound seafood-related volume due to a moderation from the very strong seafood harvest levels in 2017.

As a result of the second quarter performance and the outlook trends noted above, the Company expects full year 2018 Ocean Transportation operating income to be modestly higher than the operating income of $126.4 million achieved in 2017. In the third quarter 2018, the Company expects Ocean Transportation operating income to be modestly lower than the operating income of $51.0 million achieved in the third quarter 2017.

Logistics: In the second quarter 2018, operating income for the Company's Logistics segment was $2.5 million higher compared to the operating income achieved in the second quarter 2017 due to improved performance across all of the service lines. For the second half of 2018 in Logistics, the Company expects year-over-year improvement in operating income to approximate the year-over-year increase achieved in the first half of 2018. In the third quarter 2018, the Company expects operating income to be moderately higher than the level achieved in the third quarter 2017.

Depreciation and Amortization: For the full year 2018, the Company expects depreciation and amortization expense to be approximately $132 million, inclusive of dry-docking amortization of approximately $36 million.

EBITDA: The Company expects full year 2018 EBITDA to be modestly lower than the $296.0 million achieved in 2017.

Other Income/(Expense): The Company expects full year 2018 other income/(expense) to be approximately $2.4 million, which is attributable to other component costs related to the Company's pension and post-retirement plans.

Interest Expense: The Company expects interest expense for the full year 2018 to be approximately $22 million.

Income Taxes: In the second quarter 2018, the Company's effective tax rate was 21.3 percent. For the balance of 2018, the Company expects its effective tax rate to be approximately 28 percent.

Capital and Vessel Dry-docking Expenditures: In the second quarter 2018, the Company made maintenance capital expenditure payments of $12.4 million, capitalized vessel construction expenditures of $109.1 million, and dry-docking payments of $0.5 million. For the full year 2018, the Company expects to make maintenance capital expenditure payments of approximately $83 million, vessel construction expenditures (inclusive of capitalized interest and owner's items) of approximately $388 million, and dry-docking payments of approximately $17 million.

 Refer to the Ocean Transportation and Logistics operating income reconciliations on page 11 of this press release.



Results By Segment

Ocean Transportation  Three months ended June 30, 2018 compared with 2017





























Three Months Ended June 30,

(Dollars in millions)

2018

2017

Change

Ocean Transportation revenue

$ 406.6

$ 392.7

$ 13.9

3.5 % Operating costs and expenses



(370.1)



(352.7)



(17.4)

4.9 % Operating income

$ 36.5

$ 40.0

$ (3.5)

(8.8) % Operating income margin



9.0 %

10.2 %



































Volume (Forty-foot equivalent units (FEU), except for automobiles) (1)























Hawaii containers



38,600



38,600





 % Hawaii automobiles



16,000



16,500



(500)

(3.0) % Alaska containers



17,400



17,500



(100)

(0.6) % China containers



15,900



16,900



(1,000)

(5.9) % Guam containers



4,800



5,400



(600)

(11.1) % Other containers (2)



3,700



2,500



1,200

48.0 %



























(1) Approximate volumes included for the period are based on the voyage departure date, but revenue and operating income are adjusted to reflect the percentage of revenue and operating income earned during the reporting period for voyages in transit at the end of each reporting period. (2) Includes containers from services in various islands in Micronesia and the South Pacific, and in Okinawa, Japan.

Ocean Transportation revenue increased $13.9 million, or 3.5 percent, during the three months ended June 30, 2018, compared with the three months ended June 30, 2017. This increase was primarily due to higher fuel surcharge revenue, revenue from the new Okinawa service and higher rates in Hawaii, partially offset by lower revenue in Guam.

On a year-over-year FEU basis, Hawaii container volume was flat; Alaska volume decreased by 0.6 percent primarily due to lower southbound volume as a result of a delayed start to the seafood season; China volume was 5.9 percent lower primarily due to one less sailing; and Guam volume was 11.1 percent lower due to increased competition.

Ocean Transportation operating income decreased $3.5 million during the three months ended June 30, 2018, compared with the three months ended June 30, 2017. This decrease was primarily due to higher terminal handling costs and lower revenue in Guam, partially offset by lower vessel operating costs, higher container rates in Hawaii and a higher contribution from SSAT.

The Company's SSAT terminal joint venture investment contributed $9.1 million during the three months ended June 30, 2018, compared to a $6.9 million contribution during the three months ended June 30, 2017. The increase was primarily attributable to higher lift volume.

Ocean Transportation  Six months ended June 30, 2018 compared with 2017





























Six Months Ended June 30,

(Dollars in millions)

2018

2017

Change

Ocean Transportation revenue

$ 785.9

$ 762.7

$ 23.2

3.0 % Operating costs and expenses



(724.9)



(707.4)



(17.5)

2.5 % Operating income

$ 61.0

$ 55.3

$ 5.7

10.3 % Operating income margin



7.8 %

7.3 %



































Volume (Forty-foot equivalent units (FEU), except for automobiles) (1)























Hawaii containers



74,300



75,000



(700)

(0.9) % Hawaii automobiles



32,800



30,300



2,500

8.3 % Alaska containers



34,800



33,300



1,500

4.5 % China containers



27,800



32,200



(4,400)

(13.7) % Guam containers



9,700



10,800



(1,100)

(10.2) % Other containers (2)



6,800



4,600



2,200

47.8 %



























(1) Approximate volumes included for the period are based on the voyage departure date, but revenue and operating income are adjusted to reflect the percentage of revenue and operating income earned during the reporting period for voyages in transit at the end of each reporting period. (2) Includes containers from services in various islands in Micronesia and the South Pacific, and in Okinawa, Japan.

Ocean Transportation revenue increased $23.2 million, or 3.0 percent, during the six months ended June 30, 2018, compared with the six months ended June 30, 2017. This increase was primarily due to higher fuel surcharge revenue and revenue from the new Okinawa service, partially offset by lower revenue in Guam and lower volume in China.

On a year-over-year FEU basis, Hawaii container volume decreased by 0.9 percent primarily due to lower eastbound volume; Alaska volume increased by 4.5 percent primarily due to an increase in northbound volumes mainly related to the dry-docking of a competitor's vessel and one additional sailing; China volume was 13.7 percent lower primarily due to fewer sailings and lower volume during the Lunar New Year period; and Guam volume was 10.2 percent lower due to increased competition.

Ocean Transportation operating income increased $5.7 million during the six months ended June 30, 2018, compared with the six months ended June 30, 2017. This increase was primarily due to lower vessel operating costs and a higher contribution from SSAT, partially offset by higher terminal handling costs and lower revenue in Guam.

The Company's SSAT terminal joint venture investment contributed $19.6 million during the six months ended June 30, 2018, compared to an $11.8 million contribution during the six months ended June 30, 2017. The increase was primarily attributable to higher lift volume.

Logistics  Three months ended June 30, 2018 compared with 2017





Three Months Ended June 30,

(Dollars in millions)

2018

2017

Change

Logistics revenue

$ 150.5

$ 119.8

$ 30.7

25.6 % Operating costs and expenses



(141.0)



(112.8)



(28.2)

25.0 % Operating income

$ 9.5

$ 7.0

$ 2.5

35.7 % Operating income margin



6.3 %

5.8 %











Logistics revenue increased $30.7 million, or 25.6 percent, during the three months ended June 30, 2018, compared with the three months ended June 30, 2017. This increase was primarily due to higher highway and intermodal brokerage revenue.

Logistics operating income increased $2.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 compared with the three months ended June 30, 2017. The increase was due primarily to higher contributions from highway brokerage.

Logistics  Six months ended June 30, 2018 compared with 2017





























Six Months Ended June 30,

(Dollars in millions)

2018

2017

Change

Logistics revenue

$ 282.6

$ 224.2

$ 58.4

26.0 % Operating costs and expenses



(268.9)



(215.3)



(53.6)

24.9 % Operating income

$ 13.7

$ 8.9

$ 4.8

53.9 % Operating income margin



4.8 %

4.0 %











Logistics revenue increased $58.4 million, or 26.0 percent, during the six months ended June 30, 2018, compared with the six months ended June 30, 2017. This increase was primarily due to higher highway and intermodal brokerage revenue.

Logistics operating income increased $4.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared with the six months ended June 30, 2017. The increase was due primarily to higher contributions from highway brokerage and freight forwarding.

Liquidity, Cash Flows and Capital Allocation

Matson's Cash and Cash Equivalents decreased by $7.0 million to $12.8 million during the six months ended June 30, 2018. Matson generated net cash from operating activities of $119.1 million during the six months ended June 30, 2018, compared to $63.4 million in the six months ended June 30, 2017. Capital expenditures, including capitalized vessel construction expenditures, totaled $192.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018, compared with $83.3 million in the six months ended June 30, 2017. Total debt increased by $75.4 million during the six months to $932.5 million as of June 30, 2018, of which $896.2 million was long-term debt.

For the twelve months ended June 30, 2018, Matson's Net Income and EBITDA were $247.8 million and $300.1 million, respectively. The ratio of Matson's Net Debt to last twelve months EBITDA was 3.06 as of June 30, 2018.

As previously announced, Matson's Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.21 per share payable on September 6, 2018 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 2, 2018.

Teleconference and Webcast

A conference call is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. EDT when Matt Cox, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Joel Wine, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will discuss Matson's second quarter results.

Date of Conference Call: Tuesday, July 31, 2018



Scheduled Time: 4:30 p.m. EDT / 1:30 p.m. PDT / 10:30 a.m. HST



Participant Toll Free Dial-In #: 1-877-312-5524



International Dial-In #: 1-253-237-1144

The conference call will be broadcast live along with a slide presentation on the Company's website at www.matson.com, under Investors. A replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the call through August 7, 2018 by dialing 1-855-859-2056 or 1-404-537-3406 and using the conference number 8657739. The slides and audio webcast of the conference call will be archived for one full quarter on the Company's website at www.matson.com, under Investors.

About the Company

Founded in 1882, Matson (NYSE: MATX) is a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services. Matson provides a vital lifeline to the domestic non-contiguous economies of Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam, and to other island economies in Micronesia. Matson also operates a premium, expedited service from China to Southern California and provides services to Okinawa, Japan and various islands in the South Pacific. The Company's fleet of owned and chartered vessels includes containerships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and custom-designed barges. Matson Logistics, established in 1987, extends the geographic reach of Matson's transportation network throughout the continental U.S. Its integrated, asset-light logistics services include rail intermodal, highway brokerage, warehousing, freight consolidation, Asia supply chain services, and forwarding to Alaska. Additional information about the Company is available at www.matson.com.

GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation

This press release, the Form 8-K and the information to be discussed in the conference call include non-GAAP measures. While Matson reports financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), the Company also considers other non-GAAP measures to evaluate performance, make day-to-day operating decisions, help investors understand our ability to incur and service debt and to make capital expenditures, and to understand period-over-period operating results separate and apart from items that may, or could, have a disproportional positive or negative impact on results in any particular period. These non-GAAP measures include, but are not limited to, Earnings Before Interest, Income Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA") and Net Debt-to-EBITDA.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including without limitation those statements regarding earnings, operating income, other income (expense), profitability and cash flow expectations, fleet renewal progress, fleet deployments, fuel strategy, economic effects of competitors' services, expenses, rate premiums and market conditions in the China service, trends in volumes, economic growth and construction activity in Hawaii, economic conditions in Alaska, lift volumes at SSAT, vessel deployments and operating efficiencies, and effective tax rates. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statement, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties relating to regional, national and international economic conditions; new or increased competition or improvements in competitors' service levels; fuel prices and our ability to collect fuel surcharges; our relationship with vendors, customers and partners and changes in related agreements; the actions of our competitors; our ability to offer a differentiated service in China for which customers are willing to pay a significant premium; the imposition of tariffs or a change in international trade policies; the ability of the shipyards to construct and deliver the Aloha Class and Kanaloa Class vessels on the contemplated timeframes; any unanticipated dry-dock or repair expenses; any delays or cost overruns related to the modernization of terminals; consummating and integrating acquisitions; changes in general economic and/or industry-specific conditions; competition and growth rates within the logistics industry; freight levels and increasing costs and availability of truck capacity or alternative means of transporting freight; changes in relationships with existing truck, rail, ocean and air carriers; changes in customer base due to possible consolidation among customers; conditions in the financial markets; changes in our credit profile and our future financial performance; our ability to obtain future debt financings; continuation of the Title XI and CCF programs; the impact of future and pending legislation, including environmental legislation; government regulations and investigations; repeal, substantial amendment or waiver of the Jones Act or its application, or our failure to maintain our status as a United States citizen under the Jones Act; relations with our unions; satisfactory negotiation and renewal of expired collective bargaining agreements without significant disruption to Matson's operations; war, terrorist attacks or other acts of violence; the use of our information technology and communication systems and cybersecurity attacks; and the occurrence of marine accidents, poor weather or natural disasters. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. This release should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC through the date of this release, which identify important factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this release. We do not undertake any obligation to update our forward-looking statements.

MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

(Unaudited)





























Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended



June 30,

June 30, (In millions, except per-share amounts)

2018

2017

2018

2017 Operating Revenue:























Ocean Transportation

$ 406.6

$ 392.7

$ 785.9

$ 762.7 Logistics



150.5



119.8



282.6



224.2 Total Operating Revenue



557.1



512.5



1,068.5



986.9

























Costs and Expenses:























Operating costs



(465.9)



(422.4)



(905.2)



(834.2) Equity in income of Terminal Joint Venture



9.1



6.9



19.6



11.8 Selling, general and administrative



(54.3)



(50.0)



(108.2)



(100.3) Total Costs and Expenses



(511.1)



(465.5)



(993.8)



(922.7)

























Operating Income



46.0



47.0



74.7



64.2 Interest expense



(5.0)



(6.3)



(10.0)



(12.6) Other income (expense), net



0.4



(1.1)



1.2



(1.9) Income before Income Taxes



41.4



39.6



65.9



49.7 Income taxes



(8.8)



(15.6)



(19.1)



(18.7) Net Income

$ 32.6

$ 24.0

$ 46.8

$ 31.0

























Basic Earnings Per-Share:

$ 0.76

$ 0.56

$ 1.10

$ 0.72 Diluted Earnings Per-Share:

$ 0.76

$ 0.55

$ 1.09

$ 0.72

























Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding:























Basic



42.7



43.1



42.6



43.1 Diluted



43.0



43.3



42.9



43.3

























Cash Dividends Per-Share

$ 0.20

$ 0.19

$ 0.40

$ 0.38

MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

















June 30,

December 31, (In millions)

2018

2017 ASSETS











Current Assets:











Cash and cash equivalents

$ 12.8

$ 19.8 Other current assets



270.8



246.2 Total current assets



283.6



266.0 Long-term Assets:











Investment in Terminal Joint Venture



94.4



93.2 Property and equipment, net



1,307.1



1,165.7 Goodwill



323.7



323.7 Intangible assets, net



219.6



225.2 Other long-term assets



153.2



173.7 Total long-term assets



2,098.0



1,981.5 Total assets

$ 2,381.6

$ 2,247.5













LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY











Current Liabilities:











Current portion of debt

$ 36.3

$ 30.8 Other current liabilities



279.2



255.5 Total current liabilities



315.5



286.3 Long-term Liabilities:











Long-term debt



896.2



826.3 Deferred income taxes



299.8



285.2 Other long-term liabilities



170.6



171.5 Total long-term liabilities



1,366.6



1,283.0













Total shareholders' equity



699.5



678.2 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$ 2,381.6

$ 2,247.5

MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)



















Six Months Ended June 30,

(In millions)

2018

2017

Cash Flows From Operating Activities:













Net income

$ 46.8

$ 31.0

Reconciling adjustments:













Depreciation and amortization



47.6



49.7

Deferred income taxes



14.6



11.0

Share-based compensation expense



5.5



4.9

Equity in income of Terminal Joint Venture



(19.6)



(11.8)

Distribution from Terminal Joint Venture



17.5



7.0

Other



(0.6)



1.1

Changes in assets and liabilities:













Accounts receivable, net



(27.1)



(9.0)

Deferred dry-docking payments



(5.1)



(33.0)

Deferred dry-docking amortization



18.3



25.6

Prepaid expenses and other assets



3.0



(1.1)

Accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities



18.4



(9.4)

Other long-term liabilities



(0.2)



(2.6)

Net cash provided by operating activities



119.1



63.4

















Cash Flows From Investing Activities:













Capitalized vessel construction expenditures



(166.8)



(46.2)

Other capital expenditures



(25.5)



(37.1)

Proceeds from (payments for) disposal of property and equipment



11.0



(0.3)

Cash deposits into Capital Construction Fund



(198.3)



(12.2)

Withdrawals from Capital Construction Fund



199.2



43.4

Net cash used in investing activities



(180.4)



(52.4)

















Cash Flows From Financing Activities:













Repayments of debt and capital leases



(14.6)



(15.0)

Proceeds from revolving credit facility



268.9



155.0

Repayments of revolving credit facility



(178.9)



(125.0)

Proceeds from issuance of capital stock



0.5



0.4

Dividends paid



(17.3)



(16.5)

Repurchase of Matson common stock







(1.3)

Tax withholding related to net share settlements of restricted stock units



(4.3)



(7.2)

Net cash provided by financing activities



54.3



(9.6)

















Net (Decrease) Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents



(7.0)



1.4

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of the Period



19.8



13.9

Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of the Period

$ 12.8

$ 15.3

















Supplemental Cash Flow Information:













Interest paid, net of capitalized interest

$ 8.9

$ 12.8

Income tax paid, net of income tax refunds

$ 4.2

$ (0.3)

















Non-cash Information:













Capital expenditures included in accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities

$ 0.8

$ 1.1

Accrued dividends

$ 9.0

$ 8.7



MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Operating Income Reconciliation (Unaudited) OPERATING INCOME RECONCILIATION





Three Months Ended

Year Ended





March 31,

June 30,

September 30,

December 31,

December 31,

Ocean Transportation (in millions)

2017

2017

2017

2017

2017

Operating income as previously reported

$ 14.5

$ 39.0

$ 54.6

$ 20.7

$ 128.8

Reclassification of net periodic benefit costs (1)



0.8



1.0



(3.6)



(0.6)



(2.4)

Operating income as reclassified

$ 15.3

$ 40.0

$ 51.0

$ 20.1

$ 126.4









































































Three Months Ended

Year Ended





March 31,

June 30,

September 30,

December 31,

December 31,

Logistics (in millions)

2017

2017

2017

2017

2017

Operating income as previously reported

$ 1.9

$ 6.9

$ 7.2

$ 4.6

$ 20.6

Reclassification of net periodic benefit costs (1)







0.1



0.1



0.1



0.3

Operating income as reclassified

$ 1.9

$ 7.0

$ 7.3

$ 4.7

$ 20.9





































(1) The Company adopted Compensation  Retirement Benefits (Topic 715), Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Benefit Cost ("ASU 2017-07"), during the quarter ended March 31, 2018. ASU 2017-07 requires employers that sponsor defined benefit pension and post-retirement plans to present the service cost component of net benefit cost in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered, and that only the service cost component will be eligible for capitalization. The other components of the net periodic benefit cost must be presented separately from the line item that includes the service cost component and outside of the income from operations subtotal. The Company recorded a retrospective reclassification to Ocean Transportation operating income, Logistics operating income, and to other income (expense) to conform prior year amounts to the current period presentation. There was no change to income before income taxes for all periods presented.

MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Net Debt to EBITDA and EBITDA Reconciliations

(Unaudited)

NET DEBT RECONCILIATION











June 30, (In millions)

2018 Total Debt:

$ 932.5 Less: Cash and cash equivalents



(12.8) Net Debt

$ 919.7

EBITDA RECONCILIATION





























Three Months Ended









June 30,

Last Twelve (In millions)

2018

2017

Change

Months Net Income

$ 32.6

$ 24.0

$ 8.6

$ 247.8 Add: Income taxes



8.8



15.6



(6.8)



(106.4) Add: Interest expense



5.0



6.3



(1.3)



21.6 Add: Depreciation and amortization



23.8



25.0



(1.2)



98.2 Add: Dry-dock amortization



9.1



14.1



(5.0)



38.9 EBITDA (2)

$ 79.3

$ 85.0

$ (5.7)

$ 300.1







Six Months Ended



June 30, (In millions)

2018

2017

Change Net Income

$ 46.8

$ 31.0

$ 15.8 Add: Income taxes



19.1



18.7



0.4 Add: Interest expense



10.0



12.6



(2.6) Add: Depreciation and amortization



47.2



49.4



(2.2) Add: Dry-dock amortization



18.3



25.6



(7.3) EBITDA (2)

$ 141.4

$ 137.3

$ 4.1

























(2) EBITDA is defined as the sum of net income plus income taxes, interest expense and depreciation and amortization (including deferred dry-docking amortization). EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income (as determined in accordance with GAAP), as an indicator of our operating performance, or to cash flows from operating activities (as determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of liquidity. Our calculation of EBITDA may not be comparable to EBITDA as calculated by other companies, nor is this calculation identical to the EBITDA used by our lenders to determine financial covenant compliance.





Investor Relations inquiries: News Media inquiries: Lee Fishman Keoni Wagner Matson, Inc. Matson, Inc. 510.628.4227 510.628.4534 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Matson, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.matson.com

The publication has identified Matt as an Innovative Force in the industry, unafraid to take on challenging and exciting opportunities. Transitioning seamlessly from his position as CEO of one of the largest agencies in the industry to a smaller, entrepreneurial company, Matt brings the same philosophy, approach and zeal to his role.

"I like building things and serving people  helping both colleagues and clients along the way," Matt commented: "and I am honored that PharmaVoice has recognized me again for doing something that I love. I came to Inception Digital because I was intrigued by their vision and the prospect of bringing cutting-edge technologies and solutions to help our partners address unmet needs."

Doug Mack, Founder and Chairman, added: "We are thrilled that PharmaVoice has recognized Matt for the same things we value in him. His shared vision for the future, coupled with his strong leadership skills, commitment to both clients and employees, and endless energy has fueled excitement in our organization. We have worked tirelessly to bring new innovations to the market while continuing to expand our core offerings and we are delighted that Matt is leading the way."

About Inception Companies

Inception is a leading provider of video production, interactive visual solutions, broadcast and webcast platforms for virtual meetings, and audio/visual support. Comprised of Inception Digital, Kampfire, and Inception Visual, the company delivers state-of-the-art TV-style technology to clients in the healthcare, financial services and technology sectors. With the introduction of Pando, Inception can now offer clients production quality, face-to-face virtual meetings for up to 60 participants displayed on the 40-foot Pandorama video wall and up to 5000 off-wall participants. Independently held, Inception Companies are headquartered in Fairfield, NJ; with additional offices in New York, NY; Blue Bell, PA; and San Francisco, CA.



For more information, visit www.inceptioncompanies.com and www.pandomeetings.com

Matt Giegerich

CEO

Inception Companies

973-840-1800

[email protected]

This release was issued through WebWire(R). For more information visit http://www.webwire.com.

SOURCE Inception Companies

Related Links

http://www.inceptioncompanies.com

MCHENRY, Ill., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of National Breastfeeding Month, Medela LLC announced two initiatives that aim to provide moms with the breast milk feeding support they need. The initiatives The Moms' Room and #22Victories offer a place for moms to share real stories and experiences with each other and receive valuable information about breast milk feeding.

More than 80 percent of moms intend to breastfeed. However, nearly one-fourth of moms struggle to make it to even the first 21 days.i,ii

"We know every mom's experience is unique, but there are also some common struggles that moms face," said Melissa Gonzales, managing director for Medela USA. "The Moms' Room and #22Victories are about supporting moms, celebrating their victories and creating a community of support  a safe place where moms can unite. No matter how long a mom chooses to breastfeed, she can trust that Medela is there to support her."

The Moms' Room is a free service that delivers expecting mothers breastfeeding education and personalized support when they need it through their pregnancy and breastfeeding journey. Beginning at six weeks prenatally through one year post birth, members of The Moms' Room will receive advice, product samples, exclusive access to Medela's breast milk feeding resources, and discounted access to services, like Medela's exclusive 24/7 LCTM that provides moms with lactation support anytime she needs it. The Moms' Room provides catered support at each stage in a woman's pregnancy or breast milk feeding journey while covering important topics like how her body changes, the benefits of breast milk, guidance for obtaining an insurance breast pump, and tips for transitioning back to work after baby. The goal of The Moms' Room is to help strengthen the bond between parent and baby while also helping her reach her breast milk feeding goals. To sign up for The Moms' Room, visit MedelaMomsRoom.com.

The #22Victories initiative supports and encourages new moms with a special emphasis on the first three weeks, or 21 days, of their breast milk feeding journeys. Given the critical period of the first 21 days, Medela is focused on helping moms reach day 22, so they will be able to continue supplying breast milk to their children for as long as they want. #22Victories follows two first-time moms as they transition to the fourth trimester of their babies' lives. These moms will share the real and raw emotions of the first 22 days of their breast milk feeding journeys on social media. Medela will also be encouraging moms across the nation to share their #22Victories stories, offer advice, share and learn new tips, and establish a sense of community among breast milk feeding parents. Read the stories and join the conversation by using #22Victories and following Medela's Instagram and Facebook accounts.

"Medela is excited to launch The Moms' Room and #22Victories to help foster community among moms and encourage their breast milk feeding goals." Gonzales said. "We look forward to providing moms with the support and resources they need, regardless of what stage of pregnancy or postpartum they are in, to continue breast milk feeding for as long as they choose."

Additional information about Medela's commitment to breast milk feeding can be found at www.medelabreastfeedingus.com.

About Medela

Founded in 1961, Medela is led by Michael Larsson and concentrates on two business units: "Human Milk," providing research-based breast milk feeding solutions, and "Healthcare," engineering and manufacturing medical vacuum technology solutions. Medela is headquartered in Switzerland and has 18 subsidiaries, distributing its products to more than 100 countries throughout the world. For more information, visit www.Medela.com.

About Medela LLC

Medela's US-based manufacturing and development facility is headquartered in McHenry, Illinois. Every year, more than one million mothers in the U.S. rely on Medela's technology. As the #1 breast pump brand*, Medela provides the best in research-based breast milk feeding products and clinical education to support moms' breast milk feeding journey. The company is fully dedicated to supporting mothers so that they can provide breast milk to their baby for as long as they choose. For more information, visit www.MedelaBreastfeedingUS.com.

*QuintilesIMS ProVoice Survey; Nov-Oct 2017.

Medela wordmark and logo are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 24/7 LC is a trademark of Medela.

i Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Breastfeeding Rates Continue To Rise. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0822-breastfeeding-rates.html. Accessed 13 July 2018.

ii Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Breastfeeding Among U.S. Children Born 20022014, CDC National Immunization Survey. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/nis_data/results.html. Accessed 13 July 2018.

SOURCE Medela

Related Links

http://www.Medela.com

MADISON, Wis., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Disruptors, a suite of mobile marketing reseller products, has announced the launch of new white-label reseller products that give entrepreneurs the ability to start a mobile marketing business in their town.

Mobile Disruptors suite of white-label reseller products gives entrepreneurs and agencies the ability to start their own business and sell the hottest mobile marketing products including; Social WiFi Marketing, Social Media Management, Digital Loyalty and Text Marketing.

Mobile Disruptors business opportunity is turn-key and provides everything you need to start and operate a very successful mobile marketing business including a website branded with your domain, white-labeled software, merchant agreements, marketing material, training and more. You do not need to have any experience to start your own mobile marketing business with Mobile Disruptors.

Mobile Disruptors was founded by Jeremy Tyler, one of the most successful mobile marketing and software reseller creators of all time. Over the past 10 years, Jeremy has helped thousands of entrepreneurs become successful mobile marketing business owners that enjoy recurring revenue using his marketing software systems.

To learn more about starting your own mobile marketing business that includes; Social WiFi Marketing, Social Media Management, Digital Loyalty and Text Marketing visit www.MobileDisruptors.com.

SOURCE Mobile Disruptors

Related Links

http://www.MobileDisruptors.com

This back-to-school season, Name Bubbles will donate $1 of every School Labels Pack purchased to Blessings in a Backpack. Through this commitment, Name Bubbles and Blessings in a Backpack hope to raise $10,000  enough to feed 100 elementary school children over the weekend for one school year.

Research shows that there are more than 13 million children in the United States that live in food insecure homes. The federal government offers programs that feed children in need during the school week, but nourishing children every day of the week is necessary for development. The consequences for children that face food insecurity go beyond just a growling stomach. Poor nutrition in children results in weaker immune systems, increased hospitalization, lower IQ, shorter attention spans, and lower academic achievements. As part of Name Bubbles' core value, to promote a sense of giving, the company will be spreading awareness and raising funds for the back-to-school season to support Blessings in a Backpack and their good work in an effort to feed the kids this weekend.

Now through September 1, 2018, one dollar of every school-related product sold on NameBubbles.com will be donated to Blessings in a Backpack to provide meals on the weekends for children during the school year.

"As a parent, I understand the importance of good nutrition and how it helps build a solid foundation of both physical and mental health," says Founder and President of Name Bubbles, Michelle Brandriss. "No child should feel the pain of hunger, and Blessings in a Backpack has created a wonderful network so we can all take part in our community or donate to ensure kids have access to food during their days away from school. We hope to bring awareness to the work the organization is doing and support 100 children for the school year."

"We thank Name Bubbles for partnering with Blessings in a Backpack to prevent childhood hunger and raise awareness about this silent epidemic. During our 10th birthday year, it is especially exciting to collaborate with a company that understands the positive impact of closing the weekend nutrition gap," says Brooke Wiseman, CEO, Blessings in a Backpack.

Blessings in a Backpack is a nonprofit organization that provides food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry. In their efforts, Blessings in a Backpack is currently feeding more than 87,000 children in over 1,000 schools across 45 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

We ask our customers to shop consciously this back-to-school season and help Name Bubbles and Blessings in a Backpack to feed the kids this weekend.

About Name Bubbles

Name Bubbles is a leading waterproof name label manufacturer and e-commerce website, located in upstate New York. Awarded the U.S. Small Business Administration Excellence in Small Business, the Parent Tested, Parent Approved seal of approval, and gold medal winner of the Mom's Choice Award, the company produces durable dishwasher and laundry safe press-and-stick name labels to help busy families keep track of belongings.

Custom name label packs are available online and can be purchased directly at NameBubbles.com.

About Blessings in a Backpack

Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry. Blessings in a Backpack is currently feeding more than 87,000 children in over 1,000 schools in 45 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The program is a hybrid of private sector funding and public partnership carried out in schools.

Blessings in a Backpack has been honored with the highest possible rating of four stars by Charity Navigator, an independent organization that evaluates the effectiveness and financial transparency of US charities: https://bit.ly/2Ki3xG0 The organization is also a GuideStar Platinum organization, the highest level of recognition offered. As of April 2018, of the 49,000+ charities rated by GuideStar, only 8% are Platinum.

Media Contact:

Nikki Grizzle, Blessings in a Backpack

[email protected]; (502) 821-6077

Hayley Alaxanian, NameBubbles.com

[email protected]

SOURCE Name Bubbles

Related Links

https://www.namebubbles.com

- Schneider Electric opens renewables and cleantech community to commercial and industrial companies globally

- Businesses can join more 100 current members using the NEO Network, and access exclusive offers, market intelligence and assessment tools

- New apps and analytics provide a data-driven, custom understanding of renewable energy opportunities

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Schneider Electric today introduced Accelerator Access for its New Energy Opportunities (NEO) Network, an online community that connects companies with resources to efficiently identify, evaluate and advance renewable energy transactions and technologies.

Commercial and industrial (C&I) businesses can now join the NEO Network at no cost, receive exclusive offers from developers, such as below-market pricing, and preferred terms and conditions, and access industry experts, peers and tools to make smart energy decisions and quickly meet sustainability goals.

"A steep incline in electricity prices in Australia. The liberalization of energy markets in Spain. Just two recent examples of the shifting dynamics that continue to expand the viability and appeal of renewable energy and clean technologies," said Steve Wilhite, Senior Vice President of Energy & Sustainability Services at Schneider Electric. "But new prospects don't translate to savvy business decisions without education, research and due diligence."

"The NEO Network provides the community and resources that give companies the confidence to capitalize on opportunities to push sustainability initiatives forward, and ultimately achieve their clean energy procurement and carbon-reduction goals."

With more than 100 members, the NEO Network is a fast-growing collective of corporations, developers and solution providers committed to buying and developing renewable energy and cleantech around the world. The C&I companies in the network are responsible for more than 1.7 gigawatts of offsite power purchase agreements (PPAs).

Companies at any stage of the often-complicated buying process can gain access to up-to-date market intelligence, explore project opportunities, interact with peers, benchmark activities against competitors, and participate in exclusive contract offers and networking events.

Enhancements drive collaboration, education and innovation

Schneider Electric also unveiled a suite of new apps and analytics in the NEO Network portal that provide a more tailored experience based on user interests and requirements, including:

Strategy Calculator  An online assessment tool that provides a customized plan to improve a company's environmental profile at the click of a button.

 An online assessment tool that provides a customized plan to improve a company's environmental profile at the click of a button. Locale Analysis  Highlights the most attractive countries, regions and states to develop renewable energy projects based on local regulations, pricing and more.

 Highlights the most attractive countries, regions and states to develop renewable energy projects based on local regulations, pricing and more. Customized Content & Reports  Members receive tailored market intelligence reports, news and exclusive contract offers based on individual preferences.

"We joined the RE100 and committed to 100 percent renewable energy use by 2021," said Chad Wilkerson, Director of Sustainability and Infrastructure Sourcing at wireless-services-provider T-Mobile. "Two PPAs tied to wind farms in the U.S. Midwest have taken us a long way toward the goal. And as we look to build on that success, and evaluate prospects and projects in other regions, the NEO Network will continue to be a valuable resource."

The need for education and resources to advance renewable energy and sustainability initiatives has never been greater. A recent study found that a majority of organizations are not taking the necessary steps to integrate and advance their efficiency and sustainability programs, and that most companies still take fairly conventional approaches to energy and carbon management. Coupled with rising pressures from regulators, constituents and shareholders, companies are looking for ways to reduce their carbon impact, but few resources exist to provide guidance and intelligence.

The NEO Network launched in 2016 to help companies make sense of renewable energy markets, and share insights and best practices. Corporate members represent an array of industries  from food and beverage (Brown-Forman) to manufacturing and consumer goods (Kimberly-Clark) to data centers (Equinix) and retail (VF Corporation).

Schneider Electric serves as the network moderator with support teams in Australia, Europe and the U.S., and lends its sustainability and energy management experience to educate and guide members. As the world's largest renewable energy and cleantech consultant, Schneider Electric has advised on more than 60 percent of all corporate PPAs signed and announced in North America since 2016.

Complimentary participation in the NEO Network is available to qualified C&I buyers, and to renewable energy and cleantech solution providers via subscription. To learn more, visit neonetworkexchange.com.

For more information on Schneider Electric, visit schneider-electric.com/ess. And for energy and sustainability news, visit Perspectives or follow @SchneiderESS.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries. With global presence in over 100 countries, Schneider is the undisputable leader in Power Management  Medium Voltage, Low Voltage and Secure Power, and in Automation Systems. We provide integrated efficiency solutions, combining energy, automation and software. In our global Ecosystem, we collaborate with the largest Partner, Integrator and Developer Community on our Open Platform to deliver real-time control and operational efficiency. We believe that great people and partners make Schneider a great company and that our commitment to Innovation, Diversity and Sustainability ensures that Life Is On everywhere, for everyone and at every moment.

www.schneider-electric.com

Hashtags: #SchneiderElectric #NEONetwork #RenewableEnergy #CleanTech #Sustainability #LifeIsOn

Discover Life is On

Follow us on:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Facebook

YouTube

Schneider Electric Blog

SOURCE Schneider Electric

Related Links

http://www.schneider-electric.com

1. Construction workers lose almost two full working days each week solving avoidable issues and searching for project information.

Each construction project team member spends more than 14 hours each week on average dealing with conflict, rework and other issues that take away from higher priority activities, according to the survey. Respondents revealed they spend the following amount of time each week on non-optimal activities including:

Five and a half hours hunting down project data, such as revised drawings, material cut sheets and other information relevant to the job.

Almost five hours on conflict resolution, including managing disagreements between stakeholders such as the general contractor, owners and subcontractors responsible for the delivery of the project.

Four hours dealing with rework-related activities, such as managing the mistakes on a project that result in rework, assessing the associated costs and determining why the mistakes happened.

Due to time spent on these non-optimal activities, the industry will lose an estimated $177.5 billion in labor costs in 2018, which could equate to costs exceeding $2 billion per year for the average mid-sized construction company.

2. Almost half of all rework is due to poor communication among project stakeholders, and poor project information.

Miscommunication and poor project data account for 48 percent of all rework on U.S construction jobsites.

Respondents attributed 26 percent of rework to poor communication between team members. The top three causes of miscommunication are unresponsiveness of team members; the inability of project stakeholders to collaborate effectively; and the lack of a common platform for all team members to communicate and share project data.

Respondents also said 22 percent of rework is due poor project information, where the top three causes are erroneous or incorrect project data, difficulty accessing project data and the inability of project stakeholders to easily share information about the project.

Based on this data, FMI estimates poor communication represents a potential cost to the U.S. construction industry of $17 billion a year, and poor project data represents a cost of $14.3 billion, collectively accounting for a potential cost of $31.3 billion annually.

3. Workers are not taking full advantage of mobile devices and IT investments.

More than 75 percent of respondents provide mobile devicessmartphones or tabletsto their project managers and field supervisors. However, less than one-fifth of companies consistently (more than 80 percent of the time) use apps aside from just email, text and phone calls to access project data and collaborate with project stakeholders. This finding suggests many construction leaders are equipping field teams with technology, but aren't getting maximum return on their investment by leveraging mobile software and apps purpose-built to help construction companies reach their full potential.

4. Technology is expected to improve data management and increase productivity.

According to the survey, executives are investing in technology for reasons that directly reflect the challenges associated with data integrity and accessibility, and overall demands for increased productivity. More than half of survey respondents shared the most common goals for technology adoption include providing better access to project data (58 percent), improving project productivity (57 percent) and increasing the accuracy of project information (56 percent).

"Poor communication among team members, and incorrect or inaccessible information that workers need to do their job is costing the construction industry tens of billions of dollars annually," said Jay Snyder, FMI technology practice lead. "The majority of industry stakeholders seems to be at a loss for how to remedy these systemic and expensive problems. While construction firms continue to invest in technology, the business-critical issues of communication and data management need more strategic attention than they currently receive."

"Construction companies are investing in mobile devices, but many teams are still relying on simple text and email rather than tapping more robust technology to collaborate and access project information," said Stuart Frederich-Smith, vice president of product marketing at PlanGrid. "This proves a significant disconnect between the purchase of construction technology and the adoption of this technology in the field, and reveals the need for end users to be included the decision making process. Teams that have easy-to-use tools to collaborate in real-time, a central source of truth and access to relevant data when they need it will have a greater competitive advantage."

More details:

"Construction Disconnected": download the full report here.

Blog post and infographic: can be found here.

Webinar: FMI and PlanGrid will be discussing these results in more detail on a webinar on August 29, 2018 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT / 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET . To register visit here.

About the Survey

In April 2018, FMI Corporation partnered with PlanGrid to survey nearly 600 construction leaders and decision makers to discover how teams spend their time while on a jobsite, challenges associated with poor data management practices and miscommunication, and their technology investments. Participants in the study included 599 construction industry leaders. The sample was composed of 500 respondents from the United States and 99 from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Canada. Of those surveyed, 49 percent work for general contractor firms, 36 percent came from specialty trades and 15 percent were owners. Over 300 respondents came from the commercial sector and the other respondents represent industrial and manufacturing, heavy civil, healthcare, power (oil and gas, and energy), education and government.

About FMI

For over 65 years, FMI has been the leading management consulting and investment banking firm dedicated exclusively to engineering and construction, infrastructure and the built environment.

FMI serves all sectors of the industry as a trusted advisor. More than six decades of context, connections and insights lead to transformational outcomes for clients and the industry.

FMI helps you build your foundation for tomorrow and optimize your business for today.

Industry Focus. Powerful Results.

For more information, please visit https://www.fminet.com. Follow FMI on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About PlanGrid

PlanGrid builds simple, powerful software construction teams love to use. The company's mobile-first technology gives general contractors, subs, owners and architects access to information in real-time, enables great collaboration and provides actionable insights. With PlanGrid, any construction team member can manage and update blueprints, specs, photos, RFIs, field reports, punchlists and other information from any device. PlanGrid is used on more than one million projects across commercial, heavy civil and other industries in 90 countries. Headquartered in San Francisco and founded in 2011, PlanGrid has $69 million in funding from Sequoia Capital, Tenaya Capital and other top venture capital firms. Visit us at www.plangrid.com

SOURCE PlanGrid

Related Links

http://www.plangrid.com

HOLMDEL, N.J., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage (NYSE: VG), a business cloud communications leader, today announced that Nexmo, The Vonage API Platform, is a provider for the new WhatsApp Business solution. In limited availability, WhatsApp, the largest chat application in the world, is now opening its doors to businesses, allowing them to communicate with their customers on a more engaging platform.

By leveraging Nexmo APIs to simplify their integrations and handle the complexity of maintenance and operations, WhatsApp Business users can focus on elevating their customer communications, meeting customers where they are, and ultimately improving customer loyalty.

"At Vonage, we believe companies want to communicate with their customers on their platform of choice, whether that is SMS, chat, or social messaging," said Omar Javaid, Chief Product Officer for Vonage. "As a global platform, WhatsApp has been our customers' number one requested channel. In response to that, we're so excited to work with WhatsApp, a company that is quickly gaining traction among businesses as a common messaging platform."

Eric Le Guiniec, VP of Global Sales, Nexmo, the Vonage API Platform, commented, "Nexmo aligns with WhatsApp's goal to help businesses drive deeper customer relationships using the most innovative business communications solutions. With the scalable, robust Nexmo platform, businesses leveraging the WhatsApp Business solution will experience simple integrations, ongoing maintenance, and the freedom to focus on what matters most - connecting to their customers."

The WhatsApp Business solution is providing businesses with a way to better manage conversations with their customers and provide useful information, whether notifications or customer service messages, quickly, reliably, and privately. Integrating with Nexmo APIs allows them to quickly and easily integrate with WhatsApp to improve their message delivery rates and therefore increase customer engagement.

"Nexmo is our global communication platform of choice for messaging and voice. With the help of the Nexmo API, we continue to bring trailblazing innovation to the recruitment industry by integrating WhatsApp Business with the Talkpush CRM," said Max Armbruster, Talkpush CEO.

Mr. Armbruster continued, "We're delighted with the simplicity of working with Nexmo and the support we've been getting. Within a single day, we were able to start testing the WhatsApp Business solution with our customers. Innovation is about speed and with the help of Nexmo, we further cemented Talkpush's position as the leader in messaging recruitment."

As a WhatsApp Business solution provider, Nexmo is taking the user experience to the next level. Nexmo enhances the WhatsApp Business solution on several key fronts:

Single Abstracted API. With just a simple API call, businesses can easily send WhatsApp pre-set template messages without having to manage the complexity of enterprise software. Businesses do not have to host, scale or manage updates; Nexmo handles that for them.

With just a simple API call, businesses can easily send WhatsApp pre-set template messages without having to manage the complexity of enterprise software. Businesses do not have to host, scale or manage updates; Nexmo handles that for them. Optimal Messaging Experience. Nexmo provides optional failover to SMS. So if a message isn't read or delivered via WhatsApp, the messages can be sent via SMS. This helps ensure that companies are getting their messages to their customers.

Nexmo APIs also provide real-time insights with delivery callbacks that provide information such as message status (delivered, read, or sent), cost and any applicable errors. This enables businesses to optimize their messaging strategy and deliver messages on their customers' preferred channel, while optimizing operational costs. Messages are encrypted from Nexmo to the customer's device, maintaining the integrity of sensitivity information.

About Vonage

Vonage (NYSE:VG) is redefining business communications. True to our roots as a technology disruptor, we've embraced technology to transform how companies communicate to create better business outcomes. Our unique cloud communications platform brings together a robust unified communications solution with the agility of embedded, contextual communications APIs. This powerful combination enables businesses to collaborate more productively and engage their customers more effectively across messaging, chat, social media, video and voice.

Nexmo, the Vonage API Platform, provides tools for voice, messaging and verification, allowing developers to easily embed innovative programmable communications into mobile apps, websites and business systems on a global scale.

The Company also provides a robust suite of feature-rich residential communication solutions.

Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey, with offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Israel. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing LLC, owned by Vonage America Inc.

(vg-a)

SOURCE Vonage

Related Links

http://www.vonage.com

Mitchell H. Finer, Ph.D., Oncorus' co-founder and MPM Capital Managing Director, will assume the role of Executive Chairman succeeding MPM Capital co-founder Luke B. Evnin, Ph.D., who will continue to serve on Oncorus' Board. "It has been a tremendous honor to serve as CEO of Oncorus since co-founding the company, and I am incredibly proud of everything our team has accomplished together in just three years. Ted brings a wealth of experience and proven track record of strategic business and development accomplishments including in the field of immuno-oncology. The Board and I are highly confident that Ted will provide exceptional leadership and take Oncorus to great heights as we develop our medicines for significant unmet medical needs in field of oncology," said Dr. Finer.

Dr. Evnin said, "Mitch has done a remarkable job in launching and building Oncorus in a short timeframe, and it has been a privilege to work with him and serve as Chairman. I know that I speak for everyone at Oncorus in thanking Mitch for his leadership and tireless dedication to the company. We are all excited about the opportunity for growth and value creation under Ted's leadership."

"The oncolytic virus space is rapidly maturing and has the potential to usher in the next step change in improved outcomes for cancer patients. I am honored to be selected as Oncorus' next CEO and look forward to partnering with Mitch, our Board and our exceptionally talented team, to continue our momentum and urgently drive our best-in-class, locally and systemically administered product candidates to the bedside," said Dr. Ashburn.

Prior to joining Oncorus, Dr. Ashburn served as Head of Oncology Development at Moderna Therapeutics, Inc. Previously, he held key leadership roles of increasing responsibility in preclinical and clinical development, business development, strategic planning, product strategy, manufacturing and operations at multiple emerging biotechnology, as well as established pharmaceutical companies including Sanofi Oncology and Genzyme. He started his career at Pfizer, Inc. He received his B.S. in chemistry and computer science from Ball State University, his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School.

About Oncorus, Inc.

Oncorus, Inc., is a privately held biotechnology company whose mission is to urgently bring the full potential of oncolytic viruses to cancer patients. The Company is developing several, best-in-class, locally and systemically administered oncolytic viruses armed with multiple immunomodulatory payloads to kill both primary and metastatic cancer cells while leveraging proprietary strategies for preventing viral replication in healthy tissues. A leader in corporate philanthropy, Oncorus has pledged to donate a portion of product sales to fund promising cancer research and to support cancer care in the developing world. The company is located in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Please visit www.oncorus.com for more information.

SOURCE Oncorus, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.oncorus.com

$8.7 million to repair ramp aprons currently used by cargo aircraft.

to repair ramp aprons currently used by cargo aircraft. $2.6 million to build a taxiway.

to build a taxiway. $314,000 for taxiway repairs.

for taxiway repairs. $204,000 to install runway lighting.

"We are grateful to our Congressional delegation, U.S Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and the FAA leadership for their support and confidence in helping secure these critically needed airport improvement funds," said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority. "The grant funds are a vital component of our efforts to update ONT's infrastructure, enhance the airport's competitiveness and attract economic development to the region. Our customers count on us to keep ONT's facilities in top condition and this grant will help to meet their expectations."

Congressional leaders welcomed the news:

"Expanding Ontario International Airport has been one of my highest priorities. Since ownership of the airport was returned to local control in 2015, it has proven to be a growing social and economic hub for our region. In the last year alone, traffic at the airport has grown by 10 percent, including 24 percent for international passengers," said U.S. Rep. Norma J. Torres (CA-35). "By investing in infrastructure improvements, this FAA grant will help ensure that the airport can continue to grow, create and support good-paying jobs, and boost the economy across the Inland Empire."

"The $8.7 million FAA grant funding is great news for Ontario International Airport and our region," said U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-42). "These vital resources will allow the airport to improve its infrastructure and boost the economic competitiveness of the cargo operations. I want to thank Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and everyone at FAA for their support of Ontario International Airport."

"The leadership of Ontario International Airport has been steadily improving the airport's infrastructure since it reverted back to local control. This grant will help the airport build on that progress and continue to serve as a vital hub for cargo traffic in and out of the Inland Empire," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

About Ontario International Airport

Ontario International (ONT) Airport is located in the Inland Empire, approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport with nonstop commercial jet service to 18 major airports in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan, and connecting service to many domestic and international destinations. There is an average of 64 daily departures offered by 8 air carriers. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com.

Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA)

The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. OIAA Commissioners are Ontario Mayor Pro-Tem Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).

News Media Contacts:

Atif Elkadi, Chief Commercial Officer, (858) 361-9319 [email protected]

Steve Lambert, (909) 841-7527 [email protected]

SOURCE Ontario International Airport

Related Links

http://www.flyontario.com

NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pareteum Corporation (NYSE American: TEUM), ("Pareteum" or the "Company"), the rapidly growing Global Cloud Software company, delivering award winning mobile enablement solutions, announced today that it has signed a $3 million 3-year contract with a U.S. service provider to enable the delivery of mobility services for their consumer and enterprise customers. The Pareteum Global Software Defined Cloud (GSDC) will empower them with software defined mobile connectivity for roaming, airtime, voice, SMS, and data services.

Our new client says it is "time for telecom to change". They selected Pareteum to access the super API software-enablement solutions delivered by the GSDC and to eliminate the commercial and technical barriers to open mobility, applications and global connectivity. Super API speeds the integration of multiple applications including mobile data, voice, SMS, and VOIP services, bundled by our client for resale to their enterprise and consumer customers. Their subscribers will now benefit from global connectivity access through affordable bundled service packages, tailored for their evolving demands by our Predictive Analytics and Insights Engine.

Vic Bozzo, CEO of Pareteum commented, "Pareteum's status as the all-in-one software merge of mobile and applications continues to disrupt the market. In the age of the digital economy evolution, our software is built for the future."

Hal Turner, Executive Chairman and Principal Executive Officer of Pareteum stated, "We agree with our new client that it is "time for telecom to change". Pareteum's GSDC was developed to power the world's most demanding applications through its software and APIs. By shifting decisions regarding services to the user, we are making material strides in our vision of global open mobility and applications. It is our goal of democratizing the use of communications infrastructure with virtualized voice, text and chat, that drives us forward. Pareteum is enabling innovators across multiple industries by embedding communications as a part of every software developer's toolkit and improving how companies engage with their customers. This simply means providing safe, secure, and high-quality data applications, streaming content, and mobility services to everyone, shifting services control to the user. By providing these previously unattainable service levels and business models, Pareteum is also opening new opportunities for economic development."

About Pareteum Corporation:

Pareteum Corporation (NYSE American: TEUM) is a rapidly growing Global Software Defined Cloud company with a mission to connect "every person and everything." Organizations use Pareteum to energize their growth and profitability through our Global Software Defined Cloud and complete turnkey solutions featuring relevant content, applications, and connectivity worldwide. Our Cloud platform services partners (technologies integrated into our cloud) include: HPE, IBM, Ribbon Communications (Sonus+GenBand), NetNumber, Oracle, Microsoft, and other world class technology providers. All of the relevant customer acquired value is derived from Pareteum's leading Global Software Defined Cloud, delivering award-winning mobile enablement, regardless of the user's location or network. By harnessing the value of communications, Pareteum serves retail, enterprise and IoT customers. Pareteum currently has offices in New York, Sao Paulo, Madrid, Barcelona, Bahrain and the Netherlands. For more information please visit: www.pareteum.com.

Forward Looking Statements:

Certain statements contained herein constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to Pareteum's plans and objectives, projections, expectations and intentions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about Pareteum's industry, management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by management. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Because such statements involve risks and uncertainties, the actual results and performance of Pareteum may differ materially from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Unless otherwise required by law, Pareteum also disclaims any obligation to update its view of any such risks or uncertainties or to announce publicly the result of any revisions to the forward-looking statements made here. Additional information concerning certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in Pareteum's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available from the SEC or may be obtained upon request from Pareteum Corporation.

Pareteum Investor Relations Contacts:

Ted O'Donnell

Chief Financial Officer

(212) 984-1096

[email protected]

Stephen Hart

Hayden IR

917-658-7878

Carrie Howes

Rayleigh Capital

Dubai- London

T UAE: +971 (0) 55 997 0427 | T UK: +44 (0) 870 490 5443 | T CAN: +1 416 900 3634

SOURCE Pareteum Corporation

Related Links

http://www.pareteum.com

Health experts say sheets in the home should be changed every seven to 10 days due to bacteria, fungi, animal dander, pollen and other microbes found on beds. Peelaways' fitted sheets are available for the home, with sizes from crib to king, ranging from $15.99-$39.99. Peelaways is especially ideal for home caregivers taking care of someone with incontinence issues or children who wet the bed, to new parents who are constantly changing their newborn's mattress protectors. Peelaways offers sheets with five to seven layers per package. With one Peelaways multilayer sheet, people can sleep on a clean and healthy sheet for up to two months.

Peelaways sheets are now available at Walmart, Walmart.com, BuyBuyBaby.com, Amazon, BedBathandBeyond.com, and Zulily.

"The idea for Peelaways began in college when I realized students weren't changing or washing their dirty sheets because it was such a hassle, and, around the same time, I saw my grandparents struggle to change their fitted bed sheets," said Maxwell Cohen, founder, CEO and president of Peel Away Labs. "Being disposable, there is no need to launder them."

In addition to consumer use, two leading U.S. health care services companies for medical supplies, Cardinal Health and McKesson, are distributing Peelaways sheets for hospitals and Long Term Care Facility beds, as well as to durable media equipment stores (DMEs) and independent pharmacies. Hospitals are evaluating these specialty sheets to increase patient comfort, save healthcare personnel time when it comes to changing the sheets, and to help reduce the occurrence of hospital-acquired infections.

According to Lou Leibhaber, former Chief Operating Officer at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, "The reduced time in changing these sheets can significantly increase the time hospital staff provides care to its patients. On average, it can take two nurses up to 15 minutes to change a sheet while the patient is in the bed. With Peelaways, it can take one nurse less than a minute and, most importantly, can increase patient comfort."

South Africa, which is experiencing a dire water shortage in some of their regions, is acutely interested in Peelaways because they can save water since there is no laundering needed. A pilot with South Africa's private hospital system Netcare is now getting underway. A partnership with newly created Peelaways South Africa and Peelaways Africa are primarily distributing the sheets to hospitals, mining companies, and sporting goods companies.

Asia's leading medical supply chain company, IDS Medical Systems, has also signed on to distribute Peelaways to healthcare facilities throughout the far east.

Peel Away Labs raised $1.3 million with New York Venture Partners, Alpine Meridian Ventures, and a number of New York Angels' members participating.

An early Peelaways prototype was first shown on the TV program Shark Tank, in 2016.

About Peel Away Labs

Peel Away Labs is changing the sheets for consumers and institutions. Entrepreneur Maxwell Cohen knew there had to be an easier and more convenient way to change fitted bed sheets, and he created Peelaways, an innovative, multilayered, disposable sheet to address this void in the bedding industry. Peel Away Labs was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. For more information, consumers should visit www.peelawaylabs.com and healthcare professionals should visit www.peelawayhealth.com.

SOURCE Peel Away LabsNational Retail Channel Across the USA Provides New Access to a USD $4.1 Billion Market

VANCOUVER, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Phivida Holdings Inc. ("Phivida" or the "Company") (CSE: VIDA) (OTCQX: PHVAF) is pleased to announce an exclusive national agreement with Natural Speciality Sales, an Acosta company. Natural Speciality Sales (NSS) is recognised as the industry leader in Natural/Specialty retail channel trade across the USA.

Phivida's soon to be launched OKI brand of premium CBD products are now the exclusive CBD infused beverage brand and health supplements products represented by NSS. This establishes Phivida as the first CBD brand company to officially cross-over into national mainstream distribution across the USA, providing new access to over 2,400 retail locations in a major distribution channel market valued at over USD $4.1 billion in retail sales.

The NSS exclusive agreement provides access to a national network of retail stores across the USA. This national network includes major retail banners such as; Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, and National Coop Grocers etc. The partnership also provides the opportunity to access an additional 25,000 national conventional grocery supermarkets, including; Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, and others, via Acosta's national sales network.

NSS have established many of the strongest and fastest growing functional food and beverage brands in the marketplace, including; Kashi, Evolution Fresh (juices), Health Aide (Kombucha), Silk, Daiya, Zevia, Pacific, etc. OKI is Phivida's new brand of CBD infused flavored iced tea, flavored infused waters along with tinctures and capsules destined for national retail channels. Phivida plans to unveil the OKI brand to consumers later in Q3 2018.

For similar success with OKI, Phivida and NSS are developing extensive retail sales and in-store marketing campaigns to maximize sell-through. This includes the execution and measurement of in-store merchandising, assortment, pricing, display, shelving services, in-store sampling, retail sales promotions, and related item placements for OKI products while maintaining all direct client relationships and in-store inventory levels.

With over 475 dedicated sales associates, managing 2,400 retail natural specialty grocery stores, Acosta's Natural Specialty Sales division is recognized as the industry leader in strategic planning, headquarter sales, retail sales, analytics and customer service across all Natural/Specialty channels within the USA.

"This exclusive national agreement with Acosta and NSS is a major growth opportunity for Phivida, and a significant milestone for our industry overall," said Phivida President and CEO, Jim Bailey. "Our partnership with NSS gives our premium products direct access to a growing national market of 2,400 total stores across the United States. In the short time we have worked with the NSS team, we have been impressed with the great people they have working there and are proud to partner with such a professional organisation. We are thrilled that Acosta/NSS have selected Phivida as their exclusive CBD beverage company, establishing Phivida's new OKI label as the first CBD brand to officially cross-over into national mainstream distribution across the USA."

John Caruso, National SVP - Business Development Strategic Channels, Caruso said, "CBD-hemp oil infused functional beverages and oil supplements are one of the most exciting new product lines we are bringing to the NSS division. Of all our channels, the Natural/Specialty market continues to grow at the fastest pace. We see enormous potential for CBD-infused beverages and Phivida is well positioned to be a market leader."

"We believe that the team, the OKI brand, and the product quality and marketing strategy make Phivida a cut above the competition and the premier offering within this category. We are excited to bring the OKI products to health and wellness-minded consumers," said Caruso. "It is these competitive differentiators that led our team to partner with Phivida. With this partnership, we are confident that OKI can be a market leader and the recognized and trusted brand in CBD-hemp infused functional foods and natural products, across North America."

Phivida's Chief Commercial Officer, Doug Campbell said, "There is no better partner than NSS to launch Phivida's new OKI branded premium lifestyle range of products across the USA. With the collective experience NSS has in launching brands in the Natural/Specialty market we are now poised for success, and we couldn't be more excited to partner with them. The product and marketing launch will begin within the Natural/Specialty channel, but we expect that conventional retailers, such as major national grocery stores, will soon follow."

Acosta

Acosta is a privately held company founded in 1927 and has over 91 years of experience in consumer-packaged goods across the United States. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, Acosta is seen as the industry leader in strategic planning, headquarter sales, retail sales, analytics and customer service support for a range of retail channels, including; natural specialty and conventional grocery, retail pharmacy, big box retail, food-club-mass drug (FCMD). Newly appointed CEO Rodriguez Bas brings more than 20 years of CPG and retail industry leadership to Acosta. Prior to joining Acosta, he was Executive Vice President of New Business and Market Development for C&S Wholesale Grocers, the nation's largest wholesale grocery supply company, which delivers more than 140,000 different food and grocery items to 14,000 independent and chain stores across the U.S. During his time at C&S, Rodriguez Bas led the creation of a division that serves the natural, organic, specialty, gourmet and international, ethnic and local markets.

Acosta employs over 35,000 captive field force representatives and support staff, managing 49 routes and is a top food and beverage brokerage agency for top brands from Fortune 500 CPG companies like PepsiCo, Unilever, Proctor and Gamble and Kraft (etc.). Acosta has over 100 offices throughout the USA and Canada, responsible for over 200,000 in-store visits each month. The National Specialty Sales (NSS) division was founded in 2001 to provide sales and marketing solutions tailored to manufacturers of natural, organic, gourmet, regional specialty and ethnic foods and services over 2,400 Natural Specialty Grocery stores and over 25,000 Conventional Grocery Supermarket retail locations across the USA. For more information please visit https://www.acosta.com.

Phivida Holdings Inc.

Phivida ["fiii-vee-daa"] infuses CBD derived from Hemp into functional foods, beverages and health products. Phivida uses encapsulated cannabinoids from hemp oil into water soluble form, enhancing bioavailability, and timed released within the body. Phivida's CBD beverages, foods and supplements contain a proprietary blend of phytonutraceuticals studied to target a range of health conditions, from chronic pain, treatment of stress and anxiety to reducing inflammation in the body.

The World Anti-Doping Association's recently lifted a ban of CBD from hemp oil and the World Health Organization's recent statement supports clinical benefits of CBD for athletes and active families.

Celebrating; Health and Wellness, In Harmony, Phivida's vision is to lead the market as the benchmark quality standard in premium CBD infused foods, beverages and clinical products, with a dedication to research, education and investing back into the communities we serve. Phivida is a publicly traded company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the ticker symbol "VIDA" and the OTC Markets as "PHVAF". For more information visit www.phivida.com ("Investors" in the footer) or join our social media network @Phivida.

Quick Facts:

SOURCE Phivida Holdings Inc.

Related Links

www.phivida.com

New Orders, Production, and Employment Growing

Supplier Deliveries Slowing at Slower Rate; Backlog Growing

Raw Materials Inventories Growing; Customers' Inventories Too Low

Prices Increasing at Slower Rate; Exports and Imports Growing

TEMPE, Ariz., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in July, and the overall economy grew for the 111th consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.

The report was issued today by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee: "The July PMI registered 58.1 percent, a decrease of 2.1 percentage points from the June reading of 60.2 percent. The New Orders Index registered 60.2 percent, a decrease of 3.3 percentage points from the June reading of 63.5 percent. The Production Index registered 58.5 percent, a 3.8 percentage point decrease compared to the June reading of 62.3 percent. The Employment Index registered 56.5 percent, an increase of 0.5 percentage point from the June reading of 56 percent. The Supplier Deliveries Index registered 62.1 percent, a 6.1 percentage point decrease from the June reading of 68.2 percent. The Inventories Index registered 53.3 percent, an increase of 2.5 percentage points from the June reading of 50.8 percent. The Prices Index registered 73.2 percent in July, a 3.6 percentage point decrease from the June reading of 76.8 percent, indicating higher raw materials prices for the 29th consecutive month.

"Comments from the panel reflect continued expanding business strength. Demand remains strong, with the New Orders Index at 60 percent or above for the 15th straight month, and the Customers' Inventories Index remaining low. The Backlog of Orders Index continued to expand, but at lower levels. Production and employment continues to expand in spite of labor and material shortages. Inputs  expressed as supplier deliveries, inventories and imports  had expansion increases, due primarily to negative supply chain issues, but at easing levels compared to the prior month. Lead-time extensions, steel and aluminum disruptions, supplier labor issues, and transportation difficulties continue. Export orders expanded, but at lower levels. Price pressure remains strong, but the index softened for the second straight month. Demand remains robust, but the nation's employment resources and supply chains continue to struggle. Respondents are again overwhelmingly concerned about how tariff-related activity, including reciprocal tariffs, will continue to affect their business," says Fiore.

Of the 18 manufacturing industries, 17 reported growth in July, in the following order: Textile Mills; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Paper Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Machinery; Plastics & Rubber Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Furniture & Related Products; Chemical Products; Wood Products; and Transportation Equipment. The only industry reporting a decrease in July is Primary Metals.

WHAT RESPONDENTS ARE SAYING

"Global demand is still strong. Working on contingency plans for the Chinese tariffs. We will probably onshore most of that material. Labor availability is becoming an issue." (Computer & Electronic Products)

"As a result of new tariffs on materials to/from China , we are taking measures to move impacted materials ahead of effective dates, which in some cases is resulting in holding higher inventories." (Chemical Products)

, we are taking measures to move impacted materials ahead of effective dates, which in some cases is resulting in holding higher inventories." (Chemical Products) "Steel cost increases are causing a lot of negotiations. The increases are real and will affect costs beginning in the third quarter of 2018." (Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components)

"Reviewing the business case for importing manufactured parts from China , as new tariffs will lead to increased costs that we will pass along to our domestic customers." (Transportation Equipment)

, as new tariffs will lead to increased costs that we will pass along to our domestic customers." (Transportation Equipment) "Corn and soybean meal costs are reducing. Labor continues to be a struggle to fill open positions." (Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products)

"The steel tariffs are a concern to us. We have already seen steel prices increase due to the threat of the tariffs and are seeing kickback from our customers due to the higher prices. We are concerned that the end customer will go to off shore to purchase the finished product." (Fabricated Metal Products)

"Business is moving along at a brisk pace, outperforming the annual plan year-to-date (calendar year financials). However, internationally, nationally and locally, we are finding many manufacturers behind schedule due to capacity constraints. They are stating their order intake is heavy and/or they cannot find qualified employees to get all the work done." (Machinery)

"Tariffs are [resulting in] customs inspection-time increases on imported raw materials from China . Logistics seems to be improving, but we are seeing a [continuing] tight chemical bulk tanker market." (Plastics & Rubber Products)

. Logistics seems to be improving, but we are seeing a [continuing] tight chemical bulk tanker market." (Plastics & Rubber Products) "Our customer demand is high, but supply of aluminum is tight. Also, tariffs are negatively affecting our bottom line, as we are unable to pass increases to all of our customers. Plus, we are seeing increases in our construction costs because of the steel price increases. Labor market is extremely tight for professional personnel, plant technicians and support associates." (Primary Metals)

"The so-called trade war is now taking its toll on business activity, resulting in substantial reductions to new export orders. China has all but stopped taking orders, causing inventories to build up in the U.S. Domestic business is steady. However, it is too small to carry the load that export markets have retreated from. As a result, we will be meeting as a corporation next week to recast our second-half sales and revenue projections." (Wood Products)

MANUFACTURING AT A GLANCE July 2018 Index Series

Index Jul Series

Index Jun Percentage Point Change Direction Rate of

Change Trend*

(Months) PMI 58.1 60.2 -2.1 Growing Slower 23 New Orders 60.2 63.5 -3.3 Growing Slower 31 Production 58.5 62.3 -3.8 Growing Slower 23 Employment 56.5 56.0 0.5 Growing Faster 22 Supplier Deliveries 62.1 68.2 -6.1 Slowing Slower 22 Inventories 53.3 50.8 2.5 Growing Faster 7 Customers' Inventories 39.4 39.7 -0.3 Too Low Faster 22 Prices 73.2 76.8 -3.6 Increasing Slower 29 Backlog of Orders 54.7 60.1 -5.4 Growing Slower 18 New Export Orders 55.3 56.3 -1.0 Growing Slower 29 Imports 54.7 59.0 -4.3 Growing Slower 18 OVERALL ECONOMY Growing Slower 111 Manufacturing Sector Growing Slower 23

Manufacturing ISM Report On Business data is seasonally adjusted for the New Orders, Production, Employment and Supplier Deliveries Indexes.

*Number of months moving in current direction.

COMMODITIES REPORTED UP/DOWN IN PRICE AND IN SHORT SUPPLY

Commodities Up in Price

Aluminum (21); Aluminum Based Products (3); Capacitors (2); Caustic Soda (13); Chemicals; Copper* (9); Corrugate (22); Corrugated Boxes (2); Diesel (2); Fabricated Metal Products; Freight (6); Hydraulic Valves (2); Lumber; Machine Components; Natural Gas (2); Nylon (2); Paper (3); Resistors; Silicone Fluids; Solvents (2); Steel; Steel  Galvanized (2); Steel  Hot Rolled (20); Steel  Stainless (4); and Steel Based Products (3).

Commodities Down in Price

Copper*.

Commodities in Short Supply

Aluminum (3); Capacitors (13); Electrical Components (4); Electronic Components (3); Fabricated Metal Products; Freight (3); Integrated Circuits; Memory; Nylon; Resistors (9); and Steel Based Products (3).

The number of consecutive months the commodity is listed is indicated after each item.

*Indicates both up and down in price.

JULY 2018 MANUFACTURING INDEX SUMMARIES

PMI 

Manufacturing expanded in July as the PMI registered 58.1 percent, a decrease of 2.1 percentage points from the June reading of 60.2 percent. "This indicates strong growth in manufacturing for the 23rd consecutive month, led by continued expansion in new orders, production and employment. Inventories are expanding at a faster rate as a result of supplier deliveries improving compared to the prior month," says Fiore. A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally contracting.

A PMI above 43.2 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. Therefore, the July PMI indicates growth for the 111th consecutive month in the overall economy and the 23rd straight month of growth in the manufacturing sector. "The past relationship between the PMI and the overall economy indicates that the PMI for July (58.1 percent) corresponds to a 4.6-percent increase in real gross domestic product (GDP) on an annualized basis."

THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Month PMI

Month PMI Jul 2018 58.1

Jan 2018 59.1 Jun 2018 60.2

Dec 2017 59.3 May 2018 58.7

Nov 2017 58.2 Apr 2018 57.3

Oct 2017 58.5 Mar 2018 59.3

Sep 2017 60.2 Feb 2018 60.8

Aug 2017 59.3 Average for 12 months  59.1 High  60.8 Low  57.3

New Orders

ISM's New Orders Index registered 60.2 percent in July, which is a decrease of 3.3 percentage points when compared to the 63.5 percent reported for June, indicating growth in new orders for the 31st consecutive month. "New orders expansion continued at high levels, with the index at or above 60 percent for the 15th straight month. Customer inventories remain too low," says Fiore. A New Orders Index above 52.4 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Census Bureau's series on manufacturing orders (in constant 2000 dollars).

Sixteen of 18 industries reported growth in new orders in July, listed in the following order: Printing & Related Support Activities; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Computer & Electronic Products; Textile Mills; Machinery; Furniture & Related Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Chemical Products; Paper Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Primary Metals; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. No industry reported a decrease in new orders in July.

New Orders %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jul 2018 29.0 60.1 10.9 +18.1 60.2 Jun 2018 39.7 53.0 7.3 +32.5 63.5 May 2018 37.5 56.3 6.2 +31.3 63.7 Apr 2018 42.4 49.5 8.1 +34.3 61.2

Production

ISM's Production Index registered 58.5 percent in July, which is a decrease of 3.8 percentage points when compared to the 62.3 percent reported for June, indicating growth in production for the 23rd consecutive month. "Production expansion continues. Labor constraints throughout the supply chain and transportation difficulties continue to limit full production potential," says Fiore. An index above 51.5 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Federal Reserve Board's Industrial Production figures.

The 15 industries reporting growth in production during the month of July  listed in order  are: Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Textile Mills; Petroleum & Coal Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Furniture & Related Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Chemical Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Paper Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Plastics & Rubber Products. The only industry reporting a decrease in production in July is Primary Metals.

Production %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jul 2018 31.5 52.6 15.9 +15.6 58.5 Jun 2018 38.7 51.0 10.3 +28.4 62.3 May 2018 35.8 55.2 8.9 +26.9 61.5 Apr 2018 33.6 58.5 8.0 +25.6 57.2

Employment

ISM's Employment Index registered 56.5 percent in July, an increase of 0.5 percentage point when compared to the June reading of 56 percent. This indicates growth in employment in July for the 22nd consecutive month. "Employment maintained a modestly strong level of expansion and supported production growth during the month. Respondents continued to note labor-market issues as a constraint to their production and their suppliers' production capacity," says Fiore. An Employment Index above 50.8 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on manufacturing employment.

Of the 18 manufacturing industries, the 13 reporting employment growth in July  listed in order  are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Textile Mills; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Computer & Electronic Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Machinery; Fabricated Metal Products; Paper Products; Transportation Equipment; and Chemical Products. The two industries reporting a decrease in employment in July are: Primary Metals; and Plastics & Rubber Products.

Employment %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jul 2018 27.1 61.2 11.7 +15.4 56.5 Jun 2018 29.0 59.6 11.3 +17.7 56.0 May 2018 27.6 61.2 11.3 +16.3 56.3 Apr 2018 23.1 66.8 10.2 +12.9 54.2

Supplier Deliveries

The delivery performance of suppliers to manufacturing organizations slowed in July, as the Supplier Deliveries Index registered 62.1 percent. This is 6.1 percentage points lower than the 68.2 percent reported for June. "This is the 22nd straight month of slowing supplier deliveries, and although the index has shown a decline, the quantity of respondents reporting faster supplier deliveries compared to the prior month is minimal," says Fiore. A reading below 50 percent indicates faster deliveries, while a reading above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries.

The 15 industries reporting slower supplier deliveries in July  listed in order  are: Machinery; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Paper Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Textile Mills; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Furniture & Related Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Chemical Products; and Transportation Equipment. The only industry reporting faster supplier deliveries in July is Primary Metals.

Supplier Deliveries %Slower %Same %Faster Net Index Jul 2018 28.5 67.8 3.7 +24.8 62.1 Jun 2018 38.7 58.9 2.4 +36.3 68.2 May 2018 29.9 65.7 4.4 +25.5 62.0 Apr 2018 25.6 71.3 3.2 +22.4 61.1

Inventories *

The Inventories Index registered 53.3 percent in July, which is an increase of 2.5 percentage points when compared to the 50.8 percent reported for June, indicating growth in raw materials inventories. "Inventories are expanding again due to supplier delivery performance improvement in spite of longer lead times and continued disruptions in the transportation sector," says Fiore. An Inventories Index greater than 43 percent, over time, is generally consistent with expansion in the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) figures on overall manufacturing inventories (in chained 2000 dollars).

The 12 industries reporting higher inventories in July  listed in order  are: Textile Mills; Printing & Related Support Activities; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Paper Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Chemical Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Transportation Equipment; and Fabricated Metal Products. The four industries reporting lower inventories in July are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Machinery; and Primary Metals.

Inventories %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jul 2018 22.3 61.9 15.8 +6.5 53.3 Jun 2018 20.7 60.2 19.1 +1.6 50.8 May 2018 17.7 65.1 17.3 +0.4 50.2 Apr 2018 20.4 65.0 14.6 +5.8 52.9

Customers' Inventories *

ISM's Customers' Inventories Index registered 39.4 percent in July, which is 0.3 percentage point lower than the 39.7 percent reported for June, indicating that customers' inventory levels were still considered too low. "Customers' inventory levels are too low for the 22nd consecutive month, which continues to support an overall positive environment for production output growth in the near term," says Fiore.

Only three manufacturing industries reported customers' inventories as too high during the month of July: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; and Furniture & Related Products. The 11 industries reporting customers' inventories as too low during July  listed in order  are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Paper Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Machinery; Fabricated Metal Products; Transportation Equipment; Plastics & Rubber Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Chemical Products; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing.

Customers'

Inventories %

Reporting %Too

High %About

Right %Too

Low Net Index Jul 2018 79 4.8 69.2 26.0 -21.2 39.4 Jun 2018 79 5.3 68.9 25.8 -20.6 39.7 May 2018 80 7.3 64.5 28.2 -20.9 39.6 Apr 2018 87 9.7 69.2 21.1 -11.4 44.3

Prices *

The ISM Prices Index registered 73.2 percent in July, a decrease of 3.6 percentage points from the June reading of 76.8 percent, indicating an increase in raw materials prices for the 29th consecutive month. In July, 54.6 percent of respondents reported paying higher prices, 8.1 percent reported paying lower prices, and 37.3 percent of supply executives reported paying the same prices as in June. "The price increases across all industry sectors continue. The Business Survey Committee noted price increases in metals (all steels, steel components, aluminum and copper), chemicals, corrugate, freight, electronic components, fuels, and wood products. Shortages continue in aluminum, electronics components, steels, steel-based products, electrical components and freight," says Fiore. A Prices Index above 52.4 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Producer Price Index for Intermediate Materials.

Seventeen of the 18 industries reported paying increased prices for raw materials in July, in the following order: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Textile Mills; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; Furniture & Related Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Paper Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Plastics & Rubber Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Primary Metals; Printing & Related Support Activities; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Chemical Products; Transportation Equipment; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. No manufacturing industries reported paying less during the month of July.

Prices %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jul 2018 54.6 37.3 8.1 +46.5 73.2 Jun 2018 56.9 39.9 3.3 +53.6 76.8 May 2018 62.2 34.7 3.1 +59.1 79.5 Apr 2018 61.2 36.2 2.6 +58.6 79.3

Backlog of Orders *

ISM's Backlog of Orders Index registered 54.7 percent in July, which is 5.4 percentage points lower than the 60.1 percent reported in June, indicating growth in order backlogs for the 18th consecutive month. "Backlog expansion continued during the period, but at lower expansion levels. Continued low levels of customer inventory and strong new order expansion support production requirements in the near term," says Fiore.

The 10 industries reporting growth in order backlogs in July  listed in order  are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Textile Mills; Machinery; Computer & Electronic Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Fabricated Metal Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Paper Products; Chemical Products; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing. The three industries reporting a decrease in order backlogs during July are: Primary Metals; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Furniture & Related Products.

Backlog of

Orders %

Reporting %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jul 2018 87 24.0 61.3 14.7 +9.3 54.7 Jun 2018 90 32.8 54.6 12.6 +20.2 60.1 May 2018 89 34.8 57.5 7.7 +27.1 63.5 Apr 2018 88 32.3 59.3 8.3 +24.0 62.0

New Export Orders *

ISM's New Export Orders Index registered 55.3 percent in July, a decrease of 1 percentage point when compared to the 56.3 percent reported for June, indicating growth in new export orders for the 29th consecutive month. "Five of the six big industry sectors continued to expand export activity during the period," says Fiore.

The seven industries reporting growth in new export orders in July  listed in order  are: Petroleum & Coal Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Machinery; and Chemical Products. The five industries reporting a decrease in new export orders in July are: Wood Products; Primary Metals; Paper Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; and Transportation Equipment. Six industries reported no change in new export orders in July.

New Export

Orders %

Reporting %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jul 2018 78 18.1 74.3 7.6 +10.5 55.3 Jun 2018 79 15.8 81.1 3.1 +12.6 56.3 May 2018 79 17.3 76.5 6.2 +11.2 55.6 Apr 2018 79 18.6 78.2 3.2 +15.4 57.7

Imports *

ISM's Imports Index registered 54.7 percent in July, a decrease of 4.3 percentage points when compared to the 59 percent reported for June, indicating that imports grew in July for the 18th consecutive month. "Imports continued to expand, but at a lower level compared to the prior month," says Fiore.

The 11 industries reporting growth in imports during the month of July  listed in order  are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Textile Mills; Chemical Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Machinery; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Transportation Equipment; Plastics & Rubber Products; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing. The two industries reporting a decrease in imports during July are: Petroleum & Coal Products; and Primary Metals.

Imports %

Reporting %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jul 2018 82 19.4 70.6 10.0 +9.4 54.7 Jun 2018 85 24.3 69.3 6.4 +17.9 59.0 May 2018 85 17.1 74.0 8.9 +8.2 54.1 Apr 2018 86 21.6 72.4 6.0 +15.6 57.8

*The Inventories, Customers' Inventories, Prices, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders and Imports Indexes do not meet the accepted criteria for seasonal adjustments.

Buying Policy

Average commitment lead time for Capital Expenditures decreased by six days in July to 137 days. Average lead time for Production Materials was unchanged at 69 days. Average lead time for Maintenance, Repair and Operating (MRO) Supplies increased by four days to 35 days.

Percent Reporting

Capital Expenditures Hand-to-

Mouth 30

Days 60

Days 90

Days 6

Months 1 Year+ Average

Days Jul 2018 23 7 9 15 28 18 137 Jun 2018 21 7 9 17 26 20 143 May 2018 19 6 10 19 27 19 143 Apr 2018 21 5 10 21 21 22 145















Production Materials Hand-to-

Mouth 30

Days 60

Days 90

Days 6

Months 1 Year+ Average

Days Jul 2018 11 37 23 18 7 4 69 Jun 2018 11 33 29 16 7 4 69 May 2018 13 30 26 20 7 4 70 Apr 2018 10 35 28 17 7 3 67















MRO Supplies Hand-to-

Mouth 30

Days 60

Days 90

Days 6

Months 1 Year+ Average

Days Jul 2018 37 41 13 6 2 1 35 Jun 2018 36 43 14 5 2 0 31 May 2018 32 44 16 7 1 0 33 Apr 2018 35 41 15 7 2 0 35

About This Report

DO NOT CONFUSE THIS NATIONAL REPORT with the various regional purchasing reports released across the country. The national report's information reflects the entire U.S., while the regional reports contain primarily regional data from their local vicinities. Also, the information in the regional reports is not used in calculating the results of the national report. The information compiled in this report is for the month of July 2018.

The data presented herein is obtained from a survey of manufacturing supply executives based on information they have collected within their respective organizations. ISM makes no representation, other than that stated within this release, regarding the individual company data collection procedures. The data should be compared to all other economic data sources when used in decision-making.

Data and Method of Presentation

The Manufacturing ISM Report On Business is based on data compiled from purchasing and supply executives nationwide. The composition of the Manufacturing Business Survey Committee is stratified according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and each of the following NAICS-based industry's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP): Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Textile Mills; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Paper Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Petroleum & Coal Products; Chemical Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; Computer & Electronic Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Transportation Equipment; Furniture & Related Products; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing (products such as medical equipment and supplies, jewelry, sporting goods, toys and office supplies). The data are weighted based on each industry's contribution to GDP. Beginning in January 2018, computation of the indexes is accomplished utilizing unrounded numbers.

Survey responses reflect the change, if any, in the current month compared to the previous month. For each of the indicators measured (New Orders, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders, Imports, Production, Supplier Deliveries, Inventories, Customers' Inventories, Employment and Prices), this report shows the percentage reporting each response, the net difference between the number of responses in the positive economic direction (higher, better and slower for Supplier Deliveries) and the negative economic direction (lower, worse and faster for Supplier Deliveries), and the diffusion index. Responses are raw data and are never changed. The diffusion index includes the percent of positive responses plus one-half of those responding the same (considered positive).

The resulting single index number for those meeting the criteria for seasonal adjustments (PMI, New Orders, Production, Employment and Supplier Deliveries) is then seasonally adjusted to allow for the effects of repetitive intra-year variations resulting primarily from normal differences in weather conditions, various institutional arrangements, and differences attributable to non-moveable holidays. All seasonal adjustment factors are subject annually to relatively minor changes when conditions warrant them. The PMI is a composite index based on the diffusion indexes of five of the indexes with equal weights: New Orders (seasonally adjusted), Production (seasonally adjusted), Employment (seasonally adjusted), Supplier Deliveries (seasonally adjusted), and Inventories.

Diffusion indexes have the properties of leading indicators and are convenient summary measures showing the prevailing direction of change and the scope of change. A PMI reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally declining. A PMI above 43.2 percent, over a period of time, indicates that the overall economy, or gross domestic product (GDP), is generally expanding; below 43.2 percent, it is generally declining. The distance from 50 percent or 43.2 percent is indicative of the extent of the expansion or decline. With some of the indicators within this report, ISM has indicated the departure point between expansion and decline of comparable government series, as determined by regression analysis. The Manufacturing ISM Report On Business survey is sent out to Manufacturing Business Survey Committee respondents the first part of each month. Respondents are asked to ONLY report on information for the current month. ISM receives survey responses throughout most of any given month, with the majority of respondents generally waiting until late in the month to submit responses in order to give the most accurate picture of current business activity. ISM then compiles the report for release on the first business day of the following month.

The industries reporting growth, as indicated in the Manufacturing ISM Report On Business monthly report, are listed in the order of most growth to least growth. For the industries reporting contraction or decreases, those are listed in the order of the highest level of contraction/decrease to the least level of contraction/decrease.

Responses to Buying Policy reflect the percent reporting the current month's lead time, the approximate weighted number of days ahead for which commitments are made for Capital Expenditures; Production Materials; and Maintenance, Repair and Operating (MRO) Supplies, expressed as hand-to-mouth (five days), 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, six months (180 days), a year or more (360 days), and the weighted average number of days. These responses are raw data, never revised, and not seasonally adjusted since there is no significant seasonal pattern.

ISM ROB Content

The Institute for Supply Management ("ISM") Report On Business (both Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing) ("ISM ROB") contains information, text, files, images, video, sounds, musical works, works of authorship, applications, and any other materials or content (collectively, "Content") of ISM ("ISM ROB Content"). ISM ROB Content is protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other laws, and as between you and ISM, ISM owns and retains all rights in the ISM ROB Content. ISM hereby grants you a limited, revocable, nonsublicensable license to access and display on your individual device the ISM ROB Content (excluding any software code) solely for your personal, non-commercial use. The ISM ROB Content shall also contain Content of users and other ISM licensors. Except as provided herein or as explicitly allowed in writing by ISM, you shall not copy, download, stream, capture, reproduce, duplicate, archive, upload, modify, translate, publish, broadcast, transmit, retransmit, distribute, perform, display, sell, or otherwise use any ISM ROB Content.

Except as explicitly and expressly permitted by ISM, you are strictly prohibited from creating works or materials (including but not limited to tables, charts, datastreams, timeseries variables, fonts, icons, link buttons, wallpaper, desktop themes, on-line postcards, montages, mash-ups and similar videos, greeting cards, and unlicensed merchandise) that derive from or are based on the ISM ROB Content. This prohibition applies regardless of whether the derivative works or materials are sold, bartered, or given away. You shall not either directly or through the use of any device, software, internet site, web-based service, or other means remove, alter, bypass, avoid, interfere with, or circumvent any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices marked on the Content or any digital rights management mechanism, device, or other content protection or access control measure associated with the Content including geo-filtering mechanisms. Without prior written authorization from ISM, you shall not build a business utilizing the Content, whether or not for profit.

You shall not create, recreate, distribute, incorporate in other work, or advertise an index of any portion of the Content unless you receive prior written authorization from ISM. Requests for permission to reproduce or distribute ISM ROB Content can be made by contacting in writing at: ISM Research, Institute for Supply Management, 309 W. Elliot Road, Suite 113, Tempe, Arizona 85284-1556, or by emailing [email protected]. Subject: Content Request.

ISM shall not have any liability, duty, or obligation for or relating to the ISM ROB Content or other information contained herein, any errors, inaccuracies, omissions or delays in providing any ISM ROB Content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. In no event shall ISM be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages, arising out of the use of the ISM ROB. Report On Business, PMI, and NMI are registered trademarks of Institute for Supply Management. Institute for Supply Management and ISM are registered trademarks of Institute for Supply Management, Inc.

About Institute for Supply Management 

Institute for Supply Management (ISM) serves supply management professionals in more than 90 countries. Its 50,000 members around the world manage about US$1 trillion in corporate and government supply chain procurement annually. Founded in 1915 as the first supply management institute in the world, ISM is committed to advancing the practice of supply management to drive value and competitive advantage for its members, contributing to a prosperous and sustainable world. ISM leads the profession through the ISM Report On Business, its highly regarded certification programs and the ISM Mastery Model. This report has been issued by the association since 1931, except for a four-year interruption during World War II.

The full text version of the Manufacturing ISM Report On Business is posted on ISM's website at www.ismrob.org on the first business day* of every month after 10:00 a.m. ET.

The next Manufacturing ISM Report On Business featuring August 2018 data will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, September 4, 2018.

*Unless the New York Stock Exchange is closed.

Contact: Kristina Cahill

Report On Business Analyst

ISM, ROB/Research Manager

Tempe, Arizona

+1 480.455.5910

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Institute for Supply ManagementWALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- QinetiQ North America (QNA) today announced that it has been awarded a sole-source contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, (NSWC PCD), Panama City, FL to demonstrate advanced, low power, sidescan sonar technology. This contract will leverage QinetiQ North America's patented DOLPHIN technology to demonstrate full swath coverage in eliminating the Nadir (gap) that exists with current sidescan sonar systems.

DOLPHIN is a full duplex, underwater acoustic technology that makes it possible for collaborative and interoperable, continuous sonar signals by enabling Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STAR) acoustic sonar operations. This technology increases area search rate solving many challenges for Navy and commercial customers.

"This award provides us an opportunity to work in partnership with the US Navy to demonstrate this revolutionary, enabling technology to support significantly improved performance of subsea acoustics systems," said Mr. Mike Fry, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development for Maritime Systems at QinetiQ North America. "We are very pleased and honored to be part of this significant technology demonstration."

More information on the contract can be found on the US Government website at https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=e98062cd99bbb9fbe0bfc812eba2f382

About QinetiQ North America

QinetiQ North America (QNA) is a subsidiary of QinetiQ Group plc, the FTSE250 company listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:QQ.L). QNA delivers world-class technology and revolutionary products to the defense, security, and commercial markets. Customers rely on QNA products to increase situational awareness, aid in personal safety, enhance security and streamline operations. QNA is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts and operates as the US arm of QinetiQ Group's Global Products division. For more information, visit www.qinetiq-na.com.

SOURCE QinetiQ North America

Related Links

http://www.qinetiq-na.com

OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Right at Home, a leading in-home care franchise with more than 500 locations across the world, today announced a preferred partnership with Kindred at Home, the largest home health and hospice provider in the country. This partnership is the latest strategic program implemented by Right at Home with a focus on highlighting the value of home care in the post-acute continuum and is part of its proprietary care delivery system, called RightCare. An example of the RightCare system is exemplified through Right at Home's collaboration on the Harvard In-Home Program study with Harvard Medical School's Department of Health Care Policy and with ClearCare, the software provider the Right at Home franchise system uses. This collaboration seeks to better monitor Right at Home clients to improve at-home senior healthcare by tracking changes in clients' behavior or condition so staff can take appropriate action in order to avoid a more serious health issue. Right at Home also has a RightTransitions program that was developed to create a seamless transition from hospital to home and keep patients from being readmitted to the hospital.

Now, Right at Home and Kindred at Home will work together under a formalized preferred partnership with a focus on collaborative care. Each industry leader shares the common goal of keeping seniors healthy, happy and in the location they call home. With similar footprints across the nation and areas of cross-market coverage, when clients are in need of home health services and are equally eligible, Right at Home has identified Kindred at Home as a national collaboration partner in care. In return, Kindred at Home has identified Right at Home as a partner of choice, focused on decreasing hospital readmissions and improving the overall quality of healthcare outcomes.

Nonskilled in-home care services will be allowed as a supplemental benefit for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced earlier this year. This marks the first time CMS has allowed supplemental benefits that include daily maintenance in Medicare Advantage.

"These are the types of partnerships that will continue to drive the quality Right at Home is known for as we strive to provide RightCare to everyone who touches our brand," said Brian Petranick, Right at Home CEO and President. "RightCare is 'The Right People doing the Right Things the Right Way for the Right Reason'. We are hopeful our partnership with Kindred at Home puts us in a position to better leverage the new 2019 Medicare Advantage opportunity. Home health has always been great at capturing and evaluating data, and we now have an avenue to not only collaborate on service delivery, but also to analyze market data and measure outcomes."

Under this new partnership, Right at Home and Kindred at Home will work diligently on a local and national level to find areas of collaboration and opportunities to serve the elderly population. While there are many strategic objectives for this partnership, the focus is clear  to keep seniors out of the hospital and reduce the overall cost of healthcare.

"The industry is certainly headed in the right direction," Petranick said. "Between the highly anticipated results of the Harvard In-Home Program study and our integrated partnerships, we believe home care will shift from an ancillary service to a crucial component of the post-acute continuum."

"Kindred at Home is excited to partner with Right at Home to provide compassionate, patient-focused home care assistance to all who need it," said David Causby, President and CEO of Kindred at Home. "Our hope is that we can utilize the new Medicare Advantage opportunity to help our patients stay where they want to be  their homes."

For more information, visit www.cms.gov.

ABOUT RIGHT AT HOME:

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companionship and personal care and assistance to seniors and adults with a disability who want to continue to live independently. Local Right at Home offices are independently owned and operated and directly employ and supervise all caregiving staff, each of whom is thoroughly screened, trained, and bonded/insured prior to entering a client's home. Right at Home's global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with more than 500 franchise locations in the U.S. and seven other countries. Right at Home is the highest-ranked senior care franchise opportunity on Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 ranking in 2018, coming in at No. 49 overall. In 2018, Forbes magazine ranked Right at Home the No. 1 franchise to own under $150,000. For more information on Right at Home, visit About Right at Home at http://www.rightathome.net/about-us or read the Right at Home franchising blog at http://www.rightathomefranchise.com/blog/. To learn more about franchising opportunities, please visit http://www.rightathomefranchise.com/.

Media Contact:

Lauren Kaminski

No Limit Agency

312-526-3996

[email protected]

SOURCE Right at Home

Related Links

http://www.rightathomefranchise.com

Shareholder Conference Call and Webcast on Tuesday August 14, 2018

TORONTO, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Sierra Metals Inc. (TSX: SMT) (NYSE American: SMTS) (BVL: SMT) ("Sierra Metals" or the "Company") will release it's 2018 second quarter consolidated financial results on Monday, August 13, 2018 after market close. Senior Management will also host a webcast and conference call on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 at 10:30am EDT. Details of the Conference Call and Webcast are as follows:

Via Webcast:

A live audio webcast of the meeting will be available on the Company's website:

https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1772236/A192A076A6DB5C6B167C46D0E3FB1505

The webcast along with presentation slides will be archived for 180 days on www.sierrametals.com.

Via phone:

For those who prefer to listen by phone, dial-in instructions are below. To ensure your participation, please call approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the call.

Participant Number (Toll Free North America): (833) 245-9659

Participant Number (Toll Free Peru): 0800-71-476

Participant Number (International): +1 (647) 689-4231

Conference ID: 3657779

About Sierra Metals

Sierra Metals Inc. is a Canadian-based growing polymetallic mining company with production from its Yauricocha Mine in Peru, and its Bolivar and Cusi Mines in Mexico. The Company is focused on increasing production volume and growing mineral resources. Sierra Metals has recently had several new discoveries and still has additional brownfield exploration opportunities at all three mines in Peru and Mexico that are within or close proximity to the existing mines. Additionally, the Company has large land packages at all three mines with several prospective regional targets providing longer term exploration upside and mineral resource growth potential.

The Company's Common Shares trade on the Bolsa de Valores de Lima and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "SMT" and on the NYSE American Exchange under the symbol "SMTS".

For further information regarding Sierra Metals, please visit www.sierrametals.com or contact:

Continue to watch our progress at:

Web: www.sierrametals.com

Twitter: sierrametals

Facebook: SierraMetalsInc

LinkedIn: Sierra Metals Inc

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian and U.S. securities laws related to the Company (collectively, "forward-looking information"). Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's operations, including anticipated developments in the Company's operations in future periods, the Company's planned exploration activities, the adequacy of the Company's financial resources, and other events or conditions that may occur in the future. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be considered to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if and when the properties are developed or further developed. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", "potential" or variations thereof, or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the mining industry including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological formations, floods, labour disruptions, explosions, cave-ins, weather conditions and criminal activity; commodity price fluctuations; higher operating and/or capital costs; lack of available infrastructure; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks associated with the estimation of mineral resources and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits and the inability to replace reserves; fluctuations in the price of commodities used in the Company's operations; risks related to foreign operations; changes in laws or policies, foreign taxation, delays or the inability to obtain necessary governmental permits; risks relating to outstanding borrowings; issues regarding title to the Company's properties; risks related to environmental regulation; litigation risks; risks related to uninsured hazards; the impact of competition; volatility in the price of the Company's securities; global financial risks; inability to attract or retain qualified employees; potential conflicts of interest; risks related to a controlling group of shareholders; dependence on third parties; differences in U.S. and Canadian reporting of mineral reserves and resources; potential dilutive transactions; foreign currency risks; risks related to business cycles; liquidity risks; reliance on internal control systems; credit risks, including risks related to the Company's compliance with covenants with respect to its BCP Facility; uncertainty of production and cost estimates for the Yauricocha Mine, the Bolivar Mine and the Cusi Mine; and other risks identified in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filings are available at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively.

This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking information. Forward looking information includes statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and the Company's actual achievements or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. The Company's statements containing forward-looking information are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, one should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Note Regarding Reserve and Resource Estimates

All reserve and resource estimates reported by the Company are calculated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Classification system. These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the SEC. The differences between these standards are discussed in our SEC filings. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

SOURCE Sierra Metals Inc.

Related Links

www.sierrametals.com

CHANDLER, Ariz., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Skin Actives Scientific, which for a dozen years has brought scientifically proven active ingredients to skin care products, is now expanding into hair growth enhancement using a suite of ingredients that encourage safe and sustainable growth and reduces loss of hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, and beards.

The company recently completed trials on new products featuring Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF), a protein which binds with receptors to promote hair growth. The company has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Lincoln Fine Ingredients, a chemical distribution company based in Rhode Island, to make the ingredient available to larger manufacturers.

For its expansion into this new sector, Skin Actives turned to Chandler Innovations, the city's business incubation and entrepreneurial development program. Funded by the city, Chandler Innovations offers free assistance to companies looking to start or scale up operations if the business or one of its principals resides in Chandler.

Chandler Innovations helped Skin Actives as it was recovering from a bubble in the skin care market in 2016. It also provided expertise on expanding the company - currently with more than $2 million in annual sales - into a new and potentially lucrative field of anti-aging hair care.

The bedrock of the company, founded in 2005 by Funtowicz and his mother, Hannah Sivak, has been rigorous scientific research. Sivak is a former biochemistry professor who has written more than 60 papers on biology, biochemistry and biotechnology.

Those same scientific standards were brought to bear on the hair care products. Studies show that 78 percent of participants who tested Skin Actives hair product had positive changes in the thickness or quality of their hair after using the product. Almost 80 percent showed improvement to their eyebrows and 93 percent saw improvement in the thickness or length of their eyelashes. Another trial saw an improvement in the weight, texture and thickness of beards.

About Chandler Innovations: Chandler Innovations is a business incubation program sponsored by the City of Chandler and powered by NACET. Through virtual and live programs, funding access and community events, it promotes the creation and sustainable growth of innovative, tech-focused businesses. Programs are free to those who work, live or own property in Chandler.

SOURCE Skin Actives Scientific

Related Links

http://www.skinactives.com

BOSTON, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Indigo Ag, Inc., a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, announces the hiring of Brian Birtwistle as Chief Product Officer. Birtwistle will establish the long-term vision for Indigo's digital and software products, built to support the profitability and sustainability of farms around the world. He will focus on the continuous improvement and expansion of Indigo's digital technologies, bringing more value to growers, buyers, and ultimately consumers each year.

On joining Indigo, Birtwistle said, "In less than four years, Indigo has brought several products to market - Indigo Treated Seed, Indigo Production, On-Farm Storage, Indigo Research PartnersTM - that incorporate innovations in both microbiology and software to support the company's commitments to grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and the alignment of agricultural practices with consumer preferences. I'm thrilled to be joining a company that has innovated and delivered at this pace."

Birtwistle was an early executive at Amazon, involved in laying the company's foundation through his role in product management and as one of Amazon's first general managers. He joined the company in 1997, and spent the next five years establishing and growing several key businesses. Most recently, Birtwistle served as Chief Operating Officer at Tilt, leading go-to-market and operations functions for its social-payments model before the company was acquired by Airbnb. Before this, he was Vice President of Marketing at Zynga, a popular social gaming platform, where he spearheaded product marketing, online advertising, partnerships, and brand strategy in the lead-up to its IPO. Birtwistle was part of the core team that grew Zynga to multi-billion dollar revenues. He also serves as Board Director for Silicon Valley's Second Harvest Food Bank, one of the largest food banks in the nation. Birtwistle holds an AB from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

"Accomplishing Indigo's mission of harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet requires innovation in both microbial and digital technology," said David Perry, Indigo's President and CEO. "Brian has significant experience leading fast-growing technology companies and will be at the center of our continuing efforts to build a portfolio of digital and software products that unlock new markets for growers and buyers."



About Indigo

Indigo is a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet. With a vision of creating a world where farming is an economically desirable and accessible profession, Indigo works alongside its farmers to apply natural approaches, conserve resources for future generations, and grow healthy food and fiber for all. Utilizing beneficial plant microbes to improve crop health and productivity, Indigo's portfolio is currently focused on cotton, wheat, corn, soybeans, and rice. The company, founded by Flagship Pioneering, is headquartered in Boston, MA, with additional offices in Memphis, TN, Research Triangle Park, NC, Sydney, Australia, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. www.indigoag.com

Media Contacts





Indigo Lauren Ashbrook [email protected] + 1 (857) 443-9416 Kwittken for Indigo Margaret Manning [email protected] + 1 (212) 352-4651

SOURCE Indigo Ag

Related Links

http://www.indigoag.com

During the month of August, Texas de Brazil guests dining at domestic locations can help support families seeking care at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Contributions of any dollar amount may be simply added to the bottom of the check, and for every $5 donated, the guest will receive a $5 certificate to use at a later date. On Mondays, the incentive is doubled and for every $5 donated, the guest will receive $10 in certificates. Both matching or doubling gift certificates have a maximum potential of $50 and may be redeemed during a future visit. Texas de Brazil will be matching donations all month long up to $25,000 and no purchase is necessary to contribute.

"With the big-hearted support of our guests, we are proud to help St. Jude provide life-saving treatments and services for children fighting cancer and other life-threatening diseases," says Salim Asrawi, Chief Operating Officer of Texas de Brazil. "We value our continued partnership with the charity and we are extremely fortunate to have employees who are eager to promote the campaign and ensure its success," he adds.

Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent when the hospital opened in 1962 to more than 80 percent today, and they won't stop until no child dies from cancer.

Call Texas de Brazil for more information. Visit www.texasdebrazil.com for locations and hours.

About Texas de Brazil Churrascaria

Texas de Brazil is an authentic Brazilian-American steakhouse featuring a continuous dining experience that blends the unique culture of Brazil with the generous hospitality of Texas. The menu features a vast selection of grilled meats, a 50-item salad area, an award-winning wine list and a la carte dessert selections. Founded as a family-owned business in 1998, Texas de Brazil now has locations in 20 states along with seven countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.texasdebrazil.com.

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Our purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.

As the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children, treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent. And we won't stop until no child dies from cancer.

By freely sharing discoveries, every child saved at a St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food  because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.

Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook (facebook.com/stjude), following us on Twitter (@stjude) and subscribing to our YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/MyStJude).

SOURCE Texas de Brazil

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INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The leader of the nation's largest veterans organization praised the recent repatriation of remains believed to be of U.S. servicemembers who fought in the Korean War.

"Last year, I visited the (DPAA) identification lab at Hikam Air Force Base and was impressed with and moved by the extraordinary professionalism and commitment shown by those charged with accounting for and identifying those listed as Missing in Action," American Legion National Commander Denise H. Rohan said. "Approximately 7,700 Americans remain missing from the Korean War. Many are believed to be in North Korea. The American Legion hopes that this recent action by North Korea is the beginning of a significant effort to bring them all home and provide closure to the families of our Fallen heroes."

The American Legion is also calling on family members of all Americans who are Missing in Action to provide DNA samples to the Defense Prisoner of War, Missing in Action Agency, www.dpaa.mil, in order to assist in the identification process.

With a current membership of 2 million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more nearly 13,000 posts across the nation.

Media contacts: John Raughter, [email protected], (317) 630-1253

SOURCE The American LegionIn this role, Ms. Jones will contribute to the strategic growth of the PCF through the development of new business opportunities and the establishment of stronger corporate alliances. She will also oversee the PCF's daily operations and initiatives to help the the organization achieve its mission to accelerate research for better treatments and cures.

Ms. Jones is the former Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary for Go Daddy Operating Company LLC. She has also served as CEO of Great Hearts Academies, the largest provider of K-12 classical, liberal arts education in the nation.

"I am honored to assume this role at PCF, the world's premier foundation funding prostate cancer research led by Dr. Simons, a physician-scientist, medical oncologist and an internationally recognized leader in prostate cancer research," Jones said. "This is an exciting moment to join the team which has made more of an impact on this cancer than any other organization. I look forward to leading the charge to expand our global research enterprise and defeat prostate cancer once and for all."

"Christine's executive leadership credentials and proven capabilities will positively impact the PCF's future initiatives which include bringing precision oncology to the global community of men with prostate cancer along with their family, friends and loved ones," said Simons. "I look forward to collaborating with Christine as we work toward accelerating our ability to fund research that leads to treatments and cures."

Throughout her distinguished career, Ms. Jones has been at the forefront of the fight to make the Internet better and safer for users, particularly children. She has testified numerous times before U.S. Congressional Committees in Washington, D.C. about various issues related to the Internet. She also helped drive federal Internet-related legislation.

Prior to Go Daddy, Christine worked for a Phoenix law firm focusing primarily on commercial litigation. Before entering private practice, Christine worked for the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, where she spent time in a variety of departments, including the Compton Special Investigations and Hard Core Gang Divisions. Prior to entering the practice of law, Ms. Jones practiced as a certified public accountant for several national and international banks in both retail and commercial banking.

Ms. Jones stays involved in many volunteer and charitable projects. She serves on the Board of Directors for her church, as well as multiple non-profits.

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world's leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993, the PCF has raised more than $755 million and provided funding to more than 2,000 research programs at more than 200 cancer centers and universities. The PCF global research enterprise extends to 22 countries and funds a robust research portfolio. The PCF advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer and more efficient investment of governmental research funds for transformational cancer research. Its efforts have helped produce a 20-fold increase in government funding for prostate cancer. More information about the PCF can be found at www.pcf.org.

Connect with PCF: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kathy Vincent for the Prostate Cancer Foundation

(310) 403-8951

[email protected]

Donald Wilson for the Prostate Cancer Foundation

(310) 428-4730

[email protected]



SOURCE Prostate Cancer Foundation

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http://www.pcf.org

HONG KONG and PHOENIX, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global data, due diligence and intelligence firm, The Red Flag Group, today announced the significant expansion of its office in Shanghai and the appointment of Beth Epstein to its Leadership Team as General Manager, Asia Pacific based in Shanghai.

"The Red Flag Group has a very healthy business supporting global companies operating in the China market by conducting due diligence on their business partners and helping them make better decisions about doing business in one of the world's fastest growing markets. I am very excited to join the Firm to expand this growth even further and invest in our teams in mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia," said Beth.

Beth has over fifteen years' experience in China with more than a decade in advising multinational companies on how to conduct due diligence and select their business partners in Greater China. She has worked at several international business advisory firms, advising multinational corporations in several industry sectors on the risks of doing business in China and throughout Asia Pacific. Her experience includes pre-IPO, M&A and due diligence engagements, complex fraud and corporate investigations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violation investigations, fraud risk assessments, country risk assessments, and ethics training.

Scott Lane, CEO & Chairman of The Red Flag Group, said, "Our Firm started in Asia over 12 years ago in Hong Kong and advises clients from all markets around the world on how to select and monitor business partners in China. The investments that we are making in our Shanghai office reflect the continued interest of our clients from all our key markets to invest and grow their businesses in China. In the last twelve months we have also seen local and state owned Chinese companies seeking help as they grow their compliance departments and expand their business outlook. Our focus is helping them expand on an international scale while informing them on who they engage in business with."

The Red Flag Group has recently increased the size of its Shanghai operations and its Mandarin speaking team in Hong Kong and Malaysia in recent years and is looking to double the business in the region over the coming year. "Companies are taking seriously the fact that they want to know who they are doing business with. They want to know their customers, suppliers and their distributors/resellers better than they know themselves. Our focus is to get our clients the information they need to make better decisions," said Scott Lane.

A list of The Red Flag Group's Leadership Team members can be found at http://www.redflaggroup.com/leadership-team/.

Notes to editors:

The Red Flag Group is a business intelligence and technology firm that helps clients make better decisions in selecting key stakeholders. Our focus is helping companies select great business partners, suppliers, customers and employees and avoiding costly mistakes that have legal, regulatory and reputational consequences. Over 900 major companies around the world trust The Red Flag Group to select their business partners and provide ratings, research and advice on risk.

Over 200 qualified compliance professionals

Over 100 technology-development professionals

Projects and experience in 194 countries

Expertise in 45 languages

15 global offices across five continents

12 years of profitable operations acting for large American, European and Asian multinational corporations

More information: www.redflaggroup.com

Contact:

Iris Ho

[email protected]

+852-31850736

Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20151022/8521506986LOGO

SOURCE The Red Flag Group (Consulting) Limited

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Mr. Fields was a Husband, a Father and a Grandfather. Beyond that, he was a Professor  Emeritus at Saint Petersburg College in Clearwater FL and an Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University where he taught International Relations, Economics, American Government and Politics. He was a mentor to his students As quoted by one of his students:

"I had the pleasure of meeting you in 1996 while taking your American National Government class. The first day of class as I sat in the last row, you walked in and proclaimed that the people in the first row would get A's, B's for the second row, C's for the third row and the rest of us may as well leave now. Being the stubborn person that I am, as well as the fact that I was a straight A student, I vowed to prove you wrong. Each week as I sat in the back of the classroom, and received my quizzes with large F's on them, my anger and determination rose. You made me realize that the A's I had previously achieved were through recollection and rote memorynot the process of learning through understanding. I struggled day and night to understand government (which I had not had any previous understanding of, let alone know that there were 3 branches of government), how it functioned, and the necessity for it. I achieved my goal of finishing your class with an A thus not having to endure taking your final exam but I learned much more than American Government that semester. I learned that knowledge is something to be understood before it could be truly learned. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me understand and learn. You are highly appreciated."

 Charlene Demers-McDonough

Aside from being a professor of the first rate, Mr Fields was also a State Certified Long-Term Care Ombudsman in the State Of Florida and served as the Chairman of the Board for the Florida State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Council. In addition, Mr. Fields served on the Board of Directors for the Kiwanis Club of Clearwater East, The Executive Council for the Florida Political Science Association, Vice President St. Petersburg College Faculty Senate, Chairman Clearwater Campus, St. Petersburg Jr. College Faculty Council, Founding President of The Johnnie Ruth Clark Chapter  St. Petersburg College, National Council of Black American Affairs, Council of Presidents, Southeastern Regional National Council of Black American Affairs, Board of Directors Pinellas County Alcohol and Substance Abuse Council, and Board of Directors Suncoast Tiger Bay Club.

Mr. Fields was also a Campaign Manager at the State Level and a Campaign Consultant at the Federal, State and Local level. A Military Veteran, Mr. Fields served honorably In the United States Army for 23 years achieving the rank of Sergeant First Class. He received his undergraduate degree and a graduate degree from Kansas State University, he received another graduate degree from Florida State University and was "All But Dissertation" (ABD) in the PHD program at Florida State University.

"My grandfather was a great man, he was my mentor from birth" said Scott, "A lot of people assume (before they talk to me that is) that because I don't have a college degree, I have not been educated to the highest level of academic standards. What most don't know is that everything I know about Economics, Government and International Relations, I learned from my Grandfather, who was a lot harder on me than any of his students. He pushed me to be the best man I could be every day and never settled for less than my best. He loved me with his all and supported me through my ups and my downs. I am the man I am today, in large part, because I had the privilege of my Grandfather's tough love and the honor to sit at the feet of such a great man and receive tutelage and wisdom that is unmatched. I only hope that at the end of my life, I will have become half the man that he was and accomplished at least a fraction of what he did!

"It is the deepest honor of The Scott Family Foundation Intl. to pay homage to such a great and inspirational man by helping ensure that Mr. Fields passion for education and his legacy lives on through the lives that will be touched by the Scholarships we provide in Mr. Fields name."

About the foundation:

The Scott Family Foundation Intl. ("TSFF Intl.") is a private, international Non-Governmental Organization ("NGO"), created to help people in need reach their fullest potential through long term, sustainable, humanitarian, socioeconomic, healthcare, educational and inner-city youth development and mentor programs. TSFF Intl. works to ensure that all people, especially those with the fewest resources, have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in life. Its mission is to enhance the dignity and quality of life for individuals, families and communities globally. More information on The Scott Family Foundation Intl. can be found at: www.scottfamilyfoundationintl.org.

SOURCE The Scott Family Foundation Intl.

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The Honorable William H. Webster , former Director of the FBI and the CIA, current Chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC), and recently retired partner at the Washington, DC offices of international law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy joined Linda Klein , Past-President of the American Bar Association (ABA) and senior managing shareholder at Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz as honorary co-counsel for The Veterans Consortium's milestone 5,000th federal Pro Bono Program case. Judge Webster's and Ms. Klein's volunteer service in this successful appeal will be recognized at TVC's 2018 Pro Bono Mission Partners Awards Reception on October 3 rd , 2018 at Union Station in Washington, DC.

Ms. Judy Donegan, Esq., The Veterans Consortium's Director of Litigation & Case Management, was the lead counsel for this milestone case and worked closely with Judge Webster and Ms. Klein on the successful federal appeal. Ms. Donegan is a seasoned attorney whose 25-year legal career includes more than a decade representing U.S. Military veterans before the CAVC and the Department of Veterans Affairs. She has led or participated in more than 2,000 federal appellate cases before the CAVC.

"It is both a duty and a privilege to serve our nation's defenders," said Mary Ann Gilleece, Esq., TVC's Chairman of the Executive Board, "and we are delighted to congratulate this legal 'dream team' for winning this milestone 5,000th federal Pro Bono Program case. We are grateful for the pro bono service of Judge Webster and Linda Klein, as well as their fellow TVC National Volunteer Corps members who serve each day, for their dedication to helping veterans and their loved ones."

The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program has more than 25 years of serving veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors, helping them win access to the care, benefits and compensation they earned through military service. The federal Pro Bono Program for veterans has been operated by TVC on behalf of the CAVC since 1992. TVC maintains a trained National Volunteer Corps of over 2,500 highly skilled attorneys, paralegals, and related pro bono professionals providing legal services free of charge to veterans and their loved ones in the US and abroad.

The Veterans Consortium (TVC) is a national 501c3 nonprofit serving the global US veteran community. For more information about TVC, how to get involved, support the organization and our national outreach initiatives associated with the federal Pro Bono Program please visit our website, www.vetsprobono.org or contact TVC via email: [email protected].

For additional information regarding this press release, please contact: Claudia Daley, Manager, Client and Stakeholder Outreach and Communications: Office direct line: (202) 733-3328.

SOURCE The Veterans Consortium

Related Links

http://www.vetsprobono.org

ROCKVILLE, Maryland, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Television scenario has been radically changing with customers shifting from traditional cable network or set top boxes toward standalone content providing devices such as smart TV sticks. The steady upward growth apropos to the demand for OTT (Over The Top) media services has significantly driven the adoption of smart TV sticks. Fact.MR envisages that the demand for smart TV sticks is projected to expand at a steady CAGR of 7.1% in terms of value throughout the period of assessment, 2018-2028.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/713666/FactMR_Logo.jpg )



Sales of smart TV sticks are likely to remain concentrated in the developed regions of United States, given the high purchasing power parity of individuals in the country. However, emerging economies of Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region, such as China and India have showcased high inclination toward adoption of smart TV sticks. The report forecasts that by end of 2028, the demand for smart TV sticks in China is projected to grow at a meteoric pace with its sales volume crossing 6 million units.

Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=1367

Albeit high inclination toward online streaming and OTT adoption in emerging economies, fluctuating bandwidth becomes a crucial aspect. With strong internet network as a preliminary requirement for smart TV sticks, low or fluctuating bandwidths are likely to pose problems during streaming owing to low download speeds with excessive spikes and lags.

The smart TV sticks market growth is also impacted from the trade tensions between China and the United States, as the latter continues to impose high duty tariffs on imported electronic products. Such stringent government regulations between the two economically stable giants are likely to cause gap in supply and demand, consequently challenging the growth of smart TV sticks market.

Manufacturers of smart TV sticks are largely focusing on promoting and selling their products using third party online channels. With growing popularity of e-commerce, the trend of online selling has reached its peak as customers opt for online purchasing given its convenience and cost effectiveness aspects. That said, sales of smart TV sticks through third party online channels are expected to rove at a bullish pace during the period of forecast and are likely to cross US$ 1200 Mn by end of 2028. According to the report, this channel is likely to offer significant sales potential in the coming years, that manufacturers can leverage to tap customers even in remote places.

To know more about Smart TV Sticks Market Trends, Check the link- https://www.factmr.com/report/1367/smart-tv-sticks-market

The report foresees that the sales of smart TV sticks that do not possess 4K video support are high as compared to their 4K counterparts. The non 4K smart TV sticks sales are likely to cross US$ 950 Mn in 2019, leading the smart TV sticks market and are expected to maintain status quo throughout the period of assessment. However, in the coming years, the demand for 4K video support smart TV sticks is projected to expand at a significant pace, albeit at a lower base as compared to non 4K smart TV sticks.

Renascent competition between major players has been witnessed in the smart TV sticks space. With growing technological advancements, novelty in smart TV sticks has led to development of competitive products. Big giants such as Roku, Amazon and Google are involved in new product developments with a view to shun competition and gain hold. The fierce competition in the smart TV sticks landscape has resulted in these players touting smart TV sticks at reasonable rates, yet packed with advanced features that an individual seeks. However, not stopping in product development, players are further inducing new makeovers. For instance Roku's options such as Roku Expree and Express Streaming Stick have been re-fabricated with new makeovers that has boosted power along with neat booting features.

Overall, the market for smart TV sticks has portrayed a positive outlook and is expected to grow at an optimistic speed in the coming years, offering new growth opportunities for players. Contact Fact.MR to know more captivating insights on the smart TV sticks topic.

To Buy this Report, Check here - https://www.factmr.com/checkout/1367/S

About Fact.MR

Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.

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SOURCE Fact.MRPETALUMA, Calif., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Finding and keeping a productive workforce is a challenge for any business. As millennials increasingly take a starring role in the labor market (by 2020 they are projected to make up nearly half of all workers), employers must adjust their ways to cater to generational tastes. Offering flexible hours and embracing new technologies may go a long way to attract younger workers, but it is important to make sure that all employees feel that they work in an environment that they can appreciate. CEO and entrepreneur Brandon Frere has developed strategies to foster a successful work climate for all employees, and part of that is based on eliminating bad habits that employees dislike regardless of generation.

Marina BH/Bigstock.com

"My employees are my number one priority, and I try to keep them happy. Over the years, first as an employee and then as an employer, I've seen some bad habits that I try to avoid at all costs. I feel like I know the things that workers hate," Frere said.

The first mistake, according to Frere, is feeling too important. If a boss feels more important than the employees, that boss will likely take credit for projects completed by the team. This can significantly reduce morale. The boss who treats employees as if they are "less than" can come across as threatening, selfish, conniving and just plain mean.

Poor communication, the second bad habit, can be a result. Sharing information is important, Frere says, because bosses who withhold it can seem overly controlling. Hoarding info or data comes off like a power play meant to keep employees out of the loop. Any changes to protocol should be clearly communicated and explained to employees so they feel included in the process.

The last bad habit is micromanagement. Too much bureaucracy can make employees feel untrusted. Too many layers of management or too many steps between a question and an answer can stifle employee motivation. Frere recommends stepping back from employees and letting them reach accomplishments on their own. An overly involved boss can come across like a helicopter mom  always hovering around and never letting the employee find their own way.

"Make your employees your priority and they will reward you with increased production and engagement," Frere began, "and remember that leadership is ultimately about serving those you lead so they can do great things."

About Frere Enterprises

Brandon Frere is an entrepreneur and businessman who lives in Sonoma County, California. He has designed and created multiple companies to meet the ever-demanding needs of businesses and consumers alike. His company website, www.FrereEnterprises.com, is used as a means to communicate many of the lessons, fundamentals and information he has learned throughout his extensive business and personal endeavors, most recently in advocating on behalf of student loan borrowers nationwide.

As experienced during his own student loan repayment, Mr. Frere found out how difficult it can be to work with federally contracted student loan servicers and the repayment programs designed to help borrowers. Through those efforts, he gained an insider's look into the repayment process and the motivations behind the inflating student loan debt bubble. His knowledge of the confusing landscape of student loan repayment became a vital theme in his future endeavors, and he now uses those experiences to help guide others through the daunting process of applying for available federal repayment and loan forgiveness programs.

FrereEnterprises.com

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SOURCE Frere Enterprises

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LOS ANGELES, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of the diverse Latinx identity, Unilever's #QueTeMueve platform has partnered with media company BESE for their art gallery showcase celebrating the many faces of today's American youth. Unilever #QueTeMueve highlights the diverse sources of inspiration that the Latinx community draws from as they forge their own path; one that is true to their heritage and how they want to see themselves in the world. Unilever brought this to life through brand spokesperson, international model and activist Denise Bidot who shared with media and event attendees how she herself has forged a new path within her career while staying true to her heritage.DURHAM, N.C., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- United Real Estate, a national franchise with over 3,600 agents, today announces that it is using the Adwerx Enterprise Automated Listing Advertising Program to deliver digital advertisements for new listings. The ads feature property imagery, brokerage branding, and agent contact information all automatically compiled and deployed as soon as the listing is made public.

Digital advertising remains one of the most efficient and effective ways to reach consumers. The listing ads are targeted based on location and online behavior and run for one week timed to the property launch. Agents can customize and extend the campaign as needed, and are also provided with complete reporting to share with their clients.

"Our goal as a company is to make certain our agents have the training and tools they need to become and remain the residential real estate micro local market expert for buyers and sellers in the communities they serve," said Dan Duffy, CEO, United Real Estate. "We seek to select partners that offer services and products that complement and easily work with our robust agent productivity platform. Our strategic relationship with Adwerx will allow all of our agents to effectively market themselves and their listings in a digital format to better build their agent brand, grow their customer base and help more consumers realize their home ownership dreams."

United Real Estate and Adwerx have both been named to the Inc. 5000, a list of the fastest-growing private companies. United recently announced that it saw over 106 percent growth in agent count during the first quarter of 2018. The company has expanded in both office and agent count due to its agent-centric commission-based business model and its full-service solutions designed to provide agents with the latest training, marketing, and technology tools. United Real Estate was also recently ranked among Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 and was awarded a top 25 position on Entrepreneur's Top New Franchise list.

"United Real Estate is known for their innovative approach to real estate and that includes incorporating up-to-the-minute technology like our Automated Listing Advertising Program," added Jed Carlson, CEO of Adwerx. "Agents need every tool at their disposal in this fast-moving real estate climate. Our product is designed to provide property visibility while not interrupting the agent's workflow."

A recent study by Adwerx and REAL Trends showed that while brokers and agents often have different priorities for marketing initiatives, online advertising satisfies both by providing brokerage branding as well as immediate local visibility for agents and the properties they represent. To learn more, please visit https://adwerx.io/marketing-analysis.

About United Real Estate

United Real Estate  a division of the United Real Estate Group  was founded with the purpose of offering solutions to the challenges facing agents in the residential real estate brokerage industry. Providing the latest training, marketing and technology tools to both agents and brokers under a 100-percent commission strategy, United Real Estate makes it more profitable for an agent to sell real estate and for real estate brokers to leverage a complete system to better grow a successful, thriving real estate brokerage. Named as a "frontrunner" in the real estate industry in 2013, "part of the next generation of real estate brokers" in 2014 by the Swanepoel TRENDS Report, as well as being listed in the "Power 200 Most Influential" from 2015-2018 by Swanepoel Power 200.

United Real Estate has more than 75 offices and over 3,600 agents. Through a worldwide franchise solution, United continues to rapidly expand and was named to the Inc. 5000 fastest growing private companies in 2015-2017 and 2018 Entrepreneur Franchise 500 - Ranked in Top 100 New Franchises, Top Franchise and Top Brands. Driven by an unwavering commitment to giving back, a pillar of United's core values and guiding principles, United Real Estate is proud to support and partner with Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, as United's charity of choice.

About Adwerx

One of the fastest growing companies in real estate technology, Adwerx automates digital advertising for brokerages to delight the seller and increase agent satisfaction. Adwerx helps individual agents promote themselves and their listings online, working with over 115,000 real estate customers across the US, Canada and Australia. Adwerx was ranked #173 on the Inc. 5000 list of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies for 2017 and has been an Inman Innovator Award nominee for its advertising technology. For more information, visit www.adwerx.com.

SOURCE Adwerx

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), today announced that it has entered into a multiyear agreement with Thermal Protection Services (TPS), a division of Vehicle Technical Consultants, Inc. (VTC), to provide nationwide product support for the transit industry. TPS is the first commercial ground vehicle fire protection systems parts distributor for Kidde Technologies' products in the United States. This agreement will provide Kidde Technologies customers with a nationwide service network, which will improve field service, reduce downtime of equipment and enable quicker access to repair parts.

The agreement represents Kidde Technologies' continued dedication to improving customer experience through enhanced resource availability. The service network will enable customer access to hundreds of common part numbers, help ensure better consistency with bottle refill pricing and service, and house the most common parts required to maintain systems, including after sales support, training and warranty support.

The agreement also establishes a parts hotline for customer convenience. By calling 833-433-FIRE, customers will reach TPS headquarters in Perris, California, and will be able to quickly and easily order replacement parts or obtain support information from a team of knowledgeable service technicians across North America.

"We look forward to building on our relationship with TPS," said UTC Aerospace Systems Kidde General Manager Erin McCleave. "We are pleased to offer this increased level of service to our customers and to collaborate with organizations like TPS."

About UTC Aerospace Systems

UTC Aerospace Systems is one of the world's largest suppliers of technologically advanced aerospace and defense products. UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries, supporting a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service facilities. For more information about the company, visit our website at www.utcaerospacesystems.com or follow us on Twitter: @utcaerosystems

About United Technologies Corporation

United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. By combining a passion for science with precision engineering, the company is creating smart, sustainable solutions the world needs. For more information about the company, visit our website at www.utc.com or follow us on Twitter: @UTC

SOURCE UTC Aerospace Systems

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The Korean beauty regimen has been dictating the direction of the global beauty industry over the last few years. With the appointment of Taek Kim, the Los Angeles based startup aims to increase the popularity of the new premium focusing on the North American and Asian markets, and become a globally recognized beauty brand. As a Chief Design Officer, Taek Kim will be responsible for overseeing all design and innovation aspects of VIALE's products and services, including product design, graphic design, user experience design, industrial design, and package design. The new member of the VIALE team will also be overseeing some aspects of advertising, marketing, and engineering. Other areas of the business sometimes overshadow design but multiple success stories prove that design is as important as every other aspect of the company. Having on board one of the most knowledgeable design professionals in the world is what will help VIALE elevate over the competition in the next few years.

"I spent the last month thinking about everything I've accomplished with my previous employer over the last eight years. So many employees, vendors, media representatives told me how much they enjoyed our products. Such kind words always warmed my heart and made me push forward," said Taek Kim. "However, I am an entrepreneur by nature! I see potential in the new premium skincare and I feel now is the right time to turn the page and accept the offer from VIALE Beauty. I've always been in love with the startup culture, I am an explorer, and I enjoy the voyage of discovery. The journey is the reward!"

Back in 2009, Taek Kim joined a then start-up local massage chair manufacturer. He has been leading the growth of the company ever since turning it into an entity valued at more than $2 billion. Almost all departments in the company were developed by him. When Taek joined the company they only had 20 employees and a net worth of less than $9,000,000 annually. Less than ten years later the result is one of the best performing healthcare brands in the world grossing annual sales of $500 million per year and having more than 1300 employees.

ABOUT VIALE Beauty

Founded in 2017, VIALE Beauty is a US based skincare company focused on clean beauty. The cruelty free skincare startup develops beauty products infused with caviar, horse placenta, and eight other exclusive ingredients, crafted in the heart of one of UNESCO's world heritage sites - Jeju Island. The team consists of health specialists, designers, and beauty experts from all over the world including Korea, Italy, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles. The organization relies on implementing their diverse cultures, tastes, and skills in developing high-quality skincare products. VIALE is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

PRESS CONTACT

Esther Kim

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: +1 (213) 421 5151

Address: 155 W Washington Blvd #409, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA

https://www.vialebeauty.com/

SOURCE VIALE Beauty

Related Links

http://www.vialebeauty.com

One decade ago, Lancaster received a comprehensive eye exam and glasses at no-cost through Sight for Students, a VSP Global Eyes of Hope  program. In 2016, VSP Global hit a milestone of providing access to no-cost eye care and eyewear for one million people in need, like Lancaster, and committed to helping another million by 2020. In partnership with VSP network doctors, that goal was reached two years early. Now, VSP has committed to doubling its original goal.

Focused primarily in the United States, the efforts require the continued collaboration with community partners and charities, VSP employeesand most criticallyVSP network doctors.

"When my community was devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita 13 years ago, I too was affected as my practice was completely destroyed. VSP not only supported me in my decision to rebuild, but also supported our community by providing access to no-cost eye care and glasses for those affected during a time of crisis," said Jarrett Johnson, OD, and VSP Global Board Member. "I am proud to be a part of these important efforts, both then and now."

For many patients, receiving vision care has made it possible to safely drive to work, fill out a job application, succeed in school, or simply see the faces of their loved ones clearly. For some patients, a comprehensive eye exam received from VSP network doctors has also led to the early detection of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

"Our mission is to increase access to eye care and eyewear to give everyone the opportunity to see clearly and Eyes of Hope offers another delivery channel to the important care and services provided by VSP network doctors every day," said Michael Guyette, President and CEO of VSP Global. "We remain committed to expanding our efforts to bridge the gap in access to vision care for those disadvantaged by distance, disaster or income."

Eyes of Hope initiatives include:

Mobile eye care clinics and gift certificates that provide immediate, no-cost access to eye exams and glasses for individuals in need from a local VSP network doctor;

that provide immediate, no-cost access to eye exams and glasses for individuals in need from a local VSP network doctor; Eyewear donations and portable equipment loans that support optometrists who are delivering eye care to those in need globally; and

that support optometrists who are delivering eye care to those in need globally; and Special projects that improve sustainable access to eye care, such as We See, an initiative that set out to help 30,000 school children in Soweto, South Africa .

Learn more about VSP Global Eyes of Hope.

About VSP Global

VSP Global is a doctor-governed company that exists to create value for members and opportunities for VSP network doctors. Our industry leading businesses include VSP Vision Care, the only national not-for-profit vision benefits company, which provides access to eye care for 88 million members through a network of 39,000 doctors worldwide; Marchon Eyewear, Inc., one of the world's largest designers, manufacturers and distributors of high quality eyewear and sunwear; VSP Optics, industry leaders in ophthalmic technology and lab services, providing custom lens solutions for the vision and lifestyle needs of patients; Eyefinity, the industry leader in practice management and electronic health record software, and VSP Retail, which focuses on increasing access to eye care and eyewear through multiple channels. Together with VSP network doctors, VSP Global Eyes of Hope has provided access to no-cost eye care and eyewear for more than 2 million people in need.

Media Contact:

Yessenia Anderson

916.204.3392

[email protected]

SOURCE VSP GlobalPHILADELPHIA, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Wills Eye Hospital has been given Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to begin an early feasibility study (EFS) to implant the RETINA IMPLANT Alpha AMS sub-retinal device in patients blind due to Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). The Alpha AMS is manufactured by Retina Implant AG, Reutlingen, Germany and has been designed to replace the non-functioning and absent photoreceptor cells in the eye lost to the RP deterioration. The surgically implanted Alpha AMS chip stimulates the remaining components of the visual system to restore limited functional vision in blind RP patients. The eye's own natural focusing system (without the need of a camera) focuses light on a chip made of 1600 photo diodes. The RETINA IMPLANT Alpha AMS is an investigational device in the US and has CE Mark approval in Europe since 2016.

"This study represents the very earliest phase of clinically testing a potential new option for patients and families grappling with the devastating blindness caused by Retinitis Pigmentosa. We are thankful for the smooth process in working with the FDA and for the opportunity of offering this exciting technology in the form of an EFS investigational study to our blind RP patients for the first time in the U.S.," noted Julia A. Haller, MD, Wills Eye Hospital Ophthalmologist-in-Chief.

Retinitis Pigmentosa is a degenerative eye disease which is the leading cause of inherited blindness in the developed world. There is no known cure for RP which affects an estimated 100,000 people in the USA and 1.5 million people worldwide. Approximately 1,500 individuals with RP each year progress to total blindness. Wills Eye Hospital is the only site in North America conducting this investigational research study and will enroll up to eight patients for implantation. If this initial study demonstrates encouraging results, a larger pivotal study will be performed to gain FDA approval.

About Wills Eye Hospital:

Wills Eye Hospital is a global leader in ophthalmology, established in 1832 as the nation's first hospital specializing in eye care. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Wills Eye as one of America's top ophthalmology centers since the survey began in 1990. Wills Eye is a premier training site for all levels of medical education. Its resident and post-graduate training programs are among the most competitive in the country. Wills provides the full range of primary and subspecialty eye care for improving and preserving sight, including cataract, cornea, emergency care, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, ocular oncology, oculoplastics, pathology, pediatric ophthalmology and ocular genetics, refractive surgery and retina. To learn more, please visit www.willseye.org.

Media Contact:

Cathy Moss

[email protected]

M-917-301-6773

SOURCE Wills Eye Hospital

Related Links

https://www.willseye.org

SHANGHAI, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yum China Holdings, Inc. (the "Company" or "Yum China") (NYSE: YUMC) today reported unaudited results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. Reported GAAP results include Special Items, which are excluded from adjusted measures. Special Items are not allocated to any segment and therefore only impact reported GAAP results of Yum China. See "Reconciliation of Reported GAAP Results to Adjusted Measures" within this release.

Second Quarter Highlights

Total revenues increased 12% year over year to $2.1 billion from $1.8 billion (5% year over year increase excluding foreign currency translation ("F/X")).

increased 12% year over year to from (5% year over year increase excluding foreign currency translation ("F/X")). Total system sales grew 3% year over year, with 5% growth at KFC partially offset by 1% decline at Pizza Hut, excluding F/X.

grew 3% year over year, with 5% growth at KFC partially offset by 1% decline at Pizza Hut, excluding F/X. Same-store sales declined 1% year over year, with flat same-store sales at KFC and a 4% decrease at Pizza Hut, excluding F/X.

declined 1% year over year, with flat same-store sales at KFC and a 4% decrease at Pizza Hut, excluding F/X. R estaurant margin was 15.1%, as compared with 16.6% in the prior year period.

was 15.1%, as compared with 16.6% in the prior year period. Operating P rofit increased 13% year over year to $193 million from $171 million (5% year over year increase excluding F/X).

increased 13% year over year to from (5% year over year increase excluding F/X). Net Income increased 14% to $143 million from $125 million in the prior year period (6% year over year increase excluding F/X).

increased 14% to from in the prior year period (6% year over year increase excluding F/X). Effective tax rate was 26.0%.

Diluted EPS was $0.36 , as compared with $0.31 in the prior year period.

was , as compared with in the prior year period. Repurchased approximately 1.9 million shares for $73.4 million at an average price of $38.41 per share.

at an average price of per share. Opened 164 new restaurants during the quarter, bringing total store count to 8,198 across more than 1,200 cities.

Digital and Delivery

As of June 30, 2018 , the KFC loyalty program had more than 135 million members and the Pizza Hut loyalty program had over 45 million members, an increase of 50 million and 20 million, respectively, year over year.

, the KFC loyalty program had more than 135 million members and the Pizza Hut loyalty program had over 45 million members, an increase of 50 million and 20 million, respectively, year over year. Mobile payments accounted for approximately 63% of Company sales in the quarter, an increase of 21 percentage points year over year.

Delivery contributed to 16% of Company sales in the second quarter of 2018, an increase of 3 percentage points year over year. Delivery services now available in over 1,000 cities, up from 800 cities in the prior year period.

Key Financial Results





Second Quarter 2018



Year to Date Ended 6/30/2018

% Change



% Change

System

Same-

Store

Net New

Units

Operating

System

Same-

Store

Net New

Units

Operating

Sales Sales



Profit Sales Sales



Profit

























Yum China +3 (1)

+6

+13 +5 +1

+6

+26 KFC +5 -

+7

+10 +7 +3

+7

+16 Pizza Hut (1) (4)

+4

(49) (1) (5)

+4

(55)



























































































Second Quarter

Year to Date Ended 6/30 (in US$ million, except













% Change













% Change for per share data and percentages)

2018

2017

Reported

Ex F/X

2018

2017

Reported

Ex F/X Operating Profit

$ 193

$ 171

+13

+5

$ 588

$ 467

+26

+16 Adjusted Operating Profit1

$ 193

$ 171

+13

+5

$ 490

$ 467

+5

(3) Net Income

$ 143

$ 125

+14

+6

$ 431

$ 329

+31

+20 Basic Earnings Per Common Share

$ 0.37

$ 0.32

+16

+6

$ 1.12

$ 0.85

+32

+20 Adjusted Basic EPS Per Common Share1

$ 0.37

$ 0.32

+16

+6

$ 0.93

$ 0.85

+9

(1) Diluted Earnings Per Common Share

$ 0.36

$ 0.31

+16

+6

$ 1.08

$ 0.83

+30

+19 Adjusted Diluted EPS Per Common Share1

$ 0.36

$ 0.31

+16

+6

$ 0.89

$ 0.83

+7

(1)

1 See "Reconciliation of Reported GAAP Results to Adjusted Measures" included in the accompanying tables of this release for further details. Note: All comparisons are versus the same period a year ago. NM refers to changes over 100%, from negative to positive amounts or from zero to an amount. Yum China's fiscal second quarter 2018 includes April, May and June results. Percentages may not recompute due to rounding. System sales and same-store sales percentages exclude the impact of F/X. Prior period results have been recast for the change of fiscal quarter, same-store sales growth definition and adoption of the new revenue accounting standard.

CEO and CFO Comments

"KFC achieved 5% system sales growth in the second quarter as a result of solid business fundamentals and accelerated new store development. We are on track to add 600-650 new stores, led by KFC, by the end of the year. This growth strategy will set us up for long-term growth in both profitability and market share. We are confident in the sustainability of KFC's leader position in the QSR market in China. While Pizza Hut continued to face challenges in China's competitive casual dining space, we added new talent to our team and made progress repositioning the brand with our target customers. We remain dedicated to revitalizing the brand and strongly believe that our initiatives including delivering more innovative products and introducing new store formats will restore the brand to the level of consistent growth that our shareholders expect," said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China.

"Yum China reported total revenues and operating profit growth of 12% and 13% respectively in the second quarter. We will continue to invest in strengthening our core competencies as well as building delivery, digital and data capabilities to capture online and offline opportunities and drive future growth," added Ms. Wat.

"In an increasingly competitive environment, we stepped up food investment and promotional activities, which inevitably had some pressure on our margins. This reflects our strategic decision to invest in our brands for long-term market share gain. Our business continues to generate substantial free cash flow, and during the second quarter, we returned over $110 million of cash to our shareholders through share buyback and dividends. We remain committed to creating enduring value for our stockholders," remarked Jacky Lo, CFO of Yum China.

Dividend and Share Repurchase

The Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share on Yum China's common stock, payable as of the close of business on September 19, 2018 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 29, 2018 .

per share on common stock, payable as of the close of business on to stockholders of record as of the close of business on . During the second quarter, we repurchased approximately 1.9 million shares of Yum China common stock for $73.4 million at an average price of $38.41 per share.

New-Unit Development and Asset Upgrade

The Company opened 164 new restaurants and remodeled 365 restaurants in the second quarter of 2018.









New Units Restaurant Count









Second Quarter

2018 Year to Date

Ended 6/30/2018 As of 6/30









2018

2017



Yum China



164



367

8,198

7,704



KFC



128



272

5,696

5,324



Pizza Hut



27



68

2,209

2,122



Little Sheep, East Dawning, Taco Bell



9



27

293

258



Restaurant Margin

In the second quarter of 2018, Yum China restaurant margin was 15.1%, as compared with 16.6% in the prior year period, primarily attributable to Pizza Hut sales deleverage and investment in product upgrades and promotions for both KFC and Pizza Hut.







Second Quarter





Year to Date Ended 6/30







2018



2017



% pts change





2018

2017

% pts change



Yum China



15.1 %



16.6 %



(1.5)





16.6%

18.5%

(1.9)



KFC



16.8 %



17.5 %

(0.7)





18.9%

19.2%

(0.3)



Pizza Hut



11.2 %



14.9 %



(3.7)





10.8%

17.4%

(6.6)



Conference Call

Yum China Holdings, Inc. will host a conference call to review the Company's financial performance and strategies at 8:00 p.m. US Eastern Time on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 (8:00 a.m. Beijing/HK time on Thursday, August 2, 2018). A copy of the presentation will be available on the Yum China Holdings, Inc. website, http://ir.yumchina.com

US:

+1-845-675-0437 Hong Kong:

+852-3018-6771 Mainland China:

400-620-8038 or 800-819-0121 UK:

+44 20 36214779 International:

+65-6713-5090 Passcode:

Yum China

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until Thursday August 9, 2018:

US:

+1-855-452-5696 International:

+61-2-8199-0299 Passcode:

6146028

The webcast and the playback can be accessed via the internet by visiting the Yum China Holdings, Inc. website, http://ir.yumchina.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We intend all forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and by the use of forward-looking words such as "expect," "expectation," "believe," "anticipate," "may," "could," "intend," "belief," "plan," "estimate," "target," "predict," "project," "likely," "will," "continue," "should," "forecast," "outlook" or similar terminology. These statements are based on current estimates and assumptions made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances, but there can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future business plans, earnings and performance of Yum China, statements regarding the revitalization of Pizza Hut, anticipated effects of population and macroeconomic trends, statements regarding the capital structure of Yum China, and beliefs regarding the long-term drivers of Yum China's business. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by those statements. We cannot assure you that any of our expectations, estimates or assumptions will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release, and we disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. Numerous factors could cause our actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: whether we are able to achieve development goals at the times and in the amounts currently anticipated, if at all, the success of our marketing campaigns and product innovation, our ability to maintain food safety and quality control systems, our ability to control costs and expenses, including tax costs, as well as changes in political, economic and regulatory conditions in China. In addition, other risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial could affect the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. You should consult our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the information set forth under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Statements" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K) for additional detail about factors that could affect our financial and other results.

About Yum China Holdings, Inc.

Yum China Holdings, Inc. is a licensee of Yum! Brands in mainland China. It has exclusive rights in mainland China to KFC, China's leading quick-service restaurant brand, Pizza Hut, the leading casual dining restaurant brand in China, and Taco Bell, a California-based restaurant chain serving innovative Mexican-inspired food. Yum China also owns the Little Sheep and East Dawning concepts outright. The Company had more than 8,100 restaurants and more than 460,000 employees in over 1,200 cities at the end of June 2018. For more information, please visit http://ir.yumchina.com

Investor Relations Contacts:



Tel: +86 21 2407 7556 [email protected]





Media Contact :



Tel: +86 21 2407 7510 [email protected]

Yum China Holdings, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Income (amounts in US$ million, except for per share amounts) (unaudited)





Quarter Ended



% Change

Year to Date Ended



% Change



6/30/2018



6/30/2017



B/(W)

6/30/2018



6/30/2017



B/(W) Revenues



















































Company sales

$ 1,888



$ 1,664





13





$ 3,904



$ 3,402





15



Franchise fees and income



34





33





2







74





69





7



Revenues from transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



141





141













302





288





5



Other revenues



5





3





79







9





8





15



Total revenues



2,068





1,841





12







4,289





3,767





14



Costs and Expenses, Net



















































Company restaurants



















































Food and paper



571





483





(18)







1,165





969





(20)



Payroll and employee benefits



424





366





(16)







866





734





(18)



Occupancy and other operating expenses



607





539





(13)







1,226





1,069





(15)



Company restaurant expenses



1,602





1,388





(15)







3,257





2,772





(18)



General and administrative expenses



101





118





16







215





216





1



Franchise expenses



17





17













37





35





(6)



Expenses for transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



138





137





(1)







298





284





(5)



Other operating costs



7





3



NM







11





6





(67)



Closures and impairment expenses, net



17





18





7







16





18





15



Other income, net



(7)





(11)





44







(133)





(31)



NM



Total costs and expenses, net



1,875





1,670





(12)







3,701





3,300





(12)



Operating Profit



193





171





13







588





467





26



Interest income, net



10





4



NM







18





8



NM



Income Before Income Taxes



203





175





16







606





475





28



Income tax provision



(53)





(43)





(24)







(160)





(133)





(21)



Net income  including noncontrolling interests



150





132





13







446





342





30



Net income  noncontrolling interests



7





7





(2)







15





13





10



Net Income  Yum China Holdings, Inc.

$ 143



$ 125





14





$ 431



$ 329





31



Effective tax rate



26.0 %



24.3 %



(1.7)

ppts.



26.4 %



27.9 %



1.5

ppts.





















































Basic Earnings Per Common Share

$ 0.37



$ 0.32













$ 1.12



0.85











Weighted average shares outstanding (in millions)



386





387















386





387

































































Diluted Earnings Per Common Share

$ 0.36



$ 0.31













$ 1.08



0.83











Weighted average shares outstanding (in millions)



398





399















400





397

































































Cash Dividends Declared Per Common Share

$ 0.10



$ 













$ 0.20



$ 

































































Company sales



100.0 %



100.0 %













100.0 %



100.0 %









Food and paper



30.3





29.0





(1.3)

ppts.



29.8





28.5





(1.3)

ppts. Payroll and employee benefits



22.5





22.0





(0.5)

ppts.



22.2





21.6





(0.6)

ppts. Occupancy and other operating expenses



32.1





32.4





0.3

ppts.



31.4





31.4







ppts. Restaurant margin



15.1 %



16.6 %



(1.5)

ppts.



16.6 %



18.5 %



(1.9)

ppts. Operating margin



10.2 %



10.3 %



(0.1)

ppts.



15.1 %



13.7 %



1.4

ppts.

Percentages may not recompute due to rounding.

Yum China Holdings, Inc. KFC Operating Results (amounts in US$ million) (unaudited)





Quarter Ended



% Change

Year to Date Ended



% Change



6/30/2018



6/30/2017



B/(W)

6/30/2018



6/30/2017



B/(W) Revenues



















































Company sales

$ 1,352



$ 1,159





17





$ 2,796



$ 2,358





19



Franchise fees and income



33





32





1







70





66





5



Revenues from transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



15





15





(1)







32





32









Total revenues



1,400





1,206





16







2,898





2,456





18



Costs and Expenses, Net



















































Company restaurants



















































Food and paper



413





348





(19)







837





701





(19)



Payroll and employee benefits



289





241





(20)







582





482





(21)



Occupancy and other operating expenses



423





367





(15)







849





723





(17)



Company restaurant expenses



1,125





956





(18)







2,268





1,906





(19)



General and administrative expenses



45





38





(13)







91





77





(16)



Franchise expenses



17





17





2







36





34





(5)



Expenses for transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



15





15





1







32





32









Closures and impairment expenses, net



6





9





43







6





10





44



Other income, net



(7)





(11)





(40)







(30)





(30)





(2)



Total costs and expenses, net



1,201





1,024





(17)







2,403





2,029





(18)



Operating Profit

$ 199



$ 182





10





$ 495



$ 427





16



Company sales



100.0 %



100.0 %













100.0 %



100.0 %









Food and paper



30.5





30.1





(0.4)

ppts.



29.9





29.7





(0.2)

ppts. Payroll and employee benefits



21.4





20.8





(0.6)

ppts.



20.8





20.4





(0.4)

ppts. Occupancy and other operating expenses



31.3





31.6





0.3

ppts.



30.4





30.7





0.3

ppts. Restaurant margin



16.8 %



17.5 %



(0.7)

ppts.



18.9 %



19.2 %



(0.3)

ppts. Operating margin



14.7 %



15.6 %



(0.9)

ppts.



17.7 %



18.1 %



(0.4)

ppts.

Percentages may not recompute due to rounding.

Yum China Holdings, Inc. Pizza Hut Operating Results (amounts in US$ million) (unaudited)





Quarter Ended



% Change

Year to Date Ended



% Change



6/30/2018



6/30/2017



B/(W)

6/30/2018



6/30/2017



B/(W) Revenues



















































Company sales

$ 528



$ 497





6





$ 1,092



$ 1,024





7



Franchise fees and income















23







1





1





24



Revenues from transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates









1





5













1





(1)



Total revenues



528





498





6







1,093





1,026





7



Costs and Expenses, Net



















































Company restaurants



















































Food and paper



156





132





(18)







323





261





(24)



Payroll and employee benefits



133





122





(9)







280





246





(14)



Occupancy and other operating expenses



181





169





(7)







371





339





(9)



Company restaurant expenses



470





423





(11)







974





846





(15)



General and administrative expenses



28





26





(6)







56





51





(10)



Franchise expenses















(65)







1





1





(42)



Expenses for transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates









1





(5)













1





1



Closures and impairment expenses, net



11





9





(34)







10





8





(22)



Other income, net



(1)









NM







(2)









NM



Total costs and expenses, net



508





459





(11)







1,039





907





(15)



Operating Profit

$ 20



$ 39





(49)





$ 54



$ 119





(55)



Company sales



100.0 %



100.0 %













100.0 %



100.0 %









Food and paper



29.5





26.5





(3.0)

ppts.



29.6





25.5





(4.1)

ppts. Payroll and employee benefits



25.2





24.5





(0.7)

ppts.



25.7





24.0





(1.7)

ppts. Occupancy and other operating expenses



34.1





34.1







ppts.



33.9





33.1





(0.8)

ppts. Restaurant margin



11.2 %



14.9 %



(3.7)

ppts.



10.8 %



17.4 %



(6.6)

ppts. Operating margin



3.9 %



8.0 %



(4.1)

ppts.



4.9 %



11.7 %



(6.8)

ppts.

Percentages may not recompute due to rounding.

Yum China Holdings, Inc. Consolidated Balance Sheets (amounts in US$ million) (unaudited)





6/30/2018



12/31/2017

ASSETS















Current Assets















Cash and cash equivalents

$ 1,261



$ 1,059

Short-term investments



278





205

Accounts receivable, net



73





81

Inventories, net



276





297

Prepaid expenses and other current assets



205





160

Total Current Assets



2,093





1,802

Property, plant and equipment, net



1,657





1,691

Goodwill



276





108

Intangible assets, net



145





101

Investments in unconsolidated affiliates



53





95

Other assets



421





385

Deferred income taxes



85





105

Total Assets



4,730





4,287

LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTEREST AND EQUITY















Current Liabilities















Accounts payable and other current liabilities



1,147





985

Income taxes payable



59





39

Total Current Liabilities



1,206





1,024

Capital lease obligations



27





28

Other liabilities and deferred credits



396





388

Total Liabilities



1,629





1,440

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest



5





5

Equity















Common stock, $0.01 par value; 1,000 million shares authorized; 391 million shares and 389 million shares issued at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively; 385 million shares and 385 million shares outstanding at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively



4





4

Treasury stock



(221)





(148)

Additional paid-in capital



2,388





2,375

Retained earnings



751





397

Accumulated other comprehensive income



81





137

Total Equity  Yum China Holdings, Inc.



3,003





2,765

Noncontrolling interests



93





77

Total Equity



3,096





2,842

Total Liabilities, Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest and Equity

$ 4,730



$ 4,287





















Yum China Holdings, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (amounts in US$ million) (unaudited)



Year to Date Ended



6/30/2018

6/30/2017 Cash Flows  Operating Activities



















Net income  including noncontrolling interests

$ 446





$ 342



Depreciation and amortization



235







196



Closures and impairment expenses



16







18



Gain from re-measurement of equity interest upon acquisition



(98)











Deferred income taxes



42







(3)



Equity income from investments in unconsolidated affiliates



(35)







(35)



Distributions received from unconsolidated affiliates



41







31



Share-based compensation



13







11



Changes in accounts receivable



(2)







12



Changes in inventories



18







(3)



Changes in prepaid expenses and other current assets



(28)







(1)



Changes in accounts payable and other current liabilities



182







46



Changes in income taxes payable



20







20



Other, net



(31)







(30)



Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities



819







604



Cash Flows  Investing Activities



















Capital spending



(230)







(204)



Purchases of short-term investments



(370)







(318)



Maturities of short-term investments



295







81



Proceeds from refranchising of restaurants



3







3



Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired



(88)







(25)



Other, net



(16)







(2)



Net Cash Used in Investing Activities



(406)







(465)



Cash Flows  Financing Activities



















Payment of capital lease obligation



(1)







(1)



Repayment of short-term borrowings assumed from acquisition



(10)











Repurchase of shares of common stock



(70)







(96)



Proceeds from exercise of stock options











4



Cash dividends paid



(77)











Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests



(27)







(17)



Other, net



(1)











Net Cash Used in Financing Activities



(186)







(110)



Effect of Exchange Rates on Cash and Cash Equivalents



(25)







12



Net Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents



202







41



Cash and Cash Equivalents - Beginning of Period



1,059







885



Cash and Cash Equivalents - End of Period

$ 1,261





$ 926





Reconciliation of Reported GAAP Results to Adjusted Measures

(amounts in US$ million, except for per share amounts)

(unaudited)

In this press release:

The Company provides certain percentage changes excluding the impact of foreign currency translation ("F/X"). These amounts are derived by translating current year results at prior year average exchange rates. We believe the elimination of the F/X impact provides better year-to-year comparability without the distortion of foreign currency fluctuations.

System sales growth reflects the results of all restaurants regardless of ownership, including Company-owned, franchise and unconsolidated affiliate restaurants that operate our restaurant concepts, except for non-Company-owned restaurants for which we do not receive a sales-based royalty. Sales of franchise and unconsolidated affiliate restaurants typically generate ongoing franchise fees for the Company at a rate of approximately 6% of system sales. Franchise and unconsolidated affiliate restaurant sales are not included in Company sales on the Consolidated Statements of Income; however, the franchise fees are included in the Company's revenues. We believe system sales growth is useful to investors as a significant indicator of the overall strength of our business as it incorporates all of our revenue drivers, Company and franchise same-store sales as well as net unit growth.

Effective January 1, 2018 , the Company revised its definition of same-store sales growth to represent the estimated percentage change in sales of food of all restaurants in the Company system that have been open prior to the first day of our prior fiscal year. We refer to these as our "base" stores. Previously, same-store sales growth represented the estimated percentage change in sales of all restaurants in the Company system that have been open for one year or more, and the base stores changed on a rolling basis from month to month. This revision was made to align with how management measures performance internally and focuses on trends of a more stable base of stores. Prior period results have been recast accordingly.

, the Company revised its definition of same-store sales growth to represent the estimated percentage change in sales of food of all restaurants in the Company system that have been open prior to the first day of our prior fiscal year. We refer to these as our "base" stores. Previously, same-store sales growth represented the estimated percentage change in sales of all restaurants in the Company system that have been open for one year or more, and the base stores changed on a rolling basis from month to month. This revision was made to align with how management measures performance internally and focuses on trends of a more stable base of stores. Prior period results have been recast accordingly. Company Restaurant profit ("Restaurant profit") is defined as Company sales less expenses incurred directly by our Company-owned restaurants in generating Company sales. Company restaurant margin percentage is defined as Restaurant profit divided by Company sales.

In addition to the results provided in accordance with US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") in this press release, the Company provides measures adjusted for Special Items, which include Adjusted Operating Profit, Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share, Adjusted Effective Tax Rate and Adjusted EBITDA, which we define as net income including noncontrolling interests adjusted for income tax, interest income, depreciation, amortization and other items, including store impairment charges. The Special Item for the year to date ended June 30, 2018 represents a gain recognized from the re-measurement of our previously held equity interest in Wuxi KFC at fair value upon acquisition, as described in the accompanying notes. The Company excludes impact from Special Items for the purpose of evaluating performance internally. Special Items are not included in any of our segment results. In addition, the Company provides Adjusted EBITDA because we believe that investors and analysts may find it useful in measuring operating performance without regard to items such as income tax, interest income, depreciation, amortization and other items, including store impairment charges. These adjusted measures are not intended to replace the presentation of our financial results in accordance with GAAP. Rather, the Company believes that the presentation of these adjusted measures provide additional information to investors to facilitate the comparison of past and present results, excluding those items that the Company does not believe are indicative of our ongoing operations due to its nature. These adjusted measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP financial results, but should be read in conjunction with the unaudited Consolidated Statements of Income and other information presented herein. A reconciliation of the most directly comparable GAAP measures to adjusted measures follows.





Quarter Ended



Year to Date Ended





6/30/2018



6/30/2017



6/30/2018



6/30/2017

Detail of Special Items































Gain from re-measurement of equity interest upon acquisition(b)

$ 



$ 



$ 98



$ 

Special Items Income - Operating Profit















98







Tax Expenses on Special Items(c)















(24)







Special Items Income, net of tax  including noncontrolling interests















74







Special Items Income, net of tax  noncontrolling interests























Special Items Income, net of tax Yum China Holdings, Inc.

$ 



$ 



$ 74



$ 

Weighted Average Diluted Shares Outstanding



398





399





400





397

Special Items Diluted Earnings Per Common Share

$ 



$ 



$ 0.19



$ 

Reconciliation of Operating Profit to Adjusted Operating Profit































Operating Profit

$ 193



$ 171



$ 588



$ 467

Special Items Income - Operating Profit















98







Adjusted Operating Profit

$ 193



$ 171



$ 490



$ 467

Reconciliation of EPS to Adjusted EPS































Diluted Earnings Per Common Share

$ 0.36



$ 0.31



$ 1.08



$ 0.83

Special Items Diluted Earnings Per Common Share















0.19







Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share

$ 0.36



$ 0.31



$ 0.89



$ 0.83

Reconciliation of Effective Tax Rate to Adjusted Effective Tax Rate































Effective Tax Rate



26.0 %



24.3 %



26.4 %



27.9 % Impact on Effective Tax Rate as a result of Special Items



 %



 %



(0.2) %



 % Adjusted Effective Tax Rate



26.0 %



24.3 %



26.6 %



27.9 %

Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA (amounts in US$ million) (unaudited) Net income, along with the reconciliation to Adjusted EBITDA, is presented below.





Quarter Ended



Year to Date Ended





6/30/2018



6/30/2017



6/30/2018



6/30/2017

Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA































Net Income  Yum China Holdings, Inc.

$ 143



$ 125



$ 431



$ 329

Net income  noncontrolling interests



7





7





15





13

Income tax provision



53





43





160





133

Interest income, net



(10)





(4)





(18)





(8)

Operating Profit



193





171





588





467

Depreciation and amortization



117





100





235





196

Store impairment charges



19





19





21





23

Special Items Income - Operating Profit















(98)







Adjusted EBITDA

$ 329



$ 290



$ 746



$ 686



Unit Count by Brand



























KFC



























12/31/2017

New Builds

Acquired

Closures

Refranchised

Others

6/30/2018 Company-owned 4,112

205

1

(48)

(6)

157

4,421 Unconsolidated affiliates 891

61



(11)



(157)

784 Franchise 485

6

(1)

(5)

6



491 Total 5,488

272



(64)





5,696



























Pizza Hut



























12/31/2017

New Builds





Closures

Refranchised





6/30/2018 Company-owned 2,166

67





(53)

(1)





2,179 Franchise 29

1





(1)

1





30 Total 2,195

68





(54)







2,209



























All Other Segments



























12/31/2017

New Builds





Closures

Refranchised





6/30/2018 Company-owned 29

1





(3)

(1)





26 Franchise 271

26





(31)

1





267 Total 300

27





(34)







293

Yum China Holdings, Inc. Segment Results (amounts in US$ million) (unaudited)

Quarter Ended 6/30/18

KFC



Pizza Hut



All Other

Segments



Corporate and Unallocated(1)



Elimination



Total

Company sales

$ 1,352



$ 528



$ 8



$ 



$ 



$ 1,888

Franchise fees and income



33











1

















34

Revenues from transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



15











4





122











141

Other revenues















5





1





(1)





5

Total revenues

$ 1,400



$ 528



$ 18



$ 123



$ (1)



$ 2,068

Company restaurant expenses



1,125





470





8











(1)





1,602

General and administrative expenses



45





28





9





19











101

Franchise expenses



17





























17

Expenses for transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



15











3





120











138

Other operating costs















6





1











7

Closures and impairment expenses, net



6





11























17

Other (income) expense, net



(7)





(1)





(1)





2











(7)







1,201





508





25





142





(1)





1,875

Operating Profit (Loss)

$ 199



$ 20



$ (7)



$ (19)



$ 



$ 193



Quarter Ended 6/30/17

KFC



Pizza Hut



All Other

Segments



Corporate and Unallocated(1)



Total

Company sales

$ 1,159



$ 497



$ 8



$ 



$ 1,664

Franchise fees and income



32











1











33

Revenues from transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



15





1





4





121





141

Other revenues















3











3

Total revenues

$ 1,206



$ 498



$ 16



$ 121



$ 1,841

Company restaurant expenses



956





423





9











1,388

General and administrative expenses



38





26





4





50





118

Franchise expenses



17























17

Expenses for transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



15





1





3





118





137

Other operating costs















3











3

Closures and impairment expenses, net



9





9

















18

Other income, net



(11)























(11)

Total costs and expenses, net



1,024





459





19





168





1,670

Operating Profit (Loss)

$ 182



$ 39



$ (3)



$ (47)



$ 171



Year to Date Ended 6/30/18

KFC



Pizza Hut



All Other

Segments



Corporate and Unallocated(1)



Elimination



Total

Company sales

$ 2,796



$ 1,092



$ 16



$ 



$ 



$ 3,904

Franchise fees and income



70





1





3

















74

Revenues from transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



32











11





259











302

Other revenues















8





2





(1)





9

Total revenues

$ 2,898



$ 1,093



$ 38



$ 261



$ (1)



$ 4,289

Company restaurant expenses



2,268





974





16











(1)





3,257

General and administrative expenses



91





56





16





52











215

Franchise expenses



36





1























37

Expenses for transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



32











9





257











298

Other operating costs















9





2











11

Closures and impairment expenses, net



6





10























16

Other income, net



(30)





(2)





(1)





(100)











(133)







2,403





1,039





49





211





(1)





3,701

Operating Profit (Loss)

$ 495



$ 54



$ (11)



$ 50



$ 



$ 588



Year to Date Ended 6/30/17

KFC



Pizza Hut



All Other

Segments



Corporate and Unallocated(1)



Total

Company sales

$ 2,358



$ 1,024



$ 20



$ 



$ 3,402

Franchise fees and income



66





1





2











69

Revenues from transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



32





1





9





246





288

Other revenues















8











8

Total revenues

$ 2,456



$ 1,026



$ 39



$ 246



$ 3,767

Company restaurant expenses



1,906





846





20











2,772

General and administrative expenses



77





51





7





81





216

Franchise expenses



34





1

















35

Expenses for transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates



32





1





8





243





284

Other operating costs















6











6

Closures and impairment expenses, net



10





8

















18

Other income, net



(30)

















(1)





(31)







2,029





907





41





323





3,300

Operating Profit (Loss)

$ 427



$ 119



$ (2)



$ (77)



$ 467



The above tables reconcile segment information, which is based on management responsibility, with our Consolidated Statements of Income.

(1) Corporate and unallocated expenses comprise items that are not allocated to segments for performance reporting purposes. Amount includes revenues and expenses associated with transactions with franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates such as inventory procurement and other services provided to franchisees and unconsolidated affiliates. The Corporate and Unallocated column in the above tables includes, among other amounts, all amounts that we have deemed Special Items. See "Reconciliation of Reported GAAP Results to Adjusted Measures".

Notes to the Consolidated Statements of Income, Consolidated Balance Sheets

and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(amounts in US$ million)

(unaudited)

(a) Amounts presented as of and for the quarter and year to date ended June 30, 2018 are unaudited.

(b) As a result of the acquisition of Wuxi KFC, the Company recognized a gain of $98 million from the re-measurement of our previously held 47% equity interest at fair value, which was not allocated to any segment for performance reporting purposes.

(c) The tax expense was determined based upon the nature as well as the jurisdiction of each Special Item at the applicable tax rate.

SOURCE Yum China Holdings, Inc

Related Links

http://ir.yumchina.com

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"Accurately predicting and preventing zero-day attacks is one of the most complex challenges artificial intelligence is built to solve," said Bryan Lares, Director of Product Management, SparkCognition. "By partnering together, SparkCognition and Ziften will provide unparalleled prevention, detection, and response capabilities to reduce customers' risk exposure and accelerate time to value."

About Ziften:

We simplify endpoint protection plus visibility. Ziften's cloud-delivered endpoint protection platform prevents attacks on all enterprise endpoints  laptops, desktops, servers, and cloud  whether on network or off. The low-profile single agent deploys in minutes enabling advanced AV, endpoint detection and response, plus endpoint visibility and hardening. The result is simple, continuous endpoint protection to stop attacks with the people and budget you already have. Learn more at https://ziften.com.

Follow Ziften: Ziften Blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

About SparkCognition:

With award-winning machine learning technology, a multinational footprint, and expert teams focused on defense, IIoT, and finance, SparkCognition builds artificial intelligence systems to advance the most important interests of society. Our customers are trusted with protecting and advancing lives, infrastructure, and financial systems across the globe. They turn to SparkCognition to help them analyze complex data, empower decision making, and transform human and industrial productivity. With our leading edge artificial intelligence platforms, our clients can adapt to a rapidly changing digital landscape and accelerate their business strategies. Learn more about SparkCognition's AI applications and why we've been featured in CNBC's 2017 Disruptor 50, and recognized two years in a row on CB Insights AI 100, by visiting www.sparkcognition.com.

Ziften Media Contact:

Zonic Group Public Relations

Gregory Cross

[email protected]

SOURCE Ziften Technologies

Related Links

http://ziften.com

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AIC today announced general delivery of FB201-LX, a Performance Balanced Machine that provides well-balanced performances among the NVMe drives, memory subsystem and interconnection network adapters.

FB201-LX has 24 x 2.5" NVMe U.2 SSD bays to provide a highly dense flash array solution.

The newly developed FB201-LX is designed with the philosophy that keeping a well-balanced CPU, memory and I/O subsystems will help customers to deliver symmetric I/O machines to deal with either Byte Addressable memory subsystems or Block Addressable storage subsystems. With that, AIC carefully architects the byte movements for NVMe drives, memory subsystem and interconnection networks, to deal with the unprecedented parallelism of applications and try to achieve scalable performance for I/O intensive applications.

FB201-LX Key Specifications:

- 2U 24x 2.5" hot-swappable NVMe drives

- AIC Lynx Server board with Dual Scalable Processors

- 24x DDR4 DIMM

- PCIe switch base design for NVMe drive connection

- Up to 4x PCIe X16 add-on cards support

- 2x PCIe X16 OCP Mezzanine cards support (optional)

- CRPS 1200W/1600W 1+1 redundant PSU

"We always try to design a server or a storage system that can benefit all performances and functions provided by new computer architectures nowadays," said CT Sun, CTO and Vice President of Engineering of AIC. "For NVMe storage servers, the key is how the systems can deliver compute and I/O capabilities properly."

"The Pikes Peak is an excellent platform, designed with great rigor and capabilities that meet all our needs from PCI card slots, NVMe storage, to high reliability and performance," said Stephen Sicola, Executive Vice President and Chief Architect of Formulus Black. "AIC has done a marvelous job with Pikes Peak, giving Formulus Black, a software company, the opportunity to provide our customers with THE platform that allows our software to meet or exceed its mission."

FB201-LX targets at the applications that demands memory and I/O intensive markets, which includes support for massive databases with scale-out storage and real-time analytics for cloud and mega datacenters, HFT, Search Engines, HPC, Oil and Gas industry applications, CDNs, VDI and enterprise environment.

AIC will demonstrate New Era of Storage with Peaks Series at the 2018 Flash Memory Summit  Booth 801 held at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA from August 7th to 9th and at the 2018 VMworld  Booth 1642 held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV from August 26th to 30th. In addition, AIC will also showcase a complete product line of new generation NVMe storage servers, JBOF with SmartNIC cards, High-availability and All-Flash Array NVMe storage servers.

Contact AIC

Leslie Tran

[email protected]

+1-909-895-8989 ext.109



About AIC Inc.

AIC is a leading provider of both standard OTS (off-the-shelf) and OEM/ODM server and storage solutions. With expert in-house design, manufacturing and validation capabilities, AIC's products are highly flexible and configurable to any form factor, standard or custom. AIC leads the industry with over 20 years of experience in mechanical, electronic, system-level engineering as well as a dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction. Headquartered in Taiwan, AIC has offices and operations throughout the United States, Asia and Europe. For more information, please visit: http://www.aicipc.com

SOURCE AIC

Related Links

http://www.aicipc.com

STONEHAM, Mass., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- WestBridge Capital ("WestBridge"), an investment firm focused on India, has become the Sole Corporate Sponsor of the Akshaya Patra Foundation kitchen in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh Government is also a major partner in the building of the kitchen. Once fully commissioned in early 2019, this kitchen will provide midday meals to 100,000 students serving designated schools within a radius of 40kms.

Akshaya Patra USA

WestBridge manages $2.8 billion of capital and focuses on making long-term investments in high-quality businesses in India. WestBridge's investors consist predominantly of top university endowments and foundations.

WestBridge's Managing Director Sumir Chadha could not be more satisfied with the partnership stating, "Akshaya Patra is the type of organization that corporations want to partner with. With a mission to solve some of our time's greatest challenges  nutritious food and access to education in India  they have a proven track record of meeting goals through efficient and best-practice operations, quality assurance and innovative partnerships. We are proud to give back to the community through our partnership with Akshaya Patra."

Narayan Murthy, co-founder of Infosys and an advisory board member of the Akshaya Patra Foundation USA, said, "It is notable that companies like WestBridge are vastly invested in not just giving back, but also are mindful that their CSR funds go towards bringing about exponential and lasting change by building kitchens that serve millions of meals to school children every year."

The organization began feeding 1,500 children every day in 2000 and currently feeds over 1.7 million children in 14,125 government schools daily through a network of 37 ISO standard centralized kitchens in 12 states. Its mission is to reach five million children every day by 2020. With a history of frugal innovation, the capacity to scale, and maximize the value of partnerships, it is poised to succeed. Vandana Tilak, CEO of the Akshaya Patra Foundation, expressing her gratitude for WestBridge's vision said, "We take our work very seriously. This is not charity - it is a child's right to have access to good nutrition. We thank the Uttar Pradesh Government and WestBridge for taking action towards bringing nutritious food to the classrooms."

To learn more about The Akshaya Patra Foundation and WestBridge Capital, please visit their websites:

Akshaya Patra - USA https://www.foodforeducation.org

WestBridge Capital - http://westbridgecap.com/

Related Images

image1.jpg

image2.jpg

image3.jpg

image4.jpg

Related Links

https://www.foodforeducation.org

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD556IhfZkI

SOURCE Akshaya Patra USA

Related Links

https://www.akshayapatra.org

SEGUIN, Texas, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alamo Group Inc. (NYSE: ALG) today reported results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018.

Highlights for the Quarter

Record net income for a second quarter of $18.8 million , up 52.4%

, up 52.4% Record net sales for a second quarter of $257.1 million , up 20.6%

, up 20.6% Industrial Division net sales of $150.0 million , up 27.9%

, up 27.9%

Agricultural Division net sales of $59.1 million , up 8.9%

, up 8.9%

European Division net sales of $48.0 million , up 15.1%

, up 15.1% Record net income for the first six months of $33.4 million , up 36.2%

, up 36.2% Record net sales for the first six months of $495.2 million , up 15.5%

, up 15.5% Backlog remains strong at $220.2 million , up 40% compared to the previous year's second quarter

, up 40% compared to the previous year's second quarter Total effective income tax rate for the second quarter at 25.8% compared to 31.9% in the second quarter of 2017 resulting in a savings of approximately $1.5 million

Summary of Results

Alamo Group's net sales for the second quarter of 2018 were $257.1 million compared to $213.3 million, in the second quarter of 2017, an increase of 20.6%. Net income for the second quarter was $18.8 million, or $1.60 per diluted share, compared to net income of $12.3 million, or $1.05 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2017. This is an increase of 52.4% in both net income and earnings per share.

For the first six months of 2018 net sales were $495.2 million compared to $428.7 million in the six month period of the previous year, an increase of 15.5%. Net income for the first half of 2018 was $33.4 million, or $2.84 per diluted share, versus $24.5 million, or $2.10 per diluted share, for the same period in 2017. This is an increase of 36.2% in net income and 35.2% in earnings per share. Net sales, net income and earnings per share for both the second quarter and first six months of 2018 were all at record levels for Alamo Group.

The results for the second quarter and first six months of 2018 benefited from the changes in the U.S. corporate tax rates following implementation of the U.S. tax reform measures. These changes contributed approximately $1.5 million to Alamo's second quarter net income and $3.1 million for the first six months of 2018, as the overall effective income rate was 25.8% in the second quarter and 26.4% for the first six months compared to 31.9% in the prior year second quarter and 33.3% for the first six months of 2017. The results for the second quarter and first six months of 2018 also included the effects of the acquisitions of Santa Izabel and Old Dominion Brush Company which were both completed in June 2017 and R.P.M. Tech which was completed in August 2017. Together, these three additions contributed $15.0 million in net sales and $0.8 million in net income to Alamo's second quarter results and $29.5 million in net sales and $1.5 million in net income in the first half of 2018.(1)

Results by Division

Alamo Group's Industrial Division net sales in the second quarter of 2018 were $150.0 million compared to $117.3 million in the prior year, an increase of 27.9%. The Division's income from operations for the quarter was $16.2 million compared to $11.1 million in the previous year, an increase of 46.3%. For the first six months of 2018 the Industrial Division's net sales were $282.2 million versus $243.2 million in 2017, an increase of 16.1%. Income from operations in the Division were $28.0 million for the first six months of 2018 versus $23.6 million in the same period of the prior year, an increase of 18.4%. The Industrial Division's results include the effects of the acquisitions of Old Dominion Brush Company and R.P.M. Tech which combined contributed $10.3 million in net sales and $0.7 million in income from operations in the second quarter of 2018 and $19.8 million in net sales and $0.9 million in income from operations in the first six months of the year. (1)

The Company's Agricultural Division net sales in the second quarter of 2018 were $59.1 million, an increase of 8.9% versus net sales of $54.2 million in the prior year. The Division's income from operations for the quarter was $6.2 million compared to $5.9 million in 2017, an increase of 5.6%. For the first six months of 2018, the Agricultural Division's net sales were $117.7 million versus $106.0 million in the prior year, an increase of 11.1%. Income from operations was $11.4 million in the first half of 2018 compared to $10.7 million in the first half of 2017, an increase of 6.7%. The Division's results include the effects of the acquisition of Santa Izabel which contributed $4.7 million in net sales and $0.3 million in income from operations in the second quarter of 2018 and $9.7 million in net sales and $0.8 million in income from operations in the first six months of the year. (1)

Alamo's European Division net sales were $48.0 million in the second quarter of 2018, a 15.1% increase compared to net sales of $41.7 million in the second quarter of 2017. Income from operations for the quarter was $4.4 million compared to $3.4 million in the second quarter of the prior year, an increase of 30.6%. For the first six months of 2018 net sales in the European Division were $95.3 million compared to $79.5 million in 2017, an increase of 19.9%. Income from operations for the first half of 2018 was $8.7 million versus $6.2 million in 2017, an increase of 40.6%.

Comments on Results

Ron Robinson, Alamo Group's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are very pleased with Alamo's record second quarter results which added nicely to our strong first quarter showing. While we continued to benefit from U.S. tax reform measures and the acquisitions we completed in 2017, we were able to produce record results even before these contributions as our core business continued to strengthen. This was evident in both our top line sales, where organic growth was nearly 9 percent, as well as operating income levels, where our margins showed continued improvement. We are particularly pleased with the growth in margin percentage given the cost increases we have experienced this year, which are above the pace of the last several years. We feel we have been able to lessen the effects of these cost increases by reacting quickly, however this has been, and will continue to be, challenging given the magnitude and timing of some of these changes, particularly new tariffs recently imposed on imported components. Our margin percentage was also helped by favorable production efficiencies and fixed cost leveraging which more than offset unfavorable mix effect which occurs when whole goods sales growth outpaces growth of aftermarket parts sales.

"Equally challenging has been the longer lead times we have experienced in obtaining certain input components, such as truck chassis. So far this has not materially delayed our deliveries, but it remains a challenge. Even arranging trucking for the transport of our products has gotten tighter. Again, we have been able to manage this situation effectively so far, but we see no signs of relief in the near future.

"Alamo's Industrial Division has held up the strongest with growing sales, a strong backlog and the outlook remains positive. In the first quarter of this year the Division was somewhat impacted by the strike at our Gradall facility in Ohio which was resolved early in the second quarter. Since then Gradall has more than made up the shortfall of the first quarter and was a leading performer for us in the second quarter, though in general the whole Division had a good second quarter. While we are concerned about longer lead times on input components and cost increases, including the effects of new tariffs, we feel good about the outlook for this part of our business.

"Our Agricultural Division has continued to perform well, though the market in general remains weak with farm incomes well below the peak levels of several years ago. Some products in this sector have shown growth this year, particularly high horsepower tractors and combines, though this growth is coming off very low prior year comparables, and overall market demand remains significantly below the 2013 peak as well as levels seen as recently as 2015. For Alamo, sales and margins have held up well, though our backlog in this Division is down and the product mix is a little less favorable due to softness in aftermarket spare and wear parts.

"Some of these same conditions are evident in our European operations. While our results continue to improve in Europe and our backlog remains strong, lower farm incomes and higher input costs are creating some soft spots in the market. Currency exchange rates are also an area of concern in our international operations. Our results benefited by a weaker U.S. dollar in the translation of our international earnings during the second quarter of 2018 compared to the previous year, though this has been moving in an unfavorable direction as of late.

"Overall, we feel Alamo Group is in a good position and we remain optimistic about our outlook for the remainder of 2018. Good markets, effective cost control measures, a strong backlog, the benefits of U.S. tax reform and the results from recent acquisitions should all contribute to another successful year for our Company."

Earnings Conference Call

Alamo Group will host a conference call to discuss the second quarter results on Thursday August 2, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern (10:00 a.m. Central, 9:00 a.m. Mountain and 8:00 a.m. Pacific). Hosting the call will be members of senior management.

Individuals wishing to participate in the conference call should dial 877-260-1479 (domestic) or 334-323-0522 (international). For interested individuals unable to join the call, a replay will be available until Tuesday, August 7, 2018 by dialing 888-203-1112 (domestic) or 719-457-0820 (internationally), passcode 5765996.

The live broadcast of Alamo Group Inc.'s quarterly conference call will be available online at the Company's website, www.alamo-group.com (under "Investor Relations/Events & Presentations") on Thursday, August 2, 2018, beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. The online replay will follow shortly after the call ends and will be archived on the Company's website for 60 days.

About Alamo Group

Alamo Group is a leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and service of high quality equipment for infrastructure maintenance, agriculture and other applications. Our products include truck and tractor mounted mowing and other vegetation maintenance equipment, street sweepers, snow removal equipment, excavators, vacuum trucks, other industrial equipment, agricultural implements and related after-market parts and services. The Company, founded in 1969, has approximately 3,400 employees and operates 26 plants in North America, Europe, Australia and Brazil as of June 30, 2018. The corporate offices of Alamo Group Inc. are located in Seguin, Texas and the headquarters for the Company's European operations are located in Salford Priors, England.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market demand, competition, weather, seasonality, currency-related issues, acquisition integration issues and other risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date.

(Tables Follow)

(1) This is a non-GAAP financial measure or other information relating to our GAAP financial measures that we have provided to investors in order to allow greater transparency and a deeper understanding of our financial condition and operating results. For a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure or for a more detailed explanation of financial results, refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measure Reconciliation" below and the Attachments thereto.

Alamo Group Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands) (Unaudited)









June 30,

2018

June 30,

2017 ASSETS





Current assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 43,602

$ 74,637 Accounts receivable, net 238,126

200,223 Inventories 174,836

153,150 Other current assets 12,116

9,980 Total current assets 468,680

437,990







Rental equipment, net 37,057

31,441







Property, plant and equipment 79,737

71,233







Goodwill 83,972

82,430 Intangible assets 50,636

55,353 Other non-current assets 5,297

2,417







Total assets $ 725,379

$ 680,864







LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





Current liabilities:





Trade accounts payable $ 63,322

$ 57,164 Income taxes payable 

2,210 Accrued liabilities 37,312

35,994 Current maturities of long-term debt and capital lease obligations 17

80 Total current liabilities 100,651

95,448







Long-term debt, net of current maturities 119,000

146,017 Long-term tax liability 12,316

 Deferred pension liability 879

2,409 Other long-term liabilities 7,415

7,407 Deferred income taxes 10,671

6,672







Total stockholders' equity 474,447

422,911







Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 725,379

$ 680,864

Alamo Group Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (in thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)









Second Quarter Ended

Six Months Ended

6/30/2018

6/30/2017

6/30/2018

6/30/2017















Industrial $ 150,031



$ 117,342



$ 282,198



$ 243,158

Agricultural 59,071



54,221



117,718



105,998

European 48,023



41,713



95,296



79,509

Total net sales 257,125



213,276



495,212



428,665

















Cost of sales 190,671



158,597



368,501



319,822

Gross margin 66,454



54,679



126,711



108,843



25.8 %

25.6 %

25.6 %

25.4 %















Operating expenses 39,668



34,372



78,564



68,285

Income from operations 26,786



20,307



48,147



40,558



10.4 %

9.5 %

9.7 %

9.5 %















Interest expense (1,497)



(1,500)



(2,834)



(2,827)

Interest income 109



81



209



157

Other income (expense) (92)



(815)



(226)



(1,173)

















Income before income taxes 25,306



18,073



45,296



36,715

Provision for income taxes 6,535



5,757



11,942



12,232

















Net Income $ 18,771



$ 12,316



$ 33,354



$ 24,483

















Net income per common share:





























Basic $ 1.61



$ 1.07



$ 2.87



$ 2.13

















Diluted $ 1.60



$ 1.05



$ 2.84



$ 2.10

















Average common shares:













Basic 11,652



11,547



11,629



11,509

















Diluted 11,759



11,671



11,749



11,646



















Alamo Group Inc.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciliation

From time to time, Alamo Group Inc. may disclose certain "non-GAAP financial measures" in the course of its earnings releases, earnings conference calls, financial presentations and otherwise. For these purposes, "GAAP" refers to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) defines a "non-GAAP financial measure" as a numerical measure of historical or future financial performance, financial positions, or cash flows that is subject to adjustments that effectively exclude or include amounts from the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures disclosed by Alamo Group are provided as additional information to investors in order to provide them with greater transparency about, or an alternative method for assessing, our financial condition and operating results. These measures are not in accordance with, or a substitute for, GAAP and may be different from, or inconsistent with, non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. Whenever we refer to a non-GAAP financial measure, we will also generally present the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, along with a reconciliation of the differences between the non-GAAP financial measure we reference and such comparable GAAP financial measure.

Attachment 1 discloses the impact of the Company's recently completed acquisitions upon Sales, Operating Income and Net Income all of which are non-GAAP financial measures. Attachment 2 discloses a non-GAAP financial presentation related to the impact of currency translation on net sales by division. Attachment 3 shows the net change in our total debt, net of cash, and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA"), both of which are non-GAAP financial measures. The Company considers this information useful to investors to allow better comparability of period-to-period operating performance.

Attachment 1

Alamo Group Inc. Non-GAAP Financial Reconciliation (in thousands) (Unaudited)



























Impact of Acquisitions









Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017















Net Sales (consolidated) - GAAP $ 257,125

$ 213,276

$ 495,212

$ 428,665 (less: net sales attributable to acquisitions) (14,951)

(642)

(29,493)

(642) Net Sales less acquisitions (consolidated) - non-GAAP $ 242,174

$ 212,634

$ 465,719

$ 428,023















Net Sales (Industrial Division) - GAAP $ 150,031

$ 117,342

$ 282,198

$ 243,158 (less: net sales attributable to acquisition) (10,263)



(19,830)

 Net Sales less acquisitions (N.A. Industrial Division) - non-GAAP $ 139,768

$ 117,342

$ 262,368

$ 243,158















Net Sales (Agricultural Division) - GAAP $ 59,071

$ 54,221

$ 117,718

$ 105,998 (less: net sales attributable to acquisitions) (4,688)

(642)

(9,663)

(642) Net Sales less acquisitions (N.A. Agricultural Division) - non-GAAP $ 54,383

$ 53,579

$ 108,055

$ 105,356















Net Sales (European Division) - GAAP $ 48,023

$ 41,713

$ 95,296

$ 79,509 (less: net sales attributable to acquisition) 





 Net Sales less acquisitions (European Division) - non-GAAP $ 48,023

$ 41,713

$ 95,296

$ 79,509































Operating Income (consolidated) - GAAP $ 26,786

$ 20,307

$ 48,147

$ 40,558 (less: operating income attributable to Industrial acquisitions) (670)



(948)

 (less: operating income attributable to Agricultural acquisitions) (279)

63

(836)

63 Operating Income less acquisitions (consolidated) - non-GAAP $ 25,837

$ 20,370

$ 46,363

$ 40,621















Net Income (consolidated) - GAAP $ 18,771

$ 12,316

$ 33,354

$ 24,483 (less: net income attributable to acquisitions) (815)

65

(1,482)

65 Net Income less acquisitions (consolidated) - non-GAAP $ 17,956

$ 12,381

$ 31,872

$ 24,548

















Attachment 2

Alamo Group Inc. Non-GAAP Financial Reconciliation (in thousands) (Unaudited)



































Impact of Currency Translation on Net Sales by Division





















Three Months Ended

June 30,





Change due to currency

translation

2018

2017

% change

from 2017

$

%







































Industrial $ 150,031

$ 117,342

27.9 %

$ 659

0.6 % Agricultural 59,071

54,221

8.9 %

(267)

(0.5) % European 48,023

41,713

15.1 %

3,212

7.7 % Total net sales $ 257,125

$ 213,276

20.6 %

$ 3,604

1.7 %









































Six Months Ended

June 30,





Change due to currency

translation

2018

2017

% change

from 2017

$

%







































Industrial $ 282,198

$ 243,158

16.1 %

$ 1,276

0.5 % Agricultural 117,718

105,998

11.1 %

(146)

(0.1) % European 95,296

79,509

19.9 %

8,938

11.2 % Total net sales $ 495,212

$ 428,665

15.5 %

$ 10,068

2.3 %

Attachment 3

Alamo Group Inc. Non-GAAP Financial Reconciliation (in thousands) (Unaudited)

Consolidated Net Change of Total Debt, Net of Cash

















June 30, 2018

June 30, 2017

Net Change













Current maturities

$ 17

$ 80



Long-term debt, net of current

119,000

146,017



Total debt

$ 119,017

$ 146,097

















Total cash

43,602

74,637



Total debt net of cash

$ 75,415

$ 71,460

$ 3,955



























EBITDA





































Six Months Ended

Trailing Twelve Months Ended



June 30,

2018

June 30,

2017

June 30,

2018

December 31,

2017

















Income from operations $ 48,147

$ 40,558

$ 96,927

$ 89,338 Depreciation

9,225

8,364

18,008

17,147 Amortization

1,866

1,664

3,722

3,520 EBITDA

$ 59,238

$ 50,586

$ 118,657

$ 110,005



















SOURCE Alamo Group Inc.

Related Links

http://alamo-group.com

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ALG, the industry benchmark for determining the future resale value of a vehicle, projects U.S. revenue from new vehicle sales will reach $46 billion for the month of July, down 0.2 percent from a year ago.

ALG expects a loss of $101 million in revenue for automakers partially driven by one more selling day in July 2017. Additionally, incentive spending is projected to increase 3.2 percent year over year.

"The ATP year-over-year growth rate at the industry level remains resilient while incentive spending in dollar terms is inching up by just over $100 versus a year ago in a sturdy sales environment," said Oliver Strauss, ALG's Chief Economist. "As a percentage of ATP, incentive spending is barely growing year-over-year showing that some Automakers are slightly decelerating their incentive spend ratio. For example, Toyota is anticipated to pull back incentive spending as a percentage of ATP by 20% versus a year ago."

ALG estimates ATP for a new light vehicle was $33,022 in July, up 2.1 percent from a year ago. Average incentive spending per unit grew by $116 to $3,754. The ratio of incentive spending to ATP is expected to be 11.4 percent, up from 11.3 percent a year ago.

Average Transaction Price (ATP)

Manufacturer July 2018 Forecast July 2017 June 2018 YOY MOM BMW (BMW, Mini) $51,863 $51,026 $51,318 1.6% 1.1% Daimler (Mercedes-Benz, Smart) $56,024 $56,048 $57,347 0.0% -2.3% FCA (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat) $34,537 $33,434 $34,570 3.3% -0.1% Ford (Ford, Lincoln) $36,538 $35,164 $36,217 3.9% 0.9% GM (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC) $36,300 $37,184 $36,543 -2.4% -0.7% Honda (Acura, Honda) $28,064 $27,244 $27,871 3.0% 0.7% Hyundai $22,122 $22,771 $22,144 -2.9% -0.1% Kia $22,477 $22,171 $22,513 1.4% -0.2% Nissan (Nissan, Infiniti) $27,190 $27,311 $27,157 -0.4% 0.1% Subaru $28,605 $27,723 $27,874 3.2% 2.6% Toyota (Lexus, Scion, Toyota) $31,505 $30,600 $31,655 3.0% -0.5% Volkswagen (Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen) $35,321 $34,443 $35,298 2.5% 0.1% Industry $33,022 $32,329 $32,966 2.1% 0.2%

Incentive per Unit Spending

Manufacturer July 2018 Forecast July 2017 June 2018 YOY MOM BMW (BMW, Mini) $5,536 $4,831 $5,597 14.6% -1.1.% Daimler (Mercedes-Benz, Smart) $6,056 $4,922 $6,494 23.0% -6.3% FCA (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat) $4,500 $4,479 $4,501 0.5% 0.0% Ford (Ford, Lincoln) $4,494 $4,387 $4,446 2.4% 1.1% GM (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC) $5,109 $4,304 $5,196 18.7% -1.7% Honda (Acura, Honda) $1,917 $2,046 $1,833 -6.3% 4.6% Hyundai $2,860 $2,943 $2,899 -2.8% -1.3% Kia $3,919 $3,865 $3,928 1.4% -0.2% Nissan (Nissan, Infiniti) $4,199 $4,530 $4,041 -7.3% 3.9% Subaru $1,583 $1,099 $1,505 44.0% 5.2% Toyota (Lexus, Scion, Toyota) $2,346 $2,861 $2,266 -18.0% 3.5% Volkswagen (Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen) $3,845 $3,567 $3,954 7.8% -2.8% Industry $3,754 $3,638 $3,787 3.2% -0.9%

Incentive Spending as a Percentage of ATP

Manufacturer July 2018 Forecast July 2017 Jun 2018 YOY MOM BMW (BMW, Mini) 10.7% 9.5% 10.9% 12.7% -2.1% Daimler (Mercedes- Benz, Smart) 10.8% 8.8% 11.3% 23.1% -4.1% FCA (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat) 13.0% 13.4% 13.0% -2.7% 0.1% Ford (Ford, Lincoln) 12.3% 12.5% 12.3% -1.4% 0.2% GM (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC) 14.1% 11.6% 14.2% 21.6% -1.0% Honda (Acura, Honda) 6.8% 7.5% 6.6% -9.1% 3.9% Hyundai 12.9% 12.9% 13.1% 0.0% -1.2% Kia 17.4% 17.4% 17.4% 0.0% -0.1% Nissan (Nissan, Infiniti) 15.4% 16.6% 14.9% -6.9% 3.8% Subaru 5.5% 4.0% 5.4% 39.6% 2.5% Toyota (Lexus, Scion, Toyota) 7.4% 9.3% 7.2% -20.4% 4.0% Volkswagen (Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen) 10.9% 10.4% 11.2% 5.1% -2.8% Industry 11.4% 11.3% 11.5% 1.0% -1.0%

(Note: This forecast is based solely on ALG's analysis of industry sales trends and conditions and is not a projection of the company's operations.)

About ALG

Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Santa Monica, California, ALG is an industry authority on automotive residual value projections in both the United States and Canada. By analyzing nearly 2,500 vehicle trims each year to assess residual value, ALG provides auto industry and financial services clients with market industry insights, residual value forecasts, consulting and vehicle portfolio management and risk services. ALG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TrueCar, Inc., a digital automotive marketplace that provides comprehensive pricing transparency about what other people paid for their cars. ALG has been publishing residual values for all cars, trucks and SUVs in the U.S. for over 50 years and in Canada since 1981.

Contact:

[email protected]

Veronica Cardenas

424-258-8427

[email protected]

SOURCE ALG

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HOUSTON, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- American Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: AMID) ("AMID" or "Partnership") today announced the closing of its previously announced sale of its marine products terminalling business (the "Marine Products Terminals") to institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management for approximately $210 million in cash.

The divestiture of the Marine Products Terminals, including the Harvey and Westwego terminals located in the Port of New Orleans and the Brunswick terminal located in the Port of Brunswick in Georgia, is a continuation of the Partnership's previously announced non-core asset divestiture program.

The successful completion of this transaction strengthens the Partnership's balance sheet and supports its deleveraging plan, while demonstrating the Partnership's ability to execute on its revised capital allocation strategy. The proceeds of this sale will initially go toward reducing indebtedness under the Partnership's revolving credit facility, while meaningfully enhancing liquidity.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch acted as exclusive financial advisor and Sidley Austin LLP served as legal counsel to AMID for the Marine Products Terminals transaction.

REFINED PRODUCTS TERMINALS

The Partnership and DKGP Energy Terminals LLC, a joint venture between Delek Logistics Partners, LP and Green Plains Partners LP, terminated the previously announced agreement for the sale of the Partnership's refined products terminalling business (the "Refined Products Terminals"). The termination was due to extensive federal regulatory approval delays as a result of the highly strategic nature of these assets. The assets continue to perform well, with strong demand and high utilization rates. The Partnership will begin actively remarketing the Refined Products Terminals.

SOUTHCROSS TRANSACTION

The Partnership received notice, on July 29, 2018, of termination of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated October 31, 2017 from Southcross Energy Partners, L.P. and notice of termination of the Contribution Agreement, dated October 31, 2017 from Southcross Holdings LP. While the Southcross combination provided compelling growth opportunities, the Partnership was unable to arrange a prudent financing plan to consummate the transaction. The Partnership has continually identified additional commercial opportunities and the termination of the combination allows the Partnership to focus on these attractive organic growth projects without the financial strain that the Southcross transaction would have created. These identified opportunities are not relegated to a single segment and encompass all of the Partnership's core areas, providing the opportunity to create greater scale and density as well as expanding market reach.

Absent a significant amount of new low-cost equity capital, the Southcross combination would have inherently stressed the Partnership's liquidity, while significantly limiting the pursuit of additional growth opportunities and restricting the desired pace of debt reduction. In recognition of those considerations, following Southcross's notice of termination, Moody's Investors Services confirmed the Partnership's corporate family rating and upgraded its liquidity rating. The closing of the Partnership's Marine Products Terminals divestiture further strengthens the Partnership's liquidity position.

The Partnership's core business continues to perform strongly and is expected to continue generating meaningful cash flow. The Partnership is encouraged by continued growth across its asset base and the increase in producer activity in and around the Partnership's core asset footprint provides additional opportunities for continued growth. The Partnership anticipates releasing its second quarter 2018 results on August 9, 2018 and will provide additional earnings call details prior to the release.

About American Midstream Partners, LP

American Midstream Partners, LP is a growth-oriented limited partnership formed to provide critical midstream infrastructure that links producers of natural gas, crude oil, NGLs and condensate to end-use markets. American Midstream's assets are strategically located in some of the most prolific offshore and onshore basins in the Permian, Eagle Ford, East Texas, Bakken and Gulf Coast. American Midstream owns or has an ownership interest in approximately 5,100 miles of interstate and intrastate pipelines, as well as ownership in gas processing plants, fractionation facilities, an offshore semisubmersible floating production system with nameplate processing capacity of 90 MBbl/d of crude oil and 220 MMcf/d of natural gas; and terminal sites with approximately 4.3 MMBbls of storage capacity.

For more information about American Midstream Partners, LP, visit: www.americanmidstream.com. The content of our website is not part of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We have used the words "could," "expect," "intend," "may," "strive," "will," "would," and similar terms and phrases to identify forward-looking statements in this press release. Although we believe the assumptions upon which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of these assumptions could prove to be inaccurate and the forward-looking statements based on these assumptions could be incorrect. Many of the factors that will determine these results are beyond our ability to control or predict. These factors include the risk factors described in Part I, Item 1A. in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC on April 9, 2018, and our other filings with the SEC. All future written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the previous statements. The forward-looking statements herein speak as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update such statements for any reason, except as required by law.

Investor Contact

American Midstream Partners, LP

Mark Schuck

Director of Investor Relations

(346) 241-3497

[email protected]

SOURCE American Midstream Partners, LP

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BASEL, Switzerland, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Axalta is increasing its prices for one of its refinish coatings technologies in Europe. The price increases come into effect from Q3 2018.

This new technology applies specifically to Cromax CC6700 Ultra Performance Energy Clear, Spies Hecker Permasolid HS Speed Clear Coat 8800 and Standox Standocryl VOC Xtreme Clear K9580 and their related ancillary products.

"In order to continue to invest in this revolutionary technology, Axalta has decided to increase prices by about 10%. The technology helps bodyshops to improve their overall profitability significantly as well as to reduce their energy consumption," says Adrien Schrobiltgen, Vice President for Axalta's refinish business in the EMEA region.

Axalta will also bring forward price adjustments on its other paint products in Europe, originally planned for the end of 2018 due to significant rises in raw material costs.

"Despite working closely with our suppliers to minimise the effect of the raw material price rises, Axalta is no longer able to absorb these cost increases without affecting our high level of services and superior product quality that our customers expect from us and that we are committed to deliver. It is therefore necessary to pass along some of these increases to our customers," Schrobiltgen says.

Customers will be contacted by Axalta to discuss how the product price increases will affect them.

About Axalta

Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and providing customers with innovative, colourful, beautiful and sustainable solutions. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the materials we coat to last longer. With more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the 13,300 people of Axalta continue to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in 130 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information visit axalta.co.uk and follow us @Axalta on Twitter and on LinkedIn.





Axalta Coating Systems GmbH Uferstrasse 90 4057 Basel Switzerland axalta.com Contact Chantal Bachelier-Moore DA Public Relations Ltd D +44 207 692 4964 [email protected]

SOURCE Axalta

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Under the agreement, Boeing will lease 100,000 square feet of research and lab space inside a new 17-floor building at 314 Main Street in Cambridge. The new center will house employees from Boeing and subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences , who will focus on designing, building and flying autonomous aircraft and developing enabling technologies.

The investment in the new center follows the recent creation of Boeing NeXt. This new organization unites researchers and projects across the company to shape the future of travel and transport, including the development of a next-generation airspace management system to enable the safe coexistence of piloted and autonomous vehicles. Employees at the center will help develop new technologies in support of Boeing NeXt programs.

"Boeing is leading the development of new autonomous vehicles and future transportation systems that will bring flight closer to home," said Greg Hyslop, Boeing chief technology officer. "By investing in this new research facility, we are creating a hub where our engineers can collaborate with other Boeing engineers and research partners around the world and leverage the Cambridge innovation ecosystem."

The construction of the new research facility is part of MIT's broad strategy to foster vibrancy and diversity in Kendall Square, which is often referred to as the most innovative square mile in the world. Through its Kendall Square Initiative, the university will develop six buildings to house a blend of lab and research, office, housing and retail space.

"It's fitting that Boeing will join the Kendall/MIT innovation family," said MIT Provost Martin Schmidt. "Our research interests have been intertwined for over 100 years, and we've worked together to advance world-changing aerospace technologies and systems. MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the oldest program of its kind in the United States, and excels at its mission of developing new air transportation concepts, autonomous systems and small satellites through an intensive focus on cutting-edge education and research. Boeing's presence will create an unprecedented opportunity for new synergies in this industry."

Employees from Aurora Flight Sciences' existing research and development center in Kendall Square will move into the new center and operate it on behalf of Boeing once complete.

"Today, Aurora's Kendall Square team is already building innovative autonomous systems," said John Langford, Aurora Flight Sciences founder, chief executive officer and MIT alumnus. "By expanding Aurora's 30-year relationship with MIT, and working with Boeing, we are creating a collaborative space where engineers, students and researchers can work together to create technologies that will define the next-century of air mobility."

Financial terms of the new lease agreement and development of the new facility were not disclosed.

The new agreement builds on a century-long relationship between Boeing and MIT to advance aerospace innovation. Last year, the company announced its role as lead sponsor of an $18 million project to replace MIT's Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel.

Aurora Flight Sciences, A Boeing Company, is an innovative technology company striving to create smarter aircraft through the development of versatile and intuitive autonomous systems. Operating at the intersection of technology and robotic aviation, Aurora leverages the power of autonomy to make manned and unmanned flight safer and more efficient. Headquartered in Manassas, Virginia, Aurora has more than 550 employees and operates in six locations, including research and development centers in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Luzern, Switzerland; manufacturing facilities in Bridgeport, West Virginia, and Columbus, Mississippi; and offices in Dayton, Ohio, and Mountain View, California.

Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. A top U.S. exporter, the company supports airlines and U.S. and allied government customers in more than 150 countries. Boeing products and tailored services include commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, advanced information and communication systems, and performance-based logistics and training.

Contact

Adam Mertz

Boeing Communications

+1 206-240-1786

[email protected]

Aleksandra Mozdzanowska

Aurora Flight Sciences

+1 857-891-8501

[email protected]

SOURCE Boeing

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FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Brian Kovack, President and Co-Founder of independent broker-dealer and FINRA member firm Kovack Securities, Inc., today announced his candidacy for re-election to the Mid-Size Firm seat on the FINRA Board of Governors, with the aim of further advancing his first term's achievements for the benefit of FINRA member firms, their financial advisors and their retail investor end clients. The announcement follows Mr. Kovack's successful three-year term as the mid-size firm representative on the FINRA Board that commenced in 2015, during which he effectively helped to enact thoughtful reforms to improve the regulator's transparency, efficiency and communication.

As a result of his strong leadership and track record of results in his first term, Mr. Kovack has been nominated by FINRA to run for re-election this year. Voting has commenced for the current election and will continue until Tuesday, August 28th. Voting firms are strongly encouraged by Brian Kovack's FINRA Board campaign team to cast their vote for Mr. Kovack's candidacy via one of the following options:

Vote by Mail: return the signed ballot in the pre-paid envelope provided in the notice voting firms received from FINRA, or V ote Online : Using the Proxy Card provided by FINRA, access the website http://www.cesvote.com and follow the instructions presented to submit their proxy, or Vote by Phone : call, toll-free: 1-888-693-8683

Brian Kovack, President and Co-Founder of Kovack Securities, Inc., said, "I am excited to announce my campaign for re-election to the Mid-Size Firm seat on the FINRA Board of Governors. I am also pleased and honored to have official support for my candidacy from FINRA's Nominating & Governance Committee, which nominated me to run for another term this year. In 2015, I was elected to serve on the Board of Governors with a clear mandate for reform, in order to ensure that mid-size firms and their advisors had the strongest possible voice in FINRA's rulemaking and policy processes. Three years later, I'm proud to say that, without question, I've helped guide FINRA toward greater transparency, efficiency and more open communication on behalf of the firms and advisors I represent. Equally important, I'm confident that my first term Board achievements have also significantly benefited retail investors, both in providing access to high quality financial guidance for individuals and households across the country, and in supporting the ability of firms and advisors to deliver the best possible experience for their end clients."

Mr. Kovack assembled a powerful list of accomplishments for constituents in his first term, including:

Working effectively with FINRA to simplify its examination process and give member firms greater access to general exam findings.

Helping to establish FINRA's Small Firm Helpline, which provided an essential layer of support for small and mid-sized firms to ensure they receive answers to their questions from FINRA.

Championing the implementation of FINRA's efforts to clearly communicate its priorities to member firms each year as part of the broader FINRA 360 transparency initiative.

Serving as a highly accessible, highly engaged Board member who has actively built new communications channels and personal bridges between the mid-sized firm's community and the FINRA Board.

Mr. Kovack continued, "As the leader of an independent broker-dealer that I helped build from scratch, and as someone who has devoted most of my working life to the financial advisory space, I am dedicated to doing the heavy lifting on behalf of mid-sized firms across America. That's why I'm committed to pushing forward with the mission of establishing a regulatory landscape that will both protect and empower firms, advisors, and investors as they pursue their goals in the years ahead."

In his next term, Mr. Kovack will focus on bringing the following priorities to fruition:

Building upon FINRA's efforts with firms and advisors in pursuit of a regulatory framework that looks out for investors without diminishing the quality or scope of professional guidance available to them.

Seeing to it that new regulatory endeavors toward a best interest standard of care consider what firms and advisors require in order to support the needs of retail investors in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Further bolstering the efficiency and transparency of the FINRA exam process.

Rolling out additional tools and resources for small and mid-size firms so they can align with new regulations in a way that suits their businesses.

In addition to his experience as Co-Founder and President of Kovack Securities, Mr. Kovack's extensive background includes serving on the NASD Board of Governors and the FINRA Interim Board of Governors as a mid-size firm representative in 2006. He served a three-year term on the FINRA District 7 Committee from 2012 to 2014 and served a one-year term on the FINRA Regulatory Advisory Committee in 2013. In addition, he has served as a FINRA Dispute Resolution arbitrator since 2003, and in 2004 completed the FINRA Institute at Wharton Program, where he earned the Certified Regulatory and Compliance Professional (CRCP) designation.

Mr. Kovack received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Florida and earned Master of Accounting and Juris Doctorate (JD) degrees from Nova Southeastern University. He has been a Member of the Florida Bar and American Bar Association since 2000.

Mr. Kovack concluded, "My candidacy for a second term representing mid-size firms and their advisors on the FINRA Board of Governors reflects my deepest belief that member firms and FINRA can more productively safeguard the interests of investors and our industry by working together in a spirit of collaboration. This is an ambitious goal, and I know that much more must be done to make FINRA the best regulatory organization it can possibly become. Mid-sized firms and their advisors deserve a representative on the Board of Governors who combines the experience and focus on continued reform to help FINRA keep moving in the right direction. Whether you vote online, by phone, or by mail now through election day, I would sincerely appreciate your vote and your support as we continue to drive forward with this vitally important mission."

Voters can learn more about Mr. Kovack's candidacy and his important priorities at: www.kovack4bog.com.

About Kovack Securities

Kovack Securities is a privately owned, national, full-service independent broker-dealer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Founded in 1998 by Mr. Kovack and his father & Chairman Dr. Ronald Kovack, they have grown from zero financial advisors to approximately 400 affiliated independent financial advisors across the country. Mr. Kovack oversees the firm's day-to-day operations and serves as a strategic partner and advisor.

Media Contacts:

Joseph Kuo / Chris Clemens

Haven Tower Group LLC

424 652 6520 ext. 101 or 424 652 6520 ext. 102

[email protected] or [email protected]

SOURCE Kovack Securities, Inc.

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AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Infotools, a global leader in market research analysis solutions, has released a new case study with Orange, one of the world's leading telecommunications providers. The new publication, called The Color of Transformation, examines how Orange's Market Research team re-invented the way they deliver consumer insights data to their business leaders. The study provides an insider's look into the planning, process and outcomes, providing a practical outline for other companies looking to elevate the role of insights in decision making.

The Color of Transformation

"We had to change the way we operated," says Russell King, Orange's Director of Group Brand & Customer Experience Research and an insights expert with more than 25 years in the industry. "To start making headway toward our vision, our stakeholders needed to be up-to-date with what our customers are thinking and feeling. We needed to deliver insights in a way that would compel them to engage with and actively use insights data to drive strategy and deliver growth. Infotools worked closely with us to develop a technology-led solution and we are excited to share the success of that project."

The Color of Transformation takes a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities that arise when moving traditional research models to the digital age, providing insights to help any size company. The case study covers:





Balancing challenges such as static budgets, diverse stakeholders and the need to communicate across multiple geographies, languages and culture.

Meeting increased demands for cost-effective access to better, deeper insights by the application of technology.

Delivering value-added insights while catering to varying levels of brand-maturity and differing approaches to market research across 30+ geographies.

Creating a platform that would allow Orange to meet its goals for data analytics, access, reporting and automation.

John Davis, Group Client Director for Infotools, said, "We worked as a team to enable faster, smarter decision-making and action-taking for a global company that has a very diverse set of stakeholders and a multitude of geographies. There are lessons here for any market researcher looking to create efficiencies and increase accessibility when it comes to consumer insights."

The Color of Transformation case study can be downloaded here: https://web.infotools.com/color-of-transformation

About Infotools

Infotools is an award-winning software and services provider, with particular expertise in processing, analyzing, visualizing and sharing market research data. Established in 1990, and with a presence in the US, Europe, South Africa and New Zealand, Infotools works with some of the world's best-known brands, including Coca-Cola, Orange, Samsung and Mondelez, as well as boutique research agencies such as Big Picture, MDI, and Quantum Market Research. For more information, visit www.infotools.com or follow on Twitter @infotools.

Media contact: Marie Melsheimer, [email protected] , +1 541-815-3951

SOURCE Infotools

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MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CCRM (Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine), one of the leading fertility centers in North America, today announced the addition of Wael Salem, M.D. to its team of award-winning fertility specialists. Dr. Salem will see patients out of CCRM's Minneapolis facility beginning August 20, 2018. He will join April Batcheller, M.D., who co-founded CCRM Minneapolis with William Schoolcraft, M.D., in 2015.

Dr. Salem joins CCRM from Los Angeles, where he completed his fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from Mayo Medical School College of Medicine and completed his residency for obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco. While in training, Dr. Salem consistently received honors and awards recognizing his achievements, including the Outstanding Resident in Minimally Invasive Gynecology award by AAGL. Dr. Salem holds two master's degrees  one in Public Health from the University of Cambridge and the second in Clinical, Biomedical and Translational Investigations from the University of Southern California. He received his undergraduate degree from University of California, Berkeley.

"To meet the increasing demand for world-class fertility treatment, we are proud to welcome Dr. Salem to our experienced fertility team," said CCRM President and CEO Jon Pardew. "He brings a wealth of valuable experience and compassion to CCRM with extensive training and talent in treating the complex causes of infertility and helping individuals and couples grow their families. With this addition to CCRM Minneapolis, we now have two specialized physicians to meet the community's needs while maintaining our individualized and custom-tailored care."

Dr. Salem is a member of several prestigious organizations including the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, ASRM Special Interest Groups, Pacific Coast Reproductive Society, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology along with the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

In addition to presenting his research at esteemed medical conferences around the globe, Dr. Salem has authored numerous publications for notable peer-reviewed journals, including the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the Journal of Surgical Oncology. He is also fluent in Arabic and French and is conversational in Spanish, helping accommodate our non-English speaking community.

Known as the first name in fertility, CCRM has earned the distinction of providing families the fastest path to the healthiest baby. For more information about CCRM, or to schedule an appointment, call (877) 201-6931 or visit www.ccrmivf.com. CCRM Minneapolis is located at 6565 France Ave S, Suite 400 in Edina.

About CCRM

Founded by Dr. William Schoolcraft in 1987, CCRM (Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine) is the nation's leader in fertility care and research. CCRM specializes in the most advanced fertility treatments, with deep expertise in in vitro fertilization (IVF), fertility assessment, fertility preservation, genetic testing, third party reproduction and egg donation. Unlike many other fertility clinics that outsource their specialists and testing needs, CCRM leverages its own data, as well as a dedicated team of in-house reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists and genetic scientists in order to deliver industry-leading outcomes. CCRM operates 11 fertility centers (including 19 offices) throughout North America, serving prospective parents in major metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York, Northern Virginia, Minneapolis, Orange County, San Francisco Bay Area, and Toronto. For more information on CCRM, please visit www.ccrmivf.com.

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SOURCE CCRM

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CARMEL, Ind., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bankers Life and Casualty Company ("Bankers Life"), has entered into an agreement with Wilton Reassurance Company ("Wilton Re") to cede all of its legacy (prior to 2003) comprehensive and nursing home long-term care policies (with statutory reserves of approximately $2.7 billion) through 100% indemnity coinsurance. Bankers Life will pay a ceding commission of $825 million to reinsure the block, funded through excess capital in the insurance subsidiaries and at the holding company.

"Completion of this reinsurance transaction achieves our stated objective to reduce our exposure to the long-term care business," said Gary Bhojwani, chief executive officer. "We expect this transaction to improve return on equity and cash flows in future periods and to materially reduce the risk profile of the Company. More importantly, this allows management to focus its time on accelerating profitable growth and serving the needs of the fast-growing middle-income market. Wilton Re is a highly-rated and well-capitalized counterparty and CNO has a strong relationship with its management team, having previously executed three other important transactions together."

The transaction is subject to customary and other closing conditions and certain regulatory approvals and is expected to close no later than the end of 2018. In anticipation of the reinsurance agreement, the Company will reorganize its business segments to move the block to be ceded from the "Bankers Life segment" to the "Long-term care in run-off segment" in the third quarter of 2018.

Prior to the end of 2018, CNO expects to recognize a charge related to the transaction of approximately $650 million, net of taxes and the gain recognized on the assets transferred to Wilton Re. The charge is primarily attributable to loss recognition on the block due to the ceding commission.

In addition to the reinsurance agreement, Bankers Life or another CNO company will enter into certain other agreements with Wilton Re, including a trust agreement, an administrative services agreement and a transition services agreement.

Wilton Re will establish and maintain a trust account for the benefit of Bankers Life to secure its obligations under the coinsurance agreement. The trust account will be required to hold qualified assets with book values equal to the statutory liabilities of the block plus an additional amount, initially $500 million, which declines over time.

CNO also announced that in the third quarter of 2018, its insurance subsidiaries will cease sales of home health care only long-term care policies, and comprehensive and nursing home long-term care policies with benefit periods exceeding three years. CNO remains committed to long-term care insurance and will continue to offer short-term care and long-term care policies with benefits that reflect prudent risk management and the insurance needs of the middle-income market.

Wilton Re is a Minnesota domiciled insurance company, substantially wholly owned by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board ("CPPIB"). CPPIB is a professional investment management organization that invests the funds of the Canada Pension Plan on behalf of its 20 million contributors and beneficiaries. For more information about Wilton Re, please refer to www.wiltonre.com .

Barclays Capital serves as financial advisor and Willkie Farr & Gallagher serves as legal counsel to CNO in this transaction.

The Company also reported its second quarter 2018 results today in a separate news release and will host a conference call to discuss this announcement and second quarter results at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, August 2, 2018. There will be a live webcast of the presentation, including presentation materials, available on the Investors section of the Company's website http://ir.CNOinc.com. Participants should go to the website at least 15 minutes before the event to register and download any necessary software. The call-in numbers for the conference call are as follows:

Live Call

(866) 393-4306 (Domestic)

(734) 385-2616 (International)

Conference ID: 4655299

About CNO Financial Group

CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO) is a holding company. Our insurance companies - principally Bankers Life and Casualty Company, Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company and Washington National Insurance Company - primarily serve middle-income pre-retiree and retired Americans by helping them protect against financial adversity and provide for a more secure retirement. For more information, visit CNO online at www.CNOinc.com .

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements. Our statements, trend analyses and other information contained in this press release relative to markets for CNO Financial's products and trends in CNO Financial's operations or financial results, as well as other statements, contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements typically are identified by the use of terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "may," "will," "would," "contemplate," "possible," "attempt," "seek," "should," "could," "goal," "target," "on track," "comfortable with," "optimistic," "guidance," "outlook" and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. You should consider statements that contain these words carefully because they describe our expectations, plans, strategies and goals and our beliefs concerning future business conditions, our results of operations, financial position, and our business outlook or they state other ''forward-looking'' information based on currently available information. Assumptions and other important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements include, among other things: (i) changes in or sustained low interest rates causing reductions in investment income, the margins of our fixed annuity and life insurance businesses, and sales of, and demand for, our products; (ii) expectations of lower future investment earnings may cause us to accelerate amortization, write down the balance of insurance acquisition costs or establish additional liabilities for insurance products; (iii) general economic, market and political conditions and uncertainties, including the performance and fluctuations of the financial markets which may affect the value of our investments as well as our ability to raise capital or refinance existing indebtedness and the cost of doing so; (iv) the ultimate outcome of lawsuits filed against us and other legal and regulatory proceedings to which we are subject; (v) our ability to make anticipated changes to certain non-guaranteed elements of our life insurance products; (vi) our ability to obtain adequate and timely rate increases on our health products, including our long-term care business; (vii) the receipt of any required regulatory approvals for dividend and surplus debenture interest payments from our insurance subsidiaries; (viii) mortality, morbidity, the increased cost and usage of health care services, persistency, the adequacy of our previous reserve estimates, changes in the health care market and other factors which may affect the profitability of our insurance products; (ix) changes in our assumptions related to deferred acquisition costs or the present value of future profits; (x) the recoverability of our deferred tax assets and the effect of potential ownership changes and tax rate changes on their value; (xi) changes to our estimates of the impact of comprehensive federal tax legislation related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; (xii) our assumption that the positions we take on our tax return filings will not be successfully challenged by the Internal Revenue Service; (xiii) changes in accounting principles and the interpretation thereof; (xiv) our ability to continue to satisfy the financial ratio and balance requirements and other covenants of our debt agreements; (xv) our ability to achieve anticipated expense reductions and levels of operational efficiencies including improvements in claims adjudication and continued automation and rationalization of operating systems; (xvi) performance and valuation of our investments, including the impact of realized losses (including other-than-temporary impairment charges); (xvii) our ability to identify products and markets in which we can compete effectively against competitors with greater market share, higher ratings, greater financial resources and stronger brand recognition; (xviii) our ability to generate sufficient liquidity to meet our debt service obligations and other cash needs; (xix) changes in capital deployment opportunities; (xx) our ability to maintain effective controls over financial reporting; (xxi) our ability to continue to recruit and retain productive agents and distribution partners; (xxii) customer response to new products, distribution channels and marketing initiatives; (xxiii) our ability to achieve additional upgrades of the financial strength ratings of CNO Financial and our insurance company subsidiaries as well as the impact of our ratings on our business, our ability to access capital and the cost of capital; (xxiv) regulatory changes or actions, including: those relating to regulation of the financial affairs of our insurance companies, such as the calculation of risk-based capital and minimum capital requirements, and payment of dividends and surplus debenture interest to us; regulation of the sale, underwriting and pricing of products; and health care regulation affecting health insurance products; (xxv) changes in the Federal income tax laws and regulations which may affect or eliminate the relative tax advantages of some of our products or affect the value of our deferred tax assets; (xxvi) availability and effectiveness of reinsurance arrangements, as well as the impact of any defaults or failure of reinsurers to perform; (xxvii) the amount we may need to pay to a reinsurer and the earnings charge we may incur in connection with a long-term care reinsurance transaction; (xxviii) the performance of third party service providers and potential difficulties arising from outsourcing arrangements; (xxix) the growth rate of sales, collected premiums, annuity deposits and assets; (xxx) interruption in telecommunication, information technology or other operational systems or failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data on such systems; (xxxi) events of terrorism, cyber attacks, natural disasters or other catastrophic events, including losses from a disease pandemic; (xxxii) ineffectiveness of risk management policies and procedures in identifying, monitoring and managing risks; and (xxxiii) the risk factors or uncertainties listed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other factors and assumptions not identified above are also relevant to the forward-looking statements, and if they prove incorrect, could also cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statement. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made. We assume no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE CNO Financial Group, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cnoinc.com

Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Global cyber education leader Cybint, a BARBRI company, and Ariel University are teaming up to offer a comprehensive portfolio of cyber education offerings for students and professionals in Israel.

The Ariel University Cyber Innovation Center, powered by Cybint and the university's professional teams, boasts a comprehensive portfolio of online cyber education offerings, from Cybint's cyber literacy programs to its rigorous cyber security/intelligence virtual labs and access to one of the world's most advanced Cyber Range environments. The Cyber Innovation Center's training and courses will be available to students and alumni of the university and serve as a workforce development and continuing education resource for professionals, members of the military and others. Certifications through the Cyber Innovation Center are aligned with the NICE (National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education) and Israel National Cyber Directorate frameworks. Courses and training include:

Level One  Cybint's Cyber Literacy Programs: Cyber has become a ubiquitous and important component in non-technological fields of study such as business, law, criminal justice, finance and others. Cybint's cyber literacy courses provide professionals a basic, comprehensive grounding in cyber terminology, threats and opportunities.

Cyber has become a ubiquitous and important component in non-technological fields of study such as business, law, criminal justice, finance and others. Cybint's cyber literacy courses provide professionals a basic, comprehensive grounding in cyber terminology, threats and opportunities. Level Two  Cybint's Hands-On Simulator-Labs: The most critical component for a career in cybersecurity is hands-on skills. Cybint's Cyber Security Analyst (CSA) Simu-Lab Suite, the product of extensive military and industry experience, offers advanced practical training in a simulated environment. It provides learners with the skills required to work as a cybersecurity analyst in Security Operation Centers  allowing them to gain the skills and experience to start working in the cyber industry  even without a computer science degree.

The most critical component for a career in cybersecurity is hands-on skills. Cybint's Cyber Security Analyst (CSA) Simu-Lab Suite, the product of extensive military and industry experience, offers advanced practical training in a simulated environment. It provides learners with the skills required to work as a cybersecurity analyst in Security Operation Centers  allowing them to gain the skills and experience to start working in the cyber industry  even without a computer science degree. Cyber Range  The Cyber Range presents learners with cyber threats and live advanced group simulation to mimic real cyber attacks, and challenges them to mitigate and resolve them as quickly as possible. The platform is designed to simulate networks, traffic and attack scenarios to train and test people, procedures and technologies in a safe and controllable environment. The Cyber Range can be accessed on-premises or remotely.

"Cyber knowledge is increasingly important in every facet of our workforce across industries," said Cybint CEO Roy Zur. "Yet we are facing a severe global shortage of this knowledge and overall cyber expertise. Cybint's mission centers on working with partners such as Ariel University to close that knowledge gap and equip students and professionals with the cyber knowledge they need to understand both the threats and the opportunities and protect their organizations. We're very excited about the new Cyber Innovation Center and look forward to its positive impact."

"The launch of the Cyber Innovation Center is part of our commitment to offer innovative, career-enhancing education for our students, alumni and other professionals," said Danny Hardon, head of the Ariel University Research and Development Authority. "We're pleased and excited to partner with Cybint  an industry leader in Israel and the U.S.  to deliver this important and relevant education through our new Center."

ABOUT CYBINT

Cybint is an international cyber education company, providing training, certifications and learning solutions across the cybersecurity and intelligence spectrum. At Cybint we believe that protecting our assets, companies, and national security, starts with cyber education. That's why we are dedicated to building the most knowledgeable cyber teams for governments, educating the best cyber experts at universities and colleges, and training employees around the world to be aware of cyber threats.

Cybint is a collaboration between military-trained cybersecurity and intelligence experts and the education experts at BARBRI. Together, we've created programs that address cybersecurity and intelligence at the individual level  creating a deep and powerful network of cyber expertise that goes far beyond the typical technical expertise.

Media Contact: Cindy Parks

913-526-6912

[email protected]

SOURCE Cybint

Related Links

http://www.cybintsolutions.com

BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As college students arrive on campus this fall, it's a time of new experiences, new friendships, and making memories that will last a lifetime. Unfortunately for many, it is also a time of harmful and underage drinking and dealing with its aftermathfrom vandalism and sexual aggression and other forms of violence to injuries and death.

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health. Visit https://www.CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov for more information.

According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 57.2 percent of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 drank alcohol in the past month; 38.0 percent engaged in binge drinking (5 or more drinks on a single occasion for men or 4 or more drinks on an occasion for women) in the past month; and 10.5 percent engaged in heavy alcohol use (binge drinking on 5 or more days in the past month). These rates are higher than those for their non-college-attending peers.

The consequences of harmful and underage drinking by college students are more significant, more destructive, and more costly than many parents realize. And these consequences affect students whether or not they drink. The most recent statistics from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) indicate that drinking by college students ages 18 to 24 contributes to an estimated 1,519 student deaths each year. In addition, there are an estimated 696,000 assaults by another student who has been drinking and 97,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape each year.

Early Weeks Are Critical

Although the majority of students come to college already having some experience with alcohol, certain aspects of college life, such as unstructured time, the widespread availability of alcohol, inconsistent enforcement of underage drinking laws, and limited interactions with parents and other adults, can intensify the problem.

The first 6 weeks of freshman year are a vulnerable time for harmful and underage college drinking and alcohol-related consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the academic year.

Parents Can Help

An often-overlooked protective factor involves the continuing influence of parents. Research shows that students who abstain from drinking often do so because their parents discussed alcohol use and its adverse consequences with them. During these crucial early weeks, parents can do a number of things to stay involved.

Parents can help by:

Talking with students about the dangers of harmful and underage college drinkingsuch as the penalties for underage drinking, and how alcohol use can lead to sexual and other violence, as well as academic failure and other adverse consequences.

Reaching out periodically and keeping the lines of communication open, while staying alert for possible alcohol-related problems.

Reminding students to feel free to reach out to them to share information about their daily activities, and to ask for help if needed.

Learning about the school's alcohol prevention and emergency intervention efforts.

Making sure students know the signs of alcohol overdose or an alcohol-related problem, and how to help.

Resources Are Available

For parents who want to discuss the consequences of college drinking with their sons and daughters, a variety of helpful resources are available from NIAAA at https://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov.

These resources include a parents' guide that offers research-based information plus helpful advice on choosing the right college, staying involved during the freshman year, and getting assistance if faced with an alcohol-related crisis. The website also provides links to alcohol policies at colleges across the country, an interactive diagram of how alcohol affects the human body, and an interactive alcohol cost calculator.

Additionally, NIAAA's CollegeAIMthe College Alcohol Intervention Matrix, available at https://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/collegeaimis a tool that helps schools and parents address harmful and underage student drinking by identifying effective alcohol interventions.

For more information, visit: https://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov.

SOURCE National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Related Links

https://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov

John Stephenson is Fluidmaster's new Sales Director for Canada and will oversee the Distribution Center. Stephenson is responsible for all aspects of the Canadian business in both the Retail and Wholesale distribution channels. He will work closely with the cross-functional teams on strategic planning for the Canadian market and is building strong relationships to help Fluidmaster's customers grow their business in the toilet repair category. Prior to joining Fluidmaster, Stephenson was the Director for Char-Broil in Canada where he developed and managed sales and marketing strategies for the growing Canadian market.

"Our new Canadian Distribution Center will streamline all business in Canada and be more centrally located to better serve existing and prospective partners in a timely manner," says Stephenson.

In the past three years, Fluidmaster has expanded its international footprint by establishing operations in the Netherlands, Turkey, India, and Australia. "Opening our Canadian Distribution Center is an integral part of our expansion strategy and part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening partnerships across the border," says Todd Talbot, Fluidmaster President. "We're excited to have John on board as we increase awareness of the Fluidmaster brand and support our Canadian customers."

For more information on the Canadian Distribution Center, visit www.fluidmaster.com/canada.

About Fluidmaster

Established in 1957 and reaching across the world, Fluidmaster remains a family-owned and operated company known for its superior engineering of efficient and reliable toilet components. The company has become an icon in the plumbing industry, with operations in North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, China, Turkey, India, and Canada as well as a worldwide distribution network selling more toilet tank replacement valves than any other manufacturer in the world. The company's global headquarters is located in San Juan Capistrano, California. For media inquiries or for more information, contact David McFarland at 949-728-2207 or by email at [email protected], or visit www.fluidmaster.com.

SOURCE Fluidmaster, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.fluidmaster.com

OLD BRIDGE, N.J., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Julie Fox has joined R.J. Brunelli & Co., LLC in the newly-created position of Manager Of New Tenant Representation.

Fox brings over 13 years of retail real estate experience in property management, brokerage, landlord leasing, tenant representation, and land disposition to the Old Bridge-based retail real estate brokerage. She will primarily focus on the development and servicing of tenant representation accounts, but will also handle leasing and sales on behalf of property owners.

Julie Fox

She comes to R.J. Brunelli from Shopcore Properties, Philadelphia, where she directed the leasing of The Shops at Skyview, a mixed-use urban retail project in Flushing, N.Y. Prior to that, Fox was a senior leasing representative for Brixmor Property Group in Conshohocken, Penn., handling a portfolio of more than 2.2 million square feet of shopping centers throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Previously, Fox served as a portfolio leasing representative for Lakewood, N.J.-based Paramount Realty Services, where she was part of a team responsible for more than five million square feet of shopping center space in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and eastern Pennsylvania.

From 2008 to 2013, she was a sales associate at FAMECO Real Estate, Plymouth Meeting, Penn. In that role, Fox negotiated in excess of 1.1 million square feet of retail lease and sale transactions and represented such prominent tenants as Darden Restaurant Group, CVS, AT&T Wireless, Kilwins Chocolate, and Kids First Swim in their expansion throughout the Greater Philadelphia and western Pennsylvania markets.

She began her career in 2005 as an assistant general manager for PREIT Services, LLC in Willow Grove, Penn., where her responsibilities included daily operational matters and tenant construction supervision for a 1.25 million-square-foot mall, two strip centers and a power center totaling an additional 534,000 square feet.

Fox earned M.B.A. and Master of Finance degrees from Drexel University and a B.A. from The University of Delaware. She was named to "Real Estate's 12 to Watch" by Chain Store Age magazine in 2018, currently serves as the ICSC PA/NJ/DE Next Generation Chair and co-founded The Pipeline, a women's networking group comprised of professionals in retail real estate.

"Julie is a consummate professional, whose wide-ranging experience on behalf of tenants and landlords, work across multiple states and vast contacts throughout the retail real estate industry make her an ideal addition to our team," said Danielle Brunelli, President/Principal of R.J. Brunelli.

About R.J. Brunelli & Co.

R.J. Brunelli & Co. serves as exclusive broker for 37 existing retail properties with a combined gross leasable area (GLA) of approximately 2.0 million square feet, and six properties for sale. The properties are located throughout New Jersey. The firm also serves as exclusive or preferred tenant representative in various New Jersey markets for approximately 20 retail, restaurant and service chains, including such major companies as Dollar Tree, Sally Beauty Supply, TCC Verizon Wireless, Jersey Strong, Urban Bricks Pizza, Modern Acupuncture, European Wax Center, and Turning Point.

Press contacts: At R.J. Brunelli & Co., LLC, Danielle Brunelli, President, (732) 721-5800; at Parness & Associates Public Relations, Bill Parness, [email protected] or Lisa Kreda, [email protected]

SOURCE R.J. Brunelli & Co.LEBANON, Ohio, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bruno Le Maire, France's Minister of the Economy and Finance, recently visited Texisense, the French company that developed fabric pressure sensors and leads for the Palarum PUP smart patient sock. Le Maire was touring textile firms located in the Coriolis area.

Keith Planner, Palarum, LLC's European Representative, explains the PUP smart patient sock technology to Bruno Le Maire, France's Minister of the Economy, at Texisense, the French company that developed the fabric pressure sensors and leads.

Keith Planner, Palarum's European representative, explained to Le Maire how the PUP sock works and the innovative technology woven into the sock's material by Chausettes Perrin, another French company. "Minister Le Maire was intrigued with the sock and understanding how the material invented by and woven by two French companies was changing patient safety by significantly reducing patient falls in the hospital. He also acknowledged the positive business relationship forged around new technology between the French companies and Palarum in the United States. He held the sock and felt the fabric. He especially liked the idea that this revolutionary new product was possibly saving lives."

"In addition to the Minister, Texisense welcomed six Parliament members, three senators, one European deputy, and ten regional and local representatives during the visit," said Marc Barsoum, commercial director for Texisense. "The Minister emphasized that innovation and the traditional workforce needed to work together to provide enough workers to produce the products of the future like the PUP sock. He cited the partnership between Palarum, Texisense, and Perrin as an example of integrating innovation with value add, with Palarum and Texisense bringing innovation to the table and Perrin producing the revolutionary socks."

"The PUP smart patient sock is truly an international collaboration that started in 2015," said Patrick Baker, president and CEO of Palarum. "Palarum is the exclusive licensee of the Texisense technology and Perrin knits the socks to our proprietary specifications and design. Then, the socks are shipped to Ohmatex in Denmark where the fabric connector and sensor/transmitter module are manufactured and assembled. The completed socks are then shipped to us in the U.S. where we are rapidly expanding the number of evaluation studies occurring in acute care hospitals across the country."

Palarum has signed agreements with acute care hospitals and rehabilitation facilities across the United States to conduct evaluation studies of the effectiveness of the PUP sock with patients judged to be high risk for falls. Early results are promising with studies from evaluation sites demonstrating dramatic decreases in falls among patients who are enrolled and wearing the PUP sock.

About Palarum:

Founded in 2016 by the former Chief Nursing Officer of a large community hospital in Lebanon, Ohio, Palarum created the revolutionary PUP smart sock that incorporates patented technologies woven into conductive fabric, enabling real-time monitoring to prevent patient falls and enhance physical therapy and rehabilitation. PUP, the most technologically advanced, nurse-centric, patient mobility system in healthcare: improves patient safety by greatly reducing injuries from falls; significantly reduces costs related to falls; decreases alarm fatigue through a smart notification system; and generates critical new data to enhance facility operations. PUP is designed for acute care hospitals, as well as facilities for rehabilitation, long-term care, and physical therapy. www.palarum.com.

Contact: Tom Peck, 214.497.6759

Related Links

Palarum Website

SOURCE Palarum, LLC

Related Links

http://www.palarum.com

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Who knows from the time they are in high school exactly what they want to do with their life? Not many; but Dr. George Bouras did.

Dr. Bouras is a licensed optometrist who recently joined the team at Center For Sight  Las Vegas.

Dr. Bouras' interest in eye care was sparked at an early age, as he routinely attended his mom's eye appointments with her. She suffers from glaucoma (controlled and doing quite well today!), and as a single mom, she often had to take young George with her for her check-ups and treatment.

"By the time I was a senior in high school, I knew I wanted to be an optometrist, and I stayed on that track," said Dr. Bouras, who is also engaged to an optometrist (they met in optometry school). It's safe to say the entire Bouras family will be well cared for where eye care is concerned!

In addition to receiving his Doctor of Optometry degree (with honors) from Illinois College of Optometry in 2017, Dr. Bouras completed a rigorous residency in Ocular Disease with the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin. There he received specialized training in treating and managing ocular diseases as well as pre and post-op care of cataract and LASIK patients. He also attended a medical mission to Nicaragua to provide much-needed eye care in several underserved areas.

"Center For Sight is the perfect fit for me to use the skills and experience I gained in my residency since it is a busy practice with a significant focus on eye disease and conditions in addition to vision correction," said Dr. Bouras.

Dr. Bouras will see patients at all four Center for Sight locations.

Center For Sight is a comprehensive ophthalmology and optometry practice with deep roots in Las Vegas. Focused on experienced doctors and advanced training in laser vision correction and more, Center For Sight has four locations serving the southernmost part of the state.

Contact: Tammy Adams, Miller Public Relations

Phone #: (817) 281-3440

SOURCE Center For SightATLANTA, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power is tapping new mobile technology from Purposity to empower employees and propel a social evolution of the company's 130-year commitment to Georgia communities. With Purposity, 7,000 employees now have access to the charitable giving platform which makes it easy to find and help a neighbor in need via mobile device, then share how they helped on social media. The digital tool complements the company's other longstanding employee citizenship options including the Georgia Power Club of Hearts, an employee-giving program, and in-person volunteer service through organizations such as the Citizens of Georgia Power.

To launch the new program, Georgia Power is hosting a statewide backpack drive to benefit local Georgia schools. Employees across the company are using the Purposity platform to purchase backpacks for local students, which will be packed with school supplies and be delivered to start the 2018-2019 school year. Local districts benefiting from the program include Atlanta Public Schools; the Bibb County School System; the Brantley County School System; Richmond County Schools; the Lowndes County School District and the Valdosta City School District.

"Our longstanding mission to be A Citizen Wherever We Serve has evolved and grown for more than century to now include more than 100,000 volunteer service hours from our employees each year and impactful corporate partnerships with leading non-profit organizations," said Chris D'Andrea, volunteer services manager for Georgia Power. "Purposity represents the next phase of our multifaceted charitable giving and community strategy, empowering our employees to give locally to causes that mean the most to them and amplify that impact on social media."

Purposity brings local needs right to users' mobile phones via a weekly text featuring a need from a verified non-profit organization. The platform is based on a simple premise  if you knew your neighbor was in need, you'd help them. Every story is submitted by someone working directly with the person in need and highlights a physical item that can assist that individual. It takes less than two minutes to meet a need and purchased items can typically be delivered to the recipient in two days. Learn more at www.purposity.com.

For more than 130 years, Georgia Power has been dedicated to giving back to Georgia communities. In 2017, Georgia Power's total community impact including more than $21 million total invested by the company, The Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. and employees in Georgia communities and non-profit organizations throughout the year. Last year alone, 6,000 Georgia Power employees and retirees, including donated their time to help their neighbors and improve the quality of life in their communities by completing more than 147,000 volunteer hours.

To learn more about Georgia Power's commitment to communities across the state, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com/Community. To keep up with Georgia Power's active volunteer and giving efforts every day, follow the company on Twitter @GeorgiaPower and #GaPowerfulService.

About Georgia Power

Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.5 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).

SOURCE Georgia Power

Related Links

http://www.georgiapower.com

"We are seeing tremendous demand for our fast, fair, and secure public network," said Mance Harmon, co-founder and CEO of Hedera. "With this funding, we will be able to accelerate development of key services to be provided by Hedera  including a cryptocurrency, file storage service, and smart contract platform  to help make it not only what we believe is the fastest and most secure public ledger available, but also the most feature-rich for developers looking to build highly decentralized apps."

"Hedera hashgraph is one of the most exciting projects in cryptocurrency from an engineering perspective. In addition, the experienced team and the advances they have made to date in developing a functioning network make them a standout in the distributed ledger market," said Ari Paul, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner of BlockTower Capital, and Hedera investor. "We are pleased to support them as they roll out the next phase of their development, and as interest grows around their network launch."

"As we come close to completing initial development of the Hedera network, we are pleased to be opening our crowdsale to the community - without whose support we would not be where we are today - under the same terms offered to institutional investors in this funding round," said Tom Trowbridge, President of Hedera. "These are the same terms under which management and employees have invested over $10 million in the most recent round. Separately, the majority of the tokens granted to the co-founders vest in four to six years. This clearly demonstrates our long-term belief in, and commitment to the growth of Hedera."

Hedera is building a strong, global community of developers and advocates who are attracted to the speed, security, and scalability benefits of the hashgraph technology. To date, almost 200 Hedera Hashgraph ambassadors have run more than 80 meetups in cities around the world, reaching more than 5,000 attendees.

"We are excited to be on the cusp of launching our network," said Dr. Leemon Baird, co-founder and Chief Scientist of Hedera. "We are grateful for the commitments of our investors and employees, as well as the strong support we continue to receive from the community. In addition, we want to acknowledge the incredible role the developer community has and will continue to play in our growth, and we will be providing opportunities for developers to earn tokens as we roll out the network throughout the year."

Crowdsale

Hedera today announced it will be conducting an accredited investor crowdsale, targeted at raising $20 million. The accredited investor verification process opens today and will close when the target is reached, or August 15th, whichever comes earlier. As a U.S.-based company, the offering will be conducted in accordance with SEC regulations as a private placement pursuant to Rule 506(c). Details can only be found by typing in hederahashgraph[dot]com, and no solicitations will be made over social networking channels such as Telegram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. For more information on the crowdsale, token distribution, and economics, please visit hederahashgraph[dot]com.

Hedera18 Developer Conference

Hedera18, the inaugural hashgraph developer conference, will be hosted in Dallas, TX from October 15-17th, 2018. A global hackathon will take place at the same time in Dallas, Tel Aviv, London, Singapore, and Sao Paulo. Visit https://www.hedera18.com for more details.

About Hedera

The Hedera hashgraph platform will offer a distributed public ledger that enables anyone to easily develop globally decentralized applications. Developers can build secure, fair, blazing-fast decentralized applications on top of the Hedera hashgraph platform. For more information, visit https://hederahashgraph.com, or follow us on Twitter at @hashgraph, Telegram at t.me/hashgraph, or Discord at https://hashgraph.com/discord. The Hedera whitepaper can be found at https://hederahashgraph.com/whitepaper.

For Media Enquiries

Zenobia Godschalk

E: [email protected]

T: 1.833.794.7537 x 717

SOURCE Hedera

Related Links

http://hederahashgraph.com

NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- IDB Bank is pleased to announce the appointment of Ethan Levinson as President of IDB Capital, the Bank's broker-dealer subsidiary. Ethan joins the broker-dealer with over 14 years of experience in senior positions at various firms, including Founder and President of two broker-dealers.

Mr. Levinson's vast experience in sales, trading, technology, infrastructure and operations makes him highly qualified to take on this role, particularly during this time of transformation. Ethan holds FINRA Series 4, 7, 24, 57 & 63. His prior experiences at firms regulated by FINRA, NYSE and other Self-Regulatory Organizations will aid in aligning the transformation of the firm with the regulatory environment.

IDB Bank is a registered service mark of Israel Discount Bank of New York.

IDB Capital, Member FINRA/SIPC is a registered service mark of IDB Capital Corp. and a subsidiary of IDB Bank.

FOLLOW US on LinkedIn @IDB-Bank

SOURCE IDB BankFounded in 1984, Nobel Learning operates a network of over 190 private schools across 19 states in the United States. Nobel Learning schools are known nationwide for their commitment to quality private education through small class sizes, qualified teachers, and personalized learning plans. The company also has an accredited online private school, Laurel Springs, that offers college preparatory programs to students from over 80 countries worldwide. With over 25,000 students, Nobel Learning is one of the largest private school operators in North America.

Since acquiring Nobel Learning in 2015, Investcorp has worked closely with the company to achieve significant growth, acquiring 25 schools, opening 9 greenfields, and driving organic enrollment thereby collectively achieving EBITDA growth of over 50 percent during its period of ownership.

"We are pleased to have helped consolidate Nobel Learning's leadership in the industry by investing further in the schools and their programs," said Maud Brown, Managing Director, Corporate Investment North America at Investcorp. "Nobel Learning enjoys a stellar reputation for excellence in the industry and it has been a pleasure to work alongside CEO George Bernstein, the management team and the Nobel Learning community over the past three years. We congratulate them on their achievements."

George Bernstein CEO of Nobel Learning Communities said, "One of the critical factors in our success has been the wonderful relationship that our management team had with Investcorp and the strong board they built. The Investcorp team was always supportive and yet challenged us to improve our strategy and measurements in a way that helped generate increased value. Investcorp took the time to understand our business, schools and culture and became a true partner to our management team."

Investcorp has an experienced history of investment in the education sector. In 2012, Investcorp acquired GL Education, one of the leading providers of educational assessments globally, and later announced its sale in 2016. Additionally, in 2017, Investcorp Technology Partners acquired Impero, one of the leading providers of online student safety, classroom and school network management software in the UK. Investcorp is dedicated to continuing to invest in education companies, utilizing the team's experience, expertise and resources to seek to create value in its portfolio companies.

In the United States, Investcorp looks to invest in high growth and cash flow generative mid-sized companies with experienced management teams. Investcorp focuses its investment efforts on many sectors including Technology Enabled Services, Knowledge & Professional Services, Industrial Services, Distribution & Logistics, Data & Information Services and Consumer & Retail. Earlier this year in the United States, Investcorp acquired KSI Trading Corp. (KSI), a supplier of aftermarket auto body parts, and ICR, which is one of the leading strategic communications and advisory firms in the US.

Globally, Investcorp's corporate investment business has over 30 years of investing in mid-market companies across North America, Europe and the MENA region. With more than $41 billion in transaction value, Investcorp's past and present portfolios include more than 175 investments across a range of sectors.

About Investcorp

Investcorp is a leading global provider and manager of alternative investments, offering such investments to its high-net-worth private and institutional clients on a global basis. Led by a new vision, Investcorp has embarked on an ambitious, albeit prudent, growth strategy. The Firm continues to focus on generating investor and shareholder value through a disciplined investment approach in four lines of business: corporate investment, real estate, alternative investment solutions and credit management.

As at December 31, 2017, the Investcorp Group had $22.2 billion in total AUM, including assets managed by third party managers and assets subject to a non-discretionary advisory mandate where Investcorp receives fees calculated on the basis of AUM.

Since its inception in 1982, Investcorp has made over 175 corporate investments in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East and North Africa region, including Turkey, across a range of sectors including retail and consumer products, technology, business services and industrials, and more than 500 commercial and residential real estate investments in the US and Europe, for in excess of $56 billion in transaction value.

Investcorp employs approximately 390 people across its offices in Bahrain, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, and Singapore. For further information, including our most recent periodic financial statements, which details our assets under management, please refer to:

www.investcorp.com

www.twitter.com/Investcorp

www.linkedin.com/company/Investcorp

www.instagram.com/investcorp

Media Contacts:

Investcorp

Firas El Amine

+973 39987838

[email protected]

Prosek Partners

Catherine Wooters

347-486-6335

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SOURCE Investcorp

Related Links

https://www.investcorp.com

HOUSTON, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ION Geophysical Corporation (NYSE: IO) today reported revenues of $24.7 million in the second quarter 2018, a 46% decrease compared to revenues of $46.0 million one year ago. ION's net loss was $25.9 million, or $(1.86) per share, compared to a net loss of $10.4 million, or $(0.88) per share in the second quarter 2017. Excluding special items in the second quarter 2018, the Company reported an Adjusted net loss of $23.4 million, or $(1.68) per share. A reconciliation of special items to the financial results can be found in the tables of this press release.

The Company reported Adjusted EBITDA of $(7.9) million for the second quarter 2018, a decrease from the Adjusted EBITDA of $13.6 million one year ago. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the closest comparable GAAP numbers can be found in the tables of this press release.

Net cash flows from operations were $(0.8) million during the second quarter 2018, compared to $1.7 million in the second quarter 2017. Total net cash flows, including investing and financing activities, were $(6.4) million, which are comparable to one year ago. At June 30, 2018, the Company had $44.3 million of cash on hand, and nothing drawn from its $23.3 million of available borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility.

Brian Hanson, ION's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are disappointed with the quarterly results, where a number of deals in our pipeline did not close. The opportunities did not disappear; the timing of the decision slipped, setting the potential for a strong back half of the year. For example, we experienced a decrease in multi-client revenues partially due to a delayed license round that resulted in certain customers pushing their commitments to our program to the second half of 2018. For this reason, and based on heightened activity and momentum, we still believe that 2018 will be a significant improvement on 2017 on a full-year basis. All key leading indicators and metrics of our business are up including our multi-client sales pipeline, license round activity, imaging services tenders, Marlin deployments, the number of active ocean bottom crews and oil and gas reserve replenishment becoming a greater priority than capital efficiency for our oil and gas customers. I encourage you to join our earnings call for more details about the upward trajectory of our business."

For the first half of 2018, the Company reported revenues of $58.3 million, a net loss of $44.3 million, or $(3.31) per share, compared revenues of $78.6 million, a net loss of $33.8 million, or $(2.85) per share in the first half of 2017. Excluding special items in both periods, the Company reported an Adjusted net loss of $40.6 million, or $(3.03) per share, compared to an Adjusted net loss of $28.8 million, or $(2.43) per share in the first half of 2017. First half of 2018 Adjusted EBITDA was $(7.8) million, compared to $13.6 million in the first half of 2017.

Net cash flows from operations were $(0.2) million, compared to $3.5 million in the first half of 2017. Total net cash flows, including investing and financing activities, were $(7.7) million, compared to $(9.5) million in the first half of 2017. Net cash flows for the first half of 2018 reflect the $47.2 million of net proceeds received from the Company's first quarter equity offering. A portion of those proceeds were used to retire the $28.5 million of third lien notes. The Company also repaid the $10.0 million of outstanding indebtedness under its revolving credit facility during the first quarter. As a result of the Company's 2018 debt repayments, only $0.5 million of current debt remained outstanding at June 30, 2018, and the Company's remaining long-term debt is $120.6 million of second lien notes that mature in December 2021.

SECOND QUARTER 2018

The Company's segment revenues for the second quarter were as follows (in thousands):





Three Months Ended June 30,







2018

2017

% Change E&P Technology & Services

$ 15,188

$ 33,882

(55)% Operations Optimization

9,555

12,119

(21)% Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies





 Total

$ 24,743

$ 46,001

(46)%

Within the E&P Technology & Services segment, multi-client revenues were $9.9 million, a decrease of 67%, with both new venture and data library revenues experiencing significant declines compared to the second quarter 2017. The decrease in multi-client revenues was partially due to a delay in a key bid round announcement. The delayed announcement resulted in many customers pushing their commitments to the Company's program to the second half of 2018. Imaging Services revenues were $5.3 million, a 28% increase, due to an increase in proprietary ocean bottom nodal imaging projects.

Within the Operations Optimization segment, Optimization Software & Services revenues were $4.8 million, an 8% increase from the second quarter 2017. The increase in Optimization Software & Services revenues was due to an increase in subscription-based software revenues and hardware sales of its Gator ocean bottom command and control software and from a positive impact due to changes in foreign currencies. Devices revenues were $4.8 million, a 38% decrease from the second quarter 2017. Devices continues to be impacted by reduced towed streamer seismic contractor activity, resulting in further declines in new system sales as well as repair and replacement revenues.

The Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies segment contributed no revenues during the second quarter.

Consolidated gross margin for the quarter was (6)%, compared to 34% in the second quarter 2017. Gross margin in E&P Technology & Services was (32)%, compared to 35% one year ago. The decrease in E&P Technology & Services gross margin was result of the decline in revenues. Operations Optimization gross margin was 52%, consistent with the second quarter 2017.

Consolidated operating expenses, as adjusted, were $18.5 million, down 4% from $19.2 million in the second quarter 2017. Operating margin, as adjusted, was (81)%, compared to (8)% in the second quarter 2017. The decline in operating margin was the result of the decrease in revenues.

YEAR-TO-DATE 2018

The Company's segment revenues for the first six months of the year were as follows (in thousands):





Six Months Ended June 30,







2018

2017

% Change E&P Technology & Services

$ 39,756

$ 57,192

(30)% Operations Optimization

18,495

21,365

(13)% Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies





 Total

$ 58,251

$ 78,557

(26)%

Within the E&P Technology & Services segment, multi-client revenues were $29.5 million, a decrease of 38%, with new venture revenues decreasing 19% and data library revenues decreasing 62% from the first six months of 2017. Imaging Services revenues were $10.2 million, a 3% increase. The change in revenues during the first six months is fairly consistent with the changes described in the aforementioned section.

Within the Operations Optimization segment, Optimization Software & Services revenues were $9.6 million, a 10% increase compared to the first six months of 2017. Devices revenues were $8.9 million, a 30% decrease from the first six months of 2017.

The Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies segment contributed no revenues during the first six months of the year.

Consolidated gross margin was 9%, compared to 28% in the first six months of 2017. Gross margin in E&P Technology & Services was (1)%, down from 28% in the first six months of 2017. The decrease in E&P Technology & Services gross margin was result of the decline in revenues. Operations Optimization gross margin was 50%, compared to 52% in the first six months of 2017.

Consolidated operating expenses, as adjusted, were $36.8 million, down 6% from $39.2 million in the first six months of 2017. Operating margin, as adjusted, was (54)%, compared to (22)% in the first six months of 2017. The decrease in operating margin was due to the decline in revenues.

CONFERENCE CALL

The Company has scheduled a conference call for Thursday, August 2, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time that will include a slide presentation to be posted in the Investor Relations section of the ION website by 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. To participate in the conference call, dial (877) 407-0672 at least 10 minutes before the call begins and ask for the ION conference call. A replay of the call will be available approximately two hours after the live broadcast ends and will be accessible until August 16, 2018. To access the replay, dial (877) 660-6853 and use pass code 13681609#.

Investors, analysts and the general public will also have the opportunity to listen to the conference call live over the Internet by visiting www.iongeo.com . An archive of the webcast will be available shortly after the call on the Company's website.

About ION

ION develops and leverages innovative technologies, creating value through data capture, analysis and optimization to enhance critical decision-making, enabling superior returns. For more information, visit iongeo.com .

Contact

Steve Bate

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

+1.281.552.3011

The information herein contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements may include information and other statements that are not of historical fact. Actual results may vary materially from those described in these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the risks associated with the timing and development of ION Geophysical Corporation's products and services; pricing pressure; decreased demand; changes in oil prices; and political, execution, regulatory, and currency risks. These risks and uncertainties also include risks associated with the WesternGeco litigation and other related proceedings. We cannot predict the outcome of this litigation or the related proceedings. For additional information regarding these various risks and uncertainties, including the WesternGeco litigation, see our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed on February 8, 2018. Additional risk factors, which could affect actual results, are disclosed by the Company in its fillings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its Form 10-K, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks filed during the year. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements.

Tables to follow

ION GEOPHYSICAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017 Service revenues $ 15,752



$ 34,454



$ 40,838



$ 58,282

Product revenues 8,991



11,547



17,413



20,275

Total net revenues 24,743



46,001



58,251



78,557

Cost of services 22,033



24,827



44,362



47,126

Cost of products 4,227



5,556



8,553



9,712

Gross profit (loss) (1,517)



15,618



5,336



21,719

Operating expenses:













Research, development and engineering 4,259



4,107



8,514



7,602

Marketing and sales 6,007



4,931



11,105



9,417

General, administrative and other operating expenses 10,736



10,152



20,876



22,184

Total operating expenses 21,002



19,190



40,495



39,203

Loss from operations (22,519)



(3,572)



(35,159)



(17,484)

Interest expense, net (2,911)



(4,241)



(6,747)



(8,705)

Other income (expense), net 84



192



(707)



(4,876)

Loss before income taxes (25,346)



(7,621)



(42,613)



(31,065)

Income tax expense 154



2,402



1,226



1,984

Net loss (25,500)



(10,023)



(43,839)



(33,049)

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest (366)



(418)



(453)



(734)

Net loss attributable to ION $ (25,866)



$ (10,441)



$ (44,292)



$ (33,783)

Net loss per share:













Basic $ (1.86)



$ (0.88)



$ (3.31)



$ (2.85)

Diluted $ (1.86)



$ (0.88)



$ (3.31)



$ (2.85)

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:













Basic 13,928



11,875



13,374



11,847

Diluted 13,928



11,875



13,374



11,847



ION GEOPHYSICAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands) (Unaudited)

ASSETS June 30,

2018

December 31,

2017 Current assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 44,349



$ 52,056

Accounts receivable, net 15,375



19,478

Unbilled receivables 15,046



37,304

Inventories 14,925



14,508

Prepaid expenses and other current assets 5,961



7,643

Total current assets 95,656



130,989

Deferred income tax asset 3,614



1,753

Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net 48,442



52,153

Multi-client data library, net 82,576



89,300

Goodwill 23,543



24,089

Intangible assets, net 1,082



1,666

Other assets 731



1,119

Total assets $ 255,644



$ 301,069

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY





Current liabilities:





Current maturities of long-term debt $ 459



$ 40,024

Accounts payable 26,173



24,951

Accrued expenses 28,936



38,697

Accrued multi-client data library royalties 27,988



27,035

Deferred revenue 8,402



8,910

Total current liabilities 91,958



139,617

Long-term debt, net of current maturities 117,159



116,720

Other long-term liabilities 12,606



13,926

Total liabilities 221,723



270,263

Equity:





Common stock 140



120

Additional paid-in capital 951,349



903,247

Accumulated deficit (899,213)



(854,921)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss (19,634)



(18,879)

Total stockholders' equity 32,642



29,567

Noncontrolling interest 1,279



1,239

Total equity 33,921



30,806

Total liabilities and equity $ 255,644



$ 301,069



ION GEOPHYSICAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands) (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017 Cash flows from operating activities:













Net loss $ (25,500)



$ (10,023)



$ (43,839)



$ (33,049)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash provided by operating activities:













Depreciation and amortization (other than multi-client data library) 2,255



4,353



4,778



9,030

Amortization of multi-client data library 9,764



12,675



19,557



21,933

Stock-based compensation expense 1,231



535



2,043



1,169

Accrual for loss contingency related to legal proceedings 











5,000

Deferred income taxes (1,749)



977



(1,866)



(932)

Change in operating assets and liabilities:













Accounts receivable 13,980



(2,681)



3,896



2,075

Unbilled receivables 3,094



(194)



24,013



(5,542)

Inventories (281)



714



(445)



440

Accounts payable, accrued expenses and accrued royalties (474)



(3,571)



(10,629)



(6,059)

Deferred revenue (2,826)



(1,672)



(445)



5,521

Other assets and liabilities (306)



537



2,733



3,905

Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities (812)



1,650



(204)



3,491

Cash flows from investing activities:













Cash invested in multi-client data library (4,542)



(5,119)



(13,782)



(8,482)

Purchase of property, plant, equipment and seismic rental assets (363)



(866)



(424)



(915)

Net cash used in investing activities (4,905)



(5,985)



(14,206)



(9,397)

Cash flows from financing activities:













Payments under revolving line of credit 







(10,000)





Payments on notes payable and long-term debt (555)



(1,451)



(29,699)



(3,157)

Net proceeds from issuance of stock 







47,219





Dividend payment to non-controlling interest (200)







(200)





Other financing activities (306)



(10)



(881)



(296)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (1,061)



(1,461)



6,439



(3,453)

Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 377



(578)



264



(169)

Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (6,401)



(6,374)



(7,707)



(9,528)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 51,113



50,279



52,419



53,433

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 44,712



$ 43,905



$ 44,712



$ 43,905



The following table is a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents to total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash:



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017 Cash and cash equivalents $ 44,349



$ 43,272



$ 44,349



$ 43,272

Restricted cash included in prepaid expenses and other current assets 60



330



60



330

Restricted cash included in other long-term assets 303



303



303



303

Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in statement of cash flows $ 44,712



$ 43,905



$ 44,712



$ 43,905



ION GEOPHYSICAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES SUMMARY OF SEGMENT INFORMATION (In thousands) (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017 Net revenues:













E&P Technology & Services:













New Venture $ 8,125



$ 19,986



$ 21,851



$ 26,935

Data Library 1,725



9,710



7,673



20,316

Total multi-client revenues 9,850



29,696



29,524



47,251

Imaging Services 5,338



4,186



10,232



9,941

Total 15,188



33,882



39,756



57,192

Operations Optimization:













Devices 4,761



7,679



8,919



12,669

Optimization Software & Services 4,794



4,440



9,576



8,696

Total 9,555



12,119



18,495



21,365

Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies 













Total $ 24,743



$ 46,001



$ 58,251



$ 78,557

Gross profit (loss):













E&P Technology & Services $ (4,856)



$ 11,921



$ (513)



$ 15,931

Operations Optimization 4,933



6,258



9,244



11,045

Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies (1,594)



(2,561)



(3,395)



(5,257)

Total $ (1,517)



$ 15,618



$ 5,336



$ 21,719

Gross margin:













E&P Technology & Services (32) %

35 %

(1) %

28 % Operations Optimization 52 %

52 %

50 %

52 % Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies  %

 %

 %

 % Total (6) %

34 %

9 %

28 % Income (loss) from operations:













E&P Technology & Services $ (10,206)



$ 6,353



$ (11,000)



$ 5,257

Operations Optimization 1,243



3,022



2,029



4,571

Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies (2,926)



(3,860)



(5,755)



(7,868)

Support and other (10,630)



(9,087)



(20,433)



(19,444)

Loss from operations (22,519)



(3,572)



(35,159)



(17,484)

Interest expense, net (2,911)



(4,241)



(6,747)



(8,705)

Other income (expense), net 84



192



(707)



(4,876)

Loss before income taxes $ (25,346)



$ (7,621)



$ (42,613)



$ (31,065)



ION GEOPHYSICAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Loss

(Non-GAAP Measure)

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

The term Adjusted EBITDA represents net loss before interest expense, interest income, income taxes, depreciation and amortization charges, and other charges including, without limitation, changes in the loss contingency reserve related to legal proceedings and stock appreciation rights expense. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles and should not be considered in isolation from or as a substitute for net income (loss) or cash flow measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or as a measure of profitability or liquidity. Additionally, Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. The Company has included Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental disclosure because its management believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides investors a helpful measure for comparing its operating performance with the performance of other companies that have different financing and capital structures or tax rates. Additionally, due to the recent increase in the Company's stock price and impact of reflecting its stock appreciation awards at their fair value, the Company is presenting Adjusted EBITDA, excluding the impact of stock appreciation awards, to assist in the comparability to its prior year results.



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017 Net loss $ (25,500)



$ (10,023)



$ (43,839)



$ (33,049)

Interest expense, net 2,911



4,241



6,747



8,705

Income tax expense 154



2,402



1,226



1,984

Depreciation and amortization expense 12,019



17,028



24,335



30,963

Accrual for loss contingency related to legal proceedings 











5,000

Stock appreciation rights expense 2,495







3,738





Adjusted EBITDA $ (7,921)



$ 13,648



$ (7,793)



$ 13,603



ION GEOPHYSICAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

Reconciliation of Special Items to Net Loss per Share

(Non-GAAP Measure)

(In thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

The financial results are reported in accordance with GAAP. However, management believes that certain non-GAAP performance measures may provide users of this financial information, additional meaningful comparisons between current results and results in prior operating periods. One such non-GAAP financial measure is adjusted income (loss) from operations or adjusted net income (loss), which excludes certain charges or amounts. This adjusted income (loss) amount is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP. Accordingly, it should not be considered as a substitute for income (loss) from operations, net income (loss) or other income data prepared in accordance with GAAP. See the tables below for supplemental financial data and the corresponding reconciliation to GAAP financials for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017:



Three Months Ended June 30, 2018

As Reported

Special

Items

As Adjusted Net revenues $ 24,743



$ 



$ 24,743

Cost of sales 26,260







26,260

Gross profit (loss) (1,517)







(1,517)

Operating expenses 21,002



(2,495)

(1) 18,507

Loss from operations (22,519)



2,495



(20,024)

Interest expense, net (2,911)







(2,911)

Other income, net 84







84

Income tax expense 154







154

Net loss (25,500)



2,495



(23,005)

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest (366)







(366)

Net loss attributable to ION $ (25,866)



$ 2,495



$ (23,371)

Net loss per share:









Basic $ (1.86)







$ (1.68)

Diluted $ (1.86)







$ (1.68)

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:









Basic 13,928







13,928

Diluted 13,928







13,928





Six Months Ended June 30, 2018

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017

As Reported

Special Items

As Adjusted

As Reported

Special

Items

As Adjusted Net revenues $ 58,251



$ 



$ 58,251



$ 78,557



$ 



$ 78,557

Cost of sales 52,915







52,915



56,838







56,838

Gross profit 5,336







5,336



21,719







21,719

Operating expenses 40,495



(3,738)

(1) 36,757



39,203







39,203

Loss from operations (35,159)



3,738



(31,421)



(17,484)







(17,484)

Interest expense, net (6,747)







(6,747)



(8,705)







(8,705)

Other income (expense), net (707)







(707)



(4,876)



5,000

(2) 124

Income tax expense 1,226







1,226



1,984







1,984

Net loss (43,839)



3,738



(40,101)



(33,049)



5,000



(28,049)

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest (453)







(453)



(734)







(734)

Net loss attributable to ION $ (44,292)



$ 3,738



$ (40,554)



$ (33,783)



$ 5,000



$ (28,783)

Net loss per share:





















Basic $ (3.31)







$ (3.03)



$ (2.85)







$ (2.43)

Diluted $ (3.31)







$ (3.03)



$ (2.85)







$ (2.43)

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:





















Basic 13,374







13,374



11,847







11,847

Diluted 13,374







13,374



11,847







11,847







(1) Represents stock appreciation right awards expense in the first and second quarters of 2018 (2) Represents an accrual related to the WesternGeco legal contingency during the first quarter 2017

SOURCE ION Geophysical Corporation

Related Links

http://www.iongeo.com

TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vascular Graft Solutions announces today that John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford, is the first center in the UK to use its VEST technology to externally support vein grafts in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery.

David P. Taggart, MD, PhD FRCS FESC, Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Oxford

"After several decades in which little progress had been made in coronary bypass surgery, we are now experiencing several exciting developments in the field," said Prof. David Taggart, Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery at Oxford University and consultant cardiac surgeon at the John Radcliffe Hospital. "Recent major trials have ended the long standing debate regarding the relevance of bypass surgery in the era of less invasive treatment options and concluded that bypass surgery remains the best treatment option for patients with severe coronary disease."

Prof. Taggart continues: "Performing state of the art bypass surgery and advancing clinical research is our commitment to patients. This means not only using the most advanced surgical techniques such as multi arterial grafting and off pump surgery, but also employing technologies that have the potential to substantially improve the quality and outcomes of surgery and to minimize patients' discomfort."

"I would like to thank the team in Oxford for their major contribution to the field of bypass surgery," said Dr. Eyal Orion, founder and CEO of Vascular Graft Solutions. "In the last seven years, the team at John Radcliffe hospital, under the direction of Prof. Taggart, led four major trials that evaluated our technology including the first in human trial in 2011. This partnership between surgeons, nurses, scientists and engineers is based on our mutual vision to develop new treatments with significant benefit to patients' lives. To date, VEST technology has being used successfully in thousands of patients globally. We are glad that it became available for patients in the UK and we are looking forward to working with Prof. Taggart and his team on our future projects."

About VGS

VGS is a privately held company based in Tel Aviv, Israel. The company develops novel solutions for cardiac and vascular surgeries. VEST is a novel external support for saphenous vein grafts in coronary bypass procedures. VEST is CE marked and was implanted successfully in more than 2,000 patients and is commercialized in several countries.

www.graftsolutions.com

Contact:

Rotem Katzenellenbogen

VP Business Development

[email protected]

+972-3-5499054

* Disclosure: Prof Taggart would emphasize that VGS have funded his research, provided travelling and speaking honoraria and has share options in VGS

SOURCE Vascular Grafts SolutionBATON ROUGE, La., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kean Miller LLP, one of the largest law firms along the I-10 corridor, is growing again, opening offices today in The Woodlands, Texas, and Lafayette, Louisiana, by combining with the energy-focused law firm Dupuis & Polozola.

This expansion builds on Kean Miller's Houston office opening in 2017 and strengthens the firm's portfolio of legal and business services to energy, oil & gas, and petrochemical industry clients.

The 10 lawyers with Dupuis & Polozola are experienced in all phases of upstream oil and gas exploration and production, handling transactional, regulatory, and litigation matters, as well as business and corporate, and real estate matters. The firm's clients include global exploration companies and small independents operating in Texas, Louisiana, Colorado, Kansas, North Dakota and New Mexico.

"Lafayette is the hub of the south Louisiana energy corridor, and The Woodlands continues to experience unprecedented growth in corporate headquarters," said Blane Clark, managing partner of Kean Miller. "Our two new offices strengthen our ability to offer strategic legal resources to our clients from east of New Orleans to the energy corridor of West Houston, and from the Gulf of Mexico to West Texas and beyond."

The firm now has more than 160 attorneys after the union with Dupuis & Polozola. Joining Kean Miller as equity partners are James H. "Jimmy" Dupuis Jr. in The Woodlands and Kyle P. Polozola in Lafayette. The Woodlands office is located at 8301 New Trails Drive, Suite 100. The Lafayette location is at 2020 W. Pinhook Road, Suite 303.

"Combining our law firms makes great sense. We share a commitment to knowing our clients' business inside and out, and to personalized client service," said Mr. Dupuis. "Our clients will benefit from Kean Miller's progressive approach and full-service offerings, and Kean Miller's clients now have access to a team of upstream oil and gas attorneys experienced in Texas, Louisiana, and other producing states."

Mr. Polozola said he looks forward to playing a part in the cooperative efforts of talented lawyers across Kean Miller's operations. "Our Lafayette office magnifies the existing firm presence across Louisiana and in Texas. With Kean Miller's regional presence and deep bench of talented lawyers, we are an even more dynamic force in the Bayou State."

Mr. Dupuis and Mr. Polozola, both experienced oil and gas and business attorneys, founded their firm in 2010. Mr. Dupuis earned his law degree from the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert School of Law; Mr. Polozola's law degree is from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.

About Kean Miller

With more than 160 attorneys in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Houston, and The Woodlands, Kean Miller is one of the largest full-service law firms in the region. Founded in 1983, the firm has a particular dedication to serving Fortune 500 companies with significant operations in the South, providing them with legal resources focused on growth.

Media Contacts:

Carolee Swallie

225-382-3465

[email protected]

Bill Kula, APR

Androvett Legal Media & Marketing

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Kean Miller LLPBOSTON, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- LogicManager is a finalist for the 2018 Mass Tech Leadership Awards in the Technology for a Better Tomorrow category.

The finalists were selected from hundreds of nominations that were judged by panels of industry leaders on July 18, 2018, at a gathering of Massachusetts business and technology executives in Boston's Seaport & Innovation District.

"Massachusetts is an innovation powerhouse. We develop and attract visionary leaders and cutting-edge companies that drive the growth of our economy," said MassTLC CEO Tom Hopcroft. "From cybersecurity and machine learning to consumer tech and connected products, the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Awards draws attention to the deep pool of talent, innovative spirit and determination that thrives in the region."

Enabling companies to protect their customers, stakeholders, and communities, and achieve their goals in a world of uncertainty is the core of LogicManager's mission. By reimagining risk management, LogicManager is turning the tide of seemingly endless corporate scandals that negatively impact all of us, preventing both organizations and individuals from reaching their full potential.

"In the era of the see-through economy, tragedies will inevitably happen, but tragedies are unforeseeable realities of life. Scandals, unlike tragedies, evoke the outrage they do because they're avoidable," said LogicManager CEO Steven Minsky. "LogicManager's innovative taxonomy technology gives people the power to see things they couldn't see before and do things they couldn't do before. This is how we build a better tomorrow together, for everyone."

Winners will be announced at the Mass Technology Leadership Awards Gala on October 3rd at Boston's Seaport World Trade Center. Details are available at https://www.masstlc.org/leadership-awards/.

About LogicManager Inc.

LogicManager believes performance is a result of effective enterprise risk management. LogicManager's ERM software empowers organizations to anticipate what's ahead, and improve business performance through good governance. LogicManager is the market leader in integrated risk management solutions. For more information about LogicManager, visit www.logicmanager.com.

Media Contact: Joshua Stowell: [email protected], (617) 530-1247

SOURCE LogicManager

Related Links

http://www.logicmanager.com

LANSING, Mich., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michigan Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement in response to the Michigan Supreme Court's ruling late last evening that the redistricting ballot proposal is eligible for the November General Election ballot:

"The Michigan Chamber is very disappointed with the State Supreme Court decision that the redistricting ballot proposal met the legal requirements to appear on the November General Election ballot," said Michigan Chamber President & CEO Rich Studley. "Unfortunately, Michiganders are now left to wonder what the rules are for future petition drives and ballot proposals."

"We accept the Court's decision and the Michigan Chamber will take no further legal action regarding this ballot proposal," said Jim Holcomb, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the Michigan Chamber.

SOURCE Michigan Chamber of Commerce

Related Links

http://www.michamber.com

Narrated by Jim Caviezel (The Passion of Christ, The Count of Monte Cristo), with original music by composer Joe Kraemer (Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Jack Reacher) and written and directed by Emmy Award-winner David Naglieri, the documentary dives deep into John Paul II's historic three-day trip to Ireland, September 29 to October 1, 1979, at a time when the country was a decade into the Troubles, a violent struggle between the IRA and British State Security forces over control of Northern Ireland. Remarkably, by the end of the short visit, a third of the entire population of Ireland had turned out to see the pope.

"When John Paul II arrived in Ireland, he confronted a giant tree of hate and terrorism that had been growing for a very long time," says Carl Anderson, executive producer of the film. "At Drogheda, he took an ax and cut at its roots. It would take some time for this poisonous tree to begin to wither, but eventually it would."

Inspirational and charismatic throughout the voyage, it is his words at Drogheda, a plea from the heart, that many believe helped to silently kick-start the process that would eventually end years of bloodshed and animosity with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, in 1998, some 19 years after his speech. The film explores how these words helped to decisively break the link between the IRA and Catholic Church in the eyes of many Protestants, and emboldened politicians and peace activists to search for an alternative to the violence.

"John Paul II understood the role of people power in any peace process," says Anderson. "He knew that his role was not to sit at the negotiating table and try to work out a deal. But if he could change enough hearts and minds, he could help ignite a process that would make a negotiating table possible, and bring leaders to it."

The film features interviews with many prominent political and social figures including, Seamus Mallon, Martin Mansergh, Rev. Harold Good, Lord David Alton and former IRA bomber Shane O'Doherty who recount the pivotal moments leading up to the Northern Ireland Peace Process. The documentary also unveils new archival evidence detailing the hidden role John Paul II played in serving as a catalyst to the secret talks between opposition leaders that laid the groundwork for peace.

Presented nationally by WTTW Chicago and distributed by National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), the documentary airs on public television in markets across the United States. For the complete schedule of airings, additional information or to view the trailer or purchase a DVD, visit jp2inireland.com.

Resources:

Homily delivered by John Paul II at Drogheda - http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1979/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19790929_irlanda-dublino-drogheda.html

For high res images, visit jp2inireland.com.

SOURCE Torchia Communications

Related Links

www.torchiacom.com

CHIASSO, Switzerland, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ODEM, creator of the world's first On-Demand Education Marketplace, is joining forces with the InternetBar.org Institute and leveraging blockchain technology to provide displaced populations with digitized educational records. Collaboration with the IBO will use cutting-edge cryptographic technology and ODEM systems to deliver blockchain-backed education certificates through mobile devices.



"Together we can use the security of blockchain technology to help the world's most-disadvantaged people," said Richard Maaghul, ODEM's Chief Executive Officer.

"It's really gratifying to be involved with the IBO on such an important project."

ODEM's database-service tools aim to help those in stateless communities, such as doctors, nurses, and teachers, by providing verified evidence of their professional qualifications. Re-establishing professional credentials is a first step toward helping these communities to regain self sufficiency. According to the UNHCR, almost 70 million people around the world are displaced.1

"Our platform is a component of next-generation systems which can benefit disenfranchised communities," said Scott M. Akers, ODEM's Blockchain Solutions Engineer. "This initiative demonstrates how emerging technologies, such as blockchain, can make a positive difference in the lives of people, regardless of their economic status."

ODEM is building the ODEM Platform to empower students to engage with top educators to create high-quality, reasonably priced educational programs. Unlike online education providers, ODEM focuses on real-time, in-person academic experiences. Powered by the ODEM Token, the platform streamlines the organization and delivery of educational offerings.

By partnering with IBO and deploying a decentralized education (DApp), ODEM aims to fill gaps in educational qualifications that occur when people are displaced by war, famine, or other calamities. Providing continuity in credentials can reduce the need for professionals to repeat costly and time-consuming exams to work in their chosen fields.



The non-profit InternetBar.org Institute recognizes that access to technology and new forms of identity can help vulnerable populations to begin rebuilding lives and communities. Individuals become positive forces for change. The IBO will introduce displaced populations to ODEM's educational marketplace to establish verified credentials. Armed with their digitized educational history, each displaced person has the potential to lead their community in the direction of positive social change.

For more information please see: ODEM.IO. Or join the ODEM conversation on Telegram.

For ODEM:

Alexa Narma,

Sr. Director, Product and Marketing

[email protected]

[email protected]

Tel: +1 (424) 327-5682

Via Balestra 6

6830 Chiasso, Switzerland

Join The ODEM.IO Conversation on Telegram.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/odem-io/

https://www.facebook.com/odemio/

https://twitter.com/ODEM_IO



For the IBO:

Jeffrey Aresty, President

[email protected]

Tel: +1 (508) 314-0916

Christy Leos, Director of Operations

[email protected]

Tel: +1 (281) 594-7824

1301 Fannin St #2440

Houston, Texas, USA

77002

1 http://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html

SOURCE ODEM

Related Links

https://odem.io

ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The IVD industry has struck back, so to speak, at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry this year. With laboratories sorting out expected reimbursement reductions due to PAMA legislation in the US and also various lab consolidations and cuts in Europe, in vitro diagnostic vendors doubled down on automated features in analyzers and data support that could make their analyzers and reagents first in a time of limitations. This was evident from the exhibits at the largest global meeting of IVD vendors and laboratories in Chicago this week.

"Productivity has long been a focus, but a new urgency was seen at Tuesday's Clinical Lab Expo, as evidenced by the following vendor demonstrations," said Bruce Carlson, Publisher of Kalorama Information, a market research firm focusing on the industry.

Among the lab productivity offerings at the meeting:

Roche Diagnostics used its media briefing Tuesday to highlight lab operation and new initiatives in the company's digital diagnostics portfolio to offer lab optimization and also to expand Roche beyond the lab into test ordering. In addition, a representative from a Chicago -area health network discussed how the laboratory had nearly eliminated MRSA in the organization while being cost-effective, by targeting testing using test-priority algorithms.





-area health network discussed how the laboratory had nearly eliminated MRSA in the organization while being cost-effective, by targeting testing using test-priority algorithms. For Raritan, N.J. - based, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, the focus at the meeting was on the avowed precision of their newly CE-marked Ortho VITROS XT 7600 Integrated System. The country will market the dry-slide system in Europe , the Middle East , Africa , Asia and Latin America . In a meeting with Kalorama Information, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics said the dry-slide limits interference and thus improves productivity by reducing re-runs, due to less interference from running water. In addition the new system has the ability to run tests that are frequently ordered for the same patient, using less blood and saving time and labor.





- based, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, the focus at the meeting was on the avowed precision of their newly CE-marked Ortho VITROS XT 7600 Integrated System. The country will market the dry-slide system in , the , , and . In a meeting with Kalorama Information, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics said the dry-slide limits interference and thus improves productivity by reducing re-runs, due to less interference from running water. In addition the new system has the ability to run tests that are frequently ordered for the same patient, using less blood and saving time and labor. Siemens Healthineers displayed three different configurations of its Atellica analyzer-with-automated-features solution, which was soft-launched at the meeting two years ago. Customers that have used the system gave talks about how productivity was enhanced in their laboratories. The company also demonstrated their products that deliver blood gas results in less than a minute and leverage artificial intelligence for improved PCR interpretation.

Influenza testing was a clear focus among vendors in the Clinical Expo. This was not surprising, given that the CDC said that 201718 influenza season was a high severity, A(H3N2)-predominant season.

Abbott prominently displayed the Alere i, which the company plans to change to IDNow according to its booth presentation at the meeting. Alere i drove the diagnostic division to high gains in Q1 of this year.





Sekisui launched CLIA Waived Silaris Influenza A&B Test for molecular diagnostic test utilizing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology providing highly accurate results for early diagnosis and proper management of influenza.





At the company's press conference, Roche Diagnostics North American head Jack Philips said that the company's Liat, a CLIA-waived small-footprint system offering flu testing, drove molecular test sale growth this year.

In other developments at the meeting:

First-Ever POC Certification: The AACC announced that it would create a certification for POC Testing Professionals, known as the CPP, or Certified Point of Care Testing Professional.





Glucose for Critical Care: Waltham, MA -based Nova Biomedical StatStrip Glucose Hospital Meter System has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for fingerstick testing with critically ill patients.





-based Nova Biomedical StatStrip Glucose Hospital Meter System has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for fingerstick testing with critically ill First All-in-One Clinical Analyzer with LC-MS/MS: Thermo Fisher presented the fully automated Thermo Scientific Cascadion SM Clinical Analyzer1, recently IVD CE-marked in Europe . It is the first all-in-one clinical analyzer with LC-MS/MS technology designed for use by non-experts in a variety of settings.





presented the fully automated Thermo Scientific Cascadion SM Clinical Analyzer1, recently IVD CE-marked in . It is the first all-in-one clinical analyzer with LC-MS/MS technology designed for use by non-experts in a variety of settings. New HbA1c Assay: Sekisui Diagnostics announced the FDA clearance of their SEKURE HbA1c assay.





New Immunohenotyping Cocktails - Beckman Coulter introduced the ClearLLab panel of reagents first reformulated, IVD antibody cocktails for L and L immunophenotyping in the clinical lab.





introduced the ClearLLab panel of reagents first reformulated, IVD antibody cocktails for L and L immunophenotyping in the clinical lab. New NAAT - GNA Biosciences presented its Pulse Controlled Amplification (PCA), a technology that accelerates nucleic acid amplificiation. Using PCA may lead to infected patients being discovered faster in non-traditional testing environments.





Warning on Ovulation Tests - Two out of three of the digital home ovulation tests sold by U.S. retailers do not accurately predict when a woman is ovulating, according to a team of researchers led by Sara Johnson , PhdD, of Swiss Precision Diagnostics in the UK. They presented at the scientific sessions at the meeting.

Kalorama Information is a leading market researcher publisher. Its report, The Worldwide Market for In Vitro Diagnostic Tests, 11th Edition, is slated to be released on August 27th.

About Kalorama Information

Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased through Kalorama's website and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com.

We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog on our company website: https://www.kaloramainformation.com/.

Press Contact:

Bruce Carlson

212 807 2262

[email protected]

SOURCE Kalorama InformationSAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mixpanel, the world's leading user analytics platform, today announced that its customer Rakuten Viber increased overall retention and time spent in-platform for its one billion global users, with an insights-driven product development approach.

Through its three-year partnership with Mixpanel, Viber, the cross-platform instant messaging and voice over IP (VoIP) application, continues to make experimental platform decisions to test, iterate, and improve the entire user experience. This user insights-driven product strategy improved overall platform messaging by 15 percent for its one billion users, a key factor in driving engaged conversations amongst individuals, as well as community members.

Through their partnership, the Viber team will continue to use behavioral insights in Mixpanel to build out the entire user journey and brand experience for its users.

"The companies that stay ahead of the curve are the ones that focus on delivering an outstanding and consistent experience across every user touchpoint including emails, ads, and customer service, as well as the app, website, and technology that make up a company's product. Rakuten Viber is a great example of how our customers are reinventing themselves from the inside-out with the power of data-driven insights," said Amir Movafaghi, CEO of Mixpanel.

Danny Odes, Mobile Product Manager at Viber, was a critical player in Viber's iterative redesign: "What keeps users coming back to Viber is the fact that it's a fun and seamless platform that keeps them feeling connected with their loved ones and favorite brands. I want to create products that help people make more meaningful connections, and I look to Mixpanel for quantitative evidence of where we need to improve the user experience so people can truly express themselves on our platform."

Research shows that messaging platforms are twenty percent larger than today's social networks and messenger apps are the ubiquitous way for people to stay connected around the world. In addition, these platforms are ripe environments for brands to apply unique strategies for users to connect with them in a more engaging and authentic way. For example, Viber is the official communication channel of FC Barcelona, and the instant messaging and calling app partner of the Golden State Warriors.

"With user analytics, Mixpanel has enabled Viber to fulfill its first order of business: cultivate a cross-platform environment that helps people connect with their loved ones around the world," said Danny Odes.

To learn more about how user insights are powering the Viber team, read the case study here: https://mixpanel.com/customers/viber-increased-messaging-one-billion-users/

For regular news and information about Mixpanel and the analytics industry, like and follow the company on:

About Mixpanel

Mixpanel helps teams and companies gain valuable business insights and build products and user experiences that people love, with its leading user behavior analytics solution. With almost 20,000 customers worldwide, and 30% of the Fortune 100, Mixpanel empowers all types of professionals, across product, marketing, analytics, UX, and engineering teams, to make smarter decisions, faster. Headquartered in San Francisco, Mixpanel has offices in New York, Seattle, Salt Lake City and London. Mixpanel's mission is to help the world learn from its data. For more information about Mixpanel, visit: www.mixpanel.com.

About Rakuten VIber

At Rakuten Viber, we connect people. No matter who they are, or where they are from. Our global user base has access to a range of features like one-on-one chats, video calls, group messaging, and updates and discussions with their favorite brands and celebrities. We ensure our users have a secure and free environment to share their emotions.

Rakuten Viber is part of Rakuten Inc., a world leader in e-commerce and financial services. It is the official communication channel of FC Barcelona, and the official instant messaging and calling app partner of the Golden State Warriors.

SOURCE Mixpanel, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mixpanel.com

Here are just some of the results we achieved with our network build this past quarter:

Upgraded thousands of macro sites to give customers our best network experience using all three of our spectrum bands (800 MHz, 1.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz).

to give customers our best network experience using all three of our spectrum bands (800 MHz, 1.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz). Expanded 2.5 GHz to nearly two-thirds of our macro sites , up from approximately half of our sites covered just a few quarters ago.

, up from approximately half of our sites covered just a few quarters ago. As of today, reached more than 15,000 small cells on-air with our combination of strand mounts and mini macros to expand our 2.5 GHz coverage and provide faster data speeds.

with our combination of strand mounts and mini macros to expand our 2.5 GHz coverage and provide faster data speeds. Deployed approximately 7,000 strand mount 2.5 GHz small cells on cable infrastructure in Q1. Since the quarter ended, our efforts have continued to accelerate, and today we have more than 10,000 strand mount small cells deployed. As a result, we're seeing significantly improved data performance in those places where we're able to reach a high enough density of strand mounts. For example, independent testing firm P3 found that Sprint now ranks #1 in data performance in Sag Harbor, New York , following a dense deployment across the area. 1 This is notable because we've been challenged in the past in Sag Harbor to get sufficient coverage density using other tools such as macro towers. Strand mounts, on the other hand, have proved to be a very versatile and timely coverage solution.

on cable infrastructure in Q1. Since the quarter ended, our efforts have continued to accelerate, and today we have more than 10,000 strand mount small cells deployed. As a result, we're seeing significantly improved data performance in those places where we're able to reach a high enough density of strand mounts. For example, independent testing firm P3 found that Sprint now ranks #1 in data performance in , following a dense deployment across the area. This is notable because we've been challenged in the past in to get sufficient coverage density using other tools such as macro towers. Strand mounts, on the other hand, have proved to be a very versatile and timely coverage solution. Distributed more than 65,000 award-winning 2.5 GHz Sprint Magic Boxes to improve indoor data speeds on average by 200%.2 To date we've distributed more than 260,000 Sprint Magic Boxes to businesses and homes in more than 200 cities. And we recently announced a new version designed specifically for the hospitality industry.

A Most Improved Network

As we deploy more 2.5 GHz, our download speeds have dramatically increased. And recent independent reports show a clear trend, that Sprint is the most improved network.

Speedtest Intelligence data from Ookla shows Sprint's 4G LTE network is the most improved network in the U.S. with national average download speeds up 30.9 percent year-over-year, more than any other national carrier. 3 Today Sprint is #1 for fastest average download speed in 100 cities  more than AT&T  and Sprint is the only carrier to improve year-over-year in the total number of city wins. 4

Today Sprint is #1 for fastest average download speed in 100 cities  more than AT&T  and Sprint is the only carrier to improve year-over-year in the total number of city wins. In the annual PCMag 2018 Fastest Mobile Networks report published recently, Sprint achieved an incredible 87% increase in national average download speed , jumping from 20.5 Mbps in 2017 to 38.4 Mbps in 2018. Our average and maximum download speeds increased year-over-year in 90% of test markets, and we clocked an impressive 35 Mbps or higher in five of the six regions. In addition we saw a 41% increase in national maximum download speed, up from 195 Mbps to 275.3 Mbps year-over-year. Furthermore, Sprint ranked #1 or #2 for fastest average download speed in 13 of the 30 markets tested:

, jumping from 20.5 Mbps in 2017 to 38.4 Mbps in 2018. Our average and maximum download speeds increased year-over-year in 90% of test markets, and we clocked an impressive 35 Mbps or higher in five of the six regions. In addition we saw a maximum download speed, up from 195 Mbps to 275.3 Mbps year-over-year. Furthermore, Sprint ranked #1 or #2 for fastest average download speed in 13 of the 30 markets tested: Sprint #1: Houston , Oklahoma City , Philadelphia , Seattle and St. Louis

, , , and

Sprint #2: Charlotte , Chicago , Dallas , Denver , Indianapolis , Las Vegas , Raleigh-Durham and Salt Lake City

More on the Way, Including Our First 5G Phone!

We've made great progress and we're committed to making our network even better for our customers. The Sprint Next-Gen Network build stems from our largest investment in years, and we're unleashing our spectrum assets to improve coverage, reliability and speed nationwide as we work to launch mobile 5G in the first half of 2019.

Massive MIMO is our award-winning strategy for 5G. This game-changing technology is capable of delivering up to 10 times the capacity of current LTE systems, significantly increasing data speeds for more customers in high-traffic locations. And because Sprint has so much 2.5 GHz spectrum, we can use Massive MIMO to deliver 4G LTE and 5G on the same radio simultaneously.

In our first quarter of FY18 we continued field testing and optimizing Massive MIMO radios in locations such as Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City. Some sites are now running commercial traffic and the initial performance results are very promising. Today we're seeing a more than 4X increase in speed on these sites, as well as increased coverage and cell edge performance.

When it comes to 5G, the network is only part of the equation. This is why we're excited to keep making progress on our first 5G smartphone and Always Connected PC. In the first half of 2019 we plan to launch mobile 5G in nine markets initially  Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. And we expect Sprint customers will be among the first in the world to have access to a beautifully designed 5G phone.

It's an exciting time to be in wireless with LTE networks rapidly advancing and 5G on the near horizon. You'll see us accelerate our build activity in the months ahead. More triband upgrades, more innovative small cells, and more game-changing Massive MIMO powering a Network Built for Unlimited.

These technologies and more all play a pivotal role in improving the network experience for our customers under any scenario. If Sprint proceeds as a standalone company, our investment helps us continue improving our 4G LTE Advanced network, and launch mobile 5G in the first half of next year. If the merger with T-Mobile is approved, our investment helps the combined company rapidly create the best nationwide mobile 5G network, fueling a wave of innovation and disruption throughout the marketplace.

-- John

Important investor information: https://newtmobile.com/

1 http://p3-networkanalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/20180726_Sprint_AuditReport_SagHarbor.pdf

2 Signal and speeds based on optimal conditions for most Sprint devices.

3 Based on analysis by Ookla of Speedtest Intelligence data for average download speeds from June 2017 to June 2018 for all mobile results. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.

4 Based on analysis by Ookla of Speedtest Intelligence data average download speeds in Q2 2017 and Q2 2018 for All Mobile Results where each top carrier had results of at least 100 tests within both Quarter periods. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.

SOURCE Sprint

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GREENVILLE, S.C., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX), a leading business process services company, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named its President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Polk to the 2018 list of Top 100 Executives. CRN's annual list recognizes leaders from the technology industry who have played an integral role in shaping today's IT channel, whether by driving huge cultural shifts, creating rich new opportunities or forging innovative routes to success. Within the list of 100 executives, Polk is named to the Most Influential category.

"I am honored to be recognized along with so many great channel leaders as part of CRN's Top 100 Executives list," said Dennis Polk, President and Chief Executive Officer, SYNNEX Corporation. "This recognition is a testament to our team's ability to execute on our core strategies and meet our partners' needs with competitive solutions and programs that enable our mutual success."

"Visionary and strategic leadership can make the difference between just surviving and actually excelling in this period of disruptive change for the IT channel," said Bob Skelley, CEO, The Channel Company. "In order for technology suppliers and solution providers to thrive and stay ahead of the competition, they need leaders who are able to envision both the future of the channel and the role their organization needs to play in order to create that reality. CRN's 2018 Top 100 Executives embody these qualities. They are change agents who deliver unwavering guidance to their companies, always asking where are we headed and not being afraid to take the necessary steps to get there."

The Top 100 Executives list will be featured in the August 2018 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/top100. To learn more about SYNNEX Corporation, visit www.synnexcorp.com.

About SYNNEX

SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX) is a Fortune 500 corporation and a leading business process services company, providing a comprehensive range of distribution, logistics and integration services for the technology industry and providing outsourced services focused on customer engagement strategy to a broad range of enterprises. SYNNEX distributes a broad range of information technology systems and products, and also provides systems design and integration solutions. Concentrix, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SYNNEX Corporation, offers a portfolio of strategic solutions and end-to-end business services around customer engagement strategy, process optimization, technology innovation, front and back-office automation and business transformation to clients in ten identified industry verticals. Founded in 1980, SYNNEX Corporation operates in numerous countries throughout North and South America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Additional information about SYNNEX may be found online at www.synnex.com.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this release that are forward-looking, such as general success of the collaboration, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance that may be suggested in this release. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release.

Copyright 2018 SYNNEX Corporation. All rights reserved. SYNNEX, the SYNNEX Logo, CONCENTRIX, and all other SYNNEX company, product and services names and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of SYNNEX Corporation. SYNNEX, the SYNNEX Logo and CONCENTRIX Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. Other names and marks are the property of their respective owners.

SNX-G

SOURCE SYNNEX Corporation

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AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tritium Partners, a leading growth-focused private equity firm, today announced a new investment platform to be led by Mark Parise, the former CEO of First Advantage and President of IRI. Mr. Parise joins the Tritium CEO PartnersTM program, which was established by Tritium's principals fifteen years ago to pursue investment strategies in partnership with proven, high-caliber executives. Under this program, Mr. Parise will head the new platform and will work closely with Tritium to prioritize investment opportunities in information services.

Mr. Parise is a seasoned executive with a proven track record of scaling information companies and creating significant equity value. Most recently, he was the CEO of First Advantage, a global leader in background-screening and compliance services for employers and property managers. Prior to First Advantage, Mr. Parise was the President of IRI, a global information and market research firm that provided business intelligence to consumer-packaged goods, retail, over-the-counter healthcare and media companies. Notably, at both First Advantage and IRI, he substantially grew the revenue of each business during his tenure while driving even greater EBITDA growth. Mr. Parise also served as President of Experian Marketing Services, where he led consumer-marketing information, technology, and analytics for major retailers and financial institutions.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Mark to invest in a platform focused on data-driven business intelligence solutions," said David Lack, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Tritium. "Mark's extensive expertise in information services will be incredibly valuable to founders and management teams looking for ways to further maximize their growth potential in both existing and new markets."

Throughout his career, Mr. Parise has successfully built global information platforms by understanding how to connect businesses to the most valuable information through sophisticated technology and business-service capabilities. Early in his career, while serving as a Vice President at Chase Manhattan Bank, where he was a founding executive of Chase Automotive Finance, Mr. Parise developed the concept and technology that would eventually become DealerTrack, one of the largest information systems for auto dealerships.

"I am excited to be a CEO Partner with the Tritium team as they share my deep passion for growing data and analytics companies," said Mr. Parise. "We plan to focus on investing in next-generation information companies that are solving complex-decisioning needs for businesses by providing actionable insights. Specifically, I am looking forward to working with other entrepreneurs who desire to partner with us to build a leading, high-growth information provider."

About Tritium Partners

Founded in 2013, Tritium Partners is a private equity firm focused on companies with exceptional growth potential. For over sixteen years, the founders of Tritium have deployed over $800 million of equity capital while partnering with talented founders and executives to build market-leading companies. Tritium's approach emphasizes creating long-term value through strategic growth initiatives and acquisitions, with a focus on Internet and information services, supply chain and logistics, and financial and business services. For more information, please visit www.tritiumpartners.com.

Contact:

Caroline Luz

Owen Blicksilver Public Relations, Inc.

203-656-2829

[email protected]

SOURCE Tritium Partners

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Breastfeeding is a career path for students through the UI&U Bachelor of Science in Maternal Child Health: Human Lactation and the Master of Arts in Health & Wellness: Lactation Studies Distance Degree Programs. Both programs have earned initial accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

Union offers one of the few human lactation degree programs in the country, providing students with a flexible, 100% online experience. A career in lactation is rewarding, with Payscale estimating salaries ranging from $29,537 to $85,546 annually.

"Our goal at Union is to provide our students with the skills and training necessary to build a solid foundation in order to make a difference in the lives of families around the globe as providers in the human lactation field," said Dr. Lisa H. Akers, Program Chair. "New this year is a partnership that complements the UI&U lactation career. In May, we joined with OhioHealth Mothers' Milk Bank to open a milk drop at the Cincinnati Academic Center. The drop provides a convenient location for lactating women to donate their milk. Union personnel processes the donor's milk and mails it to OhioHealth to be processed where it helps to save the lives of infants who are born premature, ill, or have life threatening conditions."

Union's mission is to transform lives and communities. A lactation career can transform your life and community. Click here to learn more.

About Union Institute & University

Union Institute & University is a non-profit, regionally accredited university specializing in providing quality higher education degrees for adults nationwide. Founded in 1964, Union's academic programs and services are the result of more than five decades of identifying and refining ways to structure and deliver education to meet the needs of adults. Distinguished as the pioneer in adult education, Union perfected the concepts now common in higher education such as the hybrid model, a blend of online and traditional classroom instruction, interdisciplinary studies, and student centered education with socially relevant and applicable learning outcomes in its undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs.

The university is guided by its core mission to educate highly motivated adults who seek academic programs to engage, enlighten, and empower them to pursue professional goals and a lifetime of learning, service, and social responsibility.

Union is a national university with academic centers located in: Ohio, Florida, and California.



For more information about Union Institute & University, visit www.myunion.edu or call 1- 800-861-6400.

SOURCE Union Institute & University

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Council for Online Education announced today that the University of Wisconsin-Extension successfully completed the UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review program, demonstrating consistent excellence throughout its online programs.

The UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Leadership Review program evaluates seven key aspects of online education programs using a rigorous review process and issues digital badges, in partnership with Credly, to qualifying colleges and universities to mark their achievement. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was the first to be recognized through the same review process in March.

"The University of Wisconsin-Extension Continuing Education, Outreach, and E-Learning has been both strategic and mission-driven in its approach to online initiatives, demonstrating entrepreneurship and also the necessary operational follow-through," said Ray Schroeder, lead reviewer and founding director of the National Council for Online Education, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Online Learning, University of Illinois-Springfield. "The success of Wisconsin-Extension's online efforts are all the more remarkable in light of the recent restructuring of the University of Wisconsin System, as well as the challenging fiscal environment for higher education in Wisconsin."

"Submitting detailed information on the entirety of our operations was a true team effort," said David Schejbal, Dean, Continuing Education, Outreach, and E-Learning at the University of Wisconsin-Extension. "We are honored to be recognized for excellence across the online enterprise at UW-Extension. As a founding member of UPCEA and one of the first institutions to complete the Hallmark Review process we could not be more pleased."

About UPCEA

UPCEA is the leading association for professional, continuing, and online education. For more than 100 years, UPCEA has served most of the leading public and private colleges and universities in North America. Founded in 1915, the association serves its members with innovative conferences and specialty seminars, research and benchmarking information, professional networking opportunities, and timely publications. Based in Washington, D.C., UPCEA also builds greater awareness of the vital link between contemporary learners and public policy issues. UPCEA launched the National Council for Online Education in 2017.

About the University of Wisconsin-Extension

UW-Extension works with the people of Wisconsin to solve their most pressing issues and uncover their most promising opportunities through hundreds of programs and initiatives statewide. Thanks to vital partnerships with the 26 UW campuses, county and tribal governments, and other public and private organizations, UW-Extension's wide-ranging initiatives impact 1.5 million people every year by providing access to university resources and engaging people in learning, wherever they live and work.

SOURCE University of Wisconsin-ExtensionBROOMFIELD, Colo., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Webroot, the Smarter Cybersecurity company, today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Webroot President and CEO Mike Potts to its 2018 list of Top 100 Executives. The annual list highlights the top CEOs and leaders in technology who have played an integral role in shaping today's IT channel.

Under Mike Potts' leadership, Webroot has achieved its seventeenth consecutive quarter of double-digit, year-over-year revenue growth. The company now serves more than 12,000 managed service providers (MSPs), and is the number one in endpoint protection for SMBs and MSPs, protecting more than 300,000 business worldwide.

Key Quotes:

Bob Skelley, CEO, The Channel Company

"Visionary and strategic leadership can make the difference between just surviving and actually excelling in this period of disruptive change for the IT channel. In order for technology suppliers and solution providers to thrive and stay ahead of the competition, they need leaders who are able to envision both the future of the channel and the role their organization needs to play in order to create that reality. CRN's 2018 Top 100 Executives embody these qualities. They are change agents who deliver unwavering guidance to their companies, always asking where are we headed and not being afraid to take the necessary steps to get there."

Mike Potts, President and CEO, Webroot

"I am honored to be recognized by The Channel Company, but this award really speaks to the efforts of the amazing team I work with every day. This is an exciting time at Webroot, and the IT channel is a key factor in our growth strategy. We have a strong network of MSPs who serve small- and medium-sized businesses today that we will only continue to strengthen in the future. This award both acknowledges and underscores our continued dedication to helping our partners and customers succeed."

Additional Resources:

For the full CRN Annual Top 100 Executives List, click here.

For additional information on Webroot, click here.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook

About Webroot

Webroot was the first to harness the cloud and artificial intelligence to protect businesses and individuals against cyber threats. We provide the number one security solution for managed service providers and small businesses, who rely on Webroot for endpoint protection, network protection, and security awareness training. Webroot BrightCloud Threat Intelligence Services are used by market leading companies like Cisco, F5 Networks, Citrix, Aruba, Palo Alto Networks, A10 Networks, and more. Leveraging the power of machine learning to protect millions of businesses and individuals, Webroot secures the connected world. Headquartered in Colorado, Webroot operates globally across North America, Europe, and Asia. Discover Smarter Cybersecurity solutions at webroot.com.

Social Media: Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook

2018 Webroot Inc. All rights reserved. Webroot, SecureAnywhere, Webroot SecureAnywhere, Webroot BrightCloud, BrightCloud, and Smarter Cybersecurity are trademarks or registered trademarks of Webroot Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

SOURCE Webroot

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"We began in 1986, one of just a handful of firms in town," says Whitten, a resident of Portland. "With each home we designed, I envisioned building a design team that could sustain and stay relevant through the years. Russ and Jessie are exemplary leaders within our studio, as well as the architecture community, and having them alongside me is truly a vision realized."

Tyson has served a significant role in the maturation of Whitten Architects over the last 10 years and has strategically contributed to its continued success. He is a graduate of the School of Architecture, Art & Design at Andrews University, where his beliefs in "real and lasting" architecture were formed. Tyson is also a member of the American Institute of Architects and on the board of the Portland Society for Architecture.

"Living and working in Maine has provided the opportunity to put my core design beliefs into practice: that a well-conceived home is first informed by careful evaluation and stewardship of its site," says Tyson. "It has been an honor to work with Rob. We're all excited about the future of our firm as it continues to evolve and provide an exceptional level of service to our clients."

Carroll is a licensed architect in Maine and an adjunct faculty member at University of Maine Augusta, and on the American Institute of Architects Maine Board of Directors. She earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture at Northeastern University where she was formally recognized with the highest Design Achievement Award for her graduate thesis work. Prior to joining Whitten, she worked as a designer at several Boston-based firms, where she became well versed in the world of architecture in an urban context. Carroll's experience includes serving as a project manager for a residential construction company in Cape Cod in Massachusetts. As project architect at Whitten Architects, Carroll was recently awarded the Merit Award for Excellence in Architecture by AIA Maine and nationally recognized with an Integrity Windows & Doors 2017 Red Diamond Achiever Award.

"Practicing in New England, a region native to me, has provided the opportunity to engage in client-focused, collaborative projects in a stunning environment I love," says Carroll. "As someone whose passion for architecture goes far beyond the walls of my office, I continue to be profoundly satisfied by the quality of work Whitten represents. As associate principal, I'm committed to upholding the firm's established excellence in architecture for years to come."

Over the last 30 years, Whitten has been designing thoughtfully considered homes in New England. With a focus exclusively on residential design, the firm has designed a range of project types from camps to cottages, modern homes to historic renovations. The Portland-based firm has won a number of awards over the years and has been nationally published in a variety of residential home design books and magazines. The design team collectively offers decades of hands-on residential design and construction experience, as well as a common ethos that a home should reflect its occupants, and its design should first develop from an appreciation for and an understanding of its context.

Media Contact:

Claire Jeffers

Director of Public Relations

[email protected]

About Whitten Architects:

Whitten Architects is an architectural firm based in Portland, Maine. Founded in 1986, the firm focuses exclusively on residential design, from camps to cottages, modern homes to historic renovations. The firm's work has won a number of awards over the years and has been nationally published in a variety of residential design books and magazines. For more information, please visit: www.whittenarchitects.com and follow the firm on Instagram: @whittenarchitects

SOURCE Whitten Architects

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Paris, Aug 1 : The French parliament rejected on Tuesday a pair of no-confidence motions brought against the government of President Emmanuel Macron in connection with a scandal involving his now-former bodyguard.

The first proposal, put forward by the conservative Republicans, garnered 143 votes in the National Assembly, fewer than half the 289 required to pass, while only 74 lawmakers supported the second motion, submitted by the Socialists, Communists and the leftist France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party, Efe reported.

Though the conservatives and the left abstained on each other's motions, even their combined total - 217 - would have fallen far short of the 289-vote threshhold.

The no-confidence motions were widely viewed as symbolic, given that Macron's centrist La Republique En Marche (The Republic On the Move) has an absolute majority in the assembly.

During the debate ahead of the votes, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe defended the Macron government's response to video footage published by Le Monde that showed presidential bodyguard Alexandre Benalla, 26, beating protesters at a 2018 May Day demonstration.

"The events of May 1 say nothing about the presidency of the republic," Philippe told lawmakers. "Attempts to blame the president serve no interest other than political ones."

Macron dismissed Benalla after Le Monde released the video.

The Benalla affair is one of the biggest political challenges to face Macron since he took office in May 2017.

A parliamentary inquiry into Benalla's actions is ongoing.Washington, Aug 1 : President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the 3D printing of plastic guns "doesn't seem to make much sense" after his administration reached a legal agreement with a group promoting this activity.

"I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!" said Trump in a Twitter post, referring to the National Rifle Association, the powerful US pro-gun organization and lobbying group, Efe reported.

The President provided no further details on the matter in his tweet, which comes one day after the 3D printing of plastic weaponry became legal in the US.

The Texas-based Defence Distributed organization announced its plans to once again publish on its Web site on Aug. 1 instruction manuals for pistols and rifles turned out on 3D printers after reaching a settlement in the matter with the federal government in June.

The agreement was the conclusion of a five-year legal battle in which the 2009-2017 government of former President Barack Obama argued before two federal judges, but the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, that the downloadable manuals for how to print plastic weapons violated firearms export laws.

However, in a sudden decision, the Trump administration reached an agreement in June with Defence Distributed to allow the group to once again provide the instruction manuals for printing 3D weapons on the Internet starting on August 1.

In addition, the agreement established that the manuals are approved for publication in any form and that the US government will pay $40,000 to cover the legal fees incurred by Cody Wilson, the founder of the group and the individual at the centre of the controversy.

On Monday, eight states and Washington DC filed suit to fight the settlement between the US government and Defense Distributed arguing that providing the downloadable plans online will allow criminals to acquire weapons without going through the standard sales, registration and background check procedures.Mexico City, Aug 1 : An Aeromexico plane carrying more than 100 people crashed in the north central Mexican state of Durango on Tuesday afternoon, injuring 85 with no deaths, authorities said.

"We confirm that there were no fatalities in the accident of flight AM2431," Durango Governor Jose Aispuro said via Twitter, Xinhua reported.

The Transportation Ministry said the Embraer aircraft had the accident at 4 p.m., "moments after taking off" from the airport in the state capital also called Durango.

The plane "was carrying 97 passengers and four crew members on board," Transportation Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said via Twitter.

The North-Central Airport Group (OMA), the agency that operates the airport, blamed poor weather conditions for the crash.

"The accident was caused, according to preliminary reports, by adverse weather conditions," the OMA said via Twitter.

Aispuro also blamed weather conditions, according to the daily Milenio.

"It was raining, there was a storm. I think they wanted to abort, but were not able to fall on the runway. It fell farther ahead where the paved runway ends and that caused the fire that seriously damaged the plane," Aispuro said.

Israel Solano Mejia, director of the city civil protection agency, told reporters "almost everyone walked away (from the accident) on their own."

Flight AM2431 was headed to Mexico City.

The airport has been closed while officials attend to the wreckage.Mexico City, Aug 1 : An Aeromexico plane carrying 101 people on board crashed minutes after taking off. At least 12 of the 85 persons injured are said to be critical, an official said.

The incident took place on Tuesday at the airport in Durango city. Confusion still persists on any fatalities, as well as regarding the number of injured, Efe news reported.

Emergency and security teams were at the crash site -- a vacant and arid area near Guadalupe Victoria Airport.

The latest figures were provided by the spokesman for the Durango state Health Secretariat, Fernando Ros. He told the media that 18 have been hospitalised of whom 12 are critical.

Durango Governor Jose Aispuro ruled out any fatalities on Twitter.

However, Mexican Communications and Transportation Secretary Gerardo Ruiz Esparza told reporters that he could only confirm 52 people to have survived the crash.

The aircraft, an Embraer 190, that was carrying 97 passengers and a crew of four, went down around 3.20 p.m., shortly after taking off on a flight to Mexico City, the Durango state government said.

The North-Central Airport Group (OMA), the agency that operates the airport, blamed poor weather conditions for the crash.

"It was raining, there was a storm. I think they wanted to abort, but were not able to fall on the runway. It fell farther ahead where the paved runway ends and that caused the fire that seriously damaged the plane," Aispuro said.

The airport has been closed while officials attend to the wreckage.New Delhi, Aug 1 : From winning the Miss Universe crown in 2000 to paving her way in Bollywood and now mentoring aspiring models for international beauty contests, Lara Dutta Bhupathi feels that, in India, people recognise models only after they win a crown internationally.

Lara is currently mentoring the candidates of Miss Diva, the winner of which will represent India at the Miss Universe pageant.

Citing the case of the reigning Miss World Manushi Chhillar, Lara told IANS: "Before her win, no one even knew anything about her. But when she won the title of Miss World 2017, everyone was like 'Oh my God', and started appreciating her."

According to the model-turned-actress, it is very important for people to know the candidates who are representing their country as it takes tremendous hard work to reach that position.

Lara, who was the second Indian after Sushmita Sen to win the Miss Universe crown, says that "India has been waiting far too long to bring the title back home".

"It has been 18 years since we have won the crown, now I want to pass on that crown to my successor. I was Miss Universe 2000, and since then, every year thousands of girls are undergoing a lot of pressure, hard work and training just to bring the title back. People should understand them and lend support to them," said the 40-year-old actress, who has been a part of the glamour world for almost two decades.

Also, to make people aware of what goes into the making of a beauty queen, Miss Diva Miss Universe is organising sub-contests in different cities.

Recalling her own modelling days and comparing them to the present day, Lara said: "Now everything has changed. Earlier, we had to do just a few photoshoots, but now there is social media which dictates everything. It's the social media that decides whether they accept a person or not, so now it has become tougher as girls have to do multi-tasking at each step."

While mentoring the girls, Lara is not just reliving her days, but also re-learning a lot.

"When I guide the girls, I never consider or look at myself as, 'Oh, I was the Miss Universe, I know everything'. To be honest, every day I am learning something new from these young girls. It is a give-and-take process. Be it in terms of outlook or the views, I am trying to understand these girls and their requirements," she added.

Lara finds herself "fortunate" to get an opportunity to mentor the models and prepare them for the Miss Universe contest as she feels there is no better person than her to train the girls as she has experienced it and knows what it really takes to be in that phase.

Asked about the negative social stereotyping associated with modelling, Lara, who is also a film producer, said: "Things are changing now; parents have become more liberal and are allowing their children to step into this field. And if there are still people who think that it is not a viable industry to be a part of, then I feel it is an outdated view.

"Every work comes with its own challenges, it depends on the person what choice to make and which path to follow. It is just that you have to be wise enough to decide. Also, now girls are breaking the stereotypical thinking, and are rewriting the rules."

"Today, women have more choices and have a bigger voice than earlier."

(Simran Sethi can be contacted at simran.s@ians.in)New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Rajya Sabha was on Wednesday adjourned till 12 noon minutes after it met for the day over BJP chief Amit Shah's remarks made in the House on Tuesday regarding the Assam NRC.

As soon as the House met, Congress members stood up to register their protest against Shah's remarks.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma asked Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu to expunge Shah's comments wherein he said "you did not have the courage, but we have it to implement the NRC".

Naidu said that he would look into it and would expunge any remarks that were found uncalled for.

He then said that since Shah could not complete his speech on Tuesday, he should be given a chance to resume his speech on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) of Assam.

The opposition members objected to it. Amid the noise, Naidu adjourned the House till 12 noon.Kabul, Aug 1 : Over 150 Islamic State (IS) terror group militants, including a senior leader, Mawlavi Habib Ur Rehman, surrendered to the Afghan forces, Khaama Press reported.

According to a statement by the Afghan Military, the IS leader and his 152 fighters surrendered in Jawzjan province late on Tuesday.

Rehman and other militants also handed over their weapons and military kits to the forces, it said.

The anti-government armed militant groups, including the IS, have not made any comments so far.

Although Jawzjan has been among the relatively calm provinces in north Afghanistan but the security situation there has seen deterioration.

The surrender comes as sporadic clashes are underway between the Taliban and the IS militants in some parts of the province.New Delhi, Aug 1 : Nearly 600 of Delhi's government schools are running headless -- some of them for the past six years -- according to an RTI reply, and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) blames the central governments neglectful attitude for this "serious issue".

According to the information sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, there are 918 posts of principals in 1,024 Delhi government schools. Some 106 schools don't have such posts. Out of 918 posts of principals, 595 are lying vacant, the reply revealed.

It said 768 vice principals are holding the charge of the head of the school "due to principals not physically working or some schools have(ing) no post of principal".

"As on July 12, 595 posts of principals are vacant out of 918," it said. And of 323 principals, 71 have been re-employed after their superannuation.

In most of the schools, the post is vacant for more than a year and some have not had principals for the past several years.

For example, in the Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya No. 2, in Madipur, the vice principal has been holding charge since December 2012.

Sarvodaya Co-ed Senior Secondary School in Jaidev Park and Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Samaipur have had no principals in the last four years.

Similarly, it has been more than three years since Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Subhash Nagar had a principal.

In Government Girls Senior Secondary School No 1, Tilak Nagar, the post has been vacant since June 2015.

The post of the principal has been vacant at Government Boys Senior Secondary School No. 1 in J.J. Colony Khyala and Government Co-ed Senior Secondary School at Ghogha since 2016.

Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya No.3 in Tilak Nagar, Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Shalimar Bagh and Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya (Ved Pandit Khushi Ram) in Nangal Thakran have not had principals for the last two years.

In some zones, the posts have been lying vacant in almost all the schools there for more than a year now. For example, of the 14 schools in Zone 28 (central Delhi), 13 are without principals. In Zone 3 (east Delhi), of the total 27 schools, 19 are without principals.

Similar is the situation in Zone 19 (southwest Delhi) where out of 17 schools, 12 are running without principals. In Zone 20 (southwest Delhi), out of 24 schools, 13 have no principals and in Zone 27 (central Delhi), of the total 25 schools, 12 are without principals.

This, despite the fact that education has been one of the priorities of the AAP government which allocated 26 per cent of its budgetary expenses for education in Delhi. But the recruitment of principals in Delhi government schools is done by the Union Public Service Commission.

The reforms undertaken by the Arvind Kejriwal government in the city have won non-partisan global praise.

Asked about the huge number of vacant principal posts, AAP leader Atishi Marlena said the recruitment is a matter of Services that is being currently looked after by the Lieutenant Governor -- the central government's representative on administrative affairs of the national capital.

"Lack of principals is a serious issue. The matter is out of our hands. We, in the past two-three years, have raised this point before the LG, who holds the charge of Services," Marlena, former advisor on education to the Delhi government, told IANS.

(Nivedita Singh can be contacted at nivedita.singh@ians.in)Sydney, Aug 1 : China will participate in multilateral naval exercises due to begin in August in Australia, despite tensions between the two countries, officials said here on Wednesday.

"China is expected to participate in a range of activities including passage exercises, inter-ship communications and replenishment activities and sea-training manoeuvres," the Australian Ministry of Defence was cited as saying by Efe news.

The ministry also clarified that "there are no plans for China to participate in live-fire activities" of these military drills, which they see as an "opportunity to engage with regional navies to encourage greater cooperation".

The military manoeuvres -- called Kakadu -- from August 30 to mid-September will bring together 27 nations as participants or observers off the coasts of the northern city of Darwin.

China is Australia's main trading partner despite bilateral tensions due to Canberra's criticism of the Chinese military presence in the South China Sea and suspicions of espionage and political interference by Beijing in Australian domestic affairs.

Australian defence in its statement reaffirmed its commitment towards "maintaining a long-term constructive relationship with China, founded on shared interests and mutual respect".New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday extended till September 28 the interim protection given to former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in the INX Media money laundering case.

Justice A.K. Pathak directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) not to take any coercive steps against Chidambaram till that date, when the case will come up for hearing again.

On July 25, the court granted interim protection to Chidambaram till August 1 directing him not to leave the country without its permission and to co-operate in the investigation.

The Court was hearing Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea in the case.

The ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are probing how Karti Chidambaram managed to get clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) when his father was in office.

Karti was arrested on February 28 by the CBI for allegedly taking money to facilitate the FIPB clearance to INX Media in 2007 when his father was the Union Finance Minister in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Later, Karti was granted bail.

Karti's chartered accountant S. Bhaskararaman was also arrested by the ED and he was later granted bail.Panaji, Aug 1 : The Goa government has not quantified the financial impact of the closure of the state's mining industry following a ban by the Supreme Court in February this year, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Goa Assembly on Wednesday.

"So far, the exact financial impact of mining industry closure on the State's revenue is not quantified, as the same depends upon the rate of mineral at given month as declared by Indian Bureau of Mines, a department under Ministry of Mines, Government of India," Parrikar said in a written reply tabled during the ongoing monsoon session of the assembly.

Parrikar also said, that the state government was making all efforts to ensure early resumption of mining in Goa.

The mining issue has been hanging fire in Goa, ever since the apex court banned extraction and transportation of iron ore from 88 mining leases from March, while also directing the state to re-issue mining leases.

This is the second time in less than a decade that all mining in the state has come to standstill.

The Goa Chief Minister is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this month, in a bid to resolve the crisis and restart mining in the coastal state.Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 1 : K. Anvar Sadath, vice chairman and executive director of Kerala Infrastructure and Technology For Education (KITE), has become the first Indian to receive The International Contributions Award.

Sadath heads the implementation of Kerala Hi-tech School project which has almost converted 45,000 class rooms of Classes 8 to 12 to hi-tech ones, besides empowering all teachers to handle the pedagogy-based class room transactions that connect 15,000 schools.

"This honor is in recognition of Sadath's outstanding and continuous contributions to the field of educational communications and technology in the international setting," said Hsin-Te (Chuck) Yeh, Professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He is also the award co-ordinator of International Division of AECT.

The award is constituted by The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) headquartered at Bloomington, US.

The AECT is the premier professional association for instructional design and educational technology.

The organisation works to provide international leadership by promoting scholarship and best practices in the creation, use and management of technologies for effective teaching and learning.

"The award will be given in the US in October and I am delighted that I have been chosen," Sadath said.Agartala, Aug 1 : Different tribal-based political parties in Tripura, including the ruling BJP's junior partner Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), are demanding a NRC in the state.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, however, said that everyone in the border state had valid documents and there was no demand for a National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Besides IPFT, the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and the National Conference of Tripura (NCT), all tribal-based political parties, have undertaken protests demanding a citizen's register on the lines of the NRC in Assam.

"We had earlier organised rallies in Tripura demanding initiation of NRC in the state. On August 23 the IPFT will hold a mega rally in (the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council headquarters) Khumulwng," IPFT Vice-President Ananta Debbarma told the media on Wednesday.

The IPFT, which has eight members in the 60-member Tripura Assembly, has two ministers in the 9-member council of ministry headed by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.

He said NRC was necessary for the protection of the indigenous tribals and genuine citizens of India.

INPT General Secretary Jagadhish Debbarma told the media on Wednesday that a sit-in-demonstration was planned last month but the Bharatiya-Janata Party (BJP)-IPFT alliance government did not give permission for the protest.

"We have filed a case in the Tripura High Court against the Tripura government's rejection of permission for holding the demonstration," the INPT leader said.

NCT General Secretary Animesh Debbarma said: "His party is also strongly demanding commencement of NRC in Tripura involving all stakeholders, not unilaterally. Politics on NRC must be stopped. We should protect our future generations."

The INPT, IPFT and NCT have also been demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, which is currently under review by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), headed by BJP MP Rajendra Agrawal.

The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in July 2016 to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955.

It seeks to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for citizenship and relax requirements of naturalisation for them.

These parties are also demanding introduction of an innerline permit to protect indigenous tribals, restoration of alienated tribal lands and inclusion of tribals' Kokborok language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

According to media reports, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said everyone in the Tripura had valid papers and there was no demand for a citizen's register on the lines of the NRC in Assam.

Deb, also the Tripura Pradesh President of BJP, expressed confidence that Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal would be able to handle the situation after the final draft of NRC was published on July 30.

Deb, who visited Nagpur on Tuesday and met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, said: "Everything is in order in Tripura and everyone has valid papers. Hence, it is not an issue in Tripura."New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday saw repeated disruptions over the Assam NRC issue and was adjourned for the day amid a ruckus in the post lunch session.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was scheduled to reply to the discussion on the issue, could not do so for the second day in a row.

As the House met, Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu asked BJP President Amit Shah to resume his speech on the discussion on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) of Assam that he could not complete on Tuesday due to pandemonium.

At this, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sukhendu Shekhar Roy raised a point of order and said that as per the rules of conduct of the upper House, a member cannot speak twice on the same issue if he fails to complete his speech in the first instance.

Congress MPs too supported Roy.

However, Chairman Naidu said he had given Shah permission to speak and asked him to continue.

As soon as Shah stood up to speak, TMC members tropped near the Chairman's podium and started shouting slogans asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come in the House and make a statement on the issue.

"Are we at the mercy of one party?... This is unbecoming of Parliament members," Naidu said as he requested the agitating MPs to go back to their seats.

Meanwhile, Amit Shah requested the Chair over the din to go ahead with the reply by the Home Minister and voluntarily sat down.

On Tuesday, Shah's remarks that the earlier governments did not have the courage to implement the Assam Accord signed in 1985 had disrupted the House proceedings.

Naidu called Rajnath Singh to give the reply and asked the members to restore order in the House. However, as the sloganeering continued, the Home Minister tabled his reply in the House amid the din.

Naidu then adjourned the House for the day.Mumbai, Aug 1 : Actor Vivek Anand Oberoi has urged everyone to not do the 'Kiki challenge' as it can claim innocent lives.

The 'Kiki challenge' shows a video of people inspired by rapper Drake's number "In my feelings", stepping out of moving cars and dancing.

"The video I had shared earlier turned out to be fake, but what was shown in it is what everyone doing the 'Kiki Challenge' is prone to. Please refrain from doing this horrible challenge that can take innocent lives, think about the ones who love you, your life is precious! Say no to Kiki," Vivek tweeted.

The daring challenge even has the police on high alert as they sent out worried tweets and advisories.

The Uttar Pradesh, police sent out a tweet on Monday: "Dear Parents, whether Kiki loves your child or not, we are sure you do! So please stand by your kids in all the challenges in life except Kiki challenge."Mumbai, Aug 1 : India's rich design history will be reflected in Saffronart's annual design sale as 59 lots of furniture from across the country will be up for grabs in an online auction.

The announcement was made by Saffronart, a leading player in art market, which said that the sale will take place on August 8 and 9.

Saffronart said that in the wake of UNESCO's recent addition of Mumbai's Art Deco buildings to the World Heritage List, the Art Deco style is highlighted through carefully selected cabinets, tables, and seating.

Brought to India in the early 20th century through influential royal families and trade merchants, the Art Deco aesthetic influenced not just the architectural facade of Mumbai, but its interiors as well.

Also featured in the sale are chairs, tables and desks that heralded the arrival of modernist architecture in post-Independent India.

Their iconic style, rooted in attention to functionality and comfort, provides an interesting contrast to the intricately carved furniture from Ahmedabad that is also included in The Design Sale.

The lots on offer are attractively priced, with estimates ranging from INR 15,000 - 6.3 lakhs.

The highest value lot in this sale is an intricately Carved Davenport Desk, attributed to the Ahmedabad Wood Carving Company.

Estimated at INR 5.3 - 6.3 lakhs, it represents Gujarat's rich tradition of woodworking, seen in the local architecture and furniture.

This decorative tradition became popular in the international market through the pioneering efforts of American furniture designer Lockwood de Forest, who set up the Ahmedabad Wood Carving Company in the late 19th century, combining local craftsmanship with his unique design aesthetic.

The auction will take place on saffronart.com, and is open for viewings at the Saffronart gallery in Mumbai.

Founded in 2000 by Minal and Dinesh Vazirani, Saffronart is a leading international auction house with deep Indian roots.Melbourne, Aug 1 : A Melbourne court on Wednesday committed a Bangladeshi student to stand trial in the Supreme Court during a brief hearing.

Momena Shoma, 24, appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court in connection with the stabbing of her landlord Roger Singaravelu, 54, in the neck on February 9 while he was sleeping alongside his young daughter.

Singaravelu and his wife also attended the hearing, Efe news reported.

Shoma was charged with attempted murder and engaging in an act of terrorism, according to local media reports. The magistrate entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf.

Singaravelu was hosting the Bangladeshi woman at his home as part of a university homestay programme.

Investigations into the incident allegedly revealed that Shoma was trying to carry out an Islamic State terror group-inspired attack.

Australian police have charged 85 people with terrorism offences since the country raised the security alert on September 12, 2014.

In November, the Australian authorities arrested a man who was allegedly planning to shoot at people coming to Federation Square in downtown in Melbourne for New Year celebrations.

In 2014, Iranian national Man Haron Monis laid siege to a cafe in Sydney for 17 hours, in which two were killed.Washington, Aug 1 : A US federal judge has blocked the public availability of blueprints that provide instructions for making guns using 3-D printers, just hours before the documents were expected to be published online by a Texas group that had reached an agreement with the Donald Trump administration to do so.

US District Court Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle granted a temporary restraining order on Tuesday night barring a trove of downloadable information about creating the do-it-yourself weapons, according to the Washington Post.

The Defence Distributed group had reached a settlement with the Trump administration in June to allow it to legally publish the plans. But eight states and the District of Columbia sued the government earlier this week to block the deal, arguing the untraceable guns were a safety risk.

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Tuesday also issued a cease-and-desist order against the man who was scheduled to post them online.

The judge said that the publication of the manuals by Texas-based Defence Distributed creates "the probability of irreparable harm". He scheduled another hearing for August 10.

Although Defence Distributed had been expected to publish the blueprints on Wednesday, it uploaded files for nine types of gun to its website last week. Between Friday and Sunday, more than 1,000 people downloaded the files for building a gun apparently modelled on the AR-15 rifle -- the gun used in many of the mass shootings in the US.

The lawsuit was filed in Seattle, Washington, by the state's Attorney General Bob Ferguson. New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland in addition to the District of Columbia were also involved.

Earlier on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said that the 3D printing of plastic guns "doesn't seem to make much sense" after his administration reached the legal agreement with the group promoting the activity.

"I am looking into 3-D Plastic guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!" said Trump in a Twitter post, referring to the National Rifle Association, the powerful US pro-gun organization and lobbying group.

The battle over the blueprints started in 2013, when Defence Distributed's founder Cody Wilson made the first fully 3-D-printed pistol and posted the design files online. The federal government alleged that violated federal law. Uploading the files, it argued, was tantamount to an illegal export of firearms.

Wilson sued, and the federal government shocked all involved by reversing its position last month. It settled with Wilson, agreeing to pay $40,000 in legal fees and exempting the company from the regulations, allowing it to post the blueprints online.

But Judge Lasnik found the government didn't follow procedure when agreeing to the settlement.

Speaking outside the court, the Washington Attorney General called the judge's decision a "complete, total victory".

"Everything we asked for we got from Judge Lasnik," he said, and called on Trump to make it "unlawful for anyone to make this information available for anyone".Mumbai, Aug 1 : The domestic equity indices retreated from their record levels on Wednesday to settle in the red after the Reserve Bank of India increased its key lending rate.

The RBI has raised its key benchmark lending rate by 25 basis point to 6.5 per cent in its third monetary policy review of 2018-19.

Besides the RBI rate hike, a decline in the manufacturing sector macro-economic data -- Nikkei India Manufacturing PMI -- also dampened investors' sentiments.

According to market analysts, heavy selling pressure was witnessed in auto and banking stocks.

At 3.30 p.m., the wider Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange provisionally closed at 11,346.20 points, lower by 10.30 or 0.09 per cent from its previous close. It had touched an all-time high of 11,390.55 points earlier in the day.

The barometer S&P BSE Sensex which had opened at 37,643.87 points, closed at 37,521.62 points, lower by 84.96 points or 0.23 per cent from its previous close of 37,606.58 points. It touched a fresh intra-day high of 37,711.87 points and a low of 37,432.91 points.

The top gainers on the BSE were Coal India, Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharma, ITC and Power Grid while Vedanta, Maruti Suzuki, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank and Tata Steel lost the most.Seoul, Aug 1 : The UN Command, led by the US Army, on Wednesday held a solemn repatriation ceremony for the remains of 55 American soldiers who died in the 1950-53 Korean War.

The ceremony took place at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 70 km south of Seoul, five days after Pyongyang allowed a US aircraft to carry back the remains from Wonsan in North Korea to South Korea, in a move expected to facilitate ongoing efforts to promote peace on the peninsula, Yonhap news agency said.

The repatriation was part of the June summit agreement between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which also included seeking to build "new" ties, fostering a "lasting and stable" peace regime and pursuing the complete denuclearization of the peninsula.

"The Korean War fallen have never been forgotten by the US nor the 16 other states that comprise the UN Command. UNC never leaves troops behind, living or deceased, and will continue the mission of repatriation until every Service Member returns home," the UNC said in a statement.

Around 500 people took part in the ceremony, including UNC Commander Vincent Brooks, US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris and South Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo.

After the ceremony, the remains would be taken to the headquarters of Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency in Hawaii for identification.

Since 1990, the remains of 629 US soldiers, who died in North Korea, were returned to their families, according to the UNC.

More than 36,000 US military personnel died in the Korean War and nearly 7,000 disappeared, out of which 5,300 are believed to have gone missing at the 38th Parallel North.

North Korea said it hopes that this gesture would help convince the US of the need for an imminent peace treaty to replace the armistice, which had ended the Korean War.

However, Washington has not yet committed fully to the peace treaty, maintaining that Pyongyang needs to take more concrete actions to show its commitment to the denuclearization of the regime as agreed during the Singapore summit.Kolkata, Aug 1 : Expressing concern over Kolkata's "deteriorating" condition, hospitality major EIH Ltd's Executive Chairman P.R.S. Oberoi on Wednesday said "no real development" was taking place in the city.

"No real development is taking place, I feel sad to see the city's deteriorating condition," said Oberoi, who was here to attend the company's 68th Annual General Meeting.

Oberoi also said he had written a letter to Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee some months back regarding clearing the pavements along the entire Chowringhee area where the company's hotel is located.

"I wrote a letter to Mayor but there is no response," he told reporters.

Applauding the state for having good roads leading to the city airport, he hoped things would improve in the future.

The hospitality major would add 50 rooms at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore in its hotel in the city, he added.Chandigarh, Aug 1 : With thousands of "Kanwariyas" likely to enter the state during the current Hindu lunar month of Shravan, Haryana Police have made adequate security arrangements for a smooth conduct of the "Kanwar Mela", a senior police officer said on Wednesday.

Kanwariyas -- the devotees of Lord Shiva -- fetch holy water of the Ganges from Gomukh-Gangotri and Haridwar and carry on foot to the deity's temples in their respective villages and towns.

The Kanwar Mela began on July 28 and will continue up to August 9.

Haryana Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Mohammed Akil said on Wednesday that all Commissioners of Police and district Superintendents of Police have been directed to ensure smooth Kanwar Yatra by making elaborate arrangements for maintaining law and order as well as smooth traffic in their respective areas.

"The officers have also been instructed to make available additional forces in the districts. They have been asked to make all kinds of arrangements so that Kanwariyas do not face any inconvenience," Akil said.

He said that a meeting was also held with the officers of Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand to ensure proper coordination for the movement of Kanwariyas.

"Elaborate arrangements have also been made to segregate the movement of Kanwariyas and other road users so as to minimize inconvenience to the general public as well as the devotees."

Akil said that apart from keeping a watch on anti-social elements, the police would also plan alternate routes for traffic diversion, if required.

"Senior police officers of Gurugram, Faridabad, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Rohtak, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Mewat and Palwal have been asked to put extra emphasis on the security and traffic arrangements during the Yatra," he added.Jordan: car factory to be set up in Aqaba Exports to EU expected to reach USD 6bln annually after 2021

(ANSAmed) - AMMAN, AUGUST 1 - Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) has signed an agreement to set up factory to produce vehicles for the European market in a project worth JD 450 million (USD634.25).



Production is expected to begin by 2021 to ultimately reach an objective of 50,000 vehicles a year, mounting to USD 6 billion, according to Nasser al Shreidha, chairman of ASEZA.



The project is expected to create thousands of jobs and help attract other capital to Jordan as it seeks to pull itself from its current economic doldrums. But it remains to be seen if the workforce will be from the country or imported from Asian nations who cost less, according to observers from the labour union.



Aqaba port city represents Jordan's only gate to the Red Sea, while ASEZA has been working to attract more investment in the rapidly developing free zone, seeking to take advantage of the location and political stability of the kingdom in a troubled region.



Jordanian authorities have turned Aqaba into a special economic zone to stimulate its stagnant economy and serve as a hub of import to neighboring countries such as Iraq. The port city is expected to attract about $25 billion in investment by 2025 including high end tourism projects as well as a reliable port for reconstruction of war torn countries including Iraq and possibly Syria. (ANSAmed).



New Delhi, Aug 1 : Huawei's sub-brand Honor on Wednesday announced that upcoming "Honor Play" will feature Huawei's flagship Kirin 970 processor with built-in Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities.

"Kirin 970" processor is a new generation of hyper-fast mobile chip with a "Neural Processing Unit" (NPU) -- a microprocessor that specialises in the acceleration of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms.

"Kirin 970" is the world's first chipset to have on-board AI capability, making it a secure and safe chipset, as it does not transfer data over the Internet which may risk privacy, the company said in a statement.

The NPU of the processor comes with an AI camera that can detect 22 different scenes from 500 different scenarios for superior picture quality, consuming only 2 per cent battery.

The Chinese tech major introduced its flagship "Kirin 970" with an eight-core CPU and a new generation 12-core Graphics Procseeing Unit (GPU) in September last year.

The gaming-centric Honor "Play" will be available for purchase from August 6 on Amazon.Bengaluru, Aug 1 : The Karnataka government on Wednesday rolled out 16 mobile health clinics to provide medical services at the doorsteps of tribals dwelling in forest areas across the southern state, official sources said.

"These 16 mobile clinics cost Rs 50 lakh each and will cater to forest-dwelling persons from Jenu Kurubas, Koragas and other tribes," an official statement said.

Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge launched the mobile clinics at the Secretariat here.

Each mobile clinic will have doctors, nurses, pharmacist, laboratory technician, and junior health assistant.

"Each mobile clinic vehicle will daily visit two villages each in morning and afternoon hours. Apart from examination of patients and providing them medicines, the team will spread awareness on healthcare issues," said Kharge.

Patients requiring specialised treatment will be shifted to the nearest hospitals, the Minister said.

"The clinics will also be equipped with GPS and digital patient record system, and enable expansion of public health network in the state," added Kharge.

In the first phase, eight mobile clinic teams will visit Somawarpet, Virajpet and Madikeri taluks (sub-districts) of Kodagu district, Periyapatna, H.D. Kote and Hunsur taluks of Mysuru district, and Kollegal, Yellandur and Gundlupet taluks of Chamarajanagar district.

In the second phase, eight more teams will take care of Bantwal and Puttur taluks of Dakshina Kannada district, Kundapur and Udupi taluks of Udupi district, Shikaripura taluk of Shivamogga district, and Haliyal taluk of Uttara Kannada district.Kolkata, Aug 1 : Amid reports of fraudulent withdrawals from bank accounts in Kolkata, a Canara Bank official on Wednesday said they have identified 37 customers who are victims of such criminal acts.

The official said the total amount involved in the fraud was more than Rs 9 lakh at a branch here but promised that the bank will refund the lost amounts of the affected customers within a week.

"So far, 37 customers in our branch have complained of fraudulent withdrawals from their saving accounts. The total amount of fraudulent withdrawal is more than Rs 9 lakh," the manager of Canara Bank's Gariahat branch in South Kolkata said.

"We are updating the pass books of all our customers. We are taking written applications from those who have been victimised by the bank fraud. We are also asking them to fill up a bank insurance form. We take the responsibility of their savings in our banks. We ensure our customers get the amount they have lost within the next seven days," the bank official said.

Meanwhile, several customers in five other branches of Canara Bank in the city alleged that similar unauthorised transactions have happened in their accounts and lodged police complaints.

The incident apparently involving a large scale bank fraud came to light earlier this week after more than 30 people approached the city police with complaints that amounts ranging from Rs 4,000 to Rs 40,000 have been debited from their bank accounts, fuelling suspicion that they had fallen victim to skimming devices planted on some ATM machines in the city.

Police said they have received a large number of complaints at some police stations in the southern parts of the city and are probing whether it is a case of hacking of the bank's server machine.

"We received close to 50 complaints regarding fraudulent withdrawal of money from bank accounts. It needs to be identified whether all the people who lost their money used ATMs. We are also talking to the Canara Bank authorities to check whether their main server was hacked," a senior officer of Kolkata Police added.New Delhi, Aug 1 : Accusing the opposition of evading a debate on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue in Assam, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) on Wednesday asked the Congress to clarify its stand on the issue.

"What are Congress and TMC afraid of and why are they escaping discussion? Why they don't want to hear the response? They are deliberately disrupting the Rajya Sabha to avoid a debate on NRC," Union HRD minister Prakash Javdekar said in a media briefing.

Earlier in the day, BJP President Amit Shah who was scheduled to continue with his speech in Rajya Sabha was unable to complete it due to a ruckus created by the opposition members over NRC.

Javdekar also hit out at former Congress President Sonia Gandhi saying that she should clear her stand on NRC as it was started by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

"NRC is the medium of identifying illegal migrants and this was started off by Rajiv Gandhi in 1984 and now Congress wants to save them. Even Indira Gandhi had earlier said that the illegal migrants should go back to Bangladesh," he added.New Delhi, Aug 1 : Chinese tech conglomerate Huawei surpassed Apple to become the second largest smartphone brand worldwide in the second quarter of 2018 as South Korean giant Samsung continued to be the global leader, multiple analysts said on Wednesday.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), Huawei delivered shipments of 54.2 million units to move into the second position with a record high market share of 15.8 per cent while Apple came third with 12.1 per cent market share, shipping 41.3 million iPhones in Q2 2018.

Samsung maintained a comfortable lead with 20.9 per cent shipping 71.5 per cent units in the second quarter, despite a 10.4 per cent decline in shipments from last year.

According to Allen Wang, Director, Product Centre, Huawei Consumer Business Group, India, the company has gone from strength to strength to create new benchmarks of innovation, offering an unparalleled experience to our consumers.

"We centred our efforts on product innovation, mobile services, channel transformation, and customer service to continually enhance user experience and reinforce our foundations as a premium global brand," Wang told IANS after the quarterly results were out.

"Our continued investment in R&D innovation has enabled us to provide competitive products and localised solutions to our consumers globally as well as in India," Wang added.

Overall, smartphone vendors shipped a total of 342 million units during the second quarter, resulting in a 1.8 per cent decline when compared to the 348.2 million units shipped in the second quarter of 2017.

"The continued growth of Huawei is impressive, to say the least, as is its ability to move into markets where, until recently, the brand was largely unknown," said Ryan Reith, Programme Vice President with IDC's "Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers".

According to Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research's "Market Monitor" service, Huawei with its sub-brand, Honor, is offering a broad and refreshed portfolio at affordable prices which is driving growth in the overseas market.

"Honor, which is already strong in the e-commerce segment, is now adopting a multi-channel strategy through branded stores in the southeast Asia market. We expect store counts to increase in the future," said Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research.

According to Mo Jia, an analyst with Singapore-based Canalys, "Despite its failure to strike a US carrier partnership earlier this year, Huawei has turned around quickly, moving away from its drive for profitability and focusing instead on finding volume growth at the low end">

"Honor, which has long been a major brand in China but relatively small overseas, has taken a pivotal role in this strategy," added Jia.

The arrival of Huawei in the second position marks the first quarter since the second quarter of 2010 where Apple has not been the number one or two smartphone company in terms of market share, said IDC.

Xiaomi was fourth, capturing 9.3 per cent market share with shipments of 31.9 million smartphones globally.

OPPO and Vivo were the fifth and sixth largest brands during the quarter, capturing 8.6 per cent and 7 per cent market share, respectively.

Top 10 players now capture 79 per cent of the global market, thereby leaving over 600 brands to compete for the remaining 21 per cent of the market.

According to IDC, Samsung will look to bolster sales in the coming weeks.

"We await the arrival of the new Galaxy Note 9. The new Note will be unveiled on August 9 and is expected to launch earlier than the Note 8 to gain a foothold ahead of pending fall launches from Apple and others," said IDC.New Delhi, Aug 1 : Under attack from the opposition, dalit groups and its allies, the Modi government on Wednesday decided to restore a provision of the SC/ST Act allowing arrest of an accused without preliminary enquiry or prior approval that was recently struck down by the Supreme Court.

The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 to amend the original law of 1989 was approved by the Union Cabinet and is likely to be introduced in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament to make it a law.

The preamble of the amendment says that the decision to arrest or not to arrest cannot be taken away from the investigating officer, a power given under the criminal procedure code in which there is no provision for a preliminary enquiry.

Under the new provision, no preliminary enquiry will be required for registering an FIR against an accused and arrest of a person accused under the SC/ST act and this will not require any approval. The provision of anticipatory bail shall not be available to an accused notwithstanding any court judgement.

The cabinet decision was made public by Union Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, whose party Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) had virtually set an ultimatum of August 9 for making changes in the law over which dalit organisations have threatened to hold protests on August 9.

However at a media briefing on the cabinet decisions, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad refused to go into details of the proposed bill, saying Parliament was in session and parliamentary traditions didn't allow him to speak over policy matters.

He, however, asserted that the government would go to any extent to protect the interests of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The apex court on March 20 struck down the provision that made immediate arrest of an accused under the 1989 law mandatory. The court said any arrest would be made only after a preliminary probe and prior approval of by an officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.

The controversial judgment infuriated various Dalit groups, triggering a nationwide agitation. Some NDA Dalit MPs and leaders spoke openly against the judgement which forced the government to file for a review in the top court.

The opposition alleged the BJP-led government was anti-Dalit and had not done enough to get the court order reviewed.

Paswan, the LJP chief, put the government on notice, saying the party would launch a protest if the law was not amended. Another Union minister, Ramdas Athawale, also demanded that a bill be brought in to restore the original provisions of the Act.

The row deepened further when the government appointed Justice A.K. Goel, who pronounced the March 20 judgment in the SC/ST Act case, as the chairman of the National Green Tribunal. Paswan had also demanded his removal. Asked about Justice Goel's removal, Paswan said the issue is settled with the proposed amendment.

He said it was a historic decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"It was a challenge for us. People's sentiments were negative. There were two options. Either to bring an ordinance to restote the orginal act or to bring a new bill.

"The bill is approved by the Cabinet. We will introduce the bill in Parliament as soon as possible. We expect it will be passed with consensus...Whoever opposes will be vanquished."

"I am sad that no one from the opposition discusses the issue. (The bill) is a slap on the face of those who have been criticising the Modi government as being anti-dalit."Imphal : Imphal Aug 1 (IANS) A driver of a Manipur Congress legislator, being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for the missing pistols from Manipur Rifles' armoury, was on Wednesday produced before an NIA court which remanded him in the agency's custody for three days, police said.

The NIA arrested T. Diamond, the MLA's driver, on Monday night.

The NIA raided the house of Congress MLA, Yamthong Haokip, on July 30 and recovered five guns, including a 9 mm pistol, which is believed to be one of the missing hand guns. The four other guns are being verified, police sources said.

Cash and gold were also recovered during the raid, the sources added.

The MLA has not been arrested although a case has been registered against him, police said. Haokip is undergoing treatment in a private hospital as he complained of chest pain.

Some months ago, 65 9 mm pistols and 58 magazines were reported missing from the armoury of 2 Manipur Rifles in Imphal during an inventory check.

The Manipur government handed over the case to NIA on April 1.

Chief Minister N. Biren, who is also in charge of Home, has said: "It is a serious offence since it concerns national security. We hope that the whole truth will be unearthed."Ranchi, Aug 1 : Eight Maoist guerrillas were arrested in Jharkhand's Khuti district on Wednesday, police said.

The eight, from the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), were arrested in a joint operation of the police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) from a jungle near Kulburu village, said Khuti Superintendent of Police Ashwani Kumar.

Kumar told reporters that an FIR had been lodged against the Maoists. Police seized two guns and a mobile phone from them.

Maoist guerrillas are active in 18 of the 24 districts of the state.Shimla, Aug 1 : Close to 550 dengue cases were reported in Himachal Pradesh, largely in Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda's hometown Bilaspur, officials said on Wednesday.

No death has been reported so far.

"A total of 544 dengue cases were reported across the state till July 31, with Bilaspur district taking the lead at 282 cases," a senior health official told IANS.

Solan district reported 244 cases, the second highest in the state.

Only nine positive dengue cases were reported in the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla.

"We are taking all precautions to check further rise in the number of cases that include making people aware of the steps they need to take to minimise its spread," the official told IANS, adding there was no need to panic.

The Regional Hospital in Bilaspur, some 60 km from here, is getting five to 10 dengue cases daily.

Besides Bilaspur, the disease has spread to nearby towns like Ghumarwin and Jhanduta.

Bilaspur is also taking the lead in scrub typhus in the state, a disease caused by the bite of an infected mite found in areas with heavy scrub vegetation.

One patient suffering from scrub typhus died in Chamba district.

"A total of 177 scrub typhus patients have tested positive in the state till July 31," the official said.

Bilaspur reported 58 scrub typhus positive cases, while Shimla had 24.

There were three swine flu positive cases in the hill state and out of these one died on April 10.Islamabad, Aug 1 : Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a report from the Defence Ministry on the foreign employment of former Army Chief General (retd) Raheel Sharif and former Director-General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. Gen. (retd) Ahmed Shuja Pasha in violation of a law that restrained government officers from doing so for two years post-retirement.

Hearing the suo motu case of dual nationalities of government employees, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar inquired whether the senior Army officials took permission from the federal government or not, according to Geo News.

Gen. Sharif left for Riyadh in April 2017 to head a 41-nation military alliance led by Saudi Arabia. He retired in 2016.

On the other hand, the former ISI chief after his retirement in 2012, worked with a multinational firm in the UAE. He is now serving as a group chief adviser to a Lahore-based firm owned by a Pakistani politician, reports say.

"According to the law, government officers cannot sign an employment contract abroad for two years after their retirement. Generals Pasha and Sharif, both, found employment abroad. Is the law not applicable to Army officers?" the Chief Justice asked.

Defence Secretary Lt .Gen. (retd) Zamir-ul-Hassan Shah apprised the court that both retired officers had obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) prior to leaving the country for employment.

The government had permitted both generals to sign foreign employment contracts, Shah said. The three-judge bench directed the Defence Ministry to obtain more information in this regard, according to the Express Tribune.

Shah also told the bench that there were no dual nationals in the Pakistan Army as according to the rules, anyone holding a dual nationality cannot be recruited in the armed forces.

The secretary, however, admitted that spouses of some Army officials were dual nationals and permission was sought from the competent authority before their marriage.

The bench further asked the secretary whether any disciplinary action had been taken against those military officers who got married without permission and sought data in this regard.

Shah was also directed to conduct an exercise within the armed forces to identify those who were secretly holding dual nationalities.NAPLES - The national park of Cabrera, which includes part of the Balearic islands, will be extended by 80,000 hectares to reach a total of 90,000 hectares, which will make it the largest park of the Mediterranean, Spanish ecology minister, Teresa Ribera, announced during a visit to the islands.

The extension, which will take place by next summer, will enable authorities to protect ''areas that are extraordinarily rich'', the minister was quoted as saying by the Diario de Mallorca. They include the coral reef of Fort d'En Moreu and the underwater cliff of Emile Baudot, which stretches over 200 km.

The proposal will be discussed by the Council of ministers in October.

''The resistance of Andalusian fishermen was overcome'', explained Ribera, stressing that widening the protected will also lead to more personnel being hired to oversee the large park. Pro-environment associations welcomed the initiative and are now expecting activities that endanger the environment, including exploration activities for hydrocarbons and trawl fishing, to stop.Patna, Aug 1 : Taking a serious note of repeated rape of 34 minor girls in a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, Governor Satyapal Malik on Wednesday expressed his anguish and worry in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

In the letter, Malik described the rape of minor girls in Muzaffarpur as "heart-rending" and suggested measures for preventing recurrence of such incidents in the future.

Malik has also written to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of Patna High Court Rajendra Menon in connection with sexual abuse of minor girls in the shelter home.

An official in the Governor House said Malik has called for trial of cases relating to harassment of girls, boys and women living in such state-funded homes by fast-track courts.

The Governor has suggested immediate and intensive probe into reports of mismanagement of other such short-stay homes that have appeared in the media, of late, and a mechanism for their continued monitoring.

He has stressed the need for developing an institutional mechanism to ensure that social audit of these shelter homes by competent institutions take place on a regular basis, the official said.

Malik has also called for implementation of recommendations of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, in this regard.

The Muzaffarpur shelter home case came to light earlier this year when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by TISS.

The CBI on Sunday took over the shelter home rape case following a recommendation by Nitish Kumar, who has described it as "a heinous crime".New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Election Commission on Wednesday made it clear that those who have been excluded from the draft National Register of Citizens in Assam can vote if they qualify under electoral laws even if the NRC is not finalized before the Lok Sabha polls next year.

"Why not. Suppose I am not in NRC but if I fulfil the criteria under the Representation of People Act -- that is I am a citizen of India, 18 years of age and ordinarily resident of that area -- I can be a voter," Chief Election Commission O.P. Rawat told the media.

He said the voter enrollment process is not connected to the NRC although the poll panel was closely coordinating in Assam to ensure that no one is left out and eligible persons are included in the electoral roll for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"Election Commission (EC) voter enrollment exercise is independent of NRC though they are working in synchronization. The final electoral roll to be published on January 4, 2019, will be used for general elections," Rawat said.

"The Election Commision of India with its objective of 'no voter to be left behind' has asked Chief Electoral Officer in Assam to coordinate closely with state coordinator NRC so as to ensure that all eligible persons are included in electoral roll. This way a final electoral roll will be published on January 4, 2019 to be used for general elections 2019."

He said it was a draft NRC and in the next one month all these 40 lakh individuals, who have not been included, will be informed about the reasons for their exclusion.

Rawat was speaking amid apprehensions that those who have been dropped out of the NRC list would not be eligible to vote.New Delhi, Aug 1 : Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday asked the social media platforms to use technology to curb fake news, comply with Indian laws and warned that abuse of Indian users' data to influence elections will not be tolerated.

"India's elections are very transparent and sanctified. Any foreign entity like Facebook or Cambridge Analytica cannot abuse the data of Indians to influence the elections in India," the Minister for Law and Information Technology said in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

His remarks comes in the wake of mob lynchings across India due to circulation of false/fake messages on the social media and an earlier controversy revolving around UK political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica for alleged misuse of data on Indian Facebook users.

Prasad said that Facebook had since apologised to the Indian government, claiming that the data was pilfered by Cambridge Analytica who furnished only one reply but did not follow up.

Because of this divergence, the Minister said, "I have referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an inquiry into the alleged misuse of data by Cambridge Analytica."

The Minister said that Facebook, in its response, had said that about 5.62 lakh Indians may have been potentially affected in the Cambridge Analytica case.

"All social media platforms must comply with Indian laws as well. They must ensure that any kind of fake news or abusive things cannot be circulated to result in crime in India; that will not be acceptable," Prasad said.

He also said that the "origin of fake news should also be technologically answered" and that "all social media platforms must have Grievance Officers in India before whom complaints can be made".

Prasad said that the government of India supported the freedom of the social media to articulate views, inform, enlighten and empower, but clarified that "any abuse of social media to promote terrorism/extremism will not be allowed and tough action will be taken."

"I have conveyed to them in very clear terms that it does not need rocket science to identify lakhs of messages circulated on a particular day in a particular area in a particular state... they must find a technological solution," he said.

The Minister said that the Indian government respects privacy, but "privacy with innovation and privacy not becoming a shield for terrorists and the corrupt" are the broad foundations we have laid down.

"Very soon, I am going to write to all the Chief Ministers. My Secretary will write to the state Chief Secretaries so that we also get feedback from the state governments. I assure you that whenever the Union Cabinet approves data protection law, before consultation are done in Parliament, I would like to have an elaborate debate here (in the public domain) so that we have a robust data protection law," he said.New Delhi, Aug 1 : Seeking to rally opposition parties, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and leaders of several other parties and declared that her priority is to defeat BJP in the Lok Sabha elections next year with the issue of prime ministership to be settled collectively later.

She also kept up her attack on the BJP over the exclusion of 40 lakh names from the National Register of Citizens for Assam, saying they were playing with fire and were using offensive language against those excluded.

Banerjee personally invited Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders for the January 19 mega rally she has planned in Kolkota.

The Kolkata rally is expected to help Banerjee emerge as the pivot of opposition efforts to dislodge the Narendra Modi government in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"There will be collective face. Ours is a collective family. Priority is to defeat BJP. If, to defeat BJP, we can fight collectively inside Parliament then why can we not outside...I haven't come to talk about my state," Banerjee said after her meeting with Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

The meeting with the Gandhis capped a day of hectic activities in Parliament House where Banerjee met leaders of various parties including Shiv Sena, AIADMK, Samajwadi Party, TDP, YSCRP, DMK, RJD, Kerala Congress-Mani. She also called on JD-S leader and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in Karnataka Bhavan and senior BJP leader L. K. Advani in his chamber in Parliament.

While Shiv Sena is a constituent of the the BJP-led NDA, AIADMK is friendly towards it.

"Whenever I come to Delhi I meet Soniaji as I have very old relation with Rajivji. We have discussed political matters also. How we can fight together," she said, indicating that Congress would be part of anti-BJP front.

"I don't want to interfere in Congress matter or what Congress will decide... Wherever, whoever is strong should fight," she said in reply to a question whether TMC will ally with Congress in West Bengal.

Attacking the BJP, she said the BJP "is nervous politically, tense politically."

"The reason why it says whatever these days, because it knows it is not going to come back to power in 2019. If it talks with responsibility then we will talk to them. Not if they abuse us. I can fight against 500 parties in my state... We are all for all, everybody is everybody. PM will be decided later, first fight the election first," she said.

Banerjee said she briefed Sonia Gandhi also on the problems of those excluded from the National Register of Citizens in Assam.

"We discussed the fate of 40 lakh voters who have been decided to be deported, these people are from Bihar, Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP, TN. If these people are deported, what does the BJP want? Does it want peace or civil war," she said.

Earlier in her media interactions in Parliament House complex she sought to downplay questions about who will be the prime ministerial candidate of the Opposition.

"I am nobody. I am a very simple worker. Let me just continue as a commoner. I want that this BJP government must go. So we want that everybody should be united. Let us work together, don't think of Prime Ministerial candidate. Think of the country," she said.

Banerjee alleged that BJP was "doing maximum political vendetta" and atrocities with the people.

She said NRC is "a global issue and not just an issue of Assam or India".

"They have deleted names of about 20-25 per cent of the total population. They are calling all of them Bangaldeshi infiltrators. Is Bangladesh a terrorist country? By saying this they are insulting both Bangladesh and India. They should not level baseless allegations against Bangladesh that they are sending infiltrators."

Banerjee said if states say they will not accept people from other states, there will "be a civil war" and "bloodbath".

"There is panic within people. Only one per cent will be illegal migrants," she said.

Banerjee also said that if there was infiltration, it is government's failure.

She said while Home Minister Rajnath Singh had assured that there will be no harassment of people excluded from NRC, BJP chief Amit Shah made remarks against those whose names have been excluded.

Banerjee met Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai, Kerala Congress-Mani leader Jose K. Mani, suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad, Shiv Sena member Sanjay Raut,'DMK's Tiruchi Siva, Vijay Sai Reddy of YSRC Party, Misa Bharti and Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav of RJD. She also met TDP MPs.

Former Law Minister and Congress leader Ashwani Kumar also met Banerjee.

Banerjee arrived in Delhi on Monday and met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday. She also met dissident BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha and former union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Ram Jethmalani.

She had visited the national capital in March also and met opposition leaders.Chandigarh, Aug 1 : The Punjab unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) continued to be in a flux on Wednesday ahead of a convention by ousted leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira in Bathinda town on Thursday.

While the Khaira camp said that they were getting a good response from party legislators and workers, those owing allegiance to the AAP central leadership dubbed the event as an "anti-party" activity.

Senior AAP leader and newly appointed leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema termed the alleged 'AAP Convention' as an "event sponsored by SAD-BJP-RSS and Bains brothers".

"It has nothing to do with Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others. The convention is an anti-Dalit event," Cheema said in a statement. "The state as well as the national leadership would have welcomed the convention if it was scheduled to raise the voice of Dalits, farmers, unemployed and against mafia of every kind," he said.

Cheema maintained that Bains bothers, Simarjit Singh and Balwinder Singh of AAP ally Lok Insaf Party (LIP), are "experts in playing politics of opportunity and trying to break AAP".

Cheema admitted that a few leaders of AAP have come under the influence of Bains and trying to kill their own party.

Warning party leaders and workers to stay away from the convention, he said that verdict of the people of Punjab should be respected.

With its Punjab unit facing a crisis, the AAP on Tuesday blamed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bains brothers for trying to split the party.

The AAP central leadership had picked up Dalit leader Harpal Singh Cheema as leader of the Opposition after the sudden removal of Khaira from the post.

Khaira was removed as the LoP last week through a tweet from AAP national leader and Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia.

Since then, Khaira has remained defiant over his removal and said preparations for a party convention in Bathinda, slated for Thursday, were in full swing.

"By terming our August 2 meet as anti-party activity, Sisodia has vindicated our charge of dictatorial attitude, if we Pbi' (Punjabis) can't hold a simple meeting on our soil, then how will we safeguard the interests of Pb? The AAP meet at Bathinda will settle the issue once and for all," a defiant Khaira tweeted on Tuesday.

"I urge all the brave Punjabis to attend our AAP convention at Bathinda on August 2 at Woods Resort, Dabbwali Road to espouse the cause of our state," Khaira added.

Khaira, who paraded eight legislators in his support here last week, went to Delhi to meet Sisodia and object to his removal, but the demand was rejected by the AAP central leadership.

The AAP emerged as the main opposition in Punjab in assembly election results in March last year, winning 20 seats in the 117-member assembly. This was the party's first outing in the Assembly polls and it was able to relegate the formidable Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance, which ruled Punjab for 10 years (2007-2017) to the third position.Patna, Aug 1 : A young man allegedly shot dead a young girl and then himself dead on Wednesday in Bihar's Jahanabad district, police said.

The shocking killings took place in Milki village, about 50 km from Patna.

Jehanabad Superintendent of Police Manish Kumar told IANS: "It is a subject of investigation and difficult to say what was the actual cause."Panaji, Aug 1 : Top writers and poets on Wednesday expressed concern about the threat to Goa's award winning writer Damodar Mauzo in a letter to the Sahitya Akdemi, the country's national academy of letters.

Mauzo has been provided police security, following threat to his life by the alleged killers of Bengaluru-based journalist Gauri Lankesh.

"We expect the Akademi to condemn this crude assault by lumpen elements against the person and dignity of writers, thinkers and artists and their families. The Akademi needs to extend all possible support to Damodar Mauzo, S. Hareesh, and all writers being victimised in the name of religion, ideology or under any other pretext," said the letter signed by litterateurs Keki Daruwalla, Nayantara Sahgal, Githa Hariharan, K. Satchidanandan, Shashi Deshpande, Manohar Shetty, among others to the Akademi's president Chandrasekhara Kambara.

The letter states, that the writer community was feeling considerable anxiety and dismay about the spate of death threats and trolling of writers, including the Goa-based Mauzo.

"It is inconceivable that a gentle, soft spoken man like Prof. Mauzo should earn the ire of anyone, leave alone the vicious lobby which is trolling him," the letter states.

Asking the Akademi to take a "brave stand", the letter has requested Kambara to "condemn this crude assault by lumpen elements against the person and dignity of writers, thinkers and artists and their families".

"The Akademi needs to extend all possible support to Damodar Mauzo, S. Hareesh (short story writer from Kerala), and all writers being victimised in the name of religion, ideology or under any other pretext," the letter also states.Washington, Aug 1 : US President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation immediately, escalating his attacks on the inquiry.

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," Trump tweeted.

"Bob Mueller is totally conflicted and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

The tweet came as Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort, who was earlier indicted by the special counsel, faces trial for the second day in federal court in Virginia.

Sessions, however, already recused himself last year -- handing off oversight to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. So he is unlikely to act, CNBC reported.

The President has criticized Sessions for his recusal. In June, Trump said on Twitter that Mueller was continuing to investigate "all because Jeff Sessions didn't tell me he was going to recuse himself".

"I would have quickly picked someone else. So much time and money wasted, so many lives ruined...and Sessions knew better than most that there was No Collusion."

The Justice Department and the office of the special counsel did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for elaboration on the President's comments.

Mueller was investigating Trump's tweets criticizing Sessions as part of a wider inquiry into whether the President has obstructed justice, the New York Times earlier reported.

Trump's attacks on Mueller have escalated in recent weeks. The President's attorney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, made headlines on Monday saying that "collusion is not a crime".Copenhagen, Aug 1 : A Danish ban on garments covering the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab or burqa, went into force on Wednesday.

With 75 votes in favour and 30 votes against, the Danish Parliament adopted the act on May 31.

The legislation said "anyone who wears a garment that hides the face in public will be punished with a fine", Xinhua news agency reported.

The government said it was not aimed at any religion and does not ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap. Moreover, it allows people to cover their face when there is a "recognizable purpose" such as cold weather or complying with other legal requirements, for example using motorcycle helmets under Danish traffic rules.

Violation of the law will result in a fine ranging from 1,000 Danish kroner ($150) to 10,000 kroner (about $1,504) for repeat offenders.

France became the first European country to ban Islamic veils in public in 2011.New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Jammu and Kashmir authorities to prepare within a month a plan to phase out the use of mules to carry pilgrims from the Katra base camp to the Vaishno Devi shrine and to rehabilite mule owners.

A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta took note of the fact that the state had prepared a rehabilitation plan in consultation with the shrine management but it was not finalised even after a lapse of 10 months.

The bench expressed concern over the mule droppings lying on way to the Vaishno Devi shrine in the Trikuta hills after activist-petitioner Gauri Maulekhi's counsel showed photographs that the animal droppings littered the route.

"You want to keep the Vaishno Devi shrine dirty? Why are you not doing anything?" asked the bench.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, told the court that the mule droppings were bound to be there if the animals were used on the route.

Earlier, the bench had asked the Jammu and Kashmir government on the plan to phase out use of mules and the rehabilitation for their owners.

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for the Centre, told the court that there was nothing sinister about mules carrying devotees to the shrine and that the animals were used elsewhere also, including during the Kedarnath Yatra.

The petitioner accused the shrine board of not doing anything to limit the littering due to use of a large number of mules on the pilgrimage route or an unsustainable number of pilgrims as it "makes money".

The National Green Tribunal had earlier said that a new path should be constructed to the shrine exclusively meant for pedestrians and battery-operated cars and directed that no horses/mules would be allowed on the new route.

Maulekhi had earlier filed a plea in the NGT to seek removal of horses/mules from the Katra-temple route, saying there were two issues involved -- one of environment and pollution; and opening of the new track for battery-operated vehicles.CATANIA - Two and a half years after weighing anchor for the first time from the Marseille port, the rescue ship Aquarius, rented by SOS Mediterranee and managed in partnership with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), will take to the seas again.

Center of a dispute between Italy and Malta in June after both refused to accept more than 600 people it had rescued, the ship will begin a new mission on Wednesday afternoon.

The NGO stressed that it would never disembark anyone in a Libya port until the country can be considered a safe place. SOS Mediterranee said in a press release that ''these principles have been reasserted after consultation with legal experts, prior to departure. Transparency has always been crucial to the Aquarius mission. The ship now returns to sea as a "civil sentinel in the Mediterranean". An online logbook is to be launched upon departure of the ship and it will be fully accessible to the public on www.onboard-aquarius.org and updated live. It will document all activities of the Aquarius in the Central Mediterranean.'' ''Despite a radical shift in the operational context for humanitarian interventions in the Mediterranean, the Aquarius operations are driven by the same conviction that there is no alternative to saving lives in distress at sea, and by the same principle rooted in maritime tradition that no human being should be left drowning at sea,'' it said. ''Since it first left the port of Marseille in February 2016, the Aquarius rescued 29.318 men, women and children from drowning, of which 2.979 in 2018,'' it added.

"The humanitarian tragedy at sea is still ongoing at our doorstep, but the failure of the EU in addressing it is under our eyes: Over 1,100 people died in the Central Mediterranean since early 2018. Nearly two-thirds of these deaths - 721 - occurred since June, when civil rescue assets were prevented from operating in the international waters off the coast of Libya," said Frederic Penard, Directer of Operations of SOS MEDITERRANEE.

''Humanitarian missions,'' Valeria Calandra, head of the Italian branch of SOS Mediterranee, said, ''were launched in 2016 on the basis of a fundamental principle rooted in maritime tradition, according to which no human being must ever be left to drown at sea. This is the main duty of those at sea and it cannot be put into question, ever, and we will not make any deals on it. Today the Aquarius is leaving Marseilles like it did on its first day, with the same conviction and comforted by support from European civil society and the dozens of public figures who signed an open letter their solidarity with the ship that has become a symbol for all those in Europe who place universal values of respect for human life, dignity and solidarity above all else.'' On Thursday, while the Aquarius will be sailing towards international waters, some representatives of SOS Mediterranee will be meeting with journalists in Rome during a joint press conference with MSF.

Ambon (Indonesia), Aug 1 : Human rights non-profits have begun a campaign for the release of a 15-year-old Indonesian girl raped by her brother, after she was given a six-month prison sentence for having an abortion, an activist said on Wednesday.

The campaign is being run by a number of Indonesian and international organizations, which also demanded that courts consider the age of the accused and the fact that the girl was a rape survivor while deciding the abortion case, a spokesperson of non-profit LBH Apik (Association of Indonesian Women for Justice) told Efe news.

The girl was given the sentence in July by a municipal court in Jambi province of Sumatra for aborting her six-month old foetus, as Indonesian law allows abortion in special cases but only during the first six weeks of pregnancy.

Her 18-year-old brother was given a two-year prison term for rape while the mother is facing charges for allegedly assisting in the abortion.

Seven Indonesian organizations participating in the campaign filed a complaint about the verdict to the Judicial Commission of Indonesia, which agreed to examine if there were irregularities in the trial.

Aquino Hayunta, a representative of parents' association Pasukan Jarik, said that the commission should investigate the fact that the siblings had the same court-appointed lawyer and if the judge was qualified to decide on cases related to minors.

LBH APIK activist Dian Novita said that her organization demanded that sexual violence should be included as a mitigating factor in such cases.

According to Novita, this was not an isolated case and the NGO had come across 39 cases of child sexual abuse in 2017, with three of the survivors facing legal problems after becoming pregnant.

Amnesty International joined the campaign and flagged lack of knowledge about exceptions to the Indonesian anti-abortion law and the stigma attached to survivors in the country, which increases when the victim undergoes a secret abortion.Mumbai, Aug 1 : Two-and three-wheeler manufacturer Bajaj Auto on Wednesday reported a rise of 30 per cent in total sales, including exports, for July 2018.

According to the company, its total sales during the month under review rose to 400,343 units from 307,727 units during the corresponding month of 2017.

Bajaj Auto's total domestic sales stood at 237,511 units -- up 27 per cent -- from 186,497 units sold in July last year.

The two-and three-wheeler manufacturer's overall exports rose by 34 per cent to 162,832 units from 121,230 units shipped-out during July 2017.New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday recommended rules and changes in the prices for the next round of spectrum auction.

The regulations were formulated on the basis of inputs from stakeholders and further analysis, a TRAI statement said.

For the auction of 800, 900, 1800 and 2100 megahertz, the reserve price should be "higher of the two figures -- 80 per cent of the average valuation of spectrum band in the LSA (local service area) or the price realised in the October 2016 auction (duly indexed)", it said.

Regarding the above mentioned spectrum bands it further said in the "local service areas" where no spectrum was offered in October 2016 auctions, reserve price should be 80 per cent of average valuation.

Further, "the authority recommends that reserve price of 700 megahertz band should be equal to 2 times of reserve price of 1800 megahertz spectrum band," as per the statement.

The regulator also recommended that the reserve price for northeast and Jammu and Kashmir "local service areas" in 800, 900, 1800 and 2100 megahertz bands may be fixed at a discount of 50 per cent on the reserve price.

"The discount in northeast and Jammu and Kashmir LSAs will also be given while arriving at reserve prices of other spectrum bands."

The government has not yet declared the timing for the next spectrum auction.Shillong, Aug 1 : Meghalaya's powerful Khasi Students Union (KSU) on Wednesday demanded a NRC in the mountainous state so that people of doubtful antecedents are flushed out.

"The KSU, after observing the NRC exercise conducted in Assam which based March 24, 1971 as the cut-off year, wishes to propose to the Meghalaya government to expedite a similar exercise so that people of doubtful antecedents will be flushed out of the state," KSU President Lambokstarwell Marngar said.

A delegation of the KSU met Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and submitted a petition emphasizing the need to expedite a similar National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Meghalaya.

Marngar said Tynsong promised that the issue would be taken up for discussion in the cabinet besides stating that the government would put in place mechanisms to address the problem of influx including setting up of entry and exit points in various parts of the state to detect illegal immigrants.

Noting that the first mass migration of outsiders into the regions of the present Meghalaya was in 1971 during the Bangladesh war, Marngar said: "The migrants, mostly refugees of Bengali origin, were from then East Pakistan. Since then, the small state of Meghalaya had been witnessing excessive and unabated influx of migrants from different parts of the South Asian sub-continent especially Bangladesh, Nepal and people from mainland India.

"If such a trend continues unchecked, there is a likelihood that Meghalaya will become like Tripura or Assam whereby indigenous communities are reduced to minorities within their homeland," he added.

Proposing 1971 as the cut-off year to segregate genuine and non-genuine residents of the Meghalaya, Marngar said: "If such an exercise is implemented in Meghalaya, then it would be able to segregate the genuine and the non-genuine residents of the state and also will contribute immensely to the continuous survival of the indigenous communities of the state."

Marngar feared that 40 lakh people in Assam who failed to find their names in the NRC may infiltrate into Meghalaya which shares a 900-km border with Assam.

The KSU leader said: "The population growth in Meghalaya from 2001 to 2011 is much higher than the national average of 17.64 percent. It is very much unlikely that indigenous communities are multiplying at such a rate. Thus the rapid increase in the decadal population growth can be attributed to unabated influx of outsiders."Guwahati, Aug 1 : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday urged people not to harbour any apprehensions regarding the updation process of the NRC and said "outsiders making provocative statements about NRC will not be accepted".

He also reiterated that genuine Indians whose names have not been included in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) would be provided ample opportunities to get themselves registered in the NRC through claims and objections.

Amid the hue and cry made by the Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the BJP-led Assam government has decided to closely monitor the proposed visit of the Trinamool delegation to Assam on Thursday even as several organisations filed complaints against Banerjee for making provocative statements over the NRC updation.

A delegation of TMC including party Lok Sabha MP and legislators is scheduled to arrive in Silchar in Assam's Barak Valley on Thursday.

The delegation is likely to interact with people and organisations. The delegation will also visit Guwahati on Friday before returning to Kolkata on Friday.

"Outsiders making provocative statements about NRC will not be accepted and the people of Assam have shown tremendous political maturity which has made the publication of complete draft NRC possible," Sonowal said.

Sonowal also cautioned against getting swayed by the efforts of the divisive forces, which are trying to create a rift between people of different religions, languages and communities and appealed the people of the state to maintain the age old spirit of harmonious coexistence.

The Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), one of the prominent students' bodies of Assam on Wednesday filed an FIR at the Lakhimpur police station against the West Bengal Chief Minister for making 'provocative' statements.

"The people of the state have understood the process and that is why there is no protests anywhere against the NRC despite 40 lakh people remained out of NRC," said Ramendra Narayan Kalita, a legislator of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a partner of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led alliance in Assam.

"There is no problem in the visit of Trinamool Congress delegation to Assam. However, the government must take action if someone tries to aggravate the situation by making inflammatory statements," he added.New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday commenced hearing on a plea that challenged the constitutional validity of a legal provision on the prosecution of a man involved in an adulterous relationship with a married woman but lets her go scot-free.

At the outset of the hearing by a five-Judge Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra, the question arose as to whether the matter should be referred to a seven-Judge bench since the issue was considered by a five-Judge Constitution Bench in 1954.

It was contended that since the issue had already been considered by the five-Judge Constitution Bench, it can't be reconsidered by another bench of the similar strength.

However, petitioner Joseph Shine's counsel Kaleeswaram Raj said that the matter could be heard by the five-Judge bench since the issue before the bench in 1954 was different, involving abetment whereas the present petition had challenged the validity of Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code on the ground that it was discriminatory.

This stand was supported by senior counsel Meenakshi Arora, appearing for one of the respondents.

The top court, by its 1954 and then 1985 orders by benches of four Judges and three Judges respectively, had upheld the validity of the IPC Section.

The apex court held that these judgments needed to reconsidered and by its January 5 order referred the matter to the five-Judge Constitution Bench. It said that when there is societal progress and gender equality and gender sensitivity comes into play, there has to be a different kind of focus on the affirmative rights conferred on women.

The Centre has opposed the plea, contending in its affidavit dated July 11 that decriminalising adultery by striking down Section 497 of the IPC, which penalises only men found engaging in adultery.

"The provisions of law under challenge have been specifically created by the legislature in its wisdom to protect and safeguard the sanctity of marriage, keeping in mind the unique structure and culture of the Indian society."

The Centre asserted that Section 497 "supports safeguards and protects the institution of marriage".

"It is submitted that striking down Section 497 of the IPC and Section 198(2) the Code of Criminal Procedure will prove to be detrimental to the intrinsic Indian ethos which gives paramount importance to the institution and sanctity of marriage," the affidavit said.

Petitioner Joseph Shine -- an expatriate living in Italy -- contended that Section 497 was "unconstitutional" since it discriminates against men, adding that "when sexual intercourse takes place with the consent of both the parties, there is no good reason for excluding one party from the liability".

The petitioner also challenged Section 198 of the CrPC that allows the aggrieved husband of the married woman involved in an adulterous relation to file a complaint and not the aggrieved wife of the man in such relationship.

Shine said these Sections were violative of the Indian Constitution's Articles 14 (equality before law), 15 (prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth) and 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty).New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Wednesday said it had cancelled the press accreditation of Brajesh Kumar Thakur, the main accused in the Muzaffarnagar shelter home rapes case.

The PIB also requested Ministries and Departments concerned to withdraw facilities provided to Thakur on the basis of his PIB card, that is, Central Government Health Scheme facility, government accomodation and railway pass.

"It has been decided, with approval of the competent authority, to cancel the PIB Press Accreditation card number 2275 issued to Brajesh Kumar, Correspondent, Pratah Kamal, Hindi daily, with immediate effect in view of his involvement in alleged criminal activities," a PIB statement said here.

Thakur is lodged in jail after his arrest in the case, which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken up for probe.

As many as 34 minor girls were sexually assaulted in Balika Grih, a short-stay girls' shelter home run by an NGO of Thakur in Bihar's Muzaffarpur.

The shelter home has been sealed after the crime came out during a social audit by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.New Delhi, Aug 1 : Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday said education in all government schools would be free up to class 12.

Education in Delhi government schools is free till class 8. Students of classes 9 to 12 pay a fee of Rs 20 per month.

Sisodia, who chaired a meeting of the city's education department, directed the Secretary Education to submit a proposal to scrap the school fee.New Delhi, Aug 1 : State-run firm Hindustan Copper (HCL) will off-load 13,87,82,700 equity shares or up to 15 per cent of its paid up equity capital in the country's stock markets to raise funds for its expansion projects.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday.

Accordingly, the paid-up share capital of the state-run company will increase from the present Rs 462.61 crore to Rs 532 crore, an official statement said.

The CCEA approved the issue of shares by HCL through the Qualified Institutions Placement (QIP) route as per market regulator SEBI and other guidelines.

This will bring down the government's shareholding in HCL from 76.05 per cent to 66.13 per cent.

"The raising of fund is essential for HCL's expansion plans to achieve production level of around 1.90 lakh tonnes of metal in copper concentrate and thus meet around 30 per cent of the refined copper demand of the country," the statement said.

The proposed expansion plan would create employment opportunities for about 9,300 persons, it added. Expansion projects of HCL are located in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.

Shares of HCL closed at Rs 64.90, up Rs 4.80 or 7.99 per cent from the previous close on the BSE.New Delhi, Aug 1 : Delhi government schools facing a shortage of teachers will get about 9,000 guest teachers by mid-August, Education Minister Manish Sisodia said on Wednesday.

"By August 14, additional 9,000 guest teachers will join the schools which will ensure that all schools have teachers as per their requirement," Sisodia said in a meeting with city's education department.

During the meeting, Sisodia, along with PWD Minister Satyendar Jain, reviewed the progress of infrastructure work in Delhi Government Schools.

Three more new schools would be ready by September and the PWD will hand it over to the Directorate of Education on completion, the PWD officials said during the meeting.

Sisodia also directed the senior officials of the Directorate of Education to give top priority to the grievance of teachers, a step which will be a major relief to the teachers of Delhi government schools.Gaza: Freedom Flotilla accuses Israeli forces of attack 18 activists apprehended, solidarity in Cagliari

(ANSAmed) - CAGLIARI, AUGUST 1 - The ship Al Awda of the mission Freedom Flotilla travelling to Gaza to bring aid and medicines for residents of the Gaza Strip was ''violently attacked by Israeli occupation forces while it was in international waters'', the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a statement. The report referred to an incident on July 29. They said that ''a statement released by Israeli authorities that the ship was abandoned without incident is false''.



According to activists, ''armed and masked men climbed on the boat and attacked several participants who were not armed, hitting them with tasers''. The statement also said that 18 crew members of the Freedom Flotilla were detained in Givon, Israel, and that two are on a hunger strike.



To show solidarity to the activists arrested, a demonstration has been organized on August 3 in Cagliari. Participants will ask the ''national governments of all those who have endured violations of international law to intercene and to ask the immediate and unconditional release'' of the ship, which flies the Norwegian flag, of everything that was on board, including medical aid, and of the crew'', organizers said. Activists said they fear that such incidents could also affect the ''Freedom'', another boat of the organization that is travelling to Gaza.



(ANSAmed).



Kolkata, Aug 1 : A special border personnel meeting between India and China was held at Nathu La on Wednesday, marking the 91st anniversary of foundation of the Peoples' Liberation Army (PLA).

On invitation from the PLA, an Indian Army delegation comprising of officers and soldiers took part in the celebrations, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said.

The PLA troops interacted with the visiting Indian delegation and presented a cultural programme to celebrate the occasion.

The Indian side also reciprocated with traditional cultural items, as the celebrations took place in a festive environment, providing opportunity to both sides to display their rich culture.

Such interactions between both armies have resulted in promoting mutual understanding and contributed towards achieving common goals of peace and tranquillity along the borders, the spokesperson said.Bhubaneswar, Aug 1 : The Congress in Odisha on Wednesday demanded a CBI probe into alleged corruption in the construction of Gurupriya bridge in Malkangiri district, claiming that around Rs 74 crore were paid fraudulently in excess to the contractor.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Niranjan Patnaik said that the excess payment had been pointed out by the Principal Accountant General. He said a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will unearth the facts.

Patnaik said that the state government had misused public money to benefit the contractor.

In a draft note, the Principal Accountant General (Economic and Revenue Sector Audit) mentioned that the state government had paid Rs 74 crore in excess to the construction company, said the Congress leader.

"The Works Department got technical approval of Rs 104.38 crore for the bridge. Later, the estimate was hiked to Rs 115.80 crore. Its maintenance for five years was included in the estimate, but the estimate was again revised to Rs 174.58 crore by September 2017," said the Congress leader.

Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 187.25 crore, the 910-metre-long bridge connects nearly 152 villages in eight gram panchayats in areas in and around Kalimela and Chitrakonda reservoirs.New Delhi, Aug 1 : Making clear the government stance on the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said those who are not Indian citizens should be afraid of the law and system.

"People who have been left out must get their documents in place to prove their Indian citizenship. If somebody is not Indian, then that person should be scared of the system and the laws. If somebody is living illegally in this country, why should they be comfortable?" Rijiju said on the draft National Regster of Citizens which was released by the Assam government earlier this week.

The minister also criticised Opposition leaders such as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and MIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, asking them to make their stand clear on illegal migrants.

"Why is the Opposition raising an issue? Why is there a need to spread fear psychosis among people? Everybody must cooperate in this case. This is an exercise in national interest. In this case, Mamata Banerjee's statements are very unbecoming of a chief minister," Rijiju said.

He said 'genuine Indians have nothing to fear' and expressed the hope that the NRC process would be completed before the 2019 elections.New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Congress on Wednesday said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swarajs remarks in the Lok Sabha about status quo on Doklam was "a dubious ploy" to make headlines and it "hides more than it reveals."

In a statement, Congress communications incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala said the "denials, half-truths and doublespeak" on Doklam were endangering India's national security and strategic interests.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make a statement in Parliament placing all facts and tell his government's policy on de-militarising the Doklam plateau.

The Congress leader said Sushma Swaraj's statement on Doklam is covered with a "sheet of misleading opaqueness" and fails to provide the larger picture of Chinese presence in South Doklam.

Surjewala said China was staring at the "Siliguri Corridor - the Gateway to India's northeast" -- and Modi government was almost "ducking the Doklam question."

Sushma Swaraj had said that there has been no change in the status quo at the site of the military face-off with China in Doklam and the issue was resolved with diplomatic maturity in August last year.

"Modi government and Sushma Swaraj were conspicuously silent on the Chinese military buildup and new road construction in the south Doklam region, overlooking the Siliguri corridor," Surjewala said.

Surjewala said Modi had met Chinese President Xi Jinping thrice during the last four months but there is "no conclusive reaction" from his government to the reports about the Chinese military build-up in the region.

He said no word on Doklam emanated during visits of Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to China in April this year.

"Sushma Swaraj's vacuous statement on Doklam in Parliament today speaks volumes about the Modi government's uncertain foreign policy and continuous flip-flops to the Chinese misadventure in Doklam which is harming India's strategic interests," he said.

Surjewala said that External Affairs Ministry statement of August 28 last year had said that both India and China have agreed on "expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site at Doklam" but the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement had said that the "it shall continue to patrol the Doklam area through its Armed Forces".

The Congress leader said that the party had pointed to heavy Chinese military presence in Doklam in January this year based on satellite images, the External Affairs Ministry had issued a vague statement that initially denied the Chinese military presence in the region.

He said media reports and satellite imagery had suggested that the Chinese Army has not only built a full-fledged Chinese Military Complex in Doklam but also occupied the entire Doklam plateau right upto 10m from Indian Army post.

The images had shown concrete posts, seven helipads, new trenches and several dozen armoured vehicles close to the point where the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops were locked in a 73-day confrontation last year, he said.

Surjewala said Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the veracity of these satellite images and Sitharaman had belatedly accepted in parliament that PLA had "constructed sentry posts, trenches and helipads in Doklam area to maintain troops during winter".

He also referred to visit of Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou to Bhutan in July and said he had discussed Doklam issue.

Sushma Swaraj had told the Lok Sabha that there was dispute between China and Bhutan about north Doklam and it was for not India to comment.

"The BJP is utterly consumed in managing headlines for domestic expansion and has completely forgotten the Chinese presence in north and south Doklam," he said.Kolkata, Aug 1 : IndiGo airline on Wednesday launched its Kolkata-Dhaka service from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here, a company statement said.

Flight 6E 1858 departed from here around 4.40 p.m. with 163 passengers on board for the Bangladesh capital.

NSCBI Airport Director Atul Dikshit along with senior officials from the Airport Authority of India and Indigo lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the occasion.

IndiGo will operate one to and fro flight daily. The flight will take off from Kolkata at 4.40 p.m. and land in Dhaka at 6.10 p.m. Its return journey will start at 7.10 p.m. and culminate in Kolkata at 8 p.m..New Delhi, Aug 1 : A city court has convicted Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Tughlakabad, Sahi Ram Pahalwan, in a case related to assault on a youth in September 2016.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal convicted Pahalwan and his associates, Subhash and Lalit, under Section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by sharp object), Section 341 (wrongfully restrain) and Section 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code.

The court has listed the matter for hearing arguments on the quantum of sentence on August 7.

Relying on the testimony of the complainant Yogender Bidhur, the court said: "The complainant has proved assault upon him with a sharp object in which he received simple injuries.

"He was going to purchase some medicine, when he was wrongfully restrained," the court said in Tuesday's order.

The complainant has alleged that on September 20 the legislator with his associates had assaulted him.

The police had said the MLA had opposed and threatened the supervisor who was supervising the construction of a cemented road in a lane outside complainant's house in Tekhand on the intervening night of September 18-19, 2016.

When the complainant came to know that MLA had threatened the supervisor, he called Pahalwan and asked him why he had stopped the construction work.

Pahalwan threatened the complainant with dire consequences, the police said.New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Congress Working Committee will meet here on August 4 and is likely to discuss, among other things, the political situation in the country and the final draft of the National Register of Citizens in Assam.

The meeting, to be held at party chief Rahul Gandhi's residence, will be the second one under his chairmanship.

The Congress has slammed the Narendra Modi government over the NRC, saying the highly sensitive exercise has been "tardy" and led to massive insecurity in Assam.

The NRC draft, published on July 30, has excluded 40 lakh people.

The meeting of the CWC, the Congress' highest decision-making body, is also expected to discuss the preparations for the Assembly polls in four states this year and the ticklish issue of alliances for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The CWC meeting last month had authorised Gandhi to take decision regarding alliances to oust the BJP-led government at the Centre. Gandhi had said after the meeting that a group will be formed to discuss the alliances.Guwahati, Aug 1 : The Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, on Wednesday lashed out at BJP President Amit Shah for his statement in the Rajya Sabha that all the 40 lakh people left out of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam are "inflitrators".

Stating that Shah had made a false assertion in the august House by terming all 40 lakh people as infiltrators, Saikia urged all members of the Rajya Sabha to bring a Breach of Privilege motion against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President.

Saikia said that Shah deliberately ignored widespread reports about the final draft of the NRC not containing the names of the descendants and relatives of 19th century freedom fighter Bahadur Gaonburah, former President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, first Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly (1937-1946) Maulavi Muhammad Amiruddin, freedom fighters Pramod Bhattacharjee, Dibesh Purkayastha and Gauri Shankar Roy, and a host of other famous personalities of the state.

Saikia said that Shah was wrong in accusing the Congress of lacking the courage to complete the NRC because the genesis of the NRC process lay in the Assam Accord which was masterminded by Rajiv Gandhi in 1985, and was followed by the signing of a tripartite agreement in 2005 when the Congress was in power both at the Centre and the state.

"In fact, the government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had released Rs 489 crore in 2013 and 80 per cent of the NRC work was already complete when the BJP-led alliance came to power in Assam in 2016.

"On the other hand, the then NDA government had released a meagre amount of Rs 5 lakh for NRC work in 1999 out of a promised sum of Rs 20 lakh, and the BJP's present ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which was in power in the state at the time, had failed to put even that to any use," Saikia said.

Saikia said that Shah should change his one-track divisive mentality and take into account the fact that the 40 lakh names in question include a huge number of Indian nationals from states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, who have been residing in Assam due to marital ties or for remunerative occupation.

In this context, the Congress leader said that it was negligence and failure of coordination on the part of the Central government that resulted in many of the relevant states not responding to verification requests sent by the State NRC Authority in connection with those residents of Assam who had come here from other parts of India.

He also termed West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's allegation about NRC as uncalled for and said that no political party or social organisation of the state would approve of such a divisive stance.

He urged Banerjee to admit her mistake and apologise to the people of Assam.

"Instead of wasting her energies in fomenting distrust and division, Banerjee should ensure that the verification documents of reportedly more than five lakh people, which are gathering dust in various offices of the West Bengal government, are duly processed and sent back to the state NRC Authority," Saikia added.Srinagar, Aug 1 : Seven persons were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's capital on Wednesday for their involvement in a sex racket, police said.

A complaint had been lodged at Bemina police post about some "immoral activity" going on in a residential house on the city outskirts.

"A police party went there and detained seven persons. An FIR under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act has been registered," a police officer said.New Delhi, Aug 1 : Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said that it was not the job of the Supreme Court and the High Courts to govern through public interest litigations and said that law-making better be left to Parliament.

Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Prasad said: "I want to state that only those elected by the people and answerable to the house have the right to govern and to make laws."

Stressing that the government was committed to judicial independence, he said: "I want to say this with humility that it is not the job of the High Courts and the Supreme Court to govern through PILs."

"The Constitution has given this right to selected group of people," he added.

Prasad said that he supported PILs if they were used against the corrupt but these should not be used to make laws.

As for the cases pending in various courts at different levels, the Minister said: "The government's job is to ensure infrastructure for the courts, but ultimately the judgments have to to be given by judges only."

He also said that he had written to the judiciary to suggest that five-year-old criminal cases and 10-year-old civil cases should be cleared on priority.ROME - The SITE intelligence group that monitors online jihadism has published screenshots of a video of Alessandro Sandrini, a Brescia native who disappeared from Turkey in October 2016. In the video published by SITE late Tuesday, the man, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, is kneeling in front of two masked gunmen while pleading for his release.

Rome prosecutors investigating his disappearance have the video, whose existence was first reported on July 11.

SITE Director Rita Katz wrote on Twitter: ''Italian & Japanese hostages featured in 2 videos from Syria. One shows Italian hostage in front of 2 masked gunmen. The other shows Japanese-speaking man (identified in media as journalist Jumpei Yasuda) also in a jumpsuit before masked gunmen.

''Not yet clear what group is behind the operation, & how long were the Italian and Japanese hostages in captivity.

However, appears kidnappers are seeking for ransom'', she tweeted. ''Alexandro Sandrini, the Italian, states ''the situation we're in is intolerable'' & that it ''must be resolved'', Katz wrote.

The director of SITE also tweeted that there are ''very little details'' surround the matter ''but it is notable that neither #ISIS nor #alQaeda ( #AQ ) accounts are promoting/celebrating the video as of now.

Risposta ''Factions tend to trade hostages between one another, so it's not even known if this group is the same one that kidnapped them in the first place''. Jumpei Yasuda, was kidnapped in 2015 while Alessandro Sandrini left for a holiday in Adana, Turkey, on October 2016 and never returned home.

On October 19, 2017, a year after his initial disappearance, he called his mother saying that he had been abducted.Mumbai, Aug 1 : Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who has signed Dharma Productions 'Good News', on Wednesday said that the coming film has nothing to do with any social cause.

Akshay was interacting with the media at his film Gold's IMAX format trailer and poster launch along with co-actors Mouni Roy, Vineet Kumar Singh, Amit Sadh, Kunal Kapoor, Sunny Kaushal and producer Ritesh Sidhwani in Mumbai.

Akshay was replying to question whether it was his conscious decision to do content- driven films late in his career. "No... I am doing all kinds of movies. Now, I am shooting for 'Housefull 4' and that film is not going to deliver any social message.

"The only message it's going to give is that you should laugh more often. Similarly, I am doing 'Good News' and there are many other things which I am doing which does not have anything to do with social cause..."

Asked whether he will ever feature in a movie or a web series broadcasted by online streaming giants like Amazon or Netflix, he said: "At the moment, I am just seeing myself on the Imax format, which is huge. But you never know... I may say if I get something good to do, I may, but I don't know as of now."

On what drives him to do patriotic movies as people called him "modern-day Bharat Kumar", he said: "There are so many things which I do... they all are very close to my heart. That is why I am doing so. There is no one particular genre or reason why I am doing a certain kind of film. They are very close... whether it's 'Toilet - Ek Prem Katha', 'Pad Man' or 'Airlift' or 'Gold'..."

'Good News' is laugh riot, family drama in which Akshay and Kareena Kapoor Khan are playing a married couple and trying for a baby.

The Raj Mehta directorial also stars Diljit Dosanjh and Kiara Advani, playing a Punjabi married couple trying for a baby as well.

Producer Karan Johar is yet to make an official announcement about the film. It is expected to go on the floor by the end of this year.New Delhi, Aug 1 : The government has no plans to sell-off its entire stake in Air India, Parliament was told on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question on whether the government is considering to exit from the airline altogether, instead of holding a 24 per cent stake.

"The government has no such plan to exit Air India altogether," he was quoted as saying in the reply.

The government had invited Expression of Interest (EoI) on March 28 this year for disinvestment of Air India including the national carrier's share-holding interest in the Air India Express Ltd and Air India SATS. But it received no response till May 31, the closing day.

"Probable reasons as analyzed by the 'Transaction Advisor, i.e, M/s EY' for non-receipt of bids, inter-alia, are GOI 24 per cent stake and corresponding rights, high amount of allocated debt, changes in macro environment, individuals not being allowed to bid, profitability track record and bidders not being able to form a consortium within given time period," he said in the reply.New Delhi, Aug 1 : The government has constituted a sub-committee for the formation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for manufacturing regional transport aircraft (RTA) in India, Parliament was told on Wednesday.

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that the issue of development of a RTA under the National Civil Aircraft Development (NCAD) programme was considered in a meeting of the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) on May 18, 2018, and further action has been taken as per the decisions of this meeting.

"... further actions have been taken up in accordance with the decisions taken therein, including the constitution of a Sub-Committee on the Special Purpose Vehicle for manufacture of the regional transport aircraft in India," he said in the written reply.New Delhi : Mulk: Starring Rishi Kapoor, Tapsee Pannu, Manoj Pahwa, Prateik Babbar, Ashutosh Rana, Rajat Kapoor, Directed by Anubhav Sinha, Rating: *****(5 stars)Whose land is it anyway? At a time when the Indian Muslim finds himself isolated like never before, Anubhav Sinha's Mulk serves as a jolting reminder of how far into the darkest recesses of distrust and animosity, terrorism has taken the blame game.

First of all, it is very hard to believe that Sinha whose earlier credits include fluff stuff like Tum Bin and Ra.One, has actually created this modern political masterpiece which attempts very successfully to humanize a community that has been demonized by some negative elements. And yet Mulk doesn't take sides, doesn't make the Indian Muslim community a portrait of injured innocence.

What it does do-and full-marks to Anubhav Sinha for writing a script that doesn't bend backwards to humanize the community under siege-is to lay bare the layers of deception that mars a truly fruitful dialogue between sane rational elements in both the Hindu and Muslim community.

When the son(Prateik Babbar) from a Muslim family in the dense bylanes of Varanasi decides to became a so-called jihadi, the ramifications on his family are deep and wounding.

It is in portraying the family's anguish that Anubhav emerges with cinema that's masterly and timely. There comes a time in the taut narrative when the patriarch of the family is asked to choose between home and safety. Rishi Kapoor making that resolute choice reminded me of Balraj Sahni in Garam Hawa.

Kapoor has shaped up into that rare actor who can do anything effortlessly. His portrayal of Murad Ali Mohammad is clenched and compelling. He brings to the character an empathy that never serenades selfpity. But my favourite performances in the film are by Manoj Pahwa as Rishi Kapoor's hounded brother and Rajat Kapoor as a Muslim anti-terror police officer who has turned against his own community to cleanse its reputation.

Pahwa as the terror-accused father of a jihadi, makes your heart melt with compassion. In the best-written sequence of the film he tells his brother why he always tried to be a good sibling, and never failed to fall short.

Also brilliant is the ever-capable Kumud Mishra as the judge presiding over a case that in may ways, changes the way we look at terror-accused families, not to mention court proceedings in our films. Ashutosh Rana and Tapsee Pannu are absolutely brilliant as the prosecutor and defence lawyer.And when Tapase takes over the climactic courtroom finale questioning why our society has polarized into "them" and "us", she proves herself one of the strongest contemporary female actors today.

Some moments in this thought-process reforming drama made me break into goosebumps.When the terrorist-son(Prateik Babbar)'s body is brought home , we hear sounds of mothered anguish and panic,as the camera moves throught the family home prowling in pursuit of answers to questions that lie too deep for tears.

I am not surprised that Evan Mulligan's camera has captured the splintered cultural conundrum of Varanasi like never before. Mulk is a work that won't settle for the status quo. It forces us to think and reconsider our value system at a time when cows are valued more than human lives.

Anubhav Sinha prefers to say "boo" instead of "moo".New Delhi, Aug 2 : An Indian-born, Australian-raised mathematics genius Akshay Venkatesh is among the four recipients of this year's Fields Medal. He received it for his "profound contributions to an exceptionally broad range of subjects in mathematics".

Delhi-born Venkatesh, 36, was the youngest ever student to attend the University of Western Australia at the age of 14. He is currently teaching at Stanford University.

He has received the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize in 2008 and Ostrowski Prize in 2017.

The Fields Medal is awarded every four years by the International Mathematical Union to recognize outstanding mathematical achievement for existing work and for the promise of future achievement.

The award consists of gold medal bearing the profile of Archimedes and a cash amount of 15,000 Canadian dollars.

The prestigious medal has been given to Venkatesh for "his synthesis of analytic number theory, homogeneous dynamics, topology, and representation theory, which has resolved long-standing problems in areas such as the equidistribution of arithmetic objects".

"Akshay Venkatesh has made profound contributions to an exceptionally broad range of subjects in mathematics, including number theory, homogeneous dynamics, representation theory and arithmetic geometry.

"He solved many long-standing problems by combining methods from seemingly unrelated areas, presented novel viewpoints on classical problems, and produced strikingly far-reaching conjectures," the International Mathematical Union said on its website.

The other three laureates are Peter Scholze, Alessio Figalli and Caucher Birkar.

Birkar, Kurdish refugee turned Cambridge University professor, has been given the medal "for the proof of the boundedness of Fano varieties and for contributions to the minimal model program".

Italian mathematician Figalli has won it for "contributions to the theory of optimal transport and its applications in partial differential equations, metric geometry and probability".

Germany's Peter Scholze was awarded the Fields medal for his work in arithmetic algebraic geometry.

The names were announced at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday.Merlin Properties has completed the acquisition of Almada Forum from Blacksone for 406.7 million. The deal, which was fully financed through Merlins equity, values the entire Rio Tejo portfolio at over 900 million, thus making it the largest-ever portfolio transaction in the country. The portfolio originally comprised three shopping centres

[]The lowest yielding sale at commercial auctions this week was the $2.68 million sale of the retail property leased to The Coffee Club in Redcliffe, Brisbane.

It sold at a net yield of 5.88 per cent.

The retail property in Redcliffe (pictured above) is leased to The Coffee Club on a seven-year lease with another seven-year option.

It last sold at $1.75 million in 2006.

The waterfront property at 171 Redcliffe Parade will bring in about $156,000  excluding GST  starting from September 1.

The Coffee Club was established 1989 and currently operates 400 stores in nine countries

The oceanfront reserve freehold property overlooking Redcliffe Pier offered long term redevelopment potential to 12 storeys (STCA).

The premises occupy 332 sqm on the 405 sqm block  plus exclusive use of street front alfresco dining area

There is rear lane entry accessing parking for up to six vehicles.

There are views to Moreton Island at the high traffic Brisbane seaside tourism precinct.

The neighbouring tenants include Chemist Warehouse, Vast Interiors, Subway and Banjo's.

The tenant pays all outgoings as per lease and 3% per annum rental increases.As the scaffolding comes down from St Kilda's Gatwick Hotel, the location of next month's series of The Block, its executive producer Julian Cress has formally cut ties with Sydney.

The buyer of his redundant Annandale warehouse paid a record $4,275,000 through McGrath agent Damien West.

The space, which failed to sell at its March auction, had come with a price guide of $4.5 million.

Cress inherited the Johnstone Lane warehouse from his late father, the Archibald award-winning artist Fred Cress.

The prior top price for a converted warehouse in Annandale sat with the $3.7 million paid last June by fellow artist Jonathan Newton, the son of Britains Gravity Media Group boss John Newton.

Julian Cress commissioned architect Julian Brenchley and Block designer Darren Palmer to undertake the recent conversion which was recognised with the 2015 MBA's Excellence in Housing Award.

Set at the end of a laneway, the home has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a ground floor gallery.

The warehouse features polished concrete, exposed brick and soaring ceilings, interlaced with exposed steel and timber trusses.

There's an open plan upper level integrated with a private rooftop terrace.

Cress and wife Sarah have been based in Albert Park after The Block became more permanently based in Melbourne.

Over the years Cress became critical of nitpicking Sydney council approvals in his pursuit of development sites for the top rating Channel 9 show.

He has been executive producer of the hit show since its first series in 2003 where they launched with its renovation a block of apartments in Bondi.

Cress sold to Andrew Parker, the Qantas executive for government, industry and international affairs, who also was a board member of Australians for Equality during the gay marriage debate.



Parker recently sold his Potts Point apartment to Tom Dery, the former worldwide chairman of ad agency M&C Saatchi, for $4.55 million.

The purchase comes after Dery sold his luxury 1890s Paddington home for $5.1 million late last year.

This article first appeared in The Sunday Telegraph.GUEST OBSERVATION

Not a week goes by without a news story (or a few) about people losing their jobs to robots, or the potential effects of a rapidly changing labour market. We are told repeatedly about how many jobs are going to be lost. Both unskilled and skilled jobs are predicted to disappear.

These risks are no doubt real, if uncertain in their magnitude. But these prognoses are largely the work of academics and economic forecasters. How do Australians feel about their job prospects in an age of automation? Rather than robots, the 25th ANUPoll finds our greatest concerns are the risks posed by poor management and jobs going overseas.

The ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods with the Social Research Centre recently asked a representative sample of more than 2,500 Australians about their anxieties related to the future of work. The ANUPoll finds that Australians are reasonably sanguine about their current jobs. However, we are concerned about finding employment in the future if we lose our job.

Pointedly, Australians are more concerned about the threats posed by poor business management and international workers willing to work for lower wages than about the prospect of our jobs disappearing through automation. To put this another way, we are more worried about the globalisation of employment and trade than about competition from robots.

What did we ask and what did we find?

A core question in this ANUpoll is: Thinking about the next 12 months, how likely do you think it is that you will lose your job or be laid off/have to lay off employees or close the business?

The overwhelming majority surveyed believe it is not at all likely (44.9%) or not too likely (42.8%).

Australian workers are quite comfortable with their current job security. But the level of comfort varies by sector of employment.

Workers in the arts and recreation sector feel the most secure: 62.5% believe its not at all likely they will be laid off or need to lay off employees. At the other end of the spectrum, only 25.8% of workers in the electricity, gas, water and waste industries think its not at all likely.

We also asked workers: If you were laid off how easy would it be for you to find a job with another employer with approximately the same income you now have?

More than half  54.6%  say finding an equivalent new job would be not easy at all. Only 10% believe it would be very easy.

Responses to this ANUPoll suggest Australian workers feel largely comfortable about their current employment but are less optimistic about their prospects should they become unemployed.

Sources of job insecurity

Workers may feel insecure about their employment for many reasons. We asked Australian workers about their level of concern about six different potential threats to their job.

The most common concern is that poor management of the company that employs them will lead to losing their job, with 14.7% very concerned by this threat and 27.6% somewhat concerned. This is followed by: their overall industry is shrinking; their employer might find someone else in Australia who is willing to do the job for less money; and their employer might finding someone overseas who is willing to do their job for less money.

People are least concerned that employers may use machines or computers to replace human workers. Only 8% are very concerned and 9.8% somewhat concerned.

This is followed by an inability to keep up with the technical skills needed to do their job, with 6% very concerned and 15.2% somewhat concerned about this.

Why should we be concerned about the future of work?

The labour market is no doubt changing. New occupations are being created as others become more precarious.

Occupations that rely on creativity or human-to-human interaction are both being developed and expanding their share of the labour market. Those based on routine tasks, even complicated ones, are set to employ fewer and fewer workers.

Labour markets have always adjusted to new circumstances. However, we can reasonably argue that the current transformation of work will be more comprehensive and more rapid than before. This is at least partially due to a confluence of significant trends: increased computing speed, decreased computing costs, greater network speed and capacity, increased availability of data, the lessening of some barriers to international trade, and political and economic change in countries with large skilled and semi-skilled workforces.

These changes are having political ramifications. Voters anxiety about the labour market and their job prospects was significant in the election of Donald Trump in the US, Brexit in the UK and the increased success of populist parties and platforms in many countries.

What to do about job security

Attention is increasingly shifting from merely describing trends in job security and the future of work to understanding the attitudes and anxieties of the current and future workforce. These attitudes will help determine the effect of labour market change (perceived and actual) on the subjective well-being of the population. Attitudes to job security and the future of work also may affect peoples receptiveness to related policy proposals.

How to respond to the publics views on job security depends on how accurate you think those perceptions are. There are many suggested policy responses. Examples include a universal basic income and re-regulation of the labour market.

If you think the perceptions identified in the recent ANUPoll are a reasonable assessment of the risks to peoples jobs, then the focus should be at least as much on outsourcing and management practices as on skills mismatch and automation. If you think the public is underestimating these latter potential threats and under-investing in the retraining and skills development that would reduce their negative consequences, then greater public attention might be justified.

Nicholas Biddle, Associate Professor, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University

Jill Sheppard, Lecturer, School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University

Matthew Gray, Director, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, Australian National University

This article was originally published on The Conversation.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1)  House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will do everything she can so the country could shift to a federal form of government  even if it means agreeing with senators' preference that both houses of Congress vote separately on constitutional amendments.

The former President, who also pushed for federalism toward the end of her term, said Wednesday that the only "realistic" way to end the current impasse on charter change is to resolve this contentious issue.

"You remember we [had] the same stalemate on voting separately and voting together and a few years later we are in the same stalemate," Arroyo told reporters. "We should move forward and the way to move forward is to agree to voting separately."

"Better to move forward and achieve something rather than be stubborn and achieve nothing," she added.

Arroyo earlier said the House of Representatives will wait for the Senate's decision in amending the present charter, a stance that is different from that of her predecessor, Pantaleon Alvarez, who said that the House would push through with revising the Constitution with or without the Senate.

Arroyo unseated Alvarez as House Speaker after more than 200 lawmakers voted for a change in leadership on July 23, the same day President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his State of the Nation Address.

During Alvarez's term, the House of Representatives approved a resolution that will convene Congress as a constituent assembly, but the Senate has yet to pass their measure. As of now, a resolution calling on Congress to convene into a constituent assembly is still pending at the Senate committee level.

The Senate has yet to decide on pertinent issues: Whether there is a need to amend the Constitution, and if so, whether it will be done by a constitutional convention or a constituent assembly.

In a constituent assembly, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate shall convene and decide on constitutional amendments themselves. A constitutional convention, meanwhile, requires nationwide elections to select delegates who will draft the constitutional amendments.

Another point of contention if Congress opts for a constituent assembly is whether the House and Senate will vote jointly or separately on the proposed revisions.

All 23 senators have said they wanted to make their vote count in a separate voting, and not be irrelevant in a joint voting with 292 representatives.

Prime Minister Arroyo?

But Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Wednesday told CNN Philippines charter change is "as good as dead" at the Senate because senators believe Arroyo is eyeing the Prime Minister post.

In the draft constitution of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendment, there are two leaders of the executive department: The president, who oversees the government, and the prime minister, who runs the government.

Arroyo has denied any further ambitions for power, even calling these claims "black propaganda."BEIRUT - The Syrian state-run news agency SANA reported on Wednesday that regime forces had retaken all of the border area with Jordan after defeating the last jihadist fighters along the valley of the Yarmouk River. Sana reported that, after the retaking of the last two places along the border out of regime hands, all southwestern Syria is now back under Syrian government control. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) instead said that about 100 Islamic State (ISIS) fighters were still in the Yarmouk Basin and that they had not yet surrendered. On Tuesday, about 400 had surrendered to regime forces and were transferred east of the city of Sweida in the southern part of the country, in an area where ISIS is still operational.Across the capital cities, Melbourne has been leading the downturn, with the quarterly rate of decline outpacing Sydney since May this year, according to CoreLogic.

Melbourne dwelling values were down 1.8% over the past three months, followed by Perth (-1.5%) and Sydney (-1.1%).

Melbournes decline phase commenced five months later than Sydneys, with the market peaking in November last year.

Since that time, Melbourne dwelling values have fallen by 2.9%, while in Sydney, where values peaked twelve months ago, the market is down 5.4%.

Those cities where values continue to trend higher have also seen a sharp reduction in their rate of capital gain, the July update noted.

In Brisbane and Adelaide, where housing values were rising at a more sustainable pace over the past five years, the annual rate of capital gains has weakened.

In Brisbane, the annual rate of growth has eased from 2.9% a year ago to 1.2% over the past twelve months and in Adelaide the annual growth rate has dropped from 5.4% a year ago to just 0.7% over the most recent twelve month period.

Even the Hobart market, where the annual pace of capital gains has held in double digit growth territory since January 2017, is starting to slow down. Dwelling values were steady over the month and the annual rate of growth slowed to 11.5%; still strong but the slowest annual growth rate since February 2017.

National property dwelling values slipped 0.6% during July to be down 0.9% over the rolling quarter and 1.6% lower over the past twelve months in the largest annual fall since August 2012.

Since peaking in September last year, the Australian housing market has recorded a cumulative 1.9% fall in value which CoreLogic's head of research Tim Lawless suggests was "a relatively mild downturn" to date considering values remain 31% higher than they were five years ago.

According to Tim Lawless, the weakness in dwelling values is being driven by the long running declines in Perth and Darwin along with an acceleration in the rate of decline across Sydney and Melbourne and slowing growth rates across most of the remaining regions.

July saw the housing downturn gather some momentum; on a national basis, the 0.6% month on month fall was the largest decline since September 2011 and the rolling quarterly change, at -0.9%, hasnt been this low since January 2012.

Five of the eight capital cities saw values slip lower over the past three months and trends across the regional housing markets, where conditions have generally been more resilient to falls, have also turned negative.

Dwelling values were down 0.2% across the combined regionals index over the three months ending July, driven by falls across regional NSW (-0.2%), regional Qld (-0.6%) and regional WA (-3.5%). While three of the seven rest of state regions saw a fall in values over the three month period, the pace of growth across the remaining regional areas has clearly decelerated, contributing to the overall softer result.EXPERT OBSERVER

Australian capital city dwelling prices fell for the ninth month in a row in July, with a fall of -0.6% which left average prices down -2.4% from a year ago, their weakest since 2012.

Sydney dwelling prices fell another 0.6% and have now fallen 5.4% from their August 2017 high, Melbourne prices fell another 0.9% and are down 2.9% from their November high. Perth (-0.8%) and Adelaide (-0.1%) also saw falls in July, but Brisbane, Canberra and Darwin saw gains and Hobart was flat and looks to be slowing after an 11.5% rise over the last year.

Tighter bank lending standards  particularly around borrowers income and expenses and restricting loans to households with high debt to income ratios - along with poor affordability, rising supply, falling price growth expectations and FOMO (fear of missing out) going into reverse are pushing prices down in cities which have seen strong gains since 2012, ie Sydney and Melbourne.

This is also evident in weak and still falling auction clearance rates and auction sales volumes in those cities.

The recent average mid 40s auction clearance rate in Sydney and the low 50s action clearance rate in Melbourne are consistent with ongoing price weakness.

The decline in Sydney and Melbourne property prices likely has further to go as these considerations continue to impact.

We expect these cities to see a top to bottom fall in prices of around 15% spread out to 2020 which given falls already recorded since last year implies another 10 to 12% downside.

So we are only part way there yet!

However, having not had the same boom over the last five or six years other capital cities are likely to perform better.

Perth and Darwin are likely at or close to bottoming (albeit the bottoming process may take a while), Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra are likely to see moderate growth and the strength in Hobart is likely to continue albeit at a much cooler pace than seen over the last year.

Similarly home prices in regional centres (-0.4% in July, but +1.6%yoy) are likely to hold up better with modest growth as generally speaking they havent had the same boom as Sydney and Melbourne and so offer much better value and much higher rental yields.

The average gross rental yield for regional areas is 4.9% compared to just 3.4% in the capital cities.

Capital city unit prices have held up better than house prices but seem to be coming under more pressure falling 0.5% in July and they face further weakness as more supply comes on.

The residential crane count may have peaked in Sydney and Melbourne but its still high meaning that there is still a huge amount of units to hit these two markets.

Overall, Sydney and Melbourne are likely to see a top to bottom fall of around 15% spread out to 2020, but for national average prices the top to bottom fall is likely to be around 5%.

A crash landing remains unlikely in the absence of much higher interest rates or unemployment, but its a risk given the difficulty in gauging how severe the tightening in bank lending standards in the face of the Royal Commission will get.

Implications for interest rates

Ongoing home price falls in Sydney and Melbourne will depress consumer spending as the wealth effect is now going in reverse and so homeowners will be less inclined to allow their savings rate to decline.

Its consistent with our view that the RBA will leave rates on hold out to 2020 at least.

Home price weakness is at levels where the RBA started cutting rates in 2008 and 2011, so we still cant rule out the next move in rates being a cut rather than a hike.

Shane Oliver is the Chief Economist at AMP CapitalAnnual credit growth slowed to 4.5 per cent as at June 2018, well down from 5.4 per cent a year earlier, according to the Reserve Bank's latest Financial Aggregates.

Broad money growth fell to an anemic 1.9 per cent year-on-year in June - the lowest level since Bobby Brown was #1 in the Australian charts with Humpin' Around in September 1992 - a disagreeable image I'm sure you'll agree (and the credit aggregates weren't too flash either).

Personal credit shrank 1.3 per cent year-on-year, and the annual growth in business credit slowed to just 3.2 per cent.

Housing credit held up reasonably well at 5.6 per cent.

The monthly growth in mortgages was all driven by owner-occupiers, with total investment credit actually declining for only the third time since these records just before Bobby Brown.

With more investors also now switching to paying down principal, investor credit as a share of total housing market outstanding loans fell to 33.5 per cent, which puts investor market share broadly back in line with the average level seen over the past 18 years since June 2000 of 33.2 per cent.

Although housing credit as measured here is slowing, the APRA ADI figures also released today grew at a faster clip, implying in turn that non-ban lenders are picking up some of the slack.

Of of the larger players Westpac recorded solid growth in its home loan book, while Macquarie, Commonwealth Bank, and NAB notched higher totals for investment loans for the month of June.

In saying that, NAB's investor loan book has recorded only 2 per cent growth over the past year and CBA and ANZ are in negative territory, so there is potentially ample headroom for more investor lending to return forthwith (the 10 per cent growth cap has been shelved as redundant).

Overall, housing credit still seems to be flowing freely enough, but the economy really needs to start generating household income growth to get things moving again."We chose to provide Ultra Librarian based models for Power Integrations components because we wanted the highest quality design models possible, and we wanted it freely available to the widest audience, said David Chen, director of applications engineering for Power Integrations.

EMA Design Automation (http://www.ema-eda.com), a full-service provider and innovator of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) solutions, today announced the availability of symbols, footprints, and 3D models for all Power Integrations components, which anyone can access for free from ultralibrarian.com, power.com, and digikey.com. With this new set of models, engineers can simply download the library components they need for their Power Integrations based designs, said Manny Marcano, president and CEO of EMA. Having access to these verified models saves engineering time and eliminates mistakes that can occur when manually building part models.

Power Integrations high-performance electronic components are important to engineers designing high-voltage power-conversion systems. These integrated circuits and diodes enable compact, energy-efficient AC-DC power supplies for a wide range of electronic products including mobile devices, televisions, computers, appliances and smart utility meters.

We chose to provide Ultra Librarian based models for Power Integrations components because we wanted the highest quality design models possible, and we wanted it freely available to the widest audience, said David Chen, director of applications engineering for Power Integrations. Giving our customers the ability to download design-ready, verified models allows them to easily and correctly create designs using our high-performance electronic components.

All of the models are created based on Power Integrations specifications, and the symbols, footprints, and 3D models are built to function correctly together. All features such as matching pin names and numbers, accurate cross-probing between symbols and footprints, and 3D models are precisely aligned with the footprints. The models go through more than 30 checks during creation by the Ultra Librarian team and are then verified by Power Integrations engineers. The Ultra Librarian 3D models are more accurate than generic 3D models, which can be important when there are tight space requirements. The Power Integrations models are downloadable in over 20 CAD formats, making them available for almost all EDA and CAD design tools.

When we created these models, we found some uncommon pin configurations on certain Power Integrations packages, such as connected pins, or a series of missing pins, that took a little time and effort to get right, said Frank Frank, product architect for Ultra Librarian. Working through these special cases would take a designer extra time, especially if they needed to create a 3D model. Ultra Librarian users not only save time by downloading one of these Power Integrations parts, but they also get our expertise built into the model assuring it will work correctly for their application.

For more information about Ultra Librarian, go to http://www.ultralibrarian.com or call 585.334.6001.

About EMA Design Automation, Inc.

EMA Design Automation is a trailblazer in product development solutions offering a complete range of EDA tools, PLM integrations, services, training, and technical support. EMA is a Cadence Channel Partner serving all of North America. EMA develops Ultra Librarian, TimingDesigner, CircuitSpace, CIP, EDABuilder, and a host of custom solutions to enhance the OrCAD products, and all are distributed through a worldwide network of value added resellers. EMA is a privately held corporation headquartered in Rochester, New York. Visit EMA at http://www.ema-eda.com for more information.

About Power Integrations, Inc.

Power Integrations, Inc. is a leading innovator in semiconductor technologies for high-voltage power conversion. The companys products are key building blocks in the clean-power ecosystem, enabling the generation of renewable energy as well as the efficient transmission and consumption of power in applications ranging from milliwatts to megawatts. For more information please visit http://www.power.com.

Power Integrations and the Power Integrations logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Power Integrations, Inc.

EMA Design Automation, TimingDesigner, CircuitSpace, EDABuilder, Ultra Librarian and the EMA logo

are registered trademarks, and Component Information Portal is a trademark of EMA Design Automation, Inc.

Cadence, Allegro, and OrCAD are registered trademarks of Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

All other trademarks in this release are the property of their respective owners.Miraculous Identity is a handbook for transforming our attitude toward God's place in our lives to overcome the challenges women face such as the death of a spouse or surviving a life-threatening illness. --- Melanie Collette, Radio Host, Washington, D.C.

As we accelerate our lives into the fall season, schools are preparing for their students, vacations, and summer months are nearly gone, the days are shorter and we prepare for the coming season of unseemingly busy schedules, faith-based author, and San Diego native, Linda Breitman brings us a crisp perspective of our journey and the makeup of our identity.

Breitman stated...."Grab your cup of pumpkin spice latte and prepare for my new book that will accelerate your heart and mind and will transform the way you think about your identity. Miraculous Identity captivates your spirit and renews the body for the paths ready to be imprinted with your footsteps."

Linda Breitman Ministries, a nationally recognized force behind women's groups, faith-based ministries, and church-based Bible Studies is launching her new book, Miraculous Identity: Unveiling Your Hidden Journey on Saturday, September 22, 2018, at the Cloud 9 Worship Center, San Diego, California.

Breitman's sequel to "The Real You" released in 2013 and endorsed by Graham Cooke and Bill Yount, was recognized by churches, women's groups, book clubs, ministries, and schools nationwide. This new book "Miraculous Identity" is inspirational! Have you experienced a watershed moment in your lifethat moment in time when your life changed and you knew that it would not ever be the same again? Linda Breitman will open your heart, soul and, mind to a greater intimacy with God. This book can literally change your life. For people of faith or who are lostit is a must read. It is poignant, compelling and teaches you how to make that spiritual connection with God. I loved it and so will you....stated Blanquita Cullum, veteran broadcast journalist and, former Governor, United States Broadcasting Board of Governors.

Miraculous Identity will be available for purchase the week of September 22, 2018, in coordination with the book launch. It will be available for purchase on Linda Breitman Ministries website, Amazon, Barnes, and Noble, Kindle and ChristianBooks.

Linda Breitman has been a featured speaker for AGlow Conferences, International Women's ministries, Jubilee Conferences and will be a featured author for the fall and winter 2018-2019 conferences and book events nationwide.

Breitman's hosts a weekly podcast which features authors, leaders, and speakers in the church community; leaders defeating child abuse, sexual assault, ending teen homelessness; providing job opportunities for military spouses, and tackling the many social issues that canvas our society. To hear Linda's latest podcast please visit: http://www.lindabreitman.comConference on Libya in Italy 'good initiative', Gaddur New ambassador to EU calls for greater role for gov't

(ANSAmed) - ROME, AUGUST 1 - The new Libyan ambassador to the EU and former ambassador to Italy, Hafed Gaddur, said Wednesday that holding a conference on Libya in Italy is a good idea.



He added that Italy is ''the closest country to us, from both a political and an economic standpoint, and it has every right to organize it''. ''The important thing is to not do as was done in the past, and that the Libyan Government of National Accord have a central role in the initiative,'' he said, referring to past conferences. ''All of us in Libya want elections but there is the need for a framework of guarantees, national agreement on respect for the result,'' Gaddur continued. ''We have yet to vote for the constitutional referendum. Without a constitution, what legitimacy would elections have?''. ''The conditions are not yet there. Time is needed,'' the ambassador said. (ANSAmed).



Full-service digital agency Salted Stone today announced a global brand expansion, merging with Australia and New Zealands leading marketing agency and HubSpots 2016 Partner of the Year, BrandManager. The merged entity will operate under the Salted Stone brand ongoing.

Both agencies have earned Diamond-tier Status, the highest accreditation in the HubSpot Agency Partner Program. "We're very excited to see two of our top partners combining forces to serve their global client base. Says Angela ODowd, Director of Global Partner Marketing at HubSpot. The combination of their complementary expertise, and deep track records of success with HubSpot customers, will surely provide their clients with outsized value."

The teams collectively service hundreds of businesses in the B2B and B2C space through growth-focused services spanning the entire customer lifecycle. Clients will now benefit from the combined expertise of 62 + in-house professionals, and processes developed and refined over 25-years of agency operations.

In addition to increasing global production capacity and resources, the merger allows for work distribution across international time zones. Operating global offices in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Cebu, and Los Angeles marks a significant step towards achieving a 24/7 production cycle, and allows for collaborative efforts around account strategy and management. Incorporating global perspectives on business pain points, and hurdles to growth, will yield innovative solutions and new tactics for development and growth.

Salted Stones Managing Partner Mike Skeehan, who will serve as Chief Executive Officer of the merged entity, views this as an opportunity to sustain aggressive growth and provide increased value to clients. We are confident in our discernment process; this is a strategic decision that we trust will be validated in outcome. We anticipate benefiting from strong sales tailwinds in the APAC region alongside a meaningful increase in global production rate.

Tony Eades, CEO and Director of Brand Strategy with BrandManager, will serve as Chief Strategy Officer at Salted Stone and CEO (of the APAC region) at Salted Stone. He sees the merger as an exciting and logical next step. Last year, we became the first Diamond Partner in Australia and New Zealand. Joining forces with Salted Stone - who we felt are a perfect cultural fit with a common vision, or belief, in something bigger - means were now able to innovate at a global scale.From lovely cottages to luxurious rainforest villas - Chaa Creek has grown alongside Belize protecting the environment and supporting local communities is good policy, not only ethically, but economically as well

Belize has once again posted a double-digit increase in tourist arrivals for the first half of the year in what The Lodge at Chaa Creek says is further proof that sustainable tourism is as good for business as it is for the environment and local communities.

Chaa Creeks founding owners, Mick and Lucy Fleming, were responding to new Belize Tourism Board data showing that Belize was, for the third year running, showing an increase in tourist arrivals during the first half of the year.

Belizes strong growth proves, once again, that protecting the environment and supporting local communities is good policy, not only ethically, but economically as well, Ms Fleming said.

The recent BTB statistics show that the double-digit increases in both overnight and cruise ship tourist arrivals Belize experienced over the last three years has continued during the first half of 2018, a trend the BTB characterized as ground breaking and exceptional.

Ms Fleming said that while the growth of Belizes tourism industry is good news, the fact that it is driven by a nationwide commitment to sustainable tourism and responsible travel is whats truly significant.

Its one thing for a small developing country to build a successful tourism industry, but to do it with such a strong focus on environmental protection and support for local communities is really something to be proud of, she said.

Belizes focus on sustainable development is no accident, Ms Fleming explained.

Belizes tourism industry only really came into its own after gaining independence from Great Britain in 1981, and being a relatively unknown newcomer in the global marketplace presented both challenges and opportunities.

Independence and the beginning of a new tourism industry also coincided with rising worldwide awareness about the need for environmental protection, which, as a new, energetic nation, Belize embraced in both the private and public sectors, Ms Fleming said.

"Human rights and social issues were also gaining more attention, and became factors in the development of Belizes tourism industry," she added.

These factors, plus the fact that the tourism industry in Belize was initially driven by local entrepreneurs and smaller, family owned businesses, created a unique, more grassroots industry that travellers found attractive.

People obviously appreciated this more sustainable, community-based approach and liked what they saw, because it was word of mouth that initially drove, and continues to drive, the growth of Belizean tourism, Ms Fleming, a past president of the Belize Tourism Industry Association, explained.

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation also published BTB figures showing that overnight tourist arrivals in Belize increased just over 17% in the first six months of 2018, with cruise ship arrivals up 10.2% compared to last year. Figures for the month of June alone show a 15% increase in overnight visitors, while cruise ship arrivals were up 57.2%, with over 26,000 more cruise visitors compared to June 2017 in what the BTB called, Another exceptional increase in tourism arrivals.

Chaa Creek, which became one of Belizes first eco-resorts when the Flemings began taking guests at their small farm on the banks of the Macal River in Western Belize, is just one example of how tourism in Belize grew, Ms Fleming explained.

The popular Belizean jungle lodge has since grown to offer a wide range of accommodation options, amenities and activities within a 400-acre private nature reserve, while Chaa Creek Expeditions offers tours, excursions and cultural expeditions from inland Belize and Guatemala to the Caribbean coast and the Belize Great Barrier Reef.

Chaa Creek also sponsors scholarships, training and career development through the Flemings Chaa Creek Cares initiative, which sees ten percent of all room revenue going directly towards environmental and community projects, such as the annual free Eco-Kids Educational Summer Camp and other programs.

I dont think anyone in Belize could have imagined how dramatically and how successfully tourism has grown in such a relatively short time, or what a positive impact it would have on the lives of so many Belizeans, Ms Fleming said.

As National Geographic editor Costas Christ said when Chaa Creek was recognized with first place honors at the National Geographics 2017 World Legacy Awards, Call it the romance of doing well and doing good.

The Lodge at Chaa Creek is a multi-award winning eco resort set within a 400-acre private nature reserve along the banks of the Macal River in Belize. It was recognised by National Geographic with first place honours at the 2017 World Legacy Awards held in Berlin.We are excited to be working with Dryver, They are a perfect partner for us because they share our blueprint for success: a good idea, cutting-edge technology, talented leadership and an entrepreneurial spirit." - Bernie Moreno

Bernie Moreno Companies, the largest luxury-vehicle dealer in the Midwest, announced today that it has made a strategic investment into Dryver, the nations largest personal driver service.

BMC will partner with Dryver to expand its business, increase its penetration in current markets and support growth into more cities.

Dryver, created in Cleveland in 2010 by entrepreneur Arthur Simanovsky, provides businesses and individuals with convenient, safe, reliable and affordable drivers. All service is provided using customer vehicles. Dryver does not have any vehicles of its own. The company operates by its slogan: We drive your car, so you dont have to.

Businesses and individuals have embraced the innovative service: Dryver has expanded operations into 77 cities across 32 states.

Dryvers consumer-facing services include designated drivers, personal drivers, non-emergency medical transportation, senior/elderly assistance, corporate transportation and more.

In recent years, Dryver has also become an outsourcing solution for companies that use drivers for everyday business needs. This is especially evident in the companys growth partnering with car dealerships, rental-car locations, medical-transportation providers, etc. for fleet movements and general driver staffing.

Driver reservations are made through Dryvers smartphone app, its website (Dryver.com) or through its Ohio-based call center at 877-823-6933. Rates vary from $15.95 to $23.95 per hour for a personal driver depending on location. The companys drivers are experienced, professional, insured, pre-screened, interviewed, fully background-checked and arrive dressed in formal business attire. The average age of the companys drivers is 51 years old, and drivers develop repeat clientele as customers are able to request their favorite drivers.

We are excited to be working with Dryver, said Bernie Moreno. They are a perfect partner for us because they share our blueprint for success: a good idea, cutting-edge technology, talented leadership and an entrepreneurial spirit.

Thats a winning recipe for not only a young company but for our entire region, Moreno added. Companies like Dryver hold the key to Clevelands future economy. We are thrilled to be able to partner with them, accelerate their success and diversify our business.

For more than a decade, Bernie Moreno Companies has proven that you dont need to be ultra-rich to afford a luxury vehicle, said Simanovsky, Dryvers CEO. Dryver is proving that you dont need to be a billionaire to have your own driver. We are excited to see what will happen when our two successful Cleveland-born businesses join forces in this partnership.

Details and terms of the investment and partnership were not disclosed.

For more information or to set up an interview with Bernie Moreno or Arthur Simanovsky, contact Ralph Stawicki at 440-567-9144.

About Bernie Moreno Companies: Since the purchase of its first dealership in 2005, Bernie Moreno Companies has become one of the fastest-growing and most-admired auto-dealership organizations in the country, earning awards for its growth, client service, community involvement and employee engagement. Always looking toward the future, BMC has diversified its business with entrepreneurial start-ups and strategic acquisitions, including Hotcards, Votem, Flight Plan and others.

About Dryver: Dryver is the nation's largest personal driver service, currently operating in 77 cities across 32 states. This convenient and affordable alternative transportation solution provides chauffeur-like services at a discounted rate by driving the customer's automobile. With driver staffing and outsourcing solutions for companies needing assistance with their driver fleet, Dryver has quickly become a one-stop shop for both consumers and businesses looking for reliable drivers nationwide.WVPS 2019 Logo Through risk assessments, legal employee screening, effective safety training and the creation of a team to handle workplace crises, business leaders can create a workplace with a nonviolent culture that protects employees and encourages communication to improve safety.

BLR, the leading provider of employment, safety, and HR compliance information and technology, is pleased to announce that the fourth annual Workplace Violence Prevention Symposium 2019 will return March 1415 in San Antonio, TX.

Workplace Violence Prevention Symposium 2019 will teach attendees how to prepare their organizations for a worst-case scenario and mitigate the increasing likelihood of a workplace violence incident with actionable tactics for emergency response and crisis and risk management.

Attendees of Workplace Violence Prevention Symposium 2019 will learn strategies to:



Understand the link between substance abuse and workplace violence.

Handle delicate workplace issues like domestic violence and sexual harassment.

Identify and prevent cyberbullying in the workplace.

Create an effective workplace violence prevention program with a limited staff and budget.

Protect and train employees to react during an active shooter or other high-risk incident.

Utilize your corporate culture to be proactive against workplace violence risks.

Employ compliant employee screening and drug-testing practices to prevent workplace attacks.

Understand OSHAs expectations when it comes to reporting injuries related to workplace violence.

2 million Americans report being victims of workplace violence every year, says Amanda Czepiel, JD, senior managing editor of EHS for BLR. Its vital that HR and safety managers work towards making safer workplaces for all employees. Through risk assessments, legal employee screening, effective safety training and the creation of a team to handle workplace crises, business leaders can create a workplace with a nonviolent culture that protects employees and encourages communication to improve safety.

The event will take place at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel in San Antonio. For more information, please visit http://workplaceviolence.blr.com.

About Simplify Compliance

Simplify Compliance helps its customers learn, comply, and succeed by providing mission-critical regulatory and business information, analysis, and tools. Serving a range of industriesincluding financial services, health care, human capital management, and telecommunicationsSimplify Compliance provides time-saving products and solutions that help U.S.-based businesses and their employees monitor compliance, optimize financial performance, and create and implement best practices.

Simplify Compliance operates the Argosy Group, BLR, CCMI, and H3.Group business units.

About BLR

BLR helps U.S. businesses simplify compliance with state and federal legal requirements. In-house experts and an exclusive attorney network provide comprehensive, reliable, state-specific information for businesses in all 50 states. Award-winning products and solutionsincluding training programs, events, Web portals, reports, and subscription servicesgive businesses of all sizes and industries the best tools available at affordable prices. For more information on its offerings, visit http://www.BLR.com.

Contact

Kimberly St. Lawrence

Marketing Director | Events

BLRBusiness & Legal Resources

35 Village Road

Middleton, MA 01949

860-510-0100, Ext. 3874

kstlawrence@blr.com

http://www.BLR.comWith GiveBack were able to give to organizations that are not just important to us but important to our customers.

Blue Dog Business Services (BlueDog), a Florida-based B2B startup, tops $37,000 in charitable giving since 2014 thanks to their GiveBack Program.

The BlueDog GiveBack Program allows BlueDog customers to choose a charity that speaks to them, BlueDog then donates 5% of the net profits earned from processing payments to that charity. In the second quarter of 2018, BlueDog donated to over 25 non-profit organizations.

We want to do something that matters, which is why we are really excited about the GiveBack Program, says BlueDog CEO, Ron Dichter, with GiveBack were able to give to organizations that are not just important to us but important to our customers."

BlueDog's efforts don't end with the GiveBack Program; on March 24th, BlueDog took part in Red Nose Day, an international fundraising event organized by Comic Relief, that works to raise awareness of childhood poverty.

About BlueDog: Founded in 2010, BlueDog is a financial technology and consulting firm for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) founded in 2010 and headquartered in beautiful Vero Beach, Florida. In 2017, BlueDog was listed #514 of Inc Magazine's 5000 fastest growing privately owned businesses in the country.

Visit http://www.yourbluedog.com for more information on BlueDog and BlueDog's GiveBack Program or stop by their beachside Vero Beach HQ.Autotronics will be the Braun ambulances dealer for Maine and New Hampshire. Autotronics will be the focal point dealer for Braun and Demers in both states, which is truly an exciting moment for us!

Braun Ambulances is proud to announce a territory expansion for Autotronics, LLC. Starting July 31, 2018, Autotronics began serving customers located in New Hampshire and Maine; they previously covered the state of Maine only. The expansion is a testament to the great work Autotronics is doing for Braun Industries in the New England region. Additionally, Autotronics has added Demers Ambulances to their product offerings. This is an important step forward in dealer alignment for both brands, who merged under one company in February 2018.

Under their 4th generation of family leadership, Autotronics is a lot like Braun, says Chad Brown, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Braun Industries. They treat their partners and customers like family, and thats been something weve cherished throughout our longstanding partnership with them. We look forward to working alongside them to serve customers in the state of New Hampshire. More importantly, with the addition of the Demers lineup to their offerings, they will help us better meet the needs in their region as two brands under one exceptional company. Autotronics will be the focal point dealer for Braun and Demers in both states, which is truly an exciting moment for us!

Autotronics started off as Daigle Midway Service in 1958 under the leadership of Ferdinand Daigle, Sr. He specialized in automotive heating and cooling system repairs. In 1964 his son, Ferdinand Daigle, Jr., migrated the business towards the specialty automotive electrical systems, starters and alternators and rebranded as Automotive Electric. In 1985, Ferdinand Paul Daigle, III (Paul) joined the company and turned the automotive electrical systems focus towards the public safety sector. Today, the company is under its fourth generation of family leadership through Co-Owner and Sales Manager, Kyle Daigle.

We are excited to get to work in New Hampshire, says Kyle Daigle. We have been a dealer partner with Braun Industries since 2000. With nearly twenty years of product knowledge and service after the sale, we believe in the quality and reliability of Braun ambulances and we work hard to get our customers the right vehicle(s) to meet their needs and budget. What makes this expansion particularly notable for us is that it will include the addition of a new product line through Demers Ambulances. With an aligned dealer territory, we can now offer customers in New Hampshire and Maine a complete ambulance lineup from either Braun or Demers. They can get a Type I, Type II, or Type III unit customized to their specifications. We are proud to represent both brands and eager to get the word out in our area.

Autotronics, LLC operates two facilities, one in Frenchville, ME and another in Bangor, ME. They represent Braun Industries and Demers Ambulances for new ambulance sales and service. They also provide ambulance remounts, fire apparatus, ADA vehicles, police vehicles, and more to serve as a one-stop-shop for EMS providers throughout their region. They offer comprehensive service after the sale as a Braun Authorized Service Center and will be opening a new remount and service facility later this year.

If you'd like more information about Autrotonics, LLC or their territory expansion with Braun Ambulances, please call Chad Brown at 419-232-7054 or email ChadB(at)BraunAmbulances(dot)com.

About Braun Industries and Demers Ambulances:

Braun Industries and Demers Ambulances merged in 2018 creating the second largest ambulance manufacturing organization in North America. Recognized for leadership in innovative design, quality product, and for their over 100-years of rich history serving the emergency response market in over 20 countries worldwide. Demers and Braun offer ambulance models ranging from the price-conscience value ambulance to the very highly-customized speciality vehicle. To learn more about how Demers Ambulances and Braun Industries can help you save more lives, visit http://www.Demers-Ambulances.com and http://www.BraunAmbulances.com.Brightline Technologies, Inc. has been named one of Metro Detroits Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in 2018. The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For is a program of the Michigan Business and Professional Association. This annual honor provides the Michigan business community a chance to showcase best practices across all categories of employee recruitment, retention and development.

After Michigan businesses submitted applications to the Best and Brightest program last year, an independent research firm evaluated each companys entry based on key measures in various categories. These include compensation, benefits, diversity, employee achievement, engagement, and education. Only companies that distinguish themselves as having the most innovative and thoughtful human resources approach are selected for the award.

Brightline Technologies, Inc. is proud to be named one of the 2018 award winner. Brightline is a managed IT solutions company based in Brighton, Michigan. Centrally located to serve clients from Detroit to Lansing, Brightline specializes in expert and adaptive solutions that will help companies meet the compliance standards of their industry. Clients big and small count on Brightline to provide high-level security that matches their industrys regulatory standards.

Employees love working at Brightline because of its competitive salaries, opportunities for growth, and positive corporate culture. As a leader in creating innovative solutions for complex problems, Brightline values its employees, who bring a wealth of technical expertise and a creative approach to their work. Thats why the company offers regular opportunities to learn about the latest developments in the field and encourages open communication and employee engagement.

Brightline and the other winning companies will be honored on Friday, September 21st at the Detroit Marriot Renaissance in downtown Detroit. At that event the winning companies will learn if they have also won any of the thirteen elite awards, or the Best of the Best Overall award. The annual symposium and awards program will also include a networking event and educational programs. Tickets and tables for this event are currently available on the Best and Brightest website at http://www.thebestandbrightest.com or by calling the MBPA at 866-321-1822.

The Michigan Business and Professional Association is delighted to celebrate companies that are making better business, creating richer lives, and building a stronger community as a whole. Profitability and stability is essential for businesses in todays economic climate. Companies that recognize that their employees are the key to their success achieve staying power. Our 2018 winners create their human resource standards to ensure employee satisfaction and they set standards for every business to aspire toward, says Jennifer Kluge, President and CEO of B&B Programs. We are proud to honor this years winners.Karen Dyson has an impressive career overseeing the development and execution of the U.S. Army budget. She brings talent and expertise in Army financial management which is a key CALIBRE service area.

CALIBRE Systems, Inc. (CALIBRE) is pleased to announce the appointment of LTG (USA-Ret) Karen Dyson to the CALIBRE Board of Directors, effective October 1, 2018.

Karen Dyson is the former military CFO/Comptroller for the United States Army with expertise in Defense and Federal Financial Management, risk and change management.

Karen Dyson has an impressive career overseeing the development and execution of the U.S. Army budget. She brings talent and expertise in Army financial management which is a key CALIBRE service area, said LTG (USA-Ret) Terry Scott, Chairman of the Board of CALIBRE. Karens experience and proven leadership in Army programs will strengthen CALIBREs ability to implement our strategic plan and grow our business base. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I welcome her as a member.

Karen Dyson also serves on the Board of USAA Federal Savings Bank, and was the Chair of the Finance and Audit Committees of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service. She is a graduate of Missouri State University, and received an MS degree from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.

About CALIBRE

Alexandria, Virginia-based CALIBRE Systems, Inc. is an employee-owned management consulting and information technology solutions company supporting government and industry. CALIBRE is committed to the success of our clients, and delivers enduring solutions that solve management, technology, and program challenges.

For more information about CALIBRE, please visit http://www.calibresys.com.

Contact: Craig College, Executive Vice President & CFO

Telephone: 703.797.8733

E-mail: Craig.College@calibresys.comA. Shuanise Washington, president and CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), Inc., released the following statement on the significance of women from diverse backgrounds concurrently serving at the helm of the Asian Pacific American Institute for International Studies (APAICS), the CBCF and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI).

It is a true honor to serve alongside CHCI President Domenika Lynch and APAICS new President Madalene Mielke. For the first time in our organizations history, three women of color are leading these organizations dedicated to expanding opportunities for our nations future  young people.

An ideal America is a place where many cultures exist, coexist and build on shared values. Multiculturalism is what makes America great. Through the relationships between APAICS, CBCF and CHCI, we have created opportunities for more effective diplomacy, enriched the education of our young people and helped to build a greater acceptance of different cultures. I hope our country and this world takes notice and follows suit.

At a time when women from diverse ethnicities are underrepresented and being viciously attacked morally, sexually, intellectually as well as economically in this country, our organizations are showing what makes America great again  multicultural unity.

We will continue to provide students with the opportunity to gain insight by learning how distinct cultures can build a solid foundation for friendship, collaboration and cooperation. The CBCF, as well as the CHCI and APAICS, has an undying commitment to empowering young people to become strong leaders.

Among this circle of women in leadership, our shared goals not only help us prepare our emerging leaders with the academic and technical skills needed to contribute to future collaborations, they also serve as a catalyst for us to empower them to become globally engaged.

As Reuven Rivlin once said, A multicultural society does not reject the culture of the other but is prepared to listen, to see, to dialogue and, in the final analysis, to possibly accept the other's culture without compromising its own. Atlanta-based Cerese D Jewelry recently partnered with Rashan Ali of TV Ones Sister Circle Live to host an exclusive meet and greet at the 68th annual Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Boule. Held in Houston, TX, this year marked the third time the mother daughter duo showcased their exclusive pieces at the bi-annual convention.

For this years showcase, it was important for Cerese D Jewelry to create a memorable experience for their new and returning customers.

This year, we wanted to bring something different to our booth experience, said Cerese Dolman, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Cerese D Jewelry. When the idea was presented to our team to host a meet and greet with an AKA influencer, we immediately thought about Rashan Ali.

Rashans personality is bubbly, personable and we love how she engages with her audience, said Deborah Dolman, Co-Founder and VP of Business Development for Cerese D Jewelry. It is evident by Rashans following, that her fans love and support her. This was very important to our team when we made our decision.

The meet and greet with Rashan Ali took place on Sunday, July 8, 2018 from 2pm to 3pm. Rashan Ali engaged with guests by taking pictures, participating in a live streaming segment on Cerese D Jewelry Instagram platform and assisted shoppers on selecting key pieces for purchase.

Since 2009, Cerese D Jewelry continues to grow their relationship with the AKA sorority to provide exclusive, one of a kind pieces for the organization. In addition, the jewelry brand participates in additional AKA programming such as their regional conferences, their annual AKA Founders Day and more.

To learn more about Cerese D Jewelry, upcoming tradeshow dates, current offerings and more, please visit ceresed.com for more information.

Join the social conversation and follow Cerese D Jewelry on Instagram/Twitter @ceresedjewelry or Facebook @ceresedjewelryinc .EU says Asso 28 case not under its remit Matter of international law, bloc not involved in rescue op

(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, AUGUST 1 - An EU spokesman said Wednesday that the Asso 28 case, in which an Italian towboat rescued more than 100 people in the Mediterranean and returned them to Libya, is not under its jurisdiction.



He said that the EU was in contact with the Italian authorities but that since it is a matter of international law, the EU Commission was not responsible for assessing the circumstances. The spokesperson noted, however, that all vessels flying a flag of an EU nation - whether part of an EU operation or not - must comply with the non-refoulement principle in EU and international law. Sources note, however, that the rescue operation was conducted in Libyan territorial waters and involved a commercial ship working under a contract with the Libyan authorities at an oilrig off Libya. The operation was also conducted by Libyan authorities and no EU authority was involved.



The contract with the Libyan authorities stipulates that all assets working within the commercial framework linked to the offshore rig must comply with Libyan laws and regulations.



(ANSAmed).



Photograph: Monty Waldin (left) and Carole Bouquet (right) after the podcast interview during OperaWine 2018 in Verona. I wanted a piece of land... I never wanted that before and I was 40 at that time... I decided (because I am a real city girl) to put down roots in Pantelleria, as if I belonged there more than in any place in the world." (Carole Bouquet in conversation with Monty Waldin on the Italian Wine Podcast)

In the interview with Monty Waldin, Bouquet speaks of her previous career in the world of cinema and advertisingmost famously, she played a Bond Girl in the 1989 James Bond movie For your eyes only and modeled for top fashion brands such as Chanel. Bouquet, who defines herself a city girl, tells Waldin of her breakthrough in acting that happened when she was eighteen. Indeed, while attending the national school of acting in Paris, Bouquet was selected for Luis Bunuels famous movie That obscure object of desire.

On the other hand, her forays into the wine world started when she turned forty and fell in love with Pantelleria, which she defines the front door of Orient but at the same time very Italian. Bouquet, who is very interested also in the history of viticulture and wine-making on the island, had always admired Pantellerias landscape of terraced vineyards and its volcanic soil, to the point that she decided to put down roots there by gradually buying land. I wanted a piece of land, and I never wanted that before, and I was 40 at that time, she tells Waldin, I decided (because I am a real city girl) to put down roots in Pantelleria, as if I belonged there more than in any place in the world. Even though I was not Italian, that was my wayI am so in love with Italy!to dare to say that I was Italian. Bouquets winery, Sangue dOro, produces Passito di Pantelleria from Moscato di Alessandria grapes and was selected also by Wine Spectator for the OperaWine Grand Tasting 2018 in Verona, Italy. Listeners interested in discovering stories behind other producers of Sicilian wine can tune in to the series on Sicily.

In addition to famous wine producers, the Italian Wine Podcast also hosts key players in the wine business, and recently dedicated a series of podcasts to three influencer marketing projects that exploit the popularity of Instagram and other social media to promote wine. Waldins interviews with Andrea Albagli (@cor_vino), Stefano Quaglierini (@italian_wines), and the @cantinasocial trio Adriano Amoretti, Matteo Franco, and John Murnane dig deeper into the field of influencer marketing for the wine sector and into their different approaches to digital communication. Currently every Tuesday the Italian Wine Podcast is broadcasting a series of podcasts on Sagrantino wine producers in Umbria; on Wednesday, Waldin meets other wine producers coming from all over Italy, in particular from wine regions such as Campania, Puglia, Sardinia.

The Italian Wine Podcast team recently launched a new interactive map of Italy that allows listeners to browse through the stories of Italian wine producers region by region. This digital map is available on the podcast website. By clicking on each Italian region, listeners are redirected to the stories of great wines and their producers grouped together according to their location in Italy. With around 300,000 companies involved in wine-making across Italy and with its biodiversity, the Italian wine world may seem difficult to decode at times. The digital map tool for podcasts helps locate producers and discover the regional attachments and affiliations of Italian wines.

About:

Italian Wine Podcast: Cin Cin with Italian Wine People! is a new podcast project dedicated exclusively to the Italian wine world. Wine writer Monty Waldin uncovers the unique Italian wine-making tradition in conversation with some of its key protagonists. Italian Wine Podcast aims to inform, educate, and entertain listeners about Italian wine. Italian Wine Podcast is available on SoundCloud, iTunes, XimalayaFM (for China) and on the official website.CERES Coin

On August 7th, Canaccord Genuity, the global capital markets division of Canaccord Genuity Group Inc, will host its 38th Annual Growth Conference in Boston. This year, CERES Coin, a blockchain transaction network in the cannabis industry, will present to investors on the Blockchain and Digital Asset Symposium stage.

When you think of the cannabis industry, you may not immediately think of the blockchain or a security token offering, but CERES Coin is betting big that this will change in the near future. The startup is seeking to launch the worlds first SEC-compliant Security Token Offering (STO) in the cannabis industry this year, and theyre already well on their way to succeeding. Theyre poised to disrupt the industry in a way we havent seen since state-led legalization.

Founders Charlie Uchill and Greg Anderson launched CERES after seeing significant issues in the cannabis market  specifically in funding, banking, and transactions in the industry. Since the sector is unbanked aka, banks refuse to finance cannabis ventures, its up to cannabis startups, of which there are many, to turn to the private sector for funds.

Ambitious ICO founders have jumped at the opportunity to bring in funding, but Uchill and Anderson know what many investors have discovered over the last few years - ICOs are unstable at best and fraudulent at worst. Uchill and Anderson understand that the problems facing the cannabis industry (ease of brokering transactions, regulation and oversight, and lack of funding) cant be solved with cryptocurrency alone. Only a security, backed with the full support of the SEC, will bring the cannabis industry from a niche market to the masses. A regulated STO can benefit both companies and investors and allow the cannabis industry to flourish.

No strangers to an uphill battle (founders Charlie Uchill and Greg Anderson are USMA grads, and Uchill is a former U.S. Army Ranger), CERES is willing to push hard to make their dream a reality. And they have proven time and time again that their instincts are right on the money. They are excited to speak at the conference and look forward to meeting other change-makers in the space.

About CERES Coin: Founded in 2017, CERES Coin is a blockchain transaction network for the cannabis industry. The company hopes to launch the first ever SEC-compliant STO in 2018.

For more information, visit CERES website at http://www.cerescoin.io.

No money or other consideration is being solicited with respect to the offering described herein, and if sent in response, will not be accepted. No offer to buy the securities described herein can be accepted and no part of the purchase price for such securities can be received unless and until an offering statement with respect to the offer and sale of such securities has been filed with, and fully qualified by, the sec. Any such offer May be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of acceptance.

Contact:

CERES Coin

Charlie Uchill, COO

(773) 354-2301

charlie@cerescoin.io

http://www.cerescoin.ioClint Watts, Distinguished Research Fellow, FPRI

The Foreign Policy Research Institute is pleased to announce that Clint Watts has been named a Distinguished Research Fellow in recognition of his unique contributions to the nation and, for the past ten years, to the work of FPRI, where he has been a senior fellow and a Robert A. Fox Fellow.

Watts has worked at the cutting edge of several key issues affecting US national security -- first, for his work on the influx of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria, then on the fracturing of Al Qaeda, then on the rise of ISIS and its deft use of social media to recruit jihadis, and most recently on Russian Influence operations to sow distrust in America's democratic institutions.

All of this work is captured in his new book Messing With the Enemy: Surviving in a Social Media World of Hackers, Terrorists, Russians, and Fake News, which recounts Watts years of work tracking terrorists online and how he stumbled onto Russian trolls in 2014, leading him to focus on Russian influence operations in social media.

As cited by The Washington Post, Watts and his colleagues were among the first to identify and track Russian bots operating through social media campaigns and networks in 2014. He testified about his findings before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on March 30, 2017 and his testimony is now a cornerstone of ongoing reporting on Russian bots. He subsequently became an NBC analyst and appears regularly on MSNBC. In August 2017, Watts and his colleagues launched Hamilton 68, a dashboard that tracks real time activity of over 600 monitored Twitter accounts linked to Russian influence operations.

As a consultant and researcher, he models and forecasts the behavior of nefarious state and non-state actors and develops countermeasures to disrupt and defeat them. Before becoming a consultant, Clint served as a U.S. Army infantry officer, an FBI Special Agent on a Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), as the Executive Officer of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point (CTC) and as a consultant to the FBIs Counter Terrorism Division (CTD) and National Security Branch (NSB).

About the Foreign Policy Research Institute

FPRI is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank located in Center City Philadelphia. Its mission is to bring the insights of scholarship to bear on the foreign policy and national security challenges facing the United States. It seeks to educate the public, teach teachers, train students, and offer ideas to advance U.S. national interest based on a nonpartisan, geopolitical perspective that illuminates contemporary international affairs through the lens of history, geography and culture.

For more information about FPRI, please visit http://www.fpri.org or contact Eli Gilman at 215-732-3774 ext. 103.TurningPoint NPPES team receiving the award National Plan and Provider Enumeration System has been named a winner of the 2018 FedHealth IT Innovation Award, presented on June 12, 2018 at the National Press Club, Washington DC. This is the second FedHealth IT Innovation Award for TurningPoint, previously won in the Big Data category in 2015

TurningPoint Global Solutions LLC., today announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's (CMS') National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) has been named a winner of the 2018 Federal Health IT Innovation Award, presented June 12, 2018 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

NPPES is a web-based system designed to assign standard unique identifiers for healthcare providers and health plans so that electronic transmission of health information can be accomplished more effectively, efficiently, and securely. In order to improve user verification and enhance fraud, waste, and abuse identification initiatives TurningPoint integrated the modernized NPPES solution with several other healthcare systems and technologies, including: PECOS, NPPES Public Search, CMS Identification and Access (I&A), End User Support (EUS), and the NPPES Virtual Data Center (VDC). This enables NPPES to cross-reference data in near-real-time, improving data accuracy while keeping the registration process for users efficient and streamlined.

The NPPES team increased application usability and met the US Digital Service mission by using open source products to improve efficiency and effectiveness, simplify the user experience, and implement enhancements such as a delegation function, automated form completion, self-service, and smart search features. As a result of these modernization activities, NPPES usage has improved significantly and manual interventions have declined by 50 percent.

"TurningPoint congratulates the CMS Center for Program Integrity for this recognition," said David Hughes, co-founder of TurningPoint. "We are proud that our modernization of the NPPES application has been so successful in preventing fraud, waste, and abuse in our healthcare system."

Award winners were determined by a panel of judges that included government and industry leaders who evaluated applicants from across the industry, selecting awardees based on their willingness to take on achievable risk and to deliver real results in support of their mission.

This is the second Federal Health IT Innovation Award for TurningPoint, having previously won in the Big Data category for the CMS Advanced Provider Screening (APS) program in 2015.

About FedHealthIT Innovation Awards

The Annual Federal Health IT Innovation Awards are hosted by FedHealthIT, a print and digital magazine dedicated to providing news and insights focusing around the Federal Health Market. The annual event brings together Federal Health leaders from government and industry to honor the companies, agencies, and programs that provide innovations in the healthcare technology industry.

About TurningPoint Global Solutions, L.L.C.

Headquartered in Rockville, MD, TurningPoint is a CMMI Maturity Level 4 for Development, independently appraised software engineering professional services firm that serves a diversified group of commercial and government customers, enabling them to generate value from their IT investments. TurningPoint achieves these results through the successful planning, development, integration, and maintenance of IT solutions and by driving operational efficiencies into infrastructure operations. TurningPoint was named 2012 Technology Firm of the Year by Tech Council of Maryland, and ranked 38 on the 2011 Fast 50 ranking of the 50 fastest growing small businesses in the Government Market by Washington Technology. For more information, visit http://www.tpgsi.comWe are thrilled to join forces with Crest Insurance Group to better serve our clients, said Sean Pechan, president of Crest Restaurant Insurance.

Crest Insurance Group has acquired Colorado Restaurant Insurance, extending the Arizona-based insurers presence in Colorado and providing Colorado Restaurant Insurance with the ability to expand its services. Colorado Restaurant Insurance will operate as Crest Restaurant Insurance and will officially become part of the Crest Insurance Group family.

We are thrilled to join forces with Crest Insurance Group to better serve our clients, said Sean Pechan, president of Crest Restaurant Insurance. This combination will take the best of what we have and infuse it with the services and resources that Crest has to offer. I feel confident that we will be able to provide the type of comprehensive coverage our restaurants will need in the years to come.

Pechan will remain president of Crest Restaurant Insurance and the company will maintain its current management team and product offerings. As a result of the acquisition, the company has moved into new offices at 2000 South Colorado Blvd. in Denver and also has a new phone number, 720-667-1850.

This is an exciting, strategic move for our member-based organization, said Sonia Riggs, CRA President & CEO. This change will allow us to maintain the focused level of service, expertise and quality that our insurance clients are used to, and it will provide enhanced options and offerings with the support of a regional agency. Crest Restaurant Insurance continues as the exclusive endorsed Insurance partner of the CRA, so our relationship will continue well into the future.

A full-service property and casualty insurance agency, Crest Restaurant Insurance was founded as Colorado Restaurant Insurance in 1993 to specialize in insurance products for the food service and hospitality industry. Crest Restaurant Insurance is a member of the Professional Independent Insurance Agencies of Colorado and the National Independent Insurance Agents Association. The agency was formerly fully-owned by the Colorado Restaurant Association.

Crest Insurance Group has opened its own office in the Denver area and will sell a broad range of different types of insurance across multiple industries.

About Crest Insurance Group:

Crest Insurance Group is a full-service insurance agency providing our clients access to hundreds of national carriers spread across all the markets. Our strength comes from our approach to each client; by listening and understanding their specific insurance needs. Our clients choose us for our solid reputation of service, experience, and knowledge of the industry. Through our outstanding customer service, we forge long lasting relationships.A security strategy can only be successful if you can execute it. Execution only occurs if you have an environment that enables progress with your security efforts in alignment with best practice. This is the pure focus of Cyber Progress Index.

Cyber Progress Index announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Cyber Progress Index to its 2018 Emerging Vendors List in the security category. This list recognizes recently founded, up-and-coming technology suppliers who are shaping the future of the IT channel through unique technological innovations. The list is divided into seven categories: Cloud, Data Center, Security, Big Data, Unified Communications, Internet of Things (IoT) and Storage. In addition to celebrating these notable companies, the Emerging Vendors List serves as a valuable resource for solution providers looking to expand their portfolios with cutting-edge technology.

Cyber Progress Index provides the first progress-based cyber security scoring system to measure and improve a security program. It includes a simple measurement capability to establish a score and an ecosystem of tools in a do-it-yourself model.

"The technology suppliers on CRN's 2018 Emerging Vendors list are creating a bright future for the IT channel, aggressively developing products to meet complex IT market demands, while positively impacting the bottom line of solution providers," said Bob Skelley, CEO, The Channel Company. "The array of leading-edge products delivered by these organizations will have a lasting impact on the channel for years to come."

"A security strategy can only be successful if you can execute it. Execution only occurs if you have an environment that enables progress with your security efforts in alignment with best practice. This is the pure focus of Cyber Progress Index," said Mike Gentile, founder of Cyber Progress Index.

The complete Emerging Vendors list will be featured online at http://www.crn.com/emergingvendors

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook

Tweet This:

@TheChannelCo names @CyberProIndex to @CRN 2018 Emerging Vendors list #CRNEV http://www.crn.com/emergingvendors

About Cyber Progress Index

Cyber Progress Index is a SaaS-based service organization located in San Clemente, California that is wholly owned by CISOSHARE. It offers a free cyber progress score for any organization, as well as a suite of progress-based subscription services and tools. Start making progress now at https://www.cyberprogressindex.com

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. http://www.thechannelco.comNate is adept at designing efficient plant production and processing with optimal procedures for high-volume operations. We are excited to welcome him to ESL.

Earth Science Laboratories is expanding the engineering and manufacturing team. Nathan Bearden joined ESL in May to lead further expansion of chemical production at the companys plant in Holdrege, Nebraska. Bearden is a chemical engineer with experience in petrochemical refining and operations management.

A native of Northwest Arkansas, Bearden graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Arkansas with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a M.S. in Operations Management. He worked as a process engineer for Kansas-based petroleum refiner HollyFrontier for three years before returning to Northwest Arkansas. For the past two years he has successfully led regional logistics and project management teams for international retailer Walmart.

Bearden was drawn to ESL by the prospect of uniting these two areas of his expertise at a growing company. Im looking forward to ensuring that our production and distribution systems remain seamless as we expand, said Bearden. And Im thrilled to direct the technical aspects of processing and testing new products.

ESL CEO David Nicholas added that Beardens skills are ideally suited to the position. Nate is adept at designing efficient plant production and processing with optimal procedures for high-volume operations, said Nicholas. We are excited to welcome him to ESL.

Earth Science Laboratories Inc. develops and manufactures advanced water treatment products for municipal, agricultural and recreational applications. EarthTec and EarthTec QZ control cyanobacteria and kill zebra mussels. AgriTec controls algae, bacteria and aquatic pests in commercial and agricultural water systems. PristineBlue is a complete Pool and Spa Care System. AlgaeShield is a 30-day pool algaecide. More information is available at earthsciencelabs.com.Immigration Lawyers in Spokane, Washington It is always our goal to go the distance for any immigration law challenge.

The Elliott Law Group, a multi-lingual team of lawyers skilled in immigration law and serving both Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is proud to announce new review milestones for both locations. As of the time of this writing, the law firm enjoys more than forty-seven reviews of its Spokane location and more than sixteen of its newer Couer d'Alene location. The reviews speak in high terms about client satisfaction with the law firm and position it as one of the best immigration law firms in both Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, as measured by online reviews.

It is always our goal to go the distance for any immigration law challenge, explained Lana Elliott, managing partner at the law firm. "It is really wonderful to see our clients posting positive reviews about us. Knowing our passion for immigration law is helping them is inspires us as immigration lawyers.

Interested persons can read the reviews for Elliott Law Group in two areas. The link for Spokane reviews can be found at https://goo.gl/U4cTQY and a landing page for that city can be found at https://www.elliottlawgroup.com/spokane/. Reviews of the Coeur d'Alene location can be seen at https://goo.gl/AnkWeS and a landing page for that city can be found at https://www.elliottlawgroup.com/coeur-d-alene/. Clients have posted five star Google reviews for immigration law support including naturalization applications, deportation issues, K1 and HB1 visas. Clients have noted the multilingual legal team can communicate in English, Spanish and Russian.

IMMIGRATION LAWYERS FOR SPOKANE AND COEUR DALENE RECEIVE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON GOOGLE

Here is the background for this release. Immigrants in the Spokane and Coeur dAlene areas may be concerned about recent deportation efforts throughout the United States. Legal paperwork could be difficult for an immigrant to decipher and process alone. Details for immigration law issues including naturalization, green card renewals and family visas can be confusing. If an immigrant needs the support of a bilingual attorney, it may be helpful to seek out personal reviews from the community.

Searching for a team of five-star immigration lawyers in Spokane and Coeur DAlene could be easier than one might think. Google reviews can help non-citizens find help. Coeur dAlene green card holders have received legal support processing piles of paperwork. Spokane immigrants have had K1 and HB1 visas quickly and professionally managed. A deportation process for a hard-working family member may be stoppable with skilled legal help. Documented and undocumented immigrants have learned where to find top immigration attorneys in Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, by turning to local reviews as a first stop. That said, there is no substitute for a personal consultation with an immigration attorney, and nothing on the Website or the reviews should be construed as legal advice. It is important to reach out to an attorney for a consultation.

ABOUT ELLIOTT LAW GROUP

With law firm offices in both Spokane Valley, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Elliott Law Group 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.

Website. http://www.elliottlawgroup.com/

Media Relations. 509-891-4301Users know they'll see streams of products and events in their feeds, and they're coming back for more - making Facebook (and Instagram, coming in at 11%) the prime location to invest in influencer marketing.

A quick glance at any social feed shows influencer marketing on the rise, and eMarketer reports that 70% of US agencies and brand marketers will likely increase influencer marketing budgets this year. But how can brands effectively implement an influencer strategy? Where are consumers most likely to discover new products? And how do consumers really feel about seeing ads in their feed? CPC Strategy, a retail-focused digital marketing agency, announced today the publication of its 2018 U.S. Influencer Marketing Report: The Rise of Micro-Influencers and How Consumer Trust Drives Sales. To better understand how consumers interact with sponsored posts, CPC Strategy asked 1,500 shoppers how they define influencers on social media, what makes an influencer trustworthy, and how likely they are to act on an influencers recommendation. The research uncovered some unexpected results - including the eye-popping statistic that 70% of consumers are most likely to hear about new products, services or events from people they follow on Facebook. The study drills down into the data by age and gender, and reveals where brands should prioritize their resources when developing an influencer strategy. A full report on the studys methodology and findings, along with analysis of the results, can be found on the CPC Strategy website.

"If our Influencer Marketing study had one underlying theme, it's that Facebook is the king of Influencer Marketing, and Instagram the Queen, said Nii Ahene, COO and cofounder of CPC Strategy. Nearly 70% of of our survey respondents claimed they're more likely to hear about new products, services, and events on Facebook than anywhere else. And the most impressive part? Users know they'll see streams of products and events in their feeds, and they're coming back for more - making Facebook (and Instagram, coming in at 11%) the prime location to invest in influencer marketing."

Commissioned by CPC Strategy and conducted by Survata, the survey asked 1,500 online respondents ages 18-65 a series of questions, including how consumers determine whether a post is sponsored, how consumers feel about seeing ads in their social media feeds, and what products and services consumers have purchased based on an influencers social media post.

Beginning with the most basic question, how consumers define influencer, CPC Strategys research validates the rise of micro influencersindividuals with a smaller but more engaged and trusting follower base. Fewer than 20% of survey participants defined influencers as celebrities, while the the remaining ~80% defined an influencer as a person with a lot of followers on a social channel or anyone who promotes a product on their social channel

Other key findings of the report:



Nearly 40% of consumers cant tell if a post is sponsored

44% of consumers are open to recommendations by influencers

28.4% of consumers feel paid promotions are out of place on their news feed

So what can brands takeaway from this research?

Trust is everything. When brands invest in influencers who consumers trust, and utilize platforms their target audience use most often to discover new products and services, influencer marketing offers a powerful and cost-effective way to generate brand awareness and increase sales.

For an overview of the research findings with a link to the complete research findings and analysis, please visit https://cpcstrategy.com/the-2018-u-s-influencer-marketing-report/?utm_source=publication

About CPC Strategy

CPC Strategy is a retail-focused digital marketing agency that specializes in driving performance growth on the channels that directly impact a retailers digital bottom line. Founded in 2007, CPC executes on ad strategy and management for retailers and brands on Google, Amazon, Facebook, and other product advertising channels. CPC Strategy ranked #1,288 in the Inc. 5000 List of Americas Fastest-Growing Private Companies and was also honored as a finalist in "Best Places to Work" by the San Diego Business Journal. For more information visit http://www.cpcstrategy.com.

Contact:

Megan Leer

CPC Strategy

mleer(at)cpcstrategy.com

619.708.9500Stephen Shang, CEO, Falcon Structures As container-based buildings gain momentum, building code officials have been asking about their permitting options. I want them to know theres a safe, ICC approved path forward

In light of recent and upcoming changes to building code, Falcon Structures CEO, Stephen Shang will give a three-hour presentation titled, Evolving Shipping Container Code Landscape at the Building Officials Association of Texas (BOAT) 2018 Annual Conference. He is slated to present at 8:45am-11:50am, Aug. 9th at the Embassy Suites Amarillo, 550 S. Buchanan Street, Amarillo.

Shang has served as Falcon Structures CEO from its inception and brings with him over a decade of experience in container-based building.

As container-based buildings gain momentum, building code officials have been asking about their permitting options. I want them to know theres a safe, ICC approved path forward, said Shang.

Until very recently, International Code Councils (ICC) guidance on using shipping containers as building components had been limited to non-existent. Shang and other industry leaders led a collaborative discussion with the ICC on how to safely and sensibly permit container-based buildings. Their work has yielded substantial additions to chapter 31 in the coming 2021 edition of International Building Code and the adoption of clear acceptance guidance through AC462. Shang is eager to share this progress with the building officials who will be attending the BOAT conference.

I believe that building officials and builders should work together to reach a common goal: clear guidance for creating safe structures. BOATs invitation to have me speak at their conference embodies that collaborative attitude, said Shang.

The 2018 BOAT conference promises to be a productive forum on permitting for container-based buildings and other significant changes to IBC. Concurrent sessions will cover questions on building safety, project management for builders navigating code, and lessons learned from the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. Builders, code officials, and material manufacturers alike will be able to gain relevant insight to the dynamic guidance outlined in the IBC.

About Falcon Structures

Founded in 2003, Falcon Structures repurposes steel shipping containers into AC462 compliant modules for container-based buildings and also creates single container structures for living, working and storage. In 2016, Falcon manufactured 122 modified containers that were then stacked into a stadium called Fortress Obetz, the largest shipping container structure in the United States to date. Falcons growing client base includes major energy corporations, defense contractors, construction firms and the US Department of Defense.Weve added custom video to the website templates, simplified the layouts of these designs, and focused on how we can make it easier for print buyers to buy from printers.

Marketing Ideas For Printers, an industry-leading provider of Print MIS, website, direct mail, CRM, and Marketing Automation solutions, announces the launch of their enhanced website solutions for printers.

Marketing Ideas For Printers helps printers across North America manage their website and marketing content through subscription-based websites. Printers benefit from an all-in-one website offering that combines website content, online ordering, and recurring marketing content in a single, subscription-based solution.

As every print owner knows, one of the most important disciplines to growing your print business is having a strong web presence. Marketing Ideas For Printers accomplishes this need for printers by offering an easy-to-use, cost-effective, subscription-based website solution allowing printers to grow and, ultimately, stay relevant to print buyers, says Marketing Ideas For Printers CEO, Dave Hultin.

2018 has been a busy year for us as we officially launched our one-of-a-kind Print MIS solution, Odyssey. Now, were very excited to begin offering printers our newly refreshed website design themes. Weve added custom video to some of the website templates, simplified the navigation of these designs, and even created new content for print owners to deliver to their audience to increase website traffic and sell more printing. Were excited by what our team at MI4P has accomplished and are excited about the future.

About Marketing Ideas For Printers: Marketing Ideas For Printers (MI4P) offers website, MIS, and marketing solutions specifically for small to medium-sized printers across North America. MI4P has been serving the print industry since 1988 and is a privately held company based in Fargo, North Dakota.Firstmark Credit Union We are excited to help our members with auto financing and provide them with the best possible rate, said Gregg Thorne, chief operations officer at Firstmark Credit Union.

Firstmark Credit Union is pleased to announce that it has partnered with Carvana, the leading e-commerce platform for buying used cars, to provide members with a simple, affordable and convenient car buying solution. Members have access to a Carvana + Firstmark co-branded website where they can apply their Firstmark loan pre-approval to over 12,000 Carvana vehicles and can complete their purchase online in a matter of minutes.

Through the co-branded Carvana website http://www.carvana.com/firstmarkcu, members can:



Browse certified inventory with low mileage, no accident history and 150-point inspection.

Shop from home and buy online with delivery or pickup available as soon as the next day.

Get more for less and save an average of $1,461 versus Kelley Blue Book retail value.

Buy with confidence and get a 7-day money back guarantee and a 100-day warranty.

Finance with ease with Firstmark to secure a Carvana purchase.

Firstmark is committed to providing the best products and services to members, and a partnership with Carvana is just another example of the credit unions commitment to its members. We are excited to help our members with auto financing and provide them with the best possible rate, said Gregg Thorne, chief operations officer at Firstmark Credit Union. Teaming up with Carvana gives our members a smart and easy car buying solution, Thorne added.

For more information on purchasing a car through Carvana, please visit http://www.carvana.com/firstmarkcu

About Firstmark Credit Union

Firstmark Credit Union has been helping people achieve financial success for more than 85 years. Founded in 1932 by ten teachers within the San Antonio Independent School District, Firstmark has grown their original $475 investment to over 100,000 members and over $1 billion in assets. Firstmark is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution focused on helping people to better their lives and small businesses. For more information, visit http://firstmarkcu.org or call 210.342-8484.Companies must retain exceptional technical talent to commemorate existence in this technically advanced world.

Locally owned, Hire IT People, an IT staffing and recruiting agency, celebrates its eighth anniversary this year. While celebrating this success, we are announcing a Recruitment Drive for our Client positions at New Jersey, Arizona, Texas, California!

Meet with our Team and the Client to showcase your Technical Talent and obtain a long-term position.

There are several long-term Positions with the following skills and require at least 5+ Years of experience.

Java Jobs, J2EE Jobs, Core Java Jobs, Java MVC Jobs, Java Webservices/SOA Jobs, Java front-end Jobs, React.js Jobs, Angular Jobs, CSS3 Jobs, JavaScript Jobs, Java Spring boot Jobs, Microservices Jobs, DevOps Jobs.

Please email resumes at resumes(at)hireitpeople.com and a Professional Recruiter will connect with you.

About Hire IT People, Inc.

Hire IT People, Inc. is an IT Recruiting firm that serves government/state agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and leading mid-market companies in several verticals including healthcare, insurance, retail, state/government, just to name a few. The Company has successfully staffed clients in North and South America and now offering services in countries like Australia and India.

We offer excellent employee benefits; most benefits apply to both full-time and Contract Employees.Hysolate Hysolates platform easily transforms devices into software-defined endpoints, creating a completely unrestricted user experience that is secure by design.

Hysolate, pioneer of software-defined endpoints, is expanding its U.S. operations to meet growing demand for its productivity and security platform. The Israeli-based company, whose $8 million funding earlier this year was led by Innovation Endeavors and Team8, is hiring sales and marketing staff. Hysolate also announced that end-user computing veteran Jeff Fisher has joined as VP of Sales and Alliances.

With cyber attacks increasingly targeting endpoints, user productivity is taking a massive hit. CIOs and CISOs have been locking down devices and limiting what end-users can access in order to secure endpoints. However, this compromised approach is taking its toll, and IT leaders are urgently seeking a better solution, said Dan Dinnar, Co-Founder and COO of Hysolate. When they learn how Hysolates platform easily transforms devices into software-defined endpointsand creates a completely unrestricted user experience that is secure by designthey are blown away. Were excited to expand our US presence and capitalize on the huge need for endpoint innovations. Jeffs expertise in growing desktop virtualization companies will be invaluable in expanding our business.

Hysolates secure-by-design, virtualization-based approach delivers a whole new level of user experience and productivity. End-users are free to access, install and work with whatever websites, apps, external devices and cloud services they need, without being constrained by security restrictions and without endangering or compromising corporate assets. Hysolates highly secure environment also makes it an ideal platform for privileged activities of IT admins and users of payment systems like SWIFT.

Vendors have spent decades trying to create solutions that ensure user productivity while securing corporate desktops, but everything always fell short. Even the most promising virtualization solutions, like VDI, werent adequate for the vast majority of users so adoption never took off, said Fisher. Hysolate solves the problems older approaches couldnt with its unique hypervisor platform, which sits below the desktop operating system and delivers a completely seamless user experience. I believe Hysolate has the most disruptive solution to hit the market in 20 years. Im excited to join its stellar team and help grow the U.S. market.

Fisher brings more than 20 years of desktop virtualization and business development expertise to Hysolate. Most recently, he held VP of Strategic Alliances roles at KEMP Technologies and, before that, at RES Software, where he was instrumental in developing the companys long-term global growth strategy and solidifying its presence in key regions. Prior to that, he was VP of Business Development at Desktone (acquired by VMware), which he helped establish as a leader in Desktops as a Service (DaaS). Fisher also held senior business development positions at Microsoft and Softricity (acquired by Microsoft), where he built and managed the alliance that led to the acquisition. He started his career as a Sales Engineer at Citrix Systems. Fisher earned a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and Masters in Business Administration from Columbia Business School.

About Hysolate

Hysolate pioneered software-defined endpoints, the most innovative and reliable way to boost user productivity while securing user devices. The Hysolate platform leverages virtualization and sits below the endpoint operating system, creating a solution that is secure by design and enables unrestricted user experience. Customers include leading financial, legal and technology enterprises worldwide. Hysolates team includes IT and cybersecurity experts who are veterans of VMware, Microsoft, CyberArk and Unit 8200 (Israel's NSA). Hysolate was launched by Team8, a cybersecurity think tank and company creation platform. The company is based in Tel Aviv, Israel with US headquarters in New York. Follow @HysolateNow http://www.hysolate.comMr. Amit Sharma, a Delhi based techie has made India proud by developing , world's largest static website with 319 million unique static pages website name is named as http://www.cheapflightsall.com, which is a booking platform for flight bookings and hotel bookings for all countries & where every route for every city wherever airport is present is incorporated in this website. All the contents are unique in the website and 100% SEO rich. The size of this website is 5 TB which is equivalent to 10 personal computers.

It took 23 days for development of cheapflightsall.com but uploading of such a huge data has approximately taken 4 months. After development and successful uploading of website Mr.Amit Sharma applied for International Book of Records .International Book of Records with all due diligence has awarded WORLD RECORD to Mr. Amit Sharma for developing Worlds Largest Static Website Made by an Individual.

You can visit International Book of Records website and view the world record: http://www.internationalbookofrecords.com/largest-static-website-made-by-an-individual/

The development cost valuation is approx $ 2.32 Billion USD. Cheapflightsall.com, is looking for business partner or investor for its expansion

Calculation of development cost valuation is given below:

Total static pages of the website: 318460567

Cost to develop one page with content: Rs 500 INR = $ 7.29 USD.

Calculation = 318460567 x $ 7.29 USD = $ 2.32 Billion USD

Total Cost = $ 2.32 Billion USD.

This is the minimum development valuation cost, the market rate for developing such pages are minimum Rs 1000/- INR which is equal to $ 14.59 USD and for development such kind of website software companies taking minimum 5 years with 1000 employee strength who will work only in such kind of project.

Cheapflightsall.com having approx 319 million pages his target is to earn $ 3 USD per page in 1 year after sale of the website. So it is simply $ 957 Million USD which is around $ 1 Billion USD. Cheapflightsall.com is the safest website of the world it is not possible for anyone to hack this website.

For Future alliances, there are talks to add new services in Cheapflightsall.com ranging from cruise booking, private jet bookings, rail tickets of different countries, car rental, bus booking, tour packages, forex services, visa applications etc. In next 3 years cheapflightsall.com will capture approx 20% of the total online travel business from the world and it is expected in next 10 years more than 50% of the total online travel business.

What's the next innovation?

Plans to develop voice oriented booking for all services are in next 2 years. A platform which will facilitate interactive voice booking for flight tickets, hotels booking, book your private jet, book rail tickets, book your cars, book bus tickets, book your tours etc. to write and search things by writing.

For any investor or business partner this voice booking will also be developed & implemented within 2 years. Later this artificial intelligence formula can be implemented in the e-commerce, Bank, Govt and all other websites too for ease of selling products.

Cheapflightsall.com is not only the largest static website of the world, it is biggest in some other factors too which are given below:

(01) Biggest travel website.

(02) Biggest sitemap of the website in whole world.

(03) Biggest static website of the world.

Further to contact Mr. Amit Sharma kindly, write to: amit(at)cheapflightsall.com or sharma641(at)gmail.com

Phone No.: +919818425715.Our caregivers are the foundation of providing the highest quality of home healthcare. We believe it is critical that they have a full understanding of how this disease progresses to customize appropriate care plans, said Larry Kraska, Interim HealthCare Inc. CEO and President.

The prevalence of dementia and Alzheimers disease is rapidly growing in the United States. Currently, approximately 40 percent of people over the age of 70 have been diagnosed with some type of dementia or related disease and over the next few decades this number is expected to increase a staggering 50 percent.

In direct response to this, Interim HealthCare Inc. has launched a formal Dementia Program devoted to providing the necessary educational materials and tools to caregivers across its network of national locations. Utilizing a science-backed approach to dementia care, specialized training is being offered to better understand how a patients brain is changing at each stage of disease progression.

Our caregivers are the foundation of providing the highest quality of home healthcare. We believe it is critical that they have a full understanding of how this disease progresses to customize appropriate care plans, said Larry Kraska, Interim HealthCare Inc. CEO and President. We place a high value on providing educational opportunities to ensure our caregivers have the most comprehensive training and development programs. Given the rising senior population and expected increase in those with this diagnosis, launching this program is our way to equip our healthcare professionals with deeper insight into the cognitive changes that occur in a person living with dementia.

Interim HealthCare Inc.s program is based on the methodology of Teepa Snow, an international leader in the Positive Approach to Care (PAC) for those living with dementia. Interim HealthCare Inc.s Senior Manager, Program Development and Implementation, Catherine M. Tedder, has obtained her certification in the Teepa Snow PAC philosophy. The training being provided is curriculum-based and centers around the Teepa Snow GEMS Brain Change model. Various education modules offered to the Interim network focus on how to keep their patients safe, comfortable and meaningfully engaged using this proven methodology.

This program is specifically designed to help everyone that is affected by dementia and related diseases, including clinicians, caregivers, sales staff, office staff and volunteers, said Tedder. We are committed to making sure everyone, across all our franchise locations, has the confidence to effectively navigate the complex care needed for our patients, as well as their families."

To learn more about Interim HealthCares Dementia Program, click here.

About Interim HealthCare Inc.

Interim HealthCare Inc., founded in 1966, is a leading national franchisor of home care, hospice and healthcare staffing. It is part of Caring Brands International, which also includes UK-based Bluebird Care and Australia-based Just Better Care, both well-known franchise brands in their countries. With more than 530 franchise locations in seven countries, Caring Brands International is a global healthcare leader.

Interim HealthCare in the United States is unique in combining the commitment of local ownership with the support of a national organization that develops innovative programs and quality standards that improve the delivery of service. Franchisees employ nurses, therapists, aides, companions and other healthcare professionals who provide 25 million hours of home care service to 190,000 people each year, meeting a variety of home health, senior care, hospice, palliative care, pediatric care and healthcare staffing needs. For more information or to locate an Interim HealthCare office, visit http://www.interimhealthcare.com.

###The Elite Partner designation is awarded to only the highest-performing vacation rental software companies.

iTrip Vacations, a leader in vacation rental property management, today announced it has become a HomeAway Elite Partner, the highest designation available for vacation rental software companies that integrate with HomeAway. HomeAway is a world leader in the vacation rental industry and is the site to book beach houses, cabins and condos with more than 2 million places to stay in 190 countries.

We are excited to have HomeAway recognize our software platform with the Elite Partner Status, says Todd Morrison, iTrip Vacations co-founder. We value our ongoing 9-year relationship with HomeAway and thank them for their continued support.

The Elite Partner designation is awarded to only the highest-performing vacation rental software companies. HomeAway considers many factors when evaluating software providers, including how current their integration version is, the technical performance and reliability of their integration, and traveler demand.

Our Elite Partners are leaders in the vacation rental software industry, demonstrated by their foresight, dependability and clear understanding of customer needs, said Kevin Locraft, vice president of global partner success strategy and operations at HomeAway. Property managers who work with Elite Partners have shown great success on HomeAway sites, thanks to their seamless integration and access to world-class tools.

As a part of its designation, iTrip Vacations may receive early access to new HomeAway tools and features for integrated partners. The company also works directly with HomeAways leadership team, providing feedback and helping shape future HomeAway products for integrated partners.

To learn more about iTrip Vacations, please contact iTrip Vacations at list@itrip.net or itrip.net/get-listed.

About iTrip Vacations

iTrip Vacations, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is a national leader in vacation rental management. iTrip provides full-service property management programs to more than 60 destinations in North America, while enhancing experiences through affordable luxury accommodations and custom programs. For more information about iTrip vacations, please visit https://www.itrip.net/.

About HomeAway

HomeAway, based in Austin, Texas, is a leading online marketplace for the vacation rental industry with sites representing more than two million unique places to stay in 190 countries, and is a part of the Expedia Group family of brands. For more information about HomeAway, please visit http://www.homeaway.com.

 2018 HomeAway. All rights reserved. HomeAway and the HomeAway logo are trademarks of HomeAway. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.For years, Kendall-Jackson consumers and Chardonnay fans have been reaching out to us and asking where is the white wine emoji. This is our chance to do something about it, not just for our fans, but for the global wine community at large. - Maggie Curry, Marketing Director at Kendall-Jackson

The winery that changed the way Americans consume wine wants to change the way the world communicates about wine. Kendall-Jackson (https://www.kj.com/) is excited to announce its efforts to generate support for the creation of the White Wine Emoji and is asking the global wine community and white wine lovers to join.

Kendall-Jackson has submitted a proposal (http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2018/18208-white-wine-rgi.pdf) for the creation of a White Wine Emoji to the Unicode Consortium (http://www.unicode.org/), the non-profit corporation devoted to creating a universal coding standard for the worlds languages. Kendall-Jacksons proposal was selected for review by the Unicode Technical Committee (UTC), who will vote to bring the White Wine Emoji into development in spring 2019.

For more than 35 years, Kendall-Jackson has been a leading producer of white wine. The winerys Vintners Reserve Chardonnay has been the number one selling white wine in America for more than 25 years.

For years, Kendall-Jackson consumers and Chardonnay fans have been reaching out to us and asking where is the white wine emoji, said Maggie Curry, Director of Marketing for Kendall-Jackson Winery. This is our chance to do something about it, not just for our fans, but for the global wine community at large.

Starting on National White Wine Day on Aug. 4, Kendall-Jackson is inviting the world to join in a digital cheers. The winery has developed White Wine Emoji digital Wanted Posters in multiple languages available for download at whitewineemoji.net (http://whitewineemoji.net/). White wine lovers are encouraged to utilize hashtag #WhiteWineEmoji and share the Wanted Poster across digital platforms to show just how wanted this emoji is world-wide. Two notable California wineries, Fetzer [https://fetzer.com/whitewineemoji and Flora Springs, have already partnered with Kendall-Jackson to help get the viral conversation started. Kendall-Jackson looks forward to building on this initial momentum with the support of the broader wine community.

About Kendall-Jackson Winery

Kendall-Jackson is one of Americas most beloved family-owned and operated wineries. Founded by entrepreneur and visionary Jess Jackson in 1982, and now led by his wife Barbara Banke and the second and third generation of the Jackson Family, Kendall-Jackson is based in Sonoma County and offers a range of acclaimed wines grown on the familys estate vineyards along the coastal ridges of California. A leader in sustainable vineyard and winery practices, including water and energy conservation and natural pest control, 100 percent of Kendall-Jacksons vineyards in California are third party certified by SIP (Sustainable in Practice) and CCSW (Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing). Kendall-Jackson was recently named 2017 winery of the year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, recognized as a benchmark in the wine industry. The winerys seminal wine, the Vintners Reserve Chardonnay, has been Americas favorite Chardonnay for the past 25 years, and the 2015 vintage was ranked No. 28 on Wine Spectators Top 100 list in 2017. Learn more online at http://www.kj.com (https://www.kj.com), and follow Kendall-Jackson on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kjwines/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/kjwines) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kjwines/).Kiara Rand of Parkland will represent her city in the Miss Florida Teen USA Competition in November as Miss Parkland Teen USA. Rand was selected based upon her academic standing, involvement in the community, passion for the pursuit of excellence and interest in empowering other young women to follow in her footsteps.

Rand, who is entering her senior year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, is captain of the schools Track and Field Team. Rand is also participating in the Student of the Year program benefiting Leukemia & Lymphoma Societys South Florida Chapter in memory of her late mother Lauren.

To book Kiara Rand for appearances, or to sponsor her effort to be crowned Miss Florida Teen USA, please contact her father Seth Rand at 954-483-8065 or seth(at)randconsultants.com.

For modeling photos and additional information, please visit https://kiararand.com.

The Executive State Directors, the Chrisley Family, will conduct the Sunshine States oldest and most celebrated competition this November 8-11 to qualify two young ladies to advance to either Miss Teen USA or to Miss USA, and ultimately Miss Universe. Competition details are available at http://www.missfloridausa.com or on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/MissFloridaUSA. The pageant will take place at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts.Kimberly Wong, a true believer since 1995, has completed his book The Warrior Bible: an effort to explain the deeper meaning in Gods word as revealed in the Bible.

The author wrote this book to help children of GOD understand what HE is saying through HIS Holy Word. This book was written also to help men and women of GOD to give HIS Word to HIS people in such a way that they may understand HIS will for their lives through the application of HIS holy way for their walk to compel them to walk under the wings of HIS will on earth and pave their way to heaven and to teach a sin-sick world so that they may know HIM and come to know that HIS way is the only way for life everlasting.

Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Kimberly Wongs book is a compelling read for students of the Bible.

Readers who wish to experience this spiritual work can purchaseThe Warrior Bible at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.Leading online supplier of employee uniforms Branding can be just as important to todays restaurant as the food that is being served.

Uniform Solutions, a leading online supplier of employee uniforms into the restaurant sector, is proud to announce a new blog post on the importance of good-looking employee uniforms. The post argues that restaurant owners should focus not only on best-in-class food for their restaurant but also best-in-class employee uniforms. Indeed, the employee uniforms are a key part of the ambiance of any restaurant.

Branding can be just as important to todays restaurant as the food that is being served, explained Bruce Bagley, founder of Uniform Solutions. Our new post notes how easy it is to make the staff look as good as the food tastes. A simple change to a new apron or updated uniform can impress customers and build the ambiance that reconfirms how great the food is.

To review the new blog post regarding the power of good-looking uniforms in a restaurant, please go to http://www.uniformsolutionsforyou.com/restaurant-employee-uniforms/.

More details concerning restaurant uniforms can be found at the informational page on the topic at http://www.uniformsolutionsforyou.com/restaurant-uniform/. Employee clothing can be reviewed there including waitress uniforms, bartender aprons, server uniforms and chefs whites.

RESTAURANT UNIFORM SUPPLIER CREATES A PERFECT MATCH TO NEW MENUES

Here is the background for the release. A variety of new restaurants can debut each week throughout the United States. A brew pub can open doors in Chicago at the same time a high end bistro launches in Malibu. Each restaurant owner might have a goal to receive five-star customer reviews for their establishment. Image may be of importance as well, including the decor of an eating establishment. If a manager has forgotten to include new employee uniforms, branding may not be clear to guests. It could be smart to review the choices from a top online restaurant uniform supplier to clear up branding confusion.

For these reasons, Uniform Solutions has announced a new blog post on just how critical restaurant uniforms are to a successful eating establishment. The post argues, for example, that new employee uniforms can be key to creating a clear image for a restaurant. Reviewing the options from an expert online restaurant uniform supplier could be the answer. A brew house sporting butcher paper and benches could benefit from casual wear in the same colors and logo worn by servers. A pricey establishment serving food on china plates and crisp linens may benefit from head-to-toe professional waiter uniforms. If a restaurant team has worked hard to create a menu worthy of top reviews from customers, it can be helpful to find a restaurant uniform supplier to help provide equally tasteful employee clothing.

ABOUT UNIFORM SOLUTIONS FOR YOU

Uniform Solutions for You, a leading restaurant uniform supplier, is a division of Santa Rosa Uniform & Career Apparel, Inc. The division focuses on, but is not limited to, the online sales of employee uniforms in key industries: casino, hotel, and restaurant. Custom employee uniforms can also be found. The website has a unique consultation request feature, wherein interested parties can talk with a human uniform idea consultant to brainstorm uniform options for employees. Attire includes waiter and waitress uniforms online. The uniform supplier services large to small local businesses searching for standard-to-unique staff attire choices.

Web. http://www.uniformsolutionsforyou.com/LiquidPiston Engine (Left) Compared to Similarly Powered Engine I like to invest in companies that have two key ingredients  important new technology AND great people. I feel LiquidPiston has both.

Back by popular demand, LiquidPiston Inc., an advanced internal combustion engine technology company, has initiated a second round of equity crowdfunding via Wefunder. The funding is a continuation of the companys last round raised on Wefunder, which was oversubscribed. It offers investors another opportunity to invest in the biggest leap forward in engine combustion technology over the last 85 years. Both accredited and non-accredited investors may participate in the equity crowdfunding starting publicly today at wefunder.com/liquidpiston.

Ever since the close of our highly successful Wefunder campaign in April 2017, theres been consistent interest from accredited investors, as well as non-accredited investors who are simply passionate about our technology, in another opportunity to invest, said Alexander Shkolnik, CEO and Founder of LiquidPiston. Im excited to announce today that anyone who missed out on our oversubscribed round, as well as those who partook last time around, has another opportunity to invest in LiquidPiston.

Since the close of LiquidPistons last investment round on Wefunder, the company has executed on a multi-phase program funded by the Department of Defense. It exceeded all the goals set in Phase I of that program and late last year was awarded a $2.5M follow-on contract for Phase II, which will run through October 2018 and focus on proving out the engine's power and efficiency. This program is for LiquidPistons 30kW, 40hp X4 rotary engine for diesel and jet-fueled engines, which are relied upon by the military. Following successful completion of the programs Phase II, the next step will be to transition the technology to large-scale production and sales, test the X4 in an application, and then ramp up production.

In addition to the military program, LiquidPiston has received growing UAV industry recognition and interest in the companys technology by manufacturers and operators as a drone propulsion solution. In November of last year, the company took home the top prize at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems Internationals (AUVSIs) NOVUS Unmanned competition in San Francisco. LiquidPiston was also selected to present at Starburst Accelerators U.S. Selection Committee conference held in San Diego last December as well as Starbursts Selection Committee conference held in Tel Aviv last March.

Previous investors in LiquidPiston have been highly impressed by the companys team and technological innovation. The company has over 45 patents issued or pending, which have far-reaching implications, including the potential to improve fuel efficiency by up to two times over gasoline engines while reducing the size and weight of diesel engines by up to ten times.

I like to invest in companies that have two key ingredients  important new technology AND great people. I feel LiquidPiston has both, said LiquidPiston investor, former Compaq CTO, and co-founder and Managing Director of Sternhill Associates, Bob Stearns. The companys engine technology is a fundamentally new and important breakthrough, with broad commercial and military applications. And the entrepreneurial management team is truly impressive  brilliant, high-energy, pragmatic, and totally committed. I'm thrilled to be able to play even a small part in making this company successful.

Our initial Wefunder campaign was incredibly successful in a very short amount of time, added Shkolnik. It clearly illustrated that we are not alone in our desire to disrupt the $400B combustion engine market while reinventing the underlying principles of internal combustion engine architecture in the process.

To invest, visit LiquidPistons Wefunder page at wefunder.com/liquidpiston.

About LiquidPiston

LiquidPiston, headquartered in Bloomfield, Conn., is revolutionizing next-generation engine development. The company develops and licenses compact & efficient power solutions based on an optimized thermodynamic cycle and a new type of rotary engine architecture. LiquidPistons patented high-efficiency cycle is the biggest leap forward in combustion engine technology over the last 85 years. For more, see http://www.liquidpiston.com.The Team at ARS/Rescue Rooter presents a check to St. Jude We are extremely honored to partner with St. Jude and support its lifesaving mission: Finding cures, Saving children. , said Scott Kacic, East Zone President at ARS/Rescue Rooter. Giving back to those in need is a mission strongly shared throughout our organization."

Employees from ARS/Rescue Rooter, a privately-held national provider of air conditioning, heating and plumbing services, recently donated $80,000 to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. Throughout 2018, locations within the ARS/Rescue Rooter Network are supporting the St. Jude mission through monetary donations and volunteerism. Programs include a $1 donation for new Likes on local branch Facebook pages and a $25 donation for new residential HVAC system installations (up to a maximum total donation of $200,000). In addition, these locations have, and will continue to offer, both their employees and customers the opportunity to donate directly to St. Jude.

We are extremely honored to partner with St. Jude and support its lifesaving mission: Finding cures, Saving children. , said Scott Kacic, East Zone President at ARS/Rescue Rooter. Giving back to those in need is a mission strongly shared throughout our organization. Many of our employees have been impacted by childhood cancer, and to have the opportunity to help the patients and families of St. Jude through both financial resources and time is tremendously important to all of us.

ARS/Rescue Rooter will be presenting St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital with a check quarterly.

Locations in the following cities are supporting this cause:

Maryland:

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Laurel

Blue Dot Services  Bel Air

Virginia:

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Manassas

McCarthy Services  Lorton

RS Andrews  Tidewater

ARS/Rescue Rooter - Richmond

North Carolina:

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Raleigh

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Durham

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Wilmington

Brothers  Rock Hill

South Carolina:

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Charleston

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Myrtle Beach

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Columbia

Georgia:

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Marietta

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Norcross

AllGood  Snellville

Texas:

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Houston

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Austin

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Dallas

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Ft. Worth

Will Fix It  San Antonio

ARS/Rescue Rooter  DFW

Florida:

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Miami

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Vero Beach

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Tampa Bay

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Orlando

Florida Home  Jacksonville

Aspen A/C  Boca Raton

Unique Services  Bradenton

Tennessee:

ARS/Rescue Rooter  Nashville

Conway Services  Memphis

ABOUT AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL SERVICES: Based in Memphis, Tenn., privately-owned ARS operates a network of more than 70 locally-managed service centers in 23 states, with approximately 6,500 employees. The ARS Network features industry-leading brands including, A.J. Perri, Aksarben ARS, Allgood, Andys Statewide, ARS, Aspen Air Conditioning, Atlas Trillo, Beutler, Blue Dot, Bob Hamilton, Brothers, Columbus Worthington Air, Comfort Heating & Air, Conway Services, Efficient Attic Systems (EAS), Florida Home Air Conditioning, Green Star Home Services, Irish Plumber, McCarthy Services, Rescue Rooter / Proserv, Rescue Rooter, RighTime Home Services, RS Andrews, The Irish Plumber, Unique Services, "Will" Fix It, and Yes! Air Conditioning and Plumbing. As an Exceptional Service Provider, the ARS Network serves both residential and light commercial customers by providing heating, cooling, indoor air quality, plumbing, drain cleaning, sewer line, radiant barrier, insulation and ventilation services. Each location has a knowledgeable team of trained specialists. ARS requires background checks and drug tests on all employees. We hire professionals with the highest level of integrity. Providing exceptional service and ensuring the highest standards of quality, ARS has the experience to do any job right  the first time, with all work fully guaranteed. ARS: "Making it work. Making it right."

ABOUT ST. JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food  because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook (facebook.com/stjude), following St. Jude on Twitter (@stjude) and subscribing to its YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/MyStJude).

###LONDON: Wednesday 1st August, 00:01

-Based at the KAD ICT Hub in Kaduna, Nigeria, the Africa Blockchain Lab will bring together world-class blockchain companies working on solutions for African markets.

-One of the first initiatives to launch in the Lab is the AMLT Network, the first global system that provides the opportunity to report fraud and cybercrime related to cryptocurrency addresses and earn tokens (AMLT) in reward.

-Other lab tenants include African financial inclusion startup Kora.

The Africa Blockchain Lab is a joint venture between Coinfirm, a global blockchain regtech company which provides bank-grade AML/KYC compliance to blockchain and crypto companies, and KAD ICT Hub, the state-backed IT innovation hub in the heart of Nigerias tech capital.

In stealth mode for the past few months, its launch is a first-of-its-kind for the African continent, providing a home to companies and entrepreneurs building blockchain-based products and services relevant to African economies.

Grant Blaisdell, Co-founder and CMO at Coinfirm, explains:

A Silicon Valley out-of-the-box solution approach has generally not worked in regions such as Africa; it requires a ground-up, organic approach. Coinfirm has already successfully built leading blockchain solutions, the largest structured blockchain database and coverage, and the first blockchain lab for Central Europe. Now, working with KAD ICT Hub, who share our vision of bringing transformative, blockchain-based solutions to African markets, and who have the local knowledge and expertise, we are going to do the same in Africa.

We want to work with, and provide opportunities for, African entrepreneurs working in one of the most exciting and disruptive fields today, while bringing our own solutions like our AML/KYC Platform and AMLT Network.

Financial inclusion

The Africa Blockchain Lab will focus on companies working to revolutionise financial inclusion. While cryptocurrencies provide an alternative to fiat currencies, blockchains are decentralised, immutable and transparent ledgers, free from central control. This means both are potentially transformative technologies, in the face of authoritarian governments, corruption and economic exclusion.

The first tranche of Lab tenants include financial inclusion startup Kora, a blockchain-powered marketplace, infrastructure, and digital payments solution for inclusive financial systems that connect people, communities and capital.

The AMLT Network and the Coinfirm AML/KYC Platform sit at the heart of solving this problem. One reason individuals and companies in Africa have a hard time entering the traditional global financial market is that the incumbent compliance system is highly ineffective. It cannot discriminate based on the actions of the individual or business, but generally treats the entire region as high risk.

Coinfirms AML/KYC Platform can determine risk on an individual basis. And the AMLT Network offers users, operating in what is deemed a high-risk region, the opportunity to lower their personal risk profile by providing data on other parties, diminishing the global financial markets high barriers to entry.

A transformative cryptocurrency model

Coinfirms AMLT Network also provides an opportunity to technologists and young people across the continent. In return for reporting cryptocurrency addresses and evidence tied to online scams and suspected fraud to the AMLT Network and Coinfirm, individuals will receive AMLT tokens, which are issued by Coinfirm.

This not only creates the first system of this kind in the world, but it finally provides a mechanism for victims to report and provide evidence that can help fight against bad actors being able to further propagate their crimes.

https://amlt.coinfirm.io/

Nigerias leading IT hub

KAD ICT Hub was launched in 2017 as a leading centre for computer engineering, software development and entrepreneurship. The launch of the Africa Blockchain Lab marks a watershed moment for companies and entrepreneurs working in the sector and region. Yusuf Bashir, Co-founder and CEO of the Hub, comments:

The Nigerian economy is the largest in Africa. Thanks to a new regime, we have a stable economy, which pulls along the entire continent. We are the place Africa looks to in terms of growth for the future. The transformative potential of blockchain is enormous, and we are confident that, working with Coinfirm, we can provide the testbed and support for todays leading African blockchain companies, giving them the opportunity to become global leaders. "

Here in Kaduna, Nigerias third-largest state in terms of population, and leading learning and innovation hub, we are extremely fortunate to have a governor who is not only supportive of what we are doing but had ensured we are backed by the Kaduna State Government.

The KAD ICT Hub has already been working with Coinfirms blockchain-powered data provenance document verification platform, Trudatum, which was recently integrated by the largest bank in Central Europe, PKO BP. In Nigeria, Trudatum is being proposed as a solution to government and universities as a way of holding state documents more securely.

Contacts:

Ben Goldsmith

ben@goldsmithcomms.com

+44 (0)7788295321

About Coinfirm

A global leader in blockchain regtech and analytics with a specific focus on compliance-as-a-service, Coinfirm built the industry standard setting AML risk and compliance platform, as well as the first blockchain lab in Central Europe. Coinfirm's platform brings transparency and security to blockchain transactions while solving the AML/CTF/sanctions and counterparty risk management problem.

Blockchain and cryptocurrency-agnostic, the Coinfirm AML/KYC Platform and AMLT Network lays a foundation for the adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain that ensures parties are compliant and operate in a safe environment. Coinfirm is also the creator of the data provenance solution Trudatum, which was recently integrated into the largest bank in Central Europe, PKO BP.

https://www.coinfirm.io/

About KAD ICT Hub

Opened last year by the Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, the KAD ICT Hub is a partnership between the Kaduna State Government and Telemax Engineering Services Limited, which brings together companies such as Coders4Africa, Draper Dark Flow and Gebeya, first-of-a-kind centre that incubates world-class technologies, talent and innovation. In addition to housing software startups, it runs training courses and focuses on girls education.Meridian Clinical Research Logo It ultimately improves the patient experience by engaging everyone involved in the delivery of care in a clinical research setting. As we develop more efficient strategies to conduct high-quality research, events like this help us implement those strategies more quickly at the site level.

Meridian Clinical Research held its largest ever Annual Physician Training Meeting July 12-14, 2018 in Cancun, Mexico. More than 150 attended the event, including 50 principal investigators and sub-investigators. Physicians from all 18 Meridian sites attended, along with representatives from each of Platinum Research Networks seven companies.

It provides us an opportunity to share with investigators how we are preparing for, and shaping the future of clinical research, said Greg Adams, director clinical management at Pfizer. Adams, who spoke and fielded questions at the event, also said the meeting served as a platform to share expectations and explore ideas for current trial conduct.

I hope to see more of this kind of collaboration in the industry, said Lynlee Burton, director of project delivery for vaccines at PRA Health Sciences. It ultimately improves the patient experience by engaging everyone involved in the delivery of care in a clinical research setting. As we develop more efficient strategies to conduct high-quality research, events like this help us implement those strategies more quickly at the site level.

While the state of vaccine research was discussed, specialists across numerous therapeutic domains  including neurology, urology, immunology, and dermatology  participated in the event.

Were grateful that presenters like Greg and Lynlee are so eager to help educate our sites and physicians, said Nicole Osborn, founder and CEO of Meridian. The meeting strengthens relationships with our principal investigators and connects them to the companies and people that direct clinical trials.

To learn more about Meridian, visit mcrmed.com or schedule a meeting with a Meridian representative at an upcoming event, such as the 2018 Global Site Solutions Summit, World Vaccine Congress Europe, or the CNS Summit 2018.

About Meridian Clinical Research

Meridian Clinical Research partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to research new pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, and diagnostics that could improve human health and wellbeing. Founded in 1999, Meridian is headquartered at a dedicated research center in Omaha, NE, and conducts Phase I-IV studies at 18 investigative sites across North America. Meridian supports research across numerous therapeutic areas and specializes in high-volume vaccine trials. For more information, visit http://www.mcrmed.com.Modern Table, maker of delicious, complete protein pastas and pastas with sauce, is pleased to announce its new retail partnership with renowned American supermarket chain, Publix. Beginning July 2018, Publix will carry four of Modern Tables tasty, gluten free, nutrient dense meal options including Parmesan Pesto, Creamy Alfredo, Creamy Garlic & Herb, Classic Cheddar Mac & Cheese. Made from a blend of lentils, rice and peas, all four flavors deliver complete plant protein for long-lasting energy, good digestion and improved muscle health.

Were thrilled to be partnering with Publix, Jennifer Eiseman, Senior Brand Manager at Modern Table. Being an employee owned company, Publix has such a wonderful reputation for quality and customer service, which are values that we take very seriously here at Modern Table.

Modern Table will launch its presence on Publix shelves in the pasta aisle in 1,150 stores across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Additionally, Publix customers will find Modern Table products in a new center aisle display and featured in their New Item Co-Op advertisement beginning July 19.

Its an exciting time here at Modern Table, said Eiseman. Since we reformulated our product in 2017 to be a complete protein with improved taste and texture, weve seen fantastic growth in consumer demand and very favorable feedback from experts and media. Expanding our distribution channel with Publix is an important next step to reaching new customers and communities with our products.

For more information please visit http://www.moderntable.com.

ABOUT MODERN TABLE

At Modern Table, our mission is to make everyday foods work harder for you with the power of complete protein. We believe meals should always be delicious and nutritious, which is why our pastas are made with lentils, rice and peas, containing all nine of the essential amino acids your body needs. This helps you to optimize energy levels, promote good digestion and support muscle development. And because its plant-based, you avoid things like the cholesterol or saturated fat found in animal protein sources. Whether youre a busy body, a body in training or taking care of lil bodies, we know youll appreciate how Modern Table celebrates the convergence of good health, delicious flavor and unparalleled convenience. All Modern Table products are GMO-free, gluten-free and soy-free with no artificial preservatives or colors and are available online at http://www.moderntable.com and nationally at Target, Whole Foods, Wegmans, Jewel, Safeway and more.The unique model of delivering hands-on, browser-based trainings and evaluations through cloud-based technology develops the practical skills that produce stronger IT professionals and more secure organizations.

Reflare America (New York, NY) and New Light Technologies (Washington, DC) today announced a strategic alliance in which New Light Technologies becomes an official distributor of Reflare Ltds Reflare Certified Secure (RCS) portfolio of IT security training products. This agreement enables New Light Technologies to provide world-class, scalable, hands-on IT security training to their clients across the United States.

As an official distributor of the RCS trainings, New Light Technologies will be positioned to efficiently upskill IT professionals on the common flaws in networks and coding that are frequently exploited by hackers, as well as provide hands-on training in the remediation of these vulnerabilities. Armed with this knowledge, network administrators and developers will create and maintain networks and applications with greater resistance to the vast majority of security breaches and cyber attacks.

IT security has become an imperative for executives, as the damage caused by cyber attacks and security breaches continue to escalate said Liam McGann, Head of Business Development for Reflare America. As leadership realizes that the security of networks and applications is only as robust as the people that use and maintain them, we are seeing the market demand for effective yet scalable training solution is rapidly increasing. Were very excited to partner with New Light Technologies to provide best in class, affordable, business critical IT security talent development to government agencies, commercial enterprises, and non-profits, while enabling them to adhere to PCI DSS and ISO 27001 compliance standards, and more importantly, decrease the likelihood of security breaches.

We are excited about adding the Reflare IT Security Training platform to our portfolio of capabilities allowing us to offer clients a robust world-class training program, said Ghermay Araya, CEO of New Light Technologies. The differentiator between secure and insecure infrastructure is going to be how well the workforce is trained on preventing, detecting and responding to hack and breach attacks.

About New Light Technologies

New Light Technologies Inc. (NLT), is a privately held company based in Washington DC, providing a broad range of integrated Information Technology (IT) consulting services and products to government, commercial, and non-profit sectors. The firm offers comprehensive DevOps systems integration, development, training, and management for IT Infrastructure Modernization, Virtualization and Microservices, Cloud & Mobile Computing, Application Development, Geospatial Information Systems (GIS), and Big Data Modeling, Analytics, & Visualization. NLT is a recognized leader in the development of enterprise information systems platforms and real-time integrated analytics for mission-critical decision support, planning, and research applications. Visit NLT at https://NewLightTechnologies.com

About Reflare America

Reflare America is the licensed US distributor for Reflare Ltd, a leading IT security training company. Reflares security training programs help executives, IT professionals, and employees create more secure systems, networks, and organizations. Reflare enables organizations to manage IT Security L&D activities in more affordable, scalable, and effective way. The unique model of delivering hands-on, browser-based trainings and evaluations through cloud-based technology develops the practical skills that produce stronger IT professionals and more secure organizations.

Reflare is a privately held company, with operations in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Find more information about how Reflare Ltd is shaping the future of IT security training at https://reflare.com.Offsite Construction Expo The expo provided an informational atmosphere and opportunities to conduct business with many modular manufacturers.

The Offsite Construction Expo (OSCE) will be held at the University of California, Berkeley on September 13, 2018 from 8:00 am until 4:00 p.m. and will feature approximately 25 regional providers of off site construction solutions in addition to the following presenters:

Rick Holliday, CEO, Factory OS

Jim Dunn, President & Matt Hallaran, Operations Manager, Stack Modular Structures

Cindy Olsen, Director, Construction Municipal Onboarding & Brett Jones, Jurisdiction Manager, Katerra

Roy Griffith, Director of Corporate Development, Clark Pacific

Dennis Cook, Cook Brown LLP

OSCE offers a focused presentation of the abilities of offsite construction across all markets. It features exhibits from offsite construction manufacturers and contractors, traditional contractors that have integrated offsite methods, offsite factories, transportation companies, architects, engineers, BIM suppliers, materials suppliers, and consultants of all types of offsite construction processes. Additionally, OSCE provides educational insights into offsite construction with multiple case studies presented each hour on the expo floor. There simply is no greater opportunity to reach key partners in the offsite construction industry.

For more information or to register, go here: http://www.offsiteconstructionexpo.com/OSCE_EVENT/2018/San_Francisco/home.htmlSensors Expo & Conference gave me the opportunity to understand the direction of the industry and know what innovation can be applied in my industry to keep us on the cutting edge.

Sensors Expo & Conference (#Sensors18), the industrys largest event dedicated to sensors, connectivity, and systems, wrapped up its annual event in San Jose, California late last month. More than 7,000 attendees, representing 56 countries, came together to learn about the latest advancements in sensor technologies, hear from over 100 thought provoking industry speakers, and witness innovation in action as more than 300 featured exhibitors were on hand to showcase cutting-edge applications. New this year, Sensors featured two co-located events, Autonomous Vehicle Sensors Conference and Medical Sensors Design Conference, expanding the conference agenda and highlighting the critical role sensors play across industries. From Wearable tech to MEMS to Industrial IoT, the Sensors Expo & Conference assembled the industrys most notable brands and hottest startups to demonstrate the unlimited potential of sensor technologies and sensor-related applications.

To join us for the 2019 event on June 25- 27 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California and stay updated on the latest developments click here.

Check out the 2018 Sensors Expo & Conference highlight video HERE

During the event, more than 100 speakers across 65 sessions discussed the latest trends in sensor technologies. Keynote speakers included Mark Pollefeys, Director of Science, Microsoft; Jason Shepherd, IoT CTO, Dell Technologies; and Dr. Carol Stoker, Astrobiologist, NASA Ames Research Center. New this year, industry heavyweights including Cisco, Dell, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft among others, were featured at Sensors. In addition, the highly anticipated Pre-Conference Program kicked off the event with four Symposia covering topics such as MEMS, IoT, Energy Harvesting, Embedded Technology, and Wearables and Embedded Hands-On Workshops.

Year after year attendees from around the globe continue to find value in the event. Angelique Gilbert, Electrical Engineer, Honeywell FM&T noted, This years Sensor Expo & Conference was great. There were many vendors and wide range of products which made it easy to network and find new products. I really enjoyed my time and would recommend this conference to anyone interested in technology.

Francis Forest, Ph.D. Sr. Member of Technical Staff, Gogo LLC commented, Sensors Expo & Conference is an event well worth attending. I love to attend each year to witness and feel first-hand the immense passion each of the speakers, exhibitors, and attendees have for the sensors industry.

More than 300 exhibitors were on site showcasing their innovations including real-world applications from the 2018 Best of Sensors Expo Award winners including Advanced TeleSensors Inc., ams, Axzon, Kinetic Reality, Inc., Maxim Integrated, ROHM, STMicroelectronics, and Velodyne LiDAR.

The two new co-located events, brought together even more content, industry experts, and cutting-edge solutions across industries. The Autonomous Vehicle Sensors Conference, spearheaded by Will Tu, Senior Director, Automotive Business Unit, Xilinx, provided the only forum for design engineers and OEMs to learn about the sensor technologies driving the automotive industry forward. Similarly, the Medical Sensors Design Conference, spearheaded by Bunny Ellerin, Director, Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management Program, Columbia Business School, provided unique educational and networking opportunities to help drive sensor development and foster innovation in medical and healthcare applications.

Sensors Expo & Conference gave me the opportunity to understand the direction of the industry and know what innovation can be applied in my industry to keep us on the cutting edge, said Steven Perry, Hardware Engineer, Vivint Smart Home.

About Sensors Expo & Conference

Sensors Expo & Conference is widely known as one of the world's largest and most important gatherings of engineers and scientists involved in the development and deployment of sensor systems. For more information, visit http://www.sensorsexpo.com. Sensors Expo is supported by the event's official publication, Sensors Online, the industry's leading resource and authority on sensing, communication, and control. For more information, visit http://www.sensorsmag.com. Sensors Expo & Conference is produced and managed by Questex LLC, a global, diversified business-to-business integrated media and information provider, headquartered in Newton, MA. For more information, visit http://www.questex.com.

For further information, contact:

Charlene Soucy

Marketing Director

617-219-8372

csoucy(at)questex.com

Sarah Murray

Partner, Attune Communications

781-378-2674

sarah(at)attunecommunications.comWe're always excited to visit our neighbors in Georgia to showcase best-in-class Brahman bulls and heifers!

Moreno Ranches, America's Top Brahman Cattle Ranch, is proud to announce a very successful All-American Summer Sale IV held in Perry, Georgia. Now in its fourth year, the sale has become a forum for Brahman cattle enthusiasts not just in Georgia or nearby states like Alabama, Mississippi, or Florida but also across the entire United States, to purchase carefully selected Brahman livestock and Brahman genetics products. Moreno Ranches takes great pride in producing and offering cattle specifically for Brahman Junior exhibitors at the event.

"We're always excited to visit our neighbors in Georgia to showcase best-in-class Brahman bulls and heifers," explained Kelvin Moreno, Ranch Proprietor. "We're very proud of the outcomes at the Perry, Georgia, sale," he continued.

Moreno Ranches sends a special thank you to the many people that supported the All American Summer IV Sale. With buyers from Texas, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, the Ranch really cant say thanks enough! The entire M Check team works very hard to bring the industry quality seed stock that are calm, halter broke, well constructed genetic pieces with predictable pedigrees. To learn more about Moreno Ranches Brahman cattle for sale, visit http://www.morenoranches.com/for-sale/. There, one can visit past sales and keep informed on future and upcoming sales and show participation. Another interesting option is to follow Moreno Ranches on Social Media. Interested persons can follow the Ranch on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and use their connected digital device to stay informed about best-in-class Brahman cattle for sale. Those who'd like to learn more about this option can visit the blog post on social media at http://www.morenoranches.com/interested-brahman-cattle-industry-connect-moreno-ranches-social-media/.

Moreno Ranches has become one of the leaders of Brahman cattle for sale not just in Florida and Texas (where the Ranch has physical locations) but throughout the United States. It is because of its genetically superior seed stock that it has obtained recognition as a strong contender in the Brahman cattle show ring and an exceptional value in the sales market. Moreno Ranches Brahman cattle for sale are backed by the M-check brand and are guaranteed to change the future of any ranch with any purpose in mind.

ABOUT MORENO RANCHES

Moreno Ranches is a top producer of Brahman females for sale. Customers come to the company for genetically superior Brahman bulls for sale and Brahman semen (seed stock) as well as Brahman embryos. The company produces both Brahman cattle for sale including heifers and calves, including for use as show cattle or to produce Brahman F1 hybrids. Visit the company's website to browse stock. The company is a trusted source of Brahman cattle for sale whether a buyer is in Florida, Texas, or Louisiana - Latin America, or anywhere in the world.

Web. http://www.morenoranches.com/

Tel. 863 444 8745The demand for our products in this region is particularly strong. By expanding and upgrading the Phoenix Showroom and Distribution Center, were offering customers better service and an even greater variety of on-trend surfacessuch as our new Everlife Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) Collection.

MSI, North Americas Leading Supplier of Premium Surfacing Products, announces the opening of its enlarged and updated showroom and distribution center located in Phoenix, Arizona. The new 187,000 sq. ft. building has allowed MSI to more than double its inventory to better serve not only the growing Phoenix market, but also the entire Grand Canyon State.

Carefully designed with the customer experience in mind, MSIs Phoenix Showroom boasts a spacious layout, comfortable seating and meeting areas, and a pleasing aesthetic design. Throughout the space are numerous displays and creative vignettes which allow visitors to get hands-on with MSIs products and easily envision them in their homes.

The facility features a modern 5,000 sq. ft. showroom complete with MSIs full line of porcelain and ceramic tile, Rockmount Stacked Stone Panels, natural stone pavers, and hundreds of decorative mosaics and wall tiles. Complementing the showroom is a 14,000 sq. ft. slab selection area that includes over 5,500 slabs of the finest natural stone and all Q Premium Natural Quartz colors. The Phoenix facility also houses MSIs complete line of Arterra Premium Porcelain Pavers, which are UV resistant and can withstand Arizonas high temperatures without becoming uncomfortably hot.

Raj Shah, President of MSI, comments, The demand for our products in this region is particularly strong. By expanding and upgrading the Phoenix Showroom and Distribution Center, were offering customers better service and an even greater variety of on-trend surfacessuch as our new Everlife Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) Collection. He adds, Were getting phenomenal feedback about the Phoenix location and well be opening more upgraded and brand-new facilities in the coming monthsits an exciting time at MSI.

The Phoenix Showroom and Distribution Center is located at:

4405 W. Roosevelt Street Phoenix, Arizona 85043 P. 602-393-6330

Visit the Phoenix Showroom or find the MSI Showroom & Distribution Center nearest you.

Founded in 1975, MSI is the leading supplier of premium surfaces in the U.S. - including flooring, countertops, decorative mosaics and wall tile, and hardscaping products. The company offers an extensive selection of granite, marble, porcelain, ceramic, quartz, glass, quartzite, among other styles. Headquartered in Orange, California, MSI has distribution centers across the United States and Canada and maintains over 125 million square feet of inventory, imported from over 36 different countries on six continents. For more information on MSI, visit http://www.msisurfaces.com.This is a time of growth and expansion for the West Florida Division, and an opportunity to bring our brand of inspired, compassionate care to the Ocala community, said Mike Schultz, president/CEO of the West Florida Division of Adventist Health System.

Adventist Health System, the parent company of Florida Hospital, today announced that it has finalized an agreement to officially acquire the 425-bed Munroe Regional Medical Center, Munroe Medical Group and its related outpatient locations, including the TimberRidge free-standing emergency department. It has also finalized the purchase of certain assets. Munroe Regional Medical Center will be renamed Florida Hospital Ocala and will join the West Florida Division as the second largest hospital in the division and the third largest in Adventist Health System.

Munroe Regional Medical Center is a pillar of its community with a legacy of delivering quality care and I am honored that it is now part of our organization, said Terry Shaw, president/CEO for Adventist Health System. We look forward to impacting and serving the community both inside and outside of the hospital walls with Christ-centered, whole-person care and delivering on our mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ to help residents live healthier lives.

The Florida Hospital network now includes 28 hospitals, 11 of which are in the West Florida Division. These include Florida Hospital Carrollwood, Florida Hospital at Connerton Long Term Acute Care, Florida Hospital Dade City, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Lake Placid, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Sebring, Florida Hospital North Pinellas, Florida Hospital Ocala, Florida Hospital Tampa, Florida Hospital Wauchula, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.

This is a time of growth and expansion for the West Florida Division, and an opportunity to bring our brand of inspired, compassionate care to the Ocala community, said Mike Schultz, president/CEO of the West Florida Division of Adventist Health System. We are committed to delivering the best health care in an easy, accessible and affordable way.

The organization has named Joe Johnson as the hospitals president/CEO effective immediately. Johnson has more than 30 years of experience in the health care industry, most recently serving as the president and CEO for Florida Hospital Carrollwood. He has held numerous hospital executive and leadership roles including president/CEO for Florida Hospital Fish Memorial, vice president and chief operating officer for Florida Hospital Tampa, vice president for Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center and administrator of its campus in Lake Placid.

It is an honor to lead Munroe Regional Medical Center in this transition to become Florida Hospital Ocala and a member of Adventist Health System, said Johnson. I am excited to be part of this community and to work with the hospital leadership, physicians, clinicians and team members to help deliver exceptional whole-person care and impact the overall health of the Ocala community.

Munroe Regional Medical Center is an acute care hospital, earning recognition from U.S. News & World Report in 2017 as one of the Best Regional Hospitals, while also earning its High Performing Hospitals distinction. The hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission and is a certified Chest Pain Center with accreditations for atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

About Adventist Health System

With a sacred mission of extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, Adventist Health System (AHS) is a connected system of care for every stage of life and health. More than 80,000 skilled and compassionate caregivers in physician practices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies and hospice centers provide individualized, wholistic care. A Christian mission, shared vision, common values, focus on whole-person health and commitment to making communities healthier unify the system's nearly 50 hospital campuses and hundreds of care sites in diverse markets throughout almost a dozen states. For more information about Adventist Health System, visit http://www.adventisthealthsystem.com.

About Florida Hospital, West Florida Division of Adventist Health System

The West Florida Division of Adventist Health System is a 1,840 bed health care system comprised of 10 acute-care hospitals including Florida Hospital Carrollwood, Florida Hospital Dade City, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Lake Placid, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Sebring, Florida Hospital North Pinellas, Florida Hospital Ocala, Florida Hospital Tampa, Florida Hospital Wauchula, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, as well as three freestanding offsite emergency rooms including Florida Hospital TimberRidge ER, Florida Hospital Central Pasco ER and Florida Hospital Palm Harbor ER. Additionally, it has one post-acute care facility, Florida Hospital at Connerton Long Term Acute Care, over 50 multi-specialty Florida Hospital Physician Group practices, 15 Florida Hospital Express Care at Walgreens clinics and six Florida Hospital Centra Care urgent care centers.

About Munroe Regional Medical Center (Renamed Florida Hospital Ocala)

Florida Hospital Ocala is a 425-bed acute care hospital with an additional free-standing emergency room location at TimberRidge serving Ocala, Marion County and the surrounding area with 24/7 emergency care, cardiovascular, womens services including labor and delivery, a Level II NICU, bariatric weight loss surgery and inpatient and outpatient therapy. Florida Hospital Ocala also features a certified Chest Pain Center with specific accreditations for atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

###The amount of U.S. natural gas traded in 2017 increased for the third year in a row to a level not seen since 2011, according to a new report from Cornerstone Research, Characteristics of U.S. Natural Gas Transactions: Insights from FERC Form 552 Submissions.

The report also shows that, for the seventh consecutive year, the ratio between index-priced transactions and reporting-eligible, fixed-price transactions widened. The growth in this ratio was the result of a 2 percent rise in index-priced transactions and a 13 percent decline in fixed-price transactions potentially reportable to the indices.

We have been seeing a shift from fixed-price natural gas to index-priced natural gas at reporting companies for a while, said Greg Leonard, a Cornerstone Research senior advisor and co-author of the report. In 2017, however, we had the largest volume of index-priced transactions and the lowest volume potentially reported to indices since the inception of Form 552 reporting.

Total reported trading volume on Form 552 submissions rose slightly to 131,296 tBtu, transacted by 678 respondents, 33 fewer than in 2016. The 20 companies with the largest transaction volumes (purchases and sales) accounted for 44 percent of total reported volume.

As a percentage of Form 552 volume, next-day transactions have been steadily replacing next-month transactions, noted co-author Nicole Moran, a senior manager at Cornerstone Research. The growing popularity of next-day transactions seems to reflect a change in industry contracting and risk management practices.

The United States became a net exporter of natural gas for the first time in nearly 60 years as liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports jumped from 8 percent to 22 percent of total U.S. natural gas exports in 2017. Also, while only increasing by about 1 percent, natural gas marketed production set a record high.

Key Findings



The volume of Form 552 transactions dependent on indices continued to increase relative to the volume of fixed-price transactions that form the indices.

In 2017, 14 percent of Form 552 respondents reported transaction information to the price-index publishers for themselves or at least one affiliate.

For the third consecutive year, companies that chose not to report represented more than half of the reportable fixed-price volume.

For the second time in the past three years, aggregate exchange trading of natural gas contracts rose, due to continued increases in trading on CME.

The volume of reported transactions indicates that, on average, a molecule of natural gas was traded through approximately 2.3 transactions from production to consumption.

The natural gas fixed-price volume potentially reported to price-index publishers saw the largest year-over-year drop since 2014.

About FERC Form 552 Submissions

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) receives and compiles the most comprehensive information on trading activity and pricing methods in the U.S. natural gas trading markets. By supplementing the data from FERCs Form 552 with proprietary classifications of market participants, Cornerstone Research adds deeper insight into the market activities and characteristics across the various types of participants.

About Cornerstone Research

Cornerstone Research provides economic and financial consulting and expert testimony in all phases of complex litigation and regulatory proceedings. The firm works with an extensive network of prominent faculty and industry practitioners to identify the best-qualified expert for each assignment. Cornerstone Research has earned a reputation for consistent high quality and effectiveness by delivering rigorous, state-of-the-art analysis for over twenty-five years. Named one of the Best Workplaces by Inc. Magazine, the firm has 700 staff and offices in Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington.

Please visit Cornerstone Researchs website for more information about the firms capabilities in economic and financial consulting and expert testimony.

http://www.cornerstone.com

Twitter: @Cornerstone_ResMost financial industry professionals would look at that list and laugh. Theyd say - thats not my job.

A new study has found that, when it comes to money, modern Americans are leading double lives. While on social media Americans are publicly enjoying barbecues, shopping, travel, and glasses of rose, their private financial secrets tell a more checkered story: 52% of Americans have broken down into tears over money, 37% of Americans have gone to sleep hungry because of money, 12% have stolen something they could not afford, and 5% admit to having taken half-eaten food out of a garbage can.

Struggling to cope with the pressures of status anxiety, Americans are financing the visible parts of their financial lives (where they live, what they buy, what they drive, where they vacation) by depleting parts no one else can see (savings accounts, retirement savings, and credit card debt).

Many Americans have become like superheroes in reverse: invincible in public, but with a secret life of daily stress about money, says Gunny Scarfo, one of the two co-authors of the study.

The study also reveals a crucial gap between the financial help Americans want and the services offered by the financial industry. The study highlights eight key personal finance needs that are not being met by banks, accountants, financial planners, or other industry professionals. These include helping Americans know whether theyre paid fairly, maximizing their salary at their current job, planning career moves to grow household income, budgeting month to month, right-sizing their debt, planning affordable vacations, dealing with the spending pressures of status anxiety, and finding a holistic advisor to talk to about their financial life as a whole.

Most financial industry professionals would look at that list and laugh. Theyd say, thats not my job. But when you ask everyday people about their relationship with money, those are the eight things that matter to them, says Ben Zeidler, the studys co-author. Right now, financial companies are focused on new technologies when they should be looking at what services people want  even crave  but arent able to get. Large numbers of Americans are willing to pay for these services but no one in the financial industry is selling it to them. Now the question is clear: whos going to sell these services first?

The 100-page study, entitled The Secret Financial Lives of Americans and the Future of Financial Services, is based on four years of research and candid responses from thousands of participants. It includes private interviews with consumers, shopping addicts, bank executives, Wall Street analysts, and even convicted bank robbers. It is available for free at ThisisNonfiction.com and Nonfiction Research offers companies access to unpublished insights, data, stories, and recommendations via company workshops.

About Nonfiction Research

Nonfiction Research is a Brooklyn-based research company founded by alums of VICE Media and Gartner Research. Nonfiction gleefully violates the norms of traditional research in a crusade to understand the informal, unfiltered lives of customers. To that end, the founders have ventured unchaperoned into a prison, surveyed rap lyrics to chart personal finance trends, and run quantitative studies on the secret sex lives of Americans. Learn more about their uncensored research at ThisisNonfiction.com.QGate, experts in delivering software solutions for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Business Intelligence (BI), today announced general availability of intelli-CTi for Microsoft Dynamics 365 v4.1. The new release ensures compatibility with the latest versions of Dynamics 365 and Unified Service Desk (USD), as well as new user functionality and further support for hosted telephone systems.

Users of intelli-CTi for Dynamics 365 will experience a slight change to the Call Managers look and feel and will certainly notice the new functionality designed to make them become even more efficient. intelli-CTis Call Association feature is now even simpler and faster  even automatic in some cases!

The new Reassociate feature allows users to change the Lead, Contact or Account against which the telephone call is logged. This means that if a user associates the call with the wrong person  usually happens when there are several people listed under the same telephone number - this can be immediately corrected without any disruption to the conversation. Also, when a call is received from a number that is related to only one Contact, the Auto-associate feature saves users more time by automatically making the association.

Paul Nicholas, QGates Product Development Manager explains, Ensuring that all telephone call related information is stored against the right entity is a significant part of intelli-CTi. With these apparently simple features in place, we managed to reduce even further the time spent on each call, while minimizing the risk of having information registered against the wrong person in the CRM system.

intelli-CTi for Microsoft Dynamics 365 v4.1 is compatible with the latest versions of Microsoft Dynamics 365, as well as with the latest release of USD. Further enhancements have also been made to simplify the set up and user management for those customers using Skype for Business and Broadworks based phone systems.

Rowland Dexter, QGates Managing Director, says We want to ensure that every organization that uses Dynamics 365 can easily connect it to their telephone system. That is why we have made intelli-CTi more affordable in the previous release, and why we keep investing in R&D - to support more telephone systems, to give users more functionality and overall, to provide businesses of all sizes with more and more great value.

The solution is available for a free trial, both on Microsofts AppSource portal and on the products dedicated website - https://www.intellicti.com

If you are already a customer and wish to upgrade to the latest version, please get in touch.

About QGate

QGate are an established CRM and BI Partner based in the UK, and with a global presence through business partners and distributors. For over 20 years, QGate have been delivering best-of-breed CRM and BI solutions, and professional services to businesses primarily in the mid-market. Additional information available at http://www.qgate.co.uk.Omaha Steaks celebrates its signature steak, the Filet Mignon, by expanding the product line offerings. "Filet Mignon has always been our signature steak. For more than 100 years, we have been perfecting this legendary cut using the finest beef tenderloin. -- Todd Simon, Omaha Steaks Senior Vice President and Family Owner

Americas Original Butcher, Omaha Steaks, known nationwide for its legendary Filet Mignon, today announced an expansion of its Filet Mignon offerings in recognition of Filet Mignon Month. Carved from the beef tenderloin by the companys in-house master butchers, the Omaha Steaks line of Filet Mignon offerings tops more than 30 items. The following new Filet Mignon items debut this month:



Filet Mignon Skewers  a complete kit featuring Filet Mignon, stainless steel skewers and Omaha Steaks signature seasoning blend

Filet Mignon Medallions  perfect to sear and serve over risotto or potatoes

Filet Mignon Cutlets  designed for sandwiches and creative Filet Mignon recipes

Ground Filet Mignon  a more elegant take on classic ground beef

What makes Omaha Steaks Filet Mignon a steak worth celebrating?



The company has worked for more than 100 years to perfect it.

Master butchers hand carve Filet Mignon from the tenderloin of premium beef

Aged for 21 days, Omaha Steaks Filet Mignons have a mild flavor and are fork tender

Filet Mignons are synonymous with fine dining and special occasions and are always a reason to celebrate

Filet Mignon has always been our signature steak, said Todd Simon, Senior Vice President and Family Owner. For more than 100 years, we have been perfecting this legendary cut using the finest beef tenderloin. As Americas Original Butcher, we think Filet Mignon Month is one of the best holidays of the year and we are confident that our Filet Mignons are the best you can buy!

About Omaha Steaks

America Original Butcher Omaha Steaks, founded in 1917, is an Omaha, Nebraska-based, fifth-generation, family-owned company that markets and distributes a wide variety of the finest quality USDA-approved, grain-fed beef and other gourmet foods including seafood, pork, poultry, slow cooker and skillet meals, side dishes, appetizers and desserts. Today, Omaha Steaks is recognized as the nations largest direct response marketer of premium beef and gourmet foods, available to customers by calling 1-800-228-9055, online at http://www.OmahaSteaks.com or at retail stores nationwide.

###Open Lending The problem is that too many credit unions do not segment their risk-based pricing models effectively. As a result, they are turning away some of their most profitable members and not pricing their loans competitively, stated John Flynn.

Open Lending, LLC, is honored to announce it will be exhibiting and speaking at the 41st Annual CU Leadership Convention. Open Lendings Co-Founder, President, and CEO, John Flynn, will be leading two sessions on Thursday, August 2nd focused on how to drive up automotive lending 20%-40% with effective risk-based pricing. As a platinum sponsor, the company will be exhibiting alongside several other event supporters.

The CU Leadership Convention is such a valuable event for credit union leaders. We are honored to participate with the other sponsors and speakers in support of growing this industry by learning from one another, stated John Flynn.

Find out how some of the top credit unions are generating yields 4-6 times on their net ROA using the strategies John Flynn outlines in this powerful session.

The problem is that too many credit unions do not segment their risk-based pricing models effectively. As a result, they are turning away some of their most profitable members and not pricing their loans competitively, stated John Flynn.

As a bonus, all attendees to the session will receive a copy of Open Lendings, Top 5 Secrets for Lending to High Risk Borrowers.

The 41st Annual CU Leadership Convention is being held July 31st  August 3rd, 2018 at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The event is the industry leader for all credit union leaders to come together for education, growth, and resources to support their credit unions. The convention combines industry experts and inspirational guest speakers alongside activities and workshops for a truly remarkable experience. To learn more about CU Leadership Convention, please visit http://www.culeaderscon.com.

ABOUT OPEN LENDING, LLC

Founded in 2000, Open Lending, LLC works exclusively with automotive lenders by providing loan analytics, risk-based pricing, risk modeling and automated decision technology. Based in Austin, Texas, the company services over 365 financial institutions nationwide. Through its proprietary technology, the Lenders Protection Program, financial institutions leverage powerful tools and customized analytics to underwrite direct and/or indirect loan approval decisions in seconds. Lenders are empowered to increase near and non-prime automotive loan volumes and yields with the protection of A rated insurance carriers, preventing additional risk to their loan portfolio. Lenders Protection, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Open Lending, LLC.

To learn more about Open Lending, visit http://www.openlending.com.

OPEN LENDING CONTACT

John Flynn, Co-Founder, President and CEO

512.892.0400 ext. 226

jflynn(at)openlending(dot)com

MEDIA CONTACT

Cami Gueguen, CAMIO PR

512.415.5460

cami(at)camiopr(dot)comPerrin Conferences, the leading national provider of joint plaintiff/defendant litigation conferences, recently announced that it will host its annual National Asbestos Litigation Conference on October 1-3, 2018 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. The three-day conference will bring together more than 700 industry leaders for noteworthy panels and key discussions focused on the latest trends in asbestos litigation.

The National Asbestos Litigation Conference is the recognized marque conference because no other forum offers comparable volume, substance, and quality from all constituencies and perspectives, said Lynnsey Perrin, President & CEO of Perrin Conferences. Were excited to host prominent plaintiff and defense attorneys, judges, in-house counsel, insurance professionals, risk managers, and scientific and medical experts.

This years conference will be chaired by:



Perry J. Browder, Esq., Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC

Nina Lynn Caroselli, Esq., The RiverStone Group

John B. Manning, Esq., Manning Gross + Massenburg LLP

Joseph F. Rice, Esq., Motley Rice LLC

The aforementioned chairs, along with additional featured panelists, will cover a wide range of hot topics including national trends driving asbestos litigation, talc litigation, bankruptcies, diversity and sensitivity in the legal industry, BAP1 gene mutationand much more.

New for 2018, Mark Lanier, Esq., The Lanier Law Firm, will host a highly-anticipated mock trial on talc litigation: Heavyweight Litigators Battle Over Allegations of Contamination and Cosmetic Talc. Also included in this years impressive agenda are a Womens Lunch and a Young Lawyers Lunch, both of which are designed to encourage and foster supportive relationships within the asbestos litigation industry.

In addition to providing exclusive opportunities for learning, networking, and information sharing, the National Asbestos Litigation Conference offers Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credit and CE credit for qualified candidates. For more information, registration, and hotel accommodations, please visit http://www.PerrinConferences.com or contact Lynnsey Perrin.

About Perrin Conferences

The leading national provider of joint plaintiff/defendant litigation conferences, Perrin Conferences offers comprehensive and specialized continuing legal education in an atmosphere of learning, networking and sharing. Bringing together preeminent national talent in specialty legal fields, Perrin Conferences ensures its conferences deliver innovative content, networking opportunities and career development. Attendees gain insights that cannot be found anywhere else. Follow the latest news from Perrin Conferences on Twitter @PerrinConf. For more information on the company and upcoming conferences please visit http://www.perrinconferences.com.

# # #

Contact:

Lisa Graham

Graham Media Partners

610-688-2060

lisa(at)grahammediapartners(dot)comIRONSCALES, the worlds first automated phishing prevention, detection and response platform, today announced the availability of Themis, an AI-assisted virtual security analyst built to automatically determine a verdict on suspicious email incidents in real-time. By mimicking security analyst's decision-making criteria, Themis can predict with high-confidence the legitimacy of any suspicious email, improving the efficiency of email phishing classification and expediting the resolution of confirmed phishing threats.

After years of studying security expert's decision-making processes with Federation, IRONSCALES' peer to peer phishing intelligence sharing module, Themis will capitalize on that knowledge to exponentially speed up and automate security teams response times and efficiency. For the majority of overburdened and understaffed SOC and security teams, Themis will provide much needed relief by rapidly accelerating decision-making processes and automatically implementing decisions whenever a pre-determined level of confidence-level is exceeded.

Themis builds on our unprecedented phishing intelligence sharing capabilities by introducing a new level of security to our phishing protection platform, using AI to help assess and syndicate threats while empowering organizations to respond to attacks with little to no involvement from security teams, said Eyal Benishti, IRONSCALES founder and CEO. Since time is of the essence with phishing mitigation, Themis ability to autonomously and automatically make decisions with a high-confidence level can do more to reduce the risk of email phishing than any other security tool on the market.

How Themis Works

When a new incident is not automatically resolved by IronTraps, our automated forensics and incident response module, Themis immediately logs the attack details and checks it against all of Federations' previous verdicts - taking dozens of different phishing protection decisions and criteria into account as well as other intelligence sources from within the IRONSCALES platform. Based on the vast amount of data captured over the years from email phishing attacks, spam and false positives, Themis then provides with high confidence its own verdict to analysts, offering what it believes other human analysts would do with such an incident.

Themis also provides security teams with a confidence level for every phishing incident and can be operated in both suggestive and responsive modes based on her built-in confidence levels and company policy. If the confidence level is high enough, Themis can automatically make and implement its decisions without human intervention.

Powered by machine learning algorithms, Themis continuously learns from the tens of millions of emails that it is exposed to on a weekly basis. It is available for Exchange/O365 and G Suite users as a one-click add-on via the IRONSCALES dashboard.

For more information on IRONSCALES, visit http://www.ironscales.com and follow @ironscales. To demo Themis and the entire IRONSCALES platform at Black Hat, visit Booth 559  Shoreline at Mandalay Bay. To learn why industry analyst Ovum calls the IRONSCALES phishing prevention, detection and response platform one to watch visit https://ironscales.com/ovum_landing/.

About IRONSCALES

IRONSCALES is the leader in advanced phishing threat protection, combining human intelligence with machine learning to automatically prevent, detect and respond to advanced email phishing threats. By combining technical and end-user controls into one integrated, automated & multi-layered platform, IRONSCALES drastically reduces the workload burden of SOC and security teams while expediting the time from phishing attack discovery to enterprise-wide remediation from hours, weeks or months to just seconds. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, IRONSCALES was incubated at the 8200 EISP, the top program for cybersecurity ventures, founded by alumni of the Israel Defense Forces elite Intelligence Technology unit."We made the easy decision to go with eCampus.com as our online bookstore because it offered our students diverse options for a fraction of the cost." - Dr. Jama Goers, Dean of Nursing, Platt College

After a comprehensive search for a partner to meet their nursing textbook needs, Platt College selected eCampus.com Virtual Bookstores to help students obtain course materials at a significantly reduced cost, while also providing a streamlined and convenient ordering process. Bypassing the traditional brick and mortar store with eCampus.coms Virtual Bookstore solution will save Platt students up to 70% off publisher list prices, aligning with the colleges commitment to an exceptional education at an affordable price. Beyond cost savings, students can take advantage of every purchasing option, including new, used, rental, eTextbook, and an expansive network of third-party marketplace sellers.

The eCampus.com platform will promote Platts commitment to academic excellence by ensuring students are prepared with the right course materials for success. By ordering through their new customized online bookstore, students can confidently secure textbooks and digital content each quarter knowing they will receive the correct edition and format for each course. Further complementing the solution for students is a best-in-class customer service team who will provide superior year-round support. Faculty also benefit from a powerful online adoption tool that streamlines the entire adoption process.

After maintaining an on-campus bookstore for years and realizing our students needed different, less expensive options, we made the easy decision to go with eCampus.com as our online bookstore because it offered our students diverse options for a fraction of the cost, said Dr. Jama Goers, Dean of Nursing. Additionally, eCampus.com takes the guesswork out of getting the correct materials for the correct course. Nursing school is hard enough, easing our students stress levels with an eCampus.com bookstore is one simple, yet important way to ensure their academic success.

eCampus.com is thrilled to be partnering with Platt College to help them improve textbook affordability through an innovative virtual bookstore solution, said Matt Montgomery, eCampus.com President and CEO. Todays students demand a convenient shopping experience with every purchasing option available. We applaud Platt College for recognizing the evolving textbook market and meeting the needs of their students through a customized online platform that aligns with the institutions commitment to an affordable education that exceeds expectations.

Platt students will enjoy full access to their new eCampus.com Virtual Bookstore beginning in Fall 2018.

More information on eCampus.com Virtual Bookstores can be found at http://ecampuscms.com.

About eCampus.com

eCampus.com is a premier online retailer of course materials and digital content. Consistently exceeding industry standards, eCampus.coms mission is to provide the easiest, fastest, and most affordable way for high school, college, and university students to buy, rent, and sell textbooks and access digital content. The company launched on July 2, 1999, the birthday of original investor Dave Thomas of Wendys. From the beginning, their driving force has been meeting the needs of the customers they serve. Remaining an innovative leader in the course materials industry, eCampus.com serves over 250 colleges and universities through an innovative course material solutions suite, including full service Virtual Bookstores and the eCampus.com ALL Access program. eCampus.com's mission enables institutions to increase course material affordability, serving millions of students to date. Through products that simplify the adoption, management and procurement of course materials, eCampus.com propels student success by delivering the right course materials, at the right time, at the right price. Learn more at http://www.ecampus.com.

About Platt College

Platt College, an accredited college located in Aurora, CO, primarily serves the Denver metro area by promoting a concentrated study in nursing. Offering a single degree - a Bachelor of Science in Nursing - the accelerated program provides students a 36 month course of study. Platt College is dedicated to academic excellence, personal and professional ethics, integrity, and growth in an environment of mutual respect and diversity that meets the needs of a changing global environment. With an enrollment of approximately 250 students, Platt College supports and encourages intellectual growth by offering small, interactive classes taught by highly educated professionals.Main Line Today once again has named Raffaele Puppio attorney Ernest Spiros Angelos among the Main Lines Top Lawyers 2018 in its Reader Choice survey. Angelos was recognized for his work in business law.

A senior associate at Raffaele Puppio, Angelos focuses his practice on municipal and educational law, business litigation, real property, contracts and tax assessment appeals. A skilled litigator and member of the Greek American community, he is a dedicated member of the St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Media, Pennsylvania. He has a passion for assisting entrepreneurs and has represented numerous contractors, construction companies, and restaurant owners throughout his career.

Angelos is active with the Delaware County Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, West Chester Rotary Act Club, and Western Delaware Valley Lions Club. He holds a law degree from Widener School of Law and an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Delaware.

Main Line Today is a regional magazine that focuses on Philadelphias known Main Line and western suburbs. Main Line Today shares the latest news happening in the surrounding Philadelphia area, and provides insight into their people, culture and more.

About Raffaele Puppio  Raffaele Puppio is one of the largest and most established full-service law firms in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Attorneys within the firm are known for their legal prowess among the bench and bar in Delaware County, having decades of experience representing school districts, municipalities, businesses and individual clients, helping to solve legal problems while avoiding future legal issues. The attorneys provide sound legal counsel in the areas of school law, government and municipal services, family law, general litigation, personal injury, commercial real estate and business transactions, elder law, estate administration and planning, and criminal law.

# # #The Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award is one of our organizations highest honors, said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness.

The National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) announced today the recipients of the fourth annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award. This years selected recipient for the group award is the Vision in Preschoolers (VIP) Study Group, under the direction of Paulette Schmidt, OD, MS. The individual award will be presented to Richard Bunner, retired from the Ohio Department of Health.

The award recognizes significant efforts to improve childrens vision and eye health at the state or national level. Both awards will be presented at the NCCVEH Annual Meeting on Aug. 4, 2018, in Washington, D.C.

The award was established by the NCCVEH Advisory Committee to commemorate Bonnie Strickland and her groundbreaking work to establish a comprehensive system for childrens vision in the United States. Strickland served as Director of the Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs, Maternal and Child Health Bureau prior to her retirement in 2014.

Led by Dr. Schmidt, the VIP Study was a large multi-center, multi-disciplinary, clinical study of over 4,000 children throughout the country. The study evaluated preschool screening tests, providing data on the effectiveness of both traditional and technology-based tests for identification of preschool-aged children in need of a comprehensive eye examination for evaluation of amblyopia, strabismus and/or significant refractive error.

To date, more than 30 publications have resulted from the efforts of the VIP group over a 24-year period, significantly informing pediatric optometrists, ophthalmologists, vision scientists and others with an interest in vision screening regarding 1) the effectiveness of, testability of and best practices for screening procedures in the hands of licensed eye care practitioners, nurse screeners and lay screeners, and 2) targeted conditions (e.g. amblyopia, refractive error). The results of the VIP study have also increased awareness of childrens vision problems and the need for vision screening.

Richard Rick Bunner has been dedicated to improving childrens vision services for decades. Beginning as a teacher for the blind and visually impaired in 1966, to his recent retirement from the Ohio Department of Health, he has had direct impact on increasing program funding for vision services through advocacy efforts and education. At Prevent Blindness, he has served the organization as a board member, is a founding co-chair of its Government Affairs Committee along with former Congressman Pat Tiberi (R-OH), and he provided instrumental leadership in the founding of the NCCVEH. Bunner serves on the Advisory Committee and previously on its National Expert Panel.

Just a few of Bunners additional accomplishments include:



Developing standardized vision screening guidelines for implementation of school-aged vision screenings by school nurses and other community volunteers.

Developing preschool vision screening standards for community groups through a consensus process involving a wide range of private, professional and public stakeholders.

Instituting Ohios Pediatric Eye Clinics throughout the state, which provided comprehensive eye exams to more than 60,000 school-aged children.

Providing leadership to the Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness, serving in various roles over the last several decades.

Designing the legislation that resulted in the Save Our Sight voluntary check-off on the Ohio motor vehicle registration. Since 1998, the SOS Fund has provided more than $36 million in revenue to support childrens vision programming in Ohio.

The Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award is one of our organizations highest honors, said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. It is designed to recognize those who have made meaningful impact to improve vision health as an investment in our nations future. We are very proud to recognize the Vision in Preschoolers Study Group and Mr. Bunner and congratulate them for their outstanding efforts.

Past recipients of the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award include Dr. Sean Donahue, Vanderbilt University, the Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) at Princeton Vision Clinic based at the Illinois College of Optometry, and the Pediatric Physicians Organization at Childrens (PPOC) based at Boston Childrens Hospital.

For more information on the 2018 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award, Prevent Blindness or the NCCVEH, please visit http://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org, or contact Kira Baldonado at (800) 331-2020 or kbaldonado@preventblindness.org.

About the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness

Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. In 2009, Prevent Blindness established the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health, with funding and leadership support from the HRSA- Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Serving as a major resource for the establishment of a public health infrastructure, the National Center advances and promotes childrens vision and eye care, providing leadership and training to public entities throughout the United States. The National Center is advised by a committee of national experts and leaders from the fields of ophthalmology, optometry, pediatrics, nursing, family advocates and public health to guide the work and recommendations of the Center. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call 1-800-331-2020. Or, visit us on the Web at http://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org or http://www.facebook.com/preventblindness.GeekyReality.com - kickstarting STEM careers ...The Geeky Girl Reality report is a sharp reminder of the magnitude of the lag for girls in STEM disciplines and sends a powerful message... it carries words from the hearts of girls about their innermost perceptions...

Geeky Girl Reality is a longitudinal, independent research project exploring how womens experiences influence their interest in science and technology, engineering and math otherwise known as STEM. The project aims to add valuable insights into questions such as: Why arent more women entering and remaining in STEM? and What is causing this gender gap?

The recently published results in 2016 research project were collected from 178 young women between the ages of 15-43 from 16 countries, all of whom are currently studying a STEM topic at university and preparing for a career in STEM. Each individual gave their perspective on the potential reasoning for the lack of females within the STEM industry. The final research report summarises the challenges that young women face in STEM and their opinions on how gender imbalance issues should be tackled in the workplace.

A 2016 LinkedIn survey of professionals in STEM careers found that only 23% of women were professionals in the STEM sector, whilst a shocking 27% of those felt the need to leave their job roles within 12 months.

This year, the full 2016 Geeky Girl Reality report has been published with the aim of giving a clearer vision of the experiences women face when starting out in the STEM industry and the challenges faced whilst trying to get work in the field.

The Geeky Girl Reality 2016 female participants answered 15 open-ended questions to provide a first-hand perspective of their experiences within stereotypically male academia and industry. One participant, a 23 year-old from South Africa discussed how she had repeatedly been singled out due to her gender: I have been one of only a few women in large engineering classes many times. Once I had a professor refer to me as the lady whenever he referred to my participation in the class.

Four main themes were found from the survey results. The themes represent what women need in order to progress and advance in their STEM path: Female role models; Increased confidence; Gender-free learning environments; and Healthy work-life balance

A full copy of the Geeky Girl Reality 2016 report on the user needs of young women studying STEM is free and available for download at https://reports.geekyreality.com/2016

The report is a sharp reminder of the magnitude of the lag for girls in STEM disciplines and sends a powerful message for concerted and concerned action said Shreeja Nambiar, who leads community outreach and advises the Geeky Girl Reality project in India and South Asia. The report also carries words from the hearts of girls about their innermost perceptions Nambiar said. Being an engineer myself, I know the joys of being in the STEM space. I can see the difference I can make when I share my own story and how I scripted my path. This is an extremely rewarding experience. Being professionally equipped to deal with the challenges that STEM poses, I not only motivate girls to take core science subjects in high school, I am part of their journey, I am a Go-To person for them and try to ease their path. And then see them soaring in the career paths they finally land in, many times this triggers a chain reaction and they become mentors in their high school. This compounded impact is truly satisfying.

Creating opportunities for women in STEM

The insights from the survey depicted an obvious need for change when it came to the attitudes and opportunities for women in STEM, the founders of the project came up with idea of creating an online community in which women from across the globe can share their own opinions and ideas on how these issues can be tackled.

In terms of demographics, 58% of women who chose to participate in the survey were between the ages of 18-21; giving the impression that the younger generations may feel they are at a greater disadvantage. This specific age group are typically about to embark on studying a degree in STEM or are currently in further study. Many are on the lookout for practical work experience, internships, scholarships, mentor programmes and summer jobs in STEM fields and industries.

Taking this knowledge onboard, the organisation set up a STEM Gigs website; a specific platform for younger women to browse suitable opportunities to kickstart their careers. A dedicated team work hard to find suitable opportunities online which are then vetted, aggregated and published on the Geeky Girl Reality website.

The long-term goals

The goal of the Geeky Girl Reality project is to positively influence the way women in STEM view themselves. The overall aim of the website is to showcase global opportunities for women hoping to make a career in STEM and to offer camaraderie and support to fulfil their passions. Through dedicated research, the ambition is to raise awareness and gain momentum with organisations and corporate brands to secure funds, which will be invested in enhancing website technology and building a mobile friendly app.

Were having great conversations with corporate partners looking to increase applicants to management consulting graduate recruitment schemes, said Paul Sauvage, who leads corporate partnerships and sponsorships for Geeky Reality Foundation. We know our community of students, from our survey, what they tell us, we know especially that young women who have studied physics, maths, computer science, or engineering have reasoning and analytical skills that management consulting firms are keen to nurture, Sauvage said And were happy to play an active part in guiding that young womans career journey.

The 2017 analysis and 2018 survey are underway

Due to the overwhelming response to the 2016 survey, the Geeky Girl Reality project is currently working on a report for 2017 that gathered feedback from female students studying during the 2017 academic school year. We are still collecting data for our 2018 survey.

Each report requires detailed qualitative analysis to ensure that quotes selected and themes described reflect the needs of young women currently studying STEM topics. The 2017 report is expected to be published by autumn 2018 and can be found at https://www.geekyreality.com/our-research.

About Geeky Reality Foundation

"Geeky Girl Reality" began as a longitudinal survey study to explore young womens experiences in relation to STEM and preparing for STEM careers

The Geeky Reality Foundation is benefit corporation that was founded with a social mission to extend the work of the Geeky Girl Reality project. The Geeky Girl Reality brand has now developed into a resource hub for networking, gigs and opportunities, connecting with role models and sharing experiences. Geeky Reality Foundation manages the advertising and revenue that supports the Geeky Girl Reality project; but is a non-profit organisation in which donations are not accepted

The research is sponsored by Ad Hoc Global LTD, a user research and UX consultancy firm and conducted by a team of user researchers who have specialist backgrounds in social science and human factors research.IRA Institute The speakers were subject matter experts, and able to talk fluently about the rules and regulations that govern our industry. Breakout sessions helped to stimulate discussion and add real-life examples and scenarios to the conference. The IRA Institute provides valuable training and insights! Past News Releases RSS 10 Tips for Retirement Planning by...

Self-Directed IRA Conference by...

Tax Reform: What Retirement Plan...

The Retirement Industry Trust Association [RITA] today announced two educational events for financial professionals in the self-directed IRA industry. As more money flows into IRAs; currently valued at over $9 trillion, retirement plan professionals must stay abreast of the ever-changing landscape, says Tom Anderson, President of RITA.

The IRA Institute

Employees of trust companies, IRA plan administrators and bank examiners are encouraged to attend The IRA Institute  a 3-day intense course on the fundamentals of self-directed IRAs. The speakers were subject matter experts, and able to talk fluently about the rules and regulations that govern our industry. Breakout sessions helped to stimulate discussion and add real-life examples and scenarios to the conference, and to also share best practices. The IRA Institute provides valuable training and insights, and is a foundational part of the training program for our staff, says Mark Lee, PENSCO Trust Company. Graduates will receive the Self-Directed Industry Professional (SDIP) certification.

The next training will be held on September 5-7, 2018 in the Chicago, Il area. Registration details can be found at: https://www.ritaus.org/education-page.

RIDE THE WAVE Self-Directed IRA Conference: Navigating the Legislative Waves in Retirement Plans

Leading financial experts will share their knowledge and insights on important changes affecting self-directed IRAs.

Topics include:



Navigating the Legislative Waves

Crowdfunding Updates

Cryptocurrencies in IRAs

Alternatives on the Horizon

And a lot more.

Attendees can learn more and register now for the Ride the Wave conference to be held in Orange County, CA on October 29-30, 2018 at the Westin Hotel. Save up to $400 with the early bird rate. Expires 9/30!

Click below to register and learn more:

Members

Non-Members

About RITA

Retirement Industry Trust Association [RITA] is non-profit association of regulated banks, trust companies and industry-related professionals and serves as the voice of the self-directed IRA industry. As the leading innovator and contributor of retirement services industry knowledge and best practices, RITA enables its members to provide the highest levels of retirement account and alternative asset administration and custody services.When Alfred Peet opened Peets Coffee, Tea & Spices in Berkeley, California, in 1966, and started selling small batches of on-site, hand-roasted coffee beans, the renowned roastmaster had no way of knowing that he was brewing a coffee revolution.

Roundtree Press, an imprint of Cameron + Company, is releasing journalist Jasper Houtman's biography of Alfred PeetThe Coffee Visionary: The Life & Legacy of Alfred Peeton Tuesday, August 7. Part biography, part history of the coffee industry, the book provides a look behind the curtain at this unique, captivating beverage.

THE COFFEE VISIONARY

The Life & Legacy of Alfred Peet

Written by Jasper Houtman

When Alfred Peet opened Peets Coffee, Tea & Spices in Berkeley, California, in 1966, and started selling small batches of on-site, hand-roasted coffee beans, the renowned roastmaster had no way of knowing that he was brewing a coffee revolution and defining the coffee culture we know and love today. At a time when most Americans drank coffee percolated from canned grounds, Peet, the son of a coffee roaster from a small town in the Netherlands, laid the foundation for specialty coffee in the United States.

Part biography of Alfred Peet, part history of the coffee industry, The Coffee Visionary provides a look behind the curtain at this unique, captivating beverage. Through the use of interviews and archival photographs, Houtman sheds light on Peets life and legacy, as well as the history behind the iconic West Coast coffee brand that bears his name. The book weaves together elements of business, family history, the coffee industry, and more. Peets attention to detail as he roasted, cupped, and served his coffee is beautifully captured in Houtmans book, and as Alfred Peet would say, The coffee tells my story.

THE COFFEE VISIONARY

The Life & Legacy of Alfred Peet

Author: Jasper Houtman

Publisher: Roundtree Press (an imprint of Cameron + Company)

ISBN: 978-1-944903-38-1

Format: Hardcover, 208 pages, 6 x 9

Publication Date: August 7, 2018

Distributor: PGW/Perseus

Retail: $24.95

Jasper Houtman is an editor for the Dutch financial daily Het Financieele Dagblad and has twenty-five years experience in writing for magazines and newspapers in the Netherlands. Traveling through Guatemala and Honduras in 2004, he became interested in coffee, which led to a fascination for the story of Alfred Peet, who is relatively unknown in his motherland, the Netherlands.

Roundtree Press, an imprint of Cameron + Company, partners with authors and companies with platforms to produce high quality books, usually in the areas of business and technology as well as general nonfiction. Visit us at http://www.roundtreepress.comEffective Aug. 1, SAC Federal Credit Union is now Cobalt Credit Union.

Cobalt began in 1946 with a single branch on Andrews Field in Maryland. Over the next 70 plus years, the credit union continued to grow and now serves 110,000 members in Iowa and Nebraska. Today, more than 260 employees help Cobalt fulfill its mission of being its members trusted financial partner providing tailored solutions to support them throughout their life events.

In June, Cobalt achieved a significant milestone securing more than $1 billion in assets, a goal that only 248 credit unions nationwide have accomplished. This achievement places Cobalt in the top 8 percent of credit unions in the country.

As the organization moves forward, Cobalt Credit Union is focused on strategic growth and ensuring that the communities they serve view them as their credit union. This desire to present an inclusive credit union that is built for everyone, helped inspire the name change.

Cobalt has been open to all residents for more than a decade, yet research conducted in 2017 showed that more than half of all community members, 58 percent, still perceive the credit union as only open to military personnel.

We have a rich history of serving military personnel and their families, said Gail L. DeBoer, president and CEO. That has not, and will not change. At the same time, we want residents in all of the communities we serve to know that Cobalt is their credit union.

Cobalt Credit Union currently serves five counties in Nebraska and nine counties in Iowa. Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders, Washington counties in Nebraska and Harrison, Mills, Pottawattamie, Crawford, Shelby, Ida, Sac, Monona, Carroll counties in Iowa. In addition to changing its name, the credit union is pursuing a change in charter that will allow further expansion into Lancaster County and beyond.

Under our current Federal charter, we are unable to expand into additional counties, DeBoer said. We want to be a trusted resource throughout Iowa and Nebraska, and this proposed change in charter enables us to do that.

Current Cobalt Credit Union members will vote on the proposed charter change on Aug. 23. Current members will receive notification about the transition from the SAC Federal Credit Union brand to the Cobalt Credit Union brand this week. DeBoer said the credit union is focused on ensuring the transition is seamless for everyone. More information regarding the change is available on the website at cobaltcu.com/trueblue.

SAC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization will maintain the SAC name. This charitable arm of Cobalt Credit Union further advances the credit union's mission of providing tailored solutions to support members throughout their life events. The foundation advances financial literacy, provides educational opportunities and advocates outreach and development of economic and social programs in support of the military.

About Cobalt Credit Union: Headquartered in Papillion, Neb., Cobalt Credit Union is locally owned by its members and recognized for its community involvement. Motivated by member service rather than profit, Cobalts focus is on providing safety, soundness and convenience to its members. Cobalt Credit Union is a financial partner for life, helping members with better banking, financial planning, home buying investing, education and retirement planning, commercial banking services and more. Cobalt serves more than 110,000 members in fourteen counties in Iowa and Nebraska. Never Settle. Bank Better with Cobalt.Information and cyber security continues to capture headlines across the globe. Organizations in every industry are paying closer attention to the constantly evolving threat landscape and the growing regulatory environment. More focus is being placed on cyber security than ever before, as consumers are demanding that companies protect their data and privacy. As such, security efforts must include appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect data in all forms.

SCA is also evolving to keep pace with these changes and to deliver more value to our clients. Our new logo pays homage to our original version, but shows an evolution to a more modern, technical look, as data takes a predominantly digital form, and emphasizes our focus on data security and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Our new website provides visitors with concise information about how we can help them; including expanded service offerings and useful content (blogs, articles, etc) that will be maintained with relevant topics. The new website also introduces a more user-friendly experience that will allow visitors to understand our services and communicate with us in a more efficient manner.

We are very proud of our 13-year history and exceptionally satisfied clients. Everyone at SCA hopes you find this new look both refreshing and impressive.

About SCA

Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, Security Compliance Associates is a premier information security services provider who delivers professional information security assessment and compliance advisory services to organizations across the United States. SCA brings a depth of experience backed by leading-edge technology, industry best-practices, and an unparalleled partnership approach to tailor a solution that is specific to each client engagement. Data and technology risks are everywhere, regardless of the organization. By thoroughly evaluating the people, processes, and technologies that may compromise information and systems, we provide the knowledge and insight to help secure and defend your organization against the constantly evolving threat landscape, all while meeting applicable information security regulations.

If you would like to learn more about Security Compliance Associates (SCA), please call (727) 571-1141, email info(at)scasecurity.com or visit our website https://www.scasecurity.com/.Now that weve removed the burden of website accessibility, boards using Simbli can dedicate even more time to their most important work, without spending their limited resources on web compliance issues.

eBOARDsolutions is pleased to announce that Simbli board management software is now compliant with the latest standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), making it easier for users of all abilities to participate in and stay updated on board activities through the online governance platform. ADA website compliance means boards can be confident that content on their Simbli site is accessible to people with a range of disabilities, as set forth by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

At eBOARDsolutions, we welcome the diversity of our school board community and their stakeholders, and we are committed to making our solution as valuable and user-friendly as possible to all users, said Mark Willis, Chief Operating Officer. Now that weve removed the burden of website accessibility, boards using Simbli can dedicate even more time to their most important work, without spending their limited resources on web compliance issues.

In addition to making their Simbli site easier to use for a wider audience, ADA compliance can help boards reduce the risk and costs of associated legal issues. Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Federal agencies are required to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities.

Some of the changes eBOARDsolutions has implemented to ensure ADA compliance for the board governance sites of Simbli users include:



Support for screen readers: Simbli is now readable through web browser screen readers such as Jaws and Voice Over.

Keyboard navigation: Site visitors can interact fully with the website by navigating using the keyboard only.

Simple search: Alt text, heading structure, page titles and descriptive link text now help all users easily find what theyre searching for.

Contrast and colors: For users who are color blind, or who cant see contrasts, Simbli sites can now include contrast between text and background colors, including on buttons, links and images.

Semantics to format HTML pages: Web page codes are clearly described in easy-to-understand terms, enabling broader sharing across all browsers and apps.

Text alternatives for non-text content: Written replacements are now available for images, audio and video. Text on hover/tooltips have also been implemented.

Table formatting: Tables have been reformatted for screen readers to decipher, and to make it easier for users to navigate.

Support for fly-out menus: Menus that fly out or down when an item is clicked are now available via keyboard navigation, and dont immediately snap back when those using a mouse move from the clickable area.

For more information about web accessibility requirements, visit the ADA website at https://www.ada.gov/websites2.htm.

About eBOARDsolutions

eBOARDsolutions is the leader in online board management tools for effective governance. With a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing school boards, the Georgia School Boards Association began building these online tools nearly 20 years ago to help its member boards increase their efficiency and effectiveness. In 2007, eBOARDsolutions, Inc. was born, and has been making these tools available to school boards, nonprofits, and governments across the United States ever since. With an annual renewal rate of more than 98 percent, Simbli is helping boards and the people who work with them simply get more done. Learn more about eBOARDsolutions and Simbli at http://www.eboardsolutions.com.Telinta and Snom team up to automate provisioning for ITSPs

Telinta, a global leader in cloud-based VoIP switching and billing solutions, and Snom, a German pioneer and leading brand of professional and enterprise IP phones, today announced a solution for automated provisioning of Snom phones using Telintas softswitch platform.

Telinta has developed Auto-Provisioning Profiles for the Snom D700 Series and other models of IP phones, enabling Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs) to streamline and automate deployments via Telintas cloud-based softswitch platform. Telintas solution is unique since ITSPs can provision high-quality Snom IP phones using the same cloud-based platform for other important business functions such as billing, call routing, and serving resellers. Telintas platform can also be used to easily update the IP phones firmware, activate and deactivate features, and more.

We team up with industry-leading partners such as Telinta to serve our mutual ITSP customers, said Tommy Lee, director of strategic alliance, Snom Technology GmbH. Together, our world-class IP phones and Telintas cloud-based switching and billing platform provide ITSPs with the competitive advantage they need to win in the marketplace.

Auto-Provisioning Profiles are a standard part of Telintas TeliCoreTM softswitch platform. TeliCore integrates Telinta's cutting-edge solutions for ITSPs with world-class switching and billing capabilities. With Telinta, ITSPs can easily offer Hosted PBX, business and residential VoIP and other services without needing their own infrastructure.

The Snom D700 Series is both aesthetically appealing for end users and highly practical for ITSPs. These high performance phones provide the best in wideband HD audio, ensuring crystal clear sound quality. The Series also meets the connectivity requirements of todays offices. Some of the Series models feature color screens, self-labeling keys, Bluetooth compatibility, and USB ports. Telinta supports several new and existing models within the D700 Series family: D710, D712, D715, D725, D735, D745, D765 and D785.

ITSPs can easily create an inventory of provisioned Snom phones using Telintas web-based interface. When Snom phones are connected to an IP network, they will automatically connect to Telintas platform to download a complete, accurate configuration profile, without the need for manual configuration or an installer visit.

Weve developed Auto-Provisioning Profiles to help ITSPs provision any number of Snom IP phones, without needing manual configuration at the customer premise, said Alex Ferdman, CEO of Telinta. Snom and Telinta can serve the unique needs of both small and large ITSPs using the power of our cloud-based solutions.

About Snom

Snom Technology, headquartered in Berlin, serves as premium brand for innovative professional and enterprise VoIP phones. The companys German-engineered IP products also make an excellent choice for specialized business communication solutions, IoT and smart technologies in vertical markets such as healthcare and education. Business communications leader VTech Holdings Limited acquired Snom in 2016. VTech has leveraged their global experience in telephony, engineering and manufacturing with the technical expertise of Snom to deliver an innovative and diverse product portfolio in the business market. Learn more about Snom at http://www.snom.com. Learn more about the Snom D700 Series at http://www.snom.com/ip-phones/desk-phones/d7xx-series/

Snom is a registered trademark owned by Snom Technology GmbH. The Bluetooth word mark is a registered trademark owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc.

About Telinta

Founded in 2002, Telinta, Inc. offers secure and reliable cloud-based Switching and Billing solutions for VoIP service providers around the globe. Telintas full portfolio of white label solutions is highly customizable for ITSPs and their resellers. Telintas carrier-grade solutions include Hosted PBX, Business and Residential VoIP, Audio-Conferencing, Mobile, Calling Card, Wholesale VoIP, and other VoIP services. Please visit us at http://www.telinta.com for more information.

Media Contacts:

Snom Technology GmbH

Heiki Cantzler

Head of Marketing

marketing(at)snom.com

Telinta, Inc.

Anthony Stiso

Vice President of Marketing and Sales

+1 305 993.1199

anthony(at)telinta.com"Our global footprint is better served by a large metropolitan area with easy access for our staff and members," says Paul Reis, ISA president. "Atlanta offers our organization the best situation to help us grow into the future in a cost-efficient manner".

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), a non-profit organization currently based in Champaign, Illinois has announced its headquarters will be relocated to Atlanta, Georgia in 2019.

The ISA, serving over 23,000 members worldwide, is an international organization whose mission is to promote the professional practice of arboriculture and works to increase the worldwide awareness of the benefits of trees. The Board of Directors strategically determined that positioning the ISA global headquarters in Atlanta will allow for increased member services, more efficient travel, and partnership alignment. This relocation will also allow the organization to expand its reach and better support the ISA mission.

"The ISA office moved to Champaign from Columbus, Ohio nearly 50 years ago because that is where the sole staff member lived" said Paul Ries, ISA board president. "Today, our global footprint is better served by a large metropolitan area with easy air access for our staff and members. The Board carefully considered 12 different cities and determined that Atlanta offers our organization the best situation to help us grow into the future in a cost-efficient manner".

The ISA, founded in 1924, now has a network of nearly 60 chapters, associate organizations, and professional affiliates around the globe. With the organization approaching its 100-year anniversary, this move will create new opportunities for ISA to build on current work and program offerings and set the organization up for continued success over the next 100 years. To learn more about the International Society of Arboriculture visit http://www.isa-arbor.com.

About ISA

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), headquartered in Champaign, Ill., U.S., is a nonprofit organization supporting tree care research and education around the world. To promote the importance of arboriculture, ISA manages the consumer education website; http://www.treesaregood.org, which fulfills the associations mission to help educate the public about the importance and value of proper tree care. Also, as part of ISAs dedication to the care and preservation of shade and ornamental trees, it offers the only internationally-recognized certification program in the industry. For more information on ISA and Certified Arborists, visit http://www.isa-arbor.com.Larina McClain and Kelly VanHee, of the The McClain Group This allows kids to access and read endless books, download educational applications, and communicate with their families no matter where they are. - Kelly VanHee

The McClain Group of Madison & Company Properties, Larina McClain and Kelly VanHee, are celebrating one year since instituting an Amazon Kindle Fire giveaway. After every home sold by The McClain Group, whose motto is Future Homes, Brighter Futures, Larina and Kelly gift a Kindle Fire to a child with a life-altering disease or illness.

This allows kids to access and read endless books, download educational applications, and communicate with their families no matter where they are, noted Kelly.

The inspiration for the campaign was Larinas nephew, William, who suffers from Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a chronic, painful, genetic skin disorder with no known cure. Every year, the McClain Group hosts a charity event to raise money for this cause in his honor.

This creative idea has now become an important part of The McClain Groups business model. With over 50 Kindles already delivered, the team has made a substantial difference. We will definitely keep this up and this year plan to play an even larger part by helping to deliver these backpacks (Bags of Fun) at the hospital as volunteers to the charity, noted Larina. Tammy Krause, the founder of Bags of Fun, stated, We cant tell you how much we appreciate your generous donation that will bring so many smiles to kids.

For more information about The McClain Groups Amazon Kindle Fire giveaway, please visit http://larinamcclain.com/future-homes-brighter-futures/, or call (720) 275-9663. To learn more about the Bags of Fun charity and how it all came about be sure to check out http://www.bagsoffun.org.

About The McClain Group, Madison & Company Properties

Larina McClain is the managing partner of Madisons Cherry Creek office and broker associate at Madison & Company Properties, one of Denvers highest grossing real estate firms. Along with her counterpart Kelly VanHee, Larina focuses primarily on the luxury market of Denver. The McClain Group is a recipient of 5280s 5-Star award for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 based off of customer service and satisfaction and Platinum Excellence Award winner for 2016. For more information, please call (720) 275-9663, or visit http://www.mcclaingroup.co.

About the NALA

The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.Daniel Hook, MD of Digital Science, said: Winning a competitive statewide tender was a major milestone for Digital Science and we are thrilled to be part of this truly collaborative project."

Research technology company Digital Science announced today that it has embarked on a project with the Ohio Department of Higher Education to work in partnership with the Ohio Technology Consortium (OH-TECH) to highlight Ohio's biomedical and engineering faculty and to showcase Ohios campus facilities and equipment critical to the innovation process. Named the Ohio Innovation Exchange (OIEx), this new research expertise portal will support inter-institutional collaborations, enhance connections with industry, and further assist technology commercialization across the state of Ohio.

The Ohio Innovation Exchange is a new initiative developed with six university partners: Case Western Reserve University, Ohio University, The Ohio State University, Cleveland State University, The University of Akron, and the University of Cincinnati  with sponsorship from the Ohio Department of Higher Education and accompanied by strong industry support through the Ohio Manufacturing Institute.

This innovative knowledge management framework will ultimately provide users with interactive tools to connect faculty, staff, and students with industry partners in new information-driven ways. The portal will help business gain access to high-end equipment, allow industry to tap into the next generation of employees, forge and seed new R&D partnerships, strengthen the supply chain, and ultimately stimulate job opportunities across Ohio.

This intuitive and innovative technology platform provided by Digital Science leverages a combination of off-the-shelf products designed to increase visibility and raise the awareness of research. It will serve multiple audiences and make use of:



Dimensions: a research insights platform that links together grants, publications, patents, clinical trials, and policy documents to provide a more complete view of global research activity. The Dimensions structure and capabilities included within the portal will enable users to track research trends, identify people and research groups of interest to promote academic-industry-public sector engagement and collaboration, and provide the public search and discovery capabilities.

Symplectic Elements: a leading Research Information Management system will become the definitive source of faculty and equipment data surfaced in the OIEx public portal. Elements will be used to collate faculty profiles and other related research information sourced from multiple institutional systems, and in doing so will become a unique source of research activity data for the state of Ohio.

The Ohio Technology Consortium (OH-TECH) acts as the broker for institutional asset data, provides leadership for the project, and supports the ingest of critical and relevant data from Ohios institutions while supporting the secure user profiles.

Daniel Hook, MD of Digital Science, said: Winning a competitive statewide tender was a major milestone for Digital Science and we are thrilled to be part of this truly collaborative project. The OIEx portal project will allow us to further enhance data integrations between Symplectic Elements and Dimensions and we very much hope the resulting platform will be used by industry partners, faculty, and public alike to discover and connect with those conducting innovative research across the state of Ohio.

The new platform will be available in September 2018.

Notes for editors

About Digital Science

Digital Science is a technology company serving the needs of scientific and research communities at key points along the full cycle of research. It invests in and incubates research software companies that simplify the research cycle, making more time for discovery. Its portfolio companies include a host of leading brands including Altmetric, BioRAFT, Figshare, Labguru, Overleaf, ReadCube, GRID, Symplectic and UberResearch. It is operated by global media company, the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. Visit http://www.digital-science.com and follow @digitalsci on Twitter.

About Symplectic Elements

Symplectic is a leading developer of Research Information Management systems. Founded in 2003, Symplectics flagship product Elements is used by over 330,000 researchers, repository managers and librarians at over 90 of the worlds top institutions including the University of Oxford, University of Melbourne, and Duke University. For more information, visit http://www.symplectic.info and follow @symplectic on Twitter.

About Dimensions

Dimensions is a linked research knowledge system that re-imagines discovery and access to research. Developed by Digital Science in collaboration with over 100 leading research organizations around the world, Dimensions brings together grants, publications, citations, alternative metrics, clinical trials and patents to deliver a platform that enables users to find and access the most relevant information faster, analyze the academic and broader outcomes of research, and gather insights to inform future strategy. Visit https://dimensions.ai and follow on Twitter @DSDimensions.

About the Ohio Department of Higher Education and OH-TECH

The Ohio Department of Higher Education is a Cabinet-level agency for the Governor of the State of Ohio that oversees higher education for the state.

The Ohio Technology Consortium (OH-TECH) is the umbrella organization for Ohios statewide academic technology and library (OhioLINK) networking infrastructure.The roundtable provided an open forum for discussing collective, cross-sector risks and the public-private partnerships that would have the most impact on reducing physical and cyber risk. Arnold was recommended to participate to represent the interests of small businesses.

Yesterday, Threat Sketch founder and CEO, Rob Arnold, participated in an exclusive roundtable discussion as part of the National Cybersecurity Summit. The panel was hosted by Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen and included many of the nations top CEOs. The summit was attended by top cyber military leaders, heads of key federal agencies, and Vice-President Pence. The subject of the discussion was the collective defense of our nations critical infrastructure.

The roundtable provided an open forum for discussing collective, cross-sector risks and the public-private partnerships that would have the most impact on reducing physical and cyber risk. Arnold was recommended to participate in the roundtable by the IT Sector Coordinating Council to represent the interests of small businesses, which are an integral part of the critical infrastructure supply chain. It was an honor to represent the nations 28 million small businesses that account for half of our countrys jobs and GDP, Arnold said.

At the summit, Secretary Nielsen announced the formation of the National Risk Management Center to provide a focal point for managing national risks to critical infrastructure and a new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Supply Chain Task Force to address near- and long-term solutions to managing strategic risks through public-private partnership. Arnold and the other CEOs were given the opportunity to provide feedback on both. Everyone at Homeland Security was attentive to the needs of small businesses, as they are an integral part of our critical infrastructure supply chain, Arnold said. I was glad to be able to speak for small businesses on this subject, and I feel my comments and feedback were given equal weight by officials and staff.

Arnold also represented his local community at this national event. Like other communities around the country, the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina represents the front lines of cybersecurity. Attacks such as those on LabCorp in Burlington and Davidson County Schools are real-world examples of cyber attacks that occurred in the Piedmont Triad in the past year.

When the school system got hit with a phishing attack that exposed thousands of W-2s last year, cyber attacks became personal, Arnold said. One of my best friends is a teacher whose information was compromised. National cybersecurity strategy may be planned in places like New York and Washington, D.C., but the battles are fought in our hometowns. Hometown America is where the supply chain is rooted.

To help the community, Arnold co-founded the Piedmont Triad Cyber Round Table, a diverse group of experts who come together to educate local business executives about cybersecurity issues. Also, with funding and support provided by Homeland Security through a National Infrastructure Protection Program Security and Resilience Challenge Award, Threat Sketch is collaborating with local colleges and universities to develop risk management tools for nonprofits. In addition to developing cybersecurity tools for nonprofits, the project also provides real-world experience for the students involved in the work. I want to see the Piedmont Triad become a model for other communities. One where teamwork, innovation, public-private partnerships, and workforce development are how we collectively fight back against cyber crime, Arnold said.

About Threat Sketch -- Founded in 2015 in Winston-Salem, NC, Threat Sketch provides tools that enable small business owners and executives to evaluate and manage cybersecurity at a strategic level. The founders bring decades of IT, cybersecurity, risk analysis, financial/economic, and project management experience and expertise to a wide variety of small business clients. To learn more call 844-487-4757 or visit threatsketch.com.Kim Franklin, Director, Global Relocation and Referrals

TTR Sothebys International Realty is pleased to introduce Kim Franklin as its new Director of Global Relocation and Referrals.

In partnership with Cartus and SIRVA, the worlds largest corporate relocation companies, Franklin will lead a team of global relocation specialists in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia from TTR Sothebys International Realtys McLean, Virginia brokerage.

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Franklin joins TTR Sothebys International Realty after serving as a Global Mobility Specialist at Booz Allen Hamilton for over 17 years. A graduate of Sweet Briar College, Franklin studied Art History before obtaining post-graduate certifications at the Sothebys Institute of Art in London, England. Franklin holds both Certified Relocation Professional (CRP) and Global Mobility Specialist (GMS) designations from the Worldwide Employee Relocation Council.

As the leading luxury real estate brokerage in the Washington Metropolitan Area, TTR Sothebys International Realty is positioned to serve all facets of the regions dynamic real estate market.

The Washington Metropolitan Area has always been a largely transient market, which drives significant amounts of corporate, government, and military relocation, says Derrick Swaak, Managing Broker at TTR Sothebys International Realty. With Kim at the helm of our new global relocation department, our firm and our associates will be able to capture a sizable portion of the employee relocation opportunities moving into our market.

About TTR Sothebys International Realty

TTR Sothebys International Realty is the exclusive Sothebys International Realty affiliate for the Washington Metropolitan Region. With seven offices located strategically across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, our 400 real estate professionals are ranked among the highest performing in the nation, and are regarded for their integrity, professional service, and community leadership. Through our relationship with the venerable Sothebys auction house, TTR Sothebys International Realty produces extraordinary results for our clients by leveraging proprietary global marketing, cutting edge digital strategies, and unrivaled access to the most affluent and discerning global clientele. To learn more about TTR Sothebys International Realty, visit https://ttrsir.com.We are thrilled to celebrate our accomplishments at the South San Francisco Campus and the Hayward Campus, said Janis Paulson, Chief Executive Officer at Unitek Learning.

Unitek Learning is thrilled to announce that on September 27, 2018, Unitek College will be presented with two 2017  2018 ACCSC School of Distinction Awards for their Hayward and South San Francisco campuses. The ceremony will be held at the grand Hilton Hotel in Long Beach, California.

The ACCSC School of Distinction Award commends institutions that have overcome the rigors of accreditation and produced educational programs of the highest quality. As a School of Distinction, Unitek College will be formally recognized throughout the 2018 ACCSC Professional Development Conference. The theme of this conferenceA Community of Partners in Educationnicely compliments the overall goal of the event: encouraging student excellence while forming partnerships within the academic community.

The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) created the conference to provide various opportunities for accredited institutions. At the event, participants will have the chance to promote student excellence, strengthen support for workforce development, and help fill the skills gap in the United States. Join Unitek College and other school representatives for a celebration of educational achievements at the Professional Development Conference.

This event will feature the following Unitek team members: Dr. Abdel Yosef  Chief Academic Officer at Unitek Learning, Dr. Navneet Bhasin  Chief Operations Officer at Unitek Learning, Katie Ramezani  Hayward Campus Director at Unitek College, and Milo Jocson  South San Francisco Campus Director at Unitek College.

We are thrilled to celebrate our accomplishments at the South San Francisco Campus and the Hayward Campus, said Janis Paulson, Chief Executive Officer at Unitek Learning. It has been a year of growth and opportunity at Unitek, and we look forward to celebrating our success throughout the 2018 ACCSC Professional Development Conference. At Unitek, we care greatly about promoting student excellence.

Unitek College is one of Californias reputable healthcare and nursing colleges. Taught by experienced professionals, Unitek programs teach the best-practice clinical technique and theory used in the field today. Equipped with a multitude of sought-after skills, Unitek graduates are prepared to excel in many of the fastest-growing careers in healthcare and nursing.

Contact:

David Higley

Chief Marketing Officer

1401 Dove St., Suite 340

Newport Beach, CA 92660

Direct: (949) 590-4888

URL: UnitekCollege.eduGrinkmeyer Leonard Financial, a financial advisory firm in Birmingham, today announces that its Co-founder, Valerie Leonard, AIF, CPFA, has been named to the Forbes Top 1,000 Next Generation Wealth Advisors list for 2018. The list was published on Forbes.com.

Valerie's mission is to help people be the best they can be by making the most of their financial resources and time. Her commitment as a leader in the financial industry and retirement community has spanned nearly fifteen years and has earned her numerous recognitions throughout the United States. She specializes in 401(k) consulting for companies and in managing investment portfolios for and offering financial advice to high net worth individuals.

Wayne Bloom, CEO of Commonwealth Financial Network, Grinkmeyer Leonard Financials Registered Investment Adviserbroker/dealer, said, Congratulations to Valerie on being recognized by Forbes. This vibrant advisor brings new ideas and fresh perspectives to the industry and represents the next generation of independent advice for investors. We are proud to see her recognized, feel fortunate to have Grinkmeyer Leonard Financial as part of the Commonwealth community, and remain committed to serving this growing practice with the intuitive, integrated technology, tools, and resources that drive productivity and keep their business client forward.

Valerie issued a statement saying, Im blessed to have a platform to affect enduring change in the lives of so many people and Im dedicated to being a positive thought-leader and dynamic influence in the financial services industry.

The 2018 ranking of Forbes Top 1,000 Next Generation Wealth Advisors (1) recognizes advisors born in 1980 or later with a minimum of four years of experience. Advisors were rated based on a proprietary algorithm of qualitative and quantitative criteria: assets under management, revenues generated for their firms, client retention, industry experience, credentials, and compliance records. SHOOK Research also employs an opinion-based weighting system that prioritizes its preferred best practices, which include business models, activities, processes, and structure. Overall, 5,832 advisors were considered, and 1,000 (17 percent of candidates) were recognized. For the full methodology (2) that Forbes developed in partnership with SHOOK Research, please visit: http://www.forbes.com.

About Grinkmeyer Leonard Financial

Grinkmeyer Leonard Financial has been providing individuals and organizations with financial guidance since 2007. Located at 1950 Stonegate Drive, Suite 275, Birmingham, AL 35242, and via phone at (205) 970.9088, the firm prides itself on crafting unique strategies for each client. For more information, please visit http://www.grinkmeyerleonard.com.It is elegant, yet unpredictable. Classy, yet eccentric. Savannah really is anything but ordinary. After that epiphany, the campaign quickly came to life.

Visit Savannah has debuted its new advertising campaign featuring the tagline, This isnt ordinary. This is Savannah. Developed by Paradise Advertising & Marketing, the campaign utilizes unique photography to convey the quirky, unexpected vibe of the city.

Showcasing many of Savannahs most recognizable and charming locales  from the famously haunted Hamilton-Turner Inn and the colorful Gingerbread House to the iconic Forsyth Park and Wormsloe State Historic Site  the campaign highlights the citys enchanting ambience and inviting beauty.

"Our campaign was driven by two things. The first was research, which enabled us to know and understand our target market  who they are, what they expect to find in Savannah and what they hope to find there, said Tom Merrick, Chief Creative Officer at Paradise. The second driver was our own experience in the destination, where we discovered that Savannah is the quintessential Southern city, but with a twist. It is elegant, yet unpredictable. Classy, yet eccentric. Savannah really is anything but ordinary. After that epiphany, the campaign quickly came to life."

Renowned D.C. photographer Cade Martin was selected by the agency to bring the integrated campaign to life. Aside from showcasing the beauty of Savannah, the campaign needed to convey the surprising nature of the city and its people. Martins fearless, yet ethereal, storytelling-through-photography approach was the perfect complement to the copy and art direction.

The campaign will inspire leisure and business travelers to visit and explore the citys new hotels, award-winning restaurants, and revered historic sites. Joseph Marinelli, President of Visit Savannah, said, Our goal was to showcase the destination through arresting, page-stopping visuals, and Paradise achieved this goal and then some.

The campaign will run nationally across print, digital and social. The in-print creative may be seen in leading publications such as Atlanta Magazine and Travel + Leisure.

Credits follow and campaign creative can be viewed here. Select creative are also attached.

CREDITS

CLIENT  Visit Savannah

Joseph Marinelli, President

Jeremy Harvey, VP, Communications & Marketing

AGENCY  Paradise Advertising & Marketing

Chief Creative Officer / Copywriter: Tom Merrick

Creative Director / Art Director / Designer: Glenn Bowman

CEO: Barbara Karasek

EVP: Tony Karasek

VP, Client Services: Rudy Webb

Photographer: Cade Martin

Producer: Kimbrough McEniry

Wardrobe: Pascale Lemaire

H&M: Alaina DebernardisWhen users come to a tool such as this they get immediate answers to their websites issues instead of waiting several minutes like others.

World-leading digital marketing firm, WebiMax, released a complete refresh of their website analyzer tool on WebsiteAnalysis.com. This proprietary, on-site application was originally developed exclusively by WebiMax's internal development division and has since made some crucial changes to stay in line with Google and their updates in 2018.

The newly updated tool is user-friendly and will allow any user to instantly discover all of the main issues that are both right and wrong on their website. As a leading SEO company, WebiMax wants the user to gain a long-term understanding of the factors that impact their search rankings and overall online visibility.

Two main objectives of the update included a faster, modern redesign for better usability and an enhancement in elements to keep up with Googles ever-changing algorithm. Some of the new features to the tool include Googles updated ranking factors such as mobile optimization, page-speed and SSL review.

The updated tool can give the user their report in less than 60 seconds, which is much quicker than the time it took from our older tool, says Ken Wisnefski, WebiMax CEO & Founder.

Wisnefski continued, When users come to a tool such as this they want immediate answers to their websites issues instead of waiting several minutes like others.

WebsiteAnalysis.com offers extensive overviews of key SEO elements such as on-page content, title tags, link profile, page speed, social media metrics, mobile and desktop usability, and many other key metrics.

What we like the most about the update is that the very end of the report shows a detailed list of recommendations based on the reports findings and priority levels on how important those recommendations are impacting their site.

Once the user inputs their details they are immediately sent an email that contains their report in PDF format. A newly added feature is the reports can also be generated in HTML format for the user to see in their browser.

Wisnefski says, "just like the old version, WebsiteAnalysis.com is still a free tool that anyone can use to discover key metrics related to their website.

This update is important for WebiMax and is a testament to the brand's capabilities and technical expertise of the key elements that are used in the digital marketing world with an extensive focus on SEO.

WebiMax continues to provide free services to the search engine optimization community that can be leveraged to learn what key elements may be holding their website back from Googles competitive search results.

WebiMax did mention that they are currently working on additional free tools that members of the search community can leverage to get a leg up on the competition.

About WebiMax:

Driven for success, WebiMax helps its clients achieve tremendous returns via their online marketing efforts. Led by serial web entrepreneur and digital marketing expert, Ken Wisnefski, WebiMax has established itself as one of the most respected digital marketing firms worldwide. WebiMax is proud to provide solutions that positively impact clients ranging from early phase start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. With offices located in New Jersey, California, London and Sydney, WebiMax delivers results. For more information, visit us at WebiMax.com or call 1-888-932-4629.Representatives with Westwin announced today that it recently attended Cifnews Cross-border E-commerce Exhibition (CCEE) Hangzhou 2018.

This was a tremendous event to be apart of, a company spokesman for Westwin said in reference to the event held at the Hangzhou International Expo Center situated on the banks of the Qiantang River in China.

The CCEE was established in 2017 to create a link between manufacturing and digital distribution at the global level. It registered over 45 thousand attendees in its first year, with three events in China. CCEE is aimed at smoothing the transition from traditional retail to new retail, bridging the gap between China and global markets  and the other way around. Events are dedicated to factories, buyers, e-commerce operators and third-party service providers from all over the world, covering the whole supply chain: web development, branding/design, digital marketing, online advertising, translation services, online payments, logistics, international trade, financial services & consultancy.

Westwin, the company spokesman said, provides cross-border marketing strategies and solutions to help businesses thrive in China. With years of experience and solid partnerships, the company prides itself in being able to successfully fulfill any and all marketing needs.

Westwin dispatched the sales/customer service experts in the North, East, South and Central Districts to answer questions, the company spokesperson revealed, before adding, At the meeting, Joe Zhu, the channel manager of Xijing, made a presentation. The presentation, through rich data, analyzed the current channel proportion of e-commerce sales and shared the five strong advantages of Bing users.

For more information, please visit: https://adstochina.westwin.com/who_we_are/ and https://adstochina.westwin.com/blog/

About Westwin

Westwin was formerly known as Microsoft Online (MSN China). As the core partner of Microsoft in China, Westwin provides cross-border marketing strategies and solutions to help your business enter China market.

As a proud certified Partner of Baidu, WeChat & Weibo, we follow industry's best practices and fulfill your marketing needs with excellence. We already helped numerous brands to gain success in China.

Contact Number:

+86.21.5368.8266

Source: WestwinIve been wanting to host a womens conference for several years but the timing was never right, until now. I wanted to bring as many women to the the farm as possible to share stories and to have a conversation about how can we lift each other up. - Alexis Koefoed, Soul Food Farm

Soul Food Farm is hosting its first-ever Women of Abundance: Women Entrepreneurs in the Regenerative Culture, Economy, and Community event. The gathering will be held on September 22, 2018, 11:00AM - 4:00PM at Soul Food Farm in Vacaville, CA. Panelists made up of six successful, Bay Area women entrepreneurs will discuss the concepts of abundance and discuss what it means to be regenerative. Ticket prices are $75 for General Admission and $55 for Students. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, August 1st.

To see the full agenda and register, go to https://www.soulfoodfarm.com/women-of-abundance-event/

Now more than ever, womens voices are rising and joining together in support of one anothers

visions for our future. Soul Food Farm wants to be a part of that conversation and movement.

Ive been wanting to host a womens conference for several years but the timing was never right, until now. Talking about abundance and how competition manifests have been key ideas Ive contemplated since I started the farm. But more than anything, I like women; their energy, their creativity, their determination, and I wanted to bring as many women to the the farm as possible to share stories and to have a conversation about how can we lift each other up. - Alexis Koefoed, Soul Food Farm

Women of Abundance: Women Entrepreneurs in the Regenerative Culture, Economy, and

Community strives to:



Explore the concepts of abundance

Discuss what it means to be regenerative

Cultivate an economy where we grow through collaboration and conversation

PANELISTS

Kelly D. Carlisle

Kelly D. Carlisle is the founder and Executive Director of Acta Non Verba: A Youth Urban Farm Project. As the heart of her community, her teaching farm reaches into the soul of Oakland and through adversity and determination, has turned her plot of soil and tender plants into a source of hope and affection for those who come to learn and participate in the healing powers of farming. She breaks the boundaries of what a nonprofit can accomplish, what an urban farm is and how to engage with the people who live in her neighborhood.

Elizabeth Prueitt

Elizabeth Pruitt, along with her husband Chad, is the co-founder of Tartine Bakery & Tartine Manufactory. For the last two decades, with the simple and soulful art of baking bread, she has created a new expectation of what defines delicious, satisfying and possible both in business and community. The bread and pastries of Tartine have been the building blocks for cookbooks, restaurants, chefs and bakers throughout San Francisco. She is a leader in the food culture of the Bay Area and continues to hold on to the core of her identity and work.

Nicolette Hahn Niman

Nicolette Hahn Niman is an attorney, writer, livestock rancher, and mother. She and her husband own and operate Niman Ranch in Bolines. Much of Nicolette's time is spent speaking and writing about the problems resulting from industrialized food production, including essays she has written on the subject for the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. She is a regular speaker at food and farming events, and has been a keynote speaker at the Ecofarm Conference; the Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Conference; the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, among others.

Rebecca Burgess

Rebecca Burgess is the Executive Director of Fibershed, and Chair of the Board for Carbon Cycle Institute. She has over a decade of experience writing and implementing hands-on curriculum that focuses on the intersection of restoration ecology and fiber systems. She has taught at Westminster College, Harvard University, and has created workshops for a range of NGOs and corporations. She is the author of the best-selling book Harvesting Color, a bioregional look into the natural dye traditions of North America. She has built an extensive network of farmers and artisans within our regions Northern California Fibershed to pilot the regenerative fiber systems model at the community scale.

Helena Sylvester

Helena Sylvester is co-owner and lady farmer at Happy Acre Farm with her husband Matthew; currently in her fifth season with Happy Acre growing certified organic mixed vegetables and flowers for market and restaurants on 3 12 acres in the outer regions of the Bay Area. She was awarded 2017 40 under 40 business owners by Diablo Magazine, is a Carhartt ambassador and recently gave birth to the couples first child, August.

Jessica Prentice

Jessica is a co-founder of Three Stone Hearth; the nation's first Community Supported kitchen. Through the development of a unique business model for food preparation and processing, Three Stone Hearth has had hundreds of students, apprentices, interns, externs and volunteers bring their knowledge and spirit to the mission of serving community.

Originally inspired by the CSA model (Community Supported Agriculture), in which customers support a farm by committing in advance to a share of their produce, the customers of TSH support the kitchen by pre-ordering online, thus limiting speculation, risk and waste.

MODERATOR

Erin Walkenshaw

Erin has a deep abiding passion for agriculture and regenerative systems. Her spirit and brilliant mind drive her to reach out and be part of a new movement of spirited women in the Bay Area who are breaking new ground in the world of farming. Erin is fortunate to work with a number of non-profit and for-profit entities whose common thread is their work towards the emergence of health in and across systems. Currently, the majority of her time is happily engaged with the non-profit organization Fibershed, where she is collaboratively designing and implementing a pilot program to help land managers develop and implement carbon farm plans and a peer-to- peer support network of fellow carbon farmers.

Soul Food Farm is a small, family-owned farm in the Northern California countryside. Soul Food Farm is located at 6046 Pleasants Valley Road in Vacaville, California.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Alexis Koefoed at (707) 365-1798 or email at alexis@soulfoodfarm.com or visit http://www.soulfoodfarm.comToday the Weed Science Society of America is introducing a new fact sheet featuring state-level strategies in the battle against noxious weeds  those plants known for their negative impact on public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife or property. Once a weed is classified as noxious at the federal, state or local level, authorities can implement quarantines and take other actions to manage the weed and limit its spread.

In recent interviews with noxious weed authorities in various regions of the country, WSSA uncovered seven state-level best practices in noxious weed control that are featured in the new fact sheet. Here is a sampling of those successful strategies:



Narrow your focus.

While there are 112 weeds on the federal noxious weed list, many states take a less is more approach. They try to limit their state-level list to weeds that represent the greatest threat. We keep our list short and simple, says Chelsey Penuel of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture. Otherwise its too hard for us to manage and too easy for landowners to forget.

Go local.

Many states with successful noxious weed programs focus on localization, with funds and control programs tailored to reflect each local community and its noxious weed challenges. Wyoming, for example, requires a local weed and pest organization in each of the states 23 counties  empowering them to fund control programs by levying local property taxes.

Emphasize partnerships, not penalties.

Without exception, the experts we interviewed say they use enforcement actions only as a last resort. Instead, they partner with landowners and land manager to help them control noxious weeds as quickly and affordably as possible. That includes subsidizing the cost of herbicides and even establishing a loaner program for application equipment.

Collaborate.

Noxious weed specialists in both Mississippi and Delaware collaborate closely with their respective Departments of Transportation (DOT) to identify and control noxious weeds along roadsides. When DOT personnel identify infestations, they record GPS coordinates so teams can map, treat and monitor the weeds over time.

Involve the public.

In Wyoming where outdoor activities are a way of life, the states Weed and Pest Council focuses on public outreach so local residents are more aware of noxious weed risks. Among their more visible efforts are the boot brush stations now posted at trail heads, fishing sites and other outdoor gathering spots. The stations include information about noxious weeds found in the area, as well as a brush visitors can use to clean their shoes so they dont take noxious weed seeds with them when they leave.

To read more, download the free fact sheet Seven Front-Line Best Practices in the Battle Against Noxious Weeds, available online at http://wssa.net/wp-content/uploads/NOXIOUS-WEEDS-FACT-SHEET-FINAL-10july18.pdf.

About the Weed Science Society of America

The Weed Science Society of America, a nonprofit scientific society, was founded in 1956 to encourage and promote the development of knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment. The Society promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and promotes cooperation among weed science organizations across the nation and around the world. For more information, visit http://www.wssa.net.Ziegler, a specialty investment bank, is pleased to announce the successful closing of the $44,725,000 Series 2018 tax-exempt financing for The Hearthstone Corporation. Ziegler has a long-standing relationship with Hearthstone dating back to 2004.

The Lutheran Retirement Home of Greater Seattle, doing business as The Hearthstone is a Washington not-for-profit public benefit corporation and 501(c)(3) organization that was established in 1961 to develop, own and operate senior living facilities. Today, the Hearthstone consists of: The Lakeside, a 10-story, 186,400 square foot building constructed in 1966 and Cove West, a 4-story, 48,243 square foot building constructed in 2015 adjacent to The Lakeside. In total, Hearthstone houses more than 230 residents through its 147 independent living apartments, 37 assisted living apartments, 12 dementia care assisted living apartments and 40 skilled nursing beds.

The Hearthstone will use the proceeds from the sale of the Series 2018 Bonds and other available funds to: (i) finance a portion of the construction, acquisition, development, improvement, renovation and equipping of an expansion project with respect to the corporations continuing care retirement community; (ii) refinance the Corporations existing Series 2013 bonds in full; (iii) pay a portion of the interest on the bonds during the construction of the project; (iv) fund a debt service reserve fund; and (v) pay certain costs of issuance of the Bonds.

The project, known as Cove East, will be located immediately adjacent to Cove West, which opened in 2015. The Cove East Project will be similar in design and layout to Cove West, and will include 22 independent living units, featuring single bedroom, single bedroom and den, and two-bedroom units, as well an underground parking garage for residents only. The ground floor will include a bistro available to residents of the Community.

The Bonds are non-rated and were issued with a combination of temporary and permanent series, consisting of (i) $36,125,000 Series 2018A tax-exempt bonds, amortizing over a 35-year period ending May 15, 2053, and (ii) $8,700,000 Series 2018B (TEMPSSM 80) tax-exempt bonds to be repaid with initial entrance fees of Cove East.

This was an exciting financing to work on for The Hearthstone, a long-standing client of the firm. This successful financing helps expand The Hearthstones market position and mission within the beautiful Green Lake community. We were able to access the market at an opportune time for The Hearthstone to help fund the Cove East expansion, refinance its existing bank debt and extend the final maturity of their capital structure from 7 to 35 years  all while reducing their cost of capital, commented Sarkis Garabedian, Director in Zieglers senior living finance practice.

My years of experience with Ziegler continues to confirm the professionalism and expertise that it takes to successfully refinance and finance. We are pleased to go forward with our plans and our partnership with Ziegler, said Jim Mertz, Chief Executive Officer of The Hearthstone.

Bart Brosten, Chief Financial Officer of The Hearthstone added, Our industry is all about relationships and Ziegler is a great partner with us. They helped us to understanding our options, guided us through uncertain market conditions, and presented The Hearthstone story to the bond investors with credibility.

Ziegler is one of the nation's leading underwriters of financing for not-for-profit senior living providers. Ziegler offers creative, tailored solutions to its senior living clientele, including investment banking, financial risk management, merger and acquisition services, investment management, seed capital, FHA/HUD, capital and strategic planning as well as senior living research, education, and communication.

For more information about Ziegler, please visit us at http://www.Ziegler.com.

About Ziegler:

Ziegler is a privately held investment bank, capital markets and proprietary investments firm. Specializing in the healthcare, senior living and education sectors, as well as general municipal and structured finance, enables Ziegler to generate a positive impact on the clients and communities it serves. Headquartered in Chicago with regional and branch offices throughout the United States, Ziegler provides its clients with capital raising, strategic advisory services, equity and fixed income sales & trading and research. To learn more, visit http://www.ziegler.com.

Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This clients experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients, nor is it indicative of future performance or success. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the market value of mutual fund portfolios and separate account portfolios advised by the Company, the volume of sales by its retail brokers, the outcome of pending litigation, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees.

# # #If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity.

PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move.Jody Corbett at Scholastic has acquired Lana Wood Johnson's debut novel, Technically, You Started It, a story of mistaken identity told entirely in text messages. When Haley gets a text from Martin Nathaniel Munroe II, she's pretty sure she knows who she's talking tobut there are two of them in her class, and she's got the wrong one. Publication is scheduled for summer 2019; Bridget Smith at Dunham Literary brokered the deal for world rights.



Marissa Grossman at Razorbill has bought Lisa Fiedler's We Walked the Sky, a multi-generational YA novel following two teenagers: Victoria, who joins the circus in 1965, and her granddaughter, Callie, who leaves the circus 50 years later. Publication is slated for summer 2019; Susan Cohen at Writers House negotiated the deal for world rights.



Krista Marino at Delacorte has acquired, in a preempt, world English rights to debut author Maria Romasco Moore's Some Kind of Animal. The YA novel stars a teenager who believes she has a secret twin who lives in the woods, but is forced to prove her own innocence when her sister attacks a boy, revealing dark truths about her life. Publication is set for spring 2020; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret did the deal for world English rights.



Kate Brauning at Entangled Teen has bought Joshua David Bellin's Skaldi City a post-apocalyptic thriller pitched as 10 Cloverfield Lane meets The Fifth Wave. Publication is planned for 2019; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency brokered the deal for world rights.



Christian Trimmer at Holt has acquired, in an exclusive submission, two middle grade nonfiction projects by activist and lawyer Hana Bajramovic. Whose Right Is It Anyway?: The Second Amendment and the Fight Over Guns examines the history of the Second Amendmentfrom its conception through the #MarchforOurLives movementalongside its influence on American culture and the rise and evolution of the National Rifle Association. The second book will explore the history and impact of the 14th Amendment. Book one is scheduled for spring 2020, followed by book two in spring 2021; Wendi Gu at Janklow Nesbit sold world rights.



Liesa Abrams at Aladdin has bought in a preempt Emma Steinkellner's middle grade graphic novel, The Okay Witch, in which 13-year-old Moth Hush learns that magic is to be expected when you're a Hush, in an adventure that spans centuries, generations, and even worlds as Moth unravels the complicated legacy of witches at the heart of her town, her family, and herself. Publication is slated for fall 2019; Daniel Lazar at Writers House negotiated the deal for world English rights.



Greg Hunter at Lerner has acquired Owl's Outstanding Donuts, a middle grade novel by The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez author Robin Yardi. Ten-year-old Mattie believes that an owl is trying to warn her that someone is secretly polluting the land near her aunt's gourmet donut shop in Big Sur. When her aunt is wrongly suspected, Mattie sets out to save the shop, the only place on earth she has left after her mom's death. Publication is set for fall 2019; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.



Allison Cohen at Running Press Kids has bought scientist Synte Peacock's middle grade nonfiction book, Extinct, which explains past mass-extinction events, the status of life on the planet today, and the science of bringing back extinct creatures. Publication is planned for spring 2020; Jodell Sadler and Jill Corcoran at Jill Corcoran Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.



Katherine Harrison at Knopf has acquired Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing illustrator Robert Neubecker's Little Smokey, about a small airplane who puts her courage and ingenuity to the test to stop a blazing forest fire. The book is based on true accounts of firefighting airplanes at the National Interagency Fire Center. Publication is scheduled for fall 2019; Linda Pratt at Wernick & Pratt Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.



Kait Feldmann at Scholastic/Levine has bought Sarah Jung's debut picture book, When Father Comes Home, about June's relationship with his father who, like a goose, flies abroad for long stretches of time. The story is based on the term Goose Dad, which is used to describe Korean fathers who live and work in South Korea so their kids can receive an education in an English-speaking country. Publication is slated for 2021; Shadra Strickland at Painted Words did the deal for world rights.



Katherine Jacobs at Roaring Brook has acquired world rights to Can I Touch Your Hair? co-author Irene Latham's Wild Peace, a picture book inspired by Wendell Berry's poem The Peace of Wild Things, in which siblings escape a hectic world by stepping into the forest where woodland creatures teach them about peace. Il Sung Na (A Book of Sleep) will illustrate; the book is set for winter 2021. Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Lori Nowiki at Painted Words represented the illustrator.



Beverly Horowitz and Kelsey Horton at Delacorte have bought in a preempt Girls Who Run the World, a biography and business how-to by Diana Kapp (l.), illustrated by Bijou Karman. The book features the success stories of 25 women who started their own companies, including Rent the Runway, PopSugar, and ClassPass, and offers tips for future entrepreneurs. Publication is planned for fall 2019; Danielle Svetcov at Levine Greenberg Rostan brokered the deal for world rights.



Courtney Fahy at Little Bee has acquired world rights to Vivian Kirkfield's (l.) Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe, illustrated by Alleanna Harris. The picture book is about the friendship between two strong women who helped each other find their voices. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and James Burns at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.



Kristen Nobles at Page Street Kids has bought world rights to Josh Crute's Jonas Hanway's Shockingly Sensational Umbrella, illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen. The true story introduces readers to the curmudgeonly Jonas Hanway, an unlikely trailblazer who helped bring the umbrella into use in London in the 1750s. It's slated for winter 2020; Claire Easton at Painted Words represented the author, and Nicole Tugeau at Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator.



Holly West at Feiwel and Friends has acquired at auction world rights to Ava in Code Land, a picture book by Jess Hitchman (l.) and Gavin Cullen that introduces readers to the concept of coding. In the book, a girl and her pixellated cat use code to make their world a better place. Leire Martin will illustrate; publication is planned for early 2020. Gemma Cooper at the Bent Agency represented the authors, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.

This year, 400 students at Dzorwulu Junior High School will be taught basic digital and financial knowledge to make better decisions about money, especially regarding credit and loans. The workshops will teach the students about interests, investments, how to discern information in banking advertisements, and steps to keep track of innovations in the digital and financial services.

As a new generation financial institution, FIDO Money Lending is carving a path to get involved in more socially conscientious initiatives that focus on financial inclusion and literacy, and digital education for Ghanaians.

The need for all citizens to be educated in financial matters is critical to improve financial decision-making by individuals and businesses, which in turn improves the overall national economy.

FIDO Foundation is a social responsibility project of FIDO Money Lending which is supported by SAF and targeted at increasing financial literacy and usage of digitalization amongst Ghanaians. Building financial education and usage of digital tools will help Ghanaians to make better financial decisions which will improve their lives, says Gadi Regev, General Manager of FIDO Money Lending.

We hope to inspire other companies in the industry to give back to their communities and push for positive impact and financial literacy, as this will build a stronger and healthier economy, he added.

Madam Stella Tsekpo, the Headmistress of Dzorwulu Junior High School, welcomed the Foundation saying, I warmly welcome you, FIDO, as our development partners and implore you to adopt this school as your baby so that we develop it as an enviable school. We, as the school administration staff, pledge to support you in the discharge of your corporate social responsibility in our community.

FIDO Money Lending, which is a leading provider of digital credit in Ghana, has the goal of driving financial inclusion amongst the unbanked, and introducing digital financial services to rural communities, thereby fostering a genuinely inclusive financial service ecosystem.The Authority of Heads of State and Government of Member States is the supreme institution of the ECOWAS and is composed of heads of state and/or government of member states.

President Buhari was elected to the position at the 53rd session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government in Lome, the Togolese capital.

In a press statement released by the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari promised to bring ECOWAS to greater heights.

I am truly humbled and pledge to serve and work with all of you to deliver on peace, security, good governance and socio-economic development of the sub-region, the president said.

Here are a few thing Nigeria's Buhari will be doing as ECOWAS chairman

- The ECOWAS chair will be responsible for the general direction and control of the community and take all measures to ensure its progressive development and the realisation of its objectives.

- Work with the Authority to determines the general policy and major guidelines of the community and gives directives.

- He will work with the Authority to harmonise and co-ordinate the economic, scientific, technical, cultural and social policies of member states.

- As the chairman, Nigerian Buhari will convene an extraordinary session of the Authority or at the request of a member state provided that such a request is supported by a simple majority of the member states. The Authority meets at least once a year in ordinary session.

- Ensure harmonious relationship among the member states.

- Oversee the functioning of community institutions and follow-up implementation of community objectives; prepare and adopt its rules of procedure.

Buhari will oversee the affairs of the organisation for a period of one year.Operating an M-Pesa shop is one of the most profitable businesses in Kenya today.

Its low capital to get started coupled with fairly simple technical skills required to master the business has seen almost every Kenyan want a piece of it. M-Pesa shops clad in their trademark green colour are now everywhere, on every street corner.

M-Pesa is a mobile phone-based money transfer, financing and microfinancing service, launched in 2007 by Vodafone for Safaricom and Vodacom, the largest mobile network operators in Kenya and Tanzania.

According to the Communication Authoritys quarter one report, 22.7 million out of the 28 million mobile money subscribers are M-Pesa customers.

So if you are interested to open an M-Pesa shop here is all you need to know about starting and profitably running the business.

The ABC of starting an M-Pesa business

To operate an M-PESA shop as an agent, you need to have a registered limited company in business for at least 6 months and have at least 3 outlets ready to offer MPESA services.

You also require a minimum investment of Sh 100,000 ($1000) to act as M-Pesa float.

You will then need to provide Safaricom with business permits for each of the M-Pesa outlets, VAT & tax certificates, Identity Cards, banking license from a reputable financial institution and police clearance certificates.

You will also be required to fill in the MPesa agent head office application form and the M-Pesa agent store application form.

Once you have submitted your forms and met all the requirements you will be given a till number that you will use.

Two ways you can run an M-PESA outlet

Standard outlet

This is the most recommended outlet since you have to go through the complete process above and be registered as an agent.

As a sub-dealer

Operating as a sub-dealer is much more affordable than registering as an agent. However, you will need to work under a licensed agent by buying their MPESA line and paying them a commission for using their lines. For sub-dealers, you only need a float of Ksh.20,000  Ksh. 40,000.

How to run an M-Pesa business profitably

Due to its low capital and basic skills required to open an M-Pesa shop, the business is flooded and hence very competitive.

That, however, does not mean one cannot register massive profits at the end of every day, in fact, it all depends on how you run your business.

Alex Maina, an office driver with Ringier Kenya and a budding entrepreneur who has been operating his M-Pesa shop located in Baba Ndogo, in the outskirts of Nairobi for five years knows too well the challenges and pitfalls that come with running the mobile money service business.

#1. Location

The importance of location in business has never been truer like profitably running an M-Pesa outlet.

The first thing you need to understand about running an M-Pesa business profitably is location, location and location, where your M-Pesa shop is located matters a lot because as you know this business has a lot of competition so make sure you locate your M-Pesa shop where there is high human traffic. You can have two business people one with an M-Pesa business boosting of Sh1000,000 float and another one with just Sh200,000 and still find that the one with less capital is laughing all the way to the bank at the end of every day while the other one is miserable and has only served five clients the whole day, the main difference is because one shop is located in a desirable location, said Alex.

#2. Always have enough cash

It is really hard to shake off a customers perception about a certain product or service once they have had a few experiences and the same is true of an M-Pesa business.

Never turn away a customer because you dont have money, always ensure you have enough float in your phone because customers will start avoiding your shop and begin associating it with lack of money, once that is etched in their minds some will even prefer walking 5 miles to another shop while yours is wide open. The secret here is let's say you have Sh200,000 make sure you have Sh100,000 in your business phone and Sh100,000 in cash so that customers who want to withdraw cash can do so without any problem at all and similarly those who want to deposit cash can also do so, once you begin doing these you will have loyal customers, Alex explains.

#3. Be wary of where your shop is located and be on the lookout

M-Pesa business comes with many risks, chief among them the danger of being a prime target of robbers and thieves since they know you handle a lot of cash.

Tales of businesses raided by thieves just as they were about to close and ready with the days cash are but too common.

Alex has some words of advice to prospective and veterans alike.The Red Cheetah free Wi-Fi service went live at the institution last Tuesday.

In a statement made available to Business Insider Sub-Saharan Africa, Charles Anudu, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, said the service, which is supported by revenue from leading global brands, was conceived to make fast and free broadband service available to Nigerians, thereby helping to deepen broadband penetration in support of the National Broadband Plan of the Federal Government.

Our free service aims to connect Nigerians to the global digital society through access to a fast, free and secure broadband service that consequently create measurable value for the excellent brands that make the service possible. We believe that access to information, especially in an academic environment, remains a key driver for academic excellence and innovation.

ALSO READ: 6 places you can access the free internet via Google Station in Lagos

Speaking during the launch, students of school commended SWIFT for the free internet service. Esther Kolawole, a 100-Level student of Primary Education said that the free Wi-Fi service has provided the much-needed elixir for her academic and social life.

In March 2018, SWIFI launched the Red Cheetah service through hotspots all over the campus and locations around Lagos. The service, according to the statement is available at over 400 locations already, including iconic ones like the Hard Rock Cafe, Spurs, Barcelos, Tastee Fried Chicken, Bukka Hut restaurants, major lounges, schools, merchant locations, and over 200 BRT buses in Lagos.

Last week, Google Nigeria also launched its free internet service in 6 location across Lagos state, including the University of Lagos.The I Promise School focuses on at-risk kids, giving them a math and science-focused curriculum while also teaching them to deal with the trauma in their lives, the Los Angeles Times reported. The school will provide access to job and family services, a food pantry, and help with housing if needed. And parents have an opportunity to study for their GEDs at the school, too.

Students were randomly selected from a group of local students who were behind on reading. This year, the school will start with third and fourth grade classes only, and next year the school will add first and second grade. By 2022, the school will have first through eighth grade classes, WKYC-TV adds.

The school is decorated with motivational phrases, murals featuring people like Martin Luther King Jr., and even James sneakers, which will eventually be sold at a fundraising auction for the school. Every student has a bicycle available for them to ride, because James found freedom riding his bike while growing up in Akron.

A few days before the schools opening, James, admitted he had the jitters, calling it one of the greatest moments (if not the greatest) of my life. As a fourth grader, James missed 83 days of school, and his school aims to help families like his.

He gave a speech at the opening, and it served as a farewell to Ohio before he joins the Los Angeles Lakers. And know, no matter if Im playing in Los Angeles or not, Akron, Ohio, is always home for me, he said, according to the Washington Post. Always.Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!He said that he did not become President to enrich himself and his family. He added that his family is not involved in anything untoward.

Nana Akufo-Addo accused his political opponents as desperate people who will say anything to make him look bad. He, however, reiterated his promise to fight corruption and protect the public purse.

"I came to reiterate that I need your help in the fight against corruption. I came to renew publicly the secret vow that I took to protect the public purse. I came also to acknowledge that this is not a battle I can wage or win alone."

"There are many layers to the protection of the public purse and internal auditors are its primary defenders. I want to say that the stringent and desperate efforts being made by my political opponents to tarnish me and members of my family with corruption will simply not wash.

"I did not come into public life to make money out of public service and members of my family know fully well that they have to behave and are not involved in anything untoward. I am aware that you give a dog a bad name in order to hang it but this dog will not be hanged."

During the 2016 campaign, then-presidential hopeful Nana Akufo-Addo promised to fight corruption if he is voted into power. At his inauguration ceremony in 2017, he gave a firm assurance to do as he had promised during the campaign.

I shall protect the public purse by insisting on value for money in all public transactions. Public service is just that  service and not an avenue for making money. Money is to be made in the private sector, not the public. Measures will be put in place to ensure this, he said.The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, said that some banks presented fake documents that made it seem they could meet the new capital requirement.

However, time has caught up with them.

GHc400 million capital requirement struggle

In 2017, the Central Bank gave the commercial banks in Ghana until the end of 2018 to raise a GHc400 million new capital requirement. Failure to raise the said amount meant that the banks would close down or become a microfinance or savings and loans institutions.

After this development, most indigenous-owned banks complained and asked that they are given a little more time to meet the new capital requirement.

They also petitioned the president to intervene. But their petition was however rejected.

The BoG advised them to join forces and recapitalise or risk having their licenses revoked

Meanwhile, the foreign-owned banks are not complaining.

READ ALSO: Here is how much you will pay for luxury vehicle tax

Dr Addison earlier revealed that some 15 banks are set to meet the new minimum requirement. This means that 19 others would have to resort to various options available to them in order not to miss the deadline.

Banks takeover

In March 2018, the central bank again announced that indigenous bank; uniBank, had been taken over by audit firm, KPMG Ghana as the administrator. This was because uniBank was on the verge of collapse at the time.He is expected to reappear in court on August 22.

He was granted bail after his counsel had prayed to the court presided over by Abena Oppong Adjin Doku.

The suspect was charged with defilement. He has earlier on pleaded not guilty.

READ MORE: Tamale students sentenced to death by hanging

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Agnes Boafo told the court that the complainant is a Police officer in Accra and the victim is a JHS leaver awaiting her results, the GNA reports.

The prosecution said the accused is a teacher in the victim's school (name withheld).

On July 12, 2018, at about 1100 hours, when the Police officer and his team were on patrol, they had intelligence that Nyumu had lured the victim into a room on his building project site at Abokobi to engage her in sex.

He said the Police proceeded to the site and found the accused and the victim naked.

When the victim was quizzed as to why they were naked she disclosed that she and the teacher, Nyumu had finished having sex and they were relaxing.

Based on that prosecution said the accused and the victim were apprehended and brought to the Adenta Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) where a formal complaint was lodged.

A Police medical report form was issued to the victims aunt to send her to any government hospital.

The Prosecution said investigations revealed that Nyumu had previously had countless sexual intercourse with the victim.He said he is not shaken by the endorsement and it won't amount to anything on the decision of who to lead the NDC.

A total of 94 Members of Parliament in the NDC have reportedly endorsed Mahama for the partys flagbearership. At least one of the MPs has since said he was tricked into signing the supposed endorsement sheet.

Let us wait for our primaries in November and see the outcome because this is not a critical issue in the NDC. Let us not waste our time on it. There are more important issues in the NDC than this he added.

Sylvester Mensah is bidding to lead the NDC into the 2020 general elections alongside ex-President John Mahama, Professor Joshua Alabi, and Alban Bagbin.This was after Mahamas spokesperson Joyce Bawah Mogtari said in an interview that the former president was relying on his wife to run his home.

However, responding to the claims, Oppong Nkrumah said the information put out by Mrs. Mogtari was false.

According to him, government doesnt owe Mahama any salary arrears, contrary to the reports making rounds.

He said as of July 18, the government had settled all payments owed former President Mahama.

As far as I know, he has been paid his ex gratia, he has been paid all arrears of his salary. He has been paid fully for this year 2018. Even as of July 18, his payments had gone through so we do not have issues with that.

Nobody is going to stay in politics forever so you want to treat everybody in the manner that is befitting and it is not in the interest of the current administration to treat him in an untoward way, the deputy Information Minister added.

Article 71 office holders include the President, the Vice-President, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice and Justices of the Supreme Court.Some months ago, Mahama hinted at representing the NDC in the 2020 polls after stating that he will not disappoint the teeming supporters and sympathizers calling and requesting that he stands as flagbearer.

His bid lead the country again as president has now received a huge boost following the massive endorsement from the majority of his partys MPs.

Edwin Nii Lantey Vandapuye, who is the leader of the MPs, said they are throwing their weight behind Mahama because he is the partys best candidate for the 2020 elections.

According to him, all the 94 MPs endorsed Mahama because the grassroots and most Ghanaians are calling for him (Mahama) to return as President.

I can tell you that we have 94 MPs who have faithfully and critically endorsed our former President, John Mahama, to be the candidate once again. This excludes our leaders. We decided to keep them off, but we are sure all our leaders will be supporting us soon, Nii Lante told the media on the sidelines of an event to rally support behind Sammy Gyamfi as NDC National Communications Officer.

The grassroots of this country, the majority of Ghanaians are crying for John Dramani and as such it will be wicked on our part not to listen to the plea and cries of Ghanaians by giving them who they prefer. So we are bringing back John Dramani Mahama and we are very sure in our minds that Ghanaians will this time accept him and overwhelmingly vote for him to become the next president in Ghana in 2021, he added.

The latest endorsement from the majority of NDC MPs further strengthens Mahamas bid to represent the party as flagbearer in the next elections.

Last year, all 10 Regional Chairmen of the NDC also backed the ex- president to lead the party in 2020.He said Mahama if re-elected to lead the party into the 2020 elections will be a mess than he did in the 2016 elections.

Over ninety-four (94) MPs on the Minority side have declared Mahama as their preferred choice to lead the NDC in its quest to regain power in 2020.

But the Yunyoo MP said the NDC will be doomed in the 2020 elections if it elects Mahama as its flagbearer again.

He said he supports Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin and MP for Nadowli West in the Upper West region to lead the party.

In an interview on Accra-based Asempa FM, he said "I was very furious because they deceived me into signing something I dont believe in. I have endorsed Alban Bagbin and I believe he is the right person to lead the NDC in 2020."Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1)  A federal grand jury has indicted alleged pork barrel queen Janet Lim Napoles and five of her kin for conspiring to funnel in and out of the United States around $20 million in Philippine public funds believed obtained through a bribery and fraud scheme.

In a statement Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice said Napoles, Jo Christine Napoles, James Christopher Napoles, Jeane Catherine Napoles, Reynald Luy Lim, and Ana Marie Lim were charged in the indictment for conspiracy to commit domestic and international money laundering.

The U.S. DOJ said four of the defendants  together with around 20 Filipino legislators and officials not charged in U.S. indictments  converted "hundreds of millions of dollars" in government funds under the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

"The money was paid to dozens of non-governmental organizations controlled by Jannet Napoles pursuant to contracts that required the money to be spent on development projects. The projects were not performed. Instead, the money was diverted to kickbacks for the legislators and other government officials, and for the personal use of the Napoles family," the statement read.

It claimed that around $20 million were diverted to money remitters in the Philippines and transmitted to Southern California bank accounts. The money was then used to buy real estate, shares in two business, two Porsche Boxsters and for the living expensesof Jeane Napoles, Reynald Lim, and Ana Lim.

A Southern California property worth $12.5 million has been seized by the United States Attorney's Office, the court documents also showed.

"If the court orders the assets forfeited, the United States will work with Philippine officials in an attempt to return the stolen funds back to the Philippine government," it said.

The U.S. DOJ added it has been working with its counterpart in the Philippines, as well as the Office of the Ombudsman, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and the Commission on Audit to resolve this case.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed the joint efforts on the case.

"We have been quietly working together with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the conspiracy to commit money laundering cases. Although we cannot extradite Napoles until her cases in Philippine courts have been terminated, the DOJ will extend all assistance to its US counterpart in prosecuting the money laundering cases, and in ensuring that our people's money is returned in due time to our national treasury," he said in a statement.

Guevarra, however, left the fate of Napoles' cases in the Philippines to the Ombudsman Special Prosecutor at the Sandiganbayan.

"After the DOJ terminated Napoles' provisional coverage under the WPP (Witness Protection Program), neither she nor her counsel has ever approached the DOJ again," he said.

Napoles was removed from the WPP last May. She pleaded to then DOJ chief Vitaliano Aguirre to place her under the program, citing death threats.

The alleged pork barrel scam mastermind was arrested in August 2013. She is currently detained for plunder and graft cases before the Sandiganbayan, in relation to the pork barrel scam.The bulk of the oilfield is located in Oil Mining Licence (OML) 118 but it also extends into OMLs 132 and 140, operated by U.S. supermajor Chevron, where it is called Aparo and the remaining partners in the field are US giant ExxonMobil, Frances Total, Italys Eni and South Africas Sasol Petroleum.

Bayo Ojuli, Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), said the project, with an expected output of 180,000 barrels per day (b/d), will generate profit at below $50 a barrel, Reuters reports.

Ojuli said the oil giant is currently negotiating a production sharing contract with the Nigerian government which will determine the viability of the project.

The negotiations are expected to finish this year.

Shell operates the project and ExxonMobil, Total, Eni and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company are partners.

Nigerias Bonga Southwest offshore oilfield

The decision to go ahead or withhold action the development of Nigerias Bonga Southwest offshore oilfield by Royal Dutch Shell and its partners has been going on for a while.

The delays in the execution of these projects, which are estimated to cost about $23 billion, are largely caused by the lack of clarity in terms of operation and inadequate funding.Saraki announced his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in a daring statement made available on his official Facebook account.

The National Assembly leader said the decision was necessary because of some certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist.

He said, This is not a decision that I have made lightly. If anything at all, I have tarried for so long and did all that was humanly possible, even in the face of great provocation, ridicule and flagrant persecution, to give an opportunity for peace, reconciliation and harmonious existence.

The populist notion of anti-corruption became a ready weapon for silencing any form of dissent and for framing even principled objection as corruption fighting back."

Persistent onslaught against the legislature and open incitement of the people against their own representatives became a default argument in defence of any short-coming of the government in a manner that betrays all too easily, a certain contempt for the Constitution itself or even the democracy that it is meant to serve.

Dr Saraki blamed his defection on some key members within the ruling who played against the basic rules of party administration.Africa's workforce is expected to be the largest in the world by 2040. World Bank Group President Dr. Jim Yong Kim has estimated that two-thirds of all jobs that currently exist in developing countries will be wiped out by technological innovations like automation and robotics.

3D Africa HackforGood empowers youth to future-proof themselves by exposing them to emerging technologies like 3D printing, robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things so that they can become the innovators, job creators, and highly skilled employees that the future of work requires.Earlier this year, the Rwanda Governance Board issued new regulations for the religious community. These included basic requirements in terms of "safety, hygiene, infrastructure, and legality."

So far, not less than 8, 000 churches have been closed. According to a report by Rwanda's KT Press, the number of closed churches is going to get higher.

"On checking which churches were included, we learned that all churches are suffering the same fate and that even churches considered luxurious for local standards have had to close," an anonymous local analyst told World Watch Monitor.

Concerning the enforcement of these laws, the anonymous source said, "in one village the church was closed while a wedding was ongoing. The couple and all the guests were simply told to leave the church during the service, and the church was closed."

The analyst continued, "Another church was stopped from having services and other meetings (such as home groups) in a school hall as an alternative after all the churches in that parish had been closed. The church had timber instead of a metal door and window frames, and was told the roof also needed to be elevated 'just a little.'"

Reportedly, these laws have not been approved officially but this has not stopped authorities from imposing the regulations on churches, who are expected to make the required changes within the given time frame of 15 days.

"It seems that the local authorities in the different districts initially had some freedom about the degree to which they could enforce the new requirements," the local analyst also said. "However, it now seems that those who were more lenient have been rebuked and have become stricter. In one district authorities banned all meetings of a closed church, and congregants are not even allowed to meet in home groups."

Everything you need to know about the new laws

Here are some of the new requirements:

Toilets being a certain distance from the church entrance. In one instance local authorities entered the church halfway through the service and ordered the people to leave because the church would be closed. This church has fulfilled 80% of the requirements and was not aware of this new requirement.

Congregations have been told they also need to install a certain kind of canvas ceiling, even though that material carries a considerable fire hazard.

One church was told it needed to change its roof and rebuild one of the brick walls. This will be hard for them to do as they have already been forced to make loans and depend on the goodwill of businessmen to meet the initial requirements.

Church access roads, as well as church compounds, need to be paved.

The inside walls and ceilings in the church must be plastered and painted. Exposed brick is not allowed anymore.

All churches must have lightning-conductors.

All pastors now need to have a theological degree. This was already communicated as a requirement, but now the degree needs to be from an accredited institute.

Another new law states that only institutions that also teach science and technology can teach theology, meaning that few of the many (often highly regarded) theological institutions or Bible schools are regarded as valid.

Explaining the need for these regulations, Prof. Anastase Shyaka - Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Governance Board said, "In fact, we discovered that the number of churches were bigger than the number of villages in the country."

According to him, "The number itself is not a problem but in some buildings, three or four different denominations would hold prayer services at the same time, resulting in unbearable levels of noise and unsafe environment for occupants."

He also responded to critics who say the government is either pushing secularism or targetting certain religious denomination.The actor turned politician made this known during an event where he was given the opportunity to speak.

"It is because he is committed to good governance and an ambassador of good governance you cant get a better president than President Buhari We have the history of power grabbers in Nigeria, they have the history of power grabbing in Nigeria aggressive power grabbers, if you don't give them power, they will leave you, they left APC for PDP because they wanted to grab power, if you don't give them they will grab it. They are very few, very vocal, they are very cohesive if you are not careful they will take their own and take your own. We are saying no to that.

"If you want to come into power in Nigeria because you are giving us good governance not because you want to grab power. If the south-east should support anybody from the presidency, they are going to wonder for the next eight years in the wilderness," he said.

It would be recalled that Kenneth Okonkwo declared his intention to become the next governor of Enugu state earlier in the year.

ALSO READ:See list of celebrities for election in 2019

Kenneth Okonkwo wants to be the next governor of Enugu state

In March 2018, Kenneth Okonkwo declared his intention to become the next governor of Enugu state. The veteran actor who is known for his spontaneous acting prowess revealed his new intention via his Instagram page on Sunday, March 4, 2018, where he posted a couple of photos from his declaration event.

According to the actor who is also a lawyer, in one of the posted photos, talked about how he had received blessings from the immediate past governor of the state, Sullivan Chime.

"Just declared my intention to contest for the Governorship candidate of APC in Enugu State. It was heartwarming to receive the blessings of the immediate past Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Gov Sullivan Chime. To God be the glory," he captioned the photo.The tour which held across five cities witnessed impressive turnouts at each venue and also featured guest performances from both international and local acts.

''Thank you Germany for making our tour one of our most memorable experiences.'', was the message from the excited Bantu at the end of the tour.

The tour witnessed the complete 13 member band hold compelling performances in cities like Hagen, Recklinghausen, Muelheim a.d. Ruhr, Bochum and Cologne.

According to Ibrahim Oyetunji, manager of Bantu on their return to the country, "The band, Bantu displayed a first-class mix of Afrobeat and Hip-Hop that evening.''

With hip-hop greats such as , and , Bantu took a stance against racism in the early 2000s. Today he and his band-mates criticize corruption and political conditions in the metropolis of Lagos, the Nigerian capital.

"Equality and justice are the central themes of the band," he says.According to local media reports, Aziz ripped out the eyes of the 74-year-old man during an assault in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

Rochester Police Chief also said the old man's both eyes and multiple teeth were found missing when the police found him on Friday, July 27, 2018.

The 74-year-old victim reportedly told police also that Aziz used only his hands to rip out his eyes and teeth during the alleged assault.

Aziz was charged Monday, July 30, 2018 with first-degree assault.

ALSO READ: Boss hacks off man's manhood for trying to sleep with his wife

Police confirm assault on 74-year-old man

Confirming the assault on the old victim, Captain John Sherwin of the Rochester Police department said, There are a lot of things that we dont know.

You lose your eyes  theres no replacement, Sherwin said.

The police chief also said the nature of the victims injuries makes it difficult to determine exactly what happened during the assault.

Sherwin said also said the charge against Aziz was an unusual charge in the region because it requires the victim to have suffered a permanent, disabling injury.According to the UK Telegraph, the abuse she suffered happened in about a month of dating the boyfriend Matthew Bailey who has been jailed for psychological abuse.

The convict who is 24 years old is to spend six months in jail.

He reportedly ordered her to not to exchange messages with heterosexual men on Facebook and Instagram.

More reports confirmed that Bailey often instructs the carer to send pictures of herself just to confirm her location.

"You'll get a car through your front window and I'll stab you in the neck. You know what I'm capable of," reads a warning from the convict.

The comment attributed to him was captured in one of several calls made to her phone.

At the Manchester Magistrates' Court where he was convicted, a judge insists that he must stay clear of Molly Cunliffe, 19, for a period of five years.Stewart, a 29-year-old nurse was reportedly killed at her residence in Jamaica, Queens.

According to CBS New York, the accused submitted the plea on Monday, July 30, 2018.

The victim Stewart who reportedly lost some of her teeth was found dead on the floor of her bedroom 13 days prior.

Police officers responded to a call made by the nurse's father shortly after her brother notified him of her passing.

More reports confirmed that Danuel Drayton bought a one-way ticket to California in the aftermath of her death. He was able to do this using the victim's credit card says a report by CBS.

So this individual is known to us and it is believed by us that this individual uses dating websites to meet women and then victimize these women," Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea stated while addressing reporters on Thursday, July 26, 2018.

A month before this, Drayton reportedly raped an unnamed woman in Brooklyn.

Heavy News also reports that the accused choked her while she was trying to leave an apartment in a Brooklyn neighbourhood and raped her.As the World celebrates the International Friendship Day, here are few friendship facts that might interest you.

In a lifetime, you make 396 friends, but only 1 out of 12 friendships lasts.

Not having any friends can be dangerous to your health

Its the friendship aspect in a marriage that makes it last.

Your brain reacts the same way when you are in danger and when a friend is

It is scientifically proven that the company of good friends reduces stress in life.

Close friends share about 1% of their DNA

Our best friends are pretty much like us

Friendship is the emotion babies recognize even before they start walking or talking

While it is true that a day is not enough to celebrate friends and friendship, most people are always finding new ways to show their friends how important they are and technology is a big influence on this.

For instance, the bothie feature on Nokia Smartphones has enhanced the way you share moments with your friends:

The exclusive Dual-Sight mode lets you use both front and back cameras simultaneously for split-screen photos and video

Both front and rear cameras on our Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 7 Plus Android smartphones are equipped with ZEISS optics, meaning every snapshot moment with your friends becomes a story worth sharing.

The key highlight of the bothie feature on Nokia smartphones is the fact that it affords you the opportunity to share both sides of your stories  your side and your friends side.

So, go ahead and celebrate moments with friend. Join the bothie gang!The incident occurred on Saturday, July 30, 2018 in Degema where residents are hailing the deceased a hero.

Blackson who is 36 years old and a father of two was in the process of saving the 14th person when he died.

He is known to be selfless and with a desire to help people, Punch News gathered in a report.

"He (Blackson) used to manage a family filling station at Rumuola (before it was demolished).

"Until his death, he was a contractor, supplying diesel in Trans Amadi to companies there.

He didnt use life jacket like others. He gave up the ghost in the process of rescuing them,"Benibo, a close friend of the deceased told Punch.

An MP Farah Dagogo who represents the Degema Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly described the boat accident as a "a huge tragedy."

ALSO READ: Manager at Skye Bank reportedly dies at Akwa Ibom beach with brother

Man who got drunk at the opening of funeral home dies swimming

In Eket, Akwa Ibom State, a man named Amos, has been reported dead after swimming drunk Atabong river.

Prior to this, he had appeared as a guest at the opening of a funeral home where he is believed to have had too much to drink on Sunday, May 6, 2018.

Amos, who is only 30 years old, had attempted to take a "cool bath" in the river but it unfortunately led to his death according to an Instablog9ja's IG post published on Thursday, May 10, 2018.

His corpse emerged to the surface of the river two days prior report says."Destiny," she muttered incoherently when a member of the mob threatened to give her more slaps.

The lady who wore a stylish hairdo was seen protecting her ear for fear of being hit.

Fraudsters pose as kidnappers to demand ransom for missing baby

The parents of a four-year-old girl Elo Ogidi have confirmed receiving calls from different kidnapping gangs ever since she was stolen from a Christ Embassy Church in Lagos but they are all fraudsters.

Earlier reports expressed that the little girl was taken during a church service marking while in care of the family housemaid.

The latter reportedly went to get some cake for three kids under her care but returned to her seat to find out that the 4-year-old was missing.

ALSO READ: Fraudsters pose as kidnappers to demand ransom for missing baby

Her father Afokoghene spoke to Punch News concerning heartbreaking experiences since his daughter disappeared.

Several people have been calling us, demanding ransom but they are fraudsters that picked our numbers from the flyers around.

We believe that these fraudsters are from the same place using different numbers.

One of them called and demanded N2.5m, telling me that if I did not provide the money within 24 hours, he would kill my daughter. He later called me back that day demanding N500,000 to feed my baby.

When I got home, I didnt call him back because I know a kidnapper will not ask for feeding upkeep.

He called me the second day and told me that I did not want to comply and I told him I would comply, adding that I would give him more than the amount he asked for if only he could allow me to hear my daughters voice.

But he could not provide my daughter; he was just repeating the same statement of me not complying.

"With the trauma I was going through, I told him I know his location and I will get him arrested, so he stopped calling," says the father dealing with the pain of not being able to find his daughter.

His sister was not exempted from the dishonest calls.

He confirmed this to Punch explaining that a gang dialled her to demand a sum of N18 million for the freedom of Elo Ogidi.Punch News gathered that she sold the child in order to relieve 18-year-old daughter Blessing of her burden.

Obot also plans to do the same when she puts to bed.

"This is the mother to this lady. As soon as her daughter gave birth she sold the child for N200, 000.

"She is pregnant and she is saying that as soon as she puts to bed, she is going to sell her own baby also," state police Mr Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi made this known on Tuesday in Uyo, the state capital.

ALSO READ: Mom sells newborn baby to raise older kids

Woman surrenders daughter to settle debt of N100 rice

In Ebonyi State, Nigeria, a woman has surrendered her daughter, Uloma, in order to settle a N100 debt.

The amount was money expected after a purchase of rice. Pressures from seller soon forced the mother, Mrs. Veronica Igwe, to offer the child in a bid to fulfill obligations, Punch News reports.

Mrs. Cecilia Elom, in charge of cases relating to child abuse and maltreatment at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, confirmed this while interacting with newsmen.

She added that the mum was handed over the police after honouring a meeting invitation.

On reaching the area, we saw little Uloma with another seven-year-old boy hawking.

"When we interrogated them, they said Nwali, whom they were living with, forced them to hawk.

Officials of the Ministry of Women Affairs invited the suspect to the office.

"She honoured the invitation and was handed over to the Ebonyi State Police Command for interrogation, Elom told reporters.Nwankwo who was aged 42, was reportedly shot. According to the Nigerian Union in South Africa, the deceased, a patron of the bar got drunk and started harassing a female worker.

"Information available to the union said that Nwankwo was chased out by security personnel, but he kept on coming back; became very aggressive and rude before the ugly incident occurred.

A murder case has been opened and an investigation has started. We call on Nigerians to be calm and allow the law to take its course."

The Union further states that Chibuzo Nwankwos death brings to 121 the number of Nigerians killed in South Africa since January 2016.

ALSO READ: FG condemns the burning of Nigerian man by South African mob

Xenophobia in South Africa is not a new issue. Nigerians and other Africans have been attacked or killed by South Africans who believe that these foreigners come to take away the little resources available to them.

An article written by Nigerian author, Chibundu Onuzo, which was published by Long Reads in July 2018, recounts her experience in South Africa.

"They dont like Nigerians in South Africa, my mother had warned me before I left. Shed made us learn the South African anthem in 1994 when the country became democratic and official apartheid ended" writes the author.

"She felt the tremors in Lagos when the last colonial outpost in Africa came tumbling down. She felt it deeply. And yet, 20 years later, she warned me: They dont like Nigerians there" Onuzo further writes.

During her trip, she touches on Apartheid, the inequality still in South Africa, and how South Africans view other Africans who live in their country.

"Although apartheid is officially over, some black South Africans feel that they are still fighting for the crumbs that spill off-white South Africas table. And to join them for these scraps have come all the Africans from the nearby countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia, and from places further afield, like Nigeria" she explains.

Onuzo further states that "These Africans were formerly kept out by apartheids walls and now they are here, jostling and shoving. In South Africa today, surely the tourist market for South African clothing would be an industry in which a black South African could go unchallenged? Except even here, the Nigerians had come. In the townships, black foreigners have been necklaced, burned to death with tires smouldering around their necks."

Her stay in the Rainbow nation is more than racism. She narrates staying with a rich Nigerian couple in Johannesburg, having a South African boyfriend during her trip and her literary experience in the city of Durban.

Onuzo points out that while Mandela is rightfully celebrated as the anti-apartheid hero, there are other notable heroes that should get mentioned.

ALSO READ: Nigerian man stabbed in South Africa

For black South Africans in the post-Apartheid struggle, the gap between them and the Afrikaans (the white minority that ruled the country until the emergence of Mandela as President) is huge economically. To them, it seems the little resources at their disposal has to be shared between black South Africans and Africans who migrated to the country.Currently, one wonders how the Nigerian perception of mental health is with stats that rank Nigeria as a top five suicide prone country.

On July 29, 2018, Spectator Index published a World Health Organization research that ranked suicide per 100,000, per country.

Nigeria placed fifth with 15,000 suicide in every 100,000 suicides.

The list was topped by South Korea with 24,000,000, followed by Russia with 18,000,000 then India with a rate of 16,000,000 and Japan placing 4th with 15,400,000.

The top completed by the US, France, South Africa, Australia and Canada.

Saudi Arabia placed 17th with a rate of 3,900.

Leading Factors for suicide

While other causes like terminal diseases can lead to resignation and then suicide, it is common knowledge that 90 percent of people who commit suicide suffer from mental illness.

Depression is a top risk factor. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are also risk factors.

A March 20, 2018 article by Luke Onyekakeyah for Guardian Nigeria states that Nigerians have identified the five leading causes of death to include sickness (26%), poverty (24%), motor accident (16%), malnutrition (7%) and natural death (6%). Poverty and malnutrition go hand in hand and so should be lumped together to make 31%. In other words, going by this poll conducted by NOIPolls Limited, poverty in all its ramifications is the leading cause of death in Nigeria.

In the article, Luke Onyekakeyah pegged the primary reason behind suicides as some kind of frustration, leading to depression.

Nigeria is a highly volatile country where hardships are a part of the everyday life. A significant number of Nigerians live below the minimum wage of N18,000,000.

Sadly, while hardships lead to depression, other subtle undiagnosed like chemical imbalance are also vehicles for depression. In any case, it all comes down to a lack of awareness.

Ignorance to the perils of depression might be a cause for lack of attention. If you dont know what depression is and that you need help to treat or manage it, you see your suicidal thoughts as your only option.

While we salute those already educating people on mental health, we need more hands on deck; more educators on depression, especially in the hubs where people living below the minimum wage reside.

Please, check on your friends.Originating primarily from the Bight of Biafra in West Africa, Igbo people were taken in relatively high numbers to Jamaica as slaves, between 1790 and 1809 during the transatlantic slave trade. Besides Virginia, Jamaica was the second most common disembarkation point for slave ships arriving from Biafra.

During this period, the culture and language of the Igbos diffused into the Jamaican culture. One of the major results of this diffusion is the infusion of some Igbo words into the Jamaican Patois.

Some of these words include:

Unu You people

Ima osu (Jamaica) Imu oso (Igbo)- to hiss by sucking your teeth

Akara (Jamaica) Akara (Igbo) bean cake

Soso (Jamaica) Soso (Igbo)- only

Also, the yam festival, Jonkonnu, in Jamaica, was introduced by the Igbos. In Nigeria, it is simply called the New Yam Festival. Jonkonnu is a masquerade festival held in Jamaica which is attributed to the Njoku Ji or yam-spirit cult, Okonko and Ekpe of the Igbo. Natives also allege that the Ibu Town is named after the Ibo slaves.

The Igbo also influenced the culture with actions such as sucking-teeth coming from the Igbo ima osu and cutting-eye from Igbo iro anya.

According to the Guardian, "From Jamaicas history, the Igbos influenced the culture, music, the pouring of libation, the ibo style, idioms, language and way of life of the Jamaicans. The Jamaicans are so akin to the ways of the Igbos such that it is not uncommon to see Jamaicans watch Igbo Nollywood movies. Some of their rural areas take after the Igbos in Eastern Nigeria."

We cannot talk about Igbo slave history without talking about Olaudah Equiano, a freed Igbo slave who became literate and was one of the first to document his experiences in a book. He became an official and was very instrumental in maintaining law and order among the Igbos in Jamaica during the 1776 Mosquito Shore Scheme. He is also regarded as being one of the campaigners of the abolition of slave trade.

From history, Igbo slaves were known to resist enslavement rather than revolt. Many accounts showed that the slaves committed suicide because they believed after death, they would return to their native land. This suicide made most slave traders sceptical of having them as slaves.

One of the most popular resistances is the Igbo Landing, where about 75 slaves took over their boat and matched back into the water singing and chanting in Igbo. This was in Georgia.

In Jamaica, however, 250 Igbo men conspired to kill every white man in the land with the Black River Rebellion plot. When they failed, their epic song for freedom rang high:

"Oh me good friend, Mr Wilberforce, make we free! God Almighty thank ye! God Almighty thank ye!

God Almighty, make we free! Buckra in this country no make we free: What Negro for to do? What Negro for to do?

Take force by force! Take force by force!To be sure! to be sure! to be sure!"It is customary, for them, for the the women to engage in daily activities of milking cows, taking care of the children while the men go hunting, sometimes leaving for long periods of time.

With a population of over 50,000, the Himba are a polygamous people where Himba girls are married off to male partners selected by their fathers once they attain puberty.

Most of their cultures have been upheld despite western influence and agitation.

Among these is the "Man comes first" tradition. The woman has little or no opinion in the decision making. Submission to her husbands demands come first.

According to the Guardian, "When a visitor comes knocking, a man shows his approval and pleasure of seeing his guest by giving him the Okujepisa Omukazendu treatment  the wife is given to his guest to spend the night while the husband sleeps in another room. In a case where there is no available room, her husband will sleep outside."

This, apparently, reduces jealousy and fosters relationships.

Another tradition that has stood the test of time is the "bathing is forbidden" rule. Rather than take their baths, the women take a smoke bath and apply aromatic resins on their skin. They are also guided by the belief that the colour red signifies Earth and blood. Their red skin is one of the things that make them extremely unique. The red colour is from the otjize paste (a combination of butterfat, omuzumba scrub and ochre) and its function is to protect their skin from the harsh desert sun and insect bites.

Himba Influence in African LiteratureDangerous tourist attractions are guilty pleasures, especially for adrenaline junkies. It's all fun and games though, until someone gets hurt. These destinations will excite and terrify you!

Pulse Nigeria

1. Devil's Pool at Victoria's Falls, Zambia

They don't call it the Devil's Pool for no reason! This naturally formed rock pool is located at the very edge of the majestic Victoria Falls on the Zambia side (the other side of the falls is in Zimbabwe). Some tourists are daring enough to swim in it. Some go even further and dangle their legs off the side.

Swimming can only take place between September and December when a natural rock barrier forms, but it is still extremely dangerous. Several people have plunged to their death from the Devil's Pool, including one famous tour guide, who managed to save one of his charges who had started to fall. Unfortunately, he slipped during the rescue and lost his own life instead. You can marvel at the beauty of Victoria Falls without risking your life, so why not do that?

Pulse Nigeria

2. Lake Natron, Tanzania

Most people who visit Lake Natron in Tanzania can barely believe their eyes - it's almost totally pink! Home to matching pink flamingos, it's obvious why so many people want to see this amazing salt and soda lake for themselves. But it's not all pretty in pink - Lake Natron has an unusually high alkaline content and a pH level of 10.5, which is the same as ammonia.

To put it simply, Lake Natron will burn the skin off humans and most animals.In addition to the whole skin burning thing, temperatures around the lake can reach a whopping 60 degrees Celsius (140 Fahrenheit). Basically, the only thing that can survive here are the flamingos. The lake is made up of both hydrogen and sulfide, so most animals will die as soon as they touch its waters. And yes, that includes human travelers, too!

Pulse Nigeria

3. Danakil desert, Ethiopia

Stretching from north eastern Ethiopia to southern parts of Eritrea, the Danakil Desert is one of the most dangerous places you could ever visit. So dangerous, in fact, that it's well known as 'Hell on Earth'. This salt wasteland is exactly the kind of place we should be avoiding, but of course, nothing of the sort is happening.

Tourists are still showing up to experience the blazing hot temperatures and risking their lives in the process. Active volcanoes, gassy geysers, a lack of oxygen, and temperatures of around 120 degrees Fahrenheit are all the things you can look forward to if you decide to visit 'Hell on Earth'. If you manage to survive all of this, there are also the hostile rebels to look out for. Basically, don't go here if you value your life.

Pulse Nigeria

4. Zambezi River, Zambia

Long considered one of the most extreme locations for whitewater rafting in the world, the Zambezi River is not one to take lightly. The stones and trenches that often leave boats unturned are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the dangers you'll face. Each section of rapids has its own name, which you might think is cute until you hear what they're called.

Would you raft anywhere named 'Devil's Toilet Bowl', 'Boiling Pot', 'Gnashing Jaws of Death' or 'Overland Truck Eater'? If not, then you can give Zambezi a miss.In addition to all this, you've also got the river's natives to worry about - crocodiles and hippos are common in the Zambezi, and they're not exactly considered friendly locals. We know we won't be able to hold any adrenalin junkies back, but at least you have all the facts now!

Pulse Nigeria

5. Erta Ale Volcano, Ethiopia

Would you really want to visit somewhere that the locals refer to as the 'Gateway to Hell'? Erta Ale Volcano is just one of the terrifying features within the Danakil Desert in Ethiopia. At more than 2000 feet high and 120 degrees Fahrenheit, Erta Ale is one hot spot you don't want to visit. It's one of the few active volcanoes in the world, but it's the only volcano in the world with two active lava lakes, making it one of a kind.

It's no surprise that people want to view this phenomenon for themselves, but it does come with risks. It's so dangerous due to the heat (and lava!) that the only way to view it is by helicopter. So, as you can imagine, this is an activity for those of us with plenty of cash to spare!

Pulse Nigeria

6. Lake Kivu, Rwanda And Democratic Republic Of The Congo

Situated on the border of both Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lake Kivu is one of Africa's largest and most important lakes. 'Majestic' seems like an understatement when you're trying to find the words to describe it. But tales of swimmers being swallowed whole and dead fish mysteriously appearing on the surface give us a different picture of what lies beneath.

Lake Kivu has fascinated scientists in every field due to the methane gas trapped in its depths. If the gas is ever released, it would spell untold disaster for everyone and everything in the vicinity. All it would take is one volcanic eruption to pop this lake like a bottle of champagne, which exactly why the experts refer to this possibility as the 'champagne effect'. We'd advise steering clear if you value your life.

Pulse Nigeria

7. Lake Nyos, Cameroon

We're not sure why all of the killer lakes of the world seem to be located in Africa, but here's another one to add to the list. Lake Nyos in Cameroon, West Africa, contains a large amount of carbon dioxide within its depths. For many years, no harm was done, until 1986 when the carbon dioxide exploded upwards. This caused a huge carbon dioxide 'cloud' to form and it resulted in extreme destruction and death. The cloud traveled downhill and effectively suffocated 1,700 people and many more animals. Basically, nothing survived for 15 miles. Today, things aren't as precarious as they once were, as pipes exist to siphon the carbon dioxide from the lake. The risk still hasn't been completely eradicated, but for the most part it's considered safe. We still wouldn't be booking our flights in a hurry.

Pulse Nigeria

8. Tatooine, Tunisia

This one is for all the Star Wars fans out there planning a visit to Tunisia. You may be familiar with Tataouine as the fictional village of Tatooine in George Lucas's Star Wars films. The Skywalker farm buildings were left there after filming and have since attracted thousands of Star Wars fans to the area.

Unfortunately, it appears that the region is no longer safe for tourists to visit, so you may have to put your tour on hold for now. Recent terrorist activity in nearby Libya has made the area of Tataouine unstable, as it is in the path of traveling jihadists hoping to join infamous terrorist group, ISIS. Tourists have already perished in Tunisia, after an attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis left 19 dead. Best to leave it until there's no further risk of attacks, we think.

Pulse Nigeria

9. Port Moresby, New Guinea

The port city of Port Moresby is located in the eastern part of New Guinea. It is the capital of the state and at the same time one of the most dangerous cities in the world. If you look at the city from a bird's-eye view, it wont seem scary and dangerous.

It is unlikely to return back from the port town, as the lower strata of the population consumes human flesh. A casual visitor can be killed with a natural purpose, just to provide food for locals and their families.

Pulse Nigeria

10. Andohahela National Park, Madagascar

The island of Madagascar houses Andohahela National Park that may be called one of the most beautiful places in the world. Rare endemic plants are growing there. The park territory is home to 12 species of lemurs, as well as more than 120 species of birds.The Assemblys International Trade Manager, Mr Abdullah Keskin, told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Lagos that Turkey would, within the period, increase her trade relations with Nigeria.

Keskin, who led a Turkish Trade Delegation to Lagos, said that the delegation was visiting to promote stronger economic ties with Nigeria, as well as diversify its investment to Nigeria.

Nigeria is one of Turkeys very important trade partner in West Africa. Turkeys trade volume with Nigeria currently amounts to nearly about 25 per cent of Turkeys total trade with countries in the ECOWAS sub-region.

In 2017, trade volume between our two countries was about 490 million dollars. Our bilateral trade has not been as expected in the previous years.

We really want to see more trade transaction between our two countries. We are, therefore, hopeful that our trade volume will climb to about one billion US dollars in the short-term by 2020, he said.

Keskin said that the assembly was prepared to promote the export of Turkish products in Nigeria, as well as create the appropriate market for Nigerian products in Turkey.

He said that the delegation was a follow-up to the Turkish President Recep Erdogans policy of opening up to African countries since 2006.

The Assemblys International trade manager expressed optimism that the visit would foster more mutually beneficial business cooperation between Turkish entrepreneurs and their Nigerian counterparts soon.

We represent 71, 000 exporters, importers and foreign investors. Today, we have come to Lagos for a purpose.

We have travelled more than 7, 000 kilometres to Lagos with the aim of taking our trade relations to a higher level.

We strongly believe that the Nigerian business people will take advantage of this visit, and build long lasting Commercial ties with their visiting Turkish counterparts, he said.

Keskin said that the assembly was established in 1993 to determine issues relating to export, conduct improvement activities, as well as communicate exporters problems to Turkish authorities.

He said that a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) would be signed between the Turkish Exporters Assembly and the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry to enhance existing trade relations between Nigeria and Turkey.Mr Suleiman Haruna, the Director of Information to Mrs Buhari, made this known in Abuja.

Haruna said that the event was a follow-up to the Special Session on the First Ladies Leadership Conference on Cancer Control earlier held in Istanbul, Turkey in 2016.

He said the seminar was aimed at equipping the first ladies with the requisite knowledge of ensuring leadership in combating cancer through advocacy and strengthening cooperation.

The theme of the seminar is: Promoting Cancer Awareness among Africa Member States of OIC.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seminar, tagged Life After Retirement, was organised in conjunction with an NGO, Enterprenovate Nigeria Ltd.

The seminar was attended by the Lagos State civil servants, teachers and retired civil servants.

Represented by the Commissioner for Economy, Budget and Planning, Mr Segun Banjo, Ambode said he appreciated all the supports given to him by the residents of the state.

He added that he was fully committed to the well being of both active workers and the retired ones in the state.

I am appreciative of all the supports and backings of the citizens of this state, and I also promise that this will actually be an incentive to carry on with the good works.

I am impressing it on prospective retirees that they should look forward to their retirement with joy as my administration will remain committed to their well being and that of other pensioners.

Life after retirement is a time every employee should look forward to. The process of having a peaceful life in retirement is to have an active work life, h said.

Since the inception of this administration, we have been committed to paying workers salaries and pensioners as when due and we have also priotised the payment of terminal benefits.

We are also committed to paying the gratituity and pensions alike to ensure that the life of retired civil servants is sweet.

The Executive Chairman of LSUBEB, Dr Ganiyu Sopeyin, said that workers, especially those who had served meritoriously had nothing to fear about retirement.

Those who have served meritoriously should look forward to retirement with joy. This can only be made possible if such workers planned for their retirement.

Workers need to be prudent and ensure that they do not spend all during their time in service without savings, he said.

The convener of the programme and Chief Executive Officer of Enterprenovate Nig. Ltd., said that it was needful for the workers to prepare well ahead of retirement.This was announced by the president's special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, on Wednesday, August 1, 2018.

According to Adesina, the president will leave for London on Friday, August 3, and vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, will assume his executive role as Acting President.

A letter has been transmitted to the President of the Senate, and the Speaker, House of Representatives to that effect.

Buhari's London trips

The last time the president was in London was on a medical trip on May 8, 2018, to meet with his doctor before he returned three days later.

In a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on, May 7, the president's doctor requested his presence when he had a "technical stopover" in London.

The president had stopped there on his way back to Nigeria while flying from a working visit to the United States.

He said, "In the course of the technical stop-over for aircraft maintenance in London on his way back from Washington last week, the President had a meeting with his doctor. The Doctor requested the President to return for a meeting which he agreed to do."

In 2017, President Buhari spent a combined 154 days in London on two separate medical visits to treat an undisclosed illness, prompting concerns about how fit he is for duty.Gov. Godwin Obaseki made the disclosure on Wednesday in Benin after inspecting the ongoing work at the Edo Geographic Information System (EDOGIS).

He said the measure was to enable residents acquire C o C, registration of licenses as well as titles across the state, on time and with easy access to such services.

He said: We have as well reduced the cost of obtaining C of Os from N300, 000 to N50, 000.

It will help to reduce both the time and the amount spent in obtaining C of Os in our state.

We will ensure that our building approval as well follow the same speed, to make life more comfortable and meaningful for the people.

Obaseki said that EDOGIS which clocked one year on Wednesday would improve the working experience of Edo workers and create opportunities for those seeking to get C of Os within 30 days.

He said that his administration target was that Edo would be one of foremost states in Nigeria where interested people could come, buy land and obtain relevant documents within a month.

The governor also assured that EDOGIS would attract investors, if they discovered that the record time of acquiring land was easier and corruption-free.

He called on all workers in the state to imbibe the culture of maintaining the facilities and ensure that all appliances were shut down at the close of work.

The governor reiterated that Edo workers would continue to work under a conducive environment.

He also assured that the ongoing renovation and construction work at the state secretariat would improve productivity.According to Punch, Gusa said that the Benue state government is law abiding and will always seek redress in the law courts.

A Makurdi High Court issued an order stopping the lawmakers who served Governor Ortom with a notice of impeachment from going ahead with the proceedings.

Impeachment notice

On Monday, July 30, 2018, eight out 30Benue House of Assembly members served the Benue Governor a notice of impeachment.

The lawmakers accused Ortom of embezzling N22 billion from security votes and N32 billion from local government funds.

Judge orders security agencies to leave

According to Punch, Justice Theresa Igoche ordered the Chief Judge of Benue state not to act on the requests of the lawmakers based on their sitting on Monday, pending the determination of the suit.

The Judge also ordered security agencies to leave the Benue State House of Assembly premises.

ALSO READ:

Justice Igoche also upheld a court order which was issued earlier stopping the former Speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange from parading himself as a principal officer of the House of Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced that it is investigating Governor Ortom following allegations of fraud to the tune of N22 billion.The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Mrs Adefunmilayo Tejuoso, made this known in a statement in Lagos.

Speakers of the 36 state Houses of Assembly will converge in Lagos between Friday, Aug. 3 and Sunday, Aug. 5.

The conference will deliberate on national issues, especially those that have to do with the legislative arm of government, Tejuoso said.

The lawmaker, representing Mushin Constituency I at the Assembly, said that the three-day event would feature

deliberations anchored on presentation of papers, among others.

She said that the visiting speakers would attend a dinner on Friday organised by the host Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.

The event proper takes place on Saturday where papers will be presented. In between presentation of papers on Saturday, the Speakers will visit the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

They will also visit the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty, Rilwan Akiolu.Saraki said this in a statement which he issued to newsmenafter he left the ruling party on Tuesday, July 31, 2018.

The Senate President also alleged that some powerful people in President Buhari's government blocked all his efforts to make peace.

He also said that all governance principlesrequired for peaceful running of the APC were deliberately violated and undermined.

He said When we left the PDP to join the then nascent coalition of All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, we left in a quest for justice, equity and inclusion; the fundamental principles on which the PDP was originally built but which it had deviated from. We were attracted to the APC by its promise of change. We fought hard along with others and defeated the PDP.

In retrospect, it is now evident that the PDP has learnt more from its defeat than the APC has learnt from its victory. The PDP that we return to is now a party that has learnt its lessons the hard way and have realized that no member of the party should be taken for granted; a party that has realized that inclusion, justice and equity are basic precondition for peace; a party that has realized that never again can the people of Nigeria be taken for granted.

ALSO READ:Read what Senate President said about APC after he dumped the party

I am excited by the new efforts, which seeks to build the reborn PDP on the core principles of promoting democratic values; internal democracy; accountability; inclusion and national competitiveness; genuine commitment to restructuring and devolution of powers; and an abiding belief in zoning of political and elective offices as an inevitable strategy for managing our rich diversity as a people of one great indivisible nation called Nigeria.

The Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, in his reaction, said Sarakis exit will not affect the party in anyway.The Senate President said The emergence of a new national party executives a few weeks ago held out some hopes, however slender. The new party chairman has swung into action and did his best alongside some of the Governors of APC and His Excellency, the Vice President.

I thank them for all their great efforts to save the day and achieve reconciliation. Even though I thought these efforts were coming late in the day, but seeing the genuine commitment of these gentlemen, I began to think that perhaps it was still possible to reconsider the situation.

However, as I have realized all along, there are some others in the party leadership hierarchy, who did not think dialogue was the way forward and therefore chose to play the fifth columnists.

These individuals went to work and ensured that they scuttled the great efforts and the good intentions of these aforementioned leaders of the party. Perhaps, had these divisive forces not thrown the cogs in the wheel at the last minutes, and in a manner that made it impossible to sustain any trust in the process, the story today would have been different.

Corruption war turned to weapon

According to Saraki, President Buharis anti-corruption war has become a weapon to silence the oppositionwhereby every dissent from the legislature was framed as an affront on the executive or as part of an agenda to undermine the government itself.

ALSO READ:Read what Senate President said about APC after he dumped the party

"The populist notion of anti-corruption became a ready weapon for silencing any form of dissent and for framing even principled objection as corruption fighting back, he added.

The Senate President also revealed that he is leaving the APC to start a new political journey with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).Mr Jerry Oche, Lagos District Manager of NRC, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that work had started on the laying of standard rail gauge from the Lagos axis.

We all know that the standard gauge in Lagos axis from Apapa to Ijoko in Ogun is in the same corridor with narrow gauge.

Now, so far so good, the government is serious about delivering the project at the scheduled time and there is increase in pace of work along the Lagos axis.

The project has been concentrated outside Lagos as a result of the underground cables and pipelines challenges in the city.

But all have been resolved now and work has started wholly in the axis, he said.

According to him, water pipelines, cables and other installations underground of public utilities have posed great challenge to the execution of the work in Lagos.

The NRC district manager said that some of the railway staff quarters were also affected by the construction.

He said that the corporation had paid the affected staff members a years accommodation rent to secure alternative accommodations pending when the new quarters constructed for them would be completed.

Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, had recently said that laying of tracks of the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge line would start as soon as the issue of installations of public utilities were resolved.

Amaechi made the assertion at the on-spot assessment of the progress of work at Papalanto in Ogun.

According to him, contractor in charge of the project will start laying of tracks in Lagos axis as soon as the issues of cables and the pipelines are resolved.

I am satisfied with the rate at which the project is going, and I know the project will be delivered in due course.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Speaker, Alhaji Salihu Maidaji, who was among the 18 defecting members, made the announcement at the Assembly plenary on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: Sokoto Governor officially dumps APC for PDP

Maidaji said: We the undersigned 18 members of the belong and identify with the faction of the APC-led by one of its founders, Alhaji Buba Galadima.

We are aware that all efforts to bring sanity into the APC and unite the different groups, camps and faction have proved abortive.

This after several attempts and efforts and the election is around the corner and we stand in danger if we remained in a party that is divided against itself.

As such in accordance with the letters and spirit Section 109 (1) (g) of the constitution as amended hereby defect to PDP forthwith, the Speaker said.

Reacting to the resolution by the 18 member, the remains 12 members at a press briefing after the plenary wished them well in their new party.Saraki officially announced his exit from the ruling party on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, accusing certain elements in the party of alienating other members including him and dozen other members who have also recently defected.

Mere hours after Saraki's defection, the APC's NWC met and resolved to query the lawmaker for breaching Article 21 of the party's constitution which punishes members for engaging in anti-party activities which is likely to cause it embarrassment.

Allegations levelled at the senate president include refusal to screen nominees for appointments submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari; causing avoidable delays in the budgetary process and passage of the appropriation act into law; encouraging defection of other senators from the party and a few other allegations.

The statement read, "That you have deliberately refused to screen nominees for appointments submitted by Mr President who are members of the party from being confirmed by the senate. This has caused untold embarrassment and ridicule to the party and the government.

"That you have organised a public rally in your state where members of the party urged you to decamp to PDP. That as a follow up to the above the Kwara state governor who is known to be your staunch supporter had made public pronouncements suggesting that he will decamp from the party as an indicator to your formal defection.

"That you used the office of the senate President to cause avoidable delays in the budgetary process and passage of the appropriation act into law thereby frustrating the implementation of the party's manifesto and programs and frustrating the APC led Federal Government in the actualization of the campaign promises of the party.

"Converting the guest house of the senate president to meeting points and presiding over anti-APC activities in the guest house and encouraging defection of senators from the party and presiding over such meetings and compiling a list of the said defectors including some without out their consent.

"Procuring joint letter of decampees from the APC and reading same on the floor of the senate including some who did not accede to defecting thereby causing embarrassment to the party. In spite of the efforts to address grievances to reconcile aggrieved members, you worked against the process and encouraged the formation of an association which sought to impersonate and pass off the name of the party."Among the reasons Saraki cited for leaving the APC were blatant disregard for the rules of party administration, his prosecution and persecution for alleged corruption, alienation, and the emergence of "fifth columnists in the APC who were hell bent on scuttling peace efforts initiated by some leaders of the party".

A top source at APC headquarters in Abuja told Pulse that had Saraki not left the APC sooner, he would have been expelled from the party for anti-party activities and undermining the party on whose platform he became senate president.

The last straw

The man would have been expelled. He has done a lot of damage to our party since he emerged senate president without the partys blessings. We had finalized plans to expel him indefinitely.

"I believe leaked the plan to him and thats why he had to leave before he was pushed, this top ranking source in the APC hierarchy disclosed to Pulse on condition of anonymity because he had not been authorized to comment on the subject.

Another source in the governing party told Pulse that Saraki was no longer going to have a place in the APC after he supervised the defection of 15 APC senators on July 24, 2018.

It was the last straw for us at the APC, the source said. There was no way he would have remained a part of us after all the destruction he supervised and after he practically sold the senate to the PDP on the altar this APC chieftain added.

Saraki's query

On the day Saraki defected, the APC made public a query it had issued the senate president over his anti-party activities.

The APC gave Saraki 48 hours to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for violating the partys constitution.

In a resolution signed by its National Secretary, Mai Maila Buni, the APC accused Saraki of breaching Article 21 of its constitution and engaging in anti-party activities.

The APC alleged that Saraki encouraged and facilitated an enabling environment for the defection of some senators who are members of the APC to the other opposition parties.

Saraki was also accused of deliberately refusing to screen nominees for appointments submitted by the president.

This has caused untold embarrassment and ridicule to the party and the government, the party said.

Huge blow for Buhari's APC

32 House of Rep members, 15 senators and three State governors have since joined Saraki out of the APC.

The APC dissolved its executive committee in Sarakis home State of Kwara, hours before the senate presidents defection.

The gale of defections are a huge blow for President Buharis APCa loose coalition which rode on a wave of change to unseat the PDP from the center in 2015.

President Buhari announced in April that he will be seeking a second term in office in 2019. Pundits say the defections could weaken his base and leave him vulnerable ahead of his re-election campaign.Abdullahis exit from the APC comes barely 24-hours after Senate President Bukola Bukola Saraki on Tuesday, July 31, 2018.

He is believed to be an ally of the Senate President.

The APC spokesman had denied rumours of his defection from the APC on Tuesday.

But, in a statement made available to on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, Abdullahi said he was resigning his position as APC spokesman and membership due to the dissolution of the Kwara State executive of the party.

The statement reads in full:

In view of recent political developments in the country and within the All Progressives Congress (APC), I have decided to resign my position as the National Publicity Secretary as well as my membership of the party with effect from today.

In the last few days, I have had to endure the flagrant usurpation of my role as the spokesman of the party in a manner that I consider unbefitting of a ruling party and inconsistent with my ethical standards.

I have served the APC honestly and to the best of my ability and when I stood for and won my election at the last convention; it was a keen desire to continue to do so. However, in a situation whereby my loyalty is constantly brought into question; my subordinates deployed to subvert my office; and my views constantly second-guessed on the basis of my political affiliation, it has become imperative for me to review my position.

Since assuming office as the spokesman of the party, I have tried to set a new template for public political communications in a way that departs from the vulgar abuse and verbal aggression of the recent past, where cheap lies and crude propaganda were normalised as politics, and even celebrated as measures of competence. Unfortunately, those who felt I was not forceful enough framed my ethical disposition as evidence of a lack of commitment to the party.

The unlawful dissolution of the validly elected party executive in Kwara State earlier in the week was only another phase in the unrelenting assault I have had to endure. As a national officer of the party, who sit in that Committee, courtesy should demand that my views be sought on a matter that concerns my State and in which I am directly involved. That action was, to say the least, disrespectful.

Quite recently, we all took the oath to do justice to all and not allow personal interests to interfere with our official responsibilities. With this obviously presumptuous action, and the decision to appoint as chairman of caretaker committee, the same man who had emerged as the chairman from the parallel congress in my State, the NWC has taken sides, violated its oath office and subverted its own credibility as an impartial arbiter. Yet, these are the same people that have continued to insinuate that others are serving interests other than those of the party.

Politics is local, and my personal stake in the issue of Kwara makes it incongruous for me to continue to sit as part of the working committee of the party. Clearly, I cannot continue to function as the spokesman of a party whose expectations of that role is incompatible with my personal principles. In the same token, I can no longer justify to myself that I should remain in a party which has now made it clear to the world that the political group that I belong is no longer wanted, and which has hung my membership of that group as an albatross around my neck.

The Kwara state governor, Abdulfatha Ahmed, had also dumped the APC.

Earlier, the Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom had defected from the ruling APC.According to reports, the high court in Makurdi, capital of Benue state, restrained eight members of the state assembly from proceeding with the impeachment process on Wednesday, August 1, 2018.

The eight lawmakers led by Terkibir Ikyange, were also restrained by the court from sitting while their suspension was also upheld pending the determination of the motion on notice.

Ikyangewas removed as the Speaker of the Benue state House of Assembly.

The presiding judge, Theresa Igoche ruled on the application on orders restraining the eight members from sitting.

Igoche also restrained Adam Onum, chief judge of Benue, from receiving or acting on any process or request issued pursuant to the purported sitting, proceedings and resolutions of 30th July, 2018 aimed at or commenced for the purpose of removing governor of the state, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

ALSO READ: 8 Benue APC lawmakers move to impeach Governor Ortom

The judge also ordered security agencies to vacate the premises of the assembly.

Ortom says impeachment notice makes no sense

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, blasted the eight members of the Benue State House of Assembly who served him an impeachment notice, noting that the ridiculousness of the situation proves the country is a 'shithole'.

On Monday, July 30, 2018, impeached Speaker of the House, Terkimbi Ikyange, led seven other members, who belong to the All Progressives' Congress (APC), to accuse Ortom of embezzling N22 billion from security votes and N32 billion from local government funds, while neglecting to pay the salaries of workers and pensioners.Saraki first announced his decision to leave the APC via a Tweet on the evening of Tuesday.

The Senate President blamed his exit from the APC on some forces that prevented peace and reconciliation within the ruling party.

Sarakis dumping of the APC for the PDP has been generating mixed reactions from Nigerians.

ALSO READ: 5 Reasons why the Saraki dumped APC for PDP

While some Nigerians lauded Saraki for leave the APC, others noted that his exit would not mean anything to the ruling party.The Police stated this following cases of disfiguring, or at times, tearing into pieces, campaign posters of President Buhari by suspected opposition politicians in Kano state.

In a statement on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, the Police Public Relations Officer, Kano Police Command,Magaji Majia, said both covert and overt Police operatives had been deployed to watch and arrest anyone found destroying campaign posters and bill boards of the president.

According to Majia, this has become necessary following an unruly behavior of some miscreants who destroyed Buharis Bill Board/Poster along Sharada Road.

The Kano Police Command is sternly issuing a caution to the general public especially those into active politics to shun Politics of violence, hate speeches and disfiguring of opponents campaign posters and bill boards which are placed or pasted at private or public places, the statement said.

This is undemocratic practice as every citizen is entitled to freedom of Political association. This call becomes necessary following an unruly behavior of some miscreants who destroyed the President Federal Republic of Nigerias Bill Board/Poster along Sharada Road.

ALSO READ: APC planned to embarrass Saraki with expulsion before he defected

In view of this nefarious act, the Command has deployed both covert and overt police operatives to watch and arrest anyone found destroying campaign posters and bill boards of political opponents for mischief and inciting disturbance in the State for prosecution.

The Command further calls on the good people of Kano State especially politicians to eschew politics of bitterness and cooperate with the Police in providing useful and timely information and possible evidence of whosoever is found attempting to incite disturbance by words or by action.

Any violator should be reported to the nearest Police Station or call our Emergency Telephone lines as follows; 08032419754, 08123821575 to enable the command arrest and prosecute them.

Parents and guardians are enjoined to warn their wards against being used by politicians in carrying out any nefarious act, please," the Police spokesman concluded.Bro, we are shooting for Aso Rock now, he screamed. Just watch.

Moments after the phone call, I was fast asleep. I couldn't bear to watch.

This member of Sarakis team had said nothing new. I have followed Bukola Sarakis career since he was chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), to when he ran for senate, to when he became senate president against his partys wish, to when he wrestled power brokers in the APC and left them playing catch up to his every move. Saraki's gaze has always been fixated on the number one job in the land and he doesn't even hide it anymore.

The man just wants to become Nigerias president. It's what keeps him awake at night.

His political career has been carefully orchestrated to dovetail into the pathway that leads to Aso Rock. As Governor of Kwara, Saraki made himself the most powerful politician in his State. As Kwara Governor, he made himself the most powerful governor in the land when he led the NGFthe most powerful peer pressure political group in the land at the time. As senator, Saraki wanted to be first among equals. He got that too when he was crowned senate president in 2015.

Not satisfied with being the nations number three man, Saraki is now gunning for the post of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is why he has just left the APC, forget all the big grammar and fancy words in his press statement.

Another aide of Saraki once told this writer that the senate president often gets what he wants. As always, the odds are stacked against Saraki as he guns for the number one job in the land. He would have to displace another perennial defector in Atiku Abubakar, former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido and Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal to reach the PDP presidential ticket. But if theres one thing Saraki loves, its a challenge or a fight. In his mind, hes got this whole presidency bid figured out. It's how he rolls.

The Saraki brand is propelled by ruthless ambition and desperation. Its how he got this far in his political odyssey. Its a vice in the real world but an asset in the murky waters of politics. Sarakis desperation will next take him to the PDP convention floor on the day the opposition party will be choosing the flagbearer to battle Muhammadu Buhari of the APC. Saraki and his team are right now setting up their presidency campaign office. And who can blame them?On the other side of the country a roadside bomb apparently intended for security forces hit a passenger bus and killed 11 people, marking yet another bloody day for civilians who have borne the brunt of violence in Afghanistan.

The attack in Jalalabad targeted the compound of the refugees and repatriations department. It ended after more than five hours of intense fighting between militants and security forces, said Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province.

At least 15 people were killed and the same number were wounded, Khogyani said.

Provincial health director Najibullah Kamawal said some of the dead were "burned beyond recognition".

The raid began with a suicide attacker blowing up a bomb-laden car at the entrance as local representatives of foreign donors and agencies were meeting department employees inside the building.

"About 10 minutes before the end of the meeting we heard an explosion and then gunfire," a government official told AFP.

"We looked down and saw two attackers entering the building. I and a number of other people at the meeting escaped to a corner on the top floor. I don't know what happened to the others."

The driver for one of the people at the meeting said he was on the third floor when the attack began.

"People started screaming and running around," he told AFP.

"I jumped from the third floor onto a wall and then into the lane."

Several people were taken hostage by the attackers, said Zabiullah Zmarary, a provincial council member.

"I saw a black Corolla car drop three armed men at the gate of the refugees and repatriations department," a witness told AFP.

Khogyani said the two attackers who stormed the compound were killed.

Security forces swarmed into the area, and a plume of thick black smoke rose into the sky above the compound.

The Taliban denied involvement in the incident in a WhatsApp message sent to journalists.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which comes three days after militants raided a midwife training centre in Jalalabad.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack, which left at least three people dead and several wounded.

Jalalabad has been the scene of multiple attacks in recent months that have killed dozens, as US and Afghan forces continue offensives against militants.

Civilians under attack

In the western province of Farah on Tuesday the bomb which hit the bus killed at least 11 people and wounded 31.

"It was a bomb planted by the Taliban to hit security forces but... it got a passenger bus," Farah provincial police spokesman Muhibullah Muhib told AFP.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Taliban that they were responsible.

In a separate incident, 22 passengers travelling on a Kabul-bound bus in the eastern province of Paktia were kidnapped by gunmen on Monday night.

Officials blamed the Taliban for both incidents.

Most of the attacks in Jalalabad have been claimed by IS, which has a relatively small but potent presence in Afghanistan, mainly in the east and north.

It is not clear why the militants targeted the refugees and repatriations department, but government buildings are frequently hit.

On July 11 gunmen raided an education department compound in Jalalabad, sparking an hours-long battle with security forces.

At least 11 people were killed in that attack. All were employees of the education department branch and included the director.

A suicide bombing claimed by IS on a crowd of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus in Jalalabad on July 1 killed 19 people and wounded 21.

IS emerged in Afghanistan in 2014 and quickly established a stronghold in Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan.Anthony Groomas, 29, found guilty of criminal sexual acts.

TUCUMCARI - A Tucumcari man will spend 10 years in prison after being sentenced Wednesday in the 10th Judicial District Court for charges of criminal sexual penetration involving two minors.

Anthony Groomas, 29, appeared before District Judge Albert J. Mitchell, who sentenced Groomas to 10 years behind bars based upon his convictions and results of his 60-day pre-sentencing evaluation in the Department of Corrections.

An investigation headed by Attorney General Hector Balderas' office led to Groomas' August 2017 arrest by NMAGO Special Agents. Officials said he sexually exploited, solicited and had sex with underage girls.

"Protecting New Mexican children is my office's highest priority," said Balderas. "Our special agents and prosecutors worked tirelessly to bring Groomas to justice. Today, there is one less sexual predator on the streets of New Mexico, and New Mexican children are safer."

Upon Groomas'' release he will be under sex offender probation for 5-20 years, parole for five years to life and lifetime sex offender registration.

"Whether you live in cities like Albuquerque or Las Cruces, or more rural areas like Quay County, parents must watch for signs of sexual predators soliciting their children and report it to authorities immediately," Balderas added.

On March 21, Groomas appeared before Mitchell and entered four guilty pleas to felony charges stemming from his arrest last August. Mitchell accepted the guilty plea and ordered Groomas sent to the state's Department of Corrections for a 60-day pre-sentencing evaluation.

Groomas' attorney Brett Phelps was not available for comment.

Following an investigation by the AG's office, Groomas was arrested at his residence in Tucumcari and charged with 23 felony counts connected to alleged criminal sexual penetration and criminal exploitation of girls ranging in age from 14 to 17.

Groomas was booked into the Quay County Detention Center on a $15,000 cash only bond.

James Hallinan, a spokesman for the attorney general, said the crimes occurred between May 2015 and February 2017, with tips coming from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Hallinan said through the course of the investigation social media conversations between Groomas and minors were reviewed, and interviews with those minors were conducted.Central has also projected the GDP growth for first quarter of the next financial year at 2019-20 at 7.5 per cent.

As per the RBI, the growth would be in the range of 7.5-7.6 per cent in first half of the fiscal and 7.3-7.4 per cent in October-March 2018-19.

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank on Wednesday retained the GDP forecast for the current fiscal at 7.4 per cent on robust corporate earnings and buoyant rural demand, though it flagged global trade tensions for Indian exports.

In the third bi-monthly monetary policy statement for 2018-19, RBI said various indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to be strong.

The statement issued after three-day meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) noted that the progress of the monsoon so far and a sharper than the usual increase in MSPs of kharif crops are expected to boost rural demand by raising farmers' income.

"Robust corporate earnings, especially of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, also reflect buoyant rural demand," the central bank said, adding that investment activity remains firm even as there has been some tightening of financing conditions in the recent period.

Based on an overall assessment, the Reserve Bank of India said that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth projection for 2018-19 is retained, as in the June statement, at 7.4 per cent.

As per the RBI, the growth would be in the range of 7.5-7.6 per cent in first half of the fiscal and 7.3-7.4 per cent in October-March 2018-19 period "with risks evenly balanced".

The central has also projected the GDP growth for first quarter of the next financial year at 2019-20 at 7.5 per cent. The monetary policy statement further said that increased FDI flows in recent months and continued buoyant domestic capital market conditions bode well for investment activity.

The central bank said that activity in the manufacturing sector is expected to remain robust in Q2, though there may be some moderation in pace. Rising trade tensions may, however, have an adverse impact on India's exports.By The Staff of the Sun

Unidentified victim airlifted

Members of the Las Cruces Police Department secure the perimeter of a shooting Tuesday afternoon.

One person has been hospitalized, and another arrested following an early Tuesday morning shooting in Tucumcari.

With the assistance of multiple agencies, Bobby Vandiver, 31, was arrested following a more than eight-hour search, said Russell Shafe...Were searching for a description of the Chinese governments behavior and cant decide among bullying, extortion or coercion.

The White House went with Orwellian nonsense. Geopolitical chutzpah also comes to mind.

What Beijing did wa...On July 20, President Donald Trump sat down with New York Times Publisher Arthur Gregg Sulzberger.

At Trumps request, this meeting was off the record.

Sulzberger is 37 years old. The president, at 72, is almost twice Sulzbergers age....How do you know what you know? Can you be certain about what you think you know? Is there genuine truth, and would you recognize it if it passed by?

These questions sound like juvenile brain-teasers. They are, however, pretty important if we are g...The majority of New Zealanders who reach 65 years of age have aged healthily, according to the largest ageing study in the country.

Massey Universitys long-running study of older Kiwis has revealed that citizens aged 65 to 81 are in good physical and mental health, contrary to what the widespread narrative may suggest.

We dont just suddenly become older at 65.

Massey Universitys Dr Christine Stephens told RadioLIVE that the research directly contradicts the myth that elderly citizens are doomed for deteriorating health that will plague the health system.

We dont just suddenly become older at 65, Dr Stephens said.

Two-thirds of the participants were deemed to have very good physical mental and social health, which meant they had no illnesses, were able to carry out daily activities without assistance, exercised occasional, and were socially active.A recent Shortland Street storyline has been labelled insensitive and ignorant by members of New Zealands Down syndrome community.

But broadcaster TVNZ, which airs the programme, and production company South Pacific Pictures are defending it.

Characters Zoe Carlson and Chris Warner, a couple, discover their unborn baby is likely to have Down syndrome.

In the show, Warner says genetic disorder will mean the child suffers severe medical issues that "will crush" Carlson.

Kim Porthouse, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association (NZDSA), says the word abortion was used straight away.

They very quickly, when they introduced this topic, went to a doctor suggesting that abortion is a solution.

Doctors have a position of power in our society. A doctor going straight to this suggestion gives credence to the idea that that is the solution to having a pregnancy with Down syndrome when actually its a far more wide ranging topic, she told RadioLIVEs Mark Sainsbury.

A joint statement from TVNZ and South Pacific Pictures says the show is "known for tackling a range of challenging issues that face New Zealanders today, and we know this is one of them.

"We realise that not everyone will agree with every choice we make, but we always appreciate when people come to us to share their feedback."

The statement also says that the storyline will evolve further and should not be judged just from the initial statements by Warner.

But the NZDSA says many people with Down syndrome are Shortland Street fans and they've already been hurt.

"They are offended," says Mrs Porthouse.

"A lot of our young people with Down syndrome absolutely love Shortland Street and suddenly one of their heroes tells them their families would have been better off without them."

The NZDSA says that TVNZ replied to its complaint about the storyline, saying it had "consulted with medical advisors".

However, the network refused to put contact details for the NZDSA at the end of episodes that featured the Down syndrome storyline.

In the TVNZ and South Pacific Pictures statement, the companies say "we dont think a special viewer guidance message is called for right now".

Listen to the full interview with Kim Porthouse above.

Morning Talk with Mark Sainsbury, 9am - 12pm Weekdays and streaming live on 'rova' channel 9 - available on Android and iPhone.

RadioLIVE/Newshub.UK: The Office of Rail & Road has rejected Alliance Rail Holdings application for track access rights which would enable it to launch an open access passenger service between London Waterloo and Southampton Central.IndiGo said the crew of flight 6E 897 decided to divert the plane to Hyderabad and requested for an ambulance and a doctor at the airport.

Sources at the airport said that the flight was diverted to the Hyderabad Airport at around 7:30 am. (Photo: File | Representational)

New Delhi/Hyderabad: A four-month-old baby died after developing a breathing problem onboard a Patna-bound IndiGo flight at the Hyderabad airport on Tuesday. The boy was travelling with his parents from Bengaluru in the flight when he developed the breathing problem, police said.

IndiGo said the crew of the flight 6E 897 decided to divert the plane to Hyderabad and requested for an ambulance and a doctor at the airport. On landing, the boy was rushed to a private hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead, the police said.

The police registered a case under section 174 of the CrPC.

Sources at the airport told PTI that the flight was diverted to the Hyderabad Airport at around 7.30 am.

"An IndiGo flight 6E 897 operating from Bangalore to Patna was diverted to Hyderabad due to a medical case this morning. The crew along with a doctor on-board attended to an infant. After landing, the infant was immediately rushed to the hospital accompanied by an IndiGo staff member. Unfortunately the infant died," the statement said.

The airline expressed its condolences over the infant's death.The Trump administrations decision to rescind Obama-era affirmative action guidelines for schools last month reignited a decades-old debate on racial diversity. But a 2011 Obama initiative that remains in place  one requiring the executive branch to increase its diversity and inclusion efforts  raises questions about the effectiveness of such programs.

Since Obama issued that executive order, the federal government barely moved the needle on a key aspect of diversity: hiring more African-Americans and Hispanics.

The share of blacks and Hispanics working in the executive branch had risen less than 1 percent for each group by 2017, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Since 2011, in a workforce that had about 2.1 million employees, the total number of African-Americans increased by less than 11,000 and the total number of Hispanics increased by about 15,000.

While African-Americans comprised 18.16 percent of the executive branch workforce in 2017, that is not much higher than their total for 2007 (17.3 percent) and 1997 (16.65 percent). Hispanics have seen their share of jobs increase  to 8.75 percent of the total from 7.6 percent in 2007 and 6.25 percent in 1997  but those numbers are far below of their share of the U.S. population, which was 17.8 percent last year according to the U.S. Census most recent estimate.

To complicate matters, blacks in the federal workforce have for years far exceeded their percentage of the general population  only 12.3 percent according to the most recent data.. This raises an often overlooked question of how to decide when a diversity program has reached its goal.

Marc Morial, National Urban League: "What have you been doing?"

Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, a civil rights organization, said the numbers paltry improvement since 2011 was unsatisfactory. "Did they take the president's executive order seriously?" he asked. "I think that the Office of Personnel Management needs to be asked  what have you been doing?"

Looking at the aggregate data, the gains may appear small, said an OPM spokesperson. However, there are places that have experienced significant improvement in these areas. Each department/agency is responsible for prioritizing their goals and making gains, and we offer them an overarching strategic plan, agency-specific guidance, and technical assistance to help them realize their goals.

The government is not the only place where efforts to expand opportunities for minorities have fallen short. The New York Times reported last year that even after decades of affirmative action, black and Hispanic students are more underrepresented at the nations top colleges and universities than they were 35 years ago. A 2016 cover story in the Harvard Business Review was just as blunt: Most diversity programs arent increasing diversity.

The wider context suggests that after decades of wrestling with racial preferences, and Supreme Court rulings that have strictly limited the use of racial preferences, far more difficult questions remain about what the goals of those efforts should be and how to achieve them.

The executive branchs latest hiring numbers stand out both because of the Obama administrations stated deep commitment to the issue and the fact that there are fewer constraints on hiring in the federal government than in the past. There is no longer any government-wide civil service test, and some positions do not even require an associate degree. According to the Congressional Budget Office, between 2011 and 2015, 13 percent of federal workers had no more than a high school diploma. In the Department of Agriculture, for example, mechanics and field technicians may only need a high school degree, said a USDA spokesperson.

Still, the executive branch is limited by the Supreme Court in its ability to promote specific disadvantaged groups. The court held in Adarand Constructors v. Pena (1995) that racial preferences are illegal in the vast majority of circumstances, said George Mason University law professor Ilya Somin. Based on earlier rulings, quotas are even more likely to be held illegal.

Some experts fault the Obama directive for being vague. Executive Order 13583 charged the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Management and Budget and other federal agencies with establishing a government-wide effort to "promote diversity and inclusion in the federal workforce" and to issue a diversity and inclusion plan every four years. All executive departments and agencies were to implement this plan. But the plan didn't actually define what "diversity" meant.

"How can you implement a plan for diversity when you don't define what it is? It seems a little goofy," said Gary L. Wolfram, a professor of economics at Hillsdale College, which declines federal funds and thus can avoid mandates attached to them.

Yet imprecision is a politically clever way to build support for diversity efforts, he said, because it gives many racial and ethnic groups as well as women the impression that a program benefits them. Well all think: youre gonna be helping us, said Wolfram.

Hilary O. Shelton, director of the NAACP Washington Bureau and senior vice president for policy and advocacy, agreed that not defining who is meant by diversity makes it more difficult to apply and enforce a diversity policy. With a precise policy, he said, "you know exactly who you're trying to promote." Specifying who diversity refers to also helps make a diversity program accountable.

While it was not in the executive order, the Office of Personnel Management's 2016 plan did say that Hispanic underrepresentation was of particular interest. Since 2011, Hispanic representation in the executive branch has gone up by 0.9 percent.

Still, neither the OPMs 2011 plan nor the 2016 plan provided any strategy for enforcement or accountability. While the 2011 plan had some actionable strategies for promoting diversity, including making sure that student internship programs have diverse pipelines, the 2016 plan offered few concrete strategies. Excluding the table of contents, the plan was seven pages long. It offered three abstract goals with rationales  goal No. 2 was "Include and engage everyone in the workplace"  but no specific plans for achieving them.

According to the Harvard Business Review, poorly thought-out programs are ineffective and are actually associated with decreases in minority representation. For example, over a period of five years, companies that implemented mandatory diversity training showed a more than 9 percent decrease in representation for black women.

In the private sector, diversity programs face challenges filling jobs that require college degrees, particularly among Hispanics. In 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 37.7 percent of employed whites had bachelors degrees compared with 27.3 percent of employed blacks, and only 18.6 percent of employed Hispanics. That year, 27.7 percent of employed Hispanic adults did not have a high school diploma.

"The problem really is in the skill level in the folks that you're talking about," said Wolfram. In order to increase minority representation, minorities' skills and education must be increased.

The most important sources of black-white inequality, said University of Chicago economist Derek Neal, are the skill deficits young blacks bring to adult life. For decades, too few black teenagers have entered young adulthood with the basic reading and math skills that modern universities and workplaces require. Neals 2006 piece Why Has Black-White Skill Convergence Stopped? observed that blacks persist in receiving fewer average years of education than whites.

In the federal government, some executive agencies have posted big gains in racial representation. The Small Business Administration, according to two estimates independent of OPM, jumped from 26.62 percent African-Americans in 2014 to 30.82 percent in 2017, according to Carol Chastang, deputy press director for the SBA.

At the Commission on Civil Rights, black employment rose from 55.6 percent of the workforce in 2011 to 59.3 percent in 2014, the latest year for which data are available from OPM. Such a black majority raises the question of whether it is even fair to have a program aimed at promoting black employment at some places. When Obama put his executive order in place, African-Americans were already overrepresented in the executive branch.

Wolfram said the Obama program amounted to saying, I want groups that are overrepresented in the executive branch to be even more overrepresented."

But Shelton believes it is important to maintain a diversity program even if African-Americans are overrepresented in the whole executive branch. Increasing representation is not just about hiring people, he said, it is about increasing their role in high-level decision making.

Another fundamental concern about the executive order is whether increasing diversity is actually beneficial. Frederick Lynch, an associate professor of government at Claremont McKenna College and author of the Diversity Machine, said that Obama's initiative shares with other diversity efforts a false premise: the notion that racial diversity makes an organization more productive. In his executive order, Obama wrote that the nation is at its best when it draws on the talents of all parts of society. "It sounds wonderful," said Lynch, but there "ain't no proof."

But as it stands, President Trump's administration has not touched Obama's executive order. The OMB could not be reached for comment as to whether the White House is reconsidering this program. The administration is still charged with promoting diversity and inclusion through the OPM. Both critics and supporters of Obama's policy believe that office has not succeeded in its mission.

"The federal government has simply got to do better," Morial of the Urban League said, "in hiring African-Americans and Latinos and moving them up the ladder."

When asked about its plans for the government-wide diversity plan due in 2020, an OPM spokesperson said that it will not be issued until 2021. "Therefore, the development for a new plan is still in its early stages."enate Democrats have no excuse for refusing to meet with President Trumps Supreme Court nominee, so they have manufactured one. Democrats say they need even more documents than the White House has offered from Kavanaughs days in the executive branch. That is absurd.Since the 2016 election, the left has been in a state of perpetual hysteria, claiming that the presidency of Donald Trump heralds the end of American democracyan interesting conclusion to draw from the results of a democratic election. The latest threat to the nation? Just the predictable consequence after one side wins an American election: a Republican president nominated a conservativeBrett Kavanaughto the Supreme Court.

Before Beltway insiders could speculate about President Trumps chosen nominee, liberals gathered for a spontaneous protest on June 28 in front of the Supreme Court. If Donald Trump is successful in confirming his next nominee to the Supreme Court, warned Brian Fallon, executive director of Demand Justice, we will be living with the stain of Trumpismnot for four years, not for eight years, but for 40 years!

Demand Justice, the newest 501(c)(4) organization positioned to oppose center-right judges, was spawned in early 2017 by ex-Obama staffers and employees wounded in Hillary Clintons failed presidential campaign.

Demand Justice creates advertising campaigns, like its allied George Soros-funded judiciary advocates People for the American Way and Alliance for Justicegroups infamous for spending millions of dollars in 1987 to block the Senates confirmation of the eminently qualified Judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court. (In a 2012 article, even a columnist for The Atlantic and a fellow at the left-wing Brennan Center lamented the injustices committed in the Bork nomination battle.)

Since then, judicial activists have used similar tactics to (unsuccessfully) block the confirmation of conservative justicesSamuel Alito in 2006 and Neil Gorsuch in 2017. They also launched campaigns to support the confirmation of Obama nominees Sonia Sotomayor in 2009, and Elena Kagan in 2010.

Demand Justices impromptu protest demonstrated the professional lefts rapid-response system. Staff from my organization, Capital Research Center, crashed and filmed the protest that featured a lineup of Big Left organizations like the Center for American Progress, the agitation group MoveOn.org, environmentalists from the League of Conservation Voters, and abortion activists from NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthoodall opposed to Trumps yet-to-be-announced nominee.

Another stolen seat, one protesters sign lamented. Remember Merrick Garland! another trumpeted. Others demanded the court overturn its 2010 Citizens United decision. We even counted left-over signs attacking last years effort by congressional Republicans to overturn Obamacare.

The protest and other relentless efforts to stop Trumps second nominee are ripped straight from the lefts playbook. And this time around, they may have the votes to do it. As Fallon said, They say that we cant change things, that we dont have the votes, that we cant stop Mitch McConnell  thats not true! All we have to do is unite our 49 Democrats [in the Senate] and get oneone!Republican to agree to vote no.

But the lefts playbook has limits: The Republican-controlled Senate has no incentive to wait until January 2019 to confirm Kavanaugh. Liberals may call Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a hypocrite for not waiting until after the 2018 midterm elections to confirm Kavanaugh, but theres little they can do to stop him.

Its unclear why the Senate should wait six months to pursue its clear electoral mandate and consider Trumps nominee, when the outcome of this election has no bearing on the presidential nomination process.

Even the New York Times agrees. The people spoke when they re-elected Mr. Obama in 2012, the Times editorial board wrote in December 2016, entrusting him to choose new members for the court. And the Senate has had no problem considering, and usually confirming, election-year nominees in the past.

And heres what the Times editorial board said a day before the November 2016 election: Make no mistake: That is the [conservative] court Americans would get under a President Trump. Still, Senate Democrats would have an obligation to consider and vote on his nominees, just as Republicans would have that obligation to Mrs. Clintons choices.

Take a look at the oldest sitting Supreme Court justices on Election Day 2016. Anthony Kennedy was 80 years old, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was 83, and Stephen Breyer was 78.

Its reasonable to assume that voters knew that the winner of the 2016 presidential election was not only guaranteed a Supreme Court pick for Scalias seatbut also very likely a second or even third seat.

If Demand Justice and Co. are more interested in politicizing the Supreme Court than promoting constitutionalism, they should say soand make it a central issue in the 2020 presidential election, just as Republicans made opposition to judicial activism an issue in 2016.

Either way, the illiberal cohort opposing Kavanaugh might reflect on the words of their former boss, President Obama: Elections have consequences.In order to properly understand how Americans feel about abortion, one must take into account that their views are more complex than simple up-or-down polls about the Supreme Courts 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling suggest.

Lately, I am seeing poll after poll about Americans attitudes toward abortion, many having to do with support for Roe v. Wade itself. Some suggest that Americans are extremely polarized when it comes to the issue. Take, for example, 2018 polling that shows Americans are evenly divided in terms of self-identifying as pro-life or pro-choice. But equating support for abortion rights and Roe, or dividing Americans into two opposing camps, is highly misleading and unhelpful.

Polls that dig a little deeper into Americans views when it comes to restrictions on abortion provide more nuance and insight into where the public truly stands. Polls that do delve more deeply show that support for unfettered abortion, which Roe allowed, just isnt there.

That court ruling legalized overnight abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. It left to the states, however, regulating abortions during the second and third trimesters. So, Roe was in effect the beginningnot the endof a national conversation about the legal limits of abortion, especially in the second and third trimesters.

However, polls show that Americans generally do not support the right to abortion later in pregnancy. Marist asked specifically about later abortions and found Americans heavily favor restrictions during the last two trimesters. Seventy-six percent of Americans said they would like to see abortion restricted to the first three months of pregnancyand even a majority (60 percent) of those who self-identify as pro-choice favor such restrictions. Those numbers have been more or less consistent for the past decade. So, there is in fact a lot more consensus on abortion than what is generally reported.

A recent Gallup poll shows consistency in American attitudes towards limits on abortion. Eighty-one percent of respondents said that abortion should be generally illegal in the third trimester, while 65 percent said it should generally be illegal in the second trimester.

Polls also reveal how Americans feel about different circumstances surrounding the decision to abort a child. Broadly speaking, a majority thought the procedure should be legal only under certain circumstances. The poll asked about several specific circumstances ranging from when the womans life is endangered to when the woman does not want the child for any reason. Gallup found that 77 percent thought abortion in the third trimester for any reason at all should be illegal. Sixty-eight percent thought abortion should be illegal in the third trimester when the child would be born with Down syndrome.

American laws are not just out of step with public opinion on the matter, they are out of step with the rest of the world as well. The United States is just one of seven countries, including China and North Korea, that permit abortion on demand after 20 weeks gestation.

If we look closely at polling data that does more than scratch the surface, we can find large majorities in agreement about whether and how to limit abortion. The vast majority of Americans would like to restrictat a minimumlate-term, elective abortion. Its time our laws catch up to the American consensus.Good morning, it's Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Im away for a few days this week, so my daily history lesson is on brief hiatus. But, as always, I'd direct you to RealClearPolitics' front page, which presents our poll averages, videos, breaking news stories, and aggregated opinion columns spanning the political spectrum. We also offer original material from our own reporters and contributors, including the following:

* * *

A Vote for Trump Was a Vote to Elevate Kavanaugh. Scott Walter advises liberals opposing the Supreme Court nominee to reflect on the words of President Obama: Elections have consequences.

Americans Largely Agree on Abortion Limits. Jeanne Mancini writes that simple up-or-down polls about Roe v. Wade miss the consensus that has been building on the issue.

Obama Feds Embraced Diversity, But the Needle Barely Moved. Max Diamond has the story in RealClearInvestigations.

A Democrats Case for Kathy Kraninger at CFPB. In RealClearMarkets, former Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson argues that President Trumps nominee will bring competence and common sense to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

How Effective Are Work Requirements? In RealClearPolicy, Angela Rachidi and Robert Doar counter critics who argue that research does not support these policies.

Five Facts You Need to Know About the U.S. Farming Industry. Also in RCPolicy, the bipartisan group No Labels has this overview.

Silicon Valley vs. Detroit. In RealClearEnergy, Judson Phillips makes a case for eliminating the electric vehicle tax break.

Inside the Devious Ways China Steals U.S. Technology. In RealClearLife, Lee Ferran spotlights a report from the National Counterintelligence and Security Center.

* * *

Carl M. Cannon

Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics

@CarlCannon (Twitter)

ccannon@realclearpolitics.comThe 2018 midterms have attracted a record number of women running for Congress, which, according to conventional wisdom, is energizing the base of the Democratic Party. New polling data from Republican pollster John McLaughlin, however, challenges the narrative that gender is a compelling reason to vote for someone: Nearly 85 percent of the respondents said gender made no difference in whom they are going to support in this years elections.

This election is not about gender, its about whats happening with working-class voters  both men and women, said McLaughlin, who conducted the survey for Independent Womens Voice -- an advocacy arm of the Independent Women's Forum -- and who did polling for Donald Trump in 2016.  Republicans need a specific agenda which contrasts their ideas to the Democrats. He added that the GOP can do better with women voters by highlighting ideas on health care and what will benefit their personal finances and family.

Party and ideas usually trump gender, said Karlyn Bowman, a public opinion analyst at the American Enterprise Institute. She added that women are over the idea of simply voting for someone because the candidate is a woman: Were passed this. What it comes down to is someones credentials, how they present themselves, and what they want to do in Washington.

One demographic already demonstrated this in 2016. Thats when 52 percent of white women voted for Donald Trump instead of the first major-party woman running for president, according to exit poll data.

While much has been written about women running for Congress in 2018, it is encouraging that the American voter is rejecting identity politics, said Tammy Bruce, president of Independent Womens Voice.

Only 16 percent of the respondents in the IWF survey say they consider gender when voting, and most of that group consisted of Democratic women. In a June NBC/WSJ poll, voters were asked a similar question, and only 24 percent said they were more likely to support a candidate because she is a woman.

Since 1980, theres been a noticeable gender gap in voting, with more women supporting the Democratic Party presidential candidate and more men voting Republican. However, there was also a substantial marriage gap in 2016, with married voters supporting Trump by eight percentage points over Clinton. But married women narrowly supported Hillary Clinton by two points over Trump. Democrats want that history to repeat itself this year, aided by the presence of so many women on the ballot.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, 307 women candidates are currently running for the U.S. House, 228 of whom are Democrats and 79 are Republicans. Of the 36 women currently running for the Senate, 21 are Democrats and 15 are Republicans.

Many of the women who have won Democratic primaries thus far defeated moderate candidates as the party moves to the left. In Omaha, Neb., for example, Republican Rep. Don Bacon is matched up against progressive Democrat Kara Eastman -- who defeated a moderate opponent who lost to Bacon in 2016 by just 3,500 votes. In Orange County, Calif., Rep. Mimi Walters (pictured) is running against Katie Porter, who has been dubbed the Elizabeth Warren of the West; Porter defeated a moderate candidate in a primary.

The IWF poll of 1,000 likely voters, conducted July 18-24, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Adele Malpass is a board member of the Independent Womens Forum.President Trump lately draws the ire of establishment politicians on both sides of the aisle by threatening a showdown over the border: either build the wall -- or shut the government down when we face yet another budget deadline just weeks before the November midterm elections.

I encourage President Trump to engage in this battle and, if necessary, as they say in mob movies, go to the mattresses. Why, and why now?

First, because the border remains the foundational animating promise of the entire 2016 movement. That movement, in fact, was a global groundswell that preceded Trump and demanded the resurrection of national sovereignty, from Great Britain to Italy to the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas. Despite the nattering howls of globalists and mainstream media elites, real borders do not represent xenophobic, backward-looking constructs, but rather the very bedrock basis of any healthy nation-state.

Trump masterfully tapped into the angst created by our decades-long appeasement at the border. Congresss tacit consent of nearly open borders benefited the wealthy who prefer cheap labor and politicians seeking new constituents, some of whom now legally vote in places like San Francisco  without obtaining citizenship. But Trump saw the harm of uncontrolled illegal immigration, problems ranging from the depressing of working-class wages to thousands of citizens victimized by criminals who should never have been in our country in the first place.

Why pick this fight now? Conventional wisdom and political prudence would dictate waiting until after the midterms and hoping for a more Trumpian Congress. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, for example, said that funding the wall would probably have to wait. But such thinking belies the reality that we Republicans face in coming months. Historically, the first midterm for a new president proves disastrous for his party; just ask Barack Obama or Bill Clinton, both of whom lost control of the House in their first such plebiscites.

In addition, the GOP faces a record number of retirements, many of them very veteran members of the House, putting almost all the onus to defend seats on Republicans. Finally, recent polling remains foreboding, with a GOP deficit in the generic ballot widening to a whopping seven percentage points in the RealClearPolitics polling average.

So, the present is no time for temerity or coasting into November. Instead, the best way to score an upset win at the polls is for Trump to effectively put himself on the ballot. One powerful way to accomplish that goal is by highlighting immigration, his signature issue that has surged to the top of polls ranking matters of voter concern.

Given the recent leftist lunacy from major Democrats denouncing federal law enforcement and demonizing ICE, this issue plays terrifically for the GOP and can galvanize Trump voters who handed him victory in 230 of the Houses districts in 2016, vs. 205 for Hillary Clinton. Moreover, few Americans outside of open-borders radicals, media elites, and big business executives support lax immigration controls. According to a recent Economist/YouGov poll, 64 percent of Hispanics prefer detention of illegal border crossers, either alongside children or separately, until their trial, and only 20 percent support the prior catch and release practice. In addition, Trumps overall approval rating among Hispanics has soared lately. If the Congress can combine a sensible DACA compromise with a fully barricaded border, then GOP electoral prospects for 2018 and beyond vault higher.

So, both policy and politics point to the efficacy of a showdown over immigration. Even if the measure ultimately fails in the Senate, the vote will crystalize the issue before voters, rally the Trump coalition of deplorables, and likely prevent a Democratic takeover of the House that would surely lead to impeachment proceedings.

Mr. President, its time to go to the mattresses. Build the wall, or shut Washington down.Barack Obama formally weighed in on the 2018 midterm elections by backing 81 Democratic candidates running for federal and local offices in 14 states, and indicated that more endorsements are on the way.

The former president, who remains widely popular within his party, is not engaging in Democratic primaries, however; a list he released on Wednesday features only general election candidates.

"Im confident that, together, theyll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law," Obama said, noting the diversity of the roster. The candidates hail from California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

But the list was also notable for candidates it did not include, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is likely to become the youngest woman elected to Congress. The New York Democratic socialist upset House Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley in a June primary, almost immediately becoming a controversial figure. Some in the party see her as a rising star who is elevating issues like Medicare for all, an increased federal minimum wage, and the abolishment or restructuring of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But others fear she is dragging the party too far to the left. Republicans have already fashioned her into a boogeyman, and are trying to tie their Democratic opponents to her views.

Obama also is not weighing in on the New York governor's race, where Cynthia Nixon is challenging incumbent Andrew Cuomo.

Obama only endorsed one upper-chamber candidate, Nevada Rep. Jacky Rosen, who is challenging Republican Sen. Dean Heller in a state that has been trending increasingly blue. Heller is the only GOP senator up re-election this year in a state Hillary Clinton won in 2016.

But the 44th president did not endorse any other Senate candidates, even with Democrats at risk of losing seats there. Unlike in the House, the party faces an uphill climb in flipping control of the chamber. Ten Democratic incumbents are up for re-election in states Donald Trump won  five of them by overwhelming margins. An endorsement from Obama could hinder them more than it could help, given the electorates makeup.

There is also a question of the extent to which Obama's endorsements could have an impact, since he was unable to transfer his own support down-ballot while in office. Over the course of his tenure, Democrats hemorrhaged seats at the federal and local level. The results of the 2016 election suggested, to some observers, a rebuke of his presidency. Now it appears that President Trump has been an energizing force for Democratic candidates and activists.

Still, Obama's backing and ability to draw crowds could boost lesser-known candidates running for office. The former president remains generally popular since leaving the White House, with a 57 percent approval rating, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average. The endorsement list includes some candidates running to defeat GOP incumbents in House districts that Clinton won. He also endorsed in some traditional Republican strongholds where Democrats believe the political climate is turning in their favor, such as Illinois' 12th Congressional District, where Brendan Kelly is taking on Rep. Mike Bost. Obama also endorsed Georgia's Stacy Abrams, who could become the nations first black woman governor if elected in November.

Correction: An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that former President Obama did not endorse Sen. Dianne Feinstein. In fact, he did so on May 4.Nuclear-armed Pakistan is not a model of stability. It just elected a new prime minister after a campaign that featured widespread violence and election day bombings. The apparent loser has alleged vote-rigging in favor of his opponent, who was supported by the omnipresent Pakistani army.

That's one half of the context in which the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will soon consider another financial bailout for Pakistan, which has benefited from a dozen of them since the 1980s.

The other half is the fact that Pakistan's economy is in shambles due to large-scale corruption and a growing debt crisis. The money it owes other nations and non-Pakistani entities is more than 30 percent of its GDP partly because of the extensive loans it has received from China to build parts of CPEC, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, by which China is building roads, power plants, railroads and military bases in Pakistan.

Pakistan needs about another $3 billion in the next few months to avoid defaulting on loans from the IMF, the World Bank and China. The IMF will almost certainly bail Pakistan out of its financial troubles again. But should it? There are two reasons that weigh heavily against such an action.Terming the Bihar shelter home rape case as 'heart-rending', Satya Pal Malik stressed on the need for social audit of these homes.

Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik shot off letters to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as well as Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of the Patna High Court Rajendra Menon in this regard. (Photo: File)

Patna: Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik shot off letters to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday, terming the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur as "heart-rending" and suggested measures for preventing recurrence of such incidents in the future.

According to highly-placed sources, the governor has called for trial of cases relating to harassment of girls, boys and women living in such state-funded homes by fast track courts.

Malik has also written to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of the Patna High Court Rajendra Menon in this regard.

The governor has, however, praised the state government for its quick action in the Muzaffarpur incident and its decision to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the sources said.

The case relates to mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls residing at Balika Grih, Muzaffarpur.

In his second letter to the chief minister, Malik has called for an immediate and intensive probe into reports of mismanagement of other such short stay homes that have appeared in the media off late and a mechanism for their continued monitoring, they said.

Malik has also stressed the need for developing an institutional mechanism which ensures that social audit, by competent institutions, of these shelter homes takes place on a permanent basis, the sources said.

He has also called for implementation of recommendations of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai in this regard, they said.

The governor has asked the chief minister, whom he called an "efficient administrator" and a popular leader known for taking initiative in such matters, to invite suggestions from the intelligentsia, the sources added.

The matter had come to light earlier this year when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit of the shelter home conducted by TISS.

The audit report stated that many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. A special investigation team was formed to probe the complaints.

The NGO running the shelter home in Muzaffarpur was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani.,



We're sorry, this article is not currently availableBy Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/13/2021



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Which couples are still together and which MAFS couples have broken up and divorced? And where are they now?

has followed 44 different couples who got married at first sight during it's first twelve seasons -- so which couples are still together, who has broken up and divorced, and where are they all now?Each season of -- which debuted in the United States seven years ago and is based on a Danish series -- features couples (previously three couples, but four couples on Seasons 8 and 9, and five couples beginning with Season 10) being matched together by relationship experts and agree to marry when they first meet.Complete strangers become husband and wife in a matter of minutes, and the couples' lives are then documented by TV cameras over the course of the next four to eight weeks (eight weeks, in the case of 's most recent seasons).The couples typically enjoy their first night together in a hotel after exchanging vows -- with some couples deciding to consummate their marriage immediately -- and then embark on a honeymoon, move in together, and simply attempt to deal with the struggles of daily life as man and wife.At the end of the extreme marriage experiment, each couple must decide whether they'd like to stay married or get a divorce on "Decision Day."has experienced very mixed results over the years. While a significant number of couples decide to stay together and continue their new marriage at the end of their season, the real world seems to hit them hard after the cameras leave, resulting in the couple splitting up only months later.Do cast members see a different side of their spouses once cameras are gone, or do the romances naturally fizzle over time?Some couples are still together to this day and are extremely happy. Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner from Season 1, for example, have had two children.Several other couples have also had children -- including Ashley Petta and Anthony D'Amico Shawniece Jackson and Jephte Pierre Danielle Bergman and Bobby Dodd , and Deonna McNeill and Greg Okotie However, there are also relationships that ended badly. Jessica Castro from Season 2, for instance, accused Ryan De Nino of alleged death threats, and she went on to file a restraining order and lawsuit against him.Some couples have also never even made it to "Decision Day" and ended their marriage prematurely, including Season 4 couple Heather Seidel and Derek Schwartz as well as Season 6 couple Molly Duff and Jonathan Francetic Are the remaining couples now lovers, friends or enemies?! What about early season couples like Cortney Hendrix and Jason Carrion, Jaclyn Methuen and Ryan Ranellone, Vanessa Nelson and Tres Russell, Sonia Granados and Nick Pendergrast, and Lillian Vilchez and Tom Wilson?And how about more recent season couples like Danielle DeGroot and Cody Knapek Sheila Downs and Nate Duhon Jaclyn Schwartzberg and Ryan Buckley Dave Flaherty and Amber Martorana , and Tristan Thompson and Mia Bally Keith Dewar and Kristine Killingsworth , and AJ Vollmoeller and Stephanie Sersen Click thelink below to see photos of each couple and find out!

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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.Chancellor Angela Merkel's government for the first time vetoed a possible Chinese takeover of a German company, signaling a toughening stance toward investments from the country.

Merkel's Cabinet on Wednesday voted to block the potential purchase of German machine tool manufacturer Leifeld Metal Spinning by a Chinese investor. The government took the precautionary measure even though Yantai Taihai Group indicated at the last minute that it will withdraw its offer.

The decision follows a government review examining possible negative impacts of the sale that concluded a purchase would raise national security concerns. Leifeld -- based in the city of Ahlen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia -- is one of the leading producers of high-strength metals for the car, space and nuclear industries.

"Leifeld produces some really top-notch machinery," said Mikko Huotari, deputy director at the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin. "Germany is well aware of the threat" posed by the Asian country's goal of becoming the leader in advanced manufacturing under the so-called Made in China 2025 program.

Germany is joining the U.S. and Canada in taking a tougher line on China. Merkel's government has been at the forefront of moves to bring in European Union-wide screening of outside investments after being the target of Chinese acquisitions in recent years. Policymakers are acting out of concern that China is seeking access to sensitive technology or wants to boost its global influence by acquiring key infrastructure including ports and electricity networks.

Since Germany tightened its measures blocking unwanted takeovers in July 2017, more than 80 deals have been probed, with more than a third of those involving Chinese investors directly or indirectly, an Economy Ministry spokeswoman said. The government hadn't used the law to block an investment since it was established in 2004.

As part of the tougher approach, Merkel's government swooped in last week to nab a stake in one of the country's largest power-grid operators, thwarting an attempt by a Chinese firm to buy the holding. The Economy Ministry is also looking at further tightening rules on foreign investments in the country from outside the EU.

In May, Canada blocked a proposed takeover of construction firm Aecon Group by a unit of China Communications Construction, while the U.S. House of Representatives in July voted to expand reviews of foreign investment in sensitive industries. Chinese investment in U.S. technology companies probably would become more difficult and time-consuming under the legislation, with an increased risk of being blocked by a U.S. government panel that examines national security risks.

The German Economy Ministry is looking at lowering the threshold for examining a foreign takeover to purchases of stakes of less than 25 percent. The country's domestic intelligence service said in July that Chinese acquisitions of high-tech companies in Germany represent a potential national-security threat.

The German government already last year tightened rules for foreign investors after a public backlash over high-profile acquisitions by Chinese corporations -- such as the Midea Group purchase of robot maker Kuka in 2016. A Chinese takeover of semiconductor-equipment maker Aixtron SE failed due to U.S. opposition.

State-owned investment bank KfW last Friday announced plans to temporarily acquire a 20 percent holding in 50Hertz Transmission. KfW will buy the stake -- valued at about 770 million euros -- from Belgium's Elia System Operator. State Grid Corp. of China had previously been in talks to purchase the holding.

The depth of German concern is evident in the government taking action to stop the sale of a relatively small business. Leifeld, owned by the holding company of a former German media executive, had 33 million euros ($39 million) in revenue and 5.2 million euros in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in 2016, the latest available data on Germany's federal gazette. That year, it received 13.3 million euros of new orders from China.

Leifeld was perplexed by the decision, saying its technology is only used in the civilian nuclear industry. With the deal now off the table, the company plans to pursue a public listing to fund plans to lift annual sales to 100 million euros from 40 million euros, Liefeld chief Oliver Reimann said in an interview with WirtschaftsWoche. The company said it couldn't immediately respond to Bloomberg's requests for comment.

Blocking the deal "is probably the right move," Marcel Fratzscher, head of the Berlin-based DIW economic institute. "You have to ask yourself why Chinese companies with no foothold in Europe are willing to pay so much more than other competitors to buy up these firms?"

- - -

Bloomberg's William Wilkes and Patrick Donahue contributed.Anderson never returned to face trial after he left soon after Bhopal gas tragedy. He died in the US in 2013.

A toxic gas leaked from a pesticide factory of Union Carbide in Bhopal on the night of December 2-3, 1984 killed about 3,000 people immediately. (Photo: File | PTI)

Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday quashed a lower court order to register a case against two former officers for allegedly helping Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson escape India after the Bhopal gas tragedy.

The order by Justice S K Palo came on petitions filed by the then Bhopal superintendent of police Swaraj Puri and then collector Moti Singh, their lawyer A P Singh said.

Anderson, the main accused in the deadly 1984 gas leak case, had obtained bail from a court, and the bail conditions did not state that he was not to leave the country, advocate Singh contended before the judge.

Puri and Singh took him to the airport safely as part of their duty and thus committed no crime, the lawyer said.

The high court noted that the CJM court took cognisance of the petition seeking to make Puri and Singh accused 26 years after the incident, and quashed the lower court's order, he added.

The plea before the lower court was filed in 2010.

Activist Abdul Jabbar had filed a petition in the CJM court, demanding criminal action against the two former officers for allegedly helping Anderson escape from India.

Anderson, the prime accused in the gas leak case, never returned to face trial. He died in the US in 2013.

On November 19, 2016, the CJM ordered registration of a case against Moti Singh and Swaraj Puri under IPC sections 212 (harbouring offender) and 217 (public servant disobeying the direction of law with intent to save a person from punishment).

A toxic gas leaked from a pesticide factory of Union Carbide in Bhopal on the night of December 2-3, 1984 killed about 3,000 people immediately. Besides, thousands of others suffered adverse health effects.28-year-old Vijay Solanki, who was out on bail, ran out of courtroom as soon as he heard the verdict, sentencing him to ten years in jail.

Soon after the verdict was read out, the convict ran away. Security officials failed to catch him. (Photo: PTI | Representational)

Barwani: In an embarrassment for security officials in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani District, a man convicted of rape escaped from the courtroom soon after his sentencing. The judge found him guilty of rape of a minor and sentenced him to ten years in prison and a penalty of Rs 7,000.

Soon after the verdict was read out, the convict ran away. Security officials failed to catch him.

The incident happened at a local court in Barwani district last evening, official said, according to news agency PTI.

28-year-old Vijay Solanki, who was out on bail, ran out of the courtroom as soon as he heard the verdict, sentencing him to ten years in jail. When attempts to catch him failed, a court employee registered a complaint with the police, station in-charge Rajesh Yadav said.

A search has been ordered to find and arrest Vijay Solanki.

According to the police officer, Solanki had been booked by Rajpur police station in the district for raping a minor in 2015.Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen applauded his governments commitment to democracy Wednesday in his first public appearance since his ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) swept an election widely dismissed as unfree and unfair, following the dissolution of the main opposition group.



Speaking during the inauguration of a new ferry line in the capital Phnom Penh, Hun Sen told reporters that his government had achieved great economic success in 2018, while building a strong democracy and establishing peace in Cambodia.



Hun Sens CPP has claimed a lopsided victory in Cambodias July 29 general election, saying it won some 77 percent of the vote and likely secured all 125 parliamentary seats in play as voters, many under threat of losing government services, ratified an outcome decided in November when the government dissolved the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).



While ballots are still being counted and an official announcement is not expected until mid-August, unconfirmed preliminary results indicate a strong CPP showing, ensuring the long-ruling strongman will add another five-year term to his 33 years in office.



His claims that the government had upheld a vibrant democracy in Cambodia appeared to contradict the assessment of much of the international community, which has slammed the weekends election as a sham amid Hun Sens months-long crackdown on the political opposition, NGOs and the independent media.



Both the U.S. and the European Union had withdrawn support for the ballot ahead of the weekend, citing actions by Hun Sens administration seen as limiting democracy in the country, and Washington recently passed legislation that when fully ratified would allow for sanctions against Cambodian officials who are deemed responsible for the clampdown.



The U.S., the EU, and several other governments have issued statements since Sunday, decrying an electoral process that was neither free nor fair and failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people. On Wednesday, France joined the ranks, questioning the election results in light of Hun Sen authoring the dissolution of the CNRP and restricting the media.



The CNRP received more than 3 million votesaccounting for nearly half of the countrys registered votersin Cambodias 2013 general election, and enjoyed similar success in last years commune ballot, making it the only legitimate challenger to the CPP before it was dissolved.



CNRP officials had called for a boycott to protest their partys exclusion from the election, in the face of threats from authorities to withhold licenses, land registration and other government services from voters who did not turn out.



Police threatened



Meanwhile, reports continued to trickle out of Cambodia Wednesday about official efforts to punish those who chose to avoid the polls in protest of the ban on the CNRP and restrictions on civil society.



An officer with the Battambang city police department, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told RFAs Khmer Service that the departments chief had ordered all officers to display their fingers while they stood for the national anthem on Tuesday morning.



They wanted to see our fingers because, before the election, they told us to vote, said the officer, referring to the India ink voters dip their fingers into to show they had cast their ballot.



The officer said that he and his colleagues had voted to avoid punishment, and that department officials took pictures to post on social media, adding that he considered the inspection to be a form of intimidation.



When asked about the incident, Battambang city police chief Pang Heang said his officers volunteered to vote and had proudly displayed their fingers during the national anthem.



They have their rights and were not forced to do so, he said.



Ying Mengly, the Battambang provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, told RFA it is rare for police officers to pose in groups with their fingers displayed, unless they had been forced.



We urge the police and other authorities to refrain from pressuring anyone who didnt vote or didnt have black ink on their finger [after the election], he said, adding that members of the public have the right to decide whether or not to cast a ballot.



Tax complaint filed



Also on Wednesday, Cambodias Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) issued a statement saying it had received a complaint of tax evasion against Adhoc director Thun Saray and his wife, who have been living outside of Cambodia since May 2016 following threats of arrest for intervening in criminal charges against five officials from his rights group.



The complaint, dated June 19, alleged that Thun Saray and his wife didnt pay taxes on property that he leased to Adhoc in 2002 and 2006, said the statement, posted on the ACUs website.



The ACU statement added that the unit has records of Thun Saray paying taxes in 2016, but not from the previous year.



Thun Saray, who is currently living in Canada, told RFA that he had paid his taxes according to the law, and urged the Tax Department speak with him before proceeding with legal action that he suggested might be politically motivated.



We have never received any notification asking us to discuss this tax issue, he said.



It would be very unjust to me to link this issue to a political issue.



In September, the independent English-language Cambodia Daily was forced to close after being hit with a U.S. $6.3 million claim for back taxes by the Cambodian government. RFAs Cambodia operations closed that same month after being accused by the government of tax and administrative violations.



Supreme Court appeal



Meanwhile, Cambodias Supreme Court has said it will hear the case of CNRP president Kem Sokha, who has been held in pre-trial detention since his arrest in September on charges of colluding with foreign powers to overthrow Hun Sens government.



Supreme Court deputy general prosecutor Chhuon Chanban sent a letter to Kem Sokhas legal team on Wednesday, a copy of which was obtained by RFA, requesting that they attend a hearing in the case on the morning of Aug. 22.



Kem Sokhas lawyers were not immediately available for comment. In previous RFA reports, his legal team have said Kem Sokhas health is deteriorating and have pointed out that the government has yet to produce any evidence against him.



The opposition chiefs arrest and the subsequent dissolution of the CNRP are widely viewed as the beginning of the end of multiparty democracy in Cambodia, and critics of Hun Sens regime have repeatedly called for his release and the reinstatement of his party.



He has been denied bail four times since his arrest in September and faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.Top intellectual Xu Zhangrun has become the voice of a growing chorus of liberal dissent against President Xi Jinping's indefinite second term in office, nodded through by China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), in March.



Xu, who is a professor in constitutional law at Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University, hit out at Xi in an article published last week.



Titled "Hopes and Fears Under Our Party," the article warns against the dismantling of economic reforms brought in by late supreme leader Deng Xiaoping in the wake of Chairman Mao Zedong's disastrous Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).



While it doesn't mention the notoriously sensitive president by name, Xu's article hits out at the "comprehensive resuscitation of totalitarian politics," and calls for presidential term-limits to be reinstated.



"After 40 years of reform, suddenly we are back to the ancien regime," Xu writes.



Xu's broadside comes amid a groundswell of political opposition to Xi's supreme control of almost every area of Chinese political life, and is likely fueled by a trade war with the United States, analysts told RFA.



International relations expert Zi Zhongyun has also hit out at the Xi administration's failure to continue the work of reform, saying it is largely to blame for the current impasse in trade negotiations with the United States.



And economist He Jiangbing recently also hit out at the "mishandling" of the economy resulting in the bursting of property bubbles in Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Hefei, Wuhan, Zhengzhou and Shanghai this summer.



Using imagery of flood control that has been historically associated with threats to dynastic power, He warned in an article that "the consequences of mishandling it will be disastrous."



Xu, who is currently a visiting scholar in Japan, has said he is currently unavailable for media interviews.



Bao Tong, a former top aide to late reformist premier Zhao Ziyang, said he hopes Xu doesn't suffer a political backlash for his criticism.



"I hope he doesn't get any trouble from Tsinghua University as a result," Bao said in a recent interview with RFA. "I agree with his suggestion that we should reinstate presidential term limits."



"The abolition of term-limits for national leaders was a retrograde step," he said.



Toeing the line



There has also been considerable push-back in public over growing attempts by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to paint only a positive picture of China, and delete, censor or retaliate against any form of utterance that doesn't toe the party line in public.



Liu Yadong, editor-in-chief of Science and Technology Daily, gave a speech last month in which he warned against overstating China's technological achievements, which he said relied on those of other countries.



"Liu's speech is representative of a domestic introspection on China's capability, triggered by the Sino-U.S. trade war and Washington's ban on China's telecommunication giant ZTE," the tabloid Global Times newspaper said in an op-ed in June.



"A technology insider criticizing the exaggeration of China's technological achievements comes at just the right time," it said.



The paper, which has close ties to Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily, recently also hit out at Chairman Mao's designated successor Hua Guofeng for "encouraging a cult of personality," a charge that is increasingly being leveled at Xi Jinping.



Retired Shandong University lecturer and rights activist Sun Wenguang said Xi's emphasis on positive propaganda is highly reminiscent of the party under Mao during the Great Leap Forward (1958-1962).



"All of the media and newspapers are going all out to praise China's amazing achievements, and there is a great deal of fake information hidden in amongst that," Sun told RFA. "China's achievements are actually pretty limited, and there are plenty of areas in which it lags far behind other countries."



"But the Chinese media just covers all of that up."



Constitutional scholar Zhang Lifan said the implied public criticism of the Xi administration may not develop into a serious political challenge to the president, however.



"My feeling is that the political opposition hasn't yet gathered that sort of momentum," Zhang said. "A lot of [potential opponents] have families who have been labeled as corrupt, so I think people are looking around to see who's going to be the first to stick their head above the parapet."



"I don't think we've got to the point where a sudden political incident could take place yet," he said.



Reported by Ng Yik-tung and Sing Man for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Gao Feng for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.Authorities in the central Chinese province of Hunan have detained the father of a woman incarcerated in a psychiatric hospital for splashing ink on a poster of President Xi Jinping, after he tried to visit her.



Dong Yaoqiong was sent for "compulsory treatment" after she streamed live video of herself splashing ink on a poster of President Xi in protest at "authoritarian tyranny" on July 4.



She is being held as a psychiatric patient in a women's ward in Hunan's Zhuzhou No. 3 Hospital, where her father, Dong Jianbiao, was detained when he tried to visit her on Wednesday.



"Our initial guess about the reason [for his detention] is that Dong Jianbiao had been under house arrest, with restrictions on his freedom, back home, and then he suddenly disappeared for two to three days," rights activist Chen Siming said.



"He managed to evade surveillance by the local police and village officials."



Police also summoned Chen and fellow rights activists Yi Zhouquan and Ou Biaofeng for questioning in connection with their support for Dong Yaoqiong.



"I was called in for questioning yesterday," Chen told RFA. "Ou Biaofeng and Yi Zhouquan were taken in at around 1.00 a.m. this morning, and they haven't gotten out yet."



Chen said police had issued veiled warnings about the possible negative impact of his activism on his family, asking questions about his son.



"They were trying to frighten me," he said.



Called in by police



Meanwhile, rights lawyer Wen Donghai said he had been called into the local police station and asked to make a statement after he tried to visit Dong Yaoqiong in hospital after being hired by her father to represent her.



"There is a guy in the hospital by the name of Feng Yong who has been making it difficult for us by insisting on proof that Dong Yaoqiong and Dong Jianbiao are father and daughter," Wen told RFA. "But the relationship between them is clearly established, and we have handed over all of the relevant proof to the authorities."



"In the end, they just said that they wouldn't even see me ... and that I had no formal instruction [as her lawyer]," he said. "Then they called the police on me and accused me of insulting them, so I am at the police station making a statement now."



Wen said he hadn't been given permission to visit Dong Yaoqiong.



"I didn't get to see her, because Dong Jianbiao was immediately detained when we went there today, they said on suspicion of 'harming state security'," he said. "The police took him away, and we don't know where he was taken."



Dong Jianbiao said in a statement issued before his detention that Dong Yaoqiong's mother had signed the papers committing her daughter to the psychiatric hospital "without truly understanding the situation."



"I don't believe my daughter Dong Yaoqiong to be suffering from any form of mental illness," the statement said. "I wish to visit my daughter ... [and] I wish to view her medical records in their entirety."



"In the event that there is a medical condition needing treatment, I do not give my consent for my daughter to be treated at the Zhuzhou No. 3 Hospital," Dong wrote. "I want to take my daughter ... home."



Dong Jianbiao had earlier engaged Wen Donghai to work for his daughter's release from the hospital, but the authorities switched the case against her from a criminal to a civil matter, invalidating the lawyer's letter of appointment.



Wen said his license clearly indicates that he has the right to take cases not involving litigation.



'Brain control'



Dong Yaoqiong's incarceration in the Zhuzhou No. 3 Hospital, a psychiatric institution, comes after she accused the authorities of "persecutory brain control," an allegation some activists have said could be linked to attempts to disorient her through psychiatric medication or even technology.



"There is a portrait of Xi Jinping behind me," she said in the video. "What I want to say is that I am using my real name to oppose Xi Jinping's tyranny and dictatorship, and the oppressive brain control perpetrated on me by the Chinese Communist Party." She then threw the ink across Xi's image on the poster and shouted her slogans again.



Dong Yaoqiong, who had reported being under surveillance by the authorities for around a year, later said via her @feefeefly Twitter account that there were uniformed men outside her apartment. Her Twitter account was later deleted.



Her supporter Li Huaping said via Twitter that Dong had been taken away from the hospital briefly on Sunday, possibly for interrogation by the police.



Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Ng Yik-tung and Sing Man for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.The wives of prominent Chinese human rights lawyers have called for continuing international media attention on the plight of their husbands, many of whom have suffered torture and forced medication while behind bars in a nationwide crackdown launched in July 2015.



Li Wenzu, wife of detained rights attorney Wang Quanzhang, said a group of lawyers' wives had met with U.K. foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt during his trip to China.



"At 4:00 p.m. on July 30, 2018, we were honored to meet the new U.K. foreign secretary and the British Ambassador to Beijing," Li reported via her Twitter account following the meeting.



"I briefed the Minister and the Ambassador in detail on the three years since Wang's disappearance, and on recent developments," Li wrote. "The Minister expressed his sincere concern."



"We also expressed our sincere gratitude to the Minister and Ambassador for the high level and continuing concern shown by the British government over the detention of lawyers since July 2015, and for the British government's concern for human rights in China," she said, adding a group photo from the meeting.



Formerly detained lawyer Wang Yu, Li Heping's wife Wang Qiaoling and Yu Wensheng's wife Xu Yan were also present.



Wang Qiaoling said the meeting lasted just under one hour.



"My husband was caught in the July 2015 crackdown," she said. "He was tortured for 22 months and held in total isolation from the outside world, before he was released."



"I used to be a housewife, but since the crackdown, I have learned a lot of things," Wang said. "Our legal rights and interests have been seriously violated."



"International attention over our cases, and concern from international media and Western democratic nations that have the rule of law have been a force for good," she said.



But she declined to say what promises Hunt had made during the meeting.



"Yes, he did, but I don't feel able to say any more right now," Wang said.



Good sign



Taipei Bar Association director Wang Lung-kuan, who has been an outspoken advocate on behalf of detained Chinese rights lawyers, told RFA that the meeting was potentially a good sign, coming as it did after German Chancellor Angela Merkel's meeting with Xu Yan in May.



"If the authorities in Beijing realize that other foreign governments are watching these cases, they will naturally be less likely to get away with acting exactly as they please," Wang said, adding that Liu Xia, widow of late Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo's release to exile in Germany also came in the wake of intervention by Merkel.



"It will be hard to know exactly what action will be taken in the wake of this meeting, but such meetings must be of some use if Liu Xia was able to leave Germany and arrive safely in Beijing," Wang said.



He added: "We are extremely concerned by the fact that nobody has seen Wang Quanzhang [since his detention]."



Wang Quanzhang has been held in police detention without trial for three years, and has been forced to take medication while in the custody of the Tianjin No. 1 Detention Center, his wife learned recently after he received his first visit from a lawyer.



Lawyers, friends, and relatives have made dozens of attempts to visit Wang since his detention, and Li has been repeatedly harassed by police for speaking out on behalf of her husband.



The Beijing Fengrui law firm was the initial target of police raids and detentions in July 2015 that broadened into a nationwide operation targeting more than 300 lawyers, law firm staff, and associated rights activists for detention, professional sanctions, house arrest, and travel bans, including for family members.



Rights lawyers who accept politically sensitive cases, or who are publicly outspoken on behalf of vulnerable groups, have also been prevented from practicing law because their business licenses are being revoked during a newly instituted annual review process.



Lawyers who try to defend clients held on suspicion of crimes ostensibly linked to state security concerns are also denied permission to meet with their clients, or are replaced by government appointed lawyers amid threats and pressure on the people who hired them.



Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.Volunteers unload food and other supplies for victims of a flood caused by a hydro power dam burst to a relief station at Sanamxay in southern Laos' Attapeu Province, Aug. 1, 2018.

Lao villagers hardest hit by the July 23 failure of a dam in Xe Pian Xe Namnoy hydropower project in Champassak province are still in a state of panic and refuse to return to their ruined villages, a local governor said on Wednesday as officials started building temporary housing for evacuees.

The chief of Sanamxay district in Attapeu province, Bounhome Phommasarn, also said the companies that built the failed dam were helping build temporary homes in the region to express accountability for a disaster that killed more than 30 people and left 117 missing.

Villagers of Hinlath and Samong villages of course do not want to go being their homes because they still feel panic at what happened, while some villagers in other villages who are less affected are likely to back home, Bounhome told RFAs Lao Service on Wednesday.

On the night of July 23, water poured over a saddle dam at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy hydropower project in Champassak, sweeping away homes and causing severe flooding in up to 12 villages downstream in Champassak and neighboring Attapeu province.

Despite early warnings of a possible breach due to heavy rainfall, many were left behind in their homes when Saddle Dam D collapsed, prompting questions about the evacuation process and what was known about the dams structural integrity before the disaster struck.

We, in cooperation with South Korea's SK Engineering & Construction, are now preparing to build temporary housing for the affected villagers. We have discussed the issue and will start building housing in a primary school yard, Bounhome said.

The company along with its stakeholders are working closely with us and express accountability for what we propose. In particular, they are building contemporary shelters for the villagers to live their lives, said the district chief.

The first shelters will accommodate 500 villagers and the second will take in more than 2,000 villagers, and will be built to house people for as long as four or five years, he said.

No matter what, we must guarantee that the villagers are rehabilitated to have better lives or, at least, living conditions must be restored to what they were before the dam collapse, Bounhome added.

Sanitation troubles cause sickness

The housing construction is expected to take two months to complete, he added.

High ranking military officers in charge of rescue work in Sanamxay district on Monday read a statement saying that three bodies were recovered in the district, bring the total of corpses recovered in Sanamxay to 13, while 117 remain missing.

On July 24, the project's main partner, South Korea's SK Engineering & Construction, said in a statement that the firm had discovered fractures in the dam 24 hours before the collapse, and had immediately alerted the authorities and began evacuating villagers downstream.

Two days later, however, Lao Minister of Energy and Mines Khammany Inthirath told RFA that the burst was caused by heavy rainfall and construction technique.

Repeated calls by RFA reporters to SK Engineering, as well as to the Thai and Lao partners in the U.S. $1.02 billion Xe Pian Xe Namnoy hydropower project went unanswered or received no comment on the question of whether proper warning was given to people downstream from the project.

One-party Communist Laos is famously secretive, and the state-run Vientiane Times quoted Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith as telling Laotians to rely only on state-controlled media for disaster information.

A health department official in Sanamxay district said on Wednesday that since July 24 more than 3,000 people have visited four relief stations and many villagers report they are suffering from diarrhea and respiratory problems.

As of yesterday, our hospitals treated 447 people, and now the biggest problem is diarrhea and next are is colds, cough and lung infections, said the official. The diarrhea was caused by a lack of toilets and unsanitary food, he added.

At least 150 villagers are suffering mental health complications in the wake of the disaster, and five determined to be in very serious condition were being looked after by specialists from Thailand, the official said.

The relief stations in Sanamxay have received ample clothing donations but lack cooking equipment and food, an emergency response team member told RFA on Wednesday.

We are in need of more kitchen supplies and fresh and dry food so that we can have enough for the affected villagers, because they will have to live in here for a long time, said the official.

Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh and Sidney Khotpanya. Written in English by Paul Eckert.Authorities in northwestern Chinas Qinghai province are demolishing restaurants, shops, and guesthouses set up by Tibetans for tourists near scenic Qinghai Lake, resulting in severe financial hardship for those affected, according to a local source.



The destruction began in early July and follows similar campaigns undertaken in the Tsolho (in Chinese, Hainan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture over recent years in the name of protecting the environment around the lake, a Tibetan living in the area told RFAs Tibetan Service.



Many tourists flock to this site in Tsolho during the summer season, and local Tibetans try to take advantage of this by opening restaurants and hotels, but the Chinese have now begun to tear these buildings down, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



Demolition began on July 12, and after a two-day pause on July 24 and 25, resumed on July 27, the source said, adding that family dwellings in Galha and Jangxi villages have now also been targeted for destruction.



Gradually, all other private homes built near villages along the lake will also be destroyed, he said.



Construction of the targeted structures was self-financed with bank loans from and with loans from relatives and friends, RFAs source said, adding that some local Tibetans also sold livestock to raise funds for the buildings.



All of the money came out of our own pockets, he said.



Permission required



In some cases, Tibetan nomads unfamiliar with Chinese law believed that authorities would approve the construction as supporting national development, the source said.



But now the authorities are demanding that permission be requested first, saying that buildings put up without proper authority will be deemed illegal and then torn down.



Owners and relatives have been told they will be severely punished if they block the work of destruction, and can only try to move their belongings from their homes and businesses before the demolition begins, the source said.



This has resulted in huge financial losses, and we local Tibetans are now in a desperate situation, he said.



Shops and guesthouses around the lake were also ordered closed last year, while a June 2016 campaign to tear down unapproved structures resulted in the destruction of over 600 shops, restaurants, and homes, with not only Tibetan but also Muslim and Han Chinese property owners affected, sources told RFA in earlier reports.



Chinese police later attacked a group of Tibetans protesting the destruction of their businesses and dwellings, leaving at least eight seriously injured, sources said.



Tibetans living in China frequently complain of political, economic, and religious discrimination as well as human rights abuses, and sporadic demonstrations challenging rule by Beijing have continued in Tibetan-populated areas since widespread protests swept the region in 2008.



Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney.Afghanistan's electoral authorities say the country will hold its next presidential election on April 20, 2019, six months after parliamentary polls.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) made the announcement on August 1, as Afghanistan's Western-backed government has been struggling to fend off the Taliban and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO troops in 2014.

Security, funding, and the short time frame between the elections would present the biggest challenges to the polls, IEC spokesman Hafeezullah Hashemi said during a televised news conference.

Nearly 14 percent, or 56 of the war-torn country's more than 400 districts, are under Taliban control or influence, according to a report published on July 31 by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) welcomed the IEC's announcement, calling it "an important moment for democracy in Afghanistan."

In a statement, Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan and the head of UNAMA, also urged "all parties to perform their respective roles in order to ensure necessary timelines and conditions are met for credible presidential elections."

Confirmation of the presidential election date comes amid preparations for long-delayed parliamentary and district-council polls scheduled for October 20 this year.

Nearly 9 million people have registered to vote, including more than 3 million women, according to the IEC. But the run-up to the elections has been marred by technical and organizational problems as well as accusations of fraud and abuse.

In its statement, UNAMA said it expected a thorough verification process of registered voters in order for any irregularities to be addressed.

Presidential candidates will not be registered until November, but maneuvering among potential contenders and their allies has already kicked off.

President Ashraf Ghani is expected to run for a second five-year term, while one of his main backers, ethnic Uzbek Vice President Abdul Rasheed Dostum, has formed an alliance with powerful leaders.

These include former Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor, a leading figure in the largely ethnic Tajik Jamiat-e Islami party, and ethnic Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqeq.

The last presidential election, in 2014, produced no clear winner after accusations of massive electoral fraud.

Months after the vote, Ghani and rival Abdullah Abdullah agreed to form a national-unity government in which Ghani took the presidency and Abdullah took the specially created post of chief executive.

Parliamentary elections, initially scheduled to be held in 2015, were postponed in the aftermath of the contested presidential poll.

With reporting by dpa and ReutersDozens of Islamic State (IS) fighters have surrendered to Afghan forces, amid intense fighting between followers of the extremist group and the Taliban in the northern province of Jawzjan, an official says.

Provincial police chief Faqeer Mohammad Jawzjani told RFE/RL on August 1 that at least 200 militants had surrendered in Darzab district since late on July 31.

Jawzjani said the main IS stronghold in northern Afghanistan was now under the control of the Taliban, which has been fighting its rival group there for a month.

"The evil phenomenon of Daesh has completely been eliminated and people have been freed from its tortures in Jawzjan Province," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, using an Arabic acronym for the IS group.

There were no immediate comments from IS.

WATCH: Dozens of Islamic State militants who surrendered to Afghan forces on July 31 have been moved to a compound in Shibirghan, in the northern province of Jowzjan, where they are now being held. RFE/RL filmed inside the compound on August 2.

Mohammad Ismail, head of police in Darzab district, confirmed that groups of IS militants were turning themselves over to Afghan security forces amid ongoing clashes.

Other officials said a senior IS commander in northern Afghanistan, identified as Mawlawi Habiburrahman, was among the militants who surrendered.

Jawzjan Province's police deputy chief, Abdul Hafeez Khashi, said that fighting between the two rival groups broke out in the area late on July 31 and was still under way.

Eight Taliban militants and six IS fighters were killed in the battle, Khashi told Pajhwok news agency.

There have been no immediate comments from the Taliban or the IS group.

Last month, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, expressed concern about the IS presence in the country.

"We are going fully at ISIS. And we also note that the Taliban is fighting ISIS, and we encourage that because ISIS needs to be destroyed," Nicholson told reporters on July 23, using another acronym for the extremist group.

"There is no place for them in the future of Afghanistan," he added.

The Western-backed government in Kabul has been struggling to fend off the Taliban, IS, and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO troops in 2014.

On July 31, at least 15 people were killed in the eastern city of Jalalabad when gunmen stormed a government building, officials said.

A 22-year-old female employee of the International Organization for Migration was among those killed, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

In the western province of Farah's Bala Baluk district, 11 people were reported killed when their bus was hit by a roadside bomb.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the two attacks.

With reporting by Pajhwok, AFP, Reuters, and APThe critically ill son of a Tajik opposition member and his mother have received travel documents enabling the 4-year-old boy to receive treatment abroad following an outcry from international rights groups.

Relatives of Ruhullo Tillozoda -- a leading member of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), who is in self-imposed exile abroad -- told RFE/RL on August 1 that his son, Hamza, and wife, Mizhgona Zainiddinova, received travel documents.

The news comes five days after Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) issued a joint statement urging Tajik authorities to lift "a politically motivated travel ban" and allow the boy to receive medical treatment abroad.

In a joint statement on July 27, the two rights groups said that the boy, who is also the grandson of IRPT leader Muhiddin Kabiri, has life-threatening Stage-3 testicular cancer that doctors in Tajikistan have not been able to treat.

Tillozoda and Kabiri left Tajikistan in 2015 to evade persecution by the state, which branded the IRPT a terrorist group and outlawed it that year.

On July 27, Tajik Deputy Health Minister Saida Umarzoda drew further criticism when she told reporters that Hamza Tillozoda's cancer cannot be treated and therefore "there is no need for him to travel abroad."

HRW and NHC said an oncology clinic in Turkey was ready to examine and treat the child.

Critics say Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who has been in power for more than a quarter-century, and his government have intensified a crackdown on the opposition since 2015. Dozens of IRPT officials have been arrested and many of them jailed.

On July 31, the Interior Ministry blamed the IRPT for an attack that killed four foreign cyclists in southern Tajikistan the previous day. The IRPT denies involvement.SC made these observations during hearing of a case involving rape of minor in a church by a Father in Malabar district of Kerala in 2016.

The Supreme Court said If the doctors are also included in the offences under the POCSO Act, knowingly or unknowingly, it would set a wrong precedent. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday orally observed that instances of some priests in Kerala being involved in rape cases are shocking. It is disturbing that cases of rape and sexual assault come from churches in Kerala recently, the court said.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan made these observations during the hearing of a case involving rape of a minor in a church by a Father in Kotiyoor in Malabar district of Kerala in 2016. The minor girl gave birth to a child in 2017 and immediately the child was handed over to a foundling home.

As a lawyer, I have seen these cases of teenage pregnancies, Justice Sikri added.

The Kerala police registered a case against the Father, doctors who did the surgery of the minor girl and the administrators of the foundling home. The Father is in custody and the case is on trial in a lower court in Kerala.

The state of Kerala through senior counsel K N Balagopal and Vipin Nair argued that the accused number 3, Gynaecologist (Dr Sr Tessy Jose), accused number 4 Paediatrician (Hyder Ali) and accused number 5 administrator (Ancy Mathew) were also directly involved in the trafficking of the infant because they knew from the beginning that Father Robin (accused number 1) has raped the victim when she was a minor and hence after the infant was born, the hospital wanted to cover it up for the accused number 1.

It was also argued that as per the charge sheet, the aforesaid accused had this knowledge, as there were telephonic conversations between the doctors and the other accused persons. It was also asserted that the doctors had directed the victims mother not to reveal the details of the offence to anyone.

Senior counsel R Basant, who appeared for the two doctors and the administrator sought for the discharge of the three accused from the trial under the POCSO Act. He argued that these three accused had no direct link with the offence and that they should be discharged.

Agreeing with Basant, the bench observed that there is no direct link or chain of events that could be directed towards the doctors to be prosecuted within the provisions of section 19 of the POCSO Act.

The court said it was also considering the larger issue. If the doctors are also included in the offences under the POCSO Act, knowingly or unknowingly, it would set a wrong precedent and could create a situation where they dont provide timely medical assistance. Therefore, the bench said it could not find a prima facie evidence, which would seriously raise doubt over the conduct of accused number 3, 4 and 5 as far as POCSO is concerned and dropped the proceedings against them.

The court however refused to discharge the two other accused Father Thomas Therakan A9 (Chairman, Child Welfare Committee) and Sister Betty Jose A10 (Member) after the state pointed out that they had knowledge that the baby was kept in the Foundling Home and had not taken any steps to surrender the child under the Juvenile Justice Act and also permitted the accused number 8 to illegally keep the child away from his mother from February 7, 2017, to February 19, 2017.

Kerala said when the news regarding the offence by accused number 1 was out the accused number 9 and 10 prepared the surrender deed. Thereby they committed the offence punishable under sections 201, 120 B, 166 A, 118, 119 r/w section 34 of the IPC, section 19(1) r/w section 21(1), section 16 r/w section 17 of POCSO Act and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

The court observed that there exists a serious doubt on the conduct of the accused number 9 and 10 because the facts also complimented the charges against these accused.

The court dismissed their appeal.ZHARKENT, Kazakhstan -- A court in Kazakhstan has convicted ethnic Kazakh Chinese citizen Sairagul Sauytbay of illegal border crossing, but ordered her release and said she will not be deported to China, where she feared she would face "the most extreme" punishment.

Joyful relatives, friends, and rights activists in the courtroom greeted the August 1 ruling with a cheer and Sauytbay was reunited with her husband and two children when she walked out of the glass cage for defendants.

Sauytbauy fled China in April and has testified at her trial in Kazakhstan that thousands of ethnic Kazakhs and other Muslims are undergoing "political indoctrination" at a network of "reeducation camps" in western China.

At the trial in Zharkent, outside Almaty and close to the Chinese border, Judge Dinara Quiqabaeva sentenced Sauytbay to six months of parole, ruling that the sentence was suspended due to the "exceptional circumstances of the case."

WATCH: Ethnic Kazakh 'Grateful' Not To Be Deported To China

"Taking into account the fact that the defendant had to commit the crime because it was the only way for her to reunite with her family, the crime cannot be considered serious," the judge said.

When a smiling Sauytbay left the courthouse with her family, surrounded by her supporters, dozens of people greeted her outside chanting, "Long live Kazakhstan!" and "Sairagul is our hero!"

Sauytbay thanked everyone who came to her trial and has been supporting her during her ordeal.

"When I came to Kazakhstan, I had a feeling that I am on my own. Now I am confident that it is not true," she said. "I have my people, my nation, my homeland that can stand for me! Thank you! Long live Kazakhstan!"

Sauytbay's husband and two children have been living in Kazakhstan for several years and obtained Kazakh citizenship last year.

Sauytbay, a 41-year-old native of the Ili-Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in China's northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, was not allowed to leave China as she had the status of a state official there.

Before crossing into Kazakhstan on April 5, Sauytbay had been the head administrator of a kindergarten -- a position that, together with her membership in the Communist Party, technically made her a Chinese state official.

She was arrested in May at the request of the Chinese authorities, and Chinese diplomats have attended her trial.

In trial testimony, she said Chinese authorities had forced her to train "political ideology" instructors for reeducation camps in western China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

That, she said, gave her access to secret documents about what she called a Chinese state program to "reeducate" Muslims from Xinjiang's indigenous ethnic minority communities -- mainly Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, ethnic Kyrgyz, and Hui.

She says she also witnessed the inner workings of the program while employed at a camp for ethnic Kazakhs in the region's Mongol-Kuro district.The three Russian journalists who were killed in the Central African Republic (CAR) this week had arrived in the war-torn country to investigate the reported presence there of a shadowy Russian paramilitary force whose units are said to have fought in Ukraine and Syria.

Colleagues of Orkhan Dzhemal, Aleksandr Rastorguyev, and Kirill Radchenko say the trio were making a documentary about the private Russian military company Vagner, which French and Russian media reports had previously reported to be operating in the CAR.

CAR officials say the journalists were ambushed and killed by unidentified assailants.

The Russian government has never officially confirmed the presence of Vagner employees in the African country and denies that the firm's contractors act on Moscow's orders. The private military firm is reportedly controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a longtime associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, though Prigozhin has previously denied that he is linked to the company.

Here are five things you need to know about Russian military contractors working in the CAR.

Why Are Russian Contractors There?

The Central African Republic, one of the world's poorest countries, has been subjected to a UN Security Council arms embargo since 2013, when an armed, mainly Muslim coalition known as Seleka seized power. Christian armed formations fought back, and the violence saw thousands killed and hundreds of thousands forced to flee their homes.

In 2016, Faustin-Archange Touadera was elected president of the CAR, but much of the country remains controlled by various armed formations, primarily ex-Seleka fighters and the Christian alliance known as Anti-balaka. The UN established a peacekeeping mission in the CAR in 2014.

In December 2017, Russia secured an exemption to the Security Council arms embargo, allowing Moscow to deliver arms and training for what a UN panel of experts describes as part of a multinational effort -- including the European Union Military Training Mission -- to boost the capabilities of the CAR's military and security forces.

"Our only request was that the Russian delegation submit additional information on the serial numbers of the weaponsso that we can track weapons going into CAR," AFP cited an unidentified U.S. official as saying at the time.

How Many Are There, And What Are They Doing?

In December, Russia notified the Security Council committee overseeing the CAR arms embargo of the involvement of 175 Russian "instructors" in a training mission, according to a report by a UN panel of experts issued last week. Of those personnel, 170 were identified as civilian instructors, while the remaining five were from the Russian military, the report says.

According to the panel, Russian instructors have been involved in a range of tasks, including: escorting convoys of building materials for hospitals; providing security for hospitals donated by Russia; and training police officers as a requirement for equipping them with Russian weapons.

The panel also said that a Russian national had been appointed as a national security adviser to Touadera and that the Russian is "engaging with armed groups" to discuss issues including "disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, national reconciliation," and the sharing of revenue derived from the exploitation of natural resources.

In June, two government soldiers and one Russian instructor were wounded in an attack by militia fighters while traveling to the south of the country, the panel said.

Why Is Vagner Said To Be Operating In The CAR?

Several media reports over the past year have indicated that Vagner contractors may be working in the CAR. In March, a reporter for the Russian news site Znak.com visited a facility reportedly operated by Vagner outside the southern Russian city of Krasnodar. The reporter cited a military veteran who lives in the town where the facility is located as saying that Vagner mercenaries were set to be sent "to Africa" for a "training" mission.

Two weeks later, the Russian Foreign Ministry publicly discussed the 175 Russian "instructors," saying they had been sent to the CAR in "late January-early February," but without indicating whether the civilian personnel were employees of Vagner or another military contractor.

The Russian investigative journalism news site The Bell in June cited an unidentified source as saying that Vagner employees were training CAR forces. And last month, Yevgeny Shabayev, a leader of a Cossack organization who says he visited Vagner fighters injured in a deadly February clash with U.S. forces in Syria, published a letter stating that private Russian military contractors have operated in the CAR and "an array of other African and Arab countries."*

An editor at the Investigation Control Center, the outlet funded by billionaire Kremlin foe Mikhail Khodorkovsky that financed the investigation conducted by the three journalists killed in the CAR, said on August 1 that the team had reached the facility where they believed Vagner operatives were stationed but were told they needed accreditation from the country's Defense Ministry.

What Is Russia's Interest?

Russia says it is seeking to restore peace in the CAR with the provision of arms and training to government forces.

"Russia's assistance is carried out as part of the common efforts of the international community to strengthen the national security units of CAR," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Artyom Kozhin said in a March 22 statement.

But Moscow has also made no secret of its economic interests in the country's natural resources.

"Russia is exploring the possibilities of the mutually beneficial development of Central African natural resources," Kozhin said. "The prospecting-mining exploration concessions began in 2018. We believe these projects will help stabilize the economic situation in CAR, promote the construction of the infrastructure, and serve as a basis for drawing additional investment to the country's economy."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Touadera in the Russian city of Sochi in October, with the ministry saying that the officials "reaffirmed their countries' resolve" to bolster bilateral ties "and pointed to the considerable potential for partnership in mineral resources exploration" and energy.

Putin met Touadera in St. Petersburg in May, with the Russian leader saying that Moscow "will be happy to consider various plans to boost our relations, first of all in the economic and humanitarian fields."

What Impact Is Russian Presence Having?

While Russia touts its weapons shipments and training efforts in the CAR as an effort to stabilize the country, the report by the UN panel of experts released last week said that new weapons obtained by government forces have motivated rebel militias to boost their own stockpiles.

"The recent acquisition of weaponry by the Government has created an incentive for the active rearmament of ex-Selaka factions," the report said.

The panel added that armed militia representatives had told them that "since the government had opted for the military option (training, rearming, and attacking) instead of the political process, armed groups needed to be prepared."

The experts' report noted a worsening of the security situation in Bangui and Bambari, citing "serious outbreaks of violence, including in areas where the situation had previously improved."

*Correction: This article has been amended to clarify that Yevgeny Shabayev's letter stated that private Russian military contractors, not necessarily Vagner, have operated in the Central African Republic.Facebook says it has discovered "sophisticated" efforts, possibly linked to Russia, to manipulate U.S. politics ahead of November's congressional elections, setting off a fury among politicians in Washington.

The social media giant said late on July 31 that it could not connect the efforts directly to Russia or to the midterm elections, which are less than 100 days away, but legislators briefed by Facebook said the methodology used by the perpetrators pointed to Russian involvement.

The company said it found 32 "fake" accounts on Facebook and Instagram, which it said it removed because they were involved in "coordinated" and "inauthentic" political behavior.

While Facebook would not say who was behind the efforts, it said it found links between the deleted accounts and those created by Russia's Internet Research Agency, which has been charged by U.S. prosecutors with a major effort to influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Nearly 300,000 people followed at least one of the deleted accounts, Facebook said, and hundreds of thousands expressed interest in some 30 political events the sites were promoting.

"This is an absolute attack on our democracy," said Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, whose members received a briefing about the findings from Facebook.

"I think with pretty high confidence that...this was Russian-related," he said.

"The goal of these operations is to sow discord, distrust, and division," said Senator Richard Burr, the committee's chairman. "The Russians want a weak America."

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence vowed to protect the upcoming elections from such foreign interference.

"Any attempt to interfere in our elections is an affront to our democracy and it will not be allowed," Pence said at a cybersecurity summit in New York late on July 31. "The United States of America will not tolerate any foreign interference in our elections from any nation state."

But Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer accused the White House of "not doing close to enough" to "shield" U.S. voters from such foreign influence efforts.

The Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab worked with Facebook to find the political influence efforts on its web pages and viewed the "fake" accounts cited by Facebook before they were removed.

It said that the websites sought to "promote divisions and set Americans against one another," and used "language patterns that indicate non-native English and consistent mistranslation, as well as an overwhelming focus on polarizing issues."

The council said the accounts used an approach that was similar to fake accounts set up by Russia's Internet Research Agency, which has been widely described as a "troll factory," and seemed focused on building support for some 30 political events they were promoting, including political protests.

In February, the U.S. Justice Department indicted the Internet Research Agency and 13 Russian nationals for allegedly using a widespread social media campaign to foster divisions among Americans and interfere in the 2016 election.

Facebook said the perpetrators it found this year set up Facebook pages as early as March 2017, and the most followed pages had names such as "Aztlan Warriors," ''Black Elevation," ''Mindful Being," and "Resisters."

The Atlantic Council said the Resisters page, which advocated left-wing feminist causes, raised alarms because it was pushing for confrontation at multiple protests, including against supporters of the right-wing "Unite the Right 2" group, raising the potential for violence.

A counterprotest touted by the Resisters site was planned for next week at a Unite the Right 2 rally in Washington, D.C.

Facebook said it was disclosing the influence effort now in part because of the planned rallies. A previous event last year in Charlottesville, Virginia, led to violent clashes between white supremacists and counterprotesters, and the death of one counterprotester.

The names Facebook said were given to some of the deleted pages paralleled those of 2016 groups allegedly established by Russian agents to manipulate American voters with particular ethnic, cultural, or political identities. That effort targeted people with both liberal and conservative leanings.

This time, though, the pages Facebook found focused "exclusively at engaging and influencing the left end of the American political spectrum," the Atlantic Council researchers said.

Facebook said the pages it deleted ran about 150 ads costing $11,000 on Facebook and Instagram, paid for in U.S. and Canadian dollars. It said the first ad was created in April 2017 and the last was created in June 2018.

Facebook said the perpetrators this year were "more careful to cover their tracks" than those it found trying to influence the 2016 election, in part because of steps it has taken to prevent a recurrence of the 2016 abuses.

For example, it said they used virtual private networks and Internet phone services to mask their locations, and paid third parties to run ads on their behalf.

Since the 2016 election, Facebook has cracked down on fake accounts and tried to slow the spread of fake news and misinformation through outside fact-checkers.

The company has also announced new guidelines around political advertisements, requiring disclosure of who paid for them and keeping a database of political advertisers.

On a conference call, Facebook executives declined to say much more, including whether the pages mentioned specific candidates or politicians running for reelection in Congress.

Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said Facebook's discovery showed that more work is needed to guard against foreign interference in the upcoming elections.

"Foreign bad actors are using the exact same playbook they used in 2016," he said. They are "dividing us along political and ideological lines, to the detriment of our cherished democratic system."

The intelligence panel is planning a hearing in early September with Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey, and an executive from Google.

With reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, and ReutersThe URL has been copied to your clipboard

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There were emotional scenes as a Kazakh court ruled not to deport an ethnic Kazakh Chinese citizen to China. Sairagul Sauytbay said she faced the death penalty if sent back.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow is "concerned" that Armenia's new leadership is making what he called politically motivated moves against former leaders who have been targeted in an anticorruption campaign.

Lavrov's remarks on July 31 came after former Armenian President Robert Kocharian was charged with violently putting down protests against his successor in 2008.

Kocharian, who was president from 1998 to 2008, was taken into custody on July 27 after being charged over the deadly dispersion of opposition protesters following the disputed 2008 presidential election.

On the same day, Yuri Khachaturov, the Armenian head of the Russia-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization, was charged, like Kocharian, with overturning Armenia's constitutional order in connection with the deaths of 10 protesters in 2008.

Khachaturov and Kocharian have both denied the charges and claimed they are politically motivated.

"The events of the last few days...contradict the recent declarations of the new Armenian leadership that it was not planning to pursue its predecessors on political grounds," Lavrov said.

"Moscow, as an ally of Yerevan, has always had an interest in the stability of the Armenian state, and therefore what is happening there must be of concern to us," he said.

Lavrov said his ministry had raised its concerns with the Armenian leadership and was hoping for a "constructive" response.

Lavrov's comment appears to be the first Kremlin rebuke of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian since he came to power in May after leading weeks of street protests against the previous government.

Pashinian recently launched a campaign to stamp out graft, which has resulted in the arrest of several former top officials.

Unlike the leaders of earlier popular movements in Georgia and Ukraine, Pashinian says he wants to maintain good relations with Moscow.

With reporting by AFP and InterfaxA journalist with the Moscow-based weekly newspaper Argumenty i Fakty (AiF), Sergei Grachyov, has been found dead 11 days after he disappeared during a reporting trip to the city of Nizhny Novgorod.

The editor of AiF's website, Vladimir Shushkin, wrote on Facebook on August 1 that Grachyov's body had been found in the city 400 kilometers east of Moscow and identified.

"The worst has been officially confirmed," he wrote, adding that "we don't yet know exactly what happened."

There was no word on a cause of death.

AiF said last week that Grachyov, 38, was missing and had last been seen leaving a Sheraton hotel in Nizhny Novgorod on July 21.

Rys (Lynx), a search-and-rescue group in Nizhny Novgorod, had said on July 31 that his body had been found.

The Russian Investigative Committee's directorate in Nizhny Novgorod said an official statement will be issued after an autopsy.

With reporting by TASSA new poll shows that more than one-quarter of Russians are ready to protest against the economic policies of President Vladimir Putin's government -- the highest number since Putin came to power in 2000.

The poll, released on August 1 by the independent pollster Levada Center, showed that 28 percent of respondents said they would attend mass rallies to push forward economic demands.

That number was higher only in September 1998, when one-third of Russia's population said it was ready to take to the streets amid an ongoing economic crisis.

WATCH: 'Elites Will Wipe Their Feet On Us': Russians Protest Pension Change

The number of people who said they are ready to take part in political protests was 23 percent -- the highest level since 2009, when Levada first included a question on political protests in its poll.

Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they are ready to protest against an unpopular bill to increase the retirement age from 55 to 63 for women and from 60 to 65 for men.

Seventy-one percent said they want the bill scrapped; only 5 percent said they support it.

Some 1,600 people took part in the poll, which was held between July 19-25 in 136 towns and cities across Russia's 52 regions.

Despite his continued popularity among Russians, Putin faces major long-term economic and demographic problems. Some political observers have said Russia has entered a period of stagnation.

The government is grappling with how to raise the retirement age to prevent looming fiscal problems in the future.

Levadas previous poll, released in June, put the number of Russians who think that "decisive, full-scale changes" were needed at 57 percent, up from 42 percent in August last year.Military exercises called Noble Partner 2018 kicked off on August 1 at the Vaziani base near Georgia's capital, Tbilisi. Some 1,300 troops from Georgia, 1,170 from the United States, and around 500 others are taking part in the drills. The participating countries include NATO allies as well as non-NATO members Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) media-freedom representative says he is "deeply saddened and shocked" by the killing of three Russian journalists who were investigating the activities of a Russian paramilitary organization in the Central African Republic (CAR).

In a tweet on August 1, Harlem Desir offered his sympathies and condolences to the families and colleagues of Orkhan Dzhemal, Aleksandr Rastorguyev, and Kirill Radchenko, who local authorities and the news organization they were reporting for said were ambushed and shot dead the previous day.

Reporters Without Borders, meanwhile, condemned the killings "in the strongest terms" and urged "the CAR and Russian authorities to conduct a serious and thorough investigation."

Questions swirled along with grief and anger a day after the news of the deaths of the journalists, who were investigating a shadowy group that evidence indicates President Vladimir Putin's government has been using to fight battles abroad when it does not want to use the Russian military.

The online news organization Investigation Control Center (TsUR), funded by exiled Putin foe Mikhail Khodorkovsky, said on Facebook on July 31 that the journalists were in the CAR to make a documentary film about ChVK Vagner, a private contractor employing hundreds of mercenaries that reportedly is funded by Kremlin-connected businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin and has carried out clandestine combat missions in eastern Ukraine, Syria, and elsewhere.

Local and international media have reported that Vagner has been operating in the CAR since Russia delivered light arms to the country's security forces this year and deployed hundreds of military and civilian instructors to train them. Russian authorities have denied that the Vagner contractors are carrying out their orders.

Russian investigators said they have opened a criminal case to look into the deaths of the journalists. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on August 1 that the stated purpose of their visit to the CAR was tourism, seeming to take them to task for allegedly misstating the intent of the trip.

That remark drew rare criticism of the ministry from a senior pro-Kremlin lawmaker. Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, wrote on Telegram that issues such as the purpose of the trip were "not very important now."

"What is important is that Russian citizens have been killed," he wrote. "Here we should follow the example of our 'strategic friends' from across the ocean: the United States does not leave the death of any of its citizens without consequences. No matter what country they were in and what political views they adhered to."

Henri Depele, the mayor of the town of Sibut, around 200 kilometers northeast of the capital, Bangui, said the journalists were killed late on July 30. Their driver survived the attack.

"According to the driver's explanations, when they were 23 kilometers from Sibut...armed men emerged from the bush and opened fire on the vehicle. The three journalists died instantly," Depele told Reuters.

A CAR government spokesman gave a somewhat different account on August 1, saying that the journalists had encountered about a dozen "turbaned gunmen" after being stoppped at a checkpoint and venturing further despite being advised against it.

"When they resisted the theft of their vehicle, they were shot dead, while their driver was injured" but was able to flee, German news agency dpa quoted the spokesman, Ange Maxime Kazagui, as saying.

Other media reports quoted Kazagui as saying the assailants spoke Arabic rather than French or Sango, the national language of the country in which Muslims make up about 15 percent of the population of 5.6 million.

CAR has been plagued by violence, often fought along religious lines between predominantly Christian and Muslim militias, since a 2013 rebellion overthrew then-President Francois Bozize.

Most of the country is beyond the control of the Bangui government, and a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission has struggled to keep a lid on the violence.

TsUR's statement said the journalists flew to CAR on July 27 and that its last contact with them was late on July 29.

Anastasia Gorshkova, deputy editor of the media outlet, told the Russian news network Dozhd that the journalists had tried to enter an estate where members of the security company reportedly stayed, but they were told that they needed accreditation from the CAR Defense Ministry.

On July 30, the journalists planned to meet with a local contact in the town of Bambari, 380 kilometers from Bangui, Gorshkova said. The road to Bambari runs through Sibut.

TsUR is financed by Khodorkovsky, a former oil tycoon who spent 10 years in prison following convictions in financial crimes trials supporters contend were a Kremlin-orchestrated campaign to seize his company's production assets and punish him for challenges to President Vladimir Putin.

He was pardoned by Putin, released, and flown out of Russia in 2010. He now lives in Europe.

TsUR has published a number of investigations alleging corruption by senior members of Putin's entourage.

Khodorkovsky called the three journalists who were killed "brave men who were not prepared simply to collect documentary material, but wanted to 'feel' it in the palms of their hands.... Rest in peace."

Dzhemal, 51, was a respected Russian military correspondent who covered conflicts around the world. He was seriously injured in Libya in 2011 and published a book in 2008 giving a firsthand account of the five-day Russia-Georgia war.

Rastorguyev, 47, was a prominent documentary filmmaker and a contributor to RFE/RL. He was among the three directors of an award-winning 2013 film about leaders of the Russian opposition.

Radchenko, 33, started his career as a projectionist and had become a cameraman in recent years.

With reporting by dpa, AP, Reuters, AFP, and The New York TimesDozens of protesters gathered in Ukraine's southern city of Kherson on August 1, demanding a thorough investigation into a recent acid attack against a local activist.

Activists from the National Corps far-right political party, nongovernmental organizations from Kyiv, and regional lawmakers were among the protesters.

On July 31, an unidentified attacker threw acid at Kateryna Handzyuk, an adviser to the mayor of the Black Sea port city, and ran away, according to local police.

Handzyuk, who is known for her criticism of the local police, suffered severe burns on her body and is currently in a hospital in serious condition.

Yuriy Ravelev, a doctor at the Kherson regional hospital, told RFE/RL that more than 30 percent of Handzyuk's body was burned by the acid.

Regional Prosecutor-General Vitaliy Tryhubenko met with the protesters after they threw several smoke grenades at the prosecutors office. Tryhubenko promised a thorough investigation.

Police launched a probe into the attack, initially listing the case as hooliganism. They later changed that into "premeditated infliction of bodily harm with a goal to intimidate a person."

On August 1, Larysa Sarhan, spokeswoman of the Prosecutor-General's Office, wrote on Facebook that the case was redefined again as "attempted murder with extreme violence."Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1)  Photos of flooding in the new airport terminal in Cebu have prompted the government and the operator to immediately act on the problem.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said officials will look into the flooding at the new Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) terminal as photos of the area circulated online this week.

Netizen Xig Abadilla on Tuesday shared photos of the terminal where passengers had to go through a flooded walkway to their flights.'The Election Commission will publish a voter list in January and will not wait for the final NRC,' CEC OP Rawat said.

A final draft of a list of citizens in Assam was released on Monday, leaving some 4 million people on edge to prove their Indian nationality. (Photo: File | Representational)

New Delhi: With political parties disrupting parliament and Opposition blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the Centre over the fiasco surrounding the Assam National Register of Citizen or NRC draft list, the Chief Election Commissioner of India today assured that those left out of it need not worry for now.

Talking to NDTV, Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said people who have been left out can vote if their name is on the electoral rolls.

The new list NRC excluded 4 million people from Assam in a drive against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The ruling BJP has been accused of targeting these people for vote bank politics.

Those left out of the Assam citizen's list can vote if their names are in the voter's list. The Election Commission will publish a voter list in January and will not wait for the final NRC," CEC OP Rawat told NDTV.

Political blame games have begun soon after the list was released on Monday. With the Assam NRC draft list, opposition has got more teeth to hit out at the Centre ahead of a number of state polls and 2019 general elections.

Condemning the statement of the West Bengal Chief Minister, Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora said Mamata Banerjee as the CM should not provoke for a civil war. It will have no impact on Assam as it is absolutely peaceful there, Bora added.

Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday warned against "civil war and bloodbath" surrounding the draft list.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also condemned Mamata Banerjee's statement and said, "It is the duty of the CM to maintain law and order in the state and not incite violence. Her remark on civil war is condemnable."Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has ordered the creation of a body to prepare a lawsuit against Russia for damages caused by separatists whom Moscow supports in the Donbas region and for its illegal annexation of the Crimea Peninsula.

"The ongoing armed aggression of Russia brings to the Ukrainian soil new immeasurable human suffering every day, infrastructure is destroyed, enterprises and economic potential of the Donbas and Crimea are destroyed," he wrote on August 1 on Facebook.

"Therefore, we should not hesitate even for a minute with the formation of Ukraine's consolidated claim to Russia to compensate for the damage inflicted," he said.

Poroshenko said he asked his cabinet to take steps for the "speedy creation" of an interagency coordinating body based on the law of reintegration adopted by Kyiv in January.

That law, he wrote, "clearly confirms Ukraine's devotion to a peaceful settlement and reflects my ideology of peaceful reintegration of the occupied region."

Moscow's takeover of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and its military, political, and economic support for separatists in eastern Ukraine prompted the United States, the European Union, and others to impose sanctions on Russia.

More than 10,300 people have been killed since April 2014 in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and the Russia-backed separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Although Moscow denies interfering in Ukraine's domestic affairs, the International Criminal Court in November 2016 determined the conflict to be "an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation."

At a summit earlier this month, Ukraine and the European Union, while agreeing on the need for reforms in Kyiv, also condemned Russias seizure of Crimea and its backing of the separatists.

On July 31, the EU expanded its sanctions against Moscow to include companies that helped build a bridge from Russia to Crimea.

"I am glad that my strategy was supported by the EU leaders during the Ukraine-EU summit, expressing their readiness to take the patronage of the restoration of the settlements of the Donbas," Poroshenko said in his statement.

It is not known how effective such a suit against Russia would be or whether Moscow would even acknowledge it.

Kyiv in the past has filed cases against Moscow with various international bodies with little success. In January 2017, Ukraine filed a case against Russia with the Court of Justice, the highest United Nations court.

Moscow in the past has rejected international rulings over its Ukraine-related actions, calling them "biased and politically motivated."

With reporting by Interfax and UnianThe trial of U.S. President Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has nearly completed its second day in a federal court in the state of Virginia as Trump called on his attorney general to shut down the related probe of Russian election meddling.

Trump early on August 1 wrote on Twitter that "this is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further."

"Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX," Trump added.

During the first day, U.S. prosecutors depicted Manafort as a tax evader who hid millions of dollars he earned from his political work for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, in the first trial arising from the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Manafort lived extravagantly, buying expensive homes and cars and spending more than $500,000 on "fancy clothes" and $21,000 for a watch, a prosecutor said in the government's opening statement.

"A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him. Not tax, not banking law," said Uzo Asonye, a member of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's prosecution team.

On the second day of the trial, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III at one point warned prosecutors against using the pejorative term "oligarchs" to describe wealthy Ukrainians and criticized them for spending so much time listing Manaforts wealth and lavish lifestyle.

"All this document shows is that Mr. Manafort had a lavish lifestyle. It isn't relevant, Ellis said in reaction to a piece of evidence introduced by prosecutors, adding that it was not a crime to be wealthy.

In describing the 18 counts Manafort is facing, prosecutor Asonye said that the defendant did not pay taxes on a large portion of the $60 million he earned working for Yanukovych's party.

He said Manafort hid the income in a web of 30 overseas bank accounts, and lied to U.S. banks to borrow millions of dollars against his real-estate holdings once the money from Ukraine dried up.

"All of these charges boil down to one simple issue: that Paul Manafort lied," Asonye said.

Manafort's attorney, Thomas Zehnle, painted a different portrait of his client, calling him an experienced and successful political consultant who left the day-to-day operations of his company to his then-associate, Rick Gates, who he said betrayed him.

Zehnle appeared to be aiming to undermine the credibility of Gates, who pleaded guilty in February and agreed to cooperate with Mueller's investigation. Gates is expected to be a prominent witness at the trial.

"Rick Gates had his hand in the cookie jar," Zehnle said, claiming that Gates was not truthful with the accountants who prepared Manafort's tax returns and kept his name on offshore accounts to conceal an embezzlement scheme.

"Money's coming in fast. It's a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it," Zehnle said. "That's what Rick Gates was being paid to do."

Thomas Green, who represents Gates, did not respond to a request for comment on the accusations.

Mueller has been tasked with investigating interactions between Trump associates and Russian officials. In all, his criminal probe has brought indictments against 32 people and three companies on various related charges.

Trump has insisted that he did not collude with Russia and has many times called the probe a "witch hunt."

With reporting by AP and ReutersThe U.S. Treasury Department says that it has extended the deadline for investors to divest holdings in the sanctioned Russian companies En+, GAZ Group, and Rusal from August 5 to October 23.

The Treasury in April imposed sanctions against Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska and eight companies in which he has large holdings, including aluminum giant Rusal, in response to what it called Russia's "malign activities."

Deripaska has held a controlling interest in En+, which in turn controls Rusal, the world's largest aluminum producer outside of China. Automaker GAZ is also part of his business empire.

The sanctions against Rusal initially disrupted the global supply chain for aluminum and sent prices soaring, raising fears that the company would be unable to finance its operations and stay in business.

The scare prompted Rusal to accept the Treasury's offer of an exemption from the sanctions if it severs its ties with Deripaska, who has ties to the Kremlin.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said last week that the United States was in productive talks with Rusal to remove it from Washington's sanctions list.

The company has taken a number of steps, including revamping its board, in the hope of escaping the U.S. blacklist.

The extension of time granted by the Treasury on July 31 gives Deripaska more time to implement a plan to cut his influence in the business.

Deripaska in April agreed to cut his stake in En+ to less than 50 percent and to appoint a majority of independent directors to the companys board.

Three months after announcing the plan, however, the company hasnt publicly identified any potential independent directors, nor any buyer for Deripaska's shares.

Based on reporting by Reuters and BloombergAn animal trainer at an Uzbek circus claims that it was ultimately monkey business by the boss -- and not just an unfortunate escape -- that led to tigers eating his lovable little performing simian earlier this month.

Nicknamed Redhead, the monkey slipped out of its cage at the State Circus in Tashkent on July 16 before falling victim to the big cats that were being housed in a cage in the same room.

Redhead's trainer, Azamat Khusinov, told RFE/RL that circus rules forbid keeping such animals in the same room.

But he alleged that a dispute had boiled over with acting director Rustam Majidov after Khusinov declined an invitation to perform in Russia, and Majidov first evicted the monkey and moved it into a cold garage before it was kept in the veterinarians' office alongside the tigers and a lion that Khusinov also trains. He suggested that Red's treatment was retaliation for that refusal.

Khusinov further said that while his colleagues had their own lockers, he was forced to change clothes before performances in the same room with the animals.

Khusinov has taken his accusations to the Culture Ministry, saying in a complaint that the circus director "demanded from me that I give this money [received in exchange for performances with a Russian circus] to him. I did not agree."

Majidov has denied any wrongdoing, adding in a response to RFE/RL that he would gladly allow the trainer to stage his show in Russia since it brings income to our circus."

The tragedy of Redhead's death was compounded, he said, by the fact that the tigers are likely too dangerous to perform since they "tasted blood." Instead, he said, veterinarians had recommended that they be sent to live in Tashkent's zoo.

Khusinov countered that Majidov was simply trying to get rid of the felines and, ultimately, him.

Besides, he added, the unfortunate incident with Redhead was unlikely to change the tigers' stripes. They were already fed "live rabbits every two weeks" on the recommendation of veterinarians.

Majidov is the younger brother of the Uzbek State Circus's former director, Bakhrom Majidov, whose whereabouts have been a mystery since his indictment on embezzlement charges in connection with circus assets.A video provided to RFE/RL shows part of a group of foreign cyclists a day before they were targeted in a deadly attack on a highway in southern Tajikistan. Four died and three were injured when they were run down by a car and stabbed while riding through the Pamir Mountains on July 29. The Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack that killed two Americans, a Swiss man, and a Dutch citizen. The first cyclist in the video shot in the city of Kulob on July 28 appears to be 56-year-old Rene Wokke from the Netherlands.Business sector of Cancun requests new government include state in VAT decrease

Cancun, Q.R.  Businesses in Cancun are requesting that the next government consider decreasing the Value Added Tax (VAT) for the state to 8 percent.

The business sector of Cancun has joined together to ask that the next administration of president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, include Quintana Roo for a decrease in VAT since it has been proposed for the northern border states.

President of the Caribbean Business Coordinating Council (CCE) Inna German Gomez, says they are trying to set up working groups to discuss the issue with their federal counterparts.

If it were viable, we would be making a front with the southern business sector since now is when we should be united, she said.

The rate impacts the final consumer, not so much the entrepreneur since it is transferred through the product, however, German Gomez considers it important that citizens join in the effort.

Lopez Obrador made a proposal to reduce VAT to 8 percent in northern border states at the start of his new administration. Upon the announcement, Governor Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez questioned why the south was not included, to which Lopez Obrador said they are different geographical situations and he had another vision in terms of economic and social development.

We are proposing that the states generate a kind of VAT that complements what they would be getting as a reduction, but this remains in the state, thereby adding to the federation, Lopez Obrador explained.

The proposal for the northern border states would be a new tax of 3 percent for the state party, which, when added to the federal tax of 8 percent, would be 11 percent. Currently, the state of Quintana Roo pays 16 percent VAT.Governor welcomes new American consular, holds first meeting

Chetumal, Q.R.  The governor of Quintana Roo welcomed the new American Consular for the Yucatan Peninsula, while taking the opportunity to hold their first meeting.

Governor Carlos Joaquin held a bilateral meeting with Courtney Beale, the newly appointed Consulado General of the United States for the Yucatan Peninsula.

During their meeting, the governor expressed his interest of strengthening tourist activity with the promotion of Quintana Roo in traditional markets in the United States that have previously been neglected.

Beale, in turn, highlighted the interest and importance that Quintana Roo has for American tourism, for which she expressed her desire to maintain a close relationship with the Quintana Roo and its local governments.

Their meeting also included the exchanging of infrastructure plans for the state as well as social programs to promote social development. Beale noted that American businessmen have recognized the efforts of the state government to ensure the security of their investments and of tourists.

Photo: Government Quintana Roo

Carlos Joaquin acknowledged the importance of the North American tourism market for the state, expressing his willingness to maintain close communication to promote investments that generate more employment for Quintana Roo.

The meeting was attended by Francisco Lopez Mena, Secretary of Government, Marisol Vanegas Perez, Secretary of Tourism and Dario Flota Ocampo, General Director of the Tourist Promotion Council of Quintana Roo.Illegal migrants in border states is a major political issue for both regional and national parties.

New Delhi: The BJP is all set to take the battle over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to the home turf of Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee. After accusing the TMC chief and West Bengal chief minister of playing votebank politics over the NRC issue after she warned that it could lead to a bloodbath and civil war, Mr Shah plans to address his partys youth wing rally in Kolkata on August 11, for which permission was finally granted by the state authorities after some delay.

The BJP president is likely to expose how Ms Banerjee is trying to play appeasement politics over an issue that would weed out illegal migrants from Assam, who are using resources meant for Indians and could also pose a security threat to the country. Mr Shah, in his speech in Parliament Tuesday, had said the NRC was the essence of the Assam Accord signed by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1985 but the Congress did not have the courage to implement it.

Illegal migrants in border states is a major political issue for both regional and national parties. Mr Shah was in West Bengal in June after two BJP workers were killed, allegedly by TMC supporters. The Supreme Court-monitored NRC exercise in Assam has left out over 40 lakh people from the final draft and a war of words had begun after the BJP claimed that a similar exercise would be implemented in West Bengal if the party came to power in that state. The BJPs Delhi unit has also sought a similar exercise in the national capital.

West Bengal is one of the few states where the BJPs organisational strength is yet to be stepped up despite the party claiming its support base has expanded immensely. While the BJP is accusing the TMC of resorting to blatant appeasement politics, the later accuses the saffron party of trying to divide people on religious grounds.

Reacting to the NRC issue, senior BJP leader and Union minister Arun Jaitley reminded both the Congress and the TMC that the countrys sovereignty was not a plaything and that sovereignty and citizenship are the soul of India, imported votebanks are not. He attacked the Congress, and in particular its president Rahul Gandhi, for taking a contrarian position on the illegal migrants issue to that of his father and grandmother and reminded Ms Banerjee about the position she had taken in 2005 on the illegal immigrants issue.

Can Indias sovereignty be decided by such fickle minds and fragile hands, Mr Jaitley wondered in a hard-hitting Facebook post, while asserting that the principal duty of any government is to defend its borders, prevent any trespass and make the life of the countrys citizens safe and secure.

Also, the Assam unit of the BJPs Yuva Morcha filed a police complaint against Ms Banerjee on Wednesday, accusing her of inciting hatred and tension.

Earlier during the day, the BJPs West Bengal state unit had claimed it was yet to get permission from the state authorities for the rally, forcing Mr Shah to say that he will definitely go to Kolkata... If the state government wants, it can arrest me. However, the state police later tweeted that permission had been granted. The TMC also took a swipe at the BJP and Mr Shah, claiming they had become nervous, and wished them a happy journey to the land of peace and harmony.Petra reduces net debt to $208mln Petra Diamonds has reduced its consolidated net debt to $207.6 million as of 30 September 2021, from $228.2 million at the end of June 2021. The companys debt was $692.3 million as of 30 September 2020.

Paul Zimnisky forecasts lab-grown diamond jewelry market will almost double by 2025 In the five years since larger, higher-quality lab diamond jewelry began hitting the wider consumer market, production technologies have vastly improved, the number of suppliers has greatly multiplied and many retailers have begun to test, and in some...

Gem Auctions DMCC to debut rough diamond tender in November Gem Auctions DMCC, founded by mining entrepreneur Alan Davies, will hold its first-ever rough diamond auction in Dubai, UAE next month. For its first auction, Gem Auctions DMCC will present over 100,000 carats of rough diamonds with an estimated total...

Angola earns over $5mln from semi-industrial diamonds in two years Angola raked in about $5.1 million revenue from semi-industrial diamonds between March 2019 and September 2021, according to media reports.GIT urges consumers to buy certified diamonds from renowned labs

01 august 2018 News

The Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT) has urged consumers to purchase diamonds and diamond jewelry only with certification from leading laboratories. This advice comes after CIBJO revealed at its 2017 annual congress that increasing amount of synthetic diamonds are being circulated in the market.

Ms. Duangkamol Jiambutr, the director of GIT said that diamond simulants including natural gems such as colorless zircon and colorless sapphire as well as synthetic diamond are being used as diamond substitutes.

Although there is a mixing of natural diamonds with lab-grown diamonds, especially melee diamonds which are sold in big lots, consumers should not worry excessively because the authenticity of diamonds can be tested and identified by renowned laboratories, Ms. Jiambutr said.

Meanwhile, GIT has carried out the Buy With Confidence (BWC) program to boost confidence in consumers and tourists who buy gem and jewelry in Thailand. GIT has granted BWC symbol to participating shops and companies selling good quality jewelry products which received GIT certification.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished



Image credit: DPA

Diamond Producers Association (DPA) issued a statement on Tuesday saying the use of some terms mentioned in the FTC Jewelry Guides in regard to diamonds may open the door to yet more consumer confusion and deception and would require the agency to address a large number of claims on a cumbersome case-by-case basis."The DPA welcomes the release of the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Jewelry Guides following six years of consultation with the industry. This document plays an important role, alongside other applicable norms and standards, in protecting consumers from deceitful communication by marketers. The DPA commits to respecting the FTC Guides  as it has always done  in its communication, and in particular as it pertains to the way it describes synthetic diamonds  diamonds created in a laboratory  and natural diamonds. We note and welcome synthetic diamond manufacturers public pledge to respect the new Guides," - the statement says.The DPA adds that it appreciates that the FTC still requires marketers of man-made stones to differentiate their product conspicuously from natural diamonds in their marketing communication. "While we disagree with the change in the FTCs definition of a diamond, we want to remind the industry that all other norms and standards continue to support that a diamond is a mineral of natural origin, and to clarify that the FTC Guides continue to ask marketers to qualify the use of the word diamond to describe any product that is not a mined stone, the statement goes on."Furthermore, the DPA expresses deep concerns that the new Guides fail to provide the clarity required to avoid more consumer confusion and deception, instead introducing unnecessary ambiguity. In particular, the Guides support the broad use of terms which  while potentially incorrect and misleading  can be qualified through communication to avoid consumer deception. This is the basis on which the FTC approves the qualified use of the term cultured diamonds even though it has been demonstrated that the majority of consumers mistakenly interpret cultured as a description used for natural diamonds. The DPA believes that this principle, if widely applied, would open the door to yet more consumer confusion and deception and would require the agency to address a large number of claims on a cumbersome case-by-case basis. DPA had hoped that the agency would provide clearer guidelines for industry on these important issues and looks forward to engaging further the FTC on the subject.""Finally, the DPA is surprised at the wide use of the expression mined diamond throughout the FTC Guides in lieu of natural diamond, a terminology heavily promoted by man-made diamond producers. Indeed, mined diamonds refers to an extraction process, and not to a creation process, and the vast majority of the worlds diamonds will never be mined, making this an incorrect qualification," the statement says in conclusion.Image credit: De Beers Group

De Beers said it will proceed with the responsible closure and rehabilitation of Voorspoed Mine in the Free State Province, in South Africa.It said the decision followed an extensive, transparent and comprehensive disposal process, which involved a rigorous due diligence exercise on the bidders to acquire the mine.De Beers Consolidated Mines(DBCM) chief executive Phillip Barton said they failed to identify a suitable bidder and had reluctantly taken the decision to close the operation, as it was no longer economically viable for the company to operate the mine.We do not underestimate the impact this will have on Voorspoed Mines employees and we have put in place appropriate support structures, he said.De Beers said South Africas Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) had requested that it runs its closure process in parallel with a separate process through which the department would seek to identify and propose an operator capable of purchasing the mine.DBCM will engage further with the DMR in relation to the proposal in order to understand and finalise the basis upon which it will be undertaken, it said.Voorspoed was opened on 4 November 2008 with an expected operating life of mine of 10 years.HKs jewellery exports up 20% in H1 2018

01 august 2018 News

Hong Kong exported 20.1 percent more jewellery products abroad during Jan-Jun 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

In June alone, exports of jewellery, goldsmiths and silversmiths wares rose 7.3 percent. Jewellery exports have been in positive territory since the beginning of the year.

Hong Kongs exports of fine jewellery grew by about 20 percent  the highest among all of the major sectors  in the first four months of 2018.

This robust export growth was driven by the demand for gold jewellery, while global economic growth also boosted demand for high-end accessories, such as diamonds.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished



A fresh FIR was registered against Kumar yesterday following the disappearance of 11 women from the premises of a self-help group run by his NGO.

The PIB also asked all ministries and departments concerned to withdraw the facilities provided to him on the basis of his accreditation which include health facilities, government accommodation, railway pass and other benefits.

New Delhi: The Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Wednesday cancelled the accreditation of Brajesh Kumar Thakur, the prime accused in the Bihar shelter home sex scandal case. Mr Kumar owned a newspaper each in Hindi, English and Urdu, but it is alleged that circulation figures were inflated to gain greater slice of government advertisement revenue.

In an order, PIB, which comes under the ministry of information and broadcasting, said, It has been decided with the approval of the competent authority to cancel the PIB press accreditation of card number 2275 issued to Brajesh Kumar, correspondent, Pratah Kamal Hindi daily with immediate effect in view of his involvement in alleged criminal activities. The PIB also asked all ministries and departments concerned to withdraw the facilities provided to him on the basis of his accreditation which include health facilities, government accommodation, railway pass and other benefits.

The Bihar governments information and public relation department cancelled his press accreditation card after an FIR was lodged against him on May 31. It has began investigation on the media house to find out whether he and his colleagues ever misused facilities accorded to accredited journalists. Kumar was allotted a government accommodation under the PIB-accredited journalist quota in a posh locality of the National Capital Region (NCR), where he had his Delhi office, officials said.

A fresh FIR was registered against Kumar yesterday following the disappearance of 11 women from the premises of a self-help group run by his NGO. The probe of the shelter home sex scandal case has been taken over by the CBI and Kumar is currently in judicial custody. The case relates to mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls residing at Balika Grih, Muzaffarpur.

The CBI will soon be conducting an exhaustive forensic examination of the shelter home. Sources in the agency said a team from CFSL will soon be sent to Muzzafarpur to reconstruct crime scenes and collect forensic samples from the centre. The statements of victim girls will be used to reconstruct the crime scene and develop a chain of time line which will be used to prosecute the accuse, they said. The agency may also take help child psychologists to record statements of victim girls with some of them as young as seven years, they added.Flight number 2431 was an Embraer 190 bound for Mexico City. The civil defence office of Durango state said the accident occurred in a field near the airport for the state capital. There were no fatalities but around 85 people had suffered mostly light injuries. Many managed to leave the plane on foot. The pilot and a passenger are in critical but stable condition. A fire resulted from the accident. The airport operator attributed the crash to bad weather. The plane had taken off when it felt like it was hit by a strong air current.

The head of Mexicos civil aviation agency, Luis Gerardo Fonseca, said it could take months to know the cause of the accident. We deeply regret this accident. The families of all those affected are in our thoughts and in our hearts, Aeromexico said in a statement. The Embraer 190 has been involved in only one fatal crash, which occurred when a Henan Airlines flight overshot a Chinese runway in a 2010 accident, according to a summary by the Aviation Safety Network. The company had sent a team of technicians to the scene of the accident to support the investigation. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto wrote on Twitter that he had instructed the defense, civil protection and transportation ministries to aid in the response to the crash.Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari today demanded that the AAP government should identify and evict Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally in the national capital, saying they were depriving the poor in India of their rights. The Delhi BJP has written a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the issue, he told reporters here. He said the BJP has already made the demand to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and now the Delhi government must act to ensure eviction of illegal migrants.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

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"The Delhi government should identify and ensure action against Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally in different parts of Delhi," he said. Illegal migrants were depriving India's poors of their rights and were also found to be involved in criminal activities sometimes, he said. Tiwari's remark came after the Asaam government published the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a list of its citizens, on July 30. The draft has 2.9 crore names out of 3.29 crore applications, leaving out over 40 lakh applicants.BJP president Amit Shah

The Kolkata Police today granted permission for BJP president Amit Shah's proposed rally here on August 11, police said. The development came hours after the BJP Yuva Morcha alleged that they are yet to receive any communication from the Kolkata Police regarding permission for Shah's rally. The ruling Trinamool Congress took a swipe at the BJP and Shah, claiming that they had become nervous and wished them "happy journey to the land of peace and harmony".

BJP Yuva Morcha chief Debjit Sarkar

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"Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice. It is to clarify that on request permission for meeting has already been granted," the Kolkata Police said in a tweet. State BJP Yuva Morcha chief Debjit Sarkar said he has been informed by the police that the permission has been given to hold the rally at Mayo Road in the heart of the city. Sarkar had earlier told PTI that the organisation has submitted a formal application to the police, seeking permission for Shah's rally.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and the BJP have been locked in a bitter war of words amid attempts by the saffron party to make inroads in the TMC stronghold. The latest flashpoint has been the issues of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Shah is aiming to win 22 of its 42 Lok Sabha seats in the next elections. It had won two in 2014. The TMC had bagged 34.

Mamata Banerjee

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"BJP & its national President have become nervous, tense. Their programme for Aug 3 in Kolkata was promptly granted permission. For their Aug 11 program, they only just sent a letter & permission granted" (sic), TMC chief national spokesperson Derek O'Brien said in a statement. "Happy journey to the land of peace and harmony #Bangla Love Your Neighbour", he said in a tweet.Polling began at 7:30 am today for elections to two municipal corporations

Polling began at 7:30 am today for elections to two municipal corporations in Maharashtra, where 754 candidates are vying for 153 seats. Polling is being held for the 78-member Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation (SMKMC) in Western Maharashtra and the 75-member Jalgaon Municipal Corporation (JMC) in North Maharashtra. The two cities have a cumulative voter population of 7,89,251. As many as 1,013 polling booths have been set up and 5,792 election staff deployed on duty in the two cities, according to State Election Commissioner J S Saharia.

Polling is being held for the 78-member Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation

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Polling is also taking place for ward number 97 of the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation. The voting will continue 5.30 pm and the counting will be taken up on August 3. As many as 451 candidates are in fray for 78 seats in the SMKMC, while 303 nominees will vie for 75 seats in Jalgaon. Sangli has 4,24,179 eligible voters, while their number is 3,65,072 in Jalgaon. The Ruling BJP-Shiv Sena have joined hands for the JMC, while the BJP is going it alone in the SMKMC.Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma raised a point of order and insisted on the removal of BJP president Amit Shahs comments.

New Delhi: The Trinamul Congress on Wednesday continued its rant over Assams draft National Register of Citizens inside and outside Parliament, with party chief Mamta Banerjee alleging the draft NRCs publication will destroy Indias relationship with neighbouring Bangladesh.

The Election Commission, however, made it clear that an exclusion from this list will not automatically lead to their removal from electoral rolls as registration of voters is decided under the election laws. Chief election commissioner O.P. Rawat said the people excluded from the NRC would not be automatically removed from the electoral rolls of Assam as registration as a voter is determined by three criteria under the Representation of the People Act 1950.

Both Houses of Parliament saw uproarious scenes on Wednesday over the NRC issue. Protests by Trinamul Congress members yet again forced the adjournment of the Rajya Sabha for the day, as it failed to complete a discussion on Assams NRC and the and the reply to it by home minister Rajnath Singh.

[The Bangladesh government has made it clear that the entire NRC issue is an internal matter of India, giving a clear signal that there is no question of any deportation of these people to Bangladesh in future. Its information minister Hasanul Haq Inu told TV channels the illegal immigration issue had nothing to do with Bangladesh.]

In the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Sushmita Dev created a scene as she entered the Well of the House claiming that some Bengalis were beaten up along the Assam-Meghalaya border after the draft NRC was published and sought their safety. The TMC members demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi come to the House and give members an assurance in this regard.

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MPAnand Sharma raised a point of order and insisted on the removal of BJP president Amit Shahs comments. Mr Shah had spoken on the NRC on Wednesday, after which the House had to be adjourned as the Opposition members objected to his statement. Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu assured Mr Sharma he would go through the records and give a ruling, asking Mr Shah to resume his statement. Mr Sharma said that Mr Shah, during his speech on the NRC debate, had termed all Prime Ministers in office after the late Rajiv Gandhi as buzdil (cowards). In a jibe at the ruling BJP, Mr Sharma noted that one of these PMs, Atal Behari Vajpayee, belonged to the BJP.

The Congress later decided to call a full CWC meeting to evolve a proper response on the draft NRC. It will be held on August 4 in New Delhi.

Speaking on the issue, Ms Banerjee said only one per cent of the 40 lakh residents whose names are missing from the draft NRC might be infiltrators, but people were being harassed in the name of infiltrators. She added that the government could even brand her an infiltrator too as her parents did not have papers to prove that they were born in India. My father or even my mother never had birth certificates to show that they were born here. Luckily, I have my documents, but on the ground that my parents do not have proper documents, the BJP government could have branded me an infiltrator, the West Bengal chief minister told reporters.Banerjee spent second day of her Delhi visit meeting leaders of various parties including Congress, TDP, YSRC, DMK, RJD, SP and JD(S).

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the first priority is to bring all opposition parties together to take on the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she was not vying to be the prime minister and that the first priority was to defeat the BJP which is "scared and nervous" to face the 2019 polls because of opposition unity.

Banerjee, who has been at the forefront of efforts to rally opposition parties for an anti-BJP front, spent the second day of her Delhi visit meeting leaders of various parties including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Besides leaders of the Congress, TDP, YSR(Congress), DMK, RJD, SP and JD(S), she also met BJP veteran L K Advani, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and dissident BJP leaders.

"The opposition is united.... In 2019 BJP will be finished," Banerjee, who invited the leaders of the opposition parties as well as Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to her January 19 rally in Kolkata, told reporters.

The rally is seen as not just a show of opposition unity but also an attempt to catapult Banerjee to the centrestage.

"We are all for all. We will take a decision on collective leadership. If all opposition political parties can join hands and work together in Parliament, then why not fight unitedly outside," the TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister told reporters after her nearly half-an-hour long meeting with the Gandhis at 10, Janpath, the residence of Sonia Gandhi.

On the Congress' indication of its willingness to accept her candidature as opposition's PM face, she said, "I am not for any chair, our aim is to defeat the BJP."

Almost all the opposition parties are holding preliminary talks to put a united fight against the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Banerjee said she met both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and discussed the NRC issue as 40 lakh people have not been included in it and genuine voters had been kept out.

"We discussed the political situation. We discussed how the opposition can together take on the BJP because it knows that it will not come back to power," she said. Asked about the prime ministerial candidate of the proposed anti-BJP front, she said, "It will be decided later. The first priority is to defeat the BJP. The BJP has to be defeated first."

To a query on Amit Shah's criticism of her on the NRC issue, she said, "I am not his servant. Why should I reply to his comments?"

"Gaali ka jawaab hum gaali se nahin denge. Yeh hamari parampara hai. (We will not reply to an abuse with an abuse, that is our tradition)," she said.

"The BJP is scared and nervous politically due to the unity of opposition parties. The BJP knows what will happen to them in 2019 as they will not come back to power. That is why they are trying to create such an atmosphere and doing all this," she said. On her meeting with leaders of various political parties, she said, "We know every political leader. I am happy to meet all of them."

Attacking the Centre on Assam's National Register of Citizens final draft, she said, "People whose names have been kept out are from Bihar, UP, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, West Bengal. We want them to live peacefully. Some of them are living for 100 years for five generations in Assam. How can you do this to them?"

Banerjee on Tuesday warned of a civil war and blood bath in the country in case 40 lakh people of Assam are left out of the NRC.

"I do not know what the BJP wants -- a civil water or a blood bath. But we do not want it," she said on Wednesday.

Also Read: Civil war, bloodbath may occur, warns Mamata on Assam NRC

On a tie-up with the Congress in West Bengal, she said every party will take their own decision. "I cannot interfere in the Congress' decisions. We believe that the strongest in a state should take on the BJP," she said.

The TMC office in Parliament was abuzz with meetings after Banerjee arrived there on Wednesday.

The TMC chief met Congress leaders Gulam Nabi Azad, and Ahmed Patel, Samajwadi Party leaders Ram Gopal Yadav and Jaya Bachchan, DMK leader Tiruchi Siva, YSR Congress leader Vijaysai Reddy, RJD leaders Misa Bharti, Jayprakash Narayan Yadav among others.

Banerjee also met JD(S) leader Deve Gowda at Karnataka Bhavan and invited him to the rally. She also met Advani at his chamber in Parliament House.

"I went to meet him and enquired about his health," she told reporters.

Suspended BJP member of parliament Kirti Azad hailed her as a great leader and said that her efforts to consolidate all opposition parties are "commendable".

The TMC chief later went to the Central Hall of the Parliament to meet other opposition leaders and invited them to the rally.

Banerjee also appealed to all the opposition parties to send a joint delegation to the Election Commission against EVM tampering and to press for holding polls on ballots.

"All opposition parties should go to EC on this matter," Banerjee told the leaders. Interestingly, Banerjee extended an invitation for the rally to the Shiv Sena chief through Raut who said the party would take a decision on it. Though a constituent of the NDA, the Sena has been openly critical of the Modi government.

Mamata also appealed to the leaders to send an all-opposition-party delegation to Assam stating that though TMC delegation would be visiting the state on Thursday, other parties should also exert pressure on the government.But the remaining 10 percent depict the deserts diversity, such as foxes, snakes, ostriches, partridges and dogs.

Archaeologist Jose Bereguer, above, curator at Santiago's Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, describes the site as "the most complex in South America" because of its astronomical importance as well as the significance to local shepherds. (Photo: AFP)

Atacama, Chile: Open air rock paintings in the worlds driest desert pay testament to the importance of the llama to millennia-old cultures that traversed the inhospitable terrain.

Conservationists working in Chiles Atacama Desert want Unesco to recognise the Taira Valley drawings as a heritage site so they can develop sustainable tourism in the region.

Taira is a celebration of life, said archaeologist Jose Bereguer, describing the site as the most complex in South America because of its astronomical importance as well as the significance to local shepherds.

The rock art was a shepherds rite needed to ask the deities that governed the skies and the earth to increase their llama flocks. First rediscovered by Swedish archaeologist Stig Ryden in 1944, the Taira rock art is between 2,400 and 2,800 years old. It is made up of a gallery of 16 paintings more than 3,000 meters (9,842 feet) above sea level on the banks of the Loa River that traverses the desert.

The jewel in the crown are the Alero Taira drawings some 30 meters from the Loa in a natural shelter, in which the importance of the llama becomes abundantly clear. Not just the principal source of wealth for desert dwellers over thousands of years, the llama has been used in ritual ceremonies throughout the Andes for just as long, such as in the Wilancha, or sacrifice to Pacha Mama, or Mother Earth.

No one can understand the things done 18,000 years ago because the cultures that did them have disappeared, said Berenguer, curator at Santiagos Museum of Pre-Columbian Art.

Here, its possible to delve into the meaning because we have ethnography and because there are still people living in practically the same way as in the past.

According to Rumualda Galleguillos, one of around 15 indigenous people still raising llamas in the Atacama Desert like their ancestors, these pictures are a testament to forefathers who could neither read nor write.

Around 90 per cent of the engravings, painted mainly in red but also ochre yellow and white, depict llamas of various sizes, some pregnant, others suckling their young.

But the remaining 10 percent depict the deserts diversity, such as foxes, snakes, ostriches, partridges and dogs.

The few human figures that appear are tiny, as if those painting them wanted to go unnoticed in front of the greatness of animals that were so important to their economy, said Berenguer. What the paintings also demonstrate is that 2,500 years ago, people were already studying the stars in an area that has more recently become the astronomy capital of the world with some of the most powerful telescopes ever built.

A book written in conjunction with the Atacama observatory called The Universe of our Grandparents, claims that the ancient inhabitants of this area studied the stars to help learn how to domesticate the inhospitable desert and survive its dangers.

In this vision, the universe is made up of the skies and Earth as one whole, with the skies forming the horizon of life. What is seen in the skies is a reflection of what there is on Earth. Unlike the Greeks, though, ancient Atacama astrologists didnt see Orion, Gemini or Cancer. They saw llamas, their eyes, corrals, a loaded slingshot and a shepherd standing with his legs spread wide and arms in the air, worrying about foxes, said Silvia Lisoni, a professor of history and amateur astronomer.

Taira is located on an axis that aligns the sacred Sirawe sandy eye quicksand from where locals would pray for rain, the San Pedro volcano, the Colorado hill, and the Cuestecilla pampas, another sacred spot.

Volcanoes, like springs, were considered deities by the Atacama natives, while llamas were thought to have been born of springs. The Alero Taira is positioned so that it is completely illuminated by the sun on both the winter and summer solstices. Theres evidence that this site was built here for specific reasons, said Berenguer.

Taira is not the oldest example of rock art in this part of Chile, though. To the north in the copper mining Antofagasta region lies Kalina, around 1,000-1,200 years older than Taira, and Milla. This style of art has been found also in the Puna de Atacama plateau in neighboring Argentina, but Taira has few equals in terms of beauty and complexity, said Berenguer.

One day, he hopes that Taira will be afforded UNESCO World Heritage Site status like the rock art in the Cave of Altamira in Spain or Frances Lascaux caves.

Conservationists working in Chiles Atacama Desert want Unesco to recognise the Taira Valley drawings as a heritage site so they can develop sustainable tourism in the region

First rediscovered by Swedish archaeologist Stig Ryden in 1944, the Taira rock art is between 2,400 and 2,800 years old.[SYDNEY] Recognising that artificial intelligence (AI) carries both risks and benefits for society, the Australian Human Rights Commission, an independent Statutory organisation, launched this month (July) a major project on the impact of technology on the right to life, privacy, security, safety and equality, which could also have implications in many developing countries keen on adapting emerging technologies.

AI is already employed in designing driverless cars that reduce road traffic deaths and robots that can perform minimally invasive surgeries. AI also finds use in robotic weapons deployed in conflict situations and plays a role in decision making that impacts public health, livelihoods, social interaction and human rights.

An outline of the project, published in an Issues Paper, focuses on protection and promotion of human rights in AI-informed decision making in Australia, but will promote an international approach with UN support.

In developing countries, the impact of AI on larger socio-economic issues is only beginning to unfold Anita Gurumurthy, IT for Change

Accordingly, the paper, launched at the International Human Rights and Technology conference 24 July in Sydney, saw participation by internationally-known experts from diverse areas such as academics, industry and civil society and government officials.

Delegates expressed concern at possible abuse of facial recognition technologies for surveillance, algorithmic bias, big data targeting of democratic processes and the problem of personal data being hacked.

Our project is looking at these questions in the context of Australia, but the same conversations can and should be happening in developing countries, Australian human rights commissioner Edward Santow tells SciDev.Net. We are asking what needs to happen in law and practice in order to ensure we always have tech for social good.

In developing countries, the impact of AI on larger socio-economic issues is only beginning to unfold, says Anita Gurumurthy, founder and executive director of IT for Change, a Bangalore-based NGO that works on digital technologies for human rights and social justice. How automation is going to reorganise jobs is a serious concern for women and the marginalised who work largely in the informal sector.

Gurumurthy said there is a need for transparency in the use of AI in social welfare.

Prediction models based on biased training data sets  for example, household records that mainly show men as farmers  are bound to generate policy scenarios where womens farm-based activity is not counted. We await a data governance law in India and, based on that, we need effective institutional protocols, Gurumurthy tells SciDev.Net. You might also like AI dengue prediction tool trialled in Asia, Latin America

Do no harm: A code to guide use of humanitarian drones

Asian countries need not fear of automation

UN treaty against killer robots urged

Robot monitors Thai pollution from a height

Coming of age: robots in farms medical care.

While human rights treaties do not prescribe specific rules in respect to technology, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights acknowledges that this is a growing area of importance and has published a set of human rights and principles to guide data collection.

Earlier in May, the second AI for Good Global Summit, organised by the International Telecommunication Union, which leads UN dialogue on information and communication technology, had also focused on AI solutions towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in mapping poverty and providing aid in disaster situations.



This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Asia & Pacific desk.

[SYDNEY] The Australian human rights commission has embarked on a project looking at the social risks and benefits of artificial intelligence (AI)  a technology whose implications experts say are also beginning to emerge in the developing world.

Launched with a report published on 24 July, the project is looking at the impact of the technology on the right to life, privacy, security, safety and equality.

AI is already employed in designing driverless cars that reduce road traffic deaths and robots that can perform minimally invasive surgeries. The technology also finds use in robotic weapons deployed in conflict situations and plays a role in decisions that impact public health, livelihoods, social interaction and human rights.

Experts from around the world coming from academia, industry and civil society as well as government officials contributed to the paper, which was launched at the International Human Rights and Technology conference in Sydney.

How automation is going to reorganise jobs is a serious concern for women and the marginalised who work largely in the informal sector. Anita Gurumurthy, IT for Change

Delegates at the conference expressed concern at the possible abuse of facial recognition technologies for surveillance. They also highlighted algorithmic bias, big-data targeting of democratic processes and the problem of personal data being hacked.

Our project is looking at these questions in the context of Australia, but the same conversations can and should be happening in developing countries, Australian human rights commissioner Edward Santow tells SciDev.Net. We are asking what needs to happen in law and practice in order to ensure we always have tech for social good.

In developing countries, the impact of AI on larger socio-economic issues is only beginning to unfold, says Anita Gurumurthy, founder and executive director of IT for Change, a Bangalore-based NGO that works on digital technologies for human rights and social justice. How automation is going to reorganise jobs is a serious concern for women and the marginalised who work largely in the informal sector.

Gurumurthy said there is a need for transparency in the use of AI in social welfare.

Prediction models based on biased training data sets  for example, household records that mainly show men as farmers  are bound to generate policy scenarios where womens farm-based activity is not counted. We await a data governance law in India and, based on that, we need effective institutional protocols, Gurumurthy tells SciDev.Net.

But AI can also be used to promote health rights. Jake Lucchi, head of public policy and government relations at Google Asia Pacific, cited work on captioning videos which has made audiovisual content more accessible for hearing impaired people.

Lucchi also cited a deep learning algorithm that warns of diabetic retinopathy early, helping to avoid irreversible blindness, especially in patients living in countries with limited access to medical care.Human rights treaties do not prescribe specific rules in respect to technology. But acknowledging that this is a growing area of importance, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has published a set of human rights principles to guide data collection.

In May this year, the second AI for Good Global Summit, organised by the International Telecommunication Union, which leads UN dialogue on information and communication technology, had also focused on AI solutions towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in mapping poverty and providing aid in disaster situations.

This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Asia & Pacific desk.Researchers at the University of Waterloo have found a better way to identify atomic structures, an essential step in improving materials selection in the aviation, construction and automotive industries.

The findings of the study could result in greater confidence when determining the integrity of metals.

Devinder Kumar, a PhD candidate in systems design engineering at Waterloo, collaborated with the Fritz Haber Institute (FHI) in Berlin, to develop a powerful AI model that can accurately detect different atomic structures in metallic materials. The system can find imperfections in the metal that were previously undetectable.

"Anywhere you have metals you want to know the consistency, and that can't be done in current practical scenarios because current methods fail to identify the symmetry in imperfect conditions," said Kumar, who is a member of the Vision and Image Processing Research Group under the supervision of Alexander Wong, a professor at Waterloo and Canada Research Chair in the area of artificial intelligence.

"So, this new method of evaluating metallic material will lead to better material design overall and has the potential to affect all the industries where you need material designing properties."

FHI came up with a new scenario that can artificially create data which relates to the real world. Kumar along with his collaborators was able to use this to generate about 80,000 images of the different kind of defects and displacements to produce a very effective AI model to identify various types of crystal structures in practical scenarios. This data has been released to the public so people can actually learn their own algorithms.

"In theory, all metallic materials have perfect symmetry, and all the items are in the correct place, but in practice because of various reasons such as cheap manufacturing there are defects," Kumar said. "All these current methods fail when they try to match actual ideal structures, most of them fail when there is even one per cent defect."

"We have made an AI-based algorithm or model that can classify these kinds of symmetries even up to 40 per cent of defect."

The study, Insightful classification of crystal structures using deep learning, was published recently in the journal Nature Communications.A dangerous foodborne parasite typically found in snails and other mollusks was detected in two patients in a Chinese hospital and traced to their consumption of raw wild centipedes, according to a new case report published today by the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Researchers from the Southern Medical University and Zhujiang Hospital in Guangzhou said it's the first time the Angiostrongylus cantonensis parasite -- often called rat lungworm for its preference for the pulmonary arteries of rats -- has been detected in centipedes. Centipedes are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, though usually in a dried or powder form, which does not transmit the parasite.

"We don't typically hear of people eating raw centipedes, but apparently these two patients believed that raw centipedes would be good for their health," said Lingli Lu, a co-author of the report who works in the Department of Neurology in Zhujiang Hospital. "Instead it made them sick."

Mild infections with A. cantonensis may resolve on their own. But the parasite can penetrate the brain and spinal cord, which can lead to meningitis -- an infection of the fluid around the brain -- and, in rare instances, paralysis and death.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, A. cantonensis is mainly found in China and Southeast Asia, and infections usually have been linked to consumption of raw or undercooked snails. The parasite also has been detected in Africa, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and, more recently, in Louisiana and South Florida. In Louisiana, it has been found in the invasive apple snail, a freshwater snail native to South America that is sometimes consumed as food. In South Florida, the parasite has been found in the invasive giant African land snail.

Why centipedes are sold in agricultural markets

While this is the first time the parasite has been found in centipedes, centipedes themselves are occasionally sold in the Chinese agricultural markets or routinely sold in traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies due to their perceived medicinal properties. Dried or crushed centipedes have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of ailments, including whooping cough, tetanus and cardiovascular diseases. Also, today, extracts made from the centipede are being assessed for their potential to fight cancer and to serve as a potent pain killer. But rarely are raw wild centipedes consumed to treat ailments. Lingli said the patients that are the focus of her study, a 78-year-old woman and her 46-year-old son, came from the rural countryside where a rumor was circulating that consuming raw centipedes also offered potential health benefits.

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The path to diagnosis

According to the report, the woman arrived at the hospital complaining of a headache, drowsiness and cognitive impairment that had lasted for weeks. Subsequent examination and testing indicated symptoms of meningitis. And when tests ruled out viral or bacterial causes, the physicians probed her cerebrospinal fluid for other potential issues and discovered the increased number of eosinophils -- a type of white blood cell -- and antibodies to A. cantonensis in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood.

The report notes that "further questions about the patient's history showed that she had eaten centipedes without cooking them on several occasions."

Meanwhile, a few weeks later, her son came to the hospital complaining of a "mild headache that had lasted for more than 20 days." He revealed to physicians that he, too, had consumed raw centipedes. Tests of his cerebrospinal fluid and blood detected elevated eosinophil levels and antibodies for the A. cantonensis parasite.

Both mother and son were cured after treatment with a 21-day course of the anti-parasitic drug albendazole and a two-week course of the steroid dexamethasone to address inflammation that arises as the parasites die.

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The role of centipedes in rat lungworm transmission

To learn more about the potential of centipedes to serve as hosts for A. cantonensis, the researchers purchased 20 centipedes from the agricultural market where the patients had acquired their centipedes. The immature, or larvae, form of A. cantonensis was detected in seven of them.

The researchers then tested the capacity of centipedes to serve as intermediate hosts for A. cantonensis by infecting 20 centipedes with the parasite. However, the centipedes subsequently died. Lingli said the results could indicate that, while centipedes can be temporary hosts, we can't be sure they are able to serve as intermediate hosts, a classification that indicates an ability to carry and spread the parasite over a long period of time. Regardless, the researchers concluded that centipedes may still "act as a competent host" for transmitting the parasite to humans.

"This study shows why it's important to have physician scientists who can both treat patients and identify and investigate unusual cases that may have broader implications for public health," said ASTMH President Regina Rabinovich, MD. "The researchers not only found the source of infection in the laboratory, they did the work to show the wild centipedes that were in supply at the farmers' market could have been a viable source of transmission."Animals who share the task of parenting do a better job than parents who do so on their own, according to a study of insects.

Offspring raised by both parents grow to a healthier weight and are more likely to reach adulthood than those raised by one parent, research into beetles has found.

The research is the first to offer evidence of whether being raised by two parents has benefits for offspring. It could help explain why many species -- including birds, mammals, fish and insects -- have evolved to share the burden of nurturing their young.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh set out to examine whether care from two parents is greater than the sum of its parts, or if conflict between parents over their shared workload has a negative impact on their young.

In an experiment with burying beetles -- which are acknowledged to be skilled parents -- scientists examined how well pairs of adults compared with sole parents. Dozens of pairs of parents and single adult beetles were each given a brood to raise to adulthood, with single beetles given half as many young compared with the pairs.

Researchers found that young which were raised by both parents were better off -- despite male beetles being seen to do less when working alongside their female partners.

Scientists say their finding supports the idea that co-parenting may help ensure animals can pass on their genes, in a trade-off against producing more young. In addition, both parents may pass on good bacteria to their young through close contact.

The study was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Dr Natalie Pilakouta of the University of Edinburgh's School of Biological Sciences, who led the study, said: "We've shown that offspring grow better and are more likely to survive if reared by both parents. This might help explain why shared parenting has evolved in so many species of animals."A research team from SFU's School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) has come up with a way to replace the use of 'blurring' faces in news reports when anonymity is needed. The team's method uses artificial intelligence (AI) techniques that aim to improve visuals while amplifying emotions tied to the story.

SIAT professors Steve DiPaola and Kate Hennessy, together with Taylor Owen from UBC's journalism school, received a Google/Knight Foundation grant to carry out the research. They presented the work to international journalists at a Journalism 360 demo event honoring grantees in New York on July 24, and the next day at a full conference held across the street from the New York Times headquarters.

"Our goal is to create a working technique that would be much better at conveying emotional and knowledge information than current anonymization techniques," says DiPaola, a pioneer in AI/VR facial recognition processes.

Based on its research, the team has created an updated pixelating technique using an AI "painting" approach to anonymization.

"When artists paint a portrait, they try to convey the subject's outer and inner resemblance," says DiPaola, who heads SFU's Interactive Visualization Lab. "With our AI, which learns from more than 1,000 years of artistic technique, we have taught the system to lower the outer resemblance and keep as high as possible the subject's inner resemblance -- in other words, what they are conveying and how they are feeling.

"Our system uses five levels of AI processing to simulate a smart painter, using art abstraction to repaint the video as if an artist was painting every frame. The result is more engaging, especially since not everyone listens to stories -- so the art component becomes more relevant."

The system doesn't change the pixels of the video frames as Adobe-like systems can, but instead produces a painting-style result of every frame, DiPaola notes. "It's actually an open and dynamic process that allows levels of control throughout. We eventually want to the subject or producer to be able to customize the final result based on their needs."

DiPaola says the tool's effectiveness at anonymizing while retaining a strong degree of emotional connection or resonance should result in better final product for anonymized video, especially in 360 or VR. The team plans to put the technology to work in a variety of projects.

While at the conference DiPaola's team garnished interest from several major media companies looking to explore new media approaches, including the New York Times, Washington Post and the BBC.The deportation and forced separation of immigrants has negative effects that extend beyond individuals and families to entire communities in the United States, according to a division of the American Psychological Association, which has issued a policy statement calling for changes to U.S. policy.

Based on a review of the effects of three decades of U.S. immigration policy, the policy statement details the psychosocial and economic impacts of deportation on children and families, as well as broader community consequences that unfold as immigrants fearful of being targeted withdraw from civic engagement.

"This policy brief is a thorough examination of the research," said Regina Langhout, professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and lead author of the brief by the APA's Society for Community Research and Action; the policy statement will appear in the upcoming edition of the American Journal of Community Psychology, which is available online now.

"U.S. immigration and deportation policies have negative effects for everybody -- not just in immigrant communities, but for everybody," said Langhout. "When families are torn apart without their consent, it has very negative outcomes for everyone."

Langhout and her coauthors underscore the psychological trauma and material hardship experienced by U.S.-born children of immigrants, and the number of people impacted by current deportation policies, before recommending changes to federal and local policy. Among their conclusions:

Studies reveal that children who lose a parent to sudden, forced deportation experience anxiety, anger, aggression, withdrawal, a heightened sense of fear, eating and sleeping disturbances, isolation, trauma, and depression.

Children also experience housing instability, academic withdrawal, and family dissolution; older children often need to take on jobs to help support the family.

Ten percent of U.S. families with children have at least one family member who lacks citizenship.

5.9 million children have at least one caregiver who lacks authorization to live in the country.

Changes to U.S. immigration policy over the last 30 years have resulted in a massive increase in deportations -- and a marked shift away from post-World War II-era policies that focused on family reunification, the authors found.

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From 1900 to 1990, approximately 20,000 people were deported each year. In the mid-1990s, the rate increased by 800 percent to 180,000 a year -- and has since more than doubled to 340,000 deportations in 2017.

Immigration raids and deportations generate fear and mistrust that have ripple effects, according to the authors. Fearful of being targeted, community members become less likely to participate in churches, schools, health clinics, cultural activities, and social services.

"As a scholar and social psychologist, my job is to figure out what creates healthy, strong, vibrant communities, and to share research findings in an attempt to influence public policy," said Langhout. "We can be a barometer of this, because we know the research."

Deportations become a public health issue as feelings of belonging and connection are broken down, she said. "When a group feels terrorized, being able to connect breaks down," said Langhout. "Those targeted stop participating in public life, and that breaks down the entire community."

The effects are sufficiently widespread and dire that Langhout and her coauthors outline several national and local-level policy recommendations to alleviate suffering among U.S.-born children, beginning with comprehensive immigration reform that would end the threat of deportation by providing permanent protection for 11 million people who lack authorization to remain in the United States. Their "child-first" recommendations also include:

No forcible separation of families

Modify laws to allow extended family caregivers, such as grandparents, to qualify for exemption from deportation

Take a public health perspective on deportation, recognizing the direct and indirect impacts on community members

Create a human rights framework in U.S. immigration policy

Local jurisdictions should declare themselves sanctuary cities to enhance the protection of unauthorized immigrants and their families, and they should not detain or deport people solely for immigration violations.

Local school districts should communicate with their communities and prioritize safety and inclusion for all immigrant families, including building a protocol for responding to federal immigration activity near schools and educating school personnel on the effects of immigration enforcement.

Schools, places of worship, and community organizations must build supportive social networks that create a sense of belonging among families that are coping with the effects of deportation.

"If we're going to have neighborhoods and towns and schools and places where people of all different backgrounds interact, it's imperative for public health that everybody feels a sense of belonging and connection, a sense of attachment," said Langhout.

Langhout's coauthors on the "Statement on the Effects of Deportation and Forced Separation on Immigrants, their Families, and Communities," are Sara L. Buckingham, University of Alaska at Anchorage; Ashmeet Kaur Oberoi, University of Miami; Noe Ruben Chavez, City of Hope Medical Center; Dana Rusch, University of Illinois at Chicago; Francesca Esposito, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada -- Instituto Universitario, and Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, University of Illinois at Chicago.Sujal remembers the memorable Morocco trip when they drove for 57 days across 15 countries and three continents to reach their destination.

The epicenter of the quake was the border, so we had to re-plan our routes and also apply for permits to go through the Myanmar border.

Overland tours, where one drives through nooks and crannies, are a great way to absorb the soul of any country. Sujal Patwardhan and Medha Joseph would attest to this since they run Embarq, an overland touring company set up in 2016 which also does bespoke tours. It was a road trip the duo undertook from India to Morocco that set the ball rolling for the women to quit their corporate careers and pursue their love for travelling. Since then, they have taken road trips to countries like Scotland, Spain, New Zealand, and traversed across the Silk Route and the Baltics.

Sujal remembers the memorable Morocco trip when they drove for 57 days across 15 countries and three continents to reach their destination. When we planned the Morocco trip in 2015, we were faced with a challenging situation. We were supposed to cross the Nepal border into China when the unfortunate earthquake occurred. The epicenter of the quake was the border, so we had to re-plan our routes and also apply for permits to go through the Myanmar border. This required us to advance our travel dates and also reschedule our work lives.

Sujal and Medha personally recce all the new routes. Right now they are planning an All India Womens Drive  India to Thailand (which includes cars and a motorcycle) from October 20 to November 4, starting from Guwahati and ending in Bangkok  covering a total distance of 2,800 km. This will be a pioneering trip as its the first all women trip, conceptualised and planned by women.

Medha affirms that road trips are exciting and adventurous. Like any other travel plan, road trips also need some prep-work and planning. She elaborates, The type of vehicle, the route that will be followed, weather conditions, fuel availability, are a few essential things you need to know and plan beforehand to enjoy the road trip. Overland road trips involve a lot of paperwork and permits and information regarding the same is not available easily.

She adds that road trips are a lot of fun if you plan them right but lack of time at hand often discourages people from opting for it. Sujal chips in, And that is why we recommend relying on experts who have experience in organising such overland expeditions and driving extensively in various countries to offer a refined experience.

An increasing number of women are breaking free from the shackles of societal pressures that have bound them so far and trying a hand at driving trips that are arduous yet fun. Be it solo travel, inland travel or road trips, women are embracing it all. Sujal states, More and more women from all walks of life not only drive as a means to commute but enjoy road-tripping.

But the biggest challenge for women is still safety. Medha agrees, but adds, In todays digital age its very convenient to access information and plan better, stay connected and be safe. This encourages them to travel more often.

So what interests does the duo have besides travelling? Prior to co-founding Embarq, Sujal was the Vice President at a Mumbai-based investment bank and had worked in the field of Human Resources for 14 years. Sujal shares, When Im not driving, Im watching films. I also love gorging on biryani and have an amazing collection of wristwatches. I simply love having them, she reveals.

And before making travel her full-time career, Medha, who drives a Toyota Land Cruiser, worked as a finance professional for 11 years. And when she is not traveling, you will find her immersed in a David Baldacci book or painting a canvas.AISA, student representative body have decided to take their demand of concessional metro passes for students to Hardeep Puri on August 3.

A delegation of six students led by AISA DU President Kawalpreet Kaur, including Prasenjit Kumar, AISA DU VP Abhishek Yadav, Poornima Soni, Vikash Raj and Ayush Pandey met Delhi Chief Minister. (Photo: Kawalpreet Kaur | Facebook)

Mumbai/New Delhi: After protesting for six hours outside the Delhi Chief Ministers residence, Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday finally ordered the Transport Ministry to speed up the process of making the student pass valid in air-conditioned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses.

Directed Transport Minister to expedite the proposal to allow student pass in AC buses also.  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 31, 2018

The six-hour sit-in was organised by left-wing All India Students Association (AISA).

Students from various colleges of the Delhi University joined the protest but later a delegation of six students was allowed to meet the Delhi CM.

Heres the timeline of the protest:

02:00 pm: Students from various colleges gathered and protested outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals residence.

02:30 pm: A delegation of six students led by AISA DU President Kawalpreet Kaur, including Prasenjit Kumar, AISA DU VP Abhishek Yadav, Poornima Soni, Vikash Raj and Ayush Pandey went inside the CMs residence.

The delegation kept requesting to meet CM but they were denied a meeting.

05:00 pm: Delhi police used force to evict the delegations outside the CMs residence.

A police officer kicked Ayush, a student of Hansraj College, who was a part of the delegation.

06:00 pm: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called in to inform that he would be meeting the delegation in an hour.

07:00 pm: Arvind Kejriwal met the students. He said he will ensure that the entire process for the validation of the students bus pass in AC buses will be completed within a month and from September 1, 2018, students can avail the facility.

Vikash Raj, a student of Dyal Singh College said, We are not demanding AC bus pass because we want luxurious travel. Around 70 per cent of DTC buses are AC buses. We are left to travel in the remaining 30 per cent buses. Around 1.5 lakh students study in Delhi University and they get to ride only on the remaining 30 per cent buses with their bus passes. We in fact miss our morning classes waiting for the non-AC buses.

One of the students at the protest, Meghna Mehra said The non-AC buses are so crowded that female students become an easy target of eve-teasing and molestation. The number of buses needs to be increased and our bus passes need to be made valid in AC buses too to ease out the crowd.

In January 2018, when the Delhi government doubled the metro fare, the student body requested to make their bus passes valid in AC buses as the increase of metro fare burnt hole in students pockets. It has been six months since Delhi CM promised but didnt fulfil it. Students had to go again and remind Kejriwal of his promise. CM was forced to set this new September deadline for fulfilling the demand of AC bus pass following the students protest.

AISA, a student representative body have now decided to take their demand of concessional metro passes for students to Hardeep Puri, Housing and Urban Minister on August 3.The Social Welfare department will now remit all the pensions stopped due to lack of Aadhaar, the government statement said.

A Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approved the proposal delinking Aadhaar and social welfare benefits including old age, disability and widow pensions, a Delhi government statement said. (Photo: PTI | File)

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday approved a proposal of its Social Welfare Department to do away with the requirement of Aadhaar and linking bank accounts with the 12-digit biometric identity for availing of welfare schemes such as old-age and other pensions.

A Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approved the proposal delinking Aadhaar and social welfare benefits including old age, disability and widow pensions, a Delhi government statement said.

"People are suffering due to inability of banks to link Aadhar wid bank account. Today, Cabinet decided to delink Aadhar from widow n age old pension (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted.

The Social Welfare department will now remit all the pensions stopped due to lack of Aadhaar, the government statement said.

"Increased pension will be remitted with effect from April 2018, to all beneficiaries who are getting pension on old rates so that beneficiaries are not penalised for system related reasons," it said.

The Department is responsible implementing old age assistance, commonly known as old age pension for senior citizens in Delhi. This assistance is available to all senior citizens who are residents of Delhi for at least five years and having family income of Rs 1,00,000/- or less per annum.

In 2016, the Cabinet had decided for not insisting upon Aadhaar for remittance of pension. But, it was mandated that the enhanced pension will be given only to Aadhaar seeded accounts.

As a result, a total of 33,191 old age pension beneficiaries and 9,799 disability pension beneficiaries were unable to get increased pension.

Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 and a circular of the UIDAI clearly say that no beneficiary should be denied benefit for the want of Aadhaar or failure of Aadhaar authentication and they should be offered alternative and viable mean of identification, the statement said.

The Social Welfare Department provides Rs 2,000 per month as old age pension to people aged 60-69 years, and Rs 2,500 to those 70 years or more, living in Delhi. The eligibility criteria is residence in Delhi for 5 years and Re 1 or less family income.

The department has remitted assistance to 4.18 lakh beneficiaries for April-2018, it said.

Under the disability pension, Rs 2,500 per month are provided to eligible persons.A scientist at Laboratory Corporation of America Holding ("LabCorp") has agreed to settle charges that he engaged in insider trading after learning that his company was about to acquire Sequenom, Inc. ("Sequenom") in a July 2016 tender offer.

The SEC's complaint alleges that Anup Madan, a principal scientist with LabCorp's Covance Genomics Laboratory, learned of the pending acquisition when he conducted a due diligence related site visit to Sequenom's San Diego facilities. Over the next two trading days, Madan purchased 9,300 shares of Sequenom stock despite having signed a company insider trading policy that prohibited trading based upon confidential information that he acquired in the course of performing his job duties. On the date of the public announcement, Sequenom's stock price increased 176%, allowing Madan to sell his shares that same day for a profit of over $14,000.

Without admitting or denying the allegations, Madan agreed to the entry of a final judgment permanently enjoining him from future violations of Sections 10(b) and 14(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rules 10b-5 and 14e-3 thereunder. Madan will disgorge his ill-gotten gains and pay a penalty of $14,023, which is equal to the disgorgement amount.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Adrienne Gurley and supervised by Marc Blau. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.Detlev Olshausen, a violist whose stately but impassioned playing was an essential component of the San Francisco Symphonys sound for half a century, died Tuesday, just a month after celebrating his 100th birthday.

His son Ronald confirmed his death of natural causes, at an assisted living facility in San Mateo.

In 1940, as a 22-year-old aspirant just a year out of UC Berkeley, Olshausen auditioned for Pierre Monteux, the orchestras French-born music director. In those days, before the advent of committees and blind auditions, getting into the orchestra meant simply performing for the music director and hoping to impress him.

And in Olshausens case, as he recalled in an oral-history interview for the Symphony archives, the chances were slim. Monteux let him that know the next available slot in the viola section had already been promised to someone else.

There would have to be three openings, Monteux told him, for you to have a chance to get into this orchestra.

As it turned out, though, luck was on his side. Olshausen was hired on a temporary basis shortly afterward. In 1954, he was promoted to the No. 2 spot in the viola section (a position that went by different names over the years) and remained a stalwart of the orchestra until his retirement in 1990.

In addition to his own natural abilities and disciplined artistry, Olshausens performances were strengthened by his instrument, a rare 1616 Amati viola whose rich, smooth tone lent a distinctive sheen to everything he played.

Solo opportunities during Olshausens tenure went chiefly to the principals, although he was featured regularly in Bachs Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, which features two violas in starring roles. But regular concertgoers came to rely on Olshausens imperturbable presence in the viola section.

When Olshausen retired from the orchestra, Herb Caen gave him a valedictory wave in his Chronicle column, writing, I always kept my eye on Detlev, a link to the glory days of Pierre Monteux and a model of concentration and comportment. Who now is there to watch?

And Robert Commanday, then The Chronicles chief music critic, hailed his distinctive and dignified performance and bearing, adding, Along with his music-making, he has given this orchestra and its audience style and class.

Robert Detlev Olshausen was born June 25, 1918, in Rochester, N.Y. Two years later, his family moved to Berkeley, and he remained a Bay Area resident for the rest of his life.

Shortly after joining the Symphony, he was one of several orchestra members drafted into the military service in the wake of Pearl Harbor. He served in the Army Air Corps, first as a drill instructor and then teaching meteorology at air bases around the country.

His wife, Vernez Cook, who died in 2000, was the concertmaster of the Oakland Symphony, and their six children were raised in a home in Oakland where music was a constant presence. On the occasion of Olshausens retirement, their daughter, Aurora Mackey, penned a first-person account for The Chronicle of life in a two-musician family. Knowledge of music, she wrote, was important  if only for calculating what time the lights needed to go out.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Lets see, the Mahler goes until 9 oclock, then theres the Handel and Dad plays in the Mozart, which should be over by 10:45, my twin brother would calculate, reading that nights program as we all gathered around the television. That should put him home at 11:02.

Almost to the second  a talent honed over years of diligent practice  we all dashed upstairs into bed, just as my fathers car pulled into the driveway. Our system was thrown off only if we miscalculated our mothers schedule.

In addition to his time with the Symphony, which for much of his career also accompanied performances at the San Francisco Opera, Olshausen spent 15 years as a member of the California String Quartet, along with his fellow Symphony members Felix Khuner and David Schneider (violins) and George Barati (cello). He also taught violin and viola at UC Berkeley for 30 years.

In addition to his son, of Portland, Ore., and daughter, of Asheville, N.C., Olshausen is survived by daughters Ynez Olshausen of Troutman, N.C., Roxane Olshausen-Ryser of Burgdorf, Switzerland, and Renata Olshausen-Wesel of Berlin; son Bernard Olshausen of Sammamish, Wash.; 11 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicles music critic. Email: jkosman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JoshuaKosmanGus Konstin, a San Francisco restaurateur who owned historic Johns Grill for many years, died Monday at UCSF Medical Center after a long illness. He was 87.

Konstin was an American success story. He arrived from his native Greece in 1951 with $20, a limited command of English and a determination to succeed. Over the years he became wealthy through hard work and shrewd investing. He enjoyed telling his own story  how he started as a busboy and earned enough money from his salary and tips to buy his own restaurant.

He was born Constantine Konstantinidis in the village of Matsouki. As a young man he was involved in the resistance to the German occupation of Greece and the civil war that followed.

When he left, he landed first in New York and then traveled to San Francisco, changed his name to Gus Konstin and got a job as a busboy clearing tables at Jacks, an old-time establishment favored by the citys rich and powerful.

One of his early assignments was to work at a 10-seat table where Louis Lurie, a top financier, hosted his friends for lunch every day. The diners included political figures, bankers, judges, lawyers and visiting celebrities like Alfred Hitchcock, Ingrid Bergman and Ronald Reagan.

It was a lucky break: The diners took a liking to Konstin and he was promoted to waiter and then maitre d. Lurie and his friends gave him tips on saving his money and investing  particularly in buying distressed real estate, fixing it up and selling it at a profit.

About that time he met Sydna Pantoja, a native of Mexico, at English classes at Galileo High School. They were married in 1955. She advised him to save his tips and helped him find property. Their first investment was a run-down Victorian in Noe Valley.

The Konstins bought Johns Grill on Ellis Street in 1969. Gus was the host, and Sydna the manager. The place had a long history. One of the regulars in the 1920s was a Pinkerton detective and fledgling writer named Dashiell Hammett. He mentioned Johns in his classic novel The Maltese Falcon.

Aided by a group of Hammett fans, the Konstins hit on the idea of turning Johns into a shrine to the writer and Sam Spade, his most famous creation. Business boomed, and Johns was named as a national literary landmark.

Gus Konstin turned the business over to his son, John Konstin, in 1990.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Gus Konstin was generous with his money. He usually carried a wad of cash and could be a soft touch to anyone who asked. He supported favorite charities, including the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program and City Colleges culinary and hospitality school. A room at the school was named for him.

Anything is possible in this country, he said at the dedication.

He is survived by his sons, John of San Francisco and Lionel of Portland, Ore.; two daughters, Christina and Annie, both of San Francisco; two brothers, Nick and Tasso Konstantinidis of Athens; and six grandchildren. His wife, Sydna, died in 2009.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 7, at St. Cecilia Church, 2555 17th Ave., San Francisco.

Carl Nolte is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.comSan Francisco lawmakers want to tax Uber and Lyft rides, and both companies say thats OK with them.

The proposed tax eliminates a ballot initiative that Supervisor Aaron Peskin had planned for November that would have asked voters to tax ride-hailing companies gross receipts at rates up to 0.975 percent. Peskin withdrew that measure after weeks of negotiations with Uber and Lyft produced an agreement to tax only net fares, excluding additional charges such as tolls, airport fees and tips to drivers.

That change was much more palatable to Uber and Lyft, because they wouldnt have to pay taxes on money they dont receive.

Uber and Lyft were motivated to avoid a bruising ballot campaign in their hometown, according to sources close to the talks. The gross-receipts tax had the backing of San Franciscos supervisors and was expected to easily reach the 50 percent margin it needed to pass.

This is a win-win for everyone, Peskin said in a statement. Im optimistic that this concession on the part of the (ride-hailing companies) signals a shift in their corporate culture and a willingness to work with  not fight with  local governments.

The proposed tax, which applies only to trips that originate in San Francisco, would levy a 3.25 percent tax on net rider fares for single-party trips and 1.5 percent on shared rides. Still up for discussion: the tax rate for para-transit rides, hybrid and electric vehicles, trips originating in low-income areas and trips that start after midnight.

The money, which Peskins office said would amount to $30 million annually over the first few years, would be administered by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and devoted to transit uses. Money from the now-withdrawn gross-receipts tax would have gone to the general fund. Uber and Lyft could pass along some or all of the tax to riders.

The tax would start in January 2020 and would sunset in 2045.

Implementing it would require several steps.

First, state lawmakers must pass a bill affirming San Franciscos authority to levy local taxes on ride-hail and robot-cab trips. Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, is on board to author the state legislation and both Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblyman David Chiu say they support it. Finally, city voters would have to pass a ballot measure in November 2019 by two-thirds because the tax would go to a specific purpose and not the citys general fund.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Since the city, lawmakers and the companies agree on the tax, and there is no known opposition, those steps are not formidable.

More Information See More Collapse

Uber is pleased to reach an agreement that will bring dedicated transportation funding to San Francisco, Alex Randolph, Uber policy lead in Northern California, said in a statement. We appreciate the constructive and good faith negotiations with San Francisco lawmakers and we look forward to working with city and state officials to ensure a successful campaign in 2019.

Lyft said in a statement: Lyft is focused on improving transportation in cities and we recognize the importance of reliable transportation in San Francisco. We are glad to have arrived at a solution that will help keep ride share convenient and affordable and look forward to continuing these conversations with city and state officials.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaidOne of the highlights of political icon Ron Dellums lengthy congressional career was in 1990 when Nelson Mandela thanked the crowd at the Oakland Coliseum for the work that they and Dellums had done to end apartheid in South Africa. Dellums died Monday at age 82.

And one of Dellums biggest mistakes came in 2005, when he reluctantly told a crowd packed into an auditorium at Laney College that, If Ron Dellums running for mayor gives you hope, then lets get on with it.

For despite his imposing public persona and ability to sell grand visions, Dellums never fit in with the intense nature of Oaklands politics.

He was really a shy individual  most people may not see that as part of him, said Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, who spent 15 years as a congressional aide to Dellums.

A typical Dellums tactic was to stay out of a political fight until everyone else made their points and then roll in with some anecdote from his days in D.C. that was aimed at getting the opposing parties to talk to each other.

While that might have worked in Congress or City Hall  or even in the 1970s with the Black Panthers  it didnt work in 2009 in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Oscar Grant by a BART police officer.

Dellums, who was then Oaklands mayor, met the protest mob on 14th Street, urging calm and leading them on a walk to City Hall, where he gave a speech.

I understand that youve lost confidence in a process. ... But, listen to me, we are a community of people. We are civilized people. We are a nation of laws, Dellums told the crowd.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Lets leave in a spirit of peace.

The mob ignored him and continued its rampage.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@ sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandrossA staffer in U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinsteins San Francisco office was fired a few years back after being linked to Chinese spying in the Bay Area.

According to a Politico Magazine story on Silicon Valley espionage, the Feinstein staffer was suspected of providing political intelligence  but nothing classified  to his handlers, with one former intelligence official telling author Zach Dorfman that the suspected informant was run by officials based at the local Chinese Consulate.

A local source who knew about the incident confirmed to us that the FBI showed up at Feinsteins office in Washington, D.C., about five years ago to alert the then-chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee that her driver was being investigated for possible Chinese spying.

Dianne was mortified, said our source, who spoke to us only on condition he not be named.

Besides driving her around when she was in California, the staffer also served as gofer in her San Francisco office and as a liaison to the Asian American community, even attending Chinese Consulate functions for the senator.

According to our source, the intrigue started years earlier when the staffer took a trip to Asia to visit relatives and was befriended by someone who continued to stay in touch with him on subsequent visits.

That someone was connected with the Peoples Republic of Chinas Ministry of State Security.

He didnt even know what was happening  that he was being recruited, says our source. He just thought it was some friend.

The FBI apparently concluded the driver hadnt revealed anything of substance.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

They interviewed him, and Dianne forced him to retire, and that was the end of it, says our source.

None of her staff ever knew what was going on, the source added. They just kept it quiet.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@ sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandrossWhen Dave Eggers was in fifth grade, he made an illustrated book for a class assignment. Gleeble was the name of the book, which he has to this day. The book led to Ms. Dunn, his teacher, nominating Eggers for a young author award and a trip to Southern Illinois University for a conference of fellow nominees.

There, he met Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks, who was, at the time, the poet laureate of the state.

She treated us like fellow authors, very seriously, Eggers says. To me, it meant a lot that all those adults had sort of taken the time to put us all together and give us a little bit of a boost, some recognition as young writers. I guess that always stuck with me.

It doesnt take much to make an impact like this, adds Eggers, who, alongside his career as an acclaimed author, has spent years assisting youth through the power of writing with his nonprofit 826 Valencia. Sometimes you just put a bunch of people together and you give them that platform and you give them some time together, and thats enough.

That would be the conceit of Eggers newest project, the International Congress of Youth Voices, which he co-founded with Amanda Uhle. From Friday to Sunday, Aug. 3-5, 100 students, ages 16 to 20, will gather in San Francisco to learn from, and think with, a sterling lineup of accomplished writers, activists and world leaders.

The weekend will include a public event on Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Nourse Theater, where students will speak and read original work, alongside addresses by acclaimed writers Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Khaled Hosseini, Jose Antonio Vargas, Eggers and others.

During the three-day event, a diverse array of the worlds young individuals  the 2015 United Kingdom Young Scientist of the Year, a budding Oakland poet, a 15-year-old from Puerto Rico who raised $100,000 for Hurricane Maria relief  will listen and attend workshops with guest speakers like civil rights pioneer and Georgia Rep. John Lewis, and Tony Award-winning Broadway playwright Brian Yorkey.

Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle 2016

The project stemmed from Eggers visiting the global network of 826 centers  which started in the Mission District, providing under-resourced students with the tools to learn and write creatively  and its offshoots, and seeing the potential power in these student writers meeting one another.

We started looking around to see if there were other international gatherings of young writers, and we could not find anything similar, Eggers recalls.

Things moved quickly as an if you build it, they will come situation. Nearly all of those asked to speak agreed, especially after big names like Adichie and Hosseini, who both agreed immediately, signed on. Most students selected were nominated by 826 centers, while others were scouted for their work in countries like Nepal, South Africa and beyond.

For us, the goal is really to be deeply inclusive and to make sure that this is not an event where only students who can afford to attend are there, says Uhle. So theres absolutely no cost to be there.

The lack of a precedent for something that seems obvious in hindsight  gathering budding teen leaders to inspire and enable their future work  serves as a testament perhaps to the larger cultural dismissal of young people and their ideas.

We know that with issues that affect them, theyre the best spokespeople. We were reminded of this as a nation with Emma Gonzalez after Parkland, Eggers says, referring to the #NeverAgain movement sparked by the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after this years deadly school shooting in Florida. No other voices were anywhere near as urgent, as clarifying and as morally pure.

In San Francisco, students will be given the space to make their voices heard, on their own terms. After an evening cruise on Friday night, where Lewis will address and meet the students, and workshops with speakers on Saturday, the students will convene on Sunday to produce writing, in whatever form they choose, to be published in the Guardians U.S. media outlet.

Its a moment of agency at a time when, for these teens, the world is literally being re-created right in front of their eyes, says Vargas, the former Chronicle staffer who founded the immigrant-focused nonprofit media organization Define American. The systems themselves are being questioned, and I think young people must be a part of not only the questioning, but the answering.

Citing the wave of nativist upheaval across the world, Vargas, who is an undocumented immigrant, will speak on the notion of citizenship at the Nourse, one day after the 25th anniversary of his arrival to the United States in August 1993.

More Information International Congress of Youth Voices: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. $10. The Nourse Theater. 275 Hayes St. S.F. www.cityarts.net/nourse See More Collapse

The international gathering is a sharp rebuke, Eggers says, to the current political climate, but the congress was not created in reaction to the current administration. Similarly, Uhle says, listening to young people is not suddenly relevant in 2018  its always been important.

Some of these young people, youll find them leading the world in 10, 15 years, Eggers says. But were not going to prescribe a route for any of them. Really, what we try to do is provide a platform. And then get out of the way.

Brandon Yu is a Bay Area freelance writer.SACRAMENTO  Californias firefighters are stretched as thin as they have ever been, state officials said Tuesday, with no indication that the wave of fires scorching the Golden State will ease in the coming months.

It used to be that the fire season picked up at the end of August and ran through October. That changed with the states five-year drought, and this years outbreak in July has officials worried about firefighter fatigue.

It was an unprecedented month for fires, both in the number of acres burned and the cost of fielding crews to douse the flames.

The state spent $125 million in July fighting wildfires. That was more than one-fourth of what was budgeted for the entire fiscal year, which began July 1 and wont end until June 30, 2019.

Now Playing: Carr Fire: Latest news from Shasta County Video: San Francisco Chronicle

It was also a tragic month for firefighters. Four died while battling blazes, two on the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park and two on the Carr Fire as it threatened Redding.

Unfortunately, no one is going home, said Mark Ghilarducci, director of the Governors Office of Emergency Services. There is no rest. ... We are literally moving firefighters and personnel from one fire to another, and will continue to do so until the threat is mitigated.

Cliff Allen, president of Cal Fire Local 2881, the union that represents employees with the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said the workload is taking a toll.

Fatigue is starting to set in, Allen said.

Nearly 300,000 acres of state and local lands have burned in California since January, 70,000 acres more than at this time last year and close to triple the five-year average for the date. Cal Fire has had to tap agencies in 12 other states to help build the force of 10,500 firefighters who are on the lines fighting the largest fires.

State officials even persuaded Australia and New Zealand to send firefighters. And Ghilarducci said his office is considering asking the Pentagon to deploy ground troops from the Marines or Army who can help clear brush to stop fires from spreading.

We have fire literally from one end of the state to the other, and we have weather conditions that are making this an even more dynamic situation, Ghilarducci said. We have to get resources to the right place at the right time. Its like a chess board.

Ghilarducci said that in recent days, state officials redirected fire crews from the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite to the Carr Fire as it threatened Redding and to the Mendocino Complex Fire when it took aim at communities in Lake County.

When those fires are contained, Ghilarducci said, its unlikely firefighters will get a break. The way the summer is going, theyll probably have another fire to put out.

Its really all hands on deck, he said.

And that comes at a cost.

Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California

The state is likely to need to dip into reserves for the eighth time in the past decade to cover the cost of putting out wildfires. Thats despite an ever-increasing budget for fighting fires.

Last year, the state budgeted $427 million. The outburst of fires in the North Bay and elsewhere in October, and then in Southern California in December, left the state, local governments and the federal government having to come up with another $470 million to cover costs.

California has budgeted $443 million for this fiscal year that began July 1, and has spent $125 million so far. Thats more than the state spent during the entire 2010-11 fiscal year.

This is why the governor has been so insistent over the years of having a healthy budget reserve because, as this year may very well show, Mother Nature doesnt always coordinate with the state budget, said H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the state Department of Finance. The second thing it speaks to is that it underscores what the governor has talked about in terms of the kind of effect that climate change has had on conditions in California and how they set the state up for these kinds of catastrophic wildfires.

Edward Struzik, author of the book Firestorm: How Wildfire Will Shape Our Future, said rising firefighting costs are going to put pressure on budgets across the U.S. in coming years. The only way to prevent that is to keep people from moving into wildland areas and investing in technology that predicts where fires are likely to happen, he said.

There is no indication we will get cooler and wetter in the West, Struzik said. Every study Ive seen shows California and most of the American West will get hotter and drier. We have more people working and living in these forest areas, and that is increasing the likelihood of fires. I dont see any other future other than one with more fires.

And, he added, a future of really stressed-out fire crews.

Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrezThrough the early decades of the 20th century, a handful of ethnographically minded composers roamed the Hungarian countryside, collecting the musical folk strains of their homeland and incorporating them into comparatively well-behaved pieces for the concert hall. Those projects proved so effective that even musicians attuned to the dominant Germanic tradition had to take note.

That sketch of Hungarian music history  reductive, obviously, but not entirely wrong  informed the shape of the alluring chamber program that took place at the Center for the Performing Arts in Menlo-Atherton on Tuesday, July 31, as part of the Music@Menlo festival. In music by Kodaly and Bartok on one hand and Erno Dohnanyi on the other, the audience got to hear the meeting of the two musical strains from both sides of the aisle.

Certainly Kodalys Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7  which got a soulful, vivacious rendition from violinist Bella Hristova and cellist Nicholas Canellakis  offered a concise glimpse of the composers use of folk materials. The three-movement work, dating from 1914, is shot through with airs and dances from across Eastern Europe, all packaged in a lithe and transparent format.

That means that the folk materials are highlighted for their melodic piquancy and urgent rhythmic profile  but also pressed into the service of a musical format that is never less than sophisticated. Its a tricky balancing act, one that the performers addressed with forthright assurance.

More Information Music@Menlo: Through Saturday, Aug. 4. $62-$72. Center for the Performing Arts, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton. 650-330-2030. www.musicatmenlo.org See More Collapse

Theres a similar dialogue going on in much of Bartoks music, although we often dont perceive it quite as clearly because the composers artistic personality is so overwhelmingly original. Yet hearing his Fifth String Quartet in this context, in a pointedly fierce account by the Calidore String Quartet, came as a welcome reminder of how deftly he folded those folk sources into the quartet tradition of Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms.

The breathless figuration and jabbing dissonances of the first movement pointed in both directions at once, as did the buoyant, asymmetric dance rhythms of the central scherzo. Yet the eerie nocturnal landscapes of the second and fourth movements were, as ever, moments of sheer Bartokian originality. The ensemble  violinists Jeffrey Myers and Ryan Meehan, violist Jeremy Berry and cellist Estelle Choi  pointed up all these contrasts with playing that was vigorous, sharp-edged and tender.

The contrast with Dohnanyis Sextet in C Major for Winds, Strings and Piano, which concluded the evening, could hardly have been more marked; the influence of Brahms infuses every page. Yet here too, the composer turns out to be speaking Viennese German with a Hungarian accent, one that manifests itself in the sudden harmonic outbursts of the first movement or the oddball rhythms of the finale.

Also on the program was a tiny bauble from the student days of Gyorgy Ligeti, a Romanian folk tune and dance for two violins. Its a charming piece, and Hristova and Wu Jie played it sweetly enough. But it has nothing at all to do with the greatness of Ligetis musical legacy.

Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicles music critic. Email: jkosman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JoshuaKosmanPolice says girls staying on own volition.

Entire hotel had only trafficked Nepali girls who were being sent to Gulf countries. Huge trafficking racket busted! she tweeted.(Photo:PTI)

New Delhi: Continuing to put a bridle on human traffickers in the national capital, the Delhi Commission for Women, in a joint op-eration with the police, rescued 39 Nepalese girls from a hotel in Paharganj in the early hours on Wednesday.

However, the DCP M.S. Randhawa said that the rescued girls were staying in the hotel on their own volition and had come to Delhi in search of employment.

They have not indicated any cognizable offence committed against them, he tweeted.

According to the DCW, the anti-trafficking operation started at 1 am following a tip-off and continued till 6 am.

DCW chief Swati Mali-wal took to Twitter to provide details about the operation. DCW receiv-ed tip off and rescued 39 Nepali girls from Hotel Hriday Inn, Paharganj. Raid lasted the entire night and assistance was provided by Delhi Police. Entire hotel had only trafficked Nepali girls who were being sent to Gulf countries. Huge trafficking racket busted! she tweeted.

The victims are in the age group of 18 to 30 years and had been trafficked from earthquake-affected regions of Nepal on the pretext of providing jobs. The hotel housed only Nepali girls and no money was taken from them. Their agents used to pay the hotel. The girls were being sent to Gulf countries and Sri Lanka.

An information was received from a woman that her sister had already been sent by the traffickers to Sri Lanka and she has not been able to contact her ever since. She added that she had been pleading the trafficker to return her sisters passport and allow her to leave for Nepal, but to no avail. Most of the girls shared similar harrowing stories, said the DCW.

This was DCWs third rescue operation within a week. DCW Chief Swati Maliwal said, Poorest of poor women and girls of Nepal are being exploited. Delhi is slowly becoming Trafficking Capital of the world. When will Home minister of the country Rajnath Singh ji will take cognizance? I appeal to Rajnath Singh ji to call an emergency meeting with LG and DCW over human trafficking rackets running in Delhi.

D13The economy may be booming, but President Trumps tariffs are starting to have an impact on U.S. businesses. Reporting layoffs, increased costs and contracting business, some of the companies affected by Trumps tariff policy are going to the administration with a simple and dangerous request: Bail us out.

Its easy to understand why these frustrated businesses are looking for handouts. The Trump administration has already offered them to one of its preferred constituencies: agricultural producers.

Earlier this month, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a $12 billion assistance plan for farmers who have been hurt by the presidents trade disputes with China and other countries.

The plan is a mix of direct payments, government purchases and trade promotion efforts. Perdue said the eye-popping price tag is in line with the negative financial impacts of the retaliatory tariffs imposed by China, Canada, Mexico, the European Union and other large economies.

These subsidies are a terrible idea financially  trade, not aid, is what makes an economy grow  and politically. Its notable that the large farmers who will benefit from the plan are a group that overwhelmingly voted for Trump.

Now, other companies are angling for favored treatment, and the result could be a huge expense for taxpayers. A new report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says an aid package for other U.S. industries that have been negatively affected by the retaliatory tariffs could hit $39 billion.

Theres also been a rush of companies looking to be excluded from the tariffs altogether: nearly 29,000 businesses have applied to the Commerce Department for exclusions from the steel and aluminium tariffs, according to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

Theres an easy answer to stop this slow-motion disaster: End the trade war.

President Trump finds it satisfying to impose unilateral tariffs on foreign countries, but doing so invites them to retaliate on U.S.-made goods.

The results of this tit-for-tat  higher prices for consumers and fewer markets for businesses  arent just bad, theyre unnecessary.

Theres already a venue for the U.S. to work out its trade disputes without shocking businesses and consumers. Its the World Trade Organization, not the global marketplace.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.Plastic guns combine the modern with the inexplicable. Using downloaded plans, the owner of a 3-D printer can make a handgun or assault rifle. The firearm is untraceable, invisible to metal detectors and requires no background check: a terrorists or criminals dream.

Barring a last-minute change, the how-to instructions will go online this week courtesy of a Texas distributor, who proudly calls his plan the end of American gun control. Congress has largely ignored the deadline and federal regulators gave up on a bid to stop the plan. Eight states are pressing for a legal Hail Mary, hoping for a court order to block online access. San Francisco Supervisor Catherine Stefani is asking city lawyers to draft legislation.

Critics of the weapons dub them downloadable death and ghost guns, both apt phrases. The firearms may lack the slick metal surfaces and heft of conventional weapons, but theyre just as lethal. Printing devices come with price tags that run from $5,000 to $600,000 with the quality of the plastic a major factor.

Homemade firearms arent new, but a basement gunmaker generally isnt allowed to sell such weapons. With unmarked, self-made plastic weapons, that limitation wont exist at all.

As usual, its hard to gauge the direction of the Trump administration. President Trump tweeted his concern, saying hes conferred with the National Rifle Association: I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense! But he didnt offer further details.

His words follow a decision to drop a five-year court fight to deny access to the downloadable instructions. The U.S. State Department had barred the blueprints, contending they violated export laws on weapons. But that legal strategy was dropped by the Trump team last month with no explanation. Come Wednesday, the plans are due to be fully available.

That outcome should be reversed. The president and Congress must find the will to limit guns, not ease the way for a whole new brand of weaponry that cant be traced or kept out of the wrong hands.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.Last week, I wrote an Open Forum defending President Trumps foreign policies based on their objective results. Since then, there have been two major developments:

1) Following his so-called diplomatic fiascos at the G7 meeting in Canada and the NATO meeting in Europe, in which Trump was termed embarrassing and isolated by commentators, EU representatives came to Washington for the first time in  well, forever  and agreed on lowering tariffs and cooling the trade war. Most importantly, the U.S. and the EU are now united in an effort to pressure China on major trade issues. That seems like the makings of a very successful strategy to me.

2) The president announced that the U.S. economy grew at 4.1 percent last quarter, without the crutch of free money from the Federal Reserve that underpinned President Barack Obamas less successful policies.

Ill repeat my earlier disclaimers  I didnt vote for Trump, dont understand him, dont think he has a great grasp of the issues, dont care for his style.

But, he is also getting results in domestic policy:

Unemployment rates for African Americans, Hispanics and women are, dramatically, at new lows. That is real progress, which could be quickly undone by the hare-brained socialist schemes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic candidate for New Yorks 14th congressional district, and Bernie Sanders.

Lower tax rates for companies and high-income individuals have attracted capital back to the United States; capital that sat offshore during the years when Obama couldnt complete a speech without spitting out the words taxes and fairness.

These numbers also highlight a Faustian deal buried in the tax bill: When you lower tax rates on the rich and companies, the economy grows rapidly, and everyone gets richer, including the rich and the companies. When you tax the rich out of fairness, the economy does not expand as quickly, unemployment does not go down as much, and the poor get relatively poorer  or at least, not as rich.

Its also worth noting that when you go after profitable companies, you hurt the U.S. economy and jobs, but you especially hurt worker-investors and union pensions. Companies are owned largely by middle-class investors and union pension plans. Presidents John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton and others were always honest in laying that out.

So, would you rather have fairness, with higher taxes on the rich and companies, higher unemployment among minorities and everyone fairly poorer? Or would you prefer to have everyone better off, including the rich? America or Venezuela? You choose.

Of course, this is all a matter of personal choice, but my guess is that African Americans, Hispanics and women will be less and less prone to fall for the socialist rhetoric of fairness and may decide that Trump actually is delivering something far more real to them than the identity-politics trope of the radical leaders of their movements. Im willing to predict a partial shift of these voters to Trump in coming elections.

Union members (as opposed to leaders) may come to a similar conclusion, as the tax bill has left most middle-class union members with higher wages.

And Trumps brow-beating of American companies, as well as trading partners, does seem to be bringing jobs home. Im also willing to predict a shift of union members to Trump in coming elections.

Democrats open-border policy is a knife in the heart of the economic prospects of African Americans, Hispanic citizens, women, young families and youth entering the labor market. An uncontrolled influx of undocumented, low-cost labor lowers wages and increases unemployment. Additional strain on health, human services and educational services also badly hurts all of these groups. Trumps rhetoric is at (most) times clumsy and harsh, but he may not be wrong when it comes to defending the real interests of minorities, union members, the poor and their families.

Politics (derived from poly, meaning many, and tics, meaning blood-suckers) is an ugly business, and Trump certainly has not put any lipstick on that pig: His rhetoric and style demonstrate macro-aggression. On the other hand, he is, unquestionably, somehow, getting some pretty good results, benefiting all Americans.

And that is worth considering.

Grady Means is a writer and former corporate strategy consultant who served in the White House as an assistant to Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. He lives in Half Moon Bay.Looking for cannabis? Dont go to Chinatown.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance Tuesday that bans cannabis dispensaries from opening in Chinatown. Thats sure to please many in the Chinese American community, which has been vehemently opposed to the idea of a dispensary opening in the neighborhood since California legalized recreational cannabis last year.

The ordinance, sponsored by Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who represents Chinatown, passed 8-3, with Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Vallie Brown and Hillary Ronen voting against it.

Board President Malia Cohen initially gave a blistering statement against the ordinance, saying she was appalled to even be sitting here with this legislation.

She noted how Peskin said his vote against a dispensary opening in the Sunset District last year was the last time he would vote to exempt an entire neighborhood from access to legal cannabis purchases.

Now Playing: The sale of recreational marijuana is legal in California starting Jan. 1, 2018, but it may be a while before you see it being sold in your city. Why isn't it available everywhere? San Francisco Chronicle cannabis editor David Downs explains. Video: Alix Martichoux / SFGATE

Now he does not want to take on his fair share of providing legal access to cannabis, she said. This undermines the citys goals of geographic equity ... I find it not only irresponsible, but also wholly inappropriate that any member of this board would take such a NIMBY approach to cannabis regulation.

Peskin responded by saying he was taken aback by her position. He said comparing his current ordinance to his vote against the Sunset dispensary was apples and oranges. He also noted how there are several pending applications for cannabis dispensaries in his district near Chinatown.

Cohen then abruptly switched her position, and voted yes on the ordinance. She said she decided to change her vote after Peskin said there were multiple pending applications near the neighborhood.

Before Tuesdays vote, members of the Chinese American community argued there are a unique set of factors in Chinatown that makes a ban necessary: extremely dense housing, fears of gentrification and a cultural aversion to cannabis.

Mayor London Breed co-sponsored the ordinance during her tenure as board president.

But those opposed to the ordinance worry of the precedent it could set for other neighborhoods that want to ban certain types of businesses. Brown said she could not support a piecemeal approach to regulating the industry.

I find myself concerned about a domino effect, Brown said before voting against the ordinance. Down the road, Im worried that we will be revisiting this again.

The board then took up a second cannabis measure at Tuesdays meeting, its last before its August break  this time about taxing it.

The measure, which would impose an additional tax on cannabis starting in 2021, will appear on the November ballot. It proposes a 2.5 percent tax on retail cannabis gross receipts up to $1 million and a 5 percent tax on gross receipts over $1 million; and for non-retail cannabis, a 1 percent tax on gross receipts up to $1 million and a 1.5 percent on gross receipts over $1 million.

Cohen, the sponsor of the ordinance, said the tax was important to ensure that cannabis businesses contribute to the local economy. But those supervisors in dissent  Mandelman, Ronen and Jane Kim  said they worry the industry is too young for additional taxes. They also fear that a tax could deter some business owners from coming out of the black market.

What I would not like to see is that cannabis goes back to the black market, so I want to give this industry the time to be able to develop their business and move forward, Kim said. I think we are jumping the gun a bit early.

Another ballot question that came out of Tuesday's meeting: the Hotel Tax Allocations Initiative. The measure, which was unanimously approved by the board, will ask voters if a portion of the city's hotel tax revenues should be allocated to arts and cultural initiatives around the city.

The board also passed amendments to the Housing Opportunities Mean Equity-San Francisco (HOME-SF) program, which gives developers incentives to build affordable housing units in the city. These changes, dubbed HOME-SF 2.0, were created in an effort to get developers to choose the local local HOME-SF program over a state density program.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadaniAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the hottest political sensation in progressive circles, buzzed through San Francisco on Tuesday for two fundraisers and to deliver a message: The political miracle the 28-year-old former bartender pulled off in defeating a 10-term Democratic House incumbent in New York can happen anywhere.

But it is going to take work, Ocasio-Cortez, 28, told the boisterous crowd that filled the 800-person capacity Gray Area performance space in the Mission District. The biggest challenge isnt converting politically red voters into blue ones, she said, it is turning non-voters into voters.

And Democrats need to lead with a strong progressive message, she said, that includes Medicare-for-all and tuition-free college. That message  and tireless grassroots campaigning  is what propelled her past Rep. Joe Crowley in the New York primary this year.

She appeared earlier Tuesday at a sold-out fundraiser at the Assembly in the Mission District, where the top ticket was $2,700. Admission for the second fundraiser was more modest: $10 could get you in the door and the priciest ticket was $50. The second event raised $15,000.

There definitely is an audience in San Francisco for the type of progressivism that Ocasio-Cortez is representing. In the June primary, three Democrats and one Green Party candidate running to the left of Rep. Nancy Pelosi won 21 percent of the vote. Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, won 69 percent of the vote.

People said they like Ocasio-Cortez because shes talking about more than the latest thing that President Trump did or said. (She didnt mention the president Tuesday.) Instead, shes talking bluntly about issues that Democrats, particularly those backed by corporate PACs, dont ordinarily talk about  like wealth inequality.

She looks like us, she talks like us and she represents the values that we have, said Rigoberto Marquez, an Oakland resident. You dont see many people like that who are authentic like she is.

Ocasio-Cortez did not mention Tuesday that she identifies as a democratic socialist, much like one of her mentors, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. But plenty of speakers who preceded her on the stage Tuesday did, in part because the event was co-sponsored by the San Francisco Progressive Alliance, a coalition that includes the San Francisco chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

That affiliation was a positive to many in Tuesdays audience, who roared at each mention of the party. Socialism carries little of the cultural and political baggage that it does for the generation that grew up when the Berlin Wall was still standing.

Im a young socialist woman of color, said Shanti Singh, a San Francisco housing activist who is only a year younger than Ocasio-Cortez. And I want a young woman socialist of color to name not only the problems we see under Trump, but the interest of inequality.

But it does still offend some conservatives. Ocasio-Cortez has become such a hit among progressives that the National Congressional Campaign Committee and GOP candidates in other states are using her as a foil to raise money for their campaigns.

In July, Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis, who is running for governor in Florida, was captured in a video mocking Ocasio-Cortez as this girl.

You look at this girl, Ocasio-Cortez or whatever she is, I mean, shes in a totally different universe, DeSantis told a campaign crowd. Its basically socialism wrapped in ignorance. ... Youre repeating canned left-wing talking points and youre somehow the savior of the Democratic Party? Good Lord.

Rep. DeSantis, Ocasio-Cortez chimed in on Twitter, it seems youre confused as to whatever I am. I am a Puerto Rican woman. Its strange you dont know what that is, given that ~75,000 Puerto Ricans have relocated to Florida in the 10 mos since (Hurricane) Maria.

After that, DeSantis sent out a fundraising pitch claiming he was being attacked by the new socialist face of the Democrat Party.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoliJon Camacho is a fourth-generation San Joaquin County almond farmer who says he will have to borrow money to stay alive if he doesnt get a slice of the $12 billion the Trump administration is promising to farmers affected by the presidents tariff wars with trade partners.

One of Camachos biggest buyers is China  or it was, until President Trump imposed taxes on a range of Chinese imports, and Beijing responded by slapping tariffs on U.S. farm products, including almonds. With the Chinese market drying up, theres a glut of U.S. nuts, and the price of Camachos product is plummeting.

As first proposed, however, Trumps assistance package wouldnt cover almond growers. Or citrus growers, who also make up a big share of Californias farmers  and are looking to Trump-friendly Republican congressmen for help.

Camachos congressman, Rep. Jeff Denham, listens and he seems down to earth, said Camacho, who has voted for the Turlock (Stanislaus County) Republican in the past. But if Camacho doesnt get federal aid for his 10-acre farm in Ripon, he said, Denham will lose my vote in his bid for a fourth term.

Camachos promise is a sign of how Trumps trade wars could affect Republicans in Central Valley congressional districts that the GOP needs to win in November to have a good chance of keeping control of the House. GOP incumbents are being squeezed between supporting Trump and his agenda, and doing right by the farmers they represent.

Trump says he intends to offer $12 billion in aid to farmers whose crops are being hit with tariffs of up to 51 percent on their products. The foreign taxes were in response to tariffs that Trump ordered on products from countries including China, Mexico, Canada and members of the European Union because of what he called unfair trade practices.

Trump says the strategy is sure to work and has pleaded with farmers and others in the U.S. who are being hit by retaliatory tariffs to be patient.

Youve got to stick it out, he said last week at a rally in Kansas City, Mo. The farmers are going to be the biggest beneficiaries. Just be a little patient.

In the meantime, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, producers of soybeans, sorghum, corn, wheat, cotton, dairy and hogs would qualify for direct aid. That leaves out top California exports like almonds and oranges.

No state is affected by the trade war more than California. It exports more than $45 billion a year in agricultural products, $28 billion of that to China. Many of the states biggest growers are in congressional districts that have long been held by Republicans, and theyre pressuring the current batch of incumbents to work the White House for aid.

This is a Republican administration, said Dennis Nuxoll of the Western Growers Association, which represents California farm interests in Washington and opposes Trumps tariffs. The key to this is Republicans.

In the spotlight are House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, whom Trump has called my Kevin, and Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and one of the presidents most vocal defenders. Other integral players include Denham, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, and Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford (Kings County), a dairy-farm owner.

Denham and Valadao are facing tough re-election fights, and even Nunes, whose district has more Republicans than Democrats, has a credible challenger. McCarthy has an easier path to re-election, and he hopes to become speaker if Republicans hold the House.

One expert says the aid the Trump administration is offering to farmers wont come close to covering their trade-war losses  no matter where they live.

I dont think there is any way that $12 billion will make whole these big commodities, said Daniel Sumner, a professor of agriculture and economics at UC Davis and director of the universitys Agricultural Issues Center.

He estimates that California agriculture could lose up to $4 billion in produce crops like tree nuts and citrus because of other nations retaliatory tariffs. The states almond farmers are especially worried about the $500 million worth of their product that they export annually to China.

There is a point in this tariff war where the damage cannot be undone, said Elaine Trevino, president of the Almond Alliance of California, which represents 450 members of the industry. If we were to see that China market close, that could be huge.

A leader of Californias citrus industry, which exports $130 million worth of oranges to China annually, said growers are already feeling the impact of tariffs. Joel Nelsen, president of California Citrus Mutual, which represents 2,500 of the states 3,500 growers, has a simple request for the California congressional delegation:

All we need them to do is tell the administration, You need to work this out to help my constituency, Nelsen said. Work something out.

Some Republicans are starting to push back on the administration, careful to strike a balance between not alienating Trump and his itchy Twitter finger and responding to their constituents.

Without free and fair trade, our Central Valley growers need emergency aid to stabilize our agriculture, Denham said Wednesday. Im fighting to ensure our specialty crop farmers receive equal aid to protect our farms and our economy. Ultimately, our farmers need access to more markets and free trade. 

On Tuesday, 10 California House members  including Denham, Valadao and Nunes  signed a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue warning that retaliatory tariffs have already cost their constituents $2 billion.

We strongly urge that specialty crop farmers be given the same forethought as other tariff-impacted commodity sectors, the House members wrote. Specifically, they should receive a share of the $12 billion mitigation funding that is adequately proportional to the damage they will face from retaliatory tariffs.

Valadao, who has spoken to Vice President Mike Pence and Perdue, told The Chronicle that these broad tariffs are having serious consequences on farmers.

While the aid package will provide interim relief for some farmers, Valadao said, we must recognize that this is not a long-term solution.

His Democratic election opponent, T.J. Cox, was not impressed.

All these guys are doing is writing letters. Thats not leadership. Those letters go directly in the round file, said Cox, who owns an almond processing plant in Madera. What they should be doing is get together a valley coalition and drive a bunch of tractors down Pennsylvania Avenue and start advocating directly to the White House.

Nunes and 19 other House Republicans urged Trump last week to negotiate directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping. We are confident that if you personally engage with President Xi, you would reinvigorate the negotiations and develop meaningful solutions, they wrote in a letter to the president.

Nunes told The Chronicle in an email that while the aid for farmers is useful, I dont believe farmers want aid  they want to be able to sell their goods freely without discrimination. And were working hard to make China abide by those rules.

The Democrat challenging Nunes in November, Fresno County prosecutor Andrew Janz, says the Republican incumbent is siding with Trump at the expense of his district.

Any first-year econ student knows that creating a trade war is not a way to open up your markets, said Janzs campaign manager, Heather Greven. Everybody knew this would be a disaster for Tulare and Fresno counties.

Farmers like Camacho are stuck in the middle of the politics. Over the past month, Camacho has watched the price of almonds drop 30 cents from the $2.45 a pound he received last year. He budgets a baseline of $2 a pound to break even. Hitting that target is looking less likely every day.

I understand that President Trump is trying to do the best thing for our economy, and I support that, Camacho said. But it is definitely affecting me. In my situation as a small-time farmer, without any aid, I will be in trouble.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoliYosemite National Park officials on Tuesday extended the shutdown of much of the park until Sunday because of ongoing wildfire concerns while expanding the closure to include the Hetch Hetchy area.

Popular Yosemite Valley as well as the Wawona area, Mariposa Grove and Merced Grove have been closed since July 25 due to unhealthy smoke and firefighting traffic from the nearby Ferguson Fire. Despite plans to reopen the affected areas Friday, officials said conditions have not improved enough to lift the closure. In fact, theyve worsened in some spots.Someone had a water balloon fight on Ocean Beach on a recent Saturday, just under the sand dunes across from Lincoln Way. Someone else peeled the wrapper off their new pack of cigarettes and lit up. And at some point in the past few months, someone enjoyed a coffee in a Styrofoam cup, probably on a damp, foggy morning like this one.

Im on Ocean Beach on a Sunday morning picking up the trash they left behind. The kids and I are volunteers for Surfriders beach cleanup team, armed with buckets, tongs and rubber gloves. Its the culmination of a week-long family project trying to cut down on the amount of plastic packaging we have to deal with. It would be easy to get angry with people who leave trash behind, but were just going to enjoy the feeling of helping a little bit instead.

Russell Yip /The Chronicle

The campaign against plastic pollution is seeing a surge of support worldwide. Many were horrified by the finale of the BBCs Blue Planet 2 last year, in which Sir David Attenborough described the extent of the problem with devastating effect. Roughly 320 million metric tons of plastic are produced globally every year, 40 percent of which is for packaging we use once and throw away. One million plastic drinks bottles are sold worldwide every minute, reports the Guardian newspaper. And although San Francisco is highly unusual in keeping 80 percent of its waste out of landfill, the United States overall recycles just 9 percent of recyclable plastics, according to National Geographic.

I was haunted by images of a dead seabird, its stomach stuffed with hundreds of pieces of plastic, and a whale that died after eating 64 pounds of plastic debris. I thought of the plastic Ive used in my lifetime, and where it might be now: a balloon I watched drift off a decade ago, a chocolate-bar wrapper I threw away 15 years ago, that random piece of plastic that snapped off our ping-pong table 20 years ago. There is a good chance it all ended up with the other 8 million metric tons of plastic dumped in the oceans every year, much of which comes from poorly managed landfill sites, discarded fishing gear, coastal litter and debris flushed down toilets.

What could I possibly do on my own? I decided to go one week without buying anything plastic or wrapped in plastic, and to message every company whose products I couldnt buy as a result.

I started at Trader Joes. Instead of spending our weekly $250 at the grocery shop for our family of four, I left out everything wrapped in plastic and I could spend only $59. In the produce section, the only thing I could buy was bananas, which had a paper label rather than a plastic one. I couldnt buy anything frozen, no pasta, cereal, snack bars or bread  even the baguette bag had a clear plastic strip down the side. The only plastic-free cheese was cream cheese, because my beloved Point Reyes Blue had a film wrapper. Thank goodness for our weekly veg box from Imperfect Produce, which uses minimal plastic and lets us customize our order to take out anything in a plastic box.

The Orinda farmers market was a disappointment  other than a dozen eggs, every stall used plastic bags or boxes, including the baker, so I patiently decanted everything into the reusable cloth bags weve had for 15 years.

At the hallowed ground of Berkeley Bowl, even its bulk and produce sections are full of plastic bags  but you can come prepared: I bought rice, cereal and nuts in our own bags, and you can also refill your own glass jars. At the cheese counter, every single cheese was wrapped in plastic (a tragically sweaty thing to wrap cheese in, as any foodie will tell you). With a slightly weary expression, the obliging cheesemonger said he could cut me a slice of cheddar from a $300 block. But in order to cut one small piece, he explained, hed have to remove all the plastic wrap and re-wrap it in new plastic. (No, I dont understand either.)

Russell Yip / The Chronicle

The deeper I traveled into the land of #plasticfree, the more committed I became. At my 9-year-olds birthday party, I gave out packets of seeds rather than cheap plastic toys destined for landfill. I found plastic-free chewing gum, bamboo toothbrushes and old-school metal razors. Someone recommended Who Gives a Crap, a plastic-free toilet paper company that funds toilet projects in the developing world. Most toilet paper, tampons and sanitary towels, wet wipes and even tea bags contain plastic fibers that wont biodegrade, but there are alternatives and a network of blogs and books helped me. Bay Area chef Anne-Marie Bonneau has run a zero-waste kitchen since 2011, and Oakland activist Beth Terry gave me dozens of tips.

Friends in the U.S. and in my native United Kingdom started joining in, and we began to share ideas and encourage each other to make more of our own food from scratch. I dont mind admitting that my natural resistance to following the rules makes me a better writer than cook, but homemade bread was simple and impressed my children, as did the homemade treats that replaced our staple plastic-wrapped cereal bars.

Our plastic-free week turned into two weeks, and then into Plastic Free July. My husband helped by merrily eating my inventions, and the kids understood the challenge straight away. When I filled their water bottles for camp this week, I thought about the plastic microfibers that have been found in 83 percent of the worlds drinking water. These break down from ocean debris, but also from synthetic fabrics that shed fibers every time we wash and dry our clothes. Researchers are still trying to work out how this is affecting our circulatory systems, our organs and our DNA, let alone the environment around us.

Russell Yip / The Chronicle

Theres no turning back. Fueled by the enthusiasm of doing something for the greater good, my shopping habits have changed for the better. We rely more heavily on the produce box and farmers market for fresh food, and buy fewer processed and dry goods. Before I buy anything, I look around for a plastic-free alternative, and theres almost always a way to do it. It takes commitment, though  and the energy to explain to the nice lady in Starbucks why I want her to find me a mug instead of a plastic-lined paper cup because its #plasticfreejuly. We know that corporations have barely begun to accept their responsibility in tackling this problem.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

I spoke to Lucy Siegle, a British journalist, who has been writing about plastics since 2005. Her new book, Turning the Tide on Plastics, says Im not alone in feeling angry that retailers have shifted the responsibility of cleaning up plastics onto consumers. And with production expected to increase by 40 percent over the next decade as shale gas funds $180 billion of new plastic manufacturing centers, particularly in the U.S., #plasticfree is set to become one of the most mainstream environmental movements yet.

We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to stop this pandemic, Siegle says. Individual actions do matter  you could be taking thousands of pieces of plastic out of the system every year.

At a time when it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the despair and uncertainty in the news every day, it feels incredibly empowering to do something positive. And if that means our family of four keeps thousands of pieces of plastic out of the ocean, then thats thousands of reasons to stay #plasticfree.

Jemima Kiss is a freelance editor and writer who moved to the Bay Area from the United Kingdom in 2015. Email: style@sfchronicle.com.he first such protest will be held in front of the residence of parliamentary affairs minister and Punes guardian minister, Girish Bapat.

Pune: The Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) has decided to change its modus operandi and will henceforth protest in front of the houses of MPs and MLAs. The first such protest will be held in front of the residence of parliamentary affairs minister and Punes guardian minister, Girish Bapat. The outfit has also appealed to participants not to break laws or inflict self-harm.

The organisers of MKM said, We are changing our strategy of protests. Now, we will hold protest rallies in front of the houses of MPs and MLAs instead of on roads.

Shantaram Kunjir, city coordinator of MKM, in Pune on Tuesday said, Earlier, we organised protest rallies across the city that disrupted city life. But now, we will protest outside the houses of peoples representatives like MPs and MLAs.

We are starting this by protesting outside the house of Mr Bapat, state cabinet minister for food, civil supplies and consumer protection; food and drugs administration; and parliamentary affairs on August 2. We will also protest in front of the house of Vandana Chavan, MP, Rajya Sabha, on the same day. After our protests, they will follow up on the issue, he said.

Rajendra Kondhare, another member of MKM, said, We also want the youths not to commit suicide or even inflict self-harm as that will not lead us anywhere. Protesters should not take the law into their own hands, and we should continue peaceful protest marches as we did earlier.

MKM leaders also asked the state government not to book Maratha youths on serious charges like attempt to murder.A year after founders of an effort to get the state of California to secede backed away from their proposal, they're now reportedly planning to relaunch the campaign with a modification: Make a large portion of the state an "autonomous Native American nation."

Yes California co-founder Louis J. Marinelli spoke to Politico Tuesday, asking, "Why not do something to right some of the wrongs of the past to the Native American people, and give them back their land?"

Under this new plan, all federally-owned land in California from the Oregon border to Mexico would be given back to Native Americans. Because the land falls in rural conservative areas of the state, organizers Marinelli and Marcus Ruiz Evans say the proposal would also inadvertently provide a new "buffer zone between Donald Trump's America and the new independent California Republic."

RELATED: Ann Coulter on California seceding: 'I think Trump would agree - and sell it back to Mexico'

Marinelli, who lived in Russia during the first campaign push, tells Politico he's afraid that his new campaign might not succeed, but they're nevertheless pressing forward.

Previously, the two headed up a campaign called Yes California, which aimed to get the whole state of California to secede. They pulled the plug in April 2017 after Marinelli's living situation in Russia prompted scrutiny from critics. At the time, he told the Los Angeles Times that the news media "simultaneously sensationalized, exaggerated and dramatized information about our campaign and particularly about myself in an effort to delegitimize our effort and demoralize our supporters." (Marinelli has since moved back to California.)

Ruiz Evans also told the Sacramento Bee that Marinelli's residence "spooked" donors to the campaign, who backed out as a result.

"Absent of claims that something evil was going on backed by Russia, we would have had the money," he added.

RELATED: Opponents sue to nix ballot measure to split California in 3

A somewhat similar campaign to divide California into three portions, organized by a Silicon Valley venture capitalist named Tim Draper, made headlines this month when it was removed from the November ballot by the California Supreme Court.

The new Yes California redux campaign headed by Marinelli and Ruiz Evans is, like Draper's, unlikely to succeed. A special election would need to take place, or a new amendment would need to be added to the U.S. constitution allowing a state to leave the union. While Marinelli reportedly believes an amendment isn't a necessary step, both scenarios are considered far-fetched.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

An eagle-eyed Chevron employee in Hayward thwarted two would-be thieves in their efforts to steal credit card information from unwitting customers right before Christmas.

The employee spotted suspicious-looking men near an ATM, and sensing something was off, called the police, as KRON reports. When he approached the machine, he discovered a skimmer attached to the card reader.

But that wasn't all; upon arrival, an Officer Dadej discovered that one of the thieves had also installed a camera in a side panel of the ATM. The point of the false panel is purportedly to capture pin numbers as they're inputted on the keypad.

"Thank goodness the alert employee realized something wasn't right and called Hayward PD immediately," a Hayward Police Department Facebook post about the finding reads. "Officer Dadej went to the 7/11 store across the street and discovered a similar device was installed on their ATM as well!"

Fortunately, Chevron's in-store cameras were working, and did capture an image of the suspects. Police are asking anyone who recognizes the men to call the Hayward police.

Hayward police spokesperson Sargeant Ruben Pola tells SFGATE that such a crime is "very uncommon" in Hayward, adding, "It's been quite some time since we could locate a skimmer."

The technology behind credit card skimming has become more sophisticated in recent months, as a September report by CNBC outlined. Authorities estimate that thieves are making away with around $2 billion in fraudulent charges around the world, thanks to new ways to create theft devices mostly undetectable to the average person. Police recommend that ATM users look for cues that a machine looks off before using and to always cover the keypad when entering a pin number.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.Every Wednesday morning, SFGATE finds the biggest headlines in local (and sometimes national) beer. Check back here weekly for news, events, and information about special releases from your favorite local breweries.

SFGATE has a biweekly beer newsletter! Called the Taploid, it contains key stories from this column, as well as other, more nationally-spanning industry news. To sign up, head here, enter your email at the top, and check the box marked "Taploid."

Curious about those brut IPAs you keep hearing about? Pacific Standard, a Berkeley taproom run by Half Moon Bay Brewing, is holding a tap takeover starring the sub-style on Thursday, August 2 beginning at 6 p.m. Try takes on the beer by Laughing Monk, Triple Voodoo, Social Kitchen (whose brewer, Kim Sturdavant, invented the brut), and more.

Bayview Uncorked, a "celebration of San Francisco's Bayview district," is popping wine bottles and tapping kegs on Thursday, August 2 from 6-9 p.m. to benefit Imprint City, a Bayview nonprofit. Select breweries, wineries, and other craft alcohol producers from the neighborhood and elsewhere in San Francisco will be in attendance, including Black Hammer, Seven Stills, Harmonic, and  if it's your style  San Francisco Mead. Tickets are available for $30 in advance or $35 at the door.

Faction Brewing crunched the numbers and found out just how much it raised during their Ales for ALS festival: "an astounding $52,000." ***clap Emoji***

UC Davis' storied brewing program, run by the inimitable Pope of Foam himself, Charlie Bamforth, quietly launched amini online program in May, available to anyone willing to spend $385 to take the course. From Food and Wine: "The self-paced, online program built around video lectures comes in four sections  Foam, Flavor, Freshness, and Color and Clarity  with enrollment start dates rotating throughout the year." The class doesn't reward any certification at the end, but for those not into adding their name to the famously years-long waitlist for the university program, or those just looking to up their homebrew game, the digital classes could provide a real option.

People like beer! That's the main result of a new survey by Gallup of U.S. drinkers and their beverage of choice, released this month. As they found, 42 percent of Americans who drink alcohol consider beer their drink of choice, while 34 percent chose wine and 19 percent chose liquor. That's kind of a big deal, since the wine and beer industries are historically very competitive for consumers. Another interesting finding? Beer has become more popular with affluent older drinkers.

Armistice Brewing Company, something of a wunderkind of a brewery in Richmond, is celebrating its first birthday on Saturday, August 4. From noon to 10 p.m. the company will host music, food trucks, screen printing, and booths with local nonprofit and charitable organizations the company has partnered with over the year. Get more details on their big day here.

Across the Bay, Beer Hall just off Market Street is also celebrating a major milestone with their fifth anniversary event, beginning at 2 p.m. Some special beers will be on tap for the occasion, including some from Alvarado Street-affiliated Yeast of Eden, Libertine, Humble Sea and Moonraker.

San Francisco-based Huckberry, a men's e-commerce retailer, has teamed up with Mikkeller to release Blue Hour, a Gose-style ale made with pineapple, tart cherry, and Yerba Buena. Per a press release, the beer is named after "the period of twilight when the sun's below the horizon and everything is cast in a hazy indigo hue." It's available at the San Francisco Mikkeller location now.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

In a year of much public discourse surrounding women's rights and equality, a new ranking from Forbes reveals the best employers for women.

Twenty of the 300 national companies are headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with two corporations cracking the top 20  Sephora (No. 15) and Google (No. 17). Bay Area companies Levi Strauss, Stanford, YouTube and Cisco rounded out the top 50.

See the top 20 companies for women in the above gallery.

The majority of companies at the top of the pack are in the education and health care sectors. Four school districts or universities and seven healthcare companies ranked in the top 20.

The ranking is based on surveys of more than 40,000 Americans, including 25,000 women, working for companies with 1,000 employees or more.

Respondents rated their employers in multiple categories, including diversity and working conditions, and responses were adjusted for possible gender gaps. Female employees were also asked to rate their companies on criteria such as pay equity, discrimination and parental leave, and to nominate organizations outside their industries. The final ranking reflects respondents' answers as well as companies with diversity in their boards and executive leadership.

Principal Financial Group took the No. 1 spot. Nearly 60 percent of the Des Moines company's employees are women, who benefit from flexible work schedules, prenatal care programs and onsite child care.

"You can have a holistic life if you're part of this organization. I've not felt the need to compromise in any way," Kerry Gumm, director of HR strategy, told Forbes.

The company has also established three internal women's networks and reviews pay practices yearly, inviting employees to voice concerns via the anonymous Ethics Hotline.

Said Gumm: "One thing no one can do is assume that we've got it right, We should celebrate where we're making progress, but at the same time recognize the workforce is changing significantly, how we work is changing rapidly."

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.SILVER SPRING, Md.  Facebook stunned and angered organizers of a protest against white supremacists when it disabled their Washington events page this week, saying it and others had been created by bad actors misusing the social media service.

The company said the page  one of 32 pages or accounts it removed Tuesday from Facebook and Instagram  violated its ban on coordinated inauthentic behavior and may be linked to an account created by Russias Internet Research Agency, a troll farm that has sown discord in the U.S.

But the organizers of next weekends protest in Washington say Facebook has unfairly and recklessly tarnished their work by suggesting their event could be linked to a Russian campaign to interfere in U.S. politics.

April Goggans, an organizer of Black Lives Matter DC, said protest organizers began planning the event before the Facebook pages creation. Organizers have set up a new page, but Goggans fears Facebooks crackdown left many people with the false impression that a Russian bot is behind their event.

Our participation may take a hit because people are trying to find out whats legit and whats not, she said Wednesday.

For weeks, activists have been planning a counterprotest to the Washington rally organized by Jason Kessler, the principal organizer of last summers deadly white nationalist gathering in Charlottesville, Va. Hundreds of Facebook users clicked on the events Facebook page to signal their intent to attend the counterprotest.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebooks head of cybersecurity policy, said in a statement Tuesday that inauthentic administrators of a page called Resisters connected with administrators from five legitimate pages to co-host the event and enlist support from real people.

These legitimate Pages unwittingly helped build interest in No Unite Right 2 - DC and posted information about transportation, materials, and locations so people could get to the protests, Gleicher wrote.

Gleichers statement said Facebook disabled the event page Tuesday and reached out to the administrators of the five other pages to update them on what happened. Facebook also planned to report the issue to approximately 2,600 users who had expressed interested in the event and to more than 600 users who said they planned to attend it.

Andrew Batcher, an organizer for the Shut It Down DC coalition formed to protest Kesslers rally, said the event page created by Resisters was taken over and controlled by a lot of real people doing real work. Batcher said he hasnt seen any evidence that any of administrators for the Resisters page was a bad actor.

All the content on the page came from local organizers, he said. Facebook took it all down, which I see as censorship of a real protest event.

Researchers at the Atlantic Council, a nonprofit working with Facebook to analyze abuse on its service, said the accounts identified for removal sought to promote divisions between Americans. The accounts seemed focused on building an online audience and moving it to offline events such as protests.

Facebook didnt directly link Tuesdays crackdown to Russia or to the midterm U.S. elections in the fall. But the company said it found evidence of some connections between the deleted accounts and accounts that Russias IRA created before Facebook disabled them last year. Facebook said one of the disabled IRA accounts shared a Facebook event hosted by the Resisters page, which had an IRA account as one of its administrators for only seven minutes.

If thats the case, then its pretty meaningless infiltration, Batcher said.

But that discovery could be a sign of something deeper and not necessarily the full extent of the IRA accounts activity on the page, said Dipayan Ghosh, a former Facebook employee who worked on global privacy and public policy issues for the company.

It just raises a bunch of questions that suggest there is a complicated ecosystem here and were only scratching the surface, said Ghosh, a fellow at Harvard Kennedy Schools Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.

In February, a federal indictment accused 13 Russians of operating a hidden social media trolling campaign, posing as U.S. activists and posting about divisive political and social issues. Investigators have concluded the Russians coordinated and leveraged the support of unwitting Americans in carrying out their campaign.

Kessler scheduled his Aug. 12 event in Washington to mark the anniversary of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, where hundreds of white supremacists and counterprotesters clashed in the streets before a car plowed into a crowd, killing 32-year-old counterprotester Heather Heyer. The National Park Service approved Kesslers application for a white civil rights rally at Lafayette Square, near the White House, but hasnt issued a permit for the event.

Goggans said Facebooks crackdown has been a time-consuming distraction for counterprotest organizers.

Over the past 18 hours, weve been having to prove we exist, she said.

Michael Kunzelman is an Associated Press writer.When Facebook revealed Tuesday that it had identified a political influence campaign ahead of the November midterm elections, Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos was front-and-center in speaking on the issue.

But Stamos will exit the social network this month, just as Facebook steps up its efforts to combat misinformation and foreign interference. Stamos, 39, said he planned to join Stanford in September as an adjunct professor and will also become part of a faculty working group called Information Warfare, where he will examine the role of security and technology in society.The 20-year-old victim was stabbed to death by her boyfriend following a spat.

The girl was stabbed in the stomach twice over a spat between the couple.

Mumbai: The Azad Maidan police cracked a murder case in four hours by arresting a man for stabbing his 20-year-old girlfriend to death over reasons that are still being ascertained. The girls body was found lying in a pool of blood at the Oval ground on Tuesday by locals who then informed the police. The victims parents and the accused boyfriend had been searching for the girl in Fort area since late Monday.

The deceased was identified as Nasrin Shaikh (20), who was employed with an eatery Chai Pe Charcha in Fort area. The police arrested her boyfriend Salman Shaikh, who had also joined the search with her father. Investigators said that the girl would usually leave home by 8 am every morning for work. But when she failed to return home on Monday evening, her father Umar Shaikh (45), a scrap dealer based in Mumbra, had begun a hunt for her.

The police control room on Tuesday received a call about an unknown woman lying in pool of blood at Oval Maidan. A police team rushed her to GT Hospital but she was declared dead.

The girl was stabbed in the stomach twice over a spat between the couple. The police however said that the accused had allegedly planned the murder beforehand. The victims father had suspected her boyfriends role in the untimely death of his daughter and hence the police picked him up for questioning.

During the course of investigation he allegedly spilled the beans and revealed that he had met the girl and and stabbed her following a spat.

We have arrested the accused and further investigation is underway to ascertain facts and find out what triggered the murder, said an officer from Azad Maidan police station.

A case of murder has been registered against Shaikh and he has been remanded to police custody for further investigation.NEW YORK  Wells Fargo agreed Wednesday to pay a $2.1 billion fine to settle allegations it misrepresented the types of mortgages it sold to investors during the housing bubble that ultimately led to the 2008 financial crisis.

The amount is relatively smaller than the fines paid by Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and other big banks in the years following the financial crisis to settle similar allegations. Wells Fargo is one of the last remaining big banks to settle charges related to its role in the subprime mortgage crisis.

The fine is unrelated to the more recent scandals that have plagued the San Francisco bank in the past three years, such as the opening of millions of fake accounts for customers without their authorization in order to meet unrealistic sales quotas, or the bundling of auto insurance policies on to auto loans when customers did not need them.

More for you Wells Fargo hasn't gotten ahead of its problems

The government accused Wells and many other big banks of understating the risk and quality of the mortgages they sold to investors at the height of the housing bubble, in Wells case between 2005 and 2007. These investors bought up tens of billions of dollars in mortgages from Wells and other banks, and experienced massive losses when borrowers failed to repay and housing prices collapsed nationwide.

The Department of Justice said Wells Fargo sold at least 73,500 loans that had poor underwriting standards to investors. Half of those loans defaulted, resulting in billions of dollars in losses to investors.

This settlement holds Wells Fargo accountable for actions that contributed to the financial crisis, Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio said in a statement.

In earlier settlements with the Justice Department, Bank of America paid a $5 billion fine to authorities in 2014 for similar allegations, and Citigroup paid a $4 billion fine.

Wells Fargo said in a statement it was pleased to put behind us these legacy issues and said it had previously set aside the money to cover the settlement.

Ken Sweet is an Associated Press writer.In airport news, CNN reports that the TSA is considering getting rid of security screening at small and medium-sized airports; new food and beverage options are coming for LaGuardia, Detroit, Boston Logan and Chicago Midway; the TSA plans to deploy those new 3D CT scanners to checkpoints at many more airports; Priority Pass loses a presence at Seattle; Atlanta adds a new feature to some restrooms; and Toronto Pearson gives connection assistance to Star Alliance travelers.

Today CNN reports that internal documents from the TSA include a proposal to cut screening at up to 150 small and medium-sized airports served by aircraft with fewer than 60 seats. Instead, passengers and luggage arriving from these smaller airports would be screened upon arrival at major airports for connecting flights. CNN says that the high-volume airports have greater capacities and more advanced security measures than smaller locations. According to the report, the concept is not new, but has come to the forefront of more discussion lately- that that there's heated debate about it. Read the full report here.

We recently reported on the Transportation Security Administration's installation of new CT scanning technology in the security checkpoint at American Airlines' Terminal 4 at New York JFK  devices that were already being tested in Phoenix and Boston Logan. Well, apparently TSA is pretty confident about the new scanners (which allow agents to see a 3D view of carry-on bag contents that can be rotated for a view from different angles) because the agency announced it plans to install 40 of the new scanners at several airports this year. By the end of 2019, TSA said, they'll have 145 new scanners in place. Additional airports getting the new devices this year include Oakland, San Diego, Los Angeles International, Chicago O'Hare, Baltimore-Washington, Cincinnati, Houston Hobby, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Washington Dulles.

Are you a member of the Priority Pass program that provides access to select airport lounges? Don't try to get into Alaska Airlines' lounges at Seattle-Tacoma International, because they are no longer accepting Priority Passes for admission. The airline had already started turning away Priority Pass holders on especially busy days at its lounges before pulling them out of the program altogether. Travelers can still buy day passes for the Alaska lounges, and Priority Pass still gets you into the two SEA locations of The Club airport lounges  one in Concourse A and the other in the South Satellite.

If you're in Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson near Delta Gates B18 and B23 and you really have to go, check out the two pairs of restrooms near those gates. They have a new lighting system that eliminates (sorry) the need for passengers to awkwardly check under the stall doors to see if they're occupied. Lights above each stall will be either red or green to signal which ones are currently available. How do they know? The stall doors have "smart latches" that communicate wirelessly with the lights. They're from a company called Tooshlights, and they're also installed at some restrooms in Los Angeles International.

The Star Alliance, which includes United, Air Canada and the Lufthansa Group, among others, has expanded its Connection Service to Toronto Pearson Airport. If a passenger has a tight connection between two Star Alliance member airlines, the Connection Service staff will use special software to monitor the traveler's "transfer window." According to Star Alliance, "Cases where passengers and checked bags appear in danger of missing a connection are automatically highlighted. The Connection Service agent can thereby already consider the various options available to ensure that the customer reaches the onward flight, or if necessary book alternative options, before the inbound flight even lands." The group said that more than 400,000 travelers connect between Star Alliance carriers at Toronto every year.

HMSHost, a leading airport concessionaire, said it will be a part of the massive redevelopment of New York LaGuardia's Terminal B (the main terminal) by bringing in three new eateries there: Shake Shack, the popular purveyor of all-natural Angus beef burgers that is expanding to more and more airports; La Chula, a taqueria from NYC chef Julian Medina that has existing locations in Grand Central Station and East Harlem; and Osteria Fusco, an Italian restaurant from chef and cookbook author Scott Conant featuring house-made pastas.

At Detroit Metro, HMSHost and its partners won a 10-year contract for nine new outlets in the North Terminal. They include the Jolly Pumpkin Taphouse, a local brewery that will serve up beer and bar food like burgers and pizza; Anita's Kitchen Lebanese Cafe, with Middle Eastern cuisine; Cantoro Italian Market Trattoria, a new airport location for a 40-year-old Detroit favorite; Common Grace Coffee Co., serving coffee, tea and snacks; Brioche Doree, a bakery, coffee shop and sandwich provider; and national brands Outback Steakhouse, Chick-fil-A, and Starbucks.

And HMSHost just announced plans for new dining options at Boston Logan in the months ahead, including a pair of outlets from James Beard award-winning chef Jody Adams  Trade and Saloniki Greek; Boston Public Market, a collection of vendors offering seasonal food and beverages from local farmers, fisheries and other providers; Kelly's Roast Beef, a 67-year-old local casual restaurant with four locations in eastern Massachusetts; Sullivan's, a "quick-service seaside-style eatery" with a Boston Harbor location dating back to 1951; and Monument Restaurant & Tavern, a "modern take on the classic American tavern."

Chicago Midway has cut the ribbon on a 6,300-square-foot food court that occupies previously unused space in Concourse A. The food court includes airport outlets of popular Chicago-area places like Arami, a sushi restaurant from Ty Fujimura; the historic downtown pub Billy Goat Tavern; and Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria from the city's western suburbs. There's also an Irish pub called Reilly's Daughter and a gourmet nuts and popcorn shop called Nuts on Clark. The food court is part of the airport's year-old, $75 million effort to overhaul its food and beverage options.

Read all recent TravelSkills posts here

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Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.Julian Casablancas is taking it back to the clubs.

On tour with his current outfit, the Voidz, the 39-year-old front man for the Strokes is performing at the kind of small venues his band last played before he was even old enough to drink.

The tour, in support of the Voidz sophomore album, Virtue, reaches the Chapel in San Francisco for a two-night stop, Thursday and Friday, Aug. 2 and 3.

It makes sense for Casablancas to scale it back  the music he is making now doesnt go down as easy as the breezy, two-chord rock and roll for which he is best known. Virtue is built on odd arrangements, grating electronic effects and lots of punk gesturing, with songs like Pyramid of Bones and Qyurryus, fully indulging his obsession with the 1980s.

At least it sounds like Casablancas is having fun again, a key element that was missing from the last batch of releases by the Strokes.

 Aidin VaziriFollowing in its footsteps, other private dairies, too, have initiated the process of increasing rates for both cow and buffalo milk.

Mumbai: Milk rates have increased by Rs 2 per litre owing to the state governments recent directive that farmers be paid Rs 25 per litre for cow milk. A Kolhapur-based dairy cooperative that sells milk under the Gokul brand has increased the rate of milk in Mumbai and other cities. Following in its footsteps, other private dairies, too, have initiated the process of increasing rates for both cow and buffalo milk.

Due to the farmers statewide protest earlier this month for increase in the purchase price of cow milk, the state government has directed all private and cooperative dairies to pay farmers Rs 25 per litre for cow milk. Implementation of these rates has started from July 21. So, dairies have increased rates by Rs 2 per litre for both cow and buffalo milk.

Earlier, the purchase rate for cow milk was Rs 17 to Rs 21 per litre but dairies were selling it for Rs 13 to rs 14 per litre. But with the governments Rs 25 per litre directive, dairies have been warned against selling milk at lower prices. Action will be taken against errant dairies, said senior officers of the dairy department.Eating alone in the city can seem like a daunting task in the face of popular family-style restaurants, but there are a number of restaurants where one can have an enjoyable and relaxing meal  even without company.

A Reddit user visiting San Francisco alone asked for a list of restaurants that are the best for solo diners  and got a wealth of answers from the Reddit community.Twitter laughed at SFO's fleece vest vending machine, but any traveler who bought one and then spent the last week in San Francisco is probably happy with the purchase.

While temperatures soared to as high as 113 degrees in Redding, where firefighters are battling the devastating Carr Fire, parts of the Bay Area have been positively chilly.WASHINGTON  President Trump called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday to end the special counsel investigation, an extraordinary appeal to the nations top law enforcement official to end an inquiry directly into the president.

He wrote on Twitter: This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!

The order immediately raised questions from some lawyers about whether it was an attempt to obstruct justice. The special counsel, appointed last year to oversee the governments Russia investigation, is already looking into some of the presidents previous Twitter posts and public statements to determine whether they were intended to obstruct the inquiry into Russias interference in the 2016 election and any ties to the Trump campaign.

Trumps lawyers quickly moved to contain the fallout, saying it was not an order to a member of his Cabinet, but merely an opinion. An hour and a half after the tweet was posted, Trumps lawyers contacted a reporter for The New York Times. One of his lawyers, Rudy Giuliani, dismissed the obstruction of justice concerns, calling it a bizarre and novel theory of obstruction by tweet, adding that it was idiotic.

Presidents typically do not weigh in on active Justice Department investigations, but Trump has been outspoken about his anger and frustration with the Russia inquiry. Trump has also said that he never would have made Sessions his attorney general if he had known Sessions would recuse himself from the inquiry.

Sessions recused himself in early 2017 in part to avoid the kind of conflicts Trump proposed. Later, the special counsel, Robert Mueller, was appointed to carry out the inquiry.

The presidents lawyers, Jay Sekulow and Giuliani, said that Trump was not ordering the inquiry closed but simply expressing his opinion.

Its not a call to action, Giuliani said, adding that it was a sentiment that Trump and his lawyers had previously expressed publicly.

Urging Sessions to end the inquiry was unprecedented and amounted to Trump asking Sessions to subvert the law, said Matthew Axelrod, a longtime prosecutor who served in top roles in the Obama Justice Department.

Eileen Sullivan and Michael S. Schmidt are New York Times writers.The primary strand of his new narrative is to convert the 2019 general election from Modi versus Nobody into a Modi vs Rahul Gandhi contest.

The promise of economic development which catapulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power in 2014 has become a staple of stand-up comics and fodder for Opposition politicians. Mr Modi knows that he needs to shape a new narrative for his 2019 campaign.

Its contours have already begun to emerge. It will target the Congress to the exclusion of others. Rahul Gandhi will be fashioned into Prime Minister Modis main adversary; the Congress will be projected as a party of Muslims; its election machinery will be weakened by the investigative agencies of the government targeting the top decision-makers, and Mr Modi will project himself as the victim of over-ambitious dynasts. There will be no personal attacks against non-Congress leaders and an attempt to show up the Congress as an untrustworthy ally.

The primary strand of his new narrative is to convert the 2019 general election from Modi versus Nobody into a Modi vs Rahul Gandhi contest. Through Rahul, the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty can be blamed for all the misfortunes of India, and Mr Modi projected as the heir to the victims of the Dynastys arrogance.

By the convoluted logic that Mr Modi is marketing, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehrus mistreatment of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Mahatma Gandhis bias against Subhash Chandra Bose and his anatgonism towards Babasaheb Ambedkar, somehow merge with the apparent disdain he himself suffers at the hands of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. It is completely unclear why one is expected to believe that Mr Modi represents the legacy of freedom fighters like Sardar Patel and Subhash Bose or the egalitarian and anti-caste struggle of Ambedkar. He and the ideology he represents continue to be antithetical to what these great leaders stood for.

Meanwhile, the man of straw against whom he will direct his abusive rhetoric is Rahul Gandhi, a Pappu, a know-nothing who sees the prime ministership of India as his birthright  a naamdar (dynast) who wants to take on a humblekaamdar (doer).

By rubbishing Rahul Gandhi, Mr Modi and his ilk seek to rubbish his political criticism. Consider the ridiculous exercise by Mr Modis ministers of attacking the Congress president for criticising the mob lynching of poor Rakbar Khan.

Piyush Goyal described him as a merchant of hate, the loquacious Smriti Irani declared that he was indulging in vulture politics and ace shooter Rajyavardhan Rathore took aim by accusing Mr Gandhi of sowing seeds of hatred. Someone visiting from Mars might be forgiven for thinking that the mobs on a killing spree had been unleashed by Mr Gandhi, and not the Hindutva forces the Modi government represents.

Mr Modi attempts to invert what he sees as the elitism of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty by proclaiming himself the son of a humble tea-seller and sometimes a faqir with no worldly interests.

Another major strand of Mr Modis emerging campaign strategy is to hype up the Congress as a party of Muslims. It fits in well with the BJPs appeal to its Hindu voters. After the Congress chief had a meeting with Muslim intellectuals, an Urdu daily carried a news story claiming Rahul Gandhi had said that the Congress was a party of Muslims. Participants denied that this statement had ever been made. Yet defence minister Nirmala Sitaraman reiterated the false charge, and a day later Prime Minister Modi played up the allegation in a public meeting in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. He said: For the last two days, I am hearing that a naamdar leader (Rahul Gandhi) recently said that the Congress is a party of Muslims. Im not surprised. Even former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once said that Muslims have the first right over the nations natural resources.

As if on cue, another minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, said: When Rahul Gandhi goes to Gujarat for elections, he becomes a janeudhari (wearer of sacred thread) and flaunts his brahmin lineage. He does the same in Karnataka. Now that those elections are over, he has started to patronise Muslims. Soon it was a chorus asking: Are you for or against triple talaaq? What is your view on nikah halala? Whether the Congress has always been a broad church or not and what Rahul Gandhi said in his meeting with Muslim intellectuals become secondary considerations in this cacophony.

A series of measures are also being taken to hobble prominent Congress leaders in the run-up to 2019. These range from the Enforcement Directorate being set against them to notices being sent to some about their alleged benami properties. The attempt is to degrade the election machinery of the Congress systematically by targeting those who could play important roles in election strategising.

With the rest of the Opposition, as Mr Modis speech in Parliament showed, he will criticise only those with whom there is no chance of reconciliation. He deliberately refrained from publicly belittling non-Congress leaders. The only non-Congress leader he belittled was his erstwhile colleague and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who was several times dismissively referred to as Babu without any honorific.

Mr Modis large-heartedness over the provocative actions of the Shiv Sena is another case in point. The Shiv Sena not only boycotted the no-confidence vote but also launched a frontal attack on Mr Modi in its newspaper Saamna. And yet a Shiv Sena minister continues in Mr Modis cabinet.

It is doubtful, however, whether such cleverness will mean a walkover for Mr Modi in 2019. The ground is shifting and people recognise his rhetoric for what it is. People laugh at his histrionics.

Even Rahul Gandhi no longer gets cowed down by his abuse. The Oppositions attack on the government over the Rafale deal shows how emboldened it has become. And the announcement by the Congress that it will opt for anti-BJP alliance wherever necessary and accept any anti-BJP leader as the next Prime shows that political cleverness is not the monopoly of tea-sellers.Dan Yakir, the chief legal counsel for the Association of Civil Rights in Israel, has described it as a racist law.

Amid the Brexit chaos, with Prime Minister Theresa May facing a revolt within Conservative ranks, the possibility of a fresh general election cannot be ruled out; such an exercise may well yield a Labour government led by Mr Corbyn. (Photo: AFP)

Back in 1961, when Israel voted against apartheid at the United Nations, South Africas Prime Minister Henrik Verwoerd  justly reviled as one of the architects of institutionalised racial discrimination in his homeland  accused the still young Middle Eastern state of inconsistency.

They took Israel away from the Arabs after the Arabs lived there for a thousand years, he noted. In that, I agree with them. Israel, like South Africa, is an apartheid state.

The comparison is unlikely to have delighted Israels Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, who had privately acknowledged the logic and legitimacy of Palestinian resistance long before he emerged from retirement in 1967 to argue that Israel must give up the territories it had conquered in the Six-Day War, else the occupation would distort the nation.

Just over half a century later, the extent of that distortion became clearer when the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, effectively overturned the 1948 declaration of independence, which sought to entrench complete equality of social and political rights for all of Israels inhabitants, regardless of race, religion or sex. In contrast, last months legislation formally makes the right of self-determination unique to the Jewish people and downgrades Arabic  the native tongue of 22 per cent of Israels population  from an official language to one with special status.

Israeli policies have long been compared with apartheid  that, coincidentally, South Africa formally put in place the same year that Israel emerged as an independent nation  not only by the likes of Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter, but also by intellectuals and even prominent politicians within the country.

The discrimination has now been institutionalised, declaring the development of Jewish settlement as a national value and vowing to encourage and promote its establishment and consolidation. Dan Yakir, the chief legal counsel for the Association of Civil Rights in Israel, has described it as a racist law. One of the obvious intents is to step up the establishment of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Another is to stave off the likelihood of a one-state solution to the core Middle Eastern dilemma, after the possibility of a two-state solution has been rendered impossible.

Unsurprisingly, the international community has barely reacted. Its worth recalling that for more than a decade the UN overlooked apartheid, deeming it an internal South African affair. Even after the global attitude began to change following instances such as the Sharpeville massacre of 1960, more than two decades later the Thatcher and Reagan administrations were still holding out against sanctions.

In the case of Israel, the shift will be even harder, given the global extent of its lobbying powers  and the deplorable tendency to cast criticism of the states egregious violations of human rights as some form of anti-Semitism.

That trend has existed for decades, yet its recent manifestation in Britain exceeds the norm. There, a concerted effort is under way to topple the Leader of the Opposition by insinuating, occasionally directly alleging, that he is anti-Semitic. Last week, three Jewish community newspapers took the campaign against Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to a new level of absurdity by claiming that a government led by him would pose an existential threat to British Jews.

Amid the Brexit chaos, with Prime Minister Theresa May facing a revolt within Conservative ranks, the possibility of a fresh general election cannot be ruled out; such an exercise may well yield a Labour government led by Mr Corbyn. The very idea of a Western leader who openly advocates for Palestinian rights is anathema to most Zionists. Hence, he cannot be allowed to succeed, and a number of Labour MPs are complicit in this project.

The latest row revolves around the Labour Partys adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances definition of anti-Semitism. It has taken the text on board  which in itself is a considerable concession, given that less specific ban on all forms of racism, regardless of ethnicity or religion, ought to have sufficed  but has so far refused to accept four of the 11 examples cited by the IHRA, some of which arguably delegitimise valid criticisms of Israel merely because it self-identifies as an exclusively Jewish state.

The Labour Partys pushback ought to have been much more vociferous, not least because large numbers of British Jews  activists, academics and other intellectuals, many of whom have participated in protests against Israels overkill in Gaza  are appalled by the pro-Zionist lobbys actions.

By arrangement with DawnThe social network received 1,704 complaints under the law, known in Germany as NetzDG.

Facebook said it had deleted hundreds of offensive posts since a law banning online hate speech came into force in Germany at the start of the year that foresees fines of up to 50 million euros ($58 million) for failure to comply.

The social network received 1,704 complaints under the law, known in Germany as NetzDG, and removed 362 posts between January and June, Richard Allan, Facebooks vice president for global policy solutions said in a blog.

Hate speech is not allowed on Facebook, Allan said, adding that the network had removed posts that attacked people who were vulnerable for reasons including ethnicity, nationality, religion or sexual orientation.

Complaints covered a range of alleged offences under Germanys criminal code, including insult, defamation, incitement to hatred and incitement to crime, the report said. Of the posts that were blocked, the largest number was for insult.

Facebook is less popular in Germany than other European countries, with only around two in five internet users logging on each month, according to researchers eMarketer.

Thats in part due to collective memories of hate-filled propaganda that date back to Germanys 20th-century history of Nazi and Communist rule that doesnt always sit well with Facebooks broad view on freedom of speech.

Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg faced criticism in Germany after saying in a recent interview that Facebook should not delete statements denying that the Holocaust happened - a crime in Germany. He later clarified his remarks.

Facebook has a dedicated team of 65 staff handling complaints under the NetzDG, Allan said, adding that this could be adjusted in line with the number of complaints.

From January to June, Facebook removed a total of around 2.5 million posts that violated its own community standards designed to prevent abusive behaviour on the platform.

We have taken a very careful look at the German law, Allan wrote in his blog, which was published in German.

Thats why we are convinced that the overwhelming majority of content considered hate speech in Germany, would be removed if it were examined to see whether it violates our community standards.

A lawmaker for Chancellor Angela Merkels ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Tankred Schipanski, said the NetzDG law - which requires social platforms to remove offensive posts within 24 hours - was doing the job for which it was intended.

(Source)Houston may have come down with a nasty case of pink eye.

A spike in area cases has prompted concern, said Dr. Christina Weng, assistant professor of opthamalogy at Baylor College of Medicine.

Typically, we see a surge during the flu season, so its a little unsual to see it in July, she said.

Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is caused by a virus, the same one that triggers the common cold. Symptoms include red eyes, mild blurring of vision, itchiness, tearing, discharge and sometimes a swollen lymphnode in front of the ear.

Pink eye is often prompted by a cold or flu, Weng said. It is highly contagious, transferring from person-to-person quickly and lasts from one to two weeks.

Since it is caused by a virus, pink eye is not treatable with antibiotics. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, antibiotics can make symptoms worse. A 2017 study showed most people with pink eye get the wrong treatment, as nearly 60 percent of doctors prescribe antibiotic eye drops even though they are rarely necessary.

Its generally self-resolving, but the best precaution is washing your hands all of the time, Weng said. We dont realize we touch our faces numerous times a day.

In addition to frequent hand washing, Weng recommended changing out pillowcases, towels and mascara. She urges anyone with suspected pink eye or eye issues to see a doctor.

Recent news reports have linked Houstons pink-eye outbreak to a superbug involving a molecular alteration that the human immune system can no longer recognize, but Weng said there is no evidence of that.Siemens is investing in the technology used to control mixing, heating, and pressurising ingredients in the process industry.

When it comes to process industries such as petrochemicals, Siemens has been at a disadvantage to rivals.

German engineering group Siemens is redoubling its efforts in an area where it has traditionally lagged: managing the processing of materials into medicines, chemicals or foodstuffs.

Siemens excels at helping makers of cars, planes and trains make their production and assembly smarter by using its software to create distinct items and components - so-called discrete manufacturing.

But when it comes to processing industries such as petrochemicals, Siemens has been at a disadvantage to rivals such as industrial machinery and controller makers Honeywell or ABB, which have longer-standing relationships with major oil and gas players.

Now Siemens is investing in the technology used to control mixing, heating, and pressurising ingredients in the process industry - enabling the small-batch and hybrid production of products like drugs, where personalised and niche products are becoming more common.

We have been developing very well, and have been gaining market share, Eckard Eberle, Siemenss head of process automation, told Reuters.

Under a new strategy likely to be announced on Thursday along with quarterly results, analysts expect Siemens to announce it is incorporating process automation within its broader factory automation business, which aims to digitise and streamline production for clients to improve efficiency.

The market in process automation is growing at around 3 to 4 per cent per year and our intention is to grow faster than that, Eberle said in an interview at the divisions offices in Karlsruhe, Germany. We are doing that already.

Siemens, one of Germanys most famous industrial names, was founded in 1847 and is active in electrification, automation, industrial software and the manufacture of products from trains to turbines.

The Munich-based company employs 377,000 people worldwide and generated revenue of 83 billion euros in 2017.

Unlike the Digital Factory division, which houses Siemens discrete manufacturing software and has been the star performer, Process Industries and Drives (PID) has been one of the weakest-performing divisions.

PID, which represents about 10 per cent of group sales, saw its revenue fall 1 per cent last year, while orders grew by only 2 per cent. It also had the second-lowest operating profit margin, at 5 per cent, less than half the overall 11.2 per cent.

But analysts reckon Siemens has a decent chance of success at galvanising its process automation business.

With large-scale process automation, such as downstream oil and gas, there are not many greenfield opportunities and the incumbents sitting on a large installed base have a clear advantage, said James Stettler of Barclays.

With more smaller batch manufacturing and hybrid projects, theres more contracts around to go for.

At present Siemens has a 15 per cent share in the $14 billion global market for distributed control systems - the computer brains which oversee production - lagging market leaders ABB and Honeywell, according to ARC, an industrial analyst company.

One such opportunity that Siemens has grasped is at German biotech company BioNTech, which enlisted Siemens to help develop personalised anti-cancer treatments made with just a few drops of medicine rather than mass producing thousands of litres.

The Mainz-based company, which is working with Roches Genentech arm, uses Siemens software to produce trial batches of drugs which identify and attack cancerous cells.

Each persons cancer is 95 per cent different, so the ultimate target is to produce medicines for the individual in only small quantities which enable the immune system to identify their specific cancer and attack it, said Sierk Poetting, BioNTechs chief operating officer.

It is not something you can produce in large quantities and put on the shelves to treat lots of people.

BioNTechs project would not have been possible without a digital set up.

In the past, an individual dose would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but we are looking to reduce this to a tenth of a 15th of the cost, Poetting said.

This kind of small-batch production will require more automation and digitisation of processes.

Being able to produce in a batch size of one product is the Holy Grail for industrial firms, said David Humphrey, an analyst at ARC.

Simon Toennessen, an analyst at Berenberg, said Siemens was doing well in acquiring new business in process automation.

Ive heard they are in the top three in new installations right now, he said. The companys expertise in software is a big reason for this. They are trying to leverage the strong design and simulation capabilities they have in the automotive and aerospace side and now deploying that into process industries.

(Source)by Matthias Hariyadi

"Run4U" was held last Sunday. Thousands took part in the event organised by Catholic groups in the Archdiocese of Jakarta. Proceeds will go to renovate some churches and support Catholic activities in the country.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Hundreds of people from different social and religions backgrounds took part in the "Run4U" walking-and-running race last Sunday in Serpong, Banten province. According to the organisers, the event attracted more than 3,500 people

Sponsored by various Catholic groups in the archdiocese of Jakarta, the race was held under the banner of Indonesias national motto, United in diversity".

One of the organisers, Widarani Paskah, told AsiaNews that "the long-term goal is to encourage Catholics and other religious groups to strengthen their commitment to protect and defend the pluralism of Indonesian society."

The run is used to finance the construction of a church in the Diocese of Larantuka, Nusa Tenggara province, support the restructuring of a church in Bekasi, to help local catholics in Ciputat to renovate their pastoral building and to boost morale young activists in BPP PKK KAJ (Jakarta Archdioceses Body for the Charismatic Renewal Service) to execute their programs, she added.

At a time when the Indonesias pluralistic society is endangered by strong "identity politics", promoting such events is very important for the organisers.

In a statement, Mgr Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, Archbishop of Jakarta, noted: "If we do not have strong faith and do not apply it in good deeds and actions, then perhaps there is something wrong with our faith. However, if we joyfully exercise our religious beliefs in good and fruitful actions for others, then we are motivated to do more to help others."SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



A state appeals court in San Francisco has overturned a judgment allowing the eviction of an 83-year-old man who has lived in a cottage in the North Beach district of the city for more than 30 years.



Diego De Leo's landlord, Martin Coyne, sought in 2016 to evict him by invoking the state's Ellis Act, which allows owners to go out of the rental business if they withdraw all units on a property from the rental market.



At a Superior Court trial in 2016, a civil jury ruled by a 9-3 vote that Coyne had a good-faith intention to leave the rental market and could therefore evict De Leo.



But in a decision issued on Monday, a three-judge Court of Appeal set aside that verdict. It said De Leo should have been allowed to present evidence on his claim that another tenant on the property received a sham ownership deal, allegedly indicating that Coyne did not have a good-faith intent to go out of rental business.



The ruling clears the way for a new Superior Court eviction trial, also known as an unlawful detainer proceeding, in which De Leo will be able to present the alleged evidence.



Steve Collier, a lawyer for De Leo, said he expects the trial to take place in several months.



The three-bedroom cottage, for which De Leo paid $800 in monthly rent, is one of four residential units on Coyne's property on Chestnut Street. The others are in a three-unit apartment building.



The apartment tenant, Maria Esclamado, was an employee of Coyne. He gave her a 10 percent ownership interest in 2013, but did not require a down payment and charged her only monthly interest payments in approximately the same amount as the $1,600 rent she had previously paid for the lower apartment unit. She moved to another state in 2015 and transferred the property interest back to Coyne.



The trial judge had barred evidence of the transaction on the ground that it was only slightly relevant and could confuse jurors.



But the appeals court panel said the alleged evidence "went to the heart" of the question of whether Coyne was allowed to evict De Leo.



Under an agreement between the two sides, De Leo, a former bricklayer who now writes poetry, has been allowed to live in the studio-like lower unit of the apartment building during his appeal of the trial court verdict, Collier said.



Coyne's lawyer was not immediately available for comment.



Collier, who works with the Tenderloin Housing Clinic in San Francisco, said an appeals court reversal of a trial court ruling allowing an eviction is rare.



The decision "should stand as a warning to unscrupulous landlords who use the Ellis Act as a pretext to evict tenants they don't like under the guise of going out of the rental business," he said.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.SAN FRANCISCO (BCN



A federal appeals court today upheld an injunction protecting San Francisco and Santa Clara County from a presidential executive order that threatened federal funding for so-called sanctuary cities.



The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said by a 2-1 vote that the 2017 order by President Donald Trump was unconstitutional because it intruded on the congressional power to determine federal spending.



Chief Circuit Judge Sidney Thomas wrote, "The United States Constitution exclusively grants the power of the purse to Congress, not the president."



"There is no reasonable argument that the president has not exceeded his authority," the court majority said.



Trump issued the order on Jan. 25, 2017, five days after his inauguration. It said that cities and counties that allegedly illegally shield undocumented immigrants were not eligible for federal funding.



The court upheld the reasoning of an injunction issued last year by U.S. District Judge William Orrick in lawsuits filed by San Francisco and Santa Clara County.



But the panel said it was affirming the injunction only as applied to the two local governments. It said more evidence was needed as to whether a nationwide injunction was justified, and sent the case back to Orrick's court for further proceedings.



Orrick had issued a nationwide injunction.



The use of nationwide injunctions by district judges has been challenged by the Trump administration in the sanctuary cities case and in several other cases concerning opposition to presidential orders.



The appeals court majority said nationwide injunctions are sometimes justified. As an example, it specifically cited the circuit court's own rulings upholding nationwide injunctions issued in lawsuits by Hawaii and Washington state challenging various versions of Trump's travel ban on visitors from certain Muslim-majority countries.



Ultimately, the third revised version of the travel ban was upheld by the Supreme Court in June.



Thomas wrote, "We are unpersuaded by the administration's arguments in favor of a blanket restriction on all nationwide injunctions."



But he said more evidence was needed on whether a broad order was justified in the sanctuary cities case.



Circuit Judge Ferdinand Fernandez said in a dissent that he believed the executive order should be upheld because it contained a qualifying clause directing implementation "to the extent consistent with law."



The U.S. Department of Justice had no immediate comment on the ruling, which could be appealed to a larger panel of the 9th Circuit or the Supreme Court.



San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said in a statement, "This is a victory for the rule of law. The Constitution is clear: Congress has the power of the purse and the power to legislate. The president does not."



Both San Francisco and Santa Clara County contend that their policies don't violate any federal laws.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.Some decking is on fire this evening at Pier 35 in San Francisco, fire officials said.



The fire was reported by the officials on Twitter at 5:16 p.m.



Firefighters are extinguishing the fire and have deployed a skiff to help with the effort.



Fire officials said no threat to structures exists.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.DUBLIN (BCN)



An advocacy group and family members of a 26-year-old Berkeley woman found dead at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station early Saturday morning are criticizing the Alameda County Sheriff's Office for releasing her from jail overnight, just hours before she was found dead.



Jessica St. Louis was released from Santa Rita Jail in Dublin at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday and was found dead at the BART station about four hours later.



Alameda County sheriff's officials said that a medical exam of St. Louis showed no signs of foul play and the preliminary indication is that she died from a drug overdose, although a toxicology report hasn't yet been completed.



Jessica Nowlan, the executive director of the Young Women's Freedom Center, a San Francisco group that advocates for women of color who have grown up in poverty and been incarcerated, said in a statement, "It was a death sentence to release Jessica in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere."



Nowlan said, "To send vulnerable system-involved women and girls into the streets at night, without access to support or even public transportation, is an act of violence."



She said, "All over the state of California women are being released into such dangerously unsafe conditions. We demand that this horrific practice stop now."



St. Louis' body was discovered near the passenger pick-up/drop-off area at the station, according to BART officials.



Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said today that St. Louis' death was "an unfortunate situation" but said the jail releases up to 100 people a day around the clock and can't keep people in custody after they're released.



"Not many people volunteer to stay in jail longer than they have to and most people who head out the door aren't walking back" to the jail, Kelly said.



He said it's a mile from Santa Rita Jail to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station but noted it's a well-lit, heavily traveled and safe corridor that's patrolled by sheriff's deputies and Dublin police at all hours to make sure the community is safe.



He said the sheriff's office can arrange transportation to BART for people who request it.



"The real issue is that it appears that she (St. Louis) got some controlled substances after she left the jail and ingested them and died from it," Kelly said.



He said St. Louis didn't ingest any drugs when she was at the jail.



Kelly said she was in Santa Rita for 11 days for arrest warrants for a previous case.



He said she allegedly was involved in "low-level criminal activity" in the Emeryville and Berkeley areas.



Alameda County court records indicate that St. Louis was charged with felony grand theft for an offense last Nov. 16 and that she entered a not guilty plea on June 15.



Court records also indicate that she was charged with two misdemeanor counts of second-degree burglary and one count each of misdemeanor grand theft and misdemeanor vandalism for offenses last Sept. 29.



According to her family, St. Louis was born in Haiti and moved to the U.S. to live with her father when she was 7 years old after her mother died.



She was placed in foster care when she was in seventh grade and her father died when she was in high school.



In a statement, her family members said, "Jessica was one of the warmest and most loving people you would ever meet. She could talk to literally any person she met -- she made friends with everyone."



They said, "She had an openness to the world that people responded to and wanted to connect with. She really loved people and cared about each person's story. She was upset by others' suffering and deeply wanted to help others."



The family said, "What has happened to her is tragic and there are many questions that we want to be answered. There is no reason why Jessica should have been released in the middle of the night, alone and without any supportive services."



The family said, "While there is no way to bring Jessica back, we believe this should never happen to any other woman being released from a correctional facility again."





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf will join San Francisco Mayor London Breed this afternoon for a forum in San Francisco on the challenges they face while improving the communities in their respective cities.



The online social network Nextdoor is hosting the 4 p.m. event at its headquarters at 875 Stevenson St.



The forum will consist of the mayors talking about their key priorities for their cities this year as well as a conversation moderated by journalist Carla Marinucci, Nextdoor officials said.



The social network is used by residents to connect with their neighbors, police and fire departments and other agencies.



According to the company, "The Nextdoor platform is being utilized by residents in every neighborhood of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, and represents the ideal framework for a discussion about civic leadership and neighborhood community initiatives."



The event will be live-streamed on the company's Twitter page, www.twitter.com/nextdoor.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.A big-rig with a crane overturned and knocked down a power pole and electrical wires on a rural road in unincorporated Sonoma County west of Cotati this morning.



The 6:35 a.m. incident will close Roblar Road at Canfield Road for at least another full day, California Highway Patrol Officer spokesman Jon Sloat said.



The large mobile crane was traveling west on Roblar Road west of Canfield Road when its right wheel slipped off the paved section of the road. The weight of the 150,000-pound big-rig caused it to slide down the north embankment, Sloat said.



The mobile crane overturned and snapped a PG&E pole and severed electrical wires. The driver was not injured, Sloat said.



Fire department personnel responded to make the scene safe and AT&T and PG&E responded to the downed pole and wires, Sloat said.



Roblar Road is closed at Canfield Road west to Valley Ford Road.



The closure is expected to last another full day until the crane is removed and utility wires and the pole are repaired, Sloat said.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



Two women were hospitalized after two separate attacks, both involving canes, in San Francisco Tuesday and early this morning, according to police.



The first incident occurred around 9 a.m. in the first block of Cedar Street, between Larkin and Polk streets.



A 29-year-old woman allegedly walked up to another woman and began swinging a cane at her, striking the victim.



The suspect continued the assault before running east on Cedar Street, police said.



The 39-year-old victim suffered injuries not considered life-threatening. Police were unable to locate the suspect.



Hours later, around 12:30 a.m. today, officers responded to another assault in the first block of Market Street.



The victim, a 67-year-old woman, was sleeping under a bus shelter when a male suspect allegedly came up to her and threatened to hurt her if she didn't move, police said.



The suspect then began attacking her with a walking cane.



She was hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening, according to police.



Officers were able to arrest the suspect, a 24-year-old man. Police did not release his name.



SAN LEANDRO (BCN)



A Fremont man was charged today with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly fatally punching a 47-year-old transient man on the platform of the Bay Fair BART station in San Leandro last month.



Jashawn Combs, 24, surrendered at the Oakland police substation on Monday in connection with the death of Don Stevens following the attack at about 1:20 a.m. on July 21.



BART police Chief Carlos Rojas said last week that Stevens had been involved in a verbal altercation or assault with another man on a train but then a third person, later identified as Combs, who wasn't involved in that altercation punched Stevens in the side of his head with a closed fist and Stevens hit the cement when he fell on the platform.



BART police Detective Robert Krehbiel wrote in a probable cause statement that Stevens initially was taken to St. Rose Hospital in Hayward and was later transferred to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley for further medical testing but was declared dead at about 5 p.m. on July 22 due to a lack of brain functions.

ALSO Suspect in fatal attack at a San Leandro BART station arrested



A preliminary autopsy report indicates that Stevens died from a brain hemorrhage that could have been caused from striking his head on the cement platform, Krehbiel wrote.



Court officials haven't said when Combs is scheduled to be arraigned.



Prosecutors say Combs has a prior felony conviction in San Francisco on Dec. 3, 2015, for grand theft.



Stevens' death was one of three homicides on the BART system in a recent five-day period.



In the most highly publicized case, Nia Wilson, 18, was fatally stabbed at the MacArthur station in Oakland at 9:36 p.m. on July 22.



Transient John Lee Cowell, 27, was arrested the next evening and has been charged with murder and other offenses.



In the other case, 51-year-old Gerald Bisbee of Pittsburg died on July 20 after being assaulted at the Pleasant Hill station on July 18.



BART police said Bisbee suffered a small cut to the back of his knee in the altercation and later died from an infection to that cut.



Abdul Bey, 20, has been charged with murder for Bisbee's death.



A pedestrian was fatally struck by a vehicle this morning in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, according to police.



The crash was reported around 7 a.m. in the 700 block of Greenwich Street.



Medics pronounced the victim dead at the scene, according to Officer Robert Rueca.



The driver remained at the scene to cooperate with the investigation, according to police.







A driver who died following a head-on collision in San Leandro late Monday night has been identified by the Alameda County coroner's bureau as 65-year-old Melvin Calloway Sr. of Oakland.



The collision occurred in the 1000 block of San Leandro Boulevard at 10:55 p.m. Monday.



San Leandro police said it appears that Calloway's car and another car were traveling in opposite directions on San Leandro Boulevard when they collided, but police have few details at this time and are still investigating the collision.



Firefighters and paramedics extricated both drivers from their cars and they were taken to hospitals to be treated.



Calloway was pronounced dead at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley a few hours after the collision, a coroner's spokeswoman said.



Police said the injuries to the other driver didn't appear to be life-threatening.







A state appeals court in San Francisco has overturned a judgment allowing the eviction of an 83-year-old man who has lived in a cottage in the North Beach district of the city for more than 30 years.



Diego De Leo's landlord, Martin Coyne, sought in 2016 to evict him by invoking the state's Ellis Act, which allows owners to go out of the rental business if they withdraw all units on a property from the rental market.



At a Superior Court trial in 2016, a civil jury ruled by a 9-3 vote that Coyne had a good-faith intention to leave the rental market and could therefore evict De Leo.



But in a decision issued on Monday, a three-judge Court of Appeal set aside that verdict. It said De Leo should have been allowed to present evidence on his claim that another tenant on the property received a sham ownership deal, allegedly indicating that Coyne did not have a good-faith intent to go out of rental business.



The ruling clears the way for a new Superior Court eviction trial, also known as an unlawful detainer proceeding, in which De Leo will be able to present the alleged evidence.



Steve Collier, a lawyer for De Leo, said he expects the trial to take place in several months.







San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf will join San Francisco Mayor London Breed this afternoon for a forum in San Francisco on the challenges they face while improving the communities in their respective cities.



The online social network Nextdoor is hosting the 4 p.m. event at its headquarters at 875 Stevenson St.



The forum will consist of the mayors talking about their key priorities for their cities this year as well as a conversation moderated by journalist Carla Marinucci, Nextdoor officials said.



The social network is used by residents to connect with their neighbors, police and fire departments and other agencies.







The city of Walnut Creek is teaming up with Contra Costa County to make city and county services available to the public at a "one stop shop" for the upcoming Summer Block Party next week.



From 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 at Civic Center Park at 1375 Civic Drive, area residents will be able to obtain copies of vital records, sign up for library cards, and access job training and information about volunteer opportunities.



Attendees will also have an opportunity to register for services like CalFresh, Medi-Cal and veterans benefits. Voter registration services will also be available.



"We know that accessing government services and programs often means visiting many different locations, taking time out of our residents' busy days," Walnut Creek City Manager Dan Buckshi said in a statement. "By making them available in one central location, we hope people will tap into programs and services they might not otherwise utilize."







The Marin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved placing on the November ballot a 4 percent increase in the transient occupancy tax at rental lodgings in west Marin County.



The TOT is currently 10 percent in Marin County. It will be 14 percent in the west county if two-thirds of voters in the west county approve it.



The proposed ordinance establishes a West Marin Transient Occupancy Tax Area. The 14 percent TOT tax will apply to guests at hotels, short-term rentals, bed and breakfasts and campgrounds in the west Marin Transient Occupancy Tax Area.



About 75 percent of the 10 percent TOT revenue in the county is from west Marin, and the number of visitors to west Marin County requires more fire and rescue services to accommodate them, county officials said.



Conversion of single-family dwellings to short-term rentals for visitors is reducing available long-term housing in the west county, county officials said. More visitor impacts arise in the west county than in the rest of the unincorporated parts of the county.



Half of the West Marin Transient Occupancy Tax revenue will be allocated for fire and emergency services, and half will be allocated for community and workforce housing, and seniors and people with disabilities in the west Marin tax area, according to county officials.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.Taiwanese companies in Vietnam show their flag to protect themselves against protests by Vietnamese. Firms fear actions against Chinese firms. Beijing presses Hanoi to remove Taiwanese flags.

Hanoi (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Chinas campaign to limit Taiwan's presence in the international community continues.

After convincing dozens of airlines to cancel the name "Taiwan" as a destination, Beijing is lobbying Vietnam to stop Taiwanese companies from flying their flag at their business locations in Vietnam.

This comes after a Taiwanese furniture manufacturer in Vietnam began flying the Taiwanese flag at its factory gates to protect itself from anti-China protests.

For several weeks, many Vietnamese have been protesting the government's decision to lease special economic zones to Chinese companies. Employees of Taiwanese companies went on strike and protested against the decision.

Lo Tzu-wen, the president of manufacturer Kaiser 1 Furniture, was quoted in the media that the Vietnamese government had authorised Taiwanese firms to fly their flag to distinguish themselves from Chinese companies.

In 2014, the company suffered major economic losses following protests against China after Beijing deployed an oil rig in a disputed area in the South China Sea.

Twenty people were killed in the violence that followed and one hundred were wounded.

Vietnamese authorities granted tax breaks to Taiwanese firms as compensation, noting that Vietnamese could not tell the difference between Chinese and Taiwanese firms.

However, for Chinas foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, on monday July 30th: There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is part of China.

Noting that Beijing resolutely opposed any form of Taiwan separatism, he added: We have taken up the matter with the Vietnamese side, and they have already instructed the relevant companies to correct their wrong practices.Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft have agreed to allow the city of San Francisco to tax a percentage of their net ride revenues, according to Supervisor Aaron Peskin.



The ride-hail tax will go toward paying for transportation infrastructure and operations throughout the city.



The agreement was announced Tuesday afternoon, just before supervisors were set to vote on Peskin's proposed general gross receipts business tax measure. In light of the agreement, Peskin withdrew the measure, which would have placed the decision to tax the ride-hailing companies in front of voters in the November elections.



"This is a win-win for everyone," Peskin said in a statement. "We have a $100 million local funding obligation to meet the transportation demands of a growing city. Voters have made it clear that they want corporations to pay their fair share to meet that need, particularly when there is a nexus to issues like congestion and traffic," he said.



Mayor London Breed said in a statement, "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached with rideshare companies to institute a per-ride charge and avoid a divisive ballot measure.







A 21-year-old Oakland man was sentenced to nine years in state prison for his role in a shootout between two cars in the parking lot of the Hyatt Place Hotel in Emeryville during the holiday season in 2016.



Caleb Williams was charged with attempted murder for the shooting in the parking lot in the 5700 block of Bay Street, near the Bay Street Shopping Center, shortly after 9 p.m. on Dec. 28, 2018.



But Alameda County prosecutors agreed to dismiss that charge as well as a shooting at an inhabited dwelling charge when Williams pleaded no contest on June 18 to the lesser charge of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and admitted he had used a firearm.



He was sentenced by Judge James Cramer at a brief hearing Tuesday.







San Jose police have connected two suspects to the killing of a 41-year-old man on Thanksgiving 2017, police said.



Billy Ray Scott, a San Jose man known as "Tank," was found dead in a ravine in a rural area of Santa Clara County after police began an investigation in January regarding his suspicious disappearance, according to police.



Officers located a crime scene in the 1500 block of Moorpark Avenue in San Jose following an investigation, police said.



Scott was likely killed inside an apartment and taken to the ravine to be discarded, according to police.



Renee Wilson, 44, of San Jose, was arrested in Los Banos on July 24 and booked into Santa Clara County jail on suspicion of being an accessory to murder. Police also obtained an arrest warrant for Eugene Frazier, 44 of San Jose, on suspicion of murder.







A big-rig with a crane overturned and knocked down a power pole and electrical wires on a rural road in unincorporated Sonoma County west of Cotati.



The 6:35 a.m. incident Tuesday morning will close Roblar Road at Canfield Road at least until sometime today, California Highway Patrol Officer spokesman Jon Sloat said.



The large mobile crane was traveling west on Roblar Road west of Canfield Road when its right wheel slipped off the paved section of the road. The weight of the 150,000-pound big-rig caused it to slide down the north embankment, Sloat said.



The mobile crane overturned and snapped a PG&E pole and severed electrical wires. The driver was not injured, Sloat said.







A 30-year-old Cupertino man died after his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck in Santa Clara, police said.



Police responded to the collision at Kiely and Stevens Creek boulevards at 1:03 a.m. Tuesday. Police said the man was traveling west on Stevens Creek when he collided with a truck traveling south on Kiely Boulevard.



The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver had minor injuries, was taken to a hospital and was later released, according to police.







Poor air quality near Yosemite National Park from the Ferguson wildfire, one of many wildfires burning throughout the state, has prompted the closure of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department-run Camp Mather.



The historic family camp, located in Groveland in Tuolumne County, will reopen on Sunday, recreation and parks officials said.



Campers at Camp Mather were informed about the closure Tuesday morning and have been offered a refund for the full week.



The Ferguson Fire has burned more than 57,000 acres in the nearby area since it began on July 13. Two people have died in the fire.



Similarly, Camp Tawonga, a camp for Bay Area Jewish youth, also located in Groveland, was closed Tuesday due to poor air quality from the fire, according to camp officials.



The hundreds of youth at the camp have been evacuated.













Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.The separation between politics and religion in Islam is an urgent need. Egypt and Syria are two cases in point. The war in Iraq (and in Syria) is above all an intra-Islamic war. European countries must push Islamic countries to implement equality among all citizens, regardless of religion, and absolute equality between men and women. Here is an interview with Jesuit Fr Samir Khalil Samir, a great Islam expert.

Cairo (AsiaNews)  Europeans must give migrants arriving in Europe bread and a roof but also the best of our culture. They must see the Christian ideal of brotherhood, starting from school, teaching respect between Europeans and migrants, boys and girls, Christians and non-Christians, this according to Fr Samir Khalil Samir who in the following interview focuses on problems and possible solutions to foster coexistence between Christians and Muslims, in Arab countries and in Europe.

1. Is Islam a religion of peace?

Yes and no! In the Qur'an, as in Muhammad's conduct, we find both peaceful and violent attitudes. When he still had no power, Muhammad entered Makkah peacefully. In the second phase of his life, in Madinah, he made war and organised raids. This was commonplace in Arabia.

It should be noted that the word "razzia" (raid) (which we find in various western languages) comes from the Arabic word "ghazwa", which means "military expedition". The first Muslim biography of Muhammad, written by Abu 'Abdallah Muhammad ibn'Umar al-Waqidi (747-823), is called Kitab al-maghazi or Book of military expeditions.

After his death, Muslims followed his method and successfully conquered other countries, even if they were in a numerical minority.

Since Islam was a global religious, social and political project, in the new conquered societies, essentially populated by Christians, Muslims were eager to impose their Islamic rules, heavily influenced by Bedouin traditions.

2. Critics say that Islam is not only religion but also political ideology. Can there be an apolitical Islam?

Islam is a global social project. At the beginning it was a religious project, launched by Muhammad, who urged his contemporaries to abandon the worship of various deities in favour of a single God, Allah. It is clear that at that time the existence of Jews and Christians in the Arabian Peninsula played a significant role in several areas, facilitating this evolution.

But Islam is also a social and political project: social, to conform to Bedouin customs, with all its traditions and norms; political, to unite the community around a new single project, namely the existence of a single all-powerful God! As a result, the Islamic project includes both religious and political dimensions. This has been the real great problem until the present!

Currently, some Muslim majority states make the distinction between religion and politics. Syria, for example, is a 90 per cent Muslim country, but it has a secular constitution, which was drafted at the request of President Hafez al-Assad, in 1973. The author is an Orthodox Christian, Michel Aflaq, who, with Salah al-Bittar, founded the Baath party in 1947. The president is still a Muslim, but Islam is not the state religion. Every citizen follows his or her religion, but the rules of the Constitution apply to everyone: Muslims, Christians, Jews, atheists ... The basic ideology is characterised by socialist pan-Arabism, which claims to be secular and tries to distinguish between religion and politics.

We could also mention Tunisia under Bourguiba, who, although a Muslim, introduced a certain degree of secularism in in 1956, above all an absolute equality between men and women.

In both cases, the influence of the French presence in these two countries played a crucial role.

3. How can Europes political and Church leaders in Europe face the Muslim world? How can dialogue work?

In relations with all states, including Muslim countries, two fundamental principles should always be applied: equality among all citizens, regardless of their religion; absolute equality between men and women. These are the foundation of human dignity.

Consequently, it is not possible to distinguish between a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew, a Hindu or a non-believer or an atheist. Everyone has the same rights and the same duties towards the state, before the law. There are no privileges or exceptions. The constitution touches all citizens. Likewise, all the articles of the constitution are valid for men and women, who have the same rights and the same obligations provided for by the law.

In their relations with all Muslim states, including Saudi Arabia, European states should demand that these two principles be put in place and applied. It goes without saying that the countries that dare to do this run the risk of being penalised, compared to other countries. It is therefore important that this decision be taken jointly by all European countries to avoid disparities between them.

This also presupposes that the European Union has a joint committee to monitor the application of this decision, to avoid that these principles are only declared in theory but not applied in practice.

4. In recent years we have witnessed spectacular cases of violence and terror by Islamists against Christians in Islamic countries.

This is an obvious reality. By definition, Islamists are extremist Muslims, who clearly differ from other Muslims because of their fanaticism and simple-minded interpretation of certain traditions. This has led to a blatant injustice towards Christians.

Based on what I have said before, Europe must systematically insist on the absolute equality of treatment between Muslims, Christians and others. Therefore, differences in treatment cannot exist, either because of religion, sex, or other reasons!

Here too, all European states must adopt a common and firm position towards Muslim states.

5. Egypt is your homeland. Is there any discrimination against Christians? What does the government do for the Christian minority?

The differences in treatment are very visible, especially when it comes to building a church, for example, where permission is often denied. This forces Christians to build in secret ... with the risk that their churches will be destroyed one day by fanatics!

President Al-Sisi has made great efforts. He has financed the construction of the largest church in the Middle East, in the future administrative capital of Egypt, east of Cairo. He has celebrated the inauguration of this church (not yet finished) in January 2018 (on Christmas according to the Coptic calendar) ... But the fact remains that more than a thousand churches (among the more than 6,000 that exist in Egypt), are theoretically illegal, because they were built without the necessary permits. So, they are a constant target of attacks by Islamic extremists.

With regard to everyday discrimination, today it is almost impossible for Christians to obtain an important position in an administrative office, despite their qualifications. It was not like that in the past. The situation has worsened due to the growing number of fanatical extremist elements. At this level, the state is absolutely defenceless.

6. In Syria, the long peaceful coexistence of religions has been shaken by years of the civil war. Will the country recover from the conflict, which is also between Muslims and Christians?

The situation in Syria is very different from that in Egypt. In principle, the secular nature of the state has been challenged by a conflict within the Muslim world. Since 1973, the state has been in the hands of the Assad family, who are Alawite, a branch of Shia Islam. The Shias make up about 15 per cent of the Muslim population. Sunni Muslims have launched war against this state. Even in Iraq, the government (after the fall of Saddam Hussein) is in the hands of the Shias. Iraq and Syria are the only Arab states in which the Shias are in power.

The Islamic State (IS) group originated in Iraq. Its full name is "Islamic State for Iraq and Syria" (ISIS). What we have witnessed is an intra-Islamic war between Shias and Sunnis. ISIS is also widely financed by the richest Sunni state, namely Saudi Arabia, which is blindly supported by the United States and, in part, by some European countries.

This explains the American and European coalition against Syria and Russia's support for Syria. The dead are all Syrians, whether they are Sunnis, Alawites or others.

The bombardment of cities, including Damascus, Homs and Aleppo, has also affected many Christians. Many had to flee and seek refuge wherever they could. Europe has made a colossal effort to welcome them, especially Germany. Refugees were often Muslims, Christians were forgotten.

At present, the country is recovering very slowly. The problems are far from being solved and the number of migrants runs in the millions: nobody knows if they can ever return to their country.

Again, religious fanaticism  this time among Muslim sects  has completely destroyed the country. And Islams fundamental problem reappears automatically, because Islam is both a political and religious project.

7. What can be done for Christians in the Middle East so that they remain and not emigrate?

Christians are not the cause of their problems. A certain vision in Islam is, one that discriminates between Muslims and others on religious grounds. For this reason, we must work on Muslims. It is about changing the way of thinking, from the religious to the political sphere.

It is a cultural problem, linked to the concept of religion itself. Even Christianity has known this identification between religion and politics and had to slowly get rid of it.

This is more difficult for our Muslim brothers, because the unity of religion and politics is complete from the beginning. Europe could help the Muslim world culturally, setting clear conditions for the use of European aid. Many Muslims would also very appreciate such a contribution.

A similar problem can be found in the State of Israel, where state and religion mingle, to the point of creating injustices for those who are not Jewish (especially Muslims). This Israeli position strengthens the position of extremist Muslims.

Europe does not seriously take these dimensions of the problem.

8. Can Muslims be successfully integrated in European society?

I would say yes and this can happen through education and practice; first of all, in schools. Here, the future can be prepared by treating boys and girls, native Europeans and migrants, Christians and non-Christians, and so on, with the same respect.

In everyday life, everyone should be treated the same way, with more understanding for someone who has just arrived, with all the requirements of the country: not only in visible things but also in private life, in the conduct between men and women, boys and girls, Muslims and non-Muslims, in education as well as social life and laws.

In short, it is about educating the mindset of immigrants, for the better, hoping as well that they will also teach it to those who have remained in their countries of origin, or those who will one day return.

Material aid for migrants - bread, a roof - is not enough. It's a lot but it's not enough! Migrants must also be culturally helped to the spiritual dimension, European and Christian ideals, universal brotherhood. Give onto others, whomever they may be, the best we have, especially true, absolute and universal brotherhood, as the Gospel teaches us!Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1)  Nineteen arrested protesters and members of media outfits among those violently dispersed during the workers' strike against NutriAsia were released on Wednesday.

Meycauayan City Prosecutor Frederick Malapit on Tuesday ordered the jail warden of Meycauayan in Bulacan province, north of Manila, to release the detainees arrested by police on Monday for alarm and scandal, physical injuries, and possession of illegal firearms and illegal drugs.

Malapit also ordered the release of five people from media outfit Altermidya and a member of a University of the Philippines-Diliman publication who were arrested after covering the NutriAsia picket line.

The prosecutor said the physical injuries case filed against journalists Hiyasmin Saturay, Ericjess Tandoc, Avon Ang, Psalty Caluza, and Jon Bonifacio were dismissed for lack of probable cause.

The 20 arrested will still go through preliminary investigation for an alarm and scandal case filed by NutriAsia security guards.

Out of the 20 arrested, only Edwin Barana will remain in police custody after he was allegedly found carrying an unlicensed .22 caliber revolver and four sachets of suspected shabu. However, the other 19 arrested denied they knew him, while Barana himself could not identify anyone from the picket line, raising doubts on whether he was actually part of the protest.

Two hundred workers of food condiment giant NutriAsia held a strike outside the Marilao, Bulacan plant on Monday. They called for workers' regularization in line with the Labor Department's order to NutriAsia to regularize its workers.

Violence erupted when rocks flew in the air, leaving a number of protesters bloodied. Protesters blamed the police for provoking the simmering situation, but NutriAsia and security personnel said the workers fired a gun and began throwing rocks at the guards and police.

Related: Striking workers at NutriAsia, supporters dispersed and arrested despite regularization order

The Commission on Human Rights urged the police and NutriAsia's security team to observe maximum tolerance in recognizing the rights of the workers to protest.

"We caution against the use of excessive force in ensuring peace and order. At the same time, the rule of law must always prevail even in times of unrest. We too remind the protesters to not resort to violence and unlawful acts in asserting their rights," it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it has directed its Regional Internal Affairs Service to investigate the incident and "recommend necessary corrective measures and sanctions against our police personnel if so warranted."

Kabataan Party-list Representative Sarah Elago said she will call for a joint congressional hearing on the incident.

Senate probe on labor issues

In a related development, Senator Joel Villanueva filed a resolution on Tuesday, seeking to conduct an inquiry on issues arising from the regularization of NutriAsia, PLDT, Jollibee, and Monde Nissin employees.

"PLDT and NutriAsia are the more prominent cases on enforcement and compliance issues, and there are more cases of similar nature all over the country. We need to investigate because these cases highlight the weaknesses of our current regulatory framework," he said.

Villanueva, chair of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development, wants to look into the Labor Department's statement that NutriAsia engages in labor-only contracting, a prohibited practice.

"It is regrettable that the NutriAsia case rooted on contractualization and its abuses, has to drag and result in termination of workers, violent dispersals of picket lines, injuries and arrests of workers. It would serve the best interests of labor and capital to resolve this dispute peacefully and expeditiously," the senator said.

Related: DOLE orders NutriAsia to regularize 80 workers of its contracting agency

Meanwhile, thousands of displaced PLDT workers are still awaiting their regularization. PLDT and the Labor Department are butting heads whether the telecom company is complying with the government's order to regularize over 7,000 workers by the end of July.

Related: Labor Dept. orders PLDT to regularize 8,000 workers, pay 66M in claims

Villanueva said the Senate needs to look into the alleged unjust and illegal labor practices of some companies.

"They (workers) emphasize the need for the Security of Tenure Bill that we are going to deliberate in the Senate floor in the coming weeks," Villanueva said.

President Rodrigo Duterte on May 1 signed Executive Order 51 clamping down on illegal contracting and ensuring worker rights to security of tenure. He boasted that the government's campaign to abolish contractualization has led to the regularization of more than 300,000 workers as of early July.

According to Labor Advisory 10 issued by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, labor-only contracting happens when the contractor doe not have substantial capital or investment to undertake the job, and when the worker is performing activities directly related to the employer's principal business. It also happens when the contractor does not have the right of control over the performance of the employee.

CNN Philippines' Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report.by Hu Jia

The human rights activist speaks out on the fate Ilham Tohti, an economics professor sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for "separatism". In reality, he had denounced the Chinese government's crackdown on the Uyghur people and is now serving his sentence in a prison in Urumqi. He has not seen his family for three years. It is important to keep him in the international spotlight. All of these actions can help him survive.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  Human rights activist Hu Jia published an article on Radio Free Asia to prevent Ilham Tohti from dying in prison like Liu Xiaobo.

He has followed the case of the Uyghur professor who taught economics in Beijing. Convicted of "separatism" in Urumqi, Tohti was in fact given a life sentence in 2014 for denouncing the cultural and religious persecution against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang.

Tohti was arrested in January 2013, after he criticised Beijing's policy following the Tiananmen Square attack in October 2013, blamed on Uyghurs.

As an activist, Hu Jia served a sentence of three and a half years for "subversion against the state". He was released in June 2011.

For two years, Ilham hasnt seen his wife and children. The political situation in the Uyghur region is so terrible that his wife Guzelnur decided not to go back there this year. For a long time, the Chinese government has been implementing a policy called Serve Prison Sentence elsewhere mainly targeting the high-profile political prisoners. Because Beijing is the political capital where the embassies of all the democratic countries are located, and the main offices of the UN are also based here. As most political events take place in Beijing, most people who are interested in politics gather here as well. Petitioners from all over the country also come here, and we can say that this is where people who were persecuted in past gather as well.

From the Chinese authorities point of view, Beijings stability is their top priority. That is why they send political prisoners away from Beijing. Liu Xiaobo was sent to Jinzhou prison in Liaoning Province, and when I was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in 2008 on charges of inciting subversion of state power I was sent to Chaobai prison in Tianjin. Ilham Tohti holds a Beijing resident permit (hukou), and he should have the right to be tried in Beijing and serve his sentence in Beijing. But the authorities sent him to Xinjiang, which is now completely under police and military control. All of Ilhams relatives are living in extreme fear, they dont dare to have contact with anyone outside the region. They are reluctant to provide any news regarding Ilham Tohti due to fear. Two years ago, when Ilham Tohtis wife Guzelnur visited Xinjiang, her relatives took her phone away from her. She cut off all communication with friends here, including myself. During the last two years they were unable to visit Ilham, and if they cannot visit him in summer, it will have been three years of him not being able to see his family. This is a very tragic and unfair situation for a family.

International pressure is vital. Ilham Tohti has already been awarded three major human rights prizes. The authorities are well aware that he has not been forgotten by the world. He has always attracted huge attention and support from the international community, so if there is any change in his situation the world would know it. I served in Chadian County prison in Tianjin from the May 7 until October 10, 2008 and was then transferred to a prison in Daxin district in Beijing, where I completed my prison sentence. Serving my sentence in Beijing made a big difference in my life, because it made it convenient for my parents, my wife and my daughter to visit me frequently, which helped me mentally. My family together with the international community played an important role in moving me from the prison in Tianjin to Beijing.

I was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize in 2008, and October 10 was the eve of the Nobel Prize for Peace Award Ceremony. I believe my nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize was an important factor in my transfer to Beijing. Therefore, the awards which Ilham Tohti has received could play an important role in improving his prison conditions. We should continue to promote him, campaign for his innocence, and help him win more prestigious international prizes in order to keep him in the international spotlight. All of these actions can help him survive in prison.

Whenever I meet with the international human rights community, I always highlight two peoples cases: One is Ilham Tohti and the other is Gao Zhisheng. Since Liu Xiaobo was killed by the Chinese Communist regime, I am exceptionally worried that these two individuals may also end up with the same fate as Liu Xiaobo. Mr. Gao Zhisheng has been listed as one of the most dangerous individuals in China, as well as professor Ilham Tohti. Since he was sentenced to life imprisonment for his advocacy work, he has gained huge support and respect from the Uyghur people. I believe the right to self-determination of the Uyghur people will be respected and honored once China becomes a democratic country.

Professor Ilham Tohti is one of the most prominent Uyghurs in the world, and he has been awarded or nominated for several international human rights prizes. He used to be the only voice of Uyghurs in mainland China. He is the seed of hope of the Uyghur people, and making sure that he is kept alive while in prison is one of the most important duties of us all. Being a Han Chinese, the best I can do is to make every effort to prevent Ilham Tohti from dying in prison like Liu Xiaobo. Whenever I meet the foreign diplomats in Beijing, I discuss Ilham Tohtis case first. I have spoken with the American Ambassador many times regarding his case. The leaders of the free world and foreign diplomats must frequently demand information regarding Ilham Tohtis prison conditions as well as his health, especially under the current political climate in the Uyghur region.Pope Francis begins a new cycle of catechesis on the commandments. The theme of important idolatry for atheists and believers. Christians, tarot cards and palm readers to predict the future. "In ancient times human sacrifices were made to the idols, but also today: for the career some sacrifice their children, neglecting them or simply not generating them". "Money steals life and pleasure leads to loneliness. Economic structures sacrifice human lives for greater profits ". True God teaches us to live in the reality of every day. The invitation to an examination of conscience: "What is my idol? Take it off and throw it out the window. "

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "The idols promise life, but in reality they take it. True God does not ask for life but gives it" this was one of the most meaningful phrases that Pope Francis addressed to the pilgrims gathered in Paul VI hall for the general audience, in which he wanted to illustrate the" great scale and relevance" of the theme of idolatry.

Resuming his weekly appointments after a month's pause, Francis began today a new cycle of catechesis on the commandments and has focused his reflection on the first of the commandments: "You will have no other gods before me" (see Ex 20.3 -5a).

The pontiff stressed that "everything ... can be used as an idol. We are talking about a human tendency that does not spare believers or atheists ". "The human being - he said - The human being doesnt live without centering himself on something. So here is a world that offers a supermarket of idols, which can be objects, images, ideas, roles. For example, also prayer". And to the believers, the Pope addressed some questions: "we Christians can ask ourselves: who, truly, is my God? Is it the One and Triune Love or is it my image, my personal success, perhaps, within the Church? Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God" .

To give some examples, Francis recalled an episode of his life as a bishop, when, after conferring confirmations, walking saw so many people who went to be read the papers. "how many of you have gone to have cards read to you to see the future? How many of you, for example, have gone to have your hands read to see the future, instead of praying to the Lord? This is the difference: the Lord is alive; the others are idols, idolatries that are useless".

Continuing in catechesis, the Pope spoke of the "phases" with which "an idolatry develops".

First of all "seeing". "An idol is a vision, which tends to become a fixation, an obsession. In reality, an idol is a projection of oneself in objects or in projects. Advertising, for example, makes use of this dynamic: I dont see the object in itself but I perceive that car, that smartphone, that role  or other things  as a means to fulfil myself and of responding to my essential needs. And I seek it, speak of it, think of it; the idea of possessing that object or of doing that project, attaining that position, seems a wonderful way to happiness, a tower to reach the heavens (Cf. Genesis 11:1-9), and everything becomes functional to that goal.

Then one enters the second phase: You shall not bow down to them. Idols exact worship, rituals: to them one bows down and sacrifices everything. In antiquity, human sacrifices were made to idols, but also today: children are sacrificed for a career, by neglecting them or simply not generating them; beauty calls for human sacrifices. How many hours <spent> in front of a mirror! Certain persons, certain women, how much <time> they spend putting on makeup?! This is also idolatry. Its not bad to put on makeup, but in a normal way, not to become a goddess. Beauty calls for human sacrifices. Fame calls for the immolation of oneself, of ones innocence and authenticity. Idols ask for blood. Money robs life and pleasure leads to loneliness. The economic structures sacrifice human lives for greater profits. We think of so many people without work. Why? Because it happens sometimes that the entrepreneurs of that business, of that firm, have decided to lay-off people, to earn more money  the idol of money. One lives in hypocrisy, doing and saying what others expect, because the god of ones affirmation imposes it. .

Drugs are also an idol. "How many young people ruin health and even life, adoring this drug idol? ".

The third and more tragic stage is that "idols enslave": "they promise happiness - he said - but they do not give it; and we find ourselves living for that thing or that vision, caught in a self-destructive vortex, waiting for a result that never comes. idols promise life, but in reality that take it away. The true God doesnt ask for life but gives it, gifts it. The true God doesnt offer a projection of our success, but teaches to love. The true God doesnt ask for children, but gives His Son for us. Idols project future hypotheses and make one disdain the present; the true God teaches one to live in the reality of every day, in the concrete, not with illusions about the future: today and tomorrow and the day-after-tomorrow walking towards the future  the concreteness of the true God against the liquidity of idols".

"I invite you to think today: how many idols do I have and which is my favourite idol?  because to recognize ones idolatries is a beginning of grace, and puts one on the way of love. In fact, love is incompatible with idolatry: if something becomes absolute and untouchable, then its more important than a spouse, a child, or a friendship. Attachment to an object or an idea makes one blind to love. And so to go after idols, <after> an idol, we can even renounce father, mother, children, wife, husband, family  the dearest things. Attachment to an object or an idea makes one blind to love. Carry this in your heart: idols rob you of love, idols make you blind to love and to truly love its necessary to be free of idols. What is my idol? Take it out and throw it out of the window!"A new web platform has been launched to help protect migrant workers from abusive employment practices through user reviews of recruitment agencies.

Developed by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Migrant Recruitment Advisor (MRA), which can be accessed at https://www.recruitmentadvisor.org/, allows migrant workers to comment on their experiences, rate the recruitment agencies and learn about their rights.

The platform lists thousands of agencies in Nepal, Philippines, Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries.

The ILO supports countries like the Philippines in protecting the welfare of migrant workers through fair recruitment and rights-based migration. The Migrant Recruitment Advisor can help prospective Filipino migrant workers make informed decision or choice by going through online reviews, Director Khalid Hassan of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines said in a statement.

Hussein Macarambon, Project Coordinator of the ILO Fair Recruitment Initiative in the Philippines, said ITUC and its national affiliates have initiated the platform given the scale and extent of recruitment violations through a rights-based information.

Available in English and Filipino, and soon in other languages, the platform features licensed recruitment agencies of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). Governments provided the list of licensed agencies and a network of trade unions and civil society organizations in all target countries ensures the sustainability of the platform by reaching out to workers and speaking to them about their rights.

Ultimately, ILO said the MRA will promote recruiters who follow a fair recruitment process based on ILO General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment and will provide useful feedback to governments regarding the practices of licensed recruitment agencies, which could be used to complement more traditional monitoring systems.

Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the ILO Fair Recruitment Initiative aims to reduce cases of recruitment violations, to develop innovative models and to create fair recruitment options for migrant workers. The MRA offers peer-to-peer reviews of recruitment agencies as intervention.

Through the MRA, workers interested to work abroad can get more information about recruitment agencies. We believe migrant workers who have been recruited and employed abroad are the best recruitment advisors, says Jillian Roque of PSLINK and MRA focal point in the Philippines.

ILO and trade unions believe that ensuring decent work starts with fair recruitment. In a country where many find jobs abroad through private recruitment agencies, it is important to provide workers with reliable information about recruitment practices of licensed recruitment agencies, explains Roque.

The MRA was officially launched in the Philippines on July 26, 2018, after a series of regional consultations and launches held in Davao and Cebu.

According to ILO, about 3,000 Filipino workers leave the country daily in search for a better life and decent work overseas.

MRA , similar to the TripAdvisor, allows migrant workers to comment on their experiences, rate the recruitment agencies and learn about their rights. In the Philippines, the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers is a top foreign policy concern under the administration of President Duterte .

Through the MRA , workers interested to work abroad can get more information about recruitment agencies. We believe migrant workers who have been recruited and employed abroad are the best recruitment advisors, says Jillian Roque of PSLINK and MRA focal point in the Philippines.

ILO and trade unions believe that ensuring decent work starts with fair recruitment. In a country where many find jobs abroad through private recruitment agencies, it is important to provide workers with reliable information about recruitment practices of licensed recruitment agencies, explained Roque.Coles bag backdown, calls for ban laws





THE focus on getting rid of plastic shopping bags is shifting to government, with calls for laws to ban them after a Coles backdown.

The supermarket is under fire today for reversing a decision to stop providing free plastic bags to shoppers, saying some need more time to adjust to the switch to buying reusable bags.

Some customers told us they needed more time to make the transition to reusable bags, a Coles spokeswoman said.

Many customers bringing bags from home are still finding themselves short a bag or two so we are offering complimentary reusable better bags to help them complete their shopping.

Also in this edition of Australian Food News

The supermarket giant has been handing out bags to customers in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia since July 1 when it brought in a ban on single-use plastic bags and told customers theyd have to pay for reusable bags.

Coles was meant to stop providing its reusable Better Bags for free on August 1 and start charging customers 15 cents per bag, but has now backflipped on that decision and appears set to provide them indefinitely.

Coles originally said it would provide its Better Bags, made from 80 per cent recycled material, for free until July 8 to help customers adjust.

But Coles then decided to extend the giveaway of free reusable bags until August 1.

MORE: Shoppers need to step up

In response to todays backdown, the general of ABC televisions War on Waste, Craig Reucassel, asked NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian if she would intervene.

Last week she welcomed the plastic bag ban, saying they were the very reason she did not have to legislate a state-wide ban as Premier.

[Coles, Woolworths and Harris Farm] produce about 80 per cent of the plastic bags in NSW, so in essence they themselves would ban the plastic bag, she said.

I dont need to [put a ban in place] because 80 per cent of plastic bags are already banned. I dont need to put a law in for something thats already happening.

So @GladysB now that @coles has squibbed it, does that mean you will step up and legislate? https://t.co/M50BoEeziv  Craig Reucassel (@craigreucassel) August 1, 2018

Woolworths has not backed down on its commitment to ban single-use bags.

It did though give away reusable bags for 10 days, up until July 8, as customers transitioned from the use of single-use bags.

Harris Farm Markets today also called on the NSW state Government to ban single-use plastic bags after the Coles move to give out re-usable plastic bags indefinitely.

Were really disappointed by the decision from Coles Supermarkets this morning to backflip on their plastic bag ban and give out re-usable plastic bags free of charge indefinitely, says Angus Harris, Co-CEO of Harris Farm Markets.

We now renew our call to Gladys Berejiklian and the State Government to enforce a ban of single use plastic bags immediately. We also call on the Board of Coles to reconsider this decision for the sake of our planet.

Harris continues with a plea to Woolworths to not follow suit.

Also, a public message to Brad Banducci and the team at Woolworths  please dont follow suit.

Giving away re-usable plastic bags is an environmental disaster, this just increases the amount of plastic that will now make its way into our waterways. Removing plastic bags from our checkout registers at the beginning of the year was not easy and we are really grateful for all the hard work and support from our customers and our team.

Harris Farm Markets removed all plastic bags from the registers of their stores in January this year, replacing them with re-usable paper bags and cardboard boxes for customers to use, free of charge. Since then, Harris estimates the reduction to be around 15 million single use plastic bags saved from landfill and our waterways.

Harris Farm Markets has been a long-term supporter of reducing plastic bag use, including previously partnering with Clean Up Australia on the issue and always having alternative carry bag options at the checkout.

Clean Up Australia Managing Director Terrie-Ann Johnson says this afternoon: Clean Up shares shopper disappointment and dismay at this turnaround by Coles.

Working with their teams in the lead up to the campaign to replace single use bags, we were inspired by and supported Coles nationwide desire to replace single use plastics. Todays announcement that the spotted plastic bag will continue to be a free feature at the checkout is a breach of faith. We ask all shoppers to let Coles know this is not what shoppers want by saying NO to plastic at the checkout.Why Wesfarmers is cutting Coles loose





AFTER a decade of turning Coles around, Wesfarmers will demerger their $20 billion supermarket business. Retail expert Gary Mortimer tells Australian Food News why Wesfarmers is cutting Coles loose, and whats at play in the move in a must-read three-part series starting today.

The new and separately ASX-listed company will include over 800 supermarkets, nearly 900 liquor stores, 700 service stations and 88 hotels.

While Wesfarmers will have private equity groups and international supermarkets taking great interest, the next several months will see significant investment in stores, loyalty programs and a newly-appointed leadership team.

The aim will be to put to market the most attractive product.

The Wesfarmers group currently owns a diverse range of business in retail, chemicals, energy, fertilisers, safety products and coal. There is a strategic reason for this. Unlike Woolworths that essentially runs a retail company, the conglomerate model allows Wesfarmers to spread the risk for themselves and their investors. If coal prices fall, they lean on their retail companies. When their hardware business loses $1 billion in the UK, they can rely on their industrials and energy companies to deliver a $915 million in profit [See page 45 of their 2017 annual report] Wesfarmers is very good at entering and exiting markets, and identifying opportunities  and getting into food and groceries a decade ago was a smart move.

Source: Wesfarmers

These two pie graphs explain why Wesfarmers is demerging their Coles business. As it stands, Wesfarmers has 61 per cent of working capital invested in a business that is contributing 34 per cent of the conglomerates profit (EBIT). In simple terms, as a property investor, would you continue to leave 60 per cent of your cash in one property, if it only returned 30 per cent value to your overall portfolio?

Getting out of Dodge

Wesfarmers saw an opportunity to enter the food and grocery sector when they purchased an ailing Coles in 2007 and pulled together a new management team, led by Ian McLeod. However, that was over a decade ago and the sector has changed dramatically in relation to intense competition, the growth of discounters like Aldi and the emergence of price conscious shoppers  who simply shop across multiple brands of supermarket each week.

Earlier this year, Fred Harrison, chief executive of Ritchies, Australias largest chain of independent supermarkets, called for an end to the price wars. At the same time Coles signalled a move away from a purely price focussed strategy. Metcashs half-yearly results attest to the negative long-term consequences of the drawn out price wars, delivering loss in their food and grocery business.

German discounter Kaufland imminent

With the entry of German discounter Kaufland imminent, and possibly their other business, Lidl, it is suggested, Wesfarmers are getting out of the food and grocery sector, which is projected to become even more competitive over the next five years.

In the second instalment of this analysis, on Monday, learn how Wesfarmers will maintain a strategic interest and influence in Coles using a new loyalty program and the data it brings.

Also in this edition of Australian Food News

About the author: Associate Professor Gary Mortimer from the QUT Business School is an active researcher in the areas of food retailing, retail operations and shopping behaviour, particularly consumer behaviour in food retailing and shopping.

Prior to joining QUT, Dr Mortimer spent over 20 years working with some of Australias largest general merchandise and food retailers.By Andrew Christy, Senior Curator (Mineralogy) at the Queensland Museum and Lecturer, The University of Queensland

 The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, Author provided

My favourite gem is an occasional series where we ask a scientist to share the fascinating geological and social features of a beautiful rock.

Humans have adorned themselves and their belongings with attractive stones since prehistoric times. Weve used fossil materials such as jet and amber, colourful rocks such as lapis lazuli, and water-clear single crystals of minerals such as amethyst and golden citrine.

The precious stones diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald are distinguished from the remaining semiprecious stones largely on the basis of perceived rarity in classical times.

But what makes a stone a gem? It boils down to a few key qualities  beauty and durability. And rarity makes a gem even more special, as is the case for my favourite: painite.





Read more:

Why we value diamond rings and other Valentine's Day gifts





Tough beauty

Any stone may become a gem if it has beauty (in the eyes of enough beholders) and is durable enough to retain that beauty through everyday wear.

Durability usually implies that the stone is hard enough to resist abrasion from airborne sand and dust. Also, that it does not easily fracture or cleave on flat planes of weakness (determined by its atomic arrangement).

Diamond, the hardest known material, certainly satisfies the abrasion criterion. A diamond crystal does have four orientations of cleavage plane on which it can be split easily. But for diamonds, this apparent liability can be turned into an asset.

The cleavage is used as a short cut in the early stages of shaping, cutting and polishing this extraordinarily hard material, which is otherwise a slow and painstaking business.









The four Cs

Demand drives the value of gemstones as commercial items, and this in turn is a function of fashion and name recognition.

However, the main valuation criteria for gems such as diamonds are often summarised as the four Cs: carats, colour, clarity and cut.

One carat (0.2 g) is the traditional unit of weight for a gemstone  but larger stones are disproportionately rare, and worth more per weight than smaller ones.

While pure diamonds are colourless, and the same is true of many other gem minerals, striking and rare colours almost always increase their value.

Small amounts of impurities or defects of the crystal structure are needed to produce the prized pink diamonds for which the Argyle mine of northwestern Australia is famous.

Impurities also turn the common mineral corundum into its red form (ruby) and other coloured varieties familiar as sapphires. Such colours are appreciated best through the depths of a transparent, intact single crystal, with the passage of light unimpeded by fractures, inclusions or rough surfaces. Hence the value of clarity.

The rare gem painite

Although diamonds are still the popular epitome of preciousness, they are far from the rarest minerals to have been used as gems.

As a mineralogist, my favourite amongst these ultra-rare stones comes from the gem gravels of the Mogok region in Myanmar. There, sapphires, rubies, spinels and other gemstones accumulate in river beds after washing down from the surrounding forested hills. These have been mined since ancient times.

In 1957, two deep red stones from a batch donated to the Natural History Museum in London  as shown in the lead image for this story  turned out to be completely new to science. A tiny slice from one crystal was used for research, and the new mineral was named painite after the original donor, the gem dealer Arthur Pain.





Read more:

De Beers to sell synthetic diamonds: heres how theyre made





A third painite was identified in 1979, but it was not until 2001 that a fourth was found in Myanmar. Efforts to find more intensified, working uphill along creeks and locating progressively less water-worn material.

By 2005, a source outcrop for painite was finally discovered, nearly half a century after the original identification. Several thousand stones have now been recovered, but the small number of cut gems remains the preserve of specialist collectors.

Painites extreme rarity is due to it containing the chemical elements zirconium and boron, which do not normally associate with each other in nature and dont occur together in any other mineral. Ironically, some painite crystals are partly altered to a crust of small pink crystals of the more common ruby.

The increase in supply means that you can now get small crystals of painite pretty easily online for tens of dollars, and poor-quality cut stones for about A$100. However, the tiny proportion of gem-quality stones still fetch US$60,000 per carat.

Opal, the odd one out

The national gemstone of Australia, precious opal, is an anomaly. It is soft enough to scratch easily, prone to cracking, most attractive when nearly opaque, and does not occur as crystals.









from www.shutterstock.com





Opal is made from microscopic spheres of non-crystalline silica in a very regular array. This natural photonic crystal diffracts light to produce the play of rainbow colours whose beauty overcomes all other considerations.









from www.shutterstock.com









Read more:

From mine to wine: creative uses for old holes in the ground





Where science comes in

The polishing and carving of semiprecious stones originated in prehistory.

But the cutting of diamonds in particular has become a sophisticated craft well grounded in the science of optics. One rough stone may ultimately produce several finished stones of different sizes, the pattern of cuts being chosen to minimise waste.

Diamond cutters angle the facets on each stone precisely, so as to maximise the internal reflection of light and the dispersion of white light into rainbow sparkles. They also aim to produce an overall shape which appeals best to the market.

Similar considerations have led to standard cuts being developed for other gems, to show them at their best.

Andrew Christy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Originally published in The Conversation.Via the Chicago Tribune:

An Illinois House Republican lawmaker who had been appointed to the General Assemblys sexual harassment task force resigned Wednesday following his ex-girlfriends allegations of improper sexual activity online, House GOP Leader Jim Durkin said. State Rep. Nick Sauer, of Lake Barrington, was accused by an ex-girlfriend of sending nude photos of her to other men online, according to a report from Politico published Wednesday. The ex-girlfriend has filed a complaint about the matter with the Chicago Police Department and the Office of the Legislative Inspector General, Politico reported. In a resignation letter, Sauer wrote that he decided to resign as a result of the allegations by a former girlfriend. After speaking with my family, I feel it best to step away from my public responsibilities, the letter reads.

It was Sauers ex-girlfriend Kate Kelly who filed a with the Office of the Legislative Inspector General, accusing the lawmaker of creating a fake Instagram account and sending nude photos of her to lure them into graphic discussions of a sexual nature.

In a letter to the Clerk of the House, Sauer acknowledged the allegation.

My ability to fulfill my obligations as a state representative and public servant will be affected by the distraction of addressing these allegations, Sauer said in the statement. After speaking with my family, I feel it is best to step away from my public responsibilities.

Ironically, Sauer was a first term republican lawmaker from Lake Barrington, and was a member of the House Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Task Force.BUENOS AIRES  A campaign to expand legal abortions in the homeland of Pope Francis is bitterly dividing Argentines  and increasingly even the profession that would be asked to carry them out.

Hundreds of physicians have staged antiabortion protests as an abortion rights bill moves toward a vote in the Senate next week. Some have demonstrated while carrying fetus-shaped dolls and waving signs saying: Im a doctor, not a murderer. At one recent protest, they laid white medical coats on the ground outside the presidential palace.

While the Doctors for Life activist group claims about 1,000 members  only a small fraction of the countrys physicians  its protests are feeding a debate in the profession as a whole about the move to legalize elective abortions in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Leaders of the prestigious Argentina Medical Society have endorsed the bill, which has already passed the lower house of Congress. They said it would help reduce deaths among the estimated 400,000 to 500,000 women who now receive clandestine abortions each year.

But the equally august Academy of Medicine vehemently rejects the legislation. The academy issued a statement that human life begins at conception and to destroy a human embryo means impeding the birth of a human being.

Nothing good can come when society chooses death as a solution, it said.

An association of medical birth control specialists issued a strong statement in favor of the proposed law. Officials at about 300 private hospitals and medical facilities have denounced it.

The defense of life is at the very foundation of our institution, said Ernesto Beruti, chief of obstetrics at the Austral University Hospital, which is linked to the conservative Catholic Opus Dei movement. We see ever more doctors joining the protests.

Argentina now allows abortion only in cases of rape or risks to a womans health. But advocates say doctors and judges often continue to block legal abortions. Illegal abortions can lead to four years in prison for the woman and doctor alike.

The measure only narrowly passed in the Chamber of Deputies on June 14 after a long campaign by hundreds of feminist and human rights groups. Its advance appears to have galvanized opponents, religious and otherwise, to mobilize public protests ahead of a Senate vote tentatively set for Aug. 8. President Mauricio Macri has said he will sign the measure if it passes, despite opposing abortion.

Pope Francis this year denounced abortion as the white glove equivalent of the Nazi-era eugenics program and urged families to accept the children that God gives them.

But polls indicate most Argentines are in favor of broader legalization, which also has the support of local and international human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Almudena Calatrava is an Associated Press writer.KINSHASA, Congo  Congos former Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba returned to the country on Wednesday to register as a presidential candidate in Decembers long-delayed election, more than a decade after his arrest in Belgium led to a trial at the International Criminal Court over war crimes.

Bemba arrived in a private jet in the capital, Kinshasa, to throngs of supporters that included members of his opposition Movement for the Liberation of Congo party. The police presence was high.

His arrival shakes up the political landscape in one of Africas most turbulent nations as the opposition worries that President Joseph Kabila, whose mandate ended in late 2016, will find a way to hold on to power. Kabila has been in power since 2001, and his government has blamed delays on the difficulties of organizing a vote in the vast country.

While the international communitys patience frays  the United States last week warned Kabila that the time for posturing is over  Congos president has remained quiet on his role in the upcoming election and declared that his country is rejecting foreign meddling and funding the vote itself.

Bemba, like other candidates, must submit his candidacy by Aug. 8 to run in the elections now set for Dec. 23, more than two years late. Bemba was granted a diplomatic passport to return to Congo because he is still a senator.

In an interview, Bemba said he wants Congos opposition to rally around a single challenger to Kabila and will give all my support if that challenger isnt him.

Just weeks ago, few had suspected Bemba would be in a position to compete in the election.

In a surprising ruling in June, appeals judges with the ICC overturned Bembas convictions for murder, rape and pillaging committed by his Movement for the Liberation of Congo forces in neighboring Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003.

He had been sentenced in 2016 to 18 years in prison but maintained his innocence. He still awaits a final sentencing at the ICC in another case in which he was convicted of interfering with witnesses.

Another popular opposition leader, Moise Katumbi, has promised to return to Congo this week to stand in elections.

Saleh Mwanamilongo is an Associated Press writer.COPENHAGEN  Supporters and opponents of a ban on garments covering the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab or burqa, clashed verbally Wednesday as the law takes effect.

Marcus Knuth of the ruling liberal party Venstre, says the dress worn by some conservative Muslim women is strongly oppressive.

Sasha Andersen of the Party Rebels activist group, is planning a demonstration later in the day against what they called Wednesday a discriminatory measure against a minority group. Groups that back the ban also plan to rally.

Danish lawmakers approved the law in May, which was presented by the center-right governing coalition that is known for tightening asylum and immigration rules in recent years. In 2016, Denmark also adopted a law requiring newly arrived asylum-seekers to hand over valuables such jewelry and gold to help pay for their stays in the country.

Other European countries have similar bans, claiming they are not aimed at any religion in particular, and dont ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap.

Popularly known as the Burqa Ban, it is mostly seen as being directed at the niqab and burqa. Few Muslim women in Denmark wear such full-face veils.

The law allows people to cover their face when there is a recognizable purpose like cold weather or complying with other legal requirements, such as using motorcycle helmets required under Danish traffic rules.

First-time offenders risk a fine of $157. Repeat offenses could trigger fines of up to $1,565 or a jail sentence of up to six months.

Anyone forcing a person to wear garments covering the face by using force or threats can be fined or face up to two years in prison.

Austria, France and Belgium have similar laws.

Jan M. Olsen is an Associated Press writer.MEXICO CITY  An Aeromexico jetliner carrying 103 people crashed in stormy weather shortly after takeoff Tuesday in Mexicos north-central state of Durango, according to Mexican officials. But in what appeared to be a remarkable survival story, authorities said none of the occupants had been killed.

The airline said on its Twitter account that Flight 2431, an Embraer ERJ-190AR jet, had been scheduled to fly from the General Guadalupe Victoria International Airport in the city of Durango to Mexico City. The 550-mile flight takes about two hours.Associated Press

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan  More than 200 Islamic State fighters and their two top commanders surrendered to the Afghan government on Wednesday to avoid capture by Taliban insurgents, after a two-day battle that was a decisive victory for the Taliban, participants on all sides confirmed.

One of the Islamic State commanders, Mufti Nemat, was reached by cell phone after his surrender, and he confirmed that he and 200 to 250 of his fighters had turned themselves in to the government after the battle in northern Afghanistan, in which 40 of his insurgents had been killed by the Taliban.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It's the tutorial we didn't know we needed until now.

A series of satire videos -- titled "Cheap Thrills"-- decided to use "Saturday Night Live" star Pete Davidson and his pop star fiance, Ariana Grande, as its fashion inspiration Thursday.

"Cheap Thrills" host Tabasko Sweet invited guest comedian Jamie Loftus to re-create the (dare I say, iconic?) look the Great Kills native and his wife-to-be rocked on the streets of New York City.

The nearly 19-minute video -- gaining 73,000 views in it's first hour -- takes viewers through a step by step process of creating the "weather confused" look. But first, there was roasting to be done.

"Honestly, I don't know if these fools will still be together by the time this video comes out," Sweet said. "But your boy believes in love. I'm optimistic."

Check out the full video below:

Apparently, Pete and Ari's relationship hits home for Loftus.

"Yeah, sure, lets just let male stand-ups who look normal date pop stars and then female stand-ups just have to bury themselves in sand, waiting for a pair of pants to look at us," Loftus said. "It's upsetting. It's violent towards the community and I cannot endorse it."

The question the duo wanted answers to: "How did normal-a** Pete Davidson get with Ariana Grande?"

Obviously, his clothes have everything to do with it. While reviewing Davidson's outfit, the comedians say he looks like he's wearing three shirts to make up for Grande's lack of pants.

The "Cheap Thrills" duo spot Robert Pattinson -- Davidson's good friend who most recognize from the "Twilight" movie series -- on his shirt, saying "If Pete is Team Edward, I'm going to be disappointed."

For Grande, an oversized hoodie, knee-high boots and a "40-pound pony-tail" is all it takes to get the ~*pop star appeal*~.

"She caps the whole look of with a lollipop, a small purse and a remarkably normal looking boyfriend," Sweet says.

"An accessory anyone could have," Loftus added. "Except L.A.'s female comedian scene, who are just waiting to be unburied from the sand."

"It's kinda hard to tell what the weather is like in this photo because Ariana is pantless and she's fine but Pete's just layered," Sweet said.

"Well, reptilian bodies self-regulate temperature, so I think that's it," Loftus added.

Uh, burn.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Jewish Community Center of Staten Island recently welcomed 19 Holocaust survivors for a celebration of their life with singing and dancing at "Cafe Europa."

The event -- open to the survivors and their families -- took place at the center in Sea View from from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

This year's focus was on including the grandchildren of the survivors, so that important stories of the past could be passed on to the future.

"This program is about sharing and remembrance. Seven decades is not long enough for us to forget the 6 million Jews that perished in the Holocaust," said Rachel Borenstein, who has chaired the annual event for the past seven years. "You are all invited here today to join us in keeping the light glowing. Today, let's all join in keeping the flame on and letting this light we've created shine through."

Katherina Guttman-Colucci, the Director of Membership for the JCC, presented a Lifetime Platinum Membership to all of the Holocaust Survivors for their "bravery and strength as a Holocaust survivor."



Survivors danced to traditional Jewish music by the Tsu fil Duvids Klezmer Ensemble and sang Yiddish and Hebrew songs, including "Am Yisrael Chai" and "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav."

There also was an art show featuring paintings by Israeli artist Ayala Borten.



The event's name, "Cafe Europa," comes from the name of a cafe in Stockholm, Sweden, where survivors would meet after World War II to try and find family and friends.NEW YORK -- A New York murder-suicide that left four people dead, including a 6-year-old boy and his Dutch mother, may have stemmed from a trans-Atlantic custody fight.

The boy and his mother were found dead of gunshot wounds in a Queens apartment on Monday night, along with a second woman and a man whose throat also had been slashed.

The man's father identified him as suspect James Shields Jr. and said the slain boy was Shields' son, Jimmy. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the boy's 47-year-old mother was among the victims.

James Shields Sr. told reporters on Tuesday that his son was in a bitter custody dispute with his ex-wife and that she was taking Jimmy to the Netherlands next week.

The elder Shields said his grandson was "a beautiful boy" and defended his son as a "good man."

The shootings brought a throng of officers, some in heavy tactical gear, to the low-rise brick building. Bystanders gathered behind police lines on the roped-off block.

The New York Police Department said investigators were interviewing the person who called 911 and were examining data to see if officers had been called to the apartment in the past. Police were scheduled to provide an update on the investigation later Tuesday.

James Shields Jr., a licensed physical therapist, ranted about the custody dispute in an April GoFundMe posting titled "Child Kidnapping."

Shields indicated in the post that his ex-wife was raising Jimmy in the Netherlands and only wanted him in the U.S. two weeks a year, an arrangement Shields wrote, "I just can't accept as a father."

Shields wrote that his ex-wife had gone back to the Netherlands while pregnant with the boy because she couldn't find work as an artist, causing him to spend "a fortune to travel there" to see his baby.

He said the financial stress of their dispute was destroying his life and his second marriage, also to a Dutch woman.

"I had the perfect life a few years ago but it has spiraled out of control," Shields wrote.

The posting was pulled from GoFundMe by Tuesday afternoon.

Shields was a co-founder of a Manhattan physical and occupational therapy practice. In an online bio, he described himself as a "wannabe anthropologist" who enjoyed traveling to new and exotic locations.

He said volunteering at a nursing home at age 16 led to his career in physical therapy.

His business partner, reached by telephone, declined to comment.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD released additional footage Tuesday of an apparent arson that occurred early Monday morning.

New footage shows a wider angle of the fire starter going into the 7-Eleven near the intersection of Richmond Avenue and Victory Boulevard, coming out with a gas canister, and starting the blaze.

The ground erupts into flames sending the apparent arsonist stumbling backward before he fled the scene, according to police.

Police could not provide a motive, and no arrests had been made as of Tuesday night.

A 21-year-old male bystander, who was standing in the vicinity of the blaze, suffered internal injuries and was transported to Richmond University Medical Center in stable condition, according to police.

Police only described the man sought as a dark skinned male. He was seen wearing a light colored, long-sleeved shirt, dark colored shorts, and dark colored slippers at the time of the incident.

The latest footage shows the man's slippers engulfed in flames.

The man arrived at the gas station in a blue minivan, which can be seen in the video, police said.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are asking for the public's help identifying a man wanted for questioning in connection with a burglary at a Willowbrook building.

An unidentified individual was caught on camera entering the building near the vicinity of Neptune Place and North Gannon Avenue on July 24 around 2:45 a.m., according to a written statement from the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

An NYPD spokesman could not provide a more exact location of the burglary, but the written statement indicated the location is a school building.

The person removed about $1,000 worth of electronics and fled the scene in an unknown direction, according to police.

Police described him as a black man with a slim build and a goatee. He was seen wearing glasses, light colored hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and a back pack at the time of the incident.

Police provided surveillance footage taken from the scene of the incident.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

All calls are strictly confidential.BY SHANE DIMAIO and PAUL LIOTTA

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The FDNY battled a van fire Tuesday night at a Stapleton parking lot.

No one was injured in the blaze, which started around 6:15 p.m. near the intersection of Bay and Grant streets, an FDNY spokesman said.

Emergency personnel temporarily shut down Bay Street between Grant and Clinton streets. The fire gutted the van and spread to a tree near the initial blaze.

The fire was brought under control by 6:45 p.m.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.

-- Do you know how to use a fire extinguisher?

Rather than read the instructions mid-crisis, the Staten Island Communities Activated in Disaster and the Metropolitan Fire Association plan to teach residents the proper way to use an extinguisher during a workshop on Tuesday at 11 a.m. in the Staten Island Children's Museum, St. George.

In addition, the groups will provide information on how to prevent common household fires.

The event is free and open to the public, but people must

RSVP

to

.

The Staten Island Children's Museum is located at 1000 Richmond Terr.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Lighthouse Point -- the new 115-unit luxury apartment complex to be equipped with retail, office space and a Westin Hotel -- is rapidly rising along the coastline of the North Shore.

Since construction started in 2016 on the $250 million project -- located on the St. George waterfront adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal -- the site has been booming with development.

Phase I of construction, which includes a three-floor commercial base, 12 residential floors and a 300-car public parking garage, is now nearing completion.

"We intend to be completed with the commercial base, which is about 65,000 square feet of commercial, towards the end of the year or the first quarter of next year," said Elysa Goldman, director of development of Triangle Equities.

At that point, the commercial space will be turned over to the leased tenants, which include shared workspace provider Regus, early education academy The Learning Experience and Lighthouse Point Market, with expected openings slated for Spring 2019.

"The remaining spaces that are to be leased, I'm currently in negotiations with various tenants for," said Goldman, who noted that the majority of prospective remaining tenants were restaurant and food-based.

According to Goldman, the residential units are expected to be completed next spring, around the same time as the opening of the commercial base.

Twenty percent of the apartment units will be set aside for affordable housing, which will be rented through a lottery system via the city Department of Housing, Preservation and Development.

Phase II, which will include the Westin Hotel and rehabilitation of four historic structures on the site, is still in the development phase, with construction slated to begin sometime next year.

The historic site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and one of the buildings is also a New York City landmark, Goldman told the Advance last year, adding that Triangle Equities plans to restore the property's "sense of history, while also incorporating the historic structures for modern uses."STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- NYPD officers visited the South Beach Houses on Tuesday with information for senior citizens about phone scams targeting people in their age bracket.

Members of the domestic violence unit spoke with residents about fraudulent behavior reported to the police in recent weeks as well as domestic violence awareness, according to a post on the 122nd Precinct's Twitter page.

Our Domestic Violence Officers were out today @NYCHA South Beach Houses discussing domestic violence awareness and scams targeting the elderly. #NYPDConnecting #HangUpItsAScam pic.twitter.com/9sbH56n5HL  NYPD 122nd Precinct (@NYPD122Pct) July 31, 2018

The scams typically start with a phone call in which the person claims to be a utility company representative, IRS investigator, an immigration official or a law enforcement officer, according to police.

The caller threatens the person with criminal prosecution, tax liens, loss of utility service or deportation if they do not submit an immediate payment over the phone via prepaid gift card.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.

-- The New Dorp resident who died following a freak collision on the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn was described by a neighbor Wednesday as a devoted family man.

Robert Martinez, 64, was driving a 2003 Chevy Tracker in the eastbound HOV lane around 6:30 a.m. when a tire flew through the vehicle's windshield near Seventh Avenue, police said.

Emergency personnel transported Martinez, who was unconscious and unresponsive, to New York University Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

A preliminary investigation by the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad determined that a 2009 Mack garbage truck was traveling in the opposite direction when its rear passenger-side tire came unhinged.

The tire went over the center median, shattered the Chevy Tracker's windshield and struck Martinez, causing severe head trauma, police said.

The truck, which is owned by Century Waste Services LLC; its 46-year-old driver, and a 27-year-old passenger remained at the scene, police said.

No arrests had been made as of Wednesday afternoon and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

At the time of the incident, it is believed Martinez was on his way to police headquarters in Manhattan, where he worked in building maintenance as a civilian employee of the NYPD.

"Our hearts go out to the family of the victim, this event was an unfortunate accident," said Ara Chekmayan, a spokesman for Century Waste told the New York Post. "We are fully cooperating with the investigation of this tragic event."

A person at Martinez's Cranford Avenue home declined comment Wednesday.

"Everything he did was for his family, that's the best way to describe him," a neighbor told the Advance.

The neighbor said Martinez was married with three grown daughters, two of whom are in college.

The incident on the Gowanus tied up traffic for hours during the morning commute, stretching over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and onto the Staten Island Expressway.Philip Luciano

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A father and son accused of dealing opioids from their Staten Island home with the help of the dark web will plead guilty to a conspiracy charge next week in Brooklyn federal court, according to the family's attorney.

Michael Luciano, 59, and his son, Philip, 30, will be sentenced to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison in exchange for their admission of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, according to defense attorney Patrick Parrotta.

Both court appearances are scheduled for Aug. 8.

Federal authorities said the Lucianos bought and sold fentanyl and oxycodone from February 2016 to July 2017. They used the website AlphaBay, an illegal marketplace recently shut down by federal officials, according to court documents.

During a search of the family's Staten Island home, Michael Luciano told investigators he initially purchased fentanyl over the internet at a low cost from China, but after two shipments were intercepted by law enforcement he solicited the help of his son who was able to access the dark web, according to the criminal complaint.

At the time of his arrest, Philip Luciano had a master's degree as a physician assistant, in addition to a nursing degree, authorities said.

The investigation linked the men to AlphaBay account Zane61, which allegedly was used to sell oxycodone and fentanyl online. A review of the product read, "great stealth, fast shipping, legit product. Perfect 10/10."

Michael Luciano at one point was also prescribed fentanyl patches due to an injury, which he and Philip also would sell online, authorities said.

The men were accused of selling narcotics both online and in person.

Transcripts of text messages in the criminal complaint showed conversations between Philip Luciano and what appeared to be customers asking about the product and if they could stop at the Luciano's home to purchase.

During a search of Philip Luciano's cell phone, investigators found the following 2015 text exchanges with unidentified individuals:

Customer: "... I got back home and shot some. I thought it might have been too much ... I became unresponsive and my friend called an ambulance ... they gave me Narcan and I'm at the hospital now. Can I settle up and get 60 tomorrow?"

Luciano: "Give me a call when you can."

A separate conversation includes a mention of Michael Luciano's name.

Customer: "You home yet? My boy is waiting to find out if he can get that or if he should go elsewhere... it's the same kid that drove me to your house that morning.

Philip Luciano: I'm home but my pop isn't so if he can go elsewhere than I guess do it cause my mom's gonna be home soon so idk what he will say.

The family was targeted by Homeland Security when a shipment of opioids from China containing 64 grams of fentanyl and 37 grams of an unknown substance was reportedly intercepted by customs and border patrol officers.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD has provided essential tips for senior citizens to combat several types of scams, which have recently spiked on Staten Island, officials said.

"We want to stress to hang up and not let them talk," said a law enforcement source. "Don't go back and forth with them."

Authorities are warning against the following types of scams:

If anybody asks for a wire transfer or gift card, it's a scam.

If it's the IRS or a utility company, they will not call you. They will send you a letter in the mail.

Anything law enforcement related, like an arrest, accident, parole or holding situation, you should call your local precinct or 911 before you send money. "It's our biggest concern," the source said.

Below are six typical scenarios on how a scam unfolds, police said:STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- When a neighbor asked Leonard Evans on Aug. 4, 2016, what had happened and why he was bleeding badly from his arm, he made an admission, a witness testified Tuesday at Evans' murder trial.

"'Peanut' said he had stabbed someone," witness Pedro Burnias said, referring to the defendant by his nickname.

Burnias, who turns 40 next week, testified that a short time earlier, he had seen Evans confront German (Ricco) Pagan on the waterfront promenade between the St. George Ferry Terminal and the Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George.

Evans shoved Pagan, who was sleeping on a bench, on the arm and then swung at him "with his fist," striking the victim in the chest after he stood up, Burnias said.

Burnias testified Evans had shown him a pocket knife while they were drinking beer a short time before the deadly altercation.

Evans told him he "basically wanted to get back" at Pagan, who had punched the defendant twice in the face in front of Evans' girlfriend on the afternoon of Aug. 3 in a park behind Borough Hall.

Burnias testified that Evans, who was bleeding on the arm, called him over after the fight and said he had cut himself.

But under cross-examination by defense lawyer Mark J. Fonte, Burnias, a felon with a long criminal record, said he did not see a knife in Evans' or Pagan's hand during the confrontation on the promenade.

He also said he did not see either men get stabbed.

Fonte hammered away at Burnias' credibility during 50 minutes of cross-examination.

As part of his criminal history dating back about 25 years in four different states, Burnias admitted to once torching an abandoned house in Charleston, S.C., because he believed he saw a ghost inside.

The witness admitted to being homeless and spending his days panhandling around the ferry terminal, lying to get money for beer.

Burnias, prosecutors' key witness, also said he has accepted food, shelter and clothing from authorities in exchange for his cooperation.

A stocky, dark-haired man garbed in a striped dress shirt and gray slacks, Burnias took the stand for about three hours.

He spoke lowly, mumbling occasionally, and had to be instructed several times to speak clearly.

Burnias said he came to Staten Island early in 2016 from Miami, where he had been living with his father. His mother resides here, although he said he could not live with her.

While in the borough, Burnias has lived on the street, although he did spend several months with Evans and the defendant's girlfriend at their Slosson Terrace apartment in St. George.

The two men were part of a regular crew who hung out around the ferry terminal, he said. A number of them slept there.

Burnias said he would see Pagan around there.

Regarding the evening of Aug. 3, 2016, the witness said he was charging his phone at an outlet outside the ballpark near Richmond Terrace and was preparing to go to sleep when Evans approached him. The defendant asked if he wanted to drink beer.

They began drinking, and Evans told him of a fight he had earlier that day with Pagan.

"It sounded like he was mad about it," said Burnias. "He was telling me he wanted to get back at him."

Burnias said Evans then showed him a pocket knife. The knife, whose blade was closed, was seven to eight inches long, he said.

At one point, the two men went down to a bench by the water and began drinking with a homeless man named Alex.

Burnias said Evans then saw Pagan sleeping on a bench about 20 feet away from them.

The defendant went over to Pagan, and the deadly encounter ensued.

Burnias said Pagan lay back down on the bench after Evans hit him the second time.

Evans, who was bleeding heavily from his arm, called him over and said, "I cut myself," the witness testified.

Burnias said he did not see Pagan bleeding.

Evans then told Burnias to take him home.

The witness said he asked Evans what happened to the knife, and the defendant said he got rid of it.

"I figured he stabbed him," said Burnias, meaning Evans had stabbed Pagan.

The two men walked to the defendant's apartment. En route, Burnias said he asked Evans if he wanted to go to the 120th Precinct stationhouse across the street from the ballpark.

The defendant said no.

Outside his apartment, Evans admitted the stabbing to a neighbor who was on the front porch, Burnias said.

An ambulance was called, and Evans and his girlfriend left in it.

Not knowing what else to do, Burnias said he returned to the ferry terminal, where he planned to sleep outside.

Video surveillance tape shows him walking around outside, drinking beer for about 30 minutes before, he said, he went to check on Pagan.

The victim was lying on his back and there was blood around him. Burnias believed him dead.

The witness walked around for a while more before entering the ferry terminal and calling 911 on his cell phone. He said he did not want to make the call outside for fear of being caught next to the body.

Video showed Burnias passing at least one uniformed cop inside the terminal.

Burnias did not approach the officer and tell him about Pagan.

Fonte, the defense lawyer, asked why.

"I didn't know what to do," the witness said.

The trial resumes Wednesday in state Supreme Court, St. George.

Evans is expected to testify this week.However one evaluates his politics or personality, there's no denying the enormity of Guy Molinari's influence on Staten Island. Following his passing last week, the lusty tributes from supporters and opponents alike are a testament to a remarkable career of public service that spanned four decades.



Following a successful primary challenge against incumbent South Shore Assemblyman Lucio F. Russo in 1974, Molinari served three terms in the state Assembly, five terms in Congress and 11 years as Staten Island borough president. Today's column takes a look at his only election defeat, a stunning thrashing at the polls in 1995 when he challenged incumbent District Attorney William Murphy.



The race was memorable for three reasons. Murphy was so obviously qualified; Molinari was so obviously unqualified; but, nevertheless, virtually nobody thought Murphy had a chance of retaining the office. That was certainly my thinking too as I awaited a calendar call in the Supreme Court, Criminal Term, right after the Republicans nominated Molinari. Like the other defense attorneys there that morning, I felt really bad for Murphy. He understood that being a good district attorney meant more than just focusing on conviction rates. If, for example, a truly deserving kid made a stupid mistake and needed a break to safeguard his future, Murphy would give it to him. And, if a defense attorney had evidence of his client's actual innocence, Murphy would launch a further investigation into the case.



Superb qualifications



He had been appointed Staten Island district attorney by Gov. Mario Cuomo in March 1983, filling the vacancy created by the election of former District Attorney Thomas R. Sullivan to the state Supreme Court. Murphy was superbly qualified to become the island's top prosecutor, having compiled a distinguished academic record, and thereafter serving in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office under Frank Hogan and Robert Morganthau. He joined Sullivan's office on Staten Island in 1976, becoming chief assistant district attorney and successfully prosecuting several high-profile cases. Simply put, Staten Island could not have had a better district attorney than Bill Murphy.



This was 1995, however, and Molinari, the borough president at the time, was at the height of his popularity and power. Whatever he had wanted from Staten Island voters, they had given him, with plenty to spare. And what he wanted now was to be district attorney. There wasn't a single entry on his impressive record of public service that even tangentially qualified him for the job. Similarly, his law practice dealt exclusively with civil matters. He simply wanted the job.



The two candidates had starkly different personalities too. Molinari, a household name, was a savvy, brash, in-your-face politician who craved publicity. Murphy, little known outside the courthouse, was a reserved, unassuming professional prosecutor. Several of my colleagues and I in the Criminal Term that morning theorized that the Democrats might nominate Murphy for a judgeship to at least keep his talents working for the community.



Predicting victory



When I stopped by his office a few days later, however, he had a different idea. "I'm going to win," he said. Then, just in case I missed it, he said it again. "I'm going to win."



This wasn't braggadocio; this was a very determined man. While he didn't exactly convince me he'd pull it off, he did get me thinking there was at least an inkling of hope. Later in the campaign, he asked if I'd help him prepare for a scheduled debate. So, for two sessions, I sat there firing questions at him, and he stood there firing answers back at me. I remember thinking that he really didn't need my help at all.



As it turned out, the Murphy campaign was brilliantly executed. Slowly, methodically, the message became clear. However effective Molinari may have been in other elective capacities, he was so woefully unqualified to be district attorney that his candidacy bordered on the bizarre. Murphy, on the other hand, was a conscientious career prosecutor with an unassailable record of excellence. It was, indeed, as Murphy would say, a contest between a professional prosecutor and a professional politician.



On Nov. 7, voters reelected Murphy with a whopping 66 percent of the vote. The seemingly impossible had happened.



At his campaign headquarters at the now-defunct Columbia Lyceum, Murphy received a phone call from Molinari conceding the race. "I'm the old warrior," he said. "And you whupped me."



Murphy went on to become Staten Island's longest serving district attorney, holding the office for over 20 years until his retirement at the end of 2003. He set the standard by which every district attorney to follow would be judged.



Bill Murphy died at his West Brighton home on June 4, 2010, from complications from diabetes. He was 65 years old.



Email Daniel Leddy at column@danielleddylaw.com. Follow him on Twitter @LegalHotShots.Transparency has never been superannuation industrys strong suit. Despite super being one of the biggest investments Australians make over their lifetimes, most of us have hardly any idea what our retirement savings are invested in, or the risks theyre exposed to.

In May, the Productivity Commission called out the industrys poor levels of transparency, especially in relation to key areas of governance and funds performance.

As the superannuation sector prepares to front the Financial Services Royal Commission next week, we can only imagine what revelations will ensue. But dealing with a sector so opaque about where and how it invests, happily taking its members super and fees while providing minimal information about what is done with their retirement savings, doesnt bode well.

A major emerging issue facing financial markets is climate risk. This includes impacts to the value of companies and assets as the worlds economy re-orients to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, as well as the predicted impacts of extreme long and short-term weather and climate events.The tip, police say, came in to a Tesla call centre in Las Vegas. A distraught former employee had a gun -- and seemed ready to use it. The ex-worker's name, the caller said, was Martin Tripp.

That June 20 warning set off a frantic search for Tripp, who had recently lost his job at Tesla's sprawling factory near Reno, Nevada, where the company makes batteries for its electric cars.

Elon Musk had warned in an internal email that someone was trying to sabotage the company. He later identified the person as Martin Tripp. Credit:AP

Five weeks later, the strange story of Tripp's brushes with law enforcement, and with Tesla, keeps getting stranger.

After wrapping up their investigation, local law enforcement officials say they've found no evidence that he ever posed a threat, according to a 10-page police report. And Tesla says it still doesn't know who was behind the tip.The Trump administration will propose raising its planned 10 per cent tariffs on $US200 billion ($270 billion) in Chinese imports to 25 per cent, ratcheting up pressure on Beijing to return to the negotiating table, three people familiar with the internal deliberations said.

The US imposed 25 per cent tariffs on $US34 billion of Chinese products in early July, and the review period on another $US16 billion of imports ends on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump has threatened an additional $US200 billion with levies of 10 per cent, a level the administration may raise to 25 per cent in a Federal Register notice in coming days, one of the people said. The change isn't final yet and may not go forward after a public review, the people said.

Donald Trump is ramping up the pressure on China. Credit:AP

At the same time, representatives of US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He are having private conversations as they look for ways to reengage in negotiations, according to people who spoke about the deliberations on condition of anonymity.Such a result would make the housing market a central issue at the next federal election, due to be held before May next year, as the Coalition highlights fears that Labor's negative gearing restrictions could further dampen the market.

The market now predicts house prices could fall by more than 10 per cent in Sydney and Melbourne from their peak by the time the market stabilises in 2019. They have already been falling for 10 months straight.

House prices have fallen at their fastest rate in more than six years, fuelling concerns that prices in Sydney and Melbourne may fall "too far, too quickly", hurt economic growth and drive anxiety among policymakers.

Analysts have warned the "worst is yet to come" and that house prices will sink further as demand falls at a faster rate than the decrease in available properties. They suggest house prices across the capital cities could drop by up to 5 per cent a year, on top of the 2.4 per cent slide in the year to July.

House prices have risen by up to 45 per cent over the past five years in Sydney and Melbourne. In the past year, record levels of population growth have not made up for investors exiting the market as banks restrict their lending under orders from the regulator and the Turnbull government.

Capital Economics chief economist Paul Dales said the most worrying aspect was that "prices will soon be falling at an even faster pace".

"The further decline in the number of home sales in March to a seven-year low was larger than the fall in the number of new listings," he said.

He warned this was before the full effect of the banking royal commission was known.Appropriately enough in this era of so-called fake news, the very idea of "truth" is on trial in several documentaries screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Our New President, from Russian-born, New York-based Maxim Pozdorovkin, tells the story of the 2016 US election campaign, and the first year of President Trump, entirely through clips taken from Russias television networks and social media.

"I wanted to try to make a movie about the way information, or disinformation, travels across the internet, where the spine is factual television yet there isn't a single true statement in the movie," he says.

Pozdorovkin made a documentary about Pussy Riot in 2013 and wrote a PhD on Russian propaganda. "So I kind of know how it works," he says.Dear Coles, I would like to invite your executive team to join the many thousands of ordinary Australians who spend their free time picking up plastic waste. Its hardly our first choice for a good time, but someone has to do it.

There are perks - like camaraderie and the glimmer of hope that the Styrofoam youve pulled out of your local creek wont end up as a grey herons lunch. But theres also the unavoidable realisation that it is not just a thankless task, it is an endless one  unless we reduce plastic pollution at its source.

I do get it that you have to listen to your customers. And as Wesfarmers wants you to "demerge", I also know youre super sensitive about anything that might get in the way of a customers unimpeded pathway to the checkout.

But, until you reneged on the removal of free plastic bags, I was a regular Coles customer too. Like many others, I have contacted you on Facebook bemoaning the recent failure of corporate leadership. The end of thin plastic bags was great news, then you started giving even thicker ones away for free - and now you're going to do that indefinitely.Systems introduced to halt the spread of one superbug in Australian hospitals may have accidentally encouraged the spread of another, a new study suggests.

They think the superbug, which can cause blood infections, is spreading because it is growing tolerant to the alcohol-based antibacterial soap used by doctors, nurses and surgeons.

Standard precautions arent that effective any more. Cleaning your hands with alcohol is not reliable enough, says Professor Paul Johnson, deputy director of infectious diseases at Austin Health.

A scanning electron micrograph of vancomycin resistant enterococci. Credit:CDC/Janice Haney Carr

Remarkably, Professor Johnson was part of the team that first introduced alcohol-based handwash to the nations hospitals in the early 2000s.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1)  Malacanang has ordered the dismissal of Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang over his supposed partiality in investigating President Rodrigo Duterte's alleged ill-gotten wealth.

In a decision dated July 30 and obtained by CNN Philippines on Wednesday, the Palace found Carandang liable for graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust in the conduct of the probe on the presidential family's wealth.

Aside from dismissal from public service, Carandang was also slapped with cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, barred from taking civil service examinations, and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

CNN Philippines is trying to reach Carandang for comment.

The decision stems from the October 2017 complaint filed by Manuelito Luna, legal counsel of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, and Eligio Mallari, president of the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc., which alleged that Carandang was partial in his probe. The complaint against Carandang's co-accused, Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao Rodolfo Elman and members of the fact-finding investigation team, was dismissed for lack of substantial evidence.

The Palace's ruling, signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, said Carandang "was clearly only interested to broadcast an information adverse to the President."

Malacanang also accused Carandang of violating the RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees when he supposedly disclosed or misused confidential information "in order to give undue advantage" to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who filed the plunder complaint against Duterte.

The Palace said this also violates Section 3(e) of RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, which penalizes public officials "giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence."

"These transgressions of respondent Carandang constitute graft and corruption as well as betrayal of public trust, which gravely affect his fitness to remain in office," the decision read.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace ruled that Carandang breached his duty to protect confidential information when he talked about the ongoing probe in public.

"This decision was reached after giving Mr. Carandang the appropriate opportunity to respond to the charges made against him," Roque said.

Carandang in September 2017 confirmed that he was leading the probe on the Presidential family's wealth in response to the plunder case filed by Trillanes during the 2016 presidential campaign.

READ: Ombudsman: Probe on Duterte wealth closed after AMLC refusal to cooperate

Carandang also said he obtained Duterte's bank records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), amounting to over 1 billion, supposedly supporting Trillanes' allegation of the President's ill-gotten wealth. But the council denied providing such documents. It said in September 2017 it was still evaluating Carandang's request.

The Ombudsman later announced the probe had ended because of AMLC's refusal to cooperate. The Ombudsman said the probe was "closed and terminated" on November 29, 2017, after the AMLC "declined to provide a report or confirmation on the requested vital data."

In January 2018, Malacanang said it was suspending Carandang for supposedly spreading false information on Duterte's bank records, but Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales refused to enforce the suspension order, saying it was unconstitutional.

Morales retired last July 25, and the law states Carandang should take over the post in an acting capacity. But Duterte the next day announced the appointment of then Supreme Court Justice Samuel Martires as Ombudsman.

When asked about Palace's order, Martires only said "I have yet to assume office and read the decision."Anna Wintour officially stuck a stiletto in the persistent rumour she'd be stepping down from Vogue this year.

On Tuesday, Bob Sauerberg, CEO of Conde Nast, put months of chatter to rest.

Anna Wintour officially stuck a stiletto in the persistent rumour she'd be stepping down from Vogue this year. Credit:Reuters

"Anna Wintour is an incredibly talented and creative leader whose influence is beyond measure," he said in a statement to USA Today. "She is integral to the future of our company's transformation and has agreed to work with me indefinitely in her role as Vogue editor-in-chief and artistic director of Conde Nast."

The Wintour rumour mill went into overdrive this week, with the fashion world speculating if this September's coveted cover (said to be Beyonce) would be the editor's swan song.The small wooden tables at Lankan Filling Station are set with spoon, fork and pencil, but really, you only need the pencil. This is food to eat with the hands, as you tear off a bit of crisp hopper and use it to dip into curry or scoop up fiery sambol.

Without the pencil, however, you're buggered, thanks to a fiendish tick-the-box menu/order form. I tried to sneak in a verbal order of mukkuru, that moreish mixture of crunchy sev and deep-fried pulses ($5) with my Colombo 7 gin and tonic ($10), but no. "Use the pencil!"

Hopper set (one egg, one plain) with green pol sambol and kata sambol. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

For former Berta head chef, O Tama Carey, Lankan has been a long time coming, following two years of market stalls and pop-ups. Now, at last, her hoppers have a home  a long, narrow, squeezy space in Riley Street, just off William.

David Mitchell Architects has gone for bunker chic; all polished concrete, dark wood, and shelves of colourful spice jars, leading to a bustling open kitchen where Carey and head chef, Pinbone's Jemma Whiteman, fry hoppers and toast spices.ACT Fire and Rescue is warning the community in Canberra's south to expect an increase in emergency service vehicles and personnel over the next 48 hours as they undertake training exercises.

From 9am on Thursday, August 2, firefighters will run a live and controlled house fire training drill on Kneeshaw Street in Monash.

The house set to be burned down by ACT Fire and Rescue in a series of training exercises. Credit:Google Streetview

"Senior firefighters who are being promoted to station officer level will be putting their leadership skills to the test as they supervise their crew in a real-time fire scenario," a statement from the ACT Emergency Services Agency said.

The house had been earmarked for demolition by Housing ACT and will be set alight in a series of controlled burns.Dry July has taken on a new meaning in the ACT this year, as the territory continues to battle extreme conditions.

Data from the Bureau of Meteorology's weather station at Canberra Airport shows that the ACT endured its driest July since 1982, with just 7.8 millimetres of rain recorded.

Lanyon farmer Andrew Geikie, who says a dry spring would mean "everyone's in the poo". Credit:Karleen Minney

It was the sixth lowest total on record for July at Canberra Airport, and the worst since the record low of 3.8 millimetres in 1982.

The long-term average is 40.9 millimetres, meaning last month's total was just 19 per cent of the usual rainfall levels.It literally translates to no-name and now Japanese household goods, apparel and food store MUJI has finally arrived in the capital.

A long line of Canberrans waited outside the store this morning to be the first to explore minimalist aisles of cleaning utensils, make-up, hair care and stationery.

Director of MUJI's Asia and Oceanic division, Kei Suzuki, travelled from Tokyo to Canberra to open the new store. Credit:Jamila Toderas

MUJI, short for Mujirushi Ryohin, translates to no-brand quality goods". The opening of the iconic Japanese chain marks the completion of Canberra Centre's lifestyle precinct, Monaro Mall.

The store was officially opened by Japanese ambassador Sumio Kusaka and director of Muji's Asia and Oceanic division, Kei Suzuki.Workers will begin testing the depth of sediment in Lake Burley Griffin as they look to expand the West Basin shoreline as part of the area's redevelopment.

The ACT government has already spent about $13 million on the ambitious project, opening the new Henry Rolland Park earlier this year.

NCA staff testing sediment depth at Lake Burley Griffin from a barge to help with further redevelopment of the park, including the boardwalk. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

Phase two of this development will see 2.8 hectares of the lake filled with rocks, which would then need 18 months to settle depending on the depth of the silt.

The City Renewal Authority's development director, Nick Holt, said the project was interesting from an engineering perspective.When did greyhounds get the vote? - Terry Hannan, Bowral Government on different page from the people Is this what NSW is about now (Libraries call for help balancing the books, August 1)? Funding cuts to public libraries, $500,000 given to the greyhound racing industry (following on the heels of another mass grave), Powerhouse Museum handed over to developers and billions spent on stadiums? - Sandra McMullan, Five Dock The government contributes a mere $23.5 million to libraries while funding greyhound races and stadium refurbishments. I can hardly accuse it of populism in this instance, but am mystified as to its reasoning and priorities. - Susanna Gorman, North Ryde Public libraries are a vital but significantly under-recognised element of our national wellbeing strategy. Libraries embrace all demographics. Dollars invested in the library budget are an investment in the sound health of our nation. - Rod Leonarder, Roseville

Arts Minister Don Harwin has said the Berejiklian government was committed to working with councils to enhance library services and facilities across the state. By cutting the budget by 5 per cent? To pay for the new stadiums, maybe? - Tony Mitchell, Hillsdale What a tragedy it would be if local libraries are to be starved of funding. I am fortunate to live in an area where there is a wonderful network of community libraries. On any visit I can see very young children engaging with books, high school students working collaboratively towards their HSC, readers attending book clubs or listening to a guest speaker or others simply reading magazines and newspapers. Libraries are as important as parks for allowing our communities breathing space. - Jan Boyd, Sylvania We keep hearing that steps need to be taken to halt growing inequalities between the haves and the have-nots in our society. One of the biggest keys to this has to be accessibility to information with all that means for jobs and personal development. It is alarming that the state government is cutting back on funding for public libraries. It is critical that these institutions be maintained and in fact extended. - Nedra Orme, Neutral Bay Libraries provide opportunities for learning and pleasure. Greyhound racing provides opportunities for gambling and abuse. Which does our state government deem more worthy of funding? Shame. -Anne Kirman, Kellyville

This, when our schools, hospitals and services are crying out for additional funding. Cant wait for the election in March to give this government and this inept Premier her marching orders. - Maureen Jones, North Rocks Time to restrict precious water With much of the state in drought and Warragamba Dam at only 69.8 per cent full, why have water restrictions not been implemented to conserve this precious commodity (Letters, August 1)? During our last drought the population responded well to restrictions, even though water levels became critical.

Why, in a dry continent like Australia, do councils and states not insist that new high rise buildings and new homes with numerous toilets use recycled water? Why do our building codes not insist that toilets be installed similar to those in Japan that catch the water used for hand washing, which then flows back into the cistern to be used to flush the toilet? This would at least make use of some of our precious water, rather than just allowing it to flow down the plug hole. - Jill King, Lane Cove And yet we still see people using their hose as a broom. - Clare Raffan, Campsie Plastic platitudes?

I dont know whats worse, those entitled whiners who think their freedoms are being constrained by not receiving free plastic bags or the weakness of Coles management in giving in to them (Coles caves and will give free bags away indefinitely, smh.com.au August 1). Some people must live in a bubble if they have not seen the damage wreaked on our oceans and wildlife from plastic use. My choice is simple: I wont be shopping at Coles any more. - Danielle Ecuyer, Bondi Junction Are the shoppers of NSW slow to learn? I lived in Adelaide when South Australia brought in the bag ban many years ago - and I do not seem to recall such mayhem. Get yourselves a few of the reusable bags and remember to take them. I am still using the bags I bought five years ago. They look a bit the worse for wear but still do the job. - Susan Lyons, Lithgow Speed kills, again The Mooney Mooney bridge accident on Tuesday, with two killed and five injured, is an absolute tragedy (Two killed in peak hour crash on M1, August 1). This is not the first accident on the bridge, and not unexpected, as the nature of this big dipper-style bridge encourages speeds well in excess of the 110 km/h limit. It scares me every time I drive across it. My solution is simple. A speed limit of 80 km/h with speed cameras in both directions. - Raymond Silins, Beecroft So, a largely unregulated trucking industry that doesnt pay its share of road maintenance costs is involved in a crash that killed two innocent people. Australia transports a smaller proportion of goods by rail than any other developed country. When will our politicians stop benefiting vested interests, instead of trying to achieve the best outcome for all? - Michael McMullan, Five Dock

I commute on the M1 most days when not working from home. I am not surprised this accident happened. The police need to get serious about patrolling this motorway. Lane splitting, no indication, tailgating  the works. Just about everyone speeds, especially tradies, and so do many of the trucks. Unless something changes more accidents will occur on this road. - Martin Davies, Russell Lea Room for improvement I always understood that our health system is one of the best in the world. Now, My Health Record is promising to make it even better (Health Minister backs down on My Health Record, smh.com.au, August 1). Does this mean the system was not as good as we were made to believe and that lives were lost due to doctors not having access to records in an emergency, or are medical staff not as well trained as we were made to believe? - Cecilia Temperli, Dolans Bay The Globemaster flies over the Sydenham fire. Credit:Jessica Hromas Plane spotting

I'm sure many of us had similar thoughts to John Kingsmill about the serendipitous nature of the General Gordon Hotel fire (Letters, August 1). However, I was also intrigued by the 'aircraft' depicted in your photo, as it's a rare visit to Mascot by a military C17 Globemaster. See, living on the flight path hasn't changed my perspective as all. - Bruce Hulbert, Lilyfield Farmers before schools Malcolm Turnbull, and the government, should put demands for increasing private school funding way down their priority list ("Private schools send warning to Turnbull", August 1). Addressing carbon emission reduction and genuinely aiding the plight of drought-affected farmers are two issues requiring urgent addressing. - John Cotterill, Kingsford Where is the usual backlash against federal funding of private schools since the opposition offered increased cash to Catholic schools? Is it different when Labor makes the offer of cash to some private schools and not others or is because they are Catholic? - Rob Barclay, Epping Lockout laws save lives

The reality is that the "[stifling of] an important nightlife", "mollycoddling" and lockout laws which Joseph O'Donoughue and others in Keep Sydney Open rail against lead to a significant decrease in assaults and injuries in Kings Cross ("Sydney must revive the Olympic spirit", August 1). Even if Sydney's ''brand value and comparative advantage has been rubbished", surely the inconvenience suffered by a small minority of individuals who still wish to continue with their hedonistic abandonment at 1.30am is acceptable if it prevents a return to the days where the pages of the Herald would be filled with stories of young adults seriously injured or murdered as a result of alcohol-fuelled violence in Kings Cross? - Matthew Joyce, North Rocks When in France I am in Arbois (France) and visited the house and laboratory of Louis Pasteur where he did some of his pioneering work on infections. As it was 35 degrees, I attempted to have a swim in the local pool but was told, for reasons of "hygiene", my Australian swimmers were not "de rigueur" in Europe and Speedos have to be worn. Did I miss something in my bacteriological studies at medical school? - Robert Wines, Whale Beach Dates for the diary

I don't know how Christmas in July in December in June will go (Letters, August 1) but how about Easter in September? - Annabel Doherty, Armidale Humour in dark times Nicole Hemmer is being defeatist in her argument that Sacha Baron Cohens humour sails too close to the wind to be funny and effective (Satire and parody in the age of Trump have been neutered, August 1). In these dark times, where the sublime and ridiculous are often mainstreamed, the voice of humour and satire is all the more important. If even just one gun-loving, racist changes their ways as a result of watching Who Is America?, then Baron Cohens work is done. - David Faktor, Bondi Hemmers astute dissection of the genre-busting Baron Cohens parodic success brought to mind Vladimir Nabokovs definitions of the traditional genres: satire is a lesson, parody is a game. - Michael Bogle, Surry Hills When has satire ever achieved anything, except for the anaesthetising of its overwhelmingly privileged middle-class audience into complacent inaction, deluding ourselves that a sneering laugh from our couch is subversive political engagement? If some of these modestly talented comedic impostors stopped preening in their mirrors, they might notice the only people really laughing at their acts are the men they think they are lampooning. - Jack Robertson, BirchgroveFour people have been charged after a series of alleged robberies in Sydney's CBD ended with police cars being rammed and two police officers injured during a dramatic arrest.

One man and three teenage boys were arrested on Wednesday night and charged over three separate alleged robberies, including one in which a man was threatened with a sword.

The first incident happened just before 6.45am on July 24, when a woman walking along Mountain Street in Ultimo was approached by two men wearing hooded jackets. Police allege the pair assaulted the woman and tried to steal her handbag, before driving away in a silver Mercedes AMG.

Shortly after, a silver Mercedes AMG approached another woman on Bulwarra Road in Pyrmont. Police were told the woman was grabbed and her bag, containing a laptop and an iPad, was taken.Ms Natoli was reeling. Her ex-husband had "gambled away every cent we had", she said.

Then the email landed. The corporate watchdog, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, wrote that she risked a jail sentence unless she could explain why she owned property in Britain when she declared bankruptcy. She had three days.

Three years ago, Rachael Natoli had just left a "physically, emotionally, sexually and financially" abusive relationship and was setting up a new home with her twin sons.

"It was all controlled by him. While I was in hospital giving birth to our twins he maxed out $40,000 on my credit cards," she says. "I had no choice but to declare [bankruptcy]."

Ms Natoli, now 36, had no money hidden away. Her ex-husband had sold the property in England and used the funds to feed his gambling addiction.

She was put in touch with Redfern Legal Centre, one of almost 40 community legal centres (CLCs) in NSW providing free legal advice. They were able to mount a successful argument that Ms Natoli was the victim of financial abuse and should not be charged with an offence.

"It was the first time that ASIC had ever acknowledged financial abuse had taken place," Ms Natoli said.

Ms Natoli said Redfern Legal Centre made "a massive difference to my life and the life of my boys".A Canberra lawyer has said NSW Police in the Monaro Local Area Command are not being investigated properly due to staff shortages.

Meanwhile, the NSW opposition leader has said NSW Police staff shortages at the Monaro Local Area Command are concerning and indicative of a government under-committed to regional NSW.

New South Wales opposition leader Luke Foley. Credit:Brook Mitchell

Opposition leader Luke Foley was responding to a Fairfax Media report that almost one third of general duty police officers at the Monaro command, which oversees Queanbeyan and Jindabyne, were not working.

A source with access to information inside NSW Police told Fairfax Media about 22 of 76 general duty officers were not working for a number of reasons including sick leave, stress leave or suspended without pay pending investigation.A 49-year-old businessman has been extradited from Serbia to Australia to face charges linked to a multimillion-dollar drug bust last year, the second largest cocaine seizure in Australian history.

David Campbell, from Curtin in the ACT, was one of three men apprehended in a dramatic gunpoint arrest at a Belgrade hotel on January 18 for their alleged roles in the importation of 1280 kilograms of cocaine to Australia.

It is alleged Mr Campbell was not in the hotel room when police arrived, but was arrested while sitting in a vehicle outside the hotel moments later.

The arrest in January followed the discovery of 2576 individual blocks of cocaine, allegedly found by Australian Border Force officers inside hollow prefabricated steel on a Chinese container boat in Sydney last April.Australian Federal Police officers took an alleged international drug trafficker on a sightseeing tour of Paris during a mid-extradition stopover on the trip home from Serbia.

At one point during the seven-hour stopover, an unrestrained Rohan Arnold says he took happy snaps of five Australian officials near the Eiffel Tower, using one of their mobile phones.

The AFP confirmed it is currently investigating the claims, outlined in court documents in support of a bail bid by Mr Arnold.

Rohan Arnold Credit:radfordcollegians.com.au

Mr Arnold  along with Tristan Waters, 34, and David Campbell, 48  was dramatically arrested by Serbian authorities over the importation of 1280 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated $500 million, into Australia.A grandmother of 23 died and her husband suffered smoke inhalation after a house fire in Sydney's east on Thursday morning.

Emergency services were called about 6.20am to Carrington Road at Waverley, where they found a semi-detached house alight.

The first fire crews arrived to find thick smoke billowing from the rear of the house, a Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman said.

The semi-detached house was well engulfed in fire, the spokesman said, and first responders quickly called for back-up.More than 100 commercial fishers are preparing a class action against the federal government over the White Spot outbreak that has cost Queensland's prawn industry millions.

Trawlers, crabbers and worm diggers operating out of Moreton Bay say the federal government abandoned them after the deadly disease was found in wild prawn stocks last year.

Commercial fishers will seek compensation for losses as a result of the White Spot outbreak in Queensland. Credit:Glenn Campbell

They are now planning to seek compensation to cover their financial losses.

The disease has cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars and continues to impact fishermen, while state government imposed restocking restrictions placed on farmers hit by the 2016 outbreak were lifted in May.A Perth couple who bought and sold vehicles without a licence, used false names, and wound back odometers have been fined $21,000 in the Perth Magistrates Court.

The couple have been handed hefty fines for their deception.

Between July 2016 and November 2017, the Redcliffe couple bought and sold 51 vehicles without a licence and used false names when registering the vehicles to avoid detection.

They pleaded guilty to charges of making false or misleading statements in breach of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) in relation to the odometer readings of six of the vehicles they sold:WA Police have given the all-clear after a high school in Perth's northern suburbs was evacuated over an as-yet unknown incident at the college on Wednesday morning.

Police attended the incident at Ashdale Secondary College in Darch just after 9am, and students were evacuated to the adjacent primary school while officers investigate.

Ashdale Secondary College. Credit:Hussein Milhem

A notice reportedly sent to parents read: "All students and staff are being evacuated to Ashdale PS undercover area at 8.45am.

"We suggest if your child has not been delivered to school yet they should remain with you until further notice. We will keep you informed as we receive more information."Most people are presented with a choice in their 20s: sharpen up and get their life together, or let the good times keep rolling.

Frenchman Eric Massiet du Biest, 55, chose option B. And after 30 years, six world tours and 35 trans-continental expeditions across more than 90 countries on motorbikes and in classic cars, it's safe to say he has no regrets.

A vintage Citroen in a past Tracbar rally.

Massiet du Biest is in Perth readying for his next adventure, the Tracbar Dundee, which will see his family join 11 other French families in an epic cross-country journey from Fremantle Esplanade to Brisbane via Uluru in their vintage Citroen Traction Avant automobiles.

Each Citroen is between 60 and 80 years old and has been brought here by boat from France to face some unforgiving terrain in Australia's unsealed outback.The wins keep pouring in for Western Australia from the best in the wine world, and they don't get more prestigious than an accolade from James Halliday.

After several years of dominating the national major wine show circuit, WA has now scooped two of the six major awards at the Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2019 in Melbourne on Wednesday night.

While the drums have been beating louder each year about Margaret River's wine pedigree, Halliday has shone the spotlight firmly on the other region that often rides backseat in the west  the Great Southern, with a riesling grown there by a quiet couple looking to retire rated Australia's best.

After an exhaustive and comprehensive tasting of 9289 wines over four months, Halliday (and six other leading Aussie wine critics) gave Porongurup-based Dukes Vineyard the coveted honour of Wine of the Year for its 2017 Magpie Hill Reserve Riesling, rated 99 points.The ACT Greens have rejected a Liberals' proposal that could have urged Labor to exempt landlords from land tax, if they offered cheaper rent to tenants, instead backing the government in the Legislative Assembly.

Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur put a motion to the Assembly this week for the government to consider providing the exemption for landlords who rent their property at 75 per cent of the potential market rent.

ACT Greens, Shane Rattenbury and Caroline Le Couteur, refused to back the Opposition's motion on land tax exemptions. Credit:Fairfax Media

Ms Le Couteur has said the measure, which has been proposed by a raft of affordable housing advocates in the past, could help to make more affordable rental properties available to low-income Canberrans.

But in a debate on her motion on Wednesday, Opposition housing spokesman Mark Parton said he had spoken to Ms Le Couteur about just such a motion last week, in an effort to put a stronger motion to try and force government to provide the measure, not simply consider doing it.Mr Rimmer, who oversaw the investigation into the then lord mayor, said he was aware his eventual departure after the crisis was inevitable.

In a statement posted on the council's website, he was candid about the effect of former lord mayor Robert Doyle's departure in February over sexual harassment allegations from multiple women  including two city councillors.

Melbourne City Council chief executive Ben Rimmer will stand down as the organisation's leader after almost four years.

"Since December last year, I have believed that a consequence of the investigation into inappropriate behaviour by Robert Doyle was that I would need to leave the organisation in order to assist councillors to move forward to normal relationships," Mr Rimmer said.

"I am proud of how my team and I have handled the unprecedented circumstances of the investigation," he said in the statement.

He said he was pleased that, as a reaction to the allegations found proven against the former lord mayor, the state government had amended the Local Government Act so that a council chief would not have to oversee an investigation.

"A non-elected public servant should never be required to commission an investigation into an elected representative who is effectively their employer," he said.

Mr Rimmer will depart in December, having started in February 2015.He said the police handled the arrest "delicately" and he had no complaints with their treatment of him. A police spokesman said it was standard practice to conduct a "full safety and evidence search" when a person was in custody and prior to being placed in a holding cell or police jail. "This is a standard operating procedure in place at the Melbourne West custody centre and most police stations with holding cells," he said. Victoria's Ombudsman found hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars were used to pay for Labor campaigners called the "red shirts". Credit:Scott Barbour Police have made a number of arrests and interviewed several people caught up in Labor's so-called "red shirts" rorting affair.

They say they will interview 17 people across Australia as part of their criminal investigation into the scheme. Loading In a statement, police said they were interviewing several people in Melbourne, regional Victoria, NSW and the Northern Territory. Those interviewed so far have been released without charge. No MPs involved in the scheme have been interviewed, although Labor's candidate for the state seat Buninyong, Michaela Settle, is reportedly among those who have spoken to police. The Courier in Ballarat reported Ms Settle was interviewed by police on Thursday morning. Ms Settle did not respond to The Age's requests for comment. She worked as a field organiser before the 2014 election.

Mr Finnigan worked in the offices of Lisa Neville, now Police Minister, and John Eren, now Sports Minister, as part of the scheme. He said Attorney-General Martin Pakula and Ms Neville needed to "do the right thing and resign straight away", otherwise the public could have no confidence in the police investigation. "We shouldn't be at a point where basically the ground troops are the only people who have been arrested and taken in for interviewing," Mr Finnigan said. "None of the management structure to my knowledge has been taken in and asked any questions. None of them have been arrested at 6am in their homes. None of them have been stripsearched in a police station."

The former Labor member also announced his intention to run in the 2018 state election, in the safe Labor seat of Footscray, as an independent candidate "on a strong anti-corruption platform to shine a light on the bad things this government has done". The Age has contacted Victoria Police for a response to Mr Finnigan's claims about his arrest. Victoria Police's Fraud and Extortion Squad announced an investigation last month into Victorian Labors misuse of about $388,000 of parliamentary funds while the party was in opposition four years ago. Electorate officers were paid out of the public purse to campaign for Labor in marginal seats at the last state election, in a scheme the Ombudsman found breached Parliaments members guide. Under the so-called 60/40 scheme, Labor employees were paid a full-time salary out of taxpayer funds to work three days a week as electorate officers and two days a week campaigning.

Six sitting ministers in the Andrews government were named in the Ombudsmans report as beneficiaries of the scheme, including Mr Eren, Mr Pakula, Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings, Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos, Corrections Minister Gayle Tierney and Energy Minister Lily DAmbrosio. The Opposition has called on the six ministers to step down. Police are interviewing a number of people this morning across metro and regional Victoria," a police spokesman said. "Several people will also be spoken to in New South Wales and the Northern Territory. In total, 17 people will be interviewed by police. The spokesman said police would provide no further comment.

A government spokeswoman said she had nothing to add to previous comments on the investigation. However, it is understood none of those interviewed are MPs. In March, Ombudsman Deborah Glass released a damning report into the "red shirts" rort, which she described as an "artifice". The report found 21 MPs, 11 of them still serving, signed timesheets to field organisers who helped run the election campaign. Ombusman Deborah Glass Credit:Simon Schluter Ms Glass cited "a well-organised campaign by the ALP to recruit and deploy full-time field organisers in the run-up to the 2014 Victorian state election, of which 21 were employed part-time as electorate officers and paid some $388,000 out of parliamentary funds".

However, Ms Glass' report found that the MPs involved in the scheme had not deliberately broken parliamentary rules. Labor has repaid the $388,000. An earlier police inquiry into the rorting, dubbed Operation Peach, found it did not meet the threshold for a criminal investigation. But police took a second look following a request from the Victorian Opposition in June. Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the government was in crisis and focused on itself. Victorians deserve so much better than what theyre getting from the Andrews government, he said.With every swipe and tap of your finger your smartphone, and its apps, are building a picture of just who is using it.

That is a key finding in new research out of the CSIRO that warns consumers their distinctive finger gestures could be harvested by data-hungry app developers.

The research from CSIROs Data61 division describes touch based tracking which sees your device extracting data on how you tap, zoom, and swipe, including the velocity and acceleration of the movements.

Professor Mohamed Dali Kaafar, group leader at Information Security and Privacy at Data61, told Fairfax Media, using a single app for an hour provides enough information to distinguish a user from over a billion others.Gunfire was heard downtown throughout the afternoon, including near the ruling party headquarters where protesters had gathered. Police fired tear gas and grabbed more canisters from an officer carrying them in a crate. Hundreds of angry opposition supporters outside Zimbabwe's electoral commission were met by riot police firing tear gas as the country awaited the results of Monday's presidential election, the first after the fall of longtime leader Robert Mugabe. Credit:AP Three people were killed, state broadcaster ZBC said. Associated Press journalists saw two bodies and another person who had been shot in the leg. There were pools and trails of blood on the streets. Opposition MDC party supporters protest in the streets of Harare during clashes with police. Credit:AP The riots surged up to the fence of the Rainbow Towers Hotel, where the electoral commission has been announcing results and many international election observers are staying. Inside the main gate, a water cannon mounted on a police vehicle blasted protesters who hurled rocks that bounced off its armored plating.

"They are trying to protest so they can get fair results," said Elisha Pfigu, a 31-year-old street vendor who warily watched soldiers at an intersection. Pfigu said he was optimistic on election day for the country's first vote without Mugabe, who ruled for nearly four decades, on the ballot. "Now it's different. It's totally different" he said. "People were happy on Monday. Now they are not happy. We are not going to rest." What appears to be a mother and children flee violence in Zimbabwe's capital. Credit:AP Authorities invoked Zimbabwe's Public Order and Security Act, which allows police to ban public meetings or gatherings. The police can also ask the military for help in cases of public disturbances. Under Mugabe, the law was used routinely to ban anti-government meetings and demonstrations since its enactment in 2002.

Mnangagwa, a former deputy president who succeeded Mugabe after a military takeover in November, blamed the opposition for the violence and said it was "meant to disrupt the electoral process," the state broadcaster reported. The opposition, in turn, said security forces acted in a "disproportionate and unjustified" way, and it questioned why the military had been deployed. "Are we in war? Are civilians the enemy of the state?" said Nkululeko Sibanda, spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change, the main opposition party. United Nations deputy spokesman Farhan Haq appealed to Zimbabwe "to exercise restraint and reject any form of violence while awaiting resolution of the disputes and announcement of the election results."

International monitors gave their first assessments of the election, saying it was conducted in a relatively free environment and was a big improvement over past votes marred by violence and irregularities, although they noted significant problems. European Union observers said "a truly level playing field was not achieved" in the election, pointing out the "misuse of state resources, instances of coercion and intimidation, partisan behavior by traditional leaders and overt bias in state media." Elmar Brok, head of the EU observer mission, said there were "many shortcomings" in the election, but it was unclear whether they influenced the results. The opposition alleged irregularities, saying results were not posted outside one-fifth of polling stations as required by law. MDC leader Chamisa has said outright that his own count shows he won the election, drawing government accusations of inciting violence. After first indicating it would release presidential vote totals on Wednesday, the electoral commission said it would wait until Thursday, adding that agents for the more than 20 candidates must verify them first.

"The more the presidential vote is delayed, the more it calls into question the population's confidence in the election process," said former Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the lead observer of a US monitoring mission. While the electoral commission legally has five days from the end of the election to announce results, Western observer groups urged the release of the presidential results as soon as possible. The EU mission questioned why presidential votes were counted first but were being announced last. Many Zimbabweans looked to the vote as a launching pad for a return to the kind of international acceptance and relative prosperity that the country enjoyed in the first part of the rule of Mugabe, who took office after independence from white minority rule in 1980. But the violence in Harare seemed to put those aspirations on hold. It was the first time the military was back in the streets since Mugabe's ouster - at that time, they were welcomed by residents as liberators. On Wednesday, they came to enforce a crackdown. At Harare's Parirenyatwa Hospital, a family wept in an emergency room where a man who had been fatally shot lay on a stretcher. At one point, the relatives blocked hospital staff from wheeling the body to the mortuary and demanded a police explanation; a plainclothes officer said they could return Thursday to pick up the body after a police investigation.Jakarta: Activists have reported judges from an Indonesian court to the country's Judicial Commission for alleged ethics violation after a 15-year-old rape victim was sentenced to prison for having an abortion.

The activists have criticised the six-month sentence given to the girl who had an abortion after being repeatedly raped by her brother.

Indoenesian flag. Credit:Rick Stevens

The district court in Muara Bulian in Jambi province also sentenced the girl's 18-year-old brother on the same day to two years' imprisonment for having sex with a minor.

Erasmus Napitupulu, program director of the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, said the court did not take into account the reason for the abortion.Copenhagen: About 1300 Danes marched through Copenhagen on Wednesday in protest against a new ban on the wearing of face veils in public, accusing the government of infringing on women's right to dress as they choose.

Denmark's parliament enacted the ban in May, joining France and some other European Union countries to uphold what some politicians say are secular and democratic values.

Demonstration on the first day of the implementation of the Danish face veil ban in Copenhagen, Denmark. Credit:AP

The protesters, many wearing the niqab veil or the all-enveloping, body-length burqa, marched from the central, left-wing district of Norrebro to Bellahoj police station on the outskirts of the capital. They formed a human chain around the station and then marched back to Norrebro before dispersing.US President Donald Trump's invitation to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was a surprising turnaround after a week-long exchange of hostile tweets, but Rouhani had no choice but to reject the offer. Since the Trump administration took over, bilateral tensions have been on the rise. Reports of an imminent US strike on Iranian nuclear facilities by anonymous sources in Australia have pushed the risk of confrontation to a new high.

In a speech delivered to Iranian Americans, the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and condemned the leadership of the Islamic Republic as a bunch of hypocritical thieves. He pointed approvingly to public protests across the country as evidence of the ruling regimes incompetence, falling short of a call for a revolution.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with President Donald Trump. Credit:AP

Pompeo made a public commitment to expanding Persian language broadcast into Iran to counter state censorship, in a strategy reminiscent of the US approach to the former Soviet Union, and subsequently the post-Soviet republics that went through Colour Revolutions in the first decade of the 21st Century.

The outcome of that strategy in the post-Soviet space was the sidelining of the pro-Moscow elite and the ascendancy of a pro-US leadership. Given the tone of Trump and Pompeo on Iran and the pointed commitment to making US media accessible in Iran, it is hard to avoid drawing a parallel with that historical experience. This is a regime change strategy on the cheap. But, typical of Trumps haphazard approach to foreign policy, it is not clear who is being eyed as the replacement.New York: Until recently it seemed that Alex Jones, America's most popular conspiracy theorist, could say almost anything he liked and get away with it.

The radio host and creator of the website InfoWars has claimed the US government co-ordinated the September 11 attacks and geo-engineers hurricanes, described chemical attacks in Syria as "false flag" operations and accused Russia probe Special Counsel Robert Mueller of covering up paedophilia. He then threatened to shoot him.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones of InfoWars.com is a hit on social media.

Along the way he has attracted millions of followers and made a fortune selling online advertising and vitamin supplements with names like Brain Force Plus and Super Male Vitality. When he was running for president, Donald Trump appeared on Jones's radio show and told him: Your reputation is amazing. I will not let you down.

Now Jones's ability to speak freely is coming under unprecedented pressure. He has been suspended by two social media platforms and is facing five defamation lawsuits that could drain his finances. The fallout will provide an important insight into how modern America balances two competing desires: combating fake news and protecting free speech.Washington: US President Donald Trump lashed out at billionaires Charles and David Koch, who have built one of the most influential groups in GOP politics, widening a rift that reflects a struggle over the future of the Republican Party.

In two tweets Tuesday morning, Trump called the brothers "globalists" who "have become a total joke in real Republican circles." He called their political network, which has funnelled millions to Republican candidates and causes, "highly overrated" and said he's "beaten them at every turn."

Trump's reaction followed the Koch network's weekend donor summit in Colorado where Charles Koch sharply criticised the president's trade policies and leadership style as damaging to the country.

The Koch brothers didn't support Trump in 2016 and the two sides have clashed over Trump's opposition to long-held conservative beliefs on government spending and free trade, as well as a more welcoming stance held by the network on immigration. But Trump has demonstrated a tight hold over GOP voters that has made Republican politicians wary of crossing him.PHILIPSBURG:--- The police force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) is still working on the "Guadeloupe" investigation. On December 21st 2017 a man with the initials E.W.D.L. was shot in the evening on the Guadeloupe Road in Madame Estate. The investigating team is looking for witnesses who visited the Abu Ghazi restaurant on Arch Road on that day around 02:00 a.m. The investigating team is mainly searching for a male middle-aged customer who sat to eat a sandwich on the bench at Abu Ghazi restaurant around the same time. This man drove a silver-gray colored Jaguar XF. The license plate of this vehicle remains unknown to the police. Do you fit this description or do you know someone who does? If you do please get in contact the police via 5422222 ext. 213/214.

You can also call the police anonymous tip line to share your information by calling # 9300. Help us in keeping the Community Safe!

KPSM Press Release.Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin poses for a snapshot while inside the Lunar Module in this July 1969 NASA image. Aldrin and astronaut Neil Armstrong were the first humans to land and walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.

American astronaut Buzz Aldrin made history when he became the second man to walk on the moon in 1969, just after Neil Armstrong in the Apollo 11 missionee. While on a previous mission, Aldrin established a record for extravehicular activity and helped pioneer underwater training to prepare astronauts for their visit to space. He continues to serve as a spokesperson for space exploration, well into his 80s..

Early years

Born on Jan. 20, 1930, in New Jersey as Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., the astronaut received his nickname "Buzz" when his little sister pronounced the word brother as "buzzer." The family shortened it to Buzz, which Aldrin took as his legal name in 1988.

Aldrin's father was a colonel in the Air Force, and asked his son to attend a multiengine flight school so that Buzz could command his own flight crew, according to History.com. Buzz, however, wanted to be a fighter pilot. He entered the Air Force after his graduation from West Point Military Academy in 1951.

Because Neil Armstrong was responsible for recording images on the moon, most of the Apollo 11 photos are of Buzz Aldrin, including this famous one which reflects the landing vehicle. (Image credit: NASA)

Buzz flew 66 combat missions in Korea with the 51st Fighter Wing. Using an F-86 Sabre Jet, he shot down two MiGs. He was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service.

After the cease-fire between North and South Korea, Aldrin enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He earned his doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics in 1963, with a thesis called "Line-of-sight guidance techniques for manned orbital rendezvous," focusing on rendezvousing piloted spacecraft. He then entered the space program in 1963, as part of the third group of astronauts that mainly flew Gemini and Apollo missions..

Gemini and Apollo missions

After joining the space program in 1963, Aldrin relied on his doctoral studies to help him create docking and rendezvous techniques for spacecraft. He pioneered underwater training techniques, which simulated zero gravity situations and helped astronauts prepare to work in space. [Giant Leaps: Top Milestones of Human Spaceflight]

On Nov. 11, 1966, the Gemini 12 mission launched Aldrin and command pilot James Lovell (of Apollo 13 fame) into a four-day flight, with the primary objective of rendezvousing and docking with an Agena target vehicle, as well as evaluating extravehicular activity. Aldrin spent five and a half hours outside of the craft, establishing a record for space walks . Fourteen scientific experiments were also performed. Gemini 12 was the last of the Gemini missionsg .

Aldrin served as lunar module pilot for the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, traveling with Commander Neil Armstrong and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins. The craft landed in the Sea of Tranquility. On July 21, 1969, after Armstrong had become the first man on the moon, Aldrin followed Armstrong down the ladder to become the second person to walk on the surface of the moon. As he gazed at the lunar landscape, Aldrin described it as, "Beautiful, beautiful. Magnificent desolation."

Buzz Aldrin offers a parting salute after being eliminated from ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" on Tuesday, April 6, 2010. (Image credit: ABC)

One of Armstrong's roles while on the moon was to document the trip, so the majority of the Apollo 11 pictures are of Aldrin, including the famous visor shot reflecting the Eagle lander and Armstrong.

Eight days after its launch, Apollo 11 returned home, landing in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969. Aldrin was decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest American peacetime award. He toured the world with his fellow astronauts.

After NASA

In 1971, Aldrin resigned from NASA, having logged 289 hours and 53 minutes in space. Almost eight hours of his travel were spent outside of a vehicle. He retired from the Air Force in 1972, after almost two decades. In his 1973 autobiography, "Return to Earth," Aldrin disclosed that he had difficulties with alcoholism and depression after leaving NASA.

Some of Aldrin's post-NASA activities, according to History.com, include creating an "Aldrin Mars Cycler" that could be used for human Mars missions, receiving three U.S. patents, and founding the ShareSpace Foundation, which promotes space education and exploration.

In recent decades, Aldrin has used his fame to continue to lobby for the expansion of the space program, specifically calling for a return to moon and manned visits to Mars. In 2009, he called for putting humans on Mars by 2031. He somewhat famously danced on "Dancing with the Stars" and was a guest on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report." Aldrin sat down with actor George Clooney in a 2017 short documentary called "Starmen," during which the two men watched the Apollo 11 moonwalk and shared memories.

Aldrin has been married three times and has three children. In June 2018, the 88-year-old astronaut filed a lawsuit against two of his children, his family foundation and his former manager. The allegations include fraud, misuse of personal credit cards and social media accounts and slander, among other items. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor.

Additional resourcesA safety panel said that while a "realistic timeframe" for uncrewed test flights of the Crew Dragon and CST-100 Starliner vehicles can now be projected, schedules for later crewed test flights are still uncertain.

WASHINGTON  As NASA prepares to announce the astronauts who will fly the first commercial crew missions, an independent safety board is cautioning that it is still too soon to set dates for those flights.

NASA said in a statement last week that it will name the astronauts who will fly the crewed demo flights by Boeing and SpaceX during an event Aug. 3 at the Johnson Space Center. The event will also announce the crews for the first post-certification missions by each company, which will mark the start of routine transportation of astronauts to and from the station by Boeing's CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

The NASA statement did not explicitly state if the agency will also update the schedule for those flights. The latest public schedules, released by NASA early this year, call for uncrewed test flights by both companies in August, followed by crewed test flights by Boeing in November and SpaceX in December. However, delays of at least several months are widely expected for both companies' test flights. [What's Next for NASA's New Astronaut Class]

Members of NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) appeared to caution against flying at least the crewed demonstration flights in the near future. "We see both continued progress and a large volume of work ahead" for the commercial crew program, said Patricia Sanders, chair of ASAP, at a July 26 meeting at NASA Headquarters. "It should be possible to project a realistic timeframe for at least the uncrewed test flights."

However, she said that did not extend to the later crewed flights. "Depending on the results of the uncrewed flights as well as the resolution of some outstanding technical issues, firm dates for the crewed flight tests are still uncertain," she said.

One of the outstanding technical issues is what Boeing called an "anomaly" during a recent hot-fire test of the abort engine system that will be used by Starliner. That anomaly, announced by the company earlier this month, is expected to delay a pad abort test of the vehicle as well as its upcoming demonstration flights, but the company has not said by how much.

"There was an anomaly on that test that we need to better understand in terms of its potential impact on the design and the operations and the schedule," said ASAP member George Nield at the meeting. "Boeing has asked for some additional time to step back and understand that a little bit better, so we can expect some uncertainty in the near-term schedules."

SpaceX and NASA are still working two issues with its Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 launch vehicle. One is the redesign of composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) used to store helium in the propellant tanks on the Falcon 9. SpaceX has redesigned the COPV following an accident nearly two years ago that destroyed a Falcon 9 and its satellite payload prior to a static-fire test.

"There's still a lot of work to do. They jury's still out on this," said ASAP member David West on the COPV redesign. "We look forward to seeing what the result of all this work will mean in terms of a final characterization of the risk and whether or not that risk will be acceptable." If that risk is not acceptable, he added, further risk mitigation measures, which he didn't specify, may be needed. [Space Travel: Danger at Every Phase (Infographic)]

SpaceX has also been addressing an issue with the Falcon 9's Merlin 1D engine. Examination of some of the first engines found anomalies that were "potentially dangerous, and certainly not desirable," said ASAP member Donald McErlean. SpaceX and NASA have worked on a test plan to address the problem.

SpaceX and NASA, he said, have come up "two principal courses of action in the short term" to correct the problem and two others that would require more modifications to the engine. "The risk is low enough with the two short-term modifications to use those for powering the uncrewed test," he said, "and the decision for powering the crewed test would come later." He didn't elaborate on those courses of action, but said that the panel was "optimistic those courses of action will result in a satisfactory conclusion."

Despite the technical issues that could delay those test flights, ASAP members said they saw no evidence of safety being jeopardized. "The ASAP has not seen any evidence of negative safety impacts based on schedule pressure," Nield said. "I think people are looking for that. They're aware of the danger there."

ASAP members praised SpaceX in particular for its attention to safety issues, such as development of software tools for tracking development and production issues. "Their tool set, if used comprehensively and broadly across their culture, are actually very encouraging to us as something that could evolve into an admirable advantage," ASAP member Susan Helms said. "It looks like things are on a good path."

"We're at the point where, after many years of those demo flights being distantly in the future, we're reaching the point where the program is rapidly approaching the launch of those demos," said ASAP member Sandy Magnus. "There's a lot yet to accomplish."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.Five years after first emailing NASA about designing spacesuits, streetwear designer Heron Preston is a step closer to fashion's final frontier.

Preston, who has worked with Nike and Kanye West, said in a 2013 interview with The New York Times that his dream collaboration was with NASA. He has now launched an outerwear line that takes cues from the space agency's visual history on its 60th anniversary.

"I think one of the first exciting moments of working with NASA was just getting a reply that they were open to doing to the project with me," said Preston in a video released with his new collection.

The capsule, which includes jackets, hoodies, t-shirts and caps, features the iconic "worm" logotype used by NASA between 1976 and 1992. [Out-of-this-World Fashion at Couture in Orbit (Photos)]

"There were a lot of color guidelines I had to follow, a lot of copy I had to follow," said Preston, referring to the rules NASA established in 2017 for the reintroduction of the "worm" on commercial apparel and merchandise.

Heron Preston's NASA logo cap and jacket fly 32 miles above Earth on a weather balloon-lofted journey. (Image credit: Heron Preston)

The space agency's rules restricted reproduction of the worm to red, gray, white or black print and it could not be outlined or appear inside another logo or shape.

Preston even went beyond NASA's own concerns by placing his creations into the proper timeline.

"This is the Fall/Winter 2018 collection, but it says 'Fall/Winter 1990' in respect to the actual time that the logo was actually used," Preston explained. "1990 was one of the last years they could use the 'N-A-S-A' logo."

In addition to the worm, Preston's designs also incorporate the American flag and a printed statement describing NASA's purpose, as established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on July 29, 1958, and later summarized by Wikipedia:

"The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautical aerospace research."

The collection, which went on sale on Preston's website and at fashion retailers on Friday (July 27), also includes a silver denim jacket reminiscent of the silvery pressure suits worn by the original Mercury astronauts, NASA-worm emblazoned socks and belt, and a backpack styled after the portable life support system worn by Apollo and later astronauts.

"I designed the entire collection based on their spacesuits and so I did a bunch of research," said Preston. "These guys are going up to space to push humanity into the future."

"You have to move around a lot, you have to be able to hold tools, and so that is why the bag is designed to be multi-convertible, multi-functional into three parts," he added. "It is a tote bag, the fanny pack and then it is also a backpack  all in one. And it is designed in the shape of a square, which is just like the backpacks that astronauts wear when they do spacewalks."

The backpack, which as of Sunday (July 29) was sold out, retailed for $1,342. The other items range from $85 for the socks to $1,897 for a white "NASA Tech" parka.

Heron Preston's NASA-inspired backpack can be worn as shown or used as a tote bag and fanny pack. (Image credit: Heron Preston)

To promote the capsule, Preston and producer David Laven premiered "Above the Clouds," a short film that culminates in the designer sending some of the new NASA logo-emblazoned apparel on a weather balloon-lofted flight to 32 miles (50 kilometers) above Earth.

"The original dream was to shoot this literally on the International Space Station, styled on a real astronaut. I feel like this is one step closer to that," Preston said in the film.

Though this is not the first time a fashion designer has taken cues from the space program, the theme is still uncommon.

"Working with NASA, the real agency that have sent people to space, to have sent people to the moon, that explores planets, this is as real as it can get. That is what I'm using my platform for, to tell other stories that you don't really hear in fashion," said Preston.

See more of Heron Preston's NASA capsule and watch his short film "Above the Clouds" at collectSPACE.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2018 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.Landing-recovery crews with Boeing, NASA and the U.S. Army arrive at the mock landing site of the Boeing CST-100 space capsule during a simulation of landing procedures at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on June 6, 2018.

Search-and-rescue teams with NASA, Boeing and the U.S. Army hustled to assist an imaginary crew out of an inflatable space capsule at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico during a simulated recovery of Boeing's new commercial crew vehicle in June.

Before Boeing can start launching crews to the International Space Station in its sleek new CST-100 Starliner, the company must perform a series of tests to make sure the spacecraft can safely transport astronauts to and from space. One of those tests involves a spacecraft simulator that one might mistake for a parade balloon or an oversize pool toy.

"This was actually one of our Integrated Systems Verification Tests, or ISVT," Boeing spokesman Josh Barrett told Space.com via email. "During those tests, we have to prove to NASA that our systems and processes are capable of meeting the requirements set for various activities during the mission. In this case, we proved our teams could arrive at the landing zone and extricate the crew within an hour of landing and cargo within two hours," he said, adding that the test was a success. [CST-100: Images of Boeing's Private Space Capsule]

Search-and-rescue teams with Boeing, NASA and the U.S. Army rehearse procedures for recovering astronauts from the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on June 6, 2018, at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. (Image credit: Boeing)

Working in scorching temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), the landing-and-recovery team drove a brigade of four-wheelers, trucks and trailers to the mock landing site in White Sands Missile Range. This is one of five possible landing sites that Boeing is considering for Starliner missions and one of two such sites within the White Sands Missile Range, Barrett said. Other options include the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, the Willcox Playa in Arizona and Edwards Air Force Base in California.

According to NASA's launch schedule, the Starliner is supposed to launch on its first uncrewed test mission by the end of August, with the first crewed test flight currently scheduled for November. However, those missions probably won't launch on schedule, SpaceNews reported. Boeing experienced an anomaly during a test of the launch-abort engines in June, and that setback "is expected to delay a pad abort test of the vehicle as well as its upcoming demonstration flights, but the company has not said by how much," according to the Space News report.

During a simulation of recovery procedures for the crewed CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on June 6, 2016, rescuers used a cooler filled with water to weigh down the inflatable simulator. (Image credit: Boeing)

During the static-fire test of the four launch-abort engines, which are built in to the capsule to allow it to propel away from the Atlas V rocket booster in case of an emergency, a valve in the spacecraft's propulsion system didn't close properly, causing propellant to leak. The leak occurred during engine shutdown at the end of the test, which was otherwise successful, Boeing officials said in a statement.

"Boeing is working with NASA to ensure that the CST-100 Starliner flies at the earliest time it is safe to do so," Barrett said. "Creating a new, human-rated spacecraft presents many unique challenges during the design, production, testing and validation phases. As we move through the development of the Starliner, we continue to mitigate risks and evaluate our schedule with NASA."

Despite the strong possibility that crewed flights will be delayed by several months, NASA is ready to announce the names of the first astronauts who will fly on the CST-100 Starliner as well as SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, another private vessel that will start launching astronauts to the space station in approximately the same time frame  and is also running behind schedule. NASA officials will name their picks Friday (Aug. 3) during a live event on NASA TV.

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebookand Google+. Original article on Space.com.Update: The launch of BepiColombo has been delayed by one day and is now scheduled for Friday, Oct. 19 at 9:45 p.m. (0145 GMT on Oct. 20).

The next mission to Mercury has a scheduled start date. Liftoff of Europe's and Japan's BepiColombo mission is scheduled for a mid-October launch at earliest ), the European Space Agency (ESA) stated.

The mission will launch aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana no earlier than Oct. 18 at 9:45 p.m. EDT (0145 on Oct. 19 GMT). On board will be two spacecraft that will travel to Mercury together: ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter.

In a statement, ESA cautioned that the date is subject to change due to last-minute testing of the spacecraft in Kourou, and that the launch window extends until Nov. 29 if needed.

"We have had a great start to our launch campaign in Kourou and are on track for launch in less than 90 days," ESA's BepiColombo project manager Ulrich Reininghaus said in a statement. "We have an incredibly packed schedule, but it is great to see our spacecraft building up together for the final time."

The spacecraft will make their first Mercury flyby in 2022, three years after launching. When they reach their final orbits, the spacecraft will measure Mercury's interior, environment and interactions with the stream of charged particles from the sun called the solar wind, ESA officials said.

"A number of scientific instruments will be active during the planetary flybys, with the transfer module's 'webcams' offering the potential to capture simple images before the main science camera is operational in Mercury orbit," agency officials added.

The spacecraft will perform multiple flybys of Earth, Venus and Mercury between 2020 and 2025, before settling into their final orbits at Mercury in December 2025. The nominal mission ends in 2027, but it could be extended for at least one more year, officials said in the statement.

The last mission at Mercury was NASA's MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging) spacecraft, which orbited the planet between 2011 and 2015. Among other findings, that mission spotted zones where water ice could lurkg, shielded from the sun in permanently shadowed craters.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.Earth, at left, shown with Kepler-452b, which receives the right amount of light to support life, new research suggests. Kepler-452b was the first exoplanet that scientists identified as being approximately Earth size and in the habitable zone of its star.

With every new exoplanet discovered, the same question arises: Could this world host life?

The default way scientists first approach that question is to check if the planet lies in the so-called habitable zone, the range of distances from a star in which a planet can hold liquid water on its surface. But water alone doesn't make life, so in a new paper, a team of scientists looked at another aspect of habitability: whether a planet receives enough ultraviolet radiation to create life's building blocks.

"The thing that you know best about any exoplanet system is the star," Paul Rimmer, lead author on the new study and an astrochemist at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, told Space.com. "So, that seemed like a natural thing to start with." [9 Strange, Scientific Excuses for Why We Haven't Found Aliens Yet]

Building life in the lab

Most scientists think that life began with ribonucleic acid (RNA). Like DNA, this molecule can transmit information, but unlike DNA, it can also help other molecules react with each other, potentially allowing RNA to replicate itself. But getting that RNA in the first place is tricky. This feat is so tricky, in fact, that the problem of creating RNA has haunted chemists interested in the origins of life for almost half a century, Sukrit Ranjan, a planetary scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Space.com. Ranjan has collaborated with the researchers in the recent study but was not involved in the new work.

He said that scientists know how to create each of the three building blocks that make up a molecule of RNA. In previous work, chemists have also figured out how to piece those building blocks together into two of the four flavors of RNA by focusing on a specific tricky chemical bond first. "The thing that jumped out to planetary scientists was that this mechanism requires UV [ultraviolet] light to function," Ranjan said.

So, Rimmer asked questions like what type of lights the chemists were using in their experiments and how closely those setups mimic the light produced by stars. For the new paper, Rimmer and his colleagues watched that mechanism work on two different chemical mixes meant to imitate a sulfur-rich young world and under a range of ultraviolet conditions. Those experiments let them calculate a minimum amount of ultraviolet light required for RNA formation.

This was Rimmer's first time doing formal chemistry lab research, and he said he appreciated taking the new approach. "I really enjoyed that aspect, because I think that experimentation is really the way that you can ground yourself in reality," he said. "It's like observation. It's something that you can very much see."

Others may not be so convinced by the new experiments: Frances Westall, an astrobiologist at the National Center for Scientific Research in France who was not involved with the study, called the paper more of an "interesting thought experiment" in an email to Space.com. She said she's particularly concerned that one of the two initial sulfur mixes the team used didn't create RNA under Earth-like conditions  and, after all, we're positive life started here somehow.

"One of my problems with many prebiotic chemistry experiments run by chemists is that they do not consider what the early Earth really was like," she wrote, mentioning that the team used what she considers an outdated recipe of gases to represent our planet's early atmosphere. "[Chemists] use spurious concepts simply because they can get good results under certain physicochemical conditions," Westall wrote. [13 Ways to Hunt Intelligent Aliens]

Bringing it to the stars

Once Rimmer and his colleagues had that minimum requirement for ultraviolet light, they pored over exoplanets, selecting which worlds to include in their analysis. The researchers wanted planets that scientists are confident are rocky and so focused on planets less than 1.4 Earth radiuses in size. The scientists also wanted planets that previous studies had shown were the right distances from their sun to be able to hold liquid water on their surfaces.

Those criteria narrowed the study's focus down to a dozen exoplanets, a list that includes some of the most astrobiologically intriguing worlds we know of, like TRAPPIST-1e, f and g Kepler-452b; and LHS 1140b. (The team eliminated another popular contender, Proxima b, because astronomers don't have a firm enough measure of that world's size.)

Then, they turned to ultraviolet radiation, calculating how much light these planets receive from their stars today. That left just one firm contender, Kepler-452b, which was discovered in 2015 and which NASA billed at the time as "the first near-Earth-size planet [identified] in the 'habitable zone' around a sun-like star."

Similar calculations for yet-to-be discovered planets could help scientists prioritize where they look for life, Rimmer said. That could be particularly helpful given how expensive the necessary observations of these planets' atmospheres will be  once such work is even technologically possible. These measures will happen via instruments like the long-delayed James Webb Space Telescope. "You want to make sure you're looking at the places where you have the best chances," he said.

That said, the team's ultraviolet radiation calculations are not the last word on habitability. Their analyses leave out two key factors: the impact of solar flares, which can cause dramatic fluctuations in the ultraviolet radiation the star releases, and the changes a star undergoes as it ages, becoming calmer and less active.

The second factor could be particularly important, Rimmer said. That's because, right now, astronomers' best bet for finding exoplanets where they can identify life is to search around small, faint M dwarf stars  which currently produce much less light than they did when they were younger. That means that while these stars may not currently foster the conditions RNA needs to form, they may have done so long ago. And life that arose in the past could still be hiding out on the surface of planets surrounding these stars.

Rimmer already has plans to build on the new research: He said he wants to use xenon lamps, which more closely mimic the ultraviolet light coming from stars, providing better estimates of where RNA formation can occur.

The research is described in a paper published today (Aug. 1) in the journal Science Advances.

Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.The launch pad at the launch facilities at Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska on Kodiak Island. The California-based company Astra Space launched "Rocket 1" from this site in July 2018.

A new rocket probably failed soon after launch  but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

On July 20, the California-based company Astra Space carried out a suborbital launch of its "Rocket 1" from the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island in Alaska. The rocket took off in foggy conditions, so there wasn't much to see, but the launch could still be heard, according to local reporter Gabe Stutman. But other than the fact that Rocket 1 launched, no one seems to know what happened next.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said, in a statement to SpaceNews, that the rocket "experienced a mishap." Many have taken this to mean that, at some point after the rocket launched, it failed in some way. But Craig Campbell, president of Alaska Aerospace, which operates the launch site, told SpaceNews that Astra Space is "very pleased" with how the launched turned out. So, how can the company be pleased with a failed rocket launch? And what really happened to Rocket 1? [Blastoff! How to See a Rocket Launch In Person This Summer]

Space.com spoke with Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who diligently tracks many of the objects that launch from Earth and orbit it, about this launch and the mysterious case of Rocket 1.

See more

McDowell says he thinks that whatever went wrong with Rocket 1 likely happened close to the launch site, based on the word "mishap" in the statement from the FAA. McDowell expanded on this, saying that, for example, if "your second stage doesn't burn as long as it was meant to and you fall short of your target, that's not a mishap, that's an underperformance."

Launch facilities at Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska on Kodiak Island. While we do not know exactly what happened to the secretive launch of "Rocket 1," some think that it likely failed close to the launch site. (Image credit: Alaska Aerospace Corp.)

There are a number of things that could have happened to Rocket 1. Obviously, the "most dramatic way is yeah  it blew up," McDowell said. But, he added, there are many other plausible outcomes  a rocket's engine can just shut down, leaving the rocket to fall to the Earth (and then blow up); the guidance system can fail, causing the rocket to be detonated remotely before it crashes near people; the nose cone can collapse, causing structural failure. Other possible problems he noted: the rocket can lack thrust, leaving it to fall into the ocean just a couple of miles offshore; and the second stage and the nose cone can both fail to separate. There are a number of explosive and benign ways that a launch can "fail," he said.

But "failure" isn't necessarily a bad thing, McDowell said. "Even if you get 10 seconds of propulsion data  that can still be a very good result  you can still be legitimately very happy with that."So even if the rocket is in the air for only 10 seconds, you can still get a ton of data on how the engine and all the rocket's different systems perform, McDowell said.

This data can be instrumental in ensuring your next rocket has fewer issues. Also, McDowell added that, because the Rocket 1 is "a completely new vehicle, a completely new design, never flown before," Astra Space perhaps wasn't even expecting the rocket to land intact. He cited SpaceX's first few launches, all of which "failed," for how these complex rockets usually take a few less-than-perfect tries before a launch is a complete success.

So, while we don't know exactly what happened to Rocket 1, it makes sense that Astra Space is still happy with this mysterious Alaska launch because, as McDowell put it, "all you really want to get is enough data."

Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her @chelsea_gohd. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.Single-family home sales in Connecticut declined by 4.4 percent in June compared to the same period in 2017, but the median sale price surged to a five-year high, according to data from the Boston-based Warren Group, publisher of The Commercial Record.

There were 3,753 single-family homes sold in the state during June, 174 fewer than during the same period a year earlier. A total of 15,523 single-family homes were sold during the first six months of this year, a 1.5 percent decrease from the first half of last year.

But even though fewer single-family homes were sold during both those periods, the median single-family home sale price increased, both during June and for the first half of this year.

The June single-family median sale price was $280,000, a 2.9 percent increase compared to the same periond a year earlier. The median sale price for Connecticut single-family homes sold in June hasnt been this high since 2013, according to Timothy Warren, chief executive officer of The Warren Group.

Hitting a five-year high is encouraging, but we need to keep in mind that the market has still not hit its pre-recession peaks, Warren said in a statement Tuesday. In June 2007 the median price was $325,000, and back in June 2004, the number of homes sold was 5,200. Both are substantially higher than the numbers achieved this year.

The median sale price for single-family homes in Connecticut for the first half of this year was $254,000, a 3.7 percent increase over the same period in 2017.

Condominium sales in the state were down 3.6 percent in June compared to the same period a year ago and the median sale price for the units that sold fell 2.3 percent compared to a year ago to $171,000.

Donald Klepper-Smith, chief economist and director of research for New Haven-based DataCore Partners, said the data released by The Warren Group shows modest progress in Connecticuts real estate market.

Supply and demand will continue to be the deciding factors for the balance of 2018, Klepper-Smith said Tuesday. My forecast at the start of the year called for a modest single-digit increase in both sales and median prices, and were not far off that mark. In the final analysis, you cant have traction in the local housing markets without meaningful traction in the local labor markets, and were seeing some modest progress there despite having the lowest job recovery rate in New England.

New Haven Countys real estate market saw a 2.9 percent decrease in the number of single-family homes sold in June compared to the same period a year ago. But the median sale price for single-family homes sold in the county rose $10,000, or 4.2 percent, to $250,000.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.comJustin Papp / Hearst Connecticut Media

DARIEN  Officers plan to crack down on distracted driving over the next two weeks as part of a statewide campaign.

In a release, the department reminded drivers that hand-held cell phones may not be used while driving in the state. Drivers under 18 also are not permitted to use hands-free cell phones or any other electronic device.Update: According to court documents, the case against Maritza Rodriguez was dismissed.

STAMFORD  An accountant for a high-end home furnishing retailer has been accused of sending $15,000 worth of inventory to acquaintances and Facebook friends in New York City.

Maritza Rodriguez, 49, of Mosholu Avenue, has been charged with five counts of identity theft, first-degree computer crime, second-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit identity theft. She was released after posting a $50,000 court appearance bond and is scheduled to appear for arraignment on Aug. 15.

Mark Sherman, Rodriguezs criminal defense attorney, said his client denies any wrongdoing and hopes to resolve the case in court.

According to her arrest affidavit, the owner of Design Within Reach, where Rodriguez was employed in the accounting department, filed a complaint with police.

Sgt. Sean Boeger, of the electronic crimes squad, said Rodriguez placed several fraudulent orders under the accounts of customers who had large balances with the South End company between April 2017 and April 2018.

Boeger said investigators believe Rodriguez preyed on those accounts because they had long been inactive. Boeger said Rodriguez and another employee sent $15,000 worth of merchandise to people living in the Bronx and Manhattan.

Boeger said several of those recipients were listed as friends on Rodriguezs Facebook page. Boeger said investigators called some of those recipients, who denied knowing her. Boeger said after being told they were Facebook friends, at least one denied receiving any furniture even though police did not mention the shipments.

These people were friends and acquaintances of hers on Facebook and can easily be tied back to her, Boeger said.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.comHARARE, Zimbabwe - Government forces opened fire on rioting opposition supporters Wednesday, shattering the fragile peace that had persisted through Zimbabwe's first election since the fall of Robert Mugabe.

At least three people were killed, police confirmed to the ZBC, Zimbabwe's state broadcaster. Given that many of the injured were quickly whisked away by protesters, the number of dead could be higher. The number of injured remained unknown.

The sudden outbreak of violence risked derailing an election that was seen by many as a chance for Zimbabwe to emerge from decades of isolation after 37 years of increasingly authoritarian rule by Mugabe.

The conflict began with protests by backers of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) over the delayed release of results from Monday's election that they believed signaled an attempt by the ruling party to steal victory from their candidate, Nelson Chamisa.

Amid a heavy police presence, the tense atmosphere slipped into violence. Armed with metal rods and rocks, small groups roved downtown Harare, the capital, destroying everything from stoplights to storefronts. Police fired warning shots, water cannons and tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

About an hour later, the army arrived and turned the city into a war zone, firing live rounds indiscriminately into a crowd gathered outside the MDC's headquarters on Nelson Mandela Avenue in the center of Harare.

In the crowd, a man in a red Chamisa sweatshirt was shot in the arm. A man nearby fell to the ground, gasping and pointing to his abdomen; others removed his pants, revealing that his genitals had been mangled by a bullet.

A woman in a smart green suit looked out upon the smoldering fires lit by the rioters and the blood and glass strewn on a street corner and said, "This is heartbreak."

While the presidential contest involved 23 candidates, the main race was between Chamisa, a 40-year-old lawyer and pastor, and 75-year-old Emmerson Mnangagwa, who helped engineer Mugabe's downfall in November.

Chamisa primed his supporters for a confrontation Tuesday by declaring a victory long before the counting had been completed.

The violence recalled the bloodshed that followed a disputed election in 2008, which the opposition claimed to have won outright. Instead, there was a presidential runoff, during which regime supporters engaged in a countrywide campaign of intimidation and violence that eventually forced the opposition candidate to withdraw. Around 200 of his supporters were killed.

Just before the violence broke out Wednesday, observer missions from around the world released preliminary statements. They largely withheld judgment on the allegations of rigging and other irregularities in Monday's contest, though most noted polarization and bias in the media ahead of the election.

"In some senses, up to this point, the conduct of the polls has had a number of positive features," said Elmar Brok, leader of the European Union's observer mission. But he also criticized the election commission's "lack of transparency" and "some problems around polling stations" on election day. He said he did not understand why the election commission was taking so long to release results and predicted that it would lose credibility with further delays.

"A true level playing field has not yet been achieved," Brok said.

A prominent election observer, former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, warned that delays in announcing the results could feed "suspicions, tensions and volatility."

"The more the presidential vote is delayed, the more it calls into question the population's confidence in the election process," she said.

Protesters surrounded vehicles belonging to the observer missions as they passed through downtown Harare on Wednesday on their way to give their preliminary report briefings.

"What they have done is intimidate people in the rural areas, saying, 'We will kill you if you vote MDC' and so on, and then the international observers say this election was free and fair. Why are they even here then?" asked Wellington Chigwendere, one of the protesters. "It is so obvious that rigging has taken place since Monday. There is a mountain of evidence. We will not live and die in such a Zimbabwe.

"What you see here is real support - not people being brought on buses like ZANU-PF does," he said, referring to the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front.

On Wednesday, the election commission announced that ZANU-PF had taken the majority of the seats in the parliament, winning 109 out of 210, with 41 going to the opposition MDC and 58 yet to be allocated.

The United States and the European Union have been clear that a credible election is their foremost condition for the lifting of sanctions on various Mugabe-era officials and their family members, as well as for backing a bailout for Zimbabwe from the International Monetary Fund.

Those hopes could be threatened if MDC supporters feel that the election was marred by questions and abuses, as frequently happened under Mugabe.

"I will stay here until Chamisa is president," said Amandishe Muzhinji, who returned from Swaziland, where he works as a migrant laborer, to vote in Monday's election. "I will not allow my vote to be stolen in plain sight."

The opposition alleges that irregularities occurred, saying that voting results were not posted, as required by law, outside one-fifth of polling stations. MDC officials also questioned possible discrepancies in the vote count from small, rural constituencies that they say are posting numbers higher than their voting population.

Mnangagwa's government, meanwhile, accused Chamisa and his supporters of inciting violence by already declaring he had won the election, the first after Mugabe stepped down in November.

If neither candidate receives an outright majority, there will be a Sept. 8 runoff.

---

The Washington Post's Paul Schemm in Swansea, Wales, and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report."Is my property in a flood zone?" That's a question that concerns both homeowners and home shoppersand not just those near large bodies of water.

In fact, there are a little over a dozen flood zone classifications. Those rankings, determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are based on the estimated frequency of storms that will cause flooding in an area. So while you may not live in the Gulf Coast (one of the U.S. regions most vulnerable to hurricanes), your property may still be part of an area that's been deemed a high risk for flooding.

So how do you find out if your home is in a flood zone, and what type of flood zone it is?

How to find out if your property is in a flood zone?

Most homes in high-risk flood zones are near a body of water. But regardless of your location, there are a few ways to determine your home's flood zone status.

"The best place to start is with FEMA's Map Service Center," says Adam D'Annunzio, a real estate agent with Keller Williams in New Jersey who sells real estate in flood zones.

Simply enter a property's address, and a map showing its flood zone hazard will pop up. Zones B, X, and C are the lowest risk, while high-risk zones start with either an A or a V (V zones are coastal areas). Zone AE, for example, has a 1% probability of flooding every year, also known as a 100-year flood plain.

Keep in mind when looking at the map that it's possible that only part your lotand perhaps not your actual housemay be in the flood zone.

Other resources include tax record databases and title searches; both will indicate a property's flood risk.

"You can also ask your insurance agent," says real estate agent and attorney Bruce Ailion of Atlanta's Re/Max Town and Country.

Is a property's flood zone status disclosed to home shoppers?

While all states have laws regarding property disclosure, the specific laws regarding flood zone status vary from state to state, says Johnny Harper, owner of J and J Home Inspections in Nashville, TN. Federal laws don't require disclosure of previous flooding.

"However, full disclosure is certainly the ethical responsibility of the seller and the listing agent," Harper says.

As a buyer, you should research the propertyor have your real estate agent checkto see if it's in a flood zone. If you're obtaining financing, the mortgage company will investigate flood zoning as well.

"If the property is found to be in a flood zone, the mortgage company will require flood insurance," says D'Annunzio.

How much is flood insurance?

The federal government offers subsidized flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program. The amount you pay for your policy is based on such factors as year of construction, building occupancy, number of floors, location of contents, flood risk, location of the lowest floor (in relation to the Base Flood Elevation on a flood map), and your deductible.

The average cost of flood insurance through the NFIP is $700 per year. Of course, the amount you pay is all based on your property's flood risk. If you are in a high-hazard zone, Harper says flood insurance can be significantly more expensiveas high as $6,000 per year.

Does being in a flood zone affect a home's price?

Whether you're a seller or a buyer, keep in mind that a home's price will likely be affected by being in a flood plain.

"Sellers know the cost of yearly flood insurance could affect what buyers can afford," says D'Annunzio. So when the home is priced to sell, they will likely take those extra expenses into account.

The property could also be seen by buyers as less desirable if the risk of damage from future flooding is high. So a highly motivated seller might list the home lower than the market value.

Do you need flood insurance?

Did you know that most home insurance policies don't cover damage or other losses caused by flooding? Homes in high-risk areas that participate in the NFIP are required to purchase flood insurance. But if you live in a moderate- to low-risk area, should you buy flood insurance? Flood zones are based on an estimation of the number of storms that will cause flooding in a year, but there's no guarantee that your area will flood. Still, you want to be covered in the event that something does happen.

If you're wavering between buying and not buying flood insurance, ask yourself this question: Do you think the possibility of floodingand the damage associated with itis worth the insurance premium? In some cases, having flood insurance is less expensive than the losses from a flood.

How to minimize your flood losses

If your home is in a flood zone, Harper advises taking these steps:

Elevate your furnace, water heater, and electric panels to protect them from possible flood waters.

Keep storm drains and gutters free of debris, and install check valves (or one-way valves) to keep floodwater from backing into your drains.

Seal your basement walls with waterproofing materials.

Store your valuables and legal documents on your upper floors.

The post 'Is My Property in a Flood Zone?' The Easiest Way to Determine If You're at Risk appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.L loyds Banking Group chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio on Wednesday shrugged off fears that Britain is heading for a no-deal Brexit and presented an optimistic vision for the economy.

With the banks profits soaring, up 23% to 3.1 billion in the half year, Lloyds is able to raise the dividend to shareholders and claimed strong and sustainable growth will continue.

With businesses large and small beginning to panic over strained Brexit negotiations, Horta-Osorio backed the government.

He said there is a very high likelihood of the UK and Europe reaching an agreement, which is clearly in the interests of both parties.

He added: I am strongly convinced that there is a strong possibility of a deal being reached by November. Thats exactly what companies in the UK need.

When Horta-Osorio arrived in 2011, Lloyds was nursing an annual loss of 260 million. The shares remain stubbornly low, a reflection of investor fears about companies like Lloyds that are entirely focused on the UK.

Laith Khalaf at Hargreaves Lansdown said: Antonio Horta-Osorio must be wondering just what he has to pull out of the bag to push the stock price up. Lloyds shareholders are being paid to wait. The bank is expected to deliver a total dividend of 3.44p this year, equivalent to a 5.5% income yield. Not bad.

The shares moved up 1% to 63p, flat on when he arrived in March 2011.

Lloyds today set aside another 460 million for PPI mis-selling claims, taking the total to a mammoth 19.2 billion. It expects 13,000 new claims a week until the August 2019 deadline. Rivals have pointed to intense competition in the mortgages market.

Lloyds agrees and says it is not chasing growth in that area as it tries to show its lending book is of sound quality.

It bought credit cards business MBNA a year ago for 1.9 billion but today signalled further big deals are off the table. A bid deal is not in our current strategy, said Horta-Osorio. Nothing which would be material is being considered, he added.

Lloyds predicts GDP growth this year of 1.5% and predicts just one rate rise in each of the next three years, starting tomorrow.J ust when you thought Labours anti-Semitism crisis couldnt get worse, its leadership managed to cause even more offence. Pete Willsman, a member of the ruling National Executive Committee, told a meeting that was supposed to sort out the crisis that Jewish Trump fanatics were making false claims of anti-Semitism. He demanded: We should ask the 70 rabbis, Where is your evidence of severe and widespread anti-Semitism in this party?

This wasnt an obscure meeting in the back room of a pub. It was Labours most senior committee, and Jeremy Corbyn, who promised to be a militant opponent of anti-Semitism, sat silent throughout.

How could a party with such a proud and long-standing record of fighting racism cause such huge distress and offence to the Jewish community? Like many members, I joined as a teenager determined to fight racism and build a fairer society. I grew up listening to my dad recount how at the age of 10 he had fled Czechoslovakia days after the Germans invaded in 1939. His dad had died years before and the last time he saw his mum and sisters was when they put him on a train to England.

Like other Jews, they were rounded up and forced first into a ghetto, then transported to the concentration camp at Theresienstadt. They were sent to Treblinka and murdered in October 1942.

Ian Austin / Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament

As a student I volunteered for the anti-racist campaign Searchlight and my first priority when I was elected in 2005 was to organise a campaign to drive the BNP out in Dudley. Earlier this year I organised a Rally Against Racism in the Birmingham hotel room where Enoch Powell made his Rivers of Blood speech 50 years before. Ive stood with Muslim constituents targeted by the BNP or the EDL.

But it would all be completely meaningless if I ignored anti-Semitism in my own party. And Labour members must understand that we wont have any right to criticise our opponents about racism until we get our own house in order.

Earlier this year I travelled to Poland with the London-based charity March of the Living. We visited the sites of concentration camps, clearings in forests where thousands of people were shot and former ghettos. The unforgettable week culminated with thousands of people from around the world marching from Auschwitz to Birkenau, but the moment that stands out for me took place in a Krakow hotel lobby.

Id been introduced to a survivor of the death camps. When he heard I was an MP, he asked for which party, then looked up from his wheelchair and said: Are you not ashamed of the Labour Party with all the anti-Semitism?

The truth is that I am deeply ashamed. Just last week the party had to suspend a councillor over an anti-Semitic online post claiming that Jews drink blood and sexually abuse children.

At last years conference, the party gave a platform at a fringe event to a speaker who said: Holocaust : yes or no.. What did that mean  did it happen? Or was it right?

Weve seen Ken Livingstone s offensive nonsense about Hitler supporting Zionists. Others legitimised the myth that Jews were the chief financiers of the slave trade, or draw comparisons between the actions of Israel and the crimes of the Nazis.

Corbyn himself defended an appalling racist caricature on a mural in the East End. It took four days and an unprecedented protest by the Jewish community before he apologised. And yesterday we learned that he hosted an event at Parliament which compared the Israeli government to the Nazis on Holocaust Memorial Day.

"Corbyn has spent his entire political career mixing with all manner of extremists, in some cases, anti-Semites"

There is a reason the Labour leader hasnt been able to solve this crisis. He has spent his entire political career mixing with or defending all manner of extremists, in some cases, anti-Semites. He has called the avowedly anti-Semitic organisations Hamas and Hezbollah friends and invited them to Parliament.

He described activist Raed Salah  found by a British court judge to have used the anti-Semitic blood libel  a very honoured citizen and invited him to Parliament too. When the vicar Stephen Sizer was disciplined and banned from social media by the Church of England for spreading ideas which were clearly anti-Semitic, Corbyn defended him as well.

He was a founder member and chaired the Stop the War Coalition, which carried an article on its website that praised what it said was the internationalism and solidarity of Islamic State and compared it to the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. The group supported what it called the Iraqi struggle against British troops by any means necessary, said it stood with Saddam Hussein , and promoted or provided a platform for Assad apologists.

The Marxist Left blames every problem on the West and America and Israel. For them, the world is a simple place and the solutions are obvious. Thirty years in protest movements making the same speech to people who agree with him means Jeremy has never had to answer a tough question, or think about complex problems and difficult solutions.

This is why it is completely untrue for his supporters to claim complaints about anti-Semitism are whipped up or have been weaponised to undermine him. The reason many mainstream members did not think he should be leader is because he spent so long on the extreme fringes. We were worried that he would turn our mainstream party into a dogmatic and hard-Left organisation, and Im afraid were being proved right. It looks like a very different party to the one I joined.J eremy Corbyn has spent his entire political career mixing with or defending all manner of extremists and, in some cases, anti-Semites. Who says this today? Not a Conservative critic trying to cause trouble but a senior MP in his own party setting out a truth which now needs to be confronted. Writing here, Ian Austin despairs at the situation Labour finds itself in. He is not alone. Like many of the partys members, MPs and supporters, his tolerance is reaching its limit . For almost three years they have watched as a small group of hardliners have dragged the party away from its moderate, social democratic traditions. In its place this new leadership has imposed a narrow, obsessive and controlling view of the world, based on a lifetime of opposition to mainstream politics. It is this way of thinking which has led to the crisis now facing Mr Corbyn.

Its a crisis he has brought entirely upon himself. Some of those attracted to his promises to build a new and better politics may feel, even now, that the anti-Semitism row is being used, unfairly, to challenge his leadership. They may think it is wrong to go on about one issue when so many others matter too. After all, isnt Mr Corbyn supposed to be on the side of the oppressed and against racism? Or so he says. But the reality is that his leadership is the only reason there is a row about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. Its the allies he chose, the meetings he attended and chaired, the warnings he ignored, the voices he didnt question, the rules he sought to change, the bigoted remarks he overlooked, which brought this on. He simply hasnt seen that there is a problem. As Mr Austin writes, Jeremy has never had to answer a tough question, or think about complex problems and difficult solutions. Hes seen all complaints as unfair and wished them away.

The time for that is over. The latest report, that Mr Corbyn not only attended but chaired a meeting at which a speaker compared Israeli actions in Gaza to the Holocaust  a meeting which, to add insult, took place on Holocaust memorial day  has forced an apology of sorts. The meeting involved someone whose views I completely reject, he now says. Mr Corbyn seems to spend his life hearing views with which he later thinks he disagrees but doing nothing. Such evasion isnt acceptable from a man who wants to be Prime Minister. Mr Austin is not the only Labour MP to see it. Will more speak out? Will the Labour Mayor of London  notably silent  add his voice? This has got to stop.

Lloyds Bank gets it right

Done well, banking should be boring. It is supposed to be the grease that keeps the economy moving, quietly, without fuss. For a good example, look no further than Lloyds Banking Group, perhaps our most important lender given its dominance on the high street and among smaller firms.

It is worth remembering what a mess chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio inherited when he arrived in 2011. Scandals since emerged, notably at the HBOS Reading branch, but they didnt start on his watch. Today the bank reports robust profits for the half year, up 23 per cent at 3.1 billion. Some may howl at this but the question is: whats the bank doing with those profits? The answer is rewarding long-suffering shareholders  many of whom are small, private investors  lending responsibly to keep the UK economy growing and bolstering its balance sheet to deal with future downturns. The job isnt quite yet done, perhaps. When it is, the nation will owe Mr Horta-Osorio a considerable debt of gratitude.

Call a cab to save a lifeThe rumours that Anna Wintour might be leaving her position as Editor-in-Chief of US Vogue began swirling back in April, and by July, speculation about her exit had, according to Womens Wear Daily reached a crescendo louder than a tea kettle on the full boil.

So deafening in fact had the chatter become, that Conde Nast Chief Executive Bob Sauerberg felt compelled to take to Twitter on Tuesday to quash months of hearsay and reconfirm that the magazines 30-year veteran would be continuing in her role at the media giant.

Anna Wintour is an incredibly talented and creative leader whose influence is beyond measure. She is integral to the future of our companys transformation and has agreed to work with me indefinitely in her role as @voguemagazine editor-in-chief and artistic director of Conde Nast, Conde Nast Chief Executive Bob Sauerberg said in a statement on the companys Twitter feed.

68-year-old Wintour has been at the helm of American Vogue since 1988 and artistic director of Conde Nast since 2013. This year will be her 40th year working for the Conde Nast group.

The tweet comes just one day after Wintour announced the departures of several long serving members of her senior team. Tonne Goodman, the magazines fashion director, and Phyllis Posnick, its executive fashion editor, will be leaving their senior roles to become contributing editors, while long-time Vogue LA editor Lisa Love will transition into a new position at CNX, Conde Nast's in-house branding agency.

Moving expensive, salaried staff (such as Goodman, Posnick and, well, Wintour) makes good business sense for Conde Nast, who is expecting to make $100 million dollars less in revenue in 2017 than it did in 2016, according to the New York Times.

The tweet also come a day after news broke that Beyonce will guest-edit the September issue of Vogue, with unprecedented creative control over her image. The pop icon hired Tyler Mitchell, the first black photographer to shoot a cover in the publication's 126-year history.

Wintour has, very uncharacteristically, relinquished creative powers to a popstar and has lost half her steely-faced senior team overnight. Powers are a shifting, yet Conde Nast insist shes not going anywhere.If you cast your mind back to January, when the first Kardashian-Jenner #MyCalvin campaign was released, you will remember that there was a lot of speculation going on.

Although it's hard to believe now, back then Kylie Jenner's covered up looks were considered an ongoing sign that she was pregnant with her first child with Travis Scott, a rumour that did in fact turn out to be true. Baby Stormi arrived in February.

Further rumours also suggested that Kylie's elder half-sister, Khloe, was also pregnant, a coincidence that many thought unlikely. But, if we've learnt anything from watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians it's that anything is possible. The 34-year-old welcomed her daughter, True, just mere weeks later.

It's fair to say, that during their first Calvin Klein campaign the family were both metaphorically - and literally - sweeping things under the carpet or, in their case, under a very large blanket.

The Kardashian's first Calvin Klein campaign (Calvin Klein ) / Calvin Klein

On Wednesday, Kim Kardashian revealed the famous family's second campaign for the underwear brand, taking to Instagram to say: "Our new Fall 2018 @calvinklein underwear & jeans campaign. Join Our Family.

In contrast to the family's spring/summer 2018 campaign everything is out in the open.

Calvin Klein's autumn/winter 2018 campaign (Willy Vanderperre ) / Willy Vanderperre

Shot in Thousand Oaks in California, Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, Kendall and Kylie are seen posing in a woodland landscape. The much-talked about baby bump-covering blanket still there, but this time, not used to cover any inch of a Kardashian-Jenner.

Baring all this time round, each Kardashian-Jenner is shot in a matching pair of Calvin Klein undies, with Kim showing off her famous curves and Kendall towering over everyone else with her long supermodel legs.

It's Khloe Kardashian, though, who stands out the most as she shot the campaign while eight months pregnant.

Khloe Kardashian was eight months pregnant when she shot the campaign (Willy Vanderperre ) / Willy Vanderperre

A video released on Calvin Klein's Instagram also shows a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the shoot, as the sisters swing from trees, go exploring and snap a few pictures.The Glory

Where else to start but the Glory? The Haggerston pub is certainly not the oldest, but has made a massive impact due to the sheer volume of drag events. Co-owned by stalwarts of the London queer scene Jonny Woo and John Sizzle, find queens and kings and everyone in between almost every night of the week. They host shows from countless drag performers including Kings of Colour (KOC for short, pronounced as youd expect), BOiBOX and Baby Lame. With the annual Man Up contest for drag kings and the flagship event Lipsync1000, the Glory is always driving the drag train.Oval Space/Pickle Factory, Cambridge Heath

Though distinct from each other, weve included these two together as theyre owned by the same group and sit opposite each other. The Pickle Factory  it was one, once  is the more intimate space with just 200 capacity, attracting a very headsy crowd who are there solely for the music (GO London once saw Floating Points there watching Soichi Terada, and if that's not a ringing endorsement, we don't know what is). Oval Space space is a much bigger affair, covering a giant 5,000 square metres. Its a multi use arena, playing all sorts of things on its first rate sound system. It does get awfully hot in there during summer, but we think that makes it all the better, in many ways. Keep an eye on their website for everything theyve on; the Oval Space runs an admirably forward thinking programme.

Lee ArruciO ur favourite tipple now comes in a surprising new colour thanks to our French neighbours.

The French will now be serving blue wine along with the usual red, pink and white.

Entrepreneur Rene Le Bail created the naturally blue-hued chardonnay by putting white whine through the pulp of red grape skins.

The wine, called Vindigo, uses a pigment in the grape skin to achieve its electric blue colouring.

Around 35,000 bottles of Vindigo are now on sale in the small town of Sete but Le Bail has plans to take his crop to the wine capital of Bordeaux.

As for flavour, Le Bail told Belgian Les Echos: As soon as it enters the mouth, we have cherry aromas.

"It's 11 per cent which means it's not a super strong wine. It has a fruity taste, there's cherry, passion fruit and blackberry."

Le Bail isn't the inventor of blue wine, however, as it has been available for some time in Spain and the French island of Corsica. But this is the first time it's become available to the French market - who are notoriously traditionalists when it comes to wine.C alling all Nutella lovers. A position has arisen to taste the beloved chocolatey spread for a living.

Ferrero, which owns the brand, is looking to hire 60 new taste testers to sample their products, according to The Local, and the good news is no experience is necessary.

Officially known as sensory judges, they will be required to work just four hours a week over two days, so the position can presumably be worked around another job, though you will have to be based in Alba, north-west Italy, where the company headquarters are located.

Duties will include tasting ingredients like cocoa and hazelnuts which are used to make the nutty spread, the English-language publication reports.

Rather than employing professionals with experience in this field, the company is said to prefer "regular customers" as candidates, and its apparently a bonus if they're not highly educated in nutrition. The only requirements are that hopefuls can use a computer and do not have any allergies - obviously.

AFP/Getty Images

According to the listing, which was posted on Open Job Metis, the role begins in September after which the successful applicants will undergo three months of training to sharpen their tasting and smelling capabilities.A young man has knifed to death and two others have been rushed to hospital after a triple stabbing in south-east London.

Police and paramedics were scrambled to Warham Street, Camberwell, where the men were found suffering knife wounds on Wednesday evening.

One of the men, named on Thursday as 23-year-old Sidique Kamara, a rapper who performed under the name Incognito, died at the scene and the others were taken to hospital following the shocking incident which unfolded at about 7.20pm.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder. They were taken into police custody.

Forensic officers at the scene in Warham Street, Camberwell / PA

Warham Street remained taped off as police continued to investigate the stabbings. A forensics tent was in place.

The attack happened near to where 17-year-old Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton was found with a fatal gunshot wound in May this year.

Forensic teams were called to the scene following the triple stabbing / PA

At the time Rhyhiem's mother Pretana Morgan called for a halt in the wave of violence in the capital.

She said: "Let my son be the last and be an example to everyone. Just let it stop. What must be, must be.

Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton was shot in Cooks Road, Kennington

"It's not about race, it's not about nation, it's not about culture. Nothing. It's just a human race.

"Just one human race. So children, please let my son be the last."

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said of the attack on Wednesday: Three men were found with stab wounds. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, one of the men, died at the scene.

Officers are in the process of informing his next-of-kin.

The two other males have been taken to hospital where we await updates on their conditions.A fraud victim left suicidal after losing his life savings to a 14.5 million Ponzi-style scheme today told how he pulled himself back from the brink so he could watch the conman face justice.

Leon Winsky walked from his Wembley home to South Kenton station where he planned to throw himself in front of a train after discovering he had been swindled out of 300,000 by wealth manager Freddy David.

But the 70-year-old, one of 55 victims targeted by David in a string of frauds dating back to 2003, changed his mind at the last minute to ensure he could see justice done.

David, 49, now said to be public enemy No 1 in his north London Jewish community, was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to fraud and obtaining money by deception at Southwark crown court.

'Public enemy No 1': Freddy David, 49, was jailed for six years / City of London Police/PA

Mr Winsky, who started work aged 14, described how his first thought was suicide when police broke the news of his financial loss to him in November.

He told the Standard: I realised what a struggle it would be to put food on the table. I thought Id let my family down.

"I went to South Kenton station. I planned it ahead, I was going to do myself in.

"I was standing on the edge of the platform. It would have been easy, but I held myself back.

"I thought I needed to give my side of the story of what he had done to my family to the police, otherwise David could have got off scot free. It took a lot of courage.

Mr Winsky, who attended court to see David jailed, said: I was staring at him but he wasnt staring back. He didnt want to look at anyone at all.

Gambling addict David sold fictitious high-interest accounts to mainly elderly clients, with the biggest victim investing 871,000.

The court heard how his actions had the flavour of a Ponzi scheme and left victims suffering sleepless nights, with one describing her ordeal as financial and emotional rape.

Jonathan Polnay, prosecuting, said the fraudster blew 15 million on gambling over 14 years.

He would also transfer clients money into his personal account, with one investors 80,000 going towards buying a restaurant, paying school fees and for overseas trips.

Mr Winsky, a former book-keeper who lives with his wife and 29-year-old disabled son Johnathan, invested with David after retiring at 66.

He believed his 300,000 had been put into RBS and Barclays bonds to earn him up to 4 per cent interest.

The money, which took me 52 years to save, was to buy a flat for his son.

Mr Winsky, who is now looking for work, said David destroyed my family ... we may have to sell the house where we raised our son. All I can do is pray.S panish police are investigating claims that British stag party members paid a drunk homeless man in Benidorm to have the grooms name and address tattooed on his face.

A Spanish regional official has promised to bring those responsible to justice if the law was broken.

A Polish-born rough sleeper known only as Tomek was allegedly paid 90 to have Jamie Blake, North Shields N28 written permanently on his forehead in the Costa Blanca resort.

Karen Maling Cowles, president of the Benidorm British Business Association, has criticised the group and has raised more than 1,600 to help the man get the tattoo removed.

The 34-year-old, whose current whereabouts are not known, is said to have been attacked and robbed after he was allegedly paid by the British men.

Juan Carlos Fulgencio, a central government delegate for the Autonomous Community of Valencia, which includes Benidorm, said a formal complaint had been made to police.

He said: It appears that this citizen was in a bad way and that because he was incapable of making a coherent decision he agreed to do it.

Afterwards there was some other incident  the money that in principle they paid him for this strange act subsequently disappeared. Police are investigating and I am certain those responsible will be brought to justice. A spokesman for Spains National Police confirmed an investigation was underway. A source said it will seek to establish whether what has happened could constitute a hate crime.

In an interview with the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Mr Blake said he had nothing to do with the incident.

I was not there at the time, he said.F ar right activist Tommy Robinson was freed on bail today after his 13 month jail term for contempt of court was quashed.

The former English Defence League leader was jailed in May for filming defendants in a criminal trial at Leeds Crown Court and broadcasting the footage to 250,000 people on Facebook.

Robinson, 35, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, successfully appealed against his jail term claiming it was excessive and the hearing was rushed.

Lord Burnett speaking at the Court of Appeal said he was allowing his appeal in respect of the committal for contempt at Leeds Crown Court - but said the case would have to be be heard again.

The former EDL leader was jailed in May / PA

Supporters in the packed courtroom broke into a round of applause as the decision was announced.

At the hearing in May Robinson was given 10 months for contempt of court, which he admitted, and a further three months for breaching a previous suspended sentence.

Judges quashed a finding of contempt made against him at Leeds Crown Court in May / PA

Robinson was detained outside Leeds Crown Court after using social media to broadcast details of a trial which is subject to blanket reporting restrictions.

Supporters of Tommy Robinson outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London / PA

It was the second time Robinson had breached court orders, having narrowly avoided jail in May last year over footage he filmed during the trial of four men who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl.

The judge on that occasion gave him a three-month suspended sentence and told him his punishment was not about freedom of speech or freedom of the press but about justice and ensuring that a trial can be carried out justly and fairly.

His jailing led to violent protests in London and other cities in the UK, including one in Whitehall in June when 21 police officers were injured.

Tommy Robinson freed on bail after winning contempt of court challenge

Robinson was not present for this mornings ruling and was expected to be released from prison later today.

Rival groups of Tommy Robinson supporters and Stand Up To Racism protesters gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice for todays hearing.

At a hearing in July, Robinsons QC Jeremy Dein argued that procedural deficiencies had given rise to prejudice.

Tommy Robinson protest in Whitehall 14/7/18 1 /13 Tommy Robinson protest in Whitehall 14/7/18 REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS PA PA PA REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS PA PA

Mr Dein also submitted that the sentence was manifestly excessive and that insufficient regard had been given to personal mitigation.

The QC said the proceedings in Leeds had been unnecessarily and unjustifiably rushed.

He told the judges that Robinson had offered to have the live stream of his filming taken down.

There had been no intention to disrupt the trial or to breach any order, Mr Dein claimed.A teenager was shot in a suspected gangland attack outside a train station last night hours after Londons police chief said the capitals crimewave was being brought under control.

The 18-year-old was blasted in the stomach by a gunman outside the St James Street overground station in Walthamstow at around 10pm. He staggered inside the station and collapsed in front of staff and passengers.

Witnesses reported hearing three to six shots and screams of help before the station was evacuated and closed.

The victim was taken to hospital but today police said his life was no longer in danger. Armed officers went to the scene but there were no arrests.

The shooting came just hours after Met commissioner Cressida Dick said the surge in violent crime had begun to stabilise.

Walthamstow shooting: The 18-year-old man was shot in the suspect

She said there had been 87 murders in London so far this year, compared with 131 last year, but the number of killings had fallen from 15 a month in February and March to five in July.

Moped-related crimes and gangland stabbings were also said to be falling.

Ms Dick said: We are determined these figures will come down. The trend has been going up pretty continuously since 2014 but it is early days and I am cautious about where we are.

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy was due to hold a meeting on gang violence and street harassment in the area tonight.

One resident tweeted: I am very concerned about the high level of violence that has taken place in this area over the last few months. Its clearly become a hot-spot for gangs.

The incident took place half a mile from where 16-year-old Amaan Shakoor was shot dead at Walthamstow Leisure Centre in April. No one has been charged with his murder.A teenager is fighting for his life in hospital after being shot outside an east London train station.

Police and paramedics were scrambled to the scene at St Jamess Street Overground station, in Walthamstow, at about 10pm on Tuesday.

The victim, believed to be 18, was rushed to hospital where he remained in a critical condition.

The station was closed while officers continued to investigate the shocking incident.

It is understood the victim was gunned down in the St Jamess Street before stumbling into the station, Scotland Yard said.

A Met Police spokesman said: Police were called at approximately 10pm on Tuesday, July 31 to reports of a man suffering gunshot injuries inside St James's Street station.

Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and the man, believed aged 18, was taken to an east London hospital for treatment - he remains there in a critical condition.T he parents of a boy who died of an incurable brain tumour today demanded more funding for research into the disease.

Namrata and Bhavesh Pandyas 14-year-old son Khushil had DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma) tumours, a rare condition which affects up to 30 children in Britain each year. The teenager, who lived in Kenton and dreamed of becoming a zoologist, was diagnosed in March 2015 after developing a squint in his eye and died last September.

He was a student at Claremont High School in Harrow and continued attending while receiving treatment at University College London Hospital and even achieved a Duke of Edinburgh award in the months before his death. His parents are now working with the Brain Tumour Charity to raise money for research into treatment through the Khushil Pandya Fund. His mother, a financial adviser, 39, said: We want to get the word out there about this. I still cant get over the fact there is no explanation to why it happens.

In this day and age, you cant go to a doctor and just hear your child has six to nine months to live. No parent should go through that. Its unbearable.

Although the Pandyas had tried to shield their son from the seriousness of his condition, diary entries found after his death revealed he was fully aware. Mrs Pandya continued: He was so clever, he had the mind of a scientist. He never told us he knew what he was suffering from. He knew the consequences of what was happening. He was so positive about everything. He was very strong, focused and determined from day one. He never complained about what he was going through.

In April, it was reported that Australian researchers had developed a new drug treatment for DIPG, although clinical trials are still years away.

Its really hard to see your child go through that, said Mrs Pandya. It takes nine months to give birth to a child, then with this you are given nine months and see them going backwards. They lose their abilities one by one.

There are not enough funds and there hasnt been enough research done into this. The brutal truth is, because its so rare, its not so much of a priority. Mrs Pandya has written a book about her son, entitled Perception, to keep Khushils legacy alive. She and her husband, 43, a Royal Mail worker, plan to publish it on December 8, on what would have been their sons 16th birthday. Mrs Pandya said: We feel we have an obligation to make a difference with this. Im just not ready to accept there are no answers.

Health minister Steve Barclay said: Cancer survival rates are at record highs but there is always more to do to deepen our understanding of this devastating condition. Thats why were committing a billion pounds a year to health research  including 40 million in the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Research Fund  to drive forward the development of new and innovative treatments so more people can survive cancer now and in the future.A world-leading research centre aiming to prevent chronic disease and infection in children is being established in London with a 25 million gift from a philanthropist.

Imperial College said the facility will be part of a School of Public Health on its new campus in White City.

Benefactor Marit Mohn graduated from Imperial with a Masters degree in chemical engineering in 1973. She has previously donated to the university through her familys charity, the Mohn Westlake Foundation. Her gift is the first in an attempt to raise 100 million for the School of Public Health.

With UCLs Institute of Child Health, the academic wing of Great Ormond Street Hospital, it means that the capital will be home to two of the worlds most important centres for childrens healthcare and research.

Philanthropist: Marit Mohn studied chemical engineering at Imperial College as a postgraduate and has donated to the university before / Melanie Burford

Children will not be treated at White City but researchers will work in partnership with the Imperial NHS Trust, which offers specialist neonatal and paediatric care at Queen Charlottes and Chelsea and St Marys hospitals. Researchers at the Mohn Centre for Childrens Health and Wellbeing, due to open in 2023, will focus on asthma , childhood obesity , malnutrition and infection.

They will look to differentiate between life-threatening bacterial infections, such as meningococcal disease, the cause of meningitis and septicaemia , and less serious viral infections.

The centrepiece will be a cohort study, following a group of London children from birth into adulthood and old age. Monitoring the health and lifestyle of participants over many years will deepen understanding of childhood illness and show how disease in old age is connected to early-life experiences.

Professor Alice Gast, president of Imperial College, said: We will learn directly from local children and their families about their health needs, and develop solutions that will have a major impact on child health and wellbeing.A bid by London Zoo to host more late-night parties sparked objections from residents concerned about disturbances to them  and the attractions animal inhabitants.

The zoo in Regents Park is currently restricted to 10 large outdoor parties a year, with a maximum capacity of 5,000, which can run until 2am.

But it submitted an application asking for no upper limit on the number of events or attendees, providing the zoo consulted Westminster city council each time it wants to host large events.More than a dozen neighbours raised concerns about the open-ended application, which they claim could allow events up to 365 nights a year.

Objections were also made by the Metropolitan Police, who were concerned it could undermine crime prevention, and the councils own environmental health service, who said it may have the likely effect of causing an increase in public nuisance in the area and may impact on public safety. Other objectors raised concerns about noise affecting the animals welfare.

A Camden councillor, whose name was redacted in the objections posted on the council website, said residents would have their sleep disturbed at 3-4am by the time staff finally leave after the event. Also workers and schoolchildren who have to get up early to start their day will feel the impact if the events are frequently held.

Neighbours: Nick Leslau with his wife Maxine. He says he has had a positive meeting with zoo bosses in which he raised residents worries / Getty Images

Theme park tycoon Nick Leslau, who owns Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, was among those to complain, calling the zoos application unfair on neighbours.

Mr Leslau, 58, who starred in an episode of TVs Secret Millionaire and has an apartment close to the zoo, had a positive meeting with its officials and enlisted the help of specialist licensing lawyer Clare Eames to work with them on limiting the application.

The zoo has since said its bid was never meant to cover more than 35 extra Christmas events between November and January, and would cater for no more than 3,000 people a time. It said it had now refined its application to reflect this and objections had been withdrawn. Mr Leslau said: We enjoy living close to the zoo and tolerate the noise generated by events because they are currently only allowed a limited number. It would be unfair on neighbours to be subjected to more.

London Zoo annual stocktake 1 /20 London Zoo annual stocktake London Zoo began its annual stocktake after it was delayed by a fire in December AFP/Getty Images A squirrel monkey plays during the counting Getty Images Squirrel monkeys during the counting Getty Images Chelsea Reid-Johnson counting llamas at the zoo Getty Images One of the llamas being counted for the census Getty Images Penguins shake off water after a swim Getty Images Zuzana Matyasova tallied up the penguins during feeding time Getty Images Zookeepers try to make the day 'relatively positive' for the animals by counting them during feeding Getty Images A penguin waddles during the counting Getty Images Lemurs are also at London Zoo Getty Images Laura Cadigan counted the striped primates Getty Images Zookeepers take a microchip reading of the animals Getty Images More than 700 species are counted at the zoo Getty Images Max the eagle owl perches for his stocktake Getty Images Lions in their enclosure at the zoo Getty Images A lion nudges the stocktake board Getty Images Zookeepers must tally 19,289 animals across species from mammals to birds, reptile, fish, amphibian and insect Getty Images Zuzana Matyasova counts the penguins underwater Getty Images Jamie Mitchell counts the orb spiders Getty Images Moon jellyfish are among the nearly 20,000 animals at the zoo Getty Images

Rich Storton, the zoos director of communications, said it was now seeking to hold a limited number of after-hours, twinkling light trails around the zoo at Christmas. He added that the events are designed to help people enjoy the magic of the zoo. There was uproar three years ago when 105 residents objected to an application that could have let the zoo hold events for up to 15,000 revellers.A major drugs firm today told how it is stockpiling medicines in the UK in preparation for the threat of Britain crashing out of the EU with no deal.

French drugmaker Sanofi is making drug-shortage contingency plans to ensure supplies do not run out.

Its stocks have been increased by about four weeks, to a total of 14 weeks supply.

The announcement came as Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt was due to meet Austrias foreign minister Karin Kneissl in Vienna today. Sanofis UK managing director Hugo Fry said: The uncertainty in the Brexit negotiations means that Sanofi has been planning for a No Deal scenario, as recommended by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations.

Patient safety is our main priority and we have made arrangements for additional warehouse capacity in order to stockpile our products. This means that Sanofi will hold 14 weeks stock in the UK as from April 2019, which is an increase of our current in country holding of approximately 10 weeks stock and is based on our own internal assumptions of potential delays around a No Deal scenario.

He added that the firm is confident that its contingency plans will ensure people in the UK can access the treatments they need after Brexit, but has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock today to tell him of its actions.

Twelve jobs from its 1,800-strong workforce will also be moved out of the UK to other EU countries.

Sanofi provides treatments for diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, oncology and rare diseases, with 124 products across 50 therapy areas.

This month, British drugmaker AstraZeneca said it was increasing stockpiles of those medicines in the UK and continental Europe that could be affected by Brexit by around 20 per cent.

Mr Hunts Austria visit is part of the Governments strategy to persuade national governments to force the European Commission to make concessions toward a Brexit trade deal based on the Prime Ministers Chequers blueprint.

It would see the UK keep close trade ties on goods but get more freedom on services to do global business.

However, Ms Kneissl suggested there was unlikely to be a major shift, as she defended EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

She told BBC radio: The mandate is already there, he has a full mandate and he is working along those lines.

From the Commission side there is a clear-cut schedule.

She added: Everyone is working along a schedule.

Austria currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU.

Mr Hunt told The Standard yesterday that the threat of a No Deal is increasing by the day.

He has urged Germany and France to put pressure on the Commission to budge from its position.

He dismissed claims that Government assessments of the potential impact of a No Deal were Project Fear II, insisting instead that it was explaining reality.U S President Donald Trump has been ridiculed for claiming people need ID to buy groceries.

The 72-year-old was mocked for being out of touch when it comes to everyday tasks, after speaking at a rally in Tampa, Florida , on Tuesday night.

Mr Trump was putting forward the idea of having an ID to vote when he made the claim.

He said: We believe that only American citizens should vote in American elections.

Which is why the time has come for voter ID, like everything else. Voter ID. You know, if you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need ID.

You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture.

He added: Only American citizens should vote in American elections. The time has come for voter ID like everything else.

Many on social media were quick to point out that the only time you would be required to show ID would be when you were buying alcohol or tobacco.

Zeke Miller wrote: Trump says you need an ID to buy groceries... Honest question: What's the last time he's bought groceries?

While Dustin Kent said: Has Donald Trump ever been inside of a grocery store? I think there's a decent chance he hasn't.

Journalist Jim Acosta tweeted: Trump out of touch hereyou dont need an ID to buy groceries.

The CNN reporter was however interrupted during his broadcast, where crowds shouted liar, tell the truth and CNN sucks.J eremy Corbyn came under personal attack today for his handling of the anti-Semitism storm raging within the Labour Party.

He was also condemned for allegedly sitting silent throughout an outburst at a meeting by one of his allies who blamed Jewish Trump fanatics for fuelling the anti-Semitism row.

Writing in today's Evening Standard, Labour backbencher Ian Austin said he felt deeply ashamed by the failure by party chiefs to properly tackle anti-Semitism among its members.

Even, Mr Corbyns allies are now urging him to get a grip on the dispute which one MP had left many in the Jewish community feeling that Labour had declared war on it.

Shameful: Jeremy Corbyn is accused of failing to properly tackle anti-Semitism among Labour members

The spotlight of the row turned on Mr Corbyn today after it emerged that he hosted an event in 2010 in the Commons, on Holocaust Memorial Day, which was called Never Again for Anyone - from Auschwitz to Gaza.

Speakers reportedly compared Israeli actions in Gaza to the killing of millions of Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Jeremy Corbyn apologises for hosting 2010 Holocaust event

Asked on BBC Radio 4s Today programme if hosting such an event breached rules on tackling anti-Semitism, Labour MP John Mann said: Of course it does, and it breaches any form of normal decency.

Mr Mann, chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on anti-Semitism, said Labour was in a terrible situation with the Jewish community.

In essence, the Labour party is being seen by most in the Jewish community to have declared war on it, he added.

Jeremy Corbyn is being urged to ensure his ally Peter Willsman is not re-elected to the party's ruling body

He urged Mr Corbyn to resolve the row over Labours code of conduct on dealing with anti-Semitism and to ensure his ally Peter Willsman is not re-elected to the partys ruling body, the National Executive Committee.

Mr Willsman launched a startling rant at a recent meeting of the NEC during which he made the Trump fanatics comment and said rabbis should provide evidence of severe and widespread anti-Semitism reported to be taking place in the party.

Mr Austin, whose adoptive father was a Jewish refugee, said: This wasnt an obscure meeting in the back room of a pub. It was Labours most senor committee, and Jeremy Corbyn who promised to be a militant opponent of antisemitism sat silent throughout.

He said of his partys failure to properly tackle anti-Semitism: The truth is that I am deeply ashamed.

In a statement, Mr Corbyn gave details of the meeting, saying: The main speaker at this Holocaust Memorial Day meeting, part of a tour entitled never again - for anyone, was a Jewish Auschwitz survivor. Views were expressed at the meeting which I do not accept or condone.

In the past, in pursuit of justice for the Palestinian people and peace in Israel/Palestine, I have on occasion appeared on platforms with people whose views I completely reject. I apologise for the concerns and anxiety that this has caused.

A Labour spokesman added: The Labour Party is committed to tackling and eradicating antisemitism in all its forms, in our party and our society.

Jewish leaders say Corbyn has failed to act against Labour anti-Semitism

However, even Mr Corbyns allies are now urging him to act more decisively, including in the row on the party stopping short of adopting the full definition of anti-Semitism as drawn up by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

Ann Black, who is also standing for re-election to the NEC and chairwoman of Labours national policy forum, urged him to heed the advice of shadow Cabinet members on resolving the dispute.

I do not belive that Jeremy Corbyn is in any way racist or anti-Semitic.

I do believe that he has the authority and ability to break the current impasse where you have an NEC code of conduct the IHRA definition.

She added that the two are sufficiently close to bridge the gap.A council worker has accidentally hacked back an entire meadow being used as part of Sir David Attenboroughs Big Butterfly Count.

The worker was asked to mow a section of path on the wildflower meadow in Sidmouth by East Devon District Council, however he cut the entire nine acre site.

East Devon District Council was forced to apologise for the blunder.

In a statement, East Devon District Council said: We regret that one of our operatives misunderstood the instructions he was given and cut the area by mistake, instead of just cutting some pathways and a flat area to help those using the park for walking through.

We agree this shouldnt have happened and will be taking measures to ensure that this doesnt happen again next year.

Ed Dolphin, a conservationist, told the BBC that all the butterflies had gone.

There were wild flowers including orchids growing there.

The Big Butterfly Count is a national survey supported by Sir David Attenborough in which members of the public are asked to keep a record of butterfly sightings. They are then asked to submit their findings online.

When launching the scheme in July, Sir Attenborough asked people to "turn their mind away from the squabbles and problems of what is facing us with Brexit, sit in a quiet place where the sun is shining and see how many butterflies come, and count them."

Over 60,000 people took part in 2017 submitting over 62,000 counts of butterflies and day-flying moths across the UK.A survivor of the Manchester terror attack has criticised security services for not telling them that bomber Salman Abedi was rescued from Libya by the Navy.

Robby Potter said Abedi's evacuation from the war-torn country in 2014 should have been made public by the Government or an official review into the attack.

Instead, he claims, survivors and victims' families were left to find out through the media.

Mr Potter was a millimetre from death when his heart was pierced by a bolt in the bombing that killed 22 people and injured hundreds more in March 2017.

Three years after his rescue from Libya, Abedi had detonated a homemade bomb in the foyer of the arena as Ariana Grande fans left the popstar's concert.

Salman Abedi on the night he carried out the Manchester Arena terror attack / PA

He told the Daily Mail: "The authorities have definitely hidden this information from us. They haven't been honest.

"The Government should have told us straight away or it should have been in the reports. We have been left to find out through the press."

Greater Manchester Police released CCTV footage of Salman Abedi filmed in the day before the attack / PA

Abedi was 19 when he boarded the HMS Enterprise in Tripoli in August 2014 with his younger brother Hashem and more than 100 other British citizens.

It is understood Abedi's name was on a list of stranded citizens handed to the crew in charge of the evacuation.

The vessel took them to Malta where they caught a flight back to the UK.

Manchester Arena explosion aftermath - In pictures 1 /35 Manchester Arena explosion aftermath - In pictures Stephanie Brodie and mother Lisa Brodie who were inside the foyer when the explosion happened Jeremy Selwyn Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images Police close to the Manchester Arena the morning after a terrorist attack at the end of a concert by Ariana Grande left 22 dead PA Prime Minister Theresa May addresses the media in Downing Street Stefan Rousseau/PA A police officer moves a floral tribute close to the Manchester Arena PA A man embraces a woman and a teenager as he collects them from the Park Inn Hotel where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at the Manchester Arena Getty Images Police forensic officers investigate the scene of an explosion at Victoria Station Getty Images People affected by the deadly terror attack at Manchester Arena look out from a hotel window in Manchester AFP/Getty Images Police stand guard at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by Ariana Grande in Manchester AFP/Getty Images A flag flies at half-mast from the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Images Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester. PA Police forensic investigators walk along a bridge linking Victoria Station with the Manchester Arena where a suspected terrorist attack at the end of a concert Ariana Grande PA Tributes left outside St Ann's Church in Manchester Ben Birchall/PA The scene at Manchester Royal Infirmary as the death toll from the Manchester bomb attack rose to 22 with 59 injured PA Armed police patrol inside Victoria Station adjacent to Manchester Arena Getty Images A flag flies at half-mast from the Treasury Office in London AFP/Getty Images Tributes left outside St Ann's Church in Manchester PA Greater Manchester Police chief constable Ian Hopkins speaks to the media in Manchester where he said that the death toll from the Manchester bomb attack has risen to 22 with 59 injured PA Susan Walton and her daughter Katie who attended the pop concert by US star Ariana Grande pose in Mancheste AFP/Getty Images Ariana Grande concert attendees leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images A police officer escorts people near to Manchester Arena Getty Images Police stand guard at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by Ariana Grande in Manchester AFP/Getty Images Tributes left outside St Ann's Church in Manchester PA A man embraces a woman and a teenager as he collects them from the Park Inn Hotel where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at the Manchester Arena Getty Images People leave Victoria Station adjacent to Manchester Arena Getty Images Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about the attack in Manchester Reuters A Union Flag flies above Victoria Railway Station, close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images An ambulance arrives as police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, near the Manchester Arena Getty Images Ariana Grande concert attendees Vikki Baker and her daughter Charlotte, aged 13, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images Ariana Grande concert attendees Vikki Baker and her daughter Charlotte, aged 13, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images Ariana Grande concert attendees Vikki Baker and her daughter Charlotte, aged 13, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrives for a COBRA meeting in Downing Street Getty Images British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon arrives for COBRA meeting at the Cabinet Office on Whitehall Getty Images Flags fly at half mast above Downing Street, London, after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester PA

Abedi was being monitored by security services when he travelled to Libya, but his case was closed a month before his rescue.

The Anderson review into the Manchester attack found that the decision to close Abedi's case as a "subject of interest" was sound, based on the information available to security services at the time.

Solicitor Elkan Abrahamson, who is representing victims' relatives at forthcoming inquests, said the Anderson review was problematic as it did not give families access to information held by security services.

Manchester Arena Terror Attack: Tributes in lights 1 /10 Manchester Arena Terror Attack: Tributes in lights Wembley Stadium lit up after the Manchester concert bomb attack PA A man stands in front of a fountain illuminated with the colours of the Union Jack flag in Zagreb AFP/Getty Images A "We Love Manchester" sign on the Mancunian Way in Manchester, after the Manchester concert bomb attack PA Penshaw Monument in Sunderland illuminated in the colours of Union flag after the Manchester concert bomb attac PA A moment of silence is held for the attacks in Manchester before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers in Boston, Massachusetts Getty Images the Burj Khalifa in Dubai lit up with the union flag in tribute to the victims of the Manchester attack NYCs Empire State Building goes dark in remembrance of the Manchester Attack victims People sit in front of the famous water fountain"Le Jet d'Eau" illuminated in the colors of the British flag to pay tribute to the victims of a suicide attack EPA The downtown Dallas skyline is lit up with a British Union flag to pay tribute to the victims of the Manchester bombing James Breeden / MEGA Belfast City Hall illuminated in the colours of Union flag after the Manchester concert bomb attack PA

"I am sure that the security services have not told us the full story. We may need an inquiry to get at the truth," he told the paper.

"Both Abedi and his brother ought to have been tracked better, there are certainly concerns around that."

When Abedi's rescue was first revealed by the Mail on Tuesday, a Government spokesman explained: "During the deteriorating security situation in Libya in 2014, Border Force officials were deployed to assist with the evacuation of British nationals and their dependants."

Hashem Abedi is held in jail in Libya by a militia group, but the British Government has requested his extradition to face trial for his involvement in the attack.

The request has so far been refused.A single blow to the head can cause the same brain damage as found in dementia patients, a new study has found.

Researchers discovered that one injury can produce abnormal proteins including those associated with Alzheimer's disease, and that they spread through the brain.

The landmark study, from the Pharmacological Research of Milan and the University of Glasgow, has been hailed as the first evidence that just one traumatic brain injury can generate an abnormal form of the dementia associated protein tau, which can result in memory loss and brain damage.

It comes amid concern over the long-term health of professional sport players following high profile cases in which stars have developed degenerative brain conditions.

Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability in young adults, said Dr Elisa Zanier who led the Mario Negri Institute team with Dr Roberto Chiesa. Moreover, even in milder cases, it represents a risk factor for dementia, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)."

The study analysed the brains of patients surviving a year or more after a single, severe traumatic brain injury.

Researchers found evidence of abnormal forms of the tau protein, which holds brain cells together, throughout the brain. The problem was more widespread in comparison to brains from patients who had not been hurt.

Willie Stewart, a neuropathologist at Glasgow University and lead researcher on the project, told The Times that the finds were relevant to sport.

He said: "There is a false assumption that being hit by a car produces a different brain injury to being hit on a rugby field thousands of times during your career." Mr Stewart added that the biological processes "are very similar if not the same" in the two injuries.

The study, published in the journal Brain, also observed the same abnormal tau protein in mice with brain injuries, which spread over time.

In Europe, more than five million people live with a physical or psychological disability due to moderate or severe traumatic brain injury.T ommy Robinson has received up to 20,000 in Bitcoin since he was jailed as support for the former English Defence League leader has rocketed online.

Fans of Robinson's official Facebook page have increased by almost 10 per cent, to just over 830,000 followers, since he was jailed in May.

The rise is nearly 20 per cent on YouTube, to 230,000, where the far right activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, encourages viewers to support his work with Bitcoin contributions.

Followers from as far afield as Istanbul and Washington have sent Robinson, 35, almost 20,000 worth of Bitcoin, including a payment of more than 5,500 which passed through his Bitcoin wallet on the day he was jailed.

Tommy Robinson protest in Whitehall 14/7/18 1 /13 Tommy Robinson protest in Whitehall 14/7/18 REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS PA PA PA REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS PA PA

The majority of the Bitcoin payments came in the week after he was imprisoned on May 25, as figures from around the world painted his cause as an issue of free speech rather than contempt of court.

Right-wing media outlets including Fox News, Breitbart and Robinson's former employer, Rebel Media, also flocked to his cause over the last two months, alongside high-profile figures including Donald Trump Jr and actress Roseanne Barr, and internet personalities associated with the so-called alt-right.

Following his successful challenge against the contempt of court finding, far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders was among those showing their support to Robinson, tweeting that it was "fantastic news!"

At an event last month, funded in part by US think-tank Middle East Forum and organised by former Breitbart UK editor Raheem Kassam, leading far-right politicians from Europe voiced their support for Robinson and slammed the perceived evils of Islam.

Tommy Robinson freed after winning contempt of court challenge

Gregg Roman, director of Middle East Forum (MEF), which has also lobbied American politicians about Robinson's case, said: "The Middle East Forum's efforts to rally international support for Tommy Robinson's release were vindicated today."

Commenting on Wednesday's High Court decision to release Robinson, Nick Lowles, chief executive of Hope Not Hate, said: "Far from being a martyr for 'free speech', his are the actions of a dangerous, narcissistic extremist attempting to unite the far right around his virulent Islamophobic agenda."

Heidi Beirich, deputy director of the Southern Poverty Law Centre, which monitors hate groups across the US, said the level of support for Robinson is "extraordinary".

She said: "I've never seen anything like this. It's not typical to have those kind of political officials advocating on behalf of people who take part in street fights and anti-Muslim rallies. It's a shock."

Robinson was jailed earlier this year over an allegation that he committed contempt of court by filming people in a criminal trial at Leeds Crown Court and broadcasting footage on social media.

He successfully appealed the jail term on Wednesday claiming it was "excessive" and the hearing was "rushed".

Three leading judges in London quashed the contempt finding and granted Robinson conditional bail from a 13-month jail sentence pending new proceedings at the Old Bailey.

The judges said that a fresh hearing should be held "as soon as reasonably possible".T he release of controversial new software that allows consumers to 3D print guns has been blocked in the US just hours before it was set to be made available.

Gun access advocacy group Defense Distributed was due to put downloadable gun blueprints online on Wednesday after reaching an agreement with the Trump administration last month.

But eight states and the District of Columbia sued the government to block the settlement, arguing that the untraceable guns were a safety risk, and US District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle blocked the release on Tuesday.

Critics are concerned the weapons made from 3-D printers are untraceable, undetectable "ghost" firearms that pose a threat to global security.

But some gun rights groups said the technology is expensive, the guns are unreliable and the threat is being overblown. The publication of the files is now illegal under federal law, Lasnik said.

"There are 3-D printers in public colleges and public spaces and there is the likelihood of potential irreparable harm," Lasnik said at the end of a one-hour hearing on the lawsuit.

Speaking before the decision was made, US leader Donald Trump said the release "didn't make much sense".

In a tweet on Tuesday, he said: "I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense!"

Josh Blackman, a lawyer for the company Defense Distributed, said during Tuesday's hearing that blueprints had already been uploaded to the firm's website on Friday.

Blackman said in an interview he was disappointed in the court's ruling and the judge's comment.A erial images have revealed the devastating extent of eastern Australias "worst drought in living memory".

The harrowing photos, taken by Reuters, show starved cattle and sheep flocking to feed across bone dry soil.

Parts of New South Wales have experienced the lowest rainfall in almost 30 years, meteorologists said, leaving farmers unable to grow crops and feed their livestock.

Forecasters predicted highs of 48C in parts of Spain and Portugal by Friday while California's Death Valley recorded its hottest month ever with an average July temperature of 42.2C.

Kangroos hunt for water on a dessert-like farm in Gunnedah, New South Wales / REUTERS

Cattle farmer Tom Wollaston was born on the farm he now runs 70 years, and is afraid for what this drought will mean for his children who aim to take over the 2,300-hectare (5,683 acre) property when Tom "hangs up his boots".

"I can't seem to be able to do anything else apart from just feed, and keep things going, and it (the drought) seems to be one step ahead of me all the time. We'll battle it out, but it puts a strain on everyone," Mr Wollaston said.

May McKeown, 79, and her son Jimmie live on a farm in the New South Wales town of Walgett, and say they are extremely worried after noticing a decrease in rainfall since 2010. They described the current drought as "the worst in living memory".

Sheep gather for food in a drought-hit Paddock in Tamworth, New South Wales / REUTERS

"My great grandfather settled on this land in 1901, and he never had to remove cattle from the (western) paddocks but we have had to remove them all and bring them closer to the homestead so we can more easily feed them, she said.

Dead trees in a drought-hit field in Gunnedah, New South Wales / REUTERS

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology says parts of Australia experienced the second-warmest summer (December-February) on record and have just been through one of the driest and warmest autumns (March-May) on record.N ASA satellite images taken from space reveal the horrifying extent of huge wildfires raging through California.

The US space agency has shared images taken from its Terra satellite showing the huge extent of the Carr Fire and another ripping through the Yosemite National Park.

Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as flames destroyed more than 1,000 buildings as fire ravaged towns and villages.

NASA's Terra satellite took this picture of a wildfire in the Yosemite National Park from space / NASA

The images shot last week show huge plumes of grey smoke billowing over vast areas of woodland.

The Terra satellite has nine different cameras each capturing the blazes from a different angle.

Plumes of smoke reached as 5km high above the Yosemite National Park / NASA

One image shows the height of smoke billowing from the Yosemite fire reach 5 kilometres.

The Carr Fire close to the town of Redding saw smoke hit 4.5km.

California Wildfires: July/August 2018 - In pictures 1 /37 California Wildfires: July/August 2018 - In pictures AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A 747 Global Airtanker makes a drop in front of advancing flames from a wildfir AP A truck passes by flames during the Ranch Fire in Clearlake Oaks AP Alex Schenck moves flaming pallets while fighting to save his home as the Ranch Fire tears down New Long Valley Rd near Clearlake Oaks AFP/Getty Images A deer runs from flames as the Ranch Fire tears down New Long Valley Rd near Clearlake Oaks AFP/Getty Images A resident pushes personal belonging in a wheelbarrow as she evacuates ahead of the River Fire Getty Images A firefighter gathers water from a pool while battling the Ranch Fire near Clearlake Oaks AFP/Getty Images Alex Schenck carries a water bucket while fighting to save his home as the Ranch Fire tears down New Long Valley Rd near Clearlake Oaks, California AFP/Getty Images An air tanker drops fire retardant along the crest of a hill to protect homes and the firefighters protecting them in the valley below at the River Fire (Mendocino Complex) near Lakeport, California Reuters A helicopter carries water while battling the River Fire in Lakeport AP A firefighter rushes to save a home as the River Fire tears through Lakeport AP Australian fire specialists prepare to board a fight at Sydney International Airport in Sydney, New South Wales EPA A wildfire burns in Whiskeytown, California. AP The fire, stoked by hot and windy weather, raged through forests. AP The Cranston fire burns in San Bernardino National Forest, California. Getty Images An air tanker drops retardant while battling the Ferguson fire in Stanislaus National Forest. AFP/Getty Images Firefighters work as the Cranston Fire burns. Getty Images The Ferguson Fire burns along a ridgeline in unincorporated Mariposa County. AP Mara Schumann photographs a plume of smoke from the Ferguson Fire in Yosemite National Park. AP The Carr Fire burns near Highway 299. AP A burning home is reflected in a pool during the Carr fire in Redding. AFP/Getty Images The Carr Fire raced along Highway 299 near Redding. AP An historic schoolhouse burns in Shasta. AP The Carr Fire burns above Whiskeytown Lake near Whiskeytown. AP A CalFire firefighter douses flames on a burning home. AFP/Getty Images An inmate firefighter pauses during a firing operation as the Carr fire continues to burn in Redding. AFP/Getty Images The Carr Fire burns along Highway 299. AP A firefighter lights backfires during the Carr fire in Redding. AFP/Getty Images A woman surveys damage to her grandmother's house in Redding, AP Flames race across a hillside. AFP/Getty Images A home burns along Sunflower Road in Redding. Firefighters help a woman to the Mercy Medical Center emergency room. AP Firefighters discuss plans while battling the Carr Fire in Shasta. AP Residents listen during a community meeting at an auditorium in Yosemite Valley. AP Firefighters preparing for their deployment to the Ferguson Fire near Mariposa. EPA

More than 4,000 firefighters were still battling raging flames of the Carr Fire on Tuesday night but a drop in winds allowed them to make significant ground in controlling the blaze, fire chiefs said.D onald Trumps former presidential campaign manager used secret income from off-shore accounts to buy three homes in cash and a $15,000 ostrich jacket, a prosecutor said on the opening day of his trial.

Uzo Asonye told the jury in Alexandria, Virginia, that Paul Manafort, 69, considered himself above the law as he funnelled tens of millions of dollars through off-shore accounts.

He claimed the money was used to fund an extravagant lifestyle that included purchasing a $21,000 watch, a jacket made of ostrich and more than $6 million worth of real estate paid for in cash and added: A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him  not tax law, not banking law.

Manafort denies 18 charges including hiding millions in 30 bank accounts across three different countries.

Paul Manafort was Donald Trump's campaign chief / REUTERS

He faces up to 30 years in prison if found guilty.T he Eiffel Tower has been forced to close as employees at the Paris monument went on strike over long queues.

One of the most famous landmarks in the world was closed at 4pm after staff agreed to walk out over booking procedures that staff claim have created monstrous waiting times.

From last month, the Eiffel Tower has allowed half of its tickets to be booked in advance.

However unions that represent the towers 300 employees have complained that different ticket holders are being allocated separate lifts, increasing waiting times.

Lifts allocated for visitors who have pre-booked have at times empty while walk-in customers have seen waits of around three hours to gain access to the elevators.

One tourist told FRANCE 24: This has to be the Frenchest story of them all. The Eiffel Tower is on strike.

Visitors to Paris took to Twitter to share their disappointment.

Ivana Jovicic wrote on Twitter: My lifes a joke. Wait 21 years to go to Paris and the f****** Eiffel Tower is closed.C hildren were among hundreds of commuters who had to be evacuated from broken-down driverless Paris Metro trains following a power failure in scorching temperatures.

Their ordeal started soon after 8pm last night on Line 1 - one of the few modernised routes on an increasingly outdated system and which links popular tourist spots including the Louvre and the Champs Elysee.

Passengers on up to 10 trains had to flee along the tracks in the emergency operation. Some spent three hours trapped before power was restored at 11.30pm.

People were desperate, Chris Stewart, an American tourist, said. Everyone was being told to stay put, but there was no air conditioning, and it felt like 150 degrees down there.

Passengers on up to 10 trains had to flee along the tracks in the emergency operation / AFP/Getty Images

"When the doors opened, people started to jump out spontaneously. Kids were crying, and initially nobody knew which direction to walk in. Eventually emergency services guys turned up, but a lot of them were suffering in the heat too.

Paris has been gripped by a heatwave affecting much of Europe that could see temperatures exceed 48C in Spain and Portugal this week, breaking the continental record.

World Cup celebrations turn violent in Paris

A spokesman for RATP, the state rail operator, said many passengers had to be treated for heat exhaustion, while others were in shock.K ind strangers have pulled together to raise money for a gay teenager to go to university after his parents disowned him.

Bright Seth Owen, 18, graduated from First Coast High School, in Jacksonville, after receiving top grades.

The Valedictorian was offered a place at prestigious college Georgetown University in Washington DC, but he could not afford the tuition fees to attend after his parents cut him off.

Mr Owen said he was forced by his parents to attend gay conversion therapy for over a year, before he was given an ultimatum of either attending church or leaving the family home.

The talented student chose the latter and left home in January after refusing their demands.

Mr Own told NBC news: The worst part was I was packing my bags, and I was walking out the door, and I was hoping that my mom would stand in my way. I was hoping that she would say I love my child more than I love my religion.

Desperate to see Mr Owen achieve, one of his teachers stepped in and set up a GoFundMe page for her pupil to help him get to college.

Jane Martin, who said Mr Owen was the ring bearer at her wedding, wrote: I know the goal seems unrealistic and the circumstances arent ideal, but I also know communities can make the impossible possible.

Its Pride Month and rainbows abound around the world. Help me bring a rainbow in the midst of Seths storm.

The crowdfunding page has raised more than $70,000, and is close to reaching the $75,000 mark.

Ms Martin said: Seth was just a kid that really stood out to me. He was super ambitions and was always trying to go above and beyond to make sure he could be as successful as possible.

Mr Owen said it was his life goal to attend college, and said: I was the nerd in fifth grade who walked around recess talking about how I wanted to be an astronaut.

I was always in a textbook, always in the library, always reading something.

The teen added he has felt unconditional love since the donations came flooding in.

He wrote on the GoFundMe page: "I must begin by emphasizing that I simply cannot say thank you to you all enough. My dreams have come true because of you all."S wedish police have launched a manhunt after two suspects allegedly stole priceless crown jewels belonging to the countrys royal family.

Two thieves stole two crowns and an orb, used by 17th century King Karl IX and Queen Kristina, from a cathedral in the town of Strangnas.

Police scrambled helicopters to chase the thieves, but they escaped using a motorboat in nearby Stockholms vast system of lakes.

The authorities have continued to use helicopters and boats to find the culprits, but they remain at large.

The Swedish royal family's crown jewels from the 17th century / Reuters

Maria Ellior, of the Swedish police's national operations department, said the items are "impossible to sell.

Police standing next to a cordon as they investigate the theft / AFP/Getty Images

The artefacts, which were stolen on Tuesday, are made of gold and enamel, and encrusted with beads, crystals and pearls.S hots have been fired in Harare and riot police deployed as opposition protesters take to the streets amid rising anger at the result of Zimbabwes election.

One man has died after he was shot by Zimbabwean soldiers near a bus stop in the capital.

While women have been seen running through the streets, chased by soldiers.

Protestors are accusing the ruling party of trying to rig the result of Zimbabwes election.

Zanu PF, the party previously that of Mugabe who was removed in November, won two-thirds of the votes in the National Assembly of parliament, which allows the party to change the constitution at will.

Zimbabweans protest in downtown Harare / AP

However the full results have not yet been released.

Crowds burnt tyres in the centre of Harare, blocking some streets and engaging in running battles with police who have been firing water cannons to try and disperse the crowds.

Video footage from the capital shows smoke rising from burning vehicles.

A Zimbabwean soldier beats a man in a street in the capital / AFP/Getty Images

One protester pleaded with security forces saying: "Don't direct the politics with guns. Please, we are begging you."

Zimbabwe's Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the army was deployed on the streets of Harare to "restore peace and tranquillity."

"The presence of the army is not to intimidate people but to insure that law and order is maintained. They are there to assist the police. They are there as a people's army to ensure that peace and security prevails."

European Union observers questioned the conduct of Zimbabwes first election, listing issues including media bias, voter intimidation and mistrust in the electoral commission.

ZANU-PF has secured a majority / Getty Images

Nelson Chamisa of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change accused the ZANU-PF of trying to steal the election and lambasted them for delaying the publication of the results.

The EU's assessment is critical in determining whether Zimbabwe can shed its pariah status as it could help attract investors and trigger an economic revival.

Premature celebrations: Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party / REUTERS

The EU's Chief Observer, Elmar Brok, said he did not yet know if the shortcomings would have a material effect on the outcome of the vote, and he criticised the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for being at times "one-sided".

He said he did not understand why the release of the presidential result was taking so long.

"The longer it lasts that the results of the presidential election is not known, the more lack of credibility it provides," Brok said.

Former president Robert Mugabe arrives to vote in Zimbabwe election

"I would like to ask for as fast as possible the release of the presidential election," he said. "The presidential results were counted first in the polling stations therefore I have still to learn why it will be published last."

The electral commission had said it would start announcing results for the presidential race from 10.30 GMT, but this was delayed as commissioners read out more parliamentary results.

Chamisa was adamant that the results were not transparent, writing on Twitter: The strategy is meant to prepare Zimbabwe mentally to accept fake presidential results. We've more votes than ED (Emmerson Dambudzo). We won the popular vote (and) will defend it.

Zimbabwe Elections - In pictures 1 /63 Zimbabwe Elections - In pictures Supporters of ZANU PF celebrate the results of the general election in the early hours AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwe's Justice Priscilla Chigumba addresses media representatives as she announces the results of presidential elections in Harare AFP/Getty Images Supporters of ZANU PF celebrate the results of the general election in the early hours AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairwoman Qhubani Moyo, center, announces the results of the presidential elections in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Supporters of the president elect Emmerson Mnangagwa celebrate after the announcement of his reelection in Harare AFP/Getty Images Getty Images Opposition MDC party supporters protest in the streets of Harare during clashes with police AP A soldier fires shots towards demonstrators AFP/Getty Images Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa react as they block a street in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters Zimbabweans run from riot police firing tear gas during protests in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe AP Zimbabwean anti riot police officers stand guard and close the gate of the Rainbow Towers where the election's results were announced, as supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), protest against alleged widespread fraud by the election authority and ruling party, in Harare AFP/Getty Images Military tanks in Harare AP A Zimbabwean soldier beats a man in a street of Harare on August 1, 2018 as protests erupted over alleged fraud in the country's election AFP/Getty Images A protester gestures toward police water cannons outside of the gates of the ZImbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) during a protest against polling results in Harare, Zimbabwe EPA Soldiers open fire to disperse crowds of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change supporters outside the party's headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters A protester is hit in the face with a water cannon outside of the gates of the ZImbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) during a protest against polling results in Harare, Zimbabw EPA Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa carry stones as they block the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa burn an election banner with the face of Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare Reuters Zimbabwean anti riot police officers close the entrance to the Rainbow Towers where the election's results were announced, as supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), protest against alleged widespread fraud by the election authority and ruling party, in Harare AFP/Getty Images Police patrol outside the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission offices as opposition supporters gather, in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Zimbabwean anti riot police officers stand guard at the entrance of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) headquarters in Harare AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwean anti riot police officers close the gate of the Rainbow Towers where the election's results were announced, as supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), protest against alleged widespread fraud by the election authority and ruling party, in Harare AFP/Getty Images An opposition party supporter throws a rock aimed at Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa's election campaign poster in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Opposition supporters gesture outside the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission offices in Harare, Zimbabw AP Supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), tear up ballot booths durinas they demand results of general election AFP/Getty Images Police and military are stationed outside parliament in Harare AP Supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), protest against alleged widespread fraud by the election authority and ruling party, after the announcement of election's results, in the streets of Harare AFP/Getty Images MDC Alliance supporters protest the vote count outside the ZEC Offices in Harare EPA Supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF party of President Emmerson Mnangagwa celebrate Reuters supporter of the main opposition party claiming victory, celebrates outside the party headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Supporters of Zimbabwean opposition leader of the MDC Alliance party cheer as they gather at the MDC Alliance head quarter in Harare AFP/Getty Images Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa, sing and dance in the street outside the party's headquarter Reuters Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party of Nelson Chamisa sing and dance in the street outside the party's headquarters following general elections in Harare Reuters Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa, sing and dance in the street outside the party's headquarters following general elections in Harare Reuters Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa, sing and dance in the street outside the party's headquarters following general elections in Harare Reuters Supporters of MDC (Movement for Democratic Change Alliance) leader and opposition presidential candidate cheer outside the MDC headquarters in Harare AFP/Getty Images Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, his daughter Bona and wife Grace cast their votes at a polling station at a primary school in the Highfield district of Harare during the country's general elections AFP/Getty Images Police water cannons are seen in the capital, Harare, Zimbabwe AP Election posters in support of Zanu-PF's President Emmerson Mnangagwa are pasted over a mural of the former president Robert Mugabe Getty Images Zimbabweans check the results posted outside a polling station in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe AP People register and cast their ballots in the late afternoon as they vote at Efusini polling station in the township of Makokob AFP/Getty Images People wait in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Zimbabwe's first lady Auxilia Mnangagwa casts her vote as she accompanies her husband at the Sherwood Primary School in Kwekwe AFP/Getty Images Police water cannons are seen in the capital, Harare, Zimbabwe AP Electoral workers empty a presidential candidates ballot box onto a table during counting operations for Zimbabwe's general election at the David Livingston Primary school in central Harare AFP/Getty Images A long queue of women voters in rural Chinyenyetu, outside Harare, Zimbabwe EPA An elderly woman shows her little finger being marked with an ink marker after she casted her vote at the Batsirai Primary school just outside Harare, Zimbabwe EPA Police officers queue outside St Patrick School polling station in the township of Makokoba AFP/Getty Images A Zimbabwean man points at a newspaper headline, in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe AP Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa casts his ballot as he votes in the general election at Sherwood Park Primary School in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe Reuters Observers check the tally of votes at a polling station for the general election in the suburb of Mbare of Zimbabwe's capital Harare AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa casts his vote at a polling station in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Zimbabweans queue as they wait to vote at the Sherwood Primary School in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe AP A woman walks after casting her ballot in the country's general elections in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters A lady carrying a child in an election queue at a polling station where Zimbabwe President casts his ballot at Sherwood Primary School in Kwekwe AFP/Getty Images A man casts his vote at a polling station in Harare, Zimbabwe AP MDC Party President Nelson Chamisa (C) leaves after having cast his vote at the Kuwadzana 2 Primary School just outside Harare, Zimbabwe EPA Voters queue to cast their ballots in the general elections in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters An elections officer applies indelible ink to a voter finger during early morning voting in Kwekwe as Zimbabwe conducts a general election AFP/Getty Images A voter casts her ballot in the general elections in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters People queue early in the morning outside a polling station located in the suburb of Mbare in Zimbabwe's capital Harare AFP/Getty Images Voters await the opening of a polling station during early morning voting in Kwekwe as Zimbabwe conducts a general election AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwe's former president Robert Mugabe is assisted during a press conference at his private residence Reuters

In an indication of the growing tension, a crowd of about 100 MDC supporters gathered outside a Harare hotel where election results were being announced but police blocked the entrance to the building, a Reuters witness said.

"You can't rig our election...this is a military government", the crowd shouted. The situation was under control as police secured the area.

African observer groups said the vote was peaceful, orderly and largely in line with the law but they raised concerns about bias of state media and the commission.

Heated: Police block dozens of opposition party supporters from entering the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission offices / AP

They also called for improvements in the counting procedure, saying the vote represented "a political watershed in Zimbabwe's history."T hree people have died in Zimbabwes capital Harare as soldiers opened fire on opposition protesters who claimed that the ruling Zanu PF party had rigged the countrys election.

The countrys police say that they have invoked a strict security act that forbids public gatherings as security forces tried to disperse protesters in the capital.

Zanu PF, the party previously that of Mugabe who was removed in November, won two-thirds of the votes in the National Assembly of parliament, which allows the party to change the constitution at will.

However the full results have not yet been released with the electorial commission saying the full results will be released "sometime tomorrow".

Clashes between protesters and police intensified / AP

Video footage from Harare show soldiers chasing protesters through the streets and crowds burning tyres.

Zimbabwe opposition leaders spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda said that the armys reaction in quelling disturbances in the capital was disproportionate and unjustified.

Zimbabwe Elections - In pictures 1 /63 Zimbabwe Elections - In pictures Supporters of ZANU PF celebrate the results of the general election in the early hours AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwe's Justice Priscilla Chigumba addresses media representatives as she announces the results of presidential elections in Harare AFP/Getty Images Supporters of ZANU PF celebrate the results of the general election in the early hours AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairwoman Qhubani Moyo, center, announces the results of the presidential elections in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Supporters of the president elect Emmerson Mnangagwa celebrate after the announcement of his reelection in Harare AFP/Getty Images Getty Images Opposition MDC party supporters protest in the streets of Harare during clashes with police AP A soldier fires shots towards demonstrators AFP/Getty Images Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa react as they block a street in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters Zimbabweans run from riot police firing tear gas during protests in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe AP Zimbabwean anti riot police officers stand guard and close the gate of the Rainbow Towers where the election's results were announced, as supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), protest against alleged widespread fraud by the election authority and ruling party, in Harare AFP/Getty Images Military tanks in Harare AP A Zimbabwean soldier beats a man in a street of Harare on August 1, 2018 as protests erupted over alleged fraud in the country's election AFP/Getty Images A protester gestures toward police water cannons outside of the gates of the ZImbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) during a protest against polling results in Harare, Zimbabwe EPA Soldiers open fire to disperse crowds of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change supporters outside the party's headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters A protester is hit in the face with a water cannon outside of the gates of the ZImbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) during a protest against polling results in Harare, Zimbabw EPA Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa carry stones as they block the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa burn an election banner with the face of Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare Reuters Zimbabwean anti riot police officers close the entrance to the Rainbow Towers where the election's results were announced, as supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), protest against alleged widespread fraud by the election authority and ruling party, in Harare AFP/Getty Images Police patrol outside the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission offices as opposition supporters gather, in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Zimbabwean anti riot police officers stand guard at the entrance of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) headquarters in Harare AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwean anti riot police officers close the gate of the Rainbow Towers where the election's results were announced, as supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), protest against alleged widespread fraud by the election authority and ruling party, in Harare AFP/Getty Images An opposition party supporter throws a rock aimed at Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa's election campaign poster in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Opposition supporters gesture outside the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission offices in Harare, Zimbabw AP Supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), tear up ballot booths durinas they demand results of general election AFP/Getty Images Police and military are stationed outside parliament in Harare AP Supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), protest against alleged widespread fraud by the election authority and ruling party, after the announcement of election's results, in the streets of Harare AFP/Getty Images MDC Alliance supporters protest the vote count outside the ZEC Offices in Harare EPA Supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF party of President Emmerson Mnangagwa celebrate Reuters supporter of the main opposition party claiming victory, celebrates outside the party headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Supporters of Zimbabwean opposition leader of the MDC Alliance party cheer as they gather at the MDC Alliance head quarter in Harare AFP/Getty Images Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa, sing and dance in the street outside the party's headquarter Reuters Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party of Nelson Chamisa sing and dance in the street outside the party's headquarters following general elections in Harare Reuters Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa, sing and dance in the street outside the party's headquarters following general elections in Harare Reuters Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa, sing and dance in the street outside the party's headquarters following general elections in Harare Reuters Supporters of MDC (Movement for Democratic Change Alliance) leader and opposition presidential candidate cheer outside the MDC headquarters in Harare AFP/Getty Images Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, his daughter Bona and wife Grace cast their votes at a polling station at a primary school in the Highfield district of Harare during the country's general elections AFP/Getty Images Police water cannons are seen in the capital, Harare, Zimbabwe AP Election posters in support of Zanu-PF's President Emmerson Mnangagwa are pasted over a mural of the former president Robert Mugabe Getty Images Zimbabweans check the results posted outside a polling station in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe AP People register and cast their ballots in the late afternoon as they vote at Efusini polling station in the township of Makokob AFP/Getty Images People wait in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Zimbabwe's first lady Auxilia Mnangagwa casts her vote as she accompanies her husband at the Sherwood Primary School in Kwekwe AFP/Getty Images Police water cannons are seen in the capital, Harare, Zimbabwe AP Electoral workers empty a presidential candidates ballot box onto a table during counting operations for Zimbabwe's general election at the David Livingston Primary school in central Harare AFP/Getty Images A long queue of women voters in rural Chinyenyetu, outside Harare, Zimbabwe EPA An elderly woman shows her little finger being marked with an ink marker after she casted her vote at the Batsirai Primary school just outside Harare, Zimbabwe EPA Police officers queue outside St Patrick School polling station in the township of Makokoba AFP/Getty Images A Zimbabwean man points at a newspaper headline, in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe AP Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa casts his ballot as he votes in the general election at Sherwood Park Primary School in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe Reuters Observers check the tally of votes at a polling station for the general election in the suburb of Mbare of Zimbabwe's capital Harare AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa casts his vote at a polling station in Harare, Zimbabwe AP Zimbabweans queue as they wait to vote at the Sherwood Primary School in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe AP A woman walks after casting her ballot in the country's general elections in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters A lady carrying a child in an election queue at a polling station where Zimbabwe President casts his ballot at Sherwood Primary School in Kwekwe AFP/Getty Images A man casts his vote at a polling station in Harare, Zimbabwe AP MDC Party President Nelson Chamisa (C) leaves after having cast his vote at the Kuwadzana 2 Primary School just outside Harare, Zimbabwe EPA Voters queue to cast their ballots in the general elections in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters An elections officer applies indelible ink to a voter finger during early morning voting in Kwekwe as Zimbabwe conducts a general election AFP/Getty Images A voter casts her ballot in the general elections in Harare, Zimbabwe Reuters People queue early in the morning outside a polling station located in the suburb of Mbare in Zimbabwe's capital Harare AFP/Getty Images Voters await the opening of a polling station during early morning voting in Kwekwe as Zimbabwe conducts a general election AFP/Getty Images Zimbabwe's former president Robert Mugabe is assisted during a press conference at his private residence Reuters

The United States embassy in Zimbabwe says it is deeply concerned after the military moved into the capital to disperse hundreds of opposition protesters.

The statement calls on Zimbabwean security forces to use restraint and urged the leaders of political parties to call on their supporters for calm.

Many protesters were seen running for cover / AP

Western election observers have urged for the release of the presidential results as soon as possible and warned that a delay could lead to volatility.

The electoral commission had said it would start announcing results for the presidential race from 10.30 GMT, but this was delayed as commissioners read out more parliamentary results.

Soldiers walk through the streets of Harare / Reuters

European Union observers have questioned the conduct of Zimbabwes first election, listing issues including media bias, voter intimidation and mistrust in the electoral commission.A bridge in Vietnam has become a tourist magnet after it was likened to scenes from Game Of Thrones and Lord Of The Rings.

The newly opened Golden Bridge is held up by two giant concrete hands emerging from the trees in the Ba Na hills of central Vietnam.

Visitors have said it bears a striking resemblance to computer-generated structures in the HBO fantasy series and films directed by Peter Jackson.

The bridge near the city of Da Nang is part of a plan to turn Vietnam into a major tourist destination.

Stunning bridge: Visitors walk along the new 150-meter long Cau Vang "Golden Bridge" in Vietnam / AFP/Getty Images

It is lined with purple Lobelia chrysanthemums.

Tourists were quick to praise the bridge.

The best hotels in Vietnam - in pictures 1 /22 The best hotels in Vietnam - in pictures An Lam Retreats Ninh Van Bay Azerai, Can Tho Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Six Senses Con Dao Six Senses Con Dao InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort Hotel Des Artes Saigon Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai Evason Ana Mandara Evason Ana Mandara Anantara Mui Ne Resort Anantara Mui Ne Resort Anantara Hoi An Resort Anantara Hoi An Resort Amanoi Amanoi Amanoi

"I feel like I'm walking on clouds," said Vuong Thuy Linh, a visitor from Hanoi. "It's so unique".Mnangagwa urges calm as he casts his vote

Zimbabwe's president urged the country to remain peaceful, saying: "We are one people, with one dream and one destiny. We will sink or swim together."

The 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa took over after longtime leader Robert Mugabe stepped down in November under military pressure.

Mnangagwa casts his vote

Mnangagwa's top challenger is 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, who took over the main opposition party after the death of longtime Mugabe challenger Morgan Tsvangirai in February.

Mnangagwa has cast his vote in his constituency of Kwekwe, about 200 kilometers south of the capital, Harare.

Mnangagwa wore a scarf with the country's national colors as he arrived at a primary school converted into a polling station, and chatted briefly with election workers after casting his ballot.B each season is truly upon us. As Londoners escape the heatwave and migrate to coastal climates, holiday wardrobes need sprucing. But planning your beach attire to suit all occasions requires a certain rigour.

Navigating a bikini with a sense of modesty is no easy feat. Sandy scenarios present a blurry dress code, and a 'sun's out, buns out' philosophy isnt exactly pavement-appropriate. But the beach-to-bar trip can be done with a grace that exceeds a fleshy aesthetic a la Love Island . Consider, ergo, a cover up.

A summer staple and beachwear neutraliser if you will, a cover up saves you from the social anxieties of what is deemed fitting on-and-off the sand.

Worn over your favourite swimwear, this garment has transformed over the years from hippie maternal kaftans circa the 1970s, to high-fashion resort wear, that elevates a beach ensemble to look oh-so-extra.

However, there is a fine line where the cover up can teeter from fashionable to frumpy. Despite its name, a cover up should complement your cozzie in perfect harmony, rather than conceal it in a tent-like fashion. Strike a golden balance with slightly sheer fabrics or garment cuts that allow a peek of your swimwear underneath.

Paired with the right accessories, their versatility allows you to amp up a look from sandy siesta to happy hour.

Weve rounded up our favourite picks to make your sand-to-sandstone transitions more comfortable and ultra-stylish.

Fringed Tape Kimono Beach Cape Cover Up

This black number from ASOS is perfect for a beach holiday. Loosely draping over the body, it will keep you cool on hot days, while it's semi-sheer fabric eliminates any risk of it appearing frumpy. In true boho-chic fashion, this cover up maximises on polished details, with an embroidered ruffle trim at the neckline and tassel fastenings at the arms. Dress it up with a pair of strappy sandals and a colourful clutch for beyond-beach outings.

15.50 | ASOS | Buy it now *On sale from 26

Dolce & Gabbana butterfly-print silk-chiffon kaftan

Trust Dolce & Gabbana to bring the money when it comes to wow-factor. Referencing the glamorous kaftans championed by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1970s, this silk version is for the luxe customer. Though its price tag isn't palatable for most, you can take comfort in the fact it's 100% silk, and won't leave an eye unturned. Destined to make a statement, you can keep accessories to a minimum with this one.

1400 | MatchesFashion | Buy it now

My Beachy Side Flower Power daisy-crochet maxi dress

For those who prefer a more sliming silhouette to the overly loose styles that occupy the resort wear market, consider this maxi from My Beachy. Another luxury item, you can justify this indulgent purchase in the intricate beading that dominates the design. Elevating crochet from a hippie look to a luxury textural accent, is made possible here. Ideal for cocktail occasions in a post-beach mentality.

988 | MatchesFashion | Buy it now

Zara multicoloured crochet dress

For those who prefer a little more colour, opt for this crochet dress from Zara. The vibrant crochet pattern with beaded detailing gives you enough coverage to wear it over your bikini off the beach, while the flattering scoop neckline shows off a feminine decolletage. Layer it over black bathers to accentuate the colour combo, or over a black slip for eveningwear.

69.99 | Zara | Buy it now

Urban Outfitters pink stripe set

You cannot deny the comforts of a trouser set, nor the confidence it musters. This co-ord in millennial pink from Urban Outfitters couldn't be more on trend. With a 70s vibe tie-front design, the high-waisted trousers allow you to wear any type of bikini underneath. Otherwise pair the trousers on their own with a bandeau bikini top or one-piece for more coverage.

Trousers 42 | Urban Outfitters | Buy it now

Shirt 36 | Urban Outfitters | Buy it now

New Look White Crochet Beach Kimono

Channelling glamour at an accessible price-point, this design is all about luxe for less. This crochet kimono from New Look, designed to be worn open, it is made for showing off your swimwear. For more modesty off the beach, wear it with your favourite one-piece and a silk headscarf to reinvent old-Hollywood glamour.

15.99 | New Look | Buy it now

Ganni Columbine floral-print stretch-jersey co-ord

Injecting a little vibrancy that doubles as an entire summer outfit, this co-ord from Ganni has got you covered. In a youthful 'Big Apple Red', you have probably spotted this ditsy floral duo all over Instagram this season. Pair the set together for a statement look, or wear the shirt with high-waisted bikini briefs for a little more cheek.

Paper London Chichi broderie anglaise cotton dress

No one does romantic resort wear better than Paper London. This one-shoulder dress in all-over cotton broderie anglaise, offers a subtle sheer effect that accents your swimwear underneath.

It's asymmetric design that flares from the waist is especially flattering, while giving an elegant silhouette reminiscent of Grace Kelly . Wear it with a white bikini for tonal variation, paired with neutral accessories and a straw bag .

340 | Selfridges | Buy it now

Seafolly Pacifico Embroidered Kaftan

If there's one thing Australian designers do well, it's resort wear. Renowned swimwear brand Seafolly have balanced minimalism with beachside glamour in this embroidered kaftan. On the body, the fabric offers a slight sheer effect, while delicate geometric embroidery serves as a refined detail. Its loose fit will suit most, with a self-tying design that allows you to style it as you like.

74.95 | Harrods | Buy it now

H&M patterned sarong

Those looking for a bargain will praise this sarong from H&M. Aside from it being an absolute steal for nine pounds, the beauty of a sarong is it's styling options are endless. Tie it around your waist as per tradition, around your bust as a strapless dress, or use it as a makeshift beach towel when sun-baking. Pair it with an ultra trendy wide-brim hat to maximise your sun protection, and create balance for the eye.

Tigerlily Azar cotton dress

In light of our obsession for mustard tones this season, Australian resort brand Tigerlily have answered our colour cravings with this cotton dress. Perfect for keeping cool and offering sun protection with long sleeves, it's casual versatility can be paired with a brim hat for beach cool, or strappy sandals for alfresco dining. Made for those who pride comfort over fussy details.

114 | Selfridges | Buy it now

Kalita Aphrodite deep V-neck cotton-voile dress

This summer dress from Kalita is a dreamy tribute to the romanticism of Ancient Greece. 100% cotton voile in a dusty powder blue, it's fit-and-flare blouson-sleeves give it a high-fashion edge, while it's loose fit is perfect for balmy weather. With an open back and plunge neckline, it nicely accents a bikini top, however stick to neutral colours so your swimwear doesn't obviously show through.

418 | MatchesFashion | Buy it now

ASOS Lattice Back Beach Cover Up

Another bargain in striking tomato red, ASOS is delivering the goods for beach cover ups. In a semi-sheer woven fabric, it's loose fit is super airy, and pairs beautifully with a black bikini. Dress it up with sandals and a straw hat for beachside elegance.B illie Piper is expecting her first child with rock star boyfriend Johnny Lloyd, her representative has confirmed.

The actress and former pop star, 35, is already mother to sons Winston, nine, and Eugene, six from her marriage to Laurence Fox.

Piper and Tribes frontman Lloyd have been dating for two years but have kept their romance largely out of the limelight following the actress divorce.

A source told The Mirror: Billie and Johnny are delighted. They can't wait to welcome the new addition to their family.

Family affair: Billie Piper is expanding her brood / Getty Images

Piper first married at the age of 18 to presenter Chris Evans before splitting with him six years later, she then married Fox in 2007 but the pair divorced in 2016.

She admitted having a huge life crisis following her divorce from Fox, revealing she had to laugh otherwise it just kills you.

Split: Billie Piper and Lawrence Fox got divorced in 2016

Piper told The Sun: I think [the thirties are] very challenging. I think your thirties are a time when you start reflecting on everything you have or havent achieved, and where youre going and what your mental health is like  are you in a circle of repetitive, negative behaviours?

Billie Piper - In pictures 1 /34 Billie Piper - In pictures Billie Piper attend as Tiffany & Co to celebrate fashion and film at the new Annabels in 2018 Dave Benett I Hate Suzie Sky Atlantic Time traveller Billie Piper as Rose in Doctor Who BBC First hit Billie Piper sings in her 'Because we want to' music video The 76th Venice Film Festival Getty Images Billie Piper wearing Erdem at 76th Venice Film Festival Getty Images Billie Piper attending the Virgin Media BAFTA TV awards, held at the Royal Festival Hall in London PA Billie Piper with Johnny Lloyd GC Images Billie Piper arrives at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London in 2017 PA Billie Piper and Johnny Lloyd during The Olivier Awards 2017 at Royal Albert Hall Getty Images Billie Piper attends the Olivier Awards nominations in 2017 Getty Images Best Actress Billie Piper, winner of the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress at The 62nd London Evening Standard Theatre Awards Dave Benett Billie Piper arrives ar Vogue with Tiffany & Co Pre Bafta Party at Annabel's member's club in Mayfair Splash News Belle Secret Diary Of A Call Girl starring Billie Piper as Belle Tiger Aspect Yerma Billie Piper as Yerma at Young Vic On stage The Great Britain' photocall at the Lyttelton Theatre Rex Features Glasto girl Billie Piper at Glastonbury PA Supportive friend Piper with Matt Smith at the press night performance of "American Psycho" at The Almeida Dave Benett Opening night At the press night performance of "Strangers On A Train" at the Cafe de Paris Dave Benett Thespian Billie Piper at the 60th London Evening Standard Theatre Awards Dave Benett Branching out Billie Piper as Connie in 'The Effect' at the Cottesloe Theatre in 2012 Rex Features Reasons To Be Pretty Billie Piper as Carly in 'Reasons To Be Pretty' at The Almeida Theatre in 2011 Rex Features Penny Dreadful 'Penny Dreadful' with Billie Piper as Brona Croft and Josh Hartnett as Ethan Chandler Showtime Treats Laurence Fox (centre), Billie Piper and Kris Marshall in 'Treats' Steve Waters Billie Piper with Laurence Fox Nigel Howard The Ruby in the Smoke Billie Piper as Sally Lockhart with Hayley Atwell as Rose Garland and JJ Field as Frederick Garland in 'The Ruby in the Smoke' BBC Mansfield Park Billie Piper as Fanny stars in 'Mansfield Park' (2007) Jon Hall/ITV Rose Billie Piper with David Tennant in Doctor Who BBC Raunchy role In Secret Diary of a Call Girl ITV Seductive Billie Piper in Secret Diary Of A Call Girl ITV Chris Evans interviews wife Billie Piper in 2005 First love With first husband Chris Evans at the "The Orange British Academy Film Awards" at The Odeon Leicester Square in 2004 Getty Images Finding fame Billie Piper during her popstar years appearing at the Brit Awards in 1999 Rex Features Reclusive Billie Piper performing a song on SMTV presented by Ant & Dec in 1989 Rex Features

Your twenties are fun, wild and without consequence. Obviously there are dark moments in your twenties, but pretty much when you compare them to your thirties, theyre a b***** walk in the park.

In your thirties its like, Wow, s*** is getting real.

Back in February Piper admitted she was keen to expand her family, saying: In my dream world Id have loads.L ove Island host Caroline Flack might have partied a *little* too hard at the show's wrap party as she ended up actually missing her flight back home.

The presenter admitted to having a rather wild night with the cast and crew from the hit ITV2 show on Monday, which may have had something to do with the fact that she failed to board the plane heading back to the UK.

Rather than stressing, Flack was clearly quite chilled about the situation, posting a snap of her legs on Instagram under the caption: The legs of someone who didn't get on their flight.

Relaxing: Caroline Flack revealed that she never made it on her fight home / Instagram / Caroline Flack

Series four winners Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham were left sitting stranded with pals Laura Anderson, Paul Knops, Kaz Crossley and Josh Denzel on the cold airport floor after the budget carrier fell foul to delays yet again.

Flack, 38, let her hair down at the wrap party on Monday night, shortly after Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham were crowned series four champions.

Despite being at the centre of ITV2s summer of love, Flack recently split with fiance Andrew Brady after their whirlwind romance fell apart.

Flack appeared to reference her single life with a series of wrap party snaps, including one of her hugging a pink inflatable flamingo, joking she was going to recouple with it.

But Flack also gave a nod to how she has been feeling as she posted a powerful quote on her Instagram that her dad always told her.

Caroline Flack parties alongside Love Island cast and crew

The post read: No matter how you feelget up, dress up, show up and never give up.

Flack wrote in the caption: My dad always taught me this. And there has been times this week when I havent felt like doing this at all. But woke up today thinking HELL! Hes right.

Last month, Flack confirmed that her romance with Celebrity Big Brother star Brady was over, with an insider telling The Sun that she felt used.

The split came just weeks after Flack had proudly shown off her engagement ring in the villa on the first night of Love Island.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1)  The Philippine National Police (PNP) is making a bid to curb motorcycle-related crimes with the launch of its "Clean Rider" campaign.

In a speech Wednesday, Metro Manila police chief Guillermo Eleazar said motorcycle-riding suspects have been prevalent in the capital region, Central Luzon, and CALABARZON. As such, motorcycle riders who have passed a screening test will receive a sticker to show that their vehicle has been cleared by the police.

"It is imperative to eradicate MRS to earn back the good perception of communities towards motorcycle riders," he said, referring to motorcycle-riding suspects.

The sticker on the motorcycles will be used to verify the identity of their legitimate owners. Police officers will scan the stickers through a phone application that would show the motorcycle's official receipt and certificate of registration, and the owner's identification.

The police will also use the stickers for a quicker scanning of existing violations committed by the vehicle owner.

Officials said the stickers are non-transferable and their validity can be checked through a serial number that is provided and which should be attached to the back of the rider's license.

However, PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said the screening test is voluntary, which raises the question of how criminals will be apprehended if they do not opt to undergo the procedure.

Albayalde said motorcycles without the sticker will automatically give the wrong impression to stationed road marshals.

"If you don't have any criminal mind ipaparehistro mo 'yung motor mo so better if it is registered then wala nang masyadong problema kasi nakita na ng pulis 'yun, so baka yung may criminal mind ang hindi magpaparehistro, so 'yun ang magiging impression ng law enforcer natin," Albayalde told the press Monday.

[Translation: If you don't have a criminal mind, then you will register your motorcycle, so it's better if it is registered so you won't have any problem since the police have already cleared it, so probably those that have criminal minds won't register. That would be the impression on our law enforcers.]

The police chief assured that the PNP will exercise its mandate to protect the people with the implementation of the new campaign.

"This is a stern move by the PNP to protect the Filipino people, to make our streets safe to the public, and to dismantle organized groups and those motorcycle-riding suspects," he said.

The PNP first vowed to end riding-in-tandem killings in October 2017, under then-police chief Ronald Dela Rosa. A soldier assigned tp Marawi City was attacked by unidentified gunmen in a motorcycle that same month.

There has since been a number of shooting incidents involving high-profile targets killed by motorcycle-riding suspects. General Tinio, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ferdinand Bote, and Father Mark Ventura in Cagayan, were among them.Official Statistics of Finland

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF) are a collection of statistics describing society. They comprise around 250 sets of statistics. The production of Official Statistics of Finland must be continuous and of high quality and the producer of the statistics must commit to quality criteria. The Advisory Board of Official Statistics of Finland grants the OSF stamp.

The Official Statistics of Finland are our shared national capital and our common data basis that are used in society in various contexts. Statistics are widely employed in social decision-making, legislative drafting and planning. They are used to monitor the effects of the decisions made and they are also generally used indicators to monitor the development of society.

Activities are based on quality, reliability and co-operation

OSF statistics are produced by expert organisations in the field of public administration. They guarantee the continuation of statistics and are committed to common quality criteria. The OSF quality criteria are compatible with the quality criteria of the European Statistical System (ESS).

Compliance with the quality criteria is monitored by the Advisory Board of Official Statistics of Finland. It also has the task of developing the statistical system and the dissemination of statistics.

Data for the Official Statistics of Finland and OSF recommendations can now be found on our web pages in the same location as other data concerning the National Statistical System.Countries & Areas

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We always wish to see a larger US presence, Maior stated, adding that Romania, according to surveys, is the most pro-US country in Europe.

In the context, he reminded that Romania already hosts the anti-missile defence system at Deveselu, and the US military use Mihail Kogalniceanu air base, very close to the Crimean Peninsula.In the interview, the Romanian ambassador upheld the idea that the US military forces move their concentration form the centre of the European continent towards the eastern flank, adding that we must not forget that a serious militarisation process is underway in Crimea which is why a deterrence of these actions is needed, through a substantial US presence in the region, continuing the European Deterrence Initiative.Moreover, the dignitary explained that within the NATO Advanced Presence, due to the increase in the number of joint exercises, the operational capabilities of the Romanian armed forces have grown. It is a powerful signal that conveys that on NATO's eastern flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, counteracting measures against Russia's aggressive defence policy are being taken, the Romanian ambassador showed.George Cristian Maior affirmed that the new, hybrid type of threats, "very subtle and very complicated", must be currently counteracted. As a country, "we have detected these activities for a long time," the Ambassador affirmed, specifying that Romania has warned its allies against Russia's enhanced use of hybrid tactics.In the same interview, Maior said that the Romanian Defence Minister, Mihai Fifor will carry out a visit to the United States in September, in Washington, where he will have meetings with Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis, to discuss several aspects related to defence bilateral cooperation, among which Romania's offer to host a permanent US military contingent at Mihail Kogalniceanu air base.This base, Maior said, is less than 150 miles from Crimea, whose annexation by Russia is not recognised by the United States, as recently reiterated by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.Defense Minister Mihai Fifor said on Tuesday, in the context of scrambling British Typhoon airplanes last week from the Kogalniceanu base to intercept a Russian fighter plane detected above the Black Sea, that Romania faces quite often with such challenges from Russia, underlining that our country is ready to cope with any threat.

"Romania, as a NATO country, as an important actor at the Black Sea, is facing quite often such challenges. (...) Russia is testing. These are actions to test the vigilance and intervention capacity of the NATO army. (...) We are one of the most important presence at the Black Sea, I often like to say - the most important Black Sea security provider and among other missions we carry out, these air policing missions are very well-planned. (...) Whenever we have foreign ships of the Alliance entering the Black Sea, these operations are intensified. (...) These are recon, deterrence missions. It is a game that, as long as it remains within the parameters of a game, it is ok. (...) Romania is ready to face any threat, any challenge at the Black Sea, whether it is in the air or at sea, I do not even want to talk about the rest," Fifor told private TV broadcaster Antena 3.

He specified that these actions of Russia have intensified after the annexation of Crimea."After the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 by the Russian Federation, these activities in the Black Sea have intensified. It is important that Romania and its allies demonstrate through their actions and exercises that the Black Sea is not a Russian lake. The Black Sea is an open sea in which navigation is perfectly safe. (...) There is a game of provocation, of the response, because the Russian Federation is trying to prove that the Black Sea is the area it controls," said Mihai Fifor.He specified that Romania would be able to participate in air policing operations with F16 aircraft as of 2019.The minister thanked the British military at Kogalniceanu mission and said that military operations do not hinder civil air traffic.Health Minister Sorina Pintea told a six months in office activity review meeting on Wednesday that she managed to untangle the situation of the construction of regional hospitals which deadline is 2023.

"In my six-month tenure, I managed to untangle the situation regarding the construction of hospitals, and in Iasi on July 13 I unveiled a draft feasibility study, which will be handed over to the ministry in August, and the application for funding will be filed in Brussels in September. I unveiled the regional hospital draft in Cluj on July 26. The feasibility study will be handed over to the ministry in September and an application for funding will be filed for this hospital in October. In Craiova, we will unveil the feasibility study in September, and in December we will apply for construction funding for the hospital," the minister said, according to Agerpres.

She added that these facilities "will change the concept of hospital in Romania", and also the funding system.About pieces of legislation initiated and approved, the minister mentioned that they have partially cut through the red tape in the system and helped people who otherwise would not stand a chance. Pintea said that so far under her term of office, for emergency ordinances, fourteen government decisions and 35 ministerial orders have been approved."The first emergency ordinance regulated the way we define regional hospitals, we provided medical assistance in around the clock healthcare centres. Under governmental decrees, we have introduced new molecules and approved the regulation of pay bonuses. Under ministerial orders, we have done what I call an extraordinary thing: we have amended Order 50, which regulates sending patients to treatments abroad," she explained.At the same time, Pintea said payments for the treatment of the people injured in the infamous fire at the Colectiv club in Bucharest City on October 30, 2015, have been regulated, with reimbursements being extended until 2020. This year, 42 invoices for about 250,000 euros have been filed.She announced that 12 pieces of legislation are in the process of being approved and that 24 more are being prepared, mentioning among them blood transfusion regulations and transplantation regulations.On July 31, 2018, the National Bank of Romania's foreign exchange reserves stood at 31,378 million euros, compared with 31,766 million euros on June 30, 2018, according to a press statement released by the National Bank of Romania (BNR) on Wednesday.

During the month, there were 1,462 million euros worth of inflows representing changes in credit institutions' foreign currency-denominated required reserves, inflows into the Ministry of Public Finance's accounts, and other; and 1,850 million euros worth of outflows representing changes in credit institutions' foreign currency-denominated required reserves, interest payments and principal repayments on foreign currency public debt and others.

The gold stock remained unchanged at 103.7 tonnes; following the change in the international price of gold, its value amounted to 3,467 million euros.Romania's international reserves (foreign currencies and gold) stood at 34,845 million euros, compared with 35,349 million euros on June 30, 2018.During August 2018, payments due on the foreign currency-denominated public and publicly guaranteed debt amounted to approximately 188 million euros, according to BNR.National leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) Nicusor Dan is urging President Klaus Iohannis to return to Parliament the off-shore drilling law to increase Romania's share of the Black Sea gas exploitation, arguing that the piece of legislation passed without a real debate, without impact studies or reckonings.

"The off-shore drilling law passed through Parliament without a real debate, without impact studies and without concrete reckonings showing how much Romania gains from the exploitation of the Black Sea natural gas. All the calculations made so far are based on price estimates, labour costs, calorific quantity and value made by companies with vested interests in the exploitation of the Black Sea gas. We need a study by the Romanian government that includes an estimation of the Black Sea reserves, the cost of exploitation, and labour costs. Without such there are no serious negotiations with the companies," Dan told a news conference on Wednesday.

He believes that a study on the taxation regime in other countries should also be carried out."I am urging President Klaus Iohannis to return the law so that Parliament may increase the percentage of Romania's gains and a debate may be had that we did not have in Parliament at the time of the vote. The stake is important: it is billions of euros belonging to Romania," said Dan.He said the law as voted in Parliament would divide the earnings between the government and companies by about 50-50 percent, although there are countries earning between 60-80 percent."For example, in Norway the government earns 78 percent of the profit, and in the UK 59 percent of the profit. I do not think the Romanian state is so rich as to afford being generous with the companies that want to exploit the Black Sea gas. This is why, I repeat, there is a need for a serious study, commissioned by the Romanian government to show how other countries tax natural gas revenues. In this respect, I am urging President Klaus Iohannis to return the off-shore drilling law to Parliament for a knowledgeable decision based on solid studies and assessments, instead of on political orders from the party," added Dan.He presented some personal calculations regarding the estimated earnings for the Romanian government under the off-shore drilling law voted in Parliament, mentioning that data show that Romania's profit would be just 50 percent and, depending on further developments, maybe even lower. "For this data set, we have asked the Law Department of the Chamber of Deputies to make a comparative study of laws in the UK, Norway, Israel, the Netherlands, and New Zealand," said Dan.On July 9, the Chamber of Deputies passed a bill on measures necessary for the implementation of oil operations by owners of off-shore oil blocks. On July 24, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea said the government may issue an offshore drilling law ordinance defining unequivocally the value of investments and how to deduct them.August of 2017 was the nadir of the Trump administration. At that point impeachment was on the table. Trump was mired in racist controversy over violence at Charlottesville. He had a falling out with Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.

Robert Muellers investigation was ramping up. Members of his cabinet turned against, notably Gary Cohn.

He was forced to sign a new sanctions bill, rammed down his throat by John McCain, an expansion of the odious Magnitsky Act. And, to sue for temporary peace, in my opinion, he made a deal with his opposition on Capitol Hill to leave foreign policy to the big boys while he got to play around with domestic policy.

Thats usually the end of the story of reformers who win the White House. As long as foreign policy objectives supporting the globalist expansion of universal debt slavery and transnational corporate autonomy were left alone, the Puppet-in-Chief could tinker with changes to domestic policy.

Not too much, just enough to satisfy the base and ensure the Gravy Train keeps on dropping off its booty to the rentier-class which benefits from this arrangement.

This is why Trump agreed to a massive surge of troops in Afghanistan last year. In no way do I believe this was his idea. Moreover, given whats been happening this summer my original read last year looks both prescient and accurate.

Donald Trump made a deal with the Neocons in Washington. He traded part of his domestic agenda for ceding control of foreign policy to the D.C. establishment. Its obvious when you connect the dots. Signing the sanctions bill, the non-shift in Afghanistan policy, the tit-for-tat diplomatic aggression with Russia, weapons to Ukraine, etc

He traded it for an easier time to get tax cuts and Obamacare repeal through. They gave him tax cuts but not Obamacare or border security. John McCain and Lindsay Graham tried to neuter Trump by saddling him with policies he campaigned against.

And they thought it would do long-term, irreparable damage to his relationship with his base.

They were wrong. Because, as I also said, in the same article

now these people have been unmasked as to just how vile and depraved they truly are to a huge swath of the American public. He [TRUMP] can still go to his base and weakly sell the Neocons agenda because thats part of the deal. But, it will ring false. And very few in the base will believe it. Moreover, many of them will gladly take tax relief and Obamacare repeal (or do I repeat myself?) for a few more thousand troops in Afghanistan and open conflict in Ukraine.

And thats the key. I always felt Trump would let the neoconservatives hang themselves on a self-made altar of their own failed ideology. Trump then could build small wins into bigger wins on issue after issue.

Eventually, the Koreans along with Russia and China made it easy for Trump to turn the tables on them by agreeing to meet with Kim Jong-un. Kims walk across the DMZ was a game-changer for peace.

Putin changed the world with his March 1st unveiling of weapon systems that no American in their right mind would dismiss.

The false flag operations in Eastern Ghouta and Salisbury further galvanized Trumps base (and his opposition) while anti-Russian hysteria reached a fever pitch that left the center of the American electorate frightened, not morally-outraged.

All of a sudden Trump could go to Singapore and Helsinki and begin repairing what had been needlessly broken. And he could do it with the consent of the people over the opposition of the political class than their quislings in the chattering class.

So, what does this have to do with Afghanistan?

Everything.

Because for more than a year Russia, China, Pakistan and others, most notably India and Iran, have been in talks with moderate factions within the Taliban to craft a peaceful rapprochement with the government in Kabul.

And that sets the stage for the recent reports that the Trump administration, previously very hostile to these talks, beginning the same dialogue with the Taliban.

It seems like the moment is arriving where Trump can take the albatross of the seventeen-year Afghan war from around his neck and place it on its architects, the Neoconservatives who fully revealed themselves for what theyve always been, globalists not patriots.

Now, granted, early talks here have not been fruitful. But, any discussion is better than none. The Taliban sent a letter outlining their demands to the U.S. earlier this year and it begins and ends with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. Recent talks confirm the lack of movement.

The only demand they made was to allow their military bases in Afghanistan, said the Taliban official. We have held three meetings with the U.S. and we reached a conclusion to continue talks for meaningful negotiations, said a second Taliban official. However, our delegation made it clear to them that peace can only be restored to Afghanistan when all foreign forces are withdrawn, he said.

We know why the bases must be maintained, to act as pressure points long-term on Iran and leave the door open to return when it suits our political needs.

With Imran Khan winning election as the leader of Pakistan there is a fundamental change in that countrys position on continued U.S. presence in the region. Khan wants closer ties to China and it doesnt hurt that China is pouring billions into Pakistan in support of the One Belt, One Road Initiative.

The $53 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor carries a lot more weight than the $1.3 billion in military aid Trump withdrew from Pakistan earlier in the year.

Russia, very smartly, included Pakistan in the initial talks with the Taliban back in December 2016 to elevate Pakistans standing in the negotiations.

While it annoyed India, initially, there can be no hope of a substantive change to the situation in Afghanistan without the cooperation of its most important neighbor. Subsequent rounds of talks included both India and Iran among others.

Its time for the U.S. to withdraw from both Afghanistan and Syria. With ISIS nearly eliminated in Syria and Iraq, it is only a matter of time before they are done there too.

The problem, of course, is the opposition to this drawing down of the Empire back home.

Early talks with both the Taliban and Russia have not yielded much, except words. Words are better than bombs.

It will come down to the mid-term elections in the end. If the Blue Wave the Democrats and the Deep State are hoping for becomes a Red Tide with the bodies washing up on shore the leadership of the DNC and the GOP, then Trump will get the leeway to declare victory and leave.

If not, then were staring at a much bleaker future.

If Jim Jatras is correct in his recent article, that Trump is on board with the Tri-Polar world offered by China and Russia, then this squares with opening up talks with the Taliban to craft a solution. Jim is less sanguine than I am about this Novembers elections, however.

Im expecting that Red Tide. All signs point to it.

Situations like Afghanistan and Syria are meant to remain as open wounds to use as convenient bogeymen to whip up public sentiment and stoke fear. All they are doing now is further polarizing an American electorate, with the Left openly declaring their need to be in power than on the right side of history.

And thats what should scare everyone. Its obvious it scares Trump.TICKERS: GPLY; GLYXF

Source: Streetwise Reports (8/1/18)

The first drilling that an exploration company has conducted on a project located in a historical mining district has demonstrated gold continuity.



"Finding gold in the shadow of headframes" is one of the old adages of mining, and it's one that Goldplay Exploration Ltd. (GPLY:TSX-V;GLYZF:OTCQB) has taken to heart. The company's properties are in the Rosario Mining District, in Sinaloa, Mexico; the district is home to the historical multimillion ounce Rosario gold-silver mine.

Calling the Rosario mine "historical" is no understatement. The mine has been operated for more than 250 years, producing multimillion ounces of gold and silver. Other mines in the area include the Trinidad Mine, operated by Marlin Gold Mining Ltd., and First Majestic Silver Corp.'s Plomosas Silver Project.

Goldplay's portfolio consists of more than 250 sq km in the Rosario Mining District.

Goldplay is now exploring its 100%-owned El Habal property, positioned just next door to Rosario and shares a similar geology to that of the Rosario Mine. Located 75 km east of Mazatlan and 10 km by paved road from the town of Rosario, the area has necessary infrastructure.

Late last year, Goldplay completed a surface channel sampling and trenching program that showed wide oxidized mineralized zones over a 2 km strike length. In addition to historical mine sites, the sampling indicated four new prospects: La Reina, El Arenal, Santos and Octavio. Highlights from the trenching program include 130 meters grading 1.86 g/t Au, 100 meters grading 1.20 g/t Au, 90 meters grading 0.84 g/t and the most recent discovery expanding the mineralized zone further east with 20 meters grading 1.33 g/t and 50 meters grading 0.48 g/t Au, including 13 meters grading 1.07g/t.

Goldplay has now begun to drill the property and just announced initial results from the first four drill holes, totaling 1045 meters of drilling. The company announced that the drilling "successfully identified near-surface continuity of gold mineralization, confirming extension of trenching results down dip at Santos target."

Drill highlights include:

77.5 m @ 0.43 g/t Au in drill hole 18 EH-2

Including 9.45m @ 2.05 g/t Au

Including 9.45m @ 2.05 g/t Au 15.4 m @ 1.35 g/t Au in drill hole 18 EH-1

Marcio Fonseca, president and CEO of Goldplay, stated, "Goldplay's objective is to define the geometry and controls of mineralization at El Habal within the 6 km-long prospective corridor, expanding gold mineralization both along strike and down dip. We are pleased with the progress the Company has made towards advancing this goal."

The company noted that the "drill intercepts have revealed wide gold mineralization hosted in a series of altered rhyolites, andesites and intrusives. The mineralization represents a high-level gold system hosted in a volcanic sequence with intrusive (granitoids) and related hydrothermal fluids."

"The next step will be a follow up drill program," Fonseca emphasized.

Another project in Goldplay's portfolio, San Marcial, consists of 1,250 hectares and features a near-surface high-grade silver, zinc and lead 30 Moz Ag eq historical resource. San Marcial is at an advanced stage with upside potential for resource expansion and potential development of an open-pit mine, being located only 5 km from First Majestic Silver Corp.'s Plomosas project. An exploration program including drilling is in the works to support a resource update in the near term.

Goldplay has caught the interest of Brien Lundin, editor of Gold Newsletter. He wrote on July 1, "More recent trenching on existing targets at Goldplay Exploration Ltd.'s El Habal has outlined 130m of 1.86 g/t gold, 100m of 1.2 g/t gold and 90m of 0.84 g/t gold; plus, just announced trench results on the new Octavio target to the east of the main mineralization zone include 1.33 g/t over 20m and 0.48 g/t over 50m. Those are outstanding trench results; in fact, these results are what finally pushed me off the fence to a recommendation."

[NLINSERT]

Disclosure:

1) Patrice Fusillo compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise reports as an employee. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Goldplay Exploration. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.

3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Investing in the stock market involves the risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. Past performance may not be indicative of future performance. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article, until one week after the publication of the interview or article.

Disclosures from Gold Newsletter, July 2018

The publisher and its affiliates, officers, directors and owner actively trade in investments discussed in this newsletter. They may have positions in the securities recommended and may increase or decrease such positions without notice. The publisher is not a registered investment advisor. Authors of articles or special reports are sometimes compensated for their services.Auckland

We are currently on the look out for 5 people to start as soon as possible with a busy large metal manufacturer.This role...



View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nzA man sentenced to 13 years in prison after an armed chase through Tauranga has had his appeal denied.

Donny Falakoa was jailed in 2015 after being arrested on a number of charges including confronting members of the public at gunpoint and an attempted carjacking.

In releasing its decision this week, the Supreme Court said: we are conscious that the sentence imposed was severe".

"But, having regard to the considerations just mentioned, we have reached the view that the proposed appeal raises no issue of public or general importance and there is no appearance of a miscarriage of justice.

Falakoa was arrested in 2014 and charged with aggravated robbery, assault with intent to rob, receiving stolen property, dangerous driving, unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle, aggravated assault, intentional damage, using a firearm against a police officer, theft of a motor vehicle, reckless discharge of a firearm and conversion of a motor vehicle.

The charges stem from a police chase that began in Whakamarama, following a driving complaint near Katikati at 8.45pm, and ended in Mount Maunganui on July 30, 2014.

During the chase, Falakoa shot at a police officer after allegedly crashing a car at Baypark roundabout.

Police earlier said at least three members of the public were confronted at gunpoint as the alleged gunman attempted to carjack a vehicle.

Falakoa is also accused of carjacking a vehicle from a worker at a commercial building on Truman Lane. Read more about the experience of Tasman Aluminium worker Nigel Baker here.

Police say Falakoa drove the vehicle along the expressway and, at some point, a fire extinguisher was thrown out the window.

The vehicle was spiked and the officer deploying the spikes had to take action to avoid being struck by the vehicle.

Police then lost sight of the vehicle, but a second pursuit ensued 40 minutes later when the car was spotted near the Maungatapu Bridge.

The chase took officers to Marine Parade, where police say a firearm was presented out of the drivers window before falling to the ground.

The vehicle came to a stop a short time later and Falakoa was arrested near Tay Street.

In a statement released this week, the Supreme Court of New Zealand dismissed Falakoas application for leave to appeal his sentence.

In his submissions, the applicant maintains that the overall sentence was excessive and complains that no discrete allowance was given for his mental health issues and remorse.

The starting point adopted by the Judge was not challenged in the Court of Appeal. So we do not have the advantage of that Courts consideration of the issue, says the court.

Falakoa also sought to challenge his conviction for using a firearm against a police officer. This charge was laid under s 198A(1) of the Crimes Act 1961.

He contends that he should have been prosecuted under s 198A(2) which carries a lower maximum penalty.

On our review of the summary of facts, we are of the view that the charge in issue was appropriately laid under the former subsection.

We note as well the applicant did not appeal to the Court of Appeal against his conviction on this charge and he has advanced nothing to suggest that there are exceptional circumstances of the kind which would warrant granting leave to appeal direct to this Court.

Accordingly, the application for leave to appeal is dismissed.ROME, N.Y. -- The fire that killed three children in an Oneida County trailer park on July 23 has been ruled an accident and not criminal, according to New York State Police.

"We are still working with fire investigators on exact cause and origin," a New York State Police spokesman said. "The fire may have started by an electrical appliance in the laundry room."

The fire was reported at 11:48 p.m at 154 Pine Haven Circle in Rome.The Rome Fire Department and New York State Police responded to the Pine Haven mobile home park and flames had engulfed the mobile home, police said.

Temprince J. Croad, 2, Patrick G. Croad III, 3, and Eliesse A. Croad, 4, died in the fire, troopers said.

The children's parents and baby sister were rushed to Upstate University Hospital and survived the fire. Gabrielle M. Croad, 24, suffered second-degree burns and Kaydence J. Croad, 1, suffered burns on both her arms, police said.

Patrick Croad, the children's father, and Gabrielle Croad grabbed Kaydence Croad but were unable to save their other children, troopers said.MEXICO, N.Y. -- A pedestrian struck by a truck early Wednesday morning in Oswego County has suffered life-threatening injuries, deputies said.

Travis Howard, 22, of Mexico, was driving south on Norman Avenue in a 2016 Dodge pickup truck shortly after 2 a.m. when he hit a pedestrian, said the Oswego County Sheriff's Office.

The pedestrian had a scooter and was also in the southbound lane, deputies said.

The accident happened on Norman Avenue (State Route 3) south of Spring Street.

The pedestrian was rushed to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. Deputies are working to identify the pedestrian.

Howard was driving to work at the time of the crash. Deputies said it does not appear he was speeding, distracted or impaired.

The pedestrian was wearing dark-colored clothes, deputies said.

The accident remains under investigation. In addition to deputies, the Mexico Volunteer Fire Department and Northern Oswego County Ambulance responded to the crash.

Norman Avenue was closed for over three hours after the accident.Hannah Marks, left, and Dylan Sprouse star in "Banana Split," a new movie filmed in Syracuse in 2017 by Liverpool-based film company American High. (Getty Images)Syracuse, N.Y. -- The largest power company in Upstate New York temporarily barred Charter Communications - the largest cable company in the state - from its utility poles after a contractor for Charter was electrocuted last month.

National Grid issued the stop-work order to Charter July 12, the day after James R. Fogg was killed while running cable television lines in Yorkshire, a town in Cattaraugus County in western New York.

Fogg, 39, of Fairfield, Maine, was in the basket of a bucket truck on Block Road about 4:36 p.m. when he came into contact with a primary electric line, causing him to be shocked with high voltage, state police said.

When troopers arrived, paramedics from a Delevan Emergency Medical Services ambulance were performing CPR, police said. Fogg was transported to Bertrand Chaffee Hospital in Springville, where he later died of his injuries.

Fogg was employed by S.G. Communications, a utility contractor working for Charter Communications.

National Grid spokesman Steve Brady said the utility ordered Charter to stop any work on its utility poles until the cable company explains what happened, why it happened and how the company will prevent such an accident from happening again.

"Safety is always our priority," Brady said. "These incidents are rare, thank goodness."

The utility company lifted the order late Tuesday afternoon, hours after Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard contacted National Grid and Charter about it.

"The stop-work order has been lifted and we look forward to resuming our network build-out activities in these areas," Charter spokesman Andrew Russell said in an email to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.

Brady said Charter provided the information National Grid required.

"We reserve the right to reinstate the directive if anything like this happens again," he said.

Brady said he did not know if Fogg touched the electric line directly or with a tool as he was pulling cable to attach to a pole. National Grid's power lines are the highest lines on its poles, with telephone and cable television lines always below, he said.

Ted Fitzgerald, a spokesman for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the agency opened an investigation into the fatal accident July 12.

OSHA hasn't issued any findings yet. Fitzgerald said it was too early to estimate a completion date for the investigation, but that it likely will be a few months.

The nearly three-week stoppage in Charter's ability to string new cable in National Grid's service territory occurred as Charter finds itself in a battle with the New York State Public Service Commission over the speed with which it is extending its broadband network in the state's rural areas.

On Friday, the commission rescinded its 2016 approval of Charter's merger with Time Warner Cable and ordered the company to cease operating in New York. It gave Charter 60 days to come up with a plan for transitioning its cable franchises in the state to another provider or providers, but the company is expected to file legal challenges.

Charter provides cable television, broadband and telephone service under the Spectrum brand to more than 2 million subscribers in more than 1,150 communities in New York.

The Public Service Commission said in its order Friday that Charter has repeatedly failed to meet the network build-out requirements that were included in the commission's approval of the company's merger with Time Warner Cable.

Charter's build-out of its network in rural areas, as opposed to densely populated urban areas that are already served by at least one broadband provider, has been the main issue between the company and the commission. However, Charter contends its access to utility company poles has slowed its expansion in some areas.

The company has said it has been meeting its overall network expansion obligations. But in a recent filing, it said "systematic delays by pole owners" in granting access had forced it to use construction methods "less dependent upon utility pole access." It did not name the pole owners.

The commission has said pole access is a poor excuse. It said its staff undertook a "painstaking process" of working with Charter and various pole owners around the state to ensure Charter was receiving sufficient pole application approvals to complete its network build-out. The effort has "yielded substantial results and seen pole application approvals dramatically increase," the commission said.

Editor's note: Advance/Newhouse Partnership, which has an ownership stake in Charter Communications Inc., is part of Advance Publications, owner of Advance Local. Advance Local owns Syracuse.com, NYUP.com and The Post-Standard.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148Elizabeth Bruenig is an opinion columnist at The Washington Post.

By Elizabeth Bruenig | The Washington Post



We live in an era of diminished trust and heightened cynicism. It is hard, now, to imagine someone expressing unqualified faith in government, the media, barusiness -- or even, for that matter, religious institutions. And the implication of this development is not simply the erosion of trust. It is the increasing difficulty of learning about the world around us, as we lose belief in those who might teach us.

Learning requires risk-taking. It forces us to face what we don't know with the hope of advancing toward some grasp of it. The smaller the undertaking, the lower the emotional gamble -- learning tomorrow's weather forecast doesn't entail an interior journey. But learning about the true and important things in life does require trust and dedication and vulnerability -- usually under a teacher's guidance. It is no surprise so many of us come to love the ones who teach us.

Neither is it a surprise, any longer, that some people charged with these roles of profound responsibility abuse them in the cruelest ways. The latest revelation concerns the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., Theodore McCarrick, who resigned Saturday from the College of Cardinals. Over several decades, McCarrick is alleged to have sexually abused at least one child and several adult seminarians or young priests, all of whom looked to the charismatic prelate for guidance -- moral, vocational, spiritual. Into his den, he drew them.

McCarrick, who has denied the allegation involving the child, has now become the first prince of the church to resign his role since 1927 and the highest-ranking member of the Catholic hierarchy to step down amid sexual-abuse allegations. But there are others in the church who presumably knew of the charges against him decades ago and failed to act when given the chance.

Two New Jersey dioceses where McCarrick served as a bishop paid settlements to young men who alleged abuse as recently as the early 2000s; it isn't likely that $180,000 went missing from church coffers with only McCarrick's knowing. In 2011, a priest from Brazil filed a lawsuit against McCarrick for unwanted sexual advances. The suit was withdrawn -- but again, it seems unlikely the episode came and went unknown to anyone other than McCarrick.

The question of who in the church hierarchy learned of the allegations against McCarrick -- and when -- has thus spawned its own predictable controversy. Some Catholics have blamed the hierarchy's lax attitude toward abuse claims on a modern, Pope Francis-inflected tolerance for gay priests and disregard for traditional church doctrine on sexual morality. Others counter that scapegoating gay priests who remain faithful and celibate is a dangerous and misplaced overreaction. The particular matter of who abetted McCarrick and how has taken on a dimension of doctrinal argument, subtly shifting into a debate about what the church ought to teach.

This discussion seems not only off-point but also ominously premature. What the church ought to teach makes sense to debate only if it is established that the church can teach at all. And it is precisely that capacity that McCarrick, along with his anonymous enablers and his legions of abusing predecessors, have all but destroyed. As New York Times columnist Ross Douthat observed, "the Catholic bishops are now somewhat protected from media scrutiny by virtue of their increasing unimportance." The price of that protection is a conspicuous moral muteness: The light has gone under a bushel, and the salt has lost its flavor.

The church has described itself as "mater et magistra," mother and teacher. Yet, having obliterated its ability to inspire trust, in large part through decades of abuse and abuse-enabling, the church has now been rendered unqualified, in the eyes of many, to serve in that role. As McCarrick allegedly transgressed and abused his position as a spiritual guide, so, too, can it be said that the church has forfeited, at least for now, its own teaching role.

Every effort ought to be made to restore this crucial function, which begins with rebuilding trust. And that requires accountability, which is painful. Francis has already mandated that McCarrick remain in penitent seclusion until the accusations against him can be examined at a canonical trial. This is a positive step, but the Vatican ought also to invite an independent inquiry into who aided McCarrick's reported abuse, passively or otherwise, how and for how long.

The church should punish those found guilty and cooperate with law enforcement when needed.

The process will likely be ugly, but so much less so than what came before. It is not too much to ask not to be raped or otherwise sexually abused by shepherds of the faith in the course of following Christ. Neither is it too severe to say that if clerics cannot meet that meager demand, they can scarcely teach His people anything at all.

To the Editor:



On July 19, 2018, Rep. John Katko voted against a measure to fund state efforts to protect election machinery and processes from ongoing Russian attack, even though previous appropriations cover less than 25 percent of the necessary costs in many states. Katko has acknowledged that Russia attacked our elections in 2016, and the intelligence agencies and the Senate Committee on Intelligence confirm that the hacking efforts continue. He constantly emphasizes national security, but refused to cross party lines to vote for one of the least costly and most well-targeted defense appropriations ever proposed in Congress.



He also has refused to cross party lines to support a bill demanding paper ballots nationwide, which is what election security experts recommend. Instead, he's proposed a bill to sponsor hack-a-thons that would have private experts identify key vulnerabilities for the Department of Homeland Security. Such an approach might give President Trump better information about how to help his Russian backers hijack the next election. In any case, many vulnerabilities are well known, which is why leading experts support paper ballots. If you do not want Vladimir Putin to control American's election results, vote for Dana Balter.



David M. Driesen

Fayetteville

Well, that got your attention.



Our front-page editorial on Sunday, advocating a community grid to replace the Interstate 81 viaduct in downtown Syracuse, sparked lots of comments, letters and public conversation.

And that was exactly the point.



Placing the editorial board's opinion "out front" in our print edition and bannering it across the Syracuse.com home page all day last Sunday was a clear signal to you, our readers, of the importance we place on this once-in-a-generation civic decision.



It's not something we do lightly, or very often. In recent times, the last time we can remember an editorial on the front page was Oct. 31, 1987, when the Sunday Herald American editorial board endorsed Nicholas Pirro for Onondaga County executive over the late Assemblyman Mel Zimmer. (Zimmer demanded a front-page rebuttal to the board's blistering critique. He didn't get it.)



Editorials, opinion and commentary usually are set apart from news by their placement at the back of the A-section. We broke that convention by placing the editorial board's opinion where you usually find news. It was clearly labeled "editorial" in a few different places. Some readers still were confused. But they sure noticed.



From a news perspective, the I-81 story is hugely important. Over the past few years, our newsroom has devoted considerable reporting, editing and visual storytelling resources to covering it -- and will continue to do so. The editorial board's opinion does not change the news operation's ability or willingness to cover the story fairly.



Editorials are separate from news. They reflect the opinion of Syracuse.com/The Post-Standard as a community institution that has been chronicling the doings in this town, in one form or another, since 1829. As we explain in our mission statement, the editorial board uses our institutional voice to advocate for the best interests of Syracuse and Central New York. You may not agree with what we think is best. Our commentary pages provide a community forum for a variety of viewpoints, including and especially contrary ones.



You can see that robust conversation happening in the letters and online comments reacting to our advocacy for a community grid solution.



Some have asked, why editorialize now? The New York State Department of Transportation is still studying the three options to replace I-81 - the grid, a new viaduct and a tunnel - and won't be ready to decide until 2019. Why not wait until it is done?



First, NYSDOT has been studying the I-81 project for the better part of a decade now, producing reams of data, maps, public comments and discussion. The choices are so stark, it's hard to envision anything the latest study would say that could change our minds on the wisdom, simplicity and cost-effectiveness of a community grid solution. As we explained at length in the editorial, building a new viaduct is repeating an old mistake. Building a tunnel is an expensive boondoggle in a city our size.



Second, we want to have some influence on the outcome. If we wait to express our opinion until the state decides, it's too late.



Third, we wish to drive the public debate and build momentum for a community grid. We believe a constituency exists for it, but the constituents need to be persuaded to speak out publicly. By taking this leap, we hope to encourage other institutions and stakeholders to do the same.



Fourth, too many elected officials have been content to sit on the sidelines, gauging which way the wind blows or waiting for a consensus to emerge. That's not leading; that's fence-sitting. This November, when the governor, members of Congress and the state Legislature are all up for re-election, candidates ought to be asked where they stand on I-81, and voters shouldn't take "I don't know" for an answer.



We've been here before. Few may remember that the Post-Standard editorial board came out against construction of the elevated highway in the first place, calling it "an offensive Chinese Wall." "By shutting off light and air, by depressing property values and by their ugliness, these gruesome barriers cause and spread blight," the editorial board wrote, with remarkable prescience, on Sunday, April 13, 1958.



The highway was built anyway, and here we are, 60 years later, debating how to replace it. With the benefit of hindsight, let's make a better choice this time around.





1958 Post-Standard elevated highway editorials by The Post-Standard on Scribd

April 13, 1958, editorial on Scribd

April 14, 1958, editorial on Scribd

April 15, 1958, editorial on Scribd

April 20, 1958, editorial on ScribdWASHINGTON -- Syracuse scientist Bill Bass said Tuesday he's dropping his independent bid to challenge Rep. John Katko in the November election.

Bass, 34, of Wilkinson Street, made his decision on the same day as the deadline for filing petitions with the state Board of Elections to appear on an independent ballot line.

Bass told Syracuse.com that he collected 4,206 signatures on his petitions, more than the 3,500 valid signatures the state requires to qualify for the congressional ballot as an independent candidate. But he decided against filing the petitions, citing a lack of financial backing and campaign volunteers.

"We haven't reached some of the milestones and targets we wanted to hit for a campaign at this point," Bass said. "So, it didn't seem the effort would be worth the payoff."

Bass raised $19,243 and had $7,649 remaining in his campaign bank account as of June 30, according to Federal Election Commission records.

The environmental scientist quit his job in Saudi Arabia last year to move to Syracuse to run for Congress as a Democrat. After he failed to win the Democratic designation in the 24th Congressional District, he decided to circulate petitions for an independent bid.

Katko will appear on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party ballot lines in November. Dana Balter will appear on the Democratic, Working Families and Women's Equality party lines.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751Former Syracuse mayor Stephanie Miner says she will not return $20,000 in campaign donations she received from Cor Development and its executives who were convicted last month in a bid-rigging scheme.

Miner, who is running as an independent candidate for governor, was asked about the donations from the Syracuse-based developer during an appearance Wednesday on WCNY's Capitol Pressroom radio show.

"The money that I got from Cor was four, five, six years ago," Miner told host Susan Arbetter. "As an example of the fact that I was not part of that, I sued Cor and lost in court. So, people from the Syracuse area know well my very public disagreements with Cor that pre-dated the federal investigation."

Miner is among more than a dozen former and elected officials in Central New York who received political campaign contributions from Cor and its founders, Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi.

Aiello and Gerardi were found guilty last month by a U.S. District Court jury of federal crimes including wire fraud and conspiracy as part of a state bid-rigging scheme.

Cor Development won contracts worth more than $100 million to build the Central New York Film Hub and a high-tech manufacturing facility at the company's business park in DeWitt.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751US First Lady Melania Trump holds a roundtable discussion on neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) during a visit to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, July 24, 2018, as part of her "Be Best" campaign. (Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images)WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer urged the Federal Railroad Administration today to conduct independent inspections of privately-owned rail bridges in Syracuse, warning the partial collapse of a bridge last month was an ominous warning sign.

Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote a letter today to FRA Director Ronald Batory, telling him that the agency's response to the July 5 collapse along South Clinton Street in downtown Syracuse was inadequate.

Schumer said the federal government shouldn't accept the conclusion of the private railroad that owns and inspects its own bridges - the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad - that the Syracuse bridges are safe.

"In a certain sense, it's like the fox guarding the hen house," Schumer said in a conference call with reporters. "They sort of have a bias to say the bridge is clear and all is well, even if that might not be true."

New York state requires publicly-owned rail bridges to be inspected by government experts every other year. But there are no state or federal requirements for independent inspections of privately-owned rail bridges.

Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said he supports Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh's request to the FRA for more information about the railroad's private inspections.

The FRA sent summaries of those inspection reports to the city last month, but Walsh told the FRA that the information was too limited. Walsh noted that the summaries listed "no safety hazards found" on 13 of the 35 structures.

"With the limited information provided, we can only conclude that the 22 remaining structures present safety hazards to the community," Walsh wrote to the FRA.

Schumer said federal regulators need to act quickly.

"The tens of thousands of people that live and work around the elevated rail line in Syracuse deserve every bit of information surrounding the safety of the 80-year-old structure," he said. "The summary reports and 'general statements of condition' that have been provided thus far are not good enough."

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (AP) -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he will pay any fees associated with a 7-year-old boy's lemonade stand after it was shut down by a state health inspector for not having a permit.

The Democrat made the offer Tuesday, saying he's directing state health officials to work with the boy's family to ensure the stand can operate.

Brendan Mulvaney's stand was shuttered Friday after the inspector said the boy needed a permit to sell 75-cent lemonade. The family's home in Ballston Spa is near the Saratoga County Fairgrounds. State officials say fair vendors had complained about the stand.

The health department later apologized and said that while a permit was required, children's lemonade stands usually get a pass.

The boy plans to reopen for an event at the fairgrounds next month.A child has been charged with arson over a fire in Northern New York.

The Watertown Daily Times reports a 9-year-old boy from Black River is being charged with fourth-degree arson after he allegedly started a fire that destroyed an abandoned trailer on July 8.

New York State Police spokesman Jack L. Keller told the newspaper that the boy allegedly admitted to setting a pile of pine needles on fire with sparklers in the Sandy Pines Trailer Park off Route 3, near Fort Drum and the Jefferson County town of Rutland. The blaze then spread into the yard and reached the abandoned trailer and two sheds.

The Felts Mills Fire Department told the publication that the trailer was a "total loss" and melted the side of another trailer, but no injuries were reported.

The boy's name is being withheld because qualifies for juvenile offender status, according to the Times. He's scheduled to appear in family court Aug. 8.David Muir is praising his Syracuse roots, including longtime Central New York broadcaster Ron Curtis, in a new interview.

The "World News Tonight" anchor appears in a cover story for Broadcasting & Cable magazine's July 30 issue where he reflects on his career. Muir has slowly grown ABC's audience since taking over the anchor chair from Diane Sawyer in 2014, beating NBC's Lester Holt and CBS' Jeff Glor across the board in the latest ratings.

According to Nielsen Media Research, Muir averaged 7.874 million viewers for the week of July 23, with 1.603 million among adults ages 25-54 and 1.104 million among adults ages 18-49. That's good enough for No. 1 in all three categories as "World News Tonight" is the only evening newscast to grow in year-over-year total audiences and the target demographic of adults 25-54.

Muir also won the July 2018 sweeps period, marking the second year in a row that "World News Tonight" won all four sweeps. ABC last saw such high ratings more than two decades ago, when Peter Jennings was anchor.

It all started back when Muir was a young child and he'd opt to watch the evening news rather than play with his friends outside. He told B&C that he wrote a letter to Curtis, his favorite anchor and "the Walter Cronkite of my town," when he was 12 years old.

Ron Curtis is pictured at the WTVH 5 studio in 1998.

Muir got his first internship at WTVH, now part of CNY Central, a year later. He knew early on that he wanted to be a broadcaster, even if it meant doing less glamorous work than being on-air at first.

"I was carrying the tripod and ripping the scripts when we had like 5-ply paper for the anchors, and fetching their Cokes out of the Coke machine," Muir told the magazine.

"I vividly remember getting in those news cruisers on James Street in Syracuse and going out to the severe storms in Oswego County or the Syracuse Common Council meetings. I would get in the back of that cruiser whenever they would let me go. I think back to being the kid in the back of that car and I'm grateful to those photographers and reporters for allowing me to come along for the ride. That's why we have people here almost every night, watching the news -- generally young people who reach out to me. Because I remember they did that for me and it made all the difference."

According to the industry publication, which focuses on the business of television, Muir said he also liked telling stories and the idea of seeing the world. In recent years, he's traveled to cover the Fidel Castro's death in Cuba, Syrian refugees in Jordan, and how the 2016 election would affect Guantanamo Bay.

But he also never forgets where he came from.

"I love going home. I still check Syracuse.com during the day," he told B&C.

Muir was born in Syracuse and graduated from Onondaga Central High School and Ithaca College. He got his start at WTVH before joining ABC in New York, eventually becoming anchor of "World News Tonight" and co-anchor of "20/20."

Ron Curtis died of cancer in 2001, a year after he retired following 41 years on WTVH (Channel 5) in Syracuse. The station merged with WSTM (Channel 3) in 2009 and became what is now CNY Central.A former child star and Fox News host is lashing out a New York country club, claiming she can't get a table for dinner because of President Donald Trump.

Melissa Francis is causing a stir with tweets attacking the Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, N.Y., claiming the posh Westchester County establishment is refusing to seat her and her family despite being members.

"So excited to have @tony4ny tomorrow on @AftertheBell - happy you're in NYC even if Siwanoy shuns my family yet again," she tweeted Sunday, referring an interview with Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Treasury Tony Sayegh. "They must prefer @CNN v @FoxNews."

"We are member (sic) of Siwanoy Bronxville but somehow, they can't fit us in for dinner. Repeatedly. I'm sure it's a coincidence and not something more. Right? #NeverTrumpers #cnn #HillaryForever?"

The Daily Mail reports the 45-year-old host of "After the Bell" on the Fox Business Network has since deleted the tweets after being criticized for complaining about alleged discrimination at a posh country club.

According to Mediaite, the club -- located "a short Lincoln Towncar-ride from Midtown Manhattan" -- declined to comment on her alleged table-banning.

Other restaurants have made national headlines for allegedly refusing to seat Trump supporters and members of the Trump administration over the president's politics. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she was asked to leave a small restaurant in Virginia last month.

Francis was recently named co-host of "Outnumbered" on Fox News, which has been frequently praised by Trump while he calls other networks, including CNN, "fake news." Francis' Twitter account says she's "Not a member of any party," but her tweets suggested she's a Trump supporter.

Adweek reports Francis was previously a co-anchor for financial news on CNBC. The mom-of-three, who is married to Sightway Capital's Chief Investment Officer Wray Thorn, joined Fox in 2012.

She got her start as an actress, appearing in TV commercials when she was as young as 6 months old and playing Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on the "Little House on the Prairie." She also appeared on "Mork & Mindy" with Robin Williams and wrote two books about her acting career, "Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter" and "Lessons from the Prairie."WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump called Wednesday for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to put an end to special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, a day after Trump's former campaign chairman went on trial.

Taking to Twitter to complain about the ongoing Russia investigation, Trump said Sessions "should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further."

The relationship between Sessions and the president has been strained for more than a year, since the attorney general recused himself from investigations relating to the 2016 election because of Sessions' role on the Trump campaign. Mueller's team is accountable to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Tuesday marked the first day of Paul Manafort's trial on charges of tax evasion and bank fraud brought by Mueller's team, charges that stemmed from Manafort's consulting work for Ukraine, for which he allegedly received millions he did not report to the U.S. government.

Seeking to distance himself from his ex-campaign chairman, Trump said, "He worked for me for a very short time."

But Manafort's involvement in the Trump campaign spanned six months, and he led efforts to secure the GOP nomination for Trump in 2016.

Trump said the charges against Manafort "have nothing to do with Collusion." Potential coordination between Russian government agents and the Trump campaign is still a matter of investigation by Mueller's team, which is also investigating potential obstruction of justice by the president. Trump called claims of collusion "a Hoax."

In another tweet, Trump claimed Al Capone was treated better than Manafort.An ex-English teacher who has recently confessed to sexual assault on children has also claimed that she once attended Cambridge University.

Carole Clarke, 46, from North East Lincolnshire, faces jail after confessing to a number of serious sexual assaults against girls and boys aged between four and seven.

Clarke worked from October 2003 to April 2007 as a part-time tutor for mature students at Franklin College in Grimsby as well as teaching adults from home.

The ex-tutor said that she was a student at Cambridge University before dropping out and having a breakdown.

Clarke was due to go on trial at Grimsby Crown Court last Tuesday 6th October. Before the trial could take place however, she confessed to a charge of following children into public lavatories as well as communal showers on caravan sites and sexually assaulting them.

Clarke was arrested in January of this year after some mental health teams, from whom she had sought help, alerted police of their suspicions. Some of her offences, however, date back as far as 1992. She admitted to two counts of indecent assault on a child around June 1992 as well as three allegations of sexual assault on a girl younger than 13 during or before August of last year.

The assaults took place in and around Clarkes home town of Grimsby. One occurred in the public lavatory in Grimsbys Market Hall, with two others occurring in public lavatories in Woodhall Spa. She denied another six counts of sexual assault. These accusations will remain on file but will not be pursued by the Crown Prosecution Service.

It is unknown how many assaults Clarke has committed since, or even before, 1992. The ex-teacher herself informed the police that she had committed at least 100 assaults on a small number of children, although whether this is true or not has yet to be established.

Recently another female paedophile, the nursery worker Vanessa George, was convicted of sexual abuse against children in her care. George, 39, a mother of two, from Plymouth, formed a paedophile ring with two friends, Colin Blanchard, 38, and Angela Allen, 39, who she had met on the social networking site Facebook.. The gang, who had in fact never met in person until their court appearance, carried out a series of horrific sex attacks on young children as well as exchanging images over the internet.

Humberside Police, who are dealing with Clarkes case, were, however, keen to reassure parents who might be worried about their children. Detective Sergeant Stewart Watson stated that predatory paedophiles, such as Carole Clarke, are rare. Watson further stated that Only about five per cent (of abuse cases involving pre-pubescent children in the UK) are thought to involve a woman acting alone.

However, these cases have emphasised the often neglected fact that women can be abusers too. As Watson stated, There are still those members of the general public, and even some experts, who still ignore womens capacity for sexual abuse. Thankfully, education is challenging these beliefs.

Carole Clarke is due to be sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court on December 14.

Beatrice Ramsay  News ReporterThrough the looking glass: Google has had several run-ins with the Chinese government and is finally caving to demands for a heavily restricted search engine. Project Dragonfly by Google is a custom censored search engine that makes oppression easier than ever before.

China has some of the harshest laws that tech companies must comply with or face being banned from operating in the country. Google has been making a series of strategic investments into Chinese businesses as a way to indirectly gain access to one of the world's largest markets, but now may be taking a more direct approach.

Arriving under codename Dragonfly, Google is believed to be working on a search engine specifically for China that will be heavily censored. Search results will not include links to sites focusing on democracy, religion, human rights, or protests in addition to an array of other forbidden topics. Notable banned websites include BBC News and Wikipedia.

Any search terms or site that goes against the views of Chinese officials is subject to being removed from search results.

Two custom Android apps have already been created and demonstrated to the Chinese government under names Maotai and Longfei. A launch within the next six to nine months is expected contingent upon government approval.

Google has been heavily restricted in China since 2010. The Great Firewall has been used to completely block access to Google Search across the country except in Hong Kong, which operates as an independent region and is not subject to the same censorship laws.

According to the source that leaked internal documents about project Dragonfly, only a few hundred people at Google previously knew about the censored search engine being created. Whether or not tech companies should enable censorship and the following oppression of a nation's people is open to debate.

It certainly makes financial sense for Google to want a piece of the Chinese market in a more direct fashion, but its previous policy of "Don't Be Evil" may have been completely forgotten for this project. At just over 750 million internet users, China itself is nearly as valuable as all of Europe.

When Google pulled out of China in 2010, co-founder Sergey Brin voiced strong objections to any form of censorship having been born in the Soviet Union. Knowing the personal effects that censorship can leave behind, Brin hoped to see a "more open internet," instead of allowing information to be withheld.In brief: France has fulfilled a promise by President Emmanuel Macron to ban smartphone usage among students for the upcoming academic year. Some lawmakers, however, are calling it a publicity stunt that will change nothing.

French lawmakers this week passed legislation thatll ban the use of smartphones and tablets by students when school starts back in September.

The ban, which will apply to pupils up to the age of 15, is designed to send a message to French society according to Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer. Mobile phones are a technological advance but they cannot monopolize our lives, Blanquer previously told LCI news TV channel.

French high schools will be able to decide on an individual basis whether to impose a partial or total ban on connected devices. Exceptions to the law may be made for educational use, extracurricular activities and for students with disabilities.

An earlier law passed in 2010 prohibits students from using smartphones during class but not between classes or during meal times.

According to the Agence France-Presse, nearly nine in 10 French teens between the ages of 12 and 17 own a smartphone.

Its unclear exactly how schools will enforce the new restrictions as students will still be allowed to bring devices with them to school, they just cant use them at any time during the school day.

Lead image via Alamy Stock Photo"These initiatives are doomed to failure since they were never authentic," Cuba's Communist Party Secretary of Ideology Rogelio Polanco stated. | Read MoreClose Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

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Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.The banking royal commission has shown that Australia should not water down its continuous disclosure regime to make it easier for listed companies to avoid class actions, according to the countrys biggest class action outfit.

Maurice Blackburn said in a lengthy submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission review of how class actions are funded that powerful business interests were pushing to change when and how a company reported bad news to the investors.

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It is hard to look at the litany of corporate misconduct issues coming out of the Banking Royal Commission and conclude that the way to instil greater integrity in the market is to demand lower disclosure standards from corporate Australia, Maurice Blackburn class action principal lawyer Julian Schimmel said.

Reports by defendant law firms have pointed to a drastic increase in shareholder class actions in recent years. Those reports tend to count all mooted class actions not just the ones which are filed.The World Goes On, by Laszlo Krasznahorkai.

Since winning the Man Booker International in 2015 for the beautiful Seiobo There Below, Laszlo Krasznahorkai has had a surge in readership in the Anglosphere, for which he is quick to credit the talent and creativity of his translators, George Szirtes, John Batki and Ottilie Mulzet.

But there is no doubt the power of Krasznahorkai's work springs from its source in his Hungarian mother tongue, in which the performative and sidereal qualities of his prose have long flourished and out of which his mesmeric powers of entrainment have now spread around the globe.

Krasznahorkai's renditions of the interior music of individual consciousness have been particularly welcomed by readers in English, due perhaps to the fact that, until the recent rise of neo-modernist writers such as Eimear McBride and our own Jack Cox, the work of most well-known contemporary prose stylists in English seemed to deal with externalised, imagistic, even positivist world views.

This seems clear when a Julian Barnes or Zadie Smith, or even the selfie-lit of Karl Ove Knausgaard or Elena Ferrante in translation, is compared with Krasznahorkai's sinuous, reflexive, and truly phenomenological prose. Thus even among the theatrics of his preoccupations with apocalypse and spiritual alienation Krasznahorkai's brilliance has come on the scene like light itself.Marcello Fonte in Dogman.

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

DOGMAN

Matteo Garrone (102 minutes)

It's a dog-eat-dog world on the dusty outer fringes of Rome, where pawnbrokers and pool sharks eke out meagre livings sufficiently threatened by the local heavy, Simone (Edoardo Pesce), for these mangy human mutts to discuss hiring a gunman to get rid of him.

Simones monstrous lard-arse is saved one more time by Marcello (Marcello Fonte: revelatory), a local dog-groomer who can whisper any Rottweiler into fluffy submission but cringes helplessly before Simones pack-leader dominance.

What draws little Marcello repeatedly back to bully Simone is the films central conundrum, explicitly echoing Italys wider relationship with its well-connected criminals.Police do not have the power to enter a person's house without permission to arrest them without warrant on a breach of bail, an ACT Supreme Court judge has ruled.

The ruling came after police appealed the earlier decision of a magistrate, who had found for the arrested person and dismissed a charge against her that had been laid after she had resisted her arrest.

Police do not have the power to enter a person's home and arrest them on a breach of bail without warrant, a judge has ruled.

The police were not lawfully exercising their functions when they were inside the house and so the offence was not made out, the magistrate found.

The charges had stemmed from an incident on March 26, 2017, when two police officers went to the home of Valentina Thomson to arrest her for an alleged breach of bail.A man has been killed and another was seriously injured after a head-on crash on the M1 Pacific Motorway on the Central Coast on Thursday morning.

It's believed a sedan, travelling in the wrong direction on a southbound section of the motorway, and a ute collided near Sparks Road, at Warnervale, about 4.30am.

The 72-year-old driver of the sedan died at the scene, police said.

The 26-year-old male driver of the ute suffered serious abdominal injuries and was rushed to Gosford Hospital in a stable condition.There was something unusual about the character of Anthony Dante Castagna, the NSW Supreme Court heard on Wednesday.

The finance professor, former Macquarie Bank consultant and developer of a $1 billion security software company was renowned for his integrity and generosity.

But this was the same man who cheated the taxpayer of $2.6 million, squirelling away income in Vanuatu bank accounts, only to receive it back in the form of false loan repayments.

I dont know what to make of it, Justice Christine Adamson said of the contrast between his character references and his actions.An 11-year-old boy is in a critical condition after being hit by a car in the Brisbane suburb of Ashgrove on Wednesday afternoon.

Queensland Police said at 4pm the Ashgrove boy was crossing Waterworks Road west of Fulcher Road when he was struck by a black Ford Ranger travelling east.

The boy was rushed to the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in a critical condition.

The male driver of the car was not injured, and the Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.

Police were appealing for witnesses to the incident.A group of residents who called for Brisbane City Council to investigate a noisy childcare centre have been told "you cant regulate children playing.

At Tuesdays Lifestyle and Community Services committee, the council discussed a 39-signature petition calling for the noise coming from a childcare centre on Sandgate Road, Clayfield, to be investigated.

Brisbane City Council has told petitioners who called for an investigation into a noisy child-care centre that noise from childrens voices and playing does not meet the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The background to the petition said the council had received a previous complaint about noise from the centre on July 26, 2017, and had assessed the noise twice over a nine-day period in August.

The assessment and monitoring determined the noise did not meet the definition of an unlawful environmental nuisance, the petition said.In the stores of the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in Canberra sit precious recordings of Victorian Aboriginal songs and language.

They were taped on the machines of the 1960s by linguist-ethnographer Luise Hercus. At the time, Luise refused to listen to those who told her that the languages of south-eastern Australia were long lost and forgotten. She believed that the Aboriginal communities of the post-war period were more than merely "remnants" of a disappearing people and was determined to track down anyone with even the scantest memory or knowledge of the various Victorian Aboriginal languages.

Arrernte man Bingee Lowe and Luise Hercus on the edge of the Simpson Desert in 1997.

Born in Munich in 1926 into a middle-class Jewish family of merchants and intellectuals, Luise Anna Schwarzschild and her family fled Germany for London in 1936. In the United Kingdom, she finished her schooling and won a scholarship to Oxford at 17. She read Modern Languages and Oriental Studies and was later appointed as a tutor at St Anne's College Oxford after completing her MA.

Aged 28, she moved to Australia and came to reside in Mooroolbark. Often within limited or no funding, Luise worked tirelessly to record those that remembered their ancestral languages.Two men have faced court accused of shooting at a tattoo parlour owned by former Richmond hardman Jake King and linked to notorious underworld figure Toby Mitchell.

The appearances came hours after police arrested three men when the Echo Taskforce executed warrants at residential properties in Dallas and Meadow Heights about 5am on Wednesday.

Police charged a Dallas man and a Meadow Heights man, both 25, with discharging a firearm at premises, using a firearm in a public place, reckless conduct endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, using a firearm in the commission of an indictable offence, using an unregistered handgun, theft of motor vehicle, fraudulently using registration plate and arson.

A 23-year-old Dallas man was released pending further enquiries.The overhaul followed a long-running campaign by United Voice, the union representing cleaners. While new cleaning standards have been introduced, principals say the hours of cleaning they receive has been significantly reduced under the new arrangements, which came into effect in July. One Melbourne school has lost 500 hours of cleaning a year. Ian Sloane said some areas at Mitcham Primary School were not being cleaned properly. Credit:Joe Armao Mitcham Primary School principal Ian Sloane said some areas of his school were not being cleaned properly in the wake of the changes.

Drinking troughs are meant to be cleaned, but they havent been," he said. "They have accumulated leaves and sand and grime. Cobwebs haven't been cleaned. The performing arts centre is dirty, there is mud on the floor. Ive had to sweep it out. Loading But Education Minister James Merlino defended the changes, saying they ensured cleaners were paid properly for their vital work. These reforms were put into place after multiple investigations found vulnerable staff were being underpaid and mistreated in this industry and we needed to fix it. We have no tolerance for the underpayment or mistreatment of staff, Mr Merlino said.

He said the companies awarded the contracts had to meet new cleaning standards, which were created in consultation with principals and school business managers. The service providers must meet these standards and must allocate sufficient resources to do so. Loading It is understood the government has increased overall funding for school cleaning as part of the changes, but the size of the increase is not known. Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals president Sue Bell said one Melbourne principal had resorted to cleaning her school toilets herself.

"She didn't want her children using an unclean toilet," she said. "It's wrong." She said most schools had seen a reduction in their cleaning hours and some had been assigned inexperienced cleaners. Illustration: Matt Golding "Its a tumultuous time of change and the cleanliness of the school is the victim," she said. Berwick Lodge Primary School principal Henry Grossek said his cleaners were working flat out, but it was impossible for them to thoroughly clean his school during the hours they were employed.

His cleaning hours have been reduced by 10 hours a week, or 500 hours over the school year. Staff and parents have noticed the decline in cleaning standard this term and are horrified, he said. An uncleaned sink at a Melbourne school. The Oppositions assistant small business spokesman, Michael Gidley, said the changes were having a detrimental impact" on schools. He recently visited schools in his Mount Waverley electorate and ran his hand across carpets and skirting boards.

There was dirt and grime, he said. Cobwebs, dust and dirt accumulating on a school door. To think that our kids are being educated in this environment as a consequence of this decision is really worrying. Loading Mr Gidley said while it was unacceptable for cleaners to be underpaid, the government's knee-jerk reaction had punished many cleaning companies who'd done nothing wrong.Toilets so dirty that children endure the discomfort of holding on rather than using the amenities. Overflowing rubbish bins. Filthy and clogged drinking fountains. Classrooms with mud on the floor, grime

on the furniture, dust on the windows and cobwebs in the corners. A school principal having to sweep out a performing arts centre.

These are not tales of neglect in schools in an impoverished land. They are details reported by horrified parents of children in schools in one of the worlds most prosperous cities, Melbourne. In a classic case of unintended consequences, the Victorian government has sought to fix a problem but has merely turned a second-rate situation into a first-class mess. The genesis is wage fraud by cleaning contractors. The evolution is that enforcing payment of legal wages has led to an undue cutback in the amount of cleaning and maintenance schools receive.

Out of order: A clogged school drinking fountain.

Investigations by The Age have revealed widespread underpayment of workers  many of them students and immigrants  in some of the lowest-paid areas, including retailing, franchising and cleaning.

It is self-evident that children should have a safe, clean, fresh and stimulating school environment; that they are being deprived of this as a result of cost cutting; and the solution is to invest in the services all our schools deserve.

The kids can help at the margins, and gain some civic sensibilities, by, for example, picking up rubbish. But proper, hygienic cleaning should be provided by professionals.A Bangladeshi national came to Australia to kill for Islamic State and stabbed a Melbourne man in the neck while he slept next to his daughter because he was an "easy target", according to court documents.

Momena Shoma, 25, admitted to police she stabbed Roger Singaravelu in his Mill Park home on the afternoon of February 9, having moved into his family's home the night before to lodge while she studied at La Trobe University.

In a statement to police Mr Singaravelu said his attacker wore a burqa and repeatedly said "Allah Akbar" as she pushed the knife into him, until he wrestled the blade off her and dashed out of the room with his five-year-old, even as blood sprayed out of his neck "like a fountain".

The day after the stabbing, Ms Shoma told police she attacked Mr Singaravelu with a kitchen knife "because of, ah, the order of the Islamic state", according to a record of interview.Two teen boys are fighting for their lives after a BMW mounted a traffic island and struck three boys who waiting to cross the road in Perth's east on Tuesday evening.

Two teen boys are in hospital in a critical condition after the crash. Credit:Quentin Jones QCJ

Police spokeswoman Susan Usher said about 6:30pm three boys were waiting to cross Farrell Road in Midvale when the blue SUV mounted the traffic island just before the Jenark Way intersection and struck the three teens.

Two boys, aged 15 and 16, from Swan View were rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries. A 12-year-old boy, also from Swan View, escaped unharmed.

The 48-year-old Jane Brook driver of the BMW was not injured. Major crash officers are keen to speak to the people inside a dark coloured ute who are believed to have stopped the BMW on Orchid Avenue in Midvale.Chief Minister Andrew Barr has rejected suggestions ACT Labor politicians or staffers were involved in the circulation of a dirtsheet about a candidate for preselection, in a heated exchange during question time.

ACT Labor is embroiled in the nastiest preselection battle in decades, with the party tearing itself apart over the third lower house seat created in the centre of Canberra.

Two dirtsheets were circulated about Labor preselection candidate Kel Watt.

Personal allegations against preselection candidate Kel Watt were sent to females members of the party and later some ACT MLAs.

The flyer has been referred to police and the party's membership database has been locked down amid an internal investigation.There can be no doubt that Malcolm Turnbull feels - even if he won't readily admit it - that Bill Shorten has clearly bettered him, both in the last election and now in the Longman byelection.

This has been evident in Turnbulls responses. In rationalising the electoral outcomes, Turnbull attacked Shorten for running a Mediscare campaign in the federal election and for lying about health cuts in Longman. But these responses fail to recognise how Shorten was able to do this: how he was left with the opportunity and the financial and manpower capacity (mostly via the unions and the likes of Get Up) to scare and lie and get away with it.

Malcolm Turnbull addresses the media in Sydney on Sunday. Credit:Brook Mitchell

If Turnbull wants to win the next election, he needs to tackle Shorten's ability to finance such campaigns - and his capacity to sell them to the public.The Queensland Governments plan to dump poor old Lady Cilento from the hospital that bears her name is a folly, and you shouldnt fall for it.

Its bad politics, flies in the face of a national policy rethink to acknowledge the contribution of women, and even smells a bit like sour grapes.

Labor didnt get the Terry Mackenroth stand up at Suncorp Stadium (which it should have), so why should the LNP get to keep their Lady Cilento sign towering over the states public childrens hospital?

Because two wrongs dont make a right.

Because taxpayers dont deserve to cop a massive bill for an unnecessary and rash rethink that can be addressed in myriad other ways.Almost half the 260 koalas shifted to make way for a Gold Coast shopping centre between 2008 and 2014, along with half those that remained in the fragmented bushland around Coomera Town Centre, are dead.

This was confirmed in Queenslands budget estimates hearings on Wednesday, when opposition environment spokesman David Crisafulli questioned Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch about koala deaths in what is described as Queenslands largest-ever koala translocation project.

Queensland Minister for Environment, Great Barrier Reef, Science and the Arts, Leeanne Enoch (right) listens to advice from Jamie Merrick, the Director-General of the Department of Environment and Science, during a budget estimates committee hearing at Parliament House in Brisbane. Credit:AAP

Queenslands koala translocation policy means the animals are shifted from koala habitat to other bushland when land is needed for development, instead of planning alternatives.

The government issued scientific permits and koalas were sedated to allow them to be shifted.WA Opposition Leader Mike Nahan has issued a "personal explanation" in an attempt to clarify the nature of his dispute with the United States tax office.

WA Opposition Leader Mike Nahan has issued a personal statement clarifying the nature of his tax dispute with the US government. Credit:Trevor Collens

Dr Nahan revealed on Tuesday he was in a stoush with the US Internal Revenue Service.

On Wednesday, as state Liberals gathered in Joondalup for their parliamentary party's annual Winter Conference, he said he wanted to explain that he did not have a tax debt.

Rather, he had been affected by a change to US law which attempted to tax income earned by dual citizens in Australian superannuation funds.Durango: It began with a strong burst of wind and pounding hail that pummelled the Aeromexico jetliner minutes after takeoff in northern Mexico, then sent it smashing belly-down onto a field near the runway.

Frightened passengers scrambled to flee as flames and black smoke erupted around them. Miraculously, all 103 on board survived the crash Tuesday.

On Wednesday, passengers described the terrifying sequence of events.

"It's not every day you kind of fall from the sky and live to tell about it," said Alberto Herrera, a 35-year-old webpage engineer from Chicago.Retail Sales Up Year-Over-Year

Best Tucson July Sales Ever

Elantra Sales Up 4 Percent; 13,753 Units Sold

Veloster Up 13 Percent

Sales of the All-New 2019 Santa Fe Started in July

Fleet Sales Under 5 Percent for the Month



FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Aug. 1, 2018  Hyundai Motor America reported July sales of Hyundai- and Genesis-branded vehicles of 51,752 units, a 4 percent decline in comparison with July 2017. Retail sales for the month were up slightly, while fleet deliveries were down 51 percent compared with last year and less than 5 percent of total volume.



Sales by Brand

Jul-18 Jul-17 2018 YTD 2017 YTD Hyundai 51,137 52,419 378,923 388,878 Genesis 615 ' 1,644 7,877 11,545 TOTAL 51,752 54,063 386,800 400,423

Hyundai Brand Highlights

Both Hyundai SUV and car models achieved gains for the month. The reimagined SUV portfolio continues to gain traction as Tucson set its 17th consecutive monthly sales record with a 1 percent improvement compared with last year. Kona sales again exceeded 4,000 units as it continues to turn quickly and gain market share in the growing entry SUV segment. Rounding out the SUVs, sales of the all-new 2019 Santa Fe began in the month. The completely redesigned model offers consumers an all-new family-oriented interior, practical cutting-edge technologies and bold exterior looks.

In the car segments, Elantra sales were up 4 percent and the all-new Veloster, which was recently reviewed by Larry Nutson in The Auto Channel Here, drove increased demand with sales up 13 percent.

We are pleased that Hyundai retail sales were up slightly year-over-year despite two less selling days and one less sales weekend, in an industry we anticipate will be down for the month, said John Angevine, director, National Sales, Hyundai Motor America. SUV mix has taken hold at nearly 50 percent of our volume and we expect that number to increase as inventory of Santa Fe hits dealers in bigger numbers.



July Product and Corporate Activities

Amazon Digital Showroom: Car buyers can now compare pricing and reviews, book test drives, check dealer inventories and take advantage of other Hyundai Shopper Assurance conveniences directly through Amazon Vehicles on the newly launched digital showroom.

Car buyers can now compare pricing and reviews, book test drives, check dealer inventories and take advantage of other Hyundai Shopper Assurance conveniences directly through Amazon Vehicles on the newly launched digital showroom. Hyundai CRADLE Investment in Ionic Materials: Hyundai CRADLE, Hyundai Motor Companys corporate venturing business, invested in Ionic Materials to advance the development of battery technology and improve EV performance with solid-state battery innovation.

Hyundai CRADLE, Hyundai Motor Companys corporate venturing business, invested in Ionic Materials to advance the development of battery technology and improve EV performance with solid-state battery innovation. Kona Iron Man Edition: In Marvels booth at 2018 San Diego Comic-Con, Hyundai unveiled the Kona Iron Man Edition and announced its consumer availability in early 2019.

In Marvels booth at 2018 San Diego Comic-Con, Hyundai unveiled the Kona Iron Man Edition and announced its consumer availability in early 2019. Sonata Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) Pricing: The refreshed 2018 Hyundai Sonata PHEV delivers 28 miles of all-electric range and enhanced features, all at a lower starting price.

The refreshed 2018 Hyundai Sonata PHEV delivers 28 miles of all-electric range and enhanced features, all at a lower starting price. Outfest Sponsorship: Hyundai was the automotive sponsor of this years Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, an event that promotes LGBTQ equality by creating, sharing and protecting LGBTQ stories on the screen.

Hyundai was the automotive sponsor of this years Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, an event that promotes LGBTQ equality by creating, sharing and protecting LGBTQ stories on the screen. Le Fil Rouge Concept Displayed at Concours d'Elegance of America: Hyundai showcased its Le Fil Rouge concept at the 40th Annual Concours dElegance of America in Plymouth, Michigan. The concept car introduces Hyundais new Sensuous Sportiness design theme, which will appear on all future Hyundai vehicles, ranging from sedans to SUVs.



Hyundai Model Sales

Vehicle Jul-18 Jul-17 2018 YTD 2017 YTD Accent 1,873 2,115 16,698 34,630 Azera 14 233 626 2,025 Elantra 13,753 13,287 113,481 113,539 Ioniq 1,198 1,252 9,797 6,133 Kona 4,173 0 19,366 0 Santa Fe 8,275 12,749 67,460 72,761 Sonata 9,548 10,648 63,783 86,963 Tucson 11,360 11,257 81,309 62,964 Veloster 943 831 6,402 8,823

Genesis Brand Highlights

Genesis Motor America reported sales of 615 in July, a 63 percent decrease compared with the year prior.

In the month of July, Genesis was ranked highest in J.D. Powers U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study among all brands. With a score of 884, Genesis placed first in the APEAL rankings. Earlier this year, J.D. Power separately recognized Genesis with the highest honors in its Initial Quality Study (IQS).

Simultaneously, in early July, Genesis introduced the 2019 G70 sport sedan to U.S. media, ahead of the consumer launch of G70 later this summer.

Genesis Model Sales

Vehicle Jul-18 Jul-17 2018 YTD 2017 YTD G80 498 1,339 6,144 8,987 G90 117 305 1,733 2,558

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America is focused on delivering an outstanding customer experience grounded in design leadership, engineering excellence and exceptional value in every vehicle we sell. Hyundais technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assuranceour promise to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide and the majority sold in the U.S. are built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.Humanizing Automated Vehicles  Allowing for the Jerk Response







SEE ALSO: TACH Autonomous Vehicle Library - Opinion, News, Video, Images and 'Splaining

SEE ALSO: Autonomous Driving May Kill The Automobile Industry And Our Freedom Of Mobility

SEE ALSO: Why Driving Matters: Lutz, Hagerty, Carini Debate Future of Driving at Inaugural Hagerty Town Hall +VIDEO(1 Hour 11 Minutes)

CAR Management Briefing Seminar Report

From Martha Hindes

Senior Editor

Michigan Bureau

The Auto Channel

Traverse City MI August 1, 2018 -- If anything is becoming clear at the 15th annual CAR Management Briefing Seminar at Traverse City, Michigan, it's that nothing is clear at all. And it's likely not to settle down for at least a few decades. That, of course, relates to our driving future and whether the next few generations of Americans might still relish getting a drivers license at age 16 or whether the whole concept will feel like a bit of past history that would seem amusing if it werent so antiquated.

Whats emerged at the annual vehicle industry self-examination held each summer in Traverse City, Michigan, is a sense that someone had expected to set off a 4th of July sparkler and discovered instead that it was a multi-layered firework that keeps on spewing additional patterns of complex explosions with no evidence they will stop. Every time a new problem or concern about those Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) or so-called self driving vehicles governed by Artificial Intelligence (IT) the auto industry is rushing into developing appears to point to a potential solution in progress, something else comes along to disrupt any sense of security.

Take issues facing the vehicle industry now. Whether it's a supplier earning less than a billion dollars a year finding that survival means being acquired or the uncertainty of whether to make a vehicle dashboard essentially one wide computer screen, every possible aspect of designing, engineering, manufacturing and ultimately finding the perfect user for one's product is at best becoming a global crap shoot. And adding the element of autonomy magnifies that exponentially.

Take for example an intersection with people walking, cars turning and someone in another car running a stop light at exactly the wrong time. In real-life human-to-human reactions, one driver will wave the walkers to finish crossing the street, while another will stop and let the traffic light violator continue so an accident is avoided. Thats allowing for the jerk response, according to Dr. Marteen Sierhaus, keynote speaker at Wednesdays session.

A 12-year veteran of NASA, where he created computer language to communicate with the International Space Station and developed an autonomous system for interacting with spacewalking astronauts, he now leads autonomous vehicle researchers at Nissan in California. Dr. Sierhaus knows well the foibles of how human beings function and their unpredictability.

While traffic laws should be able to resolve such issues, that simply doesnt happen, he says. And a lot of that varies with location, sometimes in an area of just a few blocks and the local culture. All provide variants of what Artificial Intelligence will need to learn to take the technology beyond the development stage and into a practical reality where no humans are collateral damage as it evolves.

In Amsterdam bicyclists rule. In San Francisco pedestrians rule, he says.

Learning to react as a human would is only one of the challenges for AI. Every conceivable aspect is being explored for a time a human can get into the drivers seat  of what used to be a drivers seat  and feel comfortable in knowing it will do all the work, safely and efficiently without feeling there is impending disaster. Adding yet another traffic fatality is exactly what self driving vehicles are being designed to avoid. Instead, it should be seamless autonomous mobility, with much of the AI function to coordinate human-robot teamwork now being developed in the cloud. Thats one of necessary steps for people to start accepting the concept of driverless cars.

Part of development is having systems learn the fine points of human reactions, such as how long a person will wait for the car in front to move before honking the horn. Training an AV when to honk is only one of the aspects of humanizing the technology.

Some unanswered questions:

Who is responsible in the event of an accident, the non-human driver or the vehicle manufacturer?

Whose insurance would cover an accident, or who would be responsible for an injury that (unlike the woman in Arizona killed during a Tesla test phase) actually was in total control of the vehicle? At Nissan the test policy is eyes on, hands free (of steering wheel), then eyes off, hands free as they learn.

Do car buyers actually care about the technology controlling what they drive, or do they want what works for them with all the bells and whistles while the vehicle does the work?

When will infrastructure catch up with the changes necessary to keep self driving safe and predictable so a car following a lane marker doesnt mistakenly read a road repair strip instead? Dont expect a quick answer, according to Dr. Sierhuis. The last thing to change is the infrastructure.

Among potential things to ask is a favorite of mine I havent heard anyone address yet: Who gets the ticket if an AV in true human fashion runs a red light?

Copyright 2018, Martha Hindes, Automotive Bureau, All Rights ReservedIllinois State Capitol building. Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

First-term Illinois state representative Nick Sauer has been accused by an ex-girlfriend of making a fake Instagram account with nude photos of her in order to catfish men.

Politico obtained a complaint filed by Sauers ex, Kate Kelly, with the Office of the Legislative Inspector General. In it, Kelly accuses Sauer of using the fake Instagram account to to catfish other men using my privately shared naked photos. Nick would use this account to direct message men with my photos to engage in graphic conversations of a sexual nature. The men believed they were communicating with me and Nick shared private details of my life.

Kelly told Politico that she and Sauer started dating long-distance in 2016, after matching on Tinder. She said she moved from California to Chicago to be closer to him, but that they broke up in March 2018 when she found out he was dating other women.

After a brief reconciliation attempt, the two separated again, and in July, a man reached out to Kelly on Instagram to tell her that he had been communicating for four months with someone pretending to be her.

In her complaint, Kelly says her employer helped her try to figure out how long the fake account had been active, and that they determined Sauer started it shortly after they started dating. She also claimed Sauer admitted to setting up the account, writing in the complaint that he came to my house & confessed to catfishing men with my photos for 2 years to at least 8 men. He was unable to provide the names and begged that I let it go.

Instagram has since taken down the account.

So far, no charges have been pressed against Sauer, who is a member of the state House Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Task Force, and faces reelection in November.

Updated, 08/01/2018, 2:35 p.m.:

Illinois State House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said in a statement on Wednesday that Sauer would be resigning from his seat following the troubling allegations against him, the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

The allegations that have come forth against Rep. Nick Sauer are troubling, Durkin wrote in an email. He will be resigning from office Wednesday. We should allow the proper authorities to conduct their investigations.

Illinois governor Bruce Rauner also called for Sauers resignation on Wednesday, and said, Thats the right thing for him to do.Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage

Meghan Markles father is not only a thorn in the duchess of Sussexs side  hes also become a major headache for the entire Palace, which is reportedly holding emergency meetings about Thomas Markle Sr.s proclivity for talking to the British press.

The Mirror reports that the palace has held at least three of these top-level crisis meetings about how to stop Markle Sr. from creating incessant drama for his daughter. Since Markle wed Prince Harry on May 19, Markle Sr. has suggested that his daughter is miserable, criticized her attitude, and even tried to pick a fight with the queen. For the most part, Markle has remained relatively mum, as she reportedly cant comment on the drama herself, but that doesnt mean that the royals are ignoring the tedious media spectacle that is Markle Sr.

According to a source who spoke to the Mirror, there are three options that Markle could consider in order to shut up her father: contact him straight away and appeal to him directly to ask him to stop hurting her, have an intermediary meet with him, or cut him off completely. As of now, Meghan has reportedly chosen the third of these, but that situation could change, depending on any deranged interview Markle Sr. may decide to give in the future. All that matters to the Palace, at this point, is that the duchess of Sussex is happy.

Meghan is deeply hurt by what is happening, the source said, and everything is being done behind-the-scenes to make sure her welfare is at the top of the agenda.Tommy Robinson is escorted by police during a protest on April 1, 2017 in London, England. (Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

Anti-Islamic Campaigner Tommy Robinson Released From Prison

LONDONEnglish Anti-Islamic campaigner Tommy Robinson is free after a jail sentence handed to him for live-streaming outside the trial of a grooming gang was quashed.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley, originally pleaded guilty to contempt of courtfor violating reporting restrictionsand was jailed for 13 months. He now faces a fresh hearing after the Court of Appeal found problems with the way the case was handled.

The case stirred interest around the world, with Robinsons supporters claiming his right to free speech was being stifled by the legal system and PC culture because of his ongoing criticism of Islam, with hundreds of thousands signing an online petition to free him.

Meanwhile, legal experts said that he had simply violated a run-of-the-mill court order that ensured a rape trial didnt collapse.

The appeals court ruling on Aug. 1, however, found various problems with the way the case had been handled, including an error on the official court order suggesting Robinson had been convicted of a criminal offense.

Errors like this have serious consequences upon the classification of prisoners, resulting in the deprivation of privileges and release on license, said a statement from the Court of Appeal.

The appeals court also said that the judge should not have summarily sentenced Robinson, noting the ruling had come just five hours after he had started live-streaming video from outside the court

Whilst the judge was entitled to deal with the contempt himself, the urgency went out of the matter when the appellant agreed to take down the video from Facebook, said the appeal court ruling.

Robinsons solicitor Carson Kaye said in a statement, The rule of law and the right to a fair hearing are fundamental to every individual and this ruling is an example of the procedural safeguards of our system, and its potential for protecting every citizen equally.

Robinson is now on bail pending a new hearing into the allegations of contempt of court.

Asian Grooming Gangs and Historical Cases

Robinson, founder of the English Defence League (EDL), has been a long-time critic of Islam and the Islamification of Great Britain, his outspoken views often earning him the label of far-right activist and racist.

Robinson has closely followed the historical cases of sexual abuse by predominantly Asian grooming gangs, identified by some as Muslim grooming gangs, that have emerged recent years. In the UK, Asian often refers to people from the Indian subcontinent, typically Pakistan, or even middle east.

One inquiry in 2014 estimated there were 1,400 victims of grooming and sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013 by a group of predominantly Pakistani men.

Some reports have concluded that these gangs were able to thrive in part because of a culture of political correctness within police forces and local authorities.

On July 26, the secretary of state Sajid Javid ordered research into the ethnic origin of grooming gangs. Counter-extremism organization Quillam reported in 2017 that 84 percent of people convicted of child grooming-gang offenses since 2005 were Asian.

Robinson had been following a trial in Leeds Crown Court.

On May 25, live-streamed video from outside the court captured the moment Robinson was arrested. The video mysteriously disappeared a few hours later from Facebook but not before it had been seen by hundreds of thousands of people.

During the ensuing two-day silence from the British media, social media exploded with claims that Robinson had been secretly jailed without trial, interpreted by some as the draconian stifling of free-speech and abandonment of due process.

Two days later, reasons for the silence of the media were revealed, along with confirmation that Robinson had indeed been jailed.

The rape trial had been subject to a court order that banned reporting until after the completion of the trial. Such court orders are not commonplace, but are used from time to time in the British court system.

Reporting Restrictions On Three Related Trials

Explaining how Robinsons live-streaming was in contempt of court, the judge originally said, No one could possibly conclude that that was likely to be anything other than highly prejudicial to the defendants in the present trial.  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.

The judge also ruled that media could not report on Robinsons sentencing, because doing so would touch on the rape trial.

The Leeds trial was the second of three related trials involving 28 men charged with rape, and the judge had ordered that media reporting could not be done until the completion of the final trial, expected to start in September.

The court lifted some restrictions on reporting only following the storm of social media posts, conspiracy claims, and overseas media reports that came in the hours and days following Robinsons arrest.

When he was arrested in Leeds, Robinson was already on an 18-month suspended sentence (a kind of probationary order) for breaching a similar court order at trial in Canterbury. The appeals court upheld the judgment of contempt of court in the Canterbury case.

Ukip leader and supporter of Robinson, Gerard Batten, tweeted, A word of appreciation for the appeal court today. They held up the best traditions of English law. Fair and impartial. But the conduct of the judge in the Leeds case needs looking at. That wasnt fair or impartial.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (R) shakes hands with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop (L) before the start of a meeting during the Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) at the Hoover Institution on the campus of Stanford University July 23, 2018 in Stanford, California. U.S. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Australia and Japan Join US Indo-Pacific Economic Strategy Amid Chinas Growing Investment

Australia and Japan are teaming up with the United States to boost investment in Indo-Pacific infrastructure projects in a move that is seen to be countering Chinas increasing influence in the region.

In a joint statement on July 31, the nations announced a trilateral partnership to invest in regional projects that would build infrastructure, address development challenges, increase connectivity, and promote economic growth.

The investments include energy, transportation, tourism, and technology projects with an aim to stabilize economies, enhance connectivity, and provide lasting benefits throughout the region.

The announcement comes at a time when the Chinese regime is pouring in billions on massive infrastructure projects on its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as One Belt, One Road, to build up geopolitical influence in the area.

The Chinese regime has used the historical imagery of the Silk Road trade route as the rationale for partnering with more than 60 countries across Asia, Europe, and Africa on the infrastructure projects.

The projects, however, have increasingly drawn scrutiny from some countries concerned that the Chinese regime could be using the program to buy political allegiance and further its geopolitical interests.

Although China or the BRI were not mentioned in the July 31 announcement, there were unmistakable references made in the statement to the BRI.

We share the belief that good investments stem from transparency, open competition, sustainability, adhering to robust global standards, employing the local workforce, and avoiding unsustainable debt burdens, the joint statement reads.

According to a report published by the U.S.-based think tank Center for Global Development in March this year, several countries participating in the BRI are seen to be at great risk of going bankrupt as a result of future financing related to BRI projects.

Among 68 countries participating in the BRI, the report found that 23 countries were significantly or highly vulnerable to debt distress, while eight were of particular concern.

These eight countries are Tajikistan, Laos, Maldives, Djibouti, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Mongolia, and Montenegro.

Without making any specific references to China, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Chamber of Commerce on July 30 that the United States wanted a free and open Indo-Pacific that was not dominated by any one country.

Like so many of our Asian allies and friends, our country fought for its own independence from an empire that expected deference, Pompeo said in his speech.

We thus have never and will never seek domination in the Indo-Pacific, and we will oppose any country that does.

During his speech, Pompeo announced the United States will provide US$113 million in new initiatives to support digital economy, energy, and infrastructure in the region.

These funds represent just a down payment on a new era in U.S. economic commitment to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, he said.

Australias Trade Minister Steven Ciobo told Sky News on July 31 that the partnership did not seek to challenge the Chinese regime. He added Australia should have an active role in engaging with developing economies across the region and help meet some demands for infrastructure.

Australia has real experience and excellence in this area, were great at project design, were really good at project financing, building, construction, development, he said.

And, of course, our aid program, especially in the Pacific, is one where we invest a lot of time and effort in making sure that we have a sustainable approach to the provision of infrastructure throughout the region.

Ciobo also quelled concerns about Australia receiving backlash from the Chinese regime for its involvement in the partnership.

The fact is that we demonstrate consistently that Australia is very focused on making sure that we can help the least developed economies in our region to get onto more economically sustainable footing, he said.

Annie Wu contributed to this reportCadets Lost in Hawaiian Forest Ate Ants to Fight Off Hunger

Two Army Reserve Officers Training Corps cadets ate ants and strawberry guava to stave off hunger after getting lost in a forest in Hawaii overnight.

The two cadets got lost while participating in a jungle warfare course in Wahiawa on Saturday.

Scott Fisher, 29, said he and his family were hiking in the area on Sunday morning when they came across the two men from Florida, reported the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

The spokesman for the Armys 25th Infantry Division, Lt. Col. Curt Kellogg, confirmed the cadets became lost on Saturday, prompting the Army to launch a search including about 200 soldiers as well as police officers and firefighters.

The area the cadets were lost in is about six square miles of dense vegetation.

Fisher said while hiking he heard a whistle and went towards the sound after whistling back and hearing more whistling in response.

Cadets lost in Wahiawa forest ate ants to fight off hunger https://t.co/nmWb6zBCiX pic.twitter.com/9Jv5gsyrX4  Star-Advertiser (@StarAdvertiser) August 1, 2018

He came across the two cadets, one of them carrying a stick with a deflated white tube tied to it.

The look on their faces was a sigh of relief, he said.

The men, who appeared to be in their late teens, were led to the military grounds by Fisher, who watched them walk inside.

Kellogg told the Star-Advertiser that the cadets were a little tired and possibly a little hungry, but otherwise in good shape.

The Army declined to disclose where the two men go to school but said it was not in Hawaii.

From NTD.tvA display at the Nasdaq Market Site shows a message after Chinese online group discounter Pinduoduo (PDD) was listed on the Nasdaq exchange in Times Square in New York City, New York, on July 26, 2018. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

Chinese Probe of E-Commerce Platform Pinduoduo Highlights Counterfeit Concerns

BEIJINGChinese regulators are investigating Pinduoduo after media reports surfaced about third-party vendors selling counterfeit goods on its group-discounting marketplace.

The probe exposes long-standing problemBeijings hopes of upgrading consumption over the years has failed to materialize for large numbers of poor Chinese, despite a recent economic boom.

The investigation comes just days after the Shanghai-based startup raised $1.63 billion in the years second-biggest U.S. listing by a Chinese firm, which valued Pinduoduo at $23.8 billion.

Chinas State Administration for Market Regulation said on its website that it will interview staff at the three-year-old firm and deal seriously with any illegal practices, such as failure to remove listings that feature counterfeit goods.

Pinduoduo, in a statement on online news portal Netease, said it was working hard to crack down on counterfeits.

We did a lot of work, but are still far from meeting societys expectations, Pinduoduo said in the statement.

The probe is likely to affect investor expectations of Pinduoduo, whose shares have fallen about 14 percent since their July 27 debut, Beijing-based tech analyst Li Chengdong told Reuters.

Consumption Upgrade Versus Poverty

In recent years, China has been calling for consumption upgradean indirect way of reflecting the economic prowess of a nation, as its citizens have the purchasing power to spend more on quality goods. Many Chinese have indeed enjoyed a higher standard of living as the gross domestic product (GDP) has increased to $11.2 trillion in 2016 from $1.2 trillion in 2000, according to data from the World Bank.

In March, Liu Weijun, deputy head of Chinas Certification and Accreditation Administration, said the administration was rolling out a quality certification program for high-end products and services, in an effort to spark consumption, according to state-run newspaper China Daily. The products to be certified include organic foods, smart home appliance, and health services.

Pinduoduo, similar in concept to Wish.com in the United States, said it has 300 million active buyers. Most of these buyers, however, are poor Chinese farmers, according to a July 31 article by Chinese news portal Sina.

Most of the products sold on Pinduoduo are shanzhai, a term used to refer to knockoff products featuring purposely misspelled names of big brands. Some goods on its marketplace resemble products from firms such as Coca-Cola, Apple, and Samsung Electronics.

With Pinduoduo, shanzhai products are even cheaper than knockoffs sold on other e-commerce platforms such as Alibabas Taobao, according to Sina. Additionally, poor Chinese farmers often dont realize that their purchased products are shanzhai; as long as their new large-screen flat televisions can be watched, and copycats of brand-name drinks dont cause health problems.

There are 280 million farmers in China who have an average monthly income of only 3,485 yuan (about $510), as of the end of 2017, according to a report by state-run Peoples Daily, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics. That represents about 20 percent of Chinas total population of about 1.38 billion.

Crackdown

Pinduoduo is tightening its controls as regulators close in on counterfeits. On July 31, state-backed newspaper Beijing News said Pinduoduo removed listings for the television brand Xiaomi New Product, which is an imitation of Chinese smart-gadget maker Xiaomi Corp.

Last week, Chinese TV maker Skyworth Digital Holdings issued a statement asking Pinduoduo to stop sales of counterfeit Skyworth products on its site while fiction writer Zheng Yuanjie said on his microblog account that pirated versions of his books were being sold on Pinduoduo.

In the United States, a diaper maker has filed a complaint with a federal court, claiming Pinduoduo knowingly allowed the sale of counterfeit products bearing the companys name on its site, according to lawyers representing the diaper company.

Alibaba, operator of the popular Taobao platform, also recently started an anti-counterfeit campaign amid criticism from companies and consumer groups that fake products are being sold on its online marketplaces.

In January, the U.S. trade representative placed Taobao on its blacklist for the second consecutive year over suspected counterfeits.

Reuters contributed to this report.Ohio health officials say theyve received 368 reports of people getting sick stemming from a Chipotle restaurant in Sawmill Parkway in Powell. Signage for a Chipotle Mexican Grill is seen in Los Angeles on April 25, 2016. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Chipotle Scare: 368 People Report Getting Sick at Ohio Restaurant

Ohio health officials say theyve received 368 reports of people getting sick stemming from a Chipotle restaurant in Sawmill Parkway in Powell.

The Health District food inspection team inspected the restaurant this afternoon. Based on the food protection procedures followed by the facility, the inspection team found no reason for the facility to not reopen, said the Delaware General Health District in a July 31 statement.

Officials said that an investigation is ongoing pending lab test results, adding that a total of 33 stool sample kits were delivered today to persons that reported illness.

Its unclear how the people got sick.

Chipotle shut down the restaurant, it said on July 30. At least two customers wrote on food safety website iwaspoisoned.com that they suffered nausea and diarrhea after eating at the Powell, Ohio restaurant, but added that they had not visited a doctor.

We acted quickly and closed this single restaurant out of an abundance of caution and we are working with the local health officials to reopen this restaurant as soon as possible, a Chipotle spokeswoman said.

Health officials told ABC News that people who ate at the location complained of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea after eating at the restaurant from July 26 to 30.

In 2016, Chipotle was forced to shutter about 2,000 locations and carry out a food-safety training program. It came after an outbreak of E. coli hit the chain in 2015, resulting in numerous people getting sick across the United States.

Chipotles stock fell 3.3 percent in after-hours trading on Monday after Business Insider first reported the news.

Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

In June, Chipotle announced it was closing down as many as 65 underperforming restaurants across the world. Chipotle Mexican Grills new CEO, Brian Niccol, made the announcement in a conference call with investors, according to a previous Epoch Times report.

Niccol, who became the chains executive this winter, said that between 55 and 65 stores would be closed out of 2,400 around the world.

Reuters contributed to this report.Chinese leader Xi Jinping (L) inspects a military honor guard at the Union Building in Pretoria on July 24, 2018, during his official state visit to South Africa. (PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinese Communist Party Strengthens Grip on South Africa

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is tightening its grip on South Africa on many levels.

The secretary general of South Africas ruling African National Congress (ANC), Ace Magashule, has announced that ANC cadres will be trained by the CCP before next years South African general elections. The ANC will be sending around 300 cadres to the CCPs training academy to learn more about party discipline and loyalty.

According to Magashule, Chinese officials would be employed to assist local government executives in implementing a powerful communications strategy. Magashule reportedly said there was a lot to be learned from CCP expertise in strategy and propaganda.

This announcement leaked to the South African public directly after the 10th annual BRICS summit, held in Johannesburg on July 2527. The gathering brought together Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a conference themed BRICS in Africa.

BRICS is essentially the global redistribution of wealth through creating a leftist global economic alliance able to challenge, and eventually defeat, the United States and her allies.

During the conference, Chinese leader Xi, as part of the CCPs One Belt, One Road initiative, pledged investments totaling $14 billion to help boost the rapidly failing South African economy.

ChinaSouth Africa Relations

Relations between China and South Africa have been steadily growing since Nelson Mandelas ANC government came to power in 1994. Most of the key members of Mandelas government (including Mandela himself) had been leaders of the pro-Soviet South African Communist Party. Mandelas successor Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma were also Communist Party members.

With the decline of Russian power in the early 2000s, South Africas communists and their ANC comrades looked increasingly to China, as both a market for their raw materials and as a strong political ally.

As a teenager, Magashule was a founding member of the revolutionary Congress of South African Students. He was arrested and charged with high treason in 1982 and subsequently detained several times under the apartheid-era Internal Security Act.

Comrade Magashule was a protege of the South African Communist Party leader, the late Chris Hani, but has never been proven to be a Party member himself.

However, Magashule has long been a leading advocate for China inside the ANC.

From June 1 to 8, 2018, Magashule led a delegation of the ANC National Executive Committee to China, to foster party to party relations with the leadership of the Communist Party of China and reaffirming ties between the people of the two nation-states.

The high-powered delegation included Tony Yengeni (chair of the ANC Peace and Stability Subcommittee), Meokgo Matuba (ANC Womens League secretary), Senzo Mchunu (ANC chair of organizational building and campaigns), Pule Mabe (ANC national spokesperson), Malambule Samuel Mashinini (chair of the ANC Free State Province), Faiez Jacobs (secretary of the ANC Western Cape Province), and Anna Mogale (member of the Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee).

Political Education

Magashule explained the purpose of the visit to the comrades of the ANC Eastern Cape:

Both our parties have appreciated the importance of political education, and the whole endeavor contributes towards party-building and renewal, and therefore agreed to work together concretely to achieve some of the strategic objectives. We have agreed to share the lessons and experiences which will help to grow the capacity of our political organizations.

The Leadership of the [CCP] has agreed to accommodate 300 ANC cadres into their leadership training academy over a five-year period. The exchange programme also includes holding political education sessions with some of their commissars inside our country.

While China has been economically involved with Africa for decades, the CCP is clearly planning a more philosophical emphasis to its expansionism. If things go according to plan, the CCPs ideological grip may soon extend to most of sub-Saharan Africa.

Only a week before the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, Magashule was a guest of honor at the founding of a new CCP training school in Tanzania.

Representing the ANC, Magashule said in a speech titled Greatest Feat of Human Solidarity and Internationalism, for the Building of a New World Social Order, given at the Sod Turning Ceremony of the Julius Nyerere Political Education School of Excellence in Tanzania on July 11, 2018:

Our gratitude  extended to the leadership of the Communist Party of the Peoples Republic of China and the people of China for the revered gesture of building a political school, a treasure house, to strengthen the humane acts of the longstanding historical friendship and solidarity between the people of the African continent and the great Chinese nation.

Throughout the years of our long arduous struggle against the tyranny of imperialism and colonial oppression and exploitation, the Peoples Republic of China has given an insurmountable political, material, and diplomatic support for the most of the liberation movements in our continent and other parts of the world that has undoubtedly contributed immensely for the capacity of the liberation movement to liquidate the stranglehold of imperialism and colonial domination.

Magashule went on to quote Chairman Mao:

Our party organizations must be extended all over the country and must purposefully train tens of thousands of cadres and hundreds of first-rate mass leaders. They must be cadres and leaders versed in Marxism-Leninism, politically far-sighted, competent in work, full of the spirit of self-sacrifice, capable of tackling problems on their own, steadfast in the midst of difficulties and loyal and devoted in serving the nation, the class, and the Party.

Revolution

He then went on to preach global revolution:

The school will train a new African men and women who will have the capacity to take the account of the complex world realities. Men and women who will have the capacity to carry the revolutionary task for the transformation of the socio-economic landscapes of our mother continent.

As a matter of historical necessity, it will be a center of excellence for ideological and theoretical ferment of the new African cadre of our times. An African cadre who will have the potentiality to halt the massive ideological onslaught by the forces of reaction against the world revolutionary movement.

We are confident that in the Communist Party of China we have a loyal ally whose illustrious acts of solidarity remain the springboard of our continuous struggle for nation building and formation.

At any given time during the Soviet era, there were up to 200 South Africans studying in seven yearlong revolutionary training courses at the Communist Party of the Soviet Unions ultra-secretive Lenins Institute for Higher Learning in Moscow. These meticulously trained comrades formed the backbone of the South African Communist Party/African National Congress government that took over South Africa with Nelson Mandela in 1994. The Chinese communists understand, just as did the Soviets, that to control Africa, or the world, one must control the mineral riches and strategic sea lanes of Southern Africa.

The Chinese Communist Party appears to be emulating Soviet strategy. Now that the CCP is moving from a purely political/business approach to an ideological model, the need for training revolutionary cadres is urgent.

The CCP is intent on controlling the future. In order to accomplish their goals, the Chinese communists must control not just the worlds strategic resources, but also invest in the proper ideological training of the worlds young leaders.First Lady Melania Trump at the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 2, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Congressional Candidate Posts Crude Slur Aimed at Melania Trump

A House candidate from Oregon is facing mounting criticism after he referred to First Lady Melania Trump with an obscene term on Twitter.

Mark Roberts, who describes himself as an independent conservative on his website, responded to a Tweet that was outlining how fewer staff members were working for the first lady compared to under Obama. His response included two distasteful hashtags.

Did you know the First Lady works by the hour? # thinkdirty # hoebag, Roberts wrote on Twitter, July 3o.

Did you know the First Lady works by the hour? #thinkdirty #hoebag  Mark Roberts (@RobertsforCD2) July 30, 2018

His tirade continued on.

I invite that hosebag to sue me, he wrote in a subsequent post.

I invite that hosebag to sue me.  Mark Roberts (@RobertsforCD2) July 30, 2018

As of August 1, the above posts were not deleted. In Oregons 2nd congressional district, Roberts will face incumbent Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican, and Jamie McLeod-Skinner, a Democrat.

The backlash following the candidates comments was swift. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. tagged the post to the CEO of Twitter, calling for Roberts to be removed entirely from the site.

This attack on FLOTUS is disgraceful. Comments like these have no business on any platform, McCarthy wrote on Twitter July 30.This account should be banned ASAP.

.@jack this attack on @FLOTUS is disgraceful. Comments like these have no business on any platform. This account should be banned ASAP. https://t.co/sIGO4ggeAM  Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) July 31, 2018

Donald Trump Jr. the presidents son also responded and called out the social media platform for censorship.

Imagine if a conservative tweeted this. Imagine if anyone said this horrific statement about Michelle Obama. Their life would ruined and account deactivated. Twitter is becoming a platform for hate against conservatives @jack https://t.co/7Qr0TT1jjH  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) August 1, 2018

Imagine if a conservative tweeted this Trump Jr. wrote on July 31. Imagine if anyone said this horrific statement about Michelle Obama. Their life would [be] ruined and account deactivated. Twitter is becoming a platform for hate against conservatives.

Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Its not the first time that Trump has been harassed online. In June, the first ladys office notified the secret service after Hollywood actor Peter Fonda called for her son, Barron, to be kidnapped.

Robertss Twitter account has a history of crude posts. Last year, he called Republican Nikki Haley very hot. In another, he asked a Nutrisystem representative are you as hot in person as you are in the nutrisystem commercial #legitquestion.

Roberts did not respond to a request for comment.At least 13 confirmed cases of the Ebola virus have emerged in Congos northeast since Aug. 1. (Reuters/Screenshot)

Ebola Outbreak: 4 New Cases Reported in Congo

At least four new cases of the Ebola virus have emerged in Congos northeast, just a week after an outbreak in the northwest was declared over, the countrys health ministry said on Aug. 1.

Just a week after announcing the end of the ninth epidemic of Ebola virus disease in the Equator Province, the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a new epidemic, Kalenga told NBC News.

There was no indication the two outbreaks, separated by more than 1,500 miles, are related, Health Minister Dr. Oly Ilunga Kalenga said in a statement.

Although we did not expect to face a tenth epidemic so early, the detection of the virus is an indicator of the proper functioning of the surveillance system, Kalenga said.

The new cases are in Mangina in the eastern Mabalako health zone, about 18 miles west of Beni, a city of more than 230,000 people. Travel into and out of the village has been blocked.

At least 50 people were infected by Ebola the most recent outbreak in May 2018 in Equator Province. According to officials in the African nation, 33 died.

An Ebola outbreak concentrated in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea killed at least 11,000 people between 2014 and 2016.

Scare in Denver

On July 29, a man who recently helped people infected with Ebola in eastern Congo exhibited flu-like symptoms in a Denver hospital, the Denver Post reported in late July. The incident prompted concerns that the man was infected with Ebola.

The initial tests came back negative, but the patient and his crew were put in isolation at the Infectious Disease Department of Medicine at Denver Health, the Post reported.

Currently, there is no threat or concern for patient, staff or visitor safety, the hospital told the Post. The patient, meanwhile, is apparently getting better, officials said.

Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control are assisting and assessing the risks, the newspaper report said. KDVR reported that a final determination will be made by the Colorado health department.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Entire Police Department Resigns in Small Massachusetts Town

All members of a police department in a small Massachusetts town resigned on July 30, citing unsafe working conditions.

The entire Blandford Police Department, which comprises four members, announced their resignation via Facebook and advised all residents to continue to call 911 for emergencies, or call the Russell State Police Barracks for other police services.

We shouldnt have to fear our own equipment in the same manner that we fear criminals, Sarnacki said, NBC news reported.

In a resignation letter seen by MassLive, Interim Chief Roberta Sarnacki and three officers said they regret to leave the town but have no choice.

In the letter, the team cited safety concerns regarding the departments patrol cars, bulletproof vests, poor radio coverage and lack of manpower.

The town is asking officers to patrol in cars that have no a/c (air conditioning), no snow tires, and no four-wheel drive They are asking us to do this with no radio coverage, no real backup if needed, and all for $14 or $15 an hour. Would you put your lives on the line in these conditions? they said.

The officers also cited concerns with the bulletproof vests, which are all expired and do not fit the current staff well.

We regret leaving the town without a town police force, but we have no choice given the situation we face, they said in the letter. We refuse to put our lives on the line anymore for a town that seemingly cares so little about us.

Merger Consideration

Officials from Blandford and neighboring town Chester had been considering a merger of the two police departments before the entire Blandford department abruptly resigned.

Following the resignations, the chair of the Blandfords board of selectmen, Cara Letendre, released a statement to 22News, saying:

For the past two months, Interim Chief Sarnacki has done a fine job with our police officers and our police department. It is unfortunate that she led this officer walk out as she would have been considered as one of our candidates for Acting Chief position as we pursue the future opportunities with our police force.

We have had multiple public meetings with our police force and have offered them the opportunity to engage and provide their opinions for the direction of the force.

Letendre added, The Town of Blandford is continuing its already posted search for a new Police Chief.

Letendre told NBC that in a Selectboard meeting on July 23, she had asked the officers to raise any concerns, but they did not, and were only concerned about the police chief position being posted.

Sarnackis interim police chief position was intended from June to July 30, pending a decision by the select board for the department as they considered several options for the department. Sarnacki believed the board wanted her to be replaced by the Chester police chief, Letendre told NBC.

In a small town, its difficult to run a police force with the tax base we have, Letendre told the television network. We looked at three possibilities: Keeping the same police department, relying more on state police or looking at regionalizing.

According to the resignation letter, the board of selectmen had, at the July 23 meeting, rejected a request to extend Sarnackis appointment. The resignation letter also said that the Board did not listen to Sarnacki or the three police officers to discuss the merger, MassLive reported.Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors Inc., talks about the Model X car at the company's headquarters, in Fremont, CA., in this file photo. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Ex-tesla Worker Called Saboteur Accuses Musk of Smearing Him

A former Tesla Inc. battery factory employee portrayed by Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk as a saboteur fired back with a lawsuit accusing Musk of smearing him in the media.

Martin Tripp, who was a process engineering technician at Teslas massive factory in Nevada, has traded legal volleys with the electric-car maker since leaving in June. Tripp was sued by the company over claims that he tried to make off with trade secrets after being denied a promotion. He, in turn, filed a whistle-blower complaint with the SEC claiming Tesla made misstatements and omissions to investors.

In his latest complaint, filed in federal court in Reno, Nevada, on July 31, Tripp said Musk made false and defamatory statements about him to the media, including that Tripp had sent Musk a threatening email and planned to shoot up the gigafactory. He also denied Teslas claim that he misappropriated company proprietary information.

Hes asking for at least $1 million in damages from Tesla. Tripp is seeking $500,000 in financial support on a GoFundMe page to defend himself against Teslas lawsuit and has raised about $15,000, according to the website.

Tripp said on July 31 complaint that he emailed Musk in May to warn him about the high levels of waste and scrap that were being generated at the gigafactory. Musk was scheduled to visit the facility that evening.

Later that afternoon, Tripp said, his manager asked for a copy of the email to Musk, so that he could avoid getting fired.

After Mr. Tripp asked why the manufacturing engineer manager would get fired, the manufacturing engineer manager explained: Because Im the guy showing himthe line and our problems like yield, the guy standing in front of him is the guy who getsfired, and tonight Im the guy in front of him, according to the complaint.

From BloombergFreda Black, best known for being a prosecutor in the infamous 2003 murder trial of Michael Peterson, now featured on Netflixs documentary, The Staircase, died aged 57 on July 29, 2018. (Stock/L Witwiccan via Pixabay/R Charles Deluvio via Unsplash)

Freda Black, Prosecutor in Michael Peterson Trial Featured in The Staircase on Netflix, Is Dead

Freda Black, best known for being a prosecutor in the infamous 2003 murder trial of Michael Peterson, now featured on the Netflix documentary, The Staircase, has died aged 57.

Durham police confirmed that Black was found dead at her home on July 29 around 3:30 p.m., according to Fox News. Police arrived at her home after being alerted by a family member who hadnt been able to contact her for a few days.

Her death does not appear suspicious at this time, and her body has been sent to the State Medical Examiner for an autopsy, police spokesperson Wil Glenn told USA Today.

Black, who was an assistant district attorney in Durham County from the early 1990s to 2005, was one of the prosecutors who, in 2003, helped to convict former novelist Michael Peterson for the murder of his wife, Kathleen. Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in the couples home in December 2001.

Black is best remembered for her closing arguments in the 2003 Michael Peterson murder trial.

Her death comes shortly after a documentary The Staircase, which features the trial, was released on Netflix in June in a 13-episode series.

Freda Black had a memorable closing argument in the Michael Peterson murder trial, as seen in @The_Staircase. https://t.co/CNPyT7R7mJ  The News & Observer (@newsobserver) July 30, 2018

Black ran for Durham County district attorney in 2006 and 2008, but lost both times.

Peterson, a former novelist and former Durham mayoral candidate was found guilty of killing his wife, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2003. He was released in 2011 on a $300,000 bail and was placed under house arrest, when a judge ordered a new trial owing to a testimony that was determined to be misleading in the initial trial.

In 2017, Peterson took an Alford plea to a lesser charge of manslaughter. The Alford plea meant he would continue to assert his innocence while admitting that the prosecutors had enough evidence to convict. Peterson was sentenced to eight years, which he had already served. As such, he has been out of prison since 2011.

From NTD.tvStudents in France use their cellphones after viewing the results of the baccalaureat exam (high school graduation exam) on July 7, 2015, at the Georges Brassens secondary school in Paris. (Martin Bureau/AFP/Getty Images)

French School Students Banned From Using Smartphones

LONDONSchoolchildren in France have been banned from using smartphones and other smart devices at school.

From September, children between the ages of 3 and 15 will not be allowed to use internet-connected devices in school. Those over the age of 15 can choose whether to implement the ban.

The law was passed through Parliament on Monday, July 30, by 62 votes to one. It was originally a campaign promise from French President Emmanuel Macron, who said he would outlaw childrens phones in preschool, elementary, and middle schools.

The new law bans children from using phones in school playgrounds, at break times, or anywhere on school premises.

Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said on French news channel BFMTV, We know today that there is a phenomenon of screen addiction, the phenomenon of bad mobile phone use  Our main role is to protect children and adolescents. It is a fundamental role of education, and this law allows it.

Children were already banned from using their phones during all teaching activity after legislation was passed in 2010.

But Macrons La Republique En Marche party said the total ban on phones at school meant children would now have a legal right to disconnect.

Performance Increases

One study by the London School of Economics found that after phones were banned, students performance in exams significantly increased and restricting mobile phone use can be a low-cost policy to reduce educational inequalities.

The ban will affect millions of children with politicians estimating that more than 90 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds have a phone, according to French telecoms regulator ARCEP.

However, some politicians were less welcoming of the new law, with some abstaining from the vote altogether.

Alexis Corbiere, a deputy from the left-wing Unbowed France party, told CNN, This isnt a 21st century law in our eyes, but a law from the era of news channels and binary debate. In reality, the ban has already been made. I dont know a single teacher in this country that allows the use of phones in class.

The details of how to enforce the ban have yet to be made clear.

Blanquer has suggested that children could put their phones in lockers when they arrive at school. But some schools have said that this would be too costly and difficult to enforce.

The French decision has sparked debate over the pond in the UK too.

Anne Longfield, childrens commissioner for England, wrote that schools in England would be unlikely to respond well to an edict from on high and that she did not support a ban.

There is a pretty persuasive argument for urging all schools to go smartphone-free, Longfield wrote in the Guardian. I have never argued the internet is a bad thing, its a fabulous resource for children but the fact is that it wasnt designed with them in mind, and overuse or misuse of it does present some clear problems for children.Wolfgang Kubicki, pictured here in a file photo, is calling for the swift repatriation of a suspected Islamic militant and former Osama bin Laden bodyguard. (Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images)

Germany Pushes to Retrieve Deported Bin Laden Bodyguard As Soon As Possible

Court rules suspected militant's deportation to Tunisia was illegal

WARSAWA prominent German politician is calling for the immediate return to Germany of a suspected Islamic militant and bodyguard of Osama bin Laden, after a court ruled the deportation illegal.

Wolfgang Kubicki, deputy leader of the liberal FDP party and vice president of the German parliament, told Deutschlandfunk on July 28 that Sami Aidoudireferred to only as Sami A. in Germany due to privacy lawsshould be retrieved from his native Tunisia as soon as possible.

Kubicki said we live in a constitutional state and the July 13 ruling by the Administrative Court of Gelsenkirchen should be respected and enforced.

If we determine that politicians, not courts, should decide how the law should be interpreted, then God help us, Kubicki said.

Torture in Tunisia?

The courts deportation ban, which upheld an assessment that Al-Qaeda affiliated Aidoudi could face torture and inhumane treatment in Tunisia, reached the federal agency involved in the extradition when the suspect was already on a plane, bound for his former homeland.

A spokesman for Tunisias anti-terrorist judiciary body, Sofian Sliti, rejected concerns Aidoudi would face torture in the country, which is in the middle of a democratic transition after the toppling of autocrat Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

We confirm that this will not happen. We confirm that the judiciary is independent and will not allow such practices. He is a citizen with full rights in a fair trial, Sliti said.

Tunis authorities have since released Aidoudi, with Reuters citing Sliti on July 27 as saying that there was insufficient evidence to continue holding him, but that investigations would continue.

A Dangerous Figure

German security services consider Aidoudi to be a dangerous and prominent figure of the Islamist scene in the country and have had him under observation since at least 2006, the Rheinische Post reported.

That such a man is allowed to stay in Germany is a punch in the face to all anti-terror investigators, an unnamed security source told the newspaper.

He protected the most wanted man in the world and we treat him with kid gloves, the source said, referring to allegations that Aidoudi served as bodyguard to bin Laden, charges the suspect denies.

Policy Shift

Aidoudis decade-long fight against extradition was helped by the policy of Germanys Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) that deportation to Tunisia was too dangerous due to the high risk of torture.

But human rights progress in Tunisia prompted a recent BAMF policy shift, opening the door to Aidoudis deportation. He appealed, but the ruling came too late to prevent his extradition.

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has rejected accusations that the deportation was illegal.

We are of the opinion that we have done the right thing, and we dont want the threat he poses here, Seehofer said.

He spoke to reporters at a July 18 news conference on a draft list extending the list of safe countries, whose citizens are ineligible for asylum, including North African nations like Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.

What the Courts Say

Armin Schuster, a German conservative lawmaker, told Reuters that Tunisias decision to release Aidoudi proves Germany was right to deport him.

If the Tunisian authorities have released him, then that breaks up the argument that he could face torture there, he told the Berliner Zeitung newspaper, adding that Germany should block Aidoudi from re-entering the country if he tried to do so.

Judges at the Gelsenkirchen court disagree.

They ruled that the city of Bochum, the local authority involved in the deportation, must bring Aidoudi back to Germany by a July 31 deadline or face a 10,000 euro ($11,700) fine.

Bochum city authorities appealed, but lost.

Higher Administrative Court judge Dr. Gudrun Dahme told The Epoch Times that the appeals court ruled on Monday to uphold the punitive measures and so negate the legality of Aidoudis extradition.

Meanwhile, Tunisian officials said there are no grounds to send Aidoudi back to Germany. They have confiscated his passport until their investigation has run its course, and added that he may still face trial on charges of terrorism.

Kubicki said that he, too, would rather not see Aidoudi return to Germany.

Personally, that does not suit me either, and I would also argue that Sami A. stays in Tunisia, but, he added, German law must be enforced even if it does not suit you.

Reuters contributed to this report.Google Planning Censored Version of Search Engine in China That Will Block Sensitive Terms

Google is planning a censored version of its search engine for China that will block some websites and search terms, according to a report by The Intercept.

The outlet cited internal Google documents and people familiar with the plans.

The project is code-named Dragonfly and has been underway since the spring of 2017, with an acceleration following a December 2017 meeting between Googles Chief Executive Sundar Pichai and a top Chinese government official, it added.

Teams of programmers and engineers at Google have been hard at work at the project, a custom Android application, which could launch publicly in the next six to nine months, according to the report. Its unclear if the company will produce a desktop version. Only a few hundred people within Google are aware of the project.

Before launching, it will need approval from Chinese officials.

The Chinese Communist Party rules China and is infamous for its widespread crackdown on freedom of speech and religion, including on the Internet. Googles main search engine is blocked in China, as is its video platform YouTube.

According to internal documents, a number of search terms wouldnt turn up any results. The terms include queries related to human rights, democracy, religion, and peaceful protests.

Exclusive: Google plans to launch censored search engine in China, leaked documents reveal https://t.co/wNzDR74QQl by @rj_gallagher pic.twitter.com/mH7VRbJm0z  The Intercept (@theintercept) August 1, 2018

As a specific example, the Chinese government blocks websites that contain information about the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, as well as references to anticommunism and dissidents.

The documents, marked Google confidential, state that Googles Chinese search engine will automatically identify and filter out websites that are already blocked by the Chinese government.

While some search terms wont turn up any results, others will only filter out certain results.

Searches that have results removed will carry a disclaimer that states, Some results may have been removed due to statutory requirements.

Sources within Google told the Intercept that there are major ethical concerns with the planned search engine, and noted theyd been barred from speaking publicly about it.

Im against large companies and governments collaborating in the oppression of their people, and feel like transparency around whats being done is in the public interest, the source said, adding that they feared what is done in China will become a template for many other nations.

Google operated a censored version of its search engine in China between 2006 and 2010 but pulled out, citing Chinese government efforts to hack Google computer systems and limit free speech.

In a 2010 Epoch Times interview, a silicon valley expert said: Chinas censorship directly shakes the foundation of Googles search technology. The Chinese regime reportedly threated Google into blocking information about Falun Gong, a peaceful meditation practice.

The persecution of Falun Gong began on July 20, 1999, when then head of the Chinese communist regime, Jiang Zemin, gave the order. For 19 years, millions of practitioners have suffered from illegal abduction, imprisonment, torture, and even became victims of organ harvesting.

From NTD.tv

Watch Next:

The 19-Year Persecution of Falun Gong in China

On July 30, 1999, the dictator Jiang Zemin launched a campaign to eradicate the spiritual practice of Falun Gong.Smoke billows above an Aeromexico-operated Embraer passenger jet that crashed in Mexico's northern state of Durango, July 31, 2018, in this still image taken from a video obtained from social media. (Contacto Hoy/via Reuters)

I Feel Blessed: No Deaths in Mexico Passenger Jet Crash

MEXICO CITYDozens of people were injured on Tuesday, July 31, when a packed Aeromexico-operated Embraer jet crashed soon after takeoff in Mexicos state of Durango, but authorities said most were not seriously hurt and there were no fatalities.

The mid-sized jet was almost full, with 97 passengers and four crew members, when it came down at around 4 p.m. local time, Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, Mexicos minister for communications and transportation, wrote on Twitter.

One passenger, identified as Jackeline Flores, told reporters she and her daughter escaped from a hole in the fuselage as the aircraft filled up with smoke and flames.

A little girl who left the plane was crying because her legs were burned, said Flores, who said she was Mexican but lived in Bogota, Colombia. The plane had barely left the ground in heavy rain when it came down, she said.

Flores said her passport and documents burned in the fire.

I feel blessed and grateful to God, she said.

TV images showed the severely damaged body of the plane after it came to rest in scrubland and a column of smoke rose into the sky.

The aircraft made an emergency landing about six miles (10 kilometers) from the airport, said Alejandro Cardoza, a spokesman for the states civil protection agency. Other authorities said the crash was closer to the airport.

Cardoza said in an interview that around 85 people had suffered mostly light injuries, adding that the fire resulting from the accident had been put out. The civil protection agency said 37 people were hospitalized, while the state health department said two passengers were in a critical condition.

Many managed to leave the plane on foot, Cardoza said.

The operator of Durango airport, Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, attributed the crash to bad weather conditions, citing preliminary reports. The plane had barely taken off when it felt like it was hit by a strong air current, another passenger told network Televisa.

The head of Mexicos civil aviation agency, Luis Gerardo Fonseca, said it could take months to know the cause of the accident. Speaking to Televisa, he said the planes voice and data recorders would be recovered once rescue efforts were completed.

Flight number 2431 was an Embraer 190 bound for Mexico City when it crashed, Aeromexico said on Twitter. A spokesman for the Mexican airline declined to disclose the passenger list or the nationalities of those on board.

A U.S. Embassy spokesman said he did not currently have confirmation of whether any American citizens were involved in the accident.

The Embraer 190 has been involved in only one fatal crash, which occurred when a Henan Airlines flight overshot a Chinese runway in a 2010 accident, according to a summary by the Aviation Safety Network.

Aeromexico leased the 10 year-old aircraft involved in Tuesdays incident from Republic Airlines in the United States in 2014, according to data on Planespotters.net.

Embraer said late on Tuesday that it had sent a team of technicians to the scene of the accident and stood ready to support the investigation.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto wrote on Twitter that he had instructed the defense, civil protection and transportation ministries to aid in the response to the crash.

By Lizbeth Diaz and Julia LoveJoseph James Pappas was identified as the suspect who shot and killed the personal doctor of former President George H.W. Bush, Houston police said Aug. 1. (Houston Police Department)

Joseph James Pappas IDd as Suspect in Shooting of George H.W. Bush Doctor

Joseph James Pappas was identified as the suspect who shot and killed former doctor of former President George H.W. Bush, Houston police said Aug. 1.

Dr. Mark Hausknecht was shot and killed on July 20 as he rode a bicycle to work at the Texas Medical Center.

Pappas is considered to be armed and extremely dangerous, said the Houston Police on Twitter.

Pappass mother apparently died during surgery in which Hausknecht was involved in more than 20 years ago, and they believe it is the motive in the shooting, said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo in a live news conference.

According to real estate website Har.com, a man with the name Joseph James Pappas is listed as a licensed real estate service provider in Houston, Texas, and he owns the Pappas Realty Company.

Police executed a search warrant at a home owned by Pappas, 62, and he was not in the home at the time. Police believe that he might be suicidal, Acevedo said.

He hasnt been seen for 36 to 48 hours, the chief added.

Police urged those with any information about his whereabouts to call 911.

We have plenty of evidence that ties him to this crime, Acevedo said. Police took evidence from the home that tied Pappas to the crime.

We need to find this guy. If hes committed suicide, we need to find the body, he added.

The bicycle that was in the crime hasnt been recovered, Acevedo said, describing it as a 10-speed bicycle.

On July 30, Houston police tweeted a video of the suspect after the shooting.

Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Hausknecht was seen by a private ambulance driver who stopped to assist, according to local media outlet ABC13, with paramedics applying CPR. Hausknecht was then transported to Ben Taub Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

This 4th (and last) photo is moments after the shooting as the suspect heads west on Southgate Blvd toward Travis St. These are the only images available for release at this time. Media partners: No other information, but we will provide any & all updates here. #hounews pic.twitter.com/l13zovmcNT  Houston Police (@houstonpolice) July 23, 2018This still image taken from a body camera video released by the Los Angeles Police Department shows a Los Angeles Police Officer confronting an armed suspect in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles on June 16, 2018. (Los Angeles Police Department via AP)

LAPD Chief: Officers Kill a Hostage for 1st Time in 13 Years

LOS ANGELESDramatic video released Tuesday shows Los Angeles officers fatally shooting a man and the woman he was holding with a knife to her throat, the first of two recent killings of hostages or bystanders as police tried to stop attackers.

Officers opened fire outside a church that helps homeless people after the man began cutting the hostage, police said. Officers fired nearly 20 times on June 16, and the man and woman, both transients, died at the scene.

It was the first time in 13 years that Los Angeles police killed someone they consider an innocent bystander or hostage.

This is another case where officers were forced to make split-second decisions based on the actions of a violent individual, Police Chief Michel Moore said.

The second such fatal shooting came just five weeks later when police tried to stop an armed man from entering a Trader Joes store and fatally shot the supermarkets assistant manager who was standing nearby.

Authorities said last week that an officers bullet killed Melyda Corado before a man took hostages inside the store on July 21. Moore had defended the officers use of deadly force as an attempt to stop what they feared could become a mass shooting.

The police chief said Tuesday that he was concerned because the average number of rounds fired by officers during shootings had increased last year and the average number of officers involved in those shootings also increased.

The police department will implement a new training program and is exploring how to equip officers with other non-lethal weapons, he said.

In the newly released footage from officers body-worn cameras, police spotted a suspect, Guillermo Perez, 32, holding a large knife and a metal folding chair outside the Central Lutheran Church on June 16.

They responded to the church that provides food and support for homeless people after a 911 call reported a man had stabbed his ex-girlfriend. She was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Drop the knife! an officer repeatedly shouted at Perez, but he ignored the command.

An officer fires several rounds from a bean bag shotgun  which fires a small sack with metal pellets  but Perez appears to use the folding chair to deflect them.

Perez walks backward and approaches a woman, Elizabeth Tollison, who was standing nearby. He dropped the chair and put the knife to her throat.

Witnesses told police that Perez moved the knife in a sawing motion against her throat and cut her throat, Cmdr. Alan Hamilton, who leads the unit that investigates police shootings, said in the video.

Three of the officers then opened fire from their handguns, shooting 18 rounds total. Both Perez and Tollison were killed.

Moore told reporters that hostages lives are a priority and recruits are generally taught to use a precise head shot. He said an investigation will look at whether the officers actions align with hostage training.

By Michael BalsamoLetter Arrives From Florida Girl Who Vanished Five Years Ago, Family Says

The mother of a girl who ran away from home in 2013 believes she has heard from her daughter.

To all our friends and extended family, we want to let you know that we have heard from Emily, wrote Pam Massimiani on Facebook.

Massimiani confirmed to the Panama City News-Herald that her daughter sent her a letter. The family is keeping the details of the letter private for now.

Its the first time the family has heard from Emily Paul since she packed a suitcase and fled her Southport, Florida home, leaving a note that she was leaving.

Theres a lot of mixed emotions and a lot of feelings, Massimiani said.

Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said that, based on the contents of the letter, hes also confident its from the missing girl.

Investigators said that Paul studied websites that teach youth how to successfully run away and stay undetected. For instance, she has not been on her Facebook account since she vanished and she took her Xbox, which investigators believe she uses as a communication tool.

She also ditched her cell phone shortly after leaving her house.

Massimiani told Oxygen in 2017 that the note Paul left said something to the effect that she might return home when she turned 18. But she hadnt reappeared or gotten into contact when she turned 18.

I used to feel hopeful, real hopeful, she said. But shes 18 now and I havent seen her.

Massimiani also said her instincts told her that Paul was coerced into running away.

I believe she may have thought she was going into something good and when she got to whatever it was, it wasnt as good as she thought it would be, she said. Thats my gut feeling.

At the time of the disappearance, the sheriffs office asked the public for help locating Paul, describing her at the time as standing 4 foot 10, weighing about 100 pounds, with brown hair with green and purple highlights and blue eyes.

Her family stated that leaving home and failing to return is very unusual behavior for Emily, as she has never run away before, the office stated.

From NTD.tvAn 8-year-old boy said that he was pushed by a man from a waterslide platform, falling 30 feet to the concrete below in Minnesota on Aug. 1. (Google Maps)

Man Arrested After Allegedly Pushing Boy, 8, From Waterslide: Reports

An 8-year-old boy said that he was pushed by a man from a waterslide platform, falling 31 feet to the concrete below in Minnesota on Aug. 1, KARE11 reported.

The incident occurred at the Apple Valley Aquatic Center in Apple Valley on July 31, the report stated.

When police officers arrived, they found the boy conscious and breathing. The boys current condition is unknown, but officials said he suffered several broken bones in his limbs.

Roman Adams, 18, was identified as the man who allegedly picked up the child and pushed him over the slides railing as they waited, police told the media outlet.

He was charged with third-degree assault, the station reported. Police said that the victim and the suspect dont know each other.

Adams told police that he was waiting to use the slide, and the line was taking a long time, KARE11 reported. It was taking too long so he pushed the child and saw him fall, police said.

Local station Fox9, citing Apple Valley Police Captain Nick Francis, reported that Adams is developmentally delayed. An aide was with Adams at the pool.

Due to unforeseen circumstances the Apple Valley Family Aquatic Center is closing for today. We regret the inconvenience. Please join us another day for fun in the sun, said Apple Valley Aquatic Center in a statement on July 31, announcing the closure of the park.Minuteman III Missile Test Terminated Mid-Flight in California

An unarmed U.S. Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test-launch was aborted after an anomaly was discovered, the military stated.

The Air Force Global Strike Command confirmed the missile flight was safely terminated over the Pacific Ocean at 4:42 a.m. on July 31, according to the Santa Maria Times.

The Associated Press reported that the ICBM test was intentionally destroyed mid-flight.

The U.S. military frequently tests the Minuteman reliability and accuracy with regularly scheduled launches over the Pacific Ocean. They launch from Vandenberg Air Force base in Southern California and fly 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll of the Marshall Islands.

The Air Force said that an anomaly is any unexpected event that takes place during a missile test.

Since anomalies may arise from many factors relating to the operational platform itself, or the test equipment, careful analysis is needed to identify the cause, Air Force Global Strike Command said in a statement to the Santa Maria Times. A Launch Analysis Group is forming to investigate the cause. The LAG will include representatives from Air Force Global Strike Command, the 576th Flight Test Squadron, 30th Space Wing Safety Office and Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, among other organizations.

399 Minuteman Missiles

The current American force consists of 399 Minuteman III missiles as of September 2017. The missiles are deployed in missile silos in Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming. The system is a component of the U.S. nuclear triad, with the other two parts of the triad being nuclear weapons carried by long-range strategic bombers and Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

According to an analysis from Stanford University, since its development during the Cold War, the United States nuclear triad has retained the important role of bolstering U.S. national security.

This multi-faceted approach effectively diversifies the risk involved with a potential first-strike nuclear attackand increases the ability of an offensive second-strike attack. While the government remains confident in the reliability of the triad as a nuclear deterrent, new dialogue has been established regarding the relevance and feasibility of maintaining specific legs of the triad in the 21st century, reads a synopsis on the universitys website.Missing College Student Planned Trip to Dominican Republic for Wedding

Missing Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts planned to travel this week to the Dominican Republic for a wedding, friends said.

Blake Jack told the Associated Press that his brother Dalton and Daltons longtime girlfriend, 20-year-old Tibbetts, were slated to attend his wedding.

Jack said he even joked with his brother that he should propose to Tibbetts during the trip. Jack has canceled the wedding.

Tibbetts went missing either while jogging or shortly after in Brooklyn, Iowa on July 18.

She was dogsitting for her boyfriend at his home while he was away for his job at his familys construction company in Dubuque, which is over 100 miles away.

Blake Jack told the Associated Press that the scrutiny on him and his brother is unwarranted, saying investigators confirmed theyre not suspects after their whereabouts on the night Tibbetts vanished were confirmed.

College sophomore Mollie Tibbetts still missing after two weeks of searching https://t.co/L5oOO5V1HP via @DatelineNBC  Deborah J Hempel (@DebH28) August 1, 2018

People in this community know the truth, he said, standing outside the house he shares with his brother. We know something had to have happened to her.

A neighbor, Dave Collum, said investigators told him that data from Tibbetts Fitbit indicated she made it home from the run safely and was doing homework on her computer later that evening.

Investigators said they have confirmed a timeline of July 18 but declined to reveal it publicly, citing the ongoing case.

We are doing everything that we can to keep [Tibbetts family] apprised of our investigative efforts as you might expect, but they are not hearing a lot of the details, Kevin Winker, director of investigative operations with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, told reporters.

He said that investigators have followed up on more than 200 leads since Tibbetts vanished, and said her disappearance was unlike her. She typically stayed in touch with family and friends.

All Im saying is we dont know where Mollies at right now, and Im not going to draw any conclusions with the circumstances of her disappearance, other than its not consistent with  [her] past, he said.

Mollie Tibbetts:

7/18: Disappeared

5:30 pm: Went to boyfriend's to dog-sit alone

7:30 pm: Last seen running

10 pm: Boyfriend opens SnapChat from Mollie

7/19: Reported missing

7/28: Family says computer shows she was doing homework late

7/31: Officials say 200+ leads pursued pic.twitter.com/wFB0OIopjG  Fox News Research (@FoxNewsResearch) July 31, 2018

Tibbetts mother told KCCI that her daughter did make it back to Jacks house after jogging around 7:30 p.m.

To the best of my knowledge, I believe she did make it home from the run and was in (her boyfriends) home, she said, adding that digital evidence does confirm Tibbetts was on her computer later that evening.

Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

The first night she went missing, I was distraught, Laura Calderwood added. I knew her phone was dead, but I sent her a text saying, I love you. Were looking for you. We will find you no matter what.

Dalton Jack told investigators that he opened a Snapchat sent by Tibbetts around 10 p.m. that night but it wasnt clear when she sent it or recorded it.

A reward of $2,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest in the case or the discovery of the missing woman, and anyone with information is urged to contact officials at 800-452-1111, 515-223-1400, or tips@poweshiekcosheriff.com.

From NTD.tvDr. Johnnie Barto faces more than 70 charges for abusing more than 30 children while acting as their pediatrician. Barto was first charged in January 2018. (Cambria County)

More Than Two Dozen Abuse Victims Step Forward to Accuse Pennsylvania Pediatrician

A pediatrician from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has been charged with abusing more than 30 of his patients, one as young as 2 months old.

Dr. Johnnie Wilson Barto, 70, was charged in three separate cases in January, March, and April.

At that time, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro made it clear that if other victims came forward, they would be respected, protected, and their accusations treated seriously.

Encouraged by his statements, abuse victims began calling a special hotline. Ultimately 33 victims stepped forward to tell their stories. Now Barto is facing dozens of new charges.

Multiple Victims, Multiple Child Abuse Charges

In January Barto was charged with for indecent assault, corruption of minors, and endangering the welfare of children, for abusing a 12-year-old patient.

At that time Shapiro called for any other victims to come forward and tell their stories.

We are concerned there could be other victims in this case, and we want to hear from you, Shapiro said. If you know something or saw something, I want you to call my office or local police. Well pursue every lead we receive.

In March Shapiro announced new charges against the doctor for indecent assault of a 14-year-old family relative of the first victim. When he announced those charges, he repeated his plea:

We believe there are more victims out there in the Johnstown and Altoona area. Please come forward. We will protect you, and we will hold this predator accountable for his crimes.

In April, Barto was again charged, this time with indecent assault, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor and endangering the welfare of children, for the repeated abuse over a span of years of a 7-year-old family member of the other two victims.

Once again the attorney general repeated his plea for victims to come forward.

Our investigators have heard from other victims, and our investigation is active and ongoing, Shapiro said. I thank those who have already come forward, and I believe them. I want any victims and parents to hear this from me: Please come forward and share any information you have.

Victims Found the Courage to Speak Out

Attorney General Shapiros pledge to protect accusers and to investigate their claims seriously, paid off.

More than two dozen victims, emboldened by the fact that they would be protected and that their claims would be taken seriously, decided to break their silence and call the hotline. Their testimony revealed an ongoing horror story of abuse stretching back two decades, with children being mistreated and er the guise of medical examination.

On July 27, Shapiro announced 69 new charges against Barto involving 29 new victims. The felony charges included involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and multiple counts of felony aggravated indecent assault, plus multiple counts of indecent assault and endangering the welfare of children.

Barto used his position of authority as a pediatricianthe family doctor everyone relied on to treat and heal their childrenand abused it to feed his own, sick sexual desires, Shapiro said at a press conference with Richland Township Police Chief Michael Burgan and members of his prosecution team. Our agents and Richland police continued interviewing young victimssome assaulted by Barto as recently as Januaryand older victims as well, who came forward and told of being assaulted by Barto years ago in his office, when they came as young children, seeking his care.

Decades of Abuse

According to the attorney general, the abuse started in the 1980s. Many of the victims were between 8 and 12 years old, of both sexes, but Barto violated at least one girl who was only 2 weeks old. He was also charged with violating a 21-month-old girl on seven occasions.

Most of the attacks occurred in an examination room at Laurel Pediatric Associates of Cambria County. He also attacked patients while treating them at local hospitals.

Barto generally waited for the patients parents to leave the exam room, or placed his body between the parents and the patient, the attorney general stated.

Barto was confronted by the motheralso a doctorof a 16-year-old girl he assaulted during an exam in 1997. When confronted, Barto promised never to again be alone with an underage female patient. Because the issue was never made public, Barto continued his habit of abusing child patients until he was finally arrested in January 2018.

I want to thank the brave survivors who have come forward and shared with our investigators their traumatizing experiences at the hands of Dr. Barto, Shapiro said.

I have a message for these courageous individuals, and for any person or institution that believes they can get away with sexually abusing children and covering it up. We will pursue every allegation of child sexual abuse wherever we find itin a doctors office, in a school or churchand we will hold child sexual predators accountable for their crimes under Pennsylvania law.

Abuse Victims Can Call Hotline

Shapiro has set up a special hotline for Bartos victims at 412-565-7680. Alternatively, victims or their family members can contact the Richland Township Police at 814-266-8333 to report abuse.

Every parent sends their child to a pediatrician to make sure they are healthy and getting the care they need. Parents rely on those doctors to examine their children, give them medical advice, and guide them as they try to do their best for their children, Shapiro concluded.

Barto violated every tenet of his oath as a doctor and as a decent human beingviolating the trust of his victims, their parents and of the entire community,Shapiro also said.

If Barto is convicted he will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars.

From NTD.tv

Watch Next:

Falun Gong Practitioners Are Being Killed for Organs in China

Before the year 2000, organ transplantation in China was a relatively niche medical treatment.Tahlequah has been keeping her lost calf afloat for seven days as o July 31. (Michael Weiss, Center for Whale Research)

Mother Orca Refuses to Abandon Her Dead Baby

In a tremendous display of grief and maternal instinct, a mother killer whale continues to keep afloat the body of her deceased calf in the waters off the Pacific Northwest.

The orca, named J35, or Tahlequah, has been carrying her dead calf since it was born on July 24. The calf only lived a few hours, the Seattle Times reported.

After it died, Tahlequah refused to let it sink to the bottom to be eaten by predators. Instead, she kept the calf afloat, pushing it with her forehead while heading east from the southeast tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia toward San Juan Island, USA, north of Puget Sound.

At sunset, a group of about half a dozen female orcas gathered near the mouth of San Juan Islands Eagle Cove, a resident reported to the Center for Whale Research. This group took turns keeping the dead baby orca afloat, and kept the baby in a patch of moonlight on the ocean for about two hours.

As the light dimmed, I was able to watch them continue what seemed to be a ritual or ceremony. They stayed directly centered in the moonbeam, even as it moved, the resident reported.

According to the Center for Whale Research, Killer whales and dolphins have been known to support and transport their dead calves for as long as a weeka testament to the amazingly strong mother/offspring bond and caring.

Some scientists are worried that Tahlequah might not take care of herself, consumed by her grief for her lost child

I am so terrified for her well-being, Deborah Giles, research scientist for University of Washington Center for Conservation Biology and research director for nonprofit Wild Orca, told the Seattle Times. She is a 20-year-old breeding-age female and we need her.

As of July 31, Tahlequah was still transporting her lost offspring.

Near Extinction

The southern resident killer whale is a species perilously close to extinction. Currently about 75 members live in three pods which hunt for fish, mainly salmon, in the Pacific Ocean west of Washington and British Columbia. This number is down from 81 in 2015, counted by the Center for Whale Research.

The three pods totaled 98 individuals in 1995.

The species was listed as endangered in the U.S. in 2005. Canada listed the species endangered in 2001.

Before being listed, the whales faced the threat of humans hunting them for theme parks. Between 1965 and 1975, a total of 45 orcas were captured and sent to aquariums around the world while at least 13 additional orcas died during the capture process, according to the website, Global Animal.

After that, humans continued to be the greatest threat to the cetaceans, despite southern resident killer whales being listed as an endangered species.

The chief problem the whales face is starvation, followed by poisoning from pollution.

The whales feed primarily on the endangered Chinook salmon, which are themselves growing frighteningly scarce in the wild. Overfishing has decimated Chinook populations, and the damming of rivers for hydroelectric power and flood control has interfered with the fishes breeding cycles. Farm-raised fish dont develop enough fat to be a substitute.

Worse still, Chinook salmon, like the whales themselves, live close to the shore and near several dense urban areas. Pollution from these cities concentrates in the fat of the fish, and then into the flesh of the whales. Since the whales sit atop the marine food chain, everything which absorbs pollution, form the smallest plankton to mollusks, small fish, bigger fish, transfer these industrial pollutants up the chainto the whales.

The whales store these concentrated doses of chemicals like DDT, mercury, and PCBs in their blubber, which weakens their health and causes reproductive problems, the same as it would in humans.

No Viable Births

Female orcas cannot produce viable offspring because of nutritional stress, the Associated Press reported.

Normally half of all orca calves will survive to adulthood, but a study by the University of Washington found that two-thirds of orca pregnancies between 2007 and 2014 had failed.

Eleven calves were born in 2015 in a baby boom which temporarily gave scientists hope that the species might rebound. Half of those calves died as well.

There has not been a single successful pregnancy and birth in the past three years.

The Center for Whale Research estimates that the females of the existing population have about five years of fertility left. If they cannot produce healthy offspring in that time, the species will go extinct.

The only way to prevent the loss of this species might be the total revamping of salmon management and river management in the Pacific Northwest. As the American Fisheries Society notes in its Salmon 2100 report, sometimes uncomfortably radical policy rethinking will be needed if there is to be a wild salmon population by the year 2100.

Unfortunately, the whales dont have time for protracted policy debates.

Sad sights like the video of Tahlequa trying to hang on to her lost infant might become commonplaceand then the only news of the whales will be when their corpses occasionally wash up on shore.

Watch Next:

How Doctors in China Turn into Murderers

Former Chinese surgeon Enver Tohti said he was turned into a killing robot while thinking he was working for a great cause.National World War I Memorial Design Team Gets the Green Light

The US Commission of Fine Arts endorses memorial park design

WASHINGTONThe war that did not end all wars, World War I, marked a dramatic turning point in history. It changed everything, including art. Collective trauma gave way to irony, cynicism, sarcasm, a taste for the absurd, and nihilistic disillusionment. The moral fabric of society and how it translated into art started to deteriorate at an alarming pace, until it reached the extreme where anything goes, as seen in some contemporary art today.

Now, 100 years after World War I ended, we begin to see glimmers of art that is more considerate, ennobling, trustworthy, respectful, and with a rational sensibility that is uplifting, even depicting subject matter that delves into the tragic nature of humanity.

On June 19, the design concept for a new National World War I Memorialembodying all of such positive qualitieswas unanimously endorsed by the federal aesthetic guardians of Washington, D.C., the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA). The approval marked a breakthrough not only for the World War I monument to be realized but also for the public presence of figurative art on the world stage.

Surprisingly, Washington does not have a memorial for honoring the sacrifice and victory of the American doughboys. Pershing Park, built in 1981, has the commemorative sculpture John J. Pershing, General of the Armies, but nothing on a scale that would truly honor the 4.7 million Americans who served and over 116,000 who were killed in World War I.

An act of Congress in 2013 created the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission (WW1CC) for planning and developing the memorial. The 12 members of the commission were appointed by former President Barack Obama, leaders of the Senate, the House of Representatives, as well as the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the National World War I Museum and Memorial. All five former living presidents are serving on the commission as honorary chairmen.

In 2015, the commission selected the competition-winning team: architect Joe Weishaar, sculptor Sabin Howard, Land Collective, and GWWO Architects. Weishaar and Howard started to work on the design in January 2016. A year and a half may seem to be a long time for honing a design concept, but the design team had to reach a consensus with many people.

Although the memorial is privately funded, every step of the project has to be vetted by government agencies, including the CFA, the U.S. National Park Service, and the National Capital Planning Commission. That is because the memorial will be sited on federal land, in Pershing Park, with views to the White House.

As it stands today, Pershing Park, designed in the 80s with a reflecting pool that has been dried up for over a decade, is in a derelict, seldom-visited state.

A difficult challenge that we had to face was to agree on how the park would be used, the sculptor, Sabin Howard said in a phone interview. We had to consider, is it going to be just a park, or a memorial, or both? Is it going to remain a park that had been designed in the 80s that has now fallen apart, or is it going to be the park that has been given congressional approval to make it into the National World War I Memorial park? Howard said.

By the end of 2016, the architect Joe Weishaar had already presented several redesigns of the park to the WW1CC and the government agencies. Weishaar is responsible for designing all of the paving, the walkways, the reflecting pool and fountains, the base for the figurative sculpture designed by Howard, and all of the lighting. Final approval for the sculptural element of the memorial and how it would be integrated in the park would take more time.

Howard drew more than a dozen iterations of the sculpture design. The broad concept was endorsed by the CFA in May 2017. Shortly after the official groundbreaking ceremony in Pershing Park on Nov. 9, 2017, he completed a small-scale, three-dimensional model for the bas-relief sculpture. The design team would work on several more iterations and with the WW1CC would present them to the government agencies for a couple of hours every few months. That would create further discussion and refinement.

In the course of about a year and a half, the bas-relief bronze sculpture was shortened from 80 feet to 56.5 feet in length, and the 38 figures were shortened from as tall as 8 feet to about 6.6 feet. The placement of the relief would remain on the west side of Pershing Park, but it would move away from the terrace of the park to become a freestanding wall with water all around it.

The allegorical narrative of the bronze relief A Soldiers Journey expresses both the individual and the collective sacrifice of the Americans who served, in a very accessible and compelling way that will also prompt the public to learn more about World War I and its significance.

We confirmed for [the CFA] that in contrast to the various other alternatives that had been suggested in various quarters, the concept that they approved last year remained the best concept, said Edwin Fountain, the vice-chair of the WW1CC, on the phone on July 26. On the surface, it looks like we made the same decision [as last year], but we just needed some further thought and discussion that confirmed that original choice, he said.

For Howard, meeting with the agencies was a tempering process. He had to hold on to his vision throughout the collaborative process with experts in other fields.

I was basing what I thought the monument should look like on my experience of well over 35 years of creating figurative art. How do I bring that forward into the public arena without diminishing or diluting the message in a collaborative effort? How do you remain true to a vision with so many opinions swirling around when you make public art? That was my challenge, Howard said on the phone.

For both Howard and Weishaar, the positive outcome of the July 19 meeting with the CFA was a sigh of relief. The WW1CC received 265 letters of support ahead of that meeting, compared to only four letters they had received in May last year.

Getting this second approval puts us back on track. We are not hunting around in the dark anymore; we are moving in the right direction, Weishaar said. Thats not to say that there wont be other changes moving forward, but they will be much smaller in scale.

The commission plans to complete the construction of the World War I memorial at Pershing Park by 2021. We hope to have the park itself largely completed by the end of 2019, and in an ideal world, we would have the sculpture in place by Nov. 11, 2021, Fountain said. That date is significant in that it is the centennial of the internment of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

The design team now moves into the next phase of actually creating the memorial. I feel the weight, the gravitas, and importance of what we have to accomplish, Howard said. Also, I think this is a really beautiful moment for figurative art. Honestly, I get goose bumps thinking about it, because I realize there is great power here, to make art full of spirit that is about what it means to be human. This has the potential to reconnect the public with art. Art that has sacred value.

Milene Fernandez is on Instagram @milenejfFirefighters monitor fire movement as it crosses Highway 299 just west of Buckhorn Summit near the Trinity County line. Firefighters made progress on the fire which is now at 20 percent containment. (Kelly Jordan via USA Today Network)

Northern California Blaze: Police Search for 16 Still Missing

REDDING, Calif.Firefighters in northern California took advantage of calmer winds on Tuesday, July 31, in their drive to surround a deadly blaze raging for over a week around the city of Redding, as police searched for 16 people listed as missing in the wildfire.

The Carr Fire has claimed six confirmed fatalities since Thursday, when gale-force winds whipped the blaze into a cyclone of flames that jumped a river and roared with little warning into Redding, 160 miles (260 kilometers) north of the state capital Sacramento.

Whole neighborhoods, including the nearby town of Keswick, were laid to waste as residents fled in a frantic race against the encroaching conflagration.

Among the dead were two firefighters, as well as two young children who perished with their great-grandmother as they huddled under a wet blanket while their house went up in smoke.

Nearly 900 homes and 300 other buildings were burned, and authorities have said additional victims might be found as search teams pick through the ruins of a wildfire that state officials now rank as the seventh most destructive in California history.

On Tuesday, five days after the Redding fire storm, law enforcement officials were trying to account for 16 people listed as missing, according to Redding police Sergeant Todd Cogle.

He said the number has fluctuated in recent days, from as few as seven to as many as 26, as some of the missing turned up safe and others were added to the list.

Meanwhile, some 3,600 firefighters arrayed against the blaze made steady progress with help from a second day of diminished winds.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) reported 27 percent of the fires perimeter corralled by containment lines  up from 5 percent during much of the past week  even as the footprint of scorched landscape grew to 110,000 acres (45,000 hectares).

In another positive sign, evacuees in some areas have been allowed to return home since Sunday, though as many as 37,000 still remained displaced.

Lighter winds also gave a boost on Tuesday to some 2,000 firefighters battling a pair of fires burning about 30 miles apart at the southern end of Mendocino National Forest, where an estimated 12,200 people were under mandatory evacuation orders.

Those blazes, dubbed the Ranch and the River fires, have charred more than 74,000 acres (30,000 hectares), with containment measured at 12 percent for the two together.

The Carr Fire stands as the most formidable of 94 wildfires burning across 13 U.S. Western states, from Texas to Alaska, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

California, with 17 large active blazes reported, has been one of the hardest hit, with a volatile mix of triple digit-temperatures, erratic winds and drought-parched vegetation fueling intense wildfire activity.

By Rollo RossOhio Judge Orders Mans Mouth Taped Shut During Sentencing

A judge in Ohio ordered deputies to tape a defendants mouth shut during sentencing on July 31.

Franklyn Williams, 32, was standing trial in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court when the judge lost patience with his interruptions.

After warning Williams multiple times, Judge John Russo decided to take action, reported Fox 8. Williams would not stop talking, despite more than a dozen warnings over the course of about 30 minutes. Williams even interrupted his own attorneys, the outlet reported.

Six deputies stood around Williams as one applied the tape, then another piece as Williams continued trying to talk.

Ultimately, Williams was sentenced to 24 years in prison, after being convicted late last year of aggravated robbery, kidnapping, theft, misuse of credit cards, and having weapons under a disability.

I will say knowing Mr. Williams due to my handling of his four cases, Mr. Williams was someone who liked to speak. To speak and interrupt. When lawyers were talking, witnesses were talking. More importantly when I was talking, Judge Russo told Fox 8 after the trial.

Everybody has the right to go on the record with my court reporter. But we cant do it at the same time or yelling over each other. My intent was never to silence Mr. Williams.

Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Williams cut his ankle bracelet and fled to Nebraska before the trial, claiming he was hit over the head and lost his memory. But prosecutors played audio recordings of Williams on the phone with family members that showed he didnt lose his memory.

Williams originally pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery and was sentenced to 14 years in prison but he appealed the sentence, arguing that his attorney had told him hed be eligible for early release after he served seven years in prison, reported the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

An appeals court sided with him and threw out the sentence, ordering a second trial.

From NTD.tvAeromexico jetliners stand idle on the tarmac in Mexico City. An Aeromexico plane crashed in Durango on July 31. (Ramon Cavallo/AFP/Getty Images)

Passenger Says Aeromexico Flight 2431 Hit Hail, Wind Before Crash

A U.S. passenger aboard a flight that crashed on takeoff in northern Mexico said that a strong burst of wind and hail hit the Aeromexico jetliner, apparently knocking it back to the ground, where there were only moments to evacuate before it burned.

Alberto Herrera, a 35-year-old webpage engineer from Chicago, described the terrifying moments when the plane briefly became airborne before smacking belly-down onto a field beyond the edge of the runway.

You start gaining speed and as soon as you start taking off all of the sudden the plane starts struggling and its getting hit with hail, said Herrera, who was visiting the city of Durango for the baptism of his cousins baby.

The higher up we went into the storm the heavier the hail got and more wind got to us, he recounted from his hotel room. Then all of a sudden the plane starts rocking and it starts seriously, seriously moving around and then hitting the ground.

Local media outlets reported that passengers were seen walking to a nearby road for help.

Corporaciones de emergencia y seguridad se encuentran en el km17 de la autopista Durango  Torreon atendiendo accidente de la aeronave, cede el paso a los vehiculos de emergencia ? pic.twitter.com/XR75WuMlai  PROTECCION CIVIL DGO (@CEPCDurango) July 31, 2018

Durango state governor Jose Aispuro said that there were no deaths.

It is confirmed that there were no deaths during the accident of flight # AM2431. At present, part of the Cabinet, led by the Coordinator @ RosarioCastroL, is in charge of caring for the injured and cooperating with the airport authorities in dealing with this event, he said on Twitter in Spanish.

I have instructed the @ SEDENAmx , @ PcSegob and @ SCT_mx to collaborate in the care of the aerial accident that occurred in Durango. I hope that the crew and all passengers are well, wrote Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Twitter in Spanish.

Officials said that all 99 passengers and four crew members survived. The pilot of the plane was seriously injured.

According to Reuters, about 85 people were injured in the crash.

Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

A little girl who left the plane was crying because her legs were burned, said a Yaquelin Flores, who said she was Mexican but lived in Bogota, Colombia, and was on the plane, Reuters reported. I feel blessed and grateful to God, she said.

We undid our seatbelts and I told my daughter that we had to go out there and we jumped. There were children leaving the plane and crying . . . We managed to get out through the hole but there were flames. I was afraid of being burned but we jumped without thinking or taking anything with us, Flores said, according to Mexico News Daily.

Flores said that paramedics took about 20 minutes to get to the crash site. She lost all of her personal belongings in the crash.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions (L) and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (R) attend the Religious Liberty Summit at the Department of Justice on July 30, 2018. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Rod Rosenstein: The Man With the Most Thankless Job in America

You can't hand over the evidence that makes up your case to the people you are investigating

News Analysis

You may have noticed over the past year there is a formal dance underway between the Department of Justice and the Congressional oversight committees over release of documents related to the 2016 election and the multiple investigations it spawned.

Congress requests documents, and the DOJ then spends months dragging its feet before responding. The department then often refuses to hand over whats requested, or only does so in a highly redacted form.

As this process has dragged on, a popular narrative has arisen in which Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Rod Rosenstein, second in command at the DOJ, are both part of a plot to remove President Donald Trump from office.

The narrative goes something like this:

Deep State plotters either flipped Sessions or tricked him into appointing Rod Rosenstein as the defacto head of the DOJ following his recusal from all matters related to the 2016 election shortly after taking office. This recusal by Sessions caught Trump completely by surprise. Rosenstein then appointed Robert Mueller to head up the Special Counsel team looking for Russian interference in that 2016 election. Muellers team then began working towards the goal of finding something to use to impeach President Trump. This renders Trump completely helpless and he is forced to sit on the sidelines, railing impotently on his Twitter about how Sessions has betrayed him and how he cant stop Muellers witch hunt.

To keep this plot going to try to remove Trump from office, Rosenstein has to hide from Congressional Oversight the documents used to launch Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI counterintelligence probe targeting the Trump campaign team, until Mueller can successfully drive Trump from office.

Its a nice theory until you examine it closely.

Allow me to provide you with an alternative narrative.

In this alternative narrative, Trump & his team enter office in January 2017 already knowing all about the Crossfire Hurricane plot to spy on his campaign. Not only did Trump and his team know about the plot, they already had a counterintelligence strategy in place to fight back against it.

In this narrative, all the top members of Trumps team, from CIA Director Mike Pompeo to Attorney General Jeff Sessions not only know about the plot, they are fully read into the strategy to counter it. The people coming in to run those law enforcement and intelligence agencies arent being taken by surprise; they went in knowing what theyd find and what they would have to do.

Far from immediately confronting all the plotters and rounding them up in the spring of last year, which wouldve caused massive shock and upheaval, Trumps inner circle of advisers decided on a slow rollout strategy that would preserve and protect the institutions these saboteurs had corrupted while individual plotters were slowly and inexorably exposed and then forced out.

After all, at the end of this, you still need a functioning DOJ, FBI, CIA and State Department and so on. You have to separate all the bad eggs from the good eggs without killing the chickens and burning down the farm.

Members of the US Congress Are Under Criminal Investigation for Leaking Classified Information

What some people fail to notice or understand, is that some of the plotters dont reside inside the DOJ or the State Department. Theyre inside the U.S. Congress. They are Senators, members of the House Representatives, or key Congressional staff, such as the recently indicted James Wolfe, longtime director of security at the Senate intelligence committee.

This means a lot of what youve been seeing on the surface for the past year-and-a-half is not real. Such as Trump railing at Sessions on his Twitter, or demanding Rosenstein do something! Its disinformation crafted to hide whats actually been going on. Because the people now running the DOJ cant hand over material evidence until the investigations are completed. They especially cant hand over this evidence to the very people who are being investigated.

This is why Rosenstein has had the most thankless job in America for the past year and a half.

Both Rosenstein and Sessions have all but used signal flags to strongly hint that members of Congress who sit on these Oversight Committees are targets of criminal investigations.

Rosenstein keeps being asked to hand over material evidence to Congressional oversight committees at the same time that his department is investigating several members of these selfsame committees for criminal leaks of classified information, as well as their involvement in the Crossfire Hurricane shenanigans.

So hes being asked to hand over evidence thats being used to investigate several members of Congress to those selfsame members of Congress. See what a no-win scenario that is? No prosecutor could possibly hand over material evidence to the very people being targeted by the federal investigations hes overseeing. Thats not how these things work. You dont just hand over the evidence that makes up your case to the people youre investigating.

Until they are ready to move, Sessions and Rosenstein have to keep most of this evidence in these documents under wraps. They wont hand over the really vital stuff implicating people at the top until the leakers in Congress and elsewhere are in no position to use that evidence to try to save themselves or their political masters.

Brian Cates is a writer based in South Texas and author of Nobody Asked For My Opinion  But Here It Is Anyway! He can be reached on Twitter at @drawandstrike.Smoking is no longer permitted in or near public housing across the nation, effective July 31, 2018. (maxknoxvill/Pixabay)

Smoking Ban in Public Housing Takes Effect Throughout US

Smoking is no longer permitted in or near public housing across the nation, effective July 31.

Those who smoke can no longer light up cigarettes, cigars, or pipes in or within 25 feet of public housing and administrative office buildings. All public housing agencies (PHA) are to implement the ban no later than July 31 this year. A fact sheet (pdf) was released to alert residents of the change.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) wrote in its policy that the rule will improve indoor air quality in the housing, which in turn will benefit people inside, as well as lower the risk of fires and lowers overall costs in maintenance.

According to the CDC, those in public housing who do not smoke are still prone to secondhand smokestudies have shown that secondhand smoke can still travel to indoor areas where people do not smoke, via ventilation systems and windows. The CDC said that children, the elderly, and the disabled, who comprise a large number of public housing residents, are more vulnerable to, and can be affected by, secondhand smoke.

The Surgeon General has concluded that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke and that only 100 percent smoke-free policies fully protect people from involuntary exposure, the CDC states on its website.

Tenants who are found in violation of the ban may face eviction. But not complying to the ban would not be considered a crime, rather, it would be considered a civil violation.

The ban, which is to be included in the public tenants leases, does not apply to smoking e-cigarettes, snuffing, or chewing tobacco, but such activities may still be prohibited in certain areas.

Benefits of Smoke Free Environment

According to the CDC, secondhand smoke is responsible for 40,000 deaths in the United States each year, and brings a higher risk of cancer and heart disease in adults. For children, secondhand smoke can cause more frequent and intense asthma attacks, more respiratory infections, and higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

A study by the CDC in 2014 suggests that having a nationwide smoking ban in all government-subsidised housing, which encompasses public housing, could save an estimated $497 million a year in health care and housing-related coststhat is, $53 million in smoking-related fire damages, $134 million in renovation costs, and $310 million in secondhand smoking-related health care.

In 2017, a study published in Preventive Medicine found that one-third of adults who received housing assistance were smokers, and tended to report higher rates of adverse outcomes including poorer health, disability, asthma, and distress compared to nonsmokers.

From NTD.tvActing Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs and State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert at a press briefing at the State Department in Washington on July 31, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

State Department Not in the Least Discouraged by Irans Refusal to Engage

The State Department says its not in the least discouraged after Iranian officials dismissed President Donald Trumps remark that hes willing to meet with the Islamic state without any preconditions.

Theyre certainly entitled to do that, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said during a July 31 press conference. We prefer diplomacy, they prefer to export their malignant behavior around the world, as we have seen them do for many, many decades.

In his typical carrot-and-stick approach, Trump exerts increasing pressure on Iran, while leaving the regime a way out.

In May, he scrapped the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and ordered the reimposition of sanctions on the regime. But on July 30, he said he would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet.

Iranian officials refused.

The other JCPOA signatoriesRussia, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Unionpromised Iran theyd keep the deal alive. But they also made it clear they wont be able to force their companies to keep doing business with Iran, since it could break the sanction rules and, thus, cut the companies off from the U.S. financial system.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said one major goal is to stop Iranian oil exports and eliminate the most crucial source of revenue for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the military branch that, together with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, holds sway over Irans elected government and supports various terrorist and militant groups in the region.

The last time sanctions were reimposed, under President Barack Obama in 2012, Iran lost about three-fifths of its oil exports. Back then, all 20 countries that were importing Iranian crude received waivers from the sanctions, in exchange for gradually reducing the imports.

The Trump administration may be more stringent. After initially indicating no waivers at all, officials acknowledged some waivers will be considered.

We want people to reduce oil purchases to zero, but in certain cases, if people cant do that overnight, well consider exceptions, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters on July 13.

Oil industry sources in India, the second-biggest importer of Irans 2.5 million barrels a day, already said in June theyre preparing to switch to other sources, while the leadership of Saudi Arabia, Irans rival, offered its 2 million barrels a day in untapped production to patch the hole in the market.

China, Irans biggest customer, received sanction waivers from the Obama administration, despite barely trimming its oil imports. But Trump is facing off with China in a tariff battle over trade abuses. The Iran situation gives Trump a chance to threaten China with sanctions, while China has to weigh its relationship with Iran over the one with the United States.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Trump Moves to Protect American Intellectual Property

Trump imposed the tariffs in response to years of unfair trade practices and intellectual property theft by the communist regime.Swedish police are looking for thieves who took two crowns and a royal orb from a popular cathedral, before fleeing on a motorboat.(Sweden Police)

Swedish Royal Family Crown Jewels Stolen in a Daring Heist

Crown jewels belonging to the Swedish royal family have been stolen from a popular cathedral in a daring heist, according to a police statement.

Swedish police worked throughout the night attempting to locate the thieves who took two crowns worn by Karl IX and Queen Kristina, and a royal orb from 13th Century Strangnas Cathedral before fleeing on a motorboat.

Police spokesperson Thomas Agnevik said the incident happened around 11:45 a.m. on July 31. He said the suspects had to break the glass to obtain the jewels, which would have set off the cathedrals alarms.

Agnevik said he did not know the exact value of the stolen objects as they were unique.

Its too difficult to translate these things into some kind of value  Its such a unique object, Agnevik said, reported Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.

Witness Tom Rowsell told the newspaper that he saw two people running in different directions.

We ate lunch and one of my friends saw two people run from different directions. I saw a little white boat and the men jumped in the boat and rode away, Rowsell said.

Catharina Frojd, a spokesperson for the cathedral, said no one was injured but many employees were shaken by the incident.

She called the theft an enormous loss in cultural value and economic value.

Agnevik said he was not worried because police are determined to catch the thieves.

Its 1-0 to them right now, but we do not know what it looks like tomorrow, he said, according to the newspaper.

Police are now appealing to the public for information relating to the robbery.The Manufacturing Heartland Is the Key to Future Elections

People want the easy life, the simple life, with predetermined expectations, predictability, and mundane repetitiveness. This is what existed for the workforce back in the 1960s and 70s.

But they want to be heard, made to feel important, recognized for their achievements, empowered, rewarded, appreciated, and respected.

There are two battles here: the inward battle, which is one of certainty and security, and the outward battle, which is one of appreciation, respect, and achievement. This harks back to Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs, extending from the base of the triangle embracing security to the apex of the triangle which embraces self-actualization.

Maslows triangle of needs is now top heavy. It used to have a strong stable foundation, back when we had a manufacturing industry and plants scattering the landscape of these Western lands.

That security has now gone, and we in the West are feeling the pressure of not keeping our foundations strong. It has led to economic, security, political, health, and social changes that we never dreamed of. Now that Maslows triangle of needs is on its head, the reverse effect is taking place. Those at the top of the triangle are heading to the bottom to feed on those who form the bottom of the triangle. This is resulting in economic cannibalism as the general population struggles to survive the incredible pressures required to survive on a daily basis.

To see this effect rising to the top of the sphere, we only have to look at the Donald Trump phenomenon. He moved with the people and saw what was driving his employees. He knew all about their motivations, needs, difficulties, challenges, burdens, and hopelessness and about the immense struggles they were feeling as they tried to raise their families. He knew exactly how to represent them, how to speak for them, how to understand them, how to respond for them, and how to see what they were seeing. Most of all, because of his established TV personality, he knew how to say what they were seeing.

Meanwhile, those in the established political climate looked for even further ways where the bottom of the triangle could release their pressures, buy some more time, and pretend that they were offering freedom when they were not. Trump spoke to the heart, and mainly he spoke to the core of the parent-child family unit that drives nations. This is how he won: He spoke directly to their wants and needs.

So what do the people want in this hierarchy of needs? They want to go to work in a manufacturing plant, just like their dad used to do. They want their factories back. They dont want to spend money saving the outside world. They want security, health care, and protection from a world that was devastating their very lives. They want the old world back: a time of predictability, certainty, friendly neighborhoods, family, the right to worship their God, sustainability, simplicity, and community inclusiveness in their lives.

The key was manufacturing plants. As people drove by the old automotive plant, they missed the way in which the community was borne of the pride in the work they didthe products they produced and the value they brought to their lands. This was what America was all about, and it was all gone. The rusted out machining centers, the broken mills, the graffiti-ridden factories, and the derelict warehouses are exactly what drove these people. It was always going to be family security that motivated people.

According to a recent poll conducted by Gallup on July 18, less than 1 percent of Americans care about the Russia probe. They dont care what happens in the outside world; all they care about is what is happening in their community. This is where the heart of the battle lies. Whoever understands the argument of industrial battle and industrial warfare will win the leadership in the next election.

The people dont want to be sold out anymore. They want their work back, they want their plants back, and they want their life back. Any person who gives that back to them, who gives them those ideals back, regardless of the politicians political party, race, color, creed, or religion, is the one who will win the prize of the presidency.

No, its not Trump that has spoken. Its the people who have spoken. Guess what? The bottom of the triangle is where those 99 percent live.

Better start listening Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, liberals, and parties all over the world. The 2020 election will be all about one thing: the industrial heartlands and manufacturing industry.

An outside force cannot defeat you unless you sell out internally, and the people are pitchfork angry as they ask just one question. Who sold our plants out?

This the question that Trump likes to portray in his campaigns. The message is very powerful. It is all about one topic: industrial warfare. Trump understands industrial warfare, and he wields the message like Bruce Lee wielded a pair of nunchucks. As long as he understands the message and the requirements of the recipient of the messagethe general publicTrump will win the next election, too.

Amar Manzoor is the author of the book The Art of Industrial Warfare and founder of the 7Tao industrial warfare system.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.President Donald Trump called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end Robert Mueller's Russia probe on Aug. 1. Here, they stand at the FBI National Academy graduation ceremony in Quantico, Virginia, on Dec. 15, 2017. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump Calls on Sessions to End Russia Probe Right Now

President Donald Trump has called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the probe into alleged Russian collusion led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA! he tweeted on Aug. 1

..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

It comes after former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort went on trial for alleged tax, bank, and financial fraud. On Wednesday, the president distanced himself from his former campaign chief, saying that he worked for him for a very short time.

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion  a Hoax! Trump wrote.

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion  a Hoax!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

Sessions, a former U.S. senator from Alabama, supported Trump during his campaign. After Trump appointed him, Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation in March 2017 before Mueller was appointed as special counsel.

Robert Mueller reports directly to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

In June, Trump criticized Sessions for his recusal. I would have quickly picked someone else. So much time and money wasted, so many lives ruinedand Sessions knew better than most that there was No Collusion, he wrote at the time.Trump Urges Sessions to End Mueller Probe Right Now

President Donald Trump is calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the Russia investigation headed by special counsel Robert Mueller right now.

This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further, Trump wrote on Twitter on Aug. 1. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!

While Trump has lambasted the Mueller probe for months, as evidence surfaced about its allegedly questionable political roots, the president had never publicly called on Sessions to end the investigation.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at the White House on Aug. 1 that Trumps tweet is not an official directive to Sessions.

Its not an order. Its the presidents opinion. Its ridiculous that all of the corruption and dishonesty thats gone on with the launching of the witch hunt, she said.

The president has watched this process play out, but he also wants to see it come to an end as he stated many times, and we look forward to that happening.

Mueller is investigating allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and claims of collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russia. To date, Mueller has not produced any indictments or evidence related to the collusion allegations.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller in May last year. Sessions has recused himself from all matters related to Russian election meddling.

In a string of messages leading up to his request to Sessions, Trump cited comments from Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz that reference FBI official Peter Strzok.

As Deputy Assistant Director of the FBIs counterintelligence division, Strzok was the lead agent in the investigation of the Trump campaign. Strzok then joined the Mueller probe, before being removed over text messages revealing extreme bias against Trump.

Strzok exchanged thousands of messages with FBI lawyer Lisa Page, while the two had an extramarital affair. In the texts, Strzok wrote that Hillary Clinton should win the 2016 election 100,000,000 [to]- 0, called Trump an idiot, discussed an insurance policy in case Trump won the election, said that he and others would stop Trump from becoming president, and mused about impeachment after joining the Mueller probe.

The entire investigation was based off a dirty discredited dossier that was paid for by an opposing campaign and had a lot of corruption within the entity which was overseeing it, which was Peter Strzok, James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Sanders said on Aug. 1.

On July 31, Judicial Watch received a new set of Strzok emails from the Department of Justice showing that he requested and was granted the authority to retain a broad set of FBI clearances before joining the Mueller probe, including the authority to declassify documents, which he described as most essential.

In a follow-up message, the president referred to the Clinton-funded opposition research dossier which the FBI used to spy on Trump-campaign volunteer Carter Page. The dossier was composed by a former British spy who allegedly paid second-hand sources with ties to the Kremlin.

Documents released by the DOJ to Judicial Watch on July 21 show that the dossier made up the core of the application for a warrant to spy on Page. The documents also show that FBI officials knowingly omitted the fact that Clinton funded the dossier while running against Trump in the election.

The president also touched on the fate of his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort. Prosecutors delivered their opening remarks on July 31 in the trial against Manafort, who is accused of bank fraud and tax evasion. Manafort is one of four Trump campaign associates charged with crimes unrelated to the campaign or Russias meddling in the election.

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time, Trump wrote on Twitter. Why didnt the government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion  a Hoax!

On the first day of the trial, prosecutors alleged that Manafort opened 30 bank accounts to hide the income he received for his work in Ukraine. The prosecutors said that collusion will not be part of the trial.

While Mueller has not brought any indictments related to collusion, he has charged two dozen Russians in two indictments for crimes related to election meddling. In the latest indictment, the special counsel named 12 Russian intelligence officers for hacking Democratic computer systems, stealing emails and files, and distributing the information with the intent of interfering in the 2016 election. As in the previous indictment, all of the alleged perpetrators are in Russia.Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) at the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology in Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania in Aug. 2017. Thompson and Krishnamoorthi sponsored the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act that was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 31.(Courtesy of Rep. Glenn Thompson)

Trump Signs Bill to Close Skills Gap

New legislation improves vocational education, supporting technical careers

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on July 31 signed into law a career and technical education bill, desperately needed by many employers, educators, and lawmakers. The bipartisan legislation will help align the U.S. education system with the nations rapidly evolving workforce needs.

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which passed both the House and Senate unanimously, reforms the American career, technical, and vocational education system for the first time since 2006.

The bill, introduced by Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), will benefit more than 11 million students.

Among many important changes to skills-based education, the bill boosts the funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Program by up to $1.3 billion annually. The program will benefit secondary and post-secondary students across the country, providing on-the-job training in various fields including cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare.

The legislation really is transformational in terms of what it does for restoring rungs on the ladder of opportunity for American citizens and families, Thompson told The Epoch Times.

He said changes put forward in the legislation bring career and technical education into the 21st century.

I am thrilled by the passage of this major bipartisan legislation and am excited to help educators and students adjust to these critical reforms to increase worker wages and strengthen our economy for generations to come, Krishnamoorthi, co-sponsor of the bill stated in a press release.

The bill was voted on five times, three times in the House and twice in the Senate, due to amendments. The House passed its own version of the bill more than a year ago, but negotiations in the Senate had been at an impasse for months. The Trump administration has made closing the skills gap a top priority and hence pushed the Senate to take action on the bill.

According to media reports, Ivanka Trump, President Trumps daughter and White House senior advisor, visited Capitol Hill in June to press senators on the bill.

Thompson said the administrations support and engagement in the passage of the bill were very helpful.

National Association of Manufacturers President Jay Timmons said in a statement, Manufacturers are encouraged to have partners in the White House like the president and Ivanka Trump who are laser-focused on worker training.

The American Chemical Society (ACS), the worlds largest scientific society, also applauded Congress and the administration for passage of the bill.

ACS was encouraged to see lawmakers support for in-depth professional development with emphasis on apprenticeship and work-study programs, stated the ACS in a statement.

The first federal law that provided funding for vocational education was passed in 1917 and since then career and technical education (CTE) has played a crucial role in U.S. secondary schools. However, CTE has been on the decline for the last few decades, according to Brian Jacob, former Brookings Institute expert and the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Education Policy and Professor of Economics at the University of Michigan.

Between 1990 and 2009, the number of CTE credits earned by high school students in the United States declined by 14 percent, he wrote in a Brookings report.

Starting in the 1980s, states increased the number of courses required for high school graduation. As a result, students had to take additional courses in core academic fields such as math, science, social studies, and foreign language. This requirement coupled with declining funds and a growing push toward a four-year college degree led to a sharp decline in CTE participation, stated Jacob.

U.S. job openings surged to record-high levels in recent months, with vacancies increasingly exceeding the number of unemployed workers. Companies are having trouble finding suitable workers due to a growing skills gap. The skills shortage is a broad issue that affects many U.S. industries and forms a threat to future economic growth.

To resolve the problem, Trump signed an executive order on July 19 that created a national council charged with developing a strategy to grow the workforce. During the executive order signing, over 20 companies and organizations pledged to provide training to at least 3.8 million American students and workers for new jobs.

Last year, Trump also signed an executive order to ease the regulatory burden on apprenticeship programs and took action to increase access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education for K-12 students.A U.S. airwoman salutes during a repatriation ceremony for remains transferred by North Korea, at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea Aug. 1, 2018. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool via Reuters)

US Says Remains Returned by North Korea Likely American

OSAN AIR BASE, South KoreaMore than 50 boxes handed over by North Korea to the United States last week appear to hold human remains from the 1950-1953 Korean War and are likely American, according to an initial forensic analysis, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, Aug. 1.

A U.S. military transport aircraft on Friday, July 27 flew the remains from the North Korean city of Wonsan, a first step in implementing an agreement reached at a landmark summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in June.

There is no reason to doubt that they do relate to Korean War losses, John Byrd, director of analysis for the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), told reporters at Osan air base in South Korea, just before the remains were due to be flown to Hawaii for further analysis and identification.

More than 7,700 U.S. troops remain unaccounted for from the Korea War. About 5,300 were lost in what is now North Korea.

Byrd said a single identification dog tag was also handed over by the North Koreans. The soldiers family had been notified, though it was not clear if his remains were among those found, Byrd said.

Experts say positively identifying the decades-old remains could take anywhere from days to decades.

Still, the initial field forensic review indicates that the remains are what North Korea said they were, Byrd said.

The North Koreans provided enough specifics about where each suspected body was found that U.S. officials have matched them to specific battles fought from 1950 to 1951, though not necessarily individuals, he said.

Cherished Duty

Dozens of American, South Korean, and other soldiers and officials from U.N. countries that fought in the Korean War conducted a ceremony with full military honors before the remains were loaded into military transport aircraft for the flight to Hawaii on Wednesday.

The remains had been transferred from the small boxes they arrived in on Friday into full-sized caskets, draped with U.N. flags.

Officials from U.N.-allied nations laid wreaths, a military band played somber music, an honor guard fired a salute, and troops saluted as the caskets sat in a hangar just off a runway.

For the warrior, this is a cherished duty, a commitment made to one another before going into battle and passed on from one generation of warriors to the next, said U.S. General Vincent Brooks, top commander of U.S. and U.N. forces in South Korea. And for all in attendance, this is a solemn reminder that our work is not complete until all have been accounted for, no matter how long it takes to do so.

DPAA deputy director Rear Admiral Jon Kreitz said he saw the remains transfer as an important step that will lead to more recovery operations in North Korea.

Diplomatic Gesture

The pledge to transfer war remains was seen as a goodwill gesture by Kim at the Singapore summit, and was the most concrete agreement reached by the two sides so far.

While it has taken longer than some had hoped, a U.S. State Department official said the process had so far proceeded as expected, and the handover rekindled hopes for progress in other talks with North Korea aimed at its denuclearization.

Fridays transfer of the remains coincided with the 65th anniversary of the 1953 armistice that ended fighting between North Korean and Chinese forces and South Korean and U.S.-led forces under the U.N. Command. The two sides remain technically at war because a peace treaty was never signed.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on July 15 that Washington and Pyongyang had agreed to recommence field operations in North Korea to search for the missing Americans.

The Pentagon said it was absolutely considering the possibility of sending personnel to North Korea for this purpose.

The United States and North Korea conducted joint searches from 1996 until 2005, when Washington halted the operations, citing concerns about the safety of its personnel as Pyongyang stepped up its nuclear program.

More than 400 caskets of remains found in North Korea were returned to the United States between the 1990s and 2005, with the bodies of some 330 other Americans also accounted for, according to the DPAA.

The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday, July 31 it expects Pyongyang to keep its commitment made at the June summit to give up its nuclear arms which it had developed for years in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions.

Questions have arisen over Pyongyangs commitment to denuclearize after U.S. spy satellite material detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the countrys first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.

By Josh Smith

Watch Next:

This Year Marks 68 Years Since the Start of the Korean War

On June 25, 1950, Communist North Korean troops launched a surprise attack into South Korea.Disneyland Ticket Prices Go up as Much as 8 percent, With Parking Rising 20 percentUS Insurers Grilled on Exposure to $4.7 Billion J&J Talc Verdict

Wall Street is trying to figure out whether the U.S. insurance industry will bear any costs from a record $4.69 billion judgment against Johnson & Johnson awarded to customers and their families who claimed that asbestos-contaminated talc caused ovarian cancer.

Analysts have flagged talc litigation as a financial risk for insurers, including Travelers Companies Inc, Chubb Ltd and The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.

On company earnings calls in recent days, they peppered executives with questions about where exposure might lie. Many of the policies were written decades ago, and some liability may have been offloaded to reinsurers, making it hard to tell who might be on the hook for payments.

I wanted to get a sense as to whether this is going to turn into a bigger deal and catch us by surprise, said Buckingham Research Group analyst Amit Kumar, who asked about the issue during W.R. Berkley Corps call last week. The J&J news prompted us to revisit this topic.

J&J has repeatedly denied that its talc products, including its baby powder, contain asbestos or cause cancer.

Insurance executives have not given definitive answers, citing uncertainty about how litigation will play out or what role reinsurance might play. Policies that may cover asbestos liability were underwritten at least as far back as the 1970s.

In J&Js case, we would not be surprised if the plaintiffs bar found a way to trigger coverage under its old liability policies, which we think could lead to additional exposure for insurers, Barclays analyst Jay Gelb wrote in a research note on July 31.

Travelers, Chubb and The Hartford may have exposure, Gelb said.

Representatives for Chubb, Travelers, the Hartford and W.R. Berkely declined to provide additional comments beyond their executives remarks during the calls.

Asked whether the J&J judgment is launching a new era of risk for insurers, Chubb Chief Executive Evan Greenberg said he is not concerned. He noted that asbestos litigation against different industries crops up every few years.

It could have been Congoleum manufacturers who made floor tiles, Greenberg said previously. This gets a headline because its baby powder.

The $4.69 billion verdict by a Missouri on July 12 is the largest judgment against J&J to date over decades-long allegations that its talc-based products cause cancer.

The New Jersey-based healthcare conglomerate has said it believes the verdict will not stand on appeal.

We are confident that there are multiple grounds for reversal of this jury verdict and that, ultimately, the case will be reversed, J&J Chief Executive Alex Gorsky said earlier.

The company has had previous success overturning large verdicts in cases alleging harm from its products.

J&J, which faces 9,000 cases nationwide over talc, stopped buying product liability coverage in 2005 because it was expensive and not widely available, according to a regulatory filing. Instead, it has a self-insurance program through a subsidiary, Middlesex Assurance Company Ltd, according to a filing and court documents.

J&J spokesman Ernie Knewitz did not respond to requests for comment on its insurance coverage.

It is unclear how much of a role reinsurance will play for insurers or J&J.

The Hartford entered a reinsurance pact with Berkshire Hathaway Incs National Indemnity Company in 2016 for asbestos and environmental claims. But the terms excluded coverage for alleged connections between talc and ovarian cancer, Hartford Chief Financial Officer Beth Bombara said during a conference call on July 27.

The Hartford spokesman Matthew Sturdevant declined further comment. Berkshire Hathaways vice chairman for insurance operations, Ajit Jain, declined to comment.

Other insurance executives said they have been monitoring talc litigation for years and will continue to do so.

The general theme is to let the process play out, Wells Fargo analyst Elyse Greenspan said in an interview.

By Suzanne BarlynIsmail Cem Halavurt, lawyer of the jailed pastor Andrew Brunson, talks to media outside the Aliaga Prison and Courthouse complex in Izmir, Turkey May 7, 2018. (REUTERS/Osman Orsal)

White House Sanctions Turkey Officials Over Detention of US Pastor

The administration of President Donald Trump sanctioned two top Turkish officials on Aug. 1 for their roles in the detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson.

Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both warned Turkey last week that the United States would issue sanctions unless Turkey frees Brunson, who is currently under house arrest after spending a year and a half in prison.

The Treasury Departments sanctions target Turkeys Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu. The pair played key roles in the departments that arrested and detained Brunson, the department noted in a statement.

Pastor Brunsons unjust detention and continued prosecution by Turkish officials is simply unacceptable, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. President Trump has made it abundantly clear that the United States expects Turkey to release him immediately.

Brunson was arrested in Izmir, Turkey, in October 2016 and accused of espionage and aiding terrorist organizations. Brunson denies all charges.

The Treasury accuses Gul and Soylu of serious human rights violations. The sanctions mean that all of the pairs property and assets in the United States are blocked and Americans are prohibited from transacting with them.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at the White House on August 1 that the Treasury Department acted on an order from the president. Trump spoke to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the pastor on several occasions, according to Sanders.

Weve seen no evidence that Pastor Brunson has done anything wrong and we believe he is a victim of unfair and unjust attention by the government of Turkey, Sanders said.

The Turkish Ministry of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last week, Turkey dismissed warnings of sanctions from Trump and Pence.

Noone dictates Turkey, Turkeys minister of foreign affairs, Mevlut Cavusoglu, wrote on Twitter. We will never tolerate threats from anybody. Rule of law is for everyone; no exception.

Trump had issued repeated calls for Brunsons release and called the pastors detention a total disgrace. Pence has said that there is no credible evidence against Brunson.

American officials believed that a deal was in place to free Brunson, but when he was moved to house arrest on July 26, Trump and Pence met and decided that sanctions are in order to force the issue.

Washington and Ankara are NATO allies.Sweden's royal family still regularly captures Europe's attention with glamour, gossip - and the shiny crown jewels that are put on public display whenever the occasion merits it.

That particular part of the century-old tradition will become much more difficult now that at least some of the priceless Swedish crown jewels are no longer in the hands of the royal family. Around noon on Tuesday, two thieves stole a 17th-century orb and two golden crowns from a cathedral near Stockholm where they had been on display in a glass box, before escaping by speedboat into the Malaren lake, which spans 74 miles and is filled with hundreds of small islands.

A spokeswoman for the cathedral said Wednesday that an alarm went off after the two men accessed the jewels and that security precautions were in accordance with strict guidelines.

Even though the royal family appears to have insurance covering the jewels, officials stressed that their value could hardly be measured or replaced. "It is not possible to put an economic value on this. It is invaluable items of national interest," police spokesman Thomas Agnevik told Swedish media.

According to witnesses, the two men used women's bikes to race toward a motorboat near the bay by the cathedral, as stunned visitors watched the drama unfold.

"The two men hurriedly jumped on board, and it sped off," visitor Tom Rowell told the Associated Press.

The subsequent manhunt - with one helicopter and multiple boats - has not yielded any arrests, and authorities appear to have few indications about where the thieves may have escaped.

Jewel heists, often a popular subject for movies, remain a big business, with France the undisputed capital after a string of daring operations, including one carried out by an organized-crime group from the Balkans that also used a speedboat to escape after robbing a jewelry store in St. Tropez in southern France.

3 1 of 3 Adam Osterman/Getty Images Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 3





The theft in Sweden comes months after French authorities recovered jewelry worth about $5 million that was stolen from a luxury hotel in the most recent daytime robbery targeting brands as well as celebrities, such as reality TV personality Kim Kardashian West. Last year, several people were arrested on suspicion of involvement in a 2013 heist in Belgium in which diamonds worth more than $50 million were stolen at Brussels Airport.

Sweden's crown jewels haven't been worn since the early 20th century and are used mainly for display purposes these days. But all those displays, in addition to catching the eyes of thousands of visitors, seem to also have caught the attention of thieves. In 2012, a friend of the royal family was convicted of stealing royal jewels worth more than $120,000, which he had purloined from a private apartment belonging to Princess Christina, the sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf.

At the time, the thief was able to sell only some of the stolen valuables, throwing the rest of the loot off a bridge instead.

The thieves behind this week's theft may face similar challenges, officials said Tuesday.

"What usually happens with this type of object is that they are recovered sooner or later, because there are very few people who are prepared to handle such items," Agnevik was quoted as saying by Swedish media on Tuesday.

"We have high hopes of getting them back," he said.STAMFORD  An 8-year-old girl touring the country hugging police officers made a brief stop last week to greet the citys finest.

Louisiana resident Rosalyn Baldwin spent Friday night at the Hilton Hotel, where she met Lt. Gene Dohman, who runs the Stamford Police Departments Hostage Negotiation Squad, and patrol officer Kevin Becroft.EDWARDSVILLE  Murder, Romance and Two Shootings provides an eyewitness account of being on the frontlines of tragedy.

In my book, Murder, Romance and Two Shootings, I share the difficulties of covering the news after seeing someone murdered right before my eyes, said Todd Allen Smith, who will have a book signing from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, at Afterwords Books, 441 E. Vandalia St., in his hometown of Edwardsville.

As a reporter with the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, Smith was shot while covering a public council meeting of the city of Kirkwood, an inner-ring western suburb of St. Louis, on Feb. 7, 2008. Ultimately, Kirkwood resident Cookie Thornton shot six people; Smith is the only person shot that night who did not succumb to his wounds.

In the book, I relate being a journalist and suddenly being part of the story and the long recovery afterwards from a bullet slicing through my hand, Smith said Tuesday to The Telegraph. This was not the first time I was shot, either.

In July of 1997, Smith, 26 years old and living in Delaware at the time, was shot during a robbery attempt. Smith was looking for his first reporter position, at the time.

It was the Year of Living Dangerously, not knowing that I was going to be shot again, quipped Smith, who suffered a gunshot wound in the back of his left leg, below the knee, the first time; the second time he sustained a gunshot wound, the bullet went through his right hand. I got physical therapy the first time. On the plus side, I already knew what physical therapy was like for the situation that came later, but thats not something you would want to have to know.

The bullet lodged in his leg and had to be pulled out.

When shooting started in the Kirkwood council chambers in 2008, Smiths mind immediately went into fight-or-flight mode.

I stood up and thought, Oh, my God, Ive been shot again, he recalled. I headed back to the door on the left, automatically my mind goes, I got to get out of the situation, which I did the first time, too.

Smith spent about a year recovering from the 2008 gunshot wound, returning to work full-time at Suburban Journals in the beginning of 2009; the company laid him off a few months later in April.

Smith graduated from Highland High School, in Lewistown, Missouri, near Quincy, Illinois, where he worked at a pizza place as a teenager. He received a bachelors in journalism at the University of of Central Missouri and a masters in journalism from the University of Kansas.

I liked to write, so it was an obvious field to go into, he said. You can write a lot of different things. I was a beat reporter, I wrote about a lot of different things in Kansas and enjoyed the occasional feature.

After working at college newspapers, his first professional job was at the Coffeyville Journal, in Coffeyville, Kansas. Then he worked at the Skiatook Journal, in Skiatook, Oklahoma, before moving to St. Louis in 2006 and working at the Suburban Journals.

In Kirkwood, I was covering a very routine city council meeting, Smith recalled. I think they were talking about construction of a gas station and people were there who were concerned about noise and traffic. Thats what I thought was going to be the major concern that night  thats not what happened. As I wrote in the book, I had a strange feeling that I shouldnt go to the meeting, but on the meeting agenda, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I had just some weird feeling.

Eventually Smith began working for the State Journal-Register, in Springfield, Illinois, commuting to and from St. Louis, before moving to Edwardsville. The company laid him off in 2011. That year he wrote the first draft of his memoir.

I mention in the book doing a lot of online work at the time and describe where there was a shooting at a bar and I had to take photos. It was a little uncomfortable for me, to say the least. Crime stories became a little unnerving.

After the second layoff, Smith opted to work at a nonprofit, Fathers Support Center, in St. Louis, where he worked from 2012 to 2014, when he and his husband, David Kaplan, adopted their son, Drew.

I worked at Fathers Support Center helping fathers get back with their kids, as kind of a way to give back. I thought if kids had a father looking out for them, they wouldnt end up in the criminal element, Smith said. That was before I became a father myself. After I was able to put our son in preschool, I got back to the book.

Smith has told his story and held signings at meetings of the group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, both in Edwardsville and Fairview Heights, donating a book to the organization.

People feel compelled to tell me how guns influenced their lives, Smith said.

Murder, Romance and Two Shootings provides an eyewitness account of being on the frontlines of tragedy.

The memoir was recently released by NineStar Press and is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Afterwords Books and at NineStar Press.

Smith also has an upcoming signing from 3 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 25, at The Novel Neighbor, 7905 Big Bend Blvd., in Webster Groves, Missouri.

Visit www.toddallensmith.com for more information.

Reach Jill Moon at 618-208-6448 and Twitter @jill_moon.4 hours ago

Logitech Is Still A Logical Choice For Dividend-Growth Portfolios

Logitech Invests In The Future Logitech (NASDAQ: LOGI) is one of the more appealing post-pandemic plays to us for many reasons. Not only is the company benefiting from COVID-related trends but it is also benefiting from strong secular trends, sustaining YOY growth in the face of double-digit comp, paying a very safe dividend, and investing in the future.

Read ArticleBody of boy, 11, missing in Phuket surf recovered

PHUKET: The body of 11-year-old Supat Petch Jampathong, who disappeared in strong surf at Nai Yang Beach on Monday afternoon (July 30), has been recovered.

deathmarineSafety

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Wednesday 1 August 2018, 10:30AM

The body of 11-year-old Supat Petch Jampathong was recovered at Nai Yang Beach this morning (Aug 1). Photo: Nai Yang Lifeguards

Local residents informed Watcharathorn Kamlangkuea, village headman of Moo 3 in Sakoo, at 8:05am today (Aug 1) that they had spotted a body floating in the sea near the Sakoo Police Station.

Lifeguards already at the beach were first at the scene and entered the water to recover the body, which was later confirmed by parents as that of young Supat.

Supat, a student at Wat Mongkolwararam School, was one of six friends playing in the shore break at Nai Yang Beach on Monday when they were overpowered by big waves and started being dragged away from the beach.

The boys were playing in knee-deep water when they were overpowered by the strong waves.

Two of the five other boys were rescued by a local surfer, Norwegian national Terje Tonnessen, 37. The other three scrambled to shore by themselves. (See story here.)

Supats body has been taken to Thalang Hospital and will be handed over to his family so that they may hold a funeral for their child.First VP of Thailands NLA visits Phuket, donates kayaks

PHUKET: The First Vice President of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), Thailands only legislative body as set up under military rule since 2014, visited Phuket today (Aug 1).

tourismpoliticseconomicsenvironment

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 1 August 2018, 04:11PM

Surachai Liangbunlertchai, the First Vice President of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), was in Phuket today to donate the five kayaks. Photo: PR Dept

Surachai Liangbunlertchai, the First Vice President of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), was in Phuket today to donate the five kayaks. Photo: PR Dept

Surachai Liangbunlertchai and his entourage from the NLA were in Phuket to donate five kayaks to a small community at the northern end of the island.

Present for the occasion was former Senator Tunyaratt Achariyachai, who is also Vice President of the Phuket-based Kata Group of resorts, and Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong.

At an event at 10am, Mr Surachai and his team handed over the five kayaks, which were valued at B152,500, to the Ban Tha Chatchai community for use in developing their mangrove eco-tourism venture.

Governor Norraphat said that Phuket needed to develop Ban Tha Chatchai to be one of landmarks in Phuket.

Besides the beaches and the sea, we also need to promote the culture of local the community, including the architecture, food and ecosystem, he said.

Tourists would stay longer if they had activities provided, including kayaking to admire nature. Such activities support eco-tourism, which helps to create income for local residents, he added.

Mr Surachai noted that he was impressed that local residents were working together to develop the community to be eco-tourism destination.

Meanwhile, he also asked tourists to support the project to help provide stability for the community and to preserve the natural beauty of the area.

Made no mention of any tour boat disasters, marine safety or the importance of having qualified, trained lifeguards at popular beaches to protect tourists and small children.Mozambican fugitive deported in sweep on foreign villains

BANGKOK: Thailand has extradited a Mozambican fugitive wanted for a string of kidnaps for ransom and murders, police said today (Aug 1), as a crackdown deepens on foreign gangsters using the country as a bolt-hole.

crimedeathmurderimmigrationpoliceviolence

By AFP

Wednesday 1 August 2018, 05:46PM

Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn seen here interviewing Mozambican fugitive Momade Assif Abdul Satar. Photo: Screengrab via Tourist Police video

Momade Assif Abdul Satar entered Thailand three years ago shortly after being freed on parole from a Mozambique jail for the 2000 gangland-style murder of an investigative journalist in the capital Maputo.

Interpol issued a red notice, or a non-binding arrest warrant, after allegations Satar continued to run a ransom-kidnap business across Mozambique and South Africa from overseas.

The gang snatched wealthy executives and charged up to $3 million (B99.57mn) for their release.

Media reports in Mozambique and South Africa say a number of those kidnapped were later murdered.

Satar, who was arrested in Bangkok last week, may have entered Thailand on a fake passport and then set up a front company to obtain a visa, the Deputy Commissioner of Thailands tourist police said.

He was extradited at midnight (yesterday) on a flight to Kenya, for onward travel to Mozambique, Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn said.

We will not allow foreign criminals to use Thailand as base for their operations, Maj Gen Surachate added.

Satar is the latest in a mounting tally of foreign criminals found hiding out in Thailand, as the country tries to banish its reputation as a bolt-hole for bad guys.

Maj Gen Surachate, popularly known by his nickname Big Joke, has launched a high-profile clean-up campaign called Operation X-Ray Outlaw.

In near-nightly round-ups around 2,000 foreigners have been arrested  including drug dealers and prostitutes as well as visa overstayers in Thailands tourist hotspots.

Tourism is a cornerstone of the Thai economy and the kingdom expects to welcome over 36 million people this year.

But with borders to several neighbouring countries it struggles to keep tabs on the volume of people coming in and out, including people posing as tourists who then overstay.

Police concede there are gaps in the system, exploited by organised crime networks including human traffickers and drug gangs who have long used the kingdom as a base.

But Thai authorities are tightening up border security and plan to introduce new face and iris scanning technology at its borders in the coming months.

Once we do that suspects will not come here, Maj Gen Surachate added.The boys kicked off their WorldWired Tour in 2016 and have already hit the US, Canada, South America, Europe, Latin America and parts of Asia.



Metallica haven't been over on Kiwi shores since 2010, or Australia since 2013 - so we're well due a visit - AND F*%KING FROTHING OVER THE PROSPECT OF IT ACTUALLY HAPPENING.



Ulrich told the Met Club: I mean obviously theres an end at some point,



The tour will wrap up in 2019, or "edge into 2020".

We gotta just sit and look. Theres Japan. Theres Australia. Theres New Zealand. Theres a couple other pockets that obviously Metallica has a long and very cool relationship with, so we just gotta sit down and figure it out.



But to me the most important thing is, and this goes back to what we were talking about [the last time], the maintenance thing. We gotta go to Japan, we gotta go to Australia, we gotta go here, we gotta go there. Thats fine. As long as its done within the boundaries that exist."

And so you know, I dont think whether its 19 or 20 or whatever, to me were in a mode where theres a balance to it now thats manageable.



Hey Ulrich, as long as you're coming our way in the not so distant future - we're bloody stoked.



BLOODY BIG NEWS.



*Drops everything, cranks up Metallica, runs around office with an air guitar and a big ol' bag of HYPE.*CALGARYFirst responders recovered the bodies of two men from the wreckage of a plane crash in Kananaskis on Wednesday afternoon.

The twin-engine plane crashed at about 1:30 p.m., the RCMP said. No one else was on board at the time.

RCMP officers from the Kananaskis, Cochrane, and Canmore detachments were called to the scene after eyewitness reports of a plane crash near Rae Glacier, an area along Hwy. 40 with hiking trails.

The Transportation Safety Board, an agency that investigates aviation accidents, is now looking into the incident.

The RCMP said in a press release that it wont be releasing more information about the men inside the plane.

With files from Emma McIntosh, StarMetro Calgary

Read more about:Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1)  The involvement of Davao Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio in the power struggle at the House of Representatives is not good for her father, a senator said Wednesday.

Senator Ping Lacson said her hand in the ouster of former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez  and the election of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to replace Alvarez  "doesn't speak well of the much touted strong leadership of the President."

"Ang take ko lang dito [My take] is, it doesn't show strong leadership on the part of President Duterte," Lacson told CNN Philippines' The Source.

"How could somebody not within the chain of command of the bureaucracy intervene or interfere and influence the goings-on in the House of Representatives?"

Lacson previously slammed the timing and manner of the surprise ouster as "awkward, ugly, low and disgraceful."

Some congressmen tipped CNN Philippines of the ouster plot ahead of the State of the Nation Address on July 23. They said they received calls from Duterte-Carpio asking for their support. The mayor neither confirmed nor denied the allegations.

But she, the House Speaker, and other allies held what Arroyo called a "thank you lunch" meeting at a Quezon City hotel on Tuesday.

Lacson said the event validated Duterte-Carpio's involvement. "It was a thank you lunch. A thank you for what?"

Newly installed House Majority Leader Nonoy Andaya said that several congressmen were considering switching to Arroyo's party, Lakas-CMD. He added that the party could merge with Duterte-Carpio's regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

Lacson said he was still trying to piece together where this "consolidation" of powers was headed. Apart from Arroyo and Duterte-Carpio's parties, he noted the presence of the Marcos family and the Nacionalista Party under the Villars.

Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos was present during the ouster, and is known for her rivalry with Alvarez ally and former Majority Leader Rudy Farinas.

"We don't know kung ano yung, kung saan ang trajectory nito," he said. "Consolidation ito for what purpose? I don't know."

[Translation: We don't know what or where this trajectory is headed. What purpose does this consolidation have? I don't know.]CALGARYFive Alberta highway maintenance contractors are taking the provincial government to court after British Columbia-based Emcon Services secured a contract last month to maintain roughly 40 per cent of the provinces highways.

The five contractors  Alberta Highway Services Ltd., Carmacks Maintenance Services Ltd., LaPrairie Works Inc., Ledcor Highways Ltd., and Volker Stevin Highways Ltd.  filed an application to Court of Queens Bench on July 23 to request a judicial review of the Alberta governments role in awarding the contract.

The highway maintenance contractors are speaking publicly very reluctantly, because (the Alberta government) is their biggest client. To have this fight so publicly is really a last resort, said Laurie Stretch, a spokesperson representing the five contractors.

Last January, Carillion Canada, which held the contract for 40 per cent of highway maintenance, filed for creditor protection. That contract was sold as part of a court-controlled process. Emcon has said that this process allowed any company  Alberta or otherwise  to bid for it. However, the five Alberta contractors claim the provincial government offered Emcon concessions and a contract extension above and beyond Carillions original contract.

We are therefore asking the Court to review whether the Alberta Minister of Transportation, Brian Mason, violated his governments legal requirements by granting contractual concessions and extensions in favour of one company, effectively sole-sourcing contracts worth over half a billion dollars of public money over several years, the statement said.

Read more:

Alberta and roadbuilders feud over $500M deal involving B.C. firm

B.C. contractor says itll create jobs in Alberta if road maintenance contract is approved

British Columbia company taking over Alberta highway road maintenance contract

Alberta Transportation has previously said that the deal was not sole-source and that any company could have applied. The sale was approved by an Ontario court, and overseen by PricewaterhouseCoopers. It also said the acquisition of Carillions contract by Emcon was the most cost-effective option considered by government.

But the five contractors insist they couldnt have thrown their hats into the ring. Smaller operators wouldnt have had the resources to take on Carillions contract, which covers highway maintenance for both Alberta and Ontario, their statement said.

Youre only looking then at very large players that would be able to take over both, said Stretch.

Meanwhile, she said, a large Alberta company would have also been unable to take the bid. Alberta Transportation has rules that prohibit a single company from holding a contract across a certain number of contract maintenance areas, or CMAs. According to Stretch, the Carillion contract is 12 CMAs  so a major Alberta company would have to give up a contract to handle the Carillion one.

However, the five contractors say in their statement that theyre ready and able to take over the Carillion contract immediately.

The contractors are also looking for the transportation minister to disclose whether he extended the Carillion contract Emcon is taking over, whether theyve been offered more, and whether Emcon wont have the same environmental cleanup responsibilities that Carillion originally had.

The Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association, which represents Alberta highway maintenance contractors, began raising its concerns around the deal in a series of letters to various Alberta government officials earlier this year, which the association made public, although it stopped short of criticizing Emcon.

We do not have any objection to a firm from B.C. or another jurisdiction entering the Alberta marketplace so long as they compete for the business on an even playing field, wrote Ron Glen, the associations CEO, in one of his letters to the government.

In the letters, the association called for Alberta Transportation to engage in a more open, transparent process for companies to bid on the Carillion contract. The government has consistently said that it cant offer a public tender for the contract until after it expires, because of the creditor protection provisions given to Carillion.

Read more about:Former U.S. president Barack Obama is endorsing 81 candidates ahead of Novembers midterm elections and plans to hit the campaign trail this fall, his office announced Wednesday.

Im proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidates  leaders as diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted as the America theyre running to represent, Obama said in a statement.

Among the candidates on the list  the first of two waves of endorsements  are several Obama administration and campaign alumni. Notably, nearly half of the 81 candidates who have received his blessing are running for seats in state legislatures.

But the list is drawing attention for its omissions as much as for who made the cut. No incumbents are included among Obamas endorsed candidates; neither are Democrats running in several high-profile races across the country. Only one Senate candidate, Rep. Jacky Rosen, D, in Nevada, appears on the list.

Noticeably absent is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 28-year-old rising star and self-described democratic socialist who bested longtime Rep. Joseph Crowley in Junes Democratic primary in New Yorks 14th Congressional District.

Obama did throw his weight behind a quintet of gubernatorial candidates, backing Gavin Newsom in California, Jared Polis in Colorado, Stacey Abrams in Georgia, J.B. Pritzker in Illinois and Richard Cordray in Ohio.

If elected, Abrams would become the first female African-American governor in the nation. Pritzker is the brother of Penny Pritzker, who served as Obamas secretary of commerce, and Cordray served as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the Obama administration.

In a statement announcing the endorsements, Obamas office said that one of his priorities this fall is to support candidates backed by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a group led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder that aims to wrest control of the nationwide redistricting process away from Republicans.

Republicans seized on Obamas announcement, arguing that the absence of high-profile races on the list is a sign that those candidates are not clamouring for the former presidents endorsement.

I think this list is more interesting for the omissions than for the people he put on it, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel said Wednesday afternoon in an appearance on Fox News. People want President Trumps endorsement more than they want President Obamas.

U.S. President Donald Trump, like Obama, has declared himself eager to campaign this fall, and he has already hit the trail for several candidates in tight primary battles. But his polarizing statements and policies on trade and other issues have posed a dilemma for Republican candidates in moderate districts ahead of the November mid-terms.

A Pew Research Center poll in July showed that 31 per cent of respondents said Obama has done the best job as president during their lifetime, compared with 10 per cent who said the same of Trump, who is less than halfway through his term.

Read more about:KILLARNEY, ONT.While heavy grey smoke from a nearby forest fire hung in the air, Donna Butson packed a bag of clothes and walked in her backyard with tears running down her eyes.

She is one of many residents who had to leave their homes Tuesday due to the raging fire known as Parry Sound 33 burning in northeastern Ontario.

I lost my husband three years ago and he is everywhere here, she said as she looked around her property in Killarney, Ont. When I dont have this, I lose a lot more than the buildings.

Parry Sound 33 started on July 18 and has now burned more than 100 square kilometres, said Jonathan Scott, spokesperson for the Ontarios Ministry of Natural Resources.

The blaze is currently only five kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway and will likely spread out more in the next days as the weather stays dry and windy, he said.

Read more:

Firefighters diverted to massive Ontario cottage country blaze nearing highway

Parry Sound, Ont., community coming together as wildfire burns nearby

Photos: Nova Scotia fire crews fly to Ontario to help battle extreme blazes

The ministry said there are more than 500 firefighters battling the fire, and more than 200 of them are from Mexico.

Each crew is assigned a team leader who is bilingual and relays orders, Scott said. So far, its been going really well and everyone is working really well together to suppress this fire.

In Killarney, like elsewhere, the municipal government had to issue an evacuation order for certain areas, instructing residents to take three days worth of clothing, food and water with them.

Gordon Fraser, who moved to Killarney about a year ago, was also leaving Tuesday morning. He said he was going to stay with his daughter and her husband in Sudbury, Ont., located about 100 kilometres to the north.

Of course I am worried about my property, Fraser said, wiping tears off from his eyes. But we are not hungry and we are dry and safe  so what can you do?

While some left their homes behind, others had to end their vacations early.

Rob Joll, owner of the Flat Rapids Camp and Resort in Killarney, said he and the holidaymakers in the area were also forced to evacuate.

On Tuesday morning, he packed up some of his belongings, leaving behind about a hundred of vacant cottages and trailers.

It is so disappointing for the people that are here on summer vacation, especially with the long weekend ahead of us, he said.

For me, it is a revenue lost because I cant rent cottages, he said. My only hope is that when we come back, there will be something to come back to.

In French River, Ont.,  east of Killarney  an evacuation alert has been issued by the municipal government, warning residents in some areas that they should be prepared to leave at a moments notice.

Some of the residents said they already have bags waiting by the front door, packed with photographs, important documents and a few clothes.

But they said they are hopeful they wont have to leave.

Its a waiting game, said Jack Bearman, who has been living in the area for about 30 years. You just have to hope you dont go up in flames.

Bearman owns the French River Inn Motel, located just off Highway 69, where the smoke from the fire is creeping in. He said this time of the season is usually the busiest of the year.

But now, the rooms and the dining hall are empty. The workers are looking out the window at the smoke thats spreading rapidly.

Ive seen fires before, but never anything like this, said Bearman.

He said he will be staying at his motel as long as he can, but if its too bad, he said go to his hometown of Hamilton.

But honestly, I dont think we will have to leave, he said. At least, I hope we wont have to.

Debbie Nadeau, who works in the kitchen at a business off Highway 69 in French River, said she is worried but is staying positive.

What else can you do? Nadeau asked. Of course we are worried like everyone else, but we love our job and we love this place, so we will stay open as long as we can.FLIN FLON, MAN.Two women have been charged with inciting hatred after someone proposed having a shoot a Indian day on social media in northern Manitoba.

RCMP say the women, along with another who has not yet been arrested, posted hateful messages on Facebook after vehicles were vandalized in Flin Flon.

Police are not identifying the women until they are formally charged in court.

The charges include uttering threats and public incitement of hatred.

Earlier this week, a Facebook account under the name Destine Spiller posted photos of a vandalized car and said Indigenous people would be killed.

The post also proposed a shoot a Indian day, and another Facebook user applauded the idea and said it was time for a purge.

She said she was going to kill some Indians when I get home.

Yah girl purge!!! Lets grab Budweiser and some shot guns, read a reply.

Urban Trendz Hair Studio, a salon in Flin Flon, posted on its Facebook account that it had let go of an employee following the social media posts.

Our business has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to any form of discrimination or racism. The person in question is no longer employed by us.

The area school division also condemned the online messages and said one of the women involved had previously worked there.

Any person or persons expressing such views does not represent the values of our division and will not be employed in any capacity with the school division. The individual making the comments is no longer an employee of our division and has not been for some time.

The organization that represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan said it would like RCMP to step up enforcement of hate speech crimes in Saskatchewan.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) said it received numerous threatening and racist messages earlier this year after Gerald Stanley was found not guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Colten Boushie, an Indigenous man.

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron said no charges have been laid.

This is what we expect the RCMP to do more of, Cameron said in a release.

This life threatening attitude must be stopped and those guilty of it must be charged for a hate crime and it must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Read more about:ST. JOHNS, N.L. A Newfoundland police constable has been accused of breaching an emergency protection order.

A news release from Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Chief Joe Boland says supervisors arrested Const. Steve Curnew on Monday after receiving information he had breached a condition of an emergency protection order.

Boland says the details of the protection order are private and further details will not be provided.

But he says there was no violence involved in the alleged breach.

The provinces provincial court says an emergency protection order is granted by a judge in urgent situations to provide immediate protection when family violence has occurred.

Curnew, who has acted as a media spokesman for the police force, was not on duty at the time of the alleged breach and is currently non-operational and on leave.Environment Canada says a special air quality statement has been issued for the northern Ontario cities of Sudbury and North Bay due to smoke from forest fires in the area.

The agency says smoke is causing poor air quality and reducing visibility, and warns conditions may deteriorate if the smoke descends to ground level.

The main source of the smoke is a fire known as Parry Sound 33 that has forced evacuations in parts of the municipality of Killarney, Ont., and prompted an evacuation alert in part of French River, Ont.

Read more:

Thousands of hectares are burning out of control in parts of Ontario

What its like on the front lines of B.C.s wildfire fight

Nova Scotia fire crews fly to Ontario to help battle extreme blazes

Parry Sound 33, which has burned through more than 100 square kilometres of forest, started on July 18 and is only five kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway.

Ministry of Natural Resources spokesman Shayne McCool says Ontario Provincial Police are monitoring the highway to make sure smoke doesn't reduce visibility to unsafe levels.

McCool says the fire has not expanded since Tuesday, but the area has not received hoped-for rain that would have helped crews battle the blaze, which is listed as not under control.

"We were hoping to see some precipitation come and drop on that fire, but unfortunately we haven't seen a large amount," he said.

The fire has been less active due to high humidity levels and cloud cover allowing crews to "continue to make good progress in the containment areas of that fire," McCool said.

The ministry said there were more than 500 firefighters battling the blaze on Tuesday and McCool said about the same number were involved on Wednesday.

As of Tuesday evening, there were 41 active fires across northeastern Ontario and 101 fires in the northwest.

Ontario is receiving support from across Canada, the United States and Mexico as it deals with the fires, the ministry said.

There have been 914 forest fires in Ontario so far this year, compared to the 10-year average of 517 at this point in the season.The provincial governments plan to legalize marijuana could change to include privatized sales.

Its been reported that Conservative Premier Doug Ford plans to extend marijuana sales to private business owners. Kathleen Wynnes Liberal government had planned to limit sales to Ontario cannabis stores overseen by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.

According to Michael Armstrong, a Brock Goodman School of Business professor, privatized sales could help reduce illicit marijuana sales.

Armstrong said the current plan to sell marijuana through provincial stores will not meet demand.

The 40 retail stores planned to open for the Oct. 17 legalization of marijuana is comparable to the number of Costcos in Ontario, he said.

Theres one in every major centre, but theyre not really convenient for consumers, Armstrong said. Its a planned shopping trip.

Read more:

Ontarios cannabis retail system will be open for business when marijuana is legalized Oct. 17, province says

Quebec looking to hire employees for first wave of government-run cannabis stores

Albertas online marijuana sales will absolutely be ready by legalization: officials

Even if the planned full complement of 150 Ontario stores are opened in 2020, Armstrong still doesnt think it would be enough.

Thats a little more available, but still not all that convenient, he said.

Alberta and New Brunswick are both offering more stores per capita, he said.

New Brunswick is opening 20 stores with a population of about 750,000 people, whereas Ontario is to open 40 stores in 2018 to a population of 13.6 million.

That gives you a realistic idea of what numbers we need for Ontarios population, he said.

While he thinks privatized sales will reduce illicit sales, Armstrong also warns that meeting regulations for privatized sales in time for the Oct. 17 deadline is impossible.

Alberta, which is allowing private sales, began accepting applications for licences months ago, he said.

Theres a whole lot of administrative work the government would need to do before private stories could even apply for a licence.

A compromise he suggested is contracting Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp. to existing licensed marijuana producers in Ontario  there are about 59  to open greenhouse outlet stores.

Those are companies that have already been vetted by Health Canada, they clearly know what cannabis is about, he said. So, if the Ontario government is looking for a relatively quick way to get a lot more stores, it would be a safe bet for them.

In addition to obvious benefits to the economy such as new jobs, greenhouse outlets could give smaller growers a chance to enter the market, Armstrong said. Smaller growers could offer services similar to those of local wineries in the Niagara region, he said.

Each one has their own wine tasting  they can sell some of their own products. Its kind of a premium product experience for the consumer, so you could see something like that going with the smaller cannabis producers as well.

With files from the Toronto Star

Read more about:VANCOUVERWith cannabis legalization just around the corner, one Canadian company is calling for the inclusion of cannabis concentrates in Bill C-45, the so-called Cannabis Act.

Josh Campbell, president of cannabis company Dosist Canada, says in omitting concentrates from legalization, consumers are being denied a method for consistent delivery of THC and CBD  the two most commonly sought-after drugs contained in the cannabis plant.

When we talk about dose, were talking about a controlled, repeatable experience, Campbell told StarMetro in an email. Without that. you lose predictability and control  the cornerstones of a safe and therapeutic experience. Dose control is critical for responsible use.

Campbell and Dosist recently began a campaign  called Not Available in Canada  to encourage Canadians to apply political pressure in favour of expediting legalization of dose-controlled products like concentrates.

Cannabis edibles, another class of products for which dose-control is easier to achieve, will also remain illegal after Oct. 17  the date recreational cannabis is set to become legal.

Cannabis, like any plant, may express its chemical properties in unpredictable ways even when grown under consistent conditions, said Campbell. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) content can vary between plants, or between generations of plants. A consumer who has one experience with a particular cannabis strain may find she has a different experience with that same strain at a later date.

You need to process the plant to consistently get the same amount of active ingredients, he said. By not allowing concentrates youre denying consumers a chance to have a controlled experience.

M-J Milloy, a research scientist with the BC Centre on Substance Use, studies the effects of cannabis on people living with HIV/AIDS or addiction.

The dose makes the poison, he said, referring to an old maxim expressing the idea that any substance can overwhelm a biological system in high-enough concentrations.

Milloy agreed that the cannabis plant can be tough to pin down.

While cannabis contains many compounds, he said, research done to date has tended to focus on THC, the dominant, psychoactive chemical the plant expresses. This has led to some conflation of the plant with that particular substance. From the perspective of pharmacology and epidemiology, he says, theres no such thing as cannabis.

And cannabis research in general is still in its infancy, he said. Scientists have long struggled with federal red tape that makes it hard to access to the plant for research. For example, a researcher who wants to obtain cannabis for human trials must obtain a section 56 exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  the same exemption permitting possession of heroin and cocaine for research purposes.

This has meant that data on the effects of cannabis has been largely anecdotal until recently, when the legal cannabis industry began pouring funding and other resources into research projects.

So while Milloy feels monitoring dosage of cannabis-related drugs is important, he urged caution in imagining particular dosages can provide particular effects.

People should tread carefully, he said.

On the flip side, he said, none of the active substances in cannabis is thought to produce fatal overdose, and any of the undesirable effects that might occur from taking too much tend not to last all that long.

And Milloy said that, as the science behind cannabis becomes deeper and more broad, technologies which allow for selection and delivery of specific types of cannabis and their substances will ultimately benefit users.

The conversation a lot of us (researchers) come back to  as we do clinical trials to assess the utility of cannabis is the question of dose, he said.

Perrin Grauer is a Vancouver-based reporter covering Canadas cannabis economy. Follow him on Twitter: perringrauer

Read more about:An evening out at a restaurant on the Danforth should have been a relaxing night for Danielle Kane and her boyfriend.

Then gunman Faisal Hussain opened fire on the family-friendly street, killing 10-year-old Julianna Kozis and 18-year-old Reese Fallon, and injuring 13 others.

Kane is one of those victims. The 31-year-old nursing student was shot in the spine as she and her boyfriend, nurse Jerry Pinksen, rushed out of a popular Italian restaurant, determined to help any way they could.

A bullet struck and shattered Kanes T11 vertebrae, puncturing her diaphragm and stomach.

She is gradually coming out of a medically induced coma, but the full extent of her injuries is not yet known, Pinksen said Tuesday.

Doctors said that worst-case scenario, shes in a wheelchair with the use of her arms and torso, and best-case scenario shes going to be walking with an aid or a walker of some sort, said Pinksen, 35, who has been with Kane for nearly two years.

Ive been through some emotional distress, but Danielle right now is suffering from potentially a lifelong deficit, so I want to make sure that people recognize how selfless she was, trying to race out there and help someone, not knowing what we were going to meet outside the door.

In the days following the shooting, Kane has undergone at least four surgeries.

Friends and family started a GoFundMe to fundraise for her fight ahead and have raised more than $160,000 as of Tuesday evening.

Pinksen said hes floored by the outpouring of support. I never thought (the campaign) would get so many people, from all across Canada, from my hometown.

Read more:

What we know and dont know about the mass shooting Sunday on Torontos Danforth

Who was the Danforth shooter? Faisal Hussain had no criminal court files associated with his name, but a complicated past full of family misfortune

Danforth shooting victim Reese Fallon remembered as whip smart student with a bright future

On the night of July 22, Kane and Pinksen were inside 7Numbers Italian restaurant, treating a friend to dinner, when they heard 10 or 12 shots ring out.

A woman ran into the restaurant saying someone had been shot. Pinksen sprung from the table and rushed to help an injured woman. An ER nurse, he felt it was his duty to jump into the scene.

Kane followed close behind.

Those compassionate, selfless tendencies, theyre why we fell in love, and thats why were together right now, said Pinksen, who works at Michael Garron Hospital on Coxwell Ave., not far from the site of the shooting.

Pinksen said he made eye contact with the shooter before hearing a click. He dove behind a patio table, then heard a scream.

Kane had been hit. Pinksen brought her inside and began administering first aid until first responders arrived.

She said it was the most pain she had ever experienced and she couldnt feel her legs, he said.

Kane, who studies nursing at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, was set to start her second year of school in September.

Pinksen said it was instinct for his girlfriend to help others. Shes so compassionate, he said, noting that her goal after school was to become an advocate for marginalized people, including the homeless and those struggling with mental health and addiction.

That was what she was driven to, to help support those people  give those people a voice. Shes always there to help.

Kane was conscious until she went into surgery the morning after the shooting, and has been under sedation and on a ventilator since then, Pinksen said.

Over the past three to four days, doctors have been trying to ease Kane off the breathing machine, slowly reducing her sedation so she can breathe on her own and follow commands, he said.

Shes still very agitated and we dont know what shes thinking or what she is working through, Pinksen said.

Once she is well enough, Kane will begin rehabilitation, and Pinksen said he plans to be by her side the whole way.

I want to make sure I am going to provide the life for her that she has the least amount of barriers, so that she can keep her autonomy and be an independent woman like she was before this tragic event, he said.

Pinksen said that he was wracked with guilt because his decision to help the victim outside led Kane into danger. I realized that shes a caring, professional woman, and she wouldnt have listened to me anyways, he said.

She was out there no matter what. I didnt even think about it  I was rushing out  and she was rushing out right behind me.

Pinksen called Kane selfless in her actions. She wouldnt think that she needs recognition, she wouldnt think shes deserving of it, he said. I just want to make sure that she has the support she needs.Calling him a great man, Milton Mayor Gord Krantz described his council colleague Mike Boughton as someone who gave his heart and soul to the community.

The Ward 2 town councillor died Monday night, surrounded by family and friends at the Milton District Hospital. Boughton was 72.

Flags at Milton Town Hall were lowered Tuesday.

He was a wonderful family man, said Krantz. He was my personal friend, a valued colleague and he will be greatly missed by many.

Ward 1 town Councillor Robert Duvall said Milton was a better town because of Boughton, describing his colleague as a kind, funny and warm human being.

We sat many times after council meetings, whether it was at the Legion or his favourite pub to hear his stories and have a few laughs  something these days we desperately need, Duvall said. He had a knack of making things fun and I think thats why I was drawn to him early on.

He had a profound sense of accomplishment for his children and adored his late wife. He never missed an opportunity to say it.

Duvall said while he and Boughton bonded over a similar cancer diagnosis they shared, they would mostly just talk about family.

Its not often these days people take the time just to learn about another human being, but I am much fuller for it. His experiences, his charity, his sense of family is really all that matters, Duvall said.

Mike was special. I am forever grateful for being a friend to such a true gentleman. He will be missed.

Wards 2, 3, 4 and 5 Milton regional Councillor Colin Best said it was an honour serving with his ward-mate for eight years on council and on the board for the Downtown Milton Business Improvement Area (BIA).

I have known Mike for nearly 50 years as he cut my hair when I was young at his barbershop, along with many other Milton residents, Best said.

I just saw Mike in hospital last Monday before council and he was hoping to get back to council as soon as he could. He will be missed by many in the community who he served through a number of organizations.

Boughton was first elected to Milton council in 2003 and was re-elected for three terms, serving the community for 11 years in total. He had even registered for re-election in this Octobers municipal election.

According to Best, this was the first time a sitting councillor has passed away in Milton since 1971, to his knowledge.

Some people took to social media to express their reaction to the news.

I am saddened to read this. Mike Boughton was a pillar in our community. My condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. May he rest in peace, Robin Read Griffin wrote on Twitter.

Jennifer D. Forbes went on Facebook and wrote: What a sad loss of a good, caring man. Prayers to the family.

A member of the Milton Chamber of Commerce, Boughton was recognized by the organization with a lifetime achievement award in 2011, as citizen of the year in 2001 and businessperson of the year in 1994 for his work in the community and several service clubs.

We were saddened by the news of Mikes passing, said Scott McCammon chamber president and CEO. He was a great contributor to Milton community and itll be a great loss as well.

Boughton stood at the helm of his iconic Mikes Barber Shop (now known as Joseph and Mikes Barber Shop) in downtown Milton for 50 years before turning it over to Joseph Pedulla, while facing some health issues. But he continued to work there part-time after his leukemia diagnosis in 2016.

Working with him for more than three years, Pedulla said he was very saddened by the news, calling Boughton a close friend and brother.

He was an unbelievable guy, Pedulla said. He was friendly, always there for other people and would do anything for them.  Ill never meet another guy like him.

When he wasnt working at the barbershop, Boughton would invest his time and energy into giving back to the community. For years, he organized the annual Golf 4 Cancer tournament, raising more than $1 million. He was also an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 136  Milton.

Boughton was predeceased by Lenni, his wife of 52 years, who died earlier this year. He is survived by two children and grandchildren.

Details of a memorial service at J. Scott Early Funeral Home will be posted on the Town of Miltons website (under news) when they are available.If your head is spinning over Premier Doug Fords plan to chop Toronto city council almost in half, to just 25 councillors, youre not alone.

The Star plans to investigate the most pressing questions and most dubious claims swirling around Fords surprise move. Star reporters will be updating this story over the coming days and weeks.

Last updated Aug. 2, 2018.

How much will it cost the city to redo ward boundaries in the middle of an election?

Ford says cutting councils size will save the taxpayers $25 million, but Councillor Gord Perks insisted in council this week that the cost to the clerk of having to set up a second election will eat up all the savings.

The Star has reached out to the city for a number on how much it will cost, and this fact check will be updated once they get back with response.

We do know that $17.5 million was budgeted for the election, and the clerks office was already knee deep in planning.

City clerk Ulli Watkiss described last week what would need to be redone, including numbering new voting subdivisions, recalculating spending limits for candidates, creating a new plan for communicating boundary changes and preparing new preliminary voters lists.

Guelph city clerk Stephen OBrien said it would be very tough to even provide a ballpark figure on how much it will cost Toronto.

But he said his own city budgets about half a million dollars for their municipal election, and if they had to redraw their ward boundaries at this point a significant portion of that budget would be affected.

For example, vendors would have to be paid again in full to redo work theyd already done.

Speaking generally, he said, When you make significant changes to the structure, like is being proposed, some of those costs may have to be incurred in whole again.

Do more than half of Torontonians support Fords plan to reduce the size of council?

In the legislature on Aug. 2, Ford said he read a poll in the Star that showed 68 per cent of the people are in favour of reducing the size and cost of government.

Ford appears to be referring to a tweet from a Toronto Sun columnist, who on July 31 referenced results at that time from a reader survey on the Stars website. His tweet said that there was 68.77 per cent (3,711 votes) support for cutting the size of council, according to that survey.

The Star surveys readers online to get their feedback and engage them in the stories. These surveys are not random, nor are they scientific, unlike those done by polling companies that independently gauge public opinion. Anyone can take the survey regardless of whether they live in or outside Toronto. The Stars surveys also arent weighted to be reflective of the makeup of Toronto, meaning they dont produce results that consider the age or other variables.

Looking at the reader surveys the Star has posted about Fords plan to cut council, there have been widely varying results.

The survey with the most participation, nearly 18,000 responses as of Aug. 2, was posted in a July 26 article, and found 46 per cent of votes were against cutting the size of council while 43 per cent were for it. Another embedded in a July 31 opinion piece supporting the cuts, which it appears the tweet referenced, saw 72 per cent of votes for the cut (out of more than 6,900 total votes). Another posted the same day in an opinion piece against the cuts saw 54 per cent of votes opposed the plan (out of more than 1,100 total votes).

In total, the Star has posted five surveys on the topic of cutting the size of council since news of Fords plan broke. About 17,500 votes in total have been for the cuts, and nearly 15,000 have been against them  but, again, the Stars surveys are not meant to be scientific.

A recent scientific poll on the question found a plurality of Torontonians oppose Fords plan: Forum Research conducted an interactive voice response telephone survey of 1,328 randomly selected Toronto voters on July 27. It found 47 per cent of those surveyed were strongly or somewhat opposed to the reduction in councils size and 35 per cent were strongly or somewhat in favour. Another 19 per cent were indifferent or didnt know. The results are considered accurate plus or minus 3 per cent, 19 times out of 20 (a standard measure). The methodology for the survey notes: Where appropriate, the data has been statistically weighted by age, region, and other variables to ensure that the sample reflects the actual population according to the latest Census data.

Did the PCs win more votes than the NDP in Toronto?

On Monday, July 30, Ford said in the legislature that his PC party ended up getting 88,646 more votes than the NDP, all combined, in the city of Toronto in the election. Thats not true.

The official results of the June election, posted by Elections Ontario for the 25 Toronto ridings, when tallied, show Ford was way off. The NDP actually received 40,534 more votes than the PC party. In total, irrespective of which party won the seat, the NDP received 400,443 votes in those 25 wards and the PC party got 359,909.

What would other Ontario cities look like Torontos new councillor-to-citizen ratio?

If each Ontario city or town had an equal number of municipal, provincial and federal representatives, as Ford says is best for Toronto, many would have a single councillor.

These places include Waterloo, Guelph, Milton, Newmarket and Oshawa, all of which have one MP and MPP and populations exceeding 100,000. Currently, these municipalities have a total of 47 councillors plus mayors.

Larger cities would see dramatic cuts to their city councils as well. Ottawa, with nearly one million residents, would see its 23 council seats reduced to eight. Hamiltons half a million residents would be represented by five councillors, down from 15.

Further north, Muskoka and Parry Sound would have to share one councillor.

Using the strict math of one councillor per MPP, the 38 municipalities in the Algoma-Manitoulin ridings 109,575 square kilometres would have a single municipal representative.

Do the Toronto councillors who support Fords plan represent close to two million people?

No.

In Question Period on Monday, July 30, Ford made the claim that 12 Toronto councillors, representing close to two million people, were in support of his plan. He appears to have been be referring to a recent new conference in which 11 councillors came out in support of his cuts.

According to 2016 census data, those 11 councillors represent a total of 661,510 constituents. The average Toronto ward has about 60,000 people, meaning a 12th councillor would likely bring the total to about 720,000 people.

Torontos population is more than 2.7 million, also according to the latest census data. That means the portion of the city represented by the citys other 32 councillors is about two million people.

Why are there more municipal wards than federal and provincial ridings in Toronto?

Some make the argument that more councillors, and smaller wards, equals better access to government  the logic being that councillors are able to pay more attention to their constituents and are able to get problems solved more easily.

Municipalities are not the same kind of government as federal and provincial governments, says Alexandra Flynn, an assistant professor of human geography and city studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

Because we call our councillor when we have a pothole.

How does Torontos council compare to other cities?

Ford used Los Angeles, where there are 15 councillors for almost 4 million people, as an example of a place where city government is small and streamlined.

But the Southern California city also has almost 100 neighbourhood councils with 1,800 elected board members serving on them, according to their website.

The councils, created in the late 90s to improve access to local government, act as grassroots advisory bodies. Theyre made up of people who live, work and own property in the area, who are not city councillors.

Toronto also has community councils, but they are very different entities  groupings of wards and made up of councillors in those wards.

Under Fords proposed cuts, the ratio would be one councillor per 109,263 people in Toronto, much less representation from local government per individual than in L.A., taking neighbourhood councils into account.

By comparison, Chicago, a city of 2.719 million according to 2014 U.S. census figures, has 50 aldermen  a ratio of one alderman per 54,380 people.

Ottawa has 23 councillors, but a ratio of one councillor per 38,408 people, according to a 2014 report on Torontos ward boundary review.

How did we get to 47 councillors?

Ford said repeatedly during his Thursday announcement that no one has ever told him they want more politicians.

But, during extensive consultations for the ward boundary review the city did to get to the 47-ward plan, people did say they wanted to have more access to their councillors, said U of Ts Flynn.

The city undertook the ward boundary review in 2014 to determine if all residents were being fairly represented. It took into account a Supreme Court decision that said all votes should have equal weight; meaning the vote from a person living in downtown Toronto should have as much influence as a vote from a person living in Scarborough.

The logic behind the 47-ward model was to fix a ward-to-population imbalance, which was only going to get worse with rapid downtown growth.

In November 2016, council voted 28-to-13 to approve consultant recommendations on the new ward boundaries, adding three wards downtown while taking one away there, and adding one in Willowdale.

This structure was supposed to keep the councillor-to-person ratio at around one per 60,000.

During this process, the idea of matching the federal electoral districts was considered and rejected, Flynn said, because it didnt ensure equal representation.

It really comes down to how many people does that councillor represent and are the number of people that the councillor is representing roughly equal across the city, she said.

Under the 25-wards model, looking at projected population for 2026 in the ward boundary review report, downtown wards Toronto Centre and Spadina-Fort York, and Etobicoke-Lakeshore would have the biggest populations  with councillors there representing more than 150,000 people.

For example, Spadina Fort-York would have 153,846 people compared to Don Valley East with 98,273.

Would suburban voters really be under-represented under the 47-councillor plan?

Yes, but not for long.

Jim Karygiannis (Ward 39 Scarborough-Agincourt) told 680 News he supports Fords proposal because it will fix the unequal balance for the suburbs.

In the ward boundary review process, the consultants hired by the city looked at the projected population for 2026, rather than past census data, Flynn said.

The 47-ward model would have added councillors downtown, as that population is expected to grow at a faster rate than the suburbs.

In the short term ... there will be fewer people downtown but more people in the suburbs so it will still be unequal but because of the projected population it will not be unequal for long, said Flynn.

How much will the seat reduction save?

Reducing the size of Toronto city council is estimated to save Toronto taxpayers $25.5 million over four years, the premiers office said in a statement. That breaks down to a savings of about $6.3 million a year.

Last year, the salaries and expenses for Torontos city councillors totalled $17,349,526. That averages out to $394,307 per councillor.

There will be 25 remaining city council positions. Using the 2017 numbers, the Star can project that the total remuneration and expenses would amount to $9,857,685 a year for the new city council.

Thats a savings of $7,491,841 a year  or $4.61 for every city of Toronto resident 15 or older.

What can that kind of savings buy?

$9.4 million: cost of land purchased for the George Street Revitalization, according to the City of Toronto website.

$8.511 million: budget for the Toronto Public Library renovating and expanding Wychwood Branch, according to the 2018 preliminary operating budget.

$6.5 million: cost of the Ravens Roost project at the Toronto Zoo, according to the 2018  2027 Preliminary Capital Budget and Plan.

$10.32 million: cost of the King-Liberty Pedestrian and Cycling bridge, according to the 2018 Capital Budget for Transportation Services.

$6.9 million: investment in 215 affordable rental homes in the East Bayfront district, according to a recent city council decision.

$6 million: cost of 120 power stretchers for Toronto paramedics, according to the 2018 Capital Budget for Toronto Paramedic Services.

$7.4 million: cost of increased enforcement and surveillance, including 40 new CCTV cameras, as part of the citys plan to combat gun violence.

What do the changes mean for the Oct. 22 election?

Theyre going to have to do a lot of adjustments with very little time, said Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch.

At city council on Friday, the city clerk flagged potential difficulties with advance voting and ballot counting. Im not surprised at all that they would be projecting problems with meeting deadlines to actually implement this fully, Conacher said.

He said the rejigging of city council wont necessarily increase the cost of the election, but its going to make the clerks office work double overtime for the next three months to try to adjust to this.

Polling station locations will have to be reconsidered, Conacher said. Youre setting up this whole new system of boundaries, and that means a whole new system for identification of each voter and making sure theyre voting at the right polling station.

Greg Albo, a professor at York Universitys politics department, said there will be little to no time for public consultation on the legislation to cut the number of seats.

Its Ford and a range of unelected people around his office that are determining this, Albo said.

The 2014 municipal election, which saw 991,754 votes cast in 44 wards, cost $8.39 million. That was a 21 per cent increase in cost from the 2010 municipal election, due to an expanded advance vote model, increase in the number of voting locations and additional staffing requirements.

What could the change mean for council after the election?

If theyre going to maintain the same service levels, then youre going to have to double the staff of each councillor, Conacher said. If youre doubling the staff of each councillor, then those costs will not be reduced.

Greg Albo, professor at York Universitys politics department, agreed that staff may need to be expanded if the number of city councillors is reduced.

At the level of representation we have, which is already on the low end, staff can barely handle the issues related to constituency issues: problems with the neighbour, problems with parking, problems getting Ontario hydro to respond, all those things.

Read more about:Carlotta Flores, who owns a Mexican restaurant in Tucson, Arizona, said her son called her one night last week to tell her that she had to come by to pick up an envelope, and that shed be greatly surprised.

Inside was a handwritten letter from someone said she used to work at the restaurant, El Charro Cafe, in the 1990s and $1,000 cash, according to local reports and photos shared on social media. The person, who did not leave a name, said that while she was working as a waitress and studying at the University of Arizona, she had stolen a few hundred dollars from the restaurant. Now she was trying to make it right.

One of the waiters I worked with had encouraged me to forget to ring in a few drinks a shift and pocket the cash. And for some stupid reason, I did it, wrote the person, who signed the letter, A thankful former employee.

I hadnt stolen a dime before then, nor have I since. Thankfully, I was a terrible waitress and you all fired me before it could amount to more than a few hundred dollars total. Its been 20 years, but I still carry great remorse. I am very sorry that I stole from you. Please accept my apology + this money as a repayment + 20 years of interest.

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The remarkable story about El Charro has captured headlines around the Tucson area and beyond. The restaurant, which serves northern Mexico-Sonoran style food and has three locations, has been in operation since 1922. It claims to be the oldest Mexican restaurant in the country to be continuously operated by the same family.

Flores told KVOA that the news of the letter brought tears to the eyes of some of the restaurants managers. She said that she had recently had her purse stolen, so this sort of renewed the faith that we have a lot of good people out there.

I dont know where shes at, who she is, but I will tell you one thing, I hope that shes read or has seen what an impact this has made, not only on me, my family my business, but where it will go in the future, she said.

Flores son, Ray, posted a photo of the letter on Facebook.

You dont always have to tell someone who you are to make things right for you both, he wrote. This made our week!WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump bluntly declared on Wednesday his attorney general should terminate right now the federal probe into the campaign that took him to the White House, a newly fervent attack on the special counsel investigation that could imperil his presidency. Trump also assailed the trial, just underway, of his former campaign chairman by the special counsels team.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders scrambled to explain that Trumps tweet was not an order and the president was not directing his attorney general to do anything.

Its the presidents opinion, she said.

But Trumps early morning tweetstorm again raised the spectre that he could try to more directly bring special counsel Robert Muellers Russia-Trump election-collusion probe to a premature end. And it revived the idea that the presidents tweets themselves might be used as evidence that he is attempting to obstruct justice.

Meanwhile, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said negotiations are continuing to have Trump sit down for questions from Mueller, though the lawyer said, Im not going to give you a lot of hope that its going to happen. He said both sides had exchanged proposals for conditions for such an interview, and yesterday we got a letter back from them and now were in the process of responding.

Trump has raged privately in recent days that both the forces of government and the media are trying to undermine him. That includes trumped-up charges against his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and distorting the outcome of the Helsinki summit to make it appear he was beholden to Russia, according to two Republicans close to the White House who were not authorized to discuss private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Read more:

Opening statements begin in trial for ex-Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort

Judge sends ex-Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort to jail ahead of trial

Muellers team accuses Manafort of witness tampering

Trump was closely monitoring news coverage of the Manafort proceedings, which provoked the spate of incendiary tweets, according to the two Republicans and two White House officials.

The presidents not obstructing, hes fighting back, said Sanders, dismissing the idea that Trumps tweets could be tantamount to obstruction of justice.

The most inflammatory of Trumps tweets said, This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!

The presidents anger came the day after the start of the trial of Manafort, who is facing federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. And while Mueller did not bring any election-related charges against Manafort, the spectre of the Russian investigation is hanging over the Alexandria, Virginia, courthouse. And Trumps White House.

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders, Trump tweeted. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion  a Hoax!

Later the president invoked one of the nations most notorious criminals, 1920s gangster Al Capone, and posed the question who was treated worse while airing his grievance about Manafort being held in solitary confinement ahead of a conviction. Manafort is in detention after having his bail revoked because of allegations that he was attempting to tamper with witnesses in his case. Federal prosecutors revealed last month that he was afforded unusual privileges while in detention.

Trump has spent more than a year trying to distance himself from his one-time top political aide and to minimize the role Manafort played in his campaign. Trumps protestations aside, Manafort worked on the campaign during a critical six-month period in 2016, during which he led the effort to ensure Trump won the Republican nomination. He oversaw the early days of the general election effort.

Sanders said Trump wants Muellers investigation concluded swiftly without intervention, though Trump has publicly mused as recently as May about interfering in the Department of Justices oversight of the probe. At some point I will have no choice but to use the powers granted to the Presidency and get involved! he tweeted then.

Trump has repeatedly belittled the probe as a hoax, as those close to him suggest he feels that any talk of Russian interference tarnishes his electoral victory and delegitimizes his presidency.

One of the presidents confidants deemed Trump in a dark place, seething about the long-lasting probe and the medias depiction of his White House under siege. Though long antagonistic toward the press, Trumps anger toward the media has only grown over the past month, as he has berated coverage of his Singapore and Helsinki summits, the possible prosecutorial co-operation of his former legal fixer Michael Cohen and the Mueller probe.

After complaining about the tough questions he received from American reporters in Finland, Trump has largely steered clear of the mainstream media, instead opting for safer spaces like an interview with ally Rush Limbaugh this week. From the White House briefing room podium on Wednesday, Sanders declined to denounce the harassment of a CNN reporter during a Trump rally in Florida on Tuesday.

The presidents social media outburst renewed discussion of the significance of his tweets.

Giuliani stressed that Trump was just issuing an opinion, though he also said the White House believes the investigation should be brought to a close.

I guess, if we were playing poker  were not  put up or shut up, what do you got? Giuliani said. We have every reason to believe they dont have anything.

When pressed by reporters on how she tells the difference between a presidential order or an opinion, Sanders said Trump makes his intentions pretty clear.

But the line between registering an opinion or governing by tweet has bedeviled the White House from the start, even when former press secretary Sean Spicer declared tweets could be official White House statements. Earlier this year, Trump blindsided the Defence Department when he tweeted out a transgender ban for the military, prompting the Pentagon to slow walk the program.

Mueller already is interested in some of Trumps tweets to the extent they raise obstruction of justice concerns. Though experts believe obstruction by tweet is possible, prosecutors have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a particular act got in the way of an investigation and that the person who did it intended to obstruct.

The presidents tweets on Wednesday were greeted warily on Capitol Hill, with most lawmakers, regardless of party, urging Trump to let the probe run its course.

No. 3 Senate GOP leader John Thune of South Dakota said, The idea that they should truncate it doesnt make sense to me. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut went much further, declaring: There is now highly credible evidence that the president of the United States is committing obstruction of justice in real time, right before our eyes.

Read more about:The American Immigration Lawyers Association said Wednesday that a migrant toddler died shortly after being released from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centre in Dilley, Texas.

AILA has learned that a toddler died soon after release from the Dilley South Texas Family Residential Center, Gregory Chen, director of government relations for the 15,000-member association, said in a statement. We do not have information on the cause of death or information that confirms a connection between medical treatment at STFRC and this death.

Chen did not name the child or say when the alleged death occurred, and The Washington Post was unable to independently verify the death.

ICE said Wednesday that it could not investigate the situation without the childs name or other information. However the agency made clear that no child died while in its care.

Reports that a child died in ICE custody at Dilley are false, the agency tweeted.

Chen said the associations lawyers have seen ongoing inadequacies in the standard of care provided to mothers and children in Dilley, and have filed complaints with the government raising these concerns.

Read more:

How a community that backed Trump said no to an immigration detention centre and won

U.S. senators want investigations into allegations of immigrant abuse

I didnt know how to refuse: Two survivors share stories of sexual assault in U.S. immigration detention centres

Word that a child may have died emerged on social media late Tuesday and spread quickly on the internet, igniting fresh outrage weeks after the Trump administration halted its controversial practice of separating parents and children after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

Hundreds of separated families have been reunited in recent days at Dilley and at least one other ICE family detention centre. Those centres also house families taken into custody at the border but not separated by the government. Because there is so little information available about the child who reportedly died, it is impossible to say whether that child was among the minors who had been separated.

Without a name or more specific information, we are unable to research this allegation, ICE spokeswoman Danielle Bennett said in a statement. That doesnt make the allegation true, just impossible to refute.

Dilley is the largest of ICEs three family detention centres, with a capacity of about 2,400 people. It is located about an hour southwest of San Antonio.

A June 2017 report by the Department of Homeland Security inspector general said the family detention centres are clean, well-organized, and efficiently run. The report also found that the agency was working to address the inherent challenges of providing medical care and language services in detention.

A Houston immigration lawyer, Mana Yegani, tweeted late Tuesday that a girl, who had suffered a respiratory illness while at Dilley, had died soon after her release.

The child died following her stay at an ICE Detention Center, as a result of possible negligent care and a respiratory illness she contracted from one of the other children, the tweet said. She added that the girl had a grandmother in New Jersey.

Yegani said she learned of the death online through a Washington, D.C., lawyer, Melissa Turcios.

In an email to The Washington Post, Turcios said she is a friend of the childs family and is helping them to obtain pro bono legal counsel but had no further comment.

immig-toddler-1stld-writethruVANCOUVERFollowing the sentencing of a 70-year-old woman to a seven-day jail term, protesters continued to show their opposition to a plan to expand the existing Trans Mountain pipeline.

On Wednesday, two people defied a court injunction and were arrested near Kinder Morgans property near Burnaby Mountain. The protest group Protect the Inlet plans to start camping near the site starting Aug. 20. Two other high-profile protesters will be sentenced on Aug. 15: Jean Swanson, an anti-poverty activist and Vancouver city council; and Susan Lambert, a former president of the BC Teachers Federation.

Laurie Embree, a grandmother from 108 Mile Ranch in B.C., was the first protester to be sentenced to jail time; she is serving her sentence at Alouette Correctional Sentence in Maple Ridge and will likely be released Aug. 6, said Sarah Beuhler, a spokesperson for Protect the Inlet. Beuhler said other protesters were prepared to follow Embrees path.

Read more:

We have a bulldozer with your name on it: Group to send message to anti-pipeline camp

Burnaby seeks court order to evict Camp Cloud

Were ramping up hard: Kinder Morgan Canada boss declares Trans Mountain work will resume

During the sentencing hearing, Embree called the injunction unjust, saying it supports an industry causing widespread harm.

But Judge Kenneth Affleck said Embree had been warned repeatedly to stay away from the area covered by the injunction, and jail time was needed to deter her and other protestors from breaking the injunction, according to the Vancouver Sun.

Over 200 people have been arrested since protests started in April. The federal government supports the pipeline, which the oil industry says it needs to move product from Albertas oilsands to British Columbia to export overseas. On May 29, the federal government announced it would buy the pipeline at a cost of $4.5 billion in an attempt to make sure the project gets built.

But B.C.s premier, many First Nations and the mayors of Vancouver and Burnaby oppose the project, which will increase the number of oil tankers plying the waters of Burrard Inlet.

Beuhler said many of the protesters were inspired not only by Embrees resolve to stand up for what she believes in but sadness over J-35, an orca who has carried her dead calf for nearly a week and has come to symbolize environmental degradation in West Coast waters.

Read more about:Sunwing Announces Direct Quebec to Vallarta Flights

Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, Mexico - Canadian airline Sunwing will begin operating its new seasonal flight from Quebec to the Puerto Vallarta-Riviera Nayarit region during the upcoming winter season.

According to Sam Char, executive vice president of Sunwing Travel Group Quebec, the new route will begin operations on December 17, 2018, and conclude on April 15, 2019. He stated this initiative will connect the Canadian market with the region of Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit.

"Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit are always popular as vacation destinations and we're sure this new service will be very welcome," he added.

The announcement was made after an intense promotional tour carried out by the Riviera Nayarit CVB and the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust during the month of May throughout the top Canadian cities of origin to the destination.

Sunwing - the top airline for travel agents focused on the leisure market - currently operates 19 direct flights from 11 Canadian cities to this region during the winter season.

For its part, Sunwing Travel Group offers an ample variety of resorts within the Riviera Nayarit, among them, Iberostar Playa Mita, RIU Jalisco and Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort and Spa. These are not only high-quality resorts, but they also provide their guests with a gamut of culinary options and a long list of leisure activities.

"This new flight promotes the arrival of more Canadians to the region, reinforcing the presence of the Riviera Nayarit in one of North America's most important markets," said Marc Murphy, managing director of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau.

About Sunwing

Sunwing Airlines is a subsidiary of the Sunwing Travel Group, the parent company that operates like a travel agency and is the largest of its kind in Canada. Beginning next winter, the airline will connect Quebec with 10 of most popular destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Florida.EDWARDSVILLE  Alzheimers disease is the sixth leading cause of death in Illinois and will affect more than 200,000 Illinois residents this year.

Its a disease that, so far, cannot be cured, prevented or slowed  which is why the annual Edwardsville Alzheimers Association Walk to End Alzheimers is so important.

The national Walk to End Alzheimers is the worlds largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimers care, support and research. The Edwardsville walk brings together surrounding communities with the city to honor loved ones who are currently living with this devastating progressive disease, as well as to remember lost loved ones.

This years Walk to End AlzheimersEdwardsville takes place Saturday, Sept. 22, at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the Founders Hall/alumni parking lot area, which is located closest to the library.

The walk features a one-mile option and a three-mile option. Registration for the walk begins at 8 a.m. followed by opening ceremonies at 9 a.m., while the walk begins at 9:30 a.m.

Those who participate in the Walk to End Alzheimers will learn about Alzheimers disease, advocacy opportunities, clinical studies enrollment, support programs and services from the Alzheimers Association.

If youre unsure about your memory or the memory of a loved one, come to the walk, said Ali Davis, Alzheimers Association Greater Missouri Chapter walk manager. You can ask questions, learn about resources and get answers.

Walk participants will also join in a meaningful tribute ceremony to honor those affected by Alzheimers disease. In addition to the walk, participants will enjoy food, beverages and family fun.

The event is free to attend; however, participants who raise $100 or more will receive a Walk to End Alzheimers T-shirt at the event.

While details for the walk are being finalized, Davis said that they welcome all volunteers.

We are always looking for volunteers to help the day of the event, she noted. Volunteers can do anything from advocacy, T-shirt hand out, registration, helping us set up and tear down, help vendors carry their items, hand out water, et cetera. Theres lots of options and shifts are usually just a few hours long.

The fight to end Alzheimers is growing more urgent every year, and each Walk to End Alzheimers is an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the disease and show families that they are not alone.

Round up your friends, family or fraternity and help us make an impact in the lives of those facing Alzheimers or a related dementia, Davis said.

To learn more about volunteering or to register for the event, visit http://act.alz.org/site/TR?sid=23941&type=fr_informational&pg=informational&fr_id=11327. Also, anyone interested in volunteering can contact Davis at aldavis@alz.org.CARROLLTON  A quarter of Illinois county governments have passed resolutions declaring their county a gun sanctuary, including those in Brown and Greene counties.

The resolutions come in response to cities and counties that have declared themselves sanctuary cities and urge local law enforcement not to comply with federal immigration law. Gun sanctuary resolutions urge law enforcement not to act on federal gun control laws.

Mark Strang, the Greene County boards vice chairman, said the symbolic nature of the resolution is in defiance of counties that see fit not to follow the law.

The same politicians that overlook those (immigration) laws are the same ones trying to impose gun laws in the state of Illinois, Strang said. Were saying that if youre not going to enforce rules regarding immigration, well just have our own gun control laws.

Strang has been acting as board chairman while Chairman Joe Nord deals with health issues.

Greene County passed its gun sanctuary resolution at the end of June with four yes votes, two absent and one present vote from Randy Custer, who also is a member of the Illinois State Police.

Strang said guns are important to many counties in the southern part of the state and, by standing in solidarity with fellow gun advocates, they might succeed in promoting the right to bear arms.

Several years ago we had a nonbinding referendum on the ballot dealing with concealed carry and we had people laughing at us, saying wed never get that done in Illinois, Strang said. But we had enough counties that cared about that and were concerned about it and now we have concealed carry in Illinois, one of the last states to have it. Were sending a message to our legislators.

Gun sanctuary resolutions declare several gun-related bills unconstitutional, including one that makes it illegal to buy or possess large-capacity magazines, one that would raise the legal gun purchase age from 18 to 21, and one that prohibits municipalities from regulating the possession of assault weapons.

Counties that have passed such a resolution include Brown, Christian, Clark, Clay, Cumberland, Douglas, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Lawrence, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Saline, Shelby, Washington, Wayne, White and Woodford.

Strang urged other counties to join the movement to add to the strength of the message.

Its to show the hypocrisy of these counties not abiding by the _immigration) law, Strang said. Guns are something we treasure and we dont want a bunch of laws made against our gun ownership rights.

Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper.ALTON  Latodd E. Strong, a.k.a. Boo Strong, was recently arrested by the Granite City Police Department for an active warrant out of Alton.

The warrant, signed by Judge Kyle Napp, charged Strong with one count of criminal sexual assault, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, one count of attempt criminal sexual assault, and three counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Strongs bond was set at $250,000. Strong remains in custody at the Madison County Jail for these charges.EDWARDSVILLE  In his final appeal for leniency Wednesday, convicted child rapist Michael Burgund turned his back to the judge, delivering a scripture-filled diatribe to the court, defending himself, and blaming his accusers.

The jury rendered their verdict based on emotion, he said. An earthly jury has convicted me, but one day a heavenly court will acquit me. One day God will prove my innocence. Me and my family will be fully vindicated.

The speech apparently did little to impress Circuit Judge Kyle Napp, who noted that victim testimony was believable  and so was the confession hed given an Alton police officer.

The judge offered a stern response to Burgunds words, before sentencing him to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

The evidence shows that you have violated those girls in the most horrible way, and two juries have found you guilty, she said.

The judge noted that Burgund took the unusual step of keeping his back to her, and facing the audience when he was given a chance to speak.

The life sentence is mandatory, but the judge also imposed a sentence of $71,000 in restitution to offset the psychological treatment for the two young victims, who were 1 and 3 at the time of the crimes, and their mother.

During both trials, Burgund testified that the confession was implanted in his brain by his accusers. He revived his claim Wednesday. He said he turned down a generous plea agreement because he is not guilty.

The judge imposed the sentence after the victims grandmother, Mary Buttry said that she formerly loved and trusted Burgund, but, had she known the pain the two trials caused, she would have taken much less time bringing the case to the attention of the authorities.

The stories that you and your family have created and changed several times, in the attempt to damage mine and Melissas names, in effort to bluff a jury, are not only false, but they were plastered in front page media daily, Mary Buttry said in part. I am asking you and your family to have enough heart to finally think of these children and now stop this crime.

The childrens mother, Melissa Burgund, said the pain of dealing with the crimes was extended by the additional trial.

Instead of being able to begin picking up the pieces, rebuilding and seeking healing, we were thrown into defending ourselves and seeking justice, she said. She said Burgunds family and friends, who have backed him since he was charged, are just as guilty as he is. Burgund said his parents and friends did no wrong in defending him.

The children also submitted statements, which were read in court.

You made me feel like I was nothing. You made me feel like I was dumb. I dont remember a day without crying. You told me that I should hate my sister, but I love my sister so, so much. Every day I felt scared because of you. Because of you, you make my mom feel horrible, one of the victims wrote.

You hurt me and my sister. You made our lives a living nightmare. I never get any sleep because I live in fear of you. I couldnt have a normal childhood because of you. You made me feel so bad that I didnt even want to be on this earth, the other victim wrote.

Assistant States Attorney Kerri Davis called Burgund, the worst of the worst. She said the children were broken emotionally and psychologically. There is no cure for child sexual abuse, Davis said.

Assistant States Attorney Crystal Uhe said the child who testified is a warrior.

She came here, not once, but twice. She was able to sit hear and face her father and tell what happened.

Gibbons said it was sad to see Burgund invoke the name of God as an excuse to avoid the consequences of what he did.

This is the worst kind of evil, he said.

The Citizens of Madison County can rest assured, knowing that their States Attorneys Office and the men and women of our local law enforcement never give up in our quest for justice for victims and our community, Gibbons said. This evil man has now been convicted of these horrible crimes by two separate juries. Hopefully for the victims and their families, the nightmare of being forced to relive the abuse through the trial process can now come to an end, so they can heal and move forward in their lives. Fortunately, the two young victims have the love and support of their family who can help them continue on the lifelong path of recovery from the abuse they suffered. We will keep them in our prayers.

Normally, the maximum penalty for a Class X felony is 6-30 years; however, because of the number of predatory criminal sexual assault counts filed, as well as the fact he committed the crime against two victims, Burgund faced a mandatory natural life sentence, according to Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons.

On May 17, a Madison County jury convicted Burgund, 35, of five counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child after the second trial in the case.

Burgund was charged April 5, 2011 after he walked into the Alton Police Department and admitted he committed the crimes. He was convicted by a jury Dec. 10, 2012 of five counts of predatory criminal sexual of a child and sentenced to life in prison. He appealed on March 11, 2013 and was given another trial on Nov. 22, 2012.

His mother, Donna Burgund, posted $100,000 cash bond, and the defendant was released until May 17.GRANITE CITY  When rain hits the American Bottoms much of the water ends up in Horseshoe Lake before eventually being pumped into the Mississippi River, but siltation has cut available water storage space and could create major problems in the future.

On Tuesday officials with the Metro East Sanitary District took U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, on a tour including its North Pump Station in East St. Louis, Horseshoe Lake and Long Lake.

During the trip, which included about 25 elected officials, MESD workers and others, Bost said there needs to be cooperation between multiple federal, state and local agencies to deal with the situation.

We have to work with the local taxpayers and the districts that have been given the commission of taking care of these, and say OK, what can we do to help, Bost said during the tour. This may even fall under the proposed infrastructure bill were working on over the next few years.

MESD maintains levees protecting much of the American Bottoms, the lowlands from Alton south. Executive Director Steve Adler said one of the issues MESD faces is that when the Mississippi River gets above 18 feet, they have to close off the flood gates that allow drainage, forcing them to pump water over the levees and into the river. Without the pumps much of the Metro East below the bluffs would fill up like a bathtub.

The district covers approximately 134 square miles from the Cahokia Diversion Canal near Hartford south to Prairie du Pont Creek in Monroe County, east to the bluffs. But the MESD drains a much larger area, approximately 209 square miles, including heavily developed areas like Edwardsville and Glen Carbon.

As the region develops, storm water that would have been absorbed by farm-and-woodland comes down to the American Bottoms more quickly.

In addition to water rushing down more quickly, it also brings silt, which is filling in both ditches and water storage areas like Horseshoe Lake.

According to Adler, while there are a few areas on the lake with depths up to about 50 feet, most of the lake is now three- to four-feet deep.

In the last 10 years its probably silted in 1 feet, he said.

With proper dredging, he said the lake could store up to 3 billion gallons of water, compared to about 1.8 billion right now. He also said it would provide more recreational opportunities.

Long Lake, which runs from the former Chemetco site south to Horseshoe Lake, has similar issues with siltation.

In both cases, Adler said some areas of both lakes are also contaminated  Horseshoe Lake by the steel mills and other heavy industry, Long Lake by runoff from the Chemetco plant, a secondary copper smelter, that was poured into Long Lake through an illegal pipe. It was the discovery of the pipe that led to the plants shutdown, and eventual naming as a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site.

Another issue is that the natural flow of water from Long Lake to Horseshoe Lake has been cut off, and now goes through a 54-inch pipe, which can be overwhelmed in heavy rains.

The tours first stop was the North Pump Station, which was built in 1935. The pumps were refurbished in the 1970s, but finding parts to repair the pumps is both difficult and expensive.

The tour then moved to Horseshoe Lake, where they stopped at a boat launching area used by anglers and duck hunters.

However, there has been so much siltation that the entire area is now overgrown, making it difficult if not impossible to launch boats from the site.

The tour ended at a house along Long Lake in Pontoon Beach, where a resident showed them the effects of siltation in that lake.

Bost, who is in a highly contested race with Democratic St. Clair County States Attorney Brendan Kelly to retain his congressional seat, said he was there to listen and understand their concerns. He noted that the 12th Congressional District is unique in that it is the only district in the U.S. with three separate navigable waterways, the Mississippi, Kaskaskia and Ohio rivers.

Theres a whole group of us in Congress that believe that we should remove the Corps (functions) from DOD (Department of Defense), except for those things where they are actually involved in DOD projects, he said. The rest should be with the Department of Transportation.

I think thats a sensible move, he added. The idea is to make a bureaucracy responsible to the taxpayers, not the taxpayers responsible to the bureaucracy.

Part of the reason is that he believes the Corps has too many responsibilities, and under the military structure leadership of Corps districts changes too often.

Thats not a good thing at all, because the experience goes with them, he said.

Speaking specifically about the MESD issues, Bost said he wants to talk to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources director about the issues. Bost also noted that multi-governmental responsibilities need to be discussed.

Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447.Beyond Puerto Vallarta: Shopping in Tonala, Jalisco

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - August is a good time to check out the tianguis (flea market) in Tonala. Although everyone thinks Tonala is in Guadalajara, it's actually a municipality of Jalisco, bordered by Juanacatlan, Tlaquepaque, Zapotlanejo, El Salto and Guadalajara, and it's a great escape from the summer heat in Puerto Vallarta.

The tianguis includes everything from pottery to antique furniture and is open only on Thursdays and Sundays. There is a minimum of 4000 craftsmen and vendors to choose from, especially during the Christmas holidays when tourism is high, but summer is a good time to head for cooler climes.





The name Tonala comes from the indigenouswhich means "this is where the sun rises," and it's fitting because this is when the heart of the city comes to life. In the early morning hours tables are set up and spread with millions of handcrafted items. Incredible ironwork is available, either off the shelf or made to order. Simple or ornate, it can be created and delivered to Puerto Vallarta for a very reasonable price.

In darkened doorways, glassblowers form goblets, bowls, chandeliers and tiny dollhouse items. Paper flowers materialize from ingenious hands; all colors, shapes and sizes. Objects made from tin and brass, and the famous Mexican cartoneria (colorfully painted dolls, animals, clowns and toys) is everywhere. The selection of woodworking and furniture is overwhelming and must be given a complete day to itself for proper selection.

Since pre-Hispanic times, Tonala has been widely known as a popular ceramics center and even boasts its very own design, the Flor de Tonala (Tonala flower), which can be found on bowls, vases, platters and other ceramic pieces.

Tonala is not just for shopping. Before heading back to Puerto Vallarta, one should see the exhibition hall and the museum at the Puebla-Museo. An astonishing collection of antique and contemporary ceramics is not to be missed, nor is the miniatures collection.

Another essential stop is the Capilla de la Cruz (Chapel of the White Cross) where the first mass was presented by Franciscan monks; and the Santiago Apostal Parish, built in 1830 and one of the oldest standing churches in the country.

Tonala has some very nice small hotels but they fill up fast during tourist season. We usually stay close by in Tlaquepaque, where the night streets are quiet and there is an abundance of places to stay. Guadalajara is where we reside when we plan to do a bit more partying and stay out late. It's the Tonala sunrise that we don't want to miss.

Que es como es.

Timothy Real Estate Group has been the number one selling and listing agency in the greater Bay of Banderas region since 2011. If you are looking to sell or purchase a property, please contact one of the Timothy Real Estate Group agents for the best experience in Puerto Vallarta real estate. With 5 sales offices around the bay TREG agents know the local neighborhood markets and can ensure your experience is the best that it can be. For more information, visit TimothyRealEstateGroup.com.JERSEYVILLE  Recent felony charges filed by the Jersey County States Attorneys Office include:

 Melissa D. White, 38, of the 200 block of East Arch, Jerseyville, was charged July 27 with burglary, a Class 2 felony; retail theft (less than $300), a Class 4 felony; and criminal trespass to land, a Class A misdemeanor. According to reports, on July 26 White allegedly attempted to take items from Walmart, and had been previously told not to enter the property. Bail was set at $25,000.

 Markee L. Richardson, 43, of the 100 block of Locust, Fieldon, was charged July 25 with theft, a Class 3 felony; and unlawful possession of a credit/debit card. Court records show the charges stem from an April 15 incident, in which Richardson was found in possession of a credit card from First MidAmerica Credit Union. Bail was set at $10,000.

 Gary L. Miller, 34, of the 200 block of S. Prairie Street, Jerseyville, was charged July 25 with unlawful defrauding a drug screening test. Bail was set at $10,000.

 Toni M. Jackson, 45, of the 200 block of W. County Road, Jerseyville, was charged July 25 with filing a false child abuse report, a Class 4 felony. The incident allegedly occurred on June 21. Bail was set at $10,000.EDWARDSVILLE  Officials signed an agreement Wednesday certifying Madison County for the U.S. Department of Labors Registered Apprenticeship Program Intermediary/sponsor.

Gerry Schuetzenhofer, chairman of the Madison-Bond Workforce Innovation Board, and Kim Jones, the state director for the U.S. Department of Labor Office (USDOL) of Apprenticeship, signed a Standards of Apprenticeship agreement designating the Madison-Bond Local Workforce Development Area with the Registered Apprenticeship Program. The agreement allows the local workforce area, which includes Madison and Bond counties, to be a part of the National Apprenticeship Program in accordance with the basic Standards of Apprenticeship established by the U.S. Secretary of Labor.

This will benefit local businesses by streamlining the process to establish apprenticeship programs, Director of Employment and Training Tony Fuhrmann said.

We are hearing more and more about vocations being important and theyve been taken out of high schools and many are rethinking it now, Schuetzenhofer said.

Jones agreed, stating USDOL appreciates the county coming on board in support of the apprenticeship program.

Madison-Bond local workforce is the second in Illinois to receive certification by the Department of Labor as a Registered Apprenticeship Program Intermediary/Sponsor.

Fuhrmann said the county would assist local employers in hiring and training individuals to receive occupational credentials by the Department of Labor after they complete a Registered Apprenticeship Program. He said successful apprenticeship programs work best when designed by employers around their own needs.

The plan reduces red tape and requirements for administering apprenticeship programs, Fuhrmann said.

Fuhrmann said the county would be now be able to complete all the required steps with businesses instead of them needing to work with the Department of Labor. He commended Sarah Ray Lorio, Work-based Coordinator, for taking on the project from start to finish in order for the county to receive certification.

My staff looks forward to the opportunities this designation can provide to businesses and helping provide a trained workforce for their needs, he said.

There are five core components in a Registered Apprenticeship Program  classroom training, on the job training, work mentorship, progressive wages, and national occupational credentialing.

The Standards negotiated between the USDOL and the Grants Department use a competency-based model that allows expedited advancement based on demonstrated performance rather than a minimum time-frame spent in training. Companies that hire eligible workers are eligible to receive partial reimbursement of wages for up to six months during the training period.

What is an apprenticeship and what is a registered apprenticeship?

USDOL defines an apprenticeship as an arrangement that includes a paid-work component and an educational or instructional component where an individual obtains workplace-relevant knowledge and skills. Registered apprenticeships are high-quality, work-based learning, and post-secondary earn-and-learn models that meet national standards for registration with the USDOL.

Whats in it for job-seekers?

A registered apprenticeship program is a great way for job-seekers to start a new career. Here are some great reasons to do an apprenticeship.

 Begin earning a paycheck from day one (Earn & Learn)

 Learn a skill or trade through on the job training and have the potential to earn college credit

 Succeed in a long-term career while earning a competitive salary

 Increase wages as skill level increases

 Receive nationally recognized certification

 Gain valuable skills needed to succeed in your career

Whats in it for participating businesses?

Advantages of registered apprenticeship for businesses looking to recruit new talent and fill open positions:

 Helps recruit and develop a highly skilled workforce.

 Reduced turnover rates

 Improves productivity and the bottom line

 More diverse workforce

 New pipeline of workers

 Creates industry-driven flexible training solutions to meet local and national needsEDWARDSVILLE  For trans college students, Rex Lee Jackson, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville associate director of Residence Life, wants to start with the basics  human dignity and a safe place to call home.

Jackson, one of four editors of the book, Trans* Policies & Experiences in Housing & Residence Life, hopes it will be used as a practical tool to create environments in which trans students can live, survive and thrive.

How can a student be academically successful when he/she/hir does not have a home, does not have some place safe to go, or has feelings of being marginalized? asked Jackson, who served on the American College Personnel Associations (ACPA) Commission for Housing and Residential Life. We know when students live on campus, they tend to be more academically successful and are better connected.

We also know that traditional housing setups create barriers for trans students, Jackson continued. However, gender inclusive housing creates spaces where more and more students can access a safe, supportive living environment. Currently nationwide, there are not a lot of options in campus housing for trans students.

It was this reason that compelled Jackson and Stephanie H. Chang, adjunct faculty member in New England Colleges master of science higher education and administration program, director of student diversity and inclusion at the University of Delaware, and member of ACPAs Coalition of Sexuality and Gender Identities, to begin writing a paper on gender inclusive housing.

Jackson, Chang and others worked on the paper for a couple years before transitions separated the group. Then Jackson and Chang contacted the other two editors, Jason C. Garvey, assistant professor of higher education and student affairs in the Department of Leadership and Developmental Sciences at the University of Vermont; and Z Nicolazzo, assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education, and faculty associate in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality at Northern Illinois University.

The editors looked at data from more than 150 institutions, including public, private and small, medium and large-sized, that offered gender inclusive housing and accommodations for trans students.

We talked to those who felt their journey was successful, who thought their efforts had been challenging and to some who said it took a long time, Jackson said. Then we asked institutions if they were interested in doing chapters for the book. We ended up with the following 11 schools that are highlighted in the book.

The 11 schools include: Roosevelt University in Chicago; George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; Oberlin College in Ohio; University of California, Riverside; Dickinson College in Pennsylvania; University of Wisconsin, Madison; University of Maryland, College Park; American University in Washington, D.C.; Ithaca College in New York; University of Arizona, Tucson; University of Oregon, Eugene.

While SIUE was not in the book, Jackson noted that University Housing has had a trans housing option since 2009, and students have been allowed to self-identify as trans since 2011.

If a student self identifies as trans, the student gets a personal phone call from the housing staff asking how we can help, said Jackson. We work with the student to build an assignment that works for them. Unfortunately, that is not the case everywhere.

In the book, we were transparent about where we are nationwide in terms of housing for trans gender students, explained Jackson. We also detailed how some of these schools navigated the politics of it all, what stakeholders need to be involved and how to pull everything together.

Some of schools successful efforts were because students help advocate for change, according to Jackson.

We cant make these important changes in isolation of our students and their voices, said Jackson. We have to partner with students in advocating for change.

The benefit is that trans students are treated like humans, he said. Their identities are recognized. They are seen as having authentic identities, and not people with mental health issues or all of the other stereotypes that go with it.

Hopefully, more and more people will see that trans individuals are people, too, Jackson concluded. You may not understand the complexities of gender identity, but hopefully, you can at least get to the point where you see that these individuals are just like us. They are human. Following basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in early 1945, I crossed the Atlantic and, after a brief stopover at replacement camp near Le Havre, continued first by train and then by truck convey into western Germany.

At one point, I was assigned to ride with the driver of a large 6-by-6 Army truck hauling war materials for our troops at the front.

I judged the man at the wheel to be in his 30s, older than most of the soldiers I had encountered, who made known he was fed up with the Army, hated driving in a convoy, and felt it past time he got the hell back to civilian life. It soon became clear he also had little use for replacement soldiers and thought I was with this loud-mouth soldier only a day and a half  it was long enough.

Relying upon my K rations for my evening meal and because it was still cold and windy, I chose to sleep in the cab of the truck that night. It was not comfortable but better than lying on the ground.

It was late afternoon that second day when, as usual, the trucks, half-tracks mounting 50-caliber machine guns and other vehicles came to a halt forming a circle for the night. Indicating hed bunk down with friends in nearby vehicles, my driver took his leave.

After Id eaten some of my rations, I decided to wander about the large assembly of vehicles in the convoy. It was when I heard shouts and loud talking I decided to investigate. Walking slowly between the vehicles, I saw that many of the men in the truck convoy were gathered in a large circle.

Standing alongside another soldier I saw a lone figure, a German soldier stripped to the waist, in the center of the group, slowly and methodically digging a hole in the ground. Ignoring the Americans who were screaming and cursing him, eyes downcast, the prisoner continued with his labor.

Transfixed with the scene I asked my companion what was going on.

Captured SS guy and theyre making him dig his own grave, came his reply.

It was the most shocking thing Id ever seen, and I could not believe my eyes.

All the while, the Americans continued cursing and jeering at the enemy soldier as he continued with his labor.

Gazing at that grim scene, I finally asked.

Do you think they will actually kill him?

Dont know, but you never know when these guys get riled up. Theyve done some terrible things to our guys.

Despite my heavy overcoat and warm gloves, I was shivering as I watched this terrifying scene. I fully realized being drafted into the Army that Id likely encounter some terrifying situations, but nothing like this.

Watching a captured prisoner dig his own grave was far more than I had ever anticipated  and Id had enough.

Turning to my fellow soldier, I said, Man, this is too much for me. I knew war would be terrible, but nothing like this.

I understand what you are saying, was his rely.

Then he added, Like you, I want no part of this. Im going back to my truck.

Fortunately, our truck convoy reached a railway junction the following afternoon, where along with other soldiers I was assigned reasonably comfortable railway car for further transit across Germany.

However, even after many years, I never forgot that cold day in Germany when it is possible I came near to witnessing the horrible execution of a young German prisoner of war.

Robert Underbrink is a Jacksonville writer.The Uganda NationalOil Company Limited (UNOC) was established under Section 42 of the Petroleum(Exploration, Development and Production) Act 2013 and incorporated under theCompanys Act 2012. It is a limited liability company wholly owned by theGovernment of Uganda. The overall function of UNOC is; To handle the StatesCommercial interests in the Oil and Gas industry.Join the Community Clean-Up in Col. Emiliano Zapata

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The JG Group's Colonia Clean-ups continue through the summer to keep raising awareness and getting residents and visitors alike involved in keeping our colonia clean. If you are in Vallarta the first Saturday of the month, join us on August 4 and share the love.

What a great way to start your Saturday morning! The JG Group will supply the garbage bags and tongs needed to pick up debris and assign streets that need a little sprucing up. After the sweep, the hot dogs are on us!

Please RSVP to alejandra(at)jggrouppv.com if we can count on you Saturday morning, then meet us in front of our offices at Lazaro Cardenas 421 by 9:30 am. We'll finish working by 11:30 am, but be sure to stick around for hot dogs, with all the fixings and cool refreshments afterwards.

If you cannot participate but would like to contribute to this community effort, you can donate $100 pesos so we can hire some of the neighborhood kids to help with the clean-up. Please swing by our offices anytime between 9 am and 6 pm during the week and we'll be happy to take your pesos.

We love our Bay, so timing is critical. Now that the summer rains are getting heavier, we can do our part to minimize the garbage that floats down into the ocean. Join us!Some creation myths say that man was first fashioned out of clay. When it was discovered that clay could be transformed into art objects, the ceramics industry took root. Thousands of years ago India and Mesopotamia started manufacturing ceramic tiles, and pottery soon took over for functional and artistic purposes.

Today, the wet, sticky soil is not just useful for a potter's wheel, its malleability has been appropriated to relieve stress in boutique urban studios and hobby courses. Globally, ceramic artists are suddenly commanding record auction prices and Instagram is flush with funky pictures of delightfully carved pots and pans from a young breed of craftspeople. It is therefore no surprise that India will soon host its first Ceramics Triennale.

Titled Breaking Ground, the first ever international ceramics event, to be held at the Jawahar Kala Kendra from August 31 to 18 November, will bring together 35 Indian and 12 international artist projects along with 10 collaborations, speakers, film screenings, workshops and a symposium. The attempt is to push ceramics beyond the fold of the artisanal and decorative into the realm of fine art, worthy of prolonged intellectual and aesthetic engagement. The unique architecture of the newly renovated Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur is expected to offer an appropriate stage to unveil India's growing sophistication in the use of ceramics within and outside the bounds of traditional galleries.

Long relegated to the status of second-class citizen in the world of art, in the 21st century, ceramics have taken on a renewed urgency and relevance in international contemporary artistic practice. Primordial and ubiquitous, earth, dirt and clay speak to the very core of our beings and can spark our most fundamental creative energies. The Indian Ceramics Triennale will highlight the finest practitioners of experimental ceramics working today, those who are expanding our conceptions of an ancient medium claiming its place in the future, says Peter Nagy, director of Nature Morte gallery in Delhi, in press note released for the upcoming event.

The Triennale, held in collaboration with Contemporary Clay Foundation, has been conceived by a six-member team of mid-career ceramic artists including Anjani Khanna, Madhvi Subrahmanian and Neha Kudchadkar, and developed with guidance from Nagy, well-known stoneware artist and co-founder of Golden Bridge Pottery in Puducherry Ray Meeker and director general of JKK, Pooja Sood,

Some of the interesting international artists include Kate Malone, co-presenter of the BBCs popular Great Pottery Throwdown. Known for her large, plump jugs and bowls in "tutti-frutti" colours, she will set up shop at JKK with her studio team for over a week. There is Korean artist Juree Kim who was once artist in residence at the Victoria and Albert Museum and an exhibitor at the British Ceramics Biennial; Japanese artist Hoshino Satoru known for his abstract, avant-garde shapes; and Ester Beck from Israel who will exhibit a performance-based work. A collaboration of sorts has been executed with the British Ceramics Biennial for regular artistic exchange between British and Indian ceramic artists.

And how does one forget Jaipur Blue Pottery? A concurrent exhibition with the Delhi Art Gallery is also on the anvil to showcase the works of late Kripal Singh Shekawat, the artist behind the revival of Jaipur's famous traditional craft.I want people to understand that transgender people can live dignified lives

Preethisha is on a high. After years of fighting social ostracism and refusing to conform to stereotypical 'job roles' expected of transgenders, she is now finding her feet. An aspiring actress, Preethisha, a transwoman, recently joined a food delivery company to become the first transgender delivery agent.

Born male in a village in Tirunelveli, the journey has been tough for 31-year-old Preethisha. I was around 14 when I began to realise I was different. I wanted to be a woman, she says. The youngest of three children, Preethisha left home to explore and embrace her sexuality. During this time, she befriended transgender youngsters who helped her understand things better. This took her to Pune, where after saving up money from a few odd jobs and with assistance from the community, she underwent a sex change surgery at the young age of 15.

And then the problems started, she recalls. She was expected to return the money the community spent for her. After I became a woman, those who helped me told me to beg on the streets, or get into prostitution. I refused; this was not why I had become a woman. I wanted to live with dignity, but they taunted me to stick to the 'parampara' (tradition). Preethisha clarifies she doesn't intend to degrade the community, and hopes things have changed more than a decade since. Though she ended up begging on the trains for a few weeks, it is from here she moved on to her first real act of self-relianceselling key chains and mobile phone covers on the trains. Other vendors, as well as the staff at the railway station were supportive. This, however, didn't go down well with certain members of the community. After a stand-off with them, Preethisha headed to Delhi.

Any day I would prefer to be called a 'woman', not a 'transwoman'

Delhi was good to me, she says. And it is here that she started to connect with her true passionacting. Along with other transgenders, she joined the Delhi Drama Group. Amid the dance, music and props, Preethisha found a chance to merge into her identity as a woman. Any day I would prefer to be called a 'woman', not a 'transwoman', she says. At the theatre troupe, there was no stigmatisationPreethisha essayed roles of mothers, female leads and other character roles. Had it not been for the infamous Delhi air that was taking a toll on her health, she would probably have stuck around for longer.

The journey in search of an identity further brought her to Chennai, which has been her home for over five years now. The city also ushered in luck and new beginningsshe pursued her acting career, and also found love. She trained at the Theatre Lab founded by Jayarao, where her dreams took wings. She has acted in a handful of Kollywood movies including Paambhu Sattai, Veeraiyan, and Vellai Yaanai, and featured as a trainer in television shows like Junior Superstar (Tamil). The income, however, wasn't enough to keep life going. Thats when she got on board Uber Eats through PeriFerry, a start-up that generates employment opportunities for the transgender community. We create awareness among companies, and try to place transgender persons into mainstream employment, says Neelam Jain, founder of PeriFerry.

It is always better for a transwoman to marry a transman, and vice versa. There is an understanding and mutual acceptance that comes with it

Finding love

On a two-wheeler, Preethisha traverses the lanes of Chennai, delivering food at doorsteps. It has been fulfilling, she says. And what makes the struggle worth it is that she is not alone. She now has husband Premkumaran, who supports her dreams.

For Preethisha and Premkumaran, a transman, it was not really love at first sight. They had known each other and were mutual support-systems, but had never really thought of the romantic possibility of taking it beyond the friendship. It was she who proposed first. This was more of a pragmatic option than head-over-heels kind of love. It is always better for a transwoman to marry a transman, and vice versa. There is an understanding and mutual acceptance that comes with it, she says. Preethisha and Premkumaran registered their marriage in March; they are yet to receive their marriage certificate. They are Tamil Nadu's first transgender couple, as well as one among the firsts in the country.

At their apartment in Virugambakkam in Chennai, Preethisha and Premkumaran are building new hopes and dreams. While he is pursuing a bachelor degree in social work, she nurtures a dream of making it big in films.

I want to set an example for other transgenders. And I want people to understand it is not a given that transgenders must beg or get into sex work. We can live dignified lives, she says.The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite...Fearing strong opposition from dalit community after a Supreme Court order diluted the provisions of the SC/ST Act, the government on Wednesday decided to bring a fresh legislation in parliament to overturn the court decision.

The decision comes after several parties like the Republican Party of India and many of the NDA allies like the Lok Janshakti Party publicly expressed their resentment. All these political parties are under pressure from the dailt groups who had called for a 'Bharat bandh' on August 9.

The Supreme Court in a March 20 ruling had barred immediate arrests in cases registered under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said as the parliament was in session, he would not talk about the bill. He added that the government would do everything for the dailts. A bill would be brought "shortly" to parliament, said Prasad.

By bringing the bill, the government hopes to address the rising anger among the dailts over the Supreme Court judgment. There were also demands to remove justice A.K. Goyal who gave the judgment, and now has been made the head of the National Green Tribunal.

As the current session of the parliament is facing increasing disruptions over the NRC in Assam, the government hopes the new bill will force the opposition to soften their stance. Earlier on Wednesday, BJP chief Amit Shah was not allowed to speak inside Rajya Sabha on NRC issue for the second day in row.

Prasad criticised the opposition saying it hit a new low inside the house.

In a separate press conference at BJP headquarters, HRD minister Prakash Javdekar said: "Congress and TMC intentionally disrupted the parliament proceedings. Why Congress and TMC did not let BJP chief Amit Shah and home minister Rajnath Singh speak in the parliament? What is Congress' stand on NRC and intruders?"There is a difference between potato and potato chips, A Bengali newspaper on Wednesday quoted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as saying in Delhi.

Banerjee was speaking about which leaders were better in the BJP as she has been involved in an all-out political war with the saffron party. Banerjee reportedly made the statement after meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday in Delhi.

So who are the potatoes and who are the potato chips? Obviously, potato chips are much more tasty than the raw ones! As she reached Parliament on Wednesday, the first person Banerjee met was BJP patriarch L.K. Advani, known to be a critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Banerjee apparently held a one-on-one meeting with Advani, without any aides. It is yet unclear what transpired in the Banerjee-Advani meeting.

However, it appears to be clear that for Banerjee, the BJP, sans Modi or party president Amit Shah, would not be untouchable. Banerjee is also scheduled to meet Sonia Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and JD(S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda. However, Banerjee may be sending a message by not refusing to meet BJP leaders she has been close to.

How will leaders like Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati interpret Banerjee's fondness for some BJP leaders? Opposition parties in the Hindi heartland states apparently don't distinguish between a 'good' BJP and a 'bad' BJP. So, while Singh and Swaraj are potato chips for Banerjee, the two BJP leaders are still unpalatable for Mayawati and Yadav. Interestingly, Banerjee has not met Mayawati or Yadav yet, even though the BSP chief spends most of her time in Delhi.

With former socialist Amar Singh hinting that he would support Narendra Modi in 2019, the potato analogy can be turned on its head into "A raw potato is healthier than potato chips!

It can be argued Banerjee's path to the PM's office in Delhi is yet unclear and in disarray. If Banerjee is really serious, then she would have to accept the argument of National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, who, while visiting Kolkata last week, said, "If BJP has to be defeated, Rahul Gandhi would have to lead the front."

But there is no signal whether Banerjee would accept the leadership of Rahul yet. She has not made any statement to that effect. Nor is it even clear whether Rahul will attend Banerjee's meeting with Sonia on Wednesday evening.

Even as Banerjee pursues her ambitions in Delhi, the theatre of political war has reached Kolkata as Kolkata Police are yet to give permission for a proposed BJP rally featuring Shah in Kolkata on August 11.

BJP West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh reached Delhi on Wednesday to meet Shah and other leaders to chalk out the saffron party's strategy for next few months. Shah's itinerary will also be decided in meetings with Ghosh.

BJP state vice president Biswapriya Chowdhury declared "Amitji's rally will take place whether or not government gives permission.CoreLogic, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides property information, insight, analytics, and data-enabled solutions in North America, Western Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Property Intelligence & Risk Management Solutions (PIRM) and Underwriting & Workflow Solutions (UWS). The PIRM segment combines property information, mortgage information, and consumer information to deliver housing market and property-level insights, predictive analytics, and risk management capabilities. It also offers proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with decision-making and compliance tools in the real estate and insurance industries. This segment primarily serves commercial banks, mortgage lenders and brokers, investment banks, fixed-income investors, real estate agents, MLS companies, property and casualty insurance companies, title insurance companies, government agencies, and government-sponsored enterprises. The UWS segment combines property, mortgage, and consumer information to provide comprehensive mortgage origination and monitoring solutions, including underwriting-related solutions, and data-enabled valuations and appraisals. This segment also provides proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with vetting and onboarding prospects, and meeting compliance regulations, as well as understanding, evaluating, monitoring property values. It primarily serves mortgage lenders and servicers, mortgage brokers, credit unions, commercial banks, fixed-income investors, government agencies, and property and casualty insurance companies. The company was formerly known as The First American Corporation and changed its name to CoreLogic, Inc. in June 2010. CoreLogic, Inc. was incorporated in 1894 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

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PIER URBAN RENEWAL ASSOCIATES L.P., CELAYA RESORTS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., CHESAPEAKE COMMUNITIES LLC, CHESAPEAKE RESORT LLC, CIUDAD DEL CARMEN DIAMANTE RESORT S. DE R.L. DE C.V, COAST BEACH L.L.C., COMPAGNIE HOTELIERE DE LAGON BLEU, CPM SEATTLE HOTELS L.L.C., CRW INVESTMENT LLC, CTR INTEREST HOLDCO INC., DALLAS REGENCY LLC, DENVER DOWNTOWN HOTEL PARTNERS LLC, DESARROLLADORA HOTELERA ACUEDUCTO S. DE R.L. DE C.V., DH BEVERAGE LLC, DIAMANTE RESORT LA PAZ S. DE R.L. DE C.V., DISTRICT HOTEL PARTNERS LLC, EXHALE ENTERPRISES GIFT SERVICES COMPANY, EXHALE ENTERPRISES II L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES III INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES IV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES V L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES VIII INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES X INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XIV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XIX L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XV TCI LTD., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVIII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XX L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXI INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXIV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVIII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXIII INC., FAN PIER L.L.C., FAR EAST HOTELS INC., G.E.H. PROPERTIES LIMITED, GAINEY DRIVE ASSOCIATES, GALAXY AEROSPACE COMPANY LLC, GHE HOLDINGS LIMITED, GRAND HYATT BERLIN GMBH, GRAND HYATT DFW BEVERAGE LLC, GRAND HYATT SAN ANTONIO L.L.C., GRAND HYATT SF L.L.C., GRAND RIVERWALK BEVERAGE LLC, GRAND TORONTO CORP., GRAND TORONTO VENTURE L.P., GREENWICH HOTEL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, H.E. ATLANTA CENTENNIAL PARK HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. AUSTIN L.L.C., H.E. BERMUDA L.L.C., H.E. CAP CANA L.L.C., H.E. DRISKILL LLC, H.E. GRAND CYPRESS L.L.C., H.E. IRVINE L.L.C., H.E. KANSAS CITY L.L.C., H.E. LENOX L.L.C., H.E. NASHVILLE L.L.C., H.E. NEWPORT L.L.C., H.E. ORLANDO L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC HOTEL L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC PARKING L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC RETAIL L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA SANSOM L.L.C., H.E. PORTLAND HC L.L.C., H.E. PORTLAND L.L.C., H.E. PROPERTIES HOLDING L.L.C., H.E. PROPERTIES L.L.C., H.E. SAN ANTONIO I L.L.C., H.E. SAN ANTONIO L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON JV L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON OWNER L.L.C., HAPP INVESTOR LTD., HARBORSIDE HOTEL LLC, HARBORSIDE LAND LLC, HC PORTLAND JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HC ROYAL PALMS L.L.C., HCV CINCINNATI HOTEL L.L.C., HE ORLANDO HOTEL LLC, HGP (TRAVEL) LIMITED, HH NASHVILLE HOLDINGS L.L.C., HH NASHVILLE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HH PORTLAND L.L.C., HHMA BURLINGTON BEVERAGE L.L.C., HI HOLDINGS (SWITZERLAND) GMBH, HI HOLDINGS BAJA B.V., HI HOLDINGS BRAZIL S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS CELAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS CIUDAD DEL CARMEN B.V., HI HOLDINGS CYPRUS LIMITED, HI HOLDINGS CYPRUS-INDIA LIMITED, HI HOLDINGS GUADALAJARA B.V., HI HOLDINGS HP CABO B.V., HI HOLDINGS HP TIJUANA HOTEL B.V., HI HOLDINGS KYOTO CO., HI HOLDINGS LA PAZ B.V., HI HOLDINGS LATIN AMERICA B.V., HI HOLDINGS NETHERLANDS B.V., HI HOLDINGS PLAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS RIO S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS RIVIERA MAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS VIENNA S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS ZURICH S.A.R.L., HI HOTEL ADVISORY SERVICES GMBH, HI HOTEL INVESTORS CYPRUS LIMITED, HIHCL AMSTERDAM B.V., HIHCL HP AMSTERDAM AIRPORT B.V., HIHCL HR AMSTERDAM B.V., HILP HOTEL SERVICE PROVIDER LLC, HOTEL AM BELVEDERE HOLDING GMBH, HOTEL AM BELVEDERE HOLDING GMBH & CO KG, HOTEL INVESTMENTS HOLDING CO LLC, HOTEL INVESTMENTS L.L.C., HOTEL INVESTORS I INC., HOTEL INVESTORS II INC., HOTEL PROJECT SYSTEMS PTE LTD, HOTEL SERVICES CIUDAD DEL CARMEN S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HOTELS CS CELAYA S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HP ATLANTA CENTENNIAL PARK JV LLC, HP AUSTIN L.L.C., HP BEVERAGE DALLAS DFW AIRPORT LLC, HP BEVERAGE SUGAR LAND LLC, HP BOSTON HOLDINGS L.L.C., HP GLENDALE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HP GLENDALE L.L.C., HP INDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, HP LAS VEGAS BEVERAGE L.L.C., HP M STREET L.L.C., HP ROUTE 46 TEXAS LLC, HP SAN FRANCISCO L.L.C., HP SAN JUAN L.L.C., HP TEN TEXAS LLC, HPHH ATLANTA L.L.C., HPHH DENVER L.L.C., HPHH SAN JOSE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HPHH SAN JOSE L.L.C., HQ CHESAPEAKE LLC, HR LOST PINES RESORT LLC, HR MC HOTEL COMPANY S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HR MC SERVICES II S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HR MC SERVICES S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HRHC LLC, HT- WAILEA LLC, HT-AVENDRA GROUP HOLDINGS L.L.C., HT-AVENDRA L.L.C., HT-CHESAPEAKE COMMUNITIES INC., HT-CHESAPEAKE RESORT INC., HT-HOTEL EQUITIES INC., HT-HUNTINGTON BEACH INC., HT-JERSEY PIER INC., HT-JERSEY PIER L.P., HT-JERSEY PIER LLC, HT-LONG BEACH L.L.C., HT-MIAMI BEACH L.L.C., HT-PARK 57 INC., HT-SEATTLE LLC, HT-SIERRA L.L.C., HT-VANCOUVER INC., HTLB L.L.C., HTS - NS L.L.C., HTS - NY L.L.C., HTS-ASPEN L.L.C., HTS-BC INC., HTS-INVESTMENT L L.C., HTSF L.L.C., HTW BEVERAGE LLC, HY LONG BEACH HOTEL LLC, HYATT (BARBADOS) CORPORATION, HYATT (JAPAN) CO. LTD., HYATT (THAILAND) LIMITED, HYATT ARUBA N.V., HYATT ASIA PACIFIC HOLDINGS LIMITED, HYATT AUSTRALIA HOTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LIMITED, HYATT AUSTRIA GMBH, HYATT BEACH FRONT N.V., HYATT BORNEO MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED, HYATT BRITANNIA CORPORATION LTD., HYATT CC OFFICE CORP., HYATT CHAIN SERVICES LIMITED, HYATT CRYSTAL CITY LLC., HYATT CURACAO N.V., HYATT DISASTER RELIEF FUND, HYATT DO BRASIL PARTICIPACOES LTDA, HYATT EQUITIES L.L.C., HYATT FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT SERVICES INC., HYATT FRANCHISING CANADA CORP., HYATT FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT FRANCHISING LATIN AMERICA L.L.C., HYATT FULFILLMENT OF MARYLAND INC., HYATT GLOBAL SERVICES INC., HYATT GTLD L.L.C., HYATT HOC INC., HYATT HOLDINGS (UK) LIMITED, HYATT HOSPITALITY SERVICES L.L.C., HYATT HOTEL MANAGEMENT LIMITED, HYATT HOTELS CONSULTANCY SERVICES ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED, HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION OF KANSAS, HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION OF MARYLAND, HYATT HOTELS FOUNDATION, HYATT HOTELS MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, HYATT HOTELS OF CANADA INC., HYATT HOTELS OF FLORIDA INC., HYATT HOTELS OF PUERTO RICO INC., HYATT HOUSE CANADA INC., HYATT HOUSE FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT HOUSE HOTEL HOLDING COMPANY L.L.C., HYATT INDIA CONSULTANCY PRIVATE LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL (ASIA) LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL (EUROPE AFRICA MIDDLE EAST) LLC, HYATT INTERNATIONAL - JAPAN LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL - SOUTHWEST ASIA LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL -ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL -SEA (PTE) LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, HYATT INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS CO., HYATT INTERNATIONAL HOTEL MANAGEMENT (BEIJING) CO. LTD., HYATT INTERNATIONAL MILAN L.L.C., HYATT INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (BEIJING) CO. LTD., HYATT INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL SERVICES INC., HYATT JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HYATT LACSA SERVICES INC., HYATT LOUISIANA L.L.C., HYATT MAINZ GMBH, HYATT MARKETING SERVICES INC., HYATT MARKETING SERVICES NIGERIA COMPANY LIMITED, HYATT MINNEAPOLIS LLC, HYATT MINORITY INVESTMENTS INC., HYATT MSS L.L.C., HYATT NORTH AMERICA MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC., HYATT OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, HYATT OF BAJA S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HYATT OF CHINA LIMITED, HYATT OF FRANCE S.A.R.L., HYATT OF GUAM LIMITED, HYATT OF ITALY S.R.L., HYATT OF LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN L.L.C., HYATT OF LATIN AMERICA S.A. DE C.V., HYATT OF MACAU LIMITED, HYATT OF MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., HYATT OF PHILIPPINES LIMITED, HYATT PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS L.L.C., HYATT PLACE ANNE ARUNDEL BEVERAGE INC., HYATT PLACE CANADA CORPORATION, HYATT PLACE FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT PLACE OF MARYLAND INC., HYATT REGENCY COLOGNE GMBH, HYATT REGENCY CORPORATION PTY. LIMITED, HYATT SERVICES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED, HYATT SERVICES CANADA INC., HYATT SERVICES CARIBBEAN L.L.C., HYATT SERVICES GMBH, HYATT SERVICES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, HYATT SHARED SERVICE CENTER L.L.C., HYATT TRINIDAD LIMITED, HYCANADA INC., HYCARD INC., HYSTAR L.L.C., Hyatt Corporation, INFORMATION SERVICES LIMITED, INTERNATIONAL RESERVATIONS LIMITED, JOINT VENTURE ITALKYR CLOSED JOINT STOCK COMPANY, JUNIPER HOTELS PRIVATE LIMITED, KSA MANAGEMENT INC., KYOTO HOLDING CO., LHR-PARTNERS LTD., LORING PARK ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, LOST PINES BEVERAGE LLC, MACAE PARTNERS S.A.R.L., MAHIMA HOLDINGS PRIVATE LIMITED, MARION RESERVATION CENTER L.L.C., MEXICO CITY HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V., MILAN HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V., MIRAVAL ARIZONA GUARANTOR LLC, MIRAVAL GROUP LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA HOLDINGS LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA OPERATING CO. INC., MIRAVAL RESORT TUCSON LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS I LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS II LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS III LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS TRUST, MRG ATX BEVERAGE HOLDINGS LLC, MRG ATX HOLDINGS II LLC, MRG ATX HOLDINGS LLC, MRG ATX INVESTMENT LLC, MRG ATX MANAGEMENT I LLC, MRG ATX MANAGEMENT II LLC, MRG ATX OPERATIONS LLC, MRG CRW HOLDINGS LLC, MRG CRW MANAGEMENT I LLC, MRG CRW MANAGEMENT II LLC, MRG CRW OPERATIONS LLC, MUNICH OPCO GMBH, Miraval Resort, OASIS LUXURY RENTALS INCORPORATED, PARIS HOTEL COMPANY B.V., PARK HYATT HAMBURG GMBH, PARK HYATT HOTEL GMBH, PARK HYATT WATER TOWER ASSOCIATES L.L.C., PH NEW YORK L.L.C., PHMC RESIDENCIAS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., POLK SMITH REGENCY LLC, PT HYATT INDONESIA, PVD INVESTMENT COMPANY S.A.R.L., Peabody Hotels & Resort, RCG PROPERTIES LLC, REGENCY BEVERAGE COMPANY LLC, REGENCY RIVERWALK BEVERAGE LLC, RESERVATIONS CENTER L.L.C., RIO JV PARTNERS PARTICIPACOES LTDA., RIO PRETO PARTNERS HOTEIS LTDA., RIO PRETO PARTNERS S.A.R.L., ROSEMONT PROJECT MANAGEMENT L.L.C., ROUTE 46 MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES CORP., RUNWAY HOLDING L.L.C., RUNWAY L.L.C., SAO PAULO INVESTMENT COMPANY INC., SAO PAULO INVESTORS LIMITED, SASIH, SDI EQUITIES INVESTOR L.L.C., SDI INC., SDI SECURITIES 11 LLC, SDI SECURITIES 6 LLC, SELECT HOTELS GROUP L.L.C., SELECT JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., SEOUL MIRAMAR CORPORATION, SERVICIOS DE HOTELERIA SAN JOSE S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SERVICIOS HOTELEROS LA PAZ S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SETTLEMENT INVESTORS INC., SHG PUERTO RICO INC., SIERRA HEALTHSTYLES LLC, SJC DESARROLLOS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SKS CORP. N.V., SMC HOTELS B.V., SOROCABA PARTNERS HOTEIS LTDA, SOROCABA PARTNERS S.A.R.L., STANHOPE L.L.C., STARHILL LORING PARK L.L.C., SUGAR LAND/HP LLC, THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL COMPANY LIMITED, THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED, TIJUANA PARTNERS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., TR MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT LLC, TUCSON VILLAS HOLDINGS LLC, TUCSON VILLAS LLC, TWO SEAS HOLDINGS LIMITED, Two Roads Hospitality, WAILEA HOTEL & BEACH RESORT L.L.C., WAILEA HOTEL HOLDINGS L.L.C., WAILEA MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION L.L.C., WAILEA RESORT VILLAS HOLDINGS L.L.C., WAILEA RESORT VILLAS L.L.C., WEST END RESIDENCES L.L.C., XENIA ASSURANCE COMPANY INC., XENIA ASSURANCE COMPANY OF ILLINOIS, ZURICH ESCHERWIESE HOTEL GMBH, and ZURICH HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V..The following companies are subsidiares of Lear: AccuMED Corp., AccuMED Holdings Corp., Arada Systems, Autotech Fund II L.P.(Delaware) (5.56%, Beijing BAI Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Beijing BHAP Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd.(China) (50%, Beijing Lear Dymos Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., CelLink Corporation, Changchun Lear FAWSN Automotive Electrical and Electronics Co. Ltd., Changchun Lear FAWSN Automotive Seat Systems Co. Ltd., Chihuahua Electrical Wiring Systems S. de R.L. de C.V., China New Trend Group Co. Ltd, Consorcio Industrial Mexicano de Autopartes S. de R.L. de C.V., Cordelia Autoparts Sweden AB, Dunlop Cox Limited, Durango Automotive Wiring Systems S. de R.L. de C.V., EXO Technologies Ltd., Eagle Ottawa (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Eagle Ottawa China Ltd., Eagle Ottawa Fonseca S.A., Eagle Ottawa Foreign Holdings ApS, Eagle Ottawa Holdings Ltd., Eagle Ottawa Hungary Kft., Eagle Ottawa LLC, Eagle Ottawa North America LLC, Eagle Ottawa Warrington Ltd., Evolved by Nature Inc., Foshan Lear FAWSN Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Grote & Hartmann, Guangzhou Lear Automotive Components Co. Ltd, Guilford Europe Limited, Guilford Europe Pension Trustees Limited, Guilford Mills, Guilford Mills Europe Limited, Guilford Mills Limited, HB Polymer Company LLC, Honduras Electrical Distribution Systems S. de R.L. de C.V., Hyundai Transys Lear Automotive India Private Limited, Industrias Cousin Freres S.L., Industrias Lear de Argentina SrL, Insys - Interior Systems SA, Jiangxi Jiangling Lear Interior Systems Co. Ltd., Kyungshin-Lear Sales and Engineering LLC, Lear (China) Holding Limited, Lear (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Lear (Shanghai) Auto Parts Technology Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Lear Automotive (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive EEDS Honduras S.A., Lear Automotive Electronics and Electrical Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Fabrics (RuiAn) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive India Private Limited, Lear Automotive Interior Materials (Yangzhou) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Manufacturing L.L.C., Lear Automotive Metals (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Morocco SAS, Lear Automotive Operations Netherlands B.V., Lear Automotive Services (Netherlands) B.V., Lear Automotive Systems (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Shenyang) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Yangzhou) Co. Ltd., Lear Canada, Lear Canada Holding S.a.r.l., Lear Canada Investments ULC, Lear Changan (Chongqing) Automotive System Co. Ltd., Lear Changan (Hangzhou) Automotive Seating Co. Ltd., Lear China Engineering LLC, Lear Corporation (Mauritius) Limited, Lear Corporation (Nottingham) Limited, Lear Corporation (UK) Limited, Lear Corporation (Vietnam) Limited, Lear Corporation Ara S.L., Lear Corporation Ardasa S.L., Lear Corporation Asientos S.L., Lear Corporation Belgium CVA, Lear Corporation Beteiligungs GmbH, Lear Corporation Canada ULC, Lear Corporation Changchun Automotive Interior Systems Co. Ltd., Lear Corporation China Ltd., Lear Corporation Czech Republic s.r.o., Lear Corporation Engineering (UK) Limited, Lear Corporation Engineering Belgium B.V.B.A., Lear Corporation Engineering Czech Republic s.r.o., Lear Corporation Engineering GmbH, Lear Corporation Engineering Hungary Kft., Lear Corporation Engineering II GmbH, Lear Corporation Engineering Italy S.r.l., Lear Corporation Engineering Morocco S.a.r.l., Lear Corporation Engineering Poland Sp. z.o.o., Lear Corporation Engineering Slovakia s.r.o., Lear Corporation d.o.o. Novi Sad, and United Technologies Automotive.Embraer SA engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of aircraft and its parts for commercial, defense, and executive aviation sectors. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Aviation, Defense and Security, Executive Jet Business, Service & Support and Others. The Commercial Aviation segment is involved in the development, production, and sale of commercial jets; and the provision of support services to regional aviation and aircraft leasing. The Defense and Security segment engages in research, development, production, modification, and support for defense and security aircrafts, as well as other integrated products and solutions including satellites and information and communication systems. The Executive Jet Business segment deals with the development, manufacture, and sale of executive jets. The Service & Support segment provides after-service solutions and support to its customers through a comprehensive portfolio of innovative and competitive solutions to ensure operational efficiency of products manufactured by Embraer and by other aircraft manufacturers, extending the useful life of commercial, executive and defense aircraft. The Others segment refers to

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 211 E. Russell Road LLC, Air-Relief, Belliss & Morcom Brasil, Belliss and Morcom, Boardwalk Enterprises, Charm Merger Sub Inc., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Canada, CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir Holman Ltd, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., CompAir UK Ltd, CompAir USA, Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Emco Wheaton, Emco Wheaton GmbH Branch, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton UK, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Propriety Limited (South Africa), GD Aria Holdings #2 Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First UK Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings, GD Global Holdings II, GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SA, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Services Ltd, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Hoffman, Gardner Denver Holdings, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica, Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd. Branch, Gardner Denver International, Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Intl Ltd Middle East Regional Rep Office, Gardner Denver Investments, Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan, Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd South Africa, Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd. Branch (Ireland), Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co, Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oberdorfer Pumps, Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Petroleum Pumps, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia, Gardner Denver SudAmerica S.r.l., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas, Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH, Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver UK, Gardner Denver Water Jetting Systems, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, Indonesia Foreign Trade Representative Office, LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MP Pumps Inc., Mako Compressors, Nash, Nash Elmo, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Robuschi, Rotary Compression Technologies, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Syltone, TCM Investments, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, TODO AB, Tamrotor Marine Compressors AS, Thomas Industries, Thomas Industries Inc., Tri-Continent Scientific, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, and Zinsser NA.The following companies are subsidiares of Boston Scientific: 34 Biomedical Merger Corp., 9357-1867 Quebec Inc., Acurate Industria e Comercio Ltda., Advanced Bionics, Advanced Stent Technologies, American Medical Systems, American Medical Systems Europe B.V., Apama Medical, Apama Medical Inc., Asthmatx, Atritech, Augmenix, Augmenix Inc., Augmenix K.K., BSC International Medical Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BSC Medical Device Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BTG, BTG Australasia Pty Ltd, BTG Europe B.V., BTG IM Holdings Ltd., BTG International (Holdings) Limited, BTG International Asia Limited, BTG International Canada Inc., BTG International Germany GmbH, BTG International Healthcare Inc., BTG International Healthcare LLC, BTG International Healthcare Limited, BTG International Inc., BTG International Limited, BTG Limited, BTG Management Services Limited, BTG Medikal Limited Sirketi, Bard Electrophysiology, Barosense, Biocompatibles Inc., Biocompatibles International Limited, Biocompatibles UK Limited, Boston Scientific (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Boston Scientific (South Africa) Proprietary Limited, Boston Scientific (Thailand) Ltd., Boston Scientific (UK) Limited, Boston Scientific AG, Boston Scientific Argentina S.A., Boston Scientific Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Boston Scientific Benelux NV, Boston Scientific Canada Limited, Boston Scientific Ceska republika s.r.o., Boston Scientific Chile SpA, Boston Scientific Colombia Limitada, Boston Scientific Comercial de Costa Rica BSCR S.R.L., Boston Scientific Far East B.V., Boston Scientific Gesellschaft m.b.H., Boston Scientific Group plc, Boston Scientific Hellas S.A., Boston Scientific Hong Kong Limited, Boston Scientific Iberica S.A., Boston Scientific India Private Limited, Boston Scientific International B.V., Boston Scientific International Finance Limited, Boston Scientific International S.A., Boston Scientific Israel Ltd., Boston Scientific Japan K.K., Boston Scientific Korea Co. Ltd., Boston Scientific Lebanon SAL, Boston Scientific Limited, Boston Scientific Ltd., Boston Scientific Medical Device, Boston Scientific Medical Device Limited, Boston Scientific Medizintechnik GmbH, Boston Scientific Middle East FZ-LLC, Boston Scientific Middle East SAL, Boston Scientific Nederland B.V., Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation, Boston Scientific New Zealand Limited, Boston Scientific Nordic AB, Boston Scientific Peru S.A.C., Boston Scientific Philippines Inc., Boston Scientific Polska Sp. z o.o., Boston Scientific Portugal - Dispositivos Medicos Lda, Boston Scientific Pty Ltd, Boston Scientific Romania S.R.L., Boston Scientific S.A.S., Boston Scientific S.p.A., Boston Scientific Scimed, Boston Scientific Scimed Inc., Boston Scientific Services Private Limited, Boston Scientific TIP Gerecleri Limited Sirketi, Boston Scientific Technology & Engineering Services Private Limited, Boston Scientific Uruguay S.A., Boston Scientific Vietnam Company Limited, Boston Scientific de Costa Rica S.R.L., Boston Scientific de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Boston Scientific del Caribe Inc., Boston Scientific do Brasil Ltda., Bravo Bidco Limited, BridgePoint Medical, Cameron Health, Cardiac Pacemakers Inc., Cardiac Pathways Corp, Catheter Innovations, Claret Medical, Claret Medical Inc., Cosman Medical, Cosman Medical LLC, CryoCor, Cryterion Medical, Cryterion Medical Inc., Cryterion Medical Ireland Limited, EKOS LLC, EMcision, EMcision International Inc., EP Technologies, EP Technologies Inc., Electron Acquisition Corporation, EndoChoice, EndoChoice Holdings Inc., EndoChoice Inc., EndoChoice Innovation Center Ltd., EndoChoice Israel Ltd., Endotex, Enteric Medical Technologies, Galil Medical Inc., Galil Medical Ltd., Galil Medical UK Limited, Guidant, Guidant Delaware Holding Corporation, Guidant Europe NV, Guidant Puerto Rico B.V., Hong Kong Medtech Trading Limited, Intelect Medical, Millipede, Millipede Inc., NXT Merger Corp., Notebook Merger Sub Ltd., Novate Medical Limited, NxThera, NxThera Inc., PT Boston Scientific Indonesia, PneumRx GmbH, PneumRx LLC, PneumRx Liimited, Protherics Medicines Development B.V., Protherics Medicines Development Limited, Protherics UK Limited, Provensis Limited, RMI Acquisition Corp., Remon Medical Technologies, Rhythmia Medical, Robert S. Smith M.D. Inc., Roxwood Medical Inc., SNS Merger Corp, Sadra Medical, Sadra Medical Inc., Securus Medical Group, Securus Medical Group Inc., Special K Merger Corp., StarMedTec, Stream Enterprises LLC, Symetis, Symetis SA, Target Therapeutics, Target Therapeutics Inc., The LumenR Tissue Retractor System, Veniti, Veniti Inc., VertiFlex, Vertiflex Inc., Vessix Vascular, Xlumena, Zuma Investment Pty Ltd, iogyn, nVision Medical, and nVision Medical Corporation.3 1 of 3 Evan Vucci Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Alex Brandon Show More Show Less 3 of 3





SARATOGA SPRINGS  Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer will appear at Northshire Books to sign copies of his just-released memoir "The Briefing: Politics, the Press and the President."

Spicer, who was famously portrayed by Melissa McCarthy on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," will appear at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 15, and plans to do nothing more than sign books  "there will be no formal author presentation," the store's website noted.Albany

You aren't going to hear Thomas Rutledge apologize to Gov. Andrew Cuomo anytime soon.

Rutledge, the cable TV pioneer who is CEO of Charter Communications, doubled down on the company's assertion that it is right on track  ahead of schedule, actually  in building out its high-speed Spectrum internet service in New York state to 145,000 underserved homes and businesses.

Charter and the state Public Service Commission, as well as Cuomo himself, have been locked in an epic war of words and regulatory wrangling over the expansion, which was a requirement of the PSC's approval of Charter's 2016 purchase of Time Warner Cable.

Last Friday, the PSC did the unthinkable and revoked its approval of the 2016 deal and ordered the company to find a buyer for the Spectrum network. The company has 60 days to tell the PSC of its plans, although it could take the PSC to court to get a judge to reverse the PSC's decision.

Cuomo blasted Charter after the PSC's vote Friday afternoon, calling it a "bully" and accusing it and other large corporations with trying to "get away with murder."

That followed PSC Chairman John Rhodes accusing Charter of "gaslighting" its customers over the dispute.

Rutledge told stock analysts during a Tuesday conference call that the company was prepared for a legal fight if needed and said the company wasn't backing down from its assertion that it has complied with the PSC.

"We believe we're in compliance with the plain reading and the buildout requirements that the state imposed on us in merger conditions, and we have a very strong legal case and ability to defend ourselves," Rutledge said. "And it could play out over a lengthy period of time if required."

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The PSC says that Charter has substituted addresses in New York City and other heavily populated cities upstate instead of expanding in rural areas, a violation of the 2016 agreement, the PSC claims. Charter has defended the use of the addresses and said that it has already reached more than 80,000 new potential customers in the state.

Rutledge also doubled down on Charter's assertion that politics is what's driving the PSC's decision, including Cuomo's upcoming primary and expected general election battles and labor issues in the New York City area with Charter's Spectrum technicians. About 1,800 Spectrum workers with IBEW Local No. 3 have been on strike for more than a year.

Charter has been suggesting for months that part of the PSC's beef with Charter has to do with Cuomo courting the union vote, especially the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which represents unionized Spectrum workers.

"We do have labor issues in New York City which we believe have politicized the actions of the PSC, and so we're concerned about that," Rutledge told analysts. "We've successfully negotiated other agreements with the same union, IBEW, in other parts of the country during this period. So we're hopeful that we can work all this out, but if necessary, we'll litigate and we believe we're in the right."New York

Facebook said it has uncovered "sophisticated" efforts, possibly linked to Russia, to influence U.S. politics on its platforms.

The company said it removed 32 accounts from Facebook and Instagram because they were involved in "coordinated" political behavior and appeared to be fake. Nearly 300,000 people followed at least one of the accounts.

Facebook stopped short of saying the effort was aimed at influencing the U.S. midterm elections in November.

According to a Facebook official, the company this week briefed members of the House and Senate as well as officials at the Department of Homeland Security. The official declined to be named because the briefings were private.

Facebook disclosed its findings after The New York Times reported on them earlier Tuesday.

The company said it doesn't know who is behind the efforts, but said there may be connections to Russia. Facebook said it has found some links between the accounts it removed and the accounts created by Russia's Internet Research Agency that it removed before and after the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, called the disclosure "further evidence that the Kremlin continues to exploit platforms like Facebook to sow division and spread disinformation."

The earliest page was created in March 2017. Facebook says more than 290,000 accounts followed at least one of the fake pages. The most-followed Facebook pages had names such as "Aztlan Warriors," "Black Elevation," "Mindful Being," and "Resisters."

Facebook didn't provide detailed descriptions of those pages.

But the names it released are reminiscent of groups set up by Russian agents to draw in and manipulate Americans with particular ethnic, cultural or political identities ahead of the 2016 election. That effort targeted people with both liberal and conservative leanings.

Facebook says the pages ran about 150 ads for $11,000 on Facebook and Instagram, paid for in U.S. and Canadian dollars. The first ad was created in April 2017; the last was created in June 2018.

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The company added that the perpetrators have been "more careful to cover their tracks" than in 2016, in part because of steps Facebook has taken to prevent abuse over the past year. For example, they used virtual private networks and internet phone services, and paid third parties to run ads on their behalf. After it became clear that Russia-linked actors used social media to try to influence the 2016 U.S. election, Facebook has stepped up its efforts to ensure that what happened then does not happen again. But the disruptors are stepping up their efforts as well.

"We face determined, well-funded adversaries who will never give up and are constantly changing tactics," Facebook said in a statement.

During a conference call Tuesday, Facebook executives declined to paint a broader picture of the pages, including whether they included a range of political positions. They also did not say whether any of the activity mentioned specific candidates or politicians, and were careful to say that Facebook is not "publicly" linking the activity to any group or government.

California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said more work needs to be done before the midterm elections.

"Foreign bad actors are using the exact same playbook they used in 2016," he said. They are "dividing us along political and ideological lines, to the detriment of our cherished democratic system."The following capsule reviews of recent releases, long runs and revivals come from various wire services, as noted:

RATINGS: G - Suitable for all ages. PG - Parental guidance recommended. PG-13 - Parental guidance strongly suggested. R - Restricted; anyone under 18 must be accompanied by adult. NC-17 - No children under 17.

    Excellent    Good   Fair  Poor

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Action. As Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) balances being a superhero and a father, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past. Both movies hit all the beats we expect. But, there's a fresh sense of looseness, play and weird humor. There are no limits to Rudd's charms, and he's surrounded by a cast that makes it look easy. Michael Pena is again a standout. But his best scene partner is in the title. Lilly owns the role with style, grace and power (PG-13 for some sci-fi action violence)  (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service)

Blindspotting

Drama. Lifelong friends Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal co-wrote and star in this timely and entertaining story about the intersection of race and class, set against the backdrop of a gentrifying Oakland. "Blindspotting" is one of the year's great films. The filmmakers adopt a tone that allows for humor, lightness, absurdity, and flirtations with the surreal. Yet an undertone of tension pervades. The whole ensemble is strong. "Blindspotting" is a serious work of passion, intuition and artistic intelligence. (R for language throughout, some brutal violence, sexual references and drug use)  (Mick LaSalle, Hearst Newspapers)

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

Drama. On the rocky path to sobriety after a life-changing accident, John Callahan (Joaquin Phoenix) discovers the healing power of art, willing his injured hands into drawing hilarious, often controversial cartoons. Also stars Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara and Jack Black. Something about the film keeps it from adding up to a satisfying movie experience. There's a certain amount of interest, but the interest is second hand. Callahan's death robbed director Gus Van Sant of the one human being most likely to love this movie. That's how personal the movie feels, not in a good way, but personal in a bad way, in which we're getting lots of detail, but little of it matters except to the people on screen. (R for language, sexual content, nudity and alcohol abuse)  (M.L.)

Eighth Grade

Drama. Twenty-seven-year-old comedian and actor Bo Burnham wrote and directed this award-winning film about an introverted teenage girl trying to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth-grade year before starting high school. Burnham boldly crafts "Eighth Grade," one of the more thoughtful and valiant feature film directorial debuts in recent memory. It has an overwhelming sense of compassion. Burnham takes viewers back to a place they would rather not go, and finds goodness, without sacrificing a bit of accuracy. "Eighth Grade" follows Kayla, in a captivating performance by Elsie Fisher. "Eighth Grade" earns an R-rating with its narrative choices, making the comedy/drama a potentially controversial film for eighth-graders to view, but it is a beautiful, uncompromising piece of art. (R for language and sexual material)  (Peter Hartlaub, Hearst Newspapers)

The Equalizer 2

Action. In the first sequel of his career, Denzel Washington again plays Robert McCall, who returns to deliver his special brand of vigilante justice when thugs kill his friend and former colleague. "The Equalizer 2" is not that good a movie. Denzel Washington is a pleasure, and director Antoine Fuqua crafts some wonderful suspense scenes, when given a chance by the script. But this time the script is awkwardly plotted, with too many loose ends that don't come together until too late. (R for brutal violence throughout, language, and some drug content)  1/2 (M.L.)

The First Purge

Thriller. In this prequel, the New Founding Fathers of America test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community to push the crime rate below 1 percent for the rest of the year. Somehow this stars Oscar winner and three-time nominee Marisa Tomei. (R for strong disturbing violence throughout, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use)

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Animated. Mavis (Selena Gomez) surprises Dracula (Adam Sandler) with a family voyage on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship so he can take a vacation from providing everyone else's vacation at the hotel, but he falls for a mysterious woman who may not be what she seems. Features the returning voices of Andy Samberg, Mel Brooks, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade. (PG for some action and rude humor)  1/2 (P. H.)

Incredibles 2

Animated. Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) is left to care for Jack-Jack while Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world. Again featuring the voices of Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson and Sarah Vowell. "Incredibles 2" was 14 years in the making, and it feels almost that long watching it. The sequel arrives at a time of superhero glut, so that what might have seemed fresh in 2004 feels more like a warmed-over "Spy Kids" movie, with superpowers thrown in. (PG for action sequences and some brief mild language)  1/2 (M.L.)

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Adventure. In the latest entry in the dino-centric series, the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life and Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. The movie's beginning is weak, so weak in conception that it comes as a surprise that things turn themselves around. To their credit, screenwriters Derek Connolly and Colin Trevorrow blast through three acts of weak material in one single act. (PG-13 for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril)  (M.L.)

Leave No Trace

Drama. Will (Ben Foster), a traumatized veteran who camps in a wooded public park with his teenage daughter, Tom (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie), in "Leave No Trace," embodies the untenable nature of homelessness. Will appears to be a calm, rational guy. He taught his daughter to forage, and read in the woods. But when father and daughter are plucked from their cocoon, Will changes. (PG for thematic material throughout)  1/2 (Carla Meyer, Hearst Newspapers)

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Musical. In this sequel to "Mamma Mia!," Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) learns about her mother Donna's (young Donna, Lily James; present-day Donna, Meryl Streep) past while pregnant herself. Also features returnees Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters and Dominic Cooper, as well as newcomers Cher and Andy Garcia. Goosebumps. A great desire for it all to stop, and yet an inability to take my eyes off the screen. Even now, I can't decide if it was horrible or if I liked it and must conclude that both things must be true. This relates to the entire experience of "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again." (PG-13 for some suggestive material)  1/2 (M.L.)

Mission: Impossible  Fallout

Action. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong. Returnees include Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson and Alec Baldwin. Newcomers are Henry Cavill and Angela Bassett. "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" starts out strong and gets better and better. And just when you know it can't get any better than it already is, it gets even better than that, until everybody staggers out of the theater exhausted and exhilarated. With "Mission: Impossible  Fallout," Cruise and writer-director Christopher McQuarrie have made the best film in the franchise's history. (PG-13 for intense action and violence)  (M.L.)

Sicario: Day of the Soldado

Action. Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro return in this sequel to the film as the drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border escalates, with the cartels trafficking terrorists across the U.S. border, causing federal agent Matt Graver to re-team with the hitman Alejandro. Brolin, born to play the role of Graver, is fun to watch, but Del Toro carries the movie. Director Stefano Sollima proves skillful at staging action sequences. (R for strong violence, bloody images, and language)  (David Lewis, Hearst Newspapers)

Skyscraper

Action. "Skyscraper" is not one of Dwayne Johnson's best. It's slow getting off the ground, and never completely achieves flight. It remains a series of sequences, some terrific and some less so, but at least the movie keeps finding new ways for people to fall off a building while on fire. Johnson has a quality of long-suffering humanity that keeps him from ever seeming like a cartoon. Improbably authentic, he's a regular guy who happens to look like that, and crazy things keep happening to him. (PG-13 for sequences of gun violence and action, and for strong language)  1/2 (M.L.)

Sorry to Bother You

Comedy. "Sorry to Bother You" is as fresh as today's newspaper  or a blog post  or a tweet from a minute ago. It's a response to what is going on, and it feels like it, not only in content, but in form. It is charged by the madness of this moment in history. Writer-director Boots Riley isn't cowed by the madness, but energized by it, and the result is this weird, funny, unsettling film. Stars Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer, Danny Glover and Forest Whitaker. (R for pervasive language, some strong sexual content, graphic nudity, and drug use)  (M.L.)

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

Animated. A villain's maniacal plan for world domination sidetracks five teenage superheroes who dream of Hollywood stardom. Based on the Cartoon Network TV series. "Teen Titans Go! to the Movies" plays like a 90-minute advertisement for the DC Comics universe to which its young, animated protagonists belong. The movie is meta, and in-jokey, and irritating. "Teen Titans" never reaches that sweet spot where adult and kid humor align in a single gag. (PG for action and rude humor)  1/2 (C.M.)

Three Identical Strangers

Documentary. In 1980, three strangers accidentally discover that they are identical triplets, separated at birth. The 19-year-olds' reunion catapults them to international fame, but it also unlocks an extraordinary secret that goes beyond their own lives. "Three Identical Strangers" tells a remarkable story. In fact, it tells several. It starts off as a seemingly lighthearted recounting of a happy reunion tale, and then the edges of the frame turn dark. It's a documentary that will inspire reflection and wonder. But it's also illuminating, in that, we do come away with a deeper understanding of the importance of nature and of loving, sensitive parenting. (PG-13 for some mature thematic material)  (M.L.)

Unfriended: Dark Web

Horror. A teen comes into possession of a new laptop and soon discovers that the previous owner is not only watching him, but will also do anything to get it back. The mayhem takes a while to get started. Still, the cast of young actors is appealing enough to keep us engaged. At the end of the day, it's all just a nihilistic trifle, yet before the final sign-off, we can't help but think twice about what else is lurking on the internet. (R for some disturbing violence, language and sexual references)  (D.L.)

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Documentary. From the Oscar-winning director of "Twenty Feet from Stardom," "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" is an enlightening and deeply touching documentary about the man behind "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," which found a home on PBS, lasting through 895 episodes to end in 2001. (PG-13 for some thematic elements and language)  (Walter Addiego, Hearst Newspapers)The Squirrel Nut Zippers were a big part of the swing revival of the 1990s. That revival proved short-lived, but the Zippers are still making teir distinctive music, described on their website as "a joyful racket" that takes in "jazz chords, folk music, and punk rock leanings" and "klezmer, blues and random bits of contemporary musical leanings." Quite a blend of intriguing influences. The band got started in the mid-1990s in Carrboro, North Carolina, as, the website says, "a musician's escape from the cookie cutter world of modern rock radio at the time." The original lineup consisted of frontman James "Jimbo" Mathus, his then-wife Katharine Whalen and four musical pals looking to do somehting a bit different. Their second album, "Hot" (1996), was certified platinum and the band performed at the 1996 Summer Olympics and at President Clinton's second inaugural festivities. But by the early 2000s, things had soured  Mathus and Whalen divorced and band mewmbers drifted off to other projects. Some reunion shows took place starting in 2007, and then Malthus put together a lineup of mostly new members for a 2016 tour to mark the 20th anniversary of "Hot." This year brought the relase of the band's first album of new material in 18 years, "Beasts of Burgundy," which Malthus has described this way: "It's not a reunion, it's a revival." The new album is said to be inspired by the City of New Orleans, the poet Ron Cuccia, and "a disregard for convention."

8 p.m. Saturday. $36. The Egg, Empire State Plaza, Albany. 518-473-1845. theegg.org.ALBANY  State University of New York financial aid officers are frustrated over the lack of guidance on the states 2-year-old Excelsior Scholarship program which is supposed to provide free tuition to thousands of middle-class college students.

They are so fed up, in fact, that they want to be absolved of any blame regarding confusion about the program on the part of students and parents.

We have gone months without formal written guidance, said Sarah Buell, a SUNY financial aid officer from western New York.

We are essentially, in our 64 campuses, establishing 64 different versions of this program, Buell said Wednesday during a meeting of the board of trustees for the states Higher Education Services Corp. She indicated she was speaking as a member of the SUNY Financial Aid Professionals group.

Proposed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in 2017 and passed by the Legislature that April, Excelsior provides the last dollar of SUNY tuition for students whose family income is below $110,000. That is, it fills any gaps after other financial aid programs such as the Tuition Assistance Program, or other grants.

Buell said they expect that some 23,000 students will use the program statewide this year.

But responding to questions and helping students qualify has been an uphill battle since Excelsior started last year. Student family incomes have to be verified, and the academic course credits that participants are earning have to be checked as well. To participate, students are supposed to take 30 credits a year.

There are just a lot of nuances in the program, Buell said. A lot of students dont understand the details."

Buell said HESC, the agency tasked with administering the state's numerous student and federal loan and grant programs, has been saying since last winter they would issue formal written guidelines but it hasnt yet happened.

Buell's complaints appeared to take some HESC officials by surprise.

HESC President Guillermo Linares conceded that there have been multiple challenges in getting the program in place. This has been an enormous task for us on multiple levels, he said. You had a tremendous challenge in helping verify the credits for the students."

Don Kaplan, spokesman for Cuomo, said it's shocking that financial aid officers don't yet understand the program.

"The Excelsior Scholarship is now a year old and New York has devoted an enormous amount of resources towards explaining its policies and procedures. We would encourage any students to contact HESC directly if their schools are incapable of providing the appropriate direction," he said in a statement.

Buell isnt the only one with concerns. A number of Facebook pages referencing the Excelsior program contain comments about the confusion that exists.

Nor are the issues limited to SUNY.

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When Excelsior was first created, New Yorks substantial private school sector complained that the prospect of free SUNY tuition would make it hard for them to compete. In response, Cuomo and lawmakers created the Enhanced Tuition Awards program modeled on Excelsior for private colleges.

But there were restrictions and only about 30 of the states more than 100 independent colleges and universities have signed up for the program.

Anthony Collins, a HESC trustee and president of Clarkson University, said many independent school officials mistakenly believe that if a student attends their institution with ETA money that the school cant raise tuition.

In fact, independent schools cant raise tuition for individual students using ETA, but they can raise it for other students.

Its really a strong misperception out there, he said.

Theres been a learning curve, Emily Donohue, spokeswoman for the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, said in a telephone interview after the meeting.

A former president of CICU, Abraham Lackman, was elected as chairman of the HESC board on Wednesday. Lackman has also served as the secretary of the state Senate Finance Committee.

rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTUALBANY - A lawsuit filed in federal court claims a medical care contractor at the Schenectady County jail and the county sheriff, among others, are liable in the 2015 death of inmate Terrance Duncan

Monique McNeil, the former girlfriend of Duncan, mother of two of his five children, and administrator of his estate, brought the suit, filed Tuesday in Northern District federal court in Albany.

After conducting an investigation into the death, the state Commission on Correction issued a "harshly critical" report about the medical care provided Duncan. The parts that are not redacted "detail a shocking level of disregard for Mr. Duncan's obvious medical emergency," write McNeil's attorneys.

Duncan, 34, was being held at the jail in August 2015 when he died from a heart attack associated with symptoms of an enlarged heart and sickle cell anemia.

The commission said Correctional Medical Care's staff at the jail failed to recognize Duncan's life-threatening illness and neglected to have him promptly transferred to a hospital.

Duncan's death may not have been preventable, the report said, but a state medical review board concluded "the lack of adequate response ... was a contributory factor as Duncan's chances of survival would have been substantially improved had he been immediately removed to a hospital."

The suit says a "deliberate indifference" by jail staff to Duncan's medical needs violated his constitutional rights, as did the failure to implement policies that would have prevented it. McNeil is seeking damages for Duncan's death, as well as punitive damages.

Duncan had been convicted of forgery and was in jail waiting to be transferred to state prison for a term of up to three years.

When Duncan was booked into the jail on July 3, 2015, a month before his death, he reported that he had the blood disease sickle cell anemia, stomach cancer and asthma.

Defendants in the civil case include Correctional Medical Care, based in Pennsylvania; CBH Medical, which is owned by Correctional and provides care at the jail; Schenectady County; Sheriff Dominic D'Agostino; Correctional's president Emre Umar; Russell Fricke, jail medical director, who is employed by Correctional; and three unknown defendants at the jail who provided care to Duncan.

Much of the commission's 11-page report on Duncan's death is blacked out. The limited information made public noted that when Duncan arrived at the jail, he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and had slurred speech and difficulty staying awake.

Two days later, Duncan was found sitting on the floor of his cell "leaning over onto his bunk and holding his chest." The next two pages in the report are blacked out.

More than three weeks later, Duncan was on a constant medical watch at the facility. A logbook indicated he had asked to speak with medical staff, but there was no documentation of whether that happened or why he sought medical attention.

On Aug. 2, 2015, Duncan's condition deteriorated. That morning, logbooks indicated he was refusing to eat or get out of bed. A sergeant ordered his bed linens removed, a practice normally limited to situations when inmates had tried to use the linens to harm themselves and not as a disciplinary measure.

The commission said a doctor employed by Correctional Medical Care, who was not identified in the report, suspected that Duncan's lethargy may have been a result of taking a drug, Rohypnol, that had recently been found in the possession of other inmates. But that section of the report, released under a Freedom of Information Law request, was also heavily blacked out, making it unclear whether the doctor's suspicions were confirmed.

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Two paragraphs after the Rohypnol reference, the report states that the medical review board ''finds that nursing staff failed to recognize a critically unstable patient that needed immediate intervention and failed to initiate an emergency transfer to a hospital."

Correctional, a private for-profit company, has been investigated by the commission's medical board and the state attorney general's office for its conduct related to inmate deaths across the state, including at Albany County jail.

Last year, Correctional Medical Care and Albany County agreed to pay nearly $1.1 million to the estate of a Troy man who died when nurses waited more than 12 hours to call an ambulance after he suffered a stroke while being held at the county jail in August 2014.

A report issued by the Commission of Correction in 2016 determined that the care given to 24-year-old Mark Cannon was "so grossly inadequate ... it shocks the conscience."

Within weeks of Cannon's death, the office of New York's attorney general reached an agreement with the company that allowed it to remain in business in New York with monitoring through May 2018. The company paid a $200,000 penalty and agreed to improve staffing levels and training practices.

Correctional Medical Care is owned by Umar's wife, Maria Carpio. Neither is a licensed medical professional.

Umar, who has made significant campaign contributions to the political funds of sheriffs whose jails his company has contracted with, has acknowledged that for more than 10 years his company operated in New York in violation of a state law requiring a medical care company to be owned by a physician. The firm has since restructured to adhere to the law.Albany County District Attorney

ALBANY - A 22-year-old Berne woman was sentenced as a repeat DWI offender to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison on Tuesday in Albany County Court, District Attorney David Soares said.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Brittany Myers on July 2 on Route 32 in Westerlo in a vehicle that was pulled off to the side of the road. She was in the driver's seat with the engine running and appeared intoxicated with an open beer container was visible inside the vehicle. Myers failed a field sobriety test and refused to submit to a breath test.3 1 of 3 Bethlehem police Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Bethlehem police Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Two Bronx residents are facing multiple felony charges after Bethlehem Police said they caught them with counterfeit $100 bills, a bulletproof vest and police uniforms.

Police were called to the Delmar CVS at about 2:30 p.m. on July 31 after a woman tried to buy gift cards with a fake $100.[July 31, 2018] Agilent Announces CFO Transition

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today announced that Didier Hirsch, senior vice president and chief financial officer, has decided to retire on Oct 31, 2018. The company has appointed Robert W. McMahon, currently chief financial officer, Hologic, Inc., as his successor. McMahon will join Agilent (News - Alert) on August 3, as senior vice president, and will become CFO on Sept. 1, 2018, when Hirsch will step down as CFO. Hirsch will continue as an active member of the executive staff until his retirement date at the end of the fiscal year, focused on working with McMahon to ensure a smooth transition. Hirsch has led Agilent's global finance organization as CFO since 2010. Before that he had oversight of the corporate controllership and tax functions. He joined Agilent at its inception in 1999 as VP of treasury and investor relations. He held various international finance positions at HP, Agilent's predecessor, from 1989 until joining Agilent. "Didier has been a brilliant CFO. Under his financial stewardship, the valuation of the company has increased significantly, exceeding the growth rate of the S&P 500 over the same period," said President and CEO, Mike McMullen. "I value his business insights and his leadership, and I deeply appreciate his unwavering integrity that is a hallmark of everything he does. We will miss him, but wish him the very best in is retirement."



"I am pleased to welcome Bob McMahon to Agilent. He brings significant experience in the diagnostics and healthcare industries, both areas of strategic growth for Agilent," McMullen said. "I am impressed with Bob's strategic view and innovative approach. He is joining us at an important time for the company, and I am excited about the role he will play in driving the next phase of Agilent's journey." "Among all of the interesting projects and accomplishments during my years at Agilent, I am most proud of the excellent Finance team we have created," said Hirsch. "Their achievements have been extraordinary, particularly as we have grown, created new companies and completed a record number of acquisitions. The work of this team has been essential to the company's success. Bob McMahon is a great choice to lead Finance for Agilent as the company further expands in the coming years. I am looking forward to working closely with him on a seamless transition."

About Robert W. McMahon McMahon has been chief financial officer since 2014 for Hologic, Inc., an innovative medical technology company, primarily focused on improving women's health and well-being, based in Massachusetts, USA. In 2017, Hologic had revenues of $3.1 billion, spanning breast and skeletal health, diagnostics, surgical and aesthetic products. Prior to Hologic, McMahon spent 20 years with Johnson & Johnson, most recently as worldwide vice president of finance and business development for Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, a division of Johnson & Johnson's Medical Device and Diagnostics Group. Prior to that he held a variety of financial leadership positions within Johnson & Johnson after joining the company in 1993. McMahon began his career with Harris Corporation (News - Alert) in Florida. He has an MBA in Finance from the University of Central Florida and an undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Florida. McMahon is also a certified management accountant. He will relocate to Agilent's headquarters from Massachusetts in the coming months. About Agilent Technologies (News - Alert) Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) is a global leader in life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets. With more than 50 years of insight and innovation, Agilent instruments, software, services, solutions, and people provide trusted answers to customers' most challenging questions. The company generated revenues of $4.47 billion in fiscal 2017 and employs 14,200 people worldwide. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180731005823/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Whales and Hidden Spots a Regular Part of This Tiny Oregon Coast Wonder: Depoe Bay Video

Published 07/31/2018 at 5:21 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff





(Depoe Bay, Oregon)  Whales, spectacular storm-like waves and plenty of hidden spots. This is just business as usual in the area of the central Oregon coast thats actually a bit unusual. At least in its array of things to do and see.

Depoe Bay is often passed over in favor of sandy areas. The town and areas around it have none of those, but thats actually its most interesting aspect.

Dramatic wave action is the norm here, with those craggy cliffs and sturdy basalt shelves halting the ocean in its path and causing waves to wallop and explode. It doesn't take much for that to happen around here. Anything more than extremely calm tides and you have copious splashes and maybe even that impressive, legendary spouting horn.

At the extreme southern and northern tips of town you have two deliriously engaging hidden spots. Look for South Point Avenue at the southern end or Sunset Avenue at the north, and you'll find a set of cliffs where few others are and where all sorts of wondrous things happen that don't occur anywhere else nearby.

Both boast cliffs about 30 feet above the surf, and its generally non-stop action here. South Point is a bit more of a delicate situation as the only parking is in the middle of someone elses neighborhood, and so are the cliffs. Parking at North Point is also delicate, but youre not wandering in front of peoples homes as you meander along these awe-inspiring rockfaces.

In either case, be considerate as you park.

North Point is actually the more interesting of the two: a myriad of surreal and even strange surprises await. Here, you can look back at downtown Depoe Bay as if you're on a boat out to sea. Sometimes, if you're really lucky, whales will linger very close here and look you in the eye. They're as curious about you as you are about them. The other magnificent aspect is that if the surf is rowdy enough, you can actually feel the waves shake the basalt cliff.

Whales are the other massive attraction to this central Oregon coast paradise.

Luke Parsons, head of the Whale Watch Center in Depoe Bay, said its not uncommon to see plenty around these parts at any time of the year. They are sometimes putting on an incredible show.

Its mostly because many whales are the so-called resident whales, which linger in the area and dont appear to migrate. You simply get more whales here.

At one point this spring, Parsons talked about this with Oregon Coast Beach Connection.

What were seeing now is a mix of some of the gray whales headed back up north, Parsons said. We also had a fair number of gray whales that didnt fully migrate, which we see from time to time. Researchers are getting better at tracking some of these animals.

Plenty of the whales are simply hanging out and feeding. Some of them are fattening up for the migrations north or south. Why here, on this part of the Oregon coast?

Its all about food. The area is thick with kelp forests, which is where the gray whales favorite food sources like to hide. Mysid shrimp are a favorite with the great cetaceans.

This, in turn, has led to some of the more spectacular sights. They come in closer to land instead of wandering several miles offshore. When theyre here, Parsons and others have seen them engage in a different diving pattern.

We know theyre going for a deeper dive when the whales fluke comes up out of the water, Parsons said. Thats a signal theyre heading straight down to the bottom. We had one whale stay in a known feeding area for almost three hours, so obviously that whale was not migrating but feeding.

More on this area (and below): Lodgings in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Maps and Virtual Tours











More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

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All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permittedGoogle.org's Relief and Recovery Efforts for North Bay Fire Victims Supported by William Lautman, Managing Partner of Nexus Health Capital in NYC and Dallas

William Lautman, Managing Partner of Nexus Health Capital in NYC and Dallas, supports Google (News - Alert) .org's relief and recovery efforts for North Bay Fire Victims.

The Tipping Point Emergency Relief Fund (www.tippingpoint.org) supports low-income, vulnerable communities impacted by the North Bay Fire crisis.

Mr. Lautman, a native of California, is proud to contribute to Google.org in partnerhip with Tipping Point Emergency Relief Fund, and aid Californians affected by the North Bay Fire.







Nexus Health Capital, with offices in NYC and Dallas, has provided, for nearly 20 years, seasoned investment banking advice to middle-market healthcare companies, with an unwavering commitment to senior-level attention and the focused expertise of a boutique advisory firm. For more information, please visit www.nexushealthcap.com.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Nexus Health Capital at info@nexushealthcap.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180731006043/en/American Red Cross Receives Support for California Fire Victims From William Lautman, Managing Partner of Nexus Health Capital in NYC and Dallas

William Lautman, Managing Partner of Nexus Health Capital in NYC and Dallas, helps California Wildfire victims through American Red Cross donation.

Mr. Lautman, a native of Southern California, is proud to contribute to The American Red Cross and its initiatives to provide relief and aid to Californians affected by the Carr Fire disaster.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more informtion, please visit www.redcross.org.







Nexus Health Capital, with offices in NYC and Dallas, has provided, for nearly 20 years, seasoned investment banking advice to middle-market healthcare companies, with an unwavering commitment to senior-level attention and the focused expertise of a boutique advisory firm. For more information, please visit www.nexushealthcap.com.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Nexus Health Capital at info@nexushealthcap.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180731006048/en/[July 31, 2018] Accenture Interactive Completes Acquisition of HO Communication in Greater China

Accenture (News - Alert) (NYSE:ACN) has completed its acquisition of Shanghai-based HO Communication, a full-service digital marketing agency in China with a strong portfolio of local and multinational clients. The acquisition boosts Accenture Interactive's ability to bring its differentiated blend of digital design, marketing, content and commerce services to clients in Greater China, seamlessly and at scale. The acquisition, previously announced on May 23, has fulfilled its closing conditions. Financial terms have not been disclosed. HO Communication is one of the leading independent, digital integrated marketing agencies in China focused on omni-channel brand experiences and customer engagement. With locations in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Nanjing, it offers a connected set of marketing services ranging from content creation and creative to branding and media services that create engaging brand experiences for clients. Jason Chau, managing director, Accenture Interactive in Greater China, said: "Combined with Accenture's scale across all our capabilities in Greater China, HO Communication provides a complete set of capabilities for our clients as we help them harness the creativity of a digital marketing agency, the insights of a business consultancy, and the strength of a technology powerhouse." HO Communication is the latest addition to the Accenture Interactive portfolio in Greater China, which includes Fjord, a global design and innovation consultancy; PacificLink, an independent set of digital agencies in Hong Kong; Altima, a digital commerce agency; and Mackevision, a leading producer of CGI (News - Alert) and immersive content. Together, they help clients envision, create and operationalize superior customer experiences. Accenture Interactive's vision is to make best-in-class digital capabilities seamlessly available to clients to co-create and design innovative solutions in its Accenture Interactive Studios. "We are thepartner of choice for our clients seeking to make a digital transformation, and HO Communication's integrated marketing capabilities bring additional strength to the table," said Wei Zhu, chairman of Accenture Greater China. "Chinese companies are already leading the way in the digital frontier - witness China's dominant position in the digital consumer market. To stay in front, companies need to continuously evolve and embrace omni-channel customer engagement capabilities, which is where HO Communication can help."



Lamy Zhang, CEO of HO Communication, added: "We're excited to start our journey as part of Accenture Interactive - evolving from a company of 200 people across China to one that can leverage global scale and insights and help continue the tremendous momentum that Accenture Interactive has built in creating a new and exciting proposition for our clients and the market overall." About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions - underpinned by the world's largest delivery network - Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 449,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com. Accenture Interactive helps the world's leading brands transform their customer experiences across the entire customer journey. Through our connected offerings in design, marketing, content and commerce, we create new ways to win in today's experience-led economy. Accenture Interactive has been ranked the world's largest digital agency in the latest Ad Age Agency Report, for the third year in a row. To learn more, follow us @AccentureACTIVE and visit www.accentureinteractive.com. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "positioned," "outlook" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include, without limitation, risks that: the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture's results of operations could be adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company's clients' businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture's business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company's services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the changing technological environment could materially affect the company's results of operations; if Accenture is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company's business, the utilization rate of the company's professionals and the company's results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture could have liability or Accenture's reputation could be damaged if the company fails to protect client and/or company data from security breaches or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; Accenture's profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies; changes in Accenture's level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company's effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture's results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; Accenture's business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture's work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; Accenture might not be successful at identifying, acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; Accenture's global delivery capability is concentrated in India and the Philippines, which may expose it to operational risks; as a result of Accenture's geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue geographic expansion, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; adverse changes to Accenture's relationships with key alliance partners or in the business of its key alliance partners could adversely affect the company's results of operations; if Accenture is unable to protect its intellectual property rights or if Accenture's services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture's ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; any changes to the estimates and assumptions that Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; many of Accenture's contracts include payments that link some of its fees to the attainment of performance or business targets and/or require the company to meet specific service levels, which could increase the variability of the company's revenues and impact its margins; Accenture's results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; Accenture might be unable to access additional capital on favorable terms or at all and if the company raises equity capital, it may dilute its shareholders' ownership interest in the company; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" heading in Accenture plc's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture's expectations. Copyright  2018 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180731005983/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018]

imToken Announces 2.0 International Version, imToken Venture

With the launch of imToken 2.0, the company announces a venture fund for DApp development within its ecosystem, new Tokenlon features

SINGAPORE, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- imToken, the world's largest Ethereum digital asset wallet widely supporting 30,000 tokens, announces imToken 2.0, the next generation cryptocurrency wallet from imToken that supports a fully decentralized ecosystem.

Following its $10 million Series A investment from IDG, imToken today introduces a DApp browser, Tokenlon (imToken's decentralized exchange) and imToken Venture.

The company also announces 5 million monthly active users and $45 billion in pass-through transactions between January 2017 and June 2018, rivaling Paypal's Venmo's yearly volume.

"We believe that the future of blockchain technology lies in complete decentralization," sid Ben He, Founder and CEO of imToken. "We believe today's initiatives for imToken 2.0 will set the roadmap for a fully decentralized ecosystem that the industry and users will get behind."







imToken 2,0

DApp Browser - imToken's DApp Browser supports the most popular DApps and decentralized exchanges.

In addition, imToken is announcing imToken Venture, which will invest in and promote DApps and innovative infrastructure projects.

Decentralized Exchange - imToken's decentralized exchange, Tokenlon, now offers two unique trading functions.

"Instant Exchange" - Selects the best exchange rates across multiple reserves for fair token-to-token conversions.

Order book and spot trading - Tokenlon users can leave buy and sell limit orders or take market orders directly from the order book.

Multi-Chain Wallet with BTC, ETH, EOS - Users can import and manage multiple cryptocurrency wallets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and EOS, under one mnemonic passphrase and identity.

The announcement follows imToken's Singapore headquarters opening.

"We believe that with a mature regulatory environment, Singapore is the ideal launchpad for us to kickstart our global ambitions," said He. "Countries including Indonesia rapidly growing into one of imToken's largest markets, and we're looking forward to building out our initiatives in Asia."

To learn more about imToken, visit token.im.

For the press kit visit here.

About imToken

Founded in 2016 by Ben He, CEO of imToken, the world's largest Ethereum digital asset wallet, used by the leading cryptocurrency investors worldwide. Backed by IDG Capital, imToken offers support for 30,000 tokens and internationally recognized for its security features as a digital asset management tool. imToken is headquartered in Singapore.

For more information about imToken, visit: token.im.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/725237/benhe_imtoken_2_0_launch.jpg[August 01, 2018] Heading Back to Campus? College Students Finally Have an Alternative to Buying Traditional, High-Priced Textbooks and Course Materials

BOSTON, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As millions of college students head back to campus this month, they'll embark on what's become a dreaded, semi-annual ritual: buying textbooks and course materials. It's a process that, according to a new survey by Morning Consult, brings significant financial stress for students about how they'll afford their course materials and still pay for tuition, housing and food. Students deserve a better way. And this yearfor the first time everthey'll have it, thanks to a new subscription from Cengage that offers unlimited access to more than 20,000 digital course materials, including eBooks, online homework and study guides, for one price. Cengage, the largest U.S.-based education and technology company serving the higher education market, provides course materials to 11 million of the 20 million students pursuing higher education. The subscription, called Cengage Unlimited, is now available for purchase directly from Cengage, online or at campus and off-campus bookstores. A subscription costs $119.99 a semester or $179.99 a year. Considering students spend, on average, about $579 annually (with some spending significantly more), the subscription can save students up to half of what they were paying and, in some cases, even more. Students may use financial aid to purchase a subscription. "For too long, our industry has contributed to the lack of affordable access to higher learning. Despite years of student and faculty complaints, the industry continued to push an outdated, traditional business model that didn't put students first," said Michael Hansen, CEO, Cengage. "At Cengage, those dys are over," Hansen continued. "As a student-focused company, we have very deliberately embarked on a path to replace the industry's century-old business model and offer students unlimited access to quality learning at an affordable price. We believe Cengage Unlimited will smash barriers to access for students by using the simple approach they already embrace in their daily lives, including movies, music and even health care."



A Cengage Unlimited subscription offers access to thousands of digital products across 70 subjects and 675 coursesfor one price, no matter how many Cengage materials they use. In addition, students using Cengage learning technology platforms, like MindTap or WebAssign, have the option of a print rental for $7.99 with free shipping. When their subscription ends, students retain reference access to their key course materials for the first year for free. "Everyone knows the cost of books has become prohibitive to achieving a college degree. By going to this subscription format, Cengage Unlimited cuts the cost down dramatically," said Dr. Will Austin, President of Warren County Community College (NJ). "The best way to think of this is like a Netflix or Hulu for textbooks: for a flat fee, students get every educational product created by the largest academic publisher in the United States, all at their fingertips, on their tablets, computer, or smart phone instantly."

According to the Morning Consult survey, Today's Learner: Student Views 2018, conducted on behalf of Cengage: Textbook Purchases Increase Student Stress: Eighty-five percent of current and former students say that their textbook and course material expenses are financially stressful, more so than meals and food (63 percent), healthcare (69 percent), housing (73 percent) and barely less stressful than tuition (88 percent).

Eighty-five percent of current and former students say that their textbook and course material expenses are financially stressful, more so than meals and food (63 percent), healthcare (69 percent), housing (73 percent) and barely less stressful than tuition (88 percent). Students Sacrifice Food for Textbooks: Nearly half of current and former college students (43 percent) say they've saved money by skipping meals to afford course materials.

Nearly half of current and former college students (43 percent) say they've saved money by skipping meals to afford course materials. Minority Students Are Disproportionally Impacted: Minority students are more likely to report taking fewer classes to save on textbook costs; African American students are 35 percent more likely to save money for books by skipping a trip home. Sixty-four percent of Hispanic students have opted not to buy the required textbooks or course materials.

Minority students are more likely to report taking fewer classes to save on textbook costs; African American students are 35 percent more likely to save money for books by skipping a trip home. Sixty-four percent of Hispanic students have opted not to buy the required textbooks or course materials. Women Find Paying for Textbooks and Course Materials to Be More Financially Stressful than Men (60 percent v. 48 percent): Sixty-four percent of women have purchased outdated versions of textbooks, compared to 57 percent of men; forty-seven percent of women have taken out a loan to pay for textbooks, compared to 38 percent of men.

(60 percent v. 48 percent): Sixty-four percent of women have purchased outdated versions of textbooks, compared to 57 percent of men; forty-seven percent of women have taken out a loan to pay for textbooks, compared to 38 percent of men. Students Make Costly Decisions to Cope with the Financial Burden: Almost seven in 10 students report having to get a job during the school year to pay for college textbooks; 43 percent have taken out a loan; and 31 percent have taken fewer classes to save on textbooks costs.

Almost seven in 10 students report having to get a job during the school year to pay for college textbooks; 43 percent have taken out a loan; and 31 percent have taken fewer classes to save on textbooks costs. Digital Access Drives Success: Digital is seen as a way to improve learning, with 81 percent of students saying easily accessible digital course materials would have a positive impact on their grades. When it comes to digital access, cost and affordability remain key: 72 percent of students say cost-effectiveness is very important when considering digital course materials. For more information about the new, all-access subscription service for course materials, or to purchase now, visit Cengage.com/Unlimited. About Cengage

Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. As the largest US-based provider of teaching and learning materials for higher education, we offer valuable options at affordable price points. Our industry-leading initiatives include Cengage Unlimited, the first-of-its-kind all-access digital subscription service. We embrace innovation to create learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want. Headquartered in Boston, Cengage also serves K-12, library and workforce training markets around the world. Visit us at www.cengage.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter. Media Contacts:

Susan Aspey, Cengage

202-695-6012, susan.aspey@cengage.com Lindsay Stanley, Cengage

203-965-8634, lindsay.stanley@cengage.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/heading-back-to-campus-college-students-finally-have-an-alternative-to-buying-traditional-high-priced-textbooks-and-course-materials-300689765.html SOURCE Cengage

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] NASSCOM Awards Marlabs for Innovation in Artificial Intelligence

BANGALORE, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lauds the company for its initiatives in Customer 360 programs NASSCOM, the trade association of Indian Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing industry, has awarded Marlabs for innovation in Artificial Intelligence (AI). (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/707608/Marlabs_Logo.jpg ) Marlabs, Inc., the digital innovation firm that specializes in providing 360-degree digital transformation frameworks, submitted a use case on its proprietary AI tool - mAdvisor, that won itself the NASSCOM AI Game Changer Award for 2018. The jury chose mAdvisor's use case as one of the Best 50 Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence Solution. Recognizing Marlabs for its path-breaking innovation, K S Viswanathan, Vice-President-Industry Initiatives, NASSCOM said, "Adoption of AI is accelerating across the globe as AI solutions are augmenting human intelligence and improving our decision making. In this regards NASSCOM Centre of Excellence for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (CoE-DSAI) launched NASSCOM AI GAME CHANGER AWARDS for the first time to recognize the most innovative, high impact and high tech AI solutions that organizations have delivered internally or to their clients. Marlabs & its product mAdvisor is recognized among best 50 innovative AI solutions. We want to congratulate Marlabs and laud its efforts in taking a 360-degree view of the customer and making a difference using technologies such as AI." Reacting to the award, Siby Vadakekkara, Chairman and CEO, Marlabs, said,"I am mighty pleased with NASCOMM's recognition.It is a testament to our endeavours in shaping Marlabs into an innovation-led company. We have been steadfast in our commitment to making a visible impact on our clients' businesses using technologies such as AI. I am glad to have a highly capable digital leadership team across our innovation labs and delivery centers who can deliver on our promise, consistently."



mAdvisor, a proprietary tool built by Marlabs is an automated machine reasoning platform that translates data from enterprise systems into meaningful insights and predictions without any manual intervention. It is capable of analysing all forms of data including structured, text and sensor logs, click streams and even images. In the award-winning use case of mAdvisor, Marlabs details its application of how it has been able to increase the probability of getting very high returns on stocks and investments for a U.S.-based Investment Management company.

NASSCOM published the use case study in its whitepaper 'AI Primer 2018' released at NASSCOM Big Data & Analytics Summit on July 11 and also plans to publish this as part of its playbook on best use cases in AI. About NASSCOM AI Game Changer Awards Adoption of AI is accelerating across the globe and, in parallel, AI technologies and techniques continue to get better every day, thus creating a virtuous loop. AI solutions are augmenting human intelligence and improving our decision making, automating activities previously considered to be in the human realm, and adding significant value to our lives. Regarding this NASSCOM CoE-DSAI launched the 'NASSCOM AI GAME CHANGER AWARDS' to recognize, showcase and publish the most innovative, high impact and high-tech AI solutions that organizations have delivered internally or to their clients. About NASSCOM The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) is a trade association of Indian Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing industry. Established in 1988, NASSCOM is a non-profit organization. About Marlabs Marlabs is a digital innovation company providing specialized Digital 360 frameworks to global enterprises. Headquartered in Piscataway, New Jersey, Marlabs employs over 2,300 employees across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and India. Visit: https://www.marlabs.com/ Marlabs Socials LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marlabs-inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/Marlabs (@Marlabs) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marlabsinc Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+MarlabsIncorporated Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marlabsinc (@marlabsinc) Media Contact:

Shyam Ananthnarayan

shyam.ananthnarayan@marlabs.com

+9148972472

Vice President - Marketing, Marlabs, Inc.



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] ReViral Announces US$55 Million Series B Fundraising to Advance RSV Clinical Studies

ReViral, an antiviral drug discovery and development company, focused on diseases caused by the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), today announced the successful completion of a US$55 million Series B financing. The new funding will enable ReViral to progress its lead drug candidate (RV521), a highly potent and orally bioavailable potential treatment for RSV infections, into Phase IIa paediatric and adult trials, and to continue the development of a novel series of antiviral inhibitors targeting RSV replication. RV521 is soon expected to enter an international multicentre Phase IIa paediatric trial. This study will be followed by additional trials in adult stem cell transplant patients. RSV is the most important respiratory pathogen, with 30 million infections and an estimated 200,000 deaths worldwide annually in children under five years alone. There are currently no approved RSV therapies available, and there is an urgent need for improved drugs for this indication. The financing was jointly led by New Leaf Venture Partners and Novo Ventures, part of Novo Holdings A/S, with additional new investment from Perceptive Advisors. Existing investors Andera Partners, OrbiMed and Brace Pharma Capital also participated in the fundraise. In conjunction with the financing, representatives of New Leaf Ventures and Novo Ventures will be joining the ReViral Board of Directors. Dr Ken Powell, Executive Chairman of ReViral's Board, commented: "We are excited to welcome our new investors to the Company. This financing by top-tier funds is a validation of ReViral's scientific approach to discovering and developing novel antiviral therapies for RSV, a significant unmet medical need. This milestone also demonstrates the significant progress made by the ReViral team since completing its Series A fundraise of US$21 million in September 2015." Isaac Manke, Partner at New Leaf Venture Partners, said: "The lack of treatment options available and the limited competition in RSV offer a significant market for innovative therapies. We believe ReViral has a truly superior product candidate, and the Company's focus gives it the potential to build a franchise ofRSV programmes, eventually expanding into all the diseases associated with infection by this virus."



Nanna Luneborg, Partner at Novo Ventures, added: "We have been following the RSV field for some time and see ReViral as a leader in this space. We are delighted to offer our investment expertise, furthering the development of the Company as it moves into paediatric trials." MTS (News - Alert) Securities, LLC acted as exclusive placement agent in connection with the offering.

ENDS Notes to Editors About ReViral ReViral is an antiviral drug discovery and development company focused on novel antiviral treatments for diseases caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Founded in 2011, ReViral has an experienced R&D leadership team with a successful track record in antiviral drug discovery and development. The company has developed a novel antiviral programme targeting RSV fusion with highly potent, orally bioavailable inhibitors with strong drug-like characteristics and excellent pharmacokinetic properties offering versatility in route of administration. In 2012 ReViral won a significant Seeding Drug Discovery Award from the Wellcome Trust to develop its RSV fusion inhibitors to completion of IND filing. The company also has an RSV replication program at an earlier stage of development and plans to expand its pipeline. www.reviral.co.uk About New Leaf Venture Partners (NLVP) NLVP was formed in 2005 when the healthcare team spun out of the Sprout (News - Alert) Group. The NLVP team has been built over the last two decades and managed healthcare technology portfolios in four Sprout funds and four New Leaf funds. We partner with companies across all phases, from startup to public offerings, as we look to invest in visionary teams, businesses at the forefront of biology and innovation, and disruptive healthcare technologies across the entire healthcare system. And we share our broad perspectives, decades of experience and deep domain expertise to help our portfolio navigate the complexity of the healthcare industry. About Novo Ventures Novo Ventures is part of Novo Holdings A/S, a Danish private limited liability company wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Established in 1999, Novo Holdings is the holding company of the Novo Group and manages the Foundation's investment assets. In addition to being the major shareholder in the Novo Group companies, Novo Holdings invests the wealth of the Foundation in two key categories: Life Science Investments, which includes investing in life science companies at all stages of development; and Financial Investments, which manages a diversified portfolio of equity and fixed income securities. Working out of Copenhagen, San Francisco and Boston, Novo Holdings is a world-leading life science investor with a focus on creating long-term value. The purpose of the investments of Novo Holdings is both to grow the assets of the Foundation and to deliver a return that the Foundation can distribute for scientific, social and humanitarian purposes to improve the health and welfare of people. About Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the most important respiratory pathogen, responsible for one-fifth of all lower respiratory tract infections worldwide. Historically, it has been considered to be important solely in infection of children, however, with much improved diagnostic tools and the ever-increasing awareness of diseases of the elderly and immunocompromised patient populations, this perception is changing. RSV infection is responsible for more infant hospitalisations than other viral infections such as influenza. Susceptible populations are premature infants, children, transplant patients, the elderly and people of all ages with heart failure and lung disease. Also, severe infection in infancy is linked to the later development of asthma. In the elderly in the US, it was shown that RSV infection caused 177,500 hospital admissions and 14,000 deaths over a period of 4 years. Hospitalisation costs alone were estimated at more than $1 billion. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180731005491/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Quipper Represented Indonesia at the EdTech Asia Summit 2018 Held in Hong Kong

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- EdTech Asia Summit, the biggest education technology industry event, was held in Hong Kong from 26 - 27 July 2018. With the theme of "Learning and Workshop Innovation and Insights", the event was attended by hundreds of education technology companies, inventors, entrepreneurs and education organizations from all over Asia. Quipper, in this occasion, received an opportunity to represent Indonesia in a panel discussion session. The panel discussion topics ranged from education technology landscape in Asia, the use of Artificial Intelligence, the role of teachers and many others. Takuya Homma, the Country Manager of Quipper Indonesia, spoke alongside other players in education technology sectors namely ALSET (National University of Singapore), Topica (Vietnam), Edukasyon (The Philippines) and Jaipuna (New Zealand). The topic discussed in the conference was ASEAN's Emerging Tiger Markets: Opportunities and Challenges. As some of the strongest EdTech powerhouses with strong business foundations, Quipper and Topica were asked to share challenge and opportunities in building EdTech businesses with such explosive growth in the region.



Takuya said, "Quipper, as one of the biggest EdTech players in the region, feels a responsibility to set the right and clear agenda for future education dialogues, so that the education industry in Southeast Asia will continue to grow fast, as education is a very important component for the future prosperity of the region." Other Indonesian representatives participating in Edtech Asia Summit 2018 were Zenius and Solve Education! Sabda, the founder of Zenius, said, "Indonesia is one of the fastest growing EdTech markets in the world, and there is a huge potential and room for improvement. We are dedicated to developing a healthy education ecosystem with various players in the nation, and grow this important industry together with them."

"Efficacy and effectiveness are very important in education. I'm glad to see some players are talking about this, and we want to bring high quality education to Indonesia," added Talitha from Solve Education! Quipper, being the global leading EdTech company that is committed to providing access to high quality education for Indonesia, expects that all elements of society will give their contribution to deliver quality education content in Indonesia. About Quipper Quipper is a global leading education technology company that strives to bring the best education to every corner of the world. We believe every child deserves an opportunity to learn - an opportunity to create the future they aspire to. At Quipper, we harness technology to achieve just this. Quipper services empower educators and learners alike by breaking down barriers in learning to help learners realize their full potential through our products: Quipper Video, Quipper School and Quipper Campus. Currently Quipper services have been used by more than 5 million students and more than 350,000 teachers and operated in five countries: United Kingdom, Japan, Philippines, Mexico and Indonesia. For more info, please visit www.quipper.com Media Contact

Quipper Indonesia

Ike Yuningsih

Public Relations

ike.yuningsih@quipper.com

+62-1-2953-3315 Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180801/2201340-1 SOURCE Quipper Ltd.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] China Unicom Voted "Asia's No. 1 Most Honored Telecom Company" for Third Consecutive Year

HONG KONG, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited ("China Unicom" or "the Company") (HKEx: 0762; NYSE: CHU) was voted three years in a row by portfolio managers and analysts as "Asia's No.1 Most Honored Telecom Company" in "2018 All-Asia Executive Team" ranking organised by Institutional Investor, a distinguished media with highly-respected proprietary benchmark research and rankings related to investment community. The excellent recognitions mark the endorsement by professional investors and investment analysts of China Unicom's continuous enhancement in strategy execution and leading performance in corporate governance in Asia, especially its proactive implementation of the mixed-ownership reform and deepened implementation of "Focus, Innovation amp; Cooperation" Strategy to enhance corporate vibrancy and operating efficiency. China Unicom would like to sincerely thank its investors and the investment community for their kind support and the great vote of confidence.



Institutional Investor's "2018 All-Asia Executive Team" ranking reflected the opinions from more than 4,500 investment professionals at 1,270 financial institutions globally. The participating portfolio managers collectively manage an estimated US$1.6 trillion in Asia (ex-Japan) equities. Institutional Investor's confidential and unprompted voting gathers data from investors and analysts to determine rankings in Most Honored Companies among the Asian (ex-Japan) companies they cover, and to evaluate these businesses on selected corporate governance attributes. In 2018, 2,368 companies across 18 sectors were nominated in the ranking.

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180801/2201260-1 SOURCE China Unicom

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Latest Elasticsearch Service on Elastic Cloud now Available

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elastic, the company behind Elasticsearch and the Elastic Stack, announced today the next evolution in the Elasticsearch Service on Elastic Cloud to solve more use cases, operate at a larger scale, and give customers even more capabilities to customize their deployments. Now known simply as the Elastic Elasticsearch Service, this is the only service offered and supported by Elastic. New features include optimized deployment templates for the most common use cases, more hardware choices, support for hot-warm architectures, machine learning, and a revised pricing model, including a new free tier to help new customers get started.

Elastic customers are putting more and more data into the Elasticsearch Service for their mission-critical use cases, and weve responded by making it more efficient, more customizable, more cost effective and more powerful, said Shay Banon, Elastic founder and chief executive officer. Elastics engineering mission has always been to make complex things simple. The latest version of the Elasticsearch Service is doing that and more, making it easier for companies to gain immediate insights from large volumes of data across some of the most challenging search and analytics, logging, or security scenarios. The key new features of the Elasticsearch Service include: Optimized Deployments Based on Use Case. From logging to security analytics to application search, companies are using Elasticsearch to solve some of the largest search problems. Customers now have the option to select out-of-the-box deployment templates to optimize the underlying hardware for their use cases based on the expected workload - I/O, CPU, or memory intensive.

From logging to security analytics to application search, companies are using Elasticsearch to solve some of the largest search problems. Customers now have the option to select out-of-the-box deployment templates to optimize the underlying hardware for their use cases based on the expected workload - I/O, CPU, or memory intensive. Hot-Warm Deployments with Index Lifecycle Management. One of the most powerful features of the new Elasticsearch Service is the hot-warm architecture template, which enables organizations to ingest and query current data quickly, while keeping older, onger-term data on denser and more cost-effective hardware. Customers can now quickly deploy this architecture in minutes and automate index lifecycle management without having to modify any configuration files.

One of the most powerful features of the new Elasticsearch Service is the hot-warm architecture template, which enables organizations to ingest and query current data quickly, while keeping older, onger-term data on denser and more cost-effective hardware. Customers can now quickly deploy this architecture in minutes and automate index lifecycle management without having to modify any configuration files. Dedicated Master Nodes. Organizations use the Elasticsearch Service to solve problems at petabyte scale and need their Elasticsearch clusters to scale with them. The Elasticsearch Service now provides the ability to deploy dedicated master nodes to better support larger deployments.

Organizations use the Elasticsearch Service to solve problems at petabyte scale and need their Elasticsearch clusters to scale with them. The Elasticsearch Service now provides the ability to deploy dedicated master nodes to better support larger deployments. New User Console that Simplifies Customization. The Elasticsearch Service has a new UI to make it easy for customers to define and configure all of the Elastic Stack components supported by the Elasticsearch Service from one page. For example, new sliders enable customers to scale Kibana instances or add more RAM to their master nodes with ease.

The Elasticsearch Service has a new UI to make it easy for customers to define and configure all of the Elastic Stack components supported by the Elasticsearch Service from one page. For example, new sliders enable customers to scale Kibana instances or add more RAM to their master nodes with ease. Machine Learning for All Deployments. Thousands of Elastic customers already use Elastics machine learning features to detect anomalous behavior, and reduce time to root cause analysis. Customers can now quickly add machine learning features to each of their Elasticsearch Service deployments and start gaining insights immediately.

Thousands of Elastic customers already use Elastics machine learning features to detect anomalous behavior, and reduce time to root cause analysis. Customers can now quickly add machine learning features to each of their Elasticsearch Service deployments and start gaining insights immediately. New Reduced Pricing. Elastic has made the Elasticsearch Service more accessible with a new lower starting price and a free tier. Pricing now follows a simple linear model based on size and number of availability zones. Additionally, each deployment can now include multiple types of nodes and instances, such as Elasticsearch data nodes, Elasticsearch master nodes, and Kibana instances, with each instance priced separately. For more information on the new pricing and the free tier, along with frequently asked questions, please visit Elastics pricing blog.

Elastic has made the Elasticsearch Service more accessible with a new lower starting price and a free tier. Pricing now follows a simple linear model based on size and number of availability zones. Additionally, each deployment can now include multiple types of nodes and instances, such as Elasticsearch data nodes, Elasticsearch master nodes, and Kibana instances, with each instance priced separately. For more information on the new pricing and the free tier, along with frequently asked questions, please visit Elastics pricing blog. Elastic Rebrands its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Solutions. In addition to the new Elasticsearch Service naming, Elastic also announced the rebranding of the Swiftype hosted solutions to Elastic Site Search Service and Elastic App Search Service. Elastic Cloud is a collection of all Elasticsearch-powered SaaS solutions from Elastic.



Learn More Launch Announcement Blog Post

Elasticsearch Service Introduce New Pricing Blog

Elasticsearch Service Product page Other Elastic offerings

Elastic Cloud

Elastic Site Search

Elastic App Search About Elastic Elastic is a search company. As the creators of the Elastic Stack (Elasticsearch, Kibana, Beats, and Logstash), Elastic builds self-managed and SaaS offerings that make data usable in real time and at scale for search, logging, security, and analytics use cases. Since its founding in 2012, there have been more than 250 million cumulative downloads of Elastic software. Elastic is a distributed company with more than 900 Elasticians working in 30 countries. Learn more at elastic.co. Press Contact

Deborah Wiltshire

press@elastic.co

Elastic

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1)  Senator Ping Lacson has a warning for members of the House of Represenatives.

Lacson, a critic of former President and newly elected House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, noted the identity of the new sergeant-at-arms. Retired General Romeo Prestoza, the Chief of the Presidential Security Group under Arroyo, was elected to the post on Monday.

RELATED: Arroyo allies back in power at the House of Representatives

"I would warn the members of the House to be wary... because this is an intelligence-trained officer and baka may purpose lang [there might be a purpose]," Lacson told CNN Philippines' The Source.

"Doon sa mga kaibigan ko sa House [To my friends at the House]  especially members of the minority that are not with the company union, they should watch their back," he added.

While Arroyo has risen as Speaker, the House minority bloc is divided into three factions, each claiming to be the true minority. Incumbent Minority Leader and Arroyo ally Danilo Suarez refuses to give up his post despite his support for the Speaker.

Lacson was charged with murder in 2010, after which he fled the country. He said he was "a victim of a conspiracy of whispers" between Arroyo and the Department of Justice. He returned when Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III won the presidency.

He went on to explain that Prestoza approached a former police officer, Cezar Mancao, to pressure him to testify against Lacson.

"It cannot be helped na ganito ako mag-isip [that I think like this] because of what I experienced," he said. "Mancao told me na pinangakuan sya reinstatement, promotion, family resettlement and everything, basta mag-execute ng affidavit against me. No matter... kung made-up yung testimony basta kailangan... implicate ako."

[Translation: Mancao told me that he was promised reinstatement, a promotion, a family resettlement and everything, as long as he exhibits an affidavit against me. No matter... if the testimony is made-up... as long as I am implicated.]

Lacson said that he has since "made peace" with Arroyo during the Congress bicameral conference on the proposed national ID system.

"After we reconciled all the provisions, we shook hands and to me, we made up and we made peace," he said.

However, the senator said while he would forgive  he would not forget.

"I've often quoted President Kennedy na forgive your enemies, but don't forget their names," he continued. "That's what I am [doing] right now. I've not forgotten all the names of those who made my life miserable for the past nine years under the Arroyo administration."Fall Beach and Riverside Cleanup Date: September 29 It Returns to Oregon Coast

Published 07/31/2018 at 4:41 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff





(Oregon Coast)  Soon it will again be time to clean up the Oregon coast. Volunteer organization SOLVE this week announced the date for its Fall Beach & Riverside Cleanup: September 29.

Right smack in the middle of the famed Second Summer  the time when the Oregon coast experiences its best weather of the year  thousands of volunteers will mobilize from around the state and beyond to scour these beaches of trash and debris. Over 300 miles of sand will get cleaned, which includes invasive plants. Rivers and some city streets will also get a scrubbing, as officials worry about the fall rains washing litter and debris into storm drains and then out to sea.

The event takes place that Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., although times may vary at some work sites.

The Beach & Riverside Cleanups have been going for almost four decades now. Started in 1984, over 130,000 volunteers have removed an astounding 1.7 million pounds of litter and marine debris from project sites across Oregon. This fall event is an annual affair  a family-friendly festival that is part of the International Coastal Cleanup and National Public Lands Day.

Its actually the second such event of the year: there is also the massive spring beach cleanup every March.

SOLVEs Beach & Riverside Cleanup includes over 100 hands-on volunteer litter cleanup and restoration events across the state, including 45 beach cleanup sites along the entirety of the Oregon coast.

The SOLVE beach cleanups have been around since 1984, with the organization first going by S.O.L.V (for Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism), and then simply shortening the acronym to SOLV. In recent recent years it added the E for the new and more direct name of SOLVE.

Over those three decades, over 250,000 volunteers have removed an astounding 3.5 million pounds of debris from Oregon's beaches. This debris comes in many forms: from the single bottle cap littered on the beach to a thousand-pound commercial fishing net. One recent study published in the journal Science indicates that the entire ocean system of the world gets about eight million tons of plastic dumped into it each year. This number is on the rise, scientists say, and the impacts on the ocean, coastlines and marine life are getting worse.

"Thousands of pounds of marine debris both from Oregon and across the Pacific basin wash ashore on our iconic beaches each year, threatening the health of our wildlife and coastal communities," said a SOLVE spokesperson back in 2017. "While this is a worldwide problem, local citizens have the power to make a difference here on our own shores."

For those participating, you'll want to come prepared. Dress with the weather in mind  which could mean rain, wind, sun or all three interchanging. Organizers say you'll need sturdy shoes. All cleanup supplies will be provided. Volunteers who would like to help make the event more sustainable are encouraged to bring their own reusable bucket and work gloves. The most common items found during this event are broken pieces of plastic and cigarette butts, which are harmful to local wildlife. Bring an old colander to sift the tide lines for these tiny pieces.

Visit solveoregon.org or call SOLVE at 503-844-9571 ext 332, or 1-800-333-7658 to get more details, pick your project, and sign up. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

About Second Summer on the Oregon Coast

September and early October feature the best weather of the entire year on these beaches, coming up with a lot of nice stretches of sunny and windless days in the 60s and 70s

You need only to look at the first half of September to see plenty of 70-degree days on the Oregon coast. This second summer phenomenon usually goes well into the middle of October, and then conditions begin turning towards more blustery days. However, about 50 percent of the time, some nice runs of warm weather still appear in the final two weeks of October.

The science behind it is interesting, and it begins with the summer season having heated up the ocean by this time. This exerts a stronger warming influence on the surrounding air. Then, the temperature differences between inland Oregon and the coast are not as pronounced, which allows more easterly and southerly winds to come in  thus warming things up even more.

These conditions help produce less upwelling from the ocean, which brings the wind factor down even further. All of this combines to create the second summer phenomenon from September through October.









More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

Coastal Spotlight



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All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted[August 01, 2018] WideOrbit and Dial Report Team Up to Prove Radio's Power to Drive Consumer Action

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- WideOrbit and TagStation, LLC, the owner of Dial Report, are collaborating to help radio stations and groups deliver metrics to ad buyers on actions taken by consumers as a result of radio advertising. WideOrbit will make broadcast log data from participating station groups available to Dial Report, the industry-leading radio attribution platform, through the WO Data API. The data integration will allow radio stations to directly associate advertising air times with consumer actions like web visits and increases in foot traffic. "We're delighted to have the opportunity to combine our traffic data and third-party attribution analysis capabilities to generate campaign effectiveness metrics on radio advertising," said Tim Murphy, Senior Vice President, Corporate Business Development at Entercom. "Data partnerships like this one will help us enhance the status of radio in the marketing mix and strengthen the entire industry in the competition against other media forms for ad dollars." Powered by the NextRadio mobile app and radio station apps, Dial Report measures radio performance directly from radio station playout systems. "Advertisers know that radio is effective, but it's always been challenging to clearly attribute results to campaigns," said Paul Brenner, President for TagStation, LLC, the company behind the Dial Report. "By working with WideOrbit, we can provide radio stations with clear, undeniable proof that shows the value of radio advertising and return on marketing investment." WideOrbit's WO Traffic is widely used throughout the broadcast radio and television industries to sell, manage, and invoice dvertising inventory. Its customers include major radio station groups like Entercom and Cumulus Media.



"Our mission is to help media companies maximize the value of their inventory. A huge part of that is to assure that media sellers can demonstrate the effectiveness of advertising investments," said Eric R. Mathewson, Founder and CEO at WideOrbit. "That's why we're especially happy to work with Dial Report to connect radio ads with consumer actions. Stations that take advantage of this partnership will be able to deliver a new level of accountability that benefits marketers, agencies and broadcasters alike." Stations or groups that would like to make their WideOrbit logs available for attribution reporting should email support@dialreport.com and a member of the Dial Report team will facilitate the process.

About WideOrbit

WideOrbit is the technology platform for media companies to connect audiences and ads, everywhere. Its mission is to simplify media buying and selling by focusing on innovation, customer delight, and value creation for both sides of media transactions. Starting with its core traffic management solution, WideOrbit centralizes operations and streamlines workflows for radio, cable, and television companies. The company continues to introduce new benefits to the media industry, including a programmatic media exchange for increasing demand for advertising inventory and improving campaign efficiency. WideOrbit is headquartered in San Francisco with offices worldwide. Customers include NBCUniversal, Tribune Media, Entercom Communications, Raycom Media, TEGNA, AMC Networks and many other top media companies around the world. Learn more at wideorbit.com. About Dial Report, powered by TagStation, LLC

TagStation, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Emmis Communications Corporation. TagStation's cloud service provides radio station data to the NextRadio App and the Dial Report portal. Developed by the industry for the industry, Dial Report is the only first-party attribution and listener intelligence platform measuring the performance of radio. Founded in 2013, TagStation, LLC is headquartered in Indianapolis, IN with offices in Indianapolis and Chicago, IL. For more information about TagStation, visit TagStation.com. For more information about the Dial Report, visit DialReport.com. WideOrbitand the WideOrbit logoare among the trademarks of WideOrbit. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. WideOrbit reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for errors that may appear in this document. 2018 WideOrbit Inc. All rights reserved. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wideorbit-and-dial-report-team-up-to-prove-radios-power-to-drive-consumer-action-300689770.html SOURCE Dial Report

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Philipp Hensler Joins Epoch Investment Partners as President and COO

Epoch Investment Partners, Inc., today announced that Philipp Hensler will join Epoch Investment Partners as President and COO. Timothy Taussig, a co-founder and current President and COO, will retire at the end of the year. Philipp Hensler's appointment is effective August 1, 2018. Hensler brings to the role extensive experience working with clients and a broad array of asset allocators, while his earlier background as a global equities investor adds valuable breadth to his perspective. Philipp was most recently the President and CEO of Vontobel Asset Management Inc. Prior to Vontobel, Philipp was the Head of Distribution for OppenheimerFunds. Philipp spent over a decade at Deutsche Asset Management / DWS, where he held numerous leadership roles in the United States and Switzerland, including CEO of the New York based distribution arm. Earlier in his career, Philipp was a Fund Manager at Coutts Bank andalso worked at Rothschild Bank. He holds an M.B.A. from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, a D.M. from Case Western University, and a degree in Business Administration from the Zurich School of Management.



"I look forward to partnering with Philipp as we lead Epoch together in the next phase of our evolution," says William Priest, Epoch co-founder, Chief Executive and Co-Chief Investment Officer. "I'm excited to be joining Epoch, an investment led organization with a clear investment philosophy and process. I look forward to working with Bill Priest and the Epoch team, who have a tremendous culture of intellectual curiosity and continuous innovation," stated Philipp Hensler.

Epoch is a global asset management firm that provides U.S., non-U.S. and global equity strategies for institutional and intermediary clients. Epoch's investment approach is based on fundamental research and seeks to invest in companies that can grow free cash flow and allocate it effectively for the benefit of shareholders. Epoch's culture is investment driven, collaborative and designed to help its clients achieve their investment objectives. Epoch was formed in 2004 and over the years has grown to over 110 employees, including 45 investment professionals who average over 20 years of investment experience. Epoch had approximately $44.2 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2018. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005240/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Hexion Serves as Start Line Sponsor for 2018 American Heart Association's Central Ohio Heart Walk

For the tenth consecutive year, Hexion Inc. ("Hexion" or the "Company") will serve as the start line sponsor of the American Heart Association's Central Ohio Heart Walk on August 25 in downtown Columbus. "As the start line sponsor, Hexion is pleased to partner with the American Heart Association," said Craig A. Rogerson, Chairman, President and CEO. "By taking a stand against heart disease and stroke, Hexion has raised nearly $135,000 over the last decade in support of the American Heart Association in Central Ohio as part of our Company's efforts to support the communities in which our associates live and work." The Heart Walk sponsorship reflects Hexion's global commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The Company's charitable activities primarily focus on causes that support children, the less fortunat, health and wellness, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education at all levels. For more information, visit http://www.hexion.com/en-US/company/responsibility/.



About the Company Based in Columbus, Ohio, Hexion Inc. is a global leader in thermoset resins. Hexion Inc. serves the global wood and industrial markets through a broad range of thermoset technologies, specialty products and technical support for customers in a diverse range of applications and industries. Hexion Inc. is controlled by investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, LLC. Additional information about Hexion Inc. and its products is available at www.hexion.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005140/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Glance Announces New Record Quarter for Merchant Signings and Launches

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glance Technologies Inc. (Glance or the Company) (CSE:GET.CN) (OTCQB:GLNNF) (FKT:GJT) today announced that its second fiscal quarter of 2018 was the Companys strongest ever for launches and merchant partner signings.

The Company signed 148 new locations and launched 59 new locations in its fiscal Q2 2018, making it Glances new best quarter to date for partner acquisitions and launches. The Company has also been engaged in a period of rapid business development, having since inception secured commitments from a total of nearly 500 merchant locations across Canada and the U.S. to adopt the Glance Pay App as their mobile payments solution of choice. A cornerstone of the Companys many restaurant partnerships are several signed restaurant chains, which boast lucrative businesses and an expanding footprint of franchised locations, including MR MIKES SteakhouseCasual, Rickys Group of Restaurants, Freshslice Pizza and the Steamworks Group of Companies. During its first year of operations, Glance focused on developing and enriching the user experience of the Glance Pay App. Glance is now devoting significant resources to enhancing the Glance PayMe App  a downloadable merchant app requiring no extra hardware. These latest innovations are aimed at repeatedly bringing customers back to Glance-partnered establishments and, by demonstrating the power of the app to draw in new business, accelerating the growth of Glances merchant network. Glance also plans to expand this technology into the online shopping and e-commerce space by using our anti-fraud technology to help the many online merchants suffering high rates of fraud. To date, merchant onboarding has been driven primarily by direct sales. Now, however, Glance is building the Glance PayMe App to allow any business or freelancer to download the app to their own mobile devices and set-up their account themselves without a visit from Glance staff. As well as helping merchants of all kinds get up and running very quickly to accept payments and leverage built-in smart rewards for customer retention, the Glance PayMe App is expected to greatly reduce the cost of deployment and of customer acquisition. Glances successful anti-fraud technology means our technology doesnt need to rely on custom hardware for swiping cards or using chip and PIN machines. As well, the Company expects this new product will change our sales dynamics, allowing Glance to take advantage of online marketing while paving the way for viral adoption of the Glance PayMe App. Glance has also recently announced that it is developing a rewards-based cryptocurrency built on blockchain technology, called Glance Coin. The Whitepaper outlining the companys plans for Glance Coin can be found online at glancecin.io. This coming development will empower Glance-partnered merchants to reward, incentivize and provide deals to their customers with a rewards crypto-token through Glances platform. Glance intends for the platform to enhance customer loyalty through the rewards token, which Glance users will be able to either spend promptly or accumulate for larger rewards within the broader Glance marketplace. This, combined with the merchant-empowering Glance PayMe App, is expected to become a powerful addition to Glances mobile payments ecosystem.



About Glance Technologies Inc. Glance owns and operates Glance Pay, a streamlined payment system that revolutionizes how smartphone users choose where to shop, order goods and services, make payments, access digital receipts, redeem digital deals, earn great rewards & interact with merchants. Glance offers targeted in-app marketing, geo-targeted digital coupons, customer feedback, in-merchant messaging and custom rewards programs. The Glance Pay mobile payment system consists of proprietary technology, which includes user apps available for free downloads in iOS (Apple) and Android formats, merchant manager apps, a large-scale technology hosting environment with sophisticated anti-fraud technology and lightning-fast payment processing. Glance has also recently purchased a blockchain solution and is working on a rewards-based cryptocurrency, the whitepaper for which can be found on the companys website.

For more information about Glance, please go to www.glance.tech. For more information, contact: Paola Ashton

VP Business Development

604-839-0337

investors@glancepay.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: may, "believe", thinks, "expect", exploring, expand, could, "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", plan, pursue, "potentially", projected, should, will and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. These forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to, among other things, the discussion of Glances business strategies and its expectations concerning future operations (including advancing its technological roadmap), the expectation that Glance will accelerate growth of its Glance Pay network, expansion of the number of Glance merchants, launching a new downloadable merchant app, furthering the development of the Glance Coin rewards token, building a rewards-based cryptocurrency platform using blockchain technology, providing a loyalty mechanism that allows Glance Users to spend accumulated rewards within a larger marketplace, leveraging Glances anti-fraud technology to expand into online purchases, e-commerce and other markets, and enabling viral adoption of the merchant app. Although Glance considers these forward-looking statements to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among other things, the risk that Glance is unable to continuously add new merchants as planned, the risks related to the development of Glance Coin and integration into the Glance Pay app, risks related to expansion, both internationally and in North America, and risks related to, the business of Glances licensing partners. The forward-looking information in this press release is also based on certain estimates, forecasts and projections, as well as expectations, beliefs and assumptions, including, among other things, that Glance will be able to achieve its business objectives, that Glance will be able to develop proprietary software to implement its plans, Glance will be successful in obtaining and retaining clients and licensees for its software, that the new downloadable merchant app will enable merchants to quickly set up Glance Pay on their own devices, and that the blockchain platform will continue to develop and grow in utilization and adoption in the world. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this press release, see the section entitled Risk Factors in the most recent Annual Information Form and Prospectus of Glance, which may be accessed through Glance's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Glance cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by Glance is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking information, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Broadvoice Acquires YipTel, Expanding Vertical Strategy and Contact Center Expertise

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadvoice, an award-winning provider of hosted voice, unified communications (UC) and SIP Trunking services for businesses, announced today that it has acquired YipTel, a provider of cloud communications services based in Sandy, Utah. Details of the transaction are not disclosed. The acquisition of YipTel will enable Broadvoice to accelerate its entry into the enterprise communications space by adding YipTel's customer base, which includes midmarket and enterprise organizations. "Broadvoice is known for delivering an enterprise-class communications solution to small and medium businesses," said Jim Murphy, CEO of Broadvoice. "With YipTel, we now have an enterprise customer base and the in-house expertise to deliver powerful solutions to larger organizations." YipTel's services include hosted VoIP solutions, audio and video conferencing, SMS/MMS automation, contact center, SD-WAN, and more. "YipTel also has a telehealth practice that provides Broadvoice with an entree into the medical industry, which is one of the high-growth verticals for communications companies," Murphy said. "We already have a strong focus in government, and have HIPAA certifications, so adding this layer of expertise, will instantly expand our vertical strategy." YipTel has been in business for nearly 50 years, serving enterprise customers worldwide from offices in Utah, Colorado and Texas. ll 54 YipTel employees will come aboard as part of the acquisition.



Through the end of the year, Broadvoice plans to run both companies and brands separately. YipTel leadership, including CEO Robert Brown, will continue in senior management roles. "YipTel has a very long history of serving customers with integrity," said Brown, who has been at the helm since 2002. "Not just any company would be a good fit to acquire our organization. Our leadership team has come to know the Broadvoice executives and culture well and we believe that they have the best interests of our employees, customers and partners in mind. We look forward to growing the business together."

Broadvoice and YipTel have indirect channel programs, which will also be run independently. Broadvoice will honor partners' contracts with YipTel and will offer them an opportunity to sell Broadvoice's portfolio to their customers as well. "YipTel has many loyal partners and five regional channel managers. We welcome them to the Broadvoice family," said Murphy. About YipTel

Since 1970 YipTel has been helping organizations connect and communicate. Based in Sandy, Utah, YipTel is a next-generation VoIP carrier delivering reliable and cost-effective communications to organizations around the country and across the globe. YipTel started its business delivering premised-based telephone systems. Today, YipTel's services include VoIP solutions, audio and video conferencing, SMS/MMS texting, SD-WAN, SIP dial tone and more. Visit YipTel.com for more information. About Broadvoice

Broadvoice simplifies communications for small and medium businesses (SMBs) by combining powerful cloud PBX, UC and collaboration features with virtual call center in one award-winning Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform that delivers enterprise-class features at affordable rates. The platform is connected to Broadvoice's secure, redundant network and hosting infrastructure, enabling SMBs to connect with customers securely anytime, anywhere and with any device. Broadvoice is ranked in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 and Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America. Visit Broadvoice.com to learn more. Media Contact:

Rebecca Rosen

Vice President of Marketing

Broadvoice

818-671-2953

199404@email4pr.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/broadvoice-acquires-yiptel-expanding-vertical-strategy-and-contact-center-expertise-300689307.html SOURCE Broadvoice

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] America's Best Franchises Revolutionizes the Franchise Website Portal Space

LONE TREE, Colo., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- America's Best Franchises, one of the nation's leading franchise web portals, is proud to announce the launch of its all-new website (AmericasBestFranchises.com). The website's new, advanced search features better match aspiring entrepreneurs with franchise concepts compatible with their investment level, interests, skill set and experience. Formerly, America's Best Franchises was mostly a franchise directory site, but now, the website boasts an easy-to-navigate interface that enhances user experience. Ultimately, this helps ease the stressful and overwhelming process of researching franchise opportunities. Founder & CEO, Bill Bradley says, "Over the last 15 years, I've had the opportunity to speak to thousands of franchisee candidates and franchisors. What I've found is that a lot of people have no idea how to start the process or navigate buying into a franchise concept altogether." From industry basics and evaluation to business plans and budgets, the website's comprehensive Learning Center guides first-time business owners throughout their franchise journey from begining to end.



Bradley says, "We attribute our great success to our passion for helping others succeed in the franchising industry. And we're extremely proud to call ourselves a boutique portal that cares about franchise candidates." What hasn't changed is America's Best Franchises' commitment to serving its readers honest, high-quality content and a level of expertise unmatched in the franchise industry. America's Best Franchises commissioned franchise marketing agency Wheat Creative to revamp the website's overall design and content.

About America's Best Franchises

Since 2005, America's Best Franchises has connected thousands of aspiring business owners with some of the country's best franchise opportunities. An easy-to-navigate directory of thousands of franchises, America's Best Franchises lets entrepreneurs search for and learn about hundreds of franchise brands sorted by location, industry, popularity and cost, and puts them in contact with recruiters at the franchises that best suit them. Through America's Best Franchises Learning Center, those new to franchising can learn what it takes to start and own their own business, be a successful franchisee, and how to find the ideal franchise match for their budget and skills. To learn more, or to get started finding the franchise of your dreams, visit AmericasBestFranchises.com. Contact: Bill Bradley, Founder & CEO

Phone: (480) 309  0654 | (602) 677  3683

Email: 199380@email4pr.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/americas-best-franchises-revolutionizes-the-franchise-website-portal-space-300689807.html SOURCE America's Best Franchises

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] safeTstep.com Celebrates Anniversary

TOPEKA, Kan., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Exactly one year ago today, safeTstep, the business-to-business division of Payless ShoeSource, launched its stand-alone website, safeTstep.com. The site has been a key resource for customers seeking safety footwear, providing the necessary resources to aid in their buying decisions. "At some point in the customer journey, whether in the early stages or nearing a buying decision, a customer will visit your website," said Jason Hannah, head of marketing for safeTstep. "A good website should answer whatever questions the customer has at that moment, and safeTstep.com does just that." safeTstep.com offers easily-accessible content related to preventing slips and falls, a full product catalog, cost considerations, and more. Visitors can also navigate to the B2B eCommerce site as well as to payless.com for individual purchases. Matt Lemke, director of safeTstep, adds, "We want to help customers come to a buying decision by providing the tools and answers they need, and safeTstep.com has proven to be an invaluable resource for all of our customers." safeTstep.com has helped initiate nearly 100 new business relationships since its launch.



About safeTstep

Reduce workplace slips with safeTstep by Payless ShoeSource, the leading business-to-business provider of slip-resistant footwear preferred by employers in the food service, industrial, healthcare and hospitality industries. Available at any Payless ShoeSource retail store or online at Payless.com, the safeTstep brand has been providing slip-resistant footwear for more than 15 years. For more information, please visit safeTstep.com or connect with us on LinkedIn or Facebook. About Payless

Payless ShoeSource is the largest specialty footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere, offering a vast array of style, brand and size selections at affordable prices for every member of the family. Founded in Topeka, Kansas, in 1956, today Payless serves millions of customers through our extensive global network of over 3,500 stores and an increasing eCommerce presence. We employ nearly 18,000 associates in over 40 countries worldwide and are committed to providing an inclusive work culture for all members of the Payless team. While our footprint has expanded over the past six decades, the Payless mission of providing high-quality, accessible style and excellent customer service remains unchanged. To learn more, visit www.paylesscorporate.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

Jason Hannah

199432@email4pr.com

785-559-5551 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/safetstepcom-celebrates-anniversary-300689956.html SOURCE safeTstep by Payless ShoeSource

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Chuang Community of CKGSB Kicks off Silicon Valley Program, A Bridge to China for US Startups

On July 21, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) Chuang Community Silicon Valley Program was officially launched to empower US entrepreneurs with Chinese insights. Professor Liu Jing, Associate Dean of CKGSB; Ms. Liu Yu, Director of CKGSB Chuang Community; and the Advisory Board Founding Members of the program attended the kick-off ceremony. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005527/en/ Chuang Community of CKGSB Kicks off Silicon Valley Program, A Bridge to China for US Startups (Photo: Business Wire) As China's first faculty-governed and independent business school, CKGSB is committedto cultivating business leaders with global visions and innovative mindsets. Over 50% of CKGSB's 10,000+ alumni are chairmen and CEOs, generating 17% of China's GDP.



Devoted to entrepreneur education for three years, CKGSB Chuang Community has developed a network of over 400 entrepreneur alumni and shaped comprehensive partnerships with leading companies including Tencent, IBM (News - Alert) , JD.com, VIP.com and the most prestigious VCs in China. "We look forward to working together with the extraordinary board members to combine resources in China and the U.S. to create a globally influential ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation," said Professor Liu.

Mr. Larry Li, Managing Partner at Amino Capital, said that he would introduce top scientists and innovative entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley as speakers and mentors. Dr. Helen Liang, Managing Partner of FoundersX Ventures, mentioned that apart from speakers and media connections, she would also introduce opportunities for forums and seminars to increase the influence of Chuang@Silicon Valley. The founding members of the Silicon Valley Program Advisory Board include Mr. David Chen, Chairman of HYSTA (Hua Yuan Science and Technology Association); Dr. Yi Cui, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University; Mr. Sam Gao, Vice President of Intel (News - Alert) ; Mr. Larry Li, Founder and Managing Partner of Amino Capital; Dr. Helen Liang, Managing Partner of FoundersX Ventures; and Mr. John Sun, Partner of Light Bridge Ventures. CKGSB Chuang Community Silicon Valley Program is now officially open for application. The first roadshow will be held on Aug 17th in San Francisco. If you are looking for a pathway to doing business with China and expanding your entrepreneurial network in China, please contact us via email (chuang@ckgsb.edu.cn) or WeChat (ID: ckgsb_chuang). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005527/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Pax8's John Street Recognized on CRN's List of Top 100 Executives

Named an Industry Disruptor for Second Consecutive Year DENVER, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pax8, the leader in cloud distribution, today announced that CRN  , a brand of The Channel Company, has named John Street, chief executive officer at Pax8, to its 2018 list of Top 100 Executives. This annual list recognizes leaders from the technology industry who have played an integral role in shaping todays IT channel, whether by driving huge cultural shifts, creating rich new opportunities, or forging innovative routes to success. Street is an award-winning entrepreneur with a history of building successful cloud businesses for more than 20 years. As a pioneer in the industry, Street has garnered Inc. 500 status five times throughout his career. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to build many successful startup companies that help solve business challenges, said Street. Earning a spot on the CRN Top 100 Executive list for the second consecutive year solidifies Pax8 as a true disruptor in the market. Pax8 has a great team of leaders who are all focused on helping the IT channel achieve more with cloud, and the best is still to come. Visionary and strategic leadership can make the difference between just surviving and actually excelling in this period of disruptive change for the IT channel, said Bob Skelley, chief executive officer at The Channel Company. In order for technology suppliers and solution providers to thrive and stay ahead of the competition, tey need leaders who are able to envision both the future of the channel and the role their organization needs to play in order to create that reality. CRNs 2018 Top 100 Executives embody these qualities. They are change agents who deliver unwavering guidance to their companies, always asking where are we headed and not being afraid to take the necessary steps to get there.



The Top 100 Executives list will be featured in the August 2018 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/top100. To learn more about Pax8, please contact the cloud solutions advisors (CSAs) at (855) 884-PAX8, email info@pax8.com, or visit www.pax8.com.

About Pax8

Pax8 is the leader in cloud distribution. As a born in the cloud company, Pax8 empowers managed service providers (MSPs) to achieve more with cloud. Through billing, provisioning, automation, industry-leading PSA integrations, and pre-and-post sales support, Pax8 simplifies cloud buying, improves operational efficiency, and lowers customer acquisition cost. Pax8 is a proven, award-winning disruptor in the market, earning accolades like NexGens Best in Show two years in a row, Biggest Buzz at IT Nation, CRNs Coolest Cloud Vendor, Best in Show at two consecutive XChange conferences, HTGs Rookie of the Year, and more. If you want to be successful with cloud, you want to work with Pax8. Get started today at www.pax8.com. Follow Pax8 on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. To learn more, please visit www.thechannelco.com. Media Contact

Amanda Lee

ARL Strategic Communications for Pax8

(727) 272-0781

Amanda.Lee@arlpr.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] IGEL's Jed Ayres Earns a Spot on CRN's 2018 List of Top 100 Executives

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- IGEL, a world leader in endpoint management software for the secure enterprise, today announced that CRN  , a brand of The Channel Company, has named Jed Ayres, President and CEO of IGEL North America and Global CMO to its list of Top 100 Executives. This annual list recognizes leaders from the technology industry who have played an integral role in shaping today's IT channel, whether by driving huge cultural shifts, creating rich new opportunities, or forging innovative routes to success. Ayres was named one of CRN's Top 25 "Disrupters" as part of the 2018 ranking. This is his third year in a row to be featured on CRN's prestigious list of Top 100 Executives. Ayres joined IGEL in June 2016 with more than two decades of technology sales and marketing experience and a proven track record for building innovative partner programs and driving high-growth. His experience includes MCPc where he drove double digit growth in preparation and sale of the company's Advanced Technology Integration Group (ATIG) to Logicalis, and AppSense where he helped drive the company's return to growth prior to its acquisition by LANDESK, now Ivanti. Over the last two years, he has become widely recognized for the transformational impact he is making on the end user computing industry, as well as his innovative approach to pivoting the IGEL company direction from a hardware-centric company to a software driven organization. Using bold and captivating marketing campaigns  including the giveaway of a Tesla P100D, the launch of a three-continent industry event, "Disrupt EUC," and the "IT Baller" contest  IGEL has grown rapidly, and earlier this year reported that U.S. software license revenue increased by 589% in 2017. Further, IGEL was recognized in May 2018 as the fastest growing thin client provider in the U.S., according to the IDC Quarterly Enterprise Device Tracker 2017Q4.1 "The successful transformation of IGEL could not have happened without Jed's insightful and creative approach," said Heiko Gloge, Founder and CEO, IGEL. "He is incredibly gifted in his ability to make what at first seems imposible, come to fruition in a meaningful and impactful way. He is an inspiration to me, to our employees, our partners and our customers, and to the IT channel as a whole. I can't think of anyone who is more deserving of the title "disrupter."



Travis Graham, Partner, Alchemy Tech Group, added, "We are tremendously grateful to Jed and IGEL for all they do to support us in growing our business. IGEL's software-defined approach helps us to differentiate ourselves from the competition because we are able to present to our customers a smart, simple and secure endpoint management solution that enables them to more effectively leverage existing IT resources. With IGEL, our pipeline of opportunity is growing, and we are looking forward to reaching new heights in 2018." "Visionary and strategic leadership can make the difference between just surviving and actually excelling in this period of disruptive change for the IT channel," said Bob Skelley, CEO, The Channel Company. "In order for technology suppliers and solution providers to thrive and stay ahead of the competition, they need leaders who are able to envision both the future of the channel and the role their organization needs to play in order to create that reality. CRN's 2018 Top 100 Executives embody these qualities. They are change agents who deliver unwavering guidance to their companies, always asking where are we headed and not being afraid to take the necessary steps to get there."

The Top 100 Executives list will be featured in the August 2018 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/top100. Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook IGEL on Social Media

Twitter: www.twitter.com/IGEL_Technology

Facebook: www.facebook.com/igel.technology

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101270758605662221044

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/igel-technology

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/IGELTechnologyTV

IGEL Community: www.igel.com/community About IGEL

IGEL delivers powerful unified endpoint management software that is revolutionary in its simplicity and purpose-built for the enterprise. The company's world-leading software products include the IGEL OS, Universal Desktop Converter (UDC), IGEL Cloud Gateway (ICG), IGEL UD Pocket (UDP) and Universal Management Suite (UMS). These solutions enable a more secure, manageable and cost-effective endpoint management platform across nearly any x86 device. Additionally, IGEL's German engineered and manufactured thin, zero and all-in-one client solutions deliver the industry's best warranty (5 years), support (3 years after end of life) and management functionality. IGEL enables enterprises to precisely control all devices running IGEL OS as well as Windows OS from a single dashboard interface. IGEL has offices worldwide and is represented by partners in over 50 countries. For more information on IGEL, visit www.igel.com. About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com 1IDC, "IDC Quarterly Enterprise Client Device Tracker 2017Q4," January 2018 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/igels-jed-ayres-earns-a-spot-on-crns-2018-list-of-top-100-executives-300690181.html SOURCE IGEL

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Research: Increasing Business Email Compromise (BEC) Incidents Push Corporations To Prioritize Email Anti-impersonation Initiatives

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Valimail, the world's only provider of fully automated email authentication, shared research findings today that indicate most companies believe they've experienced serious data breaches driven by email impersonation in the past 12 months  but are not doing nearly enough to prevent future impersonation attacks. The new Valimail-commissioned study, "Email Impersonation Attacks: A Clear and Present Danger," revealed: 80 percent of respondents are very concerned about the state of their companies' ability to reduce email-based threats

65 percent are likely to implement an automated DMARC enforcement solution if it stopped impersonation attacks

79 percent believed their organizations had suffered a data breach in the last year

69 percent say their organizations use anti-spam and anti-phishing filters as their primary protections even though those mechanisms have been proven to be ineffective

61 percent felt their companies aren't spending enough to prevent email-based cyberattacks, in spite of a sense of urgency among IT professionals

59 percent say their organizations have not created a security infrastructure or plan for email security "With the dramatic rise in impersonation attacks as a primary vector for cyberattacks, companies are re-assessing the balance of their security efforts," said Alexander Garcia-Tobar, CEO and co-founder of Valimail. "While traditional approaches are good for filtering malicious content and blocking spam, impersonation attacks can only be stopped with email anti-impersonation solutions.Individuals at all levels of a company, including customers and clients, are vulnerable to phishing, fraud, and impersonation attacks."



The study, conducted by Ponemon Institute, found that IT security professionals were most worried about email as the source for impersonation attacks, including phishing and domain spoofing. The study surveyed 650 IT security professionals who have a role in securing email applications and/or protecting end-users from email threats. The average company in the study has more than 1,000 employees, six servers, and 15 cloud-based services that send email on their behalf  indicating they operate with complex email environments. As more companies recognize and respond to email vulnerabilities, Valimail executives expect to see organizations deploy a layered defense that adds Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Sender Policy Framework (SPF) authentication standards to their existing secure email gateway (SEG) technologies and anti-phishing training.

"Companies can strengthen their security against email fraud with automated solutions and close that disconnect between email threats and preventive action," Garcia-Tobar said. "We were surprised to see a vast majority of companies who believe that they have had a breach involving email but are not yet embracing automated anti-impersonation solutions to protect themselves proactively," said Dr. Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of Ponemon Institute. "Adopting fully automated solutions for DMARC enforcement that provide email authentication will help companies get ahead of the attackers and build trust with their clients and end users." The full report is available here. About Valimail:

Valimail is the trusted leader in automated email authentication, with a comprehensive platform for anti-impersonation, brand protection, and anti-fraud defense. Valimail's patented, standards-compliant technology provides an unrivaled, fully automated solution to stop phishing attacks, improve deliverability, provide comprehensive visibility of legitimate as well as unauthorized email senders, and protect organizations' reputations. Valimail authenticates billions of messages a month for some of the world's biggest companies, in finance, government, transportation, health care, manufacturing, media, technology, and more. Valimail is based in San Francisco. For more information visit www.Valimail.com. Contact:

Dylan Tweney, Head of Communications, dylan@valimail.com, +1 415.423.0192 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/research-increasing-business-email-compromise-bec-incidents-push-corporations-to-prioritize-email-anti-impersonation-initiatives-300690032.html SOURCE Valimail

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Sanjay Gupta, MD to Deliver Keynote Address at Press Ganey's 2018 National Client Conference

Press Ganey today announced that Dr. Sanjay Gupta, multiple Emmy award winning chief medical correspondent for CNN and renowned neurosurgeon, will deliver the keynote address at its 2018 National Client Conference, November 12-14 in Orlando, Florida. The annual three-day event draws more than 3,000 health care professionals from across the continuum of care to share best practices, network with peers and discuss strategies to improve the overall safety, quality and experience of care. "As we partner with our clients to transform the health care industry, we're honored to have Dr. Sanjay Gupta share his insights as a leading voice for the most pressing health care topics in the United States and around the world," said Patrick T. Ryan, CEO, Press Ganey. "An award-winning journalist, celebrated author, and prominent clinician, Dr. Gupta brings a unique and comprehensive perspective to the challenges facing health care today. We look forward to his inspirational keynote as we convene caregivers at our National Client Conference to explore innovative strategies that will redefine health care." Dr. Gupta's medical training and public health policy experience has distinguished his ability to deliver reporting insights on a range of health care's mst pressing topics, including the recent Ebola outbreak, brain injury, health care reform, and care delivery. In addition to his work for CNN, Dr. Gupta is a member of the staff and faculty at the Emory University School of Medicine. He is associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital and regularly performs surgery at Emory University and Grady hospitals.



Dr. Gupta has authored three New York Times best-selling books, Chasing Life (2007), Cheating Death (2009) and Monday Mornings (2012). He contributes to the CBS newsmagazine 60 minutes and has been named a "pop culture icon" by USA Today. Dr. Gupta has been acknowledged with awards and honors from organizations around the country, including the American Medical Association, Forbes magazine, Atlanta Press Club, National Press Photographers Association, John F. Kennedy University and National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC). In addition to his Emmy awards, Dr. Gupta's contributions at CNN have been recognized with two Peabody Awards and the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award. The Press Ganey National Client Conference is the premier patient experience event designed for health care professionals dedicated to advancing the safety, quality and experience of care. The conference will be held Nov. 12-14 at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort. For more information please visit the event website.

About Press Ganey Press Ganey pioneered the health care performance improvement movement more than 30 years ago. Today, Press Ganey offers an integrated suite of solutions that enables enterprise transformation across the patient journey. Delivered through a cutting-edge digital platform built on a foundation of data security, Press Ganey solutions address safety, clinical excellence, patient experience and workforce engagement. The company works with more than 33,000 health care facilities in its mission to reduce patient suffering and enhance caregiver resilience to improve the overall safety, quality and experience of care. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005530/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Hubei Sanning To Use Honeywell Hydrogen Technology To Produce Plastics From Coal

DES PLAINES, Ill., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that Hubei Sanning Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. will use Honeywell UOP's Polybed Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology to supply high-quality hydrogen at its monoethylene glycol (MEG) plant at Zhijiang in China's Hubei Province. The Hubei Sanning plant will use the hydrogen to produce MEG  commonly used to make polyester resins, films and fibers -- manufactured from coal. The new PSA unit is designed to generate 165,000 cubic meters of hydrogen per hour. "This is the first application in China of the Honeywell UOP PSA technology in an MEG chemical plant," said Henry Liu, regional general manager for Honeywell UOP China. "It demonstrates the flexibility of Honeywell UOP's hydrogen technologies in a wide range of uses, including chemical manufacturing." Hubei Sanning chose the Honeywell UOP technology due to its proven reliability, superior economics, and fast delivery and start up schedule. The technology also features new UOP adsorbents that recover hydrogen at very high levels. As a result, the PSA unit can generate hydrogen with purities as high as 99.9999 percent, making it an excellent source for the production of high-quality monoethylene glycol. The new PSA technology will help Hubei Sanning, which is located near the Yantze River, meet new environmental regulations. It also is part of the company's plan to modernize its production technology to high-pressure gasification and accommodate a new 600,000 tons-per-annum MEG plant that is scheduled to begin operations next year.



China is rich in coal with reserves of nearly 300 billion tons but imports more than 8 million barrels of oil per day, about a tenth of which is converted into petrochemicals. In China, coal is an increasingly attractive alternative to oil as a petrochemical feedstock. Coal is gasified with water to produce synthesis gas, which is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Each of these components are purified and used in different stages to produce monoethylene glycol. Hubei Sanning Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. was founded in 1970 and is based in Zhijiang, China. It manufactures chemicals from coal and phosphorous, petrochemicals, and other fine chemicals, as well as hydrochloric acid, alcohols, ammonia, methanol, and fertilizers. The company operates as a subsidiary of Shanxi Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group Co., Ltd.

Honeywell UOP (www.uop.com) is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell's Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com), a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries. Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 software-industrial company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace and automotive products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, cars, homes and buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hubei-sanning-to-use-honeywell-hydrogen-technology-to-produce-plastics-from-coal-300690063.html SOURCE Honeywell

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018]

Invoiced expands platform to support global organizations

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Invoiced, a leading provider of cloud-based, accounts receivable solutions in the U.S., today announced the launch of a series of product enhancements that enable global customers to meet localized billing conventions.

Since the self-funded business was founded in 2013, Invoiced has grown to support over 20,000 businesses worldwide. Major attributes of Invoiced include automated recurring billing, payment plans, invoice chasing, and dunning management; a customizable customer portal, and integrations with payment processing and accounting providers.

Invoiced now provides full support to international customers - both non-U.S. companies and U.S.-based businesses with global expansion plans. Businesses using Invoiced have the ability to offer Direct Debit payments using local banking schemes through a partnership with GoCardless. Based out of the U.K., GoCardless enables businesses to collect Direct Debit payments online.

"GoCarless is on a mission to boost cash flow and streamline admin for small businesses with automated Direct Debit payments," said Josh Sasto, Head of Partnerships at GoCardless. "Integrating GoCardless with Invoiced's automated time-saving features means our customers can manage their billing and payments all in one place, avoid manual reconciliation and ultimately have more time back to focus on growth."







Direct Debit is a highly-used payment method outside the U.S., accounting for 4.2 billion payments in the U.K. alone in 2017, according to the 2018 UK Payments Market report.

"The GoCardless partnership benefits businesses by offering lower transaction costs and automatic reconciliation," said Jared King, Founder and CEO of Invoiced. "Customers also benefit from new choices to pay invoices."

In addition, the Invoiced platform enables customers to configure invoices using multiple currencies, create separate legal entities for international subsidiaries, and format invoices using in-country requirements.

About Invoiced:

Invoiced helps organizations of all sizes get paid faster in less time by providing innovative billing automation and collections tools. Tens of thousands of businesses have transformed their paper-based billing efforts to digital processes with Invoiced.

For more information contact:

Jared King

Invoiced

512-750-2888

jared@invoiced.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/invoiced-expands-platform-to-support-global-organizations-300689690.html

SOURCE Invoiced, Inc.[August 01, 2018] PowerSchool Completes Acquisition of PeopleAdmin to Help Schools and Districts Recruit and Empower Teachers to Support Student Success

PowerSchool, the leading provider of K-12 education technology solutions for instruction, learning, and administration, announced today the closing of its acquisition of PeopleAdmin, a leading provider of talent management, professional development, student assessment, and analytics solutions for education. PowerSchool's customers will benefit from PeopleAdmin's talent solutions for teachers including TalentEd and assessment tools such as Performance Matters, providing them with a full suite of technology solutions that powers all critical aspects of school and district operations. The combined entity will reach over 45 million students and 13,000 school and district organizations including 88 of the top 100 districts in North America. Teachers play a key role in a student's educational journey and giving them time back in their day and supporting their development is critical to successful student outcomes. PowerSchool Unified ClassroomTM has won awards for bringing together disparate classroom tools to reduce the workload for teachers, while allowing them to see a single view of their students. With this acquisition, PowerSchool adds technology that helps schools and districts recruit, develop, and retain teachers to further empower them so they can help students achieve their full potential. "This acquisition bridges the gap between teacher and student data to improve educator effectiveness and student achievement," said Superintendent Cecil Snead of Virginia's Orange (News - Alert) County School District. "Creating dashboards with student benchmarks, summative results, and teacher evaluation competency areas enables us to develop a professional growth and management plan for our teachers that are aligned to student outcome goals. It takes the guesswork out of turning data into information that will more directly and effectively support instructional intervention that enhance student understanding and success."



"The closing of this acquisition furthers our commitment to support teachers throughout their entire career with resources to help them realize their potential and to help them get back to doing what's most important - teaching," said Hardeep Gulati, CEO of PowerSchool. "From instruction and learning to back-office support and talent management, we're supporting all aspects of K-12 education, creating efficiencies, eliminating silos, and ultimately empowering schools and districts with unified technology to drive student achievement." Customers of PeopleAdmin have PowerSchool's commitment to ongoing product development, support, and service in addition to continuity. This includes maintaining an open ecosystem and supporting integrations with their current EdTech products now and in the future. PowerSchool is committed to investing in development and innovation across all its products, including PeopleAdmin's HigherEd, which will continue to function as an independent solution.

PowerSchool received a joint investment from Vista Equity Partners and Onex (TSX: ONEX) to enable this combination and to further accelerate its growth and innovation of solutions that improve student outcomes. With support from long-term investors committed to education, PowerSchool now offers a never-seen-before K-12 unified technology solution, ideal for schools and districts of all sizes. "With the close of its acquisition of PeopleAdmin, PowerSchool is positioned better than ever to support all stakeholders across K-12 education, ensuring that every student is able to reach his or her full potential," said Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. "We are thrilled to continue to invest in and support PowerSchool as it executes on its mission to improve the K-12 education experience." "We take pride in being long-term investors for the companies we partner with and fully support the vision PowerSchool has to impact student outcomes with innovative technology," said Laurence Goldberg, a Managing Director of Onex Partners. "PowerSchool's tremendous growth over the past few years, capped by its acquisition of PeopleAdmin, gives it the scale to provide a full suite of unified solutions that benefit and empower all stakeholder's in a child's education." About PowerSchool At PowerSchool, we believe in the simple truth that every student deserves the best opportunities in life. That's why our mission is to power the education ecosystem with unified technology that helps educators and students realize their potential, in their way. From the back office to the classroom to the home, PowerSchool helps schools and districts efficiently manage instruction, learning, grading, attendance, assessment, analytics, state reporting, special education, student registration, talent, finance and HR. Today, we're proud to be the leading provider of K-12 education application technology supporting over 45 million students in over 70 countries. Visit www.powerschool.com to learn more. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005606/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Xplore Mobile, Introducing a Fair Mobile Company for Manitoba

WINNIPEG, Aug. 1, 2018 /CNW/ - Today marks the introduction of Xplore Mobile and a new approach to wireless service in Manitoba. The unveiling of the new wireless brand starts the lead up to the official launch of service this fall. The company has already started getting to know its customers through the opening of two pop-up stores, one in Winnipeg (Winnipeg Square) and one in Brandon (Shoppers Mall). Simply branded X, these two retail locations have provided an opportunity to learn from consumers. "Xplore Mobile reflects the importance of our heritage and the values we share with the community," commented Allison Lenehan, President and CEO of Xplornet Communications Inc. "In getting to know our future customers these past few months, we found they shared our desire to bring a sense of fairness to the wireless marketplace in Manitoba." A thoughtful customer experience From the service plans to be offered to the inviting retail locations, every aspect of Xplore Mobile has been designed with the Manitoba customer at the core. Built on the values of fairness, simplicity and transparency, Xplore Mobile will bring more competition to Manitoba.



Fairness: Xplore Mobile will play fair; customers can expect an excellent mobile service at competitive prices.

Simplicity: Xplore Mobile will be easy to do business with; plans and pricing will be clear and simple. Customer care representatives will be well-trained and able to explain things in a friendly, simple way.

Transparency: Consumers will be able to easily evaluate Xplore Mobile's value proposition. Xplore Mobile is on target to launch across Manitoba this fall with the opening of six retail locations in Brandon and Winnipeg. Service will operate on an established, 4G LTE network, connecting Manitobans to what matters within the province and beyond. In total, the company plans to invest 100 million dollars in Manitoba, creating jobs and building a state of the art wireless network. About Xplore Mobile

Xplore Mobile is the wireless service of Xplornet Communications Inc. that will provide voice, text and data services to Manitobans on a 4G LTE wireless network. Committed to being fair, simple and transparent, Xplore Mobile is designed with Manitobans at the core of everything it does. For more information about Xplore Mobile, please visit www.xploremobile.ca. About Xplornet Communications Inc. Headquartered in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Xplornet Communications Inc. is one of Canada's leading broadband service providers. For over a decade, Xplornet has been providing innovative broadband solutions to rural customers at work, home and play across Canada. Today, Xplornet offers voice and data communication services through its unique wireless and satellite network that connects Canadians to what matters. SOURCE Xplornet Communications Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] PepperBall LifeLite Personal Protection Launcher Now Shipping and Available to The Public

United Tactical Systems, developer of the world's leading non-lethal professional and personal defense products, today announced that its innovative and easy-to-use personal protection device PepperBall LifeLite is now available to the public. PepperBall has been in use for over two decades by more than 5,000 law enforcement and military agencies, but has not been available to the public until now. PepperBall offers an effective solution when lethal force is not warranted or permissible and is ideal as a non-lethal option at home, places of worship, while traveling, in schools and the workplace. PepperBall LifeLite personal protection devices can be openly carried and are user-friendly. These launching devices use CO2 cartridges to accurately propel small, non-lethal plastic projectiles 60 feet at a velocity of 270 feet per second. On impact, these projectiles burst open to create a cloud of potent, debilitating pepper powder. The powder is designed to painfully disrupt normal function of the eyes, nose, lungs, and central nervous system, halting the immediate assault but without causing permanent bodily damage. PepperBall need not hit the body to be effective; the projectile can strike proximately and still overwhelm the assailant. The technology can also impact assailants even when they are not in the direct line of sight. Unlike pepper sprays and "stun gun"-like devices, PepperBall LifeLite gives users the advantages of time, distance, and accuracy. These in turn give users the confidence to carry and use the device when necessary. The PepperBall LifeLite is first being made available through the company website at www.pblifelite.com. The device will also be distributed through select channel partners in the RV, outdoor recreation, and commercial trucking markets. Video of the PepperBall LifeLite in use can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cko_Lbj-yg School Security PepperBall LifeLite is also ideal for the non-lethal defense of schoolchildren, teachers, and staff. The PepperBall Protect program places the technology directly in the hands of school security officials, who can safely store it in classrooms where it can will be instantly available in the event of an attack. The program combines the PepperBall technology with comprehensive training from company and local law enforcement officials, empowering users to operate this life-saving defense technology knowledgeably and confidently. The program can be tailored to fit existing emergency and lockdown protocols. School districts are spending millions of dollars on surveillance, lockout/lockdown and other security systems, but have not effectively addressed the dilemma of how to subdue and stop an attack in progress. PepperBall LifeLite provides a highly effective, non-lethal option that empowers rank and file staff to protect themselves and their schools. More information about this program can be found at https://pepperballprotect.com



Home and Personal Use Home invasion is a serious threat in the United States. According to the US Department of Justice, approximately 1 million burglaries occur annually with residents inside their home, with 27% of those residents becoming victims of a violent crime. According to the FBI, 1 in every 36 homes is expected to be robbed based on recent statistics. Beyond preventative measures like locks or passive measures like alarms, PepperBall LifeLite provides residents with a form of security they can use when a burglary is in process. It is also highly portable and can be used while walking the dog, in the outdoors generally, or while in a vehicle.

Outdoor and RV Outdoor and RV enthusiasts can rest assured that they have an effective, usable personal protection device should they encounter a serious threat while in transit or at a campsite. From 2002 to 2007, the US National Park Service statistics show 63 homicides, 240 rapes, 309 robberies, 37 kidnappings, and 1,277 attacks on their properties. Soft body armor and guns are used today by an increasing number of national park rangers. Many would be surprised to know that per capita, violent crime rates are roughly the same everywhere-even in wilderness areas. Adding to the need for effective personal defense in these remote or rural areas is an absence of law enforcement patrols and assistance. Boaters are similarly vulnerable, with piracy a rare but real danger. Commercial Trucking Commercial truckers face a number of occupational safety hazards that include robbery and violence. A growing number of female truckers are particularly vulnerable to violence including sexual assault. While long haul trucking robberies and violence have long been problems in Mexico and throughout Latin America, the United States has also seen a significant rise in personal attacks on truckers as well as cargo hijackings. Workplace and Office According to the Society For Human Resources Management, some 27% of businesses have experienced at least one violent workplace incident. FBI statistics show that 80% of active shooter incidents occur in the workplace, with approximately 2 million people a year affected by some form of workplace violence. The recent lethal attack on a Maryland news organization, and countless other workplace violent acts where staff have been injured or killed, underscores the need for employers and office complexes to provide their personnel with the kind of stopping power that the PepperBall LifeLite offers. "We've spent a great deal of time and effort designing, developing, testing, and perfecting PepperBall LifeLite, and it is now ready to serve the public with enhanced safety," said United Tactical Systems CEO Ron Johnson. "We expect that there will be a significant and rising demand for this as the public and channel partners become familiar with its ease-of-use and effectiveness." According to Monte Scott, Director of Training at PepperBall, "Our system is all about simplicity and ease-of-use in a hazardous situation. Our research and customer testing with PepperBall LifeLite shows that once they have had a couple minutes of experience with the launcher, people are immediately confident that they can use it without hesitation. To them it's not something scary-it's a straightforward and useful tool." About PepperBall The PepperBall system originates in a 1996 DARPA program. PepperBall projectiles are precision-manufactured with a proprietary outer shell and live active irritant compound engineered to burst on impact into a temporarily incapacitating cloud with no harmful impacts. PepperBall products are used by thousands of agencies across the U.S. and around the world, and offer a true non-lethal alternative with an unsurpassed safety record over thousands of incidents spanning 20 years. The company delivers professional certified training for users, instructors and armorers. PepperBall engages with military agencies, law enforcement, and Tier One industry defense and security partners to continue evolving safe, versatile, effective variants for non-lethal solutions and missions. PepperBall is a registered trademark of United Tactical Systems LLC, exclusive manufacturer and worldwide supplier of genuine PepperBall products. For more information about PepperBall and its products, please visit www.pepperball.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005639/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] The global power over ethernet (PoE) chipsets market size is likely to reach USD 1.22 billion by 2025

LONDON, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Power over Ethernet (PoE) Chipsets Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Powered Devices, Power Sourcing Equipment), By Standard (802.3at, 802.3bt, 802.3af), By End Use, And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5479705



The global power over ethernet (PoE) chipsets market size is likely to reach USD 1.22 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, progressing at a CAGR of 12.6% during the forecast period. Increasing applications of Power over Ethernet (PoE) chipsets in the residential sector, for instance, in IP telephones, webcams & closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs), and complete wireless local area network (WLAN) coverage are poised to stoke the growth of the market over the forecast period.



Key benefit of Power over Ethernet is that it is able to transmit both network connectivity as well as power supply over a single cable and overcomes the need for installing separate wires.Similarly, VoIP phones allow transmission of mobile signal over a data network.



Rising awareness regarding these merits is projected to support the growth of the market.



Growing IT developments in the education and healthcare sectors are leading to an increase in deployment of the PoE chipset technology in the commercial sector.Enhanced applications of technology such as smart meters use the Ethernet technology forbenefits such as energy efficiency, improved comfort, convenience, and security.







Increasing number of installations of smart meters is anticipated to drive the Power over Ethernet market over the forecast period. Surging demand for better network access and minimum disruption and cost is leading to an increase in installations of PoE chipsets in various businesses.



North America accounted for the largest share in the market in 2016.The Asia Pacific regional market is estimated to witness tread along a healthy growth track over the forecast period, on account of growing demand for high-speed internet facilities and automation across different industries.





Additionally, Japan , China , India , Singapore , and Hong Kong are expected to be the key contributors to the growth for the upcoming 802.3bt standard in the region.



Further key findings from the report suggest:

 Demand for Power over Ethernet chipsets is expected to increase owing to growing penetration of internet in developing nations.

 The Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) segment is estimated to post a CAGR of 11.7% over the forecast period

 The U.S., China , and Japan are anticipated to witness considerable growth over the forecast period, owing to favorable regulations

 The key players in the PoE chipsets market include Akros Silicon, Inc.; Cisco Systems, Inc.; Flexcomm Technology Limited; Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.; Microsemi Corporation; Texas Instruments Incorporated; Linear Technology Corporation; ON Semiconductor; Silicon Laboratories; and STMicroelectronics.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5479705



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: sarah@reportbuyer.com

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

Website: www.reportbuyer.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-global-power-over-ethernet-poe-chipsets-market-size-is-likely-to-reach-usd-1-22-billion-by-2025--300690235.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Sandhills Publishing to Host Upcoming Annual Industry Forum in Lincoln, Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandhills Publishing will host its Global Forum, an annual two-day event, August 7th and 8th in Lincoln, Nebraska. For more than two decades, the annual Global Forum has brought together dealers, brokers, auctioneers, manufacturers, and service providers in the construction, agriculture, trucking, and aviation industries from all over the world. This year's forum is expected to host more than 400 professionals for discussions about current and emerging technology, industry trends and emerging opportunities, and a first look at current and upcoming product rollouts from Sandhills Publishing. This year's Global Forum includes seminars and roundtable discussions as well as one-on-one workshops and feature speakers. Attendees will gain insights into simplifying challenges such as parts identification and procurement, asset valuations, inspections, and advertising to streamline remarketing, mitigate risk on trades, and improve margins. Seminars will also focus on potential roadblocks to salesincluding financing, costly shipping logistics, and insuranceand offer user-friendly solutions that integrate seamlesly into sales processes. One-on-one workshops provide attendees with opportunities for focused conversations about website upgrades, retail exposure, leveraging wholesale and auction platforms, and more. Attendees can also visit the vendor expo to consult with Sandhills' preferred website providers and a number of other exhibitors.



"The global forum is an opportunity for business leaders to collaborate on challenges, assess pain points, and analyze strategic market opportunities alongside solutions designed specifically for these industries," explains Sandhills Publishing's Chief Administration Officer Nancy Paasch. "Attendees return to their businesses with insights and solutions they can implement right away in ways that improve sales and increase internal efficiencies and overall profitability."

Two featured speakers will headline this year's Global Forum events: Aaron Thomas will kick off the event with a presentation on overcoming adversity, while Ann Duignan of J.P. Morgan will deliver the keynote address. The Global Forum will conclude on the evening of August 8th with a reception at Sandhills' global headquarters. For more information, or to reserve a spot at the 2018 Global Forum, contact Sandhills directly. About Sandhills Publishing

Sandhills Publishing is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our broad range of products and services is aimed at gathering, processing, and distributing information in the form of trade publications and corresponding websites that connect buyers and sellers across the trucking, agriculture, construction, heavy equipment, aviation, and technology industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Publishingwe are the cloud. Contact Us:

info@Sandhills.com

(402) 479-2181 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sandhills-publishing-to-host-upcoming-annual-industry-forum-in-lincoln-nebraska-300690241.html SOURCE Sandhills Publishing

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Two Online Public Schools Welcome Tennessee Students for the 2018-19 Academic Year on August 1

Students and teachers at Tennessee Virtual Academy (TNVA), and Tennessee Virtual High School (TNVHS), will start the 2018-2019 school year on August 1. Both schools are full-time, tuition-free online public schools of Union County Public Schools open to students statewide. Open since 2011, TNVA serves students in grades K-8. TNVHS will launch this year with grades 9 and 10, providing Tennessee families with a new choice in public education. Combining innovative technology with a rigorous curriculum led by state-certified teachers, TNVA and TNVHS provide students with a personalized learning experience. Students take a full course load across the core subjects of language arts, history, math and science, and are offered electives in art and music. TNVHS will also offer a variety of honors courses and electives including world languages, health and wellness, and fine arts. Students enroll in online school for a variety of reasons, including advanced learning, a bullying-free environment, and the ability to balance their education with extracurricular pursuits or medical needs. "TNVA has given us a public education option that works for our family," said Tammy Messlein, who enrolled her son Ben in the online school to help manage his epilepsy and autism. "The virtual setting lets me play an active role in his education, we receive incredible support from his teachers, and he gets to connect with other students through his classes and other activities." From live classes and one-on-one instruction to chat sessions and family phone calls, dedicated teachers work in close partnership with parents and students to support academic success. The online platform enables students to enjoy a safe learning environment, and connects them with classmates and teachers from across the state.



Throughout the year, TNVA and TNVHS foster a sense of community by bringing students and staff together for in-person field trips, community service opportunities and social events, and by organizing virtual clubs around shared interests. TNVA and TNVHS are accepting enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year. Families are encouraged to attend an online or in-person information session hosted by the school. To learn more about enrollment and for a schedule of information sessions visit k12.com/how-to-enroll, or download the K12 enrollment app for iOS and Android (News - Alert) devices.

About Tennessee Virtual Academy and Tennessee Virtual High School Tennessee Virtual Academy and Tennessee Virtual High School are full-time online public schools of Union City Schools. Both schools are tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online education programs. TNVA serves students in grades K-8, and TNVHS will open the 2018-2019 academic year serving grades 9 and 10. For more information about TNVA and TNVHS, visit K12.com/Tennessee. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005553/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Sparkcentral Invites Companies to Early Access Program for WhatsApp Business, Launches With Leading Consumer Brands

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sparkcentral, the leading enterprise messaging customer service platform company, today announces official support for the new WhatsApp Business solution and invites enterprises to gain early access to the program that opens with limited availability. WhatsApp Business and Sparkcentral enable enterprises to improve customer experience, streamline customer care operations, and reduce the cost to serve by using asynchronous messaging -- rather than traditional voice, email, or live chat channels -- to communicate with the over 1.5 billion users of the highly popular messaging app. People in over 180 countries use WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends, family, and businesses, anytime and anywhere. KBC, a leading Belgian-based bank and insurance company serving over 11 million customers worldwide, is pleased to be one of the first financial institutions to offer this superior service experience to its customers. "Since 6 February this year, KBC customers have been able to message with KBC via WhatsApp," says Karin Van Hoecke, General Manager for Mass Retail at KBC's Belgium Business Unit. "Our customers make enthusiastic use of this opportunity and appreciate the fact that we help and speak to them through their favorite channel. To now scale and offer WhatsApp Business to all our customers, we are pleased to work with Sparkcentral and their enterprise messaging customer service platform. That WhatsApp welcomes us to be among the first to set up a pilot wth WhatsApp Business demonstrates once again that we are a leader in our sector in terms of offering innovative and customer-focused solutions."



"Leading the way by innovation in the hotel industry is an important part of the citizenM culture and this includes the way we communicate with our citizens," says Jeremy Walder, citizenConnect manager at citizenM. "WhatsApp is definitely the right channel to enable us to offer this type of intimate service. Together with our partner Sparkcentral we will be leading the way in how we manage conversations via Whatsapp and our other existing messaging channels at scale." Utility company ENGIE Electrabel agrees: "This extension of the Sparkcentral platform to WhatsApp Business will increase our contact channels to the benefit of our customers while reducing their effort and providing them quick and excellent service," says Jan De Smet, Head of Customer Service at ENGIE Electrabel.

With changing consumer communications preferences, businesses now need mainstream messaging solutions to interact with their customers at scale. Sparkcentral leads the way by providing a centralized routing platform for all social and messaging channels, providing a consolidated messaging queue and agent dashboard that aggregates and consolidates data from any channel into one view with integrated reporting for workforce managers. WhatsApp Business helps companies and customers connect quickly and easily, yet businesses need an efficient messaging tool to communicate at scale. "More communication with customers is better -- there is no question about that," says Joe Gagnon, CEO at Sparkcentral, "and with the right strategy, this can be done without increasing cost. More engagement makes customers more 'sticky' and loyal and enables self-service. Customer engagement is a goldmine for businesses," he adds, "it just has to be executed properly." Use cases can span from simple outbound notifications (booking or purchase confirmations, order receipts, delivery notifications, payment or appointment reminders, two-factor authentication, ...) to customer service and support (billing inquiries, product updates, engagement with personal advisors, customer onboarding activities, handling of urgent issues, etc.) For more information or to sign up for early access you can visit our website, reach out to our team, or message us on WhatsApp at 1-866-559-6229. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sparkcentral-invites-companies-to-early-access-program-for-whatsapp-business-launches-with-leading-consumer-brands-300690079.html SOURCE Sparkcentral

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Wireless Industry Leaders to Meet in Las Vegas

The Prepaid Expo & All Wireless Expo, the combined show for the prepaid wireless and services industry, will be held at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas, August 21-22. Now in its eleventh year, this is the one event that brings together service providers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of all wireless products and services, with a focus on the prepaid sector. Inquiries into the meaning and ramifications of the proposed Sprint/ T-Mobile (News - Alert) merger are expected to play out prominently at the conference sessions of The Prepaid Expo and All Wireless Expo. Keynote Speaker Peter Adderton, an industry giant and Boost Mobile founder, will kick off the conference sessions with a presentation of his controversial views on the much-discussed merger. But the exploration of the convergence and divergence of prepaid wireless and prepaid cards will not end with dissertations on Sprint (News - Alert) /T-Mobile. In another session, Ada Wolf, President of the National Wireless Independent Dealer Association, will address "What's next in Revenue," including advice on incorporating the "Thank You Economy" into daily practice.



Other speakers at the trade show will outline their research and present their views on subjects that will include 5G, IoT, money laundering, fraud, wireless accessories, wireless repair, top up, sales tips, management tips, hiring tips, and statistics on the size, growth and future of the prepaid card and wireless markets. The gathering is the only trade show that brings together all aspects of wireless commerce by combining The Prepaid Expo, which is known by the tagline "Where Prepaid Meets" and the All Wireless Expo, which has the slogan "Where Wireless Meets." The exhibit hall features leading providers from all industry sectors, facilitating interaction and integration between the widest variety of players.

TPE & AWE thank sponsors: BOSS Revolution (News - Alert) , Raza Communication, VidaPay, Global Service Solutions, MyCoolCell, Ugo Hub, ZYZies, YW Prepaid, boom! Mobile, Emida, Modern Wireless, Nobel (News - Alert) , Page Plus NC, and Tracfone Wireless. MEDIA: Contact rtobias@theprepaidexpo.com for Press Pass registration. Twitter: @prepaidpress, @theprepaidexpo Facebook: theprepaidexpo LinkedIn (News - Alert) : prepaidpress View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005761/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Veteran Finance & Restructuring Lawyer Matt DeArman Joins Dorsey in Dallas

International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced today that Matthew "Matt" DeArman has joined the Firm's Finance & Restructuring Group in Dallas as a Partner. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005800/en/ Dorsey & Whitney is pleased to announce that Matthew "Matt" DeArman has joined the Firm's Finance & Restructuring Group in Dallas as a Partner. (Photo: Dorsey & Whitney LLP) Mr. DeArman's practice focuses on the representation of agents, lenders and public and private corporate borrowers in a variety of finance transactions and restructuring matters, including in connection with secured and unsecured revolving and term facilities, asset-based lending, oil and gas reserve-based lending, first lien/second lien transactions, bridge and mezzanine financing,acquisitions financing, cross-border transactions and debtor-in-possession financing. His practice has an emphasis on asset-based lending and oil and gas related financings but he has experience representing clients with respect to transactions and workouts in a variety of industries secured by a variety of assets with commitments of up to $2.5 billion.



He joins Dorsey from Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C., where he was a shareholder in the Dallas office. Prior to joining Munsch Hardt in 2017, he was a partner in the corporate finance section of Norton Rose Fulbright. Mr. DeArman received a B.A. cum laude from the University of Florida, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. with honors from the University of Texas School of Law, where he was a member of the Review of Litigation and a recipient of the Clarence Leon Carter and John Winston Carter Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law.

"Matt will be a great addition to our strong Firm-wide Finance & Restructuring team and to our rapidly growing Dallas office, which we opened in March 2017," noted Ken Cutler, Managing Partner of Dorsey & Whitney. "His experience and expertise not only complement our existing strengths across the platform in banking and finance, they also mesh perfectly with our Firm-wide focus industries, especially in energy and natural resources and in banking and financial institutions." "I am very pleased to be joining Dorsey and its great Firm-wide team of banking, finance and restructuring lawyers," added Mr. DeArman. "I look forward to serving Dorsey's exceptional client base and to introducing my Dorsey colleagues to the clients I have been serving for years." About Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Clients have relied on Dorsey since 1912 as a valued business partner. With locations across the United States and in Canada, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, Dorsey provides an integrated, proactive approach to its clients' legal and business needs. Dorsey represents a number of the world's most successful companies from a wide range of industries, including leaders in the banking, energy, food and agribusiness, health care, mining and natural resources, and public-private project development sectors, as well as major non-profit and government entities. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005800/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] Innovid's Tal Chalozin Inducted to the American Advertising Federation's Advertising Hall of Achievement

Innovid, the world's leading video marketing platform, today announced that its co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO), Tal Chalozin, has been named to the American Advertising Federation's (AAF) Advertising Hall of Achievement. Chalozin is one of eight inductees into the 2018 class, joining seven other advertising executives being recognized for their significant impact on the industry and their communities via mentorship, inspiration, volunteerism and training. Chalozin, 37, has been a trailblazer in the advertising industry ever since he entered the scene more than ten years ago, changing the way global advertisers use the medium of video to captivate their audiences. His desire to change how the world engaged with video and the ways in which advertisers could connect with consumers in a more personalized, data-driven and interactive manner led him to co-found Innovid in 2007 with Zvika Netter (Chief Executive Officer) and Zack Zigdon (Managing Director, International). Chalozin created, and later patented, the technology behind interactive video as the industry knows it today and fostered a space to encourage discourse and innovation for young entrepreneurs, cementing himself as one of the world's foremost experts in video advertising technology. As Innovid's CTO, Chalozin has helped grow the company into the world's leading video marketing platform, delivering more video than any other solution across screens, devices and channels - including the innovation into connected TV / steaming devices for OTT advertising. The company collaborates with 1,000+ of the world's largest and most well-known brands, including Bank of America, Best Buy (News - Alert) , L'Oreal, Microsoft, Starbucks, State Farm Insurance, Toyota, Walgreens and others, leveraging the power of data to create interactive and personalized video that delivers 80 percent higher performance than traditional pre-roll. Chalozin's other mentorship, inspiration, volunteer and training milestones include: Co-founded Garage Geeks, an organization aimed at supporting young technologists and innovators in Tel Aviv, Israel

Awarded a U.S. Patent in 2009 for inserting interactive objects into video content

Selected as a "Technology Pioneer" by the World Economic Forum in Davos

Serves as a board member for the Interactive Advertising Bureau's (IAB) Digital Video Center of Excellence, helping to shape indstry benchmark standards like VAST and VPAID

Led a team in Cornell University's Tikkun Olam Maker's 2017 Makeathon that created an award-winning "fun mobility chair" for a cerebral palsy patient to offer him greater independence and mobility

Created and shaped partnerships that paved the way for the recent boom in Connected TV (CTV), including collaborations with Netflix, Hulu (News - Alert) and other key content providers to create more personalized and measurable advertising platforms and technologies



News - Alert) . "I am so excited to welcome Tal and his fellow inductees into the AAF Hall of Achievement." "I am so honored and humbled to be inducted into the AAF's Advertising Hall of Achievement with such an esteemed class this year," said Chalozin. "To be recognized for doing what I love-innovating video technology to help brands engage in a more effective and personalized way-is a dream come true. This recognition is the result of so much hard work from my colleagues, peers and the entire Innovid family, including our partners and customers."

Chalozin joins Laura Correnti, partner, Giant Spoon; Ryan Eckel, vice president, strategy and innovation, Dick's Sporting Goods; Abbey Klaassen, President New York, 360i; Saneel Radia, executive vice president, global head of business transformation, R/GA; Dhane Scotti, executive vice president, global executive business lead, The Coca-Cola Company, McCann Worldgroup; Evin Shutt, chief operating officer and partner, 72andSunny; and Kerry Steib, director of cultural impact, Spotify, in the 2018 class of inductees. The induction ceremony and luncheon will take place in New York City at Cipriani 42nd Street on November 13, 2018. The AAF's Advertising Hall of Achievement, established 26 years ago, has long been the gold standard in leading advertising professionals age 40 and younger and includes 174 members with expertise spanning the entire spectrum of the advertising industry, including clients, agencies, media and tech. For more information, please visit www.innovid.com or www.aaf.org/ahoa. About Innovid Innovid is the leading global video marketing platform, delivering more video than any company across PCs, tablets, mobile phones, smart TVs and streaming devices. Innovid helps leading advertisers and agencies leverage the power of data to create interactive and personalized video that has been proven to deliver 80 percent higher performance than traditional pre-roll. Most recently, Innovid was featured in Business Insider's 19 Most Interesting Ad-Tech Startups of 2017. Please visit www.innovid.com for more information. About the American Advertising Federation The American Advertising Federation (AAF), established in 1905 and headquartered in Washington, DC, is the only organization that includes members across all disciplines and career levels in advertising representing all facets of the advertising industry and acts as the "Unifying Voice for Advertising." The AAF's membership is comprised of nearly 100 corporate members comprising the nation's leading advertisers, advertising agencies, and media companies; a national network of nearly 200 local clubs representing 40,000 advertising professionals; and more than 200 college chapters with more than 5,000 student members. The AAF operates a host of programs and initiatives, including the Advertising Hall of Fame, the Advertising Hall of Achievement, the American Advertising Awards, the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC), the Mosaic Center for Multiculturalism and summer AdCamps for high school students. For more information on the full range of the AAF's programming, visit www.aaf.org. For the latest news and updates, connect with us on Facebook and LinkedIn (News - Alert) , and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005259/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] World Maker Faire New York Announces New Features for 2018

NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- World Maker Faire New York, the east coast's biggest celebration of invention, creativity and curiosity, has announced several new features and attractions for its 9th annual showcase event, taking place September 22 & 23 at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing, Queens. Fans and DIY-lovers wanting to attend the weekend event are encouraged to visit makerfaire.com where discount Early Bird tickets are available through this Sunday at midnight EST. After that point tickets will increase to standard pricing until the event. This year, Faire attendees can look forward to a host of new attractions including: The Hand of Man : Creator Christian Ristow's 26 foot-long, hydraulically actuated human hand and forearm controlled by a glove device, which is capable of picking up and crushing cars, makes its NYC debut.

: Creator Christian Ristow's 26 foot-long, hydraulically actuated human hand and forearm controlled by a glove device, which is capable of picking up and crushing cars, makes its NYC debut. Tapigami : Be floored by Tapigami, a contemporary art form created by artist Danny Scheible who uses masking tape to create entire cities.

: Be floored by Tapigami, a contemporary art form created by artist who uses masking tape to create entire cities. Cosplay Contest : World Maker Faire will host its 1st-ever cosplay contest which promises to bring out creative DIY costumes you can't believe.

: World Maker Faire will host its 1st-ever cosplay contest which promises to bring out creative DIY costumes you can't believe. The DIY Content Creators' Stage : a new stage and lounge devoted solely to the YouTubers of the Maker Movement

: a new stage and lounge devoted solely to the YouTubers of the Maker Movement Startup Tent : featuring NYC hardware and maker startups, such as Looking Glass and Wazer. Come see the Maker projects that will soon have the business world buzzing.

: featuring NYC hardware and maker startups, such as Looking Glass and Wazer. Come see the Maker projects that will soon have the business world buzzing. Gaming and Mixed Reality : new exhibit areas showcase experiments in the emerging landscape of AR, VR and game interfaces.

: new exhibit areas showcase experiments in the emerging landscape of AR, VR and game interfaces. Sculptor Adrian Landon : The hand-hewn steel kinetic sculptures of this celebrated NYC Saatchi artist will be on display to wow attendees.

: The hand-hewn steel kinetic sculptures of this celebrated NYC Saatchi artist will be on display to wow attendees. Tiny Homes Village : You thought NYC apartments were small? Wait until you see these innovative concepts in resourceful design and architecture.

: You thought NYC apartments were small? Wait until you see these innovative concepts in resourceful design and architecture. The Dark Room : An entire exhibit hall devoted to light-driven, interactive projects, and immersive art.

: An entire exhibit hall devoted to light-driven, interactive projects, and immersive art. Center Stage Talent: see Ayah Bdeir of LittleBits toy platform; Elan Lee of Exploding Kittens (the most funded game in Kickstarter history); YouTube phenom Backyard Scientist ( Kevin Kohler ), and many more! More than 800 Makers, presenters and exhibitors from the New York area and around the globe will be showing off their projects and creations at this year's Faire. The current list of exhibiting Makers can be seen here (expect more exciting projects to be added in the days and weeks ahead). "World Maker Faire is the east coast's biggest celebration for grassroots innovation and creativity. Walking around the Faire, attendees often report a sense of inspiration, but also empowerment," explained Sabrina Merlo, Managing Director for Maker Faire. "It's a feeling that it's possible to design solutions, to make change - to be a Maker. Often times, people leave the Faire inspired to go home and tackle that idea or project they've always wanted to try." Maker Faire has become a global movement with more than 1 million people attending Maker Faires annually across 44 countries. World Maker Faire in New York City is one of two flagship Faires that take place annually in the U.S.







Early Bird tickets are on sale now until midnight Sunday, August 5th - single day passes ($20 - $30) or weekend passes ($30 - $50). Discounts are available for youths and students, and children 3 and under are free. Select VIP options and ticket packages are also available. Advance pricing goes into effect on Monday, August 6, 2018, at 12:00 am EDT and will be available through Friday, September 21 EDT.

What: World Maker Faire New York 2018

Where: New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th Street, Queens, NY 11368

When: Saturday & Sunday, September 22 & 23, 2018, 10am - 6pm each day

Buy Tickets: https://makerfaire.com/new-york/buy-tickets/

Event Website: http://makerfaire.com/new-york/

Sponsorship Opportunities: https://makerfaire.com/sponsors/

Press Room/Media Credential Requests: http://makerfaire.com/media-center/ Social Media:

Facebook: /makerfaire

Instagram: @makerfaire

Twitter: @makerfaire

Pinterest: /makemagazine/maker-faire Tweet / Post this: Ready to Make something? World #MakerFaire New York Sept 22 & 23 at @NYSCI! Get Tix now at makerfaire.com/new-york/ #makerfaire #wmf18 About Maker Faire

Founded in 2006, Maker Faire inspires the future of makers with a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness. People of all ages and backgrounds gather to show what they are making and share what they are learning. With nearly 200 Maker Faires happening around the world, the global event engages more than 1.4 million annual attendees across 44 countries. In 2014, there was even a Maker Faire on the grounds of The White House. The two flagship events, the annual Bay Area Maker Faire and the World Maker Faire in New York welcome a combined 2,000 Makers and 250,000 attendees each year. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Make: has been widely credited with jumpstarting the worldwide Maker Movement, which is a transforming force in innovation, culture, and education. Contact:

Maker Faire / Harmonica

pr@makerfaire.com / mark@harmonica.com

+1 646-391-0453 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/world-maker-faire-new-york-announces-new-features-for-2018-300690559.html SOURCE Maker Faire

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] SCI Engineered Materials, Inc. Reports Record Net Income

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SCI Engineered Materials, Inc. (SCI) (SCIA: OTCQB), a global supplier and manufacturer of advanced materials for physical vapor deposition thin film applications who works closely with end users and OEMs to develop innovative, customized solutions, today reported record net income for the six months and three months ended June 30, 2018.

Dan Rooney, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, We are pleased with our results for the first six months and second quarter of 2018, which include significant increases in revenue and net income, that were driven by solid performance across our product portfolio. During this period, we added new customers and the sharp increase in orders contributed to a backlog of $6.3 million at June 30, 2018. Included in this amount was a $2 million order from a new customer for thin film solar products. These achievements position us for a strong second half. Mr. Rooney continued, We are actively monitoring industry and global developments, especially in the thin film solar market. At mid-year 2018, sales of thin film solar products exceeded the amount for all of last year. Based on current orders booked, customer deposits received and customer forecasts for additional solar orders for the remainder of 2018, we are hiring more employees in our manufacturing operations and recently added inside sales and R&D staff. We anticipate revenue for the second half of this year will be similar to 2018s first half results. We are working diligently to respond to increased demand for SCIs products and are excited regarding our future opportunities. Revenue Higher volume of thin film solar products and higher volume and pricing of photonics products resulted in significant revenue growth for the 2018 year-to-date and second quarter compared to last year. Revenue increased 34% to $4,390,609 for the first half of this year from $3,283,414 a year ago. For the three months ended June 30, 2018, revenue increased 33% to $2,543,751 from $1,911,498 in 2017. The Company anticipates that revenue in the second half of 2018 will be similar to the first half of this year. Order backlog was a record $6.3 million at June 30, 2018, compared to $3.6 million at March 31, 2018, and $2.9 million on the same date a year ago. Gross profit Gross profit and gross margin for the first six months and second quarter of 2018 benefited from the increase in revenue, pricing and improved product mix. For the six months ended June 30, 2018, gross profit increased 56% to $1,251,541 from $799,832 a year ago. Second quarter 2018 gross profit increased 71% to $789,529 from $462,847 a year ago. Operating expenses The Company continues to realize benefits from its marketing strategy, which has resulted in additional customers and increased orders for products utilized in the thin film solar and photonics markets. The growth in operating expenses (general and administrative expense, marketing and sales expense and research and development expense), has principally occurred in marketing and sales related to higher wages, benefits and sales rep commissions versus last year. The Company continues to invest through its internal research and development initiatives in an innovative buffer layer for thin film solar cells and other applications. Operating expenses for the first half of 2018 were $833,838 or 11% higher than a year ago and $460,039 or 20% above the second quarter of 2017. Income Applicable to Common Stock The sharp increase in revenue and significantly higher gross profit in each period compared to a year ago contributed to record income applicable to common stock for the first six months and second quarter of this year. Income applicable to common stock increased to $386,171, or $0.09 per share, for the first six months of 2018 from $16,797, or $0.00 per share, a year ago. For the second quarter of 2018, income applicable to common stock increased significantly to $314,972, or $0.07 per share, for the three months ended June 30, 2018, from $63,283, or $0.02 per share, for the comparable period in 2017. EBITDA Earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the first six months of 2018 increased 131% to $661,507 from $286,296 a year ago. The 2018 amount benefited from significantly higher net income versus the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes non-cash stock based compensation, was $704,526 for the first half of 2018 compared to $383,827 or 83% above a year ago. EBITDA for the three months ended June 30, 2018, more than doubled to $452,937 from $202,176 for the same period in 2017 due to the significant increase in net income. Adjusted EBITDA increased 88% to $475,370 for the second quarter of 2018 from $252,845 for the same period last year. Cash and Total Debt Outstanding Cash on hand of $2,582,296 at June 30, 2018, was 144% and 163%, respectively, above the March 31, 2018, and 2017 year-end amounts. Cash provided by operating activities of $1,976,724 for the first six months of 2018 was 330% above the same period last year. This increase is principally due to customer deposits received from thin film solar and photonics customers during the first half of 2018.

The Companys total debt outstanding decreased 15% during the six months ended June 30, 2018, and was approximately $451,000 compared to $532,000 at 2017 year-end. The Company entered into a new equipment capital lease obligation of approximately $105,000 during the first half of 2018 to increase operating capacity. About SCI Engineered Materials, Inc. SCI Engineered Materials is a global supplier and manufacturer of advanced materials for PVD thin film applications that works closely with end user and OEMs to develop innovative, customized solutions. Additional information is available at www.sciengineeredmaterials.com or follow SCI Engineered Materials, Inc. at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sci-engineered-materials.-inc https://www.facebook.com/sciengineeredmaterials/ https://plus.google.com/107052645863884937012 *A reconciliation of the differences between the GAAP and non-GAAP financial measure of EBITDA as used in this release with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is included in the financial schedules that are a part of this release. This non-GAAP financial measure is intended to supplement and should be read together with our financial results. It should not be considered an alternative or substitute for, and should not be considered superior to, our reported financial results. Accordingly, users of this financial information should not place undue reliance on this non-GAAP financial measure. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Those statements include, but are not limited to, all statements regarding intent, beliefs, expectations, projections, customer guidance, forecasts, and plans of the Company and its management, and specifically includes anticipation that revenue for the second half of this year will be similar to 2018s first half results. These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. One or more of these factors have affected, and could in the future affect, the Company's projections. Therefore, there can be no assurances that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by the Company, or any other persons, that the objectives and plans of the company will be achieved. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are based on information presently available to the management of the Company. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. SCI Engineered Materials Inc.

BALANCE SHEETS

ASSETS June 30, December 31, 2018 2017 (UNAUDITED) Current Assets Cash $ 2,582,296 $ 920,802 Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts 755,372 336,009 Inventories 1,565,904 617,444 Prepaid expenses 219,533 138,175 Total current assets 5,123,105 2,012,430 Property and Equipment, at cost 8,538,797 8,307,514 Less accumulated depreciation (6,661,524) (6,422,448) 1,877,273 1,885,066 Other Assets 59,322 52,078 TOTAL ASSETS $ 7,059,700 $ 3,949,574 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current Liabilities Short term debt $ 264,863 $ 350,605 Accounts payable 660,438 307,498 Customer deposits 2,753,805 407,956 Accrued expenses 297,345 221,976 Total current liabilities 3,976,451 1,288,035 Long term debt 186,340 181,744 Total liabilities 4,162,791 1,469,779 Commitments and contingencies Total Shareholders' Equity 2,896,909 2,479,795 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 7,059,700 $ 3,949,574





SCI ENGINEERED MATERIALS, INC.

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS FOR THE THREE AND SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2018 AND 2017

(UNAUDITED) THREE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Revenue $ 2,543,751 $ 1,911,498 $ 4,390,609 $ 3,283,414 Cost of revenue 1754,222 1,448,651 3,139,068 2,483,582 Gross profit 789,529 462,847 1,251,541 799,832



SG&A expense 372,343 302,693 680,303 586,020 Research & Development expense 87,696 79,175 153,535 161,787 Income from operations 329,490 80,979 417,703 52,025 Interest 5,236 10,710 12,964 22,204 Income before provision for

income taxes 324,254 70,269 404,739 29,821 Income tax expense 3,244 948 6,492 948 Net income 321,010 69,321 398,247 28,873 Dividends on preferred stock 6,038 6,038 12,076 12,076 INCOME APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHARES $ 314,972 $ 63,283 $ 386,171 $ 16,797 Earnings per share - basic and diluted Income per common share Basic $ 0.07 $ 0.02 $ 0.09 $ 0.00 Diluted $ 0.07 $ 0.02 $ 0.09 $ 0.00 Weighted average shares outstanding Basic 4,214,605 4.125,880 4,205,608 4,114,756 Diluted 4,222,613 4,125,880 4,206,762 4,114,756 SCI ENGINEERED MATERIALS, INC. CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2018 AND 2017 2018 2017 CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN): Operating activities $ 1,976,724 $ 456,770 Investing activities (127,972) (43,870) Financing activities (187,258) (159,631) NET INCREASE IN CASH 1,661,494 253,269 CASH - Beginning of period 920,802 730,352 CASH - End of period $ 2,582,296 $ 983,621

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES FOR THE THREE AND SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2018 AND 2017 Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net income $ 321,010 $ 69,321 $ 398,247 $ 28,873 Interest 5,236 10,710 12,964 22,204 Income taxes 3,244 948 6,492 948 Depreciation and amortization 123,447 121,197 243,804 234,271 EBITDA 452,937 202,176 661,507 286,296 Stock based compensation 22,433 50,669 43,019 97,531 Adjusted EBITDA $ 475,370 $ 252,845 $ 704,526 $ 383,827 Contact: Robert Lentz

(614) 876-2000

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Telaria to Present at the Canaccord Genuity 38th Annual Growth Conference

Telaria Inc. (NYSE:TLRA), Telaria, Inc. the complete software platform for publishers to manage premium video advertising, today announced that CEO Mark Zagorski will present at the Canaccord Genuity 38th Annual Growth Conference, to be held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts on Wednesday August 8, 2018 at 5:00 PM ET.

A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available on the Company's Investor Relations website at www.telaria.com. A replay will be available following the live presentation.







About Telaria

Telaria, Inc. (NYSE: TLRA), is a complete software platform to manage premium video advertising. We engineer the most robust suite of analytics, automated decisioning, and integrated programmatic and direct monetization tools in the industry. Global publishers require total command of their business; Telaria's independent solution empowers unbiased decisions for the best revenue outcomes. Telaria operates out of 13 offices worldwide across North America, EMEA, LATAM and APAC.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005833/en/[August 01, 2018] Urban Edge Properties Reports Second Quarter 2018 Results

Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE) (the "Company") today announced its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. Financial Results(1)(2) Generated net income of $59.8 million, or $0.47 per diluted share, for the quarter compared to net income of $14.9 million, or $0.13 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2017 and $82.8 million, or $0.65 per diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $69.7 million, or $0.63 per diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2017.

Generated Funds from Operations applicable to diluted common shareholders ("FFO") of $39.6 million, or $0.31 per share, for the quarter compared to $38.7 million, or $0.34 per share, for the second quarter of 2017 and $83.7 million, or $0.66 per share, for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $112.1 million, or $1.01 per share, for the six months ended June 30, 2017.

Generated FFO as Adjusted of $41.6 million, or $0.33 per share, for the quarter compared to $38.3 million, or $0.33 per share, for the second quarter of 2017 and $82.9 million, or $0.65 per share, for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $73.9 million, or $0.66 per share, for the six months ended June 30, 2017. Operating Results(1) Same-property cash Net Operating Income ("NOI") increased by 0.1% over the second quarter of 2017, and by 1.5% compared to the six months ended June 30, 2017. Second quarter results were negatively impacted by the following: Las Catalinas in Puerto Rico - $0.6 million lower NOI primarily due to tenant vacancies and rent reductions, and Bergen Town Center and The Shops at Bruckner - $0.5 million lower NOI due to expected vacancies on spaces planned for redevelopment. Excluding these properties, same-property cash NOI would have increased by 3.2% for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.

Same-property cash NOI including properties in redevelopment increased by 0.4% compared to the second quarter of 2017 and by 1.8% compared to the six months ended June 30, 2017 and were impacted by the same factors noted above. Excluding the properties listed above, same-property cash NOI including properties in redevelopment would have increased by 3.3% for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.

Reported same-property retail portfolio occupancy of 98.5%, an increase of 20 basis points compared to June 30, 2017.

Reported consolidated retail portfolio occupancy of 96.6%, an increase of 70 basis points compared to June 30, 2017. Occupancy levels as of June 30, 2018 were not impacted by Toys "R" Us bankruptcies. Subsequent to the end of the quarter, five leases comprising 237,000 square feet (sf) were recaptured.

Executed 29 new leases, renewals and options totaling 435,000 sf during the quarter. Same-space leases totaled 355,000 sf and generated average rent spreads of 2.0% on a GAAP basis and (1.9)% on a cash basis. The negative cash spread was primarily driven by one new lease executed for a 36,000 sf building that was vacant for more than six years. Toys "R" Us Bankruptcy The Company had nine Toys "R" Us ("Toys") leases comprising approximately 400,000 square feet which generated approximately $7.0 million in annual gross rents. Rents were paid in full through June 30, 2018. The status of the nine Toys leases is as follows: The Company paid $6.0 million to recapture the lease at Hudson Mall in Jersey City, NJ to accelerate the redevelopment of the property. The previous rent was well under-market at $0.43 per sf annually.

Raymour & Flanigan acquired the lease at Manalapan Commons in Manalapan, NJ.

Toys rejected its leases in Woodbridge, NJ, Union, NJ, Amherst, NY and Wilkes-Barre, PA in July 2018. Annual gross rent on these leases amounted to approximately $4.0 million. The Company is in active discussions to lease these spaces.

The remaining three leases are held in a separate Toys entity for which bankruptcy proceedings are ongoing and rent is current through July 2018. The three properties are located in the Bronx, NY, Cherry Hill, NJ, and Salem, NH. Development, Redevelopment and Anchor Repositioning Activity During the second quarter, the Company completed two redevelopment projects totaling $12.4 million at a blended yield of 13.6%, consisting of a 40,000 sf build-to-suit for Best Buy at Bergen Town Center and a new outparcel building at Marlton Commons for Shake Shack and honeygrow. The Company has $207 million of active redevelopment projects underway expected to generate a 7% unleveraged yield of which $87 million remains to be funded. The Company's largest projects include Bergen Town Center and Bruckner Commons. At Bergen, construction is underway on a 47,000 sf Burlington expected to open in spring 2019. Enhanced food offerings include Cava Grill, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and a daytime cafe. At Bruckner, ShopRite opened in June and Burlington opened in July. Disposition Activity On April 26, 2018, the Company sold MacArthur Commons in Allentown, PA for $55.3 million consistent with its plan to dispose of assets in non-core markets. The Company recognized a $50.4 million gain in connection with the sale. Balance Sheet Highlights at June 30, 2018(1)(3)(4) Total market capitalization of approximately $4.5 billion comprising 126.7 million, fully-diluted common shares valued at $2.9 billion and $1.6 billion of debt.

Net debt to total market capitalization of 24%.

Net debt to Adjusted Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization for real estate ("EBITDAre") of 4.6x.

$514.0 million of cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash, and no amounts drawn on the $600 million revolving credit facility.







(1) Refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Operating Metrics" for definitions and additional detail. (2) Refer to page 8 for a reconciliation of net income to FFO and FFO as Adjusted for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2018. (3) Refer to page 10 for a reconciliation of net income to EBITDAre and annualized Adjusted EBITDAre for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2018. (4) Net debt as of June 30, 2018 is calculated as total consolidated debt of $1.6 billion less total cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash, of $514.0 million.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company uses certain non-GAAP performance measures, in addition to the primary GAAP presentations, as we believe these measures improve the understanding of the Company's operational results. We continually evaluate the usefulness, relevance, limitations, and calculation of our reported non-GAAP performance measures to determine how best to provide relevant information to the investing public, and thus such reported measures are subject to change. The Company's non-GAAP performance measures have limitations as they do not include all items of income and expense that affect operations, and accordingly, should always be considered as supplemental financial results. The following non-GAAP measures are commonly used by the Company and investing public to understand and evaluate our operating results and performance: FFO: The Company believes FFO is a useful, supplemental measure of its operating performance that is a recognized metric used extensively by the real estate industry and, in particular REITs. FFO, as defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT") and the Company, is net income (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of depreciated real estate assets, real estate impairment losses, rental property depreciation and amortization expense. The Company believes that financial analysts, investors and shareholders are better served by the presentation of comparable period operating results generated from FFO primarily because it excludes the assumption that the value of real estate assets diminish predictably. FFO does not represent cash flows from operating activities in accordance with GAAP, should not be considered an alternative to net income as an indication of our performance, and is not indicative of cash flow as a measure of liquidity or our ability to make cash distributions.

FFO as Adjusted: The Company provides disclosure of FFO as Adjusted because it believes it is a useful supplemental measure of its core operating performance that facilitates comparability of historical financial periods. FFO as Adjusted is calculated by making certain adjustments to FFO to account for items the Company does not believe are representative of ongoing core operating results including non-comparable revenues and expenses. The Company's method of calculating FFO as Adjusted may be different from methods used by other REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such other REITs.

Cash NOI: The Company uses cash NOI internally to make investment and capital allocation decisions and to compare the unlevered performance of our properties to our peers. The Company believes cash NOI is useful to investors as a performance measure because, when compared across periods, cash NOI reflects the impact on operations from trends in occupancy rates, rental rates, operating costs and acquisition and disposition activity on an unleveraged basis, providing perspective not immediately apparent from operating income or net income. The Company calculates cash NOI using net income as defined by GAAP reflecting only those income and expense items that are incurred at the property level, adjusted for the following items: lease termination fees, bankruptcy settlement income, non-cash rental income and ground rent expense and income or expenses that we do not believe are representative of ongoing operating results, if any.

Same-property Cash NOI: The Company provides disclosure of cash NOI on a same-property basis, which includes the results of properties that were owned and operated for the entirety of the reporting periods being compared totaling 77 properties for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 and 75 properties for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017. Information provided on a same-property basis excludes properties under development, redevelopment or that involve anchor repositioning where a substantial portion of the gross leasable area ("GLA") is taken out of service and also excludes properties acquired, sold, or under contract to be sold during the periods being compared. As such, same-property cash NOI assists in eliminating disparities in net income due to the development, redevelopment, acquisition or disposition of properties during the periods presented, and thus provides a more consistent performance measure for the comparison of the operating performance of the Company's properties. While there is judgment surrounding changes in designations, a property is removed from the same-property pool when it is designated as a redevelopment property because it is undergoing significant renovation or retenanting pursuant to a formal plan that is expected to have a significant impact on its operating income. A development or redevelopment property is moved back to the same-property pool once a substantial portion of the NOI growth expected from the development or redevelopment is reflected in both the current and comparable prior year period, generally one year after at least 80% of the expected NOI from the project is realized on a cash basis. Acquisitions are moved into the same-property pool once we have owned the property for the entirety of the comparable periods and the property is not under significant development or redevelopment. The Company has also provided disclosure of cash NOI on a same-property basis adjusted to include redevelopment properties. Same-property cash NOI may include other adjustments as detailed in the Reconciliation of Net Income to cash NOI and same-property cash NOI included in the tables accompanying this press release.

EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre: EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre are supplemental, non-GAAP measures utilized by us in various financial ratios. The White Paper on EBITDAre, approved by NAREIT's Board of Governors in September 2017, defines EBITDAre as net income (computed in accordance with GAAP), adjusted for interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, losses and gains on the disposition of depreciated property, impairment write-downs of depreciated property and investments in unconsolidated joint ventures, and adjustments to reflect the entity's share of EBITDAre of unconsolidated joint ventures. EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre are presented to assist investors in the evaluation of REITs, as a measure of the Company's operational performance as they exclude various items that do not relate to or are not indicative of our operating performance and because they approximate key performance measures in our debt covenants. Accordingly, the Company believes that the use of EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre, as opposed to income before income taxes in various ratios, provides meaningful performance measures related to the Company's ability to meet various coverage tests for the stated periods. The Company also presents the ratio of net debt (net of cash) to annualized Adjusted EBITDAre as of June 30, 2018, and net debt (net of cash) to total market capitalization, which it believes is useful to investors as a supplemental measure in evaluating the Company's balance sheet leverage. The presentation of EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre are consistent with EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as presented in prior periods. The Company believes net income is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to the non-GAAP performance measures outlined above. Reconciliations of these measures to net income have been provided in the tables accompanying this press release. Operating Metrics The Company presents certain operating metrics related to our properties including occupancy, leasing activity and rental rates. Operating metrics are used by the Company and are useful to investors in facilitating an understanding of the operational performance for our properties. Occupancy metrics represent the percentage of occupied gross leasable area based on executed leases (including properties in development and redevelopment) and includes leases signed, but for which rent has not yet commenced. Same-property retail portfolio occupancy includes shopping centers and malls that have been owned and operated for the entirety of the reporting periods being compared totaling 77 properties for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 and 75 properties for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017. Occupancy metrics presented for the Company's same-property retail portfolio excludes properties under development, redevelopment or that involve anchor repositioning where a substantial portion of the gross leasable area is taken out of service and also excludes properties acquired within the past 12 months, properties sold, or under contract to be sold during the periods being compared. Executed new leases, renewals and exercised options are presented on a same-space basis. Same-space leases represent those leases signed on spaces for which there was a previous lease with comparable gross leasable area. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION For a copy of the Company's supplemental disclosure package, please access the "Investors" section of UE's website at www.uedge.com. Our website also includes other financial information, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports. ABOUT URBAN EDGE Urban Edge Properties is a NYSE listed real estate investment trust focused on managing, acquiring, developing, and redeveloping retail real estate in urban communities, primarily in the New York metropolitan region. Urban Edge owns 88 properties totaling 16.3 million square feet of gross leasable area. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements contained in this Press Release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They represent our intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Our future results, financial condition and business may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. You can find many of these statements by looking for words such as "approximates," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "would," "may" or other similar expressions in this Press Release. Many of the factors that will determine the outcome of these and our other forward-looking statements are beyond our ability to control or predict; these factors include, among others, the Company's ability to complete its active development, redevelopment and anchor repositioning projects, the Company's ability to pursue, finance and complete acquisition opportunities, the Company's ability to engage in the projects in its planned expansion and redevelopment pipeline, the Company's ability to achieve the estimated unleveraged returns for such projects and acquisitions, the estimated remediation and repair costs related to Hurricane Maria at the affected properties. For further discussion of factors that could materially affect the outcome of our forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and the other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Press Release. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this Press Release. URBAN EDGE PROPERTIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except share and per share amounts) June 30, December 31, 2018 2017 ASSETS Real estate, at cost: Land $ 530,658 $ 521,669 Buildings and improvements 2,060,960 2,010,527 Construction in progress 125,664 133,761 Furniture, fixtures and equipment 6,615 5,897 Total 2,723,897 2,671,854 Accumulated depreciation and amortization (616,284 ) (587,127 ) Real estate, net 2,107,613 2,084,727 Cash and cash equivalents 500,930 490,279 Restricted cash 13,057 10,562 Tenant and other receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $6,176 and $4,937, respectively 23,017 20,078 Receivable arising from the straight-lining of rents, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $562 and $494, respectively 84,378 85,843 Identified intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $39,770 and $33,827, respectively 76,310 87,249 Deferred leasing costs, net of accumulated amortization of $15,809 and $14,796, respectively 20,291 20,268 Deferred financing costs, net of accumulated amortization of $2,252 and $1,740, respectively 2,731 3,243 Prepaid expenses and other assets 12,228 18,559 Total assets $ 2,840,555 $ 2,820,808 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Liabilities: Mortgages payable, net $ 1,551,788 $ 1,564,542 Accounts payable and accrued expenses 80,768 69,595 Identified intangible liabilities, net of accumulated amortization of $68,938 and $65,832, respectively 168,540 180,959 Other liabilities 17,527 15,171 Total liabilities 1,818,623 1,830,267 Commitments and contingencies Shareholders' equity: Common shares: $0.01 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized and 114,004,276 and 113,827,529 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 1,140 1,138 Additional paid-in capital 950,958 946,402 Accumulated deficit (33,307 ) (57,621 ) Noncontrolling interests: Operating partnership 102,714 100,218 Consolidated subsidiaries 427 404 Total equity 1,021,932 990,541 Total liabilities and equity $ 2,840,555 $ 2,820,808 URBAN EDGE PROPERTIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (In thousands, except share and per share amounts) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 REVENUE Property rentals $ 74,546 $ 64,708 $ 144,268 $ 127,206 Tenant expense reimbursements 26,222 23,881 54,894 47,652 Management and development fees 347 351 689 830 Income from acquired leasehold interest - - - 39,215 Other income 855 561 1,172 662 Total revenue 101,970 89,501 201,023 215,565 EXPENSES Depreciation and amortization 30,441 23,701 51,711 39,529 Real estate taxes 15,587 14,711 31,362 28,103 Property operating 20,492 11,088 37,159 24,456 General and administrative 8,236 7,841 15,877 15,973 Casualty and impairment loss (gain), net 35 303 (1,306 ) 3,467 Ground rent 2,752 2,436 5,488 5,106 Provision for doubtful accounts 1,273 906 2,509 1,099 Total expenses 78,816 60,986 142,800 117,733 Operating income 23,154 28,515 58,223 97,832 Gain on sale of real estate 50,440 - 50,440 - Interest income 2,031 336 3,555 463 Interest and debt expense (15,659 ) (13,627 ) (31,303 ) (26,742 ) Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt - - 2,524 (1,274 ) Income before income taxes 59,966 15,224 83,439 70,279 Income tax expense (192 ) (304 ) (626 ) (624 ) Net income 59,774 14,920 82,813 69,655 Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in: Operating partnership (6,025 ) (1,326 ) (8,353 ) (5,464 ) Consolidated subsidiaries (12 ) (11 ) (23 ) (22 ) Net income attributable to common shareholders $ 53,737 $ 13,583 $ 74,437 $ 64,169 Earnings per common share - Basic: $ 0.47 $ 0.13 $ 0.65 $ 0.63 Earnings per common share - Diluted: $ 0.47 $ 0.13 $ 0.65 $ 0.63 Weighted average shares outstanding - Basic 113,739 104,063 113,708 101,863 Weighted average shares outstanding - Diluted 113,942 104,260 114,151 111,224 Reconciliation of Net Income to FFO and FFO as Adjusted The following table reflects the reconciliation of net income to FFO and FFO as Adjusted for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018. Net income is considered the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" on page 3 for a description of FFO and FFO as Adjusted. Three Months Ended

June 30, 2018 Six Months Ended

June 30, 2018 (in thousands) (per share) (in thousands) (per share) Net income $ 59,774 $ 0.47 $ 82,813 $ 0.65 Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in: Operating partnership (6,025 ) (0.05 ) (8,353 ) (0.07 ) Consolidated subsidiaries (12 ) - (23 ) - Net income attributable to common shareholders 53,737 0.42 74,437 0.58 Adjustments: Rental property depreciation and amortization 30,258 0.24 51,330 0.41 Gain on sale of real estate (50,440 ) (0.40 ) (50,440 ) (0.40 ) Limited partnership interests in operating partnership 6,025 0.05 8,353 0.07 FFO applicable to diluted common shareholders 39,580 0.31 83,680 0.66 Tenant bankruptcy settlement income (114 ) - (278 ) - Casualty gain, net(3) (108 ) - (688 ) (0.01 ) Impact of Toys "R" Us, Inc. lease terminations(2) 1,875 0.02 1,875 0.02 Environmental remediation costs 334 - 584 - Tax impact from hurricane 58 - 226 - Gain on extinguishment of debt - - (2,524 ) (0.02 ) FFO as Adjusted applicable to diluted common shareholders $ 41,625 $ 0.33 $ 82,875 $ 0.65 Weighted average diluted shares used to calculate EPS 113,942 114,151 Assumed conversion of OP and LTIP Units to common shares(1) 12,660 12,443 Weighted average diluted common shares - FFO 126,602 126,594 (1) Operating Partnership ("OP") and Long-Term Incentive Plan ("LTIP") Units are excluded from the calculation of earnings per diluted share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 because their inclusion is anti-dilutive. FFO includes earnings allocated to unitholders as the inclusion of these units is dilutive to FFO per share. (2) Amount reflects a $6.0 million lease termination payment (classified within property operating expense) and $1.0 million of a provision for doubtful accounts for reserves recorded on straight-line rents, partially offset by the write-off of $5.1 million of below-market intangible liabilities (classified within property rental revenues). (3) The following amount reflects insurance proceeds net of losses as a result of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, in September 2017, and a tornado in Wilkes-Barre, PA, in June 2018: (in thousands) Three Months Ended

June 30, 2018 Six Months Ended

June 30, 2018 Insurance proceeds, net of casualty related expenses $ (35 ) $ 1,306 Reversal of provision for doubtful accounts on previously reserved balances 408 227 Property rental and tenant reimbursement losses (265 ) (845 ) Casualty gain, net $ 108 $ 688 Reconciliation of Net Income to Cash NOI and Same-Property Cash NOI The following table reflects the reconciliation of net income to cash NOI, same-property cash NOI and same-property cash NOI including properties in redevelopment for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017. Net income is considered the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" on page 3 for a description of cash NOI and same-property cash NOI. Three Months Ended

June 30, Six Months Ended

June 30, (Amounts in thousands) 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net income $ 59,774 $ 14,920 $ 82,813 $ 69,655 Management and development fee income from non-owned properties (347 ) (351 ) (689 ) (830 ) Other expense (income) 4 (22 ) (73 ) (86 ) Depreciation and amortization 30,441 23,701 51,711 39,529 General and administrative expense 8,236 7,841 15,877 15,973 Casualty and impairment loss (gain), net(5) 35 303 (1,306 ) 3,467 Gain on sale of real estate (50,440 ) - (50,440 ) - Interest income (2,031 ) (336 ) (3,555 ) (463 ) Interest and debt expense 15,659 13,627 31,303 26,742 (Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt - - (2,524 ) 1,274 Income tax expense 192 304 626 624 Non-cash revenue and expenses (6,792 ) (1,452 ) (9,081 ) (42,253 ) Cash NOI(1) 54,731 58,535 114,662 113,632 Adjustments: Non-same property cash NOI(1)(2) (11,095 ) (9,073 ) (25,029 ) (19,099 ) Tenant bankruptcy settlement and lease termination income (813 ) (486 ) (977 ) (513 ) Natural disaster related operating (gain) loss(3) (128 ) - 178 - Lease termination payment 6,000 - 6,000 - Environmental remediation costs 334 - 584 - Same-property cash NOI(6) $ 49,029 $ 48,976 $ 95,418 $ 94,020 Cash NOI related to properties being redeveloped(4) 4,830 4,650 9,721 9,309 Same-property cash NOI including properties in redevelopment(6) $ 53,859 $ 53,626 $ 105,139 $ 103,329 (1) Cash NOI is calculated as total property revenues less property operating expenses excluding the net effects of non-cash rental income and non-cash ground rent expense. (2) Non-same property cash NOI includes cash NOI related to properties being redeveloped and properties acquired or disposed. (3) Amount reflects rental and tenant reimbursement losses as well as provisions or reversal of provisions for outstanding amounts due from tenants at Las Catalinas and Wilkes-Barre, PA that are subject to reimbursement from the insurance company. (4) The result for the six months ended June 30, 2018, excludes $0.5 million of rental and tenant reimbursement losses, partially offset by a $0.1 million reversal of provisions for payments received from tenants at Montehiedra that are subject to reimbursement from the insurance company. (5) The results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 reflect insurance proceeds offset by hurricane-related expenses. The three and six months ended June 30, 2017 reflect real estate impairment losses recorded as a result of the sale of our property in Eatontown, NJ. (6) Results for the second quarter of 2018 were negatively impacted by lower NOI at Las Catalinas Mall in Puerto Rico, primarily due to tenant vacancies and rent reductions, and lower NOI at Bergen Town Center and The Shops at Bruckner due to expected vacancies on spaces planned for redevelopment. Excluding these amounts, same-property cash NOI would have increased by 3.2% for the quarter and same-property cash NOI including properties in redevelopment would have increased by 3.3% for the quarter: Three Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 Percent Change Same-property cash NOI $ 49,029 $ 48,976 0.1% Less: Cash NOI of Las Catalinas, Bergen Town Center, and The Shops at Bruckner (10,190 ) (11,340 ) Same-property cash NOI excluding items above 38,839 37,636 3.2% Cash NOI related to properties being redeveloped 4,830 4,650 Same-property cash NOI including properties in redevelopment excluding items above $ 43,669 $ 42,286 3.3% Reconciliation of Net Income to EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre The following table reflects the reconciliation of net income to EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018. Net income is considered the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" on page 3 for a description of EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre. Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (Amounts in thousands) 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net income $ 59,774 $ 14,920 $ 82,813 $ 69,655 Depreciation and amortization 30,441 23,701 51,711 39,529 Interest and debt expense 15,659 13,627 31,303 26,742 Income tax expense 192 304 626 624 Gain on sale of real estate (50,440 ) - (50,440 ) - Real estate impairment loss - 303 - 3,467 EBITDAre 55,626 52,855 116,013 140,017 Adjustments for Adjusted EBITDAre: Casualty gain, net(1) (108 ) - (688 ) - Tenant bankruptcy settlement income (114 ) (486 ) (278 ) (513 ) Impact of Toys "R" Us, Inc. lease terminations(2) 1,875 - 1,875 - Environmental remediation costs 334 - 584 - Transaction costs - 132 - 183 (Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt - - (2,524 ) 1,274 Income from acquired leasehold interest - - - (39,215 ) Adjusted EBITDAre $ 57,613 $ 52,501 $ 114,982 $ 101,746 (1) Refer to footnote 3 on page 8, Reconciliation of Net Income to FFO and FFO as Adjusted, for the adjustments included in this line item. (2) Amount reflects a $6.0 million lease termination payment and a $1.0 million reserve against receivables from straight line rents, partially offset by the write-off of $5.1 million of below-market intangible liabilities. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005925/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] MBIA Inc. Investor Conference Call to Discuss Second Quarter Financial Results Scheduled for Thursday, August 9 at 8:00 A.M. Eastern Time

MBIA Inc. (NYSE:MBI) will host a webcast and conference call for investors on Thursday, August 9 at 8:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss its second quarter 2018 financial results and other issues related to the Company. The dial-in number for the call is (877) 694-4769 in the U.S. and (404) 665-9935 from outside the U.S. The conference call code is 2777679. The conference call will consist of brief comments on the second quarter 2018 results followed by a question and answer session for investors. MBIA's financial results press release and 10-Q filing will be issued after the market closes on Wednesday, August 8, 2018. The financial results release, 10-Q and other disclosures will be posted on the Company's website, www.mbia.com, prior to the start of the conference call.



A replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the completion of the call on August 9 until 11:59 p.m. on August 23 by dialing (800) 585-8367 in the U.S. or (404) 537-3406 from outside the U.S. The replay call code is 2777679. The replay of the call will also be available on the Company's website. MBIA Inc., headquartered in Purchase, New York, is a holding company whose subsidiaries provide financial guarantee insurance for the public and structured finance markets. Please visit MBIA's website at www.mbia.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801006039/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][August 01, 2018] VCA Animal Hospitals Offers Free Boarding for Pets Affected by Northern California Wildfires

VCA Animal Hospitals throughout Northern California are offering free boarding assistance for small animals, including dogs, cats, birds and pocket pets to families impacted by the area wildfires, including the Carr, Ferguson, Mendocino and Lake County fires. VCA is proud that despite the disastrous effects of the Carr Fire in the Redding area, two hospitals who were not directly in the evacuation zone remained open to care for the needs of patients. "Following the initial days of this devastating situation, our teams from all three local hospitals are proud to have cared for over 300 displaced pets and will continue to welcome more as long as space is available," said Art Antin, Chief Operating Officer of VCA Animal Hospitals. "All of us are concerned for the welfare of families and their pets across Northern California and are ready to help those in need." Boarding assistance at participating Northern California VCA Animal Hospitals is based on space availability. Pets should be current on vaccinations, but in case they are not, VCA veterinarians will update vaccinations free of charge. VCA will also offer a free health assessment exam for pets that have been evacuated or displaced because of the fires. Pet owners who have been evacuated due to the fires and need help boarding their pets are encouraged to contact the Northern California VCA hospital nearest them to check on availability.



"We recognize the valuable work being done by Animal Rescue Foundation and have donated $20,000 for an x-ray machine that will assist in the fire relief," said Brandon Antin, Vice President of Social Responsibility & Innovation. "From the first of August to August 30th, VCA hospitals will be fundraising with VCA Charities to support the animal relief organizations who have come together to aid animals across Northern California." For those who wish to help, please visit a local VCA Animal Hospital or www.vcacharities.org to donate.

About VCA Animal Hospitals VCA Animal Hospitals operates more than 850 small animal veterinary hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. The hospitals are staffed by more than 4,700 fully qualified, dedicated and compassionate veterinarians to give pets the very best in medical care, of which over 525 are board-certified specialists who are experts in areas such as Oncology, Cardiology, Emergency & Critical Care, and Surgery for animals. VCA Animal Hospitals provides a full range of general practice services to keep pets well and specialized treatments when pets are ill. For more information, visit VCAhospitals.com or follow on Twitter (News - Alert) @vcapethealth and facebook.com/VCAAnimalHospitals/. VCA is a leading provider of pet health care services in the country delivered through more than 850 small animal veterinary hospitals in the U.S. and Canada, a preeminent nationwide clinical laboratory system that services all 50 states and Canada (Antech Diagnostics), the leading animal diagnostic imaging company in the market (Sound), and Camp Bow Wow (CBW), the nation's Premier Doggy Day and Overnight Camp franchise, an Inc. 5000 company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801006074/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]The president of the Pan African Women's Organisation (PAWO), Assetou Koite, says Africa must recognise and honour the contribution of women to the decolonisation of the continent and take action to advance gender equality.

UN Photo/Marco Castro

Change comes from within

Mainstreaming gender politics

Dealing with gender-based violence

Our continent historically has been blessed with numerous female revolutionaries. Moreover, what is evident is that PAWO has become a transnational feminist movement. This movement has been instrumental in forging international consensus on a rights-based approach to women's rights, Koite said on Tuesday, 31 July.She was speaking at the 2018 Pan African Womens Day held at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in Tshwane. The event was hosted by DIRCO in collaboration with PAWO under the theme Celebrating a Legacy of Liberation by the Pan African Women: Taking forward the Struggle for Gender Equality.The celebration marked the 56th anniversary of the formation of PAWO and was an opportunity to highlight its achievements. It focused on revitalising PAWO, as well as building a progressive womens movement in Africa. The celebration coincided with the 100th year commemoration of the formation of the Bantu Womens League and comes on the eve of South Africa entering Women's Month in August.Koite said continental and sub-regional influences seem to have a bigger impact on driving the agenda for changing the status of women.They are perhaps more important than global transnational influences as a vehicle for changing the status of women. Today, most of the impetus for change comes from within Africa and from regional-level networks.This may explain why there is greater openness to these changing norms at present, even as resistance to advancing women's rights continues. Africa has, for example, emerged as a global leader in promoting women's leadership in politics, Koite said.She stressed the importance for a formation like PAWO to unite and organise women who are skilled, educated, and gifted with leadership and organisational skills, to ensure that gender equality truly manifests itself in society.We must ask ourselves what it means to move the baton from Queen Nzinga, Jean Martin Cisse, Maria Ruth Neto, Winnie Madikizela Mandela, Gertrude Mongella, Wangari Mathaii, Albertina Sisulu and many others to the next generation.How do we recalibrate the womens movement so that it can continue to champion issues which relate to the plight of women? What does it mean to reimagine a society [that can] achieve real gender equality? Koite said.PAWO secretary-general and communications deputy minister Pinky Kekana called on women organisations to support government in its programmes aimed at addressing gender issues.We now have to make the gender agenda an agenda for everybody, Kekana said, adding that sufficient resources must be put behind womens programmes.The deputy minister of telecommunications and postal services, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, expressed her appreciation to the women who took part in the struggle for emancipation, saying this paved the way for todays generation, who are now beneficiaries of the struggle.We have a responsibility to appreciate where [they] come from and what [they] went through for us to be where we are, Ndabeni-Abrahams said.She urged women in positions of authority to ensure that they push wherever they are, and encourage government and the private sector to play their part in striving to get a better deal for women.The founder of Youth Unite, Victoria De Beer, said gender-based violence (GBV) will continue to be a serious issue, as long as the root cause is not dealt with.We need to stand up and deal with those issues and say enough is enough, De Beer said.Government, meanwhile, has called on all men to sign the #100MenMarch Pledge , and boldly declare that violence against women and children will not be tolerated in their respective environment or communities.New York, NY -- At a global press conference and demonstration in New York City, Sony launched a line of new flagship displays it hopes will take the crown as the leading 4K TVs this year.

The announcement came along with news of a new proprietary feature from the leading streaming player, Netflix, that will only be available on Sony sets.

The new sets will appear under the Bravia Master Series moniker. The two new lines comprise the Sony A9F OLED TVs (in 55- and 65-inch sizes) and the Z9F LCD TVs (in 65- and 75-inch sizes). The TVs all feature the next-generation Sony Picture Processor X1 Ultimate, which is responsible for a lot of the heavy lifting in video processing, and the Netflix Calibration Mode, a special setting for matching streaming Ultra HD 4K HDR and other Netflix content to the TV's particular display characteristics.

The OLED and LCD models will also feature some of their own enhancements. The OLED A9F sets, for example, have a beefed up Acoustic Surface Audio+ sound system that turns the glass of the display into 3 separate speakers (left, right, and center). On the other side, the LCD Z9F gets better motion correction and improved viewing angles (called X-Wide Angle) so that everyone on the couch will see the same colors on screen.

Sony didn't provide prices or precise debut dates (the sets will be available "this fall"), but it did give reporters an up close, detailed look at various aspects of the new sets.

What Is Netflix Calibrated Mode?

Essentially, Netflix Calibrated Mode (NCM) is a special setting for decoding and displaying 4K content from Netflix on Sony Master Series TVs. It tries to recreate the picture the way it was originally mastered by the director in the studio.



The NCM setting is located in the built-in Netflix app on the Master Series sets. Once it's triggered, NCM can adjust the picture according to the specific abilities of the TV. The idea is to use all of the set's capabilities and yet also recognize the differences between, say, an OLED and LCD TV and so boost or reduce particular aspects of the picture to cater to that model's particular strengths.

MORE: 30 Best Netflix Movies to Stream Now

Netflix says the Netflix Calibrated Mode can be used for any content streaming from the service but where it really makes a difference is in Ultra HD material. The company says it has about 400 hours of HDR content already and about 2,000 hours of 4K programming. In demonstrations using scenes from Lost in Space, Rain, and Glow, the Netflix Calibrated Mode looked detailed, crisp, and alive.

Dark scenes from Stranger Things, for example, looked clearer and revealed details in shadows in the Upside Down that would be lost on other sets. The effectiveness of NCM, however, will ultimately depend on the speed of your broadband connection.

Sony and Netflix called Netflix Calibrated Mode "exclusive" to Sony. But Netflix repeatedly reminded reporters about how it rolled out other features across different devices and apps. So don't surprised if the company introduces similar picture enhancements in the future on other TVs that have sufficient video processing power. (Sony didn't rule out the possibility of NCM appearing in other Sony TVs in the future.)

How did they look?

Sony uses LG's OLED panels as the basis for its own OLED TVs. So Sony has been doing extensive work to prove it can do better with the same technology. The A9F is the culmination of those efforts, and Sony didn't shy away from showing off its new model next to an LG E8 OLED.



Watching a series of 4K HDR10 scenes, we compared the two sets in similar preset video modes (cinema mode with most of the enhancements turned off). For comparison, an RGB OLED Sony BVM-X300 monitor, employed by many directors to master movies, was used as a reference point.

The Sony A9F looked remarkably like the reference monitor in many scenes. It couldn't quite render some very muted details but in the same scenes the LG set completely blacked out the same picture elements. LG's E8 also had a tendency to drift more toward the blue end of the spectrum in shadowy scenes. On the other hand, the Sony A9F softened some of the bright pinpoint highlights, such as a bright area of a boy's T-shirt in It, compared to the original. So there are still tradeoffs to be made.

MORE: Best Smart TVs - The Best 4K and HD Televisions for the Money

Conversely, Sony's experience in video processing and color work is a conspicuous advantage. OLED can have difficulty rendering realistic reds, for example, so LG tends to push that end of the spectrum, overcompensating and making some elements look too ruddy or garish. Sony's A9F, on the other hand, managed to tune in the reds and pinks perfectly, making skin tones look more realistic.

Some of these differences are subtle and one almost needs to see the original RGB OLED mastering monitor to detect the differences. But for discerning movie fans, every extra hue and image detail is worth it. We'll see exactly how much it's worth when Sony announces prices closer to the launch time.

Serious Sound

If the picture doesn't sell you on the A9F OLED flagship model, Sony is hoping its unique sound system will. Building on the previous model's design, the set uses the front glass of the TV as a speaker. Actuators attached to the back of the glass vibrate the whole panel so that sound seems to emanate directly from an actor's mouth. (It's supplemented by two subwoofers in the back of the panel.)



For the A9F, Sony has boosted the decibel levels by boosting the power from 50 watts to 98 watts total. It's also added new transducers and a third acoustic section to the glass, creating two stereo and now one center channel speaker.

The beefed up system certainly sounded louder--easily filling a medium sized conference room with music--and with the center channel, dialogue stayed put in the center of the sound stage even when you moved around. So the effect created a more natural sound experience. Another major benefit: If you want to use your own home theater surround system, you still can--and use the Sony A9F's screen as the center channel. This proved to be a very effective setup, turning it very much into a movie theater-like experience.

MORE: Best Soundbars - Here Are the Best Sounding for the Money

Alas, the odd angled tabletop stand for the A9F is still in place. Although you can mount the set vertically on a wall, the tabletop stand cannot be adjusted. So if you do situate it on a surface the screen tilts back at a slight angle. This can be a godsend or a nightmare, depending on the lighting in your room. In rooms with large windows, sunlight will be ameliorated, but in places with ceiling lights the reflections will bounce annoyingly off the screen.

A Better LCD

On the LCD side of the Bravia Master Series--which uses a more conventional two-legged stand--the Z9F demonstrated some strengths of its own. Chief among those was the improved horizontal viewing angles. Inherent in LCD displays is a tendency to reduce brightness and washout or distort colors the more you move away from the dead center sweet spot viewing position.

Through a combination of backlighting and special lenses inside the set (the company wouldn't say more), Sony has eliminated much of the color distortion; it's even better than last year's top Sony models, which were already pretty good.

In the never ending quest to reduce blurring in fast action scenes or in content with fast moving objects, Sony is using its more powerful X1 processor and some tricky backlighting to sharpen the picture. LCD and so-called quantum dot TVs can only achieve a 120-Hz refresh rate, which can make rapid action look as if it's out of focus. So the Z9F uses frame interpolation (inserting black pictures) and a full-array LED backlight with active local dimming to brighten or darken specific parts of the screen.

MORE: Best Cheap 4K TVs (Under $500), Ranked from Best to Worst

Sony won't say how many zones (or independently operated sections) is in the backlight, but there are enough individual zones to allow it to focus on particular objects in a scene to improve detail and sharpness. (It also greatly helps in images that have both extreme light and dark elements.)

We didn't get to test the feature with our own favorite challenging scenes, but with 4K video of trains in Prague, terracotta tiled roofs, and other travelogues, the Z9F was definitely sharper than Sony's previous generation. While you couldn't point to particular artifacts or noise, the older Sony sets had a softness compared to the new X1 equipped LCDs.

The Z9F LCD set also demonstrated some of its superior video processing alongside a Samsung Q9F quantum dot set. The Sony Z9F, for example, was able to smooth out the color transitions in the setting sun sky of Revenant versus the Samsung model, which revealed some unintentional banding of colors above the horizon. The Sony LCD also looked more accurate in rendering some colors, particularly bright blues, when compared to the original mastering monitor.

Additional Features: Google Assistant, Same Lame Remote



Sony continues to use the Android TV interface for apps and searching for content. We still find the system flexible yet easy to navigate. Apps are updated regularly and all the popular streaming services are available. There's also Google Assistant, if you just want to talk to your TV. Unfortunately, Sony hasn't changed its remote controls--and that's definitely a bad thing. The confusing four-way directional pad surrounded by a circle of unrelated buttons will frustrate most users.



One thing that should please videophiles is a new built-in calibration feature from Calman. It means that people who want to adjust the Master Series sets to best suit the lighting characteristics of their particular room can now do so more easily. Usually it takes several hours to perform the appropriate tests, but Calman has worked with Sony to provide an easier calibration setup mode. You still need a pattern generator, connected laptop with the software, and a light meter, but Calman has cut the calibration time down from hours to minutes.



Sony's goal with the new Master Series TVs is to deliver a picture as close to and as faithful to what the director intended as possible. The company acknowledges the sets still aren't perfect, but as Kazuo Kii, a senior vice president at Sony said, they believe these TVs will be "the best of the best." Come this fall, we'll put that claim to the test in our labs.

Photo credits: SonyBenny Marty / Shutterstock.com

A Google whistleblower revealed to The Intercept that the company secretly plans to bring back its search engine to China, but search terms about human rights, democracy, religion, and peaceful protests will be censored. Many believe this move will normalize China's censorship, which may spread to other nations that choose to use its system as a template.

The plan is part of project Dragonfly, a mobile search app that Google believes will offer better research results than Chinese competitor Baidu. However, the app will also censor many news and information sites such as BBC and Wikipedia, and it will blacklist sensitive queries that the Chinese Community Party may not want its citizens to discover. The project was known only to a few hundred employees inside the company, similar to how Project Maven was also kept secret, as the leadership feared backlash from the more ethical employees.

Im against large companies and governments collaborating in the oppression of their people, and feel like transparency around whats being done is in the public interest, the Google employee told the publication.

He also feared that what is done in China will become a template for many other nations.

Patrick Poon, a Hong Kong-based researcher with human rights group Amnesty International, told The Intercept that Googles return to China signifies a win for the Chinese government and its censorship regime. According to him if the worlds largest organizer of information in the world agrees to Chinas censorship terms, then it sends the message that nobody else should bother challenging the Chinese censorship, either.

Googles Brief Absence In China

Back in 2010, Google made the decision to exit China. The primary reason over this was the fact that the Chinese government was forcing the company to censor search results. However, only months earlier, the Chinese government had hacked Googles servers, which likely played a major role in the decision to quit China, too.

Google was never the dominant search player in China. Its main competitor, the local search engine company Baidu, had the dominant position, so it wasnt that difficult for Google to make that decision at the time.

Since then, Google has developed Android into what some would say is a global mobile operating system monopoly, which has made the company billions of dollars. However, although Android is used by all Chinese smartphone manufacturers, the Google Play Store isnt. According to a previous report, the Chinese spent $35 billion on mobile apps in 2017 alone, so Google missed on all of that revenue, despite its mobile OS dominating China.

Recently, Google started making some moves in China such as launching several new apps for the Chinese market, as well as investing $550 million into JD.com, an ecommerce giant in China.People hate passwords. That's why so many people use the same basic password across multiple websitesand that in turn is why so many data breaches reach much further than most would expect. It's just not secure to use simple passwords, reuse passwords across multiple services, or share passwords with other people. Web Authentication attempts to offer the best of both worlds by letting people abandon passwords for more convenient and secure options, and now that it's supported by Microsoft Edge, the specification will continue to expand.

Web Authentication lets people use facial recognition, fingerprint scanners, FIDO2 devices and PINs instead of passwords. All of these mechanisms have trade offsfacial recognition and fingerprint scanning can be fooled, and FIDO2 devices require you to carry an extra gadget aroundbut they can still be considered more convenient than memorizing and entering secure passwords. Most people won't remember something like "iH%#xP2v3Ab%R!n," and even if they do, who wants to type that? If one isn't willing to use a password manager, secure passwords can be wildly inconvenient.

Microsoft thinks passwords need to go the way of the dodo. Here's what the company said in a blog post this week about supporting Web Authentication:

"Staying secure on the web is more important than ever. We trust web sites to process credit card numbers, save addresses and personal information and even to handle sensitive records like medical information. All this data is protected by an ancient security modelthe password. But passwords are difficult to remember and are fundamentally insecureoften re-used and vulnerable to phishing and cracking."

The company also said Edge's implementation of Web Authentication "provides the most complete support for Web Authentication to date, with support for a wider variety of authenticators than other browsers." That's because it supports Windows Hello, which already lets Windows 10 users access their devices via facial recognition or fingerprint scanning, as well as the more standard FIDO2 devices. (Not everyone wants to evangelize Windows Hello. Apple probably doesn't care to support it with Safari, for example. But FIDO2 devices are platform agnostic.)

Microsoft likely wanted to blow its own horn regarding Edge's support for Web Authentication because it's actually a beat behind Google and Mozilla. The former added beta support for Web Authentication to Chrome in May, and the latter did the same with Firefox that same month. But it's still good that Microsoft is adding support for Web Authentication to Edge, not just because Edge users should be afforded the same options as their Chrome and Firefox-using counterparts, but also because it means the call to enable people to abandon passwords will continue to grow.

Web Authentication support is currently available in the version of Edge shipping with Windows Insider Preview Build 17723.More Deets On The Demise Of Screw

KC teen charged with murder in deadly shooting of 15-year-old to be tried as an adult KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A teen already facing murder charges in connection with the deadly shooting of a 15-year-old will stand trial as an adult. Andrew Rodriquez, 17, faces one count of second-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action, one count of first-degree assault and one count of first-degree robbery in the death of 15-year-old Jesus Reyes.

Golden Ghetto Youngster Gun Control

10-year-old boy accidentally discharges firearm at New Century Fieldhouse According to a Johnson County Parks & Recreation Department spokesman, a 10-year-old boy "accidentally discharged a firearm he had brought in his backpack" at New Century Fieldhouse. Richard Smalley with Johnson County Parks & Rec said the boy was attending a district day camp at New Century Fieldhouse when the firearm discharged around 11 a.m.

KCK Police Push Back

Wyandotte County sheriff, KCK police chief ask Kansas AG to halt 'Conviction Integrity Unit' KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Wyandotte County's district attorney is one step closer to creating a "Conviction Integrity Unit." DA Mark Dupree said he's already reviewed 200 cases and found at least 19 that warrant a closer look. But some top law enforcement leaders are trying to hold up the process.

Local BBQ Ripoff Alleged

Olathe restaurant allegedly used customer's credit card The owner of an Olathe barbeque restaurant has denied using a customer's credit card for a spending spree. Matthew Sander, owner of Smokin' Joe's Bar-B-Q, was ordered Monday to stand trial on 24 felony and misdemeanor financial charges. An attorney for Sander entered not guilty pleas for him.

Kansas City Road Rage Aftermath

Friends of 57-year-old killed after minor crash, argument frustrated with senseless violence KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A 19-year-old is facing charges in the deadly shooting of a 57-year-old after a minor crash, but the victim's family and friends say their hearts are still aching after the senseless violence. Trevyon Shepheard is behind bars.

Meth Town Murder Review

Independence woman to profile unsolved murders on YouTube An Independence mother is expanding her nonprofit Corey's Network to profile the stories of unsolved murders on YouTube. "As long as a murderer is out there, they're still able to do it again," Michelle Metje said. Her son, Corey Laykovich, was stabbed walking home from a QuikTrip in 2013, and the crime went unsolved until 2017.

Nasty Charges Confront This Suspect

Raytown man charged after admitting to about 50 sexual encounters with young girl RAYTOWN, Mo. -- A 27-year-old Raytown man is now facing charges after admitting to sexually abusing a young Independence girl approximately 50 times over the past two years. Zachary Sprowls has been charged with five counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, one count of first-degree statutory rape, one count of second-degree child molestation, and two counts of statutory sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy.

Quick news links regarding all of today's crime news in one convenient compilation . . .And this is thefor right now . . .STAY TUNED!!!

Think of this post merely as a placeholder of sorts and a testament to sketchy & racy KCMO real life that isn't openly sold to theOn deck for the morning update we've got more election news, a bevy of local links and continued drama betwixt political power brokers . . .NE News: Domestic violence ordinance held in City Hall committee

"An ordinance that would allow domestic violence victims to terminate their lease agreements was held by the Neighborhoods and Public Safety (N&PS) committee on after nearly two hours of debate and testimony on the legislation failed to generate consensus."

Follow-up on City Hall challenges in protecting victims from the mistakes they've committed . . .Deets:The reality is that this effort has the right spirit but can easily be abused and serve as a loophole to get out of paying rent.They're going to talk about it again today amid increasing push back from landlords and legal questions.Developing . . .Food truck operators now faced with fees in the Crossroads Food trucks planning to park in the Crossroads for First Fridays are now required to pay a fee. Truck operators say its a steep rice and it could impact whether your favorite food trucks are at the event. Adrian Gardner has sold food during the event for 14 years.

New neighbors near the loop arein order to pass arbitrary rules without any checks or balances. A social media page or e-mail list starts the folly that usually ends with embarrassing public disputes. Accordingly, here's more info on locals looking to claim ownership ofstreets with a sketchy semblance of authority . . ."According to the group, Missouri has the 10th highest gap between black and white K-12 students in the nation for out-of-school suspensions."

Missouri Schools' Biased Disciplinary Policies Worsen: ACLU ST. LOUIS, MO - New data from the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri shows the state's public schools are not only failing students of color and students with disabilities, they're getting worse. According to the group, Missouri has the 10th highest gap between black and white K-12 students in the nation for out-of-school suspensions.

Here's today's lesson in alleged disparity and the latest results of an ongoing study in an effort to enrage middle-aged to senior middle-class denizens & former teachers.Read more . . .Kansas City police are asking for help in finding three people who robbed a McDonald's last month. Police said the trio walked into the restaurant at 6701 Front St. at 12:45 a.m. on July 7 and demanded money. Anyone who recognizes the robbers is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.







Huff Post: American Nuns Decry Sexual Abuse Of Religious Sisters By Priests

Kansas City Doggie Confusion

KCMO soliciting public feedback on animal code ordinance, but for what entity? When the City of Kansas City, Missouri held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Swope Park animal shelter on Tuesday, June 26, 23 smiling faces stood behind golden shovels for the occasion - including one furry-faced mascot wearing a checkered blue bow tie.

Local Family Drama Aftermath

Grandview twin shoots brother in the face KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A 32-year-old man was shot in the face Tuesday evening in Grandview. Grandview police responded to a suspected shooting in the 13200 block of Ashland Ave. at approximately 7 p.m. and located the man, who had been shot in the face.

Telcom Shopping Update

Sprint Talked to 3 Other Companies Before Agreeing to T-Mobile Deal Sprint held merger talks with three other companies before agreeing to combine with T-Mobile.

KCK Confrontation Roundup

KCK police shoot, wound man late Tuesday WEBVTT INVOLVED IN ALL OF THIS. NONE OF THE OFFICERS INVOLVED WERE HURT. THE PERSON THEY SHOT IS EXPECTED TO SURVIVE. POLICE WERE CALLED LAST NIGHT TO 25TH AND OAKLAND FOR AN ARMED DISTURBANCE. A HOMEOWNER TOLD THEM A MAN WAS TRYING TO BREAK INTO A CAR. THE HOMEOWNER CONFRONTED THE MAN.

Kansas City Losing Collabo???

Newspaper Covers Classic Kobach

Kobach promised cities help. It cost them millions | The Kansas City Star Kris Kobach likes to tout his work for Valley Park, Mo. He has boasted on cable TV about crafting and defending the town's hardline anti-immigration ordinance. He discussed his "victory" there at length on his old radio show. He still lists it on his resume.

Tribute After Tragedy

Mom plans act of kindness with supply donation to honor murdered daughter on her birthday A high school senior murdered in a shooting rampage earlier this year is being remembered in a unique way. Armani Johnson should have turned 18 years old on July 31, 2018. In her honor, her mother turned Armani's birthday into a day of giving. Armani was known for her kindness.

With appropriateand the topic of sisterhood:And because we love our local blog community like a sister . . . Here's news from closer to home:is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . .Shutterstock

Stark differences

So what next?

This is obviously good news and has been rightly celebrated. But whats often lost in the narrative is what happened to the children who were infected with HIV before and during the early years of the ARV roll out.They are mostly children born in the early 2000s.To understand the longer term effects of ARV treatment during early childhood we conducted research on children aged between 10 and 15. The study involved using historical data dating back 32 years as well as research in five regions of the world. These included sub-Saharan Africa, North America, South America, the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia and Europe. Our study compared these adolescents with their counterparts in wealthy countries who were also on ARVs. We looked at how the treatment theyd received as children had affected them later in their young lives. Almost all children in our study were on antiretrovirals by the time they were 10. But the children from developing countries started treatment later than their developed country peers.We found that children in developing countries were substantially disadvantaged compared with their counterparts in developed countries. The big discrepancies we uncovered were that children in this cohort had much higher fatality rates during adolescence, they suffered from stunting and their development was stymied.Our study is the first global comparison of adolescents that acquired HIV as newborns. It highlights the challenges around treatment for this group of children and should inform policy responses needed to service them.Our study echoes compelling evidence over the years that shows the benefits of children starting treatment as early as possible. It substantially reduces their chances of dying as well as their patterns of illness and it improves their growth. The higher death and poor growth of this generation of adolescents in countries like South Africa is most likely the legacy of their poor access to treatment as children.We combined data from research groups studying adolescents with perinatal HIV infection. There were about 38 000 HIV positive adolescents in our study. Close to 80% of the adolescents were from sub-Saharan Africa and about 65% lived in low-income settings.We found that, in most cases, adolescents from high income countries, particularly North America and Europe, started treatment between the ages of 1 and 2.Children from low and middle-income countries like South Africa were only likely to have started treatment between the age of six and eight. They became infected because their mothers either had limited or no access to ARVs. As babies, they too would have faced restricted access, often being put on ARVs only after theyd become seriously ill.There were two main differences between these two groups.The first major difference was that adolescents in low and middle-income countries were about three times more likely to die between the age of 10 and 15 compared to those in wealthy countries. In high-income countries about one in 100 adolescents died in this period compared to about three per 100 in low-income countries.The true difference could be even greater because adolescents in low and middle-income countries were more likely to be lost from care, and may have died without the researchers knowing.The second big difference was in growth rates. Growth is a key indicator of how healthy a child is. Children in both developed and developing countries showed poor growth compared with national averages. But the children in high-income countries were able to catch up and, in most instances, they nearly reached the heights of their uninfected peers. For their part, children from poorer countries remained significantly short for their age.As access to antiretroviral therapy increases across the globe, children who acquired HIV at the time of their birth or through breastfeeding are living longer. In the early 2000s this was unimaginable.This population of adolescents is likely to decline due to the declining numbers of new HIV infections in babies. But the global health community owes it to the current generation of adolescents to ensure that they have proper access to treatment and support as they become adults. And there is a lot more work to be done so that future generations are born and stay AIDS free This article was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original articleA new letter from law enforcement across Kansas City, KS reveals hard feelings that had developed between the local prosecutor who wants to review old convictions and the city's police chief. Police Chief Terry Zeigler and the Wyandotte County Sheriff Don Ash question a new plan to review old convictions.Prepared for the unveiling at the Paris Motor Show early in October, the new Skoda Karoq Scout brings a bit more rugged character fused with the known Scout additions adapted for the latest small Skoda crossover. The Scout within the Skoda lineup is something like the Allroad with the Audi line of cars or Volvos Cross Country. The Scout line of additions has been a backbone for Skoda cars for some time now. Even the latest Kodiaq SUV got it. The Karoq, which proved to be one of the most popular new Skoda cars, received much the same additions as the Kodiaq sporting a clearly off-road-centered nature.

How To Spot A Karoq Scout?

Youd spot the Karoq Scout thanks to a more rugged appearance achieved by the integration of plastic body claddings on the sides, on the fenders, and on the bumpers.

Well, in America, you cant, but in Europe, youd spot the Karoq Scout thanks to a more rugged appearance achieved by the integration of plastic body claddings on the sides, on the fenders, and on the bumpers. It is well known that Skoda adds protection covers of a sort under the engine and under some other parts of the drivetrain to increase the ruggedness even more. I am quite positive the Karoq received the same. It was their way of securing the best possible reliability for drivers in emerging markets. If you break it down, that is where Skoda made its name since Volkswagen acquired the company. The latest Karoq, as a successor to the quirky but quite practical Yeti, takes on a shape of a standard crossover. It shares a lot with the Seat Ateca and the Volkswagen Tiguan without trying to be that flashy and fashion conscious. It does try to be practical and, in this case, quite appealing.

As if this was not enough, Skoda added a new set of 18-inch wheels (19-inch wheels available) and tinted the windows making the Karoq Scout a unique car within the lineup.

What About The Tech?

Obviously, nothing spectacular can be seen here, but the Karoq Scout does sound like a loaded up machine

Not only did Skoda give the Karoq a new look and badges, but it also offered all of this with the standard AWD system. You can have it with a 1.5-liter, 150 horsepower, turbocharged, petrol engine, or a 2.0-liter TDI. The latter comes in two states of tune - with 150 horsepower and 190 horsepower. The most powerful one is available only with the double-clutch gearbox. Lesser variants are equipped with the six-speed manual as standard, though.

Obviously, nothing spectacular can be seen here, but the Karoq Scout does sound like a loaded up machine. Especially considering all the equipment inside. New features for the cabin include all-new seat covers, Scout lettering, stainless steel pedals, LED ambient lighting, and an all-digital instrument cluster. The latter is standard on all Karoq Scout cars and this makes it particularly cool. Admit it.

We will see the new Skoda Karoq Scout at the Paris Motor Show later this year. The car will go on sale soon after and will fight its way against the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and its likeness.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Skoda Karoq.

Read more Skoda news.

Read more Paris Auto Show news.Amongst the host of events and attractions was "The Race of Champions" where top Ducati riders from MotoGP, WSBK and other motorsports arena lined up on the track to battle it out on the new one-off purpose built Panigale V4 S specked out especially for this competition. And 13 of these machines were then put to auction on eBay, which has now concluded. The numbers are out, and it is staggering.

In an event attended by over 10,000 Ducatistis, the World Ducati Week 2018 saw passionate motorcyclists from all over the world. Folks participated in around 250 different activities along with 1 World Ducati Wedding and 2 marriage proposals. Serene.

At the biggest Ducati convention, the highlight was The Race of Champions" wherein MotoGP and Superbike riders like Dovizioso, Melandri, Lorenzo, Pirro, Petrucci, Miller, Davies, Rabat, Fores, Abraham, Rinaldi, and Simeon, as will first-rate rider Troy Bayliss who has made Ducati history  all of whom went head to head in a true competition, from free practice to podium.

Each of the 12 riders rode limited-edition Panigale V4 S bikes painted in their own individual racing colors inspired from the bikes used in MotoGP or SBK and will be brimmed with race-spec equipment and tuning. The steering yolk will have a stamp of authenticity showing the riders name and race number while his autograph will go in the tank in indelible ink.

So if you fancy buying any of these bikes, dont. The auction has concluded, and you wouldnt believe the price of Troy Baylisss machine. The final bid for the Ducati Panigale V4 S # 2 + 1 - Troy Bayliss - Race of Champions WDW 2018 was an astonishing EUR 120,350 ($ 140,000). Yes! A Hundred and Forty Thousand US Dollars for you.

The price of a standard Panigale V4 S wears a price tag of $ 27,495. That makes Troy Baylisss machine five times the cost of the standard. It does, however, comes with a host of accessories including Racing saddle in technical fabric, Increased Plexiglass, Mirror holes cover, Brake lever protection, Akrapovic racing silencers, Adjustable pilot footrest kit, Swingarm protection in carbon and titanium, Plate holder removal cover set, Aluminum tank cap, Rizoma brake and clutch levers.

Technically, all these special components with a complete set of original parts, exhausts included, will still confirm for legal road use. The CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, Claudio Domenicali, also will hand over to every owner of the special V4 a signed certificate of authenticity upping the value of the machine.

The rest of the machines were, however, auctioned off for half the price in the auction that generated a total of 7,084 bids from all over the world. Andrea Doviziosos machine was auctioned for EUR 62.400 ($ 73,000), Jorge Lorenzos Panigale V4 S for EUR 57,800 ($ 67,500) and Danilo Petruccis for EUR 45,350 and you get the trail. But none of them is anywhere close to Troy Bayliss figure!Since the 1980s, the manufacturing sectors contribution to gross domestic product has been fluctuating, stagnating at 11 percent over the past five years to decline to 8.4 percent last year.

But manufacturing sector value addition outputs has seen continuous growth, meaning as its pie expanded other sectors gained more space.

In 2011-2017, its value grew from Sh438 billion to Sh648 billion and is projected by the Integrated National Exports Development and Promotion Strategy to hit Sh2,235 trillion by 2022 for Kenya to achieve a 15 percent share of GDP as envisaged in the Big Four agenda.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday launched the export blueprint, an integral part of his administrations economic transformation plan that would usher Kenya into the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The strategy aims to grow exports by 25 per cent in the medium term, a key talking point at the ongoing Second Kenya Trade Week and Exposition.

Big Four agenda

Industrial transformation would require 60 percent of outputs, especially from manufacturing, to be exported. Africa presents an opportunity of a 17 percent share of the world market for Kenya with others being Asia (60 percent), the European Union (9), Middle East (2.9), Latin America and Caribbeans (8.3) and the Nafta bloc (5.9).

A focus of the pdf 2018/19 Budget (5.77 MB) on the Big Four will boost the countrys quest for industrial transformation.

Improved healthcare, housing and food security are a prerequisite for a productive human capital necessary for a competitive manufacturing sector.

The deliberate focus on manufacturing subsectors such as leather, textile and agro-processing will enable Kenya to achieve targets in manufacturing and, by extension, value added exports, realising the objective of 1.3 million jobs.

A healthy economy anchors exports as an ingredient for manufacturing sector expansion. The public and the private sectors need to partner to foster competitiveness towards an export-oriented economy.

Robust infrastructure

Over the past five years, the government has created a robust infrastructure network including the standard gauge railway (SGR), lowered energy costs, improved customs services and eased the cost of doing business. Kenya is ranked 80th in the ease of doing business index and aims to be ranked below 50 in the medium term.

The governments commitment to continually improve on the business environment is a show of commitment to improving the wellbeing of Kenyans.

One of the key areas of focus to take advantage of the market access opportunities is to enhance our productive capacity.

The realisation of the 15 per cent share of the manufacturing sector would require massive investments in the production of raw materials and value addition and fully taking advantage of the infrastructure to reach the world with the Made in Kenya brand.

Kenya has signed and ratified the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), signifying its interest to deepen exports to the continent.

Economic transformation

Economic history shows improving productive capacity and enhancing market access to neighbouring countries builds a nations or regions base for economic transformation.

The history of the EU, where about 28 countries created a monetary union, invested in massive infrastructure such as SGRs and affordable energy, can be emulated. In addition, they have created efficient labour and services frameworks.

All these have worked well in wealth creation for the bloc with a population of 515 million, resulting in a robust system of earning foreign exchange, making Europe the most economically transformed continent.

The strong focus by Kenya to realise the AfCFTA is a realisation that such an economic model will transform the continent into an economic giant.

Africas world market share, the second-largest after Asia, gives Kenya an opportunity for manufacturing sector transformation.

Free trade area

Africa is Kenyas leading value-added exports destination, which needs to be ventured into. Realisation of the Africa Economic Community, in line with the 1991 Abuja Treaty, is on course.

Kenya was the first country to ratify the AfCFTA, which envisioned a continental free trade area by last year, customs union by 2019, common market by 2023 and economic and monetary union by 2028.

Faster achievement of the AfCFTA will be a key economic transformation milestone for Africa but the 22 countries have to ratify the treaty.

The African market will grow the small- and medium enterprises.

Hence, the National Exports Development and Promotion Strategy has identified key sectors to take advantage of this opportunity: Manufacturing, handcrafts, livestock, textile and leather.

We must seize the moment and support and contribute to our quest for industrial revolution through the Big Four. The ongoing 2018 Trade Week and Exposition gives us an opportunity.

Mr Biwott is CEO of the Export Promotion Council."Even when reading is impossible, the presence of books acquired produces such an ecstasy that the buying of more books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching towards infinity."  A. Edward Newton, author, publisher, and collector of 10,000 books.

Are you one of us? A master of tsundoku? Mine takes the shape of the aspirational stack by my bedside table  because I am going to read every night before bed, of course, and upon waking on the weekends. Except that this rarely actually happens. My tsundoku also takes shape in cookbooks ... even though I rarely cook from recipes. And I think I most fervently practice tsundoku when I buy three or four novels to pile in my suitcase for a five-day vacation. Sometimes not even one sees its spine cracked.

Thank heavens the Japanese have a word for people like us: tsundoku. Doku comes from a verb that can be used for "reading," while tsun "to pile up." The ol' piling up of reading things.

"The phrase 'tsundoku sensei' appears in text from 1879 according to the writer Mori Senzo," Professor Andrew Gerstle, a teacher of pre-modern Japanese texts at the University of London, explains to BBC. "Which is likely to be satirical, about a teacher who has lots of books but doesn't read them." Even so, says Gerstle, the term is not currently used in a mocking way.

Bibliomania

Tom Gerken points out at BBC that English may, in fact, seem to have a similar word in "bibliomania," but there are actually differences. "While the two words may have similar meanings, there is one key difference," he writes. "Bibliomania describes the intention to create a book collection, tsundoku describes the intention to read books and their eventual, accidental collection."

Mmm hmm, guilty as charged.

The Future of Books

It's interesting to consider the future of books right now  and the potential fate of words like tsundoku. We have dedicated e-readers and phones and tablets that could easily spell doom for the printed page. We have tiny houses and a major minimalism movement, both of which would seem to shun the piling of books that may go eternally unread. We have increased awareness about resources and "stuff" in general; is there room for stacks of bound paper in the modern world?

While generally unclutter-y, treehugging me thinks that transferring my tsundoku to a list of digital editions rather than a stack of physical ones might be the way to go ... the truth is, real books that one can hold in the hands are one of the things that I am loathe to abandon. I love the smell, the weight, the turning of pages. I love being able to easily flip back a few pages to reread a sentence that persists in my memory. And maybe, apparently, I love buying books that, ok, maybe I don't seem to actually read.

So here's the deal I've made with myself. I will resist fast fashion and crummy unsustainable food and a bunch of plastic junk that I don't need. And in return, I will allow myself to engage in some tsundoku  besides, it's not actually a waste because of course, I'm going to get to that teetering stack of books someday, really. And if the Japanese have a poetic word for it, it must be all right.In the highly competitive environment of in-store advertising, brands are contesting limited market share. Consumers have become more discerning of what they buy, owning to the availability of product information online. It is therefore imperative to cut through the clutter and create a 360-degree retail experience.

Image credit: Smart Media

Online meets offline

Touching reality

Already, brands are shifting their above-the-line (ATL) spend to in-store media opportunities. The importance of visibility at retail outlets that have significant footfall cannot be overstated. Never has the saying out of sight, out of mind been more relevant. If consumers do not see a brand and get the opportunity to experience it for themselves, chances are that they will opt for a competitive product who is providing an experience.International research indicates that more than a third of consumers rank in-store browsing as their main product discovery activity. This is in stark contrast to five years ago when a quarter of shoppers said television ads were their main source of product discovery. So, even though digital (in the online sense) is important, brands must not ignore the opportunities provided by the retail setting.Even though we are rapidly approaching an era of blended online and retail store experiences, many brands locally are focusing on maximising their return on investing in-store. South Africa is leading the charge on the continent and is on par with what is happening in more developed countries. Granted, the country cannot yet compete with some of the technology-driven platforms being used in the United States and United Kingdom, for example, it is more a case of regulation limitation than an unwillingness to adapt.Other countries are not yet as strict on data collection as South Africa, so they tend to be more flexible in targeting shoppers, although this is shifting. With the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI), local brands are under scrutiny regarding their use of data collection and are limited in sharing it with third parties.However, one of the spin-off benefits of online is an increasing expectation from consumers for brands to effectively use digital in-store media. Everything from display screens to on-shelf video and a call to action at the point-of-sale are generally accepted as value-added contributions that help guide the decision-making process. More information easily accessible in the moments that matter contribute to consumer confidence.Of course, we are not quite at the stage of combining an online e-commerce shopping experience with in-store personalisation but the touch-points for consumers to engage with at the retail outlet are increasing, along with their versatility.Having said that, an evolution needs to occur from boring digital displays to ones driving engagement. Doing something impactful and different from competitors is vital, something at the heart of Smart Medias innovations. Fortunately, in-store digital media means that content can be remotely changed to instantly reflect new campaigns and up-to-date messages. This is a far more cost-effective way of driving change than in the past.While there is still much work to be done to keep attracting consumer attention, South African brands and their associated in-store digital experiences are on the right path.This company from Bali chose to address plastic pollution through better design, rather than waiting for a behavioral shift in consumers.

Think of Bali and images of pristine, palm tree-lined beaches likely come to mind. Unfortunately, reality is different. Those beaches are no longer pristine; theyre strewn with garbage, most of it plastic that comes either from Balis newly commercialized way of life, or from ocean currents that generously deliver foreign trash.

Environmentalists (myself included) talk about needing to change habits, encourage reusables, implement better recycling facilities, and figure out ways of upcycling trash, but these sorts of major lifestyle shifts take a long time. A company in Bali called Avani thinks we cant waste any more time trying to convince people to act differently; instead, we should try to meet people where theyre at, by designing a better product that does not require a significant behavioral shift.

Biodegradeable Products

Avani has come up with a line of fully biodegradable food products, including takeaway containers, cutlery, straws, and coffee cups, as well as grocery bags and rain ponchos; but its the grocery bags that most interest me, since theyre one of the worst culprits when it comes to plastic pollution. More than one million plastic bags are used worldwide each minute and these require hundreds of years to break down, which really means just breaking up into miniscule pieces that will eventually be eaten by animals. In fact, an estimated one million animals die each year from eating plastic bags.

Making Better Bags

Avanis bags are made from cassava root starch and other natural resins, using no petroleum products. They biodegrade fully within 3 to 6 months, depending on soil conditions, converting naturally into carbon dioxide and biomass, with no toxic residue. This process can be hurried by dissolving in hot water (see video), softening in cold water, and burning to leave a small amount of ash.

The bags are safe for insects and animals to eat, both terrestrial and marine, and apparently theyre tasty, too, as seen in this video of crayfish and chickens fighting over the edible bags. When dissolved in hot water, Avani claims they're even safe for humans to drink.

Fast Company reports that the bags cost two to three cents more than a regular bag, which works out to about double the price. But Avani co-founder, Kevin Kumala, thinks its a small price to pay:

What is two cents more when you can help reduce the plastic waste that is currently occurring on our planet?"

The bag is an intriguing concept, and obviously a much better option than the non-biodegradable plastics currently in use. I am uncomfortable, however, with Avanis statement that users can discard them with a clear conscience. Despite the companys innovation, I still maintain that a shift away from disposables desperately needs to happen, and I wouldnt want a sense of complacency to impede that. Its best to leave no trace at all, whether biodegradable in six months time or not.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 1

The Mini-Secretariat complex, which houses the Deputy Commissioners office, Education Departments office, Police Departments office, including around a dozen government departments, features among high-risk areas for dengue as maximum dengue larvae were found in the building and surrounding areas in the past two months.

Health Department officials privy to the dengue larvae inspection proceedings at different locations in the city said a majority of the dengue larvae were found inside desert coolers installed at these government offices. The officials said the coolers at the government offices were not cleaned as directed by the Health Department under the dengue control programme.

The data procured from the epidemiology unit of the district Health Department revealed that 37 dengue larvae were found from the Mini-Secretariat and adjoining government offices in the Civil Lines area during checking in the past two months.

Sources said there were hundreds of government employees and visitors who come to the Mini-Secretariat and adjoining government offices for official works. And during weekly checking at these offices around four to seven dengue larvae were found which is quite disturbing and bring to the fore the negligent attitude of administration. As a result, hundreds of visitors as well as employees working at these offices are vulnerable to disease (dengue spread).

Apart from this, a maximum number of dengue larvae were found at other posh localities in the city as well. Seventy dengue larvae were found from houses situated near Ajit Road and 25 larvae were found at Model Town.

District Epidemiologist Rajpal Singh said, Apart from government offices, we have been carrying out door-to-door inspection to ensure that dengue mosquito does not breed in stagnant water. We find and then destroy dengue larvae. We have instructed the city residents and government offices to not let water stagnate for over seven days and replace water of desert coolers in regular intervals.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

New Delhi, August 1

Telecom regulator TRAI on Wednesday recommended rules and prices for the next round of spectrum auction which will include radiowaves for 5G mobile services.

The regulator has recommended that base price for bidding should be higher of the two figures  80 per cent of the average valuation of spectrum band in the licensed service area or the price realised in the October 2016 auction.

The government is yet to finalise the timing of the next round of auction.

The regulator has recommended base price of Rs 3,285 per megahertz for 1800 Mhz band on pan India basis.

In a relief to industry, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has suggested that the reserve price of 700 MHz band should be equal to 2 times of reserve price of 1800 MHz spectrum band resulting in about 42 per cent reduction in price of this band at Rs 6,568 crore per Mhz.

For 2016 auction, government had fixed base price of 700 Mhz band at Rs 11,485 crore per Mhz. The price of spectrum in premium 700 megahertz band was fixed at four times the price of 1800 Mhz banda frequency range which was famous as 2G spectrum earlier.

In 2016, spectrum worth about Rs 4 lakh crore was put up for auction but there were no takers for this band due to its high price.

The regulator has recommended reduction of price in telecom circles where spectrum remained unsold in last auction of 2016.

Besides, it has issued recommendations for the proposed 5G spectrum in 3300-3600 Mhz band and suggested that reserve price of 3300-3600 MHz band should be equal 30 per cent of the reserve price of 1800 MHz FDD band.

It has suggested that spectrum in 3300-3600 MHz band should be put up for auction in the block size of 20 MHz.

To avoid monopolisation of this band, there should be limit of 100 MHz per bidder. Since the TSPs are allowed to trade their partial or complete spectrum holding to another TSP, the limit of 100 MHz spectrum in 3300-3600 MHz band, shall also apply for spectrum trading, TRAI said. PTIvinaymishra188@gmail.com

Washington, July 31

The US on Tuesday cautioned the International Monetary Fund (IMF) against a possible fresh bailout for Pakistans new government to pay off Chinese lenders who have invested in the strategic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Make no mistake, we will be watching what the IMF does, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CNBC in an interview. He was responding to a question on reports that Pakistan was drawing up a plan to seek a massive $12 billion bailout package from the IMF. Theres no rationale for IMF tax dollars  and associated with that, American dollars that are part of the IMF funding  for those to go to bail out Chinese bondholders or China itself, Pompeo said.

The IMF has said that so far it has not received any such request from Pakistan. Cash-strapped Pakistan has availed of 14 IMF financing programmes since 1980. Pakistan needs about $3 billion in the next few months to avoid defaulting of loans from the IMF, China and the World Bank. At present, it has around $5 billion worth of loans from China. Much of this has been used to fund major infrastructure projects under the $50 billion CPEC.

The CPEC is a network of infrastructure projects that are currently under construction throughout Pakistan that will connect Chinas remote Xinjiang province with the Gwadar port in Pakistans Balochistan province.

Key Trump administration officials are opposed to China wooing some developing countries with so much debt. They fear China is using loans and debt to gain influence over poorer states.

During the CNBC interview, Pompeo implicitly criticised China saying: Were not looking for dominance. Were looking for partnerships. Others choose to behave differently. He added:

We want these to be commercially available projects led by the American private sector.  PTI

Staring at crisis

$3 billion

Required by Pakistan in few months to avoid defaulting of loans from the IMF, China and the World Bank

$5 billion

Rorrowed by Pakistan from China to fund infrastructure projects under the $50-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

$9 billion

Islamabads foreign reserves, but not enough to pay for imports over the coming months

India hails trade tag

India on Tuesday welcomed the US announcement to designate it as a Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 (STA-1) countryPrem Govender runs her own accounting practice, Mosswick Investments, a company that was started by her late father 56 years ago. Besides servicing her regular client, she also does accounting and tax work pro bono for several welfare, religious organisations and schools.

Prem Govender

Furthering education

Differentiating your business in KZN

I live by the mantra that we need to give back to the communities in which we operate, and I am actively investing in the mentorship and empowerment of women within my business," Govender says.As the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (Saipa) eastern region chair (KwaZulu-Natal) and eThekwini district chair, she says one of her goals is to encourage more females to join the accounting profession. "To succeed in this goal, I need to be a role model."Govender encourages her employees to pursue further qualifications, learn different parts of the accounting industry, and stay abreast of legislation. As a mother, she says she knows how hard it can be for women with young children to balance work life and the demands of a household, which she says may makes her naturally more empathetic and willing to help make their lives easier whenever she can.I never say that the women work for me, but rather that they work with me. Im never too busy to explain something they are having difficulty with, I regard them as my equals and nobody gets reprimanded in front of clients. If an error creeps into someones work, I take responsibility because the buck stops with me, says Govender.Despite our province boasting two of the largest ports in Africa, we are still seen as the poor cousins because we dont have a large financial hub. Despite much potential, local industries in KwaZulu-Natal often face financial hardships due to a lack of direct investment, says Govender.Accounting firms in KwaZulu-Natal, and across South Africa, are plentiful, which is why Govender has focused on training her staff to provide a high level of service.What has helped us to differentiate ourselves in the region is our high level of service and attention to detail, says Govender.Govender concludes by saying that all business owners should be investing in mentoring the women within their businesses.We need to take them under our wing, mentor them and teach them everything we know. This needs to be done with kindness and compassion but mostly with enthusiasm and passion.rchopra@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, August 1

The Crime Branch has taken over probe into the alleged suicide of a female flight attendant in south Delhis Panchsheel Park last month, police said on Wednesday.

Anissia Batra, who worked with a German airline, had allegedly jumped from the terrace of her house on July 13. Her husband Mayank Singhvi was arrested on the charge of dowry death.

The case was transferred to the Crime Branch a few days ago after Anissias family alleged inadequacies in the manner the local police carried out the investigation, a senior police officer said. PTIshalender@tribune.com

Expectedly, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has opposed the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) for political gains. Her manner was, however, shocking and violent. Her remark that there will be a civil war, bloodbath in the country was uncalled for. This is not only an irresponsible comment, but also extremely provocative. She is overtly polarising society and deliberately inciting violence for political gains. Apparently, Mamata Banerjee wants to use the issue to catapult herself to the top of all regional opposition leaders, jostling among one another to fill the vacuum created by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has wisely pulled out of the PMs race.

There is nothing wrong in her being an ambitious politician. She cannot, however, brand the entire NRC exercise as victimisation of immigrants belonging to a particular religion and conveniently disassociate herself from the entire episode. The NRC is a result of the Assam Accord signed by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985. Mamata Banerjee was the youngest MP of the ruling Congress at that time, who had defeated veteran Communist leader Somnath Chatterjee in the 1984 General Election. She cannot change the three-decade-old narrative now and give it a communal twist merely because it suits her.

The signatories to the Assam Accord were All Assam Students Union (AASU), All Asom Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP), the Assam Government and the Rajiv Gandhi-led Central government. The agreement said foreigners who came to Assam on or after March 25, 1971, should continue to be detected, deleted and expelled in accordance with the law. The matter lingered as successive governments lacked the political will to implement the accord until the Supreme Court stepped in. The court has clarified that this is merely a draft and not the final register. Therefore, the 40 lakh affected people will get an opportunity to appeal. Instead of being a rabble-rouser, Didi should help the genuine citizens in the process of appeal. She can also help the illegal citizens in their rehabilitation in Bangladesh by using her good office. Meanwhile, leaders of the BJP should also understand their responsibility as the ruling party and avoid making inflammatory statements.editorial@tribune.com

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, August 1

On the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, a joint team of the district administration and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has completed demarcation.

According to it, 96 persons, including government departments, were identified for encroaching upon around 2,000 square yards of NHAI land in the Samalkha area.

The committee finalised its demarcation report on Wednesday for submission in the High Court and the court of Haryana Lokayukta.

PP Kapoor, RTI activist in Samalkha, filed a complaint before the Lokayukta on August 8, 2015, to remove permanent and temporary encroachments on city roads.

The NHAI had sought two months for action against the encroachers. Following the directions of the Lokyaukta, the NHAI had served notices to encroachers in Samalkha.

After this, the encroachers had approached the High Court and filed a petition. The High Court had sought the latest report on encroachment.

Following the High Courts directions, the district administration had constituted a high-level team. It conducted demarcation of encroachment on roads with latest machines.

A total of 96 land owners, including state government departments, were listed by the team for encroaching upon NHAI land.

As per the report, 79 persons had encroached upon NHAI land on the left side of Samalkha area and 17 on the east side in Bhapra area, Kapoor maintained.

As per the report, owners of private factories, shops, showrooms, marriage palaces and banquet halls had encroached upon NHAI land.

Around 270 square yards had been encroached upon by the Haryana Tourism Department, on which Blue Jay restaurant and resort was constructed.

Gaurav Kumar, Samalkha SDM, said the demarcation report on encroachment on NHAI land in Samalkha was submitted in the High Court on Wednesday.

Kapoor said the High Court had admitted the demarcation report and dismissed the petition of encroachers. He said the way was clear for removal of encroachments on NHAI land.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 1

The Haryana Police are set to make adequate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of ongoing Kanwar Mela-2018 that began on July 28 and will continue up to August 9.

Mohd Akil, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order), said all Commissioners of Police and District Superintendents of Police have been directed to ensure smooth kanwar yatra by making elaborate arrangements for maintaining law and order and smooth flow of traffic in their respective places of postings. They have also been instructed to make available additional force in the districts concerned. The officers have been asked to make all arrangements so that kanwariyas do not face any inconvenience.

Akil said the meeting was also held with the officers of Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand to ensure proper coordination. Elaborate arrangements have also been made to segregate the movement of kanwariyas and other road users and to minimise inconvenience to the general public and devotees.

He said the police had also been directed to carry out intensive patrolling on all routes being used by the kanwarias in the state. Traffic jams must be avoided and camping or parking places must be located away from the main roads with suitable security arrangements. All officers must ensure that the kanwar shivirs are established at sufficient distance away from the road edge and the shivirs should be located on the same side on which kanwarias travel. In addition, they have also been instructed to ensure adequate arrangements for safety of security of female kanwarias.

He said apart from keeping a watch on anti-social elements, the police would also plan alternate routes for traffic diversion, if required. Senior police officers of Gurugram, Faridabad, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Rohtak, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Mewat and Palwal have been asked to put extra emphasis on the security and traffic arrangements during the yatra, he added.

No heavy vehicle to ply on Meerut road till Aug 9

Karnal: Keeping in view the Kanwar yatra, the district administration has planned a major traffic diversion in the district for nine days from August 1 to 9. During this period, there would be a ban on the plying of heavy vehicles on Meerut Road, which is a major road connecting Haryana with UP and further to Haridwar in Uttarakhand. The entry of light vehicles would also be banned between August 7 and 9 on this road.rchopra@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, August 1

The water level of the Yamuna river in the national capital is expected to rise further as 21,006 cusecs of water has been released from the Hathani Kund Barrage on Tuesday night.

The water was released by Haryana at 10 pm.

The water level in the Yamuna in Delhi was recorded at the 205.96 meter mark at the same time.

Earlier on Tuesday, 19,662 cusecs of water was released at 6 pm from the Hathani Kund Barrage. At that time, the water level in the Yamuna was recorded at the 206.05 meter mark.

This comes after the Railways earlier temporarily suspended the rail traffic over the old Yamuna Bridge Loha Pul.

Due to the closure of the Yamuna Bridge, at least two passenger trains have been cancelled while 19 trains have been terminated. Meanwhile, 17 trains have been diverted after the water level crossed the danger mark.

Earlier, ANI reported as to how families residing near old Yamuna Bridge in the national capital are allegedly forced to stay on roads due to less availability of shelter homes.

The families were evacuated from their homes after the water level of the Yamuna crossed the danger mark. ANIeditorial@tribune.com

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 1

The proverb hope sustains life has come true for Kajal at Balika Ashram, Tutikandi, Shimla, who was united with her parents Sushil and Rani after 11 years.

Kajal of Chandpur in Bijnour (UP) went missing during the Dasehra festival in 2007 after she lost keys of her house. Fearing that her parents would get angry, she boarded a train and landed in Mumbai where she stayed for five years. The girl was brought to ashram at Durgapur in 2012 and shifted to Balika Ashram, Tutikandi, in 2017.

On July 25, when ASI Rajesh Kumar, posted in anti-human trafficking cell of the crime branch at Panchkula, united Pooja with her parents after 11 years, Kajal requested him to find her parents. Uncle mere bhi papa-mummy dhoond do, maan jauungi aapko, Kajal, studying in Class X told the ASI.

We started going through the file of Kajal and all she remembered was that there was a railway station and railway track near her house, it was a Muslim area, she had a guava tree in her house and dholaks (drums) were manufactured nearby, he said.

We searched the Internet for such places and contacted the police in four states and finally got to know that Chandpur in Bijnour is similar to that place described by the girl, says Rajesh, adding that the police in Bijnaur was contacted and asked about the details of girls lost 11 years back.

The photographs were exchanged through WhatsApp and later Dr Tomar, who lived in neighbourhood of Kajal, recognised her photographs and birth marks matched with the parents.

Touching scenes were witnessed at the reunion here on Wednesday as the parents had lost hope to meet their daughter again and they could not believe that their daughter was standing in front of them.

Hume bahut achha lag raha hai (we are feeling so good, we cannot express in words), said the sobbing father Sushil, adding that Jo yeh kahegi, wo karenge ise aage padaenge (we will do what she says, she will be admitted to a school to continue her studies) while the mother Rani kept on hugging Kajal.

ASI Rajesh had been instrumental in reuniting more than 250 kids with their parents and 10 kids were traced to Himachal last year.editorial@tribune.com

Our Correspondent

Kangra, August 1

Former Transport Minister GS Bali on Wednesday lambasted the state BJP government for violating the constitutional rights of those Himachali persons who worked outside the state and had also contributed towards strengthening the economy of the state but their wards were deprived of their admission in medical colleges.

He demanded that the government should come out with a White Paper on the issue disclosing the names with addresses of the beneficiaries and of those who were deprived of their constitutional rights.

Bali was addressing a press conference at his residence here. The senior Congress leader appreciated the decision of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, describing the issue of depriving these students from admissions in medical colleges as unconstitutional.

He demanded that the government should disclose that what was the agenda for the meeting of council of ministers when this policy decision was taken, what was the point of consideration and what was finally approved the Cabinet.

Bali asked the Chief Minister to disclose who was responsible for this decision and how the government was going to correct it.

He alleged that bureaucracy was equally responsible for taking this wrong policy agenda to the Cabinet without seeking legal opinion. He demanded action against those bureaucrats.

He asked the Chief Minister to divulge what made the government undergo a change in policy at a very crucial hour of the students prospects when the results were expected any moment.

He alleged that most intelligent section of the youth had been deprived of the admission by this change in the government policy.editorial@tribune.com

Azhar Qadri & Suhail A Shah

Tribune News Service

Srinagar/Anantnag, August 1

Members of a minority community in Chattisinghpora village of south Kashmirs Anantnag district held a protest on Wednesday against the alleged abduction of two minor girls.

Protesters from the Sikh village gathered in the Mattan area of Anantnag district and blocked the Khanabal-Pahalgam road for more than an hour. The protesters dispersed after the police assured them that the case would be thoroughly investigated.

The protesters alleged that the two minor girls, both Class X students, were abducted on Tuesday when they asked a taxi driver for a lift to school. The two girls returned home in the evening.

The police filed a case of abduction on Tuesday evening and immediately conducted a medical test of the girls. The test found no injury or assault on them, a senior police officer said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Anantnag, Altaf Khan said the initial investigation showed that no abduction had taken place. He said the details provided by the family members of the girls were sketchy. He said the investigation had found that the girls had intended to bunk the school and concocted the story of abduction when they reached home late.

The SSP described it as a prank gone bad and said there was no grain of truth in their claims.

The police said the two girls had told their families that they had boarded a black taxi and the driver had sprayed something on them, making them unconscious. The police said the girls had told their families that when they regained consciousness, they found themselves in Srinagar, more than 60 km from home.

We checked the CCTV footage of the area (where the girls claimed to have boarded the vehicle) and found only one black taxi travelling towards Jammu and not towards Srinagar. We questioned the driver of the taxi and also checked his phone locations. The details he provided were correct, the officer said.

The two girls had told their families that when they regained consciousness, they were lying on a footpath in Srinagar. They said they borrowed a phone from a vendor to call home, the police said.

The police said the families of the two girls were not cooperating with the investigators and had not allowed cross-questioning of the two girls.

What the girls told their families

Sought a lift from the driver of a black taxi

The driver sprayed something on them and they lost consciousness immediately

They gained consciousness and found themselves in Srinagar. They then called home after borrowing a phone from a vendor

They did it to bunk school: Policegspannu7@gmail.com

Mumbai, August 1

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan says star kids have a sense of entitlement because of their family background and that is why they need to be given responsibilities to prove their mettle.

Shah Rukh launched his daughter Suhanas maiden photo shoot with Vogue magazine at an award ceremony last evening.

The magazine has featured Suhana on the cover, calling the 18-year-old a future star.

It is a big responsibility for my kids since theyve been given such a big platform. Theyve to put in a lot of hard work, because all the children who are from the film industry get some kind of entitlement as they are film actors children, Shah Rukh told reporters.

But I think if you are able to give them (some) responsibility, theyll do better, he added.

At the event last night, Shah Rukh said he had a double reason to be happy as he won an award and his daughter was on the cover of the magazine.

I am happy and thankful to Vogue for giving me the Ultimate Man of the Decade award. It makes me feel good. And they have featured my daughter on their cover, which is a good moment for me, he said.

The magazine cover, however, has met with criticism on social media, calling it just another example of nepotism in Bollywood.  PTIeditorial@tribune.com

Manpriya Singh

When Laxmi Narayan Tripathi turned showstopper for jewellery designer Akassh K Aggarwal at Lakme Fashion Week way back in 2016, she was no ordinary showstopper parading the runway in a black saree, a statement necklace, a blood-red pout and a bright red bindi. She was stressing on the point that wherever there is spotlight, there ought to be activism.

Internationally, there are transgender models. I belong to ethnic transgender community. I belong to this country and inclusion beyond gender is importantBeauty is in beholders eyes, body shape or gender dont matter to fashion. Beauty is beauty. We are no one to judge, shed said at the time, and very rightfully so. As a part of the very same show, women achievers from different fields were brought together; while Helen took to ramp demonstrating age no bar, Sunny Leone walked to root for choice no bar, and funny girl Bharti Sharma to cheer for, size no bar.

Drama & causes

From a ruined palace look to showcase Mughal-inspired couture to cobbled street patterns in the name of ramp to showcase pret collection inspired by all things French; drama is something weve always had on the ramp.

Heres taking note of a few of the times, when runways took to activism; starting with, the latest breast-feeding episode on the ramp by American model Mara Martin in support of public breast-feeding.

Breaking stereotypes

Perhaps with an intention to break stereotypes and reinforce the beauty of a real woman, (something designer and master revivalist Gaurang Shah has always kept in mind in his creations) he ensured that supermodel Carol Gracias was his showstopper with her six-month baby bump in tow. We strongly believe that the fashion platform gives immense opportunity to highlight many things, be it the courage to showcase the confidence of models like Carol as an expectant mother to setting new trends to bringing the art of natural dyes like indigo or muslin to the fore, shares the designer, known to also showcase artisanal diversity in his creations.

Adds Gaurang, Every aspect has a social twist and as an Indian textiles designer, my dreams are always woven to social causes; something that impact the weaving community and handlooms revival. While working to improve conditions at the grassroots level, designer Rahul Mishra had spoken about the dream to employ one million people!

Ace designer Manish Malhotra happily spoke about supporting the NGO Mijwan Welfare Society through the craft of chikankari in his creations during a recent visit to Chandigarh.

In February this year, label Usha Silai, by partnering with four designers from the country, created a platform that not just showcased the work of rural women workers from Rajasthan, Bengal, Gujarat and Puducherry, but also gave them a place of pride on the ramp.

Fashions first cause

Indian heritage embraces every community, race, colour, size and so do the Indian handlooms. Ideally, so should the Indian fashion industry!

While sustainable fashion, eco-fashion, revival of handlooms and employment of artisans have always been the first causes of the industry; promoting positive body image and dispelling social taboos have been increasingly joining the list. Brand Half Full Curve, earlier this year, presented its collections with models of every possible age and shape showcasing its collection, including the 81-year-old Asha Chopra. Fashion is what we make of it. How about making it meaningful?

manpriya@tribunemail.comThroat-hold on the African nationalism narrative

Politics, a tough battle for banks

Digital touchpoints

My mom had just gotten me my United Bankcard (I was 11 years old) and I was slightly put out that I had to get an Absa card soon after, which did not look as nice or have a special kids card. I doubt anyone liked the brand then and to be honest if you had to ask anyone now, not many folks love it either.Absa at the time latched onto the colour red and in keeping with the brand thinking of the time known as la farge, owned it similar to MTNs use of yellow. The new colour palette is relevant today and has some interesting thinking behind it.But the colour red has been burnt into the collective South African brand memory and has tremendous value and I foresee that the secondary colours that they have brought in will fade away into couch fabrics and social media backgrounds, for the simple reason that people notice brand colours first and the recognition and awareness of Absa ads will decline in the short term potentially growing in the medium to long term as they associate more with the new colour. It will be interesting to see how brave they get with their colour use as sales dip.#Africanicity  so this is nice. With this new angle, they have taken a throat-hold on the African nationalism narrative in the South African banking space. Nedbank fumbled around with it in their advertising campaigns taking a leaf from the magnificent BBDO advert Made of Black for Guinness which in my biased opinion is still one of the best campaigns I have seen. Nedbank did not get it right and I heard collective groans at the cinema when their ad was aired.Banks (especially Absa) have a tough battle politically in South Africa. The EFF have unloaded their vitriol onto Absa in particular and banks in general, and I cant help but think that this rebrand is in part a reaction to the prevailing WMC narrative and the legacy of the Absa business. I have not done any research panels on this article, but banks and banking dont typically instil love, positive emotions and excitement. When developing a competitive analysis for a brand strategy we would look at strategic territories where a brand could move into.Obviously, the team did their homework and saw that the emotional axis was barren and ripe for becoming a great place to position Absa. However, just because it is an open space does not mean you need to go there, there was probably a reason it was empty in the first place which I think Absa will find out sooner or later.Lets put the brakes on this topic though and go onto the logo.Sorry, when I googled the new logo this is what came up, dont judge me.Did anybody reverse image search this train wreck?For a real analysis, I believe this article does a better job than me.Now there were justifications for the rebrand in terms of how important digital touchpoints are and why Absa needed to have a new corporate identity to become more relevant. What I cant really understand in this day and age is how all the Absa branches have not been rebranded. This is a pic I took today at Canal Walk.This is a newly revamped branch, looks great and must have cost a five-tune, but come on man, how complicated is it to change at least just the signage? The passed-out person on the couch is obviously thinking the same thing. Absa should have gotten an agency with mobile network expertise to manage the rollout. National brand? Have a new logo? Get your ass over the country and make sure that the day after the launch all the signage is changed.Sadly, this is another half-baked attempt at relevance by Absa indicative of the bankruptcy of ideas at banks in South Africa grappling with their place in a changing world. As an agency insider, I know how often great ideas are diluted to an unrecognisable degree in large organisations, stripping away much of the joy and bravery brought to the table. So, spare a thought for the agency folks involved in this process, and the frustrated marketers at Absa.I worked on the JWT agency pitch over a decade ago, run a brand strategy agency and was not asked to the pitch (if there was one) and still have lingering hurt feelings of having my United Bank kids card unceremoniously removed. If I was responsible for this rebrand I would just sit back take a sip of my Johnny Blue, mute my Twitter account and wait until folks dont care about the logo change anymore which based on experience, will be real soon.*Note that Bizcommunity staff and management do not necessarily share the views of its contributors - the opinions and statements expressed herein are solely those of the author.*amansharma@tribunemail.com

Jitendra K Shrivastava

Tribune News Service

Patna, August 1

A three-year-old girl, who had fallen into a borewell at Mungiachak locality of Munger district in Bihar, was rescued after 29 hours on Wednesday.

After her rescue, Sanno was rushed to Munger Sadar Hospital with her parents in an ambulance. She was being treated under the expert medical supervision at intensive care unit of the hospital.

The girl had fallen on Tuesday into a 160- ft borewell dug inside a courtyard of a house to get drinking water. She was stuck at 43 ft. Soon after the information was flashed, a rescue operation was kicked off by teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The rescue teams took all measures for the safety of the trapped baby. Oxygen was continuously supplied through a pipe inside the borewell and all her activities were monitored with CCTV camera. Her mother was allowed to call her at borewell to psychologically boost her.

Munger sub-divisional magistrate Khagesh Chandra Jha said: With experts of NDRF, SDRF and army jawans, the three-year-old girl was rescued. All safety measures were taken up when the operation was under way. The activities of the child were also being monitored by doctors with A CCTV camera, and oxygen was continuously being supplied with a pipe.

The rescue team vertically dug up earth 45 ft parallel to the borewell and made way horizontally to the borewell. They also made arrangement inside the borewell so that further fall could be avoided.

In spite of sporadic rain and humidity, the rescue teams worked continuously. Locals also tried their traditional method by boring rope to take the baby out but they failed, said Mukesh Kumar, a neighbour of the girl, adding that she had come to her maternal grandparents. She had fallen into the borewell around 4 pm on Tuesday and was rescued at 8.45 pm on Wednesday.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1

The Delhi Commission for Women has busted a major human trafficking racket with the rescue of 39 Nepalese women and girls from hotel Hriday Inn in Paharganj area, making it the third such raid in the national capital in a week.

The dawn raid carried out by the womens panel with the help of the police based on a tip-off by an NGO prompted an agitated DCW chief Swati Maliwal to call Delhi the human trafficking capital.

Pointing out that hotels in Paharganj have become a hub of human trafficking, Maliwal urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to urgently hold a meeting of the Delhi L-G, police commissioner and DCW on the issue and fix responsibility of the police.

After being known for rapes Delhi is moving towards becoming the human trafficking capital. A huge trafficking racket busted. The rescue of 73 trafficking survivors in a week points out at a big trafficking ring operating from Delhi. But the police dont get to know anything about it. Woman commission and women are endangering their life, but the police fail to take action, said the DCW chairperson who led the rescue exercise early in the morning.

Maliwal wonders about the beat constables being unaware of such illegal activities in the areas under their purview saying this raises many questions regarding their complicity and if they are being paid for letting the rackets operate.

The DCW chief said after a tip-off received from an NGO around 1 am the commissions team called the police with whose support 39 girls and women, all Nepalese and trafficked into Delhi from the earthquake-hit areas of Nepal on the pretext of jobs, were rescued.

Maliwal said the raid lasted the entire night and assistance was provided by the police. The trafficked victims were to be sold to Gulf countries while some had already been trafficked to Sri Lanka, she noted.

Usually girls from Nepals quake-affected areas are trafficked and sold to gulf countries and Sri Lanka, said Maliwal, thus indicating the vulnerability of Nepalese women and girls to the traps laid by international trafficking rings operating at a massively organised level.gspannu7@gmail.com

Rameswaram (TN), August 1

Nearly 5,600 gelatin sticks and other explosive items allegedly meant to be smuggled to Sri Lanka were seized on Wednesday from the Serankottai coast near here, and six people were arrested in this connection, police said.

Acting on a tip off, a police team reached the spot and seized the gelatin sticks, they said.

All the six people, hailing from Ramanathapuram district, were taken to a police station.

The seizure has raised fears that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam might be trying to revive its fight against the Sri Lankan government, otherwise there was no reason for such a large quantity of explosives to be smuggled to the island nation, intelligence officials said.

The Sri Lankan government had in May 2009 declared an end to the 25-year civil war after the army took control of the entire island and killed the leader of the Tamil Tigers.

On June 25, more than 50 boxes of abandoned ammunition, 41 light machine guns, 22 machine guns and five land mines were unearthed near the Thangachimadam area in the district.

Police had said the explosives and ammunition could have been buried 35 years ago by the Lankan militant organisations that had training camps here.  PTI.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

New Delhi, August 1

The three armed forces face a shortage of over 9,096 officers, with the Army topping the list, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

In a written response to a question in the Lower House of Parliament, Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for Defence said as on January 1, 2018, the authorised strength of the Army was 49,933, but it has 42,635 officers, which is 7,298 short of the sanctioned strength.

The authorised strength for the Navy is 11,352 officers as against the existing number of 9,746 officers, which is 1,606 less than the sanctioned number.

The Air Force has a shortage of 192 officers, Bhamre said, adding that it has 12,392 officers as against the sanctioned strength of 12,584 officers.

In response to another question on whether the government has received any proposal from China for a border defence cooperation pact, the minister replied in negative.

He said an agreement on border defence cooperation between India and China was signed on October 23, 2013.

No new proposal for a defence cooperation has been received from China, the MoS said.

He said the government has taken various steps to strengthen defence cooperation with China, including mechanisms to enhance military to military exchanges and ensure maintenance of peace, stability and tranquillity along the India-China border.

These measures include annual defence and security dialogue, exchanges at the level of border troops, border personnel meetings, meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation on India-China Border Affairs and agreements and protocols relating to confidence-building measures. PTIamansharma@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, August 1

The CBI will soon be conducting an exhaustive forensic examination of the Muzaffarpur shelter home where minor girls were allegedly raped by officials of the centre, officials said on Wednesday.

They said a team from CFSL will soon be sent to Muzaffarpur to reconstruct crime scenes and collect forensic samples from the centre.

The statements of the victims will be used to reconstruct the crime scene and develop a timeline which will be used to prosecute the accused, they said.

The agency may also take help child psychologists to record the statements of the girls, some of them as young as seven years, the officials said.

Over 30 girls were allegedly raped at the centre run by one Brajesh Thakur, chief of the state-funded NGO.

The agency will also record statements of doctors and forensic specialists, used by the local police during its probe, and collect evidence from them, they said.

The alleged sexual exploitation of the girls was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai, to the states Social Welfare Department in April.

An FIR was lodged on May 31 against 11 people, including Brajesh Thakur, the owner of the NGO which ran the government-funded shelter home for destitute girls. The probe has now been taken over by the CBI.

In all, sexual abuse of 34 inmates out of 42 was confirmed in their medical examination while two others who were unwell were yet to undergo medical tests.

The TISS audit report stated that many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. A special investigation team was formed to probe the complaints.

The NGO running the shelter home in Muzaffarpur was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani.

Women staff members of the shelter home and Brajesh Thakur, who ran the NGO, were among those who were arrested by the local police in connection with the case.

During the probe by local police, two types of epilepsy injection were recovered from the centre. If administered to a healthy person, these injections would render him unconscious.

It was apprehended that this injection might have been used on the inmates to sexually abuse them, the sources from local agencies had said.  PTIamansharma@tribunemail.com

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal has accused the Delhi Police of "pressurising and intimidating" the rescued survivors not to disclose details about the traffickers and retract from their statements at police station.

It seems that with today's crackdown on traffickers in Paharganj hotel, the commission has laid hand on a big trafficking syndicate run by someone influential, pointed out Maliwal, alleging that the police are trying to protect the "boss behind the huge racket".

However, the police are understood to be maintaining that the matter is not related to trafficking- something which the DCW refused to buy while sharing complaints from some of the rescued Nepalese girls received by the panel and the police during the raid early morning today.

"It is sad that the Delhi Police have failed to nab the human traffickers. The girls who have been rescued are being harassed and pressurised by the police to withdraw their statements. No FIR has been registered yet," alleged Maliwal asking is this how Delhi will become "crime-free".

"The Paharganj SHO is telling that the girls will not be shifted to shelter homes until order comes from the top. They underwent medical tests and are again being taken now," said Maliwal who is known for spearheading an anti-sex trafficking drive in the national capital ever since she joined the DCW in 2015. She has in the past alleged that the flesh trade in the national capital's GB Road has "political patronage".

"Those who were rescued were sent for medical examination and were taken to the area's police station at 11 am in Paharganj. But the girls have not been shifted to shelter homes (till 8 pm) and there has been no FIR or arrest till now while the victims continue to be detained at the police station," said a woman panel official.

The complaints addressed to DCW reveal that the women were trafficked into Delhi from Nepal in separate batches on the pretext of jobs in Gulf countries and confined in Hotel Hriday for different time periods. They were only allowed to meet the agents, read the complaints.

CCTV cameras' row

The political slugfest over installation of CCTV cameras in the national capital escalated on Wednesday when Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed the Delhi Police will never give permission for installing CCTV cameras in areas where trafficking rackets operate as they would expose the people behind such huge trafficking rackets and make the police accountable.

An irked DCW chief Maliwal alleged that the central government and the police are opposing the Delhi government's CCTV project as it would make the police accountable.

She said Minister Rajnath Singh is the political head and needs to fix accountability of the police. "Why are the police not able to nab people behind such rackets? Are they getting money for this and who else are those who are being paid for allowing them to run? I feel this is the reason that police and Centre are not letting CCTV cameras be installed," she alleged.

The issue gained resonance during the day with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party colleagues, too, training guns at the BJP-led Centre on the issue.

"CCTV cameras wud expose such crimes, the people behind it and make police accountable. If police were to give license for CCTV, will police ever give license to install CCTV cameras at such places? Never (sic)," tweeted Kejriwal.

"Complete breakdown of law and order in Delhi. Is it possible at such a large scale without collusion at the top? BJP, LG and Rajnath ji ought to respond. People of Delhi feeling v unsafe," he added.shalender@tribune.com

Prateek Chauhan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1

The Special Cell of Delhi Police on Wednesday claimed to have busted an international drug cartel with the arrest of three persons, including two belonging to Punjab and Haryana.

The police believed the third accused, a Nigerian, was the alleged kingpin. The police recovered 5.250 kg heroin, worth Rs 21 crore on the international market, and a car. Those arrested were Deepak Goel (28) from Sangrur, Punjab; Harinder Pal (21) from Panchkula, Haryana; and Nigerian Chigemezu, alias Prince, (27), currently residing in Uttam Nagar, Delhi. The accused said Afghanistan and African nationals were also part of the cartel.

On June 29, the Special Cell got a tip-off that Goel and Pal, travelling in a Skoda car bearing a Haryana registration number, were to deliver a consignment of heroin to North India-based drug dealers, the police said.

On the spotting the car, the cops signalled its driver to pull over, but he tried to flee by making a U-turn. On being surrounded by cops, the occupants took off on foot and were later apprehended. A search resulted in the recovery of 4.5 kg heroin, they said.

The duo said they used to source heroin from Prince in Uttam Nagar and further supply it to drug dealers in Punjab and Haryana, said DCP (special cell) PS Kushwah.

Goel claimed he met Prince two years ago at a Patiala jail where both were lodged in different narcotics cases. Prince shared his Facebook ID and asked Goel to contact him on release, he said.shalender@tribune.com

New Delhi, August 1

The government on Wednesday launched a scheme under which the Centres share of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) on food, prasad, langar and bhandara would be reimbursed to the charitable institutions and gurdwaras.

The Ministry of Culture came out with the scheme, Seva Bhoj Yojana, that has a total outlay of Rs 325 crore for 2018-19 and 2019-20. The move follows protests, especially by Sikhs, over GST on langar.  TNSrchopra@tribunemail.com

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1

Making an important statement on India-China relations, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said the Wuhan Summit (April 27-28) was successful in building on issues of mutual trust, understanding of issues and creating mutual comfort levels between leaders of the two countries.

The Wuhan summit was held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinas President Xi Jinping.

Answering the questions in the Lok Sabha, Swaraj said it was decided in the run-up to the summit that the leaders would not be fettered by a fixed agenda. There was no fixed agenda, so there was no question of Doklam being referred to in the reply (tabled in Parliament), she said while answering a question by Sugata Bose of the Trinamool Congress.

Doklam (73-day military stand-off in June-August last year) has been resolved due to mature diplomacy, said the minister, adding, I can assure this House that there has been no change in status quo at Doklam since August 28 (2017).

The dispute in the northern part of Doklam (89 sq km plateau) is between China and Bhutan and India could not comment on that, she said.

Swaraj, when pointed out by Bose that she was not present at the summit, said she was fully capable of answering questions on the matter. Bose requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on the matter; members of the Congress also made the same demand.

Modi was present in the House but he let the External Affairs Minister do the talking.

Replying to another question on the strategic guidance given by the two leaders to the militaries of the two countries, Swaraj said, It has been made clear that issues should be resolved at the local level and not allowed to fester.

On being asked about Chinas massive infrastructure-building in the Indian Ocean region and if India referred to various such issues, the minister said it is our stated policy that freedom of navigation at sea is the right of the nations which had their territories in that area. All issues had to be resolved as per UNCLOS, she concluded.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is an international treaty which was adopted and signed in 1982. China is in dispute with six other countries over control of the hydro-carbon rich South China Sea. Indias interest is only in freedom of navigation as it can impede trade.gspannu7@gmail.com

Our Correspondent

Jaipur, August 1

In an extensive raid on Wednesday, police have recovered a huge cache of bovine animal skins, including 221 of cow alone, from a house in Alwar district after arrest of four persons along with three women at Govindgarh town a day ago.

Besides, scores of body limbs of bovine were also recovered with 350 skins from the house of one Saleem, who was purchasing it from the accused Khaleel alias Shakeel, 25, who is in police custody.

Saleem reportedly fled from the area after the police raided and arrested three women on Monday and Khaleel yesterday.

Khaleel and Saleem are big traders of bovine skin selling business across the state to neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Alwar SP Rajendra Singh Choudhary told The Tribune.

SHO, Govindgarh, said the police were verifying the validity of a license which they obtained from three panchayats for skin removal of carcasses of dead animals in the area.

But based on the raids, the accused family was allegedly indulging in slaughtering and selling of beef locally and in other neighbouring states, he added.

After confirming, a local government veterinarian has separated the cow skins from the bunch.

Akbari, 48, Bhoori, 22, and Sajeena, 24 (all women) arrested on Monday have been sent to the judicial custody while Khaleel is in police custody.gspannu7@gmail.com

Mumbai, August 1

Battling financial woes, Jet Airways has proposed up to 25 per cent pay cut for employees but the proposal has been rejected by pilots and and engineers, sources said.

Sources said the full-service carrier is in discussions with certain sections of employees on the salary cut proposal, which has been mooted amid efforts to save costs.

Jet Airways has more than 16,000 employees.

The Naresh Goyal-led airline, in which Gulf carrier Etihad holds 24 per cent stake, has already slashed by 25 per cent the salaries of its senior management, one of the sources told PTI here.

Senior management executives are those holding general manager post and above level positions.

At a meeting held with Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube here this evening, pilots made it clear that the proposed pay cut was not acceptable.

Last week, Jet Airways management held a meeting with the airlines pilots union National Aviators Guild (NAG) and sought its cooperation with respect to proposed salary cuts, another source said.

The management had told the pilots that they should go along with engineers and other employees by taking a 25 per cent wage cut due to the prevailing financial health, the source added.

As the union outrightly rejected the proposal, sources said the management decided to talk to the pilots separately and had called for todays meeting of all its Mumbai-based pilots.

However, the pilots reiterated the position taken by the union, one of the sources said.

Engineers have also rejected the salary cut proposal, they added.

Queries sent to Jet Airways Deputy CEO and CFO Amit Agarwal, and an airline spokesperson on the issue did not elicit any response.

Another round of meeting with pilots is likely to be held tomorrow in the national capital, the sources said.

Jet Airwayswhich completed 25 years of operations earlier this yearhad 16,558 permanent employees as on March 31, 2018.

Besides, there were a total of 6,306 temporary /casual employees, as per the airlines annual report for 2017-18.  PTIrchopra@tribunemail.com

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, August 1

A fast track court on Wednesday awarded death penalty and life imprisonment respectively, to two persons accused in rape and murder of a 58-year-old teacher at Jamunamukh area in Hojai district of central Assam.

The investigation into the sensational rape and murder case was monitored by the PMO.

The Court of Additional District and Session Judge in Hojai awarded death penalty to accused Mainul Hoque after pronouncing him guilty under Sections 302, 276 (A) and 201 of the IPC while another accused Selimuddin was sentenced to life imprisonment sans any provision for parole after the court held him guilty under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 each on the two accused.

The 58-year-old teacher was accosted and murdered by the two accused on May 31, 2017 when she was returning home after taking classes in the Lower Primary School where she had been working for years. Her body was thrown into the Kopili river by the accused.

A case was registered at Jamunamukh police station in this regard even as the gruesome crime created mass protests all over the state.

Assam Police at the instance of the state Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had sent a high-level team from police headquarters to help the investigating team on the ground while a team of CID also helped in the investigation. The PMO later called for a written report about the progress of investigation in the case.

Investigating officer Abhisek Bodo filed the chargesheet before the fast track court within 90 days and the trial began in October 2017.shalender@tribune.com

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 1

A four-year-long delay in reimbursement of grant to colleges under the SC Post Matric Scholarship scheme  a whopping Rs 1,600 crore  has hit enrolment of Scheduled Caste students in colleges across Punjab.

Any SC student whose parental income is less than Rs 2.5 lakh a year is eligible for the scholarship.

Owing to monetary restraints, Monu, who has taken admission in BA, has opted to work in a restaurant after college hours. Another local student Gurjant Singh works as a plumber after classes. Keeping up with the rest in studies is not easy since we often work till late in the evening, they say.

The joint action committee (JAC), representing 1,550 colleges and polytechnics in the state, claims a 25-50 per cent drop in SC admissions this academic session, with the figure more dismal for technical and management colleges.

The JAC blames the Centres decision to credit the reimbursed amount in the students account, not that of the college, for it. College managements argue there is no way of knowing if the money has been transferred into a students account.

We are yet to receive a grant of Rs 9.5 crore for SC students. Ten days ago, we had orders from the state as well as Guru Nanak Dev University to allow free admissions. As of now, we are taking Rs 3,000 from all SC students. Their eligibility under the scheme will be known only after the Department of Welfare opens its official portal, said GS Samra, Principal of Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar.

DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology enrolled 80 SC students in BTech last year. This time their number has declined to 30, according to its principal Manoj Kumar.

Deepinder Sekhon of Quest Infosys Foundation Institutions, Kharar, says SC admissions have been down by 20 per cent and so does Dr Tejinder Singh Sidhu of Beant College of Engineering, Gurdaspur. However, the actual figures will be known by mid-August when admissions close.

Principal Sucharita of Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar, says the High Court last year had ordered that colleges were free to charge SC students the admission fee. We acted accordingly. Now, they have stopped coming to us. Our fee for graduate courses is Rs 60,000 per annum. But we are told we will be refunded money as per the charges in government colleges, which are a mere Rs 8,000 a year. Surely, we cant fill the yawning gap.

Ashwini Sekhri, chairman of a group of colleges in Batala, points out that admissions in the general category too have declined. Therefore, the fall in SC admissions comes as no surprise.shalender@tribune.com

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met UPA chief Sonia Gandhi and batted for a collective leadership of the Opposition in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

I am not after any chair. The first task is to defeat the BJP, she said after meeting Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi with whom she discussed a range of issues to build broader anti-BJP coalitions. Answering questions on whether the Congress was open to her candidature as the PM face of the anti-BJP front for the next polls, she also said it (PM face) would be decided later.

Banerjee and Gandhis are learnt to have discussed the National Register of Citizens in Assam, mob lynchings and dilution of institutions of democracy, including concerns around the credibility of EVMs. The Bengal CM said she was for a collective leadership of the Opposition and the most dominant party playing the principal role in each state in the next General Election.

Asked if the Congress was open to allying with the TMC in Bengal, Banerjee said, It is for the Congress to decide. We cannot interfere in its decision making, but we are in favour of the strongest party to take on the BJP in every state.

The Congress is in a dilemma about its alliance in Bengal where it had an understanding with the Left in the last state elections. Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Choudhry is a vociferous Banerjee baiter and recently accused her party of murdering democracy in the panchayat polls.

But with the Congress Working Committee authorising Rahul to forge pacts, the elbow room for state leaders to influence alliance formations stands limited. An equally strong faction in the Bengal Congress favours aligning with the TMC and has threatened to join TMC ranks should Rahul not oblige.

Besides, she came to Parliament and met Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav. She also met BJP patriarch LK Advani.

On anti-BJP plans, she said, Already the BJP is nervous and scared. The saffron party wont return to power. If we can fight together on issues inside Parliament, why cannot outside the House?gspannu7@gmail.com

Vibha Sharma and Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1

Taking the National Registry of Citizens debate to another level, the face-off between BJP chief Amit Shah and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on the contentious National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue continued into the second day on Wednesday.

Shah said on Wednesday he was determined to hold his rally in Kolkata on August 11 whether or not he is granted permission by West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjees government, daring her to have him arrested.

It does not matter whether I get permission or not, I will definitely go to Kolkata. If the state government wants, it can get me arrested, Shah is reported to have said.

TMCs Derek OBrien responded to him in a tweet saying: BJP & its national President have become nervous, tense. Their programme for Aug 3 in Kolkata was promptly granted permission. For their Aug 11 program, they only just sent a letter & permission granted. Happy journey to the land of peace and harmony #Bangla Love Your Neighbour

His challenge came amid talks that he was denied permission to hold his rally in Kolkataan allegation West Bengal government has denied.

West Bengal Police announced later in the day that Shah had been given permission for the rally.

Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice. It is to clarify that on request permission for meeting has already been granted, the Kolkata police said in a tweet.

The rally is believed to have been sore point between the two parties, with reports saying that Banerjee had even met BJP veteran LK Advani over the issue.

Parliament again witnessed rancorous scenes on Wednesday. The Congress and the Trinamool refused to allow Shah to speakstorming and spreading into the Well of the House, blocking him and Home Minister Rajnath Singh from Chairman M Venkaiah Naidus viewforcing the House to abandon its debate on NRC.

The Congress will decide its official stand on NRC at a meeting of the party working committee on August 4.

The BJP is attempting to use the NRC to trying to consolidate its constituency not just in Assam, but also across the country. It is also trying to accrue added benefits of proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. 2016.

When Shah dared Opposition parties to clear stance on the NRC on Wednesday, he made two other significant pointsfirst, he said the government would also bring the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. And second, pitching the BJP as the party standing for rights of Indians as opposed to rival parties, Shah also did not negate the possibility of the exercise being replicated in other parts on the experience of ongoing exercise in Assam.

Aiming at amending the Citizenship Act, 1955, for allowing sections of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan to apply for Indian citizenship by relaxing the mandatory waiting period to six years from 11, the Bill, after been discussed in the Lok Sabha was referred to a joint select committee.

Also seen as aimed at its broader Hindutva goal like the NRC, the Bill is among the promises made by the BJP during the 2014 election campaign. Sources say it would help the passage of minorities (in neighbouring countries) to India

Currently, the NRC is being conducted in Assam. On the basis of its experience the planning for other States would be done, Shah said to questions related to similar demands by BJP leaders in states like West Bengal, Bihar and Tamil Nadu.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Mumbai, August 1

Polling began at 7.30 am on Wednesday for elections to two municipal corporations in Maharashtra, where 754 candidates are vying for 153 seats.

Polling is being held for the 78-member Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation (SMKMC) in Western Maharashtra and the 75-member Jalgaon Municipal Corporation (JMC) in North Maharashtra.

The two cities have a cumulative voter population of 7,89,251.

As many as 1,013 polling booths have been set up and 5,792 election staff deployed on duty in the two cities, according to State Election Commissioner JS Saharia.

Polling is also taking place for ward number 97 of the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation.

The voting will continue till 5.30 pm and the counting will be taken up on August 3.

As many as 451 candidates are in fray for 78 seats in the SMKMC, while 303 nominees will vie for 75 seats in Jalgaon.

Sangli has 4,24,179 eligible voters, while their number is 3,65,072 in Jalgaon.

The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena have joined hands for the JMC, while the BJP is going it alone in the SMKMC. PTIshalender@tribune.com

New Delhi, August 1

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has called a meeting of the partys working committee on August 4 to discuss a range of issues for the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.

Top on the agenda is a discussion on the Rafale deal on which the Congress has built a sustained campaign against the PM. The party has questioned the PM for hiding the details on overpricing of the fighter jets and allegedly benefitting his industrialist friend by way of an award of offset contract.

The Congress will also decide how best to formulate a strategy on the National Register of Citizens, a matter it feels the BJP will take far. Congress leaders have already begun attacking the BJP for exploiting the sensitive issue of NRC for political gains.

The party is further expected to finalise a plan to build mass movements around a range of issues including Rafale, NRC, lynchings, dilutions in the Prevention of Atrocities against SCs and STs Act among others.

The CWC recently met on July 20 and authorised Rahul Gandhi to forge state-specific alliances to counter the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.  TNSrchopra@tribunemail.com

Chennai, August 1

Actor-politician Rajinikanth on Tuesday night paid a visit to the Kauvery Hospital to enquire about the health of ailing Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi.

I came to enquire about the countrys most senior leader. He was sleeping. I enquired about his health from his family. I pray to the Almighty for his speedy recovery, Rajinikanth told media after meeting Karunanidhis family.

Rajinikanth also met DMK leader MK Alagiri at the hospital.

The Kauvery Hospital earlier on Tuesday said Karunanidhis vital signs had gradually normalised, but he would continue to remain under observation.

In a statement, Executive Director of Kauvery Hospital, Dr Aravindaran Selvaraj, said, :There has been a resolution of the condition which led to his hospital admission. An extended period of hospitalisation will be necessary due to age-related overall decline in Karunanidhis general health, altered liver functions and haematological parameters. He continues to maintain his vital signs with active medical support.

On July 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had enquired about the ill health of Karunanidhi and prayed for his quick recovery. The Prime Minister had also spoken to Karunanidhis son MK Stalin and daughter Kanimozhi.

Karunanidhi was admitted to the hospital after his blood pressure fell last week. The DMK chief, who is on intravenous antibiotics, was earlier undergoing treatment at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai. ANIrchopra@tribunemail.com

Ravi Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day following continued protests by Congress and TMC members.

This was when the chair allowed Amit Shah to resume his statement which he was not able to conclude on Tuesday or on Wednesday morning on account of adjournments.

The protest post lunch started was as soon as Shah stood to resume his speech. Shah later gave in urging the Chair to allow the Union Home Minister to make a reply on the discussion on the NRC.

But Singh was also not allowed to make the reply on account of the din.

TMC members entered the Well of the House and raised slogans.

While giving in, Shah said he knew why the Opposition members were not allowing him to resume his speech.

Naidu thanked Singh for presenting himself for three days in the House to give reply on concerns of members in NRC before the adjournment.

Naidu admonished the protesting members that it was part of their conspiracy to take part in the discussion on NRC, say their part, and obstruct proceedings when it was time for the reply. He said it seemed the Opposition was not interested in further taking part in the discussion.

Referring to TMC members entering the Well and sloganeering, Naidu wondered whether one party should control the entire House.shalender@tribune.com

Vibha Sharma & Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1

On a day a police complaint was lodged against TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee over her alleged provocative remarks on Assams National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft, the ongoing war of words between BJP chief Amit Shah and Banerjee on the contentious issue intensified on Wednesday.

A youth leader filed the complaint at Assams North Lakhimpur Sadar police station over Banerjees remarks that the NRC could lead to a bloodbath and a civil war in the country. No FIR had yet been registered.

Vociferous scenes were witnessed in Parliament as discussion on the NRC remained incomplete with TMC members backed by Congress MPs refusing to allow Shah to speak. The Opposition members stood in a formation in the well of the Rajya Sabha, virtually blocking Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh from the view of Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.

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As Opposition members tried to corner Shah over his Congress lacked courage remark in Parliament, the BJP chief hit back outside, saying he was determined to hold a rally in Kolkata on August 11 whether or not he was granted permission by the Banerjee-led West Bengal Government.

Shah dared Banerjee to have him arrested amid buzz that the state government had denied permission for the meeting, a charge the TMC denied, wishing him happy journey to the land of peace and harmony. Interestingly, while the TMC claimed permission to Shahs mega rally was never an issue, the BJP insisted it was. Banerjee met BJP veteran LK Advani on the Parliament premises over the issue. TMC's Derek O'Brien, responding to Shah's charge, said the BJP and Shah have become nervous, tense. Their programme for August 3 in Kolkata was promptly granted permission. For their August 11 programme, they only sent a letter and permission (was) granted. Happy journey to the land of peace and harmony," OBrien tweeted.

Both sides are unwilling to cede ground on the issue given that it may well decide the future of political parties in crucial West Bengal. Riding on the NRC, the BJP is trying to consolidate its constituency not just in Assam but across the country. It is also trying to accrue added benefits of proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

Shah, while daring Opposition parties to clear stance on the NRC, said the government would also bring the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. Pitching the BJP as the party standing for rights of Indians as opposed to rivals, he did not negate the possibility of the exercise being replicated in other parts on the experience of ongoing exercise in Assam.

Aiming at amending the Citizenship Act, 1955, for allowing sections of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan to apply for Indian citizenship by relaxing the mandatory waiting period, the Bill, after being discussed in the LS, was referred to a joint select panel.

'WB govt can get me arrested

It doesnt matter whether I get permission (to hold a rally on Aug 11) or not, I will definitely go to Kolkata. If the state government wants, it can get me arrested.  Amit Shah, BJP Chief

Cant ask them to get out

Names missing from NRC include those from Bengal, Bihar, UP, TN, Gujarat and Rajasthan... Some have been living in Assam for 100 years. How can you ask them to get out?  Mamata Banerjee, TMC SupremoForbes Woman Africa LWS looks at the $1trn female economy

To celebrate UN International Women's Day on 8 March 2018, 120 of South Africa's most influential women gathered at third annual Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit (LWS) in Rosebank, Johannesburg. Prof. Thuli Madonsela, Dr Rolene Strauss, and Vivian Onano were some of the women who contributed to the summit's 'the trillion dollar female economy' theme.



LWS also featured a panel discussion with c-suite executives on the role of women in leadership.



Watch the summit's official aftermovie:



rchopra@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, August 1

Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said social media platforms should themselves weed out circulation of fake news and that the government would not tolerate abuse of data by companies for influencing elections in India.

He said the government had ordered a CBI investigation into the alleged misuse of data of Indian Facebook users by British political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica.

Any foreign entity, Facebook or Cambridge Analytica, cannot abuse the data of Indians to influence elections of India. Indias elections are very transparent, sanctified, Prasad said in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.

The government has told social media platforms that fake news or abusive news could not be circulated and re-circulated to create crimes in India, Prasad said, adding, That will not be acceptable.

Therefore, the origin of those news should also be technologically answered. I have conveyed to them in very clear observation that it does not need rocket science to identify lakhs of messages being circulated on a particular day, in a particular area of a particular state. You must have technological solutions, Prasad said.

The ministers comments come within days of rumours on social media platform Whatsapp triggering lynching incidents in the country.

Prasad said while Facebook had apologised to the Government of India and said data was pilfered by other agencies, Cambridge Analytica gave just one reply and did not follow up the other reply.

Therefore, because of these diversions and since the reply was not adequately convincing, I have referred the matter to the CBI, Prasad said.

The minister said Facebook in its response had said that about 5.62 lakh Indians might have been potentially affected in the Cambridge Analytica case.

However, Cambridge Analytica responded that they did not have any Facebook data on Indian citizens. To a second notice, Facebook informed that Cambridge Analytica had violated Facebooks policy. Cambridge Analytica has not responded to the second notice, he said.

He said the government had asked social media platforms to appoint a grievance officer in India before whom complaints could be made and comply with the requirements of Indian law.

We respect privacy. But privacy cannot be used to shield terrorists and corrupt, he added. PTIrchopra@tribunemail.com

Lucknow, August 1

An SUV plunged 15-20 feet deep after a service road caved in alongside the Agra-Lucknow expressway on Wednesday following heavy rains, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to order a probe.

However, no one was injured in the incident, officials said.

A third-party probe has been ordered into the caving-in of the side road of the expressway (16 km from Agra towards Lucknow) by RITES Limited. The construction of the damaged road will be done by the construction agency at its cost, Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) Chairman Avanish Awasthi said.

The UP government asked railways consultancy firm RITES Limited to complete the probe within 15 days.

Awasthi said all the agencies involved in the construction of the expressway had been asked to keep an eye on the situation and ensure proper drainage arrangements.

The 302-km long expressway, which cost nearly Rs 15,000 crore, was completed in record time of 23 months.

It was inaugurated in November 2016 by the erstwhile Samajwadi Party (SP) government months ahead of the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.

It is the countrys longest access-controlled greenfield expressway on which the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets can land and take-off in case of a war-like emergency. PTIvinaymishra188@gmail.com

New Delhi, July 31

In the latest counter-terrorism action, the US Departments of State and Treasury have notified Lashkar commander Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil as a specially designated global terrorist (SDGT). The list imposes sanctions on foreign persons who have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of American nationals or the countrys national security, foreign policy or economy.

Among other consequences, all of his property and interests subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him, said the State Department.

Dakhil, a longtime member of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), was an operational leader for the attacks carried out in India between 1997 and 2001. In 2004, Dakhil was captured in Iraq by British forces and held in US custody. He was transferred to Pakistan in 2014.

After his release, Dakhil returned to work for LeT as divisional commander for the Jammu region.  TNSeditorial@tribune.com

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Kotkapura (Faridkot), August 1

The Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) and the Local Bodies Department are at loggerheads over the construction of the Mother Child Care Centre here.

In March, the Kotkapura Municipal Committee had filed a criminal case against the Senior Medical Officer (SMO) of the local Civil Hospital, accusing him of not getting prior permission from the MC for starting construction of the centre.

The MC has sought the prosecution of the officer, Gaji Ujjair, and the recovery of Rs 26.19 lakh as fine from him. The SMO, who got bail from a judicial court here on July 29, claimed that he had nothing to do with the construction work as the building was raised under the supervision of the PHSC engineering wing.

Demanding the withdrawal of the case against the SMO, registered under Section 195 and 195A of the Punjab Municipal Act, the PHSC argued that government buildings were exempted from paying tax under the Act.

However, the Local Bodies Department has denied such exemption to the hospital.

Constructed at a cost of over Rs 5 crore, the centre is funded by the National Rural Health Mission.

In a recent letter to the Principal Secretary, Local Bodies, the PHSC Managing Director referred to a July 17, 1993, notification, under which all gurdwaras, charitable hospitals, dispensaries and other charitable trusts are exempted from paying fee to get sanction from MCs under Section 71 of the Act.

A Venu Prasad, Principal Secretary, Local Bodies, said he would examine this case to find an amicable solution.

Sources in the department said the PHSC was an autonomous corporation, like Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), not a government department. As no building of the PSPCL was exempted from the Act, so it was also applicable to PHSC buildings, they added.

The PHSC authorities said the corporation was serving society, not doing any business.editorial@tribune.com

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 1

The name of a Bollywood actor in events preceding the incidents of sacrilege in Punjab surfaced before the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission during the course of its inquiry. The Commission, however, could not take cognisance of the allegations as it was not backed by an affidavit by the informant.

At the same time, the commission took note of the letter while forming a larger picture about the conditions leading to the incidents. The Commission is believed to have referred to a letter, and subsequent testimony of one Harbans Singh Jalal, who talked about a meeting that took place between the Bollywood actor, a senior Punjab politician and Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Available information suggests Jalal wrote that the meeting was held at the actors residence in Mumbai for the release of Messenger of God in Punjab before the grant of pardon to the dera chief. He added that the movie was expected to do business of Rs 300 crore, if released in Punjab.

The Commission is said to have asserted that underhand moves were on between the then Punjab government and the dera head for the movies release in the state as well. The Commission summoned and examined Jalal on oath after it received the letter in October last year.

Referring to the letter, Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) asserted that Jalal said the film was released, but the promised party fund was not paid. The pardon by Akal Takht was, in the days to come, withdrawn.

Justice Ranjit Singh asked Jalal to submit an affidavit, but he did not turn up. As such, contents of the letter remained within the realm of hearsay; and the cognisance of it could not be taken. At the same time, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted that the letter might have to be seen in the light of revelations about the involvement of dera Premis in the incidents.

Justice Ranjit Singh said a view clearly emerging was that dera followers might be responsible for the acts of sacrilege in Faridkot, Bathinda and Moga districts. The Commission asserted the theft of a bir of Guru Granth Sahib took place on June 1, 2015, and Messenger of God was released all over India on September 18, 2015. It could not hit the silver screen in Punjab because of an edict against the dera head by Akal Takht.

The panel reportedly added that Akal Takht Jathedar, out of the blue, on September 24, 2015, granted pardon to the dera head against the edict of boycott, paving the way for his films release the same day. Another thing happened that day. A poster, carrying derogatory language and warning of sacrilege if the movie was not released, was pasted at Bargari.

The pardon generated massive resentment among Sikhs. Panthic bodies gave a call for holding meeting in Ludhiana on October 12, 2015, for preparation of Sarbat Khalsa in November. The same day, the angs of the holy book were found in Bargari village. The Commission noticed that the pardon was withdrawn on October 16, 2015; and another incident took place in about three days. It was followed by other incidents.

The Commission added that fixing of posters and other developments could have been done to mislead the investigation. But the police could have ruled out the possibility of dera Premis involvement only after a proper probe.

(Concluded)

Key findings

The theft of Guru Granth Sahib took place in a Faridkot village on June 1, 2015, and Messenger of God was released across country on September 18.

It could not hit the silver screen in Punjab because of an edict of boycott against dera head by Akal Takht.

Akal Takht Jathedar, out of the blue, granted pardon to the dera head on September 24.

The pardon generated massive resentment among Sikhs. Panthic bodies gave a call for a meeting in Ludhiana on October 12, for preparation of Sarbat Khalsa.

The same day, the angs of the holy book were found at Bargari village.

The pardon was withdrawn on October 16 and another incident took place in about three days, followed by more incidents across districts.

CM ducked findings, alleges Bir Devinder

Chandigarh: Former Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh has accused Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh of wilful deceit with the findings of Justice Ranjit Singh Commission by talking about the contents of the report. In a statement issued here on Wednesday, he said as per the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, the CM was under the statutory obligation to first discuss the report with the Council of Ministers. TNS

Arrest ex-DGP Saini, demands Dal Khalsa

Hoshiarpur: The Dal Khalsa has said there is no need for any more inquiries into sacrilege incidents as already three commissions have investigated these. "It is now clear that the incidents were carried out by dera Premis in reaction to the cancellation of apology to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh," HS Cheema, party president said, adding that they would observe August 13 as Azadi Sankalp Divas to celebrate 40 years of Dal Khalsa. TNSshalender@tribune.com

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 1

Come August 15, Indias Independence Day, Chief Minister TS Rawat will hoist the Indian flag at Gamshali, (Barahoti), the border village that usually attracts attention on and off due to Chinese incursions.

On Wednesday BJP MLA from Badrinath Mahindra Bhatt extended invitation to the Chief Minister to participate in the local fair that is held every year at Gamshali. Barahoti is located on Uttarakhands border with China ans is a grass land for grazing sheep and goats. An ITBP camp is also located at Gamshali.

On behalf of the villagers today, I invited Chief Minister TS Rawat to participate in the fair that is held between August 10 and August 20 in Gamshali (Dumfudhar). It is said that the villagers heard the news about Indias independence five days late on the radio. In order to make up for the late news, the villagers decided to celebrate the occasion for 10 days, said Mahindra Bhatt, BJP MLA from Badrinath.

Such is the zeal among the Bhotiya tribes men for the Independence Day celebrations that, where ever they are settled, they make it a point to gather for this event come what may.

The Bhotiyas inhabit the 10 villages located in the Niti Valley, moving out in the winters to escape bitter cold and snow. These villagers traded with Tibet before the 1962 war with China ended the flourishing practice.

After hoisting flag in Dehradun, the Chief Minister will leave for Barahoti on August 15. The hoisting of flag in the border areas has become almost a ritual with the BJP leaders in the state.

Last year, Uttarakhand Minister for State (independent charge) Dhan Singh Rawat had hoisted the flag at the same place. Now, it is the turn of the chief minister to do the same.laxmi@tribune.com

Durango, August 1

An Aeromexico flight carrying 103 persons crashed soon after takeoff due to heavy hailstorm in northern Mexico, engulfing the plane in flames and injuring 97, officials said.

The Embraer 190 aircraft, which was operating between Durango and Mexico City and crashed around 3:00 pm local time (20:00 GMT), was carrying 88 adults, nine minors, two infants, two pilots and two flight attendants, the airlines director general Andres Conesa said.

It is confirmed that there have been no deaths from the flight #AM2431 accident, tweeted Jose Rosas, the governor of Durango state where the crash occurred.

The accident did cause two series injuries. A pilot had to undergo a spinal operation and a young girl suffered burns on 25 per cent of her body, the governor said.

A total of 97 persons were admitted for treatment following the crash, most of them for very light injuries, according to Durango civil defense spokesman Alejandro Cardoza.  AFPlaxmi@tribune.com

COPENHAGEN: Supporters and opponents of a ban on garments covering the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab or burqa, clashed verbally on Wednesday as the law takes effect. Marcus Knuth of the ruling liberal party Venstre, says the dress worn by some conservative Muslim women is "strongly oppressive". Sasha Andersen of the "Party Rebels" activist group is planning a demonstration later in the day against what they called a "discriminatory" measure against a minority group. Groups that back the ban also plan to rally. Danish lawmakers approved the law in May. AP

World's first intertidal art gallery opens in Maldives

Male: An intertidal art gallery, filled with around 30 sculptures acting as a habitat for coral and other marine species, was opened in the Maldives, national media reported. The gallery, called the Coralarium, is located at the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi resort. At a depth of 3 m in the lagoon, it features semi-submerged exhibits that disappear and reappear as the tide goes in and out. Designed by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, the installation was completed after nine months of work and will live as an evolving monument in the sea. "It's almost like an inverse zoo. This is almost like we're the tourists, but we're in the cage and the marine life can come and go and look at us. It's almost a reversal of how we interact with wildlife," Taylor said. IANS

Swedish royal crowns stolen, thieves flee in motorboat

Stockholm: Thieves have stolen two crowns and an orb from the Swedish royal family's collection, making off in a motorboat after the heist. The priceless artefacts were snatched from a cathedral in Strangnas, about an hour west of the capital Stockholm, at lunchtime on Tuesday, police said. The robbers broke into a glass case that held the funeral regalia of King Karl IX and his wife Queen Kristina and swiped the two crowns and an orb from the 17th century. The robbers then made their getaway in a motorboat that was waiting just a couple of hundred meters away on lake Malaren, Sweden's third biggest lake, police said. Reuters

France bans smartphone use in schools

Paris: In order to curb digital addiction among adolescents, the France government has voted in favour of a ban on the use of smartphones during school hours. The decision will come into effect next month when the new school session starts in France, an official statement said. The lawmakers from French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist LREM party and its allies gave final approval to the bill, while lawmakers on the left and right abstained from the vote, calling the law a "publicity stunt" that would change nothing. IANSlaxmi@tribune.com

London, August 1

Iranian lawmakers have given President Hassan Rouhani one month to appear before parliament to answer questions on his governments handling of Irans economic struggles, state media reported on Wednesday.

It is the first time parliament has summoned Rouhani, who is under pressure from hardline rivals to change his cabinet following deterioration in relations with the United States and Irans growing economic difficulties.

Lawmakers want to question Rouhani on topics including the rials decline, which has lost more than half its value since April, weak economic growth and rising unemployment, according to semi-official ISNA news agency.

Rouhani, a pragmatist who reduced tensions with the West by striking a nuclear deal in 2015, is facing a growing backlash since US President Donald Trump pulled out from the pact in May.  Reuters

9/11 victims kin: Seize Iran assets in Britain

London/Ankara: An English court has cleared the way to consider whether it will allow the families of some of those killed in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States to make a claim on Iranian assets in Britain. The families want the English High Court to enforce a 2012 decision by a US court which found there was evidence to show that Iran provided material support and resources to Al-Qaeda for acts of terrorism. The militant group carried out the attacks. Reuterspardeepdhull@gmail.com

Tampa, Fla., August 1

US President Donald Trump defended his trade policies on Tuesday in a speech in Florida and said American farmers hurt by retaliatory tariffs from China were bearing up, in a sign he is feeling some political heat on the issue.

Trumps rally speech in Tampa contained many elements familiar to his political events. Several hecklers were ejected and the crowd at the state fairgrounds was big and loud. Trump attacked public opinion polls, except one that said he was popular among Republicans.

The president, in Florida to campaign for Republican Governor Rick Scotts bid for a US Senate seat and US Representative Ron DeSantis campaign for governor, said he could tame his raucous presidential style if he wanted.

I can be more presidential than any president in history except for maybe Abe Lincoln with the big hat, Trump said. I admit it, Abe Lincoln is tough.

The president spent considerable time talking about his trade policies, including tit-for-tat tariffs with China that he said would eventually pay dividends for the United States.

The tariffs are causing unease among Republican lawmakers facing tough re-election battles in November, and Trumps focus on them suggested he was concerned about their potential political impact.

China and other top US trade partners zeroed in on American farmers with retaliatory tariffs after the administration imposed duties on Chinese goods as well as steel and aluminum from the European Union, Canada and Mexico.

China and others have targeted our farmers. Not good. Not nice. And you know what our farmers are saying? Its OK. We can take it, Trump said.

The Trump administration announced a $12 billion farm aid package last week, prompting some farmers and farm-state lawmakers, including Trumps fellow Republicans, to criticize the move, saying they would rather trade with no tariffs than receive government help.

I want to thank our farmers, Trump said. Our farmers are true patriots.

Trump also defended the denuclearization deal he signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June in Singapore after reports surfaced that North Korea was proceeding with its missile program.

The Singapore summit was long on positive imagery but short on specific benchmarks for North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons.

Trump said the fact that North Korea was starting to return the remains of American dead from the 1950s Korean War and that there had been no nuclear or missile tests were offshoots of the summit.

I think its going to work out very well, he said. No tests, no rockets flying. But well see what happens.  ReutersMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1)  President Rodrigo Duterte said the government would protect the investments of businessmen so long as they obey laws and safeguard the welfare of people.

The President said this at the 30th anniversary of Toyota Philippines in Taguig Wednesday.

"Today we send a message to the rest of the business community, this government will protect you and your investments and will ensure a level playing field for you to thrive in," he said.

The President went on to say he appreciated the efforts made by the car maker to uplift the lives of Filipinos.

"I am delighted to know that your initiatives that uplift the lives of our underprivileged countrymen are in line with this administration's focus in eradicating drugs, criminality and corruption in order to encourage business to grow," said Duterte.

At the event, Toyota Philippines handed over the keys to 30 Philippine made vehicles to symbolize the 30 years it has been operating in the country.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Tampa, August 1

US President Donald Trump has suggested that talks with arch foe Iran were imminent, despite silence from the Islamic republics leaders to his offer for a meeting.

I have a feeling theyll be talking to us pretty soon, Trump told a rally in Tampa, Florida, yesterday before adding: and maybe not, and thats ok too. He also used the occasion to again blast the horrible, one-sided Iran nuclear deal with world powers from which the American president withdrew.  AFPlaxmi@tribune.com

Dubai, August 1

The UAE on Wednesday launched a landmark three-month visa amnesty programme, which will benefit hundreds of illegal foreign workers, including Indians, overstaying their permits by allowing them to leave the country without penalties and giving them six months to find a job.

The UAE is home to 2.8 million Indian expatriates, the largest expatriate community in the country. Professionally qualified personnel constitute about 15 to 20 per cent of the community, followed by 20 per cent white-collar non-professionals (clerical staff, shop assistants, sales men, accountants, etc) and the remainder 65 per cent comprises blue-collar workers.

The government did not release specific numbers, but says thousands of people, primarily labourers from countries like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka etc will benefit.  PTIpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Washington, August 1

A US federal judge in Seattle has blocked the release of software that allows consumers to 3D-print firearms.

The order came just hours before their scheduled online distribution by a Texas group that had reached an agreement with the Donald Trump administration to do so, Efe news reported.

Gun access advocacy group Defense Distributed was due to put downloadable gun blueprints online on Wednesday.

The settlement with the Trump administration was reached in June that would have allowed it to legally publish the instructions even via online posts.

However, eight states and the District of Columbia sued the government on Monday to block the settlement, arguing that untraceable guns were a safety risk, the BBC reported.

In a sudden tweet on Tuesday, even President Trump said: I am looking into 3D plastic guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense! He was referring to the National Rifle Association, the powerful US pro-gun organisation and lobbying group.

Almost simultaneously, came US District Judge Robert Lasniks temporary restraining order halting the release hours before the August 1 deadline, saying the blueprints could fall into the wrong hands.

The agreement with the Texas-based Defense Distributed was the conclusion of a five-year legal battle in which the former Barack Obama administration argued before two federal judges.

While the Supreme Court refused to hear the case that the downloadable manuals for how to print plastic rifles and pistols violated firearms export laws.

However, the Trump administration had suddenly reached the agreement two months back and given approval for publication of the manuals in any form.

It even said that the US government will pay $40,000 to cover the legal fees incurred by Cody Wilson, the founder-director of Defense Distributed.  IANSWith only 5 nights in Australia, driving from from Sydney to Melbourne in winter is not a good idea. Your first night should be spent in Sydney - do not drive on the day you arrive. Daylight hours are limited, so you shouldn't drive before about 0730 or after 1700 due to the high risk of hitting kangaroos on the road.

Wilsons Prom really needs 2 nights, especially if you want to do some bushwalks. In fact, if hiking /bushwalking is what you want, 2 nights gives you a full day.

The best places for hiking / bushwalking if you are travelling on the inland route are going to be in the Alps and not suitable in winter. Bright for Mt Buffalo may be accessible but it may not be, and you would probably need to carry chains which is generally not allowed on rental vehicles.

Much better idea to spend 2 nights in Sydney - go to the Blue Mountains and hike there, then fly to Melbourne, hire a car and spend 2 nights at the Grampians. Lots of great walks that are open and accessible in winter.Hello everyone!

I'm a 20 year old guy from Denmark going to Australia for 1.5 months this September. My plan is to fly into Sydney and make my way north to Brisbane (from which Ill fly to New Zealand), stopping here and there to enjoy the country, culture and whatever other adventures might reveal themselves.

I'll admit my budget is rather tight, so I was wondering whether hitchhiking from Sydney to Brisbane, or even half way, would be a viable option. I dont mind roughing it up at all, in fact I rather enjoy doing things the difficult (aka bum) way for the experience.

However, coming from denmark -which is about the size of a pebble compared to Australia- I have no idea if hitchhiking is a go or a no-go.

Sooooo, basically my question is whether or not I should try for it, and ofcourse what things I should experience on the way (aside from everything)?I'm not sure about Ho Chi Minh City or Phnom Penh, but as a local, I'm really into Hoi An. The weather is a big interference to your exploring trip, and I know you concern about staying in the hotel in rain days, which seems not great

My advice is: if you're sure you will come back to visit Hoi An in the future, cut it. But if you don't know when you will visit SE Asia again, I will say skipping Hoi An is something a little regrettable

Edited: 3 years agoAs it is, many stock brokers in Kenya are not listed by the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Among these, a good number is composed of fraudulent brokers and might leave you weeping after all your investments disappear within a short time. The trouble is, trailing them might be a dead end as they are not registered and might easily get away with their frauds.

Image: Picpedia.org

Source: UGC

While it is risky to deal with stock brokers that you havent done a background check on, trading directly in the Nairobi Stock Market isn't easy. You will have to register with a stock brokerage firm of your choice to be able to buy stocks and sell them with a profit. Stock brokers also help you in paying for all the costs associated with trading on the Nairobi Stock Market like taxes and stamp duty.

Also, there are stock brokers who niche in particular sub-sectors of the economy like agriculture, technology, Banking, Energy and petroleum, construction, and insurance just to mention a few. Some of the richest stock brokers in Kenya know the benefit of narrowed niche and reap big as a result of the reputation they have built in their areas of specialty. Stock market brokers in Kenya exist to make stock trading a simple procedure for ordinary Kenyans who might not have grips about the mechanisms of the stock markets.

You MUST need a stock broker to trade in the stock market. It is therefore important to do business with entities that are listed by the NSE as they are bound to comply with Nairobi Securities Exchanges regulations. In this article we will look at some of the best stock brokers in Kenya you can make your trading partners.

Note, while you can access an exhaustive list of stock brokers in Kenya

that are legally operating; you might want to deal with those offering personalized services as that will make your investment a priority.

List of registered stock brokers In Kenya

1. Suntra Investment Bank LTD

Suntra investment bank limited is one of the registered stock brokers in Kenya. Founded in 1990, Suntra investments has been providing investment solutions to Kenyans for over 25 years. Suntra Investments was licensed in 1990 as Nairobi Securities Exchange agent. It has since climbed up the ladder of stock brokerage and is today regarded as one of the top stock brokers in Kenya.

Apart from being a stockbroker, Suntra investments is also a top-rated financial advisor that has offered its services to top government institutions and other giant profit-making organizations in Kenya.

Suntra Investments is a trusted agent in direct trading of stocks listed in the Nairobi stock exchange with both a mobile platform and an online platform.

Their tagline is; Making a positive change to your investment, and they deliver on this promise as they have services that will not only give you a better platform to invest but also help keep your investment growing. They specialize in; portfolio management, stock brokerage, corporate finance, share transfers, and research.

Among the listed stock brokers in Kenya, Suntra investments have earned investors confidence as a go-to investment partner. This reputation it has achieved as a result of detailed investment research it conducts to provide the market with both long-term and short-term opportunities that guarantee a return on investments.

They are located at the Nation Centre on the 7th floor. You can contact them through their official numbers 020-2870000, 0733-222216. You can also email them at info@suntra.co.ke.

2. Dyer & Blair Investment Bank LTD

Dye and Blair Investment bank is one of the oldest stock brokers in Nairobi Kenya. It is one of the founders of Nairobi Securities Exchange, and so knows all the information about investments in the stock market. Apart from being one of the top 10 stock brokers in Kenya, it also offers investment consulting and researches helping investors make wise decisions when trading the Nairobi Stock Market.

It was founded in 1958 and has grown to keep up with the latest trends in the investment arena. It was one of the best stock brokers in Kenya owing to its seamless online stock trading services.

Today, they have even made their payments easier as investors can remit their payments through mobile payments like Mpesa.

Apart from stockbroking, they also offer financial advice, asset management, and investment banking among other services.

Being one of the pioneer investment banks and stock brokers in Kenya, Dye and Blair have expanded their customer base beyond Kenya. They serve the East African Stock Market and might soon be one of the international stock brokers in Kenya as they have huge capital base coupled with years of successful trading in the Nairobi Securities Exchange market.

Dye and Blair bank is located along Waiyaki Way at Goodman Tower on the 7th floor. You can contact through their official number +254 709 930000 or via email at shares@dyerandblair.com. To know more about Dye and Blair investment bank, their website.

3. Standard Investment Bank

Standard Investment Bank was founded in 1994 as an investment banking, investment management, and security trading company. It has since grown in scale to offer financial advisory to the government, corporations, fund managers, and high-net-worth Kenyans interested in wealth creation. It has since diversified its services to accommodate the growing demands of Kenyans and East Africans at large in regards to investments.

It offers brokerage, fund management, and transaction advisory with the aim of availing the best opportunities for Kenyans to invest in great rewarding ventures in the Nairobi Stock Market. It also has partnerships with our neighboring East African countries; Uganda and Tanzania.

Being one of the licensed stock brokers in Kenya by Nairobi Securities Exchange, Standard Investment Bank presents an opportunity for Kenyans to buy stocks and shares both in the primary market and in the and secondary markets.

They pride themselves on providing tailored broking services that suit the needs of every customer. Over the years they have garnered in the market, they have some of the best specialists who are dedicated to ensuring the customers investments yield substantial profits. I guess it is their ability to personalize the investment choices that make them one of the best stock brokers in Nairobi Kenya.

Also, they have a running website where they enlist all of the services they offer. This information can help potential investors in the decision-making process as most clients prefer to handle their trading online.

It is also among the few online stock brokers in Kenya that display live market values of listed companies on Nairobi Securities Exchange on their website. These live trading figures can help you monitor and forecast the share prices amidst price volatility.

Standard Investment Bank is located at ICEA Building on Kenyatta Avenue. You can contact them by phone 020 2228963. You can also email them via info@sib.co.ke. Visit their website.

4. Sterling Capital Limited

Sterling is one of the few stock brokers companies in Kenya that engage in global trading. They are the best option in trading equities and fixed income trading in Kenya. They have a wide array of services ranging from; financial advisory, equity trading, fixed income trading, trust and administration, and research.

They have a huge customer base and have since sought to serve high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and corporate clients.

Sterling was founded in 1981 and was incorporated as an investment and financial advice service provider. In 1994, the Capital Markets of Authority licensed Sterling, and it became a member of the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

Through the years, Sterling has forged partnerships with other companies and has since spread across Africa, though its highest offices remain in Nairobi.

Today, Sterling has significant links with Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania. It has also partnered with Imara, a pan African Investment bank founded in Botswana. Through the partnership with Imara, Sterling has been able to offer its services to countries like Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Nigeria Malawi, Botswana, South Africa and Mauritius.

Few stock brokers firms in Kenya have achieved the growth of Sterling Capital limited, but it continues to grow given the need that still exists in the market for the best stock brokers in Kenya with a wide array of financial products they offer in Kenya and beyond.

Sterling Capital Limited is located in Nairobi in Barclay Plaza, 11th floor. You can check all of the services they offer on their website after which you can call them on 020 2213914 to schedule an appointment.

5. ABC Capital Limited

ABC Capital Limited was founded in 1954 and has been an active member of the Nairobi Securities Exchange ever since. Through the years it has built a reputation for giving full spectrum investment advisory to help investors reap big in the Nairobi Securities Exchange market.

ABC Capital would later get acquired by ABC bank in 2008, and this acquisition has made it one of the best stock brokers in Kenya since it borrowed hugely on the competent management of the ABC Bank which was an award-winning commercial bank even back then.

ABC Capital Limited has improved in all its spheres of operations under the ABC Bank, but it made it to the list of licensed stock brokers in Kenya long before ABC Bank acquired it. We can attribute their rapid growth to their ability to research given economic sectors and capital markets to provide a personalized investment option to their customers.

They specialize in corporate finance, equities trading, value-added research, and portfolio management. ABC capital prides itself on being the first stockbroker in Kenya to facilitate real-time online trading. Being pioneers in online trading, they are one of the best online stock brokers in Kenya.

ABC Bank is one of the examples of stock brokers in Kenya who do more than equity trading. They use their experience to research high-value investments for their customers, and also manage their portfolios to keep them well poised for best investment windfalls.

ABC limited is located in Westlands Nairobi at ABC Bank House on Woodvale Grove. You can visit their website to know more services they offer. You can also contact them via email at customercare@abccapital.co.ke or call them on their official numbers for instant communication (+254 20) 2246036, 2242534, 316143.

6. Kestrel Capital (EA) Limited

Kestrel capital was one of the best stock brokers in Kenya in 2016 after it had gained a market share of 20.9 percent which was significant growth from the 16.0 percent it had in 2015.

In fact, Kestrel Capital won two awards in 2016;

Winner of the Kenya Investment Awards 2016 Research Team of the Year

Winner of the Kenya Investment Awards 2016Equities Dealer of The Year

That was a major leap, but Kestrel has been active in Nairobi Securities Exchange since 1995.

It specializes in Stockbroking and bond trading, IPOs and NSE Listings, Company and market research, Investment advisory, corporate finance advisory, and private placements of equity and debt just to mention a few of the services they offer.

Kestrel Capital is one of the top stock exchange brokers in Kenya owing to its vast market share and an array of services they offer to their esteemed customers.

Kestrel Capital is located along Westlands Road at Orbit house 2nd floor. You can know more about them by visiting their website. You can also contact them via email at info@kestrelcapital.com or through a phone call 020 2251758.

7. Genghis Capital

Genghis capital is one of the major stockbrokers in Kenya with an online trading platform. It was established in 2008 and licensed by the Capital Markets Authority as an investment bank. Genghis Capital has since climbed to the top of the stock market and has won many awards in the Kenyan investments awards.

Some of the services it offers include, but not limited to;

Securities trading

Research

Wealth Management

Investment Advisory and Management

Corporate finance advisory

Genghis capital was also ISO certified in 2010 after receiving the ISO 9001:2008 accreditation. This makes it one of the best stock brokers in Kenya to partner with. They have professionals who have garnered years of experience in the Nairobi Securities Trading and investment in general hence will help you with upt0-date research on the best shares to invest in both for long-term and short-term decision.

To enhance convenience, they permit payments via Mpesa, and this has made it one of the few broker companies to ever partner with the local communication giant Safaricom to facilitate mobile payments.

They also pride themselves in leading customer-focused market research that helps in the personalization of services in accordance with every customers needs. With many investment awards in their baskets, they are on their way to achieving their vision; To be the leading investment bank in the region.

Genghis is located on the 6th Floor, Prudential Assurance Building which is on Wabera Street, Nairobi CBD. They also have a running website that lists all the services they offer. You can also contact them via a phone call +254 709 185 000.

8. AIB Capital LTD

AIB Capital was formerly known as Afrika Investment Bank. It is licensed by Capital Investment Markets and engages in bond dealing, stock brokerage, and corporate finance advisory.

It is one of the Kenyan brokerage firms that serve the East African market and boosting investments in the financial products East African market has to offer.

It is an affiliate of the Nairobi Securities Exchange and offers both local and foreign investors who are interested in buying shares in the vibrant East African stock market. They execute their customers trading needs with transparency, confidentiality, and independence values that have made them the most preferred stockbrokers in the country.

They also have straightforward online trading apps and online platforms that have guides to help you invest at your convenience.

AIB Capital is located at Finance House, 9th Floor, Loita Street. You can visit their website for up-to-date investment information. For timely communication, you can also reach them via their official phone number: +254 20 220178 / 0711047000 or email them at info@aibcapital.com.

9. Apex Africa Capital Ltd

Image: facebook.com, @ Riara University

Source: UGC

Apex Africa Capital was founded as HAK securities and was licensed in 1994 as a brokerage company. Since its inception, it has been Brokerage Company affiliated with Nairobi Stock Exchange.

However, Apex Africa Capital traces its origins in Mauritius where it was established as the first management firm. It operates on a worldwide platform, giving both locals and foreigners a chance to invest in some of the premier stock markets.

They specialize in the following services:

Asset Management

Stockbroking, Trust & Corporate services

Asset financing

Deposit-taking and Corporate Advisory

Apex Africa Capital is a premier investment entity with offices in Dubai, Mauritius, Geneva, Nairobi, Hong Kong, and Johannesburg.

In Nairobi, Apex Africa Capital Limited is located at Rehaini House along Kenyatta Avenue. You can contact them by calling 020 7602525. Visit their website to know more about the services they offer and the opportunities you can reap when you partner with them.

10. SBG Securities Limited

Image: sbgsecurities.co.ke

Source: UGC

SBG securities limited is a premier investment company owned by Stanbic Holdings Plc. It is affiliated with Nairobi Stock Exchange. SBC has an online platform better known as iTrader which allows for timely trading and useful investment insights that will help you make wise investment decisions.

The iTrader was launched in 2010 and has been an influential contributor in the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Today, they have M Shares trading service that allows investors to trade through their mobile phones.

The services that they offer include:

iTrader

Equity Trading

Fixed income

Central Deposit Services

Transaction history

M-Shares

SBG Securities Limited is located at CFC Stanbic Building along Kenyatta Avenue. You can contact them through their number +254 20 363 8080.

11. UAP Old Mutual Securities

UAP Old Mutual securities stock Broking Company that was licensed by the Capital Markets Authority as an affiliate of Nairobi Securities Exchange. They thrive in fact-based research that helps their investors in making sound investment decisions. Today, they have expanded the scope of the services they offer to include; Equity and Economic research, fixed income brokerage, and shares trading.

UAP Old Mutual securities were established in the late 1920s, but it was in 1930 when a branch was opened in Nairobi. They have been serving both local and foreign clients helping them with such services as; Banking and general insurance asset management, life assurance. In 2002 Old mutual asset management become the best asset management firm in Kenya with over 30 million assets under its stead.

UAP Old Mutual is one of the pioneer stock brokers in Kenya and can help you make the right investments in Nairobi stock exchange due to years of experience in stock market forecasting and history of successful trades. It is located in Upper Hill Nairobi.

Their website is filled with all the information you might want to know about the services they offer and how you can tap into their experience of age to launch a successful shares trading career. You can contact them via their official number; +254 711 065 100.

12. NIC Securities Limited

NIC securities are owned by NIC Capital group. It is a brokerage firm that was licensed by the Capital Markets Authority in 2007.

They give investors the best platform to trade in bonds and equity markets. They pride themselves in an experienced research team that knows that ins and outs of the stocks market and hence can give sound investment options to their clients.

They specialize in the following services;

Online share trading

Equity

Research

Sponsoring Services

Fixed income services

They are licensed to buy and trade shares on the stead of their clients, both corporate and high-net-worth individuals. They have an online trading platform that makes it easier for investors to run their business from Android, Apple and Windows devices. Their online trading opportunities add convenience to the trading process helping investors to grab every trading opportunity.

You can visit the NIC Securities website to know the services they offer, but if you prefer to visit their office, it is located at NIC House, along Masaba Road in Upperhill.

13. Kingdom Securities Limited

Image: co-opbank.co.ke

Source: UGC

Kingdom Securities is a subsidiary of the Co-operative Bank of Kenya. It was founded in 2009, but enjoys support from 140 branches of Co-operative countrywide. The Bank had created a reputation for itself before launching its brokerage subsidiary, and this spurred its growth up to the later of shares trading.

It is licensed by the Capital Markets Authority and help individuals and governments as placement and sales agents. They also offer financial advisory to their clients and help broaden their capital base.

They also sponsor other brokers who want to engage in the sales and of shares and bonds.

They are located in Co-operative House on Haile Selassie Avenue. You can also contact them by email; info@kingdomsecurities.co.ke .

There stockbroking companies that have opened branches in different parts of the country to create better accessibility of trading information and equipment and grow the customer base. In pursuit of this endeavor, there are Stock Brokers in Kenya who make it convenient for Kenyans living in Eldoret to access these offices and get better services that are timely.

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Source: Kenyan Breaking NewsIf you want to study in the United Republic of Tanzania, then it would be appropriate if you get to know some of the Best universities in the great nation. In this article, we highlight some of the recommended institutions which give an ideal place for you to learn and pursue your career. Here is more information about these institutions and the types of courses they offer. Take a look so that you will find it easy to make the right choice.

Top ten best universities in Tanzania

Here are some of the best university in the United Republic of Tanzania.

1. University of Dar es Salaam

University of Dar es Salaam was previously known as the college of the University of London. It was founded in 1970 and is a nonprofit public higher institution. It is the most preferred institution of higher learning among the 10 best universities in Tanzania. The institution is located in the largest city of the land- Dar es Salaam, which is also the capital city of Tanzania. This institution has many branches located in various areas in the country.

These campuses are accredited by the body managing universities- Tanzania commission for universities. According to the registered universities in Tanzania, this institution is ranked the first regarding the number of students enrolled which is between 15,000-19,999 students.

University of Dar es Salaam offers programs and courses that provide students with qualifications and equips them with knowledge in various degrees like the pre-bachelor degrees such as diplomas, certificates, foundation degrees, and associate, bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in a variety of study areas.

This university has 48 years of existence and it uses an admission policy based on the students' records on academics to enroll students. The institution provides admission of about 70-80% for both local and international students. With their motto being Hekima ni Uhuru wisdom is freedom; the institution proves wisdom in a variety of courses and charging affordable fees for their programs.

2. The University of Dodoma

This institution was established in the year 2007. It is found in the rural setting of the city of Dodoma which has 2,083,588 people inhabiting the area. Notably, it is a non-profitable university with a population of 10,000- 14,999 enrolled students. Like the first ranked university in the land, University of Dodoma provides a variety of courses and programs which are highly recognized in giving recommendable degree programs in various areas of study.

The University of Dodoma being one of the best public universities in Tanzania, they have a goal of increasing the economic growth and reducing the level of poverty in the country through improved access to higher education. Anyone with the intention of enjoying the kind of services offered in this institution and getting empowered in different fields of study can contact the institution by visiting their official website.

3. Sokoine University of Agriculture

This university was established in Morogoro in the year 1984. It has its branches in Arusha and Lushoto which are recognized by the Tanzania Commission for universities. The institution has a population of about 5,000-5,900 students. Sokoine University of agriculture offers different course and programs which leads to highly recognized degrees in various fields.

The former computer center was first established as a university arm for services, teaching, consultancy and research in areas of technology for agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine. Since the establishment of the institution, various changes and improvements have been noticed in some areas concerning ICT services.

4. Mzumbe University

This university is a nonprofit public institution which is located in the small city of Morogoro which has a population range of 250,000-499,999 people. Mzumbe University was established in 2003 being fully recognized by the body governing universities in Tanzania. It is a coeducational higher learning center with a population range of 4,000-4,999 students.

The institution offers different courses which are recognized in the land and even internationally. They offer different types of degrees like the bachelor degree, master degree and doctorate in various areas of study. Enrollment is for both local and international students.

5. Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences

The institution is a nonprofit public institution of higher learning. It is one of the best Universities in Dar es Salaam Tanzania in providing courses and programs related to health. This university was officially founded in 2007, and the Tanzania Commission of universities recognizes it. Muhimbili University of health and allied sciences was established from the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences which was a branch of the University of Dar es Salaam.

It is a coeducational institution, giving a chance of enrollment for students of both genders. The university offer courses which provide highly recognized degrees in the educational sector. This 11 years old institution of higher learning is ranked 5th nationally and 5853 worldwide based on the services they offer.

6. St. Augustine University of Tanzania

St Augustine University of Tanzania is a private institution handled by the Catholic Church. It was founded in the year 1998 and given to St Augustine of Hippo. Their motto is building the city of God. The institution has unique features which give a perfect, distinct character. The institution has a population of about 7037 students; therefore, the university ensures that every student has an access to the 28 available lecture halls.

St Augustine University has a good number of experienced and committed staff who can serve the students. In this institution, students share all the learning facilities on equal terms despite the gender or background of an individual.

7. Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology

This institution is located in Arusha in northern Tanzania. Nelson Mandela African Institute of science and technology is one of the Pan African institutes of science and technology across the African continent and one of the best private universities in Tanzania. The university was founded with the aim of developing and training the next generation of African engineers and scientist to bring about development in the continent.

This institution is undergoing development to be a world-class research center for postgraduate studies in engineering, technology, and science in related fields.

8. Ardhi University

Ardhi University formally known as the University College of Lands and Architecture Studies was a constituent college of the University of Dar es Salaam from July 1996. This institution has a rich history since it was founded as a surveying training school in 1956 with its facilities built in 1958 on an observational hill.

Later 1972 it was renamed into Ardhi institute and being recommended to offer diploma courses. It is a coeducational institution which is regarded by the Tanzania Commission of Universities.

9. St Joseph University in Tanzania

St Joseph University is a widely reputable university in Tanzania currently having three active campuses which are recognized and exists in the List of universities in Tanzania TCU. Located at Mbezi Luguluni offer degree and diploma programs in various fields of mathematics education, science and engineering. Boko campus offers pharmaceutical science, nursing programs and doctor of medicine.

This institution is one of the best universities in providing ICT, science education, engineering, medical and paramedical related studies according to the rank of universities in Tanzania. The university offers its services with their aim on capacity building; they ensure this by providing quality education. St Joseph University ensures it produces graduates who are skilled disciplined and has the knowledge and integrity to serve.

10. Tumaini University Makumira

Tumaini University was founded in 1996 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. It is a Christ-centered institution conducting its programs based on the Christianity beliefs. The Institution promotes higher learning and research through scientific fact-finding to all the students without discrimination.

According to the list of best universities in Tanzania, this institution is known to offers quality programs in various fields of study.

International universities in Tanzania

Tanzania is also home to some international universities. Here they are.

1. International Medical and Technological University

International Medical and Technological University is a private medical institution which was established in Tanzania by the Vignan Educational Foundation of Bangalore in 1987. Several students from different countries like Uganda, Zambia, Australia, and Kenya have graduated from this university and are providing health services to their various countries.

2. Stafford global

This is an institution that has provided quality education for 20 years. The firm has established various institutions in the Middle East and has expanded their services to Tanzania. The institution offers multiple courses in the field of study including the doctorate, MBA, and diplomas.

3. University of Bristol

The University of Bristol is an institution based in the United Kingdom and determined to offer their services to the Tanzanian students. This is one of the most successful universities in the UK and was ranked among the top according to the QS world university rankings.

The list doesn't end there. Here are some other best universities in Tanzania where one can get the quality education.

Open University of Tanzania Catholic University of health and allied sciences University of Iringa Mkwama University College of education Hubert Kairuki Memorial University St Joseph University in Tanzania Institute of rural development planning State University of Zanzibar Dar es Salaam Institute of technology Sumait University Kampala international university Institute of finance management College of business education Moshi cooperative university

A look into the education system of Tanzania

Tanzania is one of the African countries with an elaborate system of education. Both the private and public sectors provide the form of education. Knowledge is one of the critical components highly regarded in the development agenda by the Tanzanian government.

After successful completion of the secondary levels, one is required to join either the vocational training centers or to proceed with tertiary education system by entering one of the best universities according to the Universities ranking in Tanzania.

From this years ranking, it is evident that most universities have worked harder to get to the top of the list or to maintain their position. On the other hand, some of the universities have been scraped off from the list because they might not have put more effort or have failed to work on the critical areas considered during ranking.

What are the best universities in Tanzania? Did you find this list of best universities in Tanzania to reflect the truth on the ground? Leave your highlights in the comments section.

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Source: Tuko- The Bungoma politician is said to be an extortionist

- Sources say he has perfected the art of extorting rich women to finance his lavish lifestyle

- Atwoli has accused the FORD Kenya politician of threatening to malign his name

Bumula constituency 2017 parliamentary loser on a Ford-Kenya ticket Jack Wamboka has been exposed for trying to extort COTU boss Francis Atwoli over claims the trade unionist snatched the politicians wife.

The politician  known for his appetite for fine working class women  is said to have been demanding cash from Atwoli.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

Jack Wamboka has been thrown out of houses by at least two women over his irresponsible character and failure to simply man up. Photo: Jack Wamboka.

Source: Facebook

This young man has been demanding cash from me failure he would malign my name with claims I stole his wife but I am glad many of his friends know his extortionist tendencies, Atwoli was heard lamenting in his office by a source known to TUKO.co.ke.

READ ALSO: Mambo 17 ya kuchekesha ambayo Wakenya wangependa kumweleza Betty Kyallo

His fight with Atwoli, it emerges, started after he linked the firebrand trade unionist to KTN TVs anchor Mary Kilobi.

It turns out the politician had trained his eyes on Kilobi in the hope he would use her cash as he has done before with other women.

He could even brag to friends how he is married to a rich TV girl.

TUKO.co.ke has since established from the journalist that she has never been married to him. In fact, he is not known to her parents or any of her relatives.

READ ALSO: Raila says Wetang'ula is snubbing his phone calls making reconciliation difficult

Interestingly, has been thrown out of houses by at least two women over his irresponsible character and failure to simply man up.

His first real wife, with whom they have three children, dumped the politician after she realised he would never provide for the family.

READ ALSO: ODM governor insists Raila must be on the ballot in 2022, explains why

As if that was not enough, sometime between 2013 and 2016, Jack was kicked out of by a then Bungoma county director of communication after she realised he was only after using her money to finance his lifestyle.

The dramatic break-up saw him handed his clothes by the ladys watchman who blatantly told him madam said I should not let you in.

The lady is currently part of Red Cross Kenya communication team.

READ ALSO: Do you know this beast of a man captured clobbering wife? Help police arrest him

Our attempts to get a comment from Jack over this story were unsuccessful as calls and text messages went unanswered.

He vied on a FORD-K ticket in the 2017 General Election and lost to an independent candidate who is now the Bumula constituency MP.

In 2015, he was detained over incitement to violence charges, a case that is still ongoing at the Kimilili law courts.

He also fell out with his party leader and Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula after accusing the N disgruntled NASA principal of abandoning him at the hour of need in the incitement to violence case.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Kenya News: Kenyans Donate to Street Women - on Tuko TV

Source: Breaking News- ZANU-PF claimed not less than 109 seats against 41 for the Opposition's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)

- The development has certainly set the stage for President Emmerson Mnangagwas victory

- MDC's Chamisa earlier exuded confidence that he was poised for victory

Official results indicated that Zimbabwes ruling party, ZANU-PF, on Wednesday, August 1, won the majority of seats in parliament after claiming rural constituencies by huge margins.

This, no doubt, has set the stage for President Emmerson Mnangagwas victory.

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READ ALSO: Kutana na Mariam Nabatanzi, mwanamke aliyezaa watoto 44

ZANU-PF claimed not less than 109 seats against 41 for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Photo: President Mnangagwa

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Kisumu residents ask Uhuru to visit them after ending animosity with Raila

The Zimbabwe electoral commission results showed Mnangagwas ZANU-PF inching to majority after picking up 109 seats against 41 for the Opposition's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Another 58 seats are yet to be declared.

The House of Assembly of Parliament attracted 210 seats and ZANU-PF would need to win 30 more to have a two-thirds majority that would allow it to alter the constitution. Reuters reported on Wednesday, August 1.

Voters in Zimbabwe pick a presidential candidate based on their party affiliation and the tradition in the parliamentary election was expected to be maintained when results for the president are declared by the electoral commission.

READ ALSO: Viusasa boss dismisses claims the project is collapsing

Spearheaded by Nelson Chamisa, MDC won in most urban centres where it enjoys more allegiance.

However, the Opposition accused Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) on Tuesday, July 31, of intentionally delaying results of the votes in a bid to favour the ruling party.

The MDC also pointed out some irregularities in the first election since the removal of ex-president Robert Mugabe in the November 2017, coup.

READ ALSO: Do you know this beast of a man captured clobbering wife? Help police arrest him

Although the polls went off peacefully, several water cannon trucks patrolled outside the central Harare headquarters of the MDC as its supporters danced in jubilation across the streets.

TUKO.co.ke earlier reported that as vote counting continues in Zimbabwe, early projections were pointing to opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa taking an early lead.

The estimates have shown that the MDC candidate had accrued at least 65% of the total votes cast. Incumbent president, Emmerson Mnangagwa who ran in the presidential race on a ZANU-PF ticket came second with an estimated 32%.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Faces of Kenya: Meet The Man Behind The Matatu Barbershop | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko News- The journalists claimed Tourism CEC Achie Alai handles them in a disrespectful manner when they question her on the county's expenditure

- She reportedly referred to a question posed by a journalist as "silly"

- Scribes want a written apology from her in 14 days and an audience with Governor Nyong'o

Kisumu journalists on Wednesday, August 1, threatened to boycott events presided over by the Countys Tourism Executive Committee Member (CEC) Achie Alai for her alleged reckless way of handling them.

Achie, who also serves as Governor Anyang Nyongo's communication boss, was accused of a wanting relationship with journalists seeking clarification on the devolved units expenditure.

READ ALSO: Wakazi wa Kisumu wamtaka Uhuru awatembelee baada ya kuridhiana na Raila

Achie Alai has been accused of a wanting relationship with journalists seeking explanations on the devolved units expenditure. Photo: Achie Alai

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Nairobi businessman jailed for 20 years after shooting wife dead

Lead by Kisumu Journalists Network (KJN) Chairman Dickson Odhiambo, they singled out an instance where Achie referred to a question asked by an Urban Radio journalist concerning Nyongos current spate of foreign trips as "silly".

It is with uttermost concern that the Kisumu journalists fraternity has been perplexed by derogatory remarks made by CEC Alai. Her brazen reference to some questions asked by journalists about the foreign trips made by Governor Anyang' Nyong'o as "silly was not only unfounded but also reckless and derogatory, stated Odhiambo.

READ ALSO: January 30 was cast in stone - Raila sets record straight on mock swearing-in

On Tuesday, July 31, the CEC is said to have walked out on journalists who had gathered at the county premises for a routine update on Nyongos governance.

According to Odhiambo, it was not the first or second time the CEC was being disrespectful to the press, expressing concern that she was out to curtail the freedom and independence of the media.

KJN Organizing Secretary Allan Obiero accused Achie Alai of consistently disrespecting journalists. Photo: TUKO.co.ke

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Kiambu level 5 hospital is congested because of good service - Governor Waititu

We are therefore demanding for a written apology from the CEC within 14 days lest we will not cover any event presided by her, said the KJN Chairman.

The journalists have also demanded to get the audience of Nyongo whom they said must learn of the treatment the CEC was exposing them to.

"The least Achie can do is to become disrespectful when questioned on matters of public interest. She has violated Chapter Six of the constitution which stipulates the conduct of public servants and the Governor must learn about this," said Allan Obiero, KJN Organising Secretary

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Cecilia Mwangi Story: Meet 78-Year-0ld Sound System Master At Faces of Kenya - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko- Health Executive Member Majevdia Hitan and Health Direct Thomas Ogaro were sent home on Tuesday

- The governor said the two will also be held liable for lack of medicine in most of the facilities

- Their suspension came barely two days after Sonko suspended his chief of staff over misuse of funds

The poor state of health facilities within Nairobi County has seen two top officials suspended by Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.

Health Executive Member Majevdia Hitan and Health Direct Thomas Ogaro were suspended on Tuesday, July 31, over what Sonko termed as laxity in their performance.

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READ ALSO: Mambo 17 ya kuchekesha ambayo Wakenya wangependa kumweleza Betty Kyallo

Majevdia confirmed that he has been suspended but said he is yet to get an official communication. Photo: Hitan Majevdia.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: 30 top county officials on the chopping board as Sonko declares war on corrupt cartels

"The governor has suspended Health Executive Member Majevdia Hitan and County Health Director Thomas Ogaro over laxity. (He) gives them 14 days to explain why Nairobi County medical facilities have poor services and lack medicines," the Director of Communications Elkana Jacob said as quoted by Daily Nation.

The County boss gave the two health officials two weeks to explain why the medical facilities within Nairobi county had poor services.

According to Sonko, the two will also be held liable for lack of medicine in most of the facilities within the county.

READ ALSO: Court allows governor Sonko to suspend finance officers implicated in graft

The County boss gave the two health officials 14 days to explain why the medical facilities had poor services. Photo: Mike Sonko.

Source: Facebook

Majevdia confirmed his suspension but said he was yet to get an official communication on the same.

Their suspension came barely two days after Sonko sent home his chief of staff, Ben Mugo, over misuse of funds.

Mugo was suspended alongside his acting Finance Chief Officer Ekaya Alumasi and acting head of Treasury Stephen Mutua.

READ ALSO: Inside posh MP Shah hospital where Kikuyu legendary musician Joseph Kamaru is admitted

Prior reports by TUKO.co.ke indicated the governor suspended the officials in a renewed fight against corruption among members of his own staff.

He further called on the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Kinoti to investigate the matter further after it emerged the officials could be responsible for the embezzlement of county funds.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Tuko Reactions: Maasai React to Western Snacks | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko Breaking News- Sossion was suspended from the Trade Union Congress on Wednesday, August 1

- This followed a National Executive Board meeting on July 24

- Sossion is also battling to maintain his position as Kenya National of Union Teachers' (KNUT) secretary general

- The nominated MP was accused of gross misconduct and never answered to the allegations as expected

The Kenya National Union of Teachers boss Wilson Sossion has been suspended from the Trade Unions Congress of Kenya leadership.

The announcement was made on Wednesday, August 1, in a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke which said he was suspended for gross misconduct.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Polisi wakamata wanafunzi wa darasa la 7 na 8 wakishiriki ngono, Kayole

READ ALSO: Embu man tells court he smokes bhang to fulfill the scripture

Through the statement, Sossion was accused of failing to respond to allegations of gross misconduct which dates back to April 27.

"The National Executive board (NEB) of the Trade Unions Congress of Kenya (TUC-ke) through a unanimous decision resolved that you are hereby suspended as the TUC-ke secretary general with immediate effect," the statement read.

READ ALSO: If you live in Kitengela, Ngong or Ruiru and lost electronics, here are the thieves

The suspension capped grueling months for Sossion who after push and pull, narrowly retained his position as the KNUT boss.

Sossion was in May entangled in a conspiracy to oust him as the KNUT boss

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Concern as police officers bust 10 primary school children in Kayole Nairobi having group coitus

Aside from Teachers Service Commission (TSC) sacking him as a teacher alongside other MPs in May, Sossion only managed to remain as the KNUT boss as a result of a court order which temporarily reinstated him until the case is heard and determined.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news

Tuko Reactions: Maasai React to Western Snacks | Tuko TV:

Source: TukoThe police have detained a 54-year-old resident of Severodonetsk who, with the beginning of an anti-Ukrainian movement in the city, has joined illegal armed formations in the armed seizure of administrative buildings of Luhansk and the Luhansk border detachments.

Spokesperson for Luhansk regional police Tetiana Pohukai wrote this on her Facebook page late on Tuesday, July 31.

"Law enforcement officers detained a resident of Severodonetsk, who took an active part first in the organization of the anti-Maidan movement and then in combat operations against the people of Ukraine. Since February 2014, the militant has taken an active part in destabilizing the political situation in Severodonetsk, and has spoken at assemblies of citizens, calling for a coup d'etat and holding a referendum," Pohukai said.

According to her, in April, the man joined the formation of militants stationed in the occupied building of the Ukrainian Security Service. After receiving a camouflage uniform and automatic weapons, he guarded the territory adjacent to the SBU, gave the militants arms and ammunition, and watched hostages held in the SBU building.

A bit later, being a grenade launcher, he actively participated in battles near Raihorodok, in the seizure of the Luhansk military recruitment office, military unit No. 3035 and the Luhansk border detachment, during which 11 Ukrainian border guards were injured.

After a conflict with his commander, Pavlo Dryomov, he traveled to Vorkuta, Russia, where he stayed until 2018. A few days ago, the militant returned to Ukraine with a Russian passport and arrived in Severodonetsk, where he was detained by police officers.

The measure of restraint in the form of detention without the right to post bail was selected for the suspect. The pretrial investigation is currently underway.

opThe gas supply in the town of Avdiivka, Donetsk region, which was stopped already more than a year ago due to militant actions, will be resumed by the beginning of the heating season.

Chairman of Donetsk Regional Military and Civil Administration Oleksandr Kuts said this at a meeting on July 31, the press service of the Donetsk Regional Administration reported.

"As of today, the project is in the final stage. After the full completion of works and obtaining an appropriate permission from the State Architectural and Construction Inspectorate of Ukraine, the object will be put into operation by the beginning of the heating season 2018-2019," he said, commenting on the resumption of gas supply in Avdiivka.

As reported, in June 2017, the gas pipeline near Avdiivka in Donetsk region was damaged during the shelling by the militants, as a result about 22,000 local residents were left without gas supply.

ishOn August 1, 2018, the NATO Noble Partner 2018 multinational military exercises start in Georgia. Partners of the Alliance, including Ukraine, take part in these exercises.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze wrote this on her Facebook page.

"The NATO Noble Partner 2018 multinational military exercises started in Georgia today," Klympush-Tsintsadze wrote.

She adds that almost 3,000 soldiers from 13 countries, including Ukraine, will take part in the Noble Partner 2018 exercises, which will last until August 15.

ishExport of Ukrainian goods to Canada thanks to the free trade agreement (FTA) increased by 74% in 2017 and already grew by 37% for five months of 2018.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko wrote this on his Facebook page.

"One year ago, on August 1, 2017, the free trade agreement between Ukraine and Canada came into effect. The results of the agreement were positive  according to the results of 2017, the export of Ukrainian goods increased by 74%. The export of goods continues to grow  for the first 5 months of this year it increased by 37%. This growth has taken place for the first time since 2014," Poroshenko wrote.

The president added that "the most important thing is that Canada is not only one of the leading trading partners, but also a good friend of Ukraine."

ishOver the past year, the interest in doing business between Canada and Ukraine has increased significantly.

"Since the entry into force of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement last year, the interest in doing business between Canada and Ukraine has increased significantly," Zenon Potichny, the President of the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview with Ukrinform.

According to him, the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce has started to receive a far greater number of requests, which indicates a significant increase in business activity.

"In addition, positive changes are evidenced by the figures of trade turnover, as exports from Ukraine to Canada over the past six months grew by 30% compared to the same period last year," the CUCC president emphasized.

He added that the free trade agreement "opened new interesting areas of interest not known before."

The Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement came into force on August 1, 2017.

olStatements by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and NATO are shocking.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze wrote this on her Facebook page.

"His 'forecasts' on a new system of global policy strike not only Ukraine, but also NATO, the EU and, above all, Hungary itself. I can agree with him that Russia regards itself as a state that is in danger if there are no conflict zones around it. Here it would be desirable to note that under the new policy mentioned by Mr. Orban it does not seem unrealistic that the Kremlin will once select his country as such a zone, as had already happened in the past," she said.

Klympush-Tsintsadze also added that Orban forgets support for Hungary from democratic countries when it integrated into the EU and NATO.

As reported, Hungary blocked the holding of a NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting at the highest level due to Ukraine's law on education.

opThe Ukrainian side has repeatedly invited the international organizations to visit the occupied Crimea. However, the Russian Federation blocks the attempts of monitoring missions to enter the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

"The Russian Federation continues to block all the attempts of the international organizations, including the UN, the Council of Europe, UNESCO and the OSCE, to make use of Ukraines invitation as well as to comply with the decision of the governing bodies of these structures to monitor the occupied Crimea. However, Moscow cynically declares that Crimea, being the territory of Russia, is open for visitors. Of course, such a position is acceptable neither for Ukraine nor the international organizations that should be guided by the norms of the international law and their own decisions taken in compliance with these norms," Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Kyslytsia posted on Facebook.

The diplomat noted that the sovereign territory of Ukraine remained open for visits of the international organizations within its internationally recognized borders, which includes Crimea and Sevastopol.

olPresident Petro Poroshenko has called on the government to create an interdepartmental coordination body as soon as possible so that to develop a consolidated claim of Ukraine against Russia over the losses incurred from the ongoing military aggression.

In a post on his Facebook page, Poroshenko wrote: Russias ongoing military aggression brings new immeasurable human suffering to Ukraine every day, destroys the infrastructure, damages enterprises and economic potential of Donbas and Crimea. And we should not put off the drawing up of a consolidated claim of Ukraine against Russia for the reparation of damages. I addressed the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with a request to take measures so that to establish a relevant interdepartmental coordination agency as soon as possible.

He added that the creation of such an agency is envisaged by the reintegration law, which was adopted in January.

The President emphasized that this law also clearly confirms Ukraine's commitment to peaceful settlement of the situation and reflects the ideology of peaceful reintegration of the occupied region.

"I expect from the government a detailed plan for the comprehensive development of territories adjacent to the occupied areas... Our fellow citizens, especially in the liberated Ukrainian territories, should understand the obvious difference between Ukraine's new opportunities, which takes care of its citizens, and between Russia's lost hopes," Poroshenko wrote.

iyThe first meeting of an inter-parliamentary assembly of Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia will be held at the end of September in Tbilisi.

Speaker of the Parliament of Moldova Andrian Candu stated this at a briefing in Chisinau, own Ukrinform correspondent in Moldova reports.

"The decision to establish a trilateral inter-parliamentary assembly Moldova-Ukraine-Georgia was approved during the international security conference, which took place in early March in Chisinau. In early June, the statement on the establishment of the assembly was signed in Kyiv, and the first meeting of this inter-parliamentary assembly will be held in Georgia at the end of September, he said.

Candu also stressed that MPs of Moldova, together with their Ukrainian and Georgian colleagues, will continue to promote the interests of the three countries and the entire region as a whole, including at the level of the European Union.

iyA delegation of politicians and businessmen from Slovakia has arrived in the Ukrainian Crimea, occupied by Russia.

Russias RIA Novosti news agency reported this with reference to the press service of the Yalta International Economic Forum, which organized the visit.

"A delegation from Slovakia has already arrived in Crimea. They were met at the Simferopol Airport," a source told the agency.

The delegation consists of 10 people, including politicians and businessmen. Their visit will last until August 3.

As reported, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine repeatedly warned foreign citizens of illegal trips to Crimea.

Ukraine reserves the right to apply sanctions against foreign citizens who violate the rules of entry into the occupied territories.

ishUkrainian documentary Limits of Waiting about captives and missing persons in Crimea and Donbas won award in the category "Best Director of Foreign Language Documentary" at the 2018 Madrid International Film Festival.

This is reported by the NGO Internews Ukraine as the documentary was shot within the framework of its project.

"We showed only a small part of the pain that thousands of mothers, parents and children have experienced as a result of Russian aggression in Ukraine. I would like to thank the entire team of the film," documentarys director Stanislav Tsekhmistrenko commented on his victory.

The premiere screening of the Limits of Waiting in Kyiv is scheduled for autumn 2017.

The documentary is available on YouTube.

olVerkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova has addressed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein with the request to influence Russia with regard to cooperation in the issue of political prisoners.

"I appealed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, with the request to apply all possible levers of influence on the Russian Federation so that this state finally begins to adhere to the fundamental principles of humanism and respect for human rights, to fulfill the obligations envisaged by international agreements, and to cooperate," she said.

Denisova asked the UN commissioner to help representatives of international humanitarian organizations make visits to Ukrainians held in Russia and Crimea and facilitate the holding of an independent medical examination for Volodymyr Balukh, Stanislav Klykh and Oleg Sentsov, as Russia hides information about their real health condition.

"I hope for urgent response and effective cooperation," Denisova said.

opThe new coordinating body is in line with the so-called Donbas reintegration law.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced he instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to create an interdepartmental coordinating agency to prepare a lawsuit against Russia to compensate for the damage caused by the occupation of Donbas and the annexation of Crimea.

Read alsoPoroshenko calls Putin's words about "referendum" in Crimea ridiculous

"Every day, Russia's ongoing armed aggression causes new immeasurable human suffering on Ukrainian land, infrastructure is ruined, enterprises and economic potential of Donbas and Crimea are destroyed," he wrote on Facebook on August 1.

"Therefore, we must not delay an instant and prepare a consolidated claim of Ukraine against Russia to compensate for the damage done. I have asked the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to take measures for the immediate establishment of a respective interagency coordinating body," the president said.

Its creation is stipulated in the so-called Donbas reintegration law adopted in January this year, which "clearly confirms Ukraine's commitment to a peaceful settlement and reflects [the president's] mindset for peaceful reintegration of the occupied areas," Poroshenko added.Manafort is said to have earned US$60 million in Ukraine.

Paul Manafort's defense attorney Thomas Zehnle said that it was Ukrainian business associates, Ukrainian oligarchs, who asked his client to receive payments via secret foreign accounts.

Read alsoReuters: Ukraine in focus as Manafort trial in U.S. heads to second day

"This is the way that they required it to be done," Zehnle said in his opening statement for the defense on Tuesday, July 31, the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

According to the investigation, Manafort in Ukraine collaborated with ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, former head of his presidential administration Serhiy Lyovochkin and Ukrainian tycoon Rinat Akhmetov, as well as with other allies of Yanukovych.

Donald Trump's former election campaign chief and lobbyist for Yanukovych in the United States received ledger payouts for his services in Ukraine. Manafort is said to have earned US$60 million in Ukraine.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the trial of Manafort began on July 31. He is accused of money laundering and tax evasion for almost a decade of cooperation with the former Ukrainian leaders.

The federal prosecutor said that Manafort had more than 30 foreign bank accounts in three countries, allowing him to hide income earned in Ukraine.Logunov was found guilty of gathering classified information related to Ukraine's defense industry.

A court in Ukraine has sentenced an 84-year-old researcher to 12 years in prison after convicting him of gathering classified information he allegedly planned to hand over to Russia.

Mekhti Logunov was convicted of treason by a court in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on July 30, his lawyer, Maksym Shapovalov, said on July 31, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported.

He said Logunov was found guilty of gathering classified information related to Ukraine's defense industry with the intent of handing it over to Russian intelligence.

Read alsoUkraine prosecutors identify 9,000 turncoats among ex-Ukrainian law enforcers in Crimea

The Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office said that a local resident was found guilty of high treason and sentenced to 12 years in prison, but did not name the defendant.

"Acting to damage Ukraine's defense capability and state security, the perpetrator collected data about state defense orders to a research center in [Kharkiv] in accordance with agreements with Ukrainian Defense Ministry," the statement said.

Another lawyer for Logunov, Dmytro Tykhonenkov, said he will appeal.Demand among Czech employers for Ukrainian workers has nearly doubled every year since the global financial crisis ended.

The Czech Chamber of Commerce has said there is a need to double a quota for Ukrainian workers.

The government in January agreed to double the number of Ukrainians it would allow in as fast-track migrant workers to nearly 20,000 per year, in a bid to help address the chronic labor shortage, Radio Praha's English service reported.

According to the Czech Chamber of Commerce, the fast-track scheme is a drop in the proverbial bucket  but still paying dividends.

Read alsoCzech labor ministry prepares program to accelerate Ukrainians' employment in Czech Republic

A survey released this week by the Chamber of Commerce shows demand among Czech employers for Ukrainian workers has nearly doubled every year since the global financial crisis ended. With some 300,000 vacancies now on the labor market, doubling the quota for Ukrainian workers to 20,000 will hardly make a dent, says chamber chairman Vladimir Dlouhy.

"The Ukraine work scheme is a short-term solution to the problem of the shortage of workers on our labor market. It is not a long-term solution. The long-term solution lies in fulfilling a number of domestic tasks. Among them are reforming the education system and reforming the labor market itself, and many other things."

That said, the Chamber hopes to convince the government to  yet again  double the quota, arguing Ukrainian workers benefit Czech society as a whole. At current levels, the state is getting some 2 billion crowns a year in direct and indirect taxes and other levies linked to the employment of workers through the regime, Dlouhy says.

"We can say that every Ukrainian who has gained work through this work regime will contribute to a Czech pensioner some 440 crowns a year. This means that the fast-track scheme is starting to have a bit bigger impact and in a wider context. They contribute to the retirement system, and few of them will be drawing from it, taking it back," he said.

The biggest problem in hiring Ukrainian workers, cited by 88% of those surveyed, is the length of the process, which can take six to nine months from advertising a position to filling it.Regional power distribution companies are working to restore the power supply.

Some 118 settlements in four regions of Ukraine saw a blackout after the power line safety system was triggered due to complicated weather conditions, including thunderstorms and gusts of wind.

Read alsoStorms cause blackout in 143 towns and villages across Ukraine

In particular, power outages were reported in 59 towns and villages in Lviv region, 28 in Ternopil region, 22 in Volyn region and nine in Chernivtsi region, the State Emergency Service's press service has said.

Regional power distribution companies are working to restore the power supply.In recent months, it seems like a real hunt has been launched in Ukraine for civic activists. Some receive verbal threats, some get beaten up, stabbed, and lately even attacked with acid and killed.

On Tuesday, July 31, two attacks on civic activists were reported in two regions of Ukraine - Zaporizhia and Kherson. In Kherson, official of the city's executive committee, a well-known activist Kateryna Handziuk, became a victim of an acid attack. As reported by journalist Serhiy Nikitenko, an unknown perpetrator was waiting for the girl at her apartment building's entrance. "She sustained serious burns. Now she is in the hospital, no details yet. Please don't spread unchecked information," he wrote.

The attacked poured acid on the woman's face, a preliminary police report says.

Nearly 30% of the activist's body was affected by acid burns as the liquid was spilled on her head (eyes), flowing down her neck, back, and hand.

"She's in a heavy condition, stable, and conscious. Anti-shock measures are being carried out. Against the background of the shock, there are other problems, including with kidneys, which is typical for all types of burns," said Ihor Ravelev, an anesthesiologist at the Kherson Regional Hospital.

At the moment, the police are on hunt for the attacker (a man wearing a dark T-shirt, dark cap, and brown shorts). At the same time, law enforcers initially qualified the attack as "hooliganism."

Later the same day, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko personally took over control in the case. The crime has been re-qualified for "inflicting intentional heavy bodily harm committed with the aim of intimidating the victim," and later - to an "attempt on life."

Impunity gives rise to permissiveness

Ukrainian office of Transparency International has already expressed outrage over the incident. "The use of an acid against a public figure in broad daylight near her own home is a new challenge for Ukraine's law enforcement system. In the past year, we have already witnessed the arson of media offices, beatings of the civic investigators, liquids being poured on activists. The society is systematically receiving signals about the dangers of taking an active civic stance. It is unacceptable. Finally, it's time for the National Police to give a clear signal that any attempts to use force against activists will be exposed, and those who commit attacks are brought to justice," the organization said.

"We warn the Kherson police against the temptation to put the investigation on brakes. After all, Kateryna Handziuk was and remains a critic of local law enforcement agencies for their not always consistent position in protecting the sovereignty of Ukraine and the rule of law in the city. We are waiting for the results of the investigation and establishing those who ordered this crime and their motives," Transparency International added.

Such warnings against local law enforcement bodies do not look superfluous, given that some experts believe that the law enforcers themselves are involved in the attack on Kateryna. "Handziuk for several years has been a nightmare for local law enforcers, disclosing their corrupt schemes. And I don't rule out that the police could be behind the attack," said Olha Reshetilova, coordinator of the Media Initiative for Human Rights.

In her opinion, the police choose a lighter article [hooliganism], since in this case law enforcement will be asked less questions about why the case is not being investigated properly. "I think that such cases cannot be investigated by local police, as they, as a rule, themselves put pressure on activists. There are already dozens of cases of attacks on journalists and activists, in which the police are absolutely inactive. This is a consequence of the unreformed police, which for the most part considers activists, not criminals or separatists, their main enemy. We even can't ensure effective investigations of crimes, let alone the protection of activists. In the police reform, we did not achieve the main thing - breaking the connection between the criminals and the police. I do not rule out that we'll see similar cases in the future if the previous resonant cases are not being investigated," she said.

From threats to murder

Unfortunately, taking an active civic stance is getting not only scary, but also deadly dangerous. On the same day, when in Kherson Kateryna Handziuk was crippled with acid, in Berdyansk (Zaporizhia region), a 43-year-old activist of Berdyansk self-defense community and a local Automaidan, Donbas war veteran Vitaly Oleshko (call sign "Sarmat") was shot and killed.

"In broad daylight, a murderer with a hunting rifle came in a backyard of a small hotel, built by Vitaly, and shot "Sarmat" in the back. Next to Vitaliy were his wife and a friend, also a war veteran, Andriy Madzharov," wrote journalist Yury Butusov.

Criminal proceedings were opened under Part 1 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (premeditated murder). In addition, in Zaporizhia and Donetsk regions, a Siren interception plan was introduced to detain the offender. The investigation is under the control of the leadership of the National Police.

Vitaly Oleshko was a well-known activist in Berdyansk. In May 2014, he volunteered to become part of the Donbas Battalion and fought for Popasna, Lisichansk, and Ilovaysk. In August 2014, he was captured by the enemy near Ilovaisk. In 2015, after returning from captivity, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov personally awarded Oleshko the Order "For Courage" of the third degree. After returning from war, Sarmat continued his active work in Berdyansk, organizing a number of protest actions near the Zaporizhia Regional State Administration. For example, he accused the region's leadership of opaque allocation of land to servicemen.

As Andriy Madzharov told UNIAN, it is the ex-mayor of Berdyansk, Verkhovna Rada MP Oleksandr Ponomarev, with whom Oleshko had a long-standing public conflict, who may be involved in the murder.

"He is now our main suspect. With this man at the level of Berdyansk and Zaporizhia region, there has long been a political war. The city now has a monopoly on power - all utilities, the city council, and officials are affiliated with the deputy, they also help him siphon money from the budget, and Vitaly tried to stop it," said Madzharov.

Actually, according to Sarmat's friend, Vitaly was repeatedly threatened. Moreover, local authorities in Berdyansk facilitated the opening of a number of criminal proceedings against Oleshko in an attempt to seize his property - the hotel in the courtyard of which the owner was killed. Oleshko had already grown accustomed to a variety of measures on the part of local officials, including unscheduled inspections of his business...

It's dangerous to be an activist

It should be noted that recently in Ukraine there have actually been several high-profile attacks on activists. In May of this year, a Donbas veteran, defender of the Donetsk Airport Dmytro Verbych was assaulted in Kyiv. The victim was walking along the street when he got stabbed in the back. The group of attackers consisted of three male teenagers and another female, all wearing masks. Kyiv police also opened an investigation into "hooliganism". Later it turned out that one of the attackers was the daughter of an official from the Ministry of Defense, and received a suspended sentence.

In June this year in Odesa, two unidentified perpetrators attacked the leader of Odesa Automaidan, Vitaly Ustymenko. The attackers broke his head and wounded him in the hip. The police are investigating the case as an assassination attempt. Before that, Ustymenko had already been assaulted by a group of attackers after the court session to elect a measure of restraint to the mayor of Odesa, Hennady Trukhanov.

Also, two attacks were committed on the Odesa leader of the "Right Sector," Serhiy Sternenko. Moreover, the second time, he killed the attacker in a self-defense effort. Sternenko repeatedly asked the police to provide him protection, but only after the second attack and the death of the attacker did Sternenko receive a guarded witness status.

In addition, a year ago in Odesa, at the door of her own house, an activist, a participant in the expert commission of the investigation team of the "May 2 case," Svitlana Podpal, was beaten up.

And in 2017 in Kharkiv, deputy of the local regional council Dmytro Bulakh, known for being the creator and head of the public organization "Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Center," which conducts its own investigation of the distribution of land in Kharkiv, was also beaten.

Unfortunately, all these stories only confirm the fact that Ukraine has not yet been fully reformed. Enjoying relative impunity, criminals are moving from threats and beatings to actual murders.

Anastasia Zaremba, Iryna Dubchenko

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterThe observer team could not ascertain whether there was a body inside the coffin.

The OSCE Observer Mission (OM), which is based at Russia's Gukovo and Donetsk Border Crossing Points (BCPs), has spotted a group of people from Russia carrying a coffin by hands across the Ukrainian-Russian border in Donbas.

Read alsoOSCE SMM must be allowed access throughout Ukraine - Greminger

"On July 31 at 04.12 at the Donetsk BCP, a group of four men and one woman entered the BCP from the Russian Federation on foot, carrying a coffin (by hands) and a big funeral wreath. They underwent border formalities and crossed to Ukraine. The observer team (OT) from its position could not ascertain whether the coffin was opened and if there was a body inside or not," the OSCE said in a weekly update as of July 31.

It is also reported on July 30 at 09:03 at the Gukovo BCP, the OT observed a fire vehicle entering the BCP from the Russian Federation and going towards Ukraine. A few minutes later, at 09:08, an ambulance also entered the BCP from the direction of the Russian Federation and travelled towards Ukraine. From its position, the OT was not able to see whether the vehicles actually crossed the border to Ukraine, or whether they remained at the "blind spot" behind the main building of the BCP, where the OT does not have permission to move.

At 12:40, another fire vehicle arrived at the BCP from the direction of the Russian Federation, stopped in the outbound lane to Ukraine, and returned shortly thereafter at 12:57 to the Russian Federation. Later that night, at 21:07, the OT observed an ambulance with Russian Federation license plates, coming from the direction of Ukraine and crossing the border into the Russian Federation. A few minutes later, at 21:13, a fire vehicle followed the ambulance. The OT could not confirm whether these were the same vehicles observed in the morning or not.Terrorist leaders and Russian military often report lower numbers of killed and wounded mercenaries in Donbas not to demotivate their troops.

Officer of the 53rd separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Anatoliy Shtefan estimates the losses of the two terrorists organizations in Donbas  the Donetsk People's Republic ("DPR") and the Luhansk People's Republic ("LPR")  at 31 fighters in July 2018.

Read alsoOSCE spots people with coffin on Ukraine-Russia border in Donbas at night

"In the Russian-controlled 'DPR'/'LPR' units, 31 fighters were liquidated and 68 mercenaries were wounded with varying severity in July," he wrote on Facebook on August 1.

"Non-combat losses (suicide, safety violations, reckless killing) totaled 12 terrorists," the officer said, adding that the figure might be even higher.

Terrorist leaders and Russian military often report lower numbers of killed and wounded mercenaries in Donbas not to demotivate their troops, he added.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 36 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action.Georgia will host the Noble Partner multinational exercise for the fourth time.

NATO Noble Partner 2018 multinational military exercises will begin in Georgia on August 1.

According to the Georgian Defense Ministry, about 3,000 soldiers from 13 countries will take part in them, DW's Ukrainian Service reports.

In particular, troops from Georgia, the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia will take part in the Noble Partner 2018 drills, which will last until August 15.

Read alsoUkrainian military conducts drills with combat helicopters in Sea of Azov (Video)

Earlier, the United States transported military equipment from Europe to Georgia for training, including Stryker armored fighting vehicles, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and five M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks. The hardware was delivered by sea from the port of Constanta in Romania to the Georgian port of Poti.

U.S. military helicopters, namely Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters, will also be involved in the exercises. A total of 1,170 U.S. troops will participate in the drills, including the personnel of the U.S. Army 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Europe, who arrived in Georgia by air.

It is noted about 1,300 servicemen of the armed forces of Georgia and 500 servicemen from other countries will also take part in the exercises. In total, about 140 units of military equipment are planned to be involved.

Georgia will host the Noble Partner multinational exercise for the fourth time.Political consultant Tad Devine on Tuesday disclosed that Rinat Akhmetov, a Ukrainian oligarch, was a key financial backer of Manafort's work.

The political consulting work that President Donald Trump's onetime campaign chairman Paul Manafort did to earn $60 million in Ukraine is expected to take the spotlight on Wednesday on the second day of his criminal trial.

The first witness set to be questioned by prosecutors is Daniel Rabin, a political consultant who produced TV ads for Manafort in Ukraine, Reuters said.

Rabin will likely be asked to elaborate on the nature of Manafort's work for pro-Russian politicians there.

Prosecutors said their second witness would be an FBI agent, whose name was not disclosed.

Manafort is charged with tax fraud, bank fraud and failing to report foreign bank accounts. His trial is the first under Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

In their opening statement on Tuesday, prosecutors said Manafort earned some $60 million in Ukraine and failed to report a large portion of it to U.S. authorities.

They portrayed him as a tax cheat who hid the money in offshore accounts, and lied to borrow millions more against real estate in a bid to maintain an extravagant lifestyle once the work dried up.

Manafort's attorneys, on the other hand, described their client as a talented consultant who made it to the pinnacle of U.S. politics and on the global stage.

They argued he did not willfully mislead or deceive the IRS, and that he was betrayed by his former business associate Rick Gates.

In his opening on Tuesday, Manafort attorney Thomas Zehnle made it clear the defense plans to make attacking Gates a key plank of their defense.

They noted that Gates, who has pleaded guilty to making false statements, is being trusted to tell the truth when he testifies as a star witness for the prosecution.

The defense lawyer said Gates would "tell untruths" about Manafort. He also accused Gates of not being honest with the accountants that prepared Manafort's tax returns and of embezzling funds from their business.

It is unclear when Gates will take the stand in the trial in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.

Prosecutors filed a witness list of 35 people and, after calling political consultant Tad Devine as their first witness on Tuesday, revealed only the next two up for Wednesday.

Read alsoAkhmetov becomes only Ukrainian native in Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranking

Prosecutors questioned Devine for about an hour, asking him to explain the nature of Manafort's work in the Ukraine. Among other things, Devine disclosed that Rinat Akhmetov, a Ukrainian oligarch, was a key financial backer of Manafort's work.

While prosecutors have said they will not present evidence in this trial about possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, they may dig deeper into Manafort's connections with Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs, legal experts have said.

Devine said in his testimony on Tuesday that Manafort used Western-style polling and advertising to help lift pro-Russian political figure Viktor Yanukovych to victory in Ukraine's 2010 presidential election.

Yanukovych was later swept from power and fled to Russia in 2014, triggering a big loss of business for Manafort.The reason NATO was created out of the ashes of World War II was precisely to make certain such destruction never happens again.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson recently asked U.S. President Donald Trump, Why should my son go to Montenegro to defend it from attack? It is a fair question  one that many Americans were asking following Trumps performance at the NATO summit  and it deserved a better answer than the presidents musing on the aggressive nature of Montenegrins.

Instead, Trump should have recalled the words he spoke last year in Poland praising the heroes of the Warsaw Uprising, the 74th anniversary of which is being marked on Wednesday. In one of the most powerful speeches of his presidency, Trump recalled the terrible price that millions paid for the Wests failure to deter Nazi and Soviet aggression, Marc A. Thiessen wrote for the Washington Post.

Under a double occupation, the Polish people endured evils beyond description, Trump recalled: the Katyn forest massacre, the occupations, the Holocaust, the Warsaw Ghetto and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the destruction of this beautiful capital city and the deaths of nearly 1 in 5 Polish people. A vibrant Jewish population  the largest in Europe  was reduced to almost nothing after the Nazis systematically murdered millions of Polands Jewish citizens.

Read alsoPutin's biker gang sets up military-style camp on NATO soil - media

The reason NATO was created out of the ashes of World War II was precisely to make certain such destruction never happens again. In 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain famously dismissed Germanys threats toward Czechoslovakia, declaring that Britain should not get drawn into war because of a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing. The result was 50 million people dead, a continent in flames and the gas chambers of Auschwitz.

The lesson the world learned from that experience is that weakness is provocative. "When adversaries believe you are weak, they are emboldened to act  and prone to miscalculate. When they believe you are strong and determined, however, they are far less likely to test you and start cataclysmic wars," the author says.

Trump believes in peace through strength. But to have peace requires not just military strength. As Trump said in Warsaw, Our defense is not just a commitment of money, it is a commitment of will. President Ronald Reagan used the military far less than any of those who succeeded him in office not just because he rebuilt Americas military strength but also because Americas adversaries did not doubt his willingness to use it.

Read alsoNATO Noble Partner 2018 military drills kicking off in Georgia

Why did Russian President Vladimir Putin believe he could invade Ukraine and annex Crimea without consequence? It was no mere coincidence that Russias intervention happened just six months after President Barack Obama failed to enforce his red line in Syria. Putin saw that Obama imposed no costs on Syrian President Bashar al-Assads defiance, unwilling to launch strikes that a U.S. official said would be just muscular enough not to get mocked. At that moment, he knew there would be no real costs for his intervention in Ukraine.

Obama projected weakness. On taking office, Trump rectified that situation by enforcing Obamas Syria red line, not once but twice  sending a message of strength that was heard not just in Damascus but in Moscow as well.

There is a reason Putin despises the NATO alliance so much  and has fought to prevent further integration of the countries of Eastern Europe into it. He knows he may be able to bully his unallied neighbors, but he cant bully a NATO ally  because that ally is backed up by 28 others, bonded by a mutual commitment to each others security and led by an American president who, while seeking friendship with all, is unafraid to flex U.S. military muscle.

Read alsoU.S. Europe commander: Balkan region facing increased meddling from Russia  media

That is why Putin opposed the admission of Montenegro into the NATO alliance, reportedly even backing a plot to assassinate Montenegros prime minister in an effort to stop it. That is why Putin wants Trump to fail in his effort to get the NATO allies to meet their commitments and spend 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense. He understands that a weak NATO cannot deter him but a strong NATO can.

As Trump said in Warsaw, As long as we know our history, we will know how to build our future. Americans know that a strong alliance of free, sovereign and independent nations is the best defense for our freedoms and for our interests. The whole point of NATO is not to defend Montenegro; it is to make sure we never have to defend Montenegro  or Warsaw, or Paris, or London again.One of the former activists of the far right Bulldogs organization, Andrea Palmeri, was engaged in the recruitment and financing of pro-Russian mercenaries in eastern Ukraine.

Italian police are investigating into the illegal activities of an organization which recruited and sent pro-Russian mercenaries to the Donbas war.

The successful raid that resulted in the arrest of six suspects was led by the Prosecutor's Office of Genoa (Liguria region), as reported by Europeiska Pravda with reference to Italy's La Repubblica.

Arrests were carried out in Milan, Parma, and Avellino.

The investigation led by the Genoese prosecutor's office focuses on a total of 15 people. Law enforcers have so far arrested three recruiters, two of them Albanian and Moldovan nationals. Another three suspects, who are most likely in Donbas at the moment, were arrested in absentia.

The prosecutor's office issued arrest warrants on charges of "recruiting mercenaries and participating in a military conflict abroad."

Read alsoReuters: Eight Moldovans jailed for fighting with pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine

In addition, the police searched homes of seven other people.

As noted, the exposure of a criminal organization engaged in the recruitment of mercenaries for the Donbas war was preceded by an investigation into the activities of the ultra-right organizations in Liguria. Law enforcers followed the posts in the social networks by Andrea Palmeri, one of the former activists of the ultra-right organization "Bulldogs" to find out that he had been engaged in recruiting and financing pro-Russian mercenaries in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine.

As UNIAN reported earlier, more than 50 Moldovan mercenaries are fighting in the east of Ukraine in the ranks of militants of Russian-controlled terrorist organizations "LPR" and "DPR."The U.S. president tweets that attorney general should end "this Rigged Witch Hunt right now."

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the federal probe examining allegations of collusion and obstruction of justice, saying that special counsel Robert Mueller is totally conflicted.

This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA! Trump tweeted in a series of tweets, according to POLITICO.

The U.S. president has consistently tried to undermine Muellers Russia investigation, often calling it a witch hunt, but never has gone so far to ask Sessions to call it off. He has, however, strongly criticized Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia probe, which is now overseen by deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein.

A Justice Department spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment.

Read alsoU.K. poisoning inquiry turns to Russian agency in Mueller indictments  NYT

While Trump and his allies have repeatedly highlighted donations that members of Muellers team of prosecutors have made to Democrats, top FBI and DOJ officials have emphasized that they dont screen personnel based on political views  and many of Muellers prosecutors are seasoned law enforcement veterans.

Trump also appears to have recalibrated the number of angry Democrats he claims are working for Mueller. While hes consistently railed against 13, he upped the figure to 17 for his Wednesday morning tweet.

Trumps tweet comes as the first trial connected to Muellers Russia probe is currently underway. This week, Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort is facing a jury on bank and tax fraud charges.But this type of warfare also gives the United States a chance to learn about the latest Russian technology.

American troops deployed in Syria are increasingly having to defend themselves against Russian jamming deviceselectronic attacks with potentially lethal consequences, according to U.S. military officials and analysts.

Officers who have experienced the jammingknown as electronic warfaresay its no less dangerous than conventional attacks with bombs and artillery. But they also say its allowing U.S. troops a rare opportunity to experience Russian technology in the battlefield and figure out how to defend against it, according to Foreign Policy.

U.S. Army Col. Brian Sullivan described one recent episode to reporters at the U.S. Defense Department last week. He said his troops had encountered a congested  electronic warfare environment while fighting in northeastern Syria during their nine-month deployment, which stretched from September 2017 to May 2018.

It presented challenges to us that we were able to successfully contend with, and it gave us an opportunity to operate in an environment that cant be replicated anywhere at home station, including our combat training centers, Sullivan said.

Read alsoRussian Def. Ministry to jam mobile comms at its Syrian bases

Its a great opportunity for us to operate particularly in the Syrian environment where the Russians are active.

Sullivan did not say how the jamming affected his team. But experts in electronic warfare say an attack can impair communications equipment, navigation systems, and even aircraft.

All of a sudden your communications wont work, or you cant call for fire, or you cant warn of incoming fires because your radars have been jammed and they cant detect anything, said Laurie Moe Buckhout, a retired Army colonel who specializes in electronic warfare.

[It] can be far more deadly than kinetics simply because it can negate ones ability to defend ones self, she said.

U.S. troops fighting abroad since the 9/11 attacks have faced mostly nonconventional forces and have not had to contend with electronic warfare.

Read alsoPentagon names key defense challenges in case Russia invades EU

But Syria is a different arena. Conventional forces from Russia, Iran, and occasionally Israel have operated in the country, as well as the Syrian army itself.

In this complex, congested environment, the concern is that a miscommunication or inadvertent encounter could quickly escalate into a full-on war.

Daniel Goure, an expert on national security and military issues at the Lexington Institute, says Russias new electronic warfare systems are sophisticated. They can be mounted on large vehicles or aircraft and can impair targets hundreds of miles away.

The trouble with [electronic warfare] broadly speaking is it can really screw with your picture of the battle space, your operating picture, and that can lead to really horrendous mistakes, Goure said.

Read alsoU.S. General names major challenges facing Ukraine troops in Donbas

This is escalatory. There is no question about it, Goure said.

Analysts say Russia is increasingly using Syria as a testing ground for new electronic weapons, which Moscow developed over the past 10 to 15 years in response to NATOs dominance in conventional weaponry. Operations in Ukraine offered Moscow a similar opportunity to use these new systems in combat.

The conflict in Syria allows Russia an opportunity to learn how cutting-edge U.S. systems respond to electronic attacks.They would deploy malware to steal customers' payment data to then sell it on the dark web.

Three senior members of a notorious Eastern European hacker group have been arrested and are facing charges, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Dmytro Fedorov, Fedir Hladyr and Andrii Kopakov, all Ukrainian nationals, are part of the FIN7 cybercrime ring that has breached a wide range of companies in recent years, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Whole Foods and Chipotle. DOJ said that the group hacked companies in 47 states and Washington, D.C., according to POLITICO.

FIN7 hackers used spear-phishing emails and follow-up phone calls to convince their targets to open emails with malicious attachments. They then deployed their famous Carbanak malware to steal customers' payment data. They sold the stolen information on the dark web.

All three men face 26 felony charges, including wire fraud, computer hacking and aggravated identity theft.

Read alsoRussia meddled in U.S. elections via Facebook, Zuckerberg confirms

The hackers stole "more than 15 million customer card records" in the U.S., in addition to their operations in the United Kingdom, Australia and France, according to DOJ.

Authorities arrested Fedorov in Poland, Hladyr in Germany and Kopakov in Spain. So far, only Hladyr has been extradited to the U.S.

According to the government, FIN7 used a front company called Combi Security, which claimed to offer penetration testing services, to hire cyber criminals who could help them conduct their operations.August 1 2018

Clackmannanshire Council is to progress a 15m schools campus in partnership with Hub East central Scotland and Robertson Construction after the build reached financial close.

Overseen by Keppie Design Tullibody South Campus is to be built on the site of the present Abercromby Primary and will include a variety of internal and external learning spaces with sports, learning and play areas all clearly defined.

Finished in rustic buff brick, with limited use of white render to rear courtyard elevations, the school will make use of a range of outside terraces and covered play areas to provide flexibility of use.

Explaining the courtyard interventions Keppie wrote: The external courtyard has been strategically positioned in the centre of the plan to allow light to reach the deepest parts of the building. The space will be used as a different external learning space for both schools.



Located directly off of the dining hall, the space can be used as a spill out space for school lunches, as well as providing a nice outlook for the surrounding spaces.

When complete in August 2019 Tullibody South Campus will include two separate primary schools as well as a nursery  together with twin gym halls, meeting spaces, an immersive room and library.August 1 2018

Grahams Dairy and Mactaggart & Mickel Homes have lodged a court of session appeal against the decision by Scottish ministers to deny planning permission for a 40m housing and industrial development at Airthrey Green, Stirling.

At issue is a contention that ministers based their refusal on irrelevant information and failing to take account of other relevant considerations as well as a claimed absence of proper, adequate and intelligible reasons for the decision.

Grahams was angered by a decision to rely on the Reporters recommendation that approval would jeopardise a review of the Local Development Plan  but this examination was reolved in June meaning that it was no longer an issue.

Robert Graham, Grahams managing director, commented: We believe compelling grounds exist which has culminated in our joint appeal with Mactaggart & Mickel Homes to the Court of Session.

We are extremely disappointed by the Ministers decision, which we maintain placed more importance on continuing to protect a failed Local Development Plan process than supporting the delivery of much needed homes, infrastructure and creating 500 new full-time jobs within the city of Stirling and the Scottish dairy sector and 65.3m gross value added (GVA) per annum into the Scottish economy.

A mix of 600 homes, a primary school and park would have been delivered under the scheme to address a dire housing shortage in the city.

(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Apple said Tuesday that its profit had jumped to $11.5 billion in the recently ended quarter, besting market expectations despite selling fewer iPhones than analysts projected.

San Francisco, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Aug, 2018 ) :Apple said Tuesday that its profit had jumped to $11.5 billion in the recently ended quarter, besting market expectations despite selling fewer iPhones than analysts projected.

Revenue in the quarter soared 17 percent to $53.

3 billion from the same period a year earlier on the back of sales of iPhones, online services, and wearable devices.

"We're thrilled to report Apple's best June quarter ever, and our fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit revenue growth," chief executive Tim Cook said in the earnings release.The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently participated in a seminar held in Minsk, Belarus, where representatives from the chambers Azerbaijan office highlighted the business potential that Dubai can offer Belarusian food exporters.

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 01st Aug, 2018) The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently participated in a seminar held in Minsk, Belarus, where representatives from the chambers Azerbaijan office highlighted the business potential that Dubai can offer Belarusian food exporters.

The seminar, organised by the Belarus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, aimed to familiarise participants with guidelines governing halal food products that are exported to the UAE.

The event was attended by officials from the Belarusian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology, and several Belarusian food exporters as well as other companies that are keen to explore business opportunities in the UAE market.

During the seminar, representatives from the Chambers Azerbaijan office delivered a presentation covering growth forecasts for the UAEs food sector and various competitive advantages that Dubai provides to food exporters around the world.

Omar Khan, Dubai Chambers Director of International Offices, explained that Dubais ideal geographic location provides easy access to a consumer market of approximately two billion people. He pointed out that the emirate already serves as a strategic gateway and re-export hub with strong links across the middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.

"Global food manufacturers are increasingly making Dubai a key part of their expansion strategies as the emirate is home to a fast growing population, while efforts have intensified to boost food security in the UAE in recent years," said Khan.

"We have seen strong interest from food producers and exporters in Eurasia that are very keen to cooperate with Dubai on food security and use the emirate as a re-export hub to reach surrounding markets. There are countless business opportunities in the Dubai market that Belarusian companies can greatly benefit from as the emirate is constantly looking to diversify its source markets," he added.

Halal meat and green tea are among the fastest growing product categories in the UAE, according to recent data from Euromonitor International. The value of halal meat sales in the UAE is forecast to grow steadily to AED8.3 billion this year and rise further to AED10.2 billion by 2021, indicating growing consumer demand for these segments.

Dubai Chambers representative office in Baku serves as a gateway for Dubai-based companies to explore business opportunities in Azerbaijan and other promising Eurasian markets. At the same time, the office aims to facilitate trade and business relationships between companies in the region and their counterparts Dubai.ASTANA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 01st Aug, 2018) UAE Ambassador to Astana, Dr. Mohammed Ahmed bin Sultan Al Jaber, attended a briefing held by the Kazakhstan Ministry of National Economy.

The briefing detailed the Kazakh Republic's efforts to improve its global competitiveness indicators, as per the World Economic Forum.

The event was attended by heads and members of diplomatic missions accredited to Kazakhstan.

Following the briefing, the UAE Ambassador met with the Kazakh Vice Minister of National Economy, Madina Serikovna Zhunusbekova, where they discussed issues of mutual concern.

Zhunusbekova noted the Kazakh government attaches great importance to improving it economic competitiveness indicators via the adoption of programmes and initiatives launched by the government.Edhi Foundation has received 50 ambulances donated by overseas Pakistan in Australia.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Jul, 2018 ) :Edhi Foundation has received 50 ambulances donated by overseas Pakistan in Australia.

Talking to journalists here on Tuesday, Edhi Foundation's head Faisal Edhi said these ambulances would be sent to different parts of the country to help further strengthen ambulance service.

He said they have a fleet of around 1,800 ambulances. However, he added, they have to replace from 200 to 250 vehicles every year.

Faisal Edhi said Pak expatriates in Australia have assured the Edhi Foundation that they would increase the number of donated vehicles to 100.

He said price hike has also affected the activities of Edhi Foundation as there is considerable shortfall in funding.

However, he added this year their financial condition is witnessing improvement. He said the Edhi Foundation had to face problems due to deficit last year.

Faisal Edhi said they are confident that their Pakistani brethren would extend their maximum support to the Edhi Foundation. He also appealed to overseas Pakistanis in Britain, USA, Australia and rest of the world to keep up extending support to Edhi Foundation so that Abdul Sattar Edhi's mission of the service of humanity could be continued.Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari said that pivotal role of media cannot be ignored for continuity and sustainability of democracy in the country.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Aug, 2018 ) :Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari said that pivotal role of media cannot be ignored for continuity and sustainability of democracy in the country.

He appreciated the performance of Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) and information department for facilitating the media men during elections and arranging necessary coordination with the stakeholders in a meeting with Provincial Minister for Information & Culture (I&C) Ahmed Waqas Riaz who called on the chief minister at his office here on Wednesday.

The CM also congratulated the information minister and his team for best media management.

The chief minister said that officers and staff of DGPR & information department performed their duties in a professional manner and they arranged best coordination with the media men to carry out the responsibilities.

Dr Askari said the media had vital importance to keep the people informed in the present era.

The national media has played a positive role during the electoral process and immediate actions were taken to redress the complaints highlighted by media during the elections, he added.

He said that it was satisfying that role of the media is important with regard to sensitizing the people about importance of right to vote.

He said the print and electronic media created necessary public awareness about importance of casting vote through effective messages. That is why voter turnout remained satisfactory, he added.

The CM said the media had set a good tradition by following the code of conduct of the election commission and it had given a proof of professional competence for continuity of democracy while coordination between media sector and information department remained exemplary.

The provincial minister briefed the chief minister about the performance of information and culture department.Russian Ambassador Alexey Dedov on Wednesday said Russia was closely in touch with Pakistan on counter-terrorism and strategic issues.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Aug, 2018 ) :Russian Ambassador Alexey Dedov on Wednesday said Russia was closely in touch with Pakistan on counter-terrorism and strategic issues. here at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), the Russian ambassador said the military cooperation between the two countries was well beyond the supplies of helicopters and expanded to conduct of ground and navy exercises as well. The Russian ambassador said Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation between Russia and Pakistan (IGC) was working hard to build business ties.

"Russia believes that working together in IGC and in other bilateral mechanisms will help fast implementation of bilateral projects," he said.

He expressed satisfaction over the growth level in Pak-Russia bilateral trade, which he said during 2017 bloomed by 33 percent and later reached to 82 percent in last five months from January 2018 onwards. He said Russia was interested in carrying out projects of mutual interest with Pakistan in areas including energy,steel industry,optical fibre, pharmaceuticals, water and sanitation. Dedov mentioned that several MoUs were already in place between Pakistan and Russia for cooperation in science and technology, banking and transport of Liquified Natural Gas through gas pipeline.

On Afghanistan, he said Pakistan's role was important as along with Russia and China, the three countries were committed for a peaceful diplomatic Afghan-owned and Afghan-led solution to the issue.

He termed the Pak-China relations as "very solid" and said Russia welcomed this relationship, adding that his country's relations with China were currently on highest terms in history. The Russian ambassador said Russia never had an objection over Pakistan's membership in Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and would extend support in future as well. To a question on playing role of mediator on ending stalemate in relations between Pakistan and India, he said the efforts could be exercised when both sides requested about it.

However,he said Russia was trying to facilitate this process by engaging both countries. On Kashmir, he said the situation was very complicated and Russia's stance on Kashmir was that both Pakistan and India should find a bilateral solution to the issue.He said Russia's main objective was maintaining geo-political stability in the world rather than becoming and behaving like a super power.He said Gwadar seaport was a very prospective project and would serve well for Pakistan.(@FahadShabbir)

Khartoum, Aug 1 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Aug, 2018 ) :Three Sudanese girls were killed and four others injured on Wednesday when a part of their school building collapsed, state media reported.

The accident occurred in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum on the west bank of the Nile river.

"Three Primary girl students were killed and four others injured when a part of their school collapsed," the official SUNA news agency said.

It did not say how old the school building was, but lax construction standards have often raised concerns about building safety in Sudan.

Last year a teacher was killed when a section of another Omdurman school caved in.At least four soldiers and eight suspected jihadists were killed Tuesday in Mali when a security patrol was ambushed in the centre of the country, military sources said.

Bamako, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Aug, 2018 ) :At least four soldiers and eight suspected jihadists were killed Tuesday in Mali when a security patrol was ambushed in the centre of the country, military sources said.

The death toll could yet rise as "two Malian army vehicles and their occupants are still not accounted for," a military source said.

The patrol, which was attacked in the central region of Segou, was attempting to secure procedures relating to Mali's general election, which on Sunday saw some voters prevented from participating by armed groups.

"It was a sophisticated attack. The terrorists launched an ambush and afterwards they fired at the convoy, which defended itself," said a second military source, adding that "eight jihadists" were known to have died.

A local administrative source said "several Malian soldiers" were killed.

Authorities in the capital Bamako say that voting in Sunday's election didn't take place in more than 700 polling stations, including 600 in lawless central regions of the vast, landlocked nation.

Violence marred the lead-up to the election, despite the presence of 15,000 UN peacekeepers, 4,500 French troops and a much heralded five-nation anti-terror G5 Sahel force.

The jihadist violence has spread from northern Mali to the centre and south of the country and spilled over into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, often inflaming communal conflicts.(@rukhshanmir)

China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region-based dairy group plans to acquire a stake of no more than 51 percent in Pakistani dairy maker Fauji Foods Ltd, aimed at expanding itself overseas via the proposed deal.

BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Aug, 2018 ) :China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region-based dairy group plans to acquire a stake of no more than 51 percent in Pakistani dairy maker Fauji Foods Ltd, aimed at expanding itself overseas via the proposed deal.

North China's Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd has handed in a letter of investment intention to acquire Fauji Foods, a sub-affiliate of Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim Ltd, as it looks to acquire new assets to consolidate its global position, according to a statement quoted by China Daily on Wednesday.

Yili said the letter expresses its intention to negotiate with Fauji Fertilizer and other shareholders about the acquisition and does not constitute a binding obligation for any party to advance or complete the proposed transaction. The statement did not discuss the value of the potential deal.

The deal needs to gain approval from the Fauji Fertilizer's board and shareholders, the Chinese government and the Pakistani government, the statement said.

Pakistan-listed Fauji Foods mainly produces and sells dairy products. It is registered in Lahore, the country's second-largest city.

"The Pakistani enterprise is likely to have a development strategy and market coverage that is similar with Yili.

In addition, Yili considers Pakistan's business environment and food management to be good," Yu Guangjun, director of the Institute of Economics at the Inner Mongolian academy of Social Sciences said.

"Yili doesn't want to take a controlling interest in the Pakistani dairy maker. It aims to expand in overseas markets and promote its brand impact. The Belt and Road Initiative has provided more opportunities for Chinese enterprises to invest abroad," he said.

"Also, the Pakistani firm features Islamic culture, as does the Inner Mongolia-based Yili." Shanghai-listed Yili closed 0.94 percent lower at 26.44 Yuan ($3.87) per share on Tuesday. Based on Tuesday's closing price, the company's valuation now stands at 160.7 billion yuan.

Last year, Yili achieved sales of 68.06 billion yuan, expanding 12.29 percent year-on-year. Its net profit reached 6 billion yuan, jumping 17.7 percent over the previous year. In 2017, it accounted for 20.5 percent of the market share, according to its earnings report.

Yili said earlier that it aims to become one of the top five global dairy producers in the near future, reaching an annual sales revenue of more than 100 billion yuan.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Aug 1 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Aug, 2018 ) :The leading opposition party in Equatorial Guinea has denounced the "illegal detention" of its activists, with dozens in prison despite a pledge last month by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema that they would be released.

Obiang, who has ruled the West African state since 1979, issued a decree granting what he described as a total amnesty on July 4, in a bid to smooth the way for a "national dialogue" between political leaders in the country.

But the Citizens for Innovation (CI) party said dozens of "political prisoners" remain incarcerated, including about thirty of its own members.

"It has been 27 days since President Teodoro Obiang Nguema declared a total amnesty... the government must know that keeping all political detainees in prison is legally interpreted as illegal detention," said CI in a statement, AFP learned Wednesday.

Obiang, 76, has been widely criticised for corruption and human rights abuses during his decades in power.

Since the amnesty decree, only one person -- Julian Abaga, a college professor jailed for criticising Obiang -- has been released.

The CI was banned in February and 21 of its members, including the party's sole member of parliament, were subsequently sentenced to 30 years for "sedition, public disorder, attacks on authority and serious bodily harm." The move followed an attempted coup, in December, involving a group of men from Chad, the Central African Republic (car) and Sudan, according to the authorities.

CI says it has had no "sign of life" from activists in Evinayong prison, in the centre of the country, since July 19.

sam-cc/dcr/pvhSouth Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Wednesday her government will provide support for the recovery of a swathe of Laos devastated by a dam collapse and ensuing flash floods.

SINGAPORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Aug, 2018 ) :South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Wednesday her government will provide support for the recovery of a swathe of Laos devastated by a dam collapse and ensuing flash floods.

She delivered the message in talks with her Laotian counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith here days ahead of the opening of the annual Mekong-South Korea foreign ministers meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

The latest disaster to affect the ASEAN member state was one of the main issues discussed at the talks.

Kang conveyed the sympathy of South Koreans to Laotians suffering hardships, which is related to a South Korean firm. SK Engineering & Construction, a South Korean firm, is a partner in a hydropower dam construction project in southern Laos. A dam built on a mountain saddle collapsed amid heavy rains.

Seoul has already offered US$1 million worth of aid. Kang's remarks herald the dispatch of a recovery team in addition to more than a dozen medical staff sent there last weekend.(@FahadShabbir)

The presidents of Somalia and Eritrea on Monday agreed to establish diplomatic ties after more than a decade of animosity, in the latest lightning rapprochement between Horn of Africa rivals.

Nairobi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2018 ) :The presidents of Somalia and Eritrea on Monday agreed to establish diplomatic ties after more than a decade of animosity, in the latest lightning rapprochement between Horn of Africa rivals.

Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's three-day visit to Asmara coincides with an extraordinary peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia -- part of dizzying change in a region burdened by war, proxy conflicts, isolation and iron-fisted rule.

"The two countries will establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," read a "joint declaration on brotherly relations" signed in Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Mohamed, who left for Mogadishu shortly thereafter.

The declaration came just three weeks after Ethiopia and Eritrea declared an end to two decades of conflict, rapidly restoring diplomatic ties and flights between their capitals.

The history of the three nations, and their fallouts, have been intertwined.

Somalia and Eritrea were once close. Under Somali dictator Siad Barre, the military regime in Mogagishu backed Eritrea's long fight for independence from Ethiopia, which was attained in 1993.

In 1998 Ethiopia and Eritrea began a bloody two-year war over their shared border which left 80,000 dead before settling into a bitter cold war.

After the fall of Barre in 1991, Somalia fell into chaos.

By around 2006, it became the site of what observers called a proxy war between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Ethiopia backed backing a weak interim government in Mogadishu while Eritrea was accused of backing the militants fighting to overthrow it, a charge it denied.

The UN Security Council in 2009 imposed an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support of the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab militants, which continue to launch regular deadly attacks despite losing territory in recent years.

The declaration placed special emphasis on its support for the Somali government.

"Eritrea strongly supports the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia as well as the efforts of the people and government of Somalia to restore the country's rightful stature and achieve the lofty aspirations of its people," it said.The document, posted on Eritrea's information ministry website, also said the two nations "will endeavor to forge intimate political, economic, social, cultural as well as defense and security cooperation." They will in addition "work in unison to foster regional peace, stability and economic integration." - End of 'epoch of conflict' - At a state banquet on Sunday, Isaias bemoaned the gloomy post-Cold War history of the Horn of Africa.

He said the region had been destroyed by "ethnic and clan cleavages" and "external pillage and internal thievery" in the speech which also lashed out at the "micromanagement of anarchy" by the United Nations and NGOs.

"Under these bleak realities, interventionist and expansionist regional agendas in the name of religion, cultural intoxication under various extremist ideologies, terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, as well as trade in weapons and narcotics became the new normal," he said, according to a speech posted on the information ministry's website.

"But this epoch of crises, conflict and instability is not inherently sustainable. As such, it is nearing its end. We are indeed entering a new, transitional, phase." Ethiopia, which is undergoing lightning reforms under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has already formally requested that sanctions be lifted against Eritrea.

And in the wake of Ethiopia's peace with Eritrea, its other neighbour and rival Djibouti askedthe UN Security Council for help mediating a long-standing border dispute that has soured relations with Asmara.Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle of Cape Coast in Ghana has said that the Church in Africa has a lot to thank God for, notwithstanding challenges and negative perceptions. The Archbishop is an executive member of SECAM.

Fr. Paul Samasumo  Vatican city.

29 July is SECAM Day. SECAM stands for the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar. This week, SECAM launched in Kampala, Uganda, the yearlong golden celebrations for SECAM.

On this day in 1969, Pope John VI inaugurated SECAM in Kampala, Uganda.

Fifty years on, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle told Catholic Radio Sapientia in Kampala, this week, that the Church in Africa has much to celebrate and thank God for.

The Church in Africa has come of age

We have to have a memory of the progress made so far. Unfortunately, when people talk of Africa, they only tell us about disease, wars, challenges and the rest. Let me tell you: In the last fifty years, the Catholic Church in Africa has grown from 55 million people to 175 million people. The Church had, at the Second Vatican Council, 30 to 40, 50 dioceses. Now we have 450 dioceses in Africa, we have over 600 Bishops, the Archbishop said.

Yearlong anniversary celebrations for SECAM

Archbishop Palmer-Buckle believes that the yearlong celebrations will give the word, celebration its qualitative meaning and value. He insists that 'celebration' is about rendering time to God, remembering what he has done for SECAM in the last 50 years, taking stock of mistakes, repenting, reconciling and then recommitting to Christ.

Over 20 Bishop-representatives from the various regional conference of Africa were in Kampala for the inauguration, which will culminate in a big liturgical event to be held sometime in July 2019.

The Bishop-representatives met, in Kampala, under the theme: Church-Family of God in Africa, Celebrate your Jubilee! Proclaim Jesus Christ your Saviour. Uganda, the land of the martyrs, was acknowledged, by Archbishop Palmer-Buckle as the heartbeat of the Catholic faith, in Africa.

Blessed Pope Paul VI inaugurated SECAM in 1969

The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) was born out of the will of young African Bishops during the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The Bishops wanted to build a continental pastoral structure to bring forth the African vision to the whole Church. Seeing the importance of such an association for Africa, the Congregation for the Evangelisation of the Peoples invited the Presidents of the Regional Episcopal Conferences for consultation in 1968. A year later, the first-ever visit of a Pope to Africa was seen as very opportune to launch the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.

(With contribution from Radio Sapientia, Uganda)Archibishop Pizzaballa, Patriarch of Jerusalem, has decried the new Nation State law passed in Israel in July.

By Francesca Merlo

Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M  Apostolic Administrator of Jerusalem, Palestine, released a statement on Monday regarding the recently enacted Basic Law: Israel as the Nation state of Jewish People, a new and controversial law which defines Israel as a Jewish state.

He opened his statement by declaring that this new law is a cause of great concern () the law fails to provide any constitutional guarantees for the rights of the indigenous and other minorities living in the country. He stated that Palestinian citizens are completely excluded from this act.

The Law gives Jews a right to national self-determination and has downgraded Arabic from an official language to a language with a special status, making Hebrew the official language.

Symbolic discrimination



Archbishop Pizzaballa stated that though the implementation of this new law may not have practical effects, it is symbolical: It sends an unequivocal sign to the Palestinian citizens of Israel, to the effect that in this country they are not at home.

The provisions of this new law reiterate the status of Jerusalem under Israeli law. They define the Palestinian capital of a future state as the complete and united capital of Israel.

Disregarding Human Rights and equality

Archbishop Pizzaballa stated that this discriminatory law goes against the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 - which guaranteed the establishment of a Jewish State whilst still ensuring full civil rights to the Arabs living there.

It also contends Israels own Declaration of Independence, committed to foster the development of the country in order to benefit all its inhabitants and to ensure equality of political and social rights, regardless of religion, race and sex.

Above all, it contravenes and contradicts the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty enacted in 1995, a law which guarantees the respect and dignity of every person. Where there is discrimination, there is no dignity he stated.

Minorities excluded, identities unprotected

Of the countrys population of over nine-million, 20% are Israeli Arabs. They often identify as or with Palestinians. This minority has seen the passing of this new Law as discriminatory.

This Basic Law is exclusive rather than inclusive, disputed rather than consensual, politicized rather than being rooted in the basic norms that are common and acceptable to all fractions of the population, Pizzaballa said.

The Law establishes that there are not equal rights for Arabs and Jews, refusing to acknowledge their existence. Pizzaballa believes that any state in which there is such a vast majority should hold a duty to guarantee the preservation of the minorities collective identity, this includes their religious, ethnic and social traditions.

Christian community, gathering voices to object

He ended his statement mentioning the Christian citizens of Israel, another minority, concerned as all other non-Jewish minorities in the area. Archibishop Pizzaballa states that the Christian community calls upon all citizens of Israel who still believe in the basic concept of equality among citizens of the same nation, to voice their objection to this law and the dangers emanating thereof to the future of this Country.A poster of Imran Khan who is set to become Pakistan's new prime minister. (AFP or licensors)

Pakistan held its general elections on July 25, in which Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) has been declared winner amidst allegations of rigging and fraud. Currently he is holding talks with partners to form a government.

By Robin Gomes

The bitterly fought elections was marred by allegations of vote rigging, administrative malpractices, and violence, including a terrorist suicide bomb attack on election day, July 25, in Quetta, that killed at least 31.

Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, which is alleged to have the backing of the countrys powerful military, has been declared the winner with 116 of the 269 contested seats in the National Assembly, far ahead of its nearest rival, Shahbaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League with 64 seats.

Khan is currently holding talks with allies and independents to form a coalition government.

Mixed feelings



Dominican priest Father James Channan, who heads the Peace Centre Lahore told Vatican News that in the run-up to the elections, Christians were messaging on the social media not to vote for Imran Khan. Noting this, Imran Khan assured minorities they should not be afraid of him and his government, adding he wants to see Pakistan as envisioned by the nations founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

According to Imran Khan, all citizens, including Christians, will be treated equally in Pakistan, but Fr. Channan said it is difficult to say at present whether that is going to happen. However, the priest who is active in interfaith dialogue and harmony feels optimistic and hopes that Khan will fulfil the promises he has made.

Fr. Nasir William, director of the Social Communications Commission of the diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, told AsiaNews that Pakistans previous governments failed to give equal rights to religious minorities. In his victory speech, Khan assured minorities of the basic privileges guaranteed in the constitution but Fr. Willian said he remained silent when leaders of his PTI party referred to Christians as kaafir (infidels) and churhas (low caste) in assemblies and television talk shows".

Fr. Willian noted that a 5-year term many not be enough to counter decades of religious fundamentalism. Chances of big protests and sit-ins are bleak as military is rumored to support his party, he added.

Hyacinth Peter, executive secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Major Religious Superiors Leadership Conference said Khan has no interest in minorities as he has vowed to defend the countrys controversial blasphemy laws. His government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has removed all secular content from school syllabus.

Church leaders in Pakistan also criticized the PTI provincial government for its failure to compensate the families of those who died in the Peshawar Church blast in 2013.

However Fr. Qaiser Feroz, executive secretary of the Pakistani bishops' social communications commission was more vocal in supporting Imran Khan who, he said, believes in the secular vision of Jinnah.

On Tuesday, July 31, Frankie Moreno visited Nevada School of the Arts to donate 10 brand new Gibson guitars. The donation will allow Nevada School of the Arts to continue its support for students who dont have or cant afford instruments but have the aspirations to learn the art of music (Pictured: Frankie Moreno and brother Tony Moreno present the donation of 10 Gibson guitars to Nevada School of Arts President and CEO, Patrick Duffy).

Nevada School of the Arts has so many amazing music programs and we feel extremely fortunate to be involved in their first guitar program, said Frankie Moreno. With the Gibson guitars provided, I hope to inspire the next generation of musicians in the community.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet with his ASEAN counterparts in Singapore this week, promoting the Trump administrations vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, but concerns about North Korea may dominate the agenda.

At the East Asia Summit ministerial, Pompeo will meet with his 17 counterparts to address the regions most critical security challenges, including the nuclear threat posed by Pyongyang, conflicts in the South China Sea, the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine state in Myanmar, and cybersecurity, among other topics.

Asked whether Pompeo would have a bilateral meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho in Singapore, a senior State Department official told reporters, The DPRK is in the room as a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum among these 27 countries. So there will be discussions that are inclusive of North Korea.

No plans for Iran meeting

The official said there are chance encounters and planned encounters at such major gatherings, but there are no bilateral meetings to announce.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it was working on setting up bilateral meetings with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and counterparts from several countries, including the United States.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will also be in Singapore, but the senior State Department official said there are no plans for engagement with Iran.

Concerns over ongoing nuclear and missile activity in North Korea surged after The Washington Post reported Tuesday that U.S. intelligence officials believe Pyongyang is continuing to build new missiles in the same research facility it used to build intercontinental missiles capable of reaching the East Coast of the United States.

New regional investments

The senior State Department official declined to comment on the reports, saying he would not discuss intelligence matters.

Singapore was the site of a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June, where the two pledged to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

But experts say North Korea appears to be continuing its nuclear and missiles programs, and the two sides need to continue talks to nail down what steps will be taken first in the process.

Ahead of his trip, Pompeo announced $113 million in new regional investments for the Indo-Pacific, focused on technology, energy and infrastructure.

The focus on the region comes at time of heightened tensions with China over trade and tariffs.

Stops planned in Malaysia, Jakarta

Speaking at an Indo-Pacific Business Forum on Monday, Pompeo said, Like so many of our Asian allies and friends, our country fought for its own independence from an empire that expected deference. We thus have never and will never seek domination in the Indo-Pacific, and we will oppose any country that does.

On the way to Singapore, Pompeo will make a stop in Malaysia to meet with newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to discuss shared interests, including trade and counterterrorism.

On his way back to Washington, Pompeo will stop in Jakarta, Indonesia, to meet with President Joko Jokowi Widodo to reaffirm the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with world's third-largest democracy.A group of 55 sets of human remains handed over by North Korea last week were transferred Wednesday to U.S. military transport planes at a ceremony in South Korea before flying on to the U.S. state of Hawaii.

Vice President Mike Pence, the son of a Korean War combat veteran, will attend a second ceremony when the remains arrive at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.

At the repatriation ceremony at Osan Airbase in South Korea, Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, spoke about the solemn duty of bringing home war dead and prisoners of war.

"For the warrior, this is a cherished duty, a commitment made to one another before going into battle, and passed on from one generation of warriors to the next," he said. "And for all in attendance, this is a solemn reminder that our work is not complete until all have been accounted for, no matter how long it takes to do so."

North Korea has provided almost no information to help identify the individuals whose remains are being repatriated to the United States, a U.S. defense official told VOA.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Pyongyang included only one military dog tag with the 55 boxes of remains.

No additional information was given to help U.S. forensics experts determine who is in those boxes, according to the official.

"It could take months, or even years to identify them," the defense official said.

So far, the remains have not been confirmed as those of American service members.

"We don't know who's in those boxes,'' Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis told reporters Friday at the Pentagon. He added that the remains could be of Australians, French or any of the others who fought alongside American troops in the Korean War. He said that when an individual is identified, those remains will be returned.

"This is an international effort to bring closure," Mattis said.

A total of 17 United Nations member countries fought on behalf of South Korea during the war.

Fifty-five boxes, topped with blue U.N. flags, were handed over at Wonsan, North Korea, last week and flown to a U.S. base in South Korea.

The transfer begins to fulfill an agreement made last month between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump during their historic meeting in Singapore in June. Trump tweeted his thanks to Kim after the remains arrived in South Korea.

About 7,700 U.S. soldiers are listed as missing from the Korean War, and 5,300 of the remains are believed to still be in North Korea.A group of New York state grandmothers embarked on a six-day, six-city caravan tour to the U.S.-Mexico border to demand an immediate return of all immigrant children to their families, and to protest a policy of indefinite family detention. Their message, through rallies, vigils, potlucks and song, is simple: if an older person can trek the country to demand change, so can you. VOA's Ramon Taylor reports from New York.As the Global Peace Conference opens in Uganda, heads of state, especially in the East African region, are trying to focus more on unity instead of fragmentation that has plunged the area into conflict.

East African leaders say they need to find new models for sustainable peace and development in a bid to effectively deal with crime, conflict and poverty.

With instability taking root, leaders in the Great Lakes region are being urged to promote value-driven and innovative leadership that will provide meaning to citizens. This includes security, job growth, running water, electricity, and good roads. They agree this must be accompanied by more investment and trade, rather than aid and political federation.

Ambassador Fred Ngoga Gateretse, who leads the Conflict Prevention and Early Warning division of the African Union Commission, notes that terrorist organizations, such as Somali militant group al-Shabab, are more organized than some governments.

African countries simply do not make sense in fragmentation. We make sense in unity. Did you know how long it takes to recruit a suicide bomber, on average? It takes about five to six or seven months. And did you know how long it takes to recruit a civil servant from the U.N. or AU? About 19 months at best. So, what does that tell us? It tells us that our criminals are more efficient than we are, said Gateretse.

Delegates at the conference also are calling on leaders to improve their respective education systems to create a common goal and interest in the community. Uganda, in particular, has been working with neighbors, such as South Sudan and Somalia, to end conflict.

Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda notes that the conference is an occasion for leaders not only to celebrate achievements, but to find ways to overcome conflict and its daunting challenges.

As you are aware, amidst great development potential, the Great Lakes region has for many decades been characterized by identity-based conflicts, violent extremism and refugee crises, said Rugunda.

The conference has bought together stakeholders from all walks of life, including business entrepreneurs. Julian Omalla is a Ugandan businesswoman who ventured into northern Uganda. The area faced the brunt of the Lords Resistance Army rebellion, a conflict that left thousands dead and more than 2 million in internally displaced camps.

When there is no money in somebodys pocket, peace cannot be there. And when there is no economic activity in the area, the peace and the unity cannot be there, she said.

According to the African Union, the continent currently faces 20 crisis situations that need to be resolved.

It is now up to the heads of states to show if their interests are aligned with those of their countrymen and women in the region.On a windy day in Liberia's waterfront slum of West Point, Gbeneweieh Quoh surveys what remains of her home, fearful that it may crumble into the ocean.

The waves tore away three bedrooms in the past year, leaving the fragile structure even more vulnerable to rising tides and storms.

Yet Quoh's family cannot afford to move anywhere else, so they are just staying put, she said. "What can we do? Nobody will help."

Theirs is one of thousands of homes that risk sliding into the sea in Monrovia's densely populated slum community, according to the Liberian government.

"Almost the entire township is threatened by the ocean...it is mainly seated on a sand dune," said Duannah Siryon, managing director of Liberia's National Housing Authority.

Coastal erosion threatens thousands of kilometers of coast from Mauritania to Gabon in West Africa, home to about 105 million people. These coastal areas generate 56 percent of the region's gross domestic product, says the World Bank.

In Liberia's West Point alone, rising sea levels and erosion have destroyed about 800 homes and displaced more than 6,500 people since 2013, according to the Disaster Victims Association, a group of community leaders.

Displaced families have been forced to stay with relatives, find refuge in churches or sleep rough in open-air markets, the association says - with many struggling to feed themselves.

"We (Grant and his brother) eat one-and-a-half cups of rice a day, two on Sunday," said Daniel Grant, the group's 71-year-old chairman whose five properties have been swallowed up by the ocean over the past five years.

"We used to have six to seven cups when I had income coming in from rent," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation at a group meeting in a dark office in Monrovia, the capital.

Earlier this month Liberia's newly sworn-in President George Weah committed to building 2,000 modern homes to replace fragile structures in West Point as well as a sea wall to keep out the encroaching ocean.

But slum residents worry it is too little, too late.

"A poor man is always a patient person. We are still begging them (the government)," Grant said.

Worsening Conditions

The country is still recovering from two brutal civil wars, which spanned 14 years before ending in 2003, and an Ebola outbreak which killed some 4,800 people between 2014 and 2016.

Now those displaced from their homes by erosion face further hardship, poor living conditions and fast-spreading diseases like tuberculosis, West Point residents say.

"Even animals have somewhere to sleep, but we are out in the cold," said S. Panteswen, a middle-aged man at the meeting whose two houses in West Point were also destroyed by high tides.

Like many others he has spent a lifetime scrimping and saving while running small businesses on the side, slowly expanding his property by adding on small rooms built with thin concrete or other salvaged material.

Marie Samulkai, 48, a housing volunteer from West Point, built a large home for her family of 11 in the neighborhood in 2008, making a living by selling groceries and alcohol from nearby shacks.

"In 2014 it (the house and shacks) all went (swept away by the sea at night). Now I'm homeless," she said.

With her main source of income gone, she said her children "have lost respect for me" now that she can no longer provide for them.

Grant said there is a "desperate need" to educate the coastal community on the danger of erosion and build more solid homes.

Sometimes residents make building blocks from sand or try to reclaim land filled with garbage - which can easily be washed away, he said.

"People take the sand and make blocks. They build bridges on rubbish."

People sleeping within reach of the sea has also led to fatalities, according to the community.

In May, a boy who was sleeping on his front porch was swallowed up by the waves at night, said Grant. His body later washed up on the beach.

Slow Progress

Although the Liberian government has pledged to build new homes for displaced families, most have yet to materialize, said the dozens of victims who attended the group meeting chaired by Grant.

In 2016 a visit by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to West Point raised their hopes.

"She brought food and clothes" and promised to rehouse residents in new homes in Monrovia's nearby VOA neighborhood, Grant explained.

About 30 families were moved to what were supposed to be temporary, prefabricated-type structures, while permanent homes were built, he said.

The families remain in the shelters, but none of the more solid homes have been completed, he added.

"They (the builders) started. Some (houses) reached the roof level, some had windows, some just foundations," he explained.

About 100 homes were expected to be built, but Grant said the project appears to have been shelved in spite of President Weah's plans to upgrade West Point.

"I say to the government now please do not change the plan the former president made," he said.

Siryon from the National Housing Authority said that the "government will resume the project and hopefully complete them (the homes) within the shortest possible time," adding that it was allocating further funding to the initiative.

Back at her home, Quoh, 28, wonders out loud who in the community will be forced to leave the area next. "We know nothing but here (this area)."

"We can be afraid but what can we do? The sea comes close, sometimes it touches the house. We are losing hope but we hope in God," she said.Brexit is looming and so is Armageddon, if you believe the headlines in Britain.

Newspapers have been flooded with stories about food shortages, stockpiled medicines, grounded flights and troops on the streets of Britain if the country leaves the European Union early next year without an agreement on the future relationship between the two sides.



Those forecasts came as the positions of both sides appeared to harden and British officials made statements about preparations for a no-deal Brexit that could disrupt trade. Prime Minister Theresa May said the government was preparing for every eventuality.



All the talk of dire consequences just underscores the difficulty of finding a way to sever ties developed over decades, said Ben Fletcher, director of external affairs for EEF, the manufacturer's association.In a scathing report released Tuesday, a British parliamentary committee said sexual predators are still able to get work in international aid organizations, where they can prey on vulnerable children and women. The panel also accused the aid sector of "complacency verging on complicity" in the abuse.

The lawmakers on the House of Commons' international development committee said that six months after the exposure of sex abuse by British aid workers in Haiti first became known, the international aid sector is still not doing enough to implement safeguards and to crack down on sexually predatory men.

They warned sexual exploitation and abuse is endemic across the international aid sector and said there had been a "collective failure of leadership and engagement from top levels down over many years" to tackle the problem with victims not being put at the heart of solutions, rendering what reforms had been undertaken ineffective."

"Sexual exploitation and abuse by aid workers and peacekeepers is happening in the aid sector and it has been happening for a long time. Sexual violence, exploitation and abuse against women and girls is endemic in many developing countries, especially where there is conflict and forced displacement," the panel said in its 116-page report, "Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in the Aid Sector."

"It is particularly horrifying to find evidence of personnel from the aid and security sectors perpetrating these abuses rather than combating them," the lawmakers added.

Mounting public distrust

One of the authors of the report  which will add to mounting public distrust of the aid sector, and not only in Britain  said aid organizations are engaging in self-delusion when they say they are confronting the problem.

"It is happening now, and the trouble is I believe there are men who are attracted to the aid industry as they are anonymous," lawmaker Pauline Latham told Sky News.

Latham said while other organizations are clamping down on sexually predatory men, that is not the case in the aid sector. "They can be anonymous, they can go abroad, it's not a problem they think. And they can get away with it," she said.

The British government warned charities and humanitarian relief organizations in February that it would withdraw public funding if they failed to establish effective internal reviews to prevent and investigate sexual predatory behavior and abuse by their aid workers.

The warning came in the wake of disclosures that one of the country's biggest charities, Oxfam, failed to disclose its dismissal in 2011 of senior aid workers who paid local prostitutes, some likely underage, for sex parties in Haiti in the wake of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people and left 300,000 injured and 1.5 million homeless.

Four men were fired and three were allowed to resign, including Oxfam's country director for Haiti, Roland van Hauwermeiren, who was accused of paying teenage girls for sex at his hilltop villa known as the Eagle's Nest.

All the men involved were also given references by Oxfam, enabling them to join other aid agencies, despite allegations of sexual exploitation of quake survivors and the downloading of pornography, as well as bullying and intimidation.

Oxfam received $45 million from the British government in 2017 and received more than $200 million in donations from the British public.

Figures analyzed earlier this year by Britain's Sunday Times revealed that in the past year alone, more than 120 workers for Britain's top charities have been accused of sexual abuse, harassment or predatory behavior, mostly while serving overseas. Oxfam recorded 87 incidents in 2017, of which 53 cases were referred to police or civilian authorities. Save the Children had 31 cases, 10 of which were referred to authorities.

The report published Tuesday said the delivery of aid to people and communities in crisis had been subverted by sexual predators with only superficial action taken to stop it and the lawmakers outlined "systematic criminal sexual exploitation," including in the form of human trafficking into prostitution.

'Cultural' complacency

Committee chairman Stephen Twigg also accused the aid sector of being in denial about "the horror of sexual exploitation and abuse," arguing there's a "cultural" complacency to tackle the endemic problems.

The report blamed charities and British government departments of ignoring reports of sexual abuse going back almost two decades and said the United Nations remains in denial about abuse by its own staff, some of whom have immunity from prosecution.

"In addition to the abuse of aid beneficiaries, there is also evidence of significant numbers of cases of sexual harassment and abuse within aid organizations, including where the resulting proceedings have been conducted very poorly," according to the report.

The committee said there appears to be a common thread in the apparent inability of the aid sector to deal effectively with allegations and complaints. "There seems to be a strong tendency for victims and whistleblowers, rather than perpetrators, to end up feeling penalized," it said.

Oxfam issued a statement in response to the excoriating report, saying it is "committed to the safety and dignity of everyone who interacts with us. We are determined to strengthen women's rights within Oxfam and in the communities in which we work."

The charity, which has seen public donations fall this year, said it had developed an action plan and had tripled funding to combat the abuse.

Oxfam Chief Executive Mark Goldring announced in May that he would step down at the end of 2018; his deputy resigned in February.China's navy will join 26 other nations in military exercises off Australia's north coast this month, but not live-fire drills, Australia's defense minister said on Wednesday at a time of strained ties between the two nations.

The naval exercises are being hosted by Australia and will also include its major ally the United States, which expelled China in May from its military training around Hawaii  a response to what it sees as Beijing's militarization of islands in the South China Sea.

Ties between Australia and China hit a low after Canberra passed a raft of laws aimed at thwarting Chinese influence in domestic affairs and also frayed over Chinas assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Australia has offered diplomatic support to U.S. freedom of navigation voyages through the South China Sea, and its own vessels encountered Chinese warships there in April.

But Australia stuck with an invitation it issued China last September, a sign analysts say hints at a thawing in relations ahead of the drills that begin at the end of August.

China is expected to participate in a range of activities including passage exercises, inter-ship communications and replenishment activities and sea-training maneuvers, Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said in an emailed statement.

There are no plans for China to participate in live-fire activities, she said, without giving a reason, but adding the nations have built a productive defense relationship that ... facilitates transparency and builds trust.

The drills will be held in strategic waters north of Darwin where a decision to lease the city's port to a Chinese firm drew a sharp rebuke from the United States. They run to mid-September and involve 27 nations.

China was involved in the drills as an observer in 2016. Only Britain declined an invitation to participate this time, a spokesman for Australia's defense minister said in an email.

Analysts suggest China's involvement in the drills could mean a new willingness to engage.

The Chinese government has tended to cut down on official visits and official interactions so perhaps this a sign that senior Chinese officials are happier, said Andre Carr, senior lecturer in the strategic and defense studies center at the Australian National University.Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, accused of witness tampering and bribery, on Wednesday asked the Senate to ignore his resignation letter so that his case remains with the Supreme Court.

Uribe, who was in office from 2002 to 2010 and mounted a military offensive against Marxist guerrillas, said on Monday he would resign his seat in the Senate to concentrate on his defense after the Supreme Court called on him to testify.

Uribe, 66, is a mentor of incoming President Ivan Duque, who won the June 17 election as the candidate for Uribe's right-wing Democratic Center party.

The former president is under investigation by the court over allegations he made false accusations and tampered with witnesses in a case he himself started by making similar accusations against leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda.

Uribe has been accused by political foes of resigning from the Senate so his case can be investigated in the ordinary courts and not in the Supreme Court, which he claims is biased against him.

"I have asked Senator Ernesto Macias, president of Congress, to withdraw, without considering, my resignation letter. For reasons of honor, it has never been in my mind that the Supreme Court won't hear the case for which they are summoning me to testify," Uribe wrote in a Twitter post.

Uribe's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In 2012, Uribe accused Cepeda of orchestrating a plot to falsely tie him to right-wing paramilitary groups during jail visits to former fighters.

But in February the Supreme Court, the body charged with investigating criminal matters involving lawmakers, said Cepeda had collected information from former paramilitaries in the course of his Senate work and that he had not paid or pressured them. Instead, the court said, it was Uribe who was at fault.

The activities continued even after the ruling, the court said in a statement Tuesday.

If convicted, Uribe could face jail time.

He has remained a polarizing kingmaker in Colombian politics as his party has sought to stymie a peace accord with Marxist rebels. He and his family have long been accused of paramilitary involvement by the opposition, but previous investigations have borne little fruit.

Paramilitary groups in Colombia  originally funded by landowners eager to protect themselves from rebel fighters  became violent organizations connected to drug trafficking, massacres and sexual violence.

The 50-year conflict in Colombia has killed more than 220,000 people.Colombians got their first glimpse Tuesday of a monument being constructed with weapons turned over by leftist rebels as part of an historic peace agreement ending more than five decades of bloody conflict.

The work by artist Doris Salcedo is titled "Fragments" and consists of a simple floor of gray-colored tiles built with melted rifles.

"This touches me personally, from the bottom of my heart," President Juan Manuel said as he visited the site. "In a certain way, this is an epilogue."

The monument is still under construction and is one of three that rebels and government officials agreed to build with more than 7,000 surrendered weapons. The other two will be placed in New York at the United Nations and in Cuba, where both sides spent four years negotiating the accord.

Salcedo said her work is an attempt to symbolically narrate the memories of war through a space that is "radically empty and silent." The tiled floor monument will become part of a museum documenting the conflict.

Colombia's conflict between leftist rebels, paramilitaries and the state left at least 250,000 dead, 60,000 missing and millions displaced.

Salcedo is a Colombian artist whose work has been shown in contemporary exhibitions at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.Congo's former Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba has returned to the country to register as a presidential candidate in December's long-delayed election, a decade after his arrest in Belgium led to a trial at the International Criminal Court.



Bemba arrived in a private jet in the capital, Kinshasa. Members of his opposition Movement for the Liberation of Congo party have greeted him. Police presence is high.



Appeals judges with the ICC in June overturned Bemba's convictions for murder, rape and pillaging committed by his forces in neighboring Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003.



He had been sentenced in 2016 to 18 years in prison but maintained his innocence. He still awaits a final sentencing at the ICC in another case in which he was convicted of interfering with witnesses.Djibouti, an increasingly strategic nation in the Horn of Africa, has condemned last weeks call by Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed for the lifting of U.N. sanctions against Eritrea.

During his three-day visit to Eritreas capital last week, the Somali president urged an end to the economic sanctions and arms embargo that the U.N. Security Council imposed on Eritrea in 2009 for its alleged support of Islamist militant forces in Somalia.

Mohamed said lifting the sanctions would promote the economic integration of the Horn of Africa region.

Mohameds statement angered Djibouti, which says Eritrea is occupying the disputed Doumeira islands and is holding more than 10 Djiboutian prisoners.

In an interview with VOA's Somali service, Djiboutis ambassador to Somalia, Aden Hassan Aden, described the Somali presidents statement as deeply shocking.

As a sovereign state, there is no doubt that Somalia has the right to establish diplomatic relations with the countries in the region. However, it is unacceptable to see our brotherly Somalia supporting Eritrea, which is occupying part of our territory and still denying having Djiboutian prisoners, Aden said.

Djibouti hosts military bases for five countries: the United States, France, China, Japan and Italy.

The tiny nation is also one of five African countries with troops in AMISOM, the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia. The mission has protected Somali governments from attempted takeovers by Islamist militant forces for more than a decade.

Our boys in uniform who sacrifice their blood and life for peace in Somalia, whose brothers are held prisoners in Asmara, would not be happy to hear such a miscalculated statement from a Somali president, Aden said.

As part of a flurry of reforms and peacemaking efforts, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited Eritrea last month to end a 20-year state of war between the countries.

Last week, Somalias president became the second head of state in the region to visit Eritrea.

Aden, the Djiboutian ambassador, said his country welcomed the diplomatic movements and talks in the Horn of Africa. But he emphasized that Djiboutis conflict with Eritrea was unresolved.

Our president has no plans to visit Asmara unless Eritrea releases the Djiboutians it detains and withdraws from the territory it occupied, Aden said.European Union imports of U.S. soybeans were already rising substantially before a top EU official told President Donald Trump last week that the bloc would buy more.

EU Commission figures released Wednesday show that 37 percent of the blocs soybean imports last month were coming from the U.S., compared with 9 percent in July 2017.

Amid a looming trade war over tariffs, Trump and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker agreed on July 25 to start talks intended to achieve zero tariffs and zero subsidies on non-automotive industrial goods.

The EU also agreed to buy more U.S. soybeans and build more terminals to import liquefied natural gas from the United States.

The European Union can import more soybeans from the U.S. and this is happening as we speak, Juncker said.

But a high level EU official said the increase in soybean purchases from the U.S. is due only to economics, as they are cheaper than imports from Brazil and Argentina. The official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said there was no political reason for the increase.Google declined Wednesday to confirm reports that it plans to launch a censored version of its search engine in China, where its main search platform was previously blocked, along with its YouTube video platform.

"We provide a number of mobile apps in China ... [to] help Chinese developers, and have made significant investments in Chinese companies like JD.com. But we don't comment on speculation about future plans," a Google spokesperson told VOA in a statement.

The first report on the possible rollout came from The Intercept, and online news publication, which cited internal Google documents and people familiar with the purported plan.

The Intercept said the project, code-named Dragonfly, has been in development since last year. It said the project began to progress more quickly following a December meeting between Google CEO Sundar Pichai and a senior Chinese government official.

Search terms regarding democracy, human rights and peaceful protests will be among those blacklisted in the new search engine app, the report said. It added the search engine had already been demonstrated to Chinese government officials.

The report said a final version could be introduced within six to nine months, pending approval of Chinese officials.

China's top internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, has not commented on the reported plans.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and former U.S. presidential candidate, posted on Twitter that Google should be given the "benefit of the doubt" but that the reported plans were still "very disturbing."

U.S. scientists have determined that the Gulf of Mexico's annual "dead zone"  an area with low oxygen that can kill fish and marine life  is the fourth smallest since they started mapping the area in 1985.

Scientists supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a report Tuesday that the area is only about 40 percent the average size predicted earlier this year based on nitrogen and other nutrients flowing down the Mississippi river.

"Although the area is small this year, we should not think that the low-oxygen problem in the Gulf of Mexico is solved. We are not close to the goal size for this hypoxic area,'' said lead scientist Nancy Rabalais of Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.



This year's dead zone off Louisiana is about 7,040 square kilometers, rather than the 15,000 square kilometers predicted by the NOAA.

Every year the oxygen depletion begins as snowmelt and spring rains bring fresh water to the gulf. Fresh water is lighter than salt water causing two layers to develop. Nitrogen and other nutrients in the fresh water feed a growth spurt of algae and microorganisms at the top. The microorganisms die and fall to the bottom, where their decay consumes oxygen from the bottom up, creating the dead zone.

"The data collected from this annual, long-term research program is critical to our understanding of a wide range of Gulf issues including hypoxia and beyond, said Steven Thur, director of NOAAs National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. Not only is measuring the size of the Gulf of Mexico dead zone vital to informing the best strategy to reduce its size, but also to reduce its impacts."Hundreds of Iranians joined a street protest Tuesday in the central city of Isfahan to denounce the government's handling of economic problems, including the record low value of Iran's currency.

Images verified by VOA Persian and sent by Isfahan residents showed protesters marching and chanting anti-government slogans in the city's New Shapur district.

Residents said they were protesting the rial's slump to a record low against the U.S. dollar in unofficial trading this week, a decline that has raised prices for many imported products. They said the demonstration also was an expression of anger about electricity outages plaguing Isfahan in the middle of the hot summer season.

In one video clip, marchers in the New Shapur district chanted: "No to Gaza, No to Lebanon  I give my life to Iran," a common refrain of many anti-government protests across Iran this year. It is a reference to many Iranians' disapproval of the country's Islamist rulers devoting public funds to supporting Islamist militant groups across the region rather than spending those funds to tackle domestic problems.

In another clip, a man said truck drivers were among those participating in the New Shapur protest.

Other images shared on social media showed demonstrators chanting: "Reza Shah, may your soul be blessed," a reference to the late monarch whom Iran's current rulers overthrew in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Praise for the shah also has been a regular feature of recent protests in Iran.

Residents said many New Shapur retailers shuttered their stores and joined the protest as well.

In an interview with state-controlled news agency ISNA published on Tuesday, the head of Isfahan's chamber of commerce expressed sympathy with the protesting merchants, saying most of their demands were legitimate.

Rasoul Jahangiri also called on the Iranian government to stabilize currency fluctuations so that merchants and manufacturers can plan their business activities for the coming six months.

But Jahangiri also tried to downplay the significance of Tuesday's protest, saying most of the participants were concerned with their businesses and should not be considered as part of an anti-government opposition movement. He also said his business association did not support street protests and urged merchants to present their demands through what he called legal channels.

Since December, Iran has seen frequent public protests against local and national authorities and business owners accused of mismanagement, corruption and suppressing freedoms.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Persian service.Inter-Korean military talks have so far yielded trust building measures, but no significant reductions in troops or artillery at the border

Military delegations from North and South Korea held talks on Tuesday in the truce village of Panmunjom, within the demilitarized zone (DMZ) border region, the same site where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met in April.

The military leaders discussed how they might implement the security related aspects of the inter-Korean summit agreement to ease border tensions and cease all hostile acts against each another.

The two sides exchanged views on possibly reducing the number of military forces and arms in the DMZ and to conduct a joint excavation in the border area for the remains of soldiers that were killed in the Korean War.

The four-kilometer wide DMZ along the 250-kilometer inter-Korean border is one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world, guarded by thousands of troops, artillery and littered with landmines.

In April, Kim and Moon agreed to transform the DMZ, and the Northern Limit Line that extends the borderline out to sea, into peace zones to prevent accidental military clashes.

But the two sides were unable to reach an agreement to release a joint statement on progress made at Tuesdays meeting.

General Kim Do-gyun, the South's chief negotiator who is in charge of North Korea policy at the Ministry of Defense, said Tuesdays talks were meaningful in "creating understanding" in ways to implement the summit agreement.

Ahn Ik-san, the general leading the North Korean delegation at the military talks, said both sides agreed on "some issues," without elaborating.

Confidence building

In terms of concrete measures to be taken, General Kim said the two sides agreed to pull out guard posts on a trial basis within the Joint Security Area (JSA), a particularly tense part of the DMZ, where North and South Korean forces stand face-to-face.

Cho Seong-ryoul, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy in South Korea, said such a pullback within the JSA is small but significant progress.

In order to reduce the military forces and weapons in the border area, it is necessary to remove the guard posts, as well as to withdraw military forces and its heavy weapons in the demilitarized zone. This would be a meaningful measure that could prevent accidental conflicts between the two Koreas, he said.

North Korea analyst Robert Kelly with Pusan National University in South Korea said the limited gains made at the military talks reflect the tough and prolonged negotiation process ahead to move North Korea beyond confidence building measures and to make real concessions to downsize its military forces at the border.

I mean that is one of the reasons why this thing is going to take forever, right, because the North Koreans arent going to do it unless we do it. And were not going to do it unless they do it. So everybody is sort of watching everybody else, said Kelly.

Denuclearization link

Increased inter-Korean cooperation to ease cross border tensions and improve relations is also tied to U.S.-North Korea denuclearization talks that seemed to have stalled following the Singapore Summit in June between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump.

In the situation where there is no progress regarding North Koreas denuclearization, it is difficult to implement the substantive issues, such as the operational arms control or reduction of weapons, said Cho, who is also a member of advisory group for President Moon Jae-in.

Washington and Pyongyang remain at odds over U.S. demands that the North give up its complete nuclear arsenal before concessions would be granted, versus the Norths call for early sanctions relief.

This week, U.S. spy satellites reportedly detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the country's first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week also told a U.S. Congressional committee that North Korea was continuing to produce fuel for nuclear bombs.

Both Pompeo and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho will attend the ASEAN East Asia ministerial summit in Singapore this week. There is no planned meeting between the two leaders, but the State Department said there is a possibility they will hold talks on the sideline of the conference.

Inter-Korean limitations

South Korea is restrained from offering the significant concessions that the North most wants. Seoul says it cannot restart economic cooperation until international sanctions that ban 90 percent of North Korean trade are lifted.

At the inter-Korean military talks, the head of the North Korean delegation also pushed for Seouls support for a joint declaration with the United States to formally end the war.

The Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving U.S.-led United Nations forces, including South Korea, technically still at war with the North.

But Washington has indicated it would not support a peace treaty or peace declaration until there is denuclearization progress.

The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's official party newspaper, recently accused Seoul of "wasting time" waiting for sanctions to be lifted only after denuclearization is completed, without "taking a single action" on its own.

Lee Yoon-jee contributed to this reportThe head of Iran's most powerful military body on Tuesday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's offer of direct talks with Iranian leaders, saying Tehran never would allow talks with what he called the "Great Satan."

The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Ali Jafari, made the comment in an open letter published by Iran's state-controlled Fars News Agency.

In the letter, Jafari said Iran never would allow talks with the Great Satan, his label for the U.S., because the nation's faith in Islam has made it "enormously different from submissive nations." Jafari also described Trump as an "amateurish president" whose wish for Iranian officials to request a meeting would go with him "to the grave."

Jafari was the most senior Iranian official to respond directly to Trump's Monday offer, made at a White House news conference, to talk with Iranian leaders about their nuclear program without preconditions.

Earlier Tuesday, a U.S. official said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had no intention of meeting his Iranian counterpart at an international gathering this weekend in Singapore.

The top U.S. diplomat and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will attend Saturday's meeting of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations. But the senior U.S. State Department official said there were no plans for the two officials to meet.

The official said that North Korea also would be represented at the Singapore meeting, and while chance encounters for Pompeo are possible, no bilateral meetings have been scheduled.

Trump, who pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 international agreement to restrain Iran's alleged nuclear weapons development in exchange for relief from economic sanctions against Tehran, said Monday that he would be willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

"I believe in meeting," Trump said at a White House news conference. "Speaking to other people, especially when you're talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things, you meet. There's nothing wrong in meeting."

Trump noted his recent one-on-one discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin as examples of his direct diplomacy with leaders deemed hostile to U.S. interests.

"So, I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don't know that they're ready yet. They're having a hard time right now," Trump added. "I'm ready to meet anytime they want to."

Asked if he had any preconditions for such a meeting, Trump replied: "No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meet."

Later, in an interview with the cable television network CNBC, Pompeo said Trump was prepared to sit down with the Iranians if they "make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior," and agree it is worthwhile to put in place a nuclear agreement "that actually prevents proliferation."

Some lower-ranking Iranian officials have responded by saying the path to direct discussions with Washington would have to include a U.S. return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the nuclear deal involving Iran, China, France, Russia, Britain, Germany, the U.S. and the European Union was formally called.

"Respecting the Iranian nation's rights, reducing hostilities and returning to the nuclear deal are steps that can be taken to pave the bumpy road of talks between Iran and America," Hamid Aboutalebi, an adviser to Rouhani, tweeted.

Analysts do not expect a Trump-Rouhani meeting anytime soon, pointing out that Trump has, for some time, been seeking to meet Rouhani directly without success.

"I don't think it will happen in the immediate future," said Jarrett Blanc, senior fellow of the Geoeconomics and Strategy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

Iran, with a more complicated domestic political structure than the totalitarian model of North Korea, has been cool to the idea of diplomacy with Washington, more so since Trump pulled the United States out of the multinational nuclear accord, which imposed restrictions on Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief.

Other signatories are working with Iran to try to save the agreement while Washington begins reimposing sanctions on Tehran. They are to start taking effect in August.

"Iranian leadership has presented Trump as a bully and has presented the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal as a betrayal of trust. So, it's really hard for the Iranian leadership to now turn around and start negotiation from scratch," said Shahram Akbarzedeh, a research professor in Middle East and Central Asian politics at Australia's Deakin University.

Last week, Trump issued a direct counterthreat to Tehran in an all-capital-letters tweet in which he sharply warned Rouhani to "never threaten the United States" or the Islamic Republic would suffer historic consequences.

Just hours before that tweet, Rouhani had warned Trump's policies could lead to "the mother of all wars."

"No Iranian leader is likely in the near future to meet with a president who has repeatedly threatened Iran, insulted its leadership and violated the nuclear deal," said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group.



This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Persian service. VOA's Cindy Saine contributed to this report.More than 150 Islamic State fighters surrendered to Afghan government forces on Wednesday in the face of an onslaught by the Taliban in the northern Jawzjan province, officials said.

Gen. Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani, the provincial police chief, said 152 fighters surrendered, including Habib-ul Rahman, a senior IS leader in northern Afghanistan. Abdul Hai Hayat, the head of the provincial council, said they surrendered after the Taliban flooded reinforcements into two districts in recent weeks.

The Taliban and IS are both battling to overthrow the Western-backed government and impose a harsh form of Islamic rule, but are fiercely divided over leadership, ideology and tactics. The Taliban said in a statement that they had killed dozens of IS fighters and captured more than 130 in Jawzjan, adding that 17 Taliban militants were killed and 13 wounded.

In a separate development, the U.N. mission to Afghanistan said an employee of the International Organization of Migration was among those killed and another was wounded in a coordinated attack on a refugee and repatriation center in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Tuesday. The U.N. condemned the attack, which killed a total of 15 people and wounded another 15.

The U.N. said in a statement that the employee who was killed was a 22-year-old woman whose husband had died in a bombing in Kabul three years earlier. It said she leaves behind a six-year-old daughter who is "now an orphan."

No one immediately claimed Tuesday's attack, but both the Taliban and the Islamic State group carry out near-daily attacks in the Nangarhar province, of which Jalalabad is the capital.A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a Texas company from releasing instructions on how to use a three-dimensional printer to make guns at home.

Judge Robert Lasnik issued his restraining order from Seattle just hours before gun rights advocate Cody Wilson was to have started putting the blueprints on the internet.

"There is a possibility of irreparable harm because of the way these guns can be made," the judge wrote.

Attorneys general from nine states and the District of Columbia had filed a lawsuit in Seattle against the Trump administration to try to prevent the gun plans from being distributed.

They said downloadable guns would be unregistered and very difficult to detect and also would be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history.

The blueprints created by the company, Defense Distributed, would allow anyone with a 3-D printer to make the parts for a plastic gun that would cost just a few hundred dollars.

The State Department had ordered Cody Wilson to stop distributing the blueprints, arguing they violated U.S. export laws.

Wilson sued, alleging the ban violated his constitutional rights. The Trump administration reversed itself and said Wilson could again start publishing the gun plans starting Wednesday. That decision is now on hold.

But it is unclear how many people got copies of the plans before the State Department ordered Wilson to stop.

Doesn't 'make much sense'

On Tuesday, Trump himself questioned the wisdom of allowing people to assemble homemade weapons.

"I am looking into 3-D plastic guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to the NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense," Trump tweeted.

Some senators want Trump to do more than tweet and talk to the National Rifle Association. Several Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday that would outlaw the dissemination on the internet of blueprints for plastic homemade guns.

Senator Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, appealed to Trump to fix what he called a "deadly mistake" his administration made.

"Donald Trump will be totally responsible for every downloadable plastic AR-15 gun that will be roaming the streets of our country," he said.

Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal put it more bluntly, saying if the president did not stop plastic guns, "blood is going to be on his hands."

Gun experts say the plastic handguns may not work without certain metal parts, and that the guns also have a tendency to blow up and break apart in users' hands.

The experts also say the 3-D printer required to make the guns is expensive.U.S. prosecutors said former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort believed he was above tax and banking laws as he used offshore accounts to direct millions of dollars he earned for political work in Ukraine, while Manafort's lawyers directed blame at his business partner.

"We are primarily here because of one man: Rick Gates," defense lawyer Thomas Zehnle said in his opening statement Tuesday in Manafort's trial on tax and bank fraud charges in Alexandria, Virginia.

Zehnle blamed Gates and the Ukrainian oligarchs who paid for much of Manafort's political consulting work for former President Viktor Yanukovych and his pro-Russia Party of Regions.

Manafort and Gates were indicted last year and earlier this year on charges related to their work in Ukraine by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.



Gates pleaded guilty to two lesser charges in February, agreeing to cooperate with the special counsel's investigation. He has emerged as the prosecution's star witness against Manafort.



Manafort has pleaded not guilty to tax and bank fraud charges.

Core allegations

There are two core allegations against Manafort.



One is that he earned more than $60 million in consulting fees in Ukraine between 2010 and 2014 but evaded U.S. taxes on most of the income by setting up secret shell companies for the purpose of disguising the money as "loans."



The other charge alleges that after Yanukovych was deposed in 2014 and Manafort's Ukrainian earnings dwindled, he fraudulently obtained loans by lying about his income and debt to several U.S. banks.



"In each of these cases, the evidence will show that Paul Manafort placed himself and his money above the law," said prosecutor Uzo Asonye.



Bank records obtained by prosecutors show that Manafort used money transfers from more than 30 overseas accounts to pay for $6 million worth of real estate and all manner of luxury goods, from a $21,000 watch to a $15,000 jacket "made from ostrich," Asonye said.



U.S. law requires taxpayers to disclose foreign financial interests and bank accounts. But Manafort, according to prosecutors, hid the existence of his offshore accounts from his own tax preparers and bookkeepers.



"Just like he lied to the IRS and his tax preparer, Paul Manafort also misled his bookkeeper about his foreign accounts," Asonye said.



But Zehnle, the defense lawyer, sought to play down the tax evasion charges, labeling the case as one about taxes and a failure "to check a box" on tax return forms.



The defense will present evidence to show that Manafort reported $30 million in adjusted gross income between 2005 and 2015 and that his company reported an income of more than $92 million during the period, Zehnle said.



U.S. taxpayers are audited rather than "punished" for the "mistakes" they make on their tax returns, he said, adding that Manafort and his company were not audited by the IRS prior to the special counsel's investigation.



Shell companies

The more than two dozen secret shell companies Manafort is accused of using, Zehnle said, were created at the initiative of the Party of Regions' financial supporters.



"The people he was dealing with, they were the ones who told him to open the accounts," Zehnle explained.



The funders "instructed" Manafort that they didn't want Manafort's or Gates' names on the accounts. But Gates kept his name on them "so he could keep control," he said.



Discrediting the prosecution's witnesses is a common defense strategy. But Manafort's lawyers appear intent on turning the tables on Gates and make him the main culprit in the affair.



Zehnle described Gates as the "point person" for Manafort's consultancy on tax and financial issues.

He said Manafort entrusted him with running the day to day operations of the company, but instead Gates abused his trust and "embezzled tens of millions of dollars from his longtime employer."



"Unfortunately, his trust in Rick Gates was misplaced," Zehnle said.

The trial is expected to take about three weeks.

Manafort has been in jail since June, when the judge presiding over the Washington case revoked his bail for allegedly tampering with potential witnesses.

The special counsel has enlisted as many as 35 witnesses to testify against Manafort. They include accountants, financial advisers, tax preparers and real estate agents.

But prosecutors' star witness is likely to be Gates, who worked closely with Manafort in Ukraine and later followed him into Trump's campaign as deputy chairman.

Gates was named as a co-defendant in the initial indictment handed down against Manafort last October. But when the special counsel hit the two men with a second indictment in February, Gates pleaded guilty to two lesser counts in exchange for cooperation.

Manafort has remained defiant, vowing to fight the charges.Add plastics to the list of causes for global warming.

Scientists writing in the journal PLOS One said Wednesday that plastics emit the greenhouse gases methane and ethylene when they are exposed to sunlight and degrade.

The researchers carried out tests on such common plastic products as water bottles, shopping bags and food containers.

"Plastic represents a source of climate-relevant trace gases that is expected to increase as more plastic is produced and accumulated in the environment," said senior researcher David Karl of the University of Hawaii.

Methane gas, both man-made and naturally occurring, is said to be a major cause of climate change.

The manufacturing and use of plastics have come under scrutiny in recent years after environmentalists discovered a massive island of garbage floating in the Pacific Ocean  threatening sea life and the food supply.

Plastic drinking straws are the latest target of activists, who say they are used once and discarded because most cannot be recycled.

A graphic video of doctors pulling a plastic straw out of the bloody nose of a large sea turtle has prompted some U.S. cities and companies to phase out the straws.Paul Manafort orchestrated a multimillion-dollar conspiracy to evade U.S. tax and banking laws, leaving behind a trail of lies as he lived a lavish lifestyle, prosecutors said Tuesday as they laid out their case against the former Trump campaign chairman.

During his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye told the jury that Manafort considered himself above the law as he funneled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts. That "secret income" was used to pay for personal expenses such as a $21,000 watch, a $15,000 jacket made of ostrich and more than $6 million worth of real estate paid for in cash, Asonye said.



"A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him -- not tax law, not banking law," Asonye said as he sketched out the evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Mueller's team in Manafort's bank fraud and tax evasion trial.



It's the first trial arising from Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia. Mueller was not present in the courtroom.

Defense attorney Thomas Zehnle said in his opening statement that Manafort trusted others to keep track of the millions of dollars he was earning from his Ukrainian political work.



He made clear that undermining the credibility of Rick Gates, his former business associate and the government's star witness, is central to the defense strategy. Zehnle said Manafort, earning millions as a political consultant helping officials in other parts of the world, relied on Gates and others -- including a professional accounting firm -- to keep watch over the money.



"Money's coming in fast. It's a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it," Zehnle said. "That's what Rick Gates was being paid to do."

He warned jurors that Gates could not be trusted and was the type of witness who would say anything he could to save himself from a lengthy prison sentence and a crippling financial penalty.

Gates, who spent years working for Manafort in Ukraine and is also accused of helping him falsify paperwork used to obtain the bank loans, cut a plea deal with Mueller earlier this year. Gates also worked as an aide on Trump's campaign.



Manafort, who has been jailed for nearly two months, wore a black suit and appeared fully engaged in his defense, whispering with his attorneys during jury selection and scribbling notes as the prosecution began its opening statement.



Before the start of jury selection Tuesday, prosecutors filed an expanded list of its evidence exhibits, including several email chains between Manafort and Stephen Calk, a Chicago bank chairman. The added evidence also appears to include documents related to bank accounts in Cyprus.



The government intends to show that Manafort funneled more than $60 million in proceeds from his Ukrainian political consulting through offshore accounts and hid a "significant" portion of it from the IRS.



Asonye said Manafort created "bogus" loans, falsified documents and lied to his tax preparer and bookkeeper to conceal the money, which he obtained from Ukrainian oligarchs through a series of shell company transfers and later from fraudulently obtained bank loans in the U.S.



But Zehnle disputed prosecutors' account that Manafort was trying to conceal his earnings by storing money in bank accounts in Cyprus. He said that arrangement was not Manafort's doing but was instead the preferred method of payment of the supporters of the pro-Russia Ukrainian political party who were paying his consulting fees.



Defense lawyers also sought to address head-on Manafort's wealth and the images of a gaudy lifestyle that jurors are expected to see during the trial.



"Paul Manafort traveled in circles that most people will never know and he's gotten handsomely rewarded for it," Zehnle said. "We do not dispute that."



The judge even interrupted the prosecutor during his opening statements to caution him against suggesting there was something criminal about being a multimillionaire.



"It isn't a crime to have a lot of money and be profligate in your spending," U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III said.



Prosecutors made no reference to Trump in their opening statement nor discussed in any way Manafort's leadership of the Trump campaign, or the ongoing investigation into potential collusion between Russia and the president's associates. Despite that, Manafort's case is widely viewed as a test to the legitimacy of Mueller's ongoing probe, which Trump has dismissed as a "witch hunt."



"There was No Collusion (except by Crooked Hillary and the Democrats)!" Trump tweeted early Tuesday.



The trial is expected to last several weeks.



At jury selection earlier Tuesday, the pool faced questions from both sides and the judge as they tried to weed out potential prejudice in what has become a highly publicized and politically divisive investigation. A jury of six men and six women was ultimately selected, along with four alternate jurors.



Manafort has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the U.S. government.



The other 31 people charged by Mueller so far have either pleaded guilty or are Russians seen as unlikely to enter an American courtroom. Three Russian companies have also been charged. One of those companies has pleaded not guilty and is fighting the allegations in federal court in Washington.Brazils three largest fuel distribution companies are under investigation for fixing prices at the pump, police said on Tuesday, reigniting debate over potential collusion among gas station owners in Latin Americas largest oil producer.

The firms targeted by the probe are Petrobras Distribuidora SA, a subsidiary of state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA; Ipiranga, a unit of Ultrapar Participacoes SA; and Raizen, a Cosan SA and Royal Dutch Shell Plc joint venture.

Police in the southern state of Parana were serving eight arrest warrants and 12 search and seizure warrants in connection with the probe in the city of Curitiba, the state capital, according to police.

The probe comes two months after Brazils economy was paralyzed by a trucker strike over soaring diesel fuel prices.

While the government resolved that protest with new subsidies and other measures, antitrust regulators also raised concerns about a lack of competition in the highly concentrated sector.

Investigation a year old

Police said they were targeting managers and sales representatives of the three firms in the investigation, which has been underway for over a year.

They accused the fuel distribution companies of dictating the prices at the pump charged by individual gas station owners, a violation of Brazilian market rules that the owners should have freedom to set prices freely.

Shares in Petrobras Distribuidora, Ultrapar, and Cosan all tumbled at least 3.5 percent in late morning trade, dragging Brazils benchmark Bovespa index down some 1.3 percent.

To make sure the dictated prices were being applied by the gas station owners, the distribution companies hired people to ride motorbikes around the city of Curitiba to take pictures of the gas stations and their pricing banners, according to police.

Petrobras, Raizen offer statements

Petrobras Distribuidora, also known as BR Distribuidora, said in a statement that it follows the best commercial, competitive and ethical practices toward the consumerand demands the same behavior from its partners and workforce.

Raizen said in a statement fuel prices were set by individual gas station owners with no interference from the distributor.

The company operates in total conformity with applicable legislation and always acts toward the consumer in a competitive way and in favor of free competition, it said in a statement.

In a statement late on Tuesday, Raizen said it had access to the probe late in the day and was considering information provided by the investigation reports.

Ipiranga said that it does not incentivize illegal practices, and that it operates in compliance with competition regulations.

Three companies under investigation

The three companies under investigation together control more than two-thirds of the national fuel distribution market, according to data from oil regulator ANP.

The operation is the latest effort by Brazilian authorities to clamp down on collusion and price fixing in the fuel distribution market, which has been the most common target of accusations for cartel behavior by antitrust watchdog Cade.

The government had asked Cade earlier this year to investigate fuel stations for potential anticompetitive practices that could account for the large spread between fuel prices at refineries and at pumps.The Pentagon has missed a deadline for a report to lawmakers on how to structure the military's space components, including the potential creation of a Space Force or Space Corps.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Wednesday the White House was working with the Department of Defense "to figure out and determine the best way forward [on] something the president feels strongly about."

President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for a Space Force as a new military branch that would be "separate but equal" to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

During a political rally Tuesday in Tampa, Florida, Trump again mentioned that he had directed the Pentagon to begin creating "the sixth branch of our military  the Space Force."

Pentagon spokesman Army Lt. Col. Jamie Davis said Tuesday the Pentagon was in the "final coordination stages" of the report. A U.S. official told VOA the report should be ready "in days."

The report was ordered by Congress after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis sent a letter to congressional leaders opposing the creation of a new military branch. In his letter last October, Mattis said he did not see the need for new "organizational layers at a time when we are focused on reducing overhead and integrating joint warfighting functions."

A draft report seen by Defense One, a military news-related website, said the Pentagon was prepared to create an 11th unified combatant command by the end of the year to focus on space. U.S. Space Command would be set up similarly to U.S. Special Operations Command, which oversees special forces from various military branches, and U.S. Cyber Command, which oversees cyberspace operations across the military branches.

Lawmakers in the House Strategic Forces subcommittee have expressed interest not in the creation of a new branch, but in the creation of a new Space Corps within the Air Force.The Taliban insurgency announced Wednesday it has cleared Afghanistans northern Jowzjan province of Islamic State, claiming residual IS fighters have fled and surrendered to government forces in the area.

Provincial authorities in Jowzjan, which borders neighboring Turkmenistan, have also confirmed about 150 IS fighters, including foreigners, surrendered to the security forces Wednesday in the face of the Taliban onslaught in the Darzab district.

Provincial police officer for security Abdul Hafez Khashi told VOA regional IS commander Habibur Rehman was among the militants who arrived at the district police headquarters in the morning and turned themselves in.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, while giving details of its counter-IS operation in Darzab, said the Taliban went into action three weeks ago and overran the last IS stronghold early Wednesday.

Mujahid said the Taliban offensive killed nearly 100 fighters of Islamic States Afghan franchise, known as ISK-P, and captured around 130 others. He said 17 Taliban fighters were also killed in the fighting while another 13 were wounded.

"With this achievement all the northern provinces have been purged from Daesh militias, which will ease the life of local people," asserted the insurgent spokesman, using the local name for IS.

The Taliban controls or contests nearly half of Afghanistan's 407 districts and continues to inflicts heavy casualties on Afghan security forces.

The Islamic State terrorist group launched its Afghan operations in early 2015 from bases in Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, and has since expanded its activities to the nearby eastern Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nuristan and to Jowzjan in the north.

The emergence of IS in Jowzjan has been a particular concern for Russia. It is widely perceived that Moscows closeness with the Taliban in recent years stemmed from fears that ungoverned spaces in northern Afghanistan, near the border with Central Asian states, could undermine Russian regional security and territorial interests.

IS, locally known as Daesh, has claimed almost all recent terrorist attacks in Nangarhar that killed scores of Afghan security forces and civilians, including members of the countrys tiny Sikh minority.

The latest IS attack took place Tuesday in Nangarhars capital, Jalalabad. The coordinated suicide attack killed 15 people and wounded 15 others. The assailants targeted the office of refugee and repatriation in the city when a big meeting of relevant aid agencies was under way.

The United Nations confirmed Wednesday a female employee of the International Organization for Migration was among those killed and another was wounded.

The Taliban denied its involvement in the Jalalabad incident, strengthening suspicions it could be the work of IS, although IS has not officially taken responsibility.The cyberthieves who stole millions of credit and debit card numbers from major U.S. retailers and restaurant chains in recent years have been caught.

U.S. law enforcement authorities announced Wednesday the arrests and indictment of three leaders of FIN7, a notorious Eastern European cybercriminal group long suspected of carrying out several waves of attacks on more than 120 U.S. companies between 2015 and 2017.

The targeted companies were predominantly in the restaurant, gaming and hospitality industries, with prosecutors disclosing the names of only even, including Chipotle Mexican Grill, Chilis, Arbys, Red Robin and Jasons Deli, all of which have publicly attributed recent data breaches to FIN7.

Three hackers

Officials identified the three arrested FIN7 leaders as Ukrainian nationals Dmytro Fedorov, 44, Fedir Hladyr, 33,and Andrii Kolpakov, 30.

Hladyr, the groups alleged systems administrator, is in federal custody in Seattle after being arrested in Germany in January and extradited to the United States in early May.

Fedorov, who allegedly supervised other FIN7 hackers, and Kolpakov, another purported supervisor for the group, remain in custody in Poland and Spain respectively pending their extradition to the United States.

The three hackers were each charged in federal court in Seattle on Wednesday with 26 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, computer hacking, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

The naming of these FIN7 leaders marks a major step towards dismantling this sophisticated criminal enterprise, Special Agent in Charge Jay S. Tabb Jr. of the FBIs Seattle field office said at a press conference in Seattle.

Cybercrime is a $600 billion global business, according to Dan Short, a senior director at Visa. The crooks and scam artists that inhabit the ecosystem have grown increasingly sophisticated in recent years, making their capture more difficult.

Public-private cooperation

But growing cooperation among private companies, cybersecurity firms, and law enforcement agencies has led to a string of high profile takedowns of cybercriminal enterprises over the past year.

Richard Downing, an acting deputy assistant attorney general, said law enforcement authorities would not have caught the three hackers if it werent for our relationships with law enforcement agencies in other countries.

Credit card giants Visa and Mastercard, both victims of massive data breaches in recent years, said they cooperated with the FIN7 investigation, which is still ongoing.

Kimberly Goody, manager of financial crime analysis at FireEye, a leading cybersecurity firm that works with law enforcement, said the FIN7 arrests demonstrated the impact of public-private partnerships in cybercriminal investigations.

As sophisticated threat groups like FIN7 continue to emerge, partnerships between governments, private industry, and cybersecurity companies will play a very important role in combating these threats, she said.

Prolific hacking group

Goody said FIN7s exceptional social engineering savvy and innovative methods to evade detection played a key role in their rise as a sophisticated organized criminal enterprise.

Law enforcement officials describedFIN7 as a prolific hacking group composed of dozens of hackers that developed various malware and operated servers in several countries, including the United States.

To operate under the guise of a legitimate business, FIN7 created a computer security pen testing company called Combi Security, purportedly with offices in Russia and Israel.

To gain access to the computer networks of the businesses, FIN7 hackers used a technique knowing as phishing, emailing their employees well-crafted, legitimate-looking messages with attachments embedded with malware. The employees would be urged to open the attachments to read details of their purported catering or hotel reservation orders. Once opened, the malware would be activated, allowing the hackers access to the companys computer networks.

According to the indictment, FIN7 frequently targeted companies whose customers use credit and debit cards when they make a purchase at so-called point-of-sale systems.

15 million card numbers

The indictment says that FIN7 stole more than 15 million payment card numbers from more than 6,500 point-of-sale terminals at more than 3,600 business locations in 47 states and the District of Columbia.

The attackers also targeted companies in England, Australia and France.

The stolen data was then offered for sale on criminal marketplaces on the internet and websites such as Jokers Stash.

Annette Hayes, U.S. Attorney for Western Washington State, where some of the victim companies are based, said the loss from the stolen cards is in the tens of millions of dollars.

Cybercriminals who believe that they can hide in faraway countries and operate behind keyboards without getting caught are just plain wrong, Hayes said.U.S. President Donald Trump defended his trade policies on Tuesday in a speech in Florida and said American farmers hurt by retaliatory tariffs from China were bearing up, in a sign he is feeling some political heat on the issue.

Trump's rally speech in Tampa contained many elements familiar to his political events. Several hecklers were ejected and the crowd at the state fairgrounds was big and loud. Trump attacked public opinion polls, except one that said he was popular among Republicans.

The president, in Florida to campaign for Republican Governor Rick Scott's bid for a U.S. Senate seat and U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis' campaign for governor, said he could tame his raucous presidential style if he wanted.

"I can be more presidential than any president in history except for maybe Abe Lincoln with the big hat," Trump said. "I admit it, Abe Lincoln is tough."

The president spent considerable time talking about his trade policies, including tit-for-tat tariffs with China that he said would eventually pay dividends for the United States.

The tariffs are causing unease among Republican lawmakers facing tough re-election battles in November, and Trump's focus on them suggested he was concerned about their potential political impact.

China and other top U.S. trade partners zeroed in on American farmers with retaliatory tariffs after the administration imposed duties on Chinese goods, as well as steel and aluminum from the European Union, Canada and Mexico.

"China and others have targeted our farmers. Not good. Not nice. And you know what our farmers are saying? 'It's OK. We can take it,'" Trump said.

The Trump administration announced a $12 billion farm aid package last week, prompting some farmers and farm-state lawmakers, including Trump's fellow Republicans, to criticize the move, saying they would rather trade with no tariffs than receive government help.

"I want to thank our farmers," Trump said. "Our farmers are true patriots."

Trump also defended the denuclearization deal he signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June in Singapore after reports surfaced that North Korea was proceeding with its missile program.

The Singapore summit was long on positive imagery but short on specific benchmarks for North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons.

Trump said the fact that North Korea was starting to return the remains of American dead from the 1950s Korean War and that there had been no nuclear or missile tests were offshoots of the summit.

"I think it's going to work out very well," he said. "No tests, no rockets flying. But we'll see what happens."The U.N. is calling for the immediate release of human rights activists arrested in Saudi Arabia.

The crackdown against human rights defenders and activists, including women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia, began in mid-May and shows no signs of letting up. The U.N. human rights office says at least 15 government critics have been arbitrarily detained.

Agency spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani says eight have been temporarily released pending a review of their cases.

"In some cases, their whereabouts are unknown and there is a serious lack of transparency in the processing of their cases," Shamdasani said. "While the authorities have made statements about possible serious charges against these people that could lead to prison terms of up to 20 years, it is unclear whether charges have been laid in any of these cases."

Among those reportedly detained is Hatoon al-Fassi, who actively fought for greater women's rights and the recent lifting of the country's ban on women driving. Shamdasani tells VOA that while genuine reforms appear to be taking place in Saudi Arabia, those reforms are not being extended to the civil and political rights sphere.

"Dissent, criticism of the government is still not accepted in the country. That can explain why many of these human rights defenders and activists have been jailed. All of them have criticized government policies in one way or another," she said.

Government officials have refused to comment on the arrests.

The U.N. Human Rights office is calling for the unconditional release of all human rights defenders and activists, saying they should be able to carry out their crucial human rights work without fear of reprisals.U.N. agencies are urging Indian authorities to ensure that more than four million people threatened with statelessness retain their basic rights and access to services while their claims of citizenship are under review.

The U.N. refugee agency says it is too soon to know the implications of Indias recent decision to strip more than four million people of their citizenship. People threatened with statelessness are those or descendants of those who have arrived in Assam State after March 1971 when Bangladesh became independent.

The prospect of what lies ahead is very worrisome for an organization that is campaigning to end statelessness globally for some 10 million people by 2024. UNHCR spokesman William Spindler told VOA the nationality status of those excluded is not yet clear.

Many may ultimately be declared Indian citizens at the end of this process. At the same time, others may be at risk of statelessness... The process is still under way and we are appealing to the Indian authorities to ensure that even those who do not qualify for citizenship are not subject to deportation, he said.

Spokeswoman for the High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani agrees with the UNHCR it is premature to talk about statelessness. But, she told VOA it is critical for the Indian government to ensure that whatever processes it carries out are done in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner.

There must not be any disenfranchisement. They should ensure that people have access to their basic services; that they are adequately informed about the policies, the situations and, if necessary, they have avenues for legal redress," said Shamdasani.

The U.N. agencies say they will be closely monitoring the situation. They are urging the Indian authorities to provide these millions of people living in limbo with all the opportunities and help they need to file their claims for citizenship.This story has been updated to include checkpoint guidelines and reminders from NCRPO Chief Guillermo Eleazar.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 2)  Expect higher police visibility in Metro Manila after it was placed under "heightened alert" early Wednesday morning, following the explosion in a Basilan city which left 11 dead.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Guillermo Eleazar assured the public there was no threat and the capital is "safe and secure"  however, it is better to be safe than sorry.

"Wala naman tayong threat na natatanggap sa ngayon but just the same, maganda na ang nakaalerto tayo kaya't yun ang ating ginawa," said Eleazar. "We have directed our five district directors pati na rin ang ating mga chiefs of police and station commanders na magsagawa ng appropriate target hardening measures."

He also told CNN Philippines' New Day on Tuesday that authorities were looking into the Islamic State (ISIS) claim over the bombing.

"We want to assure the public na despite social media claims na ito ay kine-claim ng ISIS  which appears to be mere propaganda  the Armed Forces of the Philippines in coordination with the police is investigating this," Eleazar said.

Eleazar said under heightened alert, 50 percent of the police must be in the police stations. The Armed Forces of the Philippines' Joint Task Force will help man areas where people converge.

The PNP Aviation Security Group is also beefing up security at Manila's airport.

In a number of areas, checkpoints will be put in place during the day.

Eleazar also provided reminders for checkpoints:

Checkpoints should be well lit

Checkpoints should be manned by uniformed officers

Do not evade checkpoints

Officers should be courteous

Only a visual search is allowed

Motorists should open their lights and lower the window

Motorists are not obliged to open their glove compartment and trunk

The Metro Manila police chief called on the public to report any suspicious activity.

"We would like to call to the community to be more vigilant to prevent other crime groups from exploiting the situation," Eleazar explained.

ISIS, through a statement carried by its news agency, claimed responsibility for Tuesday's blast in Lamitan City, describing it as "suicide bombing."

However, both the military and police have yet to verify this, with officials saying the claim could simply be "terrorist propaganda."

CNN Philippines correspondents Gerg Cahiles and Ina Andolong contributed to this report.Two people were shot dead in Zimbabwe's capital Wednesday as security forces clashed with protesters who were demanding the release of presidential election results.

Following the clash, police invoked a law formally calling on the army to help maintain order in Harare.

Meanwhile, Zimbabweans were anxiously waiting for tallies from Monday's presidential election, the first in 38 years without longtime leader Robert Mugabe on the ballot. The opposition maintained that its leader, Nelson Chamisa, defeated current President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

About 150 demonstrators gathered Wednesday afternoon outside the offices of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC). Police tried to disperse the protesters using water cannons and tear gas. Protesters threw rocks in their direction and started fires in the street.

Then the army appeared, in armored personnel carriers on Harare's main boulevard and overhead in a helicopter. VOA saw five armored vehicles with mounted high-caliber weapons, navigating around large rocks that littered the road. Gunfire echoed in the distance.

VOA saw three soldiers beating a young man with batons; other witnesses reported seeing one man shot dead and a woman face down on the pavement, a bullet hole in the middle of her back.

Protesters did not give their names but had plenty to say.

You see, they are using military! How can a general be a president? That government is full of military personnel! shouted one young man.

Chamisa's spokesman, Nkululeko Sibanda, rejected an accusation from Mnangagwa that the opposition was responsible for the violence.

Chamisa "has not ordered any guns on the street. So he cannot be accused of being violent, because he has put no guns on the street," Sibanda said.

He said the opposition had serious doubts about official results that showed the ruling ZANU-PF party was winning control of parliament, and about the delay in the release of presidential results.

"How do we have results from a place that has no telephone line first before we have results from Harare central?" he asked. Harare is an opposition stronghold.

Inside the headquarters of ZEC, international observers aired their concerns, with the European Union and American observer missions voicing worry over subtle intimidation ahead of the vote and noting that the longer the results took, the more tense this wounded nation would be.

Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn urged the ZEC to conclude the electoral process in a speedy manner in accordance with the law."

We also urge other stakeholders, particularly political party leaders and their supporters, to continue to maintain peace and refrain from acts that might undermine the integrity of the process or threaten the peace and stability of the country, Desalegn said.

Mnangagwa urged calm on Twitter.

Mnangagwa, who took over in November after Mugabe resigned as president under pressure from the military, has promised to restore the nations fractured international relations.

U.S. Democratic Representative Karen Bass of California, who was in Harare, said this election could make a difference in Zimbabwe.

Shortly before coming here, we passed out of the House of Representatives a resolution really calling on the Zimbabwean people to have a peaceful, transparent and fair election, and raising the possibility of evaluating U.S. policy. So that hangs in the air, she said.

But as the sun set on Harare with soldiers patrolling the streets, the only thing in the air was tension, and the fear of more violence in the days to come.The U.S. on Tuesday blacklisted three Pakistani nationals for their suspected financial, technical and logistical links to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a U.S.- and U.N.-designated terror organization operating in Pakistan.

Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil, a senior commander of LeT, was added to the U.S. State Department's Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) list for providing operational assistance to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

The State Department said in a statement that Dakhil "is a longtime member of the U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and SDGT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) (LeT) and was an operational leader for LeT's attacks in India between 1997 and 2001."

"In 2004, Dakhil was captured in Iraq by U.K. forces, then held in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan until his transfer to Pakistan in 2014. After his release from Pakistani custody, Dakhil returned to work for LeT," the statement added.

U.S. Treasury directive

The U.S. Treasury in a statement issued on its website Tuesday also accused Hameed ul Hassan and Abdul Jabbar of being the group's "financial facilitators" and imposed sanctions on them "to disrupt ... fundraising and support networks" for Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba "financial facilitators are responsible for collecting, transporting and distributing funds to support this terrorist group and provide salaries to extremists," Sigal Mandelker, undersecretary of the U.S. Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement.

"Treasury's designations not only aim to expose and shut down Lashkar-e Tayyiba's financial network, but also to curtail its ability to raise funds to carry out violent terrorist attacks," Mandelker added, using an alternate spelling for the group.

The sanctions announced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control prohibit U.S. companies and U.S. nationals from conducting any business with the cited individuals. The designation also blocks the financial accounts and assets of the three Pakistani militants.

The Treasury and State Departments' directives also named the three individuals as high-profile targets for law enforcement authorities worldwide.

Key operatives

All three Pakistani men are said to have served in key positions for LeT, which is considered to be responsible for the deadly Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 in which more than 160 people were killed, including six Americans.

Dakhil reportedly worked as a senior commander for LeT.

"In 2016, Dakhil was the LeT divisional commander for the Jammu region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. As of early 2018, Dakhil remained a senior commander in LeT," the U.S. State Department statement said.

Hassan is believed to be a key financial facilitator for LeT who gathered funds on behalf of the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a front charity organization for LeT.

According to the U.S. Treasury, Hassan collected funds through FIF's platform and transferred the money to Syria. Hassan is also accused of managing party funds within and outside Pakistan.

Jabbar, another LeT operative, is said to have worked as a financial operative since 2000. Jabbar's duties included, but were not limited to, managing and distributing salaries among LeT staff and collecting funds on behalf of FIF.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Treasury added Rahman Zeb Faqir Muhammad to its terror watch list for providing financial, technical and logistical support to LeT, as well.

Lashkar-e-Taiba

Lashkar-e-Taiba was founded by Hafiz Saeed in 1987 with the goal of liberating Indian-administered Kashmir and subsequently merging it with Pakistan. The group's main focus had remained on Kashmir, but it has also expanded its operations to neighboring Afghanistan in recent years.

Lashkar-e-Taiba was designated a terror organization by the U.S. Department of State in December 2001.

In April of this year, the State Department also imposed sanctions on Pakistani political party, the Milli Muslim League (MML), and designated the party and its leadership as terrorists. MML was created last year and is believed to be the political front for Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), another front organization of LeT.

Milli Muslim League, although not being recognized as a national political party, still managed to field its candidates throughout Pakistan under the platform of another registered Islamist party in the general elections held last week.

Pakistan has come under criticism from both the United States and India for turning a blind eye to LeT's terror activities in the region.

Islamabad denies the charges and maintains it has choked terror networks across the country indiscriminately.U.S. President Donald Trump sought to ratchet up pressure on China for trade concessions by proposing a higher 25 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, his administration said Wednesday.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Trump directed the increase from a previously proposed 10 percent duty because China has refused to meet U.S. demands and has imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.

"The increase in the possible rate of the additional duty is intended to provide the administration with additional options to encourage China to change its harmful policies and behavior and adopt policies that will lead to fairer markets and prosperity for all of our citizens," Lighthizer said in a statement.

There have been no formal talks between Washington and Beijing for weeks over Trump's demands that China make fundamental changes to its policies on intellectual property protection, technology transfers and subsidies for high

technology industries.

Two trump administration officials told reporters on a conference call that Trump remains open to communications with Beijing and that through informal conversations the two countries are discussing whether a "fruitful negotiation" is possible.

"We don't have anything to announce today about a specific event, or a specific round of discussions, but communication remains open and we are trying to figure out whether the conditions present themselves for a specific engagement between the two sides," one of the officials said.

Derek Scissors, a China scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, said a 25 percent tariff rate is more likely to shut out Chinese products and shift American supply chains to other countries, as a 10 percent duty could be offset by government subsidies and weakness in China's yuan currency.

"If we're going to use tariffs, this gives us more flexibility and it's a more meaningful threat," he said, adding that Trump's pressure strategy will not work if he does not resolve trade disputes with U.S. allies such as the European Union, Mexico and Canada.

Public comment period extended

The higher tariff rate, if implemented, would apply to a list of goods valued at $200 billion identified by the USTR last month as a response to China's retaliatory tariffs on an initial round of U.S. tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese electronic components, machinery, autos and industrial goods.

Trump has ultimately threatened tariffs on over $500 billion in Chinese goods, covering virtually all U.S. imports from China.

The USTR said it would extend a public comment period for the $200 billion list to September 5 from August 30 because of the possible tariff rate rise.

The list, unveiled on July 10, hits American consumers harder than previous rounds, with targeted goods including such items as tilapia, dog food, furniture, lighting products, printed circuit boards and building materials.

China said Wednesday that "blackmail" would not work and that it would hit back if the United States took further steps hindering trade, including applying the higher tariff rate.

"U.S. pressure and blackmail won't have an effect. If the United States takes further escalatory steps, China will inevitably take countermeasures and we will resolutely protect our legitimate rights," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular news briefing.

Investors fear an escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing could hit global economic growth, and prominent U.S. business groups, while weary of what they see as China's mercantilist trade practices, have condemned Trump's aggressive tariffs.Turkey says it strongly protests the decision by the United States to impose sanctions on two of its government officials over the detention of a U.S. pastor accused of aiding terrorists.

Turkey's foreign ministry said Wednesday that the decision "neither complies with state seriousness, nor is it explicable within the terms of law and justice."

The statement encourages the United States to reverse its decision and promises "an equivalent response to this aggressive attitude will be given without delay."

The statement late Wednesday followed an announcement by the U.S. Treasury Department that it has targeted two Turkish government officials for sanctions following Turkey's refusal to release U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson from house arrest ahead of his trial.

The Treasury Department announced the move Wednesday, saying Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu are the targets of the sanctions that will freeze any U.S. assets owned by the two men and prohibit U.S. citizens from making financial transactions with them.

Gul responded on Twitter: "I have neither a tree planted nor one penny in the U.S. or any other country outside of Turkey."

The Treasury statement said Gul and Soylu played leading roles in the organizations responsible for Brunson's arrest and detention over the past 21 months.

"Pastor Brunson's unjust detention and continued prosecution by Turkish officials is simply unacceptable. President [Donald] Trump has made it abundantly clear that the United States expects Turkey to release him immediately," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also weighed in, saying in a statement that "the Turkish government refused to release Pastor Brunson after numerous conversations between President Trump and President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, and my conversations with Foreign Minister Cavusoglu. President Trump concluded that these sanctions are the appropriate action."

Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said at a briefing Wednesday: "The president has been closely following the ongoing situation in Turkey involving Pastor Brunson. We've seen no evidence that Pastor Brunson has done anything wrong, and we believe he is a victim of unfair and unjust detention by the government of Turkey."

On Tuesday, a Turkish court rejected an appeal for Brunson to be released from house arrest while awaiting trial.

Brunson is next expected in court October 12 to defend against charges of helping a network led by U.S.-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, which Turkey blames for a failed 2016 coup against Erdogan. Brunson is also charged with supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The 50-year-old pastor, who denies the charges, could face up to 35 years in prison if convicted.

The detention of Brunson, an evangelical pastor from Black Mountain, North Carolina, has strained relations between Turkey and the U.S., both NATO allies.

Trump has repeatedly demanded Brunson's release. The U.S. president has tweeted that Brunson's detention is "a total disgrace" and added, "He has done nothing wrong, and his family needs him!"

Brunson is among tens of thousands of people Erdogan detained on similar charges during the state of emergency he declared following the failed coup in 2016.

Turkey specialist Howard Eissenstat, associate professor of history at St. Lawrence University in New York, told VOA that the sanctions fit into a long-term effort by the United States to build a tougher stance on Turkey. But he said Wednesday's move is "unlikely to be successful  it is too public and too focused on a single U.S. citizen, Brunson, rather than the more basic principle: Our citizens and staff should not be detained on clearly political grounds."

He added, "We've made this very personal, and we've sacrificed the moral high ground by only talking about one case."

The state of emergency ended July 18, but the Turkish legislature passed a new "anti-terror" law last week that gives authorities more power to detain suspects and restore public order.The U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday that it had extended the deadline for investors to divest holdings in sanctioned Russian companies EN+, GAZ Group and Rusal to Oct. 23 from Aug. 5.

The U.S. Treasury in April imposed sanctions against billionaire Oleg Deripaska and eight companies in which he is a large shareholder, including aluminum exporter Rusal, in response to what it termed "malign activities" by Russia.

Deripaska has held a controlling interest in En+, which in turn controls Rusal, the world's largest aluminum producer outside of China. Automaker GAZ is also part of his business empire.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said last week that the United States was in productive talks with Rusal to remove it from Washington's sanctions list.

The company has taken a number of steps, including revamping its board, in the hope of escaping the U.S. blacklist.More than 40 years after they became the world's most famous journalism duo, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are still making news.

Bernstein was among three CNN reporters who last week broke the story of former Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's allegation that Trump knew in advance of the June 2016 meeting between representatives of his presidential campaign and Russian officials. On Tuesday, Woodward's upcoming book, Fear: Inside the Trump White House, was No. 1 on Amazon.com, within a day of its announcement.

The former Washington Post colleagues known for their Watergate coverage speak regularly, they say, comparing notes on the Trump era.

'He's a news junkie, and I'm a news junkie,'' Woodward, 75, explained Tuesday during a telephone interview, adding that he includes a tribute to Bernstein in his new book's acknowledgements.

"We keep each other posted pretty well,'' Bernstein, 74, said during a separate phone interview. "Obviously, we do different things. But we also have a lifetime of understanding each other and looking at news together.''

Successful author

Woodward, an associate editor at the Post, is among the most successful nonfiction authors of his time, with a long series of best-selling accounts of sitting presidents from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. A new Woodward book even became a political tradition  coming out in the fall of an election year.

But after the 2012 release of The Price of Politics, Woodward stepped away from the present, publishing no works on Obama's second term, and instead focused on Watergate-era news. The Last of the President's Men, his work on White House aide Alexander Butterfield, the man who revealed Nixon's taping system, came out in 2015.

A Trump book was an easy choice for Woodward, who calls the current president's rise a "pivot point'' in American history. According to his publisher, Simon & Schuster, Woodward will show the "harrowing life'' of the Trump White House and the president's decision-making process as he draws upon "hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand sources, contemporaneous meeting notes, files, documents and personal diaries.''

What is power?

The book's title draws upon an interview Woodward and Post reporter Robert Costa had with Trump that was published in April 2016. Costa had noted that Obama defined power as "you can get what you want without having to exert violence.'' Trump had a different interpretation.

His answer was, Woodward said, checking his notes, "Real power is  I don't even want to use the word  'fear.' ''

Bernstein is a political commentator for CNN whose books include A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton and the two Nixon-era classics he wrote with Woodward, All the President's Men and The Final Days. He is currently working on a memoir about his early years of journalism, when he was starting out at the now-defunct Washington Star.

"My time at the Star was a great learning experience, and then there was the Post and Watergate. Those two experiences inform pretty much everything I do,'' Bernstein said.

"Imagine,'' he added, referring to himself and Woodward, "here we are, 74 and 75 years old, and we still get to do this.''Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party has won a majority in parliament, according to partial results released Wednesday.

The figures from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission showed ZANU-PF with 109 seats in the 210-seat parliament.The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had 41 seats.

The remaining winners were still to be declared.

European Union observers said the elections were held on an "unlevel playing field," citing voter intimidation, and mistrust in the electoral commission and media bias.

The assessment by the EU, which also questioned delays in releasing the presidential results, is considered important in determining whether Zimbabwe can improve its global reputation, which could help spark an economic resurgence.

If ZANU-PF wins at least 30 of the outstanding seats it would have a two-thirds majority that would allow it to make constitutional changes without the votes of other members of parliament.

Ballots are still being counted in the presidential election with results expected to be announced later this week.

The main candidates in that race are ZANU-PF's candidate, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over after longtime leader Robert Mugabe's resignation in November, and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa of MDC.MacDonald Dzirutwe, Joe Brock

HARARE (Reuters) - Police fired tear gas to disperse stone-throwing protesters in Harare on Wednesday as the main opposition leader accused the ruling party of trying to rig the result of Zimbabwes election.

European Union observers also questioned the conduct of Zimbabwes first election since Robert Mugabe was forced to resign following a de facto coup in November after nearly 40 years in power. They expressed concern about delays in releasing the results of the presidential contest.

The leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Nelson Chamisa said on Twitter he had won the popular vote in Mondays parliamentary and presidential elections in which he faced off against Mugabes successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa from the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Mnangagwa also took to Twitter, calling for calm and urging patience before the results were announced.

Crowds burnt tires in the center of the capital Harare, blocking some streets and engaging in running battles with police who fired water cannon to disperse the protesters.

The EUs Chief Observer, Elmar Brok, said he did not yet know if the shortcomings would have a material effect on the outcome of the vote, and he criticized the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for being at times one-sided.

The EUs assessment is critical in determining whether Zimbabwe can shed its pariah status as it could help attract investors and trigger an economic revival.

The EU did not understand why the release of the presidential result was taking so long, he said.

The longer it lasts that the results of the presidential election is not known, the more lack of credibility it provides, Brok said.Stratovolcano 1536 m / 5,039 ftKamchatka, 54.05N / 159.43E(4 out of 5)1771, 1830, 1852, 1854, 1908, 1911, 1912, 1915, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1929, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1996 - ongoingDoninantly explosive, construction of lava domes, near constant activity.(volcano expedition to Kamchatka)

If you havn't done it yet,to get one of the fastest volcano news online:

Karymsky, the most active volcano of Kamchatka's eastern volcanic zone, is a symmetrical stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera that formed during the early Holocene. The caldera cuts the south side of the Pleistocene Dvor volcano and is located outside the north margin of the large mid-Pleistocene Polovinka caldera, which contains the smaller Akademia Nauk and Odnoboky calderas. Most seismicity preceding Karymsky eruptions originated beneath Akademia Nauk caldera, which is located immediately south of Karymsky volcano. The caldera enclosing Karymsky volcano formed about 7600-7700 radiocarbon years ago; construction of the Karymsky stratovolcano began about 2000 years later. The latest eruptive period began about 500 years ago, following a 2300-year quiescence. Much of the cone is mantled by lava flows less than 200 years old. Historical eruptions have been vulcanian or vulcanian-strombolian with moderate explosive activity and occasional lava flows from the summit crater.

A growing list of photo galleries taking during our expeditions in this fantastic part of the world, full of volcanoes, unspoiled nature and colors.

Ebeko on Paramushir Island in the northern Kuriles, Russia, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It has been in near-constant eruption for years.

Ibu in Halmahera is one of the most active, but rarely visited volcanoes in Indonesia. A spectacular lava dome is growing inside the volcano's breached crater, with frequent explosions.

Dukono on Halmahera in Indonesia has been in permanent activity for years, often producing ash plumes that drift around the northern part of the island and have become normality.

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We truly love working to bring you the latest volcano and earthquake data from around the world.We need financing to increase hard- and software capacity as well as support our editor team.If you find the information useful and would like to support our team in integrating further features, write great content, and in upgrading our soft- and hardware, please PayPal or Online credit card payment )., these features have been added recently:If I were a politician I would never go on cable TV without first getting an agreement that there would be no writing on the screen, says Greta Van Susteren, who has hosted programs on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC and now Voice of America. I would tell the network: You can ask me what you want, but no writing on the screen. The National Student Poets are representatives of language at its best: seeking discovery, forging new modes of meaning, singing the particular music of this very moment, Smith said in a statement. They remind us how much poetry continues to matter, and how much we need what poetry fosters, which is care, belief, courage and empathy.About 35 red wolves live in the wild, down from 120 in 2008. About 200 others live in captive-breeding programs. As of 1980, they were considered extinct in the wild. The release of captive-bred wolves began in 1987.As Will Sommers QAnon primer in the Daily Beast put it: The general story . . . is that every president before Trump was a criminal president in league with all the nefarious groups of conspiracy theories past: the global banking elite, death squads operating on orders from Hillary Clinton, deep-state intelligence operatives, and Pizzagate-style pedophile rings. In an effort to break this cabals grip, according to Q, the military convinced Trump to run for president.AdventureSmith Explorations is offering savings on select cruise/land packages. Pair a three-night or four-night Galapagos cruise aboard the Petrel, a 16-passenger catamaran, with a three-night stay at La Selva Amazon EcoLodge and save $500 per person. On the five-night cruise with the ecolodge stay, save $750 or $1,000, depending on departure date. The deal also includes a free night at the Red Mangrove hotel on the island of Santa Cruz (a $427 value). Promo applies to select August-through-December departures. Cruise prices vary. For example, before the discount, the three-night itinerary starts at $3,245 per person double and the land portion costs $1,445. Price includes round-trip flights from Quito to Coca, two-hour motorized canoe transport to the lodge and three nights lodging. Book by Sept. 15; travel by Dec. 31. Info: 877-620-2875, adventuresmithexplorations.com/petrel-galapagos-cruises.Clanging pans, hissing fryers, laughter and lively conversation echo through Narobias Grits & Gravy (narobiasgrits.restaurantwebexpert.com; 912-231-0563; 2019 Habersham St.), an off-the-beaten-path, eight-table establishment where proprietor Renee Reid and the cooks on her sprawling line  mostly made up of family  happily welcome all every morning but Sunday. Earlybirds will avoid a wait. Im standing on the shoulders of giants, says Reid, trying to listen and please, and just trying to use the simplest ingredients possible. If the menu overwhelms (there are 44 dishes for breakfast alone, some branching into your choice of grilled or fried), just consult the signage: You cant misstep with the headlining items, and a sign on the buildings exterior proclaims the perfect maple-sweet French toast ($4.99) to be so good it dont need syrup! Generous, meat-and-three-style breakfast platters ($6.75 to $9.95) come with eggs any style, grits and a warm, buttery, sweet-salty biscuit. Shrimp and grits ($7.50) is one of Savannahs classic dishes and, thusly, subject to much judgment, but Narobias passes the test: a healthy handful of petite peeled shrimp top a mound of light, creamy grits, crowned with onions, peppers and the much-discussed house gravy thats flavorful, peppery and, breaking from standards, pork free. For lighter fare, try the perfectly simple chicken biscuit ($2.25), a fried chicken patty  crispy, flavorful, light on the grease  in the middle of one of those perfect biscuits.Todays Headlines

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By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy PolicyThey immersed themselves in study, attended lectures, participated in discussion groups, and developed strategies for dealing with the many themes that flow from U.S. slaverys 250-year history.Interest in slavery, especially in the D.C. area, appears to have picked up considerably in recent years. Controversies over Confederate statues and symbols, a deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, prominent universities such as Georgetown coming to grips with past profiting from the slave trade, the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the Mall  teachers say such events have students wanting to know more about the origins of racial conflict in the country.Hundreds of separated families have been reunited in recent days at Dilley and at least one other ICE family detention center. Those centers also house families taken into custody at the border but not separated by the government. Because there is so little information available about the child who reportedly died, it is impossible to say whether that child was among the minors who had been separated.Ethan Redd, 29, of Chantilly was shot twice Monday about 5 a.m. when a homeowner in the 6300 block of Fairfax National Way saw him in the backyard, police said. The homeowner, who was not named, confronted Redd and shot him twice before Redd fled.No longer am I the person I used to be even 10 or 12 years ago, she said in a 2011 speech at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. And although I cannot compare my loss with the loss suffered by victims of childhood sexual abuse, there is nevertheless loss. Something has been taken from me, as it has been taken from every member of the people of God. A part of me has died.According to Tass, Mr. Voinovich was wounded while serving in World War II and later graduated from a vocational school in southeastern Ukraine. When he received a rejection letter from the Gorky Literature Institute in Moscow, he wrote them a telegram in verse  I am not at all pleased with your answer / My morale is still good / I will become a poet  and moved to Moscow anyway, in 1956, working as a laborer and writing poems in his spare time.In the Facebook post, the fire company called PETAs claims untruths and said the group was trying to fool the general public about the pony event. The group said PETAs claim that we force [the ponies] to swim is untrue, adding that the ponies are cared for year-round, are regularly checked by veterinarians and receive vaccinations and other medical care.He was known as The Taz, short for the ripsnorting, whirlwind cartoon character, the Tasmanian devil, former Virginia Supreme Court justice John Charles Thomas said in an essay. The two met at the Richmond-based firm Hunton & Williams, where Ellis worked for 18 years. The word was that Ellis was a relentless taskmaster; that he would give a research assignment, then do part of it himself and if the associate did not find a case that Ellis had found there would be hell to pay; and that no associate who had ever worked with Ellis had lasted more than a year or two.A Toyota station wagon carrying Rodriguez and another man was stopped by police minutes later after officers saw the vehicle speeding and traveling erratically not far from the shooting scene, authorities said. They said the witness identified Rodriguez as the gunman. The other man, who was driving, was also charged in the shooting, but the case against him was eventually dismissed in D.C. Superior Court.Wheelchair agents, unknown to many in the public, are paid based on the assumption that they will earn tips, and yet they are not allowed to let passengers know that. Many of these workers were earning as little as $7.25 an hour before the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authoritys board in January started requiring companies that do business at the Dulles and Reagan National airports to pay contract workers a base hourly wage of $11.55. Jalloh said even so, she was earning $10.45 an hour, with the understanding that $1.10 was being deducted because of tips.The most important thing we want to bring home was not just to recognize the contributions of Colonel Fitzgerald, but all the Irish who worked on the docks here, said Terry Riley, president of the local chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, a national Irish Catholic cultural group has collected more than 1,000 signatures on a petition to restore the name and has demanded to know who made the decision to drop it.Comstock likes to say she is the only member of Congress in the D.C. region who has not voted for a shutdown, referring to the three-day shutdown in January that took place over an impasse on protections for young, undocumented immigrants.Er . . . not quite. Charles Blahous, the report's author, seems to be trying to meet leftists halfway  to show them how far they still have to go if they want to pass Medicare for All. Where he has to make assumptions, he is as generous as possible to the Sanders plan. He assumes, for example, that it would pay all providers at the current reimbursement rates set by Medicare, rather than by the higher rates that private insurers pay; that there would be substantial savings in administrative costs; and that Medicare can save lots of money on drug prices.McCarrick, who has denied the allegation involving the child, has now become the first prince of the church to resign his role since 1927 and the highest-ranking member of the Catholic hierarchy to step down amid sexual-abuse allegations. But there are others in the church who presumably knew of the charges against him decades ago and failed to act when given the chance. Two New Jersey dioceses where McCarrick served as a bishop paid settlements to young men who alleged abuse as recently as the early 2000s; it isnt likely that $180,000 went missing from church coffers with only McCarricks knowing. In 2011, a priest from Brazil filed a lawsuit against McCarrick for unwanted sexual advances. The suit was withdrawn  but again, it seems unlikely the episode came and went unknown to anyone other than McCarrick.While the House Republicans put forth a budget for 2019, the GOP wont bother to vote on a budget this year, punting any serious discussion on most spending issues until after the midterms. That leadership failure makes the Peoples Budget all the more relevant. If Democrats take back the House in 2018, CPC members will chair 12 committees and 30 subcommittees. They will be able to force a debate about basic priorities and values, and insert many of the budgets ideas into legislation. And although positioned on the left in Congress, the ideas of putting family first, rebuilding the country, providing good jobs and green energy, and ensuring fair taxation represent the center of American public opinion. In the wake of Trumps ruinous rule, the Peoples Budget may in fact end up providing not simply a marker in the ongoing political debate but also a map for the progressive path forward.And, most alarmingly, Trump called on his attorney general to stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. A measure of how alarming was the scrambling by Trumps team of enablers to explain that the president was not, in fact, ordering Attorney General Jeff Sessions to kill the investigation. Rather, in this soft-core retelling, Trump was merely expressing his opinion about what should happen  as if that is much better, when the opinionizer is the president.I believe we can drive the divisive politics of the day out of our daily lives. But when we do, there will be many in the opposition  the resistance as its now proudly called  who will want to sing out in triumph with great moral righteousness. . . . This would be a terrible mistake. It would not heal our country but reopen our wounds.So it is my informed opinion that Republicans should take a page from Teddy Roosevelt, who in 1912 bolted the Republican Party to create the Bull Moose Party. Now that Trump has led his partisans to abandon most of what the Republican Party stood for two years ago, and has led them into a mythical land of alternative facts, they ought to rename the entity theyve created: the Bigfoot Party.If you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need ID, Trump said at the event at the Florida State Fairgrounds. You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture.Anything that would have encouraged likely Democratic voters to be excited about anything would have been good, said the former aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized by his employer to comment on the record. If it was a political calculation that delayed that announcement, it was misguided, or at least obviously it didnt work.But Trumps lawyers have been wary of a sit-down with prosecutors. Giuliani has repeatedly warned that such an interview would expose Trump to legal danger, saying that if Trump made any misstep or if Mueller later determined that other witnesses were more credible than Trump about what he had said and done, the president could face accusations of perjury.But the list is drawing attention for its omissions as much as for who made the cut. No incumbents are included among Obamas endorsed candidates; neither are Democrats running in several high-profile races across the country. Only one Senate candidate, Rep. Jacky Rosen (D) in Nevada, appears on the list.Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, who serves on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said in a statement: The president is not acting alone. A bipartisan majority in both the House and Senate are supportive of the president acting on behalf of an innocent American being held by tyrants in Turkey. Now is the time for Turkey to begin acting like the NATO ally that it claims to be and live up to its own constitution.It seems even more vivid and serious evidence of criminal intent to obstruct justice  whether it is obstruction itself or not, it certainly indicated intent, Blumenthal said. There is now highly credibly evidence that the president of the United States is committing obstruction of justice in real time, right before our eyes.Republican lawmakers, awkwardly stuck between two of the partys most influential forces, are scrambling to adjust. On Monday, GOP senators privately deliberated about the path the Koch network has charted and its implications, according to two Republicans familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.New UB School of Management leadership center opens in Africa

The University at Buffalo team with the African Rights Initiative International board at a joint meeting between the partners.

This new center will develop our global capabilities and draw on our faculty and leadership expertise to address significant challenges in developing this high-potential region in Africa. 

BUFFALO, N.Y.  On a mission to create global leaders, administrators from the University at Buffalo School of Managements Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness (CLOE) recently visited Ghana, Africa, to launch the new Global Center for Leadership and Social Innovation, in partnership with the African Rights Initiative International (ARII).

The two organizations will work together to deliver much-needed education and leadership skills development, one of the biggest challenges facing Africa.

This new center will develop our global capabilities and draw on our faculty and leadership expertise to address significant challenges in developing this high-potential region in Africa, says Paul Tesluk, dean of the UB School of Management. The African Rights Initiative plays a critical role in addressing global poverty and we look forward to helping develop a strong foundation for their continued success.

Areas of collaboration between CLOE and ARII will include learning and building leadership capacity, sharing research data, organizational development and sustainability, collaboration and communication, and global partnership initiatives.

In addition, CLOE and ARII worked together to bring their first Social Innovation conference to Ghanas capital, Accra. The event brought together more than 300 global and rising leaders from the business, nonprofit and academic worlds for a series of workshops and meetings where UB School of Management experts shared their knowledge in leadership, entrepreneurship and developing the next generation of leaders.

The ARII is a nonprofit international relief and development organization in Ghana, incorporated in 2007, and is working to advance leadership, research and social sector productivity across Africa.

Launched in fall 2013, CLOE strives to create more effective leaders and organizations. One of the centers key objectives is to advance research and teaching in the area of leadership and its impact on organizational effectiveness. It also supports UB 2020s goals of accelerating academic excellence, translating scholarship and developing leadership capabilities in UB students and business leaders.So the senator from Massachusetts sought out McCarrick, gaining a private 45-minute meeting with the cardinal to discuss the matter. The results were published in the Catholic Standard newspaper. People who are with us on one issue may be against us on many other issues, McCarrick wrote, adding: All these things will have to be weighed very carefully.Members of the GOP have argued that the extra funds are not necessary, as Congress has only recently approved $380 million in grants to help improve election security in 2018. Although there is some bipartisan consensus that $380 million is not enough to stave off every threat, several Senate Republicans have said that there should be an assessment of how states are using those funds before the federal government throws more money at the problem.The race to replace Black in the 6th District is similar, with former state agricultural commissioner John Rose leading the field in fundraising, and airing ads that show him smiling behind the president at a Tennessee rally. Retired judge Bob Corlew has torn into Rose with ads accusing him of being supported by liberals who spread fake news about the president  a reference to Roses support from the American Future Fund, a political organization that ran anti-Trump ads in 2016 but has since become supportive of the president.But Cramer has been in Congress for as long as Heitkamp has, effectively holding a statewide office, since North Dakota has only one House representative. He has aligned himself closely with Trump, while Heitkamp has sided with the president on some issues and broken with him on others, most notably the tax law and trade.A program being introduced by United Wholesale Mortgage, the countrys largest wholesale lender, departs from the traditional approach to escrows: It allows conventional-loan applicants who have significant dings to their credit  FICO credit scores of about 640  and who make down payments as low as 5 percent to avoid escrow accounts. The loans are being originated for sale to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the big federally regulated mortgage investors. FICO scores for home-purchase loans at both companies average in the 750s, according to data and software vendor Ellie Mae. UWM has a network of 7,000 brokerage firms with 30,000 individual loan officers, according to the firm. Unlike banks or mortgage companies that have retail operations, wholesale lenders purchase loans originated by third parties, typically brokers.What they have done is intimidate people in the rural areas, saying, We will kill you if you vote MDC and so on, and then the international observers say this election was free and fair. Why are they even here then? asked Wellington Chigwendere, one of the protesters. It is so obvious that rigging has taken place since Monday. There is a mountain of evidence. We will not live and die in such a Zimbabwe.But the new tariffs could severely jeopardize this Sino-American arrangement, landing on top of another 25 percent duty China imposed on American pork in April in response to levies that Trump placed on Chinese steel and aluminum. Already, the U.S. loads of pork variety meats to China have diminished, according to the most recent export data, from 12,354 tons in March to 11,095 tons in April to 9,071 in May.Campus News

UB alumna makes a difference in Guatemala

By CHARLES ANZALONE

For me, it isnt the actual weaving or the ballet I am passionate about. Its the value, which grows through people as they see themselves excel in something based on hard work and God-given talent.  Christine Tjahjadi-Lopez, UB alumna

Christine Tjahjadi-Lopez has a clear answer when asked why she is in Guatemala, running a ballet school, volunteering as director of an indigenous womens textile group, and generally working to make a lasting difference for people who need her help the most. Being here is growing my soul, as I see God move and work like I have never seen before, Tjahjadi-Lopez, who received both bachelors and masters degrees in geography from UB, wrote in a recent newsletter under the straightforward title Why am I in Guatemala? Model, entrepreneur, human rights activist, philanthropist and motivator, Tjahjadi-Lopez  whose passion for textiles matches her ardor for helping the less fortunate  has, at age 26, carved out one of the more impressive stories among the outstanding students to emerge from UBs Office of Fellowships and Scholarships. She is one of the most passionate individuals I have ever met, says Elizabeth Colucci, director of that office, who considers Tjahjadi-Lopez  a finalist for the prestigious Truman Scholarship in 2013  a favorite among the ranks of UBs exemplary scholarships students. She gives wholeheartedly to the organizations she works with. When I met her, she was very involved with Girls Day at St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, a program she funded with winnings from a modeling scholarship. She embraces those in need and gives her all to help, Colucci says. She uses her intellect to study the disenfranchised, and she is tenacious. Returning to New York this summer from Lake Atitlan, Panajachel, Guatemala, to visit her family in Getzville and raise money, Tjahjadi-Lopez is just getting started. She originally went to Guatemala in early 2016 to work on her masters thesis. After starting with five students, her ballet school, Transformacion Ballet, now has more than 40 students, from toddlers to adults in their 60s. Many of the children have financial-need discounts, but for those students over 7, this discount is contingent on improving or maintaining grades above 80 percent, or showing continuous improvement in their studies. There are the private school families and the public school families, and thats that for social circles, she wrote in her newsletter. Yet in the dance studio, it is just them and ballet, and I push them hard and cheer them on equally when deserved, and reprimand them when they misbehave. It is very beautiful, she wrote, because as I have gotten to know these families, I realized that in ballet, a lot of children who would not normally mix get a chance to be together. So besides learning to dance, Transformacion Ballet has created a space where children who would not normally mix do mix, and are treated equally, regardless of their socioeconomic class.

Finding 'a breath of hope'

Tjahjadi-Lopez also is director of a natural/eco-dyed indigenous women-owned weaving association called TEIXCHEL. When Tjahjad-Lopez (its pronounced Cha-hyea-dee: like cha-cha, then hyea like karate and then dee, she says) accepted the role of director/coordinator of TEIXCHEL in January 2017, the organization was on the verge of closing. She started without compensation and now gets a small commission for transportation. The organization had no online presence and very few orders. In a few months, Tjahjadi-Lopez secured a grant to buy a stove and natural dye materials, TEIXCHELs first grant in five years and Tjahjadi-Lopezs first grant ever. It was a breath of hope, she wrote at the time. Today, TEIXCHEL exports to five countries and does custom orders for international clients. Tjahjadi-Lopez has interns, including one in Guatemala and Germany. The weavers have steady export orders and a website funded by a UB alumnus. Thats two grass-roots and indigenous organizations that exist and thrive  even if inch-by-inch  because of Tjahjadi-Lopezs efforts, vision and refusal to accept defeat. Anyone looking at just her accomplishments would miss a major theme in her mission. Others facing her obstacles would have turned and left for home. Not Tjahjadi-Lopez. Twice, her well-laid plans disintegrated overnight. She initially went to Guatemala with scholarship funding and landed what she called her young adult career goal working with artisans as a sales and design manager at an organization called Mayan Traditions. But when she went to sign her contract, she had been replaced by someone with more experience. Instead of giving up, Tjahjadi-Lopez continued there, volunteering, training her replacement and looking for work as she continued her thesis, titled How partnering with a non-profit affected the economic and social status of indigenous weavers. She had begun teaching ballet to a small group of young Guatemalan girls. And when her time at Mayan Traditions ended, she lined up an internship at Mercado Global  a fair trade bag-making company. After three months, the company offered her a job as production manager, her dream because it allowed her to work with indigenous artisans and designers. Tjahjadi-Lopez signed her contract for the production manager job. She also signed a one-year lease for a house under renovation, and built a ballet studio inside thinking she would teach community ballet on the weekends. She went to New York City for training. Then her second solid opportunity vanished overnight. Eighteen hours before my flight back to Guatemala, she says, I was told that they no longer wanted to offer me the job since they thought I did not have enough experience. One reason I stayed was because I thought if people keep saying I dont have enough field experience, I better get some.

A volunteer mentor 'in awe of the potential'

An artisan she met at Mayan Traditions was the president of TEIXCHEL, an organization of local Guatemalan women weavers. The organization was on the verge of shutting down because of virtually no orders. The woman offered Tjahjadi-Lopez the directors role  without pay  and suggested Tjahjadi-Lopez work on self-funding, since she had some experience in grant writing. When I saw the eco threads and product, I was in awe at the potential, she says. So I began there as a volunteer director. I began praying for a way to make money. My ballet school began expanding. This is where I am at now. In person, Tjahjadi-Lopez is softer, gentler than one might expect. She wears a crucifix around her neck, the one her father gave her when she was 8. She says she had more of a dictatorship-type personality when she was in college. That has changed. I consider myself more a vessel than someone standing on a podium, she says. I like talking, but as I grow, Im working on becoming a better listener. Those doubting her dont understand. Her spirituality sets her apart. And shes clear about this as well. That spiritual element is why she didnt turn and run. It gave her the strength and resolve to trust the karmic timing and path she set herself on. She was already frugal, she says, but starting up a dance school in another country because she heard Gods calling was a blind leap of faith, to say the least. When I ran out of scholarship money, as I was volunteering with the weavers and beginning my ballet school, God provided, she says. When I gave to others of the little I had, God provided five-, six- and seven-fold. When I didnt know how to pay for my next meal, friends would just happen to offer me food. When I was most in need financially and decided to rely and trust that God was in charge, and asked God to show me where I had to be, I was taken care of financially.

Facing the challengesIn an interview Wednesday, Khodorkovsky said that he was determined to find out who was behind the killings and that it was too soon to blame the Kremlin or anyone else. He said he would become more closely involved in his outlets risk assessments in the future and would not stop funding investigative journalism.We know that this was a well-orchestrated plan to force us to leave, said Yakoub al-Rajabi, a Palestinian resident of Batan al-Hawa. And if we stay, it will paralyze us and isolate us in our homes. He said the presence of Jewish settlers has resulted in increasing patrols by Israeli security forces in the area, making life difficult for Palestinian residents.The trial, however, is not about Russia or any such conspiracy, focused instead on the personal and business finances of Manafort. Prosecutors charge that Manafort made millions of dollars in unreported income while working as a political consultant for the Ukrainian government and that when those funds dried up in 2014, he began lying to banks to get loans that would keep funding his lifestyle.The Podesta Group and Mercury had claimed in lobbying disclosure reports that they represented the European Center for a Modern Ukraine, a Brussels-based nonprofit organization that sought to help Ukraine improve its image in the West from 2012 to 2014. Prosecutors allege that behind the scenes, however, the lobbying work was being directed by Manafort and Trump campaign official Rick Gates, and that their real client was the government of Ukraine.What we see today is tangible progress in our efforts to keep peace on the Korean Peninsula. But today is just the beginning, said Pence, whose father was a Korean War veteran. Our work will not be complete until all our fallen heroes are accounted for and home. We will see to it in the days ahead that these heroes lead the way to many more homecomings in the future.If getting your regular morning coffee and lunchtime sandwich seems to be taking longer, it's because Australia's largest cities are teeming with office workers.

The glittering city towers that dominate Melbourne and Sydney's skylines are full, well almost.

Vacancy rates in city skyscrapers have hit record lows, the Property Council of Australia's latest Australian Office Market Report shows.

Melbourne's Docklands where vacancy is tight.

In Melbourne, where cranes dominate the city skyline, vacancy has dropped from 4.5 per cent to a 10-year low of 3.6 per cent. Sydney, which also has its fair share of mega developments, has seen its vacancy rate fall from 4.8 per cent to 4.6 per cent over the past six months.Students say some survivors are being left under the same roof as their alleged attackers a year after a landmark report into sexual violence sparked reforms at universities across the country.

At the Australian National University in Canberra, a student who reported her sexual assault six months ago said she still lives in the same residential hall as the alleged offender, walking the same path to class, even sharing a kitchen.

After two months of silence from the university administration regarding the outcome of her case, she said she now feels like an abandoned child.

A survivor speaks to students calling for more action from the ANU on sexual violence reforms. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

"While I am struggling to think if I can afford fees for a psychologist my perpetrator is still at ANU," she told more than a hundred students gathered in protest outside Chancellery on Wednesday.The final report from the Energy Security Board on the Turnbull government's signature energy policy does not contain detailed modelling the states were awaiting, an absence that could further complicate approval on the plan.

Among the additional details provided by the board to states and territory governments from an initial paper sent a week earlier is the estimate that the share of renewable energy in the National Electricity Market will rise from 17 per cent in 2017-18 to 36 per cent in 2029-30. That outcome, though, is lower than the 46 per cent base case projected by the Australian Energy Market Operator in a separate report released last month.

Australia's energy policy debate is heading to a climax. Credit:Nick Moir

The states and territories, which must provide unanimous support for the National Energy Guarantee for it to proceed, received the extended final detailed design paper by the board on Wednesday.

Any delay, or worse a failure to reach agreement, will simply prolong the current investment uncertainty and deny customers more affordable energy," Kerry Schott, chair of the board said in a media release. "The average household bill is expected to be $550 lower each year through the 2020s than it is now, and $150 of those savings are because of the guarantee.More frozen vegetables have been recalled over fears of deadly contamination, after a larger national recall last month over possible links to listeria.

Black & Gold's frozen mixed vegetables have been recalled.

Metcash has recalled Black & Gold's one-kilogram Mixed Vegetables from IGA, Campbells and Independent Grocers across NSW, Victoria and Tasmania because of possible contamination with the potentially deadly bacteria, the NSW Food Authority said.

Consumers are advised not to eat the product and to return it to the place of purchase for a refund, the food authority said.

Listeria (or Listeria monocytongenes) is a bacterium common in the environment that can also be found in raw foods. While eating food containing listeria will not make most people sick, in some people it can cause listeriosis.Contributed Photo / Department of Justice / Contributed Photo

BRIDGEPORT  A Bridgeport man was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison for his role in trafficking heroin, the Department of Justice said on Wednesday.

Tyevhon Twin King, 31, of Bridgeport, was sentenced to 121 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, the DOJ said. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 13 to one county of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.GREENWICH  For the fifth year in a row, Greenwich Hospital has received a citation from a womans health and consumer organization for its breast cancer care.

The 2018 Womens Choice Award named the Greenwich facility as one of Americas Best Breast Centers.

The organization uses data and statistics to compile a list of recommended businesses, services and medical institutions. For treatment of breast cancer, it gave its approval to Greenwich Hospital.

The Womens Choice Award was founded by Delia Passi, a former publisher of Working Mother magazine, and a survivor of breast cancer herself.

Passi said the award went to hospitals based on the highest and most rigorous publicly available reporting.

Continuing, Passi said, Women have many choices when it comes to cancer care, but now they can make informed choices based on rigorous evidence based criteria.

Besides reviewing data, the evaluators of the award also took into account the recommendation rate among women who were treated at a hospital under review. Whether a hospital would be recommended to others is determined by patient satisfaction reports that come from Medicare and Medicaid administrative programs.

The award was viewed with satisfaction at the hospital.

We believe every woman deserves the finest breast care, said Dr. Barbara Ward, medical director of the Breast Center at the Smilow Cancer Hospitals Greenwich Hospital Campus. Our team is committed to providing state-of-the-art cancer care in a compassionate setting that addresses both the physical and emotional needs of our patients.BRIDGEPORT  Police Officer Davon Polite can stop celebrating.

One day after issuing a memo stating Polite  who is president of the Bridgeport Police Departments minority officer organization and is also awaiting trial on assault charges  had been reinstated on the force, Police Chief Armando Perez said it was all a mistake.

An assistant chief screwed up on Monday, Perez said Tuesday evening. I would never reinstate an officer who still had a criminal case pending.

Instead of being back on patrol, the chief said, Polite would be on desk duty until his case is resolved.

It doesnt make sense for him to get paid for staying home; this way he can work the front desk or something like that, Perez said.

On Monday, the following memo, signed by Perez, was distributed in the Police Department :Effective immediately Officer Davon Polite will be assigned to uniformed services A Shift patrol from administrative suspension.

The memo was sent out the same day that the chief sent out the memo suspending his aide, Capt. Mark Straubel, who has been accused of sending racist texts.

In June, a retired Bridgeport police officer who now works for the Stratford Police Department filed a complaint with the Bridgeport Office of Internal Affairs after he said he intercepted texts Straubel sent to another person making racist comments about an African American officer and stating he hates African Americans and wants a race war.

Celebration ends

On Tuesday afternoon, Polites lawyer, Dennis Bradley, was under the impression his client had been reinstated to full duty on the police department.

I am happy he has been reinstated, he said. He has really been a shining star in the department, and its good to see a fine young man back on the city streets, protecting the public.

But a few hours later, Bradley admitted, Its unclear what is happening. Id rather not comment.

Last March, Polite, a four-year member of the police force and at the time newly elected head of The Guardians, which is made up of minority officers, was charged with second-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace in connection with an incident in 2016 outside a city restaurant.

Polite replaced Lonnie Blackwell as head of The Guardians. Blackwell was demoted from lieutenant to sergeant by the chief in connection with a fake racist letter that was distributed in the department.

Police said Polite was off duty when he allegedly dragged a 41-year-old city resident from his van and beat and kicked him after the mans van collided with Polites Mercedes sedan on Sept. 19, 2016, on Hurd Avenue.

The state Judicial Branch website states the case is scheduled for trial on Sept. 10, but Bradley said state prosecutors have made them a serious offer in an attempt to resolve the case.

My client maintains that he was defending himself, Bradley said.

Accused of assault

On the day of the incident, police were dispatched to Bridgeport Hospital for an assault victim, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. The victim, who was being treated for trauma to his face and bruises in his side, stated he was leaving the Pioneira restaurant on Hurd Avenue around 1 a.m. when he turned right and his van accidentally struck a newer red Mercedes sedan, causing minor damage.

The victim said a man got out of the drivers seat of the Mercedes and they got into a confrontation that ended when the man dragged the victim out of his van and, along with at least one other man, beat and kicked the victim, the affidavit states.

The affidavit continues that the victim said he was told the man who attacked him was a police officer and he subsequently identified officer Polite as his assailant. The affidavit states that Polite is the owner of a 2014 Mercedes sedan.

A woman who claims she was in Polites Mercedes at the time of the incident, said she saw the victim on the ground and she yelled for Polite and the other men to stop assaulting him, the affidavit states.

Another woman said she saw Polite, his father, Marvin Polite and a third man assaulting the victim following the collision.

(She) told the three males that she was going to call the police, and one of the males replied that she didnt have to call the police because a cop was already there, the affidavit states.Stamford police / Contributed

STAMFORD  A second former AT&T employee accused of stealing $232,000 worth of iPhones and iPads from the Summer Street store has been extradited from New York.

Garfield Lawrence, 38, of Bronx, N.Y., has been charged with first-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny. He is being held in lieu of a $100,000 court appearance bond.MILFORD  Convictions continue to mount for a Shelton lawyer who admitted that he repeatedly sexually assaulted a family friend he was tutoring over seven years.

Peter Kruzynski was back in criminal court Tuesday just a day after being sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for using his cell phone to entice the minor into sexual activity.

This time Kruzynski, 51, formerly of Shelton and currently housed in a Rhode Island federal detention center, pleaded no contest to five state charges which carry mandatory prison sentences of 10 years and nine months.

This is one of the most disturbing set of facts the state has ever encountered, Assistant States Attorney Amy Bepko told Superior Court Judge Frank Iannotti. Not just because of the number of (sexual) acts... but also because the defendant used his professional position to coerce the victim into performing those acts.

Bepko said Kruzynski was introduced to the then 9-year-old victim in 2009. Although 42 years old at the time, Kruzynski would hang out with the boy, taking him swimming in a community pool and helping with homework.

Bepko said he believes all the while Kruzynski was grooming the boy for future sexual activity, which started within months of their introduction.

When the victim tried to end the relationship in 2016, Bepko said Kruzynski threatened to publicize naked photos of him. He also warned that hed use his position as a lawyer to damage the victims reputation and future career choice.

Kruzynskis plea means he did not contest the prosecutions evidence on charges of first, second and fourth degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor and coercion. His record will contain guilty convictions.

No contest pleas are not allowed as evidence of guilt in a civil case, but on Monday, Kruzynski also agreed to settle a federal civil case brought by the victim for $215,000.

The plea-bargained deal struck between Bepko and Eugene Riccio, Kruzynskis lawyer, calls for the defendant to be sentenced to 20 years in state prison suspended after 10 years served. Once released, Kruzynski would be placed on 10 years probation.

The deal calls for the sentence to run concurrently with the federal term.

Iannotti set Oct. 15 for sentencing  preferably by video conferencing with Kruzynskis federal prison.

Immediately following Tuesdays sentencing, Kruzynski agreed to an effective 25 year suspension of his law license.(CNN)  French children will have to leave their smartphones and smart devices at home or switched off when they are at school starting in September.

The ban on smartphones as well as other kinds of internet-connected devices, such as tablets, applies to schoolchildren between 3 and 15 years of age, and was passed by lawmakers on Monday. French high schools, or lycees, with students 15 and older, will get to choose whether to adopt the phone ban for their pupils.

"We know today that there is a phenomenon of screen addiction, the phenomenon of bad mobile phone use... Our main role is to protect children and adolescents. It is a fundamental role of education, and this law allows it," said Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer on French news channel BFMTV.

The law fulfills one of President Emmanuel Macron's campaign promises. It passed 62 votes to one, supported by members of Macron's centrist La Republique en Marche! party. Some lawmakers from the right and the left abstained, claiming the law would change little.

"This isn't a 21st century law in our eyes, but a law from the era of news channels and binary debate," said Alexis Corbiere, a deputy from the left-wing Unbowed France party and a former teacher.

"In reality, the ban has already been made," he added, referring to a 2010 law. "I don't know a single teacher in this country that allows the use of phones in class."

A law approved in 2010 banned the use of smartphones "during all teaching activity."

The new law makes exceptions for disabled students, during extracurricular activities and for "pedagogical use."

This is your brain on a smartphone

Our increasing dependence on smartphones has given rise to the term "nomophobia," or "NO MObile PHOne phoBIA"  the fear of not being able to use your cell phone or other smart device. One survey from the UK showed that 66% of respondents have some form of nomophobia and 41% of those respondents said they had two or more phones in order to stay connected.

And as rates of smartphone and internet addiction rise, so too do the adverse effects of these activities on our brains.

A study from South Korea conducted on teenagers with internet and smartphone addiction demonstrated that their brains had higher levels of a neurotramsmitter that slows down neurons, resulting in reduced levels of control and attention and rendering people more susceptible to distractions.

Another study by the London School of Economics and Political Science showed that banning smartphones in schools caused a clear improvement in students' test scores.

More that 90% of French children between the ages of 12 and 17 had mobile phones in 2016, up from 72% in 2005, according to French telecoms regulator ARCEP.

CNN's Frank Andrews and Sam Bradpiece contributed from Paris and Arnaud Siad contributed from London.

This story was first published on CNN.com "France bans smartphones from schools"When it came to casting a ballot in 2016, Steve Obsitnik voted like a father, not like a future gubernatorial candidate.

Republican Steve Obsitnik said Tuesday that he did not vote for Donald Trump in 2016. He wrote in U.S. Sen. John McCains name instead.

I have two daughters 14 and 16, and I didnt like a lot of the discord going on, Obstinik said in an interview Tuesday. So I sided with a former Marine Corps Academy graduate.

Obsitnik is one of five Republicans running for governor in a year when allegiance with the president has become a kind of litmus test. While some other Republican candidates boasted in debates about their votes for Trump in 2016, Obsitnik has not previously spelled out his ballot choice.

A Westport tech entrepreneur, Obsitnik gave President Trump an A grade when speaking to Hearst Connecticut Media editors last month. The lifelong Republican clarified Tuesday that he supports most of Trumps policies, just not all of his rhetoric and tweets.

Do the ends justify the means or the means justify the ends? he asked. But he said he is giving the president a chance to see how his ideas play out.

As a military veteran, Ill always support our commander-in-chief whoever he or she is, Obsitnik said.

One of Obsitniks primary rivals Bob Stefanowski registered as a Democrat shortly before the 2016 election and did not vote for Trump or anyone else  a fact that candidate David Stemerman attacked Stefanowski for in a TV commercial and at debates.

Party-endorsed candidate Mark Boughton tweeted that he voted for his dog, but later revealed that he cast a ballot for Trump. Former Trumbull first selectman Tim Herbst, who is also running, has probably been the most vocal about his support for the president.

emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunsonThe big Broadway hit of 1966 boasts a book by Neil Simon, Cy Coleman's music and Dorothy Fields' lyrics and is based in turn on Federico Fellini's 1957 Oscar-winning Italian movie Le Notti di Cabiria. So how does it fare, the musical about the New York taxi dancer (for hire by the minute) with the heart of gold, transposed to 2018 in the climate of the #MeToo movement? Artistic director Paul Hart's thrilling ensemble of 13 actor/musicians is brassy in more ways than one, but they bring out the musical's unsettling undertones.

So forget the advent of social media (which would have given Charity the chance to get a selfie of her night with Italian heartthrob Vittorio Vidal) and go with the spare, laid-back narration that states this is spring 2018, and there are plenty of moments that give voice to the girls of the sleazy Fandango Ballroom. Each suggests the real woman behind the uber-sexy hostess and Simon and Fields wrote them as a supportive little family. Although the men are mostly at best ineffectual, at worst exploitative (the story begins with Charity's boyfriend pushing her into Central Park's lake, stealing her bag and leaving her to drown) there is still enough warmth and good humour to make this musical bittersweet rather than sour.

Stunning orchestrations by Watermill stalwart Sarah Travis and co-orchestrator and musical director Charlie Ingles create a heart-stopping sound as the cast burst onto the stage, a line-up of all-singing, all-dancing, brass-led players, their long shiny instruments part of the scenery, the choreography (by Tom Jackson Greaves), extensions of their characters. They look stunning too, in slinky monochrome, black with white collars, bow-ties, braces. They wind sinuously beneath and between Diego Pitarch's glittering, candy-coloured heart-shaped hoops, suggesting mysterious depth on the Watermill's intimate stage, thanks too to Malcolm Rippeth's lighting.

As big-hearted Charity, big-voiced petite Gemma Sutton is a whirlwind of warmth and sweetness, optimistic against all odds. Pitarch dresses her in a riot of bad taste bright colours that light up the stage. The Fandango girls provide a collective second lead, though each is a real individual. They're led by the sensational Vivien Carter as Nickie, her strength and resilience palpable, especially in the almost heart-breaking "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This". There's real desperation beneath the sexual front of their "Big Spender".

Alex Cardall, 2018 Stephen Sondheim Student Performer of the Year, makes an impressive professional debut as an infuriatingly wimpy Oscar. Another newcomer, Tomi Ogbaro, fresh out of Rose Bruford, has the ideal expansive stage presence as cult leader Daddy to front the show-stopping "Rhythm of Life", its glorious harmonies blending to perfection under on-stage musical director Tom Self. The Watermill's summer musical finds the pathos behind the front  yet it's still as cool as it is hot.Manitoba's ombudsman has resigned her post midway through her first term to head the Manitoba Civil Service Commission.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/7/2018 (1183 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba's ombudsman has resigned her post midway through her first term to head the Manitoba Civil Service Commission.

Charlene Paquin was appointed ombudsman in May 2015. She is the first appointee not to complete at least one six-year term since the position was created in 1970. Mel Holley, her predecessor, served in an acting capacity for more than three years.

Supplied Charlene Paquin became Manitobas ombudsman on May 4, 2015.

Paquin has been replaced on an acting basis by deputy ombudsman Marc Cormier, who has been with the office since 2012.

The civil service commission is an independent body that oversees all hiring in the provincial government.

Paquin, who earned $170,992 as ombudsman for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017, succeeds Lynn Romeo as civil service commissioner. A government spokeswoman said Paquin was selected in a national competition conducted with the assistance of accountancy/business advisory firm MNP LLP.

Paquin could not be reached for an interview Tuesday. Her new job would pay roughly the same as what she earned in her former role.

The ombudsman investigates complaints about provincial government departments and agencies, as well as municipalities, including those concerning government wrongdoing, access to information and privacy legislation and personal health information. The ombudsman reports directly to the legislative assembly.

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House Speaker Myrna Driedger recommended the appointment of Cormier to fill the ombudsman's position until a new one is named, according to a news release from the legislative assembly.

"The assembly has been well-served by Charlene Paquin and, on behalf of all members of the assembly, I thank Charlene for her many accomplishments and dedicated service as Manitoba ombudsman," Driedger said in the release.

Prior to his work with the ombudsman's office, Cormier was a commissioned officer in the Canadian Armed Forces for 18 years.

Paquin had worked for more than a dozen years in government before being appointed ombudsman. She had risen to the level of assistant deputy minister with the Families Department.

A person filling the role of provincial ombudsman can serve up to two six-year terms.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.caEAST ST. PAUL  Federal funding will keep alive a rail line that has been hauling oil through East St. Paul since 1951.

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EAST ST. PAUL  Federal funding will keep alive a rail line that has been hauling oil through East St. Paul since 1951.

MP MaryAnn Mihychuk (Kildonan-St. Paul) announced $5.6 million in funding for the Central Manitoba Railway (CEMR), whose biggest client is the Imperial Oil terminal on Henderson Highway northeast of Winnipeg.

CEMR, a 108-kilometre short line running from East Selkirk north of Winnipeg to Carman south of Winnipeg owned by Cando Rail Services, which will match the grant money.

"This will upgrade more than 14 kilometres of short line track from Symington Yard to the Imperial Oil terminal," Mihychuk said at an outdoor press conference, in front of a Canadian flag and pole fastened to the ground with railway spikes.

The Imperial Oil terminal represents 20 to 25 per cent of business carried by CEMR. A train of 10 to 15 tanker cars runs daily to and from Imperial Oil, carrying from one million to 1.5 million litres of oil.

The upgrades mean safer movement of goods, as well as the ability to load cars fuller and move them faster.

For example, the current line is only rated to handle 263,000 pounds per railcar, whereas the industry standard is 286,000 pounds.

The upgrades will mean customers like Imperial Oil will be able to fill cars to 286,000 pounds. CEMR then moves those cars at the heavier weight to a Winnipeg switching yard where the cars are picked up by transcontinental railways to ship elsewhere in Canada or the United States.

"Its a huge efficiency benefit to our customers," Jay Crannery, general manager of Cando Rail Service said.

"It doesnt make CEMR more money, but it allows us to save money because were handling fewer cars and it positions us for the future."

CEMR also handles products like lumber, steel, potash, and other industrial materials over a short stretch for interchange with the major railways, or transloading. Transloading is transferring freight from one mode of transportation, like rail, to another, like truck, or vice versa.

About 50 to 100 cars are moved daily to CNR and CPR interchanges. The short line railway also hauls farm inputs to its Carman subdivision to the south, and farm production from it.

Cando owns three short line railways but CEMR is by far the busiest.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS MP MaryAnn Mihychuk announced the funding announcement for the short line railroad at a press conference on Tuesday.

"(CEMR) is probably our crown jewel. Its our biggest single operation," said Cando vice-president Lee Jebb. CEMR employs 75 people, he said.

The infrastructure spending also secures the short line railways future, he said.

The upgrades will include installing new railway ties and track, as well as grade, ballast, and drainage improvements. New line switches and crossing improvements are also planned.

Construction on the rail line will start in summer of 2019 and be completed by spring of 2020, creating 100 construction jobs.

East St. Paul Mayor Shelly Hart said the railway wont be moving any more oil than it does now but it will do so more safely and efficiently.

"This is about safety," Hart said. "It will give a measure of comfort to residents knowing the upgrade provides that larger measure of safety."

The rail line has been ferrying oil since Imperial Oil opened a refinery in East St. Paul in 1951. In 1975, Imperial Oil shut the refining operation and became a storage facility and distribution centre. Cando took over the Pine Falls subdivision that serves Imperial Oil in 1999, as well as the Carman subdivision, from CN Rail.

The Imperial Oil yard is a cash cow for the municipality, paying about $500,000 per year in property taxes. It is one of the few commercial properties in East St. Paul that helps offset the tax load on residential property owners.

The federal dollars come out of the National Trade Corridor Fund set up last year, which is mandated to allocate $2 billion over 11 years to increase Canadian trade through upgrades to ports, airports, roads, railways, intermodal facilities, bridges and border crossings.

"(Cando) won a competitive review. There were hundreds of bids across the country. It was one of the best projects," Mihychuk said. "Infrastructure is very important and this is a case of a partnership between the private sector and government."

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Cando, based in Brandon, is a major Manitoba success story. It was started by Gord Peters and Rick Hammond in 1978 as salvage company after it won a contract to rip up two Manitoba branch lines. Art Peters, Gords father, and brother Doug were also part of the companys early success.

Today, Cando has many rail-related operations and employs more than 400 people across North America.

Among Cando assets are a switching yard, a railcar repair facility, a transloading centre, as well as a railcar storage facility, where it keeps up to 2,000 potash cars during that sectors offseason.

"We do the stuff CP and CN dont like to do," said vice-president Jebb.

It also builds and operates fuel terminals, like one it has in Ontario, as well as rail yards.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.caManitoba Premier Brian Pallister will retool his cabinet Wednesday, with several ministers expected to receive new duties, one new face likely to join the inner circle, and the possibility of as many as two demotions to the backbenches.

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Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister will retool his cabinet Wednesday, with several ministers expected to receive new duties, one new face likely to join the inner circle, and the possibility of as many as two demotions to the backbenches.

Sources tell the Free Press that Colleen Mayer, the rookie MLA from St. Vital, appears to be the favourite to snag a seat in cabinet.

She was spotted at the legislature Tuesday. When asked whether she was getting a promotion, she would neither confirm nor deny such an appointment.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Premier Brian Pallister is expected to shuffle his cabinet Wednesday.

"That would be a good rumour," Mayer said, with a big grin, before entering the clerk's office.

Pallister's last cabinet shuffle occurred in August 2017. He brought Gimli MLA Jeff Wharton into the fold as minister of municipal relations, and assigned five ministers new duties.

More than two years into the Tory premier's mandate, it's expected Wednesday's moves will be more significant, said political scientist Paul Thomas.

"He's past the midway point, so it might be time to reconstruct the team and create the image of the government that you would be looking to offer to voters in the next election," he said.

Thomas pointed to Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen as one of the most likely candidates to change roles.

"He might like to be relieved of the heavy duties of being health minister. He once said he wanted the more ceremonial position of Speaker."

Speaker Myrna Driedger can't be shuffled, however, since she was elected to her post by all MLAs.

While there haven't been any "sustained scandals" that got ministers in deep trouble, Thomas said the cabinet's mandate letters don't leave much room for drama. The ministers were largely tasked with reining in government spending and ensuring departments ran smoothly -- save for Goertzen who initiated major health-care reform.

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"Your whole purpose in that (cabinet) role is to sort of avoid any blow-up that will cause harm to the reputation of the premier and the government and its re-election prospects," Thomas said.

"A lot of considerations go into deciding who belongs where in terms of their talents and what part of the province they represent, what ideological factions within the party they may represent, (and) gender balance," he said.

"There's a host of things that go into shuffling a cabinet, and not all of it is announced publicly."

Government staffers wouldn't confirm rumoured cabinet changes Tuesday, although one well-placed source said the shuffle would occur Wednesday.

Multiple ministers and backbenchers were spotted in the halls of the Manitoba Legislative Building, leaving and entering meetings Tuesday. The legislature is currently in summer recess.

Mayer won her St. Vital seat by a slim margin in the 2016 election, beating out NDP challenger Jamie Moses by 398 votes. Previously, St. Vital was an NDP stronghold under Nancy Allen, who didn't seek re-election after holding the seat for 17 years.

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Mayer currently serves as government whip and prior to that, was a member of the Treasury Board and assistant deputy speaker.

"Thats one of the southeast Winnipeg swing seats, so they would want (Mayer) to have some profile and carry the party brand... when the general election rolls around next time," Thomas said.

The next provincial election will take place in October 2020.

-- with files from Larry Kusch

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbuA Winnipeg funeral director's licence has been suspended during investigations by police and the Funeral Board of Manitoba into customer complaints.

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A Winnipeg funeral director's licence has been suspended during investigations by police and the Funeral Board of Manitoba into customer complaints.

Chad Wheeler's name has been removed from the Funeral Board of Manitoba's list of licensed funeral directors in 2018, the province said. A release states Wheeler, formerly the funeral director at Wheeler Funeral Home, Cemetery and Crematorium at 1800 Day St., can no longer provide funeral or embalming services, pending a hearing.

Wheeler has allegedly mixed-up ashes, lost prepaid funeral funds, charged clients for funerals that had already been paid for, and sold single-grave lots to more than one person, various customers have told the Free Press.

Customers have come forward with complaints to the police, provincial funeral board and the funeral home receiver.

After Wheeler declared bankruptcy a few years ago, he transferred the Transcona-area funeral home to his wife. The facility was placed into receivership in March; Lazer Grant LLP was appointed as receiver by the Court of Queen's Bench.

Transcona resident Kathryn Hooper said it bothers her it's taken so long for officials to suspend the funeral director; she said she's out about $5,200 she prepaid for a funeral and headstone.

"He shouldn't be allowed to do this to people," she said, adding she has filed complaints against Wheeler to police and the funeral board.

"My husband passed away. I'm not working; I'm living off his pension. It was hard money to come by. It just sickens me."

Neither Wheeler nor his wife responded to a request for comment Wednesday.

Five years ago, when Hooper's husband died suddenly, she said she paid the funeral director to conduct the funeral. Everything went smoothly, she said. She later bought a headstone and pre-arranged funeral for herself.

The headstone, which was to have her name and her husband's name, never showed up, Hooper said. And she found out the pre-arranged funeral was "no good."

"Living in Transcona, in a small community, we want to support local business. Now, we're like 'Holy crap, who do we trust?'"

Wheeler is not licensed to sell trust-based pre-arranged funeral services.

The funeral board investigates every complaint against a funeral director, it says. The board of Manitoba can hold a hearing and has the power to order an apology, impose a fine or suspend or cancel a licence.

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Curtis Reutlinger, a customer who said his family isn't sure if Wheeler gave them the right ashes after his father's funeral, said he hopes the licence is permanently suspended.

"Then it will, hopefully, make him realize the damage he has done to so many people," he said Wednesday.

Wheeler Funeral Home was sold to W. Cropo Ltd. in mid-July, Lazer Grant LLP senior partner Joel Lazer confirmed Wednesday. The firm is negotiating the cemetery sale with potential buyers, he added.

Lazer earlier told the Free Press the firm had received "numerous" client complaints about Wheeler when it took over the property's management in the spring.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggieAgainst the backdrop of a national conversation on a push for a federal handgun ban, Manitoba police announced Tuesday nearly 700 firearms were collected during the provinces recent month-long gun amnesty.

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Against the backdrop of a national conversation on a push for a federal handgun ban, Manitoba police announced Tuesday nearly 700 firearms were collected during the provinces recent month-long gun amnesty.

Firearms turned in during gun amnesty: Click to Expand RCMP Long guns: 248 Handguns: 36 Replicas: 1 (prohibited) Brandon Police Service Long guns: 36 Handguns: 5 *  statistics for the Winnipeg Police Service and other police departments were not immediately available Tuesday

On top of the hundreds of firearms collected by 13 police agencies across the province, more than 22,000 rounds of ammunition were turned over to law enforcement.

The program, which took place in June, allowed Manitobans to hand over unwanted firearms to police without facing criminal charges  unless the weapon was found to be stolen or implicated in a crime.

"I think whats incredible is how many people came forward. The numbers that we had, they exceeded other years a gun amnesty has taken place," Justice Minister Heather Stefanson said.

The ministers comments came during a joint law enforcement news conference at Manitoba RCMP headquarters in Winnipeg. Stefanson began her address by mentioning Toronto's recent mass shooting, and offering her "sincere condolences to the families of the victims."

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS "We must remain vigilant to prevent the use and proliferation of illegal and stolen firearms" said Heather Stefanson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General for the Province of Manitoba.

Faisal Hussain, 29, went on a shooting rampage in the citys Danforth neighbourhood July 22, killing Julianna Kozis, 10, and Reese Fallon, 18. He also injured 13 others, before reportedly turning the gun on himself.

In response to the shooting, Toronto city council voted in favour of petitioning the federal government to implement a ban on handgun sales in the Ontario capital, while asking the province to do likewise with ammunition.

Standing near the spot where Hussain opened fire on unsuspecting citizens, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Monday his administration was doing research into -- and mulling -- a potential handgun ban.

"We're taking a look at things that have been done around the world. Things that have been done in other jurisdictions, looking at the best evidence, the best data to make the right decisions to make sure that we are ensuring that our citizens, our communities are safe into the future," Trudeau said.

Q + A An exchange Tuesday, between Manitoba Justice Minister Heather Stefanson and a Free Press reporter on a potential handgun ban: click to read more An exchange Tuesday, between Manitoba Justice Minister Heather Stefanson and a Free Press reporter on a potential handgun ban: FP: You started your comments by mentioning the recent shooting in Toronto. In response to that shooting, city council in Toronto proposed a handgun ban. (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau has said theyll be looking at that. Is that something the province of Manitoba is considering, looking at at all, or would support? HS: I know the federal government is looking at guns and gangs initiatives. Its something that we have discussions about at our federal-provincial territorial meetings. Well continue to have those discussions with our counterparts across the country. WFP: Are you having internal discussions about it at a provincial level, specifically the handgun ban? HS: Right now, were continuing to look to law enforcement for their advice and to other stakeholders in the community. Well continue to look to that advice when it comes to how we create safer communities for people in our province. WFP: Do you, as justice minister, think a handgun ban is called for or needed? HS: I look to experts for their advice on that. We will continue to work with law enforcement and other experts in the field to see and develop policies around those. WFP: What are you hearing from experts in the field? HS: I think (the gun amnesty) is a primary example of what were hearing. That its important to get some of these guns off the street. So thats why we launched this program in June. We agree with law enforcement that these types of programs are good to create safer communities, and thats why were here today. Close

On Tuesday, Stefanson repeatedly side-stepped questions on whether the Manitoba government is considering a handgun ban or would support such an initiative at a federal level.

"Gun violence that has plagued Toronto and many other communities in our country is further evidence of why we must remain vigilant to prevent the use and proliferation of illegal and stolen firearms," Stefanson said.

"I know the federal government is looking at guns and gangs initiatives. Its something that we have discussions about at our federal-provincial territorial meetings. Well continue to have those discussions with our counterparts across the country."

Under Canadas current firearm laws, handguns are designated a restricted weapon.

Prospective owners must pass background checks, practical and written exams, and attend two-day safety courses. They also have to be a member of a shooting club. Transportation of the gun is effectively limited to and from a personal gun safe and the shooting range.

According to Statistics Canadas 2017 annual report on police-reported crime, violent firearm offences increased seven per cent across the country, up to 2,734 incidents. In Manitoba, however, the province registered a drop in the same category.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS No charges were laid in connection with this years gun amnesty.

The Manitoba RCMP commanding officer said every firearm taken off the street during Junes gun amnesty is a victory for law enforcement.

"Were watching gunplay go on. Were seeing the violence in a lot of our communities. Its a very unfortunate set of circumstances that happened in Toronto recently... The violence were seeing right now, its a major concern. Any firearms we receive, or ammunition, thats a real bonus for us, because we know its one less on the streets," assistant commissioner Scott Kolody said.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The majority of firearms and ammunition collected during the amnesty will be destroyed while a few will be kept for historical or training purposes according to police.

Each of the nearly 700 guns turned over to law enforcement during the program were subjected to an examination, Kolody said, aimed at tracking the weapons history.

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No charges were laid in connection with this years gun amnesty.

Kolody said theres no hard and fast rule on what kind of firearms  handguns or long guns  are most often used for crime, or whether theyre smuggled into the country or legally-owned guns that have been stolen and repurposed for illicit activity.

"We see long guns used (in crime). We see a lot of handgun play, and weve seen that throughout the country. Were seeing guns coming in from all different places. Theyre coming from across Canada. Its not uncommon to see a handgun originate from one province or another, from one city or another. The same with criminal activity, it crosses borders," the RCMP commander said.

The majority of firearms and ammunition collected during the amnesty will be destroyed, police said, while a few will be kept for historical or training purposes.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpeAs a proposed class-action lawsuit aims to challenge labour laws that separate employees from independent contractors, a provincial spokesperson says the Employment Standards branch doesn't keep a tally on how many Manitobans share similar concerns.

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As a proposed class-action lawsuit aims to challenge labour laws that separate employees from independent contractors, a provincial spokesperson says the Employment Standards branch doesn't keep a tally on how many Manitobans share similar concerns.

Complaints lodged Independent-contractor complaints are handled first by Employment Standards and are referred to the Manitoba Labour Board on appeal. Employment Standards complaints referred to the Manitoba Labour Board in recent years: click to read more 2015: 29 2016: 34 2017: 28 2018, year to date: nine -- source: Manitoba Labour Board Close

Manitoba receives about 2,000 complaints each year from workers who say employment standards aren't being followed. However, the province doesn't track how many of those complaints come from people who believe they're missing out on wages and benefits because they aren't technically considered employees.

Charleen Pokornik, a Winnipeg courier for food-delivery service Skip the Dishes, launched a legal challenge in Manitoba's Court of Queen's Bench last week, claiming the company avoids providing employee benefits to its couriers by classifying them as independent contractors  who, under provincial law, aren't included in the Employment Standards Code and aren't entitled to receive benefits.

When previously contacted by the Free Press, a spokesperson for Skip the Dishes declined to comment while the claim is before the court.

A spokesperson for the office of Blaine Pedersen, Manitoba's minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade, did the same Tuesday, when asked whether provincial labour laws need changing as the economy evolves and short-term, casual work proliferates.

It would be inappropriate to comment on labour laws while the case is before court, the spokesperson wrote in an email.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A driver from Skip The Dishes picks up some food at local Winnipeg restaurant.

Pokornik  and her lawyers, who are trying to get court approval to expand her claim to represent couriers in all eight Canadian provinces in which Skip the Dishes operates  argues she is legally an employee of the company because she was interviewed, hired and trained, and worked under its supervision.

Couriers aren't independent contractors, the claim argues in part, because they can't sub-contract out their work, they can't compete with Skip the Dishes, and they aren't paid directly by the customers, in most cases. They are not paid an hourly wage to deliver food customers' orders through the company's online platform and mobile app, collecting only per-order delivery fees and tips.

Of the roughly 2,000 annual complaints received under the province's Employment Standards Code, only 28 of them made their way to an appeal at the Manitoba Labour Board in 2017. So far this year, the board hasn't ruled on any cases involving independent contractors who claim they are employees and should be paid as such.

The number of Manitobans working in the so-called gig economy  taking on short-term or casual work that doesn't fit within the definition of traditional jobs  is more difficult to pin down.

Statistics released earlier this summer estimated about 10 per cent of Americans are doing temporary, alternative or freelance work. But in Canada, according to labour force data released in June by Statistics Canada, part-time job growth has declined and full-time work is increasing.

Gail Holm, a 61-year-old former courier for Skip the Dishes, said the option to choose her own work hours and make some extra money appealed to her when she started delivering food for the Winnipeg-based company last July. But after a month, she said she realized the gig wasn't for her.

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"I thought it would just be a little bit of extra income... I thought this would be perfect, I could do it on my days off," she said. But after a few weeks went by, Holm said she did the math and realized after the cost of fuel for her vehicle, she wasn't making much money at all.

"I tracked for a month my expenses and what I was making, and I don't even know if I broke out even," she said.

The difference between an employee and an independent contractor can be "complicated," Manitoba's Employment Standards branch notes on its website.

"Self-employed persons/independent contractors are not covered by the Employment Standards Code, but this type of employment relationship can be complicated. The nature of the relationship between both parties would determine whether someone is truly an independent contractor," the website states, adding details such as the method and ability to control payments, as well as who sets duties and work schedules, would have to be considered.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemayTransit inspectors who patrol buses will be replaced by police officers if Jenny Motkaluk is elected mayor of Winnipeg this fall, the political candidate promised Tuesday.

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Transit inspectors who patrol buses will be replaced by police officers if Jenny Motkaluk is elected mayor of Winnipeg this fall, the political candidate promised Tuesday.

Motkaluk said she proposes city council adopts a new Sec. 5 to the Winnipeg Police Service bylaw to broaden the force's mission statement and allow police jurisdiction over Winnipeg Transit vehicles and facilities.

"The mayor (Brian Bowman) is behaving as if assaults on bus drivers are somehow beneath the attention of qualified police officers, and I believe we owe it to city employees to change that attitude," she said. "It's time to get police on the buses."

The WPS already has the responsibility to ensure the safety of all citizens in all areas, including on Transit buses, said Bowman re-election campaign spokesman Kelly McCrae.

Council has continued to support policing efforts by approving more than $291 million in WPS operations funding this year, McCrae said. As for Bowman's commitment to operator and passenger safety, McCrae said council created the transit advisory committee in 2017, which recommended Transit hire five new inspectors this year.

If elected, Motkaluk said she will move "as quickly as possible" to redirect the city's funds for inspectors to instead support police patrol for the Transit system.

On-duty WPS officers occasionally ride public transit, either in plain clothes or in uniform. According to numbers obtained by the Free Press through a freedom of information request earlier this year, officers took a total of 624 bus rides while on the job in 2017.

Transit spokeswoman Alissa Clark said inspectors enforce bylaws related to transit and issue offence notices for underpayments and fare evasion. They are trained, on an ongoing basis, in assault prevention, managing fare disputes and "dealing with difficult passengers," she said.

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Aleem Chaudhary, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, wrote in a statement to the Free Press he's "encouraged" to see candidates for mayor and council take the safety of union's members seriously.

"Certainly, our members and the public should feel safe working in or using public transit in Winnipeg," he said, adding the union plans to review Motkaluk's policy proposal, alongside other civic unions.

Winnipeg Transit recorded 51 assaults on drivers in 2017.

In February 2017, Transit driver Irvine Jubal Fraser, 58, was stabbed to death while on the job.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggieFlin Flon RCMP have charged two women with uttering threats and publicly inciting hatred after "hateful and threatening" comments about Indigenous people were posted online following a spree of vandalism in the northern Manitoba city.

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Flin Flon RCMP have charged two women with uttering threats and publicly inciting hatred after "hateful and threatening" comments about Indigenous people were posted online following a spree of vandalism in the northern Manitoba city.

"Several individuals took to a local Flin Flon Facebook page to vent about the mischief to property. That venting quickly escalated into hateful and threatening language against residents of First Nations communities," according to an RCMP statement issued Tuesday.

Police arrested a 32-year-old female from Flin Flon and a 25-year-old female from Denare Beach, Sask., and a third arrest is pending, the RCMP said. Their names won't be released until the charges are sworn before a court of law.

A series of Facebook posts went viral last weekend, after one woman posted she was going to "kill some Indians when I get home," after initially posting about her vehicle being vandalized with spray paint.

In response, another post suggested a "24 hour purge" -- in reference to The Purge movie series, in which all crime, including murder, is legal for a 12-hour period, once a year.

Two women were subsequently fired from their jobs in direct response to the comments, social media posts from their former employers state.

Police rarely charge people with publicly inciting hatred, recent Statistics Canada data suggest, with just 69 incidents reported in 2016.

"Suffice to say that uttering threats charges are fairly common, but the other charge is more rare," an RCMP spokesperson said Tuesday.

Such hate-crime charges are unusual for a number of reasons, said Helmut-Harry Loewen, a former sociology professor at the University of Winnipeg.

"One reason... is the burden of proof is very high," he said. "These are rare cases and, of course, prosecutions are even more rare, given the high bar that needs to be met to demonstrate hateful intent  even genocidal intent  or state of mind."

Loewen said hate-crime charges require the authorization of the provincial attorney general, which adds another layer of oversight.

Cal Huntley, the mayor of Flin Flon, said the recent incidents don't represent the character of the city nor its people.

"You've got young ladies who made some very terrible comments," he said Tuesday. "There are repercussions for every action."

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Tom McDermott grew up in Flin Flon -- a city of 4,800, roughly 750 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg -- and is a member of nearby Peter Ballantyne First Nation. He said he was shocked when he first saw the online comments.

"I was very hurt inside," McDermott said. "I cried."

He got over his shock and, instead of getting angry, McDermott went online and posted a video promoting a positive message.

"This is a teachable moment, for everyone in Canada and the world," he said, adding he personally approached the family of one of the women involved and forgave her. "We have to move on."

The Facebook video, posted Saturday, had 18,000 views as of Tuesday.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.caPremier Brian Pallister shifted key cabinet ministers to new roles Wednesday, while adding one new face and  in a surprise move  dropping a minister who was generally regarded as an able performer.

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Premier Brian Pallister shifted key cabinet ministers to new roles Wednesday, while adding one new face and  in a surprise move  dropping a minister who was generally regarded as an able performer.

Midway through his government's mandate, Pallister injected new blood atop the health, education, justice, finance and families departments.

He also improved the cabinet's gender balance by naming St. Vital MLA Colleen Mayer as minister responsible for Crown services.

Rookie MLA vaults into cabinet Premier Brian Pallister appointed one fresh face to his cabinet Wednesday: first-term MLA Colleen Mayer is now Minister of Crown Services. click to read more Premier Brian Pallister appointed one fresh face to his cabinet Wednesday: first-term MLA Colleen Mayer is now Minister of Crown Services. Mayer represents St. Vital and won her riding by a narrow margin  398 votes  in 2016. Her seat was previously held by NDP MLA Nancy Allan for 17 years. Its widely seen as a swing seat in southeast Winnipeg. Raising Mayers profile with a cabinet position may help her secure a repeat win next election, political scientist Paul Thomas pointed out. Pallister cited Mayers ambition and her earned respect among colleagues as reasons for her promotion. Colleen has just absolutely impressed everybody. You can tell by the response from her colleagues today, I think, that its not just affection, the premier said, referring to the loud rounds of applause Mayer earned during her swearing-in ceremony. We have tremendous affection for each other on our team, but its more than that. Its an appreciation for her work ethic, its an appreciation for her dedication to every task that she was assigned. Mayer previously served as government whip, and prior to that, was a member of the Treasury Board and assistant deputy speaker. She takes on one of the most drama-filled portfolios, which includes oversight of Manitoba Hydro. The provinces largest Crown corporation is billions of dollars in debt and just lost its CEO, Kelvin Shepherd, as he plans to retire in November. The province also appointed a new Hydro board this year after the last board resigned en masse in March. Asked how she planned to steer the Hydro ship, Mayer said discussions are imminent. Ive been sworn in for all of 20 minutes. I have to meet with my department, I need to get up to speed on whats on my file and where things are at. So I look forward to doing that, she said. Theres lots of challenges, for sure. But theres opportunity as well. So I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting into that. Mayer also reiterated Wednesday that she is proud of her Metis heritage and is a card-carrying member of the Manitoba Metis Federation. The MMF is currently trying to take the province to court over a quashed $67.5-million deal related to a Manitoba-Minnesota Hydro transmission line. Mayer said she does not know MMF president David Chartrand personally, but looks forward to working with him. Chartrand wished Mayer well with her new job, but feared she would represent more of the same from the Pallister government. So far, Cliff Cullen (the new justice minister and attorney general) and Ron Schuler (who stays on as infrastructure minister) have already taken turns overseeing Crown Services since the PCs took office. If you look at the kind of historical pattern of Pallister, its a very centralized control government, where everything flows through his office. Without his permission, nothing moves, Chartrand said. So changing names, changing portfolios and titles is not going to change anything unless theyre realizing that the leash is being released  people are actually going to be allowed to be ministers and allowed to govern. Before being elected as MLA, Mayer served as a school trustee with the Louis Riel School Division and was the executive director of the Old St. Vital Business Improvement Zone. She also worked at city hall in Winnipeg and lives in the Elm Park neighbourhood with her husband Cory and their two children. Interlake MLA Derek Johnson will replace Mayer as the government whip. --Jessica Botelho-Urbanski Close

Dropped from cabinet was Portage la Prairie MLA Ian Wishart, who had served as education minister.

"We have an opportunity with this shift to present some new energy in a variety of portfolios," Pallister said following a 30-minute swearing-in ceremony at the legislature. "Every portfolio is an opportunity to make a difference and thats why you get into public life."

Kelvin Goertzen, who has shepherded the government's far-reaching health reforms, moves to education from health.

Heather Stefanson leaves justice to become the new families minister. Cameron Friesen leaves finance for health, seniors and active living. Cliff Cullen, who held the Crowns portfolio, becomes the justice minister and attorney general Scott Fielding becomes finance minister after serving as minister of families.

As he explained his decision to switch Goertzen to a new portfolio, Pallister noted that the job of health minister can be onerous.

"...Health is one that can actually wear on someone. I think we should be honest about that. The normal tenure for a health minister is not much longer than two years anywhere in the country," he told reporters.

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister, right, waits to lead his ministers into the cabinet shuffle announcement at the Manitoba Legislature.

The premier added, however, that Goertzen is "getting less of a break than he might anticipate." He is moving one of his most trusted ministers into education at a time when his government is poised to launch "a thorough review" of the kindergarten to Grade 12 education system in advance of anticipated major reforms.

If Mayer, the rookie MLA for St. Vital, was the major winner in Wednesday's cabinet shuffle, Wishart, first elected in 2011, was the big loser as the only member of cabinet to lose his job.

As his colleagues took their oaths of office, Wishart applauded as he sat beside his caucus colleagues. Afterwards, he said he agreed with the premier's decision to place him in a new role outside cabinet.

"He had a great pool of talent to draw on. He needs to do that," Wishart said. He said he plans to run for re-election in 2020.

Pallister announced that Wishart will work alongside Goertzen in shepherding the government's education reforms. Wishart will be Goertzen's legislative assistant and will co-ordinate the system review.

Asked if he had been disappointed with Wishart's performance in cabinet, Pallister said "not in the least."

"I think that Ian brings to this new responsibility a level of personal experience and dedication that, frankly, I think is unparallelled," the premier said. He added that Wishart has "already enthusiastically embraced" his new role.

The reaction What the NDP said: NDP MLA Andrew Swan said moving Kelvin Goertzen from health to education likely means major restructuring for the latter portfolio. He said he is uneasy about Goertzens replacement in health -- former finance minister Cameron Friesen. click to read more What the NDP said: NDP MLA Andrew Swan said moving Kelvin Goertzen from health to education likely means major restructuring for the latter portfolio. He said he is uneasy about Goertzens replacement in health -- former finance minister Cameron Friesen. So were taking a very savvy politician, Kelvin Goertzen, who has been the face of a lot of the chaos in the health care system, hes been moved to education. Our fear is that hes going to be expected to play the same role in education and make deep cuts in addition to whats already happened, Swan said. The new health minister, Cameron Friesen, was the finance minister. He boasted proudly  in this building and everywhere  about the money that theyve saved in health care by cutting services to Manitobans. Im worried and I think all Manitobans should be worried about whats coming next. What the Liberals said: Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont expressed concern at the appointment of a cabinet rookie in Colleen Mayer to the Crown Services portfolio, where she will be responsible for Manitoba Hydro. He said the role, which includes trying to smooth an ongoing legal dispute between the government and the Manitoba Metis Federation, would have been better left to an experienced minister. Lamont said the departure from cabinet of former education minister Ian Wishart means that Pallisters inner circle will lose some of its moderate edge. I think Ian Wishart is a fairly moderate person whos certainly deeply concerned about the CFS (Child and Family Services) file. And hes been shuffled to the backbench, so youve certainly lost a moderate voice around the cabinet table, Lamont said. And in terms of the other major ministries, youve seen a push towards more hard core, ideological conservatives. So its a doubling down as far as Im concerned and putting the province in, what I see, as the wrong direction. What business said: Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Loren Remillard called the shuffle "more of tuneup" than an overhaul. He noted that Pallister brought in only one new MLA into his inner circle, showing that he is satisfied with his core leadership group. The portfolios may have changed but the people, effectively, did not, he said. Remillard also noted that Scott Fielding is no stranger to finance, having effectively served as "the city's finance minister" when he was a member of Winnipeg city council. What labour said: Michelle Gawronsky, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union, reacted positively to Pallisters shuffle and his mention during a prepared speech about working with organized labour to improve services. This, I think, is going to be the governments opportunity to reboot and to reconsider the unnecessary cuts and privatizations to services that theyve been planning, she said. Im offering again, as I have for the last two-and-a half-years, that my door is open," Gawronsky said. "I welcome the opportunity to sit down, talk to the premier, talk to any of the ministers about the services that our members do provide and what Im hearing from Manitobans. Lets take a common sense approach on how these services are maintained. Close

While Goertzen had been rumoured to be wanting a change, he said he took great satisfaction from the demanding health role -- one that was especially challenging as the government initiated a revamping of the Winnipeg hospital system that will continue over the next year.

"I think it will actually be the honour of my life to have been able to serve as the minister of health," he said. He noted that apart from his counterparts in Alberta and Quebec, he had been the country's longest serving health minister, having been handed the job in May, 2016.

With the cabinet changes, Pallister continues to lead a relatively small cabinet of 14 ministers, including himself. The cabinet now has five women, up from four previously.

Although more than half the cabinet was left untouched in the shuffle, it was the first time in recent memory that so many major portfolios saw new ministers between elections.

Asked if there wasn't a certain amount of risk in making so many changes to top cabinet positions simultaneously, Pallister expressed confidence in his group.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ian Wishart, former Minister of Education and Training.

"The people we're changing into these roles have demonstrated competence, demonstrated passion for the jobs they've been asked to undertake. And I expect to see that same competence and passion as we move forward," he said.

Continuing in their portfolios are: Municipal Relations Minister Jeff Wharton; Indigenous and Northern Relations Minister Eileen Clarke; Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler; Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler; Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen; Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Cathy Cox; and Sustainable Development Minister Rochelle Squires. Stefanson retains the role of deputy premier.

Who's in, who's out

Stays in cabinet position Moves position, stays in cabinet Kicked out of cabinet New to cabinet Justice Cliff Cullen Heather Stefanson Finance Cameron Friesen Scott Fielding Health Kelvin Goertzen Cameron Friesen Crown services Cliff Cullen Colleen Mayer Families Heather Stefanson Scott Fielding Education and training Ian Wishart Kelvin Goertzen Agriculture Ralph Eichler Infrastructure Ron Schuler Growth, enterprise and trade Blaine Pedersen Indigenous and northern relations Eileen Clarke Sport, culture and heritage Cathy Cox Sustainable development Rochelle Squires Municipal relations Jeff Wharton Stays in cabinet position Moves position, stays in cabinet Kicked out of cabinet New to cabinet Justice Finance Cameron Friesen Cliff Cullen Heather Stefanson Scott Fielding Crown services Health Cliff Cullen Colleen Mayer Kelvin Goertzen Cameron Friesen Minister of families Education and training Ian Wishart Heather Stefanson Scott Fielding Kelvin Goertzen Agriculture Infrastructure Ron Schuler Ralph Eichler Growth, enterprise and trade Indigenous and northern relations Blaine Pedersen Eileen Clarke Sport, culture and heritage Sustainable development Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Rochelle Squires Cathy Cox Municipal relations Jeff Wharton

Graphic: Graeme Bruce / Winnipeg Free PressEight years ago, Brett Yasinsky hugged and said goodbye to his aunt on his way to see his girlfriend.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/8/2018 (1183 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Eight years ago, Brett Yasinsky hugged and said goodbye to his aunt on his way to see his girlfriend.

Minutes later, Yasinsky, 22, was dead, the victim of a drunk driver who sped through a red light and slammed into his car on a highway north of the city.

SUPPLIED MADD roadside memorial sign for Brett Yasinsky. Winnipeg - July 2018

Now the spot where Yasinsky died, on Nov. 10, 2010, is being marked today with the unveiling of the provinces first roadside memorial sign for victims of impaired driving.

Melody Bodnarchuk, Yasinskys aunt and a former president of the local chapter of MADD, said she hopes the sign convinces motorists to make a different decision before getting behind the wheel impaired.

"Every day I think of his loss and of our losses," Bodnarchuk said on Tuesday.

"Were not going to his wedding or the birth of his child. And this wasnt an accident  this was a choice for that driver."

Yasinsky suffered catastrophic injuries when a vehicle, driven by Brad Skawretko, hit the door beside him. Skawretko was later found to have triple the legal limit of alcohol in his system at the time.

Skawretko later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. He admitted to driving 110 km/h in an 80 km/h zone before T-boning Yasinskys car  which had the right of way  at Highway 8 and Grassmere Road.

"I am so sorry for causing so much sadness," Skawretko said during sentencing. "I can only imagine the anger Bretts family and friends have for me.

"I can only pray for their forgiveness. I will never forget that night. Please know it has changed my life forever."

But Justice Brenda Keyser, of Manitoba Court of Queens Bench, called crimes such as Skawretkos "tragic, heartbreaking and totally preventable situations."

The sign to be unveiled has the MADD red ribbon above the words "In memory of Brett Yasinsky." The logo for MADD is at the bottom.

The sign is posted beside the southbound lanes of Highway 8, just south of Grassmere Road.

Besides Bodnarchuk and her husband Wayne, others at the unveiling ceremony will include MaryAnn Mihychuk, the federal MP for Kildonan-St. Paul, Ron Schuler, the provinces minister of infrastructure and MLA for St. Paul, West St. Paul Mayor Bruce Henley and representatives of the RCMP and Manitoba Public Insurance.

Bodnarchuk said Yasinskys mother, Connie Jaman, never got over the loss of her son, suffering a heart attack shortly after his death and dying of cancer last year.

"I truly believe losing her son is what contributed to her early demise  she was only 54," she said.

"I hope she and Brett are floating around and going to be witness to this unveiling."

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Gillian Phillips, MADDs victim services manager for western Canada, said Saskatchewan was the first province in western Canada to have the signs, with Manitoba being the second and Alberta to follow later this year. Ontario will get its first one later in August.

Phillips said the signs are meant to not only memorialize the person killed, but also to educate people about the dangers of impaired driving.

She said the signs are paid for by MADD, but only go up if the family of the deceased requests one and if the victim meets certain criteria.

"The signs can only go on a highway  not local in a city  and there has to have been a conviction for impaired driving," Phillips said.

"The signs are not something we want any family to apply for because it means they have lost a loved one. Behind every sign there is a family."

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.caRecently in Canada, there has been increasing public discussion of universal public drug insurance, or pharmacare.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/8/2018 (1183 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Recently in Canada, there has been increasing public discussion of universal public drug insurance, or pharmacare.

The federal governments Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare is consulting with Canadians this summer on a program that would see prescription drugs covered through expanded publicly funded systems.

Dreamstime / TNS Canadians need more information in order to understand the possibilities and potential pitfalls of a national pharmacare program.

Premiers discussed pharmacare at their recent annual meeting, calling for a "voluntary" program designed and delivered by provinces, with federal funding and an ability for provinces to opt out.

Nonetheless, a number of myths have found their way into the public debate over the benefits and costs of pharmacare. Addressing these myths and misconceptions will help Canadians come to a reasoned opinion about whether the time is right to adopt a national pharmacare program.

Myth 1:

Pharmacare will reduce choice of drugs to the detriment of patients.

All public and many private drug plans have a list of drugs eligible for coverage. Some argue that pharmacare will mean a reduced choice of drugs, and this will be harmful to patients.

First, not all pharmacare programs aim to cover the majority of prescriptions, at least not initially. There are proposals to start universal public coverage in Canada with a small list of essential medicines. Other prescriptions would continue to be paid for by existing public and private plans or directly by patients.

This was how Australia implemented universal pharmaceutical benefits in 1950, and they expanded to a comprehensive list of medicines within a few years.

Pharmacare could also be adopted with a list meant to cover most prescriptions. Even if this is the case, when it comes to drugs, more is not necessarily better. More new drugs, in particular, are not necessarily better: the level of effectiveness required for a new drug to receive marketing approval from Health Canada is actually fairly low.

In Canada today, public medicine lists are smaller than private because they are evidence-based. Drugs have to pass a high bar in an additional review process in order to be listed.

This review focuses on how clinically effective a drug is, and also considers its value for money. This means public formularies do better at listing drugs that offer real benefits to patients, and they dont waste resources on drugs that provide little benefit or have increased risks.

Finally, a private drug plan is not a guarantee of unlimited drug choice. Some private plans are already finding they need to raise premiums or co-payments, or reduce benefits, in response to increasing drug costs.

Myth 2:

Canadian drug prices are not excessive; we already get a reasonable deal on pharmaceuticals.

It is sometimes argued that Canadian drug prices are not excessive and already offer value for money. After all, Canada has a Patented Medicines Prices Review Board (the PMPRB) with the explicit mandate to ensure that the prices of patented (brand-name or innovative) medicines are not excessive.

In 2016, the PMPRB began modernizing its guidelines for regulating drug prices. It acknowledged "the coupling of high Canadian patented drug prices and record low investment in R&D has many questioning the effectiveness of the PMPRB." It noted that while Canadas prices are at the median of the seven OECD countries the PMPRB uses as comparisons, this group of countries includes the highest drug prices in the world: Canada currently has the third-highest prices. Canada also spends more per capita on drugs than any OECD country other than the United States.

When comparing drug prices internationally, we should understand that the PMPRB uses "list" prices, similar to the "sticker" prices on new cars. Like new cars, the price of drugs is negotiated between sellers and purchasers and is not transparent.

Drug manufacturers offer purchasers confidential discounts in exchange for listing their drugs. Larger purchasers (such as governments purchasing for an entire country) can negotiate better prices.

Confidential price negotiations likely widen the gap between drug prices in Canada and countries like the United Kingdom and Australia, because smaller provincial drug plans have less negotiating power and the discounts they get only apply to people who are covered by public plans.

Myth 3:

Pharmacare will result in less pharmaceutical industry investment (particularly in research and development) in Canada.

Some argue since pharmacare would result in more regulation and lower drug prices, it would cause the pharmaceutical industry to decrease investment. They argue this would hurt the Canadian economy and patients access to innovative drugs.

The PMPRB points out that pharmaceutical R&D investment in Canada is already comparatively low (five per cent of sales versus 20 per cent in the U.K., which has much lower prices). It notes that R&D investment is driven by location of head offices, trial infrastructure and scientific clusters, not prices or insurance. This is supported by published academic research.

There is also a lack of evidence that pharmaceutical manufacturers choose not to market drugs in Canada because of regulation or pricing policies.

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For example, researchers recently asked whether manufacturers forgo marketing applications for so-called "orphan drugs" for rare diseases in Canada. Many countries have orphan drug-specific regulatory incentives to recognize the challenges of bringing new drugs for very small populations to market, but Canada does not.

We might expect that this lack of incentives would make manufacturers reluctant to market these drugs in Canada, but the researchers have found this isnt the case.

As Canadians consider possibilities for pharmacare reform in the coming months, they should have access to the best available evidence about how it might work in our country.

Hopefully, a key outcome of the advisory council will be to make this evidence accessible to Canadians.

Katherine Boothe is an associate professor of political science at McMaster University.

This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca.Free Press readers were recently treated again to the refrain that carbon pricing works, in this case from two British Columbia economists (Taxpayers will back a carbon tax if they get paid, July 18). To be accurate, their statement should instead have indicated carbon pricing is one tool, based on economic fundamentals, that can help in reducing emissions. Further, it is equally important to state that its effectiveness depends both on the price level as implemented, and on the sensitivity to price changes of the consumers involved. These distinctions are subtle, but important in the end. Not just any price will work.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/8/2018 (1183 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Free Press readers were recently treated again to the refrain that "carbon pricing works," in this case from two British Columbia economists (Taxpayers will back a carbon tax if they get paid, July 18). To be accurate, their statement should instead have indicated carbon pricing is one tool, based on economic fundamentals, that can help in reducing emissions. Further, it is equally important to state that its effectiveness depends both on the price level as implemented, and on the sensitivity to price changes of the consumers involved. These distinctions are subtle, but important in the end. Not just any price will work.

The two economists were reacting to the decision of Ontarios premier-elect to end cap-and-trade. Some inflammatory comments about "rip-offs" were noted; what was missing is that it was actually stated cap-and-trade would be ended in Ontario because it doesnt work. But is this true? Given carbon-pricing arrangements as currently established by the federal government, a surprising answer emerges.

It is increasingly evident that Canada will never meet its stated reduction commitment on greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, as required under the Paris agreement. The federal carbon price is just far too low. This has been known for some time in considering a carbon tax. Although its buried in an archive, it is still possible to access the final report of the Working Group on Carbon Pricing Mechanisms under the Pan-Canadian Framework.

This 2016 report clearly shows even if a higher carbon tax of $90 per tonne is used, Canada will not come even close to its target. Similarly, on cap-and-trade, a recent report by the Montreal Economic Institute suggests a much higher permit price is required for that approach to work.

Further evidence comes directly from British Columbia itself, the poster child for carbon taxes, which were implemented there in 2008. While sophisticated econometric analyses suggest carbon taxation is effective, I looked instead at the end result, the emissions. These are publicly tabulated each year for each jurisdiction across Canada as part of the National Inventory Report.

Conveniently, Environment Canada includes a subcategory called "energy," which involves primarily the sum of emissions from liquid fossil fuels, natural gas and any fuels used in electricity generation  in other words, the items applicable for carbon pricing.

In looking at data from 2005 through 2015, total energy emissions in British Columbia remained very steady, with no upward or downward trend over time. Energy emissions averaged 50.5 megatonnes per year (plus or minus 2.4 per cent), not much change. It can be argued carbon taxes prevented emissions from rising, but they certainly did not drop. In other words, in the long run, carbon taxes, at the relatively low prices employed, have not successfully brought down emissions.

Interestingly, Ontario is not the only province to balk on carbon pricing. Earlier, Prince Edward Island released its carbon plan, which includes no price. P.E.I. reiterated a key point which was also made by Manitoba, questioning whether federal plans are really about reducing emissions or raising taxes. Legitimate alternative approaches do exist.

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Frictions with the federal government are building here already, given Manitobas intent to maintain a constant price of $25 per tonne, while the federal government wants it higher, up to $50 per tonne. On this, students from my class recently confirmed a valid compromise to address a looming confrontation. Manitoba has, for some time, been a leader, with much higher biofuels content requirements than the national standard. The extra biofuels incrementally offset other fossil fuels, which can be translated to the equivalent price level of a carbon tax required to achieve the same reduction.

Further, the students found the equivalent prices for extra biofuels to be at least $25 per tonne or more, meaning the price gap can be easily met. We hope to have these results printed by the fall.

Unfortunately, federal plans on emission reductions appear to consist of few real actions and mostly just talk. Of greatest concern is the constant casting of blame by the federal government at others, including provinces and former prime minister Stephen Harper. This is not helpful, and is disingenuous. Around 2010, Harpers government implemented the Renewable Fuels Regulations, which have resulted in significant emission reductions in the range of four to six megatonnes annually. Credit needs to be given where it is due.

Further, while the Conservatives certainly have been favourable to resource development (where properly managed), they never stooped to buying pipelines.

There are harsh realities associated with emission reductions, none of which have been openly acknowledged by the federal government. Emission reductions are hard, and can involve painful changes. Carbon pricing disproportionately impacts low- and fixed-income Canadians. It is indeed emission reductions that count in the end, and pricing is just one tool to get there.

Robert Parsons teaches sustainability economics to MBA students at the I.H. Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba.Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/7/2018 (1183 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There is no legal requirement. But surely, there is a moral imperative involved.

The refusal last week by the corporate owner of CF Polo Park to confirm whether facial-recognition technology is being used in the popular Winnipeg shopping mall is, at very least, bothersome.

KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES CF Polo Park shopping mall

Cadillac Fairview Corp., which owns 67 properties in Canada, declined a Free Press request for information after an earlier news report revealed  and the company confirmed  that facial-recognition cameras are in use in two of its malls in the Calgary area.

The issue came to light after a visitor at one of the Calgary malls happened upon a browser that had inadvertently been left open on one of the facilitys customer directories. Cadillac Fairview confirmed it has been testing facial-recognition software since June in some of its malls, but would not disclose which locations  other than the two in the Alberta city  are involved in the test.

In a written statement to the Free Press, a spokesperson for Cadillac Fairview said, "We are not sharing further details about the program, including locations, as we view this as proprietary."

Thats unacceptable.

While its true that shopping malls such as Polo Park are privately owned facilities and that their owners have the right to employ a wide range of security and information-gathering techniques inside their walls, its also valid to argue that shopping centres are, by their nature, de facto public spaces and that individuals right to protect their personal identities should reasonably be considered.

That doesnt mean private-property owners such as Cadillac Fairview should be prohibited from using the aforementioned technology; it does, however, suggest mall proprietors should be sufficiently mindful of their customers concerns to allow them to make informed choices about whether they want to shop in a venue that is employing such digital detection software.

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It could be as simple as a sticker visible on mall-entrance doorways, informing those who choose to enter that their personal information ceases to be private once they venture inside. That would be, in a word, respectful.

It might also be true that, as the company explained in reference to the Calgary malls, the facial-recognition technology is being used for the most benign of retail-research purposes, gathering general demographic information about customers based on data from the directory kiosks. But if its as simple as that, theres no reason for Cadillac Fairview to act so coy when asked about the softwares use.

If its the companys position that theres no possible harm being done by the information gathering being conducted by its software, then it must equally concede theres no harm in letting mall patrons know when such information is being gathered.

Its a simple "yes or no" question. And the answer would allow shoppers to make deliberate decisions about how and where they conduct their business.

At a time when an increasing number of consumers are avoiding traditional retail establishments altogether, opting instead to shift their shopping into the online realm, it would be wise for bricks-and-mortar merchants to do whatever they can to make customers feel welcome and secure.

The musty old adage "The customer is always right" might not apply in the 21st-century retail context, but mall owners seeking to keep people shopping the old-fashioned way should at least make their customers feel as if they have some rights.The following companies are subsidiares of Dover: Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o, Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, Automatik Grundstucksverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Automatik Plastics Machinery (Taiwan) Ltd., BSC Filters Limited, Background2 Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression BV, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., DSR BZ Holdings LLC, Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. 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Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International Ventures Tunisia S.a.r.l., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Pumps & Process Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dresser Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dresser Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty. Ltd., Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty. Ltd., Em-tec, Espy, Ettlinger, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries, Gala Kunststoff-und Kautschukmaschinen GmbH, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems Company, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Hydronova Australia-NZ Pty Ltd, Industrial Motion Control LLC, Innovative Control Systems, Innovative Control Systems Inc., Inpro/Seal LLC, JK Group, JK Group S.P.A., JK Group USA Inc., K S Boca Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag Automatik GmbH, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty Ltd, Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn Bhd, Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A.U, Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Mouvex, Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International (UK) Ltd., OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OPW Engineered Systems Inc., OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW France, OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, RAV Equipos Espana S.L., RAV France, Ravaglioli Deutschland GmbH, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod SAS, Revod Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd, Revod Sweden AB, Robohand Inc., Rosario, Rosario Handel B.V., Rotary Lift Consolidated (Haimen) Co. Ltd, SE Liquidation LLC, SWEP Germany GmbH, SWEP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SWEP North America Inc., SWEP Slovakia s.r.o., SWEP Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Seabiscuit Motorsports Inc., Simmons Sirvey Corporation, So. Cal. Soft-Pak, So. Cal. Soft-Pak Incorporated, Solaris Laser, Solaris Laser S.A., Somero Enterprises, Sound Solutions, Space S.R.L., Spirit, Start Italiana Petrol Cihazlari Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Start Italiana S.R.L., Swep Energy Oy, Swep International A.B., Swep Japan K.K., Sys-Tech Solutions, Sys-Tech Solutions Inc., Systech GB Limited, Systech Shanghai Consulting Company Limited, TQC Quantium Quality S.A. de C.V., TTSI III Inc., TWG Canada Consolidated Inc., TXHI LLC, Tartan Textile Services Inc., The Heil Co., Tokheim Belgium, Tokheim China Company Limited, Tokheim GmbH, Tokheim Group, Tokheim Hengshan Technologies (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tokheim Holding B.V., Tokheim India Private Limited, Tokheim Sofitam Applications, Trans - Logistic Group S.R.L., Triton Systems, Tulsa Winch Inc., UPCO Inc., US Synthetic, Unattended Payment Solutions LLC, Unified Brands, Unified Brands Inc., Val TemperBent Glass L.P., Vectron Frequency Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vehicle Service Group LLC, Vehicle Service Group UK Limited, Vos Food Store Equipment Ltd., WSCR Corp., Warn Automotive LLC, Warn Industries, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Bearings Corporation, Waukesha Bearings Limited, Waukesha Bearings Russia LLC, Wayne Fuel Management UK Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems, Wayne Fueling Systems (Rus) Limited Liability Company, Wayne Fueling Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Wayne Fueling Systems Canada ULC, Wayne Fueling Systems Deutschland GmbH, Wayne Fueling Systems Italia S.R.L., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB, Wayne Fueling Systems UK Holdco Ltd., Wayne Industria e Comercio Ltda., WellMark, XanTec Steuerungs- und EDV-Technik GmbH, and em-tec GmbH.The following companies are subsidiares of Stryker: ActiViews, Aimago SA, Alcott Indemnity Company, Arrinex Inc, Arrinex Inc., Ascent Healthcare Solutions, Berchtold, Berchtold + Fritz GmbH, Berchtold Consulting GmbH, Berchtold Corporation, Berchtold GmbH & Co. KG, Berchtold Holding Switzerland GmbH, CHG Hospital Beds, Cactus LLC, Cardan Robotics, Changzhou Orthomed Medical Instrument Company Limited, Concentric Medical, Concentric Medical Inc., Entellus Medical, Entellus Medical Europe Ltd, Entellus Medical Inc., GYS Tech LLC, Gaymar Industries, Gongping (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd., Groupe Bertec, HeartSine Technologies LLC, HeartSine Technologies Limited, Howmedica International S. de R.L., Howmedica Osteonics Corp., Hygia Health Services, Hygia Healthcare Services Inc., HyperBranch, HyperBranch Technology Inc., ITAPCo Limited, Image Guided Technologies, Imorphics Limited, Infinity MSD Corp., Infinity MSE Corp., Infinity MSF Corp., Infomedix Communications, Instratek, InstruMedics L.L.C, Invuity Inc., Ivy Sports Medicine, Ivy Sports Medicine LLC, Jiangsu Chuangyi Medical Instrument Company Limited, Jolife AB, K2M Germany GmbH, K2M Group, K2M Group Holdings Inc., K2M Holdings Inc., K2M Iberia Medcomtech S.L.U., K2M Inc., K2M Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, K2M Spine Solutions (Schweiz) GmbH, K2M UK Limited, Loon Intermediateco LLC, MAKO Surgical, MAKO Surgical Corp, Memometal Technologies, Mobius Imaging, Mobius Imaging LLC, Muka Metal, Muka Metal Ticaret ve Sanayi Anaonim Sirketi, NV Stryker SA, Nettrick Limited, Novadaq Corp, Novadaq Hong Kong Ltd, Novadaq Technologies, Novadaq Technologies ULC, OOO "Stryker", Orneo Ozel Saglk Hizmetleri Medikal Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, OrthoSpace, OrthoSpace Ltd., OrthoSpace US Inc., Orthomed (Hong Kong) Medical Instrument Company Limited, Orthovita, Orthovita Inc., OtisMed, P.C. Sweden Holding AB, Patient Safety Technologies, Patton Surgical, Pficonprod Pty. Ltd., Physio-Control, Physio-Control (Shanghai) Sales Co. Ltd., Physio-Control Brazil Vendas Ltda., Physio-Control Czech Sales s.r.o., Physio-Control Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Physio-Control Holdings Inc, Physio-Control Hungary Sales Kft, Physio-Control Inc., Physio-Control India Sales Pvt. Ltd, Physio-Control Investments LLC, Physio-Control Lebanon Sales Offshore s.a.l., Physio-Control Manufacturing Inc., Physio-Control Operations Netherlands B.V., Physio-Control Sales Limited Liability Company, Physio-Control Singapore Pte. Ltd., Physio-Control South Africa Sales Pty. Ltd., Physio-Control UK Sales Ltd., Pivot Medical, PlasmaSol, Porex Technologies, SSI Divestiture Inc., SYK Costa Rica Services Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, SafeAir AG, SafeWire, Sage Products, Sage Products Coperatief U.A., Sage Products Holdings II LLC, Sage Products Holdings III LLC, Sage Products LLC, Scopis GmbH, Sightline Technologies, Small Bone Innovations, SpineCore, Spirox Inc., Stanmore Implants Worldwide, Stanmore Implants Worldwide Limited, Stanmore Inc., Stryker (Barbados) Foreign Sales Corporation, Stryker (Beijing) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Shanghai) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Suzhou) Medical Technology Co Ltd, Stryker (Thailand) Limited, Stryker AB, Stryker Acquisitions BV, Stryker Asia Holdings CV, Stryker Australia LLC, Stryker Australia Pty. Ltd., Stryker Austria GmbH, Stryker B.V., Stryker Berchtold BV, Stryker Beteiligungs GmbH, Stryker Canada GP ULC, Stryker Canada Holding Company, Stryker Canada Manufacturing ULC, Stryker Canada ULC, Stryker Canadian Management ULC, Stryker Canadian Sales Holding Company ULC, Stryker Capital BV, Stryker China Limited, Stryker Colombia SAS, Stryker Communications Inc., Stryker Corporation (Chile) y Compania Limitada, Stryker Corporation (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Stryker Customs Brokers LLC, Stryker Czech Republic s.r.o., Stryker Delaware Inc., Stryker EMEA Supply Chain Services BV, Stryker Employment Company LLC, Stryker European Coordination Center BV, Stryker European Holdings Cooperatief U.A, Stryker European Holdings I LLC, Stryker European Holdings II LLC, Stryker European Holdings LLC, Stryker European Holdings V LLC, Stryker European Operations B.V., Stryker European Operations Holdings I BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings II BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings III BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings LLC, Stryker European Operations Limited, Stryker European Technologies C.V., Stryker Far East Inc., Stryker Foreign Acquisitions Inc., Stryker France Holding SNC, Stryker France MM Holdings SAS, Stryker France SAS, Stryker Funding B.V., Stryker GI Services CV, Stryker Global Technology Center Private Limited, Stryker GmbH, Stryker GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Grundstucks GmbH & Co KG, Stryker Grundstucks Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Holdings BV, Stryker IFSC Designated Activity Company, Stryker Iberia SL Unipersonal, Stryker India Private Limited, Stryker International Acquisitions BV, Stryker International Holdings BV, Stryker Investment Holdings B.V., Stryker Ireland Holding Unlimited Company, Stryker Ireland Limited, Stryker Italia S.r.l. S.U., Stryker Japan Holdings BV, Stryker Japan K.K., Stryker Korea Ltd., Stryker Lebanon (Offshore) S.A.L., Stryker Leibinger GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Stryker Luxembourg Sarl, Stryker Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Mauritius Holding Ltd., Stryker Medical London LP, Stryker Medtech K.K., Stryker Medtech Limited, Stryker Mexico Holdings B.V., Stryker Mexico SA de CV, Stryker NV Operations Limited, Stryker Nederland BV, Stryker New Zealand Limited, Stryker Osteonics AG, Stryker Pacific Limited, Stryker Performance Solutions LLC, Stryker Polska Sp.z.o.o., Stryker Portugal - Produtos Medicos Unipessoal Lda., Stryker Professional Latin America S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Puerto Rico Limited, Stryker Romania SRL, Stryker Sage Inc., Stryker Sales Corporation, Stryker Servicios Administrativos S.de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Singapore Private Limited, Stryker South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Stryker Spine SAS, Stryker Spine Sarl, Stryker Sustainability Solutions Inc., Stryker Tibbi Cihazlan Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Stryker Trauma GmbH, Stryker Turkish Holdings BV, Stryker UK Ltd, Stryker Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Vietnam Company Limited, Stryker do Brasil Ltda, Surpass Medical, Synergetics, TG SP Holdings Corp, TSO3 Corp, TSO3 Inc, Trauson, Trauson (China) Medical Instrument Company Limited, Trauson (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (BVI) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings Company Limited, VEXIM SA, Vexim, Waterloo Bedding Co., Wright Medical Group, ZipLine Medical Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ZipLine Medical Hong Kong Limited, ZipLine Medical Inc., and eTrauma.com.Domtar Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes communication papers, specialty and packaging papers, and absorbent hygiene products in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Pulp and Paper, and Personal Care. The company provides business papers, including copy and electronic imaging papers used in inkjet and laser printers, photocopiers, and plain-paper fax machines, as well as computer papers, preprinted forms, and digital papers for office and home use. It also offers commercial printing and publishing papers, such as offset papers and opaques used in sheet and roll fed offset presses; publishing papers, which include tradebook and lightweight uncoated papers for publishing textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels, and financial documents; and converting papers for envelopes, tablets, business forms, and data processing/computer forms. In addition, the company provides papers for thermal printing, flexible packaging, food packaging, medical packaging, medical gowns and drapes, sandpaper backing, carbonless printing, labels and other coating, and laminating applications; and papers for industrial and specialty applications, such as carrier papers, treated papers, security papers, and specialized printing and converting applications. Further, it offers absorbent hygiene products, including absorbent briefs, protective underwear, underpads, pads, washcloths, and body patches under the Attends, Indasec, IndasSlip, and Reassure brands; and baby diapers, training and youth pants, and bed mats under the Comfees, Chelino, Nene, and Bambino brand names. The company serves merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters, and end-users. Domtar Corporation was founded in 1848 and is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Laboratory Co. of America: 1957285 Ontario Inc. dba Quality Underwriting Services, 2089729 Ontario Inc., 2248848 Ontario Inc., 3065619 Nova Scotia Company, 3257959 Nova Scotia Company, 896988 Ontario Limited, 9279-3280 Quebec Inc., Accupath Diagnostic Laboratories Inc., Alpha Medical Laboratory LLC, Assets of Pathology Inc, Beacon LBS IPA Inc., Beacon Laboratory Benefit Solutions Inc., CannAmm GP Inc., CannAmm Limited Partnership, Center for Disease Detection International, Center for Disease Detection LLC, Centrex Clinical Laboratories Inc., Chiltern, Clearstone Central Laboratories (U.S.) Inc., Clearstone Holdings (International) Ltd., Clipper Holdings Inc., Colorado Coagulation Consultants Inc., Colorado Laboratory Services LLC, Correlagen Diagnostics Inc., Covance Inc., Curalab Inc., Cytometry Associates Inc., Czura Thornton (Hong Kong) Limited, DCL Acquisition Inc., DCL Medical Laboratories LLC (DE), DCL Medical Laboratories LLC (FL), DCL Sub LLC, DIANON Systems Inc., DL Holdings Limited Partnership, Decision Diagnostics L.L.C. (aka DaVinici/Medicorp LLC), Diagnostic Services Inc., DynaLifeDX, Dynacare - Gamma Laboratory Partnership, Dynacare Company, Dynacare G.P. Inc., Dynacare Holdco LLC, Dynacare Laboratories Inc., Dynacare Laboratories Limited Partnership, Dynacare Northwest Inc., Dynacare Realty Inc., DynalifeDX Infrastructure Inc., Endocrine Sciences Inc., Esoterix Genetic Counseling LLC, Esoterix Genetic Laboratories LLC, Esoterix Inc., Execmed Health Services Inc., FirstSource Laboratory Solutions Inc., GDML Medical Laboratories Inc, Gamma Dynacare Central Medical Laboratories GP Inc., Gamma Dynacare Central Medical Laboratory Limited Partnership, HHLA Lab-In-An-Envelope LLC, Health Trans Services Inc., Home Healthcare Laboratory of America LLC, IDX Pathology Inc., Impact Genetics Corp, Impact Genetics Inc., Kaleida LabCorp LLC, Lab Delivery Service of New York City Inc., LabCorp BVBA, LabCorp Belgium Holdings Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (Canada) Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (China) Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (Singapore) Pte., LabCorp Development Company, LabCorp Employer Services Inc., LabCorp Health System Diagnostics LLC, LabCorp Indiana Inc., LabCorp Japan G.K., LabCorp Limited, LabCorp Michigan Inc., LabCorp Nebraska Inc., LabCorp Neon Ltd., LabCorp Neon Switzerland S.a.r.l., LabCorp Specialty Testing Billing Service Inc., LabCorp Specialty Testing Group Inc., LabCorp Staffing Solutions Inc., LabCorp Tennessee LLC, LabCorp UK Holdings Ltd., LabWest Inc., Laboratoire Bio-Medic Inc., Laboratory Corporation of America, Lifecodes Corporation, LipoScience Inc., Litholink Corporation, MEDTOX Scientific Inc., MNG Laboratories, Medical Neurogenitics LLC, Medtox Diagnostics Inc., Medtox Laboratories Inc., Monogram Biosciences Inc., Monogram Biosciences UK Limited, Myriad Autoimmunes Vectra Testing Business, NWT Inc., National Genetics Institute, New Brighton Business Center LLC, New Imaging Diagnostics LLC, New Molecular Diagnostics Ventures LLC, Orchid Cellmark Ltd., Orchid Cellmark ULC, PA Labs Inc., Path Lab Incorporated, Pathology Associates Medical Lab LLC, Pee Dee Pathology Associates Inc., Persys Technology Inc., Pixel by LabCorp, Princeton Diagnostic Laboratories of America Inc., Protedyne Corporation, ReliaGene Technologies Inc., SW/DL LLC, Saint Josephs-PAML LLC, Sequenom Biosciences (India) Pvt. Ltd., Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine LLC, Sequenom Inc, Sequenom Inc., Southern Idaho Regional Laboratory, Tandem Labs Inc., The LabCorp Charitable Foundation, Tri-Cities Laboratory LLC, Viro-Med Laboratories Inc., Visiun, and Yakima Medical Arts Inc..The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan.A parking lot shooting that took place in Pinellas County, Florida is sparking new controversy over the stand your ground law that is still in effect in the state. Where such laws are not in effect, the person who is under imminent threat has a duty to retreat before responding with force. Instead, the shooter in this case has not been arrested,and the state attorneys office is still determining whether he should face charges.

On July 19, 47-year-old Michael Drejka, of Clearwater, Florida, confronted a woman who parked in a handicapped parking space outside a Circle A Food Store. Witnesses later told police that the two were arguing because Drejka was upset that the woman parked there without a handicap designation on her vehicle. According to the store owner, the womans boyfriend, 28-year-old Markeis McGlockton, was inside the store buying his five-year-old son a candy bar.

The woman, Britany Jacobs, later explained that McGlockton had just picked her up from her job as a nursing assistant and that the parking lot was very busy and they were only stopping for a minute. Apparently Drejka approached her car window after checking their license plate and began speaking loudly and gesturing with his hands toward nearby empty spaces.

As the argument escalated, McGlockton exited the store to defend his girlfriend and their other two children, ages three years and four months, who were still in the vehicle, and shoved Drejka to the ground. Drejka then sat up and removed a pistol from his front right pocket and shot McGlockton, who was backing away, in the chest. McGlockton then ran back into the store, where his five-year-old son was standing at the door, and fell to the ground clutching his chest. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. The entire incident was captured on surveillance video.

Multiple people witnessed the shooting and called 911. The store owner reported to ABC Action News that Drejka, who carries a legal concealed weapons permit, has a history of assaulting people in this particular parking lot. Rich Kelly, a man who frequents the store, stated that Drejka picked a fight with him over a parking spot one month ago, used racial slurs against him, and threatened to kill him.

The Pinellas County sheriff has not arrested Drejka, citing the self-defense law which allows people to use force without retreating if they feel threatened. Sherriff Bob Gualteri said that under Floridas stand your ground law, Drejka was defending himself. Under a change made by the Florida legislature last year, prosecutors are now burdened with proving that the law does not apply.

Gualtieri said in a statement on Tuesday: The easy thing, in some respects, would have been for me to arrest Drejka and kick it to the state attorney. The easy thing is not the right thing or the legal thing to do based upon the application of the law in this case. If you dont like the fact that he (Drejka) is not sitting in jail, go talk to the legislature.

Attorney Benjamin Crump, representing McGlocktons family, held a press conference last Thursday, where he stated that race is the reason no charges have been filed, due to the fact that Drejka is white-skinned, and McGlockton was considered black. Crump is the same attorney who represented the family of Trayvon Martin in a similar shooting incident in 2012 involving the now infamous George Zimmerman. Crump called Drejkas actions cold-blooded murder.

We all know race is a factor in this case, he stated outside the Clearwater courthouse. Crump said that if McGlockton was white and Drejka was black, does anyone doubt that he (Drejka) would have been arrested and taken to jail, if he would have not been shot right there in the parking lot?

Michael McGlockton, the dead mans father, told reporters that his son was just protecting his family when he shoved Drejka. Any man out there would have done the exact same thing. He said Drejka should have stood up and fought his son, not shot him.

Crump drew comparisons to the case of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old black youth who was fatally shot in 2012 by Zimmerman. Zimmerman was a Hispanic man who was his neighborhoods watch captain and confronted Martin, who was walking back home after making a purchase at a convenience store. Zimmerman said he thought Martin might be a burglar casing homes.

Crump said that both Drejka and Zimmerman started their altercations and that the law should not let them fatally shoot someone. They could have just let the police do their job, but these wannabe cops initiated the confrontation and shot and killed in cold blood these unarmed black men, and then both were allowed to go home and sleep in their beds.

Hundreds of people from around the Tampa Bay area marched with the family a day after McGlockton was laid to rest in Largo, Florida. A local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held a vigil Sunday for McGlockton before marching from a nearby church to the food store that served as the site of the killing.

Tampa City Council member and mayoral candidate Harry Cohen stated publicly that he wants Governor Rick Scott to call a special session to address the states law. Florida Senator Bill Nelson has asked the Department of Justice to look into the case.For the second year in a row, the US state of California is the scene of death and destruction, as wildfires surge throughout the state and drive thousands from their homes. In July alone, wildfires have killed nine people and burned over one thousand homes, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate.

The number of horrific tragedies is multiplying. On Thursday, Ed Bledsoe, 76, left his wife Melody, 70, and two great-grandchildren Emily and James, 4 and 5, to go to a doctors appointment. The Carr Fire had been burning for four days near his Shasta County home, but they were not under an evacuation order.

After a panicked call from his wife saying she could see the fire approaching, Bledsoe raced back, but was blocked by traffic and the encroaching fire. Unable to make it home, he managed to reach his family by cell phone as they huddled under wet blankets and the fire overtook them.

Their tragic deaths are part of the social catastrophe that surrounds every natural disaster. The stage is set by forces beyond mankinds control, but these intersect with and are compounded by a social and political system in which everything is subordinated to the wealth accumulation of the corporate and financial elite.

At the same time as fires rage in California, the death toll from fires last week in Greece has risen to 91, with 25 still missing. While the immediate cause of these fires is still being investigated, there is no doubt that the austerity measures carried out by the Syriza government, dictated by European banks, are to blame for the massive death toll. They include cuts of 20 percent from the fire service, along with other cuts to utilities that contributed to electricity and water supply failures.

In California, prolonged drought conditions have dried out large sections of the state and provided large amounts of fuel for the ongoing fires. Of the ten most destructive wildfires on record in California, four have happened within the last ten months.

Last year, 43 people were killed in California fires, nearly 10,000 buildings were destroyed and a quarter-million people were evacuated. An investigation released last month found that a dozen of the fires that killed nine people in Northern California in October were caused by power lines operated by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, highlighting the impact of decayed infrastructure in causing the blazes.

Among the factors contributing to the greater frequency and intensity of fires is climate change. Studies at the National Center for Atmospheric Research show that increased global temperatures have created warmer winters, shortening the amount of time needed for snowpack to melt, consequently also shortening the time for the newly created water to evaporate.

The Guardian cited University of California professor Anthony LeRoy Westerling, who noted that the impact of climate change will probably accelerate. There wont be a new normal in our lifetimes. The Carr fire is only one of a bunch of large fires which have behaved in uncharacteristic ways, including firenados that have rapidly destroyed homes.

Similar trends are occurring in Europe and across the globe. Data from the Suomi NPP, Terra and Aqua satellites show Europes landscape turning from green to brown over the past month as a result of record long droughts in Armenia, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland and Norway. Approximately fifty forest fires, which have burned down 62,000 acres of land, were blazing in Sweden in mid-July.

Despite increasingly dire warnings from scientists about the consequences of climate change, the capitalist statesriven by national conflicts and each subordinate to the profits of giant corporationshave been incapable of taking any serious measures to do anything about it.

There are many factors that contribute to the spread of fires, and measures that could be taken to mitigate their impact. The US Forest Service estimates that in Californias wilderness there are an unusually high number of dead trees, 129 million, killed by drought and beetle infestations. That immense volume of fuel, reaching high into the canopy, intensifies and helps spread the fires that break out.

Residential building is carried out wherever individual developers can turn a profit. They carry no liability for long-term risks. Moreover, soaring housing costs have driven people to seek lower rents outside the cities in smaller towns and suburbs with greater risks. Cal Fire identified more than 1,300 communities in California at high risk of damage from wildfire. But that list was compiled from the 1990 census data and published in 2001. It has not been updated since.

Then there is the impact of perpetually underfunded and under-resourced fire departments, which have faced a series of budget cuts since the 2008 economic crisis. A full quarter of Californias wilderness firefighters are prison inmates who are paid $1 an hour when actively fighting fires and $2 a day when doing preventive work. Two of these workers died in the 2017 fires.

As for the impact of the fires, as with other natural disasters, those who have had their lives upended are left at the mercy of insurance companies, if they even have insurance. Bledsoe, who lost his family, was a renter without insurance. The only thing he has left after the fire is his truck and the clothes on his back. Only a GoFundMe page set up by a family friend separates him from complete destitution.

Resources exist to take emergency measures to address the conditions that produce such disasters. Californias current emergency fund for wildfires is $442.8 million, and a full quarter of it was spent since July 1, $114.7 million. In contrast, every two days in 2018 Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon and richest man in the world, made more than that, $510 million. The entire budget of Cal Fire, which manages the 31 million acres of Californias wilderness, is roughly what Bezos makes in a week.

In a socialist and planned economy, billions would be allocated to implement scientific fire prevention and controlled burning methods. Resources would be devoted to construct advanced warning systems and evacuation routes. Everyone would have access to modern housing in developments planned from the start to avoid wildfires. Those who, despite all these precautions, lost their homes would be made whole with new housing. And emergency measures would be taken, on a global scale, to halt and reverse climate change.

Every natural disaster exposes the social and political reality. As the California fires rage, the Trump administration is plotting new ways to hand out billions in tax cuts to the rich. The Democrats, who control the state of California, are focusing all their efforts on denouncing Trump for being insufficiently aggressive against Russia, while ensuring that the military is funded with a gargantuan $716 billion budget.

The entire political establishment, indifferent and hostile to the interests of the vast majority of the population, merely exposes its own bankruptcy and the irrationality of the capitalist system over which the ruling class presides.WORLAND -Washakie Countys Wyoming Public Lands Initiative (WPLI) Advisory Committee presented the public with their recommendations for the countys Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs), last month, and the public comment period officially came to an end July 16.

Tonight, the group will consider all comments before submitting final recommendations to the county commission for approval. The group...They denounced the recent abductions and killings of Bakweri Chiefs and other civilians by unknown armed men report CT.

ADS

The people of Buea, joined by some other indigenes of the South West, yesterday July 31, 2018 took the streets to denounce the abduction and killings of some Bakweri traditional rulers and civilians by unknown gunmen. They expressed with bitterness the murder of Chief Mbanda Njie Williams of Lysoka Village who died in captivity on July 27, 2018.



Marching from the Bongo Square to the South West Governors Office, the peaceful activists chanted songs of love in their native language with peace plants in hands while carrying placards with messages addressed to those causing havoc. The kidnapping and killing of Chief Mbanda is sacrilege to our culture, Abducting civilians and asking for ransom is banditry and abuse of human rights, No to secession, We want peace, Not war among other soul touching messages.



The peaceful march organised by Ekema Patrick Esunge, Mayor of Buea Council, came on the heels of the release of the seven Bakweri Chiefs that have been held in captivity by unknown armed men since Thursday July 12, 2018. Their release follows a 24 hour ultimatum issued to the abductors during an enlarged Bakweri Conference of Sunday July 29, 2018.

Bernard Okalia Bilai, South West Governor, expressed the States condolences to the family of Chief Mbanda and all those who have died in the ongoing crisis. He called on the population to continue dialogue at their various levels so that all those kidnapped anywhere in the South West Region should be released. If we are not in peace, we cannot negotiate and dialogue. I am inviting all of you to join hands and stop all the disturbances. Avoid provocation and violence. This is because violence against violence creates chaos. Let us beg our brothers who are still in the bushes carrying arms to come back home for peace to reign, he appealed.

Ekema Patrick Esunge used the forum to inform all economic operators whose shops were sealed by the Buea Council on July 23 and 30, that they should immediately open them and operate. He however cautioned that any business premises that will be found closed on Mondays will receive serious municipal sanctions.



Elsie Ngowo Effange-Mbella, speaking on behalf of the indigenes of Buea and Fako said that the unknown gunmen have created anarchy in the region. She expressed gratitude to all those who prayed for the release of the custodians of tradition. She noted that peaceful coexistence requires the respect of their land, culture and their people. We wish to underscore the fact that the South West population is seriously alarm and negatively impacted by the continuous threats of the inhabitants by armed group. We call on the State to protect the rights of the populace in the face of continuous threats and harassment. she said while handing a message to South West Governor meant for the Head of State.



Kunyui NGONMENYUIWorld The Daily Beast

DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty ImagesTwo foreign female tourists were caught in a crossfire between rival crime groups and shot to death last Thursday in the high-end resort town of Tulum, Mexico. Three other people were also wounded when the firefight broke out in the popular restaurant, La Malquerida, not far from the beach. Of the two women who were killed, one was from Germany and the other India.They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and got caught in an exchange of gunfire betweeThird times a charm!

Former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff tied the knot with fiancee of two years, Hayley Roberts, in Italy on Tuesday. The actors press agent confirmed the happy news with PEOPLE.

The TV star reportedly flew out daughters Taylor, 28, and Hayley, 25, to the southern region of Puglia for a small ceremony among close friends and family, seven years after Welsh model Roberts, 38, first charmed the 66-year-old actor at a hotel in 2011.

At the time, the judge for Britains Got Talent, who was filming auditions for the competitive reality TV show, was approached by Roberts for an autograph, consenting on the condition that she give him her number. Five years later, the couple were engaged.

We were both in tears, Roberts told Hello! Magazine in 2016 of Hasselhoffs proposal during a romantic beach picnic in Malibu. I genuinely had no idea he was going to do that, Im still overwhelmed.

@davidhasselhoff ? A post shared by Hayley Roberts (@hhayleyroberts) on Sep 10, 2017 at 2:15pm PDT

The Knight Rider actor was previously married to Catherine Hickland and Pamela Bach.

Throughout their time together, Roberts has formed a close bond with the actors daughters, who encouraged the star to go through with the proposal after consulting them.

I told my girls what I was going to do and they were both really supportive, he told Hello!. Its tough. No one wants to see their parents split up. But they love Hayley and theyre just happy for me.Dating app murder suspect seemed like a 'dream guy' at first, ex-girlfriend says originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com

A New York City woman who dated the 27-year-old suspected murderer whom police believe used dating apps to target his victims said he seemed like a "dream guy" at first, but that facade eventually faded when he allegedly attacked her six months later.

Zynea Barney, 26, said she began interacting with Danueal Drayton last November after he messaged her on an online dating and matchmaking application, for "two days straight."

Barney "wasn't looking for love" at the time, so she said she ignored the messages at first, but she eventually replied.

"It was just conversation, you know, just talk here and there," Barney told ABC News.

PHOTO: This undated photo provided by the New York Police Department shows Danueal Drayton. (NYPD via AP)

Barney and Drayton were soon texting every day, and three weeks later, their conversations evolved to phone calls, she said. At the time, she says she found him to be a "real good guy" with his "head on his shoulders."

Drayton stood out because instead of asking Barney for photos of her body, like a "normal guy" would, he would inquire about her goals and dreams instead, she said.

"We would talk all night, all day, regular conversation," she said. "No red flags, nothing. Just you know -- the perfect guy."

Barney's first impressions of Drayton were positive because of "the way he spoke," she said.

"He carried himself very well in conversation," she said. "Like, he showed that he was very interested in what you talked about, what you had going on."

What Barney first perceived as interest later translated into what she felt was him "pretending to have similarities" with her, which is what "kept the conversations going," she said.

"It was a delight to talk to him at that time," Barney said.

The first time the pair met in person, they stayed in a hotel together but slept in separate beds, Barney said. That night, they watched movies and joked around with each other.

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Then, Barney and Drayton began seeing each other every day, she said, whether it be a walk in the park or going out for a meal.

"There was not a day we didn't see each other," Barney said.

Barney said the relationship "kept going forward in a positive direction," but she noticed something amiss when Drayton was driving her car and she answered a call on his phone from a woman named "Cherry."

Barney says the woman told her that she also met Drayton on a dating app. According to Barney, the woman said she and Drayton were "just friends," but told Barney he'd never mentioned that he had a girlfriend.

Barney demanded that Drayton pull over and get out of her car, causing him to plead with her, telling her that the woman was "nothing" but "conversation," she said.

But, Barney says she drove away, telling Drayton that while he should have been honest with her, they could remain friends since Drayton was "new to New York," offering him help with looking for a job. Barney's son was in the backseat of the car at the time, she said.

After that, the relationship spiraled out of control, Barney said. She began to feel threatened in early June, she said, when Drayton would allegedly sleep outside her home, waiting for her and begging her to take him back when she would ask him to leave.

"He then proceeded to take my landlord's ladder that was placed in my hallway and place it to the window and climbed up," Barney said, adding that her son was in the room at the time. "That's when I knew, like, he has to go."

PHOTO: Zynea Barney, 26, told ABC News that suspected dating app killer Danueal Drayton strangled and threatened her after the two went on a date. (ABC News)

During their final encounter, Drayton allegedly strangled Barney, she said.

That day, Drayton began "blowing up" Barney's phone around 6 a.m., she said. Around two hours later, when she finally picked up, Barney said he asked if he could see her before he went to California for a job.

After the pair went to Chipotle together, Barney says Drayton told her that he wanted to spend "the rest of the day" with her. Barney said she informed him that she had things to do and asked Drayton where she should drop him off.

Once they got to the park where Drayton requested to go, Barney said he asked her if she could see them getting back together in the future.

"I was like, 'No, not at all,'" Barney said. "I said, 'I told you this over and over. It's not like I led you on. I'm doing the right thing. I told you, like, I just don't want to be with you at this point no more. I just don't have time for little games. Let's just separate, be friends. We can hang out time to time.'"

Drayton then "got quiet" before saying "OK" and exiting the car, Barney said. He then began digging in his pockets before he allegedly lunged at her, she said.

"And that's when he just looked at me in the car and then jumped across, had both of his knees on top of my knees while my seat belt was still on," she said, adding that Drayton somehow pushed her gear into park before he attempted to strangle her.

Barney claims Drayton told her over and over again, "I'm gonna kill you."

PHOTO: Chief Dermot F. Shea holds a photo of suspect Danueal Drayton on July 26, 2018. (@NYPDDetectives/Twitter)

Barney said she went into "survivor mode," before clicking the button to release her seat belt and opening the driver's side door. Drayton then allegedly took one hand off of her neck in an attempt to close the door, but Barney said she "threw" herself outside of the car.

Drayton then allegedly hopped outside of the car on the passenger side, but Barney said before Drayton could get to her, three factory workers approached her, asking if she was OK.

The workers then chased Drayton off after he kept "charging toward" her, Barney said. Drayton's last words to her were, "I'm gonna kill you," she alleged.

Police then arrived on the scene and saw that Barney had swelling on her neck, she said. She says she refused medical attention, telling officers she just wanted to get to her son at his day care but let them photograph her injuries and write a report.

After picking up her son, police escorted Barney home so she could pick up some belongings and drive to a friend's house -- a location that Drayton didn't know about, she said.

Barney said she still has a mark on her throat from where Drayton allegedly dug his thumb into her.

Barney claims every day after that, Drayton would call her, vacillating between apologizing and allegedly threatening her in voicemails.

"You kept seein' different personalities through the voicemail," she said.

Police arrested and jailed Drayton days after he allegedly assaulted Barney, she said. She didn't know that he had been released from jail in New York until last week when the NYPD announced that he'd been arrested on different charges in California and was a suspect in the murder of a nurse in Queens, New York.

Barney says no one at the police department or district attorney's office reached out to let her know Drayton had been released.

She then became scared for her the safety of her son, whom Drayton had spent a fair amount of time around, she said. Barney's son would even call Drayton "Dada" sometimes, she said.

The NYPD did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment on Barney's case.

Drayton, who is from New Haven, Connecticut, was arrested in Los Angeles on July 24 for allegedly sexually assaulting and trying to kill a woman there, NYPD officials announced after the arrest.

He was apprehended in North Hollywood while allegedly strangling and sexually assaulting a 28-year-old woman whom he refused to let leave after a date, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

PHOTO: Murder suspect Danuel Drayton, 27, is arrested in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, July 23, 2018. (KABC-Exclusive)

Drayton had been wanted in New York as a suspect in the murder of a nurse, who was found dead in her home in early July, the NYPD said.

The "common denominator in these cases -- one being a murder and one being a rape -- is dating websites," NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said last week. "This individual is known to us and believed by us to be using dating websites to meet women and victimize women."

In California, Drayton was charged with attempted murder, forcible rape, sexual penetration by foreign object and false imprisonment, Los Angeles prosecutors said. His bail was set at $1.25 million.

Since in police custody, Drayton has claimed to have murdered up to seven women nationwide -- all of whom he said he met on social media, police sources told ABC News.

Drayton has claimed that three of the murders took place in New York, the police sources said, although no evidence has emerged to validate Drayton's claims.

ABC News' Cathy Becker, Aaron Katersky, Meghan Keneally and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.Obama announces first wave of midterm election endorsements originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced his endorsements in November's midterm elections -- a wide-ranging list of 81 candidates in federal and statewide elections across the country and the first since the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

The endorsements mark Obama's most substantial involvement in the midterms this cycle, and come as Election Day is now less than 100 days away.

"Im proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidates  leaders as diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted as the America theyre running to represent," Obama said in a statement released Wednesday, "Im confident that, together, theyll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity thats broadly shared, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law."

"But first, they need our votes  and Im eager to make the case for why Democratic candidates deserve our votes this fall," he added.

Today Im proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidates  leaders as diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted as the America theyre running to represent: pic.twitter.com/gWzalQhFas  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 1, 2018

(MORE: 18 for '18: Midterm races that could reshape Washington and the country)

According to the former presidents press office, Obama is expected to campaign in "several states" this fall and will issue a second round of endorsements ahead of Election Day. The same statement released Wednesday did not mention the specific states where Obama would campaign.

Obama endorsed candidates in 14 states in races up and down the ballot, ranging from gubernatorial and U.S. Senate contests to statehouse and state senate races. In a midterm cycle where female candidates are running for office at record levels, it is notable that over half of the 81 candidates Obama endorsed, 48 to be exact, are women.

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The 44th president has kept a relatively low profile since leaving the White House after two terms, but Democrats are itching for Obama, who has maintained high popularity levels within the party, to get more involved in key contests this cycle.

PHOTO: Barack Obama waves to the more than 70,000 people that gathered to hear him accept the Democratic Party nomination on Aug. 28, 2008 at Invesco Field in Denver, Colo. (Marc Piscotty for CQ/Getty Images, FILE)

According to a March poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, 49 percent of Democrats consider Obama the best president the United States has had since World War II, outpacing previous Democratic presidents including Bill Clinton, Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy by considerable margins.

According to Wednesday's announcement Obama will also prioritize his work for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), the political group led by his former Attorney General Eric Holder, in addition to "taking back control of the U.S. House of Representatives, and growing the U.S. Senate Democratic Caucus."

Following the news of Obama's endorsements, Republicans were quick to point to Democrats' lack of electoral success during Obama's tenure.

"No one's more to blame for how weak today's Democratic Party is than President Obama," Republican National Committee (RNC) spokesman Michael Ahrens said in a statement, "He cost them over 1,000 legislative seats, decimated their state parties and voters rejected his policies at the ballot box less than two years ago."

(MORE: The 7 key factors defining the 2018 midterms: ANALYSIS)

The former president's endorsements also include candidates in three of ABC News' "18 for 18" contests, a list of the most consequential races that are shaping the midterms. Those candidates include Harley Rouda, the Democratic nominee in California's 48th Congressional District, Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia, and Jacky Rosen, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Nevada.

It is a profound honor to receive President @BarackObamas endorsement. He knows first-hand that progress isn't always easy, but it is always worth fighting forno matter who you are or where you call home. Join us: https://t.co/i2tFQgUbjF #TeamAbrams #GAGov #gapol pic.twitter.com/mk53mCHFFd  Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) August 1, 2018

Thank you so much, President Obama! I am so honored to have earned your endorsement. https://t.co/N6JdCDjTd3  Jacky Rosen (@RosenforNevada) August 1, 2018

Other notable endorsements include California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is vying to become the next governor of the Golden State, Richard Cordray for Ohio governor, Rep. Jared Polis for Colorado governor, and J.B. Pritzker, who is running for Illinois governor against vulnerable GOP incumbent Bruce Rauner.

Rosen is the only U.S. Senate candidate on Obama's initial list of endorsements, and notably absent from the list are Democratic candidates in key races the party needs to win in order to wrestle control of the chamber away from the GOP.

Obama previously endorsed California Democrat Dianne Feinstein in her re-election bid back in May. In November, Feinstein is facing a challenge from the left in former California Senate leader Kevin de Leon, who is seeking to portray the 85-year-old as out of step with the modern Democratic Party.

PHOTO: Congressional candidate Jacky Rosen attends an election night party in Las Vegas, June 14, 2016. (John Locher/AP, FILE)

Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is mounting an aggressive challenge to Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, and former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, who is hoping to capture the open seat generated by the retirement of GOP Sen. Bob Corker, are examples of prominent candidates that did not make Obama's initial round of endorsements.

Obama also endorsed a slew of candidates in other key California congressional races that will be key to Democratic hopes of taking back the U.S. House in 2018, including Rouda, Josh Harder, T.J. Cox, Katie Hill, Katie Porter, Mike Levin and Ammar Campa-Najjar.

The former president also endorsed candidates for the U.S. House in eight other states: Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.Police search for thieves who stole 2 Swedish royal crowns before escaping by speedboat originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Just before lunchtime on Tuesday, thieves entered a cathedral in Sweden, stole two royal crowns and an orb before jumping into a small speedboat and making their escape.

Swedish police said the stolen crown jewels are from the 1600s and were part of the funeral regalia of King Charles IX and his wife Queen Christina. The jewels were stored in the cathedral in the town of Strangnas. After the theft, multiple people were seen leaving the cathedral in a boat that was waiting right outside, police said.

PHOTO: On July 31, 2018, robbers stole two crowns worn by King Charles IX and his wife Queen Christina from a Swedish cathedral. (Swedish Police)

(MORE: 'Panicked' burglars flee London jewelry store heist on mopeds, colliding with a pedestrian)

(MORE: Manhunt underway for suspects in jewelry heist)

(MORE: Armed robbery at jewelry store in the Ritz hotel in Paris)

Several police officers are taking part in the search for the perpetrators. Police have used helicopters to try to track them down. But on Wednesday morning, police said they still hadnt made any arrests or found any suspects.Trump to Sessions: Shut down Russia probe originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

President Donald Trump on Wednesday made what appeared to be his most direct public call yet for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to shut down special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, but his personal attorney later described it as only Trump's "opinion."

Trump took to Twitter to demand that Sessions stop the probe "right now."

"This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!" Trump wrote, in the third of a series of tweets.

..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

PHOTO: U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks at the Religious Liberty Summit at the Department of Justice, July 30, 2018, in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

While the president has in the past openly expressed regret about choosing Sessions as attorney general without knowing Sessions would announce he would recuse himself from overseeing the Mueller probe, the tweet appeared to be the most direct message to Sessions yet to withdraw his recusal and end the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election.

While the White House has said the president's tweets amount to official statements, the president's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani later Wednesday issued a statement to ABC News describing the tweet merely as Trump's "opinion."

"We have been saying for months that it is time to bring this inquiry to an end," Giuliani said. "The President has expressed the same opinion."

Story continues

Soon after, Giuliani issued a statement further clarifying that the president did not and has no plans to issue an official order ending the investigation.

The President was expressing his opinion on his favored medium for asserting his First Amendment right of free speech," Giuliani said. "He said should not must and no Presidential order was issued or will be.

When asked about the president's comments during Wednesday's White House press briefing, press secretary Sarah Sanders reiterated that president was "stating his opinion."

"The president is not obstructing. He's fighting back. The president is stating his opinion," Sanders said.

"He certainly is expressing the frustration that he has with the level of corruption that we've seen from people like Jim Comey, Peter Strzok, Andrew Mccabe, " she continued. "There is a reason the president is angry, and frankly most of America is angry as well, and there's no real reason he shouldn't be able to voice that opinion."

Since Sessions announced his recusal in March 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has been tasked with overseeing Mueller's investigation.

The Justice Department declined to comment Wednesday.

The tweet was one in a series of messages in a thread started by the president in which he quoted lawyer and legal commentator Alan Dershowitz, a vocal critic of Mueller's investigation.

FBI Agent Peter Strzok (on the Mueller team) should have recused himself on day one. He was out to STOP THE ELECTION OF DONALD TRUMP. He needed an insurance policy. Those are illegal, improper goals, trying to influence the Election. He should never, ever been allowed to remain in the FBI while he himself was being investigated. This is a real issue. It wont go into a Mueller Report because Mueller is going to protect these guys. Mueller has an interest in creating the illusion of objectivity around his investigation. ALAN DERSHOWITZ," Trump wrote in two tweets.

FBI Agent Peter Strzok (on the Mueller team) should have recused himself on day one. He was out to STOP THE ELECTION OF DONALD TRUMP. He needed an insurance policy. Those are illegal, improper goals, trying to influence the Election. He should never, ever been allowed to........  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

.....remain in the FBI while he himself was being investigated. This is a real issue. It wont go into a Mueller Report because Mueller is going to protect these guys. Mueller has an interest in creating the illusion of objectivity around his investigation. ALAN DERSHOWITZ....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

Reaction from Democrats to the presidents tweet was swift. House Intelligence Committee ranking member Rep. Adam Schiff said the tweet amounted to an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight.

The President of the United States just called on his Attorney General to put an end to an investigation in which the President, his family and campaign may be implicated. This is an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight. America must never accept it. https://t.co/F8b6a0IGOh  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) August 1, 2018

Trump's renewed focus on calling for the end of the investigation also comes as his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was set to commence his second day on trial in a federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia.

In a subsequent tweet weighing in on the trial, President Trump again distanced Manafort's alleged criminal activity from his work while serving with Trump's campaign for six months in 2016.

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!" Trump wrote.Good Morning America

Luckily, there are a variety of digital tools and tactics you can use to get the very best bang for your buck. "Keep in mind that many stores themselves have their own app, for example, Target has Cartwheel, and you can layer savings by using the store discount first, then using the code provided," Tiffany Aliche, financial educator and founder of The Budgetnista, told "GMA." RetailMeNot shopping and trends expert Sara Skirboll also told "GMA" that you can find deals and coupons on just about anything and everything, from travel and holiday gifts to office supplies and toys.Growing up in New Jersey, it was pretty common for us kids to get dropped off at the malls (despite not having much money to our names) and wander from store to store and hang out in the food court. Parents didn't worry much then.

Growing up in New Jersey, it was pretty common for us kids to get dropped off at the malls (despite not having much money to our names) and wander from store to store and hang out in the food court. Parents didn't worry much then. But now, thanks to a new dessert fad lurking in shopping centers, the mall is up for debate. Dragon's Breath, a liquid-nitrogen-infused cereal treat that makes it look like a person is breathing fire, is a cause for concern.

Although we understand how the snack can easily appeal to kids at first, it might not be the safest treat, especially if your child has asthma.

Related: 1 Mom Issued a Warning After Her Son Had an Asthma Attack From a Popular Mall Snack

Racheal Richard McKenny, a mom of two from Florida, learned this first-hand when her son, Johnny, had a near-fatal asthma attack shortly after ingesting Dragon's Breath he bought from a mall kiosk. And while Racheal did her due diligence by warning other parents about the snack that almost cost her son his life, you can never be too safe. Thankfully, the particular vendor in question was quick to update the asthma notice to prevent another incident from happening.

According to Today, Johnny wasn't the first child who needed to be hospitalized after eating Dragon's Breath. Back in 2017, a 14-year-old girl severely burned her hand while trying to eat the dessert at the Pensacola State Fair.

"I would urge caution for anybody around liquid nitrogen, particularly children."

"The ER doctor had to cut it open, cut away the dead skin and get the infection out," Tina McArthur, the victim's grandmother, told Today. "[The doctors] said had we not come in and got her finger treated she could have possibly lost her thumb."

Dr. Reed Caldwell, an assistant professor at Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine at NYU Langone Health, agrees that any food with liquid nitrogen poses a threat to consumers.

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"First is rapid significant damage to the skin and body if swallowed," said Dr. Caldwell. "Liquid nitrogen is what's used by dermatologists to burn things off skin so we know it can be destructive to tissue."

He also explained that liquid nitrogen displaces oxygen, which can lead to suffocation and even death, not to mention permanent cornea damage if it splashes in your eye. "I would urge caution for anybody around liquid nitrogen, particularly children," he warned.

And keep in mind that kids aren't the only ones in danger when it comes to liquid nitrogen. Just last year a man in India developed a hole in his stomach after drinking a beverage with the substance in it.

The verdict? Steer very clear of Dragon's Breath - or really anything that contains liquid nitrogen - because no one likes an impromptu trip to the hospital.| BY Ricki Green |

Ad Stars has unveiled its complete three-day program, which runs over three days from 23rd to 25th August in Busan, South Korea.

One of the regions best-known executive producers, Peter Grasse (left), will present Land of the Rising Craft  A guide to producing award winning content in Japan. Grasse recently launched Mr+Positive, a production company that delivers world-class content by leveraging the best creative resources to deliver the best production value.

The Ad Stars program is divided into three streams: the Creativity stage will feature some of the worlds most brilliant creative minds; the AD tech stage will feature ground breaking technologists; while the Open Stage is open to the general public to encourage people outside the advertising industry to learn more about the business of creativity.

This years newly announced Creativity speakers include:

Keynote Speaker: Brian Suh, Director of YouTube Korea, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and China at Google (Chinese Taipei)

Brian Suh is presenting a session called, Changes in Media, in which hell revisit some of the biggest changes arising from the rise of online video services over the last five years. He will then examine another potential wave of changes on the horizon. After starting the career as a journalist, Brian has been working in the media, content and digital industries for major companies like Samsung SDS, Microsoft and Google. He is currently heading up YouTube partnerships across Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China.

Keynote speaker: Jeongkeun Yoo, President and CEO at Cheil Worldwide (Korea)

Jeongkeun Yoo joined Cheil in 1987, and in a session called, Brand Strategy in the Age of Life Share, hell explain why brands can no longer rely on sales or awareness to thrive. They need to create diverse, accessible experiences. Cheil suggests a new term for this paradigm: Life Share, which requires a new approach to brand strategy.

Bolaji Alausa, Executive Creative Director at Noahs Ark Communications Limited (Nigeria)

Bolaji Alausa will present a talk called Culture, Creativity and the African Continent. The African continent is seeing a resurgence of work from markets like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, which have all found ways to seamlessly infuse elements of culture into their communications. Bolaji will showcase some of the most culturally relevant and resonant work from Africa, and share his thoughts on how the continent can close the yawning gap between its industry and the West. Noahs Ark Communications Limited ranked 21st globally and 1st in Nigeria according to the current Lurzers Archive Agency Ranking.

Andrei Ivanoff, Creative VP at MullenLowe (Mexico)

In a session called, Pay Attention. What Do Consumers Really Want? Andrei Ivanoff will explain why people arent loyal to brands anymore, and dont have time to waste with distraction. My session will explore how companies are successfully getting an unfair share of attention by understanding what people really value, explains Andrei, who has worked for agencies including MullenLowe, VML, La Comunidad/The Community, FCB, Datamidia FCBi, Ayzemberg Group and Siboney USA.

Cinzia Crociani, Senior Vice President Creative Director at EnergyBBDO Chicago (USA)

Cinzia Crociani is renowned for helping to create Life Saving Dot, an idea that transformed bindis into life-saving iodine patches for women in rural India. At AD STARS 2018, shell shed light on the making of Prescribed to Death, an incredible campaign for The National Safety Council, created by Energy BBDO and Ketchum. Featuring 22,000 pills carved with images of people who have died from prescription opioid ODs, the memorial was recently hosted by the White House in Washington, D.C. Prescription opioid abuse is an urgent crisis in the U.S., but stigmas about addiction make meaningful progress difficult. Cinzias talk is called Can Creative Marketing Help Solve the Opioid Crisis?

Gabriel Grunewald, Chief Editor of Adnews in Brazil

Brazilian advertising expert Gabriel Grunewald is travelling all the way from Brazil to moderate a session with Lenilson Lima (Agencia Um) and Andrei Ivanoff (MullenLowe Mexico). Theyll discuss emerging advertising trends in Latin America.

Fumitaka Takano, Creative Director & Communication Architect at ADK (Japan)

Since Fumitaka Takano joined ADK Tokyo, he has been involved in major global campaigns for brands such as Toyota, Visa, Air New Zealand, IKEA, Mondelez, WWF and many others. His session is called, The Power of Questioning. Hell reveal why looking for doubts, rather than answers, can deliver the best results. When we receive a briefing from a client, we tend to start searching for the answer to that task and call that act creative. But we may end up choosing the easiest way, he explains.

Tahaab Rais, Regional Head of Strategy & Truth Central at FP7/McCann Worldgroup MENA (United Arab Emirates)

Tahaab Rais has won hundreds of regional and global awards, including almost a hundred Effies, making him the most awarded strategist in the MENA region. Hes presenting a session called, What Can Movies and Politics Teach Us about Content Creation and Marketing? Lets face it. Movie-makers and politics are better at creating as well as marketing and distributing content than advertising agencies are. So, its fair to say that theres a lot that we can learn about effectiveness from movies and politicians when it comes to content marketing, he explains.

Kash Sree, Executive Creative Director at Gyro, New York and San Francisco (United States)

Kash Sree joined Gyro, a B2B agency, in 2017. At Ad Stars, hell explain how joining a B2B agency has affected his approach to creativity, and how the fuel that drives you creatively while younger can be problematic as you move higher up the ranks. Hopefully people will learn to be open and brutally honest with yourself, explains Kash, whose career has taken him from England to Singapore, India, Australia and the USA, where hes been since 1997. Kash has worked at SS+K, Pereira ODell, JWT, BBH New York and Wieden and Kennedy, Portland.

Ad Stars takes place from 23rd to 25th August at Bexco (Busan Exhibition and Convention Center) in the beautiful beachside city of Busan.Since starting on July 23, the Carr wildfire has blazed across northern California. It has killed six people and forced more than 38,000 people to evacuate their homes.

On Monday morning, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Projection (CAL FIRE) reported that the fire was 20 percent contained. It has charred more than 98,000 acres of land.

The fire was started by a vehicles mechanical failure about 10 miles west of the city of Redding in Shasta County, CBS News reported. The fire swept through Shasta, a historic Gold Rush town. Firefighters had been able to contain the fire for a few days until July 26, when the fire jumped across the Sacramento River and began nearing subdivisions of Redding.

Carr Fire Map

Dry vegetation and strong winds have made the fire a fearsome, relentless force. This fire is extremely dangerous and moving with no regard for whats in its path, Bret Gouvea, incident commander for CAL FIRE, said, the New York Times reported.

More than 700 homes and 240 other buildings have been destroyed in its wake. Another 5,000 buildings are under threat.

A view of the #CarrFire Firenado from the sky pic.twitter.com/HqIt3G1EgW  Active NorCal (@ActiveNorCal) July 28, 2018

Six people have been killed in the fire. Two children, aged four and five, and their grandmother were killed in Redding. Two firefighters died while battling the flames. Seven people in Shasta County are still reported missing.

Massive Wildfire Spreads To 80,000 Acres, Scorches Homes Near Redding, CA

As of Monday, more than 3,000 firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze.

The Carr fire is one of eight major wildfires currently burning in California.

Last years wildfires were among the deadliest and most expensive in California history, causing more than $12 billion in damage. This years fire season could easily meet or surpass last year, according to CAL FIRE.Student iPhone Phone Teen

Matt Cardy/Getty Images

France just passed a law that bans students from using smartphones at school.

There are some exceptions, like schools with students over 15 and for extracurricular activities and students with disabilities.

France had already banned smartphone use during class time, but this latest ban extends to breaks and meal times.

The ban, which will go into effect in September, is intended to help students focus in school, and was created out of concern that students are becoming addicted to mobile phone use.

Starting this school year, French students won't be seeing much of their phones during the day.

France just passed a smartphone ban for students up to 15 years old that will go into effect in September, the Agence France-Presse reports. Schools with students older than 15 can choose whether to impose a phone ban. The country had already enacted a smartphone ban during class hours, but this legislation will extend to breaks and meal times, effectively completely banning smartphones from schools with students under the age of 15.

The law requires that schools either prohibit smartphones or have students turn them off during the day. There will be exceptions for students with disabilities, or if smartphones are needed for extracurricular activities.

This ban stems from a fear that students are becoming far too dependent on and distracted by their smartphones, but some critics from both sides of the aisle in France are saying that the ban won't accomplish much, and presents logistical problems such as phone storage.

For the most part, phone bans are left to the discretion of schools in other areas of the world. In the UK, some schools have completely banned phones, while others have lax restrictions. The Swedish government hasn't banned phone use in school, but Swedish students appear to support schools banning phones in classrooms. New York City had a cell phone ban for students in the area  a policy which Mayor de Blasio lifted in 2015. It was found that the New York ban was being disproportionately enforced at schools in low-income areas that had security measures like metal detectors, and families had to pay for the on-site phone storage out of their own pockets.

Story continues

In light of this, France's approach is somewhat unusual, as the decision on whether to ban phone is usually left to the specific school in other countries.

NOW WATCH: How movie theaters are ruining your movie

See Also:The Daily Beast

DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty ImagesTwo foreign female tourists were caught in a crossfire between rival crime groups and shot to death last Thursday in the high-end resort town of Tulum, Mexico. Three other people were also wounded when the firefight broke out in the popular restaurant, La Malquerida, not far from the beach. Of the two women who were killed, one was from Germany and the other India.They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and got caught in an exchange of gunfire betweeMichael Phelps, perhaps the best swimmer and Olympian of all time, just had one of his oldest records shattered by Superman  a 10-year-old named Clark Kent in California. (Getty Images)

Michael Phelps has already solidified himself as the greatest swimmer of his generation  if not of all time.

Its only fitting, though, that Superman is the one to pass him up.

No, not the Superman from the planet Krypton. And no, not Henry Cavill, who has played Superman in the latest reboot of the series in the D.C. Universe.

This Superman is just 10 years old, and hes already shattered one of Phelps oldest swimming records.

Clark Kent Apuada, appropriately named Superman, won the 100-meter butterfly at the Far West International Championship in California on Sunday with the time of 1:09:30  more than a full second faster than the record Phelps set at the same championship in 1995.



Since setting that record, Phelps has won 28 Olympic medals  making him the most decorated athlete in Olympic history.

Clark, though, has only been swimming competitively for four years, and is just out there having fun.

I love swimming because I have a lot of people supporting me and my coaches are always there for me and my parents are always there, Apuada told CNN.

Apuada, from Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, won all seven of his events on Sunday, including the 50 and 100-meter freestyles, the 50 and 100-meter backstrokes, the 50-meter fly and the 200-meter individual medley.

The kid is unlike any other young man that Ive ever coached, Apuadas coach, Dia Riana, told CNN. Hes always stood out. Hes just, hes kind of a savant of sorts.

While it may seem early  Apuada is only 10, after all  he is the same age that Phelps was when he set the 1995 record.

If Superman keeps it up, fans might see him repping Team USA in an upcoming Olympics.

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Millie Bobby Brown and Jacob Sartorius. (Photo: Getty Images)

Say it aint so! Teenage sweethearts Millie Bobby Brown and Jacob Sartorius have broken up after less than a year of dating. To be fair, 7 months is literally a lifetime when youre their age.

The Stranger Things actress, 14, and the 15-year-old singer confirmed the news with joint comments on their Instagram Stories. And it sounds like their split was amicable.

The decision with Jacob and I was completely mutual. We are both happy and remaining friends, Brown wrote. Sartoriuss statement was similar: The decision w/Mills was completely mutual & we are both happy and remaining friends. They both included heart emojis in their posts  but are not following each other on Instagram.

While Brown is well known for playing a telekinetic on the hit Netflix show, fans may not be as familiar with Jacob Sartorius. The singer and internet personality first rose to fame by posting on musical.ly, a social media app where users lip sync. In 2016, his debut single Sweatshirt reached the Hot 100 charts in the U.S. and Canada.

The two stars fueled romance rumors in October 2017, when Millie and Jacob appeared on her Instagram Story, but didnt go public until New Years Eve.

Their relationship may be over, but their cute posts live on.

For those who fear that young love is now dead, dont fret: Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson, Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin, and Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra will help you cope in the meantime.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.



Fast-moving and aggressive wildfires are scorching California  killing at least nine people and destroying more than 1,000 homes and businesses.

Thousands of firefighters are currently battling the flames of 14 active fires, which are threatening communities from Redding in Northern California to Orange County in Southern California. By Monday, the Mendocino Complex fire burning just north of wine country in Northern California became the states largest-ever fire. It has now burned 290,692 acres and is just 34% contained, according to Californias Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

More than 160 miles north, the Carr Fire in Redding has burned through 164,413 acres and is 47% contained, as of Tuesday morning. Sparked by a vehicle failure nearby, the fire has destroyed more than 1,000 homes and taken the lives of at least seven people. Down in Mariposa County near Yosemite National Park, thousands of firefighters are still battling the stubborn Ferguson fire. That 94,331-acre flame is now in its 26th day and promoted Yosemite National Park officials to close the popular Yosemite Valley for the first time in 20 years  during peak tourism season. Two firefighters have also died while working on the fire.

Together, these fires  along with the growing Holy Fire in Orange County and a number of other infernos across the state  have destroyed more than 1,000 homes and structures, and have taken at least nine lives. Some of Californias wildfires are burning in mountainous areas, making it even more difficult for firefighters to contain them. And many are burning in areas experiencing record-shattering extreme heat.

This is only the beginning for Californias fire season. In recent years, the season has grown longer and more intense  prompting some officials to declare that fire season is now year-round. In 2017, California had its most destructive fire season yet, with an intense series of Northern California fires that scorched more than 245,00 acres and killed 44 people. Those fires began in October, a month that is typically considered the most dangerous for fast-moving, aggressive wildfires. December 2017s Thomas fire in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties became the states largest-ever fire. But it appears just eight months later, the Mendocino Complex fire has surpassed it.

Below is an interactive map of all the major wildfires in California.A port view of the Soviet Project 956

Sebastien Roblin

Security, Europe

"Years after Sablins failed plan, U.S. historian Gregory Young pieced together accounts of the mutiny in a thesis later read by an insurance salesman named Tom Clancy. Inspired by the story and that of a previous Soviet defector, Jonas Plaskus, Clancy went on to write Hunt for the Red October."

In 1975, a Russian Navy Frigate Mutinied. And It Made Tom Clancy's Career

Moscow covered up the incident by staging naval exercises the next day. The bomber pilots were reprimanded for the friendly fire incidents and logistical confusion. The Storozhevoys crew were detained for months, but in the end, only a handful of officers were tried. Of those, just two convictedLt. Shein, who received eight years in prison, and Sablin. Convicted for treason, he was executed on August 3, 1976, and buried in an unmarked grave. In 1994, he was posthumously re-sentenced to ten years for disobeying orders.

On the evening of November 8, 1976, Captain Anatoly Potulny, commander of the Soviet anti-submarine frigate Storozhevoy (the Sentry) was informed that several of his officers were drunk below deck in the forward sonar compartment. This was reported by the ships charismatic political officer, Captain Valery Sablin, responsible for maintaining crew morale and loyalty. Potulny went below deck but saw nothing amissthen he heard the click of the hatch locking above him.

Sorry, I could not do otherwise, Sablin told him as the captain pounded on the hatch. Once we arrive at our destination, you will be allowed to choose your destiny.

(This first appeared last month.)

The 37-year old commissar had always stood apart for his exceptional idealism. While a cadet, he had even written Nikita Khrushchev offering pointed advice on Leninist reforms. Now he was critical of Premier Leonid Brezhnev, who during the Era of Stagnation focused spending on military projects and walked back political reforms. Sablin was upset by the privilege and corruption of the Soviet bureaucratic elite in a supposedly classless society.

Story continues

The commissar told his aid, twenty-year-old Lieutenant Alexander Shein, to take up guard, handing him a pistol. Then Sablin convened the ships sixteens officers and revealed his plan: to sail the Storozhevoy from its quay in Riga, Lithuania to Leningrad 500 miles northeast. The frigate would berth at Kronstadt Islandthe site of past naval mutinies that had inspired Russian revolutions in 1905 and 1917. (The former was commemorated in Sergei Eisensteins Battleship Potemkin, which Sablin played in the background.) There he would broadcast his call for a new Leninist revolution.

The ship's officers voted whether to support Sablin by casting black and white checker pieces in a cupresulting in a tie. However, most of the ship's crew took Sablin's side and locked the dissenting officers in their cabins. Sablin then gave a speech:

"The leadership of the party and the Soviet government have abandoned the principles of the revolution. There is no freedom, nor justice. The only way out is a new communist revolution It is assumed that the current state apparatus will be cleared away, and some of its institutions broken up and cast into the dustbin of history. Will these issues be addressed through the dictatorship of the proletariat class? Necessarily! Only through the greatest national vigilance is there a path to a society of happiness! "

Sablin envisioned the Storozhevoys politically independent crew daily broadcasting calls for reform across the nation, while furnished with necessary supplies and immunity from prosecution.

The seamen cheered their support. However, one of Sablins supposed supporters, Lt. Firsov, snuck off the Storozhevoy and alerted the incredulous guards of a nearby submarine.

Sablin had planned on leaving with the fleet the following morning before peeling away north. Realizing his plot risked exposure, Sablin slipped the frigate out at midnight with radar and running lights deactivated, braving the treacherous shoals of the Daugava River.

The Soviets Strike Back

To get to Leningrad, Sablin first had to cruise north into the Baltic Seatowards Sweden. As the Soviet Baltic Fleet slowly grasped what was happening, it assumed the Storozhevoy was defecting to the Scandinavian nation. After all, this had happened before in 1961, when Lithuanian Captain Jonas Plaskus surrendered his submarine tender at Gotland Island.

However, the 18-month-old Storozhevoy was one of the Navys advanced Burevestnik-class frigates (NATO codename Krivak I). It was designed to hunt U.S. submarines from up to fifty miles away using short-range RBU-6000 rockets and far-reaching SS-N-14 Metel (Snowstorm) missiles. It would be a disaster for the sophisticated sub-hunter to fall into Western hands.

A Vice Admiral futilely begged Sablin on the radio to turn around, promising forgiveness. Finally, Premier Brezhnev was woken from his sleep at 4:00 AM with the bad news. He authorized using lethal force to prevent a humiliating defection.

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Eleven fast attack boats were dispatched from Riga and Liepiejaie, Latvia to chase the rogue frigate. Meanwhile, Soviet Navy Il-38 turboprop patrol planes and Tu-16 Badger jet bombers began scouring the seas. They were joined by Soviet Air Forces 668th Bomber Regiments Yak-28I and-28L Brewers,' hulking twin-engine jets with transparent glass noses allowing a crewmember to aim its four unguided bombs.

However, visibility was poor, and the silent-running Storozhevoy was hard to locate in the open Gulf of Riga. But at 6:00 AM, Storzhevoy herself encountered dense fog, causing Sablin to activate his radar to avoid collisions with commercial traffic. Furthermore, as she was passing the Irbe Strait, she was spotted by a lighthouse.

Yak-28s vectored to Irbe spotted a ship and lobbed FAB-250 bombs that raked her hull with shrapnelbut that vessel was actually a Soviet freighter bound for Finland.

Then around 8:00 AM, Tu-16s closed around the Storozhevoy's radar emissions. The huge jet bombers were armed with radar-guided KSR-5 Kingfish' cruise missiles programmed to hone in on the first target acquired. But the frigate was now in the international waters of the Baltic Sea, and the pilots refused to fire, either unwilling to risk hitting a neutral ship or possibly unwilling to fire on fellow Soviets. Swedish radar operators observed the frenetic Soviet air and naval activity and listened in on their radio traffic.

Finally, all thirty-six Yak-28s of the 668th were scrambled to join the huntnarrowly avoiding a fatal collision on the runway. Meanwhile, two missile boats under Captain Bobrikov closed within the fifty-mile attack range of their P-15 Termit anti-ship missiles.

However, the Yaks struck first. One silvery jet pocked the port side of the Storozhevoy with twenty-three-millimeter cannon shells. The frigate boasted two rapid-fire three-inch dual-purpose guns on the stern and SA-N-4 Osa anti-aircraft missiles but did not fire back, either lacking loaded ammunition or under orders from Sablin not to return fire.

The jets began making repeated bombing runs, causing water to geyser over the frigate from near misses. But one FAB-250 smacked into the stern of the ship, blasting off the rear deck cover and jamming the steering gear. Taking on water, Storozhevoy began circling before coming to a halt only fifty nautical miles from Swedish waters.

Meanwhile, three crew members broke Captain Putolny out of the sonar compartment. Taking a pistol, he stormed onto the bridge and shot Sablin in the leg. At 10:32 AM he desperately messaged: The ship is stopped. I have taken control.

The Yaks aborted their attack runs, but not before one group mistakenly attacked Soviet pursuit ships and was fired upon in return, without effect. Naval Infantry then boarded the Storozhevoy and arrested her crew.

Moscow covered up the incident by staging naval exercises the next day. The bomber pilots were reprimanded for the friendly fire incidents and logistical confusion. The Storozhevoys crew were detained for months, but in the end, only a handful of officers were tried. Of those, just two convictedLt. Shein, who received eight years in prison, and Sablin. Convicted for treason, he was executed on August 3, 1976, and buried in an unmarked grave. In 1994, he was posthumously re-sentenced to ten years for disobeying orders.

Years after Sablins failed plan, U.S. historian Gregory Young pieced together accounts of the mutiny in a thesis later read by an insurance salesman named Tom Clancy. Inspired by the story and that of a previous Soviet defector, Jonas Plaskus, Clancy went on to write Hunt for the Red October. But unlike the novels disillusioned submarine captain Marko Ramius, Valery Sablin risked all not to defect, but in a quixotic attempt to reform the Soviet system he passionately believed in.

Sebastien Roblin holds a Masters Degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring.

Read full articleThe Pro Football Hall of Fame will formally welcome its Class of 2018 on Saturday. This week, Yahoo Sports is highlighting memorable moments for each member of the eight-man class, leading up to the big ceremony.

Ray Lewis, 1996-2012

Imagine an NFL linebacker so vicious he gets offenses trembling, so hulking that hes used as a model for marauding aliens in a big-budget Hollywood movie. Imagine Linebacker X heaves quarterbacks like hes tossing bags of dog food and blows up offensive lines like a bowling ball thrown overhand. Youd say Linebacker X is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and youd cheer as he strode into Canton.

Now remember Linebacker X is Ray Lewis, and suddenly the lines get a whole lot blurrier.

On the field, Lewis possessed an uncanny knack for spotting the center of the action and hurling his gargantuan frame right into it. Ill be back in a few minutes, punk, he used to hiss at Peyton Manning as he gleefully leveled the icon play after play. He broke Manning so badly that Peyton hung around after one of the most devastating upsets in his career, a stunning overtime loss to Baltimore in the 2012 seasons playoffs, just to wish Lewis well.

Ray Lewis always had his eye on Peyton Manning. (Getty)

By then, Lewis had been breaking quarterbacks for nearly two decades, first at the University of Miami  where he ran with everyone from Warren Sapp to a fellow who washed out of football, name of Dwayne Johnson  and then at Baltimore. The accolades he piled up in purple were too numerous for even Lewis himself to wrap up: two-time Super Bowl champ, 13-time Pro Bowler, seven-time first team All-Pro, member of the 2000s All-Decade team. The living embodiment of Mike Tysons old line about everyone having a plan until they get punched in the head, Lewis altered every game plan of every team he faced every time he stepped onto a field.

Thing is, you cant consider Lewis without factoring in where hed end up after the game hit 00:00. Most notorious remains Lewis involvement in a double homicide in Atlanta during Super Bowl week in 2000. Lewis was convicted of obstruction of justice, a misdemeanor; despite the fact that the blood of one of the victims was found in Lewis limousine, and the white suit Lewis was wearing that night was never located, no other individuals were ever convicted in the murders.

Story continues

And yet Lewis not only came back to the Super Bowl as a player the very next year, he won MVP.

More recently, Lewis made a total hash of the controversy over protests during the national anthem. First, he suggested in 2016 that Colin Kaepernick should, in effect, just shut up and play  a tricky endeavor since no team, either then or since, would sign him:

I understand what you're trying to dotake the flag out of it.  @raylewis to Colin Kaepernick pic.twitter.com/XPYpJ9L3mE  UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) September 8, 2016

The next year, Lewis then charged that it was Kaepernicks girlfriend who was keeping him from getting signed. Once the locker room mood shifted following President Trumps denunciation of kneeling players, Lewis aligned himself with the players who chose to kneel during the anthem  but unlike them, Lewis put both knees on the ground:

Ray Lewis kneeling with the Ravens. (Via screenshot)

I didnt drop on one knee in order to protest, Lewis said, trying to stake out some sort of middle ground in the bitter protest debate. I dropped on two knees  both knees  so I can simply honor God in the midst of chaos.

Lewis remains an undeniably powerful, motivational, and inspirational figure  just try to find an NFL fan born after 1985 who hasnt done his squirrel dance  and, naturally, hell get the final speaking slot. You may not quite make sense of what Lewis is trying to say  He meant everything he was saying, but I didnt know what he was talking about 90 percent of the time, Joe Flacco once said  but you cant deny the man will move you, one way or another.

All you have to do is deliver something that people want to hear, Lewis said on a recent conference call. It will have people and myself in a roller coaster that people will never forget.

Ray Lewis will go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a deserving player. But hell be remembered for much more than that.

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____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.| BY Ricki Green |

Following a competitive pitch, Ikon Brisbane has been appointed media and digital agency of record by iconic Australian furniture brand, Amart Furniture.

As part of its remit Ikon Brisbane will be responsible for all elements of media planning and execution including strategy, planning, communications, digital media, performance media, social content and organic search.

Chris Ernst, managing partner, Ikon Brisbane, said his team was very excited to be working with such an iconic Queensland company as the brand looks to transform and grow its business nationally.

Says Ernst: From our first meeting with the Amart Furniture team we felt a strong connection and alignment. Ikons credentials and unique offering in digital and performance played a big role in Amart Furnitures decision to appoint us.

Amart Furniture was looking for an agency to work with them as they transform their marketing from a traditional media driven to customer first communications strategy. As the brand grows, they recognised a need to future-proof their approach and drive both stronger brand awareness and shifts in brand perceptions across Australia. Ikons unique skill set and uninhibited approach to creating innovative business solutions for its clients will be put to very good use as we partner with Amart Furniture through its marketing transformation. We cant wait to get started.

Says Lesley Edwards, CEO, Ikon Communications: We are very proud to be partnering with Amart Furniture. As an agency with a strong heritage in working alongside some of Australias biggest and brightest retail brands we are excited what our two organisations can achieve together.Theres been a lot of confusion about 3D printed guns lately  not the least of which from President Donald Trump, who definitely, definitely seems to understand how 3D printing technology works. The topic is no doubt going to become even more complicated beginning August 1.

Starting Wednesday, youll be able to upload new computer-assisted drawing (CAD) files for 3D printed gun designs onto a site called DefCad, which bills itself as a sort of Wikipedia for 3D printed guns schematics. These files have already been downloaded thousands of times, and even while DefCad remained in limbo during a four-year court battle, you could still find the files through torrent sites or other means.

DefCads fate changed abruptly last month after the US government decided to settle a court case with its owner, a parent organization called Defense Distributed. Starting on August 1, The age of the downloadable gun formally begins, Defense Distributeds website reads, somewhat ominously.

In a recent interview with Inverse, one of the attorneys for Defense Distributeds owner characterized the legal win as a free speech victory, while gun advocates decried what seems like an inevitable first step toward a future of relatively limitless, traceless, easily accessible 3D printed guns.

So which is it? Heres what you need to know.

Gun advocates worry that 3D printed guns will get more dangerous as the technology improves.

## What Are 3D Printed Guns and How do they Work?

3D printers typically use some sort of plastic polymer to allow users who have one to create their own three-dimensional renderings and designs. Theyre great for prototypes, and theres a wealth of hope that they can revolutionize industries ranging from healthcare to housing by making it cheaper and easier to 3D print pre-fabricated homes.

Theres also been the fear that in addition to revitalizing the maker economy, it will also make it drastically easier for people who are not capable of buying guns legally to 3D print them instead. Most worryingly, 3D printed guns can be easily modified and wouldnt have serial numbers, which would make them harder to trace.

Story continues

Defenders counter that hobbyists can already make their own, more effective homemade guns using more traditional means, in some states without having to register them. 3D printers are expensive in their own right, too, and 3D plastic guns arent terribly effective yet.

But as advocacy groups like the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence recently explained to Inverse, these arguments miss the greater point, which is that more accessible 3D printed gun schematics will make it easier for people to circumvent the current legal system, particularly members of criminal organizations who could theoretically produce these weapons at scale.

Starting Wednesday, drug cartels, arms traffickers and terrorists will be able to increase their revenue and their volume of weaponry at the expense of our safety through an untraceable and unlimited method of firearms manufacturing and distribution, wrote Paul Penzone, an Arizona Sheriff, echoing those concerns in a recent Washington Post op-ed.

But the bigger fear might rest even further out, as 3D printing technology matures. Heated up plastic isnt the ideal raw material for making killing machines, as anyone whos seen the archetypical 3D printed Liberator can probably tell.

But with 3D printing engineers and enthusiasts developing all sorts of new materials that can change colors, replicate living tissue, and accomplish other feats, the fear is that its only a matter of time before more sophisticated and dangerous 3D printed guns become feasible. And when that happens, enthusiasts will have the perfect place to show off their wares.

Photos via Ultimaker, Wikimedia Commons

More From InverseEight states are filing suit against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety.

The suit, filed Monday in Seattle, asks a judge to block the federal governments late-June settlement with Defense Distributed, which allowed the company to make the plans available online. Officials say that 1,000 people have already downloaded blueprints for AR-15 rifles.

I have a question for the Trump Administration: Why are you allowing dangerous criminals easy access to weapons? Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday. These downloadable guns are unregistered and very difficult to detect, even with metal detectors, and will be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history.

Joining the suit were Democratic attorneys general in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia. Separately, attorneys general in 21 states urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday to withdraw from the settlement with Defense Distributed, saying it creates an imminent risk to public safety.

People can use the blueprints to manufacture a plastic gun using a 3D printer. But gun industry experts have expressed doubt that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns are very expensive, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by.

Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, first published downloadable designs for a 3D-printed firearm in 2013. It was downloaded about 100,000 times until the State Department ordered him to cease, contending it violated federal export laws since some of the blueprints were downloaded by people outside the United States.

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The State Department reversed course in late June, agreeing to allow Wilson to resume posting the blueprints. The files were published on Friday.

The company filed its own suit in Texas on Sunday, asserting that its the victim of an ideologically-fueled program of intimidation and harassment that violates the companys First Amendment rights.

The companys attorney, Josh Blackman, called it an easy case.

States are free to enact gun control measures, but what they cant do is censor the speech of another citizen in another state, and they cant regulate the commerce of another citizen in another state when that commerce is authorized by a federal government license, Blackman said in an interview Monday. Its a violation of the First Amendment, its unconscionable and were going to fight it to the very end.

Defense Distributed agreed to temporarily block Pennsylvania residents from downloading the plans after state officials went to federal court in Philadelphia on Sunday seeking an emergency order. The company said it has also blocked access to users in New Jersey and Los Angeles.By Lizbeth Diaz and Julia Love MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Dozens of people were injured when a packed Aeromexico-operated Embraer jet crashed right after takeoff in Mexico's state of Durango on Tuesday, but authorities said most were not seriously hurt and there were no fatalities. The mid-sized jet was almost full, with 103 people including two infants and four crew members on board, when it crashed at about 4 p.m. local time (2100 GMT), authorities said. Passengers and crew jumped to safety before the plane was engulfed in flames. Passenger Jackeline Flores told reporters the plane crashed shortly after taking off in heavy rain. She and her daughter escaped from a hole in the fuselage as the aircraft filled up with smoke and flames, she said. "A little girl who left the plane was crying because her legs were burned," said Flores, who said she was Mexican but lived in Bogota, Colombia. Flores said her passport and documents burned in the fire. "I feel blessed and grateful to God," she said. TV images showed the severely damaged body of the plane after it came to rest in scrubland and a column of smoke rose into the sky. The plane had barely taken off when it felt like it was hit by a strong air current, another passenger told network Televisa. Durango Governor Jose Rosas Aispuro also said a gust of wind rocked the plane before it plunged suddenly, citing air traffic control at the airport. The plane's left wing hit the ground, knocking off two engines, before it came to a halt 300 meters (328 yards) from the runway, he told a news conference. Passengers were able to escape on the plane's emergency slides before it was engulfed in flames, he said. The pilot was the most severely hurt but was in a stable condition. Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, the airport operator, also attributed the crash to bad weather, citing preliminary reports. Aeromexico said in a statement: "We deeply regret this accident. The families of all those affected are in our thoughts and in our hearts." LIGHT INJURIES Alejandro Cardoza, a spokesman for the state's civil protection agency, said in an interview that around 85 people had suffered mostly light injuries and that the fire had been put out. The civil protection agency said 37 people were hospitalized, while the state health department said two passengers were in a critical condition. "Many managed to leave the plane on foot," Cardoza said. The head of Mexico's civil aviation agency, Luis Gerardo Fonseca, said it could take months to know the cause of the crash. He told Televisa the plane's voice and data recorders would be recovered once rescue efforts were completed. The United States will send two people to assist the Mexican investigative team, a U.S aviation official said. Flight number 2431 was an Embraer 190 bound for Mexico City when it crashed, Aeromexico said on Twitter. A spokesman for the Mexican airline declined to disclose the passenger list or the nationalities of those on board. Among the passengers was Chicago-born priest Esequiel Sanchez of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, according to a statement by the Archdiocese of Chicago. A U.S. embassy spokesman said he did not currently have confirmation of whether any American citizens were involved in the incident. Aeromexico has not had any fatal crashes in the past 10 years. A Mexican pilots association said last year there were 66 accidents and 173 incidents in Mexican aviation, saying the number was "worrying" and calling for more supervision of flying schools, more funds for maintenance and oversight of fleets, and shorter flying hours for pilots. The Embraer 190 was involved in one fatal crash when a Henan Airlines flight overshot a Chinese runway in 2010 and another in Africa in 2013 when a LAM Airlines pilot deliberately crashed the plane during a hostage-taking incident, according to a summary by the Aviation Safety Network. Embraer has delivered more than 1,400 E-Jets. Aeromexico leased the 10-year-old aircraft involved in Tuesday's incident from Republic Airlines in the United States in 2014, according to data on Planespotters.net. Embraer said late on Tuesday it had sent a team of technicians to the scene of the accident and stood ready to support the investigation. The aircraft, the serial number of which was 190-173, was delivered in May 2008, the company said in a statement. (Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz, Adriana Barrera, Diego Ore, Noe Torres and Michael O'Boyle; Additional reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Writing by Julia Love; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Paul Tait))Durango (Mexico) (AFP) - An Aeromexico flight crashed on takeoff during a heavy hail storm in northern Mexico, engulfing the plane in flames and injuring 97 people, officials said Tuesday.

The Embraer 190 aircraft, which was operating between Durango and Mexico City and crashed around 3:00 pm local time (20:00 GMT), was carrying "88 adults, nine minors, two infants, two pilots and two flight attendants," the airline's director general Andres Conesa told a news conference.

"It is confirmed that there have been no deaths from the flight #AM2431 accident," tweeted Jose Rosas, the governor of Durango state where the crash occurred.

The accident did cause two series injuries: a pilot had to undergo a spinal operation, and a young girl suffered burns on 25 percent of her body, the governor said.

A total of 97 people were admitted for treatment following the crash, most of them for "very light" injuries, according to Durango civil defense spokesman Alejandro Cardoza.

Cardoza said the plane was caught in a heavy hailstorm and the pilots tried to make an emergency landing, after which the fire broke out.

Conesa thanked the crew "for their professionalism" and said that the aircraft "was perfectly maintained," but did not provide details on the circumstances of the accident.

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer announced the dispatch of a team to investigate the crash.

Dozens of lightly injured passengers were seen leaving the plane, which was engulfed in gray smoke in a field.

- 'We had to jump' -

An image taken using a drone and obtained by AFP shows the aircraft immobilized in a field at the end of the runway.

"We were on the runway when the visibility grew worse," 47-year-old Jacqueline Flores, who was traveling with her 16-year-old daughter, told AFP.

"When we were already aloft, up high, it felt like the plane was going to level out but just then is when it plunged to the ground.

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"I think we fell back on the runway because it was a hard surface, then we skidded on the ground until it stopped," added the Durango native, a housewife who was on a journey back to Colombia where she lives.

With the plane on the ground amid some bushes and brush, Flores said luggage began sliding down the aisle and she started to smell smoke.

"I undid my seatbelt and saw flames, and realized we had to jump.

"There was a hole right next to us and the plane had broken up, I told my girl 'We have to jump over here' and we jumped," she added.

According to Rosas, the passengers helped each other quickly evacuate the aircraft through the openings in the cabin caused by the accident.

In July 1981, an Aeromexico flight crashed on landing in northern Chihuahua due to bad weather, killing 32.People's Liberation Army soldiers perform at an airbase in Hong Kong, China June 30, 2018, a day before the 21st anniversary of the city's return to Chinese sovereignty from British rule. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

Adam Ni

Security, Asia

We have some answers.

91 Years Old Today: How Tough Is China's Military?

The Peoples Liberation Army turned 91 today amid the Chinese medias self-congratulatory cacophony. To be sure, China has a lot to be proud ofthe PLA has become one of the most powerful militaries in the world. But lost in the hyperbole and hubris of the occasion is a sense of perspective. The PLA continues to be plagued by enduring weaknesses and significant challenges on the long journey towards its aspirations.

What are those aspirations? At the 19th Communist Party Congress in October 2017, Xi Jinping committed China to an ambitious agenda. The PLA is to be transformed into a world-class force by mid-century, with mechanization to be completed by 2020 and modernization to be completed by 2035.

The PLA is currently on target to meet those goals. It has modernized rapidly on the back of almost two decades of double-digit growth in defence spending. Todays PLA boasts some of the most advanced military capabilities in the world, including conventional and nuclear missiles, stealth fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, space-based platforms, and a bulging navy. Moreover, China is investing heavily in transformative technologies with military applications, such as hypersonic vehicles, quantum science, and artificial intelligence.

But new hardware and technology arent enough in themselves to significantly raise combat effectiveness. Indeed, starting in 2015, the PLA has undergone the most sweeping and comprehensive reform program since the 1950s. That has had far-reaching consequences for its structure, force posture, and command and control systems.

Most importantly, the PLA has flattened its organizational structure. The four general departments that acted as intermediaries between the supreme Central Military Commission and lower-level organizations were abolished. The seven geographically based military regions were consolidated into five joint theater commands to improve joint operations.

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At the same time, the responsibilities of the different parts of the PLA were clarified to eliminate ambiguities and overlaps. Under the new system, the Central Military Commission exercises overall leadership, the theater commands are in charge of operations, and the service arms are responsible for force development.

New PLA organizations were formed to enhance force composition and signal new priorities. That included elevating the PLAs conventional and strategic missiles branch to a full service and creating the Strategic Support Force to carry out space, cyberspace and electromagnetic spectrum operations.

The PLA has also cut 300,000 personnel (mostly from the army) to make itself leaner. Shrinking the army is part of a larger effort to improve the PLAs force structure by rebalancing resources to strengthen the navy, air force, and missile forces.

Despite these reforms, several weaknesses have endured. First and foremost, the PLA desperately lacks combat experience. Unlike the US military, for example, the PLA hasnt fought for real since its disastrous campaign against Vietnam in 1979. PLA analysts have consistently highlighted the inability of its current rigid and formalistic training system to effectively address the situation.

Second, the PLA remain deeply corrupt and lacking in discipline as a professional military force despite Xis continuing purges within the military. The problems largely stem from the legacy of PLA involvement in commercial activities, and a lack of proper oversight.

Third, the PLA still lags on joint operations and power-projection capabilities despite steady improvements over recent years. The demands on the PLA to operate further from Chinese shores in the protection of the countrys interests have risen greatly, and will continue to rise in the years ahead. Key capability gaps, such as the lack of an effective anti-submarine warfare capability, must be filled if the PLA Navy is to build greater expeditionary capacity.

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Fourth, the PLA will need to effectively harness and safeguard Chinas space and information systems, which have become critical for both military operations and the civilian economy. This would involve sustained investment in space-based platforms as well as an counterspace capability with both kinetic and non-kinetic elements. To gain an information edge, the PLA will also need to prioritize the integration of its reconnaissance, defense and offense capabilities and operations in cyberspace.

Finally, the PLA will need to develop or enhance a diverse range of capabilities for operations other than war, such as humanitarian disaster relief and UN peacekeeping missions.

In the early 1990s, the US militarys display of overwhelming power in the Gulf War shocked and horrified PLA strategists. Thats no longer the case today. The PLA is increasingly confident in its abilities, including in deterring US and allied intervention over Taiwan or the South China Sea.

Theres no doubt that the PLA has come a long way. In fact, it is rapidly developing a full spectrum of capabilities across every domain of modern conflict. On the current trajectory, it is on target to reach parity with the US military by mid-century. However, it is also instructive to reflect on how the PLAs enduring weaknesses might affect its ability to meet growing challenges. For one thing, the increasing demands of Chinas strategic ambition may well outpace PLA modernization in the years ahead.

Adam Ni is a visiting fellow at the Strategic and Defense Studies Centre, Australian National University.

This first appeared in ASPI's The Strategist here.

Read full articleAn Aeromexico plane has crashed in the northern Mexican state of Durango after taking off in stormy weather, with all 103 people on board able to escape before the aircraft was engulfed in flames.

The airline said flight number 2431 was an Embraer 190 with a capacity for 100 passengers and was bound for Mexico City when it crashed.

Authorities said 85 people were injured - some seriously - in the accident, but nobody died.

Many of the 49 passengers taken to hospital after the crash received treatment for minor injuries and all are expected to live, according to the Durango state governor.

Passengers expressed gratitude to be alive, but many were extremely shaken after the crash on Tuesday afternoon.

"It was really, really ugly," said Lorenzo Nunez, a passenger from Chicago who fled the plane with his two sons and wife.

"It burned in a question of seconds," he told reporters.

The head of Mexicos Transport Department said the plane fell upon takeoff.

Gerardo Ruiz Eparza said there were 97 adults, two children and four crew members aboard the plane.

Emergency personnel at the scene of the crash (EPA/Civil Protection State Coordination)

TV images showed the tail of a plane bearing an Aeromexico logo emerging from scrubland and a column of smoke rising into the sky.

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A reporter for network Milenio said some passengers had survived and walked to a highway to seek help.

Shortly after taking off, the plane made an emergency landing about six miles (10km) from the airport, Alejandro Cardoza, a spokesman for the states civil protection agency, said on local television.

The civil defence office of Durango state said the accident occurred in a field near the airport for the state capital, also named Durango.

The operator of the airport, Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, attributed the crash to bad weather conditions, citing preliminary reports.

The states governor, Jose Rosas Aispuro, said on local television that the plane was bound for Mexico City.

The plane was taking off, said Mr Rosas Aispuro, going on to say witnesses told him there was a bang and then without warning the plane was on the ground.

Additional reporting by agenciesPassengers in plane crashes like the Aeromexico accident  in which no one died  have better chances of survival due to better aircraft construction and safety standards, experts say.

People are now less likely to be trapped by collapsed seats and floors, especially if the plane comes to rest more or less level and the accident occurs on flat ground and at lower speeds, as happened with Tuesday's crash in northern Mexico.

Survival rates are higher than ever in part because "airplanes are stronger than ever," said Adrian Young, an air-safety investigator from the Netherlands-based consultancy To70.

Other improvements in recent decades include wider use of materials that burn more slowly and without giving off toxic fumes, and smarter airport layouts that eliminate obstacles near runways.

In the end, though, "Good fortune is crucial in any accident," Young said Wednesday.

Authorities in Mexico said there were no fatalities among the 97 passengers and four crew members aboard the Embraer 190 jet that crashed moments after takeoff in Durango, sending plumes of black and gray smoke into the sky. Rescuers took 49 people to hospitals; most of them had minor injuries.

On average, about 56 percent of passengers survive airline accidents in which at least one person is killed.

Takeoff accidents occur on or near the runway, so obstacles on the ground  runway lights, fences, ditches and embankments  can lead to more extensive damage to the plane and increase the risk of an immediate fire, said Harro Ranter, CEO of Aviation Safety Network, which compiles a database on accidents.

"Luckily the area around the runway at Durango was relatively flat and covered with some bushes and no hazardous obstacles or ditches," Ranter said. "This likely caused all on board to survive (or) else it could have ended up a whole lot worse."

There have been other serious accidents in which everyone on board survived despite major damage  even destruction  of the plane.

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In 2016, everyone escaped after an engine explosion during takeoff caused a fire that severely damaged an American Airlines plane at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. In 2013, a Lion Air jet missed the runway, crashed in water and broke in two near Bali, Indonesia, yet all 108 people on board got out alive.

And in a famous event from 2009 that inspired a movie, US Airways pilots Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles safely landed their US Airways jet on the Hudson River after the plane's engines were knocked out by striking a flock of geese during takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport.

The improved odds of surviving a crash are partly due to advances in technology. Aircraft engineers have reinforced areas that proved to be weak in previous crashes. Seats are stronger to withstand violent impact. Seat materials and carpets are treated with fire-retardant chemicals to give passengers more precious time to escape before fires spread. Fire-suppression systems in cargo holds are now mandatory.

Many of those improvements involved learning from investigations into past disasters. That has led to fewer airline accidents and fewer fatal crashes. Many safety experts regard 2017 as the safest year yet.

The Aviation Safety Network counted just 10 fatal accidents involving commercial aircraft last year, causing 44 deaths. There were nearly 600 deaths a year on average over the previous 10 years, according to the group.

"You have less aircraft that are running into mountaintops" because of systems that warn pilots if they are close to the ground, said Mark Millam with the U.S.-based Flight Safety Foundation. "This is coming from things that were witnessed in other accidents. It is decades of effort."

Passengers can give themselves a better chance by following a few simple steps:

 Wear shoes instead of flip-flops or sandals that can easily fall off, leaving bare feet exposed to fire or debris.

 Put children under 2 in a child seat even though U.S. rules don't require it. Lap children can become projectiles during a crash.

 Listen to the crew's safety demonstration before takeoff and memorize the locations of the nearest exits, including those to the rear. Count the number of seat rows to those exits in case smoke and darkness make it hard to see.

 Stay buckled in; this will also protect against injury during turbulence.

 Follow flight attendants' instructions, especially if they warn to brace for impact. That's what Alberto Herrera did when he felt the Aeromexico plane start to shudder during takeoff Tuesday.

"I just started, out of instinct, bracing for impact as the plane started jolting and slamming into the ground," Herrera told NBC. "It's just a blessing that I'm here to kind of tell the story."

 Finally, leave carry-on luggage behind during an evacuation. After the American Airlines accident in Chicago, investigators said bag-toting passengers contributed to a confused, disorderly evacuation that could have turned deadly.

"You may be in a portion of the aircraft that is not yet on fire, and you think you have time," said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, "but conditions can change in seconds. That aircraft can burn very quickly."| BY Ricki Green |

Cowan, the independent, international design agency, has relaunched in Australia from today (August 1) as client needs in Australia and Asia are once again driving marketers to invest in regionally-based brand design.

The Cowan Australia team is led by newly-appointed CEO Dominic Walsh (left), who joins from Landor Associates, where he was managing director.

The Cowan Australia team will work seamlessly with existing Cowan offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and London to offer an integrated international service that builds on Cowans strong track record of creating and growing consumer brands for clients that include Tesco, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, Danone and Coca-Cola.

Walsh will lead the business from the newly-created Sydney office in addition to the already established Melbourne office. He will partner with chief creative officer Bob Price (left), who has also recently joined from Leo Burnett, where he was previously a globally-focused executive creative director in both the USA and Russia.

Says Walsh: Todays brand marketers have three pressing needs. They need to influence their points of transaction including packaging, physical stores, e-commerce and every other touch point where there is a value exchange between brands and customers. To meet those needs, well be building our innovations expertise, to add to our existing skills in retail and packaging.

Secondly, they must understand  and become relevant to  the rising Asian consumer. We have been established in the region for more than a decade and are well placed to assist Australian clients who are increasingly looking to Asia as part of their growth strategy.

Finally, brands need agency support thats as agile and entrepreneurial as the start-ups taking their market share. They need solutions that are fast, high quality and value based. Until now, theyve struggled to find agencies that can deliver all three elements. Thats what were here to do.

Says Price: Its refreshing to be embracing the agility, strategic rigour and creative firepower of an independent operator such as Cowan, especially at such a pivotal time for brands.(MEXICO CITY)  An Aeromexico jetliner crashed while taking off during a severe storm in northern Mexico on Tuesday, smacking down in a field nearly intact then catching fire, but officials said everyone on board escaped alive.

Gov. Jose Aispuro, who had initially reported there were no deaths but later said authorities were searching the charred Embraer 190 to make sure, announced late Tuesday that no person has died.

He said the pilot and one other person were in serious but stable condition. Earlier, he said a total of 49 people had been taken to hospitals, and officials said most had minor injuries.

Fortunately we have now found all 103  now we know where each one is  this gives us a lot of tranquility, Aispuro said.

The federal government earlier said 101 people were on the plane, 97 passengers and four crew members. But the governor said two minors had not been included in the first tally.

The state civil defense office published photos of a burning but relatively intact plane lying on its belly in a field. Ambulances lined up at the accident site to ferry the injured to hospitals. The governor said some passengers got out under their power, and some even wandered back to the nearby airport of Durango city to seek out relatives.

Officials and witnesses differed on whether the plane either fell shortly after takeoff or ran off the runway without really gaining altitude. But they agreed the plane was trying to take off during a storm, with some describing marble-sized hail.

The governor said a gust of wind hit the plane shortly after it took off, causing the jet to lose speed and hit the ground with its left wing, knocking both engines loose. He said the plane skidded into a field in a horizontal position, which allowed escape slides to activate so all passengers and crew could escape before the plane caught fire.

Israel Solano Mejia, director of the Durango city civil defense agency, told Foro TV that the plane made it off the ground, but fell nose-first just a few hundred yards from the end of the runway.

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The nose took the hit. The most seriously injured is the pilot, Solano Mejia said. However, he said, the majority of passengers left (the plane) under their own power.

The federal Transport Department office said in a press statement that the airplane suffered an accident moments after takeoff, but gave no information on the possible cause.

Aeromexico said the flight was AM2431 from Durango to Mexico City.

The web site Planespotters.net said the Brazilian-made medium-range Embraer 190 was about 10 years old and had seen service with two other airlines before joining the Aeromexico fleet.

Operations were suspended at Guadalupe Victoria airport after the crash.

Durango state Gov. Jose Aispuro said at a news conference late Tuesday that the plane skidded into a field in a horizontal position. He says that escape slides were activated so all passengers and crew could escape before the plane caught fire Tuesday afternoon.

The governor says all 103 passengers and crew have been accounted for alive. He says the planes pilot is in serious condition with burns.A British Challenger main battle tank, the squadron leader of D Sqn, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, moves into a base camp along with other Allied armor during Operation Desert Storm.

Robert Farley

,

"Of course, the U.S. Army never needed to face the Red Army in battle. The collapse of the Soviet Union made the conventional balance in Central Europe irrelevant, for decades at least. But AirLand Battle guided the Armys thinking about the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, an operation that did not require the defeat of a Soviet offensive, but did involve audacious maneuver warfare against a mobile enemy."

AirLand Battle: The Army's Cold War Plan to Crush Russia (That Ended Up Crushing Iraq)

The legacy of AirLand Battle remains largely positive. It restored offensive maneuver to the U.S. toolkit, and gave the post-Vietnam U.S. Army a way of thinking about decisively defeating the Red Army on the conventional battlefield. It also proved intellectual fertile, opening space for new thinking on the integration of technology and doctrine.

The United States may well be at the cusp of a decades-long struggle for military advantage with China, a struggle that hopefully will remain as cold as the late twentieth century struggle against the Soviet Union. But cold should never be misread as static, and the evolution of the relationship between the United States and USSR may hold lessons for how to think about the new relationship with China. Over the course of the Cold War, the balance of forces between the two antagonists changed dramatically. Sometimes dramatic technological or political changes shifted the ledger suddenly, but for the most part change came slowly. It is worthwhile to investigate how the United States and the USSR thought about different theaters across the extent of the struggle, and how the strategies and perceptions of strategies by the United States and the USSR affected the evolution of the struggle.

(This first appeared last month.)

In this context its worthwhile to examine the final stages of the confrontation in Central Europe. AirLand Battle, published in 1982 and instituted during the mid-1980s, represented the final evolution of the U.S. Armys answer to how to fight and win against the Soviet Union.

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Origins

Two wars made clear the need to rethink U.S. land warfare strategy. The first was the Vietnam War, which had embroiled the U.S. Army in a long irregular campaign that had deemphasized its traditional conventional strengths, and eventually undercut the ability of the Army to rely on conscription for its manpower needs. The second was the Yom Kippur War, in which Soviet and Western weapons proved unexpectedly lethal in Arab and Israeli hands. Scaled up, the experience suggested that war on NATOs central front would prove extraordinarily costly in terms of ordnance and vehicles. Precision-guided conventional munitions (PGMs) could cause nuclear-scale damage to an army on the move; combined with increasingly powerful information technology, they had the potential to completely disrupt an enemy advance.

The first response was Active Defense, which in some ways resembled the elastic defenses established by the Reichswehr in World War I, as well as the flexible defenses employed by the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front in World War II. Active Defense would require NATO forces to shift across a series of defensive positions, using PGMs to brutally attrite advancing Warsaw Pact forces and combine the Soviet advance to a few manageable corridors. Active Defense expected a quick war, as both sides would exhaust their stores of equipment and munitions.

But many within the Army were skeptical of Active Defense. It seemed to surrender the initiative to the Soviet Union, allowing the Red Army to make the core decision with respect to where the central fight would take place. Active Defense was not static defense; it involved an elastic concept of shifting across defensive positions in order to maximize Soviet costs and minimize NATO losses. In contrast to the perceived static nature of Active Defense, AirLand Battle would carve out a space for launching offensive operations against the flanks of a Warsaw Pact advance. The U.S. Army would continue to maneuver, even as Soviet forces advanced, and it would not restrict that maneuver to the retreat from one established defensive position to another, instead attacking opportunistically against any perceived Soviet weakness

AirLand Battle also sought to leverage what U.S. planners believed was a professional advantage in command and control. Since the latter stages of World War I, offensive maneuver warfare had required considerable delegation of authority to local, junior commanders. This delegation required trust in the capabilities of those commanders, trust that was largely not evident in the Soviet approach to offensive war. U.S. planners believed that more flexible command structures, along with more professional capable junior commanders, could help disrupt the Red Armys excessively hierarchical approach to operational-level warfare.

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Active Defense and AirLand Battle corresponded with a period in U.S. Air Force history that was, in some ways, similar to that of the U.S. Army. Vietnam had opened up series question regarding how the Air Force planned to fight a conventional war, and generational change in the USAF brought a group of fighter generals into the leadership of the organization. These generals were more willing to take seriously the need to fight and win a conventional war against the Soviet Union in Central Europe, and consequently more willing to take an interest in how the Army planned to conduct that fight. This helped the framers of AirLand Battle conceptualize the extension of the fight into the Soviet rear, where Soviet reserves, headquarters, and logistics would come under attack from a variety of air assets. Indeed, this extension resembled in many ways the Deep Battle concepts developed in the 1930s by Soviet military theorists.

And while AirLand Battle rejected some of the operational concepts of Active Defense, it did not fundamentally differ from its predecessor on how technology had made long-range weapons increasingly lethal. AirLand Battle also sought to take advantage of the proliferation of platforms that could provide information about developments in the battlespace. These included manned aircraft, but also satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles. This explosion of information required integration, which led to conceptual thinking similar to the network centric strategy that guides the U.S. military today.

In Action

Of course, the U.S. Army never needed to face the Red Army in battle. The collapse of the Soviet Union made the conventional balance in Central Europe irrelevant, for decades at least. But AirLand Battle guided the Armys thinking about the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, an operation that did not require the defeat of a Soviet offensive, but did involve audacious maneuver warfare against a mobile enemy. The offensive thinking behind AirLand Battle, combined with its appreciation of the integration of information and technology into battle planning, also helped lay the foundation for the initial U.S. victory in Iraq in 2003.

At the same time, the focus on decisive conventional victory was in some ways a reaction to the inability of conventional arms to produce a decision in the Vietnam War; in Iraq, the U.S. Army would find to its great chagrin that decisive defeat of a conventional enemy did not provide a political answer to the problem of a population unreconciled to defeat. Ironically, victory in conventional maneuver warfare produced precisely the same outcome in Iraq that the U.S. Army had been trying to forget about in Vietnam.

Still, the legacy of AirLand Battle remains largely positive. It restored offensive maneuver to the U.S. toolkit, and gave the post-Vietnam U.S. Army a way of thinking about decisively defeating the Red Army on the conventional battlefield. It also proved intellectual fertile, opening space for new thinking on the integration of technology and doctrine. As Steven Metz has suggested, The result, however, was not a radically new perspective on warfare, but the marriage of new technology with operational concepts that Patton or Guderian would have been comfortable withStill, history may show that the true significance of this period for the U.S. Army was not the crafting of AirLand Battle, but the inculcation of a tradition of creativity and introspection.

Robert Farley, a frequent contributor to the National Interest, is author of The Battleship Book. He serves as a Senior Lecturer at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky. His work includes military doctrine, national security, and maritime affairs. He blogs at Lawyers, Guns and Money and Information Dissemination and the Diplomat.

Read full articleThe federal government will allow a company to upload blueprints for designing a 3D printed gun: YouTube

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the digital publishing of 3D weapon blueprints, in a lawsuit brought by eight states and Washington D.C.

Now, Donald Trump's administration may decide whether Americans can log onto a website and download undetectable 3D printable guns.

The US State Department settled a lawsuit it filed under the previous administration with Defence Distributed, a company owned by guns rights activist Cody Wilson, which sought to provide computer files for anyone seeking to design a 3D printed gun. In its settlement, the federal government gave permission for Defence Distributed to begin hosting those files on its website 1 August. The states argue the federal settlement violates their constitutional right to regulate guns under the 10th Amendment, which grants to individual states the right to legislate issues not delegated to the federal government by the constitution.

Bob Ferguson, Washington states attorney general, released a statement announcing the lawsuit and warning of the potential threat to public safety brought by printable guns.

These downloadable guns are unregistered and very difficult to detect, even with metal detectors, and will be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health, or criminal history, he said. If the Trump administration wont keep us safe, we will.

Washington state is joined by Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, New York, and the District of Columbia.

I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018

The lawsuit also alleges the federal government is violating the Administrative Procedures Act, which requires notice to be provided to Congress before guidelines surrounding printable weapons are changed.

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Under the previous administration, the US State Department took the position that printable guns were a threat to national security and blocked Defence Distributed from uploading blueprints to its website for designing guns.

The company then sued the federal government, claiming the block was in violation of its first amendment rights.

Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader from New York, released a statement last month raising awareness about the otherwise underreported settlement, vowing Congressional action against the rollback of protections against 3D weapon printing.

Sadly, the feds are not only shoulder-shrugging this threat to public safety by refusing to fully enforce laws already on the books, but they could be sowing the seeds of real disaster by allowing dangerous ghost gun blueprints to be shared freely online, Mr Schumer said. I am not only sounding the alarm on this issue, but I have a message for the administration: Congress will use its powers to try and stop this madness.

A letter signed by 40 members of Congress was then sent to the chairs of the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees, urging them to review the settlement.

The Trump Administrations decision to settle this case will only worsen the gun violence epidemic in America, Ted Deutch, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrote in the letter. We shouldnt have to wait for someone to kill someone in a House office building after sneaking past security with a plastic 3D-printed gun to do something to stop this. And we cant let another day go by allowing the paralysis and dysfunction of Congress to prevent us from making our communities safe.

Whether the federal government decides to restrict 3D weapon printing after public scrutiny remains unclear. On Tuesday  the day before Defence Distributed would be permitted to upload its weapon blueprints online  the president tweeted, I am looking into 3D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense!

Regardless of Mr Trumps plan, states with tough gun control measures and gun-control lobbying groups are going forward with their fight to stop 3D weapon printing in its tracks.

Three gun-control groups filed a request for a temporary restraining order blocking Defence Distributed with a federal judge in Texas last week, which was later denied. In a statement, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the Giffords Law Centre and Everytown for Gun Safety vowed to pursue every avenue in order to block a permanent rollback of 3D gun printing guidelines.

This is not an argument about free speech, said Adam Skaggs, chief counsel of Giffords Law Centre. This comes down to whether we want people who would never pass a background check to be able to download lethal, 3D printed guns with the click of a mouse  We stand together and will pursue every avenue to stop this danger.

Defense Distributed is moving forward with its own fight, publishing the downloadable components to AR-15 and AR-10 semi-automatic rifles ahead of the 1 August date, along with a Beretta M9 handgun and another gun the company created in 2013 called the Liberator pistol. Those blueprints have already been downloaded by thousands of people.Swedish royal funeral regalia, including gold burial crowns (dated from the 17th century) belonging to King Karl IX (top-L) and his wife Queen Christina (top-R) - AFP

A major manhunt was underway in Sweden on Wednesday as police scrambled to track down a pair of thieves who robbed the country's crown jewels in broad daylight before escaping on a speed boat.

In a daring heist reminiscent of Blake Edwards' Pink Panther films, the crowns of King Karl IX and Queen Christina, as well as a royal orb, were snatched from Strangnas Cathedral by two men on Tuesday around lunchtime.

Police raided two locations in Strangnas on Wednesday but admitted they were struggling to find any clues.

"It's 1-0 to them right now," police spokesman Thomas Agnevik told Swedish reporters. "It is not possible to put an economic value on this, it is invaluable items of national interest."

The 1611 gold burial crowns were originally interred with the couple but were later exhumed and had been on display in a locked cabinet in the cathedral, 60 miles west of Stockholm.

"The alarm went off when the burglars smashed the security glass and stole the artifacts," Catharina Frojd, a spokeswoman for the 14th-century cathedral said.

Another police spokesman, Stefan Dangardt, said Interpol had been brought in to help apprehend the jewel thieves, along with Swedish helicopters and canine units.

"Several people were seen leaving the church by boat or water scooter after the theft. We have spoken to witnesses, but we are interested in further information from anyone that has made any observations," he added.

Tom Rowsell, who was having lunch outside the cathedral where he is to be married this weekend, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet he saw two men dash from the building toward a motorboat waiting on Lake Malaren.

"I saw a white little boat with an outboard motor on the back. The two men hurriedly jumped on board and it sped off," he said.

Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther

"I knew immediately they were burglars, because of the way they were behaving," he added.

The police have issued vague descriptions of the thieves: one is said to be skinny and wearing a light beige jacket with dark long pants.

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The other is roughly six feet tall, heavier, and was wearing a dark jacket It is not the first time robbers have whisked away the jewels of European royalty. In 2013, King Johan III's burial regalia was stolen from Vasteras Cathedral.

It was recovered several days later in a garbage bag left on a a countryside road, following an anonymous tip.

Britain's own crown jewels were nearly stolen in 1671 by Anglo-Irish Colonel Thomas Blood, who was captured as he fled the Tower of London with St Edward's Crown, the Scepter with the Cross, and the Sovereign's Orb.After almost 10 years, its time for Rick Grimes to walk out of The Walking Dead. With Andrew Lincolns exit for AMCs juggernaut horror series confirmed, new series showrunner Angela Kang revealed how cables biggest zombie series will carry on without Sheriff Grimes.

As it turns out, The Walking Dead has never really been about Rick Grimes, but the people and the community he created.

On Wednesday, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, executive producer Angela Kang says that the goal of Season 9 was to just pay homage to Rick Grimes, somebody that people have loved watching.

He is this man who was looking for his family, and found them, and lost many of them, but has fought on and on. And I think thats meant a lot to people, Kang says. And we just really wanted to be respectful of that character and send him off in a great way. So that was the charge for us this season.

But Kang, who has been staffed on The Walking Dead since its second season, says that the story has never been just about Rick Grimes. [I]ts never been a story just about this one man, she says.

It started with him, but its always been a story about this group of people that have each others backs, that help each other survive, that help each other be more human. And thats the story that well continue to tell.

Andrew Lincoln, behind the scenes of AMC's 'The Walking Dead.'

While the direction of the AMC series has diverted in several big ways from Robert Kirkmans comic book series, the departure of Rick Grimes will be by far the biggest.

In the most recent issue of The Walking Dead, issue #181 released today, Rick is still alive! And he will likely stay alive as the comic continues without any sign of slowing down.

The Walking Dead Season 9 will premiere on October 7 on AMC.*

Photos via AMC

More From Inverse| BY Ricki Green |

Pickett has directed commercials globally for brands such as Volkswagen, ALDI and Nissan and his work offers nuanced, comedic storytelling combined with beautifully observed visuals.

Says Adrian Shapiro, co-founder/executive producer, Scoundrel: We are thrilled to welcome Scott to the Scoundrel family. Scotts comedic style resonates with people on a very human level which appeals to both the local and international markets, were very excited to start collaborating with him.The plastic weapons require high-end printers and are known to blow up in shooters hands  but they could pose a future threat

A software engineer aims a 3D-printed gun. Officials fear the weapons will allow users to work around gun laws. Photograph: Robert Macpherson/AFP/Getty Images

As the day has neared for the release of blueprints for printing 3D weapons, there has been a flurry of last-minute activity and expressions of concern from US lawmakers. Even the president weighed in with a Tuesday morning tweet that seemed to question his own administration: I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense!

And now, in the last hours, a federal judge in Seattle has issued a temporary restraining order to stop Cody Wilson, who produced the worlds first 3D-printed gun in 2013, from making his controversial plans available for download.

Officials are worried that these ghost guns lack serial numbers, making them untraceable by law enforcement, and that plastic weapons may be impervious to metal detectors in airports. DIY firearms may also render existing gun regulations virtually moot. People who might normally be prevented from legally owning a gun, such as convicted felons or the mentally ill, could skirt such restrictions by printing them at home.

At least in theory, that is. In practice, however, its not quite as easy as it sounds and 3D guns, some experts say, arent worth the trouble or risk of a weapon blowing up in your hand.

3D printers work by melting or fusing raw materials such as plastics or metals at high heat, then laying down successive layers of the material in a specific pattern determined by software. This is also known as additive manufacturing, and its used to produce simple objects like toys, prototypes of industrial products, human medical implants, and jet engine fuel nozzles.

Downloading the code for printing an AR-15 or M9 Beretta is merely the start. Opening and manipulating the file requires computer-aided design software and a fair amount of expertise. A user would also need a high-quality 3D printer, which can cost $10,000 or more.

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A typical 3D desktop printer is not up to the task, said Pete Basiliere, research vice-president for additive manufacturing at the Gartner consulting firm. It probably wont have the quality of build to make the gun safe. Even if the quality is acceptable, the range of materials that are used in an extrusion printer are so limited that theres a great risk of the gun misfiring in your hand.

In fact, a 3D-printed plastic firearm may prove a greater danger to the person holding it than anyone standing in front of it, said Terry Wohlers, president of Wohlers Associates, an additive manufacturing consultancy.

My biggest fear is that innocent people will believe its fine to download the data for a gun, take it out for target shooting, and then they or someone else is injured inadvertently, he said. The fact that this part of the work has been done for you would encourage people of all types to consider printing a gun and seeing what happens.

In 2013, police in New South Wales, Australia, manufactured copies of Wilsons original 3D gun, known as the Liberator, using a $1,700 desktop printer. They then placed it in a vise and fired it multiple times, using a wire to pull the trigger. Each time, the gun blew up as the bullet left the chamber.

In 2015, the state passed a law banning the possession of files that could be used to produce 3D-printed guns.

Producing a gun using a metal 3D printer would probably result in a higher quality weapon but at a much greater cost, noted Basiliere. Additive manufacturing machines that can use steel, aluminum, nickel, or other metal powders start at well over $100,000.

A person who wants to make a metal gun needs access to a very expensive machine that is not simple to operate, he said. If your gun-making is above board, you can work with whoever owns that machine. But if youre thinking about making a gun for criminal intent, youll need to find a machine and go about it in a secretive way.

So far, the prospect of downloading and printing a gun at home seems to be generating more excitement from lawmakers than gunmakers.

I wouldnt waste my time on them, said Phil Wong, an NRA-certified firearms instructor in Tucson, Arizona. If I want to have something fun to use at the range, Id rather spend the money on a new gun. Unless you spend several hundred thousand dollars on a metal-capable 3D printer, youre getting something plastic thats nowhere near as durable and strong as forged ordnance-grade steel.

Or someone can simply go out and buy a gun, legally or otherwise, more cheaply and easily than building their own, said Jeremiah Blasi, a gun safety instructor for owner of Guardian Shooting Solutions in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Im not interested in 3D guns because there are plenty of ways to obtain legal firearms I can actually use, he said. Even if our government was to ban firearms today, it would still not be difficult to get access to illegal weapons, and theyd be a lot more effective than the 3D-printed models.

Will we ever get to the point where printing a gun at home is as easy as printing a photo?

Probably, said Max Lobovsky, CEO of Formlabs, one of the first companies to market low-cost professional 3D printers. But that wont happen for some time.

In 10 or 15 years, well probably have a low-cost device that can produce fairly complete firearms or other weapons, said Lobovsky. And maybe this is something our governments policies should address today. But right now its so easy to acquire a gun that it doesnt make sense to make one at home.

Related Video: Federal Judge Blocks Release of Gun Plans Online

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.

San Francisco (AFP) - Apple will release quarterly earnings figures Tuesday as it flirts with a history-making, trillion-dollar market value based on its share price.

To hit the trillion-dollar mark, Apple shares would have to climb about seven percent from the $189.91 price logged at the close of official trading Monday on the Nasdaq.

The market is eager for news about demand for iPhones and how the company is riding out trade turbulence between the US and China.

President Donald Trump's trade wars include 25 percent US tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese goods, with more on the way, and steep tariffs on steel and aluminum, which provoked China and others to hit back with import duties on US goods.

The Silicon Valley-based company is expected to unveil new iPhone models in the fall, sticking with its practice of releasing upgraded models annually ahead of the year-end holiday shopping season.

Sales of iPhones in the quarter could be tame since many fans have historically either bought handsets in prior months or are holding out for new models on the near horizon.

Apple earnings are likely to be solid, with the average price of iPhones sold rising as buyers opt for the top-end iPhone X.

Billions of dollars that Apple has been spending to buy back shares could help propel the company past a trillion-dollar value mark in the stock market.

Early this year, Apple announced it would buy back $100 billion in shares.

Apple has managed to shine, despite bruises to its image that included being accused of keeping young people addicted to smartphones, slowing performance of older iPhones to motivate upgrades and sidestepping taxes by nestling cash in offshore havens.

The market will be watching to see whether a battery replacement program and software changes to improve performance of older iPhones are costing the company.

Apple has battled with the US government over making iPhones so secure even police can't peek at data, and prides itself on not making money off people's personal information the way ad-targeting companies such as Facebook do.

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Apple has hammered away at the growing amount of money it takes in from music, applications, games, subscriptions and services it sells to people using its devices.

Money made from services is seen as an important element of diversification away from having to rely heavily on selling iPhones.

A 31 percent rise in services to $9.2 billion in the first three months of this year followed big jumps in Apple Pay, Apple Music and other programs.The company posted better than expected earnings: AFP/Getty Images

Shares of Apple have jumped after the company posted quarterly results that beat out Wall Street targets while forecasting revenue above expectations in the current quarter.

Those results were fuelled by the sales of their signature product - the iPhone - and revenue services such as the App Store, Apple Music, and iCloud.

The company saw growth in its stock of 3.3 per cent in after hours trading.

The immediate spike in shares was not enough, however, to make Apple the first company to be valued at one trillion, but the company has come very close to that moniker and continued growth in future quarters could potentially push it over that line.

The company was able to beat sales estimates by selling fewer iPhones, and instead getting the more expensive models to fly off the shelves, analysts say. Even so, the company sold slightly fewer units with 41.3 million sold compared to the expectation that 41.8 million would be sold.

Apples postings showed that the average iPhone sold cost $724 (552), far outweighing previous expectations that the average price would come in at $694, according to the data providing service FactSet. During the quarter, an Apple spokesperson told Reuters, the best selling model was the IPhone X, which retails for $999.

Apple, the worlds most valuable technology company, forecast revenues of between $60b and $62bn for its fourth fiscal quarter, a figure that will include any advance sales of the companys coming new models of iPhone.

The earnings report is good news for the technology company, which last week avoided a tech sector sell-off that saw shareholders dropping stake in Facebook, Twitter, and Netflix amid concerns about the future growth of the companies.

While Apple has a market valuation above $900bn, the company could be facing rocky roads ahead if President Donald Trump imposes tariffs that impact the import of its devices into the US. Mr Trump has yet to say exactly which product categories he might target with tariffs on Chinese goods, but the taxes could potentially impact products like the Apple Watch, one of the companys main growth drivers.

Reuters contributed to this reportBUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)  A judge in Argentina on Wednesday asked former President Cristina Fernandez to testify in an investigation into alleged corruption involving public works contracts.

Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio also ordered the arrest of at least 10 people, including some former officials who served in Fernandez's 2007-2015 administration. The suspects are accused of receiving bribes from companies.

Fernandez was called to testify on Aug. 13. She is currently a senator, a post that grants her immunity from prosecution.

The case is based on an investigation by La Nacion newspaper. Its report said the driver of one of the accused kept eight notebooks in which he wrote down detailed information on the payment of the bribes from 2005-2015. Fernandez's private address and the presidential residence are allegedly mentioned.

Fernandez faces several other court actions in separate cases involving alleged money laundering, possible illegal enrichment and fraud. Fernandez has not commented on the case but she has previously denied wrongdoing in separate cases where she faces accusations of alleged money laundering, illegal enrichment and state fraud.

In December, Bonadio asked Argentine lawmakers to remove Fernandez's immunity to allow her arrest on a charge of treason for allegedly covering up the role of Iranians in a 1994 bomb attack on a Jewish center.Fridays U.S. gross domestic product number was the best in four years, and it follows a long line of economic indicators from jobs to trade to manufacturing that have continued to show strength.

But some economists and Wall Street strategists say there are a number of worrying developments that threaten to undercut the economy. These analysts warn theres a glut of bad bets and hazardous risk thats been growing beneath the surface of this strong market that could send the country into a woeful recession.

Watch credit spreads

That things are good now means nothing, says Josh Brown, a financial advisor and the chief executive of Ritholtz Wealth Management.

Durable goods or consumer confidence or whatever metric, no metric tells you what will happen tomorrow, Brown told Yahoo Finance in a phone interview. If it did, reliably, if there were any meaning in any of that, then everyone would be a billionaire because we would all know.

While the economy looks strong, there are a number of developments that have analysts and economists worried.

Brown says that hes not necessarily bearish on the market, but is crafting portfolios for clients that arent fully exposed to stocks and will shed risk if the market turns. The metric hes watching is the movement in credit spreads  the difference between the yield on bonds issued by corporations and an equivalent bond issued by the U.S. government.

The latest Moodys data shows the spread between Baa-rated bonds and comparable U.S. Treasuries this month hit 2%, a level reached either during or just before six of the past seven U.S. recessions since 1970. In February, those spreads were at their lowest since the financial crisis.

Were looking for waves and ignoring the tide

The bond market is flashing a number of other recession warnings, analysts and economists say.

Most prominent is the steadily declining U.S. Treasury yield curve, which is pointing toward an inversion  meaning 2-year U.S. government bonds pay bondholders more than 10-year issues. An inverted yield curve has preceded every U.S. recession since 1955, with a lag time ranging from six months to two years.

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The curve has recently dipped to its tightest level since the summer of 2007, and the spread between the 10-year note and 30-year bond has fallen to less than 0.1%.

The U.S. yield curve is one of the most widely followed recession indicators.

Andrew Weiss, founder and chief executive of Weiss Asset Management, who was noted as having had a substantial impact on Nobel Prize economist Joseph Stiglitzs work, says there are currently three major market developments that worry him.

Weiss argues that many in the market are distracted by headlines from Washington and popular economic metrics. Hes watching the weakening credit quality in loans, with a record $247 trillion of debt having been issued globally, as well as increased regulation of banks and the worsening demographics of developed economies.

Were looking for waves and ignoring the tide, Weiss told Yahoo Finance.

Particularly onerous to Weiss are so-called covenant-lite loans  those that provide less protection for lenders and investors than traditional loans  which now account for a record 75% of outstanding U.S leveraged loans, according to ratings agency S&P Globals LCD tracking system. Moodys reported that 80% of leveraged loans issued in the first quarter were covenant-lite.

Weiss said hes worried about the growth of covenant-lite style loans in Europe, where the issuance of such loans has picked up dramatically in recent years.

The banks also are taking on less of the loans and less risk overall, Weiss said, as a result of government regulation. While it makes the banks look healthier, theyre passing many risky bets on to investors through securities sold to asset managers and private equity firms.

The next recession will be sharper and deeper

The combination means that much of the debt issued today is less secure and more likely to cause a substantially worse crash if the market and economy head south. That will be exacerbated by a population that is growing older and will require more resources, like Medicare and Social Security, with declining tax receipts and worker productivity to provide it.

In bad times things can get really bad, Weiss added.

Similarly, Brian Singer, head of asset manager William Blairs Dynamic Allocation Strategies Team, laid out four market risks keeping [him] up at night: monetary policy, smart-beta ETFs, the Volcker Rule and circuit breakers.

The U.S. gross domestic product output gap is inching toward a focal point.

As the Federal Reserve withdraws liquidity from the market by continuing to raise U.S. overnight interest rates as it has since December 2015, Singer worries that the high correlation of stocks in many of the worlds most popular exchange-traded funds combined with banking regulations and circuit breakers that shut down trading when stocks fall too quickly will worsen problems rather than solving them.

When the next market decline comes, we believe it will be sharper and deeper than investors expect, Singer said in a note to clients.

Tariffs are the No. 1 concern

There are also the more well-known risks, including the growing trade war between the United States and China that worry forecasters. Tendayi Kapfidze, chief economist at Lending Tree, says hes starting to become concerned about housing. The most recent and three-month average of new home sales is weak and coupled with poor readings in existing home sales may be signaling a peak in the market, he said.

However, he says tariffs are the No. 1 risk to the ongoing recovery because they could offset and negate the positive impact of the tax cut passed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Congress.

If you dont get the growth, what have you just bought for this big hole youve put in the budget? Youve bought nothing, he said during an interview in Manhattan. So now you just have a big deficit problem that youve created and you have nothing to show for it on the other side.

U.S. Housing starts data has recently turned worrisome.

The tariffs are causing businesses uncertainty and leading many business owners to rethink future expenditures, market data shows.

Even a win in the trade war could be disastrous for the United States and the rest of the world. Tom Essaye, a longtime financial analyst and the founder and editor of the Sevens Report, says the risk of Chinas economy slowing down is a major risk that investors arent giving enough attention.

Its not a problem yet, Essaye told Yahoo Finance, but its very unlikely the global economy can continue to grow if China has an issue.

Still, he says of the 10 market indicators he watches, only two are blinking red  the fall in building permits, a major housing indicator, and the demand for copper, because of its use in industrial production and electrical equipment.

Theres nothing on this right now that makes me nervous, Essaye said. However, I think were seeing some signs that we are starting to approach the end of this economic expansion.



See also:

Wall Street managers have cost Americans more than $600 billion over the past decade

Its the end of the world as we know it, and investors feel bullish

The dollars status as the worlds funding currency is in question

Why Trumps trade war hasnt tanked the market or the economy yet

Dion Rabouin is a global markets reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter: @DionRabouin.

Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.As accusations of treachery continue to swirl around Washington and the White House, its becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the specter of a stocky, limping, figure dressed in the tricorn hat and long-tailed coat of a Revolutionary War officer.

Treason has become a talking point on both sides of the aisle. The chaotic fallout from President Trumps recent Helsinki summit with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, prompted former CIA director John Brennan to describe Trumps behavior as nothing short of treasonous  and on Monday, Trumps lawyer Rudy Giuliani mentioned by name the man who, in American history, is synonymous with that idea. George Washington would have said that about Benedict Arnold at a certain point in time, Giuliani said during a CNN interview, by way of explaining his earlier praise of Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen. George Washington didnt know that Benedict Arnold was a traitor.

Now, however, everyone does. Nearly 250 years after he defected to the British, Major-General Benedict Arnold remains among the most vilified figures in American history. Ever since Sept. 25, 1780, when his plot to betray the Hudson Valley fortress of West Point was exposed on the brink of being activated, Arnold has been branded a Judas, ready to barter his honor and country for enemy gold.

What would he think of his name once again making news? We can only guess. But Giulianis point does in fact speak to an important element of the real story of Benedict Arnold. And if the testimony of this most notorious American turncoat is any indication, treason  and the motivations behind it  can be far less clear than the public may wish to believe, and history to remember.

Not that the definition of treason is complicated. To the frustration of the Presidents critics, Article III, section 3 of the U.S. Constitution narrowly defines treason against the United States as consisting only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort. Americans shared this understanding of treason, rooted in English common law, even before the Constitution was written.

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Yet if Arnold had been executed for that crime  in reality, he escaped to the British in New York  some of those who witnessed him swing would surely have felt mixed emotions. Before turning his coat from Continental blue to British scarlet, hed served the Patriots with conspicuous bravery, helping to ensure that the Declaration of Independence amounted to more than bold words. Without his contribution as a dynamic and resourceful soldier, its debatable whether todays USA would even exist.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

Two episodes stand out. In 1776, when a British army was poised to advance south from Canada, Arnold assembled a fleet on Lake Champlain that forced the enemy to halt and construct warships of their own. That October, Arnolds flotilla was destroyed, but his willingness to fight against heavy odds bought the Americans crucial time  and earned George Washington a timely reprieve. If Britains northern force had rolled south as planned, he would have been trapped. Without Arnolds energy and determination, there would have been no ripostes against Trenton and Princeton, victories that revived the Patriot cause when it was at low ebb.

In the summer of 1777, after the British resumed their stalled advance from Canada under General John Burgoyne, Arnolds role was even more significant for the future of the fledgling republic. By helping to rebuff a British advance along the Mohawk Valley, he clipped one wing of the invading army. When Burgoynes depleted forces pushed on for Albany, and encountered the army of General Horatio Gates near Saratoga, Arnolds aggressive tactics transformed a stand-off into a decisive Patriot victory. That outcome convinced the French to enter the war against Britain, vastly improving the prospects for American independence.

Badly wounded, Arnold was appointed military governor of Philadelphia. But  ironically, considering his own role in bringing the French over to the Patriot side  he soon became convinced that British peace commissioners offered his countrymen a better option than alliance with their traditional enemy. In May 1779, Arnold opened negotiations with the redcoats in New York.

In fact, this was Arnolds second brush with treason. Like George Washington and other supporters of American independence, when he first took up arms against his legitimate sovereign King George III, he became a rebel, guilty of high treason under English law dating back to 1351. By the Royal Proclamation of Rebellion, issued in London on Aug. 23, 1775, all Crown officers were obliged to use their utmost endeavours to suppress such rebellion and to bring the traitors to justice. The official punishment for treason was execution by hanging, drawing and quartering.

But though Patriot prisoners-of-war died by the thousands from disease and neglect, they were never hanged as rebels. Britain was reluctance to unleash the full force of its Treason Act on the American insurgents  though several rebel states (notably Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey) had no such qualms about employing their own harsh laws against Loyalists who clung to their allegiance to the Crown.

When his conspiracy was uncovered, Arnold was immediately accused of selling his soul for British cash. Since then, historians have acknowledged the role of his prickly, proud personality, and his mounting resentment against politicians who failed to appreciate and reward his services. But a careful reading of all the evidence suggests that Arnold committed treason for what he believed to be honorable reasons, and in the best interests of his distressed fellow Americans. As the British general Sir Henry Clinton reminded him soon after his first approach, you proposed your assistance for the delivery of your country. Over the years, Arnold consistently maintained that hed defected to save America from an ineffective Congress, a cause that had lost its way, and a bloody and protracted civil war. As late as 1792, while exiled in London, he complained about the illiberal comments that hed endured because of the prevailing misconception that his conduct in America had been influenced by mercenary, rather than just, motives.

But in seeking to justify himself, Arnold was inevitably fighting a losing battle against lingering accusations of cynical betrayal. In 1784, when he applied in vain for a military posting with the East India Company, one of its governors, George Johnstone, underlined the harsh rule that history is written by the winners: Under an unsuccessful insurrection all actors are rebels; crowned with success they become immortal patriots. While Johnstone had no doubt of the purity of Arnolds conduct, the great vulgar herd thought differently.

As a rebel whod led his countrymen in a successful war for independence, George Washington was hailed as a national hero, not condemned as a traitor to his lawful king. But Benedict Arnold ultimately picked the wrong side in the Revolutionary War. Irrespective of its motives, his plot had failed. In the eyes of posterity, he would be forever defined  and tainted  by treason.

Stephen Brumwell is the author of Turncoat: Benedict Arnold and the Crisis of American Liberty (Yale University Press, 2018).Cotonou (AFP) - Benin President Patrice Talon has decided to put his constitutional reform project on hold, arguing that the organisation of a vote would cost too much and was not a priority.

"A referendum is expensive and we are a few months away from the legislative elections," said the head of state in a televised speech late Tuesday on the eve of Benin's 58th independence annicersary.

"The reform initiated by the National Assembly is important, but it is not, for now, a priority issue," Talon said in the address.

The reform, included in Talon's campaign pledges, did not get the required majority when it was considered by the National Assembly at the beginning of July, so was automatically referred to a referendum vote.

The reforms included the improvement of women's representation in parliament, the abolition of the death penalty, the establishment of a court of auditors and, most importantly and controversially, the consolidation of all elections.

The opposition fears the reforms could give an advantage to the ruling party and potentially extend its time in office.

Talon vowed to return to the subject in the future, saying: "I am convinced that one day the sense of national interest and reason will eventually override political (considerations)."

Analysts noted that the referendum could have less to do with issues of reform than serve as a mid-term vote on Talon's performance.

In that case, the referendum was a risky gamble for the head of state, who is facing more and more criticism from trade unions on his liberal policies in the tiny west African country.(CNN)  The head of Malaysia's civil aviation authority resigned Tuesday after a report on missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 showed failures by Kuala Lumpur's air traffic control center.

Malaysian authorities said Monday they had failed to determine the cause of the 2014 disappearance of the aircraft, but highlighted lapses by air traffic control in complying with operating procedures  without suggesting they were to blame for its loss.

Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), said in a statement that while the report did not fault the Department of Civil Aviation, there was evidence Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Center "did not comply with certain Standard Operating Procedures".

"Over the past four years, I have tried my level best to assist in the search for MH370 and I am ever resolute in finding answers we all seek towards this unfortunate tragedy as we owe it to the families and loved ones," he said. "I am saddened to have to leave under these circumstances."

His resignation will take effect in 14 days.

MH370 disappeared while carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, and remains one of the world's most mysterious aviation disasters.

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, lead investigator Kok Soo Chon said the aircraft turned back towards Malaysia under manual control, but it could not be determined whether it was being flown by the pilot or if there had been any unlawful interference.

Chon ruled out other factors, including the pilot's mental state, aircraft malfunction or remote control of operation systems, as contributors to the aircraft's disappearance.

An initial search for the plane, carried out by Malaysia, China, and Australia, was called off in January 2017 after failing to find any trace of the plane within a 710,000-plus square kilometer area of the Indian Ocean. A private company reached an agreement with the Malaysian government to extend the search, but that ended in May.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Malaysia civil aviation head resigns over MH370 failures"| BY Ricki Green |

Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey has unveiled its new brand campaign via M&C Saatchi.

The first campaign produced by the agency for the global top-selling American whiskey since winning the account in January, the work demonstrates the simplicity and authenticity of Jack Daniels with its charcoal filtering process which makes it a smooth sippin Tennessee whiskey.

The only filter were a fan of is charcoal campaign will roll-out across social, digital and major out-of-home sites nationally.

Says Sharon Edmondston, creative director, M&C Saatchi: Its exciting to bring this much-loved and iconic brand to life. What a fascinating experience it has been to delve into the core values of Jacks over 150-year-old brand and see how culturally relevant those values still are today.

Says Marisa Murray, head of marketing, Jack Daniels: Well be the first to admit that charcoal might not make for the most exciting picture. But the fact is, we cant make Jack without it and so weve made it the focus of this campaign with the help of M&C Saatchi.

Agency, M&C Saatchi

Cam Blackley, Chief Creative Officer

Sharon Edmondston, Creative Director

Avi Azouz, Senior Copywriter

Chris Cheesman, Senior Art Director

Tyler Wilson, Planning Director

Celia Wallace, Senior Business Director

Joshua Johns, Account Manager

Mandi Bateson, Head of Social

Clancy Walsh, Senior Social Content Strategist

Client, Jack Daniels

Marisa Murray, Head of Jack Daniels Marketing and Shopper at Brown-Forman

Natalia Kowalczyk, Senior Brand Manager

Erin Kerr, Brand ManagerA man who launched a social experiment by wearing a T-shirt with a Caucasian logo to mimic that of the Washington Redskins says the effort has revealed racial bias.

Frederick Joseph is the 29-year-old founder of the New York City-based marketing agency We Have Stories, which represents marginalized groups. Earlier this year, the activist went viral for creating the #BlackPantherChallenge, which raised more than $950,000 to purchase Black Panther movie tickets for members of the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem. The project received support from Chelsea Clinton, Snoop Dogg, and Ellen DeGeneres, and in June, Joseph received a humanitarian award from Comic-Con for his work.

Activist Frederick Joseph launched a social experiment to make people question their racial biases. (Twitter/FredTJoseph)

Josephs newest endeavor was more low-key. On Tuesday, he tweeted a photo of himself wearing a red T-shirt emblazoned with the word Caucasian. The shirt mimics the logo for the NFLs Washington Redskins, whose name and emblem of a Native American character has been called racist and offensive by both players and fans.

The Washington Redskins logo has been controversial. (Photo: Getty Images)

I wanted to see how people responded to the shirt  while theres nothing derogatory about the word Caucasian, theres a certain privilege among some white people who havent been challenged on certain aspects of racism, Joseph tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

The Hypocrisy of Racist Logos: Last weekend I decided to wear this shirt, I figured it would catch some by surprise but I didnt expect people to be as trash as they were. pic.twitter.com/DW5n6QEmOl  Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018

The shirt is a play on the Washington Redskins logo to demonstrate how people look wearing apparel with a logo that is blatantly racially charged and disrespectful. The shirt doesnt have any rude language or slurs such as crackers or honkies but that didnt matter pic.twitter.com/TrksTIlGYj  Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018

I left @SXMProgress after just doing an interview with @XorjeO and it was my first time in public with the shirt on. A white guy walking by mistook the shirt for an actual team shirt and yelled Go Skins! I said nah, he then saw my shirt and yelled asshole! pic.twitter.com/2apsx126YX  Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018

Next, an older white lady stopped me in the street and said why would you wear that? Its disrespectful! So I asked her if she would have said the same if I had on the actually team shirt or another team using disrespectful branding. She said no, because thats the logo! pic.twitter.com/UaLfIZioS5  Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018

Joseph says the shirt caused a reaction every few minutes as he walked through the streets of New York City. Still, no one tried to have a conversation, he tells Yahoo Lifestyle, adding that the womans response seemed to underscore a general acceptance of ingrained racial biases.

Story continues

The third person or rather people was a group of white guys across the street and one pointed at me. I can see from the corner of my eye that two of them were seemingly trying to come across the street and have a word with me. I wish they would have, but thats here nor there. pic.twitter.com/cPONjTYUBG  Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018

As I walked through Manhattan, people looked at me and rolled their eyes, pointed, made snide comments, etc. But, Ive never seen white people do the same when people are wearing Redskins apparel, which is actually racist versus the word caucasians and a white man logo. pic.twitter.com/LSYYVBECn9  Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018

Basically, I was being shamed as a black person for wearing a non-disrespectful shirt with a white person logo on it, tweeted Joseph. But people wear apparel and jerseys with logos depicting things such as a Native American and call them redskins  whew chile, the hypocrisy and privilege!

Basically, I was being shamed as a black person for wearing a non-disrespectful shirt with a white person logo on it. But people wear apparel and jerseys with logos depicting things such as a Native American and call them redskins whew chile, the hypocrisy and privilege. pic.twitter.com/laW9lyJIHR  Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 31, 2018

Joseph tweeted that he was surprised by the negative reactions, given how many other images appropriate or otherwise disrespect certain minority groups. But it goes to show how fickle and hypocritical people can be, he wrote.

Hes urging his followers to replicate his effort, tweeting, Id be interested to see more people wear shirts and apparel such as this to make the point and see how the people who have racist car decals, shirts, jerseys, etc., respond when the tables are turned (and still not really).

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.An Aeromexico passenger plane carrying 101 people crashed shortly after takeoff in Durango, Mexico, according to officials.

Governor Jose Aispuro tweeted that there were no deaths among the 97 passengers and four crew aboard, although around 85 were injured.

The incident happened 10 km (six miles) from the airport just after take-off.



Governor Aispuro said witnesses told him there was a loud bang sound before the plane fell to the ground.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Carl Erickson said there were storms in the area at the time of the crash at 16:00 local time (4:00 p.m. EDT).

The airport operator, Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, said early data suggests bad weather was the cause.

"It's fairly common this time of the year to have these diurnal thunderstorms develop around that area, especially given the high elevation. The Durango airport is about 6,093 feet above sea level," Erickson said.



Corporaciones de emergencia y seguridad se encuentran en el km17 de la autopista Durango - Torreon atendiendo accidente de la aeronave, cede el paso a los vehiculos de emergencia  pic.twitter.com/XR75WuMlai  PROTECCION CIVIL DGO (@CEPCDurango) July 31, 2018

Investigations into the cause of the crash are underway.VIENNA (AP)  Britain's foreign secretary is visiting Austria, which holds the European Union's rotating presidency, bringing his warnings about a "messy divorce" with the EU that could poison future relations.

Jeremy Hunt reiterated Wednesday the message he previously brought to Germany and France. He stressed Britain's wish for a close relationship, adding: "We are very concerned that, as things stand at the moment, we are heading for 'no deal' by accident."

Hunt said "there is a real risk of a messy divorce, which would be a huge geostrategic mistake."

Britain is due to leave the EU in March but there has been no agreement on their future relationship. Hunt said after meeting Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl that "time is very, very short" but a delay in its departure is "highly unlikely."By Khanh Vu HANOI (Reuters) - Floods from a burst dam in Laos have inundated thousands of hectares of paddy fields in Vietnam's rice-growing Mekong Delta region, officials said on Wednesday, although the damage is limited and not expected to affect the country's export crop. A saddle dam that was part of Laos' $1.2 billion Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project collapsed last week, sending torrents of water crashing into neighboring villages. At least 11 people were killed in the accident, and a further 120 people are still missing, the state-run Vientiane Times in Laos reported on Wednesday. "The flood water is hampering the ongoing harvest of the summer-autumn rice crop in some areas, especially in Dong Thap, Long An and An Giang provinces," Tran Xuan Dinh, deputy head of the Department of Crop Production under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, told Reuters. The Mekong Delta is the largest rice-growing area in Vietnam, which is the world's third-largest rice exporter after India and Thailand. The water level in the Mekong Delta region has risen by 7-10 centimeters (3-4 inches) since the dam burst, Dinh said. Although heavy rains and excess waters from the dam in Laos have damaged crops, the impact of the floods will not significantly impact rice production, said Nguyen Si Lam, deputy director of An Giang province's agricultural department. Farmers in the delta provinces have planted more than 1.69 million hectares of rice for the summer-autumn crop, with unhusked paddy output estimated at 9.51 million tonnes, an increase of 3 percent in terms of output from a year ago, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Farmers in the Mekong Delta have brought in more than 40 percent of the summer-autumn rice crop and the harvest is expected to end in 15-20 days, Dinh said. "The flooding season in the Mekong Delta was previously forecast to begin around August 5-7, but the water from Laos made it start sooner," he said. (Reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by James Pearson and Tom Hogue)Technology giant Apple AAPL is set to release third-quarter fiscal 2018 results on Jul 31 after market close. Since Apple accounts for over 19% of the total market capitalization of the entire technology sector in the S&P 500 index and is heading toward becoming the first trillion dollar company, it is worth taking a look at its fundamentals ahead of results.



Apple has been on an uptrend over the past three months, returning about 12.9% compared with the industrys gain of 12.7%. The positive momentum is expected to continue given that the stock has some attractive fundamentals though earnings beat could not be predicted at this time (read: Tariffs Likely to Dent US Earnings: ETFs in Focus).









Inside Our Methodology



Apple has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and an Earnings ESP of -1.52%. According to our surprise prediction methodology, a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 or 3 (Hold) when combined with a positive Earnings ESP raises the possibility of a beat. A Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Strong Sell) stock is best avoided going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.



The stock saw no earnings estimate revision over the past 30 days but its earnings surprise history is strong. It has delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 5.10% over the past four quarters. Apple is expected to post substantial earnings growth of 29.94% and revenue growth of 15.33% in the fiscal third quarter. Though AAPL boasts a solid Value Score of B, its Growth and Momentum Score of C and D, respectively, look disappointing. The stock belongs to a top-ranked Zacks Industry (top 7%).



According to the analysts polled by Zacks, Apple has an average target price of $199.39 with less than half of the analysts having a Strong Buy or a Buy rating ahead of its earnings. This indicates nearly 5% upside to the current price of AAPL.



What to Watch?



Investors will continue to focus on iPhone sales, which have slowed in recent quarters. The third quarter is seasonally slow for iPhones as consumers wait for a new product launch, expected later this year.



ETFs in Focus



Given this, ETFs having the highest allocation to this tech titan will be in focus going into its earnings announcement. While there are several ETFs in the space with Apple in their top 10 holdings, we have highlighted five technology funds that have Apple as their top firm (see: all the Technology ETFs here):



iShares Dow Jones US Technology ETF IYW  The fund has been up 9.6% in the past three months and carries a Zacks ETF Rank #2 with a Medium risk outlook. Apple makes up for 16.5% of the assets.



Vanguard Information Technology ETF VGT  It has gained about 10.4% and sports a Zacks ETF Rank #1 with a Medium risk outlook. Here, AAPL takes 15.5% share (read: 5 Dirt-Cheap Tech ETFs for Further Gains).



Select Sector SPDR Technology ETF XLK  The fund has added 9.4% in the same time frame and has a Zacks ETF Rank #2 with a Medium risk outlook. Apple accounts for 14.1% share.



MSCI Information Technology Index ETF FTEC  This fund has a Zacks ETF Rank #1 with a Medium risk outlook and is up 10.2% over the past three months. Apple has 13.5% allocation.



iShares Global Tech ETF IXN - The product is up 7.2% in three months. Apple accounts for 11.9% allocation.



Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox?



Zacks free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week. Get it free >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.Californias sweltering heat and deadly fires this month are no coincidence.

Triple-digit temperatures are fueling fast-moving, aggressive wildfires across the Golden State at a pace that far out-does that seen at this point in a typical season, fire experts tell TIME. More than 1,000 wildfires have been sparked in a one-week period in July  thats more than three times the average 250 or 300 that begin each week at this point in the season, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Tens of thousands of more acres have burned across the state this year than at this point in 2017, which was one of the most destructive fire seasons in state history.

A seemingly never-ending heatwave has put many cities in the state on track to set records in July  and thats just part of the issue. Each year brings some new heat record in California, and the accumulation of year after year of sweltering summers has created dry grass, brush and millions of dead trees that spread fires at explosive rates. And this summer in particular, heat waves have exacerbated the issue.

What it really means is that whatever fires get going spread more quickly and burn more intensely. So it changes the character of wildfire, says Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Take the Carr Fire, the largest and most destructive fire of the year so far. It began last week after a vehicle malfunction sent sparks into the foothills of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in Northern California. But within days, the inferno exploded, spreading to the city of Redding, where it has already destroyed more than 1,000 homes and buildings and taking the lives of at least six people.

The intense heat has taken hold of Redding in particular for more than a month and a half, says Scott McLean, deputy chief of Cal Fire. A hot summer isnt unusual, he says. Its the consistent heat wave that is.

Story continues

The Carr Fire started by just sparks, McLean says, and now look what we have.

By Tuesday morning, the fire scorched more than 110,000 acres, easily ranking as one of the largest fires in state history  and the blaze is only 27% contained. What sets the Carr Fire apart from others on that list, however, was the absence of aggressive winds that typically fuel a fast-moving fire. Instead, it developed its own extreme weather conditions, Swain says, creating a rare apocalyptic weather pattern that appears like a fire tornado that is fueled, in part, by extreme temperatures.

Those same temperatures have created hoards of dry brush and grass, making more fuel for a fire to burn through quickly. Intense heat has dried out the typically damp vegetation in the understory of a forest. Theres nothing to stop a fire; almost everything becomes flammable when conditions are this extreme, says Jessica Halofsky, a fire research ecologist at the University of Washington.

The extreme heat has also caused firefighters to change their tactics over the years. Not only are the days hotter, but, so are the nights, says Swain. Those typically cooler hours are critical in fire-suppression efforts, allowing firefighters to get closer to the flames. But the temperatures arent falling as much as they used to, Swain says, and that does directly play into fire behavior at night.

Rising temperatures arent the only reason fires have grown in size and aggression, though scientists are quick not to place blame entirely on climate change. Urban development in vulnerable areas can make fires more devastating, and many of the states most destructive fires were started by humans including the Carr Fire. Max Moritz, a specialist in cooperative extension at the University of Californias Division of Agriculture and Natural Resource, says hotter temperatures have made fire seasons longer, too. Scientists see a direct link between rising temperatures and the amount of dry brush and ample fuel, which makes the fires fast-moving and often more explosive.

Theres good, solid research linking temperature increases to trends in fire activity, says Moritz. But its really long-term trends.

No matter how damp a winter may be, a hot summer could dry out or kill vegetation and become easier to burn. Last year, the state had a wet winter  a rarity that came after a several years-long drought that Gov. Jerry Brown had declared was finally over. California still experienced its hottest summer on record several months later  and saw its largest fire ever scorch Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties in Northern California. This past year, the winter was unseasonably dry, and experts say that means the 2018 fire season could grow more intense.

We dont have what we need, says McLean, of Cal Fire. California overall needs to have several years of significant weather in the winters to bring it back on the plateau.

Craig Clements, an associated professor at San Jose State University who works at the schools Fire Weather Research Laboratory, says vegetation throughout the state already has low moisture levels heading into August. For fires, October, which sits just before an ideally wet winter, is typically the month where grass, trees and brush are at its driest points. That, combined with those late summer and early fall winds that hit California, could cause more aggressive fires.

If we have an ignition, its going to be pretty bad, Clements says. If we have an ignition with a big wind event, its going to be devastation.

It can only get worse.| BY Ricki Green |

WARC, the global authority on advertising and media effectiveness, has released the results of its analysis of the 169 campaigns entered into the Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions this year.

The report analyses factors such as the lead media, media mix, creative strategy and metrics of the entries and winners of the Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions, which rewards highly creative work, which drives commercial outcomes.

Major trends highlighted in this years report are:

Solutions not campaigns

Judges rewarded initiatives by brands that solved specific problems. The Grand Prix winner, Savlon, found a practical solution that encourages schoolchildren to wash their hands with soap to help prevent disease  and created a new product idea that shifted the category. Saltwater Brewerys Edible Six Pack Rings saw the small brewery show an alternative to plastic packaging rings that can endanger wildlife. There is a clear tendency towards a more product-led approach to problem-solving where appropriate.

Emotion and humour: key drivers

Emotion and humour were very much in evidence among this years winning cases with John Lewis, Pedigree and Snickers using emotional storytelling with lighthearted humour. TV  the lead channel among 22% of entrants, followed by online video (14%)  played a crucial role for both John Lewis and SickKids, demonstrating that video  in any format  is key to delivering emotional or humorous messages.

Says Graham Page, managing director, offer and innovation, Kantar Millward Brown, having deep-dived into the four themes: This years Creative Effectiveness Lions Winners are powerful illustrations that advertising with heart is more powerful than rational argument.

The growing need for online conversion

The impact of integrated and customised e-commerce on particular categories was evident among this years winners. Cheetos, adidas and The New York Times drove people online and increased traffic following creative campaigns with a clear mission. That traffic, in turn, led to online conversions. Web traffic as a metric for shortlisted papers more than doubled since 2017, from 7% to 15%, demonstrating the increasing demands on marketing to link to brands e-commerce-based objectives.

Purpose with PR achieves results

Brand purpose took a different tone, with fewer tear-jerking videos. Instead, there was a greater emphasis on highly creative, original ideas with PR baked in upfront. Citing PR as its lead channel, State Streets Fearless Girl made such a strong impression that it is now a permanent fixture. Many winning campaigns, including Tencent and Amnesty International, had sustainability or responsibility as their creative strategy and earned media after their campaign periods had ended. Highly creative, memorable ideas captured column inches: Pedigrees Child Replacement Programme took a new tactic and achieved an 825% increase in dog adoption enquiries and a 10.8% increase in sales.

Commenting on the judging process, Fernando Machado, global chief marketing officer, Burger King and jury president of this years Cannes Creative Effectiveness category said: We were looking for ideas or campaigns that really developed the business and which also created a cultural impact. Perhaps because Im on the client side, I celebrate when products and brands win because thats what helps move our industry forward in terms of creative: its key to the industry to show that creative drives results.

Says David Tiltman, head of content, WARC: This years Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions show how marketing is developing in several areas  there is a growing focus on product and a greater need to tie in to e-commerce. As in previous years, emotion and purpose are common elements on the creative work, though we are increasingly seeing these tied with humour or with PR so that brands stand out from the crowd.

WARCs Insights from the Cannes Creative Effectiveness winners report includes:

 In-depth analysis of campaign trends: lead media, creative strategy, campaign duration, budgets and metrics

 Lessons from the winners including a deep-dive into the four themes, the inside story of the 2018 Grand Prix and notes from the judging panel

 Winning case studies  objectives, insight, strategy, results and takeaways

Download a sample of the report and view jury insights on the winning campaigns video here.By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) will form a new government within 60 days, its spokesman said on Tuesday, two days after a general election that critics called neither free nor fair, after the main opposition was disbanded last year. King Norodom Sihamoni will invite all of parliament's new members-elect to a meeting to be held within 60 days of the July 29 vote, said ruling party spokesman Sok Eysan. "After the meeting, a government will then be formed ... there will be a new cabinet," Sok Eysan told Reuters. "It will be between September 25th and 26th." Exiled former opposition leader Sam Rainsy called Sunday's election a farce. "It was a farce, a sham election, it doesn't represent the will of the people," Sam Rainsy told Reuters during an interview at his Paris apartment. The CPP has said it won all 125 parliamentary seats up for grabs in an election heavily criticized by rights groups, the United States and other Western countries. As Western nations cool ties with Cambodia, regional powerhouse China remains a close ally. By far the biggest investor in Cambodia, it is also its biggest trade partner and has voiced support for the general election. China's foreign ministry on Monday said it hoped the international community would remain supportive of Cambodia. Referring to Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power for more than three decades, Sam Rainsy said China was the "only backer of such a totalitarian regime". Critics call the election a step backward for democracy, following last year's dissolution of the main opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and the jailing of its leader, Kem Sokha, on treason charges. "The lack of genuine electoral competition and the absence of an inclusive political process mean that the 29 July election is not representative of the democratic will of the Cambodian electorate, and therefore its outcome lacks credibility," the European Union said in a statement. Opposition members had urged voters to boycott the election. Invalid and spoiled ballots accounted for 8.4 percent of the 7.64 million cast, representing a protest against the election, the opposition and an analyst have said. The White House said it would consider steps, such as an expansion of visa restrictions placed on some government members, in response to the "flawed" elections. The United States has imposed visa curbs on some Cambodian officials over the crackdown and levied sanctions in June on a high-ranking official close to Hun Sen. Still, the government appeared unruffled on Tuesday. It will work to ensure economic growth and fight corruption, said its spokesman, Phay Siphan. "Good governance, keeping high economic growth and peace and social stability are the goals for the new government," he told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Michaela Cabrera in PARIS; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Clarence Fernandez)By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia's long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen, 65, whose party claimed victory in a general election that many have said was neither free nor fair, met with supporters for the first time since the vote on Wednesday. The former Khmer Rouge commander, who has ruled Cambodia for nearly 33 years, took 'selfies' with supporters and enjoyed a boat ride following Sunday's election in which his Cambodian People's Party (CPP) said it had won all 125 parliamentary seats, prompting condemnation from rights groups and some Western nations. Authorities launched a sweeping crackdown in the lead up to the vote targeting the opposition National Cambodia Rescue Party (CNRP), non-government organizations, rights groups activists and independent media. As part of the crackdown, the CNRP was dissolved by the Supreme Court last year and 118 members were banned from politics for five years. Its leader, Kem Sokha, was jailed on treason charges in September and remains in pre-trial detention at a prison near the country's border with Vietnam. Mark Field, the UK's Minister for Asia and the Pacific, said in a statement on Tuesday that the election was "undermined by the authorities well before campaigning started and resulted in an election that was neither fair nor credible." Germany, which suspended preferential visas for private travel by members of Hun Sen's government, urged Cambodia to return to democratic principles. "The German government has noted that the parliamentary elections in Cambodia were conducted peacefully. However, that alone is not enough to lend the election results legitimacy," the country's Federal Foreign Office said in a statement. Opposition members had urged voters to boycott the election. Invalid and spoiled ballots accounted for 8.4 percent of the 7.64 million cast, representing a protest against the election, the opposition and an analyst have said. Hun Sen did not make a lengthy speech on Wednesday, as is normally his habit. Instead, he took a boat ride to Kandal province after inaugurating a boat terminal in the capital Phnom Penh. The appearance was broadcast live on national television accompanied by music praising Hun Sen's achievements. The White House said it would consider steps, such as an expansion of visa restrictions placed on some government members, in response to the "flawed" elections. The United States has imposed visa curbs on some Cambodian officials over the crackdown and levied sanctions in June on a high-ranking official close to Hun Sen. Kem Sokha's daughter, Kem Monovithya, said she believes further steps against Hun Sen's regime are on the horizon. "I believe more actions are coming," she told Reuters in an interview. (Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Michael Perry)Gao (Mali) (AFP) - Canadian armed forces officially launched their peacekeeping mission in restive northern Mali Tuesday, marking Ottawa's return to the blue helmets after more than a decade.

The contingent of 250 soldiers and six helicopters is expected to conduct medical evacuations in the north of the country from Wednesday as they take over from German troops.

"My team and I are extremely proud to wear the blue beret as UN soldiers from Canada," Canadian commander Colonel Chris McKenna said at a ceremony at the UN base in Gao.

"It has been several years since Canada has had a large UN footprint and the pride that we take in hoisting the United Nations flag beside our beloved red-and-white Maple Leaf should not be underestimated," he said.

The Canadian troops, who are on a one-year mission, have been deployed since the start of July at Camp Castor, which also hosts German and Dutch troops.

While Canada originated the concept of peacekeepers in the 1950s, it has not deployed troops on UN peacekeeping missions for more than a decade.

At the start of the year, the UN had only about 50 Canadian peacekeepers. The Malian mission also marks the return of the Canadian military to Africa for the first time since the Rwandan genocide in 1994, when Ottawa lead the UN mission there.

Islamist extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert in northern Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

However large stretches of the country remain outside of the control of the Malian, French and UN forces, which are frequent targets of attacks.

"It's always a risk being in a dangerous place but we take security measures to protect our military, our citizens so that the risks are minimised," Canadian ambassador Louis Verret told AFP.

The UN mission, MINUSMA, deployed to Mali in 2013 in the wake of the French anti-jihadist operation and comprises some 14,000 military personnel and police.

It is currently the most deadly UN peacekeeping mission, having lost about 170 members including 104 killed in hostile acts -- more than half the UN soldiers killed during this period around the world.The Carr Fire in Californias Shasta and Trinity counties had scorched more than 100,000 acres and was 23 percent contained late on July 30.

The fire has destroyed hundreds of homes and structures and prompted evacuations since it broke out on July 26.

Six people were reported dead.

This footage, from July 30, shows the widespread destruction around Redding, California.

The Redding Searchlight said the fire was the most destructive ever witnessed in the locality. Credit: Mike Daly via StoryfulWILMINGTON, Del. (AP)  A 25-year-old Delaware man has been charged with assaulting an elderly Catholic priest, including dousing him with wine and hitting him on the head with the bottle, police said.

New Castle County police charged Joshua August with assault, resisting arrest and criminal mischief after the attack Monday at Resurrection Parish church.

Parish employees heard noises and found a man punching and kicking the Rev. William Graney in his office, the police department said in a statement. Witnesses told police that the man went into another room and returned with a bottle of wine, which he poured over the priest. He then hit Graney with the bottle and sprayed canned compressed air into the priest's mouth, they said.

Employees lured August outside and then locked him out.

August, who was seen leaving the area on a skateboard, was taken into custody by police after a brief struggle.

August was being held on $52,500 secured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 7.

Police say Graney was hospitalized in stable condition.

A man who answered at a phone number listed for August said his family had no comment.

According to court records, August was arrested June 28 and charged with harassment, offensive touching and eight counts of criminal mischief. He was released on $1,900 secured bail, with a trial scheduled for Aug. 8.

Court records show August was re-arrested on July 16 and charged with noncompliance with bond conditions. An arraignment in that case is scheduled for Sept. 21.

It was not immediately clear whether either of the two prior arrests was related to Monday's incident.Dave Majumdar

Security, Asia

If the rumors of the Chinese H-6K launched aeroballistic missile prove to be true, the Chinese bomber fleet is simply adding another arrow to its quiver. A long-range strike that combines a simultaneous cruise and ballistic missile attack would complicate a defenders problem in intercepting the incoming weapons. As such, if the Chinese have developed an air-launched ballistic missile that can be launched from a H-6K, the weapon could significantly bolster Chinas A2/AD capabilities.

China's Xian H-6K Bomber Might Have a New Weapon to Sink the U.S. Navy

Rumors abound on the Chinese Internet that Beijing has tested a new air launched anti-ship ballistic missileor potentially some form of other hypersonic weaponfrom a Xian H-6K bomber.

There is no confirmation from official Chinese sources that such a test took place. However, if the rumor proves to be true, it would mark a significant increase in Chinese anti-access/area denial capabilities.

Rumor that China has conducted a test launch of an air-launched anti-ship ballistic missile from a modified H-6K intermediate-range bomber, Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at Federation of American Scientists, said in a tweet.

The anti-ship version would presumably be conventional; another ALBM possible has nuclear option.

The PLAAFs strategic bomber force is particularly important for Chinas anti-access/area-denial strategy, which is designed to keep U.S. forces out of Western Pacific. And though the Xian H-6K is based on the venerable 1950s-era Tupolev Tu-16 Badger, the modernized jet is still a force to be reckoned with especially when armed with modern long-range cruise andpotentially ballisticmissiles.

While it is unclear if the Chinese have actually tested an anti-ship ballistic missile from a H-6K, it would not be particularly surprising if the rumors proved true. The Chinese have previously developed land-based anti-ship ballistic missiles such as the DF-21D and the DF-26. It is possible that Beijing has adapted one of its smaller, short-range land-based ballistic missiles such as the DF-15 into an air-launched variant similar in concept to how the Russians adapted the 9K720 Iskander into the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal.

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While the Kinzhal purportedly has a range of more than 2,000 km (1,200 mi) when launched from a Mikoyan MiG-31K Foxhound flying at high altitude and high speeds, the original ground-launched Iskander had a range of 500km. The missile would also achieve extended ranges when launched from a supersonic Mach 1.88-capable Tupolev Tu-22M3M Backfire bomber, but the weapons likely does not attain the same range as it does from the Mach 2.83 capable Foxhound. Nonetheless, launching the weapon from the air does increase its range in either case.

In the Chinese case, assuming that Beijings air launched ballistic missile was based on the 600km range DF-15; it would likely gain a significant boost in range even when launched from the subsonic H-6K. The main drawback of using the DF-15 as the basis of an air launched ballistic missile is the weapons huge size and weightit is nearly 30ft long and weighs more about 13,700lbs. The H-6K can carry that much payload easily, but the weapon would likely need to be mounted on a specially modified hardpoint. The H-6K might also require airframe modifications to handle increased stresses.

However, the requisite modifications are probably comparatively minor compared to the overhaul the current version of the H-6 has already receivedwhich should allow it to carry a hefty payload to significant distances. The new H-6K variant replaces the old Xian WP8 turbojets found on pervious H-6 versions with new Russian Soloviev D-30-KP2 turbofans. The D-30 low bypass two shaft turbofanwhich some might call a leaky turbojethas been modified for use on a number of applications ranging from the Mach 2.83 capable Mikoyan MiG-31 Foxhound interceptor to the Ilyushin Il-76 military transport to the Il-62 airliner to the new Xian Y-20 strategic airlifter. While the D-30having been originally designed to power the MiG-31is not an ideal engine for a subsonic bomber or transport aircraft, it is an enormous improvement over the primitive WP8 turbojets that were originally installed on the H-6.

With the new non-afterburning D-30 engines installed in combination with the new composite materials used in the airframe, the H-6K bombers range is increased by some thirty percent over previous H-6 variants. The modernized bomber now has a combat radius of roughly 2,200 miles. Avionics-wise, the H-6K dispenses with steam gauges and incorporates a full glass cockpit. The bomber also incorporates a new long-range surface search radar and an electro-optical targeting pod to find its targets.

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Unlike previous iterations of the Badger, the H-6K was designed primarily as a cruise missile carrier. The jet can carry six CJ-10K or YJ-12 long-range land attack and anti-ship cruise missiles on its wing and potentially several more inside its weapons bays. It is also thought to carry a host of precision-guided weapons. That makes it a threat to not only U.S. and allied shipping, but also land bases.

The CJ-10K land-attack cruise missile has a range of over 930 nautical miles and carries a 1,100-pound warhead. The weaponwhich draws heavily from the Soviet-designed Raduga Kh-55 cruise missile that China acquired from Ukrainehas many of the advanced features found on the American Tomahawk and the Russian Kalibr. Indeed, the CJ-10K guidance package is thought to include combination of inertial navigation system, satellite navigation, terrain contour matching and digital scene-mapping area correlation.

If the rumors of the Chinese H-6K launched aeroballistic missile prove to be true, the Chinese bomber fleet is simply adding another arrow to its quiver. A long-range strike that combines a simultaneous cruise and ballistic missile attack would complicate a defenders problem in intercepting the incoming weapons. As such, if the Chinese have developed an air-launched ballistic missile that can be launched from a H-6K, the weapon could significantly bolster Chinas A2/AD capabilities.

Dave Majumdar is the defense editor for the National Interest. You can follow him on Twitter: @davemajumdar.

Read full articleSYDNEY (Reuters) - China's navy will join 26 countries in military exercises off Australia's north coast this month, but not live-fire drills, Australia's defense minister said on Wednesday at a time of strained ties between the two nations. The naval exercises are being hosted by Australia and will also include its major ally the United States, which expelled China in May from its military training around Hawaii - a response to what it sees as Beijing's militarization of islands in the South China Sea. Ties between Australia and China hit a low after Canberra passed laws aimed at thwarting Chinese influence in domestic affairs and also over China's assertiveness in the South China Sea. Australia has offered diplomatic support to U.S. "freedom of navigation" voyages through the South China Sea and its own vessels encountered Chinese warships there in April. But Australia stuck with an invitation it issued China last September, a sign analysts say hints at a thawing in relations ahead of the drills that begin at the end of August. "China is expected to participate in a range of activities including passage exercises, inter-ship communications and replenishment activities and sea-training maneuvers," Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne said in an emailed statement. "There are no plans for China to participate in live-fire activities," she said, without giving a reason, but adding the nations have "built a productive defense relationship that ... facilitates transparency and builds trust". China's Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The drills will be held in strategic waters north of Darwin where a decision to lease the city's port to a Chinese firm drew a sharp rebuke from the United States. They run to mid September and involve 27 nations. China was involved in the drills as an observer in 2016. Only Britain declined an invitation to participate this time, a spokesman for Australia's defense minister said in an email. Analysts suggest China's involvement in the drills could mean a new willingness to engage. "The Chinese government has tended to cut down on official visits and official interactions so perhaps this is a sign that senior Chinese officials are happier," said Andre Carr, senior lecturer in the strategic and defense studies center at the Australian National University. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook and Colin Packham; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard and Gao Liangping in BEIJING; Editing by Nick Macfie)| BY Lynchy |

ADK Japan has appointed Masato Mitsudera, former Executive Creative Director at Geometry Global Japan, to Executive Creative Director of ADK. In addition to the passion and energy he will infuse into the ADK creative sections, Mitsudera (pictured) will also start preparations for a new creative boutique, scheduled to begin operation in January 2019.

To tackle the major challenges in todays communication landscape, ADK is transforming into a Consumer Activation Company and accelerating the revitalization of the creative section. In a diversifying world, clients are looking for new solutions and ADK believes that creativity is at the centre of moving both consumers and sales. Based on a Boutique Satellite Plan, ADK will launch a number of unique creative boutiques, which will cross over existing categories and generate results-driven ideas for clients.

Mitsudera started his career at Yomiko Advertising and moved to Beacon Communications. He has received a Cannes Lion Grand Prix for the revitalization project for the town of Yubari in Hokkaido Prefecture. He has also served on the jury for various international awards. In 2014, he joined Geometry Global Japan as Executive Creative Director, where he contributed to the growth and expansion. Recently he has been working independently as a City Activator  a creative advisor to prefectural and municipal governments.BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) - China urged the United States on Tuesday not to allow Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to transit its territory when she visits Belize and Paraguay next month, adding to tension between Beijing and Washington that has worsened amid a trade war.

Beijing considers democratic Taiwan to be a wayward province of "one China", ineligible for state-to-state relations, and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.

China regularly calls Taiwan the most sensitive and important issue between it and the United States, and Beijing always complains to Washington about transit stops by Taiwanese presidents.

Taiwan's government announced on Monday that Tsai would travel to and from its two diplomatic allies via the United States, standard procedure for visits by Taiwanese presidents to Latin America.

Taiwan's Presidential Office said Tsai would be stopping off in Los Angeles and Houston, though did not provide exact dates.

Speaking at a daily news briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China had already lodged solemn representations with Washington about the planned transits.

"We have consistently resolutely opposed the United States or other countries with which China has diplomatic relations arranging this kind of transit," Geng said.

China urged the United States "not to allow the transit of the leader of the Taiwan region, and not send any wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces", he added.

China has been peeling away the number of countries which maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, amid a concerted effort to pressure Tsai, whose Democratic Progressive Party espouses independence for the island, a red line for China.

The timing of Tsai's August visits to the United States comes amid an increasingly bitter trade war between China and the United States.

While the United States has no formal ties with Taiwan, it is the island's main source of arms and strongest unofficial diplomatic backer, to Beijing's anger.

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Taiwan has official relations with just 18 countries worldwide, many of them poor nations in Central America and the Pacific such as Nicaragua and Nauru.

Taiwan has accused China of using dollar diplomacy to lure away its allies, promising generous aid packages, charges China has denied.

Related Video: Explosive Device Goes Off Outside US Embassy in Beijing

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.



(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee; Editing by Nick Macfie)Zachary Keck

Security, Asia

Any guesses?

This Is the Chinese Military's Secret Weapon against America

The impact this has on each countrys respective military budget is staggering. When personnel costs are removed from the U.S. side, military spending decreases from $597 billion to $298 billion. By comparison, Chinas military spending drops from $145.8 billion to $97.2 billion. In other words, when personnel costs are taken out of the equation, Chinas military spending goes from about a quarter of Americas to nearly a third.

As Alexander de Tocqueville observed nearly two centuries ago, Americans are by nature an optimistic people. This optimism has often been a source of national strength, propelling us to seek ever greater heights.

In certain instances, however, optimism can be dangerous. One such instance is in dealing with Chinas rise. Many Americans have failed to grapple with the magnitude of Chinas rise, confident that Beijing will go ultimately go the way of the Soviet Union or Japan in the 1980s. Those making this case can marshall some impressive statistics to bolster their case that America remains far and away the most powerful country in the world. One of the more popular data points they use is defense spending: specifically, that America still spends about four times as much as China on its military.

(This first appeared last year.)

But comparing the raw numbers is misleading in a number of ways. Some of these are relatively well known: for example, it is generally acknowledged that America is a global power with its military assets dispersed around the world, while China can concentrate its armed forces in Asia. Similarly, military spending fails to account for what is often called the tyranny of distance. That is, to project military power in Asia, the United States must cross the largest ocean in the world. By contrast, China is located in the center of the action. And, as anyone who works in Washington understands, proximity to power is a power unto itself. Being so close to the battlefield also enables China to implement an anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy by using its territory to deploy large amounts of missiles, aircraft, surveillance systems and radar. In effect, these are unsinkable aircraft carriers.

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Other ways that U.S. and Chinese defense budgets fail to capture the real balance of power in Asia are less well known. One factor that many observers overlook is personnel costs. Despite having a larger military, Chinas military spends far less than the United States on personnel. And, once personnel costs are taken into account, the gap between U.S. and Chinese military spending is less than the raw budget numbers suggest.

America rightly takes care of the men and women who serve in the armed services. The costs of doing so, however, are astronomical. According to the Pentagons own estimates, nearly half of the entire defense budget is consumed by military and civilian personnel costs. Half of the FY 2015 budget would equal out to about $298.5 billion. In other words, the Pentagon spends more on personnel than any other countryincluding Chinaspends on its entire military. Indeed, the U.S. militarys personnel costs are more than the combined defense budgets of all other NATO members.

Chinas military is less transparent, making it harder to accurately gauge how much it spends on personnel. However, most experts believe that personnel costs consume about one-third of the Peoples Liberation Armys (PLA) budget. By that figure, Chinas military spent about $48.6 billion on personnel costs in 2015. The discrepancy in personnel costs between China and the United States is even greater when one considers them on a per-soldier basis. The PLA is estimated to have a total of 2.3 million people in active service, compared to just 1.4 million for the U.S. armed services. That means China spends just over $21,000 per active duty member of their military. The comparable figure for the United States is more than $214,000.

The impact this has on each countrys respective military budget is staggering. When personnel costs are removed from the U.S. side, military spending decreases from $597 billion to $298 billion. By comparison, Chinas military spending drops from $145.8 billion to $97.2 billion. In other words, when personnel costs are taken out of the equation, Chinas military spending goes from about a quarter of Americas to nearly a third.

Labor costs work in Chinas favor in other ways as well. For instance, the PLAs procurement costs are lowered by the fact that Chinese factory workers make less than a quarter of the wages of their American counterparts. Exchange rates are another subtle advantage that lowers Chinas military costs. Just as a Big Mac is nearly twice as expensive in America as it is in China, Beijing can purchase much more domestic weapon systems with the same amount of money as Washington.

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To be sure, as China grows richer some of these advantages will decline. Labor costs have been rising steadily in China over the past decade, and personnel costs for the Chinese military will rise accordingly. Still, personnel costs are not stagnate for the U.S. military either. Indeed, the U.S. House Budget Committee has noted,

Since 2001, the cost per service member in the active-duty force has increased by 41 percent, excluding war funding and adjusting for inflation. If personnel costs continue growing at that rate and the overall defense budget grows with inflation, military personnel costs will consume the entire defense budget by 2039.

Of course, higher personnel costs ensure Americas service men and women are the finest in the world, which is one of its greatest advantages against China. Still, the difference in cost is another reason why comparing the raw figures of U.S. and Chinese defense spending does not come close to capturing the real balance of power between their forces.

Zachary Keck is the former managing editor of The National Interest. You can find him on Twitter: @ZacharyKeck.

Read full articleRight now college acceptance (and rejection) letters are hitting mailboxes, and students everywhere are about to make the biggest decision of their lives: where to enroll for college. Money will most likely play a big factor in the decision-making process, as most families will need financial aid and arent rich enough to even consider rigging their way into their dream schools.

RELATED: How to negotiate college tuition (without bribes)

Getting out in four years without completely going broke is tougher than ever. Only 60% of students who began seeking a bachelors degree at a four-year instition in 2010 were able to complete that degree within six years, per the National Center for Education Statistics.

RELATED: 4 tactics to get into your dream college (without cheating)

For those struggling to keep up academically and financially, its important to remember that their dream college is one they can afford, says Arun Ponnusamy of CollegeWise. Thats especially true since every extra year spent in a four-year college can add about $68,153 to a students debt load, an estimate by Complete College America.

Ponnusamy specializes in helping students and their families find the right fit for college. In this interview, he offers his advice to college students struggling to keep up with the costs of the college theyre enrolled in.

If students are locked into the idea of staying at the same school for all four years, their best bet is to secure as much merit-based aid as possible. Not all scholarships are reserved for incoming freshmen, so its important to apply and reapply each year to all the scholarships students qualify for, says Ponnusamy.

Because each scholarship has its own criteria for retaining it, students unable to maintain a certain grade point average can lose their awards. Unfortunately, thousands of students lose some part of their financial aid each year, with no choice but to borrow the difference for their next tuition payment. But Ponnusamy says there could be an argument for students in this situation to either step away from college for a semester to regroup, work and save up, or to transfer to a more affordable school where they can focus on their studies instead of being bogged down with money concerns.

Story continues

Those considering to transfer either temporarily or permanently should work closely with thei college advisers and consult at least three members of their faculty before making the move. The last thing students should do is spend more money for credits that ended up being non-transferrable. Every school has different partnerships policies and navigating the process can get complicated, so students and families are encouraged to work closely with the financial aid/bursars office to come up with the best solution for their situation.

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Tackling student loans: 5 things you should knowChris Hardwick is back at work following an investigation into allegations of emotional abuse and sexual assault made by ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra.

Chris Hardwick will return as host of NBCs The Wall. (Photo: Paul Drinkwater//NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Last week AMC confirmed that it was reinstating the TV personality as host of its Talking Dead and Talking With Chris Hardwick series after a careful review of the claims made against him. Actress Yvette Nicole Brown had been filling in for Hardwick during the investigation. Brown tweeted that Hardwick would resume hosting duties on August 12.

.@hardwick will be back in his seat on August 12th. I'm hosting this. Just this one preview special. It'd be great if folks tuned in to see what's to come on S9 of #TWD. Great stuff to come. That said, if you're just boycotting me for some strange reason #DoYouBooBoo  https://t.co/825EbxeGEL  yvette nicole brown (@YNB) July 31, 2018

Hardwicks schedule is filling up. Deadline reports that NBC has also decided to return Hardwick to its lineup. The network confirmed that the 46-year-old will appear as a guest judge on the Aug. 7 episode of Americas Got Talent. He will also be host of game show The Wall when its third season airs this fall.

THIS IS IT! We have ONE more night of #JudgeCuts before #AGT goes LIVE from Hollywood. See you next TUESDAY 8/7c on @nbc when @hardwick joins us.  America's Got Talent (@AGT) August 1, 2018

Hardwick had been sidelined from his many gigs while the allegations made by Dykstra in an essay for Medium were investigated. Hardwick has denied the claims, while Dykstra later issued a statement saying that she chose not to take part in a formal investigation.

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I do not believe in an eye for an eye, and therefore I have only shared my evidence with those who I felt should see it, she posted on Twitter, adding that she wanted to shed light on emotional abuse rather than ruin the career of the person I spoke about.

I originally wrote my essay so I could move on with my life, and now I intend to do so. Thank you, again, to those who have supported me during this. pic.twitter.com/sjBEKGpY7v  Chloe Dykstra (@skydart) July 26, 2018

Hardwicks return to NBC is bound to make waves. Last week Kathy Griffin was one of many critics who slammed AMCs statement clearing him of any wrongdoing.

Following a comprehensive assessment by AMC, working with Ivy Kagan Bierman of the firm Loeb & Loeb, who has considerable experience in this area, Chris Hardwick will return to AMC as the host of Talking Dead and Talking with Chris Hardwick, the network said. We take these matters very seriously and given the information available to us after a very careful review, including interviews with numerous individuals, we believe returning Chris to work is the appropriate step.

Indeed, Twitter is already abuzz with reactions to Hardwicks NBC return, with some fans lauding it as a victory against #MeToo and others saying theyre disgusted by the rush to forgive him.

Why are we letting Chris hardwick judge?? The allegations against him by Chloe Dykstra are damning to say the least. Disgusted by this choice of a guest judge NBC & AGT. Do better. #MeToo  Colin W (@CWiebrecht) August 1, 2018

Good for him. Its a travesty for a mob of virtue signaling, recreationally outraged idiots to ruin a mans life over a trial by Twitter. At worst he was a controlling bf but thats only based on the word of a cheating ex who proved herself a gold digger and an opportunist  Wise Cracker (@soundhound86) August 1, 2018

Chris Hardwick might be my new spirit animal, went toe to toe with the undefeated #metoo beast and not only won but is actually doing better than he was before.  President Trump  (@TheFallenTitan) August 1, 2018

I really didn't want to pick a side in the Chris @Hardwick debacle as I have enjoyed his hostings, but it really feels like CBS and NBC just decided that women are over. Money trumps everything. CBS and NBC chose poorly. @AMCTalkingDead is going to feel gross. https://t.co/pX3sBwoesi  Kari Crock comic (@geekbroll) August 1, 2018

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:The biggest move of the Major League Baseball trade deadline may not have been a trade at all. Shortly after the deadline passed, the Boston Red Sox announced Chris Sale had been placed on the disabled list due to shoulder inflammation in his throwing arm.

The 29-year-old Sale has been the best pitcher in baseball this season according to fWAR. He has a 2.04 ERA over 141 innings and leads all starting pitchers in strikeout rate.

Chris Sale placed on disabled list with shoulder injury

If theres good news here, its that the team doesnt anticipate Sale will miss a lot of time. General manager Dave Dombrowski said the team believes Sale will miss one start.

Dombrowski says Sale will miss his next start vs the Yankees but theyre hopeful hell make the following start in Toronto but they wont rush him. Thinks a changed grip on the slider this season *could* have caused it. Sale thought it was normal soreness but it wasnt going away  Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) July 31, 2018

However, its possible it will take longer. Dombrowski said the team was hopeful Sale would return after missing just one start. He made sure to add that the Red Sox wont rush their ace back.

Concern about Chris Sales shoulder injury

While Sale appears to have avoided a major injury, shoulder issues are no laughing matter with pitchers. Shoulder surgeries can ruin careers. Theres no indication Sale is injured to that point yet, but the team is wise to give him as much time as possible to return. Its not worth the risk to rush him.

Chris Sale struggles in the second half

Over his career, Sale has seen his numbers get worse as the season has dragged on. Sales career ERAs in April, May, June and July are all under 3.00. In August and September, that number rises. Sale has a 3.78 ERA over 226 innings during the final month of the season. That would be acceptable for plenty of other pitchers, but its considered struggling compared to Sales usual standards.

Story continues

In that sense, perhaps a short break from pitching might be beneficial. It could prevent some work-related regression that seems to hit Sale around this time every season. With that said, its always scary when a pitcher has a shoulder issue.

Even if this injury is mild, the Red Sox and Sale might want to exercise extra caution before he gets back on a mound. Its better to play it safe with a pitcher as good as Sale.

Chris Sale will miss a start due to a shoulder issue. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, Pool)

      

Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP)  Students have started a new school year at a suburban Indianapolis middle school more than two months after a classroom shooting wounded a student and a teacher.

Students and staff were greeted Wednesday by newly drafted Indiana Pacers player Alize Johnson and other athletes as they entered Noblesville West Middle School. Thirteen-year-old Ella Whistler and science teacher Jason Seaman were among those returning for classes.

A 13-year-old boy allegedly shot Whistler and Seaman after officials say he entered Seaman's classroom May 25 with two handguns.

New security measures, including more surveillance and police officers, are in place at the school about 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of Indianapolis.

A referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot would provide Noblesville Schools with more funding for school safety staff, equipment and other purposes.Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 8:14AM

Want to wake up to your favourite song? Google and Spotify have teamed up to make this happen. Both free and Premium Spotify users can set their soundtrack of choice to help kick off their days. Premium users can select any track, artist, or playlist to use as an alarm. Just head to the Alarms tab in the Google Clock app. There will also playlist recommendations there based on recently played music or curated Spotify morning playlists. Free users get the feature but the playlists will be in shuffle mode. Once you turned off the alarm, there will also be an option to continue playing the playlist. If you dont have the Google Clock app, you can download it right from the Play Store. This new feature will be rolling out over the next few days, so keep your eyes peeled for it. According to 9to5Google, YouTube Music will be getting a similar integration soon.By Nelson Acosta HAVANA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos's effort to negotiate a ceasefire with the country's last rebel group before stepping aside next week has failed, the two parties said on Wednesday. The government, in a joint statement with the National Liberation Army (ELN), said advances were made in a sixth round of talks in Havana toward a ceasefire but "others needed to make more effective its implementation and verification were left pending." The statement said progress had been made since the talks began in 2017 and dialogue was the best option to settle their differences. Santos, who signed an historic peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2016, sent Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin to Cuba over the weekend in a last-ditch attempt to reach a temporary halt to hostilities before right-wing President-elect Ivan Duque takes office on Aug. 7. Peace talks with the ELN are being held in Havana, the venue where the agreement with the much larger FARC was brokered. "We are not completely satisfied because we did not achieve a ceasefire," lead government negotiator Gustavo Bell said, closing the latest round of talks. Rebel negotiator Pablo Beltran said he hoped the progress made would lead to continued negotiations with the Duque administration. The ELN, through its twitter account, called on the "international community, the church (and) political and social movements to insist the government of president Duque continue the peace process." Duque has promised to make changes to the peace accord to jail former FARC commanders who committed crimes. Santos has been criticized by many Colombians who say he sold out to the rebels in return for a Nobel Peace Prize. But Santos, in a recent interview with Reuters, said it will be almost impossible to change the accord, which has been endorsed by the international community and broadly supported by the constitutional court. "Peace cant be changed for many reasons and for ethical and moral reasons - nobody wants to go back," he said. Colombias conflict between the government, rebel groups, paramilitaries and crime gangs has lasted more than 50 years, leaving at least 220,000 people dead and millions displaced. Colombia has been at war with the 1,500-member ELN, which was founded by radical Catholic priests, since 1964. (Additional reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by James Dalgleish)Bogota (AFP) - Outgoing Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos admitted defeat on Wednesday after failing to secure a ceasefire with ELN Marxist guerrillas before handing over the reins to hardline right-wing successor Ivan Duque next week.

"We hope that the next government decides to continue" negotiating with the ELN, the last recognized armed group fighting government forces in Colombia, to "start a real and verifiable ceasefire," added Santos.

He said there was "very little missing" from an agreement, adding: "I would say 10 percent."

Santos said the two parties had agreed on a "very well defined" plan to implement a bilateral and temporary truce during talks in Havana on Tuesday evening, but that it lacked United Nations verification.

"To verify it you need protocols, very precise procedures, so that there are no misunderstandings," said Santos.

He said the UN itself had insisted on the protocols as it would be monitoring the truce, alongside the Catholic Church.

Santos said it would be "counterproductive to sign something that hasn't been endorsed by the new government."

Duque has already promised a tougher negotiating stance towards the ELN.

Santos ordered his negotiators back to Bogota on Wednesday to brief the new regime on the state of the discussions, which began in 2017.

But he said negotiations were "very advanced" when his team left Cuba.

Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize after signing a historic peace accord with FARC rebels in December 2016, ending a half-century of their armed struggle against the state that left hundreds of thousands dead.

And the 66-year-old hoped he could make significant progress in convincing the ELN to lay down their weapons too before stepping down on August 7.

Earlier this week he told AFP: "We're making progress, we'll see if we can sign a ceasefire before August 7, even if it's temporary and a framework agreement."

Story continues

Duque, though, has been singing from a very different hymn sheet.

Upon his election in June he vowed to make "corrections" to the FARC peace deal, which he criticized for being too lenient on the former rebels.

He's already announced a controversial appointment as his new defense minister, adding to the uncertainty.

Guillermo Botero, a 70-year-old lawyer and entrepreneur with no experience in security matters, has been a vocal critic of the peace accord.Bogota (AFP) - A week after resigning from the Colombia's senate, influential former president Alvaro Uribe changed his mind on Wednesday, asking his colleagues to ignore his previous request.

Uribe sent his resignation letter last week after he was formally placed under investigation by the Supreme Court for alleged bribery and fraud, writing on Twitter that he felt "morally impeded from being a senator."

But he was back on that same social media platform on Wednesday asking senate leader Ernesto Macias, a member of his Democratic Center party, to "not take into consideration" his previous resignation.

He said his about-turn was motivated by a desire to let the country's highest judicial authority investigate the allegations against him.

Had he continued with his resignation, and ceased to be a senator, it would have been a lower court that would have looked into his case.

Uribe added on Twitter that in originally resigning, "it never entered my head that the Supreme Court would not hear the case for which I'm being investigated."

President from 2002 to 2010, Uribe was only sworn in as a senator less than two weeks ago having garnered the highest number of votes in March's legislative elections.

Earlier this year, Uribe made a formal complaint to the Supreme Court against opposition politician Ivan Cepeda, accusing him of a plot to incriminate the ex-president in criminal involvement with right-wing paramilitary groups, and witness manipulation.

Those allegations date back to 2012.

Investigators not only rejected the complaint but started investigating Uribe for witness interference.

It was a blow to incoming president Ivan Duque, also a member of Uribe's right-wing party and who takes office in less than a week.

Duque said last week he was sure his political mentor's "honor and innocence will prevail."Bogota (AFP) - Outgoing Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos admitted defeat on Wednesday after failing to secure a ceasefire with ELN Marxist guerrillas before handing over the reins to hardline right-wing successor Ivan Duque next week.

Santos had made it his goal to achieve a "complete peace" to end the 50-year conflict with left-wing rebels before stepping down on August 7.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the historic accord signed with FARC guerrillas in December 2016, ending their insurgency.

"We hope that the next government decides to continue" negotiating with the ELN, the last recognized armed group fighting government forces in Colombia, to "start a real and verifiable ceasefire," said Santos.

More than 260,000 people have been killed, nearly 83,000 remain missing and some 7.4 million have been forced to flee their homes due to the conflict.

Santos said there was "very little missing" from an agreement, adding: "I would say 10 percent."

He said the two parties had agreed on a "very well-defined" plan to implement a bilateral and temporary truce during talks in Havana on Tuesday evening, but that it lacked United Nations verification.

"To verify it you need protocols, very precise procedures, so that there are no misunderstandings," said Santos.

He said the UN itself had insisted on the protocols as it would be monitoring the truce, alongside the Catholic Church.

- 'Significant progress' -

The two sides produced a joint statement saying that "although we haven't reached full agreement.... in this cycle, significant progress has been made."

The ELN's delegation chief Pablo Beltran said he hoped these developments would form the "basis for work" to be carried out during Duque's administration.

Duque, though, has promised a tougher negotiating stance towards the ELN.

Santos said it would have been "counterproductive to sign something that hasn't been endorsed by the new government."

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He ordered his negotiators back to Bogota on Wednesday to brief the new regime on the state of the discussions, which began in 2017.

But he said negotiations were "very advanced" when his team left Cuba.

Beltran said a ceasefire was necessary to allow citizens to participate in the peace process.

Santos, though, admitted that he didn't feel "totally satisfied because effectively we haven't arrived at a ceasefire agreement."

It remains a political defeat for the former journalist who sacrificed his domestic popularity in the quest for a lasting resolution to the conflict.

The 66-year-old had hoped he could make significant progress in convincing the ELN to lay down their weapons before stepping down on August 7.

- 'There is peace' -

But he baulked at suggestions that he failed to achieve "complete peace."

"What we're delivering, and what all the international organizations say, is that it's a very complete peace, very deep. This agreement with FARC has no precedent in any other country," Santos told AFP earlier this week.

He insisted, too, that he would be remembered more for the FARC deal -- that turned the former rebels into a political party -- than the ELN failure.

"My legacy will defend itself, you can see the results," he said. "There is peace, the FARC is a political party, it's there.

"It's the Colombian people that will defend peace because it's not my peace, nor that of my government, but of all Colombians."

Duque, though, has been singing from a very different hymn sheet, creating uncertainty not just over potential peace with the ELN but also surrounding the existing pact's durability.

Upon his election in June he vowed to make "corrections" to the FARC peace deal, which he criticized for being too lenient on the former rebels.

He's already announced a controversial appointment as his new defense minister, adding to the uncertainty.

Guillermo Botero, a 70-year-old lawyer and entrepreneur with no experience in security matters, has been a vocal critic of the peace accord.

Ex-leftist guerrillas took up seats in Congress for the first time on July 20, although former rebel commander Ivan Marquez was not amongst them as he protested what he described as government "betrayal" over the arrest of fellow ex-FARC leader Jesus Santrich, who was likewise due to take a seat in Congress.BOGOTA (Reuters) - Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, accused of witness tampering and bribery, on Wednesday asked the Senate to ignore his resignation letter so that his case remains with the Supreme Court. Uribe, who was in office from 2002 to 2010 and mounted a military offensive against Marxist guerrillas, said on Monday he would resign his seat in the Senate to concentrate on his defense after the Supreme Court called on him to testify. Uribe, 66, is a mentor of incoming President Ivan Duque, who won the June 17 election as the candidate for Uribe's right-wing Democratic Center party. The former president is under investigation by the court over allegations he made false accusations and tampered with witnesses in a case he himself started by making similar accusations against leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda. Uribe has been accused by political foes of resigning from the Senate so his case can be investigated in the ordinary courts and not in the Supreme Court, which he claims is biased against him. "I have asked Senator Ernesto Macias, president of Congress, to withdraw, without considering, my resignation letter. For reasons of honor, it has never been in my mind that the Supreme Court won't hear the case for which they are summoning me to testify," Uribe wrote in a Twitter post. Uribe's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In 2012, Uribe accused Cepeda of orchestrating a plot to falsely tie him to right-wing paramilitary groups during jail visits to former fighters. But in February the Supreme Court, the body charged with investigating criminal matters involving lawmakers, said Cepeda had collected information from former paramilitaries in the course of his Senate work and that he had not paid or pressured them. Instead, the court said, it was Uribe who was at fault. The activities continued even after the ruling, the court said in a statement on Tuesday. If convicted, Uribe could face jail time. He has remained a polarizing kingmaker in Colombian politics as his party has sought to stymie a peace accord with Marxist rebels. He and his family have long been accused of paramilitary involvement by the opposition, but previous investigations have borne little fruit. Paramilitary groups in Colombia - originally funded by landowners eager to protect themselves from rebel fighters - became violent organizations connected to drug trafficking, massacres and sexual violence. The 50-year conflict in Colombia has killed more than 220,000 people. (Reporting by Helen Murphy; editing by Jonathan Oatis)If a package can be delivered to a house, why can't one be delivered to the moon?

That's a question private lunar logistics company Astrobotic aims to answer.

The Pittsburgh-based company is developing pioneering robotics technology that would enable companies as well as ordinary people to ship items, like rovers, time capsules or even a loved one's ashes, to the moon.

Astrobotic, which has partnered with Earthly shipping giant DHL, is slated to launch its Peregrine Lunar Lander, which is designed to carry multiple packages to the surface of the moon, out of Florida's Cape Canaveral on an Atlas V rocket in 2020.

John Thornton, the company's CEO, says his goal is to go where no shipping company has gone before and "make the moon accessible to the world."

For more on Astrobotic, check out the above episode of Space Pirates.KINSHASA, Congo (AP)  At least four new cases of the Ebola virus have emerged in Congo's northeast, just a week after an outbreak in the northwest was declared over, the country's health ministry said Wednesday.

There was no indication the two outbreaks, separated by more than 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles), are related, Health Minister Dr. Oly Ilunga Kalenga said in a statement.

"Although we did not expect to face a tenth epidemic so early, the detection of the virus is an indicator of the proper functioning of the surveillance system," Kalenga said.

The World Health Organization said it had begun moving staff and supplies into the area. "We will fight this one as we did the last," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Twitter.

Congo's east is volatile, with dozens of rebel groups staging attacks and vying for mineral-rich land. The health ministry said it has put in place security to protect a team of health experts arriving on Thursday.

"This is an active conflict zone," Peter Salama, the WHO deputy director-general for emergency response, said in a statement, calling the region very different from where the last outbreak occurred. "The major barrier will be safely accessing the affected population."

The region is near the heavily trafficked border with Uganda and Rwanda and two of Africa's best-known wildlife parks, Virunga and Rwenzori.

The North Kivu health division notified Congo's health ministry on Saturday of 26 cases of hemorrhagic fever, including 20 deaths in North Kivu province, the ministry said. Four of six samples sent for analysis to the National Institute of Biological Research in Kinshasa, the capital, came back positive for Ebola, the ministry said.

The new cases are in Mangina in the eastern Mabalako health zone, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Beni, a city of more than 230,000 people. Travel into and out of the village has been blocked.

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North Kivu governor Julien Paluku called on residents to remain calm.

Ebola, first identified in 1976 in Congo, jumps to humans from animals including bats and monkeys. It spreads through contact with bodily fluids of those infected, including the dead.

Congo on July 24 declared the end of an Ebola outbreak that began in May in the northwest Equateur province and resulted in 54 confirmed cases, including 33 deaths. Health officials said a quick international response and vaccinations of more than 3,300 people were major factors in containing the outbreak.

None of Congo's outbreaks were connected to the massive one in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone that began in 2014 and left more than 11,300 dead.

___

Associated Press writers Carley Petesch in Dakar, Senegal and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed.

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_AfricaWednesday, August 1, 2018 at 8:13AM

Power Trio: The Huawei P20 Pro Review

Huawei had a great second quarter for 2018. Data coming from IDC and Canalys show the Chinese tech company surpassing Apple and taking second place when it comes to the number of smartphones shipped worldwide. Huawei has shipped over 54 million handsets for Q2 2018 compared to the 41.3 million iPhones from Apple. Samsung is at number one with 71.5 million units shipped. According to the press release from IDC, The arrival of Huawei in the second position marks the first quarter since 2Q10 where Apple has not been the number one or two smartphone company in terms of market share.

According to IDCs figures, Samsung has 20.9 percent market share, Huawei has 15.8 (which is a new record for the company), and Apple has 12.1 percent. Xiaomi and OPPO round out the top five. But with Apple rumoured to be coming out with three new iPhone models in September, Huaweis hold on second place might be shortlived.

The company has a lot to celebrate, though. Huawei experienced a 41 percent increase in shipments year over year. A big chunk of this is driven by Huaweis sub-brand Honor. IDC says its been a key driver of growth for Huawei. Canalys estimates that Honor phones accounted for two thirds of the near 16 million jump that Huawei made this quarter with nearly four million Honor devices shipped outside of China.

For Huawei itself, the company has done well with the premium P20 and P20 Pro devices, which were said to draw strong demand throughout the quarter. Huawei led market share in China and accounted for 27 percent of shipments in the country.

Source: The VergeKINSHASA, Congo (AP)  Congo's former Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba returned to the country on Wednesday to register as a presidential candidate in December's long-delayed election, more than a decade after his arrest in Belgium led to a trial at the International Criminal Court over war crimes.

Bemba arrived in a private jet in the capital, Kinshasa, to throngs of supporters that included members of his opposition Movement for the Liberation of Congo party. The police presence was high.

His arrival shakes up the political landscape in one of Africa's most turbulent nations as the opposition worries that President Joseph Kabila, whose mandate ended in late 2016, will find a way to hold onto power. Kabila has been in power since 2001, and his government has blamed delays on the difficulties of organizing a vote in the vast country.

While the international community's patience frays  the United States last week warned Kabila that "the time for posturing is over"  Congo's president has remained quiet on his role in the upcoming election and declared that his country is rejecting foreign meddling and funding the vote itself.

Bemba, like other candidates, must submit his candidacy by Aug. 8 to run in the elections now set for Dec. 23, more than two years late. Bemba was granted a diplomatic passport to return to Congo because he is still a senator.

In an interview with The Associated Press over the weekend, Bemba said he wants Congo's opposition to rally around a single challenger to Kabila and will "give all my support" if that challenger isn't him.

Just weeks ago, few had suspected Bemba would be in a position to compete in the election.

In a surprising ruling in June, appeals judges with the ICC overturned Bemba's convictions for murder, rape and pillaging committed by his Movement for the Liberation of Congo forces in neighboring Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003.

Story continues

He had been sentenced in 2016 to 18 years in prison but maintained his innocence. He still awaits a final sentencing at the ICC in another case in which he was convicted of interfering with witnesses.

Another popular opposition leader, Moise Katumbi, has promised to return to Congo this week to stand in elections.

Demonstrations over Congo's election delay have turned deadly in the past, and Pope Francis and others appealed for calm after police in January used tear gas to disperse ambassadors and others at a mass at Kinshasa's Catholic cathedral to honor protesters killed.

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_AfricaBy Kara Carlson (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress extended the National Flood Insurance program on Tuesday for another fourth months, providing coverage through the hurricane season. The Senate voted to extend the program through November 31 in a 86-12 vote, hours before the program was to expire. The House approved the bill last week. This extension marks the latest short-term extension for the bill. Without the extension, the program would have been stalled, halting purchases of new and expiring insurance and potentially hurting housing markets where flood insurance is needed to get a mortgage. The National Flood Insurance Program has $20 billion in debt, even after $16 billion was canceled last year. Advocates praised the extension, but again raised the critical need for long-term reform of the program as flood damage from hurricanes worsens. Last year, the United States was hit by two of the worst storms, as measured by property damage covered by the National Flood Insurance Program, in four decades. The Insurance Information Institute found in a 2016 poll that 12 percent of homeowners had flood insurance policies. "We've been here again and again," said R.J. Lehmann, director of finance, insurance and trade policy at the R Street Institute, a nonprofit policy research organization. Lehmann said that since September, the program has been extended seven times. SmarterSafer, a coalition of environmental, taxpayer, insurance and housing organizations including R Street, said in a statement that Congress should stop allowing short-term extensions to "reinforce the status quo," and for a "smarter, safer and more robust system of flood insurance to protect the people and property in the path of severe weather events." (Reporting by Kara Carlson)Do you even need to ask? Jarome Iginla is a Hall of Famer. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

6. The doubters

Two or three of the first takes I saw last week when it was announced that Jarome Iginla would retire as a Calgary Flame were like, What do you think folks? Is he a Hall of Famer?

And its like: Get a grip.

If you think anything other than Jarome Iginla is a first-ballot Hall of Famer when you look at his resume, I honestly have to question whether your brain is functioning properly.

Two Olympic golds. Two Memorial Cups. Gold at Worlds, gold at World Junior, gold at the World Cup. Two Rockets, an Art Ross, a Ted Lindsay, a King Clancy and a Mark Messier (which, okay who cares, but also capital-L Leadership is usually a big deal to the kind of freaks who would argue against his candidacy at all). Dragging a crap team kicking and screaming to a Cup Final that his team frankly got screwed out of.

Thats to go with 625 goals and 1,300 points, despite losing a season and a half of his career to owner lockouts, 82 games of which were when he was still pretty close to his prime (his age-27 season). Thats to go with 10 goals in the Olympics. Thats to go with a prime in which he scored at least 28 goals in 15  FIFTEEN!!!!!!  consecutive 82-game seasons.

Every 82 games he played, he averaged about 33 goals. Its crazy.

This guy scored 52 goals on a line with Dean McAmmond and Craig Conroy and got totally screwed out of an MVP award because some dumbass writer left him out of the top five despite him having 96 points on a garbage team.

Any idea that hes somehow not one of the biggest slam dunks in the history of Hall of Fame voting is rooted in the insidious idea that he should have willed one of those awful Calgary teams to a Stanley Cup all by himself.

Imagine this being your internal life. Imagine living your day-to-day thinking this way. Yikes.

5. The Rangers

The two most recent RFA contracts the Rangers signed  Kevin Hayes for one year at $5.175 million and Brady Skjei for six at a $5.25-million AAV  are  lets say interesting.

Story continues

The Hayes contract is maybe just about right for him, but the one year thing is concerning, because its led a lot of people to say, Ah, maybe they should trade him. Which, if hes not in their long-term plans, what would be the point of keeping him? New assistant coach Greg Brown coached him at Boston College and undoubtedly knows his game well. So does purge-surviving assistant coach Lindy Ruff. They can probably get a little more out of him than last season would indicate.

But again, if not, yeah you gotta trade him. Which would be a bad move for most teams but if youre rebuilding, well, why not get a pick and a prospect for him sooner than later?

As for Skjei, well, its a lot of money. He had 25 points last season, coming down off a career high of 39 the year before. Obviously the Rangers will be looking to increase his participation in games now that Ryan McDonagh is in Tampa, but he was already third on the team in minutes behind McDonagh and Neal Pionk (what the?). If youre playing that many minutes and only scoring 25 points, I dunno.

Obviously he has room to grow since hes barely 24 at this point, but can he grow into a top-pairing guy? I dunno. Thats what theyre paying him to be, more or less. Maybe it doesnt really matter because theyre rebuilding and you gotta pay guys for the roles theyre being given, but this contract seems like a not-too-egregious reach.

4. Crying about the rules

So the Caps signed Brooks Orpik last week after they traded him and Colorado bought him out. People were, for some reason, upset about this.

To which my response is: Even if this were somehow a worked-out plan all along, which it may very well have been, who cares? Brooks Orpik stinks. He makes the Capitals much, much, much worse. Its not like they traded Ovechkin, who then got bought out, so he could be re-signed at a fraction of the price. If you think it would be onerous for the Caps to continue carrying Orpiks cap hit, thats fine, but they spent the extra money on Tom Wilson and still brought Orpik back.

Thats a win-win if you dont like the Caps! Who cares!

3. Waiting on trades

Yet another week has passed, and neither Max Pacioretty nor Erik Karlsson have been traded. At this point, the whole thing screams, The week before training camp. Which is fine, I guess, but its also no fun having to wait around.

2. David Poile

Here are the Predators last three contracts they signed: Ryan Hartman for one year at just $875,000, Juusse Saaros for three years at an AAV of only $1.5 million, Dan Hamhuis for two years at an AAV of $2.5 million, and Miikka Salomaki for two years at an AAV of $750,000.

Hartman could do some serious damage for that price. Its a bargain. Saaros is their goalie of the future with elite minor-league numbers and strong appearances at the NHL level, and he might get a ton of starts as soon as this season. Hamhuis, well, theres reason to be skeptical of his underlyings in Dallas but if hes your No. 5/6 defenseman youre in great shape. Salomaki is a solid depth forward who isnt going to score a lot but will rarely hurt you.

All for the low, low combined cap hit of $5.625 million. How does Poile keep doing this?

1. Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla

There goes one of the best players of his generation, who could have done so much more if the Calgary Flames gave him almost any help (or if Daymond Langkow hadnt broken his neck).

I love you!!!!!!!

(Not ranked this week: Believing in the Canucks.

Jim Bennings pronouncement that the Vancouver Canucks have between six and eight Grade A prospects is just about the funniest thing I have ever heard.

Ive been really puzzling over this. I can get to six good-to-great prospects real easy IF were counting a couple guys who are already NHLers.

Brock Boeser (not a prospect after his phenomenal rookie season)

Bo Horvat (whos got four full seasons of NHL hockey under his belt)

Quinn Hughes (actual elite prospect)

Elias Petterson (actual elite prospect)

Adam Gaudette (actual decent prospect but hes not Grade-A)

Olli Juolevi (actual decent prospect but hes not Grade-A and people were apparently worried he plays too much Fortnite)

Thats six U-22 players who will be in the NHL for a while, for sure. I dont know how you come up with the other two, except maybe Thatcher Demko and MAYBE Jonathan Dahlen, neither of whom are close to being Grade A but are perfectly good prospects.

Anyway, great take from Benning.)



Ryan Lambert is a Yahoo Sports columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here.

(All statistics via Corsica unless otherwise noted.)NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Cyprus' government is asking the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to help defend two Turkish Cypriot journalists investigated in Turkey over an article deemed "insulting" to that country.

Cyprus government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said Wednesday the OSCE has been asked to defend the journalists' "right of free speech and media freedom." He said the European Union is following the case closely.

Afrika columnist Ali Osman said he and editor-in-chief Sener Levent did nothing wrong and have refused to cooperate with authorities.

The article in question, published January, likened Turkey's military offensive in Syria to its military "occupation" of ethnically split Cyprus' northern third where Ankara has kept 35,000 troops since 1974.By Robert Muller and Jason Hovet PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis wants a decision by the end of 2018 on financing majority state-owned utility CEZ's multi-billion dollar nuclear power expansion. CEZ has refused to invest in new plants without some form of state support and has instead proposed spinning off its renewables and energy services businesses to investors, leaving traditional sources like coal and nuclear in state hands. The 70 percent state-owned utility operates two nuclear power plants in Dukovany and Temelin which together covered 38 percent of Czech energy needs last year. Dukovany's reactors start to expire around 2035 and Babis told Reuters in an interview that this meant work on replacement blocks needed to speed up regardless of the debates over whether to split up central Europe's largest listed utility to pay for the work. "We have to start moving fast as of September. Let's hope a decision will be made by Christmas," Babis, a billionaire turned politician who came to power in an election last October, said. Babis says CEZ is big enough to build the new nuclear units without being split up and reiterated that a CEZ subsidiary should be the main vehicle to build the new reactors, which will also be located in Dukovany. "I am convinced that it is up to CEZ to build it. That means to evaluate the Dukovany assets, put them into a subsidiary, run a tender for a technology provider, financing, maybe even a joint-venture and CEZ should guarantee it," he said. The state could step in as a guarantor if there were problems, while a committee has also assessed the option of the state buying a small CEZ unit to build the plants. CEZ Chief Executive Daniel Benes has said that a state-owned part of CEZ would be best placed to build the new nuclear blocks. The company scrapped a tender for Temelin's expansion in 2014 after the previous government, which included Babis as finance minister, refused to guarantee the price of electricity produced in the new blocks. A government decision was postponed in May to give more time to assess budget impacts and gauge European Union views. (Reporting by Robert Muller and Jason Hovet; Editing by Alexander Smith)COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Denmark's top prosecution authority has rejected requests to extradite a Turkish national to his home country because he could face persecution, torture, degrading treatment or punishment there.

Sune Loevtrup from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions says Turkey accuses the 58-year-old man being a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, considered a terror organization by Turkey and Western allies.

The man, who was not identified, has been held in custody since July 14 while Danes looked into the extradition request.

Loevtrup said Wednesday that the man was released after authorities concluded that not all conditions of Danish extradition law were met.Stockholm (AFP) - Denmark's ban on the Islamic full-face veil in public spaces came into force on Wednesday, with anyone wearing a garment that hides the face in public risking a fine.

Human rights campaigners have slammed the ban as a violation of women's rights, while supporters argue it enables better integration of Muslim immigrants into Danish society.

Wearing a burqa, which covers the entire face, or the niqab, which shows only the eyes, in public will lead to a fine of 1,000 kroner ($156, 134 euros).

The ban also targets other items that hide the face such as balaclavas and false beards. Repeated violations will be fined up to 10,000 kroner.

It is not known how many women wear the niqab or burqa in Denmark.

Protests against the ban were planned in the capital Copenhagen and the second-biggest city Aarhus late Wednesday, with several hundred people expected to attend -- some of them wearing the full-face veil.

A spokesman for Denmark's national police said that as of 2:30 pm (1230 GMT), no violations of the ban had been registered.

A 30-year-old Muslim woman interviewed in daily Berlingske, identified only as Sarah, said on Wednesday that she had "lost faith in the system".

Born and raised in Denmark by parents who emigrated from Turkey, she has worn the niqab since she was 18.

"I've realised that democracy doesn't work. Politicians boast of freedoms and rights when they are making fun of Muslims and when they are drawing caricatures of the prophet. But when it comes to me, they take away my right to choose how I want to dress," she said.

"I have come to the realisation that Muslims don't have the same rights as others. So much of politics is hypocritical."

When the government presented its proposal for the ban in February, it said the burka and niqab were not "compatible with the values and sense of community in Danish society".

But Sarah said that instead of enabling Muslims to integrate Danish values, the ban risked having the opposite effect of increasing segregation.

Story continues

"When the mosque is one of the few places where we can (wear veils), then I think the law will mean that more people will go to the mosque."

The full-face veil is a hot-button issue across Europe.

Belgium, France, Germany and Austria have already imposed bans or partial bans.The North China Plain, home to nearly 400 million people, could become a life-threatening inferno during future heat waves if climate change continues apace, researchers have warned.

Soaring temperatures combined with high humidity -- made worse by the region's dense irrigation network -- means the China's breadbasket faces "the greatest risk to human life from rising temperatures of any location on Earth," they said in a statement.

Megacities Beijing and Tianjin both fall within the densely populated plain, along with other major urban areas.

But it is tens of millions of farmers working outside that will be most at risk.

Even if humanity manages to slow the pace of global warming, hot spells across the region could, by century's end, exceed the human body's ability to cope, the scientists reported this week in the journal Nature Communications.

"This spot is going to be the hottest spot for deadly heatwaves in the future, especially under climate change," said lead author MIT professor Elfatih Eltahir, who has published similar assessments of the Persian Gulf region and South Asia.

In China, heatwaves have become both more intense and more frequent since 1970, especially in the last 15 years.

Average temperatures have gone up 1.35 degrees Celsius (2.4 degrees Fahrenheit) since 1950, nearly double the average global increase.

But the human body's capacity to withstand extended bouts of heat also depends on how much moisture is in the air.

So-called "wet bulb" temperatures take humidity into account, providing a better measure of potential health impacts.

For perspiration to occur, air at the skin surface must be moister than the ambient air. The larger the difference, the more quickly the body can cool.

- A sunburn, but inside the body -

"But if the wet bulb temperature exceeds the human body's skin temperature of 35 C, perspiration no longer works as a cooling mechanism," explained Jeremy Pal, a professor at Seaver College of Science and Engineering in Los Angeles who has collaborated with Eltahir in the past but did not take part in the new study.

Story continues

"The body will quickly overheat, resulting in death."

Experts estimate that a healthy adult may not survive outdoors at "wet bulb" 35 C for more than six hours.

Humidity is key.

At 55 percent relative humidity, for example, it would take a searing air temperature of 44.4 C (112 F) to reach the 35 C wet bulb threshold.

But at 85 percent humidity, an outdoor temperature of 37.8 C (100 F) is sufficient to surpass the limit of human tolerance.

"When it is both very hot and humid outside, heat in the body cannot be expelled," noted Camilo Mora, a professor at the University of Hawaii who developed a model last year to calculate deadly heat days under different climate change scenarios.

"This creates a condition called 'heat citotoxicity' that is damaging to many organs," he told AFP at the time.

"It's like a sunburn, but inside the body."

Eltahir and Suchul Kang a researcher at the Center for Environmental Sensing and Modeling in Singapore, used climate models that best matched temperature records over the last three decades to forecast heatwaves.

They looked at two possible futures.

One -- often called the "business-as-usual" scenario -- assumes that climate change will continue unabated, while the other allows that humanity can bend down the curve of greenhouse gas emissions enough to cap warming at about 3 C, compared to mid-19th century levels.

Surprisingly, they found that the North China Plain's irrigation system adds about half a degree Celsius to future warming, under either scenario.

"Irrigation exacerbates the impact of climate change," Eltahir said.

Unless drastic measures are taken to limit the greenhouse gas emissions warming the globe, "the North China Plain is likely to experience deadly heatwaves with wet bulb temperatures exceeding the threshold defining what Chinese farmers may tolerate," he added.

The 196-nation Paris Agreement calls for capping the rise in temperature at 2 C, and 1.5 C if possible.After a California fire, a man discovered a family heirloom among the ashes of his home. (Photo: Jerry Ogle via Facebook)

The Carr fire in California has already become the seventh most destructive fire in the states history. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the wildfire has killed six people, destroyed over 110,000 acres, and burned down 880 homes  and counting.

One of those homes belonged to Jerry Ogle, along with his father and stepmother. 17 years of memories at my Dad and [Christines]  house. All gone in a matter of days, Ogle wrote on Facebook.

Sadly, this isnt the first time the senior Ogle has had to rebuild. According to Ogles GoFundMe page, his father lost his home 25 years ago to a fire. [He] has worked his way back into a beautiful home which has now been taken from him, Jerry wrote.

Jerry Ogles father sits on the rubble that used to be his familys home. (Photo: GoFundMe)

It would be easy to feel overwhelmed after losing your home and all of your belongings, but Ogle discovered a miracle in the ashes, which has helped him regain faith that they will rebuild again.

As soon as Ogle and his father arrived at their property to view the destruction, he began to search for his grandmothers wedding ring, which was a gift from his grandfather.

My only real hope was that I would miraculously find the diamond in the ash. After about a half hour of searching the area where I knew I left it, I looked to the sky and asked my grandfather for help, Ogle wrote on Facebook. Not 30 seconds later I found the box, the same box that it was given to me in. And inside the box amongst the ash, there it was. My grandmothers ring. God is good.

Jerry Ogle found his grandmothers ring in the ashes of his home, which was destroyed by the Carr fire. (Photo: Jerry Ogle via Facebook)

He ended his post with the hashtag #WeWillRebuild.

Ogle has posted that the proceeds to his GoFundMe account will go to other neighbors who did not have any fire insurance for their homes. He wrote, Your generosity is greatly appreciated to my entire family. At this point I would like to shift the goal to a greater cause. I recently found out that there are others in our neighborhood who may not of had any type of fire coverage for their homes. So for every dollar donated, the all proceeds will go to helping the other homes off of Iron Mountain Road including Sanders Lane and the Keswick area.

Story continues

Jerry Ogle did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyles requests for comment.

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Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 7:35AM

Logitech is securing its place in the high-end audio recording market with its latest acquisition. The company just announced that it is buying Blue Microphones for US$117 million. Itll be an all-cash transaction. Blue, which is known for creating USB condenser mics like the Snowball and Yeti, will be joining Logitechs other brands like Astro Gaming, Jaybird, and Ultimate Ears.

In a blog post announcing the deal, Logitech wrote, For Logitech, this is a new space. But, at the same time, its not at all. Gamers are already using our Logitech G webcams to stream. People are video calling with friends and family thanks to Logitech every day. And in business, our audio and video know-how is apparent every time a video meeting takes place at the office. Joining up with Blue and their microphone lines is a logical adjacent opportunity with great synergies.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the ballistic rocket launch drill of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army (KPA) at an unknown location, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on Ma

Paul R. Pillar

Security, Americas

Washington has different negotiation woes with Pyongyang and Tehran.

The Difficulty of Navigating Nuclear Diplomacy with North Korea and Iran

North Korea and Iran represent significantly different nuclear-related challenges. The biggest difference is that North Korea has nuclear weapons. Iran doesnt. If North Korea really were to become no longer a nuclear threat, as Donald Trump recklessly declared upon returning to Washington after the summit meeting in Singapore, then this would require Pyongyang dismantling an existing nuclear arsenal. With Iran, the task instead has been to close all possible pathways to development of an Iranian nuclear weapon and to ensure through comprehensive monitoring and inspection that Irans nuclear program remains peaceful. Accomplishment of that task is what the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the Iran nuclear deal, has been all about.

There are other possibly relevant differences, such as the nature of the two regimes. Iran has a popularly elected president and parliament and, notwithstanding the less democratic aspects of its political system, has real politics in which policies and ideologies are contested both openly and within the regime. By contrast, North Korea is a family-ruled thugocracy that currently is the most totalitarian state in the world.

It is difficult to assess the net effect of the internal political differences on nuclear diplomacy. Generally it is easier to strike a deal with a single dictator who calls all the shots than to bargain with representatives of a more divided regime with its own bureaucratic politics. Inducing a regime that possesses nuclear weapons to give up that arsenal, however, can be expected to pose a bigger challenge than ensuring that a nonnuclear-weapons state stays that way. A fair-minded observer who strips away the rhetoric and concentrates on the facts of each situation might be hesitant to use what has been done with Iran as a standard for assessing what is being done with North Korea, and vice versa.

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But Trump, through his own rhetoric and that of others who have been intent on destroying the JCPOA, has forfeited any such benefit of the doubt. By repeatedly asserting that a better deal was possible with Iran and claiming superior prowess in striking deals with anyone about anything, Trump not only permits but invites comparisons between what he accomplishes on North Korea and what his predecessor accomplished on Iran. The many attacks that he and others have made on the JCPOA, regardless of how untrue or invalid those attacks have been, provide standards for assessing whatever Trump does with North Korea.

Initial Concessions

Fairness also requires recognition that any significant progress toward making North Korea no longer a nuclear threat will take a long time, with the meeting in Singapore being at best only a single step in any such process. But it is not too soon to start making comparisons. Indeed, one of the most frequently voiced attacks against the JCPOA has concerned the up-front sequencing of eventsof when each side made or implemented its initial concessions. Trumps own previous secretary of state joined in this attack when he asserted, They [the Iranians] got the immediate lifting of the sanctions before they ever had to deliver on anything.

That assertion is false. The first concessions of any sort during the diplomatic process that led to the JCPOA came with an interim agreement, the Joint Plan of Action, reached in 2013 when the final agreement was still many months of hard negotiations away. Under this preliminary accord, Iran had to blend down or convert to oxide all its uranium that had been enriched beyond five percent, to take most of its enrichment centrifuges offline, to admit international inspectors for continuous monitoring of its most important nuclear facilities, and to take several other steps to restrict its program. The small concessions it got in return included removal of some sanctions on its auto industry and the ability to buy spare parts for its decrepit civilian airliner fleet. The sequence of implementation of the final JCPOA was heavily skewed against Iran, which had to dispose of 98 percent of its enriched uranium, fill a nuclear reactor with concrete, and take almost all the other significant steps it was required to take under the agreement to close any possible pathway to a bomband have this all certified by international inspectorsbefore it got an ounce of additional sanctions relief.

How does this compare with the picture of initial concessions in Trumps dealings with North Korea? As many commentators have noted after the Singapore meeting, Pyongyang hasnt conceded anything yet, let alone implemented a concession other than the return of some of what it says (yet to be confirmed) are remains of soldiers killed in the Korean War. In the short and sketchy joint statement, Kim Jong-un merely reaffirmed a vague commitment to denuclearizationhowever definedthat his regime had asserted many times before. The big up-front concession was by the United States. That concession was the meeting itself. Not only a meeting, but a meeting with all the flags and finery, the friendly pats and warm words, that went well beyond the bare minimum of summitry in symbolically bestowing legitimacy on Kims thugocracy. The meeting, and Kims treatment as an equal of the president of the United States, demonstrated the success of Kims strategy of using rapid development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles as a key to getting attention and getting such treatment. The current pause in North Koreas testing of weapons is not a concession; it is a mark of having arrived, and, as Kim himself has said, of his programs success.

Note the contrast with the protocol aspects of negotiating the JCPOA. In the arduous diplomatic process that produced that agreement, the most intense interaction between high-level U.S. and Iranian officials consisted not of a cordial made-for-TV encounter but instead of shouting matchesduring especially difficult points in the bargainingbehind closed doors between the U.S. secretary of state and the Iranian foreign minister. The closest thing to a summit meeting was a phone call between Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani while the latter was in a car on his way to the airport after participating in the United Nations General Assembly.

Nonnuclear Issues

After the Singapore meeting, Trump revealed another U.S. concession, which was that he promisedevidently to the surprise of both South Korea and his own Department of Defenseto end joint U.S.-South Korean war games. This was significant partly for being unmatched by anything equivalent from North Korea. What Trump stated was a promise by Kim to disable a missile testing site says no more about North Koreas ability to continue to develop and test weapons than did an earlier staged-for-journalists explosion at a nuclear test site. The latest press reports about the North Koreans weapons work is that they continue to produce missiles with intercontinental range.

The concession about war games also is significant in going beyond nuclear weapons or nuclear-related sanctions, which leads to another interesting comparison with the JCPOA. The enemies of that agreement have repeatedly castigated it for not addressing nonnuclear issues, including what is routinely labeled as nefarious Iranian behavior internationally. That castigation ignores how if each side had loaded up the agenda with its other grievances, the agenda would have become unworkable and no restriction on the Iranian nuclear program ever could have been negotiated. With a more expansive agenda, Iran surely would have included the issue of U.S. military activity in Irans backyard. Such inclusion would have been at least as legitimate as the inclusion of many other grievances by any of the parties, given a history that has included U.S. warships shooting down a civilian Iranian airliner and U.S. Navy craft more recently entering Iranian territorial waters. But nonnuclear issues were not included in the JCPOA negotiations, andunlike what Trump said he just didthe United States made no concessions to Iran restricting any U.S. military activities, including ones in Irans backyard.

Meanwhile, back in Singaporeand notwithstanding all that criticism of the JCPOA about not addressing other Iranian activitythe joint statement from Trump and Kim gave no hint of addressing nonnuclear North Korean activity, beyond a joint commitment to recover POW/MIA remains. Nothing was said not only about ballistic missiles (and North Korean missiles, unlike Iranian ones, can reach U.S. territory), but also about North Koreas overseas assassinations, kidnapping of Japanese citizens, counterfeiting of U.S. currency, or other current or recent past North Korean actions that would warrant the adjective nefarious.

So far, therefore, the comparison between the nuclear diplomacy with Iran and the current version with North Korea puts the former in a good light and makes the latter look disappointing. Those with an interest in curbing the dangers of proliferating nuclear weapons should hope that the North Korea picture will improve with time. But whether it does or not, the process has put into perspective how badly mistaken was the current administrations impetuous trashing of the JCPOA.

Paul R. Pillar is a contributing editor at the National Interest and the author of Why America Misunderstands the World .

Image: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the ballistic rocket launch drill of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army (KPA) at an unknown location, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on March 11, 2016.

Read full articlePresident Donald Trump told a crowd in Florida on Tuesday night that buying groceries requires an identification card.

Trump made the comment while pushing for voter ID laws at a rally in Tampa to support Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) in the states gubernatorial race. The president touched on a number of his regular talking points, including unemployment rates and tariffs, before talking about voter fraud.

Trump claimed Democrats were attempting to give undocumented immigrants the right to vote.

Which is why the time has come for voter ID, like everything else, Trump told the crowd. You know, if you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card. You need ID.

President Trump, at his rally in Tampa, is pushing for voter ID laws and said you need to show an ID to buy groceries.



(You don't need ID to buy groceries.) pic.twitter.com/7WAs05R4dz  Liam Martin (@LiamWBZ) July 31, 2018

There is no evidence that noncitizen voting is a widespread problem, despite Trumps claims. Pressed in court earlier this year to offer evidence of widespread noncitizen voting in Kansas, experts whose work Trump has relied on were only able to point to a handful of cases.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to clarify Trumps remark at a press briefing on Wednesday. She attempted to deflect the comment by focusing on beer and wine purchases that require identification, even though Trump doesnt drink alcohol.

He is not saying every time he went in, he is saying when you go to the grocery store, Huckabee Sanders said. Im pretty sure everybody in here who has been to a grocery store that has purchased beer or wine has probably had to show their I.D. If they didnt, thats probably a problem with the grocery store.

To be clear, American citizens do not need a picture ID to buy basic groceries. There are some federal and state regulations that prohibit the sale of alcohol or certain over-the-counter medications without identification, but that does not extend to basic food or cleaning products.

Story continues

Social media users remarked on Trumps assertion as out of touch and wondered when the billionaire last bought his own groceries.

You need an ID to buy groceries? How out of touch can you be? How much does a loaf of bread cost Trump? Do you know?  Gayla (@gayla5son) August 1, 2018

When Trump said you need ID to buy groceries. #TrumpTampa pic.twitter.com/q6nHw8Uf0i  Devon Schwab (@DevonInSpace) August 1, 2018

Trump says you need photo ID to buy groceries in the U.S. That's more out of touch than George H.W. Bush's grocery scanner.  Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) July 31, 2018

Trump discussed trade deals and immigration before the Tampa crowd using much of his typical rhetoric.

He once again used the term globalist, which is often used in xenophobic and anti-Semitic contexts, to refer to lobbyists fighting against his tariffs. Trump also went after Democrats for their views on immigration, including calls to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Trump ended the rally by boasting about the impact of his endorsements. He remarked on Brian Kemps primary win in Georgia last week in a contentious Republican runoff for governor after he endorsed Kemp.

This story has been updated with information on noncitizen voting and a response from Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

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Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) (AFP) - The leading opposition party in Equatorial Guinea has denounced the "illegal detention" of its activists, with dozens in prison despite a pledge last month by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema that they would be released.

Obiang, who has ruled the West African state since 1979, issued a decree granting what he described as a total amnesty on July 4, in a bid to smooth the way for a "national dialogue" between political leaders in the country.

But the Citizens for Innovation (CI) party said dozens of "political prisoners" remain incarcerated, including about thirty of its own members.

"It has been 27 days since President Teodoro Obiang Nguema declared a total amnesty... the government must know that keeping all political detainees in prison is legally interpreted as illegal detention," said CI in a statement, AFP learned Wednesday.

Obiang, 76, has been widely criticised for corruption and human rights abuses during his decades in power.

Since the amnesty decree, only one person -- Julian Abaga, a college professor jailed for criticising Obiang -- has been released.

The CI was banned in February and 21 of its members, including the party's sole member of parliament, were subsequently sentenced to 30 years for "sedition, public disorder, attacks on authority and serious bodily harm."

The move followed an attempted coup, in December, involving a group of men from Chad, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan, according to the authorities.

CI says it has had no "sign of life" from activists in Evinayong prison, in the centre of the country, since July 19.CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian security forces killed five suspected militants in a shootout in Qalyubiya province, north of Cairo, the interior ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The ministry said the militants were members of the Hasm group who were instructed to conduct "terrorist operations aimed at destabilizing the country" by movement leaders abroad. Egypt accuses Hasm, which emerged in 2016 and has claimed several attacks on security forces, of being a militant wing of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood denies this. Hasm has sometimes released statements claiming attacks against security forces. It has not claimed links with the Brotherhood. Hasm did not immediately issue a statement about the shootout. Police also arrested five other suspected militants during a separate raid in el-marg neighborhood in Cairo and confiscated weapons at a third location, the ministry said. Egypt has been fighting an Islamist insurgency in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula since the ouster of Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 following mass protests against his rule. The Islamic State militants in North Sinai have not signaled any connection to Hasm, which has operated mostly in the Nile Delta region. The military launched an offensive against militants in February which has focused on Sinai, but which it said was country-wide. As well as Hasm and Islamic State, security forces have faced attacks in its Western desert by Egyptian militants linked to al-Qaeda who security sources say are based in Libya. (Corrects location of arrest in paragraph 5 to al-marg from al-Salam) (Reporting by Nadine Awadalla and John Davison; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)New York (AFP) - Eight US states are filing a lawsuit Monday to block a Trump administration decision enabling 3D printers to make plastic handguns that opponents say will be almost impossible to control.

Democratic Party attorney generals of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia have joined the petition, to be filed in federal court.

The suit will seek a temporary restraining order nationwide and argue that the decision violates states' rights to regulate firearms, officials said.

"This decision is unconstitutional. It is unlawful. Frankly it is terrifying," said Bob Ferguson, Washington state attorney general, taking the lead on the suit to be filed in Seattle.

"This unprecedented move is not only disastrous for public safety but undermines our state laws meant to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals."

After a lengthy legal battle, the government reached agreement last month with Cody Wilson, a militant gun rights advocate from Texas.

He successfully argued that the US Constitution's Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to private gun ownership, should extend to a person's right to make guns at home -- uncontrolled by authorities, since they will bear no serial number.

It means anyone with a 3D printer -- which costs around $2,000 and can be programmed to build objects of almost any shape -- will be able starting next week to make plastic-bodied guns at home for just a few hundred dollars each.

Security experts fear that the guns could evade metal detectors used in public buildings and airports.

But gun enthusiasts say that without some metal parts, the guns will be unreliable -- and might even explode in a user's face.

Democratic lawmakers have decried the settlement and demanded an explanation from the Republican administration, which has supported gun owners' rights.Baghdad (AFP) - As the stultifying summer heat sends Iraqis in search of cool spots, restaurateur Ali Hussein provides sanctuary -- even though it means hooking up to an expensive generator.

"The clients must be comfortable when they eat," said Hussein, who stakes his reputation on ensuring customers are constantly blasted by air conditioning.

Outside, temperatures at this time of year can reach 50 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit), sending demand for electricity soaring.

But Iraq's dilapidated power grid is unable to cope, leaving business owners -- and the few citizens who can afford it -- beholden to private supplies.

Hussein forks out 225,000 dinars ($190) a month to the owner of a generator for a 15 amp electricity supply to his Baghdad restaurant.

It's the "gold" option, guaranteed to run uninterrupted.

But the cost is more than some Iraqis earn.

And for most citizens, there is little escape from a heat that barely abates even at night.

We have only "four or five hours of electricity" a day from the national grid, grocer Mouthanna Mehdi told AFP.

Anger over the power shortages fed into deadly unrest in July.

At least 14 people were killed in street protests that began in the oil-rich southern city of Basra on July 8 and spread to other areas including Baghdad.

- Winners and losers -

Like Hussein, Mehdi earns enough to pay for electricity from a generator.

But he can only afford a five amp supply.

It's "not enough to power all the lights and the air conditioning at the same time", he said.

"Sometimes the generators break down or stop when they run out of fuel, which can damage our electrical appliances," the 40-year-old added.

Generators are a regular fixture on street corners in Baghdad and other major cities, often hastily installed by small businessmen to exploit peak summer demand.

Tangles of wires protrude from the devices, disfiguring the city and sometimes causing electrical fires.

Story continues

But as with every crisis, there are winners as well as losers.

If the power situation "was resolved, we would lose our work", said Hussein Kazem, who sells fuel to the owners of generators.

- 'Lies and theft' -

Experts say supply of electricity falls at least 40 percent short of demand during the summer.

And a substantial slice of the estimated $40 billion allocated to the power sector over the past 15 years has vanished.

Money from public tenders has allegedly lined the pockets of corrupt politicians and businessmen who fronted fake contracts.

In a bid to quell protests, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Sunday fired electricity minister Qasim al-Fahdawi.

Fahdawi had been the architect of a privatisation programme that was meant to herald electricity 24 hours a day.

Iraqis say the project worked well for a few months in the zones where it was tested.

But as soon as the summer heat arrived, power cuts multiplied once more.

The authorities say they have upped electricity generation by nearly 50 percent to 17,000 megawatts since 2014.

Ordinary Iraqis are sceptical about this figure.

"This is all lies and theft," said Mazen, who fixes generators and did not want to give his full name.

"The leaders divert the money and hide it abroad. And when they say the situation is improving, you can be sure they are lying," he said.The Bahamas Bowl now has a brand new sponsor. (AP Photo/Austin Anthony)

The Bahamas Bowl found a new sponsor. And no, its not going back to Popeyes. It wont even be sponsored by a company.

The bowls new sponsor is a suburb of Chicago.

Elk Grove Village, a community of more than 30,000 people located adjacent to Chicagos OHare International Airport, is now the title sponsor of the bowl game  which will be named after its business slogan, Makers Wanted.

The Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl will be played on December 21, 2018 at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas. Elk Grove Village, which is home to the largest contiguous industrial park in the country, will become the first non-tourist municipality to sponsor a bowl game in history.

[Yahoo College Fantasy Football is here! Sign up now for free]

We are excited to have Elk Grove Village as the title sponsor of the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, Richard Giannini, the executive director of the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, told ESPN. It is a unique sponsorship that allows Elk Grove Village and its thriving business community to take the Makers Wanted message to a national audience on ESPN. We thank Mayor Craig Johnson for his innovative vision, and we look forward to another great bowl game this year.

Elk Grove Village is home to more than 5,600 businesses, 300 manufacturers and two million square feet of data centers. And now one college football bowl game  sort of.

The idea came to Mayor Craig Johnson, who was born and raised in Elk Grove Village, simply when he was watching games last year.

Last season, I was watching all these bowl games for four straight days, Johnson told Forbes. And as I was watching one of the smaller bowl games, I could just see our slogan painted on the field.

Once he convinced his wife and his staff that he wasnt crazy, they finally got behind the idea  which Johnson said will increase his towns exposure on a massive scale.

Sports are one of the last things people watch live, Johnson told Forbes. Leading up to the game, ESPN will be referencing the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl multiple times, allowing millions to hear our slogan.

Story continues

People will be curious and theyll Google Makers Wanted and our town will pop right up.

The fifth-annual game, which is owned by ESPN, features teams from Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference. Ohio dominated UAB in the game last season 41-6.

Now, the deal is just for one year, but Johnson has an option for the village to renew for a second season if the first is a success.

And even though it isnt one of the major bowl games on the slate each holiday season, the game in the Bahamas could be the perfect spot for a town like Elk Grove Village.

Our relationship with the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl and ESPN Events is a perfect opportunity to use college football to share our message with the entire country, Johnson told ESPN. We were impressed by how the bowl game has been developed in the Bahamas over the past four years, and we share in the excitement that this event brings to their community.

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A side perk to doing away with a conventional gasoline powered engine is that the Tesla Model 3 boasts storage capacity that rivals much larger vehicles. After one customer took to Twitter to demonstrate just how much camping equipment fits into his Model 3, Musk announced that a new software update to enable something called party & camper mode would be rolling out soon.

Not having a big gas guzzler engine in front means theres room for trunks in front & back, Musks first Tweet reads. Were adding a party & camper mod soon to S/3/X, so your car can maintain air flow, temp, selective lights, music & power devices for 48 hours or more while parked. Big batteries rock 

The announcement seemed inspired by a fan image shared by a Tesla Model 3 customer with the handle Tim Alguire, which detailed everything his Model 3 was able to store on a luggage-intensive camping trip. In addition to five people, the Model 3s two trunks were also able to store a pretty elaborate camping set-up, complete with air mattresses, a seven-person tent, a screen, tables, and other gear.

Camping with Tesla Model 3

Went camping. 5 people in the car and:

5 Sleeping Bags

2 Air Mattresses

5 Camping chairs

Suitcase

Large Cooler

7 Person tent

Screen-house Tent

Table

Stove

Lanterns

Food

Other Gear + Camping stuff@elonmusk @Model3Owners @vevabc @ShuttleAkajor pic.twitter.com/wXQGuaGK2O  Tim Alguire (@AlguireTim) July 30, 2018

Tesla Party & Camper Mode Will Be Added Soon

Story continues

Its easy to see why Tesla and Musk seized on the Tweet, which paints an impressive picture of someone whos clearly making the most of their Model 3. Announcing new features in the thread also ensures it will be a lot more widely shared (and written about.)

Were also getting some new features to discuss in tandem with the signature car thats almost certain to be a main topic of conversation on tomorrows much discussed Tesla Q2 earnings call, scheduled for Wednesday.

After all, this isnt just any other luxury car, its a pretty luxurious looking mass-market car thats key to Teslas greater ambition to prove its capable of ensuring a renewable energy future and turning a profit. The Model 3 has gotten pretty stellar reviews, including a rave from the Wall Street Journal auto critic Dan Neil.

At the same time, it has also experienced some production issues and delays, with some analysts questioning whether the pace Tesla maintained to hit its recent 5,000 car per week milestone is actually sustainable in the long term. Some fun new features are a pretty good way to give Tesla fans and critics something else to talk about.

Photos via Tesla

More From InverseTwitter has come under fire in recent months from everyone from Seth Rogen to journalists for refusing to intervene in the spreading of misinformation and propaganda by alt-Right accounts on one side, and shadow banning certain political views on the other. But the platform has come to the rescue of the internets friendly, neighborhood billionaire, Elon Musk.

Twitter users began discovering over the weekend that simply using Musks name in your public name results in a locked account.

If you put "Elon Musk" in your handle, the very next Twitter screen you click to will be a notice that your account has been locked.



They have the technology to clamp down on Nazis using Nazi buzzwords to organize. They could do that. They chose not to. pic.twitter.com/diDjfW1DpG  April Daniels (@1aprildaniels) July 29, 2018

Why would one of the most powerful social media corporations crack down on one seemingly insignificant issue afflicting one very powerful person?

The official reasoning is that Twitter wants to combat spam and malicious activity, and in the case of Musk, there are bots who use his name and reply to his tweets trying to scam followers into buying fake cryptocurrency. Which, to be fair, has been observed by Musk fans and detractors alike.

But there are bots everywhere on Twitter, not just in Musks replies. Another possibility is that Twitter wanted to address the hilarious parody account plaguing Musk. Its not too much of a logical leap to wonder if this is really about Italian Elon Musk and its many copycats.

you, a fool: french elon musk isn't that funny

me, an intellectual: I didn't even like italian elon musk that much

someone who doesn't spend 10 hours of every day on twitter dot com: what the fuck are you even talking about  Olive (@olivebrinker) July 29, 2018

If you havent run across fake Elon Musks on your timeline, you may not recognize the, ahem, severity, of Musks parody problem.

Story continues

The Musk meme began with Alex Arbuckle, a formerly verified Twitter user who renamed his account Italian Elon Musk and tweeted some pretty humorous gems before getting stripped of his blue checkmark.

[when I get my verified checkmark removed by Twitter for doing a bit where Elon Musk is Italian] ayyyy whoopsy daisy  alex (@alexqarbuckle) June 17, 2018

The following are a few tweets Musk may have seen and taken offense with:

I love a my employee Sal, he spinna da dough like a no one else!! I had a to fire him because a he ask for a raise!! I say Sal, donna you have enough dough already? Prego!!  alex (@alexqarbuckle) June 17, 2018

I send a the calzone into space!! I dont pay a the taxes!! Ohhh!!  alex (@alexqarbuckle) June 16, 2018

THATS A SPICY MEATBALL!!!! no refundo https://t.co/VEnHMlFZWB  alex (@alexqarbuckle) June 16, 2018

Of course, it was probably more amusing for most when Arbuckles profile was a badly photoshopped picture of Musk with some stereotypical Italian objects, and his name was literally Italian Elon Musk, but you get the point.

Italian Elon Musk.

Arbuckle returned to his regularly scheduled comedy posts, but another brave warrior picked up the torch with French Elon Musque, which seemingly tricks Twitters Musk name recognition system. The teen behind the parody account tweeted voraciously for a bit, but is now losing steam.

ze homeless man on ze street ask me please monsieur musk spare some change my family is dying i tell him have you heard of ze hyperloop  French Elon Musque (@FMusque) July 28, 2018

i will marry grimes in le thai cave and leave her down zere for 2 weeks to be rezcued by my Tesla Submarine  French Elon Musque (@FMusque) July 27, 2018

i hate ze poor  French Elon Musque (@FMusque) July 27, 2018

The problem with Twitters move to ban Musk impersonators is two-fold: one, its a seemingly insignificant problem whose solution requires questionable limitations on speech, and two, its going to be impossible to continually execute. The parody accounts that have survived all have workarounds, like adding extra letters and accent marks.

i made a fake elon musk accnt called cool elon musk, tweeted just watched 500 days of summer and it was immediately blocked lmao  jaboukie young-white (@jaboukie) July 29, 2018

Fortunately, internet historians have the trusty screenshot to preserve this online moment of Musk roasting until our hard drives turn to dust and the cloud dissipates.

Photos via Twitter

More From InverseTesla is sourcing talent from a hardcore industry to boost its business, CEO Elon Musk revealed on Tuesday. The electric car company announced this week that 46-year-old Dave Morton, who worked at Seagate Technology since 1995, has joined the company as its chief accounting officer. Musk described Morton on his Twitter page as having a great background.

Morton served in a number of leadership roles at Seagate, which along with Western Digital and Toshiba dominates the hard drive space. Most recently, Morton was executive vice president and chief financial officer for the firm. Its a cutthroat industry, shipping nearly 400 million units last year where failure could mean catastrophic data losses. Consumers have moved to solid-state storage for PCs and smartphones, pressing Seagates margins down to around 30 percent last year, but hard drives are king in data centers and other areas where physical size and speed are secondary to price and storage size.

Hard drive industry is hardcore. They build >100 million units per year with extreme precision & brutal economics. Great background.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2018

See more: Is Teslas Model 3 Production Rate Sustainable? Experts Have Their Doubts

These millions of hard drives require finely-tuned performance. Scott Mueller noted in a 2013 book on PC repairs that if the hard drive head that reads the disk was the same size as a skyscraper, it would move across the disk about 0.2 inches off the ground at a speed of 17.8 million mph, reading bits of data 0.85 inches apart. This skyscraper-sized head would circle the Earth once every five seconds. In short, Morton knows precision.

Tesla worked hard to secure the replacement to Eric Branderiz, who left for personal reasons in March. Bloomberg reports that Morton will receive a salary of $350,000 and a $10 million new hire equity grant vesting over four years. In his new role, he will report to Tesla chief financial officer Deepak Ahuja and oversee financials reporting, accounting, payroll, tax and other areas.

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The company is set to report its quarterly earnings at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time on Wednesday, during which it will likely provide more details about Tesla Model 3 production and plans to expand its fine-tuned assembly lines past a rate of 5,000 cars per week.

Its set to be a big earnings call. In the May meeting, Musk made headlines when he dismissed analyst questions as boring.

Photos via Flickr / cchana

More From InverseEven though we all feel lonely from time to time, chronic loneliness has become an epidemic that can cause serious health concerns like high blood pressure, depression, and heart disease. According to a recent nationwide survey, nearly 50 percent of Americans feel lonesome. Of even greater concern, contrary to previous studies, the latest findings suggest that young adults between the ages of 18 and 22 feel more isolated than older adults and that college students are lonelier than retirees.

Nearly 50 percent of Americans feel lonesome. (Photo: Getty Images)

While its easy to blame social media sites like Facebook and Instagram for the rise of this societal problem, frequent users of social media arent always lonelier than those who spend less time online. What the latest survey results do reveal, however, is that limiting in-person social interactions with others can cause us to feel more alone.

Now, Kelsey Crowe, a social worker and researcher in San Francisco, and her colleague Tracy Mulholland are tackling this public health crisis by setting up a novel workshop, called Empathy Bootcamp, in communities across the nation. This empathy-immersion course teaches people how compassion can strengthen their relationships and help decrease feelings of loneliness.

I originally conceived of the idea while writing my book, There Is No Good Card for This: What to Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love, which guides people on ways to support their loved ones through difficult times. After talking with a colleague, I realized that I needed to teach people empathy etiquette in real time, says Crowe.

According to Crowe, loneliness is often the result of frustrated attempts at human connection. Her bootcamp teaches participants practical tools, helping them break down communication barriers so they can become better friends, colleagues, and family members.

During the three-hour workshop, bootcamp participants learn about common empathy roadblocks, like anxiety and insecurity, that can keep us from reaching out to others. Crowe also outlines empathy basics and introduces empathy exercises. For example, group participants are encouraged to step inside of someone elses shoes by imagining an unfamiliar hardship, like a friends illness, divorce, or job loss. Crowe asks everyone to compare that difficulty to a painful time in their own lives by asking, What are the similarities between these two events?

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According to empathy researchers, cultivating compassion can do more than validate our emotions; it also unleashes curiosity, making it more likely that well reach beyond our comfort zones to form new friendships. Recent studies even suggest that going out of ones way to help strangers can bolster our mental health. And its this kind of social risk-taking that can prevent loneliness.

My dad had recently died, and his death made me realize how our culture has a hard time talking about loss and empathy, says Lila Dupree, an actor and producer who recently attended empathy bootcamp in Los Angeles.

Dupree recalls feeling lonely when loved ones couldnt offer her a lot of emotional support. When people in my life werent comforting after my dad died, I felt angry and alone. But the bootcamp helped me understand how to exercise empathy, even to those who couldnt express it to me, she says.

Not everyone who attends empathy bootcamp is grieving the death of a loved one. Crowe says many of the participants are looking to foster closer relationships. A large number of young people have been drawn to the workshops because theyre open to the idea of self-improvement and long for human connection, she says.

David Watterson, 32, attended a bootcamp in San Francisco hoping to learn how to engage more deeply with others.

Men are not encouraged to talk about feelings, show weakness, or to get too deep when discussing their problems, he says, adding that even though he tries to reject these stereotypical messages, he still second-guesses how his male friends may respond to his warmth. At times, this fear causes me to avoid expressing my care, he says.

For Watterson, attending the camp taught him how to express gratitude, empathy, and kindness in simple yet meaningful ways.

Because of the workshop, Ive felt more encouraged to show gratitude, especially in my work life. The more I force myself to thank others who have helped me, the more I can recognize and appreciate their unique qualities, he says.

In an effort to continue fostering deeper human connections, Crowe hopes to make empathy bootcamps just as common as meditation and yoga classes. Along with offering the camps in Portland, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn, Crowe is teaching others how to become empathy educators so that interested community members can help fight loneliness in cities across the globe.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.



Harare (AFP) - Zimbabwe's government vowed Wednesday to crack down on opposition dissent after three people were killed when protests against alleged electoral fraud were met by live ammunition, denting hopes of a new era for the country.

Soldiers fired on demonstrators during opposition MDC party protests in downtown Harare, AFP witnesses saw, with one man shot dead in the stomach.

Monday's polls -- the first since autocratic president Robert Mugabe was forced out by a brief military takeover in November -- had been meant to turn the page on years of violence-marred elections and brutal repression of dissent.

But the mood quickly descended into anger and chaos as supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition declared they were being cheated in the election count.

"You said you were better than Mugabe -- you are the picture of Mugabe," shouted one young male protester wearing a white T-shirt. "We need security for the people."

Official results showed that the ruling ZANU-PF party had easily won most seats in the parliamentary ballot -- strengthening President Emmerson Mnangagwa's prospects of holding onto power in the key presidential race.

MDC supporters, who say their leader Nelson Chamisa won the vote, burnt tyres and pulled down street signs as protests spread from the party headquarters in the capital Harare.

Police confirmed the death toll of three, and Mnangagwa issued a statement blaming the opposition for the unrest and fatalities.

"We hold the opposition MDC Alliance and its whole leadership responsible for this disturbance of national peace," he said, adding the government "went out of its way" to try to ensure the elections were peaceful.

Mnangagwa, 75, had promised a free and fair vote after the military ushered him to power in November when Mugabe was forced to resign.

In a late-night press conference, Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu warned that the government "will not tolerate any of the actions that were witnessed today.

Story continues

"The opposition... have perhaps interpreted our understanding to be weak, and I think they are testing our resolve and I think they are making a big mistake."

A credible and peaceful vote was meant to end Zimbabwe's international isolation and draw in foreign investment to revive the shattered economy.

The MDC, which accuses the election authorities of falsifying results, said the army had opened fire "for no apparent reason" leading to the deaths of unarmed civilians.

- 'Un-level playing field' -

European Union observers had earlier declared they found an "un-level playing field and lack of trust" in the election process. It called for transparency in the release of results.

"On many occasions -- preparation, financing, media and hopefully not in the counting -- it was advantageous for the ruling party," EU chief observer Elmar Brok told AFP.

Former colonial power Britain on Wednesday called for "calm and restraint", urging "political leaders to take responsibility... at this critical moment."

Under Mugabe's 37-year reign, elections were often marred by fraud and deadly violence, with European Union observers banned since 2002.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said Wednesday that of 210 parliamentary seats, 205 had been counted with ZANU-PF winning 144 and the MDC Alliance 61.

"The results are biased, trying to give the impression that ZANU has won," said Lawrence Maguranyi, 21, an MDC supporter and university student protesting at the party headquarters.

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, 40, said the presidential results were fraudulent.

"We have won this one together. No amount of results manipulation will alter your will," he tweeted before the army were deployed.

- Delayed results? -

The electoral commission warned that final results of the presidential first round may not be known until Friday or Saturday.

Commission chairwoman Priscilla Chigumba, a high court judge, has flatly denied allegations of bias and strongly disputed accusations of rigging.

Mugabe, 94, voted in Harare on Monday alongside his wife Grace after he stunned observers by calling for voters to reject ZANU-PF, his former party.

His attempts to position Grace as his successor are widely thought to have driven the military to intervene and put their favoured candidate, Mnangagwa, in power.

Mnangagwa, Mugabe's former right-hand man, was the clear election front-runner, benefitting from tacit military support and control of state resources.

But Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who performed strongly on the campaign trail, sought to tap into the youth and urban vote.

Mnangagwa was allegedly involved in violence and intimidation during the 2008 elections when then opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off after attacks claimed the lives of at least 200 of his supporters.Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP, Getty Images.

SAN FRANCISCO  President Trump can thank Vladimir Putin for his victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, a former special agent at the Federal Bureau of Investigation told the Yahoo News podcast Bots & Ballots.

Asked point-blank if Russian hacking and disinformation helped elect Trump to the presidency, Clint Watts, who tracked the online activities of extremist groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State group for the FBI in the run-up to the 2016 election, was resolute.

Yes. I think just alone the hacking, particularly of the DNC and the time to release by WikiLeaks and DCLeaks and others of hacked materials offset the media narrative, Watts, who has been an outspoken critic of the current president, told Bots & Ballots host Grant Burningham. If you go back to the infamous Access Hollywood tape of Donald Trump, it was immediately followed by the release, within an hour I believe, of hacked emails to try and distract from that narrative, and to essentially inundate that media space with other coverage.

Watts said the FBI took note of Russias disinformation campaign on social media even earlier, in 2014.

Thats when you saw the message start to pop up that the Assad regime needs to stay in power, and the signatures didnt look quite right, Watts said, adding, So when we stayed on that storm of social media accounts, they always supported a narrative that was always pro-Russian. It didnt matter if they were talking about Syria, Ukraine or a host of different policy issues, it was always pro-Russian and they were often times in sequence sharing content from Russian state-sponsored outlets.

Download or subscribe on iTunes: Bots & Ballots by Yahoo News

Over the course of the next year, as the U.S. presidential campaign took shape, the pro-Russian accounts began to shift their messaging.

They began talking about different issues moving into 2015, and they would talk about a lot of social issues, particularly in the United States  Black Lives Matters protests, law enforcement standoffs  and one of the issues they talked about was Jade Helm 2015, Watts said of the Alex Jones-promoted conspiracy theory that an annual U.S. military training exercise was really a front for the establishment of martial law.

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That was remarkable. They were essentially amplifying essentially indigenous American conspiracies in different ways, that the U.S. might declare martial law and take peoples weapons, he said. But what they were really doing was testing a new way to do warfare, information warfare, which was from their Soviet system called active measures, which is winning through the force of politics rather than the politics of force by helping U.S. politicians who favor Russia get elected and rise to policy positions.

For many agents in the FBI, Watts said it became clear that the biggest goal for active measures was advancing Trumps presidential bid, in part by utilizing vulnerable social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

By the time 2016 came around, it was very clear that they had four campaign messages that they wanted to push. The first one was very anti-Hillary Clinton, and that was from the beginning. The second one was very pro-Trump, Watts said. The third one was when the hacking kicked in, which was that Bernie Sanders got a raw deal from the DNC, and you can see that in these hacked emails. Thats really when we started to see that hacking was starting to power influence. And the last one, which was very minor, was that you still need to show up for Jill Stein. So, the equation was quite clear, it was how do we elevate Trump to the top spot and sort of suppress Clinton turnout and people wanting to support her.

In Messing With the Enemy, his new book on modern cyberwarfare campaigns, Watts said that the election results in traditionally Democratic states like Michigan and Wisconsin prove just how effective the Russian campaign was. Still, Watts notes that because of incomplete social media data and notoriously inaccurate polling, that its almost impossible to prove one way or another whether Russia won the election for Trump. What is clear is that Trumps election was itself a victory for Moscow.

I think Russia has won. If you look at what their goals were  degrading or defeating NATO, breaking up the European Union, finding an ally in counterterrorism for their Syria policy, and making gains against Ukraine  theyve gotten all of those, Watts said, adding. I can think of no intelligence operation and influence operation thats been more successful in world history in such a short period of time.

Listen to the full Bots & Ballots interview with Watts here.

_____

More Bots & Ballots episodes from Yahoo News:Mark Zuckerberg Congress

Reuters

Facebook says it has found a coordinated effort to influence US politics ahead of the 2018 midterm elections using Facebook profiles and advertisements.

Facebook said it didn't yet know who was behind the effort.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill were told this week, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Facebook says it has detected a coordinated effort to use its social network to influence American politics ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.

On Tuesday, the social network announced it had banned 32 pages and accounts that were engaged in "coordinated inauthentic behavior" and organized dozens of real-world events  and it said there were similarities to previous Russian disinformation campaigns.

"We're still in the very early stages of our investigation and don't have all the facts  including who may be behind this," Facebook said in a blog post. "But we are sharing what we know today given the connection between these bad actors and protests that are planned in Washington next week."

Russia was found to have used Facebook to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election  notably through a troll farm called the Internet Research Agency  but Facebook is not explicitly linking the new efforts to Russia.

"We can't say for sure if this is the IRA with improved capabilities or a different group based on what we know today," Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos said on a call with reporters on Tuesday.

Thirty events created by the inauthentic pages had already taken place, Facebook representatives said on the call, adding that the pages were taken down ahead of one event scheduled for August 10 in Washington, DC. The event, called "No Unite The Right 2  DC," a counterprotest of a far-right rally, attracted several hundred users who said they were interested in it or planned to attend, Facebook said.

The news was earlier reported by The New York Times, which said lawmakers on Capitol Hill were told this week.

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'Resisters' and 'Black Elevation'

Facebook said it found eight pages, 17 Facebook profiles, and seven Instagram accounts that were part of the effort with over 290,000 total followers.

"The most followed Facebook Pages were 'Aztlan Warriors,' 'Black Elevation,' 'Mindful Being,' and 'Resisters,'" Facebook said. "The remaining Pages had between zero and 10 followers, and the Instagram accounts had zero followers."

In some instances, the company said, the inauthentic accounts directly coordinated with unwitting legitimate Facebook users who were admins of other pages.

Facebook also published some examples of content it identified as part of the effort, including anti-colonial messages and a post attacking gender stereotypes.

Facebook bad actors

Facebook

Facebook won't make a judgment yet on who is behind the fake accounts

The accounts and pages also spent about $11,000 on 150 ads and used technology like virtual private networks and internet phone services to hide their tracks, according to Facebook. They paid third parties to run ads on their behalf, the company said.

"It's clear that whoever set up these accounts went to much greater lengths to obscure their true identities than the Russian-based Internet Research Agency (IRA) has in the past," Facebook said.

Samples of the inauthentic accounts' posts released by Facebook touch on hot-button political issues, but they don't reference 2018 political candidates.

On the call, COO Sheryl Sandberg did not say whether the accounts were part of an effort to directly influence the midterm elections.

"It's still very early," she said, adding: "We're always concerned with inauthentic content."

The blog post said: "We will not provide an assessment of the political motivations of the group behind this activity."

facebook trump fake ad

Facebook

That said, Facebook acknowledged one instance of a connection between the Internet Research Agency and the fake accounts removed on Tuesday. At one point, Facebook said, one of the accounts was a co-admin of a page at the same time as a known IRA account  for seven minutes.

Ahead of the 2016 US elections, Russian operatives created fake Facebook accounts that pushed both right- and left-wing narratives in an attempt to sow political division.

Just last week, Facebook refused to answer questions about whether it had detected any such efforts to influence or interfere in the 2018 midterm elections.

Facebook, which has more than 2 billion members worldwide, has come under increased scrutiny following revelations that its social network was used to spread misinformation before the 2016 elections, as well as other important elections and referendums elsewhere, such as the Brexit campaign in Britain.

Alexei Oreskovic contributed reporting.

See also:

NOW WATCH: These 13 medical technologies are changing lives

See Also:

SEE ALSO: 18 political ads you may have seen on Facebook that were actually made by Russian trollsBy Joseph Menn and Paresh Dave

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it had identified a new coordinated political influence campaign to mislead its users and sow dissension among voters ahead of November's U.S. congressional elections.

It said it had removed 32 pages and accounts from Facebook and Instagram, part of an effort to combat foreign meddling in U.S. elections.

The company stopped short of identifying the source of the misinformation. But members of Congress who had been briefed by Facebook on the matter said the methodology of the influence campaign suggested Russian involvement.

I can say I think with pretty high confidence I think this is Russian-related, Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters at the U.S. Capitol.

Two U.S. intelligence officials told Reuters there was not sufficient evidence to conclude that Russia was behind the Facebook campaign, but one noted that the similarities, aims and methodology relative to the 2016 Russian campaign are quite striking."

A Russian propaganda arm tried to tamper in the 2016 U.S. election by posting and buying ads on Facebook, according to the company and U.S. intelligence agencies. In February, the U.S. Justice Department indicted 13 Russian nationals, and the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election.

Moscow has denied involvement.

Facebook has been on the defensive about influence activity on its site and concerns over user privacy tied to long-standing agreements with developers that allowed them access to private user data.

'ARMS RACE'

The Atlantic Councils Digital Forensics Research Lab, which was shown the suspended pages ahead of the takedown, said they showed similarities in language and approach to previously fake accounts from the Internet Research Agency, which is known as the troll factory because it stirs up public opinion on social media sites.

Story continues

The lab cited consistent mistranslation, as well as an overwhelming focus on polarizing issues at the top of any given news cycle. It said, for example, the posts on the year-old, feminist Resisters page took a liberal or left-wing stance on issues around gender, race, immigration, and human rights. Other pages promoted racial pride among minority groups.

The group said the Resisters page was alarming because it was pushing for confrontation at multiple protests, including against "Unite the Right 2," with a potential for violence.

A man who identified himself as an administrator of Resisters, Washington activist Brendan Orsinger, said on a video call with Reuters that he had been invited to help operate the page by someone he knew only through Facebook messages.

"I definitely had concerns, because people don't usually invite me to accounts unless they know me," Orsinger said. "But at the same time, this was an account we could use."

He said that more than a dozen legitimate activist groups were still supporting the counter-rally and would now have to work harder to reconnect with people who had been following it through the Resisters page.

Orsinger said he was not yet sure that the account that had involved him was Russian, but that if it was, he was concerned about he and fellow activists being infiltrated and influenced.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, said on a call with reporters that the attempts to manipulate public opinion would likely become more sophisticated to evade Facebooks scrutiny, calling it an "arms race."

The White House said the administration was supportive of Facebook's actions.

"We applaud efforts by our private-sector partners to combat an array of threats that occur in cyberspace, including malign influence," said Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the National Security Council.

U.S. President Donald Trump has come under fire for discounting the threat of interference in the congressional elections.

During his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki earlier this month, Trump appeared to state that he believed Russia was no longer trying to influence the U.S. election process.

Trump later amended that, saying he was "very concerned" about Russian interference in the election. On Friday, Trump held a meeting with his national security advisers on election security.

DIVISIVE ISSUES

Facebook identified influence activity around at least two issues, including the counter-protest to the Unite the Right 2 rally set next week in Washington. The other was the #AbolishICE social media campaign aimed at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

In an online post, Facebook said it was disclosing the influence effort now in part because of the rally. A previous event last year in Charlottesville, Virginia, led to violence by white supremacists.

"This kind of behavior is not allowed on Facebook because we don't want people or organizations creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what theyre doing," the company said.

More than 290,000 accounts followed at least one of the pages and about $11,000 had been spent on about 150 ads, Facebook said. The pages had created about 30 events since May 2017.

Facebook officials on a call with reporters said one known account from Russia's Internet Research Agency was a co-administrator of one of the fake pages for seven minutes, but the company did not believe that was enough evidence to attribute the campaign to the Russian government.

The company previously said 126 million Americans may have seen Russian-backed political content on Facebook over a two-year period, and that 16 million may have been exposed to Russian information on the Instagram photo-sharing app.

Over the past several months, the company has taken steps meant to reassure U.S. and European lawmakers that further regulation is unnecessary. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg says the company has 20,000 people working to police and protect the site.

(Reporting by Joseph Menn and Paresh Dave in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru and Kevin Drawbaugh, Jonathan Landay and Roberta Rampton in Washington; Writing by Peter Henderson and James Oliphant; Editing by Grant McCool and Peter Cooney)By Jonathan Saul and Parisa Hafezi LONDON/ANKARA(Reuters) - An English court has cleared the way to consider whether it will allow the families of some of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States to make a claim on Iranian assets in Britain. The relatives want the English High Court to enforce a 2012 decision by a U.S. court which found there was evidence to show that Iran provided "material support and resources to al Qaeda for acts of terrorism". The militant group carried out the attacks. The New York court awarded the plaintiffs damages of over $7 billion. Iran denies any links to Al Qaeda or any involvement in the 9/11 attacks. If the English court agrees to enforce the ruling, it could clear the way for assets in England and Wales to be frozen or seized. Iranian assets in England include a central London building and funds held by two subsidiaries of state-owned banks. This could add to Tehran's troubles as it tries to stave off a financial crisis. The June 8 ruling by a judge after a hearing in the English High Court removed an obstacle that was holding up the process. The law requires the UK's Foreign Office (FCO) to formally serve the legal papers to Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) before the enforcement proceedings can begin. A British official said it was routinely difficult to deliver papers to the MFA, according to FCO correspondence seen by Reuters. An FCO official declined to comment. The judge ruled it was sufficient to try to notify them through other communication such as email or post. That decision has unblocked the process. The plaintiffs will now ask a judge at the High Court in the next few months to consider whether the New York ruling can be entered as a judgment in English law, said their lawyer Natasha Harrison, a partner at the London office of Boies Schiller Flexner. The judgment could then be enforced, she said. This would mean assets could be frozen or seized. An Iranian official said: "Iran will take all the necessary measures to stop it." An Iranian foreign ministry official said the June ruling was "fabricated" and "politically motivated". "Such allegations against Iran are aimed at diverting attentions from regional countries that were involved in the 9/11 attacks," that official said. "We are a victim of terrorism and have always fought against terrorism." The plaintiffs began trying to enforce the New York judgment in England in 2015. They have already got court support in Luxembourg where $1.6 billion of Iranian assets are frozen. Iran has also contested those claims. Lee Wolosky, another partner with law firm Boies Schiller Flexner , said that the plaintiffs intend to pursue Iranian assets "wherever in the world they may be found in order to enforce these judgments". "And we expect foreign courts to permit enforcement of valid, final U.S. judgments if they wish reciprocal treatment in U.S. courts," he said. The plaintiffs' legal team declined to comment on what Iranian assets in Britain they would target. (Additional reporting by William James in London and Robert-Jan Bartunek in Brussels; Editing by Anna Willard)Police released this photo of then 14-year-old Emily Paul. (Photo: Bay County Sheriffs Office)

When she was 14 years old, Emily Wynell Paul of Panama City, Fla., went missing. Now, five years after her disappearance, her mother, Pam Massimiani, says that she has received a letter from her daughter.

Massimiani shared on Facebook that she had heard from her now-19-year-old for the first time since Emily packed some clothing and vanished in April 2013, according to the Panama City News Herald. Emily left behind a note stating her intentions of running away.

Wrote Massimiani in her post, To all our friends and extended family, we want to let you know that we have heard from Emily. We do not have any further information to share at the moment. Thank you all for your support and love you have shown to our family.

According to MyPanhandle.com, during an interview conducted three years ago with News 13, a Bay County Sheriffs investigator said that Paul had told her parents in the note she had left when she disappeared that she might contact them after she turned 18.

Massimiani has not yet revealed the contents of the new letter, but she told the News Herald, Im pretty sure its from her. Sheriff Tommy Ford also said he felt pretty good that the letter is from Paul.

Massimiani said that for now, it is up to her daughter if she will return home or contact her family again.

It is believed that Paul researched how to be a successful runaway online. Her cellphone pinged only three times in the week after she left home, and she brought her Xbox with her, which she may have used for online communication. Her Facebook account has not been active since her disappearance.

Many reddit users are chiming in on the case.

One user wrote, These mysteries are so harsh. Like if she did actually just run away, that poor mother must have been so stressed the last few years. I wonder what the letter said and why she didnt just come home.  Hope shes actually alive and well.

Another wrote, Can they finger print the letter? Can they analyze it against any old school work? Can they trace it back to the original post office?

Story continues

One Redditor shared a theory about her taking her gaming console: Another possibility for her leaving home could be she was being groomed. Could be she was connecting with someone on Xbox hence why she took the Xbox with her, at her loves insistence thinking this way he/she couldnt be traced.

Pam Massimiani did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyles requests for comment.

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After three days, tech stocks got a bid.

On Tuesday, all three major indexes gained ground with the tech-heavy Nasdaq leading the way, adding 0.55%, while the Dow and S&P 500 both gained around 0.4%.

And though the end of the month was a bit messy, July was ultimately the best month for the stock market since January, with the S&P 500 gaining 3.6%. Tech stocks were still up more than 2% for the month.

On Wednesday, investors will have strong earnings news from Apple (AAPL) to help markets start August on the right foot, as the worlds largest company by market cap reported earnings and revenue that topped expectations after the close on Tuesday.

Apple reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.34 on revenue of $53.3 billion in its fiscal third quarter as the company also raised its revenue outlook for the current quarter, now forecasting $60 billion-$62 billion in sales this quarter against expectations for $59.5 billion.

Sales of iPhones during Apples third quarter slightly missed expectations, however, with the company selling 41.3 million handsets against expectations for 41.5 million.

In after-hours trading on Tuesday, Apple shares were up as much as 3.5% to north of $197 per share, an all-time high for the stock.

Sales of Apples iPhone missed expectations in its latest quarter but earnings and revenue beat investors expectations. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

Wednesdays biggest earnings report will also come after the market close, when Tesla (TSLA) is set to report results for the second quarter. This report comes after what has been a busy few months for the company.

In late June, Tesla hit its much-publicized target of producing 5,000 Model 3 sedans, though CEO Elon Musks behavior on the companys last earnings call and on Twitter since then has garnered more headlines than the companys actual performance.

Other members of the S&P 500 set to report earnings Wednesday include Humana (HUM), TripAdvisor (TRIP), Molson Coors (TAP), Garmin (GRMN), Prudential (PRU), Wynn Resorts (WYNN), MetLife (MET), and Allstate (ALL).

The Fed and economic calendar

And on the economic data side, the Federal Reserves latest monetary policy announcement, due out at 2:00 p.m. ET, will be the highlight. No changes are expected to the Feds current policy, which pegs its benchmark interest rate target range at 1.75%-2%, and Fed Chair Jay Powell will not take questions after the announcement. The Fed is expected to raise rates at its next meeting in September.

Story continues

The economic calendar will also be busy on Wednesday as investors get a look back at July. In the morning, ADP will release its July report on private payroll growth, which economists expect to show 186,000 private sector jobs created in July. The July report on auto sales and the July reports on manufacturing activity from the Institute of Supply Management and Markit Economics also will be released.

Investors will pay particular attention to the surveys for any impact tariffs are having on the sector as well as commentary on how pricing pressures are impacting the goods-producing side of the economy.

More than 150 Islamic State fighters surrendered in Afghanistan on Wednesday, Afghan officials said, a move which they and the Taliban hailed as the end of the extremist group in the northern part of the country.

The apparent IS capitulation comes after weeks of intense fighting with the Taliban in Jowzjan province in the north, and ongoing pressure from Afghan and US forces.

"Their fighters have surrendered in the past, but this time it is more important because the Daesh leader and deputy surrendered with more than 150 fighters all at once," Mohammad Hanif Rezaee, spokesman for the 209 army corps in the north, told AFP.

Rezaee said 30 women and children had also handed themselves in to Afghan authorities.

"With this the Daesh chapter is going to be closed in the north," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

IS has a relatively small but potent presence in Afghanistan, mainly in the eastern province of Nangarhar, but more recently in Jowzjan.

The group has fought turf wars with the much larger Taliban since emerging in in Afghanistan in 2014. Estimates on their numbers in the country run as high as around 2,000.

Until a few weeks ago there had been around 500 IS fighters in Darzab and Qush Tepa districts of Jowzjan, provincial governor Lutfullah Azizi has said.

But the Taliban stepped up fighting with the group there after an IS attack on their fighters last month killed at least 15 people, Azizi said.

The Taliban took credit for the surrender announced by Afghan officials on Wednesday, saying it had "cleared" the north of IS fighters.

It claimed it had captured 130, wounded more than 100, and killed 153.

The development comes as the Afghan army took over security in the eastern city of Jalalabad in IS's main stronghold of Nangarhar province after a spate of attacks, mostly claimed by the group.

More checkpoints have also been set up and special forces are conducting operations after militants stormed a government office in the city on Tuesday, killing 15 people.

Story continues

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but IS is widely suspected of carrying it out.

"To provide better security for the people, the national army is leading the security in the city," Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, told AFP.

"Police and other security forces are supporting them."

Under the new security plan, the army would lead efforts "to contain the emergency situation" for a week, Khogyani said, declining to provide details.

Eventually, police and soldiers "will join hands to secure the city", he added.

"IS has come under intense pressure from the government and the Taliban. They have lost a lot of men," former general Hadi Khalid, now a military analyst, told AFP.

"The only strategy that can keep them going is to attack soft targets and that is what they have been doing recently."

strs-emh-us-amj/st/jtaORLEANS  When they meet Aug. 1 , the selectmen will be looking at proposed building and site evaluation contracts to help determine whether the Cape Cod Five Operations Center at 19 West Rd. can be reused as affordable apartments.

Faced with a lack of options for housing, town meeting voted in May to create a new affordable housing trust and fund it with hundreds of thousands of dollars, some from Community Preservation funds. That sense of urgency prompted increasing interest in the future of the bank's building in Orleans as the company builds its new operations center in Barnstable.

The selectmen are proposing to take a look at the CC5 Operations Building to see if its structure can be converted to another use, board Chairman Alan McClennen wrote in an e-mail response. Any change in use will require an evaluation to see if a new use is possible and what the code requirements might be. The initial talk has been some kind of housing although I have heard community center as well. Studies by the planning department and the Cape Cod Commission have shown that Orleans needs an expansion in our rental housing stock.

CBI Consulting, LLC, of Boston would charge $19,400 to opine on the condition of the building envelope, the building layout, roof structure and roof top equipment, the viability to residential unit build out from a structural standpoint, zoning issues associated with the project, and building code concerns for the conversion so that the Town of Orleans may understand the efforts involved in converting the existing structure to one bedroom affordable apartments.

Also before the selectmen will be a proposal from Bennett Environmental Associates, Inc., of Brewster to perform a Phase I  Environmental Site Assessment... to identify any Recognized Environmental Condition(s)... The company's fee for the services would be $2,850.

To this point, McClennen wrote, The discussions with the CC5 have been very preliminary and have focused on getting permission to 'take a look.' He added that no estimates of renovation cost or purchase price have been made as both are a function of what we learn from the proposed study.

All of this is very preliminary, CC5 First Executive Vice President Bert Talerman said in an interview Monday, adding that the bank would not object to the town taking a look at the building. We need to take a prudent approach to the disposition of the property. If we're able to dispose of this property in a way that it serves a public purpose, that's certainly a positive.

Talerman noted that the bank will keep a significant presence in Orleans after the new operations center opens in Barnstable in the latter half of 2019. We have a building that's just over 10 years old across the street from the operations center that we will continue to maintain and have a big commitment there, he said, and we have a large branch (bank) in Orleans that's a very important part of our business.

Asked whether the bank might participate in a conversion project, McClennen, noting that his remarks were speculative, wrote that CC5 could lend us the funds needed for the construction phase of the project, and, depending on what type of housing is built, they could provide long term financing. Remember, CC5 is a mutual bank that prides itself in returning its funds back into the community. As a former chairman of a mutual bank in Massachusetts I remember how we dealt with developments like this. It can be a 'win-win.'

I would say that Alan's comments are very kind, Talerman said after they were read to him. The availability of diverse housing options in our community has been very well documented as something that's going to be important for the long-term vitality of our community, and clearly it has been documented that workforce housing and entry-level housing are in short supply in our community.UPPER LAKE, Calif. (AP)  A massive wildfire in Northern California has torched more than 1,000 homes in and around the city of Redding, authorities said Wednesday as some evacuees were allowed to return home and new blazes exploded in what has become an endless summer of flame in the Golden State.

"Whatever resources are needed, we're putting them there," Gov. Jerry Brown said at a news conference. "We're being surprised. Every year is teaching the fire authorities new lessons. We're in uncharted territory."

Just a month into the budget year, the state has already spent more than one-quarter of its annual fire budget, at least $125 million, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Mike Mohler said.

Cal Fire said another 488 buildings, including barns and warehouses, have also been destroyed by the fire, which is now the sixth most destructive in California history.

The 121,000-acre Redding-area blaze, which started July 23, forced 38,000 people from their homes and killed six. It has scorched 189 square miles (490 square kilometers) and is 35 percent contained.

At least three new fires erupted Wednesday in the Sierra Nevada region, including a blaze in Placer County that had consumed 1 1/2 square miles (1,000 acres or 4 square kilometers) of land.

North of San Francisco, a fire threatened homes in an old ranching and farming area near Covelo. About 60 homes were ordered evacuated as the blaze erupted late Tuesday and winds whipped flames through brush, grass, oak, pine and fir near the Mendocino National Forest, officials said.

To the east, another blaze Tuesday night raged through grassy cattle lands near Yuba City, covering more than 1 1/2 square miles (4 square kilometers) in a few hours. The new fires erupted without warning and spread with shocking speed through forest and brush that have literally become tinder, said Scott McLean of CalFire.

"It just goes on and on," McLean said.

Story continues

"We had this rain at the beginning of the year and all that did was promote the growing of grass and brush," McLean said. "It's a Catch-22. It's growing more product to catch on fire."

He said the state really never left its drought status and several years of significant rainfall are needed to bring the state back. McLean also had a warning for people visiting rural and wilderness areas.

"Pay attention," he said. "Don't park the car on dry grass ... no campfires, no flame. It doesn't take anything to start a fire right now."

The new fire near Covelo was only about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of where twin fires in Mendocino and Lake counties have burned an area three times the size of San Francisco, destroyed 14 homes and threatened 12,000 more.

The Lake County seat of Lakeport remained under evacuation orders and was a virtual ghost town, although people were allowed back home in several smaller communities as firefighters shored up containment lines. Containment grew overnight to 24 percent.

Jessyca Lytle fled a fast-moving wildfire in 2015 that spared her property but destroyed her mother's memorabilia-filled Lake County home.

Lytle found herself listening to scanner traffic Tuesday and fire-proofing her mother's new home as another wildfire advanced.

"Honestly, what I'm thinking right now is I just want this to end," Lytle said, adding that she was "exhausted in every way possible  physically, emotionally, all of that."

Paul Lew and his two boys, ages 13 and 16, evacuated Saturday from their Lakeport home.

"I told them to throw everything they care about in the back of the car," said Lew, 45. "I grabbed computers, cellphones, papers. I just started bagging all my paperwork up, clothes, my guitars."

Lew, who is divorced from Lytle, is camped out at the house in the nearby community of Cobb that she fled in 2015. He is watching over her chickens, sheep and other animals. With a laugh, he said repeated fire alerts have made him an emergency preparation expert.

"It's like three a year," he said. "It's kind of crazy."

In Shasta County's Carr Fire, authorities said Wednesday all those reported missing had been located. A relative identified the latest known fatal victim as Daniel Bush, 62.

Bush had returned to his mobile home in the community of Keswick last Tuesday after undergoing quadruple heart bypass surgery, but he was unable to drive and would have needed help to evacuate when the fire came through the neighborhood on Thursday, his sister, Kathi Gaston, told the Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding.

Gaston said her brother had wanted to stay in his own home, but he had spotty cell service and, with the power out, he might not have gotten word of the fire.

Gaston said she could not get to her brother's house because, with the fire approaching, sheriff's deputies had blocked the roads and then she herself had to evacuate.

"If we'd been able to go in when we wanted to, he'd be alive right now," she said. "I'm very upset about it."

National Park Service officials said Tuesday that the scenic Yosemite Valley and other areas will be closed at least through Sunday due to heavy smoke from the so-called Ferguson Fire. The closure began July 25.

It was the longest closure at Yosemite since 1997, when floods closed the park for over two months.

Authorities on Wednesday also ordered the evacuation of the tiny community of Wawona, south of the park, which has fewer than 200 residents.

___

Har reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco also contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP's wildfire coverage here: https://apnews.com/tag/WildfiresSeason 14 of Deadliest Catch has been hard on the fishermen. But the scariest moment so far came when Summer Bay greenhorn Spencer Moore was pulled overboard.

A supermoon created record tides, which resulted in extremely fast currents  so fast that much of the fleet shut down because the boats couldnt safely pull up pots. Unfortunately for Moore, the Summer Bay waited a little too long to call it quits.

While he was trying to attach a pot to the block, the current yanked Moore over the railing. Fortunately he was able to hold onto the buoy to stay afloat in the 34-degree water. The quick-thinking crew threw him a life ring, which he managed to reach so they could pull him aboard.

After he had collected his thoughts, Moore recounted what happened: I was trying to get the bag in the block, and its just ripping hard, and I held on, and it ripped me over way faster than I could let go.

For Captain Wild Bill Wichrowski, this was the first time a member of his crew had gone over the rail. And while the incident left him visibly shaken, he couldnt have been more pleased with the outcome. I love you guys even more than youll ever know, he told his crew. Fighting back tears, he joked, Theres no crying in crab fishing.

Deadliest Catch airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Discovery.

Watch as Mila Kunis reveals disastrous details from honeymoon trip with Ashton Kutcher:

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook,or Instagram.LIMA (Reuters) - Several foreign tourists were injured on Tuesday when a train struck the rear of another train near the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, a local police chief said. Police are investigating the cause of the accident, which occurred along a popular tourism route from the village of Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu in southern Peru, added Eulogio Farfan, a police chief in the nearby town of Urubamba. At least 13 people were injured, most of them foreign tourists, said Farfan. A police officer in Ollantaytambo, Edson Quispe, said there were 23 injured in the collision. Farfan said a train operated by PeruRail S.A., owned jointly by Belmond Ltd and Ferrocarril Transandino S.A., struck a train operated by IncaRail, another railway service that takes tourists to Machu Picchu, Peru's biggest tourist site. IncaRail said only one of its passengers, a Chilean woman, had been injured in the accident and the rest would continue their trip to Machu Picchu. PeruRail said it activated its emergency protocol to evacuate the injured by ambulance and would investigate the cause. (Reporting by Mitra Taj and Reuters TV; Editing by Peter Cooney)Paul Manafort bank fraud and tax evasion trial (L-R) Richard Westling, Kevin Downing and Thomas Zehnle, attorneys for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, talk to reporters outside the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse after the jury announced a verdict August 21, 2018 in Alexandria, Virginia. Manafort was found guilty on eight counts of bank and tax fraud as part of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The jury was hung on 10 other counts. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Paul Manaforts 16-day trial ended with the former Trump campaign chairman convicted of eight felony counts and prosecutors facing a choice of whether to retry him on 10 other charges.

The jurys verdict on Tuesday after four days of deliberations appeared to indicate prosecutors for special counsel Robert Mueller presented a slam-dunk case of tax fraud, but jurors ran into trouble deciding on more complex allegations of failing to report foreign bank accounts to the IRS and bank fraud conspiracy. (AP)

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr.Gabrielle Union arrives at Hallmarks When You Care Enough to Put It Into Words event on July 30 in Los Angeles. (Photo: Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for mediaplacement)

Gabrielle Union has a lot to say, and shes saying it candidly.

In May, the Being Mary Jane star publicly reconciled with Jada Pinkett Smith on an episode of Smiths Facebook show, Red Table Talks, to discuss why they hadnt spoken for roughly 17 years.

As both Union and Smith said on the show, they werent really sure why they had ever fallen out of friendship. Its just that neither of them stepped up to say, Whats going on here? Why arent we OK? The long break was more of just the absence of communication, says Union.

I think, a lot of times, when youre just not speaking to someone, one day turns into a week, turns into a month, turns into years, and the next thing you know, years have gone by, and theres dope people that could have been in your life that arent for no reason, silly reasons, or reasons that really need to be addressed, Union, 45, tells Yahoo Entertainment. For a lot of us, its easier to just not say anything and ignore it. And our episode was about, like, lets get to it. Lets not eliminate dope people from our lives because of our own whatever it is  hangups or obstacles, in getting out of own way.

Two months after their reunion, Union gushes about Smith.

Shes so dope and powerful, Union says. Shes such an advocate for women, and she does so much for women. We just moved, but they lived close, and we could have been slaying dragons together all this time. Better late than never, because, I think, now that the two of us are in sync and together, and there is so much work to do in fighting for equality and all of the things that are important to us, its better to have as many hands on deck, all on the same page, than trying to slay these dragons individually.

Union had an equally honest conversation, this one with Dr. Mehmet Oz, for his show, about her struggles with infertility, which have caused her to have multiple miscarriages. Although her appearance on the show originally aired last November, Union notes that its getting a lot more attention after it recently aired again.

Story continues

People are, like, Thank you for talking about it, thank you for speaking words to my truth, thank you for lifting the veil of shame, thank you for giving me information,' Union says of the response. And its unfortunate that so many people around the world deal with infertility. And because so much of the treatment is very, very costly and not covered by insurance, it becomes, like, this silent, shameful thing that families suffer through and women suffer through and some men.

We just dont, we dont talk about it, so it forces people to feel like theyre on an island by themselves and that its really, really rare, and theres not a lot you can do, when there really, there are a lot of people on that very big island with you. And theres help and theres healing. There are some things that you can do. But theres a whole community who gets it, and youre not alone. Youre not defective and you are just as much of a woman, just as much of a mother as anyone else.

Of course, Union is also a wife, to Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade. Theyll celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary on Aug. 30. Shes already given him part of his gift, in the form of a sweet video for Hallmarks new Put It Into Words campaign, featuring short stories of celebs paying tribute to a special person in their lives.

He is actually the one who sends cards more in our relationship, so this is my big chance to outdo him for once, Union says. Hes really kind of amazing when it comes to sending just-because cards and flowers and little gifts, just making that extra effort to let me know that Im special and that hes thinking about me, so I wanted to return the favor, and make at least a bit of the same effort that he makes for me.

Their official gift to each other is a little bigger.

Last year, we took a couples trip, that coincided with our anniversary, and we chose other couples who have anniversaries around the same time. We did sort of this big anniversary trip to Mykonos, the Breaking In star says. But this year, we did the couples trip to Ibiza and Barcelona, but it was like in June, so it forced him to have to do something else. [Laughs.] To do another trip. And it just so happens that his dad is getting remarried in Venice, Italy, around our anniversary, so we will be, after the wedding, dipping off to another part of Italy to celebrate our anniversary.

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attend a screening on Feb. 15 in West Hollywood, Calif. (Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images)

Union will be back filming L.A.s Finest, her upcoming Bad Boys spinoff with Jessica Alba, in mid-September. The team behind the show, which includes Union and Alba as executive producers, has been working for months, Union says.

Weve been hustling since preproduction in February and, literally, just had a meeting with the writers in the writers room today, so, with Jess and I being executive producers, our work doesnt stop, even when our jobs as talent stop, Union says.

Union has nothing but kind words to say about her new co-star.

Weve just been the girls that end up at the bar at the same time at different events over the years, Union says of Alba. And shes just a fun, cool chick whos got a similar sense of humor that I do and a very similar work ethic, so its just easy, dare I say. Were just both chicks who like to watch other chicks shine and also have a dirty, wicked sense of humor. Its kind of ideal.

Union has several other ongoing projects, including clothing and hair care lines, and she says she just might write a follow up to her 2017 New York Times bestseller, Were Going to Need More Wine, you know, for some more frank conversation.

Theres a lot of chapters, essays, that we left out, just because I hadnt adequately dealt with some of that truth. I joke and say, I havent had enough therapy to talk about that, and I joke, but its true, Union says. And so, Ive gotta hold off on some of these stories and sharing, so that Im not just putting these stories in a book and then doing a press tour, where Im like, Oh, Im not gonna talk about that. Read the book. Its all in the book. I want to be able to tell some harder truths and share some different things, but be able to speak about it on a press tour in an effective way and be an advocate for different things that Ive faced, different issues that Ive gone through.

Shes definitely open to it.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:The government official leading the effort to reunite immigrant families separated at the border said Tuesday that he and others warned in private meetings over the past year that a policy that split families would be harmful to kids.

The Trump administration did it anyway.

The statement by Health and Human Services official Jonathan White, an executive director in the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, was a rare public acknowledgment that the Trump administration was well aware that its border crackdown would result in separating families  and that doing so could cause serious emotional damage.

Theres no question that separation of children from parents entails significant potential for traumatic psychological injury to the child, said White, who is a licensed clinical social worker, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

White said during his previous role as deputy director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement he was involved in discussions over the course of a year about immigration policies that could result in separation of families. That agency cares for unaccompanied minors apprehended at the border, now including those taken away from the parents they arrived with.

In those discussions, White said he and other ORR officials raised a number of concerns ... about any policy which would result in family separation, based on the best interest of the child and the agencys capacity to care for the ensuing influx in kids.

The ORR officials were told that there was no policy which would result in separation of children from family units, he said.

White left his post at ORR a few weeks before the Trump administration implemented a zero tolerance policy for illegal immigration that led to the routine separation of families so parents could be criminally prosecuted. A court forced the government to stop separating families at the border and reunite more than 2,000 children already split from their mothers or fathers. Hundreds of kids remain apart from their parents.

Story continues

After an outcry from the public, President Donald Trump and top officials in his administration claimed family separations werent their fault. They had to split up families so they could enforce immigration laws passed by Congress, they argued. Democrats were making them take children from their parents, they said, because they refused to vote for the presidents preferred immigration policies.

As White acknowledged, administration officials have discussed policies that might lead to family separations since last year. Then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary and current White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said in March 2017 that he was considering separating families at the border in order to deter more movement along this terribly dangerous network.

The five officials who appeared on Capitol Hill to speak about immigrant family separations were unwilling to point the finger at anyone in the government as responsible for what happened. Along with White, Executive Office For Immigration Review director James McHenry was there to represent the Department of Justice and three officials were present from the Department of Homeland Security: Carla Provost of Border Patrol; Matthew Albence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Jennifer Higgins of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Ct.) asked them to raise their hands if they agreed with two statements. Who here thinks that zero tolerance has been a success? he asked first. Who thinks that the family separation policy has been a success?

None of the officials raised their hands.

Blumenthal then asked who was responsible for zero tolerance and family separation.

There was a long silence. Finally, the Department of Justice official, McHenry, said the zero tolerance policy memorandum was issued by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. No one else offered suggestions.

Earlier in the hearing, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) asked each official what went wrong, and they each said their agency carried out their duties  Border Patrol apprehended people, the Justice Department prosecuted them and ICE handled deportation matters.

Only White of HHS gave a direct answer.

What went wrong is that children were separated from their parents and referred as unaccompanied alien children when in fact they were accompanied, he said.

Related...

Trump's Plan To Stop Family Separations Is To Detain Families Together

Immigrant Parents Unwittingly Signed Away Right To Reunite With Children, Lawyers Say

Family Separation Was A Choice

Also on HuffPost

Undocumented immigrants who turned themselves in after crossing the border from Mexico into the U.S. await processing near McAllen, Texas, on April 2, 2018.

Families who crossed the border near McAllen, Texas, on May 9, 2018.

A U.S. Border Patrol spotlight shines on a mother and son from Honduras on June 12, 2018, in McAllen, Texas.

Central Americans seeking asylum wait as U.S. Border Patrol agents take them into custody on June 12, 2018, near McAllen, Texas.

A Honduran mother stands with her family at the U.S.-Mexico border fence on Feb. 22, 2018, near Penitas, Texas.

U.S. Border Patrol agents take a Central American family into custody on June 12, 2018 near McAllen, Texas.

U.S. Border Patrol agents take a father and son from Honduras into custody near the U.S.-Mexico border on June 12, 2018, near Mission, Texas.

A Central American family waits to be taken into custody on June 12, 2018, near McAllen, Texas.

Central American migrants wait as U.S. Border Patrol agents take people into custody on June 12, 2018, near McAllen, Texas.

Two women and a child who crossed the border on Feb. 22, 2018, near McAllen, Texas.

A Honduran child who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with her family on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas.

U.S. Border Patrol agents take Central American immigrants, including this young child, into custody on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas.

A Honduran woman and child on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent checks birth certificates while taking Central American immigrants into detention on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas.

Adults and children await processing near McAllen, Texas, on April 2, 2018.

Guatemalan immigrant families turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol near McAllen, Texas, on May 8, 2018.

U.S. Border Patrol agents take Central American immigrants into custody on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

BOSTON (Reuters) - Billionaire hedge fund manager David Einhorn told investors on Tuesday that a sharp rally in Tesla Inc shares, which he bet against, turned into heavy second-quarter losses at his Greenlight Capital fund, and stuck by his dim outlook for the electric carmaker.

Greenlight lost 18.3 percent in the first six months of 2018, Einhorn wrote in a letter to investors seen by Reuters. Tesla shares, which rose 29 percent in the last quarter, was the fund's "second biggest loser" during that period, he added.

Hours after sending the letter, Einhorn notified investors that the fund's returns fell again in July. After a dip of 0.4 percent this month, the fund is down 18.6 percent for the year, an investor told Reuters.

Tesla's Model S residual values are falling, Einhorn wrote, noting he has been frustrated by power windows and touch screen problems in his own Model S sedan and got rid of the vehicle as his lease ended.

The company's more affordable Model 3 got modest reviews and bad publicity, which Einhorn said was "probably having a negative impact on the brand." He said he doubted the car could be "produced profitably anytime soon, if ever" and criticized the company's plan to rush cars to customers.

He called Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk "erratic and desperate," after Musk said an analyst asked a "boring boneheaded question" during the company's last quarterly earnings call.

"Tragic," Elon Musk tweeted http://bit.ly/2n2vveR as he responded to Einhorn's comments.

"Will send Einhorn a box of short shorts to comfort him through this difficult time," Musk tweeted early Wednesday.

Musk regularly takes to Twitter to criticize people with opposing views and has seen a backlash from investors for his comments. Earlier this month, he apologized to British caver Vern Unsworth after making insulting comments that pushed Tesla shares down.

Story continues

Einhorn, along with fellow hedge fund manager Jim Chanos, is one of the electric carmaker's fiercest critics, accusing it of putting "dangerous products" on the road and saying it was burning through cash.

Despite Einhorn's steady complaints, Tesla's stock price has raced ahead, turning his own short bet into a wreck that rivals say he should have trimmed.

His own investors have complained about Einhorn's stubbornness and criticized his unwillingness to say how much he has lost on the bet and come up with specific ideas to improve the portfolio's long-running underperformance.

Einhorn acknowledged mistakes and said the fund's returns over the past three years have been "far worse than we could have imagined." He also said several investors have run out of patience and asked for their money back. A filing from the end of March showed Greenlight had assets of roughly $4 billion.

"Right now the market is telling us we are wrong, wrong, wrong about nearly everything," he wrote. However, he added that he still liked his market position. "Looking forward from today we think this portfolio makes a lot of sense," he said.

He said he had tried to stem the losses. "We have taken action to mitigate our problems," Einhorn wrote, explaining that he covered most of the firm's Netflix Inc short position between January and April at $281.46 and used more put options in the short book.

He said he exited a bet on Japanese bank Resona Holdings, sold retailer Dillard's at a loss and covered a five-year bet against Elekta AB with a small gain.

The fund also took a new bet on Altice Europe.

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Additional reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Chang and David Gregorio)As July comes to an end, many comedians and entertainers on Twitter remain under scrutiny for indecent jokes posted in the late 2000s. Tweets unearthed by far-right activists under the banner of the #MeToo campaign and other progressive lobbies have forced Hollywood to reckon with what many Yahoo commenters call its liberal double standard. Such comments have been common since the cast of Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy series circulated an appeal to rehire director James Gunn, who was fired by Disney over a number of inappropriate Twitter jokes he made between 2009 and 2012. Despite Gunns admission of wrongdoing in a statement, the cast  including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel  pressed for his reinstatement with an Instagram post on Monday. There is little due process in the court of public opinion, said the statement, titled An Open Letter from the Cast of Guardians of the Galaxy,' posted by Karen Gillan. It continued: ...We hope Americans from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality. Although thousands of fans have signed a petition demanding Gunns return to the Marvel franchise, many Yahoo commenters have taken issue with Hollywoods attitude toward its own. Trumps 2005 grab em comments were said privately and everybody went nuts over it, one reader said in the comments section of the original Yahoo Movies article. Gunns comments were made publicly on social media, but lets forgive him ... the double standard is breathtaking. Many commenters brought up Hollywoods broad support for actress Roseanne Barrs removal from Roseanne by ABC after she posted a racist tweet: Where were these guys when Roseanne Barr was fired? one reader said. Another referenced Gunns own attitude toward Roseanne: His supporters should not be surprised that he is being held to his own standards. Not all Yahoo commenters think the Guardians of the Galaxy cast is in the wrong. Nice to see a cast standing behind their director, one commenter said. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.BAMAKO (Reuters) - Gunmen attacked a convoy carrying election materials in central Mali, triggering a shootout in which four soldiers and eight attackers were killed, a Defence Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday. The spokesman said the attack occurred late on Tuesday on the road between Nampala and Coura in the south-central region of Segou, giving no further details, and declining to say whether it was carrying ballot papers. "The convoy was transporting some youths and election materials. There were 12 killed in total, four soldiers and eight terrorists," the spokesman said by telephone. Mali's presidential election, the second since Tuareg rebels and allied Islamists took over the north in 2012, prompting French forces to intervene the following year to push them back, has been beset by attacks at the hands of suspected Islamist militants and allied ethnic militia. Armed attackers succeeded in shutting down 644 polling stations on Sunday, representing about 3 percent of the total. A fifth of all polling stations suffered some kind of disruption, figures from the Ministry of Territorial Administration showed. Jihadists have rendered almost all of north and central Mali unsafe by continually targeting foreign and local interests, taking hostages and attacking security and peacekeeping forces. (Reporting by Tim Cocks and Tiemoko Diallo; Editing by Catherine Evans and Alison Williams)Man, I hope he gets his job back.

They always protect their own.

As July comes to an end, many comedians and entertainers on Twitter remain under scrutiny for indecent jokes posted in the late 2000s. Tweets unearthed by far-right activists under the banner of the #MeToo campaign and other progressive lobbies have forced Hollywood to reckon with what many Yahoo commenters call its liberal double standard.

Actors David Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Pom Klementieff, Chris Pratt, Kurt Russell, Karen Gillan, director James Gunn, and actor Michael Rooker attend the U.K. screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in London. (Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage via Getty Images)

Such comments have been common since the cast of Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy series circulated an appeal to rehire director James Gunn, who was fired by Disney over a number of inappropriate Twitter jokes he made between 2009 and 2012. Despite Gunns admission of wrongdoing in a statement, the cast  including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel  pressed for his reinstatement with an Instagram post on Monday.

There is little due process in the court of public opinion, said the statement, titled An Open Letter from the Cast of Guardians of the Galaxy, posted by Karen Gillan. It continued: We hope Americans from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality.

Although thousands of more than 350,000 fans have signed a petition demanding Gunns return to the Marvel franchise, many Yahoo commenters have taken issue with Hollywoods attitude toward its own.

Trumps 2005 grab em comments were said privately and everybody went nuts over it, one reader said in the comments section of the original Yahoo Movies article. Gunns comments were made publicly on social media, but lets forgive him  the double standard is breathtaking.

"James Gunn did it then, Roseanne did it now." "James Gunn's co-workers support him, Roseanne's don't." None of this makes a difference w/what each perpetrated. If one should be fired, both should. If one shouldn't be fired, neither should. Use common sense. Don't pick sides.  Mark Madden (@MarkMaddenX) July 31, 2018

Many commenters brought up Hollywoods broad support for actress Roseanne Barrs removal from Roseanne by ABC after she posted a racist tweet: Where were these guys when Roseanne Barr was fired? one reader said. Another referenced Gunns own attitude toward Roseanne: His supporters should not be surprised that he is being held to his own standards.

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Some readers felt that the cast was misguided in its support: The cast must not have read the things that James Gunn wrote, one commenter said, referring to the directors jokes about pedophilia. That man absolutely crossed the line, you cannot even say those things without having something severely wrong with you.

Some felt the casts approach was misguided  suggesting that They could all quit in solidarity  while others questioned the casts motivations, saying, They know their wallets depend on [Gunn].

Disney is a brand that caters primarily to children, another reader said. Gunns comments may have been jokes but as a father myself, I found them to be downright weird. I say Disney made the right choice this time.

The media companys zero-tolerance reaction to Gunns jokes differs markedly from Adult Swims reaction to the resurfacing of a 2009 video by Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon. In the video, Harmon simulates raping a baby doll.

Adult Swim has not reprimanded Harmon for the clip, and last week it issued a statement forgiving the showrunner.

Not all Yahoo commenters think the Guardians of the Galaxy cast is in the wrong.

Nice to see a cast standing behind their director, one commenter said.

The Guardians cast put out the most unproblematic statement regarding James Gunn and are getting slammed for it. Welcome to the Internet.  David Weiser (@weiser_david) July 30, 2018

A key difference Im noticing between James Gunn and Roseanne: Nobody came to defend Roseannes character. Nobody said shes different in person than online. Nobody said shed learned or grown. None of her cast mates thought she was worth it. But the GOTG family stands by James.  Zach Hurst (@TheRLKing) July 31, 2018

Overall, commenters seemed to agree that trials by the media need to stop for everyone, as one reader said, echoing Gillans Instagram statement, while some also cautioned that whats online is there forever: Remember that when on social media! It could cost anyone their jobs!

What do you think? Are you with #wearegroot?

Let us know in the comments.

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Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.Nestled in the forested hills of central Vietnam two giant concrete hands emerge from the trees, holding up a glimmering golden bridge crowded with gleeful visitors taking selfies at the country's latest eccentric tourist draw.

Designed to make visitors feel like they're taking a stroll on a shimmering thread stretching across the hands of gods, the "Golden Bridge" has attracted hordes of guests since it opened in the Ba Na Hills near Danang in June.

Images of the bridge have gone viral on social media, much to the surprise of the architect who had no idea it would attract so much attention.

"We're proud that our product has been shared by people all over the world," principal designer and founder of TA Landscape Architecture, Vu Viet Anh, told AFP.

At 150 metres long (490 feet), the bridge snakes through the forest high up in mountains first developed by French colonists as a hill station in 1919.

Today the area is a major tourist attraction, boasting a cable car, replica French medieval village -- including faux castle and cathedral -- manicured gardens and a wax museum featuring statues of Lady Gaga and Michael Jordan.

The only remnants of the original French occupants are the crumbling remains of their holiday homes that can still be spotted from the cable car.

But visitors are mostly interested in the newly built Cau Vang, which means "Golden Bridge" in Vietnamese.

"The bridge is beautiful with an amazing architectural style, from here we can see Danang City, it's so nice," Nguyen Trung Phuc told AFP.

Another visitor, Nguyen Hien Trang, said: "I have travelled quite a lot but I've never seen any bridges as beautiful as this one."

The Ba Na Hills project was built by Sun Group, which has divided opinion with audacious projects elsewhere in Vietnam.

In 2016 it opened a cable car on Vietnam's tallest mountain Fansipan in the tourist hotpot Sapa, prompting complaints from locals who felt it spoiled the landscape and took business away from trekking guides.

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Vietnam is no stranger to off-the-wall attractions.

A "crystal cloud" installation of 58,000 shimmering Swarovski beads in the rice-terraced hills of northern Vietnam opened earlier this year, while the surreal "Crazy House" hotel in central Da Lat, designed to look a trippy treehouse, has long attracted legions of curious visitors.

The communist country has long sought to boost visitor numbers and position itself as a must-see destination in Southeast Asia.

It clocked 13 million foreign visitors last year, mostly from China -- a far cry from the 35 million international visitors to Thailand in 2017.

Golden Bridge designer Anh said he already has another project in the works: a silver bridge made to look like a god's strand of hair that will connect to his existing structure in the Ba Na Hills.By Kham Nguyen and Thinh Nguyen

DA NANG, Vietnam (Reuters) - In the mountains of central Vietnam, a colossal pair of hands lifts a golden thread of walkway high above the clifftops, as if the mountain itself has sprouted limbs.

"I feel like I'm walking on clouds," said Vuong Thuy Linh, a tourist from Hanoi. "It's so unique".

Cau Vang or the "Golden Bridge" in Vietnam's Ba Na Hills has attracted scores of tourists since it opened in June, eager to see a novel piece of architecture famed for its unusual design.

The pedestrian walkway, designed by TA Landscape Architecture in Ho Chi Minh City, sits at over 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) above sea level and extends over the treetops from the edge of a leafy cliff face, offering tourists uninterrupted views of the majestic landscape beneath.

The bridge was designed to evoke the image of the "giant hands of Gods, pulling a strip of gold out of the land," said Vu Viet Anh, Design Principal at TA Landscape Architecture.

"It creates a walkway in the sky, among the foggy and fairy-like lands of Ba Na mountain," said Anh, who added that he had been surprised at the level of attention his firm's design had attracted both locally and internationally.

The Ba Na Hills, a popular getaway for the French during the colonial occupation of Vietnam, received over 2.7 million visitors last year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

But it is the Golden Bridge and its supports - two huge stone-coloured human hands styled in such a way that it looks as if the jungle is struggling to reclaim them - which have garnered the most attention from visitors.

"The two, smooth, giant hands look real," said Truong Hoang Linh Thuy, another tourist.

"It makes me feel like humans can do anything".

(Additional reporting by Khanh Vu in HANOI; Writing by James Pearson; Editing by Michael Perry)David Hasselhoff hasnt given up on the quest for happily ever after, which has led to his walking down the aisle for the third time.

The Baywatch and Knight Rider alum, as well as international singing sensation and sex symbol, 66, married his girlfriend of seven years, Hayley Roberts, 37, in Puglia, Italy, on Tuesday. His rep confirmed the nuptials to People.

David Hasselhoff and his longtime girlfriend Hayley Roberts, pictured together in 2016, have tied the knot in Italy. (Photo: Getty Images)

The Hoff, who was previously married to Pamela Bach and Catherine Hickland, had told Entertainment Tonight that it would be a very small wedding with her family from Wales. His daughters, Taylor Ann Hasselhoff, a real estate agent, and Hayley Hasselhoff, a model, were also in attendance, according to their Instagrams.

My boys + family forever A post shared by Tay Hasselhoff (@tay) on Jul 30, 2018 at 6:46am PDT

Sisters unite Viva Italia A post shared by Tay Hasselhoff (@tay) on Jul 29, 2018 at 2:33pm PDT

Hasselhoff, who had a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 last year, said the honeymoon would take place in the Maldives following the wedding, and well stay underwater for about two weeks.

The guy with the Dont hassle the Hoff catchphrase popped the question to Roberts during a picnic in Malibu in 2016  half a decade after meeting her by chance in a U.K. hotel when he was a judge on Britains Got Talent and she was a salesperson at a British department store. I had a saying, You dont get married because you want to live with someone, you get married because you cant live without them, he told Hello magazine at the time. I knew that I was really unhappy without her. I waited to propose because I thought I was too old for her. (During that interview, he said he had proposed to her several times before, but those times were for fun.)

David Hasselhoff and Hayley Roberts attended Comedy Centrals Roast of Bruce Willis on July 14, 2018, where he showed off her engagement ring  as well as flashed the wedding band belonging to his father that he repurposed for his nuptials. (Photo: Faye Sadou/MediaPunch/IPX)

The Hoff wont have to get used to wearing a wedding band again  hes already been wearing one. He explained to ET that hes long worn his fathers ring from his marriage to his mother for luck and remembrance, so he thought, You know, its nice I dont have to go out and get another ring. Ill just keep this one.

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May it bring him loads of luck.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:After two days stranded on an Indonesian mountainside, trapped by earthquake-triggered landslides, the final six hikers awaiting rescue have reached safety, officials said.

More than 800 climbers, mostly foreign tourists, were on the 12,000-foot mountain on Lombok Island at the time the 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck early Sunday, according to National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

As more than 100 aftershocks continued to rock the popular tourist destination, falling debris caused several fatalities, while landslides blocked the paths down Mount Rinjani.

The final six trekkers reached the bottom of the mountain on Tuesday morning, bringing to a close a massive search and rescue effort involving almost 200 personnel, Nugroho told CNN.

At least 16 people were killed, and more than 160 injured. Among the fatalities were a 30-year-old Malaysian climber and another hiker who was hit by a landslide, local media reported.

Tipatai Phusit, a hiker from Thailand who was on the mountain at the time of the disaster, told CNN he saw several people get hit by rocks and landslides. The International Federation for the Red Cross said 94 people sustained severe injuries.

While property damage is still being surveyed, thousands are believed to have been rendered homeless. After a visit to the island Monday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced that Rp50 million ($3,400) would be allocated for rebuilding each extensively damaged house.

Indonesia is particularly prone to seismic activity due to its location along the Pacifics Ring of Fire, a chain of volcanoes and fault lines. In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake near Sumatra prompted a tsunami and led to more than 230,000 deaths.By Emil Gjerding Nielson COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Around 1,300 Danes marched through Copenhagen on Wednesday in protest at a new ban on the wearing of face veils in public, accusing the government of infringing on women's right to dress as they choose. Denmark's parliament enacted the ban in May, joining France and some other European Union countries to uphold what some politicians say are secular and democratic values. The protesters, many wearing the niqab veil or the all-enveloping, body-length burqa, marched from the central, left-wing district of Norrebro to Bellahoj police station on the outskirts of the capital. They formed a human chain around the station and then marched back to Norrebro before dispersing. Demonstrators, often with children in tow, chanted "no racists in our streets" and "my life, my choice" during the three-hour rally. No incidents were reported. The marchers included non-niqab-wearing Muslim women and non-Muslim Danes with faces covered. "We need to send a signal to the government that we will not bow to discrimination and a law that specifically targets a religious minority," Sabina, 21, a niqab-garbed student, told Reuters, asking that her full name not be used. She is one of about 150-200 Muslim women - 0.1 percent of those in the country - who daily wear either the niqab or burqa garments covering the face or the entire body. Muslims account for around 5 percent of Denmark's 5.7 million population. Under the law, police will be able to instruct women to remove their veils or order them to leave public areas. Justice Minister Soren Pape Poulsen said officers would fine them and tell them to go home. Fines will range from 1,000 Danish crowns ($160) for a first offence to 10,000 crowns for a fourth. DISCRIMINATORY, CRITICS SAY Despite its generic wording, the legislation is being widely interpreted as discriminating against Denmark's Muslims and violating women's right to freedom of expression and religion. Critics, noting the tiny number of Muslim women in Denmark who actually wear a niqab, regard the law as largely a sop to increased anti-immigrant sentiment in the Nordic country. "If the intention of this law was to protect women's rights, it fails abjectly," said Fotis Filippou, deputy Europe director of human rights group Amnesty International. "Instead, the law criminalizes women for their choice of clothing  making a mockery of the freedoms Denmark purports to uphold." Police said none of the veiled protesters would be penalized since certain uses of face veils, such as to exercise freedom of speech as part of a peaceful protest, are exempt from the law. The justice ministry explained that the ban would focus on women forced by their families to wear veils, though it has been faulted for vagueness in stipulating who would fall afoul of it. Danish Police Union chief Claus Oxfeldt said he would have preferred more comprehensive guidance on how to enforce the ban. "We need as thorough guidance as possible so we don't end up in situations where (police officers) don't 100 percent know how to act," he said. As an example, he was unsure whether Asian tourists wearing anti-pollution masks would be covered by the ban. France - with the largest Muslim community in the EU - as well as Belgium, the Netherlands, Bulgaria and the German state of Bavaria have all imposed some curbs on face veils in public. France's controversial 2011 ban added to a broader sense of alienation felt by many Muslims and some evidence surfaced that it encouraged assaults in the street on women wearing still legal headscarves as well. (Reporting by Emil Gjerding Nielson; Editing by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Mark Heinrich)Why does Instagram keep blocking this family photo? (Photo: Courtesy of Paul Costello)

A father is locked in a standoff with Instagram over a photo of his young sons bare bottom.

Paul Costello, a New Orleans photographer, has been shooting photos of his children, Edmond, 7, Kiki, 15, and Harrison, 17, since the day they were born. But one photo in particular, snapped on a 2015 family vacation to Utah, is his favorite. In it, the kids are lined up to use a phone booth, with Sara, his wife of 18 years, taking Edmond  who is nude and not facing the camera  by the hand.

My son went through a naked phase when he was younger, and it was a sweet moment in our family, Costello tells Yahoo Lifestyle, pointing out that his Instagram followers are primarily family and friends, so he didnt hesitate to post the image.

Costello initially posted the snap two years ago, but it was promptly deleted by Instagram, although Costello never learned whether one of his followers flagged it. I sort of forgot all about it, he says. On Thursday, he came across the photo in his collection and, feeling nostalgic, re-posted it.

Instagram keeps deleting this mans family photo. (Photo: Instagram/pthepaul)

A few hours later, the picture had disappeared, and Costello received a message from Instagram stating that the image was in violation of the platforms Community Guidelines, which ban nudity, including close-ups of fully-nude buttocks with the exception of post-mastectomy scarring and women actively breastfeeding and nudity depicted in photos of paintings and sculptures.

Instagrams policy also states: People like to share photos or videos of their children. For safety reasons, there are times when we may remove images that show nude or partially-nude children. Even when this content is shared with good intentions, it could be used by others in unanticipated ways.

On Monday, Costello tried again, cropping the photo to conceal his sons bottom, but that didnt work either  by the following morning, it had vanished. Then, he got creative, reposting the original image but this time, covering his sons bottom with an image of Kim Kardashians butt, which he obtained from one of her social media feeds.

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That one lasted four hours, says Costello. I discovered it was deleted right before jumping on a plane to New York, so I spent the flight working on a new composite. The final product, which currently remains on his page, is the original photo with his family members covered up with images that include Kardashian (specifically, the 2014 Paper magazine cover shot of her nude body that broke the internet), Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram influencer Dan Bilzerian, and a nude Miley Cyrus swinging on a wrecking ball.

My family photo has now been removed 4 times, even after sincere efforts to conform to the community standards of Instagram, wrote Costello on his page. I must confess I might be unclear as to what these standards are. Perhaps [my sons] butt wasnt the issue? To be completely safe Im trying one last time replacing my entire family with top Instagram influencers. Surely this will finally be in compliance.

A representative from Instagram tells Yahoo Lifestyle, This post was removed in error and we are sorry. It has since been reinstated.

The companys anti-nude policy has proven confusing. In 2017, Australian influencer Jessa OBrien, whose account the Nude Blogger features photos of her bare butt, was suspended from the platform for three weeks. Since the deactivation of this account, I have embarked on a tireless crusade against the social media giants to raise awareness about body positivity and expose the contradictory nature of Instagrams blurred guidelines that only exacerbate appalling double standards, OBrien wrote on Instagram, according to Mashable.

And in 2015, Chelsea Handler Instagrammed a photo of herself topless and riding a horse to mimic a picture of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, only to have it removed, twice. If a man posts a photo of his nipples, its ok, but not a woman? Are we in 1825? and If Instagram takes this down again, youre saying Vladimir Putin has more 1st amendment rights than I do, Handler captioned her posts.

Costello opposes Instagrams hypocritical and arbitrary policy, citing celebrities who post photos showing them scantily clad, which  in his perspective  threaten the platforms rules. He also believes Instagram should defer to his personal judgment regarding his family photos.

Its a mystery how these decisions are made, says Costello. The majority of my followers also have a personal connection to me, so if someone doesnt like my photos, dont follow me.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

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Last week, Pakistanis selected the worlds latest celebrity-turned-political leader, voting for former cricket star Imran Khan to become the next prime minister. Being a political player in Pakistan is not for the faint of heart; in the seven decades since independence, Pakistan has successfully transferred power from one democratically-elected government to another just once; Khan will be the second.

The Oxford-educated Khan rose to fame as a cricketer during the 80s and 90s, where he also developed a reputation as something of a playboy. But as he moved further away from his playing days, he moved closer to Islam and politics, founding the Pakistan Justice Party (PTI) in 1996.

For nearly two decades, Khans party didnt do very much on the political scene, though Khan used his platform to relentlessly criticize Pakistans notoriously corrupt political system. The consistencyand ferocityof that anti-corruption message finally pushed him and his party to a political breakthrough in July.

Khan is hoping to become the first Pakistani prime minster to fully serve out their term, something that has not happened once with any of his 18 predecessors. All aspiring politicians in Pakistan must contend with the two fixtures of Pakistans political scene: the dynastic families who have ostensibly run the country, and the Pakistani military that actually has run it. Khan has been able to overcome the former by basically falling in line with the latter.

Expectations for Khan and his party were running high in the run-up to elections, but they actually over-performed; as of this writing, the PTI has secured 115 seats of the 137 needed to secure an outright parliamentary majority. That stellar performance has manyparticularly Khans political opponentsaccusing Pakistans army of interfering to boost its preferred candidate.

It wouldnt be the first time. Thirty years ago, Khans predecessor, the right-wing Nawaz Sharif, was selected by the military to be groomed to eventually become prime minister; Sharif had his entire political career effectively funded by the countrys military. That was all well and good for Sharif until he fell out of favor with the military powers-that-bemany believe that the Supreme Courts disqualification of Sharif over corruption charges was at the behest of the military.

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Sharif had been the armys preferred candidate for his ties to the countrys Islamist factionsties which Khan also happens to have. Officially, the army maintains that it wanted fair elections and had no designs to intervene. Unofficially, the rhetoric Khan was using in the run-up to elections was a pretty clear sign to military brass that Khan was ready to play ball. That effectively means Khan will likely cede security and foreign policy decision-making (particularly the countrys relationship with India, Afghanistan and the U.S.) to military leaders. In so doing, he will likely be given freedom to operate the economic side of things.

That may in fact be the harder of the two; Pakistans economy is in awful shape. There is no Asian currency performing worse in 2018 than Pakistans rupee, which has already been devalued four times since December. Foreign exchange reserves are at a 3.5 year low, and the current account deficit has exploded, with a 42 percent spread since January. Without external help, the government is staring at balance of payments crisis and will be unable to service its national debt. And all that is before Khan gets to the 40 percent of Pakistans population currently living in poverty.

Enter the IMF. The Washington-based institution had thrown the country a lifeline back in 2008 with a $7.6 billion loan; Islamabad will need as much as double that this time around. Since the late 1980s, Pakistan has received no less than a dozen bailouts. For his part, Khan has signaled a willingness to take on the political and financial burdens that come with accepting a conditions-based IMF loan, one that will likely necessitate another round of currency devaluation and the privatization of state-owned enterprises. That may still be a better option for Pakistan than turning to China for a bailout; many believe that it was Pakistans recent-reliance on Beijing for financing that got them in such dire financial straits in the first place.

But make no mistake; the was undoubtedly a change election for Pakistan. And change, by itself, is neither inherently good nor bad. Khans political rise has some decided points going for it: his apparent closeness to the military makes a coup exceedingly unlikely, and will harmonize relations between the army and the civilian government, potentially providing a level of political stability that has been sorely lacking in recent years.

On the flip side, if you hoped for a democratic Pakistan with separate institutions keeping one another in check, this government will probably disappoint you. The countrys military will continue to be significantly involved in the politics of the country going forward. Thats good for Khan but bad for Pakistan.

Whats more, Khan himself has been inconsistent on his economic messaging, at times vowing to support the countrys most economically vulnerable with significant welfare programs while at others pledging to boost the countrys image in the eyes of international investors, largely by reforms that would support the countrys private sector. These are two diametrically opposed visions of how to run a 21st century economy, and its still not clear which of the two will win out.

Khan must tread carefully; the real test will come the first time he tries to implement the significant reforms hes promised that dont have the backing of the military. Thats when well really know just how much progress Pakistan has made.

Ian Bremmer is the president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, and host of GZERO World on WNET/ThirteenBy Bernadette Christina Munthe JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia aims to make the use of biodiesel blended fuels compulsory for all vehicles and heavy machinery from Sept. 1, Renewable Energy Director General Rida Mulyana said on Wednesday, amid efforts to reduce the current account deficit in Southeast Asia's biggest economy. President Joko Widodo in a cabinet meeting a day earlier said he wanted an immediate implementation of Indonesia's biodiesel expansion program to help save billions of dollars in diesel imports. The government is revising draft presidential and ministerial regulations on biodiesel, and working out quota allocations for biodiesel producers and fuel retailers, Mulyana said. Biodiesel use is currently only mandatory for subsidized diesel users, which some users cannot buy. "All ministries are ready. All fuel retailers and biodiesel producers are ready to clean their infrastructure, to identify what the problems are and then (carry out) mitigation," Mulyana said, referring to the 19 biodiesel producers and 14 fuel retailers in Indonesia. "For example cleaning tanks for those with machine filters etc. We have already prepared guidelines on how to blend," he added. Indonesian fuel stations will not be allowed to sell unblended diesel fuel once the new rules apply, he said, adding that companies found selling unblended fuel will be fined. Mulyana estimated that with the new rules, biodiesel consumption next year will increase to 6 million-6.2 million kilolitres (KL) from an estimated 4 million KL this year. In Indonesia, the bio portion of biodiesel is made with fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) from palm oil, but efforts to increase FAME concentrations in biodiesel have faced resistance from regulators as well as the automotive and oil industries. While biodiesel can cut fuel costs and reduce emissions, higher blends of FAME require special handling and equipment as the fuel has a solvent effect that can corrode engine seals and gasket materials, and it can solidify at cold temperatures. According to Togar Sitanggang, a senior official at the Indonesian Palm Oil Association, B20 biodiesel has been tested extensively by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and the tests had found only minor differences to mineral diesel fuel. It should be no problem for the broader market under the new rules, he told Reuters. "We have enough production. We have enough refinery capacity. We have enough biodiesel capacity". With the expansion of the B20 rules, Indonesia could increase utilization of its biodiesel production capacity to an estimated 35-50 percent, from around 25 percent at present, Sitanggang said. Indonesia's current account deficit is estimated to widen to $25 billion this year from around $17 billion last year, amid an expected increase in imports. (Additional reporting by Fergus Jensen; Writing by Fransiska Nangoy; Editing by Adrian Croft/David Evans)By Fergus Jensen JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Jakarta in August following a similar invitation to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, officials said. North and South Korea are likely to be a focal point of the Games, particularly amid recent doubts over Kim's promise to work toward denuclearization made during a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore in June. Ministers from the two Koreas agreed in April to push for a unified delegation from both countries to parade together in the opening ceremony at the Asian Games, to be staged in August and September. Indonesian officials led by Coordinating Human Development and Cultural Affairs Minister Puan Maharani visited North Korea this week, meeting with Kim Yong Nam, the nominal head of state and president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly. "The main reason for us coming (to Pyongyang) is to convey an official invitation to the President of North Korea to attend the Asian Games Opening Ceremony on August 18," Maharani said in a release issued by the National Police. Maharani also discussed North and South Korea relations during the visit, as well as regional issues and the performance of Indonesia's police in countering militancy. The Pyongyang visit follows the delivery of a similar invitation in Seoul last week. President Moon "will consider attending, with circumstances such as future schedule in mind," Blue House Spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said in an emailed statement. Widodo offered in April to host a summit between North and South Korea, after meeting ambassadors from both Koreas. The two countries marched under a unified flag at the opening and closing ceremonies of February's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. The Asian Games, co-hosted by the cities of Jakarta and Palembang, are expected to see a further cementing of that partnership. Deputy National Police chief Syafruddin, among the Indonesian delegation in Pyongyang, said Indonesia guaranteed security to all countries and contingents present at the Asian Games, including the government of North Korea. "Indonesia's security is very stable. Don't worry or hesitate," said Syafruddin, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name. (Reporting by Jessica Damiana in JAKARTA; additional reporting by So Young Kim in SEOUL; writing by Fergus Jensen; editing by Paul Tait and Richard Pullin)By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States believes Iran is preparing to carry out a major exercise in the Gulf in the coming days, apparently moving up the timing of annual drills amid heightened tensions with Washington, U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday. Iran has been furious over U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of an international nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on Tehran. Senior Iranian officials have warned the country would not easily yield to a renewed U.S. campaign to strangle Iran's vital oil exports. The U.S. military's Central Command confirmed that it has seen an increase in Iranian activity, including in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for oil shipments that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have threatened to block. "We are aware of the increase in Iranian naval operations within the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman," said Navy Captain Bill Urban, the chief spokesman at Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East. "We are monitoring it closely, and will continue to work with our partners to ensure freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce in international waterways," Urban added. Urban did not provide further information or comment on questions about the expected Iranian drills. But U.S. officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Iran's Revolutionary Guards has appeared to prepare more than 100 vessels for exercises. Hundreds of ground forces could also be involved. They said the drills could begin within the next 48 hours, although the precise timing was unclear. Details of the Iranian preparations were first reported by CNN. U.S. officials said the timing of the drills appeared designed to send a message to Washington, which is intensifying its economic and diplomatic pressure on Tehran but so far stopping short of using the U.S. military to more aggressively counter Iran and its proxies. Trump's policies are already putting significant pressure on the Iranian economy, although U.S. intelligence suggests they may ultimately rally Iranians against the United States and strengthen Iran's hardline rulers, officials say. Irans currency plumbed new depths this week as Iranians brace for Aug. 7 when Washington is due to reimpose a first lot of economic sanctions following Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear deal. A number of protests have broken out in Iran since the beginning of the year over high prices, water shortage, power cuts and alleged corruption. On Tuesday, hundreds of people rallied in cities including Isfahan, Karaj, Shiraz and Ahvaz in protest against high inflation caused in part by the weak rial. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by James Dalgleish)By Polina Nikolskaya and Dan Williams MOSCOW/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Iranian forces have withdrawn their heavy weapons in Syria to a distance of 85 km (53 miles) from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, TASS quoted a Russian envoy as saying on Wednesday, but Israel deemed the pullback inadequate. Backed by Russia, Iran, and Lebanon's Hezbollah Shi'ite militia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has retaken territory in southern-western Syria from rebels, closing in on the Golan. Moscow has sought to reassure Israel by saying it wants only Syrian forces to deploy on or near the Syrian-held Golan. Israel, however, insists that forces controlled by Iran, its arch-foe, exit Syria entirely now the civil war there is ending. "The Iranians withdrew and the Shi'ite formations are not there," TASS news agency quoted Alexander Lavrentiev, President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to Syria, as saying. Lavrentiev said Iranian service personnel whom he described as advisors could be among Syrian army forces who remain closer to the Israeli border. "But there are no units of heavy equipment and weapons that could pose a threat to Israel at a distance of 85 km from the line of demarcation", Lavrentiev said. An Israeli official deemed such a pullback insufficient. "What we have laid down as a red line is military intervention and entrenchment by Iran in Syria, and not necessarily on our border," Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi told Israel Radio, citing the longer-range threat posed by Iranian missiles or drones positioned in Syria. "There'll be no compromises nor concessions on this matter." Last week an Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Russia had offered to keep Iranian forces at least 100 km from the Golan Heights ceasefire line. Israel rejected the offer, which was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In an apparent riposte, Russia's ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, said on Monday that Moscow could not compel Iran to leave Syria. But Viktorov also signaled that Russia would continue to turn a blind eye to Israeli air strikes against suspected Iranian and Hezbollah arms transfers or emplacements in Syria. Hanegbi said Israel wanted to prevent Iran and Hezbollah from effectively extending their Lebanese front against it. "We are not ready to see a new Hezbollah front on our northern border between Israel and Syria. This is something that is dangerous. This is something that, if we don't prevent it today, when still at its outset, will a exact a heavy price of us down the line," he said. (Reporting by Polina Nikolskaya, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky, William Maclean)By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin

LONDON (Reuters) - Iranian lawmakers have given President Hassan Rouhani one month to appear before parliament to answer questions on his government's handling of Iran's economic struggles, state media reported on Wednesday.

It is the first time parliament has summoned Rouhani, who is under pressure from hardline rivals to change his cabinet following a deterioration in relations with the United States and Iran's growing economic difficulties.

Lawmakers want to question Rouhani on topics including the rial's decline, which has lost more than half its value since April, weak economic growth and rising unemployment, according to semi-official ISNA news agency.

Rouhani, a pragmatist who reduced tensions with the West by striking a nuclear deal in 2015, is facing a growing backlash since U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out from the pact in May and said he will reimpose sanctions that seek to throttle Irans economy, including its lifeblood oil exports.

ISNA said lawmakers also want Rouhani to explain why, more than two years after the landmark deal, Iranian banks still have only limited access to global financial services.

The nuclear accord curbed Iran's nuclear program in return for lifting most international sanctions.

Rouhani's summon coincides with further shows of public discontent. A number of protests have broken out in Iran since the beginning of the year over high prices, water shortage, power cuts, and alleged corruption in the Islamic Republic.

On Tuesday, hundreds of people rallied in cities across the country, including Isfahan, Karaj, Shiraz and Ahvaz, in protest against high inflation caused in part by the weak rial.

Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani was quoted by state television as saying that Rouhani will have one month to attend a parliamentary session and address the issues.

Rouhani canceled an interview on state television last week, a move that seems to have encouraged many lawmakers to question him about his economic records in the parliament.

Story continues

Although 80 lawmakers submitted their questions for Rouhani, a Rouhani ally, vice president for parliamentary affairs Hosseinali Amiri, called the process "unconstitutional."

"Some lawmakers, who were convinced to take back their questions, were encouraged by other members of parliament to submit the questions again," Amiri was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

"MAXIMUM SHAKE-UP"

Trump said on Monday he would be willing to meet Rouhani without preconditions to discuss how to improve relations, but senior Iranian officials and military commanders rejected the offer as worthless and "a dream".

Addressing Washington, Hesamoddin Ashna, a Rouhani advisor, said in a tweet on Wednesday that "You launched an economic war against us by imposing sanctions. First stop this war and then ask for talks. Without preconditions means without sanctions."

Israeli Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, a member of Israel's security cabinet, said on Wednesday Trump's offer of talks was a "ladder" to safety for a ruling system he said was on the point of collapse, but he was not surprised that Tehran rejected it.

"It is hard to see the Iranians being agreeable to such a meeting with someone who only a few weeks ago basically sank an agreement with which they were so pleased. But this is the right kind of process with the Iranians," Hanegbi told Israel Radio.

Rouhani appointed a new central bank governor last week and accepted the government spokesman's resignation on Tuesday, suggesting he accepts a need to reshuffle his economic team.

In a separate letter to Rouhani on Wednesday, 193 lawmakers welcomed these changes "as a good starting point" and asked for the "maximum shake-up" in the government.

Hardline general prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri said on Wednesday Iran's enemies were trying to divide government and people by creating economic hardship. He vowed that those who follow the "enemies' plot" would face the "harshest punishment".

(This story has been refiled to remove extraneous word 'to' in paragraph 5)

(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, Additional reporting by Dan Williams in Jerusalem, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky, William Maclean)A migrant looks on from Italy's Diciotti coast guard vessel carrying 67 asylum seekers berthed at Trapani port on July 12, 2018 - AFP

A rescue operation in which an Italian towboat rescued more than 100 migrants and returned them to Libya earlier this week may have been in breach of international law, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the U.N. migration agency said it could not establish the location of the rescue, which is key to establishing migrants' rights, although some other parties involved in the case have made contradictory assertions about the incident including where it took place.

The rescue coincides with a growing perception among human rights groups that some European countries are taking an increasingly hard line in their efforts to cut the number of migrants arriving on their shores, after Italy's new government closed its ports to charities' rescue boats in past weeks.

According to Spanish charity Proactiva Open Arms, an Italian towboat, Asso 28, rescued more than 100 migrants from international waters on Monday and took them to Libya, their country of departure.

This would constitute a breach of international law, under which people rescued in international waters cannot be returned to a place where their lives are put in danger.

Both the United Nations and European Union have acknowledged that Libya is not safe.

A distraught migrant woman arrives at a Libyan naval base after being rescued by the Libyan coast guard Credit: Hani Amara/Reuters

Italy's coast guard initially said on Tuesday that the rescue was coordinated by the Libyan coast guard, and later clarified that the operation had taken place in Libya's so-called "search and rescue (SAR)" area.

The Libyan coast guard was not immediately available for a comment.

Libya's SAR is not clearly defined but is widely understood to extend far beyond its national waters.

Proactiva spokeswoman Laura Lanuza said its members learnt the rescue occurred in international waters because their boat Open Arms was nearby and they could listen to radio communications between the Italian ship and the Libyan authorities.

The U.N. refugee agency said the operation "could represent a violation of international law," it said on Twitter.

Story continues

A spokesman for the U.N. migration agency said the agency was still investigating the case but confirmed the return of the migrants to Libya.

Italy's Interior Minister and deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini Credit: VASILY MAXIMOV/AFP

He said the Libyans first told him the rescue operation was carried out by "an unknown vessel", then changed their version and said the rescuing boat was Libyan.

The head of mission at Open Arms, Fabrizio Gatti, contradicted the Libyan version and said a member of the Asso 28 crew told him over the phone the Italian boat carried out the rescue and was taking the migrants back to Libya. He said he had a record of the conversation.

Asso 28 is now docked in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, according to Marine Traffic, a real-time information service on ships movements.

Charities are at loggerheads with the new Italian government and its right wing home affairs minister Matteo Salvini who has adopted a hard line to cut the number of migrants arriving on Italy's shores.She may have shut down her own fashion brand, but Ivanka Trump is still making some major style moves.

Ivanka Trump wore a red Sandro suit as she joined brother Eric for the Florida trip. (Photo: AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

On Tuesday the first daughter joined President Trump for the signing of the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act in the Oval Office before hopping a flight to Florida to promote workplace development and attend a rather controversial rally in Tampa.

A busy day calls for a power suit, and the 36-year-old White House adviser fittingly picked one in a bold Republican red. The look is by the French label Sandro, whose Houria cropped flared pants are on sale for $125 (originally $250), while the double-breasted jacket is $182, down from $455. Trump paired the suit with matching red pumps.

She clearly has a fondness for the brands pantsuits. In May, she wore a similar Sandro ensemble in mint green to attend the swearing-in of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Trump also wore a Sandro suit in May. (Photo: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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TOKYO (AP)  Japan's government said Wednesday it's doing its utmost for the rescue of a Japanese journalist believed to be held in Syria after a video of a man appearing to be him was posted on the internet.

Freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda was last heard from in Syria in June 2015.

Chief Cabinet Spokesman Yoshihide Suga told a regular news conference that he believed the man in the video was Yasuda. Suga refused to give further details about the rescue efforts.

"The biggest responsibility for the government is to protect the safety of Japanese nationals," he said. "We are pursuing our utmost effort (for his rescue) through various information networks."

The man in the video released Tuesday said he was in harsh environment and needed an immediate rescue. The bearded man spoke in Japanese but said he's Korean named "Umaru." He cited the date as July 25, 2018, in the 20-second footage apparently filmed outdoors.

Several videos showing a man believed to be Yasuda have been also released in the past year.

Yasuda started reporting on the Middle East in early 2000s. He was taken hostage in Iraq in 2004 with three other Japanese, but was freed after Islamic clerics negotiated his release.

His most recent trip to Syria was in 2015 to report on his journalist friend Kenji Goto, who was taken hostage and killed by the Islamic State group.

Contact was lost with Yasuda after a message to another Japanese freelancer on June 23, 2015. In his last tweet two days earlier, Yasuda said his reporting was often obstructed and that he would stop tweeting his whereabouts and activities.

___

Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi

Find her work at https://www.apnews.com/search/mari%20yamaguchiWASHINGTON  American culture has become less hospitable to people of faith, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday in vowing that the Justice Department would protect peoples religious freedom and convictions.

Sessions spoke at a Justice Department summit on religious tolerance at a time when courts across the country have been asked how to balance anti-discrimination laws against the First Amendments religious freedom guarantees. He also announced the creation of a religious liberty task force to help implement that guidance and ensure that Justice Department employees are accommodating peoples religious beliefs.

Conservative groups immediately praised Sessions for promising to protect deeply held religious convictions, though Trump administration critics have repeatedly voiced concerns that the attorney generals stance undercuts LGBT rights and favors the rights of Christians over those of other faiths.

Sessions, the countrys chief law enforcement officer, warned of a dangerous movement that he said was eroding protections for religious Americans.

He asserted that nuns were being forced to buy contraceptives  an apparent, though not fully accurate, reference to an Obama administration health care policy meant to ensure women covered by faith-based groups health plans have access to cost-free contraceptives. Religious groups that challenged the policy argued it violated their religious beliefs.

Sessions also said it was inappropriate that judicial and executive branch nominees were being asked about their religious dogma. And he praised a Colorado baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex couple in a case that reached the Supreme Court and ended in his favor this year. That baker, Jack Phillips, was part of a panel discussion at the Justice Department summit.

Lets be frank: A dangerous movement, undetected by many but real, is now challenging and eroding our great tradition of religious freedom. There can be no doubt. Its no little matter. It must be confronted intellectually and politically and defeated, Sessions said. This election, this past election, and much that has flowed from it, gives us a rare opportunity to arrest these trends and to confront them.

Story continues

Such a reversal will not just be done with electoral victories, however, but by intellectual victories, he added.

Sessions, a Methodist and former Republican senator from Alabama, has made protecting religious liberty a cornerstone agenda item of his Justice Department  along with defending freedom of speech on college campuses.

In his speech, the attorney general noted that he had issued guidance last year advising executive branch employees on how to apply religious liberty protections in federal law.If youve heard of Jennifer Aniston  and who hasnt?  youve no doubt also heard any number of rumors about her personal life. Theres the Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt drama, the breakup with second husband Justin Theroux earlier this year, and the constant concern that shell never have kids  all of which is routinely splashed across magazine covers.

Jennifer Aniston addresses speculation about her parenting plans in the September issue of InStyle. (Photo: Ben Hassett/InStyle)

As the cover star of InStyles September issue, Aniston is ready to address the speculation about her romances and baby-making plans head-on.

Its pretty crazy, the 49-year-old star tells interviewer and real-life friend Molly McNearney, who happens to be married to Jimmy Kimmel. The misconceptions are Jen cant keep a man, and Jen refuses to have a baby because shes selfish and committed to her career. Or that Im sad and heartbroken.

First, with all due respect, Im not heartbroken, she continues. And second, those are reckless assumptions. No one knows whats going on behind closed doors. No one considers how sensitive that might be for my partner and me. They dont know what Ive been through medically or emotionally. There is a pressure on women to be mothers, and if they are not, then theyre deemed damaged goods. Maybe my purpose on this planet isnt to procreate. Maybe I have other things Im supposed to do?

The Dumplin actress, who calls her dogs my kids, also compared gossip about her life to junk food.

Story continues

For the most part I can sit back and laugh at the ridiculous headlines because they have gotten more and more absurd, she says about the rumor mill. I guess theyre feeding into some sort of need the public has, but I focus on my work, my friends, my animals, and how we can make the world a better place. That other stuff is junk food that needs to go back in its drawer.

Jennifer Aniston split with second husband Justin Theroux earlier this year. (Photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic)

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Philadelphia 76ers special adviser Jerry Colangelo said he thinks his son, Bryan, lost his job as the 76ers president earlier this year over nothing that he did. (Getty Images)

After an investigation by an independent firm, the Philadelphia 76ers determined that former team president and director of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo was at fault after a report from The Ringer linked him to a series of burner Twitter accounts earlier this year.

The accounts were used to criticize players, coaches, league executives and disclose sensitive team information. He resigned shortly after the investigation, which determined that he was careless and reckless with sensitive team information, even though his wive, Barbara Bottini, admitted to running the accounts.

Bryan has denied all knowledge of the accounts, though the firm that handled the investigation couldnt determine if he was aware of them or not.

Bryans father, Jerry, went on Sirius XM NBA radio on Tuesday to talk about his time as a special advisor with the 76ers, which will come to a close this year.

He also brought up his son, Bryan. Jerry stuck up for his son, and said it was unfortunate that Bryan lost his job.

.@Hoophall member and current Philadelphia 76ers special adviser, Jerry Colangelo joined @TermineRadio and @Jumpshot8 discussing his contribution to the team's renaissance as well as the 'unfortunate' way his son, Bryan lost his job (as the team's President). #NBAToday pic.twitter.com/1m0ryIHHAE  SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) August 1, 2018

It was a tough year for Bryan, under the circumstances, to lose the job over something, nothing that he did, Jerry said. That is unfortunate.

Story continues

While he wasnt officially blamed for the incident, its widely believed that Bryan had something to do with the burner accounts.

Even if he truly wasnt running the account and it was his wife, Bryan is still partly at fault for leaking information to her  which makes Jerrys statement that Bryan lost his job over nothing that he did rather hard to believe.

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Zharkent (Kazakhstan) (AFP) - A Kazakh court on Wednesday freed a Chinese citizen who gave testimony on a secretive network of Chinese "re-education camps" during her explosive immigration trial.

Sayragul Sauytbay, an ethnic Kazakh Chinese national, was detained after she entered Kazakhstan illegally in April to join her husband and two children.

The 41-year-old whistleblower told the court how she had been forced to work in a camp system in China's Xinjiang region where hundreds of thousands of people are allegedly held.

The case has tested Kazakhstan's ties with Beijing, which insisted Sauytbay be deported to China -- the normal outcome under Kazakh law in such cases.

But the court granted her a six-month suspended sentence and spared her deportation after she insisted she would be killed if forced to return to the country.

"If I go back to China all that waits for me is an execution," she said in court.

Chinese authorities have denied the existence of such facilities despite mounting evidence from both official documents and testimonies from those who have escaped them.

China's predominantly Muslim ethnic minority groups are believed to make up the majority of the camps' populations.

Beijing has stepped up a crackdown in Xinjiang against what it calls separatist elements.

Asked under oath about a so-called "camp" where she worked as an employee of the Chinese state, court spectators gasped when Sauytbay replied it held some 2,500 ethnic Kazakhs.

The former Chinese state employee -- who said earlier in the trial that she was granted access to classified documents that shed light on the true nature of the camps -- will be allowed to settle with her family in Kazakhstan.

She was separated from them for two years after Chinese authorities confiscated her passport, leading her to enter Kazakhstan with forged documents.

Representatives of China's foreign service in Kazakhstan attended hearings on the case but refused to answer questions from journalists.

Story continues

China has enlisted oil-rich Kazakhstan as a partner in its trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, aimed at improving overland trade routes between Europe and Asia.

The case was viewed as a test of Beijing's strongest relationship in the region.

Human Rights Watch on Monday urged the Kazakh court to "reject Chinese pressure" to return Sauytbay, whom the watchdog described as a refugee.A federal judge on Monday ruled that the government must obtain parental or guardian consent before administering psychotropic drugsthose that can affect the brain or behaviorto migrant children in its care. But plenty of questions still remain about what these drugs do to young brains in the first place.

The benefits or risks of psychotropic medications to brain development are only beginning to be evaluated, says Dr. Manpreet Singh, director of the Pediatric Mood Disorders Program at Stanford University. We havent actually looked, directly and in systematic ways, at the effects of these medications beyond an acute setting.

In 2012, Singh co-authored a review of existing research on pediatric use of psychotropics, and concluded that most studies have shown either benefits or minimal effects associated with kids taking these drugs, which are commonly used to treat psychiatric symptoms including depression, anxiety, mania, psychosis and attention issues. But the paper noted that knowledge of the long-term risks of the various interventions is very limited, leading to justifiable concerns about their use in developing brains  and Singh says her assessment remains the same six years later.

What we need are more carefully designed research studies to be able to understand the biological effects of trauma, as well as other events in childhood, and how treatments such as psychotherapy, as well as medications, can have an impact on those effects, Singh says.

Psychotropics entered the spotlight in April, when lawyers from the Center for Human Rights & Constitutional Law filed a lawsuit claiming that staff at Texas Shiloh Treatment Center routinely gave migrant children in their care psychotropic drugs, sometimes without consent or explanation. In some cases, the court filings say, drugs were used as chemical straight-jackets to maintain order. Court filings mention a range of psychotropic drugs allegedly used at Shiloh, including sedatives, antidepressants and medications for bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia and seizures. These include clonazepam, divalproex, duloxetine, guanfacine, lurasidone, ziprasidone, olanzapine and topiramate.

Story continues

Judge Dolly Gee on Monday ruled that the government was in violation of the Flores agreement, a policy that regulates the care of detained immigrant children. Under Gees ruling, officials may only administer psychotropic drugs with parental consent, a court order or in cases of emergency. Gee also said children covered by the suit should be transferred out of Shiloh, unless theyve been found by a psychologist or psychiatrist to pose a risk of harm to self or others.

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families declined TIMEs requests for comment. A statement on Shilohs website says a series of audits found that, All of the widely distributed allegations about Shiloh were found to be without merit. The children have been found to be properly cared for and treated. Gees ruling, however, states that Shiloh staff members had at times signed approvals for medications, rather than a parent or legal guardian.

Psychotropic drugs can be effective when properly prescribed and administered by a mental health professional. In a 2006 American Psychological Association survey of 2,500 practicing psychologists, 99% said psychotropic drugs can play a positive role in treating mental health disorders. And 2015 recommendations from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry say these medications can be effective for young patients, though they emphasize that the use of psychotropic medication for children and adolescents should be part of holistic and collaborative mental health treatment, and that treatment should be individualized, family-driven, and youth-guided.

Indeed, its the context and conditions under which psychotropic medications were allegedly administered at Shiloh that Singh says gives her the most pause.

In child psychiatry, our practice is to start with psychotherapy, and to try to use resilience-based mechanisms to help children regulate their sleep and their diets and use exercise and other strategies before we move to medications, Singh says. The fact that medications are being used in this context is, in my mind, suggesting that these kids are experiencing very intense and very psychologically severe symptoms that are meriting pretty significant psychiatric intervention.

The ruling that psychotropics may only be used with consent simply brings Shiloh, and similar facilities, in line with existing protocols in medicine, Singh adds. Knowing the inherent risks and benefits of these drugs is important, Singh says  but equally important is ensuring that they are used only by patients and families who understand this cost-benefit analysis.

Why should these standards be different for children, or for immigrants? Its to ensure that the patients and families are informed about a treatment thats being provided, Singh says. Theres a difference between good medicine and good policy. One cannot make up for the other. In this scenario, even good medicine cant ameliorate bad policy.President Trumps top science and technology position has remained open for the last 19 months, but according to a report from the Washington Post, it might be filled very soon.

Reportedly, Trump is set to tap Kelvin Droegemeier, an extreme weather meteorologist from the University of Oklahoma, as chief of his Office of Science and Technology Policy, which issues guidance on everything from AI to climate change.

Heres what we know so far about the man that could drive science and tech in the US.

Hes A Meteorologist With Serious Credentials

Despite Trumps proclivity for choosing secretaries and staff lacking traditional credentials, Droegemeier appears to defy the pattern, having served as the Vice President for Research and Professor of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma.

Droegemeier also has government experience, currently serving as Oklahomas Secretary of Science and Technology, and previously as Vice Chairman of the National Science Board of the National Science Foundation under President George W. Bush.

Droegemeier Has Repeatedly Argued In Favor of Sustained Science Research Funding

Droegemeier has repeatedly stuck his neck out publicly for sustained science research dollars.

In June 2017, Droegemeier penned an op-ed in the Des Moines Register calling for bipartisan support for research funding the 2018 budget.

In October 2017, Droegemeier testified in front of the Labor, Health and Human Services committee of the US House of Representatives to argue against a funding cap on facilities and administrative costs.

The Trump administration has repeatedly proposed cuts to scientific research funding.

Drogemeier Has Previously Supported Trump Appointments and Republicans

Drogemeier has supported the Trump administration in the recent past. In September 2017, Drogemeier came to the defense of Representative Jim Bridenstine from Oklahoma, who was nominated to run NASA. He was eventually passed up due to previous statements on climate change to the House, where he said, Mr. Speaker, global temperatures stopped rising 10 years ago. Global temperature changes, when they exist, correlate with sun output and ocean cycles.

Story continues

Drogemeier defended Bridenstine, who he worked with crafting a weather-research bill, saying He probably regrets the way he said it Hed probably say it differently today. The statement shows a willingness to align with the Trump administration, while also illustrating a belief in publicly supporting the idea that the climate is changing.

Hes Got Bipartisan Support

In a Trump administration rarity, Droegemeier has bipartisan support.

Speaking to Science Magazine, John Holdren, who was a science adviser under President Obama, called Droegemeier a very good pick who will be energetic in defending the R&D budget and climate change research in particular.

Maria Zuber, VP of research at MIT, told the magazine that he will defend climate science, despite having solid conservative credentials.

While Droegemeier isnt officially nominated, or confirmed yet, he may make history as Trumps least contentious nomination yet. Luckily, all of this bodes well for the acceleration of Trumps space force.

More From InverseLOS ANGELES (AP)  Los Angeles police released video Tuesday showing officers fatally shooting an armed man and the woman he was holding hostage, marking the second time LAPD gunfire has killed a bystander in the last six weeks.

A hostage has not been killed by department gunfire in the last 13 years until the two recent bystanders, Police Chief Michel Moore told reporters.

A man held a knife to a woman's throat outside a church last month and witnesses said he began cutting her when officers shot at the pair nearly 20 times, killing them both, authorities say.

"This is another case where officers were forced to make split-second decisions based on the actions of a violent individual," Moore said.

Authorities said last week that a Los Angeles police bullet killed a store worker before a man took hostages inside a Trader Joe's. Moore had defended the officers' use of deadly force as an attempt to stop what they feared could become a mass shooting.

The police chief said Tuesday that he was concerned because the average number of rounds fired by officers during shootings had increased last year and the average number of officers involved in those shootings also increased.

The police department will implement a new training program and is exploring how to equip officers with other non-lethal weapons, he said.

In the newly released footage from officers' body-worn cameras, police spotted a suspect, Guillermo Perez, 32, holding a large knife and a metal folding chair outside the Central Lutheran Church on June 16.

They responded to the church that provides food and support for homeless people after a 911 call reported a man had stabbed his ex-girlfriend. She was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

"Drop the knife!" an officer repeatedly shouted at Perez, but he ignored the command.

An officer fires several rounds from a bean bag shotgun  which fires a small sack with metal pellets  but Perez appears to use the folding chair to deflect them.

Story continues

Perez walks backward and approaches a woman, Elizabeth Tollison, who was standing nearby. He dropped the chair and put the knife to her throat.

Witnesses told police that Perez moved the knife in a "sawing motion against her throat and cut her throat," Cmdr. Alan Hamilton, who leads the unit that investigates police shootings, said in the video.

Three of the officers then opened fire from their handguns, shooting 18 rounds total. Both Perez and Tollison were killed.

Moore told reporters that hostages' lives are a priority and recruits are generally taught to use a "precise head shot." He said an investigation will look at whether the officers' actions align with hostage training.

Video: Questions Arise After Video of LAPD Trader Joe's Standoff Released

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___

Follow Michael Balsamo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MikeBalsamo1 .SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The Latest on a court ruling on President Donald Trump's executive order threatening to withhold funding from "sanctuary cities" (all times local):

2:10 p.m.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice is defending President Donald Trump's executive order threatening to cut funding from "sanctuary cities" after an appeals court ruled it was unconstitutional.

Devin O'Malley said Wednesday's decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was a victory for criminals in the country illegally, who live in California.

He says the executive order was a legal use of the president's power.

The 9th Circuit ruled 2-1 that the order exceeded the president's authority because Congress alone controls spending under the U.S. Constitution.

12:45 p.m.

Two California counties are hailing a U.S. appeals court ruling that found President Donald Trump's executive order threatening to withhold funding from "sanctuary cities" unconstitutional.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said in a statement that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday checked the president's attempt to grab power he didn't have.

Santa Clara County Counsel James R. Williams said the decision was a victory for a key provision of the U.S. Constitution.

The two counties sued to block the president's executive order, arguing it could strip them of billions of dollars in federal funding.

The 9th Circuit ruled 2-1 that the order exceeded the president's authority.

___

11 a.m.

A U.S. appeals court says President Donald Trump's executive order threatening to withhold funding from "sanctuary cities" that limit cooperation with immigration authorities is unconstitutional.

But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Wednesday that a lower court went too far when it blocked the order nationwide.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick said in November that Trump's order threatened all federal funding and that the president didn't have the authority to attach new conditions to spending approved by Congress.

Story continues

The ruling came in lawsuits filed by two California counties  San Francisco and Santa Clara.

The Trump administration said the order applies to a relatively small pot of money that already requires compliance with immigration law.

An email to a spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department wasn't immediately returned.LAKEPORT, Calif. (AP)  The Latest on fires in California (all times local):

9:50 p.m.

A relative has identified one of the six people killed in a fire that destroyed nearly 1,000 Northern California homes.

Sixty-two-year-old Daniel Bush died last week as fire swept through the Redding area.

His sister, Kathi Gaston, tells the Redding Record Searchlight that her brother had returned to his mobile home in the community of Keswick last Tuesday after undergoing quadruple heart bypass surgery.

The Carr Fire came through the neighborhood on Thursday. Gaston said her brother wasn't allowed to drive and couldn't evacuate without help but she couldn't reach him because the roads to his home were blocked by sheriff's deputies.

The fire also killed two firefighters, a 70-year-old woman and her two young great-grandchildren.

Fire officials say the blaze has destroyed 965 homes, 16 commercial buildings and 397 outbuildings.

The fire has burned more than 176 square miles (457 square kilometers) and is 30 percent contained.

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7:40 p.m.

A third wildfire has erupted in Northern California and prompted evacuations even as hard-pressed firefighters struggle to contain blazes that have burned nearly a dozen homes.

Fire and sheriff's officials say a blaze dubbed the Eel Fire erupted Tuesday afternoon near the rural community of Covelo in Mendocino County and quickly grew to 1 square mile.

There aren't any immediate reports of houses burned but official have ordered evacuations for about 60 homes in the area, an old ranching and farming area on the edge of a national forest.

The fire is about 40 miles north of where twin wildfires have burned seven homes since last Sunday and threaten some 12,000 residences.

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4:40 p.m.

National Park officials are extending the closure of the scenic Yosemite Valley and other areas due to heavy smoke from a massive nearby wildfire.

The Yosemite Valley, the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias and other park areas closed July 25 and tentatively scheduled to reopen on Friday. The closure was also put in place to allow crews to perform protective measures such as burning away brush on roadways.

Story continues

Park spokesman Scott Gediman said Tuesday the closure will be extended "at least through Sunday due to continuing poor air quality."

The closures have been a huge blow to the park during the peak summer season and to thousands of tourists, who book months in advance at the parks campsites and hotels.

Gediman said it was the longest closure at Yosemite since 1997 when floods closed the park for over two months.

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4:15 p.m.

Northern California authorities say there are seeking help from the public locating six people listed as missing from the Carr Fire in Shasta County.

Redding Police Sgt. Todd Cogle said they have located 14 of 20 people listed as missing from a Tuesday afternoon press release.

He said at least two of the six people have homes that are still standing and at least one is a transient with no address.

The massive blaze, which is about 200 miles north of San Francisco, has destroyed nearly 900 homes and killed two firefighters and four civilians.

3:25 p.m.

Two summer camps near Yosemite National Park popular with San Francisco area families have decided to evacuate due to smoky weather conditions from a massive wildfire.

The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department said Tuesday it has temporarily closed Camp Mather, a campground for families near the park, due to poor air quality from nearby fires. The camp is scheduled to reopen Sunday if conditions improve.

Parks spokeswoman Sarah Madland said about 450 visitors to Camp Mather and 70 staff were affected, including 350 visitors asked to leave Tuesday and 100 who had canceled last week due to the air quality. All are to receive full refunds.

Camp Tawonga, a sleep-away camp for children west of Yosemite, decided to evacuate 300 campers and 200 staff Tuesday and also hopes to resume camp on Sunday.

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1:20 p.m.

The Environmental Protection Agency says smoky wildfires in the U.S. Southwest affected national air quality figures in 2017.

The EPA released yearly air-quality counts Tuesday showing upticks in soot and some other pollutants nationally.

EPA air official Bill Wehrum says officials believe the main cause was wildfires. California was one of the states experiencing record wildfires in 2017.

Wehrum says the smoke was enough to "move the needle" on national air-quality figures.

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10:30 a.m.

California fire officials say they are making progress as they battle several blazes burning in Northern California and that firefighters are focused on saving lives and homes.

Battalion Chief John Messina said Tuesday fire crews slowed the spread of one of the blazes into towns near Clear Lake, including Lakeport, a city of 5,000. He says the fire instead spread into the Mendocino National Forest.

Messina says fire crews focused their efforts on saving lives and homes and that's why only 10 houses have been destroyed by two massive fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties. No injuries have been reported.

But he told a community meeting in Lake County that people should remain vigilant because fires can easily jump containment lines.

The impoverished county about 110 miles (180 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento has been hit by several wildfires since 2015, when a wildfire destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least four people.

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This version corrects that the blaze is near Clear Lake and the city of Lakeport and that Clear Lake is a lake, not a city.

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7:30 a.m.

California officials say fire crews have made some gains against twin wildfires that are threatening several lakeside towns.

The state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Tuesday that firefighters increased containment from 5 to 10 percent of the two fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties in Northern California.

The wildfires have destroyed seven homes and have burned 116 square miles (300 square kilometers) of rural land.

Officials on Monday ordered residents of two towns near Clear Lake to evacuate.

The notice was for the towns of Kelseyville and Finley and brought the number of people affected by those fires to about 18,000.

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7:20 a.m.

A massive blaze that killed two firefighters and four civilians has now destroyed 884 homes. That's up from 823 homes previously reported destroyed.

California fire officials said Tuesday the wildfire burning near Redding, California for more than a week has scorched 172 square miles (445 square kilometers).

But fire crew have gained some ground and increased containment to almost 30 percent.

It is believed to be the ninth most destructive fire in state history.

More than 27,000 people remained evacuated from their homes although another 10,000 were allowed to return Monday as fire crews reinforced lines on the western end of the blaze.

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6:55 a.m.

Firefighters from across the United States are being sent to California to help crews stretched to the limit as they battle 17 wildfires across the state.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says firefighters from 10 states are already helping and another six states will send resources this week.

The agency says the out-of-state fire crews will relieve exhausted California firefighters who have been working non-stop for two weeks.

More than 50,000 people remained under mandatory evacuation orders Tuesday in Northern California, where a deadly blaze has destroyed more than 800 homes.

Another two wildfires burning about 14 miles (22 kilometers) apart are threatening 10,000 homes.

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11 p.m.

Twin wildfires in Northern California are threatening some 10,000 homes and posing yet another struggle for firefighters already stretched thin by a summer of horrific and deadly blazes.

The fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties have burned seven homes and forced the evacuation of Lakeport and small surrounding communities.

About 100 miles north, a fire that has killed six people continues to threaten the Redding area.

The so-called Carr Fire has destroyed 818 homes and 311 outbuildings. State fire spokesman Scott McLean says it's the ninth most destructive wildfire in state history.

Some 12,000 firefighters are battling the blaze. Fire officials say they're making progress against the fire, which is 23 percent contained.

More than 27,000 people remain evacuated.MEXICO CITY (AP)  The Latest on the crash of an Aeromexico jetliner (all times local):

7:40 a.m.

An Illinois priest is among those who survived the crash of an Aeromexico jetliner.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago says the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez suffered some injuries in the Tuesday afternoon crash, but is alert and resting. He is director of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Illinois.

The jetliner took off from the airport in Durango, Mexico, and smashed down into a nearby field. All 103 people aboard were able to escape before fire engulfed the aircraft.WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

7:55 p.m.

President Donald Trump is comparing himself to an icon of the Republican Party, Abraham Lincoln.

Trump asserted Tuesday night at a rally in Tampa, Florida, that he's the most popular person in the Republican Party.

Trump is telling supporters that he can be "more presidential than any president in history," except for Lincoln, "with that big hat." The president is joking that "Abe Lincoln is tough."

The president has claimed in recent days that he has higher poll numbers than Lincoln. But he doesn't mention that there were no scientific opinion polls in the 1860s when Lincoln was president.

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7:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump is railing against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, saying it's time for Florida to vote him out of office at a Tampa, Florida, rally.

Trump has maintained a steady presence in the state, returning frequently to his winter home in Palm Beach. He says the only time he sees Nelson is "five months before every election."

He said Tuesday: "After a while, you forget who's the senator."

Nelson is being challenged by Trump ally Gov. Rick Scott in a high-profile Senate race.

Scott didn't attend the rally but joined the president earlier at a roundtable event.

Trump says he wants to make sure Scott "wins and wins big."

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7:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump is delivering a hearty endorsement for Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis as he wades into Florida's competitive gubernatorial primary.

Trump held a rally in Tampa on Tuesday in a show of force for DeSantis, who faces off against state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the state's Aug. 28 Republican primary.

Trump is praising DeSantis as "a tough, brilliant cookie" and predicts: "He's going to be your next governor."

DeSantis also made his pitch to the crowd and thanked Trump for his leadership.

Story continues

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6:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump is telling students and faculty at a Tampa technical school that there has never been a better time to develop new skills or get hired for a new job.

Trump is pointing to strong economic growth and low unemployment at an event with his daughter Ivanka Trump, Florida Gov. Rick Scott and several other Florida leaders.

Trump is holding a signing ceremony for a technical education law he signed earlier in the day at the White House. He's presenting a copy of the law to the school.

It's his first of two stops during a day trip to Florida.

He'll be holding a rally later Tuesday to support Florida Rep. Ron DeSantis, who faces off against state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the state's Aug. 28 Republican primary for governor.

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6 p.m.

A handful of protesters gathered outside the fairgrounds expo hall in Tampa, Florida, to protest President Donald Trump's visit hours before his scheduled arrival.

One of the early protesters was Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Florida billionaire Jeff Greene.

He parked a bus with the words "Trump's worst nightmare" outside the venue Tuesday, drawing more than a few heckles and taunts.

He says he wants Trump "to see that not everyone believes in what he does here in Florida."

Another protester held a sign showing Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and brought a speaker to play The Beatles' "Back in the U.S.S.R." repeatedly.

The song mixed with the taunts from people in cars and a man screaming into a loudspeaker about Jesus.

Nearby, two men held a large Confederate flag.

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6:25 a.m.

President Donald Trump is calling the conservative Koch brothers "a total joke in real Republican circles."

His comment follows an announcement that the political network created by billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch would not help the Republican candidate in North Dakota's Senate race.

The group has warned that the GOP is not doing enough to contain government spending. The Koch brothers did not endorse Trump in 2016.

Trump tweets on Tuesday: "The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade. I never sought their support because I don't need their money or bad ideas."

He later added: "I'm for America First & the American Worker  a puppet for no one. Two nice guys with bad ideas."

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12:35 a.m.

President Donald Trump is diving deep into Florida's Republican politics, joining his preferred candidate for governor in a competitive primary.

Trump is holding a rally in Tampa on Tuesday in a show of force for congressman Ron DeSantis, who faces off against state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the state's Aug. 28 GOP primary.

Another Trump ally, Gov. Rick Scott, is joining the president at an event earlier in the day but steering clear of the Tampa rally as he prepares for the Senate primary. Scott is seeking to defeat Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in a high-profile Senate race.

Trump has played a role in several Republican primaries, helping candidates in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina in recent weeks with endorsements that underscore his influence within the GOP.ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP)  The Latest on special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and the trial of onetime Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort (all times local):

5:20 p.m.

Jurors at Paul Manafort's trial has heard details of the former Trump campaign chairman's lavish spending  nearly all paid for either in cash or offshore wire transfers.

The defense has argued that the illegal conduct alleged by the government was carried out by Manafort's associate, Rick Gates, without Manafort's knowledge.

But a series of witnesses for the prosecution testified Wednesday that they didn't know Gates and he wasn't involved in paying them for the millions of dollars' worth of clothing, expensive cars and home improvement work.

The witnesses instead testified Manafort personally directed them to be paid in wire transfers from offshore accounts that prosecutors say he hid from the IRS.

Wednesday marked the second day of Manafort's trial on tax evasion and bank fraud charges.

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3:25 p.m.

Prosecutors in Paul Manafort's trial say they expect to rest their case against the former Trump campaign chairman next week.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye says the prosecution is running "ahead of schedule" as the trial on tax evasion and bank fraud charges entered its second day Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III has been pushing the attorneys from special counsel Robert Mueller's to narrow the amount of evidence presented to jurors.

The government had previously estimated the prosecution's portion of the trial could take three weeks.

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3 p.m.

A witness in the Paul Manafort trial says the former Trump campaign chairman spent more than $900,000 on clothes at his boutique in New York.

Maximillian Katzman said Manafort was his only client who paid via international wire transfer. Katzman is the son and business partner of one of Manafort's high-end tailors.

Manafort is on trial on charges of bank fraud and tax evasion.

Story continues

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III grew impatient during the testimony, saying: "The government doesn't want to prosecute someone because they wear nice clothing, do they?"

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1 p.m.

The federal judge in Paul Manafort's financial fraud trial is trying to place limits on the court proceedings, warning lawyers not to roll their eyes at him or to introduce irrelevant evidence.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III pressed prosecutors to limit their use of an extensive trove of evidence, saying that some documents and photographs were not relevant to charges that Manafort tried to hide millions of dollars in income on his tax returns.

At one point in the trial's second day, Ellis also said he was told that attorneys on both sides had been seen rolling their eyes after leaving the bench or in response to his rulings. The lawyers' facial expressions, Ellis said, appeared to show them thinking "why do we have to put up with this idiot judge?"

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12:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump is invoking one of the nation's most notorious criminals in venting about the treatment of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort as he begins trial.

Trump, in the midst of an angry tweet storm Wednesday about special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, asked the public "who was treated worse," 1920s gangster Al Capone or Manafort.

The president called Manafort "a Reagan/Dole darling" and questioned why Manafort was in solitary confinement before being convicted.

Manafort is currently standing federal trial for tax evasion and bank fraud.

Trump suggested that Manafort was being treated worse than Capone, whose first name he spelled incorrectly. Capone, dubbed "Public Enemy Number One," was convicted of tax evasion.

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11:15 a.m.

An FBI agent who participated in the raid last year on Paul Manafort's Virginia condo is testifying on the second day of the trial for the former Trump campaign chairman.

Special Agent Matthew Mikuska told jurors on Wednesday that the FBI knocked multiple times on the door of Manafort's condo before entering with a key after no one answered. He says agents spotted Manafort inside after they entered.

A prosecutor showed Mikuska and the jury a series of invoices, including for home improvement work, that were seized by the FBI during the July 2017 raid.

Testimony is expected to continue after the morning recess.

Manafort is on trial on charges of bank fraud and tax evasion.

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This item has been corrected to show that the FBI raid was in July 2017, not August 2017.

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10:15 a.m.

The judge in the trial of onetime Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is telling prosecutors not to use the word "oligarch" to describe wealthy Ukrainians who paid millions to Manafort for his work as an international political consultant.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III says oligarch has a "pejorative" meaning and using it isn't relevant to the bank fraud and tax evasion charges against Manafort.

The judge also is cautioning lawyers for special counsel Robert Mueller that the term could imply that Manafort was associating with "despicable" people and therefore guilty himself.

In Ellis' words: "That's not the American way."

Ellis notes that wealthy Democratic donor George Soros or one of the conservative Koch (kohk) brothers could qualify as oligarchs.

Ellis' comments on the second day of Manafort's trial weren't made in front of the jury.

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10 a.m.

President Donald Trump says his attorney general should put an end to special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

Trump is making his views known in a series of tweets as the trial of his onetime campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, enters its second day in a Virginia courtroom. He's on trial for bank fraud and tax evasion charges.

The president says Attorney General Jeff Sessions "should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further."

But Sessions stepped aside last year from overseeing Mueller's inquiry, and it's Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who's taken over that duty.

Trump is trying to distance himself from Manafort, who led Trump's efforts to secure the GOP presidential nomination in 2016. Trump tweets that Manafort "He worked for me for a very short time."

Manafort was the campaign chairman for about five months in 2016.

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12:20 a.m.

Federal prosecutors say onetime Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort considered himself above the law as he funneled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts. And government lawyers are alleging that this money paid for some of Manafort's personal expenses such as a $21,000 watch and a $15,000 jacket made of ostrich.

That's some of what came up during the first day of Manafort's trial in Virginia on bank fraud and tax evasion charges.

The prosecution is laying out the evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Mueller's team. It's the first trial arising from Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia.

Manafort's defense lawyer describes his client as a hugely successful international political consultant who left the details of his finances to others.By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Animal advocacy groups filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to shut down U.S. President Donald Trump's board advising on federal rules for importing big game, saying it is stacked with trophy hunters and politically connected donors and cannot serve the public interest. The lawsuit said the "deceptively named" International Wildlife Conservation Council actually promotes the hunting of and importing of body parts from "imperiled species" such as African elephants, lions and rhinos. It said the 17-member council, created last November by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, violates a 1972 federal law designed to curb White House use of "secretive" advisory panels to set national policy, and should lose its powers and charter. A spokeswoman for the Interior Department referred a request for comment to the U.S. Department of Justice, where a spokeswoman declined to comment. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Humane Society, all non-profit. They said the council caused harm by inhibiting their ability to publicly debate and contribute to federal wildlife policy. Zinke, a hunter and former Montana congressman, has said the council would advise on the benefits of international recreational hunting, and how American hunters "benefit international conservation from boosting economies and creating hundreds of jobs to enhancing wildlife conservation." The council's mission included providing advice on removing import barriers for legally hunted wildlife, streamlining the permitting process and lifting unneeded import bans, as well as combating illegal trafficking and poaching. According to federal records, council members include Paul Babaz, president of Safari Club International; Erica Rhoad, director of hunting policy at the National Rifle Association; and Steven Chancellor, a Republican fundraiser. ((https://www.facadatabase.gov/committee/members.aspx?cid=2636)) The White House has sent mixed signals on the importing of big game. On March 1, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reversed an Obama-era ban to allow the importing of trophies such as elephant tusks and lion hides, extending prior administration approval for imports of elephant parts from Zambia and Zimbabwe. ((https://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/memo-withdrawal-of-certain-findings-ESA-listed-species-sport-hunted-trophies.pdf)) But it also conflicted with a Nov. 19, 2017 tweet, after the Zambia and Zimbabwe approval, in which Trump said he would be "very hard pressed to change my mind that this horror show in any way helps conservation of Elephants or any other animal." Trump's adult sons are also trophy hunters. The case is Natural Resources Defense Council et al v Zinke et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 18-06903. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Richard Chang and David Gregorio)BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's speaker of parliament Nabih Berri said on Wednesday that "procrastination in forming the government has a negative affect on the situation in Lebanon", al-Manar television reported. Saad al-Hariri was designated to continue in his role as prime minister and form a government on May 24 after the country's parliament elections on May 6. However, progress in bringing together Lebanon's rival parties to agree on the government formation, including the distribution of cabinet positions, has been slow. Hariri has said it is vital to form the new government to put Lebanon's fragile economy back onto a sounder footing. On Tuesday, a senior World Bank official said Lebanon's economic situation was unsustainable and the state needed to enact reforms. Hariri said last week he was more optimistic than before that a new government would be formed. (Reporting by Angus McDowall; Editing by Alison Williams and Raissa Kasolowsky)Yammouneh (Lebanon) (AFP) - The sun-soaked cannabis fields are just out of reach of a nearby army checkpoint. Its production is lucrative in Lebanon, but growers fear legalising its medical use could slash profits.

The remote territory surrounding the northeastern Lebanese town of Yammouneh is blanketed in the potent plant, harvested and sold by powerful families.

"All these red-shingled houses around us have been built with marijuana money," says a local grower, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid legal troubles.

Lebanon bans growing, selling, and consuming cannabis, but the underground trade developed over decades into a multi-million dollar industry pumping resin into other countries.

Lawmakers are now considering legalising its medical use, after the government asked consulting firm McKinsey to study if doing so could help bolster Lebanon's faltering economy as part of a broad reform programme.

But growers and distributors fear government regulation would eat away at their revenue, or see bigger corporate players run them out of business altogether.

"We don't have a problem with legalisation, but the primary beneficiary must be the grower," says Yammouneh's deputy mayor Hussein Shreif.

He spoke to AFP during a tour of the town, where many residents are involved in the trade.

Growers prefer the current "free market" system, Shreif says, because they can sell to "big traffickers to make 10 times more money".

"If the state gets involved, the profit won't be the same."

- Taking root -

Cannabis production blossomed during Lebanon's 1975-1990 war, and authorities struggled to clamp down on the trade after the conflict ended.

Security forces regularly bust attempted drug exports at Beirut airport and have even gone to the source, destroying thousands of acres of cannabis fields.

UN-backed programmes have tried to persuade farmers to switch those fields into vineyards, with little success.

Story continues

Cannabis cultivators claim that no other crop can survive the arid climate of Lebanon's eastern Bekaa.

"If you tossed hashish on a pile of pebbles, it'd take root. You see it on the roadside and on piles of trash," says the grower.

In Lebanon, cannabis is typically planted in spring and harvested in September, then sun-dried for three days, chilled and pressed.

Yammouneh's farmers say they sell their product to distributors at an average of $400 (340 euros) per kilo, more if it is of a higher quality.

Distributors then either sell to local consumers for several times that price, or export it.

In 2016, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ranked Lebanon as the third main source of cannabis resin after Morocco and Afghanistan, which are both much larger.

Lebanon's exports go mainly to nearby markets in Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, and even arch-foe Israel.

Some of those countries have legalised medical marijuana, which can be used to relieve chronic pain or anxiety, nausea among cancer patients, or symptoms of epilepsy.

While cannabis is usually smoked, for medical purposes it can be consumed in pills or concentrated oils.

A growing number of governments are allowing its prescription, including countries across South America, Europe, and most US states.

- 'Let us grow it' -

The details of potential legalisation in Lebanon remain hazy, but growers are already setting a few conditions.

"If cannabis production must become legal, it should at least be limited to areas it's currently growing in," says Jamal Shreif, another local official in Yammouneh.

"If someone buying from us now can grow it himself, then he'll stop coming to us."

Residents of Lebanon's Bekaa Valley are also hoping that a legalisation bill would come with an "amnesty" for more than 30,000 people wanted on drug-related charges, says the deputy major, Hussein Shreif.

The charges usually end in jail time, but earlier this month a Lebanese army raid on a high-profile trafficker's home in the Bekaa left him and seven others dead.

It came just days after Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced lawmakers were preparing to discuss legalising cannabis for medical use to boost the economy.

Lebanon's economy has been in a downward spiral for years, with political divisions paralysing the government.

The outbreak of war in neighbouring Syria in 2011 added to those woes, keeping tourists away and triggering an influx of refugees that strained services.

Public debt stands at $80.4 billion, equivalent to 150 percent of GDP, the third highest worldwide after Japan and Greece.

"If you really want to legalise cannabis, then let us grow it and export it," says the deputy mayor.

"Drug traders could close out the public debt in a year."

Lebanon is also ranked by Transparency International as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and cannabis croppers fear that will seep into their trade if it is regularised.

"They've stolen everything in Lebanon -- there's only cannabis left, and now they want to steal that too," says Jamal Shreif.CAIRO (AP)  Libya's coast guard intercepted three groups totaling more than 570 Europe-bound migrants, including at least 66 women and 19 children, in the Mediterranean Sea, a spokesman said Wednesday.

One group of 292 migrants, including 42 women and 10 children, embarked on the perilous trip for Europe on three rubber boats but the coast guard stopped them off the coast of the western town of Zawiya, coast guard spokesman Ayoub Gassim said in a statement.

Another group of 101 migrants on a rubber boat were also rescued off the capital, Tripoli, the coast guard said in a separate statement.

The coast guard said it had also rescued 181 others, including 24 women and nine children, in a separate incident off Tripoli. The migrants were on two rubber boats, Gassim said.

The migrants hailed from both African and Middle Eastern countries, he said.

The three groups were intercepted Monday. All of them were given humanitarian and medical aid and were handed over to anti-migration authorities in the town of Tajoura and Tripoli, Gassim said.

The interceptions came a day after the U.N. refugee agency said it is looking into possible violations of international law involving the transport to Libya of 108 migrants rescued at sea by an Italian-flagged mercantile ship.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Italy said on Twitter that Libya is not a secure port, making such a transfer a violation of international law.

An Italian lawmaker aboard a rescue ship operated by a non-governmental organization, Nicola Frantoianni, said on Facebook that they had proof that the ship, Asso Ventotto, was taking the migrants to Libya, calling it "a very serious precedent" if ordered by the Italian coast guard.

Responding to the suspicions, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Facebook Tuesday that the Italian coast guard was not involved in the rescue, which was coordinated by the Libyan coast guard.

Libya has emerged as a major transit point to Europe for those fleeing poverty and civil war elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East. Traffickers have exploited Libya's chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Libyan authorities have stepped up efforts to stem the flow of migrants, with assistance from European countries, who are eager to slow a phenomenon that far-right wing parties have seized upon to gain electoral support.The word deadline in the manner it is used today appears to have originated in Civil War times. It referred to the boundary  sometimes drawn in the dirt with a stick, I guess, I wasnt there  for prisoners held in the field. Crossing the line would bring dire consequences. They did not call it the firm-scolding-line.

Eventually the term softened, coming to represent the moment at which local merchants could no longer trade their goods  flour, molasses, gunpowder, etc.  for a situational lefty and international bonus pool money. Thankfully, nobody was getting plugged with a musketoon, except for maybe the guy with his thumb on the prospects scale.

A hundred-and-fifty years later, weve abided another deadline, this one drawn from the forehead wrinkles of general managers, they separating the rational from the frantic, the lock from the fluke, the good side of the line from the one where they end up in the dirt. Baseballs trade deadline is notable for its finishing pace, dissimilar from its routine pace. A game that every day of the season must be hustled along, the commissioner waving it through as if it were a drowsy teenager late for his school bus, goes feverish for a few caffeinated hours on the final day of July. Good for the blood flow.

Starting pitcher Chris Archer was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. (AP)

So, in those final minutes, Chris Archer of the Tampa Bay Rays packed for Pittsburgh, from one I-think-I-can franchise to the next, and Baltimore Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman was traded to a new start and career traction in Atlanta, and the Orioles continued the self-demolition by sending second baseman Jonathan Schoop to Milwaukee. There was no real crazy. There was no serious reach or retreat. Too much imperfection in the National League, perhaps, and too much inevitability in the American League.

As it happens, in order to understand where the game stands come the evening of July 31, it helps to check first with the Yankees. They were manning fronts that would determine the coming few months along with the years that followed, and while that still left them six games behind the Red Sox, which is the point of this whole thing, they were at least interesting, and potentially brilliant, and maybe not.

Story continues

Over not quite a week, the Yankees traded for left-handed starter J.A. Happ, right-handed starter Lance Lynn, who could wind up being a reliever or both, left-handed reliever Zach Britton and first baseman Luke Voit. It cost them nine players, few, if any, that would have an impact on the rest of the summer. They accumulated nearly $4 million in international bonus money. They kept a respectable distance from the luxury tax threshold. They aired out their 40-man roster. They protected their important prospects. And they appeared to improve themselves on the baseball field, the one theyll play on today, which is important too.

Where that left them otherwise was out on the larger gets  or potential gets  of the deadline period, the types of talents (at the types of prices) the Yankees typically chase and often acquire. The difference this time being a healthy respect for tomorrow, and so it was the Dodgers who acquired third baseman Manny Machado (and Brian Dozier), the Red Sox who got Nathan Eovaldi, the Brewers who added Mike Moustakas, the Indians who added Brad Hand, with the likes of Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler, Adrian Beltre, perhaps even Bryce Harper either not moved or not even being shopped, it gets hazy in those final hours.

(The Rangers, not competitive for a second season, held extended conversations regarding Beltre with, according to sources, four teams  the Diamondbacks, Brewers, Red Sox and Indians. General manager Jon Daniels was said to be asking for an impact player or significant relief on the remainder of Beltres $18 million salary. The Diamondbacks subsequently traded for Eduardo Escobar, the Brewers for Moustakas. The Red Sox pivoted toward pitching. That left the Indians, who merely balked at the asking price.)

If you count Lynn, the Yankees pulled in two relief pitchers, as they would, as relievers were at this deadline the most sought-after upgrades and the most plentiful. General managers like relief pitchers nowadays at fan-boy, personalized-shirsey levels. The only thing they like more than relief pitchers, in fact, is more relief pitchers.

By the Tuesday afternoon deadline, if you were a contending team and hadnt picked up a reliever or two it was probably because youd accidently left your phone off the hook. In the era of oft-broken starters who throw fewer innings, particularly come October, there becomes a requirement for sheer numbers, the thought being there must be a decent one in there somewhere.

Second baseman Jonathan Schoop joins a crowded infield in Milwaukee. (AP)

Therefore, bullpens are fairly inexpensive and can be built up and torn down and rebuilt on an hours notice. So, Seattle, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Arizona got three of them. Each. Hey, never know. The Braves, Astros and Cubs, like the Yankees, got two. The As got one, Jeurys Familia, from the Mets. Even the Pirates, a peripheral player in the NL Central, acquired a reliever in addition to Archer; Rangers right-hander Keone Kela, who has 24 saves and is under team control through 2021.

Funny thing about that, too. Two deadlines ago, when they were on a run of three consecutive postseason appearances, the Pirates were losing momentum, but still only three games out of the second wild card. Its a precarious position in a precarious game, but when youre the Pirates and youve gone a generation between hopeful periods, a few games behind with two months to play is cause for celebration, not surrender. The Pirates, of course, surrendered.

They traded their closer, Mark Melancon, to the Nationals. They, in return, received two pitchers  Felipe Lopez (who would become Felipe Vazquez) and Taylor Hearn  and a freefall into third place, 25 games out of first in the NL Central. Dark times were upon them again, along with the slow trudge back to relevance. Along comes midsummer 2018. The Pirates again are on the edge of relevance, 3  games behind the second wild card. Vazquez is an All-Star. Hearn is in Double-A, where he has a 3.12 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 104 innings. And, on Monday, Hearn is traded to the Rangers for a rising closer (Kela) who has 24 saves and wont be a free agent until after 2021. At which point, Pirates fans rejoice, or should anyway, it can be hard to tell. And now, six months after trading ace Gerrit Cole to the Astros for four players, they acquired Archer from the Rays for three. So, these things take time.

The Angels sighed and began their process for 2019, trading away their starting catcher (Martin Maldonado, to the Astros) and second baseman (Ian Kinsler, to the Red Sox), thus all but ensuring another October-less season for Mike Trout. The Red Sox are waiting on Dustin Pedroia. The Angels are waiting on relevance.

The Nationals sighed and kept at it. As the weeks passed and the deadline neared, speculation grew they would consider trading Harper, who, like eight of his teammates, can be a free agent at the end of the season. This, of course, would not have been wise, seeing as a decent week of baseball is all that stands between the Nationals and life in the NL East. And unless the Nationals have designs on surrender, Harper is one of the ways that happens. The Nationals really had no choice but to be stubborn, to believe, to stand on the side of the line nearest the musketoon, where the sanity more often resides.

More from Yahoo Sports:

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The head of Malaysia's civil aviation regulator resigned Tuesday after an official report found failings in air traffic control when Flight MH370 disappeared.

In a long-awaited report released on Monday, the official investigation team pointed to numerous lapses by air traffic controllers in both Malaysia and Vietnam.

These included failing to initiate "emergency phases" as required after the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board vanished from radar displays.

Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, director-general of the Department of Civil Aviation, said the report had found that the air traffic control did not comply with standard operating procedures.

"Therefore, it is with regret and after much thought and contemplation that I have decided to resign as the chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia effective fourteen (14) days from the date of the resignation notice which I have served today," he said in a statement.

Flight MH370 vanished over four years ago and remains aviation's greatest mystery.

The disappearance of the Boeing 777-200 triggered the largest hunt in aviation history. But no sign of it was found in a 120,000-square kilometre (46,000-square mile) Indian Ocean search zone.

In a 495-page report, investigators said they still do not know why the plane vanished.

They said the course of the Malaysia Airlines aircraft had been changed manually, and refused to rule out that someone other than the pilots had diverted the jet.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke insisted Monday that "the aspiration to locate MH370 has not been abandoned and vowed to "take action" against any misconduct committed based on the findings.By By Tim Cocks and Tiemoko Diallo BAMAKO (Reuters) - Fifteen Malian opposition candidates demanded on Wednesday that the government investigate what they said was fraud in Sunday's presidential election, which was beset by armed attacks and problems with the distribution of voting cards. No election results have yet been published by Mali's Ministry of Territorial Administration, the only body that can legally do so. But two rivals of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita already claim to have made it into a second round. Keita's allies say he is well ahead in the poll, which two dozen people contested, but have not ruled out the possibility of a run-off if he does not get the required 51 percent. Soumaila Cisse, seen as the strongest challenger, and Aliou Diallo both say they have enough votes to face Keita in round two. A statement from 16 candidates -- from which one later dissociated himself -- complained of a huge number of electoral cards being picked up the wrong people, open vote buying, ballot box stuffing, fraudulent use of voter cards that were never picked up and unfair use of state media for Keita's campaign. This was Mali's second presidential election since a 2012 coup enabled Tuareg rebels and allied Islamist fighters to take over the north, prompting French forces to intervene the following year to push them back. Suspected Islamist gunmen have relentlessly tried to disrupt the poll in the parts of north and central Mali where they hold sway. Armed attackers shut down 644 polling stations, representing about 3 percent of the total, on the day. A fifth of all polling stations suffered some kind of disruption, figures from the Ministry of Territorial Administration showed. Gunmen attacked a convoy carrying election materials in central Mali late on Tuesday and four soldiers and eight of the assailants were killed, a Defence Ministry spokesman said. European Union observers have raised issues about pour training of electoral officials and failure to follow the law in handing out ID cards. African observer missions have declared the electoral process satisfactory so far. Among opposition demands -- mirroring a similar call from the EU -- was that the government publish the names of all the polling stations in which insecurity prevented the vote from happening at all. The jihadists have targeted foreign and local interests in Mali, taken hostages and attacked security and peacekeeping forces over the past several years. That unrest is in the forefront of foreign policy concerns for France -- the former colonial power and still a leading business partner -- as well as a worry to other Western nations and Mali's neighbors. (Editing by Angus MacSwan)Joshua August, 25, was charged with assault, resisting arrest and criminal mischief. (Photo: New Castle County Police Department Mug Shot)

Police in Delaware have arrested a 25-year-old man they claim violently attacked an elderly Catholic priest on Monday with his fists, feet and a bottle of wine.

New Castle County police say their suspect, Joshua August, punched and kicked 74-year-old Rev. William Graney in the stomach and face, then poured wine over him before beating the priest with the bottle. He also reportedly sprayed a can of compressed air into the priests mouth.

August has been charged with assault, resisting arrest and criminal mischief for the attack at Wilmingtons Resurrection Parish, the police department announced Tuesday.

Church employees who witnessed the attack said it happened in the priests office and that they were able to lure August outside the church and lock him out. August reportedly struck the door multiple times trying to get back inside.

Officers received a call from Resurrection Parish at about 2 p.m. on Monday. The employees pointed out the suspect, who was skating away on a skateboard, and police detained him after a brief struggle.

The parish community is shocked and saddened by the assault on their good, gentle pastor, Robert Krebs, spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, told HuffPost.

Resurrection Parish, a Catholic community with 678 registered families, was founded in 1969. Graney started serving at the parish as an administrator in June 2004 and became the priest in June 2005.

Resurrection Parishs offices have been closed until further notice, and daily masses at the church have been temporarily canceled, Delaware Online reports.

Krebs said that he doesnt know if August was associated with the parish. He said Graney was trying to assist the young man with counseling.

The priest is in stable condition, Krebs said, and is expected to recover from his injuries.

We are thankful that Father wasnt more seriously injured and pray for Fathers quick recovery, Krebs told HuffPost in an email.

August is being held on more than $52,000 secured bail.

Story continues

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Matthew Bailey (right), 24, prohibited care assistant Molly Cunliffe (left), 19, from posting selfies on Snapchat - Cavendish

A man has been jailed for the psychological abuse he inflicted on his girlfriend who he banned from using Snapchat and controlled her Facebook use during a relationship that lasted less than a month.

Matthew Bailey, 24, prohibited care assistant Molly Cunliffe, 19, from posting selfies on Snapchat, ordered her not to swap Facebook and Instagram messages with heterosexual men and told her she was not allowed to put kisses at the end of social media posts.

Bailey would regularly check Miss Cunliffe's mobile phone, tell her what to wear and demanded she send him pictures to prove she was at home.

During a four-week romance, Bailey also bombarded Miss Cunliffe with calls - sometimes up to 30 calls in the space of half - and then falsely accused her of cheating on him whenever she did not answer.

During one phone call, Bailey warned her: "You'll get a car through your front window and I'll stab you in the neck. You know what I'm capable of."

Miss Cunliffe, from Bolton, Greater Manchester tried to end the relationship but Bailey then threatened to kill her family.

At Manchester Magistrates' Court, Bailey, from Horwich, near Bolton was jailed for six months after he was found guilty of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship. He was also barred from contacting Miss Cunliffe for five years under the terms of a restraining order.

The court heard the couple met in April having found each other on Instagram where Miss Cunliffe has 5,000 followers.

The pair went to Five Guys in Manchester for their first date, and Miss Cunliffe told the hearing: "We saw each other for four days in a row and at first he was good but he started getting controlling. On day two we became official - then the name calling started on day four. I felt quite devastated and upset.

"We had to meet at certain times, and I have to be up and dressed at certain times. He would ring me several times in the morning and would accuse me of sleeping with someone else if I didn't answer. I felt like I was trapped.

Story continues

"I tried to end the relationship three times but he kept saying he would change only to then threatened to kill me and my family."

Bailey's friends also called Miss Cunliffe telling her to "stop with her attitude" and during one flashpoint the jealous boyfriend threatened her with a pool cue in a pub after a row about him flirting with another girl, the court heard.

Miss Cunlffe's father John said: "I thought Matt was very forward and very over friendly and I wasn't too happy about the relationship. He was always on her and following her about and was too possessive.

"He would wait for her after a 12-hour shift outside her work and Molly went into her shell more and wasn't herself. She went quiet and didn't speak to us as much as she used to.

"On one occasion she came downstairs in an outfit and her mum said how nice she looked but then she changed because Matt said she had to change. I thought it was wrong and controlling.

"We went to a BBQ and he was taking photos of Molly texting on her phone. I felt angry. She showed me some of the calls and there were 32 in just half an hour on one morning.

"Matt rang my phone on someone else's number so I answered, and he asked me why had Molly blocked him. He sounded angry. I did not approach him but I told her she needed to end it and I let her deal with it."

Bailey denied wrongdoing and said: "It was a fast moving relationship and I thought her dad liked me. She got quite jealous about my girl friends and I would look at her phone to gain stability in the relationship.

"When she said I would ring her every day, I would ring to wake her up for work - we had a joke that she had a personal alarm clock. She had never said that I shouldn't call. She was always on her phone."

"It didn't bother me at first that she was on her phone a lot, but I didn't want to be in a relationship with someone who was always on their phone. "

But District Judge James Hatton told Bailey: "This was a short relationship which quickly became unpleasant. The complainant was credible and tried to end the relationship. She told the truth. Her father was concerned and described the change in her.

"The victim has experienced an extremely unpleasant time in her life. You were involved in domestic abuse almost through the whole relationship - you belittled her. "

Bailey was also ordered to pay compensation to Miss Cunliffe plus costs and surcharges of 735.

Related Video: Life After Domestic Abuse

For more news videos visit Yahoo View.Doctors have been forced to amputate a man's legs and parts of his hands after he suffered sepsis believed to be caused by being licked by a dog.

Greg Manteufel, 48, was exhibiting flu-like symptoms and becoming delirious when bruises began appearing across his face and body. His wife, Dawn Manteufel, watched the bruises grow as she rushed him to the hospital, later telling local news outlet WITI it "looked like somebody beat him up with a baseball bat."

Within moments of being admitted to the Wisconsin-area hospital at the end of June, Mr Manteufel went into septic shock. Blood tests revealed he had contracted a potentially fatal bacteria to humans through a dog, likely his own.

A representative for the New York Animal Hospital told The Independent that its "extremely rare" for humans to become ill after contact with Capnocytophaga canimorsus, which was found in Mr Manteufels blood. In rare instances, the bacteria  which can be found in dog and cat saliva  may cause infections when it comes in contact with an open wound or burn, while the majority of Capnocytophaga canimorsus-related illnesses occur through dog bites.

In fact, there have only reportedly been 500 cases of sepsis caused by Capnocytophaga canimorsus without a dog bite being found in the US and Canada since 1976.

A GoFundMe page set up to help Mr Manteufel and his family pay for prosthetics and continued hospital costs has raised over $30,000.

"During this process while his family and friends are in panic and chaos Greg has held his head high and is taking all the news like a beast," a description for the donation page read. "He is so thankful to be alive today and is taking one day at a time."

Mr Manteufel is a lover of dogs and constantly shows affection to animals, his wife said. A photo circulated in local news outlets show him laying down closely next to a pit bull with his head on a pillow.

Story continues

Its unclear whether the couples dog caused Mr Manteufel to contract the bacteria  hospital records indicated he was around at least eight dogs near the time of his illness. Nearly 60 per cent of dogs carry Capnocytophaga canimorsus, according to research.

One report published in BMJ Case Reports, which links capnocytophaga canimorsus to a cause of sepsis in the elderly, described illnesses caused by the bacteria as a "lick of death."

"We can't wrap our heads around it that all of the sudden, he's 48 years old and been around dogs all of his life... and this happens," Ms Manteufel told WITI.

Mr Manteufel remains in hospital and is expected to receive further surgeries which will remove parts of his nose.

Video: Mother Loses Limbs and Sigh to Sepsis After Cat Licked her

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP)  Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort personally directed millions of dollars in international wire transfers to pay for high-end suits and more than $3 million in improvements at his various houses, witnesses testified Wednesday on the second day of his financial fraud trial.

The testimony was aimed at bolstering the prosecution's argument that Manafort hid millions of dollars in income from the IRS and used the funds for a lavish lifestyle. The witness accounts were also intended to contradict Manafort's lawyers, who have signaled they will pin blame for any illegal conduct on his longtime deputy, Rick Gates.

The prosecution's focus on Manafort's personal finances  at times laid out in painstaking detail  underscored the vast amount of documents accumulated by special counsel Robert Mueller's team in their case against the longtime political consultant. But it also tried the patience of U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who repeatedly scolded the government's attorneys for what he said was excessive and unnecessary information.

Ellis, who warned prosecutors against using the word "oligarchs" to describe wealthy Ukrainians, several times admonished them for spending so much time documenting Manafort's extravagant lifestyle.

It's not a crime to be wealthy, he noted. And the pejorative term "oligarchs" and evidence of home renovations aren't necessarily relevant to the charges in question, he added.

"The government doesn't want to prosecute somebody because they wear nice clothes, do they?" Ellis said amid testimony that Manafort had spent more than $900,000 on clothing from a boutique retailer where he was one of only about 40 clients. "Let's move on."

Ellis even called out lawyers from both sides for rolling their eyes.

The trial is the first courtroom test for the special counsel, who was tasked last year with investigating Russia's efforts to sway the 2016 election and to determine whether the Trump campaign was involved. So far, Manafort is the lone person to stand trial as a result of the ongoing probe, even though the charges of bank fraud and tax evasion are unrelated to possible collusion.

Story continues

Still, the trial has pulled back the curtain on the former lobbyist who steered Trump's election efforts for a time, including descriptions of Manafort's $15,000 jacket made of ostrich and the more than $6 million in cash he put toward real estate. One witness, Maximillian Katzman, testified that Manafort spent more than $900,000 at his boutique retailer in New York. He said Manafort was the only business client of his who paid via international wire transfer.

An FBI agent described the July 2017 raid on Manafort's Virginia condominium, saying he knocked multiple times before entering with a key and finding Manafort inside. The searches described by agent Matthew Mikuska found expensively tailored suits and documents related to other luxury items allegedly bought by Manafort, including two silk rugs bought for $160,000 paid from offshore accounts.

But when prosecutors introduced photos of Manafort's high-end condo and expensive suits, Ellis interrupted so as to limit the growing list of evidence jurors would have to consider.

"All this document shows is that Mr. Manafort had a lavish lifestyle," Ellis said. "It isn't relevant."

On the term "oligarchs," Ellis said use of the word implied that Manafort was associating with "despicable people and therefore he's despicable."

"That's not the American way," the judge said.

Prosecutor Greg Andres argued that documenting Manafort's spending for the jury was important to the case.

"Judge, this is not an effort to prove Mr. Manafort lived lavishly," Andres said. "It's evidence of his income."

Ellis seemed to grow impatient after being told that attorneys on both sides were seen rolling their eyes after leaving the bench or in response to his rulings. The lawyers' facial expressions, Ellis said, appeared to show them thinking: "Why do we have to put up with this idiot judge?"

The proceedings clearly caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who defended his 2016 hiring of Manafort and suggested Manafort was being treated worse than mobster Al Capone. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president indeed felt Manafort had been treated unfairly.

"Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation," Trump tweeted Wednesday. "These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!"

Manafort's attorneys are putting the blame on Gates, Manafort's business associate.

Gates was expected to be the government's star witness at trial, but prosecutor Uzo Asonye said he could not say with certainty whether Gates would or would not testify. He later clarified to say that that uncertainty applies to any witness, not just Gates, as the prosecution team assesses the pace of the trial and the evidence it needs.

Asonye also told Ellis that prosecutors expect to rest their case next week, noting that they are "ahead of schedule."

Testimony was to resume Thursday morning with witnesses including bookkeepers and accountants.

Manafort has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the U.S. government.

___

Follow Chad Day at https://twitter.com/ChadSDay and Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAPDefence in trial of Trumps former campaign chair claims his deputy, Rick Gates, betrayed him

Paul Manaforts deputy, Rick Gates, had his hand in the cookie jar, according to Manaforts defence. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Donald Trumps former campaign chairman Paul Manafort put himself and his money above the law to bankroll a lavish lifestyle that included a $21,000 watch and a $15,000 jacket made from ostrich, a court heard on Tuesday.

As the old adage goes, just follow the money, assistant US attorney Uzo Asonye told the jury on the first day of the lobbyist and political consultants trial on 18 charges of bank fraud and tax evasion.

But Manaforts defence sought to shift blame to his deputy, Rick Gates, and attempted to cast doubt on his forthcoming evidence by claiming that he betrayed Manaforts trust and had his hand in the cookie jar.

The arguments were heard on the first day of the first trial arising from Robert Muellers investigation into alleged collusion between Trumps presidential campaign and Russia. Mueller was not present in the courtroom in Alexandria, Virginia, and Trumps name was not mentioned.

Even so, a pin could have been heard to drop as Asonye embarked on his opening statement. A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him, he said, as Manafort looked on without expression. No tax law, no banking law.

The evidence gathered by Muellers team would show that Manafort funneled more than $60m in proceeds from his Ukrainian political consulting through offshore accounts and had hidden a significant portion of it from the IRS, the prosecutor continued. It funded multiple luxury homes, fast cars and fancy clothes worth half a million dollars.

That secret income had been used to pay for personal expenses such as a $21,000 watch, a $15,000 jacket made of ostrich and more than $6m worth of property paid for in cash, Asonye said. He got whatever he wanted.

The US district judge TS Ellis III interjected: It isnt a crime to have a lot of money and be profligate in your spending.

But the evidence would show that Manafort had submitted false tax returns, committed bank fraud more than once and submitted fake documents or got others to do it for him, Asonye alleged. He had allegedly opened 30 bank accounts in three foreign countries to receive and hide his income. It came down, Asonye said, to one issue: Did Paul Manafort lie? He added: Paul Manafort placed himself and his money above the law.

Story continues

From 2005 onwards, the court heard, Manafort worked for politicians and oligarchs in Ukraine and received payments through shell companies. But when Manaforts golden goose client, the former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, fell from power in 2014, the money dried up and Manaforts web of deceit expanded to compensate.

Whatever role subordinates played, Asonye contended, the shrewd Manafort was the one issuing orders and was the beneficiary. Paul Manafort lied to his bookkeeper, he lied to his tax preparer, he lied to the IRS, he lied to multiple financial institutions  all in order to get and keep money.

The defence lawyer Thomas Zehnle said in his opening statement that Manafort had trusted others to keep track of the millions of dollars he was earning from his Ukrainian political consultancy work. He left little doubt that the defence strategy hinges on shattering the credibility of Gates, who also worked as an aide on Trumps election campaign and cut a plea deal with Mueller this year.

A courtroom sketch depicts Paul Manafort, seated in the right row, second from right; the jury, seated left; and Judge TS Ellis III listening to the assistant US attorney Uzo Asonye, standing. Photograph: Dana Verkouteren/AP

Rick Gates had his hand in the cookie jar and he couldnt take the risk his boss would find out, Zehnle said.

Manafort relied on Gates and others, including a professional accounting firm, to keep tabs on the money, he continued. Moneys coming in fast. Its a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it  Thats what Rick Gates was being paid to do. Again, the evidence is going to show you Pauls trust was misplaced.

Gates embezzled millions of dollars from his longtime employer, Zehnle alleged, and continued to make false statements even up to the time he pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate. Rick Gates, you will learn, violated one of lifes most basic rules: when youre in a hole, stop digging.

Zehnle warned the jury to consider carefully what motives Gates might have for giving evidence as the governments star witness. The foundation of the special counsels case against Paul Manafort rests squarely on the shoulders of this one person.

Zehnle disputed prosecutors claim that Manafort was trying to hide his earnings by storing money in bank accounts in Cyprus. He said this was the preferred method of payment of the supporters of the pro-Russia Ukrainian political party who were paying his consulting fees. Paul Manafort did not intentionally deceive or mislead the IRS about his income ... US citizens are not prosecuted for mistakes in their tax returns.

The government, he suggested, had rushed to judgment in bringing the case.

The first witness called was not Gates but Tad Devine, a political consultant who was Bernie Sanders chief strategist in the 2016 election and had previously worked with Manafort in Ukraine. The court was shown emails and invoices describing how both Manafort and Devine were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for helping Yanukovychs successful election campaign.

Devine reflected: It was a tremendous amount of work and I have to say Paul worked harder than anybody.

Manafort, 69, who has been jailed for nearly two months, looked drawn and stripped of the sheen of his public persona. He wore a black suit, white shirt and blue patterned tie and appeared actively engaged in proceedings, frequently conferring with his lawyers and making notes. At one point during jury selection he turned to give his wife a reassuring smile.

The trial is expected to last three weeks and Manafort has pleaded not guilty. He has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the US government.Yahoo Finance's Alexis Christoforous and Jared Blikre break down the latest market action as trading in August kicks off. Here's the performance of the Nasdaq 100 component stocks as of 10:30 am ET: AAPL Apple Inc 4.96% JD JD.com Inc 2.48% VRSK Verisk Analytics Inc 2.39% WDAY Workday Inc 2.06% MELI Mercadolibre Inc 2.10% NFLX Netflix Inc 1.76% CTRP Ctrip.com Intl Ltd 1.87% SHPG Shire plc ADS 1.55% KLAC KLA-Tencor Corp 1.35% ISRG Intuitive Surgical 1.48% MU Micron Tech 1.37% ATVI Activision Blizzard Inc 1.36% NVDA Nvidia Corp 1.34% TTWO Take-Two Interactive Software 1.35% VRTX Vertex Pharmaceuticals 1.37% SWKS Skyworks Solutions 1.35% REGN Regeneron Pharmaceuticals 1.28% BIIB Biogen Inc 1.08% GOOGL Alphabet Inc Cl A 1.12% PYPL PayPal Hldgs Inc 1.10% SYMC(E) Symantec Corp 1.09% FB Facebook Inc 1.09% AMZN Amazon.com Inc 1.00% STX Seagate Tech 1.01% MCHP Microchip Tech 0.96% MAR Marriott Int'l Cl A 0.95% EA Electronic Arts, Inc. 0.94% SNPS Synopsys Inc 0.91% QCOM Qualcomm Inc 0.87% NTES Netease Inc Ads 0.83% TSLA Tesla Inc 0.71% ADBE Adobe Systems 0.73% BKNG Booking Hldgs Inc 0.72% GOOG Alphabet Inc Cl C Cap Stock 0.84% MYL Mylan NV 0.67% CDNS Cadence Design Systems 0.61% MXIM Maxim Integrated Prod 0.65% ASML ASML Hldg N.V. New York 0.59% INTC Intel Corp 0.54% ADSK Autodesk, Inc 0.62% ADI Analog Devices 0.59% CTAS Cintas Corp 0.57% TXN Texas Instruments 0.50% INTU Intuit Inc 0.51% AMAT Applied Materials 0.45% CTSH Cognizant Tech Solutions'A' 0.52% QRTEA Qurate Retail Inc 0.42% EXPE(F) Expedia Grp Inc 0.47% CTXS Citrix Systems Inc 0.39% CELG Celgene Corp 0.36% BMRN Biomarin Pharmaceutical 0.40% AVGO Broadcom Inc 0.33% FOX(F) Twenty-First Century Fox Inc B 0.23% XLNX Xilinx Inc 0.18% ALXN Alexion Pharmaceuticals 0.14% FOXA(F) Twenty-First Century Fox Inc A 0.13% CSX CSX Corp 0.10% MSFT Microsoft Corp 0.13% GILD Gilead Sciences -0.03% LBTYA Liberty Global plc Cl A 0.11% ALGN Align Tech -0.03% AMGN Amgen Inc -0.08% TMUS T-Mobile US Inc -0.10% LBTYK Liberty Global plc Cl C -0.18% JBHT Hunt(J.B.)Transport -0.17% CERN Cerner Corp -0.21% WDC Western Digital -0.23% ROST Ross Stores -0.19% LRCX Lam Research -0.21% ESRX Express Scripts Hldg Co -0.30% CA CA Inc -0.28% EBAY eBay Inc -0.27% ILMN Illumina Inc -0.32% ULTA Ulta Beauty Inc -0.30% CMCSA Comcast Cl A -0.43% COST Costco Wholesale Corp -0.49% HSIC Henry Schein Inc -0.64% WBA Walgreen Boots Alliance Inc -0.56% CHTR Charter Communications Inc -0.64% VOD Vodafone Grp Plc ADS -0.53% PAYX Paychex Inc -0.71% ORLY O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. -0.79% AAL American Airlines Grp inc -0.73% CSCO Cisco Systems -0.76% SIRI Sirius XM Hldgs Inc -0.78% PCAR PACCAR Inc -0.84% DLTR Dollar Tree Inc -0.79% MDLZ Mondelez Int'l Inc Cl A -0.85% FAST Fastenal Co -0.92% HAS Hasbro Inc -1.01% KHC The Kraft Heinz Company -1.00% CHKP(HB) Check Point Software Tech -1.14% SBUX Starbucks Corp -1.13% FISV Fiserv Inc -1.55% INCY Incyte Corp -1.64% XRAY Dentsply Sirona Inc -2.00% ADP Automatic Data Proc -2.26% DISH DISH Network Corp Cl A -2.03% MNST Monster Beverage Corporation -2.32% WYNN Wynn Resorts Ltd -2.36% HOLX Hologic Inc -2.56% IDXX Idexx Laboratories -4.35% BIDU Baidu Inc -5.71%Original MTV VJs Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn, and J.J. Jackson. (Photo: WireImage)

Whenever I hear the Buggles Video Killed the Radio Star, I get goosebumps. I practically want to cry, every time. Every. Single. Time.

So says Martha Quinn, one of the iconic five original MTV VJs, as the history-making cable channel that launched her career (not to mention the careers of hundreds of pop artists) celebrates its 37th birthday.

On Aug. 1, 1981, Quinn  who was just 22 years old at the time, and had only been working at MTV for two weeks  and her new co-workers piled into a rented bus to go watch the stations midnight debut at a watering hole called the Loft in Fort Lee, N.J. The now-iconic moon landing theme music blasted for the very first time, the Buggles one-hit wonder hit the small screen  and the music business and pop culture in general were forever changed.

I remember waiting for a school bus. When MTV started, we didnt have a big budget at all  no budget for limousines or anything like that  so they rented a literal yellow school bus that drove the crew and VJs out to this little bar in New Jersey, because there werent many places that carried MTV. You couldnt even get it in Manhattan then. [Original VJ] Mark Goodman, I believe, took a limo, because he did not want to ride with these little people, because he was the WPLJ disc jockey at that time, which was a big New York rock station, Quinn said, chuckling. Anyway, as we watched the launch that night, we were all sobbing. It was the most emotional night. It was like having a baby being born.

While Quinn says she thought that we were onto something from the very beginning, it took some time for the rest of America to catch up with Fort Lee. Quinn, a very recent New York University graduate, even kept her day job at the NYU dorms for a while, just in case her MTV employment was short-lived.

The world was just not going along with us, she recalls. Everyone was against us. The advertisers didnt want to advertise with us; the record companies, by and large, didnt want to provide videos; the cable companies didnt want to carry us. My favorite story about that is, remember those famous MTV commercials that said call your local cable operator and demand, I want my MTV? Well, the reason that campaign started was cable companies did not want to add us. So MTV bought airtime, commercials. They had people like Pete Townshend and Billy Idol telling viewers to call their cable companies  and cable companies were getting inundated with calls. Then the cable companies would phone up MTV and say, Youve got to pull those commercials! So  we bought more.

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Eventually, the marketing blitz worked. All the kids in America wanted their MTV, and eventually, they got their wish. Quinn, the youngest VJ and therefore the most relatable to MTVs teen audience, soon became the networks most popular crew member and Americas shag-haired sweetheart  which, she says, surprised her, because she thought her fellow VJs Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, Nina Blackwood, and J.J. Jackson were the coolest people Id ever met in my life. You know how in movies like American Graffiti, theres always that little kid that wants to get in with the gang? That was totally me. I loved those VJs so much. And to this day, the four of us are such good friends [Jackson passed away in 2004]. We are family.

Quinn soon gave notice at NYU, and ended up working her dream job during MTVs entire first decade  making history with Live Aid, the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards, and countless A-list interviews. In a full-circle career move, she has reunited with her old MTV boss Bob Pittman, who hired her in 1981 after a chance encounter at New Yorks WNBC radio station; Pittman, now the chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, recently recruited Quinn for the iHeart80s radio station. But she admits to Yahoo Entertainment, People say to me, Will you ever have a job as cool as being an original MTV VJ? And the answer is obviously no. When am I ever going to have the chance to be a part of something groundbreaking and revolutionary like that? And you cant be a part of it on purpose. We didnt know that it was going to be revolutionary at the time.

Martha Quinn today. (Photo: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images)

Two years ago, when MTV hit the big 3-5, Viacom banked on the current 90s nostalgia craze by rebranding its VH1 Classic channel as MTV Classic, a 24-hour network that airs a binge-worthy loop of Daria, Beavis and Butt-Head, and Total Request Live reruns. But here, Quinn reminisces about some of her personal favorite true MTV classic moments, from the networks earliest days.

A very Billy Squier Christmas

Number one, my top, very favorite MTV moment is Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You,' says Quinn, referring to the holiday singalong that she and her fellow staffers taped with stadium rocker Billy Squier in 1981. If I had to go back in time and revisit one day, like if I could get into the DeLorean and go back to one moment, it probably be this. What you see in that video, it was recorded within months of our launch, and we were all so starry-eyed, such believers. We were rebels with a cause. Everyone you see in that video, theyre the technicians, the secretaries, the executives, the production assistants. We were all one big happy family, fighting for MTV. We believed so strongly in the power of rock n roll. And you can really see it there.

Three years later, Squier, one of MTVs early darlings, would release his polarizingly pastel, new-wavy Rock Me Tonite video, which many people  including Squier  claim destroyed his career in less than four minutes and 49 seconds. But Quinn shrugs, I dont remember that video being poorly received at the time. If I were Billy Squier, I would launch the Rock Me Tonite Tour. I would go out on tour with a giant huge bed on the stage, and I would come out in a pink tank top and dance my ass off. Because that was a super-fun video and a super-great song. I would just say, Take this, haters! And it would be a smash.

When Bob met Bono

In 1984, I had the opportunity to interview Bob Dylan. He said he would do it if we sent a crew to Wembley Stadium in London, and he said, I want [the interviewer] to be Martha Quinn. I dont know how I wasnt nervous. I was there sitting with him, doing his makeup, and I was completely calm! I would be way more nervous today, says Quinn.

As surreal as it may have been for 25-year-old Quinn to help a rock legend like Dylan apply 80s-appropriate guyliner, that wasnt the wildest thing that happened that day. After the interview, his assistant came up to me and said, Bob wants to know if you want to fly with the band to Ireland for their show there tomorrow. I was like, Oh my God, I dont have my passport with me! So I had to run back to my hotel in a cab and then race to Heathrow. The plane was waiting on the tarmac. I went leaping onto the plane; my head was spinning, Quinn recalls. And I flew to Ireland with Bob Dylan and his band and saw his show at Slane Castle  where there was a young kid who was in a new band and working for a local music newspaper [Hot Press]. The kid went to interview Dylan. And that was the first time that Bono ever met Bob Dylan. I was backstage and I saw the whole thing happen.

Aint talkin bout love with David Lee Roth

In my area of New York, where I grew up in the late 70s, you were either a fan of Black Sabbath, Van Halen, or Earth, Wind & Fire, laughs Quinn. (Interesting side note: The clearly well-rounded Quinn landed her VJ gig with an audition that consisted of her talking about EW&F for four minutes. And so when a chance to interview David Lee Roth came down the pike, I was so excited. All I could think about was everyone back home freaking out.

Quinn, who also confesses to crushes on Rick Springfield, Corey Hart, and other heartthrobs of the day (all of them, really!), may have kept calm and carried on in the presence of Dylan. But she was a bundle of nerves when it came time for her sit-down chat with notorious charmer Diamond Dave. She tried her best not to let him see her sweat.

We all know David Lee Roth is Mr. Jive Talker, and I was thinking, Im going to pierce through to his soul, and hes going to drop that facade and say, Oh my God, Martha Quinn, where have you been all my life? And we would ride off into the sunset, she giggles. You can see in the footage that Im not even laughing at any of his jokes. I was so intent on not being razzle-dazzled by him. Now I know that the best thing about David Lee Roth is his razzle-dazzling. So there was no sunset-riding for me and Dave.

But later, at the first VMAs in 1984, Quinn finally got a lovely moment with the goofy Van Halen frontman. I opened the show, and when I was leaving the stage, I tripped onstage. I remember there was an audible gasp from everyone at Radio City Music Hall, and I was mortified to the max, she says. I was so embarrassed. I could barely function. I couldnt take it. And being young, with every single person I ran into that evening, I would say, Oh my God, did you see what happened?  instead of just playing it cool.

I said to David Lee Roth, whod been sitting in the front row, Oh no, did you see me trip and fall? And he said, Ah, darlin, welcome to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You know how many times Ive done that? Thats what rock n roll is all about! He just singlehandedly pieced me back together and made me feel OK. So I totally did have my real, genuine moment with David Lee Roth after all. He was so kind and so positive, so gentle. Ive always been very grateful for that.

Quinn, a self-described rocker chick, also reveals that her favorite music video of all time isnt the above-mentioned network-launching Buggles classic, but Jump by Van Halen. At the time, in the mid-80s, storyline music videos were big, like A-Has Take on Me and Duran Durans Wild Boys, or really produced videos like Peter Gabriels Sledgehammer. And what I loved about Jump was you really got to just see the band. It was the pure joy of the rock n roll experience.

So, did Roth ever figure out that Quinn had a crush on him? Oh, I can imagine it was pretty obvious, she quips.

Under the cherry moon  in Sheridan, Wyo.

Another one of Quinns 80s crushes was the late Prince, whom she only met briefly  when she was bizarrely dispatched to a Holiday Inn in Sheridan, Wyo., to report from the scene of an Under the Cherry Moon movie premiere for an audience of elated MTV contest winners. Theres a video floating around somewhere of Prince where Im interviewing a contest winner and he walks up, and its so obvious that Im completely throwing myself at him, she groans. Its too embarrassing. But you know, thats when you do when youre young. (Quinn asked Prince, So how do you feel? His answer: With my hands, Martha. Now thats some classic MTV.)

Princes death was different to me from Glenn Freys or David Bowies, Quinn now says wistfully, in that he was really of the MTV generation. Purple Rain was ours. He was not our older brothers favorite artist. He was ours. That was a really direct hit to the MTV generation. Musing about other early-MTV icons who have recently passed, like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, Quinn says, It just sucks. Its like, No! Everybody stay here! I need to start sending crates of broccoli to all my 80s artists. Everybody needs to stay healthy.

Martha meets the Boss, acts like a boss

When MTV first started, so many of the more established artists, like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, were saying, No, we dont need to make videos,' remembers Quinn. Obviously, Dylan soon came around to the concept of MTV. And Springsteen did as well  possibly with some encouragement from Quinn herself.

I am pretty sure that I am responsible for launching the second phase of Bruces career  the career that got launched with the Born in the U.S.A. album, Quinn jokes. Because I ran into Bruce in a restaurant when he was recording that album, and he said to me, Hey, arent you the girl I see on MTV? And I said, thinking very quickly on my feet, Thats more than I can say for you! When are you going to make some music videos? And sure enough, he made videos. So I really think Bruce should be thanking me!

However, when it came time for Springsteen to shoot his career-rebooting Dancing in the Dark video, he famously hired then-unknown actress Courteney Cox to play the giddy fan that hops onstage with him for an impromptu, slightly dorky 80s dance-off. Clearly, Quinn would have been perfect for that role. That [casting] was kind of a knife in the back, if you want my opinion, Quinn laughs. Im just sayin!

Paul McCartney spills the tea

One of the reasons that Quinn and her fellow VJs were so beloved by the channels early audience was it was obvious that they were true superfans, just like the avid viewers at home. And even after a decade on MTV, that hadnt changed much for the now-seasoned Quinn.

In 1991, I interviewed Paul McCartney at Capitol Records in Hollywood, she recalls. Im a diehard Beatles fan, and it was the only time that Ive brought an album to an interview to be signed. And the craziest thing happened. He was drinking tea during the interview, and afterwards, I looked down at his teacup and I saw there was still tea in there. So I picked up the cup  and I drank it. I was like, I am going to drink Paul McCartneys tea. I dont even care if I get a bacterial infection! I am going to drink it.

And no one was looking  so I picked up the cup, saucer, and spoon, and I put them right in my purse. I still have them. Theyre behind glass, in a cabinet, to this day. And Ive never washed them.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

Follow Lyndsey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Amazon, Tumblr, SpotifyDAMBULLA, Sri Lanka (AP)  South Africa opener Quinton de Kock hit 87 to set up a comfortable four-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the second one-day international on Wednesday.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka made 244 for eight in 50 overs, with captain Angelo Mathews scoring an unbeaten 79.

South Africa then reached its target with 43 deliveries to spare. Captain Faf du Plessis hammered 49 in 41 balls with 2 sixes and 3 fours, while Akila Dananjaya took 3-60.

De Kock struck 13 fours and 1 six in his 78-ball innings and was named man of the match. He shared a stand of 91 for the first wicket with Hashim Amla (43).

Earlier, Mathews combined with Niroshan Dickwella (69) to help Sri Lanka post a respectable total after having slipped to 56-3. The two men added 67 for the fourth wicket.

Fast bowlers Andile Phehlukwayo and Lungi Ngidi claimed three wickets each.

Sri Lanka handed first one-day caps to fast bowler Kasun Rajitha and left-arm spinner Prabhath Jayasuriya, while South Africa picked an unchanged side.

South Africa leads the five-match series 2-0. The third game is in Kandy on Sunday.Les Moonves, chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

CBS Corp.s CEO, Les Moonves, has become the latest powerful man to be accused of sexually harassing and intimidating women whose careers hed held sway over.

In response to a New Yorker article outlining those claims on Friday, the CBS (CBS) board said its selecting an outside law firm to investigate the allegations  which include the assertion that sexual misconduct bled into other parts of CBS such as 60 Minutes and CBS News. (Moonves, for his part, issued a statement saying, I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyones career.)

In the past, companies were more likely to enlist their human-resources departments to probe allegations of sexual misconduct at the highest level.

Obviously, that presents certain conflicts, Minna Kotkin, the director of the Brooklyn Law School Employment Law Clinic, told Yahoo Finance. If you were the alleged victim of a harassment situation, you may not find the HR departments investigation particularly neutral  The HR divisions goal  is to protect the company as much as possible.

Its certainly a great revenue generator for law firms

Companies handling of misconduct claims has evolved in recent years and in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which gathered steam in October after The New York Times exposed sordid allegations against media mogul Harvey Weinstein. More and more, corporate America is looking beyond its own walls to probe allegations of misconduct  specifically, its enlisting corporate law firms with robust employment practices.

Of course, hiring a law firm can be expensive. Lawyers bill an average of $475 an hour, according to a recent report on the legal industry that averaged the rates of attorneys ranging from lower-level associates to partners with equity in firms.

Its certainly a great revenue generator for law firms, Kotkin said. But its a big expense for companies.

Mike Cagney, CEO, Chairman and co-founder of SoFi. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

The companies that have incurred this expense include SoFi, whose board reportedly hired the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell last year to investigate allegations of pervasive sexual harassment. Sullivan & Cromwell found evidence that then-CEO Mike Cagney used company resources to pursue a romantic relationship with an employee, several people familiar with the matter told The New York Times. He was ousted last September.

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Also last year, 21st Century Fox enlisted the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison to look into allegations against conservative TV host Bill OReilly before his ouster. And NPR, yet another news outlet whose higher-ups were accused of sexual harassment, retained Morgan Lewis to look into allegations against Michael Oreskes, the former Senior Vice President of News.

Its unlikely these companies will be the last to bring on white-shoe law firms to investigate such matters. Jackie Ford, a partner at the law firm Vorys who specializes in employment law, called outside investigations of sexual harassment claims definitely a growing area of interest and a growing practice for law firms.

I want NBC to stop fighting #MeToo within its own walls

One notable exception to the trend of hiring outside counsel is NBC, which enlisted its own legal team to investigate its response to allegations of harassment by Matt Lauer. While the network said it consulted with two outside law firms to review its findings, NBC faced criticism for using its in-house lawyers to probe claims of harassment.

I want NBC to stop fighting #MeToo within its own walls. I ask NBC Universal to retain an outside investigator to look into sexual harassment and any coverup of sexual harassment at NBC News, Linda Vester, a former NBC and Fox News journalist who accused NBC anchor Tom Brokaw of harassment, wrote in The Washington Post.

Matt Lauer Photographer: Larry Busacca/Getty Images

Companies may be able to avoid just this kind of criticism if they hire outside lawyers to investigate the most serious claims of misconduct. To be sure, outside law firms get paid by the very companies theyre investigating  but theyre more likely to be impartial than in-house HR departments or in-house lawyers, according to employment-law experts.

If youre really trying to get to the bottom of what went wrong, you want to hire people who have no axe to grind, no bias at all in the outcome, to take a good look at this and report back to the board, Melanie Leslie, dean of the Cardozo Law School, told Yahoo Finance.

Camille Hebert, a professor at the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State, called the move towards having investigations done by outside counsel a step in the right direction.

Even if an internal investigation actually is independent, the people who are telling their stories or who are giving information might not feel like it is, said Hebert, whose specialties include employment law and sexual harassment.

By bringing on independent lawyers to investigate, companies give accusers in sexual misconduct more faith in the process. These companies can also use internal investigations to protect themselves in the courtroom.

Under the law, employers that take effective remedial action  for example, hiring a law firm to investigate allegations of harassment  can insulate themselves from liability, Hebert said. And, as Ford, the Vorys lawyer, noted, this case law provides a huge incentive for employers to basically do the right thing.

For big law firms, the legal benefits of bringing in outside counsel also means corporate lawyers will continue getting work probing these claims  especially in a post-#MeToo era, when, it seems, well continue to see allegations so serious that they warrant an independent investigation.

Erin Fuchs is deputy managing editor at Yahoo Finance.

Read more:

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The tech execs who have called out Facebooks trust problemTheres a running joke among Major League Baseball fans. Just when you think it cant get any worse for the New York Mets, a new day full of new problems and new disappointments arrives to set them back even further.

The thing about that is, its actually no longer a joke when it becomes reality. For the Mets in 2018, their troubling reality set in a long time ago, and it has since grown to become a relentless and unforgiving force.

[Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues are open: Sign up now for free]

The latest low was achieved Tuesday. Not only because the Mets did themselves and their fans a disservice by not trading at least one more veteran player at the deadline to help build their future. But also because they capped the already disappointing day by losing 25-4 to the Washington Nationals.

For those scoring at home, the 21-run defeat was the most lopsided loss in Mets 57-year history. In fact, it was the first time theyd ever even trailed by 20 runs in a game.

How did the Mets manage to lose by 21 runs?

The game was over before the fans could even settle in at Nationals Park. Washington struck for seven first-inning runs against Mets starter Steven Matz, racking up eight hits in the process. Leadoff man Trea Turner recorded two hits in the inning, while five different Nationals drove in runs.

Washington would add three runs in each of the next four innings, running the score to 19-0. Thats when the football jokes started rolling in. Even we couldnt help ourselves after New Yorks pitching staff finally put up a zero in the sixth inning.

Chip Lohmiller's sixth-inning FG attempt was blocked. pic.twitter.com/mF082qF6Ap  Yahoo Sports MLB (@MLByahoosports) August 1, 2018

The Mets got one back on a Jeff McNeil home run in the seventh inning. Then something completely unexpected happened.

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Jose Reyes said earlier this month that he wanted to pitch an inning before he retired. He says he throws in the 90s. Welp, here he is, on to pitch in a 19-1 game.  Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 1, 2018

In a season where position players pitching has become a lot less cool because of how frequently its happened, Reyes pitching debut still stood out as a notable moment.

The 35-year-old infielder has always had a strong arm. He hit 80 mph with his fastball here, but he wasnt fooling anyone either. Washington added six more runs, with Matt Adams and Mark Reynolds each hitting homers.

The final line on Jose Reyes: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 0 K, 48 pitches. His velocity ranged from 49 to 82 mph. Reyes' career ERA is 54.00.  Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 1, 2018

Meet the Mets. Such a mess.

New York Mets starter Steven Matz leaves after allowing seven first-inning runs in a 25-4 loss to the Washington Nationals. (AP)

Why did the Mets not make a single deadline trade?

According to assistant general manager John Ricco, they simply didnt get any offers to their liking.

We were not going to move those players unless it involved considerable talent coming back in our direction, Ricco said courtesy of the New York Times.

That would make sense for their core players, such as Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaad. Heck, it even makes sense for Zack Wheeler.

However, its undeniable that the Mets are one of the worst teams in baseball, and its also undeniable that they wont be fixed any time soon. Keeping Jose Bautista around for example, does them no good. Granted, they didnt get great return for Jeurys Familia and Asdrubal Cabrera in earlier trades, but at least they got something.

On Tuesday, the New York Mets did not get better. Sadly, they didnt even really make the effort. Instead, they continued a steady decline into the baseball abyss.

More from Yahoo Sports:

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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A man accused of murdering a U.S. Border Patrol agent in a case linked to the U.S. government's "Fast and Furious" gun-running sting was extradited on Tuesday from Mexico to the United States, the U.S. Justice Department said in a statement.

Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, who is charged with the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, was sent to the United States after awaiting extradition for more than a year. He will appear on Wednesday in Arizona federal court, the Justice Department said.

A lawyer for Osorio-Arellanes and a spokesman for Mexico's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

U.S. prosecutors allege Osorio-Arellanes was part of a "rip crew" seeking to rob drug dealers along the border that confronted Terry and three other Border Patrol agents in a shootout north of Nogales, Arizona, in 2010.

Two AK-47 rifles found at the scene were later traced back to the bungled gun-running investigation of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that embarrassed the administration of former President Barack Obama and strained relations with Mexico.

Three other defendants in the case pleaded guilty, two were convicted and another is awaiting trial, according to the Justice Department.

(Reporting by Julia Love and Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)MEXICO CITY (AP)  An Aeromexico jetliner crashed while taking off during a severe storm in northern Mexico on Tuesday, smacking down in a field nearly intact before catching fire, though officials said it appeared everyone on board escaped the flames.

Durango state Gov. Jose Aispuro initially wrote in his Twitter account that "it is confirmed there were no fatalities in the accident," but he later said authorities were checking the plane's burned-out hull to make sure no one had been trapped.

Aispuro said 49 people had been hospitalized. He said some passengers got out under their power, and some even wandered back to the nearby airport of Durango city to seek out relatives.

The state civil defense office published photos of a burning but relatively intact plane lying on its belly in a field. Ambulances lined up at the accident site to ferry the injured to hospitals.

Officials and witnesses differed on whether the plane either fell shortly after takeoff or ran off the runway without really gaining altitude. But they agreed the plane was trying to take off during a storm, with some describing marble-sized hail.

Israel Solano Mejia, director of the Durango city civil defense agency, told Foro TV that the plane "made it off the ground, but fell nose-first" just a few hundred yards from the end of the runway.

"The nose took the hit. The most seriously injured is the pilot," Solano Mejia said. However, he said, "the majority of passengers left (the plane) under their own power."

Gerardo Ruiz Eparza, head of Mexico's Transport Department, said there were 97 passengers and four crew members aboard the Embraer 190. The plane has a capacity of 100 passengers.

The federal Transport Department office said in a press statement that the airplane "suffered an accident moments after takeoff," but gave no information on the possible cause.

Ruiz Esparza told the Milenio television news channel that "it was a big accident, the plane caught fire ... there was a very strong storm at the time of takeoff."

Aeromexico said the flight was AM2431 from Durango to Mexico City.

The web site Planespotters.net said the Brazilian-made medium-range Embraer 190 was about 10 years old and had seen service with two other airlines before joining the Aeromexico fleet.Aeromexico plane comes down in Durango after takeoff, injuring 85 people, two of whom are in a critical condition

An Aeromexico airliner carrying 103 people from the Mexican city of Durango to the countrys capital has crashed soon after takeoff, but all passengers and crew survived the accident, according to Mexican officials.

Eighty-five people were injured  some seriously  but Jose Rosas Aispuro, the governor of Durango state, said there were no fatalities among the 97 adults, two children and four crew members on board.

During the first inspection [of the plane wreckage] no bodies were found, the governor added in an interview with Mexicos El Financiero. We hope, God willing that theres no one there, no bodies.

A spokesman for the Durango state health ministry said two of the victims were in critical condition.

Aispuro later said at a press conference that information he had received suggested that after the plane had taken off, suddenly it was hit by a gust of wind that made it go down briskly and touch the ground with its left wing, detaching its two engines.

The aircraft was projected off of the runway  and fell approximately 300 metres [away].

That version of events  which he called a lamentable accident  would be confirmed by an investigation by the competent authorities, he added.

Firefighters douse flames at the site of the Aeromexico crash. Photograph: Proteccion Civil Durango/Reuters

Passenger Jackeline Flores said the plane crashed shortly after taking off in heavy rain. She and her daughter escaped from a hole in the fuselage as the aircraft filled with smoke and flames, she said. A little girl who left the plane was crying because her legs were burned, said Flores, who said she was Mexican but lived in Bogota, Colombia. I feel blessed and grateful to God, she said.

Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, Mexicos communications and transport minister, tweeted that 103 had been on the plane and all of them had been accounted for. The 103 people who were travelling on Flight AM2431 to Mexico City have all been located, with no reports of fatalities, Esparza said. Earlier reports said 101 people had been on board.

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One survivor, who had been sitting in Premium Economy and escaped from the front of the plane, told the website the aircraft had failed to properly take off perhaps because of its weight or because of the intense storm that had just started to hit this part of the city.



A second survivor, Romulo Campuzano, who is the regional head of one of Mexicos main political parties, said the plane had left the ground when the crash took place. The plane had picked up speed and had already taken off from the ground, from the runway, and suddenly the plane drops, I dont know why, he told the Televisa network. I felt two bangs, two very strong bangs and then the plane began to shake extremely violently, said Campuzano, the secretary general of the National Action party.

Thank God no lives have been lost, Campuzano added.

Aeromexico flight 2431 was carrying 97 passengers and four crew, according to Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, Mexicos secretary of communication and transport.



The plane  an Embraer 190  landed in a field near the state capitals airport at about 4pm.

The plane was taking off, Aispuro told Mexican television, adding that witnesses told him there was a bang and then without warning the plane was on the ground.

In a statement, Aeromexico said: At the moment we have no reports of any casualties ... We deeply regret this accident. The families of all those who have been affected are in our thoughts and in our hearts.

 PRECAUCION

Al momento se registro un accidente aereo en las inmediaciones del Aeropuerto Internacional Guadalupe Victoria, todas las unidades de emergencia acuden al lugar por lo que solicitamos a la poblacion abrir paso a las unidades de emergencia. pic.twitter.com/3jrvM18os8  Proteccion Civil Durango Capital (@DurangoPC) July 31, 2018

Durango state civil defense office published photos of a smoking but apparently relatively intact plane lying on its belly in a field. Lines of ambulances were waiting at the accident site.

We are working to gather further information and will provide more details when they are available and have been confirmed. Our priority is guaranteeing the safety of the clients and crew aboard, Aeromexico said.



Several injured passengers were able to walk from the wreck, according to the Sin Embargo news website, and victims were taken to local hospitals.

Speaking to El Financiero, Aispuro said he did not want to comment on technical details of why the plane might have crashed. But there had been a storm which had just gone by when the plane took off.

However, Santiago Lopez, a Mexican aviation expert, told Televisa it was premature and irresponsible to speculate about whether bad weather had played a role in the disaster.

LeBron James is being heaped with praise for his school for at-risk children that offers a remarkable range of services for students including college tuition and free bikes. (AP)

LeBron James joined the opening of his Akron, Ohio elementary school for at-risk youth on Monday, a project that was made possible through the LeBron James Family Foundation.

Obamas join LeBron James peers in praise for school

While students walked in awe of their new public school, James has been heaped with praise from his NBA peers and now former First Lady Michelle Obama for the program that promises job assistance for the parents of students, college tuition for graduates, meals and even free bikes.

.@BarackObama and I are so proud of @KingJames and @IPROMISESchool. Kids in Akron and across the US are lucky to have you as a role model on and off the court. Keep using your platform for good and giving our kids a chance to shoot for the stars.  #ReachHigher #BetterMakeRoom pic.twitter.com/hyS6UM2A7b  Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) July 31, 2018

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry may be one of James biggest rivals on the court, but he knows good work when he sees it.

Meanwhile, James longtime friends Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade publicly praised him for his remarkable community effort.

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.@kingjames CONGRATULATIONS my brother!!! You are a man of your word! Proud of you for chasing your dreams and in turn, giving the opportunity to hundreds of kids to realize theirs. #BiggerThanBasketball pic.twitter.com/WlhrUwyMli  Chris Paul (@CP3) July 30, 2018

This is using your platform! Mad props and much respect my friend @KingJames https://t.co/Em32rzqHBa  DWade (@DwyaneWade) July 30, 2018

As did brief former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Isaiah Thomas.

Congrats to my bro @KingJames on doing thing athletes really have never done before! You inspire the whole world killa. Keep it going as I know you will. Generation after generation going to feel this one! #RealOne  Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) July 30, 2018

James, meanwhile, made sure that the Obamas shout-out didnt go unnoticed.

James has received a lot of attention for his school opening and rightfully so. Regardless of your thoughts on him as a basketball player, theres no reasonable criticism of his community outreach.

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By Antonio Denti MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - The migrant rescue ship Aquarius, source of a dispute between Italy and Malta in June after both refused to accept more than 600 people it had picked up, will begin a new mission in the southern Mediterranean on Wednesday, organizers said. The 77-metre vessel, operated by Franco-German charity SOS Mediterranee, will set sail from Marseille on its tenth operation of the year, having already rescued about 3,000 people during 2018, many fleeing from the shores of Libya. "(The ship) goes back to sea this afternoon," Francis Vallat, president of SOS Mediterranee, told reporters. "If only one reason was needed, it is that during the month of June, according to the latest figures, there were seven times as many deaths this year than in June last year because of the lack of NGO rescue ships. We're going back." In June, the Aquarius picked up 629 migrants, including scores of children and seven pregnant women, off the coast of Libya. It planned to take them to the nearest European port, the usual practice with such rescue missions. But the then new Italian government, a coalition including the anti-immigrant League party, asked the ship to go to Malta rather than Italy. Malta said it was not the appropriate destination or capable of taking the migrants in. This led to a standoff that drew in the European Union and France. Political tensions have persisted between Rome and Paris since. Eventually, the migrants were taken in by Spain, which is now facing a renewed flood of people fleeing North Africa. The Aquarius is one of a number of NGO-supported ships that have carried out rescue operations in the southern Mediterranean, alongside the Italian navy and EU-led missions. More than 10,000 migrants have drowned in the region since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration. Italy, which has brought ashore more than 650,000 migrants since 2014, wants migrants returned to where they left from. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has accused SOS Mediterranee and other charities of acting like a Mediterranean "taxi service" for the migrants. Frederic Penard, director of operations for SOS Mediterranee, said there was no question of the Aquarius rescuing migrants and taking them back to Africa. "We will always refuse to disembark people in Libya," he said. "Libya cannot be considered a safe port. Everyone agrees with that for the moment." (Additional reporting by Maya Barkin; Writing by Luke Baker; editing by David Stamp)ROME (Reuters) - A rescue operation in which an Italian towboat rescued more than 100 migrants and returned them to Libya earlier this week may have been in breach of international law, the United Nations said on Tuesday. According to Spanish charity Proactiva Open Arms, an Italian towboat rescued 108 migrants from international waters on Monday and took them to Libya, their country of departure. This would constitute a breach of international law, under which migrants rescued in international waters cannot be returned to a place where their lives are put in danger. Both the United Nations and European Union have acknowledged that Libya is not safe. Italy's coast guard said on Tuesday that the rescue had taken place in Libyan waters, not international waters, and was coordinated by the Libyan coast guard. The Libyan coast guard was not immediately available for a comment. Proactiva spokeswoman Laura Lanuza said its members learnt the rescue occurred in international waters because their boat was nearby and they could listen to radio communications between the Italian ship and the Libyan authorities. A spokesman for the U.N. migration agency said it could not establish the location of the rescue. He said the agency was still investigating the case but confirmed the return of the migrants to Libya. The U.N. refugee agency said the operation "could represent a violation of international law," it said on Twitter. Migrants' charities are at loggerheads with the new Italian government and its right wing home affairs minister Matteo Salvini who wants to reduce the number of migrants arriving on Italy's shores. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Additional reporting by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)By Jason Hovet and Robert Muller PRAGUE (Reuters) - Europe's migration problems will be the top voter concern in European Union elections next May, drawing out a silent majority of anti-immigration voters, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said. Babis said the problems in the bloc's border-free Schengen zone were more urgent than those in the euro zone currency group. "Everybody is speaking about the euro zone, which is really funny. We should speak about Schengen," he told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. The issue will also affect the EU's executive, the European Commission, he said, adding that he found it strange that so many people want to discuss reforms in the euro zone rather than in the Schengen zone that covers most of the bloc. Babis, who favors the principal of free movement but wants a strong border around Europe, said the Schengen zone needed to be widened to all EU countries on the continent including Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania. A billionaire businessman, Babis has become the dominant political figure in the Czech Republic and easily won an election last October with promises to clean up and invest in the state, to stand up to Brussels and to fight illegal migration. The rise of his centrist ANO movement has come at the expense of traditional parties - a trend seen around Europe, where anti-establishment parties have gained voters tired of politics as usual or worried about a rising inflow of migrants. The EU has sought a common migration policy since 2015, when more than a million refugees, mostly from the Middle East and Africa, entered the bloc, putting a heavy burden on countries like Greece and Italy at the edge of Schengen. The Czech Republic and central European countries like Hungary, Poland and Slovakia have long opposed a Brussels-prescribed quota system to re-distribute asylum seekers. The idea was officially dropped at an EU summit in June, replaced with agreements to share out refugees on a voluntary basis and other measures to deal with asylum requests. Babis reiterated that his country will not take in any migrants as the Czechs were helping with manpower and money, including 80 million euros since 2015 to support migrant centers outside of the EU. POLITICAL SHIFT Babis won a confidence vote in parliament for a minority government comprised of his ANO party and the Social Democrats in July after receiving backing from the Communist party that had lost power in 1989. He has rejected criticism over giving the Communists a say in government again. In the interview, he said local Czech media exaggerated the issue with their "fake news". He said no foreign partners have raised the issue with him and added that the anti-NATO, pro-Russian Communists will not influence his government "because I am not afraid of early elections" in case they pull their support. Babis leads one of the bloc's most eurosceptic countries, with as yet no plan to join the euro zone which is still dealing with the aftermath of a debt crisis almost a decade ago. In the interview, he said ideas for deeper euro zone integration such as a common budget would further divide the bloc, which needs to reform itself and get ready for Britain's eventual departure. But he insisted that migration remained the defining issue for the bloc. "In my view, there will be a substantial shift after the European elections. There is a silent majority which will vote in an anti-migration way," he said. He said that countries like Spain, that are becoming migrant destinations, deserve attention. Anti-migrant shifts have already been seen in Italy and Germany. Overall, Babis said there was still a need for the EU to agree on migration policy. While migration numbers have fallen steeply since 2015, the issue remains in the headlines, with Malta and Italy turning away boats of migrants in the past month. "If the philosophy is that when the boat is coming, Italy is then asking several countries to take some migrants, this is not the way to solve it," Babis said. (Reporting by Jason Hovet and Robert Muller; Editing by Hugh Lawson)Mila Kunis knows a thing or two about the challenges that come with having politically varying in-laws. The Spy Who Dumped Me star joined the podcast WTF with Marc Maron recently and revealed that she had one blowup ahead of the 2016 presidential election with husband Ashton Kutchers family.

Its very hard, its different. I had one blowup  one  with one member of the family that I love so dearly, so very much, she revealed of Kutchers Iowa-based relatives, although she didnt name which family member she tangled with. And we both just so strongly, so vehemently disagreed on a specific issue that to me, is very important.

When asked what the issue was, she replied, Womens rights, which sounds so stupid to say, like, Oh but to me its important, but to you its not. I dont know why it wouldnt be.

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Donald Trump. (Photos: Getty Images)

Kunis said the family member couldnt acknowledge the effect now-President Trump (without naming him) would ultimately have on such an issue. To this other person it wasnt a question Like, Hes not going to do anything against womens rights. I was like, No, but he is. These are the things that will happen if he wins.'

And it just wasnt of a priority  not that it wasnt even priority, I shouldnt say that, it wasnt probable [to this person] that anything was going to happen, Kunis explained. Thats not the point of this, the point was something else. And I was like, Right, but by default this is the s*** thats going to go down.

Maron noted how people sometimes dont think two steps ahead.

Theres no rationale, Kunis remarked. Heres the one thing Ive learned. No, you cant ask for a rational Like, So, why dont you vote for Hillary? Cause shes a bitch. Whys she a bitch? I dont know. But then we cant have an educated  I dont mind disagreeing, you and I dont have to agree, but lets have an educational debate.

Kunis has made her political stance clear. In fact, she makes monthly donations to Planned Parenthood in Vice President Mike Pences name.

Story continues

I was always going to donate to Planned Parenthood anyways. I just then thought it would be funny, she explained of her choice. Apparently, people who oppose Planned Parenthood have decided to get back at her by donating to a different cause in her name.

So theres an address thats listed online thats not necessarily my personal address, but its listed as if its my personal address. And so then people started giving donations to the opposing side, which I didnt even know there was one, she revealed, without naming the organization. I dont want to promote it, whatever it is. So people just started donating in my name to them and so the mailbox of this one person who, its not my personal address, thousands of envelopes daily would come. Thousands! And you know what, in return Im like, at least Im proud of people for putting their money where their mouth is. Donate to your cause Im not mad at it.

Kunis has spoken out against Trump and his policies before, like his stance on immigration and his rhetoric surrounding the issue.

The whole Syrian-refugee thing  we came here on a religious refugee visa, and Im not going to blow this country up. Im clearly paying taxes, Im not taking anything away, Kunis told Glamour, adding, So the fact that people look at whats happening and are like, Pfft, theyre going to blow s*** up? It saddens me how much fear weve instilled in ourselves. And going from there to the whole, Hey, lets build a wall between Los Angeles and Mexico I dont even have to answer that one. Theres no point. Its a really great sound bite. And it got him far. Nobody should be mad at him; we did it to ourselves.

Heres hoping the Kutchers go with the old no political talk around the dinner table mantra during the holidays.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:Wednesday, August 1, 2018

What to watch today

On Wednesday, investors will have strong earnings news from Apple (AAPL) to help markets start August on the right foot, as the worlds largest company by market cap reported earnings and revenue that topped expectations after the close on Tuesday. In after-hours trading on Tuesday, Apple shares were up as much as 3.5% to north of $197 per share, an all-time high for the stock.

Wednesdays biggest earnings report will also come after the market close, when Tesla (TSLA) is set to report results for the second quarter. This report comes after what has been a busy few months for the company. In late June, Tesla hit its much-publicized target of producing 5,000 Model 3 sedans, though CEO Elon Musks behavior on the companys last earnings call and on Twitter since then has garnered more headlines than the companys actual performance.

And on the economic data side, the Federal Reserves latest monetary policy announcement, due out at 2:00 p.m. ET, will be the highlight. No changes are expected to the Feds current policy, which pegs its benchmark interest rate target range at 1.75%-2%, and Fed Chair Jay Powell will not take questions after the announcement. The Fed is expected to raise rates at its next meeting in September.

Read More

Top news

(AP Photo/Andy Wong)

US plans higher tariffs on Chinese imports: The Trump administration will propose raising to 25% its planned 10% tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports, a move that would ratchet up pressure on Beijing to return to the negotiating table, three people familiar with the internal deliberations said. [Bloomberg]

Tesla plans to invest $5 billion building factory in China: Tesla Inc. (TSLA) is planning to invest $5 billion to build a factory in China, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing a source. [Reuters]

Price of Pampers, Charmin is going up thanks to P&Gs shrinking profits: The cost of Pampers diapers, Bounty paper towels, Charmin toilet paper and Puffs tissues are going up as parent company Procter & Gambles (PG) profit margins get squeezed between rising competition and increased costs. U.S. families can thank higher commodity prices, shipping expenses and foreign exchange rates for the price hikes. [CNBC]

Story continues

Third Point seeks allies to put pressure on Campbell Soup: Activist hedge fund Third Point is meeting with some of Campbell Soup Co.s (CPB) largest shareholders to seek support for changes at the U.S. consumer company, people familiar with the matter said. The meetings come after Campbell Soup Chief Executive Denise Morrison unexpectedly stepped down in May, after the company issued a bleak forecast for the year and said it would embark on a review of its many brands. [Reuters]

Berkshire lends to owner of former Sears properties: Billionaire Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A, BRK-B) is loaning up to $2 billion to Seritage Growth Properties (SRG), a New York-based real estate investment trust that owns some of what used to be some of Sears Holdings Corp.s (SHLD) best real estate. [Reuters]

For more of the latest news, go to Yahoo Finance

Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, shows a plastic handgun made on a 3D-printer at his home in Austin, Texas. Eight states filed suit Monday, July 30, 2018, against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File)

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Like what you just read? Get the Morning Brief sent directly to your inbox every Monday to Friday by 6:30 a.m. ET. And feel free to share it with a friend!

The Morning Brief provides a quick rundown on what to watch in the markets, top news stories, and the best of Yahoo Finance Originals.Rabat (AFP) - Morocco's King Mohammed VI has sacked the country's economy minister, his office said Wednesday, after the monarch demanded "urgent action" on social issues in the North African nation hit by unrest over unemployment and graft.

The king decided to dismiss Mohamed Boussaid after "consulting with the head of the government", read a royal statement carried by official agency MAP.

The decision comes amid a drive to enforce the "principle of accountability that the king is anxious to apply to all officials, regardless of their rank", the statement said.

In a major speech on Sunday the king called for "urgent action" to address key issues, in particular health and education.

The speech was delivered in the northern city of Al-Hoceima which was the epicentre of the "Hirak" protest movement that rocked the country in 2016 and 2017.

The social unrest began in October 2016 after the death of a fishmonger and spiralled into a wave of demonstrations demanding more development in the neglected Rif region.

Morocco is marked by glaring social and territorial inequalities, against a backdrop of high unemployment among young people.

In 2017, it was ranked 123 out of 188 countries on the UN's Human Development Index.YANGON, Myanmar (AP)  Flooding in Myanmar has killed 12 people and forced more than 132,000 others to take shelter at nearly 300 temporary camps, a report said Wednesday.

The state newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar cited the National Natural Disaster Management Committee as saying the highest death toll was in Bago region north of Yangon, where four people died and more than 94,000 others took refuge in 186 camps.

It said torrential rains and strong winds destroyed some bridges and forced people to flee their homes in low-lying areas. Roads were cut by flooding in some areas, although a major highway that had been blocked for several days was reopened Tuesday as the floodwaters receded, it said.

In an interview with the newspaper, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Win Myat Aye said there were not enough relief camps, resulting in overcrowding and problems with sanitation. He said people would have to stay in the camps for a week to 10 days.

His ministry has spent more than 554 million kyat ($380,000) on aid for the flood victims and compensation for the families of those that died, the newspaper said.

Seasonal heavy rains have caused serious flooding in other Southeast Asian nations as well. A dam at a hydroelectric project in Laos was breached last week, forcing thousands of people from their homes. Official figures on the number of dead ranged from 11 to 27, with more than 100 still missing.News that North Korea appears to be building more intercontinental missiles does not necessarily mean negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang are headed for trouble, experts said Tuesday.

Just weeks after President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met at a high-stakes summit in Singapore, officials told the Washington Post that Pyongyang seems to be developing at least one or two liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The work is underway at a factory outside Pyongyang in Sanumdong, where scientists produced the North's first ICBMs capable of reaching the United States.

Pentagon officials said they would not comment on intelligence matters, though the leaked assessment comes after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo publicly said last week that Pyongyang is still making nuclear fissile material.

Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest, a conservative think tank in Washington, said the developments should not be surprising, as North Korea is merely following through on what Kim had said he was going to do during a speech in January.

"I'm not shocked at all," Kazianis told AFP.

Kim "put it in black and white: the North Koreans are going to mass produce missiles and nuclear weapons."

Following the summit in June, Trump had declared that Pyongyang was "no longer a Nuclear Threat," but Kim did not publicly promise to end work at the country's nuclear and missile facilities.

Instead, he spoke of committing to "work toward" eventual denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and importantly, did not make any commitment to unilaterally disarm.

Joel Wit, founder of the respected 38 North organization that monitors North Korea, noted it is not uncommon for a country to continue producing weapons up until the very moment an actual deal is signed.

The Trump-Kim summit yielded a joint statement, but no binding deal.

"When you're engaged in this kind of negotiation ... countries just don't stop everything and wait to see how the negotiation turns out," Wit told AFP.

Story continues

"They continue their normal programs until there's some final result. And that's what's going on here."

- Policy 'failure' -

According to the Post, senior North Korean officials may be trying to deceive Washington about their nuclear and missile capabilities.

Vipin Narang, a professor in security studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said Kim is not cheating, merely taking advantage of a lack of concrete commitments.

"It is Kim doing exactly what he said he was going to do. And we have not yet offered him anything to incentivize a production freeze. It isn't Kim being duplicitous. It is a continued failure of US policy," Narang wrote on Twitter.

Still, North Korea has taken some actions since the summit, including the repatriation of dozens of sets of remains from Western soldiers killed during the Korean War.

And new satellite imagery from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station on North Korea's west coast suggests workers are dismantling an engine test stand, in line with a promise made to Trump.

Critics caution the move is largely symbolic, since the facility can easily be rebuilt.

For longtime Korea watcher Wit, the United States has started down a promising path with Pyongyang, but it needs to urgently follow up.

"We are in serious danger of stalling and to me that's the main challenge now," he said.

"We're not really following up in a concerted way on the summit. I mean we should already have real negotiations on the issues with people ... working on a detailed agreement."

Bruce Bennett, a senior Rand Corporation researcher, said North Korea's recent moves are a way pressuring Washington for sanctions concessions.

"North Korea knows that we're watching," Bennett told AFP.

They are trying to force a "compromise in a way that would convince them that they should stop their production."

A senior State Department official said Tuesday that Pompeo will urge Asian countries at a meeting in Singapore this weekend to enforce UN sanctions on North Korea.

The official did not rule out a one-on-one meeting between Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart on commitments made during the historic June 12 summit.The remains of foreign soldiers returned by North Korea last week are likely to be American, an official at the US agency that deals with troops missing in action said Wednesday, as a US military aircraft prepared to repatriate the cases to Hawaii.

Last week Pyongyang returned 55 cases of remains from the 1950-53 Korean War, in line with an agreement between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at their summit in Singapore in June.

The process of identification could take years, according to experts. But John Byrd, director of scientific analysis at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), said preliminary findings suggested that "they are likely to be American remains".

"The remains are consistent with remains we have recovered in North Korea... in the past," Byrd told reporters at the Osan US Air Base in South Korea. The cases have been kept there since Friday, awaiting their repatriation to Hawaii for further forensic analysis.

"There's no reason at this point to doubt that they do relate to Korean War losses," he added.

Around 500 officials from the United Nations Command (UNC), the United States and South Korea attended a formal repatriation ceremony at the airbase Wednesday.

The cases, each draped with a white and blue UN flag, were lined up in rows as the ceremony got under way.

"The Korean War fallen have never been forgotten by the United States of America," the UNC said in a statement.

"UNC never leaves troops behind, living or deceased, and will continue the mission of repatriation until every service member returns home," it added.

After the ceremony uniformed soldiers carefully deposited each case into a C-17 cargo plane.

Byrd told reporters that "there was a single dog tag (US soldier's identity tag) provided with the remains."

"The family of that individual has been notified," he said.

"But I would caution... that it's not necessarily the case that the dog tag goes with the remains... in the box," he added, underscoring the challenges of identifying the recovered remains.

Story continues

The returned material also included military hardware and uniforms, including helmets, water bottles and boots, he said.

- DNA, bones, dental records -

Former DPAA official Jeong Yang-seung, who previously worked on identifying US remains from the North, said it was unusual to locate dog tags during the search and recovery process.

"It's once in a blue moon that dog tags are recovered," Jeong, now professor of forensic anthropology at the Middle Tennessee State University, told AFP.

"I don't think North Korea is refusing to give dog tags when it has more but it probably doesn't have dog tags lying around," he said.

"So when... only one dog tag was provided, it's probably not to tease the US but rather that it was sent because it could offer clues to the remains."

DNA analysis, skeletal studies of bones, dental records as well as details of where the remains were found play a key role in such investigations, he said.

"It's a very thorough process with many, many procedures so it takes a long time," he said.

"If it's identified quickly, it would be around five to six months, but if not, it could take decades."

More than 35,000 Americans were killed on the Korean Peninsula during the war and around 7,700 of them are still considered missing, including 5,300 in North Korea alone.

Between 1990 and 2005 229 sets of remains from the North were repatriated, but those operations were suspended when ties worsened over Pyongyang's banned nuclear weapons programme.Kris Osborn

Security,

The Navy expects that new weapons and sensors will better enable the ship to destroy swarming small boat attacks, support carrier strike groups, conduct dis-aggregated operations, attack enemies with an over-the-horizon missile and engage in advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare, service statements specify.

The Navy Is Moving Fast to Build a New Frigate. Here Is What We Know.

Designs for the ship no longer merely envision a more "survivable" variant of an LCS. Previous FFG(X) requirements analyses conducted by a Navy Frigate Requirements Evaluation Team examined the feasibility of making the ship even more lethal and survivable than what previous plans had called for, Navy officials said.

The Navy is now strengthening and extending conceptual design deals with shipbuilders tasked with refining structures and presenting options for a new Navy multi-mission Guided Missile Frigate - slated to be ready for open warfare on the world's oceans by the mid 2020s.

Navy envisions the Frigate, FFG(X), able to sense enemy targets from great distances, fire next-generation precision weaponry, utilize new networking and ISR technologies, operate unmanned systems and succeed against technically advanced enemies in open or blue water combat, according to service statements.

Earlier this year, Naval Sea Systems Command chose five shipbuilders to advance designs and technologies for the ship, awarding development deals to General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Austal USA, Huntington Ingalls, Marinette Marine Corporation and Lockheed Martin.

The service has now modified these existing deals, first announced in February, to enable the shipbuilders to continue their conceptual design work and "mature their proposed ship design to meet the FFG(X) System Specification," according to the deal modifications.

The Navy expects that new weapons and sensors will better enable the ship to destroy swarming small boat attacks, support carrier strike groups, conduct dis-aggregated operations, attack enemies with an over-the-horizon missile and engage in advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare, service statements specify.

Story continues

"These Conceptual Design awards will reduce FFG(X) risk by enabling industry to mature their designs to meet the approved FFG(X) capability requirements. The Navy has not changed its FFG(X) capability requirements," Alan Baribeau, spokesman for Naval Sea Service Command, told Warrior Maven.

The Navy hopes to expedite development to award a production contract in 2020 and ultimately deploy the new ship in the early to mid-2020s. For this reason, bidders were required to submit designs that have been demonstrated at sea and already paired with a shipyard for rapid production, according to the previous service solicitation.

"The Conceptual Design effort will inform the final specifications that will be used for the Detail Design and Construction Request for Proposal that will deliver the required capability for FFG(X)," the Navy's contract announcement said.

Service developers seem to be heavily emphasizing sensor networking, weapons integration and targeting technology as it navigates this next phase of development.

The FFG(X) small surface combatant will expand blue force sensor and weapon influence to provide increased information to the overall fleet tactical picture while challenging adversary Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (ISR&T) efforts, Naval Sea Systems Command FFG(X) documents said.

The blue force sensor language is explained by Navy developers as integral to the Navys Distributed Maritime Operations Concept which, as evidenced by its name, seeks to enable a more dispersed and networked attack fleet suited for dis-aggregated operations as needed.

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Also, by extension, longer range sensors will be needed to identify enemy attackers now equipped with long-range precision strike weapons and enable command and control across vast distances of open water and coastal patrol areas.

The Navy vision for the ship further specifies this, saying the FFG(X) will be capable of establishing a local sensor network using passive onboard sensors, embarked aircraft and elevated/tethered systems and unmanned vehicles to gather information and then act as a gateway to the fleet tactical grid using resilient communications systems and networks.

Along these lines, the Navy's FFG(X) Request for Proposal identifies a need for a netted sensor technology called Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC).

CEC is an integral aspect of key emerging ship-defense technologies aimed at netting sensors and radar technologies in order to better identify and destroy approaching threats such as anti-ship missiles, drones and enemy aircraft.

CEC is a sensor netting system that significantly improves battle force anti-air warfare capability by extracting and distributing sensor-derived information such that the superset of this data is available to all participating CEC units, a Raytheon statement said.

Current analysis is no longer restricted to the idea of loosely basing the "hull design" upon the LCS, as was previously the case, Navy officials say.

Designs for the ship no longer merely envision a more "survivable" variant of an LCS. Previous FFG(X) requirements analyses conducted by a Navy Frigate Requirements Evaluation Team examined the feasibility of making the ship even more lethal and survivable than what previous plans had called for, Navy officials said.

Existing plans for the Frigate have considered "space armor" configurations, a method of segmenting and strengthening ship armor in specified segments to enable the ship to continue operations in the event that one area is damaged by enemy attack. Discussions for Frigate technologies have included plans for an MH-60R helicopter, Fire Scout drone and ship defense technologies such as SeaRAM.

The Navy already plans for the new Frigate to be integrated with anti-submarine surface warfare technologies including sonar, an over-the-horizon missile and surface-to-surface weapons, which could include a 30mm gun and closer-in missiles such as the HELLFIRE. An over-the-horizon missile chosen by the Navy for the LCS is the Naval Strike Missile by Kongsberg-Raytheon.

Navy plans for the FFG(X) also call for advanced electronic warfare tech along with both variable depth and lightweight sonar systems.

The new ship may also have seven 11-meter Rigid Inflatable Boats for short combat or expeditionary missions such as visiting, searching and boarding other ships.

In addition, Navy developers explain that the ship will be configured in whats called a modular fashion, meaning it will be engineered to accept and integrate new technologies and weapons as they emerge. It certainly seems realistic that a new, even more survivable Frigate might be engineered with an additional capacity for on-board electrical power such that it can accommodate stronger laser weapons as they become available.

The Navys Distributed Maritime Operations Concept builds upon the Navys much-discussed distributed lethality strategy. This strategic approach, in development for several years now, emphasizes the need to more fully arm the fleet with offensive and defensive weapons and disperse forces as needed to respond to fast-emerging near-peer threats.

Part of the rationale is to move back toward open or blue water combat capability against near peer competitors emphasized during the Cold War. While the strategic and tactical capability never disappeared, it was emphasized less during the last 10-plus years of ground wars wherein the Navy focused on counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and things like Visit Board Search and Seizure. These missions are, of course, still important, however the Navy seeks to substantially increases its offensive lethality in order to deter or be effective against emerging high-tech adversaries.

Having longer-range or over-the-horizon ship and air-launched weapons is also quite relevant to the distributed portion of the strategy which calls for the fleet to have an ability to disperse as needed. Having an ability to spread out and conduct dis-aggregated operations makes Navy forces less vulnerable to enemy firepower while. At the same time, have long-range precision-strike capability will enable the Navy to hold potential enemies at risk or attack if needed while retaining safer stand-off distance from incoming enemy fire.

This first appeared in Warrior Maven here.

Read full articleThousands of people marched in Managua on July 28 in support of the Conferencia Episcopal de Nicaragua (CEN), or Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference, and in protest of the violence they say is perpetuated by President Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas.

The CEN represents the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, a predominantly Catholic country, and has recently been at odds with Ortega and his supporters, who accuse churches of harboring and providing aid to terrorist anti-government protesters.

These videos show people marching with Nicaraguan flags and signs thanking the bishops for standing with the community. Credit: Bayardo Aguila via StoryfulCars That Are Shockingly Fun When Ordered With the Right Options

In the Sixties, a savvy car buyer could order a one-of-a-kind muscle machine by mixing the myriad options offered from the factory. Then car companies discovered just-in-time manufacturing, which dictates that it's maybe not such a good idea to maintain an inventory of four body styles, five engines and fifteen camshafts.

The days when you could order a Chevelle station wagon with a hot V-8, four-speed manual, and heavy-duty suspension are, sadly, no more. But the discerning enthusiast can still dig up gems by spending some quality time with an online car configurator.Nintendo said Tuesday its quarterly net profit jumped 43.9 percent year-on-year to $275 million, driven by the global popularity of its Switch console and game titles.

The Kyoto-based game giant reported net profit for the three months to June of 30.6 billion yen ($275 million), with operating profit soaring 88.4 percent to 30.5 billion yen.

It said sales were up 9.1 percent to 168.16 billion yen, and it expects strong demand for the Switch console to continue into the second half of the year.

"For Nintendo Switch, hardware sales in every region have been trending upwards since the video game expo, E3, was held in the US in June," the company said in a statement.

"In parallel with an increase in digital sales, software sales also have been moving in good shape towards the holiday season," it said.

In the April-June period Nintendo sold 1.88 million Switch console units -- down 4.4 percent from a year earlier, shortly after its launch.

At the same time it sold 17.96 million software units, more than double the same period last year.

Game software sales were driven by "Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze", which sold 1.4 million copies worldwide since its release in May, the company said.

"Mario Tennis Aces", released in June, sold 1.38 million units.

The "Nintendo Labo" series, a cardboard construction toy series for the Switch system, sold 1.39 million units, showing promise as the offerings in the series expand, the company said.

"Sales of Nintendo Switch remain steady, but a decisive period for Nintendo is the Christmas season," analyst Hideki Yasuda at Ace Research Institute in Tokyo told AFP before the results.

"Results for the second half will prove to be a real test for Switch."

For the year to March, Nintendo maintained optimistic annual targets, forecasting net profit of 165 billion yen and operating profit of 225 billion yen on sales of 1.2 trillion yen.

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Analysts said Nintendo was expected to benefit from new software releases.

"Demand for Switch is entering a second phase following its explosive initial demand," Yasuo Imanaka, an analyst at Rakuten Securities in Tokyo, told AFP ahead of the earnings announcement.

"Sales of Nintendo Labo are not strong enough to lead its profit, but expectations of the firm's overall earnings are high as it is scheduled to release potentially powerful titles during the rest of the fiscal year, including a Pocket Monster title," he said.(WASHINGTON)  When North Korea handed over 55 boxes of bones that it said are remains of American war dead, it provided a single military dog tag but no other information that could help U.S. forensics experts determine their individual identities, a U.S. defense official said Tuesday.

The official, who discussed previously undisclosed aspects of the remains issue on condition of anonymity, said it probably will take months if not years to fully determine individual identities from the remains, which have not yet been confirmed by U.S. specialists to be those of American servicemen.

The official did not know details about the single dog tag, including the name on it, or whether it was even that of an American military member. During the Korean War, combat troops of 16 other United Nations member countries fought alongside U.S. service members on behalf of South Korea. Some of them, including Australia, Belgium, France and the Philippines, have yet to recover some of their war dead from North Korea.

The 55 boxes were handed over at Wonsan, North Korea last Friday and flown aboard a U.S. military transport plane to Osan air base in South Korea, where U.S. officials catalogued the contents. After a repatriation ceremony at Osan on Wednesday, the remains will be flown to Hawaii where they will begin undergoing in-depth forensic analysis, in some cases using mitochondrial DNA profiles, at a Defense Department laboratory to attempt to establish individual identifications.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week that the return of the 55 boxes was a positive step but not a guarantee that the bones are American.

We dont know whos in those boxes, he said. He noted that some could turn out to be those of missing from other nations that fought in the Korean War. They could go to Australia, he said. They have missing, France has missing, Americans have. Theres a whole lot of us. So, this is an international effort to bring closure for those families.

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Vice President Mike Pence, the son of a Korean War combat veteran, is scheduled to fly to Hawaii for a ceremony, which the military calls an honorable carry ceremony, marking the arrival of the remains on American soil at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Wednesday. This will mark a breakthrough in a long-stalled U.S. effort to obtain war remains from North Korea, but officials say it is unlikely to produce quick satisfaction for any of the families of the nearly 7,700 U.S. servicemen who are still listed as missing and unaccounted for from the 1950-53 Korean War.

North Korea provided the 55 boxes in a delayed fulfillment of a commitment its leader, Kim Jong Un, made to President Donald Trump at their Singapore summit on June 12. Although the point of the summit was for Trump to press Kim on giving up his nuclear weapons, their joint statement after the meeting included a single line on an agreement to recover POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.

North Korea had told U.S. officials more than once in recent years that it had about 200 sets of U.S. war remains, although none was already identified. It remains unclear whether the boxes provided on July 27 include all of the bones North Korea has accumulated over the years. In the past, the North has provided bones that in some cases were not human or that were additional bones of U.S. servicemen already identified from previously recovered remains.

The Pentagon estimates that of the approximately 7,700 U.S. MIAs from the Korean War, about 5,300 are unaccounted for on North Korean soil. Many were buried in shallow graves near where they fell on the battlefield; some others died in North Korean or Chinese-run prisoner of war camps.

Efforts to recover remains in North Korea have been fraught with political and other obstacles since the war ended on July 27, 1953. Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea unilaterally handed over 208 caskets to the U.S., which turned out to contain remains of far more than 208 individuals, although forensics specialists thus far have established 181 identities. In addition, a series of U.S.-North Korean recovery efforts, termed joint field activities, between 1996 and 2005 yielded 229 caskets of remains, of which 153 have been identified, according to the Pentagon.

The Trump administration, as part of the Singapore agreement, is pursuing discussions with North Korea on resuming those field activities, for which past administrations have paid millions of dollars in donated vehicles, equipment, food and cash at the request of the North Koreans. The U.S. official who discussed aspects of the return of the 55 boxes on condition of anonymity said the U.S. is considering the possibility of including South Korea in future searches for remains in North Korea. Its not clear whether negotiations for such an arrangement are under way.

Richard Downes, whose father, Air Force Lt. Hal Downes, is among the Korean War missing, says this turnover of remains, having drawn worldwide attention, has the potential to put the U.S. back on track to finding and eventually identifying many more.

Downes, 70, was 3 when his fathers B-26 Invader went down on Jan. 13, 1952, northeast of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. His family was left to wonder about his fate. Downes, now executive director of the Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs, which advocates for remains recovery, said he hopes the boxes that arrive in Hawaii on Wednesday prove to be a vanguard that leads to a fuller accounting for families.

These 55 can set the stage for more to come, Downes said.(UPPER LAKE, Calif.)  Firefighters struggling to contain destructive Northern California wildfires found themselves facing a new blaze that erupted Tuesday and drove through a rural area near a national forest.

About 60 homes in an old ranching and farming area near Covelo, which is about 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of San Francisco, were ordered evacuated as the blaze erupted late in the afternoon. Gusty winds quickly drove it through about a square mile of brush and grasslands, oak, pine and timber near Mendocino National Forest, Mendocino County Undersheriff Matthew Kendall said.

Were advised that the fire was threatening structures, he said.

However, there were no immediate reports of homes being burned.

Firefighting aircraft were called in but it was unclear when they might arrive because many already were engaged in other fires, Kendall said.

Some 40 miles (64 kilometers) to the south, twin fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties have destroyed at least seven homes and threatened an estimated 12,000 more, fire officials said.

Jessyca Lytle fled a fast-moving Northern California wildfire in 2015 that spared her property but destroyed her mothers memorabilia-filled home in rural and rugged Lake County.

Less than three years later, Lytle found herself listening to scanner traffic Tuesday and fire-proofing her mothers new home as another wildfire advanced.

Honestly, what Im thinking right now is I just want this to end, Lytle said, adding that she was exhausted in every way possible  physically, emotionally, all of that.

Derek Hawthorne, a firefighter and spokesman for the fire crews, said the hot weather was not ideal but the wind was on their side where he was in the city of Upper Lake.

Its blowing into the fire, and its kind of blowing it back on itself, he said.

To the east in Sutter County, a fire that erupted Tuesday night had torched about 1.5 square miles (4 square kilometers) of grassland but no homes were evacuated, state fire spokesman Scott McLean said.

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Elsewhere, the Carr Fire had burned more than 880 homes and killed six people in and around Redding. Another 348 outbuildings were also destroyed, and the blaze is now the seventh most destructive wildfire in California history, fire officials said.

National Park officials said Tuesday the scenic Yosemite Valley and other areas will be closed at least through Sunday due to heavy smoke from the so-called Ferguson Fire. The closure began July 25 and had been tentatively scheduled to end Friday.

Park spokesman Scott Gediman said continuing poor air quality and ongoing firefighting operations warranted the extension.

It was the longest closure at Yosemite since 1997 when floods closed the park for over two months.

In Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, an arson fire that destroyed seven homes last week was 82 percent contained Monday.

People in Lake County, an impoverished community of 65,000, are familiar with evacuations.

The 2015 Valley Fire, which came on the heels of two other fires, killed four and destroyed 1,300 homes when it blew up unexpectedly during a September heat wave. It wiped out entire neighborhoods prized for their privacy and sense of community and turned scenic areas into charred forest.

Since then, parts of the county have been evacuated regularly due to fire, most recently in June.

Evacuation orders remained in effect Tuesday for the town of Lakeport, the county seat, although orders for some smaller communities were lifted.

Lakeport is a popular destination for bass anglers and boaters on the shores of Clear Lake. By Monday night, it was a ghost town.

Paul Lew and his two boys, ages 13 and 16, evacuated Saturday from their Lakeport home.

I told them to throw everything they care about in the back of the car, said Lew, 45. I grabbed computers, cellphones, papers. I just started bagging all my paperwork up, clothes, my guitars.

Lew, who is divorced from Lytle, is camped out at the house in the nearby community of Cobb that she fled in 2015. He is watching over her chickens, sheep and other animals. He laughs that repeated fire alerts have made him an emergency preparation expert.

Its like three a year, he said. Its kind of crazy.WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump has once again threatened to shut down the government if Democrats dont give in to his demands for border wall funding this fall  but Senate Republicans are already showing signs of uneasiness with the presidents strategy.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) largely ducked questions about Trumps latest threats Tuesday, telling reporters that Republicans want to achieve what the president wants on wall funding, but avoiding questions about the fundamental dynamics of the situation  specifically, Democrats unwillingness to give in on money for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Im hoping were going to be able to resolve this issue, McConnell said, without clarifying whether he meant resolving the strategic difference with the president or the wall funding issue with Democrats.

Trump seems increasingly convinced that he can win a shutdown standoff  and despite the November midterms approaching, he doesnt seem to care about the election consequences anymore.

I dont care what the political ramifications are, our immigration laws and border security have been a complete and total disaster for decades, and there is no way that the Democrats will allow it to be fixed without a Government Shutdown...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018

Trump has recently tweeted about how he would be willing to shut down the government for wall money, and hes mentioned the gambit repeatedly in prepared remarks.

At this point, two months before government funding actually runs out, Trump has plenty of time to flip-flop on his calls for a shutdown. But his calls to let the funding run out if he doesnt get his wall are already making Republicans uneasy.

Senate appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) told reporters Monday night that the president was making his point regarding the wall. But in the meantime were trying to fund the government to [prevent] any shutdown, he said.

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Asked if he thought shutting down the government would help Republicans get wall funding, Shelby said he didnt think anybody would benefit in that scenario. Thats a no-win for both parties, he said.

The longest-serving senator, Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), told reporters Monday that hes not taking Trumps shutdown threats seriously, and other Senate Republicans dont seem to be panicking quite yet.

When HuffPost asked Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) whether a shutdown would, as Trump seems to think, help Republicans get wall funding, Cornyn said he didnt think so. And the No. 3 Senate Republican, GOP conference Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), also said he didnt think a shutdown would be helpful.

Maybe its a negotiating point, Thune said of the presidents tweets.

But ironically, Trumps calls for a shutdown  and his willingness to take ownership of a shutdown on Twitter  might make it even harder for Republicans to play hardball on government funding and a wall.

If Republicans know theyll be the ones taking the blame for a shutdown, particularly a shutdown one month before midterm elections, shuttering government over wall money isnt going to be a very popular idea in the GOP conference.

Trump may think its the only way he can get wall funding, but Republicans could at least persuade him to accept a short-term appropriations bill, which would allow them to delay such a fight until after the elections.

Already Republicans acknowledge that Congress probably wont be able to fund the government entirely through the normal appropriations process, potentially requiring a bill to keep open the parts of government that are not funded through regular spending measures.

But there is a reckoning coming, and at some point, either Trump will have to eat his words  or congressional Republicans will.

When McConnell was asked about Trumps shutdown threats on Monday, he said he was optimistic we can avoid a government shutdown.

Someone is going to be wrong.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Bonnieux (France) (AFP) - The co-founder of Cambodia's disbanded opposition has decried the landslide victory of Hun Sen's ruling party in an uncontested poll as a "terrible setback", urging a campaign of non-cooperation with the next government.

A provisional count from Sunday's poll has handed the Cambodia People's Party of strongman Hun Sen, who has ruled for more than three decades, all 125 parliamentary seats -- cementing the country's status as a one-party state.

The election was held without the only credible opposition, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was barred from running after it was dissolved by the Supreme Court late last year.

"It's a fake victory... a fake election, with a foregone conclusion," said CNRP co-founder Sam Rainsy, who lives in self-exile in Paris to avoid a slew of convictions he contends are politically motivated.

"It is a return to the old system, the one-party system, like during the Cold War, during the Communist times... it is a terrible setback for Cambodia," he told AFP in an interview given in France's southern Provence region.

Hun Sen has hailed Sunday's vote as "free, fair and just", with his party saying the estimated 82 percent turnout made a mockery of CNRP calls for a boycott.

On Wednesday, his first public appearance since the electoral endorsement, Cambodia's ruler since 1985 said he is eyeing "big success" this year in "building the economy... and democracy".

But critics say the poll was held against a backdrop of local-level intimidation while dissenting voices in the media and civil society had been quieted in the run-up to the vote.

In the last elections in 2013 the CNRP took around 44 percent of the popular vote -- threatening Hun Sen's hold on power.

The CNRP's leadership has since either been jailed, pressed into leaving the country or silenced by court cases and intimidation.

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Rainsy urged his party's supporters to "mobilise to protest against this fake election" in a campaign of non-cooperation against any government that emerges from the landslide win.

He also said the international community should "reject" the result.

Cambodia and Hun Sen lent heavily on the Western world for aid and investment to rebuild the country from the ruins of decades of civil war, rule by the brutal Khmer Rouge and occupation by Vietnam.

But under fire from his old allies for his increasingly authoritarian bent, Hun Sen has in recent years turned to China for no-strings soft loans, investment and diplomatic ballast.

Washington and the European Union have condemned Sunday's uncontested poll, while Beijing offered its congratulations to the Cambodian people.The mother pushes the baby orca after it was born off the coast of Canada near Victoria, British Columbia: Michael Weiss/Center for Whale Research via AP

A grieving mother orca whale is falling behind the rest of her family after carrying the corpse of her calf a week after it died.

Experts at the Whale Museum on San Juan Island have been monitoring the 20-year-old killer whale, known as J35, since her calf died shortly after she gave birth last week.

Since then she has been balancing the dead calf on her forehead or pushing it to the surface of the water.

Jenny Atkinson, the museums executive director, said the orca was spotted still carrying her dead calf almost six days after she lost her child.

She told The Independent the mother was falling behind the rest of the family as it went through a deep grieving process.

Ms Atkinson said during the day the whale appeared to get weaker, but seemed to find renewed strength overnight, showing a more normal swim pattern in the morning.

The mother pushed the dead calf to the surface on her forehead (David Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research via AP)

But she also said the whole family appeared to be taking part in the grieving process.

The calf was the first in three years to be born to the dwindling population of endangered southern resident killer whales, which number just 75.By Drazen Jorgic ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan on Wednesday dismissed U.S. concerns that any new International Monetary Fund bailout for the South Asian nation would be used to repay Chinese debt as "totally wrong". Pakistan's economy has hit severe turbulence over the past year and most analysts expect the nuclear-armed nation to seek a bailout, either from the IMF or closest ally China, to avoid a currency crisis. Beijing has pledged $57 billion in loans for Pakistan as part of China's vast Belt and Road initiative, deepening economic and diplomatic ties between the neighbors at a time when relations between Islamabad and Washington are fraying over how to deal with Islamist militants waging war in Afghanistan. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday warned that any potential IMF bailout for Pakistan's incoming government should not provide funds to pay off Chinese lenders. In response, Pakistan's finance ministry sought to de-couple the link between any potential IMF bailout and Beijing's loans for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which spans mostly energy and transport infrastructure. "First and foremost it is totally wrong to link the IMF package with CPEC. It is affirmed that Pakistan Government is fully committed to undertake and complete CPEC projects in their totality," the finance ministry said in a statement. "Third parties cannot weaken our collective resolve to make CPEC a success story." CPEC is billed as Pakistan's most important national project, while Beijing has touted CPEC as the "flagship" project in the vast Belt and Road initiative to build rail, road and maritime links across the globe. Both countries are very sensitive of any criticism about CPEC. The United States has been concerned that China is saddling smaller countries with debt as a way to gain influence and control around the globe. Pakistan obtained a $6.7 billion IMF bailout in 2013 and near-identical balance of payments problems pose a major headache for the incoming government of Imran Khan, Pakistan's former cricket hero who is seeking coalition partners to form a government. "Make no mistake. We will be watching what the IMF does," Pompeo said. "There's no rationale for IMF tax dollars, and associated with that American dollars that are part of the IMF funding, for those to go to bail out Chinese bondholders or China itself," Pompeo added. Asad Umar, widely tipped to become the new finance minister, told Reuters last month that Khan's government would not rule out either Chinese or IMF support. On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the IMF had its own standards and operating rules when cooperating with countries. "I believe they will handle it appropriately," he told reporters, without elaborating. 30-YEAR LOANS Miftah Ismail, Pakistan's finance minister in the previous government until late May, said the Chinese debt repayments were nowhere near as big as Western nations imagine. He told Reuters that ministry of finance calculations showed that for the next five years, Pakistan's total annual debt repayments and profit expatriation by Chinese companies would be below $1 billion. "All of those things combined will not go to $1 billion up until 2023," he said. Ismail added loans given by China to Pakistan had a 30-year length and a five-year grace period, meaning there were no repayments for the first five years. The lending was a combination of zero-interest debt, concessionary and some market rate loans, Ismail said, adding that the "weighted average" interest rate for these loans was 2 percent "These are not loans that will break our back," he said. Ismail said the problems hitting Pakistan's economy were not linked to debt but rather to current account problems, which was not China's fault. Pakistan's finance ministry said it was engaged in "technical discussions" with the IMF but the interim caretaker government did not have a mandate to decide on any IMF package, which will be down to the new administration. (Reporting by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Nick Macfie)A member of Afghan security forces holds a rifle at the site of an attack near the Afghan parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan June 22, 2015. A Taliban suicide bomber and six gunmen attacked the Afghan parliament on Monday, wounding at least nineteen people a

Sabera Azizi

Security, Middle East

Riyadh and Tehran are destabilizing actors in Afghanistan and play a large role in supporting the country's ongoing conflict

Pakistan and Iran Keep Fueling Taliban Terror Tactics

The Saudi-Iranian rivalry is a source of tension in the Middle East.

In Yemen, Saudi-backed government forces and Iranian-backed rebel forces are hostile to each other. In Syria, the Iranian-backed Bashar Al-Assad regime and the Saudi-backed opposition forces are at odds. In Iraq, Tehran seeks to consolidate its influence over Baghdad whereas Riyadh seeks to gain influence. In Lebanon, Riyadh seeks to gain greater influence where Tehran traditionally has greater influence.

Simply put: Tehran and Riyadh are archrivals.

Riyadh and Tehran have conflicting geopolitical interests as both states are attempting to expand their spheres of influence to further advance their respective foreign-policy goals.

However, Afghanistan is a rare instance of converging policies for both of these archrivals. In Afghanistan, both Riyadh and Tehran support the same group, the Taliban.

Fareed Zakaria, a renowned journalist, noted that the Saudis have created a monster in the world of Islam. In Afghanistan, that monster is the Taliban.

In the 1980s, as the Soviet Union flattened villages in Afghanistan, millions of Afghans fled to refugee camps in Pakistan. In these refugee camps, Riyadh sponsored madrassas sympathetic to the values of Deobandism and Wahhabism, sects of Islam highly aligned with the ideologies of the political elite establishments in Riyadh and Islamabad.

As the Soviet presence in Afghanistan dwindled, the students in these madrassas became a political and military force, the Taliban. By 1998, the Taliban made significant inroads into Afghanistan with the aid of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

In fact, the inception of the Taliban movement was engineered by Riyadh and Islamabad. The Taliban movement was covertly financed by Saudi Arabia as the Taliban fighters were trained by Pakistans intelligence agency, Inter-Intelligence Service (ISI). To illustrate: Ahmed Rashid, an expert on Afghanistan, noted in his book, Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, Fundamentalism in Central Asia, that in preparation for the offensive to capture Herat, a strategic province in Afghanistan, The Taliban had spent the summer rebuilding their forces with arms, ammunition, and vehicles provided by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and a new command structure was created with the help of ISI advisers.

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Bottom line: The Taliban was a proxy group designed to serve the geostrategic interests of Riyadh and Islamabad. For Pakistan, the Taliban is a proxy group designed to advance Islamabads geopolitical in Afghanistan. For Riyadh, the Taliban was an anti-Shia proxy group dedicated to countering Iranian influence in Afghanistan.

However, 9/11 shifted the political landscape in Afghanistan. In 2001, the Talibans regime was toppled. Not only was the Taliban weak military but also politically. As members of the Taliban retreated to Pakistan to rebuilt their movement, in order to survive as a militant group, the Taliban became more accommodating of regional powers interests, including Tehran.

The Taliban shifted from being a proxy group serving the strategic interests of Islamabad and Riyadh to becoming a proxy group dedicated to serving the interest of regional powers. After 2001, the Taliban no longer was an anti-Shia group seeking confrontation with Iran. Although the Taliban is no longer an anti-Shia group, Riyadh still supports them. Why? The answer is: Pakistan.

Riyadhs support for the Taliban is rooted in its special relationship with Pakistan. Pakistan is a key ally and strategic partner of Riyadh in the region. Ghazanfar Ali Khan, a writer for Arab News, defines the relationship between Riyadh and Islamabad as a vast and dynamic web of cooperative linkages, age-old bonds of friendship and undertakings, dating from well before the establishment of diplomatic relations and growing continuously year-on-year. Similarly, Bruce Riedel, an expert on South Asia, notes that The Saudi kingdom has a longstanding and intimate relationship with Pakistan . . . They have had a deep strategic military relationship for decades. Both Riyadh and Islamabad are key actors in advancing each others core foreign policy goals. To demonstrate: In February, Pakistan committed nearly one thousand troops to Saudi Arabia as Riyadh blocked Washington's efforts to list Pakistan on an international terror-financing watch list.

After 9/11, Pakistans policy didnt change. Islamabad still utilizes the Taliban as a strategic asset to further its interests in Afghanistan. According to Peter Tomsen, former American Special Envoy to Afghanistan, Pakistans current strategy exactly mirrored the ISI strategy from 1994 to 1998, when the ISI organized, armed, and sent thousands of Taliban, Pakistani, and other extremists into Afghanistan to overthrow the Mujahidin government in Kabul.

The New York Times notes that as a longtime ally of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia has backed Islamabads promotion of the Taliban. That continues to be the case today especially, as Saudi Arabia seeks to strengthen its partnership with Islamabad to increase its militaristic capabilities and to strengthen the Islamic Counter-Terrorism Coalition. Riyadh seeks Islamabads support in the Islamic Counter-Terrorism Coalition while Islamabad seeks Riyadhs support in advancing its strategic foreign policy goals in the region via the Taliban.

The Saudis support for the Taliban remains an open secret. Saudi officials turn a blind eye when the Taliban are collecting funds under their watch. In 2009, American officials complained that the Taliban were raising millions of dollars during Hajj to support its groups militant activities. Like Pakistan, Saudi Arabias policy on Afghanistan is dual-track. Officially, both governments support the Afghan government while covertly and privately channeling funds to the Taliban.

Moreover, last year, Mishari al-Harbi, a senior Saudi diplomat stated that Qatar has harbored leaders of a number of terrorist groups and it is backing terrorist groups in Afghanistan. Riyadhs condemnation of Dohas support for the Taliban doesnt signal a change in Riyadhs policy of supporting the Taliban. Rather, it is a convenient strategy to undermine Dohas credibility as a responsible state. Riyadhs tough stance on Qatar is due to its competition with Doha as both states seek to exert greater influence in the Middle East and North Africa.

To depict an even more complicated picture, last May, Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, said that, Iran, too, must end support for the Taliban and other terrorists in Afghanistan.

Iran fuels instability in Afghanistan when its relationship with Washington deteriorates. Tehran uses Afghanistan as a leverage to exert pressure on the United States. Specifically, Iran does this by arming and training the Taliban to carry out attacks, raising the costs of war for Washington. Nearly a week after President Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, the Taliban with the help of Tehran led a major offensive, attacking the Afghan city of Farah. As Tehran calculated, the Taliban was pushed back from Farah only when American special forces entered the combat zone.

Furthermore, Irans support for the Taliban is tied to Irans water security. Afghanistan desires to manage the flow of its water via dams. However, the presence of dams in Afghanistan pose a threat to Irans national interest. Last year, Hassan Rouhani, Irans President, threatened to retaliate as he said We cannot remain indifferent to the issue [water dams] which is apparently damaging our environment. The eastern provinces of Iran, neighboring Afghanistan, have been inflicted with severe drought in the recent years. Therefore, Iran is keen on maximizing the flow of water from Afghanistan to the eastern provinces of Iran.

Ali Ahmad, an Afghan police officer guarding the construction of a dam in the Nimruz province of Afghanistan, told the Guardian that, When work on the dam begins, of course security will worsen. This is so because Tehran seeks to delay the development of these dams to maximize the flow of water to Iran. In an effort to halt the construction of the dams, Iran trains, funds and arms the Taliban. In return, the Taliban attack the construction sites of the dams located in the Afghan provinces neighboring Iran.

Regional economic projects like the Chabahar Port do not shift Tehrans policy of supporting the Taliban. Rather, Chabahar Port and its similitude depict Tehrans dual-track policy of engaging with the Taliban while also maintain official ties with Kabul. Like Riyadh, this dual-track policy enables Tehran to pursue its national interests through covert and official channels.

While both Riyadh and Tehran accuse each other as being a destabilizing actor in the Middle East, in Afghanistan both states are part of the conflict. In fact, both archrivals are on the same side of the conflict, the Taliban.

As the peace talks pick up steam in Afghanistans political theatre, addressing Tehrans and Riyadhs role in supporting the Taliban is essential to bringing the conflict to an end.

Azizi is a graduate student at City University of New York. She studies international relations. She tweets at @saberaazizi.

Image: A member of Afghan security forces holds a rifle at the site of an attack near the Afghan parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan June 22, 2015. A Taliban suicide bomber and six gunmen attacked the Afghan parliament on Monday, wounding at least nineteen people and sending a plume of black smoke across Kabul, as a second district in two days fell to the Islamist group in the north. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood

Read full articlePandora reported its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday afternoon. Source: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD

For Pandora (P), turning around the company is a marathon  not a sprint.

The Oakland, California-based streaming music business on Tuesday afternoon reported second-quarter earnings with an adjusted loss of $.15 per share on revenues of $384.8 million, driven by better-than-expected advertising and subscriber revenues. Analysts were generally expecting an adjusted loss of $.16 per-share on revenues of $372.78 million, compared with a $.24 loss per-share on revenues of $368.1 million the same period a year ago.

Although the number of the paid subscribers climbed 23% year-over-year to 6 million, the number of total active Pandora listeners dipped slightly 71.4 million from 72 million during the same time last year.

Were in the early innings of turning things around, with more to come, Pandora CEO Roger Lynch acknowledged to Yahoo Finance, pointing to solid advertising and subscriber revenues as a positive indicator that Pandoras slump is likely a thing of the past.

Investors may agree: Pandoras stock was up 11% in after-hours trading.

2017 was a rocky year for Pandora

Last year was rocky for the streaming giant, to say the least, with several top-level executives, including former CEO Tim Westergren departing, subscribers spending less time on the companys app and ad revenues falling. But since Lynch took the reins last September, the stock has slowly started to recover, with shares up 37% so far this year, driven in part by progress the company is making towards doubling down on monetization efforts such as advertising.

During the second quarter, Pandora also closed its $145 million acquisition of AdsWizz, a digital audio ads company Lynch says will be key to driving revenues growth in the months to come. Earlier on Tuesday, the company also announced the integration of AdsWizz into the Pandora platform, giving all advertisers the ability to purchase audio and video ad inventory with computers using data to decide which ads to buy and how much to pay for them. AdsWizz is one of the few ad platforms to offer programmatic advertising for audio, although the competition is growing.

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When I joined at the end of last year, large advertisers and holding companies had started moving large portions of their budgets into programmatic, Lynch explained. Back then, we didnt have programmatic display: we didnt have programmatic video or audio. We were facing headwinds in our ads business because we didnt have those capabilities. It [AdsWizz] enables us to tap into portions of advertising budgets we werent able to before and also really to transact with our advertising customers in the way they want to transact.

And for Pandora, at least in the short-term, ads are the majority of where its revenues are.



JP Mangalindan is the Chief Tech Correspondent for Yahoo Finance covering the intersection of tech and business. Email story tips and musings to jpm@oath.com. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

More from JP:Paris Jackson is shutting down reports that shes headed to rehab in response to Demi Lovatos apparent overdose. Lovato, who was hospitalized July 25, is said to be fighting complications from her health scare.

While it remains unclear if the pop star will seek professional treatment once she makes a full recovery, Jackson has also found herself the subject of rehab speculation. Sources told the gossip site RadarOnline that the 20-year-old model and actress was taking Lovatos reported overdose as a warning to focus on her own sobriety.

Demi almost died, a source claimed. And that was a big trigger for Paris to get healthy.

Gossip reports have claimed that Paris Jackson is checking into rehab in the wake of Demi Lovatos apparent overdose. (Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Not so, says Jackson, who is the daughter of the late Michael Jackson. Though she has been open about getting treatment for drug abuse and depression while attending a therapeutic school in Utah in her teens, Jackson says theres no truth to the talk of her return to rehab.

Paris Jackson responded to rumors about her sobriety on social media. (Photo: Paris Jackson via Instagram Stories)

I havent gone to a clinic, she responded to a fan who shared the Lovato-linked rehab rumor. Someone doesnt have to die for me to know to be healthy. Ive already had friends OD and die. Thats enough for me.

Hours later, she tweeted a follow-up message:

bruhh i already made a statement about this! i havent gone back to rehab, or to any clinic.. idk who decided to make this bullshit up for clickbait but its annoying! i dont need a celebritys misfortune to make me healthy. ive had enough friends OD to send me that message! https://t.co/6eNtHY0Vvj  Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) August 1, 2018

In an interview with Rolling Stone last year, Jackson identified herself as sober and spoke of the self-harm, cyberbullying, drug addiction, and sexual assault that tormented her as a teen. She also referred to her experience at the Utah school, where she spent her sophomore and part of her junior year in high school following multiple suicide attempts.

Story continues

It was great for me, she told the magazine. Im a completely different person. The article reads: Before, she says with a small smile, I was crazy. I was actually crazy. I was going through a lot of, like, teen angst. And I was also dealing with my depression and my anxiety without any help.'

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.



Paul Manafort has been branded a shrewd liar by prosecutors as they sought to build a picture of a multimillion dollar conspiracy to evade US tax laws by Donald Trumps former campaign manager during the first day of his criminal trial.

Assistant US attorney Uzo Asonye painted a picture of Mr Manaforts lavish lifestyle, alleging in a Virginia court that money funnelled through 30 offshore accounts was used to buy items including a $21,000 watch and a $15,000 ostrich jacket, telling the jury that Mr Manafort considered himself above the law.

A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him  not tax law, not banking law, Mr Asonye said as he sketched out the evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Muellers team in Mr Manaforts bank fraud and tax evasion trial which relates to political consultancy work undertaken in Ukraine.

Mr Manafort is the first of Mr Trumps former aides to go on trial in the Russia probe, led by Mr Mueller and the FBI which is looking into Russian election meddling and possible collusion with Mr Trumps presidential campaign aides. Mr Mueller has been given the scope to follow up any other potential crimes during the investigation, leading to Mr Manaforts indictment.

The 69-year-old businessman and lobbyist could face significant jail time. He denies all the charges against him. Eighteen of the more than 30 charges Mr Manafort faces relate to the case led by Judge TS Ellis at the court in the suburb of Alexandria, Virginia.

In the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Mr Manafort faces not only the remaining financial charges but also witness tampering. That trial is set for later in the year.

Mr Manafort appeared in court yesterday in a suit and tie, smiling slightly after the jury of six women and six men was chosen relatively quickly. Mr Ellis then allowed opening statements to begin.

Mr Asonye said in court that Mr Manafort had more than 30 secret overseas accounts to receive and hide income he had gotten from working for the government of Ukraine.

Story continues

He told the jury: All of these charges boil down to one simple issue  that Paul Manafort lied.

He pointed to Mr Manaforts mansion in northern Virginia, just miles from the courthouse, and lavish items like a $15,000 jacket made from an ostrich to illustrate the prosecutors point that Mr Manafort used his secret income in the millions of dollars to fund an extravagant lifestyle.

Mr Manaforts defence attorney, Thomas Zehnle, said in his opening statement that his client trusted others to keep track of the millions of dollars he was earning from his Ukrainian political work. He also sought to address Mr Manaforts wealth and the images of a gaudy lifestyle that jurors are expected to see during the trial.

Paul Manafort travelled in circles that most people will never know, and hes gotten handsomely rewarded for it, Mr Zehnle said. We do not dispute that.

He made clear that undermining the credibility of Rick Gates, his former business associate and the governments star witness, is central to the defence strategy. Mr Zehnle said Mr Manafort, earning millions as a political consultant helping officials in other parts of the world, relied on Mr Gates and others  including a professional accounting firm  to keep watch over the money.

Moneys coming in fast. Its a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it, Mr Zehnle said. Thats what Rick Gates was being paid to do.

Mr Gates, who spent years working for Manafort in Ukraine and is also accused of helping him falsify paperwork used to obtain the bank loans, cut a plea deal with Mr Mueller earlier this year. Mr Gates also worked as an aide on Mr Trumps campaign.

Mr Gates pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and lying to federal investigators in February. Mr Gates was charged with several crimes in the Virginia case, but after his plea those charges were dropped.

Mr Zehnle said his client placed his trust in the wrong person  Rick Gates.

There are two sides to every story; its an old adage but its true, Mr Zehnle said.

Mr Zehnle said in court Mr Manaforts work in Ukraine was not partisan but a way to bring the country closer to western democracies after decades of Soviet rule, and all this legal trouble was actually Mr Gatess fault.

None of the counts in either trial Mr Manafort faces have to do directly with the FBI investigation into alleged collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign team members and Russian officials, however politics may inevitably make its way into the case.

Judge Ellis has ordered both sides to stay away from referencing Russia as they present evidence over the next few weeks to jurors on the financial charges at hand.

Prosecutors have lined up 35 witnesses and more than 500 pieces of evidence they say will show how Mr Manafort earned more than $60m (45m) from his work for the Ukraine government, and then allegedly concealed a significant percentage of that money from US tax inspectors.

It may prove difficult to navigate around the judges rules, however, as the name Viktor Yanukovych may come up. Mr Manaforts work involved promoting the pro-Russian Ukrainian president with close ties to President Vladimir Putin, who then fled to Russia after Moscows 2014 annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.

Mr Zehnle said a bookkeeper for Mr Manaforts company would be a witness to show none of the offshore companies or accounts were actually secret, but that Mr Gates was the person handling much of the complicated finances so that he could line his own pockets.

Prosecutors said Mr Manafort created bogus loans, falsified documents and lied to his tax preparer and bookkeeper to conceal the money. But Mr Zehnle disputed prosecutors account that Mr Manafort was trying to conceal his earnings by storing money in bank accounts in Cyprus. He said that arrangement was not Mr Manaforts doing but was instead the preferred method of payment of the supporters of the pro-Russia Ukrainian political party who were paying his consulting fees.

Opening statements lasted approximately 30 minutes each.

The bank fraud charges alone carry a maximum sentence of 270 years in total, filing false tax returns may result in a maximum of 15 years, and on the charges related to a failure to report foreign bank and financial accounts he faces up to 20 years.

Even the minimum sentences, to be determined at the discretion of Judge TS Ellis in the Virginia US District Court, are four to five years on the bank fraud charges and eight to 10 years on the tax-related counts.

For his part, President Trump has called Mr Manafort a nice guy who has been treated unfairly by Mr Trumps opponents and the media. He has repeatedly denied any collusion and called the entire FBI investigation a witch hunt on numerous occasions.

However, this morning Mr Trump appeared to change his tune a bit when he tweeted collusion is not a crime but that doesnt matter because there was No Collusion.

The trial, which continues, is expected to last three weeks.Photo: Contributed

By Peter Enns

The Stats Canada number can be discouraging: 13.7 per cent of Canadians have a physical or mental disability that interferes with their daily activities.

However, the expression says, When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I would like to honour one Kelowna resident who made lemonade out of his lemons.

His name is Mike Haines and he has cerebral palsy. His speech is hard to understand and he is confined to a wheelchair.

However, he is one friendly, happy dude. He likes to go to the mall and strike up conversations with strangers. He told me he likes himself.

When he moved to Kelowna with his parents in 1981, he decided he was not going to be dependent upon government handouts. So, after the Lions Club gave him a three-wheel bike, he decided to start a courier business.

He began delivering documents from one downtown business to another for $3/envelope. He was downtown 8-10 hours a day, 7 days a week.

One day, a stereo shop asked if he would put their advertising sign on his bike. He began charging $30 a month to advertise on his bike.

After his bike wore out, he got an electric scooter. This allowed him to have more signs. At any one time, he had 35-40 signs making money for him.

Mike and his signs were a fixture in downtown Kelowna for 25 years. (As a point of interest, one of his YouTube videos can be found by going to bit.ly/KelownaFixture.)

One of Mikes passions is getting the public to treat people with disabilities better. He has given a number of talks to various restaurant staff, teaching them how to treat customers with disabilities.

One restaurant manager said that Mike brought some of the staff members to tears.

A year or two ago, he began creating an ebook about how to treat customers with disabilities. Earlier this year, he teamed up with a writer and a nurse to finish the ebook. It took three months, but it was worth it.

The book, How to Serve Customers with Disabilities, is an amazing teaching manual that some local businesses are beginning to buy.

Today Mike is still an entrepreneur. This time, he is selling his ebook.

To see a three-minute YouTube video of Mikes entrepreneurial history, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK591TqnNUgEAST GREENVILLE, Pa. (AP)  A Pennsylvania man's 7-foot (2-meter) red tail boa constrictor has gone missing.

The snake's name is Vinny and his owner says he disappeared from his East Greenville home about three to four weeks ago. There have been no confirmed sightings since.

The snake is 10 years old and can hide anywhere.

Authorities are asking people in the Montgomery County community not to touch Vinny if they find him. Instead, they are being asked to call police.

East Greenville is about 16 miles south of Allentown.Spotify deleted several episodes of Alex Jones radio show, The Alex Jones Show, on Wednesday after widespread complaints on social media.

The music streaming platform cited violations of its policy banning hate speech when explaining why the episodes were removed.

We take reports of hate content seriously and review any podcast episode or song that is flagged by our community, said a spokeswoman in an email to Variety. Spotify can confirm it has removed specific episodes of The Alex Jones Show podcast for violating our hate content policy.

The initial backlash appears to have begun on Monday. It makes Spotify one of many sites slammed for allowing Jones on their platforms.

His rhetoric has brought dozens of complaints to Facebook and YouTube. When Jones  a right-wing conspiracy theorist and the founder of the website InfoWars  accused special counsel Robert Mueller of covering up sex crimes and threatened him with death, neither platform did anything about it. Facebook said Jones comments did not violate the companys community standards as they were not a credible statement of intent to commit violence. The social media site did, however, suspend Jones personal Facebook page this week for four videos that violated its community standards. They have since been removed from the platform.

YouTube didnt respond to the complaints but also removed four videos Jones had posted on the site.

Spotify was previously offering more than a years worth of Jones broadcasts, leading many users to say they would cancel their subscriptions. One user said she had spoken to a Spotify customer service representative and was told that if 100 users said the same thing, the company would look into it.

Hey, @Spotify -- I see you've started carrying Alex Jones' hate-filled, foaming mouth podcast on your service. Guess I shall be canceling my subscription. @SpotifyUSA @SpotifyCares  Eric Trautmann (@mercuryeric) July 30, 2018

I talked to Spotify about how to get Alex Jones' Infowars off their platform. I was advised to make a suggestion. They'll look into it if it gets 100 votes. Please help boost @ruckawriter https://t.co/emahDg28uj  Cat the Uncivil (@thistlekitty) July 30, 2018

A New York Times report published on Tuesday seems to have invigorated the objections to Jones material on Spotify. The piece said he is in the process of seeking over $100,000 in court costs from the parents of Noah Pozner, one of the 20 children fatally shot at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. Pozners family members have been living in hiding for years since Jones spread false claims that they are crisis actors.

Story continues

Jones lawyer Marc Randazza disputed the claims made in the Times report, telling HuffPost that hes disappointed in the paper and that he is unable to find anywhere in the motion any support for that statement at all. He also said that he believes that the quotes the Times attributed to Jones appear to be fabricated.

Despite Randazzas assessment, the Times report has had Twitter users from actor Don Cheadle to journalist Soledad OBrien tagging Spotify in their posts to ring the alarm.

@Spotify shame on you for allowing this hate-fueled garbage on your service. These peoples children died and youre handing Alex Jones a microphone to he can call those dead babies crisis actors even more loudly.



Jones goes or we go. Choose carefully. https://t.co/3lUN84IB4A  Jen Hansen (@jenhansen31) August 1, 2018

You seem to keep good company @Spotify (not). https://t.co/9Wf41TZaa1  Fredrik Andersson (@LFAndersson) August 1, 2018

.@spotify carries Alex Jones.



If you're a subscriber, maybe now would be a good time to let Spotify know how you feel about your subscription dollars subsidizing this piece of human garbage. https://t.co/eCkXQYFW7O  The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) August 1, 2018

No one should have to go through what his victims go through, and I dont see why @facebook, @Spotify and @YouTube shouldnt be made to pay damages too. https://t.co/rXWlmEjEp5  Alexander Chee (@alexanderchee) August 1, 2018

@Spotify Do you really want a business relationship with THIS guy??? https://t.co/GwJ8a2tSfv  Timothy Darby (@ConstantTim) August 1, 2018

Hey @Spotify & @Amazon: when you read news like this, do you worry that carrying Alex Jones' InfoWars brand will damage your own? https://t.co/COlF2aJtFq  Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) August 1, 2018

Spotify did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment.

This story has been updated.

Clarification: The headline on this article has been amended to clarify that Spotify did not pull Jones entire show.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.In a world of constant turmoil and uncertainty, it's always a welcome surprise when you come across a story that's just... nice.

SEE ALSO: Watch as an amazed Virgin Galactic pilot touches the edge of space in new video

On Tuesday, Air India pilot Ashrrita shared a photograph from her mother's last day at work. As it turned out it was a special day for a number of reasons.

So happy and honoured to be able to pilot the one flight that mattered. It was my moms dream to have me pilot her last flight as an Air Hostess with @airindiain :) As she retires after her glorious 38 years of service, I will be carrying on with her legacy  #grateful #proud pic.twitter.com/zcUTNCENzj  Ashrrita (@caramelwings) July 31, 2018

"It was my mom's dream to have me pilot her last flight as an Air Hostess with Air India," she said. "As she retires after her glorious 38 years of service, I will be carrying on her legacy."

How cool is that?

Ashrrita followed that tweet up with a video of her mom being applauded by passengers as she walked through the plane.

For all of you who asked :) thats mom on her last flight as an operating cabin crew for @airindiain what a lovely day and what amazing passengers! So many best wishes and hugs  of course I was in the flight deck :) #proud #grateful pic.twitter.com/eUL3Og4EBr  Ashrrita (@caramelwings) July 31, 2018

Needless to say, the story went down pretty well.

Story continues

Strong women raise strong women  https://t.co/C5LPPGGOJR  Kamayani Vyas (@k4ms) July 31, 2018

This. Is. So. Wonderful.

Kudos to your mom and all the best for her retirement life ahead.   Adi (@Brewkenstein) July 31, 2018

#FlyAI : @caramelwings Our heartfelt wishes to your mother and you for this special flight when she passes the baton on to you to have the privilege of serving our passengers with dedication. The legacy lives on. https://t.co/AxJiFllPbv  Air India (@airindiain) July 31, 2018

Splendid work all round.Photo credit: J. Madden and Lisa Kaltenegger/Carl Sagan Institute

From Popular Mechanics

The number of known exoplanets-planets outside of our solar system-has jumped exponentially in the last decade. With all these new worlds, astronomers need a more comprehensive classification system, and researchers at Cornell University have used the way light reflects off the planets of our own solar system created just that: a "light-fingerprint" for different types of planets.

Exoplanets vary greatly across the galaxy: some are rocky, others are icy, and the biggest ones are gaseous. The distribution of exoplanets is similar to our own solar system's variety, a fact that researchers used to their advantage.

"We use our own solar system and all we know about its incredible diversity of fascinating worlds as our Rosetta Stone," Lisa Kaltenegger, director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell and co-author of the new paper, said in a press release. "With this catalog of light-fingerprints, we will be able to compare new observations of exoplanets to objects in our own solar system-including the gaseous worlds of Jupiter and Saturn, the icy worlds of Europa, the volcanic world of Io and our own life-filled planet."



The new classification system uses what are called calibrated spectra and geometric albedos, measurements of the way light reflects off a planet's surface. For a reference system, Kaltenegger and her team measure the reflective signature of 19 bodies within the solar system: all eight planets, nine moons, and two dwarf planets (Ceres and Pluto). These bodies represent a diversity of planethood that covers many types of exoplanets beyond our own system.

With a classification system in place, the scientists hope research on exoplanets will get exponentially easier. Astronomers will be able to quickly compare new exoplanets to similar bodies, and then prioritize follow-up observations of specific types of planets. The reference catalog has been posted online for ease of access.

Story continues

"With the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and the current construction of large ground-based telescopes such as the Giant Magellan Telescope and the Extremely Large Telescope, we are entering a new age of observational ability, so we need a reference catalog of all the planets and moons we already know, to compare these new exoplanet spectra to, says Jack Madden, a doctoral student and lead author of the study, which has been published in the journal Astrobiology.



James Webb, the spiritual successor to Hubble, has faced three major delays in under a year. But when it finally gets up into space, it will have a crisp new planet classification system to help probe the worlds beyond our sun.

Source: Cornell University

('You Might Also Like',)Photo: Contributed Goode's Creek wildfire burns on Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park on July 25.

The BC Wildfire Service says it's continuing to make good progress on fires burning in the Okanagan, and it will soon move crews off to fires elsewhere in the province.

Crews have been making good progress ... for quite a while, says fire information officer Ryan Turcot.

As of Tuesday afternoon, five of the seven wildfires of note burning across the province are in the Kamloops Fire Centre.

The Mount Eneas between Peachland and Summerland is now considered under control and was the largest in the Okanagan, but a planned ignition stopped it from growing.

Three wildfires are burning in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park. They are difficult to access due to rough terrain. Goodes Creek is out of control and estimated at 1,370 hectares in size, Glenfir Road wildfire is being held at 100 hectares and Frederick Creek wildfire is estimated at 58.30 hectares.

Likely, we will be able to start moving some personnel away from that situation to some of these newer fires starting up, said Turcot.

In just 24 hours, over 57 wildfires were sparked across B.C., due mostly to lightning strikes.

Turcot reassured adequate resources and support will remain the Okanagan.Post-election clashes in Zimbabwe turn deadly Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa react as they block a street in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 1, 2018. (Photo: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters)

Protests in Zimbabwes historic elections turned bloody on Wednesday as a man was shot dead during demonstrations over alleged vote fraud and President Emmerson Mnangagwa appealed for calm.

The man died after soldiers fired live ammunition during opposition protests in downtown Harare, AFP reporters saw.

The polls  the first since autocratic president Robert Mugabe was forced out by a brief military takeover in November  had offered Zimbabwe the chance of turning the page on a brutal chapter of its past.

But the mood quickly descended into anger and chaos as supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition declared they had been cheated.

You said you were better than Mugabe  you are the picture of Mugabe, shouted one young male protester wearing a white T-shirt. We need security for the people.

Official results showed that the ruling ZANU-PF party had easily won the most seats in the parliamentary ballot  strengthening Mnangagwas prospects of holding onto power in the key presidential vote.

Read more of this story by AFP on Yahoo News >>>

_____

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr.In recent days, President Donald Trump and his allies have repeatedly lashed out against Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Since the end of last week, Trump has tweeted 11 attacks against the Mueller probe and the news media, while his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani has given a flurry of interviews to outlets such as CNN and Fox News defending Trump.

One reason for the offensive may be the opening of a trial of Trumps former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, on charges of tax and bank fraud. Another could be the near-constant drip of stories about what Trumps former lawyer, Michael Cohen, knows about things like efforts to silence a Playboy model about an affair and a 2016 meeting with Russians at Trump Tower.

But underlying all these stories is another pressing concern for Trump which he once labeled a red line for any investigations: His finances.

Since the election, the presidents critics have pushed on a number of fronts to get more information on the real estate moguls closely held business, including his dealings with Russians and people seeking to influence the Administration. Now there are signs that the veil hes long held over everything from his net worth to his business associates may be pierced.

A federal judge ruled last week that a lawsuit over Trumps ownership of a hotel in a building leased from the federal government may proceed, which means that opposing lawyers can start seeking his financial records. Cohens apparent willingness to cooperate with federal prosecutors and a recent subpoena of the Trump Organizations chief finance officer could spill other secrets. Democrats increasingly look likely to retake the House of Representatives this fall, which would give Trump critics like Rep. Maxine Waters the power to launch investigations into his business dealings.

As this is going on, the Manafort case is making clear how damaging the release of this kind of information can be. Prosecutors have already revealed that Manafort made more than $60 million as a political consultant in Ukraine and said they will use evidence including memoranda, emails, and photos reflecting tasks performed to show the full sweep of Manaforts Ukraine work.

Story continues

All of this is likely troubling for a president who has long been secretive about the exact details of his finances. Trump broke a 40-year tradition among presidential candidates by refusing to release his tax returns in the 2016 election. And in the past, hes been so defensive about his net worth the the sued a reporter and publisher in 2005 who claimed he was worth less than he stated, arguing in a court deposition that his net worth was based on everything from the stock market to my own feelings each day.

That sensitivity has continued into the presidency, with Trump telling the New York Times in 2017 that it would be crossing a red line for the special counsel to look at his personal finances.

Heres a closer look at how the public may soon learn more about Trumps finances.

The Emoluments Clause case

A federal judge ruled last week that an Emoluments Clause lawsuit against Trump can proceed. The suit, brought by Maryland and the District of Columbia, accuses Trump of unconstitutionally accepting benefits from foreign and state interests through the Trump International Hotel in D.C. The next phase of the process is where things could get uncomfortable for Trump: During discovery, the team representing Maryland and D.C. could press for financial documents, including years of Trumps tax returns.

The court has already ordered the preservation of Mr. Trumps business records, the attorneys general for Maryland and D.C. and the chairman of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington wrote in the New York Times. We plan to examine them expeditiously and carefully when our lawsuit enters the discovery phase to uncover the extent of Mr. Trumps violations through his Washington, D.C., hotel, where an endless retinue of foreign and domestic governments have spent lavish amounts of money since the election, all to the presidents financial benefit.

Raquel Coombs, the director of communications for Marylands Office of the Attorney General, confirmed to TIME that they are considering going after Trumps tax returns in discovery.

They certainly can make a document request for anything that they want, says Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor now at Thompson Coburn. But the question is then if the other side is going to push back. And if I was on a plaintiffs side, I think it could be challenging [to explain] why it is you need personal tax returns for the president when your allegation is that certain business entities have gotten a benefit.

Whatever the plaintiffs do uncover in discovery could be made public, unless the judge orders or the parties agree otherwise. Im sure, Mariotti says, the plaintiffs will do whatever they can to make as much public as they can.

Trump Organization employees talking

Trump has two former employees who know a lot about his business and finances who may be gearing up to talk to investigators. Michael Cohen, Trumps longtime lawyer and fix-it guy, has been in hot water since April, when the FBI raided his home, office and hotel room and seized thousands of documents. (The raid was by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York, based on a referral from Muellers team.) In the past, Cohen has claimed ultimate loyalty to Trump. I will always protect my POTUS, he tweeted one day before the raid.

But recently, cracks have been showing. In July, he said, I put family and country first. He has provided secret recordings of a conversation showing Trump knew about a plan to buy the rights to the story of former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed to have had an affair with Trump. According to CNN, Cohen also claims that Trump knew in advance about the infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting, which directly contradicts multiple denials by the president and his associates. And CNN also reports that Cohen is willing to share that knowledge with Mueller. Cohen may be hoping that cooperating with Mueller will help him lessen his own legal troubles. If thats the case, he likely knows much more about Trumps business dealings and finances beyond the McDougal payoff.

Someone who knows even more about Trumps money: the chief finance officer of the Trump Organization Allen Weisselberg, who has been subpoenaed to testify as a witness before a federal grand jury in the criminal probe of Cohen, the Wall Street Journal reports. Weisselberg served for decades as executive vice president and chief financial officer at the Trump Organization, and Cohen references him explicitly in the tape he released about the McDougal payment. Ive spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up, Cohen says.

If Weisselberg testifies before a grand jury, hell be an extensive source of information, says Mariotti, because prosecutors can ask him anything they want, and hes the CFO, so Im sure he knows everything there is to know. The transcript will never be made public. But as prosecutors pore over his testimony and review the documents and records they are sure to have subpoenaed from the Trump Organization, if they discover any crimes related to Trump or his company, they could refer those to other prosecutors to investigate.

Paul Manaforts trial

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manaforts first trial begins Tuesday, and while it doesnt have anything to do with Trumps own dealings, it lays bare a worst-case scenario for when shady finances are brought to light. Manaforts Virginia trial  he faces another in the District of Columbia set to begin this fallfocuses on money Manafort made while working as a consultant in Ukraine. The indictment charges him with hiding millions in overseas income through offshore accounts, bank fraud and tax evasion.

With Paul Manafort, who really is a nice man, you look at whats going on, its like Al Capone, Trump has said. (The famous gangster was convicted and sent to federal prison for tax evasion in the 1930s.)

The fact that Manaforts Virginia trial  the first trial to come from charges brought by Muellers investigation  is centered on financial crimes is sure to cast any of Trumps own worries about keeping his finances private into sharper relief.President Donald Trumps latest head-scratching comment has lit up the internet.

You know, if you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need ID. You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture, Trump said at Tuesday nights Tampa, Fla., rally to drum up support for GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis gubernatorial bid.

He was  in the moment  throwing his support behind tougher ID requirements for voters.

Only American citizens should vote in American elections. The time has come for voter ID like everything else, Trump said.

He deployed that claim as he was saying that the only time people dont need to present their identification card is when they want to place a vote.

He may have been referring to stores that ask to see IDs from credit card holders, but the comment became the fodder for a Twitter-wide joke from people calling out that you dont need to show your ID to get what you need at the supermarket.

Most people quickly set about riffing on the comment. Some took the comment even further by wondering when the POTUS last made a trip to the supermarket.

See a sampling of the Twitter reactions to Trump groceries comment below.

Trump says you need an ID to buy groceries... Honest question: What's the last time he's bought groceries?  Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) July 31, 2018

Trump out of touch here... you dont need an ID to buy groceries. https://t.co/FmKaXbEQsc  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) July 31, 2018

On the topic of voter ID, Trump says if you want to go out and buy groceries, you have to have an ID, which as anyone who buys their own groceries knows, is not accurate. Out of all the things one does consistently need an ID for, that is not one of them.  Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) July 31, 2018

President Trump, at his rally in Tampa, is pushing for voter ID laws and said you need to show an ID to buy groceries.



(You don't need ID to buy groceries.) pic.twitter.com/7WAs05R4dz  Liam Martin (@LiamWBZ) July 31, 2018

Trump: "If you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card. You need ID."



This man has never bought a carton of milk in his life, has he?  Kaili Joy Gray (@KailiJoy) July 31, 2018

Has Donald Trump ever been inside of a grocery store? I think there's a decent chance he hasn't. https://t.co/JCiIr0nM7w  Dustin Kent (@dustinjkent) August 1, 2018

Of course Trump is the guy who writes a check when buying groceries https://t.co/am2cifIYTB  Tyler Cralle (@tylercralle) August 1, 2018

This tells us at least two things. First, it confirms that Trump has no idea how grocery shopping works.



Second, what the hell does that have to do with enfranchisement? https://t.co/w2MCCMaJOr  Jeffrey Vagle (@jvagle) August 1, 2018

Well now I know I've done at least two things Trump hasn't... worn size 'large' gloves and been in a grocery store. https://t.co/gSEWCtePOf  Wes Wilson (@iamweswilson) August 1, 2018(PYEONGTAEK, South Korea)  Decades after the end of the Korean War in 1953, the remains of dozens of presumed U.S. war dead began their journey home following a repatriation ceremony in South Korea on Wednesday.

North Korea handed over the remains in 55 boxes last week and allowed a U.S. military transport plane to move them to the U.S. Osan Air Base near Seoul in South Korea. While it was an apparent goodwill gesture by North Korea toward the United States, the return comes amid growing skepticism about whether the North will follow through on its pledge of nuclear disarmament.

Hundreds of U.S. and South Korean troops gathered at a hanger at the Osan base for the repatriation ceremony, which included a silent tribute, a rifle salute and the playing of the U.S. and South Korean national anthems and dirges in front of the U.N. flag-covered metal cases containing the remains.

For the warrior, this is a cherished duty, a commitment made to one another before going into battle, and passed on from one generation of warriors to the next, Vincent Brooks, chief of the U.S. military in South Korea, said in a speech. This is a solemn reminder that our work is not complete until all have been accounted for, no matter how long it takes to do so.

The remains were then moved in gray vans to an airfield where U.S. and South Korean soldiers loaded them one by one into two transport planes. Four U.S. fighter jets flew low in a tribute.

Later Wednesday, the transport planes left for Hawaii, where the remains will undergo an in-depth forensic analysis, in some cases using mitochondrial DNA profiles, at a Defense Department laboratory to establish identifications. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week that the return of the 55 boxes was a positive step but not a guarantee that the bones are American.

A U.S. defense official said Tuesday that it probably will take months if not years to fully determine individual identities from the remains. The official, who discussed previously undisclosed aspects of the remains issue on condition of anonymity, also said North Korea provided a single military dog tag along with the remains. The official did not know details about the single dog tag, including the name on it or whether it was even that of an American military member.

Story continues

Vice President Mike Pence, the son of a Korean War veteran, is to fly to Hawaii for what the military calls an honorable carry ceremony marking the arrival of the remains on American soil.

The repatriation is a breakthrough in a long-stalled U.S. effort to obtain war remains from North Korea. About 7,700 U.S. soldiers are listed as missing from the 1950-53 Korean War, and 5,300 of the remains are believed to still be in North Korea.

The remains received from North Korea are being handled with the utmost care and respect by professional historians, forensic scientists, uniformed personnel and government officials, the U.S.-led U.N. Command said in a statement. It said it never leaves troops behind, living or deceased, and will continue the mission of repatriation until every service member returns home.

The bones return was part of an agreement reached during a June summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump thanked Kim for the return.

During the summit, Kim also agreed to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in return for Trumps promise of security guarantees. Trump later suspended annual military drills with South Korea which North Korea had long called an invasion rehearsal.

But Trump now faces criticism at home and elsewhere that North Korea hasnt taken any serious steps toward disarmament and may be trying to buy time to weaken international sanctions against it.

North Korea halted nuclear and missile tests, shut down its nuclear testing site and began dismantling facilities at its rocket launch site. But many experts say those are neither irrevocable nor serious steps that could show the country is sincere about denuclearization.

The Washington Post reported Monday that U.S. intelligence agencies have obtained evidence indicating that North Korea is continuing to build long-range missiles. It cited anonymous officials familiar with the intelligence as saying that work on at least one and possibly two intercontinental ballistic missiles was underway.

North Korea may want to use the remains return to keep diplomacy with the United States alive and win a reciprocal U.S. concession. Experts say the North likely wants a declaration of the end of the Korean War as part of U.S. security assurances.

An armistice that ended the Korean War has yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula in a technical state of war. North Korea has steadfastly argued its nuclear weapons are meant to neutralize alleged U.S. plans to attack it. The signing of a peace treaty could allow the North to demand the pullout of the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea. The U.S. military presence in South Korea is the backbone of its security commitment to South Korea, which doesnt have nuclear weapons.

Efforts to recover remains in North Korea have been fraught with political and other obstacles since the wars end. Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea unilaterally handed over 208 caskets to the U.S., which turned out to contain remains of far more than 208 individuals, although forensics specialists thus far have established 181 identities. In addition, a series of U.S.-North Korean recovery efforts, termed joint field activities, between 1996 and 2005 yielded 229 caskets of remains, of which 153 have been identified, according to the Pentagon.

The recovery efforts stalled for more than a decade because of a standoff over North Koreas nuclear ambitions and a previous U.S. claim that security arrangements for its personnel working in the North were insufficient. The Trump administration, as part of the Singapore agreement, is pursuing discussions with North Korea on resuming those field activities.

___

Hyung-jin Kim reported from Seoul; Burns reported from Washington, DC.HONOLULU (AP)  In an emotional and solemn ceremony, the remains of dozens of presumed casualties from the Korean War were escorted by military honor guards onto U.S. soil on Wednesday, 65 years after an armistice ended the conflict and weeks after President Donald Trump received a commitment from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for their return.

The U.S. military believes the bones are those of U.S. servicemen and potentially servicemen from other United Nations member countries who fought alongside the U.S. on behalf of South Korea during the war. What is expected to be an exhaustive analysis and identification process will soon begin.

"Some have called the Korean War the 'forgotten war.' But today, we prove these heroes were never forgotten," Vice President Mike Pence said at a ceremony welcoming the remains, which were flown from South Korea earlier in the day. "Today, our boys are coming home."

Each container was accompanied by one Marine, one sailor, one soldier and one airman. They set them gently on risers lined up inside the hangar as Pence stood watching with his hand over his heart. Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, saluted. Some of the invited guests wiped tears from their eyes during the procession of the containers off the planes.

Sixteen other United Nations member countries fought alongside U.S. service members on behalf of South Korea. Some of them, including Australia, Belgium, France and the Philippines, have yet to recover some of their war dead from North Korea.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said some remains could turn out to be those of missing from other nations. He said last week that the return was a positive step but not a guarantee that the bones are American.

"Whosoever emerges from these aircraft today begins a new season of hope for the families of our missing fallen," Pence said. "Hope that those who are lost will yet be found. Hope that after so many years of questions, they will have closure."

Story continues

North Korea handed over the remains last week. A U.S. military plane made a rare trip into North Korea to retrieve the 55 cases.

Hanwell Kaakimaka's uncle, John Kaakimaka, is among those who never came home.

"We've been watching the news, and we've been hopeful that my uncle is among the remains," he said, adding that it could bring his family some closure.

His uncle, who was from Honolulu, was a corporal in the 31st Infantry Regiment of the Army's 7th Infantry Division. He went missing on or about Dec. 2, 1950.

Hanwell Kaakimaka said the story he heard from his dad was that his uncle was injured and was being brought back from the front when Chinese troops overran the area and attacked the convoy.

The Kaakimaka family provided DNA samples to the U.S. military's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency over a decade ago, hoping officials would be able to make a match.

The agency identifies remains of servicemen killed in past conflicts. It typically uses bones, teeth and DNA to identify remains along with any items that may have been found with remains like uniforms, dog tags and wedding rings. But North Korea only provided one dog tag with the 55 boxes it handed over last week.

Before the remains were put on military planes bound for Hawaii, hundreds of U.S. and South Korean troops gathered at a hanger at the Osan base in South Korean for the repatriation ceremony.

The repatriation is a breakthrough in a long-stalled U.S. effort to obtain war remains from North Korea.

There are 7,699 U.S. service members listed as unaccounted for from the 1950-53 Korean War, of which about 5,300 are believed to have died on North Korean soil. The remainder are those who died in South Korea but have not been recovered; those who died in air crashes at sea or on ships at sea, as well as a number who are believed to have been taken to China.

The bones' return was part of an agreement reached during a June summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump thanked Kim for the return.

During the summit, Kim also agreed to "work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in return for Trump's promise of security guarantees. Trump later suspended annual military drills with South Korea which North Korea had long called an invasion rehearsal.

But Trump now faces criticism at home and elsewhere that North Korea hasn't taken any serious steps toward disarmament and may be trying to buy time to weaken international sanctions against it.

North Korea halted nuclear and missile tests, shut down its nuclear testing site and began dismantling facilities at its rocket launch site. But many experts say those are neither irrevocable nor serious steps that could show the country is sincere about denuclearization.

North Korea may want to use the remains' return to keep diplomacy with the United States alive and win a reciprocal U.S. concession. Experts say the North likely wants a declaration of the end of the Korean War as part of U.S. security assurances.

An armistice that ended the Korean War has yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula in a technical state of war. North Korea has steadfastly argued its nuclear weapons are meant to neutralize alleged U.S. plans to attack it.

___

Kim Yong-Ho reported from Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.Swedish police are on the hunt for a pair of thieves who stole some of the countrys priceless crown jewels  and escaped on a speedboat, according to local media.

Two crowns and an orb  the 17th century funeral regalia of King Karl IX and his wife Queen Kristina  were stolen from a glass case at a cathedral in Strangnas, which is near Stockholm, Reuters reported.

Swedish authorities also confirmed the theft in a press release.

The suspects were seen fleeing the cathedral in a motorboat across nearby Lake Malaren, Reuters said.

Witness Tom Rowsell told local media, Aftonbladet, he was having lunch nearby and one of my friends saw two people run from different directions. I saw a white little boat and the men jumped in the boat and gassed away.

RELATED: How the British Royals Hid the Crown Jewels from the Nazis  in a Cookie Tin

The jewels are decorated with gold, precious stones and pearls, marking an enormous loss in cultural value and economic value, Catharina Frojd, a spokeswoman at Strangnas cathedral, told Aftonbladet.

As the hunt continued late Tuesday, police spokesman Thomas Agnevik told Aftonbladet, Its 1-0 to them right now, but we do not know what it looks like tomorrow.

Agnevik added to Reuters, What usually happens with this type of object is that they are recovered sooner or later, because there are very few people who are prepared to handle such items. He said that authorities have high hopes of retrieving the jewels.SINGAPORE (AP)  Southeast Asian nations are expected to welcome an initial negotiating draft of a nonaggression pact with China on the South China Sea, but critics warn that the protracted talks provide a diplomatic cover for Beijing's tenacious aggression in the disputed waters.

Top diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will also praise the rapprochement between the Koreas, along with that of President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, when they gather for four days of annual summitry in Singapore starting Wednesday.

Currently led by Singapore, the 10-nation bloc will host on Saturday Asia's largest security forum, including the key players involved in the Korean Peninsula's disarmament efforts, which will provide a chance for them to talk on the summit's sidelines.

Concern over rising extremism in the region and the plight of minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state will also be under the spotlight. Myanmar is to brief the ASEAN foreign ministers on the situation in Rakhine during a lunch "retreat," an informal gathering where ministers raise contentious issues that normally are a taboo in their staid plenary meetings.

Founded in 1967 in the Cold War era as a bulwark against communism, ASEAN has a bedrock principle of non-interference in each other's domestic affairs and decides by consensus, meaning even one member state can doom any proposal it deems offensive.

Those cardinal principles have drastically slowed decision-making and have been used by authoritarian leaders to dodge outside criticism, causing the diplomatic collective to be labeled by skeptics as a "club of dictators" and human rights violators. But its principles have allowed ASEAN to maintain diverse national identities, from rambunctious democracies to martial law regimes, for half a century.

The bloc has also been an acceptable broker for talks for all sorts of conflicts.

Story continues

In the South China Sea disputes, which have pitted China, Taiwan and four ASEAN member states  Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam  the group is expected to announce an agreement with Beijing on an initial negotiating draft of a so-called "code of conduct," a proposed set of regional norms and rules aimed at preventing the long-seething disputes from degenerating into a shooting war.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Tuesday before flying to Singapore that talks on the code could be concluded this year or next. Other Asian diplomats have not been as optimistic.

The ministers will welcome "the improving cooperation between ASEAN and China and were encouraged by the progress of the substantive negotiations towards the early conclusion of an effective code of conduct in the South China Sea on a mutually agreed timeline," according to a draft of a joint post-summit communique by the ministers which was obtained by The Associated Press.

Some of the ministers would repeat their concerns over China's transformation of seven disputed reefs into islands, including three with runways, which now resemble small cities armed with weapons, including surface-to-air missiles. China has come under intense criticisms for the aggressive action but it has said it has the right to build on its territory and defend them at all costs.

The ministers "took note of the concerns expressed by some countries on the land reclamations in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region," the draft communique said without naming China and reflecting the internal divisions over the touchy issue.

ASEAN member states Cambodia and Laos, which are known China allies, have opposed the use of strong language against Beijing over the disputes.

Greg Poling, director of the U.S.-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, which monitors developments in the South China Sea, said highlighting the draft code of conduct in the summit will be "more political theater than substance at this point" given the lack of agreement on areas it will cover and whether the pact should be legally binding after more than 15 years of talks.

Without any major concessions, especially from China, Poling said the talks would drag further while China presses actions to reinforce its vast territorial claims "without paying much price because the code of conduct process offers diplomatic cover to claim it is seeking a peaceful and fair settlement."

___

Gomez reported from Manila, Philippines.REDDING, Calif. (AP)  Residents of a Northern California neighborhood can breathe a sigh of relief now that a 14-foot python that went missing after a pet store was evacuated during a wildfire has been found safe.

Sandra Dodge-Streich, owner of Redding Reptiles, says the snake was placed in a plastic bin and brought to a home after flames moved closer last week. She says the lavender albino reticulated python named Eres slithered out of the bin Saturday.

During a search of the neighborhood in South Redding, residents were urged to keep their small pets indoors  though Dodge-Streich said the snake really only has an appetite for chickens.

She tells the Record Searchlight newspaper that Eres was discovered Monday coiled up in a milk crate.

She says the snake is doing well.

___

Information from: Record Searchlight, http://redding.comDraymond Green and Tristan Thompsons NBA Finals beef was apparently addressed and squashed at an ESPYs after-party hosted by LeBron James. (AP)

There have been rumors for almost two weeks that there was a fight at an L.A. nightclub between NBA players.

On Tuesday, multiple reports broke that the altercation involved Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson in a beef that carried over from Game 4 of the NBA Finals when Green offered to meet Thompson in the streets.

Report: LeBron James, Kevin Durant broke up fight

Hip-hop blog Bossip had the initial story Tuesday, reporting that Green and Thompson got into a fight at an ESPYs afterparty that was quickly broken up by LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

The Big Leads Jason McIntyre, who initially reported the vague rumor without naming names, opened up with his version of the story after the Bossip report.

Draymond Green was not the aggressor, he was trying to make peace. Tristan felt embarrassed by the end of the Finals diss moment and just unloaded. Couple players i spoke here in LA/on social media went with, "about time"  Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) July 31, 2018

Thompson reportedly attacked Green out of nowhere

Late Tuesday, The Athletics Marcus Thompson II reported what he had heard about a scuffle between Green and Thompson at James ESPYs afterparty.

From Thompsons report:

Both Green and Thompson were guests of LeBron for this ultra-exclusive affairwhich prohibited phones and cameras. None of the attendees expected the on-the-court drama to flare back up in this setting. Which is why everyone was stunned when Thompson, according to sources, out of nowhere attacked Green. No argument. No squaring up. No taking it outside. It was a sucker punch, said one source who attended the party. But, to be honest, it wasnt really a punch. It was more like a shove. It was a face mush, another source described it. Other reports have described it as a legit punch, maybe even a quick one-two.

Story continues

Like Bossip, Thompson reported that Durant and James intervened and that Green and Thompson continued with the party where all involved ended up having a good time.

How are we just hearing about this?

So it appears that we have the puzzle pieces of an almost complete picture from the rumored altercation.

What isnt clear is how a story of this magnitude has managed to stay under wraps for two weeks in a city with some of the worlds most persistent gossip reporters. Sure, cell phones werent permitted, but its still a bit of a shocker to just be hearing these details now.

More from Yahoo Sports:

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Madison Erhardt

Scribbles of Angels is changing parents' lives, one tattoo at a time.

The campaign aims to provide lifelong memories for parents of terminally ill children.

Organizer Thomas Pfamatter launched the program and set up a a GoFundMe page where people can donate money so parents can get tattoos of drawings by their child, free of charge.

"I honestly didn't think it would happen this fast. I thought it would be Christmas time before anyone was in the chair getting a tattoo. It's been nine days," Pfamatter said Tuesday.

Parents Korinna and Jeff Wolter were the first to get tattoos, in remembrance of their daughter Alice, who died in June from cancer.

"She was diagnosed 12 months ago. We were flown in from Salmon Arm Hospital to Vancouver Children's Hospital, and we were later told she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia," said Korinna.

Chemotherapy wasn't an option for Alice. She went through a bone marrow transplant and a stem cell transplant from her brother, but eventually relapsed.

Alice spent her second birthday surrounded by loved ones.

"She passed on June 13 with everybody around. It's nice to have this," Wolter said of the tattoo.

Both Korinna and Jeff are getting butterfly tattoos that Alice designed with her brother before she passed.

"It was her first piece of artwork that my four-year-old son helped her do. It was her first craft ... We thought it was really nice because our son was a huge part of her journey," Korinna added.Its no secret that Ronda Rousey attended the 2015 premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens dressed as a stormtrooper, as the former UFC star posted a picture on her Instagram. But on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Rousey talked about what she left out of the post: the sad reason she was forced to remove the mask before entering the theater.

Rousey explained that she was asked to take her mask off because, in the wake of multiple mass shootings, the policy was no face coverings. Its not surprising that the theater was concerned. The blockbuster premiered on Dec. 14, 2015, less than two weeks after 14 people were killed in a mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., in a year that was tragically full of mass shootings.

Rousey took off her mask just enough so security could see who she was, and they snuck her in the back once the lights were out. But the mask was still prohibited.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 on CBS.

Watch Stephen Colbert call for accountability amid sexual misconduct allegations against Les Moonves:

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.LONDON (AP)  The Royal Navy rescued the Manchester Arena suicide bomber and his younger brother from the civil war in Libya three years before he killed 22 people at the Ariana Grande pop concert.

Britain's Daily Mail reported Tuesday that the HMS Enterprise picked up Salman Abedi and more than 100 other British citizens from the Libyan coast and took them to Malta, where they flew back to the U.K.

Abedi, a 22-year-old Briton of Libyan descent, blew himself up as fans were leaving Grande's concert at Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017. Twenty-two concertgoers were killed, and police say more than 800 people were left "with physical and deep psychological injuries."

Abedi's brother, Hashem, is in jail in Libya. British government requests for his extradition to face trial have been refused.

To be clear, were not telling you to bet on the NBA. Or the WNBA. Even though anecdotal research suggests that doing so may improve your viewing experience, side effects be damned. But if you were already planning to spice up your Wednesday by placing a wager at the Bellagio on, say, the Las Vegas Aces -1.5, you could now count on Adam Silver to endorse it.

The league announced Tuesday that MGM Resorts International is now the official gaming partner of the NBA and WNBA.

As the landscape for sports betting in the U.S. continues to evolve at a rapid pace, MGM Resorts is a proven gaming leader for us to work with on this groundbreaking partnership, said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Our collaboration will result in the best possible gaming and entertainment experience for consumers through the use of accurate, real-time NBA and WNBA data, and our collective efforts to maintain and enhance the integrity of our games.

Sure, you could have legally bet on Kyrie Irvings Celtics or Candace Parkers Sparks in Las Vegas before Tuesday. But now, youll probably experience less shame in doing so.BEIRUT (AP)  Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy to Syria said Wednesday that an agreement with Israel that includes Russian guarantees ensures that Iran-backed fighters will remain more than 80 kilometers (50 miles) away from Syria's frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Alexander Lavrentyev told the Russian Interfax news agency the agreement was reached in order not to "irritate" Israel. He didn't elaborate on when the agreement was forged or for how long.

Russian-backed Syrian forces regained full control of the frontier on Monday after a six-week offensive in the area that expelled Syrian armed opposition and an affiliate of the Islamic State group that had been deployed along the frontier with the Golan.

"The agreement is still in effect. Iranian forces have actually been withdrawn from (the southern de-escalation zone in Syria) in order not to irritate the Israeli administration, which has increased the number of attacks on Iranian sites in this territory," Lavrentyev said.

He said the pro-Iranian forces have withdrawn to 85 kilometers (53 miles) from the area with "our assistance," he said.

Israel has escalated its attacks against targets inside Syria suspected of being linked to Iran, insisting that it won't allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence near the frontier.

Iran has military advisers in Syria and backs Shiite militias fighting alongside Syrian troops, including Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Israel occupied the Golan Heights in the 1967 Mideast war. The frontier was quiet for decades following a 1974 disengagement agreement.

With the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, fighting erupted along the frontier, bringing rebels to the area. In 2014, a U.N. peacekeeping force deployed along the disengagement lines withdrew when rebels took control of the frontier.Moscow (AFP) - Three Russian journalists who were killed in the Central African Republic were investigating the activities of a private Russian army there, a media organisation they were working with said Wednesday.

Journalists Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal were killed on Monday in the strife-torn country, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed earlier.

"On Friday, July 27 (they) flew to the Central African Republic to shoot material on the activities of PMC Wagner in the country as part of a joint project with the Investigations Management Centre," the centre wrote on its Facebook page late Tuesday.

The Wagner Group has been described as Russia's shadow army which has operated in many of the world's hotspots, including Syria.

Analysts say Moscow uses the private company so it can play down military activity in countries such as Syria and Ukraine and discount casualties.

A journalist who was investigating Wagner's activities in Syria in April died after falling from the balcony of his fifth-floor flat in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.

The Investigations Management Centre is a media project launched by exiled former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who spent a decade in Russian jail after falling foul of the Kremlin and now lives in Britain.

The circumstances of the deaths of the three journalists in the Central African Republic are unclear.

On Wednesday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said neither the journalists themselves nor those who were backing their trip had told Russian authorities they would be in the country.

"They declared tourism as the purpose of their trip," she told the state channel Russia 24.

"The process of identification has been complicated by the fact that the dead Russians were not carrying their passports on them," she added.

Historically the major international player in the CAR has been France, but Russia has taken on an official role since December last year, when it was authorised by the UN to provide the armed forces with weapons and training.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will not meet on the sidelines of a gathering of southeast Asian nations in Singapore this week, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday. "We have no plans to meet with Foreign Minister Lavrov on this trip," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. Earlier on Wednesday the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was trying to set up a meeting between Lavrov and Pompeo when the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met. The RIA agency, citing a source in the Russian delegation, had earlier said the two would not meet during the ASEAN talks. Lavrov's and Pompeo's schedules do not allow a meeting this week and "it was decided to work out other opportunities ...," the source told RIA. Lavrov and Pompeo spoke by telephone days after U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's one-on-one July 16 meeting in Helsinki. Pompeo will also not meet with his Iranian counterpart during the trip, the State Department has said. (Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh in Moscow and Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Writing by Polina Nikolskaya; Editing by Alison Williams and James Dalgleish)Photo: Alanna Kelly Ash is visible on the roof of a white car in downtown Kelowna.

Residents across the Okanagan are reporting ash falling on their homes and vehicles Tuesday afternoon, and it appears to be coming from the south of the province.

Castanet has received reports of falling ash from Penticton, West Kelowna and Kelowna's Wilden neighbourhood, and it's also very visible on light-coloured vehicles in downtown Kelowna.

Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist says based on satellite imagery, the ash appears to be coming from the south of the province, near Cathedral Provincial Park.

There's a big plume of smoke coming up from the Similkameen and that's probably where the ash is coming from, Lundquist said.

Brenna Ward of the BC Wildfire Service says the Snowy Mountain wildfire, burning just east of Cathedral Provincial Park, has really picked up in the last little bit.

The 3,050-hectare blaze grew by more than 1,000 hectares between Monday morning and Tuesday morning.

The BCWS says it has exhibited significant aggressive growth on the east flank this afternoon, due to gusting winds up to 50 km/h.

Additional evacuation alerts in the Cawston and Keremeos area were issued due to the fire Tuesday evening.

The Place Mountain fire, burning west of Cathedral Provincial Park ,has also grown significantly, now burning more than 1,500 hectares.San Juan de los Morros (Venezuela) (AFP) - Power blackouts are daily fare, running water comes only once a month, cash machines are empty and waiting for a bus can take hours. Welcome to San Juan de los Morros in Venezuela, where nothing works.

"They send (running) water once a month. The rest of the time we have to buy it," moaned Florimar Nieves, a 39-year-old primary school teacher.

"There have been times where we've had no electricity for 24 hours."

This is not some sort of remote village outpost but a city of 160,000 inhabitants, 150 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of the capital Caracas.

Yet every corner reeks of the stench of Venezuela's acute economic and political crises.

Nieves lives with her two daughters and a granddaughter on the outskirts of San Juan, in a neighborhood of small, unfinished houses, dirt roads and skinny dogs.

She spends a quarter of her income buying water while her medical student daughter has to go to a neighbor's house to use the internet.

Yet protests in San Juan are as scarce as food, medicines and sanitary products.

Many residents seem resigned to their fate. Some collect rain water, while others pray that frequent power cuts won't damage their electrical appliances.

- Tired of waiting -

Venezuela's economic crisis that saw the International Monetary Fund predict inflation would reach one million percent this year, has hit San Juan hard.

And this in the country that was once one of the top 10 oil producers in the world.

Adults and children alike, dressed in shabby, ill-fitting clothes, walk long distances to get to work or school, tired of waiting hours for one of the few buses still running.

Those who cannot buy water and haven't received any for weeks face trips to the "tap" in the center of town, supplied by a system of pipes leading from a well.

"We come here two or three times a week. We haven't had water for 12 days," said Arelis Oliveros as she filled up several containers.

Story continues

The problem has reached such desperate levels that 17-year-old Alejandro often washes in rain water because his grandfather's house, where he lives, regularly goes days without receiving water.

"Sometimes I get fed up with washing this way because I smell bad, so I treat myself, blowing 10,000 bolivars on the bus to go and wash at my mother's house," he said.

It's luxury in a country where the currency is losing value at such an alarming rate that the largest denomination bank note, 100,000 bolivars, which once would buy five kilograms (11 pounds) of rice, is barely enough for a single cigarette.

Cash has practically vanished from circulation throughout the country, but in San Juan the cash machines don't work anyway and residents have to queue for hours at banks to withdraw money.

In any case, they are only allowed to withdraw a maximum of 100,000 bolivars, half the price of single egg.

- 'You have to punch and kick' -

President Nicolas Maduro's government has announced it will try to ward off economic collapse by stripping five zeros off the currency, but a similar move by his predecessor Hugo Chavez 10 years ago -- he knocked off three -- didn't stop the country descending into today's crisis.

Earlier this week, Maduro admitted he and his government were at fault for failing public services. He vowed to quadruple oil production, which has dropped from a high of 3.2 million barrels a day 10 years ago to a 30-year low of 1.5 million in 2018, but predicted it would take two years to see "the first symptoms" of "economic prosperity."

That won't cheer the residents of San Juan, though.

Carolina Azuaje, a 17-year-old medical student, leaves home at 6:00 am to try to get on one of the free buses supplied by her university, but often has to wait hours to do so.

"You have to punch and kick your way onto the bus," she said. "Last week, I broke a finger."

It's no exaggeration. When the bus arrives, she jostles with around 100 people to try to board. Many don't make it, but most just laugh.

Nieves says there's no point complaining as it will only lead to greater hardship. When people do protest the lack of services, they are threatened with the loss of food subsidies while the government and military "lash out against them."

- 'The biggest orphanage' -

Sociologist Francisco Coello says parts of society have accepted the crisis because "they've not seen anything else" after two decades of chavista governments.

Maduro usually blames opposition "sabotage" for the failings but the government "has left the population in the biggest orphanage, with two options: leave the country or depend on benefits," said Cuello.

"An underfed and uneducated population ensures that the regime stays in power."

Nieves is thinking about joining hundreds of thousands of others in fleeing the country.

"Living in Venezuela is a struggle, an anguish, a great despair," she sobbed.

Video: Venezuela to Knock 5 Zeros Off Currency to Ease Inflation

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.Dubai (AFP) - Saudi Arabian authorities have arrested two high-profile women's rights activists, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday, amid what the organisation called an "unprecedented" crackdown on dissent.

Award-winning gender rights activist Samar Badawi was arrested along with fellow campaigner Nassima al-Sadah this week, "the latest victims of an unprecedented government crackdown on the women's rights movement," HRW said in a statement.

Their arrests "signal that the Saudi authorities see any peaceful dissent, whether past or present, as a threat to their autocratic rule," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

Amal al-Harbi, the wife of jailed civic rights activist Fowzan al-Harbi, was also taken into custody this week, HRW said while adding that it was unclear why she was targeted.

Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The arrests come weeks after more than a dozen women's right campaigners were detained and accused of undermining national security and collaborating with enemies of the state. Some have since been released.

Samar Badawi is the recipient of the 2012 International Women of Courage Award, handed out by the US Secretary of State.

She is also a vocal campaigner for rights activist Raif Badawi, her brother and Saudi Arabia's top blogger, and Waleed Abu al-Khair, her former husband. Both men are serving lengthy jail terms for charges linked to their activism.

Like Badawi, Sadah is a longtime opponent of Saudi Arabia's guardianship system, under which women require male permission to study, marry or travel.

Saudi Arabia, a major US ally, has introduced a string of reforms over the past year aimed at improving the kingdom's image and oil-dependent economy.

Under the helm of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, heir to the region's most powerful throne, Saudi Arabia in June ended a longstanding ban on women driving and launched a number of projects aimed at attracting tourists.Season 14 of Deadliest Catch has been hard on the fishermen. But the scariest moment of the season so far was when Summer Bay greenhorn Spencer Moore was pulled overboard. A supermoon created record tides which led to extremely fast currents. In fact, the currents were so fast that much of the fleet shut down because they couldn't pull their pots up safely. Unfortunately for Moore, the Summer Bay waited a little too long to call it quits. While Moore was trying to attach a pot to the block, the current yanked him over the railing. Fortunately Spencer was able to hold onto the buoy and stay afloat in the 34 degree water. The quick thinking crew threw him a life ring, which he managed to and crane to pull the fisherman back aboard the vessel. After he collected his thoughts, Moore explained what happened "I was trying to get the bag in the block, and it's just ripping hard, and I held on, and it ripped me over way faster than I could let go." For Captain Wild Bill Wichrowski, this was the first time a member of his crew had gone over the rail. And while the incident left him visibly shaken, he couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome. He told his crew "I love you guys even more than you'll ever know." Then fighting back tear he joked, "There's no crying in crab fishing." Deadliest Catch airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Discovery.HONOLULU (AP)  Scientists are touting the first sighting of a hybrid between a melon-headed whale and a rough-toothed dolphin in the ocean off Hawaii. But don't call it a "wholphin," they say.

The melon-headed whale is one of the various species that's called a whale but is technically a dolphin.

"Calling it something like a wholphin doesn't make any sense," said one of the study's authors, Robin Baird, a Hawaii research biologist with Washington state-based Cascadia Research Collective. "I think calling it a wholphin just confuses the situation more than it already is."

In a study published last week, scientists say the animal spotted off the island of Kauai in August 2017 appears to be the first record of a hybrid involving either species. It's also only the third confirmed instance of a wild-born hybrid between species in the Delphinidae family.

The label "wholphin" has stuck for a hybrid of a false killer whale and an Atlantic bottle-nose dolphin born in 1985 at Hawaii's Sea Life Park. The hybrid named Kekaimalu still lives at the marine mammal park, where she helps teach children about genetics.

News of the hybrid spotted in the wild last year during Navy-funded research on the effects of sonar proves the "genetic diversity of the ocean," Sea Life Park curator Jeff Pawloski said.

"I always thought they were out there in the wild existing  it only makes sense," he said. "And to know she has cousins out there in the ocean is an amazing thing to know."

Some news organizations have described the melon-headed whale and rough-toothed dolphin hybrid as a new species, but other things would still need to occur, including more widespread hybridization, Baird said.

"That isn't the case, although there are examples where hybridization has resulted in a new species," he said. "There's no evidence to suggest it's leading toward anything like species formation."

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The male hybrid presents an opportunity to look for others. Hybrids generally occur when there's a decline in the population in one of the parental species, so scientists will be looking out for such a decline.

A likely scenario for how the hybrid came to be is a melon-headed whale getting separated from its group and ending up traveling with rough-toothed dolphins.

Scientists don't know how old it is but believe it's close to adult age.On Tuesdays Jimmy Kimmel Live, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer stopped by to promote his new book, The Briefing: Politics, The Press, And The President.

During the interview, Kimmel grilled Spicer on a number of topics, including how Spicers mom has handled things, choosing truth over loyalty, and his resignation in July 2017.

Rumors swirled then that he was butting heads with Donald Trump over the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci. In fact, Spicer had written his resignation letter in May. As for Scaramucci, while Spicer admitted that working under him would not have been an acceptable situation, thats not the reason he quit.

I had become the story too often, and thats not a good place for a spokesperson to be, Spicer said. Youre not supposed to be talking or defending yourself. Youre supposed to be communicating on behalf of the person or the institution that you represent.

Spicer said he wrote his resignation letter when he did because he knew things werent going to get any better.

I wanted to make sure that I was ready, he said. Because at some point I knew that the end was coming, and it was coming sooner rather than later.

Even though Spicer is out of the White House, hes not out of Trumps Rolodex. He said the president calls him as much as he likes and that the only time it was a little tense was the first post-resignation call. And it just happened to have come after Spicer did Kimmels show last September.

When Kimmel asked if Trump was mad about the appearance, Spicer said no.

He said, Great job on Jimmy Kimmel. I went, Whew.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 on ABC. Watch clips and full episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! for free on Yahoo View.

Check out Magic Johnsons hilarious response when asked about LaVar Ball on Jimmy Kimmel Live:

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Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook,or Instagram.On Wednesdays Jimmy Kimmel Live, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer stopped by to promote his new book, The Briefing: Politics, The Press, And The President. During the interview, Kimmel grilled Spicer over a number of topics including how Spicers mom has handled things, choosing truth over loyalty, and his resignation in July of last year.

Rumors swirled back then that he was butting heads with Donald Trump over the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci. But in fact, Spicer wrote his resignation letter in May, a couple months before actually handing it in. And as for Scaramucci, while Spicer admitted that working under him would not have been an acceptable situation, that is not the reason he resigned.I had become the story too often. And that's not a good place for a spokesperson to be, Spicer said. You're not supposed to be talking or defending yourself. You're supposed to be communicating on behalf of the person or the institution that you represent.And as for why Spicer wrote his resignation letter when he did, he said he knew things werent getting any better.I wanted to make sure that I was ready. Because at some point I knew that the end was coming, Spicer said. And it was coming sooner rather than later.But even though Spicer is out of the White House, hes not out of Trumps rolodex. Spicer said the president calls him, as much as he likes. And the only time it was a little tense, Spicer admitted, was the first time Trump called him post-resignation. And it just happens that it was after Spicer did Kimmels show in September of last year.

When Kimmel asked if Trump was mad about the appearance, Spicer said no.He said, Great job on Jimmy Kimmel. I went, whew.Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 on ABC. Watch clips and full episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! for free on Yahoo View.Check out Magic Johnsons hilarious response when asked about LaVar Ball on Jimmy Kimmel Live:

Read more from Yahoo! Entertainment:

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook,or Instagram.Warren Buffett has long been heralded by fellow investors and the press as one of, if not the best stock picker of all time. He is the Oracle of Omaha, after all. If you went back in time to 1964 and bought Berkshire Hathaway (ticker: BRK.A, BRK.B) stock today you would have generated a return in excess of 750,000 percent.

Those are the returns that investors' dreams are made of.

What special sauce enabled Warren Buffett to beat every other stock over the last 50-plus years? Lasse Pedersen from New York University, along with Andrea Frazzini and David Kabillier, deconstructed the returns in a recent paper entitled "Buffett's Alpha." The paper identifies the primary driving force in Buffett's returns as a combination of the power of diversification and leverage.

[See: 9 Investing Steps from Warren Buffett's Playbook.]

It was not so much Buffett's ability to pick stocks, but rather his ability to capture returns from two totally different sources without increasing his risk that enabled these stellar returns.

Let's break down these two sources: diversification and leverage.

Diversification is no new concept in finance. Its basic premise is to spread investment risk and avoid over-exposure to any one asset. Buffett perfected this notion by investing in a range of industries. Ironically, Buffett is famous for his quote, "Diversification is protection against ignorance. It makes little sense if you know what you are doing."

But Buffett diversified the risks of Berkshire across a blend of business and reinsurance risk, which tend to have no correlation to one another. The risk of a hurricane or earthquake has little to do with the risks of an economic recession.

This diversification is complimented by Buffett's leveraging power, which was the second factor aiding his record returns. Using the premiums his insurance clients paid, Buffett invested in low-risk companies like Coca Cola Co. ( KO) and See's Candies. Berkshire's insurance business provided the leverage to these investments by upward of 60 percent, significantly boosting the firm's return. Buffett got paid insurance premiums that he used to invest, rather than borrowing money to invest, which would require interest payments.

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The benefit of the returns from Berkshire's low-risk company portfolio combined with the returns from its insurance business enabled Buffett to earn nearly twice the return per unit of risk as other stocks. In funding additional investments without taking on additional risk, Buffet positioned himself, and Berkshire, for exponential returns. And this shows in the stock's performance.

It is possible for individual investors to replicate Buffett's success without running their own insurance company.

[See: 10 Long-Term Investing Strategies That Work.]

A portfolio that was equally allocated over the past 30 years to the U.S. stock market and long-term Treasury securities would have earned a return to risk ratio or Sharpe ratio of 0.63. The Sharpe ratio is a measure that indicates the average return minus the risk-free return divided by the standard deviation of return on an investment. Comparatively, over the past 32 years the Berkshire Hathaway stock has earned a risk to return ratio or Sharpe ratio of 0.64.

With such a seemingly simple solution, why haven't investors all become Warren Buffett-scale wealthy?

The answer comes down to leverage. A balanced portfolio would have generated a 10.5 percent compounded annual growth rate and a 9.5 percent volatility. Berkshire, on the other hand, has had a volatility of 21.3 percent over the past 32 years. Leverage matches proportionately with volatility. If you want to double your leverage, you would double your volatility.

If an individual investor had leveraged up their balanced portfolio up to the same volatility level as Berkshire, they would have nearly matched Buffett's long-term returns.

The magic created by Buffett's combination of equities and insurance can be reconstructed with a portfolio that is balanced between equities and long term treasuries.

This diversification positions investments similarly to Berkshire: reaping money from equities, Treasurys and insurance, without any overlapping risks and earning a return stream from all of them.

[See: 8 Investing Do's and Don'ts During Market Volatility.]

Using this model, any investor can position him or herself for Buffett-like returns.

David S. Miller is the co-founder of Catalyst Mutual Funds, where he serves as senior portfolio manager and CIO overseeing several of Catalyst's investment funds. Prior to joining Catalyst, he was founder and editor of the Investment Catalyst Newsletter. He also worked at UBS as an equities derivatives trader. Miller is a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, where he received a bachelor's degree in economics. He holds an MBA in finance from the University of Michigan.Ricky Martins career began when he was just 12 years old. While we were dealing with junior high worries (braces, acne, homework), Martin joined one of the most famous boy bands on the planet, Menudo. The Latino group had thousands of screaming fans all over the world. Five years and 11 albums later, Martins fame-filled ride with Menudo ended, and he decided to embark on his own. The Puerto Rican singer took his talents to the stage as well as to the small screen. He appeared in the Spanish-language telenovela Alcanzar una estrella in Mexico and later joined the cast of the American soap opera General Hospital. How can we forget his character, Miguel (swoon)? Music was always Martins passion, and he went on to release 10 albums (both in English and in Spanish). His breakout hit came in 1998 with the megahit The Cup of Life, the official song of the World Cup. The global hit reached No. 1 on charts around the world. Nothing seemed to top the musicians biggest hit to date  Livin la Vida Loca. It had Martin, and pretty much everyone else, shaking their bom boms. The song is even credited with igniting the Latin pop explosion of the 90s, which opened the door for Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, and Jennifer Lopez. Livin la Vida Loca won 13 awards, including a Billboard Latin Music Award for Pop Track of the Year. It was something that was never done before, and still that song moves people, he said. It did more than move people  it catapulted him to superstardom! If you ask Martin, however, being a father is one of his biggest accomplishments. Hes dad to fraternal twin boys Valentino and Matteo, who were born via surrogate in 2008. Earlier this year, he revealed that he had tied the knot with partner Jwan Yosef, another milestone for the singer. The accolades just keep on coming. Martin is also celebrating his first Emmy nomination, for his supporting work in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Martin was overjoyed by the recognition, tweeting, Im so happy and humbled by this nomination.Photo: Jon Manchester

Judges can't be expected to be emotionless robots, two legal experts said after a defence lawyer questioned a Kelowna judge's ability to deliver a fair sentence because she cried during a victim impact statement.

Defence lawyer Jacqueline Halliburn has asked provincial court Judge Monica McParland to recuse herself from the Kelowna courtroom because of what she argued was an "overall tone of bias" against a person who pleaded guilty in a sexual interference case. The lawyer also said McParland scoffed at the defence's suggestion for an intermittent jail sentence.

It will be up to McParland to decide if she should quit the case and refer sentencing to another judge.

Annalise Acorn, a professor of law at the University of Alberta, said judges are routinely confronted with facts involving tremendous amounts of human suffering and as human beings can be expected to have an emotional response, just like anyone else.

The case highlights a false expectation that reason has to be independent from emotion, she said. But that is a distorted view of what takes place in the trial process, where there are all kinds of overlap and interplay between reason and emotion.

"Emotions are these kind of physical responses we have to rational evaluations," said Acorn, whose main area of research is the philosophy of emotions in the context of conflict and justice.

"In my view, to suggest that an emotional response in itself is an indication of bias is a really wrong-headed approach."

Jeremy Melvin Carlson was charged in 2016 with sexual assault and the sexual interference of a person under the age of 16. Carlson, who is transgender and is in the midst of a male-to-female transition, pleaded guilty to sexual interference of a minor.

Janine Benedet, a law professor at the University of British Columbia, said it's significant that the judge cried during the sentencing stage of the trial, which means the accused had already been convicted.

"As a society, we should have a revulsion to the sexual abuse of children, there's nothing wrong with finding that distressing," she said.

While she wasn't aware of similar cases, Benedet said the courts recognize that judges and juries may be affected by what they see and hear in court. That's why there's a process to determine, for example, whether still photographs of a graphic event might be shown as evidence instead of a full video.

After the Crown and defence arguments were made on Monday, McParland indicated her decision will come before the end of August. Online court documents show the case is due to return to provincial court in Kelowna for a decision on Aug. 17.

The Crown wants a jail sentence up to 20 months, followed by two years of probation. The defence recommended a 90-day intermittent jail term, to be served over 20 weekends.By Rollo Ross REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - Assisted by calmer winds at their backs, firefighters in northern California on Tuesday tightened their grip on a deadly blaze raging for more than a week around the city of Redding, as 16 people listed as missing turned up safe. Four others reported missing in the sprawling fire zone, 160 miles (260 km) north of the state capital Sacramento, remained unaccounted for, said Redding police Sergeant Todd Cogle, who has overseen efforts to find them. The Carr Fire has claimed six confirmed fatalities since gale-force winds whipped the blaze into a flaming cyclone that jumped a river and roared with little warning into Redding and adjacent communities in the scenic Shasta-Trinity region on Thursday night. Whole neighborhoods were laid to waste as residents fled for their lives, many with only their pets and few belongings. Among the dead were two firefighters, as well as two young children who perished with their great-grandmother as they huddled under a wet blanket while their house went up in smoke. Also killed was a man who stayed at his home despite an evacuation order. Authorities said his remains were later found in the rubble of the house, which burned to the ground. Nearly 1,000 dwellings and more than 400 other buildings were reduced to ruins in what state officials now rank as the seventh most destructive wildfire in California history. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) listed the cause of the blaze, which erupted last Monday, as the "mechanical failure of a vehicle." SEARCH FOR MISSING NARROWS As of Tuesday afternoon, five days after the Redding fire storm, police were still trying to account for 20 people reported missing by family or friends. Discovering most homes of those in question had been spared from the fire, frustrated police took the unusual step of publicizing the names of the missing, Cogle said. Within hours 16 of them, previously unaware they were being sought, were located when they saw their names on television or the internet and contacted authorities, he told Reuters. "It speaks to the power of the media," Cogle said. Meanwhile, some 4,100 firefighters gained significant additional ground, helped by a second day of diminished winds. CalFire reported 30 percent of the blaze's perimeter corralled by containment lines by late Tuesday, up from 5 percent during much of the past week, even as the footprint of scorched landscape grew to almost 113,000 acres (46,000 hectares). Some evacuees have been allowed to return home, though as many as 37,000 remained displaced. Lighter winds also gave a boost to firefighters battling a pair of fires at the southern end of Mendocino National Forest, where some 12,200 people were under mandatory evacuation orders. Those blazes, dubbed the Ranch and River fires, have charred more than 80,000 acres (32,000 hectares), with containment measured at 12 percent for the two together. The Carr Fire stood as the most formidable of 94 wildfires burning across 13 U.S. Western states, from Texas to Alaska, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. California, with 17 large active blazes reported, has been one of the hardest hit, with a volatile mix of triple digit-temperatures, erratic winds and drought-parched vegetation fueling intense wildfire activity. (Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Jonathan Allen in New York; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Chris Reese, Toni Reinhold and Michael Perry)MOSCOW (AP)  Three Russian journalists were investigating Russian military contractors and mining industries in Central African Republic when they were killed there, their editor said Wednesday.

The reporters were ambushed and killed outside the town of Sibut late Monday, according to local and Russian officials. CAR officials said the three were kidnapped by about 10 men wearing turbans and speaking Arabic, but have yet to give further details.

Exiled Russian opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky said on Facebook Wednesday that the journalists were collaborating with his investigative media project on a story entitled "Russian Mercenaries."

Andrei Konyakhin, the chief editor of Khodorkovsky's Investigations Management Center, said the reporters were trying to shed light on a private Russian security company operating in CAR as well as on Russia's interests in diamond, gold and uranium mining there.

He said the men  Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev and Orkhan Dzhemal  arrived in CAR on tourist visas to work undercover and were planning to stay there for two weeks.

Ruslan Leviev, who leads a group of investigative journalists in Russia called the Conflict Intelligence Team, said the security firm the dead journalists were investigating, known as Wagner, also has been active in Syria, eastern Ukraine and Sudan.

The company is linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a St. Petersburg entrepreneur dubbed "Putin's chef" for his close ties to the Kremlin.

Konyakhin said the journalists were traveling to northern CAR to speak with a United Nations representative and carrying several thousand dollars in cash and valuable equipment such as cameras when they were attacked.

The trio had been advised not to travel at night, but did so Monday, Konyakhin said. He also said the reporters were about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from their planned route when they were killed.

United Nations deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the U.N. peacekeeping force in Central African Republic known as MINUSCA "found the bodies of three male foreigners with multiple gunshot wounds, along with an abandoned vehicle, 33 kilometers north of Sibut, in Kemo Prefecture."

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The bodies were taken to a hospital in Sibut and transferred by national authorities to a hospital in the capital, Bangui, he said.

"The circumstances of the incident have not yet been established," Haq said.

A team of U.N. police from MINUSCA traveled to Sibut Wednesday to support national police in the investigation, he said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said CAR is a very dangerous place and the government advised Russians not to travel there. But Konyakhin, the editor, was skeptical the slayings resulted from a mere robbery. He said he thinks the attack could be linked to their investigation.

"This was done in a very demonstrative fashion," he said, wondering why the attackers didn't bother to cover their tracks and left the journalists' driver alive. "If they could have just taken everything from them, why kill them?"

Khodorkovsky, a former oil tycoon and once Russia's richest man, lives in London after spending 10 years in a Russian prison in a case widely seen as politically motivated. From exile, Khodorkovsky supports a number of civil society groups and media projects in Russia, where authorities continue to investigate him on a variety of charges.

Deeply impoverished Central African Republic has faced deadly interreligious and intercommunal fighting since 2013, with thousands of people killed and hundreds of thousands displaced. The nation saw a period of relative peace in late 2015 and 2016, but the violence intensified and spread in the past year.David Nwaba averaged 7.9 points and 4.7 rebounds for Chicago last season. (AP)

Free agent David Nwaba has agreed to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Nwaba and the Cavaliers are still working on the final details of the deal, league sources said. The Cavaliers have remained in touch with Nwaba since the first day of free agency, recruited him over the past month and met with the 6-foot-4 swingman last week in Las Vegas, sources said.

Nwaba is expected to be a gritty rotation player for a Cavaliers roster aiming to compete in the Eastern Conference playoff race in 2018-19 without LeBron James. There is expected to be a tremendous opportunity for Nwaba in Cleveland, and he can provide starting or reserve minutes for Cavaliers coach Ty Lue.

Nwaba became an unrestricted free agent in mid-July, when the Chicago Bulls rescinded his qualifying offer. Nwaba discussed potential deals with the Bulls and Indiana Pacers, among other teams, before committing to the Cavaliers on Wednesday.

In two NBA seasons with the Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Nwaba, 25, has established himself as a high-energy rotation player. He averaged 7.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 23.5 minutes in 70 games (21 starts) for Chicago last season.

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Madrid (AFP) - In a major role reversal, the head of a Spanish anti-corruption group that championed several cases including one against Princess Cristina will stand trial for extortion along with the head of a consumer group, a court said Wednesday.

Miguel Bernad, the founder of "Manos Limpias" (Clean Hands), and Luis Pineda, who created the Ausbanc association that defends bank users, are accused of extortion, fraud and belonging to a criminal organisation, said the National Court, which deals with major corruption cases.

The two groups are suspected of having sought bribes from firms, institutions and individuals in exchange for withdrawing criminal cases they had filed against them.

Manos Limpias, modelled on and named after the Clean Hands movement launched by Italian prosecutors in the 1990s, filed hundred of cases after it was founded by Bernad in 1995.

Its most prominent case was the tax evasion charges brought against Princess Cristina, King Felipe VI's younger sister, in a corruption scandal centred on her husband's business dealings.

A lawyer for Princess Cristina claimed that Manos Limpias had asked for money to drop the accusations, which her defence team refused.

She was eventually cleared of all charges in a high-profile trial in 2016, but her husband Inaki Urdangarin was sentenced to nearly six years in jail.

Virginia Lopez, the lawyer who represented Manos Limpias in the case, will also stand trial for alleged extortion as will seven other people accused of being part of the extortion ring.

Prosecutors are asking for more than 118 years of jail for Pineda, singled out as the leader of the ring, more than 24 years for Bernad and close to 12 years for Lopez.DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka (AP)  Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat against South Africa in the second cricket one-day international at Rangiri Dambulla Stadium on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka, trailing 0-1 in the five-match series, handed ODI caps to debutants fast bowler Kasun Rajitha and left-arm spinner Prabhath Jayasuriya.

South Africa fielded the same team that won the first match by five wickets at the same venue last Sunday.

___

Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews (captain), Shehan Jayasuriya, Thisara Perera, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Prabhath Jayasuriya.

South Africa: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis (captain), JP Duminy, David Miller, Willem Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kasigo Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi.Eight states are filing suit against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun, contending the hard-to-trace plastic weapons are a boon to terrorists and criminals and threaten public safety.

The suit, filed Monday in Seattle, asks a judge to block the federal government's late-June settlement with Defense Distributed, which allowed the company to make the plans available online. Officials say that 1,000 people have already downloaded blueprints for AR-15 rifles.

"I have a question for the Trump Administration: Why are you allowing dangerous criminals easy access to weapons?" Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday. "These downloadable guns are unregistered and very difficult to detect, even with metal detectors, and will be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history."

Joining the suit were Democratic attorneys general in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia. Separately, attorneys general in 21 states urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday to withdraw from the settlement with Defense Distributed, saying it "creates an imminent risk to public safety."

People can use the blueprints to manufacture a plastic gun using a 3D printer. But gun industry experts have expressed doubt that criminals would go to the trouble, since the printers needed to make the guns are very expensive, the guns themselves tend to disintegrate quickly and traditional firearms are easy to come by.

Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, first published downloadable designs for a 3D-printed firearm in 2013. It was downloaded about 100,000 times until the State Department ordered him to cease, contending it violated federal export laws since some of the blueprints were downloaded by people outside the United States.

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The State Department reversed course in late June, agreeing to allow Wilson to resume posting the blueprints. The files were published on Friday.

The company filed its own suit in Texas on Sunday, asserting that it's the victim of an "ideologically-fueled program of intimidation and harassment" that violates the company's First Amendment rights.

The company's attorney, Josh Blackman, called it an "easy case."

States are free to enact gun control measures, but "what they can't do is censor the speech of another citizen in another state, and they can't regulate the commerce of another citizen in another state when that commerce is authorized by a federal government license," Blackman said in an interview Monday. "It's a violation of the First Amendment, it's unconscionable and we're going to fight it to the very end."

Defense Distributed agreed to temporarily block Pennsylvania residents from downloading the plans after state officials went to federal court in Philadelphia on Sunday seeking an emergency order. The company said it has also blocked access to users in New Jersey and Los Angeles.

___

Associated Press writer Lisa Marie Pane contributed to this story.Rudy Giuliani is having a contentious few weeks in the news. And Late Show host Stephen Colbert has a dramatization of the former New York City mayors ongoing battle with the media  and himself  as he continues to defend President Donald Trump against allegations of collusion and questions of recordings held by his former lawyer Michael Cohen.

To illustrate his changing position on the character of Cohen, Colbert tapped the beloved, tricky creature Gollum of Lord of the Rings fame to show Giulianis two minds. (Gollum, famously possessed by his desire to reunite with his precious ring, often fights himself as he tries to decide whether to trust Frodo or destroy him.)

In the Late Show clip, Gollum and Giulianis disembodied head have a heated back-and-forth about the trustworthiness of Cohen, all based off of actual soundbites delivered by Giuliani.

I like Michael Cohen, Gollum begins.

The man is a liar, a proven liar, Giuliani-as-Gollum rebuts.

Michaels not gonna lie, hes gonna tell the truth.

Theres nobody that I know that hasnt warned me that if his back is up against the wall, hell lie like crazy. Hes lied all his life.

The man is an honest, honorable lawyer.

Theres no way youre gonna bring down the President of the United States on the testimony, uncorroborated, of a proven liar.

Looks like Colbert has found one creative way to highlight some of Giulianis conflicting opinions of Cohen  although, given its foundation in literary myth, it might not hold up in court.Late night talk show host Stephen Colbert got serious for a moment in Monday's show as he tackled the sexual harassment allegations against CBS President Les Moonves.

"Les Moonves is my guy. He hired me to sit in this chair," Colbert told his audience. "He stood behind this show while we were struggling to find our voice."

Colbert noted, "I like working for him, but accountability is meaningless unless it's for everybody. Whether it's the leader of the network, or the leader of the free world."

Three years ago, Moonves was in the front row for Colbert's first show. The two became friends.

In a New Yorker article by Ronan Farrow that was published Friday, six women accused Moonves of sexual harassment. Four of the women claimed he forcibly kissed or touched them. The women said their careers suffered after they rejected Moonves' advances.

"I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances," Moonves said in a statement. "Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected  and abided by the principle  that 'no' means 'no,' and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone's career."

The CBS Board of Directors decided Monday that an independent counsel will investigate the claims. Moonves will remain in charge until that probe is completed.

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Related Articles:Hail pelted Durango, Mexico, on Tuesday, July 31, during a severe storm that Mexican authorities blamed for the crash of a passenger plane.

Aeromexico Flight 2431 crashed in a field just outside Guadalupe Victoria Airport (Durango International) with 97 passengers and 4 crew aboard, according to local officials.

A preliminary investigation said the crash was caused by adverse weather conditions, according to OMA Aeropuertos, the administrative company that operates Durango International Airport in northwestern Mexico.

This video shows the hailstorm in Durango. Credit: miriam1djb via StoryfulPhoto: RCMP

Safe boating is being urged on Okanagan Lake.

RCMP began offering voluntary safety checks over the weekend, and will continue throughout the summer at the public boat launch next to the West Kelowna Yacht Club.

RCMP volunteers ask boat operators to complete a pre-launch inspection of the minimum safety equipment required under the Canada Shipping Act, along with its regulations.

The volunteers have been trained with Transport Canada, says Roy Morgan, crime prevention co-ordinator for the West Kelowna RCMP.

"This initiative is strictly a voluntary check ... after its completed, a document will be presented to the boat operator, who can then produce it if they are stopped by the RCMP patrol boat on the water," he added.

The program was launched last summer and received good feedback from the public.

The volunteers will also be visually checking boats and trailers for signs of invasive quagga and zebra mussels.

Boaters are reminded to "not consume any alcohol on the lake, adds Cpl. Tania Carroll.By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Multidrug-resistant "superbugs" that can cause dangerous infections in hospitals are becoming increasingly resistant to alcohol-based hand sanitizers and disinfectants designed to hold them at bay, scientists said.

In a study of what the researchers described as a "new wave of superbugs", the team also found specific genetic changes over 20 years in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, or VRE - and were able to track and show its growing resistance.

Their findings were published on Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

VRE bugs can cause urinary tract, wound and bloodstream infections that are notoriously difficult to treat, mainly because they are resistant to several classes of antibiotics.

In efforts to tackle the rise of hospital superbugs such as VRE and MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, institutions worldwide have adopted stringent hygiene steps - often involving hand rubs and washes that contain alcohol.

Tim Stinear, a microbiologist at Australia's Doherty Institute who co-led the study, said that in Australia alone, use of the alcohol-based hand hygiene has increased tenfold over the past 20 years. "So we are using a lot and the environment is changing," he said.

Yet while rates of MRSA and other infections have stabilised due to heightened hygiene, Stinear said, VRE infection rates have not. This prompted his team to investigate the VRE bug for potential resistance to disinfectant alcohols.

They screened 139 isolated bacterial samples collected between 1997 and 2015 from two hospitals in Melbourne and studied how well each one survived when exposed to diluted isopropyl alcohol.

They found that samples collected after 2009 were on average more resistant to the alcohol compared with bacteria taken from before 2004.

The scientists then spread the bacteria onto the floors of mouse cages and found that the alcohol-resistant samples were more likely to get into, and grow in the guts of the mice after the cages were cleaned with isopropyl alcohol wipes.

Story continues

Paul Johnson, a professor of infectious diseases at Austin Health in Australia who also co-led the study, said the findings should not prompt any dramatic change in the use of alcohol-based disinfectants.

"Alcohol-based hand rubs are international pillars of hospital infection control and remain highly effective in reducing transmission of other hospital superbugs, particularly MRSA," he said.

Stinear said health authorities should try higher-alcohol concentrate products and renew efforts to ensure hospitals are deep cleaned and patients found to be carrying VRE infections are isolated.

(Reporting by Kate Kelland; editing by David Stamp)No fatalities in Mexican plane crash In this photo released by Red Cross Durango communications office, Red Cross workers and rescue workers carry an injured person on a stretcher, right, as airline workers, left, walk away from the site where an Aeromexico airliner crashed in a field near the airport in Durango, Mexico, Tuesday, July 31, 2018. The jetliner crashed while taking off during a severe storm, smacking down in a field nearly intact then catching fire, and officials said it appeared everyone on board escaped the flames. (Photo: Red Cross Durango via AP)

An Aeromexico jetliner taking off in a blustery storm smashed down into a nearby field but skidded to a stop virtually intact, and all 103 people aboard were able to escape advancing flames before fire engulfed the aircraft.

Passengers expressed gratitude to be alive, but many were extremely shaken after the crash Tuesday afternoon.

It was really, really ugly, said Lorenzo Nunez, a passenger from Chicago who fled the plane with his two sons and wife. It burned in a question of seconds, he told reporters, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

Survivors said the Embraer 190 plane burst into flames right after it hit the ground. (AP)

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr.(Photo: Joshua Roberts / Reuters)

WASHINGTON  Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a moderate GOP senator who remains undecided on Judge Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination, said Tuesday she doesnt need to see more documents relating to his time in the White House under former President George W. Bush.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) had earlier dismissed demands from Democrats for records relating to Kavanaughs job as White House staff secretary. He called that request a fishing expedition and a stalling tactic that is meant to derail the nomination. Over the weekend, Grassley announced he would only retrieve documents from the National Archives that pertain to the Supreme Court nominees tenure in the White House Counsels Office under President Bush.

Collins told reporters on Tuesday that she sided with Grassley amid the escalating fight over the judges documents.

I dont see a need for those. The document request that Senator Grassley has made is very comprehensive, Collins told HuffPost.

Kavanaugh served as White House staff secretary from June 2003 until May 2006, a position in which he acted as a gatekeeper of all information that reaches the presidents desk. He also likely had substantial influence over internal White House deliberations and the policymaking process. The conservative jurist may have, for example, authored or edited documents relating to the Bush administrations enhanced interrogation and warrantless wiretapping programs  memos that could be highly relevant to his nomination to the Supreme Court.

You have to wonder: what are the Republicans hiding about Judge Kavanaughs record? Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) asked on the Senate floor Tuesday, noting that Republicans made a similar request the about Justice Elena Kagans time in the White House under former President Barack Obama.

Republicans dismissed the comparison to Kagans nomination, however, arguing that her White House records were necessary because she had no written judicial trial record. Kavanaugh, they noted, has written over 300 legal opinions during his 12 years as an appellate judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit  enough for senators to get a sense of how he would rule on the Supreme Court.

Story continues

For anybody to suggest that Senator Grassley is not making an extraordinary amount of information available about this judge, I dont think that theyre looking at the facts, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told reporters on Tuesday.

Democrats are also watching the Alaska Republican, another moderate GOP senator, in the debate over Kavanaughs nomination. Murkowski says that she has been impressed by the number and scope of documents and emails that have been produced about Kavanaughs record  which are said to number over one million.

I know that Democrats basically said, anything he has ever touched ... needs to be produced. I think there comes a point where the request is no longer reasonable, Murkowski said.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.By Esha Vaish, Johan Sennero and Johan Ahlander STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Uncertainty surrounds next month's Swedish election but one thing about its outcome seems clear: immigrants will find it harder to get jobs and the consequences will rebound on local businesses too. A shortage of qualified graduates and an aging population are squeezing the supply of Swedish labor, leaving technology blue chips and blue-collar employers especially in need of more foreign workers. But the rise of the nationalist Sweden Democrats, who propose ending all job-creation subsidies for foreigners, has spooked other major parties into drafting immigrant labor clampdown measures of their own before the Sept. 9 ballot. After introducing curbs on asylum seekers, the governing center-left Social Democrats - polling just ahead of the nationalists on around 24 percent of votes - proposed barring firms in sectors not classified as short of staff from offering work to non-EU nationals. Unions welcomed the proposal but it stunned many businesses which, worried that shortages of engineers, truck drivers and mechanics will only increase as a jobless rate of 6.3 percent trends lower, say it would add more red tape to an already unwieldy system. "Short term, we are absolutely dependent on immigrants to be able to expand," said Robert Sobocki, CEO of truckmaker Scania's Swedish retail business which has had to turn down work due to a lack of mechanics. One of its recent hires is Muhsen Mousa, 42, a mechanic who fled Syria for Sweden in 2015 and typical of the kind of immigrant who politicians are increasingly looking to turn away. "Sometimes I get worried a little bit," Mousa said through an translator. "But then I think to myself ... if I work and I support myself no one will do any harm to me." Mousa, who repairs engines and gears at the company's workshop outside Stockholm, is far from alone. About 35-40 percent of the Scania Bilar Sverige mechanics in Sweden's three biggest cities are foreign. LABOR DEFICIT In sectors of shortage also including education and health care, foreigners accounted for about 90 percent of jobs growth last year, according to the Swedish Public Employment Service. IT and telecoms face a deficit of 70,000 staff by 2022 if measures including immigration are not promoted, the sector's employer association estimates. That would impact the local arms of tech firms including Spotify and Tieto, but also heavily IT-dependent companies such as consultants PWC https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/careers/opportunities/technology-careers.html and retailer H&M https://career.hm.com/content/hmcareer/en_se/findjob.html. Elsewhere in the engineering sector, consultancy group Sweco wants to hire 2,000-3,000 engineers and architects every year, which also requires access to workers from abroad. "We are depending on it," CEO Asa Bergman told Reuters. While the pre-election proposals of the Social Democrats and Sweden Democrats are primarily intended to make it tougher for refugees and unskilled workers to settle in Sweden, businesses say the measures would also mean more hurdles for skilled immigrants. Employment Minister Ylva Johansson argues Sweden needs to tighten labor immigration laws that have so far been the most generous in OECD countries, as some firms have bent rules to hire cheaper labor rather than plug shortages. "(Immigration) is needed in many professions, and for those professions it should be easy, but ...we must put a stop to it in the professions where there is no labor shortage," the Social Democrat told Reuters. Peter Karlsson, labor market expert at employers organization Swedish Enterprise, said companies were simply looking for the right staff who were not necessarily available in the local market. However, from January 2016 to June 2018, average annual wage increases fell to 0.7 percent from 1.7 percent between 2000 and 2015, according to Nordea analyst Torbjorn Isaksson. DEPORTATION RISK Even where shortages are acknowledged, the rightward shift in political rhetoric - which has also seen a hardline anti-immigration faction emerge in the center-right Moderate party, polling third on around 20 percent - has already made life tougher for foreign employees, companies say. The time it takes non-Swedes to be hired has jumped as new job requirements - including degree checks, certifications and language courses - have been phased in. Minor paperwork errors have even led to foreign staff being deported, prompting calls for change from 32 large firms including telecoms group Ericsson and bank SEB in an open letter to the government in February. "We feel this is threatening Sweden's competitiveness," said engineering company ABB Sweden's CEO Johan Soderstrom. Employment Minister Johansson acknowledges the problem, which procedural changes at the migration agency had so far failed to address. "When people are extradited for rather trivial mistakes the employer made, it gives a bad image of Sweden and the Swedish labor market," she said. ABB Sweden's latest deportee, 38-year-old Iranian sales engineer Ali Omumi, has a last-ditch appeal pending against that ruling. If that fails, "I will lose Sweden, and Sweden will lose, at least, a taxpayer," he said. (Reporting by Esha Vaish, Johan Sennero and Johan Ahlander in Stockholm, additional reporting by Olof Swahnberg)STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden will sign a contract to buy the Patriot air defense missile system from U.S. arms manufacturer Raytheon Co this week, Swedish radio reported on Wednesday. Although it is not a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member, Sweden has close ties to the alliance and has been beefing up its armed forces after decades of neglect amid increased anxiety over Russia's actions in Ukraine and Crimea. Sweden, whose existing air defense system cannot shoot down ballistic missiles, will buy four Patriot firing units and an undisclosed number of missiles, Swedish radio said. "This system has been proven in action ... there are a number of other countries that already have it and we expect the first delivery in 2021," Swedish radio quoted Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist saying. The Defence Ministry could not immediately be reached for comment on the Swedish radio report, which said Stockholm will formally sign the deal on Thursday. Sweden began talks over the purchase, initially worth around 10 billion crowns ($1.14 billion), last November. The contract includes an option to buy up to 300 missiles, which would bring the final bill to around $3 billion. The main, center-right opposition has backed the plan, though there are differences over how to finance the deal. So far, 15 other countries have purchased Patriot, including NATO members Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Poland, while neutral Switzerland has said it is considering Patriot among other systems. (Reporting by Simon Johnson; Editing by Alexander Smith)Priceless Swedish crown jewels were stolen from the Strangnas Cathedral in Sweden, the Swedish Police Authority said Tuesday.

The thieves took two crowns and royal orb from the cathedral, which is located west of Stockholm, and took off in a motor boat that was moored just below the church. Police immediately pursued the suspects by boat and helicopters.

We are on land, in the water and in the air, a police spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald.

The stolen crowns were the funeral crowns of Karl IV and his wife Queen Kristina from 1611, Swedish police said in a press release. The royal jewels were initially buried with the couple but were then exhumed and put on display in the cathedral, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

The motorboat is described as small and open, though its color is currently unclear.

As of Tuesday night, no arrests had been made.AMMAN (Reuters) - The Syrian army and its allies has taken full control of the Yarmouk Basin in southwestern Syria after routing Islamic State (IS) militants, the Hezbollah group's al-Manar TV said on Tuesday. The basin borders Israel and Jordan and had been the last embattled pocket of the southwest after a sustained advance by President Bashar al-Assad's forces into the longtime rebel stronghold. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah has fought alongside Assad's forces as he has turned the tide of the civil war against rebels and militants with the help of Russian air power since 2015. The army seized Islamic State's main redoubt in the town of Shajara on Monday, which left just a few villages in the hands of an IS-affiliated faction, the Khalid Ibn al-Walid army, that had controlled the Yarmouk Basin. The rural area has been the last wedge of southwestern Syria with continued fighting, with the army having taken control of the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and most of Deraa province to the east. Between 1,000 and 1,500 IS insurgents who had been holding their ground in the area yielded under intensive Russian bombing from the air, a regional intelligence source said. Hundreds of air strikes also prompted thousands of civilians to flee and caused untold civilian casualties, according to another Western intelligence source. Assad is in his strongest position since the early days of the seven-year war that has killed half a million people. Completing his recovery of the southwest would leave rebels largely confined to a stretch of territory in the northwest. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; editing by Mark Heinrich)Dushanbe (Tajikistan) (AFP) - Tajikistan on Wednesday pledged to create a "tourist police" force to protect visitors after four tourists were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon ordered the creation of the force tasked with "protection of public order and security (and) escort of tourists" as well as the "prevention of crime," state media reported.

The move is a response to the attack by an armed gang on a group of seven foreign cyclists on Sunday which left two Americans, one Swiss and one Dutch national dead along a popular biking route.

The incident was at first reported as a hit-and-run road accident but later claimed by the Islamic State jihadists.

Tajik authorities have declared 2018 to be a "year of tourism" and claim massive increases in visitor numbers.

On Tuesday IS released a video showing what it said was a pledge of allegiance by the five men accused of murdering the European and American tourists visiting the impoverished ex-Soviet nation.

Police in the authoritarian country have so far ignored the IS claim of responsibility for the attack, instead blaming a banned Islamist opposition party with the backing of rival Iran.

The police account has generated scepticism outside the republic due to an ongoing government crackdown on members of the party, which was legal as recently as 2015, Tajikistan's icy relations with Tehran and the IS video footage.

The video released by IS Tuesday shows five men, who resemble pictures of the suspects put out by Tajik police, sitting by a tree in front of a jihadist flag.

The clip shows them swearing allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group's leader.

Tajikistan released pictures of four of the suspects after they were killed by police while resisting arrest. A 33-year-old man resembling the fifth participant in the video has been detained.

The victims were killed by being struck by a car and attacked with knives and guns as they cycled along a road off the Pamir Highway -- a popular tourist route with spectacular views.

They have been named as Lauren Geoghegan and Jay Austin of the United States, Dutch citizen Rene Wokke and Swiss citizen Markus Hummel.

One Dutch and one Swiss citizen also survived the attack while a French cyclist escaped unscathed.By Abdul Matin Sahak MAZAR-I SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) - More than 150 Islamic State fighters surrendered to Afghan security forces in the northwestern province of Jawzjan after they were defeated and driven out by the Taliban, Taliban and government officials said on Wednesday. The defeat represents a major setback for the group, which first appeared in eastern Afghanistan around four years ago and which had gained a foothold in southern Jawzjan, where it fought for control of smuggling routes into neighboring Turkmenistan. "The evil phenomenon of Daesh has completely been eliminated and people have been freed from its tortures in Jawzjan province of Afghanistan," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, using an Arabic term for the group. The Taliban launched an offensive several weeks ago in Jawzjan against the group, which they oppose as much as they do the Western-backed government in Kabul and which has established an unmatched reputation for brutality. Last month, General John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, welcomed the fact that the Taliban were fighting Islamic State, which he said had to be destroyed. U.S. forces have launched air strikes against Islamic State fighters in Jawzjan in recent months, but the Taliban has rejected any suggestion of cooperation and accused the United States of trying to obstruct them. The fighting prompted thousands of people to flee to the provincial capital of Sheberghan, where many gave shocking accounts of the brutality of Islamic State fighters and commanders in Darzab and Qush Tepa, the two districts they controlled before being driven out. Mujahid said more than 150 Islamic State fighters had been killed and more than 130 captured by the Taliban with the rest surrendering to government forces rather than the Taliban. Afghan government officials said 152 fighters from the Islamic State strongholds of Darzab and Qush Tepa surrendered to security forces in the early hours of the morning. Mawlawi Habiburrahman, commander of Islamic State forces in the north, and another commander called Mufti Nematullah were among those who surrendered, they said. Bands of Islamic State fighters have been increasingly active in northern Afghanistan in recent years, fighting the Taliban for control of resources and sparking alarm in neighboring nations. Government officials said the group's defeat in Jawzjan would ease concerns about its potential to expand and support militant activity outside Afghanistan. "The worries of neighboring countries, and the presence of Daesh groups on their borders, have now been removed," said Mohammad Reza Ghafouri, a spokesman for the provincial governor. (Additional reporting by Abdul Qadir Sediqi and James Mackenzie in KABUL; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)Photo: Gregory Stickney

A Keremeos resident found some sizeable burned-up debris from the Snowy Mountain fire, tossed to his house from the blaze over 15 kilometres away.

Gregory Stickney lives on K-View Crescent in Keremeos, and has been seeing heavy ash all over the road and his neighbourhood since Tuesday.

The powerful wildfire, which at over 6,100 hectares is now the largest in the province, is continuing to blanket surrounding areas with smoke and ash.

Stickney sent a photo of the large pieces of burned trees and brush he found, with a house key for scale.

More than 481 properties in Cawston and Keremeos are under an evacuation alert due to the fire, primarily because of concerns about wind-blown embers possibly causing spot fires away from the main blaze.Stockholm (AFP) - Robbers who nabbed two 17th century royal crowns and an orb from a Swedish cathedral remained at large on Wednesday, a day after fleeing their daring midday heist by motorboat.

The thieves, who have not been identified, and the jewels are being sought internationally via Interpol, Swedish police spokesman Stefan Dangardt said, noting the objects were a "national treasure" and would likely be "very difficult to sell".

The 1611 gold burial crowns belonging to King Karl IX and his wife Queen Christina were originally interred with the couple but were later exhumed and had been on display in a locked cabinet in the Strangnas Cathedral, located 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Stockholm.

"We have as yet no value of the stolen goods, except that it is a national treasure," Dangardt told AFP.

"Several people were seen leaving the church by boat or waterscooter after the theft. We have spoken to witnesses, but we are interested in further information from anyone that has made any observations," he said.

The theft occurred just before noon on Tuesday, and police quickly had helicopters, patrols, and search dogs looking for the perpetrators but their efforts have so far proved fruitless, Dangardt said.

"There is of course going to be a lot of media interest in these types of objects. There will be pictures in the media. It's just not possible to sell these kinds of objects," the national police coordinator for thefts of cultural artifacts, Maria Ellior, told news agency TT.

"So we can only speculate about (the thieves) intentions," she added.Stockholm (AFP) - Robbers who nabbed two 17th century royal crowns and an orb from a Swedish cathedral remained at large on Wednesday, a day after fleeing their daring midday heist by motorboat.

The thieves, who have not been identified, and the jewels are being sought internationally via Interpol, Swedish police spokesman Stefan Dangardt said, noting the objects were a "national treasure" and would likely be "very difficult to sell".

The gold burial crowns from 1611 belonging to King Karl IX and his wife Queen Christina were originally interred with the couple but were later exhumed and had been on display in a locked glass cabinet in Strangnas Cathedral, located 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Stockholm.

King Karl IX's crown is made of gold and features crystals and pearls, while Christina's is smaller and made of gold, precious stones and pearls.

"We have as yet no value of the stolen goods, except that it is a national treasure," Dangardt told AFP.

"Several people were seen leaving the church by boat or jet ski after the theft. We have spoken to witnesses, but we are interested in further information from anyone that has made any observations," he said.

Tom Rowsell, who was having lunch outside the cathedral where he is to be married this weekend, told daily Aftonbladet he saw two men dash from the building toward a motorboat waiting on Lake Malaren.

"I saw a white little boat with an outboard motor on the back. The two men hurriedly jumped on board and it sped off," he said.

"I knew immediately they were burglars because of the way they were behaving," he added.

- 'Not possible to sell'-

The theft occurred just before noon on Tuesday, and police quickly had helicopters, patrols, and search dogs looking for the thieves but their efforts have so far proved fruitless, Dangardt said.

"There is of course going to be a lot of media interest in these types of objects. There will be pictures in the media. It's just not possible to sell these kinds of objects," the national police coordinator for thefts of cultural artefacts, Maria Ellior, told news agency TT.

Story continues

"So we can only speculate about (the thieves) intentions," she added.

Similar heists have occurred before.

In 2013, King Johan III's burial regalia was stolen from Vasteras Cathedral. It was recovered several days later in a garbage bag left on a countryside road, following an anonymous tip.

"One can hope that something like that will happen in this case," Ellior said.

The perpetrators of Tuesday's heist risk up to six years in prison for aggravated theft.

Lars Amreus of the Swedish National Heritage Board said the theft was a great loss for Sweden.

"These are royal regalia that belong to the Kingdom of Sweden, totally unique objects that are of immense immaterial value," he told daily Dagens Nyheter.

He said the theft had likely been ordered by someone who was very well aware of the objects' value and who was willing to take a big risk to get their hands on them.The next time you see Chris Archer, hell be wearing black and gold (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Remember, baseball trades can still happen. The waiver-trade period in August is often a juicy one. That established, we just completed an exhausting and fantastic July of trading; in this piece, well try to sort through whos fantasy value moved on the final moving day.

WINNERS

 Chris Archer, SP, Pirates: Its not a perfect translation, but Archer has good interleague stats  full-time work in the National League could agree with him. Over 21 starts versus the NL, he compiled a 3.29 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 4.2 K/BB, 10.5 K/9. Its probably a good time for a change of scenery, and a move away from the AL East (Archers career numbers werent bad against the Yankees and Jays, but the Red Sox and Orioles generally owned him).

 Kevin Gausman, SP, Braves: He was more teaser than pleaser through his six years in Baltimore  a 4.22 ERA, 1.35 WHIP. But given Baltimores horrendous track record with pitcher development, maybe we cant blame it all on Gausman. Now the righty goes to a contender, a softer division, dodges the DH. The Braves have outstanding starting pitching depth, so the secondary arms dont have long leashes. But at least Gausman has plausible upside in Atlanta, something he didnt hold in Baltimore.

 Brian Dozier, 2B, Dodgers: The Twins and the Dodgers are two teams reluctant to run this year, so Doziers steal attempts might be gone in the Southern California smog, But the Dodgers are seventh in runs, the Twins 16th  just by being around better offensive pieces, the value takes a nudge forward.

 Jose Leclerc, RP, Rangers: With Keone Kela and Jake Diekman shipping to the National League, Leclerc could be next in line to close in Texas. Leclercs walk rate needs work  19 free passes in 39.2 innings  but hes also struck out a whopping 56 batters. A 2.27 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, a .157 average against, those all scream out ninth inning.

 Jonathan Villar, 2B, Orioles: Youll have to wait for Villars thumb to heal, but if he can get back on the diamond, he offers stolen base upside (14 swipes) and the occasional home run. And for as much as Villar hacks at everything, his .261 average is acceptable. Hes worth a DL stash in the meantime; that stolen-base column is difficult to fill in 2018.

Story continues

 Ian Kinsler, 2B, Red Sox: Kinsler has been a below-average offensive contributor the last two years, but hes moving to a friendly park and the highest-scoring team in the majors. Location, location, location. Hell probably slot at the bottom of the order, but any slot in the Boston lineup is a good one. To no ones surprise, the Red Sox dont expect Dustin Pedroia back this year.

LOSERS

 Keone Kela, RP, Pirates: Nothing complicated here. He was closing in Texas. He wont close in Pittsburgh, short of a Felipe Vazquez meldtown.

 Mallex Smith, OF, Rays: Hes looked like a fourth outfielder for a while, and now the Rays eventually have the depth to put Smith into that role, depending on when Austin Meadows is ready. Smith has bumped his OBP to .347, but theres no power here, and his base-running skills are a touch overrated  hes merely 18-for-26 on the season. Maybe you wont instantly cut Smith  see how the Rays handle the lineup first  but he could easily be squeezed out by the newfound options.

 Mike Rizzo, GM, Nationals: Pick a lane, Washington. If you feel pot committed with this group, fine, get better. If you think the season is too far gone, fine, sell some pieces. Washington didnt make any major trades while just about every other major NL contender improved.

HOLDING STEADY

 Jonathan Schoop, 2B, Brewers: He was under the Mendoza when the month started, but a .360/.356/.700 July, with nine homers, fixed that. Like Mike Moustakas, the Brewers didnt get an OBP baron with Schoop  he hasnt walked since June 28. The Brewers are expected to keep Orlando Arcia at shortstop, which means Moose, Travis Shaw, Schoop and Jesus Aguilar will jostle for at-bats.

 Kirby Yates, RP, Padres: A waiver deal could always happen in August, but Yates gets a fantasy break sticking with the Padres. With a 1.52 ERA and 0.87 WHIP, hes going to hold value just about anywhere  but a new team wouldnt necessarily need Yates to close. For the time being, thats not an issue. Mind you, Yates has just one save since the Brad Hand deal, but thats another issue.

 Austin Meadows, OF, Rays: The Pirates had a crowded outfield, but Meadows is going to eventually play in Tampa Bay (though hes starting off in Triple-A). He has a first-round pedigree, and hasnt looked out of place in his first MLB experience (.292/.327/.468), with a smattering of category juice. The Rays also took a reasonable buy-low stab on RHP Tyler Glasnow, a post-hype pitcher who hasnt worked out for Pittsburgh.The tragic case of a woman killed in police crossfire has raised an uncomfortable question: did police do the right thing?



A makeshift memorial outside the Silver Lake Trader Joes, where a young woman was killed in the crossfire between a gunman and police. Photograph: Damian Dovarganes/AP

To shoot an innocent bystander in pursuit of a violent criminal is every police officers nightmare. In Los Angeles, with its vexed history of police brutality, racial tension, and high-speed car chases that local television networks feast on, it elicits a special sort of horror, a throwback to an ugly not-so-distant past that the city would much rather forget.

It has been just over a week since Melyda Corado, the young manager of a Trader Joes grocery store, was inadvertently killed by a police bullet. It happened after a fast-moving chase and shootout that took the police and their quarry through densely populated, affluent neighborhoods in and around Hollywood and culminated in a three-hour siege inside the store with 40 shoppers held hostage.

The man they were after, Gene Evin Atkins, was reported to have shot his grandmother multiple times and forced his 17-year-old girlfriend into the car with him. He kept firing his stolen handgun while driving at breakneck speed, shooting at the police and his girlfriend, who was found with a gunshot wound to her head after Atkins crashed into a telephone pole outside the Silver Lake Trader Joes. Atkins then ran inside.

Beyond the immediate drama, in a part of town jarringly unused to it, the episode has brought back all the uncomfortable old questions. Did the police do everything they could to protect the public, or did they in fact make a bad situation worse? Were they too quick to slam on the gas pedal? Did they shoot first and think through the consequences only afterwards, particularly since the suspect was African American? Are they willing, above all, to own their mistakes and learn from them?



The citys new police chief, on the job for less than a month, has made multiple public appearances, released video footage from the pursuing police cruiser and the officers body cameras, and attempted the tricky balancing act of standing up for his department and while also promising a full and uncompromising investigation.

Story continues

Its a lose-lose situation, the chief, Michael Moore, told a radio interviewer. If the officers dont use deadly force and allow the gunman to continue, and he goes out and continues to shoot others, then the officers will be criticized for not using deadly force. If they use deadly force, and an innocent bystander as in this instance is tragically shot, the officers will be criticized for using deadly force.

A memorial for Melyda Corado, the manager who was killed by a police bullet. Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images

Why did they shoot at a busy store?

Public opinion has been divided between those who think the police saved lives and those who believe the officers should never have opened fire at a grocery store on a Saturday afternoon. Many of those caught in the middle of the drama do not quite know what to think.

My first reaction was, why did they shoot right at a busy store like that? said Beth Murphy, who was half a block away with her five-year-old granddaughter when the gunfire started. Then my family said maybe their training is to try to put him down so he doesnt go in and shoot up the store.

The cascade of events began with a violent dispute at a residence in an area of dilapidated single-storey houses and chain-link fences a mile south of downtown Los Angeles. It was Atkins family that reported he had shot his grandmother, grabbed his girlfriend and made off with the grandmothers Toyota Camry.

The car was fitted with an anti-theft system that enabled the police to track it to Hollywood, five or six miles away. Police video shows officers catching up with the vehicle in a residential area nestled between Dodger Stadium and Griffith Park.

I hope that the LAPD will study every single detail of what happened here and draw what lessons they can Jill Leovy, police reporter

At one point, Atkins shoots out his own back window. A female officer in the passenger seat, later identified by the police as Sarah Winans, tells her partner she has her gun ready.

Do not, do not shoot, her male partner at the wheel, Sinlen Tse, says. We are going to keep our distance.

The Camrys movements become more erratic. The body camera shows the male officers hands trembling on the steering wheel. The Camry makes a desperate series of maneuvers to turn left at a major intersection, then careens across Hyperion Avenue before colliding with the telephone pole outside Trader Joes.

Atkins jumps out of his car, firing shots at the police, as he runs into the store. The officers take cover below their open patrol car doors, then run behind a low wall across the parking lot from the store entrance. The shooting continues, and the officers fire back. Their body cameras show that, for a few instants at least, they have a clear line of sight on the suspect, without cars or people. But then the cameras film only the wall where they are crouching, and its not clear who is shooting at what.

The LAPD says Atkins was gunning for the police before and after he entered the store. And at some point Corado, whod been alerted by the sound of the Camry crashing, walked into the line of fire. A police bullet entered her left arm and from there into her body. She made it back to the managers desk before collapsing.

The Trader Joes in Silver Lake where the shooting took place. Photograph: Damian Dovarganes/AP

Atkins was shot too, also in the arm, and between the blood and the handgun he cut an alarming figure to shoppers in the crowded store. Some of them raced into a storage area, where a handful managed to escape through an open window. Atkins, according to eyewitness accounts, was vehement that he had not shot Corado and ordered everyone to stay put, but was otherwise relatively calm. His hostages took care to give him whatever he asked for  Jack Daniels to ease the pain in his arm, a T-shirt to mop up the blood, a cell phone to talk to an LAPD hostage negotiator.

When it became clear to Atkins that there was no way out of the impasse  the air was thick with helicopters and the police had the building surrounded  he and the LAPD haggled over the terms of his surrender. He agreed to wear a pair of police handcuffs if, in return, some of the hostages walked out in front of him so sharpshooters stationed on the roofs of adjacent buildings had no opportunity to pick him off.

He was taken safely into custody and charged with 31 criminal counts including murder, under a California law that holds a violent criminal responsible for a death that occurs as a result of his actions, even if he didnt carry out the killing himself.

Not every police officer is a marksman

A generation ago, an incident like this would have been kept much more closely under wraps. The police carried no body cameras, there were few mechanisms to force a public inquiry into controversial incidents, and the city leadership and local media tended to accept at face value whatever the police chose to say.



Since the riots of 1992, the culture of policing, and the city itself, has undergone a transformation. Officer-involved shootings, as they are known, have become much less common  although Los Angeles is still at or near the top of US cities for police killings of civilians. An independent, civilian-led police commission set up in the 1990s has pushed a succession of reforms, most recently a change in the departments shooting policy to avert needless escalations of violence and a rule that all footage from body and dashboard cameras must be made public within 45 days unless the department can make a compelling case to withhold it for investigative reasons. LAs mayor, Eric Garcetti, has called for complete transparency in this case, saying the public deserves answers.



Still, suspicion of the police runs high within civil rights and activist groups like Black Lives Matter, who have mobilized effectively in the wake of the 2014 police killing of an unarmed black man in south LA, Ezell Ford, and the 2015 killing of a black homeless man, Brendon Glenn, in Venice Beach.



Police reform experts said it was too soon to make hard judgments, but a number of turning points in the Gene Atkins pursuit are likely to come in for close examination. Among them:

Whether the police should have sent a patrol car after Atkins at all, since they could track his movements through the LoJack system; they could, for example, have tracked him by helicopter and picked him up when it was safer to do so.

Whether it was smart to return Atkins fire outside Trader Joes  even if returning fire is technically within department policy.

Whether, conversely, the fact that he was shot and wounded made him more docile and less dangerous to the shoppers trapped inside the store.

The LAPD chief, Michel Moore, speaks at a news conference. Photograph: Reed Saxon/AP

How do you handle a hostage situation without accidentally killing hostages? asked Jill Leovy, a former police reporter for the Los Angeles Times and author of Ghettoside, an acclaimed study of how poor practices and under-policing in blighted neighborhoods go hand in hand with violence. This is about training and tactics and how to minimize injury in a fast-moving situation. Its about knowing that you have a clear shot, knowing whats in the background and periphery of the shot. Its about making difficult snap judgments and worrying that if the guy goes into a store full of people hes going to massacre those people.



These kinds of questions are the real stuff  I certainly hope that the LAPD will study every single detail of what happened here and not just react appropriately but draw what lessons they can.

Frank Straub, an expert in assessing major incidents with the national Police Foundation, said that while it was possible to second-guess the LA police, he believed the officers acted as best they could in a fluid and unpredictable situation. We all feel horribly that an in innocent person was struck. Nobody wants that to happen, he said. They are trained and taught to end the threat, and they saw a definite need to prevent him entering the store and taking hostages

Unfortunately, people move during these interactions. And not every police officer is a marksman.

Since the incident, the Silver Lake Trader Joes has been boarded up and sealed off with plastic fencing and it is far from clear when it will reopen. The wall along Hyperion Avenue has become a shrine to Corado, thick with flowers and candles and notes and letters from her friends, family, customers, and countless strangers. A banner reads: All for Love, Love for All.

That poor girl, remarked Beth Murphy. Its such a shame, just tragic.Its no secret that Ronda Rousey attended the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens dressed as a stormtrooper since the former UFC star posted a picture on her Instagram for all the world to see. But, on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Rousey talked about what she left out of the post: the very sad reason she was forced to remove the mask before entering the theater.

Rousey explained that she was asked to take her mask off because, in the wake of multiple mass shootings, they thought she might be a shooter, so the policy was no masks allowed. Its no surprise that the theater was concerned. The blockbuster premiered on December 14, 2015, less than two weeks after 14 people were killed in a mass shooting in San Bernardino, Ca., in a year that was tragically full of mass shootings. Rousey took off her mask just enough so security could see who she was, and they snuck her in the back once the lights were out in the theater, but the mask was still not allowed.Photo: Jason Harding Smoky night sky on July 31.

UPDATE: 9:30 p.m.

West Kelowna firefighters were called to help with a wildfire burning up Bear Lake Main Road.

The Mount Swite wildfire, which was discovered on Wednesday, is estimated at 0.1 hectare in size.

Cause of the fire is believed to be lightning.

Two fire trucks and a chief from West Kelowna Fire on their way up to assist forestry with a fire, said a source close to West Kelowna Fire.

UPDATE: 6:40 p.m.

Seven wildfires are burning to the west and north of West Kelowna on Wednesday.

A wildfire burning near Mount Swite has been added to the list and was discovered on Wednesday along with one burning at Trepanier Creek, one southwest of Pennask Mountain and Chapperon Creek.

On Tuesday a fire burning east of Jackpine Lake, another one 10 kilometres from Sunset Main and one near Windy Lake were discovered.

UPDATE: 6:30 p.m.

Another wildfire has been discovered along the Okanagan Connector on Wednesday suspected to be caused from lightning.

This now means six wildfires are burning in the area to the west of West Kelowna.

The .1 hectare wildfire is burning southwest of Pennask Mountain.

ORIGINAL: 4:15 p.m.

A lightning storm on Tuesday night has sparked five new wildfires west of Kelowna, on both sides of the Okanagan Connector.

The BC Wildfire Service is rapidly responding to the area.

Weve had quite a few lightning strikes in the last 12 to 24 hours in the late afternoon, evening and throughout the night, said fire information officer Nicole Bonnett.

The largest of the new fires is estimated at one hectare and is called the Chapperon Creek wildfire, near Barton Hill.

Six personnel and a helicopter are responding, said Bonnett.

The sizes of all five are likely to be updated once crews are able to report back information.

There will be a chance to assess those fires once weve begun initial suppression, she said.

A wildfire located near Windy Lake is estimated at 0.3 of a hectare, and one located 10 kilometres from Sunset Main is estimated at 0.1 of a hectare.

At Windy Lake, we have 10 personnel and a helicopter, said Bonnett. For Sunset Main, we have four personnel.

Two fires were discovered on Wednesday, and both are believed to be 0.01 of a hectare in size, near Trepanier Provincial Park.

There are three personnel at Trepanier Creek, and at East Jackpine Lake we have three helicopters and air tanker response, she said.

The fire danger is high across B.C. after lightning sparked more than 300 blazes since Tuesday.

Bonnett said no structures or homes are being threatened by the five new fires.Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner publicly apologized for the offensive language he used in tweets from 2011 and 2012 in a news conference Tuesday.

Multiple old tweets of Turners came to light on Twitter Sunday afternoon that contained offensive language. Turner would have been 17 or 18 years old when he published the tweets, and at least four of them contain both racist language and homophobic slurs.

Be advised that the language used in the tweets below is offensive.

I got you Chelsea pic.twitter.com/yWYVsktDDz  Blake Bortles is Elite (@BBBortles5) July 30, 2018

Turner is one of three MLB players to have old Tweets unearthed in the past two weeks; the others were the Brewers Josh Hader and the Braves Sean Newcomb. Hader, whose were exposed during the All-Star Game, apologized publicly directly after the game, and then privately to his teammates. Newcomb apologized after he pitched Sunday.

Turner is the first to schedule a standalone news conference for his apology, and you can view his opening statement below:

Video of Turners opening statement pic.twitter.com/oA1Rkqfckf  Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) July 31, 2018

Its not when I said the things I said, its that I said them at all, Turner explained, specifically calling out the LGBT, African American, and special needs communities. He also apologized for the distraction he brought to the team.

The Washington Nationals Trea Turner apologized publicly Tuesday for his past offensive tweets. (AP Photo)

His apology comes a day after teammate Sean Doolittle issued a strong response to players whose offensive tweets have resurfaced. Doolittle tweeted that he believes that players in that situation have likely changed, but that players need to be aware of how their words affect others who feel marginalized and vulnerable.

Story continues

Doolittle also noted that athletes can use their social media platforms for good, which Turner said is his intent going forward.

Turner was given a standard reception from Nationals fans before his first plate appearance in Tuesdays game against the New York Mets.

Standard applause for Trea Turner on first at bat. No standing ovation in DC. pic.twitter.com/4qg2JB2gTO  Rudy Gersten (@DCBarno) July 31, 2018

More from Yahoo Sports:

 Jeff Passan: Astros reveal their character in trade for closer Roberto Osuna

 49ers Richard Sherman rips Jerry Jones and his plantation mentality

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President Donald Trump delivered a rare attack on the billionaire Koch brothers early Tuesday, referring to the GOP megadonors as globalists, a term increasingly used in xenophobic and anti-Semitic contexts.

Leaders of the Koch Network of conservative megadonors criticized Trump during the groups annual summit over the weekend, calling his White House divisive. Charles Koch also suggested in a rare interview that his groups may spend less backing the GOP in the future, and expressed regret over their support of certain candidates in the past.

On Twitter, Trump ripped the brothers for bad ideas and bragged: I made them richer.

The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade. I never sought their support because I dont need their money or bad ideas. They love my Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judicial picks & more. I made.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018

....them richer. Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn. They want to protect their companies outside the U.S. from being taxed, Im for America First & the American Worker - a puppet for no one. Two nice guys with bad ideas. Make America Great Again!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018

Brian Hooks, a top official at the Koch donor network, over the weekend called the Trump-supported $1.3 trillion spending bill passed by Congress this year the most fiscally irresponsible budget in the history of our country.

Americans for Prosperity, a Koch-backed nonprofit, released a series of ads earlier this year slamming Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.), the Republican nominee for a Senate seat representing the state and a Trump favorite who supported the spending bill.

Story continues

The libertarian Kochs have backed countless Republican candidates over the years, but didnt support Trumps presidential campaign in 2016.

CORRECTION: An earlier version wrongly characterized the $1.3 trillion spending bill as $1.3 billion.

Related...

Koch Network Leaders Blast Trump White House As Divisive

In Rare Interview, Charles Koch Suggests Political Spending May Dip

The Koch Network Finally Has GOP-Controlled Government. Theyre Not Satisfied.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.President Trump on Wednesday for the first time called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to shut down special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into the Trump campaigns contacts with Russia and Trumps obstruction of the probe.

This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further, Trump tweeted. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment. In a statement, Rudy Giuliani, Trumps lawyer, said the president was expressing his opinion on his favored medium for asserting his First Amendment right of free speech.

He said should not must and no presidential order was issued or will be, Giuliani added.

At a briefing with reporters Wednesday afternoon, press secretary Sarah Sanders echoed that sentiment.

Its not an order. Its the presidents opinion, Sanders said. And its ridiculous that all of the corruption and dishonesty thats gone on with the launching of the witch hunt. The president has watched this process play out but he also wants to see it come to an end, as hes stated many times. And we look forward to that happening.

Sanders also disputed the suggestion that Trumps tweet constitutes obstruction of justice.

The president is not obstructing, hes fighting back, she said. Hes certainly expressing the frustration he has.

Mueller, a registered Republican, recently charged 12 Russian intelligence officials in connection with the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committees computer server  bringing the total number of individual indictments to 32. Five people, including former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn and ex-campaign aide George Papadopoulos, have pleaded guilty to charges and are cooperating with Mueller.

Trump has frequently taken his frustration with Muellers ongoing investigation out on Sessions, who recused himself from the probe in March 2017 after it was revealed he had had undisclosed meetings with the Russian ambassador. According to the New York Times, Trump asked Sessions to reverse his decision during a March 2017 meeting at Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort  a confrontation that is being investigated by Mueller as part of a potential obstruction case.

Story continues

The president now says he regrets picking Sessions as the nations top law enforcement officer.

The Russian Witch Hunt Hoax continues, all because Jeff Sessions didnt tell me he was going to recuse himself, Trump tweeted in June. I would have quickly picked someone else. So much time and money wasted, so many lives ruined.

The president has been attacking Mueller and denouncing his investigation for months. But Wednesdays tweet marks the first time he directly called on Sessions to shutter Muellers probe.

President Trump with Attorney General Jeff Sessions during the FBI National Academy graduation ceremony in Quantico, Va., Dec. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Trumps call also comes as his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort is standing trial in Alexandria, Va., on bank and tax fraud charges relating to his work as a political consultant for a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party in 2014. Manaforts indictment was among the first brought by Muellers investigation. Manafort faces related federal charges in Washington, D.C., where his trial will begin in September.

Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders, Trump tweeted on Wednesday. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didnt government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion  a Hoax!

Trump continued to fume on Twitter about the probe, reviving his long-held complaints about former FBI Director James Comey, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, and FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, as well as the controversial dossier prepared by British spy Christopher Steele.

Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX, the president tweeted. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to begin the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!

Trumps assertion that the dossier prompted the Russia investigation is false. According to a report released by the House Intelligence Committee in March, the investigation began in July 2016 after authorities receiving a tip from an Australian diplomat who was told by Papadopoulos that Russia had political dirt on Hillary Clinton.

Trump concluded his Twitter rant with an odd comparison.

Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and Public Enemy Number One, or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement  although convicted of nothing? Where is the Russian Collusion?

Hunter Walker contributed reporting to this story from Washington

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:Tampa (AFP) - US President Donald Trump campaigned in the battleground state of Florida Tuesday, hoping to energize Republicans facing a stiff test in November polls.

With tight US Senate and state gubernatorial elections coming up, Trump offered impassioned voters in Tampa a greatest hits of his administration and a plea to get out to vote and "win big."

Among key ballots this November 6 is a close contest between Republican Rick Scott and Democrat Bill Nelson for a US Senate seat that is crucial for Republicans to win if they want to keep control of Congress.

A RealClear Politics poll average has Scott ahead by just over one percent in a toss-up race.

Trump endorsed Scott and Ron DeSantis for the key governor's race.

But Trump spent most of the speech that lasted more than an hour hailing his own record and lapping up the adulation of the thousands-strong crowd of mostly white, middle-aged Americans.

He claimed credit for more people celebrating Christmas, hailed support from "blacks for Trump" and stated that he is the leading figure in the 160-plus-year history of his party.

"The most popular person in the history of the Republican Party is Trump, can you believe it?" he asked, to rapturous applause.

"This may be the greatest movement in the history of our country," he said. "To keep it going, we need to elect more Republicans."WASHINGTON (AP)  As alarms blare about Russian interference in U.S. elections, the Trump administration is facing criticism that it has no clear national strategy to protect the country during the upcoming midterms and beyond.

Both Republicans and Democrats have criticized the administration's response as fragmented, without enough coordination across federal agencies. And with the midterms just three months away, critics are calling on President Donald Trump to take a stronger stand on an issue critical to American democracy.

"There's clearly not enough leadership from the top. This is a moment to move," said Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "I don't think they are doing nearly enough."

Various government agencies have been at work to ensure safe voting. The FBI has set up a Foreign Influence Task Force and intelligence agencies are collecting information on Russian aggression.

But Trump himself rarely talks about the issue. And in the nearly two years since Russians were found to have hacked into U.S. election systems and manipulated social media to influence public opinion, the White House has held two meetings on election security.

One was last week. It ran 30 minutes.

The meeting resulted in no new presidential directive to coordinate the federal effort to secure the election, said Suzanne Spaulding, former undersecretary of homeland security who was responsible for cybersecurity and protecting critical infrastructure.

Related Video: Facebook Warns of Campaign to Influence Midterms

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.



"Trump's failure to take a leadership role on this, up until this (National Security Council) meeting, misses an opportunity to send a clear message to states that this is a very serious threat," Spaulding said. "We did not get out of this NSC meeting a comprehensive, interagency strategy. It was each department and agency working in their silos."

Story continues

The Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday defeated a push by Democrats to set aside an additional $250 million in grants for states to upgrade their voting systems to protect against hacking and other cyberattacks.

An amendment offered by Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy received 50 yes votes, 10 short of the 60 needed for approval.

Leahy said securing U.S. elections and "safeguarding our democracy" was not a partisan issue, adding that the Senate "must send a clear message to Russia and other foreign adversaries" that tampering in U.S. elections won't be tolerated.

"The president will not act. This duty has fallen to us, and we must not later be found to have been asleep at the switch with so much at stake," Leahy said.

A similar effort was also rejected in the House. Republicans said new money was not needed so soon after Congress approved $380 million in March for the grant program. Money from the current program is still available to states if needed.

Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the NSC, said the government response is robust. He said NSC staff "leads the regular and continuous coordination of the whole-of-government approach to addressing foreign malign influence and ensuring election security."

At a cybersecurity summit on Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence said he was confident officials could prevent further meddling by foreign agents.

"We will repel any efforts to interfere in our elections," he said.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said government agencies are "doing a lot of good work, but nobody knows about it." He lamented Trump's contradictory statements about whether he accepts the U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election.

"What I think he needs to do is lead this nation to make sure the 2018 election is protected," Graham said recently on CBS' "Face the Nation." ''He needs to be the leader of the movement  not brought to the dance reluctantly. So, I hope he will direct his government, working with Congress, to harden the 2018 election before it's too late."

The debate over safeguarding U.S. elections comes as evidence of cyber threats piles up. Facebook announced Tuesday that it has uncovered "sophisticated" efforts, possibly linked to Russia, to influence U.S. politics on its platforms.

The company said it removed 32 accounts from Facebook and Instagram because they were involved in "coordinated" political behavior and appeared to be fake. Nearly 300,000 people followed at least one of the accounts.

Earlier this month, Microsoft said it discovered that a fake domain had been set up as the landing page for phishing attacks by a hacking group believed to have links to Russian intelligence. A Microsoft spokesman said Monday that additional analysis has confirmed that the attempted attacks occurred in late 2017 and targeted multiple accounts associated with the offices of two legislators running for re-election. Microsoft did not name the lawmakers.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has said Russian hackers tried unsuccessfully to infiltrate her Senate computer network in 2017.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who is not running for re-election, told The Associated Press on Monday that someone contacted her office "claiming to be an official from a country."

A frequent critic of Russia, Shaheen said she didn't know if Moscow was behind the email received in November but had turned the matter over to the FBI.

Shaheen said another senator had been targeted besides McCaskill. "It's my understanding that there is, but I don't want to speak for other senators," she said. When asked if it was a Democratic senator, Shaheen nodded yes.

"People on both sides of the aisle have been beating the drum for two years now about the need for somebody to be accountable for cybersecurity across the government," Shaheen said.

National Intelligence Director Dan Coats said U.S. intelligence officials continue to see activity from individuals affiliated with the Internet Research Agency, whose members were indicted by U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller. Coats said they create new social media accounts disguised as those of Americans, then use the fake accounts to drive attention to divisive issues in America.

In the Obama administration, synchronizing federal agencies' work on election security would have likely been the job of the White House cybersecurity coordinator. Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, abolished the post in May to remove a layer of bureaucracy from the NSC flow chart.

Under the current structure, the point man for election security is Rear Adm. Douglas Fears. Trump tapped Fears in early June as his deputy assistant to the president and homeland security and counterterrorism adviser.

Fears oversees the election security and other portfolios of the NSC's Cybersecurity Directorate and coordinates the federal government's response to disasters.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen says cyber threats are "an urgent, evolving crisis."

"Our adversaries' capabilities online are outpacing our stove-piped defenses," Nielsen said Tuesday. "In fact, I believe that cyber threats collectively now exceed the danger of physical attacks against us. This is a major sea change for my department and for our country's security."

___

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Matthew Daly, Zeke Miller, Colleen Long and Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Matt O'Brien in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report.According to The Local, Sweden saw heavy rain over the weekend following a summer of raging wildfires. The torrential downpour left the underpass leading out of the station flooded with knee-height water.

Pictures circulating on social media show people enjoying a nice swim after a busy railway station in Uppsala, Sweden got flooded.

While most people would refrain from wading through the water, many others saw the situation as an opportunity for a fun activity. People decided to take a swim in the water, they also brought swimming pool accessories to use in the water.Donald Trump has launched an extraordinary attack on the Koch brothers, accusing the Republican megadonors of opposing his governments agenda.

The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade, the US president wrote on Twitter early on Tuesday morning.

I never sought their support because I dont need their money or bad ideas.

Mr Trumps outburst came after the Koch brothers political arm declared it would not help elect a Republican senate candidate in North Dakota, partly over his failure to challenge the White Houses trade tariffs.

The decision sent a strong message to Republican officials across the country unwilling to oppose the spending explosion and protectionist trade policies embraced by Mr Trump.

For those who stand in the way, we dont pull any punches, regardless of party, Tim Phillips, who leads the Kochs political arm Americans For Prosperity (AFP), told hundreds of donors during a three-day private Rocky Mountain retreat.

But a furious Mr Trump hit back, claiming he made Charles and David Koch richer, and that they love his tax cuts, deregulation and judicial nominations.

The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade. I never sought their support because I dont need their money or bad ideas. They love my Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judicial picks & more. I made.....

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018

....them richer. Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn. They want to protect their companies outside the U.S. from being taxed, Im for America First & the American Worker  a puppet for no one. Two nice guys with bad ideas. Make America Great Again!

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018

Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn, he continued. They want to protect their companies outside the US from being taxed, Im for America First & the American Worker  a puppet for no one. Two nice guys with bad ideas. Make America Great Again!

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The split marks a new chapter in the strained relationship between the Trump administration and the expanding conservative network created by billionaire industrialists, who refused to endorse the Republican president in 2016.

Mr Trump has effectively taken over the Republican Party on almost every level, even after ignoring long-held conservative beliefs on government spending, free trade and foreign policy. The billionaire Kochs and their nationwide army of conservative activists, however, are not giving in.

That is not to say they are punishing every Trump loyalist in the 2018 election season.

AFP still plans to focus its resources on helping Republican senate candidates in Tennessee, Florida and Wisconsin. It remains unclear how hard the group will work to defeat vulnerable senate Democrats in West Virginia, Missouri and Montana.

The midterm strategy could change in the coming weeks, but the Kochs currently plan to ignore North Dakotas high-profile senate contest, where three-term Republican congressman Kevin Cramer is trying to unseat Democratic senator Heidi Heitkamp. She is considered among the most vulnerable senate Democrats in the nation.

Hes not leading on the issues this country needs leadership most right now, Mr Phillips said of Mr Cramer, specifically citing spending and trade. If Cramer doesnt step up to lead, that makes it hard to support him.

Charles and David Koch say they will continue to contribute to conservative political causes

Ahead of the announcement, Charles Koch told reporters that he cared little for party affiliation and regretted supporting some Republicans in the past who only paid lip service to conservative principles.

Network leaders over the weekend repeatedly lashed out at the Republican-backed $1.3 trillion (990bn) spending bill adopted in March, which represented the largest government spending plan in history. The Trump White House budget office now predicts that next years federal deficit will exceed $1 trillion, while reaching a combined $8 trillion over the next 10 years.

The Kochs were equally concerned about the Trump administrations protectionist trade policies, which have sparked an international trade war and could trigger a US recession, Charles Koch said.

Were going to be much stricter if they say theyre for the principles we espouse and then they arent, he vowed. Were going to more directly deal with that and hold people responsible for their commitments.

The Koch network has demonstrated in recent months  albeit on a limited basis  a willingness to praise Democrats and condemn Republicans in specific situations.

After first running attack ads against Ms Heitkamp earlier in the year, the Kochs last month launched a digital ad campaign thanking the North Dakota Democrat for voting to roll back Obama-era banking regulations. At around the same time, they launched an advertising blitz to criticise 10 Republican House members, including Pennsylvania Republican senate nominee Lou Barletta, for supporting the massive spending bill.

Following Mondays announcement, Julia Krieger, a campaign spokesperson for Ms Heitkamp, said, When it comes to leading on the pocketbook issues North Dakotans care about  from strong trade markets to responsible spending and cutting red tape for North Dakota businesses  Heidi has always been consistent: North Dakota comes first.

The development marked a dramatic escalation in the Kochs willingness to buck partisan loyalties. And some Trump loyalists were furious with the Kochs work to undermine Trump and his agenda even before Mondays news dropped.

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon questioned the true influence of the Koch network management, seizing on the lack of accountability in the organisations spending in recent years given that most of the details are not publicly available.

Where did the money go, what do they really spend it on, and how much, if anything, do they really put into the network? Mr Bannon asked in a brief interview with The Associated Press.

And prominent Texas-based Trump donor Doug Deason, who attended the weekend retreat, said Republican candidates should not be punished for embracing the presidents agenda.

Thats not right, he said before Mondays announcement, condemning the Koch networks recent decision to praise Ms Heitkamp.

Heitkamp, were going to knock her out of the water. Shes gone, Mr Deason predicted.

The decision to ignore the Republican candidate in North Dakota certainly caught some by surprise, but there appeared to be overwhelming support from others  even if the plan hurts the GOPs push to maintain its House and Senate majorities.

Kentucky governor Matt Bevin, among a handful of elected officials who mingled with donors at the weekend retreat, said there should be political consequences for those who deviate from conservative principles.

If in fact you have people espousing these in name, but not in practice, yeah, theyre not going to be supported, nor should they be, Mr Bevin said in a brief interview. I think this network supports people who truly respect those principles. And I think theyre agnostic, from what Ive seen, with respect to what party a person is.

At the same time, Mr Bevin defended Mr Trumps push to apply billions of dollars in tariffs on goods from China, Canada, Mexico and the European Union. He dismissed the outcry from businesses in Kentucky and elsewhere as a short-term problem.

Colorado-based energy investor Chris Wright, a longtime Koch donor, said the Republican Party may have lost its way in the age of Mr Trump. He and his wife, Liz, encouraged the Koch network to ignore Republican candidates who turn their back on key conservative principles out of loyalty to Mr Trump.

They dont deserve to be funded if they dont uphold our values, Liz Wright said.

Related Video: Did Trump Stumble in Slamming Koch Brothers?

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.



Additional reporting by APWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday blocked the imminent release of blueprints for 3-D printed guns, hours before they were set to hit the internet, after several states sued to halt publication of designs to make weapons that security screening may not detect.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle, Washington, said the blueprints' publication could cause irreparable harm to U.S. citizens. The decision blocked a settlement President Donald Trump's administration had reached with the Texas-based company, which planned to put files online on Wednesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump raised concerns about the sale of plastic guns made with 3-D printers.

Eight states and the District of Columbia on Monday filed a lawsuit to fight a June settlement between the federal government and Defense Distributed allowing the Texas-based company to legally publish its designs.

Gun control proponents are concerned the weapons made from 3-D printers are untraceable, undetectable "ghost" firearms that pose a threat to global security. Some gun rights groups say the technology is expensive, the guns are unreliable and the threat is being overblown.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Susan Cornwell in Washington, DC, Steve Holland aboard Air Force One, Tina Bellon in New York and Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by James Dalgleish and Phil Berlowitz)By Doina Chiacu and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump appealed to Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end an investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 election, drawing a rebuke from his fellow Republicans in Congress who said the probe must go on. It was Trump's most direct call for his top U.S. law enforcement officer to shut down Special Counsel Robert Mueller's criminal investigation and Democrats promptly accused the president of trying to obstruct justice. Trump's remark coincided with the start of the trial this week of his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on charges arising from Mueller's inquiry. In a series of tweets, Trump called a "TOTAL HOAX" the idea his campaign worked with Moscow, which Mueller is examining. "This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further," he said. Since his surprise election in November 2016, Republican Trump has chafed at any suggestion that the Russian interference might have helped him win the White House. And while he has long maligned Mueller and the investigation, his tweet on Wednesday was an extraordinary bid to try to influence the course of an inquiry hanging over his presidency. In any case, Sessions recused himself from the investigation in March 2017 and does not have the power to stop it. The White House said the tweet was not an order to Sessions and that Trump was expressing his frustration with the length of the probe. "It's not an order. It's the president's opinion," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a news briefing. She denied that Trump was trying to obstruct the probe. "He's fighting back," she said. Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said Trump was expressing an opinion long espoused by his team. Some U.S. lawmakers said shutting down the investigation early would be a mistake. Trump also said that Mueller is "totally conflicted." He provided no evidence that the team led by Mueller, a Republican who was appointed by a Republican, is biased against him. Peter Carr, spokesman for the special counsel's office, declined to comment on Trump's Twitter post. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the department had no comment. STEADY ATTACKS ON SESSIONS Trump has steadily attacked Sessions for recusing himself. Sessions cited his role as a senior adviser to Trump's presidential campaign and appointed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to oversee the investigation. Rosenstein in turn appointed Mueller and is the person with the authority to fire him. Mueller, a Republican and former FBI director who served a Republican and Democratic president, has broad support in Congress, where Republicans control both chambers. Six Republican senators going into a vote on Wednesday disapproved of Trump's tweet calling for an end to the probe. "They ought to let them conclude their work. What theyre doing is something that is important and we support and I dont think any effort to truncate that or somehow shut it down early is in the publics best interest," said Senator John Thune. Senator Orrin Hatch said he did not think Sessions had the power to end the probe and it would be unwise to do so. An element of Mueller's investigation includes whether Trump or anyone in the campaign tried to obstruct justice. The New York Times reported last week that Mueller's office was examining negative tweets and statements by Trump about Sessions and former FBI Director James Comey. Trump fired Comey in May 2017. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Moscow meddled in the 2016 campaign to try to tip the vote in Trump's favor. Moscow has denied such interference, and Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign or any obstruction of justice. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said after Trump's tweet, "It's clear to me he's very worried about it and he wants to prevent it any way he can." In April, the committee approved legislation to protect Mueller but Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said there was no need to advance the bill because he did not believe Trump would fire Mueller. Some legal analysts said Wednesday's tweet alone was not enough to bring an obstruction of justice charge but it could be used to establish a pattern of conduct revealing Trump's intentions. "It is a piece of evidence. It is part and parcel with the other 94 things the man has done that show obstruction of justice," said Paul Rosenzweig, a former prosecutor who was part of a team that investigated President Bill Clinton. Jens David Ohlin, a law professor at Cornell University, said the tweets would likely not be seen as an order to Sessions, but as "Trump venting his continued frustration with the fact that he can't control the Russia investigation." (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Susan Cornwell; Additional reporting by Karen Freifeld, Jan Wolfe and Susan Heavey; Editing by Frances Kerry, Mary Milliken and Grant McCool)WASHINGTON (AP)  Unnerving fellow Republicans, President Donald Trump declared Monday he would have "no problem" shutting down the federal government this fall if Congress won't come up with more money for border security.

Trump's threat, his second in two days, put him further at odds with his own party in Congress, where many Republicans are facing tough re-election fights this November. A shutdown when government funding expires at the end of September, just weeks before the midterm elections, would be the second under unified Republican control of Washington, following a weekend stoppage in January.

"I would have no problem doing a shutdown," Trump said during a joint press conference at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. "It's time we had proper border security. We're the laughingstock of the world."

The president's comments suggest he continues to believe that an election-season showdown over immigration would fire up his base and boost his party's chances of holding power in Congress. Republican leaders disagree, hoping they can avoid a high-profile display of dysfunction and focus their message on the GOP tax cuts and the strong economy.

Trump has made no secret of his belief that his hard-line immigration policies boosted him to the Oval Office, and he launched an aggressive push for additional border security measures early this year. They include $25 billion toward construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, but he acknowledged on Monday his demands are a starting point.

"I'll always leave room for negotiation," he said.

Republican leaders believed they had secured Trump's patience last week when they huddled at the White House to discuss strategy ahead of the budget year that starts Oct.1.

After the meeting, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told a radio interviewer that a shutdown so close to the Nov. 6 midterm elections won't happen. He said the border funding issue in particular would probably have to wait until after the elections.

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House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Capitol Hill after the meeting with Trump: "The president's willing to be patient to make sure that we get what we need so that we can get that done." He added that money for the wall was "not a question of if, it's a question of when."

But on Sunday, Trump reversed course in a surprise tweet: "I would be willing to 'shut down' government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!"

"Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT!" he tweeted.

With time so short, lawmakers appear most likely to approve a short-term funding measure to keep the government open through Election Day. That would set up another fiscal showdown during a lame duck session.

Trump on Monday said he had no "red line" for precisely what he would require from Congress, and he made no comment on timing.

The president has pledged to campaign aggressively, starting after Labor Day, to help Republicans retain control of the House and Senate, but GOP lawmakers don't appear to be rallying to his side this time on immigration.

Senate Appropriations Committee chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are working to fund the government and that Trump's threat "is not good for anything."

He added: "It might help him. It might not help him. It doesn't help us right now."

Trump campaigned on a promise of building a wall to deter illegal immigration and to make Mexico pay for it. Mexico has refused, leading Trump to look to U.S. taxpayers to fund the endeavor instead, at least for now.

Trump has gotten some wall money from Congress, and likely will get more, though the total is well short of the $25 billion he has requested.

He also wants changes to legal immigration, including scrapping a visa lottery program. In addition, Trump wants to end the practice of releasing immigrants caught entering the country illegally on the condition that they show up for court hearings. And he wants to shift the U.S. immigration system to one based more on individual merit and less on family ties. Democrats and some Republicans have objected to those proposals.

Both chambers will have a short window to act before government funding expires at midnight Sept. 30.

The House is in recess and won't return until after Labor Day. The Senate will stay in session for most of August, except for a weeklong break scheduled to begin Aug. 6. McConnell canceled most of his chamber's recess to give senators time to work on the annual spending bills.

House Republicans released a spending bill this month that would provide $5 billion next year to build Trump's wall, a plan Trump supports.

Democrats have long opposed financing the wall but don't have enough votes by themselves to block House approval of that amount. They have the strength to derail legislation in the closely divided Senate.

The $5 billion is well above the $1.6 billion in the Senate version of a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security. The higher amount matches what Trump has privately sought in conversations with Republican lawmakers.

At last week's White House meeting, Trump, Ryan and McConnell agreed that Congress was on track to enact more than half of federal spending before the new budget year begins Oct. 1, but that DHS funding, including the border wall money, doesn't have to be settled before then, according to a person familiar with the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and insisted on condition of anonymity.

___

AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Matthew Daly, Catherine Lucey and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

___

Follow Zeke Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ZekeJMillerAs there are a huge protest and mob killing over the cow slaughter across the country, Rajasthan police on early Wednesday have seized almost 220 cow carcasses from a warehouse in Alwar. The animal carcasses were found buried inside a Govindgarh facility, Sub-Inspector Dhara Singh said. Not only cow but remains of buffaloes and goats have also been seized from the location.

According to India Tv reports, almost 220 cow carcasses from a warehouse in Alwar were seized.

Singh said that beef was supplied to Haryana, Rajasthan and other surrounding states from this place. Singh said a raid was launched following an arrest and interrogation of a man on Tuesday. Singh also added that the probe has been launched.

The Govindgarh police sub-inspector also said that the Tuesday's arrest came after three women were arrested on Monday when they searched a number of houses and seized 40kg of meat found in their possession.

Veterinary doctors and a number of people were present while the police raided the warehouse on Wednesday.

Last month, a Muslim man, Rakbar and his friend were allegedly lynched by villagers over suspicion of cow smuggling for slaughtering. In the mob attack, Rakbar was critically injured, while his friend managed to escape. Later, Rakbar died as police took 3 hours to reach health centre that was hardly 4km far.Ankara (AFP) - The Turkish lira on Wednesday slumped to record lows of 5.0 against the dollar as the US hit Turkey's justice and interior ministers with sanctions over the case of an American pastor on trial for terror-related charges.

The lira lost over 1.6 percent of its value against the greenback following Washington's move in response to Turkey keeping Pastor Andrew Brunson under house arrest.

Before his move home last week, Brunson, who led a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir, had spent nearly two years in jail.

After reports that the US would sanction individuals over the case, the lira hit a record low of 5.01 against the dollar, before rallying slightly to 4.9.

It then hit 5.0 again after the official announcement from the White House.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Brunson was a "victim of unfair and unjust attention by the government of Turkey" as she announced sanctions.

"At the president's direction, the Department of the Treasury is sanctioning Turkey's minister of justice and minister of interior, both of whom played leading roles in the arrest and detention of Pastor Brunson," she told journalists.

The sanctions freeze any property or assets on US soil held by the two ministers, and bar US citizens from doing business with them.

US President Donald Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence had threatened Turkey with "large sanctions" last week if Brunson was not immediately released.

His lawyer's appeal for his release was rejected this week.

Brunson faces up to 35 years in jail on charges of carrying out activities on behalf of two terror organisations -- the group led by US-based Fethullah Gulen blamed for the July 2016 failed coup and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The pastor denies the charges while US officials have publicly insisted that Brunson is innocent and should be freed.

Related Video: Turkey's President Denies Deal for Pastor Existed

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.ANKARA (Reuters) - The threatening language of the United States will not benefit anyone, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, as relations between the NATO allies soured over the case of a U.S. pastor jailed in Turkey on terrorism charges. Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey would not make compromises regarding the independence of the judiciary, and said the remarks of the "evangelist, zionist mentality" in the United States was unacceptable. He also said his foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, would hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Singapore. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Tuvan Gumrukcu)(Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday halted online distribution of gun blueprints for 3-D printing, issuing an order blocking a settlement the Trump administration had reached with the company which planned to put the plans online.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle, Washington said the blueprint's publication could cause irreparable harm to U.S. citizens.

Video: Outcry Over 3D-Printed Guns Amid Lawsuit to Block Downloads

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.



(Reporting by Tina Bellon; Editing by James Dalgleish)By Tina Bellon

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday blocked the planned release of 3-D printed gun blueprints hours before they were set to hit the internet, siding with states that sued to halt publication of designs to make weapons that security screening may not detect.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle said the blueprints' publication could cause irreparable harm to U.S. citizens. The decision blocked a settlement President Donald Trump's administration had reached with a Texas-based company, which initially said it planned to put files online on Wednesday.

Gun control proponents are concerned the weapons made from 3-D printers are untraceable, undetectable "ghost" firearms that pose a threat to global security. Some gun rights groups say the technology is expensive, the guns are unreliable and the threat is being overblown.

Josh Blackman, a lawyer for the company Defense Distributed, said during Tuesday's hearing that blueprints had already been uploaded to the firm's website on Friday.

The publication of those files is now illegal under federal law, Lasnik said.

"There are 3-D printers in public colleges and public spaces and there is the likelihood of potential irreparable harm," Lasnik said at the end of a one-hour hearing on the lawsuit.

Defense Distributed and its founder Cody Wilson, a self-declared anarchist, argued that access to the online blueprints is guaranteed under First and Second Amendment rights, respectively to free speech and to bear arms.

Lasnik said First Amendment issues had to be looked at closely and set another hearing in the case for Aug. 10. In a comment apparently directed at Wilson, the judge said breaking the law was something "anarchists do all the time."

Blackman said in an interview he was disappointed in the court's ruling and the judge's comment.

"Mr. Wilson scrupulously obeys all court orders," Blackman said, adding that he was awaiting the judge's written order before deciding on further legal action.

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Eight states and the District of Columbia on Monday filed a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing it acted arbitrarily in reaching the June settlement.

The states said online blueprints would allow criminals easy access to weapons. They said the Trump administration had failed to explain why it settled the case and that its decision violated their ability to regulate firearms and keep citizens safe.

Eric Soskin, a lawyer for the U.S. State Department, told the judge on Tuesday that the government's role in the case was that of a bystander.

"As part of this decision, the United States has determined that the kind of guns you can go and buy in any store are not a threat to national security," Soskin said of the settlement.

Defense Distributed's files include 3-D printable blueprints for components that would go into the making of a version of the AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle, a weapon that has been used in many U.S. mass shootings.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump raised concerns about the sale of plastic guns made with 3-D printers and said on Twitter he had talked with the powerful National Rifle Association lobbying group about the weapons.

"I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public," he said. "Already spoke to NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense."

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley later told reporters it's illegal "to own or make a wholly plastic gun of any kind, including those made on a 3-D printer."

The NRA followed suit.

"Regardless of what a person may be able to publish on the Internet, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years," Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement.

The gun plans were pulled from the internet in 2013 by order of the U.S. State Department under international gun trafficking laws. Wilson sued in 2015, claiming the order infringed on his constitutional rights.

Wilson said in an online video that the blueprints were downloaded more than 400,000 times before they were taken down in 2013.

(Reporting by Tina Bellon in New York, Susan Heavey, Susan Cornwell in Washington; Steve Holland; Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Editing by Grant McCool and Tom Brown)By Daphne Psaledakis WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When the remains of Americans handed over by North Korea arrive in Hawaii on Wednesday, the U.S. military will begin a painstaking identification process that experts said could take from three days to two decades to complete. The 55 boxes, draped in the blue and white flag of the United Nations, are each small enough to be carried in one person's arms. They bear not only the remains thought to be of missing servicemen from the 1950-53 Korean War, but also a message of good faith made by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in June. The remains within each box may not be those of a single person and are likely fragments of bones, said Paul Cole, an expert on recovery of soldiers missing in action and prisoners of war, who worked as a visiting scientific fellow at Hawaii's Central Identification Laboratory where the boxes will land. The commingling of remains reflects the violent impacts to which human beings are subjected in war. At the laboratory, work will be done to determine if the remains are human. Then experts will count the bones and come up with a minimum number of individuals that could be in the shipment. Each bone, or fragment, offers a clue. The femur indicates height, the pelvis age, the face and skull national origin. The clavicle and teeth offer some of the best comparison to the personnel file the Department of Defense keeps of missing servicemen, said Cole, author of the book "POW/MIA Accounting: Searching for America's Missing Servicemen in the Soviet Union." SIX DECADES OF WAITING When bones meet the size requirement, the lab will cut and send a piece to the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, where it will be analyzed and compared to family reference samples. If the bone is too small, DNA analysis cannot be done. Federal law prohibits the destruction of evidence in testing, and DNA analysis destroys the bone, said Cole. Those kinds of challenges can drag out the process by many years. "Problems such as inability to get DNA from bones and lack of a DNA reference sample from the family can be major stumbling blocks," said Chuck Prichard, director of public affairs for the Defense POW/MIA Personnel Accounting Agency, the U.S. military's main unit for finding and identifying missing members. The identification process does not prove the bones belong to one person, but rather that they could not belong to anybody else, Cole said. Sometimes all families receive are fragments small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. Still, the mission is loaded with expectations and political weight. Trump last week thanked Kim for keeping the promise he made as part of their talks about North Korea's denuclearization. "And I'm sure that he will continue to fulfill that promise as they search and search and search," said Trump, who has sent Vice President Mike Pence to Hawaii to receive the remains. The U.S. State Department said this month it would resume joint field activities to search for the remains of Americans missing from the war. A total of 5,300 American servicemen are believed to have been lost in what is now North Korea. Gail Embery first found out when she was about 10 years old that her father, Sergeant Coleman Edwards, had gone missing in Korea. She is hopeful that her father's remains are among those arriving on Wednesday. "I always knew that I would have to find my father. I always knew it in my heart," Embery said. "Im 73 now, and I am still looking." (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Additional reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Mary Milliken and James Dalgleish)By Josh Smith OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (Reuters) - More than 50 boxes handed over by North Korea to the United States last week appear to hold human remains from the 1950-1953 Korean War and are likely American, according to an initial forensic analysis, a U.S. official said on Wednesday. A U.S. military transport aircraft on Friday flew the remains from the North Korean city of Wonsan, a first step in implementing an agreement reached at a landmark summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in June. "There is no reason to doubt that they do relate to Korean War losses," John Byrd, director of analysis for the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), told reporters at Osan air base in South Korea, just before the remains were due to be flown to Hawaii for further analysis and identification. More than 7,700 U.S. troops remain unaccounted for from the Korea War. About 5,300 were lost in what is now North Korea. Byrd said a single identification "dog tag" was also handed over by the North Koreans. The soldier's family had been notified, though it was not clear if his remains were among those found, Byrd said. Experts say positively identifying the decades-old remains could take anywhere from days to decades. Still, the initial "field forensic review" indicates that the "remains are what North Korea said they were", Byrd said. The North Koreans provided enough specifics about where each suspected body was found that U.S. officials have matched them to specific battles fought from 1950 to 1951, though not necessarily individuals, he said. "CHERISHED DUTY" Dozens of American, South Korean and other soldiers and officials from U.N. countries that fought in the Korean War conducted a ceremony with full military honors before the remains were loaded into military transport aircraft for the flight to Hawaii on Wednesday. The remains had been transferred from the small boxes they arrived in on Friday into full-sized caskets, draped with U.N. flags. Officials from U.N.-allied nations laid wreaths, a military band played somber music, an honor guard fired a salute and troops saluted as the caskets sat in a hangar just off a runway. "For the warrior, this is a cherished duty, a commitment made to one another before going into battle and passed on from one generation of warriors to the next," said U.S. General Vincent Brooks, top commander of U.S. and U.N. forces in South Korea. "And for all in attendance, this is a solemn reminder that our work is not complete until all have been accounted for, no matter how long it takes to do so." DPAA deputy director Rear Admiral Jon Kreitz said he saw the remains transfer as an important step that will lead to more recovery operations in North Korea. DIPLOMATIC GESTURE The pledge to transfer war remains was seen as a goodwill gesture by Kim at the Singapore summit, and was the most concrete agreement reached by the two sides so far. While it has taken longer than some had hoped, a U.S. State Department official said the process had so far proceeded as expected, and the handover rekindled hopes for progress in other talks with North Korea aimed at its denuclearization. Friday's transfer of the remains coincided with the 65th anniversary of the 1953 armistice that ended fighting between North Korean and Chinese forces and South Korean and U.S.-led forces under the U.N. Command. The two sides remain technically at war because a peace treaty was never signed. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on July 15 that Washington and Pyongyang had agreed to recommence field operations in North Korea to search for the missing Americans. The Pentagon said it was "absolutely" considering the possibility of sending personnel to North Korea for this purpose. The United States and North Korea conducted joint searches from 1996 until 2005, when Washington halted the operations, citing concerns about the safety of its personnel as Pyongyang stepped up its nuclear program. More than 400 caskets of remains found in North Korea were returned to the United States between the 1990s and 2005, with the bodies of some 330 other Americans also accounted for, according to the DPAA. The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it expects Pyongyang to keep its commitment made at the June summit to give up its nuclear arms which it had developed for years in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions. Questions have arisen over Pyongyang's commitment to denuclearize after U.S. spy satellite material detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the country's first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States. (Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Nick Macfie)London (AFP) - British former far-right leader Tommy Robinson was freed from prison on Wednesday after winning a legal challenge in a case that has galvanised his supporters worldwide.

Robinson, who founded a street-level Islamophobic fringe group called the English Defence League, was serving a 13-month jail sentence.

He was jailed for contempt of court and breaching a previous suspended sentence, having used social media to live-stream outside a Leeds Crown Court in northern England in breach of reporting restrictions around a trial.

Since his imprisonment, supporters of US President Donald Trump including former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon have taken up his cause.

Street protests have demanded the release of Robinson, who has previous convictions for assault, drug possession and fraud.

A panel of three judges at the Court of Appeal in London quashed the finding of contempt, citing technical flaws, and freed him on conditional bail pending a new hearing.

"The appellant is granted bail and the matter of contempt at Leeds Crown Court is remitted to be heard again," said Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett, the head of the English judiciary, reading the judgement.

"We are satisfied that the decision at Leeds Crown Court to proceed to committal to prison so promptly... gave rise to unfairness.

"There was no clarity about what parts of the video were relied upon as amounting to contempt, what parts the appellant accepted through his counsel amounted to contempt and for what conduct he was sentenced."

His case will be re-heard at England's Old Bailey central criminal court in London "as soon as reasonably possible", the judges said.

The 35-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was not in court for the hearing.

Around 20 supporters, outnumbered two to one by police officers, chanted his name outside court while another 20 or so counter-protesters were also present.

- Judge reveals case background -

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In the decision read out in court, the judges revealed the background to the case, much of which had previously been subject to reporting restrictions.

Burnett said Robinson had filmed inside a courtroom -- an offence -- in Canterbury, southeast England, in May 2017 during what he told the camera was a trial of "Muslim child rapists".

Robinson was given a suspended jail sentence and told he would face immediate imprisonment if he embarked on similar conduct within 18 months.

In May 2018, he broadcast on Facebook outside Leeds Crown Court about a trial which was under reporting restrictions imposed to avoid prejudicing that case and other related ones.

"During his live-streaming the appellant had referred to the supposed religion of the defendants, the ethnicity of the alleged victims, the costs of the prosecutions, and (he) questioned why publication was prohibited," Burnett said.

Pursuing immediate proceedings against Robinson, the judge in the Leeds trial, Geoffrey Marson, "explained that he was conducting the second of three trials involving a total of 28 Asian men," Burnett said.

Marson told Robinson: "The vast majority of what you were saying... was reference to cases like this, to Asian men, to the grooming of 11-year-old girls and the number of cases like this.

"No one could possibly conclude that that was likely to be anything other than highly prejudicial to the defendants in the present trial."

No date has been set for the new hearing at the Old Bailey.Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday said that the United States (US) could only blame itself for pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Taking to his Twitter account Zarif said, the JCPOA was "a unique multilateral accord" that was produced after two years of talks with the US and along with China, Russia, and the E3, the group of European Union countries (France, Germany and the United Kingdom) that were involved in the negotiations. He further stated that the US could only blame themselves for pulling out of the deal, adding that threats, sanctions and PR stunts will not help them and that they should be respectful towards Iranians and the US' International commitments. "Iran & US had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accord-the JCPOA. It's been working. US can only blame itself for pulling out & leaving the table. Threats, sanctions & PR stunts won't work. Try respect: for Iranians & for int'l commitments," Zarif tweeted.

Iran & US had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accordthe JCPOA. Its been working. US can only blame itself for pulling out & leaving the table. Threats, sanctions & PR stunts wont work. Try respect: for Iranians & for int'l commitments  Javad Zarif (@JZarif) July 31, 2018

This follows a war of words between himself and US President Donald Trump on Twitter following the latter's decision to pull out of the JCPOA.

Trump directed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to "NEVER EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN," otherwise there will consequences, "THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE."

In reply, Zarif warned Trump to "be cautious", saying that they have been around for millennia and have seen the fall of several empires, including their own, which lasted more than the life of some countries.

Trump had announced the US' withdrawal from the JCPOA in May, calling the accord as an "embarrassment" that was "defective at its core", and warned of severe consequences if Iran resumed its nuclear programme.

However, on July 25, Trump stated that the US was ready to make a "real deal" with Iran, saying that Iran was not the same country as before.

--ANIWashington (AFP) - US investigators are probing claims AstraZeneca and other medical giants that worked with the Iraqi government between 2005 and 2009 provided drugs and supplies that would go on to be used to fund terror attacks.

In a filing with US regulators last week, AstraZeneca said it had received a Department of Justice inquiry "in connection with an anti-corruption investigation relating to activities in Iraq."

The filing states the probe is at least partly related to a federal lawsuit filed in October on behalf of troops who were killed or wounded in Iraq in the 2005-2009 period, the height of the Iraq War insurgency.

Plaintiffs allege the firms, hoping to win business in Iraq, violated the US Anti-Terrorism Act and other laws by giving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to the ministry of health when it was controlled by followers of Moqtada Sadr.

The powerful Shiite cleric, whose populist coalition triumphed at May elections, at the time ran death squads against Sunnis and is blamed for many attacks on US forces.

Sadr's Mahdi Army -- estimated to have had up to 60,000 members -- was once the most active and feared armed Shiite group in Iraq, and was blamed by Washington for thousands of killings.

According to The New York Times, the lawsuit claims Sadr's followers sold the medical supplies on Iraq's black market to fund such attacks.

Ryan Sparacino, a lawyer for plaintiffs in the case, told AFP on Wednesday that since 2004, "Iranian-backed terrorists have relied on corruption at the Iraqi health ministry to help fund terrorism in Iraq."

The lawsuit states the health ministry itself was used to launch attacks, smuggle weapons and gather intelligence, and that ministry employees played key leadership roles in the Mahdi Army.

In a statement, AstraZeneca said it "has a robust and dynamic compliance program, and we refuse to tolerate bribery or any other form of corruption."

The other firms listed in the lawsuit are General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, as well as Roche Holding A.G.

The Department of Justice did not immediately return a request for comment.Donald Trumps administration is considering a tax cut worth $100 billion that would mainly benefit the well off and be delivered without legislation, it emerged on Tuesday.

The US Treasury is looking at whether to allow people to take account of inflation when they work out what capital gains tax they owe.

Steven Mnuchin, the US treasury secretary, said in a recent interview that officials were looking at whether the change could be achieved through regulation rather than legislation, according to The New York Times. Such a move would mean Congress would be bypassed.

Capital gains tax is usually levied around 20 per cent for Americans and is paid on assets, such as property or stocks, when they are sold.

Under the current system, the tax is paid on the difference between the original purchase price and the new sale price.

Under Mr Mnuchin's idea, the original price would be adjusted for inflation  dramatically reducing the amount which would be hit by the tax.

The change, according to estimates cited in The New York Times, could result in a tax cut worth $100 billion and would disproportionately benefit wealthy Americans, who own more assets.

The paper said Mr Mnuchin had discussed the idea on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit meeting in Argentina this month.

He was quoted as saying: If it cant get done through a legislation process, we will look at what tools at Treasury we have to do it on our own and well consider that

We are studying that internally, and we are also studying the economic costs and the impact on growth.

Chuck Schumer holds the post of Senate Minority Leader, making him the most senior Democrat in the US Senate. Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Democrats criticised the suggestion that such a change could be adopted without full legislation going through Congress.

Chuck Schumer, the most senior Democrat senator, said: At a time when the deficit is out of control, wages are flat and the wealthiest are doing better than ever, to give the top 1 percent another advantage is an outrage and shows the Republicans true colours.

Furthermore, Mr Mnuchin thinks he can do it on his own, but everyone knows this must be done by legislation.

George Bush reportedly considered the move while president in 1992 but rejected it after concluding the Treasury Department did not have the power to make the change on its own.Singapore (AFP) - The US will urge the international community to keep up sanctions pressure against North Korea at a security forum in Singapore this week, as concerns mount that Pyongyang has made little progress towards denuclearisation.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart will attend the gathering in the city-state where US President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un held their historic summit two months ago.

Pompeo and top diplomats from other countries involved in trying to curtail Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions will scrutinise whether the North has taken concrete steps towards abandoning its nuclear weapons.

At his landmark talks with Trump in June, Kim signed up to a vague commitment to "denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" -- a far cry from long-standing US demands for complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament.

While there have been small signs of progress, news reports indicate Pyongyang is continuing to build rockets, and there are mounting concerns that the enforcement of United Nations sanctions on the North is being relaxed by some member states.

A US official said Washington was "concerned" by North Korean violations of UN-approved sanctions, including illegal shipments of oil by sea.

Gatherings like Saturday's ASEAN Regional Forum are "an opportunity to remind all countries of their obligations in adherence" of UN Security Council resolutions, the official said.

- 'Lasting peace, stability' -

The annual forum, hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), brings together top diplomats from 26 countries and the European Union for talks on political and security issues in Asia-Pacific.

The foreign ministers from all nations involved in stalled "six-party" negotiations with North Korea aimed at reining in Pyongyang's nuclear programme will be at the gathering: the US, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea.

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Cutting off oil and fuel to the North would require enforcement primarily by China, which supplies most of North Korea's energy needs, but also by Russia, which delivers some oil to Pyongyang.

Despite the concerns about the North's progress toward abandoning its nuclear weapons, ministers at the forum are expected to strike an upbeat note about the agreement between Trump and Kim.

They will encourage the US and Pyongyang "to continue working towards the realisation of lasting peace and stability on a denuclearised Korean Peninsula", according to a draft copy of the chairman's statement obtained by AFP.

US officials have not said if Pompeo will meet his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, on the sidelines of the forum.

But even if he does, Sung-Yoon Lee, a Korea expert at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, was sceptical that there would be any fresh signs of progress when it came to denuclearisation.

"Pompeo shall gain nothing substantive other than North Korea's amenability to further talks about talks," he said.

- 'Free and open' -

The US secretary of state will also focus on another major regional flashpoint at the forum -- rival claims in the South China Sea and China's growing presence there.

China claims nearly all the strategically vital sea, including waters approaching the coasts of ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

Beijing has in recent years expanded its presence in the sea by building artificial islands capable of holding military bases.

Ahead of his trip to Southeast Asia, which will also take him to Malaysia and Indonesia, Pompeo called for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region and will expand on the theme at the Singapore meeting, according to the State Department.

The disputed waters will be in focus when the 10 ASEAN foreign ministers hold talks among themselves during a working dinner on Wednesday, with the regional bloc and China expected to announce some progress in long-running talks aimed at coming up with a code of conduct for the sea.

They are expected to announce that they have agreed on a single draft text that reflects the starting negotiating positions of countries towards a code.

Analysts however stressed it would be another small step coming over 15 years after negotiations began.

Hoang Thi Ha, an analyst at the ASEAN Studies Centre in Singapore, said the development represented "some initial progress" but noted that drawing up the code "will continue to be a painstaking and painfully slow process".Damascus (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told his troops on Wednesday they were close to winning the country's seven-year civil war after inflicting a succession of defeats on rebels.

Early last year, government forces held just 17 percent of national territory but a series of blistering offensives has since forced the rebels out of many of their strongholds, putting Assad's government in control of nearly two-thirds of the country.

"Our date with victory is near," Assad wrote in an open letter to the rank and file.

"They (the rebels) were ultimately forced to leave -- humiliated, rolled back, their tails between their legs -- after you gave them a taste of bitter defeat."

Much of the territory was recaptured without any ground fighting as the rebels reluctantly agreed to leave their bombed-out enclaves in Russian-protected convoys.

The army has been bolstered in its offensives by Russian air strikes, Iranian military advisers and militiamen from Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Government troops are now mopping up the remaining pockets of rebel and jihadist territory in the south, where the uprising against Assad first broke out in 2011.

Last week, Assad promised a similar offensive against the rebels' sole remaining major stronghold -- Idlib province in the northwest.

But his ally Moscow has ruled out any large-scale assault on the province in the near future.

Idlib is the last of four "de-escalation" zones agreed by world powers in 2017 where the rebels still have a major presence.

Rebels and civilians bussed out of the other three zones when they fell to the government were all taken to Idlib, increasing its population to around 2.5 million people.

A military operation in the province would cause mass displacement towards the border with Turkey, and even Russia has warned against an assault.

"There's currently no question and can be no question of an operation -- of a major assault -- on Idlib," Russia's Syria envoy Alexander Lavrentiev said on Tuesday.WASHINGTON  White House press secretary Sarah Sanders spent much of her briefing on Wednesday facing questions about a tweet President Trump sent earlier in the day saying Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russias intervention in the 2016 election.

Sanders stressed Trumps tweets were not an order but instead reflected the presidents opinion. Her comments echoed a statement made earlier in the day by Trumps attorney Rudy Giuliani, who argued the tweet did not constitute obstruction of justice because the president said should not must and no presidential order was issued or will be.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, Aug. 1, 2018. (Photo: Mary F. Calvert/Reuters)

Federal law says any threatening letter or communication designed to influence or impede a criminal investigation constitutes obstruction of justice. Sanders didnt directly address a question asking whether Giuliani was giving Trump legal advice on his tweets and if the presidents legal team agreed his tweets were not obstructing justice.

Look, the president is not obstructing, hes fighting back. The president is stating his opinion. Hes stating it clearly, Sanders said.

Trump has previously used the phrase fight back to describe his response to the Mueller probe and observers have previously suggested that comment could be seen as potential admission of obstruction.

Sanders expressed the belief there is corruption in the special counsel probe. She cited a trio of FBI officials that Trump and his allies have accused of being biased against him.

Hes certainly expressing the frustration that he has with the level of corruption weve seen from people like Jim Comey, Peter Strzok, Andrew McCabe, Sanders said of Trump. Theres a reason that the presidents angry and, frankly, most of America Is angry as well. And theres no reason he shouldnt be able to voice that opinion.

Muellers investigation has led to the indictments of multiple Russian intelligence officers who were allegedly involved with cyberattacks that targeted the Democratic Party and Trumps opponent, Hillary Clinton. The special counsel is also looking into whether Trump or his allies worked with the Russians. Muellers probe has resulted in indictments against multiple former Trump campaign officials.

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The investigation also includes the question of whether Trump has engaged in obstruction and Mueller is reportedly reviewing the presidents tweets to determine whether any constitute a potentially illegal effort to interfere.

Trump has repeatedly denied his campaign worked with Russia, though in recent days he and Giuliani have both expressed the view collusion would not have been illegal even if it occurred. The president has also dismissed the probe as a witch hunt and accused Mueller of having unspecified conflicts of interest.

Speaking to reporters in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Giuliani dismissed the notion Trump was obstructing justice.

Thats why this whole obstruction of justice thing is nonsense. If he wanted to obstruct, hed obstruct it, and he could just end it. And then youd all battle whether he has the legal right to do that, which I think he does. But hes not going to do that, Giuliani said. Hes made it clear that he wants it to run its course.

Giuliani has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Yahoo News.

At the briefing on Wednesday, Sanders echoed the view the investigation is a witch hunt. She also said Trump wants to see it come to an end quickly.

We certainly think it should be completed, Sanders said of the investigation. Wed like it to be complete sooner rather than later. Its gone on for an extensive amount of time. Theyve still come up with nothing in regards to the president.

Asked to explain her view that there is rampant corruption in the Mueller investigation, Sanders said the probe was entirely based on a dossier compiled by an ex-British spy, Christopher Steele, who had been paid to conduct research by Democrats and rivals of Trump during the election.

The entire investigation is based off a dirty discredited dossier that was paid for by an opposing campaign, she said.

In fact, the FBI investigation began in July 2016 when U.S. law enforcement became aware that a Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, had bragged to an Australian diplomat that Russia was giving Trumps team damaging information about Clinton. Late last year, Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and he is now cooperating with the probe.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - A Brazilian presidential frontrunner, former army captain Jair Bolsonaro, says the country should not feel guilty about having been the world's biggest slave importer.

The right-winger, a surprise leader in opinion polls after the imprisoned former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said Brazil "owes no debt" to blacks.

"What historic debt are you talking about? I didn't send anyone into slavery," he said late Monday in an interview with TV Cultura.

Brazil, a former Portuguese colony, only abolished slavery in 1888, two decades after the United States and last of all western countries.

A decade of leftist rule under presidents Lula and Dilma Rousseff, ending in 2016, saw Brazil introduce widespread quotas for blacks in higher education and public sector jobs -- part of historic measures to reduce inequality in Latin America's biggest country.

Bolsonaro said he would push to roll back that policy.

"The blacks are not better than me and I'm not better than them," he said. While the quotas can only be voted in or out by Congress, Bolsonaro said he would "propose to reduce them."

According to Bolsonaro, Portuguese traders were not to blame for the huge influx of slaves across the Atlantic, insisting that "blacks themselves handed over the slaves."

Despite limited national airtime, the longtime congressman has launched an impressively effective presidential campaign using social media and capitalizing on his image as someone ready to respond to widespread disenchantment with the elite.

As a former military officer, Bolsonaro is also casting himself as the candidate who would bring a tough response to crime and corruption.

In the television interview he yet again defended the record of the 1964-1985 military dictatorship, which started with a coup against the leftwing president, amid fears of rising communist influence.

"There was no military coup," he said. "A coup d'etat is when you kick in a door to take out the president. But the Congress declared the presidency void -- that was the law at the time."

Story continues

He also returned to his controversial previous support for an army colonel who oversaw torture of leftist guerrillas and dissidents.

According to Bolsonaro, people reporting having been tortured under the regime sometimes "say they were torture victims to get compensation, or votes or pity or power."

"We always only hear one side of history. If we'd lost, today Brazil would be Cuba," he said.ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  Turkey could move soon to reinstate the death penalty, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday while attending the funeral of a young mother and her infant son who were killed by a roadside bomb.

Turkish authorities have blamed Tuesday's attack near the borders of Iran and Iraq on Kurdish rebels. They said the mother and child were targeted with an improvised explosive device on a road near the town of Yuksekova.

The 24-year-old woman was driving back from visiting her husband, a sergeant in the Turkish army, with her 11-month-old son. She died instantly, while the baby died in a hospital.

Erdogan, who flew to the central Turkish city of Sivas to attend the funeral, vowed to press ahead with the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party "until the last terrorist remains."

Responding to mourners' shouts calling for the death penalty, Erdogan reiterated that he would not hesitate to approve capital punishment if Turkey's Parliament passed a law authorizing it.

"The steps that we will take on the issue are close," the president said.

Turkey has not executed anyone since 1984. The country abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of its bid to join the European Union.

The rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, have waged a three-decade old insurgency in Turkey's mostly Kurdish southeast region. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people.

The group is considered a terror organization by Turkey and its Western allies.On Tuesday, a federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocked a Texas company from publishing blueprints for 3D-printed guns online. The decision came a day before the schematics were set to become legal, allowing anyone with a 3D printer to create an untraceable firearm.

How did we get here?

In 2013, Defense Distributed posted a YouTube video demonstrating what it said was a Liberator pistol made from 3D-printed parts. Founder Cody Wilson also posted designs for the gun online so other people could duplicate it, and they were downloaded about 100,000 times.

The U.S. State Department sent a cease-and-desist letter and accused Wilson of potentially breaching International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Wilson cooperated, but he sued the federal government in 2015, citing his right to free speech.

It was set to become legal on Aug. 1. In June, the company had reached a settlement with the U.S. government that allowed it to resume posting downloadable blueprints for 3D-printed guns.

Why didnt it become legal?

On Monday, eight states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to block the settlement agreement.

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is leading the lawsuit, said, The Trump administration recently chose to give access to potentially untraceable and undetectable firearms to any felon, domestic abuser or terrorist with a laptop and access to a 3D printer. Let me be clear: No background check, no waiting period, no serial number. Some of these 3D-printed guns are made with materials that will not set off a metal detector.

President Trump also questioned his administrations decision on the settlement.

I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesnt seem to make much sense!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018

The Seattle federal judge scheduled a follow-up hearing on the issue for Aug. 10.Yankees pitcher J.A. Happ joined Noah Syndergaard as the second New York player diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease on Tuesday. (AP)

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman announced on Tuesday that recently acquired pitcher J.A. Happ has been diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease.

Cashman told reporters that it is a mild case.

Brian Cashman confirms that J.A. Happ has contracted hand, foot and mouth disease. He went to NY Presbyterian this afternoon and was sent home. Cashman said it is a mild case.  Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) July 31, 2018

Its the second recent case of the disease for a New York pitcher after Mets starter Noah Syndergaard contracted the illness earlier in July.

What is hand, foot and mouth disease?

Hand, foot and mouth disease entails the infected suffering from lesions all around the body and is caused by a virus.

Symptoms include ulcers, or sores, inside or around the mouth, and a rash or blisters on the hands, feet, legs or buttocks, according to WebMD.

While it sounds wholly unpleasant, its also not considered serious. There is no treatment or vaccine for the illness, which tends to go away on its own in seven to 10 days, according to WebMD.

Is there a hand, foot and mouth disease outbreak in New York?

Whats bizarre is that hand, foot and mouth disease tends to affect children, and now theres a second New York player in 10 days to come down with the illness. Syndergaard appeared to contract the illness while working at a childrens camp over the All-Star break.

Theres no word on how Happ, recently acquired in a trade from the Toronto Blue Jays, contracted the illness. But for now, theres nothing pointing to it being anything but a strange coincidence.

MLB video from Yahoo Sports



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Sanaa (AFP) - Yemen's Huthi rebels announced a two-week pause in Red Sea operations Wednesday, after attacks against Saudi tankers last week prompted Riyadh to suspend oil shipments through a key waterway.

"The unilateral suspension of our naval operations is for a limited period," the rebels said in a statement released by their defence ministry.

The Huthis' Twitter and Facebook accounts said the suspension will last two weeks.

But "it can be renewed and expanded to other fronts if this initiative is well-received and reciprocated", the statement said.

The Huthis are fighting a Saudi-led military coalition that backs Yemen's government.

A spokesman for the coalition did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on the Huthis' unilateral truce.

On July 26, Saudi Arabia said it was temporarily suspending oil shipments through the Bab al-Mandab Strait -- one of the world's busiest shipping lanes -- after two oil tankers operated by Saudi shipping group Bahri were attacked, slightly damaging one vessel.

The pro-Huthi Al-Masirah television said at the time that the rebels had targeted a Saudi warship named Al-Dammam, without providing further details.

The Huthis, allied with Saudi Arabia's regional arch-rival Iran, control Yemen's capital Sanaa and Hodeida port, the entry point for around three quarters of the impoverished country's imports.

The coalition on July 1 paused a ground offensive against Hodeida, in what coalition partner the UAE has described as a bid to give United Nations-led peace efforts a chance.

The head of the rebels' revolutionary council, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said Wednesday's offer of a temporary maritime truce came as "support for UN mediation and peace efforts".

UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths has been pushing for a deal which envisions the rebels ceding control of Hodeida port to a UN-supervised committee.

Saudi Arabia and its allies joined Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's fight against the Huthis in 2015.

Yemen's war has killed nearly 10,000 people and triggered what the UN calls the world's largest single humanitarian crisis, with more than eight million Yemenis at risk of starvation.James Holmes

Security, Asia

Luttwaks paradoxical logic of strategy exempts no oneincluding U.S. naval aviation. So lets frame maritime strategy toward North Korea with confidence, while abjuring overconfidence like the plague.

Yes, North Korea Could Sink a Navy Aircraft Carrier. Here's How.

In short, how U.S. commanders arrange forces on the nautical chart and sequence operations will help determine whether a carrier suffers assault from North Korean warbirds, surface or subsurface craft, or antiship missiles.

Could North Koreas armed forces sink an American aircraft carrier? Yesdepending on what type of carrier they confront, how skillfully U.S. Navy commanders employ the flattop and its consorts, how well North Korean warriors know the tactical surroundings and, most crucially, whom fortune favors in combat. Fortune is a fickle ally, prone to switch sides and back again in battle. Its doubtful an American carrier would fall prey to undersea or aerial attackbut only the foolish say never or always in martial competition, a topsy-turvy affair in which the weak sometimes best the strong.

It could happen, and that warrants forethought.

(This first appeared in January.)

First, some preliminaries. We know for a fact that the DPRK Navy can sink surface vessels. It did so in 2010, launching a sneak submarine attack on the South Korean corvette ROKS Cheonan. Granted, Cheonan was a single ship operating alone, not the centerpiece of a carrier or amphibious task force ringed with escort ships equipped to hunt and assail submarines. The Cheonan incident nevertheless offers proof, if more is needed, of a timeless truth about undersea combat: even a technologically backward diesel sub running slowlyand thus silentlycan approach, strike and sink a modern surface craft crewed by highly professional mariners such as those comprising the ROK Navy. The same could befall the U.S. Navy.

Indeed, examples are legion of weaker navies equipped with subs giving superior foes fits. In 1982, a Royal Navy task force defending the Falkland Islands expended most of Great Britains war stock of antisubmarine ordnance in a vain effort to dispatch a single Argentine Type 209 diesel-electric boat, ARA San Luis. The Argentine skipper reportedly brought his craft to rest on the seafloor in time-honored fashion. Stopping propulsion eliminated machinery noise, letting San Luis evade detection. Tactics refined during World War II worked on the lesser combatants behalf against a NATO navy optimized for antisubmarine combat.

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Or take 2006, when a Chinese Type 039 Song-class diesel boat slipped through the defenses of the USS Kitty Hawk carrier strike group, surfacing about five nautical miles from the flattop. While the carrier group wasnt on guard against submarine attack, navy spokesmen nonetheless voiced concern that the Songs approach had gone undetected. As well they might: antisubmarine warfare isnt just a difficult art, but one the U.S. Navy consciously let slip after the Cold War. Thats when the leadership resolved to transform the sea service into a fundamentally different naval force that ventured only perfunctory efforts to prepare for high-seas combat. It is playing catch-up in the undersea realm.

Its amusing when commentators describe this or that submarine as a stealth submarine. Presumably that word stealth exudes sex appeal, and generates web traffic. But all subs are stealthy. A nonstealthy sub is wreckage strewn across the seafloor. DPRK skippers have demonstrated they can avoid that fateand do their jobshould they exploit their advantages at a time when circumstances align in their favor. Yes, American carriers are heavily armored and so forth, as carrier proponents like to say, and yes, sinking one would represent no easy feat. Thats a commonplace. But weve known for nearly a century that armored ships can be sunk by aerial, surface, or subsurface attack. Indeed, U.S. Navy aviators, battleship gunners and submariners honed antiship warfare to a fine art seventy-five years past, even before precision-guided munitions made their debut. There are no grounds for hubris vis-a-vis the DPRK Navy.

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Second, the DPRK Navys prospects depend on the type of carrier force it faces. A carrier strike group centered on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) is a different creature from an amphibious ready group centered on an amphibious carrier (LHD or LHA) such as USS Wasp, currently steaming to its new homeport in Sasebo, Japan. Both CVNs and amphibs like Wasp can carry high-tech aircraft such as F-35 joint strike fighters. But the bigger CVN boasts a full-fledged air wing, with lots more fighter/attack aircraft along with associated support aircraft. Its also outfitted with catapults capable of slinging warplanes into the sky bearing larger fuel loads and weapons complements. LHDs and LHAs displace about half as much as CVNs, they have no catapults, and thus they carry a humbler mix of helicopters and vertical-launch U.S. Marine F-35s featuring shorter range than their U.S. Navy brethren.

An amphibious ready group, then, presents less formidable challenges to North Korean aviators, rocketeers and mariners than does a full-up carrier strike group. In all likelihood, then, U.S. Navy commanders would hold amphibious groups in reserve until the heavy fighting off Korean shores subsided. The gators could venture close to shore once air and missile attacks had abated the antiship threatrendering it manageable for the groups more modest defenses. In short, how U.S. commanders arrange forces on the nautical chart and sequence operations will help determine whether a carrier suffers assault from North Korean warbirds, surface or subsurface craft, or antiship missiles.

American overseers will certainly exploit the rudimentary state of North Korean reconnaissance technology. Oceans and seas are big places, the biggest carrier group tiny by contrast. It is no simple task to detect, target and engage maritime forces riding the high seas. Chinas Peoples Liberation Army found this out to its chagrin during the 199596 Taiwan Strait crisis, when President Bill Clinton dispatched two carrier groups to the islands vicinity to deter military action disrupting that years presidential elections. Beijing could neither target nor even find U.S. naval forces cruising the Western Pacific, ostensibly a Chinese nautical preserve. Theres little reason to suppose Pyongyang would enjoy better prospects todayunless, say, the DPRK military is a beneficiary of information passed to it by the PLA under the table. China might seek paybacks by proxy for 199596.

But third, the strategic canon warns us to expect the perverse in martial competition or strife. Clausewitz counsels that chance and uncertainty help constitute the climate surrounding warfare, and that the wisest military sage can do little more than stack the deck in his favor. He may lose anyway. Edward Luttwak reminds us that while we may conduct our affairs according to rational cost/benefit logic in peacetime, combatants are susceptible to ironic reversals in wartime, meaning turnabouts of fortune on the battlefield. They tend to overextend themselves, whether out of ignorance or euphoria, and thereby expose themselves to setbacks or defeat.

Luttwaks paradoxical logic of strategy exempts no oneincluding U.S. naval aviation. So lets frame maritime strategy toward North Korea with confidence, while abjuring overconfidence like the plague.

James Holmes holds the J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College and is coauthor of Red Star over the Pacific (second edition forthcoming 2018). The views voiced here are his alone.

Read full articleNEW YORK (AP)  The special counsel in the Russia probe has referred investigations into possible unlawful foreign lobbying to federal prosecutors in New York, two people familiar with the inquiry said Wednesday.

Three veteran Washington insiders  Tony Podesta, Gregory Craig and Vin Weber  are under scrutiny for allegedly failing to register as foreign agents with the Justice Department, the people said. None of the three has been charged with any crimes.

Special counsel Robert Mueller turned over the investigations to the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan earlier this year, according to the people, who weren't authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The same prosecutors' office is conducting a separate investigation of Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, at the behest of the special counsel. Like the Cohen case, the lobbying inquiries appeared to fall outside the scope of Mueller's probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Prosecutors and a lawyer for Podesta declined comment Wednesday about the referrals, which were first reported by CNN on Tuesday. Attempts to contact Craig and Weber weren't immediately successful.

The three men in question cover the political spectrum in Washington: Podesta is a longtime Democratic operative whose brother, John Podesta, ran Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign; Weber is a former Republican congressman from Minnesota; and Craig was a White House counsel for President Barack Obama.

They also all have ties to Paul Manafort, the one-time Trump campaign chairman currently on trial on charges he orchestrated a multimillion-dollar conspiracy to evade U.S. tax and banking laws.

The three did work related to a lobbying effort on behalf of Ukraine's government directed by Manafort and longtime associate Rick Gates, who has pleaded guilty and is expected to testify at Manafort's trial.

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Two firms at which Podesta and Weber have held executive positions  the Podesta Group and Mercury Public Affairs  were retained through a nonprofit group in Brussels that was directed by Manafort, according to prosecutors' court filings. Craig oversaw his law firm's report on behalf of Ukraine's government that defended the legitimacy of its prosecution of a former prime minister.

Reports first surfaced in 2016 that Mueller was investigating whether Manafort secretly routed at least $2.2 million in payments to the Podesta Group and Mercury. At the time, the firms claimed they were under no obligation to disclose their activities to federal authorities.

As the scrutiny intensified, Podesta stepped down last year as chairman of his firm; it shut down two weeks later. Craig left his law firm in April.

Under federal law, U.S. lobbyists must declare publicly if they represent foreign leaders or their political parties and provide detailed reports about their actions to the Justice Department. A violation is a felony and can result in up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Mercury said that in deciding it didn't need to register as a foreign agent, it relied on the opinion of its outside lobbying ethics counsel, another Skadden attorney named Kenneth Gross.

Mercury and the Podesta Group both retroactively registered as lobbyists for foreign interests in 2017 after they first came under scrutiny.

Though prosecutors' court filings in the Manafort case state both the Podesta Group and Mercury worked with Manafort, the firms have taken different  and sometimes contradictory  stances in public.

In a 2016 interview with the AP, Tony Podesta acknowledged that Manafort's firm had been involved with the Ukraine lobbying work. But Vin Weber and Mercury steadfastly said no such collaboration took place.

"They did not direct our work. We did not work under their direction," Mercury partner Mike McKeon said of Manafort's firm in an April 2017 email to the AP. He added that Manafort had "little involvement" with Mercury's Ukraine work.

McKeon did not respond to phone calls or emailed questions from the AP on Wednesday about whether he and Mercury still stood by those statements, which conflict with allegations in Manafort's October 2017 indictment.

"In fact," prosecutors wrote, Manafort and Gates selected Mercury and the Podesta Group and "engaged in weekly scheduled calls and frequent emails" with the companies "to provide them with directions as to specific lobbying steps that should be taken."

___

Horwitz contributed from Washington.Clashes broke out among angry supporters of Zimbawe opposition leader Nelson Chamisa on Wednesday after official election results showed a ruling party victory in parliament.

Three people were killed after the army opened fire in central Harare during demonstrations over alleged fraud in the country's elections.

The man died after being shot in the stomach, an AFP photographer said, confirming that he died at the scene.

Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF party won the majority of seats in parliament after sweeping rural constituencies by huge margins, official results showed on Wednesday, setting the stage for President Emmerson Mnangagwa's victory.

Protesters tore down a billboard with an image of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his campaign slogan: "The voice of the people is the voice of God."

A supporter of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa wears a cone as they block a street in Harare Credit: Reuters

Opposition supporters also marched to and from the gates of a compound where the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has been announcing results. Police padlocked the main gate.

The opposition alleges the vote was rigged. Results of the presidential race have not yet been announced and the electoral commission says it will update on that "sometime tomorrow."

Quite serious violence In Harare These guys say theyre angry at a stolen election. The presidential results have yet to be announced. pic.twitter.com/eziSZY9Tmg  Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) August 1, 2018

Presidential results are due to be announced, with Mr Chamisa's supporters insisting they will occupy the streets of Harare if their candidate does not win.

Mr Chamisa has already claimed victory and accused the electoral commission of fixing results to favour Mr Mnangagwa. Riot police equipped with water cannon looked on as several hundred MDC supporters gathered outside Mr Chamisa's MDC party headquarters in central Harare and electoral commission where results were being announced.

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Tererai Obey Sithole, a 26 year old MDC member, told The Telegraph: We are not going to accept any result that is against the victory of Nelson Chamisa.

We already have the results. Mr Chamisa won with 60 per cent plus. We are going to stay on the streets until ZEC announces the correct result.

MDC supporters burn an election banner with the face of Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa Credit: Reuters

"They have stolen the election," says 78-year-old Iddah Hanyani. "I want my vote back."

The European Union observer mission said on Wednesday "a truly level playing field was not achieved" in the election.

The EU mission pointed out the "misuse of state resources, instances of coercion and intimidation, partisan behavior by traditional leaders and overt bias in state media" but says Monday's election was largely peaceful in a break from the past.

Zimbabwean anti riot police officers close the entrance to the Rainbow Towers where the election's results were announced Credit: AFP

The assessments of Western and other observers, many who returned to Zimbabwe after being barred for nearly two decades, are crucial in the possible lifting of international sanctions on this southern African nation.

The EU mission says this is a preliminary statement and more is expected on how the election results are handled and announced.

Africa's tarnished jewel: how four decades of Robert Mugabe left Zimbabwe's economy reeling

Parliamentary results early on Wednesday showed Mr Mnangagwa's Zanu PF party cruising to a big majority after picking up 109 seats against 41 for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Another 58 seats are yet to be declared.

The House of Assembly of Parliament has 210 seats and Zanu PF would need to win 30 more to have a two-thirds majority that would allow it to change the constitution at will.

Profile | Emmerson Mnangagwa

The trend in the parliamentary election was expected to continue when results for the president are announced. The MDC won in most urban centres, where it enjoys majority support.

The MDC accused the election commission on Tuesday of deliberately delaying results of this week's vote to favour the ruling party, reporting irregularities in the first poll since the removal of Robert Mugabe in a bloodless November coup.

Election observers from southern African nations on Wednesday commended Zimbabwe for a peaceful, orderly election, though they also identified some shortcomings in how it was conducted.

The Southern African Development Community said Zimbabweans had the "opportunity to exercise their constitutional right," and applauded the government for allowing more international observers for Monday's vote.

Urging protesters to refrain from violence, the group aslo referred to criticism of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the late release of the voters' roll, as well as bias toward the ruling party by state media and traditional leaders.(HARARE, Zimbabwe)  Zimbabwes election took an uneasy turn Tuesday when the opposition alleged results were not posted outside one-fifth of polling stations as required by law, and the electoral commission said the impatient nation would have to wait longer to learn who will be its next president.

The government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, meanwhile, suggested the main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, and his supporters were inciting violence by declaring he had won Mondays election even though only parliamentary returns have been announced.

Let me also warn such individuals and groups that no one is above the law, Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu said. Security forces will remain on high alert and continue to monitor the security situation in the country.

Zimbabweans desperately hope Mondays peaceful vote will lift them out of economic and political stagnation after decades of Robert Mugabes rule, but the country is haunted by a history of electoral violence and manipulation that means trust is scarce, despite todays freer environment.

While the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has five days from the end of voting to release the final tally, the national mood is growing anxious partly because unofficial results are already swirling on social media.

Dozens of opposition supporters even gathered at their headquarters in the capital, Harare, celebrating in the belief that they had won the presidential election based on results they said they collected from agents in the field. As they danced to music blasting from speakers set up on a truck, police with water cannon circulated in the area.

There was no confrontation, but even the possibility of it was an unnerving reminder of the tensions that pervade the southern African nation, debilitated by Mugabes long rule. The 94-year-old former leader had been in power since independence from white minority rule in 1980 until he was forced to resign in November after the military and ruling ZANU-PF party turned on him.

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Mnangagwa, a former deputy president who fell out with Mugabe and then took over from him, has said his showing in the presidential polls was extremely positive while urging people to wait for official results.

Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party, has gone further, saying his own count shows that he won the election and that hes ready to form the next government.

Chamisas party also said results have not been posted outside 21 percent of the countrys nearly 11,000 polling stations, raising concerns about possible vote-rigging. It suggested there was a deliberate effort to delay announcing the results, reflecting deep suspicion about the panel presiding over the election.

Priscilla Chigumba, a judge who heads the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, said she was confident there had been no cheating in the first election without Mugabe on the ballot. Each polling station must post its results outside after vote-counting, she said.

We will not steal their choice of leaders, we will not subvert their will, Chigumba said.

The atmosphere has remained peaceful and the commission has not received any major complaints about the election, she said.

The commission said it would delay releasing any results of the presidential race until all the votes are collated. If no presidential candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held Sept. 8.

More than 5.5 million people were registered to vote in an election featuring a record number of more than 20 presidential candidates and nearly 130 political parties.

Western election observers were in Zimbabwe, a sign of a freer political environment since the resignation of Mugabe, who declared he would not vote for the ruling party he long controlled and called Chamisa the only viable candidate.

Meanwhile, a monitoring group, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, issued preliminary findings on the vote, noting improvements such as a biometric registration system that reduced the chances of fraud.

However, it noted problems with implementation, saying the election commission at one point allotted more registration kits to rural areas and fewer to urban areas. The ruling party has strong rural support, while the opposition is popular in the cities.

Elmar Brok, head of the European Union monitoring mission, said Tuesday that his team noted some inconsistencies but that overall there was progress compared to past elections.

In African elections, often stakes are very high and nobody has a backup plan for losing, said John Dramani Mahama, former president of Ghana and head of the observer mission from the Commonwealth nations, mostly former British colonies.

The contenders in Zimbabwes vote must accept the results and should look at the larger picture of success, a successful election for Zimbabwe, he said.

A voter in Harare said Zimbabwe is eager to hear the election results as soon as possible.

Because people are not yet settled, theyre thinking of too many things, said 65-year-old Chaka Nyuka. They need a good change. People are looking for that.HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP)  Zimbabwe's election took an uneasy turn Tuesday when the opposition alleged results were not posted outside one-fifth of polling stations as required by law, and the electoral commission said the impatient nation would have to wait longer to learn who will be its next president.

The government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, meanwhile, suggested the main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, and his supporters were inciting "violence" by declaring he had won Monday's election even though only a few parliamentary returns have been announced.

"Let me also warn such individuals and groups that no one is above the law," Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu said. Security forces "will remain on high alert and continue to monitor the security situation in the country."

Zimbabweans desperately hope Monday's peaceful vote will lift them out of economic and political stagnation after decades of Robert Mugabe's rule, but the country is haunted by a history of electoral violence and manipulation that means trust is scarce, despite today's freer environment.

While the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has five days from the end of voting to release the final tally, the national mood is growing anxious partly because unofficial results are already swirling on social media.

Dozens of opposition supporters even gathered at their headquarters in the capital, Harare, celebrating in the belief that they had won the presidential election based on results they said they collected from agents in the field. As they danced to music blasting from speakers set up on a truck, police with water cannon circulated in the area.

There was no confrontation, but even the possibility of it was an unnerving reminder of the tensions that pervade the southern African nation, debilitated by Mugabe's long rule. The 94-year-old former leader had been in power since independence from white minority rule in 1980 until he was forced to resign in November after the military and ruling ZANU-PF party turned on him.

Story continues

Mnangagwa, a former deputy president who fell out with Mugabe and then took over from him, has said his showing in the presidential polls was "extremely positive" while urging people to wait for official results.

Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party, has gone further, saying his own count shows that he won the election and that he's ready to form the next government.

Chamisa's party also said results have not been posted outside 21 percent of the country's nearly 11,000 polling stations, raising concerns about possible vote-rigging. It suggested there was a deliberate effort to delay announcing the results, reflecting deep suspicion about the panel presiding over the election.

Priscilla Chigumba, a judge who heads the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, said she was confident there had been no "cheating" in the first election without Mugabe on the ballot. Each polling station must post its results outside after vote-counting, she said.

"We will not steal their choice of leaders, we will not subvert their will," Chigumba said.

"The atmosphere has remained peaceful" and the commission has not received any major complaints about the election, she said.

The commission said it would delay releasing any results of the presidential race until all the votes are collated. So far, it has announced the results of seven out of 210 parliamentary races, six of which went to the ruling party.

If no presidential candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held Sept. 8.

More than 5.5 million people were registered to vote in an election featuring a record number of more than 20 presidential candidates and nearly 130 political parties.

Western election observers were in Zimbabwe, a sign of a freer political environment since the resignation of Mugabe, who declared he would not vote for the ruling party he long controlled and called Chamisa the only viable candidate.

Meanwhile, a monitoring group, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, issued preliminary findings on the vote, noting improvements such as a biometric registration system that reduced the chances of fraud.

However, it noted problems with implementation, saying the election commission at one point allotted more registration kits to rural areas and fewer to urban areas. The ruling party has strong rural support, while the opposition is popular in the cities.

Elmar Brok, head of the European Union monitoring mission, said Tuesday that his team noted some "inconsistencies" but that overall there was "progress" compared to past elections.

"In African elections, often stakes are very high and nobody has a backup plan for losing," said John Dramani Mahama, former president of Ghana and head of the observer mission from the Commonwealth nations, mostly former British colonies.

The contenders in Zimbabwe's vote must accept the results and "should look at the larger picture of success, a successful election for Zimbabwe," he said.

A voter in Harare said Zimbabwe is eager to hear the election results as soon as possible.

"Because people are not yet settled, they're thinking of too many things," said 65-year-old Chaka Nyuka. "They need a good change. People are looking for that."

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_AfricaBy MacDonald Dzirutwe and Joe Brock HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe police said three people were killed in Harare on Wednesday as soldiers dispersed stone-throwing opposition supporters who accused the ruling party of trying to rig Monday's presidential election. The deployment of soldiers and their beating of unarmed protesters set back President Emmerson Mnangagwa's efforts to shed Zimbabwe's pariah status after decades of repression under Robert Mugabe, who was ousted in a coup in November. Even before the violence, European Union observers questioned the conduct of the presidential and parliamentary vote, the first since Mugabe's forced resignation after nearly 40 years in charge of the southern African nation. Zimbabwe's electoral commission had said it would start announcing results for the presidential race from 10.30 GMT on Wednesday but that was then pushed back at least 24 hours. EU monitors said the delay was undermining the vote's credibility. Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told state broadcaster Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) that the three people killed in the clashes had yet to be identified. Gunfire crackled as troops, backed by armored vehicles and a military helicopter and some with their faces masked, cleared the streets of opposition protesters. The unrest started soon after Nelson Chamisa, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), declared that he had won the popular vote. After burning tires in the streets, scores of his supporters attacked riot police near the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) headquarters. Officers responded with tear gas and water cannon. "I was making a peaceful protest. I was beaten by soldiers," said Norest Kemvo, who had gashes to his face and right hand. "This is our government. This is exactly why we wanted change. They are stealing our election." RECRIMINATIONS Mnangagwa said the violence was meant to disrupt the election and blamed the MDC leadership. "We hold the opposition MDC Alliance and its whole leadership responsible for this disturbance of national peace, which was meant to disrupt the electoral process," Mnangagwa said, according to ZBC. Chamisa's spokesman, Nkululeko Sibanda, told reporters the army's reaction was unjustified. "Today we saw the deployment of military tanks and firing of live ammunition on civilians for no apparent reason." United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Zimbabwe's political leaders and people to exercise restraint and reject any form of violence. Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the army had been called in to ensure "peace and tranquillity". Charamba said the troops were deployed at the request of police who could not cope with the violence, and will remain under police command. As gunfire reverberated through downtown Harare, Mnangagwa called for calm and urged patience while results were collated. Many protesters accused the army of unprovoked brutality. "We had no weapons. Why are the army here beating us? shooting us? This is not an election it is a disgrace on our country," one young man, Colbert Mugwenhi, said. A Reuters witness saw soldiers with sticks beat two people and counted at least five trucks full of soldiers. "We are tired of them stealing our votes. This time we will not allow it, we will fight," said a protester who wore a red MDC beret in central Harare. "ONE-SIDED" EU observers voiced concern about delays in releasing the results of the presidential contest, a two-horse race between Chamisa and Mnangagwa, head of the ruling ZANU-PF party. Without the international community's stamp of approval for the election, Zimbabwe's next leader will struggle to unlock the billions of dollars of international donor finance needed to get the shattered economy back on its feet. With three seats yet to be declared in the parliamentary contest, ZANU-PF had 144 seats compared to 61 for the MDC, meaning the ruling party achieved the two-thirds majority that permits it to change the constitution at will. Chamisa said the early release of the parliamentary results was a deliberate ploy to prepare Zimbabweans for a victory by Mnangagwa, a former national security chief nicknamed "The Crocodile" and commonly referred to by the initials ED. "The strategy is meant to prepare Zimbabwe mentally to accept fake presidential results. We've more votes than ED. We won the popular vote (and) will defend it," Chamisa said on Twitter. Before the violence, EU Chief Observer Elmar Brok said he did not yet know if the shortcomings would have a material effect on the outcome of the vote, but criticized the electoral commission for being at times "one-sided". The EU assessment is critical in determining whether Zimbabwe can repair its image and attract the foreign investors needed for an economic revival. The EU did not understand why the release of the presidential result was taking so long, Brok said. "The longer it lasts that the results of the presidential election is not known, the more lack of credibility it provides," he said. Zimbabwe was once one of Africa's most promising economies but descended into corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation in the latter stages of Mugabe's administration. Its population of 13 million is struggling amid shortages of foreign currency, unemployment above 80 percent and lack of foreign investment. (Writing by James Macharia and Ed Cropley; Editing by Mark Heinrich)The High Court of Justice examined arguments Tuesday against the charter of Agudat Yisrael, a faction within the United Torah Judaism Party, which bans women from joining its ranks, after Haredi women petitioned the court.

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The expanded five-justice panel proposed the faction to expunge the article banning women from the charter.

In practice, this would not change the partys policies, which are directed by its Council of Torah Sages, who do not agree to women being elected to the Knesset, but at least it would not be inscribed officially.





Agudat Yisrael leader Yaakov Litzman (Photo: Noam Rivkin Panton)

Arguing against the proposed amendment to the chater, attorney Eyal Nun, representing the Agudat Yisrael faction, said that The plaintiff does not wish to join the club, but wants to coerce us to accept members according to her world view.

This petition does not violate the right to be elected, I think that is clear. There is no right in Israel to be a member of a particular party, and certainly not a right to be a member of an ultra-Orthodox party. Degel Hatorah (the other faction that makes up UTJ) has no provision in their charter," he added.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut argued that "the women are exposing the problem of the exclusion of women in the party's charter, and their goal is to open a door to ultra-Orthodox women who would like to be members of the party." She asked a representative of the ultra-Orthodox party to explain, "Why cant women be party members in Agudat Yisrael? Why cant we interfere, and what is the cultural concept? Why cant women engage in politics?"

According to Agudat Yisrael, womens engagement in politics is improper according to their worldview. I try to explain this to those who are not members of the Haredi world and it is not easy, said a party representative. Haredim view the woman as more important than the man, but her public and private actions do not need to be expressed on the political level because it is improper. It is a matter of faith.

When asked by Chief Justice Hayut What is it that is improper? the attorney responded: It is a matter of worldview regarding the proper way to live our lives. Freedom of speech is becoming freedom to disrespect. The political arena is improper for women. This does not mean that a Haredi woman who believes otherwise cannot run for Knesset.

United Torah Judaism leaders (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Attorney Tamar Ben Porat, who represents the plaintiffs, lamented the fact that For three years we have been petitioning the court and they have yet to explain what the proper place is for a woman and what they mean by political.

A political position means to express an opinion on education, on wages for women, on Agunot" (a Halachic term for a woman who is "chained" to her marriage due to her husbands disappearance or refusal to grant her a Get, a Jewish divorce document).

At the end of the court session, the judges gave Agudat Yisrael a month to explain why they won't remove the article from their charter.

Attorney Nun argued that while "there is no commandment prohibiting a woman from being a member of Knesset, there is the spirit of the law and tradition in the Haredi community, and there are other communities where it is different.

This is not a Halachic issue in the narrow sense. The very same article my colleagues wish to invalidate stipulates that one who wishes to be a member must subject himself to the instructions of the Council of Torah Sages. This is why ultra-Orthodox women, apparently few, who do not support the party, cannot and will not (join the party), because they would be unwilling to subject themselves to the Council of Torah Sages, which does not approve of women's activism."

Justice Hanan Melcer stated that if the women must anyways subject themselves to the Council of Torah Sages, the factio should "agree to article the article and leave it at that."

"As a petitioner, I object to allowing the party to agreeat this stage, after so many proceedingsto simply annul the articles in the charter without a ruling," Ben-Porat said during the discussion. "I think that at the root of the petition are much more significant principles and the cancellation of the articledespite being the technical act we seekwithout a more significant position by the Council of Torah Sages on this issue is not a worthy solution."A federal appeals court on Monday said the Norton Simon Museum can keep two 16th century masterpieces depicting Adam and Eve by the German Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach the Elder, which had been looted by the Nazis during World War Two.

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The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 against Marei von Saher, who has been suing the Pasadena, California-based museum for 11 years to reclaim the paintings, taken by the Nazis in a forced sale after her father-in-law, Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, fled the Netherlands in 1940.

Lucas Cranach the Elder painting (Photo: Getty Images)

Circuit Judge Margaret McKeown said the "act of state" doctrine validated the 1966 sale of the paintings by the Dutch government, which by then owned them, to George Stroganoff-Scherbatoff, a onetime US Navy commander and descendant of Russian aristocracy.

He sold them in 1971 to the museum, which has displayed them ever since.

Norton Simon Museum (Photo: AP)

Lawrence Kaye, a lawyer for von Saher, said he was "obviously disappointed" and would review the decision with his client.

"Today's decision should finally put this matter to rest," the museum said in a statement.

Many lawsuits seek to reclaim art taken or sold after Adolf Hitler took power in Germany in 1933.

This includes the 6-1/4 foot (1.9 meters) tall Cranach panels, which had been purchased by Nazi Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering at a fraction of their value.

Herman Goering (Photo: Getty Images)

In August 2016, US District Judge John Walter in Los Angeles ruled that the paintings belonged to the museum.

He said that under Dutch law, the Cranachs had been "enemy" property belonging to Goering, and that title had passed to the Dutch government, which had a right to sell them to Stroganoff.

Upholding that ruling, McKeown instead invoked the act of state doctrine, where US courts typically defer to foreign governments' sovereign actions, and avoid interfering with the executive branch's ability to conduct foreign policy.

She said ruling for von Saher would require nullifying three "official" Dutch government actions: the 1966 sale to Stroganoff, a 1999 decision not to restore von Saher's rights, and a 2006 decision that her claim had been "settled."

"Without question, the Nazi plunder of artwork was a moral atrocity that compels an appropriate governmental response," McKeown wrote for the Pasadena-based appeals court.

"But the record ... reveals an official conveyance from the Dutch government to Stroganoff thrice 'settled' by Dutch authorities. For all the reasons the doctrine exists, we decline the invitation to invalidate the official actions of the Netherlands."

The case is von Saher v Norton Simon Museum of Art at Pasadena et al, 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 16-58308.Russia and Israel have reached an agreement to remove Iranian forces in Syria to within 85 kilometers of the Golan Heights border, Russia's special envoy for Syria told the Sputnik news agency on Wednesday.

"As we took into account the Israeli concerns, we managed to attain the pullout of Iranian units 85 kilometers (some 53 miles) from the Israeli border," Russian Presidential Special Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said.Iranian forces have withdrawn their heavy weapons to a distance of 85 km (53 miles) from the Golan Heights frontier between Israel and Syria, TASS news agency quoted Russia's envoy to Syria as saying on Wednesday.

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Backed by Russia, Iran, and the Hezbollah Shi'ite militia, Syrian President Bashar Assad has retaken territory in southern-western Syria from rebels, bringing the pro-Assad forces in proximity to the Israeli border.

"The Iranians withdrew and the Shi'ite formations are not there," the agency quoted Alexander Lavrentyev, President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to Syria, as saying.

Pro-Iranian militias in Syria

Lavrentyev said Iranian service personnel whom he described as advisors could be among Syrian army forces who remain closer to the Israeli border.

"But there are no units of heavy equipment and weapons that could pose a threat to Israel at a distance of 85 km from the line of demarcation", Lavrentyev said.

Israeli officials see Iranian forces and Hezbollah as a direct threat to their country's security.

"As we took into account the Israeli concerns," Lavrentyev told the Russian Sputnik news agency on Wednesday.

Lavrentyev also noted Moscow believes Israeli concerns over the presence of Iran and its proxies near the Golan border are decreasing. "Yes, of course, we are certain of this," he told Sputnik in response to a question about it.

Iran's army chief meets with his counterpart in Syria

Last week an Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Russia had offered to keep Iranian forces at least 100 km from the Golan Heights ceasefire line.

But Israel rejected the offer, which came during a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The official said Netanyahu told Lavrov "we will not allow the Iranians to establish themselves even 100 kilometres from the border."

"The Russians are speaking about (the 100-km buffer zone) and are committed to it, but we said there are also long-range weapons beyond this zone, and all those forces must leave Syria," an Israeli official said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Lieberman and IDF Chief Eisenkot meet with Russian delegation (Photo: Haim Zach/GPO)

Even before that, Israel had turned down a proposal by Russia, the big-power backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad, that Iranian forces be kept 80 km from the frontier.

Netanyahu met with a visiting Russian delegation led by Lavrov on July 23 to discuss Assad's advance in southwest Syria and "issues related to Israel border security."

Another Israeli official described the meeting, which lasted for over two hours, as "an important meeting at a significant time in which we discussed the details of Iranian presence and activity in Syria, while presenting maps and intelligence materials, as we explained our policy to push Iran out of Syria."

The official said Israel will maintain full freedom of operations for the IDF, and detailed what the removal of Iran from Syria should entail: "First of all, all the long-range weapons must be removed from Syria; precise weapons production must be stopped; other strategic weapons, such as air defense, must be removed as well; the border crossings that allow the smuggling of these weapons must be closed, including on the Syrian-Lebanese border where weapons are smuggled into Lebanon, and the Iraqi-Syrian border through which weapons are smuggled from Iran into Syria itself."

Russia has warned it would be unrealistic to expect Iran to fully withdraw from the country. However, Moscow has said it wants to see the separation of forces on the frontier preserved.Lt. Hadar Goldin's family demonstrated outside the UN headquarters in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning, protesting the fact their son's remains are still being held by Hamas in Gaza.

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Exactly four year after he was killed by Hamas fighters who ambushed his force during a ceasefire in the summer of 2014, the Goldin family began their protest with a minute of silence, broken only by the sound of the shofar.

Leah Goldin, the fallen soldier's mother, addressed her comments to UN Envoy to the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov.

The Goldin family protests outside the UN building in Jerusalem (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

"We're here to condemn the violation of human rights and international law, to condemn the four years of silence that has allowed this culture of exemption from punishment. We're here to note the ongoing failure in ascribing responsibility, which also emboldens those responsible for the humanitarian situation in Gaza," Goldin said.

Dr. Simacha Goldin, Hadar's father, also condemned "the UN's breach of responsibility. It organized a humanitarian ceasefire, but under this ceasefire my son was killed and kidnapped, and two other Givati soldiers were killed. All of this, the UN has forgotten. It doesn't mention any of this. The UN representative has the audacity to wander around the region and bring billions with him (to the Gaza Strip)."

(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Leah Goldin wrote a letter to Mladenov that will be delivered to him through security officials.

"Today we mark the fourth anniversary of the death and kidnapping of my son, Hadar Goldin, and the death of Liel Gidoni and Benaya Sarel, during the 'humanitarian ceasefire' on August 1, 2014, signed by the UN," she wrote. "My son was not a victim of the war in Gaza, but of the humanitarian ceasefire supported by the UN. We demand the right to carry out the final act of human dignity, the right for proper burial."

(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

The fallen officer's mother harshly attacked UN Envoy Mladenov, telling him, "Even though you're very concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, I've never heard you call for the return of Hadar to Israel for proper burial, in line with basic human decency, Jewish tradition, Islamic law and international humanitarian law."

She called on the UN to "treat harshly a regime that ignores the rule of law so blatantly. Those who fail to do so are actually collaborating with them."

She concluded her letter by calling on the UN to aid in returning her son for burial in Israel.

"As a representative of UN institutions, who is committed to promoting human rights in the Gaza Strip, your job is to demand Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to remedy the violation of international human rights and humanitarian law, and put an end to this culture of immunity and exemption from punishment. To protect the law and the UN institutions and to truly promote human rights in Gaza and the region, Hadar must be brought back home from Gaza immediately and without conditions," Leah Goldin wrote to Mladenov.

(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Last week, Leah Goldin and Zehava Shaulmother of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who suffered a similar fate to Goldin'sarrived at the IDF induction center in Tel HaShomer as part of the public and media campaign to return their sons for burial in Israel.

The two mothers handed out flowers to hundreds of new recruits to the Golani and Givati brigades, where Hadar and Oron served.

"We are here so what happened to us, after four years, will never happen to any soldier in the IDF," Goldin told Ynet.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

She criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying, "The most important value in the army is that of camaraderie: you don't leave soldiers in the field of battle. You bring them back under any situation. You left two excelling soldiers in Gaza."

"After disappointing us with the Cairo agreement and the Turkish agreement, now we have the most significant opportunitywhen Hamas is at its lowest point and all nations of the world are helpingto set the first condition to any progress in talks as the return of the soldiers. Show them you can, like Trump, like he released the hostages in North Korea before (making concessions). That's how it should be here."Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, head of the Bnei David pre-army preparatory yeshiva in Eli, called for a protest against the upcoming Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem, which he labeled an abomination.

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The Pride Parade is expected to take place on Thursday.

In a letter titled Struggle over the image of the State of Israel, Levinstein said that the LGBT community is an organization that encourages the distortion of sexual orientation.

Rabbi Yigal Levinstein

"A small but vocal and verbally violent minority, which refers to itself as the LGBT organization, promotes perversion and distortion of sexual orientation. It operates using any means necessary and strives to make an entire country accept the law that recognizes homosexual intercourse as a legitimate family union," Levinstein wrote.

In addition, they are also demanding to allow male homosexuals to have and raise children in a morally twisted reality. It is now clear to everyone that their fight is not about individual rights. Its a struggle over the image of the Jewish state, he vented.

In his letter, Rabbi Levinstein added that the Torahs definition of family should not be meddled with even in the name of equality.

"They will not confuse us with their values of equality under which they demand legitimacy. Will we allow incest in the name of equality? Will we allow homosexual sex in the name of equality? he wondered.

"We will also not be confused by the Western worlds acceptance of these kind of families  On the contrary, we will teach them about the sanctity of marriage and family through the Torah," Levinstein insisted.

"I empathize with them and understand the pain and difficulty of those with opposite sexual tendencies, but we cannot remain blind to the moral decay of gay sex, and we certainly will not give in to the overwhelming verbal violence against anyone who disagrees with them," he continued.

Anyone who has a heart, every Jew and every person who cares about the Jewish State of Israel, cannot remain silent in the face of the moral humiliation of trying to promote such a law that crushes the Jewish morality, which is a light unto the nations when it comes to the sanctity of family life," Levinstein concluded.

Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Meanwhile, dozens of Orthodox rabbis published a letter expressing their support for the LGBT community. In the letter, 60 rabbis called for an end to the discrimination and offensive discourse against the LGBT community.

"Undermining of the groups legitimacy is essentially laying the ground for terrible, verbal and physical violence that the group has to suffer on a daily basis. Three years ago, we saw where this type of discourse leads, when innocent blood was spilled in the streets of Jerusalem, rabbis wrote, referring to the murder of Shira Banki by an Orthodox man during the Gay Pride Parade in the capital in 2015.

The rabbis began their letter by saying how important it is for religious figures to express alternative views on the matter.

"Our dear and beloved Jewish LGBT brothers and sisters, we, the undersigned, Orthodox rabbis who are committed to the Torah of life and love of kindness, feel a religious and moral obligation to make an alternative religious voice heard  a supportive voice," they wrote.

The question of surrogacy raises complex and controversial moral questions. However, there are issues that are simple and clear. The use of offensive and insulting language such as 'perverts' towards people created in God's image is unacceptable and dangerous, and certainly when those words come from rabbis who order us to 'Watch our words, the rabbis went on to say.

The letter was written in response to a communique distributed by some rabbis last week, in which they attacked the LGBT community, labeling them as abomination and deviants.

The letter is an initiative of Rabbi Yitzchak Eisner and Rabbi Avidan Friedman of the Torat Chayim (Torah of life) Rabbis group.

Rabbi Yitzchak Eisner

"We agree that it is the rabbis' right to disagree with the LGBT community. They do not have to agree with them, but at the same time the question here is not surrogacy, but rather the impact on the mental health of people whom public leaders are marginalizing using words of hatred and humiliation. These are people who are already in the midst of difficult challenges, they are already dealing with mental distress, and then comes this additional push, Rabbi Eisner said in an interview with Ynet.

Daniel Yunes, an activist and a former chairman of the HavrutaReligious Gays organization, explained the importance of the support expressed by the rabbis in the letter.

"This kind of thing has never happened before  The letter against the LGBT community was very easy for the rabbis to sign. However in this case, its a very courageous act, because contrary to the claim that people are silenced by 'LGBT terrorism,' the previous letter was signed by people whose salaries are paid by our tax money and they still have their jobs. On the other hand, I know quite a few rabbis who lost their jobs or took great risks when they came out with similar statements of support, Yunes explained.

Rabbi Avidan Friedman

The letter against the gay community was signed last week by senior rabbis from the Religious-Zionist community, including Rabbi Dov Lior, Rabbi Chaim Steiner and Rabbi Zvi Tau, in support of Rabbi Aryeh Stern, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, following the criticism he received after saying that the children of same-sex couples will grow up to be miserable.

"The healthy majority in the State of Israel is shocked by the provocations  of this abomination of an organization. The aggressive terrorism, that is accompanied by the medias brainwashing in order to turn the perverts into heroes, will not succeed," wrote the rabbis in the communique.

In response to the communique, over 100 religious members of the LGBT community signed a petition opposing the controversial rhetoric.

"We are concerned about the tremendous damage that might be caused, especially to LGBT youth, as a result of the degrading and humiliating treatment of the communiques signatories, among whom are educators and community leaders, said the official statement.An indictment was filed on Sunday against a 36-year-old Nur al-Din Jazawi from the town of a-Ram near Ramallah, who broke into a vehicle at Terminal 3 in Ben-Gurion Airport three weeks ago and stole an M-16 rifle and a suitcase with personal belongings.

His interrogation revealed that Jazawi later went to Ramallah in order to sell the weapon, which has not been found to this day.Israel's Druze citizens were not the only ones to take offense from the Nationality Law, which determines only Jews have a right for self-determination in the country. Bedouin have also come out against the legislation.

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Lt. Col. (res.) Amir Mezarib, the director of the Minorities District in the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel, who also organizes the Bedouin protest against the Nationality Law, called on the thousands of Bedouin in northern Israel to band together and put pressure on the government to amend the law.

"We will do this (the protest) at a symbolic place for us, such as the Zarzir Junction or the Memorial Monument to the Bedouin Warriors," he said.

Bedouin soldiers' swearing-in ceremony (Photo: EPA)

Mezarib is also the nephew of the highly-decorated IDF officer Amos Yarkoni, the first commander of the Shaked Reconnaissance Battalion who also governed over the Sinai central district. Hundreds of Yarkoni's Bedouin and Jewish former soldiers continue visiting his grave to this very day.

"What would Amos, the decorated commander who led battles and died because of his many wounds, have said? What will we tell his family? His subordinates, who were senior officers, came to us to apologize on behalf of the state. They understand the problem no less than we do. Its really hurtful but at least we get support from the Jews who apologized on behalf of the government that passed this discriminatory law," Mezarib vented.

Mezarib emphasized the commitment of the Bedouin sector to the Jewish people, adding that members of the community were among the few who stood by the state.

Lt. Col. (res.) Amir Mezarib (Erza Mezarib)

"The Bedouin community has tied its fate to the fate of this country since its infancy, and was one of the few who stood by it. Yigal Allon sought the assistance of the Bedouin leadership during the establishment of Jewish settlementsand thats how it was. Since then, a tradition of joining the IDF has emerged," he continued.

According to Mezarib, the problem stems from the unnecessary insistence of the Israeli government to enshrine into law national values and symbols that were obvious to all even before the legislation was passed.

Everyone is familiar with these symbols, why do we need a law? The majority of the country is Jewish and everyone is aware of that. Why upset the entire world in order to receive recognition for something that is already obvious to everyone? Mezarib wondered.





Like many other opponents of the law, Mezarib claims it was approved due to political reasons that are accompanied by contempt toward and harm done to Bedouin, Druze, Arabs and Jews alike.

"Thirty-four fallen Bedouin soldiers who fell in battle alongside Jewish soldiers are buried in Zarzir, 34 soldiers in a tiny village. What are we going to say to the families now? What will the parents, who wept for their sons and who stand during the siren on Memorial Day, say?" he lamented.

Raniim Mezarib, 21, who belongs to a Bedouin family with the same family name, was only four years old when her father, policeman Ahmed Mezarib, was killed in a terrorist attack near Ma'ale Adumim in 2002.

"My father stopped the attack with his body," explains Raniim. "He sacrificed himself for the state, and this is how he is treated? Like a second-class citizen? What my father did, even a first-class citizen would not have done," she vented.

Raniim said the Nationality Law holds a different meanings for her because she is a law student. "This Nationality Law is very difficult to change, especially since it was passed by a majority of 62 MKs. The way I see the current situation, only specific articles of the law could be amended," Raniim explained.

Raniim Mezarib (Photo: Marlene Awawdeh)

According to her, the fact that the law makes no reference to non-Jewish citizens in Israel harms democracy, first and foremost.

"The Declaration of Independence states that the State of Israel is a state of all its citizens, and this law says that the state is only for the Jewish people. It looks like the country is becoming more Jewish and less democratic and equal," she concluded.

Amir Mezarib reinforced Raniim's words, saying he would have prefered for the status quo to stay the way it was.

"I would not have added anything to the declaration, and anything thats been added only detracts ... I would like the status quo to remain the way it was, he said.

Following the wave of protests in northern Israel, Bedouin residents in the Negev region have also joined the fight.

"We will convince them that the Bedouin community is also part of the country, we die for it and give our sons to it," said Musa Abu Bania, a Bedouin recruitment officer who lives in the settlement of Hura near Beer Sheva. "I myself was wounded in the Yom Kippur War.

Abu Bania added that in 2018, no law should refer to Israel as a Jewish state only.

"For me, this is treachery on the part of the state, we have to find a solution, we have no other country, we will live here and we will die here, he exclaimed.Iranian lawmakers have given President Hassan Rouhani one month to appear before parliament to answer questions on his government's handling of Iran's economic struggles, state media reported on Wednesday.

It is the first time parliament has summoned Rouhani, who is under pressure from hardline rivals to change his cabinet following a deterioration in relations with the United States and Iran's growing economic difficulties.

Lawmakers want to question Rouhani on topics including the rial's decline, which has lost more than half its value since April, weak economic growth and rising unemployment, according to semi-official ISNA news agency.The threatening language of the United States will not benefit anyone, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, as relations between the NATO allies soured over the case of a US pastor jailed in Turkey on terrorism charges.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey would not make compromises regarding the independence of the judiciary, and said the remarks of the "evangelist, zionist mentality" in the United States was unacceptable.ANKARA - The threatening language of the United States will not benefit anyone, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, as relations between the NATO allies soured over the case of a US pastor jailed in Turkey on terrorism charges.

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Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey would not make compromises regarding the independence of the judiciary, and said the remarks of the "evangelist, zionist mentality" in the United States was unacceptable.

He also said his foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, would hold talks with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Singapore.

Turkish President Erdogan; US President Trump (Photo: Reuters)

A State Department official was unable to confirm any planned meeting between Pompeo and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Relations between Turkey and the United States have spiraled into a full-blown crisis over the trial of Christian pastor Andrew Brunson, who was held for 21 months in a Turkish prison until his transfer to house arrest last weeka move Washington dismissed as insufficient.

US President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to impose large sanctions on Turkey unless it frees the pastor, who is accused of helping the group Ankara says was behind a failed military coup in 2016.

Brunson, who has lived in Turkey for more than two decades, faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty of the charges, which he denies.

A Turkish court rejected an appeal on Tuesday to release Brunson from house arrest during his trial.

The next hearing in his trial is not scheduled until Oct. 12, but his lawyer Ismail Cem Halavurt said he would keep pressing for Brunsons release. We are going to request his house arrest be lifted every month, he told Reuters.

Christian pastor Andrew Brunson (Photo: AFP)

The White House has not specified what sanctions might be imposed on Turkey.

We wont comment on potential sanctions targets or processes. In the meanwhile, diplomacy will continue, said National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis.

In two pieces of legislation pending approval, members of the US Congress have condemned the detention of Brunson and other Americans.

One proposed bill would restrict loans from international financial institutions to Turkey until Ankara stops the arbitrary arrest and detention of US citizens and consular staff. Language that calls for the release of Brunson and others has also been included in a defense authorization bill.

President Tayyip Erdogans spokesman said on Tuesday that Turkey would not bow down to any threats, and would retaliate against any U.S. sanctions.

It is unacceptable for the US to use a threatening language against Turkey, using an ongoing court case as a pretext, spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said.

Ankara had the right to seek arbitration if Washington blocks delivery of F-35 jets to Turkey, Kalin said. He added that Turkey expected the issue to be resolved through diplomacy, and that foreign ministers of the two countries would meet this week.

Brunson was accused of helping supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric who Turkish authorities say masterminded the 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan in which 250 people were killed.

He was also charged with supporting outlawed PKK Kurdish militants and espionage.

Brunsons detention has deepened a rift between Washington and Ankara, which are also at odds over the Syrian war, Turkeys plan to buy a missile defense system from Russia, and planned US sanctions on Iranwhich supplies fuel to Turkey.The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court extended on Sunday the arrest of Muhammad Jabari, the main suspect in an arson attack in Jerusalem, in which four family members were seriously injured.

Jabari is held on suspicion of attempted murder, conspiring to commit a crime and breaking and entering. The police assesses that the attack was not nationalistically motivated.Iranian forces have withdrawn their heavy weapons in Syria to a distance of 85 km (53 miles) from the Israeli Golan Heights, TASS quoted a Russian envoy as saying on Wednesday, but Israel deemed the pullback inadequate.Israel on Wednesday deemed the Iranian pullout of heavy weapons to a distance of 85 kilometers from the Golan Heights border with Syria to be insuffcient.

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Backed by Russia, Iran, and Lebanon's Hezbollah Shi'ite militia, Syrian President Bashar Assad has retaken territory in southern-western Syria from rebels, closing in on the Golan.

Moscow has sought to reassure Israel by saying it wants only Syrian forces to deploy on or near the Syrian-held Golan. Israel, however, insists that forces controlled by Iran, its arch-foe, exit Syria entirely now the civil war there is ending.

Minister Tzachi Hanegbi (:  )

"The Iranians withdrew and the Shi'ite formations are not there," TASS news agency quoted Alexander Lavrentyev, President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to Syria, as saying.

Lavrentyev said Iranian service personnel whom he described as advisors could be among Syrian army forces who remain closer to the Israeli border.

"But there are no units of heavy equipment and weapons that could pose a threat to Israel at a distance of 85 km from the line of demarcation", Lavrentyev said.

Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi told Israel Radio that the Iranian withdrawal was not enough, citing the longer-range threat posed by Iranian missiles or drones positioned in Syria.

"There'll be no compromises nor concessions on this matter," he said.

"What we have laid down as a red line is military intervention and entrenchment by Iran in Syria, and not necessarily on our border," Hanegbi stressed.

Pro-Iranian militias in Syria

Last week an Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Russia had offered to keep Iranian forces at least 100 km from the Golan Heights ceasefire line.

Israel rejected the offer, which was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In an apparent riposte, Russia's ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, said on Monday that Moscow could not compel Iran to leave Syria.

But Viktorov also signalled that Russia would continue to turn a blind eye to Israeli air strikes against suspected Iranian and Hezbollah arms transfers or emplacements in Syria.

Hanegbi said Israel wanted to prevent Iran and Hezbollah from effectively extending their Lebanese front against it.

"We are not ready to see a new Hezbollah front on our northern border between Israel and Syria. This is something that is dangerous. This is something that, if we don't prevent it today, when still at its outset, will a exact a heavy price of us down the line," he said.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will not meet on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting this week, RIA agency citied a source in the Russian delegation.

Earlier on Wednesday the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was trying to set up a meeting between Lavrov and Pompeo in Singapore during the ASEAN gathering.

However, the schedules of Lavrov and Pompeo do not allow a meeting this week, the source said. "It was decided to work out other opportunities for the meeting," the source told RIA.Peter Willsman, a close ally of British Labour Party chairman Jeremy Corbyn, has accused rabbis of "making up duff information without any evidence at all" about anti-Semitism in the party, further escalating the crisis between Labour and the Jewish community in the UK.

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A recording surfaced on Tuesday on comments Willsman made at a meeting of the Labour's national executive committee (NEC) last month, in which he is also heard accusing Jewish "Trump fanatics" of making up allegations of anti-Semitism in the party.

Leaders of the Jewish community expressed outrage over the remarks which were made during a meeting which concluded with participants deciding not to fully adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances definition of antisemitism.

Jeremy Corbyn (Photo: Reuters)

Willsman appeared nonchalant about anti-Semitism and was taped saying he would not be lectured on it, despite the heightened concerns which have permeated the UK Jewish community over Corbyns staunch opposition to Israel and apparent propensity in the past to share platforms with known rabid anti-Semites.

The president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews said Willsman should be expelled from his party Labour and insisted that Corbyn, who was present for at least some of the meeting, should have intervened, according to a report in the Guardian.

Now Peter Willsmans disgusting rant against the Jewish community and rabbis has been made public  he should be summarily expelled, Marie van der Zyl said. Was Jennie Formby (the Labour party general secretary) there to hear what was said? If yes, why did she let Willsman off so lightly?

Was Jeremy Corbyn there to hear Willsman? If so, what form did his professed militant opposition to anti-Semitism take when he heard it? Why has it been so easy to clear Willsman after his slurs against the Jewish community, but anti-racist MPs Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin are still being put through the ringer?

Peter Willsman

Since Corbyn took control of the party in 2015, Jews in the country have grown increasingly worried over what many have slammed as a reluctance to stamp out anti-Semitism in Labour or a lethargic attitude in addressing clear manifestations of anti-Semitism.

One UK Jewish activist told Ynet on Tuesday that a stampede of British Jews would immigrate to Israel if Corbyn was elected prime minister.

Earlier this week, three British Jewish newspapers said that there would be an existential threat to Jewish life in this country if Corbyn won power from the ruling Conservative Party.

The Jewish Chronicle, Jewish News and Jewish Telegraph said in a joint editorial titled United We Stand that the Labour Party had shown a tolerance of anti-Semitism since Corbyn was elected leader of the party.Several former chiefs of Israel's defense establishment are expected to arrive at a Tel Aviv demonstration staged by the Druze community against the controversial Nationality Law on Saturday night that restricts the right of self-determination in Israel to Jews alone.

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Among the people originally expected to participate in the demonstration in Rabin Square were members of the spiritual leadership of the Druze community, leading Druze women and the Forum of Local Council heads.

However, it is unclear whether leaders will attend or whether the rally will in the end take place following an agreement reached Wednesday evening between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Druze leaderswhich was accepted by Drzue MKsto end the dispute.

Druze protesting against the Nationality Law (Photo: The Druze Community in Israel Facebook page)

Former IDF Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, former Mossad director Tamir Pardo, former Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin, former MK Ami Ayalon, former Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi, former Generals Matan Vilnai, Avi Mizrahi and Amiram Levin, and former Brigadier Generals Giora Inbar and Amal Assad, have announced their intention to attend the protest.

In addition, distinguished academics are expected to join the demonstration, among them Prof. Asa Kasher, Prof. Uriel Reichman and Professor Yedidia Z. Stern.

Former chiefs of the Israeli Defense establishment

"The Nationality Law hurts our democracy by quashing the value of equality and therefore I, as a Jew, will not rest until the law is annuled or amended," said Brigadier General (res.) Giora Inbar on Tuesday.

"I cannot see my Druze friends, the Circassians, the Bedouins, or any other groupofficers and fighters over whom I commanded and with whom I fought side by side in the most difficult and dangerous battlesget hurt by this law," Inbar added.

"I am not going to accept the fact that my position here is different from theirs only because I was born a Jew. Anyone who cares must come to Rabin Square on Saturday and join the fight for the characteristics of the state and its values," the General called.

Druze IDF soldiers (Photo: Dan Bronfeld)

The demonstration organizers stressed that the protest is not restricted to members of the Druze community alone. "This is a social protest for preserving the balance of the state as a Jewish and democratic state," they said.

"This protest is vital and significant for all Israeli citizens who recognize the importance in preserving Israel's democratic character," the organizers added.

The organizers set up a tent in Rabin Square Tuesday night, on which flags of the Druze community were hung alongside flags of the State of Israel.

Jaber Habish, a reserve officer establishing a protest tent in Rabin Square (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The Nationality Law, sponsored by MK Avi Dichter (Likud) among others, enshrines into law the status of the State of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people.

The law has caused controversy since it passed into law in the Knesset last month. The clause stating that only Jews have the right of self-determination in the country has been the subject of fierce criticism and has caused offense among the Druze minority, many of whom serve the country loyally in the IDF.

The Nationality Law also states that the State of Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people and that Hebrew is the official language of the state. Arabic, spoken by the Druze community, was downgraded as an official language and defined as having a special status, with the official state use of Arabic to be determined in separate legislation.

The law legally anchors in law Israel's democratic character, its state symbols, Jerusalem as the capital, Hebrew as the official language and the right of return for Diaspora Jewry.Palestinian leaders and citizens are venting their anger and frustration over civil rights violations by Palestinian Authority (PA) Security Forces after an undercover anti-drug unit last week stormed bars and restaurants in Ramallah searching for prohibited substances.

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A witness to the incident said several plain-clothed officers came to two places I was in, targeting specific people, searching them, and forcibly extracting them under the guise of law enforcement.





PA security forces (Photo: AP)

Speaking to The Media Line under the condition of anonymity, the witness added: They are criminals using their titles and authority to conduct acts of police brutality.

The witness claimed that after violently removing people from the venues, the undercover officers led them into the street and adjacent parking lots where they took the liberty of openly beating and kicking the people they were arresting in front of other patrons.

A tourist, who asked for her name not to be used, supported the first witnesss account, telling The Media Line, They created a mess because they were pushing people outside of the bar. She expressed shock at the violent tactics Palestinian security officers employed.

I wasnt afraid as I know they dont target internationals, but seeing how terrified the Palestinians were was extremely sad, she added.

A third witness, who also requested anonymity, stated that the Palestinian officers were aggressive and doubted that they had legal documentation to support their unjustifiable behavior.

The PA has a duty and obligation to act in a civilized manner with its own people, the witness told The Media Line. It must treat its people, who have been suffering from seventy years of occupation, with some dignity.

The witness dismissed the PAs usual claims that they are acting to protect their people.

Its for their own agendas; its a small taste of what kind of corruption goes on in the background, the witness said, citing how the Palestinian security forces dealt with a recent protest in Ramallah.

Last month, the security forces forcefully broke up a demonstration against the sanctions imposed by PA President Mahmoud Abbas against Hamas for the latters failure to follow through on a power sharing deal. Witnesses claim the forces arrested journalists and dozens of protesters, while destroying cameras and beating many of the protesters.

These accusations follow an expose earlier this year in which an anonymously authored documentwhich had reportedly been circulating on WhatsAppshowed transcripts of phone calls made by PA leaders, as well as members of armed Palestinian factions, lawyers and journalists, revealing that the PA was spying on its own members.

Responding to these alleged instances of civil rights violations, Adnan al-Dumairi, a PA National Security spokesman told The Media Line that the security forces work within the law, based on the training they received and in line with guidelines from the Independent Commission for Human Rights, the PAs human rights institution.

Citizens of Palestine have the full right to prosecute any security officer who breaks the law. We have seen cases where citizens filed law suits against military personnel and the latter were punished, al-Dumairi said.

When asked about last weeks incident in Ramallah, he promised to investigate it, but added that the security forces likely had to search people in some cases in which they strongly suspected drugs were involved.

Nevertheless, he urged Palestinians to stand up for their rights and speak out in cases where they believe security forces are acting arbitrarily outside the confines of the law.

A spokesperson at the Palestinian Police Office told The Media Line that officers are working towards strengthening the community policing approach. Considering the dire conditions of many Palestinians living under occupation, we provide the safest environment we can.

For the second time this month, Tawfiq al-Tirawi, a Fatah leader and member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), issued a press release on Monday to highlight what many Palestinians see as endemic corruption among Palestinian security forces.

After the rise in violations of the rights of some individuals and the public, as well as private institutions, by some officials in different areas of responsibility, who are illegally taking advantage of their positions in cases of abuse, humiliation, fraud, torture, detention, theft, and administrative and financial, as well as moral corruption, I appeal to all who have grievances that cannot be compensated by law, and anyone who has a right and cant exercise it, or has been assaulted by any person or entity, the statement read.

Tirawi encouraged Palestinian citizens who have grievances supported by evidence in the form of documents or witnesses to visit his office for legal guidance.

I will follow them personally, whether in the judiciary, the Anti-Corruption Authority or in all official and governmental institutions, the release concluded.

A recent study by Palestinian researcher Alaa Tartir, director of programs of the Palestinian Policy Network, revealed that there were approximately 83,200 Palestinian security forces in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with three-quarters stationed in the former territory.

The Palestinian government allocates 29%31% of its budget to the security services, an average of about $1 billion annually.

Article written by Dima AbumariaPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a compromise plan to the Druze community on Wednesday, following the crisis of the Nationality Law.

According to the compromise's outline, the state promises to secure the status of the Druze community and the Circassian community, and to secure the right to benefits of members of minorities who serve in the Israeli security forces.The IDF and Shin Bet arrested a terrorist squad responsible for shooting, about three weeks ago, at the Beit El settlement in Binyamin Regional Council located in the southern hills of the West Bank.

There were no casualties in the shooting.

The squad members, residents of the Jalazone refugee camp, were arrested with their collaborator on Wednesday.

In addition, the security forces confiscated the weapons and vehicles used to carry out the shooting attack.Representatives of the Druze community said on Wednesday that they would study the compromise proposed to them in the wake of the Nationality Law crisis and "respond as soon as possible."

The outline presented to the Druze community includes, among other things, a promise to secure the status of the Druze community and the Circassian community, as well as a promise to secure the right to benefits of minorities who serve in the Israeli security forces.Druze MKs announced on Wednesday evening that they had accepted a 'historic' plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a meeting with Druze representatives and leaders that was called in an effort to allay fears that the recently-passed Nationality Law will impinge on their equality and basic rights.

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The law has caused controversy since it passed into law in the Knesset last month. The clause stating that only Jews have the right of self-determination in the country has been the subject of fierce criticism and has caused offense among the Druze minority, many of whom serve the country loyally in the IDF.

PM Netanyahu with Druze leader (Photo: GPO)

The Nationality Law also states that the State of Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people and that Hebrew is the official language of the state. Arabic, spoken by the Druze community, was downgraded as an official language and defined as having a special status, with the official state use of Arabic to be determined in separate legislation.

We passed the proposal to our lawyer and he deemed it acceptable. For our point of view, this is a historic plan, said MK Akram Hasson. It removes the feeling of ranking citizens of class A and B citizens. It enables us to be proud and equal citizens with our people in our homeland. All we wanted was to be one nation in one state.

The plan, Hasson continued, provides a solution to all the problems and we will begin to feel equal and we have no interest in continuing the protest. There is light at the end of this tunnel.

The representatives were presented with a plan. Representatives of the committee will study the plan and answer the prime ministers team shortly, a previous statement read.

Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafak Tarif praised the committee for its work and thanked Netanyahu for his swift and serous response to the Druze communitys concerns.

With the acceptance, the Druze MKs announced that they are withdrawing their High Court of Justice petition against the Nationality Law, which was submitted by MK Akram Hasson (Kulanu) MK Salah Sa'ad (the Zionist Union) and MK Hamad Amar (Yisrael Beytenu).

MK Sa'ad, however, expressed disapproval of the acceptance. I regret that my friends surrendered to pressure and quit the important petition to the HCJ, he said. I am continuing with the petition against the Nationality Law. We will see you in the HCJ.

MKs Akram Hasson, Salah Sa'ad Hamad Amar (Yossi Zamir, Knesset Spokesperson)

Despite Saads lone dissenting voice, MK Amar praised the proposal, saying that for the first time, his Israeliness will be enshrined in law.

The proposal is acceptable in my eyes. The only thing that motivates me is the good of the Druze.

The Prime Ministers Office issued a statement following the meeting saying that the status of the Druze community would be anchored in a new law, which will be advanced at the beginning of the Knessets winter session.

It will also recognize the contribution of the Druze community to the security of the state, and will include support for the community's religious, educational and cultural institutions.

In addition, the law will call for the strengthening of Druze communities and will provide a solution to residential housing shortages for the community, including the establishment of new communities according to necessity. It will also commit to preserving and nurturing Druze heritage.

The meeting, which was chaired by the Prime Minister's Office Director General Yoav Hurvitz and attended by Sheikh Tarif, Druze community leaders and ministers Ayoob Kara and Yariv Levin, lay out fundamental principles that will be outlined and sent for approval by the attorney general before being put before the Knesset, currently on recess, in October.

Also present at the meeting were MK Hamad Amar, former MK Shachiv Shnaan, Druze local council heads and the forum of senior reserve officers.

It was also agreed during the meeting all minorities, religions and ethnicities who serve in the Israeli security forces would be eligible for benefits, a matter which will also be codified in law in an effort to narrow economic gaps. Moreover, the law will explicitly recognize the contribution of minorities to the defense of the country

The attendees agreed that a committee would be established and led by Prime Minister Netanyahu on matters pertaining to the Druze community and that the implementation of the outlined proposal would be supervised by Netanyahu.

The components of the plan's outline are as follows:

1. Anchoring in law the status of the Druze and Circassian communities. The law will esteem the contribution of the Druze community to the State of Israel in building up the country, strengthening security and fashioning the face of Israeli society as an equal and varied society, and will include support for community religious, cultural and educational institutions; the strengthening of Druze towns and villages, including solutions for residential construction, and the establishment of new communities as necessary; and the preservation of the Druze heritage.

2. Anchoring in law the eligibility for benefits of minority community membersof all faiths and communitieswho serve in the security forces, to achieve social equality.

3. Anchoring in a basic law recognition of the contribution of thoseof all faiths and communities, including the Druzewho take part in the defense of the state.

The Deputy Director General of the Prime Minister's Office announced the establishment of a ministerial committee, chaired by Prime Minister Netanyahu, on the issue of the Druze community which will workinter aliato advance the outline and oversee its implementation.

Saturday night Druze protest in Tel Aviv

Prior to the agreement, members of the Druze community annoucned a plan to stage a demonstration on Saturday night in Rabin Square against theNationality Law where they will erect a tent decorated with Israeli and Druze flags and sing the Israeli national anthem.

Jabar Habish, one of the organizers of the strike who serves as a reserve officer in the IDF, said that the aim of the protest is to raise further awareness about the Nationality Law.

Jabar Habish (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

At the rally we will try to gather the whole nation so they understand that this is not a campaign with which only Druze are affiliated, said 25-year-old Habish.

Anyone who feels Israeli and wants the state to continue to ensure equality is invited to attend. We are the moderate voice of the state and are, in practice, waging a double fight, both in the army and now, he said.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with leaders and representatives of the Druze community on Wednesday in an effort to allay fears that the recently-passed Nationality Law will impinge on their equality and basic rights, promising them that the Knesset would pass legislation enshrining the status of the Druze minority in law.Hundreds of police, border police, reinforcements and volunteers, including MDA medics will be deployed on Thursday afternoon in prepration for the day's Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem.

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The Pride Parade is expected to be the largest in the city's history, with tens of thousands of participants expected to attend. Dozens of vehicles and hundreds of activists will march in the capitals streets in the Equality Convoy that will kick off the events of the Pride and Tolerance Parade in the city.

2017 Jerusalem Pride Parade (Photo: AFP)

The morning's events will begin with memorial ceremonies for Nir Katz , who was murdered in a Tel Aviv youth bar in 2009, and Shira Banki , who was murdered at the Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem three years ago by an ultra-religious extemist, Yishai Schlissel.

Afterwards, a convoy of vehicles will assemble at the train station on the outskirts of Modi'in and head for Jerusalem via Highway 431, driving slowly on Highway 1, before proceeding to the Arazim tunnel, the Begin Highway, Malha interchange and the Pat junction.

The convoy will arrive in the Jeruslem Old Train Station for the commencement of the Gay Pride Parade at 17:00.

Haredim protest previous pride march (Photo: Motti Kimchi )

The marchers will gather in Liberty Bell Park beginning at 15:45, and at 17:15 they will march via Keren Hayesod Street, King George Street, Hillel Street, Menashe Ben Yisrael Street and Independence Park.

From 15:00, police will close the streets on the march route as well as the streets leading to them, including Agron, Hillel, King George Street from Keren Hayesod to Be'eri, Elhanan, Shalom Aleichem, Mapu, Ahad Ha'am, and part of Gaza Street from Arlozorov to Paris Square, KKL, and Histadrut streets. Roads will be opened in accordance with the progress of the march.

The planned march has been the subject of significant opposition in recent weeks, with Jerusalem being home to both secular, modern Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Jews.

At the beginning of the week, graffiti was sprayed next to the monument in memory of Shira Banki. On Tuesday, a pedestrian carrying a gay pride flag near the Central Bus Station was attacked.

Memorial to Shira Banki (Photo: Reuters)

Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, Director of the Eli pre-IDF preparatory program, called on his students to protest against what he described as the "abomination parade" and is expected to stage a demonstration, together with his students near the Harp Bridge at the entrance to Jerusalem.

The far-right Lahavah organization and several other ultra-Orthodox groups also intend to protest against holding the parade.

Parents of Shira Banki (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

On Tuesday night, the Pink Panthers, an LGBT activist group, hung signs in the Haredi city of Bnei Brak, inviting the public to the Jerusalem Pride Parade. Scuffles broke out between locals and the activists who were attacked by a mob, some wielding pepper spray.

Police were eventually called to the scene to rescue the activists. In Jerusalem, LGBT activists painted the citys welcome sign with pride colors.

The Pink Panthers say that in recent weeks the LGBT community has been subjeced to vicious attacks by members of the religious establishment, who they say have compared them to terrorists, Nazis and called for their destruction.

Pink Panthers (Photo: Bati Ozeri)

They expressed disappointment with the government for not issuing an official condemnation of the attacks against them.

"The gay community is everywhere, there are gay and proud boys and girls among the ultra-Orthodox, the Orthodox, the settlements and everywhere in the State of Israel," an organization statement said. "We call upon them to attend the Equality and Tolerance Parade tomorrow in Jerusalem in order to support the call for complete equality of rights for all citizens of the state."Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran Wednesday against any attempts to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an important sea channel for cargo ships and oil tankers.

Netanyahu warned of an international coalition, Israel among them, determined to prevent Iran from disrupting international shipping.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran Wednesday against any attempts to block a critical sea channel for cargo ships and oil tankers, following threats from the Islamic republic to close the lane amid looming US economic sanctions.

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Speaking at the Haifa navy base hosting a navy officers' course graduation ceremony, Netanyahu warned that an international coalition, which would include Israel, would be formed and determined to prevent Iran from disrupting international shipping by closing the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

PM Netanyahu (Photo: Haim Zach/GPO)

Last week, Saudi Arabia said it was suspending oil shipments through the strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden on the main sea route from the Middle East to Europe, after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two ships in the waterway.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are in a three-year-old proxy war in Yemen, which lies on the southern side of Bab al-Mandeb.

Yemen's Houthis, who have previously threatened to block the strait, said last week they had the naval capability to hit Saudi ports and other Red Sea targets.

Iran has not threatened to block Bab al-Mandeb but has said it would block the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Gulf, if it were prevented from exporting its own oil.

At the start of the week we witnessed a sharp clash with Iranian proxies who tried to obstruct international navigation in the straits at the entrance to the Red Sea, Netanyahu said.

If Iran tries to block the Bab-el-Mandeb, I am convinced that it will find itself facing a determined international coalition to prevent this. This coalition would also include the State of Israel and all its arms," he warned.

"The sea provides us with many opportunities. Above all it increases the small size of the State of Israel and allows us to deploy our vessels above and below the waves across a vast area. This gives the State of Israel considerable power, he continued.

PM Netanyahu (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

"The sea increases the small area of the State of Israel and allows us to spread our vessels over water and under water, in vast space, and this gives the State of Israel tremendous power, he told the graduates.

A significant portion of Israels campaign against threats and terrorboth in the north and souththe prime minister added, was taking place in the sea. The expansion of the tasks assigned to the navy is a large part of the secret, Netanyahu declared, praising the fact that Israels naval maritime capabilities had significantly improved in the 70 years since the country gained independence.

It started off small and modest and blossomed into a long and deadly arm, he said. Our enemies are also developing capabilities, but we have a clear goal to promote them, to destroy threats, and if needed, to decide on a campaign if it is forced on us.

Netanyahu celebrated what he said was Israels huge investment in the navy, in submarines, in vessels, in the best weaponry and state of the art technology.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman also addressed threats posed by the closure of vital sea lanes.

L-R: Minister Lieberman, President Rivlin, PM Netanyahu and Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

Recently we have heard threats to hit Israeli ships in the Red Sea. I look at the people around me here and its a shame that our enemies cannot see you too in order to understand that we are totally ready to provide a response both in the Red Sea, in the north and the south, Lieberman said at the ceremony which was also attended by President Reuven Rivlin and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.

I want to emphasize, the IDF is prepared and ready to given a response on two fronts simultaneously. Only on this matter will we be less picky and the blow to our enemies will be even stronger, he said. I hope that they take that into account.

Ships bound for Israel, mainly from Asia, pass through the waterway to Eilat, or continue through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea. Ships bound for Jordan's Aqaba port and for some Saudi destinations must also pass through the strait.

Bab al-Mandeb is 29 km (18 miles) wide, making hundreds of ships potentially an easy target. The US Energy Information Administration said an estimated 4.8 million barrels per day of crude oil and products flowed through it in 2016.WASHINGTON - The United States sanctioned Turkey's Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on Wednesday over the country's imprisonment of Pastor Andrew Brunson.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the men had played leading roles in Brunson's 2016 arrest and detention.

Pastor Brunson's unjust detention and continued prosecution by Turkish officials is simply unacceptable, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement formally announcing the financial restrictions. President Trump has made it abundantly clear that the United States expects Turkey to release him immediately.Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, speaking at the conclusion ceremony for the Navys sailors course Wednesday, said that recently we have heard threats aimed at Israeli shipping in the Red Sea. The IDF is prepared and ready to act on two fronts including the Red Sea. Only that this time we will be less picky and the strike against our enemy will be harder. I hope they take this into consideration, Lieberman said.The US will impose sanctions on two Turkish officials over a detained American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges, the White House announced Wednesday.

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President Donald Trump warned last week that he might impose sanctions against Turkey, a key NATO ally, for its treatment of Andrew Craig Brunson in a case that has strained US-Turkish relations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his government won't back down and was willing to "go its own way" if the US imposes sanctions.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara earlier, Erdogan said Turkey would not make compromises regarding the independence of the judiciary, and said the remarks of the "evangelist, zionist mentality" in the United States was unacceptable.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the sanctions would target Turkey's justice and interior ministers, whose agencies she said were responsible for the pastor's arrest and detention.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Donald Trump (Photo: Reuters)

"We've seen no evidence that Pastor Brunson has done anything wrong, and we believe he is a victim of unfair and unjust attention by the government of Turkey," Sanders said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Turkish government refused to release Brunson "after numerous conversations between President Trump and President Erdogan," along with his conversations with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavosuglo. "President Trump concluded that these sanctions are the appropriate action," Pompeo said.

A Turkish justice ministry spokesman did not immediately comment on the sanctions. Turkey's Foreign Ministry was expected to release a statement later Wednesday.

Brunson, 50, was arrested in December 2016 following a failed coup on charges of "committing crimes on behalf of terror groups without being a member" and espionage. He was recently released to home detention. He faces a prison sentence of up to 35 years if he is convicted on both counts at the end of his ongoing trial.

The evangelical pastor, who is originally from Black Mountain, North Carolina, has lived in Turkey for 23 years and led Izmir Resurrection Church.

Pastor Andrew Craig Brunson (Photo: AFP)

Under the sanctions to be imposed by the Treasury Department, any property, or interest in property, belonging to Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul or Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu within US jurisdiction would be blocked. Americans would generally be prohibited from doing business with them.

Erdogan has denied speculation that there had been an agreement to swap Brunson for Turkish citizens being held abroad, particularly 27-year-old Ebru Ozkan. Ozkan had been detained by Israel on terror-related charges, but was deported this month.

Trump personally asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July to release a Turkish woman suspected of helping Hamas who had been arrested during a visit to Israel, as part of a secret deal with Turkey to secure Brunson's release, according to a report in the Washington Post.

The Turkish leader previously connected Brunson's return to the US to the extradition of Fethullah Gulen. Ankara blames Gulen for the coup attempt, while the cleric denies involvement.

Erdogan has also warned that Turkey would seek international arbitration if the United States refused to deliver F-35 fighter jets in retaliation.Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard forces are gearing up to stage a major exercise in the Persian Gulf, perhaps within the next 48 hours that could be aimed at demonstrating their ability to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, according to a CNN report citing two US officials directly familiar with the latest US assessment of IRGC troop movements.

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"We are aware of the increase in Iranian naval operations within the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman. We are monitoring it closely, and will continue to work with our partners to ensure freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce in international waterways," Captain William Urban, chief spokesman for US Central Command, told CNN.

In March, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appeared to threaten to disrupt oil shipments from neighbouring countries if Washington presses ahead with its goal of forcing all countries to stop buying Iranian oil.

The comments, published on Iran's presidential website and partially repeated at a later news conference in Switzerland, could be open to interpretation. However, when asked whether he intended to make a threat, Rouhani declined to provide a clarification.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard forces (: PRESSTV)

Iranian officials in the past have threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping route, in retaliation for any hostile US action against Iran.

In July, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said their forces were ready to implement Iran's threat to block the Strait of Hormuz and that if Iran cannot sell its oil under the US pressure, no other regional country will be allowed to.

"We are hopeful that this plan expressed by our president will be implemented if needed ... We will make the enemy understand that either all can use the Strait of Hormuz or no one," Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp, was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency at the time.

The strategically critical Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and is crucial to international shipping and particularly for global energy supplies.

Responding to Iranian threats, Defense Secretary James Mattis said at the end of last week that "Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz. They've done that previously in years past. They saw the international community putdozens of nations of the international community put their naval forces in for exercises to clear the straits. Clearly, this would be an attack on international shipping, andand it would have, obviously, an international response to reopen the shipping lanes with whatever that took, because of the world's economy depends on that energy, those energy supplies flowing out of there."ISTANBUL - Turkey will retaliate against a US decision to impose sanctions on two senior ministers over the imprisonment of Pastor Andrew Brunson, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Washington sanctioned Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu over the pastor's detention. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the two men played leading roles in his 2016 arrest and later detention.

"We call on the US administration to walk back from this wrong decision," a statement by the Turkish foreign ministry said, calling Washington's action a "hostile stance".News

Dallas, Texas - A Texas company that provides therapist staffing services to home health agencies, its owner, and the former owner of a competing staffing company have agreed to settle FTC charges that they agreed to reduce pay rates for therapists and invited other competitors to collude on the rates.

Your Therapy Source and other therapist staffing companies contract with or employ therapists, including physical, occupational, and speech therapists and therapist assistants, to treat patients of home health agencies. The complaint names Your Therapy Source, its owner Sheri Yarbray, and Neeraj Jindal, the previous owner of a competing therapist staffing company.

Just as it is illegal for competitors to agree to fix prices on the products they sell in order to drive prices up, it is illegal for competitors to agree to fix wages or fees paid to workers in order to drive wages down, said Bruce Hoffman, Director of the Bureau of Competition. All workers are entitled to competitive wages and the FTC will enforce the antitrust laws against any companies that agree not to compete for workers, or to attempt to drive down workers wages. Fortunately, in cooperation with the Texas Attorney Generals office, we were successful in stopping this conduct quite quickly. We will aggressively investigate any other instances in which companies engage in this type of behavior, and we will seek relief commensurate with the conduct, the harm to workers, andwhere appropriateany ill-gotten benefits received by the firms engaged in the illegal activities.

According to the complaint, the two owners agreed to lower their therapist pay rates to the same level and also invited several of their competitors to lower their rates in an attempt to keep therapists from switching to staffing companies that paid more. The complaint alleges that they entered into the agreement after learning that a home health agency planned to pay significantly lower rates to the therapist staffing companies for therapist services.

The complaint charges Your Therapy Source and the two owners with violating Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act by unreasonably restraining competition to offer competitive pay rates to therapists; fixing or decreasing pay rates for therapists; and depriving therapists of the benefits of competition among therapist staffing companies.

The proposed consent order prohibits the parties from colluding with competitors on compensation paid to their employees or independent contractors. Under the order, the parties are barred from entering into or organizing agreements with any person to lower, fix, maintain, or stabilize the compensation that they or the other person pays, or is willing to pay, in competing with each other for therapists or other types of employees and independent contractors. They are also barred from inviting competitors to enter such agreements and from exchanging information with competitors related to compensation of employees and independent contractors.

In October 2016, the FTC and the Department of Justice issued Guidance for Human Resource Professionals for tips on how to avoid antitrust risks associated with agreements among competing employers to fix wages. That guidance, which is available on the FTC website, outlines steps businesses can take to comply with the antitrust laws in recruiting and retaining employees.

Further details about the consent agreement are set forth in the analysis to aid public comment for this matter.

FTC staff worked closely with the staff of the Texas Office of the Attorney General, which issued a similar complaint and settlement order.

The Commission vote to issue the complaint and accept the proposed consent order for public comment was 5-0.News

Washington, DC - Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan and USAID Administrator Mark Green met today with representatives from international and non-governmental organizations to discuss developments in Yemen, and the dire humanitarian situation there. They discussed the importance of maintaining unimpeded access at the key Red Sea ports of Hudaydah and Saleef, and keeping road networks open, in order to deliver critical commercial goods, including fuel, and humanitarian aid to all Yemenis in need throughout the country.

The representatives expressed concern about Coalition operations in Hudaydah governorate, warned that an offensive would have harmful impact on civilians, and reinforced the need for all parties to allow assistance and relief providers to conduct their neutral and impartial humanitarian relief actions to assist the civilian population in all areas of Yemen.

The Deputy Secretary reaffirmed the U.S. Governments support for the efforts of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths to advance a diplomatic solution that avoids further escalation and to restart talks.The United StatesA global leader in imports and exports

Through a complex network of trade agreements with a wide range of countries across the globe, the United States is a global leader in imports and exports. To help ensure a free, fair, and orderly execution of trade deals, the United States has enacted many trade agreements, including the more recent USMCA and the proposed bilateral trade agreement with China. USMCA has been agreed upon by the US, Canada, and Mexico as a replacement for NAFTA, but the agreement must be approved by the legislatures in each of these countries.



Theres much discussion on potential modifications to US trade policies. Consumer products (CP) companies that rely on trade to produce and market their products may be impacted by these potential changes. To strategize for the uncertainties ahead, its important for the CP companies to understand the pros and cons of their particular circumstances with regards to the significant agreements the United States has entered. Outlined in the discussion that follows are high-level details on NAFTA, USMCA, and the US-China Trade Agreement.

To better prepare for potential changing trade policies, CP companies would likely benefit from developing a number of interdependent strategies such as:

Staying nimble through scenario planning by developing processes to be able to quickly respond to changes in trade agreements. This can be accomplished by deploying special teams to continuously monitor shifts in tariffs, identifying alternative sources for raw materials and alternative markets for US exports, as well as working toward developing more competitive labor costs.

by developing processes to be able to quickly respond to changes in trade agreements. This can be accomplished by deploying special teams to continuously monitor shifts in tariffs, identifying alternative sources for raw materials and alternative markets for US exports, as well as working toward developing more competitive labor costs. Investing in automation to better manage US production and labor costs.

to better manage US production and labor costs. Investing in STEM talent to facilitate automation and smart manufacturing.

to facilitate automation and smart manufacturing. Optimizing supply chain by continuously scouting for more cost-effective and reliable alternatives to their existing supply chain.

by continuously scouting for more cost-effective and reliable alternatives to their existing supply chain. Investing in innovation to help reduce US dependence on trade and foreign-made products.



Back to topFidelity Bank is one of the leading financial institutions in Ghana; it offers internet banking, retail banking, corporate banking, investment banking and Asset management services. There are many branches of Fidelity bank with headquarteres in Accra. Find the details regarding Fidelity Bank Ghana branches, branch code, working hours and many more!

Source: graphic.com.gh

Do you want to open an account with Fidelity Bank? Here are all details regarding Fidelity Bank head office, Fidelity Bank contact, branches, address and many more. Those who have an account and those who want to open a new account in Fidelity Bank can surely benefit from this article. Read on to know more!

Fidelity Bank branches in Accra

Fidelity Bank is a reputable commercial bank in Ghana, the bank got universal banking license on 28th June 2006 under the new banking Act, 2004(Act, 673). Currently, the bank is operating with above 75 branches and 120 VISA enabled ATMs at various locations. Fidelity Bank Ghana head office is located in Accra, at ridge Towers. However, there are a number of Fidelity Bank branches in greater Accra region. Check the fowling list of Fidelity Bank Ghana branches in greater Accra region with Fidelity Bank Ghana address, working hours, branch codes, and Fidelity Bank Ghana contact.

1. A & C Mall Branch

Address: New Corporate Building A & C Dev. Com. Ltd. A & C Mall Premises, First Floor, East Legon Accra

Contact: 0302522633-4

Email: info@fidelitybank.com.gh

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

2. Abeka

Address: Abeka-Lapaz road,Drugstore bus stop

Contact: 0544347847

Email: info@myfidlitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

3. Abossey Okai

Address: No. 13 Winneba Road, Kaneshie, Mpamprom, Accra

Contact: 0302679361

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

4. Accra Central

Address: No. Plot No 8 & 9 Hospital Road-Accra Central Post Office Building On the Asafoatse Narttey Road

Contact: 0302631952/0544341792-3

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

5. Accra High Street

Address: No. City Car Park Building, High Street, Accra

Contact: 0302673103

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

6. Achimota

Address: Plot No 8 & 9 Hospital Road-Accra Central Post Office Building On the Asafoatse Narttey Road.

Contact: 0209532505

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

7. Action Chapel

Address: New Corporate Building Action Chapel Premises-Action Chapel Spintex Road

Contact: 0544335966

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

8. Adabraka

Address: Kwame Nkrumah Avenue Road Opposite Roxy Cinama, Adjacent NCR

Contact: 0209532548

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

9. Adentan

Address: Millenium Plaza Building, Washing Bay Junction, Adenta-Frafraha Rd. Near Grace Filling Station

Contact: 0544342868

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

10. Airport

Address: Airport Koala, next to Ci Gusta Restaurant, Airport Residential Area, Accra

Contact: 0209532298

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

11. Ashaiman

Address: Plot no L1/ASH/1/A/8 Ashiaman,Greater Accra, Opposite Ashaiman Police Station

Contact: 0209532814

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

12. Ashaiman Market

Address: Opposite the Main Lorry Station.

Contact: 0209532814

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

13. Dansoman Main

Address: No. 1A Dansoman Highstreet, Sahara Total Filling Station

Contact: 0209583076

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

14. Dome

Address: No. Obrempong Plaza opposite Heavy Do chop bar

Contact: 0209532454

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

15. Dzorwulu

Address: Daniel Twum Jnr. Memorial Building, Adjacent Unique Floral near Sid Theatre, Dzorwulu

Contact: 0209532454

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

READ ALSO: Fidelity Bank wins best bank of the year

16. Haatso

Address: Off Haatso Atomic Road, Approximately 200 Meters to Haatso Total Filling Station

Contact: 0209532490

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

17. IPS

Address: Engen Filling Station, IPS Legon

Contact: 0209532486

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 10:00am to 2:00pm

18. Kaneshie

Address: Opposite Kaneshie Market Complex

Contact: 0244341631

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 10:00am to 2:00pm

18. Kaneshie Market

Address: Asafoatse Omanie St, Accra, Ghana

Contact: 0244341625

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

18. Kantamanto

Address: Block 6 No. 115 Block Endless Hotel Ltd-Kantamanto, Near Second Hand Dealers Market, Accra

Contact: 0302679318

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

19. Kokomlemle

Address: 602 New Town Road

Contact: 0209532466

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

20. Kwame Nkrumah Avenue

Address: Kwame Nkrumah Avenue Road Opposite Roxy Cinama, Adjacent NCR

Contact: 0209532548

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

21. Lapaz

Address: Plot no. 158, George Walker Bush Motor way extension, Nee Boi Town, North Abeka.

Contact: 0544342883

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

22. Maamobi

Address: Parcel no. 537, Block 2, Section 101, opposite Nima Market

Contact: 0501566479

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

23. Madina Market

Address: Madina, Between old and new market , near Nkulenu Factory

Contact: 0501297125

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

24. Madina Market

Address: djacent to Unoin Savings and loans, on the bypass to Madina trotro station, 100m away from Madina Zongo junction.

Contact: 0209532576

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

25. Madina Zongo

Address: Adjacent to Unoin Savings and loans, on the bypass to Madina trotro station, 100m away from Madina Zongo junction.

Contact: 0209532576

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

26. Mamprobi Post

Address: Mamprobi Post Office, Main Traffic Light

Contact: 0544347355-6

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

27. Nungua

Address: Akushika Mall, Parcel No. 95. Block 8 Section 67

Contact: 0209532602

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

28. Nungua Brigade

Address: Opposite Nungua Police Station (Kpeshie Divisional Head Quarters)

Contact: 0209532261

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

29. Okaishie

Address: SIC Island Building at Okaishie near Makola

Contact: 0302685139

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

30. Osu Danquah Circle

Address: Opposite Fire service HQ, enroute to La Villa "Boutique, Osu.

Contact: 0544349697

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

READ ALSO: List of Banks in Ghana 2018

31. Osu Oxford Street

Address: Adwoa Adjeiwaa Building, Cantonments Road, Osu-Accra

Contact: 0302760482

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

32. RGD

Address: Registrar Generals Department

Contact: 0302-677966

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

31.Ridge Tower

Address: 10 Ambassadorial Enclave, Ridge-Accra

Contact: 0302214490

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

32.Ring Road Central

Address: Plot 76 Ring Road Central, Opposite Busy Internet, Accra

Contact: 0544339041

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

33. Spintex

Address: Opposite Standard Chartered Bank Okpoi Gonno

Contact: 0302816030

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

34. Tema Community 25

Address: Tema community 25 mall building devtracco junction.

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

35. Tema Community Two

Address: Salifu Dagati Street Near Adom Fm Station Comm. Two, Tema

Contact: 0209532493

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 8:30am-5:00pm

36. Tema Main

Address: Town Centre, Meridian Area, TC/MKT/A/129

Contact: 0244994356

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

37. Tema Safe Bond

Address: Bond House, Safe Bond Biulding Container Terminal Comm. Two, Tema

Contact: 0303213390

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm

38. Tesano

Address: Tesano-Achimota Trunk Road, Orange Height, 3 Blocks before Ship House, Tesano, Accra

Contact:0544342885 Ext 210

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

39. Trade Fair

Address: Plot No. 57, La. Opposite Ist Entrance to the Trade yard from Cantonment

Contact:0544342875-6

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 8:30am-5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

40. Udu Main

Address: Hse No. E1/2, Fire Service Traffic Light (Near Tudu Station)

Contact: 0209532544

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm and Sat: 9:00am to 2:00pm

41. Weija

Address: Main Kasoa-Weija Road, 100 meters before Weshills Mall

Contact: 0209532801

Email: info@myfidelitybank.net

Service Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 8:30am-5:00pm

READ ALSO: Fidelity Bank sacks 190 workers

Fidelity bank branches in Kumasi

Fidelity Ghana bank provides excellent services to their customers and the performance of this bank is mind blowing which results showing that within 3 years Fidelity bank has expanded its 5 branches in Kumasi. However, people are giving their first preference to these branches for their business due to high-quality service. Moreover, the ultra-modern Fidelity Bank Ghana branches in Kumasi are located at the Baba Yara stadium, Adum, the central business district, Suame, Atonsu and Ahodwo. According to Edward Effah, Managing Director, Fidelity bank plans to spread its branches in the near future. In other words, Fidelity bank Kasoa branch has also located in the near Datus complex Sch Bawjiase Kasoa Rd Datus Complex School Accra. In this branch hours of operation may vary without notice. For more information Fidelity bank contact number with you, please call +233-21-233501297248.

Other Fidelity Bank Ghana branches

There are other Fidelity Bank branches in the following regions

Ashanti Region Brong Ahafo Region Central Region Eastern Region Northern Region Upper East Region Volta Region Western Region

Source: Yen.com.ghThe Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu, has come under fire for his recent suggestion that the minimum requirement for entry into the police service should be upgraded to a first-degree level.

According to the IGP, recruiting better-educated officers will help weed out bad apples in the service and also deal with their current challenges.

Initially, the minimum requirement to enter the Police service used to be a good Junior High School (JHS) Basic Education Certificate. However, it has been reviewed, with recruits now required to have good grades in the WASSCE.

Despite this change in mode of recruitment, the police service has come under heavy criticism for the misconduct of some officers.

Mr David Asante-Apeatu (Photo credit: Supplied)

But in an interview with Accra-based Joy FM, Mr Asante-Apeatu stated: First of all, in our transformational agenda, we have listed certain things that we have to revamp. Training and retraining of our officers who are constantly on the job. We must also fire the bad apples because they are dangerous. Imagine that we had four-year degree holders only in the Ghana Police Service (GPS), wont the Service change? It will definitely make a big change in the GPS.

READ ALSO: A posh gift for a beautiful wife: Actor Fred Nuamah buys a GHC970K Porsche for Martekor (Photos)

He hinted that discussions were ongoing to raise the bar to first degree holders, adding that it will be proper for us to keep on raising the bar higher.

The IGPs comments followed a series of unprofessional conducts by police officers including armed robbery and assault on civilians.

It was in reaction to the recent viral video of a police officer physically assaulting a with a child at a Midlands Savings and Loans branch at Shiashie.

While the IGP's statement may have come out from his experience as a top police officer, a section of Ghanaians have disagreed with him.

READ ALSO: Adorable pre-wedding photos of policeman and his sweetheart surface online

For many social media users, a first degree requirement was not going to curb the problems of unprofessional conduct in the service.

Boakye did not see how a 'first degree' was going to stop officers from sleeping on the job a taking money from commercial drivers:

Abdul said the IGP does not deserve his position for this statement:

Mac also thought the IGP is not qualified:

Maalegu pointed out that the problems were due to favouritism and educational qualification of officers.

Emmanuel held a similar view:

Ombey came with funny twist to the saga asking whether the IGP himself had a first degree:

Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh:

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Source: Yen.com.gh- Fred Nuamah reportedly gifted to his wife, Martekor, a brand new Porsche car

- The Porsche Cayenne Magnum is said to have been given to Martekor for becoming a mother

- Reports suggest the car is worth over GHC 970,000 ($204,000)

Ghanaian actor, artist manager and founder of Ghana Movie Awards, Fred Nuamah has reportedly gifted his wife, Martekor Quaye, a Porsche Cayenne Magnum.

According to Ameyawdebrah.com, sources indicate that the gift was to congratulate Martekor on becoming a mother, few months after the two were married.

Pictures and a video of the car posted in the report suggest that the car arrived at the couples home in Ghana while they were out of town.

The TechArt Magnum is a high-performance luxury SUV based on the Porsche Cayenne. As with other TechArt products, the Magnum has added features such as a body kit, interior refitment, and engine and suspension upgrades.

READ ALSO: Kwame Despite and 4 Ghanaian personalities who will suffer most from the Luxury Vehicle Tax

With the full set of upgrades, the Magnum is said to cost about $204,000 (Gh977,260).

The GHC970,000 Porsche car Fred Nuamah bought for his wife (Photo credit: Ghanacelebrities)

Fred Nuamah married Materkor in a private wedding ceremony attended by an array of stars in Accra on March 3.

READ ALSO: Sarkodie and Tracy look very happy as they step out for the first time after their lavish wedding (Video)

The back view of the car (Photo credit: Ameyawdebrah.com)

But what is most memorable of their marriage is Fred's proposal to Martekor about a month before their wedding.

It was a proposal which happened in flight when the two were on board an airplane to Liberia for the inauguration of George Weah as the President of Liberia.

The interior of Fred Nuamah's car gift for his wife (Photo credit: Ameyawdebrah.com)

With Martekor reportedly giving birth, it was only befitting to give her such a nice and deserving gift.

READ ALSO: Afia Schwar drops her dress in new wild photo to tease Abrokwah

Born to an Australian mother and a Ghanaian father, Martekor is a graduate of the RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

As at the time they got married, she was working in Accra as the Director of Sales and Marketing at Best Western Hotels and Resorts.

Watch: Ghana News: Ghanaian pastor predicts Nana Ama McBrown's future:

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Source: Yen.com.ghFrank Darko, the Ghanaian who went viral over his invention of a water bicycle  a bike that can be ridden on water surfaces, has come out with an improved version which he has named 'Trifad'.

The latest advancement of his Water Bike after the prototype, is much easier to use since it has a propeller.

He has gradually worked on the updates and he believes his add-ons would go a long way to help children between the ages of 5 and 15 years.

In YEN.com.ghs first exclusive conversation with Frank Darko, he revealed that his inspiration for the water bike came from a documentary he watched on how school-going children had to swim across water bodies before getting to school.

Frank Darko(Left). Water Bike on test (Right). Photo Credit: Supplied

READ ALSO: Miss Ghana 2017 Margaret Dery resigns

He put his ideas into action and came up with Africas first bicycle that travels on water and he received a lot of attention for his ingenuity.

According to Frank Darko, his miniature water bicycle which is for children, would go a long way to assist those in deprived areas who want to get an education.

Trifad. Photo Credit: YEN.com.gh

The young inventor received a national award for his invention which has come to be known as the from the Ghana Institute of Engineers at the 2018 Engineering Excellence Awards held on February 22, 2018 at the Academy of Health and Sciences.

According to the Institute, Frank was considered for the award due to his innovation in the field of engineering even though he was not a trained engineer.

Trifad. Photo Credit: YEN.com.gh

His award was for his substantial contribution to the promotion of engineering practice and innovation.

READ ALSO: The history behind sexually suggestive community names in Ghana

Aside the national award, Frank has been offered to full scholarships by the Takoradi Technical University to come back and finish his course in Graphic Designing and take up another course in Engineering.

Trifad. Photo Credit: YEN.com.gh

He also got featured on BBC Africa and made an appearance on The KSM Show.

Some months ago, YEN.com.gh had an encounter with, Frank Darko after he reached out to us about his invention.

Frank Darko resides in Takoradi in the Western Region. The inventor revealed that the special bicycle was his first invention but he had drawn up plans for many more inventions.

He revealed that his creativity came about as a result of his matchless love for science, technology and the urge to solve day-to-day problems faced by people living in the community.

READ ALSO: Fred Nuamah buys GHC970,000 Porsche car for his wife

Watch: Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh

YEN is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident?

Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition?

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YENs official Facebook page.

Source: Yen Ghana- It has been suggested that the 94 minority MPs have signed, showing their full support for John Mahama as NDC flagbearer

- But some of the MPs say they were deceived into signing a paper endorsing former President John Mahama for 2020 flagbearer

- According to the MPs they thought they were signing an attendance form

Some minority Members of Parliament have vehemently denied signing to endorse John Dramani Mahama for the NDC's flagbearership position.

This follows allegation by former MP for La Dadekotopon, Nii Amasah Namoale, that the supposed 94 MPs who endorsed Mr. Mahama were blackmailed

But a member of parliament for Yunyoo constituency in the Northern Region has revealed he was deceived into signing a paper endorsing ormer President John Mahama for 2020 flagbearer.

READ ALSO: The history behind sexually suggestive community names in Ghana

Joseph Bipoba Naabu said he signed the JM endorsement paper because he thought it was an attendance sheet to check absenteeism in Parliament.

Former President John Dramani Mahama has been massively endorsed by 94 National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament, out of the 106, to lead the party in the 2020 polls.

The former presidents bid to return to power has been handed a huge boost following the massive endorsement from the majority of his party MPs.

Leader of the 94 MPs, Edwin Nii Lantey Vandapuye, said Mahama stands as the best candidate the NDC can present for the next election.

Addressing the media, he said all the 94 MPs endorsed Mahama because the grassroots and most Ghanaians are calling for him (Mahama) to represent the party come 2020.

I can tell you that we have 94 MPs who have faithfully and critically endorsed our former President, John Mahama, to be the candidate once again. This excludes our leaders. We decided to keep them off, but we are sure all our leaders will be supporting us soon, Nii Lante said.

READ ALSO: Top university lecturers caught in audiovisual amorous affairs with students

The grassroots of this country, the majority of Ghanaians are crying for John Dramani and as such it will be wicked on our part not to listen to the plea and cries of Ghanaians by giving them who they prefer. So we are bringing back John Dramani Mahama and we are very sure in our minds that Ghanaians will this time accept him and overwhelmingly vote for him to become the next president in Ghana in 2021, he added.

This massive endorsement comes after Mahama was also backed by all 10 Regional Chairmen of the NDC to lead the party in 2020.

Meanwhile, the former president will not stand unopposed after the likes of Alban Bagbin, Dr. Spio-Garbrah, Sylvester Mensah and Joshua Alabi also declared their intentions of leading the NDC in the 2020 polls.

The opposition NDC will hold their congress in September to select the flagbearer of the party for the 2020 polls.

Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh

READ ALSO: Top Ghanaian personalities who will suffer most from the Luxury Vehicle Tax

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Source: Yen.com.gh- The second deputy speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin says Nana Addo has failed in ruling Ghana

- Alban Bagbin argues that the failed promises of the party are enough grounds to discredit the power of Nana Addo

- The NPP administration is having issues with fulfilling most of its campaign promises including the 1D1F policy

A top NDC official, Alban Bagbin, has argued that President Akufo-Addo has failed to manage the affairs of Ghana.

Alban Bagbin is of the view that Nana Addo has a weak leadership style which is resulting in severe consequences like the fall in the cedi and outbursts of social vices in the country.

According to Alban Bagbin, the decision by the Akufo-Addo administration to constitute a cabinet of 110 appointees was woefully disappointing considering the economic implications on the country.

READ ALSO: Supreme Court throws out injunction application to freeze appointment of new EC

"I dont think that this is the Nana Addo I knew that he could ever think of appointing 110 ministers and deputy ministers after criticizing 84 ministers and deputy ministers that it was on the high side, he argued.

Also, the second deputy speaker of parliament made the argument that the president has left the rulership of the country into the hands of appointees. He suspects that Nana Addo's ministers have virtually taken up the power vested in the president to govern the country.

"I think he has been torpedoed and pushed to do that and that it looks like he is losing grips over his people. He is not in firm control actually. I dont think he is in firm control, he said.

NPP campaign promises and success

The success of the NPP winning elections was largely based on the ambitious and mouth-watering campaign promises the then-presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo churned to millions of supporters and voters.

Just when the NPP administration chalked hundred days in office, the vice president spelled out what he believed to be the first 100 achievements of his administration in just a hundred days.

Meanwhile, it has been a year and some months since the NPP administration took office and some juicy promises like the one district one factory are yet to be implemented.

We go back to dig out some of the manifesto promises made by the NPP assessing whether or not the party has made great strides:

1. NPP will issue National ID cards in the first year.

President Akufo-Addo launched the National ID program in September 2017. Beyond the launch, there was supposed to be a massive registration exercise, which will see the Central, Western and Eastern regions. But to date, the mass registration of the program has failed to turn up.

2. Allocation of $1 million annually to all constituencies

This was one of government's promise in the NPP manifesto. The whole of 2017, we kept hearing the assurance and high hope for this fund getting to constituencies for rapid development.

But things changed when the evaluation minister clarified the campaign promise was not possible to achieve in a year.

.This is obvious. For example, we are in August [and] the one million dollars per constituency programme, it is only five months to the end of the year so it cannot be fully implemented. But it will definitely start in earnest, he revealed on Starr FM.

3. Development of interconnected roads, railways, ports, and harbors (RRHPs) systems.

Almost all roads in Ghana are not interconnected. With the widespread cases of accidents and sheer dust on untarred roads, it remains quite clear that these signs are not being adhered to.

4. Water For All Programme

This campaign promise was to ensure that every Ghanaian has access to potable water. This campaign promise has not been achieved even after a year since the government made these pledges to the people of the country.

5. Quality, Affordable Housing

It's been almost a year and few months since this campaign promise was made and one can say there is still more to be done to making it a reality.

As it stands not, Ghana's housing deficit as at 2015 stands at 1.7 million households. The issue of affordability also becomes an issue when landlords and ladies charge more than a year as rent allowance.

6. Kindergarten places for all four-year-old children in the country.

Day in and day out, there have been shocking reports on how school pupils have to lay on their bellies from the first day at school to when classes end. YEN.com.gh has also told chilling report on how these young children study under trees and also in various uncompleted buildings.

READ ALSO: The history behind sexually suggestive community names in Ghana

Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh

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Source: Yen.com.gh- An NDC member, Yamoah Ponkoh, has called for support for the double track Free SHS system

- He argued that its successful implementation will make it easy for the NDC to work if it wins the 2020 elections

Yaw Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh, a former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ejisu/Juaben in the Ashanti Region, has expressed his support for the double track Free Senior High School (SHS) system.

According to a report by MyNewsGH, he called on his party members to embrace the new initiative by the current government.

Speaking on Abusua FM, he explained that it is important the National Democratic Congress (NDC) offers solutions to perfect the system rather than wish for its total failure.

Yamoah Ponkoh Source: Supplied

READ ALSO: Anas' defamation suit: Kennedy Agyapong to know his fate on October 11

I am urging NDC to embrace it and offer solutions to perfect the system since we will be coming to power in 2020.

The party should put the government on its toes in order not to derail completely the gains of Mahama, he explained.

He also took the opportunity to call on technocrats to also be more proactive in the national discourse.

The government is set to introduce the shift system at the SHS level next academic year which starts in September.

It will also reduce the number of terms to what is called two-semester systems.

The shift system, where two batches of students attend school at different times, has largely been eliminated from all school levels in Ghana.

READ ALSO: NDC MPs blackmailed to endorse Mahama

Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh

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Source: Yen.com.gh- The Bank of Ghana will be announcing the closure of some local banks

- These banks are unable to meet the minimum capital bank

- The new minimum capital requirement has been increased to 400 million cedis

YEN.com.gh has learned that about five local banks in Ghana will be forced to either merge as one or close down today.

Sources close to YEN.com.gh say that the merger or closure will be based on a directive from the Bank of Ghana which wants all banks to pay a minimum capital requirement of 400 million cedis.

Already, some major local banks (UT bank, Capital Bank and Construction Bank) have all gone down following their inability to meet this new requirement.

READ ALSO: Nana Addo not in control of Ghana - Top NDC official cries

This development comes as no surprise especially when the association of local banks has petitioned the president to take a closer look into developments regarding the new minimum capital requirement.

The rise of the amount from GH120 million to GH400 million is believed to have been agreed after a closed-door meeting between the Governor of BoG, Dr. Ernest Addison, and some leading executives of the various banks on Friday.

The last time the BoG directed banks to recapitalize was in 2012 when the minimum capital was raised from GH60 million to the current GH120 million, representing a 100% increase in the amount.

The recapitalization of banks has become necessary following the recorded improvements in the Ghana economy, with experts describing the move as timely. The development, though, is expected to see the consolidation of some banks that may not be able to raise the minimum capital.

In 2012, after the BoG's directive to have all banks recapitalized, the likes of the Trust and Intercontinental Banks were consolidated into Ecobank and Access Bank respectively.

So far, some foreign banks have announced their readiness to pay way ahead of the December deadline while smaller banks are asking for more time to meet the requirements.

READ ALSO: Supreme Court throws out injunction application to freeze appointment of new EC

The ten local banks in Ghana today are Prudential Bank, Royal Bank, Unibank, Beige Bank, Omnibank, GN Bank, Sovereign Bank, Heritage Bank, Construction Bank and Premium Bank.

Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh

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Source: Yen- NDC's Allotey Jacobs is calling for the late Prof. Mills' body to be exhumed and reburied

- The top NDC man has expressed worry about the poor state of 'Asomdwee Park'

The Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs is advocating for the body of the late Pro. Evans Atta Mills to be exhumed.

According to the top NDC man, the late presidents body must be sent to his hometown for proper attention due to the worsening nature of Asomdwee Park, where he was laid to rest.

Speaking on Accra-based Adom FM on Tuesday, Allotey Jacobs lamented that it is better for Prof. Mills body to be re-buried in Cape Coast, than the graveyard be abandoned at Asomdwee Park.

NDC's Allotey Jacobs (Photo credit: Adomonline.com)

READ ALSO: Adorable pre-wedding photos of policeman and his sweetheart surface online

Mills body should be exhumed and sent to Cape Coast. It is better than leaving it alone at the Asomdwe Park. That place is in a terrible condition, he said.

Allotey Jacobs, sharing his views on Adom FMs Badwam', insisted that the graveyard is facing neglect and has developed cracks all over.

It could be recalled that the son of the late president expressed frustrations about the poor state of Asomdwee Park.

Sam Kofi Atta Mills in a media interview revealed that he personally swept his fathers graveyard ahead of his sixth-anniversary celebration.

However, the NDC Chairman mentioned that he will be forced to push for the body to be exhumed if nothing is done about the bad nature of Asomdwee Park.

I dont believe in hypocrisy but Ghanaians are hypocrites. They behave as if they loved the late President. We have to exhume the body. If his parents were buried in Cape Coast, what prevents us from sending him to Cape Coast, he said.

READ ALSO: A posh gift for a beautiful wife: Actor Fred Nuamah buys a GHC970K Porsche for Martekor (Photos)

Allotey Jacobs promised to hold further discussions with the family of the late president over the issue.

Ghana marked the 6-year anniversary of the passing of Prof. John Evans Atta Mills who died on July 24, 2012.

The late Mills was born on July 21,1944 at Tarkwa in the Western Region with Ekumfi Otuam in the Central Region as his hometown.

Video credit: (Adomonline.com)

Prof J.E.A Mills won the 2008 presidential elections on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after beating the New Patriotic Partys Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a run-off.

John Evans Mills also served as Vice-President from 1997 to 2001 to Jerry John Rawlings.

READ ALSO: Kennedy Agyapong to know his fate soon as court finally releases final details of Anas suit

Watch: Ghana News: President Akufo-Addo Asks For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh

Yen.com.gh is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Message us on Facebook or Instagram

Source: Yen News- Juliet Ibrahim has long been rumoured to have ended her relationship with Iceberg Slim

- A new post she has made is making people conclude that she has indeed left Iceberg

- Some of her Nigerian fans have urged her to remain in Nigeria and never to leave them

YEN.com.gh has sighted a post by screen goddess Juliet Ibrahim which is confusing her fans and followers on social media.

Juliet Ibrahim posted a photo of herself wearing a Nigerian Jersey, and the caption that accompanies the photo has caused most of her fans to conclude that she was actually bidding Iceberg Slim farewell.

She culled her caption from the lyrics of the song Too good at goodbyes by Sam Smith.

READ ALSO: Alleged liposuction scar on Moesha's body exposed by fan

Juliet Ibrahim wrote: But every time you hurt me, the less that I cry. And every time you leave me, the quicker these tears dry. And every time you walk out, the less I love you. Baby, we don't stand a chance, it's sad but it's true. I'm way too good at goodbyes...

Though Ms Ibrahim might just like the song and so decided to use a part of it as her caption, some of her fans, particularly the Nigerians, have concluded that the goodbye is for their brother Iceberg Slim.

They have also said that the Nigerian jersey she wore also represent him.

For this reason, some of them are not happy, and have begged Juliet Ibrahim not to leave Nigeria and Nigerians.

READ ALSO: Fella Makafui accused of wearing a frying pan as necklace in latest photo

Ijioma said in plain terms that Juliet Ibrahim shouldnt go because she is loved by the Nigerians

ijiomasandy: Please don't go we love you.

Mr. Zeyam also added that Nigerians love her more than Ghanaians so she should stay

mr_zeyam7: Please don't go ooooooo. We love you more than Ghanaian people. And don't tell me you separating with my boss. The iceberg.

Cool also threatened to storm Ghana and bring Juliet Ibrahim back even if she leaves Nigeria.

cool_dozie1: @julietibrahim Can't leave Nigeria na... If she tries it... Is to go to Ghana and put her in 'Ghana must come' bag... But this one you're sounding emotional... Hope you're alright?? ... I love yooooooooooooou.

READ ALSO: Fred Nuamah buys GHC970,000 Porsche car for his wife

Stanis wanted to know if Juliet Ibrahim was leaving for real.

stanislausmaduekwe: @julietibrahim our lovely Nigeria_Ghanian screen diva are u leaving us for real??? [with crying emojis]

Rapkiss hoped the goodbye was not for Iceberg Slim.

jrapkiss: Yes oooo with this caption while holding our jersey, hope this is not for our brother???? 

Don also urged her on to stay in Nigeria.

donlici: Ah! Abeg o. R u saying bye bye 2 Nigeria? Please stay and remain Green.

Balogun warned that if Juliet Ibrahim leaves Nigeria, war could break out between Ghana and Nigeria.

balogunoluwagbemiga: U re going nowhere my juju, u are a naija chick, no cause war between naija and Ghana o, .

READ ALSO: NDCs Yamoah Ponkoh endorses NPPs double track Free SHS system

There are many of such messages indicating that the Nigerian really love and cherish Juliet Ibrahim so much, perhaps because of her relationship with Iceberg Slim.

It was a beautiful love affair between the two until it hit the rock and they were said to have gone their separate ways.

Up till now, YEN.com.gh is not privy to what caused the breakup between them.

Meanwhile YEN.com.gh published a report of Juliet Ibrahim and Iceberg sharing a lovely kiss on TV, and that showed that they were deeply in love.

At a point, she was also her manager and producer, indicating that they were ready to do business together as lovers.

Juliet Ibrahim later deleted all photos and videos of herself and Iceberg Slim from her Instagram, with runours that she was accusing her of going after other women.

READ ALSO: Adorable pre-wedding photos of police officer and his beautiful bride-to-be wow fans

Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh

READ ALSO: Women now enhancing their back sides with 'Maggi cube' injections

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Source: Yen.com.gh- Lumba Junior has consulted Obinim to help him win a court case brought against him Daddy Lumba

- In a video circulating on social media, Lumba Junior was seen and heard asking for prayers - from Obinim to win the case

- Lumba Junior has been sued by Daddy Lumba for impersonation

A Highlife musician, Anokye Supremo formerly known as Daddy Lumba Jnr, has run to the International Godsway Church (IGWC) of Bishop Daniel Obinim over his court case with his godfather Daddy Lumba.

In a video sighted by YEN.com.gh, Anokye Supremo was seen in the church of Bishop Obinim explaining that he saw Obinim in his dream and had to come to him for help.

The 'original' Daddy Lumba aka DL earlier in the year sued his look-alike Anokye, who behaves and sings like DL for impersonating his brand.

Anokye Supreme, Bishop Obinim, and Daddy Lumba (Photo credit: Supplied)

In the video, Anokye Supremo explained what was the cause of the lawsuit against him.

READ ALSO: A posh gift for a beautiful wife: Actor Fred Nuamah buys a GHC970K Porsche for Martekor (Photos)

'My mentor, Daddy Lumba has taken me to the High Court. In the summons letter, he is claiming that hes not getting programmes because I have been impersonating him.

'He is asking the court to stop me from using DL Junior and/or using his song for financial gains anymore and also make me account for all the proceeds I have made from performing his songs since 2010,' he said.

When asked by Obinim to tell him what he wanted to be done for him, Anokye pleaded for prayers to win the case.

READ ALSO: The IGP doesn't deserve his position - Ghanaians angrily react to first-degree for police recruitment comment

'I dont want to be in court with Lumba over this issue. I want this case to be over for me to win at the end,' he told Obinim.

Born Charles Kwadwo Fosu on September 29, 1964, at Nsuta Kwamang in the Ashanti Region, Daddy Lumba is arguably the most popular musician of his era thanks to a plethora of albums featuring many hit songs.

He has recently ventured into acting and was recently spotted on set with Akrobeto and Lil Win shooting a new movie.

READ ALSO: Tundra craze: Women inject themselves with Maggi Cube in latest video to get bigger back sides

Watch: Ghana News: Ghanaian pastor predicts Nana Ama McBrown's future:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: YenYEN.com.gh has sighted a photo of Wendy Shay on social media which has her fans talking.

Shay posted this photo to her Instagram page with an indication that she took that photo in South Africa where she reportedly shot the video for her Bedroom Commando.

Wendy Shay wrote: Flashback Friday where it all started #bedroomcommando#rufftownrecords #shayfans#bedroomcommando #southafrica.

READ ALSO: Efia Odo releases wild twerk in latest video

Many of her fans and followers have praised her looks in the photo, and YEN.com.ghs eye caught one comment by a fan who was begging Wendy Shay not to bleach her skin.

We cannot tell why this fan, Pounds, made this comment; if Wendys skin in this photo looks bleached or whether he was just admiring her skin complexion and so was just offering an advise to her.

According to him, Wendy Shay should not bleach her skin because Ghanaians love her just the way she is.

poundz4u: @wendyshayofficial my bae...pls dont bleach ur skin errh...we love u like that.

READ ALSO: Juliet Ibrahim finally confirms breakup with Iceberg Slim?

There were many other compliments for Wendy Shay over her photo.

For instance Daniel observed that Shay was looking gorgeous.

agyapongkdaniel: You are looking pretty good gorgeous beautiful perfect.

Peggy wrote that Wendy Shays beauty is making her want to come to Africa.

lonepeggy12: You looking beautiful I do love to come see African.

Justicia blessed Wendy Shay.

justiciaagyenim: My queen u are blessed.

Mellisamashigo admired Wendy Shays looks.

mellisamashigo: Yay! I love this look! .

READ ALSO: Alleged liposuction scar on Moesha's body exposed by fan

Wendy Shay has been in the news recently following her new song Bedroom Commando in which she was allegedly forcing her boyfriend to squeeze her tomatoes.

Wendy Shay has also been in the news for her hairstyle which fans described as a one-way weave-on.

She was blasted for allegedly wearing the same weave-on for three months.

But Wendy Shay responded to her critics, explaining that that was not the same hair even if it was the same hairstyle.

READ ALSO: Fella Makafui accused of wearing a frying pan as necklace in latest photo

Bullet, her boss, and CEO of RuffTown Records, waded into the controversy, cliaming that Wendy Shay's 'one-way' weave is her brand.

He claimed also that the hair has earned Wendy an ambassadorial deal.

Wendy Shay is also on record for saying that despite they are all unique in their own ways, it is normal for people to compare her with the late Ebony Reigns.

READ ALSO: Women now enhancing their back sides with 'Maggi cube' injections

Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh

READ ALSO: Women now enhancing their back sides with 'Maggi cube' injections

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Source: Yen News- The Bank of Ghana has merged five local banks into one

- The new bank is called the Consolidated Bank of Ghana Ltd

The Bank of Ghana has brought five local banks all under one management following controversies over their financial standing.

The new bank will be termed the Consolidated Bank and will be headed by Daniel Addo as the new CEO.

In an emergency press conference, the governor of the bank of Ghana, Ernest Addison, revealed that Sovereign Bank's license was obtained under false pretenses and that the bank is insolvent (bankrupt).

READ ALSO: Ghanaians blast IGP for suggesting 'first degree' as minimum requirement for police recruitment

Also, Beige and Construction Banks obtained licenses under false pretenses using fictitious and nonexistent capital.

Bank of Ghana is consolidating assets of above banks including Unibank and Royal Bank to become the consolidated bank.

So far, clients should be advised that deposits are safe. All staff of affected banks will become staff of the Consolidated Bank.

Sources close to YEN.com.gh say that the merger was based on a directive from the Bank of Ghana which wants all banks to pay a minimum capital requirement of 400 million cedis.

Already, some major local banks (UT bank, Capital Bank and Construction Bank) have all gone down following their inability to meet this new requirement.

This development comes as no surprise especially when the association of local banks has petitioned the president to take a closer look into developments regarding the new minimum capital requirement.

The rise of the amount from GH120 million to GH400 million is believed to have been agreed after a closed-door meeting between the Governor of BoG, Dr. Ernest Addison, and some leading executives of the various banks.

The last time the BoG directed banks to recapitalize was in 2012 when the minimum capital was raised from GH60 million to the current GH120 million, representing a 100% increase in the amount.

The recapitalization of banks has become necessary following the recorded improvements in the Ghana economy, with experts describing the move as timely.

The development, though, is expected to see the consolidation of some banks that may not be able to raise the minimum capital.

In 2012 after the BoG's directive to have all banks recapitalized, the likes of the Trust and Intercontinental Banks were consolidated into Ecobank and Access Bank respectively.

READ ALSO: Nana Addo not in control of Ghana - Top NDC official cries

So far, some foreign banks have announced their readiness to pay way ahead of the December deadline while smaller banks are asking for more time to meet the requirements.

Watch: Ghana News: Ghanaian pastor predicts Nana Ama McBrown's future:

Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YENs official Facebook page.

Source: Yen- Princess Shyngle has shared her sad heartbreak story

- According to her, a Ghanaian guy he was dating left her to marry another woman though they were together even on Thursday before the guy got married on Saturday

- The Gambian actress revealed that she only found after photos of her guy's wedding surfaced online

Ghana-based Gambian actress Princess Shyngle has told a sad story of how her former boyfriend broke her heart.

According to her, the ex-boyfriend jilted her to get married to another woman whiles they were still seriously dating.

Speaking in an interview on Peace FM, Princess Shyngle stated that though the had mentioned that his parents did not like the idea of him being with a 'foreigner', he had assured her that he would convince them to accept her.

With the assurance, Princess Shyngle said, she was with this Ghanaian guy and spending almost all of her free time in his house only for her to be at home one Saturday and see wedding pictures of the man with another woman.

READ ALSO: Hot 'adult' video of beautiful SHS leaver and 3 guys hits social media and it's serious

The Gambian actress added that she had actually spent Thursday in the house of this guy and only did not go there on Friday because she could not reach him.

"So there was this Ghanaian guy that I dated. I was head over heels in love with that guy. We dated for over a year, everything was going on well. I mean he did express to me that his parents were against us getting married since Im a foreigner, but he assured me that he would get them to like me.

"Only for me to be at home one Saturday to see pictures all over the internet that my supposed boyfriend is married to another woman. I mean, like I almost died. I couldnt believe because I was in his house almost every day, she said.

READ ALSO: A posh gift for a beautiful wife: Actor Fred Nuamah buys a GHC970K Porsche for Martekor (Photos)

Born on December 25, 1990, in the Gambia, Princess Shyngle has found a home as an actress in Ghana, where she claims one of her paternal grandparents come from.

She has been in the news recently for throwing shade at other female celebrities who have are getting closer to 40 years and not getting married.

In an Instagram post, the fast-rising actress shared gridded photos of Trigmatic and his wife, Sarkodie and Tracy, Stonebwoy and his, and John Dumelo and his wife.

Beneath the photo, she noted that the male celebrities are all getting married to ladies who are decent, well-mannered and are not social media girls.

READ ALSO: The IGP doesn't deserve his position - Ghanaians angrily react to first-degree for police recruitment comment

She added that it is not a shade to her female colleagues because she herself is inclusive when it comes to female celebrities who are currently unmarried.

Watch: Ghana News: Ghanaian pastor predicts Nana Ama McBrown's future:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen.com.ghLocal families have a growing number of senior living options to choose from when an elder needs extra help and can no longer live alone.

Ann Marie Lilja had to find an assisted living community for her father who couldn't manage by himself any more in his longtime home. He moved in with his daughter for a month, but Lilja works full time and couldn't take care of him.

After looking at several assisted living buildings, she settled on Aspired Living of Westmont, a new facility in the western suburb. "It was fresh," Lilja says. The apartments were bright and the hallways were wide. The building had lots of amenities including a movie theater and a card room. "I really liked the quality," Lilja says.

Her father moved to Aspired Living last August and has settled in nicely. "He even started a poker club," Lilja says with a laugh.

A senior living building boom is underway in the Chicago area. In fact, about 4,000 new units of seniors housing are under construction here, the most of any big city in the country, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care.

The large number of new units has increased competition among providers, putting some downward pressure on rental rates, sources say. That means consumers may be able to snag some good deals.

Many new buildings offer both assisted living and memory care.

Most of the new construction is in the suburbs. But several projects are underway in the city where seniors housing is harder to find.

A new five-story assisted living and memory care facility is being built near the corner of West Addison Street and North Ashland Avenue, site of the former Bert Weinman Ford dealership. The building will have 140 units and is projected to open in 2019. It is a project of Artis Senior Living of McLean, Va., which also has plans to build a memory care facility in north suburban Wilmette.

A new assisted living building is under construction in Lincoln Park. The 149-unit Belmont Village Lincoln Park is being built on the old Children's Memorial Hospital campus, a six-acre site that is being redeveloped. The 149-unit building is a project of Belmont Village Senior Living, a Houston-based company that has other assisted living projects in the Chicago area.

Belmont partnered with Chicago-based Harrison Street Partners and purchased the Nellie Black building on the hospital campus. The Nellie Black building was built in 1932 and originally served as housing for nurses and interns.

There was interest in saving the old building, but the plan was found to be impractical. The old building was demolished and is being replaced by a structure that replicates the architectural design of the original building.

Expected to open in July 2019, Belmont Village Lincoln Park represents several trends seen in other new senior living communities. The building is LEED certified, a designation for environmentally friendly structures. "Concern for the planet is something new in seniors housing," says Patricia Will, Belmont Village founder and CEO.

Other trends in the latest wave of senior living buildings include high-end finishes, multiple common areas spaces and luxury-type amenities. Aspire Living of Westmont, for example, features a restaurant and bistro, a demonstration kitchen, movie theater, technology center, fitness facility and yoga studio, library, and salon and spa.

Apartments are getting larger. The two-bedroom units have been the first ones to lease at Aspired Living of Westmont and Heartis Village of Orland Park, which opened in March. "We added a greater percentage of two-bedroom apartments to accommodate couples," says Maria Oliva, COO at Pathway to Living, the Chicago-based operator of the properties.

With so many senior living options, it's best to tour buildings, ask questions and keep notes. Barb Morris made a spreadsheet comparing the features and pricing of the 10 assisted living buildings she toured for her in-laws. It was no longer practical to keep the elders in their home.

The family settled on an apartment at Saratoga Grove, a retirement community in Downers Grove operated by Providence Life Services.

Morris says the choice was easy because her in-laws had lived for 60 years in Downers Grove and didn't want to leave the community. "We have incredible peace of mind," she says.

The Crain's Chicago Business newsroom was not involved in creating this content.20 in their 20s

Meet the 2018 class

Looking for the next big thing in Chicago business, tech and innovation? Follow these 20 young change-makers to find clues. Among their ranks: social problem-solvers, emerging entrepreneurs and money masters. Some generate big revenues. Others challenge the status quo. Not one is older than 29. Click here to get to know them all.Entrepreneurs often start with an idea for a great product or service. The decision to scale comes later. But there's no perfect blueprint, and the risks can be as monumental as the potential rewards. Move too fast, and you can crash and burn. Drag your feet, and the moment may pass you by. Crain's asked eight smart local entrepreneurs who've scaled their businesses to share their hard-won tips and lessons learned. What follows is their best advice on everything from hiring to production pitfalls. We'll continue the discussion live on May 4 at the annual Crain's Small Business Breakfast at the Standard Club.

(Click on any picture to read the story) Adam Hughes

Avant

The scrappy online lender Amanda Lannert

Jellyvision

The culture-focused software company David Kalt

Reverb

The shrewd music lover's marketplace Shradha Agarwal

Outcome Health

The ambitious health care educator Chris-Tia Donaldson

Thank God It's Natural

The fast-growing beauty supplier Josh Deth

Revolution Brewing

The maturing craft beer brewer Drew Geant

Wyzant

The pivoting online tutoring company David Sloan

Naf Naf Grill

The rapidly expanding fast-casual chain

Adam Hughes, president, Avant Online lender Inside Avant HQ at 222 N. LaSalle St. The growth story:Avant's breakneck-speed, twists-and-turns story could apply only to a tech company. The online lending platform launched with 12 employees in 2013, targeting a market ignored by established lenders: personal loans for customers without great credit. By fall 2015, when it raised its fifth round of venture-capital investment and boasted 300,000 customers, Avant was valued at more than $1 billion. The tide turned in 2016, when Avant struggled, along with other companies in its industry, to raise money to lend to customers. Avant's loan volume and revenue declined, and its headcount shrank from 1,000 employees to 600. The Loop-based business has stabilized by forging lending partnerships with banks such as Birmingham, Ala.-based Regions, and Avantnow with 600,000 customers in the U.S. and United Kingdomis pushing forward with new products originally planned for 2016. "The challenges last year weren't fun, but I think that because it forced us to make changes in the organization, we've only gotten better for it," says Adam Hughes, 35, Avant's president. Smart scaling:Avant could have pushed forward with its plans to add credit card, auto loan and home mortgage products during its cash crisis last year. Hughes and the management team believed in the products and were tempted to introduce them, but they waited. "None of us is patient. We see the opportunities across consumer finance, and it's painful to slow down," says Hughes. But after waiting out the cash crisis, "we're in a much better place to quickly roll out those products now." Wish I'd known. . .During its period of rapid growth, Avant's team had a lot of great product ideas. Too many, in fact. "It's tempting to just go, go, gobut you lose focus. You only have so many developers to properly support all these projects, and with each new project you're also losing mind-share from the executives," says Hughes. "By focusing on a few core objectives at a time, and by putting in the right infrastructure to make sure there's real accountability, we've found it's been very helpful."

Amanda Lannert, CEO, Jellyvision Interactive software Photo courtesy of Jellyvision The growth story:Amanda Lannert's first move as Jellyvision CEO in 2007 was to scale down the company from 70 employees to 12. Her goal was to refocus on a virtual-assistant product that helped employees at such companies as Comcast and FedEx navigate their health insurance options. As that product, called Alex, took off, Lannert, 44, went the other way, rebuilding Jellyvision's team to a current headcount of 350 at its offices off the Clybourn Corridor. (Revenue is north of $10 million; Lannert declines to give specifics.) Her new challenge: incorporating regular, large waves of new employees into the company's quirky cultureone that dates to Jellyvision's 1990s roots as the maker of comedic video game "You Don't Know Jack." Applicants get a sense of the culture before they arrive: A job posting for a director of financial planning and analysis includes a bit about using performance data to spur growth while wearing jeans and eating tacos. And every new employee gets a standing ovation at the end of their first day on the job, recognizing that, Lannert says, "we know it's awkward, and we know you're scared, but we're glad you're here." Smart scaling:Base your sales model on the buying habits of your customers. Jellyvision started selling Alex with a pricing model that varied by customers' usage, and while smaller clients loved it, the big companies Jellyvision was courting preferred the certainty of fixed pricing. Jellyvision made the switch, and "we instantly got traction," says Lannert. Wish I'd known. . .Lannert's first efforts at promoting employees into management roles were based on a simple strategy: Take the top performers on each team and promote them. It was a bad idea, because great individual performance often didn't translate into strong leadership. When she finally hired an experienced manager, she learned to appreciate "someone who truly got joy out of the growth and development of her people, instead of the practice of her own craft. It's a different skill set," she says. Today, Lannert still promotes top performers to top positions, but those spots don't necessarily come with managerial responsibilitiestwo members of the senior leadership team have no one reporting to them. "We created a way to recognize that you can be a leader without necessarily having to be a manager," she says.

David Kalt, founder and CEO, Reverb.com Online music equipment exchange Photo credit: Thinkstock The growth story: When David Kalt bought Lakeview guitar emporium Chicago Music Exchange in 2010, he already had purchased the domain name Reverb.combut only because it sounded cool. The idea to build a business behind that name didn't come until 2013, after Kalt experienced firsthand the challenges of selling instruments on eBay. His solution included detailed price guides and educational content, and he used the exchange's inventory to supply his nascent marketplace with quality merchandise and detailed listings. Reverb took off: Last year, the online music equipment marketplace generated $16 million in revenue and supported $240 million in sales of new and used gear through its platform. Reverb now has 140 employees, not counting the 75 at Chicago Music Exchange, and expects to support $450 million in transactions this year. Kalt has experience as a marketplace-builder; he founded options-trading platform OptionsXpress in 2000. But at Reverb, he bet that musicians would obsess over listings in ways that even options traders don't. "Non-musicians don't totally get the pornography aspect of gear, how musicians are constantly seeking out instruments and effects pedals to inspire their creative processes," says Kalt. "I thought if we could create content that's custom-tailored to helping people do that, we could increase engagement." Smart scaling:In late 2015, Kalt, 49, raised $25 million from Summit Partners of Menlo Park, Calif., to fund international expansion. He responded by, well, not expanding internationally. Not until now, anyway. "We could have been aggressive to build teams in the U.K., France and Germany," he says. "But we wanted to go really slow, and to find out first how customers there were already finding us organically. It took us 12 to 15 months to earn the right to grow our business there." Wish I'd known. . .In 2015, Reverb acquired an online music lessons platform called Lesson Lodge, then quickly launched a service called Reverb Lessons that facilitates educational sessions either in person or via online video chat. A big marketing push followed, but growth stagnated. "I was trying to use the same formula as Reverb, which was just to throw more marketing at it," says Kalt. "But if your customers are not coming back, then you have to re-evaluate your customer acquisition strategy." So Kalt changed the unit's focusfrom luring the most students to recruiting the best instructors. It's too early to measure success, but Kalt says the early returns suggest the shift has been effective.

Shradha Agarwal, co-founder and president, Outcome Health Health care education Shradha Agarwal The growth story:Shradha Agarwal and Rishi Shah founded Outcome Health (formerly called ContextMedia) in 2006 while they were undergraduates at Northwestern University. Their company, which provides electronic content to health care offices, now has more than 600 employees in Chicago, New York and Florida, and its products are in 55,000 doctors offices and other health care facilities. Smart scaling:In November, Outcome Health acquired competitor AccentHealth of Tampa, Fla. "We didn't want to just show up and change things around," says Agarwal, "but we wanted to go in with humility and learn how they operated and where they had done well." As a result, Outcome Health noticed several ways that AccentHealth's technology improved on its ownin ways that hadn't factored into the acquisition. One example: AccentHealth's tool for allowing customers to request customizations through an online portal, rather than requiring a call to an account manager. Wish I'd known. . .The larger the company, the more important decision-making is made without consulting the founders. That's fine, says Agarwal, "but to be able to make the right decision, you need the vision and all the contextual information, and then you need feedback." As Outcome Health grew, it became clearer that the relevant information wasn't always making it into the hands of decision-makersespecially considering that individual employees became less likely to have a coherent sense of the larger operation. "I wish we had doubled down on more communication sooner," Agarwal says. Now she's trying to make up for lost time. Outcome Health has weekly all-employee town hall meetings (they used to be quarterly), and its employees use Workplace, Facebook's competitor to interoffice chat tool Slack.

Chris-Tia Donaldson, CEO, Thank God It's Natural Hair care and skin care products Photo of Chris-Tia Donaldson by Kendall Karmanian The growth story:Chicago attorney Chris-Tia Donaldson's 2009 book was hailed as the "Natural Hair Bible" by Essence magazine, gaining her an internet following as an advocate for natural hair care, particularly among African-American women. In 2013while working as senior corporate counsel at Oracleshe began making and selling her own natural hair care products, using a contract manufacturer for two products and making the other four in her home. The line has exploded and is now carried in more than 1,000 stores, including chains Target and Sally Beauty Supply, and this year Donaldson is adding four hair care offerings to her current line of eight hair and two skin products. Thank God It's Natural's store count has doubled in each of the last two years, a planned ramp-up after Target approached Donaldson in 2014 and offered to help her business grow. TGIN now has 13 employees, and Donaldson, 38, has left Oracle and is focused on marketing her brandand shifting production toward contract manufacturers and away from its Garfield Park headquarters. "There's a challenging physical piece to scaling like this," says Donaldson. "I'm more interested in being a marketing company than a logistics company." Smart scaling:Donaldson benefited from Target's offer to help her scale gradually. That, along with a Small Business Administration-backed loan, has helped TGIN scale profitably without any outside investors (revenue is in the $3 million to $5 million range, she says). It also helped Donaldson weather a 2016 storm in which she was diagnosed with breast cancer (now in remission). Wish I'd known. . .Donaldson is convinced that TGIN's future is marketing and product developmentnot manufacturing. There's just one problem. The company's best-selling product, Honey Miracle Hair Mask, has proved difficult for contract manufacturers to replicate: Her homegrown manufacturing operation includes a repurposed bakery mixer. That's slowing TGIN's transitionbut it's a trade-off Donaldson is willing to make until she finds a manufacturer that can match the quality of the handmade version. "It's hard to make, very labor intensive, but it works, and people love it," Donaldson says. "Our customers would know if there's a difference, so until someone gets it just right, we're not changing."

Josh Deth, founder and managing partner, Revolution Brewing Craft beer brewer Sun Crusher by Revolution Brewing The growth story:"Finally, this year, I feel officially scaled up," says Revolution founder Josh Deth, 42. Scale has been a long time coming for Deth, who commissioned Revolution's logo in the 1990s and opened his Logan Square brewpuba precursor to Revolution's packaging operationsin 2010. Revolution has spent the decade scrambling to keep up with growth, as production has increased from 8,000 barrels in 2012 to 73,000 last year, and a goal of 85,000 in 2017. Revolution's fast growth has followed that of the craft beer industry, but there are signs that both the 190-employee company and the category are maturing. Deth is in the midst of beefing up his sales operation, hiring 10 employees to sales and marketing roles. "We're doing more with marketing and sales now, because that 10 to 15 percent growth that used to come naturally, we now have to work for it a little more," says Deth, whose beer is sold in six states. He's also made big investments to both the production and administrative sides of the business. His team uses enterprise software to track sales leads and productive shipments, and Revolution is hiring a safety and training specialistall a far cry from Revolution's early culture of brewers and beer nerds. Smart scaling:As Revolution grew, Deth identified two dangers that come from a larger team: isolation between departments, and a decrease in creativity. So he created an innovation team, composed of people working in different departments. The team's work led to Revolution's Sun Crusher, a hoppy wheat beer that debuted this spring. The beer was a collaborative effort. The brewers liked the recipe; the sales staff knew it was a popular, current style; the marketing team designed the can; and then the taproom team contributed with a special release-day event. Wish I'd known. . .A production-based business can grind to a halt if any aspect goes offline. So Deth has been rooting out areas where operations depend on the presence of a single, skilled operator or temperamental machine. "We go for redundancy throughout the companyto reach a place where no piece of equipment can stop everything, and where you don't have departments of just one employee with specialized knowledge."

Drew Geant, CEO, Wyzant Online tutoring marketplace Wyzant web interface The growth story:Wyzant, an online marketplace that connects students and tutors, grew slowly and steadily after its founding by two college kids in 2005. That is, until late 2013, when a $21.5 million investment kick-started an era of rapid growth. Wyzant now has 80,000 tutors in its network and doubled its full-time staff to more than 100 employees. Wyzant's business model changed dramatically after the investment. During its first decade, the company focused on facilitating in-person sessions between tutors and students on subjects such as algebra and Spanish. Now, nearly half of Wyzant's business consists of adults learning through one-on-sessions delivered over the Internet, covering subjects ranging from 3-D animation to thermodynamics. "It's a huge transition for us, focusing on the adult career learner," says CEO Drew Geant, 34. "But there's so much retraining and up-skilling going on right now that it's a pretty interesting space." Smart scaling:Geant had to be persuaded to hire in-house recruiter Carrie McComb away from Braintree in 2014. "It felt premature, like, do we really need this?" he recalls. But looking back, he calls hiring McComb "the single best scaling-related decision I made." McComb helped not only with Wyzant's recruiting, but also with its interviewing, on-boarding and overall sense of purpose. Thanks to McComb, "we made tremendous progress on crystallizing what we stand for and how we operate. That's helped with retention, and it has carried over deeply into all aspects of our culture." Wish I'd known. . .In 2014, Wyzant was struggling to hire fast enough to its Bucktown headquarters so it opened a San Francisco office to gain access to Bay Area tech talent. Bad idea. "We thought we could handle it. We had no problem with people working remotely and were fully equipped with all the video-conferencing stuff" to enable collaboration, remembers Geant. "But the two cultures developed separately, and part of that is that the cities and ecosystems are so different, so maybe it was inevitable. But we started getting 'us versus them' stuff, most of which was petty, but it adds up to friction and slows you down." Geant closed the office in 2015.Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois wants to lower average rates slightly for many of its plans for individuals, by anywhere from 0.84 percent to about 1.5 percent, according to data released by the federal government Wednesday. Its the first time Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois has proposed an average rate reduction since the exchange opened, said Blue Cross spokeswoman Colleen Miller. The insurer is proposing one average increase, to its BlueCare Direct plans, but only by 0.25 percent.Workers check the quality of newly manufactured wind turbine blades at a factory in Lianyungang, China, on July 31, 2018. President Trump is considering levying even more tariffs against Chinese goods. (AFP/Getty Images)My employees are my bottom line, de Oliveira said. If theyre happy and well taken care of, theyre going to take care of our guests and were all going to pay our bills. To that end, de Oliveira and her team are intentionally hiring fifty-percent persons of color and fifty-percent women, along with paying staff above industry standards for hourly wages. Health insurance offerings will also be made after contiguous employment, plus paid vacation for full-time staff, paid training workshops, and an intentional approach to work-life balance in the form of 40 hour weeks with three full days off, unheard of for many hospitality employees. You can treat people with respect and integrity, and have a diverse workplace and build something really special that makes people feel safe and proud.More beer arrived from other corners of the Midwest. Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland became an essential addition  especially its Burning River Pale Ale (at a time such beers were fairly uncommon) and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (ditto). Schlafly arrived from St. Louis. Boulevard Brewing sent beer from Kansas City. Surly Brewing came from Minnesota (and left  but then came back). Wisconsin gave us perhaps the most iconic Midwestern beer of all, Spotted Cow (which, along with the rest of the New Glarus portfolio, also left  and sadly has not returned).That opened my eyes. We feel that God is torturing us and punishing us, but when we give ourselves the peace to reflect, we come to understand that we are our own torturers and that we mete out our own punishments. So mercy begins with ourselves. Mercy, acceptance, charity, kindness and love. And I believe that started me on a road that Ive been on ever since  trying to understand who I am in relation to my faith, why I wanted to become a priest and then realized that it was not my vocation, then coming to terms with the fact that I was a filmmaker.People are enjoying it as an object, but theyre not making the connection to the worker cottages at all  which is OK for now, Basa said. Theres going to have to be a sign that says it. Once we get the sign, hopefully people will start noticing the worker cottages in the neighborhood and start making that connection and that pride of place.Curious listeners can catch the producer at one of his first big shows as part of Summer Jams, a series of programming curated by MPAACT, an organization that aims to develop, nurture, and produce African-centered theater grounded in the traditions of African culture and its diaspora. If youre going to go to my show, youre going to hear a lot of music you might not be familiar with, but its going to be translated it in a way youll understand, he says. Afolayan wouldnt want it any other way.The theater has been very slow to understand this seismic change in how we consume the arts: Most companies still conceal their backstage areas from the public, as if any revelation thereof will spoil the illusion. Youre only supposed to watch what the artists want you to watch. This has been the theaters historic role for at least 200 years, of course, but its showing its age. These days, people like to be involved in their own curation, they do not necessarily want to consume their culture at the whim of an artistic director other than themselves.Complications can arise, restaurateurs say, when some diners opt to pay with cash on a bill that's split evenly among all guests. How will the cash be applied to the check? Does it all go toward satisfying the bill? Or is some reserved for the tip? Because if it's all applied to the bill, the cash will then lower the remaining tab for those paying with credit cards, which in turn lowers the tip for a server who just spent three hours catering to your every need. You don't want to be that person who stiffs a server because you don't understand how the cash-and-credit-card combo can hurt servers.Mix adds that bar managers may discount womens physical capabilities, leading to fewer opportunities. Ive been told in the past that I am not given busier or longer shifts at the bar because women wouldnt be able to handle the longer hours, she says. Mix also says that this perception leads to fewer women being hired as barbacks (assistants), which is a steppingstone to becoming a bartender, and instead being hired as cocktail waitresses, a less physically demanding role.We walked around the back of the planetarium to see if the view changed significantly away from the glare of streetlights and skyscrapers. What we discovered was a beautiful little community of folks who had brought their own telescopes. They werent the million-dollar, highly calibrated, human-size contraptions. But they were pointed toward Mars, and they were, thanks to the generosity of their owners, communal.On that day last week, my brother and I located the Freeport City Cemetery, via Google maps, not far from downtown. There was no registry visible. No one answered when we knocked on the little yellow building where, another visitor said, someone could guide us.City officials and the Cubs have had little to say about the march, which will get underway at 4 p.m. Thursday as evening rush hour and, further south, Lollapalooza are beginning. And it will end at Wrigley Field on the same night the Cubs play a home game; asked last week whether hed back the anti-violence march  as he did a march that shut down the Dan Ryan Expressway  Mayor Rahm Emanuels office didnt directly respond. Ald. Tom Tunney, whose ward includes Wrigley Field and who rarely opposes Emanuel, told the Tribune he wasnt exactly thrilled the protest was unfolding in his ward. But hes not standing in the way of it.The former employee  identified only as Individual A  told agents that Brown was personally involved in the hiring of all 2,300 employees in the office and that Individual A resigned after learning that she was expected to make monetary contributions to Brown as part of her employment, Ellis wrote.A 25-year-old man was stabbed in the chest and a 21-year-old woman was stabbed in the neck. A 26-year-old man was beaten. All three were stabilized at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, police said.Special counsel (Robert) Muellers recent indictment of a dozen Russian intelligence officers, including those who conspired to hack state election systems, only further reinforces Illinois need to upgrade its cybersecurity defenses to better protect the sensitive information of its voters, as well as the integrity of the states election process, Quigley wrote.According to Politico, the accuser said she and Sauer met on a dating app and began a long-distance relationship. She moved to Chicago in 2017, but they broke up in March 2018 after she found out he was seeing other women. She said she later discovered an Instagram account with nude photos of her and said Sauer had been using the photos in conversations with other men.For me, its not that Im ducking the issue, I want to know what that means, what that means for reporting, he said during the news conference. Is that a checklist, or do you have to do a whole write-up about the fact that you pulled your weapon? Or is that part of your arrest report, for that matter? See what I mean? So I dont really know what that means.Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the Department of Homeland Security National Cybersecurity Summit in New York on July 31, 2018. (Susan Walsh / AP)"If they wanted to go after Chicago, if they wanted to go after Denver or Philadelphia, they would not be bound by an injunction," he said. "Those places would have to bring their own lawsuits and whatever happens, happens in those cases."ALEXANDRIA, VA.  Paul Manafort orchestrated a multimillion-dollar conspiracy to evade U.S. tax and banking laws, leaving behind a trail of lies as he lived a lavish lifestyle, prosecutors said as they laid out their case against the former Trump campaign chairman.



Prosecutor Uzo Asonye told the jury during his opening statement Tuesday that Manafort considered himself above the law as he funneled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts. That "secret income" was used to pay for personal expenses such as a $21,000 watch, a $15,000 jacket made of ostrich and more than $6 million worth of real estate paid for in cash, Asonye said.



"A man in this courtroom believed the law did not apply to him  not tax law, not banking law," Asonye said as he sketched out the evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Mueller 's team in Manafort's bank fraud and tax evasion trial.



Manafort's trial is the first arising from Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia. It opened with extraordinary anticipation amid unresolved questions about whether Trump associates coordinated with the Kremlin to tip the election in the president's favor.



But it was clear from the outset that the case would not address that question: Prosecutors did not once reference Manafort's work for the Trump campaign nor mention Mueller's broader and ongoing investigation into Russian election interference. Mueller was not present in the courtroom.



Manafort, the lone American charged by Mueller who has opted to stand trial instead of cooperate with prosecutors, was described by his defense lawyer as a hugely successful international political consultant who left the details of his finances to others.



He relied on a team of financial experts to keep track of the millions of dollars he earned from his Ukrainian political work and to ensure that that money was being properly reported, said attorney Thomas Zehnle. He especially trusted business associate Rick Gates , who pleaded guilty in Mueller's investigation and is now the government's star witness. But that trust was misplaced, Zehnle said in an opening statement that made clear that undermining the credibility of Gates  a former Trump campaign aide who spent years working for Manafort in Ukraine  is central to the defense strategy.



Zehnle warned jurors that Gates could not be trusted and was the type of witness who would say anything he could to save himself from a lengthy prison sentence and a crippling financial penalty.



"Money's coming in fast. It's a lot, and Paul Manafort trusted that Rick Gates was keeping track of it," Zehnle said. "That's what Rick Gates was being paid to do."



The trial, decided by a jury of six men and six women who were seated after a brief selection process Tuesday, is expected to last several weeks.



After opening statements, the jury heard from the government's first witness, Democratic strategist Tad Devine, who testified about his collaborations with Manafort on behalf of Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych and his Party of Regions. Devine testified that Manafort ran a tightly disciplined, professional campaign that contributed to his candidate's victory.



Central to the government's case are allegations that Manafort funneled more than $60 million in proceeds from his Ukrainian political consulting through offshore accounts, including in Cyprus, and hid a "significant" portion of it from the IRS . He created "bogus" loans, falsified documents and lied to his tax preparer and bookkeeper to conceal the money, which he obtained from Ukrainian oligarchs through a series of shell company transfers and later from fraudulently obtained bank loans in the U.S., prosecutors said.



But Zehnle said there was no evidence that Manafort ever intended to deceive the IRS. He denied allegations that Manafort had tried to conceal his earnings by storing money in bank accounts in Cyprus, saying that arrangement was not of Manafort's doing but was instead the preferred method of payment of the supporters of the pro-Russia Ukrainian political party who were paying his consulting fees.



Defense lawyers also sought to address head-on Manafort's wealth and the images of a gaudy lifestyle that jurors are expected to see.



"Paul Manafort travels in circles that most people will never know and he's gotten handsomely rewarded for it," Zehnle said. "We do not dispute that."



Manafort has a second trial scheduled for September in the District of Columbia. It involves allegations that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests and made false statements to the U.S. government.



The other 31 people charged by Mueller so far have either pleaded guilty or are Russians seen as unlikely to enter an American courtroom. Three Russian companies have also been charged.



Matthew Barakat in Alexandria, Virginia, and Stephen Braun in Washington contributed to this report"It seems even more vivid and serious evidence of criminal intent to obstruct justice - whether it is obstruction itself or not, it certainly indicated intent," Blumenthal said. "There is now highly credibly evidence that the president of the United States is committing obstruction of justice in real time, right before our eyes."President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally July 31, 2018, in Tampa, Fla. (Evan Vucci / AP)That's just wrong. Although there is no formal charge known as "collusion," federal criminal law covers anyone who "aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures" a felony. The elements of the crime need to be broken down to see how they might potentially apply to Trump's actions during the campaign. And to be sure, not all the facts that would bring Trump under the federal statute have been proved.President Donald Trump tweets threats to Iran and threatens to shut down the Federal government if they don't give him the money to build a wall that Mexico was going to pay for.Harvey officials talk about water shortages for the first time, say the problem is in Dixmoor

Dixmoor's water provider Harvey addresses issues affecting thousands in South Chicago suburbs for first timeFans will be able to meet Murray on a first come, first served basis. Tickets to the event are free and are not required for entry, and guests can register Saturday at the mall or before at facebook.com/events/733067193695732/.One of the reasons for that success is Cunningham provides some 25 early voting locations in Kane. People can vote at any early voting site in the county, and that now will include Aurora voters. So, if a person is in Elgin, Geneva, St. Charles or Sugar Grove, say, and wants to vote, that person can vote early at any of the sites there.Delgado, of the 500 block of Binder Street, must register for life as a sex offender and will have to serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence. He has already received credit for 447 days served in the Kane County jail.Charles A. McGath agreed to a sentence Thursday of 12 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections in exchange for a guilty plea to unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, the Kane County states attorneys office said in a news release.Unfortunately, that really is the kind of world we are handing off to our kids and grandkids. Social media and camera phones may have trained them to pose and preen with absolutely no prompting, but weve also taught them to be more fearful of strangers; that its not safe to ride to the park on bikes without mom or dad along; and that a deranged and/or vengeful attack could come at them in the most familiar of places, including their churches, classrooms or while attending a small-town festival.The Ruby Gala earlier this summer at an estate in Barrington Hills generated $370,000 in donations that will support the efforts of JourneyCare and its health care programs for adults and children with advanced illness, the organization recently said.As a matter of fact, it was a 9-year-old child who helped raise awareness of this new, trendy environmental issue. Milo Cress of Burlington, Vt. decided to calculate how many plastic straws are used every day  at restaurants, coffee shops, juice bars, etc.  and thrown away. He calculated that number at 500 million. While experts debate the exact number of straws used each year, we do know the number is a big one.Clients come from the Middle East, as well as Poland, Mexico, Guatemala and Brazil. To qualify for citizenship, they must have been in the United States for five years or three years if they are married to a U.S. citizen, be in the district they are applying in for 90 days, have a green card, identification, passport, social security number and tax papers. The application costs $725, but clients may qualify for a fee waiver if their income is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Najia does mock interviews with them so they will be prepared for the questions from immigration officers.